Participants:
Series Code: HC
Program Code: HC210017S
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00:01 Three Angels Broadcasting Network
00:02 is pleased to bring you something better, 00:05 a faith inspiring picture of a loving God 00:08 from the Book of Hebrews. 00:10 Welcome to 3ABN's Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting. 00:16 Again, happy Sabbath to each one of you. 00:18 We're so glad that you're joining us here today. 00:21 We're coming to you live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:24 And what a blessing it's already been here. 00:26 We've just come from Sabbath School Q and A, 00:28 which is a lot of fun. 00:29 We've had a lot of questions come in. 00:30 Thank you so much for joining us 00:32 and sending us your questions and comments. 00:35 But I know today we're going to receive 00:36 an incredible blessing because we have 00:37 Dr. Ben Carson here with us today 00:40 speaking for the Divine Worship Hour. 00:42 But before he comes and speaks, 00:44 we're going to have a lot of music, 00:45 testimony about what God is doing. 00:47 We want to say thank you for being a part 00:49 of our 3ABN family. 00:51 Though you may not be here in person right here in front 00:53 of us at the 3ABN Worship Center, 00:55 in front of us here at the stage, 00:57 you're there joining us at home. 00:58 Maybe listening on the radio, 01:00 watching on your iPhone, 01:02 or maybe you're just sitting there in your living room 01:03 watching on television. 01:05 Thank you for being a part of the family. 01:06 And we praise God for technology. 01:08 Because even with COVID and shutting things down, 01:11 we can still reach the world 01:12 with the undiluted three angels' messages 01:14 of Revelation Chapter 14. 01:16 What a blessing to be alive in this time in earth's history. 01:18 Amen. It's an incredible blessing. 01:20 I love camp meeting. Me too. 01:21 I love the opportunity to share with you at home 01:24 and with our family. 01:26 You are our family. 01:27 And you know, David says, "This is the day 01:28 the Lord has made. 01:30 We will rejoice and be glad in it." 01:33 That's what we want to do on this day 01:35 that the Lord has consecrated and set apart and made holy. 01:38 What a privilege to be here. 01:39 Amen. Amen. 01:40 It's amazing to me because every camp meeting 01:43 is like a time of revival. 01:45 All right. 01:46 And so you just get excited because you know 01:48 God has a special word for us during this time. 01:51 So I'm really excited and can't wait to continue 01:54 to participate in this. 01:56 It's amazing. Well, I'm too. 01:57 You know, we used to have one camp meeting a year. 02:00 But then you, those of you at home, 02:02 you said, "Well, why don't we have fall camp meeting? 02:04 Why don't we have spring camp meeting?" 02:06 Then some was, "How about summer and winter?" 02:08 And so we said, "Well, we can maybe do two a year." 02:11 And so it's always great. 02:13 So we welcome you to camp meeting. 02:15 Thank you for your love and your prayers 02:16 and financial support of 3ABN 02:19 as we continue to take this great gospel 02:21 of the kingdom into all the world. 02:23 It's such a privilege, Greg, as you were saying, 02:25 to be able to serve the Lord and to work with the folks 02:28 at home and around the world. 02:30 So those that watch, whether it's television, 02:32 whether it's radio, 02:33 whether you're on the internet. 02:34 There's so many ways you can get 3ABN now. 02:36 It's incredible the new communication highways 02:40 that God has given us, Pastor John. 02:41 That's right. 02:43 You know, COVID could shut down a lot of things, 02:44 but it can't shut down the internet. 02:46 Hence praise the Lord that God has still given us a presence 02:49 around the world through technology. 02:51 Amen. Amen. 02:53 I know we've been blessed with Pastor James Rafferty, 02:54 of course, sharing the Word. 02:56 We had seminars, of course, yesterday, 02:58 but he's going to speak a couple more times here today, 03:01 this afternoon, and then this evening. 03:02 So make sure you stay tuned to 3ABN 03:05 and get the rest of camp meeting. 03:07 Pastor John, 03:08 why don't you lead us in a word of prayer 03:10 as we start this morning? 03:11 Sure. 03:12 Loving Father in heaven, what a blessing it is 03:14 to know that whenever we stand, 03:15 we don't stand on our own. 03:17 You're standing with us, or more specifically, 03:20 we're standing with You. 03:22 And we thank You for the blessings 03:23 that we have already experienced in this 03:25 fall camp meeting. 03:26 We pray an extra blessing on Dr. Ben Carson today, 03:30 as You have given him the responsibility 03:33 to be the spokesperson for Your name's honor 03:35 and glory. 03:37 We pray that those who are watching 03:38 and those who are listening will listen with ears 03:41 touched by the Spirit of God, 03:43 hearts molded by Your influence. 03:46 And we pray that what is done here today 03:48 will bring us closer, 03:49 ever more closer to being the ideal Christian 03:52 to reflect Your glory in the world. 03:55 May all that is done here today bring glory and honor 03:59 to You and to You alone. 04:01 In Jesus' name we pray. 04:03 Amen. Amen. Amen. 04:05 We want to welcome also Tim Parton at the piano. 04:07 Morning, happy Sabbath, Mr. Tim. 04:09 Good morning and happy Sabbath. Okay. 04:10 Pastor John, lead us in an opening song please. 04:12 Sure. 04:13 Let's join with our voices and hearts today 04:15 as we sing the song, Fairest Lord Jesus. 04:25 Fairest Lord Jesus 04:29 Ruler of all nature 04:34 O Thou of God 04:37 And man the Son! 04:43 Thee will I cherish 04:47 Thee will I honor 04:51 Thou my soul's glory, joy, 04:55 And crown 04:59 Fair are the meadows 05:04 Fairer still the woodlands 05:08 Robed in the blooming garb 05:14 Of spring 05:17 Jesus is fairer 05:22 Jesus is purer 05:26 Who makes the woeful heart 05:30 To sing 05:34 Fair is the sunshine 05:39 Fairer still the moonlight 05:43 And all the twinkling 05:48 Starry host 05:52 Jesus shines brighter 05:57 Jesus shines purer 06:01 Than all the angels heaven 06:05 Can boast 06:23 Beautiful Savior 06:28 Lord of all the nations 06:32 Son of God 06:35 And Son of Man! 06:41 Glory and honor 06:45 Praise, adoration 06:50 Now and forever more be 06:56 Thine! 07:03 Wow! And the church said amen. 07:05 Amen. 07:06 Thank you so much, Pastor John and Brother Tim. 07:09 You know, 3ABN, Mr. Danny, is all about evangelism. 07:11 And I just love working with you side by side, 07:13 being a part of the ministry, Jill and I do with you 07:16 and Dr. Yvonne. 07:17 And the one thing that he keeps mentioning to us is, 07:20 "Greg, 3ABN is all about evangelism." 07:24 But he doesn't just stop there. 07:26 He says, "It's all about evangelism, 07:28 evangelism, evangelism, evangelism." 07:31 You could go on and on." 07:32 And don't lose that spark," 07:33 basically it's his encouragement to us. 07:35 And I just want to say thank you at home 07:37 for not losing that focus of evangelism. 07:41 Because, Mr. Danny, I think about 3ABN, 07:43 it's all about evangelism. 07:44 There's always so many things going on from 3ABN Cuba 07:48 focused on truth, COVID-19: 07:50 What's Next book, Africa, all these things. 07:52 But to see the people through the years, 07:54 they've never lost that focus either, have they? 07:57 You know, Greg, I'm amazed. I'm marveled. 07:59 I was talking to some people here a while ago. 08:02 I'm marveled that after almost 37 years, 08:06 that God continues to bless. 08:08 We've never had a begathon. 08:09 I mean, praise it's on, I think they call them. 08:11 Something that work. Yeah, that's right. 08:13 Yeah, that's right. Never had those. 08:14 We we've never begged for money. 08:16 But simply, we ask people if the Holy Spirit's impressing 08:21 and you would like to support 3ABN, 08:23 you may do so at the following address. 08:25 I'm amazed at God and how He works. 08:27 But God, He blesses individuals, 08:29 I'll give it that, when we do what He ask us to. 08:32 But really, most of the time 08:35 I know from being in ministry a long, 08:37 long time, God blesses us in spite of us. 08:39 That's very true. Right. 08:40 So we have nothing good that we can bring to God, 08:42 nothing ourself to offer him except ourself and our hearts. 08:47 When we give him our hearts, our soul, our minds, 08:49 then He says, "Go, ye therefore and teach all nations, 08:52 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 08:54 the Son, and the Holy Spirit." 08:56 So go ye. 08:57 So our greatest asset is our own personal testimony 09:00 of what God has done for us. 09:02 And I've read that in Ellen White. 09:04 And it really impressed me tremendously. 09:07 So I want to thank each and every one of you 09:09 for what you do for the cause of God. 09:11 Maybe right before we take up an offering, Greg, 09:13 can you and Jill maybe update on some of the new stuff. 09:16 I'm telling you this technology is so rapid. 09:19 God had to bring you young folk in 09:21 to take over 'cause Yvonne and me, 09:23 there's like, wow, we can hardly keep up 09:25 with all of this. 09:26 But we sure love hearing about it. 09:27 Well, you know, we have a hard time seems like 09:29 keeping up with it as well. 09:30 There's so many things that are happening. 09:32 It's like, "Wow, what should we talk about today?" 09:33 So today we just want to give you 09:34 some quick updates about some of the projects, 09:36 one of them being Cuba. 09:38 You want to talk to us about Cuba 09:39 and what God is doing there? 09:41 It's incredible. I would love to do that. 09:42 3ABN had the opportunity in June of this year. 09:46 We launched, June 8, 09:47 we launched on the package in Cuba. 09:50 3ABN is the first ever Christian channel 09:54 there in Cuba. 09:56 The first religious Christian programming 09:59 to come into that communist country. 10:01 Of course, the package 10:02 is how the local people access Western television. 10:05 It's how they get their movies, 10:07 their sports, their soap opera. 10:09 Now they get 3ABN Latino. 10:12 And that is available across the country of Cuba, 10:15 11 million people now have access to the gospel. 10:18 Amen. Incredible. 10:20 So this is what's amazing too. 10:21 Maybe it's kind of letting that, 10:22 the cat out of the bag, so they say. 10:24 So they're looking at, because this is becoming 10:26 so popular that they may only... 10:28 They may make just the religious aspect 10:30 available as its own package. 10:32 3ABN Latino as its own thing. 10:34 Isn't that incredible? Amen. 10:36 Yeah. That is amazing. 10:37 And it's supported from the government down, right? 10:39 So the Council of Church in a communist country. 10:41 Absolutely. 10:43 And we're already getting reports back 10:44 of people having Bible studies, studying with people, 10:46 people finding truth, and it's just incredible. 10:49 Jesus says the gospel when this gospel of the kingdom 10:52 shall go into all the world. 10:54 I'll never forget several years ago 10:55 when President Obama was president, 10:58 he was visiting the Guantanamo Bay Prison. 11:01 He was. 11:03 And so Reuters News Agency 11:06 were there and they put a picture, 11:07 I guess, up that was all over, went worldwide, 11:10 and it showed the president standing in front of a cell 11:14 where these prisoners... 11:16 But up on the screen, people started writing us. 11:18 And have you seen the news? 11:20 Up on the screen on the television in the cells 11:24 of Guantanamo Bay Prison 11:26 was Pastor C.A. Murray and myself. 11:28 Was 3ABN and they were watching it even there. 11:31 Amen. 11:32 So the gospel it goes, that's amazing technology 11:36 that God has given us literally anywhere around the world. 11:39 Speaking of prisons, Dr. Yvonne, 11:41 why don't you tell us about 3ABN going into prisons? 11:44 I am so excited 11:45 because that is just such a tender place for me. 11:49 And knowing that God is reaching out 11:52 to inmates all around the country. 11:55 We have, I think, 11:57 it's two years worth of programming 12:01 that's going to be on hard drives. 12:03 That's going to go into prisons without any change. 12:07 You never have to change it for two years. 12:09 So it doesn't have to be refreshed. 12:11 Isn't it? Yes. 12:12 It's 24/7 for two years. And the programming is... 12:15 It's like over 3,900 programs. And I'm just... 12:20 I'm super excited. 12:21 It's going to be on the Inter less Box. 12:24 And so prisons don't have to have or internet to do that. 12:28 And they can just run these programs 12:30 and the inmates can watch it and learn about Jesus. 12:33 Because someone once said 12:35 that inmates will either have crime or Christ 12:40 while they're in prison. 12:42 They have time to learn about Christ, 12:45 or they can learn more about crime. 12:48 So why not teach them about Christ? 12:51 And we have that opportunity, so I am so excited. 12:54 I'm thrilled. Amen. 12:56 Yes. Amen. 12:57 We have a couple of other projects 12:58 that 3ABN's been involved with this past year, 13:00 and that is 3ABN in Africa. 13:02 And that... 13:03 God has just given us an opportunity 13:04 and doors are opening there. 13:06 We were covering the country of Africa, 13:08 the continent of Africa for a number of years, 13:11 then that stopped. 13:12 But now God is opening that door again 13:14 and we're going into all the different countries 13:16 in Africa. 13:17 Moses Primo, Dr. Primo... Dr. Moses Primo. 13:19 Boy, I'm so excited, I'm getting tongue tied. 13:22 Sent me an email and said, 13:23 "Greg, God has opened an incredible door. 13:25 There's a cable company that looks to be distributing 13:27 3ABN signal across. 13:28 Who knows, maybe the entire continent of Africa. 13:31 So praise God for that. 13:32 And plus, we launched on Free view Africa, 13:34 which is 45 million homes in the country of Nigeria 13:38 now have access to 3ABN. 13:40 3ABN Plus is on demand programming. 13:44 You can watch 3ABN when you want it, 13:46 as well as all of our nine television streaming networks 13:50 and the five radio streaming networks. 13:52 We send Bibles into prison, 13:53 so there's so many opportunities for you at home 13:57 to partner with the Ministry of 3ABN in helping 14:01 to share this undiluted three angels' messages. 14:04 Amen. Dr. Yvonne, we've going to have you offer the prayer 14:05 here for the offering in just a moment. 14:07 But if you feel impressed, 14:08 as Mr. Danny has always mentioned through the years. 14:10 It's only if the Holy Spirit is impressing you 14:12 to give toward the ministry of 3ABN. 14:14 One hundred percent of what you give 14:16 goes for evangelism. 14:17 That's what 3ABN's all about. 14:19 You can see the contact information right up 14:21 on your screen right now. 14:22 You can donate online. 14:23 You can always call our call center 14:25 during regular business hours. 14:26 There are many ways that you can support 14:28 the Ministry of 3ABN 14:30 and all these different projects. 14:31 Dr. Yvonne, please have a prayer. Sure. 14:33 Lord, we just praise You and thank You so very much 14:36 that You have brought us together once again. 14:39 Lord, we just thank You for the offerings 14:42 that are going to come in for all these projects, Lord, 14:45 because these are Your projects. 14:47 Yeah. 14:48 Getting the gospel around the world 14:49 through technology, Lord. 14:51 We just thank You and praise You 14:52 for this platform. 14:53 And for the viewers who have the vision 14:55 and the listeners on radio as well who share the vision 14:59 of evangelism to get this gospel across the world. 15:02 So we thank You and we pray, 15:04 Lord, that You will bless this offering 15:06 and that You will bless those who are giving 15:09 and You will bless those who are going to receive 15:11 the great gift of Your gospel through this offering. 15:14 In Jesus' name we pray. 15:16 Amen. Amen. All right. 15:18 We're going to have some special music, right? 15:20 Amen. Yes. 15:21 We have Reggie Smith coming out 15:22 and Candy Carson on the violin, and I think Tim on the piano. 15:26 Okay. This is incredible. 15:29 And this is a special treat for us 15:30 because we not only get Dr. Ben, 15:33 but we get Candy, who's an incredible musician. 15:36 She loves music, singing, playing. 15:38 Well, I think she plays a number of instruments too, 15:40 but today we at least get her here. 15:42 And so we're thankful that Candy's here 15:44 along with Reggie and Lady Love Smith 15:46 here in just a little bit. 15:48 This is going to be some good times 15:49 we're having, right? 15:50 Oh, yes. We're going to have a great time. 15:52 All right. Hey. Amen. 15:53 Hey, Candy, thank you for being here. 15:54 Thank you for having us. We are so happy to be here. 15:57 This is going to be fun, right? Oh, yeah. 15:59 All right. Yeah. 16:00 We're going to have some fun. 16:01 We're going to walk off and let you guys bless us 16:03 with your music. 16:04 Thank you so much. Yes. 16:33 Why should I feel 16:36 Discouraged 16:40 Why should the shadows 16:44 Come 16:48 Why should my heart 16:52 Be lonely 16:56 And long for heaven 17:00 And home 17:03 When Jesus 17:06 Is my portion 17:11 My constant friend 17:15 Is He 17:19 His eye is on 17:23 The sparrow 17:27 And I know 17:28 He watches me 17:34 His eye is on 17:39 The sparrow 17:43 And I know 17:46 He watches me 17:53 I sing because I'm happy 17:59 And I sing because I'm free 18:04 For His eye 18:07 Is on the sparrow 18:13 And I know 18:16 He watches me 18:26 Let not your heart 18:29 Be troubled 18:33 His tender word 18:36 I hear 18:41 And resting on 18:45 His goodness 18:49 I lose my doubts 18:53 And fears 18:57 Though by the path 19:01 He leadeth 19:04 But one step 19:06 I may see 19:11 His eye 19:14 Is on the sparrow 19:19 And I know 19:21 He watches me 19:27 His eye 19:29 Is on the sparrow 19:36 And I know 19:38 He watches me 19:44 I sing because I'm happy 19:50 And I sing because I'm free 19:56 For His eye Is on 20:01 The sparrow 20:11 And I know 20:15 He watches 20:21 me 20:31 Amen. Thank you. Beautiful. 20:35 Okay, Candy, you and Dr. Ben's going to have to move here 20:39 and join our team. 20:43 We love music and we love y'all being here. 20:47 Speaking of Dr. Ben Carson, 20:49 it's our privilege to introduce Dr. Ben. 20:53 And we've known him for a few years. 20:55 But in the last couple of years, 20:56 we've gotten closer with him. 20:58 And we're so thankful that he came 21:00 to our camp meeting a couple years ago 21:02 in Loma Linda, 21:03 but what an incredible individual 21:06 that God has handpicked from the foundation 21:08 of the world to have an impact on the world. 21:10 And I'm thankful for modern-day Daniels and modern-day Joseph, 21:14 modern day people who's willing to stand up 21:17 and take the gospel to the world 21:18 and rightly represent the Lord Jesus Christ, 21:21 so such an honor. 21:22 Why don't you give us a little bit of his bio for us? 21:24 Okay? Surely, surely. 21:26 Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, senior MD, founder and chairman 21:30 of the American Cornerstone Institute. 21:33 Most recently served as the 17th Secretary 21:37 of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. 21:41 For nearly 30 years, Secretary Carson served 21:44 as director of pediatric neurosurgery 21:47 at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, 21:50 a position he assumed when he was just 33 years old, 21:53 becoming the youngest major division director 21:56 in the hospital's history. 21:58 In 1987, he successfully performed 22:01 the first separation of craniopagus twins 22:04 conjoined at the back of the head. 22:07 He also performed the first fully successful separation 22:09 of type two vertical craniopagus twins 22:14 in 1997 in South Africa. 22:17 Dr. Carson received dozens of honors 22:20 and awards in recognition of his achievements 22:23 during the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 22:26 the nation's highest civilian honor. 22:28 He's also a recipient of the Spingarn Medal, 22:32 the highest honor bestowed by The National Association 22:35 for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP. 22:39 Dr. Carson authored nine books, 22:42 four of which he co-wrote with his wife, Candy. 22:45 The US News Media Group 22:47 and Harvard Center for Public Leadership 22:49 named him among America's best leaders in 2008. 22:55 Dr. Carson and his wife co-founded 22:57 the Carson Scholars Fund, 22:59 which recognizes young people 23:01 of all backgrounds for exceptional academic 23:04 and humanitarian accomplishments. 23:07 The fund is currently operating in 50 states 23:10 and the District of Columbia 23:11 and is celebrating the 25th anniversary 23:14 of the First Award ceremony. 23:16 In honor of that, 23:18 we have now reached more than 10,000 scholars, 23:21 awarded more than $8 million in scholarships. 23:26 And before the end of this year, 23:28 we'll have installed 23:29 more than 250 Ben Carson reading rooms 23:33 around the country. 23:35 So what a blessing they've been. 23:37 Absolutely. 23:38 We're going to do a little song. 23:39 It's a song that's kind of been customary. 23:42 We've kind of made it every year, we do it. Yeah. 23:44 But right before that, 23:45 Brother Ben comes to preach to us, 23:48 to speak to us. 23:50 We want to invite the Holy Spirit to be here. 23:52 And we do it through song. 23:53 I've asked Reggie and Lady to come out here also. Yes. 23:56 And we're going to do the song, Holy Ground 24:06 As I walked through the door 24:11 I sensed His presence 24:16 And I knew 24:19 This was a place 24:22 Where love abounds 24:28 For this is the temple 24:34 Jehovah God 24:38 Abides in 24:43 We are standing 24:48 In His presence 24:52 On holy ground 24:55 Sing it with us if you know it. 24:59 We are standing 25:05 On holy ground 25:12 And I know 25:15 That there are angels 25:20 All around 25:25 Let us praise 25:29 Let us praise 25:32 Jesus now 25:39 We are standing in His presence 25:46 On holy ground 25:55 In His presence there is joy 26:00 Beyond measure 26:05 And at His feet 26:09 Peace of mind 26:12 Can still be found 26:17 If you have a need 26:21 Think about it 26:22 My God and your God 26:24 Has the answer 26:30 Reach out and claim it 26:33 For child you are standing 26:37 On holy ground 26:41 Everybody sing now. 26:43 We are standing 26:50 On holy ground 26:56 And I know 27:00 That there are angels 27:04 All around 27:09 Let us praise 27:13 Let us praise 27:16 Jesus now 27:23 We are standing in His presence 27:29 We are standing in His presence 27:35 We are standing in 27:41 His presence 27:44 On holy 27:49 Ground 28:01 Amen. 28:04 Well, that was certainly a wonderful song to come in on. 28:10 It's been so wonderful being here. 28:11 Candy and I are so delightful to be with you 28:14 for this fall camp meeting. 28:16 And I just want to start with a word of prayer. 28:20 Most kind and gracious Father in heaven, 28:24 thank You so much for bringing us together 28:29 on this holy ground. 28:31 We ask that Your Spirit would be here 28:36 that the words that are spoken not be mine, but Yours, 28:41 that Your love and compassion, 28:44 wisdom, and intellect shine through. 28:49 And let us be willing to receive it. 28:53 In the worthy name of Jesus I pray. 28:55 Amen. 28:58 You know, these days, 29:00 we have the little Bible with us all the time, 29:03 no matter where we go. 29:05 It's like having a whole library with you. 29:09 I want to direct you to Matthew 24, 29:13 starting at the end of verse 3. 29:17 And the disciples were saying to Jesus, "Tell us, 29:21 when shall these things be? 29:23 What shall be the sign of Thy coming, 29:27 and the end of the world? 29:31 And Jesus answered, and said it to them, 29:32 'Take heed that no man deceive you. 29:36 For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' 29:40 and deceive many. 29:44 And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars.'" 29:47 We certainly heard those. 29:50 "See that you be not troubled, 29:53 for all these things must come to pass, 29:56 but the end is not yet. 29:59 For nation shall rise against nation, 30:02 and kingdom against kingdom. 30:04 And there shall be famines." 30:06 We certainly see those in different places 30:08 around the world. 30:11 "And pestilences, 30:13 like COVID-19 30:17 and earthquakes in diverse places. 30:20 All of these are the beginning of sorrows. 30:25 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted? 30:29 How many people are being tortured? 30:31 How many people are being persecuted? 30:36 Not just around the world, 30:37 we used to say around the world. 30:39 Now it's happening right here 30:40 in the United States of America. 30:44 "You shall be afflicted and shall kill you. 30:47 You should be hated of all nations, 30:50 for my name's sake. 30:52 And then shall many be offended." 30:56 We know about that, don't we? 30:58 Political correctness, wokeness, 31:03 offending everybody got to have safe spaces to live in. 31:08 "And shall betray one another 31:11 and shall hate one another." 31:15 Boy, if that doesn't sound like the time that we're living in, 31:18 I don't know what does. 31:22 But it's not a time to be fearful. 31:25 You know, fear can cause us to do a lot of strange things. 31:30 I remember when I was a youngster, 31:32 I was deathly afraid of dogs. 31:37 And it really altered my life. 31:41 Because I would be going to school, 31:44 and there would be a dog. 31:46 And I would turn around and go all the way back 31:49 around the block and sometimes be late to school 31:52 because of that silly dog. 31:55 The dog wasn't silly, I was the one that was silly. 31:58 Because a man told me 32:01 after hearing about my phobia of dogs, 32:05 he says, "Dogs will not bother you 32:09 if you're not afraid of them. 32:12 Don't manifest any fear whatsoever." 32:16 I said, "Really?" 32:18 He said, "Yeah, absolutely. 32:19 This is guaranteed." 32:21 So I said, "Okay." 32:24 So there was this dog. 32:25 His name was Rusty. 32:27 And Rusty was a mean dog and he chased people 32:30 and nobody liked to go down near that part 32:33 of the neighborhood. 32:35 I said, "I'm going to try this out on Rusty." 32:38 So I bravely go walking down there and Rusty's looking. 32:43 He's like, "I can't believe this, 32:46 home delivering my mail." 32:48 He could not believe it. 32:50 And as I walked right by where Rusty live, 32:55 he came running out barking and snarling. 32:59 And I said this was a mistake. 33:01 But he ran right up to my leg. 33:07 And then he stopped. 33:09 And he went back to the porch. 33:12 He didn't bite me. 33:14 And, you know, that was the last time Rusty bothered me. 33:18 I would walk by there, anytime I wanted. 33:22 Rusty knew I wasn't afraid of him. 33:24 He didn't bother me anymore. 33:27 Isn't that interesting how that works? 33:31 You know, when we put our faith in God, 33:37 is there anything that we really need 33:39 to be afraid of? 33:42 Something to think about, 33:44 because who really is in control. 33:48 But I was also afraid of non-physical things. 33:54 I was afraid of failure. 33:59 Because as a youngster, 34:01 I was kind of dumb. 34:03 Or at least everybody thought I was dumb. 34:05 Let's put it that way. 34:07 They were always calling me names. 34:10 And the teachers didn't think I was smart. 34:15 My classmates didn't think I was smart. 34:18 I didn't think I was smart. 34:20 The only one who thought I was smart was my mother. 34:23 She was always saying, "Benjamin, you are smart boy. 34:27 You're much too smart to be bringing home 34:28 grades like this." 34:30 I brought them home anyway. 34:31 But she was always saying that, 34:33 she was always being encouraging. 34:36 But she didn't know what to do. 34:39 But, you know, my mother, 34:40 even though she had less than a third grade education, 34:44 had gotten married at age 13 discovered 34:46 that her husband was a bigamist. 34:50 She believed in God. 34:54 And she asked God to give her wisdom. 34:59 What could she do to get her young sons 35:01 to achieve in life? 35:06 And God gave her the wisdom. 35:08 At least in her opinion, 35:10 my brother and I didn't think it was wise at all, 35:12 I mean, turning off the TV, 35:14 making us read book report, 35:16 me read books and write reports for her. 35:19 And in today's world, 35:21 we probably would have called the Social Services on her 35:23 and they'd have carried her away in handcuffs, 35:24 but in those days, you had to do 35:26 what your parents told you to do. 35:28 And I started reading those books. 35:33 And even though I didn't want to do it, 35:36 after a relatively short period of time, 35:39 I began to enjoy reading those books. 35:42 Because when you read books, 35:44 you have to use your imagination. 35:47 And it actually becomes extremely interesting, 35:50 as opposed to looking at somebody else's imagination. 35:54 Made a big difference. 35:56 And in the space of a year and a half, 35:58 I went from the bottom of the class 35:59 to the top of the class, 36:02 much to the consternation of all those people 36:04 who used to laugh and call me dummy. 36:06 And interestingly enough, 36:09 you know, we lived just on the other side 36:12 of the railroad tracks, there was white on one side, 36:15 black on one side, 36:17 and we live on the white side of the tracks, 36:19 so had to go to white elementary school 36:23 and junior high. 36:25 So it was interesting, 36:27 because the teachers really didn't expect 36:30 much of me anyway. 36:33 Because they didn't think that the black kid would do well. 36:36 So no one was really pushing me other than my mother. 36:42 But other white kids had seen this transition occur in me 36:47 going from the dumb kid 36:49 to the smartest kid in the class. 36:51 And they accepted it, it was fine with them. 36:54 But in the eighth grade, 36:58 they would give out a special award 37:01 at the end of the semester to the young person 37:05 with the highest academic achievement. 37:08 And I was thinking it's going to be me. 37:11 And you would take your report card 37:13 to every teacher and they would mark it 37:15 and give it to you and you take it to the next teacher, 37:18 and I was all the way to the last class 37:20 and I had all A's, 37:22 this was going to be a breeze. 37:24 My last class was banned, 37:25 and I was good and banned. 37:27 So I knew that was an A. 37:30 The turkey gave me a C. 37:32 He wanted to ruin my report card. 37:34 He wanted to make sure I didn't get the award. 37:38 To his chagrin, it turned out that ban didn't count. 37:41 So I got the award anyway. 37:44 And interestingly enough, at the award ceremony, 37:48 one of the teachers got up and berated all the other kids. 37:53 "How could you let a black boy 37:59 be number one in the class? 38:02 You children are not working hard enough." 38:06 It was very embarrassing, it must have been. 38:11 And the kids were just sort of looking at her. 38:14 And they were making a crazy symbol 38:16 and pointing to her because they knew 38:19 that I legitimately had earned that award 38:22 and they had no problem with it. 38:25 But isn't it interesting 38:28 how people have misguided concepts 38:32 of what should be happening? 38:35 And the question is, 38:37 how do we react to people like that? 38:41 And if you go there, if you go to 38:46 Micah 6:8, 38:52 it says, "He has showed thee, 38:54 O man, what is good, 38:57 and what does the Lord require of thee, 39:00 but to do justly." 39:05 What does that mean to do justly? 39:07 It means to treat people fairly and to love mercy. 39:13 Even when people have done you wrong, 39:16 you don't have to do wrong to them. 39:20 And to walk humbly with thy God. 39:24 He has given us instructions for how to react 39:28 to situations like 39:29 the one that I faced in the eighth grade. 39:33 But it wasn't the end of my problems. 39:35 I also hated poverty. 39:39 You know, some people hate rats, 39:40 and some people hate roaches, 39:42 some people hate centipedes, and snakes. 39:45 I hated poverty. 39:48 I couldn't stand it. 39:50 That is, until I started reading those books 39:54 and reading about entrepreneurs, 39:57 and scientists, and surgeons, and explorers, 40:00 and people of great accomplishment. 40:05 And seeing how they were able to take control of their lives. 40:09 And I began to recognize 40:11 that the person who had the most to do it 40:13 what happened to me was me. 40:16 What did I want to do? 40:18 What did I want to take advantage 40:20 of that was in my environment? 40:22 And what a difference it made. 40:24 And I began to recognize that poverty was something 40:28 that I had control over. 40:30 I didn't have to be poor if I didn't want to, 40:31 I could change that, based on the energy 40:37 that I was willing to put forth 40:40 to chase my dreams. 40:43 And at that point, I didn't mind poverty anymore. 40:46 I'm still poor, I had a different attitude. 40:50 Because I knew it wasn't a permanent situation. 40:55 Isn't that the reason that God gives us these amazing brains 41:00 that He has given us, 41:02 so that we can think through situations like that, 41:05 we can analyze situations. 41:06 You know, if you look at an animal's brain, 41:11 and you compare that with a human brain, 41:15 it looks very similar. 41:17 Except the animal 41:20 has a very developed mid brain. 41:25 And the mid brain is an area that allows you to react. 41:28 Have you notice how fast animals can react to things? 41:33 But they have relatively small frontal lobes. 41:36 On the other hand, 41:37 people don't have that well developed mid brain. 41:41 But they have these gigantic frontal lobes, 41:44 where you engage in processing 41:48 of intellectual material 41:52 from where you're able to plan 41:55 what you're actually going to do 41:57 based on what you've seen before. 42:01 It's kind of interesting. 42:03 Right now, we live at a time 42:05 when people are pushing forth, 42:09 things like critical race theory that say, 42:14 you ought to look at somebody 42:17 and react to their physical characteristics, 42:22 which they have no control over 42:25 as opposed to their character, 42:29 which they have a lot of control over. 42:32 But to analyze their character, 42:33 you need those frontal lobes 42:37 to see what color they are, you just need your mid brain. 42:41 So what they're saying is, 42:44 you should act like an animal 42:47 and not like a being 42:51 that was made in the image of God. 42:56 That right there tells you that it is on the wrong track, 43:00 when we're looking at things like that. 43:04 And where do we get courage from? 43:07 Courage is so important 43:11 in a society that has decided 43:15 that if you don't act the way you're supposed at, 43:20 we're going to punish you. 43:22 We're going to restrict what you can do. 43:25 We're going to cancel you. 43:28 We're going to hurt your family. 43:31 Now how in the world is somebody supposed 43:33 to live in a society like that and feel free? 43:39 And that's where courage comes in. 43:43 You know, I can remember a situation 43:46 that really required a lot of courage on my behalf. 43:50 When I was a neurosurgery resident at Johns Hopkins, 43:56 and there was a national conference, 43:58 neurosurgery conference going on. 43:59 So almost all the faculty members had gone off to Boston 44:04 to this conference. 44:06 The one that was left behind in case there were some 44:09 significant emergencies was the one we were supposed 44:15 to reach out to if something happened, 44:16 and I was on call and a young man was brought in, 44:21 a teenager who had been beaten with a baseball bat. 44:26 And he was unconscious. 44:30 His head was bleeding. 44:32 He had hemorrhages in his brain, 44:34 the brain was swelling, and he was going to die. 44:39 And the only chance of survival that he would have 44:43 is if you took out part of his frontal lobe 44:46 and part of his temporal lobe along with the blood clot. 44:51 Well, you know, that's a complex operation. 44:56 Not an operation I'd ever done before. 44:59 I'd seen it done before. 45:02 But I couldn't do anything about it 45:04 without an attending physician. 45:07 And we couldn't reach the attending physician. 45:10 And the paging operator couldn't reach 45:12 the attending physician. 45:15 And the young man was dying. 45:18 It's illegal for a resident to take them 45:20 to the operating room without an attendee. 45:24 I had to make a decision. 45:27 Shall I risk my career 45:30 and take him to the operating room? 45:32 What if it doesn't come out okay? 45:35 And I've never even done this operation before. 45:40 Or should I take him 45:44 and risk everything? 45:47 And I prayed. 45:49 I said, "Lord, 45:51 help me to do the right thing." 45:55 And, you know, after I prayed that prayer, 45:58 I felt so calm. 46:02 And I said, "We're taking him to the OR. 46:06 And we took him to the operating room. 46:08 And, you know, I remembered everything 46:12 that needed to be done to do 46:13 that operation correctly. 46:15 He did fine. 46:17 In fact, today, that young man is a psychologist 46:19 helping other young people. 46:23 But not only did I not get in trouble, 46:27 you got a lot of praise for having the courage 46:32 to do what was right. 46:34 And, again, where's that source of strength, 46:39 that source of courage. 46:41 It comes from God. 46:43 It helped me in a lot of situations. 46:45 I remember there was another situation 46:47 where a young man had something called 46:52 Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, 46:54 which causes these very vascular tumors 46:57 to form in your brain. 47:01 And this young man had formed one right 47:06 in the middle of his brain stem, 47:09 an inoperable situation, 47:13 and none of the adult neurosurgeons would touch him 47:17 with a 10-foot pole. 47:20 Well, unfortunately, for me, it turns out that his wife 47:25 was a pediatric neurosurgery nurse. 47:29 So I couldn't get away from her. 47:31 And she said, "You gonna have to operate on my husband?" 47:36 And I said, but he's an adult. 47:37 I'm a pediatric neurosurgeon. 47:40 And she says, "Well, he acts like a child." 47:42 But, you know, 47:45 I just couldn't get away from she kept asking me. 47:47 And I finally said, "Okay. 47:50 I'll go and talk to him." 47:53 And I went over to talk to him, and I said, "Craig, 47:58 this tumor is in the middle of your brain stem. 48:03 The brain stem is like a coaxial cable. 48:05 There's nothing in there that isn't being used." 48:10 And I said, "If I try and take the tumor out, 48:14 there is at least a 50/50 chance 48:17 that you will die on the table." 48:21 And he said, 48:23 "Doctor, if you don't take the tumor out, 48:26 there's 100% chance that I'm going to die. 48:29 So I take 50/50 any day." 48:32 I said, "You know that's a very mature attitude." 48:36 I took him to the operating room 48:38 and went down to the brain stem area there. 48:41 All these blood vessels, new blood vessels 48:43 that had grown into that area in response to the tumor, 48:47 worked away through them all and got to the surface 48:50 and made a very tiny hole over the area 48:53 where I felt that the tumor was located 48:58 and then stuck a probe in there 49:00 to just see if I could feel 49:02 for a difference in consistency. 49:05 And when I met that difference in consistency, 49:08 I put in us very tiny force up under the microscope, 49:13 grab the edge of the tumor, 49:15 started delivering it, 49:17 while peeling the surface away 49:20 from the other tissues around it. 49:24 And as I was gradually 49:26 and very slowly delivering this tumor 49:30 through this very tiny incision, 49:34 the evoked potentials went flat. 49:37 Those are the electrical impulses that come 49:40 from the brain to the brain stem. 49:43 An anesthesiologist said, 49:45 "He's dead, you may as well stop the operation. 49:47 You killed him, I told you, you were going to kill him. 49:49 And he's dead." 49:51 Because, obviously, he wasn't a big fan of this operation. 49:57 But we continued, got the whole thing out. 50:02 The evoked potentials remained flat. 50:05 There was a sense of depression in the room, 50:08 because we knew that he was probably dead. 50:14 But closed him up, sent him to the ICU, 50:16 intubated, comatose. 50:22 And the next morning, when I came in, 50:26 he was sitting up in the bed that they've extubated him 50:28 and he was telling jokes. 50:32 Now, I recognized at that moment, 50:37 that that was God. 50:39 He gave me the courage, and He showed me what to do. 50:43 But, you know, sometimes there comes a point, 50:47 no matter what's going on, 50:48 you just have to put it all in His hands. 50:52 And when I've done that, 50:55 He always comes through. 50:58 And He never puts us in a situation 51:00 from which He cannot and will not deliver us. 51:06 And it gives you a sense of peace. 51:11 You know, it's sort of what David in the Bible 51:14 was missing when he strayed away from God. 51:20 You know, he started out on the right pathway, 51:24 as a shepherd boy, depending on God, 51:27 allowing him to kill a lion 51:30 and a bear and protect the flocks, 51:35 giving him the courage 51:38 to face Goliath the giant, 51:42 to slay him and to do many other things, 51:47 but then he wandered away. 51:51 He started depending on himself. 51:53 He started catering to his own selfish desires. 51:59 And he was the king. 52:02 He had riches, he had honor, 52:05 he had all the things that you could want. 52:09 But it wasn't good enough, 52:13 because he didn't have God and he came back to God. 52:18 And he said, "Create in me a clean heart, 52:20 O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 52:24 Cast me not away from Thy presence 52:27 and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. 52:33 Restore unto me the joy, 52:37 the joy of Thy salvation." 52:40 That's what he was missing. 52:43 "And uphold me with Thy free spirit. 52:47 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, 52:49 and sinners shall be converted unto thee." 52:53 You can have everything in the world. 52:57 But if you don't have Jesus, 52:59 if you don't have the joy of His salvation, 53:03 it's not good enough. 53:05 We have to always remember that, in times of joy, 53:09 in times of sorrow, 53:12 in times of plenty and in times of need, 53:16 He is in control. 53:18 I remember there was a case in South Africa, 53:22 of conjoined twins. 53:24 They were joined at the back of the head. 53:27 Similar to the case that had gained great fame for me. 53:32 And, you know, they obviously want me 53:36 to come over and help with that case, 53:39 but the kids were deteriorating, 53:42 very, very quickly. 53:44 So had to be done under semi-emergent conditions. 53:49 And we were in the operating room 53:54 doing the separation, got to the part 53:57 where we had to put them on hypothermic arrest, 54:00 which meant the cardiac surgeons 54:01 had to go in. 54:03 And, you know, cool the temperatures 54:07 until the heart stop, pump all the blood out. 54:10 And then we would be able to do the critical part 54:13 of the operation, and then they would start 54:15 the hearts back off after pumping their blood 54:17 back in and warming it up. 54:20 Well, it turns out that as they exposed 54:22 one of the heart, 54:24 they could see that it was not functional. 54:27 And then they figured out the reason 54:30 that the kids had been deteriorating, 54:33 it's because one of them was doing the pumping 54:35 for both of them. 54:37 And as they grew, 54:39 it became more and more difficult for that one heart 54:43 to be able to pump for both of them. 54:44 So they were going into congestive failure. 54:49 So it was clear that that one wouldn't be able to survive, 54:52 but we were able to complete the operation. 54:54 And the other one seemed to be okay, 54:58 for the first day, 55:00 then that one started having seizures 55:02 and all kinds of problems. 55:05 And over the course of the next day, died. 55:10 And it turns out 55:11 that one didn't have any kidney function. 55:15 The one that didn't have heart function 55:16 had the kidney function, 55:18 the other one had other function, 55:19 so they were symbiotic. 55:21 They couldn't live apart, 55:22 and they couldn't live together. 55:25 And I remember as I was travelling back 55:27 to the United States, after the operation, 55:29 I was so depressed. 55:33 And I was thinking, anybody could have failed, 55:35 I didn't have to come all the way over here 55:37 and get involved in this case. 55:40 Lord, how did You get me involved in a case 55:45 that didn't turn out the right way, 55:48 this is just horrible. 55:51 But I was thinking more about me. 55:55 See, that was the problem. 55:57 Because three years later, 56:01 there was another case, case from Zambia, 56:06 of vertical craniopagus twins, 56:08 they're joint at the top of the head, 56:10 facing in opposite directions, 56:12 something we call a type two vertical. 56:15 There had been 13 attempts to separate 56:17 twins like that previously, 56:18 none of which had been successful. 56:22 And, you know, I was asked to be involved in that case. 56:27 And we brought the case 56:29 to South Africa. 56:33 And interestingly enough, 56:35 we were able to reassemble the team 56:37 that had worked on the previous failure. 56:41 All the equipment that had been imported for that 56:44 was still there, the training was still there. 56:49 And that turned out to be the very 56:51 first complex craniopagus case, 56:56 where a separation was successfully done 56:58 with no neurological deficit. 57:02 That would not have happened has we not failed 57:06 on the previous one. 57:08 The previous one was going to die anyway. 57:12 But the Lord used that to prepare the way 57:16 for one that would be extremely successful. 57:18 You see, we sometimes don't see the whole picture. 57:22 God plays the long game. 57:25 We play the short game. 57:26 Sometimes we get very disappointed 57:28 because things haven't gone the way we want them to go. 57:32 That's when we need to just say, 57:34 "Lord, it's You. 57:38 It's all about You. 57:40 It's not about me." 57:42 Recognize that He is completely in control. 57:46 That's what we need to recognize about our nation 57:51 right now. 57:54 Our nation which was formed 57:58 under Judeo-Christian values, 58:04 values like love your neighbor 58:09 instead of counsel your neighbor 58:12 and try to help people, 58:16 not try to hurt people. 58:18 You know, how do we get into a situation like that? 58:23 A situation where we try to force people 58:27 to do our will if we have power. 58:31 Those are not things that this nation was known for. 58:35 It's not the reason that so many people came here, 58:38 and our nation was known as a nation of communities 58:43 where people worked together, 58:45 people who had different talents and skills. 58:49 Why were they able to be successful in far out 58:53 of the way places and remote states? 58:58 Because they knew how to work together. 59:02 They didn't have to all believe the same thing. 59:04 That was not necessary. 59:07 What was necessary is for people to work together. 59:12 You know, it's Jesus who originally said, 59:15 "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 59:20 Abraham Lincoln later said that. 59:24 And it's absolutely true. 59:27 You take a nation, 59:29 as strong as the United States of America, 59:35 too strong to be brought down by Russia, 59:38 or China, or North Korea, 59:42 or Iran, or any other place, 59:46 but easily destroyed 59:49 by its own people 59:52 who have been manipulated into believing 59:54 that they are each other's enemies 59:58 when they're not each other's enemies. 01:00:01 That's the real shame. 01:00:04 I think that's where it requires courage, 01:00:08 courage to point out those things 01:00:12 that are creating the problems. 01:00:16 You know, we have groups saying 01:00:19 that this group takes primacy over this group. 01:00:24 Black lives matter. 01:00:27 Black lives do matter. 01:00:29 But you know what? 01:00:30 Jesus Christ died for all lives. 01:00:33 There is no life that doesn't matter to Him, 01:00:36 from the least to the greatest. 01:00:40 That should be our cause as well. 01:00:46 Now, we live in a nation 01:00:49 that has a lot of different people in it 01:00:52 from different backgrounds. 01:00:53 There's no question about that. 01:00:56 But some people want to make that into a problem. 01:01:01 Is it really a problem? 01:01:04 I mean, how many people for instance 01:01:07 would want to go to the National Aquarium 01:01:12 if every fish was a goldfish? 01:01:15 Really wouldn't be that interesting, wouldn't it? 01:01:16 It certainly wouldn't be worth paying for. 01:01:19 Who would want to go to the National Zoo 01:01:22 if every animal was a Thomson's gazelle? 01:01:25 Wouldn't be that great. 01:01:27 Who would want a beautiful bouquet of flowers 01:01:30 if everyone was identical? 01:01:33 It's pretty, but it's not as pretty as one 01:01:34 that is carefully orchestrated 01:01:37 with lots of different things. 01:01:41 And who would want to get up in the morning 01:01:43 if everybody looked exactly like you? 01:01:46 In some cases, that be a national disaster? 01:01:48 So we should be very pleased that God was kind enough 01:01:54 to give us variety. 01:01:57 And what is it that makes a person 01:02:00 who they are? 01:02:02 Is it the color of their skin? 01:02:06 Is it the quality of their hair? 01:02:09 Is it the shape of their nose? 01:02:13 Or is it their brain? 01:02:16 And see, that's why we have those big frontal lobes. 01:02:20 You know, Dr. Martin Luther King 01:02:22 was on to something when he said he dreamed 01:02:25 of the day when people would be judged 01:02:30 not by the color of their skin, 01:02:32 but by the content of their character. 01:02:36 And we find ourselves in a situation 01:02:38 where people are teaching exactly the opposite now. 01:02:43 It takes courage to stand up against that, 01:02:48 to speak out against that, 01:02:51 because you will be attacked. 01:02:55 No question about that. 01:02:58 You know, in the Book of Timothy, 01:03:03 2 Timothy 01:03:06 and it's the third chapter 01:03:12 and 12th verse. 01:03:15 It says, "Yea, 01:03:19 and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus 01:03:25 shall suffer persecution." 01:03:29 What do you think that means? 01:03:33 You know, there is some people, 01:03:35 they see things going on. 01:03:38 They don't say anything. 01:03:41 They just kind of hide in a corner, 01:03:44 put their head down, and hope nobody calls them 01:03:46 a nasty name. 01:03:49 Is that what we're called to do? 01:03:52 Or are we called to stand up 01:03:57 for those who are in a difficult situation? 01:04:02 If you go to the Book of Proverbs, 01:04:07 and you go to 01:04:09 24:10. 01:04:14 It says, 01:04:15 "If thou faint in the day of adversity, 01:04:19 thy strength is small. 01:04:23 If thou forbear to deliver them 01:04:26 that are drawn unto death, 01:04:29 and those that are ready to be slain, 01:04:31 if thou saith, behold, we knew it not, 01:04:36 doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? 01:04:40 And he that keepeth thy soul, 01:04:42 doth not he know it? 01:04:44 And shall not he render to every man 01:04:48 according to his works?" 01:04:51 In other words, 01:04:53 bad things are happening to people. 01:04:57 You can't just sit around and say, 01:04:59 I don't know about them, close my eyes, 01:05:01 not my business, I don't care. 01:05:06 The Bible says, "That's not what you should be doing." 01:05:08 It says, "If you do that, 01:05:10 God knows that you did that 01:05:13 and holds you responsible." 01:05:17 But some people say, "But if I do that, 01:05:20 then I put myself in a line of fire, 01:05:23 then I may be persecuted." 01:05:26 Yes, that's absolutely true. 01:05:29 But remember this. 01:05:31 Even if people say nasty things about you, 01:05:34 or persecute you even put you in jail, 01:05:36 or even kill you. 01:05:40 What is that inconvenience 01:05:44 against the backdrop of eternity with Christ? 01:05:49 That's what Paul was talking about. 01:05:51 He says, you know, it's like dung. 01:05:54 Don't even think about that stuff. 01:05:56 It's so insignificant compared to the glory 01:06:01 thy will experience with the Lord. 01:06:05 Doesn't mean you should go out 01:06:06 and look to be persecuted. 01:06:09 Don't try to be persecuted. 01:06:11 But it does mean, 01:06:13 we have a responsibility 01:06:17 to do what is right. 01:06:20 And when we see 01:06:22 liberty being challenged, 01:06:27 we need to deal with it. 01:06:30 And you look at something like freedom of speech, 01:06:36 one of the key tenets 01:06:40 of our Constitution, 01:06:42 and the Bill of Rights. 01:06:45 One of the things that attracted so many people 01:06:49 from the shores of so many distant lands 01:06:53 to America, 01:06:56 they want it to be free 01:06:59 to live the way they wanted to live, 01:07:02 to say what they want to say, 01:07:05 to pursue the careers they wanted to career 01:07:07 to pursue, 01:07:11 without somebody stepping on them all the time 01:07:14 and telling them what they had to do 01:07:16 and what they couldn't do. 01:07:20 And particularly what they could say 01:07:23 and what they couldn't say. 01:07:26 That's why the whole concept 01:07:28 of political correctness is so evil. 01:07:32 It's really antithetical to our First Amendment. 01:07:37 And when it is enforced by big tech 01:07:42 and the media, 01:07:45 by isolating people, 01:07:49 by canceling people, 01:07:51 by destroying people's livelihoods. 01:07:56 And the government does nothing about it. 01:07:59 It's complicit. 01:08:01 Then it is exactly the same 01:08:03 as if the government imposed that themselves. 01:08:09 And I think there's a responsibility 01:08:12 to resist a situation 01:08:17 where people's rights, 01:08:19 their fundamental rights, 01:08:21 which is our Declaration of Independence states, 01:08:27 those rights come from God 01:08:29 and not from the government. 01:08:33 And therefore, those who are godly people 01:08:38 will protect the rights not only of themselves 01:08:41 but of others that are being challenged, 01:08:45 and that are being taken away, 01:08:48 and will not be fearful in the process of doing that, 01:08:54 recognizing always 01:08:58 that God is in control. 01:09:01 You know, I remember a situation 01:09:05 in which had a little girl whose little baby 01:09:09 whose head was not growing. 01:09:12 And her brain was progressively being compressed, 01:09:15 and we had to do an operation to expand the skull. 01:09:20 And during the process of that operation, 01:09:24 she started hemorrhaging. 01:09:27 And it was a very, very significant hemorrhage. 01:09:31 And then her heart stopped. 01:09:34 And then she had to be resuscitated 01:09:36 in the operating room for several minutes. 01:09:39 And we were not able to get her heart to start back up. 01:09:42 And the anesthesiologist was saying, 01:09:45 I think we should call it, 01:09:47 I mean, we've lost her. 01:09:49 That's the end of the case. 01:09:50 And I just couldn't, couldn't let her go. 01:09:54 I should know, let's keep going. 01:09:56 We went another five minutes. 01:09:59 Still nothing, another five minutes after that. 01:10:01 But then we got a little heartbeat. 01:10:05 And, you know, a little epinephrine 01:10:07 and a few other things, 01:10:08 and her heart started beating again. 01:10:11 And we were able to get things closed up 01:10:14 and take her to the ICU. 01:10:15 But at that point, 01:10:19 she had no neurologic exam. 01:10:23 Brain dead, flat wave. 01:10:26 And I remember her father. 01:10:32 And he was a Christian. 01:10:34 And he said, "Doctor, is there? 01:10:37 Is there even a small chance 01:10:40 that she might survive, 01:10:42 and that she might wake up?" 01:10:46 He said, "One in 10 maybe? 01:10:47 "And I said, "No." He said, "One in 100?" 01:10:49 I said, "No." He said, "One in 1000?" 01:10:51 "No." 01:10:54 And then he and I challenged each other, 01:10:57 to see who could pray the hardest, 01:11:00 because that would be the only chance that she had. 01:11:04 And, interestingly enough, 01:11:10 over the next 12 hours, 01:11:14 she began to have some function, 01:11:15 her pupils started working. 01:11:18 Everybody was talking about this, 01:11:20 she woke up. 01:11:22 It was unbelievable. 01:11:25 But then, she started having pulmonary problems. 01:11:30 And portions of her lungs began to fail. 01:11:34 And the pulmonary specialists came and they looked 01:11:36 and they said, "She's going die. 01:11:41 We're not going to be able to save her." 01:11:44 Interestingly enough, that next day, 01:11:48 I was supposed to go to Ohio 01:11:50 to speak at one of the medical schools. 01:11:53 And early that morning, my youngest son 01:11:57 had a severe asthma attack. 01:12:01 Rick had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. 01:12:04 All of this is going on, 01:12:06 while this kid is dying. 01:12:08 And I get a call from one of the nurses saying 01:12:12 the last part of that lung is failing. 01:12:17 And would you like to come in and speak to the parents? 01:12:20 Well, I couldn't because I had to get to the airport. 01:12:23 And I, I called when I got to Ohio, 01:12:29 to speak to the parents 01:12:30 because I figured the baby was dead by then. 01:12:33 And they said, "No, the baby's still hanging on." 01:12:38 And, you know, I got back the next day. 01:12:42 And in fact, the lungs are starting to repair themselves. 01:12:48 But now the neurologist, 01:12:50 and the rehab people had come by and they said, 01:12:56 "The baby can't see, the baby can't hear, 01:12:59 has lost most neurological function. 01:13:02 There's really not even much point in sending her 01:13:05 to a rehabilitation facility." 01:13:08 And I had to go to California to do some stuff with the NIH. 01:13:12 And when I got back, 01:13:15 first thing I did was go into that baby's room. 01:13:20 And the baby looked at me and followed me with her eyes. 01:13:23 And the baby could obviously hear and it turns out 01:13:26 that the rehab people and the neurologist were right, 01:13:29 she was not a candidate because she was perfectly fine. 01:13:33 And you know what? 01:13:35 What that told me again, 01:13:38 who is in charge? 01:13:41 No matter what is going on in our lives, 01:13:45 who is actually in charge? 01:13:50 I remember the case of a little girl from Denver. 01:13:56 And she was having seizures, up to 130 seizures a day, 01:14:00 they would do everything they could to stop 01:14:02 the seizures. 01:14:04 They even put her in a pentobarbital coma 01:14:07 for two weeks. 01:14:09 Figured if they could just keep her sedated 01:14:14 and then let the brain rest, 01:14:16 it would be okay. 01:14:18 But after two weeks went by, and they lifted the sedation 01:14:21 and the seizure started right up again. 01:14:24 And, you know, I was contacted to see 01:14:27 if I would consider doing an operation called 01:14:32 cerebral hemispherectomy, 01:14:34 something that had been done in the past 01:14:36 and had fallen out of favor because of the high morbidity 01:14:40 and mortality associated there with. 01:14:44 And, you know, I did some studying 01:14:48 and concluded that maybe there was some things 01:14:53 we could do differently than had been done before. 01:14:57 Maybe there were some techniques that had improved, 01:15:00 and some materials that might make this feasible now. 01:15:05 And I remember when I was talking 01:15:07 to the parents, and they said, "Doctor, 01:15:08 have you ever done this before?" 01:15:09 And I said, "No." 01:15:11 And I said, "But I've studied the issue. 01:15:16 And I think there's a good chance 01:15:18 that it might work." 01:15:20 What did it take for those parents 01:15:24 to trust this young neurosurgeon 01:15:28 to do something so radical? 01:15:32 It's pretty amazing to me that they, 01:15:35 they did that, but they did. 01:15:38 And the operation was very difficult. 01:15:40 The brain was swollen, 01:15:42 there was a lot of bleeding. 01:15:44 We had to do massive transfusions. 01:15:48 And she didn't wake up immediately. 01:15:52 But she did within a matter of a couple of hours. 01:15:58 And the parents were by the bedside. 01:16:01 And she said, "Mommy, Daddy, I love you." 01:16:04 They were like on cloud nine. 01:16:08 And she made a tremendous recovery. 01:16:12 She was very photogenic, as was her mother. 01:16:17 And, you know, they got a lot of media attention. 01:16:21 The story was broadcast far and wide about hemispherectomy, 01:16:26 there's little girl living with half of brain 01:16:28 and doing well. 01:16:30 And that encouraged others. 01:16:33 And pretty soon, you know, 01:16:35 we were doing a lot of hemispherectomies. 01:16:39 And I remember at a press conference, 01:16:44 and they were the first 14, 13 of them were girls. 01:16:50 And one of the reporters said, 01:16:52 "Does this only work in women and girls? 01:16:56 Why is it that 13 are girls and one is a male?" 01:17:00 And I said, "Well, 01:17:02 women only use half of their brain anyway." 01:17:06 Telling a joke, of course. 01:17:08 And one of the female neurologist said, 01:17:12 "No, that's not correct." 01:17:15 She said, "Women only need half of their brain 01:17:18 to be as smart as men." 01:17:21 But in fact, we had a lot of fun. 01:17:25 But, but the key thing was that first case, 01:17:31 which required a lot of courage, 01:17:32 and a lot of study, 01:17:35 opened the pathway for many others, 01:17:39 who had very difficult situations 01:17:41 to get them resolved. 01:17:44 And now that operation is a common operation 01:17:48 that's done by virtually all pediatric neurosurgeons. 01:17:53 But the Lord opened that pathway up in a way 01:17:58 that I would not have expected. 01:18:02 By the same token, when I left medicine, 01:18:06 and came into government. 01:18:10 I also ran into a lot of resistance. 01:18:15 Because there was a... 01:18:17 which surprised me. 01:18:19 There were a lot of people in Washington 01:18:22 who didn't want to get people out of dependency. 01:18:26 And I want, I should, everybody should agree 01:18:28 with these things that will help people move up 01:18:31 the ladders of opportunity and become, 01:18:34 you know, independent. 01:18:37 And it was very difficult, 01:18:40 but we were able to get several things done, 01:18:43 including envision centers, 01:18:45 which comes from the Bible. 01:18:47 Proverbs 29:18, 01:18:49 "Without a vision, the people perish." 01:18:52 We take all these federal agencies, 01:18:56 13 of them, combined with state agencies, 01:18:59 local agencies, faith, faith organizations, 01:19:02 nonprofits, and amalgamate the services that they provide, 01:19:08 and put it all under one roof. 01:19:11 So that that teenage mother 01:19:14 of two had a place 01:19:17 where she could go and be able to get childcare. 01:19:23 At the same time, find out how to get her GED. 01:19:27 And after that, be able to get some additional training 01:19:29 so she can become independent, 01:19:32 and subsequently teach that to her children. 01:19:36 That's the only way you break these growing patterns 01:19:39 of dependency. 01:19:41 Those are the kinds of things that we have to start thinking 01:19:44 about in this nation in which we live. 01:19:49 And perhaps most important, 01:19:52 and one I want to close with, 01:19:57 is we have to seek God. 01:20:00 We have to seek Him now. 01:20:03 Times are difficult that we live in. 01:20:08 And if we don't have Him, we're not going to make it. 01:20:13 And here we go. Yes. 01:20:17 Isaiah 55:6, 01:20:20 "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, 01:20:25 call ye upon him while he is near: 01:20:31 Let the wicked forsake his ways, 01:20:32 and the unrighteous man his thoughts: 01:20:35 and let him return unto the Lord, 01:20:37 and he will have mercy upon him, 01:20:39 and to our God, 01:20:42 and he will abundantly pardon." 01:20:46 We have such a gracious and accepting God 01:20:51 who has everything under control. 01:20:54 We don't need to worry about all this horrendous stuff 01:20:58 that we see going on around us 01:21:01 every single day. 01:21:04 All we have to do is trust in Him. 01:21:08 He will take our fear away. 01:21:10 He will give us courage. 01:21:12 He will direct what we're doing. 01:21:15 All we have to do is what is right. 01:21:18 And let me close with a prayer. 01:21:21 Kind Father in heaven, 01:21:24 You are so gracious, You are so good, 01:21:26 You're so kind, You're so generous. 01:21:30 And yet sometimes we forget about You, 01:21:34 and sometimes we neglect You. 01:21:37 Help us to seek You 01:21:40 while You may be found 01:21:43 that You might use us all in a specific way 01:21:46 that You have ordained, 01:21:50 that we may bring eventual peace 01:21:55 and prosperity and the conditions 01:21:59 that are right for Your triumphant return 01:22:04 in Jesus' name. 01:22:05 Amen. 01:22:21 Glory be to the Father 01:22:26 And to the Son 01:22:30 And to the Holy Ghost 01:22:37 As it was in the beginning 01:22:42 Is now and ever shall be 01:22:48 World without end 01:22:53 Amen, 01:22:56 Amen 01:23:24 Holy, holy, holy! 01:23:30 Lord God Almighty! 01:23:35 Early in the morning 01:23:40 Our song 01:23:42 Shall rise to thee 01:23:48 Holy, holy, holy 01:23:54 Merciful and mighty! 01:23:59 God in three persons 01:24:06 Blessed Trinity! 01:24:21 Holy, holy, holy! 01:24:27 Though the darkness hide thee 01:24:33 Though the eye of sinful man 01:24:39 Thy glory may not 01:24:42 See 01:24:49 Only thou art holy 01:24:54 There is none beside thee 01:25:00 Perfect in power 01:25:05 In love, 01:25:07 And purity 01:25:24 As it was in the beginning 01:25:29 Is now, and ever shall be 01:25:35 World without end 01:25:39 Amen, 01:25:42 Amen 01:25:47 Holy, holy, holy! 01:25:52 Lord God Almighty! 01:25:58 Oh thy works shall praise Thy name 01:26:03 In earth and sky and sea 01:26:09 Thousand saints and thousands 01:26:15 Bowing down before thee 01:26:20 You art Yes, 01:26:23 You art You art And You art 01:26:27 And evermore 01:26:31 Shalt be 01:26:41 Amen! |
Revised 2022-01-13