It's a beautiful Sabbath
day, and I'm happy to bring
00:00:19.55\00:00:22.75
one more segment of
our offering in action
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and with me is Randy Bivens,
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he's the chief
operating officer of Weimar,
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and as a radiologist has
volunteered in all but one
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of Your Best
Pathway to Health events.
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And we're just really thrilled
with the kind of outcome
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that we've
experienced with Pathway
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touching scores of
lives of individuals
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who have come seeking services.
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To date, we have
provided services
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to 22,000 patients or clients,
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people that
residents in those cities
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to the tune of $86
million value of healthcare.
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So we're really
thrilled with that number.
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Now, it's interesting, Randy,
I want you to share with us
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a little bit of
your aha moments.
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So you have participated
in all of these events,
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and just kind of walk us
through some of the mind things
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that you were
sharing with me earlier?
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Yeah, thanks, Debbie.
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Initially I was asked
to be the imaging director
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doing x-rays, ultrasounds,
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and I was very
excited about doing that,
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but I just kind of
looked at the global idea,
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does it really make sense
to spend over a million dollars
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to go to a large city
and come in for three days,
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everybody has this
picture opportunity
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to gets their picture
taken and then they go home.
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You know, did that
seem to make sense?
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And to me, it just didn't
seem to make a lot of sense,
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it would seem
like, you could spend
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a million dollars and
hire three or four people
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and leave them
there for several years,
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and that might
have a better impact
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on the community and so,
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but I just love going to them
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because I love going
and seeing what it is,
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but it wasn't
until we went to LA
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when I actually had a
number of radiologists
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coming from Loma
Linda finally to help me,
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because before that I
was kind of doing it myself
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and I was able to circulate
out into the area of the clinic
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and I had opportunity to
query people that I knew,
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that there was a
bit of a paradigm shift
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because I always thought
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this is all about
delivering to the community,
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but I recognized something
that was really a change
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and that is
people would tell me,
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"This been the most amazing day,
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three days of my life,"
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or someone else
told me, they go,
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"I finally understand
what it means to serve."
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And I had it, it was a
bit of a paradigm shift.
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We've been thinking about
we're spending all this money
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to serve the community,
but suddenly I realized that
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we're actually
doing something more,
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we're training 4,500 volunteers
in one spot to teach them
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the ways of
Christ in how to serve.
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And in that regard I go,
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maybe it wasn't such a
bad expenditure of money
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because we did
help a lot of people.
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We did get some cute pictures
that ended up in the record
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and other, you
know, church, you know in,
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but really what was better
was that we are training people
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on how to serve, and
what's really happened,
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Debbie, and you know this.
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We have people
who are going back
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to their communities,
and they're starting
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to pray with patients.
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They go, "Okay, I
know how to do that now."
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They're setting up
free dental clinics,
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and they go, "Oh, I see
how, that was so enriching."
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And I can bring my
staff in, and they can see
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what it's like to serve.
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And many of these
people have non Adventist staff
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and they go, wow, in
fact a lot of dentists
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have brought their
non Adventist staff
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to these Pathway events.
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It's an evangelist
outreach, and in that regard,
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I see that this is
really a much different animal
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than we initially thought
of when we first started.
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Amen.
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So then your
best Pathway to Health
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is really very transformative
not just for patients...
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Absolutely. But
for volunteers as well.
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You told us that you
shared with me a story of
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one of your friends
who had that experience.
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Can you share that with
us? Yeah, in fact I was...
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I won't mention his name,
but his daughter is a student
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at Weimar Academy.
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So, you know, that
kind of narrows, you know,
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you can start doing the
math, and she kept saying,
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"Dad you've got to come to this,
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you've got to come to this,
you've got to come to this."
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And finally he went to LA.
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He came from
Seattle, went to LA,
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so that's even
narrowed it even more,
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you can for those of you
who really can figure it out.
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And I talked to him
recently and he said,
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he's the one
that really told me,
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he said, I
really finally, he says,
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I've been in the
church all my life,
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I finally realized
what it means to serve.
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And that was really
kind of a click moment,
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an aha-aha
moment, where it's like,
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we're helping people but
more than that we're helping,
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and as you know, what Pathways
does is it brings, you know,
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I don't like the term
liberal, and conservative,
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and social Adventist,
and people gave me list,
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it was like seven
kinds of Adventists.
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And I think there's
only one kind of Adventist.
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You know, we all
want to get to heaven.
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But it brings all
different segments of Adventism
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and even non Adventists
or non Adventist friends,
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it brings them all
together, and they're all happy,
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and they're not fighting,
and we're all serving together.
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Amen.
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Thank you very much, Randy,
for sharing that perspective.
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My pleasure.
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In every other seat
there is a card with a picture
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and a statistic on it.
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And on the back is
an incredible quote
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from Evangelism,
page 570, it says,
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"We should be able to see in
the multiplying opportunities
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to reach many
foreigners in America,
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a divinely appointed
means of rapidly extending
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the third angel's message
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into all the
nations of the earth.
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God in His
providence has brought men
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to our very
doors and thrust them,
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as it were, into our arms,
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that they might learn the truth,
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and be qualified to
do a work we could not do
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in getting the light
before men of other tongues."
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Consider Somalia,
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this is that country
that juts out into the ocean,
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the northeast corner of Africa.
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It has been
struck with droughts,
00:06:03.66\00:06:06.70
and with war for over 20 years.
00:06:06.73\00:06:08.93
It takes people
feeding, about a million people
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just to keep them from starving,
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and one out of four
people have been uprooted
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from where they live.
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I'm sure of the 99.6%
Somalis that are Muslim,
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there are many who
are true God seekers,
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and generous
hearted hospitable people.
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And yet, it is the
second most dangerous country
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for Christians in the world.
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How on earth is God
going to reach these people?
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I am happy to say that
there are 85,700 Somalis
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who now have
religious freedom in America.
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They have come to our
cities and neighborhoods.
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Recently my son and
I visited some of them
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in
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota,
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25,000 Somalis live there.
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As we listen to their
stories, three shared with us,
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how they came to put
their trust in Christ.
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One of them a lady,
I'll call Francis said,
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when she was in
Somalia she watched her father,
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her brother, and her friends
murdered in front of her eyes.
00:07:05.92\00:07:09.32
Her mother and her fled
in a boat towards Kenya,
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it was a sailboat.
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And the sailboat
stopped as the wind ceased.
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There they were
no food, no water,
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blistering in the sun,
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when suddenly out
of nowhere a wind came
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and drove them towards Kenya.
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When they got
out, they were welcomed
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into a refugee camp,
and things seemed safe
00:07:25.74\00:07:28.31
but just a few days
later Francis almost died
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from a cobra.
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Finally, she got to
America and her mother
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and she began to study
English, study to be a nurse,
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studied to be a teacher.
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And during that time a young man
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playing basketball with
her invited her to church.
00:07:41.19\00:07:44.16
She said, "No way, I'm a Muslim,
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I teach the
Quran to young girls."
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But after a while,
00:07:48.20\00:07:49.53
when he had given
her a New Testament,
00:07:49.56\00:07:50.97
and he kept
sitting on her desk saying,
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read me, read me, read me.
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She picked it up, she
saw love in every page.
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She was confused,
she cried out to God,
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please show me who you are.
00:08:01.14\00:08:03.11
And that night in the dream,
00:08:03.14\00:08:05.11
she saw somebody
speaking to her saying,
00:08:05.15\00:08:07.52
"I am the one who sent that wind
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to push the boat to the shore.
00:08:09.15\00:08:10.75
I am the one who
protected you from the cobra.
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I am Jesus, follow me."
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She gave her heart to Him.
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And now she and
30 other evangelicals
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meet in a Seventh-day
Adventist church on Sunday.
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They are also
learning the truth.
00:08:22.90\00:08:24.87
Pray for the
Minnesota Conference
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as they reach out to this group,
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especially pray
for them this week.
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God told us in Leviticus 19:34,
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"But the stranger
who dwells among you
00:08:33.91\00:08:35.94
shall be to you as
one born among you,
00:08:35.98\00:08:39.18
and you shall
love him as yourself
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for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt:
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I am Lord your God."
00:08:43.85\00:08:46.69
On that card that
you have in your hands,
00:08:46.72\00:08:49.06
there is the
website that offers the kit
00:08:49.09\00:08:52.06
that you can go back
to your local churches,
00:08:52.09\00:08:54.93
gather a group of ten or
so, pray for these people,
00:08:54.96\00:08:58.30
and begin to go out
to reach them for Christ.
00:08:58.33\00:09:01.40
You also have on
almost every seat,
00:09:01.44\00:09:03.34
the card mylanguagemylife.com.
00:09:03.37\00:09:06.04
You can carry
this in your wallets,
00:09:06.07\00:09:07.81
in your purses,
get more of them,
00:09:07.84\00:09:10.05
and then when you meet somebody
who speaks another language,
00:09:10.08\00:09:13.21
hand it to them
00:09:13.25\00:09:14.58
because here we have as
a portal to 150 languages
00:09:14.62\00:09:18.79
with Seventh-day
Adventist resources.
00:09:18.82\00:09:20.96
Let's pray, and
see God finish His work
00:09:20.99\00:09:23.43
right next door.
00:09:23.46\00:09:26.03
Father in heaven, we
are lifting up to You
00:09:26.06\00:09:28.00
the Somali
people, so much heartache,
00:09:28.03\00:09:30.20
so much need and
yet you love them
00:09:30.23\00:09:32.37
as we love our own family.
00:09:32.40\00:09:34.60
Please, Father,
reach them, work with them,
00:09:34.64\00:09:36.71
bless the Minnesota
Conference, at other places
00:09:36.74\00:09:38.84
where they have gone,
00:09:38.87\00:09:40.21
and raise us up
to finish your work.
00:09:40.24\00:09:42.68
Lord, You love
them, You want to see
00:09:42.71\00:09:44.21
every single person we
meet guide us and show us
00:09:44.25\00:09:46.92
just what we can do as we commit
00:09:46.95\00:09:49.22
to be part of Your
people that take the gospel,
00:09:49.25\00:09:51.85
the three angels'
messages to every kindred,
00:09:51.89\00:09:54.22
tribe, and tongue.
00:09:54.26\00:09:55.59
Thank you in Jesus' name, amen.
00:09:55.62\00:10:00.33
Good morning ASI family.
00:10:00.36\00:10:01.90
Isn't it good to be in
Sabbath school this morning?
00:10:01.93\00:10:04.10
Amen.
00:10:04.13\00:10:05.73
We're so happy to
be here this morning.
00:10:05.77\00:10:08.10
And, you know, Sabbath
school as I remember it
00:10:08.14\00:10:11.44
from when I was a
child was all about missions.
00:10:11.47\00:10:14.94
We had mission
stories in our Sabbath school
00:10:14.98\00:10:17.25
and we talked about missions
00:10:17.28\00:10:18.61
and we watched
missions spotlight
00:10:18.65\00:10:20.32
and we were always enthralled
and I grew up on the stories
00:10:20.35\00:10:23.69
of Eric B. Hare and such
00:10:23.72\00:10:25.65
and was always
enthralled with the idea
00:10:25.69\00:10:28.16
that there was so
much work to be finished
00:10:28.19\00:10:30.13
around the world.
00:10:30.16\00:10:31.49
This morning we have
the distinct privilege
00:10:31.53\00:10:33.50
of having with
us representatives
00:10:33.53\00:10:35.76
from our world church
from around the world.
00:10:35.80\00:10:38.27
These men on the stage today
00:10:38.30\00:10:40.34
represent your
world division presidents.
00:10:40.37\00:10:42.84
And it is a great
privilege for ASI to have them
00:10:49.44\00:10:52.55
at the convention this year
00:10:52.58\00:10:54.78
and to know that we
are partnering together
00:10:54.82\00:10:56.92
to see how God's
work can be finished.
00:10:56.95\00:10:59.82
This afternoon,
there's a very special program
00:10:59.85\00:11:03.46
that we're going to do it.
00:11:03.49\00:11:04.83
It's going to
last for two hours.
00:11:04.86\00:11:06.90
The focus of the program
00:11:06.93\00:11:08.86
is to talk to these
world church leaders
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.93
about the unfinished business
of what we yet need to do
00:11:11.97\00:11:16.27
to finish spreading the
gospel to the entire world.
00:11:16.30\00:11:19.64
We're inviting you to
join us this afternoon.
00:11:19.67\00:11:22.04
The program will be right here,
and you won't want to miss it.
00:11:22.08\00:11:25.55
In addition, we're
inviting you to communicate
00:11:25.58\00:11:27.98
with your family
and your friends.
00:11:28.02\00:11:29.45
All of these programs are
being streamed online live
00:11:29.48\00:11:32.49
and they're on 3ABN.
00:11:32.52\00:11:34.42
We would like this
message to be broadcast
00:11:34.46\00:11:36.59
around the world.
00:11:36.62\00:11:37.96
And so as you are here
today, as you're thinking about
00:11:37.99\00:11:41.03
what you might do to
help the program of ASI
00:11:41.06\00:11:44.87
this afternoon.
00:11:44.90\00:11:46.23
We invite you to
communicate with your friends
00:11:46.27\00:11:48.20
and let them know.
00:11:48.24\00:11:49.57
Go to 3ABN this afternoon
and watch this special program.
00:11:49.60\00:11:52.47
Program begins at
4 P.M., 3:30 P.M.,
00:11:52.51\00:11:56.08
I think, 3:30 right here.
00:11:56.11\00:11:58.11
And so you want
to be joining us,
00:11:58.15\00:11:59.85
and we just invite you,
00:11:59.88\00:12:01.28
Elder Wilson,
just say a word to us
00:12:01.32\00:12:02.95
about this opportunity we have
to encourage the work of God
00:12:02.98\00:12:07.96
around the world.
00:12:07.99\00:12:09.69
Thank you, Steve, and thank you
for the incredible hospitality
00:12:09.72\00:12:13.36
that ASI has provided
for the world leadership.
00:12:13.40\00:12:17.17
We have 13 world divisions
and one attached union,
00:12:17.20\00:12:22.57
that's the Middle
East North Africa Union.
00:12:22.60\00:12:26.37
A number of months
ago, knowing the importance
00:12:26.41\00:12:30.21
of how ASI in its
worldwide outreach
00:12:30.25\00:12:34.95
touches so many
of these divisions.
00:12:34.98\00:12:37.79
I appealed to my
colleagues to be here
00:12:37.82\00:12:41.09
at this very special ASI
convention here in Phoenix.
00:12:41.12\00:12:45.46
And I want to tell you
that out of the 14 leaders,
00:12:45.49\00:12:49.83
13 of them have been here.
00:12:49.86\00:12:52.50
Amen. And we
praise God for that.
00:12:52.53\00:12:54.77
They have been in the meetings,
00:12:58.07\00:13:01.21
they have been networking,
00:13:01.24\00:13:02.58
they have been
talking with people,
00:13:02.61\00:13:03.98
and they have been
so well hosted by ASI.
00:13:04.01\00:13:07.82
Brothers and sisters, it
is only as we work together,
00:13:07.85\00:13:12.85
lay members and paid
workers in the church
00:13:12.89\00:13:16.99
united in a dynamic approach
to evangelistic outreach
00:13:17.03\00:13:23.10
that the Lord will
truly bless His church.
00:13:23.13\00:13:26.07
We want to see God's
church moving towards
00:13:26.10\00:13:30.37
complete submission to
the Lord, the latter rain,
00:13:30.41\00:13:34.34
and the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit,
00:13:34.38\00:13:36.61
and the finishing of the work.
00:13:36.64\00:13:38.78
And these world
leaders are committed to that.
00:13:38.81\00:13:42.45
This afternoon
they will be responding
00:13:42.48\00:13:45.12
to very pointed questions.
00:13:45.15\00:13:48.72
I want you to be here.
00:13:48.76\00:13:50.79
There will also be a
time when we will have
00:13:50.83\00:13:53.29
a special prayer of
dedication for them.
00:13:53.33\00:13:58.00
I hope that each
of you will tell those
00:13:58.03\00:14:00.84
who may be in
the convention center
00:14:00.87\00:14:03.14
and elsewhere to come and
be together this afternoon,
00:14:03.17\00:14:07.48
not only
physically but spiritually
00:14:07.51\00:14:10.21
as we face the
world mission approach
00:14:10.25\00:14:14.75
of taking the
three angels' messages
00:14:14.78\00:14:16.75
to every corner of this globe.
00:14:16.79\00:14:19.45
Thank you, Steve, again
for the wonderful hospitality.
00:14:19.49\00:14:22.39
And I'm so proud
that all of these leaders
00:14:22.42\00:14:25.39
could be here with us today.
00:14:25.43\00:14:27.10
We are one in Christ. Amen.
00:14:27.13\00:14:30.30
You'll notice ASI family
that the theme for this year
00:14:30.33\00:14:34.14
is called
"Chosen and Committed".
00:14:34.17\00:14:37.67
This afternoon as we
have this time together
00:14:37.71\00:14:40.38
with our world
church leadership,
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.74
I'm going to invite
you to begin praying
00:14:42.78\00:14:45.55
about what God is
calling you specifically to do,
00:14:45.58\00:14:49.98
because at the
end of that program,
00:14:50.02\00:14:51.75
there's going to be
an opportunity for you
00:14:51.79\00:14:53.99
to make a commitment
00:14:54.02\00:14:55.46
to what God is
calling you to do.
00:14:55.49\00:14:57.69
Pray with us as we prepare
for this program this afternoon
00:14:57.73\00:15:00.33
that God will bless
in a remarkable way.
00:15:00.36\00:15:02.96
Well, good morning and
happy Sabbath everyone.
00:19:58.43\00:20:02.50
It's a blessed and
beautiful day, isn't it?
00:20:02.53\00:20:05.70
I'm so thankful to be here.
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.10
We've been, my brother
Shawn and my husband Paul
00:20:07.14\00:20:10.21
have been
running the youth section
00:20:10.24\00:20:13.48
in the youth
convention downstairs,
00:20:13.51\00:20:15.68
and so I've been down with
them this whole convention long.
00:20:15.71\00:20:19.35
And so I actually didn't
even come into this auditorium
00:20:19.38\00:20:22.28
until last night
because I have been with them,
00:20:22.32\00:20:25.02
and so I've missed
what's been going on up here
00:20:25.05\00:20:27.56
and I have heard it's
been a tremendous blessing,
00:20:27.59\00:20:29.79
but we've had an
amazing time down there as well,
00:20:29.82\00:20:32.19
so you can know
your young people
00:20:32.23\00:20:34.70
are truly wonderful,
and we've loved them,
00:20:34.73\00:20:36.80
and we've enjoyed them so much.
00:20:36.83\00:20:38.83
And we've had tremendous
blessing down there as well,
00:20:38.87\00:20:41.77
but it's a joy to be
with you here this morning
00:20:41.80\00:20:44.47
and also being here itself
00:20:44.51\00:20:47.28
just brings back
a lot of memories
00:20:47.31\00:20:48.81
because my first,
my first conference
00:20:48.84\00:20:53.42
as president of GYC was
held in this convention center.
00:20:53.45\00:20:56.58
And so being in this room here
00:20:56.62\00:20:58.29
brings back a ton
of memories as well.
00:20:58.32\00:21:00.52
Beautiful memories of the
mercy and goodness of God.
00:21:00.56\00:21:04.39
And I grew up
coming to ASI and GYC,
00:21:04.43\00:21:09.96
so it's just
lots of good memories
00:21:10.00\00:21:11.53
packed into one place
00:21:11.57\00:21:13.00
and plus my
wonderful family is here,
00:21:13.03\00:21:14.70
my whole family is here.
00:21:14.74\00:21:16.64
Even though we're scattered
across the United States
00:21:16.67\00:21:18.87
and the world part of the time
00:21:18.91\00:21:21.38
because my sister
and brother-in-law
00:21:21.41\00:21:22.74
are missionaries in Africa,
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.11
but they're all
here this morning.
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.95
And I am so thankful for that.
00:21:25.98\00:21:28.88
God is good.
00:21:28.92\00:21:30.82
So let's have a prayer
00:21:30.85\00:21:32.19
before we start
into our lesson study
00:21:32.22\00:21:35.19
because there's no blessing
without the Spirit of God.
00:21:35.22\00:21:40.90
Let's pray.
00:21:40.93\00:21:42.76
Heavenly Father,
You know as always,
00:21:42.80\00:21:48.00
I'm just a little child
00:21:48.04\00:21:51.67
but You, O, Lord, my Father,
00:21:51.71\00:21:54.64
I am the clay and
you are my potter,
00:21:54.68\00:21:57.55
and I am the work of Your hands.
00:21:57.58\00:22:00.25
Lord, I pray this morning
that You would set me aside
00:22:00.28\00:22:04.55
and lay me low and that
You alone would be exalted
00:22:04.59\00:22:09.52
and that Your ways would
be beautiful before our eyes.
00:22:09.56\00:22:13.63
And that You would be
with those listening here live
00:22:13.66\00:22:17.70
and those listening via 3ABN
or over the internet, Father,
00:22:17.73\00:22:23.51
that just every
hearer would not hear me
00:22:23.54\00:22:26.61
but that they would hear
the words of Jesus to them.
00:22:26.64\00:22:30.45
Whatever our individual
needs are this morning
00:22:30.48\00:22:33.55
that You would minister
to them through Your Word.
00:22:33.58\00:22:37.99
You are God and we exalt
You, we love You, we praise You,
00:22:38.02\00:22:42.46
we thank You.
00:22:42.49\00:22:45.29
Thank You most of all for Jesus,
00:22:45.33\00:22:48.20
that's His name we ask,
00:22:48.23\00:22:49.83
amen.
00:22:49.86\00:22:52.03
So if you
looked in your program,
00:22:52.07\00:22:55.44
it said the
Sabbath school lesson study
00:22:55.47\00:22:57.61
is for this morning
what I'm giving you,
00:22:57.64\00:22:59.51
and it's too bad really
00:22:59.54\00:23:01.28
that we can't actually have
a Sabbath school discussion.
00:23:01.31\00:23:04.58
Because I was just
so touched and moved
00:23:04.61\00:23:06.55
by the lesson study this week,
00:23:06.58\00:23:08.98
this whole quarterly
has been just wonderful.
00:23:09.02\00:23:12.05
And if any of you did not
study the lessons this week
00:23:12.09\00:23:15.22
that's certainly no condemnation
00:23:15.26\00:23:16.99
because it's easy to,
00:23:17.03\00:23:18.56
there's so much
out there to read,
00:23:18.59\00:23:21.66
so much to pack
into our devotions
00:23:21.70\00:23:23.73
that maybe some of you
00:23:23.77\00:23:25.37
didn't get a chance to study it.
00:23:25.40\00:23:26.74
if you didn't, I
would appeal to you
00:23:26.77\00:23:28.10
to just go back and study it
00:23:28.14\00:23:29.47
just to receive
the blessing yourself
00:23:29.50\00:23:30.84
because it is just beautiful,
00:23:30.87\00:23:32.61
but it's too bad that we are not
00:23:32.64\00:23:34.44
in our own little local churches
00:23:34.48\00:23:35.81
that we could just
or here just break up
00:23:35.84\00:23:37.71
and have discussion
00:23:37.75\00:23:39.08
because there are so
many practical things
00:23:39.11\00:23:40.45
since we can't do that
00:23:40.48\00:23:41.95
and since you're just
going to have to listen
00:23:41.98\00:23:43.32
to a monologue from me,
00:23:43.35\00:23:44.92
I'm just going to share with you
00:23:44.95\00:23:46.29
some of the
things that I learned
00:23:46.32\00:23:47.66
from this week Sabbath school.
00:23:47.69\00:23:49.86
Well, God has
impressed my heart with
00:23:49.89\00:23:52.66
and I'll just appeal
to you as you listen to it
00:23:52.69\00:23:55.96
to just think about the
truths of the Word of God
00:23:56.00\00:23:58.87
as were brought out in
this week's lesson study,
00:23:58.90\00:24:01.50
and how he may want to
apply that to your life
00:24:01.54\00:24:04.37
even as he has challenged
me to apply it to my life.
00:24:04.41\00:24:07.24
So to start out, let's
turn to the Gospel of John
00:24:07.28\00:24:11.18
in your Bibles,
00:24:11.21\00:24:12.55
John 1:14,
00:24:12.58\00:24:18.49
this is a very
familiar verse to all of us
00:24:18.52\00:24:20.86
but it is so incredibly
rich, and deep, and profound,
00:24:20.89\00:24:25.96
let seek to listen
to it and to read it
00:24:25.99\00:24:28.26
with new ears and eyes.
00:24:28.30\00:24:31.93
"And the Word was made flesh.
00:24:31.97\00:24:36.17
And dwelt among us,
and we beheld His glory.
00:24:36.20\00:24:41.41
The glory as of the
only begotten of the Father,
00:24:41.44\00:24:44.75
full of grace and truth."
00:24:44.78\00:24:49.95
That sentence touches me so much
00:24:49.98\00:24:51.89
or that phrase
full of grace and truth.
00:24:51.92\00:24:56.32
So the main idea
of behind redemption
00:24:56.36\00:24:58.79
is this drawing close.
00:24:58.83\00:25:00.16
You think about
the very beginning
00:25:00.20\00:25:02.90
when iniquity
entered our universe.
00:25:02.93\00:25:04.87
Here we have Lucifer,
00:25:04.90\00:25:06.80
who is the closest to
God of any created being.
00:25:06.84\00:25:11.84
God created him specifically
00:25:11.87\00:25:14.74
to be the closest of any
other created being to God,
00:25:14.78\00:25:19.45
the anointed cherub who covered,
00:25:19.48\00:25:21.55
the one who walked up and down
00:25:21.58\00:25:23.42
in the midst of
the stones of fire,
00:25:23.45\00:25:25.29
the one who beheld
the ceaseless glory
00:25:25.32\00:25:27.72
pouring off of God,
00:25:27.76\00:25:29.09
the one that knew him
better than anyone else
00:25:29.12\00:25:32.69
knew as we read in the
Bible and the Desire of Ages,
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.66
Ellen White
describes very poignantly
00:25:35.70\00:25:38.57
how Lucifer left
00:25:38.60\00:25:40.64
when he is
cherishing these ideas
00:25:40.67\00:25:42.50
of his own importance
00:25:42.54\00:25:43.87
which how you cherish
ideas of your own importance
00:25:43.91\00:25:45.67
in front of God.
00:25:45.71\00:25:47.04
Iniquity is a mystery.
00:25:47.08\00:25:49.31
But he's cherishing these
ideas of his own importance
00:25:49.34\00:25:51.61
and he is disgruntled
that Christ has gotten that,
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.82
you know, this gotten exalted
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.92
and all these
things that happened,
00:25:55.95\00:25:58.45
he is frustrated about
this, so he leaves the presence,
00:25:58.49\00:26:02.02
the immediate presence
of God and he goes out,
00:26:02.06\00:26:04.16
and he starts spreading
dissension amongst the angels.
00:26:04.19\00:26:06.73
And think about the
power of his arguments
00:26:06.76\00:26:10.63
because the angels have,
00:26:10.67\00:26:12.00
a, never been lied to
in all of their existence.
00:26:12.03\00:26:16.37
They don't even
understand the concept of a lie.
00:26:16.40\00:26:19.44
So here comes Lucifer,
the one being in the universe
00:26:19.47\00:26:22.71
who is closest to God,
00:26:22.74\00:26:24.61
the one being who
stands in his presence,
00:26:24.65\00:26:26.38
he starts saying things
about the character of God
00:26:26.41\00:26:28.72
and how our freedom is over
00:26:28.75\00:26:30.09
and this and that and the other.
00:26:30.12\00:26:31.89
And the angels who
have never been lied to,
00:26:31.92\00:26:33.46
they were like,
00:26:33.49\00:26:34.82
Lucifer is closer to
God than anybody else.
00:26:34.86\00:26:37.83
How can you discredit
what Lucifer has to say,
00:26:37.86\00:26:40.06
and his lies took a
tremendous amount of power
00:26:40.10\00:26:45.83
there in heaven.
00:26:45.87\00:26:47.20
Then he comes down to earth
00:26:47.24\00:26:48.57
and Adam who was
also created close to God,
00:26:48.60\00:26:50.71
not as close as Lucifer
was, obviously, he was created,
00:26:50.74\00:26:52.71
he was here on earth.
00:26:52.74\00:26:54.08
But yet he had the blessing
00:26:54.11\00:26:55.44
and the
privilege of visits of God
00:26:55.48\00:26:56.81
and of the angels.
00:26:56.85\00:26:58.18
He starts out not
as close as Lucifer
00:26:58.21\00:27:00.02
but closer than we are,
00:27:00.05\00:27:02.08
starts out closer and then this,
00:27:02.12\00:27:04.69
he makes the same
choice essentially
00:27:04.72\00:27:06.82
that Lucifer made
certainly at a different level
00:27:06.86\00:27:08.86
because Lucifer had a
different amount of knowledge.
00:27:08.89\00:27:11.99
But he also
chooses to turn away,
00:27:12.03\00:27:15.13
to leave the presence of God.
00:27:15.16\00:27:19.00
And then 6,000 years later,
00:27:19.03\00:27:21.10
you fast forward to us
00:27:21.14\00:27:23.41
and we start out
far away from Him.
00:27:23.44\00:27:27.44
But then the idea of redemption
as clarified through the Bible,
00:27:27.48\00:27:31.38
is that God says, we're
going to draw close again.
00:27:31.41\00:27:34.85
We started close and
that separation occurred.
00:27:34.88\00:27:39.05
Now we're starting
with the separation
00:27:39.09\00:27:42.06
and we're going to
draw close again to see that
00:27:42.09\00:27:43.96
if human beings can get
back close enough to God
00:27:43.99\00:27:46.63
that they can see obviously
not with our actual vision
00:27:46.66\00:27:49.40
but through the eyes of faith,
00:27:49.43\00:27:50.77
if we can see God and understand
00:27:50.80\00:27:52.43
who He is that maybe we will
decide to ditch the sin thing.
00:27:52.47\00:27:56.27
To draw close again,
00:27:56.30\00:27:57.64
but of course we
can't get back to God,
00:27:57.67\00:27:59.01
so what does He do?
00:27:59.04\00:28:00.38
The Word becomes
flesh and dwells among us.
00:28:00.41\00:28:03.01
And He did it even
before He came to earth
00:28:03.04\00:28:04.51
practically, right?
00:28:04.55\00:28:05.88
Said, when the Israelites
were in the wilderness,
00:28:05.91\00:28:07.98
let them make me a sanctuary,
so that I can do what?
00:28:08.02\00:28:11.19
Dwell among them.
00:28:11.22\00:28:12.55
So that I can be amongst them,
00:28:12.59\00:28:13.92
so that we can
be near each other,
00:28:13.96\00:28:15.29
we can mingle with each other,
00:28:15.32\00:28:17.83
we can be around that
there's this closeness,
00:28:17.86\00:28:19.59
not kneel them
down here and I up there
00:28:19.63\00:28:22.53
and there's this
great gulf and between know
00:28:22.56\00:28:24.60
so that we can be close.
00:28:24.63\00:28:26.20
This concept of drawing close
00:28:26.23\00:28:28.30
it's the bottom
line idea of redemption.
00:28:28.34\00:28:33.07
So then, God becomes
Emmanuel, God with us.
00:28:33.11\00:28:37.28
I mean, He always was.
00:28:37.31\00:28:39.25
But He does it in a
way that we can understand,
00:28:39.28\00:28:41.48
He comes to live on this earth,
00:28:41.52\00:28:44.35
He was in the world
and the world was what?
00:28:44.39\00:28:48.52
Made by Him.
00:28:48.56\00:28:51.36
And the world knew it not.
00:28:51.39\00:28:53.50
Phenomenal.
00:28:53.53\00:28:54.86
He was in the world and
the world was made by Him,
00:28:54.90\00:28:57.10
everything He
could see, made by Him,
00:28:57.13\00:28:59.27
and the world knew it not.
00:28:59.30\00:29:01.94
He came unto His own and
His own received Him not.
00:29:01.97\00:29:07.94
This is where it's so
profoundly beautiful to me
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.55
that when He became
flesh and dwelt among us.
00:29:10.58\00:29:13.45
There's this parenthetical
thought in that verse,
00:29:13.48\00:29:15.22
in verse 14, the
one we read, John 1:14,
00:29:15.25\00:29:17.59
there's this
parenthetical thought that says,
00:29:17.62\00:29:19.15
"we beheld his glory,
00:29:19.19\00:29:20.52
the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father."
00:29:20.56\00:29:22.36
And that parenthetical
thought is so profound
00:29:22.39\00:29:24.76
that I think it can
sometimes distract us
00:29:24.79\00:29:26.73
from the thought of the verse
00:29:26.76\00:29:28.10
minus the parenthetical thought.
00:29:28.13\00:29:29.46
Now, I mean, you don't
want to remove it entirely
00:29:29.50\00:29:31.73
but if you read the sentence
00:29:31.77\00:29:33.10
minus the parenthetical thought,
00:29:33.13\00:29:34.47
it says, that the word
became flesh and dwelt among us,
00:29:34.50\00:29:37.11
full of grace and truth.
00:29:37.14\00:29:39.67
His dwelling amongst us
00:29:39.71\00:29:41.04
was full and
characterized by this,
00:29:41.08\00:29:43.61
grace and truth.
00:29:43.65\00:29:45.15
Grace and truth,
in every interaction,
00:29:45.18\00:29:47.58
in every word, in every thought,
00:29:47.62\00:29:48.98
in everything that He did,
00:29:49.02\00:29:50.39
it was grace and truth
that was defined by it.
00:29:50.42\00:29:52.62
I am profoundly blessed
00:29:52.65\00:29:54.36
and this is what He
desires us to now do, right?
00:29:54.39\00:29:57.69
He says at the
very end of his life
00:29:57.73\00:29:59.49
after He's washed
the disciples feet,
00:29:59.53\00:30:01.03
He's like listen, "I
have left you an example."
00:30:01.06\00:30:03.50
And if washing Judas' feet
00:30:03.53\00:30:04.87
is not the epitome of
grace and truth, what is?
00:30:04.90\00:30:08.40
But after He finishes
this, He gets up and He's like,
00:30:08.44\00:30:10.67
listen, I have
left you an example,
00:30:10.71\00:30:12.77
so that you
should do as I have done.
00:30:12.81\00:30:18.45
Translation the way
I have lived among you,
00:30:18.48\00:30:20.85
the way I have served you,
this is the way you are now,
00:30:20.88\00:30:24.05
we are now called to
live amongst each other,
00:30:24.09\00:30:26.86
amongst the world,
00:30:26.89\00:30:28.22
amongst those that
don't know His name,
00:30:28.26\00:30:29.69
just the way He
lived amongst us.
00:30:29.72\00:30:31.36
And He says, if you know
these things, happy are you
00:30:31.39\00:30:33.86
if you do them, grace and truth.
00:30:33.90\00:30:36.90
I am blessed to be married
to a wonderful, wonderful man
00:30:36.93\00:30:43.61
whose life has redefined
grace and truth to his wife.
00:30:43.64\00:30:49.01
Profoundly blessed.
00:30:49.04\00:30:50.58
And just a week ago
Friday, so week from yesterday,
00:30:50.61\00:30:56.92
it had been an
ordinary Friday, I was at home,
00:30:56.95\00:31:00.26
and I was, it was
late afternoon now
00:31:00.29\00:31:04.06
and I was cleaning the house,
00:31:04.09\00:31:06.09
and we live in this absolutely
00:31:06.13\00:31:08.10
adorable tiny house in Tennessee
00:31:08.13\00:31:10.27
in the beautiful rolling
hills of Middle Tennessee,
00:31:10.30\00:31:12.77
incredible life there.
00:31:12.80\00:31:14.14
Anyway, I love my tiny
house with all my heart,
00:31:14.17\00:31:17.47
and so I was in
there and I was cleaning
00:31:17.51\00:31:19.74
and putting fresh flowers out
00:31:19.77\00:31:21.68
and just
delighting in my little home
00:31:21.71\00:31:23.98
and my honey was
outside somewhere working,
00:31:24.01\00:31:26.75
and so I was looking
forward to when he got back,
00:31:26.78\00:31:29.42
and it was about 45 minutes
00:31:29.45\00:31:32.29
before an hour or
45 minutes before,
00:31:32.32\00:31:35.22
we were going to
have our sundown worship.
00:31:35.26\00:31:37.63
And I was just
wrapping up there,
00:31:37.66\00:31:39.79
and I went over for some
reason to pick up my phone,
00:31:39.83\00:31:43.26
it was on the kitchen
counter and I picked up my phone
00:31:43.30\00:31:45.77
and on my phone there
was a text from my mother.
00:31:45.80\00:31:50.04
Well, she had sent some time
before but I hadn't seen it.
00:31:50.07\00:31:54.01
Letting me know that one
of the most important people
00:31:54.04\00:31:57.08
in the world to me had died,
00:31:57.11\00:32:01.98
two words, so and so,
00:32:02.02\00:32:05.95
she put the name, died.
00:32:05.99\00:32:09.86
A little mojo icon
with tears coming down.
00:32:09.89\00:32:14.13
I am looking at my phone.
00:32:14.16\00:32:15.73
And it was
perfectly unreal to me.
00:32:19.07\00:32:20.84
I'm like,
00:32:20.87\00:32:25.77
"How can that be true?
00:32:25.81\00:32:29.28
How can that be for real?
00:32:29.31\00:32:32.48
Six months ago
she was at my wedding,
00:32:32.51\00:32:34.22
she was in my wedding."
00:32:34.25\00:32:36.89
I never got to
write her a thank you note
00:32:36.92\00:32:39.55
for the last most beautiful gift
00:32:39.59\00:32:41.19
she had ever given to me.
00:32:41.22\00:32:42.72
This is a person that is one of
the most important people to me
00:32:42.76\00:32:45.26
on earth,
00:32:45.29\00:32:46.63
and I never got to
say goodbye at my wedding
00:32:46.66\00:32:48.86
because of all that, you
know, the busyness of trying
00:32:48.90\00:32:50.70
to get out of the reception,
00:32:50.73\00:32:52.07
so many people there
to say goodbye to you,
00:32:52.10\00:32:53.44
and trying to get
out to take pictures
00:32:53.47\00:32:54.84
before the sun
set out in the snow.
00:32:54.87\00:32:57.61
And now, so I never
got to say goodbye to her
00:32:57.64\00:32:59.07
at my wedding
and now she's gone.
00:32:59.11\00:33:00.54
You mean to tell me, I'm
never going to see her again,
00:33:00.58\00:33:04.01
and I was just like
perfectly now, it's like how.
00:33:04.05\00:33:08.52
It was like 100% unreal to me.
00:33:08.55\00:33:10.15
So I set the phone down
and I started going back
00:33:10.19\00:33:13.92
to just finish the
last touches on my house.
00:33:13.96\00:33:17.99
But then I
couldn't do that either,
00:33:18.03\00:33:19.36
so I'm just
sort of standing here
00:33:19.39\00:33:20.73
in this state of perfect limbo.
00:33:20.76\00:33:23.13
And then I'm like,
00:33:23.16\00:33:25.90
well, if this is true
I want to find out how.
00:33:25.93\00:33:28.54
So I pick up my
phone to FaceTime my mom,
00:33:28.57\00:33:32.01
and I FaceTimed to my mom
00:33:32.04\00:33:34.51
and when her face showed
up on the screen of my iPhone,
00:33:34.54\00:33:38.01
her face was streaked with tears
00:33:38.05\00:33:40.12
and the combination of seeing
her face streaked with tears
00:33:40.15\00:33:42.58
and at that moment my
husband opened the door
00:33:42.62\00:33:44.42
and walked in,
00:33:44.45\00:33:45.79
and between that combination
of his presence and her face,
00:33:45.82\00:33:48.62
I dissolved.
00:33:48.66\00:33:51.49
For the next, I
don't even know how long,
00:33:51.53\00:33:54.33
the rest of the cleaning
in my house did not get done,
00:33:54.36\00:33:56.83
I was almost done
anyway, but it did not get done.
00:33:56.87\00:34:00.54
And I was lying on my bed,
00:34:00.57\00:34:01.90
trying to wrap my
mind around this reality
00:34:01.94\00:34:04.04
that she was gone and I
would never see her again.
00:34:04.07\00:34:07.44
With zero closure, zero closure.
00:34:07.48\00:34:12.35
And as the evening wore on,
we had our sundown worship but,
00:34:12.38\00:34:15.35
of course, I'm totally like
emotionally out of whack now.
00:34:15.38\00:34:19.39
And a couple other
things happened that evening
00:34:19.42\00:34:22.22
that were unrelated to the loss
of this precious person but...
00:34:22.26\00:34:26.49
And unrelated
frankly to my husband
00:34:26.53\00:34:29.50
and it was
certainly not his fault,
00:34:29.53\00:34:31.23
but a couple of things happened
00:34:31.27\00:34:32.63
that in my already
very hyperemotional state
00:34:32.67\00:34:35.94
really bothered me.
00:34:35.97\00:34:38.04
And in that state
of so and so was dead,
00:34:38.07\00:34:42.01
I cannot believe this,
and I cannot handle this,
00:34:42.04\00:34:44.21
and this is too much for me,
00:34:44.25\00:34:45.58
I had no warning
that she was going to die.
00:34:45.61\00:34:47.78
And anyway, needless
to say long story short,
00:34:47.82\00:34:53.49
I ended up being quite
difficult with my husband.
00:34:53.52\00:34:57.53
And allowing the little
things really that bothered me
00:34:57.56\00:35:00.83
to just bother me and I
was refusing to be comforted
00:35:00.86\00:35:03.26
and I was just
generally being difficult,
00:35:03.30\00:35:05.73
and my husband was
so gracious and kind.
00:35:05.77\00:35:09.30
And you say, well, you
know, of course, he was gracious
00:35:09.34\00:35:11.11
and kind to you,
you just lost somebody
00:35:11.14\00:35:12.47
that was super important to you
00:35:12.51\00:35:13.84
but listen, even
if you lose someone
00:35:13.88\00:35:15.84
that was
incredibly important to you,
00:35:15.88\00:35:18.41
that's no reason to be
difficult with your spouse.
00:35:18.45\00:35:24.35
And he was just
so gentle and so kind
00:35:24.39\00:35:26.19
that it really broke my heart.
00:35:26.22\00:35:27.69
And the next morning as I was,
00:35:27.72\00:35:29.16
you know, praying
about and everything,
00:35:29.19\00:35:30.53
I was really convicted
00:35:30.56\00:35:31.89
I shouldn't have
been difficult with him.
00:35:31.93\00:35:33.26
There was nothing he
did wrong, there was no...
00:35:33.29\00:35:34.63
And it wasn't that I
thought that there was something
00:35:34.66\00:35:36.26
he did wrong, it
was just hyperemotional
00:35:36.30\00:35:38.27
that night before.
00:35:38.30\00:35:39.63
And so I went back to
him, and I was like, you know,
00:35:39.67\00:35:41.00
sweetheart, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry for being difficult.
00:35:41.04\00:35:44.94
And he smiled at me and
he wrapped his arms around me
00:35:44.97\00:35:47.44
and he said something
to me, I'll never forget.
00:35:47.48\00:35:48.98
He said, "Honey
don't even worry about it,
00:35:49.01\00:35:52.05
at moments like that
I love to pray for you."
00:35:52.08\00:35:57.25
Grace and truth.
00:35:57.29\00:36:01.09
And grace and truth
00:36:01.12\00:36:02.49
are what enable us
00:36:02.52\00:36:03.86
to impact another
life with blessing,
00:36:03.89\00:36:08.80
whether it's
someone in our family
00:36:08.83\00:36:10.17
it's what
impacts us and enables,
00:36:10.20\00:36:12.23
it's what impacts
and then enables us
00:36:12.27\00:36:13.94
to lead them to Jesus Christ.
00:36:13.97\00:36:15.30
And it's what enables my husband
00:36:15.34\00:36:16.67
to lead me to Jesus Christ
00:36:16.71\00:36:18.14
the night that
I've lost somebody
00:36:18.17\00:36:19.51
that's one of the most
precious people to me on earth,
00:36:19.54\00:36:22.01
grace and truth.
00:36:22.04\00:36:23.38
And that's the way we
reach out to our family,
00:36:23.41\00:36:24.91
is the way we
reach out to our church,
00:36:24.95\00:36:26.75
and it's the way we reach
out to the public in a society
00:36:26.78\00:36:29.72
from which grace and
truth have seemingly evaporated.
00:36:29.75\00:36:35.26
It is what God is calling
us to display to one another.
00:36:35.29\00:36:41.46
So continuing on, I think
it was on Monday in the lesson,
00:36:41.50\00:36:44.60
there was this, it presented
through the three parables
00:36:44.63\00:36:48.04
of the lost
sheep, the lost coin,
00:36:48.07\00:36:49.80
and the lost boy.
00:36:49.84\00:36:51.17
And Jesus gave those parables
00:36:51.21\00:36:53.41
as a response to
the concept of the,
00:36:53.44\00:36:55.08
you know, the Pharisees
coming along, they're like,
00:36:55.11\00:36:56.54
well, you eat with publicans
and sinners, this is, you know,
00:36:56.58\00:36:58.58
a very negative thing.
00:36:58.61\00:36:59.95
They're upset about this
00:36:59.98\00:37:01.32
and Jesus gives
this as a response,
00:37:01.35\00:37:02.68
He gives these three parables,
00:37:02.72\00:37:04.05
lost sheep, lost coin, lost boy.
00:37:04.09\00:37:05.49
And when He gives
these three parables,
00:37:05.52\00:37:07.02
at the end of each parable,
00:37:07.06\00:37:08.62
He gives like this
concluding synopsis statement
00:37:08.66\00:37:11.79
of that parable,
00:37:11.83\00:37:13.16
and then He moves
into the next parable.
00:37:13.19\00:37:15.06
And each synopsis statement
gets increasingly strong
00:37:15.10\00:37:19.60
in its conclusion
00:37:19.63\00:37:21.54
and then at the end
of all the three parables
00:37:21.57\00:37:23.51
He is basically like, so, yes,
00:37:23.54\00:37:25.27
I do eat with
publicans and sinners.
00:37:25.31\00:37:27.41
First parable,
he gives lost sheep,
00:37:27.44\00:37:29.24
when He comes to
the end of that parable,
00:37:29.28\00:37:30.71
He makes the
statement that the one sinner
00:37:30.75\00:37:35.15
who repents is
more precious in heaven
00:37:35.18\00:37:37.12
than the 99 who do
not need repentance.
00:37:37.15\00:37:40.76
Then He gives the next parable,
the one of the last coin,
00:37:40.79\00:37:43.63
you can find this in Luke 15.
00:37:43.66\00:37:47.50
He gives them the
parable of the last coin.
00:37:47.53\00:37:49.46
He makes a stronger statement
at the end of that parable,
00:37:49.50\00:37:53.27
and He says that there is joy
00:37:53.30\00:37:55.44
in the presence
of the angels of God
00:37:55.47\00:37:57.67
over one sinner that repents.
00:37:57.71\00:38:01.11
And I would like you
to wrap your mind with me
00:38:01.14\00:38:03.61
for a moment around that concept
00:38:03.65\00:38:05.31
that there is joy
00:38:05.35\00:38:06.72
in the presence
of the angels of God
00:38:06.75\00:38:09.75
over one sinner that repents,
00:38:09.78\00:38:11.25
and we're so
accustomed to that verse
00:38:11.29\00:38:12.62
that we're like, oh yes
00:38:12.65\00:38:13.99
they're thankful for
ones and they repents,
00:38:14.02\00:38:15.36
but I would like you to
wrap your mind around this
00:38:15.39\00:38:17.13
as I have as God called me to do
00:38:17.16\00:38:20.06
in a very
practical and personal sense.
00:38:20.10\00:38:23.16
Did you realize
that in the moment
00:38:23.20\00:38:25.43
look back over your
life and in the moments
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.24
when you gave
your heart to Christ,
00:38:27.27\00:38:29.40
or you made a
particular surrender,
00:38:29.44\00:38:31.07
or you let go of something
that you had been holding on to,
00:38:31.11\00:38:33.64
or at your baptism
or anything like this,
00:38:33.68\00:38:36.91
just think back over your life
00:38:36.95\00:38:38.28
as I have thought
back over my life,
00:38:38.31\00:38:40.18
and realize that
over at those junctures,
00:38:40.22\00:38:43.89
these angels, these
cherubim, these Seraphim,
00:38:43.92\00:38:48.02
Seraphim name
means the burning one.
00:38:48.06\00:38:51.19
There are
tremendous incredible creatures
00:38:51.23\00:38:54.50
that are created
for the glory of God,
00:38:54.53\00:38:56.30
they stand in
the presence of God
00:38:56.33\00:38:57.67
and say, Holy,
Holy, Holy, six wings,
00:38:57.70\00:38:59.27
one covering their face.
00:38:59.30\00:39:00.74
So they don't just directly
gaze into the glory of God,
00:39:00.77\00:39:03.67
the ones that I got to mention
with Lucifer that Bible says,
00:39:03.71\00:39:05.84
"Walk up and down
amidst the stones of fire
00:39:05.87\00:39:08.94
they rejoice
when just one of us,
00:39:08.98\00:39:15.22
when I, when you repent.
00:39:15.25\00:39:20.26
They rejoice, Ellen
White has this profound,
00:39:20.29\00:39:23.22
you should go and read
it, and I don't remember now
00:39:23.26\00:39:24.73
the reference I was reading
it just yesterday morning,
00:39:24.76\00:39:26.43
my eyes just filled with tears,
00:39:26.46\00:39:28.13
this profound
statement where she says,
00:39:28.16\00:39:30.73
that and, of course,
she says that each of us
00:39:30.77\00:39:33.27
as the children of God
have an angel with us, right.
00:39:33.30\00:39:36.34
And then she said,
00:39:36.37\00:39:37.91
which we are all
accustomed to that concept,
00:39:37.94\00:39:39.64
but then she says that
00:39:39.67\00:39:41.04
when one of us
become discouraged
00:39:41.08\00:39:43.75
or we weep,
00:39:43.78\00:39:45.65
that that angel
flies quickly to heaven
00:39:45.68\00:39:48.62
and tells that news there
00:39:48.65\00:39:50.95
and that the
angels cease to sing.
00:39:50.99\00:39:56.16
When one of us
becomes discouraged and weeps,
00:39:56.19\00:40:01.10
the highest principalities
and powers of heaven
00:40:01.13\00:40:04.17
cease to sing in sympathy.
00:40:04.20\00:40:06.97
Profound, profound and
then she goes on to say,
00:40:09.74\00:40:14.81
that Christ will send
another angel to come back
00:40:14.84\00:40:17.25
and support and encourage
and seek to lead us to Christ,
00:40:17.28\00:40:19.98
and if that soul
then continues to refuses
00:40:20.02\00:40:23.85
to turn their eyes to Jesus
00:40:23.89\00:40:25.22
and continues
down the wrong path,
00:40:25.25\00:40:27.02
that angel will
go back to heaven
00:40:27.06\00:40:28.52
and will tell it in heaven
00:40:28.56\00:40:29.92
and that the
angels will look sad,
00:40:29.96\00:40:31.56
and then she
says, and they weep.
00:40:31.59\00:40:34.66
And then at the
end of them weeping,
00:40:34.70\00:40:36.93
they say, amen.
00:40:36.97\00:40:40.17
This is incredible.
00:40:40.20\00:40:42.34
This is incredible,
Davie, but then she says,
00:40:42.37\00:40:45.01
but if that
person will turn round
00:40:45.04\00:40:46.78
and they will turn
and look to Jesus Christ
00:40:46.81\00:40:49.01
and they will be brought
into the narrow way again,
00:40:49.04\00:40:52.98
then that news
gets carried to heaven,
00:40:53.01\00:40:54.75
and the angels sing hallelujah,
and they touch their hearts
00:40:54.78\00:40:59.35
and heaven's
arches ring with music,
00:40:59.39\00:41:01.82
is it profound,
or is not profound?
00:41:01.86\00:41:04.89
Can our hearts be
touched that the fact,
00:41:04.93\00:41:07.33
when I picked up my
phone and I saw that
00:41:07.36\00:41:09.20
one of the most important people
00:41:09.23\00:41:10.57
on earth had died,
00:41:10.60\00:41:12.73
and my heart was
incredibly discouraged
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.80
and I wept.
00:41:14.84\00:41:16.17
Can it not be profound
that in heaven in that moment
00:41:16.20\00:41:18.84
there was silence that
the angel ceased to sing
00:41:18.87\00:41:21.58
because I was weeping?
00:41:21.61\00:41:23.21
How does this happen?
00:41:23.24\00:41:25.38
There is joy in
Jesus knowing this
00:41:25.41\00:41:27.38
because he had been
having, He says, listen
00:41:27.42\00:41:29.28
there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God
00:41:29.32\00:41:31.52
over one sinner,
one sinner that repents.
00:41:31.55\00:41:34.49
Yes, I eat with
publicans and sinners,
00:41:34.52\00:41:36.69
this is what Jesus was giving
this parable in response to,
00:41:36.73\00:41:38.93
right?
00:41:38.96\00:41:40.40
Yes, I eat with
publicans and sinners,
00:41:40.43\00:41:41.80
and if our hearts can even be
00:41:41.83\00:41:43.63
a little bit in
unison with heaven,
00:41:43.67\00:41:46.10
we will know
the value of a soul,
00:41:46.13\00:41:47.54
we will know the
value of our own soul
00:41:47.57\00:41:48.97
that we cannot be playing
around with our own salvation,
00:41:49.00\00:41:52.11
we'd be working it out
with fear and trembling,
00:41:52.14\00:41:54.18
we need to be on
our knees before God
00:41:54.21\00:41:55.54
because the loss of
one soul is a tragedy,
00:41:55.58\00:41:58.58
it's a tragedy
beyond what we can compute.
00:41:58.61\00:42:01.95
And if we feel the
feeling of the heart of heaven,
00:42:01.98\00:42:06.49
then the soul that is
walking down the street
00:42:06.52\00:42:08.92
that looks like, they don't care
00:42:08.96\00:42:10.29
a hoot about God.
00:42:10.33\00:42:13.66
Our hearts will care too,
because the principalities
00:42:13.70\00:42:15.83
and powers of
heaven will rejoice,
00:42:15.86\00:42:18.27
if that one soul will repent.
00:42:18.30\00:42:21.54
They are sad when
that one soul is sad.
00:42:21.57\00:42:24.11
They are glad when
that one soul is glad.
00:42:24.14\00:42:27.41
What is...
00:42:27.44\00:42:29.44
The grace of God
just leaves me speechless.
00:42:29.48\00:42:31.91
And then Jesus proceeds
00:42:31.95\00:42:33.28
from that already
phenomenal statement
00:42:33.31\00:42:35.42
and then He
proceeds to give the parable
00:42:35.45\00:42:36.89
of the prodigal
son, the lost boy,
00:42:36.92\00:42:38.59
and at the end of
that He's basically like,
00:42:38.62\00:42:40.42
look the father is standing at
a great way off looking to see,
00:42:40.46\00:42:43.73
when is he going to turn around,
00:42:43.76\00:42:45.16
when is he
going to come and runs
00:42:45.19\00:42:46.93
and throws his arm around,
the Father himself loves you,
00:42:46.96\00:42:50.20
the Father himself
rejoices over you with singing,
00:42:50.23\00:42:53.13
what must it be
when Jehovah sings,
00:42:53.17\00:42:57.31
over the salvation of one of us.
00:42:57.34\00:43:02.44
And if we can connect with
the heart of heaven about this,
00:43:02.48\00:43:08.45
will we not care
about the salvation
00:43:08.48\00:43:11.79
of those around us?
00:43:11.82\00:43:13.39
So as I was
studying this quarterly
00:43:21.46\00:43:27.04
which is about
mingling with other people
00:43:27.07\00:43:29.44
and desiring their good.
00:43:29.47\00:43:31.77
I was sitting on my
bed and because I said,
00:43:31.81\00:43:36.28
as I said, we
live in a tiny house
00:43:36.31\00:43:37.65
and so every bit
of space is precious
00:43:37.68\00:43:39.11
so our bed is up
against the wall,
00:43:39.15\00:43:40.88
and I sleep
right next to the part
00:43:40.92\00:43:43.79
that's up against the wall
00:43:43.82\00:43:45.15
and on that whole
side of the wall on our bed
00:43:45.19\00:43:48.06
is a really large window
that my parents gifted us
00:43:48.09\00:43:50.46
when were
remodeling our tiny house.
00:43:50.49\00:43:53.53
And so like basically
that entire side of my,
00:43:53.56\00:43:56.93
that basically that entire wall,
00:43:56.97\00:43:58.30
the length of our
bed is just glass.
00:43:58.33\00:44:00.30
And it is beautiful
because outside of that window,
00:44:00.34\00:44:03.81
there is this
beautiful green field,
00:44:03.84\00:44:05.54
the slopes down
and slopes back up
00:44:05.57\00:44:07.41
and disappears into the woods,
00:44:07.44\00:44:08.91
and the deer love
to come every morning
00:44:08.94\00:44:10.68
and sometimes in
the evening as well
00:44:10.71\00:44:12.11
and they play in that
field and eat, and graze,
00:44:12.15\00:44:14.65
so I love sitting there
and just having my devotions
00:44:14.68\00:44:16.38
looking out over this field.
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.15
So I was thinking
about the quarterly
00:44:18.19\00:44:19.69
as I was sitting there in my bed
00:44:19.72\00:44:21.29
just looking out
over the peaceful green.
00:44:21.32\00:44:23.96
And I was thinking you
know the concept of mingling
00:44:23.99\00:44:26.56
is not a new concept, right?
00:44:26.59\00:44:29.13
I mean, we all
know that Jesus did it.
00:44:29.16\00:44:31.13
We all know that
He mingled with others
00:44:31.17\00:44:33.03
as one who desire
their good that, you know,
00:44:33.07\00:44:34.74
He ministered to their needs,
00:44:34.77\00:44:36.10
won their confidence,
made them follow Him.
00:44:36.14\00:44:37.67
We've all heard
this is not a new concept
00:44:37.71\00:44:39.84
and probably to
one extent or another.
00:44:39.87\00:44:43.71
Probably all of us have done it.
00:44:43.75\00:44:45.98
You know, some of us
more, maybe some of us less,
00:44:46.01\00:44:48.22
but all of us have done it
to some, one extent or another.
00:44:48.25\00:44:50.19
So I was thinking what...
00:44:50.22\00:44:52.95
You know, we were studying this,
00:44:52.99\00:44:54.39
I'm studying this,
and I know it's important,
00:44:54.42\00:44:56.73
and I value it,
and I've done it,
00:44:56.76\00:44:59.46
but what is going to
give this mingling the power
00:44:59.49\00:45:04.53
that the mingling
had when Christ did it.
00:45:04.57\00:45:07.87
Because Christ was
no ordinary humanitarian
00:45:07.90\00:45:10.14
who was just amongst
men as one that, you know,
00:45:10.17\00:45:11.81
He wanted their goody,
he wanted their benefit,
00:45:11.84\00:45:13.48
he wasn't just
habitat for humanity, you know
00:45:13.51\00:45:16.04
as good as giving
habitats for humanity is
00:45:16.08\00:45:19.15
but it wasn't just that,
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.08
Jesus is not an
ordinary humanitarian.
00:45:21.12\00:45:22.92
What's going to transform
my mingling amongst people
00:45:22.95\00:45:26.92
and especially those
who don't know Christ
00:45:26.96\00:45:28.92
into the powerful thing that
it was in the life of Christ?
00:45:28.96\00:45:31.83
So I was pondering this time
00:45:31.86\00:45:33.96
and I was
praying and I was saying,
00:45:34.00\00:45:35.33
Lord, you know this
is not a new concept
00:45:35.36\00:45:38.67
and it's not going to
be a new concept really
00:45:38.70\00:45:40.47
to anybody that I share it with,
00:45:40.50\00:45:42.47
yes, you know grace and truth
and have love for one another
00:45:42.50\00:45:46.54
and to recognize
the value of a soul,
00:45:46.57\00:45:48.51
and the preciousness
of every single soul
00:45:48.54\00:45:50.98
in the eyes of heaven.
00:45:51.01\00:45:52.35
But what is going to
unleash this mingling
00:45:52.38\00:45:54.05
to have real power
in the world around us?
00:45:54.08\00:45:56.55
And as I was sitting
there, this verse came to mind.
00:45:56.58\00:46:01.02
2 Corinthians 8:9,
it's the familiar one.
00:46:01.06\00:46:04.49
"For you know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:46:08.20\00:46:12.50
that though he was rich.
00:46:12.53\00:46:16.10
Yet for your
sakes he became poor.
00:46:16.14\00:46:20.71
May ye through his
poverty might be made rich."
00:46:20.74\00:46:26.88
My husband, when he's
speaking, he often says this,
00:46:29.18\00:46:31.69
what proves love to be genuine?
00:46:31.72\00:46:34.19
Let say, there's a
man and he tells a woman
00:46:37.56\00:46:39.73
that he loves her.
00:46:39.76\00:46:41.26
How does she know
that that is true?
00:46:41.30\00:46:46.03
Does he purchase
her a bunch of stuff?
00:46:46.07\00:46:48.34
Does that make it true?
00:46:48.37\00:46:50.07
Can she know concretely,
00:46:50.11\00:46:51.94
if he purchase her a
bunch of really expensive stuff,
00:46:51.97\00:46:53.74
if he gets the
flowers, if he buys a perfume,
00:46:53.78\00:46:55.74
if he buys all the
stuff, can she know concretely
00:46:55.78\00:46:57.98
that when he says he
loves her, that it is true.
00:46:58.01\00:47:02.28
Not necessarily, right?
00:47:02.32\00:47:04.12
There's been plenty of
people that have bought
00:47:04.15\00:47:05.49
a lot of other
stuff for other people
00:47:05.52\00:47:07.12
that did not have true
and selfish love for them.
00:47:07.16\00:47:10.59
What if he wants her
with him all the time,
00:47:10.63\00:47:12.09
does that prove
that his love is true?
00:47:12.13\00:47:16.30
Does it?
00:47:16.33\00:47:18.43
Not necessarily.
00:47:18.47\00:47:20.40
If he does truly love
you, he probably would want it,
00:47:20.44\00:47:22.10
you know with him,
00:47:22.14\00:47:23.64
but it could also
mean he's very control,
00:47:23.67\00:47:25.17
so it doesn't necessarily
mean that his love is true.
00:47:25.21\00:47:27.41
What if he's attracted sexually,
00:47:27.44\00:47:28.84
does that mean
that his love is true?
00:47:28.88\00:47:31.98
Again not necessarily,
could be, could be not,
00:47:32.01\00:47:36.52
right, in this degenerate age.
00:47:36.55\00:47:40.32
So how can love be proven true?
00:47:40.36\00:47:44.89
One way,
00:47:48.20\00:47:50.40
sacrifice and suffering.
00:47:50.43\00:47:53.57
You know the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:47:56.50\00:47:59.21
that for our sakes
though He was rich,
00:47:59.24\00:48:02.18
yet He became poor,
00:48:02.21\00:48:03.71
that we through His
poverty might be made rich.
00:48:03.75\00:48:07.45
1 Peter 2:21, "For even
here unto were ye called,
00:48:07.48\00:48:11.45
were we called, because
Christ also suffered for us,
00:48:11.49\00:48:17.29
leaving us an example
00:48:17.33\00:48:20.13
that we should
follow in His steps."
00:48:20.16\00:48:22.86
Let me ask you a question.
00:48:22.90\00:48:24.63
Because this is
the exact question
00:48:24.67\00:48:26.37
God asked me when I
was sitting on my bed,
00:48:26.40\00:48:28.54
obviously through the still
small voice of the Holy Spirit.
00:48:28.57\00:48:30.94
How can you know
00:48:33.38\00:48:35.44
that you love
the world around you?
00:48:35.48\00:48:37.15
Just because we give
something monetary for them,
00:48:42.02\00:48:45.99
does that prove
that we love them?
00:48:46.02\00:48:47.52
Just because we
mingle amongst them,
00:48:52.33\00:48:54.50
does that prove
that we love them?
00:48:54.53\00:48:57.93
There is one way that our
love for the souls for Him
00:48:57.97\00:49:01.80
Christ died can be
proven is the exact same way
00:49:01.84\00:49:05.17
that the Christ
Himself proved His love
00:49:05.21\00:49:07.11
and that is through
sacrifice and suffering
00:49:07.14\00:49:11.05
here unto where you
called Christ suffered for us
00:49:11.08\00:49:14.55
leaving us, what?
00:49:14.58\00:49:16.82
An example, that we
should follow in His steps.
00:49:16.85\00:49:19.45
So my wonderful
little beautiful tiny home
00:49:19.49\00:49:21.39
touching the rolling hills,
00:49:21.42\00:49:22.76
beautiful rolling
hills of Tennessee
00:49:22.79\00:49:24.69
that I love so much and when
I step out of my tiny house,
00:49:24.73\00:49:27.06
there's this sloping green
lawn and then when I get down
00:49:27.10\00:49:29.00
there is my garden.
00:49:29.03\00:49:30.37
Let me tell you, there is more
organic produce in that garden
00:49:30.40\00:49:32.10
than we can eat times,
00:49:32.13\00:49:34.87
I don't even know how many.
00:49:34.90\00:49:36.24
And so I go down
and the average time
00:49:36.27\00:49:38.04
between when I
pick produce the food
00:49:38.07\00:49:41.28
that I eat out of my
garden and when I actually eat
00:49:41.31\00:49:43.61
it is probably maybe
half an hour to 45 minutes,
00:49:43.65\00:49:46.28
it is so fresh, it is so
good, it is such an ideal life.
00:49:46.31\00:49:49.32
I don't pay like my
grocery bill is like this,
00:49:49.35\00:49:51.89
because I eat high quality
organic produce of my garden,
00:49:51.92\00:49:54.19
I love it.
00:49:54.22\00:49:55.66
I love the beauty around me,
00:49:55.69\00:49:57.06
we live right
near Paul's family,
00:49:57.09\00:49:58.43
I love my family,
I love my relatives,
00:49:58.46\00:50:00.50
I love seeing my family when
I come to a place like this,
00:50:00.53\00:50:02.93
I live a beautiful
life, I live an ideal life.
00:50:02.96\00:50:05.60
So how do I prove that I
love the world around me?
00:50:05.63\00:50:08.34
Let me tell you what
God has been telling me.
00:50:08.37\00:50:12.54
Child, you need to be
willing to suffer for someone,
00:50:12.57\00:50:17.68
not some kind of penance
where we need to whip ourselves
00:50:17.71\00:50:20.62
but that we need to be
willing to give ourselves
00:50:20.65\00:50:22.72
up enough to actually suffer.
00:50:22.75\00:50:29.26
That's what Christ did.
00:50:29.29\00:50:31.89
Christ was not an
ordinary humanitarian
00:50:31.93\00:50:33.53
as I said, the reason
why His mingling amongst us
00:50:33.56\00:50:36.26
was with such power is
00:50:36.30\00:50:37.63
because He gave
up so much to do it,
00:50:37.67\00:50:39.43
and when you're
willing to suffer that much
00:50:39.47\00:50:41.14
for someone else,
your love is not a lie.
00:50:41.17\00:50:45.81
And it is that love
that gives you mingling
00:50:45.84\00:50:48.31
so much power.
00:50:48.34\00:50:50.81
1 John 4:7...
00:50:50.85\00:50:57.39
"Beloved, let us
love one another,
00:50:59.09\00:51:01.66
for love is from" where?
00:51:01.69\00:51:05.49
It's of God.
00:51:05.53\00:51:08.46
"And every one that
loveth is born of God,
00:51:08.50\00:51:11.13
and knoweth God,
He that loveth not,
00:51:11.17\00:51:14.54
knoweth not God,
for God is love."
00:51:14.57\00:51:17.61
This is somewhat
alarming statement
00:51:17.64\00:51:20.08
if we are having issues
amongst our church fellow,
00:51:20.11\00:51:23.75
church members and
disagreeing with them,
00:51:23.78\00:51:25.25
and not loving them,
00:51:25.28\00:51:26.92
he that loveth
not knoweth not God.
00:51:26.95\00:51:29.58
Perhaps the
conversion in our own souls
00:51:29.62\00:51:31.35
needs to go a little bit
deeper because God is love.
00:51:31.39\00:51:36.16
But then He goes on to
clarify what this love is like,
00:51:36.19\00:51:39.39
"In this was manifested
the love of God toward us
00:51:39.43\00:51:42.63
because God sent His only
begotten Son into the world
00:51:42.66\00:51:46.43
that we might live through him."
00:51:46.47\00:51:47.80
Then he repeats
it, "Herein His love."
00:51:47.84\00:51:49.70