Heavenly Father,
this is Your hour.
00:00:16.22\00:00:21.38
Do with it
Father what will glorify
00:00:21.41\00:00:23.88
Your holy name,
00:00:23.91\00:00:27.26
in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:00:27.29\00:00:30.89
They tell me on the program
00:00:33.58\00:00:34.95
that I'm supposed
to be preaching about
00:00:34.98\00:00:36.58
the prophetic
significance of the early rain.
00:00:36.61\00:00:39.79
That's what
they have in the book
00:00:39.82\00:00:42.63
and so that's what I'm
going to do, is that all right?
00:00:42.66\00:00:45.70
But I like you to
turn with me in your Bibles
00:00:45.73\00:00:47.74
this evening to
the Book of Acts,
00:00:47.77\00:00:51.33
what book did I say?
00:00:51.36\00:00:53.29
The Book of Acts, A-C-T-S,
00:00:53.32\00:01:00.54
chapter 2 and we're gonna
read together verse 1 and 2,
00:01:00.57\00:01:03.35
and I'm reading from
the New King James Version,
00:01:03.38\00:01:05.20
but whatever version
you have is just fine.
00:01:05.23\00:01:09.49
Acts Chapter 2:1 and 2,
00:01:09.52\00:01:16.01
and the word of the
Lord reads as follows,
00:01:19.17\00:01:22.55
"When the day of
Pentecost had fully come,
00:01:22.58\00:01:27.07
they were all with
one accord in one place
00:01:27.10\00:01:32.89
and suddenly there
came a sound from heaven
00:01:32.92\00:01:36.59
as of a rushing mighty wind
00:01:36.62\00:01:39.99
and it filled the whole
house where they were sitting."
00:01:40.02\00:01:45.88
I am looking forward to the day
00:01:45.91\00:01:47.18
when God will fill the
house again, what do you say?
00:01:47.21\00:01:50.71
Come on, you could
say amen better than that,
00:01:50.74\00:01:52.44
what did they say?
00:01:52.47\00:01:54.01
One day God is really going
to fill His house, hallelujah.
00:01:54.04\00:01:58.77
Right now, they are
those who are being watered
00:01:58.80\00:02:03.13
but the day is coming
that God is going to separate
00:02:03.16\00:02:05.59
the wheat from the tare,
00:02:05.62\00:02:06.83
and everybody that's
going to be in the house
00:02:06.86\00:02:08.88
is going to be
those that are filled
00:02:08.91\00:02:11.35
by the power and
presence of God's Holy Spirit.
00:02:11.38\00:02:16.92
You wonder about the condition
of the day of Pentecost,
00:02:16.95\00:02:20.50
I wasn't there, but
I plan on being here
00:02:20.53\00:02:23.59
when the Lord pours
out His spirit again
00:02:23.62\00:02:25.98
on His last day church.
00:02:26.01\00:02:29.18
I read a story about a place
00:02:29.21\00:02:30.47
that seems to be
unusually unique,
00:02:30.50\00:02:32.28
it is called "the
driest place on earth,
00:02:32.31\00:02:36.93
"the Atacama Desert," a
plateau in South America
00:02:36.96\00:02:41.56
covering 1000 kilometers,
a single strip of land,
00:02:41.59\00:02:46.69
about 600 miles if
you're from America.
00:02:46.72\00:02:50.39
What makes this desert
so unique is its location.
00:02:50.42\00:02:55.85
It is not located
in the central region
00:02:55.88\00:02:58.22
of South America, far
away from a body of water,
00:02:58.25\00:03:03.72
but on the Pacific Coast
00:03:03.75\00:03:05.46
nestled between the
Pacific Ocean on the west
00:03:05.49\00:03:09.64
and the Andes
Mountains on the east.
00:03:09.67\00:03:13.63
In spite of its
location right by the ocean,
00:03:13.66\00:03:18.26
the Atacama Desert is
the driest non polar desert
00:03:18.29\00:03:22.22
or place in the world.
00:03:22.25\00:03:24.91
And when I read the story,
00:03:24.94\00:03:26.36
the question
that came to my mind
00:03:26.39\00:03:28.40
is how can you
be so close to water
00:03:28.43\00:03:31.57
and still be the
driest place on earth?
00:03:31.60\00:03:35.66
Which says to me that
proximity is not everything,
00:03:35.69\00:03:41.07
and let me make
application immediately.
00:03:41.10\00:03:43.73
We can talk about
how close we are to Jesus
00:03:43.76\00:03:46.58
and still have
the driest Christian
00:03:46.61\00:03:49.73
experience on the earth.
00:03:49.76\00:03:52.00
It's not enough
to be close to Jesus,
00:03:52.03\00:03:54.42
the Bible does not teach
if any man is close to Jesus,
00:03:54.45\00:03:58.97
the Bible teaches if
anyone is in Christ Jesus,
00:03:59.00\00:04:03.66
he is a new creation.
00:04:03.69\00:04:04.83
What do you say?
00:04:04.86\00:04:06.26
See, it's not enough
to be close to Christ.
00:04:06.29\00:04:10.22
We've got to be in Christ.
00:04:10.25\00:04:12.84
One of the greatest places
00:04:12.87\00:04:14.37
of a blessing
today, in these last days
00:04:14.40\00:04:17.03
is not to be close but to be in.
00:04:17.06\00:04:21.35
If anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation.
00:04:21.38\00:04:24.68
"Old things have passed away,
00:04:24.71\00:04:27.82
behold all
things have become new."
00:04:27.85\00:04:30.24
I know that very well myself.
00:04:30.27\00:04:32.39
When I was growing up,
I shared with a young man
00:04:32.42\00:04:34.69
in my class today,
when I was growing up
00:04:34.72\00:04:36.92
I was a disc
jockey, I was a partier,
00:04:36.95\00:04:39.83
I was a gambler, I
was a pool hustler,
00:04:39.86\00:04:43.27
not swimming
pools but billiards.
00:04:43.30\00:04:47.59
And I was in the
church, I was in the building,
00:04:47.62\00:04:50.01
but I was not in the Lord.
00:04:50.04\00:04:51.49
I would sit where you sat,
00:04:51.52\00:04:53.54
I would come to
church on Sabbath mornings.
00:04:53.57\00:04:55.38
Matter of fact when
I was in my party mode,
00:04:55.41\00:04:58.15
I was a dating a young
lady who is now my wife.
00:04:58.18\00:05:00.77
She was my girlfriend
back then, she is now my wife,
00:05:00.80\00:05:03.15
but she is also my
girlfriend, can I say amen.
00:05:03.18\00:05:06.56
They're the same.
00:05:06.59\00:05:08.99
But I was in the building
and when Sabbath morning came
00:05:09.02\00:05:15.05
and I was just getting home
00:05:15.08\00:05:16.15
from a party about 3 or
4 o'clock in the morning,
00:05:16.18\00:05:19.75
and I promised
that I would be there
00:05:19.78\00:05:21.61
and I didn't show up,
00:05:21.64\00:05:23.61
my girlfriend
would come to my house,
00:05:23.64\00:05:26.35
get my father to open the door,
00:05:26.38\00:05:29.46
wake me up, iron my
clothes, make me take a shower
00:05:29.49\00:05:34.08
and get me down to the church
00:05:34.11\00:05:35.60
and I would sit in
the back like many of you
00:05:35.63\00:05:37.28
but I would be sleeping.
00:05:37.31\00:05:38.63
Thank God, you are
awake tonight, amen somebody?
00:05:38.66\00:05:41.63
And I would sit in the back
00:05:41.66\00:05:42.72
and I would nod as the
sermons were preaching,
00:05:42.75\00:05:45.02
I would sleep, I
would snore, I was dressed,
00:05:45.05\00:05:48.22
I was in the building,
but I was not in the Lord.
00:05:48.25\00:05:51.71
Let me began it
by saying tonight,
00:05:51.74\00:05:53.09
it's not enough to
be in the building,
00:05:53.12\00:05:54.76
we've got to be in
Jesus, what do you say?
00:05:54.79\00:05:57.21
We got to be where the power is
00:05:57.24\00:05:59.59
and sometimes we get satisfied
with our church membership,
00:05:59.62\00:06:04.80
but it's fellowship
that's going to make
00:06:04.83\00:06:07.14
the difference
between who we were
00:06:07.17\00:06:09.09
and who we can become in Christ,
00:06:09.12\00:06:11.14
but she kept inviting me,
I was there from week to week
00:06:11.17\00:06:14.55
until one day the Holy
Spirit fell down in my life
00:06:14.58\00:06:17.77
and the rest is to the
glory of God, what do you say?
00:06:17.80\00:06:21.55
You see the value
of your Christianity
00:06:21.58\00:06:23.30
has everything to do with
your connection to Christ.
00:06:23.33\00:06:27.81
Location is everything.
00:06:27.84\00:06:29.81
You can be just like
that, that South American desert
00:06:29.84\00:06:34.49
located between
the Pacific Ocean
00:06:34.52\00:06:36.78
and the lush snow covered
00:06:36.81\00:06:39.18
mountain tops of
the Andes Mountain
00:06:39.21\00:06:41.55
and still be drying up
from the lack of thirst.
00:06:41.58\00:06:45.97
Location is everything.
00:06:46.00\00:06:48.30
We can sit in the church
00:06:48.33\00:06:49.66
where the power
of God is flowing
00:06:49.69\00:06:51.61
and still remain untouched.
00:06:51.64\00:06:53.67
We can stand a few feet
away from the baptismal pool
00:06:53.70\00:06:57.05
for the rest of our
lives and still be lost, why?
00:06:57.08\00:07:00.43
Because we fail to
connect to the only source
00:07:00.46\00:07:03.45
that can really
change our lives.
00:07:03.48\00:07:06.10
Location is everything.
00:07:06.13\00:07:10.55
When I began to continue
to dig into the story about
00:07:10.58\00:07:14.55
this unusual
desert, not like the Sahara,
00:07:14.58\00:07:18.24
not like in the
West of the United States
00:07:18.27\00:07:21.54
far away from any body of water.
00:07:21.57\00:07:24.36
A number of very
interesting facts
00:07:24.39\00:07:26.03
began to stand out to me
00:07:26.06\00:07:27.19
that had spiritual significance.
00:07:27.22\00:07:28.97
For example, it is
pointed out statistically that
00:07:29.00\00:07:33.96
this desert receives less than,
00:07:33.99\00:07:36.90
and I'm trying to be Australian,
00:07:36.93\00:07:38.48
so you have to help me out.
00:07:38.51\00:07:40.45
This desert receives less
than 15 millimeters of rain.
00:07:40.48\00:07:47.61
I got to go back to America
that's less than half an inch,
00:07:47.64\00:07:52.77
105,000 square
kilometers, 49, 000 square miles
00:07:52.80\00:07:58.81
and all it receives in one year
00:07:58.84\00:08:00.68
is a little more
than half inch of rain.
00:08:00.71\00:08:04.41
That's why it was so dry,
right on the Pacific Ocean,
00:08:04.44\00:08:07.97
right in the shadow
of the Andes Mountains
00:08:08.00\00:08:09.86
that can fill that
land with abundance of water
00:08:09.89\00:08:14.41
when the snow
begins to run down,
00:08:14.44\00:08:17.04
which says to me
00:08:17.07\00:08:18.59
until the Holy
Spirit softens our lives,
00:08:18.62\00:08:21.17
our hearts will be nothing more
than hard hearted Christianity.
00:08:21.20\00:08:26.23
You know what my prayer
has been and continues to be.
00:08:26.26\00:08:28.43
I don't want my
heart to be hard,
00:08:28.46\00:08:29.83
with hard with just doctrines,
00:08:29.86\00:08:31.95
I want my heart to be softened
00:08:31.98\00:08:34.22
by the influence
of God's Holy Spirit.
00:08:34.25\00:08:36.54
What do you say?
00:08:36.57\00:08:38.07
Asking Christ to come
in, to have that personal
00:08:38.10\00:08:41.37
one-to-one
relationship with Christ.
00:08:41.40\00:08:43.88
And it really makes
a difference between
00:08:43.91\00:08:45.23
who you are and who
you can be in Christ.
00:08:45.26\00:08:47.58
I remember my
first encounter with God,
00:08:47.61\00:08:50.28
and you know
there's amazing ways
00:08:50.31\00:08:53.08
that God finds ways
to come into our lives.
00:08:53.11\00:08:56.52
One Friday evening, when I
was visiting with my girlfriend,
00:08:56.55\00:09:00.76
she is the
youngest of eight children,
00:09:00.79\00:09:02.64
she has five Jamaican brothers
00:09:02.67\00:09:04.10
and that's a big deal.
00:09:04.13\00:09:06.03
If you know
anything about Jamaicans,
00:09:06.06\00:09:08.28
they really
protected their sister.
00:09:08.31\00:09:09.76
So the only way that
they would let me come
00:09:09.79\00:09:11.49
to her house is if it
was for family worship,
00:09:11.52\00:09:14.75
that's a good reason.
00:09:14.78\00:09:18.55
This particular Friday
night, she introduced to me
00:09:18.58\00:09:20.48
to a book called
"The Great Controversy"
00:09:20.51\00:09:22.41
and I've heard about the
book, but I've never read it.
00:09:22.44\00:09:25.72
The first chapter that I
read in "The Great Controversy"
00:09:25.75\00:09:28.36
was the time of trouble
that will get your attention,
00:09:28.39\00:09:33.25
and then I read the promises
of Christ's second coming,
00:09:33.28\00:09:35.71
and that Friday
evening the Lord stepped
00:09:35.74\00:09:37.44
into this young man's
life and began to break down
00:09:37.47\00:09:40.87
all the obstacles
between Him and me
00:09:40.90\00:09:44.40
and led me to the place
00:09:44.43\00:09:45.46
where I got rid
of all the albums,
00:09:45.49\00:09:47.49
the pool stick, the nightlife,
00:09:47.52\00:09:50.87
and from Friday evening
00:09:50.90\00:09:52.24
when I read "The
Great Controversy,"
00:09:52.27\00:09:54.41
I didn't wait to go to
the school of evangelism,
00:09:54.44\00:09:56.94
I didn't go to a
training seminar,
00:09:56.97\00:09:58.89
I'm gonna tell you what
God can do in your life.
00:09:58.92\00:10:00.51
From that Friday evening,
00:10:00.54\00:10:01.86
and let me put
this in the context,
00:10:01.89\00:10:03.41
I worked at Bank of America
down in Wall Street area.
00:10:03.44\00:10:06.30
When I went to work
everyday I had a boom box.
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.47
Anybody know what that is?
00:10:08.50\00:10:11.25
You guys have iPads and iPods,
00:10:11.28\00:10:12.82
you don't know
what a boom box is.
00:10:12.85\00:10:14.77
A boom box is a radio
00:10:14.80\00:10:16.40
that can boom your head
right off your shoulder.
00:10:16.43\00:10:19.69
I went to work with the boom box
00:10:19.72\00:10:21.80
and a pool stick everyday.
00:10:21.83\00:10:24.29
I would gamble after work
00:10:24.32\00:10:25.82
and I'd play
music at my lunch hour.
00:10:25.85\00:10:27.98
But when the Lord came into
my life that Friday evening,
00:10:28.01\00:10:30.25
I traded my boom
box and my pool stick
00:10:30.28\00:10:32.81
for a "Bible and
The Great Controversy."
00:10:32.84\00:10:35.29
Come on, can you
say amen to that.
00:10:35.32\00:10:37.10
And when I got to
work on Monday morning,
00:10:37.13\00:10:39.42
I didn't go to
any lengthy process.
00:10:39.45\00:10:41.60
You see, some of us need
the schools of evangelism.
00:10:41.63\00:10:45.51
That's a good thing,
you can sharpen the skills.
00:10:45.54\00:10:47.41
Well, let me say this,
00:10:47.44\00:10:48.58
when the Lord
comes into your life,
00:10:48.61\00:10:50.36
you can be a
witness immediately.
00:10:50.39\00:10:53.48
That Monday
morning, when I went to work,
00:10:53.51\00:10:54.71
this is unusual
in New York City,
00:10:54.74\00:10:56.38
I was on the
train and in Brooklyn
00:10:56.41\00:10:59.11
any part of New York for
that matter in the greater city,
00:10:59.14\00:11:02.19
you don't walk up
to people on the train
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.55
and just start talking to folk.
00:11:04.58\00:11:07.04
But whenever
people made eye contact,
00:11:07.07\00:11:08.99
that Monday morning
see I was shy on Friday,
00:11:09.02\00:11:12.32
but I was excited
about Jesus on Monday.
00:11:12.35\00:11:16.22
There was a young
lady that made eye contact
00:11:16.25\00:11:18.21
with me on the
train, on my way to work
00:11:18.24\00:11:21.26
and I said to her,
00:11:21.29\00:11:22.35
"Would you like to have
Bible studies at lunch hour."
00:11:22.38\00:11:26.13
Amen, somebody.
00:11:26.16\00:11:27.65
Now I want to let you know,
00:11:27.68\00:11:28.77
I had no
concordance in that Bible,
00:11:28.80\00:11:32.14
it was one of those
prison ministry bibles
00:11:32.17\00:11:34.04
just Genesis to Revelation.
00:11:34.07\00:11:37.41
But what God had
revealed to me on Friday
00:11:37.44\00:11:40.02
was all I
needed to know to share
00:11:40.05\00:11:41.46
with somebody on Monday.
00:11:41.49\00:11:42.54
Can you say amen to that?
00:11:42.57\00:11:43.87
You see, when the
Lord comes into your life,
00:11:43.90\00:11:45.35
the greatest evidence
of the change in your life,
00:11:45.38\00:11:47.48
as you can share your testimony
00:11:47.51\00:11:49.43
as to what difference
God made in your life.
00:11:49.46\00:11:53.40
We had Bible studies at the base
00:11:53.43\00:11:54.66
of the World Trade Center.
00:11:54.69\00:11:55.94
The difference
was just two days,
00:11:55.97\00:11:58.59
Friday, three
days, Friday to Monday.
00:11:58.62\00:12:05.04
God is waiting
to do the same thing
00:12:05.07\00:12:06.76
to His church
in these last days.
00:12:06.79\00:12:09.39
God can do in an instant,
00:12:09.42\00:12:11.96
what it takes man
to do in a lifetime.
00:12:11.99\00:12:14.81
When I was sitting down
00:12:14.84\00:12:15.87
in the Northern California
Conference as a young pastor,
00:12:15.90\00:12:18.11
I remember this very well,
00:12:18.14\00:12:19.17
I was sitting down
with a Ministerial Director
00:12:19.20\00:12:21.63
and after I left
the Heritage Singers
00:12:21.66\00:12:23.13
back in 1986, some of
you weren't even born,
00:12:23.16\00:12:26.47
don't tell me that.
00:12:26.50\00:12:32.75
My wife and I got involved
in the, in the work industry.
00:12:32.78\00:12:36.59
I worked in banks and law
firms and insurance companies
00:12:36.62\00:12:39.33
in the Wall Streetarea
downtown New York City.
00:12:39.36\00:12:42.05
But when I travel for two years
00:12:42.08\00:12:43.99
with the Heritage Singers
and came back home in 1986,
00:12:44.02\00:12:47.24
I thought, well, let me just
go back into the business field,
00:12:47.27\00:12:50.78
but the Lord had so changed
00:12:50.81\00:12:52.58
my attitude about
working in His vineyard
00:12:52.61\00:12:55.92
that I could no
longer sit behind a desk.
00:12:55.95\00:12:59.37
And my wife and I
got a job together
00:12:59.40\00:13:01.35
working at a
construction excavation company,
00:13:01.38\00:13:03.88
and she walked passed my
office and she looked at me
00:13:03.91\00:13:05.98
and I was so
unhappy and she said to me,
00:13:06.01\00:13:08.27
"John, why are you so unhappy?"
00:13:08.30\00:13:10.46
And I said, "Honey, there's got
to be more to life than this,
00:13:10.49\00:13:13.96
I want to be in the ministry,"
00:13:13.99\00:13:16.29
and we began to
pray, we began to pray.
00:13:16.32\00:13:19.10
I believe when prayer
goes up, blessings come down.
00:13:19.13\00:13:23.16
We began to pray,
everyday we began to pray.
00:13:23.19\00:13:25.14
We knelt on our
beds and began to pray
00:13:25.17\00:13:27.76
and doors began to open
up, and I began to ask the Lord
00:13:27.79\00:13:31.87
is this the door You
want us to walk through?
00:13:31.90\00:13:34.45
And God would say "no"
and I would say I'm not going.
00:13:34.48\00:13:37.11
The Lord called us
to the Virgin Islands,
00:13:37.14\00:13:39.13
now that's a good
place to be an evangelist,
00:13:39.16\00:13:40.75
what do you say?
00:13:40.78\00:13:42.30
But we prayed and said
00:13:42.33\00:13:43.42
that's now where
God is calling us,
00:13:43.45\00:13:45.43
then the call came to go
to some place in the Midwest,
00:13:45.46\00:13:49.22
I forgot where it
was but it was a cow town
00:13:49.25\00:13:52.63
and I knew God was not calling
00:13:52.66\00:13:54.27
this New Yorker to a
cow town, so we said "no."
00:13:54.30\00:13:58.88
But one Sunday afternoon,
we met some friends in the mall
00:13:58.91\00:14:01.89
and they said we
can never get you,
00:14:01.92\00:14:03.83
you're never home,
00:14:03.86\00:14:04.92
so we brought an
answering machine and we prayed.
00:14:04.95\00:14:08.15
Here's what happened.
00:14:08.18\00:14:09.21
We said, Lord, we want
to be involved in ministry
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.70
but we'll go
anywhere except California.
00:14:11.73\00:14:15.60
Don't ever limit God,
but when we prayed that week
00:14:15.63\00:14:20.93
for seven days straight,
we knelt on our beds like,
00:14:20.96\00:14:24.00
you know, like the Muslims pray
with their face to the ground.
00:14:24.03\00:14:27.41
We knelt on our beds and say,
"Lord, we will go anywhere."
00:14:27.44\00:14:31.29
And the first phone call
00:14:31.32\00:14:32.45
we got on that answering machine
00:14:32.48\00:14:34.90
was from the
Northern California Conference
00:14:34.93\00:14:36.62
and here's how it went,
00:14:36.65\00:14:41.04
"A position open
up in evangelism,
00:14:41.07\00:14:44.00
if you're
interested give us a call."
00:14:44.03\00:14:46.85
Was I interested, I called
and they gave me the details
00:14:46.88\00:14:53.18
and here were the details.
00:14:53.21\00:14:54.75
"Here's how much
you'll get per month,
00:14:54.78\00:14:56.86
for only one year, no insurance,
00:14:56.89\00:15:00.59
you have to find
your own place to live,
00:15:00.62\00:15:02.51
you've to get out
here however you can.
00:15:02.54\00:15:04.73
That's 3,000 plus miles away
00:15:04.76\00:15:07.41
and at the end of that timeframe
00:15:07.44\00:15:08.79
we can say thank
you, but no thanks."
00:15:08.82\00:15:11.94
Would you accept that, I
said, "We're on our way."
00:15:11.97\00:15:16.32
And here's the reason why?
00:15:16.35\00:15:17.81
When you ask God to
pour into your life,
00:15:17.84\00:15:21.72
He's able to do, and
listen to me carefully,
00:15:21.75\00:15:23.99
He's able to do
exceedingly abundantly
00:15:24.02\00:15:26.89
above all that
you can ask or think.
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.02
Why?
00:15:29.05\00:15:30.08
Because God is not
involved in failure.
00:15:30.11\00:15:32.31
What do you say?
00:15:32.34\00:15:33.89
So there we were, we were in
Northern California Conference,
00:15:33.92\00:15:36.02
God open the doors
00:15:36.05\00:15:38.15
and at the end of
that 11 month period,
00:15:38.18\00:15:39.50
I sat in the
Ministerial Director's Office,
00:15:39.53\00:15:41.44
and he said what do you
want-- the President's Office,
00:15:41.47\00:15:44.86
what do you want us
to do for you young man?
00:15:44.89\00:15:47.56
I said, "I simply want
us to believe our message.
00:15:47.59\00:15:50.16
I think it's time that
we believe what we preach."
00:15:50.19\00:15:52.51
And he said, "What
do you mean by that?"
00:15:52.54\00:15:53.60
And I said, "Well,
didn't Ellen White said that
00:15:53.63\00:15:55.25
in the last days,
that God will call men,
00:15:55.28\00:15:59.02
that were not trained by
our literary institutions
00:15:59.05\00:16:03.35
and call them
from their vocation
00:16:03.38\00:16:05.45
to the field of ministry."
00:16:05.48\00:16:06.54
Didn't she say that?
00:16:06.57\00:16:07.95
He said, "She did." And
I said, "I believe that."
00:16:07.98\00:16:10.20
He said, "I believe that too.
00:16:10.23\00:16:11.69
What kind of
church do you want?"
00:16:11.72\00:16:13.94
And I'm gonna tell you,
they gave this New Yorker,
00:16:13.97\00:16:16.78
this young, no
gray hair New Yorker,
00:16:16.81\00:16:21.02
a church in the
mountains of Northern California
00:16:21.05\00:16:23.46
that only had old people in it.
00:16:23.49\00:16:29.67
I'm glad you didn't say amen.
00:16:29.70\00:16:33.54
When we went-- when
we got to that church
00:16:33.57\00:16:35.70
it was so empty
on Sabbath morning,
00:16:35.73\00:16:37.36
if you shot a shotgun
inside, you would hit no one.
00:16:37.39\00:16:41.97
I kid you not, but
by the time we left,
00:16:42.00\00:16:46.50
22 months later, it
was standing room only,
00:16:46.53\00:16:50.05
come on, somebody say amen.
00:16:50.08\00:16:52.64
Up in the mountains
of Northern California,
00:16:52.67\00:16:54.98
God transforming
and using our lives,
00:16:55.01\00:16:57.42
and one thing that
my wife and I've learned
00:16:57.45\00:17:00.12
is that we have to get away
00:17:00.15\00:17:01.46
from the
legalism of Christianity
00:17:01.49\00:17:05.05
to the spirit field
walk in Christianity.
00:17:05.08\00:17:08.35
We've got to
connect our connection--
00:17:08.38\00:17:09.86
our connection with Christ
00:17:09.89\00:17:11.35
has to be more
than just a good diet.
00:17:11.38\00:17:15.05
I believe that
health is a good thing,
00:17:15.08\00:17:16.50
I mean look at
me I'm 75 years old,
00:17:16.53\00:17:20.46
I'm just kidding, I'm past
50 but you give me your best,
00:17:20.49\00:17:27.21
I bet you I
could play basketball
00:17:27.24\00:17:29.34
and beat anyone
of you guys in here.
00:17:29.37\00:17:33.03
Don't take me up on that
00:17:33.06\00:17:34.19
unless you really
want to be embarrassed.
00:17:34.22\00:17:37.65
I said that one Sabbath morning
00:17:37.68\00:17:38.97
at a church in Central Florida,
I thought I'm in trouble.
00:17:39.00\00:17:43.52
But praise God, He prevailed.
00:17:43.55\00:17:47.10
God can do anything
He wants in our lives
00:17:47.13\00:17:50.21
if we simply make ourselves
00:17:50.24\00:17:51.84
available to God, for
Him to begin to trickle,
00:17:51.87\00:17:56.29
then drizzle, then
pour into our lives.
00:17:56.32\00:18:00.16
What had
happened that was so sad
00:18:00.19\00:18:03.93
that by the time Jesus arrived,
00:18:03.96\00:18:06.20
He came and found a people that
were just simply comfortable
00:18:06.23\00:18:10.16
with their formal religion
00:18:10.19\00:18:12.33
and He could not
do anything with them
00:18:12.36\00:18:14.26
and that's why He rose
up, He raised up 12 disciples
00:18:14.29\00:18:20.50
that all they wanted to do
was get n touch with Jesus.
00:18:20.53\00:18:24.93
In the book Christians Service,
00:18:24.96\00:18:26.64
listen to what Ellen White says,
00:18:26.67\00:18:27.95
she says, "Legal religion
will not answer for this age,
00:18:27.98\00:18:32.98
we may perform all the
outward acts of service
00:18:33.01\00:18:36.93
and yet be as destitute
of the quickening influence
00:18:36.96\00:18:40.38
of the Holy Spirit as the hills
00:18:40.41\00:18:42.89
of guilt bow over
destitute of due in rain."
00:18:42.92\00:18:46.53
We all need spiritual moisture.
00:18:46.56\00:18:49.53
If you want to
see something die,
00:18:49.56\00:18:51.14
extract the moisture from it.
00:18:51.17\00:18:54.19
Formal religion is a
religion without moisture.
00:18:54.22\00:18:58.18
We cannot boast
about our institutions,
00:18:58.21\00:19:00.35
we can only boast about
00:19:00.38\00:19:01.74
the infilling of
Christ's Holy Spirit.
00:19:01.77\00:19:04.01
We cannot say that
00:19:04.04\00:19:05.35
because we have
the right message
00:19:05.38\00:19:07.85
that we have the
right relationship.
00:19:07.88\00:19:10.00
We have to have more
than just the right message.
00:19:10.03\00:19:12.31
We have to have the
right connection to Christ
00:19:12.34\00:19:15.34
for a people that
had the right message.
00:19:15.37\00:19:18.41
I thought it was amazing
00:19:18.44\00:19:19.47
when I was
preaching around Christmas,
00:19:19.50\00:19:20.62
this thought came to my mind
00:19:20.65\00:19:22.95
and I had never
received this thought
00:19:22.98\00:19:25.63
before, I'll finish the
quotation in just a moment,
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.44
but the thought came to my mind
00:19:28.47\00:19:29.81
when I was
thinking about the wise men.
00:19:29.84\00:19:31.29
Why the angels chose to
lead the wise men to Jerusalem
00:19:31.32\00:19:37.42
before the angels
led them to Bethlehem?
00:19:37.45\00:19:41.47
Amazing concept, it never
came to me after 28 years,
00:19:41.50\00:19:43.70
31 years of marriage, 28
years of pastoral ministry,
00:19:43.73\00:19:46.21
it finally came clear
why the angels led them
00:19:46.24\00:19:49.41
to Jerusalem first,
and then to Bethlehem.
00:19:49.44\00:19:52.94
The angels led the wise men
to Jerusalem to reveal to them
00:19:52.97\00:19:58.91
what happens to a people
00:19:58.94\00:20:01.25
that is only
satisfied with religion.
00:20:01.28\00:20:05.80
We've got a powerful message.
00:20:05.83\00:20:08.17
Can you say amen to that?
00:20:08.20\00:20:10.39
But what we need more
than a powerful message
00:20:10.42\00:20:12.32
is a powerful
connection to Christ,
00:20:12.35\00:20:15.50
because the message is a fact,
00:20:15.53\00:20:17.16
you can't argue the Sabbath,
00:20:17.19\00:20:18.37
you can't argue
the State of the Dead,
00:20:18.40\00:20:19.71
you can't argue the 2,200 days,
00:20:19.74\00:20:21.68
you cannot prove
that wrong at all.
00:20:21.71\00:20:24.06
But I know, as I go
back to my own experience,
00:20:24.09\00:20:27.32
when I believed all that
00:20:27.35\00:20:30.45
I was still partying
every Saturday night.
00:20:30.48\00:20:33.63
I was a junior
usher in the church,
00:20:33.66\00:20:36.63
but I still partied
when the Sabbath was over.
00:20:36.66\00:20:38.93
I had the right doctrine
00:20:38.96\00:20:40.02
but the wrong
connection to Christ.
00:20:40.05\00:20:41.75
And I must say
one of the reasons
00:20:41.78\00:20:42.99
I'm glad about
the witness conference
00:20:43.02\00:20:44.85
is young people,
many of you are faced
00:20:44.88\00:20:46.61
with some of the same challenges
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.11
and deficits that
I had as a young man.
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.31
Well, let me encourage you,
00:20:50.34\00:20:51.64
all you got to do
is simply put your hand
00:20:51.67\00:20:54.36
in the hand of one
who knows no failure
00:20:54.39\00:20:56.43
and God can deliver you
from anything that binds you
00:20:56.46\00:20:59.77
and transform your
life so that His glory
00:20:59.80\00:21:03.28
and His message maybe
reflected through your life.
00:21:03.31\00:21:07.85
I thought about that.
00:21:07.88\00:21:09.15
The Lord led them to Jerusalem.
00:21:09.18\00:21:11.82
He found the people with
the right day of worship.
00:21:11.85\00:21:14.36
Follow me carefully.
00:21:14.39\00:21:15.46
They had the right day
of worship in Jerusalem.
00:21:15.49\00:21:20.09
They had the right diet.
00:21:20.12\00:21:22.62
They had the
right dress, message.
00:21:22.65\00:21:25.99
They had right prophetic angle,
00:21:26.02\00:21:29.91
but they had no
connection to Christ.
00:21:29.94\00:21:34.89
From Jerusalem to Bethlehem,
00:21:34.92\00:21:38.11
and Peter, I was
thinking about a sermon,
00:21:38.14\00:21:41.10
instead of preaching a
sermon about Jerusalem,
00:21:41.13\00:21:43.96
I said we ought to
entitle it Bethlehem,
00:21:43.99\00:21:46.42
because it's not until
the wise men found Jesus
00:21:46.45\00:21:49.49
that they were able
to bow on their knees,
00:21:49.52\00:21:52.03
offer to Him their worship,
00:21:52.06\00:21:54.18
and present
their gifts to Christ.
00:21:54.21\00:21:56.35
And here's my point.
00:21:56.38\00:21:57.52
Until we have a
connection with Christ,
00:21:57.55\00:21:59.40
our worship will
never be activated
00:21:59.43\00:22:01.84
and we'll never
get to the place.
00:22:01.87\00:22:03.37
Young folk, where
we are willing to give
00:22:03.40\00:22:05.54
all the gifts that
we have back to Christ.
00:22:05.57\00:22:08.80
You have a lot of gifts.
00:22:08.83\00:22:10.29
I've seen that, some of
you are good at teaching,
00:22:10.32\00:22:12.35
some of you are great musicians,
00:22:12.38\00:22:14.19
but until you have a
connection with Christ,
00:22:14.22\00:22:16.29
you can go through the motions,
00:22:16.32\00:22:18.67
but if we're talking about
the early and the latter rain,
00:22:18.70\00:22:20.97
God does not just want
people that have good skills,
00:22:21.00\00:22:24.84
He want people that have
a good connection to Him,
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.99
amen somebody.
00:22:28.02\00:22:29.92
Hard, stony, barren conditions,
00:22:29.95\00:22:33.02
God is not looking for a people
that have the right things,
00:22:33.05\00:22:38.83
but a people that
have the right connection.
00:22:38.86\00:22:41.92
And I thought
about the early rain
00:22:41.95\00:22:43.70
as I'm talking about
00:22:43.73\00:22:44.77
the prophetic
significance of the early rain.
00:22:44.80\00:22:47.70
You see Jesus came at a
time when what His church needed
00:22:47.73\00:22:50.80
more than anything else
00:22:50.83\00:22:52.28
was a fresh
infilling of an early rain.
00:22:52.31\00:22:58.21
Jesus came at the right time.
00:22:58.24\00:23:01.24
The prophetic significance
of the early rain is this.
00:23:01.27\00:23:04.26
Jesus came at the right time.
00:23:04.29\00:23:08.36
Galatians 4:4 the Bible says,
00:23:08.39\00:23:10.40
"When the
fullness of time had come,
00:23:10.43\00:23:12.67
God send forth His
son, born of a woman,
00:23:12.70\00:23:16.05
born under the law."
00:23:16.08\00:23:19.20
Jesus became the precursor
to the day of Pentecost.
00:23:19.23\00:23:25.00
He had to come before
the day of Pentecost, why?
00:23:25.03\00:23:29.83
Because Jesus had to
come to find new soil
00:23:29.86\00:23:32.96
into which to
pour His Holy Spirit.
00:23:32.99\00:23:36.81
He came at the right time,
00:23:36.84\00:23:37.91
He came when man
was at his worse,
00:23:37.94\00:23:42.44
Jesus came to offer His best.
00:23:42.47\00:23:45.04
He came during the
desert of human spirituality.
00:23:45.07\00:23:48.93
I mean, the Bible
makes it very clear.
00:23:48.96\00:23:50.46
Look at John 1:11, if you
have your Bible very carefully.
00:23:50.49\00:23:53.41
Look at the
people that had a message
00:23:53.44\00:23:55.62
for almost 2,000 years,
00:23:55.65\00:23:57.26
look at what time
had reduced them to.
00:23:57.29\00:24:01.28
John 1:11 here is
what the Bible says.
00:24:01.31\00:24:06.07
It says, "He came to His own,
00:24:06.10\00:24:10.17
and His own did
not receive Him."
00:24:10.20\00:24:15.68
But they had the right oracles,
00:24:15.71\00:24:16.97
they had right message,
they had right day of worship.
00:24:17.00\00:24:21.19
That's why when
we have these things
00:24:21.22\00:24:23.06
God has given us
all these right things,
00:24:23.09\00:24:26.28
not to boast
about our rightness,
00:24:26.31\00:24:29.07
but to boast
about His righteousness.
00:24:29.10\00:24:33.95
Never find security
in the right message,
00:24:33.98\00:24:36.23
find security in
the right relationship.
00:24:36.26\00:24:38.10
When you have the
right relationship,
00:24:38.13\00:24:39.42
the right
messages falls into place.
00:24:39.45\00:24:43.01
We got people coming to our
church there in Thompsonville.
00:24:43.04\00:24:45.44
One of the most
amazing stories that
00:24:45.47\00:24:47.02
I find God is
still moving on hearts.
00:24:47.05\00:24:49.00
Let me just say this.
00:24:49.03\00:24:50.15
When you're out there
laboring for the Lord,
00:24:50.18\00:24:51.94
never get discouraged
because you may not see
00:24:51.97\00:24:54.20
the results of your
labor but oh, how sweet it is
00:24:54.23\00:24:56.86
when God allows you sometimes
00:24:56.89\00:24:58.62
to see the
results of your labor.
00:24:58.65\00:25:00.63
This lady that came to
our church with her husband,
00:25:00.66\00:25:02.81
their name is Mike and Kris
00:25:02.84\00:25:04.79
and they're part of the beauty
of the 3ABN success story.
00:25:04.82\00:25:08.78
They said 30 years ago,
when 3ABN was being built,
00:25:08.81\00:25:11.31
they were Baptist.
00:25:11.34\00:25:12.38
They said they saw
the buildings going up
00:25:12.41\00:25:14.11
but they were determined to
have nothing to do with 3ABN
00:25:14.14\00:25:19.47
for 30 years.
00:25:19.50\00:25:22.59
When Danny was building,
00:25:22.62\00:25:23.65
they said they
would borrow the tractor,
00:25:23.68\00:25:25.47
Danny used the
tractor on Sunday to build,
00:25:25.50\00:25:27.94
they would say can
we use it on Sabbath.
00:25:27.97\00:25:29.59
They said, "We
used the same machinery
00:25:29.62\00:25:33.05
but we had in our
minds, we were determined
00:25:33.08\00:25:35.14
not to be connected
with Adventism at all."
00:25:35.17\00:25:38.04
And then she said,
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.10
"When the radio
station was established,"
00:25:39.13\00:25:41.71
my wife works for
3ABN Radio, she said,
00:25:41.74\00:25:44.05
"The sermons would come on
00:25:44.08\00:25:45.29
and every time
the Sabbath came on
00:25:45.32\00:25:47.19
she would turn the radio off."
00:25:47.22\00:25:48.64
She said, "Those Adventists
are tripping over the Sabbath."
00:25:48.67\00:25:53.51
All they talk
about is the Seventh-day,
00:25:53.54\00:25:55.20
the commandments of God.
00:25:55.23\00:25:57.22
She said "I was sick of it."
00:25:57.25\00:25:58.61
But here's the beauty of God,
00:25:58.64\00:26:00.30
here's the beauty
of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:00.33\00:26:02.21
the Holy Spirit never
stops pursuing a heart
00:26:02.24\00:26:05.25
that is seeking after God.
00:26:05.28\00:26:06.43
Come on, say amen somebody.
00:26:06.46\00:26:08.77
She had a
relationship with Christ,
00:26:08.80\00:26:10.06
but she needed, she needed time
00:26:10.09\00:26:12.84
for God to
trickle into her heart,
00:26:12.87\00:26:16.25
then pour in, and
soften all those areas
00:26:16.28\00:26:19.75
that were hard
to receive the truth
00:26:19.78\00:26:21.91
that God had made
available to them.
00:26:21.94\00:26:24.78
And so she said
it was, she said,
00:26:24.81\00:26:25.92
"You know, one day
a dawn dawned on me
00:26:25.95\00:26:28.67
as I was in church on Sunday."
00:26:28.70\00:26:30.73
She said, "I was reading there
00:26:30.76\00:26:32.47
and the pastor was
preaching a sermon,
00:26:32.50\00:26:35.21
and he read John 14 and 15,"
00:26:35.24\00:26:36.93
which you all know
come on say it together
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.77
if you love me what?
00:26:38.80\00:26:40.81
She said, "All of a
sudden it jumped out at me
00:26:40.84\00:26:45.27
that if I really love the Lord,
00:26:45.30\00:26:46.72
I cannot say, I
really love the Lord
00:26:46.75\00:26:48.81
and not keep His commandments."
00:26:48.84\00:26:50.52
And she said,
"When she got home,
00:26:50.55\00:26:51.67
her husband and her
they looked at each other
00:26:51.70\00:26:55.90
and they said you know
what our Christianity is false.
00:26:55.93\00:26:59.36
If we really do love the Lord,
00:26:59.39\00:27:00.70
we got to keep
His commandments."
00:27:00.73\00:27:03.01
So they showed up at
the last camp meeting,
00:27:03.04\00:27:04.92
that we had not
too many months ago,
00:27:04.95\00:27:06.55
actually around
October the Fall Camp Meeting
00:27:06.58\00:27:08.18
when Pastor Batchelor was there,
00:27:08.21\00:27:10.06
and now they're in
my church every Sabbath
00:27:10.09\00:27:12.64
and I'm looking at them
00:27:12.67\00:27:13.72
when we study the
Bible, it is so good.
00:27:13.75\00:27:15.61
You see, if you want
to get excited about Jesus
00:27:15.64\00:27:17.62
and the message you have,
00:27:17.65\00:27:19.07
go to people that
don't know the message
00:27:19.10\00:27:22.27
and don't get weary
and well doing for him,
00:27:22.30\00:27:24.05
in due time the Bible says,
00:27:24.08\00:27:25.34
"You will reap if
you do not faint."
00:27:25.37\00:27:27.95
One plants and another waters
00:27:27.98\00:27:29.11
but God gives the increase
but now on Sabbath morning,
00:27:29.14\00:27:31.89
there they are and she
piped on this last Sabbath
00:27:31.92\00:27:34.36
before we left to come here
00:27:34.39\00:27:35.97
and she said, "Pastor, I
just want to say something,
00:27:36.00\00:27:38.25
I'm going through an experience
that is blowing my mind."
00:27:38.28\00:27:40.92
I said, "What do you mean?"
00:27:40.95\00:27:42.00
She says, "I am
having to go through my Bible
00:27:42.03\00:27:44.75
and cross out
stuff that I put in there
00:27:44.78\00:27:47.25
and put the right thing in."
00:27:47.28\00:27:48.40
Amen somebody?
00:27:48.43\00:27:50.61
She says, "I used to
believe in the rapture,
00:27:50.64\00:27:52.86
but I don't anymore."
00:27:52.89\00:27:54.82
And what makes it
even more difficult
00:27:54.85\00:27:56.32
is she is living
in her own hometown.
00:27:56.35\00:27:58.90
She's surrounded by
all her Baptist friends
00:27:58.93\00:28:02.51
and you know what she said,
00:28:02.54\00:28:03.60
she says, "For the
first time in my life,
00:28:03.63\00:28:05.90
I'm not ashamed to say
00:28:05.93\00:28:08.19
I'm going to the
Adventist church."
00:28:08.22\00:28:10.77
What made the difference?
00:28:10.80\00:28:12.08
You see God, we got to put--
00:28:12.11\00:28:13.82
we can't put God
on the timetable,
00:28:13.85\00:28:15.94
because sometimes people labor
00:28:15.97\00:28:19.11
but they never live to
see the results of their labor
00:28:19.14\00:28:22.16
and I could use my
mother as an example.
00:28:22.19\00:28:24.48
The lady that raised me,
00:28:24.51\00:28:26.33
as I was abandoned
at three months old,
00:28:26.36\00:28:27.84
some of you know the story.
00:28:27.87\00:28:29.46
It's good to be
abandoned in a home
00:28:29.49\00:28:31.73
of a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian.
00:28:31.76\00:28:35.56
My natural mother left me there,
00:28:35.59\00:28:38.26
but she left me
under the care of a woman
00:28:38.29\00:28:41.38
who had the right God,
the right relationship,
00:28:41.41\00:28:44.93
and a powerful message
00:28:44.96\00:28:47.72
but when she,
when she passed away
00:28:47.75\00:28:49.31
when I was 12 years
old, I left the church
00:28:49.34\00:28:51.54
and I told you about my journey
going out into the world.
00:28:51.57\00:28:56.40
But because the
seeds were planted
00:28:56.43\00:29:00.44
and the Holy Spirit
continued to water those seeds,
00:29:00.47\00:29:05.39
God brought His
son back to the place
00:29:05.42\00:29:08.71
that God always knew I would be.
00:29:08.74\00:29:11.24
So when I see people
that are straying away
00:29:11.27\00:29:13.10
and I wanted to say
this for a particular reason,
00:29:13.13\00:29:15.16
if you know
somebody and chances are,
00:29:15.19\00:29:16.82
you know someone that
may have been in the church
00:29:16.85\00:29:18.43
and they've strayed away.
00:29:18.46\00:29:19.99
You cannot be
discouraged by that
00:29:20.02\00:29:21.64
because the Lord is
working more diligently
00:29:21.67\00:29:24.48
than you are to
bring that person back.
00:29:24.51\00:29:26.15
Amen somebody?
00:29:26.18\00:29:27.24
For Jesus says,
00:29:27.27\00:29:28.31
"I'm not willing
that any should perish."
00:29:28.34\00:29:30.04
The work of the Holy
Spirit is to convict of sin
00:29:30.07\00:29:33.46
and of
righteousness and of judgment.
00:29:33.49\00:29:36.41
And as young
folk that are fired up
00:29:36.44\00:29:37.70
about the message you have,
just simply do the Lord's work
00:29:37.73\00:29:40.75
and leave the results to God.
00:29:40.78\00:29:44.23
I look back on where
I was and where I am,
00:29:44.26\00:29:48.20
and I'm so glad for
that good old hymn that says,
00:29:48.23\00:29:50.92
"When things are dry and rough,
00:29:50.95\00:29:52.82
there shall be
showers of blessings."
00:29:52.85\00:29:55.41
This is the promise of love.
00:29:55.44\00:29:58.28
There shall be a
season of refreshing sent
00:29:58.31\00:30:01.04
from the heaven above.
00:30:01.07\00:30:03.36
When Jesus came the first time,
00:30:03.39\00:30:05.30
Jesus came to
begin a refreshing work.
00:30:05.33\00:30:09.43
He came to revive
a sleeping people,
00:30:09.46\00:30:11.83
to restore a broken nation,
00:30:11.86\00:30:13.75
to revitalize a
forgotten message,
00:30:13.78\00:30:16.27
and to recharge a
complacent community.
00:30:16.30\00:30:20.02
Acts of the Apostles,
Ellen White says it this way,
00:30:20.05\00:30:23.11
"Priests and rulers became fixed
00:30:23.14\00:30:25.36
in a rut of ceremonialism,
00:30:25.39\00:30:28.20
they were satisfied
with a legal religion,
00:30:28.23\00:30:31.59
and it was impossible for them
00:30:31.62\00:30:33.21
to give to others the
living truths of heaven."
00:30:33.24\00:30:37.93
They rejected the
truth, the truths died to them,
00:30:37.96\00:30:41.17
that's why I pray
for our church today.
00:30:41.20\00:30:42.90
Let me say this and you
know I'm somewhat of militant,
00:30:42.93\00:30:45.56
I'm from Brooklyn first of all.
00:30:45.59\00:30:47.78
I'm somewhat military in
my approach to the gospel,
00:30:47.81\00:30:50.60
because I firmly believed
00:30:50.63\00:30:53.26
that when God gives
you something that's true,
00:30:53.29\00:30:56.45
you've got to protect that
00:30:56.48\00:30:57.67
and not allow
that to be modified
00:30:57.70\00:31:00.05
or watered down by
anything that is false.
00:31:00.08\00:31:05.15
God has given us
a beautiful message.
00:31:05.18\00:31:06.97
Can you say amen to that?
00:31:07.00\00:31:08.76
But what's so important
and significant about that
00:31:08.79\00:31:11.01
beautiful message is this.
00:31:11.04\00:31:12.69
Whenever you meet people
that don't believe like you do,
00:31:12.72\00:31:15.64
you got to give them time
00:31:15.67\00:31:16.92
for their eyes to
adjust to the light,
00:31:16.95\00:31:19.36
but never
apologize for the message
00:31:19.39\00:31:21.90
that God has given to you.
00:31:21.93\00:31:24.64
Don't apologize for it because
if the light gets turned off,
00:31:24.67\00:31:27.12
if the light
gets turned off here,
00:31:27.15\00:31:30.04
where are people
going to find the light,
00:31:30.07\00:31:32.13
we are a people of light.
00:31:32.16\00:31:33.99
When the Lord came,
00:31:34.02\00:31:35.19
He came to give
back to the church
00:31:35.22\00:31:37.67
something that they had lost.
00:31:37.70\00:31:39.42
I like the way that
Isaiah the prophet says it.
00:31:39.45\00:31:41.62
Go to Isaiah 45:8.
00:31:41.65\00:31:43.25
Look at this
very wonderful verse,
00:31:43.28\00:31:45.07
if you've not seen it before,
00:31:45.10\00:31:46.42
this is the beautiful indication
00:31:46.45\00:31:48.21
of what Jesus came to do.
00:31:48.24\00:31:50.08
At a time when His
people need it the most,
00:31:50.11\00:31:53.64
He came to revive
what had dried up.
00:31:53.67\00:31:57.18
Isaiah 45:8,
00:31:57.21\00:32:01.57
the words of the Lord
said what a wonderful prophecy.
00:32:01.60\00:32:08.31
It begins with
two powerful words,
00:32:08.34\00:32:10.04
"Rain down you
heavens from above
00:32:10.07\00:32:13.89
and let the skies
pour down righteousness,
00:32:13.92\00:32:17.93
let the earth open, let
them bring forth salvation
00:32:17.96\00:32:21.22
and let righteousness
spring up together,
00:32:21.25\00:32:24.67
I the Lord have created it."
00:32:24.70\00:32:28.55
And when I looked at that,
I asked myself the question.
00:32:28.58\00:32:30.68
Well, if the Lord was
coming to rain down on humanity,
00:32:30.71\00:32:34.49
this beautiful
message of heaven,
00:32:34.52\00:32:35.84
why did He come as a babe?
00:32:35.87\00:32:38.44
And the Lord just
poured into my mind
00:32:38.47\00:32:39.82
something that I
never thought about,
00:32:39.85\00:32:42.10
He came as a
babe for two reasons.
00:32:42.13\00:32:43.76
One, He came as a babe
to take on the human flesh
00:32:43.79\00:32:47.65
that everyone of us
are in possession of,
00:32:47.68\00:32:50.92
that's one obvious reason.
00:32:50.95\00:32:52.79
But the second reason
why Jesus came as a babe,
00:32:52.82\00:32:56.65
is He came to exemplify
the simplicity of the gospel,
00:32:56.68\00:33:02.25
because His
people were not ready
00:33:02.28\00:33:05.09
for the glory of the gospel.
00:33:05.12\00:33:07.19
Let me say that again.
00:33:07.22\00:33:09.38
Had He come as a king,
00:33:09.41\00:33:11.57
His own people were not
ready to receive a king,
00:33:11.60\00:33:14.29
so He came, Ellen White says
00:33:14.32\00:33:16.34
He came in the
simplicity of a babe
00:33:16.37\00:33:20.36
because His
people were not ready
00:33:20.39\00:33:22.26
for the glory of the gospel.
00:33:22.29\00:33:25.06
He came to give them
time to get used to the idea
00:33:25.09\00:33:29.02
that the king was
here, He came to remind them
00:33:29.05\00:33:32.47
that this babe although small
00:33:32.50\00:33:34.69
is very much
the same Son of God.
00:33:34.72\00:33:37.95
He came to remind them that
don't get put off by my size,
00:33:37.98\00:33:42.40
I'm still the same Lord
that created heaven and earth.
00:33:42.43\00:33:45.57
Jesus veiled His glory
in the simplicity of a babe.
00:33:45.60\00:33:49.76
But He was in fact
very much the Son of God.
00:33:49.79\00:33:52.42
As a matter of fact
Mary was not carrying Jesus,
00:33:52.45\00:33:56.13
Jesus was carrying Mary.
00:33:56.16\00:33:58.53
Mary did not deliver
Jesus, Jesus delivered Mary.
00:33:58.56\00:34:02.26
Mary was the momentary
garden for the Rose of Sharon.
00:34:02.29\00:34:04.96
She was the vessel out of
00:34:04.99\00:34:06.20
which the oil of
gladness would flow.
00:34:06.23\00:34:08.65
Mary was a temporary
walking nuclear reactor,
00:34:08.68\00:34:12.06
can you imagine that?
00:34:12.09\00:34:13.59
She had more power in her
00:34:13.62\00:34:14.99
than all of
humanity combined together.
00:34:15.02\00:34:19.03
Had Jesus not come
as a "helpless babe,"
00:34:19.06\00:34:22.71
Mary would've been consumed
but He was not a helpless babe,
00:34:22.74\00:34:27.22
He was on this
earth for 33 years
00:34:27.25\00:34:29.38
but He was not 33 years old.
00:34:29.41\00:34:31.52
He just took a vacation
00:34:31.55\00:34:32.88
from hanging
galaxies for 33 years.
00:34:32.91\00:34:35.56
Come on, say amen to that.
00:34:35.59\00:34:37.57
This galaxy hanging God
00:34:37.60\00:34:39.93
sneaked into the
backdoor of Bethlehem
00:34:39.96\00:34:43.43
to revive and
revitalize His church.
00:34:43.46\00:34:46.18
But I tell you
when He comes again,
00:34:46.21\00:34:47.24
He's not sneaking in
any door, He's coming
00:34:47.27\00:34:49.05
and He's not going to be silent.
00:34:49.08\00:34:50.42
What do you say?
00:34:50.45\00:34:51.50
He's coming back
for a revived church,
00:34:51.53\00:34:54.06
a church filled and
revitalized and refreshed
00:34:54.09\00:34:57.78
and ready to work for
the coming of the Lord,
00:34:57.81\00:34:59.89
that's why these conferences.
00:34:59.92\00:35:01.13
My wife and I
don't mind traveling far,
00:35:01.16\00:35:03.26
people on our church
say, "You're going again?
00:35:03.29\00:35:07.40
Where are you going this time?"
00:35:07.43\00:35:09.66
And you know what the
condition or the mindset
00:35:09.69\00:35:12.21
of Australians in America
is you guys are so liberal,
00:35:12.24\00:35:16.77
there's a whole lot
of apostasy over here.
00:35:16.80\00:35:19.20
I don't want to hear
it, and you guys say,
00:35:19.23\00:35:22.92
"Everything is going
bad" and they always say,
00:35:22.95\00:35:25.58
"Well, you know Desmond
Ford came from Australia."
00:35:25.61\00:35:28.83
Well, I say when they
focus on Desmond Ford I say,
00:35:28.86\00:35:31.18
"Well, you know Ellen
White went to Australia."
00:35:31.21\00:35:37.09
You could've say amen,
00:35:37.12\00:35:38.15
but I know you got
caught in the exchange.
00:35:38.18\00:35:44.70
So it's not all
bad on Australia,
00:35:44.73\00:35:46.64
I said don't, don't
feel bad for Australia,
00:35:46.67\00:35:49.25
because God is working
as powerfully in Australia
00:35:49.28\00:35:52.59
as He is in
America, what do you say?
00:35:52.62\00:35:56.63
So you young folk keep on,
keeping on, don't get tired.
00:35:56.66\00:36:00.81
Go against the
flow, don't slow down
00:36:00.84\00:36:03.51
because people
want you to get down.
00:36:03.54\00:36:05.91
Don't move out of the way
00:36:05.94\00:36:06.97
because it seems like an
inconvenient thing to do.
00:36:07.00\00:36:10.35
Keep holding the torch
high, it's good to be a people,
00:36:10.38\00:36:13.69
or young people that are
fired up about the message
00:36:13.72\00:36:16.54
that God has given to them.
00:36:16.57\00:36:18.75
The people that
have lost the message
00:36:18.78\00:36:22.64
and deny the
power of the message,
00:36:22.67\00:36:25.25
Jesus came to revive again
00:36:25.28\00:36:27.26
and it's not that they didn't
have something that was good
00:36:27.29\00:36:29.77
but in the book, My Life Today,
00:36:29.80\00:36:30.90
Ellen White said this.
00:36:30.93\00:36:32.74
"It is not because of
any restriction on God's part
00:36:32.77\00:36:36.11
that the riches of His
grace did not flow to men,
00:36:36.14\00:36:40.18
if all were willing to receive
00:36:40.21\00:36:43.14
all would be
filled with the spirit."
00:36:43.17\00:36:46.10
But she says, "We
are too easily satisfied,
00:36:46.13\00:36:49.01
get this, with a
ripple on the surface
00:36:49.04\00:36:52.00
when it is our
privilege to expect
00:36:52.03\00:36:54.87
the deep moving of
the spirit of God."
00:36:54.90\00:37:00.52
That's why the
devil is so busy nowadays,
00:37:00.55\00:37:02.57
he wants young
folk to be distracted
00:37:02.60\00:37:05.58
by the music and
the entertainment
00:37:05.61\00:37:07.42
and all the world is
trying to flood you away.
00:37:07.45\00:37:10.07
When you read Revelation 12,
00:37:10.10\00:37:11.50
you see the devil
is involved in that too
00:37:11.53\00:37:13.01
because he poured out a flood
00:37:13.04\00:37:15.43
after the women
trying to wash away
00:37:15.46\00:37:17.41
all that God was
trying to fill the women with
00:37:17.44\00:37:20.30
and he's still
pouring out floods today.
00:37:20.33\00:37:23.07
And even though the Sanhedrin
rejected Jesus in his day,
00:37:23.10\00:37:26.28
the Lord found a
wonderful place to fill 12 men,
00:37:26.31\00:37:31.34
and on the day of
Pentecost not only men
00:37:31.37\00:37:33.07
but also women,
filled them with the power
00:37:33.10\00:37:35.49
to carry the
gospel to the world.
00:37:35.52\00:37:37.42
And when you read
about the progress
00:37:37.45\00:37:38.73
of the New Testament church,
00:37:38.76\00:37:40.10
it is said that they
cover the entire world
00:37:40.13\00:37:42.20
with a gospel in only 34 years.
00:37:42.23\00:37:44.53
They began with just a 120.
00:37:44.56\00:37:48.31
And I submit to you,
00:37:48.34\00:37:49.37
if they can turn the
world upside down with only 120,
00:37:49.40\00:37:52.42
what can we do in
Australia with more than a 120?
00:37:52.45\00:37:55.25
Come on, say amen, somebody?
00:37:55.28\00:37:57.48
You know what they prayed for?
00:37:57.51\00:37:58.75
They prayed for the
infilling of the spirit of God,
00:37:58.78\00:38:00.77
and let me say this,
00:38:00.80\00:38:02.03
"You can't pray
for a single event,
00:38:02.06\00:38:04.26
you got to pray every day
00:38:04.29\00:38:06.01
in preparation
for the great event,
00:38:06.04\00:38:08.62
you can't wait
for the latter rain,
00:38:08.65\00:38:10.68
to receive the latter
rain you got to work toward
00:38:10.71\00:38:13.56
and pray toward and
revitalize yourself every day
00:38:13.59\00:38:16.79
in preparation
for the latter rain."
00:38:16.82\00:38:20.78
Because before the
day of Pentecost came,
00:38:20.81\00:38:23.39
Jesus breathed on His
disciples and He said,
00:38:23.42\00:38:26.99
"Receive ye the Holy Spirit."
00:38:27.02\00:38:30.90
They were special not
because of what they knew
00:38:30.93\00:38:34.12
but because of to
whom they were connected.
00:38:34.15\00:38:36.49
You see the only good thing
about us, is not who we are,
00:38:36.52\00:38:41.11
but is the goodness is in
the God we're connected to
00:38:41.14\00:38:44.54
and in the power of
the message that we preach.
00:38:44.57\00:38:47.42
We don't have good preachers,
we got a good message,
00:38:47.45\00:38:53.03
because you know some of
those people in other churches
00:38:53.06\00:38:55.94
if it's about preaching style,
00:38:55.97\00:38:58.09
there are other preachers
that can out preach us.
00:38:58.12\00:39:00.45
I'm so glad it's not
about the preaching style,
00:39:00.48\00:39:02.90
but it's about the
message, come on, say amen.
00:39:02.93\00:39:05.52
Because I don't care
what the postman looks like
00:39:05.55\00:39:07.62
as long as I get
my letter, am I right?
00:39:07.65\00:39:12.17
Some people get
hung up on the preacher
00:39:12.20\00:39:14.00
don't, don't
discount the message,
00:39:14.03\00:39:16.05
some people say who's preaching?
00:39:16.08\00:39:17.78
Oh, that's a bad question.
00:39:17.81\00:39:20.11
What are they
preaching is the real question
00:39:20.14\00:39:23.09
because some people
could preach really well,
00:39:23.12\00:39:24.88
but what they're preaching
is what makes the difference.
00:39:24.91\00:39:28.48
The light that we
reflect makes us who we are.
00:39:28.51\00:39:32.76
That's why Peter
says it this way,
00:39:32.79\00:39:34.20
"But you are a
chosen generation,
00:39:34.23\00:39:36.35
a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
00:39:36.38\00:39:38.57
His own special
people, and here is the reason
00:39:38.60\00:39:40.87
why that you may
proclaim the praises of Him
00:39:40.90\00:39:44.56
who called us out of darkness
00:39:44.59\00:39:46.51
into our church into
His marvelous light."
00:39:46.54\00:39:51.99
I think about the way I
used to be before I met Christ.
00:39:52.02\00:39:55.02
I thought that fun was going
from Brooklyn to Manhattan,
00:39:55.05\00:39:58.84
that was the
extent of my lifestyle.
00:39:58.87\00:40:01.20
And I thought I was
really living it up,
00:40:01.23\00:40:02.44
you know the devil
can do a job on you,
00:40:02.47\00:40:04.18
he can make you think
your life is successful,
00:40:04.21\00:40:06.20
but you really won't
know what success really is,
00:40:06.23\00:40:08.24
and what power really
is, until you put your life
00:40:08.27\00:40:10.88
in the hand of God who
can do much more for you
00:40:10.91\00:40:13.89
than you can ever envision.
00:40:13.92\00:40:15.57
And let me make
this point very clear.
00:40:15.60\00:40:17.08
God doesn't do anything
for us to campaign for us,
00:40:17.11\00:40:22.01
but everything God does
for us He does through us,
00:40:22.04\00:40:28.61
but He has to first do it in us.
00:40:28.64\00:40:31.75
Are you ready for the formula?
00:40:31.78\00:40:34.19
God works on us
so He can work in us,
00:40:34.22\00:40:40.92
then He can work through us.
00:40:40.95\00:40:44.14
If you don't
let God work on you,
00:40:44.17\00:40:46.36
He can't work in you,
00:40:46.39\00:40:47.86
and He surely
won't work through you.
00:40:47.89\00:40:51.12
When God called
me out of the world,
00:40:51.15\00:40:52.24
He had to work hard on me.
00:40:52.27\00:40:53.97
And I want to tell you,
00:40:54.00\00:40:55.03
some of us know what that's
like to have God working on us,
00:40:55.06\00:40:59.96
to have Jesus
chiseling away at all the things
00:40:59.99\00:41:02.23
that used to be
connected to our former life.
00:41:02.26\00:41:04.90
We know what's it's
like to be worked on,
00:41:04.93\00:41:08.00
but how wonderful it is,
00:41:08.03\00:41:09.57
when the working on
transitions to the working in,
00:41:09.60\00:41:13.63
and then God transitions
to the working through.
00:41:13.66\00:41:16.62
So what God does
through your life
00:41:16.65\00:41:18.87
always give the
glory back to the Lord.
00:41:18.90\00:41:21.03
Amen, somebody?
00:41:21.06\00:41:23.24
I believe that
when we're convinced
00:41:23.27\00:41:24.62
that Jesus cannot fail,
00:41:24.65\00:41:25.90
then we will make
ourselves available to Him.
00:41:25.93\00:41:30.35
You see the early rain was
not just the day of Pentecost
00:41:30.38\00:41:34.50
because Jesus had a
work for the disciples to do
00:41:34.53\00:41:36.78
before the day of Pentecost.
00:41:36.81\00:41:39.91
We won't get
involved in the greater work
00:41:39.94\00:41:42.53
if we neglect the lesser work.
00:41:42.56\00:41:45.04
God will not pour
out the latter rain on
00:41:45.07\00:41:47.58
those who are idle,
nor on those who claim
00:41:47.61\00:41:50.35
that they have nothing to do.
00:41:50.38\00:41:52.80
The Acts of the Apostles,
00:41:52.83\00:41:54.46
listen to what
inspiration tells us, page 54.
00:41:54.49\00:41:59.78
"There are some who,
instead of wisely improving
00:41:59.81\00:42:03.33
present
opportunities, are idly waiting
00:42:03.36\00:42:06.24
for some special
season of spiritual refreshing
00:42:06.27\00:42:11.36
by which their
ability to enlighten others
00:42:11.39\00:42:14.20
will be greatly increased.
00:42:14.23\00:42:18.06
They neglect present
duties and privileges,
00:42:18.09\00:42:20.67
and allow their
light to burn dim,
00:42:20.70\00:42:23.48
while they look
forward to a time
00:42:23.51\00:42:24.88
when, without any
effort on their part,
00:42:24.91\00:42:27.32
they will be made the recipients
00:42:27.35\00:42:29.00
of special blessing, by
which they will be transformed
00:42:29.03\00:42:33.15
and fitted for service."
00:42:33.18\00:42:34.90
You know what, my
brother and sisters,
00:42:34.93\00:42:36.31
the transformation comes
moment by moment and day by day.
00:42:36.34\00:42:39.85
What do you say?
00:42:39.88\00:42:41.33
That's what you have to--
everything you do everyday
00:42:41.36\00:42:43.35
cannot be done naturally,
it has to be done spiritually.
00:42:43.38\00:42:45.78
Let me confess as a pastor.
00:42:45.81\00:42:47.37
You know, they say
confession is good for the soul
00:42:47.40\00:42:48.98
but hard on the reputation.
00:42:49.01\00:42:52.24
You can work so hard for God
00:42:52.27\00:42:54.28
that sometimes you can fail
at allowing God to work in you.
00:42:54.31\00:43:01.09
Don't get caught up
in just working for God
00:43:01.12\00:43:03.76
but also realize that
God wants to work in us.
00:43:03.79\00:43:07.32
You can be in the work of God,
00:43:07.35\00:43:09.88
but sometimes fail to allow
that same God to work in you.
00:43:09.91\00:43:15.14
My wife and I were on
our way to California.
00:43:15.17\00:43:18.57
When we moved
there for the first time,
00:43:18.60\00:43:20.47
that is moved
there more permanently
00:43:20.50\00:43:22.28
to get involved in ministry,
00:43:22.31\00:43:23.45
and I remember the
distance was so far,
00:43:23.48\00:43:25.97
the journey was so
long that we thought that
00:43:26.00\00:43:28.39
that we can drive from Orlando,
Florida to Northern California
00:43:28.42\00:43:31.51
and we had about
three days to do it
00:43:31.54\00:43:33.06
and so we drove to
the middle of Texas
00:43:33.09\00:43:35.75
and we decided to stop
in the middle of Texas.
00:43:35.78\00:43:38.52
And we woke up the next morning,
00:43:38.55\00:43:42.55
got in our 4Runner with
our u-haul connected behind it.
00:43:42.58\00:43:47.45
I don't know what you
call that out here, caravan,
00:43:47.48\00:43:50.10
you got some strange
terminology in Australia,
00:43:50.13\00:43:53.47
we call it the
trunk, you call it the boot.
00:43:53.50\00:43:55.40
We wear boots anyway, let
me not try to sort it out,
00:43:55.43\00:44:01.49
so in Australia you
put your boots in the boot,
00:44:01.52\00:44:05.63
but in America we put
our boots in the trunk.
00:44:05.66\00:44:07.99
Don't worry about it
00:44:08.02\00:44:09.17
and then Australia
elephants have trunks,
00:44:09.20\00:44:10.70
I understand, so let's
not even go down that road.
00:44:10.73\00:44:14.94
But we got up that
morning to continue our journey,
00:44:14.97\00:44:17.33
and as we are
journeying to our destination
00:44:17.36\00:44:21.28
my wife said, she
commented at about
00:44:21.31\00:44:23.61
maybe 15 or 20 minutes
in the journey she said,
00:44:23.64\00:44:25.94
"Hey, you know what John,
00:44:25.97\00:44:29.59
they have a
restaurant just like that,
00:44:29.62\00:44:33.08
we passed the
restaurant just like that
00:44:33.11\00:44:34.55
yesterday didn't we, yeah."
00:44:34.58\00:44:37.04
10 minutes later,
"Hey, you know what
00:44:37.07\00:44:38.73
they've a
monument just like that,
00:44:38.76\00:44:41.70
we passed yesterday it
by half hour, yeah, we did."
00:44:41.73\00:44:46.90
It dawned to me
after about 35 minutes,
00:44:46.93\00:44:48.56
we were going in
the wrong direction
00:44:48.59\00:44:50.97
and here's my point this has
spiritual significance to that,
00:44:51.00\00:44:53.39
if the things that you passed
00:44:53.42\00:44:55.78
began to show up
in your life again
00:44:55.81\00:44:58.42
you're going in
the wrong direction.
00:44:58.45\00:45:04.89
That is the greatest
need for prayer in our lives.
00:45:04.92\00:45:10.53
The devil wants to
bring back the things
00:45:10.56\00:45:12.54
that we passed in
our ultimate journey
00:45:12.57\00:45:16.08
to fulfillment in Christ.
00:45:16.11\00:45:17.81
If the things that you pass
00:45:17.84\00:45:20.04
began to show up
in your life again,
00:45:20.07\00:45:21.93
that means you're
going in the wrong direction,
00:45:21.96\00:45:24.16
but the good news
is if you're going
00:45:24.19\00:45:25.95
in the wrong
direction, God allows u-turns.
00:45:25.98\00:45:28.07
What do you say?
00:45:28.10\00:45:30.32
I got of the exit, realizing
we lost 35 minutes of time
00:45:30.35\00:45:34.18
and turned around
00:45:34.21\00:45:35.91
and headed in
the right direction.
00:45:35.94\00:45:37.20
And so what I want to do tonight
00:45:37.23\00:45:39.11
in preparation
for my time with you
00:45:39.14\00:45:41.07
that is from this
particular point preaching,
00:45:41.10\00:45:43.59
what I wanted to do tonight
00:45:43.62\00:45:44.67
is something a
little differently.
00:45:44.70\00:45:46.14
I don't want to
just end with the prayer,
00:45:46.17\00:45:48.17
but I want to begin our
time together with a commitment.
00:45:48.20\00:45:52.36
Because I know that you are here
00:45:52.39\00:45:53.42
for the witness
conference, you paid,
00:45:53.45\00:45:54.94
you registered for the classes,
00:45:54.97\00:45:56.80
this is the time of
spiritual refreshing and renewal
00:45:56.83\00:45:59.57
and a time where we
reconnect with Christ,
00:45:59.60\00:46:02.29
but tonight I
want to make an appeal,
00:46:02.32\00:46:03.86
a very specific appeal.
00:46:03.89\00:46:05.69
If your desire is to reconnect,
00:46:05.72\00:46:10.74
now, now hear me
carefully, there are some of you
00:46:10.77\00:46:12.86
that are not yet fully
connected as you could be.
00:46:12.89\00:46:15.75
But if your
desire is to reconnect
00:46:15.78\00:46:19.53
your relationship to the power
00:46:19.56\00:46:22.79
that Christ wants to
make available to you,
00:46:22.82\00:46:26.00
you want to
reconnect because you know that
00:46:26.03\00:46:29.28
you're not where
God want you to be.
00:46:29.31\00:46:31.75
If your desire tonight is
to reconnect to the Christ that
00:46:31.78\00:46:36.34
wants to work in your
life, simply stand tonight
00:46:36.37\00:46:39.07
wherever you are, I
want to pray for you.
00:46:39.10\00:46:40.28
If you want to reconnect,
00:46:40.31\00:46:43.47
praise the Lord,
there somebody that admits
00:46:43.50\00:46:45.10
to praise the
Lord to someone else.
00:46:45.13\00:46:47.01
Praise the Lord.
00:46:47.04\00:46:49.82
Praise the Lord.
00:46:49.85\00:46:51.89
If there's
something in your life
00:46:51.92\00:46:53.14
that you know
needs to be disconnected
00:46:53.17\00:46:55.47
and you want to
reconnect to Christ to have Him,
00:46:55.50\00:46:58.20
to continue His
work in your life,
00:46:58.23\00:46:59.80
praise the
Lord, praise the Lord,
00:46:59.83\00:47:02.33
a young folk and
people of very young ages.
00:47:02.36\00:47:05.41
You see this is the
time of self examination,
00:47:05.44\00:47:07.65
I'm not waiting
for the latter rain,
00:47:07.68\00:47:09.53
I want to make sure
that I've got it right now.
00:47:09.56\00:47:12.86
I don't want to wait
for some great opportunity
00:47:12.89\00:47:14.38
in the future
where everybody says
00:47:14.41\00:47:15.56
"Hey, the
latter rain just fell."
00:47:15.59\00:47:17.60
I want you to know that
the latter rain is falling on
00:47:17.63\00:47:19.78
people to your
left and to your right.
00:47:19.81\00:47:21.47
God wants to transform
your life before that great
00:47:21.50\00:47:23.81
and glorious
outpouring of the latter rain.
00:47:23.84\00:47:27.03
But He wants us to
examine ourselves to see
00:47:27.06\00:47:30.63
if things are
showing up in our lives
00:47:30.66\00:47:33.49
that were once in our past.
00:47:33.52\00:47:35.52
Then my final appeal is this.
00:47:35.55\00:47:37.48
There are those
that are standing,
00:47:37.51\00:47:38.55
we gonna pray for those
that reconnect their hearts
00:47:38.58\00:47:40.17
and their lives to Christ,
00:47:40.20\00:47:43.91
but then there are
those of you that are saying,
00:47:43.94\00:47:45.60
"Lord, I don't know
where I fit in Your work,
00:47:45.63\00:47:47.95
I'm not exactly sure what
You are going to do in my life
00:47:47.98\00:47:52.04
and how glorious
that's going to be,
00:47:52.07\00:47:54.02
but Father tonight I simply
want to make myself available
00:47:54.05\00:47:58.93
for the Holy Spirit to come in."
00:47:58.96\00:48:01.81
If there's somebody here tonight
00:48:01.84\00:48:03.15
that wants to make
himself or herself available
00:48:03.18\00:48:06.51
for the spirit of God to come in
00:48:06.54\00:48:07.71
and begin a work in your life,
00:48:07.74\00:48:09.25
why don't you stand
tonight and join with me?
00:48:09.28\00:48:11.72
You want to make
yourself available.
00:48:11.75\00:48:13.37
Young man, young lady,
00:48:13.40\00:48:15.04
you want to make
yourself available.
00:48:15.07\00:48:20.92
Available.
00:48:20.95\00:48:24.34
You know what the
day of Pentecost was?
00:48:24.37\00:48:27.18
A 120 folk that simply
made themselves available
00:48:27.21\00:48:31.74
that's what it was.
00:48:31.77\00:48:33.45
Look at what God did.
00:48:33.48\00:48:35.35
He turned the world upside down.
00:48:35.38\00:48:36.67
And I want to say
as I pray tonight,
00:48:36.70\00:48:39.13
I'm gonna pray for God
00:48:39.16\00:48:40.65
to keep the things of
your past in your past,
00:48:40.68\00:48:45.74
and then to fill your life
00:48:45.77\00:48:48.50
with such an
abundance of His Holy Spirit
00:48:48.53\00:48:51.43
that you're no
longer worrying about
00:48:51.46\00:48:52.79
what God is going
to do in your life.
00:48:52.82\00:48:55.73
Whether you're
equipped educationally or not,
00:48:55.76\00:48:58.75
the world is going
to look at your life
00:48:58.78\00:49:00.15
and say that they maybe
uneducated, and unlearned,
00:49:00.18\00:49:06.11
but they've
surely been with Jesus.
00:49:06.14\00:49:08.79
The day is coming again.
00:49:08.82\00:49:11.11
God wants to do
something powerful in your life.
00:49:11.14\00:49:14.10
When the day of
Pentecost had fully come,
00:49:14.13\00:49:17.58
it's going to come again
00:49:17.61\00:49:19.20
and God wants to
transform your life.
00:49:19.23\00:49:20.84
Bow your heads with me tonight.
00:49:20.87\00:49:22.78
Heavenly Father, Your
people are standing tonight
00:49:22.81\00:49:25.90
in commitment at the
beginning of my time with them.
00:49:25.93\00:49:30.37
Father, You've done
so much in my own life,
00:49:30.40\00:49:33.35
yet You call me as a
preacher of righteousness,
00:49:33.38\00:49:38.68
to see to it that
the things of my past
00:49:38.71\00:49:41.97
don't show up
again in my present.
00:49:42.00\00:49:44.35
And so, Father, those
who have stood tonight,
00:49:44.38\00:49:46.47
making a commitment asking
00:49:46.50\00:49:47.99
for You to
disconnect them from their past,
00:49:48.02\00:49:50.94
Lord Jesus send Your
spirit to severe those things
00:49:50.97\00:49:53.87
that are calling us to go back,
00:49:53.90\00:49:56.13
that we may put our hands
to the plow and not look back.
00:49:56.16\00:50:01.21
Those that are
standing tonight, Father,
00:50:01.24\00:50:02.84
that are not sure about
00:50:02.87\00:50:03.93
what You're going
to do in their lives.
00:50:03.96\00:50:06.15
We pray, Father,
that they not be worried
00:50:06.18\00:50:09.18
that they simply
make themselves available
00:50:09.21\00:50:12.62
for You to work in them.
00:50:12.65\00:50:15.71
This mighty host of
all ages, and all races,
00:50:15.74\00:50:19.00
and all classes of
people will one day stand up
00:50:19.03\00:50:22.77
when they're fully
transformed into Your likeness
00:50:22.80\00:50:26.57
and they'll finally understand
00:50:26.60\00:50:28.64
what it means to be
connected to that eternal power.
00:50:28.67\00:50:31.83
So heavenly
Father, come Holy Spirit,
00:50:31.86\00:50:35.12
fill this place,
fill Your people,
00:50:35.15\00:50:38.19
that the world may know
that Jesus is coming again.
00:50:38.22\00:50:43.48
This is our prayer
and this is our desire,
00:50:43.51\00:50:46.16
we pray in Jesus name
and all of God's people said,
00:50:46.19\00:50:50.57
amen, and amen.
00:50:50.60\00:50:52.36
God bless you, you maybe seated,
00:50:52.39\00:50:54.18
you maybe seated.
00:50:54.21\00:50:59.60