Participants: Danny Shelton (Host), Jason Bradley, Kenny & Chris Shelton, Yvonne Lewis
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW015013A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:05 Spend my life. 00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord let my words 00:27 Let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people. 01:06 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today, 01:08 to our Family Worship program. 01:11 I love having family worships on 3ABN, don't you, Yvonne? 01:15 I love it. I love the concept. I love the implementation. 01:18 And I just think it's so special. 01:20 I know. Just a few, actually a few months ago it hit me. 01:23 I wonder why we're not doing a, you know, 01:25 we talk about the Sabbath, we enjoy the Sabbath. 01:28 We should have programs bringing in the Sabbath. 01:30 So when you're watching 01:32 no matter where you're in the world, you may say, 01:34 well, this is not exactly Sabbath to us, 01:37 but you know what? 01:38 It's coming. 01:39 You tape the program then and play it right at sundown. 01:42 But I think we should worship God on any day, 01:45 but it's always special on the seventh day 01:47 because God created it as the special time 01:50 between He and His people. 01:52 Yes. 01:53 And so it's a time that-- 01:54 In my life, it's very important and always has been, 01:57 and we're gonna talk about it, for you. 01:59 And we have Brother Kenny and Chris over here. 02:02 Shelton, my brother, of course, and sister-in-law and Jason. 02:05 Do you know Jason down there? I think I do. 02:07 In fact I think know him really well. 02:10 I think you do. 02:12 Of course, your son, your youngest son Jason. 02:14 Yes, yes. 02:15 So Jason, we call him the baby son 02:17 except on Tuesday nights when he was playing basketball. 02:20 He suddenly becomes a man out there. 02:22 Oh, the other night, he got a rebound and slapped it down 02:26 and one of the guys said, that's a man rebound, 02:27 there he said, the Jason. 02:29 But Jason loves to play basketball. 02:31 So we still go out, don't we, Jason? 02:33 All the time. 02:35 At my old age, I'm still out there. 02:37 And Brother Kenny comes once in a while, we get him. 02:39 So we like to have fun. Amen. 02:42 And, well, again we're glad that you guys are here. 02:44 Thanks for joining us. 02:46 I know you been traveling a lot, the last few months. 02:49 Where you been? You were in Minnesota? 02:50 Minnesota. Yeah. 02:51 They have had evangelistic series up there. 02:53 Yeah, three weeks there 02:54 and then we went to Cleveland, Ohio, for four weeks. 02:58 And we came home and the Fall Camp Meeting 03:00 for 3ABN and then flew right back 03:02 to finish the week there. 03:03 And we came home a couple of days 03:05 and we went to the Bronx, New York, for a week of prayer. 03:08 So we've just been home a few days, 03:10 but we really, we enjoyed ourselves. 03:12 Yes, it was wonderful. 03:13 There's a week of prayer, but the good news was 03:15 there were people at the end of the week of prayer 03:17 that wanted to be baptized. 03:19 Oh, great. Yes. 03:20 And we were really blessed. It was such a blessing. 03:22 Oh, tremendous. 03:24 You know, Yvonne, you and me talk quite a bit about, 03:29 of course the Bible and favorite scriptures 03:31 and I think, one thing that we agree on 03:33 and we always loved to talk about is praise and worship. 03:36 Oh, yes. 03:38 And we talk about many of our churches are devoid, 03:41 it seems like, of praise and worship. 03:43 Now some of our churches, we may even go to church 03:45 and people shouting all over and running, 03:47 that maybe praise or maybe not, 03:50 you know what I'm saying? 03:51 How do I know what it is? 03:53 I'm not gonna be the judge for them, right? 03:54 And then I go to some churches and people are real quiet. 03:57 And they say, boy, we just praise the Lord. 03:59 So it's interesting, 04:01 you know, so I guess we can't judge a book by its cover. 04:04 But for me, every now and then, if I'm praising the Lord 04:08 or I'm reading the scriptures or I'm in church 04:10 and somebody is preaching, 04:12 I just got to lift my hand and say, praise the Lord. 04:13 Yes. 04:15 And every now and then, I get a little bit loud. 04:17 And so everybody, you know, have to, 04:19 but maybe it's just the way I know. 04:21 Brother Kenny and Chris, 04:22 you know when they are in audience, you know that? 04:23 Oh, yeah. 04:25 I love it when they are in the audience 04:26 because they do the call and response thing. 04:28 So when the preacher is preaching, 04:30 they are saying amen, I love that. 04:32 You know, for years, I was one of those quiet mice 04:35 that were sitting in church. 04:37 But they were so many times that I wanted to say amen, 04:41 but I was afraid. 04:42 I wanted to lift my-- 04:44 I could feel it, you know. 04:45 And it's like, once I became more mature 04:49 in my spiritual walk, you know, I began to read 04:51 where God inhabits His praises. 04:54 And so I began slowly to praise God 04:57 and I never want to go back, I never want to go back. 05:00 Some of the meetings 05:02 where the Holy Spirit is the strongest, 05:03 it's when people are praising Him and they are expressing, 05:06 they are expressing their true feelings. 05:08 Yeah, and I think people, 05:09 you know, people express themselves differently. 05:12 So if you feel uncomfortable responding 05:16 then that's your particular way of worship. 05:19 But if I want to say, Lord, thank you, thank you, 05:23 because you just get all full when you start thinking 05:27 about the goodness of the Lord. 05:29 You get full. 05:30 I'm getting ready to start preaching up in here, 05:32 right now. 05:35 And, you know, and you start getting full 05:36 and it's like-- 05:37 Sometimes I'm in my car and I'm listening to music 05:40 and I'm singing along, guess what happened, 05:42 that time I had that accident. 05:45 I'm singing along, you know, and I'm praising the Lord 05:49 and just saying, thank you, Jesus, thank you. 05:51 Because you can really do that and feel like, 05:55 you know, well, nobody is around at that point. 05:56 But even in church, if you want to lift your hands 06:00 and say, thank you, Lord. 06:01 I just believe that, if I feel like doing it, I should do it. 06:04 But if you don't feel like you should then you don't. 06:07 Absolutely. 06:08 When we were kids, down on Warden Street 06:10 and West Frankfort, Kenny and I grew up down the corner, 06:13 was the Groveses, was Roy Groves. 06:16 Roy had a bass voice like Wintley, bass singer. 06:19 Great guy, wonderful guy, he's Pentecostal. 06:23 And so he sang with some of the family and Tommy 06:25 and others of us, I mean, just a wonderful Christian guy, 06:28 you loved to be around him because of his attitude. 06:32 He's always happy, always cheerful, 06:34 always something good to say, you know. 06:37 So one time he visited our church, 06:39 we had little church in West Frankfort. 06:41 And so it was when we call a white tight sometimes, 06:44 he's little tight, you know, where service goes little. 06:47 We don't want to say drive, but you know sometimes 06:49 white people don't get as, you know, excited, 06:52 sometimes as other folk do. 06:54 But anyway, he comes to our church 06:56 and he goes right to the front row. 06:57 Jason, this guy goes right to the front row 07:00 and all during the service he's praise the Lord, glory, 07:03 halleluiah, he's just having church. 07:05 I mean, and everybody else is in the back of the church. 07:08 All of us just looking at him, 07:09 you know, and now I'm used to him, 07:11 but our some other words members like, boy, 07:13 this guy 'cause it didn't take much. 07:15 I mean you just say some little something, 07:17 he's like praise the Lord, Glory, Hallelujah. 07:20 He had a great time. 07:21 When church was over, I thought he has to notice 07:24 how quiet every one else is. 07:26 I wonder if he will relate that 07:27 as to spiritual or not spiritual 07:30 'cause sometimes you make a lot of noise 07:32 and people think that's spiritual, 07:33 that's not always, doesn't mean spiritual, right? 07:35 But I will never forget, Kenny, after church, 07:38 Roy was talking to somebody. 07:40 This maybe in a week or so later I was with him 07:43 and he said, man, he said, you got to go 07:45 that Seventh-day Adventist Church. 07:46 Those people know how to worship the Lord. 07:48 He said, they were praising God and there he said, 07:52 he said the Holy Spirit was there 07:53 and was praising the Lord, he said. 07:56 And I looked him and I thought, "Now how did he get that?" 07:58 Because, what occurred to me was, 08:01 he was so busy praising the Lord. 08:03 He thought everybody was praising that way, 08:06 amen, praise the Lord and hallelujah. 08:08 So he, in his heart, he said, man, those people know 08:10 how to praise the Lord out there and-- 08:13 And he didn't even realize he was doing that by himself. 08:15 No. 08:16 And that's the way it should be, other words, 08:18 he wasn't looking around and say, 08:19 well, let's see, can I praise the Lord? 08:21 Do I want? Or why aren't you praising the Lord? 08:23 Or why are you to that... 08:25 You know, he didn't do any of that. 08:26 He was so busy that he loved it so much 08:29 that from then on, when he talk about-- 08:31 Let's say somebody of Seventh-day Adventist... 08:33 Oh, those people know how to pray. 08:34 Praise the Lord. They know how to worship. 08:36 I've been to their church. 08:37 And, buddy, we had church he said, you know. 08:40 I think it's good. 08:42 But one of the good thing, he's always funny. 08:44 He had an accident and his three fingers were cut. 08:48 All he had, I guess, the right hand 08:50 was look like here and he would say, Kenny Ray. 08:54 All of us... 08:55 Was it Ray? Right again. Yeah, he called Ray, yeah. 08:56 And he said, I'm gonna enjoy how to clap. 09:00 I said, what do you have? He go. 09:03 There were any noise, but you start clapping. 09:05 He say, that's what I mean. 09:06 That's the way, that's the way he would do it 09:08 every time, but he was always-- 09:09 He was the most encouraging man 09:10 that you would ever want to be around. 09:13 That regards what you were doing. 09:14 If you would said, even he loved to coach baseball 09:16 when we were just young and so anyway-- 09:19 If you couldn't catch a ball, 09:21 he had something positive to say. 09:22 If you couldn't hit it, he had something positive to say 09:24 and will try to show you how. 09:26 So, yeah, I think that says a lot, 09:27 even the Christian experience, we need to really be positive 09:29 in the cause of Christ. 09:31 And that's something about worship. 09:32 Worship doesn't just happen in church. 09:35 A lot of people think worship is in church. 09:37 We should worship the Lord all the time. 09:40 And so I've seen people that's the most excited, 09:43 to get up and run and shouting all kinds of things in church, 09:45 but during the week 09:47 you wouldn't even know they were Christian. 09:48 And it's like, now, what is this 09:50 when we come to church? 09:51 You know we should be, worship God all the time. 09:54 Now there's a special time he says, 09:57 for our Friday evening sundown till Saturday evening sundown, 09:59 we didn't say, it's what the Bible says. 10:01 And God says, He wants to be in the midst of His people. 10:04 And he... 10:06 it's a special time of the week, He says, 10:07 I want you to set aside everything else. 10:10 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 10:12 You know, Exodus 20:8. 10:14 But he wants us to set aside the world 10:17 and be in communion with Him. 10:19 And what a great time to fellowship with friends 10:21 and family and, you know, church members 10:25 and to just give honor and glory and praise 10:27 and worship the Lord. 10:28 You know, what I was wanting to do today 10:30 maybe because this program really isn't planned, 10:32 you may think... 10:34 We planned this out. 10:36 And we didn't spend much time planning, did we? 10:38 No, not really. 10:40 Well, so you know what you're getting here. 10:43 But, I thought we might each one 10:45 to give a little bit of testimony of, 10:48 you know, today I love praising the Lord, 10:50 but I haven't always enjoyed praising the Lord. 10:53 I mean, I've always said I was a Christian. 10:55 I always, you know, went to church, 10:58 but I didn't always enjoy praising the Lord. 11:00 There were times when you and I were playing baseball, 11:03 Kenny, and softball, you know, during the years 11:05 and we had a team that's very competitive. 11:07 That there were times that I'd be thinking about the ball game 11:10 we were missing on Sabbath 11:12 rather than to be worshiping the Lord. 11:14 But praise the Lord, His patience and His love, 11:18 He stayed with me till I'm able to put those things 11:20 in proper perspective, you know. 11:22 And so I enjoyed praising the Lord, 11:24 but maybe we should go back a little bit. 11:26 Why don't you take us back? 11:27 Tell me a little bit, kind of home you were raised in? 11:30 And what Sabbath meant to you in your household? 11:34 And then through the years, give us a little bit 11:37 of where I know you were out of church for a while 11:39 and of course, you have been back for many years 11:41 and with the Lord. 11:42 So give us a little bit of that. 11:44 Well... 11:46 Well, I grew up in an Adventist home 11:49 and my parents both worked for the denomination. 11:53 They were-- 11:54 My dad was a principal of, of an elementary school. 11:57 And for a while, 11:58 my mom had worked in the conference office, 12:00 but then she ended up not working for the denomination. 12:03 So, and my grandmother was a missionary, 12:05 so I grew up in a very spiritual home, 12:10 but yet we didn't have worship everyday. 12:12 But every Friday night, we had worship. 12:16 And that was so special to me because 12:19 my dad would read from the word 12:22 and he would expand on it a little bit. 12:24 And we would sing some songs 12:27 and it was just a special time in my home. 12:31 And it's something that even years later when I-- 12:36 My mom died when I was 19 and I... 12:41 For a while, I was closer to the Lord 12:44 and then I found myself moving away from Him 12:48 and doing things that I had never done 12:51 because I was raised in a Christian home. 12:53 I go into parties, not drinking and smoking 12:55 and stuff like that, but just doing things 12:57 that I knew that I shouldn't have been doing. 13:01 Then I ended up going into the music business. 13:04 And it's interesting how Satan works, you know. 13:06 He just kind of gently, gradually 13:11 causes you to be adrift and before you know it, 13:13 you are out to see. 13:16 Yes. You don't even realize. 13:18 And it's started with me not going to church. 13:20 I'm too tired today. I'm just gonna stay home. 13:24 Not having my family worship, not having real worship myself 13:31 and then not going to church. 13:33 I started just, you know, every Sabbath I was tired. 13:38 And so I would just-- and it's a habit. 13:41 Going to church is a habit. 13:42 So anyway, I stopped going to church 13:44 and had gotten into the music business 13:49 and was caught up into that lifestyle. 13:55 Again, thankfully, I never got into the drugs 13:59 and all the wild stuff, but you don't have 14:01 to be wild to be lost. 14:03 Right? 14:04 It's about the relationship 14:07 and my relationship was torn, but God is so faithful. 14:13 And I just thank Him, I praise Him, right now. 14:16 I just want to stop and say, thank you, Lord, 14:19 because You are so faithful. 14:21 You, for me, you let me know that You love me. 14:26 And it was through people, my family, 14:29 that, you know, that loved me and prayed for me 14:35 and never stopped praying, never stop praying 14:37 for that loved one, that's out there. 14:41 The Lord brought me back to Him in 1985. 14:44 My grandmother was going to Ephesus Church 14:47 and I've told this story before, 14:48 but I'm just thankful for it. 14:50 So she was going to Ephesus Church 14:52 and she said to me, we have a new pastor coming. 14:57 You need to come and hear him speak. 14:59 And by then, the Lord had started working on me. 15:02 I had started reading the Bible again. 15:04 I'd started studying again, 15:05 but I hadn't started going to church. 15:07 This was in New York? This was in New York, in 1985. 15:11 And, and I went and I can remember... 15:15 Whenever I would go to visit my grandmother's church, 15:18 which was the Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church 15:20 in Manhattan. 15:22 Whenever I would go and visit, I would just feel like, 15:24 wow, I really need to be back in church. 15:26 This is where I should be and I was... 15:28 I would cry. 15:29 I would just feel so full 15:31 'cause I would feel the Holy Spirits presence. 15:34 And this particular Sabbath I went, 15:37 I heard the new preacher, 15:39 it was pastor C.A. Murray, it was just powerful, 15:43 such a powerful word from on high. 15:46 And I thought this is it. 15:48 This is where I'm supposed to be. 15:50 And from that time on, 15:53 I have never ever regretted coming back to Jesus. 15:58 It's the best thing I could ever do. 16:00 Amen. 16:01 And you came here several years ago, 16:04 and when we would have prayer request, 16:06 she would pray for her sons. 16:08 She would say, pray for my, my boys Martin and Jason. 16:11 Yes. 16:12 And sitting down on the end is Jason. 16:14 Jason, take us back a little bit. 16:16 You look like you have never had a problem in your life, 16:18 problem, and born and raised in a church 16:20 and never ever left. 16:22 And the Lord, you look like, 16:23 doesn't he look like million dollar sitting there? 16:25 He does. 16:26 Well, as good as that would be. 16:30 I've experienced my fair share of problems. 16:32 I remember coming up... 16:34 And my mom used to read just different devotionals 16:38 and she would do, I think, one was "Out Of This World," 16:42 and "Morning Riser," or something like that. 16:45 And she would read it every night. 16:47 And, I mean, we must have gone 16:48 through those books a million and one time. 16:53 But we would always find a story 16:55 that we've never heard before. 16:56 I don't know how it worked, but it worked. 16:59 So she brought me up in the church 17:02 and if I didn't do anything else 17:04 I had to go to church. 17:06 My dad, he was Adventist when they were married. 17:09 He was Adventist for a little while. 17:13 I think that had a lot to do with mom, 17:17 but after they had gotten divorce, mom, 17:20 she always read to me, 17:22 she always read those stories at night. 17:24 But later on growing up, I began to view the Sabbath 17:28 and going to church and all that stuff 17:31 and the Commandments everything as a burden. 17:34 I didn't view it from the perspective 17:37 of God is telling us these things 17:40 because He loves us and He cares about us. 17:42 We shouldn't drink because it kills you. 17:45 We shouldn't smoke because it kills you. 17:47 We shouldn't do a lot of these things 17:49 because the end result is death. 17:52 And, you know, He gave up His life for us 17:55 and such a loving sacrifice. 17:59 I remember, when I was 14, 18:02 I started leaving everything that I knew that was good. 18:07 I started living a lifestyle that I had no business living. 18:11 Unlike my mom, I did get into the drugs and alcohol 18:14 and the parties and all of those things. 18:17 And as the years went on, it progressed 18:20 and got worse and worse. 18:21 And there's been several other things that happened, 18:25 but all throughout that time, 18:27 my mother never stopped loving me, 18:28 my father never stopped loving me. 18:30 I had a family that rallied behind me 18:32 when I got in trouble. 18:34 They came to my aid. 18:36 They got me the help that was needed. 18:38 They loved me unconditionally and they kept praying for me. 18:41 Amen. 18:42 And my mother prayed me back into church. 18:44 I just recently got re-baptized. 18:46 I believe that. Recently, he was re-baptized. 18:49 That was gone, yeah. Yes. 18:52 You couldn't keep your eyes dry. 18:55 I don't blame her. 18:56 Even thinking about it now I get full blessed. 18:59 There are so many, could I take a minute 19:00 to talk to the mothers? 19:02 We got time. 19:03 There are so many mother's out here, 19:05 who's children are not walking with the Lord. 19:08 Don't be discouraged. Trust God. 19:11 God wants to save them more than you want them saved. 19:15 And He will open heaven up to save them. 19:18 Just keep praying. Just keep praying. 19:21 Try not to lecture, but just keep praying 19:25 and loving them and God will answer your prayers. 19:29 Eventually, through the years, 19:31 you will see the fruits of your prayer, 19:33 by the grace of God. 19:34 Amen. Praise the Lord. 19:36 So, Jason, you are happy now? Very much so. 19:39 It's so much better on this side of things 19:41 than being out there in the world 19:43 and dealing with all that struggle. 19:45 There's an overwhelming peace that comes... 19:47 So the Jesus party 19:48 is a lot better than the world party, huh? 19:50 Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. 19:52 Good, I said something to somebody 19:54 the other day Yvonne or you 19:56 and the Republican Party, the Democratic Party? 19:58 I said I'm not in Republican Party, 20:00 I'm not in the Democratic Party, 20:02 I'm not in any independent party, 20:03 I'm in the Jesus party, because the Jesus party 20:06 is only that lasts forever. 20:08 You talk about parties, 20:09 usually you go somewhere and it ends, right? 20:11 And you go home. But to Jesus... 20:13 All these other parties are gonna fail. 20:15 So those of you as Christians don't get too vibe, 20:17 we are in a political time 20:18 and the elections are coming next year, don't get so... 20:20 So, tore up about it, if I can use that expression. 20:23 My dad used to say, don't get so tore up about it. 20:25 Don't get so involved that you forget 20:27 what the Bible says, because you think 20:29 you need to support some party, 20:31 political party, that's all gonna be gone. 20:33 The only thing that will last in eternity is, 20:37 if we can last for eternity 20:39 because of the sacrifice of the Lord Christ. 20:41 So the only thing that's gonna last forever is our soul 20:45 when we commit it to Jesus Christ 20:46 and confess our sins 20:48 and say, Lord, come into my heart and my life. 20:50 And then go and tell what He's done for us. 20:52 So don't get caught up in all the parties, 20:54 whether they're drug parties, 20:55 any other parties, political parties, 20:57 just get caught up in the Jesus party. 20:59 And also by embracing some of those political parties, 21:02 you're, in essence embracing 21:04 some of their morals or lack thereof. 21:06 Yeah. Right Absolutely true. 21:09 In most cases, lack thereof, right? 21:11 Yes, here some of them may sound good, 21:13 but in the end result, there's only way to go 21:16 and that's to stick with the Bible, 21:18 no matter what, you stick there, 21:19 you can't go wrong. 21:21 That's right. All right. 21:22 So, Chris, I know you have 21:23 never had a problem in your life. 21:25 Everything has been... 21:26 My mom used to say hunky-dory. 21:27 I don't know what that means. 21:29 What's that mean, Kenny, hunky-dory. 21:30 My mom used to say, let's say how you're doing? 21:32 She would say, oh, I'm hunky-dory. 21:34 I always assumed, it meant good. 21:35 It means good. It means good. 21:37 But I have no idea of what it means, but anyway. 21:40 So I figured that your life, 21:42 everything has been a barrel of fun, 21:44 a bed of roses, right? 21:45 Well, I never really told this publicly before, 21:49 but my family was very dysfunctional. 21:54 And I never had worships. We never had family worship. 21:57 The closest I ever got to it is, 21:59 in the summer time, my mom... 22:00 Because she had left the church after she married my dad. 22:04 And she would send us... 22:05 If there was a Vacation Bible School, 22:07 but it would always be, 22:08 you know, different denominations. 22:10 It's very interesting, because even though 22:13 I would go and I would hear about Jesus, 22:16 I was never very comfortable in these other churches. 22:19 Now if I went to visit my grandparents, 22:22 that lived in Marion, Illinois, and they were Adventists. 22:25 I would go to church with my grandmother 22:28 and I was always comfortable in that church. 22:31 I always felt like God had His hand on me, 22:34 even though I didn't really know that much about Him. 22:38 And so a lot of things that was just a progressive 22:42 revelation for me as I continued to go 22:45 and, you know, to church, when I was a little bit older. 22:49 What had happened was, my family was dysfunctional 22:52 and I ended up living with my grandparents at... 22:55 I was probably about fifth grade. 22:57 And so she would always take me to church 22:59 and they could tell that I had a love for the Lord, 23:02 but we really, even in their family, 23:03 we never had a family devotional. 23:06 And I remember a family moving in, 23:10 they lived in Carbondale, which is somewhat close to here 23:13 and they had two young girls. 23:15 So I would go stay all night with those young girls 23:18 and their family was so spiritual. 23:21 And I remember having family devotionals 23:23 and their kids all around. 23:25 And I remember being very young and thinking, 23:28 wow, when I grow up I want a family like this. 23:32 It was so... 23:34 It made such a stance in my heart, 23:38 you know, I never forgot. 23:39 I thought I want a family like that. 23:41 I want to be a mother that can pray. 23:44 I want my children to feel 23:46 what I was feeling in that home. 23:48 And things weren't always smooth. 23:50 It took a long time. 23:51 God's still working on me 23:53 and I'm thankful for His mercy and His grace. 23:56 But it's very interesting, even as a young child, 24:00 I was learning the stuff with my grandmother. 24:03 And even before I went to live with her, 24:06 I learned about there's certain foods 24:08 that we shouldn't be eating, that the Bible talks about. 24:11 And one in particular was pork. 24:14 And I remember my mother had a restaurant 24:16 and I was sitting back there and my dad 24:18 and she, I think by that time 24:19 they may have been divorced, I don't know. 24:21 But they were in there arguing and he didn't like it 24:24 'cause I would have to go stay with him on Sabbath 24:26 and I had come to the point even as a young age, 24:29 he always wanted to take us 24:31 to a place called Soulard Market, 24:32 which I loved it 'cause it had all these wonderful food 24:35 and different crafts, but it was always on Sabbath. 24:39 And so as a little girl, I'm trying not to look, 24:42 as I'm walking through there and he didn't like that. 24:46 So he was arguing with my mother, 24:47 and he didn't like it that I was starting 24:50 to not want to eat pork. 24:52 And but my favorite sandwich was a ham sandwich. 24:55 And I remember him looking at me and my mom 24:58 and he said, what in the world do you think that ham is? 25:02 And I thought ham is ham. I don't know. 25:10 But, you know, he said that is pork 25:12 and you are eating it, that's pork. 25:13 See you can eat it. 25:16 At that point in time, 25:17 even though I'd never been baptized, never, 25:20 you know, really wasn't going to church every Sabbath, 25:22 just when I visited my grandparents. 25:24 I never ate it again. 25:25 Wow. He just... 25:27 It was always those things, 25:28 as I learned I always had a heart to follow Him. 25:31 I didn't always make the right decisions growing up. 25:35 But I had that calling to want to serve 25:38 and to be closer to Him. 25:40 So it's, for me, it's been more of a progressive revelation. 25:43 And I knew He had His hand on me. 25:45 Let me tell you another story that it physically, they were-- 25:48 My parents had been arguing, my mom was back in her bedroom, 25:51 she was crying, I was crying just uncontrollably, 25:56 I was on the couch and I remember praying 26:00 and just, kind of, talking, 26:02 you know, whatever I could at that time to the Lord. 26:05 And I remember feeling this, 26:08 what felt like a big hand on my side. 26:12 And at that time I thought, it felt like God had touched me 26:16 and the peace had just, kind of, 26:17 come over and I quit crying. 26:20 And at the very same time, my mother came out 26:22 and she had, had the same experience. 26:26 So even in some of our darkest valleys, 26:30 God was there, and he put His hand there to comfort. 26:35 And somehow it was just like I'm gonna see you through this. 26:38 Oh, He'll never leave us, He will never forsake us 26:41 and it's these types of memories 26:44 that we have growing up that, 26:46 you know, we need to hold on to. 26:47 Yes. Amen. 26:50 Brother Kenny, tell us a little bit about 26:52 the background and in the Shelton home. 26:54 And the raising up and maybe a little bit 26:56 about our family worship 26:58 and then about your own experience. 27:00 I've been wrong about the others, 27:02 but now, I know Kenny 27:03 has never had a problem in his life. 27:05 That's the brother that loves you to say. 27:09 He'd looking past all of these things in our life 27:12 because we did. 27:14 We grew up pretty close together 27:15 and we did a lot of things in early adulthood 27:17 and so on and so forth, so. 27:19 But I think probably, the great impression 27:23 always is on my mind was really, 27:26 again it's your family, it's mom and dad. 27:28 And our mother was always, always... 27:31 I looked at her as one who was even more stable 27:33 than dad for a while, that's my own opinion of this. 27:36 She would always encourage. 27:38 Say Friday evening, we're talking about 27:39 worship service, you know, and having times and just... 27:43 You would hear about it hour before sundown 27:45 because we loved play ball, we was outside, 27:47 she'd say, guys, let's get ready, 27:49 it's just about an hour for sundown. 27:50 Let's get everything all put up. 27:52 Let's get ready to go. 27:53 Well, you didn't hardly like it back then 27:54 because if you are nine or ten years old, 27:56 you want to get another inning in 27:57 or whatever it might be. 27:59 I never forget that voice. 28:01 You need to hurry, we're getting close to sundown, 28:02 let's put these things aside and then we did. 28:05 I'm thinking Friday evenings, like you were talking about, 28:08 was the time where I don't know how regular it was, 28:12 it seemed pretty much at times, 28:13 another time we may have slacked or whatever, 28:15 but Friday evening was the time that we came together. 28:19 A lot of singing went on. 28:21 I was probably mum and in the corner, 28:23 not doing much, maybe hum along, 28:25 try to get out of it, try to get away from that, 28:27 you know, when we came to that point. 28:29 But I'm thankful we had a family who loved music 28:31 and they loved to sing praises to God. 28:34 All of that stuff, whether we think it or not, 28:37 goes through our mind, Danny. 28:38 As you will know while we were growing up, 28:40 whether you may fight it a little bit, 28:41 it's maybe not the things that you're thinking, 28:43 you want to go and you want to do, 28:45 but those seeds are planted. 28:47 And those seeds were continue to plant it 28:49 and going to church consistent, talking about every week. 28:52 And I remember that when I was 12, 28:54 I had a revival in West Frankfort 28:56 and the Pastor Evangelist. 28:59 He was just preaching up storm. 29:00 He made a call, you know, and I was listening, 29:04 I was listening, and I was listening. 29:06 It's like the Holy Spirit say, 29:07 Kenny, it's time you make a decision, you know, for Me. 29:11 And I thought that time I never, 29:13 I never got permission, you usually... 29:15 It's permitting, you have to ask mom or dad, 29:16 will you go up or whatever. 29:18 I never looked to the right. I never looked to the left. 29:21 The little guy gets in the back, 29:22 just gets up and then he just walks down 29:24 to the front, say he want to be baptized. 29:27 And I'll never forget that day. 29:28 It was an exciting day, I knew I was doing the right thing. 29:31 But you know, at that point 29:32 and where you're at in your relationship, 29:34 there's ups and downs 29:35 and there's things in your life. 29:37 A man at church a lot of times, 29:38 he said, I thank God for second chances, you know. 29:41 And I'm thinking 200 and 400 and 1000, 29:45 that's the kind of God that we serve. 29:47 So I don't want anyone to get discouraged. 29:48 That's right. That He's always there. 29:51 When you left, He never left you. 29:53 When I left or I pull away... 29:55 And never was the time that we say, 29:56 well, we're not serving the Lord, 29:58 never was the time to say I'm giving up. 29:59 There's never times, 30:01 spend a few years in service and so on. 30:02 There was times you said, I don't want no more of this. 30:03 But it's, what you talk about the worship 30:07 is taking that time in studying and prayer 30:09 and keeping connected was the important thing. 30:14 And just long story short. 30:16 I know what it's like, people said, well, it's easy. 30:19 You know, you guys were raised in the church, 30:20 that's not always the easiest thing. 30:22 I don't know you may have a different take on than I do. 30:25 But there's challenges being raised in this movement 30:28 and there's challenges if you are not and you come in. 30:30 But we get, it's old hat, we hear it all the time, 30:34 we get immune to it, but that's, 30:36 you know, the Lord had to continue 30:37 to work on my heart and in my life. 30:40 And I know it's about getting the, 30:44 you say, well, you teach a Sabbath school class 30:46 or you teach the young Mary class, 30:47 just don't told me, it doesn't mean you're saved, 30:49 it doesn't mean you even converted. 30:51 'Cause I remember getting the little planks 30:52 and the little things you hang on the wall, 30:54 I still have some of those, 30:55 you know, good Sabbath school, young Mary-- 30:57 And that point of time, 30:58 I guess I was never really born again, you see. 31:01 And the Lord reached me through a dream 31:02 and He talked to me about 31:04 three different things in my life 31:05 and so I'm thankful that He did 31:06 what was necessary to get my attention. 31:10 And in sometime, we go this way He brings us right back focus. 31:13 Now I believe by the grace of God, 31:15 we keep our eyes on Him and stay focused. 31:17 This is our life's work. This is what makes us happy. 31:21 This is what we do. 31:23 There's nothing like it in the whole world 31:25 and I thought growing up, 31:26 Danny, we play good game and we won. 31:28 There was nothing like that in the world. 31:29 You know what I mean? 31:31 At that point in time in our life, 31:32 you know, there was jumping and shouting and carrying on 31:36 and I got to think in my own Christian experience, 31:38 if I can't have more of that kind of feeling for Jesus 31:41 than I did about a game that didn't amount to -- 31:43 or who the world series, it's not or anybody 31:45 but, that something's wrong with me, 31:47 I need to be more vitalized, 31:49 you know, invigorated by the word. 31:52 And so, and you mentioned a while ago, 31:54 just quickly I'll quit. 31:56 I'm so thankful, like I said, God continues to work 31:59 and He's continued to work on me, I'm learning. 32:02 But again, it's a study. So I'm also thankful. 32:04 You said, you want to bring back something 32:06 for family worship and I jotted something down, 32:09 I didn't know what he was talking about this, 32:10 but early this morning, I got up 32:12 and I jotted something down, if you don't mind, 32:14 I'll just, it's a paragraph. 32:15 It's a paragraph. See this is how the Lord works. 32:17 So I said, Lord, what will be subject? 32:19 What maybe, we'll just combine of whatever. 32:21 But this was from Charles Watson. 32:24 He was actually the president 32:25 of the General Conference 1930, 1936. 32:29 The insight that man had was awesome. 32:33 The things he talked about in the book that I read, 32:35 I thought wow, that didn't even seem 32:36 to take place in those years. 32:38 But here's what he said in this phase with 32:39 what you are doing here and what you want to advocate. 32:43 He said, "We deplore the sad abandonment 32:46 of the family alter in any Adventist home." 32:49 I'm saying any Christian home if you allow me put that in. 32:52 "Nothing is so conductive to wholesome family life." 32:56 And notice this, "And a consistent 32:58 religious experience as the old fashion." 33:01 Notice this, "Entirely scriptural practice 33:04 of daily family worship. 33:07 We urgently appeal for it's revival 33:09 in every SDA home." 33:11 And I say every Christian home, 33:12 where it has been permitted to lapse. 33:15 Here's a man looking down at that point in time 33:17 and he said, this is it, the wholesome, 33:20 this is scriptural, this is what we need 33:21 everyday in our life and the family that they say, 33:24 that prays together, stays together. 33:25 But still, in this, right here, 33:27 he sensed that the family's gonna stick together. 33:30 If we are gonna stick with God, 33:31 we have to have that daily experience with him. 33:34 And so when people say, you get excited about the word, 33:37 absolutely, it's life and light to me. 33:39 And the more you've been on the opposite side, 33:42 he brings you back, the more grateful and thankful 33:45 that you are, the more you love him, you see. 33:48 So I'm grateful and thankful, 33:49 not that this here would just fit so perfectly 33:52 if that we need to get back into it 33:54 and notice this "old-fashioned, 33:56 entirely scriptural practice of daily family worship." 34:01 And he said a urgent appeal. 34:02 So I'm glad we're having that urgent appeal 34:04 and that God is still working on me 34:06 and I still look forward to doing 34:07 of what little bit I can to help finish his work, 34:09 so that we can go home. 34:11 What about you, Dan? Yeah. 34:12 Well, I was going off of what Kenny was saying here, 34:15 we're thinking about growing up. 34:17 Now Kenny, he said a while ago, 34:19 he's probably in a corner somewhere 34:21 when he was young before his voice changed. 34:24 He was the tenor singer, you know, he was that. 34:27 And we'd sing at church. 34:28 Our family always sang at church, 34:29 mom and dad and the four boys there are times 34:31 we always sang at the church. 34:33 And then his voice began to change 34:35 and he didn't want to sing anymore. 34:37 And my mom would really have to fight with him 34:39 to get him, get up there and sing 34:41 because he'd like, mom, I really don't want to sing. 34:43 I remember him sometimes after singing, 34:45 singing things like... 34:46 Boy, when I get away from here, I never gonna sing, 34:48 have to sing in church again. 34:49 I mean that type of thing. 34:51 Kenny was not gonna be, you know, in and ways, 34:54 you know, like, they would, 34:56 they basically forced us at the time 34:57 you thought it was force him. 34:59 But me, I didn't care. I was up for anything. 35:02 Get upfront. 35:04 You know I didn't care how many people are there. 35:05 Kenny and Ronnie, 35:07 they did not want to get upfront. 35:08 In fact in gathering, Christmas caroling, 35:10 in gathering, we used to have a car. 35:13 My dad would take a tape-recorder, 35:15 my uncle owned another car, tape-recorder 35:17 and we would -- in another one. 35:18 We'd take kids all up and down. 35:21 We'd start right after thanksgiving. 35:22 Sometimes go all through West Frankfort, 35:25 every street, go up till Benton. 35:27 Kenny and Ronnie hated to go. 35:28 I couldn't wait to go out 35:30 because I love just being outside and running. 35:32 And we made competition, my cousins, you know, 35:34 Dennis and some of my age around. 35:36 We'd get out and tried it in, see who got the most money 35:39 and you know, we used Kenny and Ronnie, 35:41 they just, they didn't mind getting out and having fun. 35:43 They just didn't want to talk. 35:45 Kenny was not wanting to talk to strangers, 35:48 that he didn't know, Ronnie didn't either. 35:49 My mommy used to say, Ronnie is a very biblical. 35:52 He's yay-yay and nay-nay, 35:53 that's really all day he wants to say. 35:56 And so if anybody would have said, 35:58 well, Kenny you're gonna be a preacher. 35:59 Ronnie you're gonna be a preacher, 36:01 that's the last thing that they wanted to do 36:03 was do something where you're in public 36:05 and you have to speak about it. 36:07 So one night, they were teenagers 36:09 probably 13, 14, I was 10 or 11, time go-- 36:12 He said hope-- Time to go jay in together 36:15 and him and Ronnie just don't want to go 36:17 and my mom was saying, to go 36:18 and they are like, mom, what it's... 36:20 My dad he would, he was the head of the household 36:22 so if he heard something he come in. 36:24 So he said, boys, what's going on here? 36:26 Well, mom says, they don't want to go 36:27 in gathering night. 36:28 He said, well, tell you what we will do, 36:30 make it simple. 36:31 I will let you do, either you go in gathering 36:33 or you get a whooping, now which one do you want? 36:35 Now when he gave you one... 36:37 There's a difference in the spanking 36:39 and a whipping and a whooping, 36:40 you don't want the whoop, that's the last thing. 36:43 My dad knew how to give the whoopings. 36:45 Now he didn't do it very often, only when we needed it. 36:48 And, you know you can argue with that 36:49 and say what you want today. 36:51 But I wish we had a whole lot more dads today 36:54 who loved their kids enough to tender high a little bit 36:57 in order and to do it you know in the right way. 36:59 Train up the child in a way he should go. 37:02 So they said... 37:03 I put him in that position. Yeah. 37:06 So all the time we blame parents 37:07 because they step up to the play. 37:09 Don't mean to interrupt you here, 37:10 but I'm still thankful that you mentioned we had a dad. 37:13 He made it very clear, very plain. 37:16 I thought it big at 13 or 14. 37:18 He said, Kenny, mom says you don't want to go, 37:20 you're not gonna go. 37:21 I said, that's right, 37:23 I'm not going in gathering tonight. 37:25 I said, no I am going-- Danny will tell you. 37:27 I want it make it plain like he make it plain to us, 37:30 but he made it very plain to me, you have... 37:32 There's two options, which will it be? 37:34 And soon as he said that, what did I say? 37:36 I will take the... Take the whooping. 37:38 Kenny said, I'll take the whooping. 37:39 I said I'll take the... 37:41 Think about saying that to your dad. 37:42 I will take the whoop. Well, you probably, you just-- 37:43 When he used to belt, it was no easy, 37:45 no little deal when he used to... 37:46 He said take the shirts off, boys. 37:48 Yeah, take the shirts off. 37:50 He would take the whooping, me, I was running out the door. 37:54 No way. 37:56 And I would think to myself, 37:57 I'm four years younger than Kenny. 37:59 And I think to myself I can not believe he just said that. 38:01 My dad, you're not gonna get the last word with him. 38:04 Kenny be quiet. All right. 38:06 No, I don't want to hear anymore from you, okay. 38:09 Not another word, just nothing. 38:11 All right, I won't. 38:13 And then pretty soon, okay, get over here, son, 38:15 you know, he would work him over. 38:18 And I'm like... 38:19 So he goes to the army and my mom said, 38:22 boy, I'm glad you will get that strong will out of him, 38:24 they will break him there. 38:26 Every weekend he would call 38:27 and I would say, "How's Kenny doing? 38:29 She said, he's doing KP. 38:31 I'll tell you why. Well, he's smart enough. 38:34 He was smart enough to his superiors 38:36 and so they had him clean them barracks 38:38 and doing things on weekends instead of going. 38:41 But what she hadn't realized, 38:42 see men couldn't break him, but God can. 38:44 Amen. That's right. 38:45 But it was because when he became willing. 38:47 Amen. So that's the thing. 38:49 All of us in our lives, 38:50 you know, we have different things. 38:52 I had other problems and things in my life. 38:54 Kenny was one of those, you just not gonna tell him 38:56 what to do. 38:57 And end result, when I knew my dad was getting ready 39:00 to give me whooping. 39:01 As soon as he raised the belt I started crying 39:04 because what he would do, he would give you this 39:08 and it take your breath and he'd say, 39:09 you're gonna do it anymore. 39:11 And if you don't answer, 39:12 oh, you're not gonna answer me so you will get more. 39:14 So I was already, I'm not gonna do it anymore. 39:17 As he was coming down Kenny would just stand like this 39:20 and take it and not say a word. 39:22 And I'm like, man, Kenny just... 39:24 He will quit if you will just do that, strong will. 39:27 But, you see the devil had a plan. 39:29 The devil's plan was to destroy you to use that, 39:33 but look, look how defeated the devil is now 39:35 because all of that, that strength and strong will, 39:39 you use them for the Lord now. 39:40 Because you're not... 39:41 Kenny is not discouraged when it comes to ministry. 39:44 No matter what he's gonna be out there 39:46 and talk about knocking on doors 39:48 or visiting people or preaching 39:50 or traveling anywhere in the world, you ask him. 39:53 I've got him to go to Africa for me, everything else. 39:59 That's love. That's real love. 40:02 So I asked him to go. 40:03 Once he went, the next time he asked me, 40:05 I asked my cousin Donnie and he went. 40:07 Next time he asked me, 40:08 I asked my brother Ronnie and he went. 40:10 So you know it's one of those things, 40:11 but, but look at what happens now. 40:14 You see, you take all of that that's in us 40:16 when we were young. 40:17 And now he's given all of that. 40:20 So that same perseverance, 40:21 so if you think you're up against somebody 40:24 that's gonna be discouraged by somebody 40:25 in church standing up, said, I don't liked what you said 40:28 or I don't like what you do. 40:30 Right, Chris, that's just gonna roll off your head 40:32 because he says, you know, now I'm in God's army. 40:35 So now I'm not worried about it 40:37 because it's not about me. 40:39 So it's tremendous what God can do for each of us, 40:42 you know, in our lives. 40:44 But growing up, you know, I loved the worship time, 40:46 but I was one of these, I was the happy-go-lucky kid. 40:49 And my dad used to say, people come in 40:51 and they will say, is he like that all the time? 40:53 He'd say, oh, he's just happy as if he had good sense, 40:55 you know, and I would be over there 40:57 playing and folks come in. 40:59 He would say, well, you can tell by his little face 41:01 he's not all right, you know. 41:03 And my dad, I was hoped it was sense of humor, 41:06 maybe it wasn't all this time. 41:07 I just chose to think it was. 41:09 You know, but we had a fun house, 41:12 it was a good household, but here's the deal. 41:14 My dad said, Jason, boys, 41:17 we can do this the easy way or the hard way. 41:20 You got four boys in six years. 41:21 You can do there's stair steps. 41:23 We can do this the hard way or the easy way? 41:26 Now he would say, take me. 41:27 I'm a lover not a fighter, 41:29 but if you make me I will be fighter 41:31 and you will be loser, you will lose. 41:33 So now why don't we just love each other and get along. 41:36 I'm the head of the household. 41:37 God set it up that way. 41:39 When you get growing you can be the head of your household, 41:41 but right now what I say goes in this house. 41:44 And it will go. 41:46 So if you want to fight about it, I'm gonna win. 41:49 But if you don't, if you will listen to me 41:51 and he would say, I'm not doing this for me, 41:53 I'm doing this for you 41:54 because I don't want you to end up in trouble. 41:56 I don't want you to end up out in the world. 41:59 So the Bible tells me what I'm supposed to do. 42:01 So I'm gonna do everything I can do. 42:03 When you get 18 he said, you can choose on your own. 42:05 Which way you want to go? 42:07 But all of that, that sometimes 42:09 it seemed little hard on us at the time, 42:11 that's all been a blessing 42:12 because there is a foundation given there 42:15 that we never give up. 42:16 I never thought to give up 42:18 in the things I've been through my life. 42:20 He would always say, 42:21 whatever, anybody else can do, you can do. 42:24 Then he would say, you can do it even better, 42:26 you know, whatever they can do. 42:27 So whatever you do, do it with all your mind. 42:29 We play ball, do it with all your mind. 42:31 If we're working, do it with all your mind. 42:34 If you are in ministry, do it with all your mind. 42:36 And so that's what we learned growing up. 42:38 Yes, absolutely. 42:40 In our household, our folks were country, 42:42 western for a bit. 42:43 My mother used to say, now remember, 42:44 I only played a few months in tavern, 42:46 so don't hit that too heavily. 42:49 But they did country music and made a living 42:51 and they both had 8th grade education 42:54 and didn't really, you know, 42:55 so they were able to make some money singing in the late '40s 42:58 and all of that. 43:00 But when they became Christians, 43:01 of course, they quit that. 43:02 And what I saw was, 43:04 there's times when we didn't know, 43:05 my father had a heart attack, he was disabled. 43:07 We didn't know where the next dollar was coming from, 43:10 where the food was coming from. 43:12 And I remember people knocking on his door. 43:15 And they would knock on the door, 43:16 Tom, how are you doing? I'm doing fine. 43:18 Listen, I know that you're a Christian now 43:20 and you don't play out in the clubs, 43:22 but if you will come this Friday night 43:24 and just play one time 43:26 and they would give me like a $100. 43:27 Back then he didn't make $100 a month. 43:30 And so he would say, we'll give you $100 43:33 if you will just come. 43:34 And my dad, I heard him one night. 43:36 I don't know who the man was. 43:38 And he said, boys, 43:39 I told you I can't do that, I'm a Christian. 43:41 I don't believe in going out in the clubs anymore. 43:43 And one of them said to him, well, wait, then the Bible say, 43:46 you're supposed to take care of your family. 43:47 You're not able to work. 43:49 You guys are having rough go. 43:52 Don't you think this would be okay with the Lord 43:54 because you can now take care of your family, 43:56 you are supposed to. 43:58 And my dad said, you know what, 43:59 I'll just trust God to do that. 44:00 He said, I'll trust God and he didn't go. 44:02 You think we don't notice that. 44:04 Do you think? 44:06 Yes. I do. That's right. 44:08 Praise the Lord. That's right. Yes. 44:10 Those were the things that you notice. 44:12 It's not what people say, it's what they do. 44:15 And you know that Danny, while you said that, 44:16 but it makes me said knock on the door. 44:19 He refused to take that easy pay-check. 44:22 He refused to go against what God has said in His word, 44:26 even when there was no food in the house. 44:30 But let me tell you that very next evening, 44:32 I remember that you tell him. 44:34 The very next evening there's a knock on the door again. 44:37 Who is it? 44:39 But a friend, two bags of groceries. 44:42 Come on now. 44:43 Two bags of groceries and said, you know what? 44:45 We had so much extra, 44:47 we didn't really know what to do with it 44:48 and we thought, you know, the Sheltons 44:49 and they got several boys 44:51 and they really having a hard time 44:52 and we just felt like, we didn't say even in prayers, 44:55 we just felt like we needed to bring it. 44:58 And it just, it was exactly on time, 45:01 it's showing us once again even in our little minds. 45:04 Dad did the right thing. 45:05 The blessings came. 45:07 Every time they did the right thing, 45:09 the blessings came. 45:11 Day in and day out, we saw it happen. 45:13 We see mom on her knees pleading with God 45:16 sometime to meet some needs in the home. 45:19 We'd see that... 45:20 I call her prayer warrior, I always did. 45:23 There's a gift people pray and just things would happen. 45:26 And those things would always be met 45:28 because they chose to do the right thing. 45:31 Yeah. Sorry. 45:33 I read a devotional about Elisha 45:35 and his ridiculous faith. 45:37 This man is full of faith, right? 45:40 And it's stated in there that sometimes 45:42 you have to leave your security to reach your destiny. 45:47 And so in a sense, that's what your father did. 45:50 I mean, he didn't compromise his morals 45:53 or his principles or Biblical principles 45:55 and he stood firm on the word of God. 45:57 And then each time you guys received the blessing. 46:00 Amen. And over and over. 46:02 And what a principle, 46:04 what a lesson for whoever living in this time, 46:07 in this world's history 46:08 because truth has become air and air is becoming truth. 46:13 And so the enemy is coming up to us 46:15 and calling immoral acts, you know, civil rights. 46:18 And how can you as a Christian, 46:20 if you are a Christian, how can you say that, 46:22 how can you do that, how can you not da-dah-da? 46:25 And so we're going to be faced with those very same temptation 46:29 just on a different level. 46:31 You know, we're told many will be put in prison, 46:34 many will-You know, 46:35 before it's over there will be put to death. 46:36 Do we love God enough? 46:38 Do we trust Him enough with our life? 46:41 He trusted. 46:42 Your dad trusted Him enough to provide for the family. 46:45 Do we trust Him enough to do that again in our lifetime? 46:49 Even onto death... Could we say, could we say... 46:52 I'd say, I never thought of this way before. 46:55 And being such a poor family 46:56 we had an edge in the Christian walk 47:00 because we saw faith in operation. 47:04 We saw when it was impossible with man, time and time... 47:07 Not just one time, 47:08 time and time again in our whole life, 47:11 day after day, month after month, 47:14 we saw God do the impossible with man 47:16 through the answer of prayer and obedience every time. 47:20 So I look at that now first time. 47:22 I'm getting old in my life, and I'm saying I look that now, 47:25 that was an edge. 47:27 It was in the nice way because we had godly parents 47:31 that helped to increase our faith because we've seen God... 47:34 But other people may not have that opportunity, we had 47:37 and I thank God for that. 47:38 See his well planning. 47:39 That's a beautiful thought. Yeah. 47:41 Absolutely. Wow. 47:42 You know and a lot of people we go by how the Bible says, 47:45 man looks on the outward appearance, 47:46 God looks on the heart. 47:48 And I guess one of the toughest things in the world 47:50 is not to judge other people and them judging you. 47:53 And somehow what I'm trying to learn to do is, 47:56 live in the spiritual. 47:58 In the spiritual, you are not looking at physical 48:00 and in the spiritual, you don't get discouraged. 48:03 In the physical world, you get discouraged. 48:06 But in the spiritual, 48:08 you can see a far off as He did in Hebrews 11th chapter, right? 48:11 We're strangers here just so adjourners. 48:13 And so I want to encourage you today, 48:16 as take time to worship God. 48:17 You're worshiping every day, 48:19 but the Seventh-day Sabbath He says, come apart, 48:21 this is it's 24 hour period He gives us, 48:24 that He wants to spend time with you 48:26 and worship your Creator. 48:27 Just spend time. 48:29 And it's not, it's not how you do it. 48:31 Some people say, well, I'd love to sing. 48:32 I can't sing like Yvonne. 48:34 You know I'd love to preach like Kenny, 48:35 I can't preach like Kenny. 48:38 God inhabits the praises of His people. 48:40 So whatever the best you have, that's what you offer Him 48:45 because what it occurred to me today, 48:48 I never thought about that see. 48:51 When you, at home, maybe you can... 48:53 Jason, you say you don't sing. 48:54 I haven't really heard you, 48:55 but Jason says, your mom, kind of, confirms it. 48:58 So I... 48:59 I love you, son, I love you. 49:01 But you have many talents, but... 49:03 No, no, But guess what, I want to encourage you today 49:06 and everybody like this because what just occurred to me, 49:09 I never had, Kenny, 49:11 that whether it's Yvonne Lewis singing 49:14 or when the great Whitney Houston was singing, 49:16 that you used to sing with or whether it's Jason. 49:20 If you are singing to God, God only hears the heart. 49:23 That he's not impressed by voice. 49:26 He's not impressed by voice, 49:27 He's not impressed by the Whitney Houston's of this world 49:30 or Yvonne Lewis's or the Wintley Phipps, 49:33 that doesn't impress Him because He's probably, 49:36 the angels are like, boy, I'd be glad to get to heaven. 49:38 They are out of tune. 49:40 So we're out of tune. 49:41 You know, but they are doing the best. 49:43 The best singers that we have, that means nothing to God. 49:47 God is hearing you from your heart. 49:49 So He inhabits the praises of His people. 49:52 So when you are praising God, 49:54 worshiping God and do it in anyway that, 49:56 you know how to do it. 49:58 It doesn't have to say, I'm pretty to hear you. 49:59 Now I'm not telling you to go 50:01 and to sing in ministry if you can, right? 50:04 Because it's gonna hurt 50:05 other people's ears, maybe, right? 50:06 So have mercy on them. 50:08 But, yeah, in just occasion thinking about it, 50:11 I'm not telling you to go out and sing or anything. 50:14 I was thinking about going and recording an album, 50:16 right after this. 50:17 Well, let me make myself plain, 50:19 make myself clear. 50:21 No, but for all of us what it is we can, 50:24 driving down the road, you know, at home, 50:27 wherever you are, just praise the Lord. 50:29 Amen. Yes. 50:31 You know, "Into my heart, into my heart, 50:33 come into my heart, Lord Jesus." 50:36 Every time I get in trouble, I start singing. 50:39 I start singing, I start praising the Lord, 50:41 because when you praise the Lord, 50:43 you are in the spiritual and the physical will fly away. 50:47 I remember reading in Spirit of Prophecy 50:49 that there is power when you sing in the name of Jesus. 50:52 And one of my daughters, one of our daughters 50:55 was really, really sick, had a high fever, 50:57 wasn't throwing up. 50:58 I'd spent hours just trying to call the doctor 51:01 and he said, well, until such and such happens, 51:03 you know, just keep bathing her 51:05 and I finally remembered about 2 o'clock in the morning 51:08 because I... what made me think of it was him saying, 51:10 Jason couldn't sing 51:11 because I'm not that great of a singer either. 51:13 But I remember reading that there is power 51:15 in the name of Jesus, 51:17 just singing in the name of Jesus. 51:18 About two in the morning, I held that baby in my arm, 51:21 she had 104, 105 fever and I began to sing. 51:26 Within 30 seconds, the fever was gone. Amen. 51:31 She was asleep, everything changed. 51:34 There is power when you sing in the name of Jesus. 51:38 That's proof right there. Amen. Amen. 51:42 We used to sing when we are at home 51:45 and Friday night's worship we would do things like, 51:50 "Whisper our prayer," 51:52 I play it like my dad used to on the guitar, right, Kenny, 51:55 that's what he used to play, all right, Yvonne. 51:57 Whisper a prayer in the morning 52:04 Whisper a prayer at noon 52:12 Whisper a prayer in the evening 52:19 So keep your heart in tune 52:26 God answers prayer. 52:27 God answers prayer in the morning 52:35 God answers prayer at noon 52:42 God answers prayer in the evening 52:50 So keep your heart in tune 52:55 Jesus may come. 52:58 Jesus may come in the morning 53:05 Jesus may come at noon 53:13 Jesus may come in the evening 53:20 So keep your heart in tune 53:27 Now just that little bit, didn't that feel better? 53:29 I feel good. 53:31 Really, releasing that because 53:33 when you are singing to the Lord, 53:35 you are not worrying your payments, 53:36 you are not worrying about 53:37 everything else going on around. 53:39 You... that somebody offended you, Jay. 53:41 People are going to churches and they say, 53:43 well, I don't go to church, I'll talk to people. 53:45 I don't go to church anymore because so and so offended me. 53:48 And I always tell them being offended is a choice. 53:51 That's right. Nobody can offend you. 53:53 Are you gonna stand before the Creator God and say, 53:55 well, I quit going to church, Lord, 53:57 because Brother Jason offended me. 53:59 He beat me in basketball and he bragged about it 54:02 and I'm offended by that. 54:04 You know, being offended is a choice. 54:05 Why would I want to allow somebody else 54:09 to mess up my life 54:10 and my relationship with the Lord? 54:12 We don't worry about it, so we choose-- 54:14 I choose not to get offended. 54:15 So you all can say want you want to say 54:17 but I'm not gonna be offended about it 54:19 and I hope you are not either. 54:20 With you singing like that, we might have to do it, do it. 54:24 I have you on my album. 54:26 Thank you, Jay, I love it. 54:28 Last night and this morning, 54:29 I don't even know if I can do it 54:30 so I'm gonna practice, Jay, 54:32 but I was just thinking about worship 54:35 and I said, you know, 54:36 worship in the Lord we don't have, 54:38 it doesn't have to be something big, 54:39 it doesn't have to be something. 54:41 I put together a little chorus, 54:42 this may be the only time it's ever sung. 54:45 But still yet, for when I was doing it last night 54:48 and early this morning I just felt so close to God 54:51 and I said thank you, Lord. 54:52 And it's just a little tune. 54:56 I worship You, Oh, my Lord 55:04 I once was blind but now I see 55:08 Because of You 55:14 Oh, Kenny, we hardly do this. 55:16 Yeah, now, come on now. 55:17 Bless our hearts. 55:22 I worship you, my Lord 55:28 Sometimes at home, I literally will cry. 55:30 That's all right. Yeah. 55:31 I just get-- emotion comes over me 55:33 and I'm not worried at this point, 55:35 God inhabits the praises of His people. 55:42 I worship you, Oh, my Lord 55:50 I once was blind but now I see 55:54 Praise the Lord. Ain't that amazing? 55:56 We were once blind but now we see... 55:59 Because of You 56:01 It's because of Jesus, that's why we were all blind 56:05 but now we see it only because of Jesus. 56:08 You are the Lily of the Valley 56:11 The Bright and Morning Star 56:14 Oh, I worship You 56:18 Oh, my Lord 56:21 Praise the Lord. 56:23 It was just a little simple deal that you do 56:26 and I may never do this again but just in doing it, 56:29 it drew me closer to Jesus. 56:30 Amen. Yes. 56:32 Isn't that amazing? It is. 56:33 God inhabits the praises of His people. 56:35 We hope that you take advantage of the opportunities 56:38 because if-- when we get to heaven, 56:40 we will never be able to understand it 56:42 why the creation could talk to the Creator, 56:47 and that He would listen, that's the biggest deal. 56:50 And invite us to do it. That's right. 56:52 He invites us to do it. 56:54 He gave all of heaven so we could continue to do it. 56:58 He emptied all of heaven 57:00 so that we could be one with Him. 57:02 Isn't that beautiful? 57:03 It's amazing. Thank you. 57:05 You know, there is also a physiological component 57:07 to praise that neurologically our brains change when we pray. 57:13 And so if you are just doing five minutes a week, 57:16 that's not gonna make a big difference. 57:17 But if you are doing 40, 30, 40 minutes of prayer a day, 57:21 you can have permanent brain changes. 57:25 And there is a book called "How God Changes Your Brain." 57:27 It's in touch with heaven 57:29 and you are in touch with heaven there is an energy. 57:32 Yes. Exactly. 57:33 The energy, that energizes your mind. 57:34 There is nothing like, you read this Bible, 57:36 it will energize the mind, it will help you to memorize, 57:38 or help you do all kind of things 57:39 that ordinary book will not do because it's not ordinary. 57:42 It's the living word. It's a living word. 57:44 Come on now. Oh, I'm getting excited. 57:46 We have in church in here. Just the opposite is true. 57:50 You stop praying, you stop studying, 57:52 you know, give yourself three days, 57:54 and all of a sudden that music you didn't listen to anymore, 57:57 all of a sudden you have a urgency 57:59 to want to turn that channel on. 58:01 Wow, our time is just about all gone. 58:03 I looked up and there is 30 seconds left. 58:05 What we like to do, Kenny, 58:07 we want to pray with our viewers at home 58:09 and let's just go ahead, 58:10 we will go out praying today and you go out praying with us, 58:13 if you would. 58:14 But draw close to Jesus 58:15 because He sure wants to draw close to you. 58:17 Amen. Amen. What a privilege. 58:19 When we-- you at home, just bow your heads, 58:21 if you will, you may want to get on your knees. 58:22 Let's just pray. Shall we? 58:24 Merciful Father in heaven, 58:25 we thank You for the privilege of prayer. 58:26 We thank You of being part of the family of God. 58:28 We thank You for this worship service, 58:30 service that we can give praises unto You, 58:33 honor and glory that deserves to You and You alone. 58:35 Thank You for Your love, thank You for Your mercy, 58:37 thank You for those of you who are viewing. 58:39 And we thank you for the families. 58:41 We praise you and press them 58:42 to gather around that family altar, 58:43 spend time studying the Word of God. 58:45 Lord, we will always be careful to give You praise, 58:47 give You honor and give You glory because You are God. 58:50 You said, I'm coming soon, 58:52 help us to be ready for that great day. 58:53 In Jesus name, amen. |
Revised 2015-11-19