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It Is Written

John Bradshaw

To Seek and to Save

Coming up next, please stay tuned for It Is Written, presented by Pastor John Bradshaw.

If it's anything at all, the Bible is a missionary book.

Most Bibles have a section in the back showing Paul's missionary journeys.

The first, Paul and Barnabas left Antioch, went to Cyprus, then Asia Minor, what today we'd call Turkey.

On his second missionary journey, Paul traveled from Antioch, which is in southern Turkey near the border with Syria, sailed across the northeastern Aegean to Greece, then went to Philippi and Berea, down to Athens, over to Corinth, then back across the Sea to Ephesus, before crossing the Mediterranean to Israel, then back to Antioch.

His third missionary journey covered similar ground.

Shortly after his Damascus Road experience, God spoke to Ananias about Paul and said, "...he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." God placed His hand upon Paul for the purpose of him being a missionary.

The question isn't, does God call people to mission service?

The question is, how do I make that real in my life?

The woman at the well, she encountered Jesus and immediately went into the city and told people about Jesus.

She was so focused on telling others that she left her water pot behind.

The demon-possessed man and Decapolis, who was delivered by Jesus, asked Jesus if he could follow Jesus.

But Jesus sent him to his home to tell others what God had done for him.

And the man did that work, with the Bible saying at the conclusion of that story in Luke's gospel, and it came to pass that when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him for they were all waiting for him." Converted and a missionary right away.

The disciples, missionary workers, it's believed Thomas, doubting Thomas, was the first missionary to India.

There have been some famous missionaries down through time.

David Livingston from Scotland, the missionary to Africa, and an abolitionist, whose work was so impactful he became a national hero back in Britain and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Can you imagine a missionary being buried in Westminster Abbey today?

William Carey, considered the father of modern missions, he founded the Baptist Missionary Society and was a missionary to India.

Adoniram Judson, an American who spent 40 years in Burma.

Hudson Taylor, who spent more than 50 years in China.

Eric Liddell, the rugby-playing, Olympic gold medal-winning Scotsman, who was portrayed in the award-winning movie, Chariots of Fire.

John Patton, another Scotsman, was a missionary to what was then the New Hebrides.

Before going, he was warned that cannibals might eat him.

It doesn't matter to me if my body is eaten by worms or by cannibals.

He didn't die, but his wife and newborn son did less than a year after they arrived.

And life was difficult for missionaries back in the day.

Before creature comforts, and before telephones, before the Internet, illness was a huge challenge and so was isolation.

If You were to read the account of Patton's father farewelling his son.

At It Is Written, we are committed to missions.

Some years ago, I took a team of physicians and others with me to a foreign country and It Is Written Missions was born.

Since then, we've been to numerous countries, as well as locations within the United States, for the purpose of investing in people's lives and sharing the love of God and the message of the Bible.

Joining me is Wes Peppers, who coordinates It Is Written Missions.

Well, firstly, the Bible says to do missions.

Jesus said, go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.

And so that's 1 reason we do it, because it's a biblical mandate and Jesus commanded it.

But really the second reason is because it changes lives.

You know a lot of times people think when they go on a mission trip, well I'm going to go down there, we're going to go as a group and we're going to impact all these people.

But really the lives of the people who do the mission trip are transformed as well.

You don't lead all of the It Is Written mission trips, and neither of us go on all of them.

But in the many mission trips that you've been part of and that you've led, what kind of change do you see in people's lives?

You know, it's amazing to see the lives of people transformed.

And every day they're having daily devotions.

They're reaching out and touching those individuals in the medical clinics.

They're building churches, knowing that people are going to be worshiping in those churches very soon.

They're preaching evangelistic meetings, and they're hearing the Word of God being preached right from their own mouth, and it is just transformative, and their lives are changed.

Now, we were both in Ethiopia together with a large mission team, physicians and dentists and a wide variety of people.

And it was a challenging place in some certain respects, but God did great things.

It is Written Missions impacts some of the most remote locations on the globe.

A team of volunteers recently answered the call to serve in Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa.

Ethiopia's average annual income is only $900, meaning many people endure hardships that deprive them of many of life's necessities.

Over 2 weeks, the It Is written team brought help and hope to thousands who have little.

Medical and dental clinics took place in 3 locations.

Partnering with a general hospital, health care and education were provided to more than 15, 000 people, most of whom would not have been able to find help elsewhere.

1 Muslim patient said, I thought the world had forgotten about Ethiopia, but the Christian God sent you to reveal his love to us.

God miraculously sped up procedures that normally take 2 to 3 times longer, enabling more patients to be seen.

The team of selfless volunteers worked long days and nights to ensure that all could get the care they needed.

Almost every patient welcomed the offered prayer that accompanied treatment.

2000 years after Philip the Apostle baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, the gospel is still saving lives in Ethiopia.

Over 7, 000 people attended meetings to hear the Word of God, more than had ever attended in any of the meeting locations before.

The gospel penetrated hearts even in the secular city of Addis Ababa.

As the Word of God was preached, appeals were made and hundreds responded, accepting Jesus and the message of the Bible.

Every name entered into the Book of Life.

Before his baptism, 1 man said, All my life I was Muslim.

God is using It Is Written missions to bring the gospel to the farthest parts of the globe.

Because of your prayers and support, thousands and thousands will experience eternity with Jesus.

Thank you for giving healing to the sick, love to the unloved, and hope to the hopeless.

You know, I remember 1 lady there who was connected with by our medical evangelists, our medical missionaries before we got there.

Long story short, she was unable to walk because she's an elderly lady, mid to late 80s.

But boy, do I join this church or do I remain Orthodox?

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