1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,080 You know, I feel like a little bit of introduction is in order. 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:13,720 I don't like to talk about myself. 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:19,160 I guess there's a little bit of ego that comes with it, and I don't want to be, I don't want 4 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:25,580 to feel any ego, but it may be appropriate for you to know a little bit about who I am. 5 00:00:25,580 --> 00:00:26,840 My name is David Holuska. 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:34,280 I just recently took the position at the conference bookstore in Collisdale, the Adventist Book 7 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,040 Center. 8 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:44,800 We have a branch down in Atlanta, and I moved here from British Columbia, Canada. 9 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:52,300 I grew up in Collisdale, but the Lord took me around the country bit by bit over the 10 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:56,140 last 20 years, so it's good to be back. 11 00:00:56,140 --> 00:01:05,040 It's always nice to speak in a church, to see the various membership throughout the 12 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:14,680 conference, and I trust that God will be with us as I speak this morning. 13 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:21,040 Let's pray before I start. 14 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:27,480 Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the ability to come together with like-minded 15 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:36,600 people, to explore your Word, and to open our hearts to your moving of your Holy Spirit. 16 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:48,800 I ask that you would be with me as I speak, give me your words, and help us to gain a 17 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,760 blessing from what you have to present to us this morning. 18 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:58,320 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 19 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:07,200 The Bible is the Christian's standard for truth. 20 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:14,720 It is truth because it is the Word of God. 21 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:28,200 Saint Timothy 3.16 says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and God cannot 22 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,240 lie. 23 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,800 So it must be truth. 24 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,680 Pretty logical, right? 25 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,600 There's a fictional story of a little boy. 26 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:51,080 He's talking with God, and he tells God, so you can't lie? 27 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,120 And God says, no, I can't lie. 28 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:01,720 But have you ever tried to lie? 29 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,720 And God says, well, no, I have never tried to lie. 30 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,040 Well, try. 31 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:16,240 And God says, okay, grass is purple. 32 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:20,680 And all the grass turns purple. 33 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:27,320 Because what God says is. 34 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:31,360 So it's always true. 35 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,880 And scripture being the Word of God is true. 36 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,000 Now truth is power. 37 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:46,240 The Bible contains the powerful truths of God. 38 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,240 And power does stuff, right? 39 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,240 It's not inactive. 40 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:54,240 Power does stuff. 41 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,720 Turn with me to Isaiah 55. 42 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:07,000 We'll see some of the ways that God's Word is manifest. 43 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:08,360 And turn with me quickly. 44 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:09,960 I've got several of these. 45 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:18,400 And I don't put a lot on the screen, as you may already notice. 46 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,320 Isaiah 55. 47 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,440 11. 48 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,080 So is my word that goes out from my mouth. 49 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,520 It will not return to me. 50 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,000 Or empty. 51 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,400 Or without result. 52 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,640 God's Word takes prisoners. 53 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:39,640 It's power. 54 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,520 Hebrews 412. 55 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,800 Calls it a powerful weapon. 56 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:54,440 Hebrews 412. 57 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:59,400 For the Word of God is alive and active. 58 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,920 Sharper than any double edged sword. 59 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:07,000 It penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit joints and marrow. 60 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:12,960 It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 61 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:14,320 So it's a powerful weapon. 62 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,280 It's a sword. 63 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:19,840 It's a judge. 64 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,200 Judges have power. 65 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,960 It judges our innermost thoughts. 66 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,520 Psalm 119. 67 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:31,440 This is good sword drill time, right? 68 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,440 Psalm 119, the biggest Bible. 69 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:36,440 105. 70 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:37,440 119, 105. 71 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,880 You could probably say this as soon as I start. 72 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,360 My word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. 73 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,120 It's a guiding beacon. 74 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,160 It has power to direct. 75 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,760 Second Timothy 316. 76 00:05:55,760 --> 00:06:03,000 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for 77 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,960 correction, for instruction in righteousness. 78 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:13,400 God's word is an intellectual tool that quells debates. 79 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,560 It's useful for all those things. 80 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:21,800 Power. 81 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:29,520 The Bible is the foundation for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. 82 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:36,920 They are responsible, those freedoms are responsible for the advances in technology that we appreciate. 83 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:47,480 From the modern age, the industrial revolution, and the peace that we enjoy, the principles 84 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,360 that have built governments. 85 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:55,520 All of these things equate to power. 86 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:00,080 There's power in scripture because it is the word of God. 87 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:04,920 And when God speaks, things happen. 88 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,000 Do you believe that? 89 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:16,080 In his book, Preaching from the Grave, by the way, I don't want to sell on the Sabbath 90 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,160 Day. 91 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,440 But everything that I show you is available at our store. 92 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,800 And that's all I'll say about that. 93 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:31,840 From his book, Preaching from the Grave, Fadidus Ndamimugabe tells his story as an Adventist 94 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:37,680 Tutsi during the Rwandan genocide. 95 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:48,200 He was on the run for over a month enduring a war that saw over a hundred, sorry, over 96 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:53,880 one million Tutsis slaughtered in just a hundred days. 97 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,760 Thirty of those days he was on the run. 98 00:07:56,760 --> 00:08:03,560 He was attempting to evade the killings going through a city where every block was a roadblock 99 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:07,800 of militiamen with machetes, guns, whatever. 100 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:14,480 And so every, it seems like, five minutes he would go to another barricade, face death 101 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:19,240 again. 102 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:23,000 At one particular time he was caught. 103 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:32,680 The people took away his Bible, took him to the side area. 104 00:08:32,680 --> 00:08:38,720 There was a kind of a field, I imagine, a field with a little rise to it, just outside 105 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:44,200 of a little village or a group of houses, I guess. 106 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:51,460 Fadidus was told that he would be killed and that he had to dig his own grave first. 107 00:08:51,460 --> 00:08:56,560 So he dug, and as he dug he was praying. 108 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:00,720 He heard gunshot off in the distance. 109 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,400 Finished his grave. 110 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,000 People came up to him and said, okay, you're done digging your grave, but this is no longer 111 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:08,000 your grave. 112 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:09,000 We just killed somebody. 113 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:10,440 We'll bury him in there. 114 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,440 Dig a second grave. 115 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:21,120 Fadidus said, give me my Bible back. 116 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:26,340 I want to say something before I dig my next grave. 117 00:09:26,340 --> 00:09:31,540 I find that bold. 118 00:09:31,540 --> 00:09:33,680 I don't know how to describe that. 119 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:38,920 Who is he in that situation to demand anything? 120 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,380 But they looked around and they discussed it. 121 00:09:41,380 --> 00:09:43,440 One man said, no, never. 122 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,140 Why should he be given the right? 123 00:09:45,140 --> 00:09:46,880 Some people said, no, he's going to die. 124 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,280 He should be allowed to speak. 125 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,640 Well, I don't want to hear what he has to say. 126 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,240 Well, you can close your ears, they said. 127 00:09:55,240 --> 00:10:00,560 Okay, so they gave his Bible back. 128 00:10:00,560 --> 00:10:08,120 And he began to preach. 129 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:17,400 There were about 40 militiamen that had gathered around, and he preached from the word of God. 130 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:27,760 He says, I cannot take credit for what happened next. 131 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,960 He began by expressing gratitude. 132 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:39,920 Thank you for your kindness in allowing me to say something before you kill me. 133 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:46,840 After introducing the great controversy theme to them, and by the way, more people had gathered, 134 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,920 it became a crowd of some hundreds. 135 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,480 He turned to the word of God and read. 136 00:10:55,480 --> 00:11:01,720 Then he commented on the verses and could see the spirit of God moving on the people. 137 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,880 Tears were falling down their faces. 138 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:10,120 Some were hiding behind bushes to try and conceal their emotions. 139 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:13,020 He continued as if oblivious to their tears. 140 00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:20,440 He preached for about 20 minutes, and at the end of his sermon, he said, now I'm not asking 141 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:28,020 you to release me because I know soon the wars of the world will end. 142 00:11:28,020 --> 00:11:34,120 And if the Lord wants me to rest now, I'm willing to sleep until he comes and resurrects 143 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,020 his people. 144 00:11:37,020 --> 00:11:44,600 Now I can dig my grave and I will say my final prayer. 145 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:54,640 One man who had said, basically he was the most vocal about killing Fididus, said to 146 00:11:54,640 --> 00:12:05,360 the others, I know what I said before, but if you kill him, his blood be on your heads. 147 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:16,280 Finally, the mob decided that they would vote to see if they should kill him. 148 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:23,820 They voted and they led him to a place of safety. 149 00:12:23,820 --> 00:12:29,240 To me, this illustrates the power of the God's word. 150 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:34,080 Tucked into this story is a very important principle. 151 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:44,960 While the word of God is powerful, God uses individuals to disseminate that word like 152 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,760 Fididus. 153 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:55,880 Fididus educated his killers. 154 00:12:55,880 --> 00:13:04,560 As was read earlier, let's turn to Matthew 5, 13 through 16, our scripture reading this 155 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:05,560 morning. 156 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:15,840 Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be 157 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:16,840 salted? 158 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:23,400 It is thenceforth no good for nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot 159 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:24,400 of men. 160 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,080 Ye are the light of the world. 161 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,960 A city that is built on a hill cannot be hid. 162 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:35,040 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth 163 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,240 light unto all that are in the house. 164 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:44,000 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father 165 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:47,720 which is in heaven. 166 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:59,120 So when you have something so powerful, so wonderful, so empowering, would it not be 167 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,400 natural to want to share it? 168 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:10,440 You know, I have a wonderful time playing and dealing with fountain pens. 169 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:11,600 I love fountain pens. 170 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:12,960 Don't ask me really why. 171 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,040 It'll be a long conversation. 172 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:23,880 If you do ever give me the slightest inkling that you too may like them, watch out. 173 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:28,560 The rest of my day is probably going to be blown. 174 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:32,600 It's natural to share what we love. 175 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:39,560 Shouldn't it be natural to share Jesus if he's done so much for me more than fountain 176 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,800 pens have? 177 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:49,240 Wouldn't you expect the same excitement about teaching someone about Christ that I have 178 00:14:49,240 --> 00:15:02,760 about the nib is like this and the excitement about teaching people about the power of God 179 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:12,960 fixes broken marriages, gives mental peace or ending the fear of death? 180 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:22,680 So if we have this powerful truth-filled life-changing book that helps us live in perfect harmony 181 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:31,280 with our Creator, why wouldn't we want to let other people know about it? 182 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:36,040 If that logic isn't enough, Jesus also tells us to do it. 183 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:44,800 In Matthew 28, just a few pages past where we just read, Matthew 28, and you know this 184 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:54,720 is the end of Matthew, so Jesus is on his way out and he tells his disciples, saying, 185 00:15:54,720 --> 00:16:01,260 verse 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven 186 00:16:01,260 --> 00:16:03,840 and in earth. 187 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:10,400 Go, go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and 188 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:17,120 the Holy Ghost, teaching, again, twice teaching, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever 189 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:25,080 I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. 190 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,640 So we all have a duty to teach. 191 00:16:28,640 --> 00:16:38,920 I taught English for one year, and I learned that homework is important. 192 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:45,920 Give your students homework if you're teaching about God. 193 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,960 What does that mean from a spiritual perspective? 194 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:54,840 Well, I would say give them a reading assignment, whether they know you're going to give them 195 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,440 that or not. 196 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,560 Tell them. 197 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:06,640 In the book Publishing Ministry about sharing, the author says this, would we follow the 198 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:12,360 plans of the Lord's devising we are laborers together with God, whatever our position, 199 00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:20,520 whether we're presidents, ministers, teachers, students, lay members, we are held accountable 200 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:26,360 by the Lord for making the most of our opportunities to enlighten those in need of present truth. 201 00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:35,120 And one of the principles, agencies, he has ordained for our use is the printed page, 202 00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:38,120 a reading assignment. 203 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:46,020 She continues, very much more can be accomplished by the living preacher with the circulation 204 00:17:46,020 --> 00:17:53,300 of papers and tracts than by the preaching of the word alone without publications. 205 00:17:53,300 --> 00:17:59,920 The press is a power instrumentality which God has ordained to combine with the energies 206 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:05,080 of the living preacher to bring truth before all nations. 207 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:11,920 Many minds can be reached in no other way. 208 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:19,040 So disseminate the truth and use literature. 209 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:24,120 I have a pastor friend who told me specifically that when he goes out and does a Bible study 210 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:29,000 with someone, he always has a piece of material to give them. 211 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,160 It's on the same topic. 212 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:38,680 It allows the person to think it over and kind of internalize the topic once he's left. 213 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:44,960 And it's a small gift. 214 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:51,800 It's a seed that germinates the thought once you've already gone away. 215 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:57,040 I don't know about you, but if you've ever been in an argument and you get done with 216 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:01,640 that argument and you're leaving by yourself, you're thinking to yourself, I should have 217 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:08,160 said this or I should have said it like that. 218 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:16,560 This has been edited, proofread, written carefully, and it's just waiting to reinforce whatever 219 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:22,520 you might not have said so perfectly when you said it. 220 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:28,520 Sean Boonstra from The Voice of Prophecy said that before becoming an Adventist, he got 221 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:36,480 a book on the Sabbath which was pivotal in preparing him for a Seventh-day Adventist 222 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:38,920 evangelistic meeting. 223 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:42,320 He said it was non-confrontational. 224 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:46,480 He could explore the idea on his own, research it, think about it, and then be ready for 225 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:47,600 further truth. 226 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:56,480 It was so powerful that he never holds evangelistic meetings without making literature a key component. 227 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:02,000 It helps set the table to great things, and he concludes, I never do evangelism without 228 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,000 literature. 229 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,360 It's that important. 230 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:09,240 So how do you do it? 231 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:15,840 It's nice for me to stand up here and tell you, you should do it, but it's different 232 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:18,480 when the rubber meets the road. 233 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,940 It's not easy. 234 00:20:20,940 --> 00:20:25,360 It's not easy. 235 00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:38,400 So let me give you three methods that will stair-step you into from easy to rewarding. 236 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:44,780 I actually borrowed these, stole them from my co-worker up in Canada. 237 00:20:44,780 --> 00:20:50,000 He runs the literature ministry up in Ontario. 238 00:20:50,000 --> 00:21:00,600 Step one, is my mouse moving? 239 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,920 Would you advance to slide one? 240 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:08,240 Step one, I forget. 241 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,280 I forget. 242 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,320 Get some inexpensive pamphlets of your choice. 243 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:21,040 We've got lots of steps to Christ, things that are under, you can advance to slide one. 244 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:25,000 Steps to Christ, there's lots of steps to Christ. 245 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,120 You can advance again. 246 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:29,560 There's lots of little tracts. 247 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:31,280 Glow tracts are popular. 248 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,240 Signs of the times tracts are popular. 249 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:39,160 They deal with subjects on various types. 250 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:47,000 And the idea is that you would take these seeds with you and forget them in places. 251 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,160 Where would you forget them? 252 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:56,520 Well, you might forget it with your tip for your waitress, your waiter. 253 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,520 You might forget them in the washroom, the bathroom. 254 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:06,720 Sorry, some of my Canadianisms are still in my head. 255 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,280 You might forget them at the gas station, on the seat of a bus, or in a lending library 256 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:17,160 box as a bookmark. 257 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:18,800 My son came up with his own. 258 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:27,760 He surprised us by purchasing his own tracts and then we didn't know what he was doing 259 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,400 until he said, well, I was putting tracts in there. 260 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:38,280 We had caught him at the department store putting a little leaflet into a purse that 261 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:40,400 had yet to be purchased. 262 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:47,840 So someone would surprisingly open up their purse and discover some biblical truth. 263 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,960 He was forgetting them around. 264 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,640 Now I know if you're like me, you might think this. 265 00:22:55,640 --> 00:23:05,320 You might think, well, that's got one destination, the garbage, the trash. 266 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,360 Well, maybe. 267 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:12,560 Maybe that's exactly where God wants it. 268 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,400 Can you advance the slide? 269 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:23,320 In the book, Just a Scrap of Paper, there's a story told of a little family out in the 270 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:32,200 country in just the outskirts of, in Great Britain. 271 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:39,400 The mother and husband had just had their son and daughter-in-law married and they were 272 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,120 visiting for a short time. 273 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:50,520 Someone had forgotten a slip underneath their front door or dropped it into the mail slot. 274 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:56,760 You know, the mail would be delivered in the little flopsy brass thing, you know. 275 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,720 Dropped on the front, the woman of the house went over, picked up the mail, flipped through 276 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:11,680 it and saw the forgotten piece and put it on the wood stove kindling pile to start, 277 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,480 you know, you have your newspaper and your junk paper to start the kindling to get your 278 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,440 fire going. 279 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:18,440 Put it there. 280 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:21,960 And found the garbage heap to be burned. 281 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:29,120 The son saw it, said, hey, mom, this is interesting. 282 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:31,360 Can I have it? 283 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:36,360 She said, yeah, it's just going to be burned. 284 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:43,920 Turned out he and his new bride had started by filling it out and sending it in, started 285 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,160 voice of prophecy lessons. 286 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,520 They took those lessons. 287 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,260 They wound up going to Newbold College. 288 00:24:54,260 --> 00:24:56,640 He became a pastor. 289 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:05,560 His son grew up, became a pastor. 290 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:15,840 And it turns out that that was the son wound up here in the United States, works for, worked 291 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:24,920 for Southern, wound up on Hope Channel and has just recently retired Pastor Derek Morris. 292 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:34,560 From an I forget method, I had a chance to speak with Pastor Morris recently and he told 293 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:44,640 me that they never met the man or the woman who forgot the piece of literature, but that 294 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:57,520 that conversion experience stopped a pattern of, I don't want to misspeak, but he led me 295 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:04,060 to believe abuse of some sort that was prevalent in the family. 296 00:26:04,060 --> 00:26:15,040 So the word of God has power despite what you see resulting from your labors. 297 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,720 And this is pretty non-confrontational. 298 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:27,520 You're not entering into any debates with anybody, but perhaps you would like to see, 299 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,720 to know the end of the story, right? 300 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:34,880 A little bit more or at least see some result. 301 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:37,880 So maybe you want the next method. 302 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,040 Go ahead and advance it. 303 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,800 I fish. 304 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,320 I fish. 305 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:54,920 This is taking the first I forget and adding to it the idea of Miriam by the Bull rushes, 306 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:59,360 praying, watch and pray. 307 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:07,320 This method works the same, but when you leave something, forget something, you stay nearby, 308 00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:16,320 you watch over it and you pray over it, that God would send the right person to that piece. 309 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:22,360 In Toronto, there's a commuter train called the Go Train. 310 00:27:22,360 --> 00:27:28,280 The greater Toronto area is massive, but Toronto itself is kind of in the centre, but the Go 311 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:32,840 Train goes from all the suburbs, kind of like New York, right? 312 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:38,520 All these other suburbs, the trains lead into the centre. 313 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:48,680 Gentlemen took the I fish method, sat down on the Go Train and placed a track across 314 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:52,200 the aisle and in the seat facing him. 315 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:57,520 They're kind of chairs going this way, chairs going this way, and he was sitting and watching 316 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:04,040 that chair facing that way with the track sitting in the seat. 317 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:09,800 He watched and he prayed and the gentleman got on and sat down and picked up the piece. 318 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:17,160 He read it, folded it up, put it back down and got up and left. 319 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,560 That's who knows what's going on in his head, right? 320 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:23,440 But keep praying, keep watching. 321 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:32,520 A few minutes later, another person came, sat and looked at it, then a third. 322 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:40,960 Just before arriving at his stop, the first man who had come and looked at it came back 323 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:47,840 to that spot, picked it up, put it in his pocket and exited the train. 324 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:52,200 Ten cents, ten cents for that track. 325 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:53,200 That's Canadian cents. 326 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:58,160 That's like six cents here, seven cents. 327 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:01,180 It was looked at three times. 328 00:29:01,180 --> 00:29:09,560 Something moved the original reader of it to take it and the person got to see all those 329 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,360 things, which is the reward, right? 330 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,360 This is not difficult. 331 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:23,440 It's not confrontational, but you do get to see your prayers answered. 332 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:28,880 Maybe, maybe, maybe it's not enough. 333 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:33,840 Maybe you want a little bit more, a little bit more reward. 334 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:40,840 With that comes a little bit more intimacy with the person you're going to share with. 335 00:29:40,840 --> 00:29:43,080 Please advance to the next slide. 336 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:46,640 I touch. 337 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:54,240 This is the most scary of them because it's the most interactive. 338 00:29:54,240 --> 00:30:00,960 You will run the risk of being thought of as a religious nut. 339 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:05,880 You face the possibility of being rejected. 340 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:10,680 One of the worst things about my asking out girls on dates back in the days before cell 341 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:17,760 phones, we would have a phone that when you dial the seventh number, there's no send button. 342 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:23,240 Remember you just push the last touch tone or you dial the last number and it starts 343 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:24,240 ringing. 344 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:25,720 It knows it's number seven. 345 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:30,000 It starts ringing. 346 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,920 I didn't want to be rejected. 347 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:36,400 All these emotions are happening and yet I really wanted to ask her out. 348 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:45,000 Okay, one, two, three, four, five, six. 349 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:49,440 One, two, three, four, five, five, six. 350 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,240 Okay, well hello. 351 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:56,200 There's fear of being rejected. 352 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,280 There's lots of fears in life. 353 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:08,560 But the anxiety that paves the way for the wonderful thrill of being accepted. 354 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:10,560 Right? 355 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:21,720 So when you have that anxiety, it actually fuels the reward, right? 356 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:25,400 Which is an even bigger high. 357 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:32,680 Kurt Johnson has worked for years at perfecting small groups. 358 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,320 He works through the voice of prophecy. 359 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,200 He has talked about his first decision. 360 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:44,520 He decided when he was 16 years old, I want to give Bible studies. 361 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,200 16? 362 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,120 Okay, so what did you do Kurt? 363 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:55,680 Well, I went out my front door, I turned left and I knocked on the first door. 364 00:31:55,680 --> 00:32:00,040 Do you want to take Bible studies? 365 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,840 Uh-uh. 366 00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:06,080 Knocks down the road. 367 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:13,880 Randomly, not randomly, but methodically going down random people's homes. 368 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,480 It took him lots of rejections. 369 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:24,680 But finally one woman said yes, and that started basically his life legacy. 370 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:30,520 If you come to the store, there are many books on small groups by Kurt Johnson. 371 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:36,120 He's done lots of work in the Bible correspondence. 372 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:41,320 But rejection is always going to be a part of this step. 373 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:50,680 However, the Bible says, 1 Samuel, the Bible says to remember something. 374 00:32:50,680 --> 00:33:00,800 In 1 Samuel chapter 8, Samuel has a conversation with God. 375 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:05,520 Chapter 8, starting with verse 4. 376 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:14,200 God had just told him to anoint the first king, and he said, what? 377 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:18,680 Then all the elders of the Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto 378 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:26,040 Ramah and said unto him, behold, thou art old. 379 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:30,360 Seems like a good start, right? 380 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,600 And thy sons walk not in thy ways. 381 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:37,640 Now make us a king to judge us like all the other nations. 382 00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:38,960 Now Samuel was the judge, right? 383 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,520 He was a prophet judge. 384 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:48,420 But the thing displeased, what does your Bible say? 385 00:33:48,420 --> 00:33:53,680 The thing displeased Samuel? 386 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:59,840 It displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge over us. 387 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:04,960 Then Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord said unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice 388 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:12,640 of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected you, Samuel. 389 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:22,040 They've rejected me, God, that I should not reign over them. 390 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:31,560 He felt that they had rejected him, his leadership, and that he had this conversation with God 391 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,120 all the time, and that they had rejected that. 392 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:38,640 It was partially true. 393 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,800 They've not rejected you. 394 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:45,920 People who reject you on the street don't reject you. 395 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:47,580 They reject God. 396 00:34:47,580 --> 00:34:51,800 Your perspective in this will help. 397 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,600 It's not personal. 398 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:57,560 It's not about you and me. 399 00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,440 It's about God. 400 00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:01,920 Do not be ashamed. 401 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:07,080 Romans 1, 16, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto 402 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:15,040 salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 403 00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:19,980 Literature can sit and wait for the right time. 404 00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:24,600 It's always ready. 405 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:35,560 There's a great example of this, the story of an atheist who came face to face with trouble. 406 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:40,980 And he was feeling this horrible burden, and he said, you know, God, if you really exist, 407 00:35:40,980 --> 00:35:43,560 you have to show me. 408 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:50,780 He prayed this as an atheist, but nothing happened. 409 00:35:50,780 --> 00:35:52,840 He still felt better. 410 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:57,080 Somehow he felt better, but nothing happened. 411 00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:59,240 So he went home. 412 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:09,140 And when he went home, a man was scheduled to come to his house and renovate his kitchen. 413 00:36:09,140 --> 00:36:17,760 And so the cabinetry guy says to him, you know, I walk with the Lord. 414 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:19,440 What? 415 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:21,720 Okay, that's fine. 416 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:25,120 You walk with the Lord, but I just want my cabinets done, okay? 417 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:29,920 He says, well, okay, but take this. 418 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:37,320 And he hands him a tract to which the atheist takes it, pops it into the drawer in his kitchen 419 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:42,240 that we all have that junk drawer, you know, throws it into there, shuts it and forgets 420 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,280 about it. 421 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:56,180 So a year later, he comes to this realization that he needs God. 422 00:36:56,180 --> 00:37:03,920 And he's rummaging through this, this drawer and he stumbles upon this tract, opens it 423 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:08,200 up, he begins reading. 424 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:10,080 He thinks about it. 425 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:17,200 That was from that cabinetry guy, picks up the phone, calls the cabinetry guy and begins 426 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:21,760 Bible studies. 427 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:30,880 That piece sat in his drawer for a year waiting to sprout. 428 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:35,000 Doesn't happen right away sometimes. 429 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:40,480 Doesn't necessarily happen while you're watching. 430 00:37:40,480 --> 00:37:44,120 The right method isn't necessary. 431 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:48,840 Rejection should not be a factor. 432 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:55,000 And if you use the I touch method or any of these methods, let me give you seven little 433 00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:00,200 points to help you succeed in your endeavors. 434 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:05,400 First of all, be prepared. 435 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:08,320 Be prepared. 436 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:14,200 Have seed with you on your person wherever you go. 437 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:18,360 You can't necessarily know that the person that you saw at the gas station that you want 438 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:22,280 to hand something to is going to be there if you have to go back to your car and get 439 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:26,320 it or, oh, I got to, I got to, let me take your name and your phone number. 440 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,680 Oh, I don't think I want to share that with you. 441 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:35,640 Have it with you on your person if you can know what you carry. 442 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:42,200 I tell a good story about a guy who didn't have anything left in his car to give to somebody 443 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:49,480 and he handed them the church manual. 444 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:54,320 What what are you thinking? 445 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:59,320 But the man read it, came back to him and said, if this church believes what is written 446 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,800 in your manual and practices it, I want to be a part of this church. 447 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:09,040 The Holy Spirit uses whatever, but we need to be smart. 448 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:12,840 Know what you have, carry some items. 449 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,640 If they're struggling with health, you can hit something with health. 450 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:21,200 If they're struggling with with losing a loved one, you can hit something. 451 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:24,040 And know what you're giving them. 452 00:39:24,040 --> 00:39:26,240 Read it first. 453 00:39:26,240 --> 00:39:27,240 Then watch. 454 00:39:27,240 --> 00:39:28,240 This is number three. 455 00:39:28,240 --> 00:39:32,680 Remember opportunities and when you see them, act on them. 456 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,740 Don't be ashamed of of anything. 457 00:39:35,740 --> 00:39:37,480 Don't be afraid. 458 00:39:37,480 --> 00:39:38,480 Just do it. 459 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,520 Just do it. 460 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:42,520 Number four. 461 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:43,520 Pray. 462 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:45,880 Did I say seven? 463 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:48,960 I've got five. 464 00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:51,120 Pray. 465 00:39:51,120 --> 00:40:01,360 I think of our church forefathers when starting a fledgling group prayed over the tracks in 466 00:40:01,360 --> 00:40:05,720 the pamphlets that were going out. 467 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:08,400 Pray for the people. 468 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:12,040 Pray for the work. 469 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:19,760 And the last thing that will give you courage is that if you do something, you will see 470 00:40:19,760 --> 00:40:23,560 results. 471 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:28,760 Your prayers will be answered and your faith will grow. 472 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:30,240 So the three points. 473 00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:36,520 You can advance it. 474 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:37,520 I forget. 475 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,480 Again, I fish. 476 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,360 One more I touch. 477 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:52,040 The only thing left is I will. 478 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:58,200 How many of you are willing to respond to the call of Christ to spread the wonderful, 479 00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:06,400 freeing, peace bringing, fulfilling truth that you yourself enjoy? 480 00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:12,300 If you would, call us at the store or come by. 481 00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:14,120 Visit the little room in the back here. 482 00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:17,280 There's tracks there. 483 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:24,560 We're all happy to help you find what might fit your special you. 484 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:31,240 Prayerfully consider how God is calling you to educate those around you. 485 00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:37,760 Heavenly Father, thank you for your truth. 486 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:47,400 Thank you for the privilege to share that truth and give us your Holy Spirit to strengthen 487 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:56,200 our minds, to help us to know what to say, how to act and to steal our spines so that 488 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,600 we may do what you want us to do. 489 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:07,200 For now, we can work and see you come in the clouds that you would say to us someday, well 490 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:08,200 done. 491 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:37,480 In Jesus' name I pray, amen.