Tonight I would like to share
with you a message entitled:
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"Privileged Eyes
and Transformed Lives"
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I want you to bow your heads
with me as we pray together...
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Our Father in Heaven,
We thank You so much, Lord,
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for the blessings
we have received today,
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and these past few
days, and how Your Spirit has
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been poured out upon us.
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Surely the presence of
the Lord is in this place,
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and we thank You so much
for helping us to recognize,
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and acknowledge that
presence in our lives.
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Lord, tonight,
we've had a long day,
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we've been blessed;
perhaps our minds are tired,
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but we ask, dear God,
that You please give us,
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an attentive mind, a soft
heart, and a sensitive Spirit
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that we might soak up every
word, every blessing You have
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in store for us this
evening, that You would not only
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instruct us, but that
You would inspire us to know
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that You are a God that is alive
and well, that Jesus lives,
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and He ever lives to
make intercession for us.
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I pray Lord, that as a result
of this presentation tonight,
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that you stir our hearts
with Holy Spirit conviction
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that will result in a
deeper conversion experience,
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that You would bring
revival that will result in
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reformation and restoration
and redemption of our lives.
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Please, dear God,
hide me behind the cross,
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give me the words to speak
and bless us now as we wait
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upon You tonight.
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In Jesus precious
name we pray... Amen, Amen
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Our message tonight entitled:
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"Privileged Eyes
and Transformed Lives"
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I invite you to take
your Bible and open with me to
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the book of Matthew,
we're going to go to the
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13th chapter where we find Jesus
speaking to those disciples.
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These unlearned and uneducated,
common fishermen whom
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He had called to train,
to disciple and to send out
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to do a work that
would change the whole world.
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I want us to notice what
Jesus said to them in Matthew 13
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beginning with
verse 16. Matthew 13:16
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Here the Lord Jesus says,
"But blessed are your eyes..."
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are you there?
Matthew 13:16, Jesus says,
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"But blessed are your
eyes for they see and your ears
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for they hear; for
verily I say unto you,
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that many prophets and righteous
men have desired to see those
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things which you see,
and have not seen them,
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and to hear those things which
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you hear and
have not heard them."
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Here we find the blessed Christ
pronouncing a blessing upon
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his disciples.
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These were the privileged
ones that were able to look upon
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those things which holy
men of old could only dream
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and write about and
cogitate and converse upon.
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The ancient prophecies of
the past were being fulfilled
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in their presence and with
their own faintly seeing eyes
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they were able to behold
the majesty of the heavens
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in the flesh.
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He in whom the patriarchs
and prophets saw in vision,
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and wrote about, and
longed to see in their day,
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these were the ones
that were able to see
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the fulfillment
of those prophecies.
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Those generations of the past
went to their graves failing
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to see its fulfillment,
but these 12 were the chosen
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ones; they were the blessed
ones; the privileged ones,
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and yet all of them
realized not the special solemn
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significance of the things
that they saw in front of them.
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They saw through a glass darkly,
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even though they were
face- to-face with the King,
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and God of the universe.
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Even though they did not
fully understand, nonetheless,
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they were blessed, and
by and by, they would come
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to understand more fully
just how blessed they were...
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But as we read these words
applied to the early apostolic
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church and those
disciples way back then,
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the blessing pronounced
upon them by the merciful,
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merciful Messiah at the
first coming is even more
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relevant for you and I today.
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Those of us who live
before His second coming,
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the great climatic
event, and we will see our
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King face-to-face.
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You see, for since the days
of the early apostolic church,
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God has revealed
more light to us.
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The Divine Insider has filled
us in on the rest of the story
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of redemption and
we know how the story
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is going to
unfold in minute detail,
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and we know who is
going to come out on top
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as the victor
in the controversy.
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The book of Revelation tells
us that God wins in the battle,
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and because He
wins, we win as well!
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You see friends, we've
been told that God would do His
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greatest work through
the weakest generation,
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and we, here, today,
belong to that generation.
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We have the accumulated
knowledge of every generation
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before us, and truth has never
been clearer than it is today,
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and God has called us to
give the full and final display
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of the love and mercy and power
of Jesus in these last days.
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We are the privileged
ones that are to finish
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the story of redemption.
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The patriarchs and prophets,
and apostles, and protestants,
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and pioneers of the past, many
of them saw our day in vision,
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and they wanted to be right
here because we're living in the
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most exciting period
of this world's history.
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They wanted to see the things
that we see with our eyes,
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to hear the things that
we have heard with our ears,
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but God said, "No," to
them, and He said, "Yes," to us.
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We, indeed, are the
privileged generations,
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so, my brothers and sisters,
tonight I want to declare to you
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from the Word of
God, blessed are your eyes
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for the things that you see,
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and your ears for the
things that you heard.
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We are the blessed
and privileged generation,
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and many of us do not
realize we are blessed more than
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we recognize and we are surely
blessed more than we deserve.
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You see, those
who came before us,
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played in the seasonal games.
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But you and I, friends, we have
made it through the playoffs,
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and we're now in the
super bowl headed to the
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2- minute warning and the
good news is that with the
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Father as the general manager,
and Jesus as the head coach,
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and the Holy Spirit
as our team captain,
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we are on the winning team.
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Please forgive me for using the
American football illustration,
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but someone told me
today that the super bowl is
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pretty popular
here, down under, as well.
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And so friends,
fear not Little Flock,
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it is your Father's good
pleasure to give you the kingdom
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We've been told that as we pray
like those early apostles did,
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that what they experienced
in the past is but a glimpse
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of what God
wants us to experience
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right now in the present.
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I love what it
says in Jeremiah 33:3
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The Bible says, "Call
unto me and I will answer thee,
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and show thee great and mighty
things which thou knowest not."
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Friends, when we pray and
God answers and He reveals
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to our eyes these
wonderful things, He calls us
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to remember them
and never forget.
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I love what it says in the
book, "Gospel Workers," p. 374,
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notice what it says.
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How many of you
are thankful for that?
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You see, friends, when you study
Revelation, you are tempted to
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become afraid at the coming
crisis that is just before us,
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but fear not Little Flock,
what God has done in our past,
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He is able to do for our
present as well as our future,
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and we can have
absolute confidence the same
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God back then is the same
God today that will lead us
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all the way to the golden shore,
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all the way to
His eternal kingdom.
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It says, "Then let us take up
our work just where we find it,
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believing that nothing can come,
but that strength will come
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proportionate to the trial."
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And so God calls us to
remember the wonderful things
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He has revealed to us,
the things that we have been
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privileged to look
upon with our own eyes.
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Psalms 77:11-12, it says...
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And friends, this evening,
that's exactly what I want to do
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God commands us to
remember, to record, to recount,
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to report and to
repeat often all the things
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that He has done for us
in our past and why is that?
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Because looking back in
the past, we are instructed,
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but also we are
inspired to know that God
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is going to do great
things in the future.
00:10:02.22\00:10:05.05
And so tonight, I'd
just like to share with you
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the modern acts
of the Holy Spirit.
00:10:07.55\00:10:10.00
Just share with you from
my heart - the things that
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God has allowed my eyes to
see, and I pray that through it,
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you would be inspired to
know that it does not matter
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who you are, what you are
like, and where you've been,
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God can use anyone to make
a difference for Him, Amen?
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You see, every saint
has a past, but thank God,
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every sinner has a future.
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And, I for myself, was not
brought up in a Christian home.
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I was conceived out-of-wedlock.
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My mom and dad were very young,
and they never went to church.
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They were not
spiritual and so growing up,
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they could not give to me
that which they did not have
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themselves, and so I
grew up in a broken home.
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Sometimes I would live with mom,
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and other times, I
would live with dad,
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and going back and forth.
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There was a lot of
dysfunction in my household.
00:11:05.04\00:11:07.92
And as a result, when
I got into high school,
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I started getting
around, hanging around with the
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wrong crowd and I started
making terrible decisions,
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and I don't want to glorify
or talk too much about the past.
00:11:15.38\00:11:18.10
I'm not sharing my
full testimony tonight...
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That's another
story for another time,
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but let me just show you a
picture of what I used to be;
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what I used to look
like about 15 years ago.
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I was a youngster, a
druggie, getting high every
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single day of my life.
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If you look into those eyes,
there is no life in those eyes.
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I was chasing the world,
burning up my brain cells,
00:11:35.85\00:11:39.88
and trying to have fun in
this life and I was stimulated,
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but I was never satisfied.
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There was an emptiness within,
a great void, a great abyss,
00:11:45.44\00:11:48.88
and I was trying to fill it with
everything that the world offers
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but it only left
me thirsting for more.
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The world can stimulate,
but it can never satisfy.
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But I'm thankful that
in this lost condition
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where people to used know
me as a druggie, as a chronic,
00:12:02.16\00:12:05.03
as a pothead - in this
lost condition, 16 years old,
00:12:05.06\00:12:08.55
all of a sudden 2
young people came to my door,
00:12:08.58\00:12:13.19
and they knocked on it,
and they invited me to a
00:12:13.22\00:12:15.79
Bible Prophecy Seminar.
00:12:15.82\00:12:18.52
Have you ever heard of
anything like that before?
00:12:18.55\00:12:23.42
And I went to those meetings.
00:12:23.45\00:12:26.33
Many times I came
to those meetings -
00:12:26.36\00:12:28.19
my mind clouded with drugs.
00:12:28.22\00:12:31.90
I came to those meetings,
00:12:31.93\00:12:36.02
and the Word of
God was so powerful.
00:12:36.05\00:12:38.52
The Holy Spirit was
there in a very profound way,
00:12:38.55\00:12:41.86
and even though my
mind was clouded on drugs,
00:12:41.89\00:12:44.25
the power of the
gospel, the love of Christ
00:12:44.28\00:12:46.68
was able to penetrate my
clouded mind and pierce my
00:12:46.71\00:12:50.62
heart and to make a
long story short, friends,
00:12:50.65\00:12:53.20
after those meetings,
I gave my life to Jesus.
00:12:53.23\00:12:57.79
That's where Jesus found me.
00:12:57.82\00:13:00.13
I was baptized, 16 years
old, I had more hair then.
00:13:00.16\00:13:06.87
I was baptized and I just
haven't been the same since.
00:13:06.90\00:13:11.90
It was August 31, 1999; 2
weeks after I was baptized,
00:13:11.93\00:13:19.86
my experience in
evangelism began.
00:13:19.89\00:13:24.54
On September 11, 1999, I
found myself leaving on a
00:13:24.57\00:13:27.39
jet plant heading on
my first mission trip
00:13:27.42\00:13:31.30
to the country of New Zealand;
00:13:31.33\00:13:32.58
Aotearoa, the land
of the long white cloud,
00:13:32.61\00:13:36.02
and I was there joining
the same evangelistic team
00:13:36.05\00:13:38.97
that had just finished
the meetings at the church
00:13:39.00\00:13:40.88
that I was converted at.
00:13:40.91\00:13:41.97
Now I joined the team and I
was a 16-year-old youngster,
00:13:42.00\00:13:45.10
and I got on a plane by
myself; they had gone before me,
00:13:45.13\00:13:48.05
and I got on a plane by myself.
00:13:48.08\00:13:49.48
First time out of the country;
00:13:49.51\00:13:50.73
first time on a mission trip,
00:13:50.76\00:13:51.97
just 2 weeks
after I was converted...
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And I was involved
in going door-to-door,
00:13:53.95\00:13:56.56
and inviting
people to the meetings.
00:13:56.59\00:13:58.09
I will never forget meeting
a young person at the door
00:13:58.12\00:14:01.22
in New Zealand and they
actually came to the meetings,
00:14:01.25\00:14:03.24
and I was so overjoyed
because I had just experienced
00:14:03.27\00:14:06.19
the peace and the
victory of Jesus in my own life.
00:14:06.22\00:14:08.51
And now, this individual that
I invited was at the meetings!
00:14:08.54\00:14:11.44
And I remember
that night when he came!
00:14:11.47\00:14:13.74
The evangelist made an
appeal and that young person,
00:14:13.77\00:14:16.23
that I knocked on
their door and invited,
00:14:16.26\00:14:18.36
he responded to the
appeal, and when I saw that,
00:14:18.39\00:14:20.87
oh friends, the
joy was inexpressible!
00:14:20.90\00:14:23.84
I went back home, after a
month, on fire for the Lord.
00:14:23.87\00:14:30.34
And immediately I got involved
in ministry and I had gone to a
00:14:30.37\00:14:34.52
public school all my life,
but I decided that I would go to
00:14:34.55\00:14:37.71
the local Christian academy,
Hawaiian Mission Academy,
00:14:37.74\00:14:42.27
our church school,
and I remember when I went
00:14:42.30\00:14:44.58
there, I thought that everyone
would be on fire for the Lord
00:14:44.61\00:14:46.57
like I was.
00:14:46.60\00:14:51.99
But even though
it wasn't like that,
00:14:52.02\00:14:55.61
myself as well as a few
other brothers of mine that were
00:14:55.64\00:14:58.27
baptized at those same meetings,
00:14:58.30\00:14:59.63
we decided that we
wanted God to use us to start
00:14:59.66\00:15:03.92
some type of revival on campus
with the new kids on campus.
00:15:03.95\00:15:07.58
And so we decided
to have prayer meeting
00:15:07.61\00:15:09.80
every single day
before school would start.
00:15:09.83\00:15:11.95
We invited people, all the
students, all the classmates
00:15:11.99\00:15:16.26
in the school to come to
come to the prayer meeting
00:15:16.29\00:15:18.29
early in the
morning and we would come.
00:15:18.32\00:15:20.16
Only a few people would come,
00:15:20.19\00:15:21.51
but I remember
one particular boy.
00:15:21.54\00:15:23.34
There was only about 3 or 4
of us and there were some young
00:15:23.37\00:15:25.76
ladies that were there,
some classmates of ours,
00:15:25.79\00:15:27.68
and, you see, I was fresh.
00:15:27.71\00:15:30.17
I had just given
my life to Christ;
00:15:30.20\00:15:31.46
I never went to a college,
or experienced formal training
00:15:31.49\00:15:34.78
or anything, but I remember that
00:15:34.81\00:15:36.30
no one was leading out
that morning and so I decided
00:15:36.33\00:15:38.62
that I would simply
share, and my first Bible study,
00:15:38.65\00:15:42.29
I simply strung 3
verses together, read them
00:15:42.32\00:15:46.66
with conviction, gave
a short commentary on it,
00:15:46.69\00:15:50.74
and after reading those
3 verses with conviction,
00:15:50.77\00:15:53.40
one of those girls
began to weep with conviction
00:15:53.43\00:15:57.99
in her heart recognizing
her desperate need of Jesus...
00:15:58.02\00:16:03.07
And when I saw that, and
how the power of the Word
00:16:03.10\00:16:06.52
was able to change
someone and how God allowed me
00:16:06.55\00:16:08.74
to be able to share the
Word, let me tell you friends,
00:16:08.77\00:16:10.56
at that moment, I was hooked!
00:16:10.59\00:16:12.84
I found my calling
and my purpose in life,
00:16:12.87\00:16:17.86
but here's the thing,
friends, I was the most
00:16:17.89\00:16:19.60
unlikely
candidate to speak for God.
00:16:19.63\00:16:24.43
I was slow of
speech, lacking brain cells,
00:16:24.46\00:16:29.38
growing up as the
only child most of my life,
00:16:29.41\00:16:31.31
I was very
introverted, socially awkward,
00:16:31.34\00:16:34.14
extremely shy, and
not only that, there was a
00:16:34.17\00:16:37.88
great disadvantage because
I grew up in the beautiful
00:16:37.91\00:16:40.01
islands of Hawaii and
English is my second language.
00:16:40.04\00:16:44.92
My first language
is broken English.
00:16:44.95\00:16:49.94
That's what we speak in Hawaii.
00:16:49.97\00:16:51.75
We take a paragraph and
we say it in a sentence.
00:16:51.78\00:16:55.23
We simplify it.
00:16:55.26\00:16:56.98
We take a sentence
and we say it in 2 words.
00:16:57.01\00:17:00.33
We take 2 words and we
say it with our eyebrows.
00:17:00.36\00:17:05.31
And so granted, my
English was so terrible,
00:17:05.34\00:17:08.72
I was the least likely
candidate; I'm still very shy,
00:17:08.75\00:17:11.58
and an
introverted person naturally.
00:17:11.61\00:17:13.92
I burnt up a lot of my
brain cells and so I was the
00:17:13.95\00:17:17.10
least likely
candidate, and so how can God
00:17:17.13\00:17:19.86
use someone like me... who
had straight F's in school.
00:17:19.89\00:17:25.54
It doesn't
stand for "fantastic."
00:17:25.57\00:17:29.25
How could God
use someone like me,
00:17:29.28\00:17:30.78
but here's the beautiful
thing about the Lord Jesus...
00:17:30.81\00:17:33.51
God is not dependent on
our skills and our abilities,
00:17:33.54\00:17:36.43
and our talents, and our
good looks, and our resources.
00:17:36.46\00:17:38.91
He's not dependent
on any of those things!
00:17:38.94\00:17:41.75
Nor is He limited by
our lack of those things.
00:17:41.78\00:17:45.18
The only thing God is dependent
upon is a willing Spirit;
00:17:45.21\00:17:49.85
a Spirit that is
teachable and moldable,
00:17:49.88\00:17:53.95
and that's what I have.
00:17:53.98\00:17:55.65
I love what it says in the book
00:17:55.68\00:17:56.76
"Acts of the
Apostles," on page 17, it says:
00:17:56.79\00:17:59.55
I'm thankful for that, friends.
00:18:20.03\00:18:22.30
Jesus passed
learning eloquence and power;
00:18:22.33\00:18:24.64
He chose the humble and
the unlearned and through these
00:18:24.67\00:18:27.93
moldable, teachable disciples,
He was to empower them.
00:18:27.96\00:18:32.51
They were to move by His power
and they would do a ministry
00:18:32.54\00:18:36.52
that would shake the world,
00:18:36.55\00:18:38.21
turn the whole
world upside down.
00:18:38.24\00:18:40.14
You see my friends, it is
our humility and our dependence
00:18:40.17\00:18:43.58
upon God that is our greatest,
00:18:43.61\00:18:46.07
and, basically,
our only qualification.
00:18:46.10\00:18:49.45
That's what makes us
safe for God to bless.
00:18:49.48\00:18:52.12
You see, God wants to
bless us with the power
00:18:52.15\00:18:54.90
to change the world,
but many times, He doesn't
00:18:54.93\00:18:57.29
because He can't
trust us with that blessing.
00:18:57.32\00:19:00.24
You know, many times,
we ask God to bless us,
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.27
but I think that
our prayer ought to
00:19:02.30\00:19:03.99
adapt a little bit,
change a little bit.
00:19:04.02\00:19:05.68
Instead of
saying, "Lord, bless us,
00:19:05.71\00:19:07.23
we ought to pray, "Lord,
make us safe for You to bless."
00:19:07.27\00:19:12.32
And that which makes
us safe for God to bless,
00:19:12.35\00:19:16.57
is our humility and our
dependence because God knows
00:19:16.60\00:19:20.15
that we will not steal
the glory to ourselves...
00:19:20.18\00:19:24.29
And so, I was the
least likely candidate,
00:19:24.32\00:19:27.76
but God began
to work in my life.
00:19:27.79\00:19:29.78
My first sermon I ever preached,
when I was 16 years old,
00:19:29.81\00:19:32.68
I was just converted
and I had a testimony,
00:19:32.71\00:19:36.89
and every now and then,
my pastor in my local church,
00:19:36.92\00:19:41.05
I'll never forget, that's where
I learned to be ready always
00:19:41.08\00:19:45.53
because sometimes he
would get up without any notice,
00:19:45.56\00:19:48.90
just before he
preaches a sermon,
00:19:48.93\00:19:50.77
he says, "I would like
to invite Taj to come up
00:19:50.80\00:19:53.06
and share
something with us right now,"
00:19:53.09\00:19:55.29
without any notice and
so, it got to the point where
00:19:55.32\00:19:59.50
every time I came to church,
I was always ready to preach
00:19:59.53\00:20:03.22
or to share something.
00:20:03.25\00:20:05.82
Be ready always, Amen?
in season and our of season.
00:20:05.85\00:20:09.38
And so, God began to
train me and mold me,
00:20:09.41\00:20:12.27
and I remember that for my
senior year of high school,
00:20:12.30\00:20:15.50
I went back to my public
high school that I had gone to,
00:20:15.53\00:20:18.85
... my senior year,
that's year 12- is that right?
00:20:18.88\00:20:21.75
So year 11, I went to
the Hawaiian Mission Academy,
00:20:21.78\00:20:24.25
but year 12, I decided to go
back to the public high school
00:20:24.28\00:20:27.13
simply to witness to my
friends before graduation.
00:20:27.16\00:20:30.74
So I went back and I held
Bible studies every single day,
00:20:30.77\00:20:35.10
and I would invite the
whole school in this public high
00:20:35.13\00:20:37.44
school to come during the lunch
period to have Bible studies.
00:20:37.47\00:20:40.18
Now friends, I didn't
know much, but I knew Jesus,
00:20:40.22\00:20:43.61
and that's what
made the difference.
00:20:43.64\00:20:45.82
And I simply shared
the little that I did know,
00:20:45.85\00:20:48.25
and let me tell you,
hundreds of young people
00:20:48.28\00:20:50.40
came to those Bible
studies every single day,
00:20:50.43\00:20:52.34
and I was able to go
back to my old friends
00:20:52.37\00:20:53.86
that I used to smoke weed
with, and apologize to them,
00:20:53.89\00:20:56.21
and for the negative influence
I had, and I would pass out
00:20:56.24\00:20:59.99
"Steps to Christ"
all over the school...
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.09
And I remember
one particular day,
00:21:02.12\00:21:03.49
in the physical education class,
it was basically a free period,
00:21:03.52\00:21:07.03
and in this period,
almost the entire football team
00:21:07.06\00:21:09.73
was in this class; the
most intimidating brothers
00:21:09.76\00:21:13.19
in the school, these party
guys and whatnot - big brothers.
00:21:13.22\00:21:17.82
And it was a free period,
so I decided instead of wasting
00:21:17.85\00:21:20.69
time, I would read by Bible.
00:21:20.72\00:21:21.84
So I went into the
corner of the classroom,
00:21:21.87\00:21:23.91
and I started reading the
Bible and all of a sudden,
00:21:23.94\00:21:25.81
one of them came and asked
me, "What are you reading?"
00:21:25.84\00:21:27.59
And I began to share with
him and then another came,
00:21:27.62\00:21:29.83
and another came, and by
the time the class period was
00:21:29.86\00:21:34.29
finished, I had the whole
football team surrounding me
00:21:34.32\00:21:37.00
in the corner.
00:21:37.03\00:21:39.31
And the Lord came upon
me, and I was just preaching
00:21:39.34\00:21:43.29
with the power of the Holy
Spirit and you could hear a
00:21:43.32\00:21:46.48
pin drop - everyone, you
could see conviction on the
00:21:46.51\00:21:48.57
faces of these brothers.
00:21:48.60\00:21:49.90
And when the bell
rang, no one moved,
00:21:49.93\00:21:51.97
and one of the guys
said, "Taj, would you please
00:21:52.00\00:21:54.71
pray for us right now."
00:21:54.74\00:21:56.89
"Can you please pray for
us right now, that we would
00:21:56.92\00:21:58.77
experience what you experience?"
00:21:58.80\00:22:01.13
God was moving in a powerful
way and as a result of those
00:22:01.16\00:22:03.29
Bible studies that
we had in high school
00:22:03.32\00:22:05.69
when I was in my
12th year in high school,
00:22:05.72\00:22:07.52
as a result of
those Bible studies,
00:22:07.55\00:22:09.60
6 of my friends and
their family members
00:22:09.63\00:22:11.67
accepted Jesus and was
baptized into His church.
00:22:11.70\00:22:15.73
And so God was confirming
the calling He had placed
00:22:15.76\00:22:19.27
upon my life with fruit!
00:22:19.30\00:22:22.10
And I'll never forget,
there was an ESL student
00:22:22.13\00:22:24.56
that came from Taiwan,
and he saw me reading the
00:22:24.59\00:22:29.23
Bible one day and he asked
and he would ask questions.
00:22:29.26\00:22:31.98
He had no knowledge about
anything about Christianity.
00:22:32.01\00:22:36.65
He asked, "Who's
Jesus?" "What is heaven?"
00:22:36.68\00:22:40.45
"Why did Jesus have to die?"
00:22:40.48\00:22:42.57
His mind was like a sponge.
00:22:42.60\00:22:45.08
And so, I began to mentor him
and share Bible studies with him
00:22:45.11\00:22:48.48
And he was baptized,
and after I graduated,
00:22:48.51\00:22:51.62
and he became a senior,
he was the spiritual leader
00:22:51.65\00:22:54.18
of the school.
00:22:54.21\00:22:55.39
He was the one
that was preaching.
00:22:55.42\00:22:57.37
So God was blessing.
00:22:57.40\00:23:00.41
After graduating
from high school,
00:23:00.44\00:23:04.04
there were different
opportunities presented
00:23:04.07\00:23:06.81
before me - to go to
school, go to college,
00:23:06.84\00:23:10.09
but I was convicted by God
that I needed to stay home;
00:23:10.12\00:23:14.51
to spend a year to
reach out to my family,
00:23:14.54\00:23:18.01
and my community.
00:23:18.04\00:23:19.85
I was reading one day
in the book of Acts 1:8,
00:23:19.88\00:23:22.43
and what Jesus said to
the disciples, He said:
00:23:22.46\00:23:26.37
And so, when I read
this, I was convicted.
00:23:40.82\00:23:42.67
You know, the Lord was telling
His people to start close,
00:23:42.70\00:23:46.60
start at home first.
00:23:46.63\00:23:48.16
To do the duty
that lied nearest,
00:23:48.19\00:23:49.79
and then after they
are finished in Jerusalem,
00:23:49.82\00:23:51.84
then they go to
Judaea and Samaria;
00:23:51.87\00:23:53.71
then they continue to
spread out to the uttermost
00:23:53.74\00:23:57.32
parts of the world,
and so I was convicted
00:23:57.35\00:23:59.17
by this and, for me, the
Holy Spirit impressed me that
00:23:59.20\00:24:01.67
instead of going off to
school, I would just stay home
00:24:01.70\00:24:04.65
and reach out to my community.
00:24:04.68\00:24:06.98
And my goal was this...
In one year, I want to knock
00:24:07.01\00:24:09.39
on every single door in my
town to offer Bible studies.
00:24:09.42\00:24:18.18
And so I did that for a year.
00:24:18.21\00:24:20.12
I supported
myself by canvassing.
00:24:20.15\00:24:23.39
God was training me, I never
went to a canvassing program.
00:24:23.42\00:24:26.69
The Literature Ministries
director just gave me a
00:24:27.18\00:24:30.53
canvass and gave me
some books, and let me loose!
00:24:30.56\00:24:33.88
I love was it says in the book
"Ministry of Healing," p. 472,
00:24:33.91\00:24:37.46
"Whether pleasing or unpleasing,
we are to do the duty that lies
00:24:37.49\00:24:42.21
nearest - to be
faithful with that which
00:24:42.24\00:24:45.82
God has already given to us."
00:24:45.85\00:24:47.24
Do the duty that lies nearest.
00:24:47.27\00:24:49.21
And then it says, "Testimonies
to Ministers," p.119, it says,
00:24:49.24\00:24:51.77
"God can teach you more in
one moment by His Holy Spirit,"
00:24:51.80\00:24:56.01
than you can learn from
the great men of the earth."
00:24:56.04\00:24:59.48
And that was my
experience; God was teaching me
00:24:59.51\00:25:01.60
here at home and the Lord
was blessing in a special way.
00:25:01.63\00:25:05.16
And after that
year was finished,
00:25:05.19\00:25:08.31
I then went to a small Bible
College in the dry, hot, arid
00:25:08.34\00:25:12.55
desert of Arizona...
leaving the beautiful
00:25:12.58\00:25:15.87
white, sandy beaches
of Hawaii to Arizona,
00:25:15.90\00:25:18.95
and that was my
wilderness experience.
00:25:18.98\00:25:22.66
Two years at the training school
"SOULS-West" where they used
00:25:22.69\00:25:26.45
literature evangelism
to train individuals to do
00:25:26.48\00:25:29.62
ministry for the
Lord, to train individuals
00:25:29.65\00:25:31.95
to be leaders, and so,
it's not an accredited school,
00:25:31.98\00:25:34.27
it's just a simple training
school and I was there for
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.59
2 years and this was the class.
00:25:36.62\00:25:38.30
And we learned how to
be leaders for the Lord;
00:25:38.33\00:25:40.62
how to be effective in
reaching people for Christ.
00:25:40.65\00:25:43.64
I want to read you
some quotations on what
00:25:43.67\00:25:45.46
the Spirit of Prophecy says
concerning this special work.
00:25:45.49\00:25:48.27
In the book, "The Colporteur
Evangelist," p.93, it says:
00:25:48.30\00:25:51.49
Wow! "Better prepared," it says.
00:26:10.13\00:26:13.80
And then notice,
"Colporteur Ministry," p.57...
00:26:13.83\00:26:16.39
I want to put a
plug in right here...
00:26:27.31\00:26:29.53
If you want to be
trained, if you want to grow by
00:26:29.56\00:26:32.16
leaps and bounds, get involved
in the literature ministry work.
00:26:32.19\00:26:36.92
That's how God led me,
now I'm forever grateful
00:26:36.95\00:26:40.84
as a result of it.
00:26:40.87\00:26:41.98
And the reason why I believe
that inspiration calls this
00:26:42.01\00:26:44.44
"the best preparation,"
and even in some cases,
00:26:44.47\00:26:46.76
can be better preparation,
is because at the door,
00:26:46.79\00:26:49.89
you're dealing with
the one-soul audience,
00:26:49.92\00:26:52.85
and God teaches you how to
make friends with strangers
00:26:52.88\00:26:55.85
in a very short time period.
00:26:55.88\00:26:59.12
How to read people and
ask the right questions,
00:26:59.15\00:27:01.26
how to be wise and tactful,
how to answer objections,
00:27:01.29\00:27:04.23
and close for
decisions, how to pray and push
00:27:04.26\00:27:06.70
through your own struggles,
and limiting mindsets.
00:27:06.73\00:27:09.30
It builds faith and confidence
in you to know what God can do
00:27:09.33\00:27:13.15
as you see the Great Controversy
00:27:13.18\00:27:14.46
before your very
eyes at the door,
00:27:14.49\00:27:17.01
and mainly it's
character-building.
00:27:17.04\00:27:19.72
It fits you for heaven.
00:27:19.75\00:27:21.19
And so, for those 2
years at that Bible college,
00:27:21.22\00:27:24.43
I was being taught by the
Holy Spirit on the front lines,
00:27:24.46\00:27:27.77
and after 2 years in
the wilderness of Arizona,
00:27:27.80\00:27:30.48
we graduated and
shortly after that,
00:27:30.51\00:27:32.92
I married my high
school sweetheart,
00:27:32.95\00:27:36.09
and we've been a team in
ministry for the last 9 years...
00:27:36.12\00:27:40.25
And shortly after, the
Central California Conference
00:27:40.28\00:27:44.62
hired us to do evangelism.
00:27:44.65\00:27:48.68
We've been there for
the last 8 or so years,
00:27:48.71\00:27:51.48
and God has taken us
many different places,
00:27:51.51\00:27:55.08
sharing the good news of
Christ; being a conference
00:27:55.11\00:27:58.01
evangelist for the last 8
years and in this short time,
00:27:58.04\00:28:00.08
we've done 55 full-scale
evangelistic meetings,
00:28:00.11\00:28:03.50
and we've seen with our
own eyes, over 1,100 people
00:28:03.53\00:28:06.39
baptized through those meetings.
00:28:06.42\00:28:08.20
We've seen church members
revived and marriages restored,
00:28:08.23\00:28:11.29
broken homes healed and
the chains of addiction broken.
00:28:11.32\00:28:14.51
We've seen young people
come alive, relationships
00:28:14.54\00:28:17.00
restored and prayers
answered, miracles performed,
00:28:17.03\00:28:19.49
and heaven's population has
been increased as the result.
00:28:19.52\00:28:25.66
I would like to share
with you just a few stories...
00:28:25.69\00:28:30.00
And let me just say this...
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.29
To God be the glory,
great things He hath done.
00:28:31.32\00:28:34.46
The only thing that I can
boast about is the mercy of God
00:28:34.50\00:28:39.09
on my life.
00:28:39.12\00:28:41.48
Preaching the gospel is simply
00:28:41.51\00:28:44.00
one beggar telling another
beggar where to find bread.
00:28:44.03\00:28:46.61
We're all beggars, Amen?
00:28:46.64\00:28:49.06
So this is from
one beggar to another.
00:28:49.09\00:28:51.06
God can use each
and every one of us.
00:28:51.09\00:28:54.01
I would like to share
with you a few stories
00:28:54.04\00:28:57.03
and the lessons I
have learned... by the way,
00:28:57.06\00:28:59.46
here's Brother
Justin - if you noticed him.
00:28:59.49\00:29:01.71
He says to tell you
"Hi," I had the privilege of
00:29:01.74\00:29:03.75
working with him in a
few of those meetings.
00:29:03.78\00:29:05.88
But let me share with you,
friends, some of the lessons
00:29:05.91\00:29:07.62
I learned from doing
evangelism in the last 8 years,
00:29:07.65\00:29:10.33
and there's still a lot
more that I still need to learn,
00:29:10.36\00:29:13.14
but one thing I have
learned very clearly in doing
00:29:13.17\00:29:16.56
evangelism and reaching
out in many different contexts
00:29:16.59\00:29:19.44
and many different churches,
is that there is nothing
00:29:19.47\00:29:21.96
wrong with our message!
00:29:21.99\00:29:24.93
Our message is relevant.
00:29:24.96\00:29:27.74
We don't need to
change or modify our message
00:29:27.77\00:29:30.89
to reach the postmodern
world, it is this message
00:29:30.92\00:29:34.01
that our postmodern world needs!
00:29:34.04\00:29:37.50
And let me give
you the evidence.
00:29:37.53\00:29:38.76
We did meetings in
Santa Cruz, California,
00:29:38.79\00:29:41.53
the lesbian capital
of the United States.
00:29:41.56\00:29:44.55
This town that is known as
very secular, a New Age town
00:29:44.58\00:29:48.69
that is involved in a lot of
spiritualism and New Age things.
00:29:48.72\00:29:53.19
We did meetings, we
have a church there,
00:29:53.22\00:29:55.21
and many, even in the
church, doubted that anyone
00:29:55.24\00:29:58.67
would actually come to the
meetings in secular Santa Cruz.
00:29:58.70\00:30:03.54
But let me tell you
about "Bill and Becca."
00:30:03.57\00:30:06.39
Sister Becca lived in Santa
Cruz and Becca was actually
00:30:06.42\00:30:10.86
attending some classes in
Santa Cruz, attending classes,
00:30:10.89\00:30:15.19
to learn how to be a goddess.
00:30:15.22\00:30:17.96
A goddess class, learning
how to perform miracles,
00:30:17.99\00:30:20.71
and do different things
like turning water into wine,
00:30:20.74\00:30:23.87
and whatnot, and so she's
learning how to be a goddess.
00:30:23.90\00:30:26.72
And one day, she decides
to go to the doctor's office
00:30:26.75\00:30:29.35
to get a B12 shot.
00:30:29.38\00:30:31.34
And the doctor's office
she chose happened to be a
00:30:31.37\00:30:33.90
member of the church.
00:30:33.93\00:30:35.65
And this doctor had some
of our flyers in the foyer,
00:30:35.68\00:30:39.40
and so, Becca going
there, she saw the flyer and she
00:30:39.43\00:30:42.29
began to dialog with the doctor,
and after getting the B12 shot,
00:30:42.32\00:30:46.36
the doctor invited her
to come to the meetings,
00:30:46.39\00:30:48.46
and she came to the meetings.
00:30:48.49\00:30:50.68
Not only that, but she
also brought her husband, Bill,
00:30:50.71\00:30:53.45
and Bill was the assistant
district attorney for the city
00:30:53.48\00:30:57.64
of Santa Cruz - a very
influential educated man.
00:30:57.67\00:31:01.80
And so they both came
to the meetings and Bill
00:31:01.83\00:31:04.30
came to the meetings with
his critical lawyer's mindset.
00:31:04.33\00:31:08.31
He wanted to see if
there was any reasonable doubt
00:31:08.34\00:31:11.64
concerning the message,
and as I think back on that,
00:31:11.67\00:31:13.88
I often wonder to
myself, why he did not go to the
00:31:13.91\00:31:16.57
goddess meetings
with that same mindset,
00:31:16.60\00:31:19.70
but he came to our meetings.
00:31:19.73\00:31:21.38
He didn't have no problem
with the goddess meetings,
00:31:21.41\00:31:23.32
but he wanted to make sure
that our meetings weren't crazy.
00:31:23.35\00:31:28.48
And they were loving
the meetings, friends.
00:31:28.51\00:31:32.30
Here's Bill and Becca, a picture
of them - they were loving
00:31:32.33\00:31:33.97
the meetings - they started
coming every single night,
00:31:34.00\00:31:36.12
but finally we came to
the night where we discussed
00:31:36.15\00:31:38.06
the state of the dead and
the dangers of spiritualism,
00:31:38.09\00:31:40.49
and the deceptions of the devil
behind all of these things,
00:31:40.52\00:31:43.74
and after the message was
over, Becca came to me with a
00:31:43.77\00:31:46.79
stunned look on
her face, and she said,
00:31:46.82\00:31:49.06
"I don't know, I
don't know about this,
00:31:49.09\00:31:50.58
I don't know
what to believe now."
00:31:50.61\00:31:51.75
"This is very different
from what I was used to
00:31:51.78\00:31:53.77
in the goddess meetings and
I like the goddess meetings.
00:31:53.80\00:31:55.98
I don't know if I can do this."
00:31:56.01\00:31:57.60
We encouraged her;
we prayed with her;
00:31:57.63\00:32:00.19
we invited her to
come back the next night,
00:32:00.22\00:32:02.05
and she came back the
next night and she said to me,
00:32:02.08\00:32:05.09
"I made up my mind, I'm never
00:32:05.12\00:32:07.12
going back to
that place ever again."
00:32:07.15\00:32:09.40
She made up her mind.
00:32:09.43\00:32:13.01
To make a long story short,
at the end of those meetings,
00:32:13.04\00:32:15.12
both of them were baptized.
00:32:15.15\00:32:17.88
And Becca at her
baptism, she testified...
00:32:17.91\00:32:20.57
here are her words and I quote,
00:32:20.60\00:32:21.94
Here's what Becca said,
the one that was going to
00:32:21.97\00:32:23.46
be a goddess...here's
what she said...
00:32:23.49\00:32:25.24
"I never expected a
simple trip to Dr. Sal's office
00:32:25.27\00:32:29.52
for a B12 shot
would change my life!"
00:32:29.55\00:32:33.44
"While I was in the waiting
room, my eyes were drawn to a
00:32:33.47\00:32:36.12
flyer for the seminar
and after about 20 minutes
00:32:36.15\00:32:38.88
of discussing questions
about the seminar and how to
00:32:38.91\00:32:41.40
pray with the doctor, I
left his office not knowing that
00:32:41.43\00:32:44.80
in 23 days later, my
husband and I would be baptized
00:32:44.83\00:32:49.17
into the
Seventh-day Adventist Church."
00:32:49.20\00:32:52.31
Our message works, friends.
00:32:52.34\00:32:54.77
Nothing wrong with our message.
00:32:54.80\00:32:57.06
The post-modern mind needs it!
00:32:57.09\00:32:59.52
And Bill testified...
here's what Bill said,
00:32:59.55\00:33:01.76
the lawyer, here's what he said,
00:33:01.79\00:33:03.19
I was baptized as a small
child, but until this seminar,
00:33:03.22\00:33:07.01
I had no real appreciation
of how much God loves us,
00:33:07.04\00:33:11.93
and the true meaning of
what the sacrifice that Jesus
00:33:11.96\00:33:15.16
meant for us."
00:33:15.19\00:33:16.28
Now mind you, Bible
Prophecy seminar and here's
00:33:16.31\00:33:19.25
what he got out of it, why?
00:33:19.28\00:33:20.43
Because in our seminars,
we make sure that the message
00:33:20.46\00:33:23.41
is
Christ-centered, Christ-focused
00:33:23.44\00:33:26.02
in the context of prophecy
and, friends, when prophecy
00:33:26.05\00:33:28.90
is preached in the
context of Christ, there's POWER
00:33:28.93\00:33:32.25
in the message!
00:33:32.28\00:33:35.16
And he said, "It became
clear, during the seminar,
00:33:35.19\00:33:37.96
what the right
choice was to make."
00:33:37.99\00:33:39.43
And he said, "Not only did I
not find any reasonable doubt,
00:33:39.46\00:33:42.11
I found no doubt at all!"
00:33:42.14\00:33:44.45
And they are faithful
members even till today, Amen?
00:33:44.48\00:33:47.21
You see friends,
our message works.
00:33:47.24\00:33:48.82
There's nothing
wrong with our message.
00:33:48.85\00:33:50.14
Let me tell you, we did meetings
in the beautiful islands of
00:33:50.17\00:33:53.07
Hawaii on the island
of Maui, and that's where
00:33:53.10\00:33:55.77
we recorded the seminar
that you're seeing on 3ABN,
00:33:55.80\00:33:58.55
and we did meetings
there, it was beautiful...
00:33:58.58\00:34:00.54
The church was packed every
single night and at the end of
00:34:00.57\00:34:03.51
the meetings, over 70 people
were baptized into the church,
00:34:03.54\00:34:08.91
and to Christ.
00:34:08.94\00:34:10.87
Lily and her
husband, were two of them...
00:34:10.90\00:34:13.87
Lily... let me
tell you about her.
00:34:13.90\00:34:15.41
Lily grew up in
the Pentecostal Church.
00:34:15.44\00:34:17.54
In fact, she was one of
the leaders in the church.
00:34:17.57\00:34:19.58
She led out in the music,
and she would preach very often,
00:34:19.61\00:34:23.24
and she decided that she was
just going to come one night,
00:34:23.27\00:34:26.16
and she didn't expect much.
00:34:26.19\00:34:28.96
She said, "I'm just
going to come one time."
00:34:28.99\00:34:30.87
She came that night blown away;
00:34:30.90\00:34:32.66
she started coming
every single night.
00:34:32.69\00:34:35.53
When the call was made,
her and her husband responded.
00:34:35.56\00:34:37.88
There they are,
responding to the Lord Jesus.
00:34:37.91\00:34:41.23
And after both of
them were baptized,
00:34:41.26\00:34:44.55
Lily testified
before the church.
00:34:44.58\00:34:46.15
She said, with
tears in her eyes,
00:34:46.18\00:34:47.46
she said, "The Lord, through
these meetings, has set me
00:34:47.49\00:34:51.46
free from spiritual
pride and self-righteousness."
00:34:51.49\00:34:54.94
"You see, I grew up in
the church and I thought I
00:34:54.97\00:34:56.92
knew my Bible; I would
preach and I would lead out,
00:34:56.95\00:34:59.51
and I was proud
of my spirituality,
00:34:59.54\00:35:01.85
but in these
meetings, I recognized
00:35:01.88\00:35:03.21
I don't know my Bible,
and the Lord has set me free
00:35:03.24\00:35:06.45
from self-righteousness."
00:35:06.48\00:35:07.95
And then she said,
"You know, in our church,
00:35:07.98\00:35:10.08
we use music to get
people excited and to get people
00:35:10.11\00:35:13.28
in the mood, but
it's interesting,
00:35:13.31\00:35:14.72
when I came to these meetings,
I realized that the Bible
00:35:14.75\00:35:17.15
is exciting all by itself!"
00:35:17.18\00:35:22.45
Nothing wrong with
our message, friends.
00:35:22.48\00:35:24.81
The secular and the
satisfied, the post-modern,
00:35:24.84\00:35:29.46
and the New age,
everyone, the whole world
00:35:29.49\00:35:32.77
needs our message. Amen?
00:35:32.80\00:35:35.97
I got the chance a few
years ago to do meetings
00:35:36.00\00:35:38.33
in paradise...
the Garden of Eden,
00:35:38.36\00:35:41.81
the beautiful island of
Kauai, it's the Garden Isle.
00:35:41.84\00:35:45.83
It's actually known as that.
00:35:45.86\00:35:48.02
Any of you ever
been to that island?
00:35:48.05\00:35:50.12
Oh friends, you must go -
it's amazing, it's beautiful.
00:35:50.15\00:35:52.04
And so we did meetings
there, in a little church
00:35:52.07\00:35:54.35
country church in
the Island of Kauai,
00:35:54.38\00:35:56.53
and usually when I do meetings,
I go and visit the churches
00:35:56.56\00:35:59.86
6 months to a year
ahead of time to let them know
00:35:59.89\00:36:01.95
what the game plan is and
what they need to do to prepare,
00:36:01.98\00:36:04.47
and what they need to do
afterwards to keep the people,
00:36:04.50\00:36:06.37
and I passed out my
testimony on DVD to all the
00:36:06.40\00:36:10.48
church members and I
told them, "Use this testimony
00:36:10.51\00:36:12.89
share with your
friends and family members,
00:36:12.92\00:36:14.63
and afterwards, you can
let them know that we're coming
00:36:14.66\00:36:16.43
back to do a longer
series of meetings,"
00:36:16.46\00:36:18.30
and so, on that testimony,
I share how I grew up riding
00:36:18.33\00:36:22.49
dirt bikes and how,
you know, I just love...
00:36:22.52\00:36:26.12
This is the thing that my
parents taught me since I was
00:36:26.15\00:36:29.64
a very young boy, and
there was an individual
00:36:29.67\00:36:32.11
that got that DVD.
00:36:32.14\00:36:33.97
He wasn't a church member,
and he was also a dirt bike
00:36:34.00\00:36:36.50
rider - his name
is Jess, here's Jess.
00:36:36.53\00:36:38.94
And he watched the DVD
and he said, "Wow, this guy
00:36:38.97\00:36:41.45
rides a dirt bike,
he's just like me...
00:36:41.48\00:36:44.79
and he preaches; I need
to go to those meetings!"
00:36:44.82\00:36:48.77
Something little...
a little connection,
00:36:48.80\00:36:50.50
and, friends,
that's what we need to do.
00:36:50.53\00:36:51.83
We need to connect with
people in the different contexts
00:36:51.86\00:36:54.66
that God places us in, Amen?
00:36:54.69\00:36:57.15
And from that little connection,
he came to the meetings,
00:36:57.18\00:36:59.94
and he brought his girlfriend
that he was living with
00:36:59.97\00:37:02.67
for many years and they started
coming night after night...
00:37:02.70\00:37:04.98
And I'm so thankful that on the
days off, Brother Jess took me
00:37:05.01\00:37:08.17
dirt bike riding in the
beautiful islands of Kauai,
00:37:08.20\00:37:11.05
and he even took me to the place
where they filmed Jurassic Park!
00:37:11.08\00:37:14.85
And so I was just waiting for
a T. Rex to come out and get me.
00:37:14.88\00:37:18.57
It was a
amazing! It was amazing!
00:37:18.60\00:37:20.97
And we connected, to
make a long story short.
00:37:21.00\00:37:24.80
At the end of those meetings,
they were convicted by God
00:37:24.83\00:37:26.86
that they needed
to make things right,
00:37:26.89\00:37:29.01
so they got married.
00:37:29.04\00:37:30.86
We married them on the
last day of the seminar.
00:37:30.89\00:37:36.07
You can see the
joy in their face.
00:37:36.10\00:37:38.95
We married them or
officiated in their wedding,
00:37:38.98\00:37:42.93
and immediately after
that, they changed into the
00:37:42.96\00:37:46.28
baptism garments.
00:37:46.31\00:37:48.23
They went into
the pool together,
00:37:48.26\00:37:50.15
and here they are,
starting like fresh with Jesus.
00:37:50.18\00:37:55.85
Look at the
JOY! Look at the JOY!
00:37:55.88\00:38:00.94
And you know I
had to get in on that!
00:38:00.97\00:38:08.58
God is good - He's in the
business of restoration, friends
00:38:08.61\00:38:15.21
It all started
with something little,
00:38:15.24\00:38:17.05
connecting on dirt bikes.
00:38:17.08\00:38:19.06
During those same meetings,
we had some sign wavers.
00:38:19.09\00:38:21.66
I like to have sign
wavers to wave signs
00:38:21.69\00:38:25.02
at the entrance of the
church every single night to
00:38:25.05\00:38:27.22
you know, advertize to the
people driving down the road,
00:38:27.25\00:38:30.43
and one day, there was an
individual that came to the
00:38:30.46\00:38:34.01
meetings just
by seeing the sign.
00:38:34.04\00:38:35.52
He pulled in and this
individual, his name is Keith.
00:38:35.55\00:38:38.30
He is a very interesting man.
00:38:38.33\00:38:41.12
Keith owns one of the 8
of the Hawaiian Islands.
00:38:41.15\00:38:46.22
He owns the Island of Niihau,
00:38:46.25\00:38:48.65
which is called
"The Forbidden Island"
00:38:48.68\00:38:50.79
The reason why it's forbidden
is because no one can go there.
00:38:50.82\00:38:53.58
There's a few hundred
people that live on the island,
00:38:53.61\00:38:56.19
native Hawaiians - no
running water, no electricity.
00:38:56.22\00:38:58.98
They speak fluent
Hawaiian and you can't go there
00:38:59.01\00:39:01.21
unless you're invited and
unless you're 100% Hawaiian.
00:39:01.24\00:39:05.69
And the owner of that
island came to the meetings!
00:39:05.72\00:39:07.66
He, himself, was a
Hawaiian, as you can see.
00:39:07.69\00:39:09.85
And he also owns a
large portion of land on the
00:39:09.88\00:39:14.23
Island of Kauai, and so we were
00:39:14.26\00:39:16.05
so excited that he
was there at the meetings!
00:39:16.09\00:39:18.38
And the reason why is
because the Bible tells us...
00:39:18.42\00:39:21.28
that the gospel before
Jesus comes, must go to every
00:39:21.31\00:39:23.86
nation, kindred,
tongue and people,
00:39:23.89\00:39:25.51
and that includes that
little island of Niihau,
00:39:25.54\00:39:27.90
and so I want to
go to that island.
00:39:27.93\00:39:32.57
I want to go - I have a message
to share with those people!
00:39:32.60\00:39:35.11
But you can't - it's forbidden,
but here's the gatekeeper at
00:39:35.14\00:39:38.00
the meetings, and so we were so
excited until we looked at his
00:39:38.03\00:39:43.18
registration card and he
did not leave an address,
00:39:43.21\00:39:47.64
just his name... And so there's
no way we could find him.
00:39:47.67\00:39:52.74
And we were kind of discouraged
about that, but THEN we
00:39:52.77\00:39:56.17
learned that there is actually
a helicopter tour on the
00:39:56.20\00:39:59.65
island of Kauai that
lands on his property,
00:39:59.68\00:40:04.10
and then he gives a 30 minute
talk about his botanical plants.
00:40:04.13\00:40:09.07
We didn't have his address,
we didn't know how to find him,
00:40:09.10\00:40:11.23
but we knew that this
helicopter would take us there.
00:40:11.26\00:40:13.75
So about 5 of us on the team,
we chartered the helicopter,
00:40:13.78\00:40:18.00
and it was the most
exciting evangelistic visitation
00:40:18.03\00:40:21.73
I've ever had in my life!
00:40:21.76\00:40:24.20
We got to see the whole
island of Kauai, and by the way,
00:40:24.23\00:40:27.08
you know the waterfall
in the Jurassic Park movie?
00:40:27.11\00:40:30.01
He owns that waterfall.
00:40:30.04\00:40:31.58
That's the
waterfall on his property.
00:40:31.61\00:40:33.25
And so, we land on his
property, and it was amazing...
00:40:33.28\00:40:35.76
Here I am just
getting into the helicopter.
00:40:35.79\00:40:37.91
And they put earphones on
us, and they were playing the
00:40:37.94\00:40:40.66
"Indiana Jones song," and
so we were on a mission man!
00:40:40.69\00:40:43.29
It was amazing!
00:40:43.32\00:40:44.69
So we land on his property,
and here he is talking to us,
00:40:44.72\00:40:46.99
and we're all surrounding him
just waiting for an opportunity
00:40:47.02\00:40:49.81
just an opening,
00:40:49.84\00:40:51.56
and he kept going on and
on and on about his plants.
00:40:51.60\00:40:53.97
We were like -
"Man! Lord help us!"
00:40:54.01\00:40:57.37
And we started talking about
the fact that he owns Niihau.
00:40:57.40\00:41:00.72
And we started
throwing hints here and there,
00:41:00.75\00:41:02.80
but he didn't respond to
it, and so finally, I said,
00:41:02.83\00:41:05.15
"Hey Man, you're the
gatekeeper to Niihau,
00:41:05.18\00:41:09.82
we have a message to
share with them - we need to go!
00:41:09.85\00:41:14.11
So what is it going to
take... just straight up!
00:41:14.14\00:41:16.72
We want to go!
00:41:16.75\00:41:18.86
We tried to let him know that
00:41:18.89\00:41:20.07
maybe he would help,
but that didn't work.
00:41:20.10\00:41:21.63
He said, "Oh, those
people don't care about that."
00:41:21.66\00:41:23.63
And finally we told
him and then he responded.
00:41:23.66\00:41:26.16
He said, "Well if you can make
friends with the people that
00:41:26.19\00:41:29.14
are from Niihau,
then you can go."
00:41:29.17\00:41:33.02
We gave him all of our DVDs,
00:41:33.05\00:41:35.13
and as a result, he actually
came back to the church,
00:41:35.16\00:41:38.18
and, as a first step, to
what we are praying will be
00:41:38.21\00:41:41.42
penetration to "The Forbidden
Island of Niihau." Amen?
00:41:41.45\00:41:45.29
But it all started
from a simple sign.
00:41:45.32\00:41:47.66
The point... little things
make a huge difference. Amen?
00:41:47.69\00:41:52.03
God is calling us to
be pioneers in the work
00:41:52.06\00:41:55.45
to go to places that
seem to be impossible,
00:41:55.48\00:41:59.62
but we serve the God
of the impossible. Amen?
00:41:59.65\00:42:02.36
With Him all
things are possible.
00:42:02.39\00:42:04.93
Another lesson I learned
is that music is powerful.
00:42:04.96\00:42:08.79
Music is powerful -
let me tell you about
00:42:08.82\00:42:11.17
an individual by
the name of "B.J."
00:42:11.20\00:42:13.03
He had the number one
selling song in iTunes.
00:42:13.06\00:42:19.14
He was satisfied because he had
00:42:19.17\00:42:21.50
a lot of success
in his reggae band.
00:42:21.53\00:42:23.90
He was invited to
come to our meetings,
00:42:23.93\00:42:27.12
but he wouldn't, he refused to
00:42:27.15\00:42:28.72
come because he didn't
want to hear the message,
00:42:28.75\00:42:30.19
until finally one of
our team members said,
00:42:30.22\00:42:32.12
"Well, don't
come for the meeting,
00:42:32.15\00:42:33.45
just come to hear
the singers rehearse."
00:42:33.48\00:42:34.94
And so he came 10 o'clock
at night after the meeting
00:42:34.97\00:42:38.38
was finished to hear
the singers rehearse.
00:42:38.41\00:42:43.04
And by listening to "The
Revelation of Hope Singers,"
00:42:43.07\00:42:46.05
he was convicted.
00:42:46.08\00:42:47.92
He said, "Man, I'm using
my gifts to glorify myself.
00:42:47.95\00:42:51.97
I need to use it for the Lord."
00:42:52.00\00:42:54.32
So a result, B.J.
convicted... here he is singing
00:42:54.35\00:42:58.33
in his reggae band.
00:42:58.36\00:42:59.85
He decided to come to
the meetings and this time,
00:42:59.88\00:43:02.27
instead of coming 10 o'clock,
00:43:02.30\00:43:03.72
he started to come at 7 o'clock.
00:43:03.76\00:43:05.15
To make a long story short,
at the end of those meetings,
00:43:05.18\00:43:09.78
before the whole
church, he ripped up his
00:43:09.81\00:43:12.28
medical marijuana card.
00:43:12.31\00:43:13.94
He gave up alcohol.
00:43:13.97\00:43:16.43
He left his
band... He was baptized,
00:43:16.46\00:43:20.81
and he joined "The
Revelation of Hope Singers"
00:43:20.84\00:43:24.33
And he is a Bible worker
for the Lord Jesus today,
00:43:24.36\00:43:27.47
can you say Amen?
00:43:27.50\00:43:29.49
I just have one
more story to share.
00:43:29.52\00:43:32.34
But this one is
the most special one.
00:43:32.37\00:43:35.47
In 2007, we got the
chance to do meetings
00:43:35.50\00:43:40.36
in the City of San Francisco.
00:43:40.39\00:43:42.13
I had been a Christian
for 8 years at that time.
00:43:42.16\00:43:46.43
For those 8 years, I had a
strong burden for my family.
00:43:46.46\00:43:50.30
None of them ever
went to church with me.
00:43:50.33\00:43:53.63
And my grandma and my grandpa,
during that time period,
00:43:53.66\00:43:56.55
were the people that
was heavy on my heart.
00:43:56.58\00:44:01.80
They were
separated for many years.
00:44:01.83\00:44:04.11
Grandpa had done something
and grandma was bitter,
00:44:04.14\00:44:07.20
and she couldn't let it go.
00:44:07.23\00:44:10.99
It's the story of a
broken relationship.
00:44:11.02\00:44:14.62
But in 2007, we did
meetings in San Francisco,
00:44:14.65\00:44:17.06
and during that time,
grandma was in Hawaii,
00:44:17.09\00:44:19.61
but grandpa was in San Francisco
00:44:19.64\00:44:21.61
living with my aunt.
00:44:21.64\00:44:22.97
And so because it was close by,
00:44:23.00\00:44:24.97
grandpa decided to
come to the meetings.
00:44:25.00\00:44:28.70
Not because he was
interested in the Bible,
00:44:28.73\00:44:30.87
he simply came because he
wanted to hear his grandson
00:44:30.90\00:44:33.09
stand up and talk
in front of people.
00:44:33.12\00:44:35.47
So he came the first night,
00:44:35.50\00:44:37.18
then he came the
second, and the third.
00:44:37.22\00:44:39.67
He started coming
every single night.
00:44:39.71\00:44:42.12
He even came on a night when
we didn't even have a meeting!
00:44:42.16\00:44:46.19
He didn't realize that
that was the night off.
00:44:46.22\00:44:48.56
And he was addicted and
finally it came to the evening
00:44:48.59\00:44:50.99
when we talked about
the God of restoration.
00:44:51.02\00:44:54.64
The God that
gives us new beginnings,
00:44:54.67\00:44:56.49
and I made the evangelistic
appeal inviting people to
00:44:56.52\00:44:59.69
come to the front for baptism.
00:44:59.72\00:45:01.25
I wasn't sure if
he would respond.
00:45:01.28\00:45:04.41
Oh, but the joy I experienced
when I saw grandpa stand up,
00:45:04.44\00:45:07.95
walk down the aisle
giving his life to Jesus.
00:45:07.98\00:45:13.11
This is the moment in
time, friends... he came!
00:45:13.14\00:45:16.83
This grandfather, the
patriarch of the family,
00:45:16.86\00:45:19.63
the one that held me
when I was a little baby boy,
00:45:19.66\00:45:21.81
and was there when I
graduated from high school...
00:45:21.84\00:45:24.82
the man of the family!
00:45:24.85\00:45:26.55
At the end of those
meetings, I was able to hold him
00:45:26.58\00:45:29.00
in the waters of baptism.
00:45:29.03\00:45:31.63
As he began life over
again, I'd like to say that
00:45:31.66\00:45:35.70
he held me when I was born,
00:45:35.73\00:45:37.05
but I held him
when he was born again.
00:45:37.08\00:45:39.97
Who would have
thought, friends, that God
00:45:40.00\00:45:42.47
could use the third generation
to reach the first generation,
00:45:42.50\00:45:45.59
but that's what Jesus can do!
00:45:45.62\00:45:48.88
He's the God of restoration!
00:45:48.91\00:45:51.02
Grandpa is baptized now...
00:45:51.05\00:45:52.88
This is the first family
member I won to the Lord Jesus,
00:45:52.91\00:45:55.54
and now his number one goal
is to reconcile with grandma;
00:45:55.57\00:45:59.10
2 years go by, but
grandma would not forgive.
00:45:59.13\00:46:02.43
No matter how much
grandpa prayed and pleaded,
00:46:02.46\00:46:04.99
and demonstrated
that he was changed,
00:46:05.02\00:46:07.06
grandma wouldn't believe it.
00:46:07.09\00:46:08.38
She was a slave to bitterness.
00:46:08.41\00:46:11.79
But in 2009, God
allowed us to go back to Hawaii
00:46:11.82\00:46:15.98
to do meetings
in the same church
00:46:16.01\00:46:17.95
I was converted
in 10 years before...
00:46:17.98\00:46:19.85
You see, 10 years before, I
was the 16-year-old listening
00:46:19.89\00:46:22.50
to the evangelist and when
I was there, my mind clouded
00:46:22.53\00:46:24.93
on drugs hearing
the Word of God...
00:46:24.96\00:46:26.72
It was as if God was telling
me, "Taj, one day you're going
00:46:26.75\00:46:30.49
to stand where
that man is standing;
00:46:30.52\00:46:31.92
one day, you're going
to do what he's doing,"
00:46:31.95\00:46:33.75
and 10 years later, I was
standing at the exact spot
00:46:33.78\00:46:39.77
over 60 individuals
making decisions for baptism
00:46:39.80\00:46:42.54
during those meetings.
00:46:42.57\00:46:44.21
And during that time,
both grandma and grandpa
00:46:44.24\00:46:46.57
were in Hawaii and
because it was close by,
00:46:46.60\00:46:49.73
grandpa brought
grandma to the meetings.
00:46:49.76\00:46:52.75
And she came, not
because she was interested,
00:46:52.78\00:46:54.93
but because she was forced,
and she sat way in the back,
00:46:54.96\00:46:57.58
the very last pew - the
farthest away she could get,
00:46:57.61\00:47:01.31
and she was there
and I was so happy...
00:47:01.34\00:47:03.27
But every night that I would
greet people on the way out,
00:47:03.30\00:47:05.24
I would give my
grandma a hug and say,
00:47:05.27\00:47:06.73
"Grandma I'm so thankful you're
here, thank you for coming,"
00:47:06.76\00:47:09.21
but her face was
stone cold, emotionless.
00:47:09.24\00:47:12.43
Her heart was so hard,
00:47:12.46\00:47:14.12
it seemed like
nothing was penetrating.
00:47:14.16\00:47:16.02
I would go home and
plead on my knees for her soul,
00:47:16.06\00:47:18.49
come back the next
night, preach my heart out,
00:47:18.52\00:47:20.49
and the same thing...
emotionless, no response.
00:47:20.52\00:47:23.34
She was a slave
to the bitterness and
00:47:23.37\00:47:25.18
unforgiving spirit she
had, but I continued to pray.
00:47:25.21\00:47:29.17
And finally came to the
night when we talked about
00:47:29.20\00:47:31.20
the God of restoration.
00:47:31.23\00:47:32.74
The God of new beginnings.
00:47:32.77\00:47:34.35
And we gave the appeal for
people to come to the front
00:47:34.38\00:47:36.39
to start over
with Jesus in baptism,
00:47:36.42\00:47:38.78
and multitudes came to the
front - you can see them coming,
00:47:38.81\00:47:41.60
and coming and I was
rejoicing in my heart when I
00:47:41.63\00:47:43.74
saw all the people
coming, I was saying, "Yes Lord,
00:47:43.77\00:47:46.04
thank you for these,"
and my heart was overwhelmed
00:47:46.07\00:47:48.60
until I saw my
grandma, way in the back,
00:47:48.63\00:47:51.30
just sitting there
- she wasn't moving.
00:47:51.33\00:47:54.05
My heart was broken,
and I continued to call,
00:47:54.08\00:47:56.85
and in my mind, I was saying,
"Lord, I'm thankful for these,
00:47:56.88\00:47:59.03
but what about my
own flesh and blood?"
00:47:59.06\00:48:00.91
And so I'm praying
and pleading and preaching
00:48:00.94\00:48:03.51
at the same time,
but she would not move.
00:48:03.54\00:48:06.07
And so I continued to
go on, and on, and on,
00:48:06.10\00:48:08.94
and on... just like tonight!
00:48:08.97\00:48:10.26
And finally, finally,
after about 10 minutes,
00:48:10.29\00:48:19.13
I saw grandma, way in the
back, stand and by herself,
00:48:19.16\00:48:25.23
walk down the aisle, like a
bride walking down the aisle,
00:48:25.26\00:48:30.52
and she responded to Jesus.
00:48:30.55\00:48:33.67
And after that, she
was baptized as well.
00:48:33.70\00:48:37.29
God set her
free from bitterness.
00:48:37.32\00:48:40.09
During this time
period, it was my
00:48:40.12\00:48:41.21
grandparents 50th
wedding anniversary,
00:48:41.24\00:48:44.34
and because of what
Jesus was doing in their life,
00:48:44.37\00:48:46.68
and how He was restoring them,
00:48:46.71\00:48:48.52
guess what they wanted to do
00:48:48.55\00:48:49.67
for their 50th
wedding anniversary...
00:48:49.70\00:48:52.27
They wanted to renew their vows!
00:48:52.30\00:48:55.42
And who do you suppose
they asked to help with that?
00:48:55.45\00:49:02.19
And I had the privilege of
renewing the vows of my own
00:49:02.22\00:49:06.25
grandparents in
front of my whole family
00:49:06.28\00:49:08.44
because our God is
a God of restoration.
00:49:08.47\00:49:12.38
And now there's peace
where there was no peace before.
00:49:12.41\00:49:17.49
There were smiles
where there once were frowns.
00:49:17.52\00:49:20.83
God is good!
00:49:20.86\00:49:22.55
I close with these
statements... "Education," p.296
00:49:22.58\00:49:27.42
My friends, as we close tonight,
00:49:37.02\00:49:40.16
the greatest
adventure of your life
00:49:40.19\00:49:43.37
is being moved by
the power of Jesus.
00:49:43.40\00:49:47.19
Blessed are your eyes for
the things that you've seen.
00:49:47.22\00:49:49.87
Blessed are your ears for
the things that you have heard.
00:49:49.90\00:49:54.71
Tonight, I want to leave
you with the words of Jesus...
00:49:54.74\00:49:57.53
He said, "Go teach all
nations, baptizing them in
00:49:57.56\00:50:03.28
the name of the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit
00:50:03.31\00:50:06.13
teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever
00:50:06.16\00:50:08.56
I have commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always,
00:50:08.59\00:50:12.88
even unto the end of the world."
00:50:12.91\00:50:16.42
Tonight, how many want to
say, "Lord, yes, help me to go."
00:50:16.45\00:50:20.90
God is not dependent on
your skills or abilities,
00:50:20.93\00:50:23.88
just a willing
heart... Are you willing?
00:50:23.91\00:50:26.33
Father in Heaven,
Thank you so much, Lord,
00:50:26.36\00:50:30.98
for the blessing we
have received tonight
00:50:31.01\00:50:34.74
to know that You
are alive and well,
00:50:34.77\00:50:37.47
and You are still in
the business of restoration.
00:50:37.50\00:50:42.17
Lord, we need
that in our own hearts.
00:50:42.20\00:50:45.26
Tonight, Lord, as we
make this special invitation,
00:50:45.29\00:50:48.57
we realize that before we
can go, we first must come.
00:50:48.60\00:50:56.22
So Lord, help Your
people to come even now
00:50:56.25\00:51:01.05
as we make this call.
00:51:01.08\00:51:03.71
And as your heads are bowed,
00:51:03.74\00:51:05.32
as your eyes are closed,
00:51:05.35\00:51:07.44
as your heart is
opened to God in prayer,
00:51:07.47\00:51:11.25
God calls us to go...
00:51:11.28\00:51:13.82
Many of you are going to go.
00:51:13.85\00:51:16.04
But I believe that tonight,
there are some people here
00:51:16.07\00:51:18.40
that have not yet come to Jesus,
00:51:18.43\00:51:22.94
and I want to give you
an opportunity to respond
00:51:22.97\00:51:26.88
to the invitation
of the blessed Christ
00:51:26.91\00:51:29.95
when He says, "Come unto me,
00:51:29.98\00:51:32.17
all ye that are
weary and heavy-laden,
00:51:32.20\00:51:34.93
I will give you rest."
00:51:34.96\00:51:37.82
Perhaps you can relate
with some of the stories
00:51:37.85\00:51:39.99
we've shared tonight
about individuals who
00:51:40.02\00:51:42.08
came from broken pasts;
00:51:42.11\00:51:46.16
addicted slaves.
00:51:46.19\00:51:50.04
Tonight you want to be free.
00:51:50.07\00:51:52.49
You want to experience
the joy that you saw upon the
00:51:52.52\00:51:54.61
countenances of the
people you have seen,
00:51:54.64\00:51:57.05
and you've heart
their story tonight.
00:51:57.08\00:52:00.40
This is not a general appeal,
but I'm wondering if there...
00:52:00.43\00:52:04.23
I know that there
are individuals here who
00:52:04.26\00:52:06.29
the Spirit of God is speaking
to that you would like to
00:52:06.32\00:52:09.08
respond and say, "Yes,
Lord, I am coming to You fully,
00:52:09.11\00:52:12.55
giving you my whole heart,
and I want to seal this decision
00:52:12.58\00:52:17.87
in the waters of baptism or
re-baptism if I've fallen away."
00:52:17.90\00:52:25.97
If that's you, I want to
invite you to come right now
00:52:26.00\00:52:30.46
for special prayer.
00:52:30.49\00:52:32.76
The Spirit of God is
stringing those heart strings,
00:52:32.79\00:52:37.09
is calling you.
00:52:37.12\00:52:39.66
You've made
mistakes in your past;
00:52:39.69\00:52:42.63
bring those mistakes to Jesus,
He is the God of restoration.
00:52:42.66\00:52:47.77
Is there someone
here, being in His presence
00:52:47.80\00:52:51.85
in these past few
days, we've heard powerful
00:52:51.88\00:52:54.84
heart-stirring messages,
and now it's time for us
00:52:54.87\00:52:59.02
to surrender fully to Christ,
00:52:59.05\00:53:02.89
and if that's you,
would you please stand.
00:53:02.92\00:53:06.29
Would you please come?
00:53:06.32\00:53:08.55
I want to have a
special prayer for you.
00:53:08.58\00:53:10.56
Who will be the first?
God bless you, my brother.
00:53:10.59\00:53:13.89
Is there someone else
who would like to respond?
00:53:13.92\00:53:17.10
The devil is
seeking to knock you out,
00:53:17.13\00:53:19.99
destroy your
life... Why don't you come?
00:53:20.02\00:53:24.59
Tell the devil,
"I'm through with you.
00:53:24.62\00:53:27.13
I'm following Jesus now."
00:53:27.23\00:53:29.34
If you would like to
come to say, "Yes Lord, I
00:53:29.37\00:53:31.59
want to prepare for
baptism or re-baptism
00:53:31.62\00:53:34.12
in the near future...
00:53:34.15\00:53:35.62
God bless you, my brother.
00:53:35.65\00:53:38.57
Who else will
come before I close?
00:53:38.60\00:53:41.13
God bless you brothers.
00:53:41.16\00:53:42.72
You're making
the right decision.
00:53:42.75\00:53:45.27
These individuals are passing
from death into life tonight...
00:53:45.30\00:53:49.85
The best
decision of their lives!
00:53:49.88\00:53:52.92
God bless you, friend.
00:53:52.95\00:53:54.87
Oh, don't be
ashamed of the gospel.
00:53:54.90\00:53:57.92
Jesus died for you,
won't you live for Him?
00:53:57.95\00:54:03.07
God bless you.
00:54:03.10\00:54:04.66
Is there someone
else who would like
00:54:04.69\00:54:05.80
to respond before I close?
00:54:05.83\00:54:08.77
Bless you, young man.
00:54:08.80\00:54:11.48
Oh my brother...
Heaven rejoices over decisions
00:54:11.51\00:54:16.34
that are made
for Christ tonight.
00:54:16.37\00:54:19.97
Heads are bowed,
eyes are closed...
00:54:20.00\00:54:21.67
If you don't need to
make this decision because
00:54:21.70\00:54:23.83
you have already been baptized
and you're following Jesus,
00:54:23.86\00:54:25.92
would you please pray for
the person sitting next to you
00:54:25.95\00:54:28.42
that's struggling.
00:54:28.45\00:54:30.60
Don't look around, look within,
00:54:30.63\00:54:31.94
and say, "God
are You calling me?
00:54:31.97\00:54:33.37
If so, give me the
courage to stand...
00:54:33.40\00:54:35.12
And let me tell you, friends,
00:54:35.15\00:54:36.37
you can't change yourself,
all you can do is choose.
00:54:36.40\00:54:41.17
And when you exercise
your ability to choose,
00:54:41.20\00:54:43.83
God will bring the change.
00:54:43.86\00:54:46.38
If someone else
would like to respond...
00:54:46.41\00:54:49.94
as I get ready to
pray... God bless you.
00:54:49.97\00:54:55.49
For the rest of us,
maybe you don't need
00:54:55.52\00:54:57.56
to be baptized, you
have already been baptized,
00:54:57.59\00:54:59.19
but you want to be
more committed to Christ,
00:54:59.22\00:55:03.51
and you want to make yourself
available to be used by Him...
00:55:03.54\00:55:07.03
You've already
come, now you are saying,
00:55:07.06\00:55:09.06
"Lord, I want to
go, and I will go
00:55:09.09\00:55:11.30
wherever You want me to go."
00:55:11.33\00:55:12.94
If you would like to
commit yourself to that
00:55:12.97\00:55:15.77
commission tonight, I
invite you to stand with me,
00:55:15.80\00:55:19.15
and stand with these as we pray
00:55:19.18\00:55:22.56
and close this meeting tonight.
00:55:22.59\00:55:28.44
Father in Heaven,
Lord, it has been good
00:55:28.47\00:55:34.08
to have been in
Your presence today.
00:55:34.11\00:55:37.53
We thank You for
all the blessings.
00:55:37.56\00:55:40.52
Thank You for Jesus who
is the God of restoration.
00:55:40.55\00:55:45.53
And Lord, tonight I
want to pray for my friends,
00:55:45.56\00:55:47.70
those who have
come to the front,
00:55:47.73\00:55:49.34
these who have come
to the spiritual alter,
00:55:49.37\00:55:51.79
who are laying down their
lives before You, dear God.
00:55:51.82\00:55:55.49
Lord, You know each
and every one of them.
00:55:55.52\00:55:58.33
You know where they've been,
00:55:58.36\00:56:00.13
You know where they are,
00:56:00.16\00:56:01.59
and You have a mighty
plan for them in the future.
00:56:01.62\00:56:04.21
Lord, I just want to
pray right now that You would
00:56:04.24\00:56:06.20
wrap Your loving arms
around them and may they
00:56:06.23\00:56:08.75
sense Your presence very near.
00:56:08.78\00:56:10.97
I pray that You would
fill them with the power
00:56:11.00\00:56:13.03
of the Holy Spirit;
that You would cleanse them
00:56:13.06\00:56:15.77
from all of the sinful
mistakes of their past,
00:56:15.80\00:56:19.03
and that You will
give them the peace
00:56:19.06\00:56:20.74
that passes all understanding;
00:56:20.77\00:56:22.53
the peace that they have
never experienced before...
00:56:22.56\00:56:24.81
Bless them, dear God,
tonight with that assurance...
00:56:24.84\00:56:28.54
And I pray Lord, their names
be written in the Book of Life,
00:56:28.57\00:56:32.42
and that nothing
will blot it out.
00:56:32.45\00:56:34.65
May this truly be the
beginning of eternity for them,
00:56:34.68\00:56:37.53
and I pray that
as You work in them,
00:56:37.56\00:56:39.99
that You will work through
them to change the world.
00:56:40.02\00:56:42.32
Bless them in a special
way, and Lord, the rest of us,
00:56:42.35\00:56:44.88
we stand not because we're
strong, but because we are weak,
00:56:44.91\00:56:47.94
and we're pleading for
Your strength, Your power,
00:56:47.97\00:56:50.48
that we might move
forward as a movement of destiny
00:56:50.51\00:56:53.67
to fulfill the commission as we
go and give Jesus to the world.
00:56:53.70\00:57:00.58
Lord, bless us with
that experience tonight.
00:57:00.61\00:57:05.76
We thank You for hearing
and answering this prayer.
00:57:05.79\00:57:08.41
In Jesus name we pray...
00:57:08.44\00:57:09.93
Let all of God's
people say... Amen
00:57:09.96\00:57:13.51