It Is Written

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW202309S


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
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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 ♪♪


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Revised 2023-11-22