Welcome to Battles of Faith!
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I'm Atonte Myers
and I'm Ivor Myers.
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You know, through our earth
history, there have been many
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wars and battles, but one
war that has always stood out
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in my mind is the Civil War,
especially the turning point.
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On September 13th
1862, the North found
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than battle plans of the South.
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And because they found the
battle plans, they were able to
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know the next
step of their enemy.
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It's very important
that you always know what
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your enemy's next step is going
to be if you goanna have victory
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over your enemy.
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And that's what we're going
to be talking about throughout
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all this whole entire series.
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We're going to reveal the
battle plans of Satan and how
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he has a war against us.
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That's right, Atonte.
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A special order 191, that was
the name of the paper that was
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actually found in an
envelope, with three cigarettes.
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Can you imagine the joy of the
Northern troops when they found
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this envelope with
the enemy's battle plans?
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When I think about it, just
imagine that the entire world,
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many people, historians
say that "this was indeed
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the turning point
of the entire war."
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You know, in this program,
we're not going to talk about
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physical battles, we're
talking about spiritual battles.
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In the book of Ephesians
6:10, the Bible says here,
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So there's a REAL war going
on, even though we can't see it
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with our own eyes.
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That's right and that's
why we'll call the program,
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"B A T T L E S OF F A I T H"
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because FAITH is seeing those
things which are not VISIBLE
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to the naked eye.
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And in this battle
we have an enemy and
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it is not a physical
enemy, it is a spiritual enemy.
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We're dealing with
invisible forces and
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I believe that the battle plans,
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the battle plans of the enemy
are actually available to us.
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You know, many people out
there are attempting to fight
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this good fight of
faith, but you know what,
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they're having a difficult
time wondering why is it that
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I'm not overcoming
the way that I want to.
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Why is it that I'm having all
these troubles? Why is it that
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my mind and my heart is
not clean and we believe that
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once you come into possession
of the battle plans and
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I rejoice to say it, Atonte,
that we have the battle plans,
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we didn't discover the
battle plans, but we do have
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the battle plans because Christ
has given them to us in His Word
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He has revealed to us
what the enemy's plans are and
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we're going to
be looking at these,
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especially in light of
the entertainment industry.
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That's right and we compare
the entertainment industry to
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something that is
called, the Black Hole.
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And the Black Hole is
that place in space where
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no light can escape from.
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That's right. Let me
read the definition, Atonte!
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And it's amazing when you think
about the entertainment industry
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It indeed is a black hole,
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because as you look at
the way that it is drawing in
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thousands and
thousands of young people.
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I would even dare say
of the older generation.
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The entertainment industry
is this space in which millions
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are being sought in and are
being captivated and trapped
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and this is one of
the biggest devices,
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one of the biggest weapons
that the enemy is using to draw
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people away from Jesus Christ.
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But praise God some
have escaped the black hole.
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And Ivor, you
happened to be one of them.
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That's right.
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It's amazing what God has
done in my life, drawing me out
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of the black hole.
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For our listeners,
my background is that
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I used to be a hip hop musician.
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I used to be a hip hop artist.
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And myself, my younger
brother and two best friends,
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my younger
brother's name is Shawn Myers.
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We had come together and formed
a hip hop group in college,
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the name of the group was
called the Boogie Monsters.
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The reason behind the name
was people were afraid of what
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they didn't understand and
we were supposed to be spooky
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and scary and all those
different things but anyway
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we got a major recording
contract with EMI Records for
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eight consecutive albums
and this contract was ranging
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somewhere between
700,000- 800,000 dollars and so
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from a long history,
I finally ended up in
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the center of the black hole.
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And praise the Lord,
He delivered both myself,
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my younger brother
out of that black hole.
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And now we are doing
the Lord's work and sharing
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His good news and His gospel.
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And not only has He helped
you escape from the black hole,
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but He's helped keep you from
going back to that black hole,
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because there're other rap
artists, I think of M.A.C. who
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was the largest rap
artist in the 1997 and he became
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a Christian and was
very convicted, but he needed
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to leave the entertainment
industry, the hip hop industry
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and became a
minister of the gospel.
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And he's become very popular
as a Christian minister but
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recently has gone back into the
entertainment field even though
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he says he won't do
dirty rap, if you will.
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Using curse words like that.
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But he's back into the rap
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music. God has been able to
keep you out and that's amazing!
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That's right. You know, one of
the things about the black hole,
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you've got to get used to that
term, because we're going to
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be mentioning it quite
often, when we say that,
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just think of the
entertainment industry.
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If you do not cut all
your ties to the black hole
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once you leave out,
once the Lord pulls you out
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by His mighty arm,
you will be drawn back in.
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And just to tell you
the story briefly, we had
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about 30 or 20 of us that
ended up getting baptized,
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becoming Christians once we
were introduced to the gospel.
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But out of all those people
only myself and my brother and
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one other individual
Mando remained Christians today,
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because we were the only ones
that stepped aside, that cut off
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that cut our connections
with the black hole completely.
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Now, Atonte, this
issue is a large issue,
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it is a big issue right
now, because we're talking about
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across the board, we're
talking about the churches,
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it doesn't matter
what denomination it is,
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the entertainment industry
is pulling our young people away
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from the churches.
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We have read a definition
of what the black hole is and
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we saw that it is believed that
stars that have lost their fuel,
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once they have burnt out begin
to draw light to themselves.
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What I want to suggest
is that the Bible says that
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Satan was cast out of heaven.
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He was a star
but he lost his fuel.
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And he has become the
center of this black hole.
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And throughout this series
we're goanna be revealing how
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he has become the center and
how through his battle plans,
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he's revealed his plans to the
Word of God we're goanna see,
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"Oh, this is why I'm
struggling so much, this is why
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I can't keep my
mind focused on God,
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this is how the enemy
is going to be moving and
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praise God once we begin to see
that then we'll get to know how
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to fight this
good fight of faith.
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Now some of our viewers may be
asking or thinking and wanting
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to ask the question, "Was
it really that easy to come out
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of the black hole?" I mean once
you were in the hip hop industry
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you were on your second album,
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you were to sign
another contract where you were
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be making 800,000 dollars which
is quite a lot of money for
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a 21-year old young man.
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Was it really that easy or
what did it try to stop you?
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Of course, Satan
doesn't want anyone to be
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free from his bondage and when
the Bible's introduced to me
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and I began to study it,
the devil came with everything
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he possibly could to
keep me in the black hole.
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And I entitle my testimony
"Escape from the Black Hole".
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Because it is possible,
though the definition says,
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"No likely escape from it",
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it is possible to
escape from the black hole.
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It is difficult because it
requires sacrifice and surrender
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and it's nothing in your
power that causes you to escape,
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but it is only by the grace of
Jesus Christ that we can escape.
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But it takes surrender
and a willingness to do
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what the Lord Jesus asks.
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You know, sometimes young people
are drawn to the black hole
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because they see all the glamour
and the glitter and the money
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and the beautiful women and
the handsome men and everyone
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seem so happy, is
it really like that?
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I mean you've
been behind the scenes,
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what's it like
behind the scenes?
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We'll be talking about
this in all our coming programs,
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but let me tell you behind the
scenes, it is not cracked up,
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it is just an illusion,
I might say it illusion,
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because what is on
the screen is not reality.
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And when I got back there, when
I saw what was going on behind
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the scenes and I thought 'people
are supposed to be happy when
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they get into the screen,
they're supposed to have money',
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but you look at the divorce
rate into the entertainment
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industry that I'll tell
you there's no real joy there,
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there's no real peace there.
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We're goanna be talking
about rock music, rap music,
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how it's affecting people
today in their Christian walk.
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We're goanna be talking
about movies and video games,
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all these things that
the youth are facing today,
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things that we've had
hands on experiencing because
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I've been a part of it.
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We've been a part of it.
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And God has a special
purpose for those of you
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who are watching this program,
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because many of you may be
trapped in the black hole and
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wondering 'how on
the world do I escape?'
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Did you find that most people
that you came in contact with
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were on drugs?
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I mean drugs is a natural thing
in the entertainment industry,
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drugs, alcohol and
there's really no joy there.
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These are things that people use
to try to feel that black hole.
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And that's my point.
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If so many people in
this entertainment industry
00:11:36.20\00:11:38.16
are doing drugs, I mean you
do drugs because you have a void
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and something is missing,
if most of the people in
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the industry are doing this,
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then there's no real joy
and peace and happiness there.
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That's right.
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Young people
don't go there because
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there's really
no happiness there.
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That's right.
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I think of a story in the
book of Matthew, chapter 2,
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because I hear a lot
of people say often that
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we shouldn't bother the
young people with this truth,
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because the Devil is
not after them anyway.
00:12:07.13\00:12:10.10
Give them some time.
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When I read in Matthew 2 that
Jesus at the age of 2 years old
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that Herod sent an army
to wipe out all the children
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under 2 years old because he
didn't know which one Jesus was,
00:12:20.10\00:12:23.10
but he just said
"Let's just kill them all".
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We need to realize
that behind that command
00:12:25.44\00:12:27.71
there was an invisible
foe which was the Devil.
00:12:27.80\00:12:31.40
And Satan does not
care about the youth.
00:12:31.43\00:12:34.86
He doesn't care about how
young you are, he doesn't say,
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"Well, you're young right now,
so we're goanna hold off on you
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until you become of age and
then we're goanna attack you."
00:12:40.43\00:12:43.36
No way! He starts from birth and
as we can see especially through
00:12:43.40\00:12:48.40
the entertainment industry
with the way that young people
00:12:48.43\00:12:50.90
are being bombarded, we
see that the enemy is out
00:12:50.93\00:12:55.90
to destroy their souls.
00:12:55.93\00:12:57.90
Now when you became a Christian,
was it difficult to let
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the things go that
are in the black hole?
00:13:02.03\00:13:05.91
One of the things
that happened, Atonte, is
00:13:05.95\00:13:09.76
as I became a Christian,
the devil came and said,
00:13:09.80\00:13:12.76
"You can be a Christian and
still hold on to these things."
00:13:12.80\00:13:14.80
The Bible says in
2 Corinthians 5:17,
00:13:14.83\00:13:19.76
"If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature."
00:13:19.80\00:13:25.30
Atonte, you said this before,
as you met me when I was in the
00:13:25.50\00:13:30.75
entertainment industry, you said
you'd never have married me.
00:13:30.78\00:13:36.00
That's right.
00:13:36.03\00:13:37.56
Because he had dreadlocks
and I don't like dreadlocks.
00:13:37.60\00:13:39.60
She doesn't like
dreadlocks and she didn't like
00:13:39.63\00:13:42.60
the rough look that I had.
00:13:42.63\00:13:44.16
I'd like to show. We
have some pictures here.
00:13:44.20\00:13:46.60
I'd like to show these pictures
00:13:46.63\00:13:48.56
and just can get an idea
why Atonte wouldn't marry me.
00:13:48.60\00:13:51.10
But this who I was some
years back and this is how
00:13:51.13\00:13:53.60
the Lord has brought
me out of that black hole.
00:13:53.63\00:13:56.11
So we're goanna take a
look at these pictures.
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The first one you see on
your screen is a picture of me
00:13:58.61\00:14:00.61
and my brother Shawn
and my cousin in the middle.
00:14:00.64\00:14:04.62
This is in the midst
of our recording contract.
00:14:04.66\00:14:08.57
We've got another picture
here of me and my friends.
00:14:08.61\00:14:12.61
This is we're all
kind of hanging out here.
00:14:12.64\00:14:17.61
We got another picture here.
00:14:17.64\00:14:19.61
My group with another
popular group at that time.
00:14:19.65\00:14:23.11
Here we've got a picture of
me doing an autographing and
00:14:23.15\00:14:28.15
there're those dreadlocks,
00:14:28.18\00:14:30.11
the ones that Atonte
wouldn't have married me with.
00:14:30.15\00:14:33.30
We've got another picture
here of me rhyming on stage.
00:14:33.33\00:14:36.45
This picture, I've just
been actually introduced to
00:14:37.45\00:14:43.45
Christianity and Bible prophecy
being my favorite subject,
00:14:43.50\00:14:47.50
I was explaining to
this group around me about
00:14:47.53\00:14:50.46
the mark of the beast and so
that's an interesting picture.
00:14:50.50\00:14:55.50
I began to discuss these things
within my sphere of influence.
00:14:55.53\00:15:00.50
Here's a picture of me and
Little Shawn around the studio
00:15:00.53\00:15:04.50
in a studio video shoot.
00:15:04.53\00:15:07.20
There's a fun picture of
me. My brother's up there in
00:15:07.70\00:15:10.20
the background, you
can't really see him there.
00:15:10.23\00:15:14.16
But this is who I was prior
to meeting Jesus Christ and
00:15:14.20\00:15:19.20
when Christ came in,
this text became a reality.
00:15:19.23\00:15:22.20
"If any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature.
00:15:22.23\00:15:25.17
All things are passed away
and all things are become new."
00:15:25.21\00:15:28.71
And that includes being
drawn out from the black hole.
00:15:28.74\00:15:32.21
Now, when you were
redoing your secular music,
00:15:32.24\00:15:35.17
you became a Christian
but you continued to do music.
00:15:35.21\00:15:40.21
So what kind of
music were you doing?
00:15:40.24\00:15:41.51
That's right.
00:15:41.55\00:15:42.55
We had now God involved in what
was called Christian hip hop.
00:15:42.60\00:15:46.30
We're going to be talking about
that in some upcoming programs,
00:15:46.34\00:15:50.01
because that's the
really big thing today but
00:15:50.04\00:15:53.01
we were so excited, Atonte,
that when we became Christians,
00:15:53.30\00:15:57.80
we were so excited about the
gospel message that we began to
00:15:57.83\00:16:02.56
take literature, popular books
like 'The Great Controversy',
00:16:02.60\00:16:07.30
we would just start throwing
them out on stage because
00:16:07.33\00:16:09.30
they held all these
truths of the Word of God and
00:16:09.33\00:16:13.30
we were so excited about them.
00:16:13.33\00:16:15.26
We were going to the clubs
and we asked questions like,
00:16:15.30\00:16:17.55
'Who wants to know this or
that about Bible prophecy?'
00:16:17.58\00:16:19.80
And all the
hands would go up and
00:16:19.83\00:16:21.76
we'd just start
throwing these books out.
00:16:21.80\00:16:22.80
Our lyrics changed from secular
lyrics to spiritual lyrics and
00:16:22.83\00:16:28.81
we were honest, we were sincere
in the work that we were doing
00:16:28.84\00:16:34.32
but then we came to a crossroads
and the Lord began to show me
00:16:34.36\00:16:39.81
in particular and my
brother as well some things that
00:16:39.84\00:16:42.81
really shook us up.
00:16:42.84\00:16:45.77
And we came to the place where
we had to make a decision as to
00:16:45.81\00:16:48.81
whether we were going
to continue in this path
00:16:48.84\00:16:51.77
and say we're goanna struggle,
Lord, how we choose to serve Him
00:16:51.81\00:16:55.31
or whether we're goanna say,
"Lord we can no longer serve You
00:16:55.34\00:16:58.81
in this way because
it's not pleasing to You and
00:16:58.84\00:17:02.77
my brother and I made a decision
to come out of the entertainment
00:17:02.81\00:17:05.81
industry and in fact, Atonte,
I went to work at target,
00:17:05.84\00:17:09.21
my brother went to
work for the government,
00:17:09.24\00:17:11.17
we both were making around
somewhere between $6-$7 an hour.
00:17:11.21\00:17:16.21
So from an $800,000
contract to work in target,
00:17:16.24\00:17:19.71
my brother working on the
street holding stop signs,
00:17:19.75\00:17:23.75
people driving by
would see him and they'd say,
00:17:23.78\00:17:26.76
"Isn't that..? What's he
doing holding stop signs?
00:17:26.80\00:17:29.77
He had no chance to
explain, but praise the Lord,
00:17:29.81\00:17:32.75
neither of us were embarrassed.
00:17:32.78\00:17:35.71
Neither of us was saying, hiding
our faces, we were joyful,
00:17:35.75\00:17:38.75
we took the opportunity to
say, when people would ask,
00:17:38.78\00:17:42.75
"What are you
doing here in target?"
00:17:42.80\00:17:45.76
"I'd say, you know what, I'm
here because of Jesus Christ!"
00:17:45.80\00:17:48.80
"I gave up this
contract because that was what
00:17:48.83\00:17:51.76
Christ wanted me to do." And
I was perfectly at peace with
00:17:51.80\00:17:55.30
being drawn out of the black
hole. There was a heavy weight
00:17:55.33\00:17:58.80
that was upon me that
was taken away when I escaped
00:17:58.83\00:18:02.80
the black hole
through the grace of Christ.
00:18:02.83\00:18:05.80
Now, were you and your brother
seeking, looking for God,
00:18:05.90\00:18:09.35
even though you were doing
secular music, we never even
00:18:09.38\00:18:12.80
explain how did
you become a Christian?
00:18:12.83\00:18:16.20
Well, that's another interesting
story because when we got
00:18:16.23\00:18:19.17
our recording contract, the four
of us plus most of our friends
00:18:19.21\00:18:24.21
all dropped out of college to go
up to New York City to begin to
00:18:24.24\00:18:29.21
"LIVE the LIFE" that
which we'd have seen on TV and
00:18:29.24\00:18:32.17
while we were there in New
York, we met an individual who
00:18:32.21\00:18:36.21
had dreadlocks just like us and
he was doing all the things that
00:18:36.25\00:18:40.20
we were doing and... he was
an Adventist and we had no clue,
00:18:40.23\00:18:44.15
we had never heard the term
Seventh-Day Adventist before.
00:18:44.20\00:18:49.45
But he wasn't living up to
all what the Bible has said.
00:18:49.48\00:18:53.59
But at any rate, we were all
around 19, 20, 21 at this time
00:18:53.62\00:18:57.16
and he saw that we had an
interest in Bible prophecy and
00:18:57.19\00:19:01.44
I remember one night we were
all downstairs in our den and
00:19:01.48\00:19:05.70
we were all just having
a good time hanging out and
00:19:05.73\00:19:09.21
he asked the question,
we just began to talk about
00:19:09.25\00:19:12.66
Bible prophecy, the subject just
came up while we were smoking
00:19:12.70\00:19:16.50
and drinking alcohol and stuff
and he asked a question that
00:19:16.53\00:19:19.91
blurred our minds and it had
to do with the Sabbath issue.
00:19:19.95\00:19:23.30
And he asked us,
"What day do you think
00:19:23.33\00:19:25.30
the Sabbath is on?"
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.26
We were looking at him.
"That's a stupid question."
00:19:27.30\00:19:29.30
"That's on Sunday.
Everyone knows that."
00:19:29.33\00:19:33.26
And from memory he
begins to quote Scripture.
00:19:33.30\00:19:36.26
That night turned from a
den full of smoke and alcohol
00:19:36.30\00:19:44.30
into a Bible study.
00:19:44.33\00:19:47.27
And from that Bible
study over the next few months,
00:19:47.31\00:19:51.27
the Holy Spirit just penetrated
into the devil's den and just
00:19:51.31\00:19:58.31
grabbed the hold of us.
00:19:58.34\00:20:00.27
And we all began to study the
Word of God, studying the Bible
00:20:00.31\00:20:03.81
and within, I
believe, 3 to 4 months we were
00:20:03.84\00:20:06.81
all baptized into the church.
00:20:06.84\00:20:09.81
Two mass baptisms.
00:20:09.84\00:20:11.37
And he remembered
all of this by memory.
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.41
That's right.
00:20:14.44\00:20:15.41
That should encourage
some parents out there
00:20:15.44\00:20:18.42
who have raised their
children as Christians and
00:20:18.45\00:20:21.38
they might be doing things
that you're not pleased with and
00:20:21.42\00:20:24.42
you're not sure what's
goanna happen to them and
00:20:24.45\00:20:26.38
here's this young man who was
raised as a Christian and yet
00:20:26.42\00:20:29.42
he has backslidden and he was
doing things that he shouldn't,
00:20:29.45\00:20:32.42
but it was still all in his mind
00:20:32.45\00:20:34.38
everything that his mother
and father had taught him,
00:20:34.42\00:20:36.42
everything that he
had learned at church,
00:20:36.45\00:20:38.38
he was able to share
with a group of 30 people,
00:20:38.42\00:20:42.42
so I think parents should be
encouraged as they're raising
00:20:42.45\00:20:44.43
their children to be Christians.
00:20:44.46\00:20:46.39
Sometimes it may seem
that they're going astray,
00:20:46.43\00:20:49.18
but I believe if you
keep praying for them that
00:20:49.21\00:20:51.89
the Lord is going to bring
them back onto the right track.
00:20:51.93\00:20:55.93
Now was it difficult to keep the
Sabbath once you learned about
00:20:55.98\00:20:59.93
the Sabbath and you stayed
in the entertainment industry,
00:20:59.96\00:21:03.53
was it difficult
to keep the Sabbath?
00:21:03.56\00:21:05.49
Well, that was a challenge
because Friday night was
00:21:05.53\00:21:08.53
the biggest night,
is the biggest night
00:21:08.56\00:21:10.99
in the entertainment
industry and Saturdays as well.
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.49
And so, we had a real struggle,
a real issue on what we were
00:21:13.53\00:21:19.03
going to do and once we saw that
we could not really survive in
00:21:19.06\00:21:24.53
the black hole and
keep the law of God.
00:21:24.56\00:21:28.79
But didn't God do something so
that you guys can know for sure
00:21:28.83\00:21:32.33
without a doubt that He didn't
want you working on the Sabbath?
00:21:32.36\00:21:35.59
Right. When we were on New York
at this time and we had a trip
00:21:35.63\00:21:38.83
out at California, so we
were going out to California,
00:21:38.86\00:21:44.84
we were really wrestling
over the Sabbath issue and
00:21:44.88\00:21:50.83
the group of us, we
were there praying saying,
00:21:50.86\00:21:53.79
"Oh, Lord, if You don't want
us to perform on Sabbath..."
00:21:53.83\00:21:57.08
we had 4 appointments that night
between radio interviews and
00:21:57.11\00:22:00.33
performances.
00:22:00.36\00:22:01.33
It was a Friday night?
00:22:01.34\00:22:02.49
It was a Friday night.
00:22:02.52\00:22:03.58
And we prayed and said,
00:22:03.61\00:22:04.60
"Lord, if You don't
want us to break the Sabbath,
00:22:04.64\00:22:07.60
if You don't want us to perform
on the Sabbath, because we felt
00:22:07.64\00:22:11.64
we were doing the Lord's work,
but people were still paying to
00:22:11.67\00:22:15.64
come and see us and
buying their alcohol and
00:22:15.67\00:22:18.64
when we prayed this prayer,
00:22:18.80\00:22:22.76
I remember we thought, "what are
the odds of all our 4 meetings
00:22:22.80\00:22:25.80
to be cancelled?"
00:22:25.83\00:22:27.76
We prayed "Lord, You cancel them
00:22:27.80\00:22:30.30
if You're
trying to speak to us!"
00:22:30.35\00:22:32.57
Well, we went to Radio Station 1
00:22:32.61\00:22:34.76
"Oh, I'm sorry, something
happened and we got to cancel."
00:22:34.80\00:22:37.80
We thought we'd got our
odds and everyone thought
00:22:37.83\00:22:40.80
"that was really OK."
00:22:40.83\00:22:41.80
So we went to our
second radio program,
00:22:41.81\00:22:44.80
"Oh, sorry, something happened
and we're goanna to reschedule."
00:22:44.83\00:22:48.61
I started
wondering, "What is this?"
00:22:48.64\00:22:51.07
Third radio program,
we went, the same thing.
00:22:51.11\00:22:54.86
We thought, "This is
absolutely incredible!"
00:22:54.89\00:22:58.57
Well, we know, this is Friday
night and now we're going to
00:22:58.61\00:23:01.61
the actual
performance here in California,
00:23:01.64\00:23:04.61
so we know there's no way,
00:23:04.64\00:23:07.57
because they flew you out
all the way from New York,
00:23:07.61\00:23:10.61
that's right, we got
there on Friday night and
00:23:10.64\00:23:12.61
that Friday night the
performance was cancelled.
00:23:12.65\00:23:15.61
And we were in awe. We said,
00:23:15.64\00:23:17.12
"Lord, this is Your sign."
00:23:17.15\00:23:18.58
And we took that
sign very seriously.
00:23:18.62\00:23:20.58
It's interesting, Atonte, that
when we signed our contract and
00:23:20.62\00:23:25.62
after we became Christians,
00:23:25.65\00:23:27.88
this is half-way
through our first album,
00:23:27.92\00:23:31.88
we now became a Christian
recording hip hop group,
00:23:31.92\00:23:37.88
that the people who were closest
around us that were now pushing
00:23:37.92\00:23:40.92
our Christian hip hop, one
was a witch, one was an atheist,
00:23:40.95\00:23:45.92
one was a pagan and
this is by profession.
00:23:45.95\00:23:48.92
As I look back now, I thought,
00:23:48.95\00:23:52.89
"How could these
people be pushing,
00:23:52.93\00:23:56.29
was it really about the
message, was it about money?"
00:23:56.33\00:23:58.63
"Of course, it was about money."
00:23:58.66\00:24:00.59
So when we're
talking about the black hole,
00:24:00.63\00:24:02.19
we're goanna be unveiling some
things that may be uncomfortable
00:24:02.23\00:24:06.43
but we want to let you know that
00:24:06.46\00:24:08.94
we love you and
that God loves you.
00:24:08.98\00:24:11.39
God causes to expose
the works of darkness,
00:24:11.43\00:24:14.93
but He also causes us
to lift up Jesus Christ.
00:24:14.96\00:24:18.39
And we want to do both in a
loving, kind and understanding
00:24:18.43\00:24:21.43
way because we know
that different people are in
00:24:21.46\00:24:24.39
different places but we want
to put the truth out there and
00:24:24.43\00:24:27.43
allow you to be able to
make a decision for yourself.
00:24:27.46\00:24:30.44
I'm still amazed that
God cancelled all 4 of
00:24:30.47\00:24:33.40
your appointments on Sabbath and
that means how serious God takes
00:24:33.44\00:24:37.94
His Sabbath and if you earnestly
seek Him, they were earnestly
00:24:37.97\00:24:42.44
seeking Him saying "Lord,
if You don't want us to perform
00:24:42.47\00:24:45.40
on Sabbath You need to show us,
because they were new believers,
00:24:45.44\00:24:48.94
they weren't sure and God will
do any supernatural things that
00:24:48.97\00:24:52.44
He has to do to get His point
across to let you know that
00:24:52.47\00:24:55.44
He is serious
about these things.
00:24:55.47\00:24:57.44
That's right.
00:24:57.47\00:24:58.44
Now, Atonte, we have travelled
a lot and we've spoken to
00:24:58.45\00:25:01.40
a lot of youth groups and we've
spoken to a lot of churches and
00:25:01.44\00:25:04.44
a lot of adults and one thing
that has been consistent in
00:25:04.47\00:25:08.44
a lot of places where we've gone
is this issue of the black hole.
00:25:08.47\00:25:14.45
Because there're so many
people, we're talking about in
00:25:14.48\00:25:17.45
the churches, so many
people that are trapped in
00:25:17.48\00:25:21.46
this black hole, again
this issue is a mega issue.
00:25:21.50\00:25:25.41
We're seeing this all over
and the more we're seeing young
00:25:25.45\00:25:29.45
people that are
becoming immersed in the culture
00:25:29.48\00:25:33.41
around them and we believe that
this is by design by the enemy.
00:25:33.45\00:25:39.45
And that's why again
we're glad to say that
00:25:39.48\00:25:41.45
we have the battle plans.
00:25:41.48\00:25:42.91
This may be the
turning point in your fight,
00:25:42.95\00:25:46.95
in the good fight of faith.
00:25:46.98\00:25:48.42
You may be saying, "I don't
understand why I'm not getting
00:25:48.46\00:25:50.96
the victory and why the
Bible is boring to me and
00:25:50.99\00:25:53.72
why I can't pray longer and
all these different things and
00:25:53.76\00:25:57.21
I believe that you've got to
find that envelope as it were.
00:25:57.24\00:26:00.66
No cigars, praise the Lord!
00:26:00.69\00:26:04.12
But the battle plans
are in that envelope.
00:26:04.16\00:26:07.12
Spiritually speaking Christ
wants to show us the moves of
00:26:07.16\00:26:10.16
the enemy and how he is
getting the victory over us
00:26:10.19\00:26:14.66
so that we can turn it around.
00:26:14.69\00:26:16.66
I believe that if Satan's battle
plans were actually written on
00:26:16.69\00:26:21.67
paper, they would
say 'Let's make sure that
00:26:21.70\00:26:23.63
you concentrate mostly on the
young people, because they're
00:26:23.67\00:26:26.67
the next generation,
they're the ones we want.'
00:26:26.70\00:26:29.67
But God's battle plan also says,
00:26:29.70\00:26:32.63
'Let's concentrate on the young
people, let's draw them to Us,
00:26:32.67\00:26:35.67
let's win them to Us.'
00:26:35.70\00:26:37.63
But you have to realize
that and see it for yourself so
00:26:37.67\00:26:41.42
you could surrender and accept
His drawing into your life.
00:26:41.45\00:26:45.17
That's right.
00:26:45.20\00:26:46.17
God has a plan, a
battle plan for us.
00:26:46.18\00:26:49.13
The reason we've called
this program BATTLES OF FAITH,
00:26:49.17\00:26:52.17
because there's a
battle, there're two.
00:26:52.20\00:26:54.17
That's right.
00:26:54.20\00:26:55.17
Satan is battling
and God is battling.
00:26:55.18\00:26:56.73
That's right. There is a
war going on over the souls of
00:26:56.77\00:26:59.77
every person on this
planet and we want to see how
00:26:59.80\00:27:03.77
we can get the victory,
00:27:03.80\00:27:05.74
how we can escape from
the enemy's clutches and
00:27:05.78\00:27:08.63
how we can begin to
take the battle to the enemy.
00:27:08.66\00:27:11.44
We are not talking about
casting out demons and all those
00:27:11.48\00:27:13.98
kind of things, we are talking
about getting the victory over
00:27:14.01\00:27:17.24
our own hearts and over our own
minds and over our own desires.
00:27:17.28\00:27:20.48
That's where the
battle resides and that's why
00:27:20.51\00:27:23.44
it's a battle of faith because
it can be won by no other means,
00:27:23.48\00:27:27.48
but through FAITH.
00:27:27.51\00:27:29.44
May we praise God
that you answered His call,
00:27:29.48\00:27:33.44
that your brother answered His
call, that the other members in
00:27:33.48\00:27:37.48
the group that answered His call
because now God is using them
00:27:37.51\00:27:41.48
to pull other people out and
00:27:41.51\00:27:43.45
He wants to use YOU
to do the same thing!
00:27:43.49\00:27:47.79
He wants young
people to be His soldiers.
00:27:47.82\00:27:51.70
And when young
people are His soldiers,
00:27:51.74\00:27:55.59
they're mighty warriors!
00:27:55.62\00:27:57.10
That's right, Atonte!
00:27:57.14\00:27:58.55
God is making an appeal and
we are making an appeal because
00:27:58.59\00:28:02.09
God wants you to join this
fight of faith and we pray that
00:28:02.12\00:28:05.35
that it is your desire that
you would prepare your hearts.
00:28:05.39\00:28:08.59
God bless you and we'll see you.
00:28:08.62\00:28:11.39