When Jesus was on this earth,
00:00:12.23\00:00:14.16
the invitation
that was often heard
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coming from His lips was come.
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If anyone is thirsty,
let him come to Me and drink.
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If anyone is
hungry, let him come
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and eat of the bread of life.
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Hello, I am Bruce Bauer
and over the next few minutes,
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I would like to share with you
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how Jesus is still
extending this invitation
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and not only to you and to me.
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I have some exciting stories
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about how this wonderful
messages reaching out to people
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living in some of
the most remote villages
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in the country of Vietnam.
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I love it that we serve a
God who is so invitational,
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so warm, so loving, so
ready to fill our thirsty hearts
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with the kind of living water
that satisfies the emptiness
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and hunger in our lives.
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But there is something else
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about these invitations of Jesus
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that I find very,
very heartwarming.
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Jesus never limited His offer
to a select group of people.
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Even though Jesus had come
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as the Messiah
to a chose nation,
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He still gives His
invitation to us all.
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"If anyone is thirsty He said,
let him come to me and drink."
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Although some of the
Jews may have been shocked
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when they heard this invitation
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that Jesus was giving to
all peoples of the earth,
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this was no new message.
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Almost seven centuries earlier
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God had extended
the same invitation
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when He spoke
through the Prophet Isaiah.
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"All you who are
thirsty, come to the waters,
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and you who have no
money, come buy and eat!
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Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
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Surely you will
summon nations you know not,
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and nations that do not
know you will hasten to you,
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because of the Lord your
God, the Holy One of Israel,
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for he has endowed
you with splendor."
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Just after Jesus cleansed
the temple the second time,
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He gathered the
people around Him
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and began to tell them
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what it would be like
at the every end of time.
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One of the signs
that Jesus told them about
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was how this
invitation of Isaiah 55
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would be taken
to the entire world.
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He said, "And this
gospel of the kingdom
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will be preached
in the whole world
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as a testimony to all nations,
and then the end will come."
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As I think about
the exciting things
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that have been happening
in the country of Vietnam
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over the last few years.
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It thrills my
heart to see how rapidly
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this prophecy of
Jesus is being fulfilled.
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It was not too long ago
that Christian evangelists
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looked at
Vietnam as a dark country
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where the people
were steeped in Buddhism,
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Confucianism and
ancestor worship.
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And where they would
be totally unreceptive
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to the invitations of Jesus.
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And then with the
institution of Communism
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at the end of the war in 1975,
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Vietnam closed itself
off to most of the world.
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Christianity was
associated with western thinking
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and was considered dangerous
to the new communistic state.
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Thirsty eight of the
45 Adventist churches
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scattered throughout the country
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were closed by
the new government.
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And those that were allowed
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to stay open
were closely monitored
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and regulated by
members of the communist party.
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Well, Christianity
was not completely banned,
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the communist
party did everything
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they could think of to
discourage the faithful.
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Work schedules were arranged
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to interfere with
church attendance.
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Many members
suffered job discrimination
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for attending church services.
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Pastors were
arrested and put in prisons
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and reeducation camps.
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Although most of these
pastors have been released.
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The authorities
continue to detain
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Christian workers without trial.
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Evangelism, well
that's against the law.
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Simply gathering
together in home study groups
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in many parts of
the country was banned
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for fear that people may be
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plotting against the government.
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There was hope that
within a matter of few years
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Christian groups
would completely die out
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and all
religions would give away
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to the new
doctrines of communism.
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And at first it
appeared as though
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the plan of the
communist leaders would succeed.
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Many Christians
either fled the country
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or gave up their faith.
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The official Seventh-day
Adventist church in Vietnam
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has seen very
little growth since 1975,
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and its membership is
just under 6,000 people
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in a country whose
population is over 82 million.
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It would seem however
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that God has
another plan for Vietnam.
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The one who is not
willing that any would perish
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will not let the end
come without extending
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His invitation of love to
the thirsty souls of Vietnam.
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In 1995
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a Vietnamese Seventh-day
Adventist church group
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from Southern California
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began producing a
Christian Vietnamese
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radio program
called Peace and Happiness.
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Penetrating the
country by shortwave radio
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from the Adventist World
Radio facility located in Guam.
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Peace and
Happiness has been bringing
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the good news of God's love
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to the people of
Vietnam for almost 10 years.
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Everyone
involved with the program
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has been astonished
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at the amazing
response of the people
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who were thought
to be unreachable.
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From the very first
broadcast, letters poured
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requesting
literature and Bible studies.
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Within a very short
time word was received
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about how entire
Protestant church groups
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were not only
listening to the broadcasts
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but were making
changes in their lives
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based on the clear
Biblical presentations
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being aired on the program.
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Because of the broadcast,
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many pastors of
evangelical groups
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became convinced of the teaching
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of the Seventh-day Sabbath
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and presented their new
understanding to their members.
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In many cases
entire churches have become
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Sabbath keeping Christians.
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While the official Seventh-day
Adventist church in Vietnam
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has to keep its distance
from these new phenomena
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in order to maintain its
legal status in the country.
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This group of
Sabbath keeping Christians
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represents a new unofficial
or underground Adventist moment
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that is growing
at a very rapid pace.
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I would like you to
meet some of the pastors
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that had become
part of this new moment.
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For their safety we are changing
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their names and
obscuring their faces.
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Nguyen Van Tam is a
dedicated district leader
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of over 600 church members.
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He has had an
interesting life journey.
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Listen as he tells his story.
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My name is Nguyen Van Tam
and I was raised as a Catholic.
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In 1985 I became a
Protestant Christian
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and committed my life
to the Lord's service.
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Four years later I became pastor
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for the unified
church in Vietnam.
00:07:03.23\00:07:06.88
Through the years I
received many promotions
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and became a member
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of the
administration of the church.
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I had learned
about Adventists in 1998.
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a friend of mine
who lives in the U.S.
00:07:15.37\00:07:17.38
sent me a book entitled
'The Truth of the Sabbath.'
00:07:17.41\00:07:20.83
At first I read the book
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with the intention of
proving it to be false.
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But after much studying
I determined it was a truth
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and couldn't
provide any sound arguments
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against keeping the Sabbath.
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About the same
time I began listening
00:07:32.34\00:07:34.29
to the Peace and
Happiness radio broadcast.
00:07:34.32\00:07:37.66
I listened critically at first
not seeking to hear the truth
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but to expose the false
teaching of the organization,
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but the more I listened
the more convinced I became.
00:07:44.22\00:07:48.30
I had been contentious
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about obeying
the Ten Commandments.
00:07:49.84\00:07:52.75
But this book and radio
broadcast helped my realized
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that I was excluding
the fourth commandment.
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I was greatly troubled by that.
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Finally I accepted God's word
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and became one of the
first pastors in my church
00:08:01.51\00:08:04.30
to convert to the
Seventh-day Adventist faith.
00:08:04.33\00:08:06.92
My congregation was shocked.
00:08:06.95\00:08:09.16
There were
accustomed to hear me speak out
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against the
Seventh-day Adventist moment.
00:08:10.87\00:08:13.34
And they knew I had
planned to publish a book
00:08:13.37\00:08:15.14
to expose the
truth about Adventism.
00:08:15.17\00:08:18.44
And now here I was joining them.
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I boldly proclaimed my faith
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and announced that I
was leaving my pastorate.
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My family was shaken
00:08:25.86\00:08:27.03
when I accepted the
Seventh-day Adventist faith.
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I have four brothers who
are all Protestant pastors
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and their
opposition to my conversion
00:08:32.99\00:08:35.01
created a rift in the family.
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I had been responsible for
overseeing church activities
00:08:37.42\00:08:40.40
in 13 South Vietnam districts
and initiated the opening
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of many new
churches in the area.
00:08:44.36\00:08:46.70
Not only did my former
church disfellowshipped me,
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but they published a document
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using strong language
to warn people about me.
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When I became the
Seventh-day Adventist
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I prayed for God to show me,
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He was pleased with my decision
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but a sign which could
be seen by other people.
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Then I was given
the responsibility
00:09:03.65\00:09:05.25
of opening a home church network
00:09:05.28\00:09:07.37
in the southwest and
southeast of Vietnam.
00:09:07.40\00:09:10.71
Within a year by God's grace
00:09:10.74\00:09:12.44
500 new members joined
the church in my new district.
00:09:12.47\00:09:16.07
We put together a team
of 20 salaried Bible workers
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to win souls and
started 15 churches.
00:09:18.82\00:09:22.39
After I became a
full time worker for God,
00:09:22.42\00:09:24.72
the government refused to
renew my citizenship papers.
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This meant I could not establish
00:09:28.41\00:09:29.62
a permanent
residence in Vietnam.
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The only documents I
can hold is an election card
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and a temporary residency permit
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which I had to
renew every six months.
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The government
refuses me permanent residence
00:09:39.48\00:09:41.97
in an effort to
curtain my church activates.
00:09:42.00\00:09:44.57
But this actually
works better for me
00:09:44.60\00:09:46.28
because I'm able to
travel all over the country,
00:09:46.31\00:09:48.89
from south to
north to do God's work
00:09:48.92\00:09:51.39
without having to
ply for a travel permit
00:09:51.42\00:09:54.02
for the government.
00:09:54.05\00:09:55.65
The Peace and
Happiness radio broadcast
00:09:55.68\00:09:58.51
along with the mass distribution
00:09:58.54\00:09:59.99
of these publications has helped
00:10:00.02\00:10:01.90
to increase the influence
00:10:01.93\00:10:03.20
and image of the Seventh-day
Adventist church in Vietnam.
00:10:03.23\00:10:06.94
There is no way to
know the exact number
00:10:06.97\00:10:09.09
of our new church members,
00:10:09.12\00:10:10.18
but the figure is in the
tens of thousands of people.
00:10:10.21\00:10:13.74
It has been amazing to see
00:10:13.77\00:10:15.01
whole churches
including their pastors
00:10:15.04\00:10:17.23
accept the
Seventh-day Adventist teaching
00:10:17.26\00:10:19.60
and became Adventist.
00:10:19.63\00:10:21.58
I would like to
use this opportunity
00:10:21.61\00:10:23.61
to thank our
donors in the States
00:10:23.64\00:10:25.05
who have supported us.
00:10:25.08\00:10:26.73
Whatever we do in Vietnam
for the Lord, we owe to you
00:10:26.76\00:10:30.13
for your financial
support and your prayers.
00:10:30.16\00:10:33.17
I have made a commitment
00:10:33.20\00:10:34.31
to do my very best
as not to fail you.
00:10:34.34\00:10:37.23
I'm sure that in the near future
00:10:37.26\00:10:39.21
much more work
will be accomplished
00:10:39.24\00:10:41.28
to honor our Father in heaven.
00:10:41.31\00:10:44.59
We appreciate
the strong dedication
00:10:44.62\00:10:46.92
of pastors like Nguyen Van Tam.
00:10:46.95\00:10:50.24
But there is another
pastor I'd like you to meet.
00:10:50.27\00:10:52.59
Pastor Yung is a district leader
00:10:52.62\00:10:54.67
of over 12,000
Adventist believers
00:10:54.70\00:10:57.38
in the central part of Vietnam.
00:10:57.41\00:10:59.47
Here as in many
parts of Vietnam,
00:10:59.50\00:11:01.77
the church members suffers
00:11:01.80\00:11:02.93
severe persecution
from the local police.
00:11:02.96\00:11:05.68
They will often
break into a church service
00:11:05.71\00:11:07.64
being conducted in the home
00:11:07.67\00:11:08.80
and take
worshippers off to prison.
00:11:08.83\00:11:11.00
Sometimes they will
burn down the house.
00:11:11.03\00:11:13.23
But in spite of
this kind of persecution,
00:11:13.26\00:11:15.32
the church continues to grown.
00:11:15.35\00:11:17.86
Listen as Pastor
Yung shares his story.
00:11:17.89\00:11:21.22
My name is Yung and I live in
the central region of Vietnam.
00:11:24.22\00:11:28.26
I've served the Lord since 1991.
00:11:28.29\00:11:31.01
Even before I became
Seventh-day Adventist
00:11:31.04\00:11:34.20
I used to be a leader of
a group of Bible workers.
00:11:34.23\00:11:37.05
A few years ago
some of them attended
00:11:37.08\00:11:39.16
a Bible training
course in Saigon.
00:11:39.19\00:11:41.31
They brought back
several publications
00:11:41.34\00:11:43.37
explaining
Seventh-day Adventist beliefs
00:11:43.40\00:11:45.88
and shared them with me.
00:11:45.91\00:11:47.14
I strongly
opposed these new ideas,
00:11:47.17\00:11:50.26
but after they left
00:11:50.29\00:11:52.15
I studied the
publications in great detail.
00:11:52.18\00:11:56.10
In 1999 I began to listen
00:11:56.13\00:11:58.47
to the Peace and
Happiness radio broadcast.
00:11:58.50\00:12:01.84
It was a lay
pastor friend of mine
00:12:01.87\00:12:03.76
who came over one day
00:12:03.79\00:12:04.96
and showed me how to
tune in to the program
00:12:04.99\00:12:07.63
and gave me
some more literature.
00:12:07.66\00:12:09.97
After much study I felt
compelled by the spirit of God
00:12:10.00\00:12:14.62
to leave the church
where I was a pastor.
00:12:14.65\00:12:17.71
It was a difficult decision.
00:12:17.74\00:12:19.98
If I left who
would look after my sheep
00:12:20.01\00:12:23.06
and what would the leaders
of my church think of me?
00:12:23.09\00:12:26.48
I began sharing the new truth
00:12:26.51\00:12:28.24
I'd found with
my church members.
00:12:28.27\00:12:31.13
Even though there
were some strong opposition
00:12:31.16\00:12:33.20
by some of the members,
God worked on their hearts.
00:12:33.23\00:12:36.84
In the end 600 members of
my 700 member congregation
00:12:36.87\00:12:41.94
accepted the Sabbath message
00:12:41.97\00:12:44.06
and came along
with me when I resigned.
00:12:44.09\00:12:47.67
I asked God to
lead me to other people
00:12:47.70\00:12:49.93
who were thirsty for
the truths of the word.
00:12:49.96\00:12:53.68
I was impressed to go to
a city where I had worked
00:12:53.71\00:12:56.23
where I knew there
were 7,000 church members.
00:12:56.26\00:13:00.05
I shared literature with
the pastors of the church there
00:13:00.08\00:13:02.70
and left them
several publications.
00:13:02.73\00:13:06.06
A month later they called
to invite me back to see them.
00:13:06.09\00:13:10.90
They weren't
specific on the phone
00:13:10.93\00:13:12.87
about why they
wanted me to come,
00:13:12.90\00:13:15.16
but I just prayed about it
00:13:15.19\00:13:16.44
and headed out
immediately to visit them.
00:13:16.47\00:13:20.34
When we met, they told me
00:13:20.37\00:13:22.66
that my presentation
had caused them to realize
00:13:22.69\00:13:25.48
what the truth is and
that they had listened
00:13:25.51\00:13:28.69
to the Peace and
Happiness radio broadcast.
00:13:28.72\00:13:31.41
They were ready
to leave their church
00:13:31.44\00:13:34.10
along with 5,000 church members
00:13:34.13\00:13:37.11
and become Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
00:13:37.14\00:13:41.52
In the province where I live,
00:13:41.55\00:13:43.31
we're training
our church members
00:13:43.34\00:13:45.35
to go out and give
literature to people
00:13:45.38\00:13:47.68
and teach them how to tune in
00:13:47.71\00:13:49.35
to the Peace and
Happiness radio program.
00:13:49.38\00:13:52.21
All together we now have
over 12,000 church members.
00:13:52.24\00:13:58.41
In my province
00:13:58.44\00:13:59.58
when other denominations
came to evangelize,
00:13:59.61\00:14:02.71
they did not have much success
00:14:02.74\00:14:05.03
because of the intense
persecution in the area
00:14:05.06\00:14:08.10
by the local government
against Christian groups.
00:14:08.13\00:14:12.10
As for us we are
determined to spread the truth,
00:14:12.13\00:14:16.40
no matter what the prize.
00:14:16.43\00:14:19.62
My family is watched
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.12
by the local
police around the clock.
00:14:21.15\00:14:23.98
At night they post
officers to watch my house.
00:14:24.01\00:14:28.14
During the day
the police followed me
00:14:28.17\00:14:30.59
when I go and
visit my church members.
00:14:30.62\00:14:33.49
If I travel out
of their territory,
00:14:33.52\00:14:35.97
they phone ahead to the police
00:14:36.00\00:14:37.65
in the next town to
have them keep an eye on me.
00:14:37.68\00:14:41.64
Sometimes I try to lose them
00:14:41.67\00:14:43.48
by riding my
bicycle around the city
00:14:43.51\00:14:46.55
before I can go
where I need to go.
00:14:46.58\00:14:49.38
I am thankful to God
00:14:49.41\00:14:50.71
that through all
of these challenges
00:14:50.74\00:14:53.18
there are many
people who support me.
00:14:53.21\00:14:56.24
Even though we
have a lot of obstacles,
00:14:56.27\00:14:58.58
our people work very hard
00:14:58.61\00:15:00.69
and the church is
continuing to grow
00:15:00.72\00:15:03.04
and the members
continue to be spiritually fed.
00:15:03.07\00:15:07.21
Right now we have 160
pastors and volunteers
00:15:07.24\00:15:11.81
serving our
12,000 church members.
00:15:11.84\00:15:15.55
We have a total of 20 districts
00:15:15.58\00:15:17.45
and each district leaders
has to cover a very large area.
00:15:17.48\00:15:21.62
Our biggest need is
shortwave radio sets
00:15:21.65\00:15:24.73
and Bible literature so we can
reach people who live far away.
00:15:24.76\00:15:29.54
We also need
sermons on cassette tapes
00:15:29.57\00:15:32.74
in the areas we
cannot visit regularly,
00:15:32.77\00:15:35.19
we can give them tapes of
sermons and radio programs.
00:15:35.22\00:15:39.08
Sometimes the radio broadcast
does not come in clearly
00:15:39.11\00:15:42.65
and people might
miss some of the message.
00:15:42.68\00:15:45.87
The sermon tapes
carry the message clearly
00:15:45.90\00:15:49.33
and can be used
over and over again.
00:15:49.36\00:15:52.67
Everything that we
do is not by our power
00:15:52.70\00:15:56.26
but by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:56.29\00:15:59.79
Some of us feel as
though we are similar to Saul,
00:15:59.82\00:16:03.51
we used to berate the
Adventist church in Vietnam.
00:16:03.54\00:16:06.53
But now we are the
workers in the vineyard
00:16:06.56\00:16:09.32
who came at the eleventh hour.
00:16:09.35\00:16:12.08
We have to use
everything we have,
00:16:12.11\00:16:14.47
every resource to serve God
00:16:14.50\00:16:16.48
and spread the
gospel in Vietnam.
00:16:16.51\00:16:19.78
Please pray for
us as we continue
00:16:19.81\00:16:22.36
to spread the message of
salvation throughout Vietnam.
00:16:22.39\00:16:27.10
Pastor Yung is a courageous
leader for God in Vietnam.
00:16:27.13\00:16:31.51
He knows that the
constitution of Vietnam
00:16:31.54\00:16:33.94
guarantees freedom of worship
00:16:33.97\00:16:35.83
and often
stands up to the police
00:16:35.86\00:16:37.80
demanding the release
of his members from prison.
00:16:37.83\00:16:41.42
Please pray for his safety
00:16:41.45\00:16:43.33
as he continues to share
living water to all who thirst.
00:16:43.36\00:16:46.60
One of the most exciting stories
00:16:55.40\00:16:57.01
to come out of Vietnam recently
00:16:57.04\00:16:58.58
is about a large
ethnic minority group
00:16:58.61\00:17:01.15
living in the very
northern part of Vietnam.
00:17:01.18\00:17:04.10
Sometime ago
people in this region
00:17:04.13\00:17:06.21
started listening to the Peace
and Happiness radio broadcast.
00:17:06.24\00:17:10.46
They had never heard of
the good news of Jesus before
00:17:10.49\00:17:12.95
and were thirsty
for a message like this.
00:17:12.98\00:17:15.31
Listen as Pastor Isaiah,
00:17:15.34\00:17:17.02
the Peace and
Happiness director and speaker
00:17:17.05\00:17:19.13
tells about this
exciting new development.
00:17:19.16\00:17:21.86
Recently, about four months ago,
00:17:21.89\00:17:24.80
one of our church leader
in Hanoi, in North Vietnam,
00:17:24.83\00:17:29.53
he said to me
that about 100 people,
00:17:29.56\00:17:34.87
the ethnic people
from this part of Vietnam,
00:17:34.90\00:17:37.68
they crossed the jungle
walk by feet for 600 kilometers.
00:17:37.71\00:17:44.59
They came to Hanoi
and looked for leaders
00:17:44.62\00:17:47.14
from the Peace and
Happiness Adventist church.
00:17:47.17\00:17:51.82
When they met some of our people
00:17:51.85\00:17:53.55
they said, "We
want to be baptized.
00:17:53.58\00:17:56.21
We have hundreds of
thousands of people up here
00:17:56.24\00:17:58.33
and we want you to come
and teach us and train us
00:17:58.36\00:18:01.99
and show us how to
function as a church."
00:18:02.02\00:18:05.52
And then after that I
send some our leaders up there.
00:18:05.55\00:18:09.76
They had to disguise
themselves to go to this area.
00:18:09.79\00:18:14.53
They witnessed for themselves
that the head of the village
00:18:14.56\00:18:19.50
had a large radio
tuned into our radio program.
00:18:19.53\00:18:24.72
And the whole village came
00:18:24.75\00:18:26.62
and worshiped and
listened together,
00:18:26.65\00:18:29.08
at least 6,000 people
in two or three villages.
00:18:29.11\00:18:33.79
They used to be
ancestor worshipers.
00:18:33.82\00:18:37.81
They had no
background in Christianity.
00:18:37.84\00:18:41.91
No bibles. Nothing.
00:18:41.94\00:18:44.68
So they only
listened to the radio program
00:18:44.71\00:18:47.16
and they became
believers in God the creator,
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.81
in Jesus Christ who
came down and died for them.
00:18:49.84\00:18:54.81
They know about our
beliefs, our doctrines,
00:18:54.84\00:18:57.10
because of what they listened to
00:18:57.13\00:18:58.37
but they don't know how
to function as a church,
00:18:58.40\00:19:00.62
how to have a
leader and all of that.
00:19:00.65\00:19:04.44
They really need us
to come and train them.
00:19:04.47\00:19:06.98
Recently I had to
change my strategy in Vietnam.
00:19:13.57\00:19:16.73
What we do is, we try to
have a team of evangelists
00:19:16.76\00:19:20.12
to cover whole Vietnam.
00:19:20.15\00:19:22.51
And then we equip them
00:19:22.54\00:19:23.83
with literature, video
through CD, and audio tapes.
00:19:23.86\00:19:30.55
So they go out
and as they witness
00:19:30.58\00:19:33.23
and enter the new area
00:19:33.26\00:19:34.83
either they give these
material to the new people,
00:19:34.86\00:19:38.19
or give these
materials to the people
00:19:38.22\00:19:41.38
who already
listened to the radio program
00:19:41.41\00:19:43.98
and became believers,
00:19:44.01\00:19:45.09
so we can nurture them
and keep them together.
00:19:45.12\00:19:48.11
Last year, one
thing I know for sure,
00:19:48.14\00:19:50.65
we had at lease 12,000
baptisms in Vietnam, at least.
00:19:50.68\00:19:56.12
And this work will
move forward no matter what.
00:19:56.15\00:19:59.55
It will move forward
00:19:59.58\00:20:00.85
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:20:00.88\00:20:02.70
And thank you so much
00:20:02.73\00:20:03.76
for the support
from the ASAP donors
00:20:03.79\00:20:06.65
to help us in our initial stage
00:20:06.68\00:20:10.09
to establish
the work in Vietnam.
00:20:10.12\00:20:12.48
Adventist
Southeast Asia Projects
00:20:24.52\00:20:26.91
has a long history of
supporting the work of God
00:20:26.94\00:20:29.19
in Cambodia,
Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
00:20:29.22\00:20:33.28
Through your generous support
00:20:33.31\00:20:35.39
ASAP has been
able to plant churches,
00:20:35.42\00:20:37.85
supply materials
and cover the salaries
00:20:37.88\00:20:39.98
the pastors and Bible workers
00:20:40.01\00:20:41.89
who are taking the
invitation of Jesus
00:20:41.92\00:20:43.81
to the highways and
byways of Southeast Asia.
00:20:43.84\00:20:47.03
In the country of Vietnam
00:20:47.06\00:20:48.80
over 200 pastors are receiving
direct support from ASAP.
00:20:48.83\00:20:54.19
I would like to introduce you
00:20:54.22\00:20:55.48
to Judy Aitken, Director of ASAP
00:20:55.51\00:20:58.26
and have her tell you
more about the exciting things
00:20:58.29\00:21:00.84
that are happening in Vietnam.
00:21:00.87\00:21:04.11
I send my heart out thanks
and appreciation to each of you
00:21:04.14\00:21:09.12
who has supported
your persecuted family
00:21:09.15\00:21:11.83
of God in Vietnam.
00:21:11.86\00:21:13.82
Your donations and
prayers have a profound effect
00:21:13.85\00:21:18.17
on the explosion of the gospel
00:21:18.20\00:21:19.99
that we are
seeing in Vietnam today.
00:21:20.02\00:21:23.11
Pastors report
that approximately
00:21:23.14\00:21:25.43
445,000 Vietnamese
people worship God on Sabbath.
00:21:25.46\00:21:31.04
And this number
could be much higher.
00:21:31.07\00:21:33.77
They worship this
greatly and designated members'
00:21:33.80\00:21:37.38
homes called house churches.
00:21:37.41\00:21:39.97
Most of these
believers have joined the church
00:21:40.00\00:21:42.85
in the last two years.
00:21:42.88\00:21:45.14
These secret groups of believers
00:21:45.17\00:21:47.24
are worshiping in
small towns, villages
00:21:47.27\00:21:50.51
and large cities
scattered across Vietnam.
00:21:50.54\00:21:53.97
Please keep the
Vietnamese pastors
00:21:54.00\00:21:56.46
and this work in your prayers.
00:21:56.49\00:22:00.07
They need you to
intercede on their behalf.
00:22:00.10\00:22:03.62
I cannot find the
words to do justice
00:22:03.65\00:22:06.62
to what a powerful impact
00:22:06.65\00:22:09.04
and blessing your
prayers and donations have.
00:22:09.07\00:22:12.90
By sending support
00:22:12.93\00:22:14.49
for the pastors
salaries and Bibles,
00:22:14.52\00:22:17.28
you are advancing the gospel,
00:22:17.31\00:22:19.92
you are building Christ kingdom.
00:22:19.95\00:22:23.56
There are two
Adventist groups in Vietnam.
00:22:23.59\00:22:27.33
One is the official
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:22:27.36\00:22:30.70
that is registered
with the government.
00:22:30.73\00:22:33.30
This church sees little growth
as it is under communist watch.
00:22:33.33\00:22:37.75
The other is the
underground house churches
00:22:37.78\00:22:41.05
under the leadership
of Pastor Isaiah Duong
00:22:41.08\00:22:44.63
and pastors like
the ones in this video.
00:22:44.66\00:22:47.97
Because the house church
movement is not connected
00:22:48.00\00:22:51.57
with the official Seventh-day
Adventist tithes based,
00:22:51.60\00:22:54.97
it depends on
nonprofit organization
00:22:55.00\00:22:57.97
such as ASAP for
its operating costs.
00:22:58.00\00:23:01.97
That means that
pastors are able to minister
00:23:02.00\00:23:05.04
to the thousands
of believers only
00:23:05.07\00:23:07.27
because of people like yourself.
00:23:07.30\00:23:09.85
It costs $50 per month to
support one Vietnamese pastor
00:23:09.88\00:23:14.71
to work full time for God.
00:23:14.74\00:23:17.01
There are currently 200
pastors in need of support.
00:23:17.04\00:23:21.72
If you feel impressed
00:23:21.75\00:23:22.99
to send support for
a Vietnamese pastor,
00:23:23.02\00:23:26.18
please note that it is
truly and answer to prayer.
00:23:26.21\00:23:30.49
I appeal to you to
consider being a part
00:23:30.52\00:23:33.67
of this exciting
mission in Vietnam.
00:23:33.70\00:23:36.99
Give out your treasure in heaven
00:23:37.02\00:23:39.33
and get involved in giving
the precious gift of salvation
00:23:39.36\00:23:43.05
to those desperate
and eager to know Him.
00:23:43.08\00:23:47.09
It is my prayer
that God will impress
00:23:47.12\00:23:50.05
upon you a burden for this work.
00:23:50.08\00:23:53.51
One Vietnamese Bible cost $5.
00:23:53.54\00:23:56.88
Bibles that are printed in
underground printing presses
00:23:56.91\00:23:59.96
continue to be urgently needed.
00:23:59.99\00:24:02.93
There is also a need
for a house church repair
00:24:02.96\00:24:06.09
and the training
of Vietnamese pastors.
00:24:06.12\00:24:09.65
Just as
important as monetary gifts
00:24:09.68\00:24:12.85
is the gift of your prayers.
00:24:12.88\00:24:15.31
Prayer is the
foundation of this work.
00:24:15.34\00:24:18.54
Your prayers are key
00:24:18.57\00:24:20.19
to the continued
explosion of the gospel
00:24:20.22\00:24:23.05
we are currently
seeing in Vietnam today.
00:24:23.08\00:24:25.63
All of the Vietnamese pastors
who share their testimonies
00:24:55.58\00:24:59.25
describe the
suffering they had to experience
00:24:59.28\00:25:01.94
for their faith in Christ.
00:25:01.97\00:25:04.91
Pastor Duong and his members
00:25:04.94\00:25:07.04
rotate their homes
as a place of worship.
00:25:07.07\00:25:11.20
This has not stopped the police
from destroying their homes.
00:25:11.23\00:25:15.87
They have had their homes
burned three times this year.
00:25:15.90\00:25:19.66
They are
interrogated, heavily fined
00:25:19.69\00:25:22.50
and imprisoned by the
police on a regular basis.
00:25:22.53\00:25:27.24
While they are in jail,
they are often severely beaten.
00:25:27.27\00:25:31.91
Some of the members in this area
00:25:31.94\00:25:33.91
have had their
property confiscated
00:25:33.94\00:25:36.25
and they are left homeless.
00:25:36.28\00:25:40.26
The persecuted
pastors know the meaning
00:25:40.29\00:25:43.41
of the Apostle Paul's
words in Philippians 3, 7 and 8.
00:25:43.44\00:25:49.03
"But what
things were gain to me,
00:25:49.06\00:25:51.54
these I have
counted loss for Christ.
00:25:51.57\00:25:54.82
But indeed I also
count all things loss
00:25:54.85\00:25:58.10
for the
excellence of the knowledge
00:25:58.13\00:25:59.98
of Christ Jesus my Lord
00:26:00.01\00:26:02.22
for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things
00:26:02.25\00:26:05.22
and count them as rubbish,
00:26:05.25\00:26:06.97
that I may gain
Christ and be found in him."
00:26:07.00\00:26:10.73
Adventist pastors and members
00:26:10.76\00:26:12.91
who are suffering and persecuted
00:26:12.94\00:26:15.02
for their faith in Jesus
00:26:15.05\00:26:16.63
also know
through their experiences
00:26:16.66\00:26:19.85
the fellowship
of Christ suffering.
00:26:19.88\00:26:22.77
By your loving
sacrifice to send support
00:26:22.80\00:26:26.28
and through your fervent
prayers for these pastors.
00:26:26.31\00:26:29.78
You too enter into the
fellowship of Christ suffering.
00:26:29.81\00:26:34.41
On behalf of all those
00:26:34.44\00:26:36.05
who had been reached in the past
00:26:36.08\00:26:38.42
and who will be
reached for Christ.
00:26:38.45\00:26:41.23
As a result of your
kindness and generosity,
00:26:41.26\00:26:44.60
I sincerely thank you.
00:26:44.63\00:26:46.75
On behalf of the
board of directors of ASAP,
00:26:57.32\00:27:00.26
I'd also like to thank
you for all that you are doing
00:27:00.29\00:27:02.95
to support God's
work in Southeast Asia.
00:27:02.98\00:27:05.80
Every two months ASAP
publishes a newsletter
00:27:05.83\00:27:08.97
that shares the
exciting developments
00:27:09.00\00:27:11.09
that are
happening on the front lines
00:27:11.12\00:27:12.56
of God's work in Vietnam,
Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.
00:27:12.59\00:27:16.82
If you would like to
receive this free newsletter,
00:27:16.85\00:27:19.60
please contact
us with your request
00:27:19.63\00:27:21.39
or the address
listed on the screen.
00:27:21.42\00:27:23.48
As we enter the final
scenes of God's work on earth,
00:27:28.72\00:27:32.41
it's exciting to be
part of his ministry.
00:27:32.44\00:27:35.68
One of the very last
passages of scripture says,
00:27:35.71\00:27:39.25
"The Spirit and
the bride say, Come!
00:27:39.28\00:27:41.25
And let him who hears say, Come!
00:27:41.28\00:27:44.01
Whoever is
thirsty, let him come,
00:27:44.04\00:27:46.18
and whoever wishes, let him take
00:27:46.21\00:27:48.04
the free gift of
the water of life.'
00:27:48.07\00:27:50.44
As we work together and taking
these 100 invitation of Jesus
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to the thirsty people of Vietnam
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we become a part of
that global commission
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that Jesus gave his followers
before He left this earth,
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when He said, "Go make
disciples of all nations,
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baptizing them in
the name of the Father
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and of the Son
and the Holy Sprit,
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teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you
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and surely I am with you always,
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to the very end of the age."
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May the Lord bless you
as you partner with him
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and taking the
message of God's love
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to the people of Vietnam.
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