Welcome back to
the Liberty Insider.
00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70
Before the break,
00:00:02.73\00:00:04.13
I was discussing with Pati
00:00:04.17\00:00:05.50
some very interesting
elements of what she's doing
00:00:05.53\00:00:07.94
and particularly
during the COVID era,
00:00:07.97\00:00:10.61
and we were
continuing the discussion
00:00:10.64\00:00:14.78
during the break,
00:00:14.81\00:00:16.14
and I wish the
camera had been running.
00:00:16.18\00:00:18.38
But we were talking really
about the human trafficking,
00:00:18.41\00:00:24.95
I was nearly gonna
say the white slave trade.
00:00:24.99\00:00:27.66
When I was growing up,
that's what they call that.
00:00:27.69\00:00:29.32
It's an old term and
misleading in some ways.
00:00:29.36\00:00:32.49
But slavery is not confined
to a couple of 100 years ago.
00:00:32.53\00:00:36.20
No.
00:00:36.23\00:00:37.57
Other places where
it does still exist.
00:00:37.60\00:00:41.24
And as far as US history,
particularly from China,
00:00:41.27\00:00:44.07
there's been a
continuing litany,
00:00:44.11\00:00:46.61
and the US didn't act well
00:00:46.64\00:00:48.18
toward Chinese
immigration anyway.
00:00:48.21\00:00:50.65
But under the radar,
00:00:50.68\00:00:52.18
people were brought
basically as pure slaves,
00:00:52.21\00:00:54.45
by those with money and cynicism
00:00:54.48\00:00:56.58
and take away their
documents and mistreat them.
00:00:56.62\00:01:00.32
But now it's spread
00:01:00.36\00:01:01.69
to many aspects of
our economy, hasn't it?
00:01:01.72\00:01:04.79
And you've had the inside...
00:01:04.83\00:01:06.46
Oh, yes, I'm...
00:01:06.49\00:01:07.90
Being at the
table discussing with...
00:01:07.93\00:01:09.26
Exactly.
00:01:09.30\00:01:10.63
Well, we've had
some of our events,
00:01:10.67\00:01:12.00
our film
festivals, and other events.
00:01:12.03\00:01:14.10
We have survivors
00:01:14.14\00:01:15.47
that come and
they tell their story,
00:01:15.50\00:01:17.34
labor trafficking stories,
and they're afraid to speak up,
00:01:17.37\00:01:20.78
and they're afraid to just leave
00:01:20.81\00:01:22.14
without documentation.
00:01:22.18\00:01:23.51
They're told so many things,
00:01:23.55\00:01:24.88
when they come into the country
00:01:24.91\00:01:26.25
that they believe them at first,
00:01:26.28\00:01:27.62
then the mistreatment
happens, it's too late.
00:01:27.65\00:01:30.19
But besides the
labor trafficking
00:01:30.22\00:01:33.15
in the other area
of sex trafficking,
00:01:33.19\00:01:36.73
here in America, yes,
00:01:36.76\00:01:38.79
people are brought
from other countries.
00:01:38.83\00:01:40.60
But right here in America,
00:01:40.63\00:01:42.00
we have a problem because
00:01:42.03\00:01:43.60
there are many, many homes
without strong father figures.
00:01:43.63\00:01:47.27
There may be a
father figure in the home,
00:01:47.30\00:01:48.80
but they're not strong.
00:01:48.84\00:01:50.51
They're not a good influence
to their daughter or son
00:01:50.54\00:01:54.21
or they're absent fathers.
00:01:54.24\00:01:56.01
And now this child is a
girl, woman, girl grows up,
00:01:56.04\00:01:59.28
a teenager grows up
00:01:59.31\00:02:00.88
wanting that male
kind of love and bonding,
00:02:00.92\00:02:03.99
and what we call...
00:02:04.02\00:02:05.35
And can be
abused terribly and...
00:02:05.39\00:02:06.72
Yes. Lose their freedom.
00:02:06.76\00:02:08.09
And we call it the Romeo pimps
because they Romeo the girls,
00:02:08.12\00:02:10.63
they come up to the girls,
00:02:10.66\00:02:11.99
they don't know
who they are at first.
00:02:12.03\00:02:13.36
But they say, "You're beautiful,
00:02:13.40\00:02:14.90
you're worth so much to me."
00:02:14.93\00:02:17.53
They wine and dine
them, buy them gifts.
00:02:17.57\00:02:20.04
These are
teenagers, 15, 16 years old.
00:02:20.07\00:02:23.30
And they're often...
00:02:23.34\00:02:24.67
The sex slave and
they're getting clothes,
00:02:24.71\00:02:26.74
and jewelry, and
money, and fancy cars,
00:02:26.78\00:02:29.54
and they're being
swept off their feet.
00:02:29.58\00:02:31.91
But we need strong fathers.
00:02:31.95\00:02:33.78
So you're
discovering the public affairs
00:02:33.82\00:02:36.85
part of religious liberty
00:02:36.89\00:02:38.22
is leading you in
many, many directions,
00:02:38.25\00:02:40.42
reformed directions.
00:02:40.46\00:02:41.99
Yeah.
00:02:42.02\00:02:43.36
You know, one of the big debates
00:02:43.39\00:02:44.73
that I even have with myself
00:02:44.76\00:02:47.16
is to what degree
should we be involved in things
00:02:47.20\00:02:52.07
to change and improve society
versus spreading the good news
00:02:52.10\00:02:56.07
about coming perfect kingdom.
00:02:56.10\00:02:59.01
And if you read
Ellen White's comments
00:02:59.04\00:03:00.71
about social,
00:03:00.74\00:03:02.28
I don't know if she
uses the term social justice.
00:03:02.31\00:03:06.35
It can be used in
different directions,
00:03:06.38\00:03:08.32
but the overriding principles
00:03:08.35\00:03:10.25
she points out is
00:03:10.29\00:03:11.69
we need to
maintain present truth,
00:03:11.72\00:03:14.19
present truth is
speaking to the times
00:03:14.22\00:03:16.56
and warning people
00:03:16.59\00:03:17.93
and preparing
them for God's kingdom.
00:03:17.96\00:03:19.89
But I know that
that was never intended
00:03:19.93\00:03:23.30
and can't be used to
totally short-circuit us away
00:03:23.33\00:03:26.77
from social responsibility.
00:03:26.80\00:03:31.01
But, you know, I think
you're on the right track.
00:03:31.04\00:03:33.54
The same John MacArthur,
00:03:33.58\00:03:37.08
that's the pastor of that church
00:03:37.11\00:03:38.45
that I attended.
00:03:38.48\00:03:39.81
I saw online
00:03:39.85\00:03:41.18
where he came in and spoke
to a group of seminary students
00:03:41.22\00:03:43.95
who are just
freshmen, I guess they were.
00:03:43.99\00:03:46.49
And he said to them, he says,
00:03:46.52\00:03:47.86
"You think you've come
here to change the world?"
00:03:47.89\00:03:50.43
He says, "That's not true,
you're here to change people."
00:03:50.46\00:03:54.70
And your concern is
going to the individual.
00:03:54.73\00:03:58.63
We are called to do that,
00:03:58.67\00:04:00.00
we're called to
feed the homeless
00:04:00.04\00:04:01.37
and visit the sick,
to change their lives,
00:04:01.40\00:04:04.64
but by no means are Christians
in coalition or whatever
00:04:04.67\00:04:08.58
capable of turning this
channel house of a world
00:04:08.61\00:04:12.05
we live in into heaven on earth,
00:04:12.08\00:04:13.52
it's not gonna happen.
00:04:13.55\00:04:15.12
We can't be indifferent to it.
00:04:15.15\00:04:17.82
We have to move
into that like Jesus,
00:04:17.85\00:04:20.32
he met with the
publicans and sinners
00:04:20.36\00:04:21.99
and the women of the world
00:04:22.02\00:04:23.36
who, you know, serial
marriages and all of it.
00:04:23.39\00:04:26.23
I mean, we did bring
relief to those people.
00:04:26.26\00:04:29.66
You know, some of
these events we had,
00:04:29.70\00:04:32.03
I met an ex-trafficker himself.
00:04:32.07\00:04:34.70
He grew up almost
homeless, very poor,
00:04:34.74\00:04:37.87
would go to school in the
same dirty clothes every day.
00:04:37.91\00:04:41.34
Now as an adult, he said though,
00:04:41.38\00:04:42.71
as he was growing, not
one teacher, not one adult,
00:04:42.74\00:04:45.05
whatever, went to him and said,
00:04:45.08\00:04:47.15
"Are you okay? Can I
help you with something?
00:04:47.18\00:04:49.55
I noticed you
don't have lunch, here,
00:04:49.58\00:04:50.92
I brought you something to eat."
00:04:50.95\00:04:52.49
He grew up feeling
worthless, disempowered.
00:04:52.52\00:04:54.86
He didn't feel he had any value.
00:04:54.89\00:04:56.66
So as he grew a little older,
00:04:56.69\00:04:58.53
of course, in his neighborhood,
00:04:58.56\00:05:00.66
it was popular now,
join a gang, sell drugs,
00:05:00.70\00:05:03.73
get involved with
traffickers, which he did.
00:05:03.77\00:05:06.27
He did that for quite a while.
00:05:06.30\00:05:07.64
And he talks about the
horrors of what he did.
00:05:07.67\00:05:09.97
And...
00:05:10.01\00:05:11.34
Well, there are neighborhoods
00:05:11.37\00:05:12.71
where if they don't join a gang,
00:05:12.74\00:05:14.08
both sides will pick on them.
00:05:14.11\00:05:15.64
So you have to decide between
two gang friends, you know.
00:05:15.68\00:05:19.91
But now,
00:05:19.95\00:05:21.38
he is an amazing
advocate for God first.
00:05:21.42\00:05:26.09
And he says he never
married, he never had children,
00:05:26.12\00:05:28.42
but every child in the
streets are his child, he says,
00:05:28.46\00:05:31.86
and he talks to them.
00:05:31.89\00:05:33.29
And first,
again, Christ's method,
00:05:33.33\00:05:35.26
he meets them where they are.
00:05:35.30\00:05:36.87
If he has to dress
like they do in the streets
00:05:36.90\00:05:39.10
to be welcomed by
them, he will do it.
00:05:39.13\00:05:41.07
He doesn't dress
like I saw him that day
00:05:41.10\00:05:43.04
he was speaking for
us in a suit and tie.
00:05:43.07\00:05:45.77
No, he was
dressed like street wear,
00:05:45.81\00:05:48.94
speaks with the kids.
00:05:48.98\00:05:50.31
But he always leaves
them a message about God
00:05:50.35\00:05:52.78
and I tried to do the same
when I talk with survivors,
00:05:52.81\00:05:55.32
with anyone,
even the nonprofits,
00:05:55.35\00:05:57.12
the people who are
head of the nonprofit,
00:05:57.15\00:05:59.85
and they may or
may not be Christian.
00:05:59.89\00:06:01.82
But even in my
conversations with them,
00:06:01.86\00:06:03.59
I'll say things like
00:06:03.63\00:06:04.96
when we're talking about
00:06:04.99\00:06:06.83
someone who's
been human trafficked,
00:06:06.86\00:06:08.23
or someone on
drugs, or an alcoholic,
00:06:08.26\00:06:10.20
or someone in the streets,
00:06:10.23\00:06:11.60
I will just trying to say,
00:06:11.63\00:06:12.97
"You know, God created us all
to be so much more than that."
00:06:13.00\00:06:15.40
Even the person that's lying,
00:06:15.44\00:06:17.24
they're mentally
ill, or on drugs,
00:06:17.27\00:06:19.57
we all have to
look at them, like,
00:06:19.61\00:06:21.68
God created them
to be so much more.
00:06:21.71\00:06:23.95
Then we start talking
about God, we start...
00:06:23.98\00:06:26.08
Then start
speaking my truth and...
00:06:26.11\00:06:28.95
We're taking
advantage of every opportunity.
00:06:28.98\00:06:30.42
There's always way
to bring God into it.
00:06:30.45\00:06:32.35
There's always a way.
00:06:32.39\00:06:33.72
I'm so glad you're sharing this
00:06:33.76\00:06:35.09
because it's true that
00:06:35.12\00:06:36.46
all good deeds are
good deeds versus doing bad.
00:06:36.49\00:06:39.19
But just going
through the motions,
00:06:39.23\00:06:40.70
handing out food to
someone, that's only part of it.
00:06:40.73\00:06:43.90
As Jesus did,
follow up on the leads
00:06:43.93\00:06:46.27
because I read a book years
ago called Street Christianity
00:06:46.30\00:06:49.80
by Arthur Blessitt.
00:06:49.84\00:06:51.17
He's probably dead
by now, I don't know.
00:06:51.21\00:06:52.71
This was many years ago,
00:06:52.74\00:06:54.08
but he carried a cross
around the world witnessing.
00:06:54.11\00:06:57.48
But he would go
into the nightclubs,
00:06:57.51\00:06:59.51
to the strip joints, witnessing
00:06:59.55\00:07:01.48
and every
opportunity like one of his...
00:07:01.52\00:07:04.59
I remember one example,
00:07:04.62\00:07:05.95
he said he was
walking past the tennis court
00:07:05.99\00:07:07.62
and he heard
them call out 15-love.
00:07:07.66\00:07:11.33
And he says, "No, John 3:16."
00:07:11.36\00:07:13.86
Love John 3:16.
00:07:13.90\00:07:15.73
And the
follow-up was this person
00:07:15.76\00:07:17.90
came home from playing tennis
00:07:17.93\00:07:19.27
and they said we
were playing tennis
00:07:19.30\00:07:20.64
and this crazy guy
yelled out love John 3:16.
00:07:20.67\00:07:23.27
What's it? What was that?
00:07:23.30\00:07:24.64
He became a
Christian as a result.
00:07:24.67\00:07:26.47
And he went into a strip joint
and wearing his rapture suit,
00:07:26.51\00:07:30.15
he called it, in other words
a very crazy sort of an outfit.
00:07:30.18\00:07:33.55
And he asked the
owner who met him, he says,
00:07:33.58\00:07:37.69
"You know, what are
the girls like here?"
00:07:37.72\00:07:39.15
And the guy said
writing in the books
00:07:39.19\00:07:41.06
as I delivered him to
the lion's den, he says,
00:07:41.09\00:07:43.06
"Oh, you can go and
talk to the girls backstage."
00:07:43.09\00:07:45.59
And after a
while, no one's dancing.
00:07:45.63\00:07:47.20
He goes back and hear
the girls weeping and crying,
00:07:47.23\00:07:49.36
and this guy's telling
them how God loved them and all.
00:07:49.40\00:07:52.00
You know, not
everyone can do that
00:07:52.03\00:07:53.90
in that aggressive way.
00:07:53.94\00:07:56.27
But we're all
called to reach out
00:07:56.30\00:07:59.04
and touch people with
something that we have
00:07:59.07\00:08:01.41
'cause in the book, he says
00:08:01.44\00:08:02.78
"I've got something
I want to give them."
00:08:02.81\00:08:04.48
Like, he in the drug era,
00:08:04.51\00:08:05.95
he would sidle up
to someone, he says,
00:08:05.98\00:08:07.58
"You want some reds?"
00:08:07.62\00:08:09.12
And he would give
them little capsules
00:08:09.15\00:08:11.32
with a wound up Bible text.
00:08:11.35\00:08:13.86
But he's like...
00:08:13.89\00:08:15.22
He says, "I'm like a
drug pusher for the Lord."
00:08:15.26\00:08:16.69
Yes.
00:08:16.73\00:08:18.06
No, but God opens
those opportunities,
00:08:18.09\00:08:19.83
'cause I'm
sometimes talking with people.
00:08:19.86\00:08:22.06
And they're
speaking as raw as can be.
00:08:22.10\00:08:25.27
And I'm listening
00:08:25.30\00:08:26.80
and I'm trying to
maybe share some experience.
00:08:26.84\00:08:28.84
"Oh, yeah, you know what I saw
on the street the other day, "
00:08:28.87\00:08:31.07
or "You know what I saw
at this homeless encampment."
00:08:31.11\00:08:32.97
But then there's always that way
00:08:33.01\00:08:35.01
when I don't know
what I'm going to say
00:08:35.04\00:08:36.58
but God puts it,
it just comes out.
00:08:36.61\00:08:39.28
And I'm witnessing.
00:08:39.31\00:08:40.65
I was talking to a father
00:08:40.68\00:08:42.02
who came to one of our
events with two children.
00:08:42.05\00:08:43.95
He was there all day
with two, very, very...
00:08:43.99\00:08:47.62
He must've been a single father,
00:08:47.66\00:08:48.99
I don't know.
00:08:49.02\00:08:50.36
Very young children.
00:08:50.39\00:08:51.73
He doted on them,
and took care of them,
00:08:51.76\00:08:53.09
and he would walk
them and he gave them food.
00:08:53.13\00:08:55.70
And all day, I'm watching him.
00:08:55.73\00:08:57.70
And at the end of the
day, we had raffle tickets.
00:08:57.73\00:09:01.30
And he didn't win
any raffle tickets.
00:09:01.34\00:09:02.70
Well, I didn't have time
00:09:02.74\00:09:04.07
to put them all under the tables
00:09:04.11\00:09:05.44
like I was supposed
to, so I'm thinking,
00:09:05.47\00:09:06.81
"Maybe that's
the reason why God...
00:09:06.84\00:09:09.04
That maybe
there's a reason why."
00:09:09.08\00:09:10.41
So I went up to him and I said,
00:09:10.45\00:09:12.08
"I have some raffle tickets
for you and your two children."
00:09:12.11\00:09:14.68
And he's like, "Oh, thank you."
00:09:14.72\00:09:16.05
And they were very unkempt.
00:09:16.08\00:09:17.69
So I don't know if they
came from a homeless shelter.
00:09:17.72\00:09:19.12
He was very
unkempt, they weren't clean.
00:09:19.15\00:09:21.26
But I gave him
the raffle tickets.
00:09:21.29\00:09:22.62
I said, "You know, I've
been watching you all day.
00:09:22.66\00:09:23.99
You're such a good father.
00:09:24.03\00:09:25.83
Thank you. You're
such a good father."
00:09:25.86\00:09:27.53
And then I just started saying,
00:09:27.56\00:09:28.90
"You know, about
our Father in heaven."
00:09:28.93\00:09:30.67
And he's like,
"Yeah, a little bit."
00:09:30.70\00:09:33.23
And I happen to have
some tracks in my purse,
00:09:33.27\00:09:35.27
I always carry something.
So I gave him some tracks.
00:09:35.30\00:09:37.34
And I said, where my church was,
00:09:37.37\00:09:39.31
"But just talk to God
and He's always with you.
00:09:39.34\00:09:41.51
You know, He's with you
and you're a good father."
00:09:41.54\00:09:43.51
I can't remember
exactly everything I said.
00:09:43.55\00:09:45.31
But God, even in that
moment, when I'm thinking,
00:09:45.35\00:09:47.75
let me just give
him some raffles,
00:09:47.78\00:09:49.12
some restaurant tickets
for him to take the kids,
00:09:49.15\00:09:52.05
I'm talking to him
about he's a good father,
00:09:52.09\00:09:53.79
but we have an awesome Father.
00:09:53.82\00:09:56.36
It's interesting,
00:09:56.39\00:09:57.73
you know, you're
reminding me of the discussion
00:09:57.76\00:09:59.46
that I have with my neighbor.
00:09:59.49\00:10:00.83
She asked me once, you know,
"Is this one of the plagues?"
00:10:00.86\00:10:03.40
You heard me say
that in the sermon.
00:10:03.43\00:10:06.10
I don't see that
00:10:06.13\00:10:07.47
it directly
answers the description.
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.11
But in those final plagues,
00:10:10.14\00:10:11.61
it says that this
came upon the world,
00:10:11.64\00:10:14.18
but people didn't repent,
they went and turned to God.
00:10:14.21\00:10:17.08
So I'm hoping this is not.
00:10:17.11\00:10:18.88
And I'm still waiting
for what should follow this,
00:10:18.91\00:10:21.08
and you're giving
me a little example.
00:10:21.12\00:10:23.39
It'll be wonderful
00:10:23.42\00:10:24.75
if under this suffering
that's caused an effect,
00:10:24.79\00:10:26.99
you know, we know at
least where it came from,
00:10:27.02\00:10:29.52
and the type of
thing that develops it.
00:10:29.56\00:10:31.26
But if it causes
people to seek God,
00:10:31.29\00:10:34.33
it'll be a
wonderful opportunity,
00:10:34.36\00:10:36.26
I think, for revival in
many, many individual lives.
00:10:36.30\00:10:39.97
And, you know,
you're really privileged
00:10:40.00\00:10:41.60
to have these conversations
00:10:41.64\00:10:42.97
to take advantage of
those leads, aren't you?
00:10:43.00\00:10:46.17
Even in a time like this.
00:10:46.21\00:10:47.54
You know, I feel so humbled,
though, when I'm doing this,
00:10:47.58\00:10:49.54
and I thank them.
00:10:49.58\00:10:50.91
And I told this father, I said,
00:10:50.95\00:10:52.28
"You're a good dad.
00:10:52.31\00:10:53.65
Continue to be a good dad,
00:10:53.68\00:10:55.02
and your Father is watching you.
00:10:55.05\00:10:56.38
And God knows
and sees everything."
00:10:56.42\00:10:57.75
And I thanked
him for being there.
00:10:57.79\00:10:59.12
I thanked him for
being a good father.
00:10:59.15\00:11:01.09
So it's not about
me and why I was there,
00:11:01.12\00:11:03.16
but it was because I know
God wanted me to reach him
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.86
and speak to him.
00:11:05.89\00:11:07.23
And I feel
humbled and I'm blessed.
00:11:07.26\00:11:09.56
I can remember as a young man
00:11:13.20\00:11:14.70
visiting the city of
Rome for the first time,
00:11:14.74\00:11:17.31
of course, it was overwhelming.
00:11:17.34\00:11:19.61
The Eternal
City, it's been called.
00:11:19.64\00:11:22.74
But I must admit
the visit to St. Peter's
00:11:22.78\00:11:25.98
and seeing the
then-Pope come out from a mass
00:11:26.01\00:11:31.85
with all of the...
00:11:31.89\00:11:33.22
and that was rather dispiriting
to me as a Protestant.
00:11:33.25\00:11:36.46
But what really impressed me
00:11:36.49\00:11:38.19
was we were taken by
an Adventist student guide
00:11:38.23\00:11:41.83
to the catacombs.
00:11:41.86\00:11:43.37
As I remember,
00:11:43.40\00:11:44.73
it was close to
a busy city circle,
00:11:44.77\00:11:47.74
but then to go down
into what were the terms,
00:11:47.77\00:11:50.71
the place of death, and despair
00:11:50.74\00:11:53.98
and a place that
00:11:54.01\00:11:56.24
the Romans who knew
00:11:56.28\00:11:57.75
of Christians
meeting down there,
00:11:57.78\00:11:59.11
so this is seditious, dangerous,
00:11:59.15\00:12:02.72
and of course, just health wise,
00:12:02.75\00:12:04.09
it probably was.
00:12:04.12\00:12:05.65
To me that's not so dissimilar
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.02
from today in our COVID threat
00:12:08.06\00:12:10.06
where there's death and
destruction on every hand,
00:12:10.09\00:12:12.09
hundreds of thousands in the US,
00:12:12.13\00:12:14.00
a million, at least globally.
00:12:14.03\00:12:16.13
In that time,
00:12:16.16\00:12:17.83
Christians, many of
them have just gone home
00:12:17.87\00:12:20.40
and gone to sleep.
00:12:20.44\00:12:22.20
And those that do meet,
00:12:22.24\00:12:24.54
whether it's in
public, in their church
00:12:24.57\00:12:26.34
or under an awning in the yard,
00:12:26.37\00:12:29.88
that is our modern equivalent
00:12:29.91\00:12:31.71
to Christians
meeting in the catacombs
00:12:31.75\00:12:34.88
at a certain risk,
00:12:34.92\00:12:36.28
at a certain
shamefulness in the public eye
00:12:36.32\00:12:39.39
but still obeying
the Lord's command
00:12:39.42\00:12:42.12
to forsake not the assembling
of yourselves together.
00:12:42.16\00:12:46.33
That's a charge
00:12:46.36\00:12:47.70
that we must
honor in our own way
00:12:47.73\00:12:49.76
in these days.
00:12:49.80\00:12:51.30
For Liberty Insider,
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:12:51.33\00:12:54.37