Participants:
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI210504B
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00:06 Welcome back to the Liberty Insider
00:08 before the break with guest Christopher Steed, 00:12 as I say, good last name, my son. 00:15 We were talking about many things, 00:17 but from the point of view of COVID 00:20 and the restrictions we're facing 00:22 and how a Christian or indeed anyone 00:24 with any moral convictions is able to, 00:29 and should reach past that 00:32 and share what they have, right? 00:35 It's a tricky time, tricky time. 00:39 And again, I'd like to get your opinion 00:41 as a young person, you know, 00:44 you're a work in progress like I am, 00:46 but the work is coming to an end. 00:48 Yeah. 00:50 You know, how have you decided personally, 00:53 how will you deal with this from here on, 00:54 because what I need to preface it, 00:57 I think there's a reasonable chance that while we may 01:01 somewhat get over COVID, 01:02 I think it's that we're not over it by any means. 01:05 And I think we'll see a radical increase between now 01:08 and the end of, you know, I wouldn't say 01:10 when we're filming this, but before the end of 2021, 01:14 I think we're gonna to be in panic mode again. 01:17 I think so, too. 01:18 So what would your resolution be if you 01:23 had to deal with this? 01:25 I think from the experience I've had with what I learned 01:28 at Core, and then also with what I saw while I was 01:32 working at Core and what I saw while 01:34 I was working at the summer camp, 01:35 but the needs that the kids showed. 01:37 I would start a program myself if I had the resources 01:41 and the backing from the church. 01:44 I would start a program exactly like Core, 01:47 teaching young people how to spread the Word, 01:49 you know, actually showing them IRL in real life, 01:53 how to do it, like giving them that door-to-door experience 01:55 like I got, because honestly there is a need. 01:59 I mean, even if it's just one or two people going 02:02 out door-to-door, you know, just asking if, you know, 02:04 people need prayer. 02:05 I mean, that would honestly make a huge difference 02:08 because people are open to it. 02:10 They're responsive to it. 02:12 They need something to believe in when they feel like 02:16 there's nothing to believe in. 02:18 You know, we're all very familiar with Jesus 02:20 and His 12 apostles. 02:23 Judas sort of betrayed, well, sort of betrayed Him, 02:26 but he betrayed the trust, no, but he betrayed. 02:29 He didn't pan out as far as a witness. 02:31 Well, if you read the gospels, Judas was part of some 02:35 of the miracles and so on, but what people forget 02:38 is they were 70 people, a larger group that Jesus sent 02:41 out very consciously to go door-to-door 02:44 and into the cities and far afield from Jerusalem. 02:49 And it's worth remembering the time they had, 02:52 you know, it wasn't COVID, but every disease you could 02:55 imagine was at foot, they didn't have immunization. 02:59 So, there were real risks in the Bible. 03:01 It just talks about leprosy that covered about 03:03 any visible sense of disease, including real leprosy 03:08 and people dying of cancer. 03:10 You know, now, we just see cancer 03:12 as something in an oncology ward, 03:14 and you might die from it, but in that country, 03:18 and that time, as well as some third world countries now, 03:21 you know, cancer might lead, you see some of the huge lump 03:23 hanging off them and oozing sores and so on. 03:28 And you could catch, they would think you 03:30 could catch it as well as that they were 03:33 a city under occupation. 03:35 It was a military occupation that the very least to compare 03:38 to the day. 03:39 Don't you think that'd be right in saying 03:41 it was about the same as going out 03:42 witnessing door-to-door in Baghdad? 03:44 Yeah, I'd say about the same. 03:46 Same sort of risk, there's violent men around. 03:49 One of Jesus' own disciples was a zealot. 03:53 They were basically the Al Qaeda of the time 03:57 and caught up with them. 03:59 Shortly after Jesus' death, there was a rebellion 04:04 against the Romans and the city was destroyed. 04:06 So, not one stone was on the other, 04:08 as Jesus said, and for 400 years, 04:11 this is an interesting historical fact. 04:13 Nobody even knew where the temple had been. 04:15 Nope, it was that destroyed. 04:17 It was just, it just part of the stones in the area. 04:21 So, it was a highly dangerous time from health 04:24 and security, and they still went out. 04:28 So, I, you know, I'm sure that today 04:29 we're called to do something, not foolishly, but consciously. 04:34 And it's COVID this year. 04:38 Next year it could be disease Brocks, I don't know. 04:42 May be ones or two, and decides fixing it. 04:46 No, I'm just joking, but it could be anything. 04:48 In fact, it will be this book that I shared before. 04:51 I think you've got it. Yeah, I got it. 04:54 Well, it doesn't so, to say, it's the end of time, 04:56 that's not a theological book. 04:58 It speaks of the inevitability. 05:01 In fact, one of the most scary stories 05:04 there was when they were dealing with Ebola in Africa, 05:09 you know, these are serious scientists 05:11 that with the isolation suits and everything, 05:14 they went to a village and while they were there, 05:17 one of their members came down with this incredible case. 05:21 They thought of Ebola. 05:23 There were sores all over him. He couldn't breathe. 05:25 I mean, he was dying 05:27 and they airlifted him out of the US 05:29 and work with him for a couple of weeks. 05:31 And he survived, but they never could identify what it was. 05:35 It wasn't Ebola, it was something else. 05:39 And the lesson they got out, there are things even worse 05:42 than Ebola floating around. 05:44 And they almost don't know what they are, 05:47 but they know they're there. 05:48 And at any given time, when the conditions are right, 05:51 that something like that could leap off and be, 05:54 like even now in the Middle East, 05:55 have you heard of MERS? 05:56 Yeah. 05:58 I heard you talking about it. 05:59 That's or a common term, camel flu. 06:02 They have that in the Middle East 06:04 and it's already caused troubles. 06:06 Of those that get it 20 to 40% die. 06:10 If that escapes, you know, God help us. 06:14 And, you know, God does help us, 06:17 but the lesson of anyone listening on religious liberty, 06:21 we need to do and to dare in spite of the situation, 06:26 taking due diligence 06:29 about protecting ourselves, 06:31 but not staying in our kennel until it's over. 06:35 It never will be over. 06:37 It never was over from, Eden on, 06:39 sin is ravaged and come after us. 06:42 But we need to do what we can. 06:46 So, yeah, I'm happy to hear 06:48 your feedback from witnessing door-to-door. 06:51 And I know, I remember when you told me that someone 06:53 asked you to pray with them at the door. 06:55 That was like mainlining faith, wasn't it? 06:59 You felt like I am doing something special here. 07:01 I mean, the fact that when we were giving 07:04 Bible studies, we got the feedback from them. 07:06 Like after every Bible study we were like, 07:08 "Wouldn't you find this one interesting? 07:09 Do you have any further questions? 07:10 Any pointers for us?" 07:14 My work partner and because we had prayer 07:16 partners were paired to twos. 07:18 So, there was always, you and someone else. 07:22 And when we were giving the Bible studies, 07:25 one of our younger men, he was about our age. 07:27 I see between 20 and 28, I'd say, 07:32 college student working his way through college. 07:35 And he was Christian but he didn't really believe, 07:40 believe like he knew that there was a God, 07:43 he knew that the seventh day was the right day 07:45 and everything like that, but he didn't know why. 07:47 And we started going through the studies 07:49 and he's like, you know, if you guys hadn't, 07:52 you know, come and talk to me, 07:53 I really wouldn't know any of this. 07:55 You guys are doing a great job. 07:57 And we're just two college aged kids 07:59 in the same situation as he is. 08:01 We really, when we first got there, 08:03 I mean, I'm talking for myself. 08:05 I knew a little bit, but I know some of the kids 08:07 who got there didn't know about half the stuff they talked 08:11 about or even knew about. 08:12 That's why it's a training program, 08:15 but there's nothing that can internalize better 08:17 than sharing something. 08:19 I learned that many months ago 08:21 when I was first asked to teach the Sabbath school lesson. 08:24 I didn't like the idea, but I mean, 08:26 you study it first of all ahead of time, 08:28 and then even just sharing it, you reinforcing 08:31 and then the dynamic. 08:32 So, there's nothing like doing something to learn 08:35 and to internalize what's important to you. 08:39 And so, it's a great testimony. 08:40 It really is, every time. 08:43 I envy you on it and it used to be that every pastor 08:47 of our church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 08:49 that was prerequisite to being a pastor to go out 08:51 selling door-to-door. 08:53 So, you've got a skill you're going to carry with you, 08:56 aren't you? 08:57 Absolutely. 08:58 Um, I see in the future, you know, 09:00 me being able to go out and give Bible studies 09:02 and no matter where I am, 09:04 no matter what situation I'm in. 09:05 And I feel like that's a skill that every young man 09:07 or woman should have. 09:09 And I would encourage people to find schools like Core 09:12 and go to them. 09:16 Writing has been a big part of my life 09:19 and one of the major tenets or commandments 09:23 of good writing is to avoid the passive tense 09:27 and get things active. 09:30 And when Jesus told His disciples, 09:32 "Go ye into all the world." 09:35 That's active, it's a command, action. 09:39 You cannot just sort of sit around. 09:41 "Well, He said go after all." 09:43 No. When He said go and go. 09:47 There's a great privilege that's been given to each of us 09:50 that learn about Jesus Christ 09:52 and what He was brought to accomplish in this world 09:55 and what He's charged for us to follow on 09:58 and finish for Him. 09:59 And it's an active command. 10:02 Whether we're young or old, we can go, 10:05 we can tell, we can do and dare for the Lord, 10:10 because one day He is going to come 10:14 and take us with Him to an eternity of bliss 10:18 and fulfillment in worlds made new. 10:22 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2021-09-13