Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), John Dinzey (Host), Armando Miranda
Series Code: TLA
Program Code: TLA011505
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01:04 Hello and welcome to 3ABN Today,
01:05 my name is C.A Murray and allow me once again 01:08 to thank you for sharing this part of your day 01:11 with us. For allowing us to come into your home 01:14 and prayerfully into your hearts as together 01:16 we seek to lift up the name of Jesus and take 01:19 one more step along that road that leads to glory. 01:21 This is a very, very special night for a number 01:23 of reasons, first I get to co-host with my buddy 01:29 John Dinzey and I don't think we've had this 01:32 opportunity before. No, normally you're on 01:34 this side and I'm on that side somewhere and it's, 01:37 it's a privilege, I'm honored. Praise the Lord, 01:40 we've never shared the host share, 01:42 but we doing so tonight. Now, I need to ask your 01:45 forgiveness, John and I close friends, 01:47 we worked very closely together I have a great 01:49 respect for him. If you hear me slip during the 01:52 course of the evening and call him El Jefe, 01:54 I have not insulted him, I haven't called 01:56 him heffer, I called him El Jefe, that means 02:00 the chief. He is the General Manager of course 02:02 of 3ABN Latino and I do call him John on occasion, 02:06 but I call him El Jefe as much as I call him John. 02:09 So, if you hear me slip and say that it is a term 02:12 of love and respect for his position here at 3ABN. 02:15 Latino he works very, very hard, a good man, 02:19 a good Christian and a very good friend so 02:20 I may slip him and call him El Jefe. It's not, 02:23 not a mistake because he's my buddy that's right. 02:26 Well, yes I'm honored and I also call you 02:30 Mr. Geo. So, if you hear us slipping in to 02:34 little Spanish, that's alright, we're just, 02:36 we're just practicing. But we're excited this night 02:39 for number of reasons, one of them is because 02:42 of our, our guest, it is not often that we get 02:47 brethren from the General Conference to make their 02:49 way to the cornfields of Southern Illinois and 02:51 to have a General Vice President come is very, 02:54 very special. But Elder Pastor Armando Miranda 02:59 is here and I'm just having talk with him 03:03 we see him as a very spiritual Godly man. 03:05 And he comes on a mission this very night because 03:09 as you well know the church has moved into 03:10 a time of emphasis on Revival and Reformation. 03:15 The Brethren have selected Pastor Miranda 03:17 to be the Chairman of the Revival and Reformation 03:20 committee; we'll talk all about that and what 03:21 that means. But it is one of his job is to go around 03:26 the world light fires for the Lord of 03:29 Revival and Reformation, so he's coming here 03:31 tonight to talk to us about some of those things 03:32 that the church is doing. That this committee 03:35 is doing as together we move through 03:38 a time of Revival and Reformation as we draw 03:40 closer to Christ as we're all aware, Christ 03:41 is coming soon. And as the church we want 03:44 to be ready, we want to be working and waiting 03:47 and doing all we can to be refreshed and on fire 03:50 for the Lord. And the Brethren have tasked 03:53 Pastor Miranda with that and so it's good 03:55 to have you here. It's a privilege and an honor 03:57 to be here Elder C.A, yeah Praise the Lord, 04:01 Praise the Lord. Well, Pastor Miranda 04:04 I've met him several years ago but he's from 04:06 the beautiful country of Mexico and he, 04:10 he also has been blessed with the talent of 04:12 singing that's for the first time I saw him, 04:14 he was singing God's, God's praise. 04:17 So, unfortunately he's not able to sing during 04:19 this program, you're welcome to do it, if it 04:23 comes it. If the spirit gets high you break 04:25 out in a song we will join you and we praise 04:28 the Lord for that I too the first time I saw him. 04:31 We went to lot of 3ABN Latino and our home 04:32 and we've seen you singing many, 04:36 many times and Lord has blessed you with 04:38 a beautiful voice among your other talents that 04:41 we're gonna talk about this very night. 04:43 Oh! It's a pleasure to I just spend time with 04:46 you and especially to come together and just 04:51 share some of the initiatives of the 04:52 General Conference. Praise the Lord, 04:54 Praise the Lord and I feel kind of like the 04:55 outsiders, if you guys break into Spanish I'll 04:57 have to get a translator to try to keep up with 04:59 you guys. No, actually you do quite well, 05:03 so I don't think you need a translator. 05:04 You are dangerous, you understand and you 05:08 speak Spanish, he said something, 05:11 he said you're peligroso, peligroso. 05:16 I wish I was as dangerous as you think but if you 05:18 guys are going really fast than I, 05:20 you will lose me so today we got, we got to stay 05:22 in English as possibly as we can praise the Lord. 05:24 Okay, we'll do it, praise the Lord again 05:27 we're happy to, to be here and happy to have 05:29 you with us. We're gonna talk about Revival 05:31 and Reformation, so you may wanna take this 05:33 moment to boot up your computer or to get 05:36 a pen and paper. Because the number of things 05:38 we're gonna be talking about the church is doing 05:39 something, you be able to participate in, 05:41 encourage your church to participate in, 05:43 because we wanna do this together. 05:45 This is not a move that's in one little corner 05:47 of the church or in one little part of the world, 05:49 this is a worldwide movement of Revival and 05:52 Reformation. That the church is moving together 05:54 in as, as we draw closer one to another and 05:57 closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and 06:00 so Pastor Miranda is going to tell us about that. 06:02 Before we move into all of that stuff we wanna 06:05 find that little bit more about him personally 06:10 and you know get a little background on him, 06:11 then we'll move into what the church is doing. 06:13 But I think before you do that, John we're gonna 06:14 have some music, we sort of love music here at 06:18 3ABN and looking over what we could do and 06:21 music that we could use to sort of set the tone 06:26 for what we wanna talk about, 06:27 we chose a song by Emily Felts Jones and of course 06:31 she is a great friend of this ministry, 06:33 a great person, a great Christian and 06:35 she's gonna provide that music at this time. 06:52 In the beginning back when it all began 06:59 There was a cross drawn on the master plan 07:05 And placed in front of eternity 07:10 The Salvation symbol for all to see 07:16 And there's no way around the cross 07:21 All history hangs on that tree. 07:26 And the shadow falls far and wide 07:31 And covers humanity. 07:36 You can choose to ignore, but it won't go away 07:42 It's a part of your past, it's your future today 07:46 'Cause there's no way around the cross 07:58 There is an ending for everything that's done 08:04 And having designed Calvary just for one 08:11 The fate of this world was decided there 08:16 Right from the answer shines everywhere 08:21 Because there's no way around the cross 08:27 All history hangs on that tree. 08:32 And the shadow falls far and wide 08:37 And covers humanity 08:42 You can choose to ignore, but it won't go away 08:47 It's a part of your past; it's your future today 08:52 'Cause there's no way around the cross 08:58 There's no denying the choice we must made 09:04 'Cause it stands at then end Whichever road we 09:14 take Because there's no way around the cross 09:19 All history hangs on that tree. 09:24 And the shadow falls far and wide 09:30 And covers humanity 09:35 We can choose to ignore, but it won't go away 09:40 It's a part of our past; it's our future today 09:45 'Cause there's no way around the cross 09:50 There's no way around the cross 09:55 There's just no way around the cross. 10:11 Amen, well done, no way around the cross Johnny, 10:13 that's right, yeah. The cross of Jesus Christ 10:17 has changed the world, amen, 10:18 I mean even you know, as you know the dates 10:21 are marked by the time they believe Christ 10:23 was born. So, Jesus Christ is really by his grace 10:31 is that we have this time that we're life. 10:34 Beautiful song "No Way Around The Cross" 10:36 well Emily Felts Jones, a great friend of this 10:38 ministry and just well done. Pastor Armando 10:42 Miranda is the General Vice President of the 10:44 General Conference what does a General Vice 10:48 President of the General Conference do? 10:50 It's a good question. We do a lot of things, 10:56 but you know we are just apart from some 11:02 specific assignments from the president. 11:06 We have a lot of others activities but specifically 11:12 role of Vice Presidents is just to share, 11:18 share committees and boards. 11:21 And specifically some assignations from, from 11:28 the President and also we have some especial, 11:35 especial time in some part of the world with 11:40 the different divisions. So, we have a lot of 11:42 assignments, but basically it's a administration, 11:46 administration, I talked, ask that question of 11:48 another General Vice President and his answer 11:50 was we do what we're told. That's true, that's true, 11:56 the President give us assignment that so we do, 11:58 as we do what we're told. Praise the Lord, 12:01 we know that you're born in Mexico tell us 12:02 a little bit before we get into the initiative 12:04 of Revival and Reformation about you. 12:07 Where you grew up? Did you work at Adventist home? 12:11 No, I was born in the Northern part of Mexico, 12:15 Mexicali, Baja California specifically and I was born 12:18 in a Catholic home. But at the 17, 12:24 when I was 17 the Lord just found me and just 12:30 gave me the opportunity to be transformed. 12:34 Well, let me go back a little bit, because when 12:37 I was 4 years old my family just accept the 12:42 Adventist message for some years. 12:46 So, perhaps 6 years I was just attending the church 12:53 in the Seventh-day Adventist church, 12:56 but for some reason my, my family just left 12:58 the church. And I grew up well the next years 13:03 the most difficult time in my life as teenager; 13:07 I grew up in a difficult environment I just learned 13:12 to smoke and to drink and all the bad things. 13:17 But when I was 17 years old, the Lord just 13:22 found me through a friend and he invite me 13:26 to read the Bible and the Holy Spirit just brought 13:29 to me to the way of the Lord and one of the 13:32 thing that impressed me more it was the way 13:36 how the young people in the church was trying 13:40 to do their best for the Lord. Just to live 13:44 a different life, total different from those who 13:49 are just outside you, not knowing the Lord 13:53 and one of the books that he just gave me, 13:57 it was the Great Controversy. 14:00 And that book makes, make that great difference 14:03 in my life. How did you feel, I mean you have a, 14:08 a way of life, you say you were smoking and 14:10 drinking. When you gave your life to the Lord, 14:13 how did you feel, you were baptized and now 14:16 a new life in Christ, how did you feel? 14:18 Well, it was a 180 percent turn, turn because 14:27 it's about just the opposite way, my life was 14:31 very difficult. I wasn't a young fellow but you 14:35 know the environment was effecting deeply 14:41 and just conduct my, conducted to my life 14:45 in a very wrong way. So, when I just came to 14:52 the Lord, my life was totally changed. 14:56 Pastor was it a sudden change or it was kind 14:57 of you know snap change or did it kind 14:59 a just work slowly, gradual change. 15:01 Well, it is basically gradually, it's not easy 15:06 but you know the Lord just work little by little, 15:10 oh yes, yeah. But there were some changes, 15:15 immediately changes some habits and, 15:19 some way of life yes, yes. So, how did you go 15:22 from accepting the Lord Jesus Christ, 15:25 because now we know you as a Pastor 15:29 serving the Lord from many, many years, 15:31 how did you come to the decision. 15:34 I think I want to serve the Lord as a pastor, 15:35 a minister? Well, it was a very interesting 15:40 experience, because I was just thinking to be 15:46 a doctor or to be a lawyer. It was my, my dream, 15:50 my goal in life. But when I met the Lord, 15:56 one day the local pastor, my pastor at that time 16:01 just invite one of my friends to go to 16:05 Montemorelos University to study Etiology. 16:09 At that time I was not baptized. 16:13 So, I was just listening, the way how the pastor 16:18 was just inviting my friend to accept opportunity 16:23 to go to Montemorelos University and 16:25 suddenly just came to my mind the idea. 16:29 Well, it's a good opportunity I'll like to 16:31 go to Montemorelos University, but my plan 16:33 was just to study laws or medicine. 16:39 And when I just interrupt the pastor and I told him, 16:43 you know pastor I would like to go to 16:44 Montemorelos University. And he said well, 16:48 what is your plan, are you planning to be a 16:50 pastor or, and I just responded no, 16:53 I'm planning to be lawyer or doctor. 16:57 And he responded, well you know this plan 17:00 is especially for those who are just thinking 17:03 to be a pastor, I just reacted and just 17:09 a thought just came to my mind I said well 17:13 if my life belong to Lord. I'm going to accept 17:17 Jesus Christ and I'm gonna be baptized, why not? 17:22 I would like to be a pastor it was just suddenly. 17:25 Wow, wow so all these happen, you're not even 17:26 baptized yet and you already a pastor. 17:30 Yes, you know this special time just recall, 17:36 just came to my mind when I was a little boy, 17:39 I admired the priest and I went to the church 17:42 and I just so many times, the priest just doing 17:49 his work. Yes, yes. I admired that and many 17:52 time I thought well this is something good 17:56 but never, never came to my mind idea to be 17:59 a pastor or a priest, I admire that. 18:02 But the Lord just called me in that, praise God. 18:05 I would like to ask you a question you make 18:08 this change, you're get ready to be baptized 18:10 and you're already on track to be a pastor. 18:12 Did your family support you in this, 18:15 did they follow you or did you have to kind 18:16 of just step out by yourself? Well, 18:19 I step out by myself because it was difficult, 18:22 they were basically they were my enemies. 18:25 I was struggling to be faithful to the Lord, 18:29 because my old friends just rejected me and my 18:37 family it was the most difficult as they rejected 18:41 me for the reason that I just coming to the Lord. 18:45 It was, it was a difficult time yes, yes, 18:48 it was time when after some months 18:52 I attended church. At least twice I took the 18:56 decision to go back to my old life, 19:00 but my friend, now he is a pastor too. 19:03 Wow, praise the God, Pastor Victor Aispuro 19:06 who is just now a pastor in Texas conference. 19:12 At that time he, we were young fellows though, 19:17 he always just went to, to sit me and to try to, 19:21 to bring me to the church, the Lord looking for me, 19:24 yes, yes. Now, that's very interesting because 19:27 you know you mention that your parents were 19:29 visiting the Seventh-day Adventist church 19:31 for a while and now they have their son 19:36 become baptized, perhaps you know 19:41 I am thinking that perhaps they said maybe, 19:43 maybe we should go back to church but 19:44 that was not the case? It was just the opposite 19:48 and you know I was praying to the Lord, 19:53 help me to be faithful and just, I was praying 19:56 for them and 8 years, after 8 years praying for 20:01 them and working for them then I brought 20:04 them again. Praise God, yeah, yeah well my next 20:08 question do they ever come back, 20:11 praise the Lord for that. You when off to school, 20:14 you went out to Montemorelos? Oh! Yes, 20:16 yes and study for ministry, yeah, 20:19 praise God never looked back I guess. 20:21 Never, never I really enjoyed my stay there 20:25 the new environment and my decision was 20:29 strengthened everyday. I had the conviction 20:34 this is God's church, this is God's call and 20:38 this is the way. Amen, praise the Lord, 20:40 by God's praise, praise the God. 20:42 Did you meet your wife at Montemorelos? 20:45 Not exactly, we met in our church, 20:49 just in the West Coast of Mexico we attend the 20:54 same church, and we attended the same church. 20:56 We met there and I went first to Montemorelos 20:59 and two years later, she went to Montemorelos 21:02 too. Praise God, praise the Lord when you came 21:06 out of school Pastor in Mexico or did you come 21:08 to the states? No, I was pastor in Mexico in 21:12 different places, different cities, also in the 21:15 leadership of the church that. Now, 21:16 you were a Conference President 4 time. 21:18 Yeah, well I was Conference President 21:21 in three different Conferences in the Northern 21:23 part of Mexico, Central part and Southern 21:25 part of Mexico. That's what I wanna ask you 21:27 about particularly your time in the Southern part 21:29 of Mexico, because we got some reports 21:32 sometimes that things are pretty rough down 21:34 there for the church sometimes you know what 21:36 other churches down in the Southern part 21:38 of Mexico and yeah they were great baptisms 21:40 and great work being down there, 21:42 talk to us just a little bit about your work in 21:43 the Southern part of Mexico? The Southern part 21:45 of Mexico is wonderful area to work for the Lord, 21:50 there are some challenges as you mention, yes. 21:53 Because there are some fanaticisms, 21:56 yes some areas but in general the Southern part 22:02 of Mexico is more not easy, is not easy? 22:09 But the people is more how do you say that 22:12 is approachable, approachable, 22:14 approachable more open to the gospel. 22:18 And the Lord is doing wonderful things there, 22:21 praise God. As a matter of fact just a few weeks 22:26 ago I was just attending a big, a big meeting 22:30 in Chiapas, just in the border with Guatemala 22:35 and the people where one thousand there and 22:38 just in one day, one thousand and one hundred 22:41 and eighty people were baptized. 22:43 Praise God, praise the Lord, 40 people, 22:45 40 pastors were baptized under the same time. 22:49 Praise the Lord, that is amazing, that is amazing 22:51 so the Lord is blessing this church in Mexico 22:53 in general because we have Mexico more than 22:56 six hundred thousand members. Praise God and 22:59 three unions well yeah three unions, four 23:02 unions right now. Yeah, it's four, four unions 23:07 and I don't know how many local fields but 23:09 we have a lot, praise the Lord. I've just had 23:11 the privilege to return from Mexico, 23:14 I was invited to do a one week evangelistic 23:16 meeting in Tuxpan I'm sure you have been there. 23:20 And wonderful people, wonderful people and 23:23 the reason I was invited to that particular place 23:25 is because the Inter- Oceanic Union of the 23:28 Seventh-day Adventist church, they say we 23:29 will send you here because 3ABN Latino is there. 23:32 So using the fact that, the people might be 23:35 familiar with seeing me on TV, 23:38 more people would come and when the pastor 23:40 at the end of the week told me. 23:42 You know we have three hundred and forty 23:43 four visitors, I said really that's, that's an 23:47 impressive number. So, you know it was a, 23:49 it was an auditorium of six hundred people 23:52 eager to hear God's word, so the people 23:54 are eager to hear God's word and I praise 23:56 the Lord for them. Praise God, Praise the Lord. 23:58 I know there has been some persecution in 24:00 pastors in Chiapas and great baptism and it 24:02 seems like where there was great persecution, 24:04 when the spirit takes hold there is also 24:05 great results. Oh! Yes, yes and also you're 24:07 seeing that down in Mexico, oh! Yeah, 24:09 yeah praise God. Working in Mexico, 24:13 did you come from the Mexico straight to the 24:15 General Conference or did you pastor in the States 24:17 for a while. No, I pastor in the States, 24:19 I was pastor in two churches in Texas 24:21 Conference for, some years ago when I was a 24:25 young pastor. Praise the Lord, we were watching 24:31 John, my wife and I, well I guess last year before 24:34 and we turn on the television sets at 3ABN 24:37 Latino and we see pastor Miranda singing away and 24:42 he have a little group behind him and he's just 24:43 singing and just doing a very, very fine job. 24:46 Now this guy could sing a little bit, that's right, 24:47 that's right and I guess there was a meeting 24:50 I don't know if it was a row house, it was a 24:52 meeting yes, yes, yes you did a lot of singing 24:54 during that time. Oh! Yeah, I work in the 24:56 Southern part of, South Eastern part of Mexico, 24:58 yes, yes Tabasco, yes, yes Tabasco, good, very, 25:01 very good. And then from there to the 25:04 General Conference from Texas to the 25:05 General Conference? Well, I was just working 25:07 in Texas Conference for some years and then 25:10 I returned to Montemorelos University, 25:13 now as a pastor of the University church. 25:17 It was a great privilege to, to pastoring that 25:21 church. Yeah, you haven't gone to school there, 25:22 and enjoy there and after that the, 25:26 at that time Northern Mexican Union just called 25:28 me to be the Departmental Director for youth 25:31 the Departmental Director and after that 25:36 Union Secretary for 7 years and after that 25:41 Northern Mexican Union President. 25:43 And then Toronto just came 2000, 25:48 the General Conference just elected me as. 25:51 The GC Session elected me as one of the 25:53 Vice President, one of the Vice President, 25:55 okay praise the Lord. So, you have been 25:56 serving as a General Conference 25:57 Vice President for how many years you say? 25:59 Ten years, ten years, my eleven year. 26:02 Yeah, I could tell just that this guy somewhere 26:04 in your past you'd been a youth man, 26:07 you just he feels like a youth guy, you know. 26:10 Once your in a youth working kind of stays 26:12 with you, you know. It's wonderful, 26:15 praise the Lord, you go with the young people 26:17 is the must precious activity. Yeah, yeah, 26:20 wonderful activity, yeah then this summer 26:25 Elder Wilson was elected President of the 26:28 General Conference. Yes, summer 2010, 26:30 summer of 2010 and right off he set a tone as 26:38 you recall that Sabbath full of, of, of, 26:42 of people and right there he set atone that his 26:46 administration was going to focus for one 26:52 of a better term on, on Revival and 26:54 Reformation throughout the church. 26:57 It is the sermon that we played here on 3ABN 27:00 at least half a dozen times. And there is a one 27:04 of the worker is here, and she said every time 27:07 I hear that sermon I cry, I just cry because 27:11 she felt as did a number of us, that this was 27:13 a signal who's time had come. And, and he follow 27:17 through on those initiative, I was at the 27:19 General Conference doing the Annual Council and 27:23 you of course were there. And they selected a 27:26 committee to begin to put some of these initiatives 27:30 into place. And the Brethren thought it not 27:33 robbery to ask you to, to chair that committee, 27:37 tell us a little bit about what the committee 27:38 is and well at first let me ask you this question 27:43 because I, first I've been dying to ask you. 27:46 When I was at General Conference, 27:47 I talked with my buddy Jim Herr and 27:49 Dan Houghton was there and the question 27:51 I asked them and I'll ask you 27:56 Revival and Reformation is something that 27:58 needs to take hold of the whole church, 28:01 the entire Church, yes. We feel it's fires burning 28:06 in the local churches, is Revival and Reformation 28:11 has it taken hold at the General Conference at, 28:15 at the top level of the church, at the brethren 28:18 I use this term buying what they're selling, 28:21 do they believe in this, this idea of Revival 28:24 and Reformation? Very good question pastor, 28:29 you know let me just put it that this way when 28:34 Elder Wilson just appointed as leadership 28:40 of the Revival and Reformation Committee 28:43 and I said appointed as because under chair 28:46 member I had two, two wonderful pastors 28:51 that are my support and they are really 28:53 wonderful people, God's men. And I referring 28:58 to Mark Finley and Jerry Page, Mark Finley 29:02 you know very well him, now he's retired but 29:07 at the same time he's working. 29:08 Yes, he's one of the Assistant to the 29:11 President, yes, yes and Jerry Page is the 29:15 General Conference Ministerial Secretary. 29:18 He's been here several times, yeah we know. 29:20 So, these two men are a wonderful example 29:26 of Godly people, amen, so when we were just 29:30 appointed as the leadership of the Revival 29:34 and Reformation Committee. 29:36 The first thing we just did, it was just to 29:40 have a special meeting the three of us 29:43 and we just spend first of all the time searching 29:48 the scripture, reading the Bible, 29:50 seeking the Lord in special way and then 29:53 we spend almost 45 minutes in prayer 29:59 with Emily, praying and praying and praying 30:02 and let me tell you that it was a wonderful 30:06 and unique experience for me. 30:09 I was just telling John this morning that for 30:13 many years I was just practicing something 30:18 that is very important when I just read 30:21 in the, the book Desires of Ages in 30:25 English it's page 83 and the advice there 30:28 is that we is good for us to spend, spend 30:34 at least one hour daily and contemplating 30:37 the life of Jesus Christ. And I just took that in 30:42 special way for me because I meet the Lord, 30:45 so everyday I used to spend at least one hour 30:48 very early in the morning. Just seeking the Lord 30:53 studying the life of Jesus Christ, 30:55 but something special happened when I met 31:00 with Mark and Jerry and we spend together 31:04 45 minutes praying, it was amazing 31:07 how the Lord impress us and how the Lord 31:09 just came to us. Not because we are better 31:13 than all other people, sinners but, but God's 31:17 grace the Lord just came to us and 31:21 we finish that we'd ended up just praising 31:23 the Lord that occasion and then some ideas 31:26 just came to our minds and we started to, 31:29 to work in some initiatives. And then next step just 31:33 was to, to go to the three, the three GC 31:39 officers and Elder Wilson that the President, 31:42 Elder GT the ex-secretary and Elder Lemon 31:47 the treasurer. So we went together and 31:53 we spend one hour studying the Bible 31:56 and praying together and again the Holy Spirit 32:00 just came to us and impress our, our life 32:03 and I remember that occasion we were just, 32:07 just weeping, crying because the Lord was 32:14 great and he was doing something special 32:17 in our lives. And Elder Wilson just conclude 32:22 that occasion saying you know we had 32:24 to do this and he each of the committee 32:27 meetings, before we go to the business 32:30 of the church this is the most import thing 32:32 we need to do. So, he called the Vice Presidents, 32:37 the group of the Vice Presidents 32:39 and the other Officers and we call that 32:43 group adcom the Administrative Committee 32:46 of the General Conference and 32:48 we spend time in doing the same and again 32:52 the same experience and after that GCLC 32:55 that just in compose the rest of the personnel 32:59 and the General Conference, 33:01 the Departmental Directors, the associates, 33:05 all the Officers and it was amazing how the 33:10 Lord just guide us to the process of seeking 33:13 him and, and just looking for something 33:16 special for the Holy Spirit. I remember 33:19 I was just starting the meeting, when I just 33:22 starting to speak about that, I was watch the 33:29 faces of the Director, the Departmental 33:34 Directors and the people there and 33:37 I saw in some of them a little bit surprise 33:42 like thinking what, what is happening here. 33:46 Everybody here just took time in their homes 33:51 to study the Bible to have an encounter 33:54 with God and why we are spending 33:57 a lot of time in this; these is importable 33:59 lets prayer and let's do it the work of 34:02 the Church. Yeah, at the end of the day, 34:04 this is God's business I'll just have the 34:08 perception because of that reaction of those 34:12 who were there, yeah. But a few minutes later 34:16 and as soon as we just started to prayer 34:19 and to sing and to share some thought 34:24 of the Bible, something happen. 34:27 And it was difficult to, to stop praying, 34:31 we were praying and praying and praying 34:33 and praying, it was something unusual. 34:37 So at the end of that meeting the Lord 34:40 manifests his power, amen. 34:43 And from then we, we went to the prayer 34:47 meetings before the Annual Council 34:50 and during the prayer meetings exactly 34:53 the same experience and then the 34:57 Annual Council just arrive. We just prepare 35:00 some of the initiatives and when the Elder Wilson 35:04 just called the people to spend more time 35:08 in seeking the Lord and praying together 35:11 and having time for testimonies. 35:13 It was amazing how the Spirit of the Lord 35:17 was manifested there, praise God and we just 35:21 interrupt that time of Annual Council with 35:26 some very important initiative, but let me 35:30 tell you the Lord is blessing the church 35:34 everywhere. And the leaders of the church 35:36 in the past, they did excellent work 35:41 and the Lord blessed their efforts and 35:44 we had great leaders in the church. 35:46 But let me tell you that I've been just 35:50 attending the GC business meeting the 35:54 Annual Council for 17 years as first of all 35:58 as Union President and after for 10 years as 36:03 Vice President. But every time the Lord blessed 36:09 the meetings and we, we felt the presence 36:12 of the Lord, but this Annual Council 2010. 36:15 When we just go through the appeal document 36:22 and the initiatives on Revival and Reformation, 36:24 yes, it was something, something really 36:28 wonderful yeah, yeah unique, yeah. 36:31 And I don't wanted to just place emphasis 36:34 I was there on that Tuesday and Wednesday 36:36 when it ended, the tears, the confession, 36:39 some of the testimonies and this is not to say 36:42 that, that the brethren we're not doing the 36:45 work of the Lord before. I mean, in excellent 36:48 work, but they are develop routine and, 36:51 and, and I heard a division leader say man 36:55 I get up I have my little prayer and I go 36:57 on do the business of the church, 36:59 I just and I do the business of the church 37:00 and so the brethren had develop this idea. 37:03 We have church business do lets have 37:05 our prayer and get to it, but, but, but 37:08 Ted was saying, the committee was saying, 37:10 we need to do more than just a little prayer 37:13 and go to business, right. We need to spend time 37:15 seeking the Lord and a lot of confession was 37:18 I'm not praying enough, I'm not talking to the 37:21 Lord enough. We need, we need more prayer, 37:24 we need more prayer and obviously the 37:27 results were that with us emphasis on 37:30 drawing closer to the Lord. 37:31 The meetings went better and the power 37:33 of the Lord was manifested in these 37:35 meetings. Oh! Yes, yeah. I guess I'm wondering 37:38 it by the way we were, we're talking here 37:40 that you know prayer is part of the meeting 37:43 process. So, does it become then part of 37:47 the business just to pray oh! We must 37:49 pray because it's part of the business 37:51 process to pray before we are. 37:53 Yeah, so does it become that for some people 37:56 and you know what you're describing here 37:59 is apparently the opening of the heart 38:03 for the Lord to begin to work, right. 38:06 And to really begin a process of Revival 38:11 and Reformation. In order for that 38:13 so happen there must be humbling 38:14 because you know we have in what is that First 38:17 or Second Chronicles chapter 7: If my people, 38:20 which are called by my name, shall humble 38:23 themselves and pray, yeah, then I will hear 38:26 from Heaven, yes. So, there must be that 38:28 process of humbling and coming to the Lord 38:30 and confessing our sins, opening our hearts 38:32 to the Lord. So, I'm, I'm gathering from 38:34 what you're saying that, that's what was 38:36 begin to take place in some of these meetings 38:38 alright. And let me tell you because of 38:40 your question, your original question 38:43 we went far away from your original question. 38:46 The people in the General Conference this staff 38:49 and the elected personnel. 38:51 Everybody is just accepting the call to be, 38:57 to seek the Lord in a special way, amen. 38:59 To be revived, to be reformed, 39:02 to do something for the Lord, more than 39:04 that usual way how we, we did in, yes, 39:08 yes anyways, yes. So, let me tell you that 39:11 I had the privilege to be the Chair 39:12 of the Worship Committee, the Worship 39:14 Committee in the GC building is in-charge to 39:18 promote the spirit of life and just among the, 39:23 the personnel staff and elected personnel 39:27 and we have everyday our morning worship, 39:31 also we organized the week of prayer. 39:34 But now we are doing a little bit more, 39:39 the worship committee has just developed, 39:45 it's developing a plan to have more, more 39:51 interaction with our people inside the building 39:55 and we have wonderful people doing the 39:59 developing some of these strategies. 40:01 We have a group of young people that 40:05 three times a day, they, they have meeting 40:11 especially for prayer just at 10 O'clock 40:15 in the morning. They set apart sometime, 40:18 there are three groups of young people 40:21 and then we have a 12:30 everyday the chapel. 40:26 Time for everybody, not a lot of people standing 40:30 usually but at 3 O'clock we have the young 40:36 people again meeting for prayer, praise God. 40:40 But not only that now they are expanding 40:44 their work and just seeking others 40:48 and everybody is trying to do something for God, 40:52 amen, and, and just trying to inspire 40:54 and to do their best for the Lord. 40:57 So, it's wonderful to experience, 41:00 everybody is trying to, to catch the spirit to, 41:04 to be revived and to do something. 41:06 One of the things that, that Johnny 41:08 and I were talking about and the reason I, 41:10 I asked that question is because it appears 41:13 to me I mean when I was down there the 41:15 question I asked Jim and we were talking 41:17 and Dan Houghton came to the table also. 41:18 You Brethren do the work of the church 41:24 everyday, you're doing church work every 41:26 single day and it, it occurred to me that 41:29 we didn't want this is to be just another 41:32 program coming from the General Conference. 41:34 Just another initiative coming from the General 41:37 Conference, but a real move of God in the 41:40 church, amen, and, and Jim and I was saying 41:42 hey if, if Jim said to me if, if, if we can get 41:47 this fire lit in this building and get this 41:50 brethren who do church work everyday 41:52 to see need of drawing closer. 41:55 And doing more consecrated then 41:57 that fire will spread throughout all of the 41:59 Adventism and, and, and his statement was this 42:03 is the real deal. Amen. Truly the Church has 42:07 seen the need for and has a desire for 42:10 Revival and Reformation and obviously you feel 42:12 that also. Yes, we feel in that way, 42:15 we praise the Lord for that, praise God, 42:17 praise God, we praise God for that. 42:19 I want to say just a moment before we, 42:20 we go on because we do have a free offer 42:23 for the evening and we haven't had a chance 42:25 to talk about this yet. The free offer for the 42:28 evening is this small book by our good buddy 42:31 Doug Batchelor called 12 Steps to Revival, 42:35 that is 12 Steps to Revival and we would love 42:39 to send this to you, just a little book that 42:41 you can put in your pocket or that you can 42:43 share with a friend, not very long but 42:46 packed with information and inspiration 42:49 that you would love, we would love to send 42:50 this to you if you will contacted us you can 42:53 email us at freeoffer@3abn.org 42:57 that's freeoffer@3abn.org 43:00 or call us 618-627-4651 and we will be glad 43:05 to get this in the mail to you, something that 43:08 will help you as you walk that road that 43:10 leads to glory. 12 Steps to Revival from our 43:13 friends that amazing fact and written by 43:15 Doug Batchelor we would love to send it to you. 43:16 And be glad to put it in the mail to you, 43:21 should you make contact with us. 43:23 Pastor we've talked about the committee 43:27 that you are privileged to chair 43:29 and you have two Vice Chairmen talk about 43:31 the other members who on the committee 43:32 and the lets move into some of these 43:34 initiatives because there is a lot of thing 43:35 that you're doing. That you wanna should be 43:38 aware of. You know, we started with 43:40 14 people as member of the Revival and 43:43 Reformation Committee, but as soon the people 43:45 just learned that we have this committee 43:49 and we have spend every time, a lot of 43:54 time praying and studying the Bible. 43:58 And when they notice that something special 44:02 was happening, a lot of people just requested 44:06 to be member of that committee. 44:08 That's we have, how, when brethren are 44:12 asking you to be on the committee who were 44:14 on the committee, a lot of time when they 44:15 ask you to be on the committee, 44:16 that's a move of God, that's, that's God think, 44:18 oh! Yes. We usually have the whole day 44:22 for the committee from 9 to 5 and we had 44:26 just only one, one hour for lunch time and we, 44:32 we had lot of time of prayer, praise God. 44:35 A lot of time and it's something really 44:38 wonderful the presence of 44:41 the Lord is manifested their, so when 44:43 they learned that something is happening, 44:47 was happening, some of them just 44:49 requested to be member. Now we have 40 people, 44:52 from 14 to 40, praise the Lord, 14 to 40 44:55 praise God. Well we praise the Lord for that, 44:58 because each one of them are wonderful 45:01 people, we have people like Jim Meyers, 45:03 we have one of the doctor of the law, 45:11 from BRI Clinton Wahlen, also we have 45:19 Ganoune Diop, yes, yes, yes. 45:22 And from Adventist review we have 45:26 Bill Knott, Bill Knott, well William Costa, 45:33 we have a lot people, each one of them 45:36 very committed to the Lord and also 45:38 we have few well some young people praise God. 45:42 Pastors, young pastors and also we have lay 45:47 representatives and they are young people, 45:51 praise the Lord and you mention Dan Houghton, 45:54 Houghton he is doing a wonderful work 45:58 for the Lord. He's the key person 46:01 in the area of the website and all these 46:06 kind of technology, yes, yes it's amazing 46:08 how the Lord is using him and rest of the people. 46:11 We are just amazed, praise God, gift they have. 46:15 Speaking a websites in previous conversation 46:18 with Pastor Miranda, there is a website for, 46:21 Revival, this initiative Revival and Reformation. 46:25 Can you talk to us about the website 46:27 and we would like to know what the website is, 46:29 I already know it because I want to see it. 46:31 And there are lot of wonderful things there, 46:35 but can you tell us about the website and 46:38 what the website is, that way we can before 46:41 this hour is over at least we have some people 46:42 already with that information. 46:44 Yeah, yeah, Revival and Reformation has 46:47 taking advantage of the technology, 46:50 we are aware that the present time a 46:56 lot of people, millions of people 46:58 everywhere are engaged in just 47:01 searching something in the web. 47:04 And we, we have developed the website 47:08 RevivalandReformation.org and you can find in that 47:14 website a lot of wonderful material. 47:18 We have the, the appeal document, 47:20 we have devotionals on Revival and Reformation. 47:25 We have wonderful preachers like 47:33 Dwight Nelson, pioneer memorial at 47:36 Andrews University, we have Pastor Jose Rojas, 47:43 we have well I don't remember except to the 47:46 name of. I saw some name that maybe familiar 47:49 to some people, because he's written some 47:50 books recently Norman Gulley, I saw apparently 47:54 an article there, many articles and some audio 47:58 sermons for people to hear and some videos 48:00 as well. Yes, a lot of people not only videos 48:04 but also we have some material that you can 48:08 print and like our prayer you know different 48:12 models ways how you can just prayer 48:14 and all some ideas how to organize the, 48:18 the Revival and Reformation initiative 48:22 in your church and also we have some material 48:27 in regard the Bible study. 48:31 So, it's rich website so one of the, 48:36 one of the activities of your committee 48:38 is to plan activities for churches, 48:41 church members to involve themselves in to, 48:43 to store Revival and Reformation in their 48:46 local churches at homes. Yes, but you know 48:49 we wanna take time to, to go one by one 48:52 of the initiative that we have this is 48:54 important to, to let the people know that 48:58 this is the, initiative of prayer, 49:00 this is initiative in fasting prayer. 49:03 So, there are lots of good thing that 49:06 we're gonna talk about, praise the Lord, 49:07 praise the Lord. Now, in our second half coming 49:11 should you hear something that, 49:12 that spurs a question in your mind or you have 49:15 a comment to make about Revival 49:17 and Reformation in your own life, 49:18 in your own church, in your own community 49:20 contact us this night to as you can do so 49:22 forth you can write us at lets 49:27 live@3abn.org thank you El Jefe. 49:31 I appreciate that and or contact us at 49:36 618-627-4651 I have an mental block here 49:41 618-627-4651 and leave your question 49:45 and comment we'll try to get to some 49:46 of those in this second half live@3abn.org 49:51 you can email us there and also questions, 49:54 comments you may want to ask our Pastor 49:57 Miranda question or have a comment on Revival 49:59 and Reformation or perhaps you praise God 50:02 have seeing Revival and Reformation come alive 50:04 in your own life, for in your own church 50:06 we like to know about that tonight. 50:07 That's a great idea, I like that, I think we should, 50:10 our viewer should call and see how the Lord 50:12 has blessed them with Revival and Reformation 50:14 in your own lives and what changes have taken place, 50:17 yeah, since they. I like that particularly 50:20 if you have seen Revival and Reformation come 50:24 alive in your own life or in your own church. 50:26 We would like to know that live@3abn.org, 50:29 live@3abn.org or 618-627-4651 50:34 and we will glad to take those 50:35 comments in this second half. 50:37 Yeah, yeah and I think is very great that 50:39 you committee has grown from 14 to 40, 50:42 that does be speak a move of the Lord Johnny, 50:45 yes in the General Conference Building. 50:48 Yeah, and let me tell you that we have 50:51 an H division, a committee doing Revival 50:55 and Reformation and they have a coordinator 50:58 for that and they are doing excellent work. 51:02 We're gonna talk about that later, 51:05 but it's amazing how the Lord is moving 51:07 everywhere, praise the God, praise the God. 51:08 So, that's now we have some divisions 51:13 I said division, but areas of the world that 51:14 are particularly secular, particularly resistant 51:17 to the gospel, are you finding that even in this, 51:20 I'll say tough areas that Revival is beginning 51:23 to break out that the spirit is moving 51:25 and these things are begin to take hold 51:26 there also? Oh! Yes, the Lord is doing great 51:31 things even in the difficult or tough areas 51:34 of the world, for example I had the privilege to, 51:37 to promote Revival and Reformation in your 51:42 Africa Division we have some countries there 51:48 that are difficult to, to reach like Germany, 51:52 like France, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, 51:58 it's a tough area for the preaching of the gospel, 52:01 yes. And our leaders there are doing excellent, 52:04 each one of them are committed people, 52:06 but we recognize that there are some areas 52:08 of the world that is not easy. 52:12 But the Lord is doing something great, 52:14 because when we just launch these initiatives 52:19 and the year meetings of the your Africa Division 52:23 the same experience that we just had in 52:28 the General Conference during the Annual Council, 52:31 is exactly the same in that section 52:35 of the world. And not only there 52:38 Trans-European Division another difficult section 52:43 they are dealing with the lot of secularism 52:46 and all kind of isms, it's really difficult, yes. 52:50 and do You know Trans-European Division 52:52 comprehend Norway, Holland, Denmark; 52:57 yeah these are secular areas, 52:59 yeah very, very secular areas. 53:00 Sweden, yes, Iceland very tough areas. 53:05 You know I remember at one time since you're 53:07 mentioning these areas and it was 53:09 somewhere in Europe there was a one of the 53:12 Conference Presidents was there, Gulley and I 53:15 happen to be there in the meeting, it was a meeting 53:19 about across cultural, trying to reach people of 53:22 different cultures and each during, each hour 53:25 there was a time for prayer, 53:26 they took place even then. But I remember one 53:29 you know there was time for also petitions 53:32 for prayer, before we prayed. And there was 53:36 one Conference President that you can see 53:37 his heart breaking. Because he said pray 53:41 for our Conference in and he mentions the country. 53:46 He said secularism has come in and is hurting 53:51 us and it's just, it's a real problem, yeah. 53:55 So, this is a way by which their problem 53:59 can be solved when God's people 54:02 go to the Lord in prayer. You know we have from 54:05 the Lord and in one of the text, Bible text that 54:09 we're like to share with, with the public and with 54:11 you is Matthew 28:18 to 20, that Bible passage 54:19 it's really powerful and it says that: 54:23 the Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 54:28 All authority has been given to me in heaven 54:32 and on earth. God therefore and make 54:36 disciples of all the nations, baptizing them 54:41 in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the 54:44 Holy Spirit, yes, so teaching them to observe 54:48 all things that I have commanded you; and lo, 54:51 I am with you always, even to end of the age. 54:55 Amen. Amen you know the, the great need that we 55:01 have is just to be instruments in God's 55:06 hands, we have a huge challenge to 55:12 fulfill the mission, the command of the Lord, 55:17 to go and preach we have nothing to offer 55:21 from our own life because we are sinners. 55:25 We don't have the power, we don't have the means, 55:29 we don't have nothing that can just enable us to, 55:35 to face this big challenge. The only way is just to 55:41 request the Lord, to seek the Lord, yes for the 55:44 power. He has the power, amen, he has the power 55:48 and he promised to be with us, even at the 55:51 end of the age, yes, yes. And there is another, 55:53 another passage it's found in Acts chapter 1 55:58 in verse 8 and this passage say: But you shall 56:02 receive power when the Holy Spirit has come 56:05 upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me 56:08 in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, 56:12 and to the end of the earth. You can just see 56:16 the Lord just gave the command, but at the same 56:20 time he just empower us and tell us the way how 56:27 we can accomplish to preach the gospel. 56:32 Just only by the power of the Holy Spirit, 56:35 praise God, praise God, amen, yeah. 56:37 When we just look for the Lord, we seek the Lord 56:40 everything is different the Lord is just the way 56:44 how he is going to finish the work, praise God. 56:47 And we are seeking the Lord and we are praying 56:50 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit just to be 56:53 instruments in God hands. As we're coming on to 56:56 last seconds I think that is so key, before Christ 56:59 ask us to do he said first of all, 57:01 all power is mine, I've got that and then he 57:04 promise that we can have that. So, we go now 57:06 with your assurance that he has the power and we 57:10 can have that power so victory is, is the assured 57:14 and evidently all 13 world divisions have bought 57:17 into this they see that this is an idea whose time 57:21 have come, has come and reward for themselves, 57:24 so in the next hour we're going to talk about 57:27 specifically what the committee is doing, 57:29 the kinds of initiatives that are going to be 57:31 taking place and you wanna stay by, get a drink 57:34 of water, come on back, we got a lot more to 57:36 talk about, we'll see you in just two minutes. |
Revised 2014-12-17