¤[music ends]¤
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>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
00:00:19.18\00:00:20.82
I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Now, to call her "immortal"
is, is slightly inaccurate,
00:00:23.45\00:00:28.16
slightly.
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But even though she died
in 1951 at the age of just 31,
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to call her
anything but "immortal"
00:00:34.20\00:00:37.37
wouldn't be
entirely accurate either.
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It's a truly remarkable story.
00:00:39.87\00:00:42.44
It's a story of
historic proportions.
00:00:42.47\00:00:45.14
If you haven't heard it,
you're going to wonder why
00:00:45.17\00:00:48.11
you didn't know about the woman
who has had a greater impact
00:00:48.14\00:00:50.98
on human health than practically
any other woman in history.
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Scientists all over the
world are grateful for her.
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She's offered hope to people in
every country on every continent
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on the entire planet--
people who in many cases
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would have had
little or no hope at all.
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To show you how
influential she's been,
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let's try a little,
uh, word association here,
00:01:15.17\00:01:17.97
or maybe, maybe
name association.
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Now, when I say "polio
vaccine," you say...who?
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Right. You say Jonas Salk, the
scientist from New York City.
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You know, it's interesting
that Salk chose not to profit
00:01:29.92\00:01:32.82
from his work on
the polio vaccine
00:01:32.85\00:01:34.66
so that it could be distributed
as widely as possible.
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Within 25 years, transmission
of polio had been eliminated
00:01:38.23\00:01:42.16
in the United
States because of Jo--
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oh, wait a minute.
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Wait a minute, not
because of Jonas Salk only,
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because Jonas Salk had help.
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And you'll likely have
never heard of the woman
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who really ought to get a lot
of the credit for what Salk did
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and certainly the
credit for what she did.
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Now, if I say "measles,"
what do you think of? Or who?
00:02:01.72\00:02:05.99
How about mumps? Or, or HIV?
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Who are you thinking of now?
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Are you thinking of a
humble woman born and raised
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in the South who
died in obscurity?
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Probably not.
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And, of course, we
want to look at the story
00:02:19.13\00:02:21.44
because it has
direct spiritual parallels.
00:02:21.47\00:02:24.24
Immortality, everlasting life,
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is promised to
everyone who believes in Jesus
00:02:27.04\00:02:30.41
and accepts Him
into his or her life.
00:02:30.45\00:02:33.11
It's the burden of
the most well-known verse
00:02:33.15\00:02:35.88
of the 31,000-plus
verses in the Bible, John 3:16.
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It says, "For God so
loved the world, that He gave
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"His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
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should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
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The Bible begins with
the account of Creation,
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then the fall into sin, then
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel,
00:02:54.44\00:02:59.87
Israel and Judah, the prophets,
00:02:59.91\00:03:01.91
Jesus, the early church,
00:03:01.94\00:03:04.31
and then the final
chapters of the Bible
00:03:04.35\00:03:07.12
dealing with the return
of Jesus, the removal of sin,
00:03:07.15\00:03:10.19
heaven, the earth made new,
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and God's people
finally living with Him forever.
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So let me tell you
about "the immortal woman."
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Loretta Pleasant was
born on August the 1st, 1920,
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in Roanoke, Virginia.
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She was one of 10 children.
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Her mother died giving
birth to that 10th child.
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So Loretta, who along the
way became known as Henrietta,
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went to live with her
grandfather in tiny Clover,
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Virginia, where her
ancestors had worked as slaves.
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She was raised in a
small cabin that had once been
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slave quarters.
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She married, had children,
and moved with her husband
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and children to
Baltimore, Maryland.
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The massive steel mill
at Sparrows Point employed
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thousands of men.
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And although the work
was hard and even unsafe,
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it meant a steady paycheck
for Henrietta's husband, David,
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or, or "Day," as he was known.
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And life was,
well, pretty good--
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until Henrietta became ill.
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She knew she had problems
before they left Virginia,
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but things got
so bad she ended up
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at Johns Hopkins
medical center in Baltimore.
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Now, keep in mind,
it was 1951 by now,
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the Lacks might
have lived in Maryland,
00:04:24.96\00:04:27.40
but like African-Americans
all over the country,
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they lived deep in
the heart of Jim Crow.
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Even Johns
Hopkins was segregated,
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with Blacks-only bathrooms and
Blacks-only drinking fountains.
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Black patients were
kept in Blacks-only wards.
00:04:39.91\00:04:42.88
But Johns Hopkins
accepted black patients,
00:04:42.91\00:04:46.51
and it was the only
major hospital anywhere nearby
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that did.
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So Day drove
Henrietta to Hopkins,
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where it was found that
Henrietta had cervical cancer.
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Now, there were
treatment options,
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and Henrietta
received good treatment,
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according to the
treatment protocols of the day.
00:05:01.83\00:05:04.80
But the cancer was aggressive,
00:05:04.83\00:05:07.20
and within a year
Henrietta Lacks was dead.
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But along the way an
interesting thing happened.
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I'll give you some background.
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At that time, cervical cancer
killed 15,000 women a year
00:05:17.58\00:05:22.28
in the United States.
00:05:22.32\00:05:23.62
Now, for some context, the
population of the United States
00:05:23.65\00:05:27.12
is now more than
double what it was then,
00:05:27.16\00:05:30.53
and yet deaths from
cervical cancer have fallen
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to a little over 4,000 a year.
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So there was a lot of
work to do in understanding
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and treating cancer.
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And there was a lot of
controversy, a lot of debate,
00:05:41.17\00:05:45.07
about how to best
treat cervical cancer.
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Doctors and scientists
everywhere were conducting
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research, but in 1951,
well, that was the Stone Age
00:05:50.51\00:05:55.08
for cancer research compared
to modern science today.
00:05:55.12\00:05:59.15
People were trying to understand
the biology of the human cell.
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And keep in mind, cancers begin
with a single cell gone wrong.
00:06:02.19\00:06:07.03
The key to getting a
grip on cervical cancer
00:06:07.03\00:06:09.70
and so many other cancers,
and so many other diseases,
00:06:09.73\00:06:13.77
was working with
cells to understand them
00:06:13.80\00:06:16.81
and to understand
disease much better.
00:06:16.84\00:06:19.34
But the challenge with
researching cancer cells in 1951
00:06:20.64\00:06:25.35
was that cells would
die outside the human body.
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Human cells will typically
divide and then divide again.
00:06:29.68\00:06:32.19
In fact, they divide around
50 times, and then they die.
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And no one had ever kept cells
alive indefinitely in a lab.
00:06:35.62\00:06:40.40
But here's the
interesting thing,
00:06:40.43\00:06:42.00
that history-altering thing.
00:06:42.03\00:06:44.70
During her treatment,
cells from Henrietta Lacks' body
00:06:44.73\00:06:47.97
were brought into
a lab and cultured.
00:06:48.00\00:06:50.44
A physician named Dr.
George Gey had spent 30 years
00:06:50.47\00:06:53.98
trying to grow cancerous
cells outside the human body,
00:06:54.01\00:06:58.58
but without success.
00:06:58.61\00:07:00.15
Now, another physician,
knowing about Gey's obsession,
00:07:00.18\00:07:03.65
began collecting cancer cells
and giving them to Dr. Gey.
00:07:03.69\00:07:07.82
There was no shortage of
patients at Johns Hopkins.
00:07:07.86\00:07:11.06
And the ethics of taking
cells from the public patients
00:07:11.09\00:07:14.00
that came through wasn't a
question for anyone concerned
00:07:14.00\00:07:17.73
in that day.
00:07:17.77\00:07:19.33
Henrietta's cells were
accepted by an assistant,
00:07:19.37\00:07:22.14
who wrote "HeLa" on the samples,
shorthand for Henrietta Lacks.
00:07:22.17\00:07:28.78
By now no one was expecting
anything to be different
00:07:28.81\00:07:32.38
from any of the other
samples that had been taken.
00:07:32.41\00:07:35.32
It was expected they'd
survive a while, then die,
00:07:35.35\00:07:39.19
and that would be that.
00:07:39.22\00:07:41.26
But something strange happened,
something for which to this day
00:07:41.29\00:07:45.29
there's not really
a good explanation.
00:07:45.33\00:07:48.43
The cells taken from Henrietta
Lacks began to divide rapidly,
00:07:48.46\00:07:54.94
and they didn't stop dividing.
00:07:54.97\00:07:57.34
Before long, Dr. Gey
had millions and millions
00:07:57.37\00:08:00.34
and millions of cancer
cells dividing and dividing
00:08:00.38\00:08:04.48
and dividing--and not dying.
00:08:04.51\00:08:07.52
It was a first, a
massive scientific breakthrough.
00:08:07.55\00:08:11.49
And it meant that
although she was dead,
00:08:11.52\00:08:13.96
Henrietta Lacks
was still living!
00:08:13.99\00:08:17.39
The world had its
first immortal woman.
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I'll be right back.
00:08:21.60\00:08:22.73
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:08:22.76\00:08:29.37
>>Female Announcer:
For thousands of years,
00:08:31.61\00:08:33.04
humanity has spoken of
a paradise called heaven.
00:08:33.07\00:08:36.08
But what does the
Bible say about heaven?
00:08:36.11\00:08:38.58
Where is it?
How do we get there?
00:08:38.61\00:08:40.42
And once we're
there, what comes next?
00:08:40.45\00:08:42.85
Find out by
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00:08:48.49\00:08:51.33
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00:08:51.36\00:08:55.33
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00:08:55.36\00:08:58.17
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00:08:58.20\00:09:01.20
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:09:02.44\00:09:03.74
on It Is Written.
00:09:03.77\00:09:05.54
When Dr. George Gey
realized he had succeeded
00:09:05.57\00:09:08.48
in growing human
cells outside a human body,
00:09:08.51\00:09:13.55
and that the cells taken from
Henrietta Lacks were not dying,
00:09:13.58\00:09:17.99
the research
potential became obvious,
00:09:18.02\00:09:20.69
and Gey began enthusiastically
giving the cells to researchers
00:09:20.72\00:09:24.53
who wanted to use them.
00:09:24.56\00:09:25.86
It was a seriously big deal.
00:09:25.89\00:09:29.10
And this is where,
even after her death,
00:09:29.13\00:09:32.10
Henrietta Lacks,
the immortal woman,
00:09:32.13\00:09:35.00
continued to impact
and benefit the world.
00:09:35.04\00:09:38.54
HeLa cells allowed Jonas
Salk to test his polio vaccine.
00:09:38.57\00:09:43.48
They've been used to study
measles and mumps and Ebola,
00:09:43.51\00:09:47.78
to develop treatments for AIDs,
00:09:47.82\00:09:50.05
and to develop chemotherapy
and radiation treatments.
00:09:50.09\00:09:53.19
Henrietta Lacks' cells have
even traveled to outer space.
00:09:53.22\00:09:57.39
Now, there are limitations as to
what can and can't be achieved
00:09:57.43\00:10:00.90
using HeLa cells,
but there's no question
00:10:00.93\00:10:03.60
that Henrietta Lacks'
cells have advanced science
00:10:03.63\00:10:07.57
and benefited all of humanity.
00:10:07.60\00:10:10.67
As you might imagine, there are
ethical questions that persist.
00:10:10.71\00:10:14.48
Henrietta wasn't told
that her cells would be used
00:10:14.51\00:10:16.98
for scientific purposes.
00:10:17.01\00:10:18.78
But that was
normal in the 1950s.
00:10:18.81\00:10:20.98
Informing a patient or relatives
about the use of samples
00:10:21.02\00:10:24.29
obtained through
medical procedures
00:10:24.32\00:10:26.39
wasn't required in 1951.
00:10:26.42\00:10:28.69
In fact, it's
not required today.
00:10:28.72\00:10:31.46
And Henrietta's case shines a
light on those ethical issues.
00:10:31.49\00:10:36.00
But here's what you've got:
00:10:36.03\00:10:37.70
a woman who's
been dead since 1951,
00:10:37.73\00:10:41.70
whose cells have been living on
in laboratories around the world
00:10:41.74\00:10:45.84
for 70 years.
00:10:45.87\00:10:47.98
Researchers believe they've
figured out why the HeLa cells
00:10:48.01\00:10:51.15
continue to live
when others do not.
00:10:51.18\00:10:53.65
But it's, it's an exception.
00:10:53.68\00:10:56.25
It's, it's one of those
things that you accept happens,
00:10:56.28\00:11:00.12
even if you don't
really fully understand
00:11:00.16\00:11:03.06
the reasons why or how.
00:11:03.09\00:11:05.46
And here's where we
see the strong and obvious
00:11:05.49\00:11:07.76
spiritual parallel.
00:11:07.76\00:11:09.10
The Bible makes these
interesting statements
00:11:09.13\00:11:11.67
in the book of 1 Timothy.
00:11:11.70\00:11:13.20
It speaks of "our Lord
Jesus Christ's appearing,
00:11:13.23\00:11:16.71
"which He will
manifest in His own time,
00:11:16.74\00:11:19.27
"He who is the
blessed and only Potentate,
00:11:19.31\00:11:22.01
"the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords,
00:11:22.04\00:11:24.51
who alone has immortality."
00:11:24.55\00:11:27.88
In chapter 1 of
the same book, it says:
00:11:27.92\00:11:29.95
"Now to the King
eternal, immortal, invisible,
00:11:29.98\00:11:34.02
"to God who alone is wise,
00:11:34.06\00:11:35.39
be honor and glory
forever and ever. Amen."
00:11:35.42\00:11:38.69
The Bible says
that we "seek for glory,
00:11:38.73\00:11:42.46
honor, and immortality,"
in Romans 2 in verse 7.
00:11:42.50\00:11:46.87
Immortality is not something
human beings inherently have.
00:11:46.90\00:11:52.17
Since sin entered the world,
we humans have had a problem,
00:11:52.21\00:11:56.64
and that is, we die, and
life after death isn't assured.
00:11:56.68\00:12:03.55
In fact, everlasting
life is out of our grasp.
00:12:03.59\00:12:08.39
There are only three people in
the world who have immortality:
00:12:08.42\00:12:13.76
the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit.
00:12:13.80\00:12:18.50
And for about as
long as we can remember,
00:12:18.53\00:12:21.20
human beings have
been trying to solve aging.
00:12:21.24\00:12:24.94
They've been trying to
fight back against death.
00:12:24.97\00:12:28.28
The Tower of Babel
was an attempt by humans
00:12:28.31\00:12:30.51
to reach heaven
under their own steam.
00:12:30.55\00:12:33.52
And right down to our day,
that obsession hasn't stopped.
00:12:33.55\00:12:37.49
In September 2013,
Calico was created,
00:12:37.52\00:12:41.52
the California Life
Company, backed by Google.
00:12:41.56\00:12:44.93
It's now a
subsidiary of Alphabet.
00:12:44.96\00:12:47.66
Its mission is to find out
what it takes to live longer
00:12:47.73\00:12:50.97
and get people on that track.
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.07
But can, can Google crack
the code of life and end aging?
00:12:53.10\00:12:57.57
A Google engineer thinks so.
00:12:57.61\00:12:59.57
He spoke of "computers
the size of blood cells,
00:12:59.61\00:13:02.14
little robotic devices that
can go through our bloodstream,"
00:13:02.18\00:13:05.45
and those little
devices, he said,
00:13:05.48\00:13:07.12
will be
"[connected] to the cloud."
00:13:07.15\00:13:08.85
Now, if you're wondering
when this is going to happen,
00:13:08.88\00:13:11.09
it was said that
it'll be reality by 2030.
00:13:11.12\00:13:15.76
The same Google engineer,
Ray Kurzweil, said that by 2045,
00:13:15.79\00:13:20.90
our brains will be
connected to the internet,
00:13:20.93\00:13:23.33
and human beings will
be able to live forever.
00:13:23.37\00:13:27.67
Well?
00:13:27.70\00:13:29.50
No.
00:13:29.54\00:13:30.51
In 2014, a Silicon
Valley hedge fund manager
00:13:30.54\00:13:33.64
offered a $1 million
prize challenging scientists
00:13:33.68\00:13:37.05
to hack the code of life
00:13:37.08\00:13:39.18
and push human life
span past 120 years.
00:13:39.21\00:13:42.22
You see, that
seems to be our limit.
00:13:42.25\00:13:44.39
More and more
people are living longer.
00:13:44.42\00:13:46.45
More people are living
to 100 than ever before,
00:13:46.49\00:13:48.69
at least in modern times.
00:13:48.72\00:13:50.59
But the very oldest human beings
still seem to die at around 115.
00:13:50.63\00:13:56.56
Joon Yun, the
hedge fund manager,
00:13:56.60\00:13:59.53
believes it's possible
for scientists to solve aging.
00:13:59.57\00:14:04.14
This is really just a
modern iteration of the legend
00:14:04.17\00:14:06.17
of Juan Ponce de León, whose
search for the fountain of youth
00:14:06.21\00:14:10.28
led him to
Florida in the year 1513.
00:14:10.31\00:14:13.65
Forever is a very long time, but
it is possible to live forever.
00:14:13.68\00:14:20.32
We really need
to understand how.
00:14:20.36\00:14:22.96
To do so, let's go right
back to the very beginning.
00:14:22.99\00:14:27.46
Genesis 1, verse 1:
00:14:27.50\00:14:29.60
"In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
00:14:29.63\00:14:34.17
Then on day 6 of Creation
week, God created people.
00:14:34.20\00:14:38.11
"And the Lord God formed
man of the dust of the ground,
00:14:38.14\00:14:41.54
"and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life;
00:14:41.58\00:14:44.58
and man became a living being."
00:14:44.61\00:14:47.18
So, where did life come from?
00:14:47.22\00:14:50.52
Life came from God.
00:14:50.55\00:14:53.19
Look at Nehemiah 9, verse 6:
00:14:53.22\00:14:54.82
"You alone are the Lord.
You have made the heavens,
00:14:54.86\00:14:58.29
"the heaven of
heavens with all their host,
00:14:58.33\00:15:00.96
"the earth and
all that is on it,
00:15:01.00\00:15:02.93
"the seas and
all that is in them,
00:15:02.96\00:15:05.17
"You give life to all of them
00:15:05.20\00:15:07.14
and the heavenly host
bows down before you."
00:15:07.17\00:15:10.24
It's God who gives life.
00:15:10.27\00:15:11.81
This is Psalm 36, verse 9:
00:15:11.84\00:15:13.34
"For with You is
the fountain of life;
00:15:13.38\00:15:16.18
in Your light we see light."
00:15:16.21\00:15:18.78
So where is
life? Life is in God.
00:15:18.81\00:15:21.42
In the beginning
God originated life.
00:15:21.45\00:15:24.39
When sin came into the
world, death entered the world,
00:15:24.42\00:15:27.86
because human beings surrendered
their connection with God.
00:15:27.89\00:15:31.93
It was as though Adam and Eve
drank poison when they sinned.
00:15:31.96\00:15:34.96
But instead of standing
by and watching them die,
00:15:35.00\00:15:37.73
God intervened.
00:15:37.77\00:15:39.33
Jesus took their
sin, and yours and mine,
00:15:39.37\00:15:42.74
and offers us His
purity, His righteousness.
00:15:42.77\00:15:47.68
He offers us His, His life.
00:15:47.71\00:15:52.31
This is 1 John 5, verse 12:
00:15:52.35\00:15:54.05
"He"--or she, for that matter--
"who has the Son has life;
00:15:54.08\00:15:58.15
he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life."
00:15:58.19\00:16:02.12
Everlasting life.
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.93
So now let me
bring it home to you.
00:16:04.96\00:16:07.03
Can you have everlasting life?
00:16:07.10\00:16:10.07
And what do you tell someone
00:16:10.10\00:16:11.70
if they ask you if they
can have everlasting life?
00:16:11.73\00:16:15.10
I'll tell you
that in just a moment.
00:16:15.14\00:16:17.51
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:16:17.54\00:16:24.38
>>Female Announcer:
For thousands of years,
00:16:26.21\00:16:27.65
humanity has spoken of
a paradise called heaven.
00:16:27.68\00:16:30.69
But what does the
Bible say about heaven?
00:16:30.72\00:16:33.19
Where is it?
How do we get there?
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.16
And once we're
there, what comes next?
00:16:35.19\00:16:37.46
Find out by
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To receive this free guide,
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call 800-253-3000
00:16:43.06\00:16:45.90
or visit us
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00:16:45.93\00:16:49.94
Learn what God's Word
actually says about heaven.
00:16:49.97\00:16:52.77
Call 800-253-3000.
00:16:52.81\00:16:55.81
>>John Bradshaw:
Racism is a serious issue
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.48
that challenges
societies around the world.
00:16:59.51\00:17:03.25
In the United States, racism
has again come to the fore.
00:17:03.28\00:17:07.76
Tensions have escalated.
00:17:07.79\00:17:10.39
The Bible speaks directly
to the question of racism.
00:17:10.43\00:17:14.36
An unlikely New Testament story
shows how God feels about racism
00:17:14.36\00:17:20.64
and demonstrates that love
and unity can be accomplished
00:17:20.67\00:17:25.37
when the Holy Spirit is
allowed to change hearts.
00:17:25.41\00:17:29.38
Don't miss "Jesus and Racism."
00:17:29.41\00:17:32.81
And see that
division is not inevitable
00:17:32.85\00:17:36.02
and that unity is achievable
through the power of the gospel.
00:17:36.05\00:17:41.12
"Jesus and Racism,"
00:17:41.16\00:17:43.26
addressing an important
subject affecting today's world
00:17:43.29\00:17:47.03
and offering hope
through the Word of God.
00:17:47.10\00:17:50.00
Don't miss "Jesus and Racism,"
00:17:50.03\00:17:52.53
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:52.57\00:17:55.64
>>John Bradshaw: When Henrietta
Lacks died at the age of 31,
00:17:57.64\00:18:01.18
cells that had been taken from
her body did not; they lived on.
00:18:01.21\00:18:06.31
They still live, even though
she died so many years ago.
00:18:06.35\00:18:10.59
Which leads us to
questions about immortality.
00:18:10.62\00:18:14.26
That's ultimately the
goal of every believer:
00:18:14.29\00:18:17.73
everlasting life,
00:18:17.76\00:18:19.43
that eternal life
granted to believers in Jesus.
00:18:19.46\00:18:23.60
So let me ask you this:
00:18:23.63\00:18:25.17
Why is it only
believers in Jesus
00:18:25.20\00:18:28.04
that receive everlasting life?
00:18:28.07\00:18:30.17
You might wanna
know why there are plenty
00:18:30.21\00:18:31.91
of otherwise
perfectly decent people
00:18:31.94\00:18:34.51
who won't
receive everlasting life.
00:18:34.54\00:18:37.28
And you might
wonder why that's the case
00:18:37.31\00:18:39.58
simply because they
never believed in Jesus.
00:18:39.61\00:18:41.82
Does that make God unfair?
00:18:41.85\00:18:44.02
Unfair? Wait.
00:18:44.05\00:18:46.72
Let's say there's
someone in deep water,
00:18:46.76\00:18:48.19
and they're going to
drown. What do you throw them?
00:18:48.22\00:18:50.36
You throw them a life preserver.
00:18:50.39\00:18:51.73
In some countries
you'd call that a life buoy.
00:18:51.76\00:18:54.03
Right? That's
what you'd throw them.
00:18:54.10\00:18:55.93
Would you throw
them... a brick? A rock?
00:18:55.96\00:18:59.73
Would you offer a
drowning person an anchor?
00:18:59.77\00:19:02.70
No, you would not,
because that cannot save them.
00:19:02.74\00:19:06.31
When it comes to a sinner,
and, and we're all sinners,
00:19:06.34\00:19:09.08
that sinner needs something
that will save her, save him.
00:19:09.11\00:19:12.61
You don't throw morality,
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.42
because morality
cannot save a sinner.
00:19:14.45\00:19:16.55
You don't throw that
person a self-help book
00:19:16.58\00:19:19.25
or the sayings
of some wise person,
00:19:19.29\00:19:21.52
because none of those
things remedy the sin problem,
00:19:21.56\00:19:24.46
which is another way of
describing alienation from God.
00:19:24.49\00:19:27.60
Look, humans have
turned their backs on God.
00:19:27.60\00:19:30.73
And God sent Jesus into
the world to try to convince us
00:19:30.77\00:19:34.17
that God is good,
that God loves us,
00:19:34.20\00:19:36.71
that God wants
the very best for us.
00:19:36.74\00:19:39.27
So, the sinner needs Jesus,
00:19:39.31\00:19:42.08
just like a drowning
person needs a life preserver.
00:19:42.11\00:19:46.05
And there's a
second part to this.
00:19:46.72\00:19:48.42
What if you throw the drowning
person a life preserver,
00:19:48.45\00:19:52.49
and that person
refuses to take hold of it?
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.09
Sounds crazy, but
you know it happens.
00:19:55.12\00:19:57.66
You have a chance
to be saved right now.
00:19:57.69\00:20:01.66
And Jesus will save you.
00:20:01.70\00:20:03.53
You have a chance to
receive life, eternal life,
00:20:03.57\00:20:07.30
everlasting life.
00:20:07.34\00:20:09.10
You know what the Bible says?
00:20:09.14\00:20:10.87
First Thessalonians, chapter 4:
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.74
"For the Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven
00:20:12.77\00:20:15.81
"with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel,
00:20:15.84\00:20:18.31
"and with the trump of God:
00:20:18.35\00:20:19.68
"and the dead in
Christ shall rise first:
00:20:19.71\00:20:23.02
"then we which
are alive and remain
00:20:23.05\00:20:24.92
"shall be caught up together
with them in the clouds,
00:20:24.95\00:20:27.16
"to meet the Lord in the air:
00:20:27.19\00:20:28.89
and so shall we
ever be with the Lord."
00:20:28.92\00:20:32.43
In other words, and so will
we be with the Lord forever.
00:20:32.46\00:20:37.77
And this isn't small stuff.
00:20:37.80\00:20:40.10
Eternity isn't about
sitting around doing nothing.
00:20:40.14\00:20:43.27
First Corinthians 2 and
verse 9 has often been quoted
00:20:43.30\00:20:45.87
to describe life after life.
00:20:45.91\00:20:48.28
It says, "Eye has
not seen, nor ear heard,
00:20:48.31\00:20:51.55
"nor have entered into
the heart of man the things
00:20:51.58\00:20:54.55
which God has prepared
for those who love Him."
00:20:54.58\00:20:57.72
We can't even imagine
how good it's going to be.
00:20:57.75\00:21:02.32
But think of the
alternative, death,
00:21:02.36\00:21:05.56
or you can have
everlasting life.
00:21:05.59\00:21:07.30
This is the
no-brainerest no-brainer
00:21:07.30\00:21:11.10
that you've ever encountered.
00:21:11.13\00:21:13.00
It's a wonder to me that God
has to try to convince people
00:21:13.03\00:21:16.91
that this is a good idea.
00:21:16.94\00:21:18.84
Why wouldn't you
want eternal life?
00:21:18.87\00:21:21.91
God wants it for you,
00:21:21.94\00:21:23.41
so much so, that He had
Jesus come to this world
00:21:23.45\00:21:25.91
to die for you and to show
you what God is really like,
00:21:25.95\00:21:29.98
to demonstrate the love of God.
00:21:30.02\00:21:31.92
Think of that.
00:21:31.95\00:21:33.49
When Jesus was here on earth, He
healed people, blessed people,
00:21:33.52\00:21:37.26
fed people, taught people,
cast demons out of people.
00:21:37.29\00:21:41.36
He forgave
people. He loved people.
00:21:41.40\00:21:44.33
He raised people from the dead.
00:21:44.37\00:21:46.63
And all of this was
so that you could see
00:21:46.67\00:21:49.34
what God is really like.
00:21:49.37\00:21:52.37
As He said, "He that [has]
seen me [has] seen the Father."
00:21:52.41\00:21:57.41
God has done so much for us.
00:21:57.45\00:21:59.58
A verse in Isaiah, chapter 5
sums this up, where God said,
00:21:59.61\00:22:03.15
"What more could have
been done to my vineyard
00:22:03.18\00:22:06.12
that I have not done in it?"
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.26
He's done all He can...for you.
00:22:08.29\00:22:12.99
And if you
think it's selfishness
00:22:13.03\00:22:14.30
that inspires a person
to want to live forever,
00:22:14.36\00:22:16.97
let me tell you otherwise.
00:22:17.00\00:22:18.47
It's God's will
that you live forever.
00:22:18.50\00:22:21.50
That's how God
set this thing up.
00:22:21.54\00:22:23.17
We have eternity
to look forward to.
00:22:23.20\00:22:26.71
That's why the return
of Jesus is referred to as
00:22:26.74\00:22:29.14
the "blessed hope,"
00:22:29.18\00:22:30.51
because once
Jesus returns, eternity.
00:22:30.55\00:22:34.08
I mean, think about this.
00:22:34.12\00:22:35.38
Without eternal life,
you're going to get what?
00:22:35.42\00:22:37.99
India, average
life span: 70 years;
00:22:38.02\00:22:40.59
Jamaica, almost 75;
00:22:40.62\00:22:42.42
Puerto Rico, 80;
00:22:42.46\00:22:44.29
Japan, 85.
00:22:44.33\00:22:46.70
And yet God offers you eternity.
00:22:46.73\00:22:49.93
Seventy, 75, 80, 85 years?
You're just getting started.
00:22:49.96\00:22:54.84
Life is really a
bit of a cruel joke
00:22:54.87\00:22:57.64
if this world is all you have.
00:22:57.67\00:23:00.38
But it isn't.
00:23:00.41\00:23:01.44
God offers you everlasting
life in a perfect world
00:23:01.48\00:23:05.25
with no sin or pollution
or injustice or illness.
00:23:05.28\00:23:10.89
So how can a person
receive everlasting life?
00:23:10.92\00:23:14.32
It's easy.
00:23:14.36\00:23:15.69
Jesus spoke to a group
of people once and He said,
00:23:15.72\00:23:18.29
"But you are not willing to come
to me that you may have life."
00:23:18.33\00:23:22.16
That's John 5, verse 40.
00:23:22.20\00:23:23.83
You just come to Jesus.
00:23:23.87\00:23:25.37
He described Himself
as "the bread of life."
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.97
He said, "He who comes
to me shall never hunger,
00:23:28.00\00:23:30.74
and he who believes in
me shall never thirst."
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.51
John 6:35.
00:23:33.54\00:23:35.68
If you can make room in
your life for a God of love--
00:23:35.71\00:23:38.88
don't worry about hypocritical
Christians who drive you crazy.
00:23:38.91\00:23:42.12
Don't worry
about how weak you are.
00:23:42.15\00:23:44.39
You don't come to Jesus
once you beat your addiction
00:23:44.42\00:23:46.89
or clean up your act.
00:23:46.92\00:23:48.32
You let Him into your life
because there are some things
00:23:48.36\00:23:50.26
that you just
cannot do on your own.
00:23:50.29\00:23:53.16
Can you believe
that there's a God?
00:23:53.19\00:23:55.10
Sure you can.
00:23:55.13\00:23:56.56
Can you believe His Son
Jesus came into the world?
00:23:56.60\00:23:59.20
You can believe that, too.
00:23:59.23\00:24:00.87
If you have any doubt
at all, read the Bible.
00:24:00.90\00:24:04.71
I spoke with a man recently
who told me there was a time
00:24:04.74\00:24:07.34
in his life that he
wasn't sure about faith in God.
00:24:07.38\00:24:10.51
So he started reading the Bible.
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.48
He wanted to check
it out for himself.
00:24:12.51\00:24:15.28
He said that by the
time he got to the Kings,
00:24:15.32\00:24:17.19
he was convinced.
00:24:17.22\00:24:18.89
The Word of God
just got hold of him.
00:24:18.92\00:24:21.89
So if you've never
given the Bible a real chance,
00:24:21.92\00:24:24.49
you wanna do so.
Read it. Check it out.
00:24:24.53\00:24:27.46
And then you ask
yourself, Is this a good idea?
00:24:27.50\00:24:30.17
Weigh it up.
00:24:30.20\00:24:31.83
You get 80 years
here, if you're fortunate.
00:24:31.87\00:24:35.27
Or you could
have eternity there,
00:24:35.30\00:24:38.11
without humidity in the summer,
00:24:38.14\00:24:40.51
without shoveling
snow in the winter.
00:24:40.54\00:24:42.88
You get to be with
the One who made you
00:24:42.91\00:24:45.68
and who loved you enough
to give His life for you,
00:24:45.71\00:24:49.48
eternal life
that just doesn't end.
00:24:49.52\00:24:53.39
It's wonderful that Henrietta
Lacks' cells have done so much
00:24:53.42\00:24:57.13
for so many people.
00:24:57.16\00:24:58.63
In her death
she's a modern-day hero,
00:24:58.66\00:25:02.63
enabling science
and scientists to go
00:25:02.66\00:25:05.77
where they couldn't
have gone without her.
00:25:05.80\00:25:07.97
She didn't benefit, and
her family hasn't benefited
00:25:08.00\00:25:11.31
from her
contribution to science,
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.01
but there's a little
part of Henrietta Lacks
00:25:14.04\00:25:16.11
that lives today.
00:25:16.14\00:25:18.08
Those cells,
they're small; they're tiny.
00:25:18.11\00:25:21.65
You're not gonna see
one without a microscope.
00:25:21.68\00:25:24.32
But those small cells
taken from a courageous woman
00:25:24.35\00:25:27.49
with a big heart
have done so much.
00:25:27.52\00:25:31.49
Think, then, of the
value of you, all of you,
00:25:31.53\00:25:36.70
throughout eternity.
00:25:36.73\00:25:38.43
We're talking about
something truly amazing:
00:25:38.47\00:25:41.10
a life lived forever, without
end, without interruption.
00:25:41.14\00:25:46.94
This is what God offers you now,
00:25:46.98\00:25:50.05
in spite of your past,
in spite of your present,
00:25:50.08\00:25:54.18
in spite of your troubles,
your problems, your weaknesses.
00:25:54.22\00:25:57.99
God says, "I want to
give you eternal life."
00:25:58.02\00:26:03.29
Will you accept that gift today?
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.36
Everlasting life-- why
would you be without it?
00:26:05.39\00:26:09.63
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:10.63\00:26:12.53
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:12.57\00:26:15.97
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:16.00\00:26:19.27
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:19.31\00:26:23.48
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:23.51\00:26:24.95
to the address on your screen,
00:26:24.98\00:26:26.41
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:26.45\00:26:30.25
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:30.29\00:26:33.09
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:33.12\00:26:37.26
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:37.29\00:26:40.63
>>John Bradshaw: Let me pray for
you now. Let's pray together.
00:26:41.60\00:26:44.10
Our Father in heaven, in
Jesus' name we come to You,
00:26:44.13\00:26:46.57
grateful now for the
gift of everlasting life.
00:26:46.60\00:26:50.44
We see the remarkable
things that You have done
00:26:50.47\00:26:52.57
through the cells,
these cells that live on,
00:26:52.61\00:26:55.84
cells from a remarkable
woman, who lived and died
00:26:55.88\00:26:59.08
not knowing that she
had blessed all of humanity.
00:26:59.11\00:27:02.38
And so I pray right
now with thanks for Jesus,
00:27:02.42\00:27:07.62
for life, for eternity.
00:27:07.66\00:27:10.13
And, friend, as we
pray, I speak to your heart.
00:27:10.16\00:27:13.96
Have you said to
the God of heaven,
00:27:14.00\00:27:16.30
"I want, I choose, I accept
from You everlasting life"?
00:27:16.33\00:27:21.64
If that's your prayer,
pray it now. Say with me:
00:27:21.67\00:27:24.27
God of heaven,
00:27:24.31\00:27:25.57
we accept the gift of
everlasting life in Jesus.
00:27:25.61\00:27:30.18
Let Him live His life in us.
00:27:30.21\00:27:32.75
We thank You that we look beyond
this world to an eternal world.
00:27:32.78\00:27:38.65
Save us there at last, we pray.
00:27:38.69\00:27:41.79
We thank You for the assurance
we have today in Jesus.
00:27:41.82\00:27:45.03
And we pray in Jesus' name,
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amen.
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Thank you so
much for joining me.
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I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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¤[music ends]¤
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