Well, good evening
and 3ABN Nightlight
00:00:22.60\00:00:25.09
is really pleased to
be coming to you tonight
00:00:25.12\00:00:28.17
from the Avon Park
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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You saw some
scenes of the church here
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just as we came on the air
and I want to tell you that
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this is a
beautiful part of the world.
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Isn't that right, C. A.?
It is very, very beautiful.
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That lake that we see out back,
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I'm told that there is at least
one alligator in that lake.
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Eye have not seen,
hear have not heard--No.
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Neither do I
want to see or hear,
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but I'm told that
an alligator is there
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and we just pray
that he stays where he is
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and we'll stay where
we are. That's right.
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And I understand there
were some people out there
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swimming the other
day and someone came by
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and told them to-- they
maybe shouldn't be there
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and they gave him a
little guff and so he said,
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"Well, look, I didn't come
to tell you not to swim here,
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I just came down to
feed the alligator."
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And, uh, so that got
them out pretty quickly
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and, I think it
would get me out.
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Sure it can
really work for me. Yeah.
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Well, listen, it's--it's just
really thrilling to be here.
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Now, I will have to
be truthful with you.
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Those things they took
were earlier today or yesterday,
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maybe, I'm not sure. It's
raining outside right now.
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If that makes you feel better,
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if you're up north
and-- then I hope it does.
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But it is kind of wet
out there at the moment.
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Yeah, we've talked to
some people from our crew
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who had two feet of
snow back home in Illinois,
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we have, I think,
several inches of snow today.
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So this couple of
inches of rain that we have
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is not really
that bad. That's right.
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And yeah, we have some
folks from Gravette, Arkansas
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and it was 17
below there last night.
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And so they are happy to be here
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and we're happy that they
are here as well. Very true.
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Well, we've got a lot of things
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that we want to
talk about tonight,
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want to get acquainted with John
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and we'll tell you a little
bit more about him in a moment.
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You know, the real
purpose for this ministry
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is to spread the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
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And tonight I was
looking at 1 John,
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one of my favorite texts.
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It says in verse 11,
"And this is the testimony,
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that God has
given us eternal life
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and this life is in His son.
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He who has the Son has life.
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He who does not have the
Son of God does not have life."
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And so if you have
Jesus, you have life.
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And tonight you can
make sure that you have Him.
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You can accept Him, receive Him,
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allow Him to
come into your life,
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allow Him to take
full control of your life
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and you can become "in Christ"
and you can have life eternal.
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And so that is a promise
that comes from the word of God.
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And we're so
happy that we can talk
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about that promise tonight,
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that that's the very
purpose of our ministry.
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We can talk about prophesying,
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talk about all the things
that we want to talk about,
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but it's all focused upon Jesus.
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He's our Lord, He's
our God, He's our savior,
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He's the one that went
to the cross to die for us.
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And that it the theme that
must always be the very center--
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as our great Bible student,
prophet Ellen White has said,
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"The 3 Angels
message is the righteousness
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of Christ in verity." And it is.
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And we want to keep preaching
Jesus day after day after day.
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Well, C.A., tonight
before we have our interview,
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I would like to ask you to
lead us in a word of prayer.
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Be glad to do so.
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Gracious Father,
again, we thank you
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for the privilege of service.
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We thank you for
the call that brought us
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out of darkness to
light, and error to truth.
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We thank you for an opportunity
to join hands with Jesus
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in calling men and women
to the sweetness of salvation.
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We thank you for this ministry,
we thank you for this station,
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we thank you for
those ministries that work
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to let men and women know
that Christ is coming soon.
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And so tonight,
Father, as we talk about change
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and how you always
pick the right person
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at the right time
for the right task,
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we ask that those who need
to hear a word from the Lord,
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will indeed hear
that word this night
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and receive encouragement
as together we walk
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the road that leads to glory.
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We love you, we praise
you and we thank you for Jesus
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and for blessings,
both great and small.
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In His precious
name, amen. Amen.
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We have some music
tonight, I think, as we begin.
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We are
privileged to present to you
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someone who has
become a favorite
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and a friend here at 3ABN
in just the last little bit.
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Wonderful singer, one who
has a great pedigree of singing,
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used her talents
for many, many years
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to sing in the world and
then when she came to Christ,
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turned those same talents
over to the hand of Jesus.
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Yvonne Lewis is here
and just a little bit ago,
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we asked her to come
and do some music for us
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and she is going to be
singing "With all my heart."
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In this quiet place with you
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I bow before your throne
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I bare the deepest part of me
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To you and you alone
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I keep no secrets
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For there is no thought
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You haven't known
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I bring my best and all the rest
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To you and lay them down
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Oh
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With all my heart
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I want to love you Lord
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And live my life
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Each day to know you more
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All that is in me
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It's yours completely
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I'll serve you only
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With all my heart
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You faithfully supply my needs
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According to your plan
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So help me Lord
to seek your face
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Before I seek your hand
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I trust you do
what's best for me
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When I don't understand
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Lord, I just don't understand
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But I'll follow in obedience
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In every circumstance
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Oh with all my heart
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I want to love you Lord
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And live my life
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Each day to know you more
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All that is in me
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Said it's yours
it's yours completely
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I'll serve you Only
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With all my heart
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Amen, and well done.
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That's right. Wasn't that great?
00:09:09.83\00:09:11.23
Well, done, very well done.
00:09:11.26\00:09:12.96
Well, listen,
we're happy to have
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John Bradshaw with us tonight.
00:09:15.77\00:09:17.71
I'm gonna tell you a
little bit about John
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and then we'll go
back into his story,
00:09:19.47\00:09:21.90
but I want to tell you a
little bit about my experience
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with John and I met him
first in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
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You were holding an
evangelistic meeting there.
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I think we were
down to the last weekend
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when Camille and I
came there. That's right.
00:09:35.31\00:09:37.88
And I was president
at Arkansas, Louisiana
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at the time and I know
my father-in-law was anxious
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for me to meet you because
he really enjoyed that series.
00:09:45.24\00:09:50.88
Yeah, we did too. That was a
great--that was a great time.
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And in all
sincerity, and you'll know
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that I mean this
in all sincerity,
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working with your
father-in-law continues
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to be one of the
highlights of my ministry
00:10:02.43\00:10:05.57
and the
ministry my wife and I've
00:10:05.60\00:10:06.97
have had in the evangelism.
00:10:07.00\00:10:08.75
Getting to know your
in-laws, what a blessing.
00:10:08.78\00:10:11.46
And Elder Thurman turned out
00:10:11.49\00:10:13.76
to be an important
mentor in my experience.
00:10:13.79\00:10:16.56
I've been thankful many times
for his wisdom and guidance.
00:10:16.59\00:10:20.60
And we just--and we had a
great meeting there as, well.
00:10:20.63\00:10:22.71
Yeah. We had a good time.
00:10:22.74\00:10:24.17
Yeah, well, he
really thinks a lot of you.
00:10:24.20\00:10:27.03
And then when we
heard you preach,
00:10:27.06\00:10:29.89
we invited you to
come to Shreveport
00:10:29.92\00:10:32.69
and you held an
evangelistic meeting there
00:10:32.72\00:10:34.72
with Gary and
Juanita Grimes. Yeah.
00:10:34.75\00:10:37.21
And they said that for me
00:10:37.24\00:10:39.74
to be sure to
tell you hello tonight.
00:10:39.77\00:10:41.53
Well, you can't--you
can't imagine how thankful I am.
00:10:41.56\00:10:45.50
Okay, we'll see how
many people you mention
00:10:45.53\00:10:47.50
and then I mention
as the greatest ever.
00:10:47.53\00:10:51.40
Gary was probably the greatest--
00:10:51.43\00:10:52.94
that one of the
greatest guys you could know
00:10:52.97\00:10:55.73
and work with. That's right.
00:10:55.76\00:10:57.13
And people want
to ask evangelists,
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what's the best meeting
you ever held and really,
00:10:59.74\00:11:02.21
what they mean
is, what's the biggest
00:11:02.24\00:11:04.50
amount of
baptisms you've ever got?
00:11:04.53\00:11:05.90
But the two aren't
exactly the same thing.
00:11:05.93\00:11:08.10
But when people say
me the greatest meeting
00:11:08.13\00:11:10.16
or the best
meeting you ever held,
00:11:10.19\00:11:13.33
you know, that's
tough but we didn't--
00:11:13.36\00:11:14.73
we never had a better experience
00:11:14.76\00:11:16.28
than we had in Shreveport
working with Gary and Juanita
00:11:16.31\00:11:19.47
for a variety of reasons.
00:11:19.50\00:11:21.55
Probably, a number of
great stories we can tell
00:11:21.58\00:11:23.95
but that was just a great time.
00:11:23.98\00:11:27.33
And I--no names here now, no
names, that wouldn't be fair.
00:11:27.36\00:11:32.32
But I got there, I
stopped by the conference office
00:11:32.35\00:11:34.97
and well I'll tell
the C.A., the story.
00:11:35.00\00:11:37.17
I was, talking to one of
the Conference Administrator's,
00:11:37.20\00:11:40.46
who said to me, "Now John
we didn't really bring you
00:11:40.49\00:11:42.58
here to get a lot of baptisms."
00:11:42.61\00:11:45.39
And I--I was thinking I
thought that was the reason,
00:11:45.42\00:11:49.78
you know,
bapt--you know, and he said,
00:11:49.81\00:11:53.75
"We just haven't had a lot of
evangelism here in this place."
00:11:53.78\00:11:55.91
You'll be interested
in the story too Jim. Yes.
00:11:55.94\00:11:57.69
"We haven't had a lot
of evangelism in this place
00:11:57.72\00:11:59.86
and we really feel like we
need to turn the church around
00:11:59.89\00:12:01.90
and I believe the best
way to turn a church around
00:12:01.93\00:12:04.40
is to get those people
involved in soul winning,"
00:12:04.43\00:12:07.62
and I said to
Melissa, what have God wrought
00:12:07.65\00:12:10.57
here we are in this place.
00:12:10.60\00:12:12.71
One of the--I mean I
am not naming that man
00:12:12.74\00:12:14.98
but one of the
Conference Administrator's its--
00:12:15.01\00:12:17.28
It was not this guy. Yeah.
00:12:17.31\00:12:18.68
I can tell you that.
00:12:18.71\00:12:20.21
And he said, you know,
that we want to get souls
00:12:20.24\00:12:22.86
but really the primary.
00:12:22.89\00:12:24.44
Any how, we managed to kill
00:12:24.47\00:12:25.98
two birds with one
stone by the grace of God.
00:12:26.01\00:12:27.97
There was a tremendous baptism
but, the church came together
00:12:28.00\00:12:32.08
and before the
meeting was over they said
00:12:32.11\00:12:34.12
when we can do this again.
00:12:34.15\00:12:35.60
And in the next five years,
00:12:35.63\00:12:37.00
I held about seven
evangelistic meetings.
00:12:37.03\00:12:38.59
It was fantastic.
00:12:38.62\00:12:39.99
So, that was a real highlight
for us. Praise the Lord.
00:12:40.02\00:12:43.82
It was and then so that's where
we got acquainted with John.
00:12:43.85\00:12:48.66
True, evangelism as you
both don't know is outreach
00:12:48.69\00:12:50.75
but it's also in reach. Surely.
00:12:50.78\00:12:52.22
It does bring a
church together. Yeah.
00:12:52.25\00:12:53.76
We got to go back.
00:12:53.79\00:12:55.16
First of all I must admit to
a certain amount of jealousy.
00:12:55.19\00:12:58.58
You've got my voice.
00:12:58.61\00:13:01.18
I used to pray for voice
like that when I was a kid.
00:13:01.21\00:13:03.09
When I--you know
as a teen I wanted
00:13:03.12\00:13:05.01
a low rumbling
baritone voice. Oh, yeah.
00:13:05.04\00:13:07.58
And my voice was
very high for a longtime.
00:13:07.61\00:13:09.89
And it began to
drop and I used to pray
00:13:09.92\00:13:11.82
Lord down Lord, down Lord.
00:13:11.85\00:13:13.42
Stopped somewhere
about second tenor. Ah, sure.
00:13:13.45\00:13:16.40
But you've got that
deep booming baritone voice
00:13:16.43\00:13:17.80
that I used to pray for.
00:13:17.83\00:13:19.20
I used to stay up nights
praying for a voice like that.
00:13:19.23\00:13:20.60
So I'm gonna be a
little bit jealous of you
00:13:20.63\00:13:22.00
this night as we talk
00:13:22.03\00:13:23.40
because I want that
voice-- Well, it came in handy.
00:13:23.43\00:13:24.80
It came in handy
for awhile there.
00:13:24.83\00:13:26.46
I--I was fortunate enough too.
00:13:26.49\00:13:29.57
Fortunate,
unfortunate I don't know.
00:13:29.60\00:13:31.09
I wasn't a Christian at the time
00:13:31.12\00:13:32.49
but I got my background
is in radio broadcasting
00:13:32.52\00:13:36.37
and I'm-- I'm thankful.
00:13:36.40\00:13:38.87
You know, commercial, secular
00:13:38.90\00:13:41.75
radio
broadcasting is a dead-end.
00:13:41.78\00:13:44.67
I mean, if you're
doing what I was doing
00:13:44.70\00:13:46.69
the breakfast
show, the talk show.
00:13:46.72\00:13:48.71
Essentially you're a paid fool,
you know, call now win $10000.
00:13:48.74\00:13:54.04
Let me tell you
another dumb joke.
00:13:54.07\00:13:55.95
Let me do
something to get publicity.
00:13:55.98\00:13:58.15
It's really very empty.
00:13:58.18\00:14:00.77
There's a certain
brand of secular radio
00:14:00.80\00:14:02.70
that could be
somewhat meaningful
00:14:02.73\00:14:04.16
but this was very empty.
00:14:04.19\00:14:05.56
But God gave me
something new to talk about.
00:14:05.59\00:14:08.79
And I was thrilled.
00:14:08.82\00:14:10.19
I got to know Jesus
and I honestly had no idea,
00:14:10.22\00:14:13.21
what I'd do with my life?
00:14:13.24\00:14:14.61
Then radio was gone
and the Lord just took
00:14:14.64\00:14:18.03
what He had
been developing in me
00:14:18.06\00:14:20.44
turned it a few degrees
to the right or the left
00:14:20.47\00:14:22.98
or someplace and we were able
to use a voice for the Lord--
00:14:23.01\00:14:29.57
You were kind of
being pre groomed
00:14:29.60\00:14:31.37
for what you're doing now.
00:14:31.40\00:14:32.77
Yeah, without even
knowing it. Yeah, praise God.
00:14:32.80\00:14:34.43
We want to go
back before that. Sure.
00:14:34.46\00:14:36.17
As we-- the note say
00:14:36.20\00:14:37.84
you're a native of
New Zealand. Yes, sir.
00:14:37.87\00:14:39.94
I don't want to brag your
anything but that's true. Yeah.
00:14:39.97\00:14:43.13
It is an
exceedingly beautiful country.
00:14:43.16\00:14:45.19
Yes, it is. Yeah, it's great.
00:14:45.22\00:14:46.71
Yeah, give us a
little flavor of growing up
00:14:46.74\00:14:48.66
in your household--
Christian household,
00:14:48.69\00:14:50.22
secular household
because you're from
00:14:50.25\00:14:51.62
a very secular
part of the world.
00:14:51.65\00:14:53.51
That's true. I don't think
00:14:53.54\00:14:55.31
it was quite as
secular then as it is now.
00:14:55.34\00:14:58.61
And what I mean by
that is when I was a kid
00:14:58.64\00:15:02.23
all my friends
knew what they were.
00:15:02.26\00:15:05.22
Oh, I am a
Presbyterian. I am a Baptist.
00:15:05.25\00:15:08.36
I am a Methodist. I
was a Roman Catholic.
00:15:08.39\00:15:11.60
Whereas, now-a-days,
the generation probably
00:15:11.63\00:15:14.15
wouldn't so much have a clue.
00:15:14.18\00:15:15.55
Well, we're not really anything.
00:15:15.58\00:15:16.95
But when I was a kid,
00:15:16.98\00:15:18.35
at least you were
something in the generation
00:15:18.38\00:15:19.75
before you probably at
least practiced it part way.
00:15:19.78\00:15:23.34
New Zealand was a great place
00:15:23.37\00:15:24.89
and I grew up in
a wonderful family,
00:15:24.92\00:15:26.77
the youngest of seven children.
00:15:26.80\00:15:30.54
My dad-- my mother was--was not,
00:15:30.57\00:15:33.37
still not practicing anything.
00:15:33.40\00:15:34.95
My dad was a very, very, devout
and devoted Roman Catholic
00:15:34.98\00:15:40.08
and so of to church I went as
a baby bundled up in his arms.
00:15:40.11\00:15:45.09
Probably, only days old
and I don't think missed
00:15:45.12\00:15:49.56
a Sunday ever
until-- you know, later on
00:15:49.59\00:15:53.96
and I took a different
turn in my spiritual experience.
00:15:53.99\00:15:58.69
But it was--it's a
tremendous country to grow up
00:15:58.72\00:16:00.78
and now very, very secular.
00:16:00.81\00:16:03.74
But then not so
much, very safe place,
00:16:03.77\00:16:06.14
very friendly place, a
real sort of a small town place.
00:16:06.17\00:16:10.84
No matter where you were
you're close to the beach
00:16:10.87\00:16:13.27
because you can't
get more than 70 miles
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.65
from the ocean in New Zealand.
00:16:15.68\00:16:17.12
So really it was a-- it's
a special place to grow up.
00:16:17.15\00:16:19.80
Brothers and sisters?
Four brothers, two sisters.
00:16:19.83\00:16:22.74
Now where you in
that line? Lucky last.
00:16:22.77\00:16:25.75
If you ask them they'll say,
I was the spoiled one. Yeah.
00:16:25.78\00:16:28.31
But, you know, they don't know
what they are talking about.
00:16:28.34\00:16:31.14
That's not true. Yeah.
00:16:31.17\00:16:33.36
So then you
accepted Christ. Yeah.
00:16:33.39\00:16:35.69
How did you actually
hear about this message?
00:16:35.72\00:16:41.04
One of my
brothers, the second oldest,
00:16:41.07\00:16:44.53
he had done a pretty
good job of ruining his life.
00:16:44.56\00:16:49.02
And what I mean is,
he is a tremendously,
00:16:49.05\00:16:51.58
is a tremendously
talented, very bright guy.
00:16:51.61\00:16:54.91
Who could have
done anything he wanted.
00:16:54.94\00:16:57.13
He was great sportsman
of tremendous academic--
00:16:57.16\00:17:01.71
but got went
down some wrong roads.
00:17:01.74\00:17:04.92
Came to a crisis in his life,
00:17:04.95\00:17:07.07
realized the
only way out was God.
00:17:07.10\00:17:10.40
And so he went
pursuing the God he knew.
00:17:10.43\00:17:13.27
Of course, raised in our church
00:17:13.30\00:17:14.87
if you want to get things
right, you go to confession.
00:17:14.90\00:17:17.88
So, he--he
couldn't wait to confession.
00:17:17.91\00:17:20.81
He went to the priest
house and knocked on his door
00:17:20.84\00:17:23.35
and said you've got
to hear my confession.
00:17:23.38\00:17:26.81
I'm having some
crisis or whatever he said.
00:17:26.84\00:17:30.69
Then the kind man said to him.
Don't bother me with that now.
00:17:30.72\00:17:36.11
You come to confession
at the appropriate time
00:17:36.14\00:17:38.17
this is no time to be
bothering me with that. Wow.
00:17:38.20\00:17:41.06
So he went away thinking,
00:17:41.09\00:17:43.09
you know this is probably
not the right place for me
00:17:43.12\00:17:46.08
to be looking and
he started searching.
00:17:46.11\00:17:47.76
I'll tell you what happened.
00:17:47.79\00:17:49.48
He and his. what
do we say in church?
00:17:49.51\00:17:55.67
He and his live-in
girlfriend both had a desire
00:17:55.70\00:17:59.79
to find spiritual
meaning in their life.
00:17:59.82\00:18:04.46
And he got a job, they
figured they were gonna
00:18:04.49\00:18:07.95
have a future
together and she said
00:18:07.98\00:18:09.49
you got to do
something part way responsible.
00:18:09.52\00:18:11.27
Drug dealing will
only get us so far
00:18:11.30\00:18:14.56
and so he got job
working for the hospital,
00:18:14.59\00:18:19.94
going into peoples
homes and bathing people.
00:18:19.97\00:18:23.64
People who were old frail,
00:18:23.67\00:18:26.87
people who were
paralyzed and so forth.
00:18:26.90\00:18:28.49
He would go and
bath these people.
00:18:28.52\00:18:31.17
He is in a home one day
giving an elderly man a bath
00:18:31.20\00:18:34.88
and while he's doing that.
00:18:34.91\00:18:36.28
This elderly man's wife starts
asking my brother some questions
00:18:36.31\00:18:40.58
about what he
believed about God.
00:18:40.61\00:18:43.53
And she started to scratch
a very real spiritual itch
00:18:43.56\00:18:47.80
and when he
went home that night.
00:18:47.83\00:18:49.53
He said to his girlfriend,
who now thank the Lord--
00:18:49.56\00:18:52.59
his wife of many years.
00:18:52.62\00:18:55.40
I think we've found
what we are looking for. Wow.
00:18:55.43\00:18:58.36
And what happened-- interesting.
00:18:58.39\00:19:01.15
The older man who he
was bathing was himself
00:19:01.18\00:19:03.53
going through something
of a crisis in his faith
00:19:03.56\00:19:06.28
and my brother Wayne
and his now wife Medea.
00:19:06.31\00:19:09.61
Their spiritual growth
and acceptance of Jesus
00:19:09.64\00:19:12.81
lit a fire
inside this man's heart.
00:19:12.84\00:19:15.21
He rededicated his life
to Jesus before he died. Wow.
00:19:15.24\00:19:18.55
Yeah. Praise God.
00:19:18.58\00:19:19.95
So he came to know Christ
in the Three Angels messages
00:19:19.98\00:19:22.36
and gave me one day a
copy of the book called
00:19:22.39\00:19:25.72
The Great Controversy
and I started to read
00:19:25.75\00:19:29.22
the introduction put it
down and never went back.
00:19:29.25\00:19:32.76
And 4 years, later he
gave me a second copy.
00:19:32.79\00:19:35.45
He had started to
ask me some questions--
00:19:35.48\00:19:36.89
it's a long story. I'll just--
00:19:36.92\00:19:38.69
That's right. I'll truncate it.
00:19:38.72\00:19:40.88
He asked me some questions
what do you believe about this?
00:19:40.91\00:19:44.78
And I would tell him
what I believed about this
00:19:44.81\00:19:47.15
and he said that's fascinating.
00:19:47.18\00:19:49.14
That's what I
believe which came to me
00:19:49.17\00:19:51.39
as a bit of a
shock and a fright.
00:19:51.42\00:19:53.63
I mean, I believe
the same as this--
00:19:53.66\00:19:56.55
I mean didn't know
what to make of my brother
00:19:56.58\00:19:57.95
he had left out church. Yes.
00:19:57.98\00:19:59.56
He went to church on Saturday.
What was wrong with them?
00:19:59.59\00:20:04.57
But I believe--he would say,
what you believe about hell?
00:20:04.60\00:20:06.52
Do you believe
people are burning forever?
00:20:06.55\00:20:08.06
I said no, that
can't be right man.
00:20:08.09\00:20:09.94
God is love and justice I
agree with but cruelty can't.
00:20:09.97\00:20:13.89
What about death? What
happens to people when they die?
00:20:13.92\00:20:17.45
You know, as an altar boy,
I've been to 10,000 funerals
00:20:17.48\00:20:22.92
and in the church the
priest would say something like
00:20:22.95\00:20:27.55
we can comfort
ourselves with the knowledge
00:20:27.58\00:20:29.81
that granddad is in
heaven watching down us.
00:20:29.84\00:20:34.22
Something like that and
then we'd go the cemetery
00:20:34.25\00:20:37.75
and there was
always a burial, always.
00:20:37.78\00:20:40.32
And we'd go from the
church to the cemetery
00:20:40.35\00:20:42.88
and then he'd say and
as we lower Mr. Foots body,
00:20:42.91\00:20:48.29
I remember that funeral for
some reason, into the grave.
00:20:48.32\00:20:52.65
We can be thankful that he'll
rest here until Jesus returns
00:20:52.68\00:20:56.77
and the
resurrection takes place.
00:20:56.80\00:20:59.10
And you got a10 year old altar
boy saying hang on a minute.
00:20:59.13\00:21:02.24
How can a dead man be
in two places at once?
00:21:02.27\00:21:05.06
You know, that's not possible.
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.46
So, John, really though
you were a practicing catholic
00:21:06.49\00:21:08.66
you weren't buying everything
that the church was selling.
00:21:08.69\00:21:10.65
I got to a place
where I described myself
00:21:10.68\00:21:12.48
as a non-catholic, catholic.
00:21:12.51\00:21:14.43
Yeah, which what you
do I mean where do you go
00:21:14.46\00:21:17.25
we are the true
church man. What do you do?
00:21:17.28\00:21:19.81
I sampled other churches and
shopped around actually looking.
00:21:19.84\00:21:24.99
That was part of my approach
but, yeah, what do you do?
00:21:25.02\00:21:27.69
I--this dear old
Irish battle-axe,
00:21:27.72\00:21:35.45
who said to me one day,
00:21:35.48\00:21:37.67
well, if you're
not going to confession
00:21:37.70\00:21:39.40
then you're not
going to heaven. All right.
00:21:39.43\00:21:41.37
And I said, well,
I don't believe that.
00:21:41.40\00:21:44.65
I believe I go to
confession when I talked to God
00:21:44.68\00:21:46.88
and tell him about my sins.
00:21:46.91\00:21:48.28
I just don't think its
right that I should sit down
00:21:48.31\00:21:51.19
and tell a priest all
these things that I've done.
00:21:51.22\00:21:54.49
How old where you
when these thoughts
00:21:54.52\00:21:55.89
were kind of
going through your mind?
00:21:55.92\00:21:57.29
Started as
strange as it may seem,
00:21:57.32\00:21:58.69
started about the
age of nine or ten. Wow.
00:21:58.72\00:22:00.44
By the time I'm 11-12-13,
00:22:00.47\00:22:03.79
there's--there's
crisis going on.
00:22:03.82\00:22:05.41
So you're thinking
you're way through stuff
00:22:05.44\00:22:06.81
even at a very
early age. Sure. Yeah.
00:22:06.84\00:22:08.32
You don't ever
underestimate children
00:22:08.35\00:22:10.42
and their ability to process.
00:22:10.45\00:22:11.82
They are processing
and I was processing.
00:22:11.85\00:22:14.85
But, you know, in our
church above the altar,
00:22:14.88\00:22:17.26
there was a big crucifix. Yes.
00:22:17.29\00:22:19.36
You know, I am not
a fan of crucifixes
00:22:19.39\00:22:21.53
or is it crucify I don't know.
00:22:21.56\00:22:23.43
I'm not suggesting we
should put one up in here.
00:22:23.46\00:22:26.26
But I'll tell you
when I went into my church
00:22:26.29\00:22:28.86
and looked up and saw
Jesus hanging on the cross
00:22:28.89\00:22:32.99
that got through to me.
00:22:33.02\00:22:34.77
I could not escape the
fact that God was real.
00:22:34.80\00:22:39.24
Jesus was real and
that Jesus died for me.
00:22:39.27\00:22:42.38
I knew that and I knew that
he claimed my life for his own.
00:22:42.41\00:22:47.03
And I liked the fact
that He had died for me
00:22:47.06\00:22:49.12
and that mattered to me.
00:22:49.15\00:22:51.35
So, I couldn't get
away from that, they--again,
00:22:51.38\00:22:54.70
you know, I don't want
anyone to misinterpret me
00:22:54.73\00:22:56.21
and think I'm saying.
00:22:56.24\00:22:58.05
I am a fan of hanging
crucifixes in churches.
00:22:58.08\00:23:00.94
But in spite of the
fact that not all was,
00:23:00.97\00:23:04.09
well, where I
was going to church
00:23:04.12\00:23:06.85
I learned a lot of things there.
00:23:06.88\00:23:08.70
Came to realize a
lot of things there.
00:23:08.73\00:23:10.50
God certainly
used that experience
00:23:10.53\00:23:14.45
to cultivate in my life a
love and a desire for him,
00:23:14.48\00:23:20.89
for Jesus, and for truth.
00:23:20.92\00:23:23.09
I'd like to say to our
viewers 3ABN that tonight
00:23:23.12\00:23:26.47
you're getting
acquainted with John Bradshaw.
00:23:26.50\00:23:29.65
And John Bradshaw is the new
00:23:29.68\00:23:32.80
speaker-director
of It is Written.
00:23:32.83\00:23:36.02
Back in the
1950s, George Vandeman,
00:23:36.05\00:23:38.54
began It Is Written.
00:23:38.57\00:23:41.70
When he was retired
00:23:41.73\00:23:44.43
then Mark Finley became
the speaker for It is Written.
00:23:44.46\00:23:48.89
At when Mark stepped
aside Shawn Boonstra stepped in.
00:23:48.92\00:23:52.50
I think Shawn
was there 12 years?
00:23:52.53\00:23:54.39
Seven, seven
years. Seven that's right.
00:23:54.42\00:23:55.79
Seven great years. Yeah.
00:23:55.82\00:23:57.58
Yes, and then for health reasons
00:23:57.61\00:23:59.89
Shawn has retired so to speak.
00:23:59.92\00:24:03.83
And I was thrilled,
John, when I heard that
00:24:03.86\00:24:07.87
they had called you to
be the speaker-director
00:24:07.90\00:24:10.24
of It is Written and
that you had accepted.
00:24:10.27\00:24:12.11
I'd watched you preaching
from your church at Walla Walla.
00:24:12.14\00:24:17.16
And so this gives
you little background.
00:24:17.19\00:24:19.66
So while you're
getting acquainted with John,
00:24:19.69\00:24:22.64
starting right back
there in New Zealand
00:24:22.67\00:24:25.31
and seeing his growth and
the way the Lord has led him.
00:24:25.34\00:24:30.39
And so, John, with
all these questions
00:24:30.42\00:24:32.73
then there had to come a time
00:24:32.76\00:24:34.53
when you
finally made a decision.
00:24:34.56\00:24:37.18
Tell us about that.
00:24:37.21\00:24:38.58
I was sitting in a
bathtub, reading a book.
00:24:38.61\00:24:43.02
Yeah, I was in London, England
00:24:43.05\00:24:46.46
in a place
called Stoke, Newington.
00:24:46.49\00:24:48.93
It's known for little these days
00:24:48.96\00:24:51.01
other than many very,very,
good Indian restaurants.
00:24:51.04\00:24:54.66
Very good and I was
living in a crowded house,
00:24:54.69\00:24:59.37
now funny how God leads you.
00:24:59.40\00:25:01.67
I was living in a
house full of vegetarians.
00:25:01.70\00:25:04.59
Funny there. Yeah.
00:25:04.62\00:25:07.28
So anyhow I'm in this
house, my brother had given me
00:25:07.31\00:25:12.02
The Great
Controversy a second time
00:25:12.05\00:25:14.01
instead of
starting in the introduction
00:25:14.04\00:25:15.77
I started Page 1.
00:25:15.80\00:25:18.45
and I don't know
for whatever reason
00:25:18.48\00:25:20.79
I didn't I just
didn't get I don't think
00:25:20.82\00:25:22.80
I got past the middle of Page 2.
00:25:22.83\00:25:24.93
But now that I am
in London, England.
00:25:24.96\00:25:26.87
Can I tell you what
happened? Oh, please do.
00:25:26.90\00:25:29.68
I was-- it's a phenomen,
00:25:29.71\00:25:33.71
you know, a lot of
young New Zealander's,
00:25:33.74\00:25:36.02
relocate to London live,
work, eat, drink, be merry.
00:25:36.05\00:25:39.83
See the world get
that out of your system
00:25:39.86\00:25:41.93
and go home and
get on with your lives.
00:25:41.96\00:25:43.85
So I was in the
throws of doing that.
00:25:43.88\00:25:45.74
But I was also
searching spiritually,
00:25:45.77\00:25:47.99
whenever I would
go somewhere else
00:25:48.02\00:25:49.40
I would say may be here I
will find meaning in my faith.
00:25:49.43\00:25:54.44
May be here I will go to
a church that really has it.
00:25:54.47\00:25:57.95
You know, as a teenager I
got involved in a youth group
00:25:57.98\00:26:02.49
and so we got involved
in a Protestant youth group
00:26:02.52\00:26:04.81
and I went to the Protestant,
the Protestant church
00:26:04.84\00:26:07.41
and it was--I refer to it
as the rock and roll church.
00:26:07.44\00:26:10.64
Because it kind of
was. And great people. Yeah.
00:26:10.67\00:26:15.56
And my buddy and
I were invited to go
00:26:15.59\00:26:17.54
and there was no
way we weren't gonna go
00:26:17.57\00:26:19.24
because they had
loads of pretty girls.
00:26:19.27\00:26:24.85
And I mean you don't have
to convince a 16 year old.
00:26:24.88\00:26:28.77
So there we were and you
know all I realized two things.
00:26:28.80\00:26:33.29
Somehow that
wasn't where it was at.
00:26:33.32\00:26:34.69
And the girls didn't
even know I was alive.
00:26:34.72\00:26:37.36
So, it was a waste of time.
00:26:37.39\00:26:39.92
And then as I got a little older
00:26:39.95\00:26:41.37
I got involved
in my own churches
00:26:41.40\00:26:43.89
charismatic renewal, revival
00:26:43.92\00:26:47.97
and as part of that we
became very ecumenically minded
00:26:48.00\00:26:52.67
and we would go
to the praise time
00:26:52.70\00:26:55.58
down at the Anglican Church,
which we'd call Episcopal here.
00:26:55.61\00:26:58.86
And we go to I
don't know what those guys
00:26:58.89\00:27:02.08
but they really and so
I tried a number of things
00:27:02.11\00:27:06.10
it wasn't there either.
00:27:06.13\00:27:07.93
And maybe the fault was
with me but for whatever reason.
00:27:07.96\00:27:10.82
I wasn't finding truth I
wasn't really meeting Jesus.
00:27:10.85\00:27:15.27
Now that I'm in England, I am
searching, searching, searching
00:27:15.30\00:27:18.38
I went to Midnight Mass.
00:27:18.41\00:27:20.64
It was-- it was just awful.
00:27:20.67\00:27:22.04
It was just awful.
00:27:22.07\00:27:23.61
Again, you know,
maybe I was awful
00:27:23.64\00:27:25.43
but I didn't find
anything but my background,
00:27:25.46\00:27:30.75
my ancestral
background is in Ireland.
00:27:30.78\00:27:34.19
And so I made a
pilgrimage to Ireland
00:27:34.22\00:27:36.64
to trace the family tree.
00:27:36.67\00:27:39.14
And while I was
in Limerick, Ireland
00:27:39.17\00:27:40.97
I said to the man
who ran the establishment
00:27:41.00\00:27:47.48
where I was staying.
00:27:47.51\00:27:48.95
I said where I could go to
the church tomorrow morning
00:27:48.98\00:27:50.88
and he sent to me to
the St. Xavier's Church.
00:27:50.91\00:27:53.92
And I said this is
it. I'm in Ireland.
00:27:53.95\00:27:57.44
I will find meaning
in my faith here, I will.
00:27:57.47\00:28:01.80
And I, you know, stumbled off
to church that Sunday morning,
00:28:01.83\00:28:05.58
confident that I
was gonna meet God
00:28:05.61\00:28:09.45
and my faith would be
central in my life again.
00:28:09.48\00:28:14.48
And didn't workout that way.
00:28:14.51\00:28:16.24
It was just the same old stuff.
00:28:16.27\00:28:18.94
And I walked home
that morning like January
00:28:18.97\00:28:23.48
or something not terribly cold
but a grey overcast Irish sky.
00:28:23.51\00:28:28.38
I was kicking stones,
00:28:28.41\00:28:30.01
watching them go
on down the road.
00:28:30.04\00:28:31.67
I stopped in the
street in the street
00:28:31.70\00:28:34.11
I looked up and I
said out loud to God.
00:28:34.14\00:28:38.69
I'm never going
back to church again
00:28:38.72\00:28:40.87
until you show me
the truth. That was it.
00:28:40.90\00:28:44.87
And I felt like that I
got the monkey out my back.
00:28:44.90\00:28:46.98
This was God's problem
now I just go on with my life.
00:28:47.01\00:28:50.02
And it's up to him. I'm done.
00:28:50.05\00:28:52.60
Not done with God
but I had searched.
00:28:52.63\00:28:56.47
I got back to
Ireland, out to London
00:28:56.50\00:28:59.55
there was a
letter from my brother
00:28:59.58\00:29:00.95
the one I told you about before.
00:29:00.98\00:29:02.64
And in that letter
he had written and said,
00:29:02.67\00:29:05.51
did you ever read
that book I gave you?
00:29:05.54\00:29:08.89
And I wrote back and I said no
but I have been looking for it.
00:29:08.92\00:29:12.66
I want to read that
book, two weeks later,
00:29:12.69\00:29:16.15
it was in my
mailbox. Oh, bless his heart.
00:29:16.18\00:29:18.63
And I didn't start
at the introduction
00:29:18.66\00:29:20.74
and I didn't start at Page one,
00:29:20.77\00:29:22.14
he had told me that it
was history and prophecy
00:29:22.17\00:29:24.59
and the prophecy
started about in the middle.
00:29:24.62\00:29:26.89
Then I tried The
Late, Great Planet Earth
00:29:26.92\00:29:29.12
and decided it
was just too neat.
00:29:29.15\00:29:31.21
You know, and a neat
little explanation for anything
00:29:31.24\00:29:33.66
I wasn't swallowing that.
00:29:33.69\00:29:35.67
And I read this
book in about the middle
00:29:35.70\00:29:38.20
and would read at
night in the bath.
00:29:38.23\00:29:41.29
And I wasn't
working at that time
00:29:41.32\00:29:43.40
and it was a mad scrum
for the bathroom doing.
00:29:43.43\00:29:47.62
I want to say the bathroom I
mean the room we have a bath.
00:29:47.65\00:29:51.70
And so I would sit up
late at night and read my book.
00:29:51.73\00:29:56.77
And as I read
the book I knew that
00:29:56.80\00:29:58.17
God was calling
me to a decision.
00:29:58.20\00:30:00.49
The information
contained in the book
00:30:00.52\00:30:02.28
was one thing, very important.
00:30:02.31\00:30:05.19
But more than that I knew
that now God was showing me
00:30:05.22\00:30:09.20
what it meant be a Christian.
00:30:09.23\00:30:10.88
That it meant to take
the Bible as it reads.
00:30:10.91\00:30:15.25
And to allow God's word to
be the frame work for your life.
00:30:15.28\00:30:20.40
The surrender to Jesus
part that wasn't new to me,
00:30:20.43\00:30:23.40
I-- I, prayer wasn't new to
me my dad taught me to pray.
00:30:23.43\00:30:26.85
I had a very real
prayer experience with God.
00:30:26.88\00:30:30.44
But being a Christian
and knowing how this thing
00:30:30.47\00:30:33.24
worked and knowing what to do.
00:30:33.27\00:30:36.20
So I was, I'm in the bathtub
and I'm--I remember thinking
00:30:36.23\00:30:40.25
I am either going to have to
throw this book across the room,
00:30:40.28\00:30:44.42
or make a decision right now,
that I'll do things God's way.
00:30:44.45\00:30:49.05
And I thought why would I
throw the book across the room.
00:30:49.08\00:30:50.94
Will if you don't, John,
00:30:50.97\00:30:52.44
your radio career
goes out of the window.
00:30:52.47\00:30:55.96
You know, what I remember
what the nuns taught me.
00:30:55.99\00:30:59.38
In my little provincial school.
00:30:59.41\00:31:01.55
They drilled a verse in to
us at one stage, a Bible verse,
00:31:01.58\00:31:04.34
"What does it profit a man
if he gains the whole world,
00:31:04.37\00:31:07.38
but loses his own soul."
00:31:07.41\00:31:09.85
And I realized, I
was--I mean honestly
00:31:09.88\00:31:12.05
I was doing quite well on radio
00:31:12.08\00:31:13.47
and I was on an
upward trajectory.
00:31:13.50\00:31:16.71
But if I had it all
and was hugely successful
00:31:16.74\00:31:20.53
and didn't have God I
knew I would not be saved.
00:31:20.56\00:31:24.50
And I, that was
not what I wanted.
00:31:24.53\00:31:27.16
So I'm thinking my
life is gonna change.
00:31:27.19\00:31:29.43
Your not gonna be able to
play rugby anymore because
00:31:29.46\00:31:31.43
that's a game
you play on Saturday.
00:31:31.46\00:31:32.94
Well, you know,
I had some injuries
00:31:32.97\00:31:34.92
may be that wasn't so bad
00:31:34.95\00:31:36.32
and rugby was
really my religion.
00:31:36.35\00:31:38.95
What would your family say?
00:31:38.98\00:31:41.58
My dad was a man
who practiced his faith
00:31:41.61\00:31:44.01
and didn't care
what people thought.
00:31:44.04\00:31:46.51
So, okay, that's the
example I will follow.
00:31:46.54\00:31:49.52
What will your friends say?
00:31:49.55\00:31:51.77
Well, right now my
friends are going to hell.
00:31:51.80\00:31:54.55
And I don't want
to go there with them
00:31:54.58\00:31:57.69
so what they say,
really is immaterial.
00:31:57.72\00:31:59.87
And if they are true friends
they will remain my friends
00:31:59.90\00:32:03.19
and they are to
this day, some of my
00:32:03.22\00:32:04.86
best friends in the world.
00:32:04.89\00:32:06.54
And I worked this through
wondering, throw the book.
00:32:06.57\00:32:10.55
I bowed my head in that
bath and I say Lord something
00:32:10.58\00:32:14.11
like this Lord I don't
know all that this means.
00:32:14.14\00:32:17.00
But I want to go your
way and be a real Christian
00:32:17.03\00:32:21.16
and I need your
help please guide me.
00:32:21.19\00:32:23.86
And that was it the
next morning I got--
00:32:23.89\00:32:25.92
shall I tell the
story? I got on the phone
00:32:25.95\00:32:27.32
the next morning. Oh, yes.
00:32:27.35\00:32:28.72
And what do I now.
Where do I go to church?
00:32:28.75\00:32:32.76
If I was going to
be a Bible Christian,
00:32:32.79\00:32:35.17
I had to go to church
once, I had to keep the Sabbath.
00:32:35.20\00:32:37.83
I had to. That was in you now?
00:32:37.86\00:32:39.23
Oh, yeah. That was
part of your--your reality?
00:32:39.26\00:32:41.06
Yeah, I knew-- I knew that.
00:32:41.09\00:32:42.46
Well, I knew it was the truth.
00:32:42.49\00:32:43.98
Yeah, and if I was gonna be
a real I--I if you're gonna be
00:32:44.01\00:32:47.13
a Christian be a real one. Yeah.
00:32:47.16\00:32:49.20
You know, and I
knew the difference
00:32:49.23\00:32:51.40
between Sabbath and otherwise.
00:32:51.43\00:32:54.45
So--so I said, well,
00:32:54.48\00:32:56.65
I don't know who--I don't
know who keeps the Sabbath
00:32:56.68\00:32:59.47
but I'll start
with my brother's church
00:32:59.50\00:33:02.29
and so I picked up
the telephone the next day
00:33:02.32\00:33:04.20
and called the operator.
00:33:04.23\00:33:06.19
And I said can you give
me the phone number please
00:33:06.22\00:33:08.55
for the Seventh-day
Adventist Cathedral.
00:33:08.58\00:33:11.60
That's what I want
00:33:11.63\00:33:14.05
because I wasn't going to start
with some lowly parish priest.
00:33:14.08\00:33:17.60
I was going to the top,
I wanted a cardinal. Yeah.
00:33:17.63\00:33:20.14
You know, or an Archbishop.
00:33:20.17\00:33:21.54
Absolutely. At
the least a Bishop.
00:33:21.57\00:33:23.83
And this, I remember the
lady on the phone and she said,
00:33:23.86\00:33:28.66
"Well, I can't find
a cathedral listed."
00:33:28.69\00:33:31.17
I said, it'll be
there and it will be
00:33:31.20\00:33:32.57
downtown, Central London.
00:33:32.60\00:33:34.43
St. Paul's cathedral down there,
Westminster Abbey is down there.
00:33:34.46\00:33:38.54
I had an idea the
Baptists had a big place down,
00:33:38.57\00:33:40.94
I said, it'll be downtown.
00:33:40.97\00:33:42.62
So just give me the
downtown church, providential.
00:33:42.65\00:33:45.54
She said, I
cannot find a cathedral.
00:33:45.57\00:33:48.33
I say give me the
downtown cathedral.
00:33:48.36\00:33:50.06
Can't find a cathedral,
00:33:50.09\00:33:51.46
but there is a
church in central London.
00:33:51.49\00:33:54.47
I said, that's it,
that's the cathedral.
00:33:54.50\00:33:57.64
And she gave me the
phone number of what was
00:33:57.67\00:34:00.34
the New Gallery
Church in central London.
00:34:00.37\00:34:03.25
Was on Heddon Street
just off Regent Street,
00:34:03.28\00:34:05.74
I said, that's it.
00:34:05.77\00:34:07.21
So I got this phone
number and I called up
00:34:07.24\00:34:09.96
and I was excited I'm
gonna-- I am gonna meet
00:34:09.99\00:34:13.94
with the hierarchy of
this church and find out
00:34:13.97\00:34:16.88
what I need to find out.
00:34:16.91\00:34:18.28
Someone answers the
phone and says Bueno like this
00:34:18.31\00:34:22.23
Bueno and there's a
lot of people watching
00:34:22.26\00:34:26.06
who haven't got a
clue, but, you know,
00:34:26.09\00:34:27.74
I mean in Florida everybody
would probably understand.
00:34:27.77\00:34:29.96
When someone,
well, it's very common
00:34:29.99\00:34:32.28
for someone who Mexican to
answer the phone and Bueno,
00:34:32.31\00:34:35.42
well, I didn't know
Bueno from anything else and.
00:34:35.45\00:34:39.25
And I start having
this conversation with a man
00:34:39.28\00:34:41.23
speaking very bad English,
00:34:41.26\00:34:43.56
obviously much more
comfortable speaking Spanish.
00:34:43.59\00:34:47.53
And I'd like to
think, I am slightly more
00:34:47.56\00:34:49.30
tolerate now than I was then.
00:34:49.33\00:34:50.70
And I thought come
on, God, here I am,
00:34:50.73\00:34:53.30
I am trying my
best, I call this place,
00:34:53.33\00:34:55.43
I got some guy who doesn't
even know to speak English.
00:34:55.46\00:34:58.48
I left my number confident,
00:34:58.51\00:34:59.94
I'd never hear
from these people again.
00:34:59.97\00:35:02.78
And about two days later,
00:35:02.81\00:35:04.81
a man called me with
the lovely English accent
00:35:04.84\00:35:06.88
Pastor David Cox
just the right man
00:35:06.91\00:35:12.16
at the right time to help this
wayward young New Zealander.
00:35:12.19\00:35:16.16
And he said to
me, I'll come to you
00:35:16.19\00:35:18.04
and I couldn't imagine
bringing a man all the way
00:35:18.07\00:35:20.30
across London to
see me that no way.
00:35:20.33\00:35:22.17
I said no,
pastor, I'll come to you.
00:35:22.20\00:35:25.01
No I probably called him,
no David, I'll come to you.
00:35:25.04\00:35:28.74
So he said come
Wednesday night. I said perfect.
00:35:28.77\00:35:32.72
And now I'm thinking, I'm coming
00:35:32.75\00:35:34.12
to downtown London this
far from Piccadilly Circus.
00:35:34.15\00:35:37.80
They'll be thousands of people
packing the cathedral out.
00:35:37.83\00:35:41.18
He said, they having
a revelation seminar.
00:35:41.21\00:35:44.09
I didn't know what that was
but I knew it would be good.
00:35:44.12\00:35:47.14
And I turned up at
this revelation seminar.
00:35:47.17\00:35:49.59
But first I'm
looking for a cathedral,
00:35:49.62\00:35:51.46
I--I come up Regent
Street and he told me Heddon,
00:35:51.49\00:35:54.97
I think Heddon is the
first or second street
00:35:55.00\00:35:56.97
on the left up Regent Street.
00:35:57.00\00:35:58.75
And it's a
little dead end street.
00:35:58.78\00:36:01.12
And he said, you
go along then there
00:36:01.15\00:36:02.52
is a health food restaurant
and there's flight of stairs.
00:36:02.55\00:36:06.72
And so I find
this, the staircase.
00:36:06.75\00:36:10.20
I thought it might be
the stairway to heaven.
00:36:10.23\00:36:13.03
I find this staircase.
00:36:13.06\00:36:14.81
And I go upstairs
and there is a room
00:36:14.84\00:36:17.76
with seven people in it,
eight counting the pastor.
00:36:17.79\00:36:21.83
I think I'm in the wrong
place. I'm in the wrong place.
00:36:21.86\00:36:25.90
Five old ladies and two
men who were both eccentric.
00:36:25.93\00:36:31.62
And--and I said, no
this can't be right.
00:36:31.65\00:36:38.70
I mean, I'm going to the
people who keep the right day.
00:36:38.73\00:36:42.94
This where my brother goes.
00:36:42.97\00:36:45.40
I'm sure there
will be christians
00:36:45.43\00:36:47.05
who want to know the truth,
00:36:47.08\00:36:48.95
packing this
place to overflowing.
00:36:48.98\00:36:50.55
It can't just be
seven people in the church.
00:36:50.58\00:36:52.44
What I didn't realize
the great Adventist tradition
00:36:52.47\00:36:54.39
of prayer meeting two
hundred people in church
00:36:54.42\00:36:56.32
and six people
at prayer meeting.
00:36:56.35\00:36:57.72
Just, amen. Say ouch.
00:37:02.12\00:37:04.72
And so I sat there
and I sat in the back
00:37:04.75\00:37:07.83
and I didn't have a clue
what they were talking about.
00:37:07.86\00:37:10.24
I don't know what book
of Revelation they were in.
00:37:10.27\00:37:11.68
I had no idea.
00:37:11.71\00:37:13.08
And I'm, in there
with my long hair,
00:37:13.11\00:37:15.25
my beard and my various
other things and my jeans.
00:37:15.28\00:37:20.64
I think they had holes in them
and this is before having holes
00:37:20.67\00:37:22.74
in the jeans was
fashionable. Yeah.
00:37:22.77\00:37:24.77
And I had. Earrings.
00:37:24.80\00:37:27.75
I had my--my kids are watching.
00:37:27.78\00:37:29.54
I had my-- I had my
old tennis shoes on,
00:37:29.57\00:37:37.36
an overcoat, I bought
at the second hand store.
00:37:37.39\00:37:40.24
I believe he looked
at me and he thought aww.
00:37:40.27\00:37:43.17
And I watched and I listened
00:37:43.20\00:37:46.35
and I said to
myself this can't be right.
00:37:46.38\00:37:48.81
And then, you know, what I said,
00:37:48.84\00:37:50.21
I said now hang
on a minute. Hang on?
00:37:50.24\00:37:52.31
It doesn't matter to me if there
are seven or seven thousand.
00:37:52.34\00:37:54.76
Right. That's right.
00:37:54.79\00:37:56.16
I told God, I wanted
to know the truth. Amen.
00:37:56.19\00:37:58.41
And so Lord, I'll--
00:37:58.44\00:38:02.20
I'll stood on a rock
under a tree with lunatics,
00:38:02.23\00:38:07.51
if that's what it
takes to know the truth.
00:38:07.54\00:38:09.17
So I let's just see this
out and then I met the pastor.
00:38:09.20\00:38:11.67
What a-- what a wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful man.
00:38:11.70\00:38:14.80
And then we started to
study the Bible together
00:38:14.83\00:38:17.25
and that's kind of how it went.
00:38:17.28\00:38:19.92
So you received the
Lord, you were baptized. Yeah.
00:38:19.95\00:38:22.45
Baptized in the London and then
I left the country the next day.
00:38:22.48\00:38:25.32
Where did you go when you left?
00:38:25.35\00:38:26.72
Went back to New
Zealand to attend a wedding
00:38:26.75\00:38:29.06
for one of my
brothers and from there
00:38:29.09\00:38:32.96
I was going back
to England. Yeah.
00:38:32.99\00:38:35.15
But I went to Australia
took a detour to Australia,
00:38:35.18\00:38:38.83
this Adventist brother
of mine was living there,
00:38:38.86\00:38:41.73
working at the
Sydney Adventist Hospital.
00:38:41.76\00:38:44.31
And I figured it'd be
lovely to visit this brother
00:38:44.34\00:38:47.02
in the truth and my
sister-in-law is a very bright,
00:38:47.05\00:38:53.99
very astute, Spirit
filled Christian woman.
00:38:54.02\00:38:58.32
She was anxious to see how much
00:38:58.35\00:38:59.81
your
brother-in-law actually knew.
00:38:59.84\00:39:02.99
And by the time we were
half way back from the airport.
00:39:03.02\00:39:05.45
I had it figured out that I
don't really not much at all.
00:39:05.48\00:39:08.72
And I imagined
myself traveling the world
00:39:08.75\00:39:12.51
sharing my faith and saying,
I don't really know much.
00:39:12.54\00:39:16.65
And I didn't want that.
00:39:16.68\00:39:18.63
So I decided I would
pause in Australia for a while
00:39:18.66\00:39:21.37
and really
learn what I believed.
00:39:21.40\00:39:24.40
And it was while I was
in the process of doing that
00:39:24.43\00:39:26.55
with some tremendous
people around me that
00:39:26.58\00:39:29.13
the Lord started knocking on
the door of my heart and saying,
00:39:29.16\00:39:33.24
what about
ministry? What about ministry?
00:39:33.27\00:39:35.53
And of course for me
that was a bridge too far.
00:39:35.56\00:39:37.56
I mean that's for the priests,
that's for the Holy ones and I,
00:39:37.59\00:39:41.03
man I wasn't Holy so I knew
that couldn't be for me. Wow!
00:39:41.06\00:39:44.88
You know, in
listening to your story,
00:39:44.91\00:39:46.50
first of all, the Lord
rewards those who are seekers.
00:39:46.53\00:39:50.12
That's true. And
from your earliest years
00:39:50.15\00:39:51.92
and listening to
your-- your saga.
00:39:51.95\00:39:53.67
You were seeking very early.
00:39:53.70\00:39:55.15
And that's why
the experience even
00:39:55.18\00:39:57.31
in the Catholic Church
didn't hurt you because
00:39:57.34\00:39:59.57
it was a platform that you used
for seeking for truth. Yeah.
00:39:59.60\00:40:03.39
And when you heard something
that didn't hit your ear right,
00:40:03.42\00:40:06.13
you kind of filed
it, this can't be right
00:40:06.16\00:40:08.06
there something else out there.
00:40:08.09\00:40:09.57
I don't know what
it is? That's right.
00:40:09.60\00:40:10.97
But there's something
else there and I will seek till
00:40:11.00\00:40:13.00
I find it and that--
that kind of lifestyle,
00:40:13.03\00:40:16.33
kind of almost twist
arm-- God's arm behind his back.
00:40:16.36\00:40:19.08
You know, if you are a seeker
and you really want truth,
00:40:19.11\00:40:23.35
God's on the line to
get that truth to you.
00:40:23.38\00:40:26.13
Well, you know,
it's his responsibility
00:40:26.16\00:40:27.97
to do that. Precisely.
00:40:28.00\00:40:29.37
And I prayed that prayer,
00:40:29.40\00:40:30.77
I'm never gonna
go to church again
00:40:30.80\00:40:32.17
until you show me the truth.
00:40:32.20\00:40:33.57
You know, you don't
want to pray that prayer
00:40:33.60\00:40:36.33
unless you're
serious because God will.
00:40:36.36\00:40:38.90
I remember
canvassing in Pennsylvania once
00:40:38.93\00:40:41.30
and I met a lady who said to me,
00:40:41.33\00:40:43.63
I-- she--she bought a copy
of the great controversy for me.
00:40:43.66\00:40:46.70
She said, I want to know
the truth even if it hurts.
00:40:46.73\00:40:52.45
She said I even want to
know the parts of the truth
00:40:52.48\00:40:54.92
that I don't want
to know. All right.
00:40:54.95\00:40:57.21
You know, I'm
looking forward to seeing
00:40:57.24\00:41:00.15
that lady in heaven one day.
00:41:00.18\00:41:01.55
Amen. Amen. I just am.
00:41:01.58\00:41:03.37
John, I want to do
something real quick because
00:41:03.40\00:41:04.77
you are talking about the
truth and it occurred to me
00:41:04.80\00:41:07.85
I am re-reading
great controversy actually
00:41:07.88\00:41:10.99
for the third time
in the last three years.
00:41:11.02\00:41:12.68
Wonderful. That's like
giving a steak to a baby.
00:41:12.71\00:41:15.50
That's a heavy
piece of work. Yeah.
00:41:15.53\00:41:17.47
Oh, that's right.
That's right. It is.
00:41:17.50\00:41:19.84
It's a strong book, it
was the great controversy
00:41:19.87\00:41:23.02
and a book called Preparation
for the final crisis that
00:41:23.05\00:41:24.90
actually scared my
mother into the faith.
00:41:24.93\00:41:26.47
Is that, is that so?
00:41:26.50\00:41:27.87
Scared her to death,
scared her into the church.
00:41:27.90\00:41:29.27
Praise the Lord
for little Godly fear.
00:41:29.30\00:41:30.67
Praise the Lord. That's right.
00:41:30.70\00:41:32.07
We want to offer something
a little bit softer. Yeah.
00:41:32.10\00:41:34.25
A little bit more
inviting and maybe a little less
00:41:34.28\00:41:37.35
daunting as our free
offer for the evening.
00:41:37.38\00:41:40.32
Our free offer this evening
is the book "Steps to Christ."
00:41:40.35\00:41:43.89
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00:41:49.83\00:41:53.48
It will make it
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00:41:53.51\00:41:55.62
and it is user
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If you have
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This will
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And we want to get this to you,
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if you will email
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that's freeoffer@3abn.org
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We would love
for you to have this
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00:42:42.48\00:42:45.20
Well, John, well, I am really,
00:42:45.23\00:42:47.96
I know that everybody at home
is anxious to hear the story.
00:42:47.99\00:42:50.66
We all are and I know
that somewhere down the line
00:42:50.69\00:42:55.10
you left Australia and
you came to the United States
00:42:55.13\00:42:59.78
and eventually you
ended up with amazing facts.
00:42:59.81\00:43:04.17
Can you tell us about that? Yeah
00:43:04.20\00:43:06.11
In Australia I--I, it
was quite an education
00:43:06.14\00:43:13.71
my brotherhad
tons of cassette types.
00:43:13.74\00:43:16.93
You might need to
explain to your children
00:43:16.96\00:43:18.33
what cassette types are.
00:43:18.36\00:43:19.82
But tons of cassette
types of--of guests speakers
00:43:19.85\00:43:23.75
that had come down and
spoken at various places.
00:43:23.78\00:43:27.03
And I listen to these things.
00:43:27.06\00:43:28.63
I listen to number
of speaker and I grabbed
00:43:28.66\00:43:32.12
hold of some
sermons done by man named,
00:43:32.15\00:43:35.04
Bill May--Bill
May You know him well.
00:43:35.07\00:43:38.49
Yeah. I didn't --I
didn't have clue who he was?
00:43:38.52\00:43:41.86
When I was in the United--when
I came to the United States,
00:43:41.89\00:43:44.73
see these sermons had
impressed me profoundly
00:43:44.76\00:43:49.11
and I couldn't get
them out of my mind.
00:43:49.14\00:43:52.09
He was preaching on
righteousness by faith.
00:43:52.12\00:43:54.95
And, uh, I asked several people
00:43:54.98\00:43:57.71
have you ever heard of
a preacher named Bill May.
00:43:57.74\00:44:01.58
And I expected, I
could ask a man in the street
00:44:01.61\00:44:04.08
and he would have said yes.
00:44:04.11\00:44:05.48
But nobody I, they--
they all just said no.
00:44:05.51\00:44:08.78
And which is--which is odd
really because Bill had been
00:44:08.81\00:44:10.90
the President of
the Texas Conference
00:44:10.93\00:44:12.51
and the Chesapeake conference.
00:44:12.54\00:44:13.91
So he was a known fellow.
00:44:13.94\00:44:17.65
And one day I asked
00:44:17.68\00:44:19.54
a fellow who's become
a good friend of mine.
00:44:19.57\00:44:20.94
A man named Ron Gauss.
00:44:20.97\00:44:22.34
I said, Ron do you
know a fellow name Bill May.
00:44:22.37\00:44:26.94
I've been
listening to these sermons,
00:44:26.97\00:44:28.36
they--they've
powerfully impacted me.
00:44:28.39\00:44:31.39
And Ron said, yeah,
sure I do as a matter
00:44:31.42\00:44:33.31
of fact he's the evangelism
coordinator with amazing facts.
00:44:33.34\00:44:38.64
And they are
looking for young fellows
00:44:38.67\00:44:40.04
like you to do
evangelistic meetings.
00:44:40.07\00:44:41.44
He said, are you interested?
00:44:41.47\00:44:43.40
I said, no not at all.
00:44:43.43\00:44:46.00
That's not for me.
No I couldn't do that.
00:44:46.03\00:44:48.90
Well, I think it was Ron,
00:44:48.93\00:44:50.53
who told me about a lay
training program that they had.
00:44:50.56\00:44:55.97
And he said it
won't hurt you to go.
00:44:56.00\00:44:58.09
I said, you know, you're right
00:44:58.12\00:44:59.49
sounds like that
makes a lot of sense.
00:44:59.52\00:45:00.99
I'll go and see
what I could learn.
00:45:01.02\00:45:03.09
Well, funny how it turned out
00:45:03.12\00:45:04.49
this was being
run by Louie Torres.
00:45:04.52\00:45:07.53
And everyone in the--
two things were interesting
00:45:07.56\00:45:12.31
for once in my
life, I made a decision
00:45:12.34\00:45:14.02
I would go and say nothing.
00:45:14.05\00:45:16.63
I need to learn,
observe, soak it in,
00:45:16.66\00:45:21.00
do the work, don't
make a scene, say nothing.
00:45:21.03\00:45:25.06
And--and so everybody
had to preach a little sermon
00:45:25.09\00:45:28.58
five minutes or
seven minutes or something.
00:45:28.61\00:45:30.45
And I was to go
last and we were quitting
00:45:30.48\00:45:32.37
at 6 o'clock and the fellow
before me ended it about 6:04.
00:45:32.40\00:45:36.94
And after the--the dissection
of that sermon by the class,
00:45:36.97\00:45:42.31
Louie announced
all right we are done.
00:45:42.34\00:45:44.49
And I'm thinking, well,
00:45:44.52\00:45:45.89
I haven't preached
but it doesn't matter.
00:45:45.92\00:45:47.29
I've preached many
times and I don't need
00:45:47.32\00:45:49.63
to preach here, that's okay.
00:45:49.66\00:45:51.21
So we were getting ready
to quit and another fellow
00:45:51.24\00:45:53.44
who ended up becoming a pastor.
00:45:53.47\00:45:56.05
He said, now wait a
minute that guy down the back
00:45:56.08\00:45:58.89
hasn't preach his sermon yet.
00:45:58.92\00:46:00.91
And Louie said, oh, really?
00:46:00.94\00:46:02.74
Have you not preached?
And I said that's okay.
00:46:02.77\00:46:07.08
I don't need to,
it's fine. It's late.
00:46:07.11\00:46:08.84
Let's do it some other time
00:46:08.87\00:46:10.27
and some of the few
people said no--anyhow.
00:46:10.30\00:46:14.16
I got up to
speak and after that,
00:46:14.19\00:46:18.48
they gave us a little evaluation
form and at the bottom said,
00:46:18.51\00:46:22.38
if you were asked
to preach a series
00:46:22.41\00:46:26.06
of meeting for
us would you do it.
00:46:26.09\00:46:28.58
And my
inclination was to say no.
00:46:28.61\00:46:30.88
I thought who am I?
00:46:30.91\00:46:32.53
That I would preach a series
of meetings for these guys.
00:46:32.56\00:46:35.55
I'm not like that.
00:46:35.58\00:46:36.95
And then I thought that,
well, that would seem rude.
00:46:36.98\00:46:39.46
Do I want to seem rude?
00:46:39.49\00:46:41.40
Or do I want to seem
a little presumptuous.
00:46:41.43\00:46:43.84
Well, better to
seem presumptuous
00:46:43.87\00:46:45.33
than rude so I thought. Rude.
00:46:45.36\00:46:46.73
If they want my
help, it's not likely
00:46:46.76\00:46:48.31
but I'll put a tick
there and check mark they sure.
00:46:48.34\00:46:51.68
And anyhow thankfully
they had heard me preach
00:46:51.71\00:46:54.82
and Louie said later, you know,
00:46:54.85\00:46:56.22
I appreciated the fact that
you just kept in the background.
00:46:56.25\00:46:59.94
They were times when
you step up and showed
00:46:59.97\00:47:01.87
leadership ability
but for the most part.
00:47:01.90\00:47:03.92
So...I decided to
keep myself to myself.
00:47:03.95\00:47:07.38
And anyway they
asked me to train
00:47:07.41\00:47:08.93
and become an
evangelist. Praise God.
00:47:08.96\00:47:11.20
And first meeting, I held,
00:47:11.23\00:47:15.39
I did a training
meeting with the effect
00:47:15.42\00:47:17.70
of evangelist Kim
Karen in Owensboro, Kentucky
00:47:17.73\00:47:21.46
and then a fellow who
had a profound influence
00:47:21.49\00:47:26.22
on my ministry a guy
name Jim Thurman. Yeah.
00:47:26.25\00:47:30.37
He called me and
said, we, you know,
00:47:30.40\00:47:32.64
we'd like to you
come to Columbia,
00:47:32.67\00:47:34.54
Kentucky and that's been a place
that's very dear to my heart.
00:47:34.57\00:47:39.10
And some of the greatest people
00:47:39.13\00:47:40.50
in the world
living Columbia, Kentucky.
00:47:40.53\00:47:42.47
And by the grace of God, we
just had fantastic meetings.
00:47:42.50\00:47:45.58
Praise God. John, put a pin
00:47:45.61\00:47:47.95
right there at
Columbia, Kentucky.
00:47:47.98\00:47:49.35
Because I want to take
you back when you before you
00:47:49.38\00:47:50.94
came to the States
because did you fight the call
00:47:50.97\00:47:55.99
to ministry or was that
something you settled into
00:47:56.02\00:47:58.99
because obviously the God said,
00:47:59.02\00:48:00.39
you can't be a pew warmer,
you discovered the truth,
00:48:00.42\00:48:02.42
I want you as a
frontline soldier.
00:48:02.45\00:48:04.14
Did you fight that call,
00:48:04.17\00:48:05.54
did you ease into it and do
you remember your first sermon.
00:48:05.57\00:48:09.38
Yes, I do. I did fight
it and I didn't fight it.
00:48:09.41\00:48:12.12
I'll take it back.
00:48:12.15\00:48:13.52
I was sitting in my radio
studio during my breakfast show.
00:48:13.55\00:48:16.49
Across the table
was my co-host Jenny.
00:48:16.52\00:48:19.41
And Jenny and I
were talking about what
00:48:19.44\00:48:20.94
we might be doing years
from now and I say, Jenny,
00:48:20.97\00:48:22.96
where do you think
you'll be10 years from now?
00:48:22.99\00:48:26.54
You know, how high up the food
chain will you have progressed.
00:48:26.57\00:48:29.26
And she said, what--what
I'd like to be doing is this.
00:48:29.29\00:48:31.43
She said, where do you think,
you'll be 10 years from now.
00:48:31.46\00:48:36.00
And I said, you know,
what I think 10 years from now,
00:48:36.03\00:48:37.97
I'll be working for God.
00:48:38.00\00:48:41.22
I don't even know why I said it.
00:48:41.25\00:48:43.63
As a--as a little kid growing up
in a Catholic Church, of course,
00:48:43.66\00:48:46.54
it's put to you
will you be a priest
00:48:46.57\00:48:48.40
or a nun if your a female.
00:48:48.43\00:48:50.44
And I thought that
would be worthy and noble,
00:48:50.47\00:48:52.32
but there were certain aspects
of the priestly lifestyle,
00:48:52.35\00:48:55.63
I couldn't
imagine myself embracing.
00:48:55.66\00:48:58.29
So--so that disappeared
and honestly the priests
00:48:58.32\00:49:02.10
I knew didn't seem
like they had a lot of fun.
00:49:02.13\00:49:04.69
They just didn't.
They weren't bad guys.
00:49:04.72\00:49:06.50
We only ever had good priests,
00:49:06.53\00:49:07.90
I know some of
the priest of gotten
00:49:07.93\00:49:09.30
in strife and so forth.
00:49:09.33\00:49:10.70
We only had a good
priests, men of God, I believe.
00:49:10.73\00:49:12.93
But I--I didn't want that.
00:49:12.96\00:49:15.26
But I figured somehow I'd
work for God, I did know how.
00:49:15.29\00:49:20.86
So when the, and then when I--
when I gave my life to Jesus,
00:49:20.89\00:49:24.18
I just figured
that, that ministry
00:49:24.21\00:49:27.41
was for the Holiest of the Holy
00:49:27.44\00:49:29.81
and not for
sinful wretches like me.
00:49:29.84\00:49:32.76
So on the one hand, I
felt like what I wanted to do,
00:49:32.79\00:49:35.17
and needed to do was
work for the Lord somehow
00:49:35.20\00:49:39.23
but in real you know
professional ministry,
00:49:39.26\00:49:44.11
let me put it that
way, the way I thought then.
00:49:44.14\00:49:46.55
I just thought
that was way too much.
00:49:46.58\00:49:49.96
So I'm--I'm
living in Australia now,
00:49:49.99\00:49:53.08
you know, and
growing as a Christian,
00:49:53.11\00:49:55.98
I took a vacation
back to New Zealand
00:49:56.01\00:50:00.07
and I don't know
how it came to be
00:50:00.10\00:50:01.66
but someone
arranged for me to preach
00:50:01.69\00:50:04.46
at a little church in
the town called Thames.
00:50:04.49\00:50:07.96
And that the man Mr. Laurie.
00:50:07.99\00:50:10.71
I remember him
still was the Head Elder
00:50:10.74\00:50:12.45
of the church and so,
sort of ran it because
00:50:12.48\00:50:14.67
it was one of
multi-church district
00:50:14.70\00:50:16.62
and he agreed to have me preach
00:50:16.65\00:50:20.84
and it was the first
seminar I'd ever preached.
00:50:20.87\00:50:23.43
And I don't know
exactly what it was about,
00:50:23.46\00:50:26.09
but it was about righteousness
by faith on some level.
00:50:26.12\00:50:29.77
And what I
remember was after which,
00:50:29.80\00:50:31.17
you know, what, I
got some nice pants on
00:50:31.20\00:50:33.02
and a shirt and a
tie, put on a tie.
00:50:33.05\00:50:35.70
But what you do
then, I never owned a suit
00:50:35.73\00:50:38.10
and I got a
tightish, sort of a jacket,
00:50:38.13\00:50:40.90
you know, to preach in.
00:50:40.93\00:50:42.71
And lovely Head Elder afterward
he came to me and he said,
00:50:42.74\00:50:46.81
he must have wondered
how he was gonna say it.
00:50:46.84\00:50:48.46
He said, I was a little
surprised that you didn't
00:50:48.49\00:50:52.62
choose to preach
in a suit jacket.
00:50:52.65\00:50:56.15
And I--you
know, I didn't get it.
00:50:56.18\00:50:57.55
Like water of a duck's back,
00:50:57.58\00:50:58.95
Oh I didn't have one
if I had one I would.
00:50:58.98\00:51:00.83
You know, about a year later,
I figured out what he meant?
00:51:00.86\00:51:03.88
He meant, hey, you meant to wear
a suit jacket when you preach.
00:51:03.91\00:51:07.89
But he was so nice, you know,
00:51:07.92\00:51:09.29
the way he
mentioned it to me. Yes.
00:51:09.32\00:51:10.69
I think there was very
nice of him really. Yeah.
00:51:10.72\00:51:12.66
So that was--that was the sermon
00:51:12.69\00:51:14.06
I remember my friend
from Australia, Paul.
00:51:14.09\00:51:16.14
He is still a very
close friend of mine.
00:51:16.17\00:51:18.27
Now he was there
and a couple came down
00:51:18.30\00:51:20.68
from Oakland for the--
for the grand occasion.
00:51:20.71\00:51:22.80
We had a lovely time and
it was gracious church family.
00:51:22.83\00:51:25.23
And I thought to myself,
00:51:25.26\00:51:27.60
I could do this
again if I was asked.
00:51:27.63\00:51:29.88
I could probably do that again.
00:51:29.91\00:51:31.65
And so somewhere
along the line I was asked
00:51:31.68\00:51:34.00
and people just kept
asking so I kept preaching.
00:51:34.03\00:51:38.01
Now Melissa,
came into your life.
00:51:38.04\00:51:40.12
Oh, yeah. After
you'd gone to America.
00:51:40.15\00:51:42.89
Yeah, Yeah, yes thank God.
00:51:42.92\00:51:45.03
God brought me to the
United States to get me
00:51:45.06\00:51:48.77
into ministry and to fix
it so that I could marry up.
00:51:48.80\00:51:53.19
All right. Like you. Oh my God.
00:51:53.22\00:51:54.82
Like you, Jim, I married up.
00:51:54.85\00:51:57.16
I married a woman
far too good for me.
00:51:57.19\00:51:59.73
Someone I--I Likewise.
00:51:59.76\00:52:01.13
Yeah. I know.
00:52:01.16\00:52:02.53
Someone I didn't
deserve and don't deserve
00:52:02.56\00:52:04.81
but God was merciful to me,
00:52:04.84\00:52:08.46
you know, and she is
just such a wonderful person
00:52:08.49\00:52:11.97
Yes, she is.
00:52:12.00\00:52:13.37
And a
wonderful-- wonderful mother.
00:52:13.40\00:52:17.25
My children are
perfect, you know,
00:52:17.28\00:52:18.65
but If I were to--if
you ever isolated any faults
00:52:18.68\00:52:22.18
in them you could trace
them directly back to me.
00:52:22.21\00:52:24.83
I'm not kidding,
I'm not if affecting
00:52:24.86\00:52:27.28
some false humility, it's true.
00:52:27.31\00:52:29.64
But if you look at
their good qualities
00:52:29.67\00:52:32.27
all comes from they mother.
00:52:32.30\00:52:33.67
She is just a wonderful
mother and a great wife.
00:52:33.70\00:52:36.00
And my best friend in
the world, she is wonderful.
00:52:36.03\00:52:39.69
And, you know, we
got married and she knew,
00:52:39.72\00:52:43.67
we would get married
and go straight on the road.
00:52:43.70\00:52:46.34
Then when we went
on road in evangelism,
00:52:46.37\00:52:48.04
it was on a trial basis. Yeah.
00:52:48.07\00:52:50.45
And there was no guarantee
that they'd keep me on.
00:52:50.48\00:52:53.29
We gonna have to see how we did.
00:52:53.32\00:52:54.69
So you were an evangelist
before you got married.
00:52:54.72\00:52:56.43
She know, what she was.
Just before and she did.
00:52:56.46\00:52:58.57
She knew what she
was getting into. Yeah.
00:52:58.60\00:52:59.97
So we got married we
went on the honeymoon.
00:53:00.00\00:53:01.42
We came back packed up and left.
00:53:01.45\00:53:04.21
Then we went on
the road with the--
00:53:04.24\00:53:05.61
with a--did we have a car? Yeah.
00:53:05.64\00:53:09.57
We had a, we bought a vehicle
00:53:09.60\00:53:11.36
and so we went on
the road with a debt,
00:53:11.39\00:53:13.09
a small debt and no
guaranteed income this was
00:53:13.12\00:53:17.01
a venture in either
faith or presumption or both.
00:53:17.04\00:53:20.86
And Melissa said, now
God has joined us together
00:53:20.89\00:53:24.68
and if this is where
the Lord is leading us good
00:53:24.71\00:53:27.24
and if it's not He'll
lead us somewhere else.
00:53:27.27\00:53:29.27
She really has faith, you know,
00:53:29.30\00:53:31.12
a dear friend of mine,
who was in our wedding,
00:53:31.15\00:53:33.39
in fact Bill
May, did the wedding.
00:53:33.42\00:53:34.83
Oh, he's there? Yeah. I
thank the Lord for that.
00:53:34.86\00:53:37.49
And a dear friend,
who was in our wedding
00:53:37.52\00:53:39.74
when I asked him I went
to him for advice, you know.
00:53:39.77\00:53:42.11
Here I am a I am grown
man but I went to this other
00:53:42.14\00:53:45.06
grown man friend of mine
and said, what you think Fred.
00:53:45.09\00:53:48.12
You think I should.
Think this is the girl.
00:53:48.15\00:53:51.02
I tell you--I tell
you what, I tell you what?
00:53:51.05\00:53:53.70
Found out Fred came
to me, Fred came to me.
00:53:53.73\00:53:56.94
He said, I've got this brother
00:53:56.97\00:53:58.34
and I'm trying to
fix him up with someone.
00:53:58.37\00:54:00.93
And he said, Melissa,
would be good for him.
00:54:00.96\00:54:06.14
And he said, but
I'm coming to you
00:54:10.24\00:54:12.41
because I think Melissa and you,
00:54:12.44\00:54:14.11
Melissa and you
would go perfect together.
00:54:14.14\00:54:16.47
And--and I don't want
to cut across you above,
00:54:16.50\00:54:19.86
if you've got any
idea about Melissa,
00:54:19.89\00:54:23.31
then I'll keep my distance,
00:54:23.34\00:54:25.18
but if you don't
then I'm going to see
00:54:25.21\00:54:26.58
if I can fix her
up with my brother.
00:54:26.61\00:54:27.98
See that is the
highest of recommendation.
00:54:28.01\00:54:29.38
That's right. And
it's a great friend.
00:54:29.41\00:54:31.95
Yeah, thank the Lord.
00:54:31.98\00:54:33.35
And that's first
time, I've ever the told
00:54:33.38\00:54:35.78
that story
actually, And I said to him.
00:54:35.81\00:54:40.21
You know, even If I
didn't, I probably would now.
00:54:40.24\00:54:43.76
But I do and I've been
think that and I'd never
00:54:43.79\00:54:45.64
discussed this with anyone.
00:54:45.67\00:54:47.04
I said, I can't get
this woman out of my mind
00:54:47.07\00:54:48.44
everywhere I
turn up she is there.
00:54:48.47\00:54:50.28
And it's as though, you know,
00:54:50.31\00:54:51.89
my and so we talked
together and he said,
00:54:51.92\00:54:56.92
I believe and this
on our wedding day.
00:54:56.95\00:54:58.71
He said, I believe that
the two of you getting married
00:54:58.74\00:55:03.93
is gonna result in more
people in the kingdom of heaven.
00:55:03.96\00:55:06.30
Amen. Amen.
00:55:06.33\00:55:07.70
And that's the
kind of woman Melissa
00:55:07.73\00:55:09.10
is and she is just wonderful.
00:55:09.13\00:55:10.50
Way too good for me. Well.
00:55:10.53\00:55:12.10
I tell you this is a
beautiful story isn't it?
00:55:12.13\00:55:14.24
This really is. It
really is and you getting
00:55:14.27\00:55:16.20
acquainted tonight with
the new speaker-director
00:55:16.23\00:55:20.59
of It is Written
and we're taking you
00:55:20.62\00:55:24.26
right back from the
womb to the ministry.
00:55:24.29\00:55:28.65
Not to the tomb,
but we are giving you
00:55:28.68\00:55:31.45
the full discussion here
with John about his life.
00:55:31.48\00:55:35.81
How he came to know
Jesus Christ about his family.
00:55:35.84\00:55:39.40
And how he Melissa were
married went into ministry
00:55:39.43\00:55:42.32
together in evangelism
later on pastoral ministry.
00:55:42.35\00:55:45.67
Yes, sir. But you've held
about 80 evangelistic meetings.
00:55:45.70\00:55:48.99
Yep. Right about 80. Yeah.
00:55:49.02\00:55:50.39
In lots of little
wee towns in the back
00:55:50.42\00:55:52.70
of nowhere and lots of big
cities that you'd recognize well
00:55:52.73\00:55:56.78
and all places in
between and honestly, you know,
00:55:56.81\00:56:01.66
I don't mind
recounting the story
00:56:01.69\00:56:03.82
because here is-- here is why?
00:56:03.85\00:56:08.07
I believe that my
experience could be
00:56:08.10\00:56:10.14
a real encouragement to others.
00:56:10.17\00:56:12.42
I was wandering
and looking for God,
00:56:12.45\00:56:13.94
I said please whatever it takes.
00:56:13.97\00:56:16.16
And God
introduced himself to me.
00:56:16.19\00:56:18.69
My life turned up side down.
I have-- I had no future now.
00:56:18.72\00:56:22.35
No future except
I said Lord I'll go
00:56:22.38\00:56:24.84
where you want me to go.
00:56:24.87\00:56:26.24
Ministry not me surely, but
God can use even people like me.
00:56:26.27\00:56:31.29
You know,
that's, that is so true.
00:56:31.32\00:56:33.77
And that's been the
experience of so many of us.
00:56:33.80\00:56:36.13
You're going to
hear more about John,
00:56:36.16\00:56:38.11
we're going to take a
break here in just a moment
00:56:38.14\00:56:40.46
and you gonna hear more
about not only his experience
00:56:40.49\00:56:44.11
in ministry but his call to
It is Written and also about
00:56:44.14\00:56:49.04
some of the plans that It
is written has for evangelism.
00:56:49.07\00:56:53.13
Yeah, they're
excited. And we are, yeah,
00:56:53.16\00:56:55.27
they're very exciting we
also have some music for you.
00:56:55.30\00:56:58.67
We're going to hear Dr.
Louis sing again in a moment
00:56:58.70\00:57:01.70
and so whatever
you do don't go too far
00:57:01.73\00:57:05.58
because and call
some friends tell him,
00:57:05.61\00:57:08.66
hey, you wanna see the
new speaker for It is Written
00:57:08.69\00:57:12.05
turn on 3ABN right
now because we getting
00:57:12.08\00:57:15.90
acquainted with him and
I believe that you gonna
00:57:15.93\00:57:19.98
like what-- what you see.
00:57:20.01\00:57:21.71
I've known him for few years,
00:57:21.74\00:57:23.95
have appreciated
his ministry and you're
00:57:23.98\00:57:28.10
appreciating his
ministry as, well.
00:57:28.13\00:57:29.65
I surely, your
reputation preceded you, John.
00:57:29.68\00:57:32.08
Some of your members at Southern
University about a year ago
00:57:32.11\00:57:36.36
and looking for people to
bring to 3ABN for and they said,
00:57:36.39\00:57:39.30
you got to get this
guy, you got to get him.
00:57:39.33\00:57:41.13
So it's good. All right.
00:57:41.16\00:57:43.59
So we'll be right
back. And we'll you see then.
00:57:43.62\00:57:48.74