[Music]
00:00:02.56\00:00:14.81
I'm John Bradshaw and
this is It Is Written.
00:00:28.89\00:00:32.29
Thanks for joining me. In
the Bible in John, Chapter 9,
00:00:32.29\00:00:35.76
there's a
remarkable story of healing.
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You know, Jesus
actually spent more time healing
00:00:38.50\00:00:40.44
than preaching. There
were times Jesus would
00:00:40.44\00:00:42.90
go into a village or villages
and every one in the village
00:00:42.90\00:00:45.61
who was sick would
be healed by Jesus.
00:00:45.61\00:00:48.58
In this instance,
a man who had been
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blind from birth
caught Jesus' attention, and
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Jesus' manner of
healing him was a little out of
00:00:54.08\00:00:58.29
the ordinary. The
Bible says that Jesus spat
00:00:58.29\00:01:01.02
on the ground and made clay
of the saliva and then anointed
00:01:01.02\00:01:06.16
the eyes of the
man with the clay.
00:01:06.16\00:01:08.33
And then he said to
him, "Go and wash in the
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Pool of Siloam." So
the man went and washed,
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and he came back seeing.
Now, the methods might have
00:01:13.77\00:01:17.04
changed, but the
results have not.
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Here in India, Jesus is still
giving sight to the blind by
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working through a
remarkable man of vision.
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Dr. Jacob Prabhakar is an Indian
ophthalmologist who is working
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tirelessly to restore the
vision of some of the world's
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poorest people. And
this is no small problem.
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As well as the dubious honor
of having more than a third of
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the world's poorest people,
almost 40% of the world's
00:01:45.23\00:01:48.84
blind
population call India home.
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That means more than 15 million
Indians are unable to see.
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And most shocking of
all, more than 75% of these
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cases could have
been avoided or cured.
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So, Dr. Prabhakar, together with
a team of highly skilled medical
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professionals, is taking on
the problem, one eye at a time.
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[Music] I have never seen a man
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that is gifted
with hands like he is.
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God has blessed
him tremendously.
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[speaking Hindi] Dr.
Jacob is the kind of man
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that inspires others by
his caring and compassion.
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He wants to restore sight to the
blind so that they can work and
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have a job, take
care of their family.
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JB: Remarkable words of praise
indeed, for a man whose early
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beginnings were
anything but remarkable.
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[Music]
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JB: But despite the extreme
poverty Jacob and his family
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faced, they were still able
to find simple joys in life.
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[Music]
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JB: So, how then did a boy born
and raised in poverty become
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one of India's most
respected ophthalmologists?
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JB: In fact, the church pastor
saw so much potential in Jacob
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that he secured him a place
in a church-run boarding school.
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It was a difficult transition.
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JB: At the completion of
high school, Jacob applied for
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medical school. But,
unable to meet the tuition
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fees, he was turned down.
But that wasn't the end of his
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medical aspirations.
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[melancholy music]
JB: If you had not had the
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opportunities you
had, you wouldn't be an
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ophthalmologist today.
You'd have come to school here.
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You'd have gone to the public
high school up the street.
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What would have become of you?
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JB: What do they earn?
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JB: That's, uh, just a little
over four American dollars.
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JP: That's right. JB: A day.
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JP: That's right. JB:
They can live on that?
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JB: If you hadn't had some
of the opportunities you had,
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if you were an average
kid who took an average path,
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you'd probably today be
working in a field earning
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four dollars a day.
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[gentle acoustic guitar]
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JB: John the Baptist was
encouraged to continue to
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trust in Jesus because
the deaf could hear, the lame
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could walk, and
the blind could see.
00:07:38.55\00:07:43.56
It Is Written is committed
to opening the eyes of the blind
00:07:43.56\00:07:47.20
and restoring sight to
the visually impaired here
00:07:47.20\00:07:49.83
in India. And I
want to tell you how you
00:07:49.83\00:07:52.70
could be part of this work.
00:07:52.70\00:07:54.57
[rhythmic Indian music]
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Help It Is Written
open the eyes of the blind.
00:07:59.94\00:08:03.85
Eyes for India is giving sight
to the blind, and you can be a
00:08:03.85\00:08:06.92
part of this amazing
work. Just call 800-253-3000.
00:08:06.92\00:08:12.62
You can also donate
online at ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:12.62\00:08:16.29
Fifteen million blind people
live in India--more than any
00:08:16.29\00:08:19.43
other country in the world.
And many of the blind in India
00:08:19.43\00:08:22.40
could see again if only they
could have cataract surgery.
00:08:22.40\00:08:26.67
It Is Written is
making that happen.
00:08:26.67\00:08:28.90
Would you please support this
special project and give the
00:08:28.90\00:08:31.54
gift of sight to someone
who desperately wants to see?
00:08:31.54\00:08:35.18
Each cataract surgery restores
the precious gift of sight, and
00:08:35.18\00:08:38.91
in many cases, people who cannot
see anything at all have their
00:08:38.91\00:08:42.95
sight restored.
Imagine experiencing that.
00:08:42.95\00:08:47.22
You can share that
experience with others anxious
00:08:47.22\00:08:49.86
to see again.
Here's all you need to do.
00:08:49.86\00:08:52.56
Call 800-253-3000 to donate
and support Eyes for India.
00:08:52.56\00:08:59.00
If you prefer, you can write
to It Is Written at P O Box 6,
00:08:59.00\00:09:03.41
Chattanooga, Tennessee
37401. You'll also find more
00:09:03.41\00:09:08.38
information about
Eyes for India online
00:09:08.38\00:09:10.61
at itiswritten.com.
You can be the difference
00:09:10.61\00:09:14.32
between someone spending
the rest of their lives in
00:09:14.32\00:09:16.65
darkness or having
the ability to see.
00:09:16.65\00:09:20.56
Eyes for India and It Is Written
are doing the work of Jesus in
00:09:20.56\00:09:23.39
opening the eyes
of the blind. Join us.
00:09:23.39\00:09:26.26
Just call 800-253-3000,
or write to P O Box 6,
00:09:26.26\00:09:31.10
Chattanooga, Tennessee
37401. Or visit ItIsWritten.com.
00:09:31.10\00:09:38.04
"Every Word" is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:09:39.34\00:09:42.81
presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw and designed especially
00:09:42.81\00:09:45.68
for busy people like
you. Look for "Every Word" on
00:09:45.68\00:09:49.35
selected networks, or watch it
online every day on our website:
00:09:49.35\00:09:52.79
itiswritten.com.
00:09:52.79\00:09:55.36
[upbeat music]
00:09:56.62\00:10:02.16
Thanks for joining me. How
important to live up to the
00:10:03.77\00:10:06.84
light we've been given by God.
In Daniel 9:25, God's people
00:10:06.84\00:10:10.74
were told when the
Messiah was going to come.
00:10:10.74\00:10:13.61
"Know therefore and understand
that from the going forth of
00:10:13.61\00:10:16.34
the commandment to restore and
rebuild Jerusalem unto Messiah
00:10:16.34\00:10:19.58
the Prince shall be seven weeks
and three score and two weeks.
00:10:19.58\00:10:22.88
This was a prophecy telling when
the Messiah would come into the
00:10:22.88\00:10:25.59
world the first
time. And when he did,
00:10:25.59\00:10:27.82
the overwhelming majority were
not ready, and they rejected
00:10:27.82\00:10:31.26
Him. Now, we
don't know exactly when
00:10:31.26\00:10:33.70
Jesus is going to return a
second time, even though we've
00:10:33.70\00:10:36.30
got many signs to watch out for.
So it's important to live in
00:10:36.30\00:10:40.40
such a way that we're
ready whenever Jesus returns.
00:10:40.40\00:10:44.04
Two thousand years ago,
people weren't ready in spite
00:10:44.04\00:10:46.88
of the light they had.
Let's not make that mistake.
00:10:46.88\00:10:50.15
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:10:50.15\00:10:52.61
Let's live today by every Word.
00:10:52.61\00:10:55.78
[sounds of the city]
I'm John Bradshaw and
00:10:57.05\00:10:59.32
this is It Is
Written. Thanks for joining me.
00:10:59.32\00:11:01.96
Here in India, there's a man
of vision doing the very work
00:11:01.96\00:11:05.79
that Jesus did. One
day when Jesus was leaving
00:11:05.79\00:11:09.20
Jericho, a blind man named
Bartemaeus called out to him.
00:11:09.20\00:11:12.60
He said, "Jesus, Son of
David, have mercy on me."
00:11:12.60\00:11:16.97
Well, Jesus said to the
man, "What would you like me
00:11:16.97\00:11:20.21
to do for you?" And
he answered by saying,
00:11:20.21\00:11:22.61
"Rabonai, that I
may receive my sight."
00:11:22.61\00:11:26.82
Jesus said, "Go on your way,
your faith has made you well."
00:11:26.82\00:11:31.79
And immediately the
man received his sight.
00:11:31.79\00:11:34.49
Well, here in India,
thanks to the dedicated work of
00:11:34.49\00:11:38.13
Dr. Jacob Prabhakar and
his team, tens of thousands
00:11:38.13\00:11:41.43
are seeing again. And in
a country with no western
00:11:41.43\00:11:47.54
welfare system, where so many
people are living in crippling
00:11:47.54\00:11:51.34
poverty, simple cataract surgery
may save them from a life
00:11:51.34\00:11:55.24
of extreme hardship.
00:11:55.24\00:11:58.55
[Speaking Hindi]
00:11:59.31\00:12:10.53
[Speaking Hindi]
00:12:11.79\00:12:16.93
JB: But, although Dr. Jacob
is operating on some of the
00:12:18.53\00:12:21.17
world's poorest
people, the standard of care
00:12:21.17\00:12:24.11
they receive is world class.
00:12:24.11\00:12:28.08
I've stood over Dr. Jacob's
shoulder for four hours last
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night, and he went back and
forth from patient to patient.
00:12:31.25\00:12:33.75
His hands, his, his expertise,
his focus, his vision is just
00:12:33.75\00:12:39.29
unbelievable. An
ophthalmologist surgeon in,
00:12:39.29\00:12:43.02
uh, the western world, the
United States, for instance,
00:12:43.02\00:12:45.99
would do approximately 30 a day
would be, a, a very good number,
00:12:45.99\00:12:50.03
a very good number.
00:12:50.03\00:12:51.80
And while 30 surgeries a
day may seem like a lot, Jacob
00:12:53.20\00:12:57.17
and his team have refined the
process so thoroughly that 30
00:12:57.17\00:13:01.14
surgeries now accounts
for less than an hour's work.
00:13:01.14\00:13:04.85
JB: With such an impressive
number of surgeries behind him,
00:14:01.30\00:14:04.37
there is little doubt
that Dr. Prabhakar skill would
00:14:04.37\00:14:07.28
be in high demand on
this side of the world.
00:14:07.28\00:14:11.38
If Dr. Jacobs was working in
the United States of America,
00:14:11.38\00:14:14.65
his lifestyle would be at the
top of the world, so to speak.
00:14:14.65\00:14:18.99
His income would be in
the multimillion-dollar area.
00:14:18.99\00:14:22.39
He could have all the material
things in life that he would
00:14:22.39\00:14:25.36
like to have, plus more.
00:14:25.36\00:14:27.86
[Music]
00:15:20.85\00:15:25.52
JB: What was life like in
this village when you were
00:15:28.39\00:15:30.83
growing up?
00:15:30.83\00:15:32.46
JB: Sounds like
life was pretty simple.
00:15:42.27\00:15:44.07
These weren't big supermarkets.
00:15:44.07\00:15:45.44
JB: I know you spend much of
your professional life now in
00:15:58.55\00:16:02.62
the villages, in the
places where the people are the
00:16:02.62\00:16:05.53
poorest of the poor.
There's a connection,
00:16:05.53\00:16:08.53
isn't there,
between your upbringing and
00:16:08.53\00:16:10.83
what you're doing today
professionally to minister
00:16:10.83\00:16:13.00
to others?
00:16:13.00\00:16:14.57
[Music]
00:16:30.92\00:16:35.22
JB: Jacob Prabhakar
is unique among medical
00:16:41.16\00:16:43.50
professionals here in India.
00:16:43.50\00:16:45.73
His cataract surgery technique,
the support of his dedicated
00:16:45.73\00:16:48.87
team, and a relentless
commitment to hard work
00:16:48.87\00:16:53.24
makes it possible for him
to treat an enormous amount
00:16:53.24\00:16:56.34
of people--the poorest
of India's poor, those who
00:16:56.34\00:17:00.08
would have slipped
through the cracks without him.
00:17:00.08\00:17:02.82
While many medical professionals
in India are happy to get ahead,
00:17:02.82\00:17:06.45
and many of them are happier
to get out, Dr. Prabhakar has
00:17:06.45\00:17:11.59
dedicated his medical practice
to deliberately seeking out
00:17:11.59\00:17:15.43
the poorest of India's
poor, and providing them with
00:17:15.43\00:17:19.23
medical services that
they couldn't possibly get
00:17:19.23\00:17:21.57
anywhere else.
So, what drives this
00:17:21.57\00:17:27.28
remarkable man?
00:17:27.28\00:17:29.64
[Music]
00:17:52.47\00:17:56.40
[Speaking Hindi] [Music]
00:17:56.94\00:18:00.78
[Speaking Hindi]
00:18:00.78\00:18:19.29
[Music] [Sounds of city]
00:18:20.30\00:18:31.81
JB: India is a
land of great contrasts.
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.91
Incredible beauty and
suffocating pollution.
00:18:33.91\00:18:37.58
[Horn honking] Vast
natural resources and
00:18:37.58\00:18:40.25
terrible poverty.
Well-paid professional cricket
00:18:40.25\00:18:42.98
players and IT
workers, and then the masses
00:18:42.98\00:18:45.72
daily eking out an existence.
00:18:45.72\00:18:48.32
And for millions of people
in India, medical help is almost
00:18:48.32\00:18:51.53
impossible to find.
There are masses of people
00:18:51.53\00:18:55.36
living here, living in
the darkness of blindness,
00:18:55.36\00:18:58.87
who could see if only
they could get eye surgery.
00:18:58.87\00:19:05.14
[rhythmic indian music]
00:19:05.67\00:19:07.98
Today I'd like to ask you
to help It Is Written open
00:19:08.54\00:19:10.88
the eyes of the blind.
India has more blind people
00:19:10.88\00:19:13.85
than any country on earth.
But simple cataract surgery can
00:19:13.85\00:19:17.59
make the difference between
seeing and not seeing for
00:19:17.59\00:19:20.69
many people. Eyes
for India is a project
00:19:20.69\00:19:23.26
that's providing cataract
surgery for people in desperate
00:19:23.26\00:19:26.46
need of the gift of
sight. Please help today.
00:19:26.46\00:19:29.73
Call 800-253-3000. You
can also donate online at
00:19:29.73\00:19:35.24
ItIsWritten.com.
Please call 800-253-3000, or
00:19:35.24\00:19:41.14
write to P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401.
00:19:41.14\00:19:46.95
Or visit ItIsWritten.com.
00:19:46.95\00:19:50.12
[Music]
00:19:51.12\00:19:54.69
JB: In rural India, when
a person loses their ability
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.53
to see, everything changes.
Somebody who works in the rice
00:19:57.53\00:20:02.03
fields, well, they
cannot work if they cannot see.
00:20:02.03\00:20:04.97
A person who tends the cattle,
somebody who works as a laborer
00:20:04.97\00:20:08.54
every day, they're not
working if they're not seeing.
00:20:08.54\00:20:11.74
And there isn't an employer
who's prepared to provide
00:20:11.74\00:20:14.64
benefits. There
isn't any sort of health
00:20:14.64\00:20:17.21
insurance for these
most poor of the poor.
00:20:17.21\00:20:20.62
It just doesn't
exist for these people.
00:20:20.62\00:20:23.05
However, the same Jesus who
opened the eyes of the blind
00:20:23.05\00:20:26.55
when he walked here on the
earth is still opening the eyes
00:20:26.55\00:20:29.16
of the blind here in India.
The compassion that drove Jesus
00:20:29.16\00:20:33.43
is the same compassion that
fuels Dr. Jacob Prabhakar and
00:20:33.43\00:20:37.20
his team, to help the most needy
here and to demonstrate to them
00:20:37.20\00:20:42.04
the love of a loving God.
00:20:42.04\00:20:45.37
[Music]
00:20:46.21\00:20:50.08
[Speaking Hindi]
00:20:50.45\00:20:53.95
JB: Well, this is a special
moment because here we are,
00:20:54.88\00:20:57.02
in your home
village. As a matter of fact,
00:20:57.02\00:21:01.49
at your home,
surrounded by people on
00:21:01.49\00:21:05.36
whom you've operated.
How does that make you feel?
00:21:05.36\00:21:09.20
JB: Why do you do this?
That is to say, you don't live
00:21:24.91\00:21:28.68
anywhere near here
now. Just to get here is an
00:21:28.68\00:21:32.02
enormous exercise.
00:21:32.02\00:21:34.16
JB: You're giving back
to the community that really
00:21:44.33\00:21:46.17
gave you so much.
00:21:46.17\00:21:47.14
[Music]
00:21:59.71\00:22:03.15
[Speaking Hindi]
00:22:03.89\00:22:13.63
[Speaking Hindi]
00:22:15.33\00:22:20.37
[Speaking Hindi]
00:22:21.87\00:22:24.07
JB: But it's not just
their physical lives that are
00:22:33.98\00:22:36.22
being transformed.
As vision is restored,
00:22:36.22\00:22:40.32
their eyes are being
opened to the Word of God,
00:22:40.32\00:22:44.03
and many are accepting
Jesus into their hearts.
00:22:44.03\00:22:48.03
Dr. Jacob's
patients, when they have their
00:23:15.36\00:23:17.29
cataracts removed and
they have this new vision,
00:23:17.29\00:23:19.66
it's not just a
vision that's physical.
00:23:19.66\00:23:21.96
He follows up with the
Bibles, the spiritual emphasis,
00:23:21.96\00:23:24.53
so they have spiritual healing
along with physical healing.
00:23:24.53\00:23:27.97
And you can't
beat that combination.
00:23:27.97\00:23:29.74
[Speaking Hindi]
00:23:49.16\00:23:57.77
JB: Of course,
this remarkable man and
00:23:58.00\00:24:00.54
his team could not continue
their very important work were
00:24:00.54\00:24:04.71
it not for the support
of 'Eyes for India' and the
00:24:04.71\00:24:07.81
generous hearts of our donors.
00:24:07.81\00:24:11.98
[Music] JB: And
although more than
00:24:51.69\00:24:56.09
100,000 people have already
received this sight-giving
00:24:56.09\00:24:59.89
surgery, the journey is far
from over for Dr. Prabhakar.
00:24:59.89\00:25:06.43
What's your vision of the future
as far as your involvement
00:25:06.43\00:25:10.54
in this work?
00:25:10.54\00:25:11.81
[Music]
00:25:12.01\00:25:14.68
JB: I want to tell you how you
can be part of Eyes for India.
00:25:35.23\00:25:38.30
Just $75 will restore the
sight of someone who's visually
00:25:38.30\00:25:43.44
impaired or someone
who is completely blind.
00:25:43.44\00:25:47.11
These cataracts often take
the sight totally of people,
00:25:47.11\00:25:51.45
leaving them living in the dark.
00:25:51.45\00:25:54.05
Just $75 is all it takes
to give the gift of sight.
00:25:54.05\00:25:59.55
Here's what I'd like you to do.
Call us right now, 800-253-3000.
00:25:59.55\00:26:04.79
1-800-253-3000.
Or visit us online,
00:26:04.79\00:26:09.56
www.itiswritten.com.
Only $75 and you open the eyes
00:26:09.56\00:26:17.07
of the blind and
give the gift of sight.
00:26:17.07\00:26:21.68
How many eyes are
you willing to open?
00:26:21.68\00:26:24.71
Seventy-five
dollars for one individual.
00:26:24.71\00:26:26.98
Seven hundred and fifty dollars,
you've changed 10 lives.
00:26:26.98\00:26:30.79
Multiply that out and
you can change the lives of
00:26:30.79\00:26:34.19
exponentially more. I'd
like to pray with you before
00:26:34.19\00:26:37.69
I go, so let me do that now.
Father in heaven, I thank you
00:26:37.69\00:26:42.60
that you are opening the eyes of
the blind and opening the hearts
00:26:42.60\00:26:45.47
of so many who are receiving
not just physical sight,
00:26:45.47\00:26:49.64
but spiritual sight.
They're seeing Jesus and
00:26:49.64\00:26:52.77
receiving from you the
precious gift of salvation.
00:26:52.77\00:26:57.45
Continue to bless, please,
the work of Dr. Jacob and
00:26:57.45\00:27:00.15
his team here. Open
the eyes and the hearts
00:27:00.15\00:27:02.72
of multiplied more
people, and bless those who give
00:27:02.72\00:27:05.82
and support this great work
with a joy and a satisfaction
00:27:05.82\00:27:10.13
and a peace from
knowing that they have touched a
00:27:10.13\00:27:13.03
life for eternity's sake.
So, bless and keep us, I pray.
00:27:13.03\00:27:18.40
Lord, let us see
Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.
00:27:18.40\00:27:25.91
[Music]
00:27:31.35\00:27:42.42
JB: Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:46.03\00:27:48.23
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:48.23\00:27:50.33
Until then, remember,
"It is written, Man shall not
00:27:50.33\00:27:54.70
live by bread alone,
but by every word that
00:27:54.70\00:27:58.77
proceeds from
the mouth of God.'"
00:27:58.77\00:28:02.28
[orchestral music]
00:28:04.71\00:28:21.76