Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Wintley Phipps
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000267B
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00:03 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider.
00:04 Before the break with guest 00:06 Wintley Phipps we were listening to a song. 00:09 Yes. 00:10 Talking and it was a fantastic rendition of my tribute. 00:13 Thank you. 00:14 And you said a horrible president 00:17 why you've singing so wonderfully 00:18 what would we do in other shows. 00:19 Oh, yeah, well. 00:22 We'll have to get you the saying 00:23 a little bit of sorry. 00:25 The word that comes to mind but I just is horrible. 00:27 Yeah, do I. 00:30 But I know that religious liberty is central to 00:33 what you been doing all your life. 00:35 Even though you know 00:37 was just for a limited period 00:38 you were working directly with it. 00:39 Right. 00:40 But you have a vision of this and I appreciate 00:43 talking to you about this I see. 00:44 Yes. 00:45 I see, you link it to spirituality 00:47 which is necessary. 00:48 Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. 00:50 And as I was saying all my life 00:53 oh, I say all my life most of my life 00:55 since I was 16 years old 00:57 I have a felt a calling on my life 01:00 to speak truth to people of influence and power. 01:05 And I have been 01:07 and I've had the opportunity to minister to people 01:10 the highest echelons of government. 01:12 And when I was asked to takeover a little church 01:17 in Washington D.C. in 1985 01:21 I actually drove passed it because it was just a house. 01:25 Like me that sounds pretty recently. 01:27 Yeah. Three decades. 01:28 Yeah, I know isn't that amazing 01:30 and but when I got there 01:33 I looked down the street from where the church was 01:36 and I could see the capital of the United States. 01:39 The building and I realized 01:42 you know God is fulfilling everything 01:46 He told me as a little boy. 01:47 As a young teenager that He wanted me to prepare 01:51 to articulate the issues of religious freedom. 01:53 So here we have an Adventist church presence 01:58 on Capitol Hill there's so much we could do with that. 02:01 And so it was not unusual to on Sabbath morning 02:06 for example 02:07 to look and see members of government 02:10 cabinet people or secretary. 02:13 You know lot of them live in the apartments 02:14 just around the church. 02:16 Yeah and that happens too. 02:17 One Sabbath morning we looked up 02:19 and Justice Clarence Thomas 02:22 was sitting on a front row of the church 02:24 with his wife you know, 02:25 and so we have had those kinds of opportunities 02:29 and I think we need to continue to do that 02:32 because at the end of the day these people 02:34 who make those decisions they're human beings. 02:37 They're human beings with hearts 02:40 with minds that can influenced 02:43 we do know that the enemy is right there 02:48 whispering to them as well 02:49 and is seeking to influence their minds. 02:53 And so we need to be much more grateful than we are. 02:58 If we could only see behind the scenes 03:02 of what God has been doing to protect us 03:06 and to give us the blessing of freedom that we have enjoyed 03:10 it would blow our minds that God was so much involved. 03:13 I like the way you describe it because that's what I believe 03:15 it's a biblical model 03:17 and you know this Joseph and Moses with that matter 03:22 and different people 03:25 and Daniel placed in these highest places. 03:29 Absolutely. 03:30 Yes, you can they govern and you can talk politics 03:36 or at least talk about political developments 03:38 but I think the real value 03:39 what you're talking about is that 03:40 you can relate to them as another human being 03:44 and communicate to them what it is that makes you take 03:46 and they can understand what it is to be 03:48 a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 03:49 Right. 03:50 And when in my situation when you have the blessing 03:55 to sing-- 03:58 Well, you got their attention. 03:59 You got their attention emotionally 04:01 and you speak to them on a very powerful level. 04:05 You know someone once said when you sing you pray twice. 04:10 In other words, you almost speaking 04:13 on more than just one wavelength. 04:15 And so many of these people are moved 04:19 and so consequently they listen to what you've said. 04:24 One of my mentors and I call him a mentor 04:27 because I think he is a dear friend 04:29 is Brother Clarence Hodges, and he-- 04:32 I worked with him when I first started 04:33 with Liberty Magazine. 04:34 Yes, yes and Clarence gave me as a young man 04:39 a little piece of advice that I carry with me 04:43 and I will carry with me as long as I live. 04:46 He said you know "it's hard to make friends 04:52 when you need them." 04:55 Yes, yeah. 04:56 You think about that poem. 04:58 It's hard to make friends when you need them. 05:02 You need to be cultivating relationships 05:05 long before you need them 05:08 and that's what ministry does for me. 05:10 And-- 05:12 And I think the best parts of what you're talking about 05:16 still continues 05:17 we do have through other individuals 05:20 we do have contacts and I think they're successful 05:23 as they keep it on that level. 05:24 Yes. 05:25 I'm uncomfortable with people 05:26 who think that we're useless lobbyist. 05:28 Yes, I understand. To Washington. 05:29 No, it can't be. 05:30 That works to elaborate degrade 05:32 or works to bid the degrade for some of other groups 05:34 that have huge lobbying staffs. 05:36 All right. 05:37 But we can't afford to get into that 05:39 and I think ultimately God doesn't work through that 05:41 particularly He works with what you're talking about. 05:44 One on one communicating your faith as you live it. 05:47 Yeah, and for example 05:48 when I started the Dream Academy 05:50 I realized I would need 05:52 millions and millions of dollars 05:54 to keep this all going. 05:56 Right now we raised hundreds of 05:59 we have to raise hundreds of thousand dollars a month 06:02 to keep this work going. 06:03 And I remember when I started out 06:05 I was it was a daunting 06:07 and I was knocking on doors on some of these doors 06:13 of some of these political friends 06:15 that I had to see if I can get support. 06:18 And I knocked on this senator's door 06:20 and I thought I get handshake 06:23 and the picture and the brush off, 06:24 you know, they do that so efficiently 06:28 but he and I were together for an hour and half 06:31 and because he turned out Lincoln, 06:34 to be one of the most prolific song writers 06:38 in the United States of America. 06:39 He's written for Gladys Knight, 06:40 he's written for Brooks and Dunn 06:42 his name is Senator Orrin Hatch. 06:44 Oh, I was going to guess someone else. 06:46 Yeah, so Orrin Hatch is an amazing song writer. 06:50 And we hit it off with the music 06:53 and I was there with him an hour and half 06:55 because he kept saying 06:56 hey, you got time for one more song. 06:57 Yeah and he already was he was pulling out songs 06:59 I mean he has written hundreds of hundreds 07:01 and I have actually recorded a whole album 07:04 of Senator Hatch's songs. 07:06 And then he said to me 07:09 who is helping you with your dream for the kids? 07:11 I said well, I have a few people here in there. 07:14 He said no, I'm gonna help you. 07:16 And he put it absolutely 07:18 he put together fundraising dinner 07:22 and he said you know I want to 07:24 I want this to be very bipartisan. 07:26 Who do you know on the democratic side 07:28 that will co-host you a dinner with me? 07:30 And I told him about my relationship 07:31 and my minister to the Clintons and President Clinton. 07:34 He said Mrs. Clinton just became a senator. 07:37 You better Ashcroft. 07:38 Yeah, yeah. In excess with-- 07:39 Yes, I do. So you had many options. 07:41 Yeah, yeah but he said-- 07:43 but you said he wanted be bipartisan 07:47 Ashcroft is also a republican. 07:48 Oh, really? Yes. 07:51 Oh, of course, sorry. Yeah, yeah right. 07:54 So he's political suitcase pretty thick sometimes. 07:58 So when he said I want 08:00 he said I'm gonna get Mrs. Clinton 08:02 to co-host your dinner with me. 08:03 So she agreed 08:05 and she went out and got all the democratic senators 08:09 to sign on to be a member of my dinner committee. 08:12 He went in and got all the Republican senators 08:14 to sign on to be a member of my first dinner committee, 08:17 my first dinner. 08:18 So my first dinner committee 08:20 read all 100 United States senators. 08:22 Wow. 08:23 So CNN came and did a report on my Dream Academy saying 08:27 what group is this we have never seen 08:29 100 United States senators agree? 08:31 I'm sure that's fairly unique. 08:32 Yeah, and it is. 08:34 And so that's again that's the power of ministry. 08:38 Here I ministered to the Clinton's 08:40 and ministered to Senator Hatch. 08:44 And I will say this 08:45 one day I had to sing at this big function in Washington 08:48 where President Clinton spoke. 08:50 And that's same night I had to rush across town 08:52 and sing at this big Republican function. 08:54 And when I got there I announced 08:56 that I had just come from singing 08:57 for the President of the United States 08:59 and there was this boo and rumbling 09:00 and went to the audience. 09:01 As I said wait a wait a minute. 09:02 I said I always go where people really need the Lord. 09:06 And there was this polite applause 09:08 and then I said and that's why I'm here. 09:11 So that's how I view it. 09:14 It's all ministry for me. 09:15 Yeah. 09:16 Yeah, well, it's incredible to listening to this 09:19 and in some ways I think you hold 09:23 you have to hold back 09:24 because you can't tell the most personal-- 09:26 That's true. 09:27 That's very true. Conversations you've had. 09:28 Yes. 09:30 But in a way I think more than 09:32 almost any of the Seventh-day Adventist in my living memory 09:35 you've been privileged to have these contacts 09:38 in a smaller way obviously 09:40 some of the people that I work with 09:42 have these conversations. 09:43 Yes. 09:45 And I think we're privileged under the Lord 09:47 to those of us live in Washington 09:50 and have these jobs now and then you can make a contact 09:53 well, you see God's leading in it. 09:55 Because obviously your career 09:58 puts you now in front of the more than usual. 10:01 Yeah. 10:02 But I do believe those moments are not just social 10:05 its God's spirit. 10:06 Absolutely. 10:07 And creating an opportunity. 10:08 No doubt about it. 10:09 And it's always about the few 10:11 that I have had its all inspiring. 10:12 Yes, yes. 10:13 And it is for His will and purpose. 10:17 It's not for your glory its for His glory 10:20 and as long you keep that in mind 10:21 you'll be able to get. 10:22 I really think God has used you greatly 10:24 and the Dream Academy, 10:26 I think the epitomizes it's a dream. 10:27 Yes, yes. 10:29 And why not share the dream. 10:30 Yes absolutely. 10:32 It's not a private dream 10:33 it's caused a dream for all of us. 10:34 Absolutely. 10:35 And in this country it's doing a great social good 10:39 as well as fulfilling our religious compulsion 10:42 if you like. 10:43 I'd say well, I will tell you 10:45 what I will tell people all the time. 10:46 In 22 seconds. Absolutely, yeah absolutely. 10:50 God is the ultimate dreamer 10:51 and when He dreams planets are born. 10:54 When He dreams flowers come up out of the ground 10:56 and blush with Technicolor 10:58 and when He dreams He'll also dreams about you. 11:02 The most amazing thing that can happen in your life 11:04 is to ask God to show you the dream 11:06 He's been dreaming for you. 11:11 Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin. 11:14 He was one of the rulers of that nation 11:17 the nation of Israel 11:19 even though they were under Roman rule. 11:21 He'd heard about Jesus, 11:22 he'd heard somewhat about His teachings 11:25 and it came to him and He said teacher 11:27 we know you're from God. 11:29 And then Jesus said you know are you're a ruler 11:32 are you someone that doesn't know these things? 11:35 And then He proceeded to communicate 11:39 the fact that the spirit moves and changes peoples minds. 11:43 That it's a spiritual reality and understanding 11:46 not just a head knowledge. 11:49 `In reaching out to some of these rulers today 11:52 we need to understand the same thing 11:53 that it's the personal meeting. 11:55 Even the meeting at night that personal contact 11:58 that communication of the power of the spirit 12:01 that will make it change in lives 12:04 that will as the wind itself moves and changes 12:07 it will directly change 12:09 the thinking of those individuals 12:11 and on occasion reveal to us 12:13 that God's Spirit is even affected the events 12:16 and the determination of nations. 12:20 For Liberty Insider this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17