I want to spend my
life, mending broken people.
00:00:00.90\00:00:12.81
I want to spend my
life, removing pain.
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Lord, let my words
heal a heart that hurts.
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I want to spend my
life, mending broken people.
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I want to spend my
life, mending broken people.
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Hello and welcome to
another 3ABN Today live program.
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We are so glad that
you've joined us this evening.
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Thank you for being a
part of the 3ABN family.
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You know, Jill, it's
a blessing, isn't it?
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We're talking to our family at
home and we thank you for your
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prayers and your continued
monthly support of 3ABN.
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It allows us to go and reach
the world with the undiluted
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3Angels messages of Revelation
chapter 14 and incredible times
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that we all live in and so
people are looking for hope and
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encouragement and I know, Jill,
that tonight's program will be
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a blessing to many.
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And how do we know that?
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Well, we already prayed before
we started this program and
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tonight's program is a
really special one and we have a
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really special...
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I'm going to call
him 3ABN family member.
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I don't want to call them guest.
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It's been a little while since
he's been here at 3ABN but what
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a privilege.
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here this evening.
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But we're talking
about communication.
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What type of communication
has to do with prayer?
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And I think that's such a
special thing to think about
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talking to the
Creator God, right?
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What an amazing way to
communicate through prayer with
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God.
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It is indeed.
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Tonight's topic is
life -changing prayers.
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That's right.
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We're going to speak with a man
that I have respected for many
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years but this is our first
time to interact here together.
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Pastor Pavel Goya has
been at 3ABN for many years.
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We were trying to remember the
first time he ever came on but
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I don't know.
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It's been maybe 30 years ago.
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I'm not sure.
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tonight.
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You travel all over the world.
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Incidentally, he's coming again
to 3ABN for our summer camp
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meeting and we'll be presenting
a couple of messages at that
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time as well.
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You are the ministry magazine
editor there at the General
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Conference of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church as well as
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associate director for
the ministerial department.
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Is that correct,
associate ministerial director?
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Associate
ministerial secretary, yes.
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We're so glad to
have you here tonight.
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My privilege to be here.
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It's amazing.
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He was talking
about his schedule.
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He was just reading it to us
because he's literally in today
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and out today here at 3ABN.
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It's an amazing schedule
but reading this schedule to us,
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it's amazing.
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with others.
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But in case someone doesn't
really know you, Pastor, maybe
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tell us a little
bit about yourself.
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You're married, have some
children, grandchildren and
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just tell us a
little bit about yourself.
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One wife, two
boys, four grandchildren.
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One wife,
alright, that's important.
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How many years
with the one wife?
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40.
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Wow.
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Congratulations.
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I'm going to say something.
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My grandfather and grandmother
were married 82 years.
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82?
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82.
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That's a lifetime.
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21.
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Wow.
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That's amazing.
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Wow.
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That's amazing.
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Praise God for that.
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Amen.
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Go ahead.
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I was just going to say
you've been a pastor many years.
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What led you into the
ministry in the first place?
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Oh, that's a long story.
00:04:22.12\00:04:23.73
I don't know if we want to go
there but in a few words, when
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I was four, one pastor from
the Union in Romania visited our
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church and he spoke from
Jeremiah 29, 11 and he pointed
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in the congregation,
saying, God has a plan for you.
00:04:40.88\00:04:44.25
And his finger, I
thought, was towards me.
00:04:44.55\00:04:46.78
And then he said, God
has a plan for everybody.
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The sad part is that people
are more interested in God's
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blessing for their plan
but they never seek God's plan.
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And he said, God has a plan.
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If you follow that plan,
God can use anybody because it's
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based on his power.
00:05:02.66\00:05:04.00
And so during the break after
church, I went in the front
00:05:04.93\00:05:10.54
yard of the church and my
father and the local pastor and
00:05:10.54\00:05:13.78
the visiting pastor from
the Union and another elder, the
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four of them were
talking under an almond tree.
00:05:16.85\00:05:19.98
And so I go there under
the almond tree and I get in
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between the four of them.
00:05:24.92\00:05:26.05
I was only four.
00:05:26.29\00:05:27.36
And I look up to my
father and said, Really?
00:05:27.62\00:05:30.26
God has a plan for everybody?
00:05:30.33\00:05:31.73
And the four of them looked
down and my father said, yes.
00:05:32.43\00:05:34.93
I said, Come on,
including children?
00:05:35.26\00:05:37.90
And they looked to each other
and my father smiled and said,
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yes.
00:05:40.97\00:05:41.47
And he said,
Didn't God call Samuel?
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He was six.
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And I said, But I am only four.
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Can God use
somebody that is four?
00:05:46.91\00:05:49.04
And they looked to
each other and said, yes.
00:05:50.01\00:05:52.01
And I said, How do I
know if God calls me?
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What is the plan?
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And my father
said, Well, you pray.
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I said, Okay, hold on a second.
00:05:58.45\00:06:00.12
So I run.
00:06:00.66\00:06:01.59
I get under an apple tree that
was a Golden Delicious, big,
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old, low branches,
loaded with apples.
00:06:06.53\00:06:09.56
And parenthesis, I remember
every Sabbath there were
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people, Don't touch the apples.
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It's Sabbath.
00:06:14.10\00:06:16.00
And I would always
take an apple and eat it.
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And eat it on the Sabbath.
00:06:18.84\00:06:19.77
So I go under the apple tree.
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I kneel down.
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for my life.
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Would you please tell
me and I will follow it.
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Would you please?
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And I wait for a few
seconds and jump up and run.
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And I say to my
dad, He doesn't answer.
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And my dad says, You
would expect a voice.
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And my father said something
that later I learned is from
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the special prophecy that we
talk to God through prayer and
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God talks to us
through the word.
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And she says, God talks to us
through the word just as he was
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next to us and we
talked face to face.
00:06:50.87\00:06:53.17
So my father said, God
talks to you through the word.
00:06:53.94\00:06:56.11
I said, But I
don't know how to read.
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You're four years old.
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And I said, Don't mind that.
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Give me the Bible.
00:07:01.35\00:07:01.38
And my father said, Why?
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I said, Just give it to me.
00:07:03.49\00:07:04.45
And my father shook his head.
00:07:05.25\00:07:06.32
He gets the Bible.
00:07:06.32\00:07:06.35
I take the Bible, open it
somewhere, put my finger and
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say, Would you read for me?
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It was Jeremiah 1 from the
verse that he says, Don't say I
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am a youth.
00:07:17.83\00:07:18.53
In different transit, Don't
say I am a child because I will
00:07:19.03\00:07:21.24
send you and you
will speak for me.
00:07:21.24\00:07:22.57
Don't be afraid of them.
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And I will send you to
nations and so on and so forth.
00:07:24.84\00:07:27.28
So I closed the Bible.
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I said, God wants
me to speak for him.
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So that's what I'm going to do.
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And so that got in my
mind for the rest of my life.
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Four years of age.
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Four.
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Wow.
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Yeah.
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That's amazing.
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Praise God.
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What an amazing story.
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I know tonight, I
love stories, Jill.
00:07:42.26\00:07:43.69
I know we're going to hear
a lot of stories this evening.
00:07:43.79\00:07:45.86
And really the topic, like
we mentioned earlier, is on
00:07:45.93\00:07:48.86
prayer.
00:07:48.86\00:07:51.93
Like, you know, when does a
prayer or when do prayers seem
00:07:51.97\00:07:54.70
to not be answered?
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How do we deal with those
kind of topics and questions?
00:07:56.00\00:07:58.71
So we'll be addressing
that this evening as well.
00:07:58.74\00:08:01.54
Plus some other topics too.
00:08:01.58\00:08:02.64
All pertaining to prayer.
00:08:02.71\00:08:03.78
Absolutely.
00:08:04.08\00:08:07.98
in prayer.
00:08:07.98\00:08:08.55
So let's start with that.
00:08:08.62\00:08:09.52
What is prayer?
00:08:09.92\00:08:10.62
And more
importantly, how do we pray?
00:08:10.75\00:08:13.56
Are there steps?
00:08:14.26\00:08:15.16
Is there a formula?
00:08:15.42\00:08:16.46
How do we pray?
00:08:16.86\00:08:17.69
So before I talk about that,
nobody should be discouraged
00:08:18.63\00:08:23.06
because they don't know
the science and the theology of
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prayer.
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God takes our
prayers as they are.
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As the spirit prophecy says,
prayer is the opening of the
00:08:30.24\00:08:33.58
heart to God as to a friend.
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It's an open, honest,
humble conversation, dialogue.
00:08:35.91\00:08:41.68
And so regardless, if people
know or don't know how to pray,
00:08:42.85\00:08:46.42
when they open their heart and
in honesty, in humility, they
00:08:46.69\00:08:50.56
see God.
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God loves that.
00:08:52.03\00:08:52.93
He takes that.
00:08:52.96\00:08:53.86
And so some people should wait
to learn how to pray properly.
00:08:54.20\00:08:59.47
Just pray.
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Amen.
00:09:01.50\00:09:01.87
You know.
00:09:02.00\00:09:05.51
not learn.
00:09:05.51\00:09:06.24
And so I just wanted
to mention the first one.
00:09:07.18\00:09:09.78
That's good.
00:09:09.78\00:09:12.81
Before we jump in the
water, we will never swim.
00:09:12.91\00:09:14.82
The same with prayer.
00:09:14.95\00:09:15.78
But then talking about learning
and growing, we may assume that
00:09:16.62\00:09:23.86
we know how to pray.
00:09:23.86\00:09:25.03
But remember the disciples,
Ellen White says that they were
00:09:25.03\00:09:29.63
watching Jesus pray.
00:09:29.63\00:09:30.77
And they realized that
He didn't pray like them.
00:09:31.07\00:09:33.90
He prayed like He had a
conversation with the Father.
00:09:34.20\00:09:36.60
And they noticed that He
has power when He prays, things
00:09:37.64\00:09:41.21
happen.
00:09:41.21\00:09:41.98
So they told Him, teach us
how to pray, what they meant.
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.48
We like to pray
the way You pray.
00:09:44.75\00:09:46.25
Teach us how to pray like You.
00:09:46.68\00:09:48.28
And the same in Romans chapter
8, Paul says that the Holy
00:09:49.12\00:09:53.62
Spirit has to intercede for us
because we don't even know how
00:09:53.62\00:09:55.99
to pray.
00:09:55.99\00:09:59.56
And then you go to Ephesians
chapter 6 and He says that pray
00:10:00.33\00:10:04.23
all the time, all types
of prayer for all the saints.
00:10:04.23\00:10:06.97
And then He says,
pray in the Spirit.
00:10:07.24\00:10:10.07
What's that?
00:10:10.67\00:10:11.27
Yeah, what does that mean?
00:10:11.27\00:10:12.11
What's that?
00:10:12.34\00:10:13.01
How do you pray in the Spirit?
00:10:13.01\00:10:13.04
But then Jesus says, whatever
You ask in My name, and that's
00:10:15.01\00:10:20.65
a big word, whatever.
00:10:20.65\00:10:21.85
And Jesus doesn't lie.
00:10:22.48\00:10:23.82
God doesn't lie.
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.69
His Word, it's
absolutely secure.
00:10:26.19\00:10:29.26
When God says
something, you can rejoice.
00:10:29.36\00:10:30.83
It's done.
00:10:31.09\00:10:31.46
Whatever You ask in My name, in
different Bibles, according to
00:10:32.83\00:10:36.70
His will, I will do.
00:10:36.70\00:10:39.73
Well, we have asked so
many things and they just don't
00:10:40.64\00:10:42.74
happen.
00:10:42.74\00:10:43.10
What does it mean
to pray in the Spirit?
00:10:44.51\00:10:46.14
You look in the Spirit
of Prophecy and you look to
00:10:47.51\00:10:49.54
different examples like Peter,
he says in the Bible, he was in
00:10:49.54\00:10:54.18
the Spirit.
00:10:54.18\00:10:54.72
How are you in the Spirit?
00:10:55.22\00:10:59.45
God.
00:10:59.45\00:11:00.09
What does it
mean to walk with God?
00:11:00.62\00:11:02.69
And she says, they are
continually aware of His
00:11:03.89\00:11:07.40
presence in
continual connection.
00:11:07.40\00:11:12.00
In a different way, she
says, those who are continually
00:11:13.47\00:11:16.34
connected, vitally continually
connected, they have around
00:11:16.34\00:11:20.18
them an atmosphere of
Heaven to be in God's presence
00:11:20.18\00:11:26.18
continually on this Earth,
to start living on Earth as you
00:11:26.18\00:11:29.82
live in Heaven,
continually connected.
00:11:29.82\00:11:32.35
So to pray in the Spirit,
to be aware of God's presence,
00:11:32.69\00:11:35.59
continually connected,
in continual dependence.
00:11:35.92\00:11:38.99
And she says, Jesus didn't
speak His own, Jesus says that,
00:11:39.39\00:11:42.66
He says, I don't speak My own
words, I speak the words of the
00:11:42.66\00:11:44.77
Father.
00:11:44.77\00:11:48.54
do My works, I do the
works that the Father gives me.
00:11:48.54\00:11:51.27
Basically, He was continually
connected depending on the
00:11:51.41\00:11:55.78
Father.
00:11:55.78\00:11:56.24
And that's why Jesus says that
the Holy Spirit would lead us
00:11:57.05\00:11:59.21
in all things, to be
continually connected,
00:11:59.21\00:12:03.02
depending on the Holy Spirit.
00:12:03.02\00:12:04.19
Well, we go to God in prayer,
and we ask this and that, what
00:12:04.42\00:12:09.09
we assume that
is something good.
00:12:09.09\00:12:11.63
And our minds and
our plans are far...
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.86
Inferior.
00:12:15.66\00:12:16.40
...from God's plans
as Heaven and Earth.
00:12:16.60\00:12:18.77
If we knew the end from
the beginning, if we would
00:12:19.30\00:12:21.44
understand the purpose that God
has, the universal, the eternal
00:12:21.44\00:12:25.07
purpose, we would choose the
same path, including trials and
00:12:25.07\00:12:29.51
challenges.
00:12:29.51\00:12:29.98
And so, if we were in the
Spirit, led by the Spirit,
00:12:31.01\00:12:35.05
inspired by the Spirit, we
would not just ask anything we
00:12:35.42\00:12:38.42
assume that we should ask.
00:12:38.42\00:12:39.55
We would ask only what the
Spirit would inspire us to ask.
00:12:40.06\00:12:42.89
And those prayers,
God would always answer.
00:12:43.39\00:12:46.29
Amen.
00:12:46.29\00:12:47.00
And so that's the reason,
he says, Peter said to the man,
00:12:47.66\00:12:51.27
money I don't have, but what
I have, I give it to you, in
00:12:52.00\00:12:55.10
Jesus' name.
00:12:55.10\00:12:55.50
Peter didn't say
that from himself.
00:12:56.04\00:12:57.71
He was impressed by
the Spirit to do that.
00:12:58.11\00:13:00.41
Elijah didn't get an idea.
00:13:00.74\00:13:02.24
Well, you know what?
00:13:02.48\00:13:03.31
Three years and a
half they will be...
00:13:03.71\00:13:05.05
He was inspired by the Spirit.
00:13:05.05\00:13:06.88
He didn't do it just
because he thought so.
00:13:07.08\00:13:09.38
Abraham, he didn't
just, let's sacrifice my son.
00:13:11.55\00:13:14.12
God...
00:13:15.29\00:13:18.89
But going back now, you
asked me about how to pray.
00:13:19.89\00:13:23.70
We should always be dependent
on the leading of the Spirit.
00:13:24.77\00:13:27.94
We don't know how to pray.
00:13:28.10\00:13:29.10
We should ask God what
to pray before we pray.
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.07
Lord, what do you
want me to pray for?
00:13:31.31\00:13:33.01
And seek more to know God and
to know His plan and His will
00:13:34.11\00:13:40.15
than seeking His
help and His blessings.
00:13:40.15\00:13:43.28
So I just asked this question
because again, many people are
00:13:44.35\00:13:47.26
watching 3ABN tonight.
00:13:47.26\00:13:48.52
Many different...
00:13:48.99\00:13:51.83
journey in life.
00:13:51.83\00:13:52.79
So someone right now is saying,
you know, I just found this
00:13:53.19\00:13:55.50
channel.
00:13:55.50\00:13:55.86
I don't even really know God.
00:13:56.20\00:13:57.43
So because I don't really know
God, I really shouldn't pray to
00:13:57.77\00:14:00.20
Him yet?
00:14:00.20\00:14:00.77
Or can I talk to Him even if
I don't really know who He is?
00:14:01.44\00:14:03.64
It's just like, I don't know,
I know you're up there or should
00:14:03.64\00:14:03.67
I wait till a
certain point in my life?
00:14:06.34\00:14:07.78
The good news is that God
understands that we are only
00:14:07.91\00:14:10.95
flesh.
00:14:10.95\00:14:11.35
God understands
our circumstances.
00:14:12.05\00:14:13.75
He loves us more than we love
our children, more than we will
00:14:14.35\00:14:17.75
ever, even in
eternity, understand.
00:14:17.75\00:14:20.16
So God, if we go in humility
and with honesty and you know,
00:14:20.59\00:14:25.56
with humbleness, with openness,
if we go to Him and talk to Him
00:14:25.69\00:14:29.06
openly, He will take
us from whatever we are.
00:14:29.06\00:14:31.37
He's gonna love to hear our
prayers and He's gonna teach us
00:14:31.43\00:14:36.57
and form us and grow us.
00:14:36.57\00:14:38.34
It's a growing process So
let me give you an example of
00:14:38.64\00:14:43.51
unanswered prayers.
00:14:43.51\00:14:44.91
Unanswered.
00:14:45.95\00:14:46.41
Unanswered prayers.
00:14:46.75\00:14:47.55
When we pray the wrong thing
and we say, why doesn't God
00:14:48.05\00:14:51.15
answer?
00:14:51.15\00:14:51.69
And I have many of them,
because people say, oh, you get
00:14:52.69\00:14:55.99
so many answers.
00:14:55.99\00:14:56.86
No, I get so many
non-answers, if I can say that.
00:14:57.06\00:15:00.10
But anyway, for instance, many
years ago we were in Kentucky
00:15:00.36\00:15:04.03
and our older son, his wife and
our little granddaughter they
00:15:06.10\00:15:13.84
were in Wisconsin.
00:15:13.84\00:15:14.61
And our daughter-in-law was
taking nuclear physics but on
00:15:15.71\00:15:21.98
the medical field, like, I
don't know how you call it,
00:15:21.98\00:15:25.29
that type of medical field that
you deal with the machines that
00:15:25.32\00:15:29.89
are for radiation,
for cancer, for whatever.
00:15:29.89\00:15:31.93
Like nuclear medicine?
00:15:32.46\00:15:33.73
Something like that.
00:15:34.03\00:15:34.93
I don't know.
00:15:34.93\00:15:34.93
I could be wrong.
00:15:36.10\00:15:42.17
going for her masters.
00:15:42.17\00:15:43.20
So we called her.
00:15:43.77\00:15:44.87
We said, where are you going?
00:15:45.07\00:15:46.21
We would like you to move here
because we want the kids and
00:15:46.31\00:15:48.54
the grandkids next to us.
00:15:48.54\00:15:50.38
And she said, well, there are
only about six, seven schools
00:15:51.41\00:15:53.62
in the nation.
00:15:54.35\00:15:55.18
And she said, indeed, one of
them is in Lexington, Kentucky,
00:15:55.68\00:15:59.35
next to you.
00:15:59.45\00:16:00.39
But she says, didn't you say
that we should pray for God's
00:16:01.16\00:16:05.06
plan?
00:16:05.06\00:16:05.43
And I was like, but this time...
00:16:06.66\00:16:09.10
We want you here.
00:16:10.33\00:16:11.20
This time you know
what God's plan is.
00:16:11.20\00:16:12.33
You just move here because
that's the best thing to do.
00:16:12.33\00:16:15.30
And she says, well, how do
you reconcile your sermons with
00:16:15.77\00:16:18.21
what you tell me to do?
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.07
I said, come on, stop
talking about my sermons.
00:16:19.54\00:16:22.54
It's good for the
family to be together.
00:16:23.35\00:16:25.41
And she says, we love that, but
we are going to pray about it.
00:16:26.48\00:16:29.35
Well, I got busy praying
that Lord, would you please move
00:16:29.75\00:16:33.52
them here without
saying, Lord, what is your plan?
00:16:33.52\00:16:38.83
Because you know
things that I don't know.
00:16:39.33\00:16:41.13
You know the big picture.
00:16:41.66\00:16:42.43
You know the future.
00:16:42.50\00:16:43.10
You know what is best.
00:16:43.20\00:16:43.93
You know, you love us.
00:16:44.33\00:16:45.40
God will never keep
anything from us that is for our
00:16:46.00\00:16:48.27
benefit.
00:16:48.27\00:16:51.91
for our salvation.
00:16:51.91\00:16:52.81
And so, but I did, I said,
Lord, please, help them, make
00:16:53.68\00:16:57.51
them, move here.
00:16:57.51\00:16:58.48
Well, they prayed for a
whole week and they fasted, if I
00:16:59.51\00:17:04.65
remember right, one
or two days, whatever.
00:17:04.65\00:17:06.62
And after the week was
over, Monday morning or noon or
00:17:07.66\00:17:13.70
something, they go and pick up
the mail and though she did not
00:17:13.70\00:17:18.23
apply for that location,
she applied for Kentucky.
00:17:18.23\00:17:22.20
She got rejected,
though she had straight A's.
00:17:22.97\00:17:25.51
They said, we received
applications up to February and
00:17:25.71\00:17:30.08
right now is July.
00:17:30.08\00:17:31.61
We would love to have
you, but it's too late.
00:17:32.28\00:17:34.62
You need to apply
next year before February.
00:17:34.62\00:17:37.19
I said, no problem,
you stay one year at home.
00:17:37.82\00:17:39.92
She says, no, we pray about it.
00:17:40.09\00:17:42.32
You said that all
things work together.
00:17:42.49\00:17:46.13
I said, well, not
all, you know, almost all.
00:17:46.93\00:17:49.63
She said, no, no, no,
no, I heard your sermon.
00:17:49.80\00:17:51.77
And so, Monday noon
they go pick up the mail.
00:17:52.77\00:17:55.67
I mean, it's an invitation from
University of Pennsylvania that
00:17:55.94\00:17:58.54
is an Ivy League
school, one of the eight.
00:17:58.54\00:18:00.41
Extremely high school,
prestigious, you know, and she
00:18:01.48\00:18:04.88
gets invited by that school
to be part of their nuclear
00:18:04.88\00:18:08.25
physics program.
00:18:08.25\00:18:09.08
And so, she calls us, she says,
we got an answer to prayer,
00:18:10.25\00:18:15.22
though we never
applied there, you know.
00:18:15.32\00:18:16.66
And I said, no, no, no,
no, no, please don't do it.
00:18:17.29\00:18:19.66
You were eight
hours away from us.
00:18:19.79\00:18:21.26
Now you are going
to be 12 hours away.
00:18:21.66\00:18:23.26
Please don't do it.
00:18:23.63\00:18:24.57
She says, no, I got
to follow God's plan.
00:18:24.60\00:18:26.74
I was a little
frustrated with God.
00:18:27.54\00:18:29.17
They move farther away.
00:18:29.30\00:18:30.61
Our grandbaby is
going to be farther away.
00:18:30.77\00:18:32.74
We can hardly see them now.
00:18:33.21\00:18:34.41
We are not going to see
them maybe twice a year.
00:18:34.44\00:18:36.58
And my wife says, honey,
shouldn't we trust God's love
00:18:37.11\00:18:40.88
and wisdom and plan?
00:18:40.88\00:18:41.88
I said, yes, yes, we
should, but they move too far.
00:18:43.15\00:18:46.09
Well, two months later, I
got a call from the general
00:18:47.16\00:18:50.23
conference.
00:18:50.23\00:18:50.83
within a few months, we
moved to Maryland, literally,
00:18:52.53\00:18:55.83
physically, one hour and 50
minutes, let's say, two hours
00:18:56.20\00:18:58.67
from them.
00:18:58.67\00:18:59.27
What if God would have
answered my foolish prayer?
00:18:59.70\00:19:02.60
And they would have moved to
Kentucky and then you moved to
00:19:02.90\00:19:05.34
Maryland.
00:19:05.34\00:19:05.77
But praise the Lord for not
answering my prayer the way you
00:19:07.51\00:19:12.08
wanted it.
00:19:12.08\00:19:15.92
And I believe God was shaking
His head and saying, you don't
00:19:16.18\00:19:19.82
know what you ask.
00:19:19.82\00:19:20.59
Would you trust me?
00:19:20.76\00:19:22.12
Would you just trust me?
00:19:22.36\00:19:24.36
And we experience those things
in life, but we have a tendency
00:19:24.76\00:19:28.23
to forget and next
thing happens, we want our way
00:19:28.23\00:19:31.57
instead of saying, Lord, I
trust you more than I trust
00:19:31.57\00:19:34.04
myself.
00:19:34.04\00:19:39.21
it again here.
00:19:39.21\00:19:40.14
So then you've got a parent
that's watching their child in
00:19:40.44\00:19:43.85
the hospital dying of cancer,
praying for them, and it's not
00:19:43.85\00:19:49.15
being answered the way the
parents want it to be answered
00:19:49.15\00:19:52.82
and the child passes away.
00:19:52.82\00:19:54.19
How do you
answer those questions?
00:19:54.42\00:19:56.22
Because the same parents pray,
let's say, I don't know, a year
00:19:56.29\00:20:00.76
or two before to find the
car keys and they found the car
00:20:00.76\00:20:03.70
keys sitting in the garden.
00:20:03.70\00:20:04.67
That's not that important
compared to a child dying of
00:20:06.13\00:20:08.60
cancer and the child dies.
00:20:08.60\00:20:10.24
So I'm sure you've asked
that over and over again.
00:20:10.37\00:20:12.81
You're a man of prayer,
talked about prayer for years.
00:20:12.87\00:20:15.01
How do you answer that?
00:20:15.21\00:20:16.34
I know some of it, we won't
know the answer to eternity,
00:20:16.41\00:20:18.18
but how do you
talk to those parents?
00:20:18.18\00:20:18.21
I would love to
be able to answer.
00:20:20.45\00:20:21.75
I don't know the
answer also, but I do.
00:20:21.88\00:20:24.65
There is no
comfort except in Jesus.
00:20:25.49\00:20:28.19
Very true.
00:20:29.72\00:20:30.43
We lost a girl,
I lost my father.
00:20:30.96\00:20:34.30
I know a little of that pain.
00:20:35.20\00:20:37.07
But think about this,
Jesus died on the cross and God
00:20:38.83\00:20:42.80
didn't intervene to rescue him.
00:20:42.80\00:20:45.27
John the Baptist, and
Jesus was right there and didn't
00:20:46.21\00:20:51.31
intervene and Paul and
Peter and so many martyrs.
00:20:51.31\00:20:54.52
We don't understand probably
until we go to heaven, but we
00:20:55.58\00:21:00.56
do know this.
00:21:00.56\00:21:01.42
Number one is that God
promised that He will be with us
00:21:02.12\00:21:06.13
whatever we go through.
00:21:06.13\00:21:07.23
He will support us, sustain us.
00:21:07.40\00:21:09.70
Number two, we do know that
He will never allow anything
00:21:10.40\00:21:14.47
unless He will do something
good even out of a tragedy.
00:21:14.47\00:21:19.04
And I know that's hard to hear.
00:21:19.27\00:21:20.91
That it is.
00:21:20.98\00:21:21.71
But for
instance, my father died.
00:21:22.21\00:21:25.21
Were you young when he died?
00:21:26.48\00:21:27.95
I was about 22
maybe, more or less.
00:21:28.02\00:21:30.62
We believe, I have no proof,
we believe he was killed by the
00:21:31.72\00:21:34.49
police.
00:21:34.49\00:21:34.82
They told him again and again
to stop bringing Bibles, to
00:21:36.16\00:21:39.16
stop building churches.
00:21:39.16\00:21:39.96
He was smuggling Bibles from
former Yugoslavia to Romania
00:21:40.36\00:21:42.96
for many years
again and again and again.
00:21:42.96\00:21:44.63
Smuggling them in.
00:21:44.67\00:21:47.44
And they would come and check
our house and many miracles
00:21:47.70\00:21:50.31
happened and they never
caught him, but they knew from
00:21:50.31\00:21:53.17
traitors in the church.
00:21:53.17\00:21:54.24
And they would call
him to the police station.
00:21:54.78\00:21:56.24
If you do it again
we will terminate you.
00:21:56.41\00:21:58.78
And one time they
told him you don't get it.
00:21:59.21\00:22:02.15
And so they put him
in a room and they left.
00:22:02.45\00:22:05.02
And in the morning they came
and they said you can go home.
00:22:05.35\00:22:08.56
And I learned now from my
daughter-in-law that you can
00:22:10.56\00:22:14.40
have radiation specifically
in a spot, only that spot to the
00:22:14.40\00:22:18.07
level that you want.
00:22:18.07\00:22:19.20
And so what we know is
that he started to lose hair, he
00:22:19.20\00:22:23.97
started to bleed.
00:22:23.97\00:22:24.91
We took him to the doctor and
the doctor said you have been
00:22:26.27\00:22:29.11
irradiated.
00:22:29.11\00:22:30.08
That night in that place?
00:22:31.41\00:22:32.71
We think so.
00:22:32.81\00:22:33.75
You have been irradiated and
your body stopped functioning,
00:22:34.05\00:22:36.38
your spine stopped
functioning, everything.
00:22:36.62\00:22:38.15
You will not make it.
00:22:38.55\00:22:39.55
And so I prayed before and
I've seen answers, amazing,
00:22:40.62\00:22:47.23
unbelievable answers to prayer.
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.60
Well I prayed
then, Lord save my dad.
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.63
Nothing happened.
00:22:51.43\00:22:52.13
And I prayed again and again
and again and I fasted and I
00:22:52.63\00:22:55.27
never fast, you know I cannot.
00:22:55.27\00:22:56.40
But again and again
and nothing happened.
00:22:56.94\00:23:00.51
And I was praying next to
my father's bed and he put his
00:23:01.08\00:23:05.61
hand on mine and I said enough.
00:23:05.61\00:23:07.68
Your dad tells you enough.
00:23:08.65\00:23:09.98
I said what do you mean?
00:23:10.15\00:23:11.05
He says don't you think
we should let God be God?
00:23:11.32\00:23:14.26
And my father said I know
him and he said he recited the
00:23:15.69\00:23:20.46
Bible verses from Job.
00:23:20.46\00:23:21.46
He said I know my Redeemer.
00:23:21.73\00:23:23.30
I know him personally and even
if I die I know that I will see
00:23:24.27\00:23:28.47
him.
00:23:28.47\00:23:29.14
He looked at my mom and said
I want you to write that on my
00:23:29.70\00:23:31.91
stone.
00:23:31.91\00:23:35.51
And so he looked at me and he
said if God allows it I am okay
00:23:36.31\00:23:40.85
with it.
00:23:40.85\00:23:41.48
For me it's easy.
00:23:41.65\00:23:42.75
It's going to take me one
second to the resurrection day
00:23:42.85\00:23:44.75
and I will see Jesus.
00:23:44.75\00:23:45.95
For you it's difficult.
00:23:46.22\00:23:47.36
I want you to keep your eyes
on Jesus and never be shaken.
00:23:47.36\00:23:50.36
And so I don't know why
God allowed it but I do know
00:23:51.23\00:23:55.90
something.
00:23:55.90\00:23:56.63
All his life he served God
though he was not a pastor but
00:23:57.10\00:24:00.60
his funeral there were people
that never, never wanted to
00:24:00.60\00:24:03.74
including some of our
relatives to come to church.
00:24:03.74\00:24:06.14
After his funeral
they came to church.
00:24:06.14\00:24:07.84
So I was somehow thinking Jesus
would have died even if it was
00:24:08.31\00:24:13.21
only one.
00:24:13.21\00:24:13.92
You know if my father's death
was worth at least one soul
00:24:14.62\00:24:18.45
though I believe it was more.
00:24:18.45\00:24:19.62
My father would always tell me
hey I would be glad to give my
00:24:21.72\00:24:24.23
life to save a soul.
00:24:24.23\00:24:25.19
My saver did that.
00:24:25.53\00:24:26.66
So we don't know why God allows
it but we do believe that God
00:24:27.50\00:24:32.90
would never allow any
pain unless he has a...
00:24:32.90\00:24:36.84
because God is still in control
he doesn't send it but he
00:24:36.84\00:24:39.67
allows it you know.
00:24:39.67\00:24:40.48
So the principle is can I trust
my God even in the midst of
00:24:40.88\00:24:45.61
pain?
00:24:45.61\00:24:46.01
Is that right?
00:24:46.01\00:24:47.02
Can I surrender and trust even
if the prayer isn't answered
00:24:47.25\00:24:50.25
the way I wanted or I expected?
00:24:50.25\00:24:52.05
I can trust.
00:24:52.52\00:24:53.15
Think about Job.
00:24:53.19\00:24:54.12
There is no better example
he lost all his children he lost
00:24:54.79\00:24:58.16
his possessions he lost
everything including his health
00:24:58.16\00:25:01.06
and his wife says
curse God and die.
00:25:01.63\00:25:04.03
That's not a good advice but
anyway and he says hey we got
00:25:04.43\00:25:08.97
so many good things should
we not accept these things?
00:25:08.97\00:25:11.41
And he says no I will
never do that I will not.
00:25:11.71\00:25:14.31
He trusted God and loved God
in spite of those things and I
00:25:14.31\00:25:19.45
believe that honored God in
front of the whole universe.
00:25:19.45\00:25:21.85
Think about Joseph sold by his
brothers Joseph didn't read you
00:25:22.25\00:25:27.62
know the Bible Genesis to know
oh I know the story I can wait
00:25:27.62\00:25:32.09
a few years he was innocent put
in prison he never knew if he
00:25:32.09\00:25:36.83
would get out of prison
nevertheless the Bible says
00:25:36.83\00:25:39.53
that they could see the spirit
of God in him his peace, his
00:25:39.53\00:25:43.84
faith his joy fully
trusting God though he did not
00:25:43.84\00:25:48.88
understand what was going on.
00:25:48.88\00:25:51.41
Job says though he slay me
yet will I trust in him you know
00:25:52.05\00:25:55.92
that's powerful it's powerful
so how do we reach other
00:25:55.92\00:26:00.19
people?
00:26:00.19\00:26:00.79
How do we share what we've
experienced with Jesus with
00:26:01.36\00:26:04.43
other people?
00:26:04.43\00:26:07.96
so when we moved here many
years ago we were in Southern
00:26:07.96\00:26:12.13
Adventist University in school
in Collegedale and the first
00:26:12.13\00:26:18.21
part was pretty tough
pretty tough you come from a new
00:26:18.21\00:26:21.14
country you know anyway I
remember we didn't have a car
00:26:21.14\00:26:25.88
we didn't have furniture
we didn't have money we didn't
00:26:25.88\00:26:28.58
have food we would sleep on the
floor anyway I got very sick I
00:26:28.58\00:26:36.89
had an allergy I was from
head to toes all spots that were
00:26:36.89\00:26:40.20
burning and itching I went
to the doctor's They gave me a
00:26:40.20\00:26:43.43
bunch of prednisone and they
said nothing we can do, it's
00:26:43.43\00:26:46.23
stress.
00:26:46.23\00:26:46.67
Anyway, and I remember praying
and praying and praying and
00:26:48.70\00:26:52.47
praying, no answer.
00:26:52.47\00:26:54.18
And we got letters that if you
don't pay the apartment, you'll
00:26:54.94\00:26:57.78
be addicted.
00:26:57.78\00:27:00.75
And it was like
everything was really bad.
00:27:01.08\00:27:04.02
And I remember praying
day and night, no answer.
00:27:04.49\00:27:07.86
And I was wondering
what do we eat tonight?
00:27:08.16\00:27:10.53
And my wife, we were not
lazy, we have never been lazy.
00:27:11.13\00:27:13.90
For me, I don't
know how to stand still.
00:27:13.90\00:27:16.10
For me, if I want to relax, if
I don't have anything to do, I
00:27:16.83\00:27:19.07
go in the garden
and do something.
00:27:19.07\00:27:20.30
I cannot stand still, you know.
00:27:20.40\00:27:22.74
But anyway, so I
love doing, you know.
00:27:22.94\00:27:27.01
And so I remember my wife
had three jobs cleaning homes.
00:27:28.04\00:27:33.38
And I took several classes.
00:27:33.88\00:27:37.75
I mean, I took
three years in one.
00:27:37.82\00:27:39.42
Something like that,
one year in the summer.
00:27:39.42\00:27:41.22
Plus two jobs, and
still we could not make it.
00:27:41.96\00:27:45.26
Because tuition was expensive,
books were expensive, insurance
00:27:45.36\00:27:48.30
was expensive.
00:27:48.30\00:27:48.90
Yeah, housing, all of it.
00:27:48.93\00:27:50.13
Everything, food, everything.
00:27:50.80\00:27:52.57
So bills, you know,
electricity, you name it.
00:27:53.74\00:27:56.67
And so praying and
praying and no answer.
00:27:57.07\00:27:59.61
Why?
00:28:00.64\00:28:01.14
Why don't you answer?
00:28:01.21\00:28:02.08
You brought me here
to destroy me, you know.
00:28:02.61\00:28:04.98
And I was struggling.
00:28:04.98\00:28:07.95
Well, I was in
the garden of prayer.
00:28:10.09\00:28:14.79
That was the name in front
of the seminary against a big
00:28:15.32\00:28:19.39
trunk with my head crying.
00:28:19.39\00:28:22.26
And I remember
surrendering, total surrender.
00:28:22.50\00:28:25.17
I said, Lord, because I am
a man of action, I always, my
00:28:25.27\00:28:30.31
wife says, man, regardless
situation, you always have a
00:28:30.31\00:28:32.51
few ideas.
00:28:32.51\00:28:32.91
I always have an idea.
00:28:33.07\00:28:34.31
I had no more ideas.
00:28:34.31\00:28:35.91
I was just empty.
00:28:36.11\00:28:37.08
And I said, I
don't know what to do.
00:28:37.85\00:28:39.55
I'm just, if I live, I live.
00:28:39.91\00:28:41.55
If I die, I die.
00:28:41.58\00:28:42.55
I don't know what to do.
00:28:42.58\00:28:43.79
So I was crying and saying,
Lord, I just, whatever you
00:28:44.22\00:28:47.32
want, I just surrender.
00:28:47.32\00:28:48.29
I don't know.
00:28:48.49\00:28:48.99
I have no solutions.
00:28:48.99\00:28:49.76
I am desperate, you know.
00:28:50.13\00:28:51.89
And somebody hit me on the back.
00:28:52.43\00:28:54.20
I looked and it was
Dr. Blanco, Jack Blanco.
00:28:55.63\00:28:57.90
He was the dean in that time.
00:28:58.20\00:28:59.63
Very good, godly man.
00:28:59.93\00:29:01.24
He says, young
man, why are you crying?
00:29:01.84\00:29:04.21
I got my back straight.
00:29:04.74\00:29:05.97
I said, I never cry.
00:29:06.21\00:29:08.28
He said, yes, you do.
00:29:09.18\00:29:10.15
I said, no, just allergies.
00:29:10.41\00:29:12.11
Men don't cry.
00:29:12.35\00:29:13.21
He said, you are too proud.
00:29:14.18\00:29:15.28
You are crying and praying.
00:29:15.52\00:29:16.65
I heard you.
00:29:16.82\00:29:17.45
You're sobbing.
00:29:17.59\00:29:18.65
And he says, well, whatever you
are crying and praying for, God
00:29:20.26\00:29:24.33
will answer, but he probably
is helping you to grow a little.
00:29:24.33\00:29:28.43
And I said in my mind,
yeah, yeah, yeah, easy for you.
00:29:29.76\00:29:32.20
You're not in my circumstances.
00:29:32.77\00:29:34.24
You are not in my shoes.
00:29:34.37\00:29:35.47
Yeah, that's right.
00:29:35.70\00:29:40.81
As you look back, you know,
and Dr. Blanco was part of it,
00:29:41.01\00:29:44.08
though I never told him
the situation or anything like
00:29:44.08\00:29:44.11
that.
00:29:46.51\00:29:49.55
tell you something different.
00:29:49.55\00:29:50.79
When you're in Romania and we
had a business, a little sewing
00:29:51.82\00:29:54.42
factory and we had money
and influence and connections.
00:29:54.42\00:29:57.39
And people say that.
00:29:57.39\00:30:01.23
I was one of the most stubborn,
proud, ambitious, not flexible
00:30:03.50\00:30:08.20
person.
00:30:08.20\00:30:09.10
My way or no way,
there was no discussion.
00:30:09.17\00:30:12.67
My wife would tell me many
times, man, you need to have a
00:30:13.41\00:30:15.44
little more mercy
and patience with people.
00:30:15.44\00:30:17.31
And after that
situation in college, they.
00:30:18.58\00:30:22.45
People that knew me before
would meet me and say, man, you
00:30:23.42\00:30:25.82
are you.
00:30:25.82\00:30:29.92
You are quiet.
00:30:30.69\00:30:31.49
You are patient.
00:30:31.59\00:30:32.39
You are kind.
00:30:32.56\00:30:33.36
You know how to understand.
00:30:33.60\00:30:34.73
So looking back,
I believe that God.
00:30:35.26\00:30:38.60
Could not use somebody that
is that has no compassion, no
00:30:40.17\00:30:44.41
patience, no
flexibility, no humility.
00:30:44.41\00:30:47.94
And God allowed
it for my benefit.
00:30:48.58\00:30:51.51
So sometimes, you know that we
know those trials purify gold.
00:30:52.18\00:30:56.75
I'm not saying that I'm gold or
purified, but I'm saying those
00:30:56.95\00:31:00.82
are necessary things sometimes.
00:31:00.82\00:31:02.66
It was interesting you
said about the total surrender.
00:31:03.53\00:31:06.23
You always had ideas when there
was a situation or a challenge.
00:31:06.76\00:31:09.80
Why have this?
00:31:09.83\00:31:10.47
We can do this.
00:31:10.47\00:31:11.00
Here's another option.
00:31:11.03\00:31:11.93
You said you had
no more ideas, right?
00:31:12.03\00:31:14.74
And it was a total
surrender moment for you.
00:31:14.87\00:31:17.31
And that's where God almost
took you to that point in order
00:31:17.31\00:31:19.81
to use you in an even more
powerful way for the rest of
00:31:19.81\00:31:22.68
your life.
00:31:22.68\00:31:25.51
time.
00:31:25.51\00:31:25.65
Great point.
00:31:25.91\00:31:32.52
of them.
00:31:32.52\00:31:33.09
And it seems to me that for
us to be used, we need to learn
00:31:33.99\00:31:37.96
that type of humility and
surrender and total dependence
00:31:37.96\00:31:42.63
on God, not on our wisdom.
00:31:42.63\00:31:44.23
And it seems to me that what
I've seen again and again, that
00:31:45.13\00:31:48.10
has to be a
lifelong daily process.
00:31:48.10\00:31:51.07
It's not enough one time,
but we need to daily fully
00:31:51.41\00:31:53.94
surrender because if we trust
our, we talk about God, but we
00:31:53.94\00:31:57.85
make plans, we act.
00:31:57.85\00:31:58.81
If we trust our
plans, God can never use us.
00:31:59.08\00:32:01.18
Yeah, that's a good point.
00:32:01.38\00:32:02.35
Paul talks about I die daily.
00:32:02.72\00:32:04.39
You know, that
whole concept there.
00:32:04.45\00:32:05.85
So let's talk
about surrender a moment.
00:32:06.09\00:32:07.89
I know I asked about reaching
others, but we can get there in
00:32:08.02\00:32:10.39
a moment, but let's
talk about surrender.
00:32:10.39\00:32:12.36
Maybe someone says,
but I don't understand.
00:32:12.53\00:32:14.10
Is it as simple as me saying,
I don't want my way, but your
00:32:14.20\00:32:17.23
way, God, or is there
any practical steps to how we
00:32:17.23\00:32:21.90
surrender and can I surrender
and me actually not surrender?
00:32:21.90\00:32:25.87
You know, I think I'm
surrendering, but I'm really
00:32:26.07\00:32:29.48
holding pieces of my heart back.
00:32:29.48\00:32:31.61
There is this heresy among
Christians that I have accepted
00:32:31.68\00:32:36.22
Jesus, I have surrendered.
00:32:36.22\00:32:37.69
My brother, Jesus says, you'll
know them by their fruits.
00:32:38.65\00:32:41.42
That's the thermometer
of spiritual temperature.
00:32:42.56\00:32:45.33
Jesus says, if you are in me
and I in you, or if you abide
00:32:45.83\00:32:50.60
or if you remain, depending
on the translation, you will
00:32:50.60\00:32:54.10
produce.
00:32:54.10\00:32:57.91
That means that if
there is no fruit, there is no
00:32:58.44\00:33:02.01
relationship.
00:33:02.01\00:33:02.41
It's just a theory.
00:33:02.54\00:33:03.11
I've accepted Jesus.
00:33:03.24\00:33:04.41
I've been baptized.
00:33:04.55\00:33:05.48
You know what I mean?
00:33:06.01\00:33:06.85
Surrendered.
00:33:07.82\00:33:08.28
That's theory.
00:33:08.98\00:33:09.68
When you are in Jesus, Jesus in
you, the Holy spirit, you see,
00:33:10.52\00:33:15.69
is the fruit of the spirit.
00:33:15.82\00:33:19.03
fruit of the spirit.
00:33:19.03\00:33:19.79
And so we talk about love,
surrender, but never like to
00:33:20.33\00:33:24.20
talk about results.
00:33:24.20\00:33:24.90
There should be results.
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.00
Yeah.
00:33:27.27\00:33:27.70
Which are the fruit.
00:33:27.94\00:33:28.50
There should be growth.
00:33:29.34\00:33:30.67
We should, when you have a
baby, if the baby doesn't grow,
00:33:31.01\00:33:33.34
you better go to the doctor.
00:33:33.48\00:33:34.61
The baby needs to grow from
baby to maturity to the status
00:33:34.98\00:33:40.08
of fullness of Christ.
00:33:40.08\00:33:46.22
And so talking about
that, how do you do that?
00:33:47.16\00:33:49.49
Well, the spirit prophecy
actually talks about it.
00:33:49.89\00:33:53.19
And she says that God gives
us a little light, insignificant
00:33:54.10\00:33:58.37
daily things that we don't even
connect them to the religious
00:33:58.37\00:34:01.17
life.
00:34:01.17\00:34:01.94
And if we are faithful in those
small insignificant things,
00:34:02.37\00:34:05.24
then God give us bigger things.
00:34:05.74\00:34:07.11
And basically we should be
faithful in whatever we have to
00:34:07.61\00:34:11.25
do and do everything as we do
it for God, number one, number
00:34:11.25\00:34:13.88
two.
00:34:13.88\00:34:14.25
She says that God would
challenge us to surrender.
00:34:14.98\00:34:18.19
And I'm not gonna go to the
paragraphs because there are
00:34:18.32\00:34:20.56
about four sermons in that
direction, take some or more,
00:34:20.56\00:34:23.73
but that I have.
00:34:24.29\00:34:25.73
And so, but in a nutshell, that
God is asking us to surrender
00:34:26.53\00:34:30.77
small things
that we can do easily.
00:34:30.77\00:34:32.33
And as we do that and
experience Him, we learn to
00:34:32.57\00:34:36.27
trust in Him.
00:34:36.27\00:34:36.71
And then we surrender more.
00:34:36.94\00:34:38.51
And then we surrender more.
00:34:38.84\00:34:40.21
So it's a growth.
00:34:40.51\00:34:41.44
God doesn't expect us in the
beginning to just instantly be
00:34:41.74\00:34:44.81
mature and surrender
everything, but God does expect
00:34:44.81\00:34:47.92
us to be faithful to
where we are and then grow.
00:34:47.92\00:34:53.66
There should be growth.
00:34:54.09\00:34:55.12
And saying that, talking about
surrender, I'm gonna give a
00:34:56.42\00:35:00.10
very foolish example.
00:35:00.10\00:35:01.23
It's so easy.
00:35:02.73\00:35:03.63
I love Jesus.
00:35:03.67\00:35:04.77
I'm ready to die for Jesus.
00:35:04.93\00:35:06.47
I give Him, I'm giving Him
everything, but practically
00:35:06.47\00:35:10.14
when it's about to give a
little, I mean, the pastor
00:35:10.14\00:35:12.14
would call us for a
work be at the church.
00:35:12.14\00:35:14.21
I'm ready to give my life,
but not to come to work be.
00:35:14.64\00:35:17.01
Be faithful in small things.
00:35:17.38\00:35:19.31
Don't get to the big things
because you'll never get there.
00:35:19.38\00:35:21.48
If you don't use the little
light, you'll never get the big
00:35:22.08\00:35:25.29
light.
00:35:25.29\00:35:28.52
get the fullness
of the latter rain.
00:35:28.52\00:35:29.92
Use what God gave
you if you want more.
00:35:31.33\00:35:34.10
People wait for
big things in life.
00:35:34.40\00:35:35.80
They never come
unless you are faithful.
00:35:35.80\00:35:38.77
You represent Christ wherever
you are in whatever you do.
00:35:39.03\00:35:41.87
And so- That's great.
00:35:42.57\00:35:44.14
I was in school in Andrews
and we get our car and I take my
00:35:44.37\00:35:51.11
friend who was ready to help
me and he takes me to auction in
00:35:51.11\00:35:55.55
St. Louis.
00:35:55.55\00:35:56.35
Coming from Andrews to St.
Louis, a big auction, you know,
00:35:56.82\00:36:00.76
and I see a van, Dodge Grand
Caravan and I like, whoa, it
00:36:00.76\00:36:05.63
has TV.
00:36:05.63\00:36:06.43
In that time, in 1999 or in
2000, to have TV in the car was
00:36:06.83\00:36:13.94
whoa.
00:36:13.94\00:36:14.50
That's amazing.
00:36:14.50\00:36:15.10
Video games and lights inside
and sensors in the bumper.
00:36:15.70\00:36:19.44
It was a luxury car.
00:36:19.64\00:36:21.18
Yeah.
00:36:21.18\00:36:21.61
$2,500.
00:36:22.54\00:36:23.55
Oh wow.
00:36:24.11\00:36:26.98
15,000.
00:36:27.42\00:36:28.28
Yes, there is something wrong.
00:36:28.58\00:36:29.88
So he goes online on Carfax
and he goes says, it has a bad
00:36:29.95\00:36:33.59
transmission.
00:36:33.59\00:36:34.02
Don't touch it.
00:36:34.22\00:36:35.16
I want it.
00:36:35.26\00:36:37.09
TV.
00:36:37.26\00:36:37.66
He says, stay away from it.
00:36:38.63\00:36:39.86
I have the
experience with this stuff.
00:36:39.96\00:36:41.76
Stay away from it.
00:36:41.96\00:36:42.73
No, I want it.
00:36:42.93\00:36:44.03
Be it for it.
00:36:44.53\00:36:45.10
He says, don't do it.
00:36:45.43\00:36:46.33
I said, hey, it's my money.
00:36:46.37\00:36:48.40
You said, you help me.
00:36:48.54\00:36:49.30
Do it.
00:36:49.44\00:36:49.90
So he bought the car.
00:36:50.64\00:36:51.91
I get in the car.
00:36:52.37\00:36:53.44
I drive home.
00:36:53.58\00:36:54.41
I park in front of the
seminary, not in the parking,
00:36:54.71\00:36:57.58
right in front of
the entrance door.
00:36:57.68\00:36:59.11
Leave the door open.
00:36:59.45\00:37:00.52
Hopefully that the
students will take a peek.
00:37:00.52\00:37:02.18
I see the TV.
00:37:02.25\00:37:02.95
See this luxury van.
00:37:03.89\00:37:05.32
You were pretty proud of it.
00:37:05.35\00:37:06.76
And proud of it.
00:37:06.96\00:37:07.82
And then I drive home and
the car gets stuck in the second
00:37:09.02\00:37:11.86
gear.
00:37:11.86\00:37:12.06
It will not change.
00:37:13.90\00:37:15.03
This transmission.
00:37:15.33\00:37:16.03
Oh, so I turn it off.
00:37:16.06\00:37:19.10
Turn it on.
00:37:19.30\00:37:19.90
It will not change.
00:37:20.97\00:37:21.77
It's stuck.
00:37:21.94\00:37:22.24
And I prayed and nothing.
00:37:22.57\00:37:24.51
So I go to a mechanic.
00:37:25.04\00:37:25.94
So you're praying
for it to be fixed.
00:37:26.17\00:37:27.71
God, please help me.
00:37:28.21\00:37:29.51
I have this van that won't.
00:37:29.51\00:37:31.01
So I call my friend.
00:37:31.08\00:37:32.01
Hey, I told you don't buy it.
00:37:32.38\00:37:35.48
He says you should have prayed
about it and you should have
00:37:36.65\00:37:38.79
given up your desire for a
luxury car and you should get
00:37:38.79\00:37:43.59
one.
00:37:43.59\00:37:47.46
something that is reliable.
00:37:47.60\00:37:49.33
And he says, now, what can I do?
00:37:49.63\00:37:51.13
I cannot take it back.
00:37:51.20\00:37:52.27
So I go to a mechanic, one
of my elders, and he goes to
00:37:52.50\00:37:56.94
auction, no, to a junkyard.
00:37:56.94\00:37:58.64
I'm sorry.
00:37:58.64\00:38:02.48
hundred dollars.
00:38:02.48\00:38:04.95
He installs the transmission.
00:38:05.01\00:38:05.85
I drive it three
weeks and it breaks again.
00:38:06.01\00:38:08.88
Oh, really?
00:38:08.88\00:38:09.58
And I got so
angry, so frustrated.
00:38:10.59\00:38:13.89
So and so I go to
the auction second time.
00:38:14.32\00:38:16.93
I buy again.
00:38:16.93\00:38:17.89
I pay again.
00:38:17.96\00:38:18.69
I paid labor again.
00:38:19.06\00:38:20.30
I get a transmission again.
00:38:20.46\00:38:21.63
And then I said,
I'm not going to use it.
00:38:21.93\00:38:23.93
I put it for sale.
00:38:23.93\00:38:24.77
Let somebody else have it.
00:38:24.90\00:38:26.47
So I put in the newspaper, I
put it on Craigslist, on eBay,
00:38:26.97\00:38:31.67
on Amazon.
00:38:32.01\00:38:32.81
I put it in front of the mall
and then in front of Walmart.
00:38:33.27\00:38:35.84
Big paper in the windshield.
00:38:36.31\00:38:38.15
Luxury vent, TV inside.
00:38:38.68\00:38:40.55
All the options, the
sensors in the bumper.
00:38:42.45\00:38:44.12
All the thing that
attracted you to it.
00:38:44.32\00:38:46.22
And I put four thousand five
hundred to recover the money
00:38:46.52\00:38:49.56
that I put in fixing, you know.
00:38:49.56\00:38:50.99
Transmissions and everything.
00:38:51.26\00:38:52.13
Nobody called.
00:38:52.66\00:38:55.23
Nobody called.
00:38:55.23\00:38:56.23
So I dropped the price a little.
00:38:56.43\00:38:57.83
Nobody called.
00:38:57.93\00:38:58.50
I put it for
sale for six months.
00:38:58.93\00:39:00.67
And then I said, you know what?
00:39:00.70\00:39:01.64
And I pray, Lord,
please help me sell the junk.
00:39:01.77\00:39:04.11
Help me sell the junk.
00:39:05.24\00:39:06.27
And then eventually I said, you
know, I use it until it breaks
00:39:07.01\00:39:09.18
and throw it away.
00:39:09.18\00:39:10.38
So I am driving to church and
tell them you need to surrender
00:39:11.25\00:39:17.05
everything and preaching to
the church on Wednesday night
00:39:17.05\00:39:20.96
prayer meeting.
00:39:20.96\00:39:21.62
You need to
daily fully surrender.
00:39:21.72\00:39:24.13
Don't expect to
surrender in big things.
00:39:24.66\00:39:26.59
When the persecution comes,
last day events, you surrender
00:39:26.66\00:39:29.36
your life.
00:39:29.36\00:39:29.83
Not going to happen.
00:39:30.13\00:39:31.03
Surrender today.
00:39:32.73\00:39:33.50
Small things.
00:39:33.60\00:39:34.27
The pastor is
calling you to do evangelism.
00:39:35.77\00:39:37.54
Don't say I'm busy.
00:39:37.57\00:39:38.41
Surrender your time.
00:39:38.91\00:39:39.81
Because God has
surrendered his life for you.
00:39:40.44\00:39:42.21
If you really love Jesus,
should be no limits to what you
00:39:42.64\00:39:45.41
surrender.
00:39:45.41\00:39:48.65
I said, that's how you
know that you love Jesus.
00:39:48.95\00:39:50.95
Don't tell me
that you love Jesus.
00:39:51.05\00:39:52.29
Show me what you surrender.
00:39:52.29\00:39:53.86
Because whatever you don't
surrender, that's what you love
00:39:54.12\00:39:56.42
more than Jesus.
00:39:56.42\00:39:57.13
Now that is deep.
00:39:57.59\00:39:58.89
That's powerful.
00:39:58.89\00:39:59.63
And so I said, you
say you don't have idols?
00:39:59.89\00:40:02.03
Things that you don't surrender
are the things that you
00:40:02.73\00:40:05.00
worship.
00:40:05.00\00:40:05.30
That's right.
00:40:05.43\00:40:06.27
So after I preach a good
sermon, I drive home, Lord,
00:40:06.57\00:40:10.47
please help me sell the van.
00:40:10.54\00:40:12.27
And God spoke in my mind,
are you willing to surrender the
00:40:12.64\00:40:15.08
van?
00:40:15.08\00:40:15.54
I said, are you
kidding me, Lord?
00:40:15.91\00:40:16.81
This is not Mercedes.
00:40:17.08\00:40:18.11
This is a junk.
00:40:18.18\00:40:19.05
Sure I'm willing to surrender.
00:40:19.15\00:40:20.15
And God says, okay,
give it to me for ministry.
00:40:20.55\00:40:23.32
I said, Lord, how
much do you pay for it?
00:40:23.89\00:40:26.79
Because I need money.
00:40:27.26\00:40:28.16
I don't have money.
00:40:28.22\00:40:28.76
I need money to buy a car.
00:40:28.86\00:40:29.89
So God, how much do
you want to pay for this?
00:40:29.96\00:40:31.46
And God said,
well, does not surrender.
00:40:31.66\00:40:33.19
Yeah.
00:40:33.43\00:40:33.76
Yeah.
00:40:34.00\00:40:34.20
And then he's impressed
me and says, do you love me?
00:40:35.10\00:40:38.30
I said, absolutely.
00:40:38.53\00:40:39.23
With all your heart, yes.
00:40:39.50\00:40:40.40
More than anything, yes.
00:40:40.50\00:40:41.44
He says, no, you don't love me.
00:40:41.84\00:40:42.97
You love the van more
than me because you have second
00:40:43.57\00:40:46.07
thoughts to give me the van.
00:40:46.07\00:40:47.11
If you loved me more than the
van, you would give me the van.
00:40:47.31\00:40:49.74
And I realized in that moment,
it's easy to say, surrender, I
00:40:50.88\00:40:54.68
love Jesus, but it's hard
to let go something so small.
00:40:54.68\00:40:59.52
Yeah.
00:40:59.62\00:41:04.06
the blessings and the health.
00:41:04.06\00:41:05.03
And if God took his hands
off, we'll die in a second.
00:41:05.19\00:41:07.60
Yeah, true.
00:41:07.73\00:41:08.36
So I said, Lord, forgive me.
00:41:08.46\00:41:09.63
I'm willing to
surrender the van.
00:41:09.70\00:41:11.07
And God spoke in my mind, said,
don't you realize that I can
00:41:12.33\00:41:15.70
bless you and give you a car?
00:41:15.70\00:41:16.71
Don't you trust me?
00:41:16.87\00:41:18.01
Put me first, my kingdom,
and the other things will be
00:41:18.01\00:41:21.78
supplied.
00:41:21.78\00:41:22.08
I love you.
00:41:22.34\00:41:23.21
I can take care of you.
00:41:23.75\00:41:25.01
I've been taking
care of you so far.
00:41:25.08\00:41:26.61
Don't you trust me?
00:41:26.61\00:41:26.65
Amen.
00:41:27.95\00:41:28.32
I said, Lord, you can have it.
00:41:28.65\00:41:29.68
In that moment,
my telephone rings.
00:41:30.62\00:41:32.05
A church member, pastor,
do you still have the van?
00:41:32.79\00:41:34.59
I said, yes, why?
00:41:34.69\00:41:35.99
I wanna buy it.
00:41:36.39\00:41:37.23
I said, no, I'm not
gonna sell it to you.
00:41:37.59\00:41:39.89
I will sell it to a stranger,
not to you, because you will
00:41:39.93\00:41:41.66
hate me forever.
00:41:41.66\00:41:42.36
You will never
come back to church.
00:41:42.53\00:41:43.57
She says, I know
the transmission.
00:41:43.97\00:41:45.37
My brother is the mechanic.
00:41:45.50\00:41:46.63
He fixed it for you.
00:41:46.67\00:41:47.44
I'm gonna buy it now.
00:41:47.44\00:41:48.14
She says, that's
the reason I call you.
00:41:48.50\00:41:49.90
I don't have 20,000
to buy or 30,000 to buy.
00:41:50.01\00:41:52.64
I have only about 1,500.
00:41:52.94\00:41:54.74
Would you take 1,500 for me?
00:41:54.94\00:41:56.85
I said, well, it's a lot less
than what I wanted, but yes, I
00:41:57.38\00:42:00.15
decided to surrender.
00:42:00.15\00:42:00.88
So whatever God
says, that's what I do.
00:42:01.05\00:42:02.65
But I said, I'm curious.
00:42:02.88\00:42:04.05
Why do you want it?
00:42:04.12\00:42:05.12
He says, well, after your
sermon, I said, Lord, I want to
00:42:05.29\00:42:08.16
surrender and to serve.
00:42:08.16\00:42:09.19
And God impressed me to drive
the kids who don't have a car
00:42:09.86\00:42:12.63
to our school, to drive people
who don't have a car to our
00:42:12.63\00:42:16.06
church.
00:42:16.06\00:42:19.80
So I pray, Lord, give me a
bigger car and God impressed me
00:42:20.60\00:42:23.10
to call you.
00:42:23.10\00:42:23.67
And this is all I have 1,500.
00:42:23.81\00:42:25.47
I said, you know what?
00:42:25.67\00:42:26.34
Take it, God bless you.
00:42:26.37\00:42:27.68
Now, long story short, 10 years
later, I was in a different
00:42:29.08\00:42:32.31
district in Kentucky,
no longer in Wisconsin.
00:42:32.31\00:42:34.35
I am driving with my
family to Montana in vacation.
00:42:35.02\00:42:37.42
And we stopped in Wisconsin
to an olive garden and we get a
00:42:37.79\00:42:42.19
soup and salad, if I mean
Australian soup, if I remember
00:42:42.19\00:42:44.13
right.
00:42:44.13\00:42:47.46
Is that lady?
00:42:47.60\00:42:48.46
Oh, my God.
00:42:48.60\00:42:49.36
Pastor, how are you doing?
00:42:49.43\00:42:50.40
Good, you're good.
00:42:50.43\00:42:51.10
I said, hey, what
car do you drive now?
00:42:51.60\00:42:53.30
And she says,
look in the parking.
00:42:53.34\00:42:54.34
It's the same car.
00:42:54.70\00:42:55.40
It never broke.
00:42:55.50\00:42:56.37
Since I gave it to
God, it keeps working.
00:42:56.44\00:42:58.24
I said, oh, come on.
00:42:58.84\00:43:00.48
The van worked
for 10 more years.
00:43:01.11\00:43:02.81
And no transmission problems?
00:43:02.81\00:43:04.35
She said, no.
00:43:04.38\00:43:04.98
Now, obviously after that,
I know how many years she kept
00:43:05.71\00:43:08.18
it, but this is what we don't
understand about surrender.
00:43:08.18\00:43:12.52
We expect
surrender to be a big thing.
00:43:12.52\00:43:15.06
And we never
surrender the small things.
00:43:15.86\00:43:18.06
And that's how
God would grow us.
00:43:18.19\00:43:20.16
Start with what you have.
00:43:20.46\00:43:22.33
And then learn by
experiencing Him to trust Him.
00:43:22.43\00:43:27.24
Because without trust, there
is no God, no relationship.
00:43:27.97\00:43:30.81
When Jesus comes, He says
to a group, I don't know you.
00:43:31.21\00:43:34.61
That's right.
00:43:34.61\00:43:35.61
And the word is not didaskalo,
theoretical knowledge.
00:43:35.74\00:43:39.95
It's not genosko, relationship.
00:43:40.32\00:43:42.52
Oida.
00:43:43.72\00:43:48.76
God says, you may know me,
but you don't know me enough to
00:43:49.16\00:43:51.96
fully trust me.
00:43:51.96\00:43:52.89
There is no trust.
00:43:53.03\00:43:53.93
There's no relationship.
00:43:55.16\00:43:55.90
So the way that trust grows
is to do it, you said, moment by
00:43:56.80\00:44:00.90
moment, is God gives us these
opportunities to just trust Him
00:44:00.90\00:44:03.41
and to give
ourselves wholly to Him.
00:44:03.41\00:44:05.31
Sometimes we wait for the
big things like you said, and
00:44:05.64\00:44:08.01
they'll never come.
00:44:08.01\00:44:08.91
So God wants us today.
00:44:09.44\00:44:10.95
Study of the word.
00:44:11.25\00:44:12.11
Surrender daily,
experience Him daily.
00:44:12.91\00:44:15.52
And those things,
don't worry about growth.
00:44:15.95\00:44:17.52
Just stay in Jesus.
00:44:18.22\00:44:19.82
And those things come.
00:44:20.02\00:44:21.29
We should not be
concerned with growth.
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.43
God gives the growth.
00:44:23.53\00:44:24.76
Including in our garden.
00:44:25.13\00:44:26.33
But we should be
concerned with relationship.
00:44:26.53\00:44:28.63
That's great.
00:44:29.33\00:44:29.90
And not be
concerned with growth.
00:44:30.17\00:44:31.53
That's great.
00:44:31.57\00:44:34.10
concerned about, are we growing?
00:44:34.10\00:44:35.10
But don't worry about that.
00:44:35.27\00:44:36.14
Just stay in His word.
00:44:36.17\00:44:37.04
Do what He's asking us
and we'll automatically grow.
00:44:37.44\00:44:39.37
God will not save us
based on how grown we are.
00:44:39.41\00:44:42.38
Like the thief on the cross.
00:44:42.84\00:44:43.48
That's right.
00:44:43.58\00:44:43.98
The thief was not grown.
00:44:44.15\00:44:45.18
God will judge us based
on how much we love Him.
00:44:45.88\00:44:49.12
How much we trust Him.
00:44:49.25\00:44:50.69
Are we in Him?
00:44:50.92\00:44:51.82
He who has Christ, has life.
00:44:52.79\00:44:55.19
That's right.
00:44:55.46\00:44:56.02
Are we in Him?
00:44:56.16\00:44:56.96
That's right.
00:44:56.96\00:44:57.59
Yeah, praise God.
00:44:57.76\00:44:58.59
I know we just have only like
12 minutes left or so in this
00:44:59.03\00:45:01.00
first hour.
00:45:01.00\00:45:01.76
I would like to
hear another story.
00:45:01.83\00:45:03.67
You mentioned some when you're
talking about your father.
00:45:03.73\00:45:05.77
Your father passed
away at a young age.
00:45:05.77\00:45:07.17
You were a young
man at that point too.
00:45:07.20\00:45:08.87
But you're talking about
some incredible, unbelievable
00:45:09.30\00:45:11.41
stories that you saw prayers
answered to when your father
00:45:11.41\00:45:13.94
was working, it sounds
like in communism, right?
00:45:13.94\00:45:15.91
Sharing the gospel message.
00:45:15.91\00:45:17.15
There's a one particular story
that really sticks out that's
00:45:17.65\00:45:20.48
like, wow, just fantastic
to see God's hand at work.
00:45:20.48\00:45:23.28
Many, I'm gonna
give a very simple one.
00:45:23.32\00:45:25.05
There are big stories.
00:45:25.35\00:45:26.45
Like when the police
came, we had a bunch of Bibles.
00:45:26.45\00:45:26.49
I mean, I don't know, 30,
40, 50 boxes of Bibles in the
00:45:29.62\00:45:33.63
middle of the living room.
00:45:33.63\00:45:34.40
I mean, a pile.
00:45:34.40\00:45:36.10
And it's illegal, right?
00:45:36.26\00:45:37.37
Illegal to have
those Bibles there.
00:45:37.37\00:45:38.83
Against the law, you would be
arrested and you would not see
00:45:39.70\00:45:42.00
the light.
00:45:42.00\00:45:42.64
But anyway, I mean, a pile
of Bibles in the center of the
00:45:43.24\00:45:46.04
living room.
00:45:46.04\00:45:46.64
You could not, our
living room was so small.
00:45:47.04\00:45:48.54
You would walk around, you
know, and the police came and
00:45:48.71\00:45:51.31
searched our
house for several hours.
00:45:51.31\00:45:52.81
They would walk around and they
said, there is no Bible in this
00:45:53.05\00:45:55.12
house and they left.
00:45:55.12\00:45:55.82
They never saw it.
00:45:55.82\00:45:56.79
Blind.
00:45:57.15\00:45:57.52
And it was right there.
00:45:58.22\00:45:59.15
Right there, in the middle.
00:45:59.25\00:46:00.46
But anyway, I'm not gonna
give those type of stories.
00:46:01.16\00:46:03.79
I'm gonna give one that is
ridiculously simple, but funny.
00:46:03.79\00:46:06.93
My father would take his
friend, Benjamin, and they
00:46:07.73\00:46:11.10
would go from village to
village with Bibles on their
00:46:11.10\00:46:14.10
backpack and do canvassing.
00:46:14.10\00:46:16.27
And there are many people
who could not pay anything.
00:46:17.21\00:46:19.14
So they would
just give it to them.
00:46:19.14\00:46:19.17
The goal was to make sure
that people have Bibles in their
00:46:20.64\00:46:23.21
homes.
00:46:23.21\00:46:23.65
They read the Bibles.
00:46:23.78\00:46:24.71
And he would pray with people.
00:46:25.01\00:46:26.15
So they go and they basically,
they are in a village and they
00:46:28.32\00:46:34.29
give Bibles and
somebody calls the police.
00:46:34.29\00:46:36.42
Somebody has Bibles.
00:46:36.59\00:46:37.53
So the police comes and they
run and the police comes after
00:46:37.83\00:46:40.70
them and they get outside
the village and the police comes
00:46:40.70\00:46:43.00
over and in front, it's a deep
gorge, deep and the river down
00:46:43.00\00:46:47.77
and the bridge over.
00:46:48.40\00:46:49.84
The police comes from
behind and then there is police
00:46:51.17\00:46:53.21
waiting on the
other side of the bridge.
00:46:53.21\00:46:54.68
They have no way to go.
00:46:55.11\00:46:56.14
So they take a
right in the forest.
00:46:57.08\00:46:58.61
The police comes after them
and they run and run and run and
00:46:59.51\00:47:01.92
run and run in the
forest and police after them.
00:47:01.92\00:47:03.82
And they see an old
suspended bridge on cables.
00:47:04.49\00:47:08.86
The cables are rusted and
the little cables rusted and the
00:47:09.39\00:47:14.36
wood boards
rotten, badly rotten.
00:47:14.36\00:47:16.56
I mean, your finger
would go to, like really old.
00:47:16.77\00:47:20.30
And Benjamin says,
Oh, should he cross?
00:47:21.30\00:47:23.27
And my father says, there
is no option to stay here.
00:47:23.44\00:47:26.24
I mean,
Egyptians are following us.
00:47:26.37\00:47:28.34
They are after us.
00:47:29.14\00:47:30.11
This is the Red Sea.
00:47:30.11\00:47:30.88
This is, let's cross.
00:47:31.15\00:47:32.11
So my father starts and the
bridge starts moving, you know.
00:47:32.81\00:47:36.48
On the rusty cables.
00:47:36.62\00:47:37.92
Yeah.
00:47:38.42\00:47:43.83
father walks, you know, and
he always, always would sing.
00:47:43.83\00:47:47.00
He's walking on
the bridge and singing.
00:47:47.40\00:47:49.40
Oh, wow.
00:47:49.53\00:47:50.20
And instantly
Benjamin screams, Pavel, stop!
00:47:50.93\00:47:54.50
And he stops, he looks back.
00:47:55.07\00:47:56.10
Why?
00:47:56.14\00:47:58.74
And Benjamin says, look down.
00:47:58.74\00:48:00.78
And he looks down and there are
boards, many boards, like six,
00:48:01.18\00:48:04.41
seven, eight boards missing.
00:48:04.45\00:48:05.65
And my father is
literally sitting on air.
00:48:05.75\00:48:08.12
There is the board in front,
the board behind, but in that
00:48:08.48\00:48:11.05
spot, both legs,
both feet are in the air.
00:48:11.05\00:48:13.96
He's stepping on nothing.
00:48:14.12\00:48:15.82
You could see, you just
sit down the gorge, the river.
00:48:16.16\00:48:19.46
And my father says, Oh, and he
steps a few steps forward until
00:48:19.56\00:48:23.80
he reaches the boards.
00:48:23.80\00:48:24.63
He walked on air.
00:48:25.67\00:48:27.67
And Benjamin says,
how do you explain that?
00:48:27.67\00:48:29.94
And my father says, well, he'll
send his angel and put his palm
00:48:30.01\00:48:34.11
under your foot.
00:48:34.11\00:48:34.94
And my father says, come on.
00:48:35.74\00:48:36.91
And Benjamin says, I
don't want to try that.
00:48:37.01\00:48:39.58
So there was literally
nothing under his feet.
00:48:39.95\00:48:42.08
No boards.
00:48:42.25\00:48:42.38
Absolutely nothing.
00:48:43.15\00:48:43.69
Absolutely nothing.
00:48:44.65\00:48:45.49
And you could not
jump over, it was too far.
00:48:45.89\00:48:47.52
There were a few steps, maybe
two, three steps, I don't know.
00:48:47.82\00:48:50.13
So what happened to Benjamin?
00:48:51.03\00:48:52.03
So he, hanging from the hands
on the cable, passed that spot.
00:48:52.93\00:48:58.83
The police got to the bridge
in that time and they were
00:48:59.43\00:49:02.37
watching it.
00:49:02.37\00:49:03.44
When they saw my father
walking, though they were
00:49:03.47\00:49:06.01
communist, my father told me
that as he looked back and he
00:49:06.01\00:49:09.08
saw them, they were frozen.
00:49:09.08\00:49:10.25
And the one in the
front did that cross.
00:49:11.08\00:49:13.01
And he told the
others, let's go back.
00:49:13.42\00:49:15.18
And they turned around and left.
00:49:15.68\00:49:17.02
But now the funny part of the
story, they walked through the
00:49:17.45\00:49:21.22
forest a little more and
they said, if we go back in the
00:49:21.22\00:49:24.53
village, they will arrest us.
00:49:24.53\00:49:25.66
The next village is far away.
00:49:26.56\00:49:28.06
If we go back on the
road, they will arrest us.
00:49:28.13\00:49:30.47
They said, why don't we sleep
here in the forest for tonight?
00:49:30.80\00:49:32.93
So they sleep there.
00:49:33.77\00:49:34.74
In the morning, they
are hungry, hungry, thirsty.
00:49:34.74\00:49:37.91
So Benjamin said, what do we do?
00:49:38.67\00:49:39.67
We go back to the village.
00:49:39.67\00:49:39.71
My father says, no, we pray.
00:49:40.64\00:49:42.31
He fed Elijah, he fed Israel.
00:49:42.61\00:49:44.45
He can feed us, he is God.
00:49:44.58\00:49:46.15
And Benjamin says,
no, that's in the Bible.
00:49:46.58\00:49:48.15
My father says, no,
no, no, that's real.
00:49:48.45\00:49:50.45
So he says, let's pray.
00:49:51.69\00:49:52.75
They keep praying and
walking and praying and walking.
00:49:52.85\00:49:54.69
And my father hits
something with his head.
00:49:54.69\00:49:56.59
I mean, his head
against, boom, ouch.
00:49:57.03\00:49:59.73
And he looks up.
00:50:00.63\00:50:01.46
There is a big homemade bread
hanging from a branch of a tree
00:50:01.83\00:50:07.20
with a rope.
00:50:07.20\00:50:08.27
Homemade bread.
00:50:08.40\00:50:09.14
Homemade bread.
00:50:09.37\00:50:10.24
How do you explain that?
00:50:11.11\00:50:12.74
And so when my father and
Benjamin told us the story, I
00:50:13.01\00:50:16.38
was like, who put it there?
00:50:16.38\00:50:17.38
My father said, I
don't care who put it there.
00:50:17.41\00:50:19.05
And I don't care the reason.
00:50:19.18\00:50:20.72
I just know that we ate.
00:50:20.85\00:50:22.48
Wow.
00:50:22.82\00:50:23.55
So how old were you when
your father would come back with
00:50:24.05\00:50:25.95
these stories, like
this particular one?
00:50:25.95\00:50:27.49
Cause I know four years older,
you were telling us that story
00:50:27.52\00:50:29.46
in the very
beginning, but how...
00:50:29.46\00:50:31.09
Since I know myself, he would
come home again and again with
00:50:31.09\00:50:33.66
Bibles.
00:50:33.66\00:50:34.13
He would come home.
00:50:34.13\00:50:34.20
I remember he would come
in the middle of the night.
00:50:35.23\00:50:37.07
He says, honey, to my mom,
I got 400, I got a thousand
00:50:37.17\00:50:40.54
Bibles.
00:50:40.54\00:50:41.00
Let's unload them or let's
take them to the countryside to
00:50:41.70\00:50:44.24
grandpa or let's
right away, let's act on it.
00:50:44.24\00:50:46.68
Let's not keep them too long
or let's pass them to people.
00:50:46.68\00:50:49.18
So since I knew myself, yeah.
00:50:49.64\00:50:52.05
Yeah, since you
were young, young.
00:50:52.05\00:50:53.92
That's amazing.
00:50:54.08\00:50:54.68
Wow.
00:50:54.92\00:50:55.28
Praise God.
00:50:55.28\00:50:57.45
And like he mentioned, Pastor
Pavel, is that we talk about
00:50:57.59\00:51:01.62
and read about the Bible
stories and hear the answers of
00:51:01.62\00:51:04.39
prayer in the Bible from
long ago, but God still answers
00:51:04.39\00:51:07.93
prayer today.
00:51:07.93\00:51:11.13
in the last, not too long.
00:51:11.13\00:51:12.43
I mean, your father,
that would have been what?
00:51:12.53\00:51:14.10
How many years
ago your father was?
00:51:14.10\00:51:14.14
He died six months before
the revolution in Romania.
00:51:16.04\00:51:18.54
Okay.
00:51:18.67\00:51:19.14
So it was in 89.
00:51:19.21\00:51:20.64
Yep.
00:51:21.11\00:51:21.34
Yeah.
00:51:21.61\00:51:22.04
Not that long ago.
00:51:22.11\00:51:22.71
It's amazing.
00:51:22.91\00:51:23.51
Yeah.
00:51:24.38\00:51:27.08
working, God answering God.
00:51:27.08\00:51:28.45
Yeah.
00:51:28.45\00:51:30.22
Certainly God never lost
his power, never changed.
00:51:30.65\00:51:33.99
And he loves challenges.
00:51:34.29\00:51:36.39
Nothing is impossible for God.
00:51:36.59\00:51:37.99
However, we should
never look for miracles.
00:51:38.29\00:51:40.86
We should not.
00:51:41.06\00:51:45.10
voice or to
experience a miracle.
00:51:45.10\00:51:46.84
Should simply be to know
God, to understand him more, to
00:51:46.84\00:51:52.11
understand his plans, to
love him, to surrender, to trust
00:51:52.11\00:51:55.64
him, to walk with him.
00:51:55.64\00:51:56.85
That's beautiful.
00:51:57.28\00:51:58.08
Is prayer any
communication with God?
00:51:58.18\00:52:00.22
Or is it like you were talking
about the disciples earlier,
00:52:00.88\00:52:03.05
teach us how to
pray, asking Jesus.
00:52:03.18\00:52:04.92
So, you know, it's like our
father which art in heaven or
00:52:05.05\00:52:07.42
is it just like God
save me is also a prayer?
00:52:07.42\00:52:09.79
All of the above.
00:52:10.63\00:52:11.49
You see, prayer is the opening
of the soul to God as to a
00:52:11.83\00:52:15.83
friend.
00:52:15.83\00:52:18.90
Well, if prayer is
the breath of the soul.
00:52:19.30\00:52:21.44
It's constant.
00:52:22.07\00:52:22.94
That means I've never seen
anybody in my life to breathe
00:52:23.37\00:52:26.51
three minutes in the morning,
three minutes in the evening
00:52:26.51\00:52:28.04
and stay alive.
00:52:28.04\00:52:28.78
That's right.
00:52:29.28\00:52:29.71
I haven't either.
00:52:29.78\00:52:30.61
If you want to stay alive,
you need to keep breathing.
00:52:30.95\00:52:32.88
That's the reason the
Bible says pray without ceasing.
00:52:33.35\00:52:36.42
Satan is not
afraid of our experience.
00:52:37.02\00:52:39.95
Satan is not afraid of
our training or education.
00:52:40.39\00:52:42.89
Satan is not afraid of our
power or that we eat healthy or
00:52:43.29\00:52:46.73
that we go to church or that
we sing in the choir or go to
00:52:46.73\00:52:49.26
committee or
that we keep Sabbath.
00:52:49.26\00:52:50.83
Pharisees kept Sabbath.
00:52:51.17\00:52:54.50
Satan is not afraid that we
do all the religious forms, but
00:52:54.90\00:52:58.24
Satan and his host tremble
and flee when we pray because he
00:52:58.24\00:53:03.45
knows that when we pray, we
connect with the source of all
00:53:03.45\00:53:07.18
power, the greatest
power in the universe.
00:53:07.18\00:53:08.82
And there is nothing
he can do against that.
00:53:09.05\00:53:10.99
So that's the single defense.
00:53:11.29\00:53:12.99
We should continually be
in God's presence, continually
00:53:12.99\00:53:16.52
connect, pray without ceasing.
00:53:16.52\00:53:18.19
So that's the reason it
says pray is the breath.
00:53:19.23\00:53:20.93
Keep breathing, keep praying.
00:53:21.23\00:53:22.63
More than that, people breathe
not only out, people breathe
00:53:23.03\00:53:25.57
also in.
00:53:25.57\00:53:26.33
That's the reason LNY says that
prayer is a communication, is a
00:53:26.94\00:53:29.64
dialogue.
00:53:29.64\00:53:34.38
him.
00:53:34.38\00:53:34.81
He knows everything.
00:53:34.91\00:53:35.61
She says our prayers
are not to inform God.
00:53:36.18\00:53:38.41
It is so important
to also learn to listen.
00:53:39.11\00:53:42.15
People never listen, even in
our communication, people never
00:53:42.15\00:53:46.05
listen.
00:53:46.05\00:53:46.45
I mean, not
never, but many times.
00:53:47.16\00:53:49.09
So to listen and she says
in the spirit prophecy that
00:53:49.86\00:53:54.30
through prayer, we talk to God
and through the word he talks
00:53:54.30\00:53:56.87
to us just as he
was right next to us.
00:53:56.87\00:53:59.30
So she says prayer and the
study of the word should never
00:53:59.70\00:54:02.87
be separated.
00:54:02.87\00:54:03.71
We should pray and study.
00:54:04.71\00:54:06.07
And she says,
reflect, think about it.
00:54:06.37\00:54:08.88
Yeah, no, that's great.
00:54:09.21\00:54:10.38
I know second hour, we're gonna
talk specifically more about
00:54:10.38\00:54:13.72
how to study the Bible
and how we can reach others.
00:54:13.72\00:54:16.28
And in these last days,
these closing moments of earth's
00:54:16.55\00:54:19.69
history, how we can prepare as
Christians for the final crisis
00:54:19.69\00:54:24.23
that's coming upon us.
00:54:24.23\00:54:25.49
And also, I wanna talk to you
more about the assurance we can
00:54:25.73\00:54:29.00
have of salvation.
00:54:29.00\00:54:30.23
You quoted that scripture that
he who has a son has life and
00:54:30.60\00:54:34.17
we can maybe dialogue a
little bit about that too.
00:54:34.17\00:54:36.47
But before we close out
this first hour, I was thinking
00:54:36.84\00:54:39.27
we're talking about prayer.
00:54:39.27\00:54:40.31
We should really
spend some time in prayer.
00:54:40.58\00:54:42.31
This hour and the
next hour as well.
00:54:42.61\00:54:44.71
So would you mind Pastor Goyev
leading us in a prayer before
00:54:45.18\00:54:48.92
we close out this first hour?
00:54:48.92\00:54:49.78
Father in heaven, what a
privilege to come in your
00:54:54.06\00:54:58.09
presence and to talk to you.
00:54:58.09\00:55:00.70
Angels cover
themselves in your presence.
00:55:02.33\00:55:04.83
Who are we to
come in your presence?
00:55:05.67\00:55:08.04
Thank you for the joy,
the privilege, the blessing of
00:55:08.87\00:55:11.71
prayer.
00:55:11.71\00:55:12.01
Thank you that you know us, you
hear our prayers, you know our
00:55:12.94\00:55:16.41
hearts.
00:55:16.41\00:55:19.61
before we even think.
00:55:19.61\00:55:20.48
Thank you that you love us with
such a love that you gave Jesus
00:55:20.88\00:55:23.52
for us.
00:55:23.52\00:55:24.49
Father, please help us to love
prayer and to love the world.
00:55:25.05\00:55:29.69
To love you, to have a thirst
for you, a desire, a passion
00:55:30.03\00:55:34.93
for you, for the
Bible, for prayer.
00:55:34.93\00:55:38.03
Help us to seek
you with all our heart.
00:55:38.63\00:55:40.97
Help us to enjoy your presence
and never separate from you.
00:55:41.70\00:55:46.27
Help us to start the day
with you and then to continue to
00:55:46.64\00:55:49.28
walk with you every single day.
00:55:49.28\00:55:51.41
Father, you promise that if
we seek you with all our heart,
00:55:52.41\00:55:55.45
we'll find you.
00:55:55.48\00:55:56.65
Help us to seek
you with all our heart.
00:55:56.95\00:55:59.65
I pray for the people who are
watching this program for every
00:56:00.22\00:56:03.56
single one.
00:56:03.56\00:56:04.33
I pray that you put this
deep desire, this thirst for a
00:56:04.96\00:56:11.17
knowledge of you, for
a relationship with you.
00:56:11.17\00:56:14.14
I pray that they don't look
to self and get discouraged, but
00:56:14.47\00:56:17.81
rather they fix their
eyes on you because nothing is
00:56:17.81\00:56:20.74
impossible for you.
00:56:20.74\00:56:21.74
You are able to
finish what you started.
00:56:22.34\00:56:24.35
You love us with a love that
surpasses human understanding.
00:56:25.45\00:56:28.08
I pray that they will fix their
eyes on you and know you and
00:56:29.02\00:56:31.89
trust you and love you.
00:56:31.89\00:56:33.05
Father, we pray in Jesus'
precious powerful name and
00:56:34.16\00:56:37.89
thank you for answering.
00:56:37.89\00:56:39.03
We love you and we praise you.
00:56:39.36\00:56:40.96
Amen.
00:56:41.10\00:56:41.33
What a powerful
first hour it has been.
00:56:42.83\00:56:46.33
Thank you for taking
time to come and share.
00:56:46.63\00:56:48.84
I think one of my favorite
parts about the first hour, I
00:56:49.20\00:56:51.44
wrote it down.
00:56:51.44\00:56:52.07
Don't be concerned with growth.
00:56:52.47\00:56:54.91
I think so many times as
Christians we can worry about
00:56:55.14\00:56:58.28
that.
00:56:58.28\00:57:00.65
Am I growing enough in Jesus?
00:57:00.65\00:57:00.68
But focus on Jesus.
00:57:03.32\00:57:05.35
Philippians 1 verse 6, being
confident of this very thing
00:57:05.35\00:57:08.72
that he who began a good work
in us will carry it forward to
00:57:08.72\00:57:12.93
completion.
00:57:12.93\00:57:17.03
will do the
growing process in us.
00:57:17.03\00:57:19.83
I love that.
00:57:19.90\00:57:21.20
And the stories that
you shared were so powerful.
00:57:21.30\00:57:23.71
Encouraged my
own walk with Jesus.
00:57:24.11\00:57:25.91
And we know many of you are at
many different journeys in your
00:57:25.97\00:57:29.71
walk with Jesus.
00:57:29.71\00:57:30.61
Just take a baby
step right now today.
00:57:30.85\00:57:32.91
Make a choice today.
00:57:33.05\00:57:34.18
Yes, I want you in
my heart and in my life.
00:57:34.18\00:57:37.39
Yes, I'm choosing to surrender
the little things right now
00:57:37.89\00:57:41.52
today.
00:57:41.52\00:57:45.29
life.
00:57:45.29\00:57:45.73
We will be right back.
00:57:45.86\00:57:47.20