Participants: George Johnson
Series Code: AIM
Program Code: AIM000484
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00:21 HELLO, GOOD FRIENDS AND WELCOME AGAIN TO "ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS".
00:26 IT IS SUCH A DELIGHT TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE WITH YOU AT GOSPEL OUTREACH FOR 00:32 ANOTHER SEASON OF PROGRAMS, UPDATED REPORTS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN 00:37 THE WORLD OF GOSPEL OUTREACH. 00:39 I AM PARTICULARLY EXCITED RIGHT NOW AND IN A AICIPATION OF BEING 00:44 HERE, MY EXCITEMENT WAS BUILDING BECAUSE I GET TO BE WITH MY DEAR FRIEND 00:50 WHOM I HAVE NOT SEEN FOR TOO LONG, GEORGE JOHNSON. 00:54 WELCOME, GEORGE. 00:55 SO GOOD TO BE WHERE YOU ARE EVERYTIME. 00:58 THANK YOU. 01:00 WITH SAYING THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU FOR A WHILE, YOU'VE HAD SOME VERY 01:04 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS THAT GIVE A CONTEXT FOR WHAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IN THIS 01:10 PROGRAM BY WAY OF INSPIRING OUR VIEWERS, OUR GOSPEL OUTREACH FAMILY 01:15 ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING IN OUR WORLD AND SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT HAPPEN. 01:21 SO, TELL US WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? 01:23 WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING? 01:25 WELL, I'M RETIRED AND I WAS REQUESTED BACK IN JULY, 2012 TO GO TO 01:34 PAKISTAN AS THE INTERIM PRESIDENT OF OUR WORK THERE. 01:39 SO, I WAS SERVING THERE NOT ONLY AS A GOSPEL OUTREACH COUNTRY DIRECTOR 01:43 BUT ALSO AS A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR THE CHURCH. 01:47 OF THE LAST ELEVEN MONTHS I'VE SPENT ABOUT 8 MONTHS INSIDE PAKISTAN. 01:50 AND THAT WAS A REQUEST YOU COULD NOT TURN DOWN BECAUSE YOU ARE REALLY 01:57 GOING BACK TO YOUR BOYHOOD HOME. 01:59 THAT'S CORRECT. 02:00 TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEGINNINGS THERE. 02:02 WELL, THE DECISION WAS AN IMPORTANT THING, IT TOOK MY WIFE AND I MAYBE A DAY 02:08 TO SETTLE THE MATTER. 02:10 SHE TOLD ME, SHE SAID, "I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE MAN TO GO THERE BECAUSE YOU 02:16 SPEAK THE LANGUAGE AND SO FORTH AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCE PLUS, SHE SAID, 02:20 GOD ALWAYS CARED FOR US THERE. 02:22 I HAVE NO REASON TO INDICATE THAT I SHOULD DOUBT HIS CARE AND HIS 02:27 KEEPING FOR US IN THE FUTURE." 02:29 THERE HAD BEEN A CRISIS IN LEADERSHIP AND SO I WAS ASKED TO GO BACK AND 02:34 RESTRUCTURE THE LEADERSHIP ON BEHALF OF THE SOUTHERN ASIA PACIFIC DIVISION. 02:42 AND BASICALLY, EVERYONE AROUND ME BESIDES MY WIFE, SAID "YOU ARE CRAZY, 02:46 YOU'VE GOT A DEATH WISH." 02:48 BUT IN GOING BACK, I FOUND THAT MY WIFE AND I WERE CORRECT IN JUST BELIEVING 02:54 THAT GOD ALWAYS WATCHES OVER US. 02:58 YOU KNOW PAKISTAN IS KIND OF KNOWN BY MOST EVERYONE WHO SEES ANY NEWS TODAY OR 03:07 HEARS ANY REPORTS OF INTERNATIONAL WORLD AFFAIRS, AND FOR YOU TO GO 03:14 IN KIND OF A-- I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT OTHER THAN A "HOT BED OF TROUBLE" IN 03:19 TODAY'S WORLD. 03:20 YES, YOU WENT. 03:21 GOD BLESSED. 03:23 YOU ARE BACK. 03:25 WE'RE GRATEFUL. 03:27 DID YOU LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER A LOT? 03:29 ANY FEAR? 03:31 I'M MORE CAUTIOUS THAN I WAS BACK IN THE 60'S, 70'S AND EARLY 80'S WHEN I 03:37 SERVED THERE FOR SIXTEEN YEARS. 03:39 BUT THE FACTS ARE THAT PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE AND EVEN THOUGH 03:45 FIVE PER CENT PERHAPS, OF THE PAKISTAN POPULATION ARE INVOLVED IN RADICAL, 03:54 YOU KNOW, ACTIVITIES AND FAITH AND BELIEF, NINETY FIVE PER CENT WOULD JUST 03:59 LIKE TO BE LEFT ALONE. 04:01 THEY WOULD LIKE TO CARE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. 04:03 THEY'D LIKE TO BRING BACK ENOUGH FROM THEIR DRIVING A TAXI OR WHATEVER IT IS 04:09 THEY DO TO SUPPORT AND FEED THEIR FAMILIES; TO OWN A LITTLE HOME. 04:14 SO, REALLY THERE ARE MANY, MANY MODERATES THERE AND THEY GREET EVERYONE WITH 04:18 THE SAME HOSPITALITY THAT THEY ALWAYS DID. 04:20 YOU KNOW, YOU REMIND ME AND YOU AND I ARE CONNECTING A LITTLE BIT 04:25 SPECIALLY HERE ON THIS PROGRAM GEORGE, BECAUSE YOU ARE WEARING A BATIK 04:29 SHIRT AND I JUST RETURNED A FEW DAYS AGO FROM INDONESIA WHERE BATIK 04:37 SHIRTS ARE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE DRESS AND BEING THERE I 04:43 WAS REMINDED THAT INDEED, MOST OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN LIVING PEACEFULLY 04:52 TOGETHER IN THAT COMMUNITY, NEIGHBORS AND THEY WANT IT TO BE THAT 04:57 WAY. 04:59 IN FACT, ONE MUSLIM FRIEND WHOM I MADE IN INDONESIA SAID, "DAN, PLEASE DON'T 05:07 GENERALIZE ALL MUSLIMS." 05:09 I THINK THAT IS GOOD COUNSEL FOR US AND A VALUABLE THING THAT WE 05:14 COULD PROBABLY SHARE IN THIS PROGRAM SO THAT OUR VIEWERS CAN HAVE AN 05:19 UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE ARE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN. 05:22 THEY MAY NOT KNOW IT THE SAME WAY W WDO BUT THEY DESERVE TO BE LOVED BY 05:27 SOMEBODY LIKE YOURSELF WHO IS WILLING TO GO THERE. 05:29 WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORK AND THE WORK THAT THE SEVENTH 05:37 DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN PAKISTAN? 05:39 THE STATE OF THE CHURCH ACTUALLY, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, DURING THE YEAR 05:44 PERIOD AND WE'VE RECEIVED SPECIAL FUNDS FROM CHURCH HEADQUARTERS TO DO CITY 05:49 EVANGELISM. 05:51 THESE REACHED THE COUNTRY LATE; I BEGAN IN JULY BUT IT WAS PROBABLY A COUPLE 05:55 OF MONTHS LATER WHEN WE STARTED THE EVANGELIST MEETINGS, BUT DURING THE 05:59 YEAR 2012 THERE WERE BETTER CHURCH ACQUISITIONS, BAPTISMS, 06:05 AND SO FORTH. 06:06 MORE EVANGELISM DONE THAN IN THE TEN YEARS PRIOR. 06:09 OF A CHURCH OF 15,000 TOTAL MEMBERSHIP-SOME 850 PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED 06:16 DURING 2012. 06:18 NOW IS THAT THROUGH WHAT WE THINK OF AS TRADITIONAL EVANGELISTIC OUTREACH? 06:25 A LOT OF IT IS AND ABOUT HALF THE WORKER FORCE IN PAKISTAN ARE GOSPEL 06:31 OUTREACH WORKERS. 06:32 WOW. 06:33 SO I MEAN, FIFTY PER CENT OF THAT YOU CAN CREDIT TO THIS. 06:36 BUT I SPOKE IN MEETINGS, I WOULD BE INVITED FOR LUNCH, FOR DINNER IN THE 06:40 EVENING AND GO INTO A LITTLE, WE CALL IT A BUSTE, IT IS REALLY JUST A 06:45 LITTLE, A POOR GHETTO AND THE STREETS MIGHT BE FIFTEEN, TWENTY FEET AT 06:49 MOST, WIDE. 06:51 THEY COOKED RICE FOR 2-300 PEOPLE, AFTER INVITING ME. 06:57 AND I WENT INTO THE ELDER'S HOME, ATE WITH THEM AND THEY WERE ALREADY 07:03 TUNING UP THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 07:05 THEY'D SET CARPETS ON THE FLOOR. 07:07 THEY HAD RENTED THIS FOR ONE NIGHT. 07:09 THEY HAD THE MUSIC GOING AND PEOPLE UP AND DOWN THAT ALLEY WOULD STAND IN 07:15 THE DOORWAYS, MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS AND WATCH AS THIS WAS GOING ON. 07:19 I PREACHED PUBLICLY ON THE STREET OF THAT GHETTO AREA AND THERE WERE PROBABLY 07:27 300 PEOPLE ATTENDING AND SITTING THERE LISTENING. 07:30 THIS IS PUBLIC. 07:31 YOU KNOW, AS AN OLD PREACHER MYSELF, MY CURIOSITY ASKS WHAT DO YOU 07:37 PREACH ON IN A SETTING LIKE THAT? 07:41 IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON WHO IS THERE BUT I OFTEN SPEAK ABOUT THE POWER OF GOD AND 07:47 I OFTEN SPOKE OF CHRISTIANS AS BEING MODELS FOR THE WORLD BECAUSE 07:54 AFTER ALL, WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED SO RICHLY AND IF WE TEACH LOVE, WE MUST 08:00 LIVE LOVE. 08:02 IF WE TEACH FORGIVENESS, WE MUST LIVE FORGIVENESS. 08:06 IF WE TEACH SABBATH OBSERVANCE, IT SHOULD NOT BE SOME LEGAL OBSERVANCE 08:11 OF THIS BUT WE SHOULD BE PRACTICING LOVE AND CONSIDERATION. 08:15 REMEMBER NOW, THAT IN SOME OF THESE COMMUNITIES THERE HAS BEEN ENCROACHMENT. 08:19 IN THAT SAME COMMUNITY THEY WERE FIRED ON. 08:22 THEY WERE ATTACKED BY NEIGHBORS IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES 08:26 WHICH WERE LARGELY MUSLIM. 08:28 TODAY, ALONG ONE OF THE STREETS OF THAT AREA WITH A GRAVEYARD ADJOINING, 08:33 THERE IS A 12-15 FOOT WALL THAT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED TO KEEP THE TWTW 08:38 COMMUNITIES APART. 08:39 BUT YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE, IN FACT, ONE OF OUR MEMBERS SHOWED ME A WOUND 08:44 ON HIS LEG THAT HE ACCUMULATED DURING THE FIRING AND DURING THE 08:48 SHOOTING. 08:49 BUT YOU KNOW I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO BE THERE AS SALT. 08:52 WE'VE GOT TO BE THERE AS LIGHT AND SO OFTEN I WOULD SPEAK TO THE CONGREGATION 08:57 ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING. 08:58 WELL, AND WHEN THERE IS APPEAL THAT GROWS OUT OF OUR DESIRE FOR PEACE AND 09:06 HARMONY AND LOVE, PEOPLE CAN'T ARGUE WITH THAT AND THAT IS THE EPITOME OF THE 09:12 CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST, OF COURSE, THAT WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO 09:17 COMMUNICATE. 09:19 THEN WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY, THESE PEOPLE WERE -THE RICE WAS ONLY A 09:26 AFTERTHOUGHT PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY CAME BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO BE 09:31 THERE. 09:32 WELL, I THINK THAT THE ELDER'S FAMILY WITH WHOM I SUPPED THAT EVENING, THEY 09:37 TOTALLY HAD PLANNED-I MEAN I EXPECTED TO GET HOME A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER. 09:41 INSTEAD I GOT HOME AT 11 OR 12 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT BUT THEY HAD TOTALLY PLANNED 09:46 TO HAVE THE GROUP IN AND CELEBRATE MY ARRIVAL AND MY BEING THERE. 09:52 BY THE WAY, SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED 20 YEARS AGO WHERE I SENT THAT ELDER TO 09:57 THE HOSPITAL WHICH THE ADVENTISTS OPERATE IN KARACHI. 10:01 IT HAD BEEN BROKEN, HIS ARM HAD BEEN CAST THE WRONG WAY. 10:05 HE LIVED 3 YEARS OR SO WITH A BROKEN ARM AND I WROTE A LITTLE NOTE UP IN 10:11 LAHORE AT HEADQUARTERS ASKING THE PHYSICIANS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS. 10:15 HE WENT DOWN THERE. 10:16 THEY SAID, "OH, PASTOR JOHNSON SENT YOU." 10:19 HIS ARM TODAY IS STRAIGHT. 10:21 I MEAN HE WAS CELEBRATING THAT I'D COME BACK. 10:23 YOU KNOW YOU REMIND ME TOO, GEORGE, PRECIOUS PEOPLE IN MOST OF THOSE 10:33 ORIENTAL COUNTRIES ARE SO GRACIOUS, SO RESPECTFUL THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU 10:42 ARE APPRECIATED. 10:43 AMEN. 10:44 AND THEY GO TO ANY LENGTH TO SHOWERERHE BEST THEY CAN UPON YOU. 10:49 AND MY LITTLE EXPERIENCE, NOTHING LIKE YOURS, BUT MY LITTLE EXPERIENCE HAS 10:53 OBSERVED AND RECEIVED THE SAME THING AS WELL. 10:57 NOW, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK. 11:00 HALF OF THE GOSPEL WORKERS IN PAKISTAN ARE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORKERS? 11:05 THAT'S CORRECT. 11:07 AND SO THE WORK THERE, TO WHATEVER DEGREE, THERE IS BLESSING AND BENEFITTING 11:13 LARGELY IS ASSOCIATED WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 11:18 YES, I MEAN THESE FOLK ARE ON THE FIRING LINE. 11:21 THEY NORMALLY DO NOT PASTOR OR ASSIST WITH BIG CITY CHURCHES. 11:27 OFTEN THEY ARE INVOLVED IN OPENING UP NEW AREAS IN EVANGELISM, IN VISITING 11:32 HOME TO HOME IN THESE ACTIVITIES. 11:34 WELL, THAT IS A LEAD FOR ME TO SPEAK TO OUR VIEWERS ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 11:42 GOSPEL OUTREACH AND THE FACT THAT YOUR FAMILY OF WORKERS ALL OVER THE 11:48 WORLD, PARTICULARLY IN PAKISTAN, THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW 11:53 ARE BEING USED BY THE LORD TO ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM AND SO I WANT TO SAY A BIG 11:59 THANK YOU TO YOU FOR YOUR PART IN THIS GOSPEL OUTREACH MINISTRY. 12:06 D THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED FINANCIAL 12:10 SUPPORT BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW ABOUT GOSPEL OUTREACH, YOUR SUPPORT 12:15 GOES TO PUT WORKERS ALONG SIDE GEORGE JOHNSON N D WHOMEVER ELSE IS AMONG THE 12:22 REGIONAL DIRECTORS IN THE GOSPEL OUTREACH WORLD . 12:30 IN MISSIONS NEWSLETTER, AND II WANT YOU TO BEEN RBE SURE AND HAVE THAT.S 12:33 I AM SO DELIGHTED WHEN THAT COMES IN OUR MAIL AND I SIT RIGHT DOWN AND READ 12:39 THOSE KIND OF OLD FASHIONED MISSION STORIES THAT REALLY TUG AT MY 12:43 HEART. 12:44 I WANT YOU TO HAVE THOSE MISSION STORIES AS WELL. 12:46 THERE WILL BE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED ABOUT MAKING MORE AND MORE 12:50 CONTACT WITH GOSPEL OUTREACH. 12:52 SO, THANK YOU FOR JOTTING THE ADDRESS, THE PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS, 12:56 WHATEVER. 12:57 IT ALL APPEARS RIGHT THERE ON THE SCREEN. 12:59 WELL GEORGE, I AM SO DELIGHTED TO KNOW YOU ARE BACK AND THAT YOU'VE HAD A 13:06 BLEST EXPERIENCE AND YOU HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE, I KNOW, IN THE SEGUE OF 13:14 LEADERSHIP INTO PAKISTANI PEOPLE NOW. 13:16 YES, IT ISIS NATIONAL PRESIDENT-YOUNG MAN, HE'S A SON OF A PASTOR AND HE'S 13:23 RETURNED TO TAKE UP LEADERSHIP. 13:25 HE WAS STUDYING AT OUR SEMINARY IN THE PHILIPPINES WORKING ON A 13:29 DOCTORATE AND WHEN I SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT RETURNING AND SPOKE ABOUT THE NEED FOR 13:35 LEADERSHIP, HE TOLD ME HE SAID "PASTOR, MY WIFE AND I FROM THE VERY BEGINNING 13:40 HAVE DEDICATED OURSELVES TO MINISTRY". 13:43 AND HE SAID, "IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE BACK HOME, I WILL DROP THE 13:48 DOCTORATE, I WILL COME HOME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE A CALL FROM 13:53 GOD." 13:54 DID HE DROP THE DOCTORATE OR COMPLETE IT? 13:56 HE DROPPED IT. 13:58 IN ABOUT A MONTH'S TIME, HE CAME TO A SEMESTER BREAK AND HE RETURNED 14:03 HOME. 14:04 I SEE. 14:05 NOW, I MUST ASK YOU GEORGE, BECAUSE THE REPORTS HAVE COME TO US 14:11 THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME UNFORTUNATE ATTACKS ON OUR PEOPLE AND OUR CHURCHES IN 14:19 PAKISTAN. 14:21 ARE YOU ABLE TO GIVE US A LITTLE UPDATE ON THAT? 14:24 YES, I CAN AND AS I SAY THESE WORDS I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE 14:31 ISOLATED INCIDENTS. 14:33 YOU ARE DEALING-PAKISTAN, WHEN I WAS THERE IN THE 60'S POPULATION WAS ABOUT 14:39 75 MILLION. 14:40 THAT INCLUDED EAST AND WEST, O.K? 14:43 TODAY, WEST PAKISTAN, THE COUNTRY OF PAKISTAN ALONE IS 185 MILLION. 14:52 IN ONLY ABOUT 40 YEARS OF TIME. 14:54 BANGLADESH IS PROBABLY A BIT HIGHER BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY ACHIEVED A 15:00 MAJORITY IN 1971. 15:03 SO THE BIRTH RATE WAS ALWAYS HIGHER THERE BUT YOU ARE LOOKING AT A LARGE 15:06 POPULATION GROWTH. 15:08 AND THERE ARE SENSITIVITIES, THERE ARE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS GROUPS 15:11 THERE; YOU'VE GOT THE SHIA MUSLIMS; YOU'VE GOT SUNNI MUSLIMS IN PAKISTAN. 15:18 THE PERCENTAGE IS 70% SUNNI AND ABABT 30% SHIA AND THEN YOU'VE GOT MAYBE 15:24 3% OF CHRISTIAN OF WHICH SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS ARE JUST A SMALL PROPORTION. 15:32 THEN YOU'VE GOT ABOUT ½% OF HINDUS. 15:35 SOME OF THE HINDUS, RIGHT NOW, ARE REVERSE MIGRATING BACK TO INDIA AND HINDUISM 15:40 IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER AREA FOR WITNESS FOR US. 15:45 AND DURING MY TIME THERE, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD ONE WORKER WHO IS STUDYING 15:51 RIGHT NOW TO BE A PASTOR AND THREE OTHERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. 15:57 THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF WORKIKI EXPERIENCE BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING 16:00 AND CONSOLIDATING SOME OF THE MEMBERSHIP THAT WE HAD IN THE KOLE AND MADWADDI 16:06 LANGUAGE GROUPS THERE IN PAKISTAN. 16:08 THEY LIVE MAINLY OUT TOWARD THE INDIAN BORDER IN VERY DESERT AREAS AND 16:12 SO THEY ARE QUITE ISOLATED. 16:15 BUT NO, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY JUST WEEKS AGO-WE HAD THIS 16:22 CHURCH BOMBING IN PESHAWAR. 16:24 NOW REMEMBER, ISLAM LOOKS BACK TO THTHCRUSADES WITH, I MEAN, THIS IS CENTURIES, 16:32 THIS IS MILLENIA. 16:33 I MEAN THEY LOOK BACK AT THAT AS A DIRECT ATTACK BY CHRISTIANS ON MUSLIMS. 16:38 AND SO, THOSE MEMORIES- WE NEVER USE THE WORD CRUSADE, O.K.; I TRY TO 16:49 JUST BLOCK THAT OUT AND NOT SPEAK THOSE WORDS. 16:52 PEOPLE SPEAK OF EVANGELISTIC CRUSADES, AND SO FORTH, WE DON'T DO 16:55 THAT. 16:56 NO,NO, I UNDERSTAND. 16:58 THAT'S THE SAME AS USING THE WORD JIHAD WHICH TODAY HAS BECOME TO US A THREAT, 17:03 YES. 17:05 BUT, ANYWAY WHENEVER THE WEST ENGAGES THE EAST ISLAM MILITARILY WHETHER 17:12 IT BE IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, WHEREVER-THIS IS SEEN AS A THREAT. 17:14 THIS IS SEEN AS RETALIATION AND OFTEN THINGS ARE PORTRAYED IN A 17:21 MUSLIM CHRISTIAN WAY BUT TO MAKE THIS SHORT, THE SHIAS HAD BEEN ATTACKED 17:26 TIME AND AGAIN AND THEIR BUSSES BLOWN UP. 17:29 THEY WERE GOING ON PILGRIMAGES TO IRAN, THE CITY OF QUETA WHICH IS THE 17:35 ENTRYWAY TO IRAN ALSO A BIG HIDEOUT FOR AL-QAIDA AND SO FORTH. 17:41 THEY HAD A BOMBING THERE BLEW OUT 90-95 PEOPLE. 17:44 KILLED THEM IMMEDIATELY, MANY INJURIES. 17:47 AND SO EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE A CONFRONTATION. 17:54 WHAT HAPPENED BACK ABOUT EARLY THIS YEAR, 2013 IS THAT TWO FRIENDS-A MUSLIM 18:04 AND A CHRISTIAN WERE SITTING NEXT TO A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AND 18:08 DRINKING. 18:09 NOW, IT WAS O.K. 18:10 FOR THE CHRISTIAN TO DRINK LEGALLY. 18:12 IT WAS NOT O.K. 18:13 FOR THE MUSLIM TO DRINK. 18:15 THE TWO OF THEM GOT DRUNK. 18:16 THERE IS A BLASPHEMY LAW IN PAKISTAN -IF YOU REVILE THE PROPHET, IF YOUR 18:21 REVILE ISLAM OR THE QURAN SHARIF, IF YOU SAY SOMETHING THAT IS 18:28 BLASPHEMOUOUTHEN THE PENALTY, IF YOU ARE CONVICTED, IS DEATH. 18:34 THAT IS A VERY POLITICAL THING THERE TODAY BECAUSE PEOPLE SETTLE SCORES BY 18:38 TELLING LIES. 18:41 I MEAN, IF YOU ACCUSE SOMEBODY AND YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF WITNESSES THAT 18:44 WILL STAND WITH YOU. 18:45 YOU CAN MAKE IT STICK AGAINST SOMEONE. 18:47 AND BY THE WAY, IT'S BEEN USED BY MUSLIM ON MUSLIM. 18:51 BUT IN THIS CASE, THEY BOTH GOT DRUNK. 18:55 THE MUSLIM LEFT THE ENGAGEMENT, THEY ARGUED AND THIS TIME WITH HIS 18:59 FRIEND AND HE WENT AND SPREAD THE STORY THAT THERE WAS BLASPHEMY THAT 19:03 TOOK PLACE. 19:05 THAT EVENING, FRIDAY EVENING, A CROWD MOVED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY WITH 19:10 AXES AND DIFFERENT LOCAL WEAPONS AND THEY TOLD THE CHRISTIANS, "YOU GET OUT 19:17 OR ELSE YOU WILL BE MURDERED." 19:19 THAT NIGHT AND THE NEXT DAY THEY WENT THROUGH AND THEY TORCHED THE COMMUNITY 19:22 OF SOME 3000 PEOPLE ALMOST ALL CHRISTIANS. 19:25 THERE WERE CATHOLICS, THERE WERE ADVENTISTS THERE AND THE ENTIRE 19:27 COMMUNITY WAS BURNED. 19:28 THE MIRACULOUS THING IS EVEN THOUGH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS COMPLETELY 19:31 TORCHED, THE STATUES RIPPED OUT AND SO FORTH, THE ADVENTIST CHURCH WHICH 19:42 WAS IN A NARROW GULLY, SMALL BUILDING, HOUSES BOTH SIDES BURNED AND THE 19:50 CHURCH WAS OPENED AND RANSACKED BUT THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS FROM 19:55 CHRISTMAS TIME A FEW MONTHS BEFORE, STILL HUNG IN THERE IN THE CHURCH AND 20:00 THE CHURCH WAS NEVER BURNED. 20:01 WOW! 20:02 THERE IT STANDS, THE ONLY BUILDING THAT SURVIVED IN THIS HOLOCAUST. 20:08 THE POLICE CAME THE NEXT DAY. 20:09 ACTUALLY,THEY KIND OF LOOKED THE OTHER WAY. 20:11 THERE WAS A SHAKE UP WITH THE POLICE AUTHORITIES AND SO FORTH BUT BASICALLY, WE 20:17 COUNT THE MIRACLES-NO ONE WAS MURDERED AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD THAT 20:21 COMMUNITY UP AND RUNNING AGAIN; HOUSES BUILT IN THREE WEEKS TIME. 20:25 HOUSES BUILT? 20:26 HOUSES BUILT IN THREE WEEKS TIME. 20:29 YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO YOU GEORGE, AND THE MINISTRY THAT YOU HAVE DONE AS YOU 20:38 ILLUSTRATED IN THAT PLACE WHERE YOU WENT TO THE ELDER'S HOME AND SO FORTH, 20:43 HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR WE WHO SERVE JESUS TO BE SURE WE COMMUNICATE SOMETHING 20:55 OTHER THAN THE CONFLICT OF CENTURIES OLD EXPERIENCES WITH A MESSAGE OF LOVE 21:06 ABOUT ACCEPTANCE OF ALL PEOPLE. 21:11 MY EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS VERY, VERY LIMITED, IS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE 21:16 TO TALK ABOUT JESUS MUCH WITH THESE FOLKS. 21:21 WE TALK ABOUT "OUR GOD" AND THEIR ACCEPTING OF THAT BUT ANYTHING THAT 21:28 KIND OF MOVES IN THE DIRECTION OF IDENTITY AS A CHRISTIAN -THEY HAVE A 21:34 BAD, EXCUSE THE CRUDE, BUT A BAD TASTE IN THEIR MOUTHS ABOUT CHRISTIANS. 21:40 SO, THTH CONGREGATION OF PEOPLE MUST HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING 21:48 OTHER THAN TYPICAL CHRISTIANITY. 21:51 YES AND NO. 21:53 O.K. 21:55 I DIDN'T GO DOWN THAT SATURDAY THAT THE BURNING WAS GOING ON. 22:05 THE PASTOR'S WIFE WAS WITH ME IN TEARS. 22:07 HER HUSBAND'S CELL PHONE WAS GONE. 22:09 HE HAD BEEN THERE AND THE THREE CHILDREN AND THE HUSBAND HAD ESCAPED BUT 22:17 THERE WAS A LOT OF TENSION IN THAT COMMUNITY. 22:19 ABOUT A WEEK LATER I WENT THROUGH AND EVEN AT THAT TIME, IN A COMMUNITY L LE 22:24 THAT, USUALLY I COULD WALK THROUGH AND SPEAK TO THIS ONE AND THAT ONE 22:28 IRREGARDLESS OF WHO THEY WERE AND ELICIT A SMILE AND A RESPONSE. 22:33 BUT IT WAS SULLEN, IT WAS DARK. 22:39 YOU COULD FEEL THAT. 22:40 I BELIEVE THAT GOD HAD HIS HAND OVER THAT SITUATION TO WHERE, I MEAN WHETHER 22:50 THEY DIDN'T SEE IT OR WHETHER SOMEBODY MISSED, I DON'T KNOW BUT I BELIEVE 22:56 THAT GOD INTERVENED IN THAT CASE TO MAYBE TEACH US A LESSON. 22:59 HOWEVER, WHEN WE GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO OUR ADRA WORKERS, AND BY THTHWAY,Y, 23:05 ADRA DID NOT SUPPORT FINANCIALY BUT ADRA HELPED WITH MANPOWER. 23:10 ININHE REBUILDING? 23:11 NO, IN THE REFITTING, KIND OF REOUTFITTING OF THE MEMBERS WHO LOST 23:17 EVERYTHING. 23:18 OH, I SEE. 23:19 O.K. 23:20 BUT AS WE DID THIS OUR INSTRUCTIONSNSERE CLEAR. 23:23 IF YOU RUN INTO CATHOLICS, YOU DO THE SAME FOR THEM AS YOU WOULD FOR A 23:30 PROTESTANT. 23:32 IF YOU RUN INTO A MUSLIM THAT'S BEEN BURNED OUT, BY MISTAKE YOU MAKE SURE THAT 23:38 YOU CARE FOR THEIR NEEDS. 23:40 AND SO IT WAS DONE IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY COMMUNAL, ANY RELIGIOUS 23:46 BACKGROUND OR AFFILIATION. 23:47 I THINK THIS IS WHAT SPEAKS IN A PRACTICAL WAY. 23:50 THAT'S BEAUTIFUL. 23:52 THE MEMBERS, BY THE WAY, THE GOVERNMENT BEGAN BRINGING IN COOKED RICE, A 23:58 LOT OF FOOD. 23:59 I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY OVER SUPPLIED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME BUT IT WAS THE 24:02 MEMBERS WHO BEGAN THEN BUILDING BRIDGES WITH THESE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN 24:04 THREATENING TO KILL THEM AND THREATENING, YOU KNOW, TO END THEIR LIVES SO I 24:08 THINK THAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS BUT DURING THE CRISIS ITSELF, IT WAS JUST 24:15 PURE PANIC. 24:17 YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS KIND OF EVIDENT TO ME IN THE ACCOUNT YOU SHARE THAT 24:27 THESE PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS BELIEVERS THERE WERE DIRECTED BY THE SPIRIT OF 24:33 JESUS IN THE WAY THEY RESPONDED TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SO THAT IS IT 24:41 POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THAT THAT COMMUNITY IS KIND OF BACK TO NORMAL? 24:46 IN MANY WAYS, YES. 24:48 IN MANY WAYS, YES. 24:50 AND THE CHURCH IS FUNCTIONING AGAIN? 24:52 THE CHURCH IS FUNCTIONING WELL. 24:54 BY THE WAY, I KIND OF JOKED WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF 25:02 OPLE THAT APPLIED FOR AID AS SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS WAS FAR MORE 25:05 THAN WE THOUGHT WE HAD IN THE MEMBERSHIP. 25:07 RIGHT. 25:09 BUT THIS IS ALSO AN INTERESTING POINT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE 25:14 MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO TRULY CONSIDER THEMSELVES PART OF FELLOWSHIP WHO MAY 25:20 NOT BE SEEN REGULARLY AND SO FORTH. 25:23 YET THIS IS WHERE THEY AFFILIATE, THIS IS WHERE THEIR HEARTS ARE. 25:27 THAT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT COMMENT. 25:30 U KNOW, GEORGE, I WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THAT SOME MORE WITH YOU. 25:36 WE HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED THE EDUCATIONAL DIMENSION OF YOUR WORK, OUR WORK IN 25:43 PAKISTAN. 25:44 YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT I'VE HAD SOME CONNECTION WITH THE GIRLS DORMITORY 25:51 AT YOUR SCHOOL THERE AND I'D LIKE TO THINK OUT LOUD WITH YOU ABOUT SOMOMOF 25:57 THOSE THINGS AND THE PLACE OF EDUCATION AND MEDICAL WORK IN AN ENVIRONMENT 26:03 SUCH AS YOU EXPERIENCED THERE IN PAKISTAN. 26:05 I CAN ONLY SAY TO YOU ON BEHALF OF OUR WHOLE GOSPEL OUTREACH FAMILY, SO GLAD 26:10 TO SEE YOU GEORGE. 26:11 GLAD FOR WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE IN YOU, THROUGH YOU, FOR YOU IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT 26:16 THERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN GOSPEL OUTREACH TOO. 26:20 THANK YOU. 26:21 GLAD YOU ARE BACK. 26:22 AND AGAIN, I'M GLAD FOR 26:22 ALL OF YOU FOLKS WHO ARE A PART OF THIS GOSPEL 26:27 OUTREACH FAMILY. 26:29 I LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING MY FRIENDS ON THESE PROGRAMS 26:35 SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 26:41 THE WORLD AS FAR AS THE MESSAGE GOD HAS GIVEN TO BRING ALL PEOPLES FROM 26:46 WHATEVER IDEOLOGY OR BACKGROUND TOGETHER IN ONE, IN JESUS CHRIST. 26:52 SO THANK YOU FOR 26:52 BEING WITH US TODAY. 26:54 THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS. 26:56 THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO BEING WITH YOU NEXT TIME. 27:07 [CLOSING MUSIC]. 27:09 I NEED TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL HERE AT HOME. 27:17 WHERE IS THE 10/40 WINDOW ANYWAY? 27:22 THOSOSPEOPLE ARE TOO FAR AWAY. 27:25 SOMEONE ELSE CAN TELL THEM ABOUT JESUS. 27:27 MAYBE THEY COULD JUST WATCH TV? 27:31 NEARLY THREE BILLION PEOPLE TO REACH, MY HEAD HURTS. 27:36 THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO, I GIVE UP. 27:39 WHAT'S THE POINT OF TRYING? 27:41 I CAN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 27:43 ACTUALLY YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND JESUS ASKED YOU TO GO TO ALL THE 27:49 WORLD. 27:50 WHERE? 27:51 ALL THE WORLD. 27:53 HOW CAN I GO I HAVE COMMITMENTS? 27:55 YOU CAN PRAY. 27:57 YOU CAN VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS. 28:02 YOU CAN TELL OTHERS. 28:06 YOU CAN GIVE MONEY TO SPONSOR BIBLE WORKERS. 28:09 MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE SEARCHING FOR HOPE AND MEANING BUT THEY WON'T 28:13 FIND IT WITHOUT YOU. 28:14 BE THE SPARK. 28:16 LIGHT THE FIRE. 28:18 FINISH THE WORK. 28:22 FINISH THE WORK. 28:26 BE THE SPARK. |
Revised 2015-02-06