¤¤ ¤¤ 00:00:00.43\00:00:11.47 >> It has stood the test of time -- God's book, 00:00:11.47\00:00:16.71 the Bible, still relevant in today's complex world. 00:00:16.71\00:00:24.42 "It Is Written," sharing messages of hope 00:00:24.42\00:00:28.19 around the world. ¤¤ 00:00:28.19\00:00:39.13 >> Welcome and thank you for joining us on 00:00:39.13\00:00:41.57 "It Is Written Canada." Our special guest today is 00:00:41.57\00:00:44.74 Gem Castor, and he's been talking to us about absolute 00:00:44.74\00:00:48.41 reliance. And when I think of that title, 00:00:48.41\00:00:51.25 "absolute reliance," I think of those well-known words that are 00:00:51.25\00:00:55.25 recorded in Proverbs 3:5 and so on. 00:00:55.25\00:00:59.05 It goes, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on 00:00:59.05\00:01:03.86 your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge 00:01:03.86\00:01:07.86 Him, and He shall direct your paths. 00:01:07.86\00:01:10.73 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from 00:01:10.73\00:01:15.10 evil. >> Mm-hmm. 00:01:15.10\00:01:17.37 So, welcome, Gem. We are so happy to have you with us in our studio again, and we 00:01:17.41\00:01:22.74 are looking forward to hearing more about God's faithfulness in your life and how He's answered 00:01:22.74\00:01:28.88 your prayers. >> Thank you for having me back. [ Chuckles ] 00:01:28.88\00:01:32.49 >> So, last time, we were talking about how George Mueller, the life of 00:01:32.49\00:01:36.79 George Mueller inspired you, and you heard a speaker talk about George Mueller's life. 00:01:36.79\00:01:42.86 And for our guests -- or for our viewers, if they don't know who 00:01:42.86\00:01:48.17 George Mueller is, George Mueller was a man who took God at His word. He was a 00:01:48.17\00:01:52.57 missionary. >> Yes. >> And his whole life wasn't really dedicated to God to begin 00:01:52.57\00:01:57.38 with. He was kind of a reprobate, he was a thief, he 00:01:57.38\00:02:02.45 was a womanizer, he was a drunkard, and then he had a conversion when he heard a 00:02:02.45\00:02:08.72 friend pray. >> Mm! >> And he's like, "I want that kind of connection with God." 00:02:08.72\00:02:12.73 And it changed his life, and from that time on, he relied 00:02:12.73\00:02:17.00 upon God. He came to the place where he just depended upon Him to supply all of his needs. 00:02:17.00\00:02:22.04 And you heard his story, and that inspired you. 00:02:22.04\00:02:25.37 >> That inspired me so much. >> Yeah. 00:02:25.41\00:02:27.51 >> So it somehow encouraged me to take Him at His word. 00:02:27.51\00:02:31.51 >> Yes. >> And God is so amazing. 00:02:31.51\00:02:32.95 This is one thing I learned about God -- that He's so 00:02:32.95\00:02:35.08 patient with us, that He's a powerful God. 00:02:35.08\00:02:37.79 He's faster than the speed of light, but he walks at our own 00:02:37.82\00:02:41.69 pace. >> Yes. >> He's just so patiently walking with me. 00:02:41.69\00:02:45.23 I'm a slow learner, [Laughs] especially as a missionary, especially on trying 00:02:45.23\00:02:51.20 to rely upon Him. >> Yes. >> Because I guess -- And the 00:02:51.20\00:02:53.97 beautiful verse that you read awhile ago, it said, "Trust in the Lord with all," and the 00:02:53.97\00:03:00.38 "all" word has been repeated like three or four times, and I had been refusing to give God my 00:03:00.38\00:03:07.05 all, but God was so patiently waiting upon me, one step after another, and talking about 00:03:07.05\00:03:15.06 what's this, talking about reliance, talking about depending upon God. 00:03:15.06\00:03:19.13 God is just showing me that, after He shows me this one miracle, I should not be 00:03:19.13\00:03:25.93 satisfied... >> Mm. >> ...that He want to show more. 00:03:25.93\00:03:29.74 >> Mm. Give me an example. >> Like, for example, if I've experience a provision -- a 00:03:29.74\00:03:35.38 provision -- something like this, because most of the time we're thinking that, when 00:03:35.38\00:03:40.18 another test that is similar to the previous test that we have faced before, there's doubt in 00:03:40.18\00:03:45.55 our minds thinking that, "Oh, God will not repeat that." >> 00:03:45.55\00:03:49.62 Mm. >> But God is not done. >> So, last time, we were talking about how you do not 00:03:49.62\00:03:54.36 receive a salary, you are not an employed missionary, that God has been taking care of you for 00:03:54.36\00:03:59.83 the last nine years... >> Mm-hmm. >> ...and you haven't 00:03:59.83\00:04:03.57 gone hungry, and you have been traveling all over the world. And God has sent you on 00:04:03.57\00:04:08.04 airplanes, which must be expensive. You're staying in 00:04:08.04\00:04:12.65 hotels and people's homes and in churches all over the world. How 00:04:12.65\00:04:19.02 does that happen? >> Gem has made God his planner, his organizer, his travel agent. >> 00:04:19.02\00:04:26.43 Yes. >> Like you said, total reliance on God. >> And my 00:04:26.43\00:04:32.37 constant traveling companion, as I travel most of the time alone. So you ask how does that look? 00:04:32.37\00:04:38.21 >> Yes. >> And I think there was one experience that really 00:04:38.21\00:04:45.11 cemented my faith in God. >> Mm-hmm. >> And that was the time 00:04:45.11\00:04:48.68 that I was asked to go to evangelism training, because, remember, I told you last week I 00:04:48.68\00:04:56.62 was not a theology student. I did not graduate learning about evangelism, Bible work. 00:04:56.62\00:05:02.00 I graduated business. I graduated in management. I took up management because I 00:05:02.00\00:05:07.74 don't know how to manage my life. [ Laughter ] 00:05:07.74\00:05:11.24 Now I'm doing God's business. So, there was one friend of mine who asked me, "So, Gem, how long 00:05:11.24\00:05:20.48 do you plan to be a missionary?" And that was a good question, and it caught me off guard 00:05:20.48\00:05:24.95 because, all the while, I thought this was just a series 00:05:24.95\00:05:29.56 of mission trips. And I did not realize that the Lord is calling me for a full-time missionary 00:05:29.56\00:05:35.03 work. And when I look back on my life before, being a photographer, doing business, 00:05:35.03\00:05:40.70 I'm thinking that life is quite boring. This is amazing! This is 00:05:40.70\00:05:45.01 awesome here, experiencing God every single trip, every single day, and thinking, "If God 00:05:45.01\00:05:50.61 allows me to be a missionary for the rest of my life, then praise God." And my friend said, "I 00:05:50.61\00:05:56.22 suggest that you have an evangelism training." And then she said, "I suggest 00:05:56.22\00:06:01.76 that you learn it from this organization, from this school." And that particular school that 00:06:01.76\00:06:09.50 she talked about, it's not really a school. It's a training...program. 00:06:09.50\00:06:15.74 And the training program opened in the Philippines in -- guess where -- in front of our house. 00:06:15.74\00:06:21.54 >> Mm! >> Wow. >> It's my home church! 00:06:21.54\00:06:23.91 It's just across the street! And then my friend said, "Are you thinking of enrolling in the 00:06:23.91\00:06:28.78 Philippines?" "Of course. It's just in front of our 00:06:28.78\00:06:31.79 house." And then she said, "No, no, no, go the U.S." 00:06:31.79\00:06:34.79 And I said, "No, I can't go to the U.S. I don't have a visa." 00:06:34.79\00:06:38.99 And she said, "You apply for a visa, then." "It's easy for you 00:06:38.99\00:06:43.43 to say. You are not a Filipino. For us Filipinos, it's like winning a lottery to get a U.S. 00:06:43.43\00:06:49.24 visa. And for a person like me, who does not have salary, my 00:06:49.24\00:06:52.34 business is closed, I don't have a bank account, it's like 00:06:52.34\00:06:56.14 entering heaven." [ Laughter ] And then she said to me, "Gem, 00:06:56.14\00:07:02.95 move by faith." And then I said, "Yes, let's move by faith." I was saying those words, but I 00:07:02.95\00:07:07.86 was not really fully believing it. >> Both: Mm. 00:07:07.86\00:07:10.29 >> Have you caught yourself in that situation? >> Oh, yeah, I 00:07:10.29\00:07:13.83 can relate. I can totally relate. >> [ Laughs ] >> So, you went and applied for 00:07:13.83\00:07:18.13 a visa. >> Before I applied for a visa, this is the thing, 00:07:18.13\00:07:21.54 because when you apply for a visa back in the Philippines, you have to pay 160 U.S. 00:07:21.54\00:07:25.64 dollars. >> Mm-hmm. >> And for me, I was so in doubt. 00:07:25.64\00:07:28.91 Like, again, as I have said before, the previous provision, sometimes you're thinking that 00:07:28.91\00:07:33.82 it's not going to be repeated, so I prayed, and the Lord 00:07:33.82\00:07:37.59 provided. And I applied. Before I even applied, I was thinking, "This money will just 00:07:37.59\00:07:42.22 go to waste," because I applied for a New Zealand visa a year before that and I got denied. 00:07:42.22\00:07:47.83 >> Mm. >> And I'm thinking, "This is U.S. 00:07:47.83\00:07:50.77 I could not do this." >> Mm-hmm. >> So I still went on, and then 00:07:50.77\00:07:55.57 I saw that God was leading me through that provision. So I went, and the moment I paid 00:07:55.57\00:08:01.54 the amount -- because God provided more than $200, and I did not even say, "Praise the 00:08:01.54\00:08:07.48 Lord." I said, "Oh, this will just go to waste." 00:08:07.48\00:08:09.98 [ Laughs ] I was still in doubt. But, still, the moment I paid 00:08:09.98\00:08:15.06 the amount, I could not sleep, and I'm the kind of person who has no problem sleeping. 00:08:15.06\00:08:20.86 I could sleep anywhere. I could sleep in a train standing up. 00:08:20.86\00:08:24.20 >> Mm. >> I could sleep in the airport, any position. 00:08:24.20\00:08:28.27 I even discovered I had the gift of public sleeping. [ Laughter ] 00:08:28.27\00:08:33.81 But the moment this happened, I could not go to be-- I could not 00:08:33.81\00:08:38.28 go to sleep. I could go to bed, but I could not go to sleep. And one particular night, I was 00:08:38.28\00:08:44.75 in that turmoil. The Lord just somehow spoke to my heart. 00:08:44.75\00:08:48.39 "Have you forgotten that I was the one who's been taking care 00:08:48.39\00:08:51.73 of you?" >> Mm. >> So I got up, I knelt down, and I said, "Lord, 00:08:51.73\00:08:56.30 I'm sorry. It's all You who's been taking care of me, so 00:08:56.30\00:09:00.34 please forgive me. I surrender this to You." The moment I said that, "I surrender this to you," 00:09:00.34\00:09:05.07 I had peace. So, make a long story short, now interview time. 00:09:05.07\00:09:08.91 I prepared myself. I wore my tie. I'm supposed to look like a 00:09:08.91\00:09:12.98 missionary, so I wear my long sleeves. I went to the 00:09:12.98\00:09:17.65 interview, to the U.S. embassy, and there was a lot of people waiting. The moment I sit down, 00:09:17.65\00:09:23.02 I could not breathe. I did not know what was happening. 00:09:23.02\00:09:25.93 I was having panic attack. I have not experienced panic 00:09:25.93\00:09:29.93 attack before. So I was looking for a place to pray because I needed to pray. The Lord gave me 00:09:29.93\00:09:34.74 peace that night. I needed that peace. So I was praying, "Lord, 00:09:34.74\00:09:37.71 please, lead me in that place." Because... the U.S. embassy was 00:09:37.71\00:09:43.08 just filled with Filipinos trying to get out of the Philippines. So the Lord gave me 00:09:43.08\00:09:47.42 this thought, "Go to the bathroom." And I went to the bathroom, and I knelt down and 00:09:47.42\00:09:52.15 prayed. Praise God that the U.S. embassy bathroom is clean. [ 00:09:52.15\00:09:56.26 Both laugh ] And I prayed a desperate prayer, and I said, "Lord, please, I need You right 00:09:56.26\00:10:00.36 now. I desperately need You." This is one thing I realized, that our desperation is the key. 00:10:00.36\00:10:07.44 >> Both: Mm. >> Because that's the only way that we will seek 00:10:07.44\00:10:10.81 God with all of our hearts. >> Yeah. >> So I prayed, and the 00:10:10.81\00:10:13.91 Lord gave me peace, and this is one thing I realized, that when we seek God with all of our 00:10:13.91\00:10:18.88 hearts, any place in this world will be transformed into a prayer room. >> Yes. 00:10:18.88\00:10:22.78 >> I got out of that kneeling position, and I had peace, and then interview came. 00:10:22.78\00:10:28.32 The first question that was asked -- "Mr. Castor." I said, 00:10:28.32\00:10:32.33 "Yes, sir." "How much is your monthly income?" [ Chuckles ] 00:10:32.33\00:10:36.93 Remember, I don't have an income. [ Giggles ] And the Lord just convicted me, "Be honest." 00:10:36.93\00:10:40.74 So I told him, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't have a monthly income." He said, "Why is that?" 00:10:40.74\00:10:45.27 "I'm a missionary volunteer, sir, so I don't get paid for my 00:10:45.27\00:10:49.01 work." "Then how do you live?" "I live by faith, sir." And he was irritated because he 00:10:49.01\00:10:54.52 thought that I was joking, and he said, "I live by faith, too, but tell me, how do you live? 00:10:54.52\00:10:58.92 How do you buy your food? How do you buy your clothes?" And I said, "The Lord provides, 00:10:58.92\00:11:03.16 sir," which is true. And then he opened my passport, and he saw 00:11:03.16\00:11:07.50 my passport was halfway stamped. He said, "If you are not paid for your work, how come you 00:11:07.50\00:11:11.53 travel so much?" I said, "Sir, I'm in a prayer ministry, and 00:11:11.53\00:11:15.64 the Lord uses other people to pay for my fare." He said, 00:11:15.64\00:11:18.67 "Okay, that's acceptable. How about your hotel? How about your 00:11:18.67\00:11:23.14 food? How do you survive outside of the Philippines? It's expensive to travel." 00:11:23.14\00:11:26.41 I said, "Sir, I live in the homes of those people who invites me, and then they feed 00:11:26.41\00:11:29.48 me," which is true. And then he's running out of questions. 00:11:29.48\00:11:33.79 And now he came up with a difficult question, and he said, "How about emergencies? 00:11:33.79\00:11:39.33 Do you encounter emergencies?" I said, "Yes, sir, God is faithful, and He provides the 00:11:39.33\00:11:44.13 right amount of money for the right amount of emergencies." >> 00:11:44.13\00:11:47.10 Mm. >> And then he told me, "Then you receive money for 00:11:47.10\00:11:52.04 emergencies?" And I said, "Yes, sir, God is faithful." "Then you 00:11:52.04\00:11:55.38 just lied to me!" And then I said, "How come, sir?" He said, "Because awhile ago, 00:11:55.38\00:11:58.68 you were telling me that you don't receive any amount of money for your work, and now 00:11:58.68\00:12:02.45 you just lied to me." And remember my condition before my 00:12:02.45\00:12:05.59 panic attack? >> Yes. >> I would've passed out. >> Yeah. 00:12:05.59\00:12:07.66 >> But God gave me the answer, and I told him, and I know it 00:12:07.66\00:12:11.39 was God. I could not have come up with an answer. And I told 00:12:11.39\00:12:15.10 him, "Sir, awhile ago, you were asking for a regular monthly income, but emergencies are not 00:12:15.10\00:12:19.53 regular." >> [ Laughs ] >> Is that a smart answer or not? 00:12:19.53\00:12:22.74 >> Yeah. The Lord gave you it. >> And I'm not that smart! And the moment those words came 00:12:22.74\00:12:27.44 out of my mouth, I had this expression in my head like, 00:12:27.44\00:12:31.08 "Wha..." [ Both laugh ] And this is one thing amazing, that when you see God working, 00:12:31.08\00:12:35.58 you'll be blown away. >> Yeah. >> You'll be blown away. 00:12:35.58\00:12:38.69 It's not because of you. >> Yeah. >> It's only because of 00:12:38.69\00:12:42.12 God. >> Yes. >> And later on, make long story short, he gave 00:12:42.12\00:12:46.16 me a 10-year multiple entry. >> Both: Wow. >> So you got the 00:12:46.16\00:12:50.67 ticket you were looking for to get into the United States, you got a visa, and that is like 00:12:50.67\00:12:57.97 gold to a Filipino. >> It is. >> And you're waiting for 00:12:57.97\00:13:00.31 something like that, and you didn't have enough faith to even believe that that would happen. 00:13:00.31\00:13:04.45 >> It's only because of Him. >> Yeah. Thank you for sharing 00:13:04.45\00:13:07.65 that. We're gonna take a break now, and we're gonna look at a song. The song is "Little Is 00:13:07.65\00:13:12.62 Much," and we've been talking about how a little faith is much in the hands of God. 00:13:12.62\00:13:17.93 >> Mm-hmm. 00:13:17.93\00:13:19.29 ¤¤ 00:13:22.00\00:13:31.67 ¤¤ >> ¤ In the harvest field now ripened ¤ 00:13:31.71\00:13:40.15 ¤ There's a work for all to do ¤ Hark, the Master's voice is 00:13:40.15\00:13:52.49 calling ¤ ¤ To the harvest, calling you ¤ Now, does the place you're called to labor ¤ 00:13:52.49\00:14:04.41 ¤ Seem so small and little known ¤ ¤ It is great if God is in it 00:14:04.41\00:14:15.88 ¤ For He will not forsake His own ¤ ¤ Little is much when God 00:14:15.88\00:14:25.73 is in it ¤ ¤ Labor not for wealth or fame ¤ There's a 00:14:25.73\00:14:37.17 crown, and you can win it ¤ ¤ If you go in Jesus' name ¤ And when the conflict here is 00:14:37.17\00:14:48.62 ended ¤ ¤ And our race on earth is run ¤ He will say, if you've 00:14:48.62\00:15:00.10 been faithfu-u-u-l ¤ ¤ "Welcome home, my child ¤ Well done!" 00:15:00.10\00:15:16.01 ¤ Little is much when God is in it ¤ ¤ Labor not for wealth or 00:15:16.01\00:15:27.12 fame ¤ There's a crown, and you can win it ¤ ¤ If you go 00:15:27.12\00:15:36.56 ¤ If you go ¤ If you go ¤ In Jesus' 00:15:36.56\00:15:51.35 ¤ Na-a-a-a-me ¤ 00:15:51.38\00:16:04.26 >> There's a line in that song that goes, "Little is much when 00:16:04.29\00:16:09.26 God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown, and you can win it, if you go in 00:16:09.26\00:16:16.74 Jesus' name." >> Amen. >> So, you have been sharing with us, Gem, about not laboring 00:16:16.74\00:16:22.08 for wealth or fame, trusting the Lord in guiding you, and He will 00:16:22.08\00:16:27.08 provide. He even gave you wisdom to know what to say when you were in the American embassy. 00:16:27.08\00:16:31.72 >> Mm-hmm. >> And He calmed you -- you had a panic attack. 00:16:31.72\00:16:36.19 >> Oh, yes. >> And God has been guiding throughout your life, 00:16:36.19\00:16:40.20 and He has been providing. Can you share another story? >> Oh, like, this is one thing 00:16:40.20\00:16:44.60 that I've learned from all of this -- whatever God has given us, it's not just entirely for 00:16:44.60\00:16:50.41 us. It's for those who are in need, for those who are needing 00:16:50.41\00:16:54.68 to find Jesus. >> Mm-hmm. >> And I've been looking for 00:16:54.68\00:16:58.58 happiness before. I'm... I'm a searcher for joy. 00:16:58.58\00:17:03.39 And then now I discovered that joy only comes when we follow His will, when we abide, when we 00:17:03.39\00:17:09.66 share what we have, and this is the reason why right now I'm sharing here with you, because 00:17:09.66\00:17:14.86 you could not keep to yourself what the Lord has done in your 00:17:14.86\00:17:19.10 life. >> Right. >> And it's wonderful, it's awesome to brag 00:17:19.10\00:17:22.70 about God... >> Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. >> ...to brag about what He has 00:17:22.70\00:17:25.77 done. >> Yeah. >> So, I remember one time while I was here in the 00:17:25.77\00:17:30.65 U.S. It was last year. And we have, like, an important meeting 00:17:30.65\00:17:35.48 back in the headquarters, the church headquarters, and my friend is coming from Iceland, 00:17:35.48\00:17:40.86 and the whole family is coming from Iceland, but he is in Washington Airport -- Dulles. 00:17:40.86\00:17:47.40 >> Mm-hmm. >> And I'm in Baltimore. And going to that 00:17:47.40\00:17:54.44 place is quite far. And it was still a Sabbath day. So I don't want to go ahead of 00:17:54.44\00:18:01.98 God, so I remembered the verse that you read awhile ago -- "Trust in the Lord with all of 00:18:01.98\00:18:06.92 your heart; lean not on your own understanding." I'm thinking, 00:18:06.92\00:18:10.85 "Lord, I have to trust You in this. What do You want me to do? Teach me how to go about it." 00:18:10.85\00:18:14.79 Remember, absolute reliance? >> Yes, absolute reliance. >> So I asked the Lord, "Lord, 00:18:14.79\00:18:19.83 please teach me what to do here," and I checked Uber, and Uber will cost me 76 or 72 00:18:19.83\00:18:26.33 U.S. dollars -- just one taxi ride. And I'm thinking, "That's 00:18:26.33\00:18:30.47 like a plane-ride cost!" 00:18:30.47\00:18:32.17 So I'm thinking, "Lord, I need more options," and I remembered 00:18:32.21\00:18:35.11 that beautiful verse in Psalms 32:8. 00:18:35.11\00:18:37.91 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should 00:18:37.91\00:18:40.08 go; I will guide you with mine eye." 00:18:40.08\00:18:42.25 And I was praying, praying. The Lord somehow convicted me, "Just go back to Uber again." 00:18:42.28\00:18:47.59 And I checked. There's an Uber option -- there's an UberPool. 00:18:47.59\00:18:51.53 >> Mm. >> And UberPool, you'll be riding with other passengers, 00:18:51.53\00:18:54.73 and I'm thinking, "I have not experienced that before." So I prayed and even asked God, 00:18:54.73\00:18:59.50 "What time would You want me to go?" And I spent time reading. 00:18:59.50\00:19:04.17 That Sabbath afternoon I spent on my knees, spent time with my Word, and the Lord gave me 00:19:04.17\00:19:08.98 "6:00 p.m." I said, "Okay, I'll book 6:00 p.m." 00:19:08.98\00:19:12.55 While I was there waiting for the taxi, for the Uber, I could see in my app that this ride 00:19:12.55\00:19:18.35 was, like, stuck in a corner, going around and around, and then, later on, finally, it 00:19:18.35\00:19:25.93 picked me up. And the moment I got in, the wind blew the door 00:19:25.93\00:19:33.77 of this car, and then it slammed, and the guy said, "Man, careful with my door!" 00:19:33.77\00:19:38.64 He's a big, huge, African-American guy who has golden chain, a huge pendant, 00:19:38.64\00:19:44.58 golden rings. I'm thinking, "This dude, I just somehow 00:19:44.58\00:19:50.99 irritated him." And I said, "I'm sorry, man. It was the wind." And the guy said, "Just careful 00:19:50.99\00:19:55.49 with my door." So I shut up, and then he was driving, and I asked 00:19:55.49\00:20:01.56 him, "So, how was your day?" [ Laughs ] And he told me, "I have 00:20:01.56\00:20:05.33 a lot of things to complain about, but I know that we could choose to be happy." 00:20:05.33\00:20:09.00 And I said, "I like your attitude, man. You're a positive 00:20:09.00\00:20:13.68 man." And then he noticed that I'm a bit chatty, so he opened a window, he turned on the music, 00:20:13.68\00:20:19.71 and he said, "Do you know about reggae?" And I said, "Yes, I 00:20:19.71\00:20:24.42 live in the islands. I'm from the Philippines, so I know 00:20:24.42\00:20:27.22 reggae." And then he said, "Oh, would you mind if I --" before I could even say yes, he turned on 00:20:27.22\00:20:32.46 the volume. He just wants to drown me out. >> So, now, at 00:20:32.46\00:20:36.56 this stage, even though it's an UberPool, there's gonna be many other passengers picked up. 00:20:36.56\00:20:40.97 You're the only one in the vehicle with him? >> I'm the only one there, and I 00:20:40.97\00:20:45.47 was just thinking, "This guy doesn't want to talk." And I was 00:20:45.47\00:20:50.95 just praying, and then he asked me, so he said, "Are you from here?" And I said, "No, I'm not 00:20:50.95\00:20:55.55 from here." "So you travel a lot?" I said, "Yes, I travel a 00:20:55.55\00:20:58.82 lot." And he asked me, "So, what's your work?" I told him 00:20:58.82\00:21:02.26 jokingly -- he did not know -- "I'm an assassin." And he just turned to me. [ Laughter ] 00:21:02.26\00:21:06.63 And I said, "No, I'm a missionary. That's why I travel 00:21:06.63\00:21:10.60 a lot." And then he asked me about stuff about mission work. And the more I share, the more 00:21:10.60\00:21:15.90 he begin to be intently listening. And he closed down 00:21:15.90\00:21:20.74 his window, he turned down the volume, and he begin asking. And then he even opened up -- he 00:21:20.74\00:21:26.48 opened to me about his abandonment issues, he opened to me about how his kid is sick and 00:21:26.48\00:21:32.29 he does not even want to go out during that day because he was depressed, and then, all of a 00:21:32.29\00:21:38.33 sudden, the Lord was just moving in his heart. And I told him, 00:21:38.33\00:21:43.53 "You know what? You know what? God is working in your life, 00:21:43.53\00:21:45.87 Sean." And he said, "I don't know about it because there's just a lot of ugly things that's 00:21:45.87\00:21:49.97 happening in my life." And I said, "You know, even if ugly things happen, I believe 00:21:49.97\00:21:54.58 that God is still good because God is in control." And so, while we were talking, 00:21:54.58\00:22:00.05 the Lord convicted me right now, the Lord spoke to my heart, "Give him what I gave you last 00:22:00.05\00:22:05.92 week." Somebody gave me a $100 bill, and I want to confirm it, 00:22:05.92\00:22:10.19 God, the whole amount, Lord. [ Both laugh ] >> Because you 00:22:10.19\00:22:14.36 don't have a regular income, and all you have is now a $100 bill in your pocket, and you have to 00:22:14.36\00:22:18.53 give it away to this guy. >> Yeah! And the Lord strongly 00:22:18.53\00:22:21.80 suggested that I give it to him. >> Wow. >> So I picked up -- 00:22:21.80\00:22:25.24 And, usually, you give the tip at the end of the trip, and, this time, the Lord wanted me to 00:22:25.24\00:22:31.08 give it to him right away. So I took the $100 bill, gave it to Sean, and Sean said, "What is 00:22:31.08\00:22:36.28 this?" And I said, "That's for you from the Lord." 00:22:36.28\00:22:39.82 He said, "What's this?!" "That's for you from the Lord." He said, 00:22:39.82\00:22:44.26 "It doesn't make sense." And I said, "What doesn't make sense?" because he knows about 00:22:44.26\00:22:48.13 my story now. He said, "You, a poor missionary, the one who 00:22:48.13\00:22:52.13 does not have a salary, giving me this amount, this doesn't 00:22:52.13\00:22:55.87 make sense." I said, "That's why it's not my money -- it's the Lord's, so you have to receive 00:22:55.87\00:23:00.71 it." And this guy just pounded his steering wheel and said, "You just don't know!" 00:23:00.71\00:23:05.98 And he was getting violent like, "You just don't know!" And I'm thinking, "Calm down!" 00:23:05.98\00:23:11.79 [ Laughter ] I'm afraid he'll punch me. And then he said, "You 00:23:11.79\00:23:16.56 just don't know." And then he told me, "You just don't know 00:23:16.56\00:23:21.53 what this means. This morning, I was awakened at 5:00 a.m. I'm not a morning person. 00:23:21.53\00:23:26.37 I was awoken from my sleep at 5:00 a.m., and there's something that's speaking in my heart, 00:23:26.37\00:23:33.44 saying, 'I will do something special for you today.'" >> 00:23:33.44\00:23:37.41 Both: Mm. >> And then I told him, "It's the Holy Spirit." And then he told me, "That's why 00:23:37.41\00:23:41.88 you just don't know." And I told him, "That's why God wants me to 00:23:41.88\00:23:46.39 give you this. This is for your kid." And he said, "You know what? You were my first 00:23:46.39\00:23:50.53 passenger today at 6:00 p.m. I was not planning to get out of bed, and you see me going around 00:23:50.53\00:23:58.33 in your app. I was not planning to pick you up. 00:23:58.33\00:24:01.44 I have not picked up UberPool before." He said, "You're my 00:24:01.44\00:24:05.34 first UberPool." And I told him, "You're my first UberPool, too." 00:24:05.34\00:24:09.01 [ Laughter ] And he told me, "And you know what? 00:24:09.01\00:24:13.88 Most people who comes and sit down in my car, they sit at the 00:24:13.88\00:24:18.45 back. You sit at the front." He didn't know that Filipinos wants to sit in the front 00:24:18.45\00:24:22.19 always. >> [ Laughs ] >> And he said, "You were 00:24:22.19\00:24:25.39 chatty. That's why I turned the volume and then I just -- I want 00:24:25.39\00:24:30.67 to drown out. But you kept on sharing." And I said, "You 00:24:30.67\00:24:35.54 asked." And then he said, "I was drawn to what you're sharing." And I said, "It was really the 00:24:35.54\00:24:41.04 Holy Spirit." And then his phone rang. Another passenger wanted 00:24:41.04\00:24:45.75 to come in. And then I was praying, "Lord, I don't want this conversation to 00:24:45.75\00:24:49.68 end." And he said, "No. Reject. This ride is just for you." 00:24:49.68\00:24:53.12 >> Aww! >> Before we got to the airport, he said to me, just a 00:24:53.12\00:24:58.46 hundred meters away from the airport, he said, "Gem, can you do me a little favor more -- one 00:24:58.46\00:25:04.03 more favor?" And then I asked him, "What's that, Sean?" 00:25:04.03\00:25:07.44 He said, "Can you pray for me?" >> Both: Mm. >> So I prayed for 00:25:07.44\00:25:12.31 him, I gave him all the tracts that I could get, and I even gave him my card, and I said, 00:25:12.31\00:25:18.35 "Sean, I might not have $100 bills, but every time you need prayer, just call me." 00:25:18.35\00:25:22.92 I prayed for him, and I opened my eyes -- Sean's eyes was teary, gave him a huge hug, 00:25:22.92\00:25:30.06 waved goodbye to the brother, and I said, "Wow, this is what happens when God takes control 00:25:30.06\00:25:34.83 of your life." >> Mm. >> So He really used you as His 00:25:34.83\00:25:39.23 instrument to share with Sean all about Him and how powerful 00:25:39.23\00:25:45.97 He is. >> By His grace. >> And how the Holy Spirit was working 00:25:45.97\00:25:50.01 in his life. We've come to the end of our time together. I know it's gone so quickly, but 00:25:50.01\00:25:53.35 we're gonna get together again next week. 00:25:53.35\00:25:55.92 I just want to offer our viewers this little book called 00:25:55.95\00:26:00.56 "The Need" -- "The Need of the Holy Spirit." 00:26:00.56\00:26:03.56 And so if you would like to receive this little booklet, we 00:26:03.56\00:26:06.70 will send it to you free of charge. 00:26:06.70\00:26:09.20 Just look at the information that is on the screen right now. 00:26:09.20\00:26:13.23 And, also, if you want us to pray for you, just contact us at 00:26:13.23\00:26:17.27 the number on the screen, and we will pray for you. 00:26:17.27\00:26:22.34 >> So, thank you once again, Gem, for joining us, and we're 00:26:22.34\00:26:25.71 looking forward to meeting with you again next week when we hear 00:26:25.71\00:26:29.35 about more divine appointments that God has put on your hand 00:26:29.35\00:26:33.59 and given to you so... >> Looking forward to it. 00:26:33.59\00:26:36.66 >> Mm-hmm. >> Thank you. 00:26:36.66\00:26:38.36 Friends, let's pray together. Father in heaven, we thank You, Lord, that we can trust You. 00:26:38.39\00:26:44.27 We know that we do not have to be afraid. When we put our trust 00:26:44.27\00:26:49.27 in You, we can trust in You with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding, that you 00:26:49.27\00:26:55.11 will even silence the feelings of anxiety that we have, Lord. I thank You, Lord, for being 00:26:55.11\00:27:02.08 there for us always. In Jesus' name, amen. >> Amen. 00:27:02.08\00:27:06.12 >> So, friends, until next time, I leave you with the words of Jesus, where he said, "It is 00:27:06.12\00:27:10.79 written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of 00:27:10.79\00:27:17.00 the mouth of God.'" >> Friends, thank you for remembering that 00:27:17.00\00:27:23.14 "It Is Written Canada" exists because of the kindness of 00:27:23.14\00:27:27.61 people like you. To support this life-changing ministry, please 00:27:27.64\00:27:32.55 call us now at 1-888-225-5449. 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