3ABN Homecoming 2014

Surviving the Future Storms

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Jim Gilley & Danny Shelton (Host), Pr. Doug Batchelor

Series Code: 14HC

00:50 Here you go. Wow!
00:54 We're live now. Glad you could show up!
00:56 Thank you; glad to make it!
00:59 Did you hear C.A. sing while ago?
01:01 I did. It was beautiful but he sings beautifully all the time.
01:05 But it had a little more meaning this time.
01:07 It really did... it just really did.
01:09 And there was a line in there about not feeling like singing.
01:14 But he sang that like he meant it.
01:18 C.A. has... He's gone through so much.
01:22 Eight hours of surgery... eight hours.
01:25 And it's taken... How long's it been?
01:28 Six weeks. But look at him now. I mean, you see where he was
01:31 and where he is AND thirty pounds less.
01:35 I need to lose ten or fifteen pounds
01:38 but I prefer not to do it that way for sure.
01:41 There are easier ways to do this weight thing. Yeah! I'm good.
01:43 Well it is exciting to see
01:47 that with prayer and medical science that such a big change
01:52 can take place in somebody's health.
01:55 'Cause you were preaching out in the West and all of a sudden
01:59 you realized something was wrong.
02:00 Yeah, was out in Christmas Valley, Oregon.
02:03 About the size of this stage the town there.
02:06 And had finished preaching and just, the room began to spin
02:11 this way. Then when it started spinning back this way
02:13 I knew something was wrong. You knew something was wrong.
02:15 Yeah. Then they called the ambulance - right -
02:17 and went to the hospital. They said: "You've got issues. "
02:20 OK... hmmm... wow.
02:22 Well, we're just happy that you are looking good
02:26 and we're excited about you being back.
02:28 You came back to work part time early part of this week.
02:32 Um-hmm. Probably a little soon.
02:34 But he was so excited about some of the things that
02:39 are happening... He was texting...
02:41 Listen, they say confession is good for the soul
02:43 yet hard on the reputation
02:45 so I won't confess about myself.
02:47 No... I'm going to confess about Jim.
02:49 I'm going to confess about Jim then that way I won't feel
02:52 guilty about anything I've done.
02:54 OK. Don't think on that too long. It'll take you a while.
02:58 But C.A. was in the hospital
03:01 and I don't know if he was there seven or eight days
03:05 and we were doing a program. And Jim said: "We really need
03:07 C.A. " Well I went in there and he had machines
03:10 and he had tubes going in and out of everywhere.
03:14 I mean, this guy was just... And Jim's like:
03:16 "I wonder if he could maybe just Skype with us a little while
03:19 and do something on Skype? "
03:24 Well, you know... But C.A. was in a... I don't even know
03:28 if he was out of the hospital 'cause he'd text.
03:31 He's not only with Proclaim! but you know, manager,
03:35 and so he's got all of these ideas.
03:37 And he was texting every day just like nothing had happened.
03:41 And I mean this guy is a worker.
03:43 He just doesn't quit and his mind goes all the time.
03:46 He's very creative.
03:47 But I couldn't believe he wouldn't take the time
03:49 to even rest in the hospital. Soon as he could he was
03:52 texting us... and it was things that he wanted us to do,
03:55 of course. We have to do what he says. Right. So...
03:58 I didn't want the station to fall apart in my absence,
04:01 you know. Well that's true. A lot of the programming
04:04 that you see comes from that brain right there.
04:07 Right... that's right. And sometimes when he would text me
04:10 I would look at it and I'd say: "Are you kidding?
04:12 I'm not going to do that! " But he really got excited
04:17 while he was away and creative. Yeah!
04:20 But a lot of those things are things that we're looking
04:25 forward to for next year.
04:26 And next year is going to be exciting.
04:28 We talked a little bit about this Fall we're going to have...
04:31 On November 15 we will have our 30th anniversary program
04:37 here. 13th, 14th, and 15th I think.
04:39 Right: 13th, 14th, and 15th. And then a week later
04:44 on the 22nd of November
04:47 we'll be doing a live program out of Jerusalem
04:51 and that'll be our next part of the 30 year.
04:55 Then we get down to the beginning of the year.
04:59 And right around the first of the year, GYC will be out in AZ.
05:03 Then a week after that we do an Anchors Away -
05:07 yeah - and we do that... We're going to... Anchors Away?
05:10 I thought it was Anchors? Well, but when we're away
05:13 we call it Anchors Away. Thank you.
05:16 And... OK... what do I know?
05:19 And this one will be in Sunshine, Arizona. Amen!
05:23 Pastor Murrell Tull has given us an invitation
05:26 to come to Sunshine, Arizona, which is just out of Phoenix
05:30 right next door. And we're bringing our Jewish brethren
05:35 again together to start the year.
05:38 And we will have the Jewish Advisory for No. America.
05:43 Ralph Ringer is the chairman.
05:46 And we'll have people like Sasha Bolotnikov
05:49 and Jeff Zeremsky and others that are going to make
05:53 presentations like they did last year.
05:56 We had so many great comments about that.
05:59 So then we've got some other things coming on
06:02 that we're praying about.
06:04 Possibly Jamaica. And then we'll have our Winter Camp Meeting
06:09 which will be February 26, 27, and 28.
06:13 And that will be in Florida.
06:15 And so we're off to a big start for the year.
06:20 And then in April we're going to be down, hopefully,
06:22 at the Alamo Dome for the special ASI program
06:28 where they'll be taking care of sick people,
06:31 Danny. Even doing surgery -
06:33 some of the minor surgeries - right there. Doing eye glasses
06:38 for people. Dental work and so forth
06:41 for those who cannot afford to have that done.
06:44 And then we'll be back down there in June
06:47 for an evangelistic series with Elder Ted Wilson
06:53 and Mark Finley... and then General Conference.
06:56 And then after that we've got a lot of other things
06:58 are going to be happening, but we've run out of time
07:01 to talk about it. I love how the Lord uses C.A.
07:04 to plan the schedule in the winter. Did you notice?
07:07 Jamaica; Arizona - yeah - Florida... all of that.
07:10 And on my name I saw Minnesota, Canada,
07:13 and Russia. So C.A. pray for me, too, would ya?
07:18 I could fit in this other schedule with you all.
07:21 By the way, we did have a request to go to Minnesota
07:25 in February with Shawn Boonstra. And I looked at him and said:
07:28 "Are you kidding? " But we actually would love to have gone
07:32 but we just didn't have the equipment.
07:34 If we had more equipment, we could have a crew there
07:37 and a crew in some of the other places we are going to be.
07:40 I love Minnesota in the summer. Yeah, it's a great place
07:42 in the summer. But even... evangelism is evangelism.
07:46 And by the way, Minnesota for evangelism
07:49 in the winter is very good.
07:51 In the summer nobody wants to go into a meeting
07:53 but in the wintertime they'll come out.
07:55 We'll be praying for Shawn
07:57 and if there's some way we can carry that meeting we will
08:02 I guarantee you. All right. C.A., the singer that we have
08:05 getting ready to sing... How do you word it?
08:07 That you've done what? You've?
08:09 I baptized Yvonne at the Ephesus church
08:12 about 30 years ago, so I tease her and tell I've been
08:15 dragging her around for 30 years.
08:20 Well I tell you: the Lord has really used her ministry.
08:24 Amen. And He's certainly used yours.
08:27 And He's used John. Isn't it amazing? We look at
08:30 John. What Angie and the Lord can do with a pool shark...
08:35 I mean, that is really amazing, isn't it?
08:38 And the Lord, of course, did the big part.
08:41 But John calls himself that and tells the story
08:45 about how Angie... The Lord just called her
08:49 to bring him to Jesus - absolutely - and she did.
08:52 And we love them both... we really do!
08:55 All right. All right. What is Yvonne going to sing?
08:58 He Is Able. All right!
09:21 Like peering through a window
09:25 blurred with rain
09:29 emotions run together
09:33 in the flood of doubt
09:37 and pain.
09:40 We've prayed as best we can...
09:45 now we must leave it in His hands.
09:51 Yet I know
09:55 when my eyes fail to see
09:59 He is able.
10:07 And even though it seems impossible
10:12 to me
10:15 He is able.
10:20 Oh...
10:23 Now if He chooses not to move
10:27 in the way we prayed He would
10:31 confident He's working
10:35 all together for my good.
10:38 I will stand behind His Word
10:45 for He is able.
11:07 Questions seem to haunt us
11:10 night and day:
11:15 "How could my God allow my heart
11:20 to be torn this way? "
11:24 "Does He listen when I call? "
11:29 "Or is He even there at all? "
11:35 Yet I know
11:39 when my eyes fail to see
11:43 He is able.
11:52 Even though
11:54 it seems impossible to me
11:59 my God is able.
12:07 Now if He chooses not to move
12:11 in the way we prayed He would
12:16 confident He's working all together
12:21 for my good.
12:23 I will stand
12:26 behind His Word
12:29 for He is
12:32 able...
12:37 He is
12:39 able...
12:46 And as the night gives way to dawning
12:50 and evaporates away
12:54 I'll stand
12:56 to face another day.
13:01 I will stand
13:05 behind His Word
13:08 for He is able.
13:13 He is able...
13:17 He's able!
13:28 Amen!
13:32 I think there are certain pastors, ministers, that God
13:37 gives very specific gifts to.
13:40 I think it is pretty much universally agreed that
13:43 one of Doug Batchelor's greatest gifts is the ability to
13:47 take the gospel and make it plain.
13:50 To make it very simple so that it is understood
13:54 by all of his hearers. And perhaps that is why
13:57 God has given him such great success over the years
14:00 as we count success.
14:02 God has used him to touch hundreds of thousands
14:05 of lives, and we get reports almost daily of those who have
14:10 watched and heard and understood the gospel
14:12 in a new and clearer light through the ministry of
14:16 Doug Batchelor. He is, of course, speaker/director
14:18 of Amazing Facts and the recently-installed
14:23 Senior Pastor at the Granite Bay church
14:26 which is a church plant that grew out of Sacramento Central.
14:29 But he has transferred his ministry to that church
14:32 and of course is doing a very, very fine job.
14:35 Doug is clear... even when he tries to confuse you.
14:39 I recall some years ago he did an evangelistic crusade
14:44 where he wore a suit that was half white and half black.
14:48 You may recall that.
14:49 And sometimes he was on the devil's side and sometimes
14:52 he was on the Lord's side. Or on the antagonistic pastor's
14:55 side and on the Lord's side.
14:56 And it was quite an innovative meeting that we enjoyed
14:59 broadcasting here on 3ABN.
15:01 Which says that he will do anything to get someone
15:04 into the kingdom. And we praise the Lord for that.
15:08 We are happy yet sad to come down to the last presentation
15:13 by our friend Pastor Doug Batchelor.
15:15 Yet we know God will use him in a mighty way.
15:18 I ask now from you for him
15:21 your prayerful and undivided attention.
15:24 God bless you.
15:32 It's good to see Bro. C.A. looking so good.
15:35 Amen! And I sure appreciated Sr. Yvonne's song that was
15:39 inspiring. C.A. was just talking about when I did that meeting:
15:44 Doctrines That Divide. Did any of you see that
15:46 where we had a suit... It was very well done.
15:48 A tailor locally free. You know, she took... We had two suits.
15:52 Got 'em cheap at Sears.
15:54 And they split it right down the seam: half white and half
15:56 black. And I took both sides of certain issues to show
15:59 the various arguments. I did a wedding
16:03 a few weeks ago, and so I sur- prised the bride and the groom.
16:07 Bride was wearing white, of course; the groom was wearing
16:10 black. And so I showed up... I wanted to make them both
16:12 happy and I wanted to illustrate how you can become one.
16:20 So if you go to my Facebook page, I actually posted it
16:22 last night. The photographer sent me a copy.
16:25 You'll see that I've got this picture where I'm standing
16:26 between the bride and the groom wearing...
16:28 we call it "The Pastor Barney Suit"
16:30 'cause I went back and forth between being myself and
16:33 this imaginary Pastor Barney that I was debating.
16:37 Well it's a joy to be here with you. I can't believe it's...
16:39 it's coming to a conclusion.
16:42 I always enjoy our time here at 3ABN and we've got just
16:45 many years of memories working together.
16:47 I think one reason the Lord has blessed this station
16:50 the way He has is not only the vision of the leaders
16:53 that He chose but also their willingness to not only
16:57 get the message out but to support other people
17:00 getting the message out.
17:01 They have been just very good to Amazing Facts.
17:04 We sure appreciate that. And again, we appreciate
17:08 working with them in the evangelistic program that's
17:11 going to be coming up next month. I know I've said that
17:13 a lot because I want to win souls... so I'm going to say it
17:16 again. If you have no plans on doing any soul winning this Fall
17:21 plan on participating. And the truck may put the graphic up
17:24 for you: the Landmarks of Prophecy evangelistic program.
17:28 It'll be all over the world through the Internet, 3ABN.
17:32 And if you want to know more about it just go to the website
17:38 Everything. Lessons and the flyers. Whatever you need
17:40 to know will be there. And pray, because I think again
17:43 that's the important thing.
17:45 Well tonight we're going to conclude this series
17:49 talking about storms.
17:51 And I think there's a number of storms
17:55 that are still ahead of us.
18:00 You already know because Jesus told us
18:03 there's going to be wars and rumors of wars.
18:06 And we see that today.
18:08 Engaged in bombing campaigns over in the Middle East.
18:13 And you know, we could play this tape 10 years from now
18:15 and it'll say the same thing. The headlines will be the same,
18:17 won't they? And there's natural disasters.
18:21 Saw online today a volcano went off in Japan.
18:27 And as I flew out here... You know we're having a terrible
18:30 drought in California... and as I flew out I looked
18:34 out of the passenger window and just above Sacramento
18:38 we've got this tremendous forest fire that's raging right now.
18:43 Happens to be the week our church went on a campout.
18:46 We're hoping that they didn't take up smoking
18:49 for the week. They were praying the wind would shift.
18:52 And we're rationing our water at our house.
18:55 Actually have water gestapo in Sacramento. They go around.
19:01 If you over-water your lawn, they write you like a $500
19:04 ticket. And so I mean it's serious.
19:07 But these things... these things will happen.
19:11 As I said, some of the things that I think
19:15 help us recognize that we're nearing the great test
19:20 are things happening in the religious world
19:24 both within and without of the church.
19:27 Within the church I think there's a greater need for
19:31 revival than we've ever seen.
19:33 I'll talk about that in just a moment.
19:38 Things that are happening in the religious world with the...
19:43 Islam is becoming more of a prominent threat
19:47 to Christianity. And I'm not talking about peaceful people
19:50 that want to practice the freedom of religion.
19:52 I'm talking about folks that are not so peaceful
19:53 about their beliefs.
19:57 And we've known as Protestants that study prophecy
20:00 that as we near the end of time there's going to be
20:02 a confederacy of religions.
20:06 I mean, everyone knows if you know your Bible
20:08 Revelation 13: "He causeth all, small and great, rich and poor,
20:13 free and bond, to receive a mark in the right hand
20:15 or in their forehead. And who- ever doesn't worship the beast
20:18 or the image of the beast should be killed. "
20:20 There'll be two groups soon.
20:22 A lot of different people and different religious groups.
20:25 But before Jesus comes the world is going to go through
20:27 a shaking time, and everybody's going to be forced
20:31 to polarize into one of two groups.
20:33 One will have the mark of the beast;
20:34 the other will have the seal of God.
20:37 And I think the work that's happening with this ministry
20:41 is going to play a prominent role in that.
20:43 But I've never been more fascinated with how active
20:48 in my life the Pope has been
20:53 in accelerating some of what I see as last-day events.
20:58 Helping create the culture for where the final events
21:02 will transpire. I've got a list. It's actually a dynamic list,
21:06 it's growing. It seems to grow with the headlines
21:07 every day. I've got eight or nine points here
21:12 that I think are worthy of note.
21:14 I won't read all of this to you or it will gobble up our time,
21:17 but let me just highlight a few things.
21:19 I think Pope Francis is someone that we should really watch
21:22 what's happening. Looks like the nicest guy in the world.
21:26 He looks like my grandfather.
21:28 And... but...
21:33 if you were going to operate through a Pope in the last days
21:37 you'd want him to be loving and winsome and kind
21:40 and disarming. But you have to say: "What is happening? "
21:45 First of all: first Jesuit Pope.
21:49 Now if you don't know about that, you need to just read
21:52 what are the Jesuits all about? At least in their foundational
21:55 history they were established
21:57 to basically war against Protestantism.
22:00 And if you read the book Great Controversy - that masterpiece
22:04 on Christian history - page 235
22:08 speaking of the Jesuits it says: "There was no crime too great
22:12 for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice.
22:15 No disguise too difficult for them to assume.
22:18 Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their
22:22 studied aim to secure wealth and power... "
22:24 Vow of poverty? Studied aim to secure wealth and power?
22:28 "to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism. "
22:31 It's interesting that Jesuits are bound by an oath not to
22:34 seek any higher office in the Roman Catholic church.
22:37 And now one of them has been elected to the highest office:
22:40 Pontifex Maximus.
22:43 Just a few weeks ago USA Today, August 18,
22:48 the Pope endorsed military action to stop the Islamic
22:52 militants from attacking religious minorities
22:55 in a rare pronouncement that goes against the Vactican's
22:59 usual guidance against the use of force.
23:03 Now I can understand it. Actually I support that
23:06 there's times when you need to use force to protect people
23:08 or rescue people. But this could also pave the way
23:12 for that policy to be used another way.
23:17 He is very clearly an outspoken advocate for Sunday
23:20 enforcement. I am quoting
23:24 and this is from Associated Press, July 5:
23:27 "Pope Francis lamented the abandoning of the traditional
23:30 Christian practice of not working on Sundays
23:32 saying it has a negative impact on families and friendships.
23:36 He says that spending Sunday with families and friends
23:39 is an ethical choice... " In other words, not doing it
23:42 is unethical? "for both faithful and non-believers. "
23:48 The unfaithful; the secular. In other words, everybody
23:51 needs to do it.
23:54 Adding "Maybe it's time to ask ourselves if working on Sunday
23:57 is really freedom. " Translate that: maybe you're not
24:01 really free to not... TO work on Sundays.
24:04 And then soon after he made a separate statement.
24:07 By the way, this is spelling out the Catholic church's agenda
24:10 for a synod happening in October
24:12 where they're gathering all the church leaders together
24:14 to talk about rescuing the family.
24:16 I've got my own theory... this is my own theory:
24:19 that don't be surprised if the subject of same-sex marriage
24:23 comes up at that synod on the family.
24:27 I don't think they're going to support it.
24:29 I think it's going to be addressed, and don't be
24:31 surprised if the adopt a policy that allows priests to marry
24:36 because they are grappling with just awful scandals
24:39 because of problems with the priests.
24:43 And that's going to be one way to attract more Protestant
24:47 clergy because you know that's been an obvious obstacle.
24:51 So I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.
24:53 Pope Francis also did something that was unheard of before:
24:57 he cannonized two popes in one day.
25:02 Now when you cannonize a pope that basically means
25:04 that they're qualified to be prayed to
25:07 which almost makes them divine in some way.
25:11 And in order for you to have the power to make someone else
25:14 divine... to declare somebody else to be divine...
25:17 you'd have to be superior to do that.
25:19 Isn't that right?
25:20 There was a very subtle state- ment that was made in doing that
25:23 that really exalted the office.
25:27 He is boldly seeking evangelical unity
25:30 and alliance with Protestants.
25:31 I don't know if any of you saw the YouTube that we did
25:34 at Amazing Facts. How many of you saw that YouTube
25:37 with Tony Palmer? Yeah.
25:39 I figured there was a bunch of you here because
25:41 you combine all the postings online and there's over
25:43 a million people viewed that. And it kind of surprised us
25:47 'cause I saw it. I was in Nashville.
25:49 Someone e-mailed it to me. I said: "Wow! " I got back
25:51 in the office the next day and said: "Can you heat up
25:53 the camera? We're going to try and teach something. "
25:55 With just almost no prepa- ration we did that and poof!
25:58 I said: "Nobody's going to watch this; it's 42 min. long. "
26:01 YouTube's supposed to be short, you know.
26:04 And wow, the Holy Spirit did something because He wants that
26:07 message to get out. Amen!
26:09 You know, it's just very strange the way that all unfolded.
26:13 Tony Palmer, who is something of a liaison from the Pope
26:16 to charismatic leaders in North America
26:19 actually also arranged a meeting where they flew to Rome
26:23 met with the Pope... had lunch with him.
26:26 And at that meeting Tony Palmer gave the Pope
26:29 a declaration of faith and unity
26:33 for mission between the evangelicals and Catholics
26:37 that they want to be signed in 2017
26:42 at the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
26:46 And so they were moving... And very strange that Tony Palmer
26:50 then died a few weeks later in a motorcycle accident.
26:54 And since then subsequently the Pope has appointed someone else
26:57 to be the official liaison to other Christians.
27:01 He attended a gathering of over 50,000 Charismatics
27:05 which no Pope had ever done before.
27:08 Joel Ostein went to visit him...
27:10 the leader of the, you know, the Lakewood church?
27:15 Lakeside. I forget.
27:17 And James Roberson, Kenneth Copeland, and others met
27:22 and he's been reaching out to Protestants more than any other
27:26 Pope in history. That's just a fact. I'm just telling you
27:28 the things I'm observing.
27:30 He's positioning himself to be the global family counselor.
27:34 I think it was a couple weeks ago, maybe even just last week,
27:36 he performed 20 weddings for forty people.
27:41 That's good news. California could have been 44 people
27:44 or 43 people. That's what's really strange.
27:47 You think about that.
27:51 But it was unusual because there were people involved in this
27:56 wedding that had been divorced and re-married
27:59 or that were living together outside of marriage
28:02 or had children out of wedlock which the church used to
28:04 forbid. And again, they're having that special program
28:09 on the family. Not to mention he's positioning himself as the
28:14 world's moral leader for peace.
28:17 Not only has he met with the president, who flew to the
28:20 Vatican to meet with him and met with the leaders
28:23 when there were problems in the Middle East: the presidents
28:25 of Israel, the president of the Palestinians,
28:29 and world leaders from all over.
28:31 Then he invited them to come to the Vatican to pray for peace.
28:34 That was very strange because Islamic imams
28:39 came and read from the Koran and prayed Muslim prayers
28:44 in the Vatican. That had never been allowed before.
28:46 If you know your history about the church,
28:48 the Crusades and all that, they were great, deep rifts.
28:52 That was unprecedented.
28:55 He's supposed to come to the United States and address
28:58 2015 a joint session of Congress.
29:02 Our Congressmen and our Senators. He's been invited to
29:05 speak at the United Nations. He's not given a date,
29:07 but it's expected that he will accept.
29:10 You know, if you go back I think 50 years ago
29:14 there were no Catholic judges on the Supreme Court.
29:19 And I'm not trying to be biased against people with religious
29:22 beliefs. I'm just saying what the history was.
29:24 Because America was founded as a Protestant nation where
29:28 people could practice their religion in freedom.
29:31 But prophecy says that the beast that comes up, that second
29:34 beast, causes the world and those that dwell therein
29:37 to worship the first beast who had the deadly wound
29:39 that heals. Protestants in North America will be foremost
29:42 in reaching their hand across the gulf
29:45 to clasp the hand of Spiritualism
29:48 and then together with to clasp the hands with Romanism.
29:52 That's exactly what's hap- pening between what's going on
29:55 with the Christians and the Protestants and the Charismatics
29:58 and the Catholics all building this confederacy
30:01 of evangelical Christianity, Protestantism, Catholicism.
30:05 And there'll be some crisis in my opinion
30:08 I believe that's going to trigger a desperation
30:12 where people are going to run to God out of fear.
30:14 I never saw anything like it.
30:17 Right after 9/11... I was actually on a plane,
30:19 an American Airlines plane, on September 10th.
30:23 And the next morning I saw what we all saw.
30:26 That Sabbath we had our largest attendance up until
30:29 that date. After 9/11 boy, folks just came out.
30:32 I don't know where these folks were.
30:34 We were ready to drop them from the books. We thought
30:36 they were dead, and they all suddenly showed up at church
30:39 because they saw those apocalyptic images of the
30:41 buildings imploding. They thought: "Is this the end
30:43 of the world? " When people are afraid they turn to God.
30:46 Not necessarily 'cause they love God; because they're afraid!
30:49 Amen! And something could happen that could very quickly
30:53 trigger things, and where do you think everybody's going to turn?
30:58 Oh by the way, even before...
31:00 This is another point I didn't get to. I've got a few other
31:02 points. This is a work in progress, so...
31:04 I might publish something later.
31:06 But Pope Benedict XVI,
31:10 before he stepped down he issued an encyclical that
31:14 talked about financial/moral responsibility
31:17 that Pope Francis has bought into.
31:19 So they're also positioning themselves saying
31:22 "With the economic challenges in the world today, we need
31:24 a moral power to govern the economy. "
31:28 I wonder who they might be thinking of?
31:32 So this is just a little bit of some of the reason that I
31:36 think that there's a storm coming.
31:38 I see things lining up where it wouldn't take much right now.
31:43 I can think of several scenarios. You know, before
31:45 it's over, Satan himself is going to impersonate Christ
31:49 and that's going to shake things up.
31:51 Now I don't know when these things are going to happen,
31:54 but I think there's a storm coming. I think there's a storm
31:58 we ought to be praying about.
32:00 I think there'a a storm we ought to be praying for.
32:03 In your Bibles in Zechariah 10 verse 1...
32:09 Zechariah 10:1: "Ask ye of the Lord rain
32:14 in the time of the Latter Rain.
32:17 So the Lord will make bright clouds... " That means
32:20 flashing clouds... You've seen lightning flashing inside
32:23 the clouds? "and give them showers of rain,
32:26 to everyone grass in the field. "
32:29 I think we ought to be praying for a storm.
32:32 The Latter Rain is not a sprinkle.
32:35 By the way, I talked to Karen last night and she said
32:39 it's supposed to rain in California this weekend.
32:42 Our poor campers from our church. They went out...
32:44 they got fire AND rain!
32:47 I can't wait to hear how that went. I called but she can't...
32:50 There's no cell service where they're at, so I don't know
32:51 how that turned out. But they don't need a drizzle.
32:55 Our drought isn't over.
32:57 We need what we used to call a "gully washer. "
33:00 You know what that means?
33:01 Where you just have heavy rains.
33:04 What we need is a storm of the Holy Spirit.
33:09 I told you I was going to talk about what's happening
33:11 in the world a little bit.
33:13 Gonna be honest and tell you I'm really worried about what's
33:15 happening in the church. Amen!
33:18 Not only just the prevalent "wordliness"
33:22 that you see on every hand. I mean, the things that
33:25 the average Christian watches on television today
33:28 would have made Christians blush 50 years ago.
33:32 Amen! But now we're just... I mean, even the commercials.
33:36 Yeah, but now it's just... You can get where you're
33:39 used to almost anything after a while.
33:41 You become jaded; you get a callous on your conscience.
33:44 And I'm afraid that's what's happening to the church.
33:48 And there's compromise taking place.
33:50 Things that we used to know without any question. You know,
33:53 when God's Word says that He made the world in 6 days
33:56 we said: "I believe it! " How can you be a Seventh-day
33:59 Adventist and believe that they are not literal days? Amen!
34:03 And yet in some universities they're not just teaching about
34:07 what the theory of evolution is as a theory
34:10 tbey're teaching it as the "preferred truth. "
34:15 And that all dessimates the faith of anybody
34:19 if you just play that out.
34:22 We've got all kinds of challenges when it comes to
34:25 theology. People are finding new ways to read the Bible.
34:28 By putting on these special glasses
34:30 you read it through culture.
34:33 And you can make the Bible say whatever you want
34:35 if you put those glasses on.
34:37 Hermeneutics means you allow the Bible -
34:39 it's the science of how you interpret scripture -
34:42 you must allow the Bible to interpret itself.
34:44 We wouldn't be coming up with so many of the zany doctrines
34:47 that I'm running into out there if we would read the Bible
34:52 the way that it's supposed to be read where you allow scripture
34:55 to interpret scripture. Amen!
34:58 A lot of compromise is happening.
35:00 People becoming very sloppy about even things like
35:03 how do you keep the Sabbath.
35:05 You go back 80 years ago
35:08 and the typical Sunday-keeper kept Sunday better
35:11 than the average Sabbath-keeper keeps Sabbath today.
35:14 Amen! It's not a holiday... it's a HOLY day.
35:18 That's right.
35:19 And you know, I think I can say that
35:24 I believe that one of the... If you were to say:
35:27 "Where? What's happening?
35:29 Where is the distinguishing line? What's causing this
35:33 meltdown of values? "
35:38 And it's almost like a deterior- ation of the church. Amen!
35:44 In my mind I believe that you could almost
35:47 say that those who are choosing to question or doubt
35:51 the inspiration of the Spirit of Prophecy
35:54 are going to begin to slide into typical evangelical
36:00 "mush. " Amen! I think the Lord gave our church
36:05 a unique message that is inspired and supernatural.
36:08 And I'm not ashamed to tell you.
36:10 I mean, if you know me... I preach from the Bible.
36:12 Amen! I mean I can defend anything I believe as a
36:15 Seventh-day Adventist from the Bible.
36:17 But I believe God gave us a unique message
36:21 in the gift of the Spirit of Prophecy. Amen!
36:24 And that as soon as we become intimidated by others in the
36:28 church into thinking that: "Well you know, a cult.
36:32 don't sound cultish. " And you'll find websites that
36:36 are very critical. Amazing Facts developed a website called
36:39 ellengwhitetruth, and we dealt with every one of the spurious
36:42 arguments that come up on some of these other websites.
36:45 I don't think you should be afraid to be questioned.
36:48 But all of this is nibbling at the foundation
36:53 of who we are as a people,
36:55 and what we need is a revival. Amen!
36:58 And that's not going to happen without prayer.
37:01 So I'd like to talk to you about that storm in our time
37:03 that remains. You know, when Jesus said: "If you then
37:07 being evil... " Luke 11:9...
37:10 "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts
37:13 to your children, how much more will your
37:16 Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit
37:18 to those that ask. "
37:22 "Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the Latter Rain. "
37:25 Now I remember when I first started coming to church
37:27 and heard people talking about the Former and Latter Rain.
37:30 I thought: "What in the world are they talking about? "
37:33 The former rain? That means it rained yesterday?
37:36 What is the Latter Rain? It means it rained last week?
37:39 I didn't know what that meant.
37:41 And then I needed someone to explain to me that
37:43 in an agricultural community such as Israel was
37:47 they had this rain that came that would sprout the seed.
37:51 It would grow through the growing season, and before
37:53 the harvest there was another good rain that would
37:56 ripen and plump the crop preparing it for harvest.
37:59 And Jesus when He came He sowed the seed.
38:01 And at Pentecost the Former Rain fell upon the church
38:05 and there was this great growth that took place.
38:08 Prior to the harvest when Jesus comes there will be
38:10 a Latter Rain of His Spirit.
38:12 God is going to pour out His Spirit again on the church
38:14 in Pentecostal proportions, and the signs and wonders
38:18 that you saw in the Bible I think you're going to see
38:20 those things reproduced. Amen!
38:23 I always am surprised when I read the book of Judges
38:25 and Gideon has an angel appear to him.
38:27 Keep in mind Gideon lives in Judges.
38:29 That's before David; that's way back there
38:32 in the Old Testament, and Gideon says to the angel:
38:36 "Whatever happened to all the miracles we used to hear
38:38 about? Did those miracles ever really happen? Are they real? "
38:44 When you study Bible history - Christian history -
38:47 you see that miracles come in waves before things happen.
38:51 Yeah, we probably haven't seen some of the same power
38:54 in miracles that they saw in Bible times
38:57 but you will again before it's over.
38:59 And Satan is going to counter- feit a lot of those miracles
39:03 in advance to throw people.
39:06 But I think... Jesus said: "These signs and things that
39:09 I've done, greater things than these will you do
39:11 because I go to the Father. "
39:13 I believe all the miracles of the Bible.
39:14 I believe in all the gifts of the Spirit.
39:16 I believe God's power is going to come again
39:18 but it's going to come by our preparing our hearts
39:23 by asking. Let me read you a quote from...
39:29 since I just talked abou the Spirit of Prophecy...
39:31 I Selected Messages page 121. Great book.
39:36 "A revival of true godliness among us is the greatest
39:39 and most urgent of all of our needs. "
39:42 I believe that.
39:44 "To seek this should be our first work. "
39:47 Greatest urgent first work... a priority.
39:51 "There must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing... "
39:54 There's an effort. "of the Lord. Not because God
39:57 is not willing to bestow His blessing upon us
39:59 but because we are unprepared to receive it.
40:02 Our heavenly Father is more willing to give His Holy Spirit
40:06 to them that ask Him than our earthly parents
40:08 to give good gifts to their children.
40:10 But it's our work. By confession, by humiliation,
40:14 repentance, and earnest prayer... "
40:16 Repentance means like turning from your sin.
40:18 Sorrow for it and turning from it.
40:20 "earnest prayer to fulfill the conditions upon which God has
40:23 promised to grant us His blessing.
40:25 A revival need be expected only in answer to prayer. "
40:30 If we're really going to have a revival in the church,
40:33 then we really need to want it. Amen!
40:35 And we're going to need to pray for it as though our lives
40:38 depend on it... and they do! Amen!
40:43 You know, I think about the story in I Kings
40:49 chapter 18 with Elijah.
40:51 There was a famine. The Bible tells us in Amos chapter 8
40:55 that the days are coming, says the Lord, when there'll be
40:58 a famine in the land. Not a thirst for water
41:02 or hunger for bread but of hearing the words of the Lord.
41:04 And people will wander from north to south
41:07 and east to west seeking the word of the Lord
41:09 and not find it. And I always wonder: is it
41:12 possible to have a famine for the Word of God
41:14 in families where you have five Bibles as an average?
41:19 Owning a Bible is not a substitute to having the Word
41:22 hidden in your heart. Amen!
41:24 Owning a Bible is not a substi- tute for having a relationship
41:28 with the Lord. Having churches on every corner
41:33 does not make us a religious people. Amen!
41:36 It's really having a relationship with the Lord.
41:39 And you know, what we're going through now is nothing new.
41:42 This is the history of Israel all over again.
41:45 Back in the days of Elijah because of the apostasy in the
41:50 land he prayed. Tells us in the book of James
41:53 that Elijah was a man subject to like passions
41:55 as we are, but he prayed and it did not rain.
41:59 Notice that? He went before Ahab and he said:
42:02 "Thus says the Lord: there will not be either dew or rain
42:06 these years except at my word. " And then he disappeared.
42:09 He had been praying that it would not rain
42:12 because the people were giving credit for the rain
42:15 to other sources. They were worshiping Baal.
42:19 Some people have made science into a Baal
42:26 and they're putting science falsely - so called - ahead of
42:29 the Word of God. And they think that makes them
42:32 sophisticated. God can do whatever He wants with science.
42:38 And so there are 3-1/2 years of no rain.
42:44 Let me just get you to think about something
42:46 why this is important. The whole story of Elijah.
42:49 During the time of Elijah for 1,260 days,
42:53 3-1/2 years, 42 months -
42:56 Do those time periods sound familiar? Amen! -
42:59 there was no rain.
43:02 And there was a wicked queen named Jezebel
43:06 who was pagan but she married a Jewish king named Ahab.
43:10 And she was manipulating him. It says she: "stirred him up"
43:16 to persecute the prophets of God.
43:18 They had to flee into the wilderness...
43:20 get fed by birds and widows and things,
43:23 hide in caves. Then you read in Revelation
43:27 it tells us that there's this woman in Revelation 17
43:30 who is a harlot who commits fornication with the kings
43:34 of the earth... manipulates the kings.
43:37 That persecutes the prophets of God.
43:39 And the time periods that you run into in Revelation 12
43:42 and in the other passages: 42 months, 1,260 days,
43:48 3-1/2 years or time and times and a dividing of time.
43:54 And how long did Jesus preach? Three and a half years.
43:59 At the end of Jesus preaching 3-1/2 years
44:01 was there rain? It's called Pentecost.
44:05 At the end of Elijah's 3-1/2 years was there rain?
44:10 What brought about the rain?
44:12 Let's read it. Verse 21. I'm in I Kings 18.
44:17 "And Elijah came to all the people... "
44:19 Remember he told Abab: "Gather all Israel together. "
44:21 He had the boldness to tell Ahab: "It's you and your
44:23 father's sins that have brought this drought. "
44:26 Said: "Gather all the people. " And Ahab obeys the prophet.
44:31 And Elijah sees all of Israel gathered there that next morning
44:34 at Mt. Carmel and he asks them: "How long will you falter
44:38 between two opinions?
44:40 If the Lord is God, follow Him.
44:43 But if Baal, then follow him.
44:46 But the people answered him not a word. "
44:48 Isn't that sad that among God's people
44:50 nobody had the courage to stand up and say:
44:52 "What a silly question. Of course the Lord is God. "
44:55 But everybody looked around and thought: "Well it's probably
44:57 not politically correct in this environment. I mean
44:59 Jezebel is on the throne. Look at all the prophets of Baal.
45:02 If I were to speak up right now
45:03 I'll never get elected to office. "
45:06 And for whatever reason not one of God's people
45:10 even though there were knees that had not bowed to Baal -
45:12 that's what the Bible says -
45:14 nobody spoke up that day... except Elijah.
45:19 How long do you falter, do you limp, do you halt
45:22 between two opinions? "Then Elijah said to the people:
45:25 'I alone am left a prophet of the Lord.
45:27 Baal's prophets are 450 men.
45:30 Therefore, here is my proposal:
45:32 let them give us two bulls.
45:34 Let them choose one for themselves.
45:36 Cut it in pieces, lay it on the wood, but
45:38 put no fire under it, and I'll prepare the other bull
45:41 and lay it on the wood but put no fire under it.
45:44 And you call on the name of your gods
45:47 and I'll call on the name of the Lord.
45:48 And the God who answers by fire: He is God! '
45:51 So all the people said: 'Sounds good; well spoken. '
45:58 And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal:
46:00 'Choose one bull for yourself and you prepare it first
46:02 for you are many. Call on the name of your god.
46:05 Put no fire under it... ' " No hanky panky...
46:09 So they took the bull and they sacrificed it and they
46:11 put it on their altar and they had the wood there
46:13 and everything. "And they called on the name of Baal
46:16 from morning until noon saying: 'Oh Baal, hear us;
46:21 Oh Baal, hear us. ' "
46:24 They're praying in vain repe- tition over and over and over
46:27 again. They probably had their musicians there
46:30 drumming away: "Oh Baal, hear us; Oh Baal, hear us. "
46:36 That just put everybody into a trance.
46:42 Thought they could just hypnotize them all
46:43 and find a pack of matches or something.
46:46 But there was no voice; no one answered,
46:49 and when they realized they were losing the audience
46:52 they got carried away.
46:53 "They leaped about the altar which they had made.
46:57 And so it was at noon that Elijah mocked them. "
47:00 This is one example of sarcasm and humor in the Bible.
47:03 "And he said: 'Cry aloud for he's a god.
47:06 Maybe he's meditating or he's busy or he's on a journey.
47:11 Perhaps he's sleeping and needs to be awakened. ' "
47:14 Wow! What holy audacity Elijah had!
47:18 I mean, here he's got these 400 guys. They could
47:21 quickly outnumber him. And he's standing alone
47:24 against the king; he's standing against the religion;
47:27 and he's standing against the government for God. Amen!
47:30 Is the Lord going to need people like that in the last days
47:32 that are going to say things that are not going to be
47:34 politically acceptable? Amen.
47:38 And he was really putting his... sticking his neck out
47:40 you might say. So they got really... That worked them into
47:44 a frenzy and they got upset. They cried aloud and now
47:46 "pulled out knives and they cut themselves as their custom
47:50 was with their knives and their lances. And their blood
47:53 gushed out on them. " It's like we said about the time
47:56 of Noah: "violence filled the land. "
47:59 "And it was so when mid-day was past
48:01 that they prophesied till the time of the offering of the
48:03 evening sacrifice. " They began to mutter and they went into a
48:06 trance and probably speaking in tongues.
48:09 "And there was no voice or no one answered.
48:11 No one paid any attention. "
48:13 All they saw was flies beginning to gather around the sacrifice
48:17 and buzzards were circling overhead.
48:20 "Then Elijah said to all the people:
48:22 'Come near to me. ' " Isn't that what Jesus says to us?
48:25 "Come unto Me; draw near. "
48:28 The Bible tells us if we draw near to Him He will draw near
48:31 to you. "And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was
48:36 broken down. " How tragic.
48:39 "And Elijah took 12 stones according to the number of
48:42 the tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of the Lord had
48:45 come saying: 'Israel shall be your name. '
48:47 And with the stones he built the altar in the name of the Lord.
48:50 And he made a trench around the altar
48:52 large enough to hold two seahs of seed.
48:55 And he put the wood in order on the bull in pieces
48:59 and laid it on top of the wood.
49:02 And he said: 'Fill four water pots with water. '
49:04 And he poured it on the burnt sacrifice
49:06 and on the wood. Said: 'Do it a second time. '
49:10 They did it a second time.
49:12 Said: 'Do it a third time. ' "
49:15 "Peter, do you love Me? Do you love Me? Do you love Me? "
49:18 He wanted to just show them that there was no question.
49:20 God sometimes does things 3 times just to emphasize it.
49:23 Like on the third day... " 'Do it a third time. '
49:26 They did it a third time. "
49:28 So water... it just totally saturated the sacrifice.
49:31 "It ran all around the altar. He also filled the trench
49:34 with water. " The thing's just dripping.
49:38 "And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the
49:41 evening sacrifice... " God observes certain times,
49:45 doesn't He? "that Elijah the prophet came near and said... "
49:49 Now this is amazing to me...
49:52 You know Jesus said the hypocrites love to pray,
49:56 stand and pray long prayers.
49:59 God's gettin' ready to do something extraordinary
50:02 and it doesn't take a long prayer. Amen!
50:05 But Elijah knows if this prayer isn't answered
50:08 he's in hot water in more ways than one.
50:15 At the time of the evening sacrifice he kneels down and
50:18 he prays. I think it's like sixty words in his prayer.
50:25 And he says: "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel
50:28 let it be known this day that You are God
50:30 in Israel and that I am Your servant
50:33 and I have done all these things at Your word. "
50:35 Not doing it for my sake; I'm doing it because it's
50:37 Your word. "Hear me, O Lord.
50:40 Hear me that this people might know that You are
50:44 the Lord... You are Jehovah. "
50:46 By the way, you know what Elijah's name is?
50:49 Elijah means God is Jehovah.
50:52 And so when Elijah stands before Israel and he said:
50:54 "How long do you halt between two opinions?
50:56 If the Lord is Jehovah, then serve Him
51:00 and if Baal, then serve him. "
51:01 He was saying his name.
51:02 His very name says my God is Jehovah!
51:06 There's a little... a whole story in Hebrew.
51:08 It's a play on words.
51:11 "That You are the Lord God... " And notice the last words
51:14 of his prayer: "and that You have turned their hearts
51:17 back to You again. "
51:20 And God couldn't take it any longer.
51:22 Soon as He heard: "turn their hearts back to You"
51:24 out of a cloudless sky like a gigantic arc welder
51:30 this bolt of fire came flashing down on top.
51:34 "Then the fire of the Lord fell
51:36 and it consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood,
51:40 the stones, the dust, and it licked up the water
51:43 that was in the trench. "
51:46 They just saw sparks. Ashes were flying everywhere.
51:50 Vapor from the steam.
51:53 All the prophets of Baal and everybody went running
51:56 for their lives.
51:59 And then they looked and they collected themselves
52:02 and there was nothing but a smoldering crater
52:05 where that sacrifice had been.
52:08 "But now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces
52:12 and said: 'The Lord... He is God;
52:14 the Lord... He is God. ' "
52:16 Had they really had a revival yet?
52:18 Not yet. Before they could have a revival
52:22 Elijah said: "Seize the prophets of Baal. Do not let
52:26 one of them escape. "
52:28 You know, one of the keys to having a revival is repentance?
52:32 Amen! The Holy Spirit begins to work in the lives of
52:36 those who are willing to obey. Amen!
52:38 Let me give you a couple of verses on that.
52:41 Ezekiel 36:27.
52:44 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in
52:47 My statutes. And you will keep My judgments and do them. "
52:51 Peter says - Acts 5:32:
52:54 "We are His witnesses to these things
52:56 and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those that
53:00 obey Him. "
53:02 Do you want the Holy Spirit?
53:04 John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "
53:08 How's the rest of that verse go?
53:09 "And I will pray the Father and He will give you another helper
53:13 that He might abide with you forever: the Spirit of Truth. "
53:17 And the book Great Controversy, 478:
53:20 "It is only as the law of God is restored to its rightful
53:24 position that there can be a revival of primitive faith
53:27 and godliness among His professed people. " Amen!
53:31 Jeremiah 6:16:
53:33 "Thus says the Lord: 'stand in the ways and see
53:36 and ask for the old paths where the good way is
53:40 and walk in it. ' " That's what we need.
53:43 Everybody's talking about this new theology.
53:45 We need to get back where the hearts of the children
53:48 are restored to the fathers. We need to find
53:50 the old way where the good paths were. Amen!
53:54 I Thessalonians 4:4: I've got lots of scriptures
53:57 on this. "That every one of you should know how to possess
53:59 his vessel in sanctification and honor. "
54:03 The Holy Spirit... praying for the Holy Spirit...
54:05 This may sound confusing.
54:07 Does God give you the Holy Spirit after you decide
54:11 to obey Him? You can't obey Him without the Holy Spirit.
54:14 But as God sends the Spirit in conviction of our sin
54:17 and we repent of our sin and we turn to Him
54:20 He pours out the Holy Spirit on us then to fill us.
54:24 So it's the Holy Spirit that leads us to conviction
54:27 but then it's the Holy Spirit that enables us to obey.
54:30 Amen! And then the Holy Spirit will fill us when we pray.
54:35 And that's what we need: we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
54:38 the outpouring of the Spirit.
54:40 So you know the story.
54:42 He said: "Take the prophets of Baal. " They brought them
54:44 down to the brook Kidron. They were all executed.
54:47 I mean, what good is the revival if the next day they're
54:49 going to wake up and offer to Baal again?
54:52 If you want to see a revival, then we need to have repentance
54:55 and reform. Amen! They needed to make a change.
54:59 And so he... In one fell swoop he kind of eradicated
55:03 all of Jezebel's prophets in one day.
55:05 And then he told Ahab, he said: "You'd better get to your
55:08 chariot and you'd better head for Jezreel
55:12 because there's the sound of an abundance of rain. "
55:16 Elijah went up on the mountain before.
55:18 He knelt down and he prayed seven times.
55:20 Every time he prayed he sent his assistant. He said:
55:23 "You see anything coming from the Mediterranean? "
55:25 Says: "Nothing. It hasn't rained in years.
55:27 What do you mean? " Knelt... he prayed again.
55:30 "Anything yet? " "No. "
55:32 Seven times. Seventh time the boy comes back and says:
55:36 "You know, I saw the strangest thing: a little cloud,
55:39 little poof of vapor coming up out of the ocean
55:42 just as big as a man's hand. "
55:44 That's all that Elijah needed.
55:46 If you've got faith like a grain of mustard seed...
55:48 He knew that that little cloud was going to grow into
55:52 a mighty thunderhead. Supercell as they say.
55:56 And it grew and it developed and it turned into a great...
55:59 The Bible says "the heavens grew black. "
56:02 And the rain poured and Elijah did something really strange.
56:07 In that storm where the lightning is flashing
56:10 and the wind is howling and the rain is pounding
56:12 from the skies, he goes out and he runs ahead of Ahab's
56:16 chariot. There he's a type of John the Baptist
56:21 where he's going before the king
56:24 'cause John the Baptist prepared the way for the King.
56:27 He's showing respect. He says: "You're the king now.
56:29 As bad as you are, you're the king and I'm going to honor you
56:32 but you need to keep this revival going. "
56:36 Our King is coming, and the Lord is looking for some people
56:40 who are willing to go out before Him
56:42 and to prepare the way
56:45 and to give the message a certain sound.
56:49 We need a storm.
56:51 We need the outpouring of God's Spirit.
56:54 And we need not expect it except in answer to prayer.
56:58 It is the greatest of all of our needs, friends.
57:01 You can't do anything without the Holy Spirit.
57:04 You know, in II Chronicles 7:14 is that verse:
57:07 "If My people, who are called by My name,
57:11 will humble themselves and pray
57:13 and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways
57:18 then I will hear from heaven.
57:20 I will forgive their sin and I will heal their land. "
57:23 If we will humble ourselves and pray and repent
57:26 and turn from our wicked ways, God is more willing
57:29 to answer our prayers than we are to ask.
57:31 We must do our part by emptying ourselves
57:35 so He can fill us. This is our greatest need.
57:37 Amen! And I just think it would be appropriate
57:41 after this Camp Meeting that has been a spiritual feast
57:44 through this weekend to do something tangible
57:48 and to just really ask God for His Spirit right now.
57:52 And you know, the relation- ships and the social part of
57:56 Camp Meeting is wonderful. And those who've been watching
57:58 we trust you've been blessed.
57:59 But if we don't do anything real with what we've heard
58:03 then it's like looking at our faces in a glass
58:05 going away and being the same kind of person we were
58:07 when we came. Amen! I'd like to ask for those that
58:11 are able if as we close
58:15 if you'd be willing to kneel with me and pray.
58:19 And I know that it may be difficult for some.
58:21 Getting more difficult for me all the time.
58:23 But I just think there's a time to do what Elijah did
58:26 and kneel and to pray and say: "Lord, make a difference
58:29 in our lives and send the Holy Spirit
58:32 and let there be a revival among Your people. "
58:40 Loving Father, Lord, You've made a promise
58:43 that if we seek Your face,
58:46 if we humble ourselves,
58:48 that You will hear from heaven and forgive our sins
58:52 and heal our land.
58:53 Lord, we desperately need revival. We need it in
58:56 our lives individually; we need it in our church;
58:59 we need it as a country.
59:02 And it may mean that there needs to be
59:05 trouble first... even as Elijah prayed for a drought
59:09 before he could send the rain.
59:12 And I pray, Lord, that You will forgive us for our sins.
59:16 We'd like to repent not only of our sins as individuals
59:20 but Isaiah said: "As I was confessing my sin
59:24 and the sin of my people... " Or Daniel said.
59:27 And Isaiah said: "I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in
59:30 the midst of a people of unclean lips. " Lord,
59:32 corporately we repent.
59:34 We pray that You'll forgive us.
59:38 And Lord, we ask that You do for us what we could never do
59:41 for ourselves: You give us the power to follow through.
59:45 Let there be real changes.
59:47 I've been visiting with brothers and sisters this week
59:50 and I know there's a lot of struggles, temptation
59:52 we all grapple with.
59:54 Help us to live lives where we demonstrate
59:55 what a real Christian is. Amen!
59:58 Help us to be holy. I pray, Lord, Your blessing
01:00:02 on every person and we're asking for traveling mercies
01:00:06 as we go to our different homes. And I pray that we bring
01:00:11 the spirit of revival with us.
01:00:14 Lord, You said You'd pour out the Spirit
01:00:16 as You did in the days of the apostles.
01:00:18 They were in one place and they were in one accord.
01:00:22 Lord, some of us may need to forgive others
01:00:24 for hurts that we received. Help us to do that from our hearts.
01:00:28 Some of us might need to ask for forgiveness.
01:00:30 I pray that we'll have the courage and the spirit to
01:00:33 approach people and to apologize if we need that.
01:00:37 Anything that would prevent the flowing of Your Spirit,
01:00:40 Lord, reveal that.
01:00:42 We're getting too close to the end
01:00:43 and we just pray that we can experience real revival.
01:00:46 Thank you for the work and the ministry of 3ABN.
01:00:50 I pray You'll continue to just set a hedge of angels
01:00:53 about the ministry and all that work here
01:00:55 and the wonderful work they're doing and bless them.
01:00:58 And Lord, just bring revival to Your church. Amen!
01:01:01 We thank you, Lord, because we believe Your Spirit
01:01:04 is present now. We believe that You're beginning to do something
01:01:07 and there will be a marked difference.
01:01:09 Prepare us for Jesus' coming and help us prepare others.
01:01:13 We thank you and pray in Christ's name, Amen. Amen.
01:01:25 Thank you Doug.
01:01:30 All right. It's hard to believe Camp Meeting's just about over,
01:01:33 huh? Ya'll been blessed? You glad you came?
01:01:36 Amen! Wow! I felt tremendous blessings.
01:01:40 We're doing what we call just a little bit of an afterglow.
01:01:43 Kenny and Chris: come on up if you would.
01:01:46 We're doing a little afterglow we want to call this.
01:01:48 Jim is good at that, but we wanted to just take a couple
01:01:51 moments to talk to you from the heart.
01:01:53 Jim Gilley. And we wanted to let all of you know how much
01:01:56 we love and appreciate you
01:01:58 and all of your support for 3ABN.
01:02:00 For Amazing Facts... Doug, that's here.
01:02:02 And for all that you do for the cause of God.
01:02:06 But we want to spend just a few moments together
01:02:08 before we leave, and we're staying on the air this time.
01:02:11 We decided: you know, sometimes some of the best things happen
01:02:14 right after we go off the air. So Jim said: "Let's just stay on
01:02:17 the air for a little bit. " And that's what we're going to do.
01:02:20 And we prayed and asked the Lord to bless here.
01:02:22 Amen. And you know, the Lord has been blessing
01:02:25 and you have been blessing 3ABN and NAPS.
01:02:30 You remember we had the gift of a
01:02:34 truck/bus/van - $25,000.
01:02:39 And we took up an offering from you.
01:02:43 $8,000 has been raised from this group so far for that.
01:02:47 Amen? Amen! See, that's where we are right now.
01:02:54 And we believe the rest is coming in.
01:02:56 Danny, we've told them "Order the van, " all right?
01:02:59 That's right. "By faith order the van. "
01:03:02 Absolutely. So that has...
01:03:05 But don't leave us holding the bag
01:03:08 'cause I don't want C.A. to have to make this whole thing up.
01:03:12 Yeah, we don't want to have to take it out of his check.
01:03:15 You know, that'd be terrible. His hand went up down there.
01:03:19 Some kind of... Well I asked him about it. He said
01:03:21 he was just praising the Lord. Oh, I see. Not really.
01:03:24 Well listen... And then today we took our offering
01:03:28 for moving towards our million dollar offering
01:03:32 and $41,000 came in from you.
01:03:37 We haven't heard from those by television yet.
01:03:41 And then we had a challenge gift from some folks here.
01:03:46 They said they will do $200,000
01:03:50 if that would be matched.
01:03:53 So we're praying about somebody matching that $200,000.
01:03:58 And I tell you... And Danny, that... that's not
01:04:03 for some rich people. That's from people that
01:04:06 just are committed and love the Lord and want to
01:04:09 see the work finished. They want us to go home.
01:04:13 And they know we need to finish off this high-def and be
01:04:18 able to get going in order to get the message out.
01:04:21 So we praise God for what He's doing
01:04:25 and for your commitment to the Lord.
01:04:27 Well, the needs are great but God is greater.
01:04:29 Amen! And you know, He works through His people:
01:04:32 and that's each and every one of you.
01:04:34 And that's each one of us. And we talk to our own people
01:04:38 here and to ourselves even.
01:04:40 I thought about it myself. You know, a lot of times we
01:04:42 think because we work for the Lord all during the week
01:04:45 that we really don't have to do anything else.
01:04:47 But you know, most of us who are here:
01:04:49 we get paid to do our job so we're not getting any marks
01:04:53 in heaven for what we do, right?
01:04:54 It's our relationship with Jesus, where our heart is,
01:04:58 and what we do when we're not during work hours
01:05:01 or what have you. So that's for all of us
01:05:04 and maybe many of you who work in ministry.
01:05:06 And so you say: "Well, I work in ministry,
01:05:08 you know, 40 hours a week. " Or "I'm whatever... "
01:05:11 Well that has nothing to do with anything.
01:05:13 You know, but it's a relationship with Jesus.
01:05:15 And we're living close enough I believe to earth's history,
01:05:19 the closing moments of earth's history,
01:05:20 that God is allowing us to see how wicked this world is.
01:05:24 Did you ever think even two years ago,
01:05:27 maybe 6 months ago, that there'd be groups of people
01:05:30 that literally on video would behead other people?
01:05:34 Literally violence that's going on all around.
01:05:37 The wars and rumors of wars.
01:05:39 Did you ever think you'd live in the United States of America
01:05:41 and see that foreign terrorists
01:05:45 literally can come in through the media.
01:05:47 See, the media... God intended for us to use it
01:05:50 but they're coming in through the media and literally
01:05:52 successfully recruiting young American men to go
01:05:56 overseas to the Middle East to learn how to be professional
01:06:00 killers to come back and kill and destroy
01:06:02 in the United States... their own country.
01:06:04 Could we have thought that even a few years ago?
01:06:07 We never thought that would happen.
01:06:09 But today I think God is allowing this.
01:06:11 There's always been evil, but it says it's going to get more
01:06:14 and more evil continually... thank you...
01:06:17 till Jesus comes. And so that's exactly what's happening.
01:06:20 But through media we're able to see it
01:06:23 and it should be a wake-up call.
01:06:25 Should be a wake-up call. When Doug talked about...
01:06:28 We saw the same thing, Doug. At 9/11 our offerings went
01:06:31 way up. People were... You know, more people coming to church.
01:06:35 More people giving, and suddenly there was this awakening.
01:06:40 But once things leveled out it goes back again.
01:06:43 You see that yourself. You've mentioned it already.
01:06:46 You need to have something that will sustain your enthusiasm
01:06:49 besides a crisis. Amen! That's right! A daily relationship.
01:06:53 You just said... it's a relationship.
01:06:55 How do we do that? I mean, there's folks that say
01:06:57 "I really want to do what's good but I just have a hard time. "
01:07:01 If you know God, you'll love Him.
01:07:04 If you love Him, you'll serve Him.
01:07:06 The effort we need to make is in getting to know Him.
01:07:08 You fall in love with someone because you communicate
01:07:11 with them. And as we talk with the Lord through prayer
01:07:14 as He speaks to us through His word, through sermons,
01:07:17 through providence, you get to know Him.
01:07:20 And if you know Him, you'll love Him. If you love Him,
01:07:21 you'll serve Him. Yes. So we need to do all we can.
01:07:24 Like events like this... you're coming closer to the Lord
01:07:27 I hope. You get to know Him better; you seek after God.
01:07:29 You know Him; you'll love Him. You love Him; you'll serve Him.
01:07:33 Lisa over here, can you hit an E flat on the piano?
01:07:38 He touched me... sing, everybody...
01:07:41 oh, He touched me.
01:07:48 And oh, the joy
01:07:52 that floods my soul.
01:07:58 Something happened...
01:08:18 Jesus said: "Behold... "
01:08:22 Isn't that a fabulous word?
01:08:25 Behold... look... study.
01:08:29 "Behold I come quickly. "
01:08:32 I saw a picture some years ago of an old 1937 Ford
01:08:37 with a sign on it that said: "Jesus is coming soon. "
01:08:41 And now here we are in 2014.
01:08:45 But Jesus is still coming soon. Amen!
01:08:48 I believe it with all of my heart.
01:08:50 How sad it would be... How sad it would be
01:08:54 to feel what we felt these last several days
01:08:57 to hear the music that we've heard these last several days,
01:09:01 to listen to this preaching that we've heard these last several
01:09:03 days, these wonderful sermons, and to feel what you feel
01:09:06 bubbling in your heart right now
01:09:08 and then get down to Judgment Day
01:09:11 and have Jesus say: "Depart from Me...
01:09:14 I never knew you.
01:09:16 You were in church and you gave money
01:09:20 and you sat and listened to thousands of sermons
01:09:23 but you never ever really knew Me. "
01:09:29 Wouldn't that be sad?
01:09:33 Think, think, think of all the money you've given
01:09:36 to the cause of Christ since you've joined the church.
01:09:41 Think of all the sermons you've heard.
01:09:43 Think of all the prayers you've prayed.
01:09:45 Think of all the Sabbath School lessons that you've read
01:09:48 and thrown away.
01:09:50 Think of all the literature.
01:09:52 Think of all the times in your life when somebody said
01:09:56 something to you that was really stupid
01:10:00 and you wanted to say something to them.
01:10:03 Well you didn't do it... not you...
01:10:06 because you're trying to be a Christian.
01:10:08 You're trying to serve the Lord so you bit your tongue
01:10:12 and you said nothing.
01:10:14 Think of all the times you knew people were saying things
01:10:17 about you... knew they were plotting against you.
01:10:19 But you didn't retaliate... no, not you... because
01:10:21 you're trying to be a Christian, you're trying to serve the Lord.
01:10:25 Think of all the times you picked the pepperoni off your
01:10:27 pizza
01:10:35 because you're trying to serve the Lord.
01:10:40 All of the sacrifices
01:10:43 and then get down to Judgment Day
01:10:46 and have Jesus say: "Depart from Me.
01:10:50 I just don't know you
01:10:54 and you don't really know Me. "
01:10:57 How apocalyptically sad that will be.
01:11:03 This is not play! Amen!
01:11:06 This is real stuff. Amen!
01:11:09 This is serious business.
01:11:12 This is as Doug said: "life and death
01:11:16 in the balances. " We've got nothing else to do
01:11:24 but serve Jesus - Amen! - and serve Him till the day
01:11:29 we draw our last breath
01:11:31 or we see Him face to blessed face. Amen!
01:11:37 Oh, how I love Jesus.
01:11:45 I'm thankful tonight to be part of the family of God.
01:11:48 Amen! Thankful for His grace, thankful for His mercy,
01:11:51 His longsuffering. Thankful for the music and messages.
01:11:55 All of it just hits home
01:11:59 how close we are to the coming of Jesus.
01:12:01 My heart just thrills to think about it.
01:12:03 I was talking with someone this afternoon. I said:
01:12:05 "You know I've lived long enough finally
01:12:08 in this world to where... " I said: "there's nothing here
01:12:11 to keep me here. There's nothing here that I'm really
01:12:15 interested in any more. "
01:12:18 And that theme song that we always sing, you know,
01:12:21 this world is not my home; I'm just a passin' through.
01:12:24 It's beginning to ring true and louder than ever before
01:12:28 in my own heart, in my own life.
01:12:30 And the people that I talk to are saying there's nothing here.
01:12:34 I want to go home. And Pastor Doug brought out
01:12:37 beautifully the time of preparation.
01:12:39 That the winds are blowing; they're going to become more
01:12:42 severe... and everything that's not anchored down -
01:12:46 fastened down - will be blown away.
01:12:48 And I want to be fastened.
01:12:50 As Bro. C.A. was talking about here, just my heart went to...
01:12:53 Jesus said: "If I be lifted up,
01:12:56 I will draw all men unto Me. "
01:12:58 And so we need to lift up the name of Jesus.
01:13:01 It's all about Him... it's not about us.
01:13:04 It's not about what I'm doing, what He's doing.
01:13:06 It's Jesus. Where is He at? In the Most Holy Place.
01:13:09 What is He doing? He's interceding for me!
01:13:11 Why? Because I need Him.
01:13:13 There's no way that heaven can be my home without Him.
01:13:16 And I'm claiming His mercy, His grace.
01:13:18 I'm claiming the cross of Calvary.
01:13:20 And so I'm thankful tonight once again to be part of the
01:13:23 family of God... to be part of a ministry
01:13:26 that's going into all the world to reach those who are lost
01:13:30 and dying. And I think about every day that goes by
01:13:33 I wonder... That old song... we sing: "I wonder
01:13:35 have I done my best for Jesus? "
01:13:37 You know what? I ring up a lot of zeroes
01:13:39 and I'm not happy about that.
01:13:41 I'm thinking... And it's not about works
01:13:43 but it's about the longing of the heart to see Jesus.
01:13:46 About others to be saved in the kingdom.
01:13:49 And so it's such a privilege to be part of the family.
01:13:53 I'm thankful to get to know each one better here
01:13:55 and be part... a little closer knit with 3ABN family.
01:13:58 I will say: what you see is what you get.
01:14:01 I'm thankful for that.
01:14:02 I am really thankful for that... for the privilege to reach
01:14:04 the world with the message that Jesus is coming.
01:14:07 I want to be ready when Jesus comes.
01:14:10 I really do. And I know each one of you do, too.
01:14:12 Pledge that. You made that commitment tonight, didn't you.
01:14:16 When Jesus comes you don't want to miss it
01:14:19 because I'll tell you this: you missed your reason
01:14:21 for being here. If we miss heaven,
01:14:23 you've missed your calling, you've missed your purpose.
01:14:25 We're here to re-populate heaven.
01:14:27 Make sure we do that by the grace of God:
01:14:29 His grace and His strength. God bless each one. Thank you.
01:14:31 Lisa, about E flat I think. Kenny said it twice,
01:14:35 two or three times: Family of God.
01:14:37 I think we'd better sing it. John, lead us in this.
01:14:39 I'm so glad I'm a part
01:14:44 of the family of God.
01:14:49 I've been washed in the fountain,
01:14:54 cleansed by His blood.
01:14:59 Joint heirs with Jesus
01:15:02 as we travel this sod...
01:15:07 for I'm part of the family...
01:15:12 the family of God.
01:15:16 OK Shelley Quinn: you've got something on your heart
01:15:17 I can see. I don't know how you knew that, but
01:15:21 Doug was mentioning tonight about a gully washer.
01:15:25 Zechariah and the storm that's coming.
01:15:28 We lived in Texas when we were first married.
01:15:32 We moved to the farm, and it had been a 5-year drought
01:15:35 there and I prayed for a gully washer.
01:15:38 Oh, every night I'd go to bed and I prayed: "Lord, let there
01:15:40 be a gully washer. " 'Cause the ground had huge cracks in it.
01:15:45 It was so hard and so dry that you could just break an ankle
01:15:49 walking along. And one night it came!
01:15:53 Just out of the clear blue sky storm clouds started coming up
01:15:57 and then came a gully washer just beatin' down on that tin
01:16:01 roof, and it was wonderful to hear.
01:16:04 The next day I couldn't wait to get up
01:16:06 and to go out and see what had happened.
01:16:10 The ground was just as dry and hard
01:16:15 as it had ever been, because the ground was so dry and hard
01:16:20 that when the rain came down that fast it wouldn't penetrate.
01:16:25 It just ran off.
01:16:28 And the Lord spoke to me and said this:
01:16:31 "That if our hearts are like that hardened ground
01:16:36 if you think that you're going to wait till the last minute
01:16:39 and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit... "
01:16:42 No, no, no, no.
01:16:43 It has to be the ground that is already moist,
01:16:49 the ground that is already soft,
01:16:53 is what can receive the rain.
01:16:55 So if we don't have the Holy Spirit now...
01:16:59 Every day you should be praying.
01:17:01 Every morning when you wake up:
01:17:03 "Oh Lord, fill me with Your Spirit afresh. " Amen!
01:17:07 Because the Latter Rain will run off your back
01:17:12 like water off of a duck's back
01:17:14 if your heart is not already prepared. Amen!
01:17:27 I was hiding in the back 'cause I didn't want Danny
01:17:29 to look at me. He's already dressing like me
01:17:34 but I didn't want him looking like me.
01:17:39 You're my hero!
01:17:45 Pastor Doug tonight talked about in his story
01:17:49 of Elijah up on the mountain
01:17:52 450 of his friends were standing around there.
01:17:57 And he stood there and listened to their cheers and their jeers
01:18:01 and chiding them. And he knew nothing was going to happen
01:18:05 because he believed in the Creator God.
01:18:10 So he waited until his turn. He poured the water on there
01:18:13 and then he poured the water on again.
01:18:17 And he was bold.
01:18:19 I want to be that kind of guy for Jesus.
01:18:22 Amen! I want to be bold for Him.
01:18:25 Amen! Fear not! Don't live in fear.
01:18:31 Fear is from Satan.
01:18:34 Fear for your health, fear for your finances.
01:18:37 Fear for relationship... fear, fear, fear, fear, fear.
01:18:40 Let's go to Jesus - all right - and not fear. Amen!
01:18:46 Listen to your thoughts. Are you thinking in fear?
01:18:51 Or are you listening to the Spirit of God?
01:18:54 The fruits of the Spirit are what? Love, joy,
01:18:58 peace, kindness, tenderness, gentleness,
01:19:00 self control. That's the stuff we want to be hearing.
01:19:04 Amen! Put fear out of your life. Let's be bold like Elijah.
01:19:08 Stand up for Jesus.
01:19:11 Stand up for Him.
01:19:14 Get up and spend time with Him.
01:19:16 We all... Pastor Doug... I've been hearing that all my life.
01:19:19 But that's what we have to do all day long.
01:19:22 Don't listen to the junk stations on TV.
01:19:25 Don't listen to the news. You can look at the news headlines
01:19:28 in 5 minutes in the morning and you'll know what it's gonna...
01:19:31 It's the same! What's the Bible got to say to you?
01:19:36 You're troubled about the stock market.
01:19:38 You're troubled about this, you're troubled about that.
01:19:41 You read the Bible... are you troubled?
01:19:45 You might be if you're hanging on to some secret sin.
01:19:48 That's a sure sign you need to let go of it.
01:19:51 Ask the Lord what He wants you to dump.
01:19:55 He'll tell you. You know already.
01:19:57 Soon as I said that everybody knew what they were
01:19:59 hanging on to 'cause the Spirit's already told us.
01:20:05 So pay attention. Let's get the gospel out;
01:20:07 let's let go of our finances. Give to Jesus and get it done.
01:20:12 We don't need it. If you can't buy or sell,
01:20:14 what good is it going to do you?
01:20:15 It's going to be a millstone around your neck, isn't it?
01:20:18 Yeah, yeah. Praise Jesus!
01:20:21 I'm so glad I'm a part
01:20:25 of the family of God.
01:20:30 I've been washed in the fountain;
01:20:35 cleansed by His blood.
01:20:39 Joint heirs with Jesus
01:20:43 as we travel this sod
01:20:48 for I'm part of the family...
01:20:52 the family of God.
01:20:59 Sometimes I sit and recall where I've come from.
01:21:04 And I'm always amazed that God could take
01:21:09 clay and mold it for His glory.
01:21:13 Amen! I was watching ABC news...
01:21:17 Usually in the morning when I'm getting ready I watch
01:21:19 Good Morning America.
01:21:21 And there was a group of young people... only for 5 minutes...
01:21:24 five minutes.
01:21:27 I always turn to 3ABN when Today comes on.
01:21:30 Thank you. But there was a group of young people
01:21:33 that had come from disadvantaged backgrounds
01:21:36 and they had gathered on the program
01:21:40 to be recognized world over.
01:21:44 And the host said: "We have a surprise for you. "
01:21:48 And while they were looking in this direction the curtain
01:21:51 opened and a young man by the name of Josh Groban walked out.
01:21:55 And the young ladies just immediately began to cry.
01:22:00 "I cannot believe I'm meeting him! "
01:22:04 And I sat on the edge of my bed and I said:
01:22:08 "They have no clue. I'm looking forward to the day when I meet
01:22:12 Jesus! " All right.
01:22:15 Josh Groban... famous people.
01:22:17 It really doesn't even merge in my heart any longer.
01:22:21 I've lived long enough as Kenny has said
01:22:24 that my aim is not to meet an earthly famous person -
01:22:28 Amen! - but to meet my Lord and my Savior.
01:22:32 Amen! And so tonight as you think about all the high points
01:22:35 in your life, about the places that you've been,
01:22:37 about the things that you've experienced...
01:22:39 As we travel around the world my wife and I have come to
01:22:42 the conclusion again that there's no place on earth
01:22:44 that we would rather trade for the kingdom.
01:22:47 That's what makes... As my wife and I have noticed
01:22:50 and sat down, that is what has given passion to me
01:22:54 standing up and proclaiming a message
01:22:57 because I want to be in that kingdom.
01:23:00 And tonight, Danny, by faith
01:23:04 I claim that I am going to be in that kingdom.
01:23:06 I am no longer living my life wondering if I'm going to be
01:23:11 there. OK. My favorite text has become I John 3:1-2.
01:23:16 "Behold what manner of love" - OK - "the Father has bestowed
01:23:21 upon us that we should be called the children of God. " Amen!
01:23:25 That's right! "Beloved, NOW are we the children of God. "
01:23:28 Not we're going to be; not in five years; but when? "NOW
01:23:33 we are the children of God. " Amen!
01:23:36 But it doesn't stop there because whenever I look at
01:23:38 the imperfections that God is still working on, the chiseling
01:23:41 that's still taking place in my life,
01:23:43 I say: "God, keep on chiseling. Do whatever You need to do
01:23:46 to get me to fit into the kingdom. " Amen!
01:23:49 Then it finishes the verse by saying:
01:23:51 "Beloved, it has not yet been revealed
01:23:56 what we shall be but we do know... "
01:23:59 That's a statement of confidence.
01:24:01 "But we do know... " That's an assurance.
01:24:04 "that when He is revealed we shall be like Him
01:24:08 for we shall see Him as He is. "
01:24:11 So I don't want to be like Josh Groban.
01:24:13 I don't want to be like any famous person on the planet.
01:24:15 I want to be like Jesus. What do you say? Amen!
01:24:18 And so whenever I read Revelation...
01:24:20 whenever I read Revelation I get to the book
01:24:22 of Revelation and I see my name all through it:
01:24:25 "and I John saw... " OK.
01:24:30 it gets awfully personal.
01:24:33 So I'm looking forward to the day when I can see as John saw:
01:24:37 the saints standing on the sea of glass.
01:24:39 I see myself there.
01:24:41 And I pray that that is the vision you grasp:
01:24:44 see yourself there. That sounds like a great book;
01:24:47 When I get through reading Daniel
01:24:48 I'll come back and read John.
01:24:51 OK... all right. Somebody got it. The rest of you didn't.
01:24:54 It went whishh, right over your head.
01:24:56 Come up here Terry Gene. This is Terry Gene.
01:24:59 I'm so glad... I'm glad for all the paid church employees
01:25:02 around the world church and all the administrators
01:25:05 but I'm especially thankful for all the laymen.
01:25:07 The work cannot be finished we're told by the pen of
01:25:10 inspiration without the laymen, right?
01:25:13 So Terry Gene... this is Terry Shelton,
01:25:16 my brother Ronnie's boy.
01:25:18 Man I mean... this is my brother Ronnie's man.
01:25:20 He looks like a man to me... doesn't it to you all?
01:25:23 So Terry Gene when 3ABN first started
01:25:26 we didn't have anybody who knew anything about television
01:25:29 except Clarence Larson when he came to us.
01:25:32 So I said: "Clarence, what are we going to do? "
01:25:35 So we called Terry... my "neph" Terry Gene Shelton.
01:25:39 We called Rick Shelton; we got Rodney Laney.
01:25:42 We got Brad Walker. Some of these guys...
01:25:44 we had a bunch about 17 years old I think.
01:25:47 And that really started the first trainees.
01:25:51 Tina, you were only like 20 when you came, weren't you?
01:25:54 Not very old; she was very young:
01:25:57 20-something... early 20's somewhere.
01:25:59 And so we got all these kids when they were young.
01:26:02 But Terry... I never figured Terry would ever be a preacher.
01:26:05 I never thought Kenny would. He would not get up front.
01:26:08 He would rather take a whipping than to even go Ingathering
01:26:11 because he didn't like to knock on anybody's door.
01:26:13 So my dad would say: "OK, you want a whipping
01:26:15 or you gonna go Ingathering? " He'd say: "I'll just take the
01:26:17 beating. " 'Cause he knew... at that point...
01:26:20 at that point it became a beating. Once you didn't do
01:26:23 what my dad said now you got a good thrashing.
01:26:25 So don't anybody get upset about it. We're glad that our
01:26:27 parents cared enough about us to not spare the rod.
01:26:31 And we needed it. But then my brother Ronnie
01:26:35 my mother used to say: "He's like that E.F. Hutton deal...
01:26:38 he hardly ever speaks. People listen sometimes
01:26:41 but he doesn't talk at all. "
01:26:42 Then in his middle to late 50's he started talking.
01:26:45 He waitd all tha time and he's like Melody.
01:26:48 Somebody said: "Well we didn't know you talk. "
01:26:50 He said: "I'm a Shelton. I never got a chance.
01:26:52 All the rest of them... All the rest of them would talk
01:26:54 so much I didn't get a chance. "
01:26:56 Terry Gene was one of those behind-the-scene guys.
01:26:59 And Terry, you... what do you do for the Frankfort...
01:27:02 for many years... the Frankfort school system?
01:27:05 I manage the computer network for 14 years now
01:27:08 in a little public school system in West Frankfort.
01:27:10 Well what happened to you? You're a man of few words.
01:27:12 You get some of that from your dad, of course.
01:27:14 Maybe you didn't learn to talk 'cause he didn't talk
01:27:16 growing up? Did you guys do hand signals
01:27:18 or what? Probably a couple little hand signals: yeah, nay.
01:27:22 What have you. But all of a sudden something has changed
01:27:24 in your life. Tell us what you're doing right now.
01:27:27 Right now I am serving as the lay pastor of the little
01:27:32 church in West Frankfort just down the road from here.
01:27:35 And that has been for about 9 or 10 months.
01:27:38 And praise the Lord we just had our first baptism
01:27:42 this past Sabbath. We had four... four...
01:27:45 four precious souls for the kingdom of God.
01:27:48 And my wife and I... it is our privilege and our honor
01:27:53 to serve in the ministry. And like I said, it's a lay pastor
01:27:57 position. It's a new program in the Illinois Conference.
01:27:59 And I guess I'm the first one in the Illinois Conference
01:28:03 to actually have been given a church.
01:28:05 But in the last few weeks God has been bringing people
01:28:09 across our path. It's just amazing what God has done.
01:28:14 I'm looking at my wife down here.
01:28:16 And these people that are hurting and that are suffering
01:28:21 and their lives are completely in shambles.
01:28:25 And you know, some of us... we don't know what that's like.
01:28:28 You know, 'cause our lives are pretty good really. Right?
01:28:31 You know, some of us. But others of us have really
01:28:34 been through some really bad stuff.
01:28:38 And I always think about the story that Mrs. White wrote
01:28:42 about the man who was going through the blizzard.
01:28:45 You know what I'm talking about? And he was just about to give up
01:28:48 hope and it was cold. And he said: "Oh, I'm not
01:28:53 going to make this!" Until he heard... I guess
01:28:55 I don't know if it was a parable or what, but he heard
01:28:57 in the distance someone else that was caught in the blizzard.
01:29:02 And did he say: "Oh, I can't do anything? "
01:29:05 No! He went over and he got that person and he
01:29:07 put him over his shoulders and he began to walk through.
01:29:10 As they began to trudge together through the snow
01:29:15 they realized that the blood was pumping
01:29:17 and his body was heating up and he was saving himself
01:29:21 because he was saving someone else. Amen!
01:29:24 And I tell you what: being in the ministry
01:29:28 in that little church just down the road
01:29:30 and having people call and say: "We need some help.
01:29:34 We need some encouragement. Can you talk to us about God?
01:29:37 Can you show us that He really is a God of love? "
01:29:40 It has done so much for us.
01:29:42 And I'm telling you what... what did Jesus say?
01:29:45 "I was hungry and you fed Me.
01:29:48 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. "
01:29:50 If your spiritual life has gone stagnant,
01:29:55 I invite you to get involved and help someone.
01:29:58 To get out of our seats and DO SOMETHING
01:30:01 for the cause of Christ.
01:30:03 Because as Danny said, it's going to take the church
01:30:06 officials AND the laity. That's not just me.
01:30:09 That's you and you and you.
01:30:11 Every one of us. Get involved and do something
01:30:14 and help someone. You say: "I can't give a Bible study. "
01:30:18 You say: "I can't go to Africa. "
01:30:21 "I can't do any... " You know what? Then maybe
01:30:23 you can get some DVDs from 3ABN
01:30:25 and you can share them with people that you know.
01:30:28 "Hey, I've got this great program. Why don't you come over
01:30:29 tonight and let's watch it together? "
01:30:32 You can do that. ANYBODY can do that!
01:30:34 And I invite you, please before the time...
01:30:38 Work for the night is coming because there's going to come
01:30:40 a time when no man can work.
01:30:42 Let's all work together to further the cause of Christ.
01:30:45 Amen? Amen! All right.
01:30:47 Wow! Whoo! Terry Gene! All right.
01:30:53 Wow! I knew right away that preacher thing was going on
01:30:56 right there. That's great, Terry. Praise the Lord.
01:30:59 You have no idea what that does to an old uncle's heart.
01:31:02 Right Kenny? See that. Praise the Lord.
01:31:05 You know Danny, I was telling the folks today that when I came
01:31:09 here we found a family.
01:31:14 We love the 3ABN family.
01:31:18 We love working with this group.
01:31:21 We... so much... Every single person here
01:31:24 and all the folks we've met.
01:31:27 And that first meeting where we sang "Holy Ground"
01:31:34 I shared with them that I slipped out of my loafers
01:31:39 and stood flat-footed on that concrete floor
01:31:45 because I really do feel this IS holy ground.
01:31:49 This is God's place to send a message around the world.
01:31:54 Could we sing that song together in closing?
01:31:56 Can you hit a C, maybe, Lisa?
01:31:58 Would you lead us? Would you stand together?
01:32:00 We are standing
01:32:05 on holy ground
01:32:12 and I know that there
01:32:17 are angels
01:32:19 all around.
01:32:25 Let us praise - let us praise -
01:32:31 Jesus now.
01:32:37 We are standing
01:32:41 in His presence
01:32:44 on holy ground.
01:32:47 One more time. Let's sing it now like we mean it.
01:32:49 We are standing
01:32:56 on holy ground
01:33:03 and I know
01:33:06 that there are angels
01:33:10 all around.
01:33:15 Let us praise -
01:33:19 let us praise -
01:33:22 Jesus now.
01:33:28 We are standing
01:33:32 in His presence
01:33:35 on holy ground. Thank you, Jesus.
01:33:42 Loving Father, we do see and recognize
01:33:46 Your presence here right now.
01:33:49 And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace.
01:33:52 Amen! Lord, we're so thankful for
01:33:55 the speaking of the Spirit to our hearts.
01:33:59 We're thankful for the promises of the Word
01:34:01 that You will never leave us or forsake us.
01:34:05 We know that You're here right now.
01:34:06 You promise when we gather in Your name that You are with us.
01:34:10 We know that compounds that promise right now
01:34:13 in this place. And we just commit ourselves to You
01:34:16 afresh, Lord. We ask that You will take charge of our hearts
01:34:19 and our minds. Work a miracle of transformation
01:34:23 in every person who is here, those who are watching
01:34:26 or listening, so that we might be new creatures
01:34:29 and really be like our Lord and Savior Jesus.
01:34:32 Lord, we love You; we thank you for Your goodness.
01:34:35 And we just pray for Your blessing to be in our lives.
01:34:38 Prepare us for Your soon return.
01:34:40 And we pray all this in Christ's name, Amen.
01:34:44 Good night; God bless you. Those here: please be seated.
01:34:49 We thank you. If you've been watching by television
01:34:52 we'll be going off the air at this time. And we have some
01:34:57 announcements to make to the locals. Yeah.
01:35:00 All right?

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Revised 2015-10-05