Participants: Grace Daley
Series Code: 13ASIC
Program Code: 13ASIC000003
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00:19 Good morning.
00:22 I am thrilled to be introducing our speaker this morning. 00:26 Grace Daley knows what it means to win. 00:30 She was the leading score in women's basketball 00:32 at Tulane University. 00:34 And in 2005 she was inducted in the "Hall of Fame." 00:39 Grace let the Italian Professional Basketball League 00:41 in scoring and was named most valuable player 00:44 by the French League. 00:46 She was also a Euroleague all stars selection in 2007, 00:49 that's not so long ago. 00:51 But Grace not only knows what it means to win, 00:54 she also knows what it means to surrender. 00:58 She grew up in a Christian home 01:00 but when she came face to face with Christ 01:04 her life changed forever. 01:06 She entered a new game, a race so to speak, 01:11 a race to the finish. 01:13 We'll hear Grace's story today and I know you will be blessed. 01:36 I can hardly wait to walk on shining of streets of gold 01:44 I can hardly wait to watch eternity unfold 01:51 I can hardly wait to see a city made of light 01:58 Where there is no more crying 02:02 No more pain and no more night 02:06 I can hardly wait to talk with Adam and with Eve 02:13 With Abraham and Isaac and with all those who relive 02:21 Know my heart would dwell to see the glories of that land 02:28 They all will pale to nothing 02:32 In the shadow of the lamb 02:41 It will be Jesus, it will be Jesus 02:48 He spilled His precious blood 02:52 So with Him I can meet 02:56 It will be Jesus 03:00 It will be Jesus 03:05 His love will make it happen for me 03:18 I can hardly wait to see the dead in Christ arise 03:24 The countless clouds of angels spread across the eastern sky 03:32 When the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a shout 03:39 That will be day we will forever seen about 03:51 It will be Jesus, it will be Jesus 03:59 He spilled His precious blood 04:02 So with Him I can meet 04:06 It will be Jesus 04:10 It will be Jesus 04:15 His love will make it happen for me 04:21 It will be Jesus 04:25 It will be Jesus 04:29 He spilled His precious blood 04:32 So with Him I can meet 04:36 It will be Jesus 04:40 It will be Jesus 04:46 His love will make it happen for me 04:53 His love will make it 04:56 Happen for me 05:09 Amen. Amen. 05:16 Good morning. Good morning. 05:18 All right, that was a beautiful selection 05:21 and I'm praying that this morning it will be Jesus 05:24 that's speaking through me to you all. 05:27 Praise the Lord. 05:28 I really appreciate the invitation 05:31 to speak at ASI this year. 05:33 I'm really grateful for the opportunity 05:35 because every time I share my testimony 05:38 I'm encouraged, I am re-motivated, 05:41 I'm energized. 05:43 So I'm hoping that today all of us will leave here 05:46 encouraged, re-motivated and energized 05:49 to be about our Father's business. 05:51 You know, as you heard of me introduction, I had 05:54 what most people will consider to be a dream job. 05:59 So that means I got to live all over the world, 06:02 in all over the United States. 06:04 And actually all of my expenses were paid, and I got paid. 06:09 I had very short I'm gonna call them ''Work Hours" 06:13 and I use that term very loosely 06:14 because I was out there playing, okay. 06:16 So I had very short work hours, 06:18 I was "working" for two to three hours a day 06:22 and I played on four different WNBA teams. 06:25 Minnesota, New York, Houston, Phoenix, 06:28 I also played for seven seasons overseas. 06:32 Three years in France, two years in Italy, 06:36 one year in the Czech Republic, a season in Spain 06:41 and a few days in Russia. 06:43 And I'll explain that story in a minute. 06:46 Well, here is the way that it goes, 06:48 every time I traditionally chose a team, 06:51 I chose a team based on how I could help them, right? 06:55 What I could contribute to them? 06:57 Now one time in my life 06:59 and this was my Russian experience, 07:02 I decided to choose a team 07:04 based on purely selfish reasons. 07:07 How much money I could make, all right? 07:10 And at that time playing in Russia for women's basketball, 07:13 that was the place 07:14 where you can make the most money. 07:16 So I prayed, "God, please 07:18 I just want to make as much money as possible, 07:20 send me to that place." 07:22 And lo and behold I ended up in Russia. 07:26 And have you guys ever heard of the mafia before? 07:29 It's real, okay. 07:31 I had-- I was called into an office 07:34 to get, you know, paid upon arrival 07:36 and they wanted to pay me in a duffel bag. 07:39 So I saw them putting cash in a duffel bag 07:42 and I had drivers, I didn't speak Russian, 07:45 I had drivers that were watching me 07:48 get paid in a duffel bag with a lot of cash, 07:52 who were supposed to take me to my apartment 07:56 and nobody I knew, knew where I was going, okay. 08:00 So it wasn't a very safe environment 08:02 my estimation. 08:03 So that didn't last for long, it lasted for seven days. 08:06 And what I learned from that story was, 08:08 it is never a good idea to ask God for what you want, 08:12 because you know what, you might get it. 08:14 It's a great idea to ask God for what He wants for you 08:18 because then you'll get what you really need. 08:20 Amen. 08:21 So unfortunately, it took the Russian mafia 08:23 to teach me that lesson. 08:25 So anyway, my story is very simple 08:27 and before I get started, I just want to take 08:29 a moment to pause for a word of prayer. 08:32 Dear, Lord, thank you again 08:33 for bringing me here and for this opportunity 08:35 I ask that every thing I say today will be holy 08:38 and fully representative of You. Amen. 08:41 Okay, so yeah, my story really is simple. 08:44 I decided to stop playing professional basketball 08:46 so I could faithfully observe the Sabbath. 08:49 And whenever I told people that 08:51 I got a multitude of adverse reactions 08:53 and the most popular were somewhere along these lines. 08:57 You know, you are a Christian, 08:58 you know, you're playing for the glory of God, 09:00 why would you stop doing that? 09:02 God gave you a gift 09:04 and He expects you to use it to glorify Him. 09:07 And I kept hearing that, God gave me a gift 09:10 and He expects me to use it to glorify Him. 09:12 But the conclusion I came to was that, 09:15 God did give me a gift 09:17 but that gift was not basketball. 09:20 The gift that God gave me was His word. 09:23 And in His word is contained the commandments. 09:26 And in His commandments is the Sabbath. 09:29 So people often interpret 09:31 what I did is giving up my career, 09:33 but I'm very careful never to use that term 09:36 because I did not give anything up for Christ. 09:39 What I did was, I gave into Christ, right? 09:43 I gave into Christ and willingly surrendered 09:47 and just to become completely obedient. 09:50 Because He is the one that gave everything up for me. 09:53 He is the one that made the ultimate sacrifice. 09:55 My job was simple, just give in and accept His free gift. 10:00 And as much as people were telling me, 10:02 "Hey, you're playing for the glory of God." 10:04 What I realized was, if I was truly playing for God, 10:09 going about His business, 10:11 then I would be playing by His rules 10:14 and going along with His schedule. 10:17 And I learned that the schedule was simple 10:19 on my heavenly coach's team. 10:22 It's right there in the Ten Commandments 10:23 I'm not making this up. 10:24 Exodus 20:8-11, right? 10:27 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, 10:29 Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work 10:31 and on the seventh day you rest." 10:34 So that meant I got to work for six days, Sunday, Monday, 10:38 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday during the day, 10:42 and on Friday evening 10:44 my heavenly coach calls a, what is this? 10:48 A time out, all right. 10:50 That is a universal symbol everywhere in the world I go, 10:53 this symbol everybody knows this means. 10:55 Time out. 10:56 Time out, right, so I'm gonna describe a time out 10:59 and if you can imagine this is exactly 11:01 what the Sabbath should look like and feel like for us. 11:04 During a time out players go to the sideline, 11:07 they take a break and they give their coach 11:09 their undivided, complete attention. 11:12 They listen intently to what their coach has to say. 11:16 And while your coach is talking, 11:19 it's a great time to catch your breath, 11:21 regain your focus, relax, regain your strength 11:25 because you're preparing to go out and perfectly execute 11:29 the plays that the coach drew up on the clipboard. 11:32 So the Sabbath is God's weekly time out for us. 11:37 So along with the coach calling time outs, on a team 11:40 the coach also is responsible for making the schedule. 11:44 Now here is a typical WNBA schedule. 11:46 I want to hold this up, and it's actually okay, 11:49 if you're not able to read the teams on this schedule. 11:53 What's important is that you know 11:54 that everyone of these lines represents a game. 11:58 Okay, so this is a typical WNBA schedule. 12:02 Now on this next page here, 12:04 I've taken the liberty of highlighting all of the games 12:08 that entail practicing or playing 12:10 on the Sabbath, okay. 12:12 So as you can see the schedule drastically changes, all right. 12:17 Now it's not just the WNBA, the same can be said for NBA 12:22 and also for college sports. 12:25 This was, I just printed out a current college schedule 12:28 of my old university, Tulane University, 12:31 and this represents, its book of schedule. 12:35 Now on this next page you'll see, 12:36 I've taken the liberty to blackout 12:38 all the games that-- that are entail practicing 12:41 or playing on the Sabbath, okay. 12:43 The schedule drastically changes again. 12:46 Now here is one of my favorites, the NFL. 12:49 Okay, I picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 12:51 because they are close to home. 12:52 Here it goes, a typical NFL schedule. 12:54 Every one of these games, every one of these lines 12:56 represents a game during the season, okay. 13:00 Now here is what's left, after I blackout all the games 13:06 that entail practicing or playing on the Sabbath. 13:10 And you know, 13:11 most professional sports do the same. 13:13 I had a really unique opportunity 13:16 to share my testimony in Trinidad a few weeks ago. 13:19 And when I was there I held up a cricket schedule 13:22 because everywhere you go in the world, 13:24 it's the same thing. 13:26 If you're gonna be a part of these teams, 13:28 then you're gonna have to practice or plan the Sabbath. 13:31 So when I was playing for the Minnesota Lynx 13:33 and I was on their schedule, 13:36 was I about my Father's business 13:37 or was I about their business? 13:40 Their business. 13:41 When I was playing for the New York Liberty, 13:43 was I about my Father's business 13:44 or was I about their business? 13:46 Their business. Their business. 13:48 When I was playing for the Italian League, 13:50 was I about my Father's business 13:52 or was I about their business? 13:54 Their business. Their business. 13:56 When I was playing for the Russian League, 13:58 was I about my Father's business 14:00 or their business? 14:02 Well, you guys need to be better listeners. 14:03 I was about the mafia's business 14:05 and that's why I left. 14:08 All right, so when I decided 14:10 to become fully obedient to Christ 14:12 and started playing by His schedule, 14:14 that is the point when I decided 14:18 that I was gonna be about my Father's business. 14:21 And to me being about my Father's business 14:23 is as simple as being obedient. 14:27 And mostly you were probably 14:28 born and raised in the Adventist Church. 14:30 So you maybe wondering how come it took me so long 14:33 to come to this realization. 14:35 So I'm gonna take that time to tell you the story. 14:38 The answer is simple. 14:39 I didn't grow up in the Adventist Church. 14:42 My parents actually made the transition 14:44 when I was in high school. 14:45 So I attended church on the Sabbath with them. 14:48 And the way I saw it, we just changed the day 14:51 we went to church, all right. 14:53 Everything stayed the same. 14:56 It wasn't a big deal to me, we just changed the day. 14:58 We used to go on Sunday, 14:59 now we go to church on Saturday. 15:02 Everything continued as it normally would, 15:04 including my basketball career. 15:07 And I used to attend Sunday churches 15:09 and if any of you ever out there have 15:11 attended Sunday churches for the most part 15:13 you're out of there by noon, right? 15:15 So that was what I was accustomed to. 15:17 When my parents joined the Adventist Church, 15:20 I was in for a big surprise. 15:22 On Sabbath when 12 o'clock roll around, 15:25 they hadn't even collected the offering. 15:28 And when I would look at the bulletin, 15:31 the sermon was so far down the list. 15:34 And you have to think, I was a teenager at that time, okay. 15:37 We weren't getting out of church 15:38 until 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. 15:41 So my memory of the Adventist Church 15:43 is being very tired and very hungry. 15:46 And I'm sure that many of you can relate. 15:50 I also remember that I made it 15:52 all the way through high school, 15:54 on the front page of the sports paper all the time. 15:56 I made it all the way through college. 15:58 On television and in the papers. 16:00 I made it all the way through the professional ranks 16:03 and no Adventist, no church member, 16:05 no health and temperance leader, 16:06 no pathfinder leader, no stewardship leader, 16:10 no pastor, nobody ever asked me how it was possible 16:15 that I could advance so far in my career 16:17 and keep the Sabbath? 16:19 The topic of the Sabbath actually never came up. 16:21 Now I may have come up behind the pulpit at some point. 16:24 But I just explained to you guys, I was a teenager 16:26 and I was tired and I was hungry. 16:28 I never heard it. 16:30 But I know for sure 16:31 it never came up in casual conversation 16:34 with any church people. 16:35 Now everyone would just ask me about my games 16:38 and they would tell me they read about me in the paper 16:41 or they saw me on TV, and they would encourage me. 16:45 So naturally, I thought 16:47 these people are cheering me on, 16:49 I must be doing a very good thing, right. 16:52 Now I'm not blaming anyone for my ignorance 16:54 because that's exactly what it was. 16:56 I just didn't understand the concept of the Sabbath. 16:59 I'm giving you this information just to say, 17:02 that church people, we need to figure out 17:05 when it's time to be a cheerleader 17:07 and when it's time to be a prayer warrior. 17:09 Being about our Father's business means, 17:11 being obedient. 17:13 It means encouraging obedience and praying fervidly 17:16 when people are being disobedient. 17:19 Anyway, no one ever asked me how it was possible 17:22 to have my entire career while keeping the Sabbath 17:24 until four years ago. 17:27 And that simple question 17:29 sparked an amazing transformation in my life. 17:32 Here is the way the story goes and before I tell the story, 17:34 it's every important that I introduce two people. 17:38 And these two people are main characters in the story. 17:41 So I'm gonna ask, Dr. Don Bovell 17:45 and his wife, Ann Burnett to stand for a moment. 17:48 And you guys get a good look at them, okay. 17:50 Dr. Don Bovell, he's not the typical MD, okay. 17:54 And we call MDs, managers of diseases. 17:57 So he's not the typical MD. 17:59 He's currently trying to put himself out of business 18:02 and I'll tell you how. 18:03 He's introducing his patients to God's healthcare plan 18:07 of preventing and reversing lifestyle diseases. 18:10 He's been practicing emergency medicine 18:12 for over 24 years. 18:14 He's an amazing physician 18:16 and he's also an outstanding preacher 18:18 and he's also the son of a preacher. 18:20 Now his wife, Ann Burnett, now I know they don't look 18:24 much older than 20 years old, 18:25 but they've been married for 20 years. 18:29 Yes, I call her Princess Anne, because she truly exemplifies 18:33 what it means to be a child of the King. 18:35 She is amazing, she is a medical mission coordinator, 18:38 a licensed contractor, 18:40 an outstanding volunteer in the community. 18:43 She is an outstanding volunteer in the public school system. 18:47 And she is a fulltime PE coach, 18:50 volunteer at a local Adventist school. 18:53 She is also an awesome cook 18:54 and I appreciate all those meals. 18:57 I could go on forever, 18:58 but anyway, here is the way my story goes. 19:00 I came home from playing 19:02 basketball over season, I was sick, 19:04 I wasn't getting enough rest. 19:06 I wasn't eating right, I wasn't being smart 19:09 and I'll go over that a little later. 19:11 So when I would get home my parents would say, 19:14 "Oh, you know what, you can just go see 19:16 Dr. Bovell and his wife. 19:17 They will, you know, treat you 19:20 and you probably don't have to set an appointment 19:23 just call them." 19:24 So I said, okay, I don't know them 19:26 but I'm not feeling well so I called them. 19:28 And lo and behold they were just like parents said, 19:32 they were nice and they were loving. 19:35 And the first time I called 19:37 he allowed me to go to his office 19:40 and worked me into the patient flow 19:42 and I got treated like a VIP, okay. 19:44 Now this thing happened again the following year. 19:48 I had not talked to them in between this interaction. 19:51 I said, thank you very much for your help. 19:53 Came back next year home again, 19:55 I was sick, staying up late 19:58 not eating what I should be eating. 19:59 And my mom and dad, they said, "Hey, Grace, 20:03 go see Dr. Bovell and his wife, they'll treat you. 20:05 And I'm thinking, I just did that last year 20:07 and I haven't talked to them in between, 20:09 I probably shouldn't do that again. 20:11 But you know what, I wasn't feeling well. 20:13 So I said, okay, I'll listen. 20:15 Children obey your parents and the Lord, okay. 20:18 Because that simple active obedience is what sparked this 20:21 amazing transformation in my life. 20:23 So I said, okay, I called up and his wife answers the phone, 20:25 and she is all bubbly and happy 20:27 and I don't know what this is. 20:29 I don't know it's-- later on I figured out, 20:32 it wasn't craziness, 20:33 it was actually the joy of the Lord, okay. 20:35 So the two can sometimes be confused 20:38 but this lady was joyful, all right. 20:40 So it was an attractive quality, 20:43 second time this happened, they called me 20:45 over to their house and said, 20:46 "Sure, just come over he's about to go to work." 20:49 Treated me like a VIP patient. 20:50 I heard the missionaries say that the health message 20:53 can lead people to Christ. 20:54 This is exactly what happened with my case, all right. 20:57 So this thing happened three times, right. 21:01 And at this point I'm thinking, is this getting outrageous. 21:04 I keep not calling these people in between 21:07 and I keep only calling when I need help. 21:10 So this seems like I'm using them. 21:13 You guys picking up what I'm putting down? 21:16 Okay, so I said, I have to do something to save face. 21:20 His wife keeps talking about going to the gym 21:22 so I will extend an invitation to join her at the gym. 21:28 Now one more time, Princess Anne, 21:29 please stand up. 21:31 All right, can you step toward the middle of the isle? 21:34 I'm putting her on the spot. 21:37 I present to you, Barbie, okay. 21:41 Now here is what was in my mind. 21:44 I'm gonna spend time with Barbie in the gym, 21:46 its gonna be a total waste. 21:48 Because I'm used to hardcore workouts 21:50 and sweating and pushups and every kind of thing that's, 21:53 you know, just down in the trenches and she looks like 21:57 she is straight off the rack all right. 22:00 So I'm thinking, I'm gonna go 22:02 but I'm gonna be wasting my time. 22:04 But at least it won't look like I'm using these people anymore. 22:07 So we went to the gym and she invited me to her 22:09 "Strength and Conditioning Class," all right. 22:11 She's just gotten out of her dance class, 22:13 so I figured, this is gonna be a walk in the park. 22:16 And you know what, I breezed to the class and I thought, 22:20 it wasn't that bad, that was okay. 22:22 Okay, here is the next scene 22:24 I wake up in the morning, all right. 22:26 You guys ever heard something called DOMS, 22:28 delayed onset muscle soreness, right. 22:31 So I wake up the next morning 22:34 and I can't even walk, all right. 22:37 And I drive a stick shift, 22:38 so I literally had to lift my leg 22:41 to put it on the clutch. 22:43 And then I started thinking to myself, 22:45 I cannot be outdone by Barbie, all right. 22:48 We're going back to the gym together. 22:50 We're gonna keep doing this until I can prove myself, okay, 22:54 'cause I, I play to win, I'm a competitor. 22:57 So here's what happened, we started going to the gym 23:00 and after a while she says, "Hey, you know what, 23:03 do you want to start studying 23:04 the Sabbath school lesson together?" All right. 23:07 And now the red flags are up because remember, 23:11 in church I was very hungry and very tired. 23:14 And the Sabbath school part of the service 23:16 was a very big reason for that. 23:18 That made me get to church earlier. 23:20 So I said, you know what, 23:21 I will study this lesson with this lady 23:25 because I'm enjoying her company, all right. 23:27 I'm enjoying the relationship. 23:30 Now a lot of times 23:31 when you get caught up in religion 23:32 and we forget about 23:33 the importance of relationships. 23:35 That's how you bring people to Christ. 23:37 So the particular lesson that we're doing at the time 23:40 was called The Christian Life. 23:42 I don't know if you guys can remember, this 23:43 one is from 2009. 23:45 And this is how the journey begins. 23:47 We start going through this book and in the meantime 23:50 we're always going to the gym. 23:51 That's our regular activity right, multiple times a week. 23:54 The first lesson in the Sabbath school lesson 23:56 was entitled, "Love." 23:59 And I thought to myself, I know that God is love 24:03 and this is old news. 24:05 This is exactly why 24:08 I wasn't doing this book before, 24:09 because there is nothing in there for me. 24:12 God is love, I know that. 24:13 And the next lesson was entitled "Faith." 24:17 And I thought to myself again, faith without works is dead, 24:20 I know that too. 24:22 My dad's been telling me about that, my mom 24:24 preaching that, you know, my entire life, 24:26 I grew up in a Christian home. 24:28 So I'm going through the emotions with this lesson. 24:31 And the next lesson was entitled "Hope," all right. 24:36 And let me be honest with you all, 24:38 I was hoping that it would soon be over, okay. 24:42 But at the same time, 24:44 I'm having a great time at the gym 24:46 and I already told you guys, I wasn't gonna be outdone 24:48 or outlasted by Barbie, okay. 24:51 The next lesson was entitled "Life," all right. 24:55 And I know that the Bible says, 24:56 "I have come that you may have life 24:58 and have it more abundantly." 25:00 So once again I'm just going through the emotions. 25:03 None of this is really for me but I'm enjoying 25:06 the relationship with my new friend. 25:08 So I'm gonna continue, the next lesson was entitled, 25:13 "Revelation" and it become one of those things again 25:16 where I'm hoping that God reveals to me 25:20 when the end of this lesson book is going to happen. 25:23 Because this was taking up a lot of my time 25:25 in the mornings now, okay. 25:27 So the next lesson was entitled "Sin." 25:32 I should have probably put this 25:33 on the biggest size poster board available, 25:35 because sin is a very big problem 25:36 we have in earth, right? 25:38 So sin is a very big problem, 25:39 and I know that the wages of sin is death 25:41 and the gift of God's eternal life. 25:42 So once again that was no new news to me. 25:46 Now at this point thing's changed. 25:50 The next lesson is when my eyes started to become opened. 25:54 And my name is Grace and I feel like my mom and dad 25:57 gave me the name Grace for such a time is this. 26:00 Because whenever I see my name 26:03 you have my attention, all right. 26:05 Any document that has my name I like to research the meaning, 26:07 I like to read about it, I like to hear about it. 26:10 The next lesson was entitled "Grace,'' okay. 26:15 And just a little side note, whenever you see the word 26:18 "grace" in your Bible from now on, 26:20 I know a lot of times we've been, you know, 26:23 conditioned to think that grace is simply 26:25 an undeserved gift from God. 26:28 Interpret the word "grace" as God's power, okay. 26:33 And that will change your relationship with God 26:36 and the way you read the Bible. 26:37 So grace is God's power. 26:39 So God's power lead me to open my eyes at this point. 26:43 And simultaneously as the lesson was called Grace, 26:47 and I decided this is now about me, 26:49 that's when Princess Anne asked me, 26:52 "Hey, you know, you're about to go overseas, 26:54 how are you gonna do all that and keep the Sabbath?" 27:00 And I got to think it 27:01 because I had a contract already written, 27:04 the dollar amount was already decided. 27:06 I just had to show up at this point. 27:08 I chose the country I wanted to go to, okay. 27:12 She asked me this question 27:14 and I said, "You know what, I can't." 27:18 If I'm gonna be about my Father's business, 27:21 I can't go back over there and play again, all right. 27:24 So the next lesson was entitled, "Rest." 27:30 So now I have a direct message from the Lord, Grace, Rest. 27:35 And when I got that message, come on, 27:40 there was only one thing left to do. 27:42 I picked up the phone immediately, 27:44 I called my agent and I said, game over. 27:48 It's time for me to play for a new coach, all right. 27:51 And then he said, "Well, are you sure about this?" 27:55 And I said, absolutely, 27:57 you don't have to call me anymore. 27:58 If you have a job give it to someone else 28:00 because now I'm about to go about 28:02 my Father's business, all right. 28:04 So that was an open and shut, 28:05 there was nothing left to decide. 28:08 There was no agonizing over this decision, 28:10 God just said, Grace, rest, it was simple choice to make. 28:15 Now what followed is very interesting. 28:17 While Grace was here on earth resting, 28:20 I started thinking, 28:23 I used to be a basketball player 28:24 while I'm here on earth. 28:25 I used to do certain things in a certain way. 28:28 And the next lesson was entitled, "Heaven." 28:31 So that was God just telling me, Grace, rest, 28:34 set your sights on heaven, okay. 28:36 Stop thinking about 28:38 what you were doing now here on earth. 28:40 So then I thought to myself, okay, that's fine, I'll rest, 28:43 I'll set my sights on heaven. 28:45 But I used to be a basketball player, 28:48 what do you want me to be now, God? 28:50 Next lesson, "Discipleship," okay. 28:54 Before you call He will answer 28:56 and while you're yet speaking, He will hear. 28:59 So now I got this mandate from God. 29:01 I'm gonna be a fulltime disciple. 29:03 I'm pumped up, I'm excited about this. 29:06 But then, reality set in I said, you know what, 29:09 when I was a basketball player I used to get a paycheck. 29:12 I've been reading my Bible 29:14 and I hadn't heard anything about disciples 29:15 getting a salary, okay. 29:17 So Jesus, how much do disciples get paid, right. 29:21 And the next lesson was entitled... 29:26 that even makes me laugh, all right, "Stewardship." 29:28 And that was simply God telling me 29:30 you know what, you can keep thinking about your bills 29:33 and you can keep thinking about your house and your car, 29:35 but none of that's yours anyway, that is all mine. 29:39 All you have to do is put your life into My hands 29:41 and I will handle your business, 29:43 if you're going about My business, right? 29:46 So then I thought to myself 29:47 where am I gonna do this, discipleship. 29:50 'Cause I'm convinced 29:51 this is my course of work for life now 29:53 and the answer came in the nex tlesson, 29:56 "Community." 29:57 Isn't this amazing? 29:58 It's amazing the way God speaks 30:00 when you're listening, all right. 30:03 Community, so I decided I'm staying right here at home 30:06 and I bought a house in my hometown 30:07 and that worked out great. 30:09 And I got my blinders on 30:10 because God tells me to do something 30:11 I go forward full force. 30:13 So while my blinders are on 30:14 about being home in the community, 30:16 the next lesson was entitled, ''Mission." 30:20 So that was God telling me, 30:21 yes, you have work to do at home, 30:23 but at the same time remember the Great Commission, 30:25 to go into all the world and preach the gospel. 30:27 And since I got that commission from God, 30:29 I've been traveling every year on a mission trip 30:33 with the group called "United Hands." 30:35 It's actually a group that was started 30:38 in part by Dr. Bovell and his wife. 30:40 We traveled to a different country in the world every year 30:45 just to spread the gospel through the health message. 30:48 We provide free medical, dental and optical care 30:51 for communities in need. 30:52 And at the end of every visit 30:54 they come to me, they come to the counseling station 30:56 where we let them know 30:59 that we want you to be in good health. 31:01 And we gave them the tools in order to stay healthy, 31:05 to prevent or reverse whatever conditions they have. 31:08 And most importantly we tell them 31:09 that God loves them. 31:11 So we meet their needs 31:12 and then we tell them about Jesus. 31:15 We follow His example. 31:17 So what I realized is the more I got connected to Christ 31:20 the more connections I had in this life. 31:22 When I started looking for a job 31:23 I couldn't find one, I had three, okay. 31:27 And I turned down many others offers. 31:30 And here is what I learned, I learned that the kingdom 31:32 has to be our ultimate objective. 31:35 And as I traveled over the years, 31:38 I have witnessed that we are loosing sight of that. 31:41 Now I'm gonna share a story with you 31:42 that happened just a few months ago. 31:44 So you know that is not just the world 31:47 that's loosing sight of our objective, okay. 31:51 I'm gonna talk about the Adventist Church. 31:53 I'm gonna bring this close to home. 31:55 And this story is gonna illustrate 31:57 why it is time to be about our Father's business? 32:01 Amen. 32:02 Now the Be Smart team, 32:03 Dr. Bovell, his wife and myself, 32:05 we traveled to a church in another state 32:07 and just like today, 32:08 I was asked to share my testimony. 32:11 You know, I walked away from professional basketball 32:13 to observe the Sabbath, it's a simple consistent story. 32:16 But there was a catch on this particular invitation. 32:20 The pastor of that church told me not to make the Sabbath 32:25 a central issue or a focal point 32:28 while sharing my testimony. 32:30 Now let me repeat this so it's clear to you, okay. 32:33 I was told not to focus on the Sabbath, 32:36 try not to mention the Sabbath 32:38 at a Seventh-day Adventist Church. 32:40 And the words of the pastor, 32:42 the Sabbath is a very sensitive issue 32:45 and the church is divided about it. 32:48 Now I didn't completely understand it at the time 32:50 why I was getting this message, but it was revealed to me later 32:54 that some of the leaders in the church 32:56 and deep pocketed people have their kids playing 32:58 all kinds of sports on the Sabbath, okay. 33:01 So I was reminded a number of times 33:03 before our arrival. 33:04 And upon our arrival 33:06 to stay away from the topic of the Sabbath 33:09 by a Seventh-day Adventist Pastor, 33:12 and also by the associate pastor. 33:15 Now I never thought I'm not that old, 33:17 I never thought I will live this-- 33:18 see the day when I would hear 33:21 that the Seventh-day Adventist Church 33:23 is divided about the Sabbath. 33:25 Anyway, I just prayed the prayer in Acts 4:29, 33:28 I said, "Now, Lord, behold their threatenings 33:31 and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness 33:34 we may speak thy word" 33:36 and I went about my Father's business. 33:39 Now this particular church had two services 33:41 and I thought to myself well, 33:43 I'll definitely make it past the first one 33:46 but then after that, the Be Smart team 33:49 is gonna go have worship back in the hotel, all right. 33:52 Well, God is good, okay. 33:54 God is good and I miraculously made it through both services 33:57 and needless to say, 33:59 those that were offended by the message 34:01 were those that were clearly in violation of the message. 34:04 Now I'm just gonna say this to you straight, 34:06 because I only know how to speak plainly 34:08 there are a lot of Seventh-day Adventists 34:10 that are not keeping the Sabbath. 34:13 It may sound harsh, but I'm gonna speak 34:15 as directly as I can to make sure this is clear. 34:17 If we're not going about our Father's business, 34:20 we're going about the devil's business. 34:23 There are no two ways about it. 34:25 And we can't be about our Father's business 34:27 if we're not being obedient to our Father. 34:29 We can't work for Him if we're not working with Him. 34:32 And if we're not being obedient, 34:33 we're actually working against Him. 34:36 And you know, this thing is actually 34:37 deeper than the Sabbath. 34:38 We have to think to ourselves, how many Christian principles 34:41 are we not sharing 34:43 because we ourselves are not living them? 34:45 Now think about it, the two main points of emphasis 34:49 in this Seventh-day Adventist Church, 34:51 that set us apart from other religions 34:53 are the Sabbath and the health message. 34:55 Do you guys agree? Absolutely. 34:58 And I've already told you a very real story 35:00 to let you know that the Sabbath is in danger. 35:04 Now if we take time to look at various congregations 35:07 we're also gonna learn that the health message 35:10 is in danger too. 35:12 We tend to save the health message 35:13 for Health and Temperance day. 35:16 And we do this twice a year maybe at the most. 35:19 So this is a message that is clearly not being consistently 35:24 reinforce from behind the pulpit. 35:26 And in order to make real progress at the church 35:29 in order to truly be about our Father's business, 35:33 this has to change. 35:35 We have heard so many because we travel 35:37 all over the United States, okay. 35:39 We have heard so many Adventist pastors, 35:43 use this line and maybe you've heard it also. 35:46 They say things like, 35:47 "Eating right won't get you into heaven," 35:50 have you guys heard that? 35:51 We've heard it. 35:52 And although everyone will agree 35:55 with that statement, you have to admit, 35:57 it's actually very disrespectful 35:59 to the health message. 36:01 And it's actually something that we hear far too often. 36:05 Now let me try to put it into prospective, 36:07 you actually don't hear preachers getting up 36:09 behind the pulpit and saying things like, 36:12 "Returning tithe won't get you into heaven," 36:15 have you guys heard that? 36:16 You've never heard that, 36:17 because they know that would be disrespectful 36:19 to the tithing message. 36:21 And they value the tithing messages. 36:23 They respect tithing 36:24 because they put it into practice 36:26 and they've seen the miracles it can render. 36:29 They talk about tithing every time 36:30 the offering plate is passed around. 36:32 They're convinced that tithing is not a means of salvation 36:37 but it is a powerful testimony of obedience to God. 36:41 Now you also don't hear pastors 36:43 getting behind the pulpit and saying, 36:44 "Community service won't get you into heaven," 36:47 have you guys heard that? 36:49 It's simply because that would be 36:51 disrespectful to community service. 36:53 And they've put that into practice, 36:56 they've seen the miracles that it can render. 36:59 So they talk about community service all the time. 37:01 They talk about visiting the sick and shedding, 37:03 distributing literature, visiting prisons 37:06 which we could do more of. 37:08 And it's something they're convinced of 37:11 and they know it's not a method of salvation, 37:13 but it is a powerful testimony and an effective tool 37:18 to leading people to Christ. 37:20 Now look, eating right 37:21 and following the health message 37:23 may not get you into heaven, but it will ensure 37:26 that your time on earth as a disciple 37:29 is more productive and enjoyable. 37:31 It is a clear indicator to the world 37:34 that you understand the true stewardship involves 37:38 not just your time, your talents and your treasure, 37:41 not just using those things to glorify God, 37:43 but also your temple. 37:45 It is a method, it's not a method of salvation, 37:49 but it is a powerful testimony of obedience to God 37:54 and a very effective tool in leading people in Christ. 37:58 Amen. 37:59 Now many pastors, many leaders 38:02 have not put the health message into practice, 38:04 so they haven't seen the miracles it can render. 38:08 And that's why they may not respect or value it. 38:12 When is the last time, 38:13 you guys know the principle of our rest, right? 38:16 When is the last time you've heard a preacher 38:18 tell their congregation, you ought to go to bed early? 38:23 It's probably because most preachers 38:26 are staying up late, right. 38:28 And the rule is simple. 38:30 If you are not practicing this lifestyle 38:33 then, you probably will not preach it, okay. 38:37 So those two principles, 38:39 the Sabbath and the health message, 38:41 they are two gifts that God gave us 38:44 that make it so easy 38:46 to spread His message of love and salvation and it is time 38:50 and it maybe past time at this point, 38:52 but it's absolutely time to be about our Father's business 38:56 and to be obedient and start using those messages. 39:00 We need to commit to 100% obedience 39:02 in all aspects of our lives 39:05 and understand that there are no levels of obedience. 39:09 You're either about your Father's business 39:11 or you're not. 39:13 People tend to-- you know, people 39:16 who actually are not about their Father's business 39:18 they tend to make excuses 39:20 to try to justify their behavior. 39:22 People that are about their Father's business 39:24 simply trust and obey, regardless of the consequences. 39:30 Now I have guy come up to me 39:31 after I shared my testimony once 39:33 and he told me that his son was 39:35 a collegiate baseball player. 39:37 And that would be harder for him to make the decision 39:40 to keep the Sabbath, than it was for me, 39:42 because his son is a 20 year old guy. 39:45 And you know, it's different for him 39:47 and I just don't understand. 39:49 I'm here to say and this is what I told him, 39:52 there are no levels of obedience, 39:55 we are all ultimately faced with the same decision. 39:59 Are we gonna be about our Father's business or not? 40:03 Now besides following Christ 40:04 is never a matter of giving things up. 40:06 It's simply a matter of giving in. 40:09 Once you give into Christ what's gonna happen is, 40:12 you're gonna willingly surrender 40:13 all the things in your life to Him. 40:16 And a life of complete surrender and obedience 40:20 is the most powerful testimony. 40:23 Now I used to think that playing basketball 40:26 was my vehicle to share Christ. 40:28 But then I realized, 40:30 I was the one driving that vehicle. 40:32 What I finally learned was that obedience 40:35 is the most powerful vehicle, 40:38 because Jesus is the one behind the wheel. 40:42 And I've actually had more opportunities 40:44 to share Christ in the last four years, 40:47 since I stopped playing on the Sabbath 40:48 then in my entire 15 year career. 40:52 Now fast forward to today I look forward to the Sabbath, 40:55 I love the Sabbath, 40:56 it's the most awesome day of the week. 40:59 But I also love the right arm of the gospel, 41:02 I love the health message. 41:05 You heard me talk about it a little while just now 41:06 I'm gonna little further, I love the health message. 41:09 I don't just love to talk about it, 41:11 I love living it and I love the benefits. 41:14 I also love sharing it. 41:16 Now the Be Smart team, 41:18 myself Dr. Bovell and his wife, we have repackaged 41:21 the health laws in a very creative way. 41:26 What we've done is, we repackaged it in a way 41:29 where we made each health law a mission. 41:32 A mission that you should accomplish 41:34 by the end of the day. 41:35 And when you accomplish that mission 41:37 you kind of check it off the list, right. 41:39 So it's a daily accountability list. 41:42 We call it the smart chart. 41:43 Now I'll show you how it works, 41:44 but first I'm gonna go over the principles briefly. 41:47 The B&B Smart is for believe in God. 41:49 Your mission, should you choose to accept 41:51 starts your day with a prayer, spend quality time with God, 41:54 have morning devotions, spend time in the word 41:56 and end your day with prayer. 41:57 Something we teach children to do, 41:59 but something we often neglect as we get older. 42:01 The E&B Smart is for eating fruits and vegetables 42:04 and drinking water. 42:06 Your mission, should you choose to accept 42:08 is to go for at least seven servings 42:10 of fruits and vegetables every single day. 42:12 And a easy way to remember that is, 42:14 go for seven to get ready for heaven, all right. 42:17 Because as it was in the beginning, 42:18 so will be in the end. 42:19 So the maze we'll start 42:21 getting ready for heaven right now 42:22 by eating the foods that God created. 42:25 So E is for eating fruits and vegetables 42:26 and drinking water. 42:28 Water and no soda, all right. 42:31 And we also are encouraging people to choose the fruit 42:34 instead of the juice, all right. 42:37 Eat the fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit, 42:40 so help you God. 42:42 And the S&B Smart for sunshine and air. 42:46 Your mission, should you choose to accept 42:48 is to get at least 15 minutes of sunshine 42:50 and fresh air every single day. 42:53 Now if you're darker skinned, 42:55 your need more time in the sunlight. 42:58 80% of African Americans are Vitamin D deficient. 43:03 70 % of Hispanic Americans are Vitamin D deficient. 43:08 60% of White Americans are Vitamin D deficient. 43:13 The best source for Vitamin D is the sunshine 43:16 and God has given this thing to us for free. 43:19 We need to get out get into the sunshine every single day. 43:22 The M&B Smart is for moderation. 43:24 We teach the Christian definition of moderation, 43:27 which means self control in good things 43:31 and avoiding bad things, right. 43:33 Abstain from all evil. 43:35 So I'm not gonna limit this to just tobacco and alcohol, 43:39 I'm gonna say we need to abstain from foods 43:43 that are very high in sugar, like donuts and cookies 43:46 and cakes and ice-cream. 43:48 So when we teach moderation we don't teach children, 43:52 oh, it's okay to have a little bit of ice-cream 43:54 after your dinner. 43:55 We teach children 43:56 replace that ice-cream with some fruits 44:00 or something that God created. 44:02 And it's simple, we want to put things in our body 44:06 that are good for us. 44:07 When we know things are not good for us 44:09 because the studies have proven that sugar causes diabetes, 44:12 contributes to heart disease, cancer, 44:15 causes you to gain weight, suppresses your immune system. 44:18 Things like that we don't even want to touch, all right. 44:21 We want to eat the foods that God made for us 44:24 that heal our bodies and restore us. 44:26 The A&B Smart is for action, all right. 44:29 "A" is for action for adults 30 minutes a day, okay. 44:33 For children, we're talking about 44:36 actually 60 minutes a day minimum. 44:39 Now I want you guys to take one minute with me, okay. 44:42 Everybody standup, all right, we've been sitting long enough 44:46 and that's not healthy sitting down for so long. 44:48 And here is what we're gonna do for 60 seconds. 44:50 I want you guys to do this activity, 44:52 it's very simple, all right. 44:53 You're sitting in your chairs, all you're gonna do is, 44:56 touch your bottom down to your chair and get back up. 44:58 Touch your bottom down to your chair and get back up. 45:00 Try not to use your arm, if you have to that's fine. 45:03 Ready set go, keep going, 60 seconds, 45:05 if you're at home and you are watching this, 45:07 get up from your couch and just touch down and get up. 45:10 And right now we're looking great, this looks like 45:12 a popcorn machine in full blast. 45:15 So far so good, but you're only 12 seconds into it, all right. 45:19 We're gonna keep doing this for 60 seconds, 45:21 come on, keep going. 45:23 The doctor up here is working in double time, 45:25 he is on a mission. 45:27 We're 23 seconds into this right now. 45:29 Keep going, we have to get the 60 seconds, 45:31 that's our goal right now. 45:33 We're trying to get fit for the kingdom, 45:34 not just spiritually but also physically. 45:37 All right you're half way there, 45:38 we have 25 more seconds to go. 45:42 The popcorn machine is slowing down. 45:44 It seems like, it's almost time to eat the popcorn. 45:47 All right, 20-- 15 more seconds to go, keep going. 45:50 Some of you guys are getting a deep squat there, 45:52 your heart rates getting up, you're feeling good. 45:54 Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, 46:00 three, two, you may be seated. 46:07 I chose that activity to prove a simple point, 46:10 exercise makes you happy, all right. 46:14 This is as joyful as this room has been 46:16 as long as I've been up here, 46:17 I should have done this at the beginning. 46:20 Exercise actually increases your body's level of serotonin, 46:23 the body's natural happy hormone. 46:26 So God gave us these things so we can be happy. 46:29 He gave us these health laws. 46:30 So exercise 30 minutes a day 46:32 and exercise actually lowers your blood pressure 46:35 more effectively than medication. 46:38 But just like medication 46:39 you got to do it every day, okay. 46:41 And obviously, we advocate resting 46:43 one day on the Sabbath. 46:45 "R" is for rest. 46:47 Rest, it means being in bed by 10 o'clock 46:50 every single night, okay. 46:52 And that something we have to do 46:54 if we want to be effective witnesses the next day 46:57 that are awake, alert and happy. 46:59 Going to bed on time improves your mood. 47:01 The T&B smart is for tell others. 47:04 It's a very powerful principle that is a reflex 47:07 if you're living this way. 47:09 Tell others, share Jesus every day, 47:13 everywhere you go all around the world, 47:16 in your home, outside your home, share Jesus. 47:19 And the "T" is also for TV time, 47:21 limiting your TV time 47:22 to one hour or less of quality television. 47:25 And if you're watching this right now, 47:26 this is quality television. 47:31 You know, when we explain Be Smart, 47:33 we tell people to go for the goal. 47:35 Don't just try to work on one thing, work on everything. 47:38 God's working on our entire being, okay. 47:40 So work on everything and go for the goal. 47:42 And what we've actually done is, 47:44 we've come up with a creative way 47:46 to package this program 47:47 and present it to the public school system. 47:50 Now the B&B smart is actually for believing God 47:53 but in order to get this program 47:54 at the public schools, the B&B smart become 47:57 brush your teeth and bathe. 47:59 And you know what, we have parents thanking us 48:02 everyday about this. Because apparently, 48:04 these are things kids don't like to do. 48:06 So their missions are to brush their teeth in the morning, 48:08 brush their teeth before bedtime 48:10 and bathe before bedtime. 48:11 So we devised something called a smart chart, okay. 48:15 And I'm gonna repose that if this simple chart 48:18 and actually the kids get it, it looks like this. 48:21 It's in the form of a paper 48:24 that they fill out everyday at school. 48:27 This simple paper, we have seen this paper revolutionize 48:31 the lives of adults. 48:33 It holds them accountable for their daily actions. 48:36 We host free exercise classes for our local community, 48:39 four times a week, okay. 48:42 And it also involves a game night 48:45 for the young people, where we incorporate 48:47 a spiritual lesson at half time. 48:49 And we've been teaching these principles 48:52 and we've had people 48:53 filling out their smart charts, okay. 48:55 We've seen people loose 30 pounds, 48:57 45 pounds more sometimes. 48:59 We've seen people reduce their medications, 49:01 get off of their medications. 49:03 We've seen people experiencing the abundant life 49:06 that Jesus talks about based on simply following 49:10 His health principles that He's given for free. 49:13 If we could get this paper, 49:15 this smart chart in the more schools, 49:17 we have seen how powerful it is, 49:19 it can revolutionized the health of America. 49:23 Because it's something as simple as 49:25 holding people accountable for their actions 49:27 and letting them know that it is important to us 49:31 that they do these things, all right. 49:33 We all need encouragement, we all need reinforcement. 49:36 So we all want to encourage each other to be smart, 49:40 Be Smart it's time to start as good for your brain 49:42 and good for your heart, all right. 49:44 And if you wanted more information about our program, 49:47 you can go on our website it's www.besmart365.com, 49:54 www.besmart365.com 49:59 and you can learn more about our program 50:02 and how we're trying to get this in the public schools 50:04 and the health principles that we promote 50:06 that are absolutely not from us, 50:08 that are from God. 50:09 Now I'm gonna close with a story 50:11 that just is gonna bring this whole thing into perspective 50:14 and let us know that truly 50:16 it is time to be about our Father's business. 50:19 Because if we're doing anything here on earth 50:22 that's selfishly motivated or is about us, 50:26 we are working in vain. 50:28 Now here is the way the story goes, 50:30 for the last four years I've been 50:32 a physical education teacher at the elementary school level. 50:35 Now in the upcoming year, I'll be a kindergarten teacher. 50:38 I'm excited about that. 50:39 I love kids and five year olds 50:42 are the best thing that ever happened to planet earth. 50:44 God made them cute for a reason, all right. 50:47 'Cause when they start acting crazy, 50:49 oh, they're so cute, all right. 50:51 It's softens your heart. 50:53 So anyway, pray for me on that adventure. 50:56 Well, every year in my PE classes 50:59 I used to teach a basketball unit, all right. 51:01 So when the kids see me you know, 51:03 going between my legs and crossing over 51:04 and making all the shots. 51:06 Well, the goals are only 8 feet tall, right. 51:09 When they see me making all these shots 51:10 and I asked them at the end of this unit, 51:13 hey, do you guys know 51:14 who the greatest basketball player 51:16 that ever played the game was? 51:18 These five year olds, they tell me that 51:20 I'm the greatest basketball player ever. 51:23 And you know, it's flattering but I like to consider myself 51:27 to be a pretty honest person. 51:28 So I have to break the news to them 51:30 and I told them you know what, 51:31 I appreciate you saying that, 51:33 but it's not me guess again. 51:35 And on one occasion I had a kid raise his hand, 51:38 oh, I know, I know, I know, I know. 51:40 Okay, who is the greatest basketball player ever? 51:42 Michael Jackson. 51:48 So I thought to myself, really? Michael Jackson? 51:51 So I said, listen you're half way there, 51:53 you got the Michael part right, Michael Jordan, 51:57 and these kids look up to me and they said, who? 51:59 All right. 52:05 Keep this in mind, a few years from now 52:09 if what you're not doing is about your Father's business 52:13 no one will remember who you are. 52:17 No one will remember what you've done. 52:20 Five year olds growing up today, 52:22 they don't know who Michael Jordan is 52:24 and he won, what six championships, 52:26 leading scorer here, leading scorer there. 52:28 and to be honest, 52:30 if I had not been invited to appear here today 52:32 you wouldn't know who I was either, okay. 52:35 So I'm saying this and I told you that story 52:39 to simply illustrate that it's time to be 52:42 about our Father's business. 52:44 Because if we choose to be obedient to Him 52:47 and I'm equating being about our Father's business 52:50 to being obedient, okay. 52:52 And if we choose to be obedient to God 52:55 we will be remembered by the one 52:58 that matters the most. 52:59 My Bible tells me in Hebrews 6:10, 53:02 "God is not unjust, he will not forget your work 53:06 and the love you have shown him 53:08 as you have helped His people and continue to help them." 53:13 So everybody at ASI today, two things Be Smart, 53:17 Be Smart it's time to start, right. 53:20 Second thing, it is time to be about our Father's business. 53:27 Dear, Lord, thank you for the opportunity once again 53:29 that You have given me to share my testimony. 53:31 And just thank You for the, the motivation 53:34 that I know that You have already given us 53:37 and I ask that you please just allow us to continue 53:40 to encourage each other as we're on this journey, 53:44 this journey to spread Your message. 53:48 Please help us to all remember and continue to utilize 53:51 the tools that You've given us to make this so easy for us. 53:55 Help us to be a obedient to Your word, 53:57 help us to always just strive to please You. 54:01 All these things I ask in Your name. Amen. 54:03 Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17