¤¤
00:00:00.20\00:00:06.23
¤¤ ¤¤
00:00:10.44\00:00:22.05
[ Congregation sings ]
00:00:22.05\00:00:24.02
>> "Ponder anew." [
Congregation sings ]
00:01:58.98\00:02:02.82
Amen. Praise to
God Almighty, who is
00:02:15.10\00:02:17.63
and and who was the Lord
that created the universe and
00:02:17.63\00:02:22.04
everything inside of
it. Praise His holy name.
00:02:22.04\00:02:25.07
[ Guitar plays ]
00:02:25.07\00:02:27.08
"Lord of all creation."
[ Congregation sings ]
00:02:34.05\00:02:39.12
"When I stumble." [
Congregation sings ]
00:03:43.82\00:03:48.09
>> [ Coughs ] Ugh! Oh!
00:05:57.49\00:05:59.39
>> Oh, my
goodness! Are you okay?
00:05:59.39\00:06:00.99
>> Please help me!
>> Oh, you poor man.
00:06:00.99\00:06:02.72
I know just what you need.
00:06:02.72\00:06:04.13
>> Water? >> Prayer! >> Oh.
00:06:04.29\00:06:05.69
>> Oh, Lord, I want my
dear friend... >> Steve.
00:06:05.69\00:06:07.86
>> Steve. >> Steve, yeah.
>> ...to my dear friend Steve.
00:06:07.86\00:06:10.43
He has been battered
and bruised... >> [ Coughs ]
00:06:10.43\00:06:12.60
>> ...by the storms of life.
>> It's actually just robbers,
00:06:12.60\00:06:14.80
but... >> And I pray that you'll
bring him comfort and healing
for his broken heart.
00:06:14.80\00:06:17.27
Amen! >> It's actually
just my ribs are crushed.
00:06:17.27\00:06:19.01
>> Now do you feel better? >>
Yeah, sure, you could say
something like that.
00:06:19.01\00:06:21.48
>> What was I thinking?! I know
just what you need. Stay right
00:06:21.48\00:06:23.75
here. I'll be right back! >>
Funny thing -- I can't go
anywhere, 'cause my legs are
00:06:23.75\00:06:26.78
broken! >> Hey!
>> Hey, what's up?
00:06:26.78\00:06:29.02
>> Someone take me to a
hospital. >> Everyone, this is
00:06:29.02\00:06:32.22
Steve. >> Hi, Steve, how are
you? >> Now, someone please help
me. >> Steve, we heard about
00:06:32.22\00:06:36.86
your troubles, so we brought
you some things. >> Yeah.
00:06:36.86\00:06:39.16
>> Bandages? >> No, silly
-- pamphlets. >> Pamphlets?
00:06:39.16\00:06:42.03
>> He's going to help you see
the error of your ways. >> Wait,
00:06:42.03\00:06:44.80
my ways? >> And get you back on
the road to righteousness. >>
How 'bout a pathway to a
00:06:44.80\00:06:47.80
hospital? [ Laughter ]
>> Wait, guys, everybody get
00:06:47.80\00:06:51.17
behind Steve. I want to
get a photo of us helping him.
00:06:51.17\00:06:53.81
Ready? One, two... >> Not
even in the picture. >> Smile.
00:06:53.81\00:06:56.95
>> That's very cool. >>
One, two, three! >> There we go!
00:06:56.95\00:07:00.58
>> Perfect. >> At least tag me,
you know. Just tag me. That'll
00:07:00.58\00:07:04.92
be cool. >> Wow, Steve, look at
all the likes you're getting.
Look! >> Look at the comments!
00:07:04.92\00:07:09.86
>> You did not tag me. >>
Wow. >> Wait, guys, I know.
00:07:09.86\00:07:12.93
Let's sing him a song of
encouragement. >> That's a good
00:07:12.93\00:07:15.40
idea. >> I really don't want
to hear you guys sing. >> Steve.
00:07:15.40\00:07:17.67
>> Rather go to a hospital.
>> What's your favorite praise
00:07:17.67\00:07:20.37
song? >> Is there one about
having a mild concussion? >> Oh,
00:07:20.37\00:07:22.94
Steve! [ Laughter ] >> I am
not joking. >> Oh, wait, guys.
00:07:22.94\00:07:25.57
>> Definitely not joking. >> Did
you notice the time? >> We're
00:07:25.57\00:07:28.81
going to be late! >> Oh, sorry,
Steve, but we got to go. >>
Where else could you go?
00:07:28.81\00:07:32.31
I'm dying. At least take me with
you. >> Oh, oh, Steve, Steve.
00:07:32.31\00:07:35.12
Before we leave, we took up a
collection for you just to help
you with your troubles.
00:07:35.12\00:07:39.32
>> $6? >> Oh! Uh,
that one is actually mine.
00:07:39.32\00:07:42.79
Thanks. >> Oh! $1. >>
Keep you in our prayers!
00:07:42.79\00:07:47.40
>> See ya later,
Steve! >> Bye! >> Bye, Steve!
00:07:47.40\00:07:48.96
>> Nice meeting you!
>> Take me with you! Ugh!
00:07:48.96\00:07:51.60
Ohh! Oh, my heart! [ Coughs ]
00:07:51.60\00:07:58.67
>> You know, it feels nice to
give back, doesn't it? >> Yeah,
00:07:58.67\00:08:02.18
we really did good today.
00:08:02.18\00:08:03.65
>> It's a miracle! He's
alive again. Alright, very good.
00:08:07.52\00:08:10.49
Okay, now, is it good to
pray for people? Absolutely.
00:08:10.49\00:08:15.06
Is it good to give money to
help those that are in need?
00:08:15.22\00:08:18.16
Absolutely. Is it
good to share books and
00:08:18.16\00:08:20.43
things that will
help them? Absolutely.
00:08:20.43\00:08:22.73
But what about the story of "The
Good Samaritan"? What if he had
00:08:22.90\00:08:26.20
done those things instead of
what he actually did? What if he
saw the man on the side of the
00:08:26.20\00:08:29.74
road and he said, "Oh, here's a
bag of money, and here's a
scroll with some great words of
00:08:29.74\00:08:33.38
wisdom on it, and let me pray
with you, and let's sing a quick
hymn," and then he went on the
00:08:33.38\00:08:38.25
way on his journey? Well, he
wouldn't have been a bad
Samaritan, but he wouldn't have
00:08:38.25\00:08:42.22
been a good Samaritan. He would
have just kind of been okay. But
it would have been a lot
00:08:42.22\00:08:46.49
easier, right? Because it's a
lot easier to pray that God that
00:08:46.49\00:08:49.72
will send someone to help than
to actually go and help
yourself. And sometimes, we need
00:08:49.72\00:08:54.73
to be careful that we don't use
that as an excuse to not help
people the way that God wants us
00:08:54.73\00:08:59.27
to, because sometimes He puts
people in our path that He wants
00:08:59.27\00:09:03.67
us to reach out. And He wants us
to not just be okay Samaritans.
He wants us to be good
00:09:03.67\00:09:07.51
Samaritans -- not to do what is
easy, but what's good. So, thank
you for being a great
00:09:07.51\00:09:12.91
audience, and you guys
can head back to your seats.
00:09:12.91\00:09:15.58
[ French horn and organ play ]
00:09:23.63\00:09:25.63
¤ Set me as a seal ¤ ¤ Upon your
heart ¤ ¤ As a seal upon your
00:09:45.25\00:10:01.00
arm ¤ ¤ Set me as a seal ¤ ¤
Upon your heart ¤ ¤ As a seal
00:10:01.00\00:10:19.35
upon your arm ¤ ¤ For love is
strong as death ¤ ¤ Love is
strong as death ¤ ¤ For love is
00:10:19.35\00:10:31.36
strong as death ¤ ¤ Strong as
death ¤ ¤ Set me as a seal ¤ ¤
00:10:31.36\00:10:41.94
Upon your heart ¤ ¤ Seal upon
your heart ¤ ¤ For love is
strong as death ¤ ¤ For love is
00:10:41.94\00:11:01.22
strong as death ¤ ¤ Is strong
as death ¤ [ Organ plays ]
00:11:01.22\00:11:10.80
¤ Many waters ¤ ¤ Cannot
quench love ¤ ¤ Many waters ¤
00:11:32.52\00:11:36.36
¤ Cannot quench love ¤ ¤ Many
waters ¤ ¤ Cannot quench love ¤
00:11:36.36\00:11:40.56
¤ Nor can floods drown it ¤
¤ Many waters ¤ ¤ Cannot quench
00:11:40.56\00:11:45.80
love ¤ ¤ Cannot quench love ¤ ¤
Floods cannot drown it ¤ ¤ Many
00:11:45.80\00:11:57.55
waters ¤ ¤ Cannot quench love ¤
¤ Many waters ¤ ¤ Cannot quench
00:11:57.55\00:12:02.52
love ¤ ¤ Many waters ¤ ¤ Cannot
quench love ¤ [ French horn and
00:12:02.52\00:12:12.26
organ play ] ¤ Set me as a seal
¤ ¤ Set me as a seal ¤ ¤ Upon
00:12:42.36\00:12:48.83
your heart ¤ ¤ Seal upon your
heart ¤ ¤ As a seal upon your
heart ¤ ¤ Set me as a seal ¤
00:12:48.83\00:13:02.81
¤ Upon your heart ¤ ¤ Upon
your heart ¤ ¤ Upon your heart ¤
00:13:02.81\00:13:08.82
¤ For love is strong as death
¤ ¤ For love is strong ¤ ¤ Is
00:13:08.82\00:13:34.18
strong as death ¤ [
French horn and organ play ]
00:13:34.18\00:13:36.18
>> Thank you, Analiz.
Beautiful horn playing.
00:14:02.37\00:14:07.11
Thank you, Jessica, for
leading the choir. Let's pray.
00:14:07.28\00:14:13.92
Oh, God, that's our prayer. Set
us as a seal upon your heart.
00:14:13.92\00:14:16.79
Love is as strong as death.
In you, love is stronger than
00:14:16.79\00:14:23.49
death. So, how, then, shall we
live on this World Missions
Sabbath as we wrap up a week of
00:14:23.49\00:14:30.57
prayer on this university
campus? Open our eyes. How,
then, should we live?
00:14:30.57\00:14:36.94
Show us, show us, show us.
We pray together in Jesus' name.
00:14:36.94\00:14:42.58
Amen. So, a few days ago in
Tokyo, I'm riding from the 9th
00:14:42.74\00:14:46.01
floor down to breakfast on
the 2nd floor -- a Denny's.
00:14:46.01\00:14:49.95
And I'm looking at the elevator.
I'm saying, "Wow! Ooh!"
00:14:49.95\00:14:55.42
I saw a notice posted by
the management of the hotel in
00:14:55.42\00:14:59.46
Japanese and in
English. I read the English.
00:14:59.46\00:15:01.90
It was so jarring and startling,
I grabbed my camera out of my
00:15:01.90\00:15:05.77
back pocket. "Chk,
chk!" I got the picture.
00:15:05.77\00:15:07.67
I'm going to show
it to you right now.
00:15:07.67\00:15:08.97
Take a look at this.
It's in the elevator of that
00:15:08.97\00:15:12.67
very modern hotel.
00:15:12.67\00:15:14.21
Hmm.
00:15:19.08\00:15:20.28
"There may be a missile going
overhead tonight, but sweet
00:15:40.64\00:15:44.44
dreams. Good
night." [ Laughter ] Wow.
00:15:44.44\00:15:47.91
You can't believe that. But the
truth is, the Japanese people,
from the beginning of
00:15:47.91\00:15:54.62
time, have had to live with
a war footing. Many times, they
00:15:54.62\00:16:00.59
have been the victims. And yes,
they have been the aggressors,
00:16:00.59\00:16:05.19
as well. [ Inhales sharply ]
Truth is, it's not just Japan
that's living on a war footing.
00:16:05.19\00:16:10.20
Thanks to the uncertainty about
North Korea, nobody's sure
anymore about anything on this
00:16:10.20\00:16:14.97
Earth. You know that, I know
that, and you know what, God
00:16:14.97\00:16:19.24
knows it. God knows that the
entire planet is on a war
footing for a cosmic conflict
00:16:19.24\00:16:25.65
the likes of which we have never
seen before. I want to run them
by you as you put the title
00:16:25.65\00:16:31.75
slide for this little World
Missions Report on the screen.
00:16:31.75\00:16:34.39
I want to run three
texts by you. Boom, boom, boom.
00:16:37.79\00:16:40.46
See if Japan is not in these
three promises from the Old
00:16:40.46\00:16:43.77
Testament. Check it out. Let
me know if I'm wrong afterwards.
00:16:43.77\00:16:46.60
Okay, let's look at the
first text. Open your Bible to
00:16:46.60\00:16:49.37
Psalms -- Psalm 113. Come
on, take a look. Didn't bring a
00:16:49.37\00:16:53.71
Bible? Grab a pew Bible
in front of you. Scroll down.
00:16:53.71\00:16:56.18
If you have your device with
you, Psalm 113, verse 3. Ooh!
00:16:56.18\00:17:03.28
Here it is! I'm pretty jazzed
that that one line captures both
00:17:10.19\00:17:14.30
of my homelands. Did you know
that? From the rising of the
sun, on a circular planet, which
00:17:14.30\00:17:20.70
this one happens to be, in the
Northern Hemisphere. Do you
understand that the day
00:17:20.70\00:17:24.74
on Earth begins -- because of
the time zones, the day on Earth
begins, most significant nation,
00:17:24.74\00:17:29.58
it would be Japan first. That's
where the world's day begins,
with the sunrise in
00:17:29.58\00:17:34.12
Japan. And guess where the sun
sets. The last major nation on
00:17:34.12\00:17:37.99
the planet to see the sun set
before the next day begins, it
would be the U.S. of A.
00:17:37.99\00:17:43.29
You're right. Both of my
homelands, 14 years -- born in
00:17:43.29\00:17:47.00
and then 14 years in Japan --
and by the way, those pictures
were a total surprise.
00:17:47.00\00:17:50.00
I had no idea that was going to
be happening today. 14 years
there, and then I left.
00:17:50.00\00:17:56.17
But now the sojourn of my life
is in this homeland that I share
with you, from the rising of the
00:17:56.17\00:18:02.88
sun to its setting. In fact,
the Japanese are known, and they
00:18:02.88\00:18:06.98
call themselves, "The Land of
the Rising Sun." Their national
flag, and you recognize it -- Hi
00:18:06.98\00:18:12.15
no maru, "circle of the
sun." Put it on the screen.
00:18:12.15\00:18:14.72
Ubiquitous. You can see -- this
is the one flag that's
recognized anywhere on Earth.
00:18:14.72\00:18:17.46
Some of them, we kind of
struggle with -- how many
stripes, how many stars, what's
00:18:17.46\00:18:20.30
up with that? But not this one.
The whole world knows that's
00:18:20.30\00:18:23.63
Japan. During the war years, the
Imperial Army used this flag.
00:18:23.63\00:18:27.30
Put that one on the screen. You
get the sunrise feel there. I
have that little flag hanging
00:18:27.30\00:18:31.84
on my desk at home in my study.
Land of the Rising Sun. "And God
declares that the day
00:18:31.84\00:18:38.21
is coming when the people in the
land of the rising sun and the
people in the land of the
00:18:38.21\00:18:41.75
setting sun and all the people
in between will praise the God
00:18:41.75\00:18:46.39
of Heaven." Isn't that
something? Here's the second
text. Malachai, chapter 1, last
00:18:46.39\00:18:50.23
book of the Old Testament.
Malachai, chapter 1. Take a look
00:18:50.23\00:18:54.23
at this. Malachai 1. You'd be
surprised how many places this
00:18:54.23\00:19:00.67
east/west sun metaphor is used
throughout the Old Testament.
00:19:00.67\00:19:03.51
Here it is --
Malachai, chapter 1, verse 11.
00:19:03.51\00:19:05.54
God is speaking. "My
name will be great among the
00:19:05.54\00:19:08.31
nations, from where the sun
rises" -- that would be Japan --
"to where it sets" --
00:19:08.31\00:19:11.98
that would be the United States
-- "in every place" -- even in
00:19:11.98\00:19:16.42
between... "From the rising of
the sun to the setting, I will
be there." One last text --
00:19:23.99\00:19:29.56
Isaiah, chapter 59. Isaiah 59.
Go back. The east/west metaphor
00:19:29.56\00:19:34.77
captured powerfully here. Only,
look what else is disclosed when
00:19:34.77\00:19:39.54
you talk about sunrise and
sunset. Look at this. Isaiah,
chapter 59, verse 19.
00:19:39.54\00:19:45.91
Isaiah, 59,
verse 19. Here we go.
00:19:45.91\00:19:51.89
There it is again.
They will revere His glory.
00:19:57.93\00:20:00.46
Now, look at that. I got
the New King James on the
00:20:00.46\00:20:03.03
screen.
00:20:03.03\00:20:03.97
Unlike other sunrise/sunset
passages -- and there are a
bunch more -- this one reveals
00:20:11.77\00:20:18.48
that the Creator, God of the
Universe, is going to experience
00:20:18.48\00:20:22.68
resistance on this planet. There
will be an enemy. The enemy is
00:20:22.68\00:20:25.72
not named. You just read it. No
name, no identification. There
will be an enemy that will
00:20:25.72\00:20:29.82
flood the land, will overcome
the people, that will take
possession of their land, their
00:20:29.82\00:20:34.66
society, their culture, and rule
over it. The famous Japanese
00:20:34.66\00:20:43.87
novelist Shusaku Endo wrote this
global best-seller that
Hollywood has just turned into a
00:20:43.87\00:20:51.11
feature-length movie. Title of
his book, put it on the screen
for you -- "Silence."
00:20:51.11\00:20:57.12
Both the movie and the book with
that title -- "Silence." In the
book, he chronicles the
00:20:57.12\00:21:02.19
disturbing historical reality of
the failure of the Jesuit
missionary infiltration into
00:21:02.19\00:21:07.66
Japan in the 16th century. The
book and the movie accurately
depict the ruthless
00:21:07.66\00:21:13.54
efforts to annihilate this young
Christian faith beginning to
spread across Japan during
00:21:13.54\00:21:19.81
the Tokugawa shogunate, which
began in 1600 A.D. In fact, one
00:21:19.81\00:21:26.85
well-known tactic that the
feudal lords -- the samurai --
one well-known tactic was when
00:21:26.85\00:21:32.45
they assembled suspected
Christians, they would place on
the ground a plaque. It would
00:21:32.45\00:21:37.59
have either Jesus on it or Mary.
That bronze or wooden plaque
would be placed on the ground,
00:21:37.59\00:21:41.20
and then the command
would be, "Alright, you're not a
00:21:41.20\00:21:44.37
Christian. Step on that." You
know, Japanese would not step on
anything that would
00:21:44.37\00:21:48.44
bring disgrace to it, whatever
it is -- his mother's picture or
a picture of Christ.
00:21:48.44\00:21:54.44
And then, the warlords would
watch. Does the foot go over it
00:21:54.44\00:21:58.88
and tremble and then come back
and then go on? And they called
00:21:58.88\00:22:03.28
it fumi-e. "E" is "picture,"
"fumi," "step on." Fumi e.
00:22:03.28\00:22:07.39
Here's one captured,
archeological -- a bronze one.
If the foot went down...
00:22:07.39\00:22:14.30
[ Stomps ] ...they may have
been a Christian, but they just
00:22:14.30\00:22:17.10
decided living is better than
dying, and that's -- "You may
go." But for the one who
00:22:17.10\00:22:21.30
hesitates, the woman who says
no, the man who steps back, the
young adult who says, "I'll not
00:22:21.30\00:22:25.61
step on that" -- "Shcccck!"
And it was bloody, ruthless
00:22:25.61\00:22:34.15
martyring. How's
that text go, again?
00:22:34.15\00:22:36.05
Isaiah, 59:19?
00:22:36.22\00:22:38.75
Therein, in those short lines,
lies the cosmic, the dark cosmic
00:22:49.56\00:22:55.64
conflict that is pinned down
and held in the iron grip of the
00:22:55.64\00:23:01.48
enemy.
00:23:01.48\00:23:02.78
The archipelago, the islands of
Japan, for centuries. But the
promise we just read
00:23:02.94\00:23:11.52
indicates that this Creator,
God, when the enemy comes in
like a flood, this Creator, God
00:23:11.52\00:23:18.16
Himself, will raise into the air
a war banner that challenges the
grip of the enemy holding that
00:23:18.16\00:23:26.90
land somewhere between the
sunrise and sunset.
Interestingly enough, when the
00:23:26.90\00:23:36.04
apocalypse describes the dragon
in Revelation, chapter 12 -- and
in Japan, the dragon is a
00:23:36.04\00:23:44.15
mythical, mythical, extremely
recognized national symbol --
when the apocalypse reveals the
00:23:44.15\00:23:53.66
dragon in verse 16. The
apocalypse reads, "And the
dragon spewed water.
00:23:53.66\00:24:02.37
A flood came out of the dragon's
mouth to destroy the seat of the
women, those who are loyal to
00:24:02.37\00:24:08.34
Christ Himself." When the
enemy comes in like a flood...
00:24:08.34\00:24:13.42
[ Whooshes ] ...blood-dipped
war banner is held up.
00:24:13.42\00:24:19.99
Wow. You'll pardon me for
my very parochial reading of
00:24:19.99\00:24:25.16
scripture. But to me, it is an
absolute assurance, a divine
promise that one day, God will
00:24:25.16\00:24:29.86
have the last word in Japan. He
will have the last word in that
land and every pagan
00:24:29.86\00:24:34.10
stronghold on this planet. A
year or two ago, the president
of the Japan Union Conference,
00:24:34.10\00:24:42.31
Masumi Shimada, but we call him
"Shimada Sensei." It's an
honorific suffix to any
00:24:42.31\00:24:47.55
name of a pastor, a doctor, a
teacher. Sensei, sensei, sensei.
00:24:47.55\00:24:53.25
He wrote me -- we grew up
together as boys. He wrote me,
00:24:53.25\00:24:57.89
said, "Dwight, you got to come
over here. The pastors of the
Japan Union Conference are
00:24:57.89\00:25:01.83
attempting something we have
never attempted before." He
didn't have to tell me.
00:25:01.83\00:25:05.73
The first time in the history of
the church in Japan. Listen very
00:25:05.73\00:25:09.14
carefully. In the month of May,
that's four months -- three
months away -- in the month of
00:25:09.14\00:25:16.78
May, 163 evangelistic events
will simultaneously be conducted
on the islands of the great
00:25:16.78\00:25:25.09
nation of Japan. 163. >> Amen!
00:25:25.09\00:25:29.16
>> [ Exhales deeply ] "I need
you to come over and talk to the
00:25:29.16\00:25:34.36
pastors." I'll tell you what,
I love this man. Does he have a
00:25:34.36\00:25:38.93
passion for Japan. He got up at
the end of the meetings, at the
00:25:38.93\00:25:43.47
very end, he got up, and he said
stuff I have never heard a
church leader ever say anywhere
00:25:43.47\00:25:50.88
on this planet.
He bared his soul.
00:25:50.88\00:25:53.21
The truth is, the Adventist
Church in Japan is, right now,
00:25:56.35\00:26:02.52
fighting for life, meaning its
members are passing away, with
fewer and fewer new members to
00:26:02.52\00:26:09.46
take their places. It's just --
this is the graph. It's just
going like this. They know that
00:26:09.46\00:26:14.64
one day, they will have the last
funeral and somebody will turn
the lights out for that church,
00:26:14.64\00:26:21.58
for the nation. Do you know that
the median age of church members
00:26:21.58\00:26:26.65
in Japan is 71? The median
age -- half above, half below.
00:26:26.65\00:26:34.49
What's our membership, Dwight?
Well, it's somewhere between
00:26:34.49\00:26:39.46
10,000 and 15,000. Closer to
10,000, I'm telling you. You
see, Christianity in
00:26:39.46\00:26:43.93
Japan -- unlike Korea, unlike
the Philippines, unlike China --
is barely a single percent of
00:26:43.93\00:26:48.94
the national population of 127
million. 10,000, what proportion
00:26:48.94\00:26:53.17
would 10,000 be to 127 million?
Don't even bother figuring it.
It's just negligible.
00:26:53.17\00:27:00.55
And by the way, lest we feel
rather smug about the church in
America -- North America, or
00:27:00.55\00:27:05.25
wherever it is you're from, but
I'm thinking of the west right
now -- let us be reminded that
00:27:05.25\00:27:10.49
the median age in the Adventist
-- this faith community -- right
00:27:10.49\00:27:14.46
now, the median age is either
54 or 57. We're not far behind.
00:27:14.46\00:27:19.53
That's the point. In fact, the
church, the indigenous populace
of the church in the United
00:27:19.53\00:27:23.81
States is shrinking. We are fast
becoming an immigrant church.
00:27:23.81\00:27:27.31
You know that, I know that. It's
not just the United States. It's
the United Kingdom.
00:27:27.31\00:27:32.28
It's not just the United
Kingdom. It's Western Europe,
00:27:32.28\00:27:34.35
it's Eastern Europe. The secular
west and the secular east share
00:27:34.35\00:27:42.16
the same fate, the same enemy,
the same overwhelming flood that
is seeking to kill and crush any
00:27:42.16\00:27:50.43
seed of the king
left in that nation. My.
00:27:50.43\00:27:57.61
Let me read this to you. Verse
19 in the NIV because the Hebrew
00:27:57.61\00:28:02.08
can go either way. You have two
very variant translations, but
they're both right.
00:28:02.08\00:28:07.05
Verse 19, this is the NIV.
00:28:07.05\00:28:08.88
"I've been waiting and waiting
and waiting, and now this is my
00:28:16.69\00:28:20.93
day."
00:28:20.93\00:28:22.13
...or spirit...
00:28:25.67\00:28:27.27
God is not going stand by and
let 127 million people perish.
00:28:32.57\00:28:35.94
"I'm so sorry. We just didn't
have enough resources to get to
00:28:36.11\00:28:39.41
you." [ Inhales, exhales deeply
] "Wish you were coming home."
He's not going to do it.
00:28:39.41\00:28:43.35
He will not do it. I read you
three texts that say "From the
land of the rising sun
00:28:43.35\00:28:47.42
to the land of the setting sun
and everywhere in between, I
will have the human race."
00:28:47.42\00:28:53.86
Hmm. The only hope of both the
west and the east is, as we just
00:28:53.86\00:29:00.20
read, God'll have to storm this
generation, this civilization,
this secular, this neo-pagan,
00:29:00.20\00:29:06.01
former-Christian society in the
U.S., not to mention Japan. He
will have to storm it with
00:29:06.01\00:29:12.18
the supernatural. He will have
to do as he did with the pagan
00:29:12.18\00:29:15.62
Roman Empire in the Book of
Acts. "There's only one resort.
You want to throw me dark
00:29:15.62\00:29:19.42
miracles my way? Let me show you
the real thing." And in Acts,
00:29:19.42\00:29:23.73
the code language for God
showing up and rolling up his
sleeves and saying, "Alright,
00:29:23.73\00:29:30.50
demons. Top this," it's called
"signs and wonders." A moment
ago, I told you I'd be talking
00:29:30.50\00:29:37.14
about signs and wonders. Signs
and wonders. It's no surprise
that Jesus' last words in the
00:29:37.14\00:29:42.84
Book of Acts before he's caught
up into that cloud, Acts 1:8.
00:29:42.84\00:29:46.38
Look at this. Jesus speaking to
his followers. "You're staying.
00:29:46.55\00:29:50.05
I'm leaving." The daily baptism
of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus
00:30:01.93\00:30:05.10
is promising his followers
will provide his catalyst.
00:30:05.10\00:30:08.30
That's been our theme in the
Week of Prayer -- catalyst,
catalyst, catalyst.
00:30:08.47\00:30:12.04
Jesus is the catalyst. >> Amen!
>> He will provide the catalyst,
00:30:12.04\00:30:17.25
through the spirit, for
penetration, our penetration,
into every level of society,
00:30:17.25\00:30:25.05
every culture on this Earth.
The daily baptism of the Holy
00:30:25.05\00:30:30.46
Spirit. So, guess what. That was
my theme for the 13 sermons I
preached over there to
00:30:30.46\00:30:34.00
the 85 pastors in Japan, to the
12 theology majors that I met
with in the college outside
00:30:34.00\00:30:41.70
Tokyo -- Saniku Gakuin, by the
way, a college with 201
students, 70% of whom are
00:30:41.70\00:30:48.04
non-Christian --
pagan. 70%. Yeah.
00:30:48.04\00:30:53.75
How to be baptized by the Holy
Spirit. You know that my heart
00:30:53.75\00:30:58.39
has been burdened since last
August by that reality. I never
knew about it before.
00:30:58.39\00:31:02.12
Oh, I'd heard about baptism of
the Holy Spirit, of course, but
00:31:02.12\00:31:06.26
daily? And then, I came across
that little book, and that book
has changed my life.
00:31:06.26\00:31:09.30
It's changed my ministry. It's
changed my worldview. It's
changed everything.
00:31:09.30\00:31:12.43
And that's why I've been on
it with you. Back again, I'm not
00:31:12.43\00:31:15.50
going to let you forget. This
isn't going to be just something
00:31:15.50\00:31:18.67
we pass on. "What's the next
theme?" No. Because it's only
when the Spirit of the Lord
00:31:18.67\00:31:25.18
raises up a war banner against
the flooding enemy that the
conflict is reversed and God
00:31:25.18\00:31:31.32
wins. >> Amen! >> But it
has to start with people who are
00:31:31.32\00:31:34.82
baptized every single day by the
Holy Spirit, who every day when
they wake up say, "Fill me
00:31:34.82\00:31:38.06
today, fill me today, fill me
today, fill me today." >> Amen!
00:31:38.06\00:31:41.26
>> So, that was my theme of the
80 pastors and the 12 theology
majors -- "How to be baptized by
00:31:41.26\00:31:44.80
the Holy Spirit." And wouldn't
you know it, I got three stories
00:31:44.80\00:31:48.10
to share with you now, and I'll
sit down. Wouldn't you know it?
My first day, it's a Friday.
00:31:48.10\00:31:51.74
I left Wednesday morning, get
there Thursday night. You know
00:31:51.74\00:31:55.44
how this crazy date line works.
So, I wake up Friday morning,
sun streaming through the
00:31:55.44\00:32:03.32
curtains. And I'm using Robert
McCheyne's method of reading
00:32:03.32\00:32:07.96
through the Bible, first time
I've ever used this. And so,
Genesis 11, that Friday,
00:32:07.96\00:32:13.96
is my chapter. Well, everybody
knows that chapter of Genesis,
00:32:13.96\00:32:17.03
11, that's the Tower of Babel.
"Well, good, I know that story,"
but as I'm reading down, I come
00:32:17.03\00:32:20.30
across words I wrote a year ago
when I read my friend Jacques
Doukhan's masterful
00:32:20.30\00:32:24.77
commentary on Genesis that just
came out last year. So it was
00:32:24.77\00:32:29.08
his thought, and I scribbled it
in the margin. And so I stop and
read in the margin.
00:32:29.08\00:32:32.71
Now, Jacques makes this
profound point. Get this.
00:32:32.71\00:32:35.75
"God confounded human language
at Babel" -- true or false? It's
00:32:35.75\00:32:40.36
true. "God confounded human
language at Babel but reversed
the curse at Pentecost."
00:32:40.36\00:32:45.83
Mm! That's right -- he did.
And just like that, a prayer
00:32:45.83\00:32:52.67
welled up in my soul. I mean,
this was unplanned. [ Pops lips
00:32:52.67\00:32:56.10
] And I'm saying, "God, Holy
Spirit, isn't that something?
00:32:56.10\00:33:01.61
You reversed the curse at
Pentecost. We're living in a
00:33:01.61\00:33:04.18
time of the reversal of the
curse. I need you to reverse the
00:33:04.18\00:33:07.82
curse for me. I left this land
when I'm 14 years old. I could
speak Japanese fluently.
00:33:07.82\00:33:11.45
I can't get -- I need to
-- I need to bond with these
00:33:11.45\00:33:15.09
spiritual leaders. I need to
connect. I need words to come
00:33:15.09\00:33:18.26
that I don't have. Would
you reverse the curse with me,
00:33:18.26\00:33:21.96
please? >> Amen! >> The next
morning, I'm preaching now in
the hospital, in the church
00:33:21.96\00:33:26.17
beside the hospital where I was
born. Yeah. Great translator.
00:33:26.17\00:33:30.14
He's the president of the
hospital. Machino sensei, fluent
00:33:30.14\00:33:35.04
in English and Japanese.
00:33:35.04\00:33:37.05
But I said, "Man, I'm going to
just plunge into this," and so
00:33:37.21\00:33:39.55
I started yakking in Japanese.
I was surprised to find,
00:33:39.55\00:33:42.45
actually, that they recorded
that, and there's a website
00:33:42.45\00:33:44.42
called the Amanuma Seventh-Day
Adventist Church website, where
00:33:44.42\00:33:46.89
that is all there. I
thought about playing a
00:33:46.89\00:33:48.72
portion now, but I said, "Nah,
you'd just be showing off."
00:33:48.72\00:33:51.46
[ Laughter ]
"That's all you'd be doing,
00:33:51.46\00:33:53.26
Dwight. We don't need that.
00:33:53.26\00:33:55.16
This isn't about
you." And he's right.
00:33:55.16\00:33:57.60
But I saw there, I said,
"Wow, you did answer that prayer
00:33:57.60\00:34:01.24
Friday morning, didn't you?"
All of a sudden, words were
00:34:01.24\00:34:03.61
coming -- "I've never spoken
that word in my lifetime since I
00:34:03.61\00:34:05.97
left this place.
Where did that come from?"
00:34:05.97\00:34:08.31
Reverse the curse!
00:34:08.31\00:34:10.08
The daily baptism of the Holy
Spirit, what's it about? It's
connecting with Him every
00:34:10.25\00:34:13.92
single day. Whatever life is
for you, you connect with Him.
00:34:13.92\00:34:16.75
"I got to have you today. I need
you to reverse the curse in my
00:34:16.75\00:34:20.36
life. Make me an agent in your
hands, o God." In this hospital,
00:34:20.36\00:34:27.03
in this classroom, in this
factory, in this marriage, make
me an agent for You.
00:34:27.03\00:34:33.30
Wow. God bless the Holy Spirit.
God bless our translators, by
00:34:33.30\00:34:38.11
the way. You know, I had two --
two -- Shino Sensei and then I
00:34:38.11\00:34:43.18
had Yamagi Sensei out at
the college for a bit. But guess
00:34:43.18\00:34:47.52
what. Do you know that the bulk
of the translating -- Now this
is gonna blow your head
00:34:47.52\00:34:50.42
out of the pew -- the bulk of
my translating was done by three
00:34:50.42\00:34:55.52
young American Anglo boys. Three
of them. Fluent in the language.
00:34:55.52\00:35:01.73
Two of them, Ben Nichols and Joe
Miller, are over there because
they want to pastor a
00:35:01.73\00:35:05.53
Japanese church. And they
stood up beside me for every
00:35:05.53\00:35:09.60
presentation. The third one,
Chad Christensen, grew up in
00:35:09.60\00:35:12.44
this church. His parents are so
proud of him, Brad and Sonia
Christensen. That's Chad.
00:35:12.44\00:35:16.38
He got his education over there.
He went to college over there.
He went to university over
00:35:16.38\00:35:20.05
there. He's fluent in Japanese.
Stand up beside me every day.
00:35:20.05\00:35:23.49
We have five 90-minute sessions
for those 12 theology majors.
00:35:23.49\00:35:30.33
Had it. God bless our
translators. God bless the Holy
Spirit. Oh, I got to show you a
00:35:30.33\00:35:35.66
picture. Yeah, I don't want to
forget this. There's a picture.
00:35:35.66\00:35:37.83
I want you to see -- Chad is all
the way to the left, all right?
So, that's the Christensen son,
00:35:37.83\00:35:41.57
and there they are -- 12
theology majors. One of the
theology majors is a
00:35:41.57\00:35:45.87
young woman. Praise God. Yeah.
00:35:45.87\00:35:48.24
Yeah. God bless the translators
and God bless the Holy Spirit.
00:35:48.24\00:35:52.41
All right, here comes story
number two. There are only three
00:35:52.41\00:35:55.25
of these. Story number two --
So, a few early mornings later
-- and by the way, when you're
00:35:55.25\00:35:59.25
jet-lagged, you know all about
early mornings. It's just life,
00:35:59.25\00:36:02.26
okay? So, a few early mornings
later, I'm having worshiped and
prayed. And somehow -- I don't
00:36:02.26\00:36:08.33
remember the context -- but I
thought I'd remind the Holy
Spirit that I left this land
00:36:08.33\00:36:12.10
when I was 14, like he needed
to know. Okay? But I came out, I
00:36:12.10\00:36:16.47
just said, you know, "It's been
-- Like, I left this place when
I was 14." And the moment I said
00:36:16.47\00:36:20.31
those words, the Spirit spoke
inside of me. I didn't hear a
00:36:20.31\00:36:24.11
voice, but he spoke it. "I know
you left when you were 14,
Dwight, but guess what --
00:36:24.11\00:36:28.25
I have never left this place."
>> Whoa. >> I stayed when you
00:36:28.25\00:36:34.22
left. Missionaries come,
missionaries go, missionaries
die. One of our dear friends,
00:36:34.22\00:36:39.06
Warren Hilliard, fell over one
day at the college of a heart
00:36:39.06\00:36:41.43
attack. He's buried in Japan.
"But I never left. I never leave
00:36:41.43\00:36:52.24
anywhere I am, and I'm
everywhere. You will never be
without me. The world will never
00:36:52.24\00:36:59.25
be without me. The enemy has no
cubic millimeter of land he can
00:36:59.25\00:37:06.09
say is mine. I claim it
all, in the name of King Jesus.
00:37:06.09\00:37:09.49
I'm boots on the ground, boy.
I never leave. Instead, Dwight,
00:37:09.49\00:37:15.63
while, before you were ever
conceived even in the mind, I've
been in this Land of the Rising
00:37:15.63\00:37:22.34
Sun. I was when the first human
beings moved into those islands.
00:37:22.34\00:37:25.84
I was there. I have been
working. I have been embedding.
I have been embedding the God of
00:37:25.84\00:37:29.64
the universe, the Creator, God,
in the very DNA of every city,
of every village, of every
00:37:29.64\00:37:33.45
Japanese mind, of every Japanese
heart. I have embedded myself.
00:37:33.45\00:37:39.39
And I have set up a string of
dominoes the likes of which you
00:37:39.39\00:37:43.46
will never see." All week long,
we've been enjoying dominoes on
this stage as a very clever and
00:37:43.46\00:37:47.66
effective illustration that our
chaplains put together. "I have
00:37:47.66\00:37:51.47
set up a string of dominoes,
Dwight, you cannot believe. And
when the moment is right --
00:37:51.47\00:37:54.24
and I'll decide when that moment
is right, you will not. When the
moment is right, I will
00:37:54.24\00:37:58.17
touch the master domino. And
when I touch that, it's over."
00:37:58.17\00:38:02.94
[ Imitates static ] "The
entire islands, I'll have them.
00:38:02.94\00:38:13.36
Everything I've done for
centuries will bear fruit
00:38:13.36\00:38:18.16
because a
great-great-great-grandfather
once whispered something to a
00:38:18.16\00:38:24.93
great-great-great-grandson who
passed it on. I have been at
work, and I'm not through.
00:38:24.93\00:38:30.31
And when I'm done, the whole
house of cards comes down. For
00:38:30.31\00:38:39.31
me." Wow. "I never
left, boy. I never left."
00:38:39.31\00:38:43.99
Well, let me read
that again -- Isaiah 59:19.
00:38:44.15\00:38:46.62
..."the Spirit of the Lord will
lift up a blood-stained banner
00:38:52.26\00:38:55.70
against him." I was
praying this morning
00:38:55.70\00:38:57.67
early. It just hit me.
00:38:57.67\00:38:58.77
I said, "God, this banner
-- this banner -- what is this
00:38:58.77\00:39:01.07
banner?" Ahh,
it came to my mind.
00:39:01.07\00:39:03.17
John 12:32 -- "I, if I be lifted
up," Jesus said, "I will draw
00:39:03.34\00:39:11.98
all people to me." That's why in
Revelation 12:11, the followers
of Christ, the Fumi-ye -- the
00:39:11.98\00:39:17.99
Fumi-ye martyrs who would not do
that, but said, "I'll die before
00:39:17.99\00:39:22.59
stepping on him." The Fumi-ye
martyrs -- Revelation 12:11
reads, "And they overcame the
00:39:22.59\00:39:27.30
dragon," the dragon of Japan,
the dragon of the world, and
they overcame the dragon "by the
00:39:27.30\00:39:32.43
blood of the Lamb and by the
word of their testimony. For
they did not cling to life,
00:39:32.43\00:39:36.54
even in the face of death." By
the thousands, they were
martyred, brutally.
00:39:36.54\00:39:42.58
Historical fact. And out of
it all, the Spirit who has never
00:39:42.58\00:39:50.79
left has been keeping a core.
He's been massaging a movement
that even the enemy does not
00:39:50.79\00:39:57.43
know of because the enemy
is extremely limited in his
00:39:57.43\00:40:03.77
knowledge. And the omniscient
and omnipresent God. The
dominoes are set up.
00:40:03.77\00:40:10.47
Pssh. When Jesus comes riding
into town in Revelation 19, back
00:40:10.47\00:40:14.74
to this earth, he's described as
wearing a white robe dipped in
00:40:14.74\00:40:19.35
blood. That's the banner. It is
a blood-dipped war banner. When
the enemy comes in like a
00:40:19.35\00:40:24.55
flood, the Spirit of
God says, "Stop! No farther.
00:40:24.55\00:40:29.89
This is my
country. Goodbye. Goodbye."
00:40:29.89\00:40:35.23
Guess what. What's true of Japan
is true of the United States of
00:40:35.23\00:40:39.90
America. "This is my country.
Goodbye." Paganism is winning
00:40:39.90\00:40:46.84
now, hands down. Paganism has
swept this nation. We'll talk
00:40:46.84\00:40:50.81
about it this afternoon on the
panel for this religious-liberty
gathering. Paganism is now the
00:40:50.81\00:40:56.12
hottest item in America, and
it's sweeping the nation up --
the young, especially.
00:40:56.12\00:41:01.02
Just sweeping them up. Why?
Because that's how it works.
00:41:01.02\00:41:05.56
"Give me the young, and I'll
take the nation." The Spirit
00:41:05.56\00:41:11.10
says, "Wrong. Stop! Not having
the young. Not these young,
00:41:11.10\00:41:15.80
they're mine. They're under the
blood. They'll die for me if you
00:41:15.80\00:41:20.71
make them. They're mine. Yeah.
So when you pray daily for the
00:41:20.71\00:41:25.61
baptism of the Holy Spirit, you
make yourself available to Him
in a strategic raising up of a
00:41:25.61\00:41:30.05
supernatural divine war banner
against the enemy. It's no
wonder Paul himself
00:41:30.05\00:41:33.79
exclaimed -- Oh, I love this
text. 2 Corinthians 10:4, on the
00:41:33.79\00:41:37.96
screen, please...
00:41:37.96\00:41:39.53
When the enemy comes in like a
flood, the weapons have divine
power to stop him in his tracks.
00:41:46.50\00:41:53.38
Now, he's gotten ahead of it.
He's ahead of the game for you
00:41:53.38\00:41:58.05
and me. But when you and I go
into these lands, we go in with
the winning edge already on our
00:41:58.05\00:42:06.02
side. A war banner dipped in
blood. I have the privilege of
being over there with my friends
00:42:06.02\00:42:13.76
Jerry and Janet Page who are the
ministerial department director
of the general conference, my
00:42:13.76\00:42:18.60
friends and our friends here.
They were members here for
years, Ron and Lisa Clouzet.
00:42:18.60\00:42:22.94
They are the directors of the
ministry department for the
Northern Asia division.
00:42:22.94\00:42:26.84
And Taj Pacleb did a week of
prayer here a year ago. His
wife, Wati, Evangelists,
00:42:26.84\00:42:30.81
young Evangelists from Hawaii.
In fact, I'll show a picture of
the 85, 89 pastors, whatever.
00:42:30.81\00:42:35.65
You see them on the screen. I
want you to see Shimada. The
guy's a hero to me.
00:42:35.65\00:42:39.79
He's in the light gray sports
jacket right in the middle
standing beside Taj, all right?
00:42:39.79\00:42:44.69
But there are all the -- There
are all the spiritual leaders.
163 Evangelistic events in one
00:42:44.69\00:42:51.43
month. Unbelievable. And
by the way, the president of
00:42:51.43\00:42:55.20
the general conference himself
will be there, and I'll be there
in May, one week, at the
00:42:55.20\00:43:01.01
college. Anyway, we took turns
presenting during the meetings.
00:43:01.01\00:43:04.91
And it was just a privilege
to work with these. But if these
00:43:04.91\00:43:08.65
strongholds that the enemy is
desperately hanging on to in
Japan are to be brought down by
00:43:08.65\00:43:12.62
supernatural weapons that can
demolish strongholds, then these
pastors -- you're looking at
00:43:12.62\00:43:16.49
them, keep it on the screen for
a moment -- these pastors have
got to grasp and appropriate the
00:43:16.49\00:43:21.00
intervention that group praying
brings à la the book of Acts.
The Japanese people are very
00:43:21.00\00:43:25.37
private people. They
don't do a lot of group praying.
00:43:25.37\00:43:28.40
But that's gonna have to change.
Acts is clear -- Orient, West,
East, it doesn't matter.
00:43:28.40\00:43:35.01
The strategy is you come
together to pray. You come
00:43:35.01\00:43:42.65
together. And our fear was that
after all this preaching -- and
it just coincidentally, all
00:43:42.65\00:43:46.19
coincidentally, the Spirit
aligned it so that we were all
dealing with prayer and the
00:43:46.19\00:43:49.89
baptism of the Holy Spirit and
all -- The fear was that there
would be so much information
00:43:49.89\00:43:56.23
poured in that the poor pastor
goes home and says, "What I do?"
The Japanese word is "Shikata ga
00:43:56.23\00:44:01.54
nai" -- "There's nothing I
can do. It just can't be helped.
00:44:01.54\00:44:03.71
I'm sorry. I don't know what
to do." And so, another early
00:44:03.71\00:44:08.38
morning, I woke up, and
God just is right there. 2:55.
00:44:08.38\00:44:13.42
He says, "You know what, Dwight,
I'm telling ya. You guys are
00:44:13.42\00:44:19.12
giving some -- It's my material,
but it's a lot -- it's a lot for
00:44:19.12\00:44:23.09
people to remember. They'd need
a paper. They need something
00:44:23.09\00:44:26.63
that will be one, two, three,
here's what you do. They don't
have to use it, but
00:44:26.63\00:44:31.43
they need it. You need to put
something together right now."
00:44:31.43\00:44:35.07
So I grabbed a yellow pad -- [
Imitates pen scribbling ] I
started texting the Couzets
00:44:35.07\00:44:40.41
and the Pages -- Everybody's
awake at this time, anyway. And
so, "Yeah, we'll help."
00:44:40.41\00:44:45.55
[ Babbles ] So everybody's
working. I said, "Send it back
00:44:45.55\00:44:48.92
to me. I'll put it in the
document." We got together for
prayer first thing in the
00:44:48.92\00:44:53.49
morning, and then we hit send
on the e-mail to Shimada Sensei.
00:44:53.49\00:44:56.62
Shimada Sensei -- [ Speaks
Japanese ] And here it is in
English. And that wasn't
00:44:56.62\00:45:07.04
English. "Would you please, we
need this by noon -- by noon." [
00:45:07.04\00:45:12.14
Speaks Japanese ] God bless him.
He found a translator -- Himaji
Se-- another young boy,
00:45:12.14\00:45:15.21
the kid brother of the other --
found him and he sat down for
three hours, translated that
00:45:15.21\00:45:19.78
into a four-page paper in
Japanese. I got a copy. I'll
00:45:19.78\00:45:23.28
keep it. I can never read it.
But just keep that paper. They
00:45:23.28\00:45:27.02
handed it out. The paper, good
to go, but I wasn't, because
Jerry turned to me and said,
00:45:27.02\00:45:33.06
"You know what, Dwight?
I'm supposed to have the last
00:45:33.06\00:45:36.13
presentation." I knew I had one
in the morning. But before I'd
even had my one, he said, "I
00:45:36.13\00:45:40.27
think you need to have it. You
need to have the last one. You
need to do the appeal.
00:45:40.27\00:45:42.50
You're the guy that
speaks Japanese. Come on.
00:45:42.50\00:45:44.81
Make -- You've got the connect.
You make the appeal." I said,
"Jerry, what would I
00:45:44.81\00:45:48.38
have to appeal?" Ron's got an
idea, Jerry's got another idea.
00:45:48.38\00:45:51.08
[ Exhales sharply ] I said,
"Man, this is gonna get me
through my own presentation
00:45:51.08\00:45:55.65
first." And then it came to
the lunch hour, and I said, "You
00:45:55.65\00:45:58.59
guys go eat." And I went
up to the -- They have a big
00:45:58.59\00:46:02.19
four-platform, four-story
parking garage beside the
hospital and this church. I went
00:46:02.19\00:46:07.00
up on the roof of the parking
garage and just started walking
around saying, "God, what am I
00:46:07.00\00:46:10.40
supposed to do? I mean, please.
What kind of appeal? Everybody's
00:46:10.40\00:46:12.93
got different suggestions. You
can't -- The Japanese ministers
00:46:12.93\00:46:16.27
are very reserved. They're not
gonna come forward just because
an American gets out front and
00:46:16.27\00:46:20.01
says, 'Come to the front.' So
what are you gonna do?" And I
wish I could tell you that
00:46:20.01\00:46:23.78
suddenly something emerged in my
mind, said, "Oh! That's it!" And
then a feeling of peace
00:46:23.78\00:46:29.08
stole over me. 10 minutes to go,
I walked back. But that's not
00:46:29.08\00:46:33.09
true. I just had no idea. 10
minutes later, I'm walking up
onto the platform with my young
00:46:33.09\00:46:37.36
American translator right at my
heels, and I open my mouth. And
God starts working.
00:46:37.36\00:46:44.63
He says, "Hey, do this. Do
that." I said, "But what about
00:46:44.63\00:46:48.57
the appeal?" "Don't worry
about it. Just keep going."
00:46:48.57\00:46:51.14
And the appeal came from out of
where? And it turned out to be
00:46:51.14\00:46:55.28
appeal -- If anyone here would
deny you -- would -- would take
00:46:55.28\00:46:59.68
-- would follow me, let him deny
himself. Take up the cross and
00:46:59.68\00:47:04.25
then follow me. Fumi-ye. I will
not follow. No foot I follow.
00:47:04.25\00:47:12.76
And I said, "Is there any --
Is there a pastor here who'd be
00:47:12.76\00:47:16.90
willing to say"... [ Stomps foot
] as I step on that, I will
follow and take up the cross.
00:47:16.90\00:47:22.37
It just -- Pbht. It was a moving
moment for me. The president got
00:47:22.37\00:47:28.78
up right after and bared his
soul. You know what? It's 'cause
00:47:28.78\00:47:31.95
you were praying. Lot of you
didn't know I was there, but
those who did were praying.
00:47:31.95\00:47:36.05
You were praying. The daily
baptism of the Holy Spirit is
00:47:36.05\00:47:40.36
not some little option that you
throw in just in case you might
need it someday. It's your life,
00:47:40.36\00:47:45.96
24/7. It's every day. Luke
12:11-12, "Don't worry about
what you're gonna say.
00:47:45.96\00:47:51.23
When you stand there, the spirit
of my father will give it to you
on the spot," and that's what
00:47:51.23\00:47:55.00
happened. That's what He
does. He does it for a living.
00:47:55.00\00:47:58.91
It's not a big deal to Him. It's
to you -- It's a big deal to us.
00:47:58.91\00:48:03.85
We got to ask Him every day, "I
don't know what's gonna happen.
The next patient that walks into
00:48:03.85\00:48:07.52
that door. I don't know what's
gonna happen when the professor
00:48:07.52\00:48:10.22
walks into this room. I don't
know what's gonna happen when my
roommate comes back.
00:48:10.22\00:48:13.25
I don't know what's gonna
happen, but you got to give me
00:48:13.25\00:48:15.79
something." "I'll give it
to you, just relax. Trust me."
00:48:15.79\00:48:19.09
Every day, you begin the day,
"Fill me today with the fullness
00:48:19.09\00:48:22.86
of the Spirit of Christ Jesus."
I learned how to pray that
prayer in Japanese, and the
00:48:22.86\00:48:25.73
reason I learned how to pray it
is because a friend of mine
who's sitting here right now,
00:48:25.73\00:48:29.10
Toru Hasegawa, here working on
his Ph.D. at the seminary. He
was one of my preaching
00:48:29.10\00:48:34.48
students years ago when he and
Grace were here. They have two
00:48:34.48\00:48:37.51
beautiful little daughters now.
Toru sent me a New Year's --
'Cause New Year's -- Christmas
00:48:37.51\00:48:40.62
is not the big day, it's New
Year's in Japan. He sent me a
00:48:40.62\00:48:43.69
New Year's card. He sent us a
New Year's card -- Karen and me
-- and he wrote on the back this
00:48:43.69\00:48:47.86
prayer for the Holy Spirit. I
saw it. I said, "That's how you
00:48:47.86\00:48:52.53
say it." And I've been praying
this prayer in Japanese ever
since, and I'm gonna sit down
00:48:52.53\00:48:56.30
right now, but not before making
sure you will pray it in
Japanese with me for the rest of
00:48:56.30\00:49:00.24
the journey. I'm gonna
put the prayer on the screen.
00:49:00.24\00:49:02.74
Use all the muscle you have in
that brain right now and
memorize this, please.
00:49:02.74\00:49:06.84
Now, there is a study guide in
your worship bulletin, and this
prayer is written there, so
00:49:06.84\00:49:10.38
don't panic.
Here's the Japanese...
00:49:10.38\00:49:12.25
Seirei means "Spirit." No is
the possessive, and kamisama is
00:49:14.05\00:49:17.62
"God." "Spirit of God."
00:49:17.62\00:49:18.99
Kite means "Come." Kite, kite,
kite, kite. That's what you say
00:49:21.26\00:49:25.03
to boys. Kite koi,
"Come on over here."
00:49:25.03\00:49:26.90
It's the very polite
-- "Would you please?"
00:49:29.46\00:49:31.77
So what are we
saying in English?
00:49:31.93\00:49:33.13
Put it up, please.
00:49:33.13\00:49:33.67
Seirei no
kamisama, kite kudasai.
00:49:36.27\00:49:38.14
I got to hear th-- I
got to hear you say it at
00:49:38.14\00:49:39.74
least twice before I
sit down. Okay, one time.
00:49:39.74\00:49:41.88
Just gonna look at the screen,
not at me, and say what you hear
00:49:41.88\00:49:45.25
me saying.
Seirei no kamisama, kite
00:49:45.25\00:49:49.18
kudasai. You got it.
00:49:49.18\00:49:50.99
Let's do it one more
time. Seirei no kamisama, kite
00:49:50.99\00:49:55.52
kudasai. You have
it on a study guide
00:49:55.52\00:49:57.49
now. You can put
it where you pray
00:49:57.49\00:49:58.99
every day and say, "Okay,
to humor Dwight, I'm gonna pray
00:49:58.99\00:50:01.30
this prayer in Japanese.
"Lord, I hope you understand
00:50:01.30\00:50:03.70
Japanese." And
He'll say, "I do."
00:50:03.70\00:50:06.53
Seirei no
kamisama, kite kudasai.
00:50:06.53\00:50:08.90
Let's say it in
English -- "Spirit of God --
00:50:08.90\00:50:11.51
Spirit of God, please come."
"Spirit of God, please come.
00:50:11.51\00:50:15.88
Today, fill me
today." What's the promise?
00:50:15.88\00:50:18.78
If you and I are filled with
the Holy Spirit and we ask -- we
00:50:18.78\00:50:22.35
ask for that daily baptism, that
prayer means that every morning
00:50:22.35\00:50:26.02
when you pray, "Come into my
life today," the day will come.
00:50:26.02\00:50:29.52
I promise you, when
Japan and the United States and
00:50:29.52\00:50:31.96
Andrews University and the
Pioneer Memorial Church and the
00:50:31.96\00:50:34.66
nations that are represented
here, the day will come when
00:50:34.66\00:50:38.33
you -- You got to see this.
This is the promise Jesus makes.
00:50:38.33\00:50:41.27
You're not gonna believe
this. Jesus spoke these words,
00:50:41.27\00:50:44.71
Matthew 8:11...
00:50:44.71\00:50:45.94
That would be Japan.
"Many will come from the
00:50:48.21\00:50:51.38
West" -- He's talking to
the Jews -- "and will take their
00:50:51.38\00:50:54.28
places at the feast with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the
00:50:54.28\00:50:57.22
Kingdom of Heaven." There
will be thousands, tens of
00:50:57.22\00:51:00.52
thousands from this planet
who will sit at the banqueting
00:51:00.52\00:51:04.43
table.
00:51:04.43\00:51:08.13
Because somebody was praying and
the Spirit of God raised a war
banner in the face of an
00:51:08.30\00:51:14.47
enemy coming in like a flood,
and He says, "That's as far as
00:51:14.47\00:51:19.37
you go." Somebody is asking to
be filled with the Holy Spirit
every day. Somebody in America
00:51:19.37\00:51:26.48
is begging for their baptism and
a fresh baptism of the Holy
Spirit every morning.
00:51:26.48\00:51:32.19
Pray that prayer. And many
-- Did you catch that word?
00:51:32.19\00:51:35.62
Many -- Many will come from the
East and the West. On that day,
when you and I will
00:51:35.62\00:51:44.97
join them -- oh, my. Pray that
prayer, and the Holy Spirit
says, "You become my
00:51:44.97\00:51:50.67
agent with the uplifted
blood-stained banner. You go,
and I go through you."
00:51:50.67\00:51:57.78
This has been Student Missionary
Week. I know some of you
00:51:57.78\00:52:00.78
wrestling with an invitation,
"Do I -- Should I take a year
off?" Oh, yes, you should.
00:52:00.78\00:52:06.15
Now, it might be economically,
or it might just, you know, in
terms of the family and all,
00:52:06.15\00:52:10.63
just impossible, I don't know.
And I'm not being glib with,
"Oh, yes, you should," but I
00:52:10.63\00:52:14.56
tell you what -- If the Spirit
of God has been speaking to you
00:52:14.56\00:52:18.13
this week, and this place has
been like a pin. You could hear
a pin drop as these young
00:52:18.13\00:52:22.80
students picked at the last
minute because our speaker,
Elizabeth Talbot, could not
00:52:22.80\00:52:26.71
come. You -- You would've heard
a church that says, "I hear you.
00:52:26.71\00:52:32.35
I hear you. I want to be a
domino in Jesus, catalyst." Just
takes one domino to fill
00:52:32.35\00:52:38.55
the gap. If you're not there,
there's a gap and the movement
00:52:38.55\00:52:43.09
stops. You are the domino the
Spirit of God has placed on this
planet, and He needs you now.
00:52:43.09\00:52:50.07
You got to. I want to pray
with you, but first, I want to
00:52:50.07\00:52:55.64
receive these cards. So, ushers,
if you don't mind just standing
00:52:55.64\00:52:58.77
right now without any further
fanfare, would you please just
turn the card upside, drop it in
00:52:58.77\00:53:02.78
the plate. You have prayer
requests. You have that
beautiful prayer with Pastor
00:53:02.78\00:53:07.82
José this morning. There are
people here who are struggling.
You've got a prayer request, you
00:53:07.82\00:53:10.62
put it on that little blank
portion there. We will pray for
00:53:10.62\00:53:14.66
you. All right, ushers, let's
go. We're gonna sing a song as
00:53:14.66\00:53:17.39
they're going. "I'll Go Where
You Want Me to Go," dear Lord.
That's the missionary's prayer.
00:53:17.39\00:53:20.33
I'll go, I'll go. "I'll Go Where
You Want Me to Go" -- We'll sing
00:53:20.33\00:53:24.73
that, and then we'll stand for
the benediction. [ "I'll Go
Where You Want Me to Go" plays ]
00:53:24.73\00:53:32.87
[ Instrumental music plays ]
00:53:32.87\00:53:35.71
¤¤ ¤¤
00:53:35.88\00:53:53.73
[ Congregation singing ]
00:53:53.73\00:53:56.26
Spirit of the living God, you
are the great Lord who calls His
00:56:26.35\00:56:38.73
children. For the hearts right
now that are considering that
call, stay on and stay with her.
00:56:38.73\00:56:45.60
As we just sang, we can't all
go overseas. There's something
00:56:45.60\00:56:50.51
right here that we can do.
Spirit of the living God, open
our eyes, show us where through
00:56:50.51\00:56:59.85
us you might lift that war
banner high. We go with You.
00:56:59.85\00:57:06.05
We will never be alone.
Hallelujah. And now may the
00:57:06.05\00:57:12.49
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be
00:57:12.49\00:57:18.20
with you all. Amen.
00:57:18.20\00:57:19.07
>> I want to take an extra
moment to thank you for joining
00:57:21.84\00:57:24.17
us in worship today.
It's by the continued support
00:57:24.17\00:57:26.21
from viewers like you that we're
able to bring this program.
00:57:26.21\00:57:28.81
Today I want to invite you,
though, to share with us how
00:57:28.81\00:57:31.28
this ministry has blessed you.
I get inspiring notes, e-mails
00:57:31.28\00:57:34.22
from viewers literally all over
the world telling me, "Look,
00:57:34.22\00:57:37.12
Dwight, God has been
blessing me this way.
00:57:37.12\00:57:39.25
He's been doing this." I
would love to hear from you,
00:57:39.25\00:57:41.42
as well. Just visit our website,
00:57:41.42\00:57:43.36
you know it, newperceptions.tv,
and click on the contact
00:57:43.36\00:57:47.40
link at the top of the page.
00:57:47.40\00:57:49.06
Send me a note. Let me
what God has been doing
00:57:49.06\00:57:51.57
right now in your life.
Once again, thank you for being
00:57:51.57\00:57:54.67
with us today. I hope
you'll join us right here
00:57:54.67\00:57:57.01
next time. And
until then, may the God of
00:57:57.01\00:57:59.84
grace journey with
you every step of the way.
00:57:59.84\00:58:03.08
¤¤ ¤¤
00:58:05.35\00:58:20.16
¤¤
00:58:20.16\00:58:27.40