How do you feel
about working with people
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that many classify as
hopeless, totally hopeless,
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and extremely,
it's not easy is it?
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And it requires a
certain kind of thinking.
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Our guest today is a
pastor from Las Vegas, Nevada,
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which is a city not
known for its purity.
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We'll be right back.
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Welcome to Issues & Answers,
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and today we want to
focus on thinking about,
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and working for, and maybe
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changing our
attitude toward people
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who are classified
as extremely difficult.
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But you know,
God, loves every child,
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every person
born on planet Earth,
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we don't understand it.
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Because we can classify people
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and we think that some
people are just out there.
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But listen to what
he says, in the second,
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the third Chapter
of the book of Psalms.
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"But You, O Lord,
are a shield for me,"
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anyone can say that, anyone.
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"You, O Lord,
are a shield for me,"
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because God's word has
been given to this planet,
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He loves
everyone, and He wants us
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to all to
understand it and believe it.
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My glory and the One
who lifts up my head,
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if the people that redeemed
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too difficult are just out there
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and were afraid to
work with them, God says,
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"I lift up their head,
I'm gonna lift them up,
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I'm gonna give
them courage and hope.
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I cried to the
Lord with my voice,
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and He heard me
from His holy hill."
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Let's begin with prayer.
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Father in Heaven,
as we come to discuss
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this topic of difficult
people and difficult ministry,
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we just thank You that you have
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such a great heart
of compassion and love.
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And we ask that
You will bless us
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on this program
today and every viewer.
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And give us Your
thoughts, and Your attitudes,
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we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Our special guest
today is Pastor Peter Neri.
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Welcome. Hey, thank you, Ruthie.
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Glad you came.
I'm glad to be here.
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Peter Neri is pastor of the
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Paradise
Seventh-day Adventist church
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in Las Vegas, Nevada. Right.
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First of all,
Peter, how in the world
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did you get to the
city of Las Vegas, Nevada?
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I was so
surprised when you told me
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that you were pastoring.
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Because the last I heard,
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you had been a call
for an administrative post.
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In Indiana. In Indiana.
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And well, you were there
as director of the ministers.
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But then you had been
called by another conference
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I believed to be a president.
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And so, I was surprised
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when I heard from
you, and you said,
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"I'm pastor of the Paradise
Church in Las Vegas, Nevada."
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What happened?
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Well, I'll tell you,
it's an amazing story.
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In fact, when Jenny and I
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got to thinking
about Las Vegas, Nevada,
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we thought our
friends will think that
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we must have lost our minds.
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But it was a total surprise,
I was sitting on an airplane
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and I was
praying, which I always do
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when I get on an airplane,
and it was on that airplane
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that the Lord spoke to my mind.
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During that prayer indicating
that the Paradise Church
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in Las Vegas, Nevada
which I honestly knew
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very little about,
it was where I could do
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a very special ministry that
I've always had a heart to do,
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but I've never
had the opportunity
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in all the other locations
that I've been in the past.
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Wow, I really
believe that the Lord does
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prepare us for the
place that He wants us to be.
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In Isaiah 45:2 and 3, it says,
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I will go, this is
the voice of the Lord,
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"I will go before
you, and prepare the way,
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and break down gates of brass
and crash through iron bars."
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And that's really what you're
having to do in Las Vegas.
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Yeah, it really is.
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How long have
you been there now?
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Well, it was August, so we're
talking now almost one year.
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August of last
year we went there.
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And you have seen
people lives change.
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Oh, yeah. I got
a beautiful church,
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it's real easy, because I have
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such a beautiful
church full of on fire
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Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
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I was there and they
are beautiful people.
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Yeah, we had a good time,
that was really a neat time.
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And of course, I have to
just say this really quick,
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a lot of them are
there because of 3ABN
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which we down
link there in the city.
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That's great. Yeah.
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That's great. So.
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So, but, God has
given you a special heart
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for working with people who,
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many would
classify as too far gone.
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Yeah, it really has. And
I was thinking about that,
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I believe the roots of that,
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Ruthie, comes from
the book "Desire of Ages."
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I've read that
a number of times.
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In fact,
everywhere I've always been,
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I've encouraged my
church members to read it,
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I figure if, if I can say this,
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if there is one thing
that the Adventist church
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with the beautiful
message that we have in mission
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is we need that love
and compassion of Jesus.
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And nothing in my mind conveys
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it so gorgeously as
the book, "Desire of Ages."
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And don't you believe that
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any denomination could say that.
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I think every church needs
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the love and
compassion of Jesus.
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Yes, that is absolutely correct.
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That's the bottom-line.
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In that book exposes
Christ true character of love,
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and compassion, and
patience, and longsuffering.
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So, but you're right,
that goes for all churches.
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And it makes you love
Jesus. Yeah, oh, it does.
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And it makes you love
the people that He loves.
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So, but, what are you
doing in Las Vegas in terms of,
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of reaching these
difficult people, Peter?
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I know that on
Wednesdays you fast. Yes.
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And you go to a place
where you can overlook
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the entire city of Las
Vegas, and you just plead
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with the Lord for
the people of that city
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who are gone, they are just--
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and their consciences
are seared, aren't they?
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Yeah, they really are,
it's amazing how the depth
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to which their consciences
are, at least asleep.
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And we're there to
awaken it, but you know,
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there is a mountain there
on the south side of Las Vegas,
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actually Henderson is on
the south side of Las Vegas,
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and behind that
is a mount called
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Black Mountain,
interesting name.
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And the 3ABN tower
is on Black Mountain.
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And so my tech person took me
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up to the mountain
when I first got there.
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We walked it because
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we wanted to
exercise, it was quite a climb.
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And when we got
to the tower area,
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we looked over
our facility there.
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And I turned around and looked,
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and here's the entire valley
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spread out,
just like a postcard.
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And I suddenly
realized this is my prayer spot.
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And so now, every Wednesday
it's a Paradise church,
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day of fasting and prayer.
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And we have three specific
prayer times during the day,
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but in the morning
after the first prayer session
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I go up on that mountain
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and I pray over the
entire city, it's incredible.
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In fact, doing that I
want to tell our listeners,
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and doing that I have a
deeper burden now for the city.
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That's just what I
was gonna say, Peter.
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I really believe that
because you have been faithful,
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and the Lord himself
leads you up there, and says,
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"Open your eyes,
Peter, I want you to see this,
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this is my heart,
I really care about
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those people that
are lost in this city."
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And as a result
of your faithfulness
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to do what He
has asked you to do,
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He is giving you His heart. Yes.
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His love for people that are
extremely difficult to reach.
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And I wondered
some are scratching
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their heads thinking,
well, that sounds really neat,
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but I wonder if
that's really true.
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How can I emphasize to
you that this really happened?
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On that mountain I
no have a greater burden
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that I did before for Las Vegas,
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and some doors
are beginning to open.
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Tell us. Well, let me tell you,
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I stand in the
mountain and first
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I would sit on the
rock and I would pray.
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Just a minute, what time is
your first prayer service at?
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Six O'clock in the morning.
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Six O'clock. We
go from six to seven.
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Six to seven, and so people
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can come by on
their way to work.
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On their way to
work, before work,
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they meet at the
church and we pray.
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How many people
do you have there
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for your six o'clock meeting?
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Six O'clock and our 5:30
is the two biggest times,
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because we also do it at noon.
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But we have
anywhere from 10 to 15
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people that come
at both those times.
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Okay, so you meet at
six o'clock in the morning.
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At noon, and at
5:30 in the evening.
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And 5:30 in the
evening, and then that goes
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for an hour till 6:30, then
we start prayer meeting at 6:45.
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And by the time you get
there for prayer meeting.
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I'm tired. You're tired,
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and you haven't
eaten anything all day,
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but there is a spiritual energy.
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Oh, there is,
those prayer times,
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Ruthie, are so beautiful.
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You can't
understand what I'm saying
00:11:01.48\00:11:03.87
until you
experience it yourself.
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And I encourage
my church in some,
00:11:06.19\00:11:08.46
they're starting to be
more less reluctant and calm,
00:11:08.47\00:11:11.81
because they are
sitting, wondering.
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I don't want to
pray in front of anybody
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and I'd be
embraced what if I don't say
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the right thing and
it's so early in the morning.
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And, but slowly but
surely more are coming
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and more that comes
the greater the prayer is,
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and people are
really being blessed
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and prayers are being answered.
00:11:30.34\00:11:31.93
And the people who are coming
are receiving a huge blessing.
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Oh, yes, they are.
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And they can share
that with other people.
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That's
beautiful, so the last thing
00:11:40.48\00:11:42.94
in the evening is
your prayer meeting.
00:11:42.95\00:11:44.42
Yeah, then we
have prayer meeting.
00:11:44.43\00:11:46.44
And prayer meeting is when
you're suppose to pray because
00:11:46.45\00:11:48.74
it's called prayer
meeting but we study,
00:11:48.75\00:11:51.62
because an hour before
that we do the praying, so.
00:11:51.63\00:11:55.62
And like I said,
more, more people
00:11:55.63\00:11:56.97
are coming, it's exciting.
00:11:56.98\00:11:58.36
There must be a
lot of rejoicing,
00:11:58.37\00:12:00.39
because you've been praying,
00:12:00.40\00:12:02.59
you've been in
the Lord's presence,
00:12:02.60\00:12:03.89
you've been upon the mountain,
00:12:03.90\00:12:05.69
and things have
been happening all day.
00:12:05.70\00:12:08.43
When you fast and pray,
00:12:08.44\00:12:10.20
the Lord, meets you,
when you give Him time.
00:12:10.21\00:12:13.29
It's like, it's like maybe
00:12:13.30\00:12:16.48
this isn't a good
example maybe it is,
00:12:16.49\00:12:18.66
but, you know, if
you have an apple,
00:12:18.67\00:12:20.86
you can easily count
the seeds in an apple.
00:12:22.42\00:12:25.32
Okay, that's true.
00:12:26.35\00:12:27.53
But you could never count
00:12:27.54\00:12:28.94
the apples in a
seed, isn't that right?
00:12:28.95\00:12:33.52
That's true, that's right.
00:12:33.53\00:12:35.02
And so, when the Lord,
when you give God time,
00:12:35.03\00:12:39.59
and you say, Lord,
come and meet with us
00:12:39.60\00:12:42.04
and just let this
explode, have your own way,
00:12:42.05\00:12:45.94
do whatever you
want to do through us
00:12:45.95\00:12:48.28
and in this city,
He does, He's faithful.
00:12:48.29\00:12:51.65
Yeah, He is. And you know,
00:12:51.66\00:12:53.20
there is another
evolution going on.
00:12:53.21\00:12:55.34
You know, again to
encourage our listeners,
00:12:57.74\00:13:01.87
when we started this
even I didn't know exactly
00:13:01.88\00:13:04.95
what to do for
sure, but I did know this.
00:13:04.96\00:13:07.86
In Nevada, and as
particularly in Las Vegas,
00:13:07.87\00:13:14.20
the economy has really hit hard,
00:13:14.21\00:13:16.83
probably if not the worse,
00:13:16.84\00:13:18.95
one of the hardest hit
places in North America.
00:13:18.96\00:13:22.20
And we've had church members
who have lost their jobs,
00:13:22.21\00:13:25.94
and so one of the focuses
we started with is to pray
00:13:25.95\00:13:30.13
for our brothers and
sisters who were struggling
00:13:30.14\00:13:34.25
with making ends meet,
the fear of losing houses,
00:13:34.26\00:13:38.52
feed the kids,
what are we're gonna do,
00:13:38.53\00:13:41.01
where are we gonna go.
00:13:41.02\00:13:42.62
And so, we started and
as we continued to pray,
00:13:42.63\00:13:47.60
our focus not only left that,
but our focus began to shift
00:13:47.61\00:13:52.06
and we began to pray for
people who were interests,
00:13:52.07\00:13:56.26
as well as the
potential interests that we know
00:13:56.27\00:13:59.98
God know put us
in Las Vegas for.
00:13:59.99\00:14:03.44
And so, you know,
it's just because we did.
00:14:03.45\00:14:07.46
People who are interested
or should be interested.
00:14:07.47\00:14:10.26
Or should be interested. In Him.
00:14:10.27\00:14:11.74
In Him, so it's
evolved. That's great.
00:14:11.75\00:14:15.53
And the people who
you were praying for
00:14:15.54\00:14:18.32
are now praying
for other people.
00:14:18.33\00:14:19.77
And they're now
praying for other people
00:14:19.78\00:14:21.14
and it's amazing
to hear each person
00:14:21.15\00:14:23.27
praying for
somebody or something
00:14:23.28\00:14:25.66
and actually pleading
with God in their behalf.
00:14:25.67\00:14:28.28
Peter, I wanted to
ask you, how do you think
00:14:29.34\00:14:34.15
or why do you think God
laid this burden on your heart
00:14:34.16\00:14:37.66
other than
reading Desire of Ages.
00:14:38.97\00:14:40.94
A lot of us read Desire of Ages,
00:14:41.99\00:14:43.63
but you have been
given a special heart
00:14:43.64\00:14:47.95
of compassion for people who,
00:14:47.96\00:14:51.78
most people would
say, are totally hopeless.
00:14:51.79\00:14:54.12
And afraid to work with,
they don't want to be tended
00:14:55.38\00:14:58.71
by that kind of
environment really.
00:14:59.63\00:15:01.87
And a lot of people don't even
00:15:02.99\00:15:04.32
like to drive down
the strip in Las Vegas.
00:15:04.33\00:15:09.18
My wife for
example. Yeah, because.
00:15:09.19\00:15:11.39
She said, "we're not
gonna look at those pictures,
00:15:11.40\00:15:13.18
I'm not taking my boys there."
00:15:13.19\00:15:15.32
I mean, it's
terrible, it's so visual
00:15:15.33\00:15:18.47
and so obvious, blatant.
00:15:18.48\00:15:21.65
The enemy is obviously
trying to destroy people
00:15:21.66\00:15:26.86
with pornography
that is so obvious,
00:15:26.87\00:15:31.57
and every kind
of crime and vice,
00:15:31.58\00:15:34.73
and temptation that he can
put out there before people.
00:15:34.74\00:15:39.71
So, but God has
given you a heart.
00:15:41.44\00:15:43.56
He's given me a heart.
00:15:43.57\00:15:44.54
To care for people that
a lot of people would shun,
00:15:44.55\00:15:48.31
they'd say, oh, you know,
00:15:48.32\00:15:49.95
it's easier to work with
somebody that I can trust.
00:15:49.96\00:15:53.09
Because these people are so,
00:15:53.10\00:15:56.15
so used to living
a life of deception.
00:15:56.16\00:15:58.62
When you're doing something,
00:15:59.90\00:16:01.81
living a lifestyle
of impurity you deceived
00:16:01.82\00:16:05.15
in other things too to cover up.
00:16:05.16\00:16:06.98
And so these are not
people you can trust.
00:16:08.74\00:16:11.01
No, you know, I want to start
an answer to your questions,
00:16:11.02\00:16:16.39
a question with
relating to you and experience
00:16:16.40\00:16:20.81
that I had with my own
self when I came into contact
00:16:20.82\00:16:26.36
with that
beautiful verse in Psalms,
00:16:26.37\00:16:28.33
"What is man, that
thou art mindful of him?"
00:16:28.34\00:16:30.47
You see, I,
because of my parents
00:16:31.65\00:16:34.98
I was raised in
a very nice home.
00:16:34.99\00:16:36.93
I worked in a clothing
store so I know how to dress,
00:16:39.50\00:16:42.35
I went to college
and I got a degree,
00:16:44.10\00:16:46.17
but what no one knew
was I may have looked good
00:16:47.70\00:16:50.20
on the inside but my outside
but my inside was horrible.
00:16:50.21\00:16:54.61
And when the
realization came to me that
00:16:56.00\00:16:58.32
God was actually
speaking to me personally,
00:16:58.33\00:17:01.16
that even though if you knew
me prior to my conversation,
00:17:03.31\00:17:06.30
you'd have thought I
was a pretty neat person.
00:17:06.31\00:17:08.41
I knew the truth I
wasn't, and God cared about me.
00:17:09.76\00:17:15.30
And I think that's
where it started that text,
00:17:15.31\00:17:17.69
"What is man that
thou even bother with him?"
00:17:17.70\00:17:20.90
Why are you even spending
time much less dying for him?
00:17:22.31\00:17:25.74
So I think it started there.
00:17:25.75\00:17:28.34
And, you know,
Peter, when we realize
00:17:28.35\00:17:31.42
how much we have been forgiven
00:17:31.43\00:17:34.62
and the Lord is so
willing and able to forgive us,
00:17:34.63\00:17:39.37
and to pardon us,
and to take our sins
00:17:39.38\00:17:41.50
as far as the
East is from the West,
00:17:41.51\00:17:43.72
and doesn't
remember them anymore.
00:17:43.73\00:17:45.70
And then he says,
now forgive like that.
00:17:45.71\00:17:48.49
Yeah. Forgive.
00:17:48.50\00:17:50.39
And that is not
easy, it's a process,
00:17:50.40\00:17:53.52
and it's a
continual turning to him
00:17:53.53\00:17:56.26
for the strength
and guidance to do that.
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.68
Right, and I think also from
the beautiful numerous tapes
00:17:58.69\00:18:06.46
that we have from
various speakers in our church,
00:18:06.47\00:18:09.56
I was convicted
early upon my conversion.
00:18:09.57\00:18:12.82
Remember I came into this church
00:18:12.83\00:18:14.22
at 26 years of
age, I had formulated
00:18:14.23\00:18:17.67
a lot of opinions and lived
a lot of life to that point
00:18:17.68\00:18:21.41
and I learned about a
daily devotional life.
00:18:21.42\00:18:25.72
If anything has helped me
in the daily devotional life
00:18:28.53\00:18:33.20
is to remind me of
my daily need of Jesus.
00:18:33.21\00:18:36.26
So that that desire to reach out
00:18:36.27\00:18:38.75
and help somebody
else stays constant,
00:18:38.76\00:18:42.90
or actually it
doesn't stay constant,
00:18:42.91\00:18:45.50
it grows but it's there
because I don't let it die,
00:18:45.51\00:18:50.21
because I have to
spend my time with the Lord.
00:18:50.22\00:18:53.19
Don't you believe,
Peter, that when we are
00:18:53.20\00:18:56.32
in His presence in
the morning, He change us.
00:18:56.33\00:19:01.02
You're not the same person
00:19:01.03\00:19:02.92
when you leave
your prayer closet
00:19:02.93\00:19:04.91
as you were when you walked in.
00:19:04.92\00:19:06.53
That's an amazing
thing, but that's true.
00:19:07.89\00:19:10.54
It is true, and
as Ellen White says,
00:19:10.55\00:19:12.92
"Mind comes into
contact with infinity."
00:19:12.93\00:19:15.90
My mind comes into connection
00:19:15.91\00:19:18.90
with divinity and
infinity, it's just amazing.
00:19:18.91\00:19:24.18
And that's the only
hope I have by the way,
00:19:25.85\00:19:28.81
that's the only
reason I'm a minister too,
00:19:28.82\00:19:30.57
because as long as I do
that I can be a minister, so.
00:19:30.58\00:19:34.85
So you love these
people of Las Vegas,
00:19:34.86\00:19:38.87
what kind of
experiences have you had
00:19:38.88\00:19:40.73
that have
encouraged you that the Lord
00:19:40.74\00:19:42.40
put you there and that
you're on the right track?
00:19:42.41\00:19:44.58
I'll tell you, first of
all, in our church we have
00:19:45.93\00:19:51.50
a number of converts again
00:19:51.51\00:19:55.17
from my recollection
most of them watching 3ABN.
00:19:55.18\00:19:59.41
Who were ex-druggies,
who were prostitutes,
00:19:59.42\00:20:04.55
horrible alcoholics, who are now
00:20:07.07\00:20:10.42
deacons, deaconesses?
00:20:10.43\00:20:12.95
Probably have a lot of gamblers.
00:20:14.86\00:20:16.75
Oh, yeah,
definitely, a lot of gamblers
00:20:16.76\00:20:18.57
and you know, it's funny,
I don't identify with that.
00:20:18.58\00:20:22.95
Here I am in Las Vegas,
00:20:22.96\00:20:24.89
but since I never
really gambled even though
00:20:24.90\00:20:26.78
I had my other
vices prior to conversion.
00:20:26.79\00:20:30.34
I have a hard time
connecting with that.
00:20:30.35\00:20:33.16
But I've got people in my church
00:20:33.17\00:20:35.70
that God had reached
00:20:35.71\00:20:37.88
that I thought
should have been dead,
00:20:37.89\00:20:40.41
it's a miracle they're alive.
00:20:40.42\00:20:42.06
Explain. Okay.
00:20:42.07\00:20:44.08
They had gone so
far in their experience
00:20:44.09\00:20:47.41
that the fact
that they were able to
00:20:47.42\00:20:49.23
disentangle from
the, from the huge amount
00:20:49.24\00:20:52.96
of baggage that they
had encumbered themselves
00:20:52.97\00:20:55.63
with through their addictions,
00:20:55.64\00:20:57.11
and behaviors, and habits.
00:20:57.12\00:20:58.84
That they found like 3ABN on TV.
00:21:00.57\00:21:04.68
And slowly but surely they found
00:21:04.69\00:21:07.27
the power to extract themselves,
00:21:07.28\00:21:09.51
they limped or even
crawled to the church.
00:21:09.52\00:21:13.08
They found friendship
there from other people.
00:21:13.09\00:21:16.48
Who understood their
polite and were loved
00:21:16.49\00:21:19.93
and nurtured instead of judged
00:21:19.94\00:21:22.09
and you know, look down upon.
00:21:22.10\00:21:25.23
Isn't that good? Oh,
yeah, it's wonderful.
00:21:25.24\00:21:27.88
And this is
what we have to have.
00:21:27.89\00:21:29.37
We have to have
that and that only comes
00:21:29.38\00:21:32.74
from a real
personal relationship
00:21:32.75\00:21:35.03
with Jesus Christ. That's right.
00:21:35.04\00:21:37.37
Because people who are living
a lifestyle of hopelessness
00:21:37.38\00:21:42.84
have to have the genuine thing,
00:21:44.14\00:21:45.58
because they're not
gonna be helped by a phony.
00:21:46.81\00:21:49.66
No, they're not.
00:21:49.67\00:21:51.45
And so these people
now I hooked them up,
00:21:51.46\00:21:54.18
we find somebody who's
had a similar experience.
00:21:54.19\00:21:57.41
And I go with
them, and I sit there
00:21:57.42\00:21:59.25
and marvel at what they say.
00:21:59.26\00:22:02.44
Wow, because they know.
00:22:02.45\00:22:03.56
Because they know, and I'm,
each time I do that I learn.
00:22:03.57\00:22:08.38
Sure. I learn more and more.
00:22:08.39\00:22:10.25
And then, Ruthie,
again my heart just
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.72
ache for them more and more,
00:22:13.73\00:22:15.61
and I want to get
involve more and more.
00:22:15.62\00:22:17.53
And so it's slowly evolving
in this direction to where
00:22:18.57\00:22:22.87
we're now trying to actually
develop a street ministry.
00:22:22.88\00:22:26.69
As you describe that Peter,
00:22:28.64\00:22:30.54
I somehow could
picture in my mind
00:22:30.55\00:22:33.23
how you're in this
room with these people
00:22:33.24\00:22:37.42
with one person
disciplining another
00:22:37.43\00:22:39.91
and you're
disciplining them both,
00:22:39.92\00:22:42.00
and you're praying for them.
00:22:42.01\00:22:43.78
And the room is full of angels.
00:22:43.79\00:22:46.12
Full of angels.
Don't you believe that?
00:22:46.13\00:22:48.33
I believe that,
and by the way, Ruthie,
00:22:48.34\00:22:50.48
sometimes I think
they're actually mentoring me
00:22:50.49\00:22:53.79
as I listen to them minister.
00:22:53.80\00:22:56.18
You know, I'm
just, it amazes me,
00:22:56.19\00:22:59.27
because their sincerity,
00:22:59.28\00:23:00.89
their commitment,
their earnestness.
00:23:00.90\00:23:02.74
God really did this for
me, He can do it for you.
00:23:02.75\00:23:06.13
You can be free but
you gotta turn to Jesus.
00:23:06.14\00:23:09.51
And that's exactly
what they need to hear.
00:23:09.52\00:23:11.66
And when somebody
says, I was where you are,
00:23:13.40\00:23:17.07
I was once where you are today,
00:23:17.08\00:23:19.52
but because of the grace
of God, I'm now standing.
00:23:19.53\00:23:23.36
Yes, and they say it,
and tears come to their eyes,
00:23:23.37\00:23:27.80
tears come to my
eyes, it's just amazing.
00:23:27.81\00:23:31.09
I want to share
something with you
00:23:31.10\00:23:32.98
that I think
it's just so powerful.
00:23:32.99\00:23:35.95
It's a song
written by Rodney Griffin
00:23:35.96\00:23:39.03
and it just says what
we've been talking about.
00:23:39.04\00:23:41.90
"Since the day
that I surrendered
00:23:41.91\00:23:44.52
Many years have come and gone
00:23:44.53\00:23:46.86
Joy and sadness I remember
00:23:46.87\00:23:49.42
Lord, You were
faithful all along.
00:23:49.43\00:23:52.65
You brought me
through my lowest valley
00:23:52.66\00:23:55.21
You brought me
cross the desert dry
00:23:56.22\00:23:59.23
You were my
friend when I was lonely
00:23:59.24\00:24:02.71
You whispered
peace and made me smile
00:24:02.72\00:24:06.48
As I survey the joy and sorrow
00:24:06.49\00:24:09.46
I find your love
remains the same.
00:24:09.47\00:24:13.20
So, I will
trust you for tomorrow
00:24:13.21\00:24:15.66
For You were faithful yesterday
00:24:16.93\00:24:20.34
By Your power I'm still standing
00:24:20.35\00:24:24.59
By Your grace I have been saved
00:24:24.60\00:24:28.00
By Your mercy I'm still trusting
00:24:28.01\00:24:31.16
That you will
take me all the way
00:24:31.17\00:24:33.65
And then it goes back.
00:24:35.82\00:24:37.66
You brought me
through my lowest valley
00:24:37.67\00:24:40.15
You brought me
across the desert dry
00:24:40.16\00:24:42.11
You were my
friend when I was lonely
00:24:42.12\00:24:45.20
You whispered
peace and made me smile
00:24:45.21\00:24:48.28
As I survey the joy and sorrow
00:24:48.29\00:24:51.51
I find your
love remains the same
00:24:51.52\00:24:55.00
So I will trust you for tomorrow
00:24:55.01\00:24:57.79
For You were faithful yesterday.
00:24:57.80\00:24:59.71
And, Peter, that's exactly
00:24:59.72\00:25:01.44
what these people need to hear.
00:25:01.45\00:25:02.64
Yeah, they do.
00:25:02.65\00:25:03.77
They need to hear
somebody authentic say,
00:25:03.78\00:25:07.97
"He's faithful,
and I've tested it."
00:25:07.98\00:25:10.91
And all through
scripture God says, "Test Me."
00:25:11.93\00:25:14.80
Yeah, He does.
00:25:14.81\00:25:15.80
In fact, Ruthie,
I just remembered
00:25:15.81\00:25:19.34
in Isaiah 50 verse 4,
you know, we talked about
00:25:19.35\00:25:23.11
this text so much
and this is so real
00:25:23.12\00:25:28.99
and so needed in all our lives,
00:25:30.29\00:25:32.55
and you know that one.
00:25:33.72\00:25:34.95
The Lord God has
given me the tongue,
00:25:34.96\00:25:38.69
my Bible says of a
disciple or in King James
00:25:38.70\00:25:41.60
the tongue of the learned, that
00:25:41.61\00:25:43.11
I may know how to
sustain a weary one with a word.
00:25:43.12\00:25:47.13
He awaken me, morning by morning
00:25:48.44\00:25:51.51
He awakens my ear to
listen as a disciple.
00:25:51.52\00:25:55.61
Isn't that good? Yes.
00:25:55.62\00:25:56.77
And we forget that
these people who are lost,
00:25:56.78\00:26:00.24
and who are out
there, and in these
00:26:00.25\00:26:02.65
horrible lifestyles
of darkness are weary,
00:26:02.66\00:26:07.74
they are not happy,
00:26:07.75\00:26:09.00
they are not receiving the hope,
00:26:09.01\00:26:11.81
and the happiness, and the joy,
00:26:11.82\00:26:13.38
and the fulfillment that
they thought they'd find there.
00:26:13.39\00:26:16.46
They are there
because the girls,
00:26:16.47\00:26:19.32
the young girls as you were
telling me, are prostitutes,
00:26:19.33\00:26:22.80
many of them
because of a drug habit.
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.86
And then the men,
who are overseeing
00:26:26.80\00:26:30.60
and taking part of this money
00:26:30.61\00:26:33.33
are just further enslaving them.
00:26:33.34\00:26:36.75
Yeah. What a horrible life.
00:26:36.76\00:26:39.34
It is, and imagine
that God has gifted us
00:26:39.35\00:26:42.95
with the message and
the method to reach them,
00:26:42.96\00:26:46.09
and we're afraid or timid,
00:26:46.10\00:26:48.30
and that's where
we're building to get to.
00:26:48.31\00:26:50.82
In fact, Ruthie, let
me tell you something,
00:26:50.83\00:26:52.63
I want to share
this with our listeners
00:26:52.64\00:26:56.11
and I want to say it just right.
00:26:56.12\00:26:58.06
Because I don't
want to sound critical,
00:26:58.07\00:26:59.86
but I was on the
strip the other day,
00:26:59.87\00:27:01.57
and I noticed
the sign for held up
00:27:02.97\00:27:05.65
by a Christian group that
says, "Repent or go to Hell."
00:27:05.66\00:27:09.84
And it really
hurt me in my heart
00:27:11.23\00:27:15.82
because that's not
the character of God.
00:27:15.83\00:27:18.41
And there was no
one there to help them
00:27:18.42\00:27:20.50
to show them how
they already feel guilty.
00:27:20.51\00:27:24.36
Well, right that you know,
00:27:24.37\00:27:26.71
when we look at
Ministry of Healing 143,
00:27:26.72\00:27:31.35
Christ method alone
00:27:31.36\00:27:32.91
will reach the
people, He mingled with them.
00:27:32.92\00:27:35.74
That's right. Ellen White says,
00:27:35.75\00:27:37.00
"We must give them
words of encouragement."
00:27:37.01\00:27:39.97
That's right, that's right.
00:27:39.98\00:27:42.12
Well, our time is
about gone, but, Peter,
00:27:42.13\00:27:45.07
you have really I
hope stirred up our minds
00:27:45.08\00:27:49.49
and given us
something to think about.
00:27:49.50\00:27:51.63
I hope that you
and I, and all of us
00:27:51.64\00:27:54.55
will really pray
for these people.
00:27:54.56\00:27:57.03
And pray that God
will open doors of ministry
00:27:57.04\00:28:00.15
so that more and more
can find true salvation.
00:28:00.16\00:28:03.63
Thank you for
joining us, we just hope
00:28:03.64\00:28:06.06
that your life will
be more and more blessed.
00:28:06.07\00:28:08.38
We'll see you next time.
00:28:08.39\00:28:09.47