There are many people today
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who are following an aberrant,
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unhappy lifestyle,
looking for happiness
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in all the wrong places.
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But God wants
them to hear His voice,
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He has a better plan for them.
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We have someone
here with us today
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from Las Vegas, Nevada,
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I know that
you're gonna be blessed
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and you'll want to hear him.
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We'll be right back.
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Welcome to Issues and Answers.
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Today, we'd like to
focus on what we do,
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how we think, how we feel
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about reaching out
to people around us,
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who have different
lifestyle choices than ours.
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When you think of
people who are openly following
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a gay lifestyle, or
lesbian, or prostitution,
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or alcohol, gambling, drugs,
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these are things
that you want to deny.
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You want to say, that
doesn't happen in our family,
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that doesn't happen in
our city, in our church.
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We don't know of
anybody who is living like that.
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Oh, yes, we do.
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This probably touches
every family in someway.
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Every family has
someone that fits that category,
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that that qualification
or some close friend.
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There are people all around us
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who are struggling with
these habits and lifestyles.
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And it really is
important to us as Christians
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to look within and
decide how do I feel
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about working
with people like this?
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Can I welcome
them into my heart,
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into my home, into my church?
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How can I be of
help in their life?
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In Psalm 26, it says,
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"Redeem me and
be merciful to me.
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My foot stands in an even place,
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in the congregations
I will bless the Lord."
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I believe God is saying,
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"I want all of the
people created in my image
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to hear my
voice, I want everyone
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to have an
opportunity for salvation."
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Our guest today
is a dear friend,
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Pastor Peter Neri.
Thank you for being here.
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And Peter is a pastor
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of the Paradise
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The city that they
proudly call 'Sin City.'
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Sin City, that's right,
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that's where we're
from, believe it or not.
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Describe the city to us,
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I was appalled, Peter.
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The first time I
got off the airport,
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I mean, at the air, got
off the plane at the airport,
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the first thing you
see, you're surrounded
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by one armed
bandits they call them,
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you feel like
you're in a casino.
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Gambling everywhere.
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It's pretty
prevalent not to mention,
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Ruthie, the
billboards everywhere
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and even the neon moving images
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in the baggage claim
area showing revealing shots
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of all different kinds.
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Pornography.
It's incredible, yes.
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Yes, you can't even
get out of the airport.
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And it's amazing,
because you think,
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"Well, I'm gonna
pick up some groceries."
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You can't go to a grocery store,
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because gambling is there and--
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The gas stations.
Every service station.
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This is a city
of gambling. It is.
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And vice of all
kinds, sin of all kinds.
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This is why people proudly
advertised that as Sin City.
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Sin City, yeah. And
someone was telling us,
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I was talking to Benn,
one of the camera men here
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just before we started this.
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And he said, when he
was in Las Vegas recently,
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walking down the street,
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he looked at the faces of people
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and he did not see happiness.
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Maybe some people
had lost their last money
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in gambling or were coming
to the city for a divorce,
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or you know, all
kinds of tragedies
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because of those lifestyles.
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It's a very
prevalent thing in Las Vegas,
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and the sadness, and the
degradation is very obvious
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and that's why we're there,
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we're there because we
need to reach these people
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and we're working on that.
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And you know,
Peter, you said that,
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you actually have
people walking into your church
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who have said, I
have seen the Lord,
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I've seen the gospel on 3ABN,
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and I have found hope,
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and so I want to
come and worship with you.
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It's amazing, it happens almost,
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if, every Sabbath. Wow!
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We have somebody
come in and they had,
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had not been there before.
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Have you gone to
the Bellagio or the Wynn
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or some of those huge places
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that are multi
million dollar structures,
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just to try to meet
people and to share the gospel
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or to pray with people,
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how do you
minister in Las Vegas?
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Well, we're, the
first thing we're doing is
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we're opening our arms to
those who walk in the doors,
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we were starting there,
that first initial contact
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is absolutely
essential that the people know
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they're in a safe place where
they're not gonna be judged.
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And yes, I've been down there,
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we go down and we were
in the preliminary stages,
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I should say,
of checking it out,
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and we've seen
what Benn mentioned,
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the unhappiness that's there.
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And we're trying to figure out
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how exactly to get in
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and we're
working on that right now
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and that's gonna happen shortly.
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Tell me about, is it a deacon?
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Yes. Tell me about him.
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Okay, one of my deacons is a man
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who used to drive a limo.
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And of course, he's
had some very famous people
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that he's picked
up at the airport
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and he drives from
one casino to the other.
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And of course, he goes
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to a farther away
city called Pahrump,
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about a half
hour from Las Vegas,
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where they have those legal
houses of prostitution there.
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And all the whole bowl
of waxes, drugs, alcohol,
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all of that goes together
even for the limo drivers.
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And in his absolute
lowest point of his life,
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he found 3ABN.
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3ABN on the UHF
Station in Las Vegas,
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that the Paradise
Church and some of the other
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Adventist
Churches there downlink.
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And he found the
hope that he needed,
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he found the
encouragement that he wanted,
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and he found the power necessary
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to change his life. Amen.
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And now he is one of
my most active members.
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In fact, when he's in-charge
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of the food bank that we have.
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When anytime anybody wants food
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he will drop
whatever he is doing,
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he comes to the
church, he helps them out.
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Why does he do that?
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Because he found the
hope in help through Jesus
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and you should hear
Him talk to those people.
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Oh, and He knows
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what does like to
be on the other side.
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He does, and He
wants them to know,
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what he now knows.
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He wants them to experience
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what he experienced.
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You do a lot with food
for the homeless don't you?
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Yeah, and also
every Sabbath afternoon
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we have a group that goes out,
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one of my other
elders heads that up
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who used to be
in the board walk,
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down in Atlantic
City, is a pretty wild guy.
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Isn't that interesting?
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And he found through 3ABN
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the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
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He had moved to Las Vegas,
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now, he's one of my
elders and he's in-charge
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of going out
feeding the homeless,
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the group that goes
out every single Sabbath
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to feed the
homeless on the street.
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And they bring their literature,
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they talk with the people,
they pray with the people.
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It is so exciting to see
the tears come to their eyes.
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They're looking
for hope, Ruthie,
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and just to be
present there and to bring
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a kind word to them, it
just sort of revives them again.
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We talk to them about,
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where you're at
right now, what's going on,
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we make suggestions on things
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that could maybe
help the next step
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you could take to get
off the street if necessary.
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It's just not only
amazing but to be part of it
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is one of the greatest joys.
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Tell me about this
deacon that is going to be,
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is he on the police staff?
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No, he's not a deacon. Okay.
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I have an officer in the
Las Vegas Police Department,
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whose wife is a member
and he's coming to church,
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and he is very
interested in the church,
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he himself is not a
Seventh-day Adventist.
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And he's on the Vice Squad,
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and his wife tells me
the stories of how he feels
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when he makes a bust
down in the strip that's,
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that is their
job, to go down there
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and to make a
bust and they get these
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13, 14, 15-year-old young girls
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that have been prostituted
by running away from home,
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they're contacted
by certain individuals
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who then usually get
them involved in drugs.
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Methamphetamine.
Methamphetamine,
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is the main drug.
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yes, and once they're into that,
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they easily transfer them
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into the sex trade
and they become slaves.
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And by the way,
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when they share
their money with this man,
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the bulk of their
money goes to him.
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Sure, yeah. Not
to her, and so this--
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In fact, if I'm not wrong,
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she barely has enough
for food and clothing.
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But she does,
they give her enough,
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I think to her Methamphetamine
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to keep her going.
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And what a sad life.
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And you know, you see
pictures of these girls,
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beautiful,
wholesome, healthy. Oh, yes.
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Young girls, and then
just a few years later
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they look like
they're 50 and 60,
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because Meth will do that,
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changes the color of their hair,
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they lose their teeth,
it's just a horrible life,
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and their life is over
really as far as emotionally
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and physically,
their health is gone,
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it's a very sad
choice that they make.
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It really is, it's very sad.
00:11:47.42\00:11:49.48
And of course,
we know that Jesus
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is the only
answer, the only solution,
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the only power available
to them to get them off that.
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And that's why
I'm so interested,
00:11:59.72\00:12:02.88
because I'm now in communication
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with a Police
Officer, and it looks like
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it's very likely that I
will now be part of his group
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as a Chaplin, sort to speak.
00:12:13.63\00:12:16.33
And then I can get
involved after the bust is over
00:12:16.34\00:12:20.90
and try to help
these individuals
00:12:20.91\00:12:23.51
that they arrest to
get back on their feet
00:12:23.52\00:12:26.20
and to hear this
wonderful message.
00:12:26.21\00:12:28.01
Now, are they
arresting the girls,
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or they arresting
the pimps or both?
00:12:30.58\00:12:33.14
They're actually
targeting the girls
00:12:33.15\00:12:36.64
in order to figure
out who the pimps are.
00:12:36.65\00:12:39.19
Okay. They want
to help the girls.
00:12:39.20\00:12:42.10
Sure. But they
want to get the pimps.
00:12:42.11\00:12:44.85
And so that's how they do it,
00:12:44.86\00:12:48.48
and I'll tell you,
he, to hear the stories,
00:12:48.49\00:12:55.43
he'll, his wife
told me, he calls home
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and the first thing he
asks, is where is my daughter?
00:12:59.26\00:13:03.58
How old does their daughter?
00:13:04.82\00:13:06.03
Sixteen. Oh!
00:13:06.04\00:13:08.18
And, honey, she is
at home, she is at home,
00:13:08.19\00:13:12.37
she knows exactly why he called,
00:13:12.38\00:13:14.11
she knows exactly
what he's feeling.
00:13:14.12\00:13:16.12
But he's so torn up.
00:13:16.13\00:13:17.25
He's torn up, he is torn up.
00:13:17.26\00:13:19.36
And so, and by
the way, that's why
00:13:19.37\00:13:21.40
I would like to
get involved with them,
00:13:21.41\00:13:23.17
if nothing else,
to help the officers
00:13:23.18\00:13:25.90
that have to deal with
this every single night.
00:13:25.91\00:13:29.19
I can't imagine how
they feel dealing with this.
00:13:29.20\00:13:32.30
Got to be devastating. Oh, yeah.
00:13:32.31\00:13:34.30
And also the
disappointment he told me,
00:13:36.19\00:13:38.89
when after they
make a successful bust
00:13:38.90\00:13:41.45
and they transfer the
girl over to a safe place
00:13:41.46\00:13:45.16
to find her back on
the street two weeks later,
00:13:45.17\00:13:48.37
because she didn't know
00:13:48.38\00:13:49.35
what else to do,
and where else to go.
00:13:49.36\00:13:50.98
And if she
doesn't have some help
00:13:50.99\00:13:53.02
to get off the drugs. Right.
00:13:53.03\00:13:55.30
She's going to
go back to get money
00:13:55.31\00:13:57.35
for the drug habit.
00:13:57.36\00:13:58.72
Yeah, and that's
what we're hoping
00:13:58.73\00:14:01.16
that I can get involved now,
00:14:01.17\00:14:02.99
get some of my
church members involved,
00:14:03.00\00:14:04.85
two have already volunteered.
00:14:04.86\00:14:06.69
And we're gonna
start networking to see
00:14:06.70\00:14:08.53
if we can take the
necessary steps to provide
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.97
all the needed things
for these girls to get off.
00:14:10.98\00:14:14.29
And you know what,
Ruthie, I got to say this,
00:14:14.30\00:14:17.28
it's difficult as it
is for me to say this,
00:14:17.29\00:14:21.95
we also have to figure
out how to help the pimp.
00:14:21.96\00:14:26.15
I can't imagine
that Jesus loves the pimp
00:14:26.16\00:14:28.77
just as much as He
loves me but it's true.
00:14:28.78\00:14:32.24
And they deserve to
know the hope and help.
00:14:32.25\00:14:35.64
They have gotten
into that lifestyle. Yes.
00:14:35.65\00:14:37.91
Because of
something in their background,
00:14:37.92\00:14:40.36
sometimes, they grow up
in very dysfunctional homes
00:14:40.37\00:14:44.40
and they're treated
like they have no worth.
00:14:44.41\00:14:47.35
Someone said
that, many of the people
00:14:47.36\00:14:50.52
who are in the
penitentiary were told,
00:14:50.53\00:14:53.45
and I think, it's something
like 50 or 60% of the people
00:14:53.46\00:14:57.69
who are there were
told by their parents
00:14:57.70\00:15:00.73
one or both
parents, you are worthless,
00:15:00.74\00:15:03.67
you're trash, you
are gonna just end up
00:15:03.68\00:15:06.29
in the penitentiary someday.
00:15:06.30\00:15:08.73
Well, when the child hears that.
00:15:08.74\00:15:10.42
Self fulfilling prophecy.
00:15:10.43\00:15:11.85
That's right. When
a child hears that,
00:15:11.86\00:15:15.17
parents get what they expect.
00:15:15.18\00:15:17.56
And that kind of thing is
so damaging, so destructive.
00:15:17.57\00:15:22.17
I don't know, if
you were with us,
00:15:22.18\00:15:24.48
but this was several years ago
00:15:24.49\00:15:25.90
before you went to Las Vegas.
00:15:25.91\00:15:29.69
The National Prayer
Committee was in Las Vegas.
00:15:29.70\00:15:33.44
Oh, yes, I remembered, yes,
00:15:33.45\00:15:35.65
they had one of
their meetings there.
00:15:35.66\00:15:37.43
Yes, and we held the meetings
00:15:37.44\00:15:41.36
in one of the large
churches in Las Vegas.
00:15:41.37\00:15:43.59
And the pastor was telling us
00:15:43.60\00:15:45.18
that a woman was driving home
00:15:45.19\00:15:49.40
to her apartment one evening,
00:15:49.41\00:15:51.74
and she was a prostitute,
00:15:51.75\00:15:54.85
she had $700 in her purse,
00:15:54.86\00:15:58.64
she was driving
home and she saw,
00:15:58.65\00:16:00.65
it may have been
a Wednesday night.
00:16:00.66\00:16:02.51
She had to come up this
hill, and pass this large church
00:16:02.52\00:16:05.58
and there were a lot of
cars in the parking lot,
00:16:05.59\00:16:08.61
the light in the church was on.
00:16:08.62\00:16:10.72
And something just
spoke to her heart and said,
00:16:10.73\00:16:13.99
pull in here and see
what's going on in this place.
00:16:14.00\00:16:17.01
You need something
that you don't have.
00:16:17.02\00:16:20.19
And she walked into the church,
00:16:20.20\00:16:22.51
stayed there for
the prayer meeting.
00:16:22.52\00:16:25.53
And went forward at the
end and told the pastor,
00:16:25.54\00:16:28.34
I just need to
have you pray for me,
00:16:28.35\00:16:30.27
I'm a very unhappy
and worthless woman.
00:16:30.28\00:16:34.52
But she said, "I have $700
00:16:34.53\00:16:36.38
and I just want to give
that here as my offering."
00:16:36.39\00:16:40.63
And they prayed with
her, she found the Lord,
00:16:40.64\00:16:45.23
the Lord found her and she now
00:16:45.24\00:16:48.89
is one of the people
working in the church,
00:16:48.90\00:16:52.58
it showed, they showed a picture
00:16:52.59\00:16:54.59
of her standing beside people
00:16:54.60\00:16:57.38
when they're baptized. Oh yeah.
00:16:57.39\00:16:59.46
That because
she shares her hope,
00:16:59.47\00:17:02.17
and her
experience, and tells them,
00:17:02.18\00:17:04.35
this is real,
God can do anything.
00:17:04.36\00:17:07.38
And this is really the message
00:17:07.39\00:17:08.85
that people are dying to hear.
00:17:08.86\00:17:11.45
Yeah, it is, and,
and you know, I'm sure
00:17:11.46\00:17:13.32
as our listeners are
listening to you right now,
00:17:13.33\00:17:16.91
they're saying, "Well,
00:17:16.92\00:17:17.89
I've never had that experience,
00:17:17.90\00:17:19.62
so I really can't
do anything about it."
00:17:19.63\00:17:23.54
But the truth is that if
you know Jesus Christ you can.
00:17:23.55\00:17:27.68
That's right. They need
a word of encouragement.
00:17:27.69\00:17:30.59
That's right. And God will
give you the words to speak,
00:17:30.60\00:17:33.67
we've got to get out
there where they're at.
00:17:33.68\00:17:37.02
And not shun them.
00:17:37.03\00:17:38.20
And not shun them,
00:17:38.21\00:17:39.37
we've got to come
into contact with them,
00:17:39.38\00:17:40.87
that's what we're doing.
00:17:40.88\00:17:42.17
The human, that's wonderful.
00:17:42.18\00:17:43.80
The human nature, you know,
00:17:43.81\00:17:46.18
our own human
nature says, walk away,
00:17:46.19\00:17:52.11
don't get dirty,
those people are trash.
00:17:52.12\00:17:55.97
Really, that's what
our fallen nature tells us,
00:17:55.98\00:18:01.31
don't associate with people
00:18:01.32\00:18:03.09
you will become like them.
00:18:03.10\00:18:05.26
That's not what Christ did. No.
00:18:05.27\00:18:07.15
When Christ was here,
00:18:07.16\00:18:08.42
He went right where they were,
00:18:08.43\00:18:11.42
and that's why the
Pharisees called Him a drunkard,
00:18:11.43\00:18:17.19
because he went to the parties
00:18:17.20\00:18:19.49
and was right
there with the people
00:18:19.50\00:18:22.09
who were categorized as sinners.
00:18:22.10\00:18:24.96
Yeah, he hung around them,
00:18:24.97\00:18:26.87
and they didn't
like that, you know,
00:18:26.88\00:18:28.96
I believe the
fallacious tradition
00:18:28.97\00:18:32.34
of the ceremonial
washings of the Pharisees
00:18:32.35\00:18:37.02
developed from
them coming into contact
00:18:37.03\00:18:40.75
with the common people in
the market before they ate.
00:18:40.76\00:18:44.66
And I think it gave
them a false security
00:18:44.67\00:18:50.43
that they were clean, but--
00:18:50.44\00:18:52.76
And that they're
above them too. Yes.
00:18:52.77\00:18:54.70
And that's what we've got to--
00:18:54.71\00:18:56.32
And that can happen to us. Yes.
00:18:56.33\00:18:58.61
That can happen to us. Yeah.
00:18:58.62\00:19:00.06
because in the eyes of
God, there are no levels,
00:19:00.07\00:19:03.97
if the ground is leveled
at the foot of the cross.
00:19:03.98\00:19:06.83
Yes, that's right.
00:19:06.84\00:19:08.44
Peter, I want to share
a little story that to me,
00:19:08.45\00:19:12.61
it says, something about heart.
00:19:12.62\00:19:15.11
And this is what we're
talking about, isn't it?
00:19:15.12\00:19:17.96
It's heart. Maybe
some of you saw this,
00:19:17.97\00:19:21.32
because it was on,
I got it by e-mail.
00:19:21.33\00:19:24.81
Last week, I took my
children to a restaurant,
00:19:24.82\00:19:27.43
my six-year-old son
asked if he could say grace.
00:19:27.44\00:19:30.55
As we bowed our heads, he said,
00:19:30.56\00:19:32.38
"God is good, God is great,
00:19:32.39\00:19:34.75
thank you for the food,
00:19:34.76\00:19:35.95
and I would even thank you more
00:19:35.96\00:19:37.67
if mom gets us
ice cream for dessert,
00:19:37.68\00:19:40.07
and Liberty and
justice for all, amen."
00:19:40.08\00:19:43.87
Along with the laughter
from the other customers nearby,
00:19:43.88\00:19:46.84
I heard a woman remark,
00:19:46.85\00:19:48.19
that's what's
wrong with this country,
00:19:48.20\00:19:50.26
kids don't even
know how to pray.
00:19:50.27\00:19:52.33
Asking God for ice
cream. This is ridiculous.
00:19:52.34\00:19:56.34
Hearing this, my
little son burst into tears.
00:19:56.35\00:20:00.78
"Is God mad at me?"
00:20:00.79\00:20:02.75
See, Peter, this is how
our attitude toward people
00:20:02.76\00:20:07.04
who we think are doing wrong.
00:20:07.05\00:20:08.88
I mean, we can give
them the wrong impression,
00:20:08.89\00:20:11.73
the wrong words, the wrong,
00:20:11.74\00:20:13.65
even the wrong
expression on her face
00:20:13.66\00:20:16.69
can be discouraging
to someone. That's right.
00:20:16.70\00:20:20.30
Hearing this, my
little son burst into tears,
00:20:20.31\00:20:22.57
and he asked,
"Is God mad at me?"
00:20:22.58\00:20:26.49
Because that's
what they feel. Yeah.
00:20:26.50\00:20:28.09
They feel, "Is God mad at me?"
00:20:28.10\00:20:30.16
As I assured him that
he had done a terrific job,
00:20:30.17\00:20:32.97
and elderly gentleman
00:20:32.98\00:20:34.40
approached the table and said,
00:20:34.41\00:20:36.15
"I happen to
know that God thought
00:20:36.16\00:20:38.68
that was a great prayer."
00:20:38.69\00:20:40.63
"Really?" My son asked.
00:20:40.64\00:20:42.66
"Cross my
heart," the man replied.
00:20:42.67\00:20:45.93
Then in a whisper,
indicating the woman
00:20:45.94\00:20:48.66
whose remark had
started this whole thing,
00:20:48.67\00:20:51.26
too bad, she never
asks God for ice cream,
00:20:51.27\00:20:54.00
a little ice cream is
good for the soul sometimes."
00:20:54.01\00:20:57.91
Naturally, I
bought my kids ice cream
00:20:57.92\00:21:00.09
at the end of the meal.
00:21:00.10\00:21:01.66
My son stared at
his for a moment,
00:21:01.67\00:21:04.34
and then did something
00:21:04.35\00:21:06.65
that I'll remember
the rest of my life.
00:21:06.66\00:21:09.46
He picked up his
sundae and without a word,
00:21:09.47\00:21:12.96
walked over and placed
it in front of the woman,
00:21:12.97\00:21:15.78
with a big smile he said,
00:21:15.79\00:21:17.85
"Here, this is for you.
00:21:17.86\00:21:20.35
Ice cream is good
for the soul sometimes,
00:21:20.36\00:21:22.66
and my soul is good already."
00:21:22.67\00:21:24.98
But, you know, I guess that,
that really does illustrate
00:21:27.07\00:21:30.36
what we're talking about, Peter,
00:21:30.37\00:21:32.10
and that is, a heart for others.
00:21:32.11\00:21:35.45
A heart that
says, "You're hurting,
00:21:35.46\00:21:39.67
and I care, and I know someone,
00:21:39.68\00:21:43.67
the great Healer
who can help you.
00:21:43.68\00:21:46.29
Yeah, and you know,
00:21:46.30\00:21:48.47
no one can make
their heart that way,
00:21:48.48\00:21:53.09
only those who do
spend the time with Jesus.
00:21:53.10\00:21:57.28
He makes their heart that way.
00:21:57.29\00:21:58.94
That's right. That's why
I know aybody can do this.
00:21:58.95\00:22:01.90
That's right. They can do this,
00:22:01.91\00:22:03.76
they can reach out,
00:22:03.77\00:22:04.78
they can make
themselves available,
00:22:04.79\00:22:07.03
step out of the comfort zone,
00:22:07.04\00:22:09.16
because God will use
you in a very special way.
00:22:09.17\00:22:13.19
That's right.
00:22:13.20\00:22:14.18
And it's amazing to me,
00:22:14.19\00:22:16.06
you don't have to be a pastor--
00:22:16.07\00:22:17.59
And he even gives you
a heart to want to do.
00:22:17.60\00:22:20.22
To want to do it, yes.
00:22:20.23\00:22:22.15
And that comes
through spending time with Him
00:22:22.16\00:22:24.44
through prayer,
He actually gives you
00:22:24.45\00:22:27.17
that very desire that
you have in your heart.
00:22:27.18\00:22:30.24
And we can do it, we can do it,
00:22:30.25\00:22:32.36
we need to do it.
00:22:32.37\00:22:34.39
And there's many
more stories out there.
00:22:34.40\00:22:36.62
You know, I think
one of the reasons
00:22:36.63\00:22:40.30
that so many people are
showing up at our church
00:22:40.31\00:22:44.99
is because, if I can
say, my members receive them.
00:22:45.00\00:22:51.22
Oh, that's good. Yes,
and they nurture them,
00:22:51.23\00:22:55.72
and they don't judge
them or criticize them.
00:22:55.73\00:22:58.18
I know, they
don't look the same,
00:22:58.19\00:23:00.24
they don't dress the
same, they don't smell the same,
00:23:00.25\00:23:03.45
they don't talk the same,
00:23:03.46\00:23:05.78
but that's where I used to be
00:23:05.79\00:23:08.74
before God
brought me to this point.
00:23:08.75\00:23:12.04
And now I realize that
all of us are being called
00:23:12.05\00:23:15.80
to bring and allow
people to get to that point.
00:23:15.81\00:23:20.71
And not as it were,
put out that little spark
00:23:20.72\00:23:25.25
to quench that little
smoky, dimly, smoking flash.
00:23:25.26\00:23:31.17
And, you know, I
think that is so important,
00:23:31.18\00:23:33.22
Peter, I'm glad you said that,
00:23:33.23\00:23:34.46
because people have said,
00:23:34.47\00:23:36.88
well, I went to
that church one time,
00:23:36.89\00:23:39.19
no one smiled at
me, no one greeted me,
00:23:39.20\00:23:43.27
no one told me
00:23:43.28\00:23:44.25
that there was a
fellowship lunch afterward.
00:23:44.26\00:23:46.61
No one shook my
hand, no one made sure
00:23:46.62\00:23:49.24
I had a place to sit.
00:23:49.25\00:23:50.90
I'll never go
back to that church,
00:23:50.91\00:23:52.33
that's the coldest
church around here.
00:23:52.34\00:23:54.65
Well, so people really
want to have a connection
00:23:54.66\00:23:57.88
with the Lord, but
they know that they,
00:23:57.89\00:24:00.97
it comes through fellowship
00:24:00.98\00:24:02.68
and encouragement
through God's people.
00:24:02.69\00:24:05.18
And they learn the love of God
00:24:05.19\00:24:08.41
when it's exemplified in
the life of God's children.
00:24:08.42\00:24:13.28
That's exactly,
that's exactly right,
00:24:13.29\00:24:15.77
and I just know
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.55
God had something
really special for our church,
00:24:17.56\00:24:21.46
because in these last days,
00:24:21.47\00:24:23.14
there are more and more people.
00:24:23.15\00:24:24.46
See, we're
talking about Las Vegas,
00:24:24.47\00:24:27.15
but the Internet has
made those kinds of things
00:24:27.16\00:24:32.10
available to everybody
everywhere. That's right.
00:24:32.11\00:24:34.93
And we all have to recognize
00:24:34.94\00:24:37.76
that we need to be
minute people for God--
00:24:37.77\00:24:40.69
Movies today.
Oh, the movies, yeah.
00:24:40.70\00:24:42.63
Movies and videos,
and even magazines.
00:24:42.64\00:24:46.62
And if you're
watching a newscast,
00:24:46.63\00:24:50.94
it'll cut away to
some commercial that is,
00:24:50.95\00:24:58.23
I'm just amazed at
the kinds of things
00:24:58.24\00:25:00.84
that they'll show on television,
00:25:00.85\00:25:03.13
and children are
exposed to all kinds of things.
00:25:03.14\00:25:08.07
Yeah. It's really, we
live in a sick society.
00:25:08.08\00:25:11.74
Yeah, we really do.
Where Hollywood is using crime,
00:25:11.75\00:25:14.92
and violence, and
all kinds of illicit,
00:25:14.93\00:25:19.29
unhappy home
situations as entertainment.
00:25:19.30\00:25:23.81
Entertainment. And
so children don't know,
00:25:23.82\00:25:26.25
they think it's funny.
00:25:26.26\00:25:27.23
They've set the
standard which is anti-biblical.
00:25:27.24\00:25:31.77
That's right, that's right.
00:25:31.78\00:25:34.21
So there are things
that we can do every day
00:25:34.22\00:25:37.43
to love other people
and to show them God's love.
00:25:37.44\00:25:40.21
Peter, I was so blessed,
00:25:40.22\00:25:41.91
when I was there
in your church. Yeah.
00:25:41.92\00:25:44.21
And you had a
large baptism that day.
00:25:44.22\00:25:46.86
The thing that
really spoke to me
00:25:46.87\00:25:48.86
was that you had all the people,
00:25:48.87\00:25:51.58
the baptismal candidates,
00:25:51.59\00:25:53.36
who were gonna be
baptized that morning,
00:25:53.37\00:25:54.75
sitting in one row,
00:25:54.76\00:25:56.67
and then you had all the people,
00:25:56.68\00:25:58.48
who had been working with them,
00:25:58.49\00:26:00.47
and mentoring
them, and coaching them,
00:26:00.48\00:26:02.81
and studying
the Bible with them.
00:26:02.82\00:26:04.68
They were sitting
immediately behind them.
00:26:04.69\00:26:08.44
And so I just, I
got tears in my eyes
00:26:08.45\00:26:12.40
as I saw the
close relationships,
00:26:12.41\00:26:15.76
the caring, and when
those people were baptized,
00:26:15.77\00:26:19.19
you could just see big smiles
on the faces of the people
00:26:19.20\00:26:23.02
who had been studying with them,
00:26:23.03\00:26:24.56
and praying for them,
and loving them to the Lord.
00:26:24.57\00:26:28.06
And something
else that impressed me
00:26:28.07\00:26:30.11
and blessed me was that Andre,
00:26:30.12\00:26:33.42
the young man from
the Indian Reservation.
00:26:33.43\00:26:36.23
Right. You told him
when he was baptized,
00:26:36.24\00:26:39.48
I was gonna go
to your reservation
00:26:39.49\00:26:41.99
and have an
evangelistic crusade,
00:26:42.00\00:26:45.42
but I understand,
you've already started it.
00:26:45.43\00:26:47.46
Yeah, he's already started,
00:26:47.47\00:26:48.75
it's amazing.
Isn't that wonderful!
00:26:48.76\00:26:50.48
In fact, let me give you
an addendum to that, Ruthie,
00:26:50.49\00:26:53.82
this Sabbath, his little
niece is gonna be baptized,
00:26:53.83\00:26:59.12
and she is already
doing Bible studies
00:26:59.13\00:27:02.03
at her public
schools for her friends.
00:27:02.04\00:27:04.61
How old is she?
She's nine years old.
00:27:04.62\00:27:07.04
Oh, isn't that
beautiful? It's amazing to me.
00:27:07.05\00:27:10.09
That's wonderful. Yeah, so--
00:27:10.10\00:27:12.09
And that, that to me speaks
00:27:12.10\00:27:14.12
of the authenticity
of what God is doing.
00:27:14.13\00:27:17.76
And I want, I want our
listeners to know this too.
00:27:17.77\00:27:21.93
This isn't
happening necessarily,
00:27:21.94\00:27:25.02
because we're in Las Vegas.
00:27:25.03\00:27:27.12
I believe it's happening
because we're intentional.
00:27:27.13\00:27:30.35
Yes. About being
prepared to receive them
00:27:30.36\00:27:34.07
if God chooses to send them.
00:27:34.08\00:27:36.17
And I'm glad you said that,
00:27:36.18\00:27:37.82
because every city has people,
00:27:37.83\00:27:41.27
who the enemy wants to
just weigh down with guilt,
00:27:41.28\00:27:45.00
and condemnation, and fear,
00:27:45.01\00:27:47.68
and yeah, God is
wanting to reach them.
00:27:47.69\00:27:51.04
Our time has gone
so quickly, Peter,
00:27:51.05\00:27:53.22
and it's time for us to say
goodbye to our, our viewers,
00:27:53.23\00:27:57.38
but thank you for joining us.
00:27:57.39\00:27:59.00
Thank you for inviting
us into your living room,
00:27:59.01\00:28:01.30
and we look forward
to seeing you again,
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.71
and we'll be praying for you.
00:28:03.72\00:28:05.52
God bless. Have a great week.
00:28:05.53\00:28:07.98