As you're well aware,
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we're living in
unprecedented times.
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Join us now for
today's special program.
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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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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 3ABN Today program.
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We are so glad that
you have joined us today.
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You know, you're
part of our family.
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And we just appreciate
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your prayers and
financial support
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for the Ministry of 3ABN.
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You know, without you,
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we wouldn't be here
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so it's with
you that we're here,
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so praise the Lord for you.
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You know, many of you have
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stood with the Ministry of
3ABN since the very beginning.
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So that's over 35 years.
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So thank you very much
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because you're making a
difference in the world, how?
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Because we get
letters, emails, phone calls
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here at 3ABN about
lives being changed,
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and that's you may be right now
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that's listening or
watching right now saying,
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"Oh, that's me.
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I've accepted Jesus Christ
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because of the
Ministry of 3ABN."
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Anyway, it's a
blessing to be here
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with you today.
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Thank you again for allowing
us to come into your living room
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or wherever you're watching us
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right now or maybe
listening on radio,
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in your car, who knows,
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but maybe the internet
different parts of the world.
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We're just glad that
you're a part of our family.
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Now today, we have
an exciting program.
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We are living in
interesting times for sure.
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You know, that's why you see us
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here on the set,
we're kind of spaced apart.
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I don't know exactly
when this program will air,
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but we're still
dealing with the COVID-19 issue
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and trying to do
the social distancing,
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but we're talking
today about missions
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and I know you're really
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excited about our
guest/family member
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that we have with us today.
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Aren't you? I am.
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You know, I love
the Today program
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because we get to
feature ministries.
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That's right.
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We get to
feature what God is doing
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in mission work
around the world.
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And I think ever since
I was little growing up,
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I grew up on mission
stories loving to hear about
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how God used
people all over the world
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and the
miracles that took place.
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Today, we're gonna hear
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from our real live
missionary or and author.
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He is actually one
of my favorite authors.
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He's written well
over 40 books published
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through Review and
Herald, Pacific Press, Remnant,
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and now his own
publishing company as well.
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So I'm very excited to
introduce to you our guest,
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but I wanna give
you our topic first,
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which is "Witnessing for
Jesus: Miracles and Missions."
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And that's what we
are all called to do
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and to be is a
witness for Jesus.
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So our special guest today,
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all the way across the
island is Pastor Bradley Booth,
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and it's a joy and
privilege to have you here.
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Thanks so much, you
guys. This is a real honor.
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I've been here a few times.
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And every time I come back,
there's so much growth here.
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Things have changed, new people,
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but the heart and
the soul is the same.
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Amen. Amen. Love 3ABN.
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We're glad to have
you here with us today.
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You know, as you may see,
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at home we have a
pile of books here
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and as Jill mentioned,
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I think Pastor Booth
over 40 books you've written
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through the years.
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And I know that
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the written word
is very powerful.
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You know, someone can open it up
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and read it and
reread it and read it again
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and it's made an impact I
know in our lives personally,
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but who knows countless people,
young people around the world,
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but in case some
people don't know you,
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you're a pastor in
Rochester, Minnesota,
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and Jill and I had the privilege
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of being there in your
home, you and your wife.
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Yes! Your
wife's name is Maribel.
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She's an amazing cook. Oh, my.
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I just have to say that,
we had dinner at their home
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and spent the weekend
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there at the
church and it was amazing.
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She's a great cook and
a wonderful woman of God.
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And we were shoveling snow
there in Minnesota, you know,
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I didn't know it
snowed in Minnesota.
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That's a joke.
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I knew it snows in Minnesota,
but it was an incredible.
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I don't know how the snow banks,
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Pastor, where...
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We have pictures where Maribel
is reaching up with her hand
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as high as she can reach.
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And it's like the
dress are like a foot higher
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than she can reach, so.
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Wow. We get our doses.
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Even though it was cold,
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we still have
such a warm reception
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there at your home.
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What a blessing.
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How long have you been a
pastor there in Rochester?
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Five years now. Okay.
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We just passed
the five year mark
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and the people in the
church who say, "No way."
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Wow. So it's...
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But tell us just a
little bit about your journey.
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I know we're gonna talk
about your mission service
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and about the wonderful
stories found in these books,
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but a little bit
about your journey
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'cause you
weren't always a pastor.
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So tell us a little bit
about your training, education,
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and what you did?
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Grew up, you know, in a
Christian church school,
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two-room school, you
know, heard the mission stories,
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went to Sabbath school,
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they asked us to
put a little, you know,
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push pin on the map
where we wanted to go.
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Oh, fun. Mine was Africa.
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Okay.
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You know, as the years went by,
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I decided I was
gonna be a teacher
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'cause I figured, "Hey,
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teachers get to go to
recess every day, right?
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For boy that worked for me."
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I love it.
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Right? Yes, absolutely.
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Yeah. Oh, yeah.
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Of course, then by the
time I was in my 20s, I said,
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"Hey, if I'm gonna
have this mission experience
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outside of the United States,
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we're gonna have
to make it happen,
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Lord, what You have us do."
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That was an amazing story.
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We sent an application to
the GC and three days later,
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they called us
and said, "Well, yeah.
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Would you go to Africa?"
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And everybody said,
"Well, don't you need
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a little time to
think about this?"
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And the story about
how we sold our properties,
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basically,
overnight, it was a miracle.
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And you went to Africa?
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Then you went...
We went to Africa.
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So here's a little
child in Sabbath School,
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put a little push pin.
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I wanna go to Africa.
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Yeah, the Lord
sent you to Africa.
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Animals. Okay.
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I was an animal
freak, you know...
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Okay. Yeah. Every
animal that walked...
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Giraffes, and
elephants, and lions.
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Didn't have any on our
farm, but, you know, I wanted.
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So then your journey like
Jill was saying, so Africa,
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then where did
God take your next?
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And we're gonna unpack
all these stories later,
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but just a brief sketch.
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From Africa, we went to
Russia actually jumped out
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of the frying
pan into the freezer.
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Ted Wilson
asked me on the phone,
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he called me up and said,
"So would you consider going."
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He said, "I'm willing
to go, but my family's
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kind of they're done
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'cause we were in
Africa eight years."
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He said with us they were
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actually there
with us in Africa.
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Okay.
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"But if you'll go and
teach the kids in Africa,
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in Russia, we'll go."
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I said, "Well, yes," you know,
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we need good
people now and then, so.
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So Russia then where next?
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You're in
Russia, how many years?
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We're in Russia
two years. Two years.
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Couldn't stay
longer, but, you know,
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Russia was to kind of
get in, get the work started,
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left, you know, set them
up, and then everybody's out.
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So that's when I
went back to Andrews
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and finished up at Andrews
with the graduate degree.
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Okay.
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And started teaching in college.
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Oh, wow!
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Became a professor
that was still teaching,
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got to still be teaching,
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but everywhere I
went, you know, people said,
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"Well, are you a
pastor or a teacher?"
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I said, "Well, I do
both." Or an author?
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An author. Well,
that's a by-product.
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So Maribel and I
decided to go to Thailand.
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Oh, wow. Our
oldest daughter cried.
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Maribel would have cried
if she'd know we were gonna go
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where the cobras were,
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but I didn't
tell her about that.
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Yeah, I don't like snakes.
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Okay, you kind of kept
that under the rug a little bit.
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All the mission
stories, you know, I knew...
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So you spent how
many years in Thailand?
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Three years. Three years. Okay.
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Now we came back to be a pastor.
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Wow.
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Short stint as a
Superintendent of Education
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in New York
Conference, and then now pastor.
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So I want to
tell you that at home,
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you're going to actually
hear some mission stories today
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because God has
blessed Pastor Booth
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with tremendous ability
to write, being able to not,
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these are not made up stories.
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These are stories that
either he's experienced
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or has come across
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through his years
of mission service.
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And so today he's gonna
be telling us some stories,
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which I can't wait
to hear and I hope that
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you're getting a
comfortable chair
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and just getting
ready to sit back and enjoy.
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You know, really
when we hear these stories
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and mission stories,
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it's about what God
is doing and has done.
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And, you know, Pastor,
before we started this program
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you're talking about that
00:09:02.74\00:09:04.07
we hear about a
lot of miracle stories
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like let's say way, way back,
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but, you know, God
is real and alive today
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and doing marvelous things
right now even today, isn't He?
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Yeah, for sure.
00:09:13.55\00:09:14.88
But what we want to
do before we go to this
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is to go to some music.
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So who do we have for music?
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I think you
have a scripture too.
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I love this song
because it goes along
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with what we've
been talking about
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is mission service.
00:09:23.56\00:09:24.89
That's right. The
Lord calls each one of us.
00:09:24.93\00:09:26.70
He didn't just
call Pastor Booth.
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He calls each one
of us to serve Him.
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So this scripture, and
then we'll go to the song.
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This is one scripture,
you like Pastor Booth.
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Philippians 4:19,
"My God shall supply
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all your need
according to His riches
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and glory by Christ Jesus."
00:09:43.75\00:09:45.71
Amen.
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And where God calls us,
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He equips and
provides an enable.
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So this song, Alessandra Sorace,
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I love her music and her voice.
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She will be
ministering "I Will Go."
00:09:57.26\00:10:00.70
Give me ears To hear Your Spirit
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Give me feet to follow through
00:10:34.60\00:10:40.37
Give me hands To
touch the hurting
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And the faith to follow You
00:10:46.37\00:10:51.61
Give me grace to be a servant
00:10:56.25\00:11:01.92
Give me mercy for the lost
00:11:01.96\00:11:07.73
Give me passion for Your glory
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Give me passion for the cross
00:11:13.37\00:11:19.87
And I will go Where
there are no easy roads
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Leave the comforts that I know
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I will go And let
this journey be my home
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I will go
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I will go
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I'll let go of my ambition
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Cut the roots that run too deep
00:12:05.79\00:12:11.43
I will learn to give away
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What I cannot really keep
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What I cannot
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Really keep
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Help me see
00:12:30.65\00:12:34.45
With eyes of faith
00:12:34.48\00:12:38.39
Give me strength
00:12:38.42\00:12:41.79
To run this race
00:12:41.82\00:12:45.79
And I will go
00:12:45.83\00:12:48.03
Where there are no easy roads
00:12:48.06\00:12:52.47
Leave the comforts that I know
00:12:52.50\00:12:58.27
I will go
00:12:58.31\00:13:00.04
And let this journey be my home
00:13:00.08\00:13:04.41
I will go I will go
00:13:04.45\00:13:10.19
I will go
00:13:10.22\00:13:12.85
Lord where Your glory Is unknown
00:13:12.89\00:13:17.06
I will live for You alone
00:13:17.09\00:13:23.10
I will go because
00:13:23.13\00:13:26.77
My life is not my own
00:13:26.80\00:13:29.84
I will go I will go
00:13:29.87\00:13:35.54
I will go
00:13:35.58\00:13:41.52
Amen. Thank you
so much, Alessandra.
00:14:01.94\00:14:04.74
"I Will Go" and that's what
God calls each one of us to do
00:14:04.77\00:14:08.18
is to go where He calls us.
00:14:08.21\00:14:10.81
If you're just joining us,
00:14:10.85\00:14:12.18
our special guest today
is Pastor Bradley Booth.
00:14:12.21\00:14:15.82
He is the pastor of
the Rochester, Minnesota
00:14:15.85\00:14:18.59
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:14:18.62\00:14:19.95
but I first met
Pastor Bradley...
00:14:19.99\00:14:23.29
I'm a little
embarrassed to say this,
00:14:23.32\00:14:25.06
this might be 25,
27 years ago even...
00:14:25.09\00:14:29.86
Back when you were a baby.
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.23
We'd say when I was very young.
00:14:31.27\00:14:32.60
Yes. This is in Massachusetts.
00:14:32.63\00:14:34.37
Lowell, Massachusetts.
00:14:34.40\00:14:35.74
We went to the
same church together,
00:14:35.77\00:14:37.21
but he is an incredible
author written over 40 books.
00:14:37.24\00:14:41.31
Incredible.
00:14:41.34\00:14:42.68
Mission service, a doctor,
00:14:42.71\00:14:46.15
and I forget what your doctorate
00:14:46.18\00:14:48.18
is in education, somehow.
00:14:48.22\00:14:49.55
Psychology. Psychology.
00:14:49.58\00:14:50.92
A doctorate in psychology.
00:14:50.95\00:14:52.29
He's a teacher, and a
pastor, and a servant of God...
00:14:52.32\00:14:54.66
And a musician.
We're so blessed...
00:14:54.69\00:14:56.02
A musician, we
forgot that part too.
00:14:56.06\00:14:57.53
Yeah, we should
talk about that too
00:14:57.56\00:14:58.89
'cause you have
a group that's sung
00:14:58.93\00:15:00.26
and has recorded
a number of albums.
00:15:00.30\00:15:02.20
Tell us about that?
One Voice Ministries.
00:15:02.23\00:15:03.57
Yeah, a bunch of guys
that love to sing acapella.
00:15:03.60\00:15:06.63
We still try to stay simple.
00:15:06.67\00:15:09.00
A lot of groups go to tracks.
We have never gone to tracks.
00:15:09.04\00:15:12.04
Everything we do
is live, live music.
00:15:12.07\00:15:14.78
It's no instruments.
00:15:14.81\00:15:16.58
Wow. So it's all acapella?
00:15:16.61\00:15:18.28
All acapella because, you know,
this tried and true, you know,
00:15:18.31\00:15:21.08
don't change the brand.
00:15:21.12\00:15:22.72
Well, that's what
appeals to the heart and soul.
00:15:22.75\00:15:25.25
That's what we sing in,
00:15:25.29\00:15:26.62
you know, in the
caves, in the prisons.
00:15:26.65\00:15:28.22
That's true. Right?
00:15:28.26\00:15:29.59
Yeah. Good point.
00:15:29.62\00:15:30.96
So you were telling us
before we went to the music
00:15:30.99\00:15:32.79
that when you were
growing up in Sabbath School,
00:15:32.83\00:15:35.10
you would put the
little pin cushion,
00:15:35.13\00:15:36.46
I wanna go to Africa.
00:15:36.50\00:15:37.83
And then later, when you grew up
00:15:37.87\00:15:39.90
and became a teacher,
God called you to Africa?
00:15:39.93\00:15:42.67
Yeah.
00:15:42.70\00:15:44.04
Tell us a little bit
more of that miracle story
00:15:44.07\00:15:45.77
of how all that happened going?
00:15:45.81\00:15:47.28
And then we'll get into
the first stories from Africa.
00:15:47.31\00:15:50.05
We set our application
in, and they called right back
00:15:50.08\00:15:54.05
and said, "Well, we
have a spot in Africa.
00:15:54.08\00:15:55.95
Of course, I met a
guy in mission institute
00:15:55.98\00:16:00.02
have been
waiting for over a year
00:16:00.06\00:16:01.42
'cause he wanna
just the right school.
00:16:01.46\00:16:04.06
And I wasn't looking
for just the right school,
00:16:04.09\00:16:06.39
I was looking for
adventure with the Lord
00:16:06.43\00:16:08.76
and wherever He
takes you, you know,
00:16:08.80\00:16:10.57
you read plenty of
stories in the Book of Acts,
00:16:10.60\00:16:12.20
and you'll know,
00:16:12.23\00:16:13.57
you don't prescribe
where God's gonna send you.
00:16:13.60\00:16:15.40
That's right.
00:16:15.44\00:16:17.01
So they said, "Okay, can
you let us know in a week?"
00:16:17.04\00:16:19.71
And I said, "No, we
actually had a house in town
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.04
that we've been trying to sell.
00:16:22.08\00:16:23.68
And we couldn't
sell it." It was the 80s.
00:16:23.71\00:16:26.51
Nobody was buying
and selling houses.
00:16:26.55\00:16:28.45
We had a little
house in the country
00:16:28.48\00:16:29.98
that we were managing
to get along financially.
00:16:30.02\00:16:33.02
And we said,
"We got to sell it."
00:16:33.05\00:16:34.42
So they said, "Well,
how long do you need?"
00:16:34.46\00:16:38.13
I said, "Well
give us three weeks
00:16:38.16\00:16:40.70
to sell the house."
00:16:40.73\00:16:42.13
In a week the house
was sold, the first person
00:16:42.16\00:16:44.23
that came to see
the house bought it.
00:16:44.27\00:16:46.13
Wow!
00:16:46.17\00:16:47.50
So then God
tested us a little more.
00:16:47.54\00:16:49.34
He says, "You
need to grow on faith."
00:16:49.37\00:16:51.31
So we went through
00:16:51.34\00:16:52.67
the whole process of packing up,
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.04
you know,
passports, mission institute,
00:16:54.08\00:16:57.25
and right down to the wire.
00:16:57.28\00:16:58.91
That house had not sold
the GC is saying in those days,
00:16:58.95\00:17:01.45
you really need to
sell your properties
00:17:01.48\00:17:03.79
because you just
something, you know,
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.75
you're leaving your
foot in the door back here,
00:17:05.79\00:17:07.72
if you're gonna go
be a career missionary,
00:17:07.76\00:17:09.39
which we wanted it to be.
00:17:09.42\00:17:10.99
So on a whim, we
were already in Canada
00:17:11.03\00:17:14.70
ready to fly out two days later.
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.46
And on a whim, I
said, "Maybe the new teacher
00:17:16.50\00:17:19.07
coming to town
might be interested."
00:17:19.10\00:17:21.14
So I called the
conference office
00:17:21.17\00:17:22.60
in Indiana 'cause I was in Iowa.
00:17:22.64\00:17:25.04
And the guy who was the teacher
00:17:25.07\00:17:27.61
to be happened
00:17:27.64\00:17:28.98
to be in the
superintendent's office.
00:17:29.01\00:17:31.15
And so I said to
the superintendent,
00:17:31.18\00:17:32.71
"Do you think
he'd be interested?"
00:17:32.75\00:17:34.35
And the guy said,
00:17:34.38\00:17:35.72
"We'll drive
over there right now."
00:17:35.75\00:17:38.09
We drove all day and all night,
got there the next morning,
00:17:38.12\00:17:41.52
talked to the real
estate guy bought the house.
00:17:41.56\00:17:45.86
Sent the papers
overnight, I signed them.
00:17:45.89\00:17:48.66
And 12 hours later,
we flew out to Africa.
00:17:48.70\00:17:51.83
So that was a little bit
of... Talk about right on time.
00:17:51.87\00:17:55.47
Yeah, a little
bit of a grandiose,
00:17:55.50\00:17:58.87
you know, behavior on
God's part at the start,
00:17:58.91\00:18:01.01
but a real
amazing transformation
00:18:01.04\00:18:03.78
for me right at the end.
00:18:03.81\00:18:05.88
And I was...
Confirmation, isn't it?
00:18:05.91\00:18:08.58
I was. Amen.
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.29
What did that do for your faith?
00:18:10.32\00:18:11.89
Just launching a mission service
00:18:11.92\00:18:13.36
and seeing this
miracle that God had performed?
00:18:13.39\00:18:15.39
Confirmed.
00:18:15.42\00:18:16.76
Because, you know,
you grew up in a family
00:18:16.79\00:18:18.13
where everybody talks,
00:18:18.16\00:18:19.56
God read stories nonstop
00:18:19.59\00:18:22.00
Sabbath was the
time we read stories,
00:18:22.03\00:18:23.70
and then to see it, you
know, you knew it's true.
00:18:23.73\00:18:27.60
Now you know it's true. Yeah.
00:18:27.64\00:18:30.61
So you've
written as we mentioned,
00:18:30.64\00:18:32.01
over 40 plus books,
00:18:32.04\00:18:33.98
and the one we wanna talk
about first here is from Africa,
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.54
Showers of Grasshoppers
00:18:36.58\00:18:39.38
and Other Miracle
Stories from Africa.
00:18:39.41\00:18:41.58
So are these
stories in this book,
00:18:41.62\00:18:42.95
how many stories
are in this book?
00:18:42.98\00:18:44.32
There's three.
There are three stories.
00:18:44.35\00:18:45.69
Three stories.
00:18:45.72\00:18:47.06
Personal ones you've experienced
00:18:47.09\00:18:48.42
or ones that you gleaned
while you were there in Africa?
00:18:48.46\00:18:49.79
I'm locked up in
the school. Okay.
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.26
But my friends in the office
00:18:51.29\00:18:52.63
they went out all
over not too far away,
00:18:52.66\00:18:55.20
but a country next to ours.
00:18:55.23\00:18:57.10
I have visited
those places many times.
00:18:57.13\00:18:59.23
And just amazing
stories that God...
00:18:59.27\00:19:03.87
So you have one
you wanna tell...
00:19:03.91\00:19:05.24
Why not. Why not.
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.61
Please. Please.
We got to hear them.
00:19:06.64\00:19:08.04
And the Lord's blessed
with a great voice too.
00:19:08.08\00:19:09.74
It's very nice
easy listening to you.
00:19:09.78\00:19:11.25
So yeah, tell us a
story from this book, please.
00:19:11.28\00:19:13.65
Showers of Grasshoppers,
00:19:13.68\00:19:15.28
I am always
about taking the real
00:19:15.32\00:19:18.95
and making it novel
00:19:18.99\00:19:20.52
because if there's
one thing kids need today,
00:19:20.56\00:19:22.89
they need to see that
God is a God of surprises.
00:19:22.92\00:19:25.86
So all the great truths
that we've seen in scripture
00:19:25.89\00:19:29.06
that we believe are
true, in our zone here,
00:19:29.10\00:19:33.13
we sometimes do
not really live it.
00:19:33.17\00:19:36.07
We do not experience it.
00:19:36.10\00:19:37.84
The story in Malachi
of the people coming back
00:19:37.87\00:19:40.64
and having
their faith, you know,
00:19:40.68\00:19:42.61
tested by the
grasshopper scourges
00:19:42.64\00:19:44.75
and the droughts and
they said, "What's wrong?"
00:19:44.78\00:19:47.32
And Malachi saying,
00:19:47.35\00:19:48.68
"You need to
return your tithes to God.
00:19:48.72\00:19:50.39
If you do, he will
rebuke the devourer."
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.02
Well, this is a story about God,
00:19:53.05\00:19:56.09
not rebuking the devourer.
00:19:56.12\00:19:57.46
Oh!
00:19:57.49\00:19:58.83
Yeah, they became Adventists
00:19:58.86\00:20:00.40
and they decided
we're gonna pay our tithe.
00:20:00.43\00:20:02.96
And they have
beans. They grow beans.
00:20:03.00\00:20:04.43
That's their crop. Okay.
00:20:04.47\00:20:06.10
Green beans, they pick them
00:20:06.13\00:20:07.47
and take them to
market, sell them.
00:20:07.50\00:20:08.84
And from the
proceeds of those sales
00:20:08.87\00:20:11.07
they buy everything
they needed for the year.
00:20:11.11\00:20:13.01
What country in
Africa were they from?
00:20:13.04\00:20:14.58
This one I
believe was Togo. Okay.
00:20:14.61\00:20:16.71
So...
00:20:16.75\00:20:18.08
So this is their
livelihood, isn't it?
00:20:18.11\00:20:19.45
I mean, this is everything
for them, these beans.
00:20:19.48\00:20:20.82
Yeah.
00:20:20.85\00:20:22.18
We cannot comprehend anyway,
00:20:22.22\00:20:23.55
especially in
this era that we live.
00:20:23.59\00:20:24.92
Everything has
got to come from that.
00:20:24.95\00:20:26.76
The oldest child
usually goes to school.
00:20:26.79\00:20:29.36
If they can
afford it, that's it.
00:20:29.39\00:20:30.93
Oh, wow! Oldest boy.
00:20:30.96\00:20:32.56
And so maybe shoes
for him, maybe his books.
00:20:32.59\00:20:36.87
Pretty much, yeah,
00:20:36.90\00:20:38.23
they grow
everything else they need.
00:20:38.27\00:20:39.60
So when the
grasshopper scourge comes,
00:20:39.63\00:20:43.51
it's like the stories
you read about the plains
00:20:43.54\00:20:45.27
of the West, you know,
00:20:45.31\00:20:46.64
and they're just
covering everything.
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.11
And they're just,
the families praying,
00:20:48.14\00:20:49.84
please, Lord,
rebuke the devourer.
00:20:49.88\00:20:51.31
You promised You
would do this. And...
00:20:51.35\00:20:54.22
So when grasshoppers
come in, what do they eat?
00:20:54.25\00:20:57.02
Everything?
Everything they eat, literally.
00:20:57.05\00:20:59.45
Listen, grasshoppers
will eat the greenery,
00:20:59.49\00:21:02.82
but they'll chew on bark
00:21:02.86\00:21:04.19
and they'll
start chewing on people
00:21:04.23\00:21:05.56
if there's no more grass.
00:21:05.59\00:21:06.93
Oh! Yeah.
00:21:06.96\00:21:08.30
When they're waiting
for the signal to move on
00:21:08.33\00:21:09.66
and there's nothing more to eat.
00:21:09.70\00:21:11.03
They'll eat on people. Really?
00:21:11.07\00:21:12.40
Yep. So...
00:21:12.43\00:21:15.10
So there's a big swarm
or whatever you call...
00:21:15.14\00:21:16.47
Swarm.
00:21:16.50\00:21:17.84
Big trillions and trillions
00:21:17.87\00:21:19.21
and they still sweep
through Africa today.
00:21:19.24\00:21:20.58
Okay. Still in all over Africa.
00:21:20.61\00:21:22.98
So everybody's
crying out to God,
00:21:23.01\00:21:25.48
their faith is being
tested, the mother...
00:21:25.51\00:21:29.58
It's a testament to women,
00:21:29.62\00:21:30.95
of course,
pioneer women in America.
00:21:30.99\00:21:32.82
Nonetheless,
00:21:32.85\00:21:34.19
this mother suddenly got
a brain wave as we call it.
00:21:34.22\00:21:38.96
And she ran to a shed
and got gunny sacks, bags
00:21:38.99\00:21:42.53
and told the family put
the grasshoppers in the bag
00:21:42.56\00:21:45.63
and didn't have time to
explain to them because,
00:21:45.67\00:21:47.40
you know, any moment
the grasshoppers will leave.
00:21:47.44\00:21:49.47
So finally even father
and the kids are helping
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.74
and they're all filling up bags,
00:21:51.77\00:21:53.31
little grasshoppers,
I think in this story,
00:21:53.34\00:21:55.04
I think had something 15
or 18 bags of grasshoppers,
00:21:55.08\00:21:58.15
full of grasshoppers.
00:21:58.18\00:21:59.51
And they're living grasshoppers.
00:21:59.55\00:22:00.88
Yeah, they're moving...
They're wiggling, and...
00:22:00.92\00:22:02.58
Talk about, you know,
a creature, feature...
00:22:02.62\00:22:04.09
Okay.
00:22:04.12\00:22:05.45
Moving, they
give you the willies.
00:22:05.49\00:22:07.16
And they all get done
00:22:07.19\00:22:08.52
and the
grasshoppers then fly away.
00:22:08.56\00:22:10.59
And they're all
looking at mother like,
00:22:10.63\00:22:12.39
God has failed us.
00:22:12.43\00:22:13.76
Look at our beans, even
the stems are chewed off.
00:22:13.80\00:22:17.97
And she says,
00:22:18.00\00:22:19.33
"No, we have much
to be thankful for."
00:22:19.37\00:22:23.54
And they think she's insane
that she's probably lost it.
00:22:23.57\00:22:26.04
And she holds them
a bag of grasshopper,
00:22:26.07\00:22:27.61
she says we have
grasshoppers, and they said,
00:22:27.64\00:22:30.61
"We don't want grasshoppers."
00:22:30.65\00:22:31.98
And who wants grasshoppers.
00:22:32.01\00:22:33.35
Right. Nobody does.
00:22:33.38\00:22:34.78
Until she said, yeah,
00:22:34.82\00:22:36.75
but what do
people eat in Africa?
00:22:36.79\00:22:39.92
Oh! Oh!
00:22:39.95\00:22:41.36
And they looked at
her and it took a bit
00:22:41.39\00:22:42.92
and finally it dawned on them.
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.23
Africans eat grasshoppers.
00:22:45.26\00:22:46.86
They took those to the market
00:22:46.90\00:22:48.23
and sold them for far, far more.
00:22:48.26\00:22:50.07
I think it was three times
what the value of the beans
00:22:50.10\00:22:52.37
would have brought them.
00:22:52.40\00:22:54.40
Here God did not
rebuked the devourer,
00:22:54.44\00:22:56.27
but He's maybe
it's a sense of humor.
00:22:56.30\00:22:58.74
Maybe it's just...
He provided another way.
00:22:58.77\00:23:01.14
May be the angels say, "Lord,
what can we do this time?"
00:23:01.18\00:23:04.58
And God lets them
use their imagination.
00:23:04.61\00:23:06.48
Who knows?
00:23:06.51\00:23:07.85
I'm gonna enjoy
those conversations
00:23:07.88\00:23:09.85
with the angels someday about
how these stories took place.
00:23:09.88\00:23:12.95
Yeah. Praise the
Lord. Isn't that neat?
00:23:12.99\00:23:15.26
So He provided with
before they even know
00:23:15.29\00:23:17.83
what they thought they
needed, He provided even more.
00:23:17.86\00:23:20.63
My God shall
supply all your need,
00:23:20.66\00:23:24.03
according to His riches
and glory by Christ Jesus.
00:23:24.07\00:23:27.60
Over and over again.
00:23:27.64\00:23:28.97
Give us another story from here,
00:23:29.00\00:23:30.34
and then we'll
move on to Russia.
00:23:30.37\00:23:31.71
Second story is about a
family, another Adventist family
00:23:31.74\00:23:33.81
who was trying to be true
and faithful to the Sabbath.
00:23:33.84\00:23:36.41
In the books, what I wanna do is
00:23:36.44\00:23:37.91
I'd like for the older
folks and the younger folks
00:23:37.95\00:23:40.08
who are coming
up through the years
00:23:40.12\00:23:41.92
to confirm their faith
00:23:41.95\00:23:43.28
in the great
pillars of our faith.
00:23:43.32\00:23:44.65
Yes.
00:23:44.69\00:23:46.02
Why is it that we believe
that tithe is so important?
00:23:46.05\00:23:49.39
It's not just
because we owe it to God
00:23:49.42\00:23:51.79
because God says if you do this,
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.66
you'll be a
happier, healthier person.
00:23:53.70\00:23:55.83
And, of course, I will bless you
00:23:55.86\00:23:57.60
because I can afford to
you're not a selfish person.
00:23:57.63\00:24:00.14
The second story
is about a family
00:24:00.17\00:24:01.50
who decided they
would honor the Sabbath.
00:24:01.54\00:24:03.17
Actually in that village,
there were five families,
00:24:03.20\00:24:05.84
a lot of Adventist families,
00:24:05.87\00:24:07.21
but five families
decided they would honor God
00:24:07.24\00:24:09.21
and it happened this way.
00:24:09.24\00:24:10.61
Cotton was their main crop.
00:24:10.65\00:24:12.81
And that was Togo.
Okay, that was my question.
00:24:12.85\00:24:15.98
Cotton was their crop,
that was their cash crop.
00:24:16.02\00:24:19.02
And, of course, grasshoppers
00:24:19.05\00:24:21.09
by the time you're
picking the cotton,
00:24:21.12\00:24:22.46
grasshoppers are
gonna eat the cotton,
00:24:22.49\00:24:24.13
but rain can destroy
00:24:24.16\00:24:26.86
a crop of
cotton, just like that.
00:24:26.90\00:24:29.70
And it happened that the truck
00:24:29.73\00:24:31.07
would come once a year
to pick up all the bales
00:24:31.10\00:24:33.30
that they had tied up.
00:24:33.34\00:24:34.67
And it was always
scheduled in advance
00:24:34.70\00:24:37.17
and the government
worker would come through
00:24:37.21\00:24:39.47
and purchase their
cotton at a good price.
00:24:39.51\00:24:42.44
On this particular year,
he recalled and rescheduled
00:24:42.48\00:24:45.71
and the day he was
gonna come was on the Sabbath.
00:24:45.75\00:24:48.55
And the members all
got together in the church
00:24:48.58\00:24:50.45
and they said what
are we going to do?
00:24:50.49\00:24:51.82
This is our crop for the year.
This is our money to live on.
00:24:51.85\00:24:55.02
What are we gonna do?
00:24:55.06\00:24:56.39
And some said, "Well, we
have to be faithful to God."
00:24:56.42\00:24:58.33
And the other
said, "Well, you know,
00:24:58.36\00:25:00.00
God would understand
we're not actually working,
00:25:00.03\00:25:02.80
we're just letting
him buy it from us."
00:25:02.83\00:25:04.97
And as it turned out the day
00:25:05.00\00:25:07.04
that the truck
was supposed to come,
00:25:07.07\00:25:08.60
five members
decided they would not go.
00:25:08.64\00:25:10.87
So they did not take
their bales of cotton
00:25:10.91\00:25:12.51
out to the roadside
where all the cotton people,
00:25:12.54\00:25:15.41
all the people in the
village brought their cotton,
00:25:15.44\00:25:17.91
they went to church,
00:25:17.95\00:25:19.28
and they're walking
down the road, a testimony.
00:25:19.31\00:25:21.32
Everybody knows
they have cotton to sell,
00:25:21.35\00:25:23.15
but they're walking to church,
00:25:23.18\00:25:24.59
and any minute that
trucks gonna show up.
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.52
They're gonna wait another year.
00:25:26.55\00:25:28.66
Yeah. And that's their income?
00:25:28.69\00:25:31.46
That's their income.
00:25:31.49\00:25:32.83
They don't have
that, they got nothing.
00:25:32.86\00:25:34.26
So they go to church,
they sing their songs,
00:25:34.30\00:25:38.07
and the people on the
road could hear them singing.
00:25:38.10\00:25:40.60
Every note that
comes out of their mouths
00:25:40.64\00:25:42.54
is a barb in
their own soul knowing
00:25:42.57\00:25:45.31
they should be
there for God's sake,
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.94
and as witness,
00:25:47.98\00:25:49.71
and for their
own spiritual sake,
00:25:49.74\00:25:51.08
but they don't.
00:25:51.11\00:25:52.45
Well, after church,
the five family members,
00:25:52.48\00:25:55.38
families go home
and eat a nice lunch
00:25:55.42\00:25:57.42
and these people
are still by the road.
00:25:57.45\00:26:01.16
Four o'clock comes
00:26:01.19\00:26:02.52
and the truck
has still not come,
00:26:02.56\00:26:03.89
but as you know if
you've ever been in
00:26:03.93\00:26:05.26
an African country,
when the rainstorms come,
00:26:05.29\00:26:07.86
they can just drop
out of the sky like that.
00:26:07.90\00:26:09.80
And before those people
00:26:09.83\00:26:11.17
had a chance to get their cotton
00:26:11.20\00:26:12.53
under cover, the rain came
00:26:12.57\00:26:15.04
and totally
inundated those cotton bales
00:26:15.07\00:26:17.14
and really pretty
much ruined the cotton.
00:26:17.17\00:26:19.74
And the truck
didn't come that day.
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.38
Didn't come that day. Oh, wow.
00:26:21.41\00:26:23.45
But the next
morning, bright and early,
00:26:23.48\00:26:25.38
it was sunshiny,
here came the truck.
00:26:25.41\00:26:27.68
His story, he'd
had three flat tires.
00:26:27.72\00:26:31.12
And of course, he didn't
have that many spare tires...
00:26:31.15\00:26:32.49
Of course, not.
00:26:32.52\00:26:33.86
So it took
forever to go find people
00:26:33.89\00:26:35.26
who would repair them...
00:26:35.29\00:26:36.83
If an angel had
something to do with
00:26:36.86\00:26:38.59
that tire doing a little like,
00:26:38.63\00:26:40.26
let's see if we can make
this tire go down a little bit.
00:26:40.30\00:26:42.83
You know, Satan, you know,
00:26:42.86\00:26:45.43
people who serve
Satan, he doesn't serve them.
00:26:45.47\00:26:47.44
Yeah.
00:26:47.47\00:26:48.80
He doesn't
protect their interest.
00:26:48.84\00:26:50.17
No.
00:26:50.21\00:26:51.54
He's only interested in his own.
00:26:51.57\00:26:52.91
God on the other hand,
00:26:52.94\00:26:54.28
is always watching
out for His children.
00:26:54.31\00:26:55.64
He knows what they need most
00:26:55.68\00:26:57.91
and what they need most
to make their faith grow.
00:26:57.95\00:26:59.81
So the group of
people that went to church
00:26:59.85\00:27:01.58
got premium
price for their cotton.
00:27:01.62\00:27:04.35
Because there was only
pretty bales that they had.
00:27:04.39\00:27:07.86
And the guy looked with disgust
00:27:07.89\00:27:09.92
at the other bales that said,
00:27:09.96\00:27:11.29
"I'll pay you X
number of dollars."
00:27:11.33\00:27:12.66
He knew he could do something
with it, but it was like...
00:27:12.69\00:27:15.16
'Cause it was
destroyed by the rain.
00:27:15.20\00:27:16.53
Twenty percent of
the price or something.
00:27:16.56\00:27:17.90
Sure.
00:27:17.93\00:27:19.27
And these five
families to their credit
00:27:19.30\00:27:22.07
for their coming year not
only were living testimony,
00:27:22.10\00:27:25.27
they shared what they
had with the other families
00:27:25.31\00:27:30.15
and you could
imagine the next year.
00:27:30.18\00:27:33.45
No matter what happened,
those families were faithful.
00:27:33.48\00:27:37.05
Great story classic basically
00:27:37.09\00:27:40.26
could come
right out of the Bible
00:27:40.29\00:27:42.02
'cause God wants us
to honor His Sabbath.
00:27:42.06\00:27:43.83
As of now, we're
talking here today
00:27:43.86\00:27:45.23
with Pastor Bradley Booth,
00:27:45.26\00:27:46.90
many of you may
know, recognize his name,
00:27:46.93\00:27:49.33
he's a prolific author,
00:27:49.36\00:27:52.67
a good
description over 40 plus books
00:27:52.70\00:27:54.94
and we're here today,
00:27:54.97\00:27:56.30
the topic is
Witnessing for Jesus:
00:27:56.34\00:27:58.64
Miracles and Missions.
00:27:58.67\00:28:00.18
Of course, he's a
real life missionary,
00:28:00.21\00:28:01.84
but he's sharing with us today,
00:28:01.88\00:28:03.24
the goodness of the
Lord sharing the stories
00:28:03.28\00:28:05.85
in some of the books
00:28:05.88\00:28:07.22
that he has
written through the years.
00:28:07.25\00:28:09.52
We're hearing right now
from Showers of Grasshoppers
00:28:09.55\00:28:12.19
and Other Miracle
Stories from Africa.
00:28:12.22\00:28:14.32
And we're just gonna touch on
00:28:14.36\00:28:15.69
a few of the
highlights here today,
00:28:15.72\00:28:17.33
but if you want to
find out more information,
00:28:17.36\00:28:19.29
there's a great
website that you can go to
00:28:19.33\00:28:21.36
and we're gonna
continue to talk about this
00:28:21.40\00:28:22.80
throughout the
rest of this program.
00:28:22.83\00:28:24.43
And it's called The...
00:28:24.47\00:28:26.30
StoryTellers. StoryTellers.
00:28:26.33\00:28:28.14
Is it tellers,
right? StoryTellers.
00:28:28.17\00:28:29.90
StoryTellers.one.
And it's not com.
00:28:29.94\00:28:31.71
So take a look at
that TheStoryTellers.one.
00:28:31.74\00:28:35.34
You'll get, I think
we have a phone number
00:28:35.38\00:28:36.78
we can put up as well,
00:28:36.81\00:28:38.15
but if you don't
get the phone number,
00:28:38.18\00:28:39.51
you can always go to the website
00:28:39.55\00:28:40.88
that we're putting
up and you'll have that
00:28:40.92\00:28:42.75
information right there for you.
00:28:42.78\00:28:45.32
Talking about the base,
I'm thinking of Sabbath keeping
00:28:45.35\00:28:48.59
and keeping the
Lord's the fourth commandment
00:28:48.62\00:28:50.56
and keeping the
Sabbath day holy.
00:28:50.59\00:28:52.39
I know we're gonna get to this,
I don't know if that's next,
00:28:52.43\00:28:54.23
but the Seventh-Day
Ox that is a famous book
00:28:54.26\00:28:58.73
and that has blessed
my soul by reading it,
00:28:58.77\00:29:01.64
Jill reads to me.
00:29:01.67\00:29:03.00
Thank you,
sweetie, for doing that.
00:29:03.04\00:29:05.07
She's a great reader.
We read that book together.
00:29:05.11\00:29:06.47
Yes. It's an amazing book.
00:29:06.51\00:29:07.84
Oh, what an
inspiration, but I know is that
00:29:07.88\00:29:11.81
the transition to Russia, right?
00:29:11.85\00:29:14.22
There's a number of books
00:29:14.25\00:29:15.58
that you've written
pertaining to Russia
00:29:15.62\00:29:16.95
and stories from there.
00:29:16.99\00:29:18.32
You went from the frying pan
00:29:18.35\00:29:19.69
in Africa to the
freezer in Russia,
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.39
so God called you up
there as missionaries,
00:29:22.42\00:29:24.13
you and your family to Russia?
00:29:24.16\00:29:25.49
One thing that you'll
remember about Russia,
00:29:25.53\00:29:27.00
if you've ever lived
00:29:27.03\00:29:28.36
there for any
extended weeks of time.
00:29:28.40\00:29:30.60
Not lived there. We visited.
Beautiful country though.
00:29:30.63\00:29:33.40
We had two jokes that we said,
you'd get to church on Sabbath
00:29:33.44\00:29:36.27
if Bradley is not
allowed in church,
00:29:36.30\00:29:38.34
we would bet with each
other how many sunny days
00:29:38.37\00:29:40.68
we'd have
during the coming week.
00:29:40.71\00:29:42.61
And then when you
went out into the elements,
00:29:42.64\00:29:45.58
your feet would always
be wet throughout the winter
00:29:45.61\00:29:47.68
because underneath the streets,
00:29:47.72\00:29:49.72
run the pipes and so
these sidewalks always
00:29:49.75\00:29:52.49
have soggy sloppy snow.
00:29:52.52\00:29:54.79
And when you're
riding to the buses,
00:29:54.82\00:29:56.29
it's totally, you know,
00:29:56.32\00:29:58.06
we're icebergs by the
time we get back home so...
00:29:58.09\00:30:00.13
What a beautiful country
00:30:00.16\00:30:01.50
beautiful people
in our experience.
00:30:01.53\00:30:02.86
Of course, we
have 3ABN Russia there,
00:30:02.90\00:30:04.90
lead up by Sister Julie Outkina.
00:30:04.93\00:30:06.27
Yeah, what a
great place to visit.
00:30:06.30\00:30:08.37
So you got a number of books
00:30:08.40\00:30:09.84
which one you wanna
talk about the books?
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.34
Yes, talk about
the Seventh-Day Ox.
00:30:11.37\00:30:12.71
Can we talk about
that one? Absolutely.
00:30:12.74\00:30:15.01
Tell us that
story? I love that story.
00:30:15.04\00:30:18.05
This is a story about
Adventist pastor, again,
00:30:18.08\00:30:20.28
who was trying to do his
best to honor his Savior.
00:30:20.32\00:30:25.75
Times were tough in
those days, they still are.
00:30:25.79\00:30:28.96
And if there was one thing
00:30:28.99\00:30:30.33
that the KGB always
wanted was, they wanted lists.
00:30:30.36\00:30:33.33
They wanted a list.
00:30:33.36\00:30:34.70
So there's some people
just collect lists, right?
00:30:34.73\00:30:37.53
Some people like to share,
00:30:37.57\00:30:39.67
that's how they
order their life.
00:30:39.70\00:30:41.04
KGB kept track
by collecting lists
00:30:41.07\00:30:44.11
of church members.
00:30:44.14\00:30:45.54
Well, the
Adventists knew the drill
00:30:45.57\00:30:47.24
because all through
the years of communism,
00:30:47.28\00:30:49.14
they had been persecuted
00:30:49.18\00:30:50.51
and hunted during
this time of Stalin.
00:30:50.55\00:30:52.71
And now in the 70s and
80s it was just as hard.
00:30:52.75\00:30:57.09
And this pastor refused to
give up a list of the names
00:30:57.12\00:31:00.16
of all his members.
00:31:00.19\00:31:02.86
They can meet.
00:31:02.89\00:31:04.63
They can meet in
churches at that time,
00:31:04.66\00:31:06.70
but they were restricted.
00:31:06.73\00:31:08.20
And so he
wouldn't give the list up.
00:31:08.23\00:31:10.63
They said, "We're gonna give you
00:31:10.67\00:31:12.40
a few more
weeks, and then if not,
00:31:12.43\00:31:14.07
we're going to have
to teach you a lesson."
00:31:14.10\00:31:16.44
That's a common term they
used it so a very kind lessons.
00:31:16.47\00:31:20.01
So they took him finally
00:31:20.04\00:31:21.51
and on a train, he
said goodbye to his wife,
00:31:21.54\00:31:23.98
didn't know if he
would ever see her again.
00:31:24.01\00:31:25.91
You never know.
00:31:25.95\00:31:27.28
And he rode on a train
out in the middle of Siberia.
00:31:27.32\00:31:30.05
He dropped him
off with some guards
00:31:30.09\00:31:32.65
who took him to a prison
camp out in the middle of,
00:31:32.69\00:31:37.09
we can't say the sticks
'cause there were no sticks.
00:31:37.13\00:31:40.00
It was just tundra, basically.
00:31:40.03\00:31:42.46
And there's no
barbwire, no walls, no gates.
00:31:42.50\00:31:48.20
They said if you
wanna escape, go ahead.
00:31:48.24\00:31:49.94
It's 1000
kilometers of barren wasteland.
00:31:49.97\00:31:53.68
Most of the plants are toxic.
00:31:53.71\00:31:56.38
So you wouldn't...
You wouldn't survive.
00:31:56.41\00:31:57.75
Wouldn't last it
even if you could survive
00:31:57.78\00:31:59.21
on the moisture from the frost.
00:31:59.25\00:32:01.82
So he was put to work
00:32:01.85\00:32:03.45
there in the prison,
working, doing some tasks,
00:32:03.49\00:32:07.36
but he refused
to work on Sabbath
00:32:07.39\00:32:09.79
because the work he
was being asked to do
00:32:09.82\00:32:11.16
is quite menial.
00:32:11.19\00:32:12.53
And they said,
"If you don't do this,
00:32:12.56\00:32:14.46
we're gonna punish you.
00:32:14.50\00:32:15.83
We're gonna teach you a lesson."
00:32:15.86\00:32:17.20
Again., there's the lesson.
00:32:17.23\00:32:18.57
That's such a kind lesson
because for his punishment,
00:32:18.60\00:32:21.17
they put him in a
box, a wooden box, and...
00:32:21.20\00:32:26.07
How big was the box?
00:32:26.11\00:32:27.44
The box was
about three feet long,
00:32:27.48\00:32:28.81
three feet high,
and about two feet wide
00:32:28.84\00:32:30.98
just enough to sit in,
00:32:31.01\00:32:32.55
not enough time, a
space to stretch your legs.
00:32:32.58\00:32:35.88
So you kind of cramped with your
00:32:35.92\00:32:37.25
like your knees
up to your chest.
00:32:37.29\00:32:38.62
Yeah. Very
correct. Very correct.
00:32:38.65\00:32:39.99
A little water, you know,
00:32:40.02\00:32:42.42
a little slice of bread,
but that was pretty much it.
00:32:42.46\00:32:45.93
I wanna keep you alive,
00:32:45.96\00:32:47.30
we just wanna
teach you a lesson.
00:32:47.33\00:32:48.80
And so he knew that he
knew what was going to come
00:32:48.83\00:32:51.40
after a few days
circulation is used.
00:32:51.43\00:32:53.97
So after he
prayed and used scripture
00:32:54.00\00:32:56.77
to encourage
himself all the Bible verses
00:32:56.81\00:32:59.14
he had memorized
where's greatest solace,
00:32:59.17\00:33:01.31
and said, Lord,
00:33:01.34\00:33:02.68
I know You have
me here for a reason.
00:33:02.71\00:33:05.45
You went to the
cross for a reason.
00:33:05.48\00:33:07.35
Let me do what I
can to honor You.
00:33:07.38\00:33:10.39
Make me, Lord,
please make me be faithful.
00:33:10.42\00:33:13.25
And after 10
days, they let him out.
00:33:13.29\00:33:15.62
Of course, he
couldn't strip loose legs,
00:33:15.66\00:33:17.09
he couldn't stretch
00:33:17.13\00:33:18.46
and so they just
kind of throw him
00:33:18.49\00:33:19.83
in a pile of straw.
00:33:19.86\00:33:21.20
And after a few
hours, he can move around,
00:33:21.23\00:33:25.53
and by the next morning,
00:33:25.57\00:33:26.90
he could get up and,
you know, walk around a bit.
00:33:26.94\00:33:30.11
He worked for, that was 10 days,
00:33:30.14\00:33:32.07
he was in the box,
00:33:32.11\00:33:33.44
worked for a
couple of more days,
00:33:33.48\00:33:34.81
three more days,
here came Sabbath.
00:33:34.84\00:33:36.95
And the warden says,
00:33:36.98\00:33:38.31
so you've learned
your lesson, I hope.
00:33:38.35\00:33:40.02
And he said,
00:33:40.05\00:33:42.88
"I wanna be faithful to my God."
00:33:42.92\00:33:45.19
So they put him back in the box
00:33:45.22\00:33:46.69
'cause he
wouldn't work on Sabbath.
00:33:46.72\00:33:48.72
And he knew that
00:33:48.76\00:33:51.26
this could perhaps turn
out to be quite an ordeal
00:33:51.29\00:33:54.00
because the Russians
are very determined people.
00:33:54.03\00:33:57.57
Great culture,
00:33:57.60\00:33:58.93
but the KGB are not nice people.
00:33:58.97\00:34:01.54
So as it turned out,
00:34:01.57\00:34:02.90
at the end of 10 days
they took him out again.
00:34:02.94\00:34:06.54
And in the stable
00:34:06.57\00:34:08.11
where he was lying
on the straw was an ox.
00:34:08.14\00:34:11.78
And he saw that ox
get taken out every day
00:34:11.81\00:34:14.62
to get water from the spring.
00:34:14.65\00:34:16.52
So he knew that's
what the job of the ox was.
00:34:16.55\00:34:19.32
And that was not to be his fate.
00:34:19.35\00:34:22.76
He ended up
being put in that box
00:34:22.79\00:34:25.29
every two weeks, basically,
for 10 days at a time.
00:34:25.33\00:34:30.43
For how long? Two years.
00:34:30.47\00:34:31.93
Oh, wow. Two years.
00:34:31.97\00:34:34.10
I can't com...
00:34:34.14\00:34:35.47
I don't really comprehend
that kind of suffering.
00:34:35.50\00:34:38.61
Yeah. But...
00:34:38.64\00:34:39.97
Our faithfulness to God.
00:34:40.01\00:34:41.34
Faithfulness. Yeah, incredible.
00:34:41.38\00:34:42.71
The Russians are
people of great faith.
00:34:42.74\00:34:44.08
They are.
00:34:44.11\00:34:45.45
The stories that have come to us
00:34:45.48\00:34:46.82
from that era,
00:34:46.85\00:34:48.18
those seven
decades under communism.
00:34:48.22\00:34:50.99
Tremendous faithfulness.
00:34:51.02\00:34:52.79
So after two years,
00:34:52.82\00:34:54.66
an officer came from
Moscow to do an inspection.
00:34:54.69\00:34:58.59
And as he's taking
a tour of the prison
00:34:58.63\00:35:00.20
they take him into this table
00:35:00.23\00:35:01.80
where this box is and they said,
00:35:01.83\00:35:03.37
"Well, what's this box."
00:35:03.40\00:35:04.73
And they said,
00:35:04.77\00:35:06.10
"That's where we
keep our prisoners
00:35:06.13\00:35:07.47
who are incorrigible
and refused to obey."
00:35:07.50\00:35:10.41
They said, "Well,
let's get him out.
00:35:10.44\00:35:11.77
I wanna see him."
So they took him out.
00:35:11.81\00:35:13.31
So he was in the box
when the officer came?
00:35:13.34\00:35:14.68
In the box at the time. Okay.
00:35:14.71\00:35:16.41
Which was what God had arranged.
00:35:16.44\00:35:18.85
That's right.
00:35:18.88\00:35:20.22
'Cause not only did
00:35:20.25\00:35:21.58
the warden need to get a lesson,
00:35:21.62\00:35:23.89
but this officer
needed to meet this man
00:35:23.92\00:35:26.86
who was so, we
could say, stubborn,
00:35:26.89\00:35:29.32
but determined to
be faithful to God.
00:35:29.36\00:35:31.89
And he's asking the
man so what's the problem?
00:35:31.93\00:35:34.36
He's asking the
pastor, what's the problem?
00:35:34.40\00:35:35.86
The pastor says,
00:35:35.90\00:35:37.23
"Well, I won't work
on Saturdays Sabbath.
00:35:37.27\00:35:41.64
So they put me in the box."
00:35:41.67\00:35:44.17
And he said, "Well,
where you work other days?"
00:35:44.21\00:35:46.27
He said, "Oh, yes, sir.
Twice as hard as anybody else.
00:35:46.31\00:35:48.61
I work six days a
week, just not on Sabbath."
00:35:48.64\00:35:51.45
And so the officer
said to the warden,
00:35:51.48\00:35:53.52
"Well, can't you find him a job
00:35:53.55\00:35:54.88
that he can work faster
on and get done in six days."
00:35:54.92\00:35:57.99
And so they came upon
the idea of having him
00:35:58.02\00:36:00.52
be the one to go get the water
00:36:00.56\00:36:01.89
from the spring with the oxcart.
00:36:01.92\00:36:04.16
And so they go
and he's thinking,
00:36:04.19\00:36:06.29
"Boy, I got to hurry this ox
up because I only got six days."
00:36:06.33\00:36:09.20
And so he's trying
to move things along
00:36:09.23\00:36:10.63
and the ox, you know...
00:36:10.67\00:36:12.00
He doesn't move very fast.
00:36:12.03\00:36:13.37
He responded a
little bit, not real good,
00:36:13.40\00:36:15.14
but by the third or
fourth day, the ox forget you.
00:36:15.17\00:36:17.97
I am not gonna work
faster than you want.
00:36:18.01\00:36:21.48
And the pastor says, "I'm done.
00:36:21.51\00:36:24.38
I'm going back in
that box on Saturday
00:36:24.41\00:36:25.91
because I won't
have enough water."
00:36:25.95\00:36:28.75
But God, of
course, has other surprises
00:36:28.78\00:36:30.59
up his sleeve
if we can say that.
00:36:30.62\00:36:32.85
And Friday morning
when he got that ox up,
00:36:32.89\00:36:35.02
put him hooked
him up to the cart
00:36:35.06\00:36:36.52
that ox took off at a run
00:36:36.56\00:36:39.56
for the spring
which is a mile away
00:36:39.59\00:36:41.70
and he had to run to catch up
00:36:41.73\00:36:43.13
and jump into
the back of the cart.
00:36:43.16\00:36:44.50
The pastor did.
00:36:44.53\00:36:45.87
He had to run to
catch up to the ox.
00:36:45.90\00:36:47.64
Wow.
00:36:47.67\00:36:49.00
Ox ran all the
way to the spring,
00:36:49.04\00:36:50.37
stopped to catch his breath.
00:36:50.41\00:36:51.74
He filled the water
barrels up from the spring.
00:36:51.77\00:36:53.91
Yes.
00:36:53.94\00:36:55.41
And the ox took a turn
around and started running back
00:36:55.44\00:36:58.25
and he had to put
the lids on the barrels.
00:36:58.28\00:37:00.65
And he's trying to keep them
00:37:00.68\00:37:02.02
from tipping over and
keep himself in the cart.
00:37:02.05\00:37:05.25
And by the time they
get back to the camp,
00:37:05.29\00:37:08.19
he's more worn
out than the oxes.
00:37:08.22\00:37:10.26
So he gets the barrels off,
00:37:10.29\00:37:11.63
puts new ones on
that ox does a U-turn,
00:37:11.66\00:37:14.40
and takes off out of the camp.
00:37:14.43\00:37:16.06
And all the other guys
are watching what's going on.
00:37:16.10\00:37:18.17
So the ox is running
back again, a second time?
00:37:18.20\00:37:19.73
Running back. To the spring?
00:37:19.77\00:37:21.10
You know, what did
that ox eat this morning?
00:37:21.14\00:37:22.70
Yeah. They did that all day.
00:37:22.74\00:37:25.07
By the time the
end of the day came,
00:37:25.11\00:37:26.81
they had enough barrels
to last the Sabbath hours.
00:37:26.84\00:37:29.74
Oh! Amazing story.
00:37:29.78\00:37:31.65
The neat part of
this story is that
00:37:31.68\00:37:33.28
he continued to
do that every Friday.
00:37:33.31\00:37:36.89
The ox.
00:37:36.92\00:37:38.25
The ox, and maxed it up
00:37:38.29\00:37:40.02
the pastor for
the next eight years.
00:37:40.06\00:37:42.49
Eight?
00:37:42.52\00:37:43.86
Eight years, every Friday
00:37:43.89\00:37:45.53
that ox would run,
the rest of the week...
00:37:45.56\00:37:48.70
He's slow and lazy.
00:37:48.73\00:37:50.07
Slow and lazy, but
maybe he deserved it, right?
00:37:50.10\00:37:54.00
Well, the capstone for the story
00:37:54.04\00:37:56.00
which always comes at the end,
00:37:56.04\00:37:58.24
is that that same
officer came back from Moscow
00:37:58.27\00:38:02.34
eight years
later to inspect again.
00:38:02.38\00:38:06.21
And wouldn't you know
it, he arrived on Friday.
00:38:06.25\00:38:10.49
So what did he see?
00:38:10.52\00:38:12.25
Front row seat to see that
00:38:12.29\00:38:13.62
ox in that cart come
sailing into the camp,
00:38:13.66\00:38:17.03
whipping those barrels out.
00:38:17.06\00:38:18.39
By now there were
other people enjoying this
00:38:18.43\00:38:19.96
so other guys were
helping them get it off
00:38:20.00\00:38:21.33
waving their hats.
00:38:21.36\00:38:22.70
Woo-hoo!
00:38:22.73\00:38:24.07
You know, and out they go
00:38:24.10\00:38:25.43
and the warden
said, "Who is that?"
00:38:25.47\00:38:27.80
They said, "He's the guy
that wouldn't work on Saturday."
00:38:27.84\00:38:31.67
"That's the guy?"
00:38:31.71\00:38:34.61
And so, the officer set him free
00:38:34.64\00:38:38.31
to go back with his family.
00:38:38.35\00:38:39.68
Oh, wow.
There's a second caveat.
00:38:39.71\00:38:42.38
Second capstone of the story
00:38:42.42\00:38:43.75
because a new guy
came to the prison,
00:38:43.79\00:38:46.19
who knew not pastor
or the story of the ox,
00:38:46.22\00:38:49.96
but they put him on
duty to take that ox
00:38:49.99\00:38:53.66
out to get the
water and all week long.
00:38:53.70\00:38:55.13
Everything was fine,
00:38:55.16\00:38:56.50
but on Saturday, this
ox acts like it's insane.
00:38:56.53\00:38:59.80
And the man shouting
as he rides out of camp,
00:38:59.83\00:39:02.64
what's wrong with this ox
00:39:02.67\00:39:04.17
and somebody calls
after him and said,
00:39:04.21\00:39:06.41
"Oh, that pastor
made him a seventh-day ox.
00:39:06.44\00:39:09.44
He'll keep the
Sabbath from now on.
00:39:09.48\00:39:11.81
You just wait till tomorrow."
00:39:11.85\00:39:14.62
Sure enough, the next day
00:39:14.65\00:39:15.98
that ox would not
get up and take water.
00:39:16.02\00:39:17.59
So that new guy got a
day off, to keep the Sabbath.
00:39:17.62\00:39:21.82
Incredible.
00:39:21.86\00:39:24.49
Our God is faithful. Amen.
00:39:24.53\00:39:26.70
What an incredible
story of faith of perseverance
00:39:26.73\00:39:30.47
in the midst of
odds and God showing up
00:39:30.50\00:39:33.74
on behalf of his people.
00:39:33.77\00:39:35.10
This book has been made
into a sharing addition as well.
00:39:35.14\00:39:38.94
Talk to us briefly about that,
00:39:38.97\00:39:40.61
and then we need to
move on to the next one.
00:39:40.64\00:39:42.61
Well, the original
book was three stories,
00:39:42.64\00:39:45.25
three miracle
stories about animals.
00:39:45.28\00:39:47.18
I'm not gonna even
tell you what the story,
00:39:47.22\00:39:48.55
you have to read it.
00:39:48.58\00:39:49.92
Three stories of animals,
00:39:49.95\00:39:51.55
who bring people to
Jesus and confirm their faith
00:39:51.59\00:39:54.26
in the great
promises that have been given.
00:39:54.29\00:39:57.46
And those stories
00:39:57.49\00:39:58.83
all pretty much
mirrored stories in the Bible
00:39:58.86\00:40:00.93
which are reflected in
the times in which we live.
00:40:00.96\00:40:02.86
So the first story
which was the Seventh-Day Ox,
00:40:02.90\00:40:05.47
people started wanting to share
00:40:05.50\00:40:07.87
with their
neighbors, their friends,
00:40:07.90\00:40:09.57
but they said
let's make a share book.
00:40:09.60\00:40:11.31
So they downsized the book,
00:40:11.34\00:40:12.81
of course, and
put the first story
00:40:12.84\00:40:14.84
which is about the ox into it.
00:40:14.88\00:40:16.78
And that has...
Sharing edition...
00:40:16.81\00:40:18.71
What an inspiration, you
know, it really is, you know,
00:40:18.75\00:40:21.15
when you're faithful to God,
you know, you may go through
00:40:21.18\00:40:23.69
obviously storms of
life, but God is with you
00:40:23.72\00:40:25.75
through the storms
and He is faithful.
00:40:25.79\00:40:27.12
Amen. Amen.
00:40:27.16\00:40:28.49
I wanna
encourage you to check out
00:40:28.52\00:40:29.86
Pastor Bradley Booth's website,
00:40:29.89\00:40:32.53
TheStoryTellers.one.
00:40:32.56\00:40:35.83
That's TheStoryTellers
T-E-L-L-E-R-S.one
00:40:35.86\00:40:41.40
or you can
always give him a call
00:40:41.44\00:40:43.94
at (315) 560-4122.
00:40:43.97\00:40:49.91
That's (315) 560-4122
00:40:49.94\00:40:53.28
and as we always
say here on 3ABN,
00:40:53.31\00:40:55.75
we encourage you
to visit that website
00:40:55.78\00:40:58.29
to order these books
00:40:58.32\00:40:59.65
or to give them a call on
times other than Sabbath hours.
00:40:59.69\00:41:02.89
We've been talking about
00:41:02.92\00:41:04.26
the holiness of
the Sabbath here.
00:41:04.29\00:41:05.63
Keeping the Sabbath holy.
00:41:05.66\00:41:07.00
Let's jump to
Dare to Stand Alone,
00:41:07.03\00:41:10.03
which is an incredible story
which we have read as well.
00:41:10.07\00:41:13.87
I have this in
my library at home,
00:41:13.90\00:41:15.67
see if we can tell
this in a few minutes.
00:41:15.70\00:41:19.41
This is an amazing
employee of the Adventist Church
00:41:19.44\00:41:24.08
who started out as
a young man at age 18.
00:41:24.11\00:41:26.55
He was so inspired by God,
00:41:26.58\00:41:27.98
they made him an
elder in his church,
00:41:28.02\00:41:29.78
and he was leading
the youth in his area,
00:41:29.82\00:41:31.35
he was doing evangelistic series
00:41:31.39\00:41:33.66
not a month-long
evangelistic series,
00:41:33.69\00:41:35.96
a three-month-long
evangelistic series...
00:41:35.99\00:41:37.46
In Russia? In Russia.
00:41:37.49\00:41:38.83
Well, this one actually
be Moldova and the Ukraine.
00:41:38.86\00:41:40.90
Okay.
00:41:40.93\00:41:42.60
The police were after
him, it was one of those,
00:41:42.63\00:41:44.40
it's like a movie, you know,
00:41:44.43\00:41:46.03
send up stings to catch
him and they even catch him
00:41:46.07\00:41:49.04
at the river at dawn
with his bus youth group,
00:41:49.07\00:41:51.77
you know, but he...
00:41:51.81\00:41:53.14
And the first story he's,
00:41:53.17\00:41:54.51
they all march off
to the river singing on
00:41:54.54\00:41:57.01
we're Christian
soldiers, and the soldiers
00:41:57.05\00:41:58.68
don't wanna follow on horseback
00:41:58.71\00:42:00.55
'cause the water's cold in
the spring so they get away.
00:42:00.58\00:42:04.42
So he decides he better
go and get into the military
00:42:04.45\00:42:08.16
because they're gonna take him
00:42:08.19\00:42:10.53
and he wants to get
into the place he should be.
00:42:10.56\00:42:12.53
So he goes to the military.
00:42:12.56\00:42:14.56
He didn't wanna get sent to,
00:42:14.60\00:42:15.93
you know, a mining
camp or a quarry somewhere.
00:42:15.96\00:42:18.60
And so, he signs
up for the military,
00:42:18.63\00:42:20.44
but decides he must honor God,
00:42:20.47\00:42:23.54
he must get ahead of the game.
00:42:23.57\00:42:25.31
He's not gonna wait
for them to interrogate him
00:42:25.34\00:42:28.24
why he won't
work on the Sabbath.
00:42:28.28\00:42:29.61
So Sabbath morning, he
gets up after breakfast,
00:42:29.64\00:42:31.78
and he goes out and
stands in the compound there.
00:42:31.81\00:42:34.32
The parade
grounds where the guys all
00:42:34.35\00:42:36.15
do their marching and drills.
00:42:36.18\00:42:37.99
And he stands up
on a little crate,
00:42:38.02\00:42:39.69
cabbage crate,
00:42:39.72\00:42:41.06
and he starts
preaching the gospel.
00:42:41.09\00:42:43.22
And he says, I got
X number of minutes,
00:42:43.26\00:42:44.69
Lord, tell me what to say.
00:42:44.73\00:42:47.90
You know, and those guys,
00:42:47.93\00:42:50.37
3,000 soldiers
gathered around to hear this guy
00:42:50.40\00:42:53.17
that never heard the
gospel because communism,
00:42:53.20\00:42:55.40
you know, is promotes
atheism, and then he said,
00:42:55.44\00:42:59.74
"I'm finished
when I get down here,
00:42:59.77\00:43:01.84
but at least 3,000 guys
00:43:01.88\00:43:03.38
have had a
glimpse of the gospel."
00:43:03.41\00:43:04.95
So he sees a jeep drive up
00:43:04.98\00:43:06.38
and there on the jeep
is a colonel, the colonel.
00:43:06.41\00:43:08.78
And the colonel motions
00:43:08.82\00:43:10.15
to come over after
everybody disperses.
00:43:10.19\00:43:11.52
He's finished with
his little one hour
00:43:11.55\00:43:15.46
introduction to the gospel.
00:43:15.49\00:43:17.13
And the guy says, "You
know, we don't allow that here.
00:43:17.16\00:43:19.93
I'm gonna have to see
you in my office come at,
00:43:19.96\00:43:22.10
you know, 3
o'clock in the afternoon."
00:43:22.13\00:43:24.50
So he goes over
to see in the ward.
00:43:24.53\00:43:26.74
The colonel says to him,
00:43:26.77\00:43:31.41
"What makes you,
00:43:31.44\00:43:32.77
what drives you to do this,
you know, we can punish you?"
00:43:32.81\00:43:34.94
He says, "I'm a
missionary for Jesus.
00:43:34.98\00:43:37.85
I have to do this.
This is my calling in life."
00:43:37.88\00:43:41.05
And so they talked some more,
00:43:41.08\00:43:44.85
and then the colonel
send him back to his room.
00:43:44.89\00:43:47.72
Well, that night in
the middle of the night,
00:43:47.76\00:43:50.73
two MPs come in,
grab him out of his bunk,
00:43:50.76\00:43:54.30
take him out in a
jeep and they take off.
00:43:54.33\00:43:56.80
And he goes out in
the middle of woods
00:43:56.83\00:43:58.37
and he knows
they're taking them out
00:43:58.40\00:44:00.24
to shoot him.
00:44:00.27\00:44:01.70
He just disappeared.
00:44:01.74\00:44:03.07
Nobody will ever
know where he went.
00:44:03.10\00:44:05.31
They'd get him
out of the vehicle
00:44:05.34\00:44:07.01
and they go into
this little secret Dachau.
00:44:07.04\00:44:10.11
A Russian Dachau
is a little cabinet
00:44:10.15\00:44:11.68
basically is what it is
where the basic elements,
00:44:11.71\00:44:13.65
and he goes inside
00:44:13.68\00:44:15.02
and they sit
him down in a chair,
00:44:15.05\00:44:16.38
and they light some candles,
00:44:16.42\00:44:17.75
and in the room
they're full of officers,
00:44:17.79\00:44:21.19
all Russian officers,
high ranking officers,
00:44:21.22\00:44:23.76
colonels, majors, generals,
and they wanna hear the gospel.
00:44:23.79\00:44:29.03
They're not allowed to
hear this in any public place,
00:44:29.06\00:44:31.90
their position,
their job, not allowed,
00:44:31.93\00:44:35.60
but they get the gospel
firsthand from this guy,
00:44:35.64\00:44:37.61
they're all so impressed.
00:44:37.64\00:44:39.14
They decided to do what's called
00:44:39.17\00:44:40.71
a hands off policy on him
00:44:40.74\00:44:42.88
and leave him be
and promote him instead.
00:44:42.91\00:44:47.28
If we cannot beat him,
let's get him to join us.
00:44:47.32\00:44:50.05
They thought it would work.
And so they tried everything.
00:44:50.09\00:44:53.02
This is in the communist army.
00:44:53.05\00:44:54.86
They're allowing
him to share Jesus.
00:44:54.89\00:44:57.56
He can share his gospel story.
00:44:57.59\00:44:58.93
He has Bible studies
going on all the time nonstop
00:44:58.96\00:45:02.63
in the barracks
from barrack to barrack
00:45:02.66\00:45:04.77
on Sabbath especially,
00:45:04.80\00:45:06.17
even some guys are
given privileges to join him.
00:45:06.20\00:45:08.80
It's astonishing.
00:45:08.84\00:45:10.41
And so his life changes
00:45:10.44\00:45:14.44
because they began to wine
him and dine him literally.
00:45:14.48\00:45:18.81
And during this
interim his wife,
00:45:18.85\00:45:20.38
he gets married.
00:45:20.42\00:45:21.75
He goes home on furlough
00:45:21.78\00:45:23.12
and he gets married
and brings her back.
00:45:23.15\00:45:24.55
He needs a
helpmate to keep him strong.
00:45:24.59\00:45:26.69
They're trying to win her over,
00:45:26.72\00:45:28.46
wanting to get
her jewels and furs.
00:45:28.49\00:45:30.36
They get him
his own private car,
00:45:30.39\00:45:32.29
give him his own private,
00:45:32.33\00:45:34.06
you know, own
place to stay apartment
00:45:34.10\00:45:35.86
with a library
00:45:35.90\00:45:37.23
'cause he's a great avid reader.
00:45:37.27\00:45:38.60
And they promote him,
00:45:38.63\00:45:39.97
they take him to
all their banquets,
00:45:40.00\00:45:41.74
secret banquets,
and secret places
00:45:41.77\00:45:45.34
where nobody else knows
'cause in those days, you know,
00:45:45.37\00:45:47.94
everybody was
supposed to be equal,
00:45:47.98\00:45:50.91
but he refuses
to give up his job
00:45:50.95\00:45:53.38
which is to be a
missionary for Jesus
00:45:53.42\00:45:55.78
and transforms the lives,
00:45:55.82\00:45:57.75
converts untold numbers
of people to the gospel.
00:45:57.79\00:46:00.86
Later after
five years, they say,
00:46:00.89\00:46:03.46
"Okay, you might as well go."
00:46:03.49\00:46:05.49
'Cause he's not
gonna capitulate.
00:46:05.53\00:46:07.26
He's not gonna
become this great,
00:46:07.30\00:46:10.40
you know, communist warrior,
00:46:10.43\00:46:11.77
he's gonna be a
warrior for Jesus.
00:46:11.80\00:46:13.54
So they let him go.
00:46:13.57\00:46:14.90
He starts his own Academy
00:46:14.94\00:46:17.87
of Bible Work for Bible workers
00:46:17.91\00:46:19.47
and trains them
to be missionaries,
00:46:19.51\00:46:21.38
and sends them
into the military.
00:46:21.41\00:46:23.55
He said he trained over 300.
00:46:23.58\00:46:25.55
And he said he
kept track of them.
00:46:25.58\00:46:27.25
All of them
became high up officers.
00:46:27.28\00:46:30.22
All lieutenants or majors
and some of them colonels,
00:46:30.25\00:46:32.85
and here's why because
although in communist Russia,
00:46:32.89\00:46:37.33
they were always, you know,
00:46:37.36\00:46:38.69
their policy
was there is no God.
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.80
They wanted people
who have integrity,
00:46:40.83\00:46:42.96
people they could
trust to do the right thing.
00:46:43.00\00:46:44.87
And these guys, missionaries
00:46:44.90\00:46:46.57
who came in were
as honest as Daniel,
00:46:46.60\00:46:49.24
that's the title Dare to
Stand Alone for the book.
00:46:49.27\00:46:52.84
Daniel dared and his
friends to stand alone.
00:46:52.87\00:46:55.24
A great testimony to us today.
00:46:55.28\00:46:57.71
God is asking us to do
the same thing for Him.
00:46:57.75\00:47:00.35
When I met this guy in person...
00:47:00.38\00:47:02.58
So you got to meet him?
00:47:02.62\00:47:04.52
For two hours I interviewed him.
00:47:04.55\00:47:06.05
He hardly spoke
a lick of English,
00:47:06.09\00:47:07.79
I mean, I knew a little Russian.
00:47:07.82\00:47:09.16
He knew a little English,
00:47:09.19\00:47:10.53
but we had a
translator there for two hours.
00:47:10.56\00:47:12.16
He was so animated.
00:47:12.19\00:47:13.70
He had blue eyes
and jet black hair.
00:47:13.73\00:47:17.63
And they tell me he
looked a lot like Elvis Presley.
00:47:17.67\00:47:21.14
Well, he was an old,
75-year-old, very handsome,
00:47:21.17\00:47:24.17
not a gray hair on his head.
00:47:24.21\00:47:26.27
And I said, "Is that real?"
00:47:26.31\00:47:27.68
And he says,
"It's the real deal."
00:47:27.71\00:47:30.28
And I said, "Where
do you get your energy?"
00:47:30.31\00:47:32.35
He said, "From
serving God's young people."
00:47:32.38\00:47:35.72
He's youth director for years
00:47:35.75\00:47:37.62
and he was the favorite guy
in all of that part of Russia.
00:47:37.65\00:47:41.32
He's passed to his rest now.
00:47:41.36\00:47:43.06
And I am
waiting to introduce you
00:47:43.09\00:47:44.56
to him personal.
00:47:44.59\00:47:46.36
I won't recognize it,
but maybe and Elvis Presley
00:47:46.39\00:47:49.40
would a look a lot
like, you never know.
00:47:49.43\00:47:51.27
What a great book
Dare to Stand Alone.
00:47:51.30\00:47:53.23
Yeah, I mean, what
a testimony, you know,
00:47:53.27\00:47:56.00
to again
standing for what is right
00:47:56.04\00:47:58.41
and what God wants us to do.
00:47:58.44\00:48:00.38
We have here, Chains in China.
00:48:00.41\00:48:02.54
We have
Miracles on the Mountain.
00:48:02.58\00:48:04.18
And, of course,
many, many other books.
00:48:04.21\00:48:05.88
A question for you.
00:48:05.91\00:48:07.62
Why is it important
to be able to remember
00:48:07.65\00:48:11.12
what has happened in the
past far as these stories?
00:48:11.15\00:48:13.76
You know, it's nice
to read them in book.
00:48:13.79\00:48:15.29
What's the inspiration?
00:48:15.32\00:48:16.66
Why do you feel the passion
to put these down in print
00:48:16.69\00:48:19.96
so that others can read them?
00:48:20.00\00:48:21.33
What's the reason for that?
Well, it's probably twofold.
00:48:21.36\00:48:23.83
The old adage, if we
don't remember the past,
00:48:23.87\00:48:29.50
we're destined
to repeat it. Yeah.
00:48:29.54\00:48:32.11
But also, if we
rely on the Lord,
00:48:32.14\00:48:35.64
He will take us places
00:48:35.68\00:48:37.01
and when we get
done with our journey,
00:48:37.05\00:48:40.22
we will realize that
00:48:40.25\00:48:41.58
He has taken us to the
best place we could be.
00:48:41.62\00:48:45.29
And we will be
faithful in the world to come
00:48:45.32\00:48:49.56
because we've
been faithful here.
00:48:49.59\00:48:52.26
And I know for me I
just have to say personally,
00:48:52.29\00:48:54.33
you know, far as when
things are put in print,
00:48:54.36\00:48:56.36
like these stories, you
know, you're the author,
00:48:56.40\00:48:58.87
you've collected these stories.
00:48:58.90\00:49:01.00
For us, those that read them,
00:49:01.04\00:49:02.74
I know that for Jill and myself,
00:49:02.77\00:49:04.11
they're an inspiration
00:49:04.14\00:49:05.47
because at times
we all face battles
00:49:05.51\00:49:07.58
and situations in our lives.
00:49:07.61\00:49:08.94
It could be at work.
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.31
You may not be like
in a communist country,
00:49:10.35\00:49:12.31
but it could be at work.
00:49:12.35\00:49:13.68
And there's
tremendous opposition,
00:49:13.72\00:49:15.38
work on the
Sabbath, it doesn't matter.
00:49:15.42\00:49:17.42
You can work on the Sabbath,
whatever that may be battle,
00:49:17.45\00:49:20.66
whatever you're going through,
00:49:20.69\00:49:22.02
this type of
stories are inspiring.
00:49:22.06\00:49:24.89
It's like, you know what?
Someone else has done this.
00:49:24.93\00:49:27.53
God stood with them.
He'll stand with me too.
00:49:27.56\00:49:31.53
And so, I think
00:49:31.57\00:49:32.90
that's the power
of the written word
00:49:32.93\00:49:34.94
that God has blessed you
00:49:34.97\00:49:36.30
this talent of
just taking a story
00:49:36.34\00:49:39.14
and just bringing it to life.
00:49:39.17\00:49:40.88
I think for me, personally,
00:49:40.91\00:49:42.24
that's been a
tremendous blessing
00:49:42.28\00:49:43.61
as we've read your
books through the years.
00:49:43.65\00:49:44.98
I know they're young
people, and young at heart.
00:49:45.01\00:49:47.68
I know have been
blessed through the years.
00:49:47.72\00:49:49.05
Amen. Amen.
00:49:49.08\00:49:50.52
What incredible stories.
00:49:50.55\00:49:52.49
My faith has been encouraged
00:49:52.52\00:49:54.09
and inspired and
strengthened today.
00:49:54.12\00:49:56.39
Pastor Bradley,
00:49:56.42\00:49:57.76
would you look
in the camera here
00:49:57.79\00:49:59.13
and would you make an
appeal to someone at home,
00:49:59.16\00:50:02.30
maybe who is not sure
if they can stand alone?
00:50:02.33\00:50:07.14
We have plenty of stories
in the Bible to remind us that
00:50:07.17\00:50:11.87
if we are faithful,
God will be faithful.
00:50:11.91\00:50:15.44
Now we have a hard
time sometimes relating
00:50:15.48\00:50:17.81
because perhaps we wish that
00:50:17.85\00:50:19.48
God would do something
for us that's miraculous,
00:50:19.51\00:50:21.55
something that's amazing,
00:50:21.58\00:50:23.89
something we could
tell our friends about,
00:50:23.92\00:50:26.15
you may have felt
that way yourself.
00:50:26.19\00:50:28.42
You might have had
an experience growing up
00:50:28.46\00:50:30.16
where you've never had
this amazing conversion story.
00:50:30.19\00:50:34.66
God is asking you
to be a missionary
00:50:34.70\00:50:36.53
where you are right
in your own backyard.
00:50:36.56\00:50:40.00
Who knows He may call you
to do something for Him amazing
00:50:40.04\00:50:43.71
or He may ask you to
do the little things,
00:50:43.74\00:50:46.34
but in this world,
Jesus asks us to be faithful
00:50:46.37\00:50:49.88
in the little
things with the talents
00:50:49.91\00:50:51.25
He has given us.
00:50:51.28\00:50:52.61
Those Bible stories
00:50:52.65\00:50:54.02
will continue
to fuel that energy
00:50:54.05\00:50:56.55
and that
inspiration and of course,
00:50:56.58\00:50:58.89
you'll have a
few miracle stories
00:50:58.92\00:51:00.32
of your own to tell.
00:51:00.36\00:51:01.69
Amen. Thank you so much.
00:51:01.72\00:51:04.56
What would be one
of your favorite books
00:51:04.59\00:51:07.73
that you have written?
00:51:07.76\00:51:09.10
I know that's
putting you on the spot,
00:51:09.13\00:51:10.47
but over 40 books,
what would be something
00:51:10.50\00:51:12.13
that actually really
ministered to you as you did?
00:51:12.17\00:51:14.94
Well, many books
00:51:14.97\00:51:16.64
of the Bible
stories I've written.
00:51:16.67\00:51:21.54
Children's Century Classics.
00:51:21.58\00:51:23.88
That was quite a journey for me.
00:51:23.91\00:51:25.81
We wrote that
series in less than a year.
00:51:25.85\00:51:28.98
And what's it about?
00:51:29.02\00:51:30.35
It's the new
Bible story set put out
00:51:30.39\00:51:33.42
by a Christian
family organization
00:51:33.46\00:51:36.76
and we sell those
specifically for LEs.
00:51:36.79\00:51:41.43
LEs get to use
those door-to-door.
00:51:41.46\00:51:43.47
It's the new Bible stories.
00:51:43.50\00:51:44.83
Literature evangelists.
Literature evangelists.
00:51:44.87\00:51:46.33
Yeah. Okay.
00:51:46.37\00:51:48.10
A great test,
me being, you know,
00:51:48.14\00:51:51.47
a Bible story guy all my life.
00:51:51.51\00:51:53.21
I was asked to capture
the whole train of history
00:51:53.24\00:51:56.41
from the fall of Lucifer in
heaven to the earth made new
00:51:56.44\00:51:59.75
through the five books
00:51:59.78\00:52:01.15
that Ellen
White wrote Patriarchs
00:52:01.18\00:52:03.55
and Prophets,
Prophets and Kings.
00:52:03.59\00:52:04.92
Oh, yeah.
00:52:04.95\00:52:06.29
Desire of Ages,
Acts of the Apostles,
00:52:06.32\00:52:07.66
and Great Controversy.
00:52:07.69\00:52:09.02
That series follows in parallel
to that series that she wrote.
00:52:09.06\00:52:12.09
Amen. Wow.
00:52:12.13\00:52:13.60
We're going to
go to the news break
00:52:13.63\00:52:15.03
here in just a moment,
00:52:15.06\00:52:16.40
but I wanna put up
your website one more time.
00:52:16.43\00:52:18.33
TheStoryTellers.one.
00:52:18.37\00:52:22.04
That's TheStoryTellers
T-E-L-L-E-R-S.one
00:52:22.07\00:52:26.37
or the phone
number is (315) 560-4122.
00:52:26.41\00:52:32.28
I wanna encourage you
to contact Pastor Bradley
00:52:32.31\00:52:34.75
and get these life
changing books for yourself.
00:52:34.78\00:52:37.02
We will be right back.
00:52:37.05\00:52:38.55