Impressions Winter 2016, Issue 5

on the cover

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About My Father’s Business 60 YEARS IN THE LORD’S VINEYARD

The Bible says it’s the wicked servant that says, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” But the best we can do is to state what we safely know: Jesus is coming back soon. After 60 years of ministry, how do we plan for the future? And what does God want us to do until then?

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Director’s Desk

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Feature: Blazing New Trails

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Mission Report

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Escrito Está

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My Place With Jesus

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Community Connection

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Staff Highlight

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Designed to Thrive

Premiering It Is Written Health

Making Our Mark

Fresh new look — same inspired vision.

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impressions magazine WINTER 2016 ISSUE 5 EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Bradshaw EDITOR Annalyse Hasty ART DIRECTOR Michael Prewitt GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ariel Warren Copyright © 2016 by It Is Written. All rights reserved. It Is Written and My Place With Jesus are registered trademarks and/or service marks of It Is Written, Inc. Escrito Está is a trademark of It Is Written, Inc.

connect with us itiswritten.com BUSINESS HOURS M – Th, 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST SUBSCRIPTIONS impressions@iiw.org It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401-0006

calendar

WINTER 2016

January 6 — February 6

USA

Escrito Está Evangelistic Series in Los Angeles, CA.

February 10 — 13 Escrito Está Evangelistic Series in McAllen, TX.

February 13 Evangelism Rally in Boston, MA.

February 20 — 27

Nicaragua

Escrito Está Evangelistic Series throughout Nicaragua.

March 12 — 19

Uruguay

Escrito Está Evangelistic Series in Uruguay.

March 20 — April 2

Zimbabwe

60th Anniversary Evangelistic Series in Gweru, Zimbabwe.

423-362-5800 SOCIAL MEDIA facebook.com/itiswritten instagram.com/itiswrittenmedia pinterest.com/itiswritten

March 25 It Is Written’s first known broadcast 60 years ago on this day!

plus.google.com/+ItIsWrittenInc

March 26 — April 2

twitter.com/itiswritten

Escrito Está Evangelistic Series in Gweru, Zimbabwe.

youtube.com/ItIsWrittenInc

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Partnership Highlight

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Resources

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Impressed

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Planned Giving

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Tributes

save the date April 13 — 24 and August 10 — 21

Mongolia

Mission: Mongolia medical/dental and evangelistic mission trips to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Medical professionals needed. See pages 8–9 for more details.

October 4 — 11

It Is Written hosts a Pioneer Tour in New England.

See the back cover for more details.

October 7 — 29, 2016

It Is Written hosts Evangelistic Series in Boston, MA. WINTER 2016

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I S TH E N E W 4 0 This year sixty candles will be on It Is Written’s birthday cake.

And by God’s grace, we’ve never felt so young!

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John Bradshaw Speaker & Director

It Is Written marks 60 years of ministry with a fresh new look in 2016!

Representing the pen of inspiration, our new logo boldly affirms the mission and values of It Is Written.

See page 30 for more details.

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s a child, I spent a lot of time with my wooden-framed tennis racket on the tennis courts of my primary school, usually with my good friend Owen. The greatest men’s professional tennis player on the planet in those days was Sweden’s Bjorn Borg. The top female player was Czechoslovakia’s (and then the United States’) Martina Navratilova. It seems like just yesterday that Owen and I were dreaming about playing like Bjorn Borg.

But it wasn’t just yesterday. Both Borg and Navratilova turn sixty this year. Sixty! If you’re looking at sixty in the rearview mirror then sixty might even seem youthful. But no matter your perspective, sixty isn’t as old as it used to be. The saying is that “sixty is the new forty.” People are younger today at sixty than they’ve ever been.

Which is a good thing for It Is Written! This year sixty candles will be on It Is Written’s birthday cake. And by God’s grace, we’ve never felt so young!

Exciting new initiatives like the It Is Written Bible School, our new Publications Department, and our new media initiatives are keeping It Is Written’s blood pumping. We’ve never been so excited about ministry or the opportunities God has brought to us.

With your prayers and support, I’m looking forward to this sixtieth anniversary year being an exciting year for It Is Written. In this edition of Impressions, you’ll read about many of the exciting plans for this ministry.

And yet I’m hopeful we won’t celebrate too many more anniversaries. Jesus is soon to return, and the sooner the better. Thank you for partnering with It Is Written. As we labor together for the Lord, our eyes are on Jesus, and we’re looking forward to going home. Soon.

1947

George Vandeman joined the General Conference (GC) Ministerial Association as associate secretary. At age 33 he was one of the youngest to work in church leadership.

1948

The GC President convinced George to try TV as a means of spreading the gospel. In response, Pastor Vandeman created a six-month experimental evangelistic effort.

However, he wasn’t able to get the financial support and put the effort on hold.

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his year, each quarterly Impressions will have a timeline covering 15 years of It Is Written’s history.

Beginning with this issue, follow along and remember how the Lord has led this ministry for the past six decades.

Fol low i ng W W I I, Pa stor Vandeman and other speakers spearheaded evangelism in major cities. George held meetings in the Coliseum Theater, at Trafalgar Square, in London. The historic building seated 2,000 and was filled for three weeks of meetings.

1954

George Vandeman was asked by t he new GC President to continue exploring the T V program idea. George started work on a series of TV programs called It Is Written, which he planned to air in an area as a warmup to an evangelistic series.

Timeline continues on page 31

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ver 2,000 years ago, words fell from Jesus’ lips that would, from that point forward, guide the Christian church until His return.

We commonly refer to those words as the Great Commission.

It Is Written has always been at the forefront of using technology to help share the timeless messages of God’s Word in an effort to faithfully fulfill that commission. In 1956, It Is Written was the first religious TV program to air in color. Twenty years ago, it was the first to take advantage of satellite technology with the NET ’95 series. Today, nearly 60 years after its founding, It Is Written broke new ground once again with Revelation Today — The Mysteries Revealed, a three week evangelistic campaign conducted by Pastor John Bradshaw, the It Is Written team, SALT, and participants from more than 20 churches around the Chattanooga area.

The meetings were attended by over 1,000 people each night, with the crowd swelling to over 1,500 people on the weekends. Since each presentation was also live streamed over the Internet, hundreds of host sites with thousands more people watched the meetings in over 110 countries Hundreds of host sites with thousands around the globe.

“Having people join us for more people watched the meetings in Revelation Today from all around over 110 countries around the globe. the world was really a blessing,” Speaker/Director John Bradshaw said. “Through this one series of meetings the Holy Spirit was working in countries all around the world. People made decisions for baptism not only in Chattanooga, but in Thailand, India, Jamaica, and numerous other countries, as well as in places all around the United States.”

Using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, street interviews, interactive polls, and the brand new Revelation Today app, It Is Written gave people a truly immersive experience as Pastor Bradshaw lifted Jesus up each evening.

It Is Written’s Director of Evangelism, Yves Monnier, stated, “This series of meetings was a game changer in the way people are reached through public 6

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evangelism because of the Revelation Today app. Thanks to the app, thousands of people worldwide were able to not only watch the series on any Apple or Android device, but also directly respond to the interactive portions of the presentations.”

Nightly interviews with live experts on each evening’s topic added to the unique quality of the presentations. A police officer, a judge, authors, a physician, theologians, and other special guests joined John on the platform for a portion of each night’s presentation. The highlight was when John’s older brother, Wayne, flew in from New Zealand and joined him on stage to talk about the role that The Great Controversy played in John’s conversion, and how any church member can share literature with others to help them on the pathway to Heaven.

John observed, “One of the things that stood out about Revelation Today is the stories of lives that were changed. A young lady told me she had left the church and left God 20 years ago, and only attended Revelation Today because her mother begged her to try it one night. She told me she had got rid of several thousand dollars worth of objectionable media, and then said that she had already thrown away her Wiccan paraphernalia. Wicca is a pagan witchcraft religion. She attended Revelation

Today, left Wicca, and found faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord is truly good.”

A 97-year-old atheist who attended the meetings had his life changed as well. His wife shared, “When he came to the meetings, I was totally surprised when he said, ‘Put me down on that paper to give my life to Jesus.’

I have just been praising God! I’m looking forward to the time ahead because I know the Holy Spirit is going to do something incredible in our lives and in our marriage.”

At the same time the Revelation Today meetings were going on, Escrito Está Speaker/Director Robert Costa conducted Viviendo la Esperanza. The one-week-long Spanish language campaign at the same location drew hundreds of people from the community. The messages were also translated into American Sign Language for the hearing impaired.

Reports continue to come in from around the globe of lives that have been transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ through Revelation Today — The Mysteries Revealed. If yours is one of them, please contact us to let us know.

ERIC FLICKINGER is the Associate Speaker for It Is Written. Eric’s passion for teaching the Bible has been experienced by thousands across North America and around the globe.

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friend·ship (noun) ven to someone.

Kindness or help gi “Our trip to Mongolia was amazing. We were truly blessed by our Mongolian brothers and sisters who are working hard to bring Jesus to those who do not know Him. And the Mongolian population is so open to receive Jesus now! We thank It Is Written for the opportunity we had to be a part of Mission: Mongolia!”

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ven though many books have been written and sermons preached on the last verses in the Gospel of Matthew known as the Great Commission, those words can be summed in one simple sentence: Make friends for Jesus.

That’s exactly what our team of volunteers determined to do from October 1 to 10 during the first medical mission trip of the Mission: Mongolia project. From across the United States, 18 It Is Written partners and friends converged upon Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.

The Mongolian government rarely gives permission for buildings to be designated as churches. Instead, community centers are built to serve the local communities and provide a place for worship. Our mission involved working with two community centers located in neighborhoods where Mongolia’s poorest of the poor live. These are neighborhoods where there is no running water and in some cases even no electricity. Imagine these places in the dead of winter when temperatures drop to –30°F and people, for example, have to fetch water at the local water station up to a mile away. Living in Mongolia is definitely not for the faint of heart. Thankfully with money proLinda and Bob vided by It Is Written friends, wells were drilled so that community centers would have running water — something that YVES MONNIER is the Director made them very popular places. of Evangelism for It Is Written.

On the first day of our clinics’ operation, the He schedules and oversees all of the ministry’s evangelism It Is Written team and the faithful local church projects around the world. members transformed the community centers into makeshift clinics. We set up waiting rooms,

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consultation rooms, and even little pharmacies. Once done, we wondered if anyone would show up. We didn’t have to wonder long because at both locations long lines of people quickly formed with people eager to meet with the foreign doctors.

With the help of dedicated translators, the team began to see patient after patient — 700 altogether. As life-changing as a visit with “It was a privilege a doctor could potentially be, we knew that the greatest blessing an and joy to share individual could receive was the loving touch of Jesus through one of God’s deep love His children. So by God’s grace we determined to reflect the loving and to fellowship, presence of Jesus through words and actions to a people who have no forming deep clue who Jesus is (over 97 percent of Mongolians are Buddhist or nonbonds with religious). All consultations ended with a prayer and an invitation to the people in a health presentation in the evening.

Mongolia.”

Every evening a miracle took place: the two community centers’ meeting halls were full. These are community centers that usually Arlene have just a handful of people in attendance. Every evening it was standing room only — to the point that one of our physicians “The Mongolian donated money for more chairs. The nightly health presentations people I saw were followed by what we referred to as “Jesus Talks”, short personal seemed to sense and heartfelt talks to introduce people to Jesus. These nightly prea need beyond sentations were so successful that on Sabbath morning the regular Buddha and were attendance doubled. What a blessing it was on Sabbath morning to open to learn who see all these special guests attend the worship services and receive Jesus is, and what their very own Bible in Mongolian. You should have seen their smiles. He did and can do One of the guests was a young pregnant woman who was suffering for them.” terrible back pain. She was so moved by the kindness of the Christian caregivers that she came every night to hear about Jesus and attended Gordon worship services on Sabbath. This revealed the power of combining healthcare with the gospel and making friends for Jesus.

PHOTOS: DR. GORDON GUILD ART: © PRAWNY / DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

WINTER 2016

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Escrito Está

Lives Touched

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Savior

“Please pray for me, I have a few months to live…” read one of the prayer requests we received during Viviendo la Esperanza, an evangelistic series held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, by Pastor Robert Costa, speaker/director of Escrito Está.

“As we prayed for someone else, God worked in all of us.”

CAROLINA BONILLA is the Administrative Assistant for Escrito Está.

Born in Ecudaor, Carolina has a passion for reaching the Spanish-speaking community with the gospel.

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The series lasted from October 17 to 24, and during that time many prayer requests came in from viewers. As one of the local church pastors continued perusing through the list of requests, he looked at me and said, “We’re getting a lot of serious and sad requests, listen to this: ‘Please pray for my son who’s in jail… Please pray for my mom who is ill… Please pray for me, I just lost my husband…’.” Although Pastor Costa had already decided to pray over each of the prayer requests throughout the night, we shared some of them with the pastors. One said, “We need to pray more!”

Indeed, intercessory prayer is the strongest weapon the Lord has shared with us to overcome anything. No request is too small or too large for God not to answer. The local pastors decided to include a special season of prayer each night and the results began to appear because, as an old song says: “when God’s people pray wonderful things happen.”

The first miracle as a result of intercessory prayer was unity.

When the call was made for people with special requests to come forward, they joined with one purpose. Self was put aside. No longer did personal problems become priority. It became apparent there were others in need of hope as much as ourselves, and as we prayed for someone else, Christ worked in all of us.

Intercessory prayer gives us consolation. During the second night of the meetings, after Pastor Costa preached, he made an altar call and a lady stepped forward in tears. As the musician sang and Pastor Costa prayed, people gathered around to pray. Then we

Right: Pastor Robert Costa

went off the air and the cameras turned off, but people remained in prayer. After the meeting was over nobody left crying. The lady had poured her soul to God and received His consolation.

Intercessory prayer gives us hope. As we continued reading over the prayer requests we received each night, we realized many of them included prayers for children or family members who had not yet accepted Christ as their personal savior. But after the meetings concluded, God answered some of those prayers and will continue to answer them. At the end of the meetings, six young people gave their hearts to Jesus and two other families publicly declared that they would like to be baptized in the near future. These were answered prayers that give us hope that God listens to our requests and will answer in His time.

In 2016 Escrito Está is planning to hold evangelistic series in Uruguay, Colombia, Chile, Texas, and California, to name a few. Visit escritoesta.org to read updates and watch our TV programs.

STORY UPDATE: Two weeks ago, the woman mentioned in the story who went up during the altar call sealed her decision for Christ in baptism!

THE BEGINNING OF A JOURNEY

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met Antonio through his friend Eddie when I began knocking on doors in January of 2015. Antonio is a political refugee from Cuba who has been living in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the past 10 months. When I began studying with Eddie, he was so excited about the Bible and would always invite new friends to his house for our study time. One of them was Antonio.

As months went by and the excitement cooled off, Antonio was the only friend that stuck around.

At that moment in his life, Antonio was going through a major depression and marital problems. He truly valued the encouraging messages found in God’s Word and was very thankful for prayer. We covered different subjects throughout our Bible studies, and he never lost interest. Before I was able to cover the Sabbath topic with Antonio and Eddie, they were already attending church with me. Antonio really enjoyed the church services and would go to church

even if I could not meet him. He would call me to request prayer.

When the time for Viviendo la Esperanza came, he attended most of the meetings and during the altar call one night he stood up for prayer. Antonio told me that he was blessed by what he was experiencing and was sad because some nights he had to work. He was even willing to request time off.

Shortly after the series ended, Antonio told me that he was moving to another state. I prayed with him and shared several encouraging Bible verses with him. He was so thankful, with tear-filled eyes he said, “Once I arrive to my final destination I will find a church.” It was amazing to see him discover that there is a God that loves him and is concerned about his life. Please keep him Antonio in your prayers as he embarks on a new journey and continues to allow God into his life.

By Adelaida Hernández It Is Written Bible Worker WINTER 2016

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Partnership Highlight

Chicken Pox and the Sabbath This year at our Partnership events we asked people to share how the Lord has used It Is Written to change their lives. After 60 years of ministry, there are millions of people who have heard the words of life through It Is Written.

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In Palm Springs, California, I met with Barbara Moen who shared a great story with our Planned Giving Representative, Curt Dolinsky.

The story begins in 1967 on a Sunday afternoon. Barbara and her husband had just returned from the Garden Grove Lutheran Church where she was the children’s Sunday school teacher.

Lunch was over, the children had laid down for their nap, and Barbara was cleaning up the kitchen when she had this sudden and unmistakable urge to hear a religious sermon.

She stepped from the kitchen into the living room and picked up the TV guide to see what was on in the middle of the afternoon.

The only religious program she saw was It Is Written. She was immediately drawn to Pastor George Vandeman’s calm way of explaining the Bible.

“I got goose bumps because I knew this was a divine moment,” Barbara recalled.

At the end of the broadcast, Elder Vandeman offered the booklet, Planet In Rebellion, which Barbara ordered. A few weeks after the booklet arrived, she received a letter from Elder Vandeman inviting her to a series of meetings that he was holding at the Garden Grove High School.

Barbara immediately planned to attend and asked her Lutheran neighbor to join her. On the morning of the meetings, Barbara

“I got goose bumps because I knew this was a divine moment.”

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was shocked when all three of her small children came down with chickenpox and she had to stay home with them.

One week later, the children were feeling better, and Barbara attended her first meeting with her husband. The greeter asked if it was Barbara’s first night at the meetings. Barbara was afraid the greeter was going to send her away since she had missed the first week, but instead the greeter welcomed her in and said, “Your life is never going to be the same.” She was right.

That night the meeting topic was on the fourth commandment.

“I was flabbergasted!” Barbara recalled. “The fourth commandment was honor your father and your mother. This guys didn’t even know the order of the commandments! How could I trust what he was saying?”

Barbara left the meeting that night very concerned but she went home and took out her Lutheran Catechism and the Bible and looked up Exodus 20. She was shocked when she saw that the Lutheran church had changed the commandments as they were written in the Bible.

“I was shaken by this but I went the next night to hear more. By the end of the week, I knew that I was hearing the truth.” Barbara responded to Elder Vandeman’s alter call and met the local pastor who invited her to his weekly Bible study class. Three months later, Barbara was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

For many years after her baptism, Barbara served the church as a trust officer in several capacities. Today she is retired and lives in California and is grateful to the Lord for using the ministry of It Is Written to bring her into a deeper knowledge of the truth.

ELLEN METCALF is the Director of Development for It Is Written.

Ellen and her team plan the yearly Partnership weekend events.

Do you have a story to share?

We would love to hear your story of how the Lord has used It Is Written over the last 60 years to bring you closer to Jesus.

Please write to us at pr@iiw.org and share your story.

Resources

POP QUIZ!

Test your knowledge against three sample questions — then buy the book for 747 more!

1. Mary and Martha lived in: đ&#x;…? Jerusalem  đ&#x;…‘ Capernaum  đ&#x;…’ Jericho  đ&#x;…“ Bethany 2. Who cut Samson’s hair? đ&#x;…? Deborah  đ&#x;…‘ Delilah  đ&#x;…’ Bathsheba  đ&#x;…“ An unnamed man 3. Who was Moses’ father? đ&#x;…? Amram  đ&#x;…‘ Jethro  đ&#x;…’ Eleazar  đ&#x;…“ Abraham Answers at bottom of page

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he It Is Written Bible Quiz Book, by Pastor John Bradshaw, will increase your understanding of the Word of God! It’s perfect for families, Bible classes, small groups, or for anyone wanting to know more about the Bible. This book contains 75 quizzes, with ten questions each — 750 questions in all! Learn more about people, places, and events of the Bible.

Book • IIWBQB-P • US $8.99

SCRIPTURE MEMORY CARDS Faith Cache

Carry convenient 3.5 × 2-inch cards for review throughout the day. Let God’s words explain faith to your own heart, your relatives, your friends, and your neighbors. Full-color NKJV scripture memory cards.

Box includes 390 cards.

Memory Cards • FCSC-C • US $24.99

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ANSWERS

1. D (John 11:17, 18).  2. D (Judges 16:19).  3. A (Exodus 6:20).

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REVELATION TODAY / THE MYSTERIES REVEALED Filmed on Location in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Also Available on

AUDIO CD

Revelation Today — The Mysteries Revealed is a comprehensive study series that focuses on the prophecies of the Bible — especially the book of Revelation. Based entirely on the Word of God, Revelation Today lets the Bible speak for itself. Take an exciting journey through the major themes of the Bible!

DVD set approximate run-time is 1 hour and 30 minutes per presentation.

Audio CD set approximate run-time is 60 minutes per presentation. Each set includes 19 discs.

Set includes the following topics: 1. Can God Be Trusted?

2. Seeing the Signs 3. Is There Hope for a Planet in Crisis?

4. The Messiah and the Judgment 5. The Second Coming of Jesus 6. Peace on Earth 7. Quality Time 8. The Day That Disappeared 9. The Mystery of Death 10. Revelation's Lake of Fire 11. The Mystery Beast of Revelation

ORDER TODAY!

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The United States in Bible Prophecy The Mark of the Beast Buried and Forgotten by God Living Life to the Fullest The Fall of Babylon In Search of the Church The Man God Tried to Kill The Work of the Spirit

DVD Set • RT15JB-D • US $74.99 Audio CD Set • RT15JB-C • US $59.99

PHONE: (888) 664-5573 • WEB: store.itiswritten.com HOURS: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. EST

WINTER 2016

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Cover Feature

BY JOHN BRADSHAW, Speaker / Director

My Father's A B O U T

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B U S I N E S S

60 Years in the Lord’s Vineyard

PHOTO: © BUSSICLICK / DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

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y brother believed he was the last one in the door. When he was baptized he was convinced Jesus’s return was so close that he had made it into the baptistery just in time.

That same year, a quart of milk in this country cost 46 cents and a loaf of bread cost 33. It was the year Arthur Ashe won Wimbledon, a dollar bought ten first-class stamps, and a gallon of gas cost 57 cents.

The Vietnam War ended, and the president of the United States was a man whose middle name was Rudolph.

When Gerald Ford was president, my brother — and many others — believed he had given his heart to Christ just in time to be ready for the Second

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Coming. That was in 1975. More than 40 years ago.

It’s clear that my brother didn’t know when Jesus was coming back. And the fact is that we don’t know either. And the truth is, that’s okay.

ARE WE THERE YET? Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:1, “But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.” He had just written of the return of Jesus, the resurrection of the saved, and the translation of the living saints, and it would have been natural enough for his readers to ask, “When will this happen?” His preemptive answer was, “You have no need that I write unto you” of that.

But we’re only human, and it’s natural enough that we ask. When death strikes those we love we wonder how long it will be before we see them again. As people who are looking forward to the Second Coming of Jesus, we witness moral decay and violence in the street and we live with school shootings and terrorism, and we say to ourselves, “Surely it won’t be long now.”

Except that… a friend of mine told me recently of a letter his father had written home from active duty. In a letter to his wife, this soldier said that as he witnessed “man’s inhumanity to man” in the war it convinced him Jesus was soon to return. The letter was written during World War II. Every parent remembers his or her children asking, “Are we nearly there yet?”

And we think we are. We see rising crime rates and rising disease rates, except that compared to 25 years ago murder rates are down drastically in the vast majority of U.S. cities. Even rates of some diseases are down spectacularly.

Which is not to take the role of a naysayer.

The Bible says it’s the wicked servant that says, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” But the best we can do is to state what we safely know: Jesus is coming back soon.

OCCUPY TILL I COME It was in 1854 that 18-year-old Anna Walker wrote the hymn, “Work For the Night Is Coming.” The verse upon which that song is based is John 9:4, which says, “I must work

the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Our motivation for working should not be merely that Jesus is coming back soon. We work not only because the night is coming, but primarily because “it is day.”

In Luke 19, Jesus shared an insightful parable that speaks to this very question.

“And as they heard these things, He added and spake a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that

Our motivation for working should not merely be that Jesus is coming back soon. the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, ‘Occupy till I come’ ” (Luke 19:11–13).

The word translated “occupy” is the Greek word pragmatyuomai. It means “keep yourself busy.” The NKJV says, “Do business till I come.” The NASB says basically the same thing. The RSV says, “Trade with these till I come.”

The injunction is, “Keep busy doing the Lord’s work.” Because whether Jesus comes back today, tomorrow, or the next day, ours is to lift Him up! “Do business until I

come,” Jesus urges. And as the pounds in the parable represent talents or capabilities or capacity, Jesus is saying, “For as long as you can, for as long as you have, as long as I have not yet returned to this Earth, it’s up to you to be about my business.”

LABOR IN THE VINEYARD As long as we have breath? We work for the Lord. We labor in the vineyard. If we have five pounds, we invest them in His behalf.

Should we have one, we do the same. Jesus said, “Occupy till I come.” And although we expected Jesus to have returned “ere this,” the fact that He has not returned is not bad news. What we might call a delay is actually more time for us to reach our children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends with the good news of the everlasting gospel.

As long as we have breath?

We work for the Lord.

We labor in the vineyard.

But we’re distracted. Look at the evangelism budgets of most churches and you’ll see just how important soul-winning really is to far too many church members. While I recognize there are many demands on local church budgets, the Bible does say that the investing of our treasure follows the purposes of our hearts. There are more lost people in the world now than there have been at any other time in Earth’s history, a

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fact which must arouse the church out of its lethargy. But rather than this crisis of neglect prompting a radical commitment to living and sharing the gospel, it often seems as though God’s people have perfected the art of becoming distracted. It must be recognized that even important things — if they’re not subordinate to proclaiming the gospel of Christ — do damage to the mission of the church.

NOW IS THE TIME In July of 1976, an elementary school bus was hijacked by three men in Chowchilla, California. Twenty-six children and the bus driver were kidnapped and shut away in a moving van that had been buried underground. During their harrowing ordeal the children and their driver managed to escape and run to a nearby building. The man at the building knew exactly who the children were the moment he saw them. “The world’s been looking for you,” he told them.

Lost children, but the world was looking for them. What would it be like if the world — or even the church — was focused on finding God’s lost children?

Nehemiah was called by God to return to Jerusalem, where Nehemiah reestablished society and led in the rebuilding of the temple. Notice carefully what Nehemiah 3 says: “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of

Hananeel. And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana. And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord” (Nehemiah 3:1–5, emphasis added).

There are 32 verses in Nehemiah 3, and the phrase “next to him” or “after him” appears 30 times! God is trying to tell us something.

If ever there was a time for the church to be actively engaged in ministry, now is the time. Jesus is soon to return to this world.

How soon, we cannot know. But the signs of the times declare Jesus return to be very soon. Notice: In Nehemiah 3:5 God actually rebukes the nobles for not participating in the work the “church” was doing.

60 YEARS OF SOUL-WINNING Jesus is coming back soon, and until then He says, “Occupy till I come.” If Jesus returns a year from now, then we have a year to “occupy.” If He returns in five years, we have five years to work alongside Jesus to reach the lost.

This continues to be what drives the ministry of It Is Written. As we bring up

Line Upon Line is hosted by Speaker/Director John Bradshaw and Associate Speaker Eric Flickinger.

60 years of ministry, we have entered the most innovative period of our history. This year our second television program, Line Upon Line, debuts, but we plan by the end of the year to have started production on a total of four It Is Written programs. Our interactive online Bible studies will soon be available globally on the Internet. The new It Is Written Bible School has commenced operation, and already we are hearing powerful testimonies of what God’s Spirit is accomplishing in this area.

Our children’s ministry, My Place With Jesus, is being relaunched with new technology, and new resources have been developed for personal witnessing and public evangelism. Upheld by your prayers and support, we labor because it is day. There is yet time to proclaim God’s Word. The night cometh, so while it is day we do what we must. And we must proclaim the living Christ!

My brother was baptized 40 years ago. He thought he was the last one in the door. He now has seven grandchildren, one of them a college sophomore. Yet God is still on His throne, Jesus is coming back soon, and by His grace we will occupy until He comes.

Revelation Today — The Mysteries Revealed was held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in October 2015 and marked an new era of evangelism through worldwide streaming.

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“I will praise You, for I am fe ar e; Marvelous are Your works, and fully and wonderfully mad ll.” that my soul knows very we P SA LM

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now is mentioned 24 times in the Bible. Isaiah 1:18 and Psalm 51:7 say that when Jesus washes away our sins, we become whiter than snow. The leprosy of Naaman and Miriam is described as being as white as snow (2 Kings 5:27; Numbers 12:10), and God’s hair is said to be white like snow (Revelation 1:14; Daniel 7:9).

There are a lot of fun things you can do in the snow. You can build a snowman, construct an igloo, make a snow angel, or go sledding or skiing. All that snow we enjoy playing in so much is made up of an accumulation of individual snowflakes.

Have you ever heard the phrase “no two snowflakes are alike”? A man named Wilson A. Bentley, from the small town of Jericho, Vermont, made that incredible discovery in the nineteenth century.

In 1885, using a camera he connected to a microscope, Mr. Bentley became the first person to photograph a snowflake. After many years of diligent work, he successfully photographed more than 5,000 different snowflake crystals, and he never saw two snowflakes that were the same!

Mr. Bentley said this about the snowflakes: “Under the microscope, I found MELISSA BRADSHAW is the Director of Children’s Ministries at It Is Written. Melissa and her husband, John Bradshaw, have two children and live in the Chattanooga, TN area.

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that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated. When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind.”

I love where he says, “Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated.” It reminds me of the care Jesus took in creating us. Just like a snowflake, you are a masterpiece of God’s creation and the design He used for you will never be repeated. Even twins are not exactly alike.

You are very special to Jesus. Only you can be the person Jesus created you to be.

In Psalm 139:14, David said that he was “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God. Just as the beauty of every little snowflake gives glory to our great Creator, each person has been “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10).

By simply falling to the earth a snowflake adds beauty to its surroundings and speaks of its Maker. And as you allow Jesus to live in you, others will “see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Remember today that you have been made unique. You are special in God’s sight, and like the beautiful snowflakes, your life will add beauty to this world!

"SNOWFLAKE MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY 2" BY ALEXEY KLJATOV - OWN WORK. LICENSED UNDER CC BY-SA 4.0 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS - HTTPS://COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG/WIKI/FILE:SNOWFLAKE_MACRO_PHOTOGRAPHY_2.JPG#/MEDIA/FILE:SNOWFLAKE_MACRO_PHOTOGRAPHY_2.JPG

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Winter

Come play with Dexter!

Put your puzzle-solving skills to the test with our winter word scramble.

Look carefully at the jumbled words and try to unscramble them into real words relating to the snowy weather.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 23

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SNOWFLAKE ART: © AVERZ / DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB; RIBBON ART: © LILIIA RUDCHENKO / DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

Word Scramble

S NO L A

1. ATCO

2. WOSN

3. CIE

4. SARFC

5. EZREFE

6. LKNEFWSAO 7. LEGVOS

8. LOCD

9. NAONMSW

10. SIK

W FL A

KE

Visit myplacewithjesus.com for more great stories and activities for kids!

Community Connection

BY ANNALYSE HASTY, Editor

Green Bay Packed WISCONSIN CHURCH REAPS BAPTISMS WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK USING REVELATION TODAY

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evelation Today — the Mysteries Revealed was LIVE — in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Early in the planning for the Revelation Today meetings, It Is Written gave churches and individuals the opportunity to host the meetings locally via the Internet.

Once someone registered as a host, It Is Written invited them to attend training webinars and kept them updated about the meetings and how to promote them in their community. Printable advertising material was made available and personalized technical support was provided free of charge.

One church that embarked on the venture alongside It Is Written was in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Bill Ochs is the senior pastor at the Green Bay church and he presented the idea to his church after learning about the series online.

“I think I saw it first on a Facebook ad. It looked like a good series and John Bradshaw had just preached at camp meeting here. He did a wonderful job there and so many of the people

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in our church were excited to hear him again,” Bill said.

Like many other host sites, Green Bay used the series as an inexpensive and effective way to reach their community.

“For me, it was perfect for what we were looking for. We used it as a reaping series,” Bill said. “It was an inexpensive way for

“When she was able to hear the message in a different way, she decided to get baptized.” people to hear the message and get connected to the church members. We served refreshments beforehand and mingled with guests.”

Bill and his church used Internet advertising on social media networks and a local television ad to spread the news about the series to the community.

“All of the church members invited people they knew, friends, and family. We did some ads on the Internet and local TV,” Bill said. “It Is Written recommended a website company to us who created a landing webpage for the series. All of our advertising pointed people to that webpage. It was very effective for us.”

Green Bay has a regular congregation of approximately 200 people. On average they had 40 people attending the series each night.

WINTER WORD SCRAMBLE ANSWERS

s to

“We set up the chapel with a large flat screen TV, and connected it to the Internet.

It worked out well. The members were happy about it. Pastor Bradshaw even mentioned our church — that we were watching,” Bill said.

After all the preparation and prayer that the Green Bay church family put into the series, the Lord blessed them in their efforts. “We have a baptism planned in a couple weeks: a lady who has been coming to church with us for a bit but had not made a decision,” Bill said. “When she was able to hear the message in a different way, she decided to get baptized.”

Several other people have been attending the Green Bay church because of the meetings. A few of them watched the series online, and are now attending Bill’s church as a result.

“We have several very good interests for the future. We didn’t spend a lot of money, and yet the meetings were incredible and the people really enjoyed John’s approach to things,” Bill said. “There are other people who have been coming to our church after watching the series at home but have not made a decision. I am excited to hear people’s stories about how they were touched through our humble efforts and the presentation of God’s Word.”

Want to show Revelation Today — The Mysteries Revealed to your friends and family? It is all on DVD! See page 15 for details.

1. COAT 2. SNOW 3. ICE 4. SCARF 5. FREEZE 6. SNOWFLAKE 7. GLOVES 8. COLD 9. SNOWMAN 10. SKI

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Feature

Thrive

Designed to Survive

The following article is a part of the new It Is Written Health: A database of Biblically sound, scientifically-based information that will help you experience optimum health. Composed of articles, TV programs, books, and more, you will find reliable information from Christian physicians and health educators, all compiled in one database by It Is Written.

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he theory of evolution teaches that humans evolved from the instinct to survive. But, did you know that you were designed to thrive? Our bodies are magnificent masterpieces from the hand of our Creator, made in His image. But, as one of my favorite authors explains, we have been tainted by the effect of sin. She writes, “Man has fallen, and the work of his life-time, be it longer or shorter, must be to recover through Christ what he has lost by sin — the likeness to the divine.

This work requires a thorough transformation of soul, body, and spirit. God mercifully sends rays of light to show man his true condition; but if he will not walk in the light, it is manifest that he takes pleasure in darkness.” 1 I’m sure that if we take a few minutes to consider it, we all can identify an effect sin has had in our own lives, particularly on our health. Sometimes, it’s hard not to see. What can be hard to see is the path to restoration. But, praise God! He has laid 1 From White, E. G. (1890). Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene. Battle Creek, MI: Good Health Publishing Co., pp. 127.

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out a perfect plan in His Word — a plan that works!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

You may wonder, how does this verse apply to restoring my health? Well, our quality of health is directly linked to our choices. What we choose to allow into our bodies through any means — be it food, media, or thoughts — impacts our health.

You may have heard the saying that we are the product of our choices. It is completely true. If we choose to ingest only those things that God has created to be beneficial — things that naturally heal — then our body, mind, and spirit, will be healthy and pure (Proverbs 3:5–8).

In 1 Corinthians 6:12 we read, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” We can claim this promise that by the

PHOTO: © MILLES STUDIO / DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

Visit itiswritten.com/health today!

Impressed

Impressed by the Holy Spirit, lives are forever changed.

“Just wanted you to know how very blessed I was by the message on Martin Luther. I was moved to tears by the Spirit as I listened to the wonderful music and singing, and during the message I sometimes had to rewind and listen again as I heard things so dear to my heart that I had to tell God how grateful I was for my Bible and for my salvation. A truly wonderful message. I dearly love it when you tell the story of those who gave so that we could know Jesus more. Thank you all so very much.”­— Tennessee, United States “I find all of your broadcasts very educational and inspiring. Thank you!” — Jamaica “My husband came home for Kentucky-Tennessee worker’s meeting with the new It Is Written Bible Study Guides. I am so impressed with the quality... the packaging and quality of the paper and print is so inviting. I would not hesitate to give these to professional and educated people...I’m so looking forward to doing the lessons. I believe God has blessed as we needed something just like this for these last days. May God bless with a wide distribution of His Word.” — United States

“Glory and thanks to God for It Is Written.

I had problems understanding the Bible, then I found It Is Written. Simply Amazing!” — USA, Facebook

“I love the new studies. I’m definitely going to be using them in my next evangelistic series.” — United States “I love It Is Written, I remember watching this religious program when George Vandeman was the speaker.” — Georgia, USA, Facebook “Turned on the TV in my hotel room here in New Zealand and who should appear but kiwi John Bradshaw preaching against eternally-burning hell. I am reminded again of how precious is the message of present truth.” — New Zealand, Facebook

Do you have a story about how God has touched your life through the work of It Is Written? Tell us!

Simply e-mail impressions@iiw.org 26 It Is Written impressions

Staff Highlight

Eric Flickinger ASSOCIATE SPEAKER

In August of 2015, Eric Flickinger joined the It Is Written team as associate speaker. However, this new position for Eric had been set up by God more than a decade before.

“The Lord started leading me to It Is Written 15 years ago,” Eric said. “I graduated from evangelism training school, and the first training series I did was with an evangelist named John Bradshaw.”

After apprenticing with John Bradshaw, Eric worked as an evangelist for nine years.

He then began training others to be evangelists and Bible workers for the next six years. Then the Lord brought John and Eric back together, strengthening the It Is Written team.

“What really inspires me is being able to share the truths of God’s Word and point people to Christ. To see in their eyes when they understand why they are here and what God’s plan is for them,” Eric said.

BY ANNALYSE HASTY, Editor

As associate speaker Eric is able to use his passion for evangelism and widen the reach of It Is Written. His main job is holding evangelistic campaigns, doubling the number of places where the ministry can be present at one time.

“I am also doing product development.”

Eric said. “Currently I am working on a guided version of John’s Revelation Today series. The goal is that anybody will be able to take the slides and scripts and preach their own evangelistic series.”

As Eric continues to broaden the accessibility of what It Is Written has to share, he is excited to work on the front lines of soul-winning, around the world and locally too.

“A lot of times we focus so far afield that we forget we have a mission field right outside our front doors. It is exciting to see that It Is Written is focused on both,” Eric said.

“I am passionate about sharing the message in wide and varied places, so that people can get a clearer picture of the gospel message.”

Eric is married to Hildelisa. They have two children, Noelani age nine and Justin age seven.

Get to know Eric: What was your first job?

Research assistant at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We took samples of fish populations in Lake Okeechobee. We would jump off the air boat with nets to catch the fish, and one guy would stand on the boat watching for alligators. That made it exciting.

What is one thing that most of your coworkers don’t know about you?

Even though my daughter has Down syndrome she still has a desire to be active in ministry too. She loves to pass out tracts, she loves to pretend to do cooking schools. She wants to be an active participant in missionary activities.

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Benefiting from

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Website www.HisLegacy.com

“If only I knew, I would have done this sooner.”

It’s a statement we often hear.

Everyone with a life insurance policy knows you can name a spouse or child as a beneficiary.

You may not know that you can also name a charitable organization such as It Is Written as a beneficiary and help further our mission.

A gift of life insurance is a wonderful way to support our work at a significant level, but at a fraction of the cost of other gifts.

Options for gifts of life insurance There is a variety of charitable gift plans.

Contact us for more information.

In addition to the satisfaction of helping our cause, the following gifts of life insurance provide specific tax benefits.

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This information is not intended as tax, legal, or financial advice. Gift results may vary. Consult your personal financial advisor for information specific to your situation.

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IN MEMORY Anderson, Ruby by son Mr. Virgil Anderson Atwell, Patsy by sister Ms. Wanda Wiley Conibear, Ivy

by Mr. John R. Anderson Cook, Olivia by daughter Ms. Dawn Collins Currie, Eva

by Chattanooga North River Seventhday Adventist Church and Seventhday Adventist Church in Canada Dendy, Glen and Marguerite by son Mr. Robert Dendy Felton, Theresa by husband Mr. Dean Felton Foutch, Jewel and Ruth

by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tyroff Goffar, Harold For being such a wonderful example to me, by Miss Janine Goffar

Helin, Doreen

by Mr. Robert Helin

Smith, Ronald A. by mother Ms. Kay Lynn Smith

Hill, Melinda Sutton

by Mr. and Mrs. James C. Culpepper

Thomas, Dale L.

by Mr. and Mrs. Roger Sermersheim

Isenhoff, Loretta

by Marian Murphy

Turner, Clifford My father who led me to the Lord, by son Dr. Mark Turner

Kingsnorth, Gwen

by Mr. William Jeffery Jr. Klein, Violet

by Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Krogstad Menhardt, Bert

by Mrs. Shirley Menhardt Moulder, Shirleen by son Mr. Michael Moulder My parents

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Wick, Ted

by Mr. and Mrs. James C. Culpepper Wiley, Lowell

by Ms. Wanda Wiley Young, Edwin J.

by Carol P. Harvard, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hollie, Mr. David Hood, East Ridge Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Walter A. Wood Supply Co. Inc. BIRTHDAY Gaspard, Diane For her 60th birthday! By daughter Ms. Amanda N. Gaspard HONOR

Hall, Allen by father Mr. Neil Hall

Padua, Estrella A wonderful mother, sister, and grandma who loved Jesus,

by Mrs. Estella Padua

Haluska, Jan

by Pastor and Mrs. Arden C. Mote

Pecoraro, Mary by sister Ms. Dorothy Pacchino

Brown, Sharon Retired teacher and volunteer,

by Ms. Vera Mattox

Halvorsen, Ron

by Ms. Irene Werning

Savic, Sofija by son Mr. Daniel Young

Capone, Eddie

by Ms. Patricia Capone

Bartholomew, Asha and Daryl

by Dr. and Mrs. Dan R. Wilson

Remember someone special with your love gift to It Is Written Your honorary or memorial gift is helping spread the gospel around the world.

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1956

On March 25, 1956, It Is Written aired its first known broadcast, making it the first religious TV program to air in color.

It Is Written was being filmed in New York, while the administration of the TV program centered in Washington, D.C.

1958

George held an evangelistic series in Fresno, California, and Washington, D.C. , to follow up contacts established by the TV program.

1962 Pictured below, George Vandeman visited the Dead Sea scroll caves during the first decade of It Is Written.

It Is Written launched into southern California in a prime-time slot in Los Angeles. In preparation volunteers made 30,000 phone calls one hour before the program aired, inviting people to watch.

After the program aired, Pastor Vandeman reserved a sports arena in Los Angeles that seated 17,000 people for an evangelistic series.

1971

The media center was built and became It Is Written’s new home in California.