Participants:
Series Code: NOW
Program Code: NOW019033A
|
00:15 This is 3ABN NOW with John and Rosemary Malkiewycz.
00:21 Hello, and welcome to the program. 00:23 I'm really happy to let you know 00:26 who we're speaking to today. 00:28 He's a young man, you're still young. 00:31 It's Taj Pacleb who has a program, Revelation of Hope... 00:37 Yes. Revelation of Hope. On 3ABN International. 00:40 And so, many of you have 00:41 probably watched him on that program. 00:43 So you are really privileged today 00:45 to be able to see him here in the studio. 00:47 So welcome, Taj. Thank you so much. 00:49 Aloha. Aloha. 00:50 Hawaii. Hawaii. 00:51 Yeah. 00:53 I like the fact that you're a young man, 00:54 you're out there, Taj, 00:55 and you're doing things for the Lord 00:57 because that's exciting. 00:58 And, you know, young people, you have that opportunity. 01:00 This man has an 01:01 incredible testimony, hasn't he, Rosy? 01:03 Well, we're going to listen to it today. 01:04 So stay tuned. 01:07 Hold on to your seats because we're gonna go for a ride. 01:10 I'm sure we are. Yes. 01:12 But I'm just really glad 01:13 that you've been able to join us today. 01:15 Thank you for having me. 01:17 It's always an honor to be able to share 01:19 and really appreciate the opportunity 01:21 to speak to you folks 01:22 and all those who like to watch 3ABN. 01:25 This isn't the first time 01:26 you've been in Australia, is it? 01:27 How many times have you been here? 01:29 I think this is our fifth time in the Land Down Under. 01:31 We always love coming here. 01:33 We really enjoy listening 01:35 to the nice soothing Australian accent. 01:39 And the first time we met Taj was when he was in 01:43 Mount Corvette in Brisbane, 01:45 at the Move By His Power Witness Conference, 01:49 and you did two of the services there. 01:53 The Highway to the Upper Room 01:54 and Privileged Eyes and Transformed Lives 01:56 were your sermons. 01:58 And if you want to get a hold of this, 02:00 we do have it here available. 02:02 It's a very good series. 02:03 And you can listen to more of Taj but also John Lomacang, 02:06 Pastor Tapiwa Mutseriwa, and a few other people, 02:10 including Charissa Fong are all speakers there. 02:13 So you have a Bible verse for us. 02:14 Yeah, Taj has chosen a Bible verse 02:16 from 1 Corinthians 15:10. 02:20 And I like this one myself, it says, 02:22 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, 02:26 and His grace which was bestowed upon me 02:29 was not in vain, 02:30 but I labored more abundantly than they all, 02:33 yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 02:37 That's a really encouraging text, isn't it? 02:41 Yes. 02:42 You've chosen that. So why is it meant for you? 02:45 Why have you? 02:46 Well, whenever I think about my life, my experience, 02:50 my background, where I came from, 02:52 and all the things that God has done, 02:54 in me and through me, 02:57 I just recognize that it's nothing that is of me, 03:00 it's only by the grace of God that I am what I am. 03:04 You know, I grew up in a real broken home 03:06 and made a lot of terrible decisions 03:08 in my life, 03:10 but I'm just so grateful that God's grace 03:12 was able to reach me at a very young age. 03:15 And the grace of God not only pardons our past, 03:19 but it empowers our present, 03:20 and it gives us promise for the future 03:22 that God has great things in store for us. 03:24 And so I really appreciate that verse, 03:26 you know, Paul is talking about how he was able to labor, 03:30 but it was only because of the grace of God. 03:32 And when we experienced that grace in our lives, 03:34 it changes us, but it empowers us to labor, 03:37 for the salvation of the blessing of others. 03:39 So I really appreciate that verse. 03:41 So you mentioned you came from a broken home. 03:44 Obviously, you were born in Hawaii, is that right? 03:47 Yes, born and raised in Hawaii, 03:49 but even though we were born in Paradise, 03:51 it wasn't always a pretty sight. 03:54 My testimony is kind of like, 03:56 how when God took Ezekiel in vision 03:59 and showed him the Valley of Dry Bones, 04:01 I resonate with that because 04:03 that was kind of the spiritual condition 04:05 of my life when I was born into this world. 04:09 I grew up in a family that was broken, 04:10 my parents were never married, 04:12 and they were separated most of my life. 04:15 Sometimes I'll be living with my dad 04:16 other times with my mom 04:18 and I kind of grew up in the midst of... 04:19 Confusion. 04:20 Confusion and, you know, as a young child... 04:22 Were they both from, you know, Hawaii stock, 04:25 you know, going back a long way or other nationalities? 04:30 They are different nationalities. 04:32 My dad is Mexican and German. 04:34 My mom is 100% Filipino. 04:37 And so... In Hawaii. 04:38 They met in Hawaii. Yeah. 04:40 And Hawaii is a melting pot of all nationalities and so... 04:43 I say it's a melting pot in other ways too 04:45 when you've seen the news of those volcanoes 04:47 in Kapoho Bay. 04:48 Yeah, we got some action in Hawaii for sure. 04:52 So as a young boy growing up, and by the way, 04:55 how many siblings is in your family, 04:57 how many children, brothers and sisters? 04:59 Just one. Just one? 05:00 So I was the only child for 19 years. 05:03 Really? 05:05 That's actually a part of the story 05:06 how my mom and dad actually got back together. 05:10 And they got married for the first time, 05:12 and then three years later, 05:14 they had my little baby brother. 05:15 And so say mom and dad 19 years apart, just us two. 05:19 And neither of us were planned. 05:21 Well, let me tell you, that's a nice ending, 05:24 as long as the ending continues to be 05:26 a very loving and kind relationship type, 05:29 then that's a great thing to hear. 05:30 We've got to fill in all the bit in the middle now. 05:32 Yeah, that's right. 05:33 So what sort of a child were you in? 05:36 Were you one of these rough boys 05:37 or, you know, real cool custom? 05:40 You know, I was pretty laid back growing up in Hawaii. 05:42 I mean, most people in Hawaii are laid back, 05:44 I grew up right there on the beach, 05:46 kind of a beach boy going to the ocean every day, 05:49 the ocean definitely is my playground, but, 05:51 you know, we didn't have Jesus in our lives. 05:53 My parents were not religious. They weren't churchgoers. 05:56 And so growing up, I had no idea 05:58 what was God or who was God. 06:00 And without a spiritual foundation, 06:03 I started making terrible decisions 06:05 at a very young age. 06:07 I became, you know, kind of a compulsive thief. 06:10 I was really into shoplifting 06:12 and, you know, lying in first time, 06:16 I was arrested when I was 10 years old. 06:18 So we're talking about grade school, 06:20 you know, real young and... 06:22 You said, you know, Taj, 06:24 parents make a real impact on children 06:26 in teaching them right from wrong. 06:28 And if you're in an environment like you're describing, 06:30 who's there to teach you? 06:32 So, you know, you can't say that it was all their fault 06:36 or your fault. 06:37 It's just a product of life itself. 06:40 And so that's good that you recognize 06:43 that I hope you learned 06:45 after being caught a bit that this isn't a good thing. 06:48 Yeah. 06:49 I think he said the first time. 06:51 Yeah, first time I was arrested. 06:54 It happened a couple times, but, you know, after, 06:58 you know, elementary school, I went to high school, 07:00 or as you guys call it here, college, 07:03 things are intensified. 07:06 I started running around with the wrong crowd, 07:09 and, you know, getting into drugs and the party scene. 07:13 And as I look back, I realized that I was just trying to fill 07:15 an emptiness in my life, 07:18 there was something missing a void, 07:20 and I was looking for something to satisfy it, 07:24 but all I could find was stimulation, 07:26 not true satisfaction. 07:28 You know, sin will stimulate you, 07:30 but it never satisfy you. 07:32 It'll give you a high for the moment 07:34 or fun for a fleeting moment, 07:37 but it will never fill the void and the emptiness within. 07:40 And that's why I became an addict, 07:42 you know, doing it once wasn't enough, 07:43 you have to do it over and over again. 07:45 One party is not enough. 07:47 You have to go from party to party. 07:49 When you go home, you're alone again? 07:51 Yeah, yeah. 07:52 It's the stimulation isn't there? 07:55 Without Christ life is like a never ending pursuit 07:58 of stimulation, but you never satisfied. 08:01 And that was my life basically. 08:04 And at that time, as a teenager, 08:07 I was living with my mom, and she was a single parent, 08:10 trying her best to steer me in the right direction. 08:13 Would have been hard. 08:14 Yeah, it was difficult for her, but she was praying for me. 08:18 That's one of the beautiful things 08:21 that my mom did for me 08:22 was that even though I caused her so much pain 08:25 and headache and heartache, she was praying for me. 08:28 And, you know, throughout that time period, 08:31 she had come to know God for herself. 08:33 And she started, you know, a relationship with the Lord. 08:35 And so while I was partying, she was praying. 08:39 And the reason why I'm here today 08:40 is because God heard her prayer. 08:42 And I just want to encourage the parents out there, 08:43 I know that there are many people 08:46 who have children that are lost 08:48 out there in the world, or lost in the church. 08:50 And, you know, sometimes we get so discouraged and down 08:53 because we can't imagine heaven without our kids, 08:56 but I just want to encourage the parents 08:58 to keep praying for your children, 08:59 keep loving them, keep inviting them, 09:01 keep pleading with them. 09:03 And even though you may not be able to see 09:05 a change in their lives, 09:07 while you're sleeping, God is still working upon them. 09:10 And one day by God's grace, 09:12 many of the young people are gonna turn around 09:14 and give their hearts to Jesus and... 09:17 That's so true. 09:18 But, you know, it's not only the parents that need to pray, 09:20 it's the grandparents, and the neighbors, 09:23 and anyone else who knows the situation. 09:25 It's so important because God hears our prayers. 09:29 And when we are earnest from grandparents to parents 09:32 and even brothers and sisters praying for one another, 09:35 it's really powerful what God will do. 09:37 Amen. 09:38 I believe that with all my heart, 09:39 I mean, that's why I'm here today. 09:41 So your mom's praying for you. 09:43 You're now in high school. 09:45 Yeah. 09:47 And the Lord was definitely setting 09:50 in motion operations to reach me. 09:53 And, you know, there's so many details of it, 09:55 but the main significant thing that happened was we were... 10:01 I was at home one day just... 10:03 by myself getting high by myself. 10:06 And two young people came and they knocked on my door. 10:09 And they invited me to a Bible prophecy seminar. 10:13 And when I looked into their faces, 10:16 they spoke with so much conviction 10:18 and so much passion. 10:19 And really, they were appealing to me, 10:23 pleading with me to come to those meetings. 10:26 And that invitation I received that day 10:28 was like an invitation to heaven 10:30 because when I went to those meetings, 10:34 that's when Jesus found me. 10:36 That's when my life was changed. 10:37 That's when I started to live for the very first time. 10:39 You think that it was part of the appeal to you to go 10:43 was the way they invited you? 10:45 Absolutely. 10:47 The verse they used, or just the fact of it, 10:49 this would be interesting... 10:50 'Cause it would have been strange for a guy like yourself 10:53 and your background, 10:54 to have someone knock on your door, 10:56 and talk about God and Jesus and come along 10:58 and study, you know, I mean that would have been. 11:00 And you to accept the invitation. 11:02 What was it do you think that really got you to go? 11:05 Well, just the look on their face, 11:07 and the conviction that they spoke with? 11:10 It was really the Holy Spirit. Their sincerity. 11:11 Yeah. They were sincere. 11:13 They were serious. 11:14 They were solemn. 11:16 And it was the Holy Spirit using that, 11:18 to help me to recognize that 11:21 there was something missing in my life. 11:22 So were they of your age group? Yeah, same age. 11:25 I had known them, you know, surfacely. 11:28 So I was familiar with who these guys were. 11:32 And actually had known them to be, 11:34 you know, kind of careless, 11:35 and not really serious about God, 11:37 but when I saw them at my door that day, 11:40 there was a change to happen in their hearts. 11:42 And I recognize that, man, if God can, 11:46 has done something for them. 11:48 Can you do it for me? Sure, He can. 11:49 He can do for me, too. Yes. 11:51 You know, the thought that comes to my mind 11:52 is in the Bible where it says 11:55 that God spoke with authority never man spake like this man. 11:59 And I can just imagine, 12:01 you know, these young people at the door, 12:03 the way they spoke to you 12:04 was really with some form of authority. 12:07 Absolutely. 12:08 That they knew what they were talking about. 12:10 Yeah, they have the armor of God arm. 12:11 And so, then it's compelling like it was with Jesus, 12:13 Jesus knew what He was talking about. 12:15 And it compelled people to come and listen. 12:17 Amen. 12:19 And I think that God wants to do that 12:21 through all of our voices. 12:22 To go out there with holy boldness, 12:25 and divine love, and to give the invitation, 12:27 the appeal for people to come to taste and see 12:30 just how good God is for themselves. 12:33 And, you know, God used those young men. 12:36 They were teenagers like me, to reach another teenager. 12:39 And so it doesn't matter how old you are 12:41 or who you are, God can use all of our voices 12:44 to make a eternal impact on the lives of people. 12:47 So you went to the meetings? 12:51 Who was taking the meeting? 12:53 Yeah, it was actually a lay evangelist, 12:55 a local guy from Hawaii that lives in Hawaii. 12:58 His name is Nehemiah Falatengo, Samoan brother. 13:02 And he preached every night, he was very short in stature, 13:07 but he had a real loud, authoritative voice, 13:11 the Holy Spirit was with him. 13:13 And he preached night after nights, 13:15 I went to those meetings, sometimes I missed, 13:17 but, like, I was drawn, 13:19 you know, I was drawn, you know, 13:21 the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 13:22 that God has placed within the heart of man 13:25 an eternal space, eternity in our hearts. 13:30 And that verse really helps me to understand 13:33 the experience I was going through, 13:35 deeply within the nature of man's existence 13:39 is an eternal space, 13:40 a space that can only be filled by 13:42 one that is eternal in nature that is God. 13:45 And so when I was going to those meetings, 13:49 God was awakening me 13:50 to the realization of that emptiness, 13:52 that eternal space that He was trying to fill in 13:56 and as I was listening to the message of the Bible, 13:58 the beautiful message of the three angels, 14:01 Christ-centered, Christ-focused, 14:04 the Word of God was able to penetrate my clouded mind, 14:06 and I saw my need of Jesus 14:09 and I recognize that He was the only one 14:11 that can satisfy the longing of my heart. 14:15 So I kept going, and, you know, sometimes I miss, 14:18 it was definitely a battle. 14:19 Sometimes I went to those meetings high. 14:22 But God was working in a beautiful way. 14:25 And one night after one of the meetings 14:27 towards the end of the meeting, 14:28 He made a call for people to come 14:30 to the front of the altar, 14:31 and I found myself struggling in my mind, 14:34 the devil whispering in my ear, 14:36 all the reasons why I shouldn't come. 14:39 He was saying if you give your heart to God, 14:41 what are your friends gonna think? 14:42 They're gonna think you're weak. 14:44 That's a real issue for a young person. 14:46 Yeah, so concerned about what other people think about us, 14:49 but at the same time, God was speaking to me 14:51 and calling me and I recognize that 14:53 I would rather be saved by myself 14:55 than to be lost in a crowd of friends 14:58 that these individuals were... 15:01 I was allowing them to stand between me and salvation. 15:05 And it wasn't worth it. 15:06 And so, the Lord just gave me the courage to respond. 15:10 And I went to the altar, and I prayed 15:13 to God sincerely for the first time in my life. 15:16 And I said, "God, if you're there, 15:17 and if you're real, 15:19 if you truly have a better life for me, 15:20 take away these addictions, 15:22 the desire for it so that I no longer want it." 15:24 And when I pray that prayer, 15:26 the Lord took it from me. 15:27 And He made me a new person. Just like that. 15:29 Yeah, just like that. He... 15:30 I stopped doing drugs and stopped hanging around 15:33 with the wrong crowd. 15:34 And the Lord began to change me gradually, day by day. 15:38 I'm curious to think what was your mother 15:40 thinking through all this time, 15:42 she's obviously seeing a change? 15:44 Oh, she was overjoyed. She was so happy. 15:46 She was coming with me to the meetings. 15:48 And, you know, she tried not to show how thrilled she was, 15:53 but I did felt, I think that she was excited. 15:55 Yeah. 15:56 So I was baptized at the end of those meetings, 15:58 I was 16 years old. 16:00 Before I gave my life to Christ, I like to say, 16:02 you know, I was burning with a strange fire of drugs, 16:05 but when I gave my heart to Jesus, 16:07 He set me on fire with the Holy Spirit. 16:10 He began to do wonderful things in my life. 16:14 Were you able to be delivered from the taking of drugs 16:19 straight away? 16:21 Or was that something you had to do? 16:23 Yeah, for me, it was instantaneous, 16:27 at least for me in that moment, is because I recognize that 16:31 I couldn't stop doing these things on my own. 16:34 I didn't have the strength. 16:36 I didn't have the power. 16:37 I had tried to do it before, but I couldn't. 16:40 The temptation of the enemy was stronger 16:42 than the power of the flesh. 16:44 And so I just said to God, basically, Lord, 16:48 do for me what I cannot do for myself, 16:52 prove yourself and release me, deliver me from this. 16:56 And when I prayed that prayer sincerely with all my heart, 17:00 and I was willing to give it to God. 17:02 That's when He took it from me. 17:04 It didn't take a week, not even a few days. 17:06 He took it from me. 17:08 Now that doesn't mean that there wasn't temptation 17:09 afterwards, 17:11 there was temptation, 17:12 but the temptation didn't have power anymore 17:15 because I found a new high. 17:17 There's so many people who are struggling to give up, 17:21 whether it's drugs, alcohol, smoking, even pornography, 17:26 and so many different things. 17:28 Sexual sins of other kinds of morality, 17:31 and they want to follow God, 17:34 but they keep getting pulled back again. 17:39 Do you have any advice for them? 17:41 Yeah, I mean, first of all, there's power in Jesus. 17:47 The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ 17:49 who strengthens us. 17:51 And so the power is available. 17:53 And the Lord just wants to inspire us with the faith 17:56 that is willing to receive that power. 17:59 And a beautiful verse that really has helped me 18:02 and so many others when it comes to addictions 18:04 and habits that we're trying to get rid of is James 4:7-8. 18:09 And in that passage, there are three simple steps. 18:12 The first one is, "Submit yourselves therefore to God." 18:16 Number two, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." 18:20 And number three, "Draw near to God, 18:22 and He would draw near to you." 18:24 So the first one is submission, 18:25 a willingness to stop trying to do it on our own, 18:29 stop trying to have control, 18:31 but really submission is surrender, 18:33 is letting God have control, 18:35 letting Him take the reins of our lives. 18:38 And then when the devil comes to tempt and attack, 18:41 we resist him, just like Jesus did, 18:44 with the power of the Word of God. 18:45 And it is written, thus saith the Lord. 18:48 We resist the devil, and he will flee, 18:51 but then the third step is so vital 18:52 because a lot of people do the first and the second step, 18:55 they submit, they resist, 18:58 but they don't do the third one, 18:59 which is draw near to God. 19:01 So that God would draw near to us. 19:03 In other words, we have to replace 19:05 the darkness with light. 19:06 We have to replace the evil with that which is good. 19:09 Christianity is not about being emptied of evil, 19:12 but it's being filled with He who is good. 19:15 And the Bible says, 19:16 we need to overcome evil by being committed good. 19:21 That was just good. 19:22 I know that there are different techniques 19:24 that people have used. 19:25 And I had to do one at one stage in my life 19:28 when some really bad things that happened to me. 19:31 And the devil kept bringing thoughts to me 19:34 about those bad things. 19:36 And they were tormenting. 19:38 And I said, I don't want these 19:40 I don't want to think about this. 19:42 It's too painful. 19:44 And so what I ended up, 19:47 you know, the Holy Spirit inspired me 19:48 that every time those thoughts came, 19:51 start saying Bible verses, 19:53 just remember Bible verses and keep repeating them over. 19:58 And so I started doing that. 19:59 And it was only in two or three days, 20:01 I never had those thoughts again. 20:02 Powerful. 20:04 Because why would the devil bring those thoughts to me, 20:06 if he knows I'm gonna do 20:08 to start thinking of Bible scriptures, 20:10 you know, the Bible verses, 20:12 it's totally the opposite to what he wants. 20:14 So he's not gonna tempt me 20:16 with something that's gonna drive me closer to God. 20:18 And I know other people who have thought. 20:21 And they've been successful in thinking that 20:23 when these temptations come 20:26 to do these things that I know I shouldn't be doing that, 20:29 that as a Christian, as a believer in Christ, 20:31 I should have nothing to do with 20:33 that they would start praying 20:35 for a specific individual to be saved. 20:38 So every time that temptation came, 20:40 it was their indication to pray, 20:44 pray for this person. 20:45 And it was a very short time that the temptation was broken 20:50 because now they're doing something 20:52 that devil doesn't want them to turn to. 20:54 He doesn't want this other person saved. 20:56 Yeah. 20:57 And so he's not gonna tempt them in that way anymore. 21:00 That's beautiful. 21:01 Because it turns them to pray for someone's salvation. 21:05 So there are different techniques you can use. 21:07 And God can encourage you and inspire you 21:09 in what you can do to overcome to draw nigh to God 21:13 at those times when you resisting the devil. 21:15 So you're 16, you're a born again Christian. 21:18 You're being baptized. 21:20 What happens? 21:23 The verse in Joel Chapter 2 kind of describes it, 21:26 where God promises, 21:28 "I will restore to you the years 21:30 that the locusts have eaten." 21:33 And the cankerworm and the palmerworm. 21:34 Yes. 21:35 And so, God is a God of restoration. 21:38 He began to restore all the years 21:41 that I had wasted on myself and wasted in the world, 21:44 wasted influence, wasted time, wasted energy, wasted mind. 21:49 That was my life, but God started 21:50 to restore different aspects of my life. 21:54 I went back to the public high school 21:55 I was attending. 21:57 And God began to restore the negative influence 22:00 or the wasted influence I had exerted 22:02 on all my friends who I used to do drugs with. 22:05 Now I was able to go back and offer Bible studies, 22:07 and I would have Bible studies, every lunch period, 22:10 in that public high school, 22:11 and I would invite the whole school, 22:13 and people would come because they saw the change in me. 22:17 And even though 22:18 I wasn't trained to give Bible studies, 22:20 I didn't really know how to give Bible studies, 22:22 I just shared that which I knew. 22:24 It wasn't much, but I gave what I had. 22:27 And people came. 22:29 And as a result of those Bible studies, 22:31 six of my friends and their family members 22:32 were baptized as a result as well. 22:34 And so, God was confirming a call He placed in my life. 22:39 And I started passing out Steps to Christ all over campus. 22:43 And I just, I didn't care anymore about 22:45 what people thought about me, it didn't matter. 22:48 All that matters what Jesus thought of me. 22:50 And, you know, sometimes we're very... 22:51 That's a very important point, Taj. 22:53 That's an extremely important point. 22:55 If we have that relationship with Jesus, 22:57 we're not gonna be embarrassed, we're not gonna be afraid. 23:00 And it's an encouraging thing to go and study 23:02 the Word of God, find out about Jesus 23:05 because He will empower you to do those things, 23:07 which you would never have done before. 23:10 Yeah, I mean, 23:11 I felt like I was the least likely candidate 23:13 to do any of those things. 23:15 You know, I'm real shy. 23:17 I'm an introvert naturally, 23:19 grew up as the only child 23:20 so kind of socially awkward and my English very limited, 23:24 in Hawaii, we speak real broken English. 23:27 And so communication is not something 23:29 that's natural for me, 23:31 but it's definitely supernatural. 23:32 It's a gift from God. 23:35 But the Lord started giving me opportunities to share. 23:38 I preached my first sermon when I was 16. 23:41 And just started being a witness. 23:43 And looking back when I sat 23:46 through those evangelistic series, that prophecy seminar 23:50 and hearing the man of God speak from God's Word. 23:53 The impact was so profound on my life, 23:57 that as I sat there, even before I made a decision 24:00 to get baptized, it was as if God was saying to me, 24:03 Taj, one day you're gonna be standing 24:04 where that man in standing, 24:06 one day you're gonna be doing what he's doing. 24:08 And I felt Him calling me 24:10 not only into relationship with Him, 24:12 but I felt God calling me to be an evangelist 24:16 to do the work of ministry. 24:17 And you mentioned before that your parents remarried. 24:21 When was that in relation to this? 24:23 That was around the same time period. 24:24 That's what I was thinking 'cause you said 24:25 when you were 19, you had a brother born, 24:27 but three years prior to that your parents had remarried. 24:29 So I was thinking. 24:31 Well, they got married for the first time. 24:32 Yeah, they never married, yeah. 24:33 Well, had been married for the first time. 24:35 Yeah. Yeah. 24:36 But it seemed to be a must have been around that time. 24:37 Yeah. 24:39 Around the same time, again, that verse, God says, 24:41 I'll restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten 24:45 was not only applied in the wasted influence I had, 24:48 but even the relationships, my parents and my loved ones, 24:52 you know, I caused them so much pain, 24:54 but now I was able to, you know, make them proud, 24:59 you know, in a way that I... 25:01 The Bible says, I was once blind, but now I see. 25:03 Amen. 25:04 And that's a really encouraging thought. 25:07 So how did you go, you started going into evangelism? 25:10 I had one more thing I wanted to ask. 25:12 Your father, your mother had become a Christian, 25:14 what about your dad? 25:16 My dad was still praying for him. 25:17 Oh, good. Yeah, so... 25:20 So people can join you in prayer? 25:22 Yes, yes. I appreciate that. 25:24 We're still praying for dad. 25:26 You know, if I had spiritual conversations 25:27 with him here and there, 25:30 but yeah, we're still praying that God will help him too. 25:34 That he will get it. 25:35 Yes. 25:37 You know, sometimes, when we're witnessing, 25:40 you know, we speak, but sometimes we talk too much. 25:43 And so sometimes 25:44 when we're trying to reach our loved ones, 25:46 and our family members, or friends, or anybody, 25:49 yes, God wants to use our voice, 25:51 but sometimes we have to shut our mouth 25:52 and let our lives do the talking too. 25:54 I think that's so important, Taj. 25:55 Yeah. 25:57 You know, everybody needs love, doesn't matter who you are, 26:00 love gives you identity. 26:02 And if you don't have love, it's like a void. 26:06 And as children love the appearance, 26:08 they acknowledge 26:10 that they have a concern or an interest in them. 26:12 If we don't do that, 26:14 it's just like you're in a family, 26:16 but no one is really related in any specific way, 26:21 but that's important that we love 26:23 show that love in our lives, 26:25 wouldn't have to say too much, just love them, you know. 26:27 Amen. 26:28 And it can be too that it's hardest 26:30 to reach people in your own family. 26:33 Yes, difficult. 26:34 Sometimes we need to pray 26:35 that God would send other people 26:37 in the lives of our loved ones 26:39 to exert that influence over them. 26:41 And God can do it. 26:43 And sometimes it's because 26:44 you were so earnest in wanting to see them saved, 26:47 that you actually don't really work with God. 26:52 Yeah. Sometimes we make mistakes. 26:53 You're doing it in your own strength 26:54 trying to reach them. 26:56 Yeah. 26:57 My question was going, did you go and study 26:58 in further do further studies, you finished school? 27:02 What did you do? 27:03 I've graduated from high school. 27:04 And I was, you know, praying, seeking God 27:07 as to what He wanted me to do next. 27:10 And the verse that kept coming into my mind was Acts 1:8, 27:15 where the Lord spoke to the disciples before 27:17 He ascended to heaven, and He said, 27:19 "Go to Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, 27:23 then to the outermost parts of the earth." 27:25 And the principle I got from there is that 27:27 if you want to be a world changer, 27:29 you need to start closest to home. 27:31 You need to do the duty that lies near us. 27:34 Be faithful in the little things. 27:36 And like Jesus have a faithful regard 27:38 for the one soul audience, 27:40 the person that got places in your path from day-to-day. 27:44 And so because of that, I made the decision, 27:46 I felt the Lord leading me to just stay home 27:49 and be a missionary in my own hometown. 27:52 Before I go off to school, or do ministry somewhere else, 27:56 I wanted to have an opportunity to reach my community. 27:59 And so I stayed home for a year, 28:01 as a missionary, a Bible worker. 28:06 My goal is to knock on every door in my community 28:08 in that time period, 28:10 and offer Bible studies to every person I could. 28:13 So that's what I did for the whole year, 28:14 I supported myself by canvassing, 28:16 selling Christian books as I went door to door. 28:19 And it was a wonderful growing experience in my life. 28:24 That's when I was able to see several of my friends 28:26 and their family members baptized, 28:28 and no one trained me I just, the Lord was my trainer. 28:33 He was my teacher. 28:34 He's the best teacher. Yes. 28:36 And life experiences are another teacher too, 28:40 but to have that experience, 28:41 you know, when you said you went back to your school, 28:43 and you shared that with your school friends 28:45 that is a very interesting thing 28:48 because most times, we tend to hide, 28:52 we tend not to say, well, we're different, 28:55 but, you know, God's saying be bold, 28:57 be bold for Me, you know. 28:58 Amen. 29:00 And go forward. 29:01 Yes. That was great. 29:03 So then, you were doing I just think that's wonderful, 29:06 that you first started with your friends at school, 29:10 then you went to your town before you did anything else? 29:14 And that is really, really good. 29:15 It's a wonderful idea. 29:17 Yeah, I mean, I had influence. 29:19 So when I use it, 29:20 the people closest to me, you know. 29:22 And you also know people don't you in your town? 29:24 Yeah. Yeah. 29:25 And selling the books is a good way. 29:26 You need something that will open the door. 29:28 Yeah. 29:29 I think of what a contrast, they knew you before. 29:33 And they now see you, what a contrast, 29:35 you know, they'd have to say, what's going on here, you know? 29:38 Yes. 29:39 And I wanted to capitalize 29:40 on the freshness of that experience, 29:42 the dramatic contrast between before and after. 29:46 I wanted to let the Lord use that to really make an impact 29:50 on those around me right away. 29:53 And so, that's something I want to encourage our listeners, 29:57 and that is you don't have to feel like you have to go 29:59 some faraway place to be missionary, 30:01 although God does call us in faraway places, 30:04 but you can be a missionary wherever you go. 30:07 And there's people all around us every single day, 30:10 they need to see the things that we have seen, 30:13 need to hear the words of life that we have heard. 30:16 And God wants to use us to be able to share that with others. 30:19 And to do it as soon as you can is the most important thing 30:23 because then it becomes your way of life. 30:25 If you leave it off and say, 30:27 "Well, I'll do it at a more convenient time." 30:30 That convenient time often never comes. 30:32 That's true. 30:33 And you miss a wonderful opportunity 30:36 that you will not get again, in the same way. 30:38 Amen. 30:39 I mean, it was definitely out of my comfort zone, 30:41 knocking on doors, talking to people, 30:43 I was very shy, but somebody said, 30:47 you know, there is no growth in the comfort zone. 30:50 You know, and so if you just stay in the comfort zone, 30:52 you're not gonna grow, you got to get out of the comfort zone. 30:56 And that's where you get into the growth zone 30:58 that God can stretch you and mold you. 31:00 And to be honest, I believe that 31:02 it was because I got involved in ministry right away 31:06 without a, you know, official title 31:08 or position or anything like that. 31:09 Just getting involved, just doing 31:11 what I can as a witness as a servant of Jesus, 31:13 that God kept me focus, and kept me close to Him. 31:17 You know what happens you become dependent 31:19 on Him full-time. 31:20 Amen. 31:21 And not just on the outskirts, but full-time. 31:24 And that's the power of God. 31:26 He wants to empower you and to help you to achieve 31:29 what He wants you to achieve. 31:31 What Jesus taught us, go and do the same. 31:34 And that's a good story. 31:35 So, you're now a year away 31:38 from when you're first baptized. 31:39 What happens next? 31:41 I went to two year Bible College, 31:44 Bible School, training school in Arizona. 31:46 Okay. 31:47 And it was a Leadership School, Christian Leadership School. 31:50 And there it was my wilderness experience 31:54 from the white sandy beaches of Hawaii 31:57 to the dry hot arid desert of Arizona. 32:00 The hot. 32:02 So that was my wilderness experience. 32:03 Arizona's all beach but no ocean in sight. 32:06 Yes. That's true. 32:08 That's true. 32:09 Plenty of cactus. 32:10 Yeah. We had a great experience. 32:12 Yeah, the only thing green was the cactus. 32:14 Very, very different from Hawaii, 32:16 but yeah, the Lord blessed after graduating 32:18 from that Bible College. 32:21 I was hired by the Central California Conference 32:24 to do evangelism, 32:25 and to lead out in the Bible work program 32:29 that was there. 32:31 And so immediately we started working 32:33 and I stayed there for the next 11 years. 32:38 Towards the beginning of that I married 32:39 my high school sweetheart. 32:41 And we're a team in ministry. 32:44 This photo. 32:46 Yep. That's... 32:48 On Hawaii. Yeah. 32:49 How do you said? Hawaii. 32:50 Hawaii. 'Cause we say Hawaii. 32:52 And every time I hear you say it, 32:54 Taj, it sounds a lot nicer, you know. 32:56 Yeah, Hawaii. 32:58 Hawaii. Yeah. 32:59 So I actually met her part of the story 33:01 was the last part of the high school. 33:06 I actually transferred to the Christian Academy 33:08 in Hawaii, Hawaii Mission Academy. 33:10 Okay. And that's where I met Wati. 33:14 And so we... 33:17 She also went to the same Bible College, and then after that, 33:20 we got married. 33:21 Very good. 33:23 I like it when I heard you speak one time 33:25 about the sweet Maui onion. 33:28 Maui onion. Maui onion. 33:29 That's right. Maui onion. 33:31 Yeah. 33:32 So she lives on the island of Maui or she grew up on Maui. 33:36 And in Maui, they have the best onions. 33:39 The onions there are so sweet. 33:41 You can eat it like an apple. 33:42 Is that right? Yeah. 33:43 They're very different. 33:45 And so I call it my sweet Maui onion. 33:47 And I like that. 33:49 We'd like to be called an onion. 33:51 Everyone wholly understands. 33:53 Yeah. 33:54 They all love them. 33:55 Yeah, yes. Good stuff. 33:57 Something very special. Yeah. 33:59 So you embarked on evangelism, right? 34:03 So you are not funded by anyone else. 34:06 Just you're doing it yourself when God provides? 34:09 We were there in working for the conference. 34:12 Central California Conference 34:14 for we're there at least 10, 11 years. 34:16 What a great time there. 34:18 The administration was supportive. 34:22 We had a territory of about 150 churches. 34:25 And so we'd go from church to church conducting 34:28 Bible prophecy seminars. 34:30 We did over 50 of them during that time period. 34:34 That's a lot. 34:35 But then within about four years ago, 34:37 three or four years ago, 34:38 my wife and I just 34:40 had a growing conviction in our hearts, 34:42 that it was time for us to spread out even further. 34:46 We'd gone to Jerusalem or Judea and Samaria, 34:49 and we felt a tug of conviction 34:51 to go to the uttermost parts of the earth. 34:53 We started getting invitations to do meetings 34:57 and outside of the conference in other countries. 35:01 And so after much prayer, much counsel, seeking the Lord, 35:06 we resigned from that position as the conference evangelists, 35:10 to step out on faith 35:11 to start our own supporting ministry. 35:14 We move back home to Hawaii. 35:15 And so Hawaii is our home base, 35:18 but we're only there maybe three months out of the year, 35:20 the rest of the time we're traveling, 35:22 doing evangelism, revival and training, 35:24 discipleship, mostly in other countries. 35:27 And so, we just were asking God that He would be able to use us 35:33 to make the biggest impact we could make. 35:35 And so that's the way that He led us 35:37 and it's been wonderful since we resigned four years ago, 35:40 the Lord has taken us to 40 countries 35:43 and it's been 35:46 a tremendous adventure of faith. 35:50 So how does Wati feel about all this? 35:52 How does she... Well. 35:53 Because behind every successful man is a, 35:56 what sort of a woman, Rosemary? 35:58 Oh, I can't remember 35:59 all the different things they put there. 36:01 Certainly a praying woman. 36:02 Yeah. 36:04 You can't win with a praying woman, 36:05 you know that. 36:06 Yeah, I mean, my wife is definitely 36:09 the backbone of the ministry, I'm the face, 36:12 but she's the one that does everything behind the scenes. 36:15 And we are able to travel together, 36:17 which is a blessing. 36:18 She's a registered nurse. 36:20 And she was working as a nurse 36:21 when we were local 36:23 in the conference in California, 36:25 but because we stepped out 36:26 and our ministry is more international now, 36:28 she also resigned from her nursing position 36:32 to join in the full-time ministry 36:35 to be able to run this ministry and so that we can, 36:39 we think is really important that we can travel together 36:42 to protect our marriage, 36:43 and to protect our ministry. 36:45 The Bible says it's not good for man to be alone. 36:47 Do you know how true that is? That's so true. 36:49 And it's really good for you sort of like a pastor, right? 36:54 I'm more of a lay evangelist. Yes. 36:56 But like a pastor, 36:59 you're going around preaching the gospel, 37:01 you're sharing the good news, 37:02 you're bringing people to Christ. 37:04 And for a man doing that sort of job, 37:08 to have his wife by his side is really important 37:12 because then there's a number of reasons 37:15 and a couple of them one, 37:16 it helps you and your wife to stay bonded. 37:20 It helps keep both of you faithful 37:24 because you're together, 37:26 but it also helps her to have part of that ministry, 37:31 to have the heart of that ministry in herself. 37:33 Absolutely. 37:34 It's not something that's separate to her. 37:37 The husband's doing his thing, I'm doing my thing. 37:40 And you don't have that same, oh, guess what happened. 37:44 But when you're working together, 37:46 you share the experience the whole time. 37:47 Yeah. 37:49 The other important thing, you become an example. 37:52 You know, there's a lot of separation in the world, 37:55 there are a lot of people going their own separate ways, 37:57 but a couple together working together 38:00 is a witness for God's glory because He had intended 38:05 that man and a woman should be together. 38:07 And I think it's very important. 38:10 It is. It is. 38:12 So you've got your series on 3ABN Revelation of Hope. 38:16 When did you film that? 38:19 We filmed that back in 2013 38:22 in my wife's home Island in Maui. 38:24 And we had a great time there during that those meetings. 38:29 My mother-in-law, my wife's mom, 38:31 she actually attended 38:32 and she got baptized during those meetings. 38:34 That's exciting. Yeah, that's wonderful. 38:35 Yeah, it's beautiful experience, 38:37 but we're grateful the Lord gives us 38:39 the opportunity to actually record that, 38:41 it's actually 3ABN only actually 38:44 is sharing 20 of the messages, 38:46 but it's actually a 35-part series that we... 38:49 Put a lot of work into it. 38:51 Yeah, definitely. 38:53 But we've been receiving messages 38:56 from people all over the world, 38:57 you know, they send us testimonies 38:59 of how they really enjoyed the messages. 39:02 And so we're just so grateful, 39:04 you know, like the verse we started today. 39:07 It's by the grace of God, I am what I am, 39:10 you know, I like to tell people that I'm just a beggar 39:13 trying to share some bread, 39:15 you know, there's nothing special with me. 39:18 It's all about Jesus, and what He's done for me, 39:21 He wants to do for everyone, 39:23 and even more so and changing us, 39:26 and then using us to change others. 39:29 How old is your brother now? 39:31 He's 17 years old. Yeah, he's about to graduate. 39:33 He's in his last year of high school. 39:36 So how's he going? 39:37 How's he trekking in life? 39:38 Oh, he's a lot better than I was for sure as a teenager, 39:41 you know, having both parents and my mom brings him to church 39:45 and so he's learned about Jesus and whatnot. 39:48 And so he's definitely a lot better kid 39:51 than I was and I'm grateful for that. 39:53 I'm just gonna backtrack a little bit 39:55 when you're working with the Californian Conference, 39:57 right? 39:59 You're receiving a wage. Your wife is working. 40:02 She's getting a wage. 40:03 And I know that, you know, that's a reasonable amount 40:05 you can live very comfortably. 40:08 Would that be right? Oh, yeah, for sure. 40:10 Yeah, you make that decision. 40:12 And the some other, 40:15 another thought must take part in your mind. 40:17 And that's the one of faith. 40:20 You make the decision to go out a lot... 40:21 To go out... 40:22 Yeah, to go out on your own is not an easy thing. 40:25 And we've had that experience too, 40:28 but there is a joy and an experience 40:30 that you will never ever have, 40:32 until you come to give your whole dependence on God 40:36 to provide for you. 40:37 And watch, sit back and watch the miracles. 40:41 It is just story after story how God helps you to survive. 40:46 Absolutely. 40:47 I mean, making that decision of resigning from, 40:51 you know, the financial security 40:53 of that position was something that caused us to hesitate 40:56 and really wonder, 40:58 you know, how's this gonna work out, but... 41:00 We really had to think seriously. 41:02 Yeah, and we prayed, we got counsel from a lot of people. 41:04 So it wasn't a hasty decision for sure. 41:06 We spoke with people, we counseled, 41:09 we sat down and counted the costs, 41:11 but we didn't know how it was gonna work out. 41:14 We didn't know how the Lord was gonna provide, 41:16 but we knew that He would. 41:18 And so the Lord gave us the faith to step out. 41:22 And I like to say that, 41:23 if it's God's will, it's His bill, 41:25 He'll take care of you. 41:26 I like that. I like that. 41:27 I agree with that too. 41:29 We were convicted that this was God's will, 41:30 you know, staying there in that position would have been good, 41:33 you know, we're having a lot of success. 41:35 People appreciated us, 41:37 the conference wanted us to stay, 41:39 it would have been good for us to stay, 41:41 but good is the enemy of the best. 41:44 And we don't really have time to be doing just good things. 41:48 We only have time to be doing the very best things. 41:51 And for us, that which was best would 41:53 that which would impact us more and impact 41:57 the world more was forced to make that decision. 41:59 And sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two, 42:02 but when we seek the Lord, 42:04 He promises to make the path clear for us 42:08 as we move forward by faith. 42:10 And so we did that. 42:11 And the Lord is taking care of us. 42:14 He's grown our faith 42:15 in the process, for sure, but... 42:16 The blessing is on the go. 42:18 And I keep telling, you know, working at 3ABN, 42:21 it's so important that 42:23 if you know that God is with you, 42:26 He can't do anything really very much 42:28 until you take a step in faith. 42:30 So the blessing is on the go, you take the step, 42:33 and then watch what God does. 42:35 And so it's an exciting experience 42:37 to be involved in God's work. 42:38 You know, there's been times when we didn't have any money, 42:42 and just happen to the time God would provide it. 42:45 It's time after time again, 42:48 you know, we're very fortunate, 42:50 you know, we became involved with 3ABN at a later age, 42:54 we've been missionaries ourselves. 42:57 And we always, always thought, you know, 43:00 everyone's buying homes and having cars. 43:03 And here we got nothing. 43:04 Well, I want to tell you, God doesn't let that continue. 43:08 He actually turns that around. 43:09 So you have a home, you have a car and you have no debt 43:12 in such a short time. 43:14 That's a miracle of God. 43:15 That's what giving your life to Him 43:17 and allowing Him to use you. 43:19 That's what He does for you. Amen. 43:20 And not everyone will experience that, 43:22 but that's usually the case that we hear from people 43:25 how God is blessed. 43:27 Yeah, I mean, 43:28 it also reminds me of when the Israelites 43:30 were standing on the bank of the River Jordan. 43:33 The Promised Land was just ahead. 43:36 And the water was raging. Yes, and flood. 43:38 And they were waiting for something to happen, 43:41 like what God did for the Red Sea 43:43 and parting the waters, 43:45 but God did not part the waters right away. 43:48 So they didn't know what to do, but they knew that 43:50 it was God's will for them to move forward. 43:52 And so once they took a step in the water, 43:55 that's when God parted the river. 43:57 That's when He made the way plain. 43:59 Sometimes we're standing there waiting for God to do it. 44:02 And nothing happens because we're not really waiting on God 44:05 as God is waiting on us to take that step of faith. 44:09 And so if we know it's God's will for us 44:11 to move forward, go ahead and move forward. 44:13 And the Lord will make, 44:15 He'll part the River Jordan for us. 44:17 And sometimes we have to test the water 44:19 to see whether or not God's going to part it. 44:23 We may not know whether to go forward or not. 44:26 And sometimes we have to actually 44:28 go forward and see whether or not 44:29 that's the way He's leading. 44:31 Yeah. 44:32 And if the waters don't part in a way doesn't become clear, 44:36 then we need to say, okay, Lord, 44:38 that's obviously not the way you wanted us to go. 44:41 Direct us another way. 44:43 But if God wants you to go that way, 44:45 yeah, you've got to take the step first before God will, 44:49 you know, say good now that you're believing me, 44:53 I will do something 44:54 because the line between faith and presumption 44:57 can be very close. 44:58 It's true. 44:59 And you can say right, I'm gonna go out and do this. 45:02 And God's gonna bless me... 45:05 but maybe you're being presumptuous, 45:07 the only way to try to find out is actually to test the water. 45:11 Absolutely. 45:12 And then if it doesn't work, 45:14 well, then you know that that wasn't the way of faith. 45:16 Yeah. That was my way. 45:18 It's true. 45:20 Can you think of a story, Taj, 45:21 that sort of sits right in your mind 45:23 with someone who didn't believe and you shared with them, 45:25 and they accepted the truth? 45:28 My own family members would, 45:31 are the first ones that come to my mind, 45:34 you know, I had been a Christian 45:35 for about eight years. 45:37 And I started doing my first evangelistic prophecy seminars, 45:41 and none of my family ever came to church with me, 45:46 after all those years of inviting them, 45:48 but when I was in, 45:51 when I first started doing these meetings, 45:54 I've been a Christian for eight years, 45:56 my grandpa came, 45:57 and I thought he would only come once, 46:00 you know, he wasn't really interested in the Bible. 46:03 He just wanted to hear his grandson stand up 46:04 and talk in front of people. 46:06 And so he came... 46:07 That's a good enough reason. Yeah. 46:09 And so he came and started coming 46:11 every single night to the seminar. 46:13 And we came to the topic where we talked about 46:16 the God that can restore broken lives, 46:18 the God of new beginnings. 46:20 And I made a call for people to come to the front 46:23 for baptism. 46:25 And my grandpa responded. 46:26 And at the end of those meetings, 46:28 he was baptized. 46:29 And that was one of the great joys of my life, 46:31 you know... 46:32 It was worth it, wasn't it? Yeah. 46:34 Seeing him in the waters of baptism weeping, 46:37 he told me, "Grandson, I sinned so much. 46:40 I need you to baptize me." 46:41 And I had that honor and privilege. 46:43 I like to say that he held me when I was born, 46:45 but I held him when he was born again. 46:48 Yes. It was beautiful. 46:49 You're full of these really good little sayings. 46:52 It only helps you to remember. 46:55 I remember talking about older men. 46:58 I remember when we were at 3ABN one year, 47:01 and John actually took a Saturday night vespers 47:05 on how to do Bible studies and get results. 47:09 And he asked if anybody would like to commit themselves, 47:14 to finding someone to study with, 47:17 and to bring them into the church. 47:19 And within the next 12 months, when we came back, 47:22 we would find out what had happened. 47:24 And three or four people, wasn't it? 47:27 Said that they would do that. 47:29 One of them was a man, he was in his 80s. 47:32 He said, "I have been in the church all my life 47:34 and I've never brought one person to God." 47:36 Wow. 47:37 He said, "I want to do this." Amen. 47:39 He felt empowered. 47:42 He said, "I now know what to do." 47:44 Beautiful. 47:45 After all those years, 47:47 the following year when we went back... 47:48 Couldn't wait to see us. 47:50 He told John, 47:51 "Not only did I have studied with someone 47:53 who has now been baptized, 47:54 I'm now standing with two more people." 47:56 Oh, praise the Lord. That's beautiful. 47:58 And so it was really good. 47:59 He did die a couple of years after that, 48:02 but before he did die, 48:03 he was actually bringing people into Christ. 48:07 Yeah, you know, I believe as Christians, 48:09 our calling in life is not just to know God, 48:13 but to make Him known. 48:15 And we can only make Him known if we know Him, 48:18 but those two things are not two separate things. 48:21 They're really the same experience. 48:23 When we truly know Him, 48:24 we want to make Him known and that doesn't mean 48:27 we're gonna reach everybody, 48:29 but not everyone's gonna respond, 48:31 but at least give an opportunity for people 48:34 to know the God that we know. 48:36 See, one of the things you said was that 48:38 when you started doing the Bible studies at school, 48:42 you would invite people 48:43 to come at lunchtime and do Bible studies, 48:46 you didn't really know what you were doing, 48:47 but you did it anyway. 48:49 And one of the big problems for people in the church 48:54 is that they don't know where to start. 48:57 They don't know how to do it. 48:59 And so they don't do anything. 49:01 Yeah. 49:03 But you started with just saying, 49:07 "Yes, Lord, I'm available, basically." 49:09 Because God was the one who empowered you then. 49:12 Amen. 49:13 He gave you the success to be able to do it 49:15 and gave you the understanding to be able to go through 49:19 and do better and better at it. 49:21 Yeah, that's one of the reasons 49:23 why my greatest passion is to encourage 49:26 and inspire people because if God can use me, 49:29 He can use anybody. 49:30 You see, God is not looking for a capability. 49:32 He's looking for availability. 49:34 And when we make ourselves available to God, 49:36 He makes Himself able in us and through us. 49:39 And you don't have to be, 49:41 you know, very far ahead of someone 49:43 in order to lead a person. 49:44 You just got to be 49:46 just a half step ahead of someone 49:47 to lead someone spiritually. 49:49 And in fact, if you were way far ahead, you know... 49:52 You may lose it. You lose the person. 49:55 And so you don't have to wait till you know everything. 49:57 Just share what you got. 49:58 That's what I was waiting for. Share what you got. 50:00 Yeah, and if it's this match share that much. 50:01 Amen. 50:02 Because God then puts that much to you to share. 50:04 And God promises in Proverbs 11:25, 50:07 "He that waters shall be watered also himself." 50:10 You may have a little bit of water, 50:12 give what you have, and God will give us some more. 50:14 And so, a bit like the story of the widow. 50:21 And Moses, sorry, Elijah when he went there, 50:25 and he said, during the drought, 50:27 terrible drought, 50:29 give me something to eat a piece of bread, 50:32 but I've just got 50:33 a little bit of oil left and a little bit of flour, 50:35 and I'm gonna make the last thing, 50:36 a little cake for me and my son, 50:38 then we're gonna die, and got no more food, 50:40 or just make something for me first. 50:42 So she did. 50:44 And throughout the rest of that drought, 50:47 she kept having flour and oil, to make the bread, 50:52 make the cake, for herself, her son, and Elijah. 50:56 And just God kept filling it. Amen. 50:59 And so as you go forward, 51:00 God keeps filling it in giving you more and more. 51:03 That's right. 51:04 It's the same sort of story. 51:06 We just have to make ourselves available, 51:07 like you said, and then God equips us, 51:10 that's the power of the Holy Spirit 51:12 working in the person's lives 51:14 'cause He knows who you're communicating to. 51:17 It may be only a little thing that you say, 51:19 but that in turn creates that response to God, 51:23 which was maybe never there before. 51:25 And I kind of think of 51:27 the overall picture in the Bible, 51:30 you know, God, when He, the Bible says 51:31 when He made Adam and Eve, it was His intention 51:34 that they would live with Him forever 51:36 throughout eternity. 51:38 And, you know what? 51:39 The good news is, He still wants that for you and me, 51:41 He still wants us to live throughout eternity with Him, 51:45 but it's Jesus that makes that possible. 51:47 And as we share our experience of knowing Jesus here now, 51:51 God is then able to reveal Himself in His character, 51:55 which changes you and me to be more like Him. 51:58 So it's a powerful message that the plan of salvation 52:02 is such a wonderful story, 52:04 that we need to share it with everyone, Taj. 52:06 Amen. 52:07 As fast as possible, 52:09 efficiently as possible by God's grace alone. 52:12 I'm just gonna take the break right now. 52:15 If you are wanting to get in contact with Taj 52:19 and his ministry at all, 52:21 we do have his details 52:24 that we're going to give to you now. 52:26 So if you've got a pen and a paper, 52:28 I want you to write these details down. 52:34 If you want more information about 52:36 Revelation of Hope Ministries, 52:38 donate to them or even have Taj speak in your church. 52:41 You may contact them in the following ways. 52:44 Write to PO Box 969, 52:46 Loma Linda, California 92354, USA. 52:51 That's PO Box 969, 52:53 Loma Linda, California 92354, USA. 52:58 Email them on 52:59 info@revelation ofhopeministries.com 53:02 That's info@revelation ofhopeministries.com 53:08 or visit their website, 53:09 www.revelationofhopeministries. com 53:13 Contact them today. 53:16 I hope you took the details down. 53:18 Revelation of Hope Ministries 53:20 is a real catching term for a ministry, 53:24 you know, that ministry doesn't survive 53:26 by someone paying them to work in that ministry. 53:30 They rely on the support of people just like you. 53:34 And this ministry is growing, 53:35 it's reaching young people all over the world. 53:39 And it's something you may want to consider 53:41 in helping Taj and his wife 53:43 to continue this ministry of just sharing Jesus 53:46 in a very practical way, Taj. 53:48 And also if people want to anywhere in the world, 53:51 want to call them and ask if they can come to... 53:54 Do some programs. Do programs with them. 53:56 Yeah. 53:57 You do them in universities, in churches? 53:59 Absolutely, full-time. 54:01 We just do these, mainly prophecy seminars, 54:04 but revival meetings, evangelism training, 54:08 spiritual retreats, 54:09 we're just thankful to be available to serve. 54:13 And we've made ourselves available for that... 54:15 You're open to wherever the Lord leads you, 54:17 but you have to make that effort 54:18 like he has to make the step in faith. 54:21 And I'm sure that they will be a blessing. 54:23 I think that doing the spiritual retreats, 54:28 but also the training. 54:30 I mean, what a great opportunity 54:31 for some churches to get together 54:33 and have you come 54:34 and bring their church members together for, 54:37 you know, a few nights or in a couple of weeks 54:40 or something and have you and what He trained them 54:43 on how to spread the gospel? 54:45 What we recognize is that the work of God 54:46 is not going to get completed by addition, 54:48 but only by multiplication, not by adding members, 54:51 but multiplying messengers. 54:52 I like that. 54:54 And it's only when all of God's people shouted 54:56 that the walls of Jericho come crumbling down. 54:58 It wasn't just a few voices at the top shouting, 55:01 in the same way, the only way the walls of Babylon 55:04 spiritual confusion will fall is when all of God's people, 55:07 all of His church 55:08 use their voice to give that loud cry message. 55:11 And that's where we're going to see this work finishing, 55:13 so that Jesus can come and we can all go home. 55:16 It's our burden is really not just to proclaim, 55:18 but to train and to multiply workers. 55:20 Which is absolutely fantastic 'cause you have started off 55:24 there as we've heard in high school, 55:26 and you've gone on and learned and learned, 55:28 but now you can help other people learn 55:31 how to do the things as well. 55:33 And if there's a little church, say, even five people, 55:39 and each one of them was able to bring one person 55:42 into the church in the year. 55:44 Double the church. 55:45 They've doubled it, and then if each 55:46 one of those 10 brought one person in, 55:49 in a year, they'd have 20 people... 55:52 And it is possible. Etcetera. 55:54 That's how God works. 55:55 Like you said, a multiplication. 55:57 Amen. And it's possible. 55:59 You know, Taj, your story 56:00 is not really familiar with what, 56:03 you know, the programs we've done before. 56:06 You've started out as a practical experience, 56:10 you've learned from practice, 56:12 and, you know, there's a lot of people say, 56:14 oh, you got to get a theology degree, 56:16 and you got to go out there and you got to do this, 56:18 but the reality is, if you surrender 56:19 your heart to Jesus, and you follow Him, 56:22 that's the credentials that you want 56:25 to empower you to do more for Him, 56:27 then maybe others would be able to do. 56:29 Yeah, because you did that training in Arizona 56:32 for two years, and then the California Conference 56:34 hired you to go and do evangelism. 56:38 Yeah, I believe our greatest qualification 56:41 is our experience with Jesus. 56:42 That's what the disciples had. 56:44 They were unlearned and ignorant men, 56:46 but people marveled. 56:47 They were amazed. 56:49 They were moved, they were impacted 56:50 because they had been with Jesus, 56:52 and I just want to be with Jesus. 56:54 I can be able to share Him with others as well. 56:57 Just in a nutshell. 56:58 Your friends and family and neighbors 57:01 at your town would have seen. 57:02 Just in a nutshell, if there's a young person 57:04 out there thinking about doing something, 57:06 what would you say to them, Taj? 57:07 I would encourage that young person 57:09 to recognize that God has placed a calling, 57:11 a divine calling for your life. 57:14 There's a divine intention behind your existence, 57:16 and God has given you life not for you to waste it on yourself 57:20 or the foolish things of this world, 57:22 but to use it for the glory and honor of His name 57:25 to make an impact for eternity. 57:26 So it doesn't matter who you are, 57:28 what your life is like, 57:29 the broken situation you find yourself in today. 57:32 God wants to change you, and then through you. 57:34 He wants to change the whole world for eternity. 57:37 As I encourage you, give your life to Jesus. 57:40 And as Taj has told us those words, 57:42 hold them in your heart, do the will of God, 57:45 and we'll see you next time. |
Revised 2021-02-11