Welcome to another
edition of "Issues and Answers."
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We are so happy to
be with you once again.
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And we have a very special guest
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that I like to introduce
to you in just a moment.
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You know, it's nothing like
listening to a real testimony.
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To actually see someone
who is practicing their faith.
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And today, our special
guest is Pastor Daniel Mesa.
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Pastor Daniel
Mesa is a new pastor.
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He is the pastor of the
Revelation Promises Hope
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SDA Church and
Maranatha Bible fellowship,
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SDA Church in
Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Welcome to the
program, Pastor Mesa.
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Thank you very much, Karen.
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And you are here to
give us a word of knowledge
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and a word of
your testimony. Yes.
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So tell me have you
always been a Christian?
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No, not always.
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I have been a Christian for only
about four and half years now.
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Okay. And what's
was your background?
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Tell us about your background?
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My background as a
child was that I grew up
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in what I just mentioned of
my best friend, a halfway house.
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My mother was a Christian,
Seventh-day Adventist Christian.
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My father was an alcoholic
and he was a hard worker.
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But he didn't live
life according to the Bible.
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So during the
week we were Christians
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and that's what I
profess but during the weekend
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it was very much
a war in my home.
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And so as a result of that
going through my teenage years,
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I chose to follow
the path of my father
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a little more than
the path of my mother.
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Influences of the
world and those things
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and I began
drinking at a very young age,
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started smoking
at a very young age.
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And actually
started leaving the Lord,
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leaving worship with
my mother going to church
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at a very young
age, 7, 8, 9 years old
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and I actually
became a heavy metal drummer
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at around that time.
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And was a drummer
for about nine years.
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I was in a band
that we would travel
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just around the
vicinity of where I was living.
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I was in Southern
California at that time.
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And we were playing
parties mainly, lots of drugs,
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lots of drinking
and different things,
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you know what comes
along with the bands
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and that type of thing.
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And during that
time it was quite,
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quite a strange
period of my life.
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I didn't know God.
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I didn't care about God,
didn't ever read my Bible,
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I don't remember praying much.
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Well, now you grew
up in a home at least
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where your mother was
trying to be a Christian.
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Did that have
any type of influence
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at that time in your life?
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As a child it did.
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I very much loved
Christ, I know I did.
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I had Bibles and
I remember feeling
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accepted by God and I loved Him.
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I loved going to church, loved
to talk to my mother about God.
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And everything that
revolved around religion
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was beautiful to me.
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But I'll mention this.
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I started smoking
at seven years old.
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And from that point forward
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is when I really
started going down the hill.
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So right around
that time as I said
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I stopped going to
church and different things.
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I just went
headlong into the world,
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started drinking at 9
years and doing drugs by 11.
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And so the music was
just another part of that.
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In the time of my teenage years
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I had very poor
grades in high school
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as most children do in
the way of life that I was in.
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And in fact my last
grade point average,
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I'm little
ashamed to say was .83.
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And I finally did finish
high school, praise the Lord.
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But I ended up in, around that
time 16 years old I got a car,
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around that time I got into
about seven major accidents.
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What was the cause
of those accidents?
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Well, basically just driving
too fast with my friends,
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being drunk in other occasions,
just being a wild youth.
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And there were five
major car accidents,
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two major motorcycle accidents.
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And I came away from most
of those without being hurt.
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One was at 75
miles an hour. Oh, wow.
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Into the side of a dirt bank.
Two were at 65 miles an hour.
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I was sideswiped once at
55, I rolled a red truck.
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I went headfirst into
a tree off a motorcycle.
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And another one is just flew
off a motorcycle about 45. So--
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It's a miracle
that you're walking
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flying off from a
motorcycle. It really is.
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And I think the Lord was sparing
me for one specific reason,
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my mother was
praying for me. Amen.
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If it were not for
my mother praying for me
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I don't think I would be alive
today as a result of, you know,
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the different
experiences I've had.
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But I was very much committed
to myself, making money.
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In fact at age 18, I
was making $25.57 an hour.
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And that's a
little over $1000 a week
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for a young man
that is 18 years old.
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So I blew my money
on clothes and women
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and my car and beer and
drugs and all the other things.
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I lived life to its
fullest as far as I knew
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how as an 18-year-old.
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And at 19 years old, after going
through this experience of just,
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you know, immoral lifestyle
and all these different things,
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I was impressed
by the Spirit of God.
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While sitting around a
table not much bigger than this
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with three of my friends.
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And these friends were just
talking about some of things
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that would happen in the future.
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They were asking--we
were talking about you know,
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what we had
invented as far as computers,
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we've been to the
moon, we have, you know,
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freeways and cars and
all these other things.
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I was thinking what are
we going to come up with
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when we are older.
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You know, when I'm 55
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what am I
possibly going to invent?
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And as soon as I said
that I just got cold chills,
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it was much like a
bucket of cold water
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was dumped on my head.
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And I covered my eyes
and my face and I just wept.
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I saw for a split
second just everything
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that I've been
thinking of totally destroyed.
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There was flames and destruction
and everything was darkened.
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It just gave me
the sense of evil.
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And so that's what
broke me down that night.
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I cried and I couldn't speak.
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I had to leave the
presence of my friends
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and that's all I
remember 'cause we were drinking
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and doing drugs
very much that night.
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But about two weeks after
that God started calling me
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with His Spirit just saying,
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"Read your
Bible, read your Bible."
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He just kept
saying, "Read your Bible."
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And I hadn't
thought of my Bible.
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I hadn't read my Bible
or done anything like that
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for quite sometime.
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So it was very strange to me.
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My Bible was about two
miles away from my home,
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in a barn underneath a
bunch of junk that was in a bin
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like something you would
tow behind a car or a truck.
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And this Spirit was so
strong, mentioning to me
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that I needed to go get my Bible
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that I actually
jumped in my truck,
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drove the two
miles, broke into the barn,
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emptied out the whole
bin of stuff found my Bible
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and was so excited.
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When I picked up
that Bible I knew that
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that's what my soul was craving.
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I put all the stuff
back, closed up the garage,
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drove back home, set it on
my counter and I felt as though,
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well, now I've got my Bible,
you know, everything is okay.
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But within two days the Spirit
was starting to have the music
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that I was
listening to make sense.
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I mean, it was--the
lyrics were making more sense
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than they were before, I just,
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I would sing them
in a different way.
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And He was telling me, "Pick up
your Bible, pick up your Bible."
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I was seeing that the people--
they were making the music
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were very unhappy, unfriendly,
several of them had died
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of drug overdoses and suicides
and different things like this.
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So I was starting to
ask questions, you know,
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what is my life going
to be like in the future?
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What's the outcome?
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Am I going to, you
know, fall away from society
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like some of these
guys and just go mad?
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Am I going to
end up killing myself
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or am I going to overdose?
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And the Holy Spirit
was just continually saying
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till this time, "Read
your Bible, read your Bible,
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don't--now that
its here read it."
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So I finally went to my
room, it wasn't this Bible
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but I picked it up and I
just prayed for the first time,
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"Lord, how do I get to heaven?"
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And I popped open the Bible
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and it fell open
to the back like this
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and right at the top
in big bold black letters.
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It was the answer to my prayer.
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"Who goes to heaven?"
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And one of the--and few of the
scriptures that were mentioned
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were scriptures
like Revelation 12:17.
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"The dragon was
wroth with the woman
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and went to make war
with the remnant of her seed,
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which keep the
commandments of God
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and have the
testimony of Jesus."
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Another one's Revelation 14:12,
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"Here is the
patience of the saints,
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here are they that
keep the commandments
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and have the faith of Jesus."
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And another one I
remember was Revelation 22:14,
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"Blessed are they that
keep the commandments of God
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that they may have right
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to enter in through
the gates into the city
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that they may have
right to the tree of life."
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And so I started
focusing on the commandments.
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If in Revelation the end
time book this is important,
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I need to
understand it and be obedient
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to the
commandments by God's grace.
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And so, that's
what I started studying
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and found out the truth
about the Seventh-day Sabbath
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almost immediately.
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The first week
after studying the Bible
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I was in a
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:09:09.14\00:09:11.17
because I knew as a
result of studying the Bible
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that the seventh
day was a Sabbath.
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Within five weeks of just
really pressuring the minister,
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Pastor Mullin, I
was baptized. Amen.
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And I was just
craving the Word of God.
00:09:23.78\00:09:25.74
I would spend six to
eight hours a day studying.
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And there was
nothing more I could do.
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My friends were telling
me that I was going mad.
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I was memorizing the Bible.
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They were starting to
kind of separate from me
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and call me holy boy and,
you know, these different names
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and things and I was
very much disinterested
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in what they were
saying, but more interested
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in what the Bible was saying
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because it was food to my soul.
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I've had the
music, I've had the money.
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I've had the cars.
00:09:48.46\00:09:49.83
I've had other, the girlfriends
and girls and the fame.
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These different things
but this was feeding my soul.
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And that's all
I could tell them,
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is listen I found
something that's powerful,
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the Bible and Christ in my life.
00:09:59.42\00:10:03.13
And so as a result of
studying for this long,
00:10:03.16\00:10:05.47
being baptized in
five weeks I left two days
00:10:05.50\00:10:08.54
after that from
Southern California
00:10:08.57\00:10:10.95
up to Northern California,
00:10:10.98\00:10:12.64
where I just had a burden
to share the Bible with people.
00:10:12.67\00:10:15.83
I ended up going
to the mission college
00:10:15.86\00:10:17.53
which is in the
Black Hills of South Dakota
00:10:17.56\00:10:20.16
for a three week period
00:10:20.19\00:10:21.56
where there was
just an intensive program
00:10:21.59\00:10:24.60
on how to witness,
how to study the Bible,
00:10:24.63\00:10:26.37
how to share with others,
00:10:26.40\00:10:27.77
how to hold an
evangelistic series.
00:10:27.80\00:10:31.09
I came back home to California.
00:10:31.12\00:10:32.76
I was a literature evangelist
00:10:32.79\00:10:34.16
which is selling
books, spiritual books.
00:10:34.19\00:10:37.73
Some of the books were
entitled like "Desire of Ages"
00:10:37.76\00:10:39.85
or "The Great
Controversy", books on health
00:10:39.88\00:10:41.96
or recipes for
vegetarian cooking.
00:10:41.99\00:10:45.83
And I wasn't very
good at that, in fact
00:10:45.86\00:10:47.23
I made about
$800 in three months.
00:10:47.26\00:10:49.33
And so I was praying God would
give me some other thing to do.
00:10:49.36\00:10:52.75
I became a Bible worker
00:10:52.78\00:10:54.28
with Northern California
Conference for Evangelist.
00:10:54.31\00:10:55.70
And what's the Bible
worker? What do they do?
00:10:55.73\00:10:57.85
A Bible worker
basically-- Let us about that.
00:10:57.88\00:10:59.89
Goes into a city
with an evangelist,
00:10:59.92\00:11:02.17
I was with Brembo Seth,
00:11:02.20\00:11:03.57
the Northern California
Conference Evangelist.
00:11:03.60\00:11:05.27
Mm-hmm. I know him.
00:11:05.30\00:11:06.67
Yes. Very good
man. God bless him.
00:11:06.70\00:11:08.60
And we would go in
with him to a city.
00:11:08.63\00:11:11.26
The first project that
we had David Asscherick
00:11:11.29\00:11:13.92
and myself was
Oakland, California,
00:11:13.95\00:11:17.15
Downtown right in the heart.
00:11:17.18\00:11:18.85
And we're in this huge
city we don't know what to do,
00:11:18.88\00:11:21.26
and so we basically just
started going from door to door,
00:11:21.29\00:11:23.60
knocking on people's
doors, wondering if they were
00:11:23.63\00:11:25.26
interested in
studying the Bible.
00:11:25.29\00:11:27.03
Well, in period
of months David and I
00:11:27.06\00:11:29.43
both had about
125 interests a piece
00:11:29.46\00:11:32.53
that we were
dropping off studies
00:11:32.56\00:11:33.93
doing a lot of these we
were studying with personally.
00:11:33.96\00:11:36.50
And we had an
evangelistic series.
00:11:36.53\00:11:38.38
I don't think the church
was quite as ready for it
00:11:38.41\00:11:40.18
as it could have been because
there--just wasn't the fruits
00:11:40.21\00:11:43.48
from our labors that
we could have expected.
00:11:43.51\00:11:45.97
Now tell me how
did you meet David?
00:11:46.00\00:11:47.37
Tell us who David is.
00:11:47.40\00:11:48.98
David Asscherick is
today an evangelist.
00:11:49.01\00:11:53.95
Basically I met him in the
Black Hills of South Dakota.
00:11:53.98\00:11:56.54
He was working at
a little restaurant.
00:11:56.57\00:11:58.72
A vegan vegetarian
Seventh-day Adventist restaurant
00:11:58.75\00:12:00.73
run by a beautiful
Christian family called Veggies.
00:12:00.76\00:12:04.03
And he was working there.
00:12:04.06\00:12:05.43
He was just
converted as a Christian
00:12:05.46\00:12:07.27
and him and I had just
hit it off very quickly.
00:12:07.30\00:12:10.58
We prayed together
that we would be able to
00:12:10.61\00:12:11.98
work together in the future.
00:12:12.01\00:12:13.41
And that's where we
ended up in California.
00:12:13.44\00:12:16.23
Well, at about a year and eight
months of being a Christian,
00:12:16.26\00:12:19.25
I was asked to hold my
first series of meetings.
00:12:19.28\00:12:21.68
Well, that's, that's really
moving in fast motion, isn't it?
00:12:21.71\00:12:24.03
Yeah. And so God was
basically stretching me
00:12:24.06\00:12:26.54
as quickly as He could.
00:12:26.57\00:12:28.68
I stood up having
spoken about six times
00:12:28.71\00:12:32.12
in front of a congregation
00:12:32.15\00:12:34.00
with audience of about
225 people opening night.
00:12:34.03\00:12:38.84
And I was just
petrified with fear.
00:12:38.87\00:12:41.38
Well, God gave me grace I
got through that and about two,
00:12:41.41\00:12:45.27
I'm sorry about
a half year later,
00:12:45.30\00:12:46.67
I was asked to
do another series.
00:12:46.70\00:12:48.98
And this was interesting because
I had about a half a month
00:12:49.01\00:12:51.17
to prepare for it
from beginning to end
00:12:51.20\00:12:54.11
and then another month to
present the series and so,
00:12:54.14\00:12:56.77
the time frame was just intense
00:12:56.80\00:12:59.43
and I think God
almost killed me, you know,
00:12:59.46\00:13:02.43
we were not for His grace but
I held another series after that
00:13:02.46\00:13:06.09
in Honduras with
Honduras 2000 with OCI.
00:13:06.12\00:13:10.17
That was a very much a blessing.
00:13:10.20\00:13:12.33
And what is OCI?
00:13:12.36\00:13:13.73
OCI is Outpost
Centers Incorporated.
00:13:13.76\00:13:16.16
I don't understand
completely everything they do.
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.38
I believe that they are
missionary focused and--
00:13:18.41\00:13:20.86
That's true. And they actually
00:13:20.89\00:13:22.26
go out of United States
00:13:22.29\00:13:23.66
and they take
groups of people with them.
00:13:23.69\00:13:25.18
That's exactly what
they did and with me
00:13:25.21\00:13:27.53
which was a real blessing,
I'm very thankful for that.
00:13:27.56\00:13:30.09
In between that time I
was traveling around America,
00:13:30.12\00:13:33.28
South Dakota, Colorado,
North Dakota, California,
00:13:33.31\00:13:37.47
Wyoming, Utah, Florida,
all these different places
00:13:37.50\00:13:40.39
ended up in Michigan
doing evangelistic series
00:13:40.42\00:13:43.65
with David
Asscherick as the speaker.
00:13:43.68\00:13:46.08
And I was either
the platform chairman
00:13:46.11\00:13:49.25
or the Bible
worker in another place.
00:13:49.28\00:13:52.04
I was in somewhat responsibility
00:13:52.07\00:13:54.52
of a pastor with
the youth church.
00:13:54.55\00:13:57.28
And as a result of the series,
00:13:57.31\00:13:58.75
the last one that
David Asscherick held
00:13:58.78\00:14:00.28
that I was able to
work with him in Michigan,
00:14:00.31\00:14:03.71
Grand Rapids, there was
enough baptisms by God's grace
00:14:03.74\00:14:07.73
that they wanted to
plant a church and so today,
00:14:07.76\00:14:12.09
they asked me to be the pastor
of the Revelation Promises Hope
00:14:12.12\00:14:14.75
Seventh-day
Adventist Church. Wonderful.
00:14:14.78\00:14:16.71
And so that's
what I'm doing today
00:14:16.74\00:14:19.31
as a result of four and a
half years of being a Christian.
00:14:19.34\00:14:23.39
And I was just told
last week actually that
00:14:23.42\00:14:26.68
I was asked to be the pastor of
the Maranatha Bible fellowship
00:14:26.71\00:14:30.26
in Grand Rapids, so
now I'm a two church pastor
00:14:30.29\00:14:33.76
which is quite amazing to me.
00:14:33.79\00:14:35.66
I don't understand completely
why God has chosen me,
00:14:35.69\00:14:39.13
but I'm willing.
00:14:39.16\00:14:41.72
And I think, you know, in fact,
I'd thought about this Scripture
00:14:41.75\00:14:45.86
that was just shared
to me, 1 Corinthians 4,
00:14:45.89\00:14:49.32
I'm sorry, 1 Chronicles 4.
00:14:49.35\00:14:53.20
The Scripture here was brought
to my attention a while back
00:14:53.23\00:14:57.48
and it's really affected me.
00:14:57.51\00:14:59.76
And I've been able to
preach on it actually.
00:14:59.79\00:15:02.26
The prayer of Jabez is what it's
called in 1 Chronicles 4:10.
00:15:02.29\00:15:05.66
The Bible says, "And Jabez
called on the God of Israel,
00:15:05.69\00:15:09.89
saying, 'Oh that thou
wouldest bless me indeed,
00:15:09.92\00:15:14.03
and enlarge my coast,
00:15:14.06\00:15:15.43
and that thine
hand might be with me,
00:15:15.46\00:15:17.69
and that thou
wouldest keep me from evil,
00:15:17.72\00:15:19.57
that it may not grieve me.'
00:15:19.60\00:15:21.64
And God granted him
that which he requested."
00:15:21.67\00:15:25.33
And so before--
00:15:25.36\00:15:26.73
I think that was
your question, wasn't it?
00:15:26.76\00:15:28.44
How do you get to heaven?
00:15:28.47\00:15:30.71
That's right.
That's exactly right.
00:15:30.74\00:15:32.87
And even before I was
told about this scripture,
00:15:32.90\00:15:36.28
mentioned-- somebody
had mentioned it to me.
00:15:36.31\00:15:39.07
I believe that I was praying
this type of prayer in my heart.
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.99
Really begging
that God would take me
00:15:42.02\00:15:44.22
from the influence that I
had and the influence that I was
00:15:44.25\00:15:48.61
and just convert me,
make me the true Christian
00:15:48.64\00:15:51.93
dedicated to His
service, kept from the evil,
00:15:51.96\00:15:55.08
delivered from the
things of this world
00:15:55.11\00:15:56.61
and just as it said,
00:15:56.64\00:15:58.01
"God granted unto me
that which I requested."
00:15:58.04\00:16:00.53
And I believe He's
continuing to grant it to me
00:16:00.56\00:16:03.77
and willing to grant
it to anybody, really, so.
00:16:03.80\00:16:06.75
So now tell me,
what has happened
00:16:06.78\00:16:09.75
with your mom and with
your dad since those times?
00:16:09.78\00:16:12.69
Have you had any
communication with them?
00:16:12.72\00:16:14.35
Yes.
00:16:14.38\00:16:15.75
What have they said
about your new life?
00:16:15.78\00:16:17.20
Well, my mother actually
before I was a Christian,
00:16:17.23\00:16:19.63
her and I-- we didn't get along.
00:16:19.66\00:16:21.91
She loved me, I
did not love her.
00:16:21.94\00:16:23.73
I very much had animosity
in my heart toward my parents
00:16:23.76\00:16:27.35
because of just who I was
00:16:27.38\00:16:29.49
and when I became
willing to study the Bible
00:16:29.52\00:16:33.08
I immediately fell in
love with my mother again.
00:16:33.11\00:16:35.57
It was just God
just brought us together.
00:16:35.60\00:16:37.59
And in fact, after I had
opened the Bible that one time
00:16:37.62\00:16:40.25
when it opened to the back and
said who was going to heaven.
00:16:40.28\00:16:44.10
Just about two days
later she came into my home,
00:16:44.13\00:16:46.65
I pulled her aside
00:16:46.68\00:16:48.05
and told her that I needed
to know what's in this book.
00:16:48.08\00:16:50.42
And we just cried together and
it was very much an experience.
00:16:50.45\00:16:53.63
My father, he
continued in his ways
00:16:53.66\00:16:57.05
for probably four years.
00:16:57.08\00:17:00.45
I found out right
before I went to Honduras
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.26
that he had liver cancer.
00:17:03.29\00:17:05.96
I ended up in Honduras,
00:17:05.99\00:17:07.36
wasn't able to
talk to him even once
00:17:07.39\00:17:08.76
for the period of three weeks,
00:17:08.79\00:17:10.16
I thought that he would have
been passed away by that time
00:17:10.19\00:17:11.56
when I got back, very
hard situation at that time.
00:17:11.59\00:17:16.62
But I came back
00:17:16.65\00:17:18.48
and learned that my
father wanted to be baptized.
00:17:18.51\00:17:20.82
Praise the Lord.
00:17:20.85\00:17:22.22
I then was going to fly
out to California, I did so.
00:17:22.25\00:17:26.44
He was going to be baptized
00:17:26.47\00:17:27.84
on the 26th at
11:30 in the morning.
00:17:27.87\00:17:31.84
I was going to be
able to baptize him
00:17:31.87\00:17:33.73
but before,
actually the night before
00:17:33.76\00:17:37.38
he was baptized he
passed away at 11:30.
00:17:37.41\00:17:40.45
So it was 12 hours before
he was able to be baptized
00:17:40.48\00:17:43.93
but I do believe
the Lord had his heart
00:17:43.96\00:17:45.49
and I believe that
I'll see him in heaven.
00:17:45.52\00:17:47.75
That was a trying time,
00:17:47.78\00:17:49.15
but also very much
a joyous time for me
00:17:49.18\00:17:51.83
and so I do have this hope.
00:17:51.86\00:17:54.65
Well, you know, it
is remarkable that,
00:17:54.68\00:17:57.01
you know, children can make
00:17:57.04\00:17:58.41
an impact upon
their parent's lives.
00:17:58.44\00:18:01.00
And even though
00:18:01.03\00:18:02.40
sometimes parents go through
their own set of difficulties
00:18:02.43\00:18:05.92
and tensions and problems that,
00:18:05.95\00:18:09.31
here you've just
shared it with your testimony
00:18:09.34\00:18:12.10
that perhaps what your
dad saw happen in your life,
00:18:12.13\00:18:15.25
made a difference in his. Yes.
00:18:15.28\00:18:17.33
And that you
actually encouraged him
00:18:17.36\00:18:19.57
to make some changes in his life
00:18:19.60\00:18:21.04
and make a decision for Christ
for eternity. That's right.
00:18:21.07\00:18:23.62
You know, I've not seen
my father cry many times
00:18:23.65\00:18:27.41
before I was a
Christian, five or six times
00:18:27.44\00:18:30.45
but after I became a Christian
00:18:30.48\00:18:31.85
I would see him cry
on very many occasions.
00:18:31.88\00:18:36.15
And I just believe that
the Lord was using my influence
00:18:36.18\00:18:40.15
and also my mother's prayers
00:18:40.18\00:18:41.60
and just the whole
package of Christianity
00:18:41.63\00:18:44.45
around the influence of
my father to win his heart.
00:18:44.48\00:18:47.12
And just as the Bible
says, you know, if you believe--
00:18:47.15\00:18:49.73
in Acts it says
that you will be saved,
00:18:49.76\00:18:52.55
you and your house, you know.
00:18:52.58\00:18:53.95
And maybe not all of
my house will be saved,
00:18:53.98\00:18:56.34
by God's grace they
will if they are willing
00:18:56.37\00:18:58.67
but the Lord has promised
that He will be merciful
00:18:58.70\00:19:01.84
like He was merciful to
Noah with the other seven,
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.78
like He was merciful to
Lot with the other three,
00:19:04.81\00:19:07.11
his daughters and his wife.
00:19:07.14\00:19:08.73
And so as I said
we do have this hope
00:19:08.76\00:19:12.10
and we are told in the Bible
00:19:12.13\00:19:13.50
to comfort one
another with these words.
00:19:13.53\00:19:14.90
That's right. Yeah.
00:19:14.93\00:19:16.30
And now since that time,
it sounds like you've been--
00:19:16.33\00:19:18.70
once you made that decision
to have a change in your life
00:19:18.73\00:19:21.78
it seems as if the Lord
brought people into your life
00:19:21.81\00:19:24.02
to help and
strengthen and to encourage you.
00:19:24.05\00:19:26.20
And you
mentioned that you had gone
00:19:26.23\00:19:27.60
to the mission
college in the Black Hills.
00:19:27.63\00:19:29.70
Tell us about that.
00:19:29.73\00:19:31.29
Okay, the mission
college is a place where--
00:19:31.32\00:19:34.81
well, let me start over.
00:19:34.84\00:19:36.21
It's basically a call of Christ.
00:19:36.24\00:19:39.62
When Christ went to Peter
and said, "Come and follow me."
00:19:39.65\00:19:42.95
That's what to me the Black
Hills is, the mission college.
00:19:42.98\00:19:47.60
It's a place where there is
00:19:47.63\00:19:49.14
radical
Christianity experienced.
00:19:49.17\00:19:51.55
You are willing to give
up everything, your home,
00:19:51.58\00:19:54.23
your family for the
present time, everything.
00:19:54.26\00:19:57.95
You move out to South
Dakota, you learn how to witness
00:19:57.98\00:20:00.63
and then God send you from there
00:20:00.66\00:20:02.31
wherever He would ask you to go.
00:20:02.34\00:20:03.71
And so I believe
it's the call of Christ.
00:20:03.74\00:20:05.50
Not everybody goes
where they are asked to go,
00:20:05.53\00:20:07.94
not everybody followed Christ,
00:20:07.97\00:20:09.34
you know, the rich
young ruler for instance.
00:20:09.37\00:20:11.17
He said, "Come and follow me"
and he turned away sorrowful.
00:20:11.20\00:20:14.51
But I went there
because Christ called me
00:20:14.54\00:20:18.92
and He wanted to use me to do
radical missionary Christianity.
00:20:18.95\00:20:23.28
And so from that point forward
00:20:23.31\00:20:28.34
I've been doing missionary work
00:20:28.37\00:20:29.74
but what it does is, they teach
you how to study the Bible,
00:20:29.77\00:20:35.54
teaches you how to witness
to people using your Bible,
00:20:35.57\00:20:38.98
hold an evangelistic series.
00:20:39.01\00:20:40.74
It gives you basic principles
of missionary outreach.
00:20:40.77\00:20:45.28
And then they give you the
practical opportunity to use
00:20:45.31\00:20:48.03
that missionary
training while you are at school
00:20:48.06\00:20:51.73
and also they give
several opportunities for those
00:20:51.76\00:20:53.96
that show
themselves willing to be used
00:20:53.99\00:20:56.39
such as Bible
workers, evangelists, pastors
00:20:56.42\00:20:59.02
and different
positions like that.
00:20:59.05\00:21:01.73
As a result of being at the
Black Hills Mission College,
00:21:01.76\00:21:03.77
I've done colporteur ministry
00:21:03.80\00:21:07.11
which is the literature
evangelist selling the books.
00:21:07.14\00:21:09.81
I've done evangelism,
I've done Bible work,
00:21:09.84\00:21:12.27
evangelisms public preaching
00:21:12.30\00:21:14.80
and now I am doing
the pastoral ministry.
00:21:14.83\00:21:17.36
And so--
00:21:17.39\00:21:18.76
And how do you
enjoying pastoring now?
00:21:18.79\00:21:20.16
I love it. I love it very much.
00:21:20.19\00:21:22.24
It's a real blessing.
00:21:22.27\00:21:23.64
It's trying and it helps me
to know that God is in-charge
00:21:23.67\00:21:28.20
but that's what
I like, you know.
00:21:28.23\00:21:29.60
Do you have a story
maybe you can share with us
00:21:29.63\00:21:31.44
of someone that was
looking and searching for Jesus
00:21:31.47\00:21:34.50
like you were and whom you met?
00:21:34.53\00:21:37.84
And help to change their life?
00:21:37.87\00:21:40.57
Well, I guess right off the back
00:21:40.60\00:21:41.97
there's a man that comes
to mind his name is James
00:21:42.00\00:21:45.00
and he was a
homeless man in Oakland.
00:21:45.03\00:21:50.37
He walked by with
a bottle in his hand
00:21:50.40\00:21:52.99
and a bag around the bottle.
00:21:53.02\00:21:55.08
As he's walking by he stops
and he looks at David and I
00:21:55.11\00:21:57.95
who were sitting out on
the steps of the church,
00:21:57.98\00:22:01.13
you know, with our hook out
00:22:01.16\00:22:03.05
as we were trying to wait
for some fish to come along so--
00:22:03.08\00:22:05.08
Fishers of men. Yeah.
00:22:05.11\00:22:07.02
So we're out there sitting
hoping to witness to somebody.
00:22:07.05\00:22:09.63
He walks by looks at the
Seventh-day Adventist sign
00:22:09.66\00:22:11.35
and looked at us and stops
and says, "I've got a question."
00:22:11.38\00:22:13.99
I said, "Well, by God's
grace I've got an answer."
00:22:14.02\00:22:17.06
He says, "Is the
seventh day the Sabbath?"
00:22:17.09\00:22:19.74
And I said,
"Well, yes, sir, it is.
00:22:19.77\00:22:21.14
That's what the Bible says."
00:22:21.17\00:22:22.54
And I said, "Well, how
do you know that anyways?"
00:22:22.57\00:22:24.54
He says, "Well, my uncle's
a Seventh-day Adventist."
00:22:24.57\00:22:27.60
And here this
man is at that point
00:22:27.63\00:22:30.03
interested in studying
the Bible a little bit.
00:22:30.06\00:22:32.30
David and I take him
under wing, we shower him,
00:22:32.33\00:22:34.74
you know, give him some
clothes, give him a backpack,
00:22:34.77\00:22:37.37
razor and comb and just
the very necessities of life.
00:22:37.40\00:22:41.73
It ends up that he starts
sleeping on our porch for months
00:22:41.76\00:22:47.30
and he wants to stay
at our home and things
00:22:47.33\00:22:49.94
and David and I
got a little bit,
00:22:49.97\00:22:51.46
you know, uneasy with
him been around so much,
00:22:51.49\00:22:54.55
but we just kept praying for him
00:22:54.58\00:22:55.95
and studying with
him and everything.
00:22:55.98\00:22:57.35
For quite sometime he left,
00:22:57.38\00:22:59.61
he came back after
I think a month or two
00:22:59.64\00:23:02.23
and the last time I saw
him he had on a pair of slacks,
00:23:02.26\00:23:06.72
he had a pair of
matching shoes on,
00:23:06.75\00:23:09.62
he had a
turtleneck, a sports coat,
00:23:09.65\00:23:11.43
his hair was cut and
combed and he was clean shaven.
00:23:11.46\00:23:15.04
And he walked up to me and says,
00:23:15.07\00:23:16.44
"Daniel, I am
going to get a job."
00:23:16.47\00:23:18.34
Praise the Lord.
00:23:18.37\00:23:19.74
And I just-- I
remember that story
00:23:19.77\00:23:21.57
as a result of you
asking just how God really moves
00:23:21.60\00:23:25.28
and uses just
foolish people like me.
00:23:25.31\00:23:28.36
As I said, I didn't get
quite the high school education
00:23:28.39\00:23:31.48
that most people get
00:23:31.51\00:23:33.22
because I was just
caught up with other things.
00:23:33.25\00:23:35.31
I'd gone also to the pastoral
training at the mission college.
00:23:35.34\00:23:38.77
It's a six-month
intensive program
00:23:38.80\00:23:41.15
which was quite
a blessing as well.
00:23:41.18\00:23:43.84
Another thing I
wanted to mention
00:23:43.87\00:23:45.65
is now I am
promised to a young lady.
00:23:45.68\00:23:50.36
Oh, how wonderful. Yes.
00:23:50.39\00:23:51.98
Congratulations
to you. Thank you.
00:23:52.01\00:23:54.26
My fiancee's name is Julie Vines
00:23:54.29\00:23:56.77
and we've been working
together up at Black Hill,
00:23:56.80\00:23:59.81
I'm sorry, up at Grand Rapids
00:23:59.84\00:24:03.51
ministering
together, visiting together.
00:24:03.54\00:24:06.10
She's living with one of the
local Bible workers right now
00:24:06.13\00:24:09.10
and so it's been a real
blessing to get to know her
00:24:09.13\00:24:12.56
and she's just been a real
support to me in the ministry
00:24:12.59\00:24:14.96
and, you know, it's
been a real blessing.
00:24:14.99\00:24:17.50
God has led us together
and it's very evident to us.
00:24:17.53\00:24:19.29
So God gave you a bonus. Yes.
00:24:19.32\00:24:22.49
I met her back in Colorado
about a year and a month ago.
00:24:22.52\00:24:26.97
So we've been to
Honduras together.
00:24:27.00\00:24:29.23
We've been to South Dakota
together, Colorado, Michigan
00:24:29.26\00:24:33.15
and it's been
quite an experience.
00:24:33.18\00:24:35.24
Well, Daniel, I want to ask you,
00:24:35.27\00:24:37.65
why do you want
to do all of this?
00:24:37.68\00:24:40.82
For a young person
that's listening to this program
00:24:40.85\00:24:42.89
that says, "Man, I
can't believe this guy.
00:24:42.92\00:24:44.94
He's totally changed
his life in 4 1/2 years."
00:24:44.97\00:24:47.98
What is your real
reason for wanting to go out
00:24:48.01\00:24:50.77
and work and just
labor for the Lord like this?
00:24:50.80\00:24:54.33
Well, I think one of the
major reasons I want to do this
00:24:54.36\00:24:57.25
is because as the
Bible says, I am dead.
00:24:57.28\00:25:01.27
The person that
used to live is gone.
00:25:01.30\00:25:03.70
Daniel that used to
drink and smoke and be angry
00:25:03.73\00:25:05.49
and frustrated, he is no more.
00:25:05.52\00:25:07.63
Christ now lives in me,
that's what the Bible says.
00:25:07.66\00:25:11.09
And so I believe
that by God's grace
00:25:11.12\00:25:13.23
and just spending time
in devotions with Christ
00:25:13.26\00:25:15.42
I've been converted and
it's Christ that's in me.
00:25:15.45\00:25:18.51
And He is still working
out His ministry on this earth
00:25:18.54\00:25:22.10
through me that He
started back 2000 years ago.
00:25:22.13\00:25:25.63
And so really it's
Christ, it's no longer Daniel.
00:25:25.66\00:25:28.89
So basically it's my
will because Christ is in me.
00:25:28.92\00:25:33.02
I want to do it for that reason.
00:25:33.05\00:25:36.06
That's beautiful.
I really appreciate
00:25:36.09\00:25:37.89
you're coming and
sharing your testimony.
00:25:37.92\00:25:39.95
And I like at this time to
invite our viewers at this time.
00:25:39.98\00:25:45.76
You may have said,
00:25:45.79\00:25:47.16
"Well, he has really made
some drastic changes in his life
00:25:47.19\00:25:51.34
but I am not sure that I
can do all of these things,
00:25:51.37\00:25:53.40
but I really would
like to have prayer
00:25:53.43\00:25:55.58
for the Holy
Spirit to touch my heart
00:25:55.61\00:25:57.10
and to make these changes."
00:25:57.13\00:25:59.24
Pastor Mesa, would you
make prayer time for us now?
00:25:59.27\00:26:01.87
I would love to. Thank you.
00:26:01.90\00:26:05.39
Father, it is
such a pleasure to know
00:26:05.42\00:26:08.60
that you are the God that sits
upon the throne of the universe,
00:26:08.63\00:26:11.93
ordering all things
according to the divine will.
00:26:11.96\00:26:15.41
And I just ask that you
would continue to bless us,
00:26:15.44\00:26:18.41
the viewers all around the world
00:26:18.44\00:26:20.09
that maybe are looking
for a change in their life
00:26:20.12\00:26:22.98
like you've
given to your servant.
00:26:23.01\00:26:25.42
And I just want to pray
00:26:25.45\00:26:26.82
that you would please
glorify your name in all things,
00:26:26.85\00:26:29.41
may it be that that one person,
00:26:29.44\00:26:30.81
that two people or the thousands
00:26:30.84\00:26:33.82
whoever it is that
are desirous of a change
00:26:33.85\00:26:35.99
that you would
reach down to them,
00:26:36.02\00:26:37.39
touch them and answer the
prayer that they may have.
00:26:37.42\00:26:40.79
Lord, how do I get to heaven?
00:26:40.82\00:26:43.02
I ask that you would
be merciful unto them.
00:26:43.05\00:26:45.12
Show them the
way of righteousness
00:26:45.15\00:26:46.52
and give them the desire as
you gave me to study the Bible
00:26:46.55\00:26:50.19
that they may show
themselves approved workman
00:26:50.22\00:26:52.87
that need not be ashamed.
00:26:52.90\00:26:54.67
And so we just thank you for all
00:26:54.70\00:26:56.09
and we just pray a
blessing on every single soul
00:26:56.12\00:26:59.84
that maybe hungering
and thirsting after you
00:26:59.87\00:27:02.19
and we give ourselves to
you in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:27:02.22\00:27:05.08
Amen. Amen.
00:27:05.11\00:27:07.25
Well, thank you so much for
coming to our program today.
00:27:07.28\00:27:09.71
It's been a real
pleasure meeting you
00:27:09.74\00:27:11.47
and we certainly
wish you the best
00:27:11.50\00:27:13.83
in all of your
endeavors for the Lord.
00:27:13.86\00:27:17.36
Tell us real quick, what is
your next project coming up?
00:27:17.39\00:27:20.25
We are doing evangelism
in Downtown Grand Rapids.
00:27:20.28\00:27:23.83
And we are getting
00:27:23.86\00:27:25.32
one of the downtown
open air amphitheaters.
00:27:25.35\00:27:28.35
We're going to be
holding a tent series
00:27:28.38\00:27:30.79
and hopefully the Lord
will bless with sheep's
00:27:30.82\00:27:35.04
that we can
bring in the sheep's.
00:27:35.07\00:27:36.44
Well, praise the Lord.
00:27:36.47\00:27:37.84
And when is that going to be?
00:27:37.87\00:27:39.24
That will be
hopefully in July this summer.
00:27:39.27\00:27:41.04
Okay, so for those of you
who are living in Grand Rapids
00:27:41.07\00:27:44.00
and you'd like to
have the opportunity
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.57
of meeting Pastor
Daniel Mesa in person
00:27:45.60\00:27:48.20
come on down to
the evangelistic series
00:27:48.23\00:27:50.61
that he will be
holding there this summer.
00:27:50.64\00:27:52.63
And until next time
may God richly bless you
00:27:52.66\00:27:55.13
in all that you do for Him.
00:27:55.16\00:27:56.93
Have a great day.
00:27:56.96\00:27:58.57