Participants: Gem Castor
Series Code: 16GYC
Program Code: 16GYC000004A
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00:41 Into my heart, into my heart;
00:48 come into my heart, Lord Jesus. 00:55 Come in today, come in to stay; 01:03 come into my heart, Lord Jesus. 01:13 Please stand as we sing our theme song, 01:15 Before the Throne of God Above. 03:36 Thank you so much for singing. 03:37 You may all be seated. 03:43 Isn't music a blessing? 03:45 Have you been blessed today? 03:48 I know I've been blessed. 03:49 And I just want to welcome you all here tonight. 03:52 I'm so glad to see all of you. 03:55 Before I read, I just want to say, you know, the Spirit 03:59 is strong, and He is here. 04:01 I just am so thankful for that. 04:03 So I'm going to read from Daniel 7:9-10. 04:08 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, 04:11 and the Ancient of days did sit, 04:15 whose garment was white as snow, 04:18 and the hair of his head like the pure wool: 04:22 his throne was like the fiery flame, 04:25 and his wheels as burning fire. 04:29 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: 04:33 thousand thousands ministered unto him, 04:37 and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: 04:41 the judgment was set, and the books were opened." 04:47 If you want to just bow your heads with me as we pray. 04:53 Father in heaven, we are so thankful to be here tonight. 04:57 I pray that You would send Your Spirit, 05:00 pour Your Spirit out tonight. 05:03 I pray that You will especially be with Jason as he speaks. 05:06 Please give him Your words. 05:08 Give us open ears to hear what You have to say 05:11 to each one of us. 05:13 I pray that we will not become distracted 05:15 by things going on around us, by other thoughts. 05:19 Father, push the devil far away and send Your Spirit here. 05:25 I pray that You will help this weekend 05:27 be a lift changing weekend in every life here. 05:31 Father, may we seek You first of all in our lives 05:35 and may we seek to hasten Your soon coming. 05:37 Father, we don't want more GYCs. 05:39 We want You to come. 05:41 And so I just pray that You will renew our zeal 05:44 and bring us closer to You tonight 05:47 and throughout the weekend. 05:49 In Jesus' name, amen. 05:55 Good evening, GYC. 05:58 We have some exciting news to share with you. 06:01 About one years ago this time we came together and we decided 06:05 that we wanted to try something that we had never tried before. 06:08 And we came up with this idea called, GYC Ambassador. 06:12 About that time, we had seventy people sign up to get involved 06:16 in being mentored, and trained, and encouraged, and equipped 06:19 to get involved in their local area. 06:21 And so we got coaches and we got webinars set up, 06:24 and we started mentoring them. 06:26 And I'm pleased to report that one year later 06:29 we have had over 250 Bible studies done, 06:32 and over 25 baptisms as a result of those efforts. 06:36 God is good. Amen? 06:38 As we have gone through the program, we found that 06:41 one of the most valuable parts has really been the 06:43 accountability of having a network of other people 06:46 who could really encourage and support. 06:48 And so today we have a few testimonies just to share 06:51 how it's gone over the year. 06:54 Thank you, Eric. 06:55 With us today we have three of our ambassadors from 2016. 07:00 And they have a few testimonies to share with you 07:03 of the ways they were influencing their communities 07:06 and their local churches. 07:07 So first off we have Elena. 07:10 Elena, you have an experience with a health expo that you had. 07:14 Please share with us how that went 07:16 and also how you ended up on TV in your local network. 07:20 Our health expo is being held in a venue where there are 07:24 a lot of people who were interested in health, 07:27 and kind of New Age, spiritualistic minded. 07:31 So they were amazed at the services 07:33 that were being offered. 07:35 And we had about 200 people pass through the health expo. 07:38 And in conjunction with that, there is a lady from our church 07:43 who had done a vegan festival that attracted over 1000 people. 07:48 And she arranged for me to be able to speak on TV 07:51 and announce the event so that more people could know about it. 07:55 Amen. Thank you so much, Elena. 07:57 Our next testimony is from Joi McCellan. 08:00 And Joi, how has being part of GYC Ambassador 08:03 helped you to achieve your goals this year? 08:06 Well, GYC Ambassador for me this past year 08:09 has helped me a lot with accountability in serving God. 08:12 When I left GYC last year I was super excited 08:15 to be a part of the Ambassador program. 08:18 But immediately I started feeling like, 08:20 "Oh, I can't do this. This is too much." 08:22 But thankfully, GYC, they provided lots of great support 08:25 through the Ambassador program which encouraged me 08:27 to continue working for God throughout the year. 08:30 Thank you, Joi. 08:31 And our last testimony comes to us from Jerico Batista. 08:34 Jerico, can you please share with us one of your 08:37 Bible studies that turned into a great event? 08:41 Yes, so I had a Bible study contact 08:43 the later part of this year. 08:46 And when I knocked on his door and gave him the survey 08:49 he was a little bit adamant, he was standoffish. 08:52 And as I continued to push the issue, he said, 08:54 "Okay, I'll give you one chance." 08:56 And that once chance led into another chance. 08:59 And then that other chance led into full time Bible studies. 09:03 This gentleman began to attend an evangelistic series, 09:07 and he got baptized. 09:09 And now he is giving Bible studies to his Buddhist wife, 09:14 to his Catholic sister-in-law... 09:17 I'm sorry, Catholic sister and Pentecostal brother-in-law. 09:21 And so it's a tremendous blessing. 09:26 Amen, in 2017 we are taking the GYC Ambassador program 09:31 to the next level. 09:32 Behind me you see a selective group of individuals 09:34 that have applied to be GYC Ambassadors. 09:38 And those are not all of them, but those are most of them. 09:40 And in 2017, with GYC Ambassadors, we will be 09:44 focusing more on training, mentorship, and accountability. 09:47 And we have partnered up with some successful ministries 09:51 like ASI, It Is Written, Disciples, 09:53 and AudioVerse Advance, and Elder Mark Finley 09:56 to train these young people how to share effectively 10:00 with the world. 10:01 And so we're excited to see how this will grow, 10:04 how the GYC Ambassador program will glorify God, 10:08 and how we will see more souls won to Jesus 10:10 in the upcoming year. Amen? 10:12 So we are asking for your prayers for the GYC Ambassadors 10:15 right here and for those who are still signing up. 10:17 And if you want to be a GYC Ambassador, 10:19 if you want to experience that special training and mentorship, 10:23 I want to encourage you, sign up next year for GYC Ambassador. 10:26 We will be promoting this throughout our different 10:28 channels, websites, and so on. 10:30 And you will be blessed. But pray for them. 10:32 And I want to encourage you, you are all GYC Ambassadors. 10:35 We are all ambassadors for Christ, and we all 10:38 have a responsibility to share Him wherever we are. 10:41 Get active in your local church and do something for Jesus. 10:45 God bless you. 11:48 What do you think of when you hear the words, 11:50 "inspiration on demand"? 11:54 It's a pretty exciting concept, isn't it? 11:57 It has been thrilling for me over the last year or so 12:00 to be working with such an inspirational group of 12:03 young people dedicated, in all ages, dedicated to 12:06 working with our generation at the Adventist Review. 12:10 This year we released, ARtv, Inspiration On Demand. 12:15 And it is so exciting to see over one million engaged users 12:19 across our digital platforms. 12:22 If you haven't checked it out for yourself, 12:24 now is the time: check it out. 12:25 Also look this Sabbath for a postcard on your seat 12:28 which will give you more information. 12:30 Be sure to check it out. 12:32 Thank you. 12:36 Good evening, friends. 12:39 Can any of you tell me what tomorrow is? 12:43 Wow, praise the Lord. Yes. 12:45 Tomorrow is what I think is the most exciting day of all of GYC. 12:50 We have our Friday outreach. 12:51 How many of you, by show of hands, plan to attend? 12:55 If there is a hand not raised next to you, 12:58 look at them and say you, "You should attend." 13:01 Very good. 13:03 Well I have two friends here with me tonight, 13:06 two really good friends. 13:07 Next to me is Queenette. 13:09 Now Queenette, tell me, how many times have you attended GYC? 13:14 This is my very first time attending GYC. 13:17 Now Queenette, it's your first time attending GYC, 13:19 but you didn't just attend the conference. 13:22 What did you attend right before the conference started? 13:24 So when I registered for GYC, I said, "You know what, 13:26 what not go all out?" 13:28 So I also registered for the pre-conference. 13:30 And what was your experience like at the pre-conference? 13:32 I was absolutely blown away. 13:35 I got to work with and meet so many young people 13:39 who love the Lord and love working for the Lord. 13:41 We laughed together, we prayed, we shared testimonies, 13:44 we sang, we collated thousands of GLOW tracks, 13:49 and we walked miles together. 13:50 But we eventually reached our goals to handout 13:53 almost one million GLOW tracts in Houston. 13:56 It was absolutely amazing. 13:57 And they were all normal like you and I. 14:00 So normal people go on outreach. 14:03 One important thing that we really need you guys help with 14:06 is we are just about thirty thousand GLOW tracts shy 14:09 of our million GLOW goal. 14:11 So we need your help. Amen? 14:12 We want to finish off this goal. 14:14 And I want you to know that even if it's Queenette's 14:17 first time, will you be at Friday outreach tomorrow? 14:19 I will absolutely be at Friday outreach tomorrow. 14:22 We really encourage you to come out tomorrow, all of you. 14:25 You will be blessed, and you will receive a blessing. 14:27 Go all out for GYC and have an unforgettable experience. 14:31 Thank you so much, Queenette. 14:32 I'll have Ramon come on over. 14:34 Now this for me, friends, is just amazing. 14:38 Last year where was GYC? Does anyone know? 14:41 It was in Louisville, Kentucky. 14:43 And how many of you went on the Friday outreach in Louisville? 14:45 Amazing experience. Right? 14:47 Well I want you to know, friends that your labor was not in vain. 14:50 Ramon, along with many other Bible workers, 14:53 followed up thousands of Bible study leads that we got 14:56 on the Friday outreach. 14:57 And Ramon, tell us, what came of a few of those Friday 15:00 Bible study survey outreach leads? 15:05 Well I'd like to let you know two things. 15:08 Number one, by God's grace... 15:10 I say, by His grace, because only the Holy Spirit 15:13 can really do this. 15:16 One of my Bible study contacts, who had no prior knowledge 15:21 of Seventh-day Adventists, is here at GYC 15:25 as a Seventh-day Adventist. 15:27 Amen. 15:28 And you guys, friends, you're going to hear this whole 15:30 testimony on Sabbath. 15:32 So they were excited to hear that. 15:34 Now what other kind of things came from these 15:36 Friday surveys last year? 15:38 And a second thing is that there were many people, 15:42 or some people, who started coming to church, 15:46 and also many people who accepted the Sabbath, 15:49 and people who are still in the process of Bible studies. 15:53 Amen. 15:54 Friends, nothing is worth passing up the opportunity to 15:58 share with someone the love of Jesus that you have found. Amen? 16:01 So tomorrow morning at 10:30... 16:04 - What time? ~ 10:30. 16:05 ...10:30, please meet me in here in this main auditorium. 16:09 We're going to have a short training. 16:10 All you need to bring is a pen, just a pen, and yourself. 16:15 And join us for outreach tomorrow. 16:17 We are going to have an excellent time, 16:19 be prayerful, encourage one another. 16:21 This is the one opportunity at GYC you don't want to miss. 16:24 Thank you so much. 16:29 I want everyone to reach inside your pocket 16:32 and tell me what you feel. 16:37 Now aside from your room key and maybe some spare change, 16:40 most of you should feel an iPhone. 16:44 In fact, actually about sixty-three million of us 16:49 in the world should feel an iPhone. 16:52 So who invented this thing anyway? 16:54 Most of us instantly think of just Steve Jobs. 16:57 But one of Steve Jobs most famous quotes says this: 17:00 "Great things in business are never done by one person. 17:04 They're done by a team of people." 17:06 And what would Steve Jobs have done without the guy 17:10 who invented this thing. 17:13 But even Thomas Edison had a whole team of people 17:16 that helped him develop electricity into a light bulb. 17:20 So these are amazing inventions and incredible pieces of 17:23 technology that we use every single day. 17:25 But honestly, you guys, even these things 17:28 pale in comparison to what you and I can accomplish 17:32 if we incorporate Christ in our career. 17:35 So if you want to impact the world, 17:37 it's going to take a team effort. 17:38 You know, that's where the networking session comes in. 17:41 You know, many of us want to collaborate with other people 17:44 who have the same interests, but maybe we live, you know, 17:46 out by a small church, or maybe we feel isolated, 17:49 and we don't have that opportunity to connect 17:50 with people like that. 17:52 And we come to a conference like this to connect with people 17:54 who have the same interests, but you know, in a crowd 17:56 this size, that can be kind of difficult. 17:58 You know, if you've ever felt this way, the networking session 18:01 this evening is going to be a dream come true. 18:03 Because you're going to be at a table with nine other people 18:05 who have the same interest in career and the same 18:07 passion for Christ that you do. 18:09 And you know, Hannah, if that is the case, 18:11 that actually is a dream come true. 18:13 Because for me, I'm interested in law. 18:15 And to be at a table with nine other people who love law, 18:18 but also love to incorporate Christ in that career, 18:21 that would be pretty incredible. 18:23 But how does this whole thing actually work? 18:25 Well not only are we going to have a table for law 18:27 and government, but we're going to have tables 18:28 for doctors, for nurses, for graphic designers, 18:31 media workers, counselors, musicians, canvassers, 18:35 teachers, pastors, and more. 18:36 And we're going to have people who are going to be 18:37 leading the tables, helping us to know how to integrate 18:40 Christ into our fields. 18:41 Ok, I'm sold. I'm definitely coming. 18:44 Where is this happening? 18:45 It's going to be on the third floor in the grand ballroom 18:47 at 8:00 pm this evening. 18:48 If you have any kind of career interests, you have to be there. 18:51 And you know what, Hannah... 18:54 I think I've actually got some ideas that I want to pitch 18:56 to my networking table tonight on how to incorporate technology 18:59 like this iPhone in my career for Christ. 19:03 We'll see you guys at the networking session. 19:09 So we're back with one more testimony. 19:10 Are you excited to hear it? 19:13 Amen. 19:14 Next to me I have my friend, Lea. 19:16 Can everyone say, "Hi, Lea." 19:19 Proverbs 11:24 reads, "There is that scattereth, 19:24 and yet increaseth; and there is he that withholdeth 19:27 more than as he needs, and it tendeth to poverty." 19:30 Friends, by imparting the things that we have, 19:33 it increases our blessings. 19:34 Amen? 19:35 Today we're going to talk with you and share with you, Lea, 19:38 tell us, how many times have you been to GYC? 19:41 An awesome seven years. 19:43 She's come seven times in a row. 19:46 I'm going to have you scoot just this way. 19:47 Seven times to GYC. 19:49 And tell us what keeps you coming back year after year? 19:52 Just a clarification, my first year here was the first time 19:57 I've ever experienced a true relationship with God. 19:59 And it just shows the faithfulness of God, 20:02 ever since then, how He kept my relationship 20:04 with Him, constantly giving me opportunities, 20:06 to keep myself going. 20:08 And if ever there was a time where my relationship with Him 20:10 went down, it's either GYC is right around the corner 20:12 and I get so excited, or I get reminded of that 20:15 first love experience with Jesus in my first GYC 20:19 and how much He's done in my life so far. 20:24 And it's just, ever sense, I could never 20:27 miss another GYC after that. 20:29 So you've come seven times, and it really has grown 20:32 your relationship with Jesus. 20:33 It's the catalyst. 20:35 And you know what, friends? 20:36 There are so many people like Lea who experienced 20:39 the love of God for the first time in a very real way 20:41 when they came to GYC. 20:43 This offering appeal is very simple. 20:45 If you look, on your seat you each have an offering envelope. 20:49 GYC is run off your offerings and your donations. 20:53 And it is tax deductible. 20:55 So if you check the box, if you need a tax deductible receipt, 20:58 you can receive that. 20:59 But more than what you're giving to, you're giving to 21:01 someone to have the opportunity to have a 21:03 relationship with Jesus. Amen? 21:05 So from the bottom of your hearts, search deep and say, 21:08 "Lord, what are You calling me to offer as a sacrifice?" 21:11 And remember, the more we give to Christ, 21:13 the more He increases our blessings. Amen? 21:15 At this time I'm going to call the ushers forward. 21:18 They're going to collect the offering as I say a prayer. 21:22 Father in heaven, I want to thank You so much. 21:25 Lord, thank You for GYC and this beautiful opportunity 21:29 we all have to come together. 21:31 We pray that You will bless this offering, that people like Lea 21:34 will continue to grow in their relationship with You 21:36 and learn what it is to love You with all of their hearts. 21:39 Lord, GYC exists to glorify Your name and to raise up 21:44 young people with hearts for missionary service. 21:46 Please add the Holy Spirit blessing to this offering. 21:49 In the name of Jesus we all pray, amen. 22:24 I've wandered far away from God, 22:30 now I'm coming home. 22:35 The paths of sin too long I've trod; 22:41 Lord, I'm coming home. 22:47 Coming home, coming home, 22:56 nevermore to roam. 23:06 Open wide thine arms of love; 23:16 Lord, I'm coming home. 23:41 I've wasted many precious years, 23:47 now I'm coming home. 23:51 I now repent with bitter tears; 23:57 Lord, I'm coming home. 24:03 Coming home, coming home, 24:12 nevermore to roam. 24:22 Open wide thine arms of love; 24:31 Lord, I'm coming home. 24:54 Open wide thine arms of love; 25:11 Lord, I'm coming home. 25:30 I need His cleansing blood I know, 25:37 now I'm coming home. 25:42 Oh, wash me whiter than the snow; 25:48 Lord, I'm coming... 25:53 Lord, I'm coming... 25:58 Lord, I'm coming home. 26:47 Amen. 26:49 I believe in the Sanctuary. 26:52 Open up your Bible to Psalm 77:13. 26:57 Psalm 77:13, it says, "Your way, O God, 27:01 is in the sanctuary. 27:03 Who is so great a God as our God?" 27:08 Let's pray. 27:10 Father in heaven, teach us Your way as we meditate 27:13 upon Your Word. 27:15 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 27:18 The Sanctuary is a unique doctrine of the 27:21 Seventh-day Adventist Church. 27:23 It shouldn't make us boastful. 27:26 It should never make us fearful. 27:28 At the very least, thankful and always hopeful. 27:34 I remember having done a survey at the 27:36 University of Eastern Michigan interviewing a few students 27:42 with all kinds of world views. 27:44 Buddhists, Hindus, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist, you name it. 27:48 And this was the last question of the survey: 27:52 "Christians believe that Jesus came to earth, 27:56 died on the cross, and ascended to heaven. 27:59 This was almost 2000 years ago. 28:02 What is Jesus doing since then?" 28:06 What would you answer? 28:08 Well I'll tell you what they answered. 28:10 "I don't know." 28:12 "He's preparing a place." 28:14 And, "He's waiting." 28:15 Friends, what is Jesus doing right now? 28:20 If you believe in and serve a living Savior, 28:23 you better know where He is and what He is doing right now. 28:27 "His way," the psalmist says, "is in the Sanctuary." 28:32 I believe in a Sanctuary that is a real place in heaven. 28:37 The Bible mentions five structural 28:39 or physical Sanctuaries. 28:41 First and foremost, the heavenly Sanctuary. 28:44 Then we have the Mosaic tabernacle. 28:47 Solomon's temple, Zerubbabel or Herod's temple, 28:50 and Ezekiel's temple which was never built. 28:54 Just recently I moved to the cold but 28:55 beautiful state of Michigan. 28:58 And as I moved into my new apartment, I could hardly 29:00 wait to show my parents where I was living. 29:03 They live in Germany, so they haven't had 29:05 the chance yet to be there. 29:06 So I showed them my whole apartment; my living room, 29:10 and I showed them my kitchen, all the things that were there. 29:15 And although they have not yet been able to come and visit, 29:17 when they will come they will know because 29:20 I have shown it to them. 29:22 You see, the Sanctuary gives us a picture of what 29:26 God's home looks like. 29:28 The Bible says, "And let them make Me a Sanctuary 29:31 that I may dwell among them. 29:32 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern 29:35 of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, 29:39 just so you shall make it." 29:42 But in order for us to understand what happens 29:45 up there, we first have to understand 29:48 what happened down here. 29:50 For His way is in the Sanctuary. 29:54 Take out your notebook, digital or manual, whatever it may be. 29:57 Note taking deepens the impression 30:00 and the understanding. 30:01 Had the prophets and the disciples not taken a few notes, 30:06 I don't know where we would be today. 30:09 But it's good to take notes. 30:11 The earthly Sanctuary had three basic compartments. 30:14 You have the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. 30:17 We'll quickly walk through them. 30:19 And for more details, I encourage you to go 30:21 to Messiah's Mansion and go through the entire tour there. 30:25 It is a blessing. 30:26 To enter the Sanctuary, the sinner came in through the gate. 30:30 Notice that there was only one entrance. 30:32 You may call it, black or white, all or nothing, thinking, 30:35 but in order to be saved there only is one way. 30:38 If your spouse were to ask you, "Honey, do you love me?" 30:42 you only want to hear one answer too. Right? 30:44 Yes and yes. 30:46 Similarly, the Bible says that Jesus, He's the only way, 30:51 the truth, and the life. 30:53 You have the altar of burnt offerings, 30:56 which points to Christ's sacrifice on your behalf. 30:59 The laver, symbolizing baptism. 31:03 Then the Holy Place; the table of showbread, 31:06 the altar of incense, the candlesticks. 31:08 All pointing to Jesus and His ministry; 31:11 the bread of life, the Mediator, and the light of the world. 31:16 Most importantly, in the Most Holy Place, 31:19 it contained the most important component of the Sanctuary. 31:23 What is it? 31:25 It is the abiding presence of God, symbolized by 31:28 the Ark of the Covenant with the covering cherubs 31:31 above the Mercy Seat, as well as the tablets of stone 31:35 written with the finger of God. 31:38 I believe in a Sanctuary that is a place where God 31:41 meets humanity. 31:43 The day of at-one-ment, atonement, was literally 31:47 a day of reconciliation. 31:49 Where broken relationships are being put together. 31:53 From Genesis to Revelation, God's desire is to be with 31:57 you and me; His creatures. 32:00 He wants to be with us more than some of us desire 32:03 to be with their loved ones. 32:05 He wants to be with us. He wants to be with you. 32:08 The question is, do you want to be with Him? 32:12 I believe in a Sanctuary that is the center of God's worship. 32:17 The location of the Sanctuary was the heart place 32:20 of the camp of the Israelites. 32:22 The book of Revelation portrays the throne of God 32:25 as the center of worship where angels don't cease to bow. 32:31 And I ask myself the question, 32:33 who is the center of worship today? 32:36 We have selfies, iPhones, iPad, iCloud. 32:42 I'm not saying that all of these things are wrong, 32:46 but what is your motivation? 32:48 It's comparable to the difference 32:50 between a cat and a dog. 32:52 Someone asked me once, "What's the difference 32:53 between a cat and a dog?" 32:55 The dog thinks, "They feed me, they give me shelter, 33:00 they love me. 33:02 They must be God." 33:04 Whereas the cat thinks, "They feed me, they give me shelter, 33:09 they love me. 33:11 I must be God." 33:13 Stop and think about it. 33:15 Just because God is blessing you doesn't mean that you are God. 33:19 However, worshiping Him on His day, the Sabbath, 33:24 and in His way, in reverence, will allow us to partake 33:29 of His divine nature. 33:31 I believe in a Sanctuary, for His way is in the Sanctuary. 33:36 So far we've only talked about the structure, a building. 33:41 But a building without people is like a school without students, 33:45 a church without members, a wedding without guests, 33:49 New Years without GYC, 33:52 the Old Testament without the New, 33:56 works without faith, the law without grace. 34:01 What's the missing link? 34:03 Who is in charge? 34:05 Who makes sure that everything happens accordingly 34:08 and on time. 34:10 You know, Germans are all about being on time. 34:13 457, 408, 27, 31, 34, 538, 1798, 1844. 34:23 Time and time again. 34:26 Friends, if none of these numbers ring a bell, 34:30 you have some homework to do. 34:32 And I want you to go to www.GYCweb.org 34:36 and look for those seminaries that talk about 34:38 the book of Daniel and Revelation. 34:40 Better not. 34:42 Pick up your Bible, study the Word of God 34:44 and the spirit of prophecy. 34:46 Here's what she says in, Evangelism, page 221. 34:50 "The correct understanding of the ministration in 34:53 the heavenly sanctuary is the foundation of our faith." 34:58 Who is in charge? 35:00 I believe in Jesus, my Mediator, High Priest, 35:03 and soon coming King. 35:04 Hebrews 8:1-2 35:07 "Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: 35:09 We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand 35:13 of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 35:15 a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle 35:19 which the Lord erected, and not man." 35:22 I believe in the Sanctuary. 35:24 What about you? 35:30 Praise the Lord. 35:31 Good evening, GYC. 35:34 - Good evening, GYC. ~ Good evening. 35:37 Hello. 35:40 Isn't it a wonderful day? 35:43 So many highlights of this day. 35:45 And one of the highlights that I can remember is 35:48 when Brother Alex spoke this morning. 35:51 And while he was speaking, and I see these things happening, 35:54 it just makes me understand that the great 35:56 controversy battle is real. 35:59 That we could not just sit back and relax and do nothing. 36:02 And even in our seats, we have to continue to intercede. 36:06 That intercession is very, very important. 36:09 And talking about intercession, I was reminded by one 36:13 young person back in the Philippines. 36:15 He attended a conference like this. 36:18 And we talked about intercession, 36:19 and he could not rest. 36:23 He took the lessons that he learned and took it back home. 36:28 He was moved because back home there were a lot of 36:32 backsliders, backslidden Seventh-day Adventists. 36:35 And he said, "I have to start praying." 36:38 And you know what, he says, "Where two or three 36:40 are gathered, God is in the midst." 36:42 So he got one friend, and said, "No, two is not enough." 36:45 He got two more friends, and they started praying. 36:48 Not once a day. 36:49 He said, "If we are really serious of what we are doing, 36:54 then we have to be seriously on our knees." 36:57 One thing that moved him, because all of his family 37:00 members have been backslidden. 37:02 None of them stayed inside the church. 37:05 So he took three of his friend and began praying, 37:08 not just once, but seven times a day. 37:12 Seven times a day. 37:13 And you know what happened? 37:15 Two weeks after, thirty individuals 37:18 came back to the Lord. 37:21 Thirty individuals came back to the Lord. 37:25 And four of them were family members. 37:29 He told me, "Brother Gem, it was a wonderful time 37:32 standing in front of the church singing a special 37:36 number with your family." 37:37 He said, "I could not utter a word. 37:39 I was just crying on the pulpit." 37:42 God is good. Amen? 37:44 And it reminds me of my first announcement. 37:47 At 9:00 pm today, when the booth opens up, 37:51 JFA booth 603, we will be interceding for the unreached 37:56 places in Asia and in the world. 37:59 So join us if you want to intercede, to start interceding 38:04 for people around the world. 38:06 And which also reminds me of my second announcement. 38:10 If you have not gotten a copy of this book, 38:13 this book is a wonderful, wonderful book, 38:15 a wonderful resource for prayer. 38:17 You could visit the booth of, Revival and Reformation. 38:20 We only have limited copies, so be there. 38:24 And it reminds me of the people that I work with 38:28 in the prayer ministry. 38:29 Most of them, if not all of them, are taller than me. 38:35 Yes, I have brothers and sisters that are 38:37 way, way taller than me. 38:39 And this is the reason why, I guess, I love the prayer room. 38:42 You know why? 38:43 Because when you kneel down together, 38:48 only God is the tallest. 38:50 - Amen? ~ Amen. 38:52 You are all equal. 38:55 You are all equal. 38:57 And I'd like to ask you this question: 38:59 How did you start your day today? 39:02 If you have not started your day in the prayer room, 39:05 you are missing a wonderful, wonderful experience. 39:10 At 6:00 am today, all the while I thought it was going to 39:13 be just me and a few people. 39:15 But before even 6:00 am started, there were, like, a couple of 39:19 people who were there. 39:21 And at 6:00, there's like forty or thirty people came. 39:25 And when I opened my eyes, 39:27 more than a hundred people were there. 39:29 It was an experience that I will never forget, 39:33 that these people will never forget. 39:35 One hour passed by so fast that they didn't even want to stop. 39:39 This is what happens when we spend time with God. 39:42 Amen? 39:44 Which reminds me of my next announcement. 39:46 At 1:30 to 3:30 tomorrow afternoon, as the team is going 39:52 out to do outreach, there's some people, if the Lord 39:56 places in your hearts that you would lift these people up 39:59 while they're doing the outreach, be with me 40:02 in the prayer room and we will be praying from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. 40:06 We have to intercede for this activity. 40:08 This is a very important task. 40:10 And another beautiful thing that will happen tomorrow: 40:15 did you know this, that this will be the last Sabbath 40:18 of the year? 40:20 So at 4:40 to 5:30, still in the prayer room, 40:24 we will welcome the Sabbath on our knees. 40:27 It's going to be something special that I would suggest 40:31 you don't want to miss. 40:33 You should not miss. 40:35 And one thing that reminded me, every time we are gathered 40:39 together in the prayer room: different cultures, 40:42 different countries, but you will not notice it. 40:47 You will not notice it. 40:48 And some people will be so patriotic when it comes to 40:52 coming together in this youth's convention. 40:54 "I am from Australia." 40:56 "No, I'm from New Zealand." 40:57 But in the prayer room, your citizenship is heaven. 41:03 You only have one citizenship. Heaven. 41:07 And I remember one time when I was sitting down 41:10 on a dining table. 41:12 They were talking about the language in heaven. 41:14 You know what the language in heaven will be? 41:16 Yes, it will be Spanish, is what they said. 41:20 And Filipinos said, "No, it's going to be Filipino." 41:22 And Americans said, "No, it's going to be American, 41:24 because Americans have a hard time learning others languages." 41:29 But you know what? 41:31 I discovered that the language in heaven will be prayer. 41:37 The language of heaven will be prayer. 41:39 Every word that you will be uttering is words of praise. 41:45 So why not start speaking the language of heaven now? 41:51 And this is one beautiful thing that reminded me of 41:53 this beautiful quote that's found in, 41:55 Christ's Object Lessons, page 82 paragraph 2, which says, 41:59 "Immeasurably inferior is the part which the human agent 42:03 sustains; but if he is united with the divinity of Christ, 42:09 he can do all things through the strength that Christ imparts." 42:13 One beautiful thing that happens when we kneel down and pray; 42:17 when we kneel down and pray we know for a fact that there's 42:20 somebody bigger than us. 42:22 We know for a fact that we could not do these things on our own, 42:26 except we cling onto the divinity of Christ. 42:29 With that being said, let's give time right now for prayer. 42:35 Let's gather by twos or by threes and we'll spend 42:39 one minute in prayer. 42:41 You can choose one person to pray or two persons to pray. 42:44 And let's pray right now that the Lord will give us the 42:46 heart for intercession. 42:48 That the Lord will give us the heart of Jesus to intercede 42:50 for our brothers and our sisters who have not known Christ yet. 42:53 Especially intercede for one another. 43:02 Dear Father, we praise You, for You are faithful. 43:06 We praise You, dear Father, for the wonderful things 43:08 that we don't deserve but You still give us. 43:12 So Lord, we praise You and we thank You 43:14 that when we are on our knees we are reminded 43:16 that we have nothing on our own except we have You. 43:20 Thank You so much for hearing and answering our prayers. 43:22 May You pour upon us the spirit of humility, 43:25 that we may cling upon You daily, moment by moment. 43:29 This is our prayer. 43:30 We pray this in the loving name of Your Son Jesus. 43:32 All Your children say amen. |
Revised 2017-06-19