Participants: Dan Walter
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000447
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00:01 ♪OPENING MUSIC♪
00:11 ♪OPENING MUSIC♪ 00:22 HELLO. YES, I AM DAN MATTHEWS. I'VE BEEN AROUND A WHILE 00:26 WITH OTHER PLACES BUT ESPECIALLY "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS" HERE 00:31 AT GOSPEL OUTREACH AND I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN ANOTHER 00:37 PROGRAM RIGHT HERE IN THE GOSPEL OUTREACH STUDIOS IN COLLEGE PLACE, WASHINGTON AND IF I WOULD 00:44 TAKE THE TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO, BUT IF I WOULD TAKE THE TIME I 00:47 COULD TELL YOU LOTS OF MIRACLES ABOUT HOW WE GET 00:50 TO BE HERE WITH EQUIPMENT THAT WORKS WELL ENOUGH TO GET THESE 00:55 PROGRAMS TO YOU AND A WONDERFUL NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS WHO HELP TO MAKE ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE. 01:02 SO, WHEN YOU ARE PRAYING REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR 01:05 GOSPEL OUTREACH AND THANK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS BEEN DOING 01:08 AS WE THANK GOD FOR YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT OF GOSPEL OUTREACH. 01:15 I GET TO SIT WITH DEAR FRIENDS WHOM I HAVE MET OTHER TIMES AND PLACES AND WE KIND OF RENEW 01:22 ACQUAINTENCE HERE AND AMONG THOSE FRIENDS IS ONE WHOM I 01:26 HAVE KNOWN REALLY QUITE A WHILE - MONUMENT VALLEY DAYS. 01:31 DAN, DAN WALTER WELCOME TO GOSPEL OUTREACH "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS". 01:37 DAN IS ONE OF OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS, REGION 11, 01:43 I THINK IT IS, THAT'S RIGHT, REGION IN INDIA. 01:45 WHERE ABOUTS IN INDIA DAN? 01:46 EAST CENTRAL INDIA. 01:48 EAST CENTRAL INDIA. AND DAN IS A LONG TIME MISSIONARY; 01:53 SPENT YOUR WHOLE LIFE IN MISSIONS HAVEN'T YOU? 01:55 YES. 01:56 AND NOW HE IS RETREADED AS WE OLD GUYS KIND OF SAY AND HE IS 02:02 STILL ON THE FRONT LINES AND BRINGS US STORIES. 02:05 I'M REMEMBERING YOU AND I WERE VISITING ON ANOTHER OCCASION DAN, AND YOU TOLD ME THAT 02:11 AMAZING STORY AND I JUST REMEMBER HIS NAME IS BABJI WHO IS A BRAHMAN AND HE WAS A HINDU 02:22 PRIEST OR AT LEAST IN TRAINING FOR HINDU PRIESTHOOD AND HE WAS AN ENGINEER AND I DON'T KNOW 02:26 ALL THE OTHER EDUCATION THIS MAN HAD AND HE HAD THIS AMAZING THIS EXPERIENCE OF MEETING AN OLD MAN 02:33 WHO TURNED HIS BACK ONE OF THEIR HINDU GODS AND THIS SEEMED SO DISRESPECTFUL TO HIM AND SO HE 02:39 SAID, "WHY DO YOU DO THAT?" AND THE OLD MAN, A 90 YEAR OLD, 02:43 AS I RECALL THE STORY SAID, "THAT'S NOT THE REAL GOD. 02:47 IF YOU KNEW WHO THE REAL GOD IS YOU WOULDN'T" WHATEVER 02:51 AND BABJI ASKED WHO IS THE REAL GOD AND IT LAUNCHED HIM ON A QUEST. 02:58 THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AND INSPIRING 03:01 STORIES I THINK I HAVE ALMOST EVER HEARD. 03:04 BY THE WAY, IF YOU KEEP WATCHING "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS" YOU WILL PROBABLY HEAR THE REST OF 03:10 THE BABJI STORY BUT THERE IS A LITTLE PARAGRAPH OF THAT THAT ISN'T INCLUDED IN THAT STORY 03:16 AND THAT IS WHAT I WANT DAN TO TELL US ABOUT - BABJI'S EXPERIENCE IN FINDING A WIFE. 03:23 YES, FOR A BRAHMAN, BRAHMANS CAN ONLY MARRY BRAHMANS. 03:28 BUT BRAHMANS DON'T BECOME CHRISTIAN ONLY RARE EXCEPTIONS. 03:33 AND SO BABJI IS A RARE EXCEPTION. 03:35 HE IS A RARE EXCEPTION AND NOW HE IS OUT WORKING AS A PASTOR AND PASTORS NEED TO HAVE WIVES. 03:45 AND SO THE VILLAGE PEOPLE WHERE HE WAS WORKING SAID YOU KNOW YOU HAVE 03:49 GOT TO HAVE A WIFE BUT HE SAID, WHERE AM I GOING TO FIND ONE? 03:53 WELL, FINALLY THEY CAME UP WITH A LADY BECAUSE THEIR MARRIAGES ARE ALL ARRANGED - 04:00 SO THE VILLAGE CAME UP WITH A LADY FOR HIM - 04:02 THE VILLAGE CAME UP WITH A LADY FOR HIM AND HE FOUND 04:04 HER VERY ACCEPTABLE, WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN LADY. 04:09 THEN HE WENT TO THE CONFERENCE. 04:11 BUT SHE WAS A LOWER CASTE, 04:13 SHE WAS A MUCH LOWER CASTE NATURALLY. 04:17 HE WENT TO THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT AND ASKED HIM TO CONDUCT THEIR WEDDING. 04:21 THE CONFERENCE PRESIDENT SAID NO, I CAN'T DO THAT. 04:24 IF I MARRY A BRAHMAN WITH SOMEONE OF LOW CASTE, I WILL BE THROWN IN PRISON. 04:30 AND SO THEY HAD TO FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO GET MARRIED. 04:35 THEY GOT MARRIED, HAPPILY MARRIED AND ARE LIVING 04:39 IN A LITTLE PARSONAGE OUT THERE IN ONE OF THOSE VILLAGES. 04:42 AND YOU HAVE MET HER? 04:43 YES. 04:44 AND SHE IS A LOVELY, LOVELY LADY, PASTOR'S WIFE. 04:48 WELL BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T GET TO TUCK THAT PART OF THE STORY IN WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BABJI 04:53 BEFORE, I THOUGHT OUR FAMILY, GOSPEL OUTREACH FAMILY DESERVES 04:57 TO KNOW THAT BABJI IS 04:57 LIVITER. 05:04 NOW, YOU'VE GOT SOME OTHER STORIES THOUGH FROM YOUR REGION THAT ARE EQUALLY EXCITING AND 05:09 WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THIS TIME? 05:12 THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO TELLYOU ABOUT, WELL LET'S JUST CALL HIM MALI BECAUSE INDIAN NAMES 05:18 ARE USUALLY QUITE LONG AND MALI IS ENOUGH TO IDENTIFY HIM. 05:26 MALI, THERE HE IS WE SEE HIM, HANDSOME GUY. 05:29 YES. HE'D BEEN WORKING IN TWO DIFFERENT VILLAGES 05:35 AND HAD ESTABLISHED WORSHIP GROUPS THERE 05:39 BUT HE FELT IT WAS TIME TO EXPAND, GO TO THE NEXT. 05:44 A MAN FROM ANOTHER VILLAGE CALLED NATHAMA VILLAGE INVITED HIM TO COME TO HIS VILLAGE. 05:52 WELL, THAT WAS ABOUT SIX KILOMETERS THAT WOULD BE ABOUT 05:55 ALMOST FOUR MILES, TO THE NATHAMA VILLAGE. 06:00 THE FIRST PART OF THE JOURNEY WAS ALONG A FAIRLY NICE LITTLE ROAD THROUGH THE TREES AND 06:07 WHATEVER AND THEN THEY HAD TO CROSS A LITTLE RIVER THAT WAS OH, KNEE DEEP AND THEN CLIMB UP 06:15 ON THE DIKES BETWEEN THE RICE FIELDS AND FOLLOW THE LITTLE 06:19 NARROW PATHS ON THOSE DIKES TO THE VILLAGE. 06:24 BY THE TIME HE GOT THERE IT WAS LATE MORNING AND THERE WAS HARDLY ANYBODY IN THE VILLAGE. 06:30 EVERYONE HAD GONE OUT TO THE FOREST TO GATHER BAMBOO OR SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD SELL, 06:36 COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS: BAMBOO, BAMBOO SHOOTS, WHATEVER. 06:39 BUT THERE WAS SOME OLD PERSON OR SOMEBODY THERE IN THE VILLAGE THAT SAID EVERYBODY IS GONE WHY 06:47 DON'T YOU EITHER HANG AROUND UNTIL EVENING OR COME BACK 06:50 IN THE EVENING AND YOU CAN MEET THE FOLKS. 06:53 SO THEY DECIDED, O.K., WE'LL GO BACK HOME AND THEN WE WILL COME BACK IN THE EVENING. 06:59 HE CAME BACK THAT EVENING AND, FIRST OF ALL; THEY WENT TO SEE 07:04 THE VILLAGE LEADERS, THE CHIEF AND SO ON TO GET PERMISSION. 07:09 SURE. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT THERE. 07:11 AND SO THEY PRESENTED TO THE VILLAGE LEADERS WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. 07:16 THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS AND IF THERE 07:20 WAS INTEREST, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THROUGH. 07:23 AND THE LEADER SAID, THAT IS A GOOD IDEA COME, DO. 07:28 SO THE NEXT EVENING THEY CAME AND THEY BROUGHT MATS THAT THEY COULD PUT DOWN FOR PEOPLE TO SIT 07:34 ON, THEY BROUGHT SOME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND THEIR PLAN WAS THEY WOULD CONDUCT A MEETING 07:40 THAT EVENING BUT THERE WAS NO MOON THAT NIGHT SO THEY WOULD JUST STAY 07:45 IN THE VILLAGE OVERNIGHT AND GO BACK THE NEXT MORNING. 07:48 WELL, THEY SET UP EVERYTHING FOR THE MEETING AND QUITE A NUMBER OF VILLAGERS CAME CURIOUS. 07:56 WHAT'S CHRISTIANITY ALL ABOUT? 07:59 AND THEY STARTED THEIR MEETING THEY BEGAN TO EXPLAIN WHO CHRIST IS AND WHY HE IS INTERESTING TO 08:05 US, ALL OF THIS AND SUDDENLY THE OLDER SON OF THEIR HOST CAME IN. 08:15 HE WAS DRUNK AS COULD BE, LOUD AS COULD BE AND HE CAME IN SHOUTING "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" 08:24 THEN HE KICKED AT THE MATS AND HE KICKED AT THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 08:29 "WHO INVITED THESE STRANGERS HERE? 08:32 THEY ARE BRINGING A STRANGE GOD HERE. 08:35 WE HAVE ENOUGH GODS. GET THEM OUT OF THERE". 08:39 HE JUST MADE SUCH A BIG BEDLAM THERE THE PEOPLE GOT UPSET WITH HIM, THEY WANTED TO HEAR MORE 08:47 AND THEY TOLD THE OLD DRUNK, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR THEM YOU GO AWAY, GO ON , GO TO BED. 08:54 BUT HE WOULDN'T, HE WOULDN'T LEAVE. 08:58 ALL HE DID WAS MAKE MORE DISTURBANCE SO FINALLY THEY SAID, SORRY IT IS NO USE. 09:04 YOU BETTER GO BACK WE WILL CALL YOU ANOTHER TIME. 09:09 WELL, THEY WERE DISAPPOINTED, MALI AND HIS FRIEND. 09:13 THEY GATHERED UP THEIR THINGS AND BY THIS TIME IT WAS VERY DARK BUT THEY STARTED ON THEIR 09:20 WAY OUT ACROSS THESE LITTLE PATHS ON THE DIKES OF THE RICE FIELDS AND SUDDENLY MALI 09:30 REALIZED THAT THERE WAS SOME KIND OF A FAINT LIGHT SHINING 09:34 RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM AND HE COULD SEE THE PATH VERY CLEARLY. 09:39 HIS PARTNER COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING AND SO HIS PARTNER WAS KIND OF HANGING ON TO HIS BELT 09:44 TO FIND OUT WHERE TO GO AND THEY JUST KEPT GOING AND THEY WALKED ALL ACROSS THESE RICE FIELD 09:50 DIKES UNTIL THEY CAME TO THE RIVER, CROSSED THE RIVER, 09:53 STARTED DOWN THE BIG ROAD AND THE LIGHT FADED OUT. 09:58 BUT BY THAT TIME, THEY WERE ON FAMILIAR GROUND AND A GOOD WIDE 10:02 ROAD NOTHING TO STUMBLE ON AND THEY WENT ON HOME. 10:09 WELL, NEXT MORNING THE HOST CAME TO THEIR HOUSE. 10:15 REALLY? 10:16 HE APOLOGIZIED FOR HIS SON'S ACTIONS THE NIGHT BEFORE. 10:19 HE SAID, "I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THIS. 10:21 BUT IT IS TRUE THE VILLAGERS ARE ALL WORSHIPPING THEIR GODS AND 10:28 THEY ARE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT ANOTHER GOD. 10:33 IT IS PROBABLY BETTER YOU DON'T COME BACK TO THE VILLAGE. 10:37 THEY MIGHT HARM YOU IF YOU DO, BUT I WILL COME HERE TO STUDY. 10:44 I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING." AND SO THIS MAN AND HIS WIFE CAME FAITHFULLY FOR 10:52 WEEK AFTER WEEK AND EVENTUALLY THEY WERE BAPTIZED. 10:57 REALLY? 11:00 BUT THEY DECIDED THEY WOULD STAY IN THAT VILLAGE BUT THE VILLAGERS GOT ALL UPSET AND 11:05 BEGAN TO HARASS THEM - YOU DON'T COME TO OUR FESTIVALS ANYMORE, 11:10 YOU DON'T WORSHIP OUR GODS ANYMORE. 11:12 HE IS THE CHIEF OF THE VILLAGE? 11:14 HE'S NOT THE CHIEF BUT HE WAS THE HOST TO THEM. 11:16 I SEE. O.K. 11:18 AND EVEN THOUGH THE VILLAGERS PERSECUTE THEM, TAUNT THEM, THEY SAY WE ARE STAYING HERE BECAUSE 11:26 WE WANT THEM TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN AND THEMSELVES. 11:34 AND SO THEY ARE STAYING THERE DESPITE ALL THE PERSECUTION AND EVERYTHING. 11:41 EVERY SABBATH THEY MAKE THEIR WAY ALL THE WAY TO MALI'S VILLAGE AND WORSHIP THERE AND 11:49 THEN GO BACK AND WITNESS ALL THROUGH THE WEEK. 11:52 NOW MALI IS A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER, IN THIS REGION AND HE 11:57 HAS ESTABLISHED OTHER GROUPS IN OTHER PLACES, I AM SURE AS WELL. 12:00 OH YES, YES. 12:01 HOW LONG HAS HE BEEN A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER? 12:03 I DON'T RECALL RIGHT AT THE MOMENT BUT HE HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS. 12:09 AT ANY RATE, HE IS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE PERSISTENCE AND THE DEDICATION AND THE FEARLESSNESS 12:17 WITH WHICH GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS DO THEIR SERVICE; 12:21 AND THE CONVERTS, THE QUALITY OF THE 12:23 CONVERTS WILLING TO ACCEPT PERSECUTION IN ORDER TO WITNESS. 12:29 YOU KNOW, THAT YOU HAVE SHARED MIRACLE STORIES BEFORE DAN 12:33 AND THAT IS ANOTHER WITH THE MIRACULOUS LIGHT. 12:39 I'VE WALKED THOSE NARROW PATHS BETWEEN THOSE LITTLE RICE PADDIES AND IT NOT DIFFICULT AT 12:47 ALL WHEN YOU CAN SEE EVEN, TO SLIDE OFF THOSE INTO THE RICE PADDY. 12:52 RIGHT. 12:53 AND FOR THIS LIGHT TO APPEAR THAT MUST HAVE VERIFIED 12:56 IN MALI'S MIND GOD'S LEADING IN HIS MINISTRY. 13:00 GOD IS LEADING AND STILL LEADING. 13:03 ALRIGHT, I THINK WE HAVE TIME TO GO FOR ANOTHER STORY. 13:05 WHO HAVE WE GOT? 13:08 THIS TIME WE TALK ABOUT LAZUR. LAZUR BHUYAN. 13:13 HE'S A HAPPY LOOKING GENTLEMAN. 13:15 HE IS. LAZUR GREW UP TO BE A BAPTIST CHRISTIAN 13:25 BUT AS HE MATURED AND BEGAN READING HIS BIBLE, HE 13:30 DISCOVERED THAT THE BIBLE TAUGHT ABOUT THE SEVENTH DAY 13:33 SABBATH AND HIS PEOPLE WERE ALL KEEPING SUNDAY. 13:38 HE QUESTIONED HIS PASTOR, WHY IS IT THAT WE KEEP SUNDAY WHEN THE BIBLE TEACHES SABBATH? 13:46 WELL, THE PASTOR TOLD HIM IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES IT WAS CHANGED AND SO HE READ THE NEW TESTAMENT 13:55 THROUGH A TIME OR TWO AND HE SAYS, "I CAN'T FIND IT HERE. 14:01 WHY DO CHRISTIANS KEEP SUNDAY WHEN THE BIBLE TEACHES SATURDAY?" ONE THING HE DID 14:09 FIND IN HIS FURTHER STUDY WAS THAT GOD NEVER CHANGES. 14:14 AND SO HE WAS PUZZLED. WHAT SHALL I DO? 14:20 THEN HE LEARNED THAT THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS WERE GOING 14:25 TO BE CONDUCTING SOME MEETINGS IN A NEIGHBORING VILLAGE. 14:29 HE DECIDED TO GO THERE AND SEE IF THEY HAD THE ANSWER 14:32 BECAUSE AFTERALL, THE TITLE IS SEVENTH DAY. 14:36 SO HE WENT THERE. THE MEETINGS CONTINUED FOR TWENTY-ONE NIGHTS. 14:42 HE NEVER MISSED A NIGHT DESPITE THE LONG WALKS AND MOONLIGHT, IF THERE WAS ANY. 14:49 AND FINALLY IN THE LAST MEETING OF THAT SERIES, THEY BROUGHT UP THIS QUESTION ABOUT THE SABBATH. 14:57 AND THEY ADDRESSED IT THIS WAY: IF THE HEAVENLY FATHER DIDN'T CHANGE THE SABBATH, 15:02 JESUS DIDN'T CHANGE THE SABBATH, WHO CHANGED IT? 15:07 THEN THEY GAVE THE ANSWER VERY CLEARLY. 15:11 IT WAS THE ROMAN CHURCH, THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT WHO CHANGED IT. 15:18 FOR LAZUR, THAT SETTLED IT AND SO HE TOOK FURTHER STUDIES 15:23 AND FINALLY BECAME A SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST AND WAS BAPTIZED. 15:29 BUT INTERESTING IN THOSE MEETINGS, THOUGH THEY HAD BROUGHT TOGETHER LARGE CROWDS 15:33 THOUSANDS ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY MADE THE APPEAL FOR BAPTISM 15:38 THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT PEOPLE WHO CAME FORWARD FOR BAPTISM. 15:42 LAZUR, OF COURSE, WAS ONE OF THEM. 15:45 THE EVENING AFTER THE BAPTISM, LAZUR WHEN BACK TO HIS HOME. 15:54 HIS FATHER WAS THE VILLAGE POSTMASTER SO HE HAD SOME CLOUT IN THE VILLAGE. 16:00 THE FATHER TOOK A PIECE OF FIREWOOD AND BEAT HIM 16:04 MERCILESSLY OVER THE HEAD WITH THAT FIREWOOD. 16:07 HOW OLD IS LAZUR AT THIS TIME DO YOU KNOW? 16:11 YOU SAW IN THE PICTURE HE IS AN ADULT LATE 20'S EARLY 30'S OR SO. 16:16 BUT THE FATHER TURNED AGAINST HIM. 16:20 WITH THAT, THE WHOLE VILLAGE TURNED AGAINST HIM AND THEY ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO PLEASE 16:26 TAKE THIS GUY OUT OF OUR VILLAGE AND THE GOVERNMENT COMPLIED TOOK HIM OUT. 16:32 WELL, THE MISSION HAD PURCHASED A PIECE OF LAND NOT FAR FROM THIS VILLAGE WHERE THEY INTENDED 16:38 TO BUILD A CHURCH BUT THE PEOPLE FROM THIS VILLAGE WARNED THE MISSION: 16:44 YOU BUILD A CHURCH, WE DESTROY IT AND WE KILL LAZUR. 16:47 SIMPLE. THEY THREATENED. 16:52 WELL, LAZUR KNEW THAT GOD KEEPS WORKING AND SOMEHOW THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO RETAIN THAT 17:01 PROPERTY BECAUSE IF PROPERTY IS NOT BEING USED, SOMEONE ELSE WILL CLAIM IT. 17:06 SO HE WENT AND PLANTED FRUIT TREES ON IT. 17:08 IS THAT RIGHT? 17:10 MANGO TREES. AND HE CONTINUED LIVING THEN OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE 17:15 SOMEWHERE. HE MARRIED AND HAS FOUR DAUGHTERS ALL OF WHOM 17:22 ARE IN ADVENTIST SCHOOLS, BY THE WAY. 17:24 BUT HE CONTINUED QUIETLY WITNESSING THERE IN THE VILLAGE TO HIS PEOPLE. 17:30 NOW HE COULD GO IN JUST AS A VISITOR, AS LONG AS HE IS NOT A PART OF THE VILLAGE. 17:37 YES. 17:39 AND SLOWLY AS HE WORKED WITH THE VILLAGERS HE GAINED NINETEEN 17:45 CONVERTS IN THAT VILLAGE BUT THEY DON'T DARE WORSHIP THERE. 17:50 THEY HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER VILLAGE FIVE KILOMETERS AWAY, THREE MILES AWAY. 17:54 NOW, HE IS A NEW BELIEVER, HE IS NOT A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER. 17:59 NO. 18:01 HE IS JUST BURNING WITH CONVICTION ABOUT SERVING JESUS AND WITNESSING TO OTHERS AND SO 18:06 HE IS DOING THE WORK OF A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER. 18:09 HE IS. 18:10 HOW THE WORK OF GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS MULTIPLY MANY TIMES THROUGH THEIR CONVERTS. 18:14 WOW. 18:17 THE LOCAL PRIEST, I PRESUME ROMAN PRIEST, HAS THREATENED THE FAMILY. 18:24 YOU STAY IN THIS AREA IF ANY OF YOU DIE YOU CANNOT BE BURIED IN THE VILLAGE CEMETERY. 18:32 YOUR DAUGHTERS, HE HAS FOUR, CANNOT BE MARRIED TO LOCAL MEN. 18:36 WE WILL NOT ALLOW IT. ANYWAY, HE CONTINUES TO WITNESS THERE. 18:44 HIS WIFE HAD SOME MINOR SURGERY AND SADLY SOMETHING HAPPENED, THE SURGERY WENT BAD, 18:55 SHE GOT INFECTED, HE WAS AWAY SOMEWHERE FOR 18:59 A FEW DAYS WHEN THE FEVER REALLY HIT HER. 19:04 SHE FELL FAINTING TO THE GROUND. THE VILLAGERS ALL THOUGHT THAT 19:09 SHE WAS GOING TO DIE BUT ABOUT THAT TIME HE APPEARED ON THE 19:12 SCENE AND THEY SAID, FIRST YOU BRING THIS SABBATH THING TO US 19:18 AND NOW LOOK WHAT IT IS DOING TO YOUR WIFE. 19:22 IF SHE DOESN'T GET WELL QUICKLY, IF SHE DIES, WE'RE GOING TO KILL YOU TOO. 19:29 AND SO HE SENT UP A BULLET PRAYER, LORD I NEED YOUR HELP. 19:35 IF MY WIFE DIES, SHE DIES THAT'S ALL RIGHT BUT THEN IF THEY KILL ME - 19:41 BUT- IF THEY KILL ME WHO IS EVER GOING TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE SABBATH? 19:48 AND SO HE LEFT IT AT THAT. THE LORD ANSWERED THAT PRAYER. 19:51 THE NEXT MORNING THE INFECTION WAS TOTALLY GONE. 19:54 SHE WAS PERFECTLY WELL AND SO HE IS STILL LIVING, 20:02 WITNESSING THERE AND HE REMINDED ME OF THIS. 20:06 WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO 20:12 LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 20:16 ROMANS 8:28. 20:18 NOW REMIND ME AGAIN DAN, HOW DID AND I HAVE MISPRONOUNCED HIS NAME I'M SURE, I THOUGHT IT 20:24 WAS LAZUR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LAZUR, YES. 20:27 HE WAS INTRODUCED TO THE GOSPEL THROUGH A GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKER? 20:33 RIGHT. 20:34 WHO WENT INTO THIS VILLAGE? 20:36 RIGHT. 20:38 O.K. I MISSED THAT, I WASN'T LISTENING WELL 20:40 ENOUGH I GUESS, I MISSED THAT LITTLE PORTION BUT 20:42 AS A RESULT OF THAT, HE HAS BECOME A WITNESS AND AT THE POINT YOU WHO HEARD THE STORY, 20:49 NINETEEN PEOPLE HAD ALREADY RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL. 20:52 RIGHT. 20:53 AND SO DO THEY MEET OUT ON THAT PROPERTY? 20:56 OR WHERE ARE THEY MEETING? DO YOU KNOW THAT? 20:58 THEY GO TO ANOTHER VILLAGE BEYOND THAT PROPERTY FIVE KILOMETERS REMOVED, 21:03 THREE MILES AWAY AND WORSHIP WITH ANOTHER GROUP. 21:07 THE DEDICATION OF THESE PEOPLE IS INCREASINGLY 21:12 IMPRESSIVE TO ME. YOU HAVE SPOKEN SO MANY TIMES IN 21:15 THE STORIES I HAVE HEARD YOU TELL ABOUT THE DISTANCES THESE 21:18 PEOPLE WALK JUST TO BE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS. 21:23 RIGHT. 21:24 AND I THINK THAT IS A POWERFUL INSTRUCTIVE LESSON FOR US IN THE WESTERN WORLD AND I THOUGHT OF 21:31 THE SCRIPTURE "FORSAKE NOT THE ASSEMBLING OF YOURSELVES TOGETHER" 21:36 AND SO MUCH THE MORE AS WE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING. 21:40 RIGHT. 21:41 THESE BELIEVERS IN INDIA DON'T LET ANYTHING DISTANCES OR OTHERWISE STOP THEM. 21:46 CAN YOU SHARE ANOTHER STORY WITH US IN FIVE MINUTES? 21:49 I'LL TRY HERE. 21:51 THE NEXT ONE IS ABOUT, WHAT'S HIS NAME? 21:54 SOUDAGAR. 21:55 SOUDAGAR, O.K. I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER THAT. 21:57 I HAVE MANY STORIES ON HIM BUT I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH ONE HERE REAL QUICK. 22:02 WE MOVE NOW TO A STATE NORTH OF ANDRAH PRADESH WHERE THESE OTHERS OCCURRED. 22:09 WE GO INTO ORISSA. ORISSA WAS THE STATE WHERE THEY RECENTLY 22:13 HAD THAT PERSECUTION WHERE THEY WERE BURNING CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 22:17 OH YES, I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT THAT. 22:19 O.K. WELL, THAT IS WHERE SOUDAGAR WORKS AND THIS ONE OCCASION 22:26 HE WAS WORKING IN THE BATAMPALI VILLAGE. 22:31 THEY WERE HAVING A HINDU FESTIVAL THERE AND THAT'S WHAT THE PICTURE REPRESENTS. 22:38 RIGHT. 22:40 THEY ARE HAVING THIS FESTIVAL THEY GET THESE DRUMS GOING AND GET EVERYBODY ALL WORKED UP INTO 22:44 THE SPIRIT OF IT, THIS FESTIVAL MUST LAST FOR SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS. 22:48 REALLY. 22:50 SO THEY DIVIDE THE PEOPLE INTO SHIFTS AND SOME DO THIS SHIFT AND THE NEXT SHIFT AND OH IT IS 22:56 REALLY QUITE AN OCCASION AND DURING THIS FESTIVAL PART OF THE CELEBRATING IS DRINKING. 23:04 AND SO THE HINDU PRIESTS WERE DRINKING LOTS OF WHITE WINE AND THIS ONE PRIEST IN HIS CLOUDED 23:12 MIND WAS TRYING TO BE HELPFUL TO THE COOKS, HE WENT AND GOT SOME FIREWOOD. 23:17 AS HE WAS PICKING UP THE FIREWOOD HE FELT SOMETHING PRICK HIM ON THE FINGER. 23:22 HE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A THORN OR SOMETHING, DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION BUT IT MADE HIM FEEL 23:27 KIND OF WEAK AND SICK SO HE ASKED ANOTHER PRIEST TO GO AND GET ANOTHER ARMLOAD. 23:33 THAT FELLOW WENT AND GOT AN ARMLOAD BUT SOMETHING PRICKED HIM ON THE FOOT AND THE PEOPLE 23:39 SAID, "OH YOU GUYS, YOU HAVE JUST BEEN DRINKING TOO MUCH." BUT AFTER A BIT THE PEOPLE 23:44 NOTICED THEY WERE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH AND SOME OTHER SYMPTOMS OF SNAKE BITE. 23:48 WOW. REALLY. 23:51 AND SO OTHER PRIESTS THAT WERE IN THE VILLAGE CAME TO THEIR 23:55 RESCUE AND THEY STARTED HAVING WHAT THEY CALL 23:59 A MANTRA, WHICH IS A CEREMONY. THEY GOT GRASS THEY BLEW 24:04 THROUGH THIS GRASS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO PUT MAGIC ON THEM TO STOP THE 24:09 SNAKE BITE AND ALL THIS AND FINALLY SOUDAGAR HAPPENED TO COME IN ON THE SCENE AND HE 24:17 STOPPED THEM AND SAID, ALL RIGHT YOU FOLKS HAVE DONE WHAT YOU CAN DO, IT HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE. 24:24 LET ME DO WHAT I CAN DO AND THEY LOOKED AT HIM AND TRIED TO STOP HIM BECAUSE THEY KNEW HE WAS A 24:29 CHRISTIAN BUT HE WENT AHEAD AND DID IT ANYWAY. 24:34 HE WENT AHEAD, GOT THOSE TWO PRIESTS, PRAYED FOR THEM, 24:39 PUT HIS HANDS ON THEM AND THEY WERE HEALED INSTANTLY. 24:44 THE PEOPLE SAID, "HOW CAN YOU A CHRISTIAN PRAY FOR BUDDHIST PRIESTS?" AND HE SAID, MY GOD 24:53 TEACHES ME THAT I DON'T CARE WHAT RELIGION ANYONE IS, IF THEY NEED HELP I PRAY FOR THEM. 25:00 SO HE DID, HE HEALED THEM. NOW THESE PRIESTS ARE COMING 25:02 TO HIM SECRETLY LIKE NICODEMUS TO LEARN ABOUT CHRISTIANS. 25:08 HE KNOWS IN THEIR HEARTS THEY HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST BUT BECAUSE OF THEIR POSITION 25:13 IN THE VILLAGE, THEY DON'T DARE REVEAL IT. 25:17 LIKE THE PRIESTS, YOU KNOW, IN CHRIST'S TIME THEY DIDN'T DARE REVEAL IT. 25:21 BUT HE BELIEVES THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY LOOK LIKE HINDU BUT IN 25:24 THEIR HEARTS THEY ARE CHRISTIANS. HE KEEPS WORKING FOR THEM. 25:28 WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY AND A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON. 25:37 SOMETIMES WE GET THE PROVERBIAL CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND ASK PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR IDENTITY 25:46 AS HINDU OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE AND THEN THEY CAN COME ALONG WITH US, AS A PART OF US BUT 25:53 YOUR STORY UNDERSCORES THE TRUTH THAT WE NEED TO ACCEPT PEOPLE AS GOD DOES, JUST WHO THEY ARE AND 26:01 WHERE THEY ARE AND ALLOW HIM TO BE THE POWER, IN HIS TIME, IN HIS TIME, IN HIS WAY. 26:09 YES. 26:10 AND THESE PRIESTS ARE OBVIOUSLY BEING CALLED UNDER THE INVITATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 26:16 YES, DEFINITELY. 26:18 DAN WALTER THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF GOSPEL OUTREACH, YOU ARE SO WELCOME, AND KEEP 26:23 BRINGING US THESE STORIES AND I WANT TO INVITE YOU AGAIN WRITE THESE STORIES UP FOR THE GOSPEL 26:33 OUTREACH ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS NEWSLETTER SO WE HAVE THEM FOR REFERENCE. 26:39 BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO LOTS IN OUR FAMILY, 26:42 OUR GOSPEL OUTREACH FAMILY, WHO WILL WANT TO USE THESE 26:45 STORIES BY WAY OF INSPIRATION AND TESTIMONY OF WHAT GOD 26:48 IS DOING IN THIS TWENTY FIRST CENTURY WORLD. 26:51 BY THE WAY, YOU SEE THE ADDRESS, ALL OF THAT ON THE SCREEN 26:54 AND I'M SO GLAD FOR YOUR SUPPORT, 26:58 YOUR PRAYERS ON BEHALF OF GOSPEL OUTREACH AND UNTIL NEXT TIME, 27:01 I'M DAN MATTHEWS. BYE NOW. 27:04 ♪CLOSING MUSIC♪ |
Revised 2015-02-06