Our Father, which art in heaven,
00:01:00.83\00:01:04.93
and here on earth, in
heaven and in our hearts,
00:01:07.28\00:01:12.95
we humbly bound your
presence to thank you
00:01:14.82\00:01:16.80
for your great love.
You have loved us even
00:01:16.83\00:01:22.42
when we've been
unlovable. You've soothed us
00:01:22.45\00:01:28.08
and loved us even
when we were acting like
00:01:28.11\00:01:31.72
children. We pray as
we open your word tonight
00:01:31.75\00:01:37.51
that we might see
you high and lift it up,
00:01:37.54\00:01:39.92
the Lord of glory. We
speak through your word
00:01:41.89\00:01:45.31
that we might leave
this place different men,
00:01:46.57\00:01:48.25
different women,
different preacher.
00:01:48.28\00:01:50.44
For I ask in the
name of Christ, amen.
00:01:52.85\00:01:57.33
This is the age of
the half-read page;
00:01:59.92\00:02:01.60
the quick hash;
and the mad dash;
00:02:03.95\00:02:05.39
the bright night
with nerves tight;
00:02:07.23\00:02:09.09
the plane hop
and the brief stop.
00:02:10.45\00:02:11.89
And the lamp tan
and a brief span;
00:02:12.59\00:02:13.92
and the big shot
in the right spot;
00:02:14.98\00:02:16.21
and the brain
strain and the heart pain;
00:02:17.65\00:02:19.16
and the cat naps
till the spring snaps,
00:02:19.19\00:02:21.15
and the fun's done. Amen.
00:02:21.18\00:02:24.09
I don't know if
that's good poetry,
00:02:25.06\00:02:26.10
but I believe it
describes the age in which you
00:02:26.13\00:02:27.72
and I live. I mean
this is the age of dry eyes,
00:02:27.75\00:02:31.62
hard noses, cold
feet. It follows the wind,
00:02:33.66\00:02:38.82
it loves the
vacuum, that's our age.
00:02:38.85\00:02:41.38
It is the attitude
of blessed almighty,
00:02:42.20\00:02:43.89
for they shall make
money, that's our age.
00:02:44.29\00:02:47.74
Blessed are the
smooth for they shall never
00:02:49.43\00:02:52.23
get wrinkled, or
blessed are the cool for they
00:02:52.26\00:02:58.37
shall never
sweat, that's our age.
00:02:58.40\00:03:02.41
It's an age that
sits around bragging about
00:03:03.78\00:03:05.67
its accomplishments,
look, see what we've done.
00:03:05.70\00:03:08.76
I mean look split
atoms, split nations,
00:03:08.79\00:03:12.28
split homes, and
split personalities,
00:03:12.31\00:03:15.20
that's our age. We
sent tons of tin into
00:03:15.23\00:03:19.91
outer space, and we
don't have the foggiest idea
00:03:19.94\00:03:24.24
of what to do with
the space we already have.
00:03:24.27\00:03:26.41
We walk in space,
but we're afraid to walk
00:03:28.63\00:03:31.76
in some
neighborhoods, that's our age.
00:03:31.79\00:03:33.57
I mean what an age,
we talk about brotherhood
00:03:35.63\00:03:37.51
yet we know down in our hearts,
00:03:37.54\00:03:38.74
there are more hoods
than there are brothers.
00:03:38.77\00:03:40.36
That's the twenty first century,
00:03:43.11\00:03:44.12
the first decade of
it, and that's our age.
00:03:45.99\00:03:50.58
And if you don't
believe that while you're
00:03:51.43\00:03:54.51
trying to decide on
what kind of TV dinner
00:03:54.54\00:03:57.08
to pop into the
microwave, twenty new corpses
00:03:57.11\00:04:00.28
show up on American streets.
00:04:00.31\00:04:01.99
I mean for no better
reason and someone took
00:04:04.31\00:04:06.56
the wrong turn
in the neighborhood,
00:04:06.59\00:04:08.55
or a bunch of
unemployed kids are fighting
00:04:10.19\00:04:12.03
for a little more turf,
trying to get little more
00:04:12.06\00:04:13.88
territory, or someone
has tried to fulfill his
00:04:13.91\00:04:18.54
fantasy of a frill
kill, and for no reason at all
00:04:18.57\00:04:22.64
to shoot a man down in
cold blood, what an age.
00:04:22.67\00:04:26.35
I mean it over
eats, it over drinks,
00:04:26.38\00:04:28.08
it over spends, it
over plays, an age we walk
00:04:28.11\00:04:31.58
delicately, we think
slovenly, we live dolly and
00:04:31.61\00:04:34.89
we sleep poorly. We
take a pill to go to sleep
00:04:34.92\00:04:40.05
at night, and a pill to get up,
00:04:40.08\00:04:42.05
and make it through
the day. We talk about
00:04:43.17\00:04:45.12
overpasses, and underpasses,
00:04:45.15\00:04:47.13
and bypasses, that's our age.
00:04:47.16\00:04:49.87
We know more about
the bomb than we do
00:04:51.18\00:04:52.76
about the Bible, what
an age. Grown men wrapped
00:04:52.79\00:04:55.39
in intellectual
clothes, or swaddling clothes
00:04:55.42\00:04:58.32
of intellectualism,
long sentences, long words,
00:04:58.35\00:05:01.73
short on meaning.
Its above all an age
00:05:01.76\00:05:07.23
of gadget filled
paradise suspended in the
00:05:07.26\00:05:10.92
hell of
insecurity, that's our age.
00:05:10.95\00:05:12.63
Its above all an age
of unexamined concept,
00:05:12.66\00:05:15.26
limp images, and limber
lips. It knows everything
00:05:15.29\00:05:17.85
about sex but
nothing about love,
00:05:17.88\00:05:19.97
that's our age. Some
girls on TV slobbering
00:05:20.00\00:05:28.75
all over some stranger,
going the limit because
00:05:28.78\00:05:31.62
they think they maybe a
millionaire, what an age.
00:05:31.65\00:05:34.56
Kids living together
today, well you have a red car,
00:05:36.90\00:05:40.20
I notice I have a red
car. We have something
00:05:40.23\00:05:42.54
in common, lets
have a relationship,
00:05:42.57\00:05:44.85
give me a break. Reality show,
00:05:44.88\00:05:52.35
that is a joke,
reality, its fantasy.
00:05:52.38\00:05:56.88
Its above all an age
of fast buck, listen,
00:05:57.48\00:05:59.54
the goof off, the fixed price,
00:05:59.57\00:06:01.19
the half done job.
Its above all an age
00:06:01.22\00:06:03.51
of smooth of the
interethnic and smooth
00:06:03.54\00:06:06.17
cliche and
bottomless relativism,
00:06:06.20\00:06:08.28
and a new morality
which we know is nothing
00:06:08.31\00:06:10.62
but immorality
uncovered. Like Israel of old
00:06:10.65\00:06:16.61
it says of the age,
though the word of Lord
00:06:16.64\00:06:18.73
was rare in those
days, and there was no
00:06:18.76\00:06:22.18
frequent vision, and
added to all of this confusion.
00:06:22.21\00:06:27.79
It's an age that
wonders about in an a stupor,
00:06:30.02\00:06:31.91
and wonders
what's wrong with us.
00:06:31.94\00:06:33.22
We have everything
but the real thing.
00:06:35.24\00:06:37.01
He knows so much and
understands so little,
00:06:39.24\00:06:41.47
that's our age. He is
fearful and frustrated
00:06:41.50\00:06:44.16
by the emptiness of his heart,
00:06:44.19\00:06:45.55
asking a thousand
questions that have no
00:06:45.58\00:06:47.82
substance and no purpose,
fulfilling the prophetic
00:06:47.85\00:06:50.85
word of God,
because when they knew God,
00:06:50.88\00:06:52.94
they glorified him,
not as God, gave thanks,
00:06:52.97\00:06:55.89
nor gave thanks,
but became vain in their
00:06:55.92\00:06:57.72
reasoning, and
their foolish heart was
00:06:57.75\00:07:00.32
darkened,
professing themselves wise,
00:07:00.35\00:07:02.11
they became
foolish. Post modern man
00:07:02.14\00:07:07.90
is asking the wrong
questions, therefore he
00:07:07.93\00:07:12.07
is getting the wrong answers.
00:07:12.10\00:07:13.23
What is our
responsibility to this age?
00:07:14.75\00:07:17.23
What is the church's
responsibility to this
00:07:18.31\00:07:20.19
post modern age? I
mean it is to be Christian
00:07:20.87\00:07:23.74
I think, it's to
act as Christian.
00:07:23.77\00:07:27.38
In fact Jesus commanded
us that we are to be the
00:07:28.83\00:07:30.89
salt of the earth, we
are to be the light of the
00:07:30.92\00:07:33.38
world, and salt
preserves the truth, and
00:07:33.41\00:07:35.92
light shares the
truth. To answer the question,
00:07:35.95\00:07:39.27
to provide the
solution for post modernism
00:07:39.30\00:07:41.73
is found in the
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:07:41.76\00:07:43.94
It's found in his
word. God has a solution.
00:07:43.97\00:07:46.58
God speaks and
he does not stutter.
00:07:47.14\00:07:48.98
The problem with
our world is this.
00:07:55.58\00:07:56.74
It has a mind but it
lacks a soul. You see,
00:07:58.81\00:08:04.01
it knows facts,
but it lacks faith.
00:08:05.25\00:08:08.93
It lacks above all
things hope for the future.
00:08:10.50\00:08:13.21
I mean it is a lack of
the soul that puts guns
00:08:13.67\00:08:15.72
in our hands, and
bombs in our planes,
00:08:15.75\00:08:17.94
and hate in our heart.
It is our job as Christians,
00:08:17.97\00:08:21.63
as believers, as
Adventist believers to help our
00:08:21.66\00:08:24.54
culture, to discover
its soul. I read the story
00:08:24.57\00:08:31.08
about a German poet.
He wrote the story and
00:08:31.11\00:08:35.72
told about a sculptor,
of course its one of those
00:08:35.75\00:08:38.97
stores like the
Rich man and Lazarus, but
00:08:39.00\00:08:41.30
it's a story like
brother O'Ffill likes to tell
00:08:41.33\00:08:45.07
in the morning, so I
can tell it in the evening.
00:08:45.76\00:08:47.44
It has no substance,
but it has a message.
00:08:52.08\00:08:53.81
He talked about a
sculptor who is so skilled
00:08:55.75\00:08:57.47
with his hands. He
could make anything that his
00:08:57.50\00:09:02.79
mind conceived of. One
day he determined to make
00:09:02.82\00:09:06.57
a man, I mean he
went into the studio.
00:09:06.60\00:09:10.02
He assembled the
needed materials and began
00:09:10.05\00:09:12.10
his work. He fashioned
the body, magnificent body,
00:09:12.13\00:09:19.39
something like this.
Well, I got one amen on that.
00:09:21.60\00:09:29.96
A magnificent body,
he placed in a finely
00:09:34.66\00:09:39.42
featured head, and
when he almost completed it,
00:09:39.45\00:09:48.54
the spirit, the
creature spoke to him. Master,
00:09:52.24\00:09:57.56
give me a soul. It
frightened the artist.
00:10:00.40\00:10:04.63
He ran from the
studio, he slammed the door,
00:10:06.14\00:10:08.10
but the creature
followed him saying you made
00:10:08.13\00:10:10.94
me a magnificent
body, now give me a soul.
00:10:10.97\00:10:13.42
You see that is the
dilemma of humanity.
00:10:14.08\00:10:16.11
They're running
to-and-fro across
00:10:16.63\00:10:17.77
the face of the
earth, and they're crying out
00:10:17.80\00:10:19.83
desperately from
within, give me a soul.
00:10:19.86\00:10:22.71
That has been the
problem with man ever since
00:10:28.39\00:10:29.71
the fall. Mankind
has a magnificent body,
00:10:29.74\00:10:34.33
an intelligent mind, but
he lacks a soul, lopsided
00:10:35.69\00:10:39.37
intellect, and
that's why he asks questions
00:10:41.27\00:10:45.45
which he is
incapable of answering.
00:10:45.48\00:10:47.31
I mean questions
that he cannot answer.
00:10:47.68\00:10:49.88
I traveled the
world, and I discovered that
00:10:49.91\00:10:52.18
there's basically three
questions that twenty first
00:10:52.21\00:10:56.17
century man is
asking. Three questions that
00:10:56.20\00:10:58.61
post modernism is asking us.
00:10:58.64\00:11:00.55
Three questions
that need to be answered,
00:11:00.84\00:11:02.54
the most important questions.
00:11:02.57\00:11:04.30
Create problem
when we share faith,
00:11:04.96\00:11:06.39
we have our agenda.
It's now time we listen
00:11:06.93\00:11:09.19
to the agenda of
those who we are seeking
00:11:09.22\00:11:11.70
to save that which is
lost, and they have three
00:11:11.73\00:11:16.78
basics questions. I
talked to them on university
00:11:16.81\00:11:19.55
campuses, I talked
to them in the cities,
00:11:19.58\00:11:22.86
I've talked to them
in places, mansions on
00:11:23.20\00:11:25.45
Central Park West,
I've talked to them in LA
00:11:26.04\00:11:28.82
and in Florida, and
all across the world,
00:11:28.85\00:11:32.56
the streets of
London, and in Oslo, Norway,
00:11:34.54\00:11:37.43
and Australia, in
Sydney and I can go on and
00:11:38.56\00:11:40.99
on and on. I've
talked to men and women,
00:11:41.02\00:11:42.57
tens of thousands
of them, and there are
00:11:42.60\00:11:44.51
three basic
questions of the human soul.
00:11:44.54\00:11:46.78
Three basic question,
where is God? Who am I?
00:11:47.20\00:11:51.60
And what must I do?
And those three questions
00:11:53.93\00:11:57.66
are asked by the
religious and the irreligious.
00:11:58.81\00:12:01.43
It's asked by the
intelligent and the
00:12:01.46\00:12:03.49
ignorant. They are
asked by different ways,
00:12:03.52\00:12:05.83
and different times,
but nevertheless they are
00:12:05.86\00:12:08.11
the questions asked,
and because everyone,
00:12:08.14\00:12:10.41
everywhere is
in desperate search
00:12:10.44\00:12:12.84
of his or her soul.
For alone gives us meaning,
00:12:12.87\00:12:18.93
why, because all
mankind desperately is searching
00:12:20.77\00:12:25.21
for purpose. For it
alone gives us purpose,
00:12:25.24\00:12:30.95
it alone give us
meaning, and it alone gives us
00:12:30.98\00:12:33.60
that purpose. Now the
first question is essential.
00:12:33.63\00:12:35.67
Where is God? You see at 9/11,
00:12:36.12\00:12:38.71
after 9/11 that fateful morning,
00:12:38.74\00:12:41.42
when America's asked
the question where is God.
00:12:41.45\00:12:43.92
In fact the most asked
question of the people,
00:12:43.95\00:12:46.30
of the families of
those who had gone through
00:12:46.33\00:12:48.56
that terrible
experience, was where was God?
00:12:48.59\00:12:51.64
Or where is God?
Sometimes it was asked
00:12:53.51\00:12:56.80
anxiously, the
survivors, the families,
00:12:56.83\00:12:59.60
by the fort leaders
and even by the clergy,
00:12:59.63\00:13:02.49
where is God? There
were numerous answers,
00:13:03.05\00:13:05.96
some wild eyed
fanatic fundamentalist said
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.88
he was there helping
the terrorists accomplish
00:13:09.47\00:13:11.75
the ugly deed, can you imagine?
00:13:12.44\00:13:14.28
Tragically many
religious leaders made a mockery
00:13:17.22\00:13:19.20
of God by their sick
insipid interpretation
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.64
of the God of the
Bible. Whatever we must admit
00:13:22.67\00:13:24.88
the question was
raised because in the heart
00:13:24.91\00:13:27.05
of everyone there is
a desire to know where
00:13:27.08\00:13:29.16
is God? And whether
it's in times of trouble,
00:13:29.19\00:13:32.16
or times of peace.
Some of us have found
00:13:32.79\00:13:35.28
your answer. He
is in the rubble,
00:13:35.31\00:13:38.69
searching and
seeking and comforting.
00:13:40.21\00:13:43.48
In 9/11 some proof
that God does not exist
00:13:44.35\00:13:47.57
they said. But I
found it to be proof that
00:13:48.10\00:13:50.24
God did exist.
Where was God in 9/11?
00:13:50.27\00:13:53.18
He was running up the stairs,
00:13:53.58\00:13:54.86
he was running up the
stairs to try to help the
00:13:55.55\00:13:58.10
people who were there perishing.
00:13:58.13\00:13:59.92
He was those brave
men, and those brave women
00:14:00.45\00:14:03.18
that were willing to
sacrifice their lives
00:14:03.21\00:14:05.22
in order to reach
those who had imprisoned
00:14:05.68\00:14:08.13
by the flames. Where was God?
00:14:08.16\00:14:10.30
Some argue the point
that no one has seen God,
00:14:19.20\00:14:21.49
and so he denies his existence.
00:14:23.02\00:14:24.50
He wants to
believe in things seen,
00:14:25.40\00:14:26.90
or things touched, or
things that are easily
00:14:27.34\00:14:29.42
explained,
forgetting that there are things
00:14:29.45\00:14:31.41
we do not know.
There are things we do
00:14:31.44\00:14:33.98
not fully
understand. And I don't care who
00:14:34.01\00:14:36.01
you are here
tonight. There are some things
00:14:36.04\00:14:38.05
you do not know.
It's hard to measure
00:14:38.08\00:14:45.43
the horizon with a yardstick.
00:14:45.46\00:14:47.90
A university professor
once said to his students,
00:14:50.80\00:14:53.06
I have swept the
heavens with my telescope,
00:14:53.57\00:14:55.98
and I find no God. What a fool.
00:14:56.60\00:15:00.05
If we could put God
into a little piece of glass,
00:15:03.24\00:15:05.92
what kind of God would that be.
00:15:07.45\00:15:10.55
A God that could be
defined by words of creed
00:15:11.99\00:15:14.69
could not be God, and
outlined in twenty seven
00:15:14.72\00:15:17.76
fundamental
beliefs could not be God;
00:15:17.79\00:15:20.37
he is too big for that.
If we could get our minds
00:15:20.40\00:15:27.61
clear around God,
we would have to begin
00:15:27.64\00:15:31.94
immediately to
doubt. For a God who could
00:15:31.97\00:15:35.19
create the galaxies of galaxies,
00:15:35.22\00:15:37.06
and yet whose spirit
prevails all living things,
00:15:37.09\00:15:39.23
he's hardly the God
that we can read in the
00:15:39.68\00:15:41.74
little book, or encompass
it little box of brains.
00:15:41.77\00:15:44.93
It is hard to bother
with a God who is no bigger
00:15:45.33\00:15:48.53
than our own
grasp. Where is God?
00:15:48.56\00:15:50.93
In our human
weakness we must answer them
00:15:51.40\00:15:52.97
by saying he is in history God.
00:15:53.00\00:15:55.36
And so I say to post modernism,
00:15:57.91\00:15:59.57
I say to those
living in this age,
00:15:59.60\00:16:01.43
I say where is
God? He is in history.
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.83
I tell you, there are
dim reflections of him,
00:16:04.28\00:16:06.57
you cannot go to any
civilization or uncivilized
00:16:06.89\00:16:10.76
nation, and go into
the deepest jungles without
00:16:10.79\00:16:13.87
finding the story
about this almighty God.
00:16:13.90\00:16:17.09
Shadows in a misty
mirror, look at creation
00:16:19.14\00:16:22.05
and we find God, think
of it, here we are frail
00:16:22.64\00:16:25.52
creatures of
living dust on a small out
00:16:25.55\00:16:27.99
of the way planet
who must be enveloped
00:16:28.02\00:16:30.09
by atmosphere and
hemmed in by rigid limits
00:16:30.12\00:16:32.73
of protection. If
we are to live at all,
00:16:32.76\00:16:35.37
we walk in narrow
path between extremities.
00:16:36.07\00:16:38.27
We can't stand too much high.
00:16:38.30\00:16:39.97
We can't stand too much low.
00:16:41.48\00:16:43.15
We can't stand too much heat,
00:16:44.11\00:16:45.91
and some of you out
there can't stand too
00:16:47.26\00:16:49.32
much cold, get the
drift. If our body temperature
00:16:49.85\00:16:59.70
goes up ten degrees
in most cases we're dead.
00:16:59.73\00:17:02.46
If our body temperature
goes down ten degrees
00:17:03.88\00:17:06.44
in most cases we are
dead. God is merciful,
00:17:06.47\00:17:10.10
we see it for he
has revealed himself in
00:17:10.39\00:17:12.20
history past. A
creation of world came into
00:17:12.23\00:17:14.80
being when the
heart beat of man began
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.40
and all the world
that was a garden.
00:17:17.43\00:17:18.96
Where is God? He
was in history past.
00:17:18.99\00:17:21.08
He was in Adam, sweet
son of his sinlessness,
00:17:21.49\00:17:23.83
made in his own
image. He was with Eve,
00:17:23.86\00:17:26.27
sweet daughter
of his sinlessness.
00:17:26.30\00:17:28.38
He put man to sleep
and then took wounded
00:17:28.73\00:17:31.25
the side of Adam,
brought forth the bride,
00:17:31.28\00:17:34.02
this was the prime rib.
Some of you will get that
00:17:34.67\00:17:43.67
on Thursday.
Made in his own image.
00:17:43.70\00:17:54.03
He was in history past this God,
00:17:55.53\00:17:57.10
when no other boat
built, he was with Abraham
00:17:58.34\00:18:00.08
the pioneer, he was with Isaac,
00:18:00.11\00:18:01.91
Jacob and the sons of
Jacob, he was in history
00:18:01.94\00:18:04.23
past every page of
biblical history with Moses
00:18:04.26\00:18:07.68
liberate of God's
people and with Isaiah master
00:18:07.71\00:18:10.15
writer and prophet.
He was history past.
00:18:10.18\00:18:12.60
He was at
Bethlehem swaddling clothes,
00:18:12.63\00:18:14.43
and cover his
shameful nakedness.
00:18:14.46\00:18:16.71
He was from Genesis to Jesus,
00:18:17.00\00:18:18.80
and Jesus to John.
Ancient history that tumbles out
00:18:18.83\00:18:21.76
from every
civilization, that tumbles out
00:18:21.79\00:18:24.38
from every page of every
holy writ of all religions,
00:18:24.41\00:18:28.33
this God who
impacts us to his creation.
00:18:28.93\00:18:31.48
God speaks and the
green grass sprouts
00:18:31.88\00:18:33.86
and the little
flowers blossom and pine tree
00:18:33.89\00:18:36.53
pointed his finger to
the sky and oaks spread
00:18:36.56\00:18:38.88
out its arms and
lakes curtailed down in the
00:18:38.91\00:18:41.44
hollows of the
Glen and rivers ran down
00:18:41.47\00:18:43.78
to the sea. Amen. Where is God?
00:18:43.81\00:18:48.18
Every time I walk upon
the fervent green grass
00:18:49.59\00:18:52.52
of the meadow, I
sense his presence.
00:18:52.55\00:18:55.67
Every time I look up
at the stars that spangle
00:18:57.12\00:18:59.21
the night, I sense
his presence. Every time
00:18:59.24\00:19:03.84
I touch and hold my
grand kids in my arms,
00:19:03.87\00:19:07.47
I sense, it's God
who was in history.
00:19:07.50\00:19:14.06
He was with
Luther at Wittenberg.
00:19:16.01\00:19:17.80
I mean he was with
Huss and Jerome with
00:19:18.56\00:19:19.80
the Stake, he was
with Christopher Columbus
00:19:19.83\00:19:21.89
when he stumbled on America.
00:19:21.92\00:19:23.20
I mean he was in
South Africa and Bosnia,
00:19:23.59\00:19:26.10
and Middle East taking no sides.
00:19:26.13\00:19:28.48
He is not a Republican,
and he is not a Democrat.
00:19:28.51\00:19:31.21
Thank God for that. I
hope they recorded it,
00:19:33.69\00:19:38.55
some things come
through inspiration.
00:19:39.85\00:19:41.18
He was behind the
wall and he was there
00:19:43.30\00:19:45.99
when the wall
came tumbling down.
00:19:46.02\00:19:47.41
I mean he is the
author of history.
00:19:48.72\00:19:49.97
He is the first
down in history and he is
00:19:50.41\00:19:53.71
the omega of history.
He cast his face across
00:19:53.74\00:19:56.65
the page of history.
There is no history written,
00:19:56.68\00:19:59.14
spoken where he is
not mentioned somehow,
00:19:59.17\00:20:02.09
in someway. We have
to tell post modernism
00:20:02.12\00:20:05.25
you need a soul, and
God fills the soul, amen.
00:20:05.28\00:20:10.49
Where is God? He is in
the torn tattered pages
00:20:11.65\00:20:16.22
of history, and man
has not escaped him.
00:20:16.25\00:20:19.56
I fled him down the
nights and down the days.
00:20:20.72\00:20:23.34
I fled him down the
arches of the years.
00:20:24.64\00:20:27.70
I fled him down the
libertine ways of my
00:20:28.07\00:20:30.33
own mind in the midst of tears.
00:20:30.36\00:20:32.47
I hid from him and
I'm the running laughter
00:20:32.74\00:20:35.51
for those strong
feet that followed,
00:20:35.99\00:20:38.12
followed after, you
cannot run far enough,
00:20:38.15\00:20:42.89
so surrender now,
turn around and open
00:20:42.92\00:20:45.71
your arms. Amen. Where is God?
00:20:45.74\00:20:49.25
History past
has not escaped him.
00:20:51.02\00:20:54.12
For he is the God of
history, he was in history,
00:20:55.28\00:20:59.04
but he was in Christ.
Listen to me, post modern,
00:21:00.66\00:21:04.31
you want to know
Christ. You want to know God,
00:21:04.34\00:21:07.83
look at Christ.
He was in Christ,
00:21:07.86\00:21:10.39
you say God in
Christ. He is the Emmanuel,
00:21:10.42\00:21:12.79
God with us; the story
of the Bible is a search,
00:21:12.82\00:21:15.83
God in pursuit of us, God
after us, God capturing us.
00:21:16.36\00:21:20.51
We are not going to
find God, he has found us.
00:21:21.00\00:21:23.93
How many times in
testimony, done it myself,
00:21:26.76\00:21:28.59
when I found God. No
God was waiting in the
00:21:29.30\00:21:31.75
alleyways for me to turn around,
00:21:31.78\00:21:33.27
God was there that
day at the academy when
00:21:33.75\00:21:35.68
I played hooky. God was
there in the stolen boat.
00:21:35.71\00:21:38.56
God was there when
all hell broke loose
00:21:38.98\00:21:41.79
in my house and all
hell broke loose in my mind.
00:21:41.82\00:21:45.54
God was there to touch me,
00:21:46.18\00:21:47.29
to calm this little
peace that passionate
00:21:47.32\00:21:49.64
understanding,
amen. Where is God?
00:21:49.67\00:21:53.06
He was in Christ,
and that's why there's
00:21:55.92\00:21:59.53
such an assault on Christ today.
00:21:59.56\00:22:01.30
That's why they're
trying, Hollywood is trying,
00:22:02.83\00:22:04.38
you see why
Hollywood hates him because he
00:22:04.41\00:22:06.38
teaches moral principles.
You see why politicians
00:22:06.41\00:22:10.62
hate him because
he teaches justice.
00:22:10.65\00:22:13.59
Every one that hates
God, because they have broken
00:22:14.71\00:22:17.69
the laws of God,
they have transgressed
00:22:17.72\00:22:20.06
the commands of God,
and therefore they do
00:22:20.09\00:22:22.43
not want that,
so they created God.
00:22:22.46\00:22:24.13
That has not been true
only of this generation
00:22:25.66\00:22:27.56
it's been true
of every generation,
00:22:27.59\00:22:29.68
when they wanted to
drink and party as and go wild,
00:22:29.71\00:22:34.57
they created a
God called Bacchus,
00:22:35.19\00:22:36.92
and he drank with
them, and so they celebrated
00:22:37.96\00:22:40.46
God. Then they
wanted unbridled passion,
00:22:41.06\00:22:45.91
when they wanted unbridled sex,
00:22:45.94\00:22:48.08
they created
Aphrodite. And when they want
00:22:48.51\00:22:50.13
to go to war and hate
and kill, they created Zeus
00:22:50.16\00:22:53.68
and Mars and created
Gods in their own mind
00:22:53.71\00:22:56.24
and in their own human being,
00:22:56.27\00:22:57.58
but this Jesus
impacted us as the divine
00:22:57.99\00:23:00.22
human being. Amen.
He was the creator,
00:23:00.25\00:23:06.13
and a sustainer,
and he was a savior,
00:23:06.16\00:23:08.25
and to say that
about him is to say a lot.
00:23:08.28\00:23:10.78
Not far away from us is
God as near as sunlight,
00:23:13.42\00:23:17.86
to the sod, so near to
the human heart is God.
00:23:20.16\00:23:26.49
Just as Christ is real
and was a living testimony
00:23:29.10\00:23:32.91
to a living God,
so show them Christ,
00:23:32.94\00:23:36.35
and you will show them God.
00:23:38.10\00:23:39.15
For if ye have seen
me, ye have seen God.
00:23:39.97\00:23:44.42
And God set out to
perform the highest act
00:23:46.12\00:23:48.03
of history, he didn't
come to the world to amid
00:23:48.68\00:23:50.54
the fanfare of
overwhelming majesty,
00:23:50.57\00:23:53.23
to beat men to their
knees, and drive them
00:23:53.26\00:23:55.72
to his way. He
came into loneliness,
00:23:55.75\00:23:57.70
to draw men by the
magnetism of grace,
00:23:57.73\00:24:00.27
and to draw them by
the magnetism of love.
00:24:00.30\00:24:02.83
I was sent to Grenage
Village to preach one time.
00:24:04.45\00:24:06.23
I told you the
Brethren went off to the
00:24:07.60\00:24:09.21
Philippines, they
sent me to Grenage Village.
00:24:09.24\00:24:10.54
By the way Grenage
Village is not the easiest place
00:24:13.29\00:24:15.61
to preach. The east
village at the time were
00:24:15.64\00:24:19.73
full of heroin
addicts, the west village were
00:24:19.76\00:24:21.73
the homosexuals.
I remember my wife
00:24:21.76\00:24:25.27
and I and my
son and my daughter,
00:24:25.30\00:24:26.87
and the preacher and his wife,
00:24:27.45\00:24:28.42
and his son were
giving out our hand bills
00:24:28.43\00:24:30.78
to get people
to come to meeting,
00:24:30.81\00:24:31.91
of course it was lay
activity, so the church
00:24:31.94\00:24:33.85
was laying down
somewhere sleeping,
00:24:33.88\00:24:35.21
lay activities.
And they would come by,
00:24:35.24\00:24:38.95
and I remember
when someone came by
00:24:38.98\00:24:40.08
and said are you gay?
I said, no, I'm happy,
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.54
so he kept going. And
that night when that little
00:24:41.57\00:24:52.56
church on West 11th Street,
00:24:52.59\00:24:54.56
I stood up to
preach, the saints of course
00:24:57.81\00:25:01.26
they knew it, so
they'd have to come but
00:25:01.29\00:25:02.70
there were quite
a few sinners there.
00:25:02.73\00:25:04.59
And as I stood up to
preach, four young men
00:25:07.14\00:25:09.21
came into the back
door, they were flying
00:25:09.24\00:25:12.58
their colors, gangs
fly colors or what they do
00:25:12.61\00:25:15.69
is wear certain things,
to distinguish the gangs.
00:25:15.72\00:25:19.51
And so I noticed
right away they were the
00:25:21.63\00:25:23.23
Social Sevens from
Mount Haven, South Bronx,
00:25:23.26\00:25:26.79
Social Sevens and
they approached and sat
00:25:29.52\00:25:33.11
in the front row,
four young men 19, 20, 21,
00:25:33.14\00:25:35.92
22 years old. And so
I stood up to preach and
00:25:35.95\00:25:40.09
I tell you I get such
enthusiastic power when
00:25:40.12\00:25:44.35
I know there are
sinners in the audience.
00:25:44.38\00:25:45.75
It's so hard with all
your saints to get excited.
00:25:45.78\00:25:48.68
And it's so hard for
you saints to get excited,
00:25:53.86\00:25:56.06
and so I stood up
and I saw the young men
00:25:59.86\00:26:01.39
and I preached and God
filled me with his spirit
00:26:01.42\00:26:03.98
and I preached as if
there were only four there
00:26:04.01\00:26:06.54
that night. And when I
finished, we stood to sing,
00:26:06.57\00:26:12.34
and when I stood to
sing they started out
00:26:13.09\00:26:14.06
and I didn't want to lose them.
00:26:14.36\00:26:15.62
And so I ran off
the side of platform,
00:26:18.01\00:26:19.39
this little door
out into the alleyway.
00:26:19.91\00:26:21.17
Churches between
tenements and little
00:26:24.54\00:26:26.21
alleyway and I
jumped over the ash barrels
00:26:26.24\00:26:28.16
and ran as fast as I
could and came around
00:26:28.91\00:26:31.07
and just then
those Social Sevens,
00:26:31.10\00:26:33.46
heroin addicts,
mainline heroin addicts
00:26:33.49\00:26:35.64
we're coming
down the front steps
00:26:37.45\00:26:38.54
and they saw me.
Man, you're the preacher,
00:26:41.75\00:26:49.56
you're in there and
I said no I'm out here.
00:26:52.33\00:26:56.90
They said but
why are you out here?
00:26:58.61\00:27:00.08
I said because you're out here.
00:27:00.60\00:27:01.91
I told them that God loved them.
00:27:05.34\00:27:06.51
I shared the
love of God with them,
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.13
and then I said
let me pray for you.
00:27:14.23\00:27:15.23
They said out here,
yeah we don't want to go
00:27:15.26\00:27:16.56
back in the church
to pray, and you know
00:27:16.59\00:27:20.28
New York is, I
just kind of bowed there
00:27:20.31\00:27:22.11
and they were
walking around us and over us
00:27:22.14\00:27:24.79
and I gave those boys a
big hug and send them off.
00:27:24.82\00:27:29.23
But you know with
addicts, they give you
00:27:30.97\00:27:32.35
a lot of promises and so
I couldn't sleep that night,
00:27:32.38\00:27:34.88
I prayed all night I
said God please bring
00:27:34.91\00:27:37.17
those four boys
back. Next night,
00:27:37.20\00:27:41.51
just before I
stood up to preach,
00:27:41.54\00:27:44.18
they came in and
sat in the front row,
00:27:44.21\00:27:45.78
and night after night. Amen. And
00:27:47.15\00:27:48.84
so finally I said
I'm coming to visit you.
00:27:49.61\00:27:51.17
By the way is
there any pastor here,
00:27:52.53\00:27:54.26
there is no such
thing as office hours
00:27:55.07\00:27:56.59
in the New Testament.
If you can show me then
00:27:58.38\00:28:01.62
fine. He never said I'll
see you between ten and two.
00:28:01.65\00:28:05.22
And so I found out
they were living on Falk
00:28:15.98\00:28:18.81
Street, by the way
Falk Street in South Bronx
00:28:18.84\00:28:23.16
had more mainline
heroin addicts on that
00:28:24.35\00:28:27.59
one street then any
other street in the world.
00:28:27.62\00:28:29.34
When I went down to
Falk Street I put five bucks
00:28:30.90\00:28:32.95
in my sock, and
two bucks in my pocket,
00:28:32.98\00:28:36.61
because if they mug me
or they're going to rob me,
00:28:37.94\00:28:39.51
I gave them, this is
all, I pull my pocket,
00:28:39.54\00:28:41.37
I never carried my wallet.
00:28:41.40\00:28:42.52
My wife says what
happens if you are,
00:28:44.16\00:28:45.58
I walk home, I
mean if I'm still alive.
00:28:46.54\00:28:49.75
I used to carry my Bible because
00:28:49.78\00:28:53.14
if they shot me they
have to go through Genesis,
00:28:53.17\00:28:55.03
Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers and Deuteronomy,
00:28:55.06\00:28:58.08
I mean that's how
bad the place was.
00:28:58.11\00:28:59.41
So I ran up the
stairs and down the hall
00:29:06.08\00:29:07.37
it's called the
shooting gallery,
00:29:07.40\00:29:08.63
they take over vacant building,
00:29:08.66\00:29:10.05
and there is no doors
flinging in the hallway
00:29:10.08\00:29:13.02
and I can't describe it for you.
00:29:13.05\00:29:15.85
I wish every kid
that ever gonna wants
00:29:17.98\00:29:19.28
to experiment in
drugs, let me take them
00:29:19.31\00:29:21.84
to Falk Street. I
wish I could take them to
00:29:21.87\00:29:26.01
shooting gallery, I
wish I could show them.
00:29:26.04\00:29:27.90
You know I
sometimes get so upset with
00:29:27.93\00:29:31.93
the church, because
to us all we're thinking
00:29:31.96\00:29:35.74
about nowadays
is our own health.
00:29:35.77\00:29:37.38
We're counting soy
beans and six hundred
00:29:38.87\00:29:40.30
and fifty thousand
babies are being born
00:29:40.33\00:29:42.19
addicted to drugs from
the very womb in America.
00:29:42.22\00:29:45.26
What have we done?
We'll live seven years
00:29:47.99\00:29:51.69
longer but those kids
won't live past thirty.
00:29:51.72\00:29:54.56
I found them in the
corner, sat down and I shared
00:30:01.52\00:30:07.36
Christ. You want to
know what I talk about day
00:30:09.63\00:30:11.23
and night, Jesus Christ, amen.
00:30:11.26\00:30:13.16
That is doctrine 1, doctrine 2,
00:30:14.60\00:30:16.85
doctrine 10, 12, 17, 27. Amen.
00:30:16.88\00:30:20.99
And I led them to
Christ. By the way you can,
00:30:31.69\00:30:34.75
you don't have to
take twenty seven weeks
00:30:34.78\00:30:36.41
to lead them to Christ, amen.
00:30:36.44\00:30:38.05
You lead them to Christ
and they'll go anywhere.
00:30:41.69\00:30:43.27
Do you understand
that? We're trying to get
00:30:43.30\00:30:46.35
them cleaned up before
we bring them to Christ,
00:30:46.38\00:30:48.69
that's an impossible
thing to do, bring him
00:30:50.02\00:30:52.19
to Christ and God
cleans them up, amen.
00:30:52.22\00:30:55.20
I took the heroin
and flushed it, okay.
00:30:58.08\00:31:01.98
We're baptized, three
of those four young men
00:31:03.33\00:31:07.52
are Seventh-day
Adventist preachers today, amen.
00:31:09.67\00:31:12.13
Did you amen, come on,
did you hear that, amen.
00:31:12.55\00:31:15.61
And the only reason
the fourth boy carried
00:31:16.68\00:31:18.57
his Bible around
the neighborhood,
00:31:18.60\00:31:20.06
but drugs have
blown his mind so bad
00:31:20.09\00:31:22.35
we couldn't put his mind back.
00:31:22.38\00:31:24.52
I just visited two
other boys in California
00:31:27.63\00:31:30.71
and I asked how is
my little friend doing
00:31:32.09\00:31:33.98
and they said well he is
still in the institution.
00:31:35.31\00:31:36.90
I wish I had
gotten to him sooner,
00:31:43.42\00:31:44.75
I wish I had
gotten to him sooner.
00:31:48.35\00:31:49.67
Did not win them
with rules and regulation,
00:31:53.75\00:31:55.75
you win them with love, amen.
00:31:55.78\00:31:58.15
He is the author and
finisher of our faith.
00:32:00.22\00:32:01.87
He is reconciling
the world unto himself.
00:32:02.51\00:32:04.95
History describes the
blood flowing from the
00:32:04.98\00:32:07.74
Euphrates to Jordan,
from Sinai to Calvary,
00:32:07.77\00:32:10.90
from the crib to the
coming. I appreciated so much
00:32:10.93\00:32:17.56
what Pastor O'Ffill
said this morning about the
00:32:17.59\00:32:20.80
fruits of the spirit;
talk a lot about just like you
00:32:20.83\00:32:24.95
said was worth
coming. We talk a lot about
00:32:24.98\00:32:28.28
the gifts but a
little bit of the fruit.
00:32:28.31\00:32:30.38
Fruit of the spirit
is brotherly love one
00:32:32.49\00:32:35.64
to another, amen. Peace and joy,
00:32:35.67\00:32:39.54
I mean the blood
flowed from Calvary,
00:32:41.56\00:32:43.60
I mean from Sinai to
Calvary from the crib
00:32:44.04\00:32:46.09
to the coming. This
holy book I hold in my hands
00:32:46.12\00:32:48.57
I hold it in my head,
and I hold it my heart,
00:32:48.60\00:32:51.76
you see speaks of
that. Jesus God man and
00:32:51.79\00:32:56.74
that brought us out of bondage.
00:32:56.77\00:32:58.04
This holy book
in my hand suggests,
00:32:59.30\00:33:01.56
no not suggests, it
declares that it was Jesus,
00:33:01.59\00:33:06.39
the God man that kept
us from the penalty and
00:33:07.90\00:33:10.07
the power of sin, I
mean where is he? Jesus,
00:33:10.10\00:33:12.99
he is in this very
room. Amen. An atheist and
00:33:13.02\00:33:17.83
Christian were in the
foxhole on the battlefield,
00:33:17.86\00:33:20.20
and you know atheists
love to use that against us,
00:33:20.63\00:33:22.93
as if God started the
war, isn't that amazing,
00:33:23.80\00:33:27.49
as if God started the
war. Hey, let me tell you,
00:33:29.10\00:33:32.93
God didn't start this
war in Iraq, Bush did.
00:33:33.44\00:33:35.50
I'll get off it. But the
atheist and Christian were
00:33:37.21\00:33:41.36
in the same foxhole,
and there were the battered
00:33:41.39\00:33:44.16
bodies laying on
dead man's land. Bombs,
00:33:44.19\00:33:48.52
mortars flying over
him, some laying their
00:33:48.55\00:33:52.53
twisted bodes and
others just half alive crying
00:33:52.56\00:33:55.43
out and the atheist
elbows the Christian says
00:33:55.46\00:33:58.75
where is God on
that battlefield,
00:33:58.78\00:34:00.67
I don't see him just
then through the smoke
00:34:01.83\00:34:04.62
and through the
explosions around,
00:34:04.65\00:34:07.56
there were two medics
running with a stretcher
00:34:08.28\00:34:11.35
to a fallen comrade,
picking him up, bullets
00:34:12.39\00:34:16.20
flying everywhere
and the Christian elbowed
00:34:16.23\00:34:18.38
the atheist and oh
there goes God right now,
00:34:18.41\00:34:21.26
amen. In the battlefield
of life, listen to me,
00:34:23.49\00:34:25.44
when we are battered,
and when we are bruised
00:34:25.47\00:34:27.98
and when we are
broken Jesus enters into our
00:34:28.01\00:34:30.36
lives. God is in
Christ. I never knew God
00:34:30.39\00:34:38.51
until I found
Christ. God is in Christ.
00:34:38.54\00:34:43.33
God is in the
church, no mystery here.
00:34:43.89\00:34:47.66
The church become
God's ark of safety,
00:34:49.34\00:34:51.12
I don't know why,
especially some of the churches
00:34:51.15\00:34:53.98
I pastored, I don't know why?
00:34:54.01\00:34:55.48
Because God built it
and on this rock I built my
00:34:57.80\00:35:00.75
church and the gates
of hell shall not prevail
00:35:00.78\00:35:03.72
against it,
Matthew 16 and verse 18.
00:35:03.75\00:35:06.58
Paul said,
Christ loved the church,
00:35:07.06\00:35:08.64
and gave himself for it.
Ephesians 5 and verse 25,
00:35:08.67\00:35:12.47
the church is the
body of Christ, God,
00:35:12.50\00:35:14.88
where is God. He is
in the church, amen.
00:35:14.91\00:35:18.13
Church is the bride of Christ.
00:35:20.33\00:35:21.63
Some of you people
think you're too good
00:35:22.74\00:35:24.34
for the church. The
church is the bride of Christ.
00:35:24.37\00:35:28.85
Jesus Christ is
married to the church;
00:35:29.40\00:35:31.53
the church is the
building of Christ.
00:35:31.95\00:35:33.52
God is the eternal builder.
It is the Ecclesia of God,
00:35:33.55\00:35:37.02
distinguish in
fellowship and service and
00:35:37.05\00:35:39.48
proclamation, it is
Koinonia, it is Diakonia,
00:35:39.51\00:35:42.63
it is Kerygma, its brothering,
00:35:42.66\00:35:44.96
and helping and
shepherding and preaching,
00:35:44.99\00:35:47.67
that's what the church is. Amen.
00:35:48.13\00:35:49.84
And the church is everywhere.
00:35:52.55\00:35:53.82
We believers we make it
up, and we are everywhere.
00:35:55.79\00:35:58.19
God comes to us out
of the ruins of 9/11,
00:35:59.59\00:36:01.44
he came to us to
minister, once we find God,
00:36:01.91\00:36:04.57
we'll find out who we
are, and the second question,
00:36:04.60\00:36:07.26
who am I? You can't
ask that question till you
00:36:07.29\00:36:11.40
find out who God is?
Great problem with us today
00:36:11.43\00:36:15.08
is we're saying who we
are, trying to find out
00:36:15.64\00:36:18.36
who I am and not
finding who he is.
00:36:18.39\00:36:23.38
Once you find him,
you'll find the true you,
00:36:24.56\00:36:26.62
come on now, once you
find him you will find
00:36:28.54\00:36:33.55
the true you.
Following World War Two,
00:36:34.97\00:36:36.92
there were more than
two hundred Frenchmen
00:36:38.49\00:36:39.97
who returned to Paris
suffering from amnesia,
00:36:41.48\00:36:43.71
in fact they had been
in Japanese prison camps
00:36:45.49\00:36:48.03
and had suffered
through the horrible ordeal
00:36:48.06\00:36:50.03
of probation and
torture. These men had been so
00:36:50.06\00:36:52.98
psychologically
devastated by their imprisonment
00:36:53.01\00:36:55.90
that they had lost
their conscious awareness
00:36:55.93\00:36:58.18
of who they were and
where they came from,
00:36:58.21\00:37:01.66
can you imagine? Coming back,
00:37:02.44\00:37:04.56
knowing not who you are? Now,
00:37:04.59\00:37:07.52
in most cases identities
were quickly established
00:37:07.55\00:37:11.65
from the Red Cross
records with the help of other
00:37:11.68\00:37:14.01
prisoners, but thirty
two men whose identity
00:37:14.04\00:37:19.70
seemed impossible to ascertain,
00:37:19.73\00:37:21.59
the doctors realized
that they would never
00:37:22.64\00:37:24.29
recover without understanding
00:37:24.32\00:37:25.88
who they were. And
by the way this culture
00:37:25.91\00:37:28.30
will never recover until
it understands who it is,
00:37:28.90\00:37:32.11
and where God is.
And so someone suggested
00:37:33.28\00:37:38.94
publishing photographs
of men on the front page
00:37:39.96\00:37:43.57
of the newspaper and
so they sent it throughout
00:37:43.60\00:37:46.89
the country and they
gave a date and a time
00:37:46.92\00:37:49.73
when anyone having
information about any of
00:37:50.96\00:37:52.95
these amnesia
victims would come to Paris
00:37:52.98\00:37:55.79
Opera House and
helped them to distinguish
00:37:55.82\00:38:00.69
who those people
were? And so the place was
00:38:00.72\00:38:05.56
packed and the first
amnesia victim walked
00:38:05.59\00:38:10.72
in onto the stage the audience,
00:38:10.75\00:38:12.50
over the audience it was dark,
00:38:12.53\00:38:15.26
but there was one
bright light on the stage
00:38:16.90\00:38:18.89
and the first amnesia
victim came in and stood
00:38:20.38\00:38:22.91
under the light and
turned to the audience
00:38:22.94\00:38:25.04
and said does
anyone out there know
00:38:25.07\00:38:27.62
who I am? Does
anyone out there know
00:38:27.65\00:38:35.59
who I am? And that
is the question mankind,
00:38:35.62\00:38:41.67
does anyone out
there know who I am and
00:38:44.13\00:38:47.71
I want to say
with a resounding yes,
00:38:47.74\00:38:49.54
the Lord Jesus
Christ knows you by name.
00:38:50.15\00:38:52.18
Amen. He knows who you are?
00:38:54.55\00:38:57.07
And by the way he
knows your potential,
00:38:58.58\00:39:00.53
your wife doesn't
know it, your husband
00:39:02.00\00:39:04.00
doesn't know it,
you sons and daughters,
00:39:04.03\00:39:06.03
your parents don't
know it, Jesus Christ alone
00:39:06.06\00:39:09.22
knows it. When
Christ came to a gang banger
00:39:09.25\00:39:13.14
in Brooklyn 16
years old, could not read
00:39:13.17\00:39:15.59
or write, he knew the potential,
00:39:15.62\00:39:22.59
I walked in the
church black leather jacket,
00:39:24.11\00:39:26.12
skull blood
dripping over the skull.
00:39:26.15\00:39:28.45
Like I told you the
other night first suit
00:39:29.85\00:39:31.30
I ever had was
Dockers, I'm a dead man,
00:39:31.67\00:39:34.67
I hung it in the
closet the arms folded,
00:39:35.07\00:39:36.57
the shoes I have on
my feet, the suit I wear,
00:39:40.53\00:39:42.41
this tie, I owe it
all to the glory of God.
00:39:43.02\00:39:45.04
An illiterate, when
I went off to Atlantic
00:39:47.65\00:39:50.85
Union College, studied
forty hours that first sermon,
00:39:50.88\00:39:54.87
I mean I preached
with all that I had,
00:39:54.90\00:39:56.48
I mean I practiced
in front of the mirror
00:39:57.28\00:39:58.80
in my little
apartment until the mirror
00:39:58.83\00:40:01.21
got converted,
baptized it three days later.
00:40:01.24\00:40:05.35
Preached in that
class and the pastor,
00:40:08.09\00:40:09.38
the teacher said would
you please stay by Ron,
00:40:09.97\00:40:12.23
and so I stayed by,
and I thought he was going
00:40:12.26\00:40:14.49
to compliment me
and he says you got to
00:40:14.52\00:40:16.93
study more, you got
to practice, practice,
00:40:16.96\00:40:22.09
I want to
introduce him to my mirror.
00:40:23.78\00:40:25.23
Yes, but I want you
to practice when there
00:40:28.61\00:40:29.97
is no one around.
Can you imagine your
00:40:30.00\00:40:32.73
Homiletics teacher
tell you preach but preach
00:40:32.76\00:40:34.87
to no one. So
across from fair hall,
00:40:34.90\00:40:38.49
Atlantic Union College
was an Indian cemetery,
00:40:39.07\00:40:41.35
I took my notes and
I went out into that
00:40:42.87\00:40:44.15
Indian cemetery and I practiced,
00:40:44.18\00:40:47.00
every chance I got
I practiced, and boy,
00:40:48.21\00:40:51.69
there's nothing
more discouraging than
00:40:51.72\00:40:53.19
preaching in a
cemetery, or some dead churches
00:40:53.22\00:40:56.98
I've preached to. In a cemetery,
00:40:57.01\00:41:02.50
I mean you take up a
collection who gives,
00:41:03.69\00:41:05.23
you make a call
who responds, but
00:41:08.80\00:41:10.34
God sees the
potential. Everyone of you have
00:41:14.22\00:41:17.94
a great potential.
Does anyone out there know
00:41:17.97\00:41:22.41
who you are, I want
to say with confidence
00:41:22.44\00:41:25.23
tonight that the Lord
Jesus Christ knows who
00:41:25.26\00:41:27.55
you are. What is
man that though has made
00:41:27.58\00:41:32.08
him a little
less than the divine,
00:41:32.11\00:41:33.60
Psalms 8 verse 4 and
5 morphed translation.
00:41:34.47\00:41:37.36
He knows who you are?
He knows you're someone
00:41:38.18\00:41:40.86
special. He knows that
you are a man and woman
00:41:40.89\00:41:42.98
made in the image of
God after his spiritual
00:41:43.01\00:41:45.44
and moral likeness, and
although sin has crushed
00:41:45.47\00:41:47.77
the image in the mud
of moral misbehavior,
00:41:47.80\00:41:50.50
and although sin
has weakened our minds,
00:41:50.53\00:41:52.21
it's captured our imagination,
00:41:52.24\00:41:53.80
it has not totally
destroyed the image
00:41:53.83\00:41:56.14
of God in us, that
is why there's the best
00:41:56.17\00:41:58.28
and the worst of us,
and there is the worst
00:41:58.31\00:42:00.17
in the best of us.
You are not just the link
00:42:00.20\00:42:05.15
in an evolutionary
chain. You are not a neat man
00:42:06.76\00:42:10.37
in a two piece suit. My
origin was not a primeval
00:42:10.87\00:42:16.71
swamp, but a perfect
garden, and so was yours.
00:42:16.74\00:42:21.39
My destiny is some four
by seven piece of ground
00:42:22.51\00:42:25.62
in a memorial park,
it's spacious mansion
00:42:26.15\00:42:28.41
in a place called heaven
and so is yours, who am I?
00:42:28.44\00:42:31.95
I'm a responsible
man and so are you,
00:42:32.47\00:42:34.74
you are a responsible woman.
00:42:34.77\00:42:36.98
Every moral decision
you make must be made
00:42:39.17\00:42:42.55
in the context of who you are.
00:42:42.58\00:42:43.88
My family life must be
lived in the context of
00:42:45.23\00:42:48.09
who I am and my work
life must be lived in the
00:42:48.12\00:42:51.44
context of who I am,
my citizenship must be
00:42:51.47\00:42:55.07
lived in the
context of who I am,
00:42:55.10\00:42:57.28
and specific moral
issues which always dogged
00:42:57.90\00:43:00.44
the feet of moral
man, my social life,
00:43:00.47\00:43:02.56
my spiritual life
is lived in the context
00:43:03.06\00:43:05.07
of who I am. I am
a man of God. Amen.
00:43:05.10\00:43:08.87
You are a man of
God then live like it.
00:43:13.30\00:43:16.53
You are a woman of
God then live like it.
00:43:18.21\00:43:22.01
Do you think
Jesus would treat other
00:43:23.34\00:43:25.42
members like you
who have treated them.
00:43:25.45\00:43:27.12
Do you think Jesus would
sit there in Sabbath school
00:43:29.35\00:43:32.01
as if he had a
superiority over the others,
00:43:32.61\00:43:35.30
as if he know more
because he knew more
00:43:35.33\00:43:37.76
quotes. I'm a
Christian man, that's who I am,
00:43:37.79\00:43:50.22
made in the image of
God. But then comes the
00:43:52.28\00:43:56.13
question the question
is this, what shall we do.
00:43:56.16\00:44:05.67
You see here comes the
challenge to you and me,
00:44:07.43\00:44:08.94
the challenge to the church,
00:44:08.97\00:44:10.03
I mean it is the
challenge to this Conference,
00:44:10.60\00:44:13.99
Oklahoma. To every
minister, to every person,
00:44:14.02\00:44:17.91
to every
teacher, to every doctor,
00:44:18.46\00:44:19.62
to every nurse,
to every working man,
00:44:19.65\00:44:21.30
to every working
woman, to those retirees,
00:44:21.33\00:44:24.70
go ye into all the
world, go ye into the world.
00:44:26.59\00:44:31.61
See, we are not in a
position to ask what shall
00:44:33.69\00:44:35.28
we do until first we
have asked where is God,
00:44:35.31\00:44:37.30
and discovered who
we are. George MacLeod
00:44:37.89\00:44:40.99
said this and I
loved it. I am recovering
00:44:41.02\00:44:44.27
the claim that Jesus
Christ was not crucified
00:44:44.83\00:44:47.77
in a Cathedral
between two candles,
00:44:47.80\00:44:49.96
but on a cross
between two thieves;
00:44:52.44\00:44:54.16
in a town's garbage
heap; at a crossroad so
00:44:55.97\00:44:59.16
cosmopolitan, they
had to write his title in
00:44:59.19\00:45:02.41
Hebrew and in Latin
and in Greek at a time
00:45:02.44\00:45:05.31
and a place where
cynics talk smut and thieves
00:45:05.96\00:45:08.79
cursed, and
soldiers gambled, because
00:45:08.82\00:45:11.59
that is where he
died. And that is what
00:45:11.62\00:45:13.76
he died about. And
that is where churchmen
00:45:13.79\00:45:16.48
should be, and that's what
00:45:16.51\00:45:18.20
we should be about. I like that.
00:45:18.23\00:45:22.73
I was preaching
in Lincoln, Nebraska,
00:45:29.02\00:45:31.02
and I was holding
an evangelistic crusade
00:45:32.51\00:45:33.67
it was in the
summer, they told me you
00:45:33.70\00:45:34.68
can't hold meetings in
the summer in Nebraska.
00:45:34.71\00:45:36.97
And when I go other
place, they say you can't
00:45:37.89\00:45:39.11
hold in the winter, you
can't hold in the spring,
00:45:39.14\00:45:40.61
you can't hold in the
fall, I don't know what
00:45:40.64\00:45:41.73
other season there
is. But it was summer
00:45:41.76\00:45:46.10
in Lincoln, and they
said the farmers are farming
00:45:46.13\00:45:47.51
and University is
gone. So we rented a theater
00:45:47.54\00:45:51.28
and we held a
meeting in spite of it.
00:45:51.31\00:45:54.17
And it was amazing,
usually it doesn't happen
00:45:55.62\00:45:58.20
this way but we had
double season through
00:45:58.23\00:46:00.29
the whole meeting
every night. Amen.
00:46:00.32\00:46:02.16
4th of July they said
maybe we should close it
00:46:02.90\00:46:04.24
down on 4th of
July, we had such a crowd,
00:46:04.27\00:46:07.14
I mean and after that
meeting I baptized four
00:46:07.17\00:46:12.13
young men who became ministers,
00:46:14.53\00:46:15.83
and two of them from
the University in Nebraska,
00:46:15.86\00:46:17.97
summer school, amen.
But anyway I baptized
00:46:18.00\00:46:21.88
a family, the Jacksons,
and it was the husband,
00:46:21.91\00:46:26.78
the wife, their
married daughter, her husband,
00:46:26.81\00:46:30.25
the single son
and the other son and
00:46:32.61\00:46:35.20
a daughter, there
were seven in that family.
00:46:35.23\00:46:37.39
I love families like
that come to the meetings,
00:46:37.79\00:46:39.43
don't you, I love
families like that.
00:46:40.37\00:46:42.15
I baptized, it was
beautiful baptism and kind
00:46:42.71\00:46:45.38
of country folk
and cowboy type folk.
00:46:45.41\00:46:47.87
Few months later I
came back to the church,
00:46:49.52\00:46:51.09
because I was a
member there at that church
00:46:51.12\00:46:52.68
but I was always on
the road, and I came back
00:46:52.71\00:46:54.63
to Lincoln and I ran
into the Jacksons just
00:46:54.66\00:46:56.96
before Thanksgiving,
she said would you,
00:46:56.99\00:46:58.52
she said pastor I
want to ask you a favor.
00:46:59.33\00:47:00.85
I said oh yeah.
She said would you come
00:47:00.88\00:47:02.88
and spend
Thanksgiving with our family.
00:47:02.91\00:47:04.65
She said, but before you answer,
00:47:06.41\00:47:07.53
I got to tell you,
I said no I will come,
00:47:07.56\00:47:08.96
she said no,
but before I answer,
00:47:09.31\00:47:10.46
she says we have it at
my brother's bar and grill,
00:47:10.93\00:47:14.57
it's one of these
Goatropers Bar and Grill,
00:47:15.58\00:47:17.16
you don't have a mechanical bow,
00:47:17.19\00:47:19.13
you have to be
drunk to want to do that.
00:47:19.16\00:47:20.74
I mean you know, I mean come on.
00:47:20.77\00:47:21.93
So I said fine,
we'll come, and she says my
00:47:23.53\00:47:26.57
brother is not a
Christian and I want to someway
00:47:26.60\00:47:29.17
influence him,
and will you come in.
00:47:29.20\00:47:31.37
I said we'll come,
and my family will come
00:47:31.40\00:47:33.00
and so I waited for
my family to get home.
00:47:33.67\00:47:35.93
My son was the first to come in,
00:47:36.57\00:47:37.70
he was by then he
was a ministerial student
00:47:37.73\00:47:40.16
at Lincoln, he came
in. I said son we're
00:47:40.76\00:47:44.36
going to the
Jacksons for Thanksgiving.
00:47:44.39\00:47:46.72
He says oh that's
great and I named it the
00:47:46.75\00:47:49.37
Goatroper Bar and
Grill. He says dad I've never
00:47:49.40\00:47:51.90
been in a bar you
know, good Adventist boy.
00:47:51.93\00:47:55.02
I said good, because if
you're going to be in one,
00:47:55.84\00:47:57.44
I want you to be
with me. He says well dad
00:47:57.47\00:48:01.14
you know how we
eat, yeah and we train
00:48:01.17\00:48:04.50
them that way. I said
son, don't worry about it,
00:48:04.53\00:48:07.86
eat under it, eat
over it, eat around it.
00:48:07.89\00:48:11.14
And then my daughter came back,
00:48:16.13\00:48:17.10
she was a spiritual Vice
President of our academy,
00:48:17.11\00:48:18.79
and I said we're
going to Jacksons,
00:48:18.82\00:48:21.34
her eyes lit up
because they had a nice looking
00:48:21.37\00:48:22.83
boy about her age and
she says oh I'm looking
00:48:22.86\00:48:25.21
forward to that Thanksgiving.
00:48:25.24\00:48:26.49
I said honey but
we're going to the Goatroper
00:48:27.07\00:48:28.42
Bar and Grill. She
says well daddy I've never
00:48:28.45\00:48:31.05
been in a bar. I said
I know if you're gonna
00:48:31.08\00:48:32.71
be there, I want
you to be with me.
00:48:32.74\00:48:33.81
She went daddy, they
went through the same
00:48:36.08\00:48:37.50
Adventist thing you
know. Well daddy you know
00:48:37.53\00:48:40.26
yeah we eat up around
and over it and through it,
00:48:40.29\00:48:43.51
whatever. So we
drove to the Goatroper Bar
00:48:44.40\00:48:50.96
and Grill Thanksgiving,
I drove in the parking lot
00:48:50.99\00:48:53.94
and looked both
ways, hoped no deacons
00:48:53.97\00:48:55.48
were going by.
Hustled my family into the
00:48:55.51\00:49:00.20
Goatroper Bar and
Grill, you know well you
00:49:00.96\00:49:03.51
don't know but let me
just clue you they always
00:49:03.54\00:49:05.78
keep it dark in the
bar, they don't want you
00:49:05.81\00:49:08.86
to see what a fool you are,
00:49:08.89\00:49:10.01
I mean that's the
whole, that's the point.
00:49:10.54\00:49:12.15
I don't like these
dark churches, I like light.
00:49:14.00\00:49:15.91
Jesus is the light of the world,
00:49:16.86\00:49:18.40
I like this lit up
place, but anyway I settled
00:49:18.43\00:49:22.10
them in and the food came,
00:49:22.13\00:49:24.44
and my son looked
at me, my daughter said
00:49:25.88\00:49:27.29
just eat, over it. I
notice standing at the bar
00:49:27.32\00:49:34.97
one of these Goatropers
cowboy hat on you know
00:49:35.73\00:49:38.06
looking very intelligent.
When I first went south
00:49:38.09\00:49:44.32
I go visiting and I come
home with all the freckles
00:49:45.69\00:49:48.83
all over my face, and I
didn't realize what it was,
00:49:48.86\00:49:50.84
and I was downwind
and so I finally learned
00:49:51.49\00:49:54.28
how to be up wind
when I made visits in
00:49:54.31\00:49:55.98
certain areas, so I
kind of got upwind at the
00:49:56.01\00:49:59.58
bar and moseyed up
to the bar and said
00:49:59.61\00:50:03.27
I'll have a Sarsaparilla
and barkeep said who
00:50:03.30\00:50:11.06
are you? I said
I'm Ron Halvorsen.
00:50:11.09\00:50:13.94
He said who is Ron Halvorsen?
00:50:15.05\00:50:16.02
I said I'm the
evangelist you know that
00:50:16.69\00:50:17.89
there's your sweet
sister over there and so
00:50:18.66\00:50:21.48
would you baptize
her, oh you're him,
00:50:21.51\00:50:22.87
oh you're him, I
don't like preachers.
00:50:24.20\00:50:25.91
I said good
because there was a time
00:50:26.77\00:50:28.13
I didn't like
preachers. He said what?
00:50:28.16\00:50:30.55
You're a preacher. I said yeah,
00:50:31.75\00:50:32.75
but there was a time
I didn't like preachers,
00:50:32.78\00:50:34.44
would you like me to
tell you. He said yeah,
00:50:36.04\00:50:39.69
I had him. By the
way two strongest tools
00:50:40.08\00:50:46.96
you have is your
testimony and your prayer life,
00:50:46.99\00:50:51.79
two things. And so he
said yeah and I shared
00:50:53.26\00:50:57.43
Jesus Christ
that changed my life.
00:50:58.72\00:51:00.23
My son was eating
around, and under it,
00:51:01.73\00:51:03.44
and over it, and I
shared faith. I led him to
00:51:03.47\00:51:08.83
Christ there at the
bar. I said would you like
00:51:09.36\00:51:12.65
to pray the sinner's
prayer. He said in a bar.
00:51:12.68\00:51:16.20
You don't have to
tell him it's wrong,
00:51:17.34\00:51:18.48
the Holy Spirit does that?
00:51:18.51\00:51:19.81
You see the great
problem with the church
00:51:19.84\00:51:21.48
you don't want to
catch fish, you want to clean
00:51:22.10\00:51:24.05
them. Oh come on
now, you don't want to
00:51:24.08\00:51:29.64
catch them, you
want to clean them.
00:51:29.67\00:51:31.13
Let the Holy
Spirit do the cleaning,
00:51:32.60\00:51:33.93
you do the catching, alright.
00:51:33.96\00:51:35.12
But anyway led him to
Jesus sinner's prayer.
00:51:35.42\00:51:37.49
Two weeks later he
sold the bar, amen,
00:51:39.82\00:51:44.24
sold the, that's
what we should be about,
00:51:45.38\00:51:47.48
what shall we do?
Listen to what we shall do;
00:51:49.85\00:51:53.27
we shall renew our vows to God.
00:51:53.60\00:51:55.08
We shall not forsake
the assembling of ourselves
00:51:59.00\00:52:00.98
together as a matter
of some, what shall we do?
00:52:01.01\00:52:03.55
We shall be stewards of
all that God has given us
00:52:04.00\00:52:06.34
and not complain
about it. Church always
00:52:06.91\00:52:09.54
asking for money,
don't you understand the
00:52:09.57\00:52:12.89
principle, the
more you give the more
00:52:12.92\00:52:15.18
he gives back, amen.
We shall preach the gospel
00:52:15.21\00:52:20.21
and not play cheap
politics. We shall not winch
00:52:20.79\00:52:26.24
against the
scandal of the Cross,
00:52:26.27\00:52:27.77
we shall be
swimmers against the tide.
00:52:28.25\00:52:30.68
We shall die for
the cause of Christ,
00:52:30.71\00:52:33.46
if that's what it
takes to usher in the
00:52:33.49\00:52:35.45
Kingdom of God. We
shall uplift the Cross, amen,
00:52:35.48\00:52:41.83
the Savior and he
shall chase away the darkness
00:52:42.96\00:52:52.96
of social ill,
divorce abortion on demand,
00:52:52.99\00:52:56.13
violence, crime,
immorality. It's amazing, we get
00:52:57.16\00:53:03.96
so anxious about the
Sabbath and Sunday law
00:53:03.99\00:53:07.94
when millions of
babies are being aborted,
00:53:09.82\00:53:11.84
killed before they're even born.
00:53:12.36\00:53:13.53
The Church
remains silent almost.
00:53:15.28\00:53:17.27
We shall set up a
Cross on the main street
00:53:21.60\00:53:23.32
in every city in Oklahoma.
For he shall chase away
00:53:23.35\00:53:27.99
the darkness of
legalism that stifles the Church
00:53:28.02\00:53:30.78
or antinomianism that
kills the spirit and humanism
00:53:30.81\00:53:35.11
that kills the body
and communism and all
00:53:35.14\00:53:37.75
other isms. What
shall we do church?
00:53:37.78\00:53:39.84
We shall work
together unselfishly,
00:53:40.35\00:53:41.87
in humility for
the good of the laws.
00:53:42.44\00:53:43.96
We shall proclaim with
reason for which we exist.
00:53:44.35\00:53:46.86
We shall be a
light in a dark world.
00:53:47.28\00:53:48.91
We shall be the
soul to the red meat
00:53:49.31\00:53:51.14
of the word of
Godless, the maggots and vermin
00:53:51.77\00:53:54.02
infested and ruining
it. We shall stand in the
00:53:54.05\00:54:00.44
word of God. We
showered here to the word
00:54:00.47\00:54:04.29
of God, and we shall
live according to the word
00:54:04.32\00:54:08.39
of God. What shall we
do, we shall support God
00:54:08.86\00:54:14.99
in our prayer
life, in our Bible study,
00:54:15.02\00:54:17.30
in our worship, in our witness,
00:54:17.33\00:54:18.81
I mean in evangelism,
we shall put away our
00:54:19.20\00:54:20.97
pettiness and we
shall work together
00:54:21.00\00:54:22.90
for the good of
lost men and women.
00:54:22.93\00:54:24.57
We shall, I tell you
we shall get out of our
00:54:25.20\00:54:27.09
churches, out into the
streets and the prisons,
00:54:27.12\00:54:29.03
and the nursing
homes in the neighborhood,
00:54:29.06\00:54:30.54
and we shall feed the hungry,
00:54:30.57\00:54:32.13
care for the dying
and heal the broken heart
00:54:32.68\00:54:34.78
and set at
liberty is what kept them,
00:54:34.81\00:54:36.59
we shall stop singing
far away from the noise
00:54:36.62\00:54:40.93
of strife upon
my ear is falling.
00:54:40.96\00:54:44.38
We shall stop
singing, safe am I within the
00:54:45.99\00:54:49.54
castle of God's
word retreating. And
00:54:49.57\00:54:51.29
we shall start
singing rescue the perishing,
00:54:52.93\00:54:56.42
care for the dying,
snatch them in pity from
00:54:56.91\00:55:00.14
sitting from the
grave, telling in song,
00:55:00.17\00:55:02.34
and in word and in
deed that God lives and God
00:55:03.13\00:55:07.08
is coming again
in power, amen. What
00:55:07.11\00:55:09.39
shall we do, we
shall raise again the cross
00:55:10.40\00:55:13.62
on mainstream. For
this is where God is,
00:55:13.65\00:55:16.03
and this is who we
are, and this is what we
00:55:16.73\00:55:19.36
must do. We are
waiting for the crowds
00:55:19.39\00:55:22.82
to come to our
church. Give up on that.
00:55:22.85\00:55:26.32
Its time for the
church to go to the crowd.
00:55:27.88\00:55:30.67
I was always praying
you know they send me
00:55:32.74\00:55:35.43
to difficult
places I told you that,
00:55:35.46\00:55:37.03
I just keep
reminding you. But I was always
00:55:37.43\00:55:41.61
praying that God will
send me in a nice place
00:55:41.64\00:55:43.09
O'Ffill I was
praying, God please send me
00:55:44.10\00:55:46.21
to a nice place. One
day I got a telephone call
00:55:46.24\00:55:49.12
and a friend of mine,
Lynn Martel calls me up
00:55:49.92\00:55:52.33
and he says I'm
president over here in Hawaii
00:55:52.36\00:55:54.86
would you like to
come and hold a crusade
00:55:54.89\00:55:56.54
in Hawaii. I said
let me pray about it,
00:55:56.57\00:55:58.36
thank you Jesus. I
mean that was one of those
00:55:58.39\00:56:03.38
instant answers
you know to come.
00:56:03.41\00:56:05.27
I said honey, start
packing we're going to Hawaii.
00:56:07.03\00:56:09.14
Yes, after much prayer,
thank you, we will come.
00:56:09.97\00:56:13.09
I've written a book
on prayer warfare and by
00:56:17.10\00:56:19.25
that time I was
deep into prayer walking
00:56:19.28\00:56:21.85
and teaching principle study,
00:56:21.88\00:56:23.21
at least I was
beginning to grasp the true
00:56:23.79\00:56:25.71
meaning of taking
cities back for God according
00:56:25.74\00:56:28.45
to Joshua motto.
And so flying across,
00:56:28.48\00:56:31.45
I was reading
about it and praying,
00:56:31.48\00:56:32.81
reading the story of Joshua,
00:56:32.84\00:56:34.47
and landed in
Hawaii, and get ready for the
00:56:34.50\00:56:37.42
meeting, and my wife said honey,
00:56:37.45\00:56:39.70
can we go
shopping? She is from Venus,
00:56:39.73\00:56:41.88
and I'm from Mars.
Could we go shopping
00:56:41.91\00:56:43.84
in the International
Mall down in Waikiki,
00:56:43.87\00:56:46.73
and it's a nice place
really, from the islands
00:56:46.76\00:56:49.73
they make it all
these nice things you know,
00:56:49.76\00:56:51.84
so I sent my wife
and I said well I'm going
00:56:51.87\00:56:54.99
to try these principles,
I'm going to use these
00:56:55.02\00:56:57.19
principles of
walking and praying.
00:56:57.22\00:56:58.93
And so I was walking
the street and I noticed
00:57:01.18\00:57:02.49
on every corner a prostitute,
00:57:03.63\00:57:04.91
and by the way you look
at prostitutes different,
00:57:06.16\00:57:07.75
when you become a
Christian you don't see
00:57:09.83\00:57:12.77
a piece of
merchandise, you should see
00:57:12.80\00:57:14.69
someone's daughter,
it could be your daughter
00:57:14.72\00:57:17.33
say for the grace of God.
00:57:17.36\00:57:18.44
So my heart was
broken as I thought about
00:57:20.02\00:57:21.78
these little
girls, and I said Jesus,
00:57:21.81\00:57:23.92
I said I'm walking
now, you said where ever
00:57:23.95\00:57:26.82
the souls of my feet
touch you'll give me that,
00:57:26.85\00:57:28.65
and I prayed to God
I said I want you to
00:57:29.21\00:57:30.73
touch the heart of
a street walker here
00:57:30.76\00:57:32.61
on that avenues, I
can't even pronounce it.
00:57:33.35\00:57:36.83
So every Thursday I said honey,
00:57:40.32\00:57:41.33
don't you want
to go to shopping?
00:57:41.36\00:57:42.33
She was amazed, so
I sent her shopping,
00:57:43.81\00:57:47.00
get little things
for the kids, grand kids,
00:57:48.44\00:57:50.29
and I walked the
street and I prayed.
00:57:52.36\00:57:53.53
I said God before
this meeting is over
00:57:54.68\00:57:55.93
I want you to touch
some street walker here
00:57:55.96\00:57:58.59
and save her like
you did Mary Magdalene,
00:57:59.33\00:58:01.24
and I quoted
scripture and did what you do
00:58:02.87\00:58:04.34
when you're on a prayer walk,
00:58:04.37\00:58:05.50
I walked the
perimeters. Came the meeting
00:58:06.55\00:58:09.80
time we are
preaching and at the end
00:58:09.83\00:58:11.56
of that meeting we
baptized over two hundred
00:58:11.59\00:58:13.32
in that church in
Waihou. And after the meeting
00:58:13.35\00:58:18.98
that last night, a
woman came up to me
00:58:19.01\00:58:21.30
and says, pastor
can I speak to you?
00:58:21.33\00:58:22.64
I said yes, I
love to talk to you.
00:58:23.43\00:58:24.98
We sat down and
she said you know
00:58:25.71\00:58:26.80
I was in the baptism.
I said I know you were
00:58:26.83\00:58:28.50
in my class, and
my baptism class.
00:58:28.53\00:58:30.85
It's beautiful to see
you now as a child of God.
00:58:31.66\00:58:33.54
She says pastor I
wanted to let you know
00:58:34.43\00:58:35.72
before these
meetings started I was a
00:58:35.75\00:58:37.31
street walker.
Amen. And I said where?
00:58:37.34\00:58:44.96
And she named
the very street where
00:58:46.91\00:58:51.58
I had been
walking. Amen. Sunshine.
00:58:51.61\00:58:54.53
I got a letter
from Sunshine about
00:58:55.94\00:58:57.17
six months later,
a year later, said,
00:58:57.20\00:59:01.05
dear pastor Halvorsen.
I'm stronger in faith.
00:59:01.08\00:59:03.92
My little child
is in church school,
00:59:05.27\00:59:07.01
and I just met and
married a beautiful
00:59:08.19\00:59:10.81
Christian man, and I am so happy
00:59:10.84\00:59:13.66
and I'm so happy. I'm so happy.
00:59:15.30\00:59:19.66