Bow our heads in
a word of prayer.
00:01:00.60\00:01:01.65
Gracious Father,
I thank you for the
00:01:01.66\00:01:03.72
joy of being a
Christian. It's good to be here,
00:01:03.73\00:01:09.30
to sense your presence,
to look into your face,
00:01:09.31\00:01:16.85
to feel your touch,
and to have the assurance
00:01:16.86\00:01:24.14
that we're fully
kept in the grace of God.
00:01:24.15\00:01:28.74
Father, there are
so many people here
00:01:28.75\00:01:31.86
this morning that
have burdens and troubles
00:01:31.87\00:01:34.68
and problems and
they need the peace that
00:01:34.69\00:01:40.42
passeth understanding,
they need to leave
00:01:40.43\00:01:42.26
this place not
being themselves down
00:01:42.27\00:01:45.95
with guilt, but
walking in the freedom
00:01:45.96\00:01:49.62
of grace and
the freedom of love.
00:01:49.63\00:01:52.87
God speak to us
but more than that God
00:01:52.88\00:01:58.68
help us to hear
in Christ name, Amen.
00:01:58.69\00:02:04.80
The year was 1981,
the month was July,
00:02:04.81\00:02:10.87
the date to be
exact was the 28th,
00:02:10.88\00:02:13.53
the 28th day of
July 1981, 750 million
00:02:13.54\00:02:18.59
people from around
the world watched this,
00:02:18.60\00:02:21.50
the Cinderella story,
the wedding of the century.
00:02:21.51\00:02:25.32
I mean this was the
wedding made in heaven,
00:02:25.33\00:02:28.84
that's what they
said, I mean this was the
00:02:28.85\00:02:31.38
epitome of what
love is supposed to be,
00:02:31.39\00:02:33.85
what courtship
and what marriage,
00:02:33.86\00:02:36.05
the perfect
couple, the perfect match,
00:02:36.06\00:02:38.51
it was the way a
wedding should be.
00:02:38.52\00:02:41.47
The world's most
eligible bachelor,
00:02:41.48\00:02:44.56
Prince Charles, Duke of Windsor
00:02:44.57\00:02:47.00
and the beautiful
lady Diana Spencer,
00:02:47.01\00:02:49.70
and by the way
she was beautiful,
00:02:49.71\00:02:52.63
an aristocrat.
Millions of men and women
00:02:54.74\00:02:59.28
swooned as those who
lived out their fantasy
00:02:59.29\00:03:02.04
before the
entire world. I mean the
00:03:02.05\00:03:04.13
pump and
circumstances you would expect
00:03:04.14\00:03:06.77
at a wedding of royalty.
00:03:06.78\00:03:08.06
The place was in the
most eloquent churches
00:03:08.07\00:03:10.51
in the world, St
Paul's. I've had the privilege
00:03:10.52\00:03:13.97
of worshiping there
at least four times.
00:03:13.98\00:03:16.13
It's a beautiful
place. There's a sense of
00:03:16.14\00:03:19.18
history there; there's a sense
00:03:19.19\00:03:21.25
of the presence of God there.
00:03:21.26\00:03:22.92
It's a beautiful
place St Paul's Cathedral.
00:03:22.93\00:03:26.38
All England, all
the world thought this
00:03:26.39\00:03:28.68
was the perfect
wedding; this was
00:03:28.69\00:03:30.03
the perfect
marriage. I mean Charles stood
00:03:30.04\00:03:32.15
at the altar, dressed
in full military splendor.
00:03:32.16\00:03:35.12
He awaited his
bride. By the way I've never
00:03:35.13\00:03:38.86
seen an ugly
bride. I've seen a few
00:03:38.87\00:03:41.59
grooms that needed
help. But I've never
00:03:41.60\00:03:47.52
seen an ugly
bride I mean there is
00:03:47.53\00:03:49.68
something about
her, and when she
00:03:49.69\00:03:53.35
walked into the church, dressed
00:03:53.36\00:03:58.05
in an exquisite
long, long, long, long
00:03:58.06\00:04:03.23
flowing gown and
standing together
00:04:03.24\00:04:08.10
they looked magnificent.
00:04:08.11\00:04:09.93
And they repeated their vows,
00:04:09.94\00:04:13.80
their vows were vows of loyalty,
00:04:13.81\00:04:17.81
unconditional commitment.
00:04:17.82\00:04:20.98
Diana stared
starry eyed into Charles'
00:04:20.99\00:04:24.60
face and said she
would be his bride forever,
00:04:24.61\00:04:29.07
and Charles
stared starry eyed into
00:04:29.08\00:04:33.15
her face and
said, he would be her
00:04:33.16\00:04:36.47
groom forever. They
kissed and it was over.
00:04:36.48\00:04:44.51
Well, oh, except the
parade that's something
00:04:44.52\00:04:46.87
else. A golden
chariot, come on what woman
00:04:46.88\00:04:51.09
hasn't dreamed of
that. Four white horses
00:04:51.10\00:04:56.97
and they galloped
off into the horizon.
00:04:56.98\00:05:04.04
That was then
but something tragic
00:05:06.27\00:05:10.25
happened. The
clock struck 12 on the
00:05:10.26\00:05:15.36
Cinderella
story. Somewhere lives
00:05:15.37\00:05:17.86
grew apart, somewhere
tensions began to mount,
00:05:17.87\00:05:20.93
somewhere love grew
cold and stale and stagnant.
00:05:20.94\00:05:25.18
This story
placed marriage became
00:05:25.19\00:05:27.69
common and ordinary.
Now they try to put up
00:05:27.70\00:05:30.28
a front, public appearances were
00:05:30.29\00:05:33.88
made together, pleasantries were
00:05:33.89\00:05:37.07
exchanged but in
reality it was over.
00:05:37.08\00:05:41.63
December 9, 1992,
British Prime Minister
00:05:41.64\00:05:45.11
John Majors cleared
his throat and broke
00:05:45.12\00:05:47.18
the news to the
house of commons,
00:05:47.19\00:05:48.89
tragically, there
would be a royal separation,
00:05:48.90\00:05:51.73
not a divorce mind
you, just a separation.
00:05:51.74\00:05:55.47
In other words,
there would be a truce,
00:05:57.88\00:06:00.92
mutual
co-existence but the fact is the
00:06:00.93\00:06:06.34
wedding was dead,
the honeymoon was over,
00:06:06.35\00:06:10.84
the glow was gone. I
mean now its official,
00:06:10.85\00:06:14.29
the divorce, and
now the bride is dead
00:06:14.30\00:06:17.04
and that's as final as it gets.
00:06:17.05\00:06:19.37
England's most
celebrated marriage
00:06:22.67\00:06:25.62
became a national disgrace.
00:06:25.63\00:06:29.00
After following the
royal wedding through
00:06:29.01\00:06:31.59
the years, the
marriage, I thought about
00:06:31.60\00:06:36.22
our wedding, our marriage to the
00:06:36.23\00:06:38.96
Lord Jesus Christ,
ours is the greatest
00:06:38.97\00:06:41.39
love story ever
told. The King of Kings,
00:06:41.40\00:06:44.45
the King of glory courted us and
00:06:44.46\00:06:46.93
wooed us and
wedded us and honeymooned
00:06:46.94\00:06:49.72
with us, he even
lived in our lowly human
00:06:49.73\00:06:52.21
existence, in our
common and corrupted mind,
00:06:52.22\00:06:54.90
weak and
vulnerable human beings.
00:06:54.91\00:06:57.88
The wedding took
place in a visible
00:06:57.89\00:07:00.62
and the invisible
church of Jesus Christ.
00:07:00.63\00:07:02.96
We stood together
before the entire universe,
00:07:02.97\00:07:05.49
the heavenly
host, they were there at
00:07:05.50\00:07:07.33
the wedding day, they
sang to the glory of God
00:07:07.34\00:07:09.87
when we were
wedded to Jesus Christ.
00:07:09.88\00:07:12.99
Here is the story
of the epitome of love,
00:07:13.00\00:07:16.07
that God would court us.
00:07:16.08\00:07:17.57
That God would
love us so, that God
00:07:17.58\00:07:19.68
would put His arms around us,
00:07:19.69\00:07:21.19
that God would
hold us in His arms
00:07:21.20\00:07:23.24
and He would
whisper in our ears,
00:07:23.25\00:07:25.05
His eternal, unconditional love
00:07:25.06\00:07:27.49
that is the story of the epitome
00:07:27.50\00:07:29.92
of true love,
courtship and marriage.
00:07:29.93\00:07:31.80
There was a time,
when our hearts were
00:07:31.81\00:07:36.61
full of passion and excitement,
00:07:36.62\00:07:39.66
I mean Bible
study was life changing.
00:07:39.67\00:07:41.80
There was a time when prayer was
00:07:41.81\00:07:43.90
soul lifting and heart lifting,
00:07:43.91\00:07:45.74
there was a
time when worship was
00:07:45.75\00:07:47.74
earth shaking. We
savored every moment.
00:07:47.75\00:07:53.50
When I came to
Christ as a gang banger
00:07:53.51\00:07:56.38
in Brooklyn, New
York, and I went out
00:07:56.39\00:07:58.09
toward Adventist
Church, it was 2 hours
00:07:58.10\00:08:00.22
on the subway from my house.
00:08:00.23\00:08:02.33
And Jimmy
Landaus and I head on the
00:08:02.34\00:08:05.49
subway 2 hours,
early Saturday morning.
00:08:05.50\00:08:08.98
It was amazing, I
could get there to
00:08:08.99\00:08:11.52
Sabbath school on
time. Now I have a
00:08:11.53\00:08:17.06
call with four
what? 250 whatever,
00:08:17.07\00:08:20.75
how many horses I don't know,
00:08:20.76\00:08:21.93
they keep
making them smaller and
00:08:21.94\00:08:23.63
smaller the
horses they're ponies now
00:08:23.64\00:08:25.28
but anyway and I
hardly can make it.
00:08:25.29\00:08:29.09
And in fact I was,
I would go to church
00:08:30.55\00:08:32.39
in the morning,
you see we used to do
00:08:32.40\00:08:34.09
church in those
days. Adventists don't do
00:08:34.10\00:08:37.00
church. We used to
do, I mean we get there
00:08:37.01\00:08:41.14
for Sabbath school and
day after Sabbath school
00:08:41.15\00:08:43.30
there would be
church and after church
00:08:43.31\00:08:44.60
there would be
potluck, well they
00:08:44.61\00:08:46.69
don't have much potluck Brooklyn
00:08:46.70\00:08:48.43
but my mother
would pack me a lunch
00:08:48.44\00:08:52.48
and I'd have a sandwich, peanut
00:08:52.49\00:08:54.23
butter and jelly
sandwich, I grew up on it.
00:08:54.24\00:08:56.48
And peanut butter
now alright don't come
00:08:56.49\00:08:58.15
after and give me a
sermon on that please,
00:08:58.16\00:09:01.65
and would pack a peanut butter
00:09:05.29\00:09:06.44
and jelly
sandwich and I would eat
00:09:06.45\00:09:08.39
then we had, I
remembered this beady
00:09:08.40\00:09:11.63
eyed home missionary leader,
00:09:11.64\00:09:13.51
now they call
them lay activities
00:09:13.52\00:09:14.82
you've been sleeping ever since.
00:09:14.83\00:09:16.56
They change their
names lay activities.
00:09:18.86\00:09:20.87
Everybody lays
down Sabbath afternoon
00:09:20.88\00:09:22.65
that doesn't what it means.
00:09:22.66\00:09:25.02
Anyway it's beady eyed, I was,
00:09:25.03\00:09:29.05
black leather
jacket, skull blood dripping
00:09:29.06\00:09:31.59
over it,
dungarees, motor cycle boots,
00:09:31.60\00:09:34.26
that's all I
had, that was myself.
00:09:34.27\00:09:36.20
I got a suit from
the Dorcas about 8 months
00:09:36.21\00:09:39.55
later. It was from
a dead man, every time
00:09:39.56\00:09:42.28
I hung in the
closet, the arms folded,
00:09:42.29\00:09:44.48
I mean that's this
suit, my first suit
00:09:44.49\00:09:48.46
from the
Dorcas. Anyway, they had
00:09:48.47\00:09:55.62
territory I mean a
beady eyed man hands me,
00:09:55.63\00:09:59.32
she says, this
is your territory.
00:09:59.33\00:10:01.63
Now I knew my what my turf was
00:10:01.64\00:10:02.86
but I didn't
what my territory was,
00:10:02.87\00:10:04.95
territorial
assignment and every week
00:10:04.96\00:10:07.39
we would go out
and give out literature
00:10:07.40\00:10:08.93
and then we were
taught how to give
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.93
Bible studies that
was in the afternoon,
00:10:10.94\00:10:12.77
and then came
vespers and we had vespers
00:10:12.78\00:10:15.00
then young
people, we had socials,
00:10:15.01\00:10:17.01
now we're so
healthy, we're chasing our
00:10:17.02\00:10:19.46
children out of
the backdoor because
00:10:19.47\00:10:20.85
we're afraid
they're eating popcorn.
00:10:20.86\00:10:22.47
God deliver this
church. We had socials every
00:10:22.48\00:10:26.82
Saturday night,
and we ate popcorn.
00:10:26.83\00:10:29.81
And we had pizza
at the Italian church.
00:10:31.30\00:10:33.40
I always loved it
when it was at the
00:10:33.41\00:10:34.47
Italian church. And
I get home, my momma,
00:10:34.48\00:10:39.49
she wasn't converted
yet I led my first person,
00:10:39.50\00:10:41.42
I lead to Christ was
my momma but my momma
00:10:41.43\00:10:43.46
says, why don't you
take your bed to church.
00:10:43.47\00:10:46.60
There was a time when
worship was earthshaking,
00:10:46.61\00:10:50.92
there was a time we
severed every moment
00:10:50.93\00:10:53.17
of the Sabbath, we
severed every moment
00:10:53.18\00:10:55.62
of the presence with
God but that was then
00:10:55.63\00:10:58.76
something tragic
has happened for many
00:11:00.32\00:11:02.61
of us. Our marriage
has gone on the rocks
00:11:02.62\00:11:07.81
I mean we live in the same house
00:11:07.82\00:11:10.51
but we live in different rooms.
00:11:10.52\00:11:12.57
The courtship is over. For many,
00:11:12.58\00:11:17.21
the separation, the
divorce is proceeding
00:11:17.22\00:11:20.75
is in progress.
Legally we're still married
00:11:20.76\00:11:23.62
to Christ but
marriage is motion not emotion.
00:11:23.63\00:11:26.80
We go through the motions.
00:11:26.81\00:11:27.94
We sing the right
songs, Happy Sabbath
00:11:27.95\00:11:30.20
brother
Halvorsen, we fought all the
00:11:30.21\00:11:31.91
way to the church,
happy Sabbath Elder.
00:11:31.92\00:11:34.60
You don't think God
sees that hypocrisy.
00:11:34.61\00:11:38.66
By the way my next
happy Sabbath will be
00:11:40.84\00:11:43.03
when Jesus
breaks through the cloud
00:11:43.04\00:11:44.54
and I said,
we'll break with him,
00:11:44.55\00:11:46.39
flying to heaven,
I began being there.
00:11:46.40\00:11:51.43
But the glow is
gone, the feeling we felt
00:11:51.44\00:11:57.34
when we first felt
the feeling isn't there
00:11:57.35\00:12:00.04
any longer. Such separation has
00:12:00.05\00:12:03.00
happened to so many million.
00:12:03.01\00:12:06.18
I travel around
the world preaching the
00:12:06.19\00:12:08.23
gospel of God, I
preach in big churches and
00:12:08.24\00:12:10.82
little churches,
and I see it's same
00:12:10.83\00:12:12.93
everywhere, the membership and
00:12:12.94\00:12:15.31
those who attend
and those who are really
00:12:15.32\00:12:17.44
faithful, very
faithful. But this is not new;
00:12:17.45\00:12:24.78
this isn't unique
with the Adventist church
00:12:24.79\00:12:28.15
in this century. Why
the first century church
00:12:28.16\00:12:32.62
had this problem? It
was a church at Ephesus.
00:12:32.63\00:12:37.46
Ephesus had lost
their first love.
00:12:38.61\00:12:41.57
Now not in total but
in part I mean the blazing
00:12:41.58\00:12:45.35
passion had cooled
off I mean they fell
00:12:45.36\00:12:47.61
out of love with
Christ. Everywhere I would go
00:12:47.62\00:12:51.41
I want to tell
people about Jesus,
00:12:51.42\00:12:53.48
I mean subways I
preach on subways
00:12:53.49\00:12:55.75
and street
corners and everywhere
00:12:55.76\00:12:58.29
now I kind of have
to dignify, be dignified
00:12:58.30\00:13:01.79
you know and get by audience.
00:13:01.80\00:13:05.33
Church lost its first
love. They fell out of
00:13:10.21\00:13:14.83
love with Christ, you
say how can that happen,
00:13:14.84\00:13:17.14
how can that happen?
Falling out of love with
00:13:17.15\00:13:22.89
Jesus Christ, you
know the amazing thing
00:13:22.90\00:13:26.23
about it, before
we even get into it,
00:13:26.24\00:13:28.14
the amazing
thing about it is that
00:13:28.15\00:13:29.91
Jesus with great
love seeks to restore
00:13:29.92\00:13:32.03
the spiritual
fervor again, to reinitiate
00:13:32.04\00:13:34.57
a call for them to
restore that relationship
00:13:34.58\00:13:37.18
and Jesus always
takes that first step
00:13:37.19\00:13:39.08
back to you. You
see this morning the
00:13:39.09\00:13:43.67
bridegroom Jesus
always takes that
00:13:43.68\00:13:45.69
first step back,
and he woos us and then
00:13:45.70\00:13:48.04
wins us. This
morning God willing
00:13:48.05\00:13:49.58
we will see how
love maybe rekindled,
00:13:49.59\00:13:51.65
and let's carefully
look at this at the church.
00:13:51.66\00:13:54.33
Let's take a trip
back to the first century,
00:13:54.34\00:13:56.44
let's go back
to Ephesus and here
00:13:56.45\00:13:58.66
is the study, a
trip to Ephesus was like
00:13:58.67\00:14:01.03
taking a trip to
most large cities today.
00:14:01.04\00:14:04.05
It was a busy
thriving metropolis.
00:14:04.06\00:14:08.84
It was one of the
most prominent cities
00:14:08.85\00:14:11.02
in Asia Minor,
it was like New York
00:14:11.03\00:14:12.81
is to United
States, like Brooklyn is to
00:14:12.82\00:14:16.32
Manhattan. You
will get that summery by
00:14:16.33\00:14:19.90
Tuesday but
anyway preaches maybe by
00:14:19.91\00:14:23.30
Wednesday. I don't
know but anyway Los Angeles,
00:14:23.31\00:14:27.34
it was located 3
miles from the Aegean sea
00:14:27.35\00:14:31.58
up the Cayster River,
it was the city of Ephesus.
00:14:31.59\00:14:34.32
Ephesus stood at the
cross roads of travel,
00:14:34.33\00:14:37.00
there were four
major highways that
00:14:37.01\00:14:38.65
intersected at
the city of Ephesus.
00:14:38.66\00:14:41.21
Ephesus at all
that which cosmopolitan
00:14:41.22\00:14:43.82
cities have it had
the arena for sport
00:14:43.83\00:14:46.33
and a theater for
drama, it had it's odd,
00:14:46.34\00:14:49.54
it's pageantry,
this was no hit town.
00:14:49.55\00:14:52.03
This was in
between Oklahoma City
00:14:52.04\00:14:55.30
and somewhere
else or nowhere else.
00:14:55.31\00:15:00.40
This wasn't
somewhere west of Casper,
00:15:00.41\00:15:03.06
Wyoming. I mean
this was a metropolis,
00:15:03.07\00:15:06.67
this was a big
city, this was a city,
00:15:06.68\00:15:09.32
Ephesus was the
center of pagan worship.
00:15:14.23\00:15:18.75
Back then it was
one of the seven wonders
00:15:20.32\00:15:21.85
of world, the temple
to the Goddess Diana,
00:15:21.86\00:15:25.64
it was place of
hidden worship and idolatry.
00:15:25.65\00:15:28.12
I mean this
temple was the length of
00:15:28.13\00:15:29.69
two football
fields. And on the inside
00:15:29.70\00:15:34.02
Pagan worship
flourished with all
00:15:34.03\00:15:35.57
temple prostitution.
It was the grossest
00:15:35.58\00:15:37.90
perversions, in fact
I can't even tell you
00:15:37.91\00:15:40.11
about the worship of
this temple to Diana,
00:15:40.12\00:15:44.00
so perverted. drunkenness and
00:15:44.01\00:15:47.41
sexual orgy, it's
no wonder the city
00:15:47.42\00:15:49.30
was so popular with businessmen.
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.26
It was like the
Las Vegas, they go to
00:15:51.27\00:15:54.36
have their meetings.
Ephesus was truly the
00:15:54.37\00:15:57.09
cesspool of
iniquity. But it's there that
00:15:57.10\00:16:01.74
God planted a
church, and if you have your
00:16:01.75\00:16:03.11
Bibles I want you
to look in with me,
00:16:03.12\00:16:04.96
Revelation the Second
chapter and let's see.
00:16:04.97\00:16:11.59
A picture of this
place called Ephesus.
00:16:11.60\00:16:21.02
And I read, and to
the angel of the church
00:16:21.03\00:16:25.90
at Ephesus write,
it was there that this
00:16:25.91\00:16:36.48
godly city was
to hear the message
00:16:36.49\00:16:40.33
of the gospel.
You know, there's a
00:16:40.34\00:16:43.11
principle really here,
listen to this principle,
00:16:43.12\00:16:47.46
it is better to run
a mission at the gate
00:16:47.47\00:16:51.52
of hell than to
preach to the choir.
00:16:51.53\00:16:55.44
I mean that's the
message that Ephesus
00:16:55.45\00:16:58.90
tells us. I mean
here is the setting,
00:16:58.91\00:17:05.17
now the setting
says to the angel
00:17:05.18\00:17:09.15
of the church of Ephesus, right,
00:17:09.16\00:17:11.71
the speaker. Now
the speaker is not
00:17:11.72\00:17:13.82
mentioned by name
but we know who it is,
00:17:13.83\00:17:16.29
there is no
question of who it is.
00:17:16.30\00:17:18.00
I mean the Lord Jesus
is dictating this letter,
00:17:18.01\00:17:20.97
He's dispatching this letter,
00:17:20.98\00:17:22.54
He communicates
to the angel or the
00:17:22.55\00:17:25.06
word angel
translated in the Greek means
00:17:25.07\00:17:27.30
messenger and
the messenger is the
00:17:27.31\00:17:30.05
one who speaks
for the church and the
00:17:30.06\00:17:31.97
messenger is
the preacher who has
00:17:31.98\00:17:33.62
the prime
responsibility by the way of
00:17:33.63\00:17:35.81
communicating the
gospel, not waiting
00:17:35.82\00:17:37.88
on your tables,
not hitting up your
00:17:37.89\00:17:39.84
Baptistry, not
taking the bulk of society
00:17:39.85\00:17:42.53
on a trip. It's
there to preach the gospel
00:17:42.54\00:17:45.20
and to bring men
and women to God,
00:17:45.21\00:17:46.76
and disciple the lost. Amen.
00:17:46.77\00:17:49.75
I know some of you
don't like to hear that,
00:17:49.76\00:17:52.55
but that's alright,
I'm retired you can't
00:17:52.56\00:17:54.75
fire me and I sure
don't work in Oklahoma
00:17:54.76\00:17:58.07
so your can't chase me out.
00:17:58.08\00:17:59.80
Some says, well,
you can say that,
00:18:01.45\00:18:02.85
but I've said it
before I was retired, amen,
00:18:02.86\00:18:05.36
come on, anyway.
Its interesting to know
00:18:05.37\00:18:08.44
that Jesus Christ, has
these messengers where?
00:18:08.45\00:18:13.26
In his right hand,
there's significance there.
00:18:13.27\00:18:17.20
I mean he holds
them in his right hand
00:18:17.21\00:18:20.38
and there are seven
and seven is completeness
00:18:20.39\00:18:23.46
but also it
represents each one of the
00:18:23.47\00:18:26.14
seven churches, I
mean He's holding them
00:18:26.15\00:18:28.30
in His right hand,
it denotes the place of
00:18:28.31\00:18:30.81
strictest
accountability, the strongest
00:18:30.82\00:18:33.42
protection, I mean
it's the most strategic
00:18:33.43\00:18:36.00
usefulness. These
leaders are surrounded
00:18:36.01\00:18:38.29
and kept by
Christ and He holds them
00:18:38.30\00:18:41.24
in His hand, they are
directly re-answerable
00:18:41.25\00:18:44.19
to Jesus Christ. He
alone has chosen them,
00:18:44.20\00:18:52.21
and He uses them as
He pleases to use them.
00:18:52.22\00:18:55.90
Notice that He
walks amid the lampstands,
00:18:55.91\00:19:02.23
their significance.
You see He is on location.
00:19:02.24\00:19:06.68
He's omnipresent, He
is there in presence,
00:19:10.53\00:19:13.51
He is there in personality,
00:19:13.52\00:19:15.63
He is there to
touch them, to help them,
00:19:15.64\00:19:18.13
to win them, to
woe them, to love them,
00:19:18.14\00:19:21.46
He is there close
up, He accesses them,
00:19:21.47\00:19:25.47
He inspects
them, He weighs them,
00:19:25.48\00:19:27.58
He evaluates them,
I mean He evaluates
00:19:27.59\00:19:30.36
this spiritual
condition and I want to tell you
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.44
here. You have
no right to evaluate
00:19:32.45\00:19:34.32
my spiritual
life neither by what
00:19:34.33\00:19:37.62
you see nor by what you quote.
00:19:37.63\00:19:39.88
I am only
accountable to Jesus Christ
00:19:39.89\00:19:43.22
and He is the
only one to see me as
00:19:43.23\00:19:45.54
I really am. He accesses me.
00:19:45.55\00:19:49.83
Now God recognizes two strengths
00:19:49.84\00:19:53.79
about Ephesus I like this.
00:19:53.80\00:19:55.91
First of all He says,
they toil and preserve,
00:19:55.92\00:20:00.50
look at it, well, let's see it.
00:20:00.51\00:20:04.32
Don't take my word
for it, you wouldn't
00:20:04.33\00:20:07.40
anyway, but look at
this, Revelation chapter 2,
00:20:07.41\00:20:11.97
and the let the word
expound itself and it's
00:20:11.98\00:20:14.47
exegete itself. Notice He says,
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.66
I know your works,
your labor, your patience,
00:20:16.67\00:20:19.04
and that you cannot
bear those which are evil.
00:20:19.05\00:20:21.12
So he says, they
toil and they preserve
00:20:21.13\00:20:23.58
and then He goes
on to say, He says,
00:20:23.59\00:20:25.09
we know, He says,
that you don't, you
00:20:25.10\00:20:28.08
cannot bear those who are evil.
00:20:28.09\00:20:30.81
You tested those who
say they are apostles
00:20:30.82\00:20:33.08
and are not, and
have found them liars.
00:20:33.09\00:20:34.82
They are strict
and they are sound
00:20:34.83\00:20:36.23
they are an orthodox church.
00:20:36.24\00:20:38.12
In fact, if any of
us who had been called
00:20:38.13\00:20:41.19
in Ephesus in that
day we would have packed
00:20:41.20\00:20:43.09
our bags and
ran. Alright, come on.
00:20:43.10\00:20:46.63
I mean that's the
perfect church it works,
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.71
it's strict and
it's loving because you
00:20:48.72\00:20:52.87
could not say
you've lost your first love
00:20:52.88\00:20:54.74
unless they first
had it. Doesn't take a
00:20:54.75\00:20:57.70
theologian to understand that,
00:20:57.71\00:20:59.51
they had love,
and yet they toiled,
00:20:59.52\00:21:03.83
they persevered,
they were strict,
00:21:03.84\00:21:05.77
I mean this
church is not a museum of
00:21:05.78\00:21:07.46
pastors and
saints, it was an infantry,
00:21:07.47\00:21:10.19
an active duty. They
didn't come to church
00:21:10.20\00:21:13.71
to be entertained,
they need to be fed.
00:21:13.72\00:21:16.48
They came to work, to minister,
00:21:16.49\00:21:22.63
they came to
give sacrificially and
00:21:22.64\00:21:25.80
to serve selflessly
and to serve lovingly
00:21:25.81\00:21:30.06
and doing and
toiling and giving and going,
00:21:30.07\00:21:31.87
Jesus says, I know
all about your toil
00:21:31.88\00:21:33.78
and perseverance
because there is nothing
00:21:33.79\00:21:35.59
we can do in a
church or not do in a church
00:21:35.60\00:21:37.49
that Jesus Christ doesn't see.
00:21:37.50\00:21:39.51
There are not
lazy lethargic Laodicea
00:21:42.75\00:21:46.43
members at
Ephesus. They were actively
00:21:46.44\00:21:49.71
in love with Jesus Christ.
00:21:49.72\00:21:52.19
They were actively in
love with Jesus Christ.
00:21:52.20\00:21:58.81
They were strict and sound.
00:21:58.82\00:22:01.62
They knew what they believed.
00:22:01.63\00:22:04.44
They would not endure evil men.
00:22:04.45\00:22:07.45
They set aside
standard and chose
00:22:07.46\00:22:10.10
not to tolerate sin in the camp.
00:22:10.11\00:22:12.39
Now they
aggressively fought against it
00:22:12.40\00:22:14.03
but they knew
there was something
00:22:14.04\00:22:16.44
more in black and
white that was you know,
00:22:16.45\00:22:18.43
and they
confronted sin the way Jesus
00:22:18.44\00:22:20.83
would they tried their
best to have that change
00:22:20.84\00:22:22.69
and if it didn't then
they took strong stand.
00:22:22.70\00:22:26.41
Well, what a
church. They toiled, I mean
00:22:26.42\00:22:33.37
this was a great church.
00:22:33.38\00:22:35.42
This church was
disciplined by Aquila
00:22:35.43\00:22:39.00
that's actually 18 verse 36,
00:22:39.01\00:22:41.35
it was taught by a Apolis,
00:22:41.36\00:22:43.50
I mean it's a great church,
00:22:43.51\00:22:44.85
it's not a church
with Pastor Ron Halvorsen,
00:22:44.86\00:22:46.87
I mean this is a
great church, I mean,
00:22:46.88\00:22:48.70
it was taught by a
Apolis who was pastored
00:22:48.71\00:22:50.93
by Timothy. It was
instructed by John.
00:22:50.94\00:22:53.43
It was a recipient
of eight New Testament
00:22:53.44\00:22:55.73
letters. By the
way Paul was in Ephesus
00:22:55.74\00:23:05.09
when he wrote First Corinthians,
00:23:05.10\00:23:07.02
This church was a
symbol of orthodoxy,
00:23:07.03\00:23:09.48
it was a bastion
of faith, it was a
00:23:09.49\00:23:11.69
fortress of faith, it
was a bastion of truth.
00:23:11.70\00:23:14.47
They had
everything but the main thing,
00:23:14.48\00:23:17.14
they got so caught up
in being strict and sound,
00:23:17.15\00:23:21.53
doctrinally pure
that they lost love.
00:23:21.54\00:23:27.30
Abruptly Jesus changes
His tone in his letter.
00:23:31.10\00:23:35.44
The master puts
his finger one glaring
00:23:35.45\00:23:37.53
deficiency. He addressed
one fatal flaw and by the
00:23:37.54\00:23:40.65
way if it continued it
would destroy the church.
00:23:40.66\00:23:43.25
There is only one
thing that can destroy the
00:23:43.26\00:23:45.25
church. That's the lack of love.
00:23:45.26\00:23:50.80
For some of you it's
a lack of what you eat
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.80
or what you don't
eat, it's a lack of
00:23:56.81\00:23:59.51
what you wear or
what you don't wear,
00:23:59.52\00:24:01.49
that's not what
will kill this church.
00:24:01.50\00:24:04.62
It's a lack of love
that will kill this church.
00:24:07.17\00:24:10.18
That's not my
word, that's his word.
00:24:10.19\00:24:12.48
That's his word to Ephesus.
00:24:12.49\00:24:14.79
I mean one fatal
flaw, one deadly sin,
00:24:14.80\00:24:20.06
I mean the sin was
so serious it endangers
00:24:20.07\00:24:22.83
the church
existence and he says, why,
00:24:22.84\00:24:24.88
he says, thou hast
lost thy first love,
00:24:24.89\00:24:27.63
verse 4,
remember your first love.
00:24:27.64\00:24:31.43
Do you remember
yours? I remember mine.
00:24:31.44\00:24:34.62
I'm still married to
her. It would be 50 years
00:24:34.63\00:24:39.54
this September, 50
years, come on now.
00:24:39.55\00:24:48.35
Nowadays you go
50 days you get a
00:24:48.36\00:24:50.86
hand come on now. Amen.
00:24:50.87\00:24:54.66
I was sitting in the
class at Atlantic Union
00:24:56.73\00:24:58.90
College, I was cool,
I was like the fawns,
00:24:58.91\00:25:02.92
you know, I just
came out of the gangs
00:25:02.93\00:25:04.82
of my DA, long
side burns you know my
00:25:04.83\00:25:07.95
cool moves and I
looked across this room
00:25:07.96\00:25:13.60
and there she was,
in fact I could have
00:25:13.61\00:25:16.08
wrote a song about
it, across this crowded
00:25:16.09\00:25:21.70
room, that's right
Perry. That's right.
00:25:21.71\00:25:26.49
This beautiful French
girl and I hit my friend
00:25:26.50\00:25:30.18
and I said, hey
man look at that chick,
00:25:30.19\00:25:32.94
by the way
translated for you Oklahonians
00:25:32.95\00:25:35.09
that means that beautiful girl.
00:25:35.10\00:25:37.40
Just in case
you've been on this side
00:25:39.01\00:25:40.70
so long you've
forgotten the other
00:25:40.71\00:25:42.07
side but anyway I
looked across the room
00:25:42.08\00:25:44.60
and I said, wow, look
at that beautiful chick
00:25:44.61\00:25:47.23
and I said, I'm
gonna ask her out oh,
00:25:47.24\00:25:49.31
no she's engaged I said, yeah,
00:25:49.32\00:25:50.88
but she's not married.
00:25:50.89\00:25:53.25
Remember the first
love, the excitement
00:25:56.41\00:25:58.08
and then I was
thinking about the moves
00:25:58.09\00:26:00.00
and class bell rang
and she was coming out
00:26:00.01\00:26:02.65
and I walked up and
I said, hi, I'm Ron,
00:26:02.66\00:26:08.30
she says, I'm
Carol. I said, hey nice to
00:26:08.31\00:26:10.57
meet you. I said,
would you like to go
00:26:10.58\00:26:11.96
out on Saturday
night and she was oh,
00:26:11.97\00:26:13.27
I'm engaged. I said,
but you're not married.
00:26:13.28\00:26:17.08
Remember the chemistry,
the mystical attraction.
00:26:22.74\00:26:28.15
When two hearts heap
up and I mean romance
00:26:28.16\00:26:31.54
and flames and two
lives fall in love and,
00:26:31.55\00:26:34.17
I went out. I know
she thanks God everyday
00:26:38.43\00:26:42.51
for that, but at
least every other day
00:26:42.52\00:26:47.16
I mean at least every other day,
00:26:47.17\00:26:49.61
at least every other day.
00:26:49.62\00:26:53.24
Remember the first
love, but something
00:26:53.25\00:26:58.45
happens along the way for some,
00:26:58.46\00:27:00.74
not for everybody but for some.
00:27:00.75\00:27:03.87
The daily flow of
things, the honeymoon ends
00:27:06.32\00:27:08.30
and the children come
and the career takes off
00:27:08.31\00:27:11.35
and the business expands.
00:27:11.36\00:27:14.45
Now you're the big business man.
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.77
Never forget where
you come from. Amen.
00:27:16.78\00:27:20.92
Big doctor now, stethoscope,
00:27:20.93\00:27:24.57
big nurse now. You're as big as
00:27:24.58\00:27:32.43
your prayer position. Amen.
00:27:32.44\00:27:35.55
Do you hear me?
You're as tall as
00:27:35.56\00:27:39.82
your prayer
position, stress is multiplying
00:27:39.83\00:27:48.01
you know how, and
suddenly two people
00:27:48.02\00:27:50.90
wake up complete strangers.
00:27:50.91\00:27:52.75
They work for
Christ but fell out of love
00:27:54.15\00:27:55.92
with Christ that was Ephesus.
00:27:55.93\00:27:57.80
Their minister
became mechanical and
00:27:57.81\00:27:59.61
relationships became routine.
00:27:59.62\00:28:01.86
I'm reminded of a
couple who are driving
00:28:01.87\00:28:03.71
home from prayer
meeting one night
00:28:03.72\00:28:05.10
and moon was up, the
little lady was sitting
00:28:05.11\00:28:07.63
over there in the passenger seat
00:28:07.64\00:28:08.98
and she looked up and she says,
00:28:08.99\00:28:11.52
honey see the moon,
he was driving, yeah,
00:28:11.53\00:28:16.97
she said,
remember well, when we used
00:28:16.98\00:28:19.46
to sit close
together you used to put your
00:28:19.47\00:28:21.65
arm around me and it
was so romantic remember.
00:28:21.66\00:28:25.46
He says, well, I haven't moved.
00:28:25.47\00:28:28.25
Jesus hasn't
removed. The disenchanted
00:28:34.81\00:28:39.56
come to me with
all kinds of reasons
00:28:39.57\00:28:41.09
why they leave.
Church isn't the same.
00:28:41.10\00:28:45.23
It is the same, it
is still 20s what is it?
00:28:45.24\00:28:52.27
28 I say 27 all
the times and they keep
00:28:52.28\00:28:56.69
getting after
you, it's 28 whatever;
00:28:56.70\00:29:00.40
Sabbath begins
Friday evening by the way
00:29:03.62\00:29:05.84
if you still
remember that, when the Sun
00:29:05.85\00:29:08.41
goes down, it
ends when the Sun goes
00:29:08.42\00:29:11.79
down, hasn't
changed. I can confess my sins
00:29:11.80\00:29:17.50
he's faithful
and just to forgive,
00:29:17.51\00:29:18.93
it hasn't changed.
00:29:18.94\00:29:21.38
It hasn't
changed we have changed,
00:29:26.92\00:29:30.45
we have changed.
The distance was not
00:29:36.80\00:29:38.03
because of Him
but because of us.
00:29:38.04\00:29:44.73
But you know one
thing about this book
00:29:44.74\00:29:48.31
is God doesn't
only put His finger on
00:29:48.32\00:29:49.95
the problem, He
doesn't only deal
00:29:49.96\00:29:51.57
with the problem. I
think too many of us
00:29:51.58\00:29:53.28
are always
dealing in apologetics,
00:29:53.29\00:29:55.08
we're always
dealing with the problem,
00:29:55.09\00:29:56.76
we never get to that solution.
00:29:56.77\00:29:58.99
In Ephesus, He
doesn't deal only with the
00:29:59.00\00:30:02.20
problem, He told
you how you can get back
00:30:02.21\00:30:04.42
that first love,
would you like to learn
00:30:04.43\00:30:06.06
how you can get
back that first love,
00:30:06.07\00:30:07.61
then let's read on.
Look at verse 5 and 6,
00:30:07.62\00:30:12.71
wow! Look at
verse 5 and 6, I can't
00:30:12.72\00:30:18.23
believe this,
when I first read it,
00:30:18.24\00:30:20.74
I ran around, I
do this when I come,
00:30:20.75\00:30:23.20
I jumped up, did a
holy dance in my office
00:30:23.21\00:30:25.28
which I can't do
for you Adventists till
00:30:25.29\00:30:26.72
I get to heaven
but I got so excited,
00:30:26.73\00:30:29.46
ran around my
room five times and
00:30:29.47\00:30:30.89
sat down again, it's amazing.
00:30:30.90\00:30:35.05
Look at verse 5
and 6, how do we get
00:30:35.06\00:30:39.17
it back. Remember therefore from
00:30:39.18\00:30:40.98
where you have
fallen, repent and
00:30:40.99\00:30:43.92
do the first
works; and I will come
00:30:43.93\00:30:47.10
or I will come to
you quickly remove
00:30:47.11\00:30:48.52
your lampstand and then he says,
00:30:48.53\00:30:50.74
and remain, repent or remember,
00:30:50.75\00:30:55.28
repent, repeat and remain.
00:30:55.29\00:30:59.57
Let's look at it,
first of all he says,
00:30:59.58\00:31:02.02
remember,
remember back when you were
00:31:02.03\00:31:04.36
first fell in love.
That's our problem we forget.
00:31:04.37\00:31:08.68
Lest we forget,
remember the excitement
00:31:08.69\00:31:10.61
reading the
Bible stories, remember
00:31:10.62\00:31:11.84
the excitement you
felt at junior camp,
00:31:11.85\00:31:13.72
remember when you
first came to know Him,
00:31:13.73\00:31:16.93
he says, do those,
remember those things
00:31:16.94\00:31:19.50
I always go back to Brooklyn,
00:31:19.51\00:31:20.64
but once a year I go.
I walked to the alley,
00:31:20.65\00:31:22.42
was when my children growing up
00:31:22.43\00:31:23.66
I took them with
me. I drive out of Keene
00:31:23.67\00:31:27.12
as fast as I
could go, head north,
00:31:27.13\00:31:30.25
back to Coney
Island. Parked the car and
00:31:30.26\00:31:33.53
I hope it was
there when I got back.
00:31:33.54\00:31:35.20
And I walked
through the alley ways
00:31:37.91\00:31:39.45
and showed them
the addicts and drunks
00:31:39.46\00:31:41.90
and the, I mean show
them the wasted humanity
00:31:41.91\00:31:45.33
and I would say,
son, save for the grace
00:31:45.34\00:31:48.71
of God that's
what daddy would be,
00:31:48.72\00:31:50.55
Diane honey,
that's what daddy would
00:31:50.56\00:31:52.54
be save for the grace of God and
00:31:52.55\00:31:54.38
I take that and I still go back.
00:31:54.39\00:31:56.94
I take my grand children now.
00:31:56.95\00:32:00.64
Remember,
remember when you decided
00:32:00.65\00:32:05.01
for Christ, remember
you see the road back
00:32:05.02\00:32:09.48
to Christ is first
of all to remember,
00:32:09.49\00:32:12.13
memory is the
handmade of revival,
00:32:12.14\00:32:14.62
remember unless you
forget he says remember.
00:32:14.63\00:32:18.24
I was preaching in
Brooklyn, they sent
00:32:18.25\00:32:20.15
me to Brooklyn to
go back and preach him.
00:32:20.16\00:32:22.88
Brethren always
send me to those places
00:32:22.89\00:32:24.34
they don't want to
go. Sorry I mean I admit
00:32:24.35\00:32:27.47
that, I never make
the back page of Review
00:32:27.48\00:32:29.35
and Herald
because they don't send me
00:32:29.36\00:32:30.45
over to Philippines,
they send the president
00:32:30.46\00:32:32.55
of the general conference there.
00:32:32.56\00:32:35.15
So you see I still
have a little problem
00:32:35.16\00:32:37.45
but for Lord's
sake working on it.
00:32:37.46\00:32:39.26
You know and I, you
see I get so excited
00:32:44.86\00:32:51.32
about that I got
a senior moment that
00:32:51.33\00:32:54.61
lasts an hour sometimes,
so we better get on with
00:32:54.62\00:32:57.89
this sermon,
anyway what I saying here,
00:32:57.90\00:33:00.71
you were supposed to
be listening what was I.
00:33:00.72\00:33:03.38
Well, anyway I go
back to the city and
00:33:05.49\00:33:08.45
but I was sent
to Brooklyn and oh,
00:33:08.46\00:33:11.05
while the general
conference president
00:33:11.06\00:33:12.03
went to the
Philippines with 20,000.
00:33:12.04\00:33:13.57
I went to
Brooklyn with about 20,
00:33:13.58\00:33:15.55
and I got a name
and one thing I decided
00:33:17.56\00:33:21.21
as a believer that and
as a minister all my life
00:33:21.22\00:33:24.57
that find a name
I would try to do my
00:33:24.58\00:33:26.83
best to follow up that name.
00:33:26.84\00:33:28.53
Because that
name was sacred trust,
00:33:28.54\00:33:31.10
and when I read
that it was a daughter
00:33:31.11\00:33:35.65
of a Seventh-day
Adventist minister
00:33:35.66\00:33:37.39
I wanted to more
visit that because I had
00:33:37.40\00:33:39.76
a daughter she was
and I read the address
00:33:39.77\00:33:42.71
and I told what is an
Adventist girl preacher's
00:33:42.72\00:33:46.08
daughter doing in
that neighborhood.
00:33:46.09\00:33:48.26
So I got my get
ghetto car and drove down.
00:33:51.79\00:33:54.45
My ghetto car
wasn't worth stealing.
00:33:54.46\00:33:57.86
I'd open a trunk even
the spare wasn't worth
00:33:59.60\00:34:02.07
stealing. I leave
the keys and the ignition
00:34:02.08\00:34:05.23
hoping they would
steal it. it's how bad that
00:34:05.24\00:34:08.39
car was, I go down
into the neighborhood.
00:34:08.40\00:34:10.69
Parked where I
could park, went up the
00:34:10.70\00:34:15.36
stairs down the
hall came to the door,
00:34:15.37\00:34:20.19
terrible neighborhood,
I can't even describe it.
00:34:20.20\00:34:24.19
Sometimes you
hear about these poor
00:34:27.61\00:34:29.11
mission places and
how they need these
00:34:29.12\00:34:31.80
little church. I
wish you would come to
00:34:31.81\00:34:33.02
the inner city with
me and go to some of
00:34:33.03\00:34:34.27
these little Spanish
churches, little black
00:34:34.28\00:34:36.28
churches in some of
our cities in America,
00:34:36.29\00:34:39.01
and see the ceiling
falling down and water
00:34:39.02\00:34:42.55
tripping out of the
pipes and I wish you would
00:34:42.56\00:34:44.32
see life here where
I spent my life as a
00:34:44.33\00:34:47.44
missionary and I
went back to Brooklyn
00:34:47.45\00:34:50.87
and I come to the
door and the music boom,
00:34:50.88\00:34:55.13
boom, boom, and
so I gave a knock,
00:34:55.14\00:34:58.94
Christian knock I
had my Bible with me
00:34:58.95\00:35:00.74
and I get back
dignified ecclesiastical knock,
00:35:00.75\00:35:06.53
nothing happened, by
the way it never does.
00:35:06.54\00:35:10.29
All preaches today
get, spending all their time
00:35:12.49\00:35:15.36
trying to figure out
post modernist instead
00:35:15.37\00:35:18.55
of just going out and
preaching let God figure
00:35:18.56\00:35:20.76
that out. So I knocked and boom,
00:35:20.77\00:35:28.84
you know how music
is, that rock boom,
00:35:28.85\00:35:31.64
you just hear
the base boom, boom,
00:35:31.65\00:35:33.74
that's Satan trying
to drive it down boom,
00:35:33.75\00:35:35.90
boom. So I got back
and I ran at the door
00:35:35.91\00:35:39.60
and boom, boom,
finally she came to the door
00:35:39.61\00:35:47.48
and unlocked the
locks and there was
00:35:47.49\00:35:49.05
a chain lock she
looked out and she said,
00:35:49.06\00:35:50.57
who are you? I
said, Ron Halvorsen,
00:35:50.58\00:35:52.23
she said, who is Ron Halvorsen,
00:35:52.24\00:35:53.21
I knew that girl needed help.
00:35:53.22\00:35:55.18
I said, I am a
Seventh-day Adventist preacher,
00:36:01.78\00:36:04.20
she says, I'm not
interested, I said,
00:36:04.21\00:36:06.16
I know that's why I am here.
00:36:06.17\00:36:09.34
She's not interested,
and she couldn't resist
00:36:10.07\00:36:13.79
it after that, I
mean she close the door
00:36:13.80\00:36:15.46
unlocked it. I
walked in, there she was in
00:36:15.47\00:36:17.51
her room, bed
and chair and table,
00:36:17.52\00:36:20.42
little girl
clinging to her dirty house.
00:36:20.43\00:36:26.18
What do you say?
What you talk about?
00:36:26.19\00:36:32.28
2300 days, vegan vegetarianism,
00:36:32.29\00:36:38.93
come on give me a
break, you listen,
00:36:38.94\00:36:44.41
that's all, you listen
and I said, honey I said,
00:36:44.42\00:36:50.15
tell me a little
bit about your life?
00:36:50.16\00:36:53.15
She said, I'm the
PK. I said, oh yeah,
00:36:55.28\00:36:59.92
tell me more. She
said, my daddy is a
00:36:59.93\00:37:03.92
Seventh-day
Adventist preacher, I said,
00:37:03.93\00:37:07.20
yeah, tell me more? She said,
00:37:07.21\00:37:10.60
I grew up in a church.
I sang in the youth choir,
00:37:11.92\00:37:17.10
I went to
elementary school, I went to
00:37:17.11\00:37:19.33
pre-school I mean
I had all the school,
00:37:19.34\00:37:21.71
I graduated went to academy
00:37:21.72\00:37:23.64
I mean then the
story started deteriorating
00:37:23.65\00:37:30.70
by the way you
can't put your academy for
00:37:30.71\00:37:32.67
and out and the
country far enough
00:37:32.68\00:37:34.24
and you can't built
the walls big enough.
00:37:34.25\00:37:36.72
What you got to do
is insulate the heart
00:37:36.73\00:37:39.13
and not isolate the child.
00:37:39.14\00:37:41.85
And she said, I
went to the academy
00:37:47.24\00:37:48.90
and I got with the
wrong kids and that
00:37:48.91\00:37:50.06
happens by the
way that's what the
00:37:50.07\00:37:51.37
prodigal son is
all about, that's what
00:37:51.38\00:37:52.98
the story is. Said,
soon I began to smoke
00:37:52.99\00:37:56.83
and drink and by
the way that's not
00:37:56.84\00:37:58.00
the problem, always
dealing with smoking
00:37:58.01\00:38:00.51
and drinking
that's not the problem
00:38:00.52\00:38:01.60
it's the heart,
get to the heart,
00:38:01.61\00:38:05.00
and she said, I
got pregnant, wasn't
00:38:05.01\00:38:09.55
married and I went
home and told my dad
00:38:09.56\00:38:12.39
he got mad, why
did you get upset
00:38:12.40\00:38:15.50
but he got mad
and it's a difference,
00:38:15.51\00:38:19.35
and yelled and
fought with me and said,
00:38:19.36\00:38:23.94
you're not my
daughter, get out of this house,
00:38:23.95\00:38:25.88
and so I packed my suitcase and.
00:38:25.89\00:38:27.90
Hitchhiked across the
country from California,
00:38:31.19\00:38:33.07
got to New York
and they were waiting
00:38:33.08\00:38:35.01
those leeches,
those maggots, they were
00:38:35.02\00:38:41.77
waiting to set her
up to lay her down.
00:38:41.78\00:38:44.84
I said to her
finally, I said something.
00:38:51.65\00:38:54.32
I said, honey
have you ever thought
00:38:54.33\00:38:55.44
about going home
and she started to cry
00:38:55.45\00:38:58.18
and by then I was
crying you know big lug.
00:38:58.19\00:39:01.11
She said, I can't go
home. Can you imagine
00:39:03.76\00:39:05.79
a girl getting to
a place in her life
00:39:05.80\00:39:07.19
where she can't
go home. Preacher's
00:39:07.20\00:39:10.71
daughter PK. She
says, if I wanted
00:39:10.72\00:39:17.33
to go home and
there came a glimmer
00:39:17.34\00:39:20.02
of light in her
eye that I saw it.
00:39:20.03\00:39:22.86
She says, but he
wouldn't want me home.
00:39:22.87\00:39:26.89
I said, but if
he wanted you home,
00:39:26.90\00:39:28.76
so that won't happen,
that will never happen.
00:39:28.77\00:39:31.37
I prayed with her,
gave her a holy hug,
00:39:31.38\00:39:38.47
left, ran to my car,
I mean ran, jumped in,
00:39:38.48\00:39:44.79
drove back home,
got out the GC book.
00:39:44.80\00:39:48.85
You can run from evangelist,
00:39:48.86\00:39:50.27
but you can't
hide. Looked up the name,
00:39:50.28\00:39:57.50
sure enough the
city, so I needed,
00:39:57.51\00:40:01.78
got on the phone
information 5 minutes,
00:40:01.79\00:40:04.88
hey, call them up.
He answered the phone
00:40:04.89\00:40:10.51
I could picture him,
black suit, black tie,
00:40:10.52\00:40:15.71
black socks,
black underwear, black
00:40:15.72\00:40:17.82
briefcase, real
biblical. May I help you?
00:40:17.83\00:40:27.51
Give me a break you
hypocrite, hypocrisy
00:40:27.52\00:40:33.62
I said, oh,
yeah, you can help me.
00:40:33.63\00:40:36.58
He said, oh, you I
said, Ron Halvorsen.
00:40:36.59\00:40:38.92
He said, who is
Ron Halvorsen I knew
00:40:38.93\00:40:40.28
he needed help.
00:40:40.29\00:40:42.32
I told him I
was an evangelist in
00:40:48.29\00:40:49.86
New York City. I
just visited his daughter,
00:40:49.87\00:40:52.79
he said, to me I
have no daughter,
00:40:52.80\00:40:54.76
I said, you're a
liar. You have a beautiful
00:40:54.77\00:41:00.35
daughter, and a
beautiful little grand baby.
00:41:00.36\00:41:04.97
He said, you
don't understand I said,
00:41:04.98\00:41:07.41
I do understand. I was with her.
00:41:07.42\00:41:12.19
I saw if you only could see it
00:41:15.55\00:41:22.07
and he went on and
told them you hypocrite.
00:41:25.50\00:41:31.15
How many times
have you preached from
00:41:31.16\00:41:33.57
Luke 15, talked
about lost prodigals
00:41:33.58\00:41:38.62
and then there was silence,
00:41:43.42\00:41:45.29
he was remembering.
00:41:45.30\00:41:48.26
The second is
Bible says, right here,
00:41:48.27\00:41:50.33
he say, repent,
not only are you to
00:41:50.34\00:41:53.95
remember when first found Christ
00:41:53.96\00:41:55.97
but you are to
repent for leaving His side.
00:41:55.98\00:41:58.87
Hardest thing for
us, spiritual Christian
00:41:58.88\00:42:02.02
people is to
repent, to admit, to admit,
00:42:02.03\00:42:08.58
that gifted
Godly theologian under
00:42:08.59\00:42:12.29
the inspiration said
this about human beings.
00:42:12.30\00:42:15.89
We will have
besetting sins to overcome
00:42:15.90\00:42:18.73
as long as we have life.
00:42:18.74\00:42:21.71
We don't like the
quote those things.
00:42:25.03\00:42:27.09
Repent and he started to cry,
00:42:29.03\00:42:34.41
even preachers can
repent, oh, praise God.
00:42:34.42\00:42:39.25
Even I can
repent. And then he says,
00:42:39.26\00:42:44.91
do those things.
He says do the deed
00:42:44.92\00:42:46.65
you did before.
Well, it's so simple,
00:42:46.66\00:42:49.01
do the things you did before.
00:42:49.02\00:42:50.70
What were those
things? You prayed.
00:42:50.71\00:42:53.44
Now the only
time you praise when
00:42:53.45\00:42:55.04
you get a bad
report from your doctor.
00:42:55.05\00:42:57.10
Some financial
problem you can't solve
00:42:57.11\00:43:00.25
so now we'll call
on God to solve it.
00:43:00.26\00:43:02.54
He said, do those
things and you know
00:43:06.13\00:43:07.64
I looked it up now,
I'm not making this up,
00:43:07.65\00:43:09.65
I'm not theologizing
this, I am getting it
00:43:09.66\00:43:11.60
right here from
scripture, he says,
00:43:11.61\00:43:12.72
they were devoted
themselves to apostles
00:43:12.73\00:43:15.47
teachings, that's Bible study.
00:43:15.48\00:43:18.38
They had
fellowship, they worshiped,
00:43:18.39\00:43:20.91
you will get so
holy you can't even come
00:43:20.92\00:43:22.99
to worship with sinners.
00:43:23.00\00:43:24.83
They broke bread together.
00:43:28.95\00:43:30.81
You know what I have against you
00:43:30.82\00:43:33.11
Adventists and I'm one.
00:43:33.12\00:43:35.41
We can't break bread together,
00:43:38.01\00:43:39.74
we can't socialize together,
00:43:39.75\00:43:43.63
we can't sit down
and laugh together,
00:43:43.64\00:43:46.74
I don't know if
you're vegan or not vegan.
00:43:46.75\00:43:48.27
I don't know if
you eat cheese or
00:43:48.28\00:43:49.70
don't cheese, I
don't know if you eat
00:43:49.71\00:43:50.78
popcorn after a
certain hour, and so
00:43:50.79\00:43:52.94
here I am, I sit at
your table like this.
00:43:52.95\00:43:55.82
God get me out of
here, they broke bread,
00:43:55.83\00:44:02.67
that's not communion by the way.
00:44:02.68\00:44:04.83
They broke bread,
they socialize together
00:44:04.84\00:44:07.89
and they weren't
counting what kind of bread,
00:44:07.90\00:44:11.34
and what they were
having for breakfast.
00:44:11.35\00:44:15.49
They just enjoyed
each others company,
00:44:15.50\00:44:17.94
there's gonna come a
day when God's saints
00:44:17.95\00:44:20.03
and God's people
will enjoy each others
00:44:20.04\00:44:22.19
company no matter what.
00:44:22.20\00:44:23.97
I was at a camp
meeting. How was it.
00:44:23.98\00:44:26.60
I'm a renegade anyway.
I was at a camp meeting?
00:44:26.61\00:44:28.40
And they had at that
camp meeting God forbid.
00:44:28.41\00:44:31.45
They had at that camp meeting,
00:44:31.46\00:44:32.71
chocolate cake. Now
I do not like chocolate
00:44:32.72\00:44:36.51
cake not because I'm virtuous,
00:44:36.52\00:44:38.49
now I like a
sneaker bar now and then,
00:44:38.50\00:44:41.41
but I did not
like chocolate cake,
00:44:41.42\00:44:43.30
and we went through
and I met the pastor,
00:44:43.31\00:44:45.06
a friend of mine,
and he took a piece
00:44:45.07\00:44:46.49
of chocolate cake.
And I didn't not because
00:44:46.50\00:44:49.95
I was virtuous. I
don't like chocolate cake
00:44:49.96\00:44:52.69
and so we sat down
and this doctrine's
00:44:52.70\00:44:55.34
wife came, sat
down across from us.
00:44:55.35\00:44:58.57
It's amazing
they can so educated
00:44:58.58\00:45:00.44
and be so stupid.
He looked across the
00:45:00.45\00:45:06.49
table at the
chocolate cake cake and began
00:45:06.50\00:45:09.06
to rant and range
about how terrible
00:45:09.07\00:45:10.71
that chocolate cake was.
00:45:10.72\00:45:12.01
What it was going
to do for him and so
00:45:12.02\00:45:14.17
I got so, I mean I
prayed but I got up
00:45:14.18\00:45:16.74
and I got two
pieces of chocolate cake
00:45:16.75\00:45:19.36
and sat out and ate
it in front of them.
00:45:19.37\00:45:21.43
God help me.
Amazing we sanctimonious.
00:45:21.44\00:45:30.16
They broke bread together,
00:45:36.14\00:45:37.73
I prayed there come a day when
00:45:37.74\00:45:39.35
we can have
socials without someone
00:45:39.36\00:45:41.08
looking over our
shoulder and telling
00:45:41.09\00:45:42.91
us what we
shouldn't do with our kids.
00:45:42.92\00:45:45.47
I'll ask you this,
where are your kids?
00:45:47.70\00:45:49.49
I know where
they are, they're both
00:45:49.50\00:45:51.35
preaching this
day. But we ate popcorn.
00:45:51.36\00:45:56.39
They prayed. The
church that loves Bible,
00:46:00.33\00:46:06.86
listen to me, you
want to come back,
00:46:06.87\00:46:08.56
you want to have a new
relationship with Jesus.
00:46:08.57\00:46:10.75
Well remember,
repent, repeat, do the things
00:46:10.76\00:46:18.06
you did before. Each
step rekindles our love
00:46:18.07\00:46:24.28
for Christ. Each step
we get closer to Christ,
00:46:24.29\00:46:28.67
we get so close
to Jesus. Repent and
00:46:28.68\00:46:33.78
then forth of he says remain.
00:46:33.79\00:46:35.41
Listen to me,
you can't beat me out
00:46:35.42\00:46:37.59
of this church,
you can't quote me
00:46:37.60\00:46:41.41
out of this church.
Well I'm here for the
00:46:41.42\00:46:48.23
long run. I have
given everything to it.
00:46:48.24\00:46:52.39
I told my doctor,
my doctor said to me
00:46:52.40\00:46:55.20
the other day he
said, Mr. Halvorsen,
00:46:55.21\00:46:57.19
he says, you
got to take it easy.
00:46:57.20\00:47:00.23
He said, I should why,
why I have a fibrillation,
00:47:00.24\00:47:04.58
so you could,
actually could I die from that?
00:47:04.59\00:47:06.65
He says, yeah. I
said, could I live with it.
00:47:06.66\00:47:09.33
He says, yeah, I
said so either way I went.
00:47:09.34\00:47:13.10
If I die I'm
gonna be with the Lord
00:47:13.11\00:47:18.01
because he's going to come.
00:47:18.02\00:47:19.00
If I live I work for
him so both ways doc.
00:47:19.01\00:47:21.95
What about you? Remain, remain,
00:47:21.96\00:47:32.50
I remember my baptism
in Brooklyn, New York.
00:47:32.51\00:47:35.77
I was only one in my family but
00:47:35.78\00:47:37.40
I had the privilege
of leading my mother
00:47:37.41\00:47:38.77
to Christ. My four
brothers to Christ,
00:47:38.78\00:47:42.20
my drunken father to Christ,
00:47:42.21\00:47:44.62
was a deacon in a
church open the first,
00:47:44.63\00:47:46.65
open the first,
the last to lock up,
00:47:46.66\00:47:48.40
you know the kind,
until the day he died
00:47:48.41\00:47:50.30
he was faithful
to Jesus. My mother
00:47:50.31\00:47:52.00
was faithful to
Jesus, my four brothers
00:47:52.01\00:47:54.48
are faithful to
Jesus. Listen to me,
00:47:54.49\00:47:56.72
I love this church,
the storm's building.
00:47:56.73\00:48:03.34
Don't lose that
love. If you've lost it,
00:48:07.48\00:48:11.12
take the steps back,
the Lord's coming soon,
00:48:11.13\00:48:18.03
the storm's building
not gonna get easier.
00:48:18.04\00:48:20.93
Listen, it's not
going to get easier.
00:48:20.94\00:48:24.02
If you can't stand
it now, you won't stand
00:48:24.03\00:48:26.26
it three months from now.
00:48:26.27\00:48:28.23
When I was a
little boy I used to love
00:48:28.24\00:48:31.37
to go fishing,
by the way I still
00:48:31.38\00:48:33.35
love to go
fishing, everybody that
00:48:33.36\00:48:34.67
knows me. Now they ask me what
00:48:34.68\00:48:36.11
I do with the fish?
Give me a break here,
00:48:36.12\00:48:38.05
I mean they even try to ruse,
00:48:38.06\00:48:41.46
I go to fishing when I
come back my wife says,
00:48:41.47\00:48:43.59
catch any? I said, no
honey, I went fishing,
00:48:43.60\00:48:46.07
catching is a different sport.
00:48:46.08\00:48:47.82
So, a little boy who
wanted to go fishing,
00:48:58.06\00:49:00.96
that's what I
wanted out of life.
00:49:00.97\00:49:02.12
I want to go
fishing. My daddy was drunk
00:49:02.13\00:49:04.54
from Friday night
till Monday morning
00:49:04.55\00:49:06.28
and we had not fishing poles we
00:49:06.29\00:49:09.26
lived in a
tenement, cold water well
00:49:09.27\00:49:13.00
we had hot water in the summer,
00:49:13.01\00:49:14.11
cold in the
winter. And I'd asked him,
00:49:14.12\00:49:18.71
daddy could we go
fishing, could we go
00:49:18.72\00:49:20.11
fishing, bugged
him, he never, yeah
00:49:20.12\00:49:22.72
we're gonna go someday son,
00:49:22.73\00:49:24.04
we're gonna go fishing.
00:49:24.05\00:49:25.63
One morning, Saturday morning,
00:49:25.64\00:49:28.72
this busy Saturday morning,
00:49:28.73\00:49:31.04
I was shaken
awake in my bed which
00:49:31.05\00:49:33.54
was Billy's bed,
which was Warren's bed,
00:49:33.55\00:49:35.06
which was
Richard's bed, which was
00:49:35.07\00:49:36.44
Elle's bed,
which, the neighborhood
00:49:36.45\00:49:39.77
kids the bed. And
my daddy and I smelled,
00:49:39.78\00:49:44.75
they don't show
you that on Budweiser
00:49:44.76\00:49:47.91
commercials, do
they? Oh, always a chick
00:49:47.92\00:49:50.61
on each arm, come
on what a deception.
00:49:50.62\00:49:53.19
Can't you see for what it is?
00:49:53.20\00:49:54.71
They don't show
you sick and vomit,
00:49:54.72\00:49:56.34
they don't show
you beating the wife at
00:49:56.35\00:49:57.97
home, they don't show your mommy
00:49:57.98\00:49:59.82
with bloody mouth,
they don't show you that,
00:49:59.83\00:50:01.97
they don't show you that.
00:50:01.98\00:50:05.60
And my dad says,
let's go fishing son.
00:50:05.61\00:50:09.54
He think he had to
chase me out of bed,
00:50:09.55\00:50:11.55
to give me a sermon
to get me out of bed.
00:50:11.56\00:50:14.08
I jumped out and
landed in my sneakers.
00:50:14.09\00:50:16.98
Got on the bus
went to Sheepshead Bay.
00:50:19.54\00:50:22.57
My daddy had the rink poles.
00:50:22.58\00:50:24.18
We had no poles.
Dad rented a little
00:50:24.19\00:50:27.59
boat with a outboard on it.
00:50:27.60\00:50:29.09
Being Norwegian, I
knew I was in safe hands,
00:50:29.10\00:50:32.50
by the way you
brethren always do
00:50:32.51\00:50:34.87
this to me at this camp.
00:50:34.88\00:50:35.85
You try to make
a swede out of me.
00:50:35.86\00:50:37.64
Spell my name
right please, anyway.
00:50:37.65\00:50:40.35
We'll talk about
that later, but anyway,
00:50:40.36\00:50:43.28
drive out in the Atlantic.
00:50:43.29\00:50:46.69
I'm fishing, not
catching, fishing,
00:50:46.70\00:50:52.31
my dad's fishing,
the storm's coming up.
00:50:52.32\00:50:55.57
While looking at
the storm and wow!
00:50:55.58\00:51:00.05
Looking at the
storm and I'm a little boy
00:51:00.06\00:51:04.00
in this big boat
and the storm and
00:51:04.01\00:51:06.04
I'm looking I'm spending all my
00:51:06.05\00:51:07.75
time looking at
the storm and soon
00:51:07.76\00:51:08.94
I'm crying but I
didn't want my daddy
00:51:08.95\00:51:10.42
to see these big boy don't cry,
00:51:10.43\00:51:11.88
I wasn't became a
Christian discovered
00:51:11.89\00:51:13.53
big boys do cry and I am crying
00:51:13.54\00:51:16.02
then my dad says,
well I think it's time
00:51:16.03\00:51:20.12
we go home son.
But what happened is
00:51:20.13\00:51:22.35
I took my eyes off
the storm was looking
00:51:22.36\00:51:23.92
in the face of my
father, and as long as
00:51:23.93\00:51:26.98
I concentrated on
the face of my father
00:51:26.99\00:51:28.64
I didn't worry about the storm.
00:51:28.65\00:51:30.91
A big problem at
the church today,
00:51:30.92\00:51:32.23
every new sign you
love, hey, if I wrote
00:51:32.24\00:51:35.21
book on a 20
foot Tsunami you won't
00:51:35.22\00:51:38.02
buy it 'cause
you're sign watchers,
00:51:38.03\00:51:42.00
you're sign
watchers. I wrote a book on
00:51:42.01\00:51:44.71
when the Sunday
Law's gonna happen
00:51:44.72\00:51:45.93
boom you buy it
like that, but don't
00:51:45.94\00:51:48.73
look at he storm,
look at Jesus because
00:51:48.74\00:51:53.61
the signs can't get
you out of the storm,
00:51:53.62\00:51:56.72
only Jesus. They
lost their first love.
00:51:56.73\00:52:04.46
Father, we art in heaven,
00:52:04.47\00:52:05.44
I humbly bow in your presence.
00:52:05.45\00:52:07.17
Storm's building,
we're seeing people
00:52:07.18\00:52:11.36
ship wrecked on every hand.
00:52:11.37\00:52:13.01
We're seeing a
church Lord that's Laodicea.
00:52:13.02\00:52:15.98
We're seeing a
church so lukewarm
00:52:15.99\00:52:17.71
they don't even come
to church any longer.
00:52:17.72\00:52:20.30
We're raising a
new generation of
00:52:20.31\00:52:22.52
non-believers like
agnostics, humanists,
00:52:22.53\00:52:27.17
seculars,
materialists, oh God please
00:52:27.18\00:52:32.37
save us, wake us
up, help us to recover
00:52:32.38\00:52:38.52
what we've lost
if we've lost it.
00:52:38.53\00:52:41.97
There maybe some here right now
00:52:41.98\00:52:44.40
who come to this camp
meeting you're outside,
00:52:44.41\00:52:46.23
the divorce
proceeding is already
00:52:46.24\00:52:47.84
taking place but
you want to return
00:52:47.85\00:52:51.58
to that first love.
With your head bowed,
00:52:51.59\00:52:55.15
your eyes closed
if there's some that
00:52:55.16\00:52:56.39
would like me to
pray for you that
00:52:56.40\00:52:58.00
you'll return
to that first love.
00:52:58.01\00:52:59.35
Just lift up your
hand quietly right here
00:52:59.36\00:53:01.15
and let me pray
for you, hold the hands
00:53:01.16\00:53:02.67
up right now. God
bless you, so many
00:53:02.68\00:53:04.49
hands here. Now
listen hold it up,
00:53:04.50\00:53:06.31
don't be ashamed
now. You're not ashamed
00:53:06.32\00:53:08.26
of your love, I'm
not ashamed of my wife,
00:53:08.27\00:53:09.88
if she was here I'd hold her up.
00:53:09.89\00:53:11.87
God you see the hands, they want
00:53:11.88\00:53:13.85
to return to you
to the God of their
00:53:13.86\00:53:16.31
childhood. Bless
them, I pray in Christ name,
00:53:16.32\00:53:19.40
amen, and amen. God bless you.
00:53:19.41\00:53:21.90
Before I begin
the message tonight
00:53:22.66\00:53:24.15
I got to finish
the story I started
00:53:24.16\00:53:25.77
this morning,
alright, would you like
00:53:25.78\00:53:28.44
to hear the end,
alright. I you know,
00:53:28.45\00:53:32.36
I must have to
see, I wish my wife had
00:53:32.37\00:53:35.23
been here. She
would have jumped up
00:53:35.24\00:53:36.66
and said, you got
to finish the story,
00:53:36.67\00:53:38.95
so everybody
they didn't say Ron,
00:53:38.96\00:53:41.21
good to see you,
what about the story?
00:53:41.22\00:53:43.40
What's the end of the story?
00:53:43.41\00:53:44.46
What's the end of the story?
00:53:44.47\00:53:45.58
So I figured I
better tell you the end
00:53:45.59\00:53:47.57
and then get to the beginning,
00:53:47.58\00:53:48.68
so we'll stall at the end.
00:53:48.69\00:53:50.59
Well, I would like to
know I called the father
00:53:50.60\00:53:53.81
and the father
repented and wanted
00:53:53.82\00:53:56.25
his daughter
home and so on my way
00:53:56.26\00:53:58.75
back to Brooklyn I
stopped at LaGuardia
00:53:58.76\00:54:00.44
airport and
brought a one way ticket
00:54:00.45\00:54:01.92
to California. I
figured if I was gonna
00:54:01.93\00:54:05.02
ask you to get
out I needed a way
00:54:05.03\00:54:06.76
for her to get out.
Don't ask people to get out,
00:54:06.77\00:54:09.59
not give them a way
out. So I took the ticket
00:54:09.60\00:54:13.36
and I got my car
drove back to the
00:54:13.37\00:54:14.68
neighborhood,
and ran up the stairs
00:54:14.69\00:54:16.70
and boom, boom, by the way don't
00:54:16.71\00:54:19.04
wait for people
to get right for you
00:54:19.05\00:54:20.73
to do right. I
mean I'm throwing pearls
00:54:20.74\00:54:26.81
out of here, I
hope you understand
00:54:26.82\00:54:28.17
what I'm saying.
And so I knocked boom,
00:54:28.18\00:54:37.52
boom, on the door
and it was boom, boom,
00:54:37.53\00:54:39.81
finally she came to
the door opened up and,
00:54:39.82\00:54:41.45
she didn't ask who I was then,
00:54:41.46\00:54:43.47
she knew who I was,
she unlocked the locks
00:54:43.48\00:54:45.77
and I said, your
daddy wants you home.
00:54:45.78\00:54:47.65
She said, I can't
believe that I said,
00:54:47.66\00:54:49.67
look here's the
ticket. She started to cry,
00:54:49.68\00:54:56.23
of course, I was
crying by that time big lug
00:54:56.24\00:54:59.03
you know I did a
holy dance, I can't,
00:54:59.04\00:55:03.01
I can't do those
things it's terrible,
00:55:03.02\00:55:04.96
a right brained person
in a left-brained church.
00:55:04.97\00:55:07.20
Do you know
that? You know because
00:55:07.21\00:55:10.70
I sit on my
hands you know I don't
00:55:10.71\00:55:11.99
want to be a
religious in the Advent,
00:55:12.00\00:55:13.73
you know I got so
carried away other
00:55:13.74\00:55:15.62
day in the sermon,
preacher was preaching
00:55:15.63\00:55:17.43
I raised my hand
and gave praise and
00:55:17.44\00:55:20.54
the preacher knew me, he stopped
00:55:20.55\00:55:21.71
and he said brother Halvorsen,
00:55:21.72\00:55:22.69
you have a
question, I said, no, I have
00:55:22.70\00:55:23.80
the answer then I
finally sat down on
00:55:23.81\00:55:27.05
my hands the rested of the day.
00:55:27.06\00:55:28.44
What make you
left-brainers think
00:55:28.45\00:55:29.84
right-brainers are unholy.
00:55:29.85\00:55:31.98
Anyway, I get off that.
00:55:31.99\00:55:33.51
Anyway, so I did a holy dance.
00:55:33.52\00:55:36.07
Next day I took
her to the airport
00:55:36.08\00:55:38.85
and the little
one, I was holding the
00:55:38.86\00:55:40.82
little one in my
arms and had to say
00:55:40.83\00:55:43.46
goodbye. I
leaned over and handed
00:55:43.47\00:55:48.22
the little baby to mom, and gave
00:55:48.23\00:55:50.48
them both a
hug, and sent them on
00:55:50.49\00:55:52.68
their way. Five years
later I was in Anaheim,
00:55:52.69\00:55:56.53
California
preaching to 37,000 Adventists
00:55:56.54\00:55:59.62
in the Anaheim convention center
00:55:59.63\00:56:02.23
camp meeting.
And after I finished
00:56:02.24\00:56:04.07
I came down in the front.
00:56:04.08\00:56:05.50
People you know how they do it,
00:56:05.51\00:56:06.71
they come down
and say, remember me.
00:56:06.72\00:56:09.13
She come down
and she was standing
00:56:09.14\00:56:11.75
beautiful woman
and a little girl
00:56:11.76\00:56:14.05
and a handsome man.
00:56:14.06\00:56:15.56
She said, remember me.
00:56:15.57\00:56:16.58
I said, I can't remember me,
00:56:16.59\00:56:17.65
I got to look in
mirror twice every
00:56:17.66\00:56:19.03
morning to see who I am?
00:56:19.04\00:56:21.35
She kind of laughed
and She said, boom, boom.
00:56:21.36\00:56:28.37
I said, Brooklyn,
she said, yeah, she said,
00:56:28.38\00:56:32.73
I went to home my
daddy and he loved me
00:56:32.74\00:56:34.99
and sent me to PUC
and I got an education,
00:56:35.00\00:56:38.62
I became an elementary school
00:56:38.63\00:56:40.27
teacher in one of
our church schools,
00:56:40.28\00:56:41.96
and I met this
wonderful Adventist Christian
00:56:41.97\00:56:46.34
and we got
married and this is the
00:56:46.35\00:56:49.31
little one growing
up. That's the rest
00:56:49.32\00:56:53.14
of the story. Can you say, amen.
00:56:53.15\00:56:56.83
God is all powerful,
amen. God is all powerful.
00:56:56.84\00:57:00.45
And I needed to share that,
00:57:00.46\00:57:02.21
that text with you
and that wonderful story.
00:57:02.22\00:57:05.87