Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW202309S
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00:01 >> Welcome to It Is Written
00:03 Canada. 00:03 Thank you for joining us. 00:06 May we ask you a question? 00:08 What are the odds of you 00:09 being born? 00:10 >> Maybe one in a trillion. 00:12 >> Oh, no. 00:13 Much greater than that. 00:14 Think about the probability of 00:16 your parents meeting, marrying, 00:19 and the single reproductive cell 00:21 of the possible trillions from 00:23 your father uniting with the 00:25 precise egg of the average 00:28 hundred thousand viable eggs 00:30 from your mother, uniting 00:32 to make you. 00:33 >> But the same process had to 00:35 take place to create your 00:36 parents and grandparents and all 00:38 your ancestors back to the 00:40 beginning of creation. 00:42 If even one microscopic change 00:45 occurred at any stage in 00:47 history, you would not be here. 00:49 >> So if one of your ancestors 00:51 died in a war, a car crash, or 00:54 from sickness, you would not 00:56 exist. 00:57 So what are the odds of you 00:59 being born? 01:00 The most conservative estimates 01:03 are one in 400 trillion, 01:05 but it's more like one in 01:07 400 quadrillion. 01:09 [MIKE] So you might not realize 01:10 what 400 quadrillion looks like. 01:13 So let me give you an idea. 01:15 If you were to live for one 01:16 million seconds, then you would 01:18 live for 11.57 days. 01:21 Whereas one billion seconds 01:23 equals 31.7 years. 01:27 And one trillion seconds equals 01:30 3,179 years. 01:32 And a quadrillion seconds is 01:35 31,700,700 years. 01:38 So if the odds of you being born 01:40 are one in 400 quadrillion, 01:44 then it's a miracle that you 01:47 are here. 01:48 >> A miracle is an event so 01:51 unlikely that it is almost 01:53 impossible. 01:54 So by that definition, you are 01:57 definitely a miracle. 02:00 The Bible records God saying... 02:17 Isn't it beautiful 02:19 and comforting to know that God 02:22 knew you before you were born? 02:25 >> Today on It Is Written 02:26 Canada, you will meet Ricardo 02:27 Mena, who, as a young person was 02:29 angry with God, acting out 02:31 certain self-destructive 02:33 behaviours, getting caught in a 02:34 cycle of addictions, not 02:36 realizing that he was anything 02:38 special. 02:40 >> In a moment, Ricardo will 02:42 tell you his true story of how 02:45 God completely changed the way 02:47 he saw his life. 02:50 [theme music playing] 02:53 ♪♪ 03:26 [chains clanking] 03:28 [sound of metal shattering] 03:33 >> Welcome again to It Is 03:34 Written Canada. 03:35 Thank you for joining us. 03:37 >> Sometimes I hear people say, 03:39 "I'm really a nobody, 03:41 I'm just me." 03:42 Do you know that God, your 03:44 Creator, has a different 03:46 perspective? 03:47 He says, "You are not 03:49 just you." 03:51 God says... 03:55 [MIKE] As a young person, our 03:56 special guest today, Ricardo 03:58 Mena, did not believe that he 04:00 was a miraculous chosen child 04:03 of God. 04:04 >> But obviously, something 04:05 happened to change all that. 04:09 Pastor Ricardo, thank you for 04:11 being willing to share your 04:12 story with us today. 04:14 And thank you for joining us on 04:16 It Is Written Canada. 04:17 >> Thank you for inviting me. 04:19 It's a pleasure to be here. 04:21 [MIKE] Pastor Ricardo, we 04:22 received a lot of hope from your 04:24 story, but before we get into 04:25 the details of that, I wonder if 04:27 you can tell us about your past, 04:28 about your family. 04:29 [RICARDO] Of course. 04:31 I was born in South America, in 04:32 Chile, to be more specific. 04:35 I'm a fourth generation 04:37 Seventh-day Adventist, which 04:38 doesn't mean much, because my 04:40 mom married outside the church. 04:44 So for a little bit my dad was 04:45 in the church, but then they 04:47 left the church. 04:48 So I was born outside. 04:52 >> Pastor Ricardo, as a child, 04:54 you started exhibiting certain 04:57 behavioural problems. 04:58 At what age did that begin? 05:01 >> As I go back, it begins about 05:05 five, six years old. 05:07 I started wetting my bed, 05:11 a lot of fighting, getting in 05:15 trouble in school, fighting 05:17 all the time. 05:18 My mom had to go in the school 05:20 almost every other day. 05:22 I was very violent. 05:25 I got kicked out of school. 05:27 Then I had issues trying to find 05:29 a school that would accept me, 05:31 and that's kind of what 05:32 happened. 05:33 I didn't know exactly why all 05:35 these things were happening. 05:37 My parents had no idea. 05:38 They took me to a psychologist 05:41 to see what's going on with this 05:43 kid, and the psychologist 05:46 couldn't find out what was 05:47 happening. 05:48 So nobody knew what was really 05:51 taking place in my life. 05:53 >> When you look back, what do 05:55 you think was the root cause of 05:57 what you were experiencing? 05:59 >> As I look back into my life, 06:01 what was really happening is 06:04 something that nobody knew. 06:06 I was sexually abused. 06:07 I believe somewhere around, I 06:10 have done the math, basically 06:12 looking back at some trips with 06:13 my family to try to realize, 06:15 pinpoint when this happened, 06:17 about five years old, somewhere 06:19 there I was sexually abused 06:21 by a cousin. 06:23 Very unfortunate situation, but 06:25 that's really what happened. 06:27 And based on that, that I didn't 06:29 even know that I was reacting to 06:31 that traumatic event, I was 06:34 involved with drugs very early, 06:37 at a very early age, where I 06:40 began to smoke at the age 06:43 of eight. 06:44 I was just asking, you know, 06:46 some other people to let me have 06:49 a couple of puffs on their 06:51 cigarette. 06:52 I remember my grandpa, he would 06:54 give me money and I would go and 06:55 buy a cigarette in the corner 06:56 store. 06:58 You would do that and they 06:59 wouldn't question. 07:00 This is different times. 07:01 And I remember I started 07:03 drinking with my cousin. 07:06 My cousin, he had a father that 07:08 was an alcoholic and he was kind 07:10 of going into that. 07:11 I had no idea about that either. 07:13 But he would go out on the 07:15 weekends with his friends. 07:17 My cousin is way older than me. 07:18 I would stay at my grandma's 07:20 place and I would just come back 07:22 drunk, wasted with my cousin, 07:24 right, at the age of 13. 07:26 Had no idea. 07:28 At the same age, I started 07:29 smoking marijuana, which my 07:32 parents had no idea that that 07:33 was taking place. 07:35 And at the age of 16, all this 07:37 is progressing very rapidly 07:40 where I'm already experimenting 07:41 with cocaine, with hash, 07:43 and it's just, 07:44 it's just getting bad. 07:45 It's just getting bad. 07:47 >> And then, Pastor Ricardo, at 07:49 the age of 19 you moved from 07:51 Chile to Winnipeg, Manitoba 07:55 in Canada. 07:56 Can you tell us about that 07:58 experience? 07:59 >> Yes, that was a traumatic 08:02 experience, not just because of 08:04 the move, but February is summer 08:09 in Chile. 08:10 So I remember very vividly that 08:12 day because I left on February 08:15 the 12th with plus 37 in 08:18 Santiago, plus 37 Celsius. 08:21 I arrive in Winnipeg with the 08:25 next day, February the 13th, 08:27 with -37. 08:29 So you can make the math, 08:30 you know? 08:31 So that was a huge change. 08:33 I remember coming out of the 08:34 airport, I couldn't breathe, I'm 08:36 choking, I'm [gasps]. 08:37 "What is this?" Right? 08:39 So, yeah, it was a very 08:40 traumatic experience. 08:41 But having said that, also the 08:45 culture was very different. 08:47 I remember that as I got here at 08:51 4:00, around 4:00 in the 08:54 afternoon, I remember that my 08:55 cousin was waiting for me at the 08:58 airport with my uncle and 08:59 whatever, and I arrive at 4:00, 09:03 at 6:00 I was already high, 09:07 I was already smoking weed. 09:10 So it was very easy to kind of 09:14 get your hands on any kind of 09:16 drugs here in Canada. 09:19 >> And that was at a time when 09:20 it wasn't legal. 09:22 [RICARDO] No. 09:23 Of course, now you can go to any 09:26 store that is licensed 09:27 to do that. 09:28 Yeah, no, it wasn't legal. 09:29 We're talking about 20 years 09:30 ago, right? 09:32 >> So everything changed. 09:34 What was the turning point? 09:36 I mean, what happened when 09:37 you were in Canada? 09:38 Did things get better or worse? 09:41 [RICARDO] No, things escalated, 09:42 they got rapidly worse. 09:45 I was already struggling with 09:47 addictions from Chile, I came 09:50 here just as a drug addict. 09:52 I mean, I was smoking every 09:53 single day, I was doing hash, I 09:55 was doing cocaine before I came 09:57 to Canada. 09:58 So here was just like the door 10:00 to all the opportunities, 10:02 very easy. 10:04 So I remember going to high 10:05 school and this was in the 10:07 school yard, you had like 10:09 three, four kids selling 10:10 marijuana, right? 10:12 So yeah, no, I got-- it was very 10:14 easy, things escalated. 10:16 And because I was so hooked to 10:18 this, I was so addicted that I 10:20 couldn't afford it anymore. 10:22 It's expensive, it's very 10:24 expensive. 10:25 And on top of that, I was 10:26 smoking a pack of cigarettes 10:27 a day. 10:28 So I couldn't afford it. 10:29 So then what is the next thing 10:31 you do? 10:32 I started dealing. 10:34 I started selling marijuana. 10:36 And the interesting thing 10:38 is that... 10:40 ...I was basically in contact 10:44 with all of these crazy people 10:47 and one of the guys that was 10:49 giving me the marijuana for me 10:50 to sell was a cop 10:52 or a part-time cop. 10:54 So a crooked police. 10:56 So imagine that. 10:58 So this is how bad things were. 11:01 >> So how did things change? 11:02 Was there a specific turning 11:03 point? 11:05 [RICARDO] Yes, of course. 11:06 As I was saying, things got 11:09 really bad to the point that I'm 11:11 now selling marijuana. 11:14 My parents don't know what's 11:16 going on... 11:18 ...but I'm just getting 11:20 more hooked due to the 11:23 addiction and... 11:25 And one of the things that began 11:27 to happen is that one night I 11:29 experienced something that is... 11:32 ...called, like, this, basically 11:34 the feeling of death. 11:36 I didn't even know what it was. 11:38 Later on, I knew that it was a 11:40 panic attack, but I didn't know. 11:42 It was just like a heart attack. 11:43 Like your throat's, like, 11:46 closing up, you start feeling, 11:47 you know, your heart is racing 11:49 very fast, pain in your chest, 11:52 your arm is just in excruciating 11:54 pain that I thought I was having 11:57 a heart attack, like... 11:58 And at one point, basically 12:01 you're so scared, but at one 12:02 point you just kind of give up 12:05 and you're ready to go. 12:07 That moment just was the 12:10 beginning of the turning point. 12:12 From that moment on, I started 12:14 experiencing this often. 12:16 I couldn't do any drugs, my body 12:19 would start reacting. 12:20 I went through kind of a 12:23 withdrawal process that lasted a 12:24 long time where I'm having these 12:26 panic attacks all the time, 12:28 where I can't sleep, I cannot 12:29 hear my heart. 12:31 I have a-- even till now, I have 12:32 a hard time listening to my 12:34 heart. 12:35 If I put my my head on the 12:36 pillow and I hear my heart, I 12:37 need to change positions. 12:39 And through that moment, I 12:41 remember also that I, I was 12:43 feeling like I was losing it, 12:44 that I was going crazy, that I 12:46 couldn't control my body. 12:48 And I would wake up at night, 12:50 2:00 in the morning and just kin 12:51 of sit by the window. 12:52 I couldn't sleep well, I was 12:54 sleeping in a fetal position, 12:55 hugging a pillow sometimes. 12:57 It was just a scary moment in my 12:58 life where my parents didn't 13:00 know what was happening. 13:03 One of the things that through 13:04 that process was happening is 13:05 that my mom felt the need to go 13:07 back to church and my dad was 13:10 the one that follow after that. 13:13 And then my little sister. 13:15 Meanwhile, I'm just turning to 13:18 drinking now because drinking is 13:21 okay, my body doesn't react. 13:22 So I'm drinking, I'm drinking, 13:25 like, over, you know, more than 13:26 $300 a weekend and I'm just 13:29 grabbing a backpack, getting a 13:31 six pack in my backpack and then 13:33 just walking by myself downtown 13:35 Winnipeg, see if I could pick up 13:37 a fight or something like that. 13:38 Just angry with the world, just 13:40 losing it. 13:41 That's kind of what is happening 13:42 at that time. 13:45 >> And was there something that 13:49 your parents said or how did how 13:51 did they reach you 13:52 in that place? 13:53 They must have been, you know, 13:54 watching something and seeing 13:57 our son is not the same. 13:58 >> So that time as they're going 14:00 back to church, one of the-- of 14:02 course, they are scared for what 14:03 is happening in my life, they 14:04 don't know how to deal with it. 14:06 And they invited me to church. 14:11 And they invited me to church 14:13 and they were persistent 14:15 about it. 14:16 So I went to an evangelistic 14:18 series. 14:19 Now picture the worst 14:20 evangelistic series you can 14:21 imagine. 14:22 It's like we had Doug Batchelor, 14:24 it's not that he's a bad 14:25 speaker, he's a great speaker, 14:27 but Doug Batchelor speaking in 14:28 English. 14:29 Now this is translated over, 14:31 like, you can hear the English 14:32 and then you hear the Spanish 14:35 and it's in a satellite so you 14:36 have it on a projector and a 14:37 screen in the basement of a 14:39 church. 14:40 That's the evangelistic series 14:42 that I went to. 14:43 And-- but this is how God works. 14:47 He spoke something that just 14:48 caught my attention. 14:50 Didn't go back to church again, 14:52 but I followed that through the 14:53 computer. 14:55 And that was the beginning 14:56 of a change. 14:58 >> So it wasn't a polished 15:00 message, it was the message that 15:03 you heard, it was the content, 15:04 really, that spoke to you. 15:06 [RICARDO] Yes, the content. 15:09 Basically the appeal to my 15:10 intelligence and I think that 15:12 that's how God works, He appeals 15:14 to our intellect. 15:15 Now, one of the things that 15:16 happened there, Mike, is that as 15:19 time progressed, I felt the need 15:22 to spend-- to get to know God. 15:26 And one day I remember I made 15:29 the decision to go to church. 15:31 And my parents didn't know, they 15:32 were having breakfast so I 15:34 grabbed the towel, I went right 15:35 across the living room to the 15:36 bathroom. 15:38 And they were wondering, "What 15:39 is this guy doing Saturday 15:40 morning? 15:41 Usually he's coming back on 15:42 Saturday morning, so what is he 15:44 doing?" 15:44 So I went to the shower, I said, 15:45 "Oh, I'm gonna take a shower." 15:47 "Where are you going?" 15:48 "I'm going to church." 15:49 And they were super surprised, 15:50 they were, as you can imagine, 15:52 they were happy. 15:53 So we made it to church and one 15:55 of the things that I experienced 15:56 there is that as the service 16:00 ended, the elder of the church 16:04 approached me and he says, 16:06 "Welcome, I knew you would 16:08 come." 16:10 And I'm looking at him all kind 16:12 of suspicious, how this guy knew 16:14 that I was gonna come here 16:16 when I made the decision this 16:17 morning? 16:18 And so I confronted him and I 16:20 asked him, "How do you know?" 16:23 So he said, "I knew you would 16:24 come because we were praying 16:27 for you." 16:28 And that moment, I just knew 16:31 that along that time as my mom 16:35 was going to church, as my dad 16:36 was going to church, people were 16:37 praying for me and that made the 16:40 difference. 16:42 [MIKE] You didn't know they were 16:43 praying for you? 16:45 >> I had no idea. 16:47 I had no idea that people were 16:48 praying for me. 16:49 >> And that really spoke to your 16:51 heart? 16:53 >> I mean, I believe that 16:54 everything that happened, to be 16:55 honest, from the panic attacks 16:57 through the whole journey, that 16:59 was God reaching out, just 17:01 pulling me out of the mess. 17:04 [RENÉ] This is so encouraging, 17:06 Pastor, because it reminds those 17:10 viewing who are parents and 17:12 might be feeling so discouraged 17:14 about their children, but just 17:17 to know that don't stop praying 17:19 for your kids. 17:21 Prayer is so powerful and God 17:25 knows each of our children so 17:27 well and He knows exactly how to 17:29 reach them, just like He reached 17:31 you. 17:32 And He's promised in His word 17:34 that He's going to save our 17:36 children. 17:37 [RICARDO] Amen. 17:38 [RENÉ] And so what an experience 17:39 it must have been for your mom 17:41 and your dad. 17:44 >> So did you get involved in 17:45 the church? 17:47 >> Of course. 17:48 This is the amazing thing that 17:49 God does, right? 17:51 He not only changes you inside, 17:53 but He uses you. 17:56 And I began to get involved with 17:59 the youth and we were doing 18:01 different activities, different 18:03 things in the church. 18:05 I remember one of the things 18:06 that changed my life was 18:09 the fact that we used to go to 18:10 the nursing home and we used to 18:12 do this service for a couple 18:14 Hispanic guys that were there. 18:16 And I remember that one day, one 18:18 Saturday afternoon, as I was 18:21 coming home, I was riding in the 18:23 back of the car with my parents 18:25 and I was just reflecting about 18:26 the day. 18:27 I was feeling so... how can I-- 18:30 so joyful, so satisfied about 18:32 the day. 18:33 I was happy, I was enjoying what 18:35 I was doing. 18:36 I remember as I'm riding, I'm 18:39 thinking about the whole day and 18:41 I felt that this is what I had 18:42 to do. 18:44 I felt that this is what I need 18:46 to be doing my whole life. 18:48 And I spoke to my parents and I 18:49 said, "I know what I want to do 18:51 with my life." 18:53 I had no idea before, but this 18:55 moment it was just so clear 18:56 to me. 18:57 And they asked, "So yeah, what 18:58 do you want to do?" 18:59 I said, "I wanna be a minister." 19:01 Of course they were super happy 19:04 about that. 19:05 But that moment just 19:07 changed my life. 19:08 It changed my life. 19:11 >> Pastor Ricardo, you really 19:12 had to face a lot. 19:15 Were you ever angry with God for 19:18 what happened to you as a child? 19:21 >> Of course, and I think that 19:23 most and I would say maybe all 19:25 of the victims that go through 19:28 something as dramatic as I did, 19:30 they have questioned God at one 19:32 point or another. 19:34 And one of the things that I 19:35 question is where was God? 19:38 Where was God in that moment? 19:40 Because in that moment, as I 19:42 grew up and as I tried to cope 19:44 with what happened, not telling 19:46 anyone, I felt guilty, I felt 19:48 ashamed, I felt lonely, I felt 19:52 that I was just battling this 19:54 myself, I felt even incapable of 19:56 overcoming all this stuff. 19:58 So I questioned, where was God? 19:59 If there is a loving God, 20:01 where is He? 20:02 Why did He allow that to happen 20:03 to me? 20:04 I was mad at God. 20:05 At one point I just, I became an 20:07 atheist, I didn't care for God 20:08 because if there is a loving God 20:11 somewhere, how He can allow this 20:14 to happen to me? 20:15 >> And now that you have become 20:17 a pastor, you study the Bible, 20:19 what do you understand about 20:20 where God was when you were 20:22 going through that? 20:24 >> It's amazing, that journey, 20:26 to understand where God was in 20:28 the picture. 20:29 You know, God was always 20:31 in the picture. 20:32 Now, one of the things is that 20:34 we have choice, and I understand 20:36 that we have freedom of choice 20:38 and we live, unfortunately, in a 20:40 world that is sinful. 20:41 And we can exercise that choice 20:43 where God doesn't manipulate, 20:45 God doesn't control, and those 20:48 things that happen to us, they 20:49 are the product of somebody 20:50 else's choice that affect 20:54 your life. 20:55 So in reality, I mean, God was 20:59 there, but in His love He 21:01 allowed choice to take place 21:04 and, unfortunately, because of 21:05 sin, those things come to us 21:08 without us asking for it. 21:10 Now, the cool thing about it is 21:13 that He doesn't leave you there. 21:15 He doesn't leave you broken, 21:17 He mends you, He brings you up, 21:20 He builds you up 21:21 and He heals you. 21:23 Ultimately, He brings healing 21:24 into your life. 21:26 >> How were you able to move 21:28 forward from your past to-- was 21:31 there some kind of mechanism 21:32 for you? 21:33 Was it forgiveness? 21:34 What was it that allowed you to 21:36 move forward and not be ruled by 21:38 your past? 21:40 >> It was tough, it was a tough 21:41 journey. 21:42 Still, like, there are moments 21:44 that is difficult. 21:46 I did a lot of psychology 21:47 classes trying to understand 21:49 what happened, why I reacted the 21:51 way I did, but ultimately it was 21:54 understanding that you are not 21:56 the product of the past, that 21:59 you can create a future, that 22:01 you don't have to be ruled by 22:03 the things of the past. 22:04 Usually when we go through these 22:07 experiences, those experiences, 22:09 they become the things that are 22:10 ruling your present and you 22:13 almost define yourself by those 22:15 things. 22:16 God showed me through His Word 22:18 that I didn't have to define 22:20 myself by what happened to me, 22:22 that I could be a son of God, 22:24 that I could have a future, that 22:25 He could break-- that He could 22:27 let me actually have the 22:29 experience of breaking free from 22:30 that experience and not be ruled 22:32 by it. 22:33 Just, doesn't mean that you're 22:34 gonna forget. 22:35 It's always there. 22:37 You remember, but you're not 22:39 ruled by it, so you break free 22:40 and you can create a future with 22:42 God leading that future. 22:43 And it's amazing, it's amazing 22:45 when that happens, your whole 22:47 world changes. 22:49 [RENÉ] Pastor Ricardo, have you 22:51 had any opportunities to 22:54 minister to others because of 22:55 your traumatic experiences? 22:59 >> That's one of the things that 23:00 is strange. 23:02 You may you may think that how 23:04 can you minister with something 23:05 that, you know, happened to you 23:06 that is so horrible? 23:09 But it's amazing how God turned 23:10 bad things into something that 23:12 can be useful. 23:14 I have had many experiences 23:15 where a young girl or someone, 23:18 even a young male, approached me 23:21 and opens up and say, "This is 23:23 what happened." 23:25 And I said, "I know what you're 23:27 going through." 23:28 And of course, people, they say, 23:29 "No, you don't know what you're 23:30 going through-- what I'm going 23:31 through." 23:33 I say, "Yes, I know what you're 23:33 going through." 23:34 "No, you don't." 23:35 And I'm like, "Yes, I know 23:36 exactly what you're going 23:37 through because I went through 23:38 it also." 23:39 And it gives you an opportunity 23:41 to just not only share how God 23:44 has taken you out of there, but 23:46 to provide hope for people to 23:48 know that you don't have to be 23:49 stuck in the same place that 23:51 you've been for years. 23:54 >> You also have a very creative 23:56 side to you and you've done some 23:57 creative ministry cutting hair. 23:59 Tell us a little bit about that. 24:01 [RICARDO] Yeah, cutting hair is. 24:03 I came to this church when 24:06 COVID started, so everything was 24:08 closed and I'm like, "What do 24:09 you use to get to know people 24:13 when you are just behind 24:14 cameras?" 24:15 [RICARDO] You want zero to two. 24:16 >> Yeah. 24:17 >> Okay, so we'll blend this 24:18 side here and then we'll just 24:20 blend it in. 24:20 Okay. 24:21 >> Sure, yeah yeah, that'll be 24:22 good. 24:22 [RICARDO] So yes, I cut hair. 24:25 I started that as an initiative 24:27 to get to know the youth in the 24:30 church and has worked. 24:33 Of course, that's something that 24:34 began, before that I use this in 24:37 the States, I use this in Cuba 24:39 as creative evangelism. 24:41 It's an awesome opportunity to 24:42 get to know people. 24:44 You know, when you go and you 24:44 sit in a barber chair, you just 24:47 kind of talk and walls come down 24:51 and then you get to get in 24:52 contact with people. 24:53 So, yeah, that's what is 24:54 happening. 24:55 We're thinking about opening 24:56 that to the community, too, 24:57 so... 24:58 So that's where we are 24:58 with that. 25:01 >> So can you tell us a little 25:02 bit more about your church here 25:05 in Winnipeg, Manitoba? 25:07 >> Yes, Henderson Highway Church 25:09 is a very loving church. 25:12 It's a multicultural church. 25:14 We have, I think, if I'm not 25:17 mistaken, over 20 countries that 25:19 are here in this church so it's 25:22 very nice. 25:23 You can find people from a lot 25:24 of places within the church, 25:26 yeah. 25:28 [RENÉ] And so one final 25:29 question. 25:31 Do you have a favourite Bible 25:33 verse that you can share 25:35 with us? 25:36 >> Yes, of course. 25:37 My favourite Bible verse is how 25:39 God spoke to me in those moments 25:41 of darkness and it's Jeremiah 25:44 chapter 1, verses 4 to 9. 25:47 It talks about that before God 25:49 created you, He already knew you 25:52 and He had a purpose for you. 25:54 And He says, "I assign you as a 25:55 prophet for the nations, and 25:56 wherever you go, 25:58 I will be with you." 25:59 That passage has been with me 26:02 throughout my ministry, 26:03 understanding that God knew me 26:05 before He even created me. 26:08 [MIKE] Pastor Ricardo, before we 26:09 go, I wonder if you could pray 26:11 for our viewers. 26:12 There may be someone who is 26:14 watching, who has been through 26:15 something traumatic. 26:16 Could you pray for them 26:17 for healing? 26:18 [RICARDO] Of course. 26:19 Let us pray. 26:21 Father God, we're so thankful 26:23 that we have a safe place, a 26:25 refuge place, where we can come 26:27 and run without brokenness, 26:29 knowing that we accepted, 26:30 that we are loved. 26:32 Father, You never intended for 26:33 us to experience the pain that 26:36 we go through in this world of 26:37 suffering. 26:38 But, Lord, thank You that You 26:39 have manifested Yourself in 26:41 tangible ways, in a way to tell 26:43 us that You love us, that You 26:44 care, that You are in our lives, 26:46 that we are not abandoned, that 26:47 we are not alone. 26:49 And Father, I pray that You will 26:50 break some chains today, that 26:51 You will set some people free. 26:53 You came to set the captives 26:54 free, and I pray that You will 26:56 do that. 26:56 Whoever is struggling, Lord, 26:58 with self esteem issues, whoever 27:00 is struggling with the pain and 27:02 the suffering of abuse, I pray, 27:04 Lord, that You will come into 27:06 their lives and that You will 27:07 let them know how much You love 27:09 them and how valuable they are 27:11 to You, that You gave Your own 27:12 life, the most precious thing 27:14 that you had, You gave it for 27:16 them so that they could actually 27:18 spend eternity with You. 27:19 Father, please put that in their 27:21 minds, in their hearts, make 27:22 that part of their experience, 27:24 for we pray in Jesus' name, 27:25 amen. 27:26 [MIKE & RENÉ] Amen. 27:27 >> Pastor Ricardo, thank you so 27:29 much for joining us on It Is 27:31 Written Canada today. 27:33 >> Thank you. 27:33 It was a pleasure 27:34 to be with you. 27:38 >> Just like Pastor Ricardo's 27:40 story, our free offer, Changed 27:42 For Life, will give you hope. 27:45 >> Changed For Life features the 27:47 incredible true stories of 27:49 people who faced unbelievable 27:52 challenges. 27:53 No matter who you are, where you 27:55 come from, or what kind of pain 27:57 you are facing today, you will 27:59 see how God has a solution 28:02 for you. 28:05 >> Before you go, we would also 28:06 like to invite you to follow us 28:09 on Instagram and Facebook and 28:11 subscribe to our YouTube channel 28:14 and also listen to our podcasts. 28:17 And if you go to our website, 28:19 you can see our latest programs. 28:22 >> You, too, can experience the 28:23 fullness of life found in the 28:25 words of Jesus when He said, "It 28:27 is written, 'Man shall not live 28:29 by bread alone, but by every 28:31 word that proceeds out of the 28:33 mouth of God.'" 28:34 [inspirational music playing] 28:37 ♪♪ |
Revised 2023-11-22