Chapter 9, The
Work and the Life.
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Here we are in the banks
of the mighty Fraser River
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in beautiful British Columbia.
Today, we're gonna talk
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about God's work in
our lives and the work that
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we as Christians must do
in this world. But before we
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I'm gonna ask Andrew to
lead us in a word of prayer.
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Heavenly father, thank you
that you are always at work
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in our lives. We have the
assurance of this everyday,
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simply by the feeling of
our beatings hearts because
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it is in you that
everything lives and moves
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and has it's be. The
Apostle Paul wrote in
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Philippians 2:13 that
you are constantly working
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us giving us the
desire and the power
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to do that pleases you.
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Thank you for your work
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in our lives in
Jesus' name amen.
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Christianity isn't just
something that we put on
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when we go to church
and then set on the shelf
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until the next weekend.
It's really a way of thinking
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and feeling about God, about
others and about ourselves.
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This is how it works,
we start feeling good about
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ourselves when we
realize that God loves us and
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forgives us for all the
bad things that we've done
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This leads to a deep
love and appreciation for the
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God, who loved us enough
to send Jesus to rescue us.
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As we study the Bible,
we realize that God doesn't
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just love us, but he
loves everyone else as well.
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And he wants us to
love them too. Jesus says in
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John 15:12, this is my
commandment that you love
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one another as I have
loved you. We then began looking
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for ways to help others
realize that they are also
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loved by God because we
know that a relationship with
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God is the best thing
that could ever happen to them.
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Eventually, this desire to
introduce others to the God
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we love becomes our main
focus and we begin to view
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this as the real
purpose of our lives.
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Love one another, for
love is of God, He who loves
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is born of God and knows
God. He who does not love
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does not know God, For
God is love, God is love.
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Love one another, for
love is of God He who loves
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is born of God and knows
God. He who does not love
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does not know God, For
God is love, God is love.
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Love one another, for
love is of God He who loves
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is born of God and knows
God. He who does not love
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does not know God, For
God is love, God is love.
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In first Corinthians 13
Paul says, though I have all
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faith, so that I could remove
mountains and have not love
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I'm nothing. You know,
we need to love one another
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like Jesus loves us.
I long to have much more
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that love, so that I
can better do the work that
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Jesus wants me to do.
One of the ways in which the
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Bible says that God
shows his love to us is through
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the ministry of
angels. He sends angels down to
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this world. Sometimes people
have entertained angels and
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and they look like human
beings, they were dressed
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like common men. But they
were really angels and so if
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God is constantly
sending angels to minister to us
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and that's their work,
then I'm wondering have any
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of you ever seen an
angel, I know that's a personal
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question it's kind of
private too. But is anyone
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courageous enough, brave
enough to share maybe a time
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when you thought and you
consider that this was the
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work of an angel in
your life. Well you know I've
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never actually seen an
angel that I know of, but I can
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tell you about an experience
with my dad when he was
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a missionary in Africa. He
was traveling from Johannesburg
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to Zambia and he had to
go through the country of
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Zimbabwe, and this was a
very dangerous country to be
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going through because
they had a lot of civil unrest
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and they were just about
to gain their independence, so
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this was a dangerous country
to be going through. And he
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was trying to catch up
with a convoy that would take
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him through the country
safely with armored vehicles
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all around and everything,
and so he got to the border,
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but the convoy had already
left without him, and he made
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the decision to go on
ahead into the country and
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try to catch with
them, and so he started out
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onto the road and it
got darker and darker
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and about 11
o'clock at night his car
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just sputtered and
stopped and so he went off
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the side of the road
and looked onto the hood
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and there was fuel in
the carburetor and their
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seem to be spark and he
couldn't figure out what
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the problem was. And he
thought well I don't know
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why the car stopped,
but I'll try starting it
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again and so he
did and started up fine
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and he thought well
that was weird and so he
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kept on going down the
road and about an hour later
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the same thing happened. The car
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just sputtered and
stopped once again,
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and so he got out and
he looked under the hood
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and everything looked
okay and he thought this
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is really strange,
that the car is not working
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and he thought you
know I don't know what to do
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and this is, this is not
good because I'm not here
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in Zimbabwe and
several people have been killed
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recently in this
area by the insurgents
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and so he just sent
up a prayer and said
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Lord you know all about this car
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and you know all
about my situation
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and I ask you to please
send some help right now
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amen. And within a few
minutes a car pulled up
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a BMW and pulled up
right in front of him
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and shown it
headlights on the hood
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and this man got out
and he said can I help you
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with anything, looks
like you are having trouble,
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and he started
poking around there in
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the engine and he
said you know I think your
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coil is bad and my
dad said, well that's nice
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but where we're gonna
get a coil this time in night
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in the middle no-
where and the man said
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well I think I have
one in trunk of my car.
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He just happened
to have a coil in the
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trunk of his car
for his, yeah, car.
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for his car, and my
dad's car was different kind of
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car, different kind
of car, it wasn't a BMW
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and so my dad said
well that's interesting.
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Well, let's put it in so
the man went and got the coil
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and they installed it
and they started the car
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and it started right
up and so my dad said well
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thank you so much what
can I ever do to thank you,
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the man said there
is nothing you know
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it's okay it is just
enough for me to help you.
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And so my dad gave
him a couple of apples
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and he said why don't
you pull out and the man
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said no, no, no, you
go ahead, I wanna make
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sure you are on the
road and you are safe.
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And so my dad just
pulled out on to the road
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and he turned to wave
to the guy and there was
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no car there.
Nobody there, no one.
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There is no man,
there is no car and my dad
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kind of looked around
and said wow God answered
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my prayer. Yeah, he
send an angel to help me.
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That's what I would
consider to be an angel.
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Someone who came out of
nowhere and helped your dad
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to the situation
it's just unexplainable.
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Thanks for sharing that.
I find it interesting how
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most of us consider
it a sacrifice to live
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for the good of others,
but what many don't realize
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is that when we
bless others we gain a
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bigger blessing ourselves.
You probably heard the words
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of Christ, where he
says it is better to give
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then to receive. This
simple saying describes
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our heaven is such a
wonderful place to be.
00:11:14.43\00:11:16.91
You see, this spirit
of unselfishness doesn't
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just make the
world go round. It makes
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the whole
universe go round in fact
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this attitude of
counting others better
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then yourself is
at the foundation
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of the Ten
Commandments. And it's by living
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in harmony with the
principle of love that we
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find happiness and
meaning in life and by
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living for others I'm
preparing myself to live
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in the atmosphere
of that perfect place
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called heaven.
00:11:47.63\00:11:50.36
Do not wait until some
deed of greatness you may do,
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Do not wait to
shed your light afar;
00:11:55.38\00:12:00.37
To the many duties
ever near you now be true,
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Brighten the
corner where you are.
00:12:06.64\00:12:11.97
Brighten the
corner where you are!
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Someone far from harbor
you may guide across the bar;
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Brighten the
corner where you are!
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Just above are clouded skies
that you may help to clear,
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Let not narrow
self your way debar;
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Though into one heart alone
may fall your song of cheer,
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Brighten the
corner where you are.
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Brighten the
corner where you are!
00:12:53.11\00:13:02.96
Someone far from harbor
you may guide across the bar;
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Brighten the
corner where you are!
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Here for all your talent
you may surely find a need,
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Here reflect the
bright and Morning Star;
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Even from your humble hand
the Bread of Life may feed,
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Brighten the
corner where you are.
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Brighten the
corner where you are!
00:13:33.20\00:13:38.43
Brighten the
corner where you are!
00:13:42.76\00:13:43.79
Someone far from harbor
you may guide across the bar;
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Brighten the
corner where you are.
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When we brighten
the corner where we are,
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the effort to bless
others reacts in blessings upon
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ourselves. So when we
bless others, we are actually
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blessing ourselves. In
fact, you can never lose
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in doing the work of God.
00:14:08.66\00:14:09.92
You know God could have
committed all the work of the
00:14:09.95\00:14:14.35
gospel to the heavenly angels,
but He chose to include us in
00:14:14.38\00:14:18.74
this work. In First John 4
verse 7 it says beloved let us
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love one another,
because love is of God
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and everyone who
loves is born of God.
00:14:25.91\00:14:28.87
So I have a question
for you, if love is from God
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have you met someone a
real person we can talk
00:14:34.12\00:14:37.36
theoretically about
love, but to actually see love
00:14:37.39\00:14:40.18
in action. Have you
ever met someone who
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has shown the real
love of God in their lives?
00:14:42.64\00:14:45.74
Yes. Whenever my siblings
and I look for role model
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in our lives, we
always think of our father.
00:14:51.99\00:14:55.36
But this was
not always the case.
00:14:55.39\00:14:59.08
When we were children
our father was constantly
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on business trips.
We had a nice house,
00:15:02.45\00:15:07.49
we had everything we could want,
00:15:07.52\00:15:09.93
but our dad.
Then he got a divorce
00:15:09.96\00:15:17.23
and everything changed
after that we lost the house,
00:15:17.26\00:15:20.96
we lost the neighborhood,
we couldn't afford all those
00:15:20.99\00:15:24.07
things anymore, but
that is when my siblings and
00:15:24.10\00:15:29.93
I, that is when we
truly started to feel happy.
00:15:29.96\00:15:34.50
Is when he had the
divorce and could realize
00:15:34.53\00:15:38.77
he could lose the
people that was closest to him
00:15:38.80\00:15:41.03
that was when he
decided he was going to be
00:15:41.06\00:15:45.48
the best father he
could be to try and regain
00:15:45.51\00:15:48.36
the time he lost.
It was at that point
00:15:48.39\00:15:53.50
that we truly gained a father.
00:15:53.53\00:15:56.55
And he started to teach
us things that he wanted
00:15:58.07\00:16:00.69
us to learn that he
was never able to do
00:16:00.72\00:16:04.31
before and taught us by example
00:16:04.34\00:16:07.83
we would constantly be
driving around and whenever you
00:16:07.86\00:16:10.93
would see a homeless
person, you just pull off
00:16:10.96\00:16:13.21
to the side of the
road and he would help them.
00:16:13.24\00:16:15.48
And this had such
a strong impact on me
00:16:17.10\00:16:20.02
as we were leaving
a restaurant one day,
00:16:20.05\00:16:22.12
I saw this older
woman with filthy rags,
00:16:22.15\00:16:25.26
this homeless person
and I just reaching to
00:16:25.29\00:16:28.61
my pocket and
pulled out a $10 bill and
00:16:28.64\00:16:30.34
just walked over and said, here.
00:16:30.37\00:16:32.27
So you saw your
father doing this
00:16:32.30\00:16:34.82
and now you wanted to
do that to help others.
00:16:34.85\00:16:36.94
When my father
did, I wanted to do,
00:16:36.97\00:16:42.29
I wanted to be just like my dad.
00:16:42.32\00:16:44.49
And then when I gave
this $10 to this woman,
00:16:46.73\00:16:49.26
where just tear
streaming down her face.
00:16:49.29\00:16:51.26
She looks into my
eyes and says thank you.
00:16:51.29\00:16:54.30
I'll keep you in my
prayers. Thank you for the
00:16:54.33\00:16:57.78
kindness you've shown me today.
00:16:57.81\00:16:59.65
Then we all got
the horrible news,
00:17:01.28\00:17:05.94
our father have been
diagnosed with Leukemia.
00:17:05.97\00:17:08.48
We didn't know how
much longer he had to live.
00:17:11.34\00:17:13.82
He didn't know how
much he had to live,
00:17:13.85\00:17:15.74
but he knew he had
to work twice as hard to
00:17:16.94\00:17:20.71
help us. He started
redoubling his efforts
00:17:20.74\00:17:25.98
in order to teach us the
things he wants us to know.
00:17:26.01\00:17:28.77
And then there was
just one amazing experience
00:17:30.91\00:17:33.57
of when he was with
one of his own girlfriends
00:17:33.60\00:17:37.00
he was praying and
then just as they were
00:17:37.03\00:17:41.08
praying, all of a
sudden she looks out and just
00:17:41.11\00:17:43.74
there is like look of
shock and then he stops
00:17:43.77\00:17:48.16
praying looks over there
and she is just she can't
00:17:48.19\00:17:50.94
say anything she is
just staring at him and then
00:17:50.97\00:17:54.36
he says what is
it and she says you,
00:17:54.39\00:17:58.31
you surrounded by a Holy light
00:17:58.34\00:18:02.38
and then another
time when he was at the
00:18:03.75\00:18:10.76
hospital receiving his
chemotherapy treatments,
00:18:10.79\00:18:11.82
he was laying on the
bed and the nurse came
00:18:11.85\00:18:13.93
in and then she dropped
everything just looked at
00:18:13.96\00:18:16.13
him, had that
same look on her face
00:18:16.16\00:18:17.93
and then my father
looked at her and she said
00:18:19.63\00:18:22.24
you have holy
light about you. He later
00:18:22.27\00:18:26.08
found out that a
friend had gone in front of a
00:18:26.11\00:18:28.17
church and ask for
the whole congregation
00:18:28.20\00:18:30.18
to join together in prayer.
00:18:30.21\00:18:31.58
So at that moment
they were praying for him.
00:18:31.61\00:18:33.91
At that very hour
they were praying for him.
00:18:33.94\00:18:36.32
And then as this light
was around him he just felt
00:18:36.35\00:18:41.09
this inner peace
that God was with him.
00:18:41.12\00:18:43.39
And even when he
was in the hospital,
00:18:43.42\00:18:48.72
even when he could
barely lift his head,
00:18:48.75\00:18:50.83
he still wanted to
help, and he came up and
00:18:50.86\00:18:55.21
he was always trying
to be the best patient
00:18:55.24\00:18:57.52
for the nurses and he
has had such a profound
00:18:57.55\00:19:00.93
impact on that, that
they all got together,
00:19:00.96\00:19:03.05
got their money
together and bought a
00:19:03.08\00:19:06.94
golden angel
praying, then the day came
00:19:06.97\00:19:14.69
and it was the funeral
my siblings and I, we were
00:19:17.64\00:19:22.83
taking it very hard
we had lost someone very
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.71
dear to us. And then
we walk into this church,
00:19:24.74\00:19:29.07
this church is huge,
this church has two stories
00:19:29.10\00:19:34.25
there is the main island
in front and there is two on
00:19:34.28\00:19:37.44
the side and then
there is two above it.
00:19:37.47\00:19:38.68
And we walk in and
then just hoards of people
00:19:38.71\00:19:42.85
start walking into the church.
00:19:42.88\00:19:44.37
The whole front area
is filled. All sides are
00:19:45.49\00:19:48.89
filled and people
had to start streaming in
00:19:48.92\00:19:49.95
to get on the top
and then my pastor,
00:19:50.35\00:19:56.53
the pastor of the
church, he never really got
00:19:56.56\00:19:59.00
to know my father
he came up to my mom
00:19:59.03\00:20:02.42
and said who was this
man, because your father
00:20:02.45\00:20:06.80
was always in the
hospital yeah and so he actually
00:20:06.83\00:20:09.28
didn't get a chance
to meet him properly.
00:20:09.31\00:20:11.71
He never really
got to know the pastor,
00:20:11.74\00:20:13.99
he was so sick he was
not able to get up out
00:20:14.02\00:20:17.16
of bed
sometimes to go to church,
00:20:17.19\00:20:18.84
but when my
Pastor saw just how many
00:20:22.16\00:20:25.57
people this
man's life had touched.
00:20:25.60\00:20:27.30
He was just filled
with amazement and looks and
00:20:29.41\00:20:33.73
he says to my mom I
had never seen so my
00:20:33.76\00:20:36.03
people at a funeral
before. Praise the Lord,
00:20:36.06\00:20:39.58
every single one of
those lives he had touched.
00:20:40.83\00:20:44.04
So your father's
life was changed when he
00:20:46.21\00:20:50.50
realized that he
couldn't always guarantee
00:20:50.53\00:20:56.22
that people were
gonna be around him. And
00:20:56.25\00:20:58.05
so he changed from
being all centered on work
00:20:58.08\00:21:00.61
to being on relationships,
but then he gets his
00:21:00.64\00:21:03.35
terrible news that he
has Leukemia and it doesn't
00:21:03.38\00:21:08.78
cause him to stop
loving people in fact he
00:21:08.81\00:21:11.46
continues loving them even
more and it influences so many
00:21:11.49\00:21:14.88
people's lives. He had
created such a profound
00:21:14.91\00:21:19.11
impact on our
community that even weeks,
00:21:19.14\00:21:24.38
months after the
funeral even years
00:21:24.41\00:21:26.29
after the funeral we
would still walk into the
00:21:26.32\00:21:29.88
familiar places where
our dad would take us.
00:21:29.91\00:21:31.88
And we would of
course order the things
00:21:33.56\00:21:37.26
that we use to
order and you know get the
00:21:37.29\00:21:40.55
things like our
father would like to get,
00:21:40.58\00:21:42.54
and then the people
behind the counter would just
00:21:42.57\00:21:45.78
look at us and be like
you look just like your dad.
00:21:45.81\00:21:50.24
You look just like the
person that used to come here.
00:21:51.82\00:21:54.20
So you resemble your
dad in your features.
00:21:54.23\00:21:56.13
Yeah. And they would
look at me, there is a guy
00:21:56.16\00:22:00.77
that used to come
here he was so kind to us
00:22:00.80\00:22:03.56
and then we would tell
them the story of our dad
00:22:03.59\00:22:06.85
and how he died. And
then some of them would just
00:22:06.88\00:22:10.38
tears streaming on their
faces and said we are so sorry,
00:22:10.41\00:22:13.60
he was such a nice
man. Well that, that
00:22:13.63\00:22:17.92
perfectly shows the
love of God in another
00:22:17.95\00:22:22.04
person that when
that love is in your life,
00:22:22.07\00:22:25.34
it's almost like
the fragrance of a rose
00:22:25.37\00:22:28.37
or a flower it just
pervades the atmosphere
00:22:28.40\00:22:31.34
and everyone
around can pick up that
00:22:31.37\00:22:33.97
fragrance and it
changes their lives too.
00:22:34.00\00:22:36.19
Thanks for telling us
that story Luke about your dad.
00:22:36.54\00:22:39.29
Just what does it look
like when someone lives
00:22:41.48\00:22:43.56
to bless others. I mean
does everyone have to quit
00:22:43.59\00:22:46.51
there jobs become
full-time Gospel workers.
00:22:46.54\00:22:49.07
The Bible gives many
examples of Godly people
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.53
who did ordinary things
in an extraordinary way.
00:22:52.56\00:22:55.76
I think Jesus is the
best example though because he
00:22:55.79\00:22:59.05
spend 90% of his 30
years on earth working
00:22:59.08\00:23:02.19
in a carpenter shop
doing ordinary things
00:23:02.23\00:23:04.70
just like you and I.
But after the life of
00:23:04.73\00:23:08.44
menial labor, God testified
that this is my beloved
00:23:08.47\00:23:12.12
son in whom I am
well pleased. This was
00:23:12.15\00:23:14.73
before he even started
preaching, you see Jesus was
00:23:14.76\00:23:18.23
living a life of total
unselfishness even when
00:23:18.26\00:23:21.43
working at a regular
job and this pleased God.
00:23:21.46\00:23:24.23
Maybe you and I can do
the same right where we are
00:23:24.26\00:23:27.75
with the people that we
rub shoulders with everyday.
00:23:27.78\00:23:30.18
When Jesus comes
back to the earth to take
00:23:30.21\00:23:33.09
his people home, I
want to hear the words
00:23:33.12\00:23:35.36
recorded in
Matthew 25:23 well done,
00:23:35.39\00:23:39.10
good and faithful servant
you've been faithful over
00:23:39.13\00:23:42.52
a few things I will
make you ruler over many
00:23:42.55\00:23:45.35
things enter into
the joy of your Lord.
00:23:45.38\00:23:47.71
In the harvest
field now ripened,
00:24:03.90\00:24:10.02
There's a work for all to do.
00:24:10.05\00:24:16.13
Hark, the
Master's voice is calling,
00:24:16.16\00:24:22.19
To the harvest calling you.
00:24:22.22\00:24:28.45
Does the place
you're called to labor
00:24:28.48\00:24:34.36
Seem so small and little known?
00:24:34.39\00:24:39.85
It is great if God is in it,
00:24:39.88\00:24:45.78
For He'll not forsake His own.
00:24:45.81\00:24:51.60
Little is much
when God is in it.
00:24:51.63\00:24:57.09
Labor not for wealth or fame.
00:24:57.12\00:25:02.83
There's a crown
and you can win it,
00:25:02.86\00:25:08.69
If you go in Jesus' name.
00:25:08.72\00:25:14.51
When the conflict here is ended
00:25:14.54\00:25:20.36
And our race on earth is run,
00:25:20.39\00:25:25.57
He will say, if
you've been faithful,
00:25:25.60\00:25:37.81
"Welcome home, my
child, well done."
00:25:37.84\00:25:45.89
Little is much
when God is in it.
00:25:45.92\00:25:50.58
Labor not for wealth or fame.
00:25:50.61\00:25:56.31
There's a crown
and you can win it,
00:25:56.34\00:26:02.22
If you go, If you go,
If you go, in Jesus' name.
00:26:02.25\00:26:30.84
it says that when
00:26:33.76\00:26:37.42
Jesus returns, he
will turn to those who are
00:26:37.45\00:26:40.46
faithful and been
faithfully doing his work and
00:26:40.49\00:26:43.14
say well done good
and faithful servant.
00:26:43.17\00:26:46.03
Can you imagine Jesus
actually saying to you,
00:26:46.06\00:26:48.98
well done good and
faithful servant that those
00:26:49.01\00:26:52.55
words are actually
coming from his lips
00:26:52.58\00:26:54.63
that is motivation
enough to want do his work.
00:26:54.66\00:26:58.14
You maybe an evangelist
or minister, but you don't
00:26:58.17\00:27:02.92
have to be. You can
be a mechanic, a nurse,
00:27:02.95\00:27:07.43
a teacher or housewife.
If you are faithfully doing
00:27:07.46\00:27:11.78
the work that God has
called you to do if others
00:27:11.81\00:27:14.58
are convinced that
you desire to do them well
00:27:14.61\00:27:17.71
then you are doing
God's work in your life.
00:27:17.74\00:27:19.99
You don't have to wait
for extraordinary abilities,
00:27:21.61\00:27:24.38
you don't have to wait
for some great occasions
00:27:24.41\00:27:26.57
to do God's work, you can
do it right where you are.
00:27:26.60\00:27:30.38
I think though that
you need to turn to God
00:27:30.41\00:27:33.45
in prayer and ask
him to strengthen you.
00:27:33.48\00:27:35.37
So let's do that
right now, let's turn to
00:27:35.40\00:27:38.03
him in prayer and
ask him to strengthen us
00:27:38.06\00:27:40.08
so that we can faithfully
do his work and hear him
00:27:40.11\00:27:43.72
say to us well done
good and faithful servant.
00:27:43.75\00:27:46.64
Heavenly father
often we do not feel
00:27:48.17\00:27:51.18
or even think that we
are doing anything great,
00:27:51.21\00:27:53.79
but we choose to go
forward quietly doing faithfully
00:27:53.82\00:27:59.24
the work of sharing
your love with others.
00:27:59.27\00:28:03.17
Lord, you do not ask
us to get stressed out
00:28:03.20\00:28:08.19
about the success of the
work because this work is
00:28:08.22\00:28:11.72
yours Lord and you
are doing it through us.
00:28:11.75\00:28:13.81
And so we commit
ourselves to be your workers
00:28:13.84\00:28:17.43
knowing that together
with you in this world.
00:28:17.46\00:28:20.05
We are being fitted
for the world to come
00:28:20.08\00:28:22.69
in Jesus name we pray, amen.
00:28:22.72\00:28:25.86
Steps to Christ in
song is a 13 part series.
00:28:31.62\00:28:34.74
from Fountain View Productions.
00:28:34.77\00:28:36.08
Designed to be an
easy non-threatening way
00:28:37.69\00:28:39.40
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news about Jesus Christ
00:28:39.43\00:28:41.65
with friends,
relatives, and co-workers.
00:28:41.69\00:28:43.87
Order your copies now by calling
00:28:43.91\00:28:45.97
1-877-490-4141 or visit us
00:28:46.01\00:28:51.48
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00:28:51.51\00:28:56.26
Steps to Christ in Song is
also available at your local
00:28:56.29\00:29:00.61
ABC Christian Book Store.
00:29:00.64\00:29:02.57