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 and welcome
to another 3ABN Today
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program! I'm Jason
Bradley, and I'm so
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excited that you
could join us as we're going
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to get a ministry report
on nPraxis International!
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And here with me to
discuss this is Marty
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Philipps, and he's
the president of nPraxis
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International. Welcome
to the program. - Thank
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you. It's such a
pleasure to be here with you
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today. - Yes, sir.
I'm excited to just
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jump into your background,
how everything got started,
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and find out all
about this amazing ministry.
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But before we do,
we're gonna go to a song by
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Stephanie Dawn-and it's
entitled, "O Glorious Love".
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In my darkness Jesus found me
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Touched my eyes and made me see
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Broke sin's chains
that long had bound me
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Gave me life and liberty
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O glorious love of
Christ my Lord, divine
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Who gave Himself to
save a soul like mine
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Through all my days
and then in heav'n above
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My song will silence never
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I'll worship Him forever
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And praise Him
for His glorious love
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Oh amazing truth to ponder
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He whom angel host attend
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Lord in Heav'n
God's Son would wonder
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He became the sinners friend
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O glorious love of
Christ my Lord, divine
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Who gave Himself to
save a soul like mine
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Through all my days
and then in heaven above
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My song will silence never
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I'll worship Him forever
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And praise Him
for His glorious love
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And praise Him
for His glorious love
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- "O Glorious
Love". Thank you for that
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beautiful song,
Stephanie Dawn. If you're just
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joining us, I'm
sitting here talking to Marty
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Phillips, the president
of nPraxis International.
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Marty, I want to go
a little bit into your
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background, your upbringing,
prior to diving into what
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nPraxis International
is all about. How were
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you raised, and where
did you grow up? - Yes,
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good question. Both my
parents were in ministry,
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both here in the US
and also abroad. They went
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overseas as
missionaries when we were young.
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And so, I came up with
that understanding that
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I'd be involved in mission.
I felt a deep calling to
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ministry. I went
through seminary but didn't feel
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a calling to be a traditional
church pastor, you might
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say. - Okay. - So,
I went through a lot
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of questioning. "What
did this mean? How would
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that turn out to be?
Why are you calling me
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to ministry, if I
don't feel called to be a
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church pastor?" -
Yes. - I also had another
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burning question. I'm a
sixth-generation Adventist.
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- Mhm. - Family started
in the very first Adventist
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church that was built
in New York, and every
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generation of my
family have said, "Jesus is
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coming this generation."
- Mm. - So my big question
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when I was in
school, in the seminary and
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studying theology
on undergraduate level
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was, "Lord, what is
it going to take to bring
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the gospel commission
to a close?" - Mhm. Mhm.
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- And I went
through a long journey over
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many years even after
school, "What did this
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mean?" - Uh-huh. - At
first, I thought it was maybe
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getting better organized.
But as I looked around,
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Adventists are pretty
organized. - [chuckles] Uh-huh.
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- "Does it mean that
we need to live more godly
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lives, and"- well,
that leads to legalism. "So,
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if we're so good,
then is that going to bring
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Jesus?" Went
through several things. We
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can have better
projects and programs, and God
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then started leading me
on a journey. "Now, look
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for where I am
already working. Come on board
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with what I am
doing." And I found a lot of
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statements, like
from Ellen White that she
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says, "If we would
work where God's already
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working, we would
have 20-fold, 100-fold." On
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different quotes,
she gives A) if we would
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come alongside with
God is already doing.
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So, it's become my
life passion to find, "Where
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is God already
working?" - Yes. - In our own
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people group and
unreached people groups. And so,
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instead of coming and
just starting from ground
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zero, looking where is
God already working in this
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community. -
Gotcha, and that's where you
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felt your calling. - And
that's where I eventually
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felt my calling
was searching for where
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God's already
working. - Now, what is nPraxis
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International? - So,
we're an organization-
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a supporting organization-
that works for the Seventh-day
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Adventist Church
under contract. - Mhm. - And
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so, we oversee a
network of house churches mainly
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across the 10/40
window but also beyond. So, we
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have house
churches here in the US from
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different networks
that have joined our network
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for, you can say,
from Azerbaijan to Brazil.
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- Oh, wow. - So,
we actually operate in
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about 50 countries.
- Okay. - So, we work-
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mainly, the
majority of our ministry is
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within Muslim countries.
We work with Buddhists,
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we work with indigenous
tribal groups; we look
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for isolated tribes
in the middle of jungles.
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"Where can we find these
type of people?"-or unreached
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tribes that've been
resistant to the gospel.
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And then more
recently with my own people
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group, Western
people, who say, "We're not
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going to intern to a
church." So how do we
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reach those type of
people who will... - Mhm,
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the traditional brick-
and-mortar... - Exactly.
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So, we reach people
who would no longer-
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our focus is
reaching people who would not
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go into a brick-and-mortar
church. - Gotcha. Gotcha.
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Now, you said
"10/40 window". For those
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that don't know,
what is the 10/40 window?
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- Well, yes; it's
basically the area that takes up
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most of Asia and
Africa which goes through
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latitude 10 to
latitude 40. - Gotcha, gotcha.
00:09:05.54\00:09:09.38
- So it's the
people group that lives in
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there, and so the
majority of the Muslim, Hindu,
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Buddhist, tribal
worlds live in those longitude
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area. - And there's a
lot of closed countries
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in that window,
correct? - There is. There's
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probably over 50
closed countries. We work in
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about 28 of those. -
Wow. Wow. That's pretty
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dangerous, isn't it?
- Let's say... By God's
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grace, we have
learned to operate in those
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types of places,
I'd learned. I mean, I
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first worked for
ADRA. - Okay. - As I started
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my career and I
learned a lot about working
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in high security
areas, high tension areas,
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and then after that,
I worked for the General
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Conference. I was the
coordinator for underground
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house churches in
Muslim countries, so we'd
00:10:00.26\00:10:03.23
learned a lot more and
eventually then we started
00:10:03.30\00:10:06.23
supporting
ministry that would support
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.44
the church to
oversee house churches in
00:10:08.54\00:10:11.74
closed countries, and
then it expanded from there.
00:10:11.84\00:10:15.14
- Okay! Now, how
did the name come about-
00:10:15.24\00:10:18.21
nPraxis? How did... What
does that mean? - Yes, since I
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belonged- you know. Every
trade has its lingo. - Okay.
00:10:21.38\00:10:25.95
- And so, in the
mission community that are
00:10:26.05\00:10:29.59
involved in, say,
cutting edge of mission, there
00:10:29.69\00:10:32.69
is a term that's called
"praxis" and it's used to mean
00:10:32.79\00:10:36.67
when you do mission
you don't just do what
00:10:36.77\00:10:39.03
you've done all the time;
you always are evaluating what
00:10:39.17\00:10:42.44
you're doing, and
it's a special focus on
00:10:42.57\00:10:44.47
building God's
kingdom. It's not just coming in
00:10:44.57\00:10:46.84
and making people my
brand of Christianity,
00:10:46.94\00:10:50.81
but it's really
saying, "How can we bring
00:10:50.91\00:10:53.48
God's kingdom, how can
we focus on building kingdom
00:10:53.58\00:10:56.82
values in this
community?" And then, let's keep
00:10:56.92\00:10:59.55
evaluating that
process. "Is this making sense
00:10:59.69\00:11:02.59
to the people?" "Is the
gospel actually touching their
00:11:02.62\00:11:05.19
core-deepest
needs?" - Gotcha. - And then
00:11:05.23\00:11:07.83
to make it cute,
we put nPraxis-small
00:11:07.90\00:11:10.70
n capital P, like
there's iPhone and stuff like
00:11:10.83\00:11:14.60
this where they put in
Praxis. - Nice. [laughter] Yeah,
00:11:14.74\00:11:18.41
I was wondering
how the name came about
00:11:18.51\00:11:20.28
and what you meant and
all of that stuff. - Yes.
00:11:20.38\00:11:22.74
- Now, you have multiple
different facets of your
00:11:22.81\00:11:25.95
ministry. -
Correct. - Why don't you just
00:11:26.05\00:11:28.82
touch on each facet
and tell me a little bit
00:11:28.88\00:11:32.79
about each? - Our
main goal is to plant home
00:11:32.89\00:11:36.96
fellowships. - Mhm. -
So we have a network of
00:11:37.09\00:11:39.53
about 125,000 home
fellowships that meet
00:11:39.63\00:11:44.27
each week. -
125,000!? Wow! - 125,000. So,
00:11:44.37\00:11:49.64
most of these are
family. We found the
00:11:49.70\00:11:51.07
most effective way
as we're family, grandma
00:11:51.14\00:11:53.88
and grandpa, mom and
dad, kids, uncles, and
00:11:53.94\00:11:56.04
aunties. And more
Western context: it
00:11:56.11\00:11:59.01
is friend groups.
What we've found the most
00:11:59.08\00:12:02.38
strategic is friend
groups to worship together or
00:12:02.48\00:12:04.49
family groups. - Okay,
so close-knit. - Close-knit.
00:12:04.62\00:12:07.92
The closer knit you
are, the better your home
00:12:07.99\00:12:10.79
fellowship
functions. - Gotcha. - And the
00:12:10.86\00:12:13.03
faster they grow. -
Gotcha. - 'Cause then what we
00:12:13.16\00:12:15.10
do is we invite another
person who's not exactly
00:12:15.16\00:12:17.63
our friend group or
another family to experience
00:12:17.70\00:12:19.83
what's happening in
our family, and then they
00:12:19.90\00:12:22.67
go back and replicate
it in their friend group
00:12:22.77\00:12:24.67
or in their family
setting. - Okay. - So,
00:12:24.77\00:12:27.11
this is our main
focus with whichever people
00:12:27.21\00:12:29.88
group we're working
in, so we work specifically
00:12:29.98\00:12:33.15
as a mentioned with
Muslims-so with high
00:12:33.25\00:12:35.28
caste Hindus,
mainly Brahmins with remote
00:12:35.35\00:12:39.02
tribal groups and
with Westerner people,
00:12:39.12\00:12:42.52
whether it's US or
Finland or Brazil who would no
00:12:42.62\00:12:46.26
longer sit their foot
inside a brick-and-mortar
00:12:46.36\00:12:48.33
church. That's our
understanding with the
00:12:48.43\00:12:51.03
organized Adventist
church. We will work
00:12:51.13\00:12:53.20
with people who
would not come to a brick
00:12:53.30\00:12:55.40
and mortar church. -
Gotcha. Gotcha. - So then we
00:12:55.47\00:12:57.31
provide services to
these people. - Okay.
00:12:57.41\00:13:00.01
- So then many of
the countries like 28 or
00:13:00.11\00:13:03.04
so of them are countries
that would be difficult to
00:13:03.18\00:13:05.98
get Bibles into. - Yes.
- So then we find unique
00:13:06.08\00:13:09.32
ways to get Bibles
into those countries.
00:13:09.38\00:13:12.35
- Nice. Nice. -
So, those are unique
00:13:12.39\00:13:15.72
in the same way many
operate to get weapons
00:13:15.76\00:13:19.33
or drugs in and
out of countries. Those
00:13:19.39\00:13:21.16
people who are
involved with Bibles use some of
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.47
those same methods.
- Wow. - I mean it's
00:13:24.57\00:13:27.14
hard, it's
controlled, to get into closed
00:13:27.20\00:13:28.84
countries...but by
God's grace we have gotten
00:13:28.94\00:13:31.54
tens of thousands
of Bibles into closed
00:13:31.67\00:13:35.98
countries. So, that's
a big component of our
00:13:36.08\00:13:37.85
ministry. We're
also involved with some
00:13:37.98\00:13:39.85
Bible translation, as
well. - I just want to
00:13:39.95\00:13:43.18
say that really
blows my mind that, you
00:13:43.28\00:13:46.05
know, when you think
about the Word of God
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.62
going into a country
that sometimes it has
00:13:48.72\00:13:52.36
to go in in the
same way that people get
00:13:52.49\00:13:55.96
drugs and weapons into
a country that a book that
00:13:56.06\00:14:01.24
talks about the love
of Christ and all of that,
00:14:01.37\00:14:03.91
you have to... I
mean, that's- it just blows
00:14:04.01\00:14:06.88
my mind that
people wouldn't want to
00:14:06.98\00:14:09.18
receive the gospel. -
Well, you know, there's
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.45
countries where it's
prohibited where people
00:14:11.58\00:14:13.58
are even caught
with a Bible, it can mean
00:14:13.72\00:14:16.25
certain
significant penalties-and some
00:14:16.35\00:14:19.59
is bad as death and
others imprisonment,
00:14:19.69\00:14:21.86
others just disinheritance,
or social problems. - Yes.
00:14:21.96\00:14:26.23
- So, there's
varying levels. But what we
00:14:26.33\00:14:28.66
have found is that
the power of the Bible to
00:14:28.76\00:14:30.77
transform lives in
the most-what we would
00:14:30.87\00:14:33.23
call closed countries-
is immense. For example,
00:14:33.34\00:14:36.60
in one country we
have got-I don't know-
00:14:36.71\00:14:39.74
maybe 130,000 Bibles
into it. - Wow. - And
00:14:39.87\00:14:43.58
we've probably distributed
over 100,000 Bibles already,
00:14:44.98\00:14:49.82
100-110,000, and we
give those Bibles to
00:14:49.92\00:14:55.52
only heads of
household who have committed to
00:14:55.66\00:15:00.40
study the Bible with
their families. - Nice.
00:15:00.56\00:15:02.50
Nice. - So, we've
seen real impact, and it's
00:15:02.60\00:15:05.90
just amazing to see
what Bibles will do?
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.04
properly. So, we
don't just hand out Bibles
00:15:09.14\00:15:11.37
willy-nilly, but we
have a system through our
00:15:11.47\00:15:14.64
networks of home fellowships.
- Yes. - That the Bibles
00:15:14.71\00:15:17.65
are distributed. -
Yes. How is God working in
00:15:17.71\00:15:21.22
the Middle East and
across the Muslim world?
00:15:21.32\00:15:23.35
- It's really
amazing. I would like to kind
00:15:23.45\00:15:26.59
of pull back this
morning the smoke screen
00:15:26.69\00:15:29.16
of the news. We see
all the horrible parts
00:15:29.26\00:15:32.36
of the news, but
I believe that Satan
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.73
works to put up smoke
screens so we don't really see
00:15:34.83\00:15:37.53
what's actually
happening. - Mm. - And what we
00:15:37.67\00:15:40.20
see- the events that
have happened since 9/11
00:15:40.30\00:15:43.30
till now have
really brought the Muslim
00:15:43.41\00:15:47.01
world and the Middle
East to, like, this moment
00:15:47.14\00:15:50.95
in time where
they're open, maybe not to
00:15:51.05\00:15:53.21
become a Christian
and accept... Well,
00:15:53.31\00:15:57.12
let me put it in
this way: to be become
00:15:57.22\00:15:58.55
what they
perceive to be a Christian.
00:15:58.59\00:16:00.22
- Mmkay. - To go
to a brick-and-mortar
00:16:00.32\00:16:01.99
church, but they are
open now to question.
00:16:02.06\00:16:04.66
- Hmm. - They're open
to rethink their faith.
00:16:04.76\00:16:07.50
- Mmkay. - Or they're
open to question things
00:16:07.63\00:16:10.03
that they would've
never done 10 or 15 years ago.
00:16:10.10\00:16:13.23
- Mhm, mhm. - And
so, we've just seen whole
00:16:13.37\00:16:15.80
countries open up to
the gospel. If we had more
00:16:15.94\00:16:21.38
Bibles, we could
continue to provide Bibles to
00:16:21.48\00:16:23.81
countries and more
workers. At this point,
00:16:23.95\00:16:26.28
it's basically a financial
thing to keep providing
00:16:26.38\00:16:28.98
more. - Mhm. - But we
have just seen people's
00:16:29.08\00:16:31.85
hearts open up. God
has given visions and
00:16:31.95\00:16:34.72
dreams... - Mhm. -
...across the Muslim world. All
00:16:34.79\00:16:37.73
the time, every few
days, weeks, months,
00:16:37.83\00:16:40.46
there's new
stories. - Wow. - And it's
00:16:40.53\00:16:42.93
interesting, God
tends to give visions and
00:16:43.03\00:16:45.27
dreams to big community
leaders, people who have
00:16:45.33\00:16:47.77
significant
influence. - Nice. - And so when
00:16:47.87\00:16:50.81
someone has a
dream or vision whose of
00:16:50.94\00:16:52.91
significant
influence and he shares it with
00:16:52.97\00:16:54.54
his community and
those countries that are
00:16:54.64\00:16:57.98
patriarchal countries,
it means a lot. So now
00:16:58.08\00:17:01.78
we'll listen, "Oh,
Dad had it," or, "The big
00:17:01.85\00:17:03.72
chief of our tribe
had it," or "The leader of
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.75
our religious group
has had it, and he's
00:17:05.82\00:17:09.26
had a vision of
a"- what we found this
00:17:09.39\00:17:12.29
typical of thing is
a Man in white, and in
00:17:12.39\00:17:15.26
their heart they
know that this man dressed
00:17:15.33\00:17:17.07
in white Arab
clothing, his face shining like
00:17:17.20\00:17:20.00
the sun, they immediately
know somehow in their
00:17:20.14\00:17:22.50
heart that this is
Jesus. - Yes. - And He will say,
00:17:22.60\00:17:24.87
"Follow Me." Or He
will... That's the traditional
00:17:25.01\00:17:27.84
thing. We've seen
this over and over,
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.01
and I have one
friend that I work with. 30,
00:17:30.11\00:17:32.91
sometimes, he had this
dream at night, "Follow
00:17:33.05\00:17:36.02
Me." - Wow. - Until
he finally says, "Okay,
00:17:36.12\00:17:39.72
Lord, I follow
You." - Wow. Wow! And so
00:17:39.85\00:17:43.73
when these heads or
chiefs catch the vision
00:17:43.89\00:17:48.66
and they share it
with everybody, people get
00:17:48.73\00:17:51.53
on board because they're
so confident in the chief?
00:17:51.63\00:17:54.04
- Yes. So for
example, I work with a big
00:17:54.14\00:17:57.84
tribal chief from
a Muslim country, and
00:17:57.97\00:18:01.51
he rules an area about
the size of Texas and New
00:18:01.61\00:18:05.71
Mexico combined. Not
everyone in that area
00:18:05.81\00:18:08.45
belongs to his
tribe, but the majority are.
00:18:08.55\00:18:11.19
- Mhm. - And he is
pretty much the supreme leader
00:18:11.29\00:18:13.89
of that area. -
Okay. - And his father had
00:18:13.99\00:18:19.66
many- about 100 dreams
and visions about Jesus,
00:18:19.76\00:18:23.13
about the Second
Coming, about the end time-
00:18:23.23\00:18:25.27
and he had come
since there was no external
00:18:25.43\00:18:28.24
missionaries
available, he had come to most,
00:18:28.34\00:18:31.51
you might say,
biblical or Adventist beliefs.
00:18:31.61\00:18:34.28
- Okay, okay. - And
when I came in contact
00:18:34.38\00:18:37.55
with him, I started
working-just their family
00:18:37.65\00:18:39.71
was a group of believers.
- Mhm. - And at that time,
00:18:39.81\00:18:43.65
they were the
family of the leadership. I
00:18:43.72\00:18:50.06
mean, he was the oldest
son of the oldest son for
00:18:50.16\00:18:51.76
like hundreds of
years. - Okay. - And so, they
00:18:51.86\00:18:55.90
hadn't had a
tribal elder. And they had
00:18:56.03\00:18:59.40
been kind of ostracized
because they had become
00:18:59.50\00:19:01.24
followers of Jesus,
and the tribe had kind of
00:19:01.34\00:19:04.04
pushed them out, they
were in persecution, and
00:19:04.14\00:19:06.27
I met them in around
2000. - Okay. - And I
00:19:06.37\00:19:13.58
told these two
brothers, "You know, God's going
00:19:13.72\00:19:17.55
to give you back
the leadership of your
00:19:17.65\00:19:20.56
tribe." And they
kind of laughed. "That's
00:19:20.62\00:19:23.49
not going to happen.
We've been ostracized.
00:19:23.56\00:19:25.13
We haven't had a big chief
in a couple of generations.
00:19:25.26\00:19:29.06
My grandfather resigned
being a chief, and we've
00:19:29.20\00:19:32.73
never had a big
chief." And I said, "No, for
00:19:32.83\00:19:34.70
such a time, God has
brought you for this."
00:19:34.77\00:19:37.21
So by July 2005,
their father died. 8,000
00:19:37.31\00:19:45.01
tribal tribesmen, you
might say, and government
00:19:45.11\00:19:49.32
officials and stuff
came to his funeral.
00:19:49.45\00:19:51.35
- Wow. - So, at the
funeral, they said, "We
00:19:51.45\00:19:54.66
need a chief
again." - Mhm. - So a very
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.19
close friend of
mine, this young man about
00:19:57.29\00:19:59.46
my age (that was
some time ago), but he was
00:19:59.59\00:20:02.40
elected to be the
tribal chief. - Wow. - Today,
00:20:02.50\00:20:05.37
he has about 350
sub-chiefs that have pledged
00:20:05.47\00:20:09.97
allegiance like an
old feudal way, you know?
00:20:10.07\00:20:12.74
You come and pledge
allegiance to him, you
00:20:12.84\00:20:15.01
know, almost in knighthood
way. - Uh-huh, uh-huh.
00:20:15.11\00:20:17.28
- And so, his house
has like 350 of these
00:20:17.35\00:20:20.72
who have pledged
allegiance to his home. He rules
00:20:20.82\00:20:23.52
this area the size of
Texas and New Mexico. - Wow.
00:20:23.62\00:20:26.35
- And a big portion
of his people are reading
00:20:26.42\00:20:30.79
the Bible and
coming into a movement of
00:20:30.89\00:20:34.33
sharing similar faiths
as we do as Seventh-day
00:20:34.43\00:20:37.73
Adventists. - That
is incredible. Now, how
00:20:37.83\00:20:39.97
do you go about cultivating
relationships with people
00:20:40.07\00:20:43.91
all around the
world, especially in these
00:20:44.07\00:20:46.04
closed countries? -
Well, that's a good question-
00:20:46.14\00:20:50.08
yes. I was mentioning
to you previously: one
00:20:50.21\00:20:53.18
of my big questions
was, "Lord, how are we going
00:20:53.28\00:20:56.18
to see the gospel Commission
come to a close?" - Mhm.
00:20:56.32\00:20:59.69
- And so as I was
searching and praying,
00:20:59.79\00:21:03.12
the first thing I understood
is, as I've mentioned, is
00:21:03.22\00:21:06.33
finding where's
God's already been working.
00:21:06.43\00:21:08.80
But then as I started
studying the New Testament,
00:21:08.90\00:21:11.23
how did the early
church grow so fast?
00:21:11.37\00:21:14.27
In 50 years, we find
this unbroken chain of
00:21:14.37\00:21:16.94
believers from
Scotland all the way to India. I
00:21:17.07\00:21:20.38
mean, it's from India,
and then across Africa...
00:21:20.48\00:21:23.65
How did this all
happen? - Mhm. - So, you see
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.21
this massive
movement that emerges in 50
00:21:26.31\00:21:29.28
years. - Mhm. -
And looking at the New
00:21:29.38\00:21:32.89
Testament, we found
this thing that Jesus
00:21:32.99\00:21:34.72
followed. The
following: knowing who to share
00:21:34.79\00:21:38.49
your faith with, 2)
knowing what to share
00:21:38.56\00:21:41.93
once you find the person;
then discipling them; then
00:21:42.03\00:21:45.70
teaching them how
to come together to do
00:21:45.80\00:21:48.07
church to be part of a
community of believers,
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.67
and then how to
replicate. - Wow. - So the first
00:21:50.77\00:21:53.71
question is to respond
to you of this is, "Who
00:21:53.81\00:21:57.61
do you know how to
share with?" or "How
00:21:57.71\00:21:59.45
do you go about
finding people?" So, the New
00:21:59.55\00:22:03.08
Testament gives a
parable which starts
00:22:03.15\00:22:06.79
to explain this.
It says, "A sower went
00:22:06.86\00:22:09.59
out to seed. Some
seed fell on stony ground,
00:22:09.72\00:22:12.83
some fell on the path,
but then some- and etc.
00:22:12.96\00:22:17.73
And then some fall on
good soil, which gives
00:22:17.83\00:22:20.74
30-60-90- and
100-fold. So how do you find
00:22:20.84\00:22:24.17
that 90- and 100-fold
seed first? - Mm. - And
00:22:24.24\00:22:27.78
so, this is what good
missionaries do is look
00:22:27.91\00:22:30.38
for the people who are
the most receptive. - Mhm.
00:22:30.48\00:22:34.22
- And Jesus tells
first the twelve, and then
00:22:34.28\00:22:36.69
the 72. When He
sends them out, He says,
00:22:36.79\00:22:39.69
"Look for the
person of peace." - Okay.
00:22:39.79\00:22:42.26
- And so, when you
go back and look for the
00:22:42.39\00:22:44.56
person of peace, what
did that mean in Jesus'
00:22:44.66\00:22:46.66
time? They had
different designations. Like, a
00:22:46.76\00:22:49.76
merchant was
called a son of the road,
00:22:49.83\00:22:51.63
and they had different
nicknames for different
00:22:51.77\00:22:55.64
types of trades and
people. - Okay. - But there was
00:22:55.77\00:22:58.24
a tradition which
exists among Jews, still
00:22:58.37\00:23:02.64
exists among
Muslims, that they would leave
00:23:02.71\00:23:04.45
their synagogues
or mosques open. And
00:23:04.55\00:23:07.02
so if you were a
traveler and you go to the
00:23:07.15\00:23:08.75
synagogue to sleep
(because they would
00:23:08.85\00:23:10.95
leave them open for
travelers). They didn't
00:23:11.05\00:23:12.82
have a lot of hotels,
and any Jew for hundreds
00:23:12.92\00:23:15.32
of years could
travel from town to town, he
00:23:15.42\00:23:19.79
arrives to the synagogue
and it's left always open,
00:23:19.89\00:23:22.96
and he could
unroll his pack and sleep
00:23:23.06\00:23:25.20
there for a night or
two, and then continue
00:23:25.30\00:23:26.70
his journey. If
you move to a new town,
00:23:26.84\00:23:29.57
you go first to the
synagogue and sleep.
00:23:29.67\00:23:31.67
- Mhm. - And many
times, there was a person in
00:23:31.77\00:23:34.74
the town who had the
gift of hospitality and
00:23:34.84\00:23:37.48
generosity. - Mhm.
- And he comes to the
00:23:37.58\00:23:39.68
synagogue every
night to see if there was a
00:23:39.78\00:23:41.78
weary traveler.
"Don't sleep here, brother,
00:23:41.88\00:23:44.25
you come to my home,"
- Mhm. - "and come and
00:23:44.35\00:23:47.02
stay with me." So
then they go stay with him.
00:23:47.12\00:23:49.39
And usually what
was found, this person
00:23:49.46\00:23:51.73
not only had the
gift of hospitality and
00:23:51.86\00:23:55.06
generosity-had the
gift of peace mediation.
00:23:55.20\00:23:58.93
- Okay. - So if
families in the community got
00:23:59.03\00:24:01.67
fighting before they go
to the civil authorities,
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.61
they come to him, and
he helps resolve these
00:24:03.71\00:24:05.97
problems. - Okay. -
And we've found that these
00:24:06.04\00:24:08.68
people exist, as
well today. There's people
00:24:08.74\00:24:11.08
with the group being
of spiritual gifts, which
00:24:11.15\00:24:14.28
include hospitality,
generosity, conflict
00:24:14.35\00:24:17.72
resolution, and they have
a strong sense of justice,
00:24:17.85\00:24:22.06
and a strong sense of
compassion for the weak.
00:24:22.19\00:24:26.26
And so they kind
of protect- these are
00:24:26.33\00:24:27.80
people who kind of are
glue within a community.
00:24:27.90\00:24:30.23
- Mm. Mhm. - And then
they have a strong sense
00:24:30.37\00:24:33.23
of loving their land
and loving their people.
00:24:33.34\00:24:37.41
So then as we started
to understand this biblical
00:24:37.51\00:24:40.48
figure of what
happened in the New Testament,
00:24:40.58\00:24:43.31
understand what it
meant in Jesus' time,
00:24:43.41\00:24:45.51
then how can we apply
this today? So then in
00:24:45.65\00:24:48.28
the mission
circles, it's called looking
00:24:48.38\00:24:49.82
for the person of
peace. - Okay. - The
00:24:49.88\00:24:52.39
man or woman of peace.
- Uh-huh. - And to give
00:24:52.49\00:24:54.42
you an example, my
wife works for the division
00:24:54.52\00:24:58.66
here, the North
American Division, and she's in
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.26
charge of the
department for Adventist-Muslim
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.80
Relations, or Muslim
Evangelism. To make a
00:25:03.93\00:25:10.21
long story short,
she went to do a training
00:25:10.34\00:25:12.41
for the church,
officially, at one of the large
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.64
division events, and
pastors went to different
00:25:15.74\00:25:19.11
ones. There was a
time when there was
00:25:19.21\00:25:21.02
a lot of discussion
going on about the future
00:25:21.12\00:25:23.49
of the division,
and 90% of the people
00:25:23.62\00:25:25.42
went there and
each department director
00:25:25.55\00:25:27.26
has to pay for
their part of the building
00:25:27.39\00:25:29.12
and all this. She
paid thousands of dollars,
00:25:29.22\00:25:32.36
and 5 people
came. And so, she calls
00:25:32.49\00:25:35.50
me, "Hey, should I
just go home and not pay
00:25:35.56\00:25:37.63
this or get out of
it? I mean, it's a lot of
00:25:37.73\00:25:39.77
money," because
every department has to pay
00:25:39.83\00:25:41.94
their own- carry their
own weight. And so I said,
00:25:42.00\00:25:46.17
"No, God will? the
five people," because
00:25:46.27\00:25:48.51
only five people. And
out of this, one of them
00:25:48.58\00:25:50.58
was one of the
conference presidents from here.
00:25:50.68\00:25:53.75
And as my wife was
training how to find to reach
00:25:53.85\00:25:57.39
out to the Muslim
people and to look for a person
00:25:57.49\00:26:00.29
of peace, he gets
all excited about this,
00:26:00.39\00:26:02.12
because in his
community and his conference, it
00:26:02.22\00:26:04.46
has probably close to
150,000 Muslims. Concentrated,
00:26:04.59\00:26:09.00
about 100,000 of those
in one city. - Wow. - And
00:26:09.10\00:26:13.54
so he goes back to
his conference, he gets
00:26:13.67\00:26:15.50
one of his local pastors
who had been a missionary
00:26:15.60\00:26:19.87
himself, but he
pastored an inter-what would be
00:26:19.97\00:26:23.95
a good way-I mean it
was a mixed ethnicity
00:26:24.01\00:26:25.81
church. - Okay,
okay. - And so he had a
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.22
very mixed- it was
black, white, Asian-
00:26:28.32\00:26:30.99
he had a very, very
mixed... And so he comes
00:26:31.05\00:26:33.25
and shares this
vision. "Hey Pastor Tony,
00:26:33.32\00:26:36.36
this is what I heard
about this person of peace, and
00:26:36.42\00:26:39.59
we really need to reach
out to the Muslim population."
00:26:39.66\00:26:41.96
So then Pastor Tony
gets all excited. - Uh-huh.
00:26:42.86\00:26:45.90
- And so he
starts thinking, "How am
00:26:45.97\00:26:47.87
I going to reach
the person of peace?"
00:26:47.97\00:26:49.30
And then right about
that time in their city,
00:26:49.34\00:26:50.84
Bradshaw was going
to- he was invited to come
00:26:50.91\00:26:54.34
have the Union
evangelistic campaign. - Okay.
00:26:54.44\00:26:57.55
- And so, then
Tony got this idea: "I'm
00:26:57.61\00:27:00.38
going to invite
the Muslim community,
00:27:00.45\00:27:01.78
and I'm going to try
to find the person of
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.15
peace to come and
translate." - Uh-huh.
00:27:03.18\00:27:05.05
- Well, we didn't
want- - That's a good idea.
00:27:05.15\00:27:07.56
[laughs] Sounds like.
- Yeah, so Pastor Tony
00:27:07.69\00:27:10.86
didn't realize at
that time no Muslim would
00:27:10.96\00:27:12.93
come to a
crusade. - Okay. - Or to a
00:27:13.03\00:27:15.36
evangelist... We
don't like to use the word
00:27:15.46\00:27:17.00
"crusade", but for
Muslims this is a very bad term
00:27:17.07\00:27:20.20
and all this terminology
they will never show up.
00:27:20.30\00:27:23.17
- Okay. - But Pastor Tony
did think of a good thing.
00:27:23.30\00:27:27.24
He went- took him
three weeks. Any Muslim, no
00:27:27.34\00:27:30.41
one would dare try
and slate for a Christian
00:27:30.51\00:27:34.48
evangelistic
campaign. But he finally found
00:27:34.58\00:27:37.32
one person, and
the person said, "Look,
00:27:37.42\00:27:40.39
if you pay me,
I'll go translate. I'll
00:27:40.49\00:27:42.56
tell you no one
will come, but if you pay
00:27:42.62\00:27:43.96
me I'll
translate." [laughter] So the
00:27:44.06\00:27:46.53
man translated
there, no one came, but as
00:27:46.66\00:27:48.96
he was listening
to the weekly meetings
00:27:49.06\00:27:51.70
he became a
follower of Jesus. - Wow,
00:27:51.80\00:27:54.14
praise the Lord. -
And became a baptized
00:27:54.24\00:27:57.57
Seventh-day
Adventist. - Wow. - To make a
00:27:57.64\00:28:00.44
long story short,
he was someone who
00:28:00.58\00:28:02.71
God had been preparing
not just in his lifetime
00:28:02.81\00:28:05.15
but for many, many
generations. - Mhm.
00:28:05.25\00:28:07.52
- His family were
known in his country to have
00:28:07.58\00:28:09.95
stabilized the
country. His great-grandfather
00:28:10.05\00:28:13.62
who was still
living was basically the
00:28:13.72\00:28:16.93
strong man who
pulled their whole country
00:28:16.99\00:28:20.13
together, kept it from
falling into total anarchy,
00:28:20.23\00:28:23.40
and he had been expelled from
the family for a long time due
00:28:23.50\00:28:28.10
to...He'd become an Adventist
in our meetings, but before
00:28:28.17\00:28:32.47
that he had become
a Christian and he had
00:28:32.54\00:28:34.74
been totally
expelled. - Oh, wow. - But by
00:28:34.84\00:28:37.25
working with him, he
went back, he re-established
00:28:37.31\00:28:40.68
his relationship with
his family. His grandfather,
00:28:40.75\00:28:45.22
great-grandfather,
recently died, and
00:28:45.32\00:28:47.36
because his grandfather
and father died, he inherited
00:28:47.42\00:28:50.19
the family throne, you
might say. - Okay. Okay,
00:28:50.26\00:28:54.23
so how he's been put in
a position of influence.
00:28:54.36\00:28:57.33
- Of significant influence,
and I... He's the biggest
00:28:57.43\00:29:01.04
tribal leader, but
it's almost like a kingly
00:29:01.10\00:29:03.54
power. But they
have a Western form of
00:29:03.64\00:29:06.27
government, but I've
sat with him while he was
00:29:06.34\00:29:09.74
changing the minister
of finance, the ministry
00:29:09.88\00:29:14.35
of oil, the head of
the military, talking about
00:29:14.45\00:29:19.15
which is going to
be the new president,
00:29:19.25\00:29:20.72
so... - Wow. - And
just amazing. So, that
00:29:20.79\00:29:25.09
all of a sudden gives
him national influence
00:29:25.16\00:29:28.16
to be able to- and he
said... The interesting
00:29:28.26\00:29:31.57
thing- this is the
most phonetic countries
00:29:31.67\00:29:33.64
in the world-and he
said he wouldn't take
00:29:33.74\00:29:35.77
the position unless
there was a general consensus
00:29:35.84\00:29:38.94
of all the
sub-elders that would be under
00:29:39.01\00:29:41.51
him that they knew
he was a follower of
00:29:41.58\00:29:43.21
Christ. And there
was almost a unanimous
00:29:43.35\00:29:44.91
decision. - Wow. -
So, God does these types
00:29:45.01\00:29:49.82
of divine
encounters, and how he brings
00:29:49.92\00:29:56.42
little pieces of
puzzle. And today, I work
00:29:56.52\00:29:59.49
with probably a half
a dozen people that have
00:29:59.56\00:30:01.70
that type of
influence. - Wow. - And they
00:30:01.80\00:30:04.57
have national
influence. Not everyone is that
00:30:04.67\00:30:07.34
level, but it's
just amazing how God-
00:30:07.44\00:30:10.94
we always prayed,
"Lord, send us to that 100%
00:30:11.04\00:30:13.48
seed that you have
been fertilizing for a long
00:30:13.58\00:30:17.21
time." That's like
Paul's. Paul, he had
00:30:17.28\00:30:19.78
been raised to be at
the very height of his
00:30:19.91\00:30:22.22
religious
community, and then God leads
00:30:22.32\00:30:25.19
him, and then because
of Paul we see a massive
00:30:25.32\00:30:27.89
movement emerge
for Christ. So, we look
00:30:27.96\00:30:33.43
for those type of
people, like Cornelius.
00:30:33.53\00:30:36.16
He's a person of
peace, clearly, in the New
00:30:36.26\00:30:38.13
Testament in Acts.
- That's huge, yeah.
00:30:38.20\00:30:40.57
I was wondering, what
do you look for, and then
00:30:40.64\00:30:44.21
how do you go about
reaching that individual?
00:30:44.31\00:30:48.11
So do you also kind
of determine what their
00:30:48.24\00:30:51.65
needs are? Like
when you're getting to...
00:30:51.71\00:30:54.28
Implementing
Christ's method. Is that kind
00:30:54.35\00:30:56.62
of what takes place?
- Yes, definitely so.
00:30:56.92\00:30:58.85
Like with this
individual I've just mentioned,
00:30:59.52\00:31:01.52
in his process, he
would call me any time-
00:31:01.62\00:31:04.63
day or night: "What
do I do, Marty?" And
00:31:04.69\00:31:08.13
I would encourage
him, "Keep going," 'cause
00:31:08.23\00:31:09.56
there were a lot of
challenges before he
00:31:10.10\00:31:12.40
came to power, you
might say. And even
00:31:12.47\00:31:15.60
now, I might
receive a phone call at 3 in
00:31:15.67\00:31:17.57
the morning. So,
his needs...or, "I need
00:31:17.64\00:31:19.71
someone I can talk
to all the time." - Yes.
00:31:19.81\00:31:22.38
- And so, that's a
lot of my ministry-being
00:31:22.48\00:31:25.45
an advisor to people
like himself who need...
00:31:25.55\00:31:31.12
"What do I do in the
next step?" For example,
00:31:32.12\00:31:33.72
I was working with
another big tribal elder.
00:31:33.82\00:31:36.32
- Okay. - And I was
sitting in church one
00:31:36.42\00:31:39.19
Sabbath morning
here about two years ago,
00:31:39.29\00:31:41.46
and I feel my phone vibrate.
- Uh-huh. - And I'd look,
00:31:41.56\00:31:45.07
and this gentleman
is calling me, also from
00:31:45.13\00:31:48.34
a closed country;
also has a lot of political
00:31:48.44\00:31:51.51
power in his
nation. - Mhm. - And I step
00:31:51.61\00:31:54.48
out to go, and he says,
"Marty, I have 50 tribal
00:31:54.54\00:31:57.28
elders all telling me
I need to declare war."
00:31:57.38\00:32:00.05
- Wow. - "What do I do
as a follower of Jesus?"
00:32:00.15\00:32:03.39
- Wow. - And he
says... I mean, bec- in his
00:32:03.45\00:32:08.29
country, he's not
the head of state but he
00:32:08.36\00:32:10.46
is big enough that
a whole section of the
00:32:10.53\00:32:13.50
cou- if there might
be many small tribal
00:32:13.60\00:32:15.90
wars, and he had authority
from the central government
00:32:16.00\00:32:20.44
to punish the tribe
that had gotten out of
00:32:20.54\00:32:23.77
line, because his area,
the capital of- the seed
00:32:23.87\00:32:26.98
of his capital had
been invaded. - Wow. - By
00:32:27.04\00:32:29.78
another tribe. - Mhm.
- And they had burned,
00:32:29.84\00:32:34.05
they had raped,
they had stolen 124 SUVs,
00:32:34.15\00:32:38.32
burned the banks,
stolen the money from three
00:32:38.39\00:32:40.99
banks...and it had
been a very, very hostile
00:32:41.02\00:32:44.26
thing. And so now,
he has 50 tribal elders
00:32:44.33\00:32:47.76
saying, "The only honorable
thing for us to do is now
00:32:47.86\00:32:51.03
to take revenge." -
Mm. - "And so now, what do
00:32:51.13\00:32:54.47
I do as a follower
of Christ? Do I take
00:32:54.54\00:32:56.10
revenge? Do I
punish them? What do I do?
00:32:56.20\00:32:58.71
I don't want to look
weak." - That, which,
00:32:58.81\00:33:01.38
you know... The
awesome thing is that he is
00:33:01.51\00:33:04.75
considering, "What
do I do as a follower of
00:33:04.81\00:33:07.35
Christ?" So, that
shows that for his decision-
00:33:07.45\00:33:10.62
making process, he's
thinking about, "What
00:33:10.69\00:33:13.15
would Jesus do?" basically
in this situation. - Exactly.
00:33:13.22\00:33:16.83
- Which is incredible.
- So this is what I just
00:33:16.89\00:33:19.03
see over and over:
"What would Jesus"-
00:33:19.13\00:33:20.90
and just too
quickly, I mean, to share
00:33:21.00\00:33:23.70
what happened, I
really have gotten to know
00:33:23.80\00:33:26.13
their families very
indepthly, and their
00:33:26.23\00:33:28.50
family history, I
found it's important. So he
00:33:28.57\00:33:31.84
says, "Marty, what
do I do?" And I said, "I
00:33:31.91\00:33:33.34
don't know." But
as I was just praying,
00:33:33.48\00:33:35.68
I remembered a
story from his family. His
00:33:35.78\00:33:38.71
nation had been invaded.
- Okay. - 'Bout 120 years
00:33:38.78\00:33:43.65
ago by another
nation. - Mhm. - Not just two
00:33:43.79\00:33:46.35
tribes, but the
nation. - Mhm. - And his great-
00:33:46.45\00:33:49.82
great-great-great-
something-grandfather,
00:33:49.92\00:33:52.03
he had organized the
country. All the big major
00:33:52.09\00:33:55.23
leaders came to
him and said, "We will
00:33:55.30\00:33:57.73
submit to you, and
you lead us into battle to
00:33:57.83\00:34:00.87
protect our
country." And he said, "But you
00:34:00.97\00:34:05.84
have to promise to
obey me fully. You all have
00:34:05.91\00:34:08.51
to pledge full allegiance.
In battle- none of you
00:34:08.61\00:34:13.31
can break off and
do your own thing." So,
00:34:13.38\00:34:15.35
as the day of the
battle came-massive battle-
00:34:15.45\00:34:19.39
that's recorded-
it's actually in history,
00:34:19.49\00:34:21.92
and many people in that
region know of this amazing
00:34:22.02\00:34:24.79
battle that happens
as the Ottoman (which was
00:34:24.89\00:34:28.00
today Turkey; it's the
Ottoman Empire) invaded
00:34:28.06\00:34:30.40
their place. He'd
lined up thousands of his
00:34:30.50\00:34:33.57
soldiers, but he
lined them up behind the
00:34:33.67\00:34:35.57
forest. - Mhm. -
And then as the Ottomans
00:34:35.67\00:34:39.84
were approaching, he
says, "Now we're going
00:34:39.94\00:34:41.54
to kneel and pray, and
we're not going to fight,
00:34:41.61\00:34:44.41
and none of you will
stand up. We will stay on our
00:34:44.51\00:34:47.68
knees before God
and see how God will end
00:34:47.78\00:34:49.82
this war for us." - Wow.
- And as they were praying,
00:34:49.92\00:34:54.06
the Ottoman soldiers
did not want to attack,
00:34:54.12\00:34:58.49
and they said, "How
can we attack praying
00:34:58.56\00:35:00.10
men?" Finally, the
general said, "You will
00:35:00.20\00:35:02.76
all be court-martialed
and executed if you
00:35:02.86\00:35:05.13
don't attack." So
finally, half-heartedly, the
00:35:05.20\00:35:08.24
soldiers advanced
against praying men...
00:35:08.30\00:35:10.51
and then God did a
miracle: thousands and thousands
00:35:10.61\00:35:14.21
of hornets come out of
the forest and attack the
00:35:14.28\00:35:21.48
invading army. And so
now, the soldiers take,
00:35:21.58\00:35:23.28
"This is a huge
sign," and they just leave,
00:35:23.35\00:35:25.32
and then general says,
"Okay, I can't force the
00:35:25.42\00:35:27.19
hand of God." - Yes.
- And they retreat and
00:35:27.29\00:35:29.82
leave their country. -
That is incredible. - So
00:35:29.92\00:35:33.70
then my dear friend
says, "I know what I
00:35:33.80\00:35:35.33
need to do now." So he
goes out to the 50 elders
00:35:35.43\00:35:38.03
and he says, "Let me
tell you this story of
00:35:38.13\00:35:39.90
our great grandfather,
again, which we all know
00:35:39.97\00:35:41.94
well." One by one of
those elders left. One,
00:35:42.00\00:35:44.87
two, three, four,
five... as they all left. A few
00:35:44.94\00:35:48.34
months later, because
it got out, "Who is this
00:35:48.44\00:35:51.75
man who's bigger than
attacking his enemies?"
00:35:51.81\00:35:54.62
- Mhm. - He was,
within a few months, elected
00:35:54.72\00:35:56.92
to be the head...
He became the head of
00:35:56.99\00:36:00.79
all the heads of
tribes in his nation. - Wow.
00:36:00.89\00:36:03.93
- So he got a much
more powerful position. And
00:36:03.99\00:36:07.00
a few months after
that, his nation, while
00:36:07.06\00:36:10.03
most senators are
elected from the people, the
00:36:10.10\00:36:13.17
government can appoint
like, five senior senators.
00:36:13.23\00:36:16.17
- Uh-huh. - And
one day, he was called
00:36:16.27\00:36:18.31
into Congress, kind
of, "Why am I called here?"
00:36:18.37\00:36:20.21
and everyone stands up
and starts clapping and
00:36:20.31\00:36:22.38
says, "You have
been nominated to be an
00:36:22.48\00:36:25.41
honorary, with full-
all the privileges of a
00:36:25.51\00:36:27.68
senator," and then
he was appointed to be
00:36:27.78\00:36:31.89
a consultant or be
a part of three main,
00:36:31.99\00:36:35.59
like, the Ministry of
International Affairs,
00:36:35.66\00:36:39.43
Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Internal Affairs,
00:36:39.53\00:36:42.36
and different stuff like this.
00:36:42.46\00:36:43.80
- It just goes to
show what can happen when
00:36:43.83\00:36:46.37
you are faithful to
God, and even in difficult
00:36:46.47\00:36:49.67
situations when you
rely upon God, he was
00:36:49.74\00:36:53.34
elevated into a position
of even greater influence
00:36:53.48\00:36:58.85
than he had before
because those decisions
00:36:58.95\00:37:01.35
were based on answered
prayer. - Exactly. - Mhm.
00:37:01.42\00:37:05.72
Mhm. So, how have
you seen- because I have
00:37:05.82\00:37:09.52
a feeling you've
traveled a lot, you've met a lot
00:37:09.62\00:37:12.49
of people... How have
you seen God provide for
00:37:12.56\00:37:15.23
His people? -
Well, it happens in many
00:37:15.33\00:37:21.54
ways. God provides
internally, He provides
00:37:21.60\00:37:24.01
externally, His
will, but I'd share one
00:37:24.11\00:37:27.41
story of how I've seen
God provide internally.
00:37:27.51\00:37:29.91
- Okay. - The brother
of this man that I was
00:37:29.98\00:37:32.11
just sharing about
who got elevated- and he
00:37:32.18\00:37:35.45
works with him as his
seconder deputy director.
00:37:35.52\00:37:39.42
Their country was going
through extreme drought;
00:37:39.52\00:37:42.22
it's in a Sahara region...
- Mmkay. - ...here back
00:37:42.32\00:37:44.89
a few years ago. And
he got this just deep
00:37:44.99\00:37:48.66
sensation because they
run several tractors as
00:37:48.73\00:37:52.27
a business that run
nonstop. - Mhm. - And
00:37:52.33\00:37:55.04
he got this
sensation, "Bring your tractors
00:37:55.14\00:37:57.94
and dig out a great, big
reservoir-a pond." "Lord,
00:37:58.01\00:38:02.51
there's a... This
is stupid. People are
00:38:02.61\00:38:04.85
gonna laugh at me.
Why am I... It's going to
00:38:04.91\00:38:07.28
cost a lot of
money," because, you know,
00:38:07.35\00:38:08.75
to dig out a big pond
like they do in the West-
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.85
you know, like
out... When I was a kid in
00:38:11.92\00:38:13.72
New Mexico,
farmers would dig out these
00:38:13.79\00:38:16.46
big ponds. He felt
really foolish about it,
00:38:16.56\00:38:20.36
but he kept feeling,
"Dig out this big pond."
00:38:20.43\00:38:23.53
- Mhm. - So he digs
out this big pond, several
00:38:23.63\00:38:25.87
acres, and he's
feeling super foolish. It's
00:38:25.97\00:38:28.44
drought, there's no
rain...but he just said,
00:38:28.50\00:38:30.74
"I need to follow this.
It was so overwhelming."
00:38:30.84\00:38:33.04
- Hm. - So he digs
out this big pond, feeling
00:38:33.14\00:38:35.81
kind of foolish 'cause
he did it at kind of the
00:38:35.91\00:38:39.38
original town where
their tribe came from
00:38:39.51\00:38:41.95
where their
grandfather moved 450 years ago.
00:38:42.02\00:38:45.75
- Mhm. - This
little town...and he digs
00:38:45.85\00:38:48.52
this big thing; people
thinkin', "Our big tribal
00:38:48.59\00:38:51.69
chief, or the brother
of the tribal chief is
00:38:51.79\00:38:53.60
kinda nuts." -
Uh-huh. - "What is he doing
00:38:53.66\00:38:56.26
in the"... They all
knew he was a follower
00:38:56.36\00:38:57.93
of Jesus. And he says,
"Well, this is just what
00:38:58.00\00:38:59.83
I feel God telling me
to do." - Mhm. - Well,
00:38:59.93\00:39:02.80
after the whole
pond's been dug out and all
00:39:02.90\00:39:05.81
prepared and fixed,
someone early in the
00:39:05.87\00:39:09.34
morning comes and
wakes him up. He's gone to
00:39:09.41\00:39:11.71
bed feeling kind of
foolish, stupid, about
00:39:11.78\00:39:13.92
the whole thing. -
Mhm. - He's woken up in the
00:39:14.02\00:39:15.95
morning, someone
says, "Come and see. You
00:39:16.08\00:39:18.32
were right; you were
right." And a kid pulls
00:39:18.45\00:39:21.32
him out, he looks,
the pond's full of water.
00:39:21.39\00:39:24.39
- Wow. - And
there's not just one person
00:39:24.53\00:39:26.49
there-the whole
village, the whole town's out,
00:39:26.56\00:39:29.16
looking, because
not only is there water,
00:39:29.26\00:39:31.57
but there's fish in
the water, and different
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.87
varieties of fish. -
Wow. - So, as God provided
00:39:34.00\00:39:37.91
fish to Peter and
his net full of fish, the
00:39:38.01\00:39:41.61
people who had
been in drought with no
00:39:41.71\00:39:43.61
water and no food
because they couldn't
00:39:43.68\00:39:45.25
farm were provided
with water AND fish
00:39:45.35\00:39:48.18
to eat. - Yes. -
And today, that village,
00:39:48.28\00:39:51.55
who used to
question, "How is it that our
00:39:51.65\00:39:54.49
chiefs became followers
of Jesus?" - Mhm. - They
00:39:54.59\00:39:57.13
said, "Wow. We want to
be a part of this Jesus,
00:39:57.19\00:39:59.43
as well." - Wow.
What a witness! - So God-
00:39:59.49\00:40:02.76
we see all kinds of
stuff that happen. A big part
00:40:02.86\00:40:05.70
of support of the
ministry, as well, are donations
00:40:05.77\00:40:08.10
that people give. -
Mhm. - To support... We have
00:40:08.20\00:40:11.34
about, as we mentioned
earlier, about 400 people
00:40:11.44\00:40:13.88
on payroll. - Okay. -
Some of these are paid from
00:40:13.98\00:40:16.34
local tithes and offerings
where we have permission
00:40:16.41\00:40:18.35
from the local church
entities to keep these
00:40:18.45\00:40:21.28
tithes and offerings
as well as from generous
00:40:21.38\00:40:24.82
donations of donors who
send money to help finance
00:40:24.95\00:40:29.72
work to open, work
in new countries... For
00:40:29.79\00:40:32.86
example, I received a
phone call here not too
00:40:32.93\00:40:36.40
long ago, a few
months ago... "Where would be
00:40:36.46\00:40:38.33
a new country that
we could support?" So
00:40:38.43\00:40:40.47
I think he's a
doctor, and he gave a donation
00:40:40.54\00:40:43.84
to start work. And
there's many people
00:40:43.94\00:40:46.41
who give just a monthly
small donation that help
00:40:46.51\00:40:49.51
keep things
operating. - Yeah, 'cause it's a
00:40:49.64\00:40:51.98
huge operation. This
isn't a small operation.
00:40:52.08\00:40:54.65
- No. - Yes-yes. That
requires a lot, for sure.
00:40:54.72\00:40:58.55
What are some
stories where you've seen
00:40:58.69\00:41:02.39
people's lives transformed?
- Yes. I'll tell you a story
00:41:02.49\00:41:09.43
of- I've just seen,
you know, people doing
00:41:09.53\00:41:12.57
things very differently.
- Mhm. - One of my friends
00:41:12.67\00:41:17.67
that I work with carefully
that is also a big leader
00:41:17.77\00:41:21.51
from a different
area, his family had been
00:41:21.58\00:41:25.21
religious leaders in
their nation, and he actually
00:41:25.28\00:41:28.22
came from a Sabbath-keeping-
a Sabbath-observant
00:41:28.28\00:41:31.99
religious group-Muslim.
But interestingly, there's
00:41:32.09\00:41:38.69
many 10-15
million Sabbath-observant
00:41:38.76\00:41:40.86
people in his
nation. - Wow. - And he has
00:41:40.93\00:41:47.87
started a Sabbath-keeping-
I mean a Bible-believing
00:41:47.94\00:41:51.87
Jesus-following
movement among the followers
00:41:51.97\00:41:56.78
of his own father. -
Mhm. - Who- his own father's
00:41:56.88\00:42:00.58
become a follower of
Jesus and really embraced,
00:42:00.65\00:42:04.65
"How can we take
Jesus to my people?" - Mhm.
00:42:04.75\00:42:08.66
- One day, the person
that I work with receives
00:42:08.76\00:42:12.19
a phone call. Someone
several spiritual generations
00:42:12.29\00:42:14.60
away, down in a
little village, and they'd
00:42:14.70\00:42:16.77
given him the phone
number of the big chief.
00:42:16.83\00:42:19.77
He says, "I got a big
problem. What do I do?"
00:42:19.90\00:42:22.04
- Uh-huh. - And
my friend asked him,
00:42:22.14\00:42:24.77
"Well, what's
your problem?" He says,
00:42:24.87\00:42:26.34
"I'm a papaya
farmer... and once I became a
00:42:26.44\00:42:30.68
follower of Jesus,
everyone in the village
00:42:30.75\00:42:32.45
has ostracized me.
But the worst thing, my
00:42:32.51\00:42:36.12
business is
destroyed, because every time a
00:42:36.18\00:42:40.96
papaya is ready in my
orchard, someone steals
00:42:41.06\00:42:44.63
the papaya." - Wow.
- "So, I no longer have
00:42:44.76\00:42:47.43
papayas to sell. What
do I do as a follower of
00:42:47.56\00:42:49.83
Christ?" - Mhm. -
And my friend, he thinks,
00:42:49.93\00:42:53.64
"Man, what do you do?
If everyone's revenging
00:42:53.74\00:42:56.40
in the place"... And
he says, "Well, let's just
00:42:56.50\00:42:58.37
pray together,
brother." So he starts praying
00:42:58.44\00:43:00.51
with him. And as he's
praying, he, just like
00:43:00.58\00:43:03.85
it comes to his
memory like a flash, a papaya
00:43:03.95\00:43:06.31
cut in half, a
beautiful, ripe papaya. - Mhm.
00:43:06.41\00:43:09.58
- And he sees
these seeds in his mind's
00:43:09.68\00:43:12.15
eye of all these
papaya seeds. - Uh-huh. - So
00:43:12.25\00:43:15.69
he asked the farmer,
"What's inside a papaya
00:43:15.79\00:43:17.79
when a prayer
closes?" And he says, "They're
00:43:17.89\00:43:20.36
full of seeds." And
so then he doesn't know
00:43:20.43\00:43:24.00
why, but he asks
him, "How many people
00:43:24.07\00:43:25.70
are in your village,
or how many families?"
00:43:25.80\00:43:28.87
He says, "Well, we
live in an outskirt of this
00:43:28.97\00:43:31.97
little village, and
there's 50 families, and the
00:43:32.04\00:43:34.34
thieving is happening,
I think, from a lot of
00:43:34.41\00:43:36.71
these 50
families." - Wow. - They've
00:43:36.78\00:43:38.68
all kind of...
"Because it's too many papayas
00:43:38.78\00:43:41.08
for one family, and so
the whole village has to
00:43:41.18\00:43:44.12
be involved in the
theft of my papayas."
00:43:44.22\00:43:46.69
- Mhm. - He says,
"Okay, well there's- that's
00:43:46.76\00:43:49.12
what we need to do!"
He says, "How many papayas
00:43:49.36\00:43:52.56
seeds do you usually
plant together to get
00:43:52.69\00:43:55.43
one sapling?" He
says, "Usually 3-4, up to 5
00:43:55.53\00:44:00.77
little papaya seeds
you plant together, and
00:44:00.87\00:44:03.17
then you trim under
and take the strongest."
00:44:03.20\00:44:05.17
He says, "Well, why
don't you do that?" And he
00:44:05.27\00:44:07.91
says, "Why don't
you plant 500 saplings
00:44:08.01\00:44:11.58
together, and then
take 10 saplings to each one
00:44:11.68\00:44:14.98
of the 50
families?" He says, "Well, I
00:44:15.08\00:44:18.15
know that's the Jesus
way, but to take it now
00:44:18.25\00:44:21.12
to my enemies? Do I
really want to do that?"
00:44:21.22\00:44:23.53
- Yeah, yeah. - And
then he says, "Let's
00:44:23.63\00:44:25.13
pray together. So they
pray again, and he gets
00:44:25.19\00:44:27.10
convicted. So he immediately
goes and gets 2-3 papayas,
00:44:27.16\00:44:30.80
takes the papaya
seeds, he gets all these
00:44:30.93\00:44:33.23
saplings together...
And they kind of grow
00:44:33.30\00:44:36.10
fast in the tropics
due to the weather, and
00:44:36.20\00:44:39.01
so they grow up quick.
And once they're about,
00:44:39.11\00:44:40.94
I don't know, less
than a foot high and grown
00:44:41.04\00:44:44.01
up, he takes ten to
each one of the 50 families.
00:44:44.08\00:44:47.85
As he takes each one
of those to the families,
00:44:47.98\00:44:50.09
the families are
shocked. - Yes. I would be, too!
00:44:50.19\00:44:53.86
I'm shocked listening
to this story! - And so,
00:44:53.96\00:44:57.16
one by one, and
each one of the families-
00:44:57.26\00:44:59.59
then as he takes
them, he says, "I've come to
00:44:59.69\00:45:01.86
gift to you
papayas. I believe that you
00:45:01.96\00:45:03.77
like papayas."
Because even he was first
00:45:03.87\00:45:06.23
thinking, "This is
going to hurt my business,"
00:45:06.30\00:45:08.10
you know? "They're
all going to have papayas
00:45:08.17\00:45:09.77
now, too." But
most of his papayas were
00:45:09.84\00:45:12.21
sold to market
outside of his village. So, as
00:45:12.31\00:45:14.88
he went around, all
of them, one by one,
00:45:14.94\00:45:17.71
started
apologizing. "You know, well, we
00:45:17.81\00:45:19.68
weren't very
nice... We're so sorry we
00:45:19.75\00:45:21.15
were snitching
your papayas. You're so
00:45:21.25\00:45:23.32
kind." So he calls back
to my friend, "You can't
00:45:23.39\00:45:26.22
believe what has happened!
Everything has changed!
00:45:26.32\00:45:28.32
They've all apologized,
we're all friends again
00:45:28.42\00:45:30.73
now"...and he
says, "Well, now use this
00:45:30.83\00:45:33.73
opportunity to teach
them how to grow papayas.
00:45:33.80\00:45:36.73
And every time you go
back, you'd go and train
00:45:36.80\00:45:39.13
them, "This is
what you do, this is how
00:45:39.23\00:45:41.00
you do it," and then
they can help you grow
00:45:41.10\00:45:42.90
papayas. Well, to make
a long story short, not
00:45:42.97\00:45:45.97
only have most of those
50 families over the last
00:45:46.07\00:45:49.24
18 months come to
Christ; many of those are now
00:45:49.34\00:45:52.75
growing papayas, and
his market for the papaya
00:45:52.85\00:45:55.05
business has even
gotten bigger 'cause he buys
00:45:55.12\00:45:57.55
from them and
resells in the bigger town.
00:45:57.62\00:46:00.12
- Wow. That is incredible.
He was giving papayas
00:46:00.19\00:46:05.86
to the very people that
were stealing his papayas
00:46:05.96\00:46:08.63
in the first place,
and then those people ended
00:46:08.70\00:46:12.40
up following Christ.
- Yes. - Wow. - So, this
00:46:12.47\00:46:14.84
is what we see: we see
these lives really transformed
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.54
by the gospel, this saying:
"How can I follow Jesus?"
00:46:19.14\00:46:21.98
Whether it's a
simple papaya farmer, or a
00:46:22.08\00:46:24.25
person who has power
to declare war. - Yes.
00:46:24.35\00:46:27.48
- We have seen them question,
"What does it mean to be
00:46:27.62\00:46:29.95
a follower of Jesus?"
- Mhm. - What would He
00:46:30.05\00:46:32.55
do if he were in
my shoes here? - Yes.
00:46:32.62\00:46:34.96
Yes. - And that has been
the exciting thing for me-
00:46:35.06\00:46:37.63
to see among Muslims,
among Hindus... Another
00:46:37.73\00:46:44.07
story of a transformed
life, one of my big national
00:46:44.17\00:46:46.67
leaders that he
oversees five countries, he was
00:46:46.74\00:46:51.04
traveling in a city
quite a ways from where he
00:46:51.14\00:46:54.48
lives-and this is
in India. - Mhm. - And
00:46:54.58\00:46:58.91
as he was traveling
to this distant city, all
00:46:59.01\00:47:04.02
of a sudden someone
started calling, "Hey,"
00:47:04.12\00:47:05.75
and calling his name,
and he looks over, and
00:47:05.89\00:47:08.32
it was an old buddy
from university. - Mhm. - A
00:47:08.46\00:47:11.69
drinking buddy, you
might say. - Okay, okay. - And
00:47:11.76\00:47:13.80
even though he came from
a Brahmin family and even
00:47:13.96\00:47:19.37
though they're
supposed to be conservative, all
00:47:19.43\00:47:21.14
this, he lived-he lived
a wild life while he was
00:47:21.24\00:47:24.11
in university. - Okay.
- So his friend, he was
00:47:24.21\00:47:26.78
his good friend,
he hadn't seen him in
00:47:26.88\00:47:28.48
a long time, and he
says, "Come to my house."
00:47:28.61\00:47:31.11
He was just going
into his hotel. "Get your
00:47:31.25\00:47:33.38
stuff from the hotel
and come to my house."
00:47:33.48\00:47:35.38
So, he gets his things
from his hotel, goes to
00:47:35.52\00:47:38.22
the house of his
friend, and as they're talking
00:47:38.32\00:47:40.22
and eating at
lunchtime, he wants to drink.
00:47:40.32\00:47:47.20
He says, "I don't drink
any longer; I'm so sorry."
00:47:47.30\00:47:49.76
- Mhm. - And he
says, "How are you going to
00:47:49.86\00:47:51.43
do it? I have
the"... He had become very,
00:47:51.53\00:47:53.17
very wealthy since the
time they were in school
00:47:53.23\00:47:55.57
and had the best,
most expensive liquors-you
00:47:55.64\00:47:58.81
know, like opened
up a $1,000 thing... He
00:47:58.91\00:48:02.54
says, "I really
can't drink." - Mhm. - So
00:48:02.61\00:48:05.41
he leaves, he's a
bit unhappy that his
00:48:05.51\00:48:06.88
old drinking partner
doesn't want to drink
00:48:06.98\00:48:09.18
now, and he had just
come out with this very
00:48:09.28\00:48:12.05
expensive liquor
that he had opened up,
00:48:12.15\00:48:15.32
and he kind of goes
off in a huff but then his
00:48:15.42\00:48:18.19
wife opens up.
"You know what? How did
00:48:18.29\00:48:20.33
you overcome
alcohol?" 'cause they were doing
00:48:20.40\00:48:23.33
more than just
alcohol. Says, "My husband
00:48:23.40\00:48:26.27
never overcame, and
it's just about destroyed
00:48:26.33\00:48:28.27
our life," because
she had been a part of
00:48:28.34\00:48:30.37
their friend group."
- Wow. - And, "Is there
00:48:30.44\00:48:32.87
anything that you
could do to help my husband?"
00:48:32.97\00:48:34.91
He says, "Really,
it's not me," and he points
00:48:35.01\00:48:36.75
to heaven. - Amen. -
And he says, "It's the God
00:48:36.85\00:48:39.28
of heaven that gave
me the power to overcome
00:48:39.38\00:48:41.38
the dissipated life,
and now I've given my
00:48:41.48\00:48:44.12
life to help others."
"Well you have to help
00:48:44.29\00:48:46.86
my husband," she lowers so
he couldn't... - Yeah; yeah. And
00:48:46.92\00:48:50.59
then he shares with
her quite a while. Well,
00:48:50.66\00:48:54.26
he had to go back to
work. - Mhm. - And she
00:48:54.36\00:48:57.90
gets all excited.
So he comes back, and
00:48:57.97\00:49:00.54
she starts to share
to her husband, "You need
00:49:00.64\00:49:04.71
to hear what our old
friend has to share about,"
00:49:04.81\00:49:08.18
and he got really
angry, and my friend had to go
00:49:08.28\00:49:10.61
back to his hotel.
He was no longer welcome
00:49:10.68\00:49:13.82
to stay there. -
Uh-huh. - "We don't want to hear
00:49:13.92\00:49:15.82
about"- he wasn't ready
to change, and he didn't
00:49:15.88\00:49:18.05
want to hear about
Jesus or anything. - Yep.
00:49:18.15\00:49:20.39
- So he says,
"It's fine." He went back
00:49:20.49\00:49:22.12
to his hotel. "I'm
not going to fight here."
00:49:22.19\00:49:23.93
And so, she wouldn't
let go of her husband,
00:49:24.03\00:49:27.26
and all night she
kept saying, "We really
00:49:27.36\00:49:30.00
need to change. I'm
willing to change, you need
00:49:30.10\00:49:32.53
to change, but I
think this gives us hope
00:49:32.63\00:49:34.70
if he could
change." And so, that night,
00:49:34.77\00:49:39.01
they fussed most the
night, and she finally
00:49:39.07\00:49:40.94
goes to bed,
sleeping in the chair, he goes
00:49:41.04\00:49:44.38
to bed, but then
they both had dreams or
00:49:44.48\00:49:47.08
visions that night. -
Wow. - And before he had gone
00:49:47.18\00:49:53.69
to sleep, my friend had
left him a little, small
00:49:53.79\00:49:57.76
Bible. - Mhm. - And
he had gotten angry and
00:49:57.83\00:49:59.73
thrown the Bible
across the room and it was on
00:49:59.79\00:50:02.20
the floor. He got
this dream that that was
00:50:02.30\00:50:04.63
not a good thing to
do- to throw God's Word
00:50:04.70\00:50:07.64
on the floor. -
Mhm, mhm. - And so he
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.01
was freaked out.
And she had had a dream
00:50:10.11\00:50:13.11
that he had to go back
and "bring my friend back
00:50:13.24\00:50:15.54
to the home", and
they had to listen to the
00:50:15.64\00:50:17.21
message of that
Book he had thrown on the
00:50:17.28\00:50:19.21
floor. - Wow. - So,
he went back early in
00:50:19.28\00:50:22.72
the morning, "I'm so
sorry I did you bad!"
00:50:22.82\00:50:25.12
- Yep. - And he
brought him back home, and then
00:50:25.22\00:50:28.92
he said, "You're
going to stay here. We need
00:50:29.02\00:50:31.06
to know everything. I
agree I have to change
00:50:31.13\00:50:32.86
my life." - Wow,
praise the Lord that he came
00:50:32.93\00:50:35.26
to that realization that
it was time for a change.
00:50:35.36\00:50:38.07
- It was - It was.
Our time is just rapidly
00:50:38.17\00:50:40.97
escaping us. What
are some of the needs
00:50:41.04\00:50:43.24
of nPraxis International?
- So, we have... Every
00:50:43.30\00:50:49.78
month, we have
request to open work in new
00:50:49.84\00:50:52.48
areas. - Mhm. - It
costs us an average of about
00:50:52.61\00:50:55.78
$150 per worker. -
Okay. - That's a big need,
00:50:55.88\00:51:00.62
and we're always
trying to open in new areas,
00:51:00.72\00:51:03.36
expand into the existing
places...and the purchase
00:51:03.43\00:51:06.19
of Bibles. - Okay,
okay. Yeah. That's like we
00:51:06.29\00:51:10.60
were saying earlier:
that's no small operation
00:51:10.67\00:51:13.03
to reach that many
people with the gospel...
00:51:13.13\00:51:15.77
- Yes. - ...around the
world. Absolutely, absolutely.
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.81
So, what about volunteers?
- And so also, we have
00:51:18.91\00:51:22.11
volunteers that help
us with different things:
00:51:22.21\00:51:25.08
answering phones to-
we don't really have an
00:51:25.15\00:51:28.25
office. We work from
our own homes. - Mmkay.
00:51:28.32\00:51:30.42
- But we have
places for volunteers, for
00:51:30.49\00:51:33.15
donations, for
Bibles, and stipend workers.
00:51:33.29\00:51:35.46
- Okay, okay. Well,
we are going to go to a
00:51:35.59\00:51:39.86
brief address roll
and news break so you
00:51:39.93\00:51:43.20
know how you can get
in contact with nPraxis
00:51:43.30\00:51:47.34
International, and
we will be right back.
00:51:47.44\00:51:49.77
- Unprecedented
numbers of people groups from
00:51:51.21\00:51:53.31
many nations are finding
the fullest expression of
00:51:53.41\00:51:55.88
their identity in following
Jesus, and nPraxis International
00:51:55.98\00:51:59.65
is making that
possible. For more information
00:51:59.71\00:52:02.52
on how you can sponsor
workers in Muslim, Hindu,
00:52:02.58\00:52:05.52
and tribal groups their
Bibles for a peace project
00:52:05.59\00:52:07.79
or their media programs,
please visit their website,
00:52:07.86\00:52:10.99
nPraxisInternational.org
That's the letter
00:52:11.09\00:52:14.36
nPraxisInternational.org.
You may also call them
00:52:14.46\00:52:18.57
at (844) 668-2000,
or write to them at
00:52:18.63\00:52:23.04
nPraxis
International 9312 Janeen Lane
00:52:23.10\00:52:27.31
Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363.
00:52:27.41\00:52:31.01