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 Family Worship.
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We welcome you to
our sitting together,
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whether you are watching
this on a Friday evening,
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and Sabbath is just
about to begin for you,
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or one of our rebroadcast,
maybe you are heading
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into the week, we
welcome you to worship with us,
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to enjoy the Sabbath
together, Isaiah 58 says,
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"If thou turn away
thy foot from the Sabbath,
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from doing thy
pleasure on my holy day,
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and call the Sabbath a
delight, the holy of the Lord,
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honorable, and shalt honor
him, not doing thine own ways,
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nor finding thine own pleasure,
nor speaking thine own words,"
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Lord says, "Then thou shalt
delight thyself in the Lord,
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and I will cause
thee to ride upon
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the high places of
the earth, and feed thee
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with the heritage
of Jacob thy father,
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for the mouth of the
Lord hath spoken it."
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So if you are
preparing for the Sabbath,
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then you can expect a
blessing from the Lord
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because the Lord has
promised a blessing to those
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who keep the Sabbath day holy.
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So we welcome you to this sort
of all guys worship together.
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Oh, all of us are married
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but are wiser in various places,
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doing various
things at this time,
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so we decided to
get together anyway
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and worship
together as a bunch of guys
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who love the Lord.
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Love our wives but
love the Lord even more.
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All right, is that all
right? Everybody accept that?
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Praise the Lord. Amen.
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Yes. To my far left, Gary Will.
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Gary, good to have you here.
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Thank you, it's good to be here.
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Bryan Dickens, good
to have you here, Bryan.
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Yes, Pastor CA.
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Mi estimado Jorge Jaque.
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I'm blessed.
Pleasure to be here.
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English and
Spanish is all the same.
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Luis Capote. Luis,
good to have you here.
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Thank you, thank
you for having us.
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And Eric Durant, good
to have you here, man.
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Praise the Lord.
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These are wonderful
guys who love the Lord.
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We want to talk about
today and spend a little time
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reminiscing over
Christ, the good shepherd.
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He is the shepherd,
He is the lamb slain
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for the foundation of the world,
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He is the sheepfold,
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He is the door of the sheepfold,
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He is all of those things.
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And Ellen White
says this in council that
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when you cannot see
your way forward, gentlemen,
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she says that
sometimes it's good
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to look back over your shoulder.
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You know, just look back
to see where you come from
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when the
windshield is a little foggy,
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look in the rearview mirror,
and get your bearings that way
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and see where you've come from.
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And in doing so,
it will establish you
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one of the things you
will see is that God has been
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with you all the time.
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You've never really been alone.
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You don't want
to live in the past,
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but it's good to just
revisit the past, you know,
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every now and again to
see where you come from.
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Someone said, "The only thing
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worse than
nostalgia is amnesia."
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You know, you don't
want to live in the past,
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but you don't want
to forget about the past
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because she says that
we have nothing to fear,
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Luis, for the future.
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That's right.
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Lest we forget the way
God has led us in the past.
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So every now and again,
it's good to just look over
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your shoulder and
see what God has done
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and it gives you
encouragement that the same God
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that has gotten us this
far will get us safely home
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if we hold on to him.
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So that's what
we want to do today.
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Before the day is out, I
want each of these gentlemen
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to take a little
time and just tell us
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how they came to the
Lord, then we're going to look
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at the Lord's keeping
power as a good shepherd
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because He does so
many things for us, to us,
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with us, and through us.
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So we want to talk about
all of those kinds of things
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because it is encouraging to see
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how God has led and blessed
us over the years of our lives.
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Eric, how long
have you been in church?
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I've been in
church since 2002. 2002.
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I was baptized
straight out of the military.
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Changed my life,
changed my heart,
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and I decided that I
wanted to take a new track,
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which was serving the Lord.
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All right, Luis, how long?
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I was born on a
Thursday, and on Sabbath,
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I was at church.
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Truth be told.
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Amen and amen.
That's the way it is.
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Amen. Jorge?
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My whole life,
my whole entire life
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I've been blessed because
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I was a part of a
missionary family.
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So being in the church,
specifically all my life,
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I'm not going to
tell you how long though.
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Okay. Long time, long enough.
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Praise the Lord.
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And we want to talk
about that because it is,
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as you gentlemen well
know, it is one thing to be
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in the church, another
thing to be in the Lord.
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One thing to be born
in an Adventist home,
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another thing to be
born again in Christ Jesus.
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So your church membership
may not necessarily coincide
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with your new birth experience.
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They may be two different dates.
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You're a little
new, Bryan. Very new.
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I started going back to
the church two years ago
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in the Lutheran Church.
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And this past summer, of course,
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I got introduced to you,
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and you started
me in Bible study.
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And by December 2,
this past year in 2017,
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I got baptized.
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Praise the Lord. Yeah, you know.
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Praise the Lord. For rebirth.
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Amen.
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Gary, how long
you're in a church?
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I was raised in a
Seventh-day Adventist home,
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so since my birth, yeah.
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Okay, all right, very good.
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We're going to have you guys
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sort of fleshed
out just a little bit.
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I want to go to
prayer, and I think, Jorge,
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I'll ask you to pray for us
and then we'll just, sort of,
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launch out in what
we want to talk about.
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Let's pray.
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Dear Heavenly Father,
thank You, Lord Jesus,
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for bringing us together
here as brothers and friends
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and your children.
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Thank You, Lord, for
the opportunity to witness,
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to express special way
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that you have
touched our hearts.
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And thank You,
Lord, for the opportunity
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also to share
this with our friends,
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our dear viewers that
are watching this program
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in this Sabbath day.
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Keep us, Lord, with
You in our minds and hearts
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centered in Your
word, and thank You, Lord,
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also for giving
us that blessed hope
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that You sooner coming
to put together children
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for all over the
world and bring us together
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to live with You forever.
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Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for many, many blessings.
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And please be with
us, be our special guest
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during this program,
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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I've told the story
once or twice before,
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but I was the only
Adventist in my family.
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We lived next door to
some kids that we played with
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during the week, and
they lived behind a gate.
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And we noticed that on Saturday,
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we couldn't come inside
the gate and play with them.
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You know, as children you,
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sort of, follow
that in your mind,
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but I think you're
aware that this one day,
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we couldn't play with them.
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And then they would
all pile into this car
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and just disappear.
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You know,
everybody just get in a car
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and just
disappear, every Saturday,
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they just disappear.
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And we moved to
another part of the city,
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and wouldn't you know, we
moved right across the street
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from some people, with
that same weird behavior.
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You know, every Saturday,
everybody piles in the car
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and just disappears, you know.
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And the boy was my age,
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and the girl
was my sister's age,
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she is by a year and
half older than I am.
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And one day I asked him, I said,
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"Where do you
guys go on Saturday
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when you all just disappear?"
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'Cause, you know, they'd get
in the car early in the morning
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and gone whole day.
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And he said, "We
go to Sabbath school,"
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which meant nothing to
me because my parents were,
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kind of, like
holiday Methodists,
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you know, Easter, and New Years,
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that kind of thing.
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And so I said, "Okay, next
week when you go and disappear,
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I want to go with you,
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and I want to
disappear with you."
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And so we went
to Sabbath school.
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We went into a
Sabbath school class
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and there was a teacher,
her name was Mildred Willis,
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she became Mildred Gil.
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Sweetest thing, I was, I guess,
8 or 9, she may have been 18,
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or 19, maybe 20.
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But she was such a wonderful,
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first of all, she was beautiful,
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and she was such a
sweet Sabbath school teacher.
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And when you got
the question right,
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she would actually
stroke your cheek and say,
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"Very good. "
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You know, and the kids
would answer the questions,
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and she says, "Very good. "
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And I say, you know
what, next week I'm getting
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the very good, you know.
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I'm going to get a very good.
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So I got my
little friend, you know,
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the little one, that little...
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and I studied, studied, studied,
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and the first
question she asked, you know,
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my hand is up.
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And she called at me,
and I gave the right answer.
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She came over she
said, "Very good. "
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I was, like, I like
that. I like Sabbath school.
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So I'm hooked, so
I'm in Sabbath school,
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you know, every
Sabbath kind of thing.
00:09:36.20\00:09:38.21
And then about a year
later, she got married.
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And she married
Pastor Conrad Gill,
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and we hated Conrad.
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You know, because he took
away our Sabbath school teacher.
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And everybody hated him.
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And it's funny, when he
was working at the seminary,
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when I got to the seminary,
00:09:50.25\00:09:51.59
he was on faculty at
the Andrews University.
00:09:51.62\00:09:54.76
And I said, "Man, I've
been hating you for 27 years.
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I was hating you
since I was a child. "
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And I talked with Mildred,
just she is in Atlanta now,
00:10:01.10\00:10:05.10
they are retired,
just a few weeks ago.
00:10:05.13\00:10:06.97
And I reminded
her how a wonderful
00:10:07.00\00:10:09.20
Sabbath school teacher she was.
00:10:09.24\00:10:10.64
And it's interesting
because how you interface
00:10:10.67\00:10:14.01
with a young person can
make an impression very early.
00:10:14.04\00:10:16.24
Absolutely, yes.
00:10:16.28\00:10:17.61
Because from the very
first Sabbath, I was hooked.
00:10:17.65\00:10:18.98
I'm coming to church. Yes.
00:10:19.01\00:10:20.35
A year and a half
later, I'm baptized.
00:10:20.38\00:10:21.72
You know, I'm the only one
in my family, my mother said,
00:10:21.75\00:10:23.18
"It's not for me,
but if you want to do it
00:10:23.22\00:10:25.52
I will not stop you. "
00:10:25.55\00:10:26.89
And she trusted Adventists
'cause when we jumped in a car
00:10:26.92\00:10:28.92
and disappeared all day,
my mother never questioned
00:10:28.96\00:10:31.99
because she knew I
was with the Adventists,
00:10:32.03\00:10:34.06
so she never questioned.
00:10:34.10\00:10:36.06
Then, did a week of
prayer, baptized my mom,
00:10:36.10\00:10:39.03
baptized my dad one month
00:10:39.07\00:10:40.40
before he had
heart attack and died.
00:10:40.44\00:10:41.97
So you can see the continuum.
00:10:42.00\00:10:44.67
Had wilderness years, you know,
and sometimes when I question
00:10:44.71\00:10:47.94
what I was doing, but
the idea of not serving
00:10:47.98\00:10:50.38
the Lord never occurred to me.
00:10:50.41\00:10:51.75
You know, I'd
complain, I got to go to church
00:10:51.78\00:10:54.08
and my mother said, "Don't go."
00:10:54.12\00:10:56.08
And I said, "No, I got to go. "
00:10:56.12\00:10:57.59
But it never occurred to
me that I could just stop
00:10:57.62\00:10:59.62
because I told the Lord I would.
00:10:59.65\00:11:01.96
So all of those teenage years
when I was kind of irritating
00:11:01.99\00:11:04.76
to me, I went in His way
because God never told me
00:11:04.79\00:11:08.86
that I got a past,
so I kept on going.
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.93
And now I see why.
00:11:11.97\00:11:13.30
We got my dad in, my
mom in, my sister in,
00:11:13.34\00:11:15.97
and we praise the Lord for that
by coming to the Lord at age 9,
00:11:16.00\00:11:20.21
baptized at age 10.
00:11:20.24\00:11:21.58
Back then they
kept you in baptism,
00:11:21.61\00:11:22.94
I guess, a long time.
00:11:22.98\00:11:24.31
You know, you give your heart
to the Lord, and for about six,
00:11:24.35\00:11:26.95
eight months, almost a
year, they are making sure
00:11:26.98\00:11:28.98
you're Adventist, you
know, before you keep baptizing.
00:11:29.02\00:11:32.72
I gave my heart at 9,
didn't get in the water till 10
00:11:32.75\00:11:35.66
because they make
sure before they get to it.
00:11:35.69\00:11:38.59
Gary? Anybody else? How
did you come to the Lord?
00:11:38.63\00:11:41.53
Well, you know, when
you asked me that question
00:11:41.56\00:11:43.26
I was kind of thinking about it
00:11:43.30\00:11:44.63
because I don't
have like a moment
00:11:44.67\00:11:47.04
where it just happened or
some people have that moment
00:11:47.07\00:11:48.70
where they really
should, it just you know,
00:11:48.74\00:11:50.24
they just know the Lord
is near on me and everything.
00:11:50.27\00:11:52.17
I don't always feel
like I ever had that.
00:11:52.21\00:11:54.74
I grew up knowing
about God and praying.
00:11:54.78\00:11:56.81
And we went to
church every Sabbath,
00:11:56.85\00:11:58.28
I loved the songs
at Sabbath school,
00:11:58.31\00:11:59.65
like you're talking about.
00:11:59.68\00:12:01.58
It is funny that
I learned early on
00:12:01.62\00:12:05.25
that you could pray to God
00:12:05.29\00:12:07.16
and He would
answer your prayers.
00:12:07.19\00:12:08.52
And we had this old car
that you pray to get it start,
00:12:08.56\00:12:12.39
and the Lord always
answered that prayer.
00:12:12.43\00:12:14.46
Whenever my sister and I
prayed that this car we started,
00:12:14.50\00:12:16.70
so I knew that God
answered prayers early on.
00:12:16.73\00:12:21.94
And I knew that He was
calling me into follow Him,
00:12:21.97\00:12:26.04
but there was...
00:12:26.07\00:12:27.41
I wanted to be on my
own as a young person,
00:12:27.44\00:12:30.45
so I always resisted that.
00:12:30.48\00:12:33.21
I wanted to be
different, you know,
00:12:33.25\00:12:34.58
there's a thing
that God's people
00:12:34.62\00:12:37.09
are His peculiar treasure,
I didn't want to be peculiar.
00:12:37.12\00:12:39.19
I wanted to be like
the world, and I want to do
00:12:39.22\00:12:40.79
what the world, my friends,
I don't want to be peculiar.
00:12:40.82\00:12:43.49
And so for a long
time, I resisted that.
00:12:43.53\00:12:45.73
But the Lord
kept calling me back,
00:12:45.76\00:12:48.96
and I felt like my life
was almost been like Jonah.
00:12:49.00\00:12:51.67
He would call me,
I would come close,
00:12:51.70\00:12:54.10
and then I would get
scared or I would be enticed
00:12:54.14\00:12:57.71
with something, say I
want to try something,
00:12:57.74\00:12:59.07
so then I would walk away.
00:12:59.11\00:13:01.84
And so that my testimony,
I feel like is for people
00:13:01.88\00:13:04.61
who feel like
they have let God down
00:13:04.65\00:13:06.72
because He's
called them to ministry
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.38
or He called
them to do something
00:13:08.42\00:13:09.75
and they turn their back on Him.
00:13:09.78\00:13:11.72
God's still there,
God's still calling you.
00:13:11.75\00:13:14.16
He's not going to turn
away from His purpose for you.
00:13:14.19\00:13:17.46
You may turn away
from His purpose for you,
00:13:17.49\00:13:19.46
but He's not going to.
00:13:19.49\00:13:20.83
He's going to
keep calling you back.
00:13:20.86\00:13:22.26
So if, you know,
you're feeling like,
00:13:22.30\00:13:23.90
"Well, you know, I
can't, I can't come back to God.
00:13:23.93\00:13:27.27
I can't do anything for
God, I made myself unworthy. "
00:13:27.30\00:13:30.91
God will keep calling you back.
00:13:30.94\00:13:33.38
And as you
surrender, and you listen.
00:13:33.41\00:13:35.31
And that's the
thing is John 10:27 says,
00:13:35.34\00:13:38.91
"My sheep hear My voice. "
00:13:38.95\00:13:40.28
Yes.
00:13:40.32\00:13:41.65
And that's something
I've been learning my life
00:13:41.68\00:13:43.08
is to actually hear and listen,
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.79
and now I'm
learning to obey the voice.
00:13:45.82\00:13:47.66
Amen.
00:13:47.69\00:13:49.19
Here's what I found also,
Gary, God is not thin-skinned.
00:13:49.22\00:13:52.63
You know, He's not
so easily offended.
00:13:52.66\00:13:54.43
God is really tough,
you know. That's right.
00:13:54.46\00:13:56.67
And just because
you rebuff Him one time,
00:13:56.70\00:13:59.07
He's not done with you.
00:13:59.10\00:14:00.44
No. Praise God.
00:14:00.47\00:14:01.80
He's not done, He's coming back.
00:14:01.84\00:14:03.17
And He's coming back.
00:14:03.20\00:14:04.54
Now the thing is we never know
when that last call will be.
00:14:04.57\00:14:07.58
And you can, kind of,
harden your heart, you know,
00:14:07.61\00:14:09.91
but He's not that thin-skinned
so just you say because
00:14:09.94\00:14:12.21
"No, I don't want You, today. "
00:14:12.25\00:14:13.58
Doesn't mean He's not going
be there tomorrow knocking again
00:14:13.62\00:14:15.52
because He loves
us just that much.
00:14:15.55\00:14:17.72
Anybody else?
00:14:17.75\00:14:19.09
Well, I was listening
to Gary and, you know,
00:14:19.12\00:14:25.66
there are some
times I've been thinking,
00:14:25.69\00:14:28.46
"When was the time,
when was that moment,
00:14:28.50\00:14:31.73
when was those...
00:14:31.77\00:14:33.30
Some people describe certain
special event that happens
00:14:33.34\00:14:37.54
and all of the sudden
their life has changed?"
00:14:37.57\00:14:41.04
I was born in a family my...
00:14:41.08\00:14:44.91
That was Adventist
family. My father was a pastor.
00:14:44.95\00:14:49.18
He passed away not too long ago.
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.15
And so I was
exposed, if you will,
00:14:51.19\00:14:55.39
to the teachings of
the Adventist church from
00:14:55.42\00:14:59.49
since I remember.
00:14:59.53\00:15:02.06
But some time in my life,
I decided to forget about it
00:15:02.10\00:15:08.44
to not to just follow
those teachings anymore.
00:15:08.47\00:15:14.01
And it was quite a
few years for a long time.
00:15:14.04\00:15:18.35
I didn't go...
00:15:18.38\00:15:19.81
If I go to church, I will
go probably for the sermon
00:15:19.85\00:15:24.49
after a long Friday night
having fun with my friends.
00:15:24.52\00:15:28.02
And it was the saddest
state of things in my life.
00:15:28.06\00:15:33.66
I had a lot of
loneliness, and then I remember
00:15:33.70\00:15:38.40
one time going
back with my wife,
00:15:38.43\00:15:43.54
we're going back to
just looking for a place
00:15:43.57\00:15:46.07
to fellowship and go to church,
it was in Basque Washington.
00:15:46.11\00:15:52.51
And I injured
my Achilles tendon,
00:15:52.55\00:15:57.45
so I went to this
physical therapist.
00:15:57.49\00:16:01.76
The guy happened
to be an Adventist.
00:16:01.79\00:16:03.46
So we started talking.
00:16:03.49\00:16:04.83
And said, "Yeah, I will... "
00:16:04.86\00:16:06.33
I'm kind of, but
in between, I guess.
00:16:06.36\00:16:09.86
He said, "Come to our
church, come next Sabbath. "
00:16:09.90\00:16:14.24
"Okay," I told,
"Lynette, let's go.
00:16:14.27\00:16:16.34
Let's go to this church. "
Okay, he's a very nice guy.
00:16:16.37\00:16:21.81
Okay, this is
what changed my life.
00:16:21.84\00:16:24.25
From then on, I never...
00:16:24.28\00:16:28.72
I always think
that that was the moment
00:16:28.75\00:16:30.65
that really God
touched my heart.
00:16:30.69\00:16:34.09
We go to the church,
we are going to the foyer,
00:16:34.12\00:16:38.79
and this lady comes
kind of running to us.
00:16:38.83\00:16:42.70
And she said, "Are you
a friend of so and so?"
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.73
"Yes. "
00:16:45.77\00:16:47.10
I wasn't aware, we were
not even friends, but to say,
00:16:47.14\00:16:48.47
"Yes, we are friends. "
00:16:48.50\00:16:49.84
And she gave us Lynette
and me a big hug, and she said,
00:16:49.87\00:16:53.51
"You're mine. "
00:16:53.54\00:16:58.68
That is even...
00:16:58.71\00:17:00.05
I feel emotional, even
now when I remember that
00:17:00.08\00:17:01.88
because Jan is going
to hear this story forever
00:17:01.92\00:17:05.69
because to
world, we tell the story
00:17:05.72\00:17:07.16
because it seems such a change,
00:17:07.19\00:17:09.52
life-changing experience for us.
00:17:09.56\00:17:10.96
But somebody to
come to you, sent by God,
00:17:10.99\00:17:14.23
there's no doubt about it.
00:17:14.26\00:17:16.77
Give us a hug and she
says, "You are mine. "
00:17:16.80\00:17:20.27
And so I said, "Oh," that is
Jesus telling me that I'm His.
00:17:20.30\00:17:25.51
Even so, like you said,
and you said it so well.
00:17:25.54\00:17:28.51
He has a thick skin.
00:17:28.54\00:17:30.78
He doesn't, you know, take it...
00:17:30.81\00:17:33.31
He doesn't take
no for answer either.
00:17:33.35\00:17:35.12
No, no, very true.
00:17:35.15\00:17:37.39
If there's a
moment that I can tell,
00:17:37.42\00:17:39.35
that I can say that
I gave my heart to God,
00:17:39.39\00:17:42.19
to Jesus was then
because the rest of my life
00:17:42.22\00:17:45.33
was a vanilla.
00:17:45.36\00:17:46.70
You know, always
enjoying the little meetings,
00:17:46.73\00:17:50.53
the friends...
00:17:50.57\00:17:51.90
the go away parties
00:17:55.50\00:17:58.47
at the end of the
year with friends,
00:17:58.51\00:18:00.21
and camping, and all this things
00:18:00.24\00:18:02.84
that a church
does, and you just spend
00:18:02.88\00:18:04.95
through life enjoying
those things, it's okay.
00:18:04.98\00:18:08.28
But the real
close encounter was...
00:18:08.32\00:18:11.09
was that day, that's how.
00:18:11.12\00:18:13.99
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:18:14.02\00:18:17.76
Well, I was born
into the Baptist Church
00:18:17.79\00:18:21.23
in Brooklyn, New York.
00:18:21.26\00:18:23.43
And my mother, she saw
the track that I was going on,
00:18:23.47\00:18:28.17
I was partying in, and
hanging out with friends,
00:18:28.20\00:18:30.27
and she gave me
this little blue Bible.
00:18:30.31\00:18:32.54
And I still have it to this day,
00:18:32.57\00:18:33.91
but the words are too small now,
00:18:33.94\00:18:35.28
I can't read them.
00:18:35.31\00:18:37.65
But it's more of a
sentimental item now
00:18:37.68\00:18:39.98
because of what it did for me.
00:18:40.02\00:18:43.15
I've always been
very, very curious.
00:18:43.18\00:18:45.39
Things just have
to make sense for me.
00:18:45.42\00:18:47.99
And I would read the
Bible, and the Bible would say
00:18:48.02\00:18:50.99
certain things, and
the church wouldn't follow
00:18:51.03\00:18:54.40
those things like,
"Why are we going to church
00:18:54.43\00:18:56.46
on Sundays instead of Saturday?"
00:18:56.50\00:18:57.83
Things along that line
and it just didn't make sense.
00:18:57.87\00:19:01.80
So because of that, I
sort of lost interest and,
00:19:01.84\00:19:03.77
of course, the
friends and the parties,
00:19:03.81\00:19:05.44
you just kind of get
distracted by those things,
00:19:05.47\00:19:07.44
and you're often running.
00:19:07.48\00:19:10.58
But when I look back,
I see the way the Lord
00:19:10.61\00:19:12.78
protected me because
growing up in New York City,
00:19:12.81\00:19:16.79
as a young black man is
dangerous, lots of violence,
00:19:16.82\00:19:21.59
lots of problems,
lots of gang shootings,
00:19:21.62\00:19:24.03
lots of things like that.
00:19:24.06\00:19:25.59
And through it
all, I was untouched.
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.93
Never broke a bone in my
life, never got hurt, stabbed,
00:19:27.96\00:19:31.70
shot, anything like that.
00:19:31.73\00:19:33.07
And some of the places I
went to, some of the parties,
00:19:33.10\00:19:35.27
there were bullets flying,
00:19:35.30\00:19:36.64
and we just had
to get out of there.
00:19:36.67\00:19:39.57
At my mother's
funeral, just about everyone
00:19:39.61\00:19:43.24
that came up to me
said, "Eric, you have no idea
00:19:43.28\00:19:46.41
how much your
mother prayed for you. "
00:19:46.45\00:19:48.88
And even to this day,
people still keep saying,
00:19:48.92\00:19:52.32
the same person,
"Your mother prayed for you.
00:19:52.35\00:19:54.39
You have no idea how
much she prayed for you. "
00:19:54.42\00:19:57.79
And every time they say
that, it reinforces in my mind
00:19:57.83\00:20:00.83
that there is no
prayer, in my opinion,
00:20:00.86\00:20:04.30
in the universe that's
stronger than a mother's prayer.
00:20:04.33\00:20:10.11
And it led me to the church.
00:20:10.14\00:20:13.78
I was in the military,
00:20:13.81\00:20:15.24
living typical
military lifestyle.
00:20:15.28\00:20:17.68
And I was in
Bossier City, Louisiana.
00:20:17.71\00:20:22.42
And I saw this radio
station, this television station
00:20:22.45\00:20:25.95
come on the air,
but I couldn't read it.
00:20:25.99\00:20:27.86
I couldn't, I
could barely hear it,
00:20:27.89\00:20:30.26
and I couldn't see
it 'cause it was hazy,
00:20:30.29\00:20:32.89
but it was 3ABN.
00:20:32.93\00:20:34.76
And as soon as I heard
it, I said, "That's it.
00:20:34.80\00:20:38.10
That's what I've
been waiting for. "
00:20:38.13\00:20:39.47
They talked about
the Sabbath truth,
00:20:39.50\00:20:40.84
the state of the dead,
00:20:40.87\00:20:42.20
and the
Antichrist, things like that.
00:20:42.24\00:20:43.57
And it was all making
sense, and I was flipping
00:20:43.61\00:20:45.24
through my Bible, I'm like,
"I've been looking for this,
00:20:45.27\00:20:46.84
I've been looking for this,
I've been looking for this. "
00:20:46.88\00:20:50.35
All along the
way, prior to that,
00:20:50.38\00:20:52.18
I was at the post office.
00:20:52.21\00:20:54.32
And this was a
couple years before that,
00:20:54.35\00:20:57.39
and a man came up to me
and he said, a really tall man,
00:20:57.42\00:21:00.32
and he said, "You need this. "
00:21:00.36\00:21:03.53
And I'm like, "Okay" You
know, you take it from him,
00:21:03.56\00:21:06.43
you say okay,
he's just some guy.
00:21:06.46\00:21:08.83
And I kind of
flipped through it all,
00:21:08.86\00:21:10.20
it was that religious
stuff, and I threw it in
00:21:10.23\00:21:11.70
what I call the junk drawer.
00:21:11.73\00:21:13.54
And it's spent
three years there,
00:21:13.57\00:21:15.30
just kind of
cycling in the junk drawer.
00:21:15.34\00:21:16.87
You clean it out, and
clump to the top, and, you know,
00:21:16.91\00:21:19.44
you throw it back in there,
00:21:19.47\00:21:20.81
and it's amazing I
never threw it out.
00:21:20.84\00:21:22.18
And one day, I read it.
00:21:22.21\00:21:23.55
And it talked
about the same thing.
00:21:23.58\00:21:25.28
So all along the way,
00:21:25.31\00:21:26.65
God was leading
me towards the truth.
00:21:26.68\00:21:29.75
And right after
9/11, I told my pastor,
00:21:29.78\00:21:34.36
"I don't know if I'm getting
sent off to the Middle East.
00:21:34.39\00:21:36.96
I don't know if I'm coming
back because of the assignment
00:21:36.99\00:21:40.33
that they had me on,
and I want to be baptized. "
00:21:40.36\00:21:44.93
And he had a special
baptism for me doing a crusade.
00:21:44.97\00:21:48.27
And the strangest thing happened
00:21:48.30\00:21:50.41
after I got baptized
about a month or two later,
00:21:50.44\00:21:52.97
the military just released me.
00:21:53.01\00:21:55.11
They said, "You can
go. Your time's up. "
00:21:55.14\00:21:58.41
Prior to that, I
was on the extension
00:21:58.45\00:22:00.02
because of the war,
and they just let me go.
00:22:00.05\00:22:03.82
And after that, I
got a job at Maryland,
00:22:03.85\00:22:06.65
and the Lord just
blessed me ever since.
00:22:06.69\00:22:09.46
Yeah. Amen.
00:22:09.49\00:22:10.83
Amen. Praise the
God, praise the God.
00:22:10.86\00:22:12.23
I'm just thinking
here, I was trying to...
00:22:12.26\00:22:15.20
Being born in a
communist country,
00:22:15.23\00:22:16.93
you have to make a
decision for God early.
00:22:16.97\00:22:19.37
In Cuba.
00:22:19.40\00:22:20.74
Yeah, being born
in Cuba, you have to.
00:22:20.77\00:22:22.90
There's no in between.
00:22:22.94\00:22:24.84
You're either an
Adventist or you're not.
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.38
You're either a
Christian or you're not.
00:22:27.41\00:22:29.54
So from childhood, I
saw victory over victory
00:22:29.58\00:22:32.75
over victory of
how powerful God is
00:22:32.78\00:22:35.22
and what He was able
to do for our church,
00:22:35.25\00:22:37.49
what He was able
to do for our members,
00:22:37.52\00:22:39.75
how He was able
to help individuals
00:22:39.79\00:22:42.49
that were in
desperate situations.
00:22:42.52\00:22:44.96
So I fell in love with
God at an early, early age.
00:22:44.99\00:22:47.66
I remember when I was
baptized, I was 11 years old.
00:22:47.70\00:22:50.80
And I told this story before,
but the day I was baptized,
00:22:50.83\00:22:54.94
some guys had left the
prison because when you hit 16,
00:22:54.97\00:22:59.47
you have to go to the army.
00:22:59.51\00:23:02.71
You have to serve
for from 16 to 20,
00:23:02.74\00:23:06.28
you have no choice.
00:23:06.31\00:23:08.52
And they had slipped
because they didn't want
00:23:08.55\00:23:09.95
to work on the Sabbath.
00:23:09.98\00:23:11.32
So my mom and my dad,
00:23:11.35\00:23:12.69
my grandparents
weren't there for my baptism.
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.99
And it was like
if it was yesterday
00:23:15.02\00:23:17.33
I'm looking over.
00:23:17.36\00:23:18.76
And when I got home, I was
kind of teary eyed, and said,
00:23:18.79\00:23:21.60
"You guys weren't there. "
00:23:21.63\00:23:22.96
And they said, "Son, God send us
00:23:23.00\00:23:24.97
another son that needed to
take care of at that moment. "
00:23:25.00\00:23:27.84
and I understood, understood
right away that ministry
00:23:27.87\00:23:32.77
comes before anything else.
00:23:32.81\00:23:36.11
But at that moment,
that's when I realized
00:23:36.14\00:23:39.58
my earthly
parents weren't there,
00:23:39.61\00:23:42.35
but my Heavenly
Father saw me baptized.
00:23:42.38\00:23:44.92
You know, and
from that moment on,
00:23:44.95\00:23:46.79
I have never, never had
a moment where I deviated.
00:23:46.82\00:23:51.79
I've always had issues.
00:23:51.83\00:23:53.19
There's always, you
know, how your mind goes
00:23:53.23\00:23:55.23
and you feel that
that God is fading away
00:23:55.26\00:23:58.63
or you were in a path or
you're doing your own live
00:23:58.67\00:24:03.81
and you're not really
spending time with Him,
00:24:03.84\00:24:06.07
but now that I
see, now, you know,
00:24:06.11\00:24:08.54
I'm involved
with prison ministries
00:24:08.58\00:24:09.94
and all, at all the time.
00:24:09.98\00:24:11.35
You get them raise your hands,
00:24:11.38\00:24:12.75
"I was saved at
1972 at 12:00 at night. "
00:24:12.78\00:24:17.09
You know, you
hear those stories,
00:24:17.12\00:24:19.15
but then when you
see the victories,
00:24:19.19\00:24:21.46
and you see the power of
God, how could you ever fall out
00:24:21.49\00:24:25.03
of love from Him?
00:24:25.06\00:24:26.39
Amen. You just can't.
00:24:26.43\00:24:28.63
Yeah, praise the
Lord, praise God.
00:24:28.66\00:24:30.57
Bryan, I guess.
00:24:30.60\00:24:31.93
Yeah, well, as a
child growing up, you know,
00:24:31.97\00:24:36.20
I went to many
different churches.
00:24:36.24\00:24:38.01
I went to everything
from a Baptist church
00:24:38.04\00:24:40.61
to a Methodist church.
00:24:40.64\00:24:42.28
And then I started
going to Lutheran Church
00:24:42.31\00:24:44.31
my early teen years.
00:24:44.35\00:24:45.75
And whenever I was
around 13 years of age,
00:24:45.78\00:24:49.45
I was baptized and
confirmed Lutheran.
00:24:49.48\00:24:52.15
Unfortunately, during
my later teenage years,
00:24:52.19\00:24:55.02
I started falling
out of the church.
00:24:55.06\00:24:56.86
I lost a friend and
a pretty dear friend,
00:24:56.89\00:25:01.10
and it was kind of
bad for a lot of us,
00:25:01.13\00:25:04.47
and so I kind of
started falling out
00:25:04.50\00:25:07.14
of the church a little bit.
00:25:07.17\00:25:08.50
And then again in my
20s, I lost another friend.
00:25:08.54\00:25:13.38
So I, kind of, started
leading the party lifestyle too.
00:25:13.41\00:25:17.81
You know, a lot
of drinking, smoking,
00:25:17.85\00:25:19.51
and going to
parties all the time.
00:25:19.55\00:25:24.29
And I went through a marriage
and got divorced from that.
00:25:24.32\00:25:28.29
But, you know,
about nine years ago,
00:25:28.32\00:25:30.96
I was finally to like
the lowest part of my life.
00:25:30.99\00:25:34.23
And, you know, I
kept saying, you know,
00:25:34.26\00:25:37.97
"What I'm going to do?
00:25:38.00\00:25:39.83
I feel so bad about the
things that have happened,
00:25:39.87\00:25:42.40
I don't know how to
feel good anymore. "
00:25:42.44\00:25:44.31
You know, and I knew I
needed to stop smoking,
00:25:44.34\00:25:46.74
I knew I needed
to do all of that.
00:25:46.78\00:25:48.64
I was, like, "God, how
am I going to stop smoking?"
00:25:48.68\00:25:51.01
You know, and it's like...
00:25:51.05\00:25:52.58
And, you know, I kept praying
about it, and He's, like,
00:25:52.61\00:25:54.62
"Oh, first, you
got to stop drinking. "
00:25:54.65\00:25:56.15
I was like, "Okay. "
00:25:56.18\00:25:57.95
So i stopped drinking.
00:25:57.99\00:25:59.89
Then two months later
after I stop drinking,
00:25:59.92\00:26:01.92
I stopped smoking, you
know, and then I started going
00:26:01.96\00:26:04.76
to gyms and
started working out better.
00:26:04.79\00:26:06.36
But I still
wasn't feeling great.
00:26:06.39\00:26:08.53
You know, it's like,
"Well, what do I need
00:26:08.56\00:26:10.33
to do from here?"
00:26:10.37\00:26:11.70
You know, I'm doing
all this working out,
00:26:11.73\00:26:13.07
and, you know, it's just...
00:26:13.10\00:26:14.44
But I'm still not feeling good.
00:26:14.47\00:26:16.14
You know, I work out
but I still feel lethargic,
00:26:16.17\00:26:19.11
you know, and finally I sat down
00:26:19.14\00:26:22.54
and watched a movie, you
know, one of those documentaries
00:26:22.58\00:26:27.68
about what you should
eat and stuff like that.
00:26:27.72\00:26:30.19
So Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,
00:26:30.22\00:26:32.59
if anybody's ever
actually seen that.
00:26:32.62\00:26:34.69
And I was like,
"Hey, let's get a juicer."
00:26:34.72\00:26:37.26
So I started juicing,
and started eating right,
00:26:37.29\00:26:39.89
and then I started, you
know, researching different ways
00:26:39.93\00:26:43.57
of eating, well,
that was brought about
00:26:43.60\00:26:45.97
about the first
time that I heard of
00:26:46.00\00:26:47.47
Seventh-day Adventist was about
00:26:47.50\00:26:49.60
how they eat and how
their lives styles are.
00:26:49.64\00:26:51.97
And it was like, "Oh,
that's pretty interesting. "
00:26:52.01\00:26:53.71
You know, I didn't dab
into it any further than that.
00:26:53.74\00:26:56.85
But after a few years of that,
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.25
then I started
going to church again.
00:26:59.28\00:27:01.52
And I started going
back to the Lutheran church.
00:27:01.55\00:27:04.09
And as I was there
in the church, you know,
00:27:04.12\00:27:05.85
it's like I felt
good for about an hour,
00:27:05.89\00:27:09.86
while I was
there and after I left.
00:27:09.89\00:27:12.39
But I started noticing
that I wasn't really looking
00:27:12.43\00:27:15.83
into the Bible and
what it says anymore.
00:27:15.86\00:27:18.43
I was just, you know,
going there and, you know,
00:27:18.47\00:27:21.80
taking communion, you
know, getting blessed,
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.67
but an hour
later after I'm gone,
00:27:24.71\00:27:26.98
"What actually happened?"
00:27:27.01\00:27:28.41
And the feeling
wasn't quite there.
00:27:28.44\00:27:32.31
And then, you know, last
year, I got introduced to,
00:27:32.35\00:27:36.79
who is now my wife.
00:27:36.82\00:27:38.89
And she started, you know,
00:27:38.92\00:27:40.92
showing me the truth
from what the Bible says.
00:27:40.96\00:27:44.69
And then she
introduced me to Pastor CA,
00:27:44.73\00:27:47.56
and he started me
on the Bible study.
00:27:47.60\00:27:50.97
And then I just couldn't
stop once I got into that.
00:27:51.00\00:27:54.47
It was... I just
kept going, you know,
00:27:54.50\00:27:57.77
and I just kept consuming
00:27:57.81\00:27:59.81
the Word of God and reading
what the Bible actually says.
00:27:59.84\00:28:04.95
And it was starting to
make sense, like you said,
00:28:04.98\00:28:07.82
the things were
starting to make sense.
00:28:07.85\00:28:10.39
And, you know, from
that point, you know,
00:28:10.42\00:28:12.89
I got baptized in December.
00:28:12.92\00:28:15.19
And, you know, me and my
wife just recently got married.
00:28:15.22\00:28:19.43
And right now, life has
been such a blessing to me, and,
00:28:19.46\00:28:23.80
you know, God has
finally brought me back to Him.
00:28:23.83\00:28:27.14
You know, and as
Hebrews 13:8 says, you know,
00:28:27.17\00:28:30.74
"Jesus is the same,
yesterday, today, and forever. "
00:28:30.77\00:28:35.78
And even though
my thoughts about Him
00:28:35.81\00:28:37.85
had changed throughout
the years in my teens,
00:28:37.88\00:28:41.28
20s, 30s, you know,
He's still the same.
00:28:41.32\00:28:44.89
He was still there for me
00:28:44.92\00:28:46.25
whenever I decided to come back.
00:28:46.29\00:28:48.59
And thank God I did. Yeah.
00:28:48.62\00:28:50.96
You know what's wonderful to me?
00:28:50.99\00:28:52.83
Every time I hear a
different testimony,
00:28:52.86\00:28:54.70
it's always
similar in the sense,
00:28:54.73\00:28:57.60
the Lord cleaned me up.
00:28:57.63\00:29:00.00
And when I tell my...
00:29:00.04\00:29:01.74
When I talk to Marilyn, my wife,
00:29:01.77\00:29:03.37
and we talk about
some of the things
00:29:03.41\00:29:04.87
I used to do, she says,
00:29:04.91\00:29:06.24
"Eric, I just
don't see that in you.
00:29:06.27\00:29:07.74
I don't see that at all. "
00:29:07.78\00:29:09.11
And to me, that's the
best feeling in the world.
00:29:09.14\00:29:11.38
You know, the
Lord cleans you up,
00:29:11.41\00:29:12.75
the things that you
used to love you hate,
00:29:12.78\00:29:14.12
the things that you
used to hate you love.
00:29:14.15\00:29:17.02
The things that
you love are good,
00:29:17.05\00:29:18.72
and righteous, and true.
00:29:18.75\00:29:21.36
I think that may be
the greatest testament
00:29:21.39\00:29:24.39
in John 1, it says, "To
as many as believed him,
00:29:24.43\00:29:27.30
to them gave He the
power to become sons of God. "
00:29:27.33\00:29:30.00
I'll stop it at power to become.
00:29:30.03\00:29:32.27
I think that's one
of the greatest gifts
00:29:32.30\00:29:33.77
that Christ gives you the
power to become, you know,
00:29:33.80\00:29:38.14
to move from what you
were to what you are now.
00:29:38.17\00:29:41.64
And so many times I was talking
to somebody other day, he said,
00:29:41.68\00:29:43.85
"I was a drunkard, I
was a mean drunkard. "
00:29:43.88\00:29:45.88
You know, some
people are happy drunks
00:29:45.91\00:29:47.25
and there are mean
drunks, some people, you know,
00:29:47.28\00:29:48.65
they drink, they get,
"Hey, everything is funny. "
00:29:48.68\00:29:50.39
Others get
really crass and mean.
00:29:50.42\00:29:53.32
He said, "I was a mean drunk"
and I said, "I don't see that.
00:29:53.36\00:29:55.96
I just don't see that in you. "
00:29:55.99\00:29:57.49
But that is how far
Christ can take you from
00:29:57.53\00:29:59.49
what you were to
what he wants you to.
00:29:59.53\00:30:01.16
He's given us
the power to become.
00:30:01.20\00:30:03.26
So I want to get into
this good shepherd reading.
00:30:03.30\00:30:05.43
And as I read, if anything
pops out at you, just stop me,
00:30:05.47\00:30:07.84
and just and then
kind of weigh in on this.
00:30:07.87\00:30:12.21
The Bible passage, excuse
me, that this is drawn from
00:30:12.24\00:30:16.14
is John 10, where
Jesus talks about himself
00:30:16.18\00:30:19.71
as the true shepherd.
00:30:19.75\00:30:22.05
Jesus said, "I am
the Good Shepherd.
00:30:22.08\00:30:23.65
I lay down my
life for my sheep."
00:30:23.69\00:30:27.72
Jesus always used
illustrations from life
00:30:27.76\00:30:31.36
that the people
were familiar with.
00:30:31.39\00:30:33.83
So He spoke about sheep
and how caring and protective
00:30:33.86\00:30:39.17
a shepherd is
representing Himself
00:30:39.20\00:30:41.84
and His hearers.
00:30:41.87\00:30:45.84
Also, He compared
himself to the gate that opens
00:30:45.87\00:30:49.18
and closes the sheep-pen.
00:30:49.21\00:30:51.28
He said anyone who
climbs over the fence
00:30:51.31\00:30:54.52
to get into the pen
is a thief or robber.
00:30:54.55\00:30:58.19
The true shepherd
goes in through the door.
00:30:58.22\00:31:01.66
I am the door, if
anyone wants to get into heaven
00:31:01.69\00:31:05.39
and comes through Me,
He will have spiritual life
00:31:05.43\00:31:09.30
more abundantly
and will be saved.
00:31:09.33\00:31:13.34
The only door to
heaven is Christ,
00:31:13.37\00:31:15.70
and all who have
placed something else
00:31:15.74\00:31:17.51
in the place of Christ
are like thieves and robbers
00:31:17.54\00:31:21.11
taking away
people's eternal life.
00:31:21.14\00:31:22.98
You know, when Christ
said, "I am the way, the truth,
00:31:23.01\00:31:25.91
and the life, no man cometh
unto the Father, but by Me. "
00:31:25.95\00:31:28.28
I have been studying
that over the last year.
00:31:28.32\00:31:30.85
I have thought that
that was restrictive,
00:31:30.89\00:31:34.59
that if you get in, you
got to come through Christ.
00:31:34.62\00:31:38.39
And the question that
I had in my own study is,
00:31:38.43\00:31:40.40
"What about the people
who never knew about Christ
00:31:40.43\00:31:43.47
the people who
lived in places, in lands
00:31:43.50\00:31:45.57
where they had no
knowledge of Christ?"
00:31:45.60\00:31:47.47
And I've had to
reevaluate what that means.
00:31:47.50\00:31:51.04
It is not only
restrictive, it is inclusive.
00:31:51.07\00:31:55.54
Christ is saying, in my mind,
00:31:55.58\00:31:57.58
I see it like this, Christ says,
00:31:57.61\00:31:59.85
"I am the way,"
He is the mechanism
00:31:59.88\00:32:02.75
by which we come to God.
00:32:02.78\00:32:04.65
If anyone gets to God, it
is because Christ has paved
00:32:04.69\00:32:09.12
that way, and
that includes those
00:32:09.16\00:32:11.99
who never knew who Christ was.
00:32:12.03\00:32:15.40
You have some guy
out in a jungle somewhere
00:32:15.43\00:32:19.37
who has not heard
the name of Jesus.
00:32:19.40\00:32:21.34
But in his
heart, when he looks up,
00:32:21.37\00:32:22.80
he knows there's
something bigger than you and I.
00:32:22.84\00:32:25.67
There's something
out there that's so...
00:32:25.71\00:32:27.74
What he knows is, "I
need to live a good life,
00:32:27.78\00:32:30.18
I need to live a moral
life, I need to take care
00:32:30.21\00:32:32.11
of my wife and children, I
need to know the best I can.
00:32:32.15\00:32:34.95
I don't know the Jesus story.
00:32:34.98\00:32:37.15
What I do know is that
there is someone out there
00:32:37.19\00:32:39.75
that loves me and I must give
an account to that someone."
00:32:39.79\00:32:44.56
Well, Christ has
already prepared the way that
00:32:44.59\00:32:47.30
that person gets
credit for the life the light
00:32:47.33\00:32:51.23
that he has.
00:32:51.27\00:32:53.10
So he has an
opportunity for eternal life
00:32:53.13\00:32:57.77
because Christ is the way.
00:32:57.81\00:32:59.57
So he has come to
the Father through Jesus,
00:32:59.61\00:33:02.44
even though he may not even
know the whole Gospel story,
00:33:02.48\00:33:05.41
but Christ has died to
prepare a way for that guy also
00:33:05.45\00:33:09.02
to make it to the
kingdom along with us.
00:33:09.05\00:33:11.19
So it's not narrow,
He's actually broadened it
00:33:11.22\00:33:15.06
for everyone to
have an opportunity
00:33:15.09\00:33:16.79
to get into the kingdom of God.
00:33:16.83\00:33:18.33
That's right.
00:33:18.36\00:33:19.69
So you're saying that
Jesus is pleading for him also.
00:33:19.73\00:33:21.26
Yes, sir.
00:33:21.30\00:33:22.63
He is the way, yeah, the way,
so we all come through Jesus
00:33:22.66\00:33:25.93
'cause Jesus has
opened the way for everyone
00:33:25.97\00:33:28.80
to make it through.
00:33:28.84\00:33:30.44
You know, the part that hits
me while you were reading is,
00:33:30.47\00:33:33.07
"Those who comes
through the side,
00:33:33.11\00:33:34.48
they are robbers."
00:33:34.51\00:33:35.84
You know, "They're thieves."
00:33:35.88\00:33:37.25
And as we go, and I know
when you do Bible studies
00:33:37.28\00:33:40.28
and things like
that to an individual
00:33:40.32\00:33:41.75
that haven't really accepted
00:33:41.78\00:33:43.62
the whole Bible teaching though,
00:33:43.65\00:33:45.22
everything that the
God is asking of you
00:33:45.25\00:33:48.42
to surrender fully
then you start understanding
00:33:48.46\00:33:51.93
how they're being
robbed off the relationship,
00:33:51.96\00:33:55.40
you know, those
who are wanting...
00:33:55.43\00:33:59.87
All I need I've
been saved by grace,
00:33:59.90\00:34:02.27
that's leave me there,
00:34:02.30\00:34:03.64
I don't want to
move anywhere else,
00:34:03.67\00:34:05.04
I am thankful continuing
my lifestyle the way it is.
00:34:05.07\00:34:09.14
You know, you can
see how the blessings
00:34:09.18\00:34:11.48
that we all have
felt, that we have said here
00:34:11.51\00:34:13.72
is being robbed from
them because they don't have
00:34:13.75\00:34:16.12
that full
connection to the shepherd.
00:34:16.15\00:34:20.16
You know, and it opened my
eyes as soon as you read it,
00:34:20.19\00:34:23.06
as soon as we were
reading, and it's like,
00:34:23.09\00:34:24.76
"Wow, that is what is it about,"
00:34:24.79\00:34:26.80
because once we come
through the front door,
00:34:26.83\00:34:29.96
once we connect with Jesus,
00:34:30.00\00:34:32.00
once we have that
full one-on-one with Him,
00:34:32.03\00:34:36.40
then we can do what
Matthew 16:24 that He says,
00:34:36.44\00:34:41.08
"If any man will come after Me,"
00:34:41.11\00:34:44.38
So first thing we need
to do is we go after Him.
00:34:44.41\00:34:46.92
Now and the
shepherd, He goes after us,
00:34:46.95\00:34:49.52
He continued to go
after us, but now He's saying,
00:34:49.55\00:34:51.95
"Hey, if you come after
Me," then what does it say,
00:34:51.99\00:34:55.16
you need to what?
00:34:55.19\00:34:56.52
"Deny self. "
00:34:56.56\00:34:57.89
If you deny self, then
you're going to understand.
00:34:57.93\00:35:01.36
And then it
continues and this says,
00:35:01.40\00:35:03.33
"Let him deny
himself and take up," what?
00:35:03.37\00:35:05.70
His cross. "His cross. "
00:35:05.73\00:35:08.14
You know, and
that's where we truly start
00:35:08.17\00:35:12.37
following the Good Shepherd.
00:35:12.41\00:35:14.58
And that just bring
so much joy to my life
00:35:14.61\00:35:17.58
because we our so responsible
for those who are around us,
00:35:17.61\00:35:23.49
and like you were talking,
CA, when you were converted,
00:35:23.52\00:35:26.42
there were two
families that got sent your way.
00:35:26.45\00:35:29.36
Had they not said
that example for you,
00:35:29.39\00:35:31.56
you may not be
sitting here today.
00:35:31.59\00:35:33.66
So each one of us
need to understand
00:35:33.70\00:35:35.56
when we are following,
we have to do deny self
00:35:35.60\00:35:38.60
because others are
expecting that of us.
00:35:38.63\00:35:42.00
And there are many
who only see Jesus in you.
00:35:42.04\00:35:44.87
At least the beginning
of what they see as Jesus,
00:35:44.91\00:35:46.98
they will see in you.
00:35:47.01\00:35:48.34
And we're missing it...
00:35:48.38\00:35:49.71
The truth is, the
earlier you get to Christ,
00:35:49.74\00:35:51.85
the less regrets
you have, you know.
00:35:51.88\00:35:56.42
The earlier you get in
there and stay with Him,
00:35:56.45\00:35:58.72
and you look back, you can see
00:35:58.75\00:36:00.09
where God has
guided you along the way.
00:36:00.12\00:36:01.66
Now God is so kind that those
will come at 9am get heaven,
00:36:01.69\00:36:07.06
those who come
at noon, get heaven,
00:36:07.10\00:36:09.03
those who come at
3 o'clock get heaven,
00:36:09.06\00:36:10.80
those who come just
before quitting time,
00:36:10.83\00:36:12.23
get the same heaven.
00:36:12.27\00:36:13.60
But that's just
the goodness of God,
00:36:13.64\00:36:15.10
but the truth is
if you come at 11...
00:36:15.14\00:36:19.37
10:59:50, you
get heaven, you know.
00:36:19.41\00:36:24.01
But think of all the time
you wasted during the day.
00:36:24.05\00:36:26.78
There were a
whole lot of blessings
00:36:26.82\00:36:28.15
that you could have
gotten, a lot of things
00:36:28.18\00:36:29.88
God wanted to do for you,
with you, to you, through you,
00:36:29.92\00:36:32.52
that He couldn't do
00:36:32.55\00:36:33.89
because you
weren't walking with Him.
00:36:33.92\00:36:35.26
Now He's so loving,
00:36:35.29\00:36:36.62
He doesn't shut
you out of heaven,
00:36:36.66\00:36:37.99
but you shut yourself
off from alas, good stuff
00:36:38.03\00:36:40.96
that you could
have gotten had you come
00:36:41.00\00:36:42.33
at 9o'clock in the morning,
instead of 10 o'clock at night.
00:36:42.36\00:36:45.57
And you just hit a
point so important,
00:36:45.60\00:36:48.34
when you were
asking us about our story,
00:36:48.37\00:36:50.44
our conversion story,
most of us that were born
00:36:50.47\00:36:53.14
in the church, we're
like, "Oh, man, we don't have...
00:36:53.17\00:36:55.41
I don't have
anything, I mean, come on,
00:36:55.44\00:36:57.05
I've been at the church."
00:36:57.08\00:36:58.41
But we don't understand
that as we're listening
00:36:58.45\00:37:00.75
to the other
stories, we can be rejoiced
00:37:00.78\00:37:03.69
that God has given us
the opportunity to be able
00:37:03.72\00:37:06.49
to have a walk with
Him through our whole life.
00:37:06.52\00:37:09.02
We haven't had to
go through the trials
00:37:09.06\00:37:11.49
and the tribulations,
and on all the times,
00:37:11.53\00:37:13.60
God's been
knocking, and slapping us,
00:37:13.63\00:37:15.40
and getting us
through to follow the way.
00:37:15.43\00:37:19.00
So both stories are wonderful.
00:37:19.03\00:37:21.64
To me, it's
great to be able to see
00:37:21.67\00:37:23.24
how powerful my God
is that can take somebody
00:37:23.27\00:37:25.17
that was going
totally out of the way,
00:37:25.21\00:37:27.78
and bring him now in the path.
00:37:27.81\00:37:29.74
And for me, I'm
rejoicing, "God, Thank You.
00:37:29.78\00:37:32.58
Thank You that You
have shown me such mercy,
00:37:32.61\00:37:36.28
such love that You
have continued to walk,
00:37:36.32\00:37:39.19
Allowed me to
continue to walk with You
00:37:39.22\00:37:41.26
through my whole life."
00:37:41.29\00:37:42.62
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:37:42.66\00:37:43.99
And everybody here has
had some wilderness time.
00:37:44.03\00:37:45.89
Amen.
00:37:45.93\00:37:47.26
You know, while we've
had, you know, we knew,
00:37:47.30\00:37:48.76
and I broke my ankle twice
playing basketball on fun fact,
00:37:48.80\00:37:52.83
I've always tried my
shoe on a left shoe first
00:37:52.87\00:37:54.90
'cause that leg is
still bigger, that ankle
00:37:54.94\00:37:57.24
because I broke it
not once, twice on Sabbath
00:37:57.27\00:38:00.38
'cause I was on
basketball scholarship.
00:38:00.41\00:38:01.84
The second
time, the pastor said,
00:38:01.88\00:38:03.21
"He let you break
your ankle to keep you
00:38:03.24\00:38:04.58
from breaking your neck."
00:38:04.61\00:38:05.95
I got the message, you
know, that kind of thing.
00:38:05.98\00:38:08.18
But just because we
were running from Him,
00:38:08.22\00:38:10.55
He didn't run from us.
00:38:10.59\00:38:11.92
He stayed on your case,
00:38:11.95\00:38:13.29
and when you
finally stopped running,
00:38:13.32\00:38:14.66
He was right there,
00:38:14.69\00:38:16.02
still knocking on
the door of your heart.
00:38:16.06\00:38:17.89
One of the small
blessings, for me,
00:38:17.93\00:38:20.00
coming to the Lord has
been the health message.
00:38:20.03\00:38:22.40
You know, I used to
eat pork, and the shrimp,
00:38:22.43\00:38:24.93
and the lobster,
and all these things.
00:38:24.97\00:38:27.04
And I watched how
my family suffered
00:38:27.07\00:38:28.87
because of it physically.
00:38:28.90\00:38:30.64
And by coming to
the health message,
00:38:30.67\00:38:32.51
coming to the Lord
earlier than I could've I mean,
00:38:32.54\00:38:35.34
I could have come to the
Lord at 65 or 70 years old
00:38:35.38\00:38:37.75
and suffered for
the last 30 years.
00:38:37.78\00:38:39.58
By coming to the Lord earlier,
my health has been way better.
00:38:39.61\00:38:42.82
So the health message
is one small example of
00:38:42.85\00:38:44.92
how the Lord blesses
you if you come to Him
00:38:44.95\00:38:47.49
rather than wait to the
last exact moment of your life.
00:38:47.52\00:38:50.99
Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.59
I think it's... Jorge?
00:38:52.63\00:38:54.26
No, it's one thing
that touch my heart always
00:38:54.30\00:38:58.60
is the realization that God
00:38:58.63\00:39:02.84
is always
lovingly looking for you,
00:39:02.87\00:39:05.57
and you read this
passage in Matthew 7:7 says,
00:39:05.61\00:39:12.21
"Ask, and it shall
be given to you, seek,
00:39:12.25\00:39:15.02
and ye shall find, knock,
and it shall open to you."
00:39:15.05\00:39:19.75
Somebody talking about
this very influential writer
00:39:19.79\00:39:25.69
and motivational
speaker, Earl Nightingale,
00:39:25.73\00:39:30.67
took this passage and
created what he called
00:39:30.70\00:39:34.44
The Strangest Secret
because it's a secret
00:39:34.47\00:39:39.07
but it's a secret
that is open to us,
00:39:39.11\00:39:41.58
and just because we
don't sometimes read this
00:39:41.61\00:39:45.81
and realize that God
is willing to pick you up
00:39:45.85\00:39:49.32
wherever you are.
00:39:49.35\00:39:50.72
And this passage has
something that touch my heart
00:39:50.75\00:39:54.39
every time that I read it.
00:39:54.42\00:39:55.76
It says, " For every
one that asketh receiveth,
00:39:55.79\00:39:59.53
and he that seeketh findeth,
and to him that knocketh it
00:39:59.56\00:40:04.40
shall be opened."
00:40:04.43\00:40:05.77
And it continue
saying that God is always
00:40:05.80\00:40:12.37
willing to give it to you.
00:40:12.41\00:40:14.14
Now the comparison
also is with a father.
00:40:14.18\00:40:20.32
If a father, a person, a father,
00:40:20.35\00:40:23.35
a man has a son that is hungry,
00:40:23.39\00:40:28.36
and this child asked
for a piece of bread,
00:40:28.39\00:40:33.16
he's not going to
give a rock, right?
00:40:33.19\00:40:37.97
So the same, even
if a father or a person
00:40:38.00\00:40:42.40
that is a creation
of God thinks that way,
00:40:42.44\00:40:45.11
how much more
God that is willing
00:40:45.14\00:40:47.01
to give you eternal life.
00:40:47.04\00:40:48.38
So it always
touches my heart to see that
00:40:48.41\00:40:51.48
what we need to
do is just to ask.
00:40:51.51\00:40:54.22
Ask and you shall receive.
00:40:54.25\00:40:56.35
And how hard is that?
00:40:56.38\00:40:58.59
But for whatever reason,
sometimes it's easy, things
00:40:58.62\00:41:03.89
are harder sometimes too...
00:41:03.93\00:41:06.29
Pastor, one thing
that I want to go back to,
00:41:06.33\00:41:08.86
what you've read
in the beginning,
00:41:08.90\00:41:10.23
"I lay down my
life for the sheep."
00:41:10.27\00:41:12.60
Couple weeks ago, I was music
at a conference with my kids.
00:41:12.63\00:41:16.81
And one of the
pastors told us a story
00:41:16.84\00:41:18.47
'cause it says Jesus
used parables to reach us.
00:41:18.51\00:41:21.24
And so one of the
pastors is reading a book,
00:41:21.28\00:41:22.94
he read a
parable, and I don't know
00:41:22.98\00:41:24.31
if anybody's
heard it, but basically,
00:41:24.35\00:41:26.68
it's a story of a man
who's offered a trip to heaven
00:41:26.72\00:41:31.15
that's a long way away,
and it's going to take forever
00:41:31.19\00:41:33.09
to take or there's
a trip to paradise,
00:41:33.12\00:41:35.29
it's only four
hours away in paradise
00:41:35.32\00:41:36.96
since it being in Los Vegas.
00:41:36.99\00:41:38.69
And so he goes to Los
Vegas, he's there for a month,
00:41:38.73\00:41:41.03
and finally the
pleasures of sin getting old.
00:41:41.06\00:41:44.27
And so he want something
else, while this friend,
00:41:44.30\00:41:45.93
who gave him the offer
to heaven shows back up,
00:41:45.97\00:41:48.64
and they're going
down the road together.
00:41:48.67\00:41:50.57
And as they're
going on the road,
00:41:50.61\00:41:52.57
it's a big
highway, and all the traffic
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.04
is coming towards them,
00:41:54.08\00:41:55.61
and there's big
trucks and stuff.
00:41:55.64\00:41:57.05
And so he's sitting
in the passenger seat
00:41:57.08\00:41:59.08
just squeamish
because he's ended up
00:41:59.11\00:42:02.02
in the ditch
several times himself,
00:42:02.05\00:42:03.45
and now he's got this driver
that's going to drive him.
00:42:03.49\00:42:06.02
Well, when there was one
truck is heading towards him,
00:42:06.05\00:42:08.32
he grabs the
wheel and he pulls it
00:42:08.36\00:42:11.16
to move out of the way.
00:42:11.19\00:42:12.79
And at that time, the
driver puts himself between him
00:42:12.83\00:42:15.96
and the truck and
takes the brunt of the wreck.
00:42:16.00\00:42:20.44
And is just mingled
and maimed and stuff.
00:42:20.47\00:42:23.30
But then he gets
himself up, and he says,
00:42:23.34\00:42:25.27
"Do you want me to drive?"
00:42:25.31\00:42:26.64
he asked him, "Do
you want me to drive?"
00:42:26.68\00:42:28.24
And that's Jesus, you
know, when we take the wheel out
00:42:28.28\00:42:31.41
of His hand, we head towards
those things that are going
00:42:31.45\00:42:34.88
to cause us harm, He
puts Himself, He said,
00:42:34.92\00:42:36.99
"He laid down His
life for the sheep."
00:42:37.02\00:42:39.02
He got in the way of
the harm for us, to save us,
00:42:39.05\00:42:44.16
and then not only
that, but then He says,
00:42:44.19\00:42:46.09
"Do you want me to drive?"
00:42:46.13\00:42:47.46
Do you want me to get back in
00:42:47.50\00:42:48.83
and lead you to where
you really want to go?"
00:42:48.86\00:42:51.27
And, you know,
that really touched me,
00:42:51.30\00:42:53.17
that parable, of how
Jesus is in our lives,
00:42:53.20\00:42:55.84
how He is the great
shepherd that cares for us,
00:42:55.87\00:42:58.61
lays down His life for us.
00:42:58.64\00:42:59.97
It's powerful.
00:43:00.01\00:43:01.34
You know, that verse
that Jorge just read,
00:43:01.38\00:43:03.78
when you were in prison ministry
00:43:03.81\00:43:05.15
that really opens your
eyes because you got individuals
00:43:05.18\00:43:09.15
and they tell you the
stories of what they've done.
00:43:09.18\00:43:11.22
I mean, some of these guys,
they've done some cool things,
00:43:11.25\00:43:14.16
but yet at the same
time, they talk so fondly
00:43:14.19\00:43:17.03
about their mom and
their dad, they say,
00:43:17.06\00:43:19.56
"Well, and they called
me and they still with me."
00:43:19.59\00:43:21.16
So it's like if a human
can continue to love a child
00:43:21.20\00:43:26.90
that has gone so
far where he ends up
00:43:26.94\00:43:29.14
in a penitentiary.
00:43:29.17\00:43:31.21
And they talk fondly of
them, and they still show them
00:43:31.24\00:43:34.84
the love and the kindness,
how much more the creator
00:43:34.88\00:43:38.65
who created you, who
knew you from before you were,
00:43:38.68\00:43:45.15
He knew who you
were going to be,
00:43:45.19\00:43:46.89
what's going to
happen to your life.
00:43:46.92\00:43:48.46
So it's like that verse
now opens my eyes a lot more
00:43:48.49\00:43:52.06
because of what
I'm involved with.
00:43:52.09\00:43:54.60
The prison
ministry, there are prisoners,
00:43:54.63\00:43:55.96
the individuals
because the enemy
00:43:56.00\00:43:58.07
wants to let you know.
00:43:58.10\00:44:00.14
There is no worth in your
life, but when you look at
00:44:00.17\00:44:05.91
what you were
talking about, the cross.
00:44:05.94\00:44:08.94
And you look at that
creator of the universe
00:44:08.98\00:44:12.01
was willing to send His
Son for nothing like you.
00:44:12.05\00:44:17.29
And then you look at
what your earthly father
00:44:17.32\00:44:20.96
is able to do for
you, how much more a God,
00:44:20.99\00:44:24.63
who is love, not that hast love,
00:44:24.66\00:44:26.96
a God who is love is going
to be able to take care of you?
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.80
And that's the only time
that you'll be able to...
00:44:30.83\00:44:32.73
Once you feel that,
00:44:32.77\00:44:34.10
you'll be able
to tell the enemy,
00:44:34.14\00:44:35.47
"Enough is enough,
I've heard the last of you,
00:44:35.50\00:44:37.97
I'm going to
follow the Good Shepherd."
00:44:38.01\00:44:39.94
And to me, that's one
of the most stunning things
00:44:39.97\00:44:41.64
about Christianity.
00:44:41.68\00:44:43.41
I can't find any other faith
where God came down, suffered,
00:44:43.45\00:44:49.95
and was tortured
for His children.
00:44:49.98\00:44:53.12
I've looked, go through
the phase, you can't find,
00:44:53.15\00:44:55.96
it's almost, like, the
Lord put a patent on that.
00:44:55.99\00:44:59.03
He said you can come up
whatever religion you want
00:44:59.06\00:45:01.96
to come up with to the
enemy, but you can't touch this
00:45:02.00\00:45:05.87
because My Son did this for Me,
and He did this for humanity.
00:45:05.90\00:45:11.11
And that touches me.
00:45:11.14\00:45:12.47
So even if all the
other faiths were real,
00:45:12.51\00:45:14.74
and we know that they're not,
even if they all had validity,
00:45:14.78\00:45:19.71
I would still follow this faith
because God sacrificed His life
00:45:19.75\00:45:25.62
so that I might live.
00:45:25.65\00:45:27.26
And that makes all the
difference in the world.
00:45:27.29\00:45:28.82
It's a religion of love.
And it's a powerful reality.
00:45:28.86\00:45:32.39
Ellen White makes a
statement that at the heart
00:45:32.43\00:45:34.23
of all pagan
religions is this idea that,
00:45:34.26\00:45:37.03
"I got to do
something to please God.
00:45:37.07\00:45:38.90
I got to work myself
into some kind of situation
00:45:38.93\00:45:41.97
where I'm acceptable."
00:45:42.00\00:45:43.34
Christianity,
there's nothing you can do,
00:45:43.37\00:45:45.24
but accept what
has already been done.
00:45:45.27\00:45:47.28
You know what Christ has done.
00:45:47.31\00:45:48.64
You just accept
it through faith.
00:45:48.68\00:45:52.05
The second
paragraph, "A Shepherd's life
00:45:52.08\00:45:53.88
becomes one with the
sheep, and a strong attachment,
00:45:53.92\00:45:57.35
a strong and tender attachment
unites him to the sheep."
00:45:57.39\00:46:00.46
Well, that's Christ.
00:46:00.49\00:46:03.73
He is our
forever friend, you know,
00:46:03.76\00:46:06.16
whether you
acknowledge it or not,
00:46:06.19\00:46:07.56
He died for the ungodly,
00:46:07.60\00:46:10.80
and that
provision is made for all.
00:46:10.83\00:46:14.97
"However large the flock,
the Shepherd knows each sheep
00:46:15.00\00:46:18.64
and the name He has given to it,
00:46:18.67\00:46:20.94
to which it
responds when He calls."
00:46:20.98\00:46:23.28
I like that.
00:46:23.31\00:46:24.65
You know, that the idea
that he knows everybody's name.
00:46:24.68\00:46:26.58
He knows Gary, He knows Bryan,
He knows Jorge, He knows Luis,
00:46:26.61\00:46:29.55
He knows Eric, He
knows all, He knows CA,
00:46:29.58\00:46:32.39
He knows all our names.
00:46:32.42\00:46:33.76
You know, He knows, He knows...
00:46:33.79\00:46:35.12
And Ellen White
has this little thing
00:46:35.16\00:46:36.49
if I have time, I'll read it.
00:46:36.52\00:46:37.86
She says He
knows your exact house,
00:46:37.89\00:46:39.63
He knows all the
occupants in your house,
00:46:39.66\00:46:41.06
He knows where your bed is,
He knows where you're sleeping,
00:46:41.10\00:46:42.73
you know, there's never a time
when you're out of His sight,
00:46:42.76\00:46:45.53
when you're out of His notice,
00:46:45.57\00:46:46.90
when you are
beyond the reach of God.
00:46:46.94\00:46:50.11
And if any one strays, if any...
00:46:50.14\00:46:53.44
"And if one sheep strays is lost
00:46:53.48\00:46:56.71
and can't find its way
back, the shepherd goes after it
00:46:56.75\00:47:00.52
until he finds it
takes it in his arms
00:47:00.55\00:47:03.89
and brings it back."
00:47:03.92\00:47:05.25
So when you're
out there running,
00:47:05.29\00:47:06.99
He's running right behind you.
00:47:07.02\00:47:08.42
You know, you can't outrun Him.
00:47:08.46\00:47:09.92
When we were in school,
we had this Dean and boys,
00:47:09.96\00:47:14.20
I know some guys who
used to like to sneak out,
00:47:14.23\00:47:16.87
you know, at the door.
00:47:16.90\00:47:18.63
And He would prop himself
up all night in the chair.
00:47:18.67\00:47:21.70
And when they'd
come sneaking back in,
00:47:21.74\00:47:24.01
he'd be sneaking
right in behind them.
00:47:24.04\00:47:25.74
You know, he knew who they were.
00:47:25.77\00:47:29.14
You know, they
look over the shoulder
00:47:29.18\00:47:30.65
and there's the dean,
he's right there, you know.
00:47:30.68\00:47:32.68
And that's how the Lord
is, you can't run too far,
00:47:32.71\00:47:34.88
you cannot run too
fast, you cannot outrun Him,
00:47:34.92\00:47:37.55
you cannot outlast Him,
when you're ready to come,
00:47:37.59\00:47:41.36
He is ready to receive you,
00:47:41.39\00:47:42.72
and that's a
powerful thing, you know.
00:47:42.76\00:47:44.19
Amen. Yeah.
00:47:44.23\00:47:46.63
Just a couple more lines,
"Jesus is the Divine Shepherd.
00:47:46.66\00:47:53.00
He knows His sheep
scattered throughout the world.
00:47:53.03\00:47:56.17
He says you are My flock.
00:47:56.20\00:47:58.84
I have called you by
your name, you're Mine.
00:47:58.87\00:48:01.78
I have carved you on
the palms of my hands.
00:48:01.81\00:48:04.95
Jesus knows us individually.
00:48:04.98\00:48:08.18
He knows where we
live, He knows each member
00:48:08.22\00:48:11.15
of our family, every soul
is as fully known to Jesus
00:48:11.19\00:48:16.22
as if He were the only
one for whom the Savior died."
00:48:16.26\00:48:19.73
Powerful.
00:48:19.76\00:48:21.10
You know, as it was only
one He knows you that way.
00:48:21.13\00:48:23.26
Jesus cares for each one
00:48:23.30\00:48:25.23
as if there were
not another on earth.
00:48:25.27\00:48:29.97
Amen.
00:48:30.01\00:48:31.34
He knows our sorrows, He
sees our tears, you know,
00:48:31.37\00:48:34.11
when you're alone by
yourself, and, you know,
00:48:34.14\00:48:36.08
we try to be
macho, men don't cry.
00:48:36.11\00:48:37.61
Oh, yeah, men do cry.
00:48:37.65\00:48:39.15
You know, and Christ knows that.
00:48:39.18\00:48:40.98
He's the one who
understands that.
00:48:41.02\00:48:42.92
"He also wept and
knows what sadness is."
00:48:42.95\00:48:46.76
He said, "My Father loves
Me and I'm endeared to Him,
00:48:46.79\00:48:51.26
even more for
giving My life for you."
00:48:51.29\00:48:55.40
So there's nothing
that we ever go through
00:48:55.43\00:48:57.20
that is Jesus is a strange from,
00:48:57.23\00:48:59.97
He knows every
part of our being.
00:49:00.00\00:49:04.04
It is interesting
because God is in the business
00:49:04.07\00:49:06.98
of healing us,
not making us sick.
00:49:07.01\00:49:12.85
In the Old Testament
and in the New Testament,
00:49:12.88\00:49:15.45
we find many times that
people were confused thinking,
00:49:15.48\00:49:19.35
especially in the time of Jesus.
00:49:19.39\00:49:20.72
They say, "Why this person
is sick or why this person
00:49:20.76\00:49:23.93
is under this type
of disease or illness?
00:49:23.96\00:49:27.10
What did he do to deserve that?"
00:49:27.13\00:49:29.46
And Jesus was very,
very emphatic saying in...
00:49:29.50\00:49:34.07
I'm remembering the
story of the blind man.
00:49:34.10\00:49:39.11
The disciples asked
Jesus, yeah, "Whose sin?
00:49:39.14\00:49:44.11
Him or his parents'?
00:49:44.15\00:49:45.48
He says, "No, this is to
show how much I loved him."
00:49:45.51\00:49:50.19
And He proceeds to
restore his eyesight.
00:49:50.22\00:49:54.02
And now the guy
starts seeing, right?
00:49:54.06\00:49:56.73
And then he started
jumping up and down,
00:49:56.76\00:49:59.39
and telling everybody
and goes to the Pharisees
00:49:59.43\00:50:03.37
and the
synagogue, and tell them.
00:50:03.40\00:50:05.73
And they said, "But
this is not possible.
00:50:05.77\00:50:08.67
You were blind."
00:50:08.70\00:50:10.04
And then he started trying
to explain them that, you know,
00:50:10.07\00:50:14.64
Jesus did it, and if
they don't trust him,
00:50:14.68\00:50:17.88
they need to go and see him.
00:50:17.91\00:50:19.78
And then he says something
00:50:19.81\00:50:22.65
that really, really impacted
all the times when I read it.
00:50:22.68\00:50:26.02
It says, "I don't know
you, I was blind, but now I see,
00:50:26.05\00:50:31.99
that's all that I know."
00:50:32.03\00:50:33.73
I don't know
your theology maybe,
00:50:33.76\00:50:35.46
you know much more than I do.
00:50:35.50\00:50:38.77
I don't know if he is
a saint, or if he is...
00:50:38.80\00:50:44.74
I don't know who He is.
00:50:44.77\00:50:46.24
The only thing I know
is that now I can see."
00:50:46.27\00:50:49.34
That's my life.
00:50:49.38\00:50:50.75
I don't know a lot
of things about God
00:50:50.78\00:50:53.08
because I like theology,
00:50:53.11\00:50:55.05
I like to study the
Bible and everything,
00:50:55.08\00:50:57.02
but what I really know is
00:50:57.05\00:51:00.16
that He loves me
regardless, you know.
00:51:00.19\00:51:03.19
And that you were blind...
00:51:03.22\00:51:04.89
And now I see. And now you see.
00:51:04.93\00:51:08.40
I think the
story... Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
00:51:08.43\00:51:10.23
I was about to say whenever
I was reading through John 10
00:51:10.27\00:51:13.34
and, you know,
researching the Good Shepherd,
00:51:13.37\00:51:15.97
and everything about
Jesus, and how we are His flock,
00:51:16.00\00:51:19.77
and He loves us so much
that He brings us back to it,
00:51:19.81\00:51:22.88
you know, discussing the
hirelings in John 10 also,
00:51:22.91\00:51:27.35
as that much, you know,
that is like part of the enemy
00:51:27.38\00:51:31.79
that lets you
stray away from the flock
00:51:31.82\00:51:34.96
in the way that
it does, you know,
00:51:34.99\00:51:37.29
and that is basically
Satan that lets you fall away
00:51:37.33\00:51:41.16
from the flock, and
come away from the flock.
00:51:41.20\00:51:43.63
And once you're so
far away from the flock
00:51:43.67\00:51:45.77
and you have nowhere else to go,
00:51:45.80\00:51:47.24
there is no
shepherd there for you.
00:51:47.27\00:51:50.77
And Jesus Christ, being
the Good Shepherd He is,
00:51:50.81\00:51:54.18
has the love to bring you back,
and comes, and chases you down,
00:51:54.21\00:51:57.68
grabs you, and brings
you back to the flock.
00:51:57.71\00:51:59.61
Amen. Amen.
00:51:59.65\00:52:02.78
That's
powerful. That's powerful.
00:52:02.82\00:52:05.02
The truth is that He will never
let us go without a struggle.
00:52:05.05\00:52:10.33
And once you're in
His hands, the only person
00:52:10.36\00:52:12.09
that can take you
out of His hands is you.
00:52:12.13\00:52:14.70
Right, that's
right, that's right.
00:52:14.73\00:52:16.36
Yeah.
00:52:16.40\00:52:17.73
That's so hard to
understand sometimes.
00:52:17.77\00:52:20.80
You know,
especially as you go closer
00:52:20.84\00:52:24.27
and you start your sharing
and you do what the commission
00:52:24.31\00:52:27.78
the God is asking us
to go and take the message
00:52:27.81\00:52:30.25
to the world, the enemy,
the first thing he's going
00:52:30.28\00:52:32.45
to attack is your
relationship with God.
00:52:32.48\00:52:35.12
It says, you know,
"Look at this that you do,
00:52:35.15\00:52:37.55
look at that that you do.
00:52:37.59\00:52:38.92
How could a
loving God accept you?
00:52:38.95\00:52:41.49
How could you be sharing
with others the way you are?"
00:52:41.52\00:52:43.79
And it's so hard to understand,
the only one that can make
00:52:43.83\00:52:46.29
the decision to be lost is you.
00:52:46.33\00:52:49.50
It doesn't matter where
you are and your walk with God,
00:52:49.53\00:52:54.10
it doesn't matter
how you're feeling,
00:52:54.14\00:52:56.50
it doesn't
matter what the thoughts
00:52:56.54\00:52:58.24
that the enemy put in your mind,
00:52:58.27\00:53:00.04
it doesn't matter the action
00:53:00.08\00:53:01.74
that you may
take here and there,
00:53:01.78\00:53:03.95
the only one that
can reject God is you.
00:53:03.98\00:53:07.15
As long as you're in
walking towards Christ,
00:53:07.18\00:53:10.92
as long as your
eyes is fixed on Christ,
00:53:10.95\00:53:15.12
Christ will always
accept you no mater where
00:53:15.16\00:53:19.96
and how you are feeling.
00:53:20.00\00:53:23.33
You know, and
that is so difficult
00:53:23.37\00:53:25.27
to truly
comprehend because you need
00:53:25.30\00:53:27.87
to get to the
bottom of it to say,
00:53:27.90\00:53:29.34
"Wait a minute, if God is love
00:53:29.37\00:53:33.94
and He has the
perfect relationship,
00:53:33.98\00:53:39.21
then there isn't anything
that the enemy can bring
00:53:39.25\00:53:43.39
or tempt me or say to
sever that relationship.
00:53:43.42\00:53:47.69
The only one that's going
to sever it is you giving up
00:53:47.72\00:53:52.43
because you're listening
to the wrong instructions,
00:53:52.46\00:53:56.06
instead of
listening to the power
00:53:56.10\00:53:58.53
that God has given you.
00:53:58.57\00:53:59.90
Yeah.
00:53:59.93\00:54:01.27
You know, I've always
imagined that there's a path
00:54:01.30\00:54:03.34
to the Lord, and you're
either far back on the path
00:54:03.37\00:54:07.81
or you're closer, and someone
might be a lot further ahead
00:54:07.84\00:54:11.15
than you are, and
there's obviously people
00:54:11.18\00:54:12.91
behind you on this
road, but it's a long road.
00:54:12.95\00:54:15.45
And off to the side of
these roads are temptations,
00:54:15.48\00:54:18.75
you know, you got trees made
of gold, diamonds to the left,
00:54:18.79\00:54:22.69
the devil just want
you to wander off this road
00:54:22.72\00:54:25.09
and go snatch a
diamond or something like that.
00:54:25.13\00:54:27.93
And then once
you snatch a diamond,
00:54:27.96\00:54:29.30
you see a lake further of,
you know, made out of platinum,
00:54:29.33\00:54:33.90
and you go a little bit further,
00:54:33.94\00:54:35.27
and you go a little bit further,
00:54:35.30\00:54:36.64
and before you know
that you can't find your way
00:54:36.67\00:54:38.01
back to the road.
00:54:38.04\00:54:39.37
So Satan just wants us
to wander from that road,
00:54:39.41\00:54:41.58
and he poses whatever
your particular issue,
00:54:41.61\00:54:44.45
temptation is, he
has it off the road,
00:54:44.48\00:54:46.61
and Christ is
saying stay on this road,
00:54:46.65\00:54:48.62
keep your eyes on Me,
walk forward, and by the way,
00:54:48.65\00:54:51.85
while you're doing it,
grab a couple of your brothers
00:54:51.89\00:54:54.16
and drag them
along the road with you.
00:54:54.19\00:54:57.09
That's why it's the
perfect illustration
00:54:57.13\00:54:58.76
is the pilot
flying through the clouds.
00:54:58.79\00:55:02.26
It's so easy to
become disoriented.
00:55:02.30\00:55:03.70
You have to look
at your instruments.
00:55:03.73\00:55:06.63
You can't trust your
fears 'cause Satan is going
00:55:06.67\00:55:08.30
to disorient you
so that your feelings
00:55:08.34\00:55:10.34
are going to lie to you.
00:55:10.37\00:55:11.71
You're not going to
know which way is up,
00:55:11.74\00:55:13.07
which way is down.
00:55:13.11\00:55:14.44
It's called Vertical... Exactly.
00:55:14.48\00:55:15.81
And Satan actually
creates that around you,
00:55:15.84\00:55:18.41
that distortion field, and
you have to go to the Word,
00:55:18.45\00:55:20.62
you have to keep your eyes
in Christ just like the pilot
00:55:20.65\00:55:23.18
has to keep their
eyes on the instruments.
00:55:23.22\00:55:24.79
Yes, very powerful.
00:55:24.82\00:55:26.42
You know, in Mark,
and we're getting down
00:55:26.45\00:55:28.32
to the end of our time together,
00:55:28.36\00:55:29.92
in Mark chapter 8,
00:55:29.96\00:55:31.29
there's this very
interesting story,
00:55:31.33\00:55:32.93
I'm going to try to
get there very fast.
00:55:32.96\00:55:34.30
Three verses I'm in Mark 8:23.
00:55:34.33\00:55:38.37
So He took the
blind man, and, of course,
00:55:38.40\00:55:42.00
Mark is the book of miracles.
00:55:42.04\00:55:44.64
And I think this
is the only place
00:55:44.67\00:55:46.01
where this one appears,
00:55:46.04\00:55:47.44
"He took the
blind man by the hand,
00:55:47.48\00:55:48.81
and led him out of the
town, and when He had spit
00:55:48.84\00:55:51.31
on his eyes, He
put His hands on him,
00:55:51.35\00:55:53.62
He asked him if
he saw anything."
00:55:53.65\00:55:55.55
First He asked him,
"Do you see anything?"
00:55:55.58\00:55:57.19
This is first
miracle. Do you see anything?
00:55:57.22\00:55:59.35
"And he looked up and said,
00:55:59.39\00:56:00.72
'I see men like trees walking.'"
00:56:00.76\00:56:02.56
So the miracle wasn't complete.
He was still semi blind.
00:56:02.59\00:56:09.23
"Then He put His
hands on his eyes again,
00:56:09.26\00:56:12.50
and made him look up.
00:56:12.53\00:56:14.04
And he was restored
and saw everyone clearly."
00:56:14.07\00:56:18.41
I don't think every
time you get this kind of duo
00:56:18.44\00:56:20.24
kind of kind of thing going on.
00:56:20.28\00:56:21.61
You're doing... Christ
hears you the first time,
00:56:21.64\00:56:23.11
it's one and done.
00:56:23.14\00:56:24.75
But here, He healed him,
and He said, "What do you say?"
00:56:24.78\00:56:28.88
"Well, I see some, you know,
like trees but it's not clear."
00:56:28.92\00:56:32.62
So Christ did it again that
shows to me the love of Christ.
00:56:32.65\00:56:37.06
If you need a second touch,
00:56:37.09\00:56:38.66
you're going
get the second time.
00:56:38.69\00:56:40.03
You know, if you
need a little bit more,
00:56:40.06\00:56:41.50
you're going to
get a little bit more.
00:56:41.53\00:56:42.90
It's like Mary and
Martha, two different girls,
00:56:42.93\00:56:44.87
both of them Christian,
both of them love the Lord,
00:56:44.90\00:56:47.44
but Mary was soft and docile,
Martha a little more hardcore.
00:56:47.47\00:56:50.71
So Christ each gave them
what they needed at that time,
00:56:50.74\00:56:54.54
that shows to me
the love of Christ
00:56:54.58\00:56:56.44
as a Good Shepherd.
00:56:56.48\00:56:57.81
He knows each
sheep individually.
00:56:57.85\00:57:00.88
Gary, if you need
a little bit more,
00:57:00.92\00:57:02.62
He has no problem
giving you a little bit more,
00:57:02.65\00:57:04.75
and it's no commentary.
00:57:04.79\00:57:06.12
We are all different, we
all need different things,
00:57:06.15\00:57:07.82
we all respond, as you
said, Eric, to different things.
00:57:07.86\00:57:10.56
So Christ will
give you what you need,
00:57:10.59\00:57:12.79
when you need it
because His thing
00:57:12.83\00:57:14.96
is to get you
saved in the kingdom.
00:57:15.00\00:57:16.83
If you need a
little something more,
00:57:16.87\00:57:18.50
He'll give you a little more,
00:57:18.53\00:57:19.87
if you need a
little something more,
00:57:19.90\00:57:21.24
you get a little something more.
00:57:21.27\00:57:22.60
We get what we
need because ultimately,
00:57:22.64\00:57:24.54
Christ wants us to be with Him.
00:57:24.57\00:57:26.37
I go to prepare a place for you.
00:57:26.41\00:57:28.04
Oh, our time is fast
slipped away from us.
00:57:28.08\00:57:30.75
Gentlemen, thank
you so very much.
00:57:30.78\00:57:32.15
Eric and Luis, and Jorge,
and Bryan, and Gary, thank you.
00:57:32.18\00:57:36.48
God bless you,
will see again soon
00:57:36.52\00:57:38.09
for another 3ABN Family Worship.
00:57:38.12\00:57:40.79
Happy Sabbath.
00:57:40.82\00:57:42.16