Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY017065A
|
00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:09 My name is John Lomacang. 01:10 Thank you for taking the time today to tune in 01:13 for a very important program. 01:15 If you are part of our family, 01:17 you know all about the ministry here. 01:18 And we thank you for what you do 01:20 for the cause of God. 01:21 But if you're tuning in for the first time, 01:22 mark this channel, 01:24 we believe that God 01:25 has ordained and blessed this channel 01:27 to carry the good news of Jesus to the entire world, 01:30 and we believe that Jesus is coming soon. 01:33 Thank you for your prayers 01:34 and also for your financial support 01:36 that keeps us going and growing 01:37 as we look forward to the soon return of Christ. 01:40 We have three guests today 01:42 that are gonna energize your heart 01:43 to challenge you 01:45 to do something for the Kingdom of God. 01:46 You know, if we believe that Jesus is coming soon, 01:48 there's something each one of us can do 01:50 to advance the cause of God. 01:52 And I'm excited that this message today, 01:56 the ministry that we're gonna talk to about today 01:58 is one that carries the gospel to those who can't come to us. 02:02 And you'll meet our guests in just a few moments. 02:04 But as you know we always have wonderful music here at 3ABN, 02:07 and one of my favorite singers, 02:09 our Pastor Wintley Phipps is gonna begin the program 02:11 with the song "Tell Me the Story of Jesus". 02:52 Tell me the story of Jesus 02:59 Write on my heart every word 03:06 Tell me the story most precious 03:13 Sweetest that ever was heard 03:24 Tell how the angels in chorus 03:32 Sang as they welcomed His birth 03:39 Glory to God in the highest! 03:46 Peace and good tidings to earth 03:54 Tell me the story of Jesus 04:01 Write on my heart every word 04:08 Tell me the story most precious 04:16 Sweetest that ever was heard 04:40 Tell of the cross where they nailed Him 04:47 Writhing in anguish and pain 04:54 Tell of the grave 04:57 Where they laid Him 05:03 Tell how He liveth again 05:11 Love in that story so tender 05:18 Clearer than ever I see 05:25 Stay, let me weep while you whisper 05:33 Love paid the ransom for me 05:45 Tell me the story of Jesus 05:52 Write on my heart every word 06:00 Tell me the story most precious 06:07 Sweetest that ever 06:13 Was heard 06:36 Thank you so much, Pastor Wintley Phipps, 06:38 for that wonderful song 06:39 which to me is a wonderful segue 06:41 into our program 06:42 because we are here to tell the story of Jesus. 06:46 I'd like to introduce Richard Bland, 06:48 the Founder of United Prison Ministries. 06:51 It's good to have you here. 06:52 You're close enough, I'll shake your hand. 06:54 You are no stranger to 3ABN. 06:56 It's always good to see you 06:57 and we get a chance periodically to rub shoulders 07:00 in places like ASI and the General Conference. 07:02 And you've come here a number of times 07:04 before, right? 07:06 Many times, we came, I believe we were about, 07:08 one of the first one to record here. 07:09 Wow! In '87, I believe. 07:12 Okay, so you've been... Might have been '86. 07:13 So you've seen the ministry unfold 07:15 as God has carried you out there. 07:17 And there's inevitably somebody 07:20 watching or listening to the program 07:22 that might say, "Who is Richard Bland?" 07:24 Just give us in a nutshell of who you are? 07:26 What you do? 07:27 And how God is driving your life? 07:28 Well, in 1980, my wife and I, Carolyn Bland, 07:31 we want to do something else, 07:33 but the Lord put us in the prison ministry. 07:36 And it's been such a blessing, so that's been 37 years. 07:39 Wow. 07:41 And the reason why I said both of us 07:42 because if it hadn't been 07:44 for my wife doing what she was doing 07:45 and all that had to be done, it wouldn't have been done. 07:47 Wow. 07:48 Well, glad to have you back here today, 07:50 but you're not by yourself. 07:51 No. That's good. 07:53 There's a young lady to your right. 07:54 And I'd like you to introduce yourself, 07:55 tell us your connection with the program. 07:57 And so good to have you here for the first time. 08:00 Thank you so much. I'm Natalie Tibbs. 08:02 This is my father. 08:04 So I was raised in prison ministry. 08:06 I remember at 13, grading lessons 08:10 and saying, "Oh, I don't want to do this." 08:12 And then the God said to me one day, 08:15 "This is something you're supposed to do." 08:17 Now she just told her age. 08:19 She didn't realize that, did she? 08:22 She told her age, you know. 08:23 She told when she got started. 08:24 But though, well, she said 08:26 when I started taking her, you know. 08:27 I did carry on, that's true. 08:28 Well, see, now you... 08:30 I've messed that up with you too. 08:31 Now everybody is calculating... 08:33 So good to have you here today. Thank you so much. 08:34 And I said to you, the Lord has blessed you in many ways, 08:36 hiding your daughter all these years, 08:37 but we're so glad that you're here today. 08:39 And the beautiful thing about this is, 08:41 the United Prison Ministries has not only a present 08:43 but you've been going for more than 30 years. 08:46 But now United Prison Ministry 08:48 because of your daughter has a future. 08:50 And lot of times, people call the office, 08:52 and don't even know 08:53 that it's you on the other end of the phone. 08:55 Yes. 08:56 And so now we can connect the voice with the face. 08:59 Any other capacity that you participated 09:01 presently in the United Prison Ministries? 09:03 Well, I call myself behind the scenes, 09:05 but I do handle all operations for the ministry. 09:07 Okay, so you'll be, in other words COO, 09:09 if I have to say that. 09:11 Exactly. Well, you can say that again OOs do it twice. 09:14 Operations Officer of United Prison Ministries. 09:16 Yes. Good to have you here today. 09:17 Thank you so much. 09:19 And to your right is the future Mr. Fitness. 09:23 Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Mr. Fitness. 09:24 Scott, we had a chance to meet before this, 09:26 let our viewers and listeners know who you are. 09:28 Hello, I'm Scott Tibbs. 09:30 I'm actually the grandson of Richard Bland, 09:32 and the son of Natalie Tibbs. 09:34 I'm very blessed to be. I'm just happy. 09:36 I'm part of the wellness team, health and wellness at UPMI. 09:39 I'm one of the team members. 09:40 I'm just happy to help 09:42 and do what I'm here to do in God's name. 09:44 That's right. Yeah. 09:45 And health and wellness, 09:47 while it's not necessarily a present part of a ministry, 09:50 this ministry that people call and get material. 09:53 The Lord is prompting 09:54 this ministry to diversify itself. 09:57 And we thank you so much, Scott, 09:58 for being a part of that. 10:00 And we talked about this prior to the program, 10:02 health and wellness was something that was awakened 10:04 in your life as a young man 10:06 because of your mom's focus. 10:07 Yes. 10:08 And where have you taken that? 10:10 Oh, for me, I mean, sports of my whole life, 10:12 I started off very young. 10:15 Bless my mother. Very young. 10:17 I mean, I knew health start from the beginning. 10:20 I started off in martial arts, 10:22 got my degree in Kinesiology just recently. 10:26 I'm just very blessed that I was able to stay focused. 10:29 Really focused on health and wellness to this day, 10:32 and now send it to the, you know, the people of God. 10:35 And I'm just blessed to be here, yeah. 10:37 Good, good. 10:38 So we have two other people that will keep you, 10:42 make you behave today. 10:43 We're the foundation, you know, 1 Corinthians 10:31 say, 10:47 "Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, 10:49 do it to the glory and honor of God." 10:51 And now not only as my grandson doing it, 10:54 but I'm so proud of him. 10:56 Tell him about you being a vegan. 10:57 Oh, okay, okay. 10:59 Just tell him. Yes. 11:00 Yeah, I actually did a competitions' physique, 11:04 not necessarily bodybuilding, 11:05 more in the health, fitness realm of it, 11:08 but I'm also full vegetarian, vegan been my whole life. 11:12 I'm very, very blessed that I was raised to understand 11:16 that was the way to go. 11:17 And scripture says, it tells us how to eat, 11:20 and I've been doing it from day one, 11:21 and I'm a prime example of how to live health wise. 11:24 So much for the myth that you can't be in good shape 11:28 unless you eat hamburgers. 11:29 It is a myth. 11:30 Hey, you know, I'm saying that 11:32 because the fact is 11:33 I've never eaten an animal product in my life. 11:36 Okay, now that adds to the longevity 11:38 of why you're still in your right mind 11:40 doing what you've been doing all these years. 11:42 Thirteen more years, I'll be 100. 11:43 Wow! 11:44 And you're not ready to quit anyway. 11:46 Oh, no. Not any time soon. 11:47 Two things in the Bible you can't find. 11:49 What? Sunday and retirement. 11:54 You know, this is gonna be a great program today. 11:57 Two things in the Bible you can't find, 11:59 the sacredness of Sunday and retirement. 12:01 That's right. Okay. 12:03 But United Prison Ministries, 12:04 familiarize those who may not have heard 12:06 about United Prison Ministries. 12:08 Talk about how the Lord spark this vision in your life. 12:11 And I want to tell you, 12:12 we've had a wonderful interaction together, 12:15 we're taking pictures together, we smile together, 12:17 ate lunch together, 12:19 and I've seen Lord blessed you in so many ways. 12:21 But talk about how this got started? 12:23 What was the impetus to just really get this going? 12:26 Well, actually the Lord arranged this. 12:30 We took... My wife and I went down with some people 12:32 that we've been invited into racial 12:34 and denomination group of people to go to prison 12:37 because they didn't have a speaker 12:39 and they asked me to come along. 12:41 And so by going there, I took with me 200, 12:44 you know, bit of prophecy books, 12:46 Desire of Ages and so forth, Steps to Christ, 12:48 and I handed them out. 12:49 And no idea that we ever be going back, 12:53 but I asked a chaplain 12:54 could he use some cassette tapes. 12:56 Well, at that time, 12:57 C.D. Brooks had just finished a meeting 12:59 in Washington DC in 1979. 13:01 Those are beautiful cassette tapes, you know, 13:03 and the chaplain say yes. 13:04 So about two weeks later I took him the tapes. 13:07 In fact, I met him on the highway 13:09 to give him the tape. 13:10 And he said, "Do you have any more of those books?" 13:11 I said, "What books?" 13:13 He said, "Those books of E.G. White." 13:14 I said, "What?" 13:16 He said, "Oh, man, I love those books." 13:17 And I said, "How many do you like to have?" 13:18 He said, "A 1000." I said, "A 1000?" "Yeah". 13:20 So the next day, my wife and I took him a 1000, 13:23 but we always fish with the hook. 13:25 So what I did before we, when we saw the prison, 13:28 we stopped and I put an enrollment card in there 13:30 so they get some free Bible lesson from, 13:33 you know, one of the organization 13:35 that we affiliated with, you know. 13:37 And we put in all the books there. 13:38 No, we never gonna see these guys again, you know. 13:42 But so when we got to the prison, 13:44 the chaplain had someone 13:45 to take the books out of the car for us, 13:48 and he said, "Come on in here and meet the officers." 13:51 We went in there and he said... 13:53 Met the warden and the deputy warden. 13:55 He said, "This is Mr. and Mrs. Bland, 13:56 they're gonna start a Bible class here." 13:58 But we looked at one another, we had no idea, 14:00 you know, because that wasn't our plan. 14:02 Right. 14:03 So sure enough about three weeks later, 14:05 we started a Bible class there. 14:07 And while we were there, 14:08 the very first night we've met there, 14:10 we met a young man who walked up to us and said, 14:12 "Listen, I need me a daddy." 14:14 I looked at him like this, "Pastor, what do you say? 14:17 I say, "I need me a Daddy". 14:18 You know, and so what happened, 14:20 he had been in prison since he was 16 14:22 at that time, he's almost 24, 14:24 and he never had anybody to write him a letter 14:26 or anything like that. 14:28 And so from there, my wife and I 14:31 started communicating with him and visited him. 14:33 And today, believe it or not, he's still in prison though, 14:37 they gave him life, he's been there, 14:39 he just had his 60 birthday, a few weeks ago. 14:42 Wow! 14:43 But he had been there 44 years, but you never... 14:46 C.D. Brooks heard him preach once, 14:48 he came down a few years ago before he passed. 14:50 He said he never heard a person in all his life 14:52 that knew the Bible like Andre, that's his name. 14:55 And so therefore... 14:56 But from that, we started out, 14:58 the chaplain who invited us to prison, 15:01 the very first night... 15:04 The guy said, "What are you gonna talk about?" 15:05 Well, I said, "Well, I know to talk about 15:06 what the Bible says. 15:08 And I'm gonna give you what the Bible says." 15:09 That's right. 15:10 And so they asked me some questions. 15:14 For example, "Is it all right to eat pork?" 15:17 So I gave what the Bible said. Right. 15:19 Then some other people in the group asked me, 15:22 "What about speaking in tongues?" 15:23 So I gave them what the Bible said. 15:24 So at the end of the meeting though, 15:28 a few guys said, "We got the chaplain now." 15:30 I said, "What do you mean?" 15:31 They said, "The chaplain is Pentecostal 15:33 and he eats pork and he speaks in tongues." 15:34 I said, "Oh, man." 15:36 Well, he's the one invites us there, you know. 15:39 So that Monday, I said, "Lord, what we're gonna do?" 15:42 I know he's gonna kick us out, you know. 15:44 And though I said, "Tell him that you just want to meet 15:46 with about 10 men every other week." 15:49 So you can meet them and maybe help 10 people. 15:53 But the secret was this, I can meet them, though I said, 15:57 the reason for it, real reason you teach them what you know. 16:00 So when they kick you out of prison, 16:01 they still got 20 years, they can carry on. 16:03 So that's where we started out 16:05 what the Bible says Bible lesson. 16:07 We started out with 15 Bible students. 16:10 And in six months time, 16:12 we had 18,000 lessons we were grading 16:15 because we told them this that there's a law. 16:20 I said, "What law do you think you all break 16:22 that everybody break?" 16:24 And they said, "They've come out to steal." 16:26 They said, "Everything, everybody steal, you know." 16:29 I said, "Okay, now let me tell you how not to steal." 16:32 I said, "Whatever I give you, 16:33 if I should give you a $100 to give somebody else. 16:37 So you don't give them money. 16:38 What have you done? You've stolen." 16:40 I said, "So whatever we teach you, 16:41 if you don't share it with everybody you meet, 16:43 you're still thief." 16:44 Oh, that was... Did you hear that? 16:47 So they took that in mind 16:48 'cause prisoners know that there's a law. 16:50 I've only heard church people said 16:52 the laws are done away with. 16:53 I never heard a prisoner said laws are done away with. 16:55 They know there's a law. That's right. 16:57 So they break the law. 16:58 So therefore, at every meeting, 16:59 we have been reading Ten Commandments. 17:02 And now that I say, I must say that again, 17:05 I don't believe a church should exist 17:06 if they don't read 17:08 the Ten Commandments every week. 17:09 That's a beautiful thing. 17:11 You wouldn't want to drive out here on this highway 17:12 if the laws are done away with, would you? 17:13 No. 17:15 Okay, so what I want to be in a world 17:16 where the God didn't have a commandment. 17:17 So therefore, every week, 17:19 every ministry around the world. 17:20 By the way, we've been in 71 countries in the world 17:23 by the way since we began. 17:25 And we read the Ten Commandments, 17:26 that's one thing we must read at every meeting. 17:29 And I've told people, 17:30 if a church don't read the Ten Commandments, 17:32 they have no reason to exist if there is no law. 17:34 Now, does the Ten Commandments save you? 17:36 No. It just a mirror. 17:38 That's right. It's just like a mirror. 17:40 It shows our need of Christ. 17:41 It doesn't wash your face. That's right. 17:42 So we're saved by grace. That's right. 17:44 But we got to have those commandments to know 17:47 where we getting off the road. 17:48 Where we're making them more to see. 17:50 That's very good... 17:51 I like the analogy you pointed out, 17:53 the church has no reason to exist, 17:54 if it denies the existence of God's law. 17:55 No. 17:57 Where there's no law, there's no sin. 17:58 Where there's no sin, there's no need of a Savior. 17:59 If you have no Savior, 18:01 you no need to preach a message of salvation. 18:02 You're minus, you're minusing yourself out, 18:05 when you get rid of the law. 18:07 You get rid of the law, 18:08 you actually get rid of the purpose for Jesus. 18:09 That's right. 18:11 So but now the Lord prompted you and Natalie. 18:13 I now see, I'm sure you graded more than 18,000 Bible lessons. 18:17 Oh, more than that. 18:19 Oh, I guess up to date now we've given away... 18:23 Well, we did over 25, 18:24 we've given away 72 million books 18:26 and Bible lesson to men in prison 18:28 around the world. 18:30 And now when you talk about 18:31 the United Prison Ministries, do you... 18:32 We're gonna give the address information later on, 18:35 but when you get an invitation to go into a particular place, 18:40 how does that happen? 18:42 And what I mean by that is do you contact the prisons? 18:47 Or do they contact you or vice versa? 18:49 They contact us. Okay. 18:50 What we have found out that... 18:52 Remember, we're sharing 18:53 with the men and women in prison. 18:54 We share the Word of God with them. 18:56 And then they tell others, they tell officers, 18:58 and it went from one prison... 18:59 Remember, I told we are just invited to that one prison. 19:02 And from that one prison went to two, 19:04 then three, then four, 19:05 then pretty soon we went out of state 19:06 and across the country because of the way it is. 19:09 We have a set of Bible there... 19:11 And then I thought I will slow them down really. 19:14 And so what I said to them, I said, 19:15 "In order to get a certificate, 19:17 you have to enroll three other people." 19:20 You see. Mm-hmm. 19:22 Now the reason for that is 19:24 we want to make sure they were studying. 19:25 So therefore, the average person 19:27 before we give them a certificate, 19:29 they have to study with four people. 19:31 They have to study their own lesson, 19:32 then they got other three people 19:33 that they studied with. 19:35 And I said on a certificate would be the person's name. 19:37 See what I mean. Okay. 19:38 So therefore, if you see right here, 19:40 this person here Ross, he enrolled three other people. 19:44 And notice he enrolled April Ross, 19:46 which could have been his mother, Raymond Jenkins, 19:49 Betty, Pepper could have been his girlfriend. 19:52 And in order for them to get their certificate, 19:55 they got to enroll three other people. 19:56 And everything is about the Bible. 19:58 Right, it's continuing to reproduce. 19:59 Continue to. 20:00 One, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty... 20:02 And I got to tell you this, just two weeks ago, 20:05 a young man had been in prison for 30 years. 20:08 And he was just young man Andre like I told you about, life. 20:13 When he talked to Andre, what did Andre said, 20:16 "It's all about Jesus." 20:17 The man knows the Bible, studied the Bible. 20:20 And so he decided, 20:21 after 31 years to give his life to Christ. 20:24 It just happened a couple weeks ago. 20:26 And he came and gave his testimony 20:29 because he got his certificate, see, 20:31 and after the end of the meeting that night 20:33 he was sitting next to me 20:35 and I gave him some of the extra Bible lesson 20:37 that I had in my hand. 20:38 Okay. 20:40 The next week which is just a couple weeks ago, 20:43 he not only enrolled 27 new guys 20:48 finished the Bible course 20:50 because of him in one week, 27, 20:52 he brought to the class, new people. 20:54 So therefore, we're the only ministry 20:56 I've been told in the whole world 20:59 that goes by the Bible 100%. 21:01 Amen. We're the only one. 21:03 You know, what I like about that is 21:04 nobody could say, Richard said... 21:06 You got it. 21:07 Or United Prison Ministry said, 21:09 or this is what their church says. 21:11 We're gonna talk about these Bible lessons 21:12 in just a moment. 21:13 But, Natalie, I'm gonna refer back to you too 21:15 because when you talk about... 21:17 At what point did you realize, "Okay, the Lord... 21:20 My dad is not just given me an assignment, 21:22 but this is the Lord's work." 21:24 I had to go off to college. 21:27 I got married and I had my children, 21:30 home-schooled them, 21:31 and I realized the importance of ministry just having... 21:35 My son has experienced in his high school. 21:37 Some of his friends had gone to prison, 21:40 you know, just dealing with some of them 21:42 suffering from drugs. 21:43 And I thought, "If I'm not part of the solution, 21:46 I'm part of the problem." 21:48 So I'm, was talking to my father who laughed 21:52 because he knew, I was gonna do this. 21:54 He told me when I was young, 21:55 he was gonna hand the baton to me, 21:57 but I was like "Nope!" 21:59 But so that's how it turned out where I said, 22:02 "You know, they're all raised, they've gone through college. 22:05 It's time for me to give back to the Lord." 22:07 Wow. 22:09 And what I like about the reason 22:10 I'm bringing you into this interview 22:11 is because many of you watching the program, 22:13 somebody might say, "I have been... 22:15 I've known Richard for 20 years, 22:17 some people might say 30 years." 22:19 And there're pastors all over the world 22:21 in different countries that have said, 22:22 "Hey, he was in our country. 22:23 I remember him very well. 22:25 He came and spoke at our prisons 22:26 and in our facilities." 22:27 But then the face of the ministry 22:29 will not diminish, 22:31 but will continue as God gives strength. 22:33 And now the Lord has called you. 22:35 As you so wonderfully said, 22:37 just step into the gap to give back 22:39 as God has given you 22:40 because your daughter's whole life was shaped 22:43 in the vacuum of prison ministry. 22:45 So you saw in your Mom and Dad's life 22:47 that the reality of their conviction changing lives. 22:50 Yes. 22:52 Have you ever been to the prisons? 22:53 Oh, yes. Okay. 22:54 Yes, many, many, many times. 22:57 In fact, even my children have gone in. 22:59 Okay. Yes. 23:01 Do you remember going, Scott? Oh, yes. 23:03 I remember talking to Andre. 23:06 I call him my uncle, you know, and we talk still, 23:09 we talk to this day, you know. 23:10 And I think for me, it gave me insight 23:13 on how easy it is to be tricked by the devil, 23:17 and how easy it is to be someone like Andre, 23:21 perfect example, how he was saying 23:22 that he's the person who knows the Bible so well. 23:25 And he leads by example, you should see 23:27 how the people talk to him in prison, 23:29 but he's a man who was in prison 23:31 for the rest of his life off of one decision. 23:33 And I think for me, when I first went to prisons, 23:36 it gave me like, "I don't want to be there, 23:39 and I want to help people not get there." 23:41 Because I've seen my friends, 23:42 I've seen my friends die from drugs, go to prison for, 23:45 you know, gangs and things like that. 23:49 And I'm just blessed 23:50 that I'm able to be grounded, you know. 23:53 And so the ministry of your grandfather has been, 23:56 become an impetus to even give you good direction. 23:58 Yes. 24:00 Because, I mean, 24:01 when I was growing up in New York in Bethel, 24:03 Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brooklyn. 24:05 When my wife 24:06 who was my girlfriend at the time, 24:07 who's still my girlfriend today, 24:10 when we got involved in ministry, 24:11 we had a car that only had... 24:13 It didn't go in reverse. 24:16 That's when Toyotas were small. 24:18 I remember. Yeah. 24:19 You know, it didn't go in reverse, 24:21 but after Sabbath school, every Sabbath, 24:22 we'd go to the Brooklyn House of Detention, to Rikers Island. 24:24 We're gonna talk about Rikers Island in just a moment. 24:26 And it was so funny 24:28 when you're going across Rikers Island Bridge, 24:29 they would always check, open the trunk 24:30 and, you know, I'd say, 24:32 "Please, don't ask us to reverse." 24:35 You got to get out. 24:37 It went forward and Sister Langley, 24:38 I know you know Sister Langley. 24:40 Patt Langley, I don't forget her. 24:42 All these people that are involved in prison ministry 24:43 and when I was afraid to minister in church, 24:46 when I was afraid to stand up in front of all the people, 24:48 Bethel was packed in those days. 24:49 And still full today but... 24:51 Last time I have spoken, it was full. 24:54 Yeah, what, you know, Bethel is a mother 24:56 of so many other churches in Brooklyn, 24:58 but just standing up in front of people 25:00 on Sabbath morning, it's more frightful. 25:02 But then when you go to prison 25:05 and then people come out of the chapel services, 25:07 you know they're not there because they have to be... 25:09 Right. It's because they want to be. 25:11 That's right. 25:12 In a church you beg for an amen, 25:14 but in prison you get an amen. 25:15 Amen. You say that again. 25:16 And you sing with fearlessly in prison 25:19 and nobody gonna criticize you 25:20 because they're glad that you're there. 25:21 Right. 25:23 So what I want to point out is that... 25:24 And that's true, you've seen this, 25:25 and I'm glad you mentioned that, Scott, 25:27 one decision could affect your life 25:29 negatively or positively. 25:30 And you've seen that there are men 25:32 that are behind bars and the reason they're there 25:35 is because they made a bad decision. 25:36 That's right. 25:38 But a bad decision 25:39 doesn't have to continue to be a bad decision. 25:41 Talk about that, you've gone to places 25:43 where people have said, 25:44 "Man, if I didn't do this, if I didn't do this, 25:47 if I didn't do that, I wouldn't be here" 25:48 But you say, "Well, now you're here. 25:50 So let's make a good decision from this point on." 25:52 Talk about some of those experiences? 25:53 Well, you know, first thing that everybody got to realize. 25:56 We're all born in sin. That's right. 25:59 And see, if you look at Psalm 51:5 say, 26:01 "You born in sin and shapen in iniquity." 26:03 So all of us have those sinful tendencies. 26:06 That's right. That nature. All of us. Nature. 26:09 And that's what the first stanza say, 26:10 "You can't change yourself." 26:11 They say, "What do you mean?" They say, "I can do better." 26:13 "No, you can't do better because you're born in sin." 26:15 Right. 26:16 I say, "And God does not repair sin, 26:18 He replace sinners." 26:19 That's why He told me, "You had to be born again." 26:21 Say it again. 26:22 God does not repair sin, He replaces sinners. 26:25 That's right. And makes them saints. 26:26 Makes them saints. 26:27 And the reason why in fact he told Nicodemus. 26:31 But I take him to the routine, 26:33 for as I said now you go to Galatians 5:19, 20, 21. 26:37 It tells you about all the attributes you have, 26:39 adultery, stealing. 26:40 I said, "That's in everybody because we all sinners." 26:43 And then I bring them back to John 3:3 and 5, 26:47 where Jesus told Nicodemus, 26:48 "Hey, your problem is you got to be born again." 26:51 That's right. And he said, "How?" 26:52 He said, "Born of the Spirit." 26:54 He said, "I don't repair sinner." 26:56 God does not get involved with sinners. 26:59 God does not." 27:01 He said, "In order for you to come to me, 27:03 you got to be brand new." 27:05 New, born again, then when you're born again, 27:07 you go back to Galatians 5:22 and 23, 27:10 love, joy, peace now. 27:12 So once they understand that, they stop trying. 27:15 And that's when I came to ponder, you don't try. 27:19 Just like now, 27:20 can I go 35,000 feet in the air by myself? 27:23 No. 27:24 But what I can go, but what... okay, now how do I have to go? 27:28 Number one, I got to go to the airport. 27:31 Get me a ticket. 27:32 Make a decision to get on an airplane. 27:34 Now when I get on an airplane that 21 year old 27:37 flight attendant guess what she says, "Sit down." 27:39 Guess what I do... Sit down. 27:40 She said, "Buckle up." That's what I do. 27:41 Buckle up. 27:43 Once I accept Christ, I'll obey everything 27:45 He says the same way. 27:46 If He says, "Sit down." I'll sit down. 27:48 He says, speed limit 70 mile an hour, I don't go 71. 27:51 Listen to me, I'll obey. 27:53 So I can go 35,000 feet only in Christ. 27:57 And only way I can live a good life is in Christ. 28:00 That's why, it's so important that they understand 28:02 you can do better. 28:04 And you know, John, let me tell you this. 28:06 For two and a half year, my post office lady, 28:10 she smokes, she is... 28:12 What you call the post master. 28:15 But she can't smoke in a post office. 28:16 So sometimes I drop this, she's outside smoking. 28:19 And she is a Christian lady. 28:20 She says, she go to church 28:22 on the wrong day every week, you know. 28:23 But and she says I know, my body, 28:26 I shouldn't smoke and all of these. 28:28 I say, "Yeah, that's true." 28:30 But, you know, these Bible lessons. 28:32 Yes, let's talk about it. 28:34 It came out about four months ago 28:37 and I gave it to her and when she opened it up, 28:39 her eyes fell on, take control to quit smoking. 28:44 The next day, remember, 28:46 she's been smoking for 20 years. 28:47 The next day, said, Mr. Bland, 28:49 I now quit smoking. 28:50 I said, "What happened?" 28:52 She said, "When I read this Bible text," 28:54 because it says up here, you pray before you read it. 28:58 "When I read this Bible text down here 28:59 the Holy Spirit told me to quit." 29:02 Then led me know right then, 29:03 people need to keep our mouth shut 29:04 and let the Holy Spirit do the talking. 29:07 And the Holy Spirit will do it 29:08 when you give them what the Bible says. 29:10 You know, I want to talk about these lessons 29:11 and I know we have a graphic to show this lesson, 29:12 but and we're gonna go back to Rikers Island in a moment. 29:15 These lessons what the Bible says, 29:16 what's different about these lessons is, 29:18 and I open and I thought, 29:20 this is what resource every pastor needs, 29:23 every church needs, 29:25 every one that wants to read somebody 29:28 and what's nice about this is nobody could open this 29:30 and say your church says. 29:32 That's great. Thank you. I love that. 29:35 Nobody could say, 29:36 "Okay, I know Richard Bland got this made by his church." 29:39 You can't say, 29:40 there's nothing new that your church says. 29:42 It's simply, who committed the first sin? 29:45 Where was it committed? 29:47 Was Satan sinful when he was created? 29:48 And the Bible text. 29:50 I like this what the Bible says is a powerful resource 29:53 that everybody needs. 29:55 And whether you're involved in a Bible study, 29:57 You've given it to somebody in your Bible study group 29:59 or your Bible worker for particular church 30:01 or conference or whatever your denomination. 30:03 If you are interested in what the Bible says, 30:07 these are the lessons 30:08 that are gonna make a difference. 30:10 And when we look at this. 30:13 More than 35 years of distributing 30:16 millions of Bible studies, 30:17 I think this one excites you more than all the other. 30:19 Oh, yes. 30:21 And the reason for that is, 30:23 the other material that we have, 30:25 we have some comments on it, 30:27 and then when the family members 30:29 or prisoner's family members get a hold to it, 30:31 they say, "Oh, that's your church. 30:32 He got that from a particular church." 30:36 And really after about a year and a half, 30:37 if I say, Lord what is it that I can give them 30:42 that nobody can say anything about it? 30:44 And it took a lot of fasting and praying 30:46 and the Lord says, 30:48 "Give them nothing but My Word." 30:50 "Oh, Lord, how can I give them nothing, 30:51 but Your Word?" 30:53 And then this is the way, it was designed. 30:55 Maybe on the screen it says, 30:56 if they can show page two and three, you know. 31:00 You need to hold that up. Okay. 31:01 That's like that, hold up in front of you like that, 31:03 we try to get a wide shot but don't move it too much. 31:05 Yeah, just hold it right there. 31:08 If you notice... If you can hold like that. 31:09 Like that little bit. Yeah, just hold it right there. 31:11 On that page two and three, when you open it up, 31:15 there are 15 subjects there that give you the answer to it. 31:18 The first one is what? 31:20 Stress management. Stress management. 31:21 Defeating loneliness. 31:23 There's... 31:24 The healing of sorrow, 31:27 living with laws, health and nutrition, 31:29 surviving tips for single parenting, 31:31 addiction free, very relevant, gentle ways to ease depression, 31:34 improving your marriage, take control and quit smoking, 31:36 life after death, money management, 31:38 hope in time of trouble, successful parenting. 31:41 I mean, those are all relevant topics 31:43 to every generation. 31:44 Let me tell you. 31:46 Nobody has turned this down 31:48 in the past four months we had this. 31:50 Nobody, under no circumstance. 31:52 The reason for it 31:53 because people get what they need, want. 31:56 See, in the first 15 lessons give them what they want. 31:59 They want and you noticed the Holy Spirit 32:01 speak to us through three ways. 32:03 Through what? 32:04 Through His Word, through nature. 32:06 What do you see on this page here? 32:07 That's right, a natural portrait... 32:08 And then, you see what I mean, and through the Holy Spirit. 32:11 And that's what it does. 32:12 So when they look at this, they can't turn it down. 32:17 In fact, the question that I ask people, 32:20 "Do you have a Bible?" 32:22 If they say, "Yes." "This is there?" 32:23 I open it up, they say, "Yes, I want this." 32:25 Just in your town yesterday, 32:27 we just got here, your town yesterday. 32:30 We've stopped at Kroger store, 32:32 my daughter and I went to Kroger store. 32:34 And before even the lady looked at this, said, 32:37 "I want this." 32:39 Of course, I said, "Open it up." 32:41 "Oh, yes, I need this." 32:44 Passed off a 100 Bible studies yesterday in your town. 32:50 You say, how hundred, 32:51 there are 25 lesson studies in one of these. 32:55 Nobody turns it down. 32:56 And with the result that they're gonna get 32:59 is phenomenal. 33:00 There's four things they're gonna learn 33:02 when they do those lessons. 33:04 Number one, you know, what Jesus did, 33:05 He gave people what? 33:07 He gave people what they wanted. 33:08 "I'm blind." They wanted to do what? To see. 33:11 Then once He gave them sight, He said, 33:12 "I'm gonna give you what you need. 33:14 I'm gonna forgive you of your sins." 33:16 So those lessons, the first 15 give the people 33:20 what they want, 33:21 the next 10 get what they need. 33:22 They need to know who wrote the Ten Commandments. 33:24 They need to know where they're going, 33:26 when they die. 33:27 They need to know what day is God's, 33:30 the Lord's day. 33:32 They need to know what they eat. 33:34 All of those things there. 33:35 And when they do those, everybody has done those 33:38 come away with those four things. 33:39 What are they? I think you're looking at them. 33:40 That's right. 33:42 The four things is God wrote the Ten Commandments. 33:43 The seventh-day is the Sabbath, that's Saturdays. 33:46 When a person dies they stay buried until Jesus comes. 33:50 And there are certain animals that are forbidden to eat. 33:53 And those are the four things 33:54 that are unequivocally carried about. 33:56 Then everybody come away with... 33:57 And guess where they got their answer from? 33:58 Out of their Bibles. In their Bibles. 34:00 That's what it's nice about it. 34:02 So you can't say well... 34:03 And I've had people, I had a pastor once said to me, 34:05 when we're having a Bible study, he said, 34:07 "What Bible are you using? 34:08 I said, "Well, let me use your Bible." 34:10 That's right. 34:11 Because for some reason, 34:14 whenever preconceived ideas enter into the picture 34:17 before you allow God's Word to speak, 34:18 it tends to eclipse what God wants to show you. 34:21 And people tend to think, "Well, this is your church. 34:23 Well, this is your Bible." 34:24 That's what so nice about these lessons. 34:25 We're gonna talk about how people can get those. 34:27 We're also gonna talk about how they can help finance it 34:30 because you have a very aggressive project, 34:31 don't mention it yet. 34:33 I want to go back to Rikers Island. 34:34 You have a rolling of some video footage 34:36 set this up for me about Rikers Island. 34:38 Well, the chaplain from Rikers Island called me 34:42 and he said he wanted 14,000 Bibles, 34:46 14,000 Desire of Ages, 34:47 and 14,000 Bible Questions Answered. 34:49 I said, "Why?" He said, "'Cause I got to have it." 34:52 And so people said, "Did you take it to him?" 34:54 Roll the clip. 34:56 I want the people to see what happened. 34:57 Okay. 35:08 For the first time ever 35:09 United Prison Ministries International 35:11 delivered 28,000 books to Rikers Island. 35:14 They were 14,000 copies of the book 35:17 Bible Questions Answered 35:18 and another 14,000 copies of The Desire of Ages. 35:22 A chaplain on Rikers Island requested the books 35:25 after seeing Richard Bland, 35:26 president of United Prison Ministries International 35:29 interviewed on Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 35:32 Bland says, his organization gives Bibles 35:35 and other life changing books to prisoners free of charge 35:39 and says, it has a very positive effect. 35:42 And I said, "Why that book?" 35:43 He said that book would change the life 35:45 because everybody he's known to him read that book, 35:47 their life will change from crime to Christ. 35:50 Antonio Hall, Community Chaplin 35:51 of the United Prison Ministries says, 35:53 he has been incarcerated more than a dozen times 35:57 in several different states 35:58 before he got his hands on a Bible. 36:01 He says, it changed his life. 36:04 When you have time in prison to study God's Word, 36:07 you'll be able to know the truth 36:08 and the truth will make you free 36:10 right there in the institution. 36:12 Bland says, United Prison Ministries International 36:14 is able to distribute the materials 36:16 due to the generosity of its supporters 36:19 who believe the Word of God 36:20 will transform prisoners' lives. 36:49 Praise the Lord for that. 36:51 When you do what God calls you to do, 36:55 He sets the appointments. 36:57 Because you couldn't call that prison and say, 36:59 "I want to deliver 28,000 books, 37:01 14,000 of this and 14,000 of that." 37:04 But the other thing, I want to also point out is 37:06 there are people that are incarcerated 37:08 that are free 37:10 and there are people that are not incarcerated 37:11 that are bound. 37:13 Talk about that? 37:14 Well, as it says in Isaiah 42:7 and 8, 37:19 "Anyone that don't know the Word of God is in prison." 37:24 Because John 3:16 says, "For God so love the," what? 37:30 The world. 37:32 "That He gave His only begotten Son. 37:34 Romans 6:23 says, "We have all," what? 37:36 Sinned. Sinned. 37:38 So that means we're all on death row. 37:40 I want you understand that. 37:41 Yeah, Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned 37:42 and fallen short of the glory of God." 37:44 Fallen short of the glory of God, that's right. 37:45 And so therefore, we're all on death row... 37:47 That's right. Until Jesus set us free. 37:49 And how does He set us free? 37:50 By being born again, by accepting His life. 37:53 That's right. 37:55 And so that will make the difference. 37:57 Now anyone, what really stunned me now, 38:00 that made me over the years. 38:03 I said now how many people, you know, 38:06 it's difficult to talk somebody, 38:07 let me give you a Bible study 38:09 because he's so busy in all this. 38:12 So I've asked them one question. 38:15 Who commit the first sin? 38:18 And, of course, they invariably have come up, 38:21 most of them come up with wrong answer. 38:23 So I say, "Should I believe you or the Bible?" 38:25 Everybody says, "Believe the Bible." 38:28 So therefore when I'm on airplane traveling 38:31 and I thought about this too, 38:34 always take a lot of material with me. 38:37 The flight attendant, 38:38 I said, "I got a free gift for you." 38:40 And I'd say, "When you finish, pass it out." 38:42 So she come by, "What's the free gift?" 38:44 I said, "Well, if you tell me who commit the first sin, 38:46 then I give you a gift." 38:48 She said, "Oh that was Adam or Eve," like that. 38:50 When she said that I'll talk little louder, 38:52 I said, "Well, 38:53 if you would give me the right answer, 38:54 I was gonna give you $100." 38:56 So the person in front of me hears that, he says, "What?" 38:59 And the person across the aisle hear that, you know, 39:00 and then two or three seats behind me. 39:02 So they get to discussion. 39:04 They said, it was Adam or it was Eve. 39:05 It's Adam or Eve. 39:07 I said, "Should I believe you or the Bible?" 39:08 They said, "The Bible." 39:09 Then I said, I have my Bible there, 39:11 but I never let them look in my Bible 39:12 just like you said. 39:14 I said, "Look at your own Bible." 39:15 So the flight attendant go back and get a Bible and, of course, 39:18 she found out that she was wrong 39:19 because the Bible says, 39:21 you know, the devil was in heaven. 39:22 So I said, "Now this is the reason 39:24 why you must accept what the Word of God says 39:28 and that would makes the difference in their life." 39:30 That is very Spirit led. 39:31 And so what happened on this, after doing this for years, 39:36 I said, "Lord, give me something, 39:39 the subjects the most 25 questions 39:44 that people ask us over the year, 39:45 but I want Bible answers for it." 39:47 That's right. 39:48 And so this will become our will. 39:50 We've asked, "What do you want to know?" 39:53 We went to the Bible for the answer. 39:54 So the most 25 subjects that people have asked us 39:58 out of doing 25 million lessons that's what we put together. 40:02 That's what in this book. 40:04 And there is over 500 Bible texts there. 40:06 All out of the Bible. 40:07 And so anybody's Bible will have the answers in it. 40:10 Anybody's Bible. 40:11 All they got to do is have a Bible. 40:13 Now if they don't have a Bible or don't want a Bible, 40:15 you really can't help. 40:16 Just like, you know, you don't have a car, 40:19 I can't give you no gasoline to run it. 40:20 Exactly. 40:22 And the way they're designed... 40:23 Notice here, anybody, any church 40:25 could put their stamp on the back and had been it so. 40:28 That's right, right in the back there 40:29 is a wide open space 40:31 that they could just stamp 40:32 their information right in there, 40:34 send it wherever they want to do it. 40:35 In fact, the Word is out now. 40:36 If you want your church to grow, 40:40 what the Bible says is the way to go. 40:42 Wow. Did you hear, what I just said? 40:43 If you want your church to grow, 40:45 what the Bible says is the way to go. 40:46 That's right. 40:48 And the reason for that because you can pass 40:49 to everybody in your neighborhood 40:51 and nobody would turn it down 40:53 because they're gonna say to you, 40:54 "I needed that, I need to know about stress. 40:56 I need to know about lonely. 40:57 I need to know about improving my marriage. 40:59 I need to know about quit smoking. 41:01 I need to know about addiction." 41:03 See people want to know this. How do I know? 41:06 Because nobody turns it down. 41:08 You've got in the back of this, well-known stories of Bible, 41:12 Old and New Testament. That's some serious work. 41:14 From Genesis all the way to Revelation. 41:17 And that's worth its weight in gold right there. 41:19 I know, I mean, that's a serious insert, 41:23 but there is a part of the lesson itself. 41:24 It is. 41:26 The only problem that we've had, people says, 41:28 "How much does it cost for 25 Bible studies?" 41:32 Twenty-five Bible studies how much does it cost? 41:35 Well, I told the Lord, I said, "Lord, 41:38 I want everybody in this America, 41:40 everybody in the world to have this book." 41:43 So how can I give them the 25 Bible studies? 41:47 What is it gonna cost? 41:49 And I've asked people, 41:50 "For 25 Bible studies, how much it cost?" 41:51 They says, "It costs $5 or $10." 41:53 I said, "I can't do that lord." 41:55 So Lord arranged with me through the ministry, 42:00 to get a 80% subsidy. 42:02 What I mean by that is this all for $1. 42:07 I give you this 25 Bible study. That's $0.04 a Bible study. 42:10 Have you ever heard of such? 42:12 Wow, no. This is why. 42:13 So you're saying, this is $1? One dollar. 42:16 You can have it for $1. 42:17 Now, what we've done here on the back, 42:21 let people know, it's a minimum of $5, 42:23 but you're getting it for $1 a piece. 42:24 One dollar. A 100 sets for $1. 42:28 Only God has done this. 42:31 So you've made it so that 42:33 even people that just want to buy gum 42:36 or even if they have change, they can get a lesson study. 42:38 But when we buy them and we walk up to people, 42:40 we give them, we give them for free. 42:43 Where the ones that are... 42:44 But I want to talk about the aggressive plan you have. 42:46 Then we're gonna go to 42:47 some of the graphics of your book 42:49 'cause I want to make sure that we get all these in 42:50 through the program. 42:51 I know, what I'm excited about is while Natalie and Scott 42:54 are not saying a lot in the program. 42:57 You are inspiring them to carry on. 43:01 I mean, we had a chance to talk before. 43:04 You are inspiring them to just... 43:06 'Cause some of the things you've learned 43:07 and the tactics of approaching people, 43:09 that's really important. 43:12 Who committed the first sin? 43:13 That's a good conversation breaker. 43:16 You know, the reasons 43:17 why we have that as a number one 43:18 because we let them know 43:21 what they think they know about the Bible, 43:23 they don't know and it's not threatening. 43:25 Right. 43:26 That's not a personal thing. No, it's not a personal thing. 43:29 And automatically they say, 43:31 You know, I thought sure, 43:32 when I went to Sunday school that my teacher said, 43:35 "There was Adam and Eve." 43:38 The next thing we put on there, they thought sure 43:42 that Moses wrote those Ten Commandments, 43:44 but then they found out that 43:45 God wrote it with His own finger. 43:46 Then they knew that when their grandmother died 43:52 that she went to heaven 'cause the preacher said that. 43:54 But now they say, "Wait a minute now. 43:56 My Bible says 43:58 that my grandmother is in the grave. 43:59 So that preacher lied to me." 44:02 See, they're getting that on their own 44:03 without you saying anything. 44:05 This is reason why these lessons are designed 44:08 to do one thing. 44:09 Give it and keep your mouth shut. 44:11 Wow. 44:12 Now we have some graphics, 44:13 I want to show it to those who are watching by television, 44:15 and explain to those who are listening by radio. 44:18 And you walk us through each one of these graphics. 44:19 Okay. 44:22 Oh, by the way, that's the president 44:25 of the General Conference world church there. 44:27 Elder Ted Wilson. 44:29 He saw this, not too long ago, and he told me, 44:32 he's never seen anything like it. 44:34 And the reason why 44:36 because there is nothing like it. 44:37 There is no study and, you know... 44:39 I gave him a little... Month or two ago... 44:42 "I baptized as a Christian 75 years ago 44:46 and I've never seen anything like it, 44:48 and nothing like it." 44:49 And Charles Braffen who is 90 years old call me up 44:53 when he saw, he said, 44:54 "Bland, I've never seen anything like this 44:56 because I can now give it to everybody 44:59 and don't feel threatened." 45:00 That's right. That's very good. 45:01 And what's the next graphic we have? 45:03 Okay. 45:04 Oh, that was some people on the street, 45:05 just passed by the convention where I was at. 45:07 Okay. And they said, "Can I have one? 45:09 Can I have?" I said, "Yeah." And they got it. 45:11 And they said, hey. 45:13 And I said, "Let me take your picture." 45:14 I took their pictures. 45:15 I don't know who they are because that's what happen. 45:17 Everybody wants it. 45:18 And these are seeds in their life... 45:20 Seeds in their life. 45:21 That will plant the Word of God. 45:22 That's right. Praise the Lord. 45:24 I think there is another one there too. 45:25 Okay. Oh, that's a gentleman there. 45:27 He's the president of the Big Honorary. 45:30 Yeah, honorary, that's right. 45:32 Northeastern Conference president. 45:33 And that was his... 45:35 What happened that was one of his members passed by, 45:36 she says, "Take a picture of me with my president." 45:39 So that's where I took the picture there. 45:40 And that is in the Northeastern Conference also. 45:42 Yes and he... 45:44 And now I hope and pray that everyone of his members 45:46 and everyone in his church remembers, 45:48 get this a box every month. 45:50 Now the reason why I'm asking them to participate 45:53 because we have to give now before the next few months 45:58 before Christmas 45:59 two and a half million of these to prisoners 46:01 because the prisoners have asked us for. 46:03 Two and a half million? Two and a half million. 46:04 That's how many are incarcerated 46:06 and every prisoner wants this, why? 46:08 Because it's protection from them. 46:10 The wardens and the chaplains says, 46:12 I want what the Bible said, 46:13 it's not threatening to me 46:14 so, Bland, can you give it to me? 46:16 Well, we're asking our people out there 46:18 to participate in it. 46:19 So when you get your box, 46:21 give a box or so free to the prison. 46:23 How many are there in a box? 46:25 We got a box now of 100 and a box of 300. 46:27 Okay. 46:29 And the reason why we put them in a box of 100 and a 300 46:31 because most people just want a box of 100, you know. 46:33 Right, to carry with them. 46:35 To carry, and then the 300, 46:36 you know, groups are doing this for 300. 46:37 I'm gonna get a box myself 46:39 and I'm gonna encourage our church members to get a box 46:41 because we have one of the most 46:43 inspiring personal ministries leaders, 46:46 he and his wife doing an excellent job, 46:47 and they always trying to figure out 46:49 how to get things in people's hands. 46:50 So we're gonna talk about that, 46:51 but now the way that people can participate. 46:53 Do we have any more graphics? 46:55 I think, maybe another shot there of somebody. 46:58 Oh, there are some people there from Tanzania. 47:00 Okay. 47:01 That they said, "We got to take this." 47:02 By the way, 47:04 we've just finished it in English. 47:06 We're now printing in Spanish. 47:08 We will print it in every language in the world. 47:10 Wow, wow. 47:11 And the reason for that, when I went to the printer, 47:13 he says, "How many you want to have printed, Bland? 47:16 I said, "Well, in American," I googled it right away 47:17 it says, 125 million homes in America. 47:19 I said, "We're gonna start with 125 million. 47:22 He said, "What?" 47:23 I said, because the Bible says, go into all the world 47:25 to preach the gospel. 47:27 Listen to me. 47:28 And when I read that text again that we haven't read yet. 47:31 Ezekiel what it was 3:17, 18. 47:34 Can I look at it? Sure. 47:35 Real quickly. Go ahead. 47:37 Matter of fact, I have it right here. 47:38 Go ahead, read it. You go ahead and read it. 47:39 Let me go ahead and read it in the interest of time. 47:41 Here it is. It says, Ezekiel 3:17 to 19. 47:44 "Son of man, 47:45 I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. 47:47 Therefore, hear a word from my mouth, 47:48 and give them warning for me." 47:50 So in a nutshell when you give this Bible study, 47:55 everybody is being warned about the inevitable 47:58 that's facing the Lord. 48:00 And I'm gonna summarize it simply, you know, 48:02 when the person who is on the way to death 48:04 are introduced to God, introduced to Jesus 48:07 and they turn, 48:08 you are no longer responsible for that person's blood. 48:11 Read the next verse. 48:12 "But it says, yet, if you warn the wicked 48:14 and he does not turn from his wickedness, 48:16 nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his inequity, 48:19 but you have delivered your soul." 48:21 That's the 19 verse, but the 18 verse say, 48:24 if I don't speak to one the wicked, 48:25 that's what really got me. 48:27 So I have made it personally, anybody that I can speak to, 48:30 I'm gonna share the Word of God with them 48:32 because if I don't speak to them 48:33 and that's what the verse said, and they're lost, 48:36 the blood's on my shoulder. 48:37 So why should I be lost 48:39 because I didn't speak to warn them. 48:41 Now let me tell you what I found now... 48:42 So this is not even optional. 48:44 My, my best writer 48:48 that I enjoy, she said this, 48:52 "That when you know the truth everybody you meet 48:58 the Holy Spirit has set you up to meet them, 49:00 and if you don't speak to one, 49:02 it writes down, I'm disappointed in you. 49:05 God sets up the appointment. 49:06 And for the last four, five months, 49:08 everybody I've met, they said, "How did you I need that?" 49:11 "I didn't because the Holy Spirit 49:12 set the appointment." 49:14 So when you know the truth, 49:17 then every appointment that you meet, 49:18 everybody you meet 49:20 God has already set him up for you. 49:21 That was really touched my heart. 49:23 So before we segue way to our newsbreak here 49:26 and our address. 49:28 I know, Natalie, you got some big shoes to fill. 49:32 Big shoes to fill. But no, no. 49:35 Let me tell you something. 49:37 The Lord sent her back to us six years ago, 49:39 she's a prodigal daughter that's didn't leave. 49:41 Well, she did leave home. 49:42 Like she went to West Coast, but she came back to her roots. 49:47 If it wasn't for her 49:50 and the Holy Spirit send her back. 49:52 I just told the Lord about... 49:53 My wife and I just told the Lord, 49:54 we told we got it, and He sent her back. 49:56 And she does exactly what... Four or five... 49:58 Well, actually we used to have 8 to 10 people 50:00 doing what she's doing. 50:02 Wow. And she's doing now by herself. 50:04 Now she's gonna need more people to answer the phone 50:06 and all that stuff. 50:07 Because millions of people now are gonna find out 50:10 that all they have to do is hand you this 50:13 and I'll hand you 25 Bible study. 50:16 Prior to them when was the last time, 50:18 you gave 25 Bible studies? 50:20 Not in one, not in one moment. 50:22 Oh, how many weeks did it take you? 50:24 Twenty-five weeks. See, that. 50:25 This way just like that. 50:26 That's it if you do one week. That's right. 50:28 And, Scott, now the torch has being passed down the road 50:33 and the Lord is encouraging. 50:34 I have a lot of things to live up to 50:35 and I'm just happy to be here and help out, you know. 50:38 You know, but the good thing about the Lord 50:40 who has enabled Brother Richard Bland here, 50:43 and Natalie, and Scott 50:44 is the same God that's challenging you. 50:46 Now, we want to enroll you in the initiative. 50:49 We want to challenge you to participate 50:51 and stand strong of this initiative 50:53 two and a half million by Christmas. 50:55 That's what we have to do. 50:56 Okay, now whenever you see this program, 51:00 still the initiative continues 51:02 because every one of us is given the challenge 51:04 to go therefore 51:06 and make disciples of all nations. 51:07 Everyone you come in contact with 51:09 is a potential soul for the Kingdom of God. 51:12 To handle them as though you can just pass them up 51:14 and say well, Satan, "I'll give you this one, 51:17 well, I don't have to worry about that one." 51:18 We are responsible for every life 51:20 and every soul that comes our way. 51:22 And so I think... 51:23 We're gonna come back 51:24 after the newsbreak in a moment, 51:26 but here is the information that you will need 51:27 to be a participant both financially and prayerfully 51:30 in United Prison Ministries. 51:35 Since 1980, God has blessed 51:37 Richard and Carolyn Bland's ministry, 51:39 and they have distributed over 70 million Bibles, 51:42 Bible lessons, and life changing books 51:45 to inmates all over the US and the world. 51:48 Visit their website at UPMI.org to donate or volunteer 51:53 to help distribute Bible based literature. 51:56 Their website again is UPMI.org. 52:00 You may also call them at 205-755-4744 52:06 or write to United Prison Ministries International, 52:09 890 Country Road 93, 52:12 Verbena, Alabama 36091. |
Revised 2017-11-28