I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, friends,
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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We're so glad that you've
taken the time to pause your day
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and to join us for a
very informative program.
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My name is John Lomacang.
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I have my wife to my left.
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Honey, good to have you
here. I'm so glad to be here.
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It's gonna be a great
program. That's right.
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I'm really looking
forward to this program,
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comrades at ministry.
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That's right.
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We're talking
about united prayer.
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Not just prayer,
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because so many of
us pray by ourselves,
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but what happens
when the people of God
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get together and pray?
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There's a kind of a duplicate
of the Day of Pentecost.
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Yes.
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And you know what
happened, if you read your Bible
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on the Day of Pentecost,
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when they got
together in prayer.
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And so today
we're gonna talk about
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how powerful prayer
is when it's united.
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When hearts are together,
when walls are brought down,
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and people are
focused on a common goal,
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and then also evangelism.
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A lot of times people
say that evangelism is dead.
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What you'll find out
today evangelism is not dead.
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And with the society
today that's so distracted...
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Yeah.
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That may even assist
in reviving evangelism,
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because people want real things,
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tired of devices...
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Right.
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Phones, and computers,
and fast moving things.
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Sometimes people want to
get back to the basics of life.
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So stay tuned, it's
gonna be a very informative
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and I believe
transformative program.
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Yes, I am too. Amen.
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And so let's go ahead
and introduce our guests
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before we go to our music.
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Sure, yeah.
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Pastor Robert and Elida Meneses.
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Meneses.
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I said that
correctly, right? Yes, sir.
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Good to have you here.
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It's good to be here.
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Since you're close with... Yeah.
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You had it so far,
we'll shake your hand.
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But good to have you both here.
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Thank you so much.
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And you are first here on 3ABN.
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Mm-hmm.
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And first time here on 3ABN.
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Yep.
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And we look forward to
your story and testimony.
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And I'm encouraging our viewers
and listeners to stay tuned
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because this is gonna
be a very exciting program.
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Absolutely.
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And the Lord has
brought all of us
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from someplace different
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as we were getting
to know each other.
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I said, "I'm the only American,
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the one American
on this program."
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They were all made
in different places.
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You were made
in England. Mm-hmm.
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You were made in...
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Portugal. Portugal.
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And you were made in? Colombia.
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Colombia.
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And we'll get a chance
to introduce all of you
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in just a moment.
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But, Honey, well,
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who do we have for
music and what do we have?
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Well, we have some
great music, Jeff Pearles
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and the song is, "Jesus and Me."
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I traveled alone
upon life's lonesome way
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My burdens were heavy
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And dark was my day
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I looked for a friend
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Not knowing that
He Had all the time
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Been looking for me
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And now, it's Jesus and me
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For each tomorrow
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For every heartache
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And every sorrow
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I know that I can
depend Upon my new found friend
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And so till the end
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It's Jesus and me
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Forever I'll sing of
His great love for me
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Forever I'll tell it
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On land and on sea
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I'll stay by His
side, contented I'll be
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For all of my life
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It's Jesus and me
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And now, it's Jesus
and me For each tomorrow
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For every
heartache, and every sorrow
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I know that I can depend
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Upon my new found friend
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And so till the
end It's Jesus and me
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And now, it's Jesus and me
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For each tomorrow
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For every
heartache, and every sorrow
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I know that I can depend
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Upon my new found friend
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And so till the end
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It's Jesus and me
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And so till the
end It's Jesus and me
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Thank you so much
for that wonderful song.
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Happy song, Jesus
and Me. I love that.
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Exactly, Jesus and me.
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And Jesus and Me is
a winning combination.
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Absolutely.
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So I think on that note,
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we're going to
just say once again,
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welcome Pastor
Robert and Elida Meneses.
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Yep.
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Thank you for coming to 3ABN.
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Glad to be here. And...
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What church do they pastor?
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What church do they
pastor? Yeah, one of you.
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Yeah, we are in Alabama
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and at the Gulf
States Conference
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and pastor of the Decatur
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and Coleman Seventh-day
Adventist Churches there.
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Okay.
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And two wonderful
people that you guys know,
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Hal and Mollie
Steenson are members
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in Decatur now there.
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That's right.
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And we're just
blessed that they're there.
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And they speak
very highly of you.
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They say, "We love
our pastor and his wife."
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Yes.
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She said, they're such a...
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Mollie said, "They
are such a cute couple."
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Yeah. I remember that.
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So now we know what
they're talking about.
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Mm-hmm.
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Good to have you here.
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Thank you. And...
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Elida.
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Elida, tell us a
little bit about you?
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Well, I am from Colombia.
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Okay.
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And I came to the
States 12 years ago
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as a student missionary
with Review and Herald.
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Okay.
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And so God blessed and then I,
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you know, went to
Southern and here I am.
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How did you meet?
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We met online...
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Like, initially we met online.
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Mm-hmm.
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And things simply work
out initially there with that,
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but then we just sort of
rekindled that at Southern.
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What they used to call
Southern Matrimony University
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or Southern
Adventist University.
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Oh, really so.
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So online, I don't want
to go through the details.
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You said it
didn't work out there.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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Electronic. Yeah, it didn't.
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You know, she was like pursuing,
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I guess somebody else and then,
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you know, anyway
just didn't work out.
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Just go ahead and tell.
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I really pray a lot even
before getting on a website.
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Right.
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And we're gonna be
talking about prayer.
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Yes.
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And prayer definitely has
to be something very personal.
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Absolutely.
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It's not only
church and personal.
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So I took it
very serious and said,
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"If I'm gonna go online,
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if God is gonna do
this for me, in this way."
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I knew that God
was gonna bring someone
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that I work for Christ with.
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But he said, "Yes."
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And God said, "Okay."
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We went online and
which is a few weeks
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and I found him.
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Oh! Okay.
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I did found him.
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But then you rekindled at
Southern Matrimony University.
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Yeah.
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The other way you
said, I like that.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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So we sort of met there again
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and then she
wouldn't leave me alone.
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Well, God has a
purpose definitely.
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Yeah.
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You know, I felt
like God was leading.
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You know, again lot of
prayer, it's a serious decision.
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Oh, yeah.
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And we prayed individually,
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God was leading
to see doors opening
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and opening and just led to...
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Praise the Lord. God made.
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You know, we met online.
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In the first
conversation online was,
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"What is your
favorite preacher?"
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I think that he asked.
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So and I said something about
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what pastor will I like to hear?
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And he said, "Me too."
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Oh, wow!
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And then a few months
later when he goes to Southern,
00:09:15.18\00:09:18.25
and we met in person,
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and this is the first
time ever face to face.
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And you know what
he did at the end?
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What?
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Well, he said,
"Bye," after few minutes,
00:09:27.50\00:09:29.20
he said, "Let's
pray," he was very serious.
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He closed his eyes
and he started praying,
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"Lord..."
00:09:34.14\00:09:35.47
And I saw, you know,
he's a man of prayer, is God,
00:09:35.50\00:09:39.27
we want to invite God
from the very beginning.
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If this is gonna be or
it's not gonna work out for us,
00:09:42.68\00:09:46.61
just let's invite God.
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I remember that about him.
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That was the
first time I met him.
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He invited me to pray. Oh!
00:09:50.92\00:09:52.82
Wow, prayer changes things.
00:09:52.85\00:09:54.42
Yeah. Praise the Lord.
00:09:54.46\00:09:56.49
That was a good sign.
00:09:56.52\00:09:57.86
And that's now two
children, a boy and a girl.
00:09:57.89\00:10:02.03
A boy and a girl, the
boy is four, Robert Jr.
00:10:02.06\00:10:04.90
M- hmm. And the girl is Melanie.
00:10:04.93\00:10:08.20
Wow! She's one.
00:10:08.24\00:10:09.80
Wow! Yeah.
00:10:09.84\00:10:11.17
Busy thing. Praise the Lord.
00:10:11.21\00:10:12.54
You're a stay-home mom?
00:10:12.57\00:10:13.91
Yes, I stay home.
00:10:13.98\00:10:15.31
Yes. Good.
00:10:15.34\00:10:16.68
It's a full-time job.
00:10:16.71\00:10:18.05
Oh, somebody once said that,
00:10:18.08\00:10:19.41
"Wives, if wives were paid
00:10:19.45\00:10:21.05
for what it costs
to raise a child?"
00:10:21.08\00:10:22.42
Yeah.
00:10:22.45\00:10:23.79
"They would be like
over $100,000 a year."
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.15
Yeah.
00:10:25.19\00:10:26.52
Just in, because that every...
00:10:26.55\00:10:27.89
That influence will
last for a lifetime.
00:10:27.92\00:10:30.23
Yes.
00:10:30.26\00:10:31.59
But give us a little
bit of your background,
00:10:31.63\00:10:33.83
because I know that
you've been both married now,
00:10:33.90\00:10:36.06
how many years?
00:10:36.10\00:10:37.47
Eight.
00:10:37.50\00:10:38.83
Eight years? Mm-hmm.
00:10:38.87\00:10:40.20
Two children.
00:10:40.24\00:10:41.57
How many years in ministry now?
00:10:41.60\00:10:42.94
About seven and a half. Okay.
00:10:42.97\00:10:44.31
Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:44.34\00:10:45.67
So since you're
not eight years old,
00:10:45.71\00:10:47.81
you know, I'm
saying that lightheartedly,
00:10:47.84\00:10:50.05
tell us a little
bit about your past,
00:10:50.08\00:10:52.21
because everyone has a journey.
00:10:52.25\00:10:54.12
Everyone is on a
journey. That's right.
00:10:54.15\00:10:55.78
Everybody starts at
some place and to appreciate,
00:10:55.82\00:10:58.89
I've often said this, Honey.
00:10:58.92\00:11:00.26
You know, to
appreciate where we are,
00:11:00.29\00:11:02.32
we have to look back
at where we came from.
00:11:02.36\00:11:03.73
Yeah.
00:11:03.76\00:11:05.09
Talk about where we came from?
00:11:05.13\00:11:06.46
Yeah.
00:11:06.49\00:11:07.83
I mean, God is good.
00:11:07.86\00:11:09.20
I was born in
Portugal, and in Lisbon.
00:11:09.23\00:11:11.37
Oh, wow!
00:11:11.40\00:11:12.73
My grandfather was Seventh-day
Adventist pastor there.
00:11:12.77\00:11:16.91
So, you know, we were
born in a Christian home,
00:11:16.94\00:11:22.04
but when I was young,
00:11:22.08\00:11:23.65
my aunt who lives
here in California,
00:11:23.68\00:11:26.75
sort of convinced my
parents to come to the States,
00:11:26.82\00:11:29.65
so we came to the
States when I was young.
00:11:29.68\00:11:32.09
And we were in
California for a little bit
00:11:32.12\00:11:34.96
and went up to Washington State.
00:11:34.99\00:11:36.76
And then my dad was like,
00:11:36.83\00:11:38.49
"Well, I don't
like earthquakes."
00:11:38.53\00:11:40.93
Mm-hmm.
00:11:40.96\00:11:42.30
So I guess he
liked hurricanes better,
00:11:42.33\00:11:43.67
so we went to Florida
00:11:43.70\00:11:45.60
and spent most of my
time in Tampa, Florida there.
00:11:45.63\00:11:48.70
Okay. Yep.
00:11:48.74\00:11:50.71
But then, before you were...
00:11:50.74\00:11:54.78
Now you said, you
were raised as Adventist,
00:11:54.81\00:11:58.18
but your journey
kind of meandered?
00:11:58.21\00:12:00.52
Yeah.
00:12:00.55\00:12:01.88
When I was
younger, maybe around,
00:12:01.92\00:12:03.62
I don't know 10 to 13,
you know, life is difficult,
00:12:03.69\00:12:08.62
and, you know, we
live in a sinful world.
00:12:08.66\00:12:12.16
And we praise God
that God is always with us
00:12:12.19\00:12:14.13
though we are in
a difficult world
00:12:14.20\00:12:15.80
and never God's plan for that,
00:12:15.83\00:12:17.60
of course, but
He came to save us
00:12:17.63\00:12:19.50
but, so we fell
into very hard time,
00:12:19.53\00:12:22.67
we became homeless
00:12:22.70\00:12:25.91
just through
different circumstances
00:12:25.94\00:12:27.94
of my dad and mom
just losing jobs and stuff.
00:12:27.98\00:12:33.31
So we are eventually
in a homeless shelter
00:12:33.35\00:12:35.32
for a little bit
and just through those
00:12:35.35\00:12:37.39
life circumstances,
we just left the church,
00:12:37.42\00:12:39.85
you know, and
just began to do that.
00:12:39.89\00:12:42.66
And as a young person,
you just follow your parents
00:12:42.69\00:12:44.53
and got into that and
what began to happen is,
00:12:44.56\00:12:47.10
is that sports became my life.
00:12:47.13\00:12:49.00
And though I was from Portugal,
00:12:49.03\00:12:53.34
you know, where they play
sort of the real football.
00:12:53.37\00:12:55.10
Right like soccer. Exactly.
00:12:55.14\00:12:56.47
Soccer, we call it.
00:12:56.50\00:12:57.84
But my passion
was American football
00:12:57.87\00:12:59.41
and that was my life.
00:12:59.44\00:13:01.01
I ate, drank, slept anything,
just all the time was football.
00:13:01.04\00:13:06.28
My dream was to, you know,
00:13:06.31\00:13:07.72
just to climb the ladder
and go to the NFL one day.
00:13:07.75\00:13:10.09
Wow! Hmm.
00:13:10.12\00:13:11.45
Yeah.
00:13:11.49\00:13:12.82
And so were you involved
in high school football or?
00:13:12.85\00:13:14.26
I was, yeah.
00:13:14.29\00:13:15.62
So, you know, I
played out in the streets,
00:13:15.66\00:13:18.69
you know, but then in
high school began to play,
00:13:18.73\00:13:21.10
I was a wide
receiver and I was small
00:13:21.13\00:13:23.67
but I was very fast.
00:13:23.70\00:13:25.03
I was running like
four three in the 40,
00:13:25.07\00:13:26.63
if you know anything
about football, that it's good.
00:13:26.67\00:13:29.14
And I was doing well,
you know, I was doing well
00:13:29.17\00:13:32.34
and I had a picture in the paper
00:13:32.37\00:13:35.01
and was leading the
conference in yardage.
00:13:35.04\00:13:38.78
Anyway, everything
was like coming true,
00:13:38.81\00:13:40.82
but my dream was coming
true to eventually go to college
00:13:40.85\00:13:44.19
and so forth.
00:13:44.22\00:13:45.75
But then God
stepped in looking back now.
00:13:45.79\00:13:48.16
And during a
game my senior year,
00:13:48.19\00:13:51.49
I ruptured my spleen.
00:13:51.53\00:13:53.40
Oh! Wow!
00:13:53.43\00:13:54.76
This was in Florida?
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.13
Yes, in Tampa. In Tampa.
00:13:56.16\00:13:57.50
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:57.57\00:13:58.90
So God looking
back broaden into that.
00:13:58.93\00:14:01.97
Yeah, here's an
article there about that.
00:14:02.00\00:14:04.71
And, you know, I learned quickly
00:14:04.74\00:14:06.98
and there's a
pivotal moment here
00:14:07.01\00:14:08.34
just quickly how I knew God.
00:14:08.38\00:14:10.38
God is so good, God
is so faithful that,
00:14:10.45\00:14:13.75
you know, we, you know,
playing high school football,
00:14:13.82\00:14:16.18
you play Friday nights,
you know, which you know,
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.75
Sabbath is sunset
Friday, sunset Saturday.
00:14:18.79\00:14:22.36
And so, you
know, deep down inside,
00:14:22.39\00:14:24.46
you know that this
wasn't the right thing to do,
00:14:24.49\00:14:27.40
not honoring the Sabbath.
00:14:27.43\00:14:29.00
And, but when I was
there in the hospital
00:14:29.03\00:14:31.47
because of the CAT scan,
you have a ruptured spleen.
00:14:31.50\00:14:34.47
They kept me in
intensive care for a week to see
00:14:34.50\00:14:36.81
if things might
mingle back together.
00:14:36.84\00:14:38.61
But a week
later, another CAT scan,
00:14:38.64\00:14:40.51
I had internal bleeding,
it was getting really serious.
00:14:40.58\00:14:43.24
So they had to remove it.
00:14:43.28\00:14:44.65
So you know, at a teenager
and I was scared to death.
00:14:44.68\00:14:47.98
And I remember
like it was yesterday
00:14:48.02\00:14:50.49
that I was there in the
room and a nurse comes in says,
00:14:50.52\00:14:52.85
"Are you ready?
00:14:52.89\00:14:54.26
You know, we're gonna
take you now to have surgery."
00:14:54.29\00:14:56.86
And I remember, you know,
knowing that I had in a sense,
00:14:56.93\00:15:00.90
turned my back on God
00:15:00.93\00:15:02.26
and hadn't been
fully following Him.
00:15:02.30\00:15:04.83
Now God's Word says,
"That if you call on Me,
00:15:04.87\00:15:07.34
I will be there," right?
00:15:07.37\00:15:08.70
That's right.
00:15:08.74\00:15:10.07
So I remember like,
sitting there in my bed
00:15:10.11\00:15:13.07
and just crying out to
God says, "Lord, help me.
00:15:13.11\00:15:15.91
You know, I'm scared, you know,
and it's hard to explain how...
00:15:15.94\00:15:19.51
I just knew the
greatest peace came over me
00:15:19.55\00:15:23.39
and it just felt like
God just sort of touched me
00:15:23.42\00:15:25.32
with His hand, was
right there beside me.
00:15:25.35\00:15:27.36
He was just like,
"Don't worry about it, Robert."
00:15:27.39\00:15:29.16
And that was such a
pivotal moment for me,
00:15:29.19\00:15:32.16
you know, that though I
had turned my back on God,
00:15:32.19\00:15:36.20
God didn't turn His back on me.
00:15:36.23\00:15:37.83
That's right. Wow, that's right.
00:15:37.87\00:15:39.50
And though they had the surgery,
00:15:39.53\00:15:41.87
my football career sort of
went down the drain as they say.
00:15:41.90\00:15:44.84
I still went to
a community college
00:15:44.87\00:15:46.37
in Kansas, it didn't work out.
00:15:46.41\00:15:48.61
But unfortunately, after
that, I then got into music,
00:15:48.64\00:15:54.45
you know, clearly
searching for something, right?
00:15:54.48\00:15:56.28
Right, fill that void.
00:15:56.32\00:15:57.65
Football and now music
00:15:57.69\00:15:59.02
and I got deep into heavy metal.
00:15:59.05\00:16:00.79
And then I began to be a drummer
00:16:00.86\00:16:04.03
in a heavy metal band.
00:16:04.06\00:16:05.39
So I was still
running, still running away.
00:16:05.43\00:16:07.00
Drummer.
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.36
Wow, running from
one field to the next.
00:16:08.40\00:16:10.20
Yeah. Yes.
00:16:10.27\00:16:11.60
So I was like, if I
can't make it here and here,
00:16:11.63\00:16:13.44
then maybe as a musician
I'll then make it there.
00:16:13.47\00:16:16.20
Wow! Yeah.
00:16:16.24\00:16:17.61
And all that time I
like the way he said that.
00:16:17.64\00:16:19.67
And all that time the Lord
was saying, Robert, I mean...
00:16:19.71\00:16:22.71
He's working on you.
00:16:22.74\00:16:24.08
He's working on
you, blocking your path.
00:16:24.15\00:16:25.68
You know, as in
the Book of Hosea
00:16:25.71\00:16:27.05
it says, "You
will pursue your loves
00:16:27.12\00:16:28.85
the things you love in life,
but you'll not overtake them."
00:16:28.88\00:16:30.89
Yes.
00:16:30.92\00:16:32.25
And so if the Lord saw
He had a plan for your life.
00:16:32.29\00:16:34.39
And it's unfortunate, you know,
00:16:34.42\00:16:35.76
that you have to
lose your spleen.
00:16:35.79\00:16:38.46
But that was the
roadblock to a road
00:16:38.49\00:16:41.73
that the Lord
didn't want you on.
00:16:41.76\00:16:43.10
Yep. Exactly.
00:16:43.13\00:16:44.47
So you lose things in this life.
00:16:44.50\00:16:46.57
Who is it that I
forgot the person?
00:16:46.60\00:16:49.14
Very well.
00:16:49.17\00:16:50.51
Oh, my good
friend, Neville Peters.
00:16:50.54\00:16:52.67
You know, he's a
musician on 3ABN, he said,
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.71
"He believes that the Lord
allowed him to lose his sight
00:16:54.74\00:16:56.78
to gain his salvation."
00:16:56.85\00:16:58.18
Wow!
00:16:58.21\00:16:59.55
And it's amazing
what we lose in life here
00:16:59.58\00:17:00.98
that we gain on a larger scale.
00:17:01.02\00:17:02.38
The blessings of this life
00:17:02.42\00:17:04.09
and, but since so now
you're in the rock world.
00:17:04.12\00:17:06.52
Yeah.
00:17:06.55\00:17:07.89
And you're still thinking,
man, what happened there?
00:17:07.92\00:17:11.83
Well, I guess
what devastates a band
00:17:11.86\00:17:13.73
is when your lead
guitarist gets married
00:17:13.80\00:17:15.50
and has children that
00:17:15.53\00:17:17.30
sort of puts a
stop to it, you know?
00:17:17.37\00:17:19.07
Yeah.
00:17:19.10\00:17:20.44
So, again, God intervening
there looking back on that,
00:17:20.47\00:17:24.31
and just came to a point in life
00:17:24.34\00:17:26.07
where I was just like a
leaf blowing in the wind,
00:17:26.11\00:17:29.04
you know, not
knowing what to do anymore.
00:17:29.08\00:17:32.71
Then take my studies
very, very seriously.
00:17:32.75\00:17:35.02
You know, at school,
00:17:35.05\00:17:36.42
I went to classes
just so I could play,
00:17:36.45\00:17:38.15
you know, didn't
study really, anyway.
00:17:38.19\00:17:40.49
So I'm there and then finally,
as I'm still living at home,
00:17:40.56\00:17:46.36
I just began to go
to community college,
00:17:46.39\00:17:48.73
maybe thought about
being a physical therapist.
00:17:48.76\00:17:51.17
So that's what
I began to pursue.
00:17:51.20\00:17:53.17
Still away from
church and I got a degree
00:17:53.20\00:17:55.50
in Biomedical
Science, there in Tampa,
00:17:55.54\00:17:58.74
University of South Florida.
00:17:58.77\00:18:00.11
And working at Florida hospital,
00:18:00.18\00:18:01.51
which is now AdventHealth.
00:18:01.54\00:18:03.28
AdventHealth, yeah.
00:18:03.35\00:18:04.68
But around that time a
pivotal thing happened.
00:18:04.71\00:18:06.75
And I was in my
room, one Sabbath,
00:18:06.82\00:18:10.29
and I was
watching college football.
00:18:10.32\00:18:13.56
And, you know,
not an audible voice,
00:18:13.59\00:18:15.89
but God making it
very clear to say,
00:18:15.92\00:18:18.46
"Turn off the
TV. Turn off the TV."
00:18:18.49\00:18:21.30
So, you know, I turn off
the TV and I'm lying in bed,
00:18:21.33\00:18:23.70
they are looking
up at the ceiling.
00:18:23.77\00:18:25.67
And again, just a
great impression to say,
00:18:25.70\00:18:28.40
"Get up, get
dressed and go to church."
00:18:28.44\00:18:31.41
Wow!
00:18:31.44\00:18:32.77
Just out of blue, you know?
00:18:32.81\00:18:34.41
So, you know, a moment
my life where, you know,
00:18:34.44\00:18:38.05
I know God's sort
of speaking to me,
00:18:38.08\00:18:39.78
and I get up, I get dressed.
00:18:39.81\00:18:41.32
And parents were
like, "Where are you going?"
00:18:41.35\00:18:42.98
Going to
church. Going to church?
00:18:43.02\00:18:45.42
You know, and then I
couldn't find the church.
00:18:45.45\00:18:47.36
Hmm.
00:18:47.39\00:18:48.72
And I remember turning
around, and I said to God,
00:18:48.76\00:18:51.89
"If this was You
telling me to go to church,
00:18:51.93\00:18:54.53
then You gonna have to
help me find a church."
00:18:54.56\00:18:55.90
And I was going home
00:18:55.93\00:18:57.27
and out of the corner of my eye,
00:18:57.30\00:18:58.63
I spot the road that I missed.
00:18:58.67\00:19:00.64
I just drove by it
initially, came back,
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.90
I spot it and I
found the church.
00:19:02.94\00:19:05.87
And God just began
to work in my heart
00:19:05.91\00:19:07.38
since then, and yeah.
00:19:07.41\00:19:09.48
Things began to change,
my passions and desires,
00:19:09.51\00:19:12.68
getting involved in church.
00:19:12.71\00:19:14.48
And I remember just
key young people in my life
00:19:14.52\00:19:18.82
that were real
role models for me
00:19:18.85\00:19:20.99
that you could be
young and on fire for Jesus.
00:19:21.02\00:19:25.26
That's right.
00:19:25.29\00:19:26.80
And just allow God to
use you and God just began
00:19:26.83\00:19:29.40
to change my passions.
00:19:29.43\00:19:30.97
Hmm. Wow!
00:19:31.00\00:19:32.33
So what about your parents?
00:19:32.37\00:19:33.84
What did they think about you?
00:19:33.87\00:19:35.30
Yeah, they were a
little thrown off by it.
00:19:35.34\00:19:37.84
But the awesome thing
is, is that at that time,
00:19:37.87\00:19:40.68
nobody was going to church.
00:19:40.71\00:19:42.04
Yeah.
00:19:42.08\00:19:43.45
But, we, the church
that I attended there
00:19:43.48\00:19:46.82
in Tampa called Carrollwood.
00:19:46.85\00:19:49.05
In our prayer meeting, we
began to pray for my family
00:19:49.08\00:19:51.65
and it took three years praying.
00:19:51.69\00:19:54.72
Just a little group. Yes.
00:19:54.76\00:19:56.22
And eventually, praise
God today that my parents now
00:19:56.26\00:19:59.26
are strong Christian
Seventh-day Adventists
00:19:59.29\00:20:01.50
and they're in church today.
00:20:01.53\00:20:04.07
My oldest sister,
Ruth, began to go to church.
00:20:04.10\00:20:07.74
She sings very well,
00:20:07.77\00:20:09.10
and I have
another sister Eunice.
00:20:09.14\00:20:11.41
But, God, you
know, never stops working
00:20:11.44\00:20:14.51
in our hearts, He
never stopped calling us,
00:20:14.54\00:20:16.75
He's always there,
and God is incredible.
00:20:16.78\00:20:19.38
Wow!
00:20:19.41\00:20:20.75
How did you get
this desire to speak?
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.85
Yeah. Well, I'm very shy.
00:20:22.88\00:20:24.99
I'm an
introvert by nature. Yeah.
00:20:25.02\00:20:27.16
And my greatest fear
is to preach up front,
00:20:27.19\00:20:29.79
so God has a sense of humor.
00:20:29.82\00:20:32.06
So I remember
that I was a deacon.
00:20:32.09\00:20:34.86
And you can sort of
see how God is leading.
00:20:34.90\00:20:36.23
Right.
00:20:36.26\00:20:37.60
And I knew, I knew
that He was gonna lead me
00:20:37.63\00:20:38.97
to be an elder,
you know, I knew it.
00:20:39.00\00:20:40.54
Because if you're an
elder, you have to preach
00:20:40.57\00:20:41.90
at least it was there.
00:20:41.94\00:20:43.27
And the pastor at the
time was Rodney Ortiz,
00:20:43.30\00:20:45.31
a great friend of ours.
00:20:45.34\00:20:46.71
And, I knew we were
there and one of our elders
00:20:46.78\00:20:52.38
either had moved all
the way and here they come,
00:20:52.41\00:20:54.65
"Robert, do you
want to be elder?"
00:20:54.68\00:20:56.52
And I was like, "Mm-mm."
00:20:56.55\00:20:58.15
You said no.
00:20:58.19\00:20:59.52
Well, I was thinking
that in my heart, like,
00:20:59.55\00:21:00.89
"No, no, no."
00:21:00.96\00:21:02.29
That means I
have to preach, right?
00:21:02.32\00:21:03.73
But you know, I knew
God was calling me there.
00:21:03.76\00:21:05.69
So I said, "All
right, surrendered."
00:21:05.73\00:21:07.10
And then I
preached my first sermon,
00:21:07.13\00:21:09.50
it was actually on the Sabbath.
00:21:09.53\00:21:11.10
And when I preached,
00:21:11.13\00:21:13.87
I was sitting
there and just shaking,
00:21:13.94\00:21:16.20
but when I got up
there and just prayed, said,
00:21:16.24\00:21:18.64
"Lord, this is about You
and not me, for Your glory."
00:21:18.67\00:21:22.24
And it was a
transformation just like, again,
00:21:22.28\00:21:24.98
a peace came over me.
00:21:25.01\00:21:26.72
And afterwards,
everybody kept saying,
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.18
"You should be a pastor,
you should go into ministry,
00:21:29.22\00:21:31.52
you should..."
00:21:31.55\00:21:33.22
You know, and
then God just began
00:21:33.25\00:21:36.12
to put it in my heart
that He was calling me
00:21:36.16\00:21:39.66
to be a pastor
to go into ministry.
00:21:39.69\00:21:41.40
Now the picture we have of
you standing at the pulpit,
00:21:41.43\00:21:43.37
is that, that sermon
you're talking about?
00:21:43.40\00:21:45.67
No. That one there is...
00:21:45.70\00:21:47.64
This one here was the first time
00:21:47.67\00:21:49.37
that actually I was
not giving a sermon.
00:21:49.40\00:21:52.47
I was giving a little testimony.
00:21:52.51\00:21:53.88
I was canvassing here,
00:21:53.91\00:21:55.24
right when I was
coming back into church.
00:21:55.28\00:21:56.61
You know, colporteuring
is an amazing thing
00:21:56.64\00:21:59.21
in front lines.
00:21:59.25\00:22:00.62
And anyway, so in that one there
00:22:00.65\00:22:02.85
I was just giving
a little testimony
00:22:02.88\00:22:04.22
what happened to me
while I was canvassing,
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.02
but it wasn't my
first sermon yet.
00:22:06.05\00:22:07.89
Okay.
00:22:07.92\00:22:09.26
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:09.29\00:22:10.63
But that was my first public
sort of getting up front there,
00:22:10.66\00:22:14.63
you know, sort of nervous
just talking about that there.
00:22:14.66\00:22:17.90
Just a complete
transformation, you know,
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.04
and God has that
power to transform.
00:22:20.07\00:22:22.07
Yes, He does. Wow!
00:22:22.10\00:22:23.44
And meanwhile we were you?
00:22:23.51\00:22:25.11
Yeah.
00:22:25.14\00:22:27.38
I was at Southern
Adventist University.
00:22:27.41\00:22:31.35
Okay.
00:22:31.38\00:22:33.52
Yeah, he came to
the States in 2006
00:22:33.55\00:22:36.99
and I did
colporteuring for one year.
00:22:37.02\00:22:40.36
And then I came
to Southern in 2007.
00:22:40.39\00:22:43.63
Mm-hmm.
00:22:43.66\00:22:44.99
Yeah, and working
on my graduate studies
00:22:45.03\00:22:49.06
to be a school counselor.
00:22:49.10\00:22:50.60
Okay. And I graduated in 2010.
00:22:50.67\00:22:53.44
So was a lot of
miracles there for another time,
00:22:53.47\00:22:56.47
but how God allow me to be there
00:22:56.50\00:22:59.97
and getting ready.
00:23:00.01\00:23:01.34
Good.
00:23:01.38\00:23:02.71
And at that time
you hadn't met yet
00:23:02.74\00:23:04.08
when you were colporteuring,
you hadn't met yet?
00:23:04.15\00:23:05.48
No. Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:05.51\00:23:07.78
So now transition to the...
00:23:07.82\00:23:10.99
Okay, when you met
were you yet in ministry?
00:23:11.02\00:23:14.92
No, I was studying
theology at Southern.
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.86
And you know, because
I had a previous degree,
00:23:17.89\00:23:20.83
all my classes were
just religious anyway.
00:23:20.90\00:23:23.80
So then I saw her
again there at the gym right
00:23:23.87\00:23:28.57
and like I said,
then she wouldn't leave me
00:23:28.60\00:23:31.01
alone after that, you know, so.
00:23:31.04\00:23:32.47
Okay, we're gonna
have to ask her in a bit.
00:23:32.51\00:23:34.01
Yeah, yeah. No, no.
00:23:34.08\00:23:35.71
Yeah.
00:23:35.74\00:23:37.08
And then we just kept
talking and again leading,
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.18
and again, prayer,
you know, we understood
00:23:39.21\00:23:41.72
I was 30 at the time,
00:23:41.75\00:23:44.29
so I knew that if this
was the woman God had for me,
00:23:44.32\00:23:50.43
who's going to open up
doors make it very clear.
00:23:50.46\00:23:53.29
And He did, just
made it very clear
00:23:53.33\00:23:54.83
that God had
chosen this woman for me.
00:23:54.86\00:23:56.87
Wow!
00:23:56.90\00:23:58.23
So when you got together
where you new in the ministry?
00:23:58.27\00:24:00.94
I mean, conversion, was it...
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.17
Yeah, I got re-baptized in 2008
and I went to Southern in '09.
00:24:03.20\00:24:09.78
Ah!
00:24:09.81\00:24:11.15
Okay. Yeah.
00:24:11.18\00:24:12.51
So yeah, I mean,
00:24:12.55\00:24:13.92
she got
baptized when she was 15.
00:24:13.95\00:24:16.48
So she had sort of been settled.
00:24:16.52\00:24:17.85
Yes.
00:24:17.89\00:24:19.22
And I was just
sort of getting in there
00:24:19.25\00:24:20.96
and God was...
00:24:20.99\00:24:23.19
I mean, really God
works when you think about it
00:24:23.22\00:24:26.63
and you go back in life,
00:24:26.70\00:24:28.53
how God was
preparing me to be a helper
00:24:28.56\00:24:32.80
for him and for ministry.
00:24:32.83\00:24:35.27
Right. I do believe so.
00:24:35.30\00:24:36.71
And God, God really
calls you with a purpose.
00:24:36.74\00:24:40.31
And since I came
and I became a Christian
00:24:40.38\00:24:44.48
and I accepted Jesus,
00:24:44.51\00:24:46.82
I did it with all
my heart and I was 20
00:24:46.85\00:24:50.22
and I was already the
prayer ministry coordinator
00:24:50.29\00:24:52.85
on my 300 members
church there in Columbia.
00:24:52.89\00:24:57.16
So I was maybe the
youngest in the board.
00:24:57.23\00:25:00.90
And then I learned
a lot of things there
00:25:00.93\00:25:04.37
as a prayer
ministry coordinator.
00:25:04.40\00:25:06.50
And the first
thing that I learned
00:25:06.53\00:25:08.14
is to trust in the Lord.
00:25:08.17\00:25:11.67
You are trusting
Him with all your heart,
00:25:11.71\00:25:14.38
and He will give you
the desires of your heart.
00:25:14.41\00:25:17.18
That's right. Does it.
00:25:17.25\00:25:18.71
You trust 'cause
you have to trust Him,
00:25:18.75\00:25:20.85
and that's what
we have been doing.
00:25:20.92\00:25:24.09
So God taught me all the way
that prayer and trusting Him,
00:25:24.12\00:25:30.06
His promises, reading the Bible,
00:25:30.13\00:25:32.86
that is the key.
00:25:32.89\00:25:34.23
That's right. It's the key.
00:25:34.30\00:25:35.63
Then you do the work for
God, no matter what it is,
00:25:35.66\00:25:38.23
we are to pray that
God will do it through you,
00:25:38.27\00:25:42.24
the way how He wanted,
and the vision and the mission
00:25:42.27\00:25:46.44
that God has for you,
for that specific ministry,
00:25:46.47\00:25:50.58
or for that specific
purpose, or for your life,
00:25:50.65\00:25:53.01
or for the church.
00:25:53.05\00:25:54.38
Right.
00:25:54.42\00:25:55.75
Whatever it is,
yeah, the prayer does,
00:25:55.78\00:25:57.59
so I think the
God was teaching me
00:25:57.62\00:25:59.99
all that through the years
00:26:00.06\00:26:01.92
and I learned to
trust Him personally,
00:26:01.96\00:26:04.63
that's why I was
able to go to Southern
00:26:04.66\00:26:10.10
without even having any loans,
but that's another story there,
00:26:10.17\00:26:12.80
but and here I
am when I met him,
00:26:12.83\00:26:16.07
and I saw him online
00:26:16.10\00:26:18.51
on the
Seventh-day Adventist website
00:26:18.54\00:26:20.98
and he said, "I was going
to be a physical therapist."
00:26:21.01\00:26:25.08
And I thought,
"Well, physical therapist,
00:26:25.11\00:26:26.75
that sounds like a good future
for me too," you know, I mean.
00:26:26.82\00:26:29.35
Yeah.
00:26:29.38\00:26:30.72
But isn't it
amazing how God that did it
00:26:30.79\00:26:33.86
and I thought
that he was someone
00:26:33.89\00:26:37.03
that loves Jesus.
00:26:37.06\00:26:38.69
I never thought that
he was gonna tell me later
00:26:38.73\00:26:40.80
or you know,
"I'm here at Southern
00:26:40.83\00:26:43.77
to pursue theology."
00:26:43.80\00:26:45.97
And I said, "I thought that
00:26:46.00\00:26:47.34
you were gonna do
physical therapy."
00:26:47.37\00:26:49.57
I was not disappointed.
00:26:49.60\00:26:50.94
I just thought God
really is doing something here
00:26:50.97\00:26:54.71
and He's gonna keep doing it.
00:26:54.74\00:26:56.31
And you know, knowing...
00:26:56.34\00:26:57.68
And we're going to talk
about now we're going to dive
00:26:57.71\00:26:59.05
into the topic here.
00:26:59.08\00:27:00.42
Knowing what your background is,
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.75
and knowing how
important prayer is to him,
00:27:02.78\00:27:05.45
the Lord said, "Wait a minute."
00:27:05.49\00:27:06.86
Put it together.
00:27:06.89\00:27:08.22
Isn't it amazing? Yeah.
00:27:08.26\00:27:09.59
We look back at our
lives and we see how God,
00:27:09.62\00:27:10.96
you know, God
orchestrates things.
00:27:10.99\00:27:12.33
Put you both together.
00:27:12.36\00:27:13.70
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:13.73\00:27:15.06
Yeah, prayer coordinator and...
00:27:15.10\00:27:16.43
Yeah, for a purpose. Yes.
00:27:16.46\00:27:17.80
And a pastor who would
not need a prayer coordinator
00:27:17.83\00:27:20.54
who believes in prayer?
00:27:20.57\00:27:21.90
Yes. Absolutely.
00:27:21.94\00:27:23.27
And to not just
have a prayer coordinator
00:27:23.30\00:27:24.94
but that prayer
coordinator be your wife.
00:27:24.97\00:27:26.54
Yes. Amen.
00:27:26.57\00:27:27.91
So dive into this now
because we talked about,
00:27:27.94\00:27:29.71
we're talking about
united prayer in evangelism.
00:27:29.74\00:27:32.31
Let's dive into
that topic, because now,
00:27:32.35\00:27:34.38
you saw the results
of how powerful prayer is
00:27:34.42\00:27:37.32
not just individually
as you talked about,
00:27:37.39\00:27:39.12
but unitedly?
00:27:39.15\00:27:40.86
Sure.
00:27:40.89\00:27:42.22
Well, you know, I
think we can agree
00:27:42.26\00:27:44.83
and you don't even have
to be a religious figure
00:27:44.86\00:27:46.53
to understand that
we're living in really unusual
00:27:46.56\00:27:49.13
and pretentious times, you know?
00:27:49.16\00:27:51.10
I mean, we're
living in the last days.
00:27:51.13\00:27:53.00
And it's not that I
think so is that I know so.
00:27:53.03\00:27:55.44
Amen. Amen.
00:27:55.47\00:27:56.81
You know, the Bible is
clear in prophecy about
00:27:56.84\00:27:58.81
what days we're living in.
00:27:58.84\00:28:00.18
We're seeing it all
around us in every aspect,
00:28:00.21\00:28:02.64
religiously and
there's everything, okay?
00:28:02.68\00:28:06.82
So, you know, we
believe that evangelism
00:28:06.85\00:28:09.28
and prophetic meetings
00:28:09.32\00:28:10.69
and getting the
Three Angels Messages
00:28:10.72\00:28:12.85
to the world, which
is needed is not dead.
00:28:12.89\00:28:16.02
We have an amazing message,
00:28:16.06\00:28:18.33
Christ is the
center of that message.
00:28:18.36\00:28:21.00
But I believe the world
is definitely getting right
00:28:21.03\00:28:23.06
for the harvest that Jesus said.
00:28:23.10\00:28:24.90
I believe
Christ is soon to come.
00:28:24.93\00:28:26.30
Yes.
00:28:26.33\00:28:27.67
And we began to
be very convicted
00:28:27.70\00:28:29.84
and God began to
work and orchestrate that
00:28:29.87\00:28:32.91
we were preparing
meetings in Decatur,
00:28:32.94\00:28:36.24
and, you know, I wanted
God to show the members that,
00:28:36.28\00:28:41.52
you know, meetings,
evangelism still works.
00:28:41.55\00:28:43.89
That's right.
00:28:43.92\00:28:45.25
You know, show them Lord, right?
00:28:45.29\00:28:46.96
So we were in
Portugal and visiting my family
00:28:46.99\00:28:50.13
and I came across a book
00:28:50.16\00:28:54.36
that was just a game changer
00:28:54.40\00:28:58.63
as they say and it was titled
00:28:58.67\00:29:01.34
"Steps To Personal Revival:
00:29:01.37\00:29:02.70
Being filled
with the Holy Spirit,"
00:29:02.74\00:29:04.34
and because I went to
sort of refresh my Portuguese,
00:29:04.37\00:29:07.28
I got it in
Portuguese, and in English.
00:29:07.31\00:29:09.54
So I was going to sort of do.
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.01
So anyway, we got
back to the States
00:29:11.05\00:29:12.55
and not beknownst to me,
00:29:12.58\00:29:14.82
she began to
also read some things
00:29:14.85\00:29:19.02
in some of the
Adventist magazines
00:29:19.05\00:29:21.79
that are sent to her home,
00:29:21.82\00:29:23.16
and also talking
about the same topic.
00:29:23.19\00:29:24.66
Wow!
00:29:24.69\00:29:26.03
And it came across and
it was talking about...
00:29:26.06\00:29:27.40
And referring to the book.
00:29:27.43\00:29:28.76
Referring to the
book, and we read the book,
00:29:28.80\00:29:31.83
and God just made
it very, very clear
00:29:31.87\00:29:34.44
that it's His work to do.
00:29:34.47\00:29:36.30
That's right.
00:29:36.34\00:29:38.91
And the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:29:38.94\00:29:42.01
and coming together as a
people to unite in prayer,
00:29:42.04\00:29:46.05
and surrendering to the
spirit to begin to work,
00:29:46.08\00:29:48.65
not just in the
churches, members' hearts,
00:29:48.68\00:29:50.69
but in the community
00:29:50.72\00:29:52.99
and that's where
God was convicting us.
00:29:53.02\00:29:54.66
And I just like to
read some quotes here
00:29:54.69\00:29:56.36
from the Spirit of Prophecy
00:29:56.39\00:29:58.96
that really began
to touch us as well.
00:29:58.99\00:30:01.76
And this is from Gospel Workers,
00:30:01.80\00:30:03.47
page 259.
00:30:03.50\00:30:04.83
And she says,
"The greatest victories
00:30:04.87\00:30:06.84
gained for the cause of God
00:30:06.87\00:30:08.67
are not the result
of labored argument,
00:30:08.70\00:30:11.57
ample
facilities, wide influence,
00:30:11.61\00:30:14.31
or abundance of means."
00:30:14.34\00:30:15.68
So praise the Lord.
00:30:15.71\00:30:17.05
You don't have to
have the best of facilities
00:30:17.08\00:30:18.68
and the best of means,
for God to do His work.
00:30:18.71\00:30:21.72
She continues, then she says,
00:30:21.75\00:30:23.49
"They are gained in
the audience chamber
00:30:23.52\00:30:25.99
with God, when with earnest,
00:30:26.02\00:30:28.59
agonizing faith men lay hold
upon the mighty arm of power."
00:30:28.62\00:30:32.59
Wow! That's right.
00:30:32.63\00:30:34.00
Yeah.
00:30:34.03\00:30:35.36
And then she
gives us the definition
00:30:35.40\00:30:36.73
of who has that power.
00:30:36.77\00:30:38.10
And she gives it to us in
Testimonies for the Church,
00:30:38.13\00:30:40.44
volume 8, page 22.
00:30:40.47\00:30:41.80
She says, "Why do we not hunger
00:30:41.84\00:30:43.71
and thirst for the
gift of the spirit,
00:30:43.74\00:30:46.17
since this is the means
00:30:46.21\00:30:48.38
by which we are
to receive power?"
00:30:48.41\00:30:50.95
That's right. So
there it is, right?
00:30:50.98\00:30:53.72
Who has the power?
00:30:53.75\00:30:55.15
God has the power. That's right.
00:30:55.18\00:30:57.29
And the spirit,
okay, and it's an amazing
00:30:57.32\00:31:00.26
how the spirit has
been attacked today...
00:31:00.29\00:31:02.62
Oh!
00:31:02.66\00:31:04.03
You know, by a wild ride
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.66
the Godhead is
and the spirit is,
00:31:05.69\00:31:08.03
because the enemy knows
00:31:08.06\00:31:09.93
that if God's
people begin to surrender
00:31:09.96\00:31:11.80
and being led by
the Spirit of God,
00:31:11.83\00:31:14.07
amazing things
will begin to happen.
00:31:14.14\00:31:16.04
And then she closes
that quote here to say,
00:31:16.07\00:31:18.11
"Why do we not
talk of it, pray for it,
00:31:18.14\00:31:20.31
and preach concerning it?"
00:31:20.38\00:31:22.38
And then a well
known verse saying that
00:31:22.41\00:31:26.35
we might know
Selected Messages Book,
00:31:26.38\00:31:28.35
volume 1, page 121.
00:31:28.38\00:31:30.49
"Revival of true godliness
among us is the greatest
00:31:30.52\00:31:34.79
and most urgent
of all our needs.
00:31:34.82\00:31:37.76
To seek this
should be our first work."
00:31:37.79\00:31:39.83
That's right. Yeah.
00:31:39.86\00:31:41.20
So these quotes here,
by the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:31:41.23\00:31:45.30
and God
impressing us and of course,
00:31:45.33\00:31:47.64
knowing what the
Bible is teaching
00:31:47.67\00:31:49.57
began to lead us to a path
that we knew God was leading us
00:31:49.60\00:31:53.48
with united prayer, and
the focus on the spirit.
00:31:53.51\00:31:57.55
Very good quote. Do
you want to add something?
00:31:57.58\00:31:59.78
So this is how it was then.
00:31:59.81\00:32:01.72
So once we found
the book and we read it.
00:32:01.75\00:32:05.99
And it is amazing.
00:32:06.02\00:32:07.36
I am praying,
"Lord, there many programs,
00:32:07.39\00:32:10.73
prayer programs,
ideas that we can do,
00:32:10.76\00:32:15.00
but show me what
this church at this moment
00:32:15.03\00:32:18.13
needs the most
what we need to do."
00:32:18.17\00:32:21.07
And when I was
reading that magazine,
00:32:21.10\00:32:24.94
in a ministry magazine
and I read the article about
00:32:24.97\00:32:28.31
the Holy Spirit
and how God is working
00:32:28.34\00:32:31.21
and this pastor is
referring to the book,
00:32:31.25\00:32:34.32
and I go online and
see the picture and I said,
00:32:34.35\00:32:38.42
"I have seen this book,
maybe here at home somewhere."
00:32:38.45\00:32:41.39
Well, it came to happen
we came from the Portugal
00:32:41.42\00:32:44.03
a few weeks before
that, and I go to his office,
00:32:44.06\00:32:48.86
and I started looking around,
00:32:48.90\00:32:50.27
I think I have seen
this book and I found it.
00:32:50.30\00:32:53.44
And I said, "Well, this is
not gonna be a coincidence."
00:32:53.47\00:32:55.57
It just brought my attention.
00:32:55.60\00:32:57.14
And now I get the
book I start reading it
00:32:57.21\00:33:00.11
and I said, "I think
that this is God want us
00:33:00.18\00:33:03.35
to get into this
to learn about this
00:33:03.38\00:33:05.15
and the whole church."
00:33:05.18\00:33:06.82
I go to church that
prayer meeting Wednesday night,
00:33:06.85\00:33:11.25
and when I go
through the door...
00:33:11.29\00:33:12.99
Oh, that was Saturday morning
and one of my prayer warriors,
00:33:13.02\00:33:17.73
as they call it, we are praying
00:33:17.76\00:33:20.10
before the service,
before the Sabbath school.
00:33:20.13\00:33:24.17
And she's there at
the door saying, "Hello."
00:33:24.20\00:33:26.60
And I said,
"You know, this week,
00:33:26.63\00:33:28.67
I think that God has shown me
00:33:28.70\00:33:30.04
what we're to do with
the whole congregation.
00:33:30.11\00:33:32.81
Let's get
together in united prayer
00:33:32.84\00:33:34.38
and let's read this book."
00:33:34.41\00:33:36.68
She said, "Hold on,
this week," she said.
00:33:36.75\00:33:40.15
That's one of my
prayer warriors at church.
00:33:40.22\00:33:42.75
This week I was
talking to my friend,
00:33:42.78\00:33:45.12
pastor such and
such on the phone.
00:33:45.15\00:33:47.36
And he told me about a
book, and about the Holy Spirit,
00:33:47.39\00:33:51.39
and about the Revival.
00:33:51.43\00:33:52.93
And I said, "What is
the name of the book?"
00:33:52.96\00:33:54.86
And she said, "I don't
remember I'll call you later.
00:33:54.90\00:33:56.67
And I'll let you
know what book it is,"
00:33:56.70\00:33:58.43
because I was going to
tell you about the book.
00:33:58.47\00:33:59.80
Right.
00:33:59.83\00:34:01.17
So she calls me later at
5 o'clock in the afternoon
00:34:01.20\00:34:03.84
and she said, "The
name of the book is,
00:34:03.91\00:34:05.51
"Steps To Personal Revival."
00:34:05.54\00:34:08.24
And he is
referring to this book highly
00:34:08.28\00:34:11.55
and he want us to read it.
00:34:11.58\00:34:13.21
So it was three
times God is saying,
00:34:13.25\00:34:15.68
"Let's read it
together" and we did.
00:34:15.72\00:34:18.29
And let me show the copy
of the book on the screen
00:34:18.32\00:34:20.16
so that those who are
viewing the program could see
00:34:20.19\00:34:23.76
what book you're referring to.
00:34:23.83\00:34:25.39
This book was read, our
people read this book last year.
00:34:25.43\00:34:29.23
Yeah, and "Steps
To Personal Revival:
00:34:29.26\00:34:32.33
Being filled
with the Holy Spirit."
00:34:32.37\00:34:34.57
Not just asking
for the Holy Spirit
00:34:34.60\00:34:36.71
to just help you make decisions.
00:34:36.74\00:34:39.51
Because the phrase
when you read the Bible,
00:34:39.54\00:34:41.74
it didn't say the Holy
Spirit was working on them,
00:34:41.78\00:34:43.98
it says, and they were filled.
00:34:44.05\00:34:45.38
Filled.
00:34:45.41\00:34:46.75
And the place where
they were praying was shaken.
00:34:46.78\00:34:49.42
Yes.
00:34:49.45\00:34:50.79
And so when being
filled with the spirit
00:34:50.82\00:34:53.02
is different than
tapping into the spirit
00:34:53.05\00:34:55.92
like going to get
a pint of gasoline,
00:34:55.96\00:34:58.56
or a quart of gasoline,
or a gallon of gasoline.
00:34:58.59\00:35:01.43
Absolutely.
00:35:01.46\00:35:02.80
He says, "Why do you keep
stopping at the gas station?
00:35:02.83\00:35:04.47
Why don't you
just fill up your car?"
00:35:04.50\00:35:06.53
And if we pray for the infilling
00:35:06.57\00:35:07.94
of the Spirit of God,
we just talked about this,
00:35:07.97\00:35:09.47
Honey, just yesterday. Yeah.
00:35:09.50\00:35:11.34
We said, "We need to
get our church together
00:35:11.37\00:35:13.98
and pray earnestly
for what we're planning,"
00:35:14.01\00:35:17.75
so that we won't go and...
00:35:17.78\00:35:20.02
I think you heard me say that,
it's not by might nor by power.
00:35:20.05\00:35:23.39
Zachariah 4, but by my spirit.
00:35:23.42\00:35:25.92
And the spirit of
God, as Paul says,
00:35:25.95\00:35:28.66
"He's able to do exceedingly,
00:35:28.69\00:35:30.16
abundantly above all
that we ask or think,
00:35:30.23\00:35:32.83
according to the power
that is at work in us."
00:35:32.86\00:35:34.96
Yes.
00:35:35.00\00:35:36.33
And this is what
you're talking about.
00:35:36.36\00:35:37.70
Yeah, absolutely, Pastor.
00:35:37.73\00:35:39.07
You bring such a
good point, you know,
00:35:39.10\00:35:40.44
and I'd like to read just
what God says there in Luke
00:35:40.47\00:35:43.10
in the Bible and his emphasis
and desire for His people,
00:35:43.14\00:35:48.38
to ask to be
filled with the spirit
00:35:48.41\00:35:50.15
on a daily basis, a
daily baptism of the spirit.
00:35:50.18\00:35:53.15
Yes.
00:35:53.18\00:35:54.52
Because usually we think
that, oh, "I was baptized,
00:35:54.55\00:35:55.88
I was filed with the spirit."
00:35:55.92\00:35:57.29
But a daily
surrendering to be Lord,
00:35:57.32\00:35:59.35
I need to be
baptized with the spirit
00:35:59.39\00:36:00.76
of fresh today every day.
00:36:00.79\00:36:02.56
Hmm. Yes.
00:36:02.59\00:36:03.93
And so in Luke Chapter
11, in Luke's account here,
00:36:03.96\00:36:07.96
he begins to give us
the model of a prayer,
00:36:08.00\00:36:11.00
the Lord's Prayer.
00:36:11.03\00:36:12.37
And then he gives us
sort of a parable about a man
00:36:12.40\00:36:15.17
who goes to someone's house
at midnight and is wanting.
00:36:15.20\00:36:18.24
Okay. Yeah, seeking, seeking.
00:36:18.27\00:36:19.94
And then it says there that
because he persistently asked,
00:36:19.97\00:36:23.78
I'm going to give
you the bread, right?
00:36:23.85\00:36:25.18
Yes.
00:36:25.21\00:36:26.55
And then in verses 9-13,
00:36:26.58\00:36:30.39
we see here that 10 times
not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
00:36:30.42\00:36:33.99
but 10 times Jesus
makes it very clear
00:36:34.06\00:36:38.13
in the urgency here
that God's people need to ask
00:36:38.16\00:36:42.96
and desire the spirit.
00:36:43.00\00:36:45.20
So I'm gonna read.
00:36:45.23\00:36:46.57
It says in verse 9, it
says, "So I say to you, ask
00:36:46.60\00:36:49.27
and it will be
given to you, Seek,"
00:36:49.30\00:36:50.81
there's an action there,
"and you will find, knock,"
00:36:50.84\00:36:53.88
that's another action,
"and it will be opened to you."
00:36:53.91\00:36:56.95
This is a promise here. Yes.
00:36:56.98\00:36:58.31
"For everyone who asks
receives and he who seeks finds,
00:36:58.35\00:37:01.62
and to him who
knocks, it will be opened."
00:37:01.65\00:37:04.09
Verse 11."
00:37:04.12\00:37:05.45
If a son asks for bread
from any father among you,
00:37:05.49\00:37:08.02
will he give him a stone?
00:37:08.06\00:37:10.06
Or if he asks for a fish,
00:37:10.13\00:37:12.06
will he give him a
serpent instead of a fish?
00:37:12.09\00:37:15.00
Or if he asks for an egg,
will he offer him a scorpion?
00:37:15.03\00:37:19.80
If you then, being evil,
00:37:19.83\00:37:21.17
knowing how to give
good gifts to your children,
00:37:21.20\00:37:23.44
how much more will
your Heavenly Father
00:37:23.51\00:37:25.81
give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask Him?
00:37:25.84\00:37:28.38
Ask. Ask.
00:37:28.41\00:37:30.55
Ask, ask, seek, knock. Yes.
00:37:30.58\00:37:33.52
So 10 times, 6 times
asking, 2 times knocking,
00:37:33.55\00:37:36.99
which is an action word,
and then 2 times again seeking
00:37:37.02\00:37:40.66
another action word there.
00:37:40.69\00:37:42.76
God is urging His
people that please,
00:37:42.79\00:37:46.19
because I mean, Mrs. White says
00:37:46.23\00:37:47.80
that the Spirit of
God is the greatest gift
00:37:47.83\00:37:49.33
He could have
bestowed upon His people.
00:37:49.36\00:37:50.87
That's right.
00:37:50.90\00:37:52.23
But we have to go and
desire to be filled by it.
00:37:52.27\00:37:53.84
That's right. So God
is urging His people.
00:37:53.87\00:37:57.41
I want to
bestow to you the power
00:37:57.44\00:37:59.84
and my greatest gift,
but I need you to come.
00:37:59.87\00:38:02.41
And the amazing thing is
in Revelation, it says that,
00:38:02.44\00:38:04.18
"He stands at
the door and knocks."
00:38:04.25\00:38:06.72
But the thing is that
nobody knocks from the inside,
00:38:06.75\00:38:09.55
they knock from the outside.
00:38:09.58\00:38:10.92
That's right. Right?
00:38:10.99\00:38:12.32
So what God is saying is,
is that I'm on the outside.
00:38:12.35\00:38:14.72
Yes, knocking. Right?
00:38:14.76\00:38:16.93
And here's the Laodicean Church.
00:38:16.96\00:38:18.86
Well, I thought He was
inside, hmm, I'm on the outside,
00:38:18.89\00:38:20.96
I want to come in.
00:38:21.00\00:38:22.33
And Jesus makes it very clear
00:38:22.36\00:38:23.70
that He comes in
through the spirit,
00:38:23.77\00:38:25.27
He says in the
Book of John, I believe.
00:38:25.30\00:38:26.84
They say, "The spirit is
to be with you and in you."
00:38:26.87\00:38:29.57
He wants it,
right? That's right.
00:38:29.60\00:38:31.37
So here God is
urging His people that
00:38:31.41\00:38:34.51
and this is what
God's convicting us that,
00:38:34.54\00:38:36.54
"Man, we need to understand that
00:38:36.58\00:38:38.38
on a daily, daily, daily process
00:38:38.41\00:38:42.48
to be refilled
with the Holy Spirit,
00:38:42.52\00:38:44.82
be baptized the fresh baptized,"
00:38:44.85\00:38:46.86
because we need it every day.
00:38:46.89\00:38:48.22
Yes. That's right.
00:38:48.26\00:38:49.59
And Jesus was
our example of that.
00:38:49.62\00:38:51.26
That's right. That's right.
00:38:51.29\00:38:52.66
Because He went to the
Father, and if He needs it,
00:38:52.69\00:38:55.26
how much more that
God's people needed that.
00:38:55.30\00:38:56.67
Invest this day on daily prayer.
00:38:56.70\00:38:58.03
That's right.
00:38:58.07\00:38:59.40
And you can pray at
home and let's please do it,
00:38:59.43\00:39:01.80
let's pray and let's
ask God for the Holy Spirit.
00:39:01.84\00:39:05.44
But there is something
about getting together,
00:39:05.47\00:39:07.74
united prayer.
00:39:07.78\00:39:09.78
There is not united church,
if there is no united prayer.
00:39:09.81\00:39:13.52
That's right.
00:39:13.55\00:39:14.88
That's why when conflicts come,
we just don't know what to do
00:39:14.92\00:39:18.39
and our carnal flesh
just come out and we fight.
00:39:18.42\00:39:23.26
But if we are filled
with the Holy Spirit,
00:39:23.29\00:39:26.49
and we get together,
and God is working in us,
00:39:26.53\00:39:29.73
even we're gonna see
each other differently.
00:39:29.76\00:39:31.27
That's right.
00:39:31.30\00:39:32.63
So we were praying
every Sabbath morning
00:39:32.67\00:39:36.04
before Sabbath
school, the people come
00:39:36.07\00:39:39.94
and we get together and
pray and before the meetings
00:39:39.97\00:39:43.65
that was months before even
the evangelistic meeting comes.
00:39:43.68\00:39:47.92
And after the book was over,
00:39:47.95\00:39:50.29
the six weeks we
also will get together
00:39:50.32\00:39:53.46
every week
besides Saturday morning
00:39:53.49\00:39:56.09
also before Bible
study in the mid-week.
00:39:56.12\00:39:59.73
And then we will come together,
00:39:59.76\00:40:01.20
pray again, talk about
the book and pray united.
00:40:01.23\00:40:04.90
And yes, let's pray
about each other's needs,
00:40:04.93\00:40:08.04
material stance,
00:40:08.07\00:40:09.70
but everybody knew
there that we were praying
00:40:09.74\00:40:11.84
this for spiritual
blessings, for focus,
00:40:11.87\00:40:15.11
because you can
never go wrong with that.
00:40:15.14\00:40:17.45
Pray about it, God will answer.
00:40:17.48\00:40:18.81
Right.
00:40:18.85\00:40:20.18
That Jesus said, pray
and it will be done to you.
00:40:20.22\00:40:22.95
So knock and you will receive.
00:40:22.98\00:40:25.09
So we're going to pray together
00:40:25.12\00:40:26.96
and then when we
were done with this book,
00:40:26.99\00:40:30.53
then he came to 40
days of prayer and devotions
00:40:30.56\00:40:33.70
with Pastor
Dennis Smith and Series,
00:40:33.73\00:40:36.23
and we did book number one,
00:40:36.26\00:40:38.43
it's about the
Holy Spirit as well.
00:40:38.47\00:40:40.74
And we got more,
00:40:40.77\00:40:43.54
maybe almost half of
the church involved in this,
00:40:43.61\00:40:46.98
all the leaders
who were, you know,
00:40:47.01\00:40:48.94
we wanted the leaders
and they are reading the book
00:40:48.98\00:40:53.82
and we're getting
together again, every week,
00:40:53.85\00:40:57.02
every Saturday morning
and we are praying about
00:40:57.09\00:41:00.99
the Holy Spirit in
us and revival, revival.
00:41:01.02\00:41:04.76
So the God can see
in us and they can do
00:41:04.79\00:41:08.13
what He needs to do in
us before even God can bring
00:41:08.16\00:41:11.33
new people to the church.
00:41:11.37\00:41:12.77
God will never gonna bring
anyone in an unhealthy church.
00:41:12.80\00:41:16.24
We have to be
healthy, we need to be ready
00:41:16.27\00:41:18.71
to receive those that God loves.
00:41:18.74\00:41:21.01
So God needs to
work in us get ready,
00:41:21.04\00:41:23.58
not only Pastor
Meneses is getting ready
00:41:23.65\00:41:25.61
for the sermons to
preach, but we're praying.
00:41:25.65\00:41:29.12
And I appreciate
those that were so faithful.
00:41:29.15\00:41:32.62
You know, those
that are faithful
00:41:32.65\00:41:33.99
to come and pray.
00:41:34.06\00:41:35.39
But we've more,
more people coming
00:41:35.42\00:41:38.66
besides those
that regularly came
00:41:38.69\00:41:40.96
and this is many things happened
00:41:41.00\00:41:44.33
and the book,
Pastor Dennis Smith's book,
00:41:44.37\00:41:48.47
they said, "Choose five
people you're going to pray
00:41:48.50\00:41:52.17
for before the meetings."
00:41:52.21\00:41:54.18
So everybody
chooses five person or more
00:41:54.21\00:41:57.25
and we're praying.
00:41:57.28\00:41:58.61
So we get together.
00:41:58.65\00:41:59.98
you're praying
for 40 days for them,
00:42:00.02\00:42:02.35
and then we get together
and I remember that day,
00:42:02.38\00:42:05.89
you know, everybody's
praying about neighbors,
00:42:05.92\00:42:08.16
my family members, I
wanted to come to the meetings,
00:42:08.19\00:42:10.96
you know, everybody
is getting into that.
00:42:10.99\00:42:13.26
You know, tune
with, let's get ready.
00:42:13.29\00:42:16.30
And one of the members she
said in that night I remember,
00:42:16.33\00:42:21.04
she said by name, "I am
praying for this family.
00:42:21.07\00:42:24.97
They haven't come
to church for years
00:42:25.01\00:42:28.54
and I want them to come back."
00:42:28.58\00:42:30.85
But, you know, they
are not here anymore,
00:42:30.88\00:42:33.85
let's pray for them.
00:42:33.92\00:42:35.25
And we all
prayed for that night.
00:42:35.28\00:42:37.49
I thought very special
prayer for that family.
00:42:37.52\00:42:40.96
I didn't know them
because that was a family
00:42:40.99\00:42:43.26
that used to come to
church many years ago.
00:42:43.29\00:42:45.99
And this family, she called
the family later on to say
00:42:46.03\00:42:50.50
they got their flyer in the mail
00:42:50.57\00:42:53.00
for go to the meetings.
00:42:53.03\00:42:54.54
And they did and they said,
00:42:54.57\00:42:56.10
"Yeah, we're
making plans on going,
00:42:56.14\00:42:58.14
you know, but we kept praying."
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.98
And they came the first night
00:43:01.01\00:43:04.25
and they came
almost every night, right?
00:43:04.28\00:43:06.61
Amen.
00:43:06.65\00:43:07.98
They came every night
and tell them what happened?
00:43:08.02\00:43:10.32
Yeah. I mean, just...
00:43:10.39\00:43:12.69
They even...
00:43:12.72\00:43:14.89
I mean, it's a family of five,
so, you know, the kids came,
00:43:14.92\00:43:20.70
teenagers, young,
00:43:20.73\00:43:22.43
and, you know, the spirit,
00:43:22.46\00:43:27.64
I mean, they
knew the spirit was...
00:43:27.67\00:43:29.00
I mean, you can
just tell that the spirit
00:43:29.04\00:43:30.44
had gripped their hearts.
00:43:30.51\00:43:32.04
And, you know, at
the end of it, as I came,
00:43:32.07\00:43:35.54
not only the
parents want to be baptized,
00:43:35.58\00:43:37.48
all the children
want to be baptized.
00:43:37.55\00:43:39.01
Amen.
00:43:39.05\00:43:40.52
So you know going over it
00:43:40.55\00:43:42.78
and them desiring to be baptized
00:43:42.82\00:43:45.49
and recommit
themselves to Jesus,
00:43:45.52\00:43:48.12
and you know, I'm happy for all,
00:43:48.16\00:43:50.43
I don't care how old you are,
00:43:50.46\00:43:51.79
praise the Lord
older life, young.
00:43:51.83\00:43:53.70
But again, I just love to see
00:43:53.73\00:43:56.03
the young people
on fire for Jesus.
00:43:56.06\00:43:57.83
Amen. That's right.
00:43:57.87\00:43:59.20
You know,
because Satan wants them
00:43:59.23\00:44:00.57
and God wants them.
00:44:00.64\00:44:01.97
That's right.
There's only two ways to go.
00:44:02.00\00:44:04.44
And God began to bless
not only in their lives,
00:44:04.47\00:44:06.41
but in other people, you
know, and I want to bring up
00:44:06.44\00:44:09.14
in regards to united being one
00:44:09.18\00:44:11.35
because there's a
counterfeit unity happening
00:44:11.38\00:44:13.75
in the world today.
00:44:13.82\00:44:15.15
That's right.
00:44:15.18\00:44:16.52
So today the world is
trying to come together
00:44:16.55\00:44:19.92
in this counterfeit unity.
00:44:19.95\00:44:22.49
Here is God trying to
bring true unity to His people,
00:44:22.52\00:44:25.56
you know.
00:44:25.59\00:44:26.93
And of course, Satan
counterfeits what is real.
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.90
So, you know, today, the
counterfeit is regardless
00:44:30.97\00:44:34.70
of what you believe,
regardless of doctrine,
00:44:34.74\00:44:37.01
you just sort of think
whatever you want to think,
00:44:37.04\00:44:38.74
and regardless of
allowing sanctification
00:44:38.77\00:44:42.11
of God to do
that work in your life
00:44:42.14\00:44:44.68
though the Holy Spirit,
00:44:44.71\00:44:46.08
you can sort of
live the way you want
00:44:46.11\00:44:47.45
and believe what you
want, we sort of come together
00:44:47.52\00:44:49.32
and in love in the
name of Jesus, right?
00:44:49.35\00:44:51.59
That's true. Yeah, counterfeit.
00:44:51.62\00:44:53.89
It might sound good
and it might taste good
00:44:53.96\00:44:56.12
and all that stuff, but
truth and there's deception.
00:44:56.16\00:44:58.43
Yep.
00:44:58.46\00:44:59.79
So here's God and true unity
what I see in the Bible is,
00:44:59.83\00:45:05.30
the Bible says, "Can two walk
together unless they agree?"
00:45:05.33\00:45:08.07
No, they cannot.
They cannot, right?
00:45:08.10\00:45:10.21
So, being one in regards
to what the Bible teaches,
00:45:10.24\00:45:14.58
and then the Bible
says, that being allowing God
00:45:14.61\00:45:18.41
to sanctify you
work in your life
00:45:18.45\00:45:21.75
set us His people apart.
00:45:21.78\00:45:23.12
You know, Jesus
said very clearly,
00:45:23.15\00:45:24.62
"We are to be in the
world, but not of the world."
00:45:24.65\00:45:26.96
Jesus says, right?
00:45:26.99\00:45:28.42
So here's God, God's people
true unity walking together
00:45:28.46\00:45:32.99
in light of the Bible truth,
00:45:33.03\00:45:34.60
allowing the
spirit to change them
00:45:34.63\00:45:36.90
and sanctify them and
being together, united,
00:45:36.97\00:45:41.17
that's true biblical unity.
00:45:41.20\00:45:43.17
And here is Satan
and his counterfeit
00:45:43.20\00:45:44.91
again regardless
what you believe,
00:45:44.94\00:45:46.27
or how you live,
just come together
00:45:46.31\00:45:47.68
and all that.
00:45:47.71\00:45:49.04
So here's God, in His last days
00:45:49.08\00:45:51.08
trying to call His
people to true unity,
00:45:51.11\00:45:53.52
as Satan is trying to get
the world into false unity.
00:45:53.55\00:45:56.99
But, you know, it's amazing that
00:45:57.02\00:45:58.52
you mentioned that false
unity, because he's deceased
00:45:58.55\00:46:01.29
now young man by
the name of Tony Palmer.
00:46:01.32\00:46:03.43
He was a voice for the
evangelical Catholic merging.
00:46:03.46\00:46:06.90
That's right.
00:46:06.93\00:46:08.26
He said, "Forget
about all your doctrine,
00:46:08.30\00:46:09.80
God will sort it
out if you get up there.
00:46:09.83\00:46:11.83
That's not true. That's right.
00:46:11.87\00:46:13.34
That is one of
the largest untruth,
00:46:13.37\00:46:15.47
I use the word untruths.
00:46:15.50\00:46:17.44
Mama used to say don't say
the word lie, it's so hard.
00:46:17.51\00:46:20.08
But that was not
true, God is misrepresented
00:46:20.11\00:46:22.34
when He says when
Christian people say,
00:46:22.38\00:46:25.15
"It doesn't
matter what you believe."
00:46:25.18\00:46:26.51
That's right.
00:46:26.55\00:46:27.88
Because how can two walk
together unless they agree?
00:46:27.92\00:46:29.25
That's right.
00:46:29.28\00:46:30.62
And if the blind
are leading the blind,
00:46:30.69\00:46:32.12
both will fall into the pit.
00:46:32.15\00:46:33.49
It doesn't matter
what the direction
00:46:33.56\00:46:34.89
of your life is, of course.
00:46:34.92\00:46:36.26
It doesn't matter
where the blind person
00:46:36.29\00:46:37.63
is leading the other
blind person of course.
00:46:37.66\00:46:38.99
That's right.
00:46:39.03\00:46:40.36
And so I'm thankful
that you brought this,
00:46:40.40\00:46:41.96
this is very timely and
we'll talk about afterwards
00:46:42.00\00:46:43.97
why this is so timely.
00:46:44.00\00:46:45.33
Mm-hmm.
00:46:45.37\00:46:46.70
But it's true the church needs
00:46:46.74\00:46:48.07
a revival in the
word primitive God,
00:46:48.10\00:46:50.74
it doesn't means
sticks, and stones, and wood,
00:46:50.81\00:46:52.91
and rolling square bricks.
00:46:52.94\00:46:55.71
It means get
back to what happened
00:46:55.74\00:46:57.68
on the Day of Pentecost.
00:46:57.71\00:46:59.28
Yes.
00:46:59.31\00:47:00.72
Because the church
today is filled with methods.
00:47:00.75\00:47:02.22
Absolutely.
00:47:02.25\00:47:03.59
And, Pastor,
there's been many times
00:47:03.62\00:47:05.79
where I've coming,
you know, was walked in
00:47:05.82\00:47:08.52
either the church
service Sabbath morning
00:47:08.56\00:47:10.43
or Wednesday before the study,
00:47:10.46\00:47:12.76
and he said, "Man,
this looks like Acts."
00:47:12.79\00:47:15.96
I mean, this is...
00:47:16.00\00:47:17.37
Here God's people
together, surrendering Lord,
00:47:17.40\00:47:20.64
we need the
spirit, is to Your spirit,
00:47:20.67\00:47:23.27
to Your power, you
know, all have sinned,
00:47:23.30\00:47:25.64
all have fallen short,
00:47:25.67\00:47:27.91
but we just
desired to be used by you
00:47:27.94\00:47:30.55
as co-laborers, you
know, and God will bless that,
00:47:30.58\00:47:33.92
God will be faithful to that.
00:47:33.95\00:47:35.38
And I just want to refer
to maybe just one more here
00:47:35.42\00:47:37.72
in Manuscript
Releases, volume 7, page 267.
00:47:37.75\00:47:41.92
She says very
clearly, "It is this baptism
00:47:41.96\00:47:45.26
of the Holy Spirit that
the churches need today."
00:47:45.29\00:47:48.93
That's right. Right.
00:47:48.96\00:47:51.17
So, you know, people say,
"Oh, well, this doesn't work,
00:47:51.20\00:47:54.14
or we need this
00:47:54.17\00:47:55.50
and we need
that and everything."
00:47:55.54\00:47:56.91
Evangelism doesn't work.
00:47:56.94\00:47:58.27
Evangelism
doesn't work or whatever.
00:47:58.31\00:48:00.01
But she says what we need...
00:48:00.08\00:48:02.78
She didn't say we need
money, which money is good,
00:48:02.81\00:48:04.35
nothing wrong.
00:48:04.38\00:48:05.71
We need money to do
evangelism, but we need again,
00:48:05.75\00:48:08.35
it's not just
money and what we need
00:48:08.38\00:48:10.79
is the Spirit of God
in His people's hearts,
00:48:10.82\00:48:14.16
for them to surrender,
say, "Lord, it's up to you.
00:48:14.19\00:48:17.76
I just want to be
used by God," you know.
00:48:17.79\00:48:19.36
Just like make
yourself available.
00:48:19.39\00:48:20.73
Yeah, and I like to say
that truth might bring them in,
00:48:20.80\00:48:22.70
but love will keep them in.
00:48:22.73\00:48:24.17
That's right. I like that.
00:48:24.20\00:48:25.53
So as God brings
them into the church,
00:48:25.57\00:48:28.30
I make it very clear that
we have to love the people
00:48:28.34\00:48:32.41
and be patient with them.
00:48:32.44\00:48:33.78
I mean, Mrs. White says
that Christ mingled with them
00:48:33.81\00:48:36.08
and had empathy with them.
00:48:36.11\00:48:37.45
Christ method alone, right?
00:48:37.48\00:48:39.61
So I mean, love the
people, be patient with them,
00:48:39.65\00:48:42.68
they're just learning and
guiding, but we lead them,
00:48:42.72\00:48:45.52
we lead them to God's standards,
00:48:45.55\00:48:47.16
we never lower God's standards.
00:48:47.19\00:48:48.52
God's standards
never to be lowered.
00:48:48.56\00:48:49.89
That's right.
00:48:49.92\00:48:51.26
But we're accepting
the way that they are,
00:48:51.29\00:48:52.63
but God loves them enough that
00:48:52.66\00:48:54.00
they keep them
the way that they are.
00:48:54.03\00:48:55.36
Therefore, we lead them
to what God desires for them
00:48:55.40\00:48:57.63
in their life and
we're patient with it.
00:48:57.67\00:48:59.20
So letting and as my wife said,
00:48:59.23\00:49:01.37
as the spirit
works in the hearts,
00:49:01.40\00:49:02.87
we begin to see
people differently
00:49:02.90\00:49:04.61
and maybe to be more patient
where we weren't patient,
00:49:04.64\00:49:07.18
to be more
accepting where we weren't.
00:49:07.21\00:49:09.94
And you know, I
like to say that,
00:49:09.98\00:49:12.41
you know, if 100 people
00:49:12.45\00:49:13.92
come into the
meetings, praise the Lord.
00:49:13.95\00:49:15.28
But a year later if one is
left that's not good, right?
00:49:15.32\00:49:18.32
That's right.
00:49:18.35\00:49:19.69
So my desire is
Lord bring them in
00:49:19.72\00:49:21.79
and dear God please keep
them in to be become solid
00:49:21.82\00:49:26.13
Seventh-day Adventist Christians
00:49:26.16\00:49:27.96
who love God
with all their heart
00:49:28.00\00:49:29.33
and want to be used by God.
00:49:29.36\00:49:30.70
And that's I
believe the ultimate plan
00:49:30.77\00:49:32.10
for any evangelism.
00:49:32.13\00:49:33.47
Yeah, you know,
truth will wake them up.
00:49:33.50\00:49:34.84
Yes. Love will light them up.
00:49:34.87\00:49:36.71
The Holy Spirit
will fill them up.
00:49:36.74\00:49:38.07
I feel like that.
00:49:38.11\00:49:39.44
And so we have to make sure
that none of those is left out
00:49:39.47\00:49:41.34
and so many people
that have evangelism
00:49:41.38\00:49:43.55
the things that they do.
00:49:43.58\00:49:44.91
I see you want to say something.
00:49:44.95\00:49:46.55
Oh, I was gonna say
is that it changes lives,
00:49:46.58\00:49:50.42
prayer and the Holy Spirit.
00:49:50.49\00:49:52.12
Sometimes, we are thinking,
00:49:52.15\00:49:53.96
if a church will be like
this or we complain if, if.
00:49:53.99\00:49:59.46
The if is what if we
all will be filled daily
00:49:59.49\00:50:03.97
with the Holy Ghost?
00:50:04.00\00:50:05.33
What if that's my if?
00:50:05.37\00:50:07.24
So the Lord will do with
all He does as with apostles.
00:50:07.27\00:50:10.97
So He's doing it.
00:50:11.01\00:50:12.87
I think that the
Lord is still working.
00:50:12.91\00:50:14.58
He's working in us,
He's working in the church,
00:50:14.61\00:50:16.95
and some of the
members really can unite
00:50:16.98\00:50:20.02
the prayer ministry
coordinator and she said,
00:50:20.05\00:50:22.42
"Elida, thank you for
putting this together.
00:50:22.45\00:50:25.15
And thank you that
you brought us together.
00:50:25.19\00:50:27.66
He has changed me."
00:50:27.69\00:50:29.02
Some of them
said, "He has made me
00:50:29.06\00:50:30.43
more comfortable
to pray with people."
00:50:30.46\00:50:33.90
Some other said, "He makes
me to think about other needs
00:50:33.93\00:50:37.83
instead of just
my own problems."
00:50:37.87\00:50:40.04
You know, yes, get together
and pray for your problems,
00:50:40.07\00:50:43.51
but let's get together
00:50:43.54\00:50:44.87
and pray for the
spiritual blessings.
00:50:44.91\00:50:47.18
Then, even the problems
will just relinquishing.
00:50:47.21\00:50:49.81
And I want to
show this last picture
00:50:49.84\00:50:51.18
of the meetings you held,
just before the program is done
00:50:51.21\00:50:53.82
because we're winding up here.
00:50:53.85\00:50:55.32
We didn't want to put
this in a little earlier.
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.39
The picture of the meetings
that you held at the hotel.
00:50:57.42\00:50:59.35
Yeah.
00:50:59.39\00:51:00.76
If you bring that up with you...
00:51:00.79\00:51:02.12
Sure Let the audience see that.
00:51:02.16\00:51:03.73
Last night you had
some something like,
00:51:03.76\00:51:05.53
we're completely with, is
that, is to go to the people.
00:51:05.56\00:51:08.06
That's right.
00:51:08.10\00:51:09.43
And this was at a hotel there
00:51:09.46\00:51:12.13
and because a lot of people
are more comfortable at times
00:51:12.17\00:51:14.40
coming to a
neutral location there,
00:51:14.44\00:51:16.81
and I found that in the south,
that's where the way to go.
00:51:16.84\00:51:19.34
Right. That's the way to go.
00:51:19.37\00:51:20.71
So yeah, you
know, and God blessed
00:51:20.78\00:51:22.44
and the meetings went well,
God really blessed our efforts.
00:51:22.48\00:51:28.58
And we had 10 baptisms
00:51:28.62\00:51:31.99
and some other
still coming there.
00:51:32.02\00:51:33.69
That's right.
00:51:33.76\00:51:35.09
But we also had prayer partners
that was mentioned there
00:51:35.12\00:51:37.86
and people calling each other up
00:51:37.89\00:51:39.56
and praying with each other.
00:51:39.59\00:51:40.96
Because a lot of
times, we go to church
00:51:41.00\00:51:42.86
and we see them once a week
00:51:42.90\00:51:44.33
and we don't see
them for a whole week.
00:51:44.37\00:51:45.90
You know, last time
I checked in the Bible,
00:51:45.93\00:51:48.27
it was a community,
they broke bread daily
00:51:48.30\00:51:51.14
what the Bible says,
but being in communion
00:51:51.17\00:51:53.11
with your fellow
brother and sister in church,
00:51:53.14\00:51:54.71
it's your family
00:51:54.74\00:51:56.75
and having prayer
partners in our prayers
00:51:56.78\00:51:58.75
and it won't stop
now, it's continues,
00:51:58.78\00:52:00.45
it continues, it continues.
00:52:00.52\00:52:01.85
That's right, and
I want to make sure
00:52:01.88\00:52:03.22
the information is available.
00:52:03.25\00:52:04.65
If we bring it up
on the screen here
00:52:04.69\00:52:06.19
for RobertMeneses
00:52:06.22\00:52:08.52
R- O-B-E-R-T M-E-N-E-S-E-S 80
00:52:08.56\00:52:14.10
@gmail.com.
00:52:14.13\00:52:17.10
You want to get
in touch with them.
00:52:17.17\00:52:18.50
We'll give that address again
00:52:18.53\00:52:19.87
on the other
side of the newsbreak.
00:52:19.90\00:52:21.24
But you know,
this is what the church
00:52:21.27\00:52:22.60
is in need of, this is
what your family needs.
00:52:22.64\00:52:24.31
If your life is falling
apart and you don't even
00:52:24.34\00:52:26.34
have a church,
we're going to come back
00:52:26.37\00:52:28.71
on the other
side of the newsbreak
00:52:28.74\00:52:30.08
and give you
another opportunity.
00:52:30.15\00:52:31.61
But prayer is where it begins.
00:52:31.65\00:52:33.52
Without prayer
there is no power.
00:52:33.55\00:52:36.35
On the other side
of the news break,
00:52:36.38\00:52:37.72
we'll give you a
few closing thoughts.
00:52:37.75\00:52:39.35
Don't go away,
we'll be right back.
00:52:39.39\00:52:41.16