I want to spend my life 00:00:01.96\00:00:07.80 Mending broken people 00:00:07.84\00:00:12.81 I want to spend my life 00:00:12.84\00:00:19.11 Removing pain 00:00:19.15\00:00:24.02 Lord, let my words 00:00:24.05\00:00:30.23 Heal a heart that hurts 00:00:30.26\00:00:34.96 I want to spend my life 00:00:35.00\00:00:40.54 Mending broken people 00:00:40.57\00:00:46.17 I want to spend my life 00:00:46.21\00:00:51.61 Mending broken people 00:00:51.65\00:00:55.72 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today Live. 00:01:09.26\00:01:13.40 My name is Jason Bradley, 00:01:13.44\00:01:14.77 and I'm so happy that you could join us this evening. 00:01:14.80\00:01:17.94 We have a powerful two hours planned for you 00:01:17.97\00:01:21.08 where you'll get SALT update, 00:01:21.11\00:01:23.91 as well as we'll be talking about 00:01:23.95\00:01:26.01 how Service Builds Character. 00:01:26.05\00:01:29.55 SALT is no stranger to 3ABN. 00:01:29.58\00:01:34.49 Perhaps you've seen another interview with them, 00:01:34.52\00:01:37.26 they have a very powerful ministry. 00:01:37.29\00:01:39.46 And so we'll be taking a look at practical Christianity, 00:01:39.49\00:01:43.80 as well as various other aspects of their ministry. 00:01:43.83\00:01:48.50 And tonight, another exciting thing 00:01:48.54\00:01:51.71 is the fact that you get to be my co-host. 00:01:51.74\00:01:56.21 And what do I mean by that? 00:01:56.24\00:01:57.81 Well, we will be taking questions. 00:01:57.85\00:02:00.52 And we will ask questions in the second hour. 00:02:00.55\00:02:03.49 So we'll be looking for your questions. 00:02:03.52\00:02:05.55 You can send those questions to live@3abn.tv 00:02:05.59\00:02:11.13 or you can call (618) 627-4651. 00:02:11.16\00:02:15.76 So we'll be taking those questions in the second hour. 00:02:15.80\00:02:18.17 Make sure you send us your questions 00:02:18.20\00:02:21.34 in regards to the ministry of SALT 00:02:21.37\00:02:24.71 in finding your purpose. 00:02:24.74\00:02:26.57 All right, Eric Camarillo. 00:02:26.61\00:02:28.54 We have Eric and he's the president. 00:02:28.58\00:02:31.25 And you also added some more letters 00:02:31.28\00:02:33.85 behind your name, Eric. 00:02:33.88\00:02:35.78 Yeah. Yeah, I have MNM after my name. 00:02:35.82\00:02:39.52 Now I got my master's 00:02:39.55\00:02:40.89 in nonprofit management last Friday. 00:02:40.92\00:02:43.12 Okay. 00:02:43.16\00:02:44.49 Yeah, so I've graduated now, no more homework. 00:02:44.53\00:02:47.76 No more staying up till 3:00 in the morning doing papers, 00:02:47.80\00:02:50.97 you know, that's all. 00:02:51.00\00:02:52.33 It's all behind me now. 00:02:52.37\00:02:53.70 So the President of SALT Outreach, 00:02:53.74\00:02:55.40 and then we have Lo-Ammi Richardson, 00:02:55.44\00:02:57.64 who is an Evangelist 00:02:57.67\00:03:00.14 and Harvest Director for SALT Outreach. 00:03:00.18\00:03:03.48 Yes. 00:03:03.51\00:03:04.85 You got to tell us about that? 00:03:04.88\00:03:06.21 And what is Harvest? What is that? 00:03:06.25\00:03:09.28 Well, the title kind of, 00:03:09.32\00:03:11.09 the name kind of came up with Eric 00:03:11.12\00:03:12.45 as he was kind of developing 00:03:12.49\00:03:13.82 what we're gonna do on the Spiritual Emphasis 00:03:13.86\00:03:15.99 with the organization and he's like, man, 00:03:16.02\00:03:18.43 "Well, we sow a lot of seeds throughout the community, 00:03:18.46\00:03:21.06 we need to harvest them. 00:03:21.10\00:03:22.56 Harvest Director and that's how it kind of came up. 00:03:22.60\00:03:24.50 So my job is to kind of focus 00:03:24.53\00:03:26.90 on the spiritual element of SALT 00:03:26.94\00:03:28.44 and create programs to harvest the souls 00:03:28.47\00:03:31.14 that we've been ministering to in the city of Orlando. 00:03:31.17\00:03:33.27 Nice, nice. 00:03:33.31\00:03:34.64 And, Eric, what does SALT stand for? 00:03:34.68\00:03:36.34 Yeah, SALT's an acronym for Service and Love Together. 00:03:36.38\00:03:39.61 We actually have our logo, updated logo, actually. 00:03:39.65\00:03:43.62 And you see it's on a clock. 00:03:43.65\00:03:46.59 And, you know, and, you know, 00:03:46.62\00:03:49.22 I guess a plug here is the SALTstore.org. 00:03:49.26\00:03:53.19 Is a place we started selling some SALT merchandise, 00:03:53.23\00:03:55.80 but you see, there that we added a slogan 00:03:55.83\00:03:58.50 "At Your Service." 00:03:58.53\00:03:59.97 Our vice president Esau Vargas came up with that slogan 00:04:00.00\00:04:03.61 and it's stuck ever since. 00:04:03.64\00:04:05.64 He has millions ideas, and this one actually stuck. 00:04:05.67\00:04:08.04 I like, I love it like so At Your Service, 00:04:08.08\00:04:10.15 what can we do to serve? 00:04:10.18\00:04:11.55 And better use of SALT At Your Service. 00:04:11.58\00:04:14.18 That is awesome. Right. 00:04:14.22\00:04:15.55 That is awesome. 00:04:15.58\00:04:16.92 So tell me a little bit about your background 00:04:16.95\00:04:18.72 and your upbringing? 00:04:18.75\00:04:20.26 Were you always in the church? 00:04:20.29\00:04:22.19 Yeah. 00:04:22.22\00:04:23.56 So I was raised as a Catholic, 00:04:23.59\00:04:27.70 you know, my parents, you know, will go to church, 00:04:27.73\00:04:31.53 every now and then on Sundays. 00:04:31.57\00:04:33.23 And, you know, I didn't really believe, 00:04:33.27\00:04:36.77 I just kind of went along with emotions. 00:04:36.81\00:04:40.44 It wasn't until I was going through a downtime. 00:04:40.48\00:04:43.04 I had a Bible that someone had bought me 00:04:43.08\00:04:45.58 just a few months prior 00:04:45.61\00:04:46.95 and I flipped through and the words 00:04:46.98\00:04:48.42 in red caught my attention. 00:04:48.45\00:04:49.78 So I started reading the Sermon on the Mount. 00:04:49.82\00:04:52.19 After I started reading that, 00:04:52.22\00:04:53.56 I started to feel this comfort I hadn't felt before and, 00:04:53.59\00:04:57.23 you know, I called up some groups of friends 00:04:57.26\00:04:59.73 and they were Christians 00:04:59.76\00:05:01.10 and two of them happen to be Seventh-day Adventist 00:05:01.13\00:05:02.96 and other nondenominational group. 00:05:03.00\00:05:04.33 And, you know, about three months later 00:05:04.37\00:05:07.27 I was baptized in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:05:07.30\00:05:09.70 Wow, that's awesome. 00:05:09.74\00:05:11.07 What about you, Lo-Ammi? 00:05:11.11\00:05:12.44 Well, mine was quite the opposite. 00:05:12.47\00:05:13.81 I kind of grew up in the Adventist Church, 00:05:13.84\00:05:15.18 you know, grew up in a Christian home 00:05:15.21\00:05:16.54 where you had morning, evening devotions. 00:05:16.58\00:05:18.45 If you ever attended a black church, 00:05:18.48\00:05:19.81 it's all day event, 00:05:19.85\00:05:21.32 so I literally grew up in the church seven days 00:05:21.35\00:05:23.69 out of the week, 00:05:23.72\00:05:25.05 Home Church and then Pathfinders 00:05:25.09\00:05:26.59 and then AY and Choir 00:05:26.62\00:05:28.49 and everything else in between. 00:05:28.52\00:05:29.86 But just because you go to church doesn't mean 00:05:29.89\00:05:31.99 that you have a saving relationship with Jesus. 00:05:32.03\00:05:33.76 And so, at the time, 00:05:33.80\00:05:35.86 I kind of drifted away from God 00:05:35.90\00:05:37.53 and pursued a career in basketball 00:05:37.57\00:05:39.23 and got caught up in drugs 00:05:39.27\00:05:40.97 and, you know, violence, and fighting, 00:05:41.00\00:05:42.74 and, you know, everything else in between, 00:05:42.77\00:05:44.31 and just was drawn to the things of the world. 00:05:44.34\00:05:46.51 And eventually, 00:05:46.54\00:05:48.08 you know, my sister invited me to a conference called GYC, 00:05:48.11\00:05:52.38 Generation of Youth for Christ, 00:05:52.41\00:05:53.75 which is a youth conference that meets up once a year. 00:05:53.78\00:05:56.12 And she said, "You've been sponsored." 00:05:56.15\00:05:57.62 Well, a little bit I know, the person 00:05:57.65\00:05:58.99 who sponsored me was my mother. 00:05:59.02\00:06:00.46 She always was laboring for my soul. 00:06:00.49\00:06:02.46 And so... Yes. 00:06:02.49\00:06:03.83 Long story short, you know, 00:06:03.86\00:06:05.19 I went to that conference and completely changed my life. 00:06:05.23\00:06:07.36 And I've been in full time evangelism 00:06:07.40\00:06:08.76 and ministry ever since. 00:06:08.80\00:06:10.20 Praise the Lord. Yeah. 00:06:10.23\00:06:11.57 Yeah, I think it's always nice to really get to know 00:06:11.60\00:06:13.90 the people behind the ministry. 00:06:13.94\00:06:16.81 You know, because they see this side of you, 00:06:16.84\00:06:21.04 but, you know, they don't know the background. 00:06:21.08\00:06:24.21 So that's always important. 00:06:24.25\00:06:25.58 Right now, we're gonna take a brief break 00:06:25.61\00:06:27.88 and go to some music. 00:06:27.92\00:06:29.65 Before we get deeper into this interview, 00:06:29.68\00:06:31.25 and we're going to be blessed in song by Lake Jones, 00:06:31.29\00:06:34.62 "How Deep The Father's Love For Us." 00:06:34.66\00:06:37.13 Well, that's the fun thing with live TV, right? 00:06:49.70\00:06:53.61 Yeah. 00:06:53.64\00:06:54.98 Live television sometimes a button gets pressed 00:06:55.01\00:06:56.61 and it doesn't work, but you role with it anyway. 00:06:56.64\00:06:59.48 That's right. 00:06:59.51\00:07:00.85 We could sing too, but I don't know... 00:07:00.88\00:07:02.22 I don't think that's a good idea. 00:07:02.25\00:07:03.59 Probably not a good idea. 00:07:03.62\00:07:04.95 I don't think we're called for different ministry. 00:07:04.99\00:07:06.32 I think we should talk about SALT. 00:07:06.35\00:07:07.69 Okay, yeah, that's better. 00:07:07.72\00:07:09.06 I like that. Yeah. 00:07:09.09\00:07:10.43 We talk about SALT. 00:07:10.46\00:07:11.79 So what are some of the things 00:07:11.83\00:07:13.16 that you guys do within the community? 00:07:13.19\00:07:16.87 I know, you said you're in Orlando. 00:07:16.90\00:07:18.73 Yes. 00:07:18.77\00:07:20.10 So what are some things that you focus on? 00:07:20.14\00:07:21.87 Yeah, so as far as Outreach is concerned, 00:07:21.90\00:07:24.44 we have our hospital outreach, 00:07:24.47\00:07:26.88 we have groups of volunteers 00:07:26.91\00:07:28.71 that go out room to room in the hospital, 00:07:28.74\00:07:30.71 they sing and pray with patients. 00:07:30.75\00:07:33.11 And, you know, we have many testimonies 00:07:33.15\00:07:34.75 that come out of that, 00:07:34.78\00:07:36.12 you know, when you lose your health, 00:07:36.15\00:07:38.35 I mean, you're at the bottom, 00:07:38.39\00:07:40.22 you know, and so when volunteers come in, 00:07:40.26\00:07:41.92 and they kind of offer hope, 00:07:41.96\00:07:44.39 it really makes a difference, you know, 00:07:44.43\00:07:46.49 and so we have a good volunteers to do that. 00:07:46.53\00:07:49.33 We still have our tutoring program, 00:07:49.36\00:07:51.53 which we're in the works of recruiting tutors 00:07:51.57\00:07:53.57 still to hopefully launch that soon officially. 00:07:53.60\00:07:57.04 And then, we have our homeless outreach, 00:07:57.07\00:07:58.74 which is probably our most known outreach, 00:07:58.77\00:08:03.11 and most impactful, it's our largest one right now. 00:08:03.14\00:08:06.82 So we're working on a 00:08:06.85\00:08:08.52 back to work program for the homeless. 00:08:08.55\00:08:10.42 Okay. 00:08:10.45\00:08:11.79 As we build up to that, 00:08:11.82\00:08:13.15 we're offering services that would help the homeless 00:08:13.19\00:08:16.46 in obtaining employment, 00:08:16.49\00:08:18.03 that includes, you know, haircuts, 00:08:18.06\00:08:20.40 that includes clothing, showers, 00:08:20.43\00:08:22.83 that includes partnering with an organization, 00:08:22.86\00:08:25.07 project ID that helps with identification, 00:08:25.10\00:08:28.10 you know, and various other organizations come in 00:08:28.14\00:08:30.34 and help the homeless to get to that place. 00:08:30.37\00:08:33.84 So... That is, that is huge. 00:08:33.88\00:08:36.08 And that is a big part of practical Christianity 00:08:36.11\00:08:40.48 finding the need, meeting the need, 00:08:40.52\00:08:42.18 the interesting thing 00:08:42.22\00:08:44.92 with being in the community is that, 00:08:44.95\00:08:49.66 you know, you have the opportunity to have 00:08:49.69\00:08:52.96 either an influence over someone for good 00:08:52.99\00:08:55.26 or an influence over someone for bad. 00:08:55.30\00:08:57.20 Lo-Ammi, you are saying that you were out, 00:08:57.23\00:09:01.14 you know, of the church for a while. 00:09:01.17\00:09:03.77 But then you came back and you heard something at GYC 00:09:03.81\00:09:07.88 that just transformed your life. 00:09:07.91\00:09:09.94 Yeah, it was quite amazing, actually because, 00:09:09.98\00:09:12.48 you know, I grew up, you know, Adventist all my life, 00:09:12.51\00:09:15.75 understood the culture of Adventism 00:09:15.78\00:09:17.39 and just being a Christian as a whole. 00:09:17.42\00:09:19.79 And it was actually the messages 00:09:19.82\00:09:21.16 like Sebastian Braxton early in the morning that, 00:09:21.19\00:09:23.16 you know, he didn't grow up Adventist, 00:09:23.19\00:09:24.69 and he was preaching with such passion and intensity 00:09:24.73\00:09:27.43 and just completely convicted over the message. 00:09:27.46\00:09:30.10 He was preaching and I was thinking to myself, 00:09:30.13\00:09:32.10 I'm like, "Man, this brother is zealous over something 00:09:32.13\00:09:36.14 that I grew up hearing and understanding." 00:09:36.17\00:09:38.27 It wasn't until, you know, 00:09:38.31\00:09:39.81 I had an experience with Christ, 00:09:39.84\00:09:41.21 that everything that, you know, grew up learning and believing, 00:09:41.24\00:09:44.35 actually made sense 00:09:44.38\00:09:45.95 that I realize is far more than 00:09:45.98\00:09:47.32 just studying my Bible and praying. 00:09:47.35\00:09:49.68 God has actually commissioned me 00:09:49.72\00:09:51.32 to do much more and do greater works 00:09:51.35\00:09:54.49 than I had been doing and so yeah, 00:09:54.52\00:09:57.83 so it was in that conversion experience 00:09:57.86\00:10:00.00 that I realized that God was calling me 00:10:00.03\00:10:01.93 to something higher and greater than myself. 00:10:01.96\00:10:03.77 And so that's why I chose to be in full-time ministry 00:10:03.80\00:10:06.20 ever since. 00:10:06.23\00:10:07.57 Amen. Amen. 00:10:07.60\00:10:08.94 And, Eric, like, what made you why SALT? 00:10:08.97\00:10:13.07 Why are you so passionate about helping other people? 00:10:13.11\00:10:16.81 Right. 00:10:16.85\00:10:18.31 Well, you know, SALT started a year after 00:10:18.35\00:10:20.65 I became a Christian, 00:10:20.68\00:10:22.95 and, you know what? 00:10:22.98\00:10:24.92 It just was something that needed to happen, 00:10:24.95\00:10:31.03 you know, in the community in Orlando, 00:10:31.06\00:10:33.36 you know, there's tons of churches there. 00:10:33.40\00:10:36.03 But there needed to be a vehicle, 00:10:36.06\00:10:38.03 not only to help create a community of young adults, 00:10:38.07\00:10:42.04 and not only a community of young adults, 00:10:42.07\00:10:43.64 but a community of service among young adults. 00:10:43.67\00:10:46.61 But also, an organization 00:10:46.64\00:10:48.64 that help create relationships with those 00:10:48.68\00:10:51.41 that were ministering to Christ method 00:10:51.45\00:10:55.02 is to create relationships with people, 00:10:55.05\00:10:58.89 you know, that's how meet their needs 00:10:58.92\00:11:00.52 and create those relationships. 00:11:00.56\00:11:01.89 That's what we're called to do, you know. 00:11:01.92\00:11:04.23 And why SALT? 00:11:04.26\00:11:05.76 That's starts the vehicle in which that 00:11:05.79\00:11:08.30 I use to make that happen, 00:11:08.33\00:11:10.33 you know, and lots of other 00:11:10.37\00:11:11.70 all of our volunteers are leadership, 00:11:11.73\00:11:13.30 they're all on board for the same reason, 00:11:13.34\00:11:15.07 you know, to make an impact in the community 00:11:15.10\00:11:16.60 to reach other people. 00:11:16.64\00:11:18.07 Which is quite interesting, 00:11:18.11\00:11:19.44 actually a part of your testimony, 00:11:19.47\00:11:20.84 when you said you was reading through the, 00:11:20.88\00:11:23.01 you know, the letters in red. 00:11:23.04\00:11:24.78 What was the verse that actually stuck out to you? 00:11:24.81\00:11:26.98 Yeah, you know what? That's funny. 00:11:27.02\00:11:30.12 I mean, Matthew 5:13-16, did stick out. 00:11:30.15\00:11:33.52 And at that time, you know, that was one of the first 00:11:33.56\00:11:36.56 I mean, verses there in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:11:36.59\00:11:40.36 Somebody wanna read that? Yeah. 00:11:40.40\00:11:42.76 Let's see, there's nothing like going to the Word. 00:11:42.80\00:11:45.23 That's right. 00:11:45.27\00:11:46.60 Which is quite interesting because we talked about, 00:11:46.63\00:11:48.30 you know, our personal experiences 00:11:48.34\00:11:49.70 and our background. 00:11:49.74\00:11:51.07 You know, we both, you know, with Eric, 00:11:51.11\00:11:52.64 having some sort of understanding 00:11:52.67\00:11:54.01 about Christianity grew up a Catholic, 00:11:54.04\00:11:55.38 for me growing up in the Adventist Church. 00:11:55.41\00:11:56.75 But like, before, you know, 00:11:56.78\00:11:59.85 you got to Matthew 5:13, 00:11:59.88\00:12:02.48 Jesus kind of, is explaining the outward works 00:12:02.52\00:12:06.35 that correlates from a relationship with Him. 00:12:06.39\00:12:08.42 So Jesus in the Beatitudes is laying out the foundation 00:12:08.46\00:12:11.49 as to what we need in order for our experience 00:12:11.53\00:12:14.73 and our relationship with Him to grow. 00:12:14.76\00:12:16.83 And then as a result, 00:12:16.87\00:12:18.33 He says, "You're supposed to infiltrate, 00:12:18.37\00:12:20.70 you're supposed to be salt, 00:12:20.74\00:12:22.07 you're supposed to be a light to the world," 00:12:22.10\00:12:24.11 which is quite interesting how Jesus lays that out. 00:12:24.14\00:12:26.11 And that was the verse that actually popped up, 00:12:26.14\00:12:28.18 you know, for you. 00:12:28.21\00:12:29.54 So Matthew 5:13, the Bible says, 00:12:29.58\00:12:31.78 "You are the salt of the earth, 00:12:31.81\00:12:33.65 but if the salt loses its flavor, 00:12:33.68\00:12:35.48 how shall it be seasoned? 00:12:35.52\00:12:36.95 It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out 00:12:36.99\00:12:39.45 and trampled underfoot by men." 00:12:39.49\00:12:41.99 So actually, our experience should have flavor, 00:12:42.02\00:12:44.23 our experience should have something that is a value 00:12:44.26\00:12:46.70 to the people that we come in contact with. 00:12:46.73\00:12:48.73 But the only way that can, you know, 00:12:48.76\00:12:50.37 you know, take places, 00:12:50.40\00:12:51.93 the relationship that you have personally 00:12:51.97\00:12:53.30 with Christ is understanding your need for Him 00:12:53.34\00:12:55.20 praying and laboring and, 00:12:55.24\00:12:56.81 you know, the forgiveness and the power 00:12:56.84\00:12:58.87 that God wants to give to you, 00:12:58.91\00:13:00.24 that leads us to understand, 00:13:00.28\00:13:01.61 man, God has called me to actually 00:13:01.64\00:13:04.08 make an impact in the world that I'm living in. 00:13:04.11\00:13:06.21 And so that's kind of what's highlighted there 00:13:06.25\00:13:07.78 in Matthew 5:13. 00:13:07.82\00:13:09.45 Yeah, you know, it's... 00:13:09.48\00:13:12.09 And maybe some people might disagree with me on this, 00:13:12.12\00:13:14.62 but I don't believe it's ministry 00:13:14.66\00:13:16.89 if you're not creating relationships with the person, 00:13:16.93\00:13:18.96 you know, if you're just going out 00:13:18.99\00:13:20.56 and giving food to the homeless, 00:13:20.60\00:13:22.13 but you're not getting to know their first names. 00:13:22.16\00:13:24.30 You're not, you know, giving them a hug. 00:13:24.33\00:13:26.13 Yeah. Right? 00:13:26.17\00:13:27.50 Or you're not just hearing out their story, 00:13:27.54\00:13:29.74 just listening to them. 00:13:29.77\00:13:31.24 It's not ministry, 00:13:31.27\00:13:32.61 you're just going through some emotions. 00:13:32.64\00:13:35.54 You know, that's why I believe. 00:13:35.58\00:13:38.15 What's so funny 00:13:38.18\00:13:39.88 because Jesus says the same thing, right? 00:13:39.91\00:13:41.25 Right. 00:13:41.28\00:13:42.62 In verse 20, Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount, 00:13:42.65\00:13:44.82 He's preaching and breaking down practical Christianity, 00:13:44.85\00:13:47.89 He's showing the results of it. 00:13:47.92\00:13:49.56 Then He says, you know, everyone who's hearing this 00:13:49.59\00:13:51.33 is so different from what they've been hearing. 00:13:51.36\00:13:54.30 You know, we've been taught you go to church, 00:13:54.33\00:13:56.60 you pay your tithe, you do all these duties 00:13:56.63\00:13:58.43 and these religious components in your experience, 00:13:58.47\00:14:01.17 but, you know, what 00:14:01.20\00:14:02.54 there was lacking was love, right? 00:14:02.57\00:14:03.91 Yeah. 00:14:03.94\00:14:05.27 Jesus says, "Don't think that I came to change the law 00:14:05.31\00:14:06.71 or the prophets I didn't come to destroy, 00:14:06.74\00:14:08.71 but to fulfill." 00:14:08.74\00:14:10.08 Romans 13:10 says that 00:14:10.11\00:14:11.45 "Love is a fulfillment of that law." 00:14:11.48\00:14:13.01 So this law that you think I'm trampling under, 00:14:13.05\00:14:16.48 actually is I'm exemplifying it. 00:14:16.52\00:14:19.32 You know, as to what I came to accomplish and fulfill. 00:14:19.35\00:14:23.59 So in Matthew 5:20, 00:14:23.63\00:14:25.66 you know, you're talking about 00:14:25.69\00:14:27.76 that unless services are part of our Christian experience. 00:14:27.80\00:14:31.10 That's the same message that Jesus was trying 00:14:31.13\00:14:32.57 to emphasize in this whole sermon. 00:14:32.60\00:14:34.47 He says, "For I say," Matthew 5:24, 00:14:34.50\00:14:36.60 "it to you, 00:14:36.64\00:14:37.97 that unless your righteousness 00:14:38.01\00:14:39.34 exceeds that the righteousness of the scribes 00:14:39.37\00:14:40.84 and the Pharisees, 00:14:40.88\00:14:42.21 you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." 00:14:42.24\00:14:44.78 That's kind of mind blowing. 00:14:44.81\00:14:46.15 Think about your favorite pastor, 00:14:46.18\00:14:47.52 your favorite evangelist, 00:14:47.55\00:14:48.88 who you look up to spiritually. 00:14:48.92\00:14:50.25 And Jesus says, unless your righteousness 00:14:50.29\00:14:52.29 exceeds that of your favorite evangelists or pastor, 00:14:52.32\00:14:56.06 you can't enter into heaven. 00:14:56.09\00:14:57.43 Think of the Mark Finleys 00:14:57.46\00:14:58.79 or Doug Batchelors of the world, 00:14:58.83\00:15:00.16 the people that we admire, 00:15:00.20\00:15:01.53 and look up to it's like, 00:15:01.56\00:15:02.90 man, I can never be better than them. 00:15:02.93\00:15:04.43 But this is a key, Matthew 23:2-3. 00:15:04.47\00:15:08.20 Here's how your righteousness 00:15:08.24\00:15:09.57 can exceed that of the Pharisees, 00:15:09.60\00:15:11.24 which ties into what you just said, 00:15:11.27\00:15:13.17 "The scribes and the Pharisees..." 00:15:13.21\00:15:14.54 Matthew 23:2-3, 00:15:14.58\00:15:16.18 "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 00:15:16.21\00:15:19.18 Therefore 00:15:19.21\00:15:20.75 whatever they tell you to observe, 00:15:20.78\00:15:22.92 that observe and do, 00:15:22.95\00:15:24.49 but do not do according to their works for they say, 00:15:24.52\00:15:27.89 and they do not do." 00:15:27.92\00:15:29.26 So in other words, 00:15:29.29\00:15:30.63 the problem with the Pharisees was that they set a whole lot, 00:15:30.66\00:15:33.80 but did very little. 00:15:33.83\00:15:35.46 And that was the point that Jesus was trying to emphasize. 00:15:35.50\00:15:38.77 So basically, what you're saying 00:15:38.80\00:15:41.57 is they're professing Christianity, 00:15:41.60\00:15:45.37 but they're not practicing Christianity. 00:15:45.41\00:15:47.54 So they're not exemplifying practical Christianity. 00:15:47.58\00:15:50.71 Exactly. 00:15:50.75\00:15:52.18 Which leads to what Eric was saying, 00:15:52.21\00:15:53.78 unless you're not doing servicing, 00:15:53.82\00:15:55.88 you're not really experiencing Christianity as a whole. 00:15:55.92\00:15:58.85 Jesus emphasized that clearly in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. 00:15:58.89\00:16:02.42 Right, you know, the, the acronym for SALT, 00:16:02.46\00:16:05.19 Service and Love Together. 00:16:05.23\00:16:07.06 You know, it's interesting 'cause, you know, 00:16:07.10\00:16:10.07 some people look at service like, 00:16:10.10\00:16:11.43 "Oh, that is love," you know, or, like, 00:16:11.47\00:16:14.04 almost like, it's always synonymous. 00:16:14.07\00:16:15.87 And that in the church, you know, 00:16:15.90\00:16:18.41 when we're ministering to others, 00:16:18.44\00:16:20.44 it's possible to serve others without love is possible. 00:16:20.48\00:16:23.91 And it's possible to "Love without service." 00:16:23.95\00:16:27.02 And when I say that in, 00:16:27.05\00:16:28.92 you know, quotations because, 00:16:28.95\00:16:30.79 you know, you go like in James, 00:16:30.82\00:16:32.95 it says, you know, someone's hungry, 00:16:32.99\00:16:34.89 they asked for food, 00:16:34.92\00:16:36.26 say, go away and be filled, right? 00:16:36.29\00:16:38.39 And it's like, that's supposed to be love, 00:16:38.43\00:16:42.43 but that's not love, 00:16:42.46\00:16:43.80 and that's not service either, I mean, nothing. 00:16:43.83\00:16:45.67 So service and love together, it needs to be together. 00:16:45.70\00:16:48.60 You know, that's what SALT is. 00:16:48.64\00:16:50.27 Even looking in the Bible, 00:16:50.31\00:16:51.64 you know, when we're looking at what how Jesus described salt. 00:16:51.67\00:16:54.61 That's what it is. Yeah. 00:16:54.64\00:16:55.98 You know, it's combined. Yeah. 00:16:56.01\00:16:57.88 And so that's actually love. 00:16:57.91\00:16:59.88 Again, going back to referencing Romans 13:10, 00:16:59.91\00:17:03.49 "The love does no harm to a neighbor." 00:17:03.52\00:17:05.69 So how is it that you can see somebody 00:17:05.72\00:17:07.62 who needs and just sit there? 00:17:07.66\00:17:09.06 Well, man, I'll be praying for you hopefully, that, 00:17:09.09\00:17:10.93 you know, hopefully, you get some food in your stomach, 00:17:10.96\00:17:12.36 as you have money in your pocket to give, 00:17:12.39\00:17:14.46 hopefully you find a place to stay man, 00:17:14.50\00:17:15.90 you know, tonight, 00:17:15.93\00:17:17.27 when you have money to give for that person 00:17:17.30\00:17:19.10 to stay at a place for the night. 00:17:19.13\00:17:20.70 So love does no harm to this neighbor. 00:17:20.74\00:17:22.70 And in conclusion, Paul says in Romans, right? 00:17:22.74\00:17:25.21 Therefore, in conclusion, 00:17:25.24\00:17:26.68 love is the fulfillment of that very law, right? 00:17:26.71\00:17:29.08 Everything hangs up on our relationship with God, 00:17:29.11\00:17:31.65 that ultimately response 00:17:31.68\00:17:33.55 to the last six how we treat humanity. 00:17:33.58\00:17:35.78 So yeah, service and love have to be combined 00:17:35.82\00:17:39.09 and it's not service 'cause you can do service 00:17:39.12\00:17:41.36 and get a tax break and say, "Hey, 00:17:41.39\00:17:42.99 you know, that's the reason why I'm really serving." 00:17:43.02\00:17:45.03 And people can say love on the other end 00:17:45.06\00:17:47.90 and not do anything. 00:17:47.93\00:17:49.46 They have to go, you know, 00:17:49.50\00:17:50.83 they have to go together, they have to go hand in hand. 00:17:50.87\00:17:53.10 Absolutely, it's just like how faith without works is dead. 00:17:53.13\00:17:56.17 Right. Right. 00:17:56.20\00:17:58.11 If you have and somebody is in need, 00:17:58.14\00:18:01.31 and you're saying, "Well, you know, I'll pray for them." 00:18:01.34\00:18:03.31 They're freezing, 00:18:03.35\00:18:04.68 they're freezing outside, with no coat. 00:18:04.71\00:18:07.55 You have 15 coats in your closet, 00:18:07.58\00:18:09.32 and you're like, "Well, you know, I'll pray for you." 00:18:09.35\00:18:11.32 I hope I'll pray. I hope you get warm. 00:18:11.35\00:18:14.76 You pray for them, yes. 00:18:14.79\00:18:17.03 But also give them that coat, 00:18:17.06\00:18:18.93 you know, make sure that you help them. 00:18:18.96\00:18:23.26 There's a verse, 00:18:23.30\00:18:25.13 there's a couple verses in Matthew 2, 00:18:25.17\00:18:27.10 and I don't remember exactly where they are. 00:18:27.14\00:18:30.61 But it was like, Jesus was saying, 00:18:30.64\00:18:32.74 you know, when I was naked, you clothed? 00:18:32.77\00:18:34.34 Matthew 25. Matthew 25. 00:18:34.38\00:18:35.71 Yes. When I was hungry, you fed me. 00:18:35.74\00:18:37.91 When I was in prison, you visited me, 00:18:37.95\00:18:40.12 you know, like, those are deep words, 00:18:40.15\00:18:44.15 you know, 'cause it's like, 00:18:44.19\00:18:45.52 "Well, when did I do that to you?" 00:18:45.55\00:18:47.82 You know, and so yeah, that is key. 00:18:47.86\00:18:51.86 Yeah. 00:18:51.89\00:18:53.23 But on the flip side, in that very chapter, right? 00:18:53.26\00:18:55.60 When did we? 00:18:55.63\00:18:56.97 Well, that's one group, but the other groups says, 00:18:57.00\00:18:58.93 "Well, you never told us, when did you, 00:18:58.97\00:19:01.17 you know, Lord, Lord, didn't we?" 00:19:01.20\00:19:03.00 And God says, "Yeah, you said a whole lot, 00:19:03.04\00:19:05.07 but you did very little," 00:19:05.11\00:19:06.54 you know, you didn't get the bulletin, 00:19:06.57\00:19:07.94 you know, you didn't get the announcement in the bulletin. 00:19:07.98\00:19:09.84 So that's the reason why you didn't go, 00:19:09.88\00:19:11.48 it wasn't something that was a part 00:19:11.51\00:19:13.11 of your everyday experience to really go help out, 00:19:13.15\00:19:17.09 you know, those who are in need. 00:19:17.12\00:19:18.45 And so, at the end of the day, 00:19:18.49\00:19:20.32 those who are saved, those who are lost, 00:19:20.36\00:19:22.82 the works component doesn't save you. 00:19:22.86\00:19:25.13 It's the connection that you have with Christ 00:19:25.16\00:19:26.59 that leads you to want to do service for other people. 00:19:26.63\00:19:29.76 And so this is why God says, you know, 00:19:29.80\00:19:31.13 "Depart from me those who workers of iniquity." 00:19:31.17\00:19:33.30 In other words you're doing a whole lot of things 00:19:33.34\00:19:35.57 where you're not really 00:19:35.60\00:19:36.94 making a difference in the lives of the people 00:19:36.97\00:19:39.11 that you come in contact with. 00:19:39.14\00:19:40.48 Yeah. Right. 00:19:40.51\00:19:41.84 And that's how He separates the sheep from the goats, 00:19:41.88\00:19:43.21 those who did it out of love for their master, 00:19:43.24\00:19:45.48 and those who did it out of mere obligation 00:19:45.51\00:19:47.35 thinking they're gonna get something in return. 00:19:47.38\00:19:50.52 Yeah, like we can do good things for the wrong motives. 00:19:50.55\00:19:53.56 Right, right. Yeah. 00:19:53.59\00:19:54.92 What's the root and like you guys are saying, 00:19:54.96\00:19:56.36 Matthew 25, really, 00:19:56.39\00:19:58.06 it seems like in that section, 00:19:58.09\00:19:59.93 that is the point when we look at like the goats, 00:19:59.96\00:20:02.33 for example, you know, in Matthew 25, 00:20:02.36\00:20:06.74 starting in verse 44, right? 00:20:06.77\00:20:10.21 The ones that are righteous say, 00:20:10.24\00:20:13.54 you know, oh, when did we do this to you, right? 00:20:13.58\00:20:16.61 And they did it almost naturally. 00:20:16.64\00:20:18.31 It came so natural to them. 00:20:18.35\00:20:20.05 Well, the people on, the goats, 00:20:20.08\00:20:22.38 they said in verse 44 00:20:22.42\00:20:23.75 "Then they also will answer Him, saying, 00:20:23.79\00:20:25.72 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty 00:20:25.75\00:20:27.89 or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, 00:20:27.92\00:20:30.39 and did not minister to You?' 00:20:30.43\00:20:32.19 " So they also perform the same works as the righteous, 00:20:32.23\00:20:35.73 but the difference was, what was the root? 00:20:35.76\00:20:39.87 Was it out of love or not? 00:20:39.90\00:20:41.27 For them, they were like, 00:20:41.30\00:20:42.74 but wait a minute, we did this every single time, 00:20:42.77\00:20:45.11 when did we not do this? 00:20:45.14\00:20:46.47 While the righteous were like, 00:20:46.51\00:20:48.04 what, when did we do this? 00:20:48.08\00:20:49.51 It was a part of the... It was just so natural to them. 00:20:49.54\00:20:51.41 It was second nature. Right. 00:20:51.45\00:20:52.91 You know, Edgar E. 00:20:52.95\00:20:54.28 Guest says that I'd rather see a sermon 00:20:54.32\00:20:56.45 than hear on any day. 00:20:56.48\00:20:57.82 So these are the people that actually practice 00:20:57.85\00:20:59.45 what they preach, 00:20:59.49\00:21:00.82 they actually did what was in the hearts to do, 00:21:00.86\00:21:04.13 and as a whole that was God's desire 00:21:04.16\00:21:06.29 for the people of Israel 00:21:06.33\00:21:07.73 was for you to be a light to the Gentiles. 00:21:07.76\00:21:09.93 The people have a misconception of who God is. 00:21:09.96\00:21:13.13 God is defined as love, 00:21:13.17\00:21:14.87 yet they only see you as this group of people 00:21:14.90\00:21:17.71 who has a whole bunch of rules, 00:21:17.74\00:21:19.07 and regulations, and restrictions. 00:21:19.11\00:21:21.01 I'm not a God like that, I'm a God who liberates, 00:21:21.04\00:21:23.51 I'm a God who gives freedom and joy, 00:21:23.55\00:21:25.98 and so I, my desire for you in Isaiah Chapter 49, 00:21:26.01\00:21:29.42 I believe, God says, 00:21:29.45\00:21:30.79 "My desire for my nation is to be the glory, 00:21:30.82\00:21:32.95 to be the light to the Gentiles, 00:21:32.99\00:21:34.52 the non-believers 00:21:34.56\00:21:36.02 that ultimately I want your work 00:21:36.06\00:21:37.86 supersede the relationship that I have with you. 00:21:37.89\00:21:40.33 And that's when the people 00:21:40.36\00:21:41.70 who are non-believers will actually believe 00:21:41.73\00:21:43.53 that I am the God of the Bible." 00:21:43.57\00:21:45.50 So... Yeah. 00:21:45.53\00:21:47.00 Yeah, so let me ask you guys this question. 00:21:47.04\00:21:51.17 How has working in ministry, 00:21:51.21\00:21:53.44 how has being heavily involved in SALT 00:21:53.48\00:21:59.01 transformed your lives? 00:21:59.05\00:22:01.85 You know, I honestly and I've said this to some people 00:22:01.88\00:22:06.69 as well, 00:22:06.72\00:22:08.19 if it wasn't for SALT, 00:22:08.22\00:22:09.56 if God did not put me where I am right now, 00:22:09.59\00:22:12.19 I believe He placed me, you know, 00:22:12.23\00:22:13.80 I believe He had the vision. 00:22:13.83\00:22:15.30 This is His ministry. 00:22:15.33\00:22:16.97 He just, I'm just trying to follow 00:22:17.00\00:22:19.43 in what He has for me. 00:22:19.47\00:22:21.27 And if it wasn't for this, I don't know where I'd be, 00:22:21.30\00:22:24.21 you know, I want to say 00:22:24.24\00:22:28.74 like, I might be lost, 00:22:28.78\00:22:31.58 I might have been lost, you know, I was so... 00:22:31.61\00:22:34.15 When I first came into... 00:22:34.18\00:22:36.22 You know this started a year after I came into the church, 00:22:36.25\00:22:38.35 you know. 00:22:38.39\00:22:39.72 There was still so much sin that was affecting my life 00:22:39.75\00:22:42.39 and that was still just taking over my life at that time, 00:22:42.42\00:22:45.89 even after baptism. 00:22:45.93\00:22:47.26 'Cause everyone thinks, oh, you got baptized, 00:22:47.30\00:22:49.06 you're perfect, you guys up from the water, 00:22:49.10\00:22:51.57 you're ready for translation, 00:22:51.60\00:22:53.00 you know, but that's not how it is, you know. 00:22:53.03\00:22:55.54 And so, when getting so deeply involved in service 00:22:55.57\00:22:59.67 where it literally takes up my mind, 00:22:59.71\00:23:01.88 like my mind space, 00:23:01.91\00:23:03.81 every moment, you know, you're thinking about it, 00:23:03.85\00:23:06.82 it transforms your character. 00:23:06.85\00:23:10.05 You know, I believe the Bible teaches that too, 00:23:10.09\00:23:13.15 you know, and when it comes to that, 00:23:13.19\00:23:14.92 but yeah, it's really has transformed me. 00:23:14.96\00:23:16.99 Yeah, and service is actually, 00:23:17.03\00:23:18.59 when God designed 00:23:18.63\00:23:20.13 and He talks about us being a part of the, 00:23:20.16\00:23:23.43 of the great commission, right? 00:23:23.47\00:23:24.80 And being a part of helping those who are in need. 00:23:24.83\00:23:28.20 Jesus says, you know, 00:23:28.24\00:23:29.70 "I designed this method not as a way for you to be saved, 00:23:29.74\00:23:33.48 but a way for, you know, 00:23:33.51\00:23:34.84 to reveal truly what's in your heart." 00:23:34.88\00:23:37.75 I can remember countless times where we have events 00:23:37.78\00:23:40.28 or, you know, whether I'm preaching 00:23:40.32\00:23:41.68 or, you know, just doing community service, 00:23:41.72\00:23:44.09 and I don't want to be here, 00:23:44.12\00:23:45.45 it's hot, it's annoying, I'm hungry. 00:23:45.49\00:23:47.22 And God reminds you at that moment, 00:23:47.26\00:23:48.86 like you see how selfish you are, 00:23:48.89\00:23:50.23 you see how self-centered, 00:23:50.26\00:23:51.59 even while you're doing service. 00:23:51.63\00:23:52.96 And so is it those moments that I realized, 00:23:52.99\00:23:54.80 man, it's far more than just this intellectual stimulation 00:23:54.83\00:23:58.60 that I'm getting from my devotions 00:23:58.63\00:23:59.97 or just praying a prayer says, 00:24:00.00\00:24:01.34 "Lord, forgive me for my sins." 00:24:01.37\00:24:02.70 God says, "You become so absorbed in yourself 00:24:02.74\00:24:05.54 that I've designed service for you 00:24:05.57\00:24:06.91 to kind of uproot the selfishness." 00:24:06.94\00:24:08.34 Because everything in our Christian experience 00:24:08.38\00:24:11.48 should be selflessness and not selfishness 00:24:11.51\00:24:13.88 and that's what service is about. 00:24:13.92\00:24:15.25 So when Eric is talking about, 00:24:15.28\00:24:17.39 yeah, if it wasn't for ministry, 00:24:17.42\00:24:19.35 I'll be lost is the same thing. 00:24:19.39\00:24:20.79 If I wasn't involved in evangelism or ministry, 00:24:20.82\00:24:23.43 I don't know what I'll be doing with myself, right? 00:24:23.46\00:24:25.33 Because God is constantly putting me 00:24:25.36\00:24:27.06 through the fire of "tribulation." 00:24:27.10\00:24:30.07 And I say that to the sense of 00:24:30.10\00:24:31.87 God is constantly revealing something about myself 00:24:31.90\00:24:33.87 that I would not have known 00:24:33.90\00:24:35.34 if I wasn't actively engaging in some sort of ministry. 00:24:35.37\00:24:39.11 Yeah, you know, when you were talking 00:24:39.14\00:24:41.44 it made me think of John Chapter 6. 00:24:41.48\00:24:43.95 When, you know, Jesus is talking about, 00:24:43.98\00:24:47.75 you know, eat My flesh and drink My blood, 00:24:47.78\00:24:50.42 but He was talking figuratively in those... 00:24:50.45\00:24:53.66 There are some people following Him 00:24:53.69\00:24:55.02 that did not understand, right? 00:24:55.06\00:24:56.39 And then they ended up leaving. 00:24:56.42\00:24:58.56 And, you know, 00:24:58.59\00:25:01.13 He turns, I just see it in my mind, 00:25:01.16\00:25:03.26 so I see Him turn to Peter. 00:25:03.30\00:25:05.40 And, you know, in that chapter, He asked Peter, 00:25:05.43\00:25:08.60 "Basically, are you gonna leave too?" 00:25:08.64\00:25:10.81 And Peter says, "Where am I gonna go?" 00:25:10.84\00:25:14.74 You have the words of eternal life, 00:25:14.78\00:25:16.31 where do I go? 00:25:16.34\00:25:17.68 You know, and that's how I feel now, 00:25:17.71\00:25:19.18 you know, being so engaged in ministry. 00:25:19.21\00:25:22.05 It's like, 00:25:22.08\00:25:23.42 if you're not doing this, then what are you doing? 00:25:23.45\00:25:25.72 Yeah. You know, what do you... 00:25:25.75\00:25:27.62 You know, so that's just... 00:25:27.66\00:25:28.99 And that's kind of like 00:25:29.02\00:25:30.36 a reflection of our church, right? 00:25:30.39\00:25:31.73 We go to prayer meeting or Sabbath school 00:25:31.76\00:25:33.53 and we have these testimonies is it's dry, drawn out. 00:25:33.56\00:25:36.87 Oh, I remember back then, back when, 00:25:36.90\00:25:39.13 when God says, "My experience with you 00:25:39.17\00:25:40.87 should have been 20 years ago, 00:25:40.90\00:25:42.24 it should be an experience that you're having now". 00:25:42.27\00:25:44.87 And God says, "Listen, greater works 00:25:44.91\00:25:47.11 I want to do in you than I've done 00:25:47.14\00:25:48.64 while I was here on earth." 00:25:48.68\00:25:50.28 Well, how are we going to be able to participate 00:25:50.31\00:25:52.61 or partake in those miracles, 00:25:52.65\00:25:54.55 if we're not actively engaging, right? 00:25:54.58\00:25:56.58 God never called us to play defense, 00:25:56.62\00:25:58.95 always called us to play offense. 00:25:58.99\00:26:00.32 He wants us to go out, 00:26:00.36\00:26:01.69 go, go, go, go, that's the command. 00:26:01.72\00:26:03.59 He never says preserve yourself 00:26:03.63\00:26:04.96 and the way that you preserve yourself 00:26:04.99\00:26:06.93 is actually to go 00:26:06.96\00:26:08.30 and do what God has commanded you to do. 00:26:08.33\00:26:09.90 And so that's kind of the theme 00:26:09.93\00:26:11.53 all throughout the Old and the New Testament. 00:26:11.57\00:26:13.27 Jesus is constantly reminding His people, 00:26:13.30\00:26:16.50 listen, 00:26:16.54\00:26:18.24 the way that you overcome sin, 00:26:18.27\00:26:19.61 the way that you draw closer to Me 00:26:19.64\00:26:21.58 is actually feeding My lambs, feeding My sheep, 00:26:21.61\00:26:24.71 going out and doing what I asked you to do, 00:26:24.75\00:26:26.15 that's where you're going to know 00:26:26.18\00:26:27.52 the true heart of humanity, 00:26:27.55\00:26:29.12 then you start seeing what Jesus sees. 00:26:29.15\00:26:31.72 Man, Lord, like this person is going through so much trials 00:26:31.75\00:26:35.36 yet they're rejoicing? 00:26:35.39\00:26:36.73 Why is it that I have everything 00:26:36.76\00:26:38.09 and I can't seem to be happy in my experience? 00:26:38.13\00:26:39.69 Those are the little things like Jesus says, 00:26:39.73\00:26:41.53 we may not look at it as a miracle. 00:26:41.56\00:26:42.90 But for me, it's like, man, 00:26:42.93\00:26:44.27 Lord, I would have never seen that if I didn't, 00:26:44.30\00:26:46.10 you know, have that personal relationship with You 00:26:46.13\00:26:49.34 to actually go and do what You said to do, 00:26:49.37\00:26:51.51 which in essence is really what God is, 00:26:51.54\00:26:54.74 what desires and wants us to, 00:26:54.78\00:26:57.75 you know, to experience. 00:26:57.78\00:26:59.45 Right. That's really deep. 00:26:59.48\00:27:00.82 Because I mean, there are a lot of people out there 00:27:00.85\00:27:02.45 that are searching, you know, they're empty, 00:27:02.48\00:27:04.35 they feel that emptiness. 00:27:04.39\00:27:06.15 And, you know, some people think 00:27:06.19\00:27:07.72 that they can replace it with things 00:27:07.76\00:27:09.62 or money is gonna make the difference, 00:27:09.66\00:27:12.29 or, you know, whatever the case may be, 00:27:12.33\00:27:15.30 but what I'm hearing from you guys is that, 00:27:15.33\00:27:17.50 you know, you found your purpose, 00:27:17.53\00:27:19.03 you found your calling in life, 00:27:19.07\00:27:21.00 and there's nothing else that you would rather be doing. 00:27:21.04\00:27:23.51 There's nothing else 00:27:23.54\00:27:24.87 that you can even envision yourself doing, 00:27:24.91\00:27:27.21 other than what God's called you to do. 00:27:27.24\00:27:29.14 Right. That's powerful. 00:27:29.18\00:27:30.71 It's the most hardest, difficult, 00:27:30.75\00:27:32.61 most fulfilling and rewarding, 00:27:32.65\00:27:35.42 the thing you can do it in all seriousness, 00:27:35.45\00:27:37.19 you know, it's something that... 00:27:37.22\00:27:39.72 God is calling for something greater than ourselves. 00:27:39.75\00:27:42.26 And yeah, man, if it wasn't for ministry, 00:27:42.29\00:27:43.86 is it difficult? 00:27:43.89\00:27:45.23 Yeah. Is it easy to do? 00:27:45.26\00:27:46.59 Absolutely not, you know, 00:27:46.63\00:27:47.96 like, there's gonna be things that you're gonna experience. 00:27:48.00\00:27:49.86 But at the end of the day, 00:27:49.90\00:27:51.27 it's the most fulfilling and rewarding thing 00:27:51.30\00:27:53.23 that you can do. 00:27:53.27\00:27:54.60 And so I always encourage people, 00:27:54.64\00:27:55.97 especially my appeals, 00:27:56.00\00:27:57.34 when I'm speaking to young adults or just older alike, 00:27:57.37\00:28:00.78 go and do something great for God, 00:28:00.81\00:28:02.84 and you're gonna see God perform 00:28:02.88\00:28:04.95 great and mighty things in your life. 00:28:04.98\00:28:06.82 And that's how you're going to draw close to the Christ 00:28:06.85\00:28:08.75 during those moments where you're seeing 00:28:08.78\00:28:10.29 the need of the people and so, 00:28:10.32\00:28:12.12 yeah, nothing else, 00:28:12.15\00:28:13.99 what I rather be doing than what I'm currently doing. 00:28:14.02\00:28:16.22 Absolutely. 00:28:16.26\00:28:17.59 How did you find your purpose in life? 00:28:17.63\00:28:21.53 That's the question? 00:28:21.56\00:28:23.30 Yes, that's the... 00:28:23.33\00:28:24.67 As a young adult, you know, you go to any retreat, 00:28:24.70\00:28:28.10 any conference, 00:28:28.14\00:28:30.01 you know, what is your purpose 00:28:30.04\00:28:31.37 that conference room is full. 00:28:31.41\00:28:34.94 No, but, you know, the way... 00:28:34.98\00:28:38.65 It's funny, the way that it happened was. 00:28:38.68\00:28:41.02 I was studying and it comes from the Word, 00:28:41.05\00:28:43.69 you know, at the end of the day prayer and the Word. 00:28:43.72\00:28:45.95 God will tell you what it is you have to do. 00:28:45.99\00:28:48.39 You know, I remember when before SALT started, 00:28:48.42\00:28:51.59 I was studying John Chapter 4, 00:28:51.63\00:28:53.60 and, you know, you have the woman at the well in that, 00:28:53.63\00:28:56.50 you know, in that chapter and so, 00:28:56.53\00:28:59.83 you know, I remember at that time, 00:28:59.87\00:29:01.20 God had just revealed to me that 00:29:01.24\00:29:02.87 I need to be a pastor, 00:29:02.90\00:29:04.81 you know, I needed to lead His people, right? 00:29:04.84\00:29:07.38 And so, I'm studying this chapter and, 00:29:07.41\00:29:09.61 you know, before that I'm thinking, 00:29:09.64\00:29:10.98 man, when I graduate school, 00:29:11.01\00:29:12.38 I'm gonna go to school now that God's confirmed that to me, 00:29:12.41\00:29:15.35 going to school, and then after four years, 00:29:15.38\00:29:18.02 I'm gonna do these great things for God, right? 00:29:18.05\00:29:20.32 And that was my mindset. 00:29:20.36\00:29:21.92 So I was studying John Chapter 4 00:29:21.96\00:29:23.83 and you look at Jesus with the disciples. 00:29:23.86\00:29:26.90 Disciples went into the city to buy food, right? 00:29:26.93\00:29:29.80 Then Jesus is speaking to this woman, 00:29:29.83\00:29:32.20 the disciples come back from the city bringing nothing, 00:29:32.23\00:29:34.70 they just had food with them, which is what they went to get. 00:29:34.74\00:29:37.14 The woman goes into the city 00:29:37.17\00:29:38.51 brings the whole town to Christ. 00:29:38.54\00:29:41.44 And Christ looks at the disciples and says, 00:29:41.48\00:29:43.88 "You think the harvest is months from now. 00:29:43.91\00:29:46.61 No, the harvest is now." 00:29:46.65\00:29:48.28 And the reason why He said that 00:29:48.32\00:29:50.29 is because the disciples were looking at a future time. 00:29:50.32\00:29:53.25 They were looking at the time 00:29:53.29\00:29:54.62 that Jesus would be on the throne 00:29:54.66\00:29:56.42 and lead and oh, man, when that time comes, 00:29:56.46\00:29:59.23 and when there's so many great things for Christ so excited. 00:29:59.26\00:30:02.23 So their eyes were fixed on this future time. 00:30:02.26\00:30:05.93 We have to stop that, 00:30:05.97\00:30:07.30 we have to stop looking at this future time. 00:30:07.34\00:30:09.77 We need to look at now 00:30:09.80\00:30:11.37 and as we're looking at now, now, God, what can I do? 00:30:11.41\00:30:14.91 We need to be in the Word, we need to be in prayer, 00:30:14.94\00:30:17.45 we need to be communicating with people, 00:30:17.48\00:30:19.11 talking to people, God will reveal it. 00:30:19.15\00:30:21.78 I know He will, 00:30:21.82\00:30:23.15 but I think what happens is us millennials 00:30:23.18\00:30:26.89 give up too soon. 00:30:26.92\00:30:28.29 We don't have much patience, 00:30:28.32\00:30:30.53 and so, you know, we go a week or something 00:30:30.56\00:30:33.46 and we're like, oh, man, like, you know, 00:30:33.50\00:30:35.70 God hasn't spoken to me yet. 00:30:35.73\00:30:37.27 No, we got to keep going. 00:30:37.30\00:30:38.73 Yeah, that persistence. 00:30:38.77\00:30:40.34 Yeah, exactly. Yes. 00:30:40.37\00:30:41.70 Exactly, until He answered. 00:30:41.74\00:30:43.17 So how did you recognize that it was your purpose? 00:30:43.20\00:30:46.74 Like how, you know, 00:30:46.78\00:30:48.11 because there's trying to figure out 00:30:48.14\00:30:50.08 what your purpose is, 00:30:50.11\00:30:51.61 but then you also have to listen 00:30:51.65\00:30:53.88 and see what God is telling you. 00:30:53.92\00:30:55.28 How did you recognize that this was your purpose? 00:30:55.32\00:30:59.55 You know, 00:30:59.59\00:31:01.72 recognize that it was my purpose. 00:31:01.76\00:31:03.43 I think I recognized it being my purpose 00:31:03.46\00:31:07.00 when it consumed all of my thoughts, 00:31:07.03\00:31:11.47 you know, it consumed everything 00:31:11.50\00:31:13.74 I did in my life. 00:31:13.77\00:31:15.10 The reason why I went to school to get my masters 00:31:15.14\00:31:16.47 in non-profit management, 00:31:16.50\00:31:18.04 it wasn't to get a job at a nonprofit, 00:31:18.07\00:31:20.18 it was to help better, 00:31:20.21\00:31:21.54 equip me to run the nonprofit ministry 00:31:21.58\00:31:23.61 that God had put me in charge of. 00:31:23.65\00:31:25.11 Yes. That's it. 00:31:25.15\00:31:26.48 It didn't, you know, a lot of time we go to school, 00:31:26.51\00:31:28.25 'cause there's certain career we have in mind. 00:31:28.28\00:31:30.49 This is for the ministry. 00:31:30.52\00:31:31.85 You know, I studied social work, 00:31:31.89\00:31:33.29 so I could learn case management. 00:31:33.32\00:31:34.66 So we implement case management in the nonprofit, 00:31:34.69\00:31:37.19 I know how to do that. 00:31:37.23\00:31:39.06 It consumes your life, 00:31:39.09\00:31:40.73 everything that you do in your life 00:31:40.76\00:31:42.53 is the purpose is for that's what... 00:31:42.56\00:31:49.10 Everything is guided toward that purpose. 00:31:49.14\00:31:51.34 You know, what I mean, 00:31:51.37\00:31:52.74 and so that's, that's how I know. 00:31:52.77\00:31:54.74 And I think, other people can relate to that too, you know. 00:31:54.78\00:31:59.55 Yeah, and you know, 00:31:59.58\00:32:00.92 just to piggyback off what Eric is saying, 00:32:00.95\00:32:02.28 I think it's the same thing in my experience as well. 00:32:02.32\00:32:04.55 It wasn't, you know, you kind of grew up in the church, 00:32:04.59\00:32:06.79 knowing what it means to be a good Christian, right? 00:32:06.82\00:32:09.12 All of the things that you need to do and don't do. 00:32:09.16\00:32:11.39 And so, you know, 00:32:11.43\00:32:12.83 early on in my life was my passion was basketball, 00:32:12.86\00:32:15.06 my passion was music, my passion was partying, 00:32:15.10\00:32:17.60 having a good time getting money, 00:32:17.63\00:32:18.97 all of these other things. 00:32:19.00\00:32:20.34 And for the time being, it was enjoyable, 00:32:20.37\00:32:22.54 but then you realize there's this emptiness, 00:32:22.57\00:32:24.07 it doesn't matter how much more, 00:32:24.11\00:32:25.61 you do of this one thing, 00:32:25.64\00:32:26.98 you always find yourself even more depressed, 00:32:27.01\00:32:29.64 even more lonely, even more, you know, 00:32:29.68\00:32:32.11 a deeper desire for something more. 00:32:32.15\00:32:34.28 And so even for myself when I entered into ministry, 00:32:34.32\00:32:37.35 at first, it wasn't like, oh, you had a clear cut answer, 00:32:37.39\00:32:39.45 yeah, God is calling me to be a pastor, 00:32:39.49\00:32:40.86 or a chaplain, or a Bible teacher. 00:32:40.89\00:32:42.92 You kind of just take a step of, a leap of faith and saying, 00:32:42.96\00:32:45.59 all right, this is a door that God is calling me 00:32:45.63\00:32:47.20 to go through. 00:32:47.23\00:32:48.73 And then you go through it, you know, 00:32:48.76\00:32:50.13 faithfully and as time progresses, 00:32:50.17\00:32:52.93 you realize this is what God called me to do. 00:32:52.97\00:32:55.70 This is what God called. 00:32:55.74\00:32:57.21 Man, I want... 00:32:57.24\00:32:58.57 You know, now, that one thing 00:32:58.61\00:33:00.58 that you didn't know was your purpose, 00:33:00.61\00:33:02.71 now becomes your purpose 00:33:02.74\00:33:04.08 and it literally consumes you like to the point 00:33:04.11\00:33:06.11 that times we don't go to bed on time, 00:33:06.15\00:33:08.25 we don't eat properly, we just because 00:33:08.28\00:33:09.68 we're focusing so much on how can we better 00:33:09.72\00:33:13.05 you know, the calling and the purpose 00:33:13.09\00:33:15.22 that God has given me. 00:33:15.26\00:33:16.59 And so, you know, there has to be balanced, 00:33:16.62\00:33:18.06 obviously, but that's when you know, 00:33:18.09\00:33:20.80 if you wake up in the morning, 00:33:20.83\00:33:22.16 and you realize, I'm willing to do this thing, 00:33:22.20\00:33:25.23 and not get one cent for it, 00:33:25.27\00:33:26.60 but it will give me my fulfillment. 00:33:26.63\00:33:29.40 You know, you found your calling, 00:33:29.44\00:33:30.77 you found your purpose in life. 00:33:30.81\00:33:32.14 Yeah, that's a good measurement. 00:33:32.17\00:33:33.51 Yeah, that is because I can honestly say that about this. 00:33:33.54\00:33:36.51 I would do this for nothing. 00:33:36.54\00:33:37.95 Right. Yeah. 00:33:37.98\00:33:39.31 Nothing. Right. 00:33:39.35\00:33:40.82 You know, there are a lot of people 00:33:40.85\00:33:42.18 who are looking for that, who want that. 00:33:42.22\00:33:46.32 And I think the key is, to first, 00:33:46.35\00:33:48.89 seek ye first the kingdom of God. 00:33:48.92\00:33:51.19 You know, and all these things shall be added unto you. 00:33:51.23\00:33:53.26 Right. 00:33:53.29\00:33:56.00 It's a blessing to like... 00:33:56.03\00:33:59.33 I remember when I first met you guys, right? 00:33:59.37\00:34:03.30 And I was looking at your booth 00:34:03.34\00:34:06.68 'cause I think we're at ASI or GYC. 00:34:06.71\00:34:08.58 GYC, I think, yeah. 00:34:08.61\00:34:10.21 And I was looking at your booth, 00:34:10.25\00:34:12.01 and I was looking at the different cycles 00:34:12.05\00:34:14.55 and the practical Christianity 00:34:14.58\00:34:17.19 and how it ended in evangelism. 00:34:17.22\00:34:19.95 And I was just, I was blown away. 00:34:19.99\00:34:21.99 I was like, okay, so there's these young guys that, 00:34:22.02\00:34:26.19 you know, are allowing the Lord to work through them 00:34:26.23\00:34:29.00 in such a mighty way. 00:34:29.03\00:34:31.90 What are some of the challenges 00:34:31.93\00:34:33.77 that you guys have faced within ministry? 00:34:33.80\00:34:37.11 Well, I wanna kind of, you know, 00:34:37.14\00:34:39.14 continue with this line of, 00:34:39.17\00:34:40.64 you know, that line of thought that you brought up. 00:34:40.68\00:34:42.64 Because when we did first meet, 00:34:42.68\00:34:44.35 we had like this small little booth, 00:34:44.38\00:34:46.01 we had most of the stuff was just kind of a vision 00:34:46.05\00:34:48.25 and idea as to what we wanted to do. 00:34:48.28\00:34:50.95 And to see how God has opened up 00:34:50.99\00:34:52.69 so many doors and fulfilled 00:34:52.72\00:34:54.86 a lot of those dreams that we had. 00:34:54.89\00:34:57.53 Two years later, were just mind blown by like, 00:34:57.56\00:35:00.76 a vision now becomes a reality. 00:35:00.80\00:35:02.16 Oh, yeah. 00:35:02.20\00:35:03.53 And the difficulty of it is that, 00:35:03.57\00:35:05.30 you know, there's no... 00:35:05.33\00:35:06.67 Sometimes we limit God as to what He can do for us, 00:35:06.70\00:35:09.50 instead of realizing that we serve a big and mighty God. 00:35:09.54\00:35:12.57 The difficulty is that 00:35:12.61\00:35:13.94 not everyone is bought into that vision, 00:35:13.98\00:35:15.58 not everyone sees that. 00:35:15.61\00:35:17.35 The 80-20 thing is, you know, 00:35:17.38\00:35:18.91 80% of the work is being done by 20% of the workers. 00:35:18.95\00:35:21.92 And so for us at least without volunteers, 00:35:21.95\00:35:24.52 and leaders, you know, 00:35:24.55\00:35:26.12 as time progresses, you know, people get married, 00:35:26.15\00:35:28.42 you know, careers they move, and, 00:35:28.46\00:35:30.23 and so we always have to like plug 00:35:30.26\00:35:32.36 new people into those positions... 00:35:32.39\00:35:34.36 We constantly have to recruit leaders. 00:35:34.40\00:35:35.96 Constantly. And so... 00:35:36.00\00:35:38.63 But the hard part, at least for me, when, 00:35:38.67\00:35:40.30 you know, do week of prayers and evangelism 00:35:40.34\00:35:42.57 and revival weekends, is this, 00:35:42.60\00:35:45.07 we've gotten comfortable. 00:35:45.11\00:35:47.04 Not just with the young adults, but you know, 00:35:47.08\00:35:49.08 as church as a whole, 00:35:49.11\00:35:50.45 we just gotten comfortable where we're at. 00:35:50.48\00:35:52.21 And we rather have people come to us, 00:35:52.25\00:35:53.78 instead of doing the hard work of really 00:35:53.82\00:35:55.95 getting to make and make those connections and so. 00:35:55.98\00:35:58.59 At least for me, my experience is saying, 00:35:58.62\00:36:00.12 man, you can preach a powerful raw, 00:36:00.16\00:36:02.99 raw message and people are like, yes, stirred up, 00:36:03.02\00:36:04.79 and then when it actually comes down to do it, 00:36:04.83\00:36:07.53 there's no one there. 00:36:07.56\00:36:08.90 You know what I'm saying. 00:36:08.93\00:36:10.27 And so that's been, for me the hardest part in saying, 00:36:10.30\00:36:12.57 Lord, there's so much that needs to be done, 00:36:12.60\00:36:16.07 but You've even said it Yourself, 00:36:16.10\00:36:18.07 that the laborers are so few. 00:36:18.11\00:36:20.11 And so, you know, we want to inspire 00:36:20.14\00:36:22.61 as inspires many young people. 00:36:22.64\00:36:24.91 Even those that young at heart just realize, 00:36:24.95\00:36:27.82 if you're engaged in this work 00:36:27.85\00:36:29.32 that God has commissioned us to, 00:36:29.35\00:36:30.92 you know, to be engaged in, 00:36:30.95\00:36:32.29 is not only gonna change your life, 00:36:32.32\00:36:33.66 you're gonna see miracles transformed, 00:36:33.69\00:36:35.02 but most importantly, 00:36:35.06\00:36:36.39 you fulfilling a greater mission 00:36:36.42\00:36:37.89 and purpose of what God wants to establish. 00:36:37.93\00:36:39.89 And the end of the day, 00:36:39.93\00:36:41.26 He called us to reflect His character. 00:36:41.30\00:36:44.20 And that's something much greater 00:36:44.23\00:36:45.90 than we can ever imagine, right? 00:36:45.93\00:36:47.80 Like, little sinful Lo-Ammi is 00:36:47.84\00:36:50.17 going to develop a character 00:36:50.21\00:36:52.34 through my relationship with Him 00:36:52.37\00:36:53.71 and fulfilling His desire of ministering to those. 00:36:53.74\00:36:57.85 He's gonna develop something in me 00:36:57.88\00:37:00.08 that I can't even see myself developing. 00:37:00.12\00:37:02.18 So that's for me, it has on the spiritual element 00:37:02.22\00:37:04.89 been the most difficult part with this or, 00:37:04.92\00:37:08.49 you know, with just 00:37:08.52\00:37:09.86 what we're trying to do is just the lack of volunteers, 00:37:09.89\00:37:12.83 and, you know, the ownership of saying, 00:37:12.86\00:37:14.36 yes, let's buy in this, let's do it. 00:37:14.40\00:37:16.00 Yeah. And so on and so forth. 00:37:16.03\00:37:17.70 I will say, now, if I can plug this in, 00:37:17.73\00:37:20.54 the leadership we have now, 00:37:20.57\00:37:24.71 you know, is our dedicated, you know... 00:37:24.74\00:37:30.45 I can't even... 00:37:30.48\00:37:31.91 They're sold out. 00:37:31.95\00:37:33.28 You know, they're sold out. 00:37:33.31\00:37:35.75 You know, they all work jobs 00:37:35.78\00:37:37.12 and none of us doing this full-time. 00:37:37.15\00:37:38.49 You know, they're all, 00:37:38.52\00:37:39.85 they're students working or both, 00:37:39.89\00:37:41.22 you know, and they put in that time, that effort, 00:37:41.26\00:37:44.39 you know, they inspire me. 00:37:44.43\00:37:45.79 You know, some of them are like, 00:37:45.83\00:37:47.46 you know, they're at work doing, 00:37:47.50\00:37:49.16 I'm getting, I'm at work, and they're at work, 00:37:49.20\00:37:52.03 and they're sending me texts, emails, 00:37:52.07\00:37:54.00 "Hey, what about this? What about that?" 00:37:54.04\00:37:56.14 Talking about SALT, you know, that's been such a blessing. 00:37:56.17\00:38:01.74 You know, the team we have now is a strong team, 00:38:01.78\00:38:04.15 but we need more. 00:38:04.18\00:38:05.88 We need more people and, 00:38:05.91\00:38:08.32 you know, hopefully, you know, as God continues. 00:38:08.35\00:38:11.09 Now that I'm out of school, 00:38:11.12\00:38:12.45 I'm really excited because now my full evening is not, 00:38:12.49\00:38:15.32 you know, get off of work, work on homework till midnight, 00:38:15.36\00:38:18.49 and then do SALT things in between. 00:38:18.53\00:38:20.93 You know what I mean. 00:38:20.96\00:38:23.16 How my evening is going to be, you know, at SALT. 00:38:23.20\00:38:25.27 So you notice how, now that I have free time, 00:38:25.30\00:38:26.97 I'm gonna dedicate even more time to SALT. 00:38:27.00\00:38:29.37 So this brother, he's dedicated for sure. 00:38:29.40\00:38:32.11 But at the end of the day, 00:38:32.14\00:38:33.48 imagine that being duplicated by 100 people, 00:38:33.51\00:38:35.84 by 300 people, 5,000 people. 00:38:35.88\00:38:39.18 We wouldn't be here, like the work will be done. 00:38:39.21\00:38:41.38 So, you know... 00:38:41.42\00:38:43.28 Yeah, I was thinking maybe, 00:38:43.32\00:38:45.89 you know, one thing as you mentioned that, 00:38:45.92\00:38:47.89 I was thinking about the first time we came on. 00:38:47.92\00:38:50.33 Because that was around the time we first met you. 00:38:50.36\00:38:52.39 A lot of that stuff was a vision, 00:38:52.43\00:38:54.16 you know, and now it's become reality. 00:38:54.20\00:38:56.46 We actually have some pictures. Yeah. 00:38:56.50\00:38:58.17 That our show kind of how it's progressed and, 00:38:58.20\00:39:00.40 you know, because the viewers here at 3ABN, 00:39:00.44\00:39:03.97 they have donated. 00:39:04.01\00:39:05.54 Yeah. 00:39:05.57\00:39:06.91 They've caught on to the vision, 00:39:06.94\00:39:08.28 you know, and so many... 00:39:08.31\00:39:09.94 It doesn't matter if it's a $5 donation, 00:39:09.98\00:39:12.51 or if it's, you know, 00:39:12.55\00:39:14.05 we had one person donate $16,500. 00:39:14.08\00:39:16.65 If you were here on 3ABN 16,500 00:39:16.69\00:39:19.72 and, you know, but combined they've helped so much, 00:39:19.75\00:39:23.12 they helped us get the shower trailer. 00:39:23.16\00:39:24.49 Yes. A lot. 00:39:24.53\00:39:25.86 Most of the funds that came in 00:39:25.89\00:39:27.40 or at least half of the funds that came in 00:39:27.43\00:39:29.43 for that shower trailer was from 3ABN viewers, 00:39:29.46\00:39:31.40 so we're so thankful for 3ABN and the viewers of 3ABN. 00:39:31.43\00:39:35.47 But we can show them exactly 00:39:35.50\00:39:36.84 what's happened in pictures right now. 00:39:36.87\00:39:39.07 Yeah, that's our food share, 00:39:39.11\00:39:41.14 that's our vice president Esau Vargas there. 00:39:41.18\00:39:43.45 He's doing a kind of a debriefing 00:39:43.48\00:39:44.95 to some of our homeless friends. 00:39:44.98\00:39:47.15 You know, that's our food share we do it once a month. 00:39:47.18\00:39:50.09 And then we use that as a platform 00:39:50.12\00:39:51.45 to create relationships with them. 00:39:51.49\00:39:53.19 Then we have our clothing trailer here, 00:39:53.22\00:39:54.69 so when a homeless individual comes, 00:39:54.72\00:39:56.59 they register 00:39:56.62\00:39:58.26 and then they go to our clothing trailer 00:39:58.29\00:39:59.63 to get clothing, they get their towels, 00:39:59.66\00:40:01.63 their wash cloths, their hygiene product. 00:40:01.66\00:40:04.17 And then after that, 00:40:04.20\00:40:06.63 you know, there's that they're the showers. 00:40:06.67\00:40:09.70 And you see them kind of lined up there. 00:40:09.74\00:40:11.34 That trailer right there is a four bathroom shower trailer. 00:40:11.37\00:40:13.91 Each bathroom has a sink, toilet and shower. 00:40:13.94\00:40:17.95 You know, and then we have barbers too 00:40:17.98\00:40:19.55 that are on site 00:40:19.58\00:40:21.28 and these barbers, 00:40:21.32\00:40:22.78 oh, that's actually the whole site there at the church 00:40:22.82\00:40:25.25 where we're doing the outreach. 00:40:25.29\00:40:27.49 So as they show in the pictures is one of our volunteers 00:40:27.52\00:40:30.99 getting a haircut to one of those people who needed it. 00:40:31.03\00:40:34.53 Homeless friends. 00:40:34.56\00:40:35.90 Yeah, homeless friends, but you know, 00:40:35.93\00:40:37.27 it's interesting because Christ's Object Lessons, 00:40:37.30\00:40:38.63 page 417 actually talks about 00:40:38.67\00:40:41.24 the very vision that you're seeing in the pictures 00:40:41.27\00:40:43.17 that are being shown on the screen that, you know. 00:40:43.20\00:40:46.54 What does a haircut do to the individual? 00:40:46.57\00:40:49.01 It changes a lot, you know, when you get a haircut, 00:40:49.04\00:40:51.11 you're much more confident. 00:40:51.15\00:40:52.58 When you've been dirty for three months 00:40:52.61\00:40:53.98 and you take a shower, you feel like a new man. 00:40:54.02\00:40:56.12 And it's so much easier for somebody to say, 00:40:56.15\00:40:58.25 hey, at the end of the day, I wanna pray for you. 00:40:58.29\00:41:00.29 Can I pray for you? 00:41:00.32\00:41:01.66 Is there any other burdens that you may have? 00:41:01.69\00:41:03.36 And yeah, absolutely. Please pray. 00:41:03.39\00:41:06.53 Is there any prayer requests? 00:41:06.56\00:41:08.26 You give them a Bible promise 00:41:08.30\00:41:09.63 and they're much more receptive 00:41:09.66\00:41:11.80 to what you have to share spiritually 00:41:11.83\00:41:13.30 once you fulfill the needs of that individual. 00:41:13.34\00:41:16.87 Christ's Object Lesson, page 417, powerful quote. 00:41:16.91\00:41:20.18 It said, "It is ours to aid in relieving and softening 00:41:20.21\00:41:26.01 life's hardship and misery." 00:41:26.05\00:41:27.85 Check this out, because listen, we have 00:41:27.88\00:41:30.62 and there's nothing wrong with what I'm about to say 00:41:30.65\00:41:32.45 because as an evangelist, right, 00:41:32.49\00:41:34.99 money is the key in order to have successful campaigns 00:41:35.02\00:41:38.66 and successful, you know, outreaches, 00:41:38.69\00:41:41.80 but this quotation kind of puts everything in perspective 00:41:41.83\00:41:44.07 because it says practical work 00:41:44.10\00:41:46.30 will have far more effect than mere sermonizing. 00:41:46.33\00:41:50.44 So what we're doing in the community, 00:41:50.47\00:41:52.61 right, giving haircuts, showering, 00:41:52.64\00:41:54.44 giving them clothes, 00:41:54.48\00:41:55.81 you know, getting them their IDs, 00:41:55.84\00:41:57.18 giving them you know, towels and, 00:41:57.21\00:42:00.22 you know, bath soaps and everything, 00:42:00.25\00:42:02.12 it just to, you know, put them back in a place 00:42:02.15\00:42:05.19 where they feel good about themselves, 00:42:05.22\00:42:07.36 will have far more effect in their lives than me saying, 00:42:07.39\00:42:10.96 "All right, come to church, 00:42:10.99\00:42:12.33 and I'm going to preach you a sermon" 00:42:12.36\00:42:14.30 that has no practicality in it but just theory. 00:42:14.33\00:42:17.33 And then the quotation actually, 00:42:17.37\00:42:20.54 you know, describes what this practical work is. 00:42:20.57\00:42:23.00 We are to give food to the hungry, 00:42:23.04\00:42:24.67 clothing to the naked and shelter to the homeless. 00:42:24.71\00:42:27.81 Jason, imagine if we would, 00:42:27.84\00:42:29.91 if we utilize the funds 00:42:29.94\00:42:31.35 that we would use in our evangelistic campaigns 00:42:31.38\00:42:34.12 to completely use that to impact those individuals 00:42:34.15\00:42:37.29 in our community, 00:42:37.32\00:42:38.65 how much work do you think will get done? 00:42:38.69\00:42:40.66 Because at the end of the day, 00:42:40.69\00:42:42.19 people say, man, 00:42:42.22\00:42:43.56 you care for me when no one else cared. 00:42:43.59\00:42:45.23 Yes. 00:42:45.26\00:42:46.59 And once they see that, 00:42:46.63\00:42:47.96 you actually have your best interest at heart, 00:42:48.00\00:42:49.53 to say, man, I wanna help you to get back on your feet 00:42:49.56\00:42:52.57 and establish that confidence. 00:42:52.60\00:42:55.00 Anything I say after that, 00:42:55.04\00:42:57.11 they're much more attentive to listen to what I had to say. 00:42:57.14\00:43:01.08 Can I pray for you? 00:43:01.11\00:43:02.44 Can I show you this Bible verse that that impacted my life? 00:43:02.48\00:43:04.48 Absolutely. 00:43:04.51\00:43:05.85 And you'll be amazed that most of our homeless friends 00:43:05.88\00:43:07.98 that we talked to always share their testimony. 00:43:08.02\00:43:10.39 Man, I grew up in the church, 00:43:10.42\00:43:11.75 man my mom was a Christian or I was a Christian at once. 00:43:11.79\00:43:14.32 And you guys really showed the heart of God today. 00:43:14.36\00:43:17.03 Countless times we hear those type of testimonies, 00:43:17.06\00:43:19.23 but it's not because we sat there and say, 00:43:19.26\00:43:20.70 hey, you're going to hear this word. 00:43:20.73\00:43:22.13 No, we actually relieved and softening life 00:43:22.16\00:43:24.57 hardships and misery 00:43:24.60\00:43:25.93 that had far more greater effect 00:43:25.97\00:43:28.00 than just mere preaching. 00:43:28.04\00:43:29.37 And so, there, 00:43:29.40\00:43:31.14 yeah, so I just realized that, 00:43:31.17\00:43:32.61 that is the work that God is calling us to do 00:43:32.64\00:43:34.61 because that is the work. 00:43:34.64\00:43:36.48 Because once that practicality 00:43:36.51\00:43:38.28 and the sermonizing comes together, 00:43:38.31\00:43:40.75 you have the whole picture of the gospel. 00:43:40.78\00:43:43.12 Yeah, that's powerful, that is powerful. 00:43:43.15\00:43:46.55 What are some testimonies that you can share of people's lives 00:43:46.59\00:43:49.66 that were transformed? 00:43:49.69\00:43:51.33 Yeah, you know, there was one recently 00:43:51.36\00:43:55.60 a homeless friend of ours, 00:43:55.63\00:43:57.67 who would come out to our events, 00:43:57.70\00:43:59.03 you know, we provided, you know, 00:43:59.07\00:44:01.24 we, right now we're not in that employment program yet. 00:44:01.27\00:44:06.01 We're not doing that case management system yet. 00:44:06.04\00:44:07.94 We still need to build capacity, 00:44:07.98\00:44:09.71 raise more funds to run that during the week. 00:44:09.74\00:44:12.45 But we do it at least two or three times a month, 00:44:12.48\00:44:15.68 where we run the whole outreach center for the homeless. 00:44:15.72\00:44:18.75 So there was a guy that came 00:44:18.79\00:44:21.66 and he would come and he'd, 00:44:21.69\00:44:23.02 you know, go through the motions, 00:44:23.06\00:44:24.39 get the clothing, the hygiene, 00:44:24.43\00:44:26.13 the showers and we'd interact with him, 00:44:26.16\00:44:28.43 and was maybe a few, 00:44:28.46\00:44:31.27 maybe two events ago or three events ago, 00:44:31.30\00:44:33.80 he came up to us. 00:44:33.84\00:44:35.40 He didn't go, he didn't go to the showers, 00:44:35.44\00:44:37.21 he didn't go to clothing trailer. 00:44:37.24\00:44:38.81 He just kind of, he didn't register. 00:44:38.84\00:44:40.18 He just kind of came 00:44:40.21\00:44:42.11 and he came up to me 00:44:42.14\00:44:44.11 and he's like, and he was crying. 00:44:44.15\00:44:46.58 And he's like, Eric, 00:44:46.61\00:44:49.32 it's because of you guys that I have a job right now. 00:44:49.35\00:44:52.95 And he just walked away, 00:44:52.99\00:44:54.89 you know, and I hope 00:44:54.92\00:44:56.73 we're hoping that he comes back, 00:44:56.76\00:44:58.09 so we can talk to him more and really engage him more, 00:44:58.13\00:45:00.63 maybe start some studies with him that sort of thing. 00:45:00.66\00:45:03.67 But that's just an example of, 00:45:03.70\00:45:05.33 of a homeless individual that we were able to impact 00:45:05.37\00:45:07.94 through the program. 00:45:07.97\00:45:09.30 I mean, there's some other stories. 00:45:09.34\00:45:11.07 They become family actually the last story 00:45:11.11\00:45:13.48 with one of our homeless friends 00:45:13.51\00:45:15.58 had invited us to his graduation. 00:45:15.61\00:45:17.01 Yes, yeah, yeah. Oh, wow. 00:45:17.05\00:45:18.38 Yeah, so, you know, I was able to... 00:45:18.41\00:45:19.91 I travel a lot and so when I am not traveling, 00:45:19.95\00:45:22.98 and I can come to an event, I come to the event 00:45:23.02\00:45:24.75 and so we just got a 15 passenger van. 00:45:24.79\00:45:29.26 So which we'll talk about that later in the end 00:45:29.29\00:45:31.69 as the segment continues, 00:45:31.73\00:45:33.06 but we want to use this van 00:45:33.09\00:45:34.43 to actually bring in our homeless friends 00:45:34.46\00:45:36.73 from the outreaches that we're implementing 00:45:36.77\00:45:39.27 and bring them to the churches, to come to the, 00:45:39.30\00:45:41.60 you know, week of prayers, revival weekends. 00:45:41.64\00:45:43.47 But anyway, so I got the opportunity 00:45:43.51\00:45:44.84 to drive this van. 00:45:44.87\00:45:46.21 And so, just to see their response, 00:45:46.24\00:45:48.88 you know, everyone had their nickname. 00:45:48.91\00:45:50.28 There was one lady, 00:45:50.31\00:45:53.55 she was called the spaghetti lady. 00:45:53.58\00:45:55.38 And so she had nothing to do with our organization, 00:45:55.42\00:45:58.29 goes at the middle of the area that we're in and she gives out 00:45:58.32\00:46:02.32 spaghetti meals every single day. 00:46:02.36\00:46:04.03 So everyone in the community knows spaghetti lady. 00:46:04.06\00:46:07.30 It's like man, I want a nickname. 00:46:07.33\00:46:08.66 You know, he's like, I was like, 00:46:08.70\00:46:10.30 van man, like van man. 00:46:10.33\00:46:11.93 All right, Van man, could you drop us off this location? 00:46:11.97\00:46:15.07 So one of the gentlemen, 00:46:15.10\00:46:16.87 and Eric can share the story was saying, 00:46:16.91\00:46:19.27 man have Eric contact me, man, 00:46:19.31\00:46:20.98 I will really love for you guys to come to my graduation. 00:46:21.01\00:46:24.48 He's like, man, y'all the only family 00:46:24.51\00:46:25.88 that I have and I would love for you to come. 00:46:25.91\00:46:27.35 I wasn't able to go, 00:46:27.38\00:46:28.72 but Eric can kind of share a little bit more. 00:46:28.75\00:46:30.09 Yeah, me and some of our other leaders 00:46:30.12\00:46:31.69 we went to his graduation and basically it was a... 00:46:31.72\00:46:37.29 He went through this program at the Salvation Army. 00:46:37.33\00:46:40.66 And we've been in touch with him. 00:46:40.70\00:46:42.03 He's come out to our events a few times. 00:46:42.06\00:46:43.40 We've gotten to know him very, very humble, genuine guy, 00:46:43.43\00:46:46.77 you know, and he invite us over 00:46:46.80\00:46:50.21 and we went and afterward went out to eat with him 00:46:50.24\00:46:53.68 and just spent some time talking. 00:46:53.71\00:46:55.54 And we talked about the Word, 00:46:55.58\00:46:57.25 you know, his studies you know, 00:46:57.28\00:46:59.65 and he, and he said he had $3,000 saved up, 00:46:59.68\00:47:02.42 he's, like, ready find a place, 00:47:02.45\00:47:04.29 you know, you guys helped me find a place. 00:47:04.32\00:47:06.02 So we've been going back and forth, 00:47:06.05\00:47:07.39 sending him some things 00:47:07.42\00:47:08.76 and trying to get them in a place now and, 00:47:08.79\00:47:11.39 you know, it's exciting, 00:47:11.43\00:47:15.16 you know, to see people grow and to see people and, 00:47:15.20\00:47:17.67 you know, there's another story, 00:47:17.70\00:47:19.23 we can't share too much details on it. 00:47:19.27\00:47:21.00 But, you know, 00:47:21.04\00:47:22.54 someone who was sick became homeless. 00:47:22.57\00:47:25.74 You know, now, you know, he has a job working, 00:47:25.77\00:47:30.88 you know, and we're able... 00:47:30.91\00:47:32.25 Became a Christian in the process. 00:47:32.28\00:47:33.62 Became a Christian... Bible study. 00:47:33.65\00:47:34.98 Was identified as an atheist, 00:47:35.02\00:47:36.35 you know, now he identifies as a Christian. 00:47:36.38\00:47:38.25 He says, man, yeah, he identifies as a Christian. 00:47:38.29\00:47:40.39 He's like, man, I wanna to get baptized. 00:47:40.42\00:47:42.42 And so, again, this is all through the efforts of just 00:47:42.46\00:47:46.59 connecting with people on a personal level 00:47:46.63\00:47:48.40 getting to know them. 00:47:48.43\00:47:49.76 A lot of the reasons why we have developed, 00:47:49.80\00:47:51.73 you know, the shower trailer, the clothing trailer 00:47:51.77\00:47:53.77 was actually speaking to the people 00:47:53.80\00:47:55.24 that we're reaching out to and say 00:47:55.27\00:47:56.60 what is it that you guys need 00:47:56.64\00:47:57.97 because we can easily think, 00:47:58.01\00:47:59.34 oh, I know what you need here. 00:47:59.37\00:48:00.81 Here's a, you know, bag, lunch, or whatever. 00:48:00.84\00:48:02.91 And once you start having personal relationships 00:48:02.94\00:48:04.55 and talking to them, man, we need socks, 00:48:04.58\00:48:07.35 we need you know, undergarments, 00:48:07.38\00:48:08.85 we need, you know, backpacks, we need all of these things. 00:48:08.88\00:48:11.49 And so, all right, well, let's give them what they need. 00:48:11.52\00:48:14.59 And then once you fulfill that need, 00:48:14.62\00:48:16.56 man, that relationship blossoms 00:48:16.59\00:48:18.13 and then you can have those spiritual conversations, 00:48:18.16\00:48:19.79 you can do all those things. 00:48:19.83\00:48:21.16 And so at the end of the day, you can have somebody 00:48:21.20\00:48:23.06 who was known as an atheist to say, now, I'm a Christian. 00:48:23.10\00:48:25.43 Why? 00:48:25.47\00:48:26.80 Because these people show me love, 00:48:26.84\00:48:28.17 you know, at the end of the day, 00:48:28.20\00:48:29.54 and I want to be what they are, 00:48:29.57\00:48:31.27 and that in of itself is powerful. 00:48:31.31\00:48:33.61 That is powerful. You know. 00:48:33.64\00:48:35.08 And I know that, 00:48:35.11\00:48:36.58 a lot of people are going to have questions for you. 00:48:36.61\00:48:38.51 So I am counting on you at home to send in your questions. 00:48:38.55\00:48:44.25 You can call (618) 627-4651 00:48:44.29\00:48:49.09 and follow the prompts to the call center, 00:48:49.12\00:48:51.39 which I believe is just pressing the number two 00:48:51.43\00:48:53.86 when you hear the automated message. 00:48:53.90\00:48:56.36 And you can also email your questions to live@3abn.tv. 00:48:56.40\00:49:02.57 We're going to be answering questions in the second hour. 00:49:02.60\00:49:05.41 And you are my co-host tonight. 00:49:05.44\00:49:08.14 So I'm looking to you to send in those questions 00:49:08.18\00:49:10.91 for the second hour 00:49:10.95\00:49:12.28 that you would like to ask Lo-Ammi and Eric. 00:49:12.31\00:49:15.82 You were about to say something, Eric. 00:49:15.85\00:49:17.29 No, I was about to say something, wasn't I? 00:49:17.32\00:49:21.72 Yeah, you're too young for that. 00:49:21.76\00:49:23.49 Yeah. 00:49:23.53\00:49:25.09 I'm getting old, once you past 30 years old. 00:49:25.13\00:49:28.80 He didn't take a nap today. 00:49:28.83\00:49:32.27 No, I was gonna say that... 00:49:32.30\00:49:36.60 Actually, I'd lost it. 00:49:36.64\00:49:38.41 That's all right. I lost, it will come back. 00:49:38.44\00:49:40.24 That happens for me too. 00:49:40.28\00:49:41.81 Now just we're piggybacking off because at the end of the day, 00:49:41.84\00:49:43.88 we want to make sure that as Christians, 00:49:43.91\00:49:45.85 we are connecting the message that we grew up believing 00:49:45.88\00:49:50.59 and understanding the three angels' message 00:49:50.62\00:49:52.09 of Revelation 14, 00:49:52.12\00:49:53.72 this gospel unto all the world, right, 00:49:53.76\00:49:55.86 this gospel has to be seen. 00:49:55.89\00:49:57.53 That's what Jesus specifically said in Matthew 24:14, 00:49:57.56\00:50:00.66 it's not earthquake and pestilences 00:50:00.70\00:50:02.56 and all of these other things, 00:50:02.60\00:50:03.93 what puts an end to all of the world's misery 00:50:03.97\00:50:07.34 is the gospel being seen. 00:50:07.37\00:50:10.37 That is the emphasis of Revelation 14. 00:50:10.41\00:50:13.11 I wanna share one more quotation 00:50:13.14\00:50:14.64 because, you know, 00:50:14.68\00:50:16.18 when we're talking about these relationships 00:50:16.21\00:50:18.31 that we're building, and we're ultimately 00:50:18.35\00:50:21.42 having these people believe in the God 00:50:21.45\00:50:23.42 that we're claiming that we serve. 00:50:23.45\00:50:26.32 Christ's Object Lessons, page 69 says, 00:50:26.35\00:50:28.12 "Christ is waiting with a longing desire 00:50:28.16\00:50:31.76 for the manifestation of self in the church." 00:50:31.79\00:50:34.40 So God's saying, "Listen, 00:50:34.43\00:50:35.76 My church claims to be something that is really not." 00:50:35.80\00:50:38.47 And what Christ wants to see 00:50:38.50\00:50:40.54 is His church reflect His character, 00:50:40.57\00:50:42.54 His character of love. 00:50:42.57\00:50:44.24 So it says, when the character of Christ 00:50:44.27\00:50:46.07 shall be perfectly reproduce in His people, 00:50:46.11\00:50:48.64 then He will come to claim us as His own. 00:50:48.68\00:50:50.51 Now, I wanna premise by saying, 00:50:50.55\00:50:52.95 I never understood what this meant, 00:50:52.98\00:50:55.05 when Christian perfection, you know, Christ's character, 00:50:55.08\00:50:58.05 perfectly reproduced in His people 00:50:58.09\00:50:59.42 He will claim it as His own. 00:50:59.45\00:51:00.86 Christ's Object Lessons, 384 00:51:00.89\00:51:02.42 actually emphasizes what that looks like, 00:51:02.46\00:51:05.59 the completeness. 00:51:05.63\00:51:06.96 So being complete in Christ 00:51:07.00\00:51:08.96 of Christian character is attained. 00:51:09.00\00:51:11.27 Check this out, you'll like this, Eric, 00:51:11.30\00:51:12.73 is attained when the impulse to help and bless others 00:51:12.77\00:51:17.01 springs constantly from within, 00:51:17.04\00:51:20.28 when the sunshine of heaven fills the heart 00:51:20.31\00:51:23.24 and is revealed in the continents. 00:51:23.28\00:51:25.18 In other words, 00:51:25.21\00:51:26.65 the only time that Christ is going to come back 00:51:26.68\00:51:28.48 and claim His church as His own 00:51:28.52\00:51:30.42 is when the impulse to want to serve others 00:51:30.45\00:51:33.09 is constantly there 00:51:33.12\00:51:34.62 and if the continent shows that they enjoy doing it. 00:51:34.66\00:51:38.56 That's good. 00:51:38.59\00:51:39.93 Oh, I gotta go to outreach today, you know, I got to... 00:51:39.96\00:51:42.96 Like it's a burden. 00:51:43.00\00:51:44.33 Yeah, no, it's supposed to be seen in our content. 00:51:44.37\00:51:46.43 I want to do it. Yes. 00:51:46.47\00:51:47.80 I love doing it. Yeah. 00:51:47.84\00:51:49.17 Because at the end of the day, 00:51:49.20\00:51:50.54 Jesus done so much for me that I want to do it for you. 00:51:50.57\00:51:52.41 Yeah. 00:51:52.44\00:51:53.78 And mostly people not necessarily care about 00:51:53.81\00:51:56.88 the theology necessarily because at the end of the day, 00:51:56.91\00:51:59.68 they're seeing that 00:51:59.71\00:52:02.22 what we are doing 00:52:02.25\00:52:03.59 and what we're trying to implement 00:52:03.62\00:52:04.95 and serving and helping others is a reflection of Christ. 00:52:04.99\00:52:08.32 And when they have those questions, 00:52:08.36\00:52:10.03 guess what? 00:52:10.06\00:52:11.39 It's going to be easier for them to receive it 00:52:11.43\00:52:12.76 because they're saying, man, 00:52:12.79\00:52:14.13 you guys really love doing what you're doing 00:52:14.16\00:52:15.50 and then you guys are young people on top of that. 00:52:15.53\00:52:16.87 Yes. 00:52:16.90\00:52:18.23 You know, one gentleman, I remember 00:52:18.27\00:52:19.60 doing our outreach event. 00:52:19.63\00:52:20.97 He's like, man, 00:52:21.00\00:52:22.34 because we do a lot of outreach downtown, 00:52:22.37\00:52:23.74 he's like, man, you young people 00:52:23.77\00:52:25.11 could easily be going to the clubs 00:52:25.14\00:52:26.47 and bars and partying, having a good time. 00:52:26.51\00:52:28.11 And you guys are here on a Sunday. 00:52:28.14\00:52:30.48 Man, that for him spoke great volumes. 00:52:30.51\00:52:33.62 And at the end of the day, I tell any young person, 00:52:33.65\00:52:36.58 any, any viewer right now that 00:52:36.62\00:52:39.45 if you want to be complete in Christ, 00:52:39.49\00:52:42.39 you have to engage in the work. 00:52:42.42\00:52:44.19 And as you do so, 00:52:44.23\00:52:45.56 you're gonna see the blessings that God has in store for you 00:52:45.59\00:52:48.23 but more importantly, 00:52:48.26\00:52:49.60 people gonna see Christ through you. 00:52:49.63\00:52:50.97 And that's going to be such a greater witness. 00:52:51.00\00:52:53.47 Again, going back, I was an atheist. 00:52:53.50\00:52:56.07 After a few months of ministering to this brother, 00:52:56.10\00:52:59.04 identify as a Christian, I want to be baptized 00:52:59.07\00:53:00.88 and I want to know, I want Jesus as my personal Savior. 00:53:00.91\00:53:03.91 That has far more greater impact, 00:53:03.95\00:53:05.28 because at the end of the day, 00:53:05.31\00:53:06.68 we wanted to help this individual. 00:53:06.72\00:53:08.68 And you brought it up earlier too, Matthew 25. 00:53:08.72\00:53:11.85 You know, when we look at that, 00:53:11.89\00:53:13.52 the ones that were the sheep were the ones 00:53:13.56\00:53:16.42 that did all these works without even realizing it. 00:53:16.46\00:53:19.86 You know, when we look at that quote, 00:53:19.89\00:53:21.23 it springs constantly from within, 00:53:21.26\00:53:23.16 it's a second nature, you know, and yeah, 00:53:23.20\00:53:26.74 it goes hand in hand. 00:53:26.77\00:53:28.17 One final text 00:53:28.20\00:53:29.54 'cause now you got my spirits moving now, 00:53:29.57\00:53:32.67 yeah, juices are flowing now, I'm about to preach in. 00:53:32.71\00:53:34.94 But Isaiah 58 kind of gives us a blueprint. 00:53:34.98\00:53:38.25 Isaiah 58 talks about, 00:53:38.28\00:53:40.12 you know, the beginning of the chapter. 00:53:40.15\00:53:42.78 You know, God is calling out the people of Israel. 00:53:42.82\00:53:44.89 He's saying, "Listen, 00:53:44.92\00:53:46.25 my people does one thing and they do another 00:53:46.29\00:53:48.89 and we afflict our souls and we fast 00:53:48.92\00:53:50.99 and we do all these things. 00:53:51.03\00:53:52.36 And, you know, we go to prayer meetings, 00:53:52.39\00:53:53.73 we do great, 00:53:53.76\00:53:55.10 but is that what I've called you to do?" 00:53:55.13\00:53:56.60 Then Jesus kind of outlines, 00:53:56.63\00:53:57.97 "Listen, the fast that I have chosen 00:53:58.00\00:53:59.33 to loosen the bands of wickedness, 00:53:59.37\00:54:00.70 to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, 00:54:00.74\00:54:03.77 to share your bread to the hungry, 00:54:03.81\00:54:05.24 to bring to the house, you know, 00:54:05.27\00:54:06.71 to bring to the house to poor, 00:54:06.74\00:54:08.34 who are cast out to see the naked and cover him. 00:54:08.38\00:54:11.21 Like at the end of the day, 00:54:11.25\00:54:13.28 there's a works oriented principle that God says, 00:54:13.31\00:54:15.98 "Stop saying one thing and not doing it. 00:54:16.02\00:54:17.75 Go and do." 00:54:17.79\00:54:19.12 But here's the result 00:54:19.15\00:54:20.49 and I wanna kind of conclude on this thought 00:54:20.52\00:54:21.86 in Isaiah Chapter 16 verse... 00:54:21.89\00:54:23.76 Let's read verse 1, for the context, 00:54:23.79\00:54:26.13 because we actually saw this firsthand 00:54:26.16\00:54:28.70 'cause we always, our evangelist campaigns. 00:54:28.73\00:54:31.70 Again, as a preacher, 00:54:31.73\00:54:33.07 I'm not gonna knock it because I do it. 00:54:33.10\00:54:36.60 But, man, how are we going to share this gospel 00:54:36.64\00:54:39.01 to the entire world? 00:54:39.04\00:54:41.28 Well, here it is, Isaiah 16:1, 00:54:41.31\00:54:43.35 "Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory 00:54:43.38\00:54:46.85 which is the character of the Lord 00:54:46.88\00:54:48.42 is risen upon you. 00:54:48.45\00:54:49.98 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth." 00:54:50.02\00:54:52.45 What is the darkness? 00:54:52.49\00:54:53.82 It's a misapprehension of God's character. 00:54:53.86\00:54:56.06 People don't know who God is. 00:54:56.09\00:54:57.79 God is light, God is love. 00:54:57.83\00:54:59.59 So the world is in darkness of who God is. 00:54:59.63\00:55:01.46 So check this out. 00:55:01.50\00:55:02.83 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth 00:55:02.86\00:55:04.60 and the deep darkness of the people 00:55:04.63\00:55:06.03 but the Lord will arise over you, 00:55:06.07\00:55:08.67 and His glory will be seen upon you. 00:55:08.70\00:55:10.54 Check verse 3, 00:55:10.57\00:55:11.91 because we experienced this, Eric, 00:55:11.94\00:55:13.34 "That Gentiles shall come to your light 00:55:13.38\00:55:15.98 and the Kings to the brightness of your rising." 00:55:16.01\00:55:18.71 Once we fulfill the commission 00:55:18.75\00:55:20.55 that God has established us to do 00:55:20.58\00:55:21.98 to actually serve those in the community, 00:55:22.02\00:55:24.45 Christ says, the world will no longer have 00:55:24.49\00:55:27.39 a misapprehension of My character. 00:55:27.42\00:55:29.72 That light is going to be revealed 00:55:29.76\00:55:31.83 in a world full of darkness. 00:55:31.86\00:55:33.63 But the key is that Gentiles shall come to your light. 00:55:33.66\00:55:37.43 In other words, 00:55:37.47\00:55:38.80 there's going to be something that's taking place 00:55:38.83\00:55:41.07 that everyone is attracted to that 00:55:41.10\00:55:42.54 they're going to end up coming. 00:55:42.57\00:55:44.14 And this happened a few months ago 00:55:44.17\00:55:45.67 when the local news station came and they did, 00:55:45.71\00:55:49.04 they wanted to do interviews, like who's these young people, 00:55:49.08\00:55:51.45 this organization that's doing work in the community. 00:55:51.48\00:55:55.15 And I saw this and after that, 00:55:55.18\00:55:56.89 they did a segment, 00:55:56.92\00:55:58.25 they broadcasted at the local channel. 00:55:58.29\00:56:00.66 And exactly and it was verbatim, 00:56:00.69\00:56:02.62 I'm paraphrasing, 00:56:02.66\00:56:04.33 SALT Outreach, 00:56:04.36\00:56:05.89 doing community service 00:56:05.93\00:56:07.36 at the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:56:07.40\00:56:10.00 And just like that, 00:56:10.03\00:56:11.37 thousands of people heard about a Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:56:11.40\00:56:14.50 that's doing work in the community 00:56:14.54\00:56:16.24 that is driven by young people, 00:56:16.27\00:56:18.01 and all of a sudden people 00:56:18.04\00:56:19.37 who are non Christians are coming up to this, 00:56:19.41\00:56:21.64 you know, to our events, asking is this where 00:56:21.68\00:56:24.05 the events happening for the shower trailer? 00:56:24.08\00:56:25.45 I like to volunteer my time. Yeah. 00:56:25.48\00:56:27.32 When we do the work that God has called us to do? 00:56:27.35\00:56:30.09 He says, then your light shall shine for the Gentiles to see. 00:56:30.12\00:56:33.05 We didn't have to pass that one GLOW track, 00:56:33.09\00:56:34.52 we don't have to pass, I'm not saying that 00:56:34.56\00:56:35.89 those things are not important, mind you. 00:56:35.92\00:56:37.79 Handbills, 00:56:37.83\00:56:39.19 the world saw that we were actually doing so good 00:56:39.23\00:56:42.26 that the world is so selfish 00:56:42.30\00:56:43.90 and so self centered 00:56:43.93\00:56:45.57 that young people are doing something selfless. 00:56:45.60\00:56:47.94 We want to go to where they're at. 00:56:47.97\00:56:49.80 And they broadcasted 00:56:49.84\00:56:51.17 the message of hope to the entire world 00:56:51.21\00:56:53.44 and everybody is coming to the church. 00:56:53.48\00:56:55.74 And just think about it, 00:56:55.78\00:56:57.28 where you're sitting right now, 00:56:57.31\00:56:58.65 we're broadcasting the message around the world. 00:56:58.68\00:57:02.65 At 3ABN too. 00:57:02.68\00:57:04.02 Oh, yes, yeah. It's going around. 00:57:04.05\00:57:06.12 And it's exciting to, you know, 00:57:06.15\00:57:08.22 see the steady progression of the things 00:57:08.26\00:57:11.09 that you have needed, God has been providing. 00:57:11.13\00:57:14.10 I can't believe we're almost down 00:57:14.13\00:57:16.00 to the end of our first hour, 00:57:16.03\00:57:18.70 but we do have a second hour coming up. 00:57:18.73\00:57:21.44 You know, people at home, 00:57:21.47\00:57:23.10 you want to send in your questions, 00:57:23.14\00:57:25.21 send your questions to live@3abn.tv 00:57:25.24\00:57:30.38 or call (618) 627-4651. 00:57:30.41\00:57:34.95 When you hear the automated message, 00:57:34.98\00:57:37.19 press two, 00:57:37.22\00:57:38.55 and that'll take you to our call center. 00:57:38.59\00:57:40.79 And we have people standing by ready to take your questions. 00:57:40.82\00:57:44.03 You are my co-host for the second hour 00:57:44.06\00:57:47.66 and I will be asking Lo-Ammi 00:57:47.70\00:57:50.70 and Eric, your questions. 00:57:50.73\00:57:54.80 I've been amazed with what's going on with SALT, 00:57:54.84\00:57:57.94 and I'm sure you're too. 00:57:57.97\00:57:59.31 We'll be right back after this. 00:57:59.34\00:58:00.68