If you are working
in Corporate America
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and you just can't
figure out how to apply
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your
Christianity in the workplace,
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stay tuned... our
guest has answers for you...
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My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
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Urban Report...
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Hello and welcome
to Urban Report...
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My guest today is Eric Kelly...
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Eric is a noted
Author and Lecturer
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his experience in competing
in the Athletic and Corporate
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arenas has
given him keen insight
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into human behavior
he's authored 3 books,
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"Pepper in the Salt Shaker:
One Man's Spiritual Journey
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through Corporate America,"
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"The Corporate
Survivor Handbook,"
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and in his latest
work... "Winning the Game,"
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he shares
interesting perspectives
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on what it takes to
have a great life...
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as a speaker he
has delivered Programs
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in the United States,
Europe, South America, Africa
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and the Middle East...
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Eric Kelly,
welcome to Urban Report...
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Hi Yvonne, thanks for
having me thank you...
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Oh sure... sure...
we're glad to have you here,
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tell us Eric,
before we get started
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talking about your books
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and Corporate America
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and all that... tell
us a little bit about
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Eric Kelly... who is Eric Kelly?
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Well, a few years
ago... well, maybe
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more than a few years
ago, I was born to a Minister
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a Seventh-day Adventist Minister
and I grew up a "Preacher's Kid"
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A PK... most
things... you were warned
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about it... your
parents warned you about it...
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I was taught to do
all the right things...
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I was taught the right
way, I went to Sabbath School,
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I went to Church,
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I remembered all my
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Memory Verses for
Thirteenth Sabbath
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and I grew up a
typical Church Kid...
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but the interesting thing was,
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is that I grew up...
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I knew I
believed... there was a God...
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I believed He was there...
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but I was young... I
wanted to have fun...
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and I can't really
say that I internalized
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the way that I should
have... as I got older...
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went to work...
came out of School...
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went into the
workplace... and ran into
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really rough situations, I
met God on my knees for real,
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much later on in life...
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Hmmm... so, let's talk a little
bit about the adolescent years,
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as a "PK" because we know that
PK's have certain challenges
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I mean... we know... I mean...
it's just not the easiest life
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contrary to what
some might think...
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a PK has a
difficult time sometimes...
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what was it
about your upbringing
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that kind of led you away from
that relationship with the Lord?
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Well, the one thing that I
appreciated about my parents
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is they never
preached at me about the Church
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they always talked about
Jesus, because you were a
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Minister's kid,
you knew more secrets
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about the workings of
the Church Organization
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and the people in Church
than probably anybody else...
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you know... who was
doing what, what was right...
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and honestly the
more that you saw...
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many times you saw adults
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acting in ways contrary
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to what you were being
taught in Sabbath School...
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so it wasn't the principle...
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it was that... in anything...
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more is caught than
taught... Ah... aha...
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so, in your household...
your parents were wise
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and they focused on relationship
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your relationship
and who Jesus was...
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versus just rules...
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Absolutely... one of the
beliefs that I was raised with
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is that if you can
stay connected to Christ...
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which I had no
concept of at that time...
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but if you can stay
connected to Christ...
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He'll do all the rest and
everything else is details
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so, I still believe
I have now, except that
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I've learned it the hard way...
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Okay... and let's
talk about that hard way...
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because... it's not
about sensationalism
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but it's actually to
show people that you can
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have some hard knocks,
and then experience success...
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many people who are in
the valley of despair...
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need to know...
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that... that is just
a temporary situation...
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so, if you wouldn't
mind sharing a bit of the
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hard knocks with
us... so that our viewers
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can kind of know that...
they're looking at someone
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that's been through something,
what did Eric Kelly go through?
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One of the things
that I remember first...
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when you're young
and you're strong...
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and you're in your
20s... you believe that you can
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conquer the world... Hmmm...
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you believe that
you're bullet-proof...
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I competed in Martial
Arts and loved athletics
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so, I felt like pretty much
I could handle almost anything,
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when I went to work
in Corporate America...
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for a large... large
Corporation I looked to see
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how the people
that got promoted,
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the things that they did,
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and I said, "Okay, I'm going
to copy these folks... because
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I'm smart... I'm
strong... I can do
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a lot of different
things... I want to move up
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in the Organization...
" when you move up,
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you make more
money... there's more prestige,
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and so on and so on...
and so I set my hat to move up
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now as many, many, many
young minority employees
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find out when they
get to the workplace,
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there are some added
challenges and burdens...
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and you're not going to
be able to do it on your own,
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there's just too
much out there...
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there are only two
forces, in the world...
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and one is the force
of good, which is driven
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by the blood of Jesus Christ,
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and the other is the force of
evil... which is driven by Satan
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and all of us wake up
every day giving our lives over
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to one of those
forces, when I got to work,
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I wasn't particularly
worried about turning my life
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over to God everyday...
I knew where He was...
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I believed in Him,
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but I wasn't really trying to be
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a Christian... a good
Christian, I wanted to have fun
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and enjoy life...
when I got to work...
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I met people... who
not only were not trying to
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turn their lives over to God,
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they weren't even
thinking about it...
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and when you run
into the dark side...
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you will be utterly
destroyed and defeated
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unless you've got the
armor of God protecting you...
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I got caught up
in a lot of things...
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I found out... at one
time that I was passed over
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for promotions... I
looked at the people
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who were being
promoted, they were all friends
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of whoever was in charge...
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absolutely none of
them looked like me
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and I got to a point
where I was very discouraged,
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I didn't pray,
however, for God to do...
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His supernatural work,
I fought it on my own...
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Now, what was your
relationship with the Lord
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at that point in
time, or did you have one?
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I was a Churchgoer... and
if I ran into you at Church,
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you wouldn't have been
able to tell the difference
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between me and anybody
else that goes to Church...
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I get... "Happy Sabbath"
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"Sister Yvonne, isn't God good?"
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"Yes, He is... "
and then I would go...
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be at the party by
11:30... Yeah... yes
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so, that's not... not typical...
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of a lot of folks
that go to Church...
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what I do know is that
God is going to create a...
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He's going to allow...
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a "Damascus Experience" to
knock you off your donkey...
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and you will either
have to push against Him...
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but you are going
to learn a lesson...
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somewhere in your journey...
He's going to come get you...
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Ah... I like that...
I like that phrase...
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"He's going to come
get you... " He is...
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Yes... yes... so
how did He come get you?
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Well, I got to a point where
I was totally disillusioned
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in fact, I went in
for a "Performance Review"
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and Sister Yvonne, I
had worked so hard...
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and I had incredible results...
and I sat down with my Manager,
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and my Manager said, "I
can write your appraisal... "
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because I was a
Supervisor at that time...
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he said, "I can write your
appraisal... in a way that says
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they were
successful... because of you...
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or they were successful...
in spite of you... "
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Wow! I was in my early 20s...
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I was absolutely shattered...
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I thought that if
I made the numbers...
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got the results...
that the whole world
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would fall down and worship me,
and here is a boss telling me...
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even though your
numbers are good...
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I can make it so... that
it looks like they're good
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in spite of
whatever else you did...
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that you were not the cause,
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you were not the factor
that made the difference...
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Now, was there a personal issue
between you and your Supervisor,
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why was he coming off like that,
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I mean, what was the
motivation behind that?
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I think, he was a bit naive...
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we were working
in an urban setting,
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he was a good old
country boy, he wasn't...
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to say that he woke up
every morning with malice
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and malicious intent in
his heart... probably didn't...
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but he walked into a
setting that he was not
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terribly familiar with...
and he didn't really have to
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worry about it
because he was the boss...
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Right... right...
so what happened...
00:10:19.75\00:10:21.86
how did you deal
with that situation?
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I found a way to
feel good going home...
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I had some
friends that introduced me
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to a couple of things...
and if you are on your way home
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and you partake of
these little goodies...
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by the time you get back to
wherever it is you're going...
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you feel pretty
good... and whatever the stress
00:10:38.63\00:10:41.11
of that day is... it is gone...
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Ah... so that
was your introduction
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into substance
abuse... Yeah... absolutely...
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I see... I see... What I
now do with Memory Verses
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I did with
something else back then...
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Okay, okay, well tell us
a little bit about that...
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how are you using Memory Verses
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to help ease the
stress of the day,
00:11:01.36\00:11:04.41
Well, when there is job stress
00:11:04.45\00:11:07.40
and so many of us
00:11:07.43\00:11:09.57
are going through job
stress, except most of us
00:11:09.60\00:11:12.89
get our pay check from
work... and that's how we live,
00:11:12.93\00:11:17.09
some of us weren't so wise...
00:11:17.13\00:11:19.58
make a lot of bills
00:11:19.62\00:11:20.88
on that one pay check...
and that's how we live...
00:11:20.92\00:11:23.24
so, anything
that threatens that...
00:11:23.28\00:11:26.25
is really... it scares
us... it makes us uneasy...
00:11:26.29\00:11:32.61
doesn't feel good, so today...
00:11:32.64\00:11:36.65
if I'm faithful to
business challenge...
00:11:36.68\00:11:38.83
I open up my
Promise Book, and I read
00:11:38.86\00:11:40.84
that God's going
to take care of me...
00:11:40.87\00:11:42.81
"I am your strength... "
00:11:42.85\00:11:44.34
"I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me... "
00:11:44.38\00:11:46.63
"I am your God... I
will protect you... "
00:11:46.66\00:11:48.90
"Run into the arms of the
Lord, He'll encircle you... "
00:11:48.93\00:11:53.20
there are so many
things that I read
00:11:53.24\00:11:55.53
in the Promise Book
now... that soothe me
00:11:55.56\00:11:59.11
and give me ease in my spirit,
00:11:59.15\00:12:01.86
back then... I
didn't know the Word,
00:12:01.89\00:12:03.96
I wasn't reading the Word,
00:12:03.99\00:12:05.24
so I reached for...
00:12:05.28\00:12:06.63
what somebody else told me
would make me feel better...
00:12:06.66\00:12:08.84
Yes, yes... and that's...
it's so interesting how...
00:12:08.87\00:12:14.11
we substitute...
substances for what is real
00:12:14.14\00:12:19.35
what's real...
is the love of God
00:12:19.38\00:12:21.91
what's real is the
guidance and compassion
00:12:21.95\00:12:25.14
and just the presence of God...
00:12:25.17\00:12:29.83
and so, you know,
00:12:29.87\00:12:31.08
but we can always find
these other substitutes for it
00:12:31.12\00:12:34.93
and they never really
quite work as you found out...
00:12:34.97\00:12:39.12
so how did you find out
that that the substance abuse
00:12:39.15\00:12:43.27
was not the answer...
00:12:43.31\00:12:44.92
how did you find
the Lord for yourself?
00:12:44.95\00:12:46.79
Well, a couple of
things happened...
00:12:46.82\00:12:48.62
what I remembered most
00:12:48.65\00:12:51.00
and I'll put a plug in
there for Christian education,
00:12:51.03\00:12:53.99
if I can... and
anybody that went to School
00:12:54.03\00:12:56.69
with me knows... I
wasn't terribly concerned
00:12:56.72\00:12:59.31
about Christian education,
or if I was even a Christian...
00:12:59.35\00:13:02.13
but there are
things... being programmed...
00:13:02.16\00:13:07.20
into you... even if
you don't think they are
00:13:07.23\00:13:12.20
while you're in that setting...
I could still remember...
00:13:12.23\00:13:16.48
some Friday nights...
00:13:16.51\00:13:17.95
in Meran Hall
00:13:17.99\00:13:19.85
when I went to
Oakwood University...
00:13:19.89\00:13:21.41
where the singing would be
there there would be a spiritual
00:13:21.45\00:13:25.52
atmosphere... and in
the midst of my problems
00:13:25.56\00:13:29.60
I could remember... hearing
00:13:29.63\00:13:32.14
a room full of people
00:13:32.18\00:13:35.31
singing in four-part
harmony... because everybody
00:13:35.34\00:13:38.08
in that entire
School could sing...
00:13:38.12\00:13:41.03
"The Footprints
of Jesus" Oh yes...
00:13:41.06\00:13:43.90
I could remember...
all of the songs we sang...
00:13:43.94\00:13:48.32
and what it felt
like to go hear someone...
00:13:48.36\00:13:51.94
you know like...
Wintley Phipps sing...
00:13:51.98\00:13:55.50
and I remembered that...
and even in my stupors at times,
00:13:55.53\00:14:01.96
I said, "I want
to get that back"
00:14:01.99\00:14:04.31
Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...
00:14:04.34\00:14:06.64
I remembered my mom
singing songs to me...
00:14:06.68\00:14:08.97
I remembered Memory Verses...
and I remembered my dad
00:14:09.00\00:14:12.02
telling me one time,
"There's no place so low...
00:14:12.05\00:14:17.27
that you can go... that
God cannot come get you. "
00:14:17.31\00:14:21.60
Wow! that's
beautiful... that's beautiful...
00:14:21.63\00:14:26.54
one day I called home...
and I was at the bottom...
00:14:26.58\00:14:29.91
I was at the end of
the string, I was done...
00:14:29.94\00:14:32.27
life was over...
and I called my parents
00:14:32.30\00:14:35.32
and I said... "Folks,
I am so messed up... "
00:14:35.35\00:14:38.27
and I thank God for
Christian parents...
00:14:38.31\00:14:41.16
who are more loving than
they are... judgmental...
00:14:41.19\00:14:44.25
because I didn't need a
judge I didn't need a sermon
00:14:44.29\00:14:47.73
on what I had done...
00:14:47.76\00:14:48.89
I knew more than anybody else,
00:14:48.92\00:14:51.40
and my Dad said
something to me...
00:14:51.43\00:14:53.92
that's the reason
why... probably...
00:14:53.96\00:14:55.66
I can talk to you today...
00:14:55.69\00:14:56.74
the first thing he
said was, "I love you... "
00:14:56.77\00:15:00.23
not... "We spent
money on your education... "
00:15:00.27\00:15:03.67
not, "You've fallen so
far below the standard... "
00:15:03.70\00:15:07.95
but... "I love you,"
the second thing he said was
00:15:07.98\00:15:10.94
"God loves you,"
and the third thing...
00:15:10.97\00:15:15.27
and this was so
odd to me... he said,
00:15:15.31\00:15:17.23
"You are no worse
than anybody else... "
00:15:17.27\00:15:20.31
Hmmm... then he
hung the phone up...
00:15:20.35\00:15:23.14
then my mom told me, I
think he stayed on his knees
00:15:23.18\00:15:26.20
for about four
hours afterwards...
00:15:26.23\00:15:28.17
but that love is what
brought me to want to know...
00:15:28.20\00:15:33.17
if he loves
me... and God loves me
00:15:33.21\00:15:35.31
and I am so far away
from where I should be...
00:15:35.34\00:15:38.60
then, I need to
pursue this line because
00:15:38.63\00:15:42.00
if they love me like that...
then God loves me more...
00:15:42.03\00:15:44.35
I think... maybe I
can survive this...
00:15:44.39\00:15:46.03
Yes... yes... so... he said,
he loved you, God loved you
00:15:46.07\00:15:53.20
and nobody was basically...
00:15:53.24\00:15:56.06
you're not worse
than anybody else...
00:15:56.09\00:15:57.57
"Nobody is better than you"
Nobody is better than you...
00:15:57.61\00:16:00.53
Nope... and so
that must have given you
00:16:00.57\00:16:03.31
something to kind of hold on to
00:16:03.34\00:16:05.76
to kind of anchor
yourself to... It did...
00:16:05.80\00:16:09.51
and so... did you begin
reading the Word from there
00:16:09.54\00:16:12.24
what was the thought
process like... after that?
00:16:12.27\00:16:14.94
I was in a spot where I
couldn't go anywhere for a while
00:16:14.98\00:16:18.49
and I started
reading the story of Paul...
00:16:18.52\00:16:22.40
and I actually
wrote my first sermon
00:16:22.43\00:16:26.58
in a pretty rough
place... and it was about
00:16:26.62\00:16:30.02
Saul being
knocked off his donkey...
00:16:30.06\00:16:33.17
he actually killed
followers of Christ...
00:16:33.20\00:16:36.47
and in the end... wrote
much of the New Testament
00:16:36.51\00:16:40.30
Right... and I said,
00:16:40.33\00:16:41.56
"If God can turn his life around
He can do something with me... "
00:16:41.59\00:16:44.91
Yes... yes... and
that's one of the things
00:16:44.94\00:16:47.35
that's so
encouraging about the Word...
00:16:47.39\00:16:49.77
that... again... it's not meant
00:16:49.80\00:16:52.11
it's actually meant to show
00:16:52.15\00:16:54.39
that if God can take a murderer,
if He can take an adulterer,
00:16:54.43\00:16:58.48
He can take these
different types of sinners...
00:16:58.52\00:17:01.59
of course He can do that
for us, we're all sinners...
00:17:01.63\00:17:05.87
saved by grace... so,
you know, That's true...
00:17:05.91\00:17:08.49
those stories in the Bible
are really relevant today...
00:17:08.53\00:17:11.85
so you decided...
we're going to fast forward
00:17:11.89\00:17:14.57
a little bit... and look at you
00:17:14.61\00:17:18.00
taking Christianity
into the workplace...
00:17:18.04\00:17:20.82
what made you decide to
write about the workplace?
00:17:20.86\00:17:23.66
Well, that's where I had to
find God first... for myself...
00:17:23.70\00:17:29.09
Hmmm... I realized that
00:17:29.12\00:17:31.61
I wasn't the only
Christian that went to work...
00:17:31.64\00:17:35.17
Were some hiding
their lights under a bushel?
00:17:35.21\00:17:38.67
There were a couple of people
00:17:38.70\00:17:40.52
that you didn't
necessarily know firsthand
00:17:40.56\00:17:44.55
that they were Christians
when they got to the workplace.
00:17:44.58\00:17:47.05
One of my former
Pastors called it
00:17:47.09\00:17:49.39
"The Christian
Witness Protection Program"
00:17:49.43\00:17:51.51
You know... he said...
some Christians are in the
00:17:51.55\00:17:54.99
Witness Protection
Program... which is true...
00:17:55.02\00:17:57.66
so you decided
00:17:57.70\00:17:59.17
that you weren't going
to be... so what did you do?
00:17:59.21\00:18:01.08
First of all... there
were a couple of habits
00:18:01.12\00:18:04.37
that... when I
read... made a difference...
00:18:04.40\00:18:07.48
every morning... I
would get up and read...
00:18:07.52\00:18:10.56
not to be holy
and impress anybody...
00:18:10.60\00:18:13.34
because nobody sees
this, but I realized
00:18:13.37\00:18:15.83
that Satan is
waiting for me at work...
00:18:15.87\00:18:18.26
it might be a
co-worker that steals my idea...
00:18:18.29\00:18:21.60
a supervisor that
thinks that they are God...
00:18:21.64\00:18:24.53
another co-worker
that's stabbing me in the back
00:18:24.56\00:18:27.42
while they're
taking me to lunch...
00:18:27.45\00:18:29.46
there are a
million things at work...
00:18:29.49\00:18:31.66
and if I don't
have the Word in me...
00:18:31.70\00:18:33.80
I'm going in there
unarmed, I'm naked against some
00:18:33.84\00:18:36.91
pretty powerful evil forces...
00:18:36.95\00:18:38.93
Wow, and you know,
that's such a good point,
00:18:38.96\00:18:41.53
Brother Eric,
because people tend to...
00:18:41.57\00:18:44.51
kind of pooh-pooh the
idea that there's evil...
00:18:44.55\00:18:49.75
there are evil forces...
and they think that... you know
00:18:49.79\00:18:53.55
"Oh you are just over-reacting,
it's not that deep... "
00:18:53.59\00:18:57.32
when you talk
about demonic forces
00:18:57.35\00:19:00.55
the force of evil
that actually is there...
00:19:00.59\00:19:04.44
just as the force of good...
just as the Holy Spirit is there
00:19:04.47\00:19:07.68
the enemy is
there... and like you said...
00:19:07.71\00:19:10.12
he's waiting for
you in the workplace...
00:19:10.16\00:19:12.50
he'll work through a co-worker
he'll work through a boss,
00:19:12.53\00:19:15.39
and if you don't arm
yourself in the morning...
00:19:15.43\00:19:17.95
before you go to
battle, it's like...
00:19:17.99\00:19:20.15
you're going to battle
every day That's true...
00:19:20.18\00:19:23.29
so you have to arm yourself
every day... every morning...
00:19:23.32\00:19:26.11
what would you say to
our viewers who would say...
00:19:26.15\00:19:29.16
"I don't have time to
do that in the morning"
00:19:29.20\00:19:32.53
what would you say to them?
00:19:32.56\00:19:33.64
You don't have
time... not to... Come on...
00:19:33.67\00:19:38.65
here's the war, Sister
Yvonne, here's the war...
00:19:38.68\00:19:42.25
the war is not about your
job or your car or your house
00:19:42.28\00:19:46.42
or the material things
that we are able to get
00:19:46.46\00:19:49.69
from the money we make...
the war is about your soul...
00:19:49.73\00:19:53.30
Hmmm... Satan
will come after you...
00:19:53.34\00:19:55.72
he'll come after
you in your house,
00:19:55.76\00:19:58.07
if you and your
spouse and your children
00:19:58.11\00:20:00.36
aren't getting up every morning
00:20:00.40\00:20:02.50
and asking God to
be there with you,
00:20:02.53\00:20:04.23
you will turn on each other,
and evil will be in your house,
00:20:04.26\00:20:07.48
at work... those other people,
00:20:07.51\00:20:09.45
if they are not
getting up every day...
00:20:09.49\00:20:12.41
communing with
God... they can be used
00:20:12.44\00:20:15.29
by the adversary...
the war is for your soul...
00:20:15.32\00:20:18.72
and I don't want to
say... "I'm scaring... "
00:20:18.75\00:20:20.51
when this whole work is done,
00:20:20.55\00:20:21.95
when every
office building is done,
00:20:21.99\00:20:23.90
when every contract is made,
00:20:23.93\00:20:28.31
when every car is
finished being built...
00:20:28.35\00:20:30.90
this world is
going to melt... Hmmm...
00:20:30.93\00:20:33.51
and only the
choices that we've made...
00:20:33.55\00:20:36.47
to be connected to
Christ, will keep us...
00:20:36.50\00:20:39.39
your job is going down,
00:20:39.43\00:20:41.04
there are people
that trusted their jobs...
00:20:41.08\00:20:42.94
they loved their business
cards, they were important...
00:20:42.98\00:20:46.07
they were Vice
Presidents and Directors...
00:20:46.11\00:20:48.57
their jobs went away... Yes...
00:20:48.60\00:20:50.89
all of a sudden... they
didn't even know who they were
00:20:50.93\00:20:52.85
Yes... because their identity
00:20:52.88\00:20:54.34
was in work... it
wasn't in Christ...
00:20:54.38\00:20:56.49
That is so true... and that's...
00:20:56.52\00:20:59.28
I think one of the
things that you realized
00:20:59.31\00:21:01.80
and I guess they say,
"Youth is wasted on the young"
00:21:01.84\00:21:04.95
because as you get
older... you realize
00:21:04.98\00:21:07.94
how important...
00:21:07.98\00:21:09.47
your
relationship with the Lord is
00:21:09.51\00:21:12.35
versus achievement... not
that you shouldn't achieve,
00:21:12.38\00:21:15.38
because achievement is critical,
I mean... you must be the best
00:21:15.42\00:21:18.52
that you can be... at
whatever stage you're in
00:21:18.55\00:21:21.60
I believe that... but
the most important thing
00:21:21.63\00:21:24.44
is your
relationship with Christ because
00:21:24.48\00:21:27.14
that's what's going to last...
00:21:27.18\00:21:28.65
that's what is going to
take you into eternity...
00:21:28.69\00:21:31.63
not how many
letters are behind your name
00:21:31.66\00:21:33.87
or what positions you
held, in various Organizations
00:21:33.91\00:21:40.06
it is... in the long run...
when you stand before the Savior
00:21:40.09\00:21:46.18
what is your
relationship with Him...
00:21:46.21\00:21:50.02
Is he going to say,
"Welcome" or is he going to say,
00:21:50.06\00:21:53.27
"Depart from me, I
never knew you... "
00:21:53.30\00:21:55.85
and so, what you're
telling us is that...
00:21:55.88\00:21:58.40
you have made it...
00:21:58.43\00:22:01.24
a part of your daily routine...
00:22:01.27\00:22:04.46
to connect with the Savior
before you go into battle...
00:22:04.49\00:22:08.57
What else should you do?
00:22:08.61\00:22:10.49
I trust God
00:22:10.53\00:22:13.69
for everything...
00:22:13.72\00:22:16.29
and that's not
a "Holy Statement"
00:22:16.33\00:22:18.54
when I realized how evil
it is in the workplace...
00:22:18.58\00:22:21.20
and when you understand
stock options and grants
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.83
and how the
Corporate world works...
00:22:23.86\00:22:25.45
there's only one thing
that runs Corporate America...
00:22:25.48\00:22:27.85
that's money...
that's all it is...
00:22:27.89\00:22:30.31
Hmmm... and Christ said...
00:22:30.35\00:22:32.25
"Seek ye first the kingdom... "
00:22:32.29\00:22:34.40
he said, "I'll
give you the rest"
00:22:34.44\00:22:36.49
we're fighting to
climb a Corporate ladder
00:22:36.52\00:22:39.92
when God wants
to put many of us...
00:22:39.95\00:22:42.38
on an elevator and move us up...
00:22:42.41\00:22:44.77
I love that... okay go
ahead continue... that's good...
00:22:44.81\00:22:50.11
He wants to move us
up... because He wants people
00:22:50.14\00:22:53.30
in key positions that
will witness for Him...
00:22:53.34\00:22:56.46
Hmmm... He wants
you in that top spot
00:22:56.50\00:22:59.86
well He can only put you there,
00:22:59.90\00:23:02.61
if your focus is...
00:23:02.64\00:23:05.16
"I'm going to influence
and witness for Christ... "
00:23:05.20\00:23:08.72
if your focus is
just that you can floss...
00:23:08.75\00:23:11.74
and get a bigger
car... and a bigger house...
00:23:11.78\00:23:14.70
He's not going to help
you out with that though...
00:23:14.73\00:23:18.32
That is such a good point though
00:23:18.35\00:23:20.60
that the Lord wants us
to be in these positions
00:23:20.63\00:23:25.08
where we can have
more influence for Him...
00:23:25.11\00:23:29.52
Yes... it's not about us...
00:23:29.56\00:23:31.11
it's about Him...
it's about helping others
00:23:31.14\00:23:33.55
to get to know Him... so
that they can be saved...
00:23:33.58\00:23:36.56
so when you were
in... are you still in
00:23:36.59\00:23:40.26
Corporate America... let our
viewers know where you are now
00:23:40.30\00:23:43.12
I still am... I run
a Consulting Practice
00:23:43.15\00:23:46.88
in fact I just finished a
00:23:46.92\00:23:49.16
Conference today
that's what is behind me...
00:23:49.19\00:23:51.75
with Leaders from the
Gas and Oil Industry...
00:23:51.78\00:23:54.30
because I ended up
00:23:54.34\00:23:56.64
being in that
Industry for so long...
00:23:56.67\00:24:00.29
I kind of have connections
there and now as a Consultant
00:24:00.32\00:24:03.60
I go in and out of Corporations,
and I do consulting work
00:24:03.64\00:24:06.66
on Training,
Employee Development...
00:24:06.70\00:24:08.57
Organizational Development,
Succession Planning,
00:24:08.60\00:24:10.94
those types of things...
00:24:10.98\00:24:12.10
anything with
Industrial-site background...
00:24:12.14\00:24:15.29
Wow! that's wonderful...
so you are really...
00:24:15.32\00:24:18.68
now you're involved
in the Corporate world...
00:24:18.72\00:24:22.01
but yet, you
still are holding on
00:24:22.04\00:24:24.90
to your relationship
with the Lord and letting
00:24:24.93\00:24:28.02
the principles that you get
00:24:28.06\00:24:30.23
and extrapolate from the
Word, you are applying those
00:24:30.26\00:24:34.28
in the Workplace...
00:24:34.32\00:24:35.44
can you give us an
example of how you can
00:24:35.48\00:24:39.25
utilize those
principles in the workplace...
00:24:39.28\00:24:42.86
I'll give you an example...
and God has blessed me
00:24:42.89\00:24:48.16
with work in so
many different places...
00:24:48.20\00:24:50.37
and I had... so
many influential roles,
00:24:50.40\00:24:52.50
I was going into a meeting,
and I jealously guarded...
00:24:52.53\00:24:58.80
and I worked for
someone who understood
00:24:58.83\00:25:00.55
that I was not going
to work on Sabbath...
00:25:00.59\00:25:02.28
it wasn't going to happen...
00:25:02.31\00:25:03.40
I had no issues from
this person on Sabbath...
00:25:03.44\00:25:08.97
by the way... the further
up you move in an Organization,
00:25:09.01\00:25:13.03
the least pressure... you
have to work on a specific day
00:25:13.07\00:25:17.06
because when you are
Director or Vice President
00:25:17.09\00:25:19.42
of a Corporation... they say...
00:25:19.45\00:25:21.16
"You must accomplish this... "
00:25:21.19\00:25:22.83
then pretty much
they're counting on you
00:25:22.86\00:25:24.86
to do it... your way...
00:25:24.90\00:25:26.52
so usually there may be
a couple of social issues
00:25:26.55\00:25:29.15
you can always
bow out of those...
00:25:29.18\00:25:31.22
but basically...
at a certain level...
00:25:31.25\00:25:33.03
the Sabbath
really wasn't an issue...
00:25:33.06\00:25:34.77
I had been going to
work quite a few Sundays
00:25:34.80\00:25:37.08
but it wasn't an issue...
00:25:37.12\00:25:38.49
But Brother Eric, I
need to say for those viewers
00:25:38.52\00:25:40.99
who don't know what Sabbath is,
00:25:41.02\00:25:42.42
it's from sunset
Friday to sunset Saturday...
00:25:42.46\00:25:45.02
those hours... according
to the Fourth Commandment...
00:25:45.05\00:25:47.86
the Seventh day is the Sabbath,
so, I just want to make sure
00:25:47.89\00:25:51.23
that people understand
00:25:51.26\00:25:52.46
what we are talking about
when we say, "The Sabbath"
00:25:52.50\00:25:53.99
we're not talking about Sunday,
we're talking about Saturday,
00:25:54.03\00:25:56.92
from Sunset
Friday... to Sunset Saturday...
00:25:56.96\00:25:59.03
Absolutely... Okay,
all right, go ahead, sorry
00:25:59.07\00:26:01.11
and there was a
measure of respect for that...
00:26:01.14\00:26:05.19
not really a lot of
issues... but one day...
00:26:05.22\00:26:09.24
we were going into a meeting,
00:26:09.27\00:26:10.56
and some
information had gotten out...
00:26:10.59\00:26:12.72
and he knew that we
were going to be quizzed...
00:26:12.76\00:26:14.77
so, he looked at us and said,
00:26:14.80\00:26:16.87
"You're going to have to lie
when you go into this meeting. "
00:26:16.91\00:26:20.49
Now, I can come to
Church and I can say...
00:26:20.53\00:26:26.06
"God is good Sister Yvonne... "
00:26:26.10\00:26:28.53
I can give you all
the little Church talk...
00:26:28.56\00:26:32.47
Right... but if
earlier that week...
00:26:32.50\00:26:35.89
for my job's
sake... whatever that is...
00:26:35.92\00:26:39.23
I lie... I am still
breaking one of the Commandments
00:26:39.26\00:26:44.49
That's right... that's
right... I'm going to have to
00:26:44.53\00:26:47.22
fast forward you because we
only have about a minute left
00:26:47.25\00:26:49.39
so, please tell
us... what did you do?
00:26:49.43\00:26:51.47
I asked God... I said,
"God, I'm going to walk in here
00:26:51.50\00:26:54.49
and tell the
truth... and I have no clue
00:26:54.52\00:26:56.71
what he's going to
do... but there's no way
00:26:56.74\00:26:58.90
that I'm going
to tell a lie" Wow!
00:26:58.93\00:27:01.70
I did tell the truth... but
there was no real consequence
00:27:01.74\00:27:05.55
because it never blew up
00:27:05.58\00:27:06.81
to the level that he
was expecting anyway...
00:27:06.84\00:27:08.51
Praise the
Lord... see... that's...
00:27:08.54\00:27:11.50
it's so important
for us to remember...
00:27:11.54\00:27:14.42
that if we just do what
God says, He honors that...
00:27:14.46\00:27:18.19
even if the
consequence might seem negative,
00:27:18.22\00:27:21.20
you know... God
can work it all out...
00:27:21.24\00:27:24.11
thank you so much Brother
Eric, you did a marvelous job...
00:27:24.15\00:27:27.41
you have to come back
and talk to us again...
00:27:27.45\00:27:29.60
I'd be glad to...
thank you... Thank you...
00:27:29.64\00:27:31.76
Viewers know
that wherever you are
00:27:31.79\00:27:34.29
you can let your
light shine for Jesus...
00:27:34.32\00:27:36.95
He wants to be a part of
every aspect of your life,
00:27:36.99\00:27:40.76
why not let Him in today?
00:27:40.79\00:27:42.32
If you're not sure
quite how to do it,
00:27:42.36\00:27:44.52
contact us here at 3ABN
for prayer and support...
00:27:44.55\00:27:47.79
our number is on the screen...
00:27:47.82\00:27:49.96
Well, we've reached the
end of another Urban Report...
00:27:49.99\00:27:53.79
Tune in next time...
where we'll have another
00:27:53.82\00:27:56.95
hopefully very interesting
and inspiring Program for you...
00:27:56.98\00:28:01.97
if you don't
tune in... you know...
00:28:02.01\00:28:04.10
it just wouldn't be
the same without you...
00:28:04.14\00:28:06.14