Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC180005A
|
00:20 Our opening song sermon is Marching desire.
00:22 I invite you to stand as we sing our opening hymn. 00:40 Come, we that love the Lord And let our joys be known 00:47 Join in a song with sweet accord 00:51 Join in a song with sweet accord 00:55 And thus surround the throne And thus surround the throne 01:02 We're marching to Zion Beautiful, beautiful Zion 01:10 We're marching upward to Zion 01:14 The beautiful city of God 01:18 Let those refuse to sing Who never knew our God 01:26 But children of the heavenly King 01:29 But children of the heavenly King 01:33 May speak their joys abroad May speak their joys abroad 01:41 We're marching to Zion Beautiful, beautiful Zion 01:49 We're marching upward to Zion 01:53 The beautiful city of God 01:57 The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets 02:05 Before we reach the heavenly fields 02:09 Before we reach the heavenly fields 02:14 Or walk the golden streets Or walk the golden streets 02:21 We're marching to Zion 02:25 Beautiful, beautiful Zion 02:29 We're marching upward to Zion 02:33 The beautiful city of God 02:38 Then let our songs abound 02:42 And every tear be dry 02:46 We're marching through Immanuel's ground 02:50 We're marching through Immanuel's ground 02:55 To fairer worlds on high 02:59 To fairer worlds on high 03:04 We're marching to Zion 03:09 Beautiful, beautiful Zion 03:13 We're marching upward to heavenly Zion 03:18 The beautiful city of God 03:24 Thank you so much for singing. You may be seated. 03:30 Good evening, ASI. 03:32 You know, the ASI experiences 03:33 all about meeting in the hallways, 03:36 seeing people you haven't seen since last year. 03:39 It's about going to various meetings 03:41 like this one tonight. 03:42 It's about worshiping, sharing. 03:44 I see people in the corners, praying together, 03:46 having their Bibles out. 03:48 ASI experiences are awesome, 03:49 and Thursday night is one of the special times. 03:51 We're just glad to welcome you here tonight. 03:53 Hope that you enjoy everything that happens in this place 03:57 this evening. 03:59 Now I want to just think about some of the things 04:03 that have gone on today. 04:04 There have been seminars. 04:06 How many were in seminars today? 04:07 Okay. They were excellent. 04:08 All over the place, there were different things happening. 04:10 We were in one of the seminars today 04:11 and enjoyed it very much. 04:14 And one of the things that we're praying for 04:16 and always happens at an ASI Convention 04:18 because of prayer is the Holy Spirit comes down. 04:23 And I was talking with our prayer coordinator, 04:25 and she was saying that this morning, 04:27 there were over 75 people. 04:29 It's 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning to go to prayer 04:32 to just pray for the outpouring 04:34 of the Holy Spirit in this place. 04:36 And that's our prayer as we start 04:38 the Thursday night program, 04:41 which we filled with inspiration, and ideas, 04:45 and things that will draw us 04:46 closer into relationship with Jesus Christ. 04:49 It's our prayer that as that happens this evening 04:52 that you will experience everything 04:53 that God has in store for you. 04:55 And, Karen, would you please pray for us 04:57 as we open Thursday night. 04:58 Let's bow our heads. 05:01 Father in heaven, we're so thankful 05:03 we can be here tonight 05:04 to worship and praise Your name. 05:07 I asked that You would be with each speaker 05:09 that presents tonight as they share 05:12 how You have led in their lives. 05:14 Now I asked that You would fill us 05:16 with Your Holy Spirit, 05:18 and bless us, and make us a blessing. 05:21 I ask it all in the name above all names, 05:24 Jesus Christ, amen. 05:30 If I ask you 05:31 how many of you know the Adventist Review, 05:34 I suspect just about every hand would go up. 05:37 The Adventist Review has been part 05:40 of your family's traditions for perhaps decades. 05:43 We're now at almost 170 years, 05:46 but do you really know the Adventist Review? 05:50 You may have thought of it as a print journal, 05:52 you may be getting it in your home. 05:53 I hope you are. 05:54 But the Adventist Review is a lot more 05:56 than a print journal today, 05:59 it's an on-demand television network, 06:01 it's a brand new series of podcasts, 06:05 it's social media pushing these messages 06:07 about Adventist truths widely around the world. 06:11 It's a media lab. 06:13 It's a variety of ways of taking 06:15 the same central messages of Adventism 06:17 and putting them out there for new audiences 06:19 on new platforms. 06:21 One of those new platforms is our ARTV platform, 06:23 and Rico Hill's going to tell you about that. 06:25 ARTV, what is that, Bill? 06:28 ARTV? Well, you're going to tell. 06:30 That's the question that people ask 06:32 when they come to our `booth. 06:33 What's ARTV? 06:35 Well, ARTV is a new platform, a new digital platform 06:40 where we have over 700 pieces of Christian programming 06:45 in our catalog. 06:46 But we're not just programming and publishing, 06:49 we're actually doing original content as well. 06:53 We have things that we are producing and developing 06:56 and with a strong emphasis on development, 06:59 making sure that what we produce 07:02 is more outward facing 07:04 than just speaking to ourselves. 07:06 So we're creating content that is uniquely 07:09 and definitely evangelistic. 07:12 Amen. 07:14 I want to share with you about what we're doing 07:15 in some of the other areas, one of those is listening. 07:19 We're finding that more and more of us 07:21 may not have as much time as we used to 07:23 to sit down and enjoy a piece of content. 07:26 So we're finding ways 07:27 of how do you get that into audio form. 07:29 So as you're driving or exercising, 07:31 you can listen to podcasts of different interviews 07:34 and different topics 07:35 on some of the things where we're publishing. 07:38 Another area is what we're calling 07:39 the AR Media Lab, 07:41 augmented reality and virtual reality. 07:44 So we'd love to have you come by our booth, 07:47 if you've got a smartphone and if you have a child 07:50 or grandchild, bring them by 07:52 because our newest issues of kids view, 07:54 you have the ability to pull out your phone, 07:57 download our new app and pointed at the magazine 08:00 and outgrows the statue of Nebuchadnezzar. 08:03 And you can walk around it, and you can learn about 08:06 lots of different details. 08:08 We got this in a lot of different areas, 08:09 also a project with voice of prophecy 08:11 launching next week at the Teachers' Convention. 08:14 The last thing I want to share with you 08:15 is our new fundraising program. 08:18 I just want to invite you. 08:19 If you know of a school that is in need of funding, 08:22 we want to talk to you about a new fundraising program, 08:25 we've got launching next week 08:27 that we think can help schools and students afford tuition 08:32 and also help advance the advent message. 08:36 Every year, we come to the ASI Convention, 08:39 between us, I think I was figuring out today, 08:41 we probably got more than 40 years 08:43 of attending ASI conventions between us, 08:46 and I've got about almost 17 of those myself. 08:48 We come here because this is where 08:51 creative, innovative people who are willing to take risks 08:54 for the gospel show up every year. 08:57 That's our kind of audience. 08:59 And that's why every year we take the opportunity 09:02 with the addition of the Adventist Review 09:03 you see in front of you this evening 09:06 to partner with ASI, to share the stories of ASI, 09:10 not just with those of you here or those of you watching, 09:13 but with tens of thousands of people around the world 09:15 on our websites, in our print journals, 09:17 and our social media. 09:18 We do that because we believe 09:20 this is one of the creative heart of Adventism 09:23 continues to speak in fresh contemporary ways 09:27 to the world to the marketplace. 09:28 If you haven't taken the opportunity, 09:31 pull out our most recent issues of Adventist Review 09:33 or go online, go to the Documentaries, 09:36 go to the Podcasts at AdventistReview.org, 09:39 you're going to find yourself in the middle 09:40 of a 7-part series called Digging Deeper. 09:44 And Digging Deeper is exactly what it implies 09:47 going at core Adventist messages. 09:49 The first one in that series was Mark Finely interview 09:52 on the Mark of the Beast. 09:54 Mark's been preaching this message for 50 years. 09:57 He's, by the way, also a member 09:59 of the Adventist Review editorial staff. 10:01 Mark's been preaching this message, 10:03 fascinating interview with him, 10:04 but an even more intriguing documentary 10:07 that Rico and Jared helped produce. 10:09 And a podcast, whatever your preferred platform is, 10:12 you'll find Digging Deeper 10:14 a place you'll want to spend time. 10:15 The second one in that series on the Trinity, this month, 10:18 on Great Deception at the End of the Time, 10:21 Investigative Judgment, Sabbath, State of the Dead, 10:24 all of these topics focused on an Adventist Review. 10:27 We think this is a place you're going to find the ideas 10:30 that will inspire you to witness. 10:33 Thank you. 10:48 When I saw what laid 10:53 Before me 10:56 Lord, I cried 10:59 What will You do? 11:05 I thought He would just remove it 11:12 But He gently led me through 11:20 Without fire there's no refining 11:28 Without pain no relief 11:34 Without flood there's no rescue 11:41 Without testing no belief 11:51 Through the Fire 11:57 Through the Flood 12:02 Through the Water 12:07 Through the Blood 12:12 Through the dry 12:17 And barren places 12:23 Through life's dense 12:27 And maddening mazes 12:33 Through the pain 12:38 And through the glory 12:43 Through will always 12:47 Tell the story 12:52 Of the God 12:58 Whose power and mercy 13:03 Will not fail 13:11 To take us 13:19 Through 13:32 Good evening, ASI. 13:37 I have with me tonight a very diverse group of people 13:41 from Weimar College. 13:43 I have administrators, faculty, and students, 13:46 and they've launched a very unique program 13:50 that is actually a spin-off of Total Member Involvement. 13:54 Most of our audience is probably familiar 13:57 with Total Member Involvement, 13:59 but what they've done is taken that idea 14:03 and launched what's called Total Community Involvement. 14:06 Would you, first of all, tell me who you are, 14:09 and each of you, I'll let you introduce yourselves, 14:12 and then I'd like for you to tell us 14:15 what TCI is all about. 14:18 Welcome. 14:20 I am Verlyn Benson, 14:21 Vice President for Academic Affairs at Weimar. 14:25 I'm Anita Benson, 14:26 the Executive Secretary at Weimar. 14:30 Hi, my name is Laura Boyer Nedley, 14:32 and I am a business faculty member. 14:35 My name is Rebecca Wong, 14:37 and I teach in the education department 14:39 as a faculty. 14:41 Hi, my name Joletta Red. 14:42 I am a business student at Weimar 14:45 focusing on organizational management. 14:48 So back to Benson, tell us what is TCI? 14:51 What are you actually doing? 14:54 My wife and I are just new at Weimar. 14:56 We arrived in January of this year. 15:00 We came in November to interview, 15:02 and I asked, "What is TCI?" 15:05 "I don't know myself, I'd never heard of it." 15:07 Well, you can tell that this is a new program. 15:10 In fact, just less than a year ago, 15:13 Elder Wilson came and helped launch this program. 15:18 And this is to get out into the community, 15:20 Total Community Involvement, instead a total member. 15:26 And so we are reaching out to the community. 15:29 And I think it's such a good program 15:31 because we all get in ruts in life. 15:34 And this is something to begin making a habit 15:37 early on in life. 15:38 We always talk about when you graduate, 15:40 when you're out there in the real world, 15:42 someday you'll begin witnessing, 15:43 you'll have a witnessing program, 15:44 it's never going to happen unless you start building now 15:47 those habits. 15:48 So you're out in the community. 15:50 So tell us what exactly are you doing in the community? 15:56 Well, we are reaching out to the community itself. 15:59 And I'd like Laura just to talk 16:00 about how we got started, 16:02 find out what the needs of the community are. 16:05 And so, Laura. 16:07 So we first learned how to do surveys. 16:10 So the faculty and students, we would go through a survey 16:13 and kind of survey each other. 16:15 But then we were able to be equipped 16:17 to go door-to-door and survey our neighbors 16:21 and find out what their needs were. 16:23 And so it could be anything from yard work, babysitting, 16:28 just someone who needed company, 16:29 people who needed moved, 16:31 basically just meeting people's basic needs. 16:34 So you actually have students that are going out 16:36 and doing yard work, 16:37 and do the faculty participate in this as well. 16:41 Absolutely. 16:42 In fact, my wife is a trained nurse 16:45 and she has gone out with the students. 16:48 I first became acquainted with TCI 16:50 when Pastor Don came over 16:52 and brought us his own group over to our house 16:54 and helped us move in. 16:56 And I said, "I want to belong to a group like that." 16:58 So I joined the nursing TCI group, 17:00 and we've been able to go out to the community shut-ins 17:04 out around our community, 17:05 and have been able to sing with them, 17:07 and pray with them, and have had 17:09 really good reviews for it. 17:10 So how often do you do this program? 17:14 We do it once a week, once every Wednesday afternoon. 17:17 So you've got a school full of busy students, 17:22 how do you manage to find one day a week 17:25 to do community service? 17:29 Well, we have had some kickback with it. 17:32 And we had one student in particular 17:35 that was in my group. 17:36 And every week she would come 17:39 with not really an attitude to serve. 17:41 And this one particular week, 17:43 she had a test the following day. 17:46 And I just felt impressed to ask her to be my partner, 17:50 even though her attitude, 17:52 you could just feel it in the bus. 17:54 And so I asked her to be my partner. 17:56 And I think she ended up getting caught up 17:59 because I caught her smiling, 18:01 and she seemed to be enjoying herself 18:04 going door-to-door, 18:06 and she seems to forget about her tests, 18:08 and her attitude totally changed. 18:11 And the next day, she did better on that test 18:14 than she had on any of her tests 18:16 the whole semester. 18:17 Wow! 18:18 So you got a little pushback at first, 18:20 but after people got involved, they found out, 18:22 "Hey, this isn't so bad after all. 18:24 In fact, this is actually a blessing." 18:26 So let's talk about that. 18:28 What kind of impact 18:29 has this program had on your community? 18:33 Well, it's had a really big impact on the community 18:36 and on the student body as well. 18:38 I can speak for myself. 18:40 My TCI group, we're a group of introverts. 18:44 And first day going out, very quiet on the van, 18:48 we prayed together, we sang together, 18:50 that was about it. 18:52 But throughout the year, throughout the semester, 18:55 we began to talk with each other, 18:57 we work together, 18:58 and we began to bond into a cohesive group. 19:01 And now I think we may be 19:03 one of the most vocal groups that we have 19:06 because we've had so much fun getting to know each other 19:09 as well as members of our community. 19:12 Let me just add to that just for a moment. 19:15 We came in January, 19:17 and one of the first things we had to do 19:18 is get our cars registered for California, 19:21 which means smog test and all the different things. 19:24 And I went to three different dealerships 19:27 for auto repairs. 19:29 Every one of them when they saw the registration 19:31 was going to be Weimar, California, 19:32 they said, "Hey, are you part of Weimar 19:36 in that TCI program?" 19:38 Now this is 12 miles away. 19:41 And they said, "We know about that program, 19:43 and you couldn't be doing a better thing. 19:45 In fact, I have a brother that lives close to you, 19:48 I want you to go see him. 19:49 I think your young people are the only ones 19:52 that could reach him socially." 19:54 So you're making an impact in the community. 19:57 Well, thank you so much for the work that you're doing. 20:00 May God bless you. 20:01 And I know that this program is going to have 20:04 a tremendous, tremendous impact 20:07 not only for here, but for eternity. 20:10 Thank you so much. 20:18 Joining me on the stage 20:19 are two very energetic young people 20:22 from New York. 20:23 They have a multifaceted ministry 20:26 called Heidi's Health Kitchen. 20:28 And they're just doing any number of things, 20:31 they're both Bible workers, 20:33 they are also passionate about health. 20:35 So, Heidi, tell us 20:37 what is Heidi's Health Kitchen all about? 20:41 Just tell us about that. 20:42 Sure, so Heidi's Health Kitchen is a health food ministry. 20:46 We give cooking classes, Bible studies, help lectures, 20:49 and we operate a pop-up restaurant, 20:52 an Adventist pop-up restaurant, and we're also a caterer, 20:55 and we do many things. 20:57 How do you find the time to do all of that? 21:01 Only by God's grace. 21:03 Amen. All right. 21:04 Well, I believe you brought a video to show. 21:06 Yes. 21:07 And so I think that will give us 21:09 a little bit of insight into what you're doing. 21:11 Sure. 21:14 It's a pleasure for me to have Heidi's Health Kitchen 21:18 as part of the Plant Pure Communities Restaurant family. 21:23 Four years ago in Brooklyn, God gave Ivan the ministry 21:27 and business model for Heidi's Health Kitchen. 21:31 Grace and I have been working with Heidi's Health Kitchen 21:33 for the past two years, 21:35 and it's been a blessing for me, 21:36 and a blessing for the community. 21:39 God gave Heidi the wisdom to develop CARUBIES, 21:43 a Carob Spread, 21:44 and several other delicious and healthy foods. 21:52 In 2016, Heidi's Health Kitchen began operating 21:56 as the first Adventist owned pop-up restaurant. 22:00 Highly recommend anyone trying it, 22:02 whether they are vegan or not vegan. 22:04 I'll share is that everything is natural and healthy for you. 22:09 The food was great. 22:10 The idea is heaven's file. 22:18 Heidi's Health Kitchen was started to fund 22:22 our ongoing Bible work in New York City, 22:25 which has now become a worldwide ministry 22:29 with Bible students from nine countries 22:33 on four continents leading to baptisms. 23:24 We've seen on something that was mentioned in there 23:26 talked about pop-up restaurants. 23:29 Now we've heard of pop-up posters, 23:31 we've heard of pop-up campers, 23:33 but what is a pop-up restaurant? 23:36 So a pop-up restaurant is something 23:38 that operates periodically. 23:40 We, although our goal is eventually to open 23:42 an Adventist restaurant, especially in New York City, 23:45 there hasn't been one for over nine years, 23:47 we're just not there yet. 23:49 And so a couple years ago, Ivan and I were praying 23:53 about what we could do 23:54 with what God has put in our hands 23:56 and God impressed Ivan. 23:57 God gave this idea to me. 24:00 And I contacted a gentleman 24:02 or actually a couple who owned a coffee house 24:05 because God impressed upon me in a dream 24:08 to go and talk to this couple who in the restaurant 24:11 to rent the restaurant when they are closed 24:13 and operate as a Heidi's Health Kitchen, 24:15 Adventist pop-up restaurant. 24:17 Wow! So this is a heaven inspired idea. 24:20 Amen. 24:22 All right, so we only have a few minutes remaining, 24:25 and I want to be sure 24:26 that we talk about another aspect of ministry. 24:28 Yeah. 24:30 Ivan, I understand that your ministry extends 24:33 far beyond New York, in fact, into the Middle East. 24:37 Please tell us about that. Sure. 24:39 So as you all would have seen, 24:41 we have Bible students around the world. 24:43 We offer Bible studies over phone or social media. 24:46 And we received or I received a message 24:50 on a Facebook page for which I was a Facebook admin. 24:53 It was a Facebook page 24:54 of a church named Bicholim Seventh-day Adventist Church, 24:58 and it was from a Muslim gentleman, 25:02 and he asked where we are gathering 25:04 and when we are gathering. 25:05 I said, we are gathering in Manhasset on Saturdays. 25:08 And then I asked him, "Where are you from?" 25:10 And he mentioned the name of his location, 25:12 and turns out it was from Middle East. 25:14 He lives in Middle East, and he has a group, 25:16 and they are Sabbath keepers. 25:18 And they from the Sabbath truth while researching the Bible. 25:22 They left Islam and they are now Christians, 25:24 and they thought no one else in the world 25:27 knows about the Sabbath message. 25:29 So how did he happen upon this particular website? 25:34 Because he was searching for a Jewish synagogue 25:37 'cause he couldn't find 25:38 any Christian places of worship on Saturday. 25:41 And when he searched Bicholim Seventh-day Adventist 25:43 Facebook page popped up in the search result. 25:46 And you just happen to be able to respond to him. 25:48 Yeah. 25:50 So I understand there's a group there that's meeting. 25:51 Yes. 25:53 Tell us about that. 25:54 Yes, we also have sent them 25:56 some literature in Farsi and Arabic to that country, 26:00 and we also have sent... 26:01 It is written Bible studies in Farsi and Arabic. 26:04 And we actually have a conversation over the phone 26:09 or Bible studies over the phone, 26:10 actually a video call. 26:12 And we also have translators from their own community 26:15 who were Muslims until two months ago, 26:17 and now as they start translating, 26:19 when they found, 26:20 especially the deep love that God has for His children 26:24 that touched their hearts. 26:25 Wow. 26:26 And the translators are also interested 26:28 in coming to the truth. 26:29 And we right now have over 31 of them 26:32 gathering in that region in the Middle East. 26:34 Wow, 31. Thirty one. 26:36 So where do you see all of this leading to? 26:41 When God gives us means, we would like to do two things. 26:43 One for the business, we would like to, 26:45 of course, have food truck in New York. 26:48 The next point is to have a business setup 26:51 of Heidi's Health Kitchen in the Middle East, 26:54 and if possible, have a cultural center as well, 26:57 so that people in the region 26:59 will not be afraid to connect with Christians. 27:01 Wow! 27:03 Well, may God bless you 27:04 in the ministry that you're doing, 27:05 and God has certainly opened doors 27:08 that too many of us are closed, 27:12 but thank you for allowing Him to use you. 27:15 Thank you for having us. Thank you. 27:16 We have many more testimonies that we could share, 27:18 so we encourage you to come to our booth number 216, 27:21 try our Carob products 27:22 and we'd love to share some stories with you. 27:24 Yes, their carob products are yummy. 27:26 And I understand, before I let you go, 27:28 there's something coming up next. 27:30 Well, actually, it's this month. 27:32 So would you like to tell us about that? 27:33 September 23rd. 27:34 It's actually September 23rd, 27:36 the very first New York City Plant-based summit 27:39 hosted by Heidi's Health Kitchen. 27:41 And we have Rico Hill as our health evangelist. 27:45 And also the Brooklyn borough president 27:47 has agreed to be the keynote speaker for this event. 27:50 All right, so visit them in their booth, 27:52 and you'll find out more about them. 27:54 Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much. 27:56 Thank you. 28:01 Our next guests are no strangers to ASI. 28:06 I have here with me Brent 28:09 and Brenda Palmer. 28:11 Brenda actually serves as ASI's financial vice president, 28:17 and they've been involved with ASI for some time. 28:22 But they've had some, a series of traumatic events 28:26 that have happened over the past few months. 28:27 So, Brenda, tell us beginning in September 2016, 28:33 what began to happen? 28:36 Well, Brent was traveling to a job site in Texas, 28:39 and he totaled our car. 28:42 And then in January 2017, when he went to do the job, 28:47 a young man hit him and totaled our pickup. 28:50 So then later on, after we've replaced our car, 28:55 somebody hit him on Friday afternoon also. 29:00 So did you ever wonder, 29:04 is somebody out to get me or why me, 29:06 why is all this happening? 29:08 Well, Brent's a good driver. 29:10 So yes, I did. 29:11 In fact, that Sabbath after he got hit, 29:15 the third time I talked to the Lord about, 29:19 I said, "Is the devil trying to do something 29:21 or what is actually happening here?" 29:23 And it was kind of like in my prayer that God said, 29:26 "You know, Brent belongs to me, 29:29 and whatever happens is my will." 29:32 That was quite a Sabbath afternoon. 29:34 Amen. 29:36 Okay, so then June 23rd comes, it's the middle of the night, 29:41 you're fast asleep, and the phone rings. 29:45 The phone rings, and I wake up and I barely hearing it. 29:49 And it's, "This is the emergency room in Amarillo, 29:52 your husband has just been airlifted in, 29:55 and I will hop back to that Sabbath afternoon 29:57 when I had given Brent's life to God 30:01 and I said, "It's okay." 30:03 And then she handed the phone to Brent, 30:05 and I had him back. 30:09 So despite that, you were trusting and believing 30:14 that God was with you 30:16 and with him and that saved his life. 30:19 It was. 30:20 We spent 15 days in Texas, 30:22 which is 15 hours from our home. 30:28 Then to get him home, 30:29 we had to take an 18-hour ambulance drive 30:32 straight through. 30:33 We got home at 4 o'clock Sabbath morning, 30:37 and we had no medical attention for another 3 or 4 days 30:40 before all the paperwork caught up from him. 30:42 It was a very interesting experience. 30:46 And it's been a long road to recovery, hasn't it? 30:49 Yes, it's been a year. 30:51 He has 22 pins in his left arm. 30:57 He has several pins and metal in his leg, 31:00 and his left hip is... 31:03 The doctor says it's healed enough 31:04 that we can do a hip replacement after ASI. 31:08 But it's been a journey. 31:11 So something like this not only has 31:13 obviously an emotional and physical impact, 31:16 but it can also have a financial impact. 31:19 Tell us about that. 31:20 Well, I really don't know how all this happened. 31:24 Someday, I'm going to go back and look and see 31:26 how the bills got paid, insurance covered everything. 31:30 But of course, we have a business 31:32 and I had to cover our employees all along too. 31:35 And so any medical disability checks that he was getting 31:39 weren't even covering our payroll. 31:42 So this was in June 23, by the time of October, 31:47 1st of November, I thought, "You know, we're contractors, 31:51 Brent's doing a little better, home health it's done, let's... 31:55 I'm not going to pray about something, it was jobs, 31:57 but I'm going to ask the Lord that we need some now. 32:00 I'm ready." 32:01 So I went out hiking and said, 32:04 "Dear Lord, thank you for some jobs." 32:05 Well, you know, by the time I got home, 32:08 Brent was on the phone, he had a job 32:10 that need to be done right then. 32:11 We do very large nursing homes and retirement centers. 32:15 So we're not talking about a little job, 32:16 these are big jobs. 32:18 And by that evening, he had a second job, 32:21 by Sabbath, we had a third job, and by the next Thursday, 32:23 we had four jobs, all of which had to be done by Christmas. 32:27 Amen. God is good. But the story's not over yet. 32:31 So if all this wasn't enough, 32:35 what was the next thing that happened? 32:38 The next step in our journey, 32:42 I've taken Brent to outpatient therapy 32:45 that morning, 32:46 after we've gotten our fourth job. 32:48 And in the meantime, 32:50 we'd had a little electrical problem in the shop, 32:53 we manufacture hardwood moldings 32:55 and then install them. 32:56 So anyway, the equipment was going bad. 32:59 And so as I picked him up, I got a phone call, 33:03 and the shop was on fire. 33:06 We lost everything that day, 33:11 except each other and God. 33:14 You know, a lot of people would be very discouraged 33:18 having gone through something like that. 33:20 Some people even give up on God. 33:22 What kept you going? 33:23 I mean, you're always smiling, you're always positive. 33:27 And what is your secret, Brenda? 33:31 My secret is giving it all to God. 33:34 You know, another thing that morning, 33:37 it's always important to ask God. 33:38 The morning that Brent got ready 33:40 to leave for Amarillo, 33:43 I had thought, "You know what, I'm caught up, 33:44 I got ASI taking care of. 33:46 I'm going to go with him," 33:47 because we didn't have a job then. 33:49 So I ran up to the office, I was going to get ready to go 33:51 and I thought, "No, I need to ask God." 33:53 And I asked God, sort of kind of off the top of my head. 33:56 "I'd like to go with Brent," 33:57 and immediately I had the impression, "Don't go." 34:00 And I spoke out loud. 34:02 I said, "God, I didn't want to hear that." 34:04 What would have happened if I'd gone with him? 34:08 So, Brent, tell us 34:10 how has this whole thing impacted you, 34:12 and what has carried you through this experience? 34:16 Well, for myself, I wanted to say thank you to ASI. 34:20 You've been very supportive during this time, 34:23 and sent leadership out to the hospital there in Texas. 34:27 And I really appreciate that. 34:30 There is a statement that I learned 34:31 at oak cabin many years ago. 34:33 It says, "Above the distractions of earth, 34:35 God sits enthroned, 34:36 and from His great and calm eternity, 34:38 He orders that which His providence sees best." 34:42 Whatever happens in our life... 34:44 Yes, we have Business Unusual going on in our life this year. 34:47 We do. 34:49 It's a little bit different unusual. 34:51 I really don't know what God has next for us 34:53 completely at this point. 34:55 But I know the other point 34:57 that I want to make very quickly 34:58 is that at a time that you think not, 35:02 the Son of Man cometh. 35:04 I had the second coming that night, 35:05 I did not anticipate it, I was awakened. 35:10 I never knew I had the wreck until I was awakened. 35:12 And that would have been the Second Coming if Christ 35:15 did not awaken me. 35:16 So each of you, I hope that we'll all live our life 35:19 because the Second Coming is an instant away 35:23 and He's always there. 35:24 Amen. Thank you. Thank you so much. 35:25 You are both an inspiration. Thank you so much. 35:27 I appreciate all the support of ASI. 35:29 Amen, what an amazing testimony, 35:31 isn't it? 35:33 This evening, you know, ASI is made up of more 35:36 than just chapters 35:37 here in the United States of America. 35:39 I have with me delegation from Europe. 35:42 Christiane is the ASI Europe President, 35:45 Gabriel is the Vice President 35:47 and Michael is the Treasurer there 35:50 for the ASI, Europe. 35:51 We're so happy to have you here tonight. 35:53 Thank you for coming all the way 35:54 to join us here at ASI. 35:56 Christiane, you're the president of ASI, Europe, 35:59 what is your vision as you think about 36:01 what needs to be done to finish spreading the gospel in Europe? 36:04 What is your vision? 36:06 My personal vision and the vision of the team 36:09 is that we are really getting your back 36:12 and fire for evangelism. 36:14 Amazing. 36:16 Christiane, how did God lay that burden on your heart 36:19 personally? 36:20 It's a few years ago I had a sports accident, 36:23 and this was followed 36:25 by a life threatening brain surgery. 36:28 Just before the surgery, I made a deal with God 36:30 that if you still need me, please give me recovery. 36:34 And it was only during an evangelistic campaign 36:37 in the Philippines, 36:38 while I was preaching that I realized, 36:40 it was not God who needed me, it was that I was not ready. 36:45 So since... 36:47 When you say you were not ready, 36:49 what I assume you're saying is at that point, 36:51 your heart was not really right. 36:53 You would maybe you questioned your salvation 36:56 even at that point? 36:57 Yes, yes. 36:59 But God gave you another chance. 37:00 Yes. 37:02 And through evangelism, what happened? 37:03 Yes. 37:05 He actually really brought me in fire 37:06 to spread the gospel right where I live in Europe. 37:10 Amen. 37:12 So what's happening there 37:13 as you're getting your team ready now, 37:15 you want to set Europe on fire for evangelism... 37:17 Yes. 37:18 You're coming together, 37:20 what have you done this last year 37:21 as you prepare for that? 37:23 First of all, we turned a board meeting of ASI Europe 37:27 that's consisting out of 18 chapters 37:29 into a mini-convention, 37:32 and we realigned all chapters for evangelism. 37:35 Amen. 37:37 And secondly, we went... 37:38 I took a team of ASI Europe 37:40 to the TMI evangelistic campaign 37:43 to Zambia to preach there. 37:45 Okay, so you say, we're going to get ready for this. 37:47 And in order to get ready, 37:49 we're going to go do some evangelism. 37:50 Yes. 37:51 Michael, tell us, how did that change your life? 37:54 How did that affect you to go to Zambia and do evangelism? 37:58 Zambia, a month ago, 38:00 an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 38:03 I could hear with my ears, but then my eyes saw it. 38:08 I saw the Holy Spirit coming down, 38:09 and in one day, 10,000 people got baptized. 38:13 Amen. Amen. 38:15 Praise God. 38:16 And how did that affect your life, 38:18 and even your wife? 38:20 The real converts were we. 38:24 Now wait a minute, you just said, 38:25 the real converts were you. 38:27 Yes, the real convert was me because now 38:30 I am a converted believer in the power of God. 38:33 Amen, amen. 38:35 So as you're preparing now, you're thinking about this, 38:38 you take your team to do evangelism. 38:40 How many meetings did you end up 38:42 doing there in Zambia? 38:45 All together, we as a team of ASI, 38:48 we covered six sites. 38:49 Six different sites. 38:51 But at the same time, there were 1000 sites. 38:52 Wow, it's amazing. 38:54 And you covered six of those. Yes. 38:55 And God really blessed through that effort. 38:58 But you're not stopping there, you have plans now, 39:00 tell us what are your plans for next year. 39:02 We have huge plans for Europe. 39:07 We are so excited to share Christ 39:10 with a secularized population of North France 39:13 that we have planned for next year, 39:15 April 20 to 27 to have an evangelistic campaign 39:19 in North France in the Paris area. 39:22 And because there are so many people 39:25 who need to know Jesus, 39:26 we have thought that each one will win one. 39:30 We need the church members, we need the pastors, 39:32 we need you, we need everybody who wants to help us. 39:36 Well, I heard you say 39:37 you're planning an evangelistic campaign. 39:40 How many series of meetings 39:42 you're planning to do simultaneously in Paris 39:45 next year in the month of April. 39:47 We are planning to have simultaneously 100 sites 39:52 where evangelistic campaigns will be presented. 39:55 Amazing. 39:57 So next year, April in the city of Paris, 40:00 100 series of meetings happening simultaneously. 40:03 Yes. 40:04 Wow, can you believe what God is going to do with that 40:07 in a secular city like Paris 40:08 to do something amazing for His name. 40:11 So we have the opportunity to do several things tonight. 40:14 Christiane, tell us how can people help now. 40:16 What is it that someone can do in helping 40:20 with what you're doing there in Europe? 40:22 We need people who'll help us to prepare the ground. 40:25 That means being trainers 40:27 to show how to run Bible studies, 40:30 and we also need speakers for the evangelistic campaign, 40:34 not only in French, but also in English, 40:36 in Romanian, in Croatian, in Russian, just name it. 40:41 So that's where you can support us in Europe, 40:44 in France in 2019. 40:48 So you have an opportunity to participate in this event. 40:51 My friends, you can go there, you can get involved, 40:52 you can sign up. 40:54 You have a website? 40:55 We have a website ASI-Europe.org, 40:57 you will find the project Seed. 41:00 And what's going to happen tonight 41:02 if you're interested in getting involved, 41:04 this team is going to be at a main ASI booth 41:06 in the exhibit hall, 41:08 and they have a little packet of seed there, 41:10 the title of their event there, they're naming it Seed 2019. 41:15 And they want you to take that packet of seed home 41:17 and pray for this event, 41:19 and considering participating in this event. 41:21 Thank you so much for sharing 41:22 what God is doing in ASI Europe. 41:24 Thank you so much for your support. 41:34 When the night is long 41:38 He is the dawn 41:44 Light that never fails though other hope is gone 41:52 He is the balm for every wound 41:56 For every sorrow great or small 42:01 He is my strength, He is my song 42:05 He is my all 42:16 When my world is troubled He is peace 42:25 When my soul is burdened 42:29 He is my release 42:32 He is my solace when I weep 42:37 He is my rescue when I call 42:41 He is my strength, He is my song 42:46 He is my all 42:50 He is my way, my truth, my life, my joy in living 42:58 He is my comfort when I fall, and sweet forgiving 43:06 He is my fortress and the rock that cannot fail 43:14 He is my strength, He is my song, He is my all 43:24 So through all my days 43:27 He is my King 43:33 Source of endless love and all the praises I sing 43:40 And when at last I kneel before Him 43:45 Safe at home in heaven's halls 43:48 Then as before, and ever more 43:52 He will be my all 43:59 He is my Savior, sure and strong 44:03 He is the light that leads me on 44:07 He is my strength, He is my song 44:16 He is my all 44:36 Amen, amen, ASI. 44:38 Thank you, Beth and Heidi. 44:39 How many of you like to be a guinea pig? 44:44 Okay, maybe I should rephrase that. 44:46 How many of you like to be the Lord's guinea pig? 44:49 Okay, little more brave, brave hands there. 44:52 Well, the programming team decided 44:54 that they wanted to start having the chapters 44:58 share some short testimonies 45:01 of things happening in their chapters. 45:03 So they, I guess, reviewed the various chapters, 45:08 and they decided that 45:09 since you're in the southern union, 45:11 that they would make the southern union 45:13 the guinea pig for this first series of reports. 45:17 So this evening, we're going to share with you 45:19 just a mash up of just some short testimonies 45:22 from five or six of the ASI Southern Union chapter members. 45:28 So let's take a look. 45:43 It was pretty tough. 45:44 It was much more than I expected. 45:46 You guys are amazing. 45:47 I might have a chance to recover. 45:48 And that was like, like weeks worth of work. 45:51 He was just so happy that we came. 45:53 And when I came home, we all were here. 45:56 We're really being the hands and feet of Jesus. 45:58 They were so grateful. 45:59 It fills my heart up with a bunch of happiness. 46:01 Thank you. Thank you. 46:03 He just don't know 46:04 what a blessing these people are. 46:06 Like shivers went up and down my back, 46:07 and they just like felt like God was right there. 46:10 Being a media missionary can mean many different things. 46:13 It means the love of the whole at the heart of the planets, 46:17 the intrepid spirit of a village, 46:19 and the vibe of a great metropolis. 46:22 It means camera one and camera two. 46:26 It means transforming a school, orphanage or hospital, 46:30 it means fire, rain, ice, and snow. 46:34 It means gifts by the dollar, and by the check. 46:38 It means donations that roll, and donations that fly. 46:43 It's a movement on a trail or down a motorway. 46:48 It means family. 46:51 All of us together. 46:52 And individually. 46:54 It's who you are or who you are becoming, 46:58 and to her, it's a simple gesture 47:01 that means hope. 47:02 Whatever it means to you, being a media missionary, 47:06 it means more than you might think. 47:17 The sun comes up It's a new day dawning 47:25 It's time to sing Your song again 47:31 Whatever may pass And whatever lies before me 47:40 Let me be singing When the evening comes 47:47 Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul 47:54 Worship His Holy name 48:00 Sing like never before Oh my soul 48:08 I'll worship Your Holy name 48:14 I'll worship Your Holy name 48:27 Have you ever faced a trial or a problem 48:30 that seems so hard to handle on your own? 48:32 Well, I certainly have. 48:34 In fact, I face problems that have made me give up. 48:37 That has also made me feel like I'm not good enough. 48:40 After giving up and failing over and over again, 48:44 eventually I realized there's some things 48:47 I just can't get through on my own. 48:50 There's a great verse quoted in the book of Deuteronomy 48:53 that says, "Be strong, and of good courage, 48:56 for the Lord, your God, He is with you." 49:07 Welcome to the video Bible study series 49:09 where we will explore a variety of Bible topics 49:12 using video and print. 49:14 What is humility? Do we need God's law? 49:18 Can I understand the Holy Spirit? 49:19 Yes, you can. 49:21 And we're going to solve that today 49:22 in five minutes or less. 49:24 They're designed to engage you by watching a five-minute video 49:26 having a discussion on the topic, 49:28 and diving deeper into it with a lesson study. 49:33 Each study asks questions as discussion points 49:37 and/or has activities. 49:40 Overall, we develop this project for you 49:42 to have a closer walk with Jesus 49:44 as you explore relevant topics 49:46 either in a group setting or on your own. 49:48 We hope you find these a blessing. 49:50 If you want more information go to www.LittleLightStudios.tv 49:55 or find us on your favorite social media platform. 51:39 ASI Southern Union has been a vital supporter 51:41 in the mission of AudioVerse 51:42 to take the three angels messages 51:44 to the world using online technology. 51:46 One of the exciting projects sponsored by ASI SU 51:49 is the creation of AudioVerse Courses, 51:51 Courses.AudioVerse.org, 51:54 an online school with helpful classes 51:56 on how to make our faith practical. 51:58 Thanks, students can learn include 51:59 personal and public evangelism, 52:01 natural remedies, organic gardening, 52:03 reversing heart disease naturally and more. 52:06 These courses are conducted 52:08 in partnership with various other ministries 52:09 and more courses are being developed all the time. 52:12 Students from all over the world have enrolled 52:14 and are being challenged and prepared for service. |
Revised 2018-12-30