Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW023276S
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00:16 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is "It Is Written." 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 I want to tell you about a woman who changed the world 00:27 against the odds, 00:28 a woman who opened the eyes of countless people, and, 00:31 in the process, taught the world an important lesson. 00:36 For most people, looking up into a clear evening sky 00:38 brings a sense of wonder and awe, witnessing 00:42 the glittering greetings of stars shining in the heavens. 00:46 Although there are billions of stars in the universe, 00:48 the most you can see with the naked eye at any one time 00:51 is only a few thousand. 00:53 But what you're able to see can be absolutely breathtaking. 00:58 Or think of a sunrise, sunset, snow-covered mountains, 01:02 or a hillside in autumn-- 01:05 remarkable visuals that can leave you exhilarated. 01:09 Science tells us that more than 80 percent of our information 01:12 and understanding of our world comes through sight, 01:15 making your eyes incredibly important. 01:19 But what if you damage or lose your sight? 01:22 Often there's nothing that can be done. 01:24 There's no cure for glaucoma, for example. 01:27 Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions 01:29 that damage the optic nerve. 01:31 About 3 million Americans have glaucoma. 01:34 Around 20 million Americans have age-related 01:37 macular degeneration, which, 01:39 while it doesn't usually cause complete blindness, 01:41 happens when a part of the retina called the macula 01:44 is damaged, destroying central vision 01:47 and the ability to see fine details. 01:50 The leading cause of blindness worldwide is cataracts, 01:54 which is when the lens of the eye becomes clouded. 01:57 It can happen for any number of reasons. 01:59 More than half of the blindness cases in the world 02:02 are due to cataracts, 02:03 with more than 19 million people in the world 02:06 experiencing bilateral blindness from cataracts. 02:09 That's blindness in both eyes. 02:11 It seems that cataracts have been treated 02:13 since about 400 years before Moses was born. 02:17 And cataract surgery was mentioned 02:19 in a first-century medical encyclopedia. 02:23 Early cataract surgery, as you might imagine, 02:25 was a primitive affair. 02:27 And even though a clouded lens was surgically removed 02:30 by an ophthalmologist in Paris, France, as early as 1748, 02:34 it would be another 200 years before English ophthalmologist 02:39 Sir Harold Ridley would discover a method 02:41 to replace a natural lens damaged by cataracts 02:45 with an artificial lens. 02:48 Today, cataract surgery is routine. 02:51 A life-changing It Is Written humanitarian project, 02:54 Eyes for India, has provided free cataract surgery 02:58 for thousands of India's poor during the last 10 years or so. 03:02 Several decades ago, advancements were made 03:05 in the treatment of this form of blindness by a remarkable 03:08 and tenacious young American woman from New York City. 03:13 Patricia Bath was born in Harlem on November the 4th, 1942. 03:19 Her father had emigrated from Trinidad 03:21 and was a merchant marine, a newspaper columnist, 03:25 and the first black motorman for the New York City subway system. 03:29 Her mother was a domestic worker who saved her earnings 03:32 to invest in the education of Patricia and her brother. 03:35 While Patricia's father instilled in her a sense 03:38 of discipline and curiosity about the world 03:40 in which she lived, her mother fueled that curiosity 03:44 by buying Patricia a chemistry set when she was a young child. 03:48 With the encouragement of her parents, 03:50 young Patricia devoted herself to getting the most 03:53 out of her education. 03:55 By the age of 16, she'd already earned a place 03:58 in the National Science Foundation workshop 04:01 on cancer research. 04:03 And her future in science looked as bright as any star 04:07 in the darkest midnight sky. 04:09 Fueled by a love of books and of science, 04:12 she excelled at school, becoming the editor 04:15 of Charles Evans Hughes High School's science paper-- 04:19 which is interesting. 04:20 Charles Evans Hughes High School was in the Chelsea District, 04:23 which is where Madison Square Garden is, 04:25 near to the Empire State Building. 04:27 But Patricia was raised in Harlem, miles away. 04:32 According to Patricia, there was no high school in Harlem 04:34 when she was going to school. 04:36 But that didn't stop her from winning numerous 04:39 academic awards and graduating from high school 04:41 in just two and a half years. 04:44 Fueled by an insatiable curiosity 04:47 to understand her world, Patricia devoted herself 04:50 to helping to cure and prevent blindness. 04:54 She earned a bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1964, 04:58 a medical degree from Howard University in 1968, 05:02 and then returned to New York to begin a fellowship 05:04 in ophthalmology at Columbia University. 05:08 In the course of her research, 05:09 Patricia noticed that African Americans were twice as likely 05:13 to suffer from blindness 05:15 than the other populations with whom she interacted. 05:19 She discovered this wasn't due to genetics, but, instead, 05:23 to lower levels of awareness 05:25 of the symptoms leading to blindness, 05:27 also a lack of education and a lack of financial means 05:31 needed to access preventative care. 05:34 In 1973, she became the first African American 05:37 to complete a residency in ophthalmology, 05:40 and in 1975, the first female faculty member 05:44 in the Department of Ophthalmology at UCLA's 05:47 Jules Stein Eye Institute. 05:50 Later, she would become the first woman in the nation 05:52 to chair such a prestigious academic department. 05:55 In 1976, she cofounded 05:58 the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, 06:01 building on the results that were being delivered 06:03 from her community-based ophthalmology system. 06:07 As she worked to combat blindness of the eyes, 06:10 Dr. Patricia Bath had a front-row seat 06:14 in society's struggle with another type of blindness. 06:17 It wasn't until 1964, 06:19 the same year she received her undergraduate degree, 06:22 that the government of the United States passed laws 06:24 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, 06:27 religion, sex, or national origin. 06:30 This was a time of upheaval within society. 06:33 Patricia had to battle both blindness of the eyes 06:36 and blindness of the heart. 06:39 Dr. Bath stated she encountered both sexism and racism 06:43 in her professional and academic career. 06:45 She took her research work to Europe. 06:48 The barriers she came up against in the United States 06:51 didn't exist in Germany, France, and England, 06:54 countries where she could pursue scientific research 06:57 and develop inventions that would better the human race. 07:01 She was a pioneer, a trailblazer, and an inventor. 07:06 And she taught a lesson that still needs to be learned today. 07:11 I'll be back with more in just a moment. 07:14 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 07:23 >>Announcer: The cross is a symbol of Christianity 07:25 for millions of people around the world. 07:27 But beyond the symbol, there is power in the cross, 07:30 power God wants you to experience. 07:33 Learn more by requesting today's free offer, 07:35 "The Power of the Cross." 07:37 To receive "The Power of the Cross," 07:39 call 800-253-3000 07:42 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 07:45 Experience "The Power of the Cross." 07:47 Call 800-253-3000 07:50 or visit iiwoffer.com. 07:54 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on "It Is Written." 07:56 The human eye is incredibly complex. 07:59 ♪[playful music]♪ 08:01 It's made up of more than 2 million working parts. 08:04 The retina alone has approximately 6 million cones 08:08 and 120 million rods. 08:11 [rattling sounds as objects transition off and on screen] 08:13 The 6 million cones see color, 08:15 and they're divided into red, green, and blue, 08:17 while those 120 million rods are photo receptors-- 08:21 light receivers. 08:22 ♪[music continues]♪ [dramatic swoosh] 08:24 The eye is a camera, essentially, 08:26 and a phenomenally good one. 08:28 [beep of camera focusing, shutter clicks] 08:30 The eye is a marvel of creation. 08:33 Even Charles Darwin wrote in "The Origin of Species," 08:36 "To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances 08:40 "for adjusting the focus to different distances, 08:42 "for admitting different amounts of light, 08:44 "and for the correction of spherical and chromatic 08:47 "aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, 08:50 seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree." 08:57 Ophthalmologist Dr. Patricia Bath 08:59 accumulated a long list of achievements. 09:02 She became the first African American resident 09:04 at New York University. 09:06 She married and gave birth while completing her fellowship 09:09 in 1974 in corneal and keratoprosthesis surgery. 09:13 That's implanting an artificial cornea. 09:16 When she became the first woman ophthalmologist to be appointed 09:19 to UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute in 1974, 09:24 she was offered an office "in the basement 09:27 next to the lab animals," she said. 09:29 She refused this space and ended up 09:31 with what she described as "acceptable office space." 09:34 She said, "I decided I was just going to do my work." 09:39 Her work with the American Institute 09:40 for the Prevention of Blindness, which aimed to "protect, 09:43 "preserve, and restore the gift of sight" for all, 09:46 regardless of race, gender, age, or income level, 09:50 saw her travel broadly, 09:52 performing surgery, teaching new medical techniques, 09:54 and donating equipment. 09:57 By 1983, she was chair of the ophthalmology residency 10:01 training program at Drew-UCLA, 10:04 the first woman in the United States 10:06 to ever hold such a position. 10:09 She said one of the highlights of her career 10:11 occurred on a humanitarian mission to North Africa 10:14 when she restored the sight of a woman who had been blind 10:17 for 30 years by implanting an artificial cornea. 10:22 She said, 10:23 "The ability to restore sight is the ultimate reward." 10:28 But she wasn't satisfied with just helping 10:30 prevent cataract blindness in at-risk communities. 10:33 Searching for a better way to treat cataracts, 10:36 she developed the Laserphaco Probe, 10:39 a device that used lasers to vaporize cataracts 10:42 in a patient's eyes, enabling a surgeon to then remove the lens 10:47 and insert a replacement. 10:49 It took almost five years to complete the necessary research 10:51 and testing, and in May 1988 10:54 she became the first African America female doctor 10:57 to receive a patent for a medical device. 11:00 The Laserphaco Probe made it possible for people 11:02 who had been blind for as long as 40 years 11:05 to have their sight restored. 11:07 Ultimately, inventor and research scientist 11:10 Patricia Bath would receive five patents. 11:14 From Harlem, New York, came a trailblazer, a visionary, 11:19 and given the times in which she lived, 11:21 an unlikely candidate to make a giant contribution 11:25 to medicine and science. 11:27 She was the wrong gender, wrong color, 11:30 and she grew up in what she described as "relative poverty." 11:34 Her mother scrubbed floors so she could go to medical school. 11:38 Role models were few and far between. 11:40 She knew of no woman physicians. 11:43 Surgery was dominated by males, and blacks were excluded 11:47 from many medical schools and medical societies. 11:50 And yet she broke through one glass ceiling after another. 11:55 The fact is character counts. 11:58 For further proof of that, 12:00 let's go back together 2,000 years. 12:03 Jesus was born in a barn to humble parents 12:07 and, in the eyes of many, in questionable circumstances. 12:11 After His birth, His bed was a feeding trough. 12:14 When the local governor ordered He be put to death, 12:16 His family fled to another country, 12:19 seeking to escape an oppressive regime. 12:21 Later, Jesus was raised in a town with such a bad reputation 12:25 that when one man heard where He was from, 12:27 he said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" 12:31 Bad town--but character counts. 12:35 I reflected on this recently at the funeral of a friend of mine. 12:38 He started his ministry as a local church pastor, a good one. 12:42 And there was something about that man that people noticed. 12:45 He was chosen to become a church administrator, 12:47 and he rose up through the ranks of administration 12:51 until he served his church on a global level. 12:55 He wasn't the loudest man. He wasn't the flashiest. 12:57 He wasn't the funniest. 12:59 But he was a dedicated Christian man, 13:02 an effective minister of the gospel, a wise administrator, 13:07 and a man of character. 13:08 It was character, along with excellence, 13:11 that saw this man occupy the positions he did. 13:15 Character counts. It always has, and it always will. 13:21 Dr. Patricia Bath oozed integrity. 13:24 When the deck was stacked against her, 13:26 she doubled down and worked harder. 13:28 As a young person she could easily have been caught up 13:30 in the wrong crowd. 13:32 She was raised in New York City during a turbulent time 13:35 in this nation's history. 13:36 But she was raised by parents who stood by her 13:40 and stood by each other, 13:41 each of them demonstrating the importance of character. 13:45 You can make a big difference 13:47 simply by being a person of integrity. 13:50 That'll get you noticed. 13:52 And better yet, it'll get God noticed in you. 13:56 If you're someone who keeps their word, 13:58 someone who works hard, someone who is on time, 14:01 stays late, gives their best, puts others first, 14:05 if you're not always looking for recognition, 14:07 if you go the extra mile 14:09 to make sure people receive good service, 14:11 if that's you, then you're going to go places, 14:14 and you will shine for the Lord. 14:16 A friend of mine started an auto repair shop 14:18 on the edge of a major U.S. city. 14:21 You know, it's a risk starting a business. 14:23 He never advertised, believing in the power of word-of-mouth. 14:27 When a little old lady came in complaining 14:29 that her taillight wasn't working, 14:31 his shop would replace the bulb in five minutes 14:33 and charge her a dollar for a bulb. 14:34 There was no "Leave your vehicle here, 14:37 "We'll get to it when we can. That's an hour's labor, 14:39 plus an expensive part. Here's your hefty bill." 14:42 None of that. 14:43 If it was a simple fix, people were sent on their way 14:46 with a smile and often with no bill at all. 14:49 That business became so successful 14:51 there was no way they could keep up 14:53 with the demand for their services. 14:55 They were fair, they were honest, 14:57 they were known for their integrity, and of course, 15:00 they made money because character counts. 15:04 Now, how did character count in the life of Jesus? 15:08 We'll find that out in just a moment. 15:10 ♪[upbeat music swells and ends]♪♪ 15:20 >>John: It was home to some of the most magnificent temples 15:23 in the ancient world-- 15:25 temples built to honor Artemis, Hadrian, Serapis, 15:30 and the Roman emperor Domitian. 15:32 And surrounded by rampant idol and emperor worship, 15:36 a small band of Christians formed their own church 15:40 in the city of Ephesus. 15:42 Maintaining their faith in the midst of this pagan culture 15:46 was anything but easy. 15:47 ♪[reflective music]♪ 15:48 Today, only ruins remain 15:50 of those once-spectacular structures, 15:53 but the story of Ephesus lives on, continuing to hold 15:56 both historical and spiritual significance. 15:59 Join us as we explore the messages of Jesus 16:02 to the seven churches of Revelation 16:05 and discover God's messages to the church of the past 16:08 and the church of today. 16:11 "The Seven Churches of Revelation: Ephesus," 16:14 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 16:17 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 16:19 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 16:21 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 16:24 To support this international life-changing ministry, 16:28 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 16:32 You can send your tax-deductible gift 16:34 to the address on your screen, 16:35 or you can visit online at itiswritten.com. 16:39 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 16:42 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 16:46 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 16:50 >>John Bradshaw: Think of the times Jesus' integrity, 16:53 His character, shone through in His life and ministry. 16:57 When some evil men dragged a woman to Jesus, 17:00 stating she'd done something terribly immoral, 17:03 it seemed it really was not a question of guilt or innocence. 17:07 They said they caught her in the act. 17:09 That means they'd have had to been spying on her 17:12 because what they were accusing her of 17:14 was not something done publicly. 17:16 This was a setup on some level, and Jesus smelled a rat. 17:21 They said angrily, "Now Moses, in the law, 17:24 "commanded us that such should be stoned. 17:26 But what do You say?" Notice this: 17:28 "This they said, testing Him, 17:31 "that they might have something of which to accuse Him. 17:34 "But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground 17:37 with His finger, as though He did not hear." 17:40 This whole performance was only carried out 17:42 so these men would have a reason to accuse Jesus. 17:44 The woman meant nothing to them. 17:46 If she died, her death would only have been collateral damage 17:49 in their sight. It was Jesus they were after. 17:54 "So when they continued asking Him, 17:55 "He raised Himself up and said to them, 17:57 "'He who is without sin among you, 18:00 "let him throw a stone at her first.' 18:03 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground." 18:06 You read about that in John, chapter 8. 18:09 What He wrote filled them with conviction, 18:11 so much so that they walked away, 18:14 leaving Jesus and the woman behind. 18:18 Oh, now, Jesus cared about the sin she'd committed, 18:20 no question. He said to her, "Go and sin no more." 18:23 But what was Jesus' deepest burden? 18:26 He was concerned for the woman's salvation. 18:30 And not only that, 18:31 He was concerned for the salvation of the men. 18:34 They were worthy of even greater condemnation. 18:36 But Jesus didn't publicly call them out, either. 18:39 He could have, but instead He allowed the Holy Spirit 18:43 to work in their hearts, as He wanted them saved, too. 18:47 What a thing to be known for. Jesus wanted people saved. 18:52 He didn't attack. 18:54 He went about His work of revealing to people 18:56 what His Father was like. 18:58 And anyone who knew anything about that exchange 19:01 would have marveled. 19:02 The woman would have said, 19:03 "This was a Man who treated me with dignity." 19:06 The men would have thought, 19:07 "He didn't attack us, even though we deserved it." 19:10 It's often said John 3:16 19:12 is the most famous verse in the Bible. 19:14 But be sure you read the next verse, John 3:17-- 19:20 "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; 19:24 but that the world through Him might be saved." 19:28 One Sabbath day Jesus healed a man who had a withered hand. 19:32 Now, this was provocative 19:33 because the Jewish religious leaders 19:35 had loaded the Sabbath down with manmade laws, 19:39 to the extent that to carry your bed 19:41 was considered a sin against God. 19:43 To rub a little wheat in your hands 19:45 for the purpose of separating the grain from the hull 19:47 was considered work, and, therefore, breaking the Sabbath. 19:50 Of course, it was not Sabbath-breaking, 19:53 not in God's eyes. 19:54 But the religious leaders taught that it was. 19:57 So on this occasion He reminded them 19:59 that if they had a sheep which fell into a pit on the Sabbath, 20:04 they'd go right ahead and lift it out, 20:05 and they wouldn't consider that Sabbath-breaking. 20:09 He said, "Of how much more value then 20:12 is a man than a sheep?" This is Matthew 12. 20:16 He healed the man, an absolute mind-blowing miracle, 20:21 and their response? 20:23 "Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, 20:27 how they might destroy Him." 20:30 Now, Jesus didn't have a death wish. 20:33 But He wanted people to see God's law in its correct light 20:37 and to see how far away they were from God's heart. 20:40 Here were people contenting themselves 20:42 that they were religious and righteous 20:45 when they were truly full of malice and hate. 20:48 Jesus wanted people to see themselves as they really were, 20:52 so they might recognize their great need of a Savior 20:56 and accept Him as Messiah. 20:59 That's character. 21:01 He came to the world as a Lamb to be slain: 21:05 "He [was] despised and rejected [of] men, 21:08 "a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.... 21:11 "He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.... 21:14 "He was wounded for our transgressions, 21:17 "He was bruised for our iniquities; 21:19 "the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 21:22 and by His stripes we are healed." 21:25 Isaiah, chapter 53. 21:27 As He hung on the cross, 21:28 He didn't curse or call down fire from heaven. 21:32 Remember, before one of them had a change of heart, 21:35 both thieves insulted Him. 21:37 It was the way Jesus reacted to the thieves 21:40 and to the condemnation of the people 21:41 that touched the heart of the one thief who got saved. 21:45 A Roman centurion present at the crucifixion said, 21:48 "Truly this Man was the Son of God." 21:52 Character. 21:54 You're in this world to reflect the character of God-- 21:57 and, in fact, to have the character of God 22:00 re-formed in you. 22:01 That's what Adam and Eve lost in the Garden of Eden. 22:04 It's what God wants to restore in the human family: 22:07 the character of God-- 22:09 not just doctrinal orthodoxy, as important as that is, 22:13 not just standing for or against the right issues-- 22:16 anyone can do that. 22:18 It takes a Christian to live with integrity 22:22 in the sight of God. 22:25 When the cashier accidentally gives you too much change, 22:28 you want to be the person who goes back to the cashier 22:30 and returns the difference. That's integrity. 22:34 When friends of my wife and I were at a supermarket 22:36 not that long ago, the nice lady at the checkout 22:39 obviously undercharged them. She didn't seem to notice. 22:43 So they pointed out to her that they owed her a lot more money 22:46 than she was asking for. 22:48 She looked at them like they were crazy. 22:50 But they knew that if they hadn't done that, 22:52 they'd have been stealing from the supermarket. 22:55 They'd have felt like they were crazy. 22:57 You know what, major supermarket chains have found 22:59 that since they installed self-checkouts, 23:02 there's been a whole lot more stealing. 23:04 Well, no one is surprised by that. 23:07 And what does it show? 23:08 It shows that people lack integrity. 23:11 Give people an opportunity to steal? Unfortunately, they will. 23:16 That's people revealing their true character. 23:19 God didn't create anyone to be like that. 23:23 He created you to live for His glory. 23:28 Imagine the honor you can bring to God simply by allowing 23:31 the character of God to be seen in your life. 23:35 And how does that happen? How can you be that person? 23:38 Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you.... 23:42 "I am the vine, you are the branches. 23:45 He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit." 23:50 Paul wrote that the mystery of the gospel "is Christ in you, 23:54 the hope of glory." 23:55 He wrote to the church of Galatia, saying, 23:56 "I have been crucified with Christ; 23:58 "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; 24:02 "and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith 24:05 in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." 24:09 Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." 24:13 When Christ has your heart, 24:16 He'll lead you in the path of obedience, 24:18 and you'll reveal His character. 24:22 Dr. Patricia Bath--five patents, a trailblazer, an innovator, 24:28 an academic, and humanitarian, a life-changer. 24:34 Twelve disciples, and none of them was willing 24:37 to assume the role of a servant. 24:39 So at the last supper, Jesus took a bowl of water 24:42 and washed the disciples' feet-- character. 24:46 Someone once said that 24:48 it's in a crisis that character is revealed. 24:51 At the time of His greatest crisis, 24:53 while nailed to a cross, Jesus' prayer was, 24:57 "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." 25:03 He came to reveal to the world what His Father is like. 25:06 He said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." 25:10 And what did we see of the Father in Jesus? 25:15 Forgiveness, kindness, 25:17 mercy, love. 25:21 How can your life reveal the character of Jesus to others? 25:25 God will give you opportunity after opportunity. 25:29 Take those chances to show others 25:31 what Jesus is really like. 25:33 He'll shine through you, 25:35 and you'll shine as the light of the world. 25:39 Yes, there are times it's challenging 25:41 to reflect the character of God. 25:43 Conflict, temptation, hardship, loss-- 25:46 that's why you need Jesus. 25:48 If you have His Spirit dwelling in you, 25:51 your default reaction will be to surrender to the will of God. 25:55 Can we pray about that together 25:57 and ask God to do His will in your life at all times? 26:01 Not just when it's comfortable or easy 26:03 and not according to your will, 26:06 but always and according to His will. 26:10 God can do that in you. Let's pray together. 26:13 Our Father in heaven, 26:14 we are thankful for the life of a remarkable woman 26:16 whose integrity serves today as an example. 26:20 Her character counted then and counts now. 26:22 And it reminds us that in this world, 26:24 we are here to develop character, 26:26 to shine for Jesus in this world, 26:28 and to live with Jesus for eternity in the world to come. 26:32 Now, friend, I know there are many people right now 26:34 struggling against sin. 26:36 They fight against it, get dragged right back into it, 26:39 think they're okay, and the next thing, 26:40 they're repeating the same mistakes, 26:42 often shameful mistakes. 26:44 And you want to do better. You want Jesus to liberate you, 26:46 free you from the chains of sin that bind you. 26:49 Father, I'm praying that prayer right now for the man, 26:52 the woman, the young person who wants to be free, 26:54 wants to live for Jesus. 26:56 Fill them with Your Spirit. 26:58 Re-form their character after Yours. 27:00 We believe You can. 27:01 Moreover, we believe You will 27:03 and that You're doing that right now. 27:05 Take our hearts and make them Yours. 27:07 We thank You. We love You. 27:09 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 27:14 >>Announcer: The cross is a symbol of Christianity 27:16 for millions of people around the world. 27:18 But beyond the symbol, there is power in the cross, 27:21 power God wants you to experience. 27:23 Learn more by requesting today's free offer, 27:26 "The Power of the Cross." 27:28 To receive "The Power of the Cross," 27:30 call 800-253-3000 27:33 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 27:36 Experience "The Power of the Cross." 27:38 Call 800-253-3000 27:41 or visit iiwoffer.com. 27:44 >>John: Thanks so much for joining me. 27:46 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:48 Until then, remember: 27:49 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:53 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:57 ♪[dramatic, triumphant theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2024-02-21