Participants: Rodney MacCullum
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000967
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01:02 You know if you have come here to
01:04 Michigan Men of Faith. 01:08 You've come to be blessed for sure, 01:13 but I believe that you are probably here because 01:16 you have a determination in your heart that you're 01:20 not just going to be one of those kind of men, 01:25 who follows along behind whatever wind is driving 01:30 itself through the church or through the world. 01:33 You're here because you believe 01:36 God can lead through you. 01:39 You will be a soldier of Christ then in God's army. 01:44 Let's sing that song Soldiers of Christ Arise. 01:58 Soldiers of Christ, arise, And put your armor on, 02:07 Strong in the strength which God supplies, 02:12 Through His eternal Son; 02:16 Strong in the Lord of hosts, 02:21 And in His mighty pow'r, 02:26 Who in the strength of Jesus trusts 02:31 Is more than conqueror? 02:37 Stand then in His great might, 02:41 With all His strength endued; 02:47 But take, to arm you for the fight, 02:51 The panoply of God; 02:56 That, having all things done, 03:01 And all your conflicts passed, 03:06 You may o'ercome through Christ alone, 03:11 And stand entire at last. 03:17 From strength to strength go on; 03:21 Wrestle, and fight, and pray; 03:27 Tread all the power of darkness down, 03:32 And win the well-fought day: 03:37 Still let the Spirit cry 03:41 In all His soldiers, "Come!" 03:46 Till Christ the Lord who reigns on high, 03:52 Shall take the conquerors home. 04:00 Amen! Well if you're going to be a 04:03 Soldier of Christ, how many of you think 04:06 that you can just branch out on your own 04:10 and you can walk the path alone and you can fight 04:13 the battle alone. You think you need help, 04:17 amen. We can use help from each other, 04:20 but unless we have Jesus walking with us, 04:23 we won't accomplish much, will we, 04:25 we'll be overcome. And so let's sing the 04:28 next song I Want Jesus to Walk With Me. 04:41 I want Jesus to walk with me 04:51 I want Jesus to walk with me 05:02 All along my pilgrim journey, 05:12 I want Jesus to walk with me 05:23 In my trials, Lord, walk with me 05:33 In my trials, Lord, walk with me 05:43 When the shades of life are falling, 05:53 I want Jesus to walk with me. 06:04 In my sorrows, Lord, walk with me. 06:14 In my sorrows, Lord, walk with me. 06:24 When my heart within is aching, 06:35 I want Jesus to walk with me 06:46 Amen! Thank you. Amen, amen! 09:35 Good morning men, happy Sabbath. 09:37 Good morning. I want to thank Byron Graves, 09:40 our music teacher here our band and 09:44 bell choir teacher here at 09:45 Great Lakes Adventist Academy, 09:47 and I want to thank all of you students for 09:49 coming and be in willing and sharing your talents 09:52 with us this Sabbath day. You know it's just such a 09:56 privilege to be able to come together as men 10:00 and to be able to worship God. 10:04 This is the day that the Lord has made for us 10:09 to get to know Him, and for us to be reminded 10:14 that He created us, He loves us, 10:19 and He wants to spend time with us, 10:23 like never before the enemy of our souls, 10:26 the enemy of God is doing everything 10:29 he can do to try to ruin our experience. 10:33 As men, he wants to slam us, he wants 10:38 to degrade us, he wants to be little less, 10:42 he wants to weaken our faith. 10:44 If you turn on any television show 10:47 and you look at any family on there, 10:51 the man might have the nice house but 10:53 he is projected as an idiot. 10:58 We are under attack men, but we are called today 11:04 to come together as men to strengthen one another, 11:09 to build faith and to be reminded that 11:12 there is a God in heaven that loves us. 11:16 There is a God in heaven 11:17 that has paid for our sins. Amen! 11:23 That God became sin for us 11:30 and He took our penalty, He took our shame. 11:36 This morning I invite you to bow your heads 11:40 with me as we pray and as we ask the 11:45 presence of God to be here with us. 11:47 Father in Heaven, we want to thank you so much 11:51 for this day tha you've given us. 11:54 This isn't a day where we come to be entertained. 12:01 This is your Holy Sabbath day. 12:06 We have come to worship you amen men. Amen! 12:12 We have come to praise you and give you honor. 12:16 We have been under attack but you are a God 12:20 that can and will help us. 12:26 We know that you love us within everlasting love, 12:30 and so today Lord we pray that you would help us 12:35 to forget about everything else, 12:40 everything in this world is gonna burn anyway, 12:45 and help us to focus on what you have to say to us. 12:53 Lord we want to be the man you want us to be, 12:56 but it's impossible without your help. 13:01 So Lord we just want to invite you into our hearts 13:08 work through work that you need to do. 13:11 I ask your blessing on every speaker, 13:16 and everything that happens today may Jesus 13:20 receive the praise and the glory. Amen! 13:26 I want you to turn with me in your Bibles 13:28 to the Book of Acts. 13:42 In the Book of Acts, it's an amazing book of 13:47 stories of men that, had once been disappointed 13:54 and Jesus has strengthened them, 13:56 and they were on fire, they were filled with the 13:59 Holy Spirit in the 4th chapter of Acts. 14:03 I want you to look at verse 13; you see 14:08 Peter was called before they send Hedren. 14:12 You know Peter's story, he was zealous for God. 14:17 He wasn't ashamed of God at that garden, 14:22 and he took that sword and he cut off 14:25 Malchus' ear. God, I am with you 14:28 if everybody else leaves you, I am with you, 14:32 I've got your back and he had God's back. 14:37 In only a way a sinful man could have God's back, 14:41 he cut off the ear of Malchus and Jesus, 14:45 He put it back together and He said 14:47 that's not what I am all about Peter. 14:50 Not long after that we find Peter warming 14:54 himself up to a fire denying Christ, 14:57 I don't know him, I don't know him, 15:00 maybe a few swear words were appropriate 15:03 are in order, I don't want to be associated 15:07 with this. I was with God, 15:11 I had His back in the garden, but I don't know 15:14 how to deal with the cross, 15:18 I don't know how to deal with this. 15:22 And Jesus has been taken captive; 15:24 He is not doing His stuff. He is not performing 15:27 the miracles. I don't know how to deal with this. 15:33 In fact I don't understand the cross. 15:36 I am ashamed of the cross 15:40 and Peter is denying his Lord 15:44 and the rooster crowed. Peter remembers the 15:49 words of Christ, I can only imagine Peter going 15:53 and weeping what if I die, what if I die. 16:03 Jesus meets Peter after the resurrection, 16:06 and how they were fishing you know the story, 16:08 He meets Peter and He says Peter, 16:11 He says do you love me. Peter says you know 16:14 I do Lord. Feed my sheep, He asked him that 16:20 three times Peter, he is starting to get it, 16:26 he is starting to understand the cross, 16:29 sacrifice. He is starting to understand the 16:32 commitment that God ask for His people 16:38 that being a Christian is not about, 16:40 okay God I am on your side, now you've got to 16:42 help me pay my bills, you've got to help 16:44 me do this, you've got to help me do that, 16:46 if you take care of me I am with you. 16:49 But wait a minute the least inconvenience, 16:51 and I am not sure that I want to follow you. 16:56 Today, Jesus is telling us through Peter 17:01 and through all of those that have lived 17:03 and followed Him that the cross demanded sacrifice, 17:11 a commitment and I want to ask you men, 17:15 is Jesus Christ enough for you and I today. 17:21 The world is looking for miracles, 17:23 manifestations to be taken care of, 17:26 to be the least inconvenienced. 17:31 Is Calvary enough for you 17:35 or must you have a feeling, 17:40 must you always be on a high. 17:50 In the 13 verse of Acts chapter 4 something 17:55 happened to Peter, something happened 18:00 to Peter, and when they saw the boldness 18:05 of Peter and John and perceived that 18:10 they were uneducated and untrained men, 18:14 they marveled and they realized that 18:20 they had been with Jesus. Amen! 18:26 I want to ask you this men, 18:30 today when you leave this place of worship, 18:37 will your wives, will your the people that 18:40 you work with, or will your kids know 18:42 will those that you associate with. 18:47 Will they say wow! What has happened to you, 18:51 you've been with Jesus. Amen! 18:58 You see it's really up to you, because Jesus, 19:05 He has a message for us. I want to turn, 19:11 ask you to turn with me one more time just 19:16 a page over to chapter 5, 19:21 the apostles has been beaten, 19:27 they had been beaten in verse 40, 19:33 and they agreed with him and when they had called, 19:36 I am in Acts chapter 5 verse 40 19:39 are you with me say amen. Amen! 19:42 And they called for the apostles and beaten them, 19:45 they commanded that they should not speak 19:48 in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 19:53 Verse 41, so they departed from the 19:55 presence of the council, rejoicing 20:00 that they were counted worthy to suffer shame 20:05 for His name. And daily in the temple, 20:10 and in every house, they did not ceased teaching 20:15 and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Amen! 20:23 Something had happened, something had clicked. 20:32 They realized that they didn't have to live 20:37 their life by feeling that they could live 20:43 their life by faith in Christ and if that meant 20:47 suffering hardship, if that meant suffering 20:51 pain and humiliation who at one time 20:55 Peter was not willing to go through. 21:03 But something had taken place, 21:07 they began to understand Calvary. 21:13 I want to ask you men, 21:18 are you willing to spend that time with Jesus, 21:26 we beg for the times that you have denied 21:30 Christ we all have, we all have fallen short of 21:34 the glory of God. We've all denied 21:36 Him in someway. We've all, we all have 21:42 misunderstood His mission and His plan, 21:45 but it takes time, it takes time to be able to 21:50 come together to be able to take that quite time 21:56 as well and to be able to say Lord 22:00 would you deepen my understanding 22:02 of the Calvary? Would you deepen my 22:06 understanding of your love for me? 22:08 Would you help me, because I want to go 22:16 through the pain and the sorrow of what 22:21 the last day prophets have told 22:24 we would go through, with your presence 22:28 by me rejoicing, thinking that I am nothing, 22:34 I am worthless without you, 22:39 but I am everything with you? Amen! 22:44 This morning we have that opportunity 22:47 to pause and to pray. 22:51 I want to ask, if you men would ask for the 22:57 Holy Spirit to be with each of you, 23:00 that you would get in prayer of men's of two's 23:02 and three's here in just a minute, 23:06 three's four's put your arms around each other, 23:12 pray for one another, and pray that the 23:14 Holy Spirit would be here today. 23:19 And it's not just for the inconvenience 23:21 that you're gonna have to go through waiting 23:23 for the meal today because you will. 23:25 We've got to feed 500 plus, now it's gonna be 23:28 a thousand here today. 23:31 It's not the inconvenience as 23:34 you may find in your everyday life 23:36 whether or not you know you get the choice 23:41 or you have to wait so long for your meal 23:45 at a restaurant. Are you willing to die for Jesus? 23:55 Are you willing to say yes Jesus is my Lord. 23:59 I don't care what you think about me, 24:01 but I do care what you think about Him. Amen! 24:06 I ask for you to divide up now and pray for 24:09 one another and pray for the Holy Spirit because 24:12 I believe that we assembled here like 24:15 this can move the right arm of our 24:19 Father in Heaven, and Jesus who is in the 24:22 most holy place right now where judgment 24:26 is about to end. 24:28 Here is our prayer and will commission 24:31 angels to work for us, let's pray. 25:15 Turn your eyes upon Jesus, 25:23 Look full in His wonderful face, 25:31 And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, 25:41 In the light of His glory and grace. 25:54 Good morning Michigan Men of Faith. 25:56 It's wonderful to see you here today. 25:58 And the Lord has given us a beautiful day. 26:01 I've Rodney MacCallum here and with me 26:05 he is a Bible teacher for the Michigan Conference, 26:09 and he is, his ministry is directed toward 26:14 reaching out to our Muslim friends you know 26:18 there are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world 26:22 somewhat like that and Jesus loves them 26:26 and we want them to hear God's last warning 26:29 message before Jesus comes. Amen! 26:32 And, so he has been, been doing this 26:36 and he has been very clear who he is, 26:39 he is the Seventh-day Adventist, a Bible teacher. 26:42 And, so we are going to share this morning 26:45 some of experiences that God has been giving 26:48 him and the doors that are been open. 26:50 So I would like to turn to you Brother Rodney 26:53 and let you began by maybe sharing 26:56 what happened recently in Australia. 26:59 Now when you hear him speak you know 27:00 he is not from Michigan, but he has got a 27:04 beautiful Australian accent that 27:06 we all enjoy hearing, but he was back home 27:09 getting his visas cleared away and what happened? 27:16 I, as Jay Gallimore has said I, I am a guest 27:21 in this country and my visa end, 27:25 periodically I have to, have a checked 27:27 and I sent to the consultant in Sydney, 27:30 Australia. And, the next person who followed 27:35 me in was, was a wonderful Muslim lady, 27:39 she was running late for her appointment, 27:41 I was early so I insist that she get before me. 27:44 We fell into a wonderful conversation 27:48 and this is a special lady. And about 45 minutes 27:52 afterwards when it came to a point 27:54 where this lady had to prove that she could 27:58 cover the cost of her visa, 28:00 she had a Debit Card and surprisingly the, 28:04 the US Consulate doesn't accept the debit card, 28:07 she didn't have cash or credit, 28:10 and I could see what was going to happen 28:12 because she needs to be in this country for the 28:17 birth of her grandchild, if she left the Consulate 28:22 to find an ATM machine she would lose her place, 28:25 and she would lose a month. 28:27 So, I just simply step forward and I covered 28:30 the cost of the visa for her. 28:35 Now that active kindness and there is a huge 28:39 lesson there for all of us as we, 28:41 as we share God's love with our Muslim friends, 28:45 a huge lesson that active kindness 28:47 what did that happened, you didn't do it for 28:51 anything except just to be a blessing to her 28:53 but God used it. 28:56 The result of that was the some of the Islamic 29:02 community in Sydney, they invited me to speak 29:07 in the mosque as a Seventh-day Adventist 29:10 to present whatever message I believed 29:13 that Islam need to hear from a 29:16 Seventh-day Adventist. Amen! 29:19 Now, so here you are invited and 29:22 you're gonna see a Michigan connection 29:24 here a little bit, God just keeps opening marvelous 29:27 doors so he went there and what did you say 29:31 what did you tell folk. 29:34 Well, when I, everything that I spoke 29:40 and I was hesitant, I was nervous, 29:46 but the Muslims very quickly made me 29:48 feel at ease, and when I did start to speak 29:52 sitting down up in a rest room, the hall 29:56 that I speaking in was packed, 29:59 people were standing around the walls. 30:01 So, so I spoke about, who we are a 30:05 Seventh-day Adventist. I used the 391 years 30:12 and 15 day prophecy as the tool. 30:16 The loss of autonomy of the Ottoman Empire 30:20 and on eleventh floor we sat in forty 30:23 and that day for Seventh-day Adventist 30:25 is very important because it is a linchpin 30:29 for the accuracy or our understanding 30:31 of the accuracy of that prophetic message 30:33 and prophetic understanding. 30:35 So, here you have the demise of Ottoman Empire 30:42 from that date you know the rise of this, 30:45 this wonderful understanding of prophecy 30:48 that we have, yes, and they saw that. 30:56 So I, I spoke actually I have some notes 31:00 here to make it simpler for me, 31:01 show us right now. Spoke about, Jesus in the Quran, 31:11 they use. Now that probably a surprise to 31:13 lot of people, people will don't, they often 31:16 think the Muslims don't really know much 31:18 about Jesus, but the truth is He is actually 31:21 in the Quran. Very much so, they up hold 31:26 Jesus Christ says certainly as a prophet 31:30 the word of God, the spirit of God, a sign, 31:37 the mercy of God. They look forward to the 31:42 second coming of Jesus Christ, the return of 31:44 Jesus Christ or Esa Al Masseh is the name 31:47 they used for Jesus the Messiah. 31:50 Esa being Arabic for Jesus 31:53 Al is the word for the, and Masseh with Messiah. 31:59 So, so here in the Quran, I mean the Quran 32:03 looking forward to the coming of Jesus, 32:07 yes, just as we are in a sense, 32:10 they are looking forward to the coming of Jesus. 32:12 So that gives you some common knowledge, 32:14 where did that, where did you go from there? 32:20 The bottom line for Muslims in ourselves is 32:23 of course you know the God their understanding 32:26 of God, the understanding of 32:28 Jesus Christ and so I went to the 32:31 Old Testaments sanctuary just 32:34 explain that. I spoke about the corruption 32:40 of the Bible, the Quran points to the Bible, 32:45 but Muslims believe that because we don't have 32:47 the original manuscripts then with in this 32:50 translations that has been corrupted 32:52 and I spoke in a manner I explained our 33:01 perspective and they were, they were happy 33:04 with that at the end of that, 33:05 and I just add when I started to speak 33:10 I was given the half-an-hour to speak 33:11 it was from 8.30 un till 9.00 pm in the evening, 33:14 was the Friday evening and Sabbath for us. 33:17 When it came to 9 pm I look down to the 33:22 gentleman who would have invited me, 33:25 he is the sheik, and I said I think my 33:28 half hour is up and he said keep going 33:32 take as long as you want this is important. 33:34 So, instead of stopping at 9 pm I stopped at 33:40 10 past 11, but I, I spoke about Israel 33:49 simply being a flag today, 33:52 Israel is a big issue for Muslims as 33:54 we are all aware. And, we believe that Israel 34:00 is on your flag also. I spoke about the 34:04 children of the East started in Genesis 34:06 went through all the way through to 34:08 The Book of Revelation following the children 34:11 of the East all the way, all the way through. 34:14 And at the end of it I spoke about ourselves 34:18 as Seventh-day Adventist and I said that 34:22 if we as Seventh-day Adventist have vines 34:24 growing over our doors even over the doors 34:27 of our churches, then our doors are close 34:33 to God. And, I also flipped it over to the 34:38 Muslims and I said if your doors are close 34:41 to us to the rest of humanity, 34:44 if your doors have wines growing over 34:49 you know the doors today mosque's then speaking 34:54 to the Muslims you know your doors 34:56 are closed too a lot. And, and they got instantly 35:02 and then I, I finished up really by, 35:06 by an invitation to them saying that if ask 35:10 them if I had found faith in their eyes that 35:14 I was willing to come back to explain our 35:19 prophetic message, the prophetic warning 35:21 for all of mankind which I had stress through 35:25 my lecture. And, it was unanimous that I return, 35:31 they were insistent that I return. Amen! 35:35 They actually voted it, they put it to vote, 35:37 am I correct. Yes and they made me stand up 35:39 and, and it's in a room like this and I had to 35:42 look all the hands and they, 35:45 I am not embarrassing anything they were 35:50 all smiling and I mean it was a special moment 35:53 it's one of the honestly it's one of the highlight 35:56 of my life. So you did go back, yes, 35:59 and what did you talk about when you went back? 36:02 When I went back my colleague Sam Bonello 36:08 is an other Australian, there is two of us 36:10 involved in this ministry here in Michigan and we, 36:14 we had to decide we'll had to re-approach 36:17 this and we chose to start with Daniel 2 36:22 in a conventional manner, because if our message 36:29 was accepted by Islam then everybody in this 36:34 room all you men already have the tools 36:37 available to you to share out our prophetic 36:42 warning with the Muslims. 36:44 So we started with Daniel 2 currently 36:46 we are up to Revelation 14. 36:53 We didn't understand initially but after a 36:56 few presentations we learned that it was being 36:59 live streamed to most of the world 37:04 and it's just phenomenal. This, here the teachings 37:12 of the, of this wonderful books of Daniel, 37:15 Revelation going to our Muslim friends 37:18 and you know here in the United States 37:21 because of what happened of course on 9/11 there, 37:25 there are lot of views of Muslims 37:27 that are incorrect. Much of the Muslim world 37:30 are very fine good people, absolutely, 37:34 and we want to do now this particular part 37:38 of the Muslim world that you are connected 37:40 with is one of the most spiritual parts 37:43 of the Muslim world they am I right. 37:46 That's correct yes. They are Sufi, 37:51 now Sufi's can be a Shia they can be Shia 37:55 and they can be Sunni, but there is no question 37:59 that it was, they represents the spiritual 38:02 side of Islam and they are truly spiritual people. 38:06 And, these people, the people I am proud 38:11 to call my dear friends. 38:13 Yes, now you left them a book, 38:16 do you tell us a little bit about that? 38:19 I did leave them a book. The book is called 38:24 The Great Controversy. Amen! 38:26 And, it was the hard copy possession that 38:29 happened to be just by not by designed, 38:32 it happened to be Illustrated Great 38:34 Controversy and it had immediate resonance 38:38 with them. The photographs when they ended up 38:42 they said there is a Muslim photographs, 38:46 photographs that they identified with. 38:48 In a five weeks period that book went 38:51 to Egypt and return. Now this is may shock you, 38:56 certainly shocked me, a girl in our office 39:01 photocopied it six times that's what 39:04 approximately 550 pages time six. 39:09 It was staple together two chapters at a time 39:14 and handed out through the mosque, 39:15 so all the mosque could read this book. 39:20 And when I return to the mosque to start 39:24 delivering out prophetic message we had 39:29 a greeting which I lasted say minute-and-half 39:33 and they immediately went into describing 39:36 this book and telling the story I just told you. 39:39 And, the summary of the book was this is the 39:45 most profound book. And we would agree, amen, 39:52 is a most profound book and has huge implications 39:56 here in the time at the end, oh absolutely. 39:58 And I am so grateful that they've seen the value 40:03 of this and as we've seen the value of this. 40:06 Now, as you've continued to visit with them 40:11 what is going on now? You are back here 40:13 in the United States, so is Rodney, 40:16 I mean not Rodney but Samuel caring this on? 40:19 Sam, Sam is, in the last two days just returned 40:24 from Australia, there was a meeting in Australia 40:27 between the leadership of at church 40:31 Seventh-day Adventist church and 40:35 the representatives of Islam down in Australia 40:40 just because they are in Australia doesn't mean 40:42 that it might be down at the bottom of the world 40:49 but it doesn't mean there this is no influence 40:51 from other parts of the world trust me. 40:54 And, this meeting we had represented this from 40:59 a great from the General Conference. 41:04 The meeting was a huge success and 41:08 where we go to from here we will, 41:10 we will hear in the future but it was positive, 41:16 it was huge success and we'll be moving 41:18 forward to, this is all unchartered territory. 41:23 Now what he is sharing is that out of this came 41:26 an invitation and opportunity for the 41:30 leadership of the General Conference of 41:32 Seventh-day Adventist to me with the leadership 41:35 of the Muslim world in Sydney there, 41:39 and they have met, they had a wonderful meeting 41:42 together, and these are all great bridges that 41:47 we are grateful for. Talk to us a little bit 41:51 about the visions that how Muslims view visions 41:55 are in dreams? Muslims put great importance 42:02 on dreams and you know certainly divine 42:08 dreams they respond to, and they are very, 42:11 very in tune, very sensitive to dreams. 42:14 And, the Quran the book of Quran which is the book 42:22 of course the Muslims use that is to say 42:24 their holy book which I think I've said 42:27 you know points to the Bible. It's speaks about 42:33 the people of the book, the people of the Bible 42:36 the Christians and the Jews and they, 42:41 I am just paraphrasing this, it basically it says 42:45 they are apostate, but within that group of 42:48 people it's a small group that do keep the 42:51 commandments of God and they counted as 42:53 righteous. Now, I mean that has to be us, 42:57 and they had, had to come to that conclusion 43:01 but it's interesting that the sheik had 43:05 a vision to that, to that affect, 43:09 he was very excited he contact to me said that 43:12 he had this vision that Seventh-day Adventist 43:14 the true people of the book. Amen! 43:16 And then there is, there is a whole list of 43:21 comments that have streamed out from that 43:24 which I would like to share if I may, 43:29 I was challenged in the most Christ like manner, 43:33 I might had but I was challenged. 43:39 I just put some old background, 43:40 Islam has been looking for this group of people 43:44 but they've never been able to find until 43:47 they've met us, and I was given a mild rebuke, 43:55 how is it possible that your people 43:57 are 150, 160 years of age, Seventh-day Adventist 44:02 church and Islam has never heard it. 44:06 How is it possible if you, who you claim to be 44:09 that we don't wh you are, now it was just 44:10 a mild rebuke, but quickly these people 44:17 went on to say that Seventh-day Adventist 44:22 have a responsibility before God to take our 44:26 message to the whole world if we don't 44:30 we will be, we'll be judge by God that we not 44:33 to compromise our boundaries, 44:35 our doctrines for anyone. We are not to step 44:39 over our borders not even for a Muslim. 44:46 That, we ought to be a Seventh-day Adventist, 44:54 we've to be like ants busy, busy, busy 44:57 and I mean do we see ants working, 45:00 do they make any noise no, I've never heard 45:03 an ant and they said that's how you need 45:06 to be busy, busy, busy like ants and make 45:10 no noise. We, just use my notes 45:18 to tell me here, that we, 45:28 if ever we have a problem we don't have an answer 45:32 to a problem pray to Jesus. 45:37 That's the advice tools, yeah and we will get out 45:40 our answer. We, there is a very profound comment 45:47 that was made to me that Islam is this huge 45:52 sleeping giant it's been waiting for a spiritual 45:55 trigger to acknowledge it. Now, to me that is a 46:02 profound mark and directed, directed to 46:07 to our denomination. The muslim world 46:13 is now quickly learning who we are. 46:16 The muslim world has been being told that 46:19 we are to be left alone we are not to be converted, 46:24 because we are countered as right just before God. 46:30 Its exciting things happening. 46:33 You know the Lord, the Lord loves 1.2 billion 46:37 people He loves all the people of the world 46:39 and he has you know they correctly identified 46:43 the fact that as Seventh-Day Adventist. 46:45 We have something for everybody, 46:47 we have something for a protestant 46:49 brothers and sisters, we have something 46:50 for a roman catholic brothers and sisters, 46:53 we have, we have something for Atheist 46:55 and agnostics we have something 46:56 for the Hindu world, we have something 47:00 for the muslim world because Jesus them all 47:03 and the whole world needs to hear this message 47:06 of the soon coming savior. You know I think 47:09 there is some real challenges here for us 47:12 to really be that was righteous people 47:15 of that book to actually make sure about 47:19 the grace of God that we can live up 47:22 to that calling. We, we share so much with 47:26 muslim in set at conduct how we live our lives 47:32 and yet I would have to say that many 47:35 of the things that we inspire to certainly 47:38 when it comes to modesty for example you know 47:41 we inspire to modesty and there is no question 47:44 of that, but if we were to you know go to a 47:49 mosque I mean you see an application of modesty 47:53 and there are challenges to us, 47:56 these people want to come they want to learn 48:00 who we are, they want to learn what we know 48:04 and reality is as standard that we are sparked 48:10 to we really have to step up to that standard, 48:12 if we are too really accommodate these people 48:16 where they will feel comfortable. 48:20 We, if I can just switch to America, yes, 48:24 Sam and I went to a conference we are invited 48:26 to get to a conference as Seventh-Day Adventist 48:29 this was the Muslim conference here 48:30 in North America. 40,000 Muslims, 48:36 very similar to our general conference 48:38 session but that happens of the year 48:40 and the main speaker who happened to be 48:48 North America's best popular Islamic Scholar. 48:53 He came seeking trying to find these two 48:57 Seventh-Day Adventists, he found us in amongst 49:00 the booth and he, we had a conversation 49:03 for 35 or 40 minutes he went to the auditorium 49:08 stepped up his speak and he spoke about two 49:11 Seventh-Day Adventist brothers to do had a 49:14 conversation with he spoke about the conversation 49:18 we had and then he and this is televised around 49:21 the whole Islamic world and he upheld the 49:24 Seventh-Day Adventist church. 49:26 Now, that hasn't been an isolated incident 49:31 not to move on such a grand scale but 49:34 it has happened also at else where, 49:38 you know here in North America. 49:40 And, if I can just some simple things that 49:47 you may not know about, about Islam about 49:51 the Quran they tend to keep Friday, 50:00 but the Quran rebukes the Jews they say 50:05 in the Quran it speaks about those who 50:07 don't kept the Sabbath as apes to me, 50:13 and to be and to be despise the men identifies 50:16 the true Sabbath which is important to an Adventist 50:20 you know that's one of our identifying 50:24 your marks. These people you know we've heard 50:31 lecturers in the mosque from Matthew chapter 24, 50:36 the sings of second coming, 50:42 the second coming, we've heard lecturers from 50:47 Ephesians chapter 6 putting on the Armor 50:50 of God to protect oneself to be prepared 50:54 for the principalities of darkness. 50:57 Matthew chapter 6: why do we worry in this world, 51:04 why do we worry when God looks after the birds, 51:08 and in our communities there are people that 51:11 are dying that have no eternal future because 51:17 they don't know their goal, and you know 51:21 we need to be, I think we need to be very careful 51:24 speaking about Islam and Muslims we need 51:29 to be mindful of the Ninth Commandment 51:31 not to be a false witness. And, you know 51:36 we've we are well aware that there is an element 51:39 within Islam that causes world of problem, 51:42 it causes Islam a problem. And, and that concern 51:49 we need to keep at in the context that even 51:54 within our own ranks and certainly within 51:57 Christianity there are some French people 52:01 that yeah it cause the world problems as well. 52:07 And, the bulk of Islam is like the bulk of 52:10 Christianity certainly the bulk of 52:12 Seventh-day Adventism. These are good people, 52:17 these are good people, you know they are 52:20 descendants of Abraham, sort of same as ourselves. 52:23 Yeah, so as you, as you have talk to these folks 52:29 and going back again to Australia they keep 52:34 reaching out to you they keep giving you this 52:37 advice you've got this wonderful message 52:39 be true to your own faith. 52:43 We like what we are hearing that demonstrates 52:46 that there is a longing in the heart of many 52:49 Muslim people and religious leaders of the 52:51 Muslim faith, a longing for the coming of the Lord 52:55 and for an end to this world and it's all of its 52:58 trials and sorrows? Absolutely, they, 53:03 they have an understanding of end time 53:05 events, there is, there is trouble, 53:06 there is calamity coming upon this world, 53:09 they believe that we right on the brink of it. 53:12 This world is not going to last very long, 53:15 we are on the same page. And, if I could just, 53:23 I receive e-mails from these people, 53:26 and I just want to want to share some words, 53:29 they suggest the end some words at the end 53:32 of two emails that was sent to me recently 53:35 and they really touched my heart. 53:39 The first one is and he is finishing up an email 53:43 to me and I ask him, I ask him who holds everything 53:47 in his hand to make this openings and journeys 53:51 to him smooth and fruitful. 53:55 Your friend did unimaginable travel 53:58 to the truth and then just now I didn't, amen, 54:03 just beautiful words, then one that only arrives 54:05 the other day the acceleration of 54:08 enlargement of our relationships with 54:11 Seventh-day Adventist is amazing. 54:14 Obviously God has the plan and pulls 54:18 the strings, we must do our best to understand 54:21 each other, exchange our knowledge 54:24 and start to collaborate. Amen! 54:30 Yours in truth. Here a part what you didn't 54:34 read here it this, please pray for us I love 54:38 and deeply respect you. I miss that I am sorry. 54:41 Yes, and now this was to be yet in a quite 54:51 two weeks ago just leading up the 54:52 meetings in Sydney. You know here in 54:57 North America we you know we've been asked 55:03 for our theological books which are now in a 55:08 Islamic library, some of those books 55:11 you've personally signed and they were almost 55:17 bashful when they asked you know would 55:19 it be possible to have a Seventh-day Adventist 55:23 books. The first book we gave them was of course 55:27 we gave them the Bible, but then we gave them 55:30 so many other books Great Controversy, 55:32 even down Bible Readings for the Home. 55:37 They have had Seventh-day Adventist 55:40 hand book of theology. These people are serious, 55:45 these people are serious they are messing around. 55:48 What can we do at to reach out to our 55:52 Muslim friends, who I am sure filled the weight 55:56 as you say of the tragedies in a society 56:02 that many times they probably feel the anger, 56:05 undeserved anger towards them first, 56:07 what can we do as Seventh-day Adventist 56:10 Christians to be God's love and to be able to 56:14 reach out to our friends as we, 56:16 they are all around us. If I may just use a very 56:21 simple answer for us to be Christ like, 56:24 it really is simple as that for us to be everything 56:28 that we claim to be and it was said to me 56:34 as I was leaving Australia in February one evening 56:38 at the Sydney airport, it was very late 56:41 and the Concord was nearly empty 56:45 and my Muslim friend came along the Concord 56:48 and he had come to say goodbye 56:51 and this is in a big city and where parking is 56:54 horrendous at Sydney airport. 56:58 We got it easier to the church trust me. 57:00 And, he just out of nowhere, 57:04 we spoke for an hour-and-half two hours 57:07 out of nowhere he said Rodney the way to a 57:10 Muslim is not theology, all of theology 57:14 in the world will not work, but if you love us 57:19 and we connect heart to heart, 57:21 heart to heart love we will ask you feel 57:25 theology and that's what happening. Amen! 57:28 You know my appeal to us as Seventh-day Adventist 57:31 Men of Faith. My appeal to us is let's really be 57:36 the real people of this book. 57:39 Let us have our hearts filled with the 57:42 love of Jesus. Amen! Let us not be detracted 57:46 by all the political things that roll around us, 57:48 we have a great and marvelous message 57:51 and Jesus his heart is filled with such love for 57:57 people all over the world and 57:58 for our Muslim friends, and we have something 58:01 we need to share, but let them feel and sense 58:06 our love for Jesus, our love for them, 58:10 and our loyalty and love for this book. |
Revised 2014-12-17