Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC200922
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00:01 >>BILL: TODAY ON THE "IT IS WRITTEN" PROGRAM WE
00:02 HAVE A VERY INTERESTING STORY OF CONVERSION. THE 00:03 TESTIMONY OF A DIPLOMAT WHO CAME TO KNOW JESUS 00:08 CHRIST. I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US. WE WILL BE 00:09 BACK IN JUST A MINUTE. 00:14 (MUSIC) 00:22 ANNOUNCER: IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. 00:25 GOD'S BOOK, THE BIBLE. 00:28 STILL RELEVANT IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD. 00:33 IT IS WRITTEN. 00:35 SHARING MESSAGES OF HOPE AROUND THE WORLD! 00:41 (MUSIC) 00:52 >>BILL: WELL, TODAY ON THE "IT IS WRITTEN" PROGRAM 00:53 WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR YOU. WE HAVE 00:55 TWO SPECIAL GUESTS, FABIO AND SHIRLEY FRANCO; THEY 00:59 ARE WITH US TO SHARE WITH US A WONDERFUL STORY 01:00 OF CONVERSION A TESTIMONY THAT, I KNOW, IS GOING TO 01:04 MOVE A LOT OF YOU. AND SO, LET ME WELCOME BOTH OF YOU 01:10 TO THE "IT IS WRITTEN" PROGRAM. >>FABIO: THANK 01:11 YOU. >>BILL: MAYBE BEFORE WE GET STARTED WE COULD 01:15 JUST HAVE YOU TELL OUR VIEWERS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 01:19 YOURSELVES, WHERE YOU'RE FROM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU 01:20 WERE BORN, WHERE YOU GREW UP. WHY DON'T WE START? 01:25 SHIRLEY, WHY DON'T WE GO LADIES FIRST. >>SHIRLEY: 01:27 OKAY. I WAS BORN IN BRASILIA. I AM FROM BRAZIL 01:28 AND I ALSO GREW UP IN BRASILIA. >>BILL: 01:35 AND FABIO? WHERE WERE YOU? 01:36 >>FABIO: I WAS BORN IN RIO AND WHEN I WAS EIGHT 01:38 YEARS OLD MY PARENTS CAME TO MICHIGAN, THEN TO NEW 01:49 YORK, THEN TO CHICAGO. 01:50 I SPENT A LOT OF YEARS IN CHICAGO, THEN I MOVED BACK 01:53 TO BRAZIL AND THEN I STARTED A DIPLOMATIC 01:54 CAREER AND I'VE BEEN THERE OVER FIFTEEN YEARS. 01:59 >>BILL: THAT'S WONDERFUL. 02:00 AND RIGHT NOW YOU'RE POSTED WHERE? >>FABIO: I'M 02:02 IN WASHINGTON D.C. IN THE CONSULATE. >>BILL: THAT'S 02:07 WONDERFUL. THE BRAZILIAN CONSULATE IN WASHINGTON 02:08 D.C. >>FABIO: YES. YES. 02:10 >>BILL: WELL, I WAS IN WASHINGTON A WHILE BACK 02:11 AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOU GUYS AND YOU 02:14 WERE KIND ENOUGH TO HAVE ME TO YOUR HOUSE FOR 02:15 LUNCH. FOR A VERY NICE LUNCH. AND I GOT TO HEAR 02:16 A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR CONVERSION STORY. IT WAS 02:19 SO MOVING THAT I THOUGHT OUR VIEWERS NEEDED TO HEAR 02:24 THIS STORY. SHIRLEY, YOU GREW UP IN A CHRISTIAN 02:25 HOME. RIGHT? >>SHIRLEY: YES. >>BILL: IN FACT YOUR 02:34 GRANDFATHER WAS A PASTOR? 02:35 >>SHIRLEY: PASTOR. YES. MY GRANDFATHER AND MY 02:38 GRANDMOTHER, WELL, THEY HELPED THE PRESBYTERIAN 02:42 CHURCH IN BRAZIL AND MY GRANDFATHER WAS A PASTOR 02:43 IN BRAZIL. AND SO WE USED TO READ THE BIBLE SINCE I 02:54 WAS A CHILD. I LEARNED HOW TO READ, YOU KNOW, WITH 03:06 THE BIBLE. I USED THE BIBLE TO READ, YEAH 03:07 >>BILL: WOW. THAT'S GREAT. 03:11 WAS IT ABOUT NINE YEARS OLD YOU BECAME 03:12 A.>>SHIRLEY: YES. WHEN I WAS NINE YEARS OLD I WENT 03:15 IN THE CAMP, ADVENTIST CAMP. SO WHEN I CAME BACK 03:22 HOME I DECIDED TO START TO GO TO THE ADVENTIST. 03:24 I SAID TO MY MOM I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYMORE TO THE 03:32 CHURCH THAT I USED TO GO NOW, I WANT TO GO TO THE 03:39 ADVENTIST.I WANT TO BE AN ADVENTIST. >>BILL: WOW. 03:40 AND YOU WERE, AND YOU HAVE, AND YOU STILL ARE 03:45 AN ADVENTIST. >>SHIRLEY: YEAH. >>BILL: FABIO, I 03:48 GUESS YOU HAD SORT OF A CHRISTIAN UPBRINGING TO. 03:49 I MEAN, WOULD YOU SAY? I MEAN.>>FABIO: YES. IN 03:54 GENERAL, AT LEAST NORMALLY MY MOTHER WOULD ATTEMPT A 04:00 SORT OF SPIRITUAL EDUCATION FOR US. THERE 04:01 WERE CERTAIN SPIRITUAL RETREATS. I REMEMBER BEING 04:07 PART OF THIS. >>BILL: WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU? I 04:13 KNOW YOU HAD AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE ONE 04:14 TIME WITH SOME QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED ABOUT 04:17 WHEN DO YOU THINK OF GOD >>FABIO: THAT'S TRUE. IN 04:19 ONE OF THESE SPIRITUAL RETREATS WE WERE ALL 04:20 SITTING IN A CIRCLE, I THINK I WAS THE LAST ONE, 04:25 AND EVERYBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY, WHEN DO YOU THINK 04:31 OF GOD. HERE I AM TRYING TO BATTLE OUT, WHEN DO I 04:32 THINK OF GOD? AND FINALLY WHEN IT CAME TO MY TURN, I 04:35 JUST, I JUST SAID I NEVER THINK OF GOD. AND IT WAS 04:40 TRUE. FOR A LONG, LONG TIME I NEVER THOUGHT 04:41 OF GOD OR EVEN WORSE, I REJECTED. >>BILL: 04:46 SO WHEN THE TWO OF YOU MET, SHIRLEY, YOU WERE A 04:51 CHRISTIAN, RIGHT? 04:52 >>SHIRLEY: YES. >>BILL: FABIO, WERE YOU AN ATHEIST 04:55 AT THAT TIME? HAD YOU GIVEN UP ON GOD? I 04:56 MEAN.>>FABIO: YES, I WAS AN ATHEIST. >>BILL: SO 05:01 WHEN THAT CAME UP IN THE CONVERSATION THAT, YOU 05:05 KNOW, YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN, HERE'S FABIO, AN ATHEIST, 05:06 WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? 05:12 >>SHIRLEY: WELL, I MET FABIO IN THE ? WHERE WE 05:13 WORKED TOGETHER AND WE STARTED TO DATE. AND I 05:22 SAID TO HIM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN THREE THINGS: 05:29 FIRST OF ALL, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN COINCIDENCE, 05:31 I BELIEVE IN "JESUS INCIDENCE"; AND THE 05:35 SECOND ONE THAT IS ? 05:36 IN PORTUGUESE, I DON'T KNOW.>>FABIO: IF YOU DON'T 05:43 COME TO ME STANDING UP, YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO ME 05:46 EITHER SITTING DOWN OR CRAWLING. >>SHIRLEY: .AND 05:47 THE THIRD ONE IS TODAY YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN MY GOD 05:53 BUT THIS GOD THAT YOU TELL BAD THINGS, TOMORROW YOU 06:02 NEED HIM. I'M SURE ABOUT THIS. >>BILL: SO, FABIO, 06:03 WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU HAD THIS YOUNG LADY 06:08 GIVE YOU THESE THREE CRITICAL BELIEFS IN HER 06:13 LIFE? WHAT DID.>>FABIO: THOUGHT SHE JUST HASN'T 06:15 READ ENOUGH BOOKS AND I THOUGHT, LET'S JUST GIVE 06:18 HER SOME READING AND WE'LL COME AROUND TO IT. >>BILL: 06:24 WOW. SO YOU.>>SHIRLEY: YEAH, I STARTED TO READ 06:25 THE BIBLE TO HIM AND I SAID, LOOK YOU HAVE SO 06:36 MANY BOOKS IN OUR HOUSE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW 06:43 ANYTHING ABOUT THE BIBLE. 06:44 YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE THIS BOOK IS 06:52 SPECIAL. THERE IS NO BOOK LIKE THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK 06:53 IS DEEPER. THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR POINT OF VIEW 06:59 ABOUT EVERYTHING AND YOU NEED TO READ ABOUT.YOU 07:05 NEED TOKNOW ABOUT THIS BOOK. WELL, I INVITED HIM 07:06 TO GO TO THE CHURCH WITH ME AND ALWAYS HE WENT 07:14 BUT HE DIDN'T LIKE TO PAY ATTENTION, ONLY TO READ 07:22 HIS BOOK BECAUSE HE WENT TO CHURCH WITH HIS BOOKS 07:23 AND YOU KNOW I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THIS, I WANT 07:31 TO READ MY BOOKS. I SAID, ONE DAY JESUS WILL TALK 07:34 WITH YOU. >>BILL: SO YOU WOULD, WHILE THE PREACHER 07:35 WAS PREACHING YOU WOULD BE READING YOUR BOOK? 07:41 >>FABIO: I'M ASHAMED TO SAY, YES. >>BILL: WOW. AND 07:44 DID JESUS, IN FACT, SPEAK TO YOU LIKE SHIRLEY SAID 07:45 >>FABIO: YEAH. FIRST, NO, BECAUSE I REALLY TRIED 07:51 TO BLOCK IT OUT. IT WAS A VERY FORCEFUL THING THAT I 07:58 WAS TRYING TO DO. JUST TRYING TO BLOCK IT OUT 07:59 NOT LOOKING, LOOKING DOWN AT MY BOOK, TRYING TO 08:02 REALLY BLOCK OUT THE MESSAGE. BUT THERE'S 08:07 SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS, IT SEEPS IN, SOMETHING CALLS 08:08 YOUR ATTENTION. YOU'RE THERE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN 08:13 YOU RAISE UP YOUR HEAD AND LISTEN AND THEN HE BEGINS 08:21 TO TALK TO YOU. >>BILL: HOW LONG DID THIS GO ON 08:22 WITH YOU SORT OF GOING TO CHURCH, TAKING YOUR BOOKS, 08:27 SAYING I'LL GO, JUST MAKE HER HAPPY.>>FABIO: MAYBE 08:33 OVER A YEAR, MAYBE FOR ABOUT.A PROCESS OF OVER 08:34 A YEAR. BUT ALONG THAT PROCESS, MORE AND MORE I 08:38 STOPPED HATING GOING TO CHURCH AND DOING MY OWN 08:47 STUFF, READING MY OWN BOOKS, AND MORE AND MORE 08:48 STARTED TO LISTEN. SO IT WAS A GRADUAL PROCESS OF 08:51 LISTENING. AFTER A WHILE I WAS AVID FOR THE WORD. I 08:56 REALLY WANTED TO HEAR WHAT THE PASTOR WAS SAYING 08:57 >>BILL: DID YOU FEEL SOMETHING CHANGING 09:02 INSIDE OF YOU? >>FABIO: DEFINITELY. THERE WAS A 09:06 LOT OF THINGS CHANGING. 09:07 A LOT OF THINGS. BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A VERY 09:10 RATIONAL PERSON, A VERY CEREBRAL, I GUESS I'D SAY 09:11 AND EVERYTHING OCCURRED HERE IN MY MIND AND I SAID 09:20 I NEED TO FIGURE THINGS OUT AND I WOULD DO THINGS, 09:26 EVERYTHING VERY RATIONALLY. AND I REMEMBER 09:28 PASTOR PAULO NORGARA?; HE WAS TALKING ABOUT REASON 09:36 VERSUS REVELATION. AND AT ONE POINT I REMEMBER 09:41 COMING TO TEARS WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT 09:42 REVELATION. AND THEN WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT REASON, 09:46 THE HISTORY OF REASON IN THE WORLD WHICH I WAS VERY 09:51 FAMILIAR WITH, WITH ALL THE PHILOSOPHERS, I WAS 09:52 INTERESTED BUT I WASN'T MOVED. SO THERE I STARTED 09:56 TO LEARN IN A VERY DEEPER WAY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 10:03 REASON AND REVELATION. HOW IT APPLIED TO ME. HOW IT 10:04 AFFECTED MY LIFE. AND THEN I LET THE SPIRIT IN. 10:09 AND REASON CAME IN SECOND PLACE. >>BILL: ISN'T THAT 10:16 INTERESTING. YOU KNOW I THINK THAT THERE'S A 10:17 COUPLE OF INTERESTING THINGS HERE. ONE OF THEM 10:19 IS, SORT OF, THE REACTION OF A CHRISTIAN SPOUSE, YOU 10:23 KNOW, WITH A NON-CHRISTIAN SPOUSE. HERE'S FABIO GOING 10:24 TO CHURCH, TAKING HIS BOOK, YOU KNOW, SORT OF 10:29 SAYING, I'LL GO BUT LET ME DO MY OWN THING. YOU KNOW, 10:35 HOW WAS YOU REACTION TO THAT? WERE YOU HAPPY THAT 10:36 HE WAS THERE? YOU KNOW, JUST SAYING, I NEED HIM 10:40 THERE BECAUSE IF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOING TO WORK, 10:43 YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO BE EASIER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT 10:44 TO WORK THERE. WHAT WAS YOUR, SORT OF, REACTION 10:46 TO THAT? >>SHIRLEY: WHEN I SAW THERE, BECAUSE FABIO 10:52 START TO KNEEL BECAUSE THE PASTOR STARTED TO TALK 10:53 AND I LOOKED AT FABIO HE DIDN'T STOP CRYING. HE 11:03 CRIED, CRIED, CRIED A LOT AND I THOUGHT, OH GOD, YOU 11:08 ARE MY SAVIOUR. YOU ARE MY LIGHT. AND I COULDN'T 11:09 BELIEVE BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING. IT'S, YOU KNOW, 11:19 I THOUGHT, OH, JESUS IS MY POWER. YOU KNOW, 11:28 EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR JESUS, FOR GOD. AND IT'S 11:29 GREAT BECAUSE IF YOU TELL SOMEBODY THAT MY HUSBAND 11:37 WAS LIKE THIS BEFORE AND IS LIKE THIS NOW, YOU 11:49 CAN'T BELIEVE IT. 11:50 BUT JESUS, JESUS IS TREMENDOUS. JESUS IS 11:56 GREAT. >>BILL: IT'S A MIRACLE, ISN'T IT? 11:57 >>SHIRLEY: IT'S A MIRACLE. 12:00 >>BILL: FABIO, HOW DID FOLKS AT THE CHURCH REACT 12:01 TO YOU? >>FABIO: WELL, I WAS ALWAYS WELL TAKEN 12:03 IN. I THINK THAT NOBODY, NOBODY JUDGED, IT WAS 12:10 SOMETHING THAT WAS.NOBODY REACTED WHEN I TOOK MY 12:11 BOOKS. I WAS ALWAYS VERY WELL-TREATED. IT'S AMAZING 12:18 HOW THE COMMUNITY IT TAKES YOU IN AND IT JUST WANTS 12:24 YOU TO FEEL GOOD THERE. 12:25 NOT JUDGED. IT'S TRUE HERE TOO. WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH, 12:30 HERE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE TO BE EDUCATED 12:31 SOCIALLY WHICH IS SOMETHING 12:38 YOU DON'T HAVE OUT THERE SOMETIMES THERE'S ALWAYS 12:42 COMPETITION, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER YOU'RE TRYING TO 12:43 DO THINGS TOGETHER. HERE WHEN YOU SAY.WHEN YOU 12:47 KNEEL DOWN TOGETHER AND YOU'RE ALL LOOKING TOWARD 12:51 GOD, YOU'RE ALL REALLY TOGETHER. >>BILL: SURE. 12:52 >>FABIO: WHEN WE'RE ALL LOOKING TOWARDS CHRIST WE 12:55 KNOW WE'RE ALL TOGETHER AND THAT'S THE ONLY UNITY 12:58 WE'LL EVER HAVE. >>BILL: YES. INTERESTING. THIS 12:59 IS SUCH A VALUABLE LESSON THAT YOU WERE SOMEBODY 13:01 NEW, YOU WERE A SEEKER, YOU MAY NOT HAVE EVEN 13:06 KNOWN YOU WERE A SEEKER BUT THAT THE OTHER MEMBERS 13:07 OF THE CHURCH RECEIVED YOU AND WELCOMED YOU AND 13:12 EMBRACED YOU. THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT LESSON FOR US 13:15 TO LEARN, YOU KNOW, WITH FOLKS THAT ARE COMING TO 13:16 OUR CHURCHES. SO, THIS TRANSITION BEGINS TO 13:19 HAPPEN IN YOU AND THEN AT SOME POINT YOU MADE A 13:24 DECISION TO BE BAPTIZED. 13:25 >>FABIO: YES. >>BILL: SORT OF EXPLAIN THAT WHOLE 13:29 PROCESS TO US. >>FABIO: YEAH BECAUSE LIKE I SAID 13:30 I CERTAIN.I HAVE A LOT OF DOUBTS. I SAY I WANT TO 13:35 GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS AND SO MY WIFE PUT ME IN 13:40 TOUCH WITH A PASTOR, HIS NAME IS JILY OLIVERIA AND 13:41 HE GOES YOU NEED TO STUDY THE BIBLE, YOU NEED TO GET 13:46 THINGS DOWN, THIS PASTOR WILL HELP YOU. AND WE SAT 13:50 DOWN EVERY MONDAY DURING MANY MONTHS AND DOUBTING 13:51 THOMAS THAT I WAS I SAID WELL, WHAT ABOUT THIS? 14:00 WHAT ABOUT THIS? AND HE ALWAYS APPLIED THE BIBLE 14:04 TO ITSELF. HOW DO WE FIGURE THIS PROBLEM OUT 14:05 AND SO DURING MANY MONTHS I JUST THREW QUESTIONS AT 14:10 HIM, I JUST.I SAID I NEED TO KNOW THIS AND THIS AND 14:14 THINGS STARTED TO SINK IN. AND SO, WHEN I MOVED 14:15 TO WASHINGTON LAST YEAR I HADN'T BEEN BAPTIZED YET 14:21 BUT THEN THIS PASTOR SAID I'M JUST GOING TO SPEND 14:28 JUST A FEW WEEKS IN WASHINGTON. THIS WAS IN 14:29 JANUARY. AND I SAID, NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE I REALLY 14:36 WANT YOU TO BAPTIZE ME YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT I 14:40 WANT TO BE BAPTIZED. SO, I ASKED HIM AND HE SAID 14:41 YES AND IT WAS A WONDERFUL OCCASION TO HAVE MY 14:48 TEACHER BAPTIZE ME >>BILL: ABSOLUTELY. 14:53 SHIRLEY, WHEN YOU SAW FABIO IN THE BAPTISTERY 14:54 WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? >>SHIRLEY: GOD 14:59 IS GREAT. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. WOW, JESUS IS GREAT 15:04 BECAUSE BEFORE WHEN I SAW (INAUDIBLE) IT IS 15:05 IMPOSSIBLE, THIS MAN'S HEART IS HARD. SOMETIMES, 15:12 SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I GIVE UP. IT'S HARD, I 15:18 CAN'T BECAUSE I PRAYED AND PRAYED AND NOTHING 15:19 HAPPENED. BUT SOMETIMES THINGS CHANGE AND WHEN I 15:25 SAW.WHEN I OPENED MY EYES I SAW FABIO, YOU KNOW, BE 15:36 BAPTIZED, I FEEL, WOW, JESUS IS GREAT. IT'S A 15:37 MIRACLE. YOU NEED ONLY TO ACCEPT NOT.YOU CAN'T.I 15:46 DON'T HAVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS MOMENT. A 15:55 SPECIAL MOMENT. >>BILL: YOU KNOW, I CAN'T HELP 15:56 BUT BELIEVE THAT AS YOUR GRANDFATHER AND YOUR 15:58 GRANDMOTHER AS A YOUNG GIRL BEGAN TO TEACH YOU 16:01 THE BIBLE, YOU LEARNED TO READ BY READING 16:02 THE BIBLE THAT GOD WAS PREPARING.THAT HE 16:04 USED YOUR GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER TO PREPARE YOU 16:07 TO WITNESS TO FABIO. 16:08 >>SHIRLEY: YES. >>BILL: NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT AT 16:14 ONE POINT YOU ASKED FABIO, YOU SUGGESTED TO FABIO 16:15 THAT HE SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE HIS BIBLE TO WORK 16:19 WITH HIM. >>SHIRLEY: YES. 16:20 I SAID TO HIM, LIKE ALL CHRISTIANS YOU NEED TO USE 16:24 OUR BIBLE FOR EVERYTHING WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR WORK 16:30 YOU NEED TO GO WITH YOUR BIBLE BECAUSE SOMETIMES 16:31 YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE. YOU NEED TO PRAY; YOU NEED 16:37 TO SHOW THE WORDS IN THE BIBLE SO YOU NEED TO GO 16:41 WITH YOUR BIBLE. BUT THE FIRST TIME WHEN HE WENT 16:42 TO WORK WITH HIS BIBLE HE TRIED TO HIDE IT WITH 16:46 NEWSPAPER. TO FOLD HIS BIBLE WITH NEWSPAPER. AND 16:54 ON SABBATH THE PASTOR DID A SPEECH ABOUT CHRISTIAN 16:55 PEOPLE THAT TRY TO HIDE THEIR BIBLE WITH, 16:58 YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WITH NEWSPAPER OR SOMETIMES USE 17:10 THEIR SUIT TO HIDE THEIR BIBLES. AND I SAID, FABIO, 17:12 GOD IS TALKING WITH YOU. 17:22 DON'T TRY TO HIDE YOUR BIBLE, YOU NEED TO SHOW 17:23 YOUR BIBLE, YOU NEED TO SHOW YOUR, YOU KNOW, THESE 17:26 AMAZING WORDS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS CHANGED YOUR 17:30 LIFE SO THE BIBLE CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING. >>BILL: 17:31 HOW IS YOUR LIFE DIFFERENT TODAY, FABIO? >>FABIO: IN 17:37 MANY WAYS, IN MANY WAYS. 17:38 I THINK THAT TO SHOW GRATITUDE FOR WHAT I 17:46 HAVE IS ONE WAY. TO SHOW OBEDIENCE TO.I THINK THAT 17:53 I HAVE COME TO LEARN CERTAIN THINGS ABOUT 17:54 MYSELF THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE LEARNED WITHOUT 17:57 THE BIBLE. AND I HAVE TRIED MANY WAYS. I DID 18:01 PSYCHOANALYSIS, I WENT TO BUDDHIST TEMPLES, I 18:02 WENT TO.THERE'S ALWAYS A SELF-SEARCHING THERE 18:08 BUT NEVER HAVE I FOUND ANYTHING THAT REALLY 18:13 REFLECTS WHO YOU ARE, LIKE THE BIBLE. IT IS A BOOK 18:14 THAT TELLS YOU WHO YOU ARE. AND JESUS SAYS THAT, 18:20 YOU KNOW, TO THE WOMAN AT THE WELL WHEN SHE SAYS, I 18:25 JUST MET SOMEBODY WHO TOLD ME WHO I AM. AND THAT'S 18:26 HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE BIBLE. I JUST MET SOMEBODY 18:30 WHO TOLD ME WHO I AM AND I'M DISCOVERING AND I'M 18:34 TRYING TO BECOME TRANSFORMED THROUGH THE 18:35 WORD OF GOD. >>BILL: YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE 18:42 DIPLOMATIC CORE, WHAT DO THEY THINK OF YOUR 18:44 CONVERSION? THEY LOOK AT THE OLD FABIO AND THE NEW 18:45 FABIO, IF I CAN PUT IT THAT WAY, WHAT DO 18:50 THEY.>>FABIO: WELL, SOME ARE PERPLEXED. HOW COULD, 18:54 YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED? 18:55 BUT I THINK PEOPLE, MOSTLY, ARE VERY NICE. 19:03 THEY'RE NOT AGGRESSIVE TOWARD THIS, SOMETIMES 19:04 THEY'RE RATHER CONFUSED AND THEY'RE INTERESTED. 19:10 THEY ASK QUESTIONS AND I THINK THAT THROUGH, 19:14 THROUGH OUR EXAMPLE, THROUGH WHO WE HAVE 19:15 BECOME, WE CAN SHOW THEM THAT IT'S OPEN TO THEM 19:20 TOO. WE HAVE A DIRECT LINK TO GOD, EVERY ONE OF US, 19:26 WHICH IS OPEN TO EVERYONE. 19:27 SO IF WE CAN SPREAD THAT IT CAN ONLY DO GOOD TO THE 19:32 WORLD. >>SHIRLEY: WHAT ADVICE COULD YOU GIVE, 19:33 MAYBE TO A SPOUSE THAT'S WATCHING, THAT, WHOSE 19:37 HUSBAND OR WIFE IS NOT, YOU KNOW, A CHRISTIAN? 19:42 WHAT ADVICE YOU GIVE THEM? 19:43 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THIS IS WHAT THEY NEED TO BE 19:46 DOING? >>SHIRLEY: WE NEED TO PRAY EVERY TIME AND YOU 19:47 NEED TO REALLY BELIEVE IN GOD BECAUSE IF GOD OUR 19:51 LIGHT, IF GOD OUR SAVIOUR WHOM SHOULD WE FEAR. SO, 20:07 EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR GOD. YOU KNOW, GOD CAN 20:08 TRANSFORM OUR LIVES SO, YOU NEED TO BELIEVE, 20:15 BELIEVE. YOU NEED TO HAVE FAITH. FAITH IS THE MOST 20:19 IMPORTANT THING TODAY. 20:20 YOU NEED TO HAVE FAITH >>BILL: NOW I KNOW YOU 20:25 SPENT A LOT OF TIME, YOU SAID TO ME, IN PRAYER AND 20:27 FASTING THAT GOD WOULD BREAK THROUGH TO FABIO 20:28 AND HE DID, DIDN'T HE >>SHIRLEY: YEAH, HE DID. 20:35 AND DAY-BY-DAY I CAN SEE THE MIRACLES FROM GOD IN 20:36 OUR LIFE. DAY-BY-DAY. SO, IT'S AMAZING. >>BILL: YOU 20:43 KNOW, FABIO WHEN WE HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH 20:46 YOU A WHILE BACK THERE IN WASHINGTON AND GOT A 20:47 CHANCE TO SIT DOWN, I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH 20:53 YOUR GRASP OF THE BIBLE, ALREADY, AS A RELATIVELY, 20:59 YOU KNOW, AS A NEW CHRISTIAN AND I WAS REALLY 21:00 QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THAT. 21:05 YOU PRESENT A CERTAIN MATURITY, CHRISTIAN 21:06 MATURITY THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEMS LONGER, THAT YOU'VE 21:11 BEEN A CHRISTIAN FOR LONGER; I THINK THAT GOD 21:17 HAS SOME HUGE PLANS FOR YOU AND FOR SHIRLEY. AND 21:18 I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS. I THINK YOU 21:25 SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY HERE. WE DON'T BELIEVE IN 21:30 COINCIDENCE, WE BELIEVE IN.HOW DID YOU 21:31 PUT IT >>SHIRLEY: JESUS INCIDENCE. >>BILL: JESUS 21:34 INCIDENCE. THAT'S RIGHT. 21:35 DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS A COINCIDENCE THAT WE 21:38 HAD A CHANCE TO MEET IN WASHINGTON. I DON'T THINK 21:39 THAT IT'S A COINCIDENCE THAT YOU ARE HERE ON THE 21:40 PROGRAM. I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE FOLKS WATCHING, 21:44 IT'S INEVITABLE THAT THERE ARE FOLKS WATCHING RIGHT 21:47 NOW THAT, MAYBE THE SPOUSE EVEN WENT OVER AND CALLED 21:48 THEM AND SAID LISTEN MAYBE, YOU GOT TO LISTEN 21:52 TO THIS GUY. BECAUSE THEY'RE, RIGHT NOW, WHERE 21:57 YOU WERE A FEW YEARS BACK. 21:58 SAYING, YOU KNOW THIS BIBLE STUFF. WHAT WOULD 22:00 YOU SAY TO THEM? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE 22:01 THAT'S LISTENING RIGHT NOW? AND SAYING, LISTEN, 22:03 THIS BIBLE STUFF, THAT'S NOT FOR ME, THAT DOESN'T 22:08 WORK. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM? >>FABIO: I WOULD 22:09 SAY TO THEM, OPEN YOUR HEART, AND LISTEN, JUST 22:13 FOR A LITTLE BIT. TRY IT. 22:14 LISTEN WITH AN OPEN HEART AND YOU WILL BE TOUCHED. 22:23 IT'S INEVITABLE. THERE'S NO WAY THAT SOMETHING IN 22:27 THE BIBLE WILL NOT TALK DIRECTLY TO YOU. SO IF 22:28 YOU, IF YOU'RE HURTING, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE 22:35 DOUBTING, IT'S OKAY. THERE WILL BE SOMETHING IN THERE 22:41 FOR YOU AND IT'S GOING TO A TRANSFORMATION LIKE YOU 22:42 WOULDN'T BELIEVE. IT'S PRECIOUS. THERE'S SO MANY 22:46 THINGS THERE THAT IF YOU JUST OPEN YOUR EARS AND 22:50 YOUR HEART YOU WILL BE TOUCHED AND YOU WILL 22:51 BE TRANSFORMED. >>BILL: SOMEONE ONCE SAID, YOU 22:55 KNOW, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE? YOU KNOW IF THE 23:01 BIBLE ISN'T TRUE, IF ETERNAL LIFE ISN'T REAL 23:02 AND YOU BELIEVED IN IT, HAVE YOU REALLY LOST 23:10 ANYTHING? NO. BUT WHAT IF IT IS REAL? AND WE BELIEVE 23:15 IT IS. >>SHIRLEY: YEAH. 23:16 >>BILL: YOU CAN GAIN, I MEAN THERE IS SO MUCH TO 23:18 GAIN HERE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS 23:19 CHRIST. YOU KNOW AS PART OF YOUR JOB YOU REPRESENT 23:25 THE NATION OF BRAZIL EVERYWHERE YOU GO, RIGHT? 23:31 YOU'RE A DIPLOMAT 24 HOURS A DAY, RIGHT? BUT AS A 23:32 PASTOR IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH I AM 23:37 PROUD TO SAY THAT NOW YOU'RE AN AMBASSADOR OF 23:40 JESUS CHRIST, ALSO. 23:41 >>FABIO: AMEN. >>BILL: YOU'RE A DIPLOMAT FOR 23:42 JESUS CHRIST. >>FABIO: AMEN. >>SHIRLEY: AMEN. 23:43 >>BILL: AND SO ARE YOU, SHIRLEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH 23:46 FOR SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO 23:48 RICHLY, YOU KNOW, BLESS YOU GUYS AND USE YOU IN 23:49 YOUR WORK AS YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE POSTED AROUND 23:54 THE WORLD. CARRYING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST 23:58 TO ALL OF THOSE YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH. AND 23:59 I KNOW THAT MAYBE NOT ON THIS EARTH BUT MAYBE 24:03 ONE DAY IN THIS EARTH MADE NEW, SOMEONE WILL PULL YOU 24:09 GUYS AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I HEARD YOUR STORY. 24:10 >>SHIRLEY: AMEN. >>BILL: AND WHEN I HEARD YOUR 24:12 TESTIMONY THAT'S THE DAY THAT I DECIDED TO GIVE MY 24:16 HEART TO JESUS CHRIST. 24:17 >>SHIRLEY: AMEN. >>BILL: I PRAY THAT THAT IS WHAT 24:19 HAPPENS. AND I KNOW THAT FOR MANY LIVES ARE BEING 24:20 CHANGED RIGHT NOW. SO THANK YOU. >>FABIO: THANK 24:25 YOU. >>BILL: WE NORMALLY END OUR PROGRAM WITH A 24:28 WORD OF PRAYER. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO 24:29 MUCH FOR THESE MOMENTS WE HEARD. LISTENING TO THIS 24:31 INSPIRING STORY OF HOW YOU OPERATED IN THE LIFE OF 24:39 FABIO. YOU WORKED THROUGH A PRAYING WIFE TO 24:40 TRANSFORM HIS LIFE AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR FABIO. 24:44 WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CALLED HIM AND YOU WILL 24:48 USE HIM IN A MIGHTY WAY. 24:49 WE THANK YOU FOR THE TESTIMONY OF SHIRLEY, A 24:52 BELIEVING AND PRAYING SPOUSE. BUT, FATHER, WE 24:53 THINK OF THOSE RIGHT NOW THAT ARE WATCHING THIS 24:56 PROGRAM AND MAYBE THEY'RE IN DOUBTS, MAYBE THEY'RE 24:59 LOOKING A JESUS AND SAYING, SHOULD I STEP OUT, 25:00 SHOULD I GIVE JESUS A TRY. 25:04 I PRAY THAT YOU WILL DRAW THEM CLOSE TO YOU, FATHER, 25:05 SPEAK TO THEIR HEARTS AND MAY THEY SURRENDER THEIR 25:09 LIVES COMPLETELY TO YOU. 25:10 I THINK OF THOSE THAT HAVE ALREADY SURRENDERED TO 25:13 JESUS AND I PRAY FOR A BLESSING UPON THEM AND 25:18 WHAT THEY MAKE TAKE FROM THIS PROGRAM IS THAT WE 25:19 EACH ARE CALLED TO SHARE THE LOVE OF JESUS WITH 25:23 THOSE WE COME IN CONTACT WITH. BLESS EACH AND EVERY 25:27 PERSON, HEAVENLY FATHER THAT IS HEARING MY VOICE 25:28 AT THIS TIME. WE PRAY IN JESUS' NAME. AMEN. 25:33 >>SHIRLEY: AMEN. 25:34 >>FABIO: AMEN. 26:12 >>BILL: YOU KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO SHARE 26:13 WITH YOU SOME VALUABLE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU IN 26:15 YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK AND TODAY WE HAVE AN OFFER, 26:19 IT'S A LITTLE BOOK CALLED "CROSSING THE LINE OF 26:20 FAITH". IT'S A.ONE OF THE AUTHORS IS BILL HYBELS AND 26:25 IT'S A TOOL TO HELP YOU WITNESS AT WHAT JESUS DID 26:29 IN YOUR LIFE TO YOUR FRIENDS WHO MAY NOT KNOW 26:30 JESUS. WE'D LIKE YOU TO HAVE THIS TOOL. CONSIDER 26:32 IT A GIFT FROM "IT IS WRITTEN" TO YOU. AND HERE 26:35 IS THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED TO GET YOUR COPY. 27:06 >>BILL: WELL, FABIO, MAYBE THERE'S A CLOSING THOUGHT 27:07 YOU HAVE AS WE COME TO THE END OF OUR PROGRAM. 27:10 >>FABIO: YES, PASTOR. 27:11 WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK. I WOULD LIKE TO 27:14 SAY, I COMMEND YOU THIS BOOK. AND TO MAKE THE 27:21 BIBLE YOURS, TO READ THE BIBLE AS IT APPLIES TO 27:23 YOUR LIFE, TO DISCOVER IT YOURSELF THROUGH ITS WORDS 27:27 AND NOT THROUGH ANY OTHER WORDS THAT YOU HAVE HEARD. 27:31 SOMEBODY ELSE SAID SOMETHING, AN 27:32 INTERPRETATION YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD BUT TO MAKE IT 27:35 YOURS, GO TO THE SOURCE ITSELF, READ IT, AND 27:39 TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD AS 27:40 IT IS STATED DIRECTLY TO YOU. THAT'S THE WORD I 27:45 WOULD LIKE TO SAY. >>BILL: I THINK THAT'S VERY WISE 27:49 COUNSEL AND I KNOW YOU CARRY YOUR BIBLE AROUND 27:50 WITH YOU ALL THE TIME NOW AND YOU DON'T KEEP IT 27:53 INSIDE YOUR NEWSPAPER >>FABIO: NOT ANYMORE. 27:55 >>BILL: PRAISE GOD. THANK YOU, FOLKS. THANK YOU SO 27:56 MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. >>SHIRLEY: THANK 27:59 YOU. >>FABIO: THANK YOU SO MUCH. >>BILL: THANK YOU TO 28:02 OUR VIEWERS. WE KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU, FAITHFULLY, 28:04 ARE HERE EVERY WEEK WATCHING US. 28:05 WE APPRECIATE THAT. LET ME REMIND YOU OF THE WEBSITE, 28:06 ITISWRITTENCANADA.CA. YOU CAN GO ON THERE, THERE'S 28:08 INTERESTING RESOURCES 28:10 THERE, YOU CAN SEE THESE PROGRAMS AGAIN, YOU CAN 28:11 EVEN SEND US A PRAYER REQUEST. AND I JUST WANT 28:15 YOU TO KNOW THIS, THAT EVERY MORNING OUR STAFF 28:18 GETS TOGETHER AND WE PRAY OVER THE REQUESTS THAT 28:19 YOU SEND IN AND SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE PRAYER FOR 28:24 SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE, SEND YOUR PRAYER REQUEST 28:26 IN. OUR PLAN IS TO BE BACK NEXT WEEK. THAT'S WHAT 28:27 WE'LL BE PRAYING FOR AND WE HOPE YOU'LL BE WITH US. 28:30 UNTIL THEN, REMEMBER, IT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT 28:34 LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS 28:35 FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD. 28:42 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2014-12-17