Participants:
Series Code: SF
Program Code: SF000020A
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00:24 It is hard to find on a map.
00:26 There are no large cities just a few small towns 00:29 that dot the area. It's a place known for its 00:32 simple life and traditional values. 00:35 Farming and coal mining make up its industry. 00:39 Some say Southern Illinois one of the most 00:41 unlikely places to touch the world. 00:44 Yet, in one of those small towns, a man's heart was 00:47 changed and filled with a vision to reach the world. 00:52 That man shared the vision with others, 00:54 who caught the vision. This is a story about a 00:58 miracle. God using the most unlikely in the most 01:03 unlikely time and place to send a message that now 01:06 touches the globe. " This is God taking the 01:09 foolish things of this world to shame the wise 01:12 and taking the weak things to shame the strong. 01:15 This is the story of 3ABN." A voice that was really 01:19 speaking to me was not an audible voice but an 01:22 impression, was saying I want you to build a 01:25 television station that will reach the world with 01:27 an undiluted Three Angels Messages, 01:29 one that would counteract the counterfeit, 01:33 and well that wasn't me you see because I've 01:35 never been a what's you call a dreamer or 01:37 someone who tries to set goals that aren't 01:41 you know that maybe are way beyond my reach. 01:44 I've never heard of Seventh-day Adventist 01:46 in the majority of Christianity as I knew it, 01:50 had never heard of Seventh-day Adventist. 01:53 It was probably one of the best kept secrets 01:56 in Christianity. I found out about, 01:59 the Adventist movement and the truth of the 02:01 Sabbath through Danny Shelton. 02:03 We met someone that he had that same faith and 02:07 belief in God that God really was the God of 02:10 miracles, the same yesterday, today and forever. 02:13 It has to be an, a big impact, when you see 02:16 these things taking place and you are saying this 02:19 can't be anything else but from God. 02:23 God was willing to take people in our family and 02:27 use us for something of this magnitude that he 02:31 was going to use to teach the world about Jesus. 02:34 The Lord did the work, we were just tools and 02:37 he allowed us to have a part, a piece of it, 02:41 he could have done it with other people, 02:43 he could have done it himself. 02:47 Still, get goosebumps. As I think back, as I see 02:52 God's hand working mightily and what he has 02:54 done today it's just like so far over my head. 02:57 My dad built houses and he sang, but he didn't do TV. 03:02 Imagine being 13 years old and telling your friends. 03:05 My dad said God told them to build a television 03:08 station that would reach the world and it happened. 03:29 Danny Shelton was one of five children born into 03:31 a low-income job challenged community in 03:34 Southern Illinois. In the early years, his parents 03:37 Tommy and Goldie Shelton would known to 03:40 be accomplished country singers and musicians. 03:43 Music and eventually their faith in God became 03:45 the foundation for the Shelton family. 03:48 One specific miracle made a lasting change in 03:51 the Shelton household, when Goldie was 03:53 stricken with polio. When I managed to get 03:56 down on my knees by the side of the bed, 03:59 and I confessed my sins and I said Lord I have 04:02 known all along better than to do this. 04:05 I've been studying this message for two years 04:07 and I've been fighting it, I saw it long before 04:09 that but I wouldn't accept it, and I said Lord if you 04:12 see fit to heal me, I'll accept what I believe 04:14 to be right, and I will serve you the longest day 04:17 I live. And I'll turn these children over to you 04:20 and I will raise my family in the way that you 04:23 would have me to go and I was healed within 20 04:26 minutes and my husband was sitting there on the 04:28 bed and he saw my fingers straightened out 04:30 and he saw the color come back into my 04:32 cheeks, and he said well honey just as soon as 04:35 I can make enough money to make a down 04:36 payment on a truck, he said I'll get rid of this 04:39 night club and I'll never go back to the night clubs 04:41 anymore because he saw this healing, 04:43 he saw what God could do. 04:45 My mother became a Seventh-day Adventist 04:47 Christian when I was, the year I was born, 1951. 04:50 So, I grow up in a home that was very religious, 04:54 we did certain things at certain times and there 04:56 are certain things that we didn't do anytime. 04:59 There are certain ways we dressed, certain words 05:02 that we didn't say, certain things we could 05:04 say and so as growing up we went to church just 05:08 about every time the doors were opened. 05:10 And we had two wonderful christian parents, and 05:15 there was a lot of music. My dad by the time 05:18 I was born my dad was disabled. And his whole 05:22 life was music and that was the one thing that he 05:24 could do that wouldn't cause him pain or 05:26 hardship on his health and so we had a little music 05:30 room on the back of our house and he had reel to 05:33 reel Sony tape recorders and little Mickey Mouse 05:36 microphones I'd like to call them and so we had 05:39 an old up right piano. We used to do a lot of 05:43 music and singing and he would record it and 05:47 church was, he is not like some people are with 05:50 their children now, church was not an option, 05:52 it was not optional, we just knew that every 05:54 Sabbath morning we were up and ready to go unless 05:57 we were deadly sick. And my Mom and Dad 05:59 did a lot of music at church and my mom was 06:02 the church pianist for actually 50 something 06:05 years. And so, we had really a wonderful 06:09 childhood even though we didn't have much, 06:13 it was full of love and it was full of God. 06:16 As children my brother Tommy could play, 06:18 we always said he could play the keys off the 06:20 piano because our old piano was so bad it didn't 06:22 have the keys, the ivory part almost of him and 06:25 of course, they were that way when we got that 06:26 I'm sure but we say boy he can play that, the ivory 06:29 right off the piano, but Tommy would play the 06:32 piano, my dad played guitar, Kenny played 06:34 guitar, my brother Ronnie played bass, 06:36 Tammy didn't come along till eight years, she was 06:38 younger than me but she could sing and so we did 06:40 stuff growing up is a family, Friday nights 06:43 gathered around the piano, sing songs to the Lord, 06:46 I'll always remember and cherish those 06:48 times as a family. I always see Danny as, 06:50 I can remember him so far back in our, in the 06:54 childhood that he loved, he loved the Lord and he 06:58 loved music, seemed like more than anything he 07:00 loved and I could remember him getting 07:02 the guitar and when he couldn't even get his hand 07:06 up over the top of it and he had tried to make the 07:09 chords and sometime I'd walk by and his little eyes 07:13 would be, be closed and he'd be singing praises to 07:16 the Lord. And at that time I didn't quite get it you 07:18 know little older brother and so on so forth there 07:21 was times I'd walk by him and he's got his eyes 07:24 closed and he's singing a song and I kind of lightly 07:27 tap him on the head just a little bit and I say Danny 07:29 come out of it. I'm glad he didn't, you know as an 07:33 older brother like Danny come on, but as far as 07:36 back as I can remember he always loved Jesus and 07:38 he always loved to sing for Jesus and that never 07:41 changed all the times growing up through 07:43 school through high school and so o, so forth 07:45 and his great love was to serve Jesus and to do lot, 07:49 lot of music. So, I remember those 07:51 things well with him. As long as I can 07:54 remember he's always been optimistic. 07:58 He never was bad tempered as a kid growing up. 08:03 He would argue from now till doomsday with 08:06 our mother about something but he would 08:08 never lose his temper, he would never be smart 08:11 mouth or anything like that. He was always 08:15 whistling, he was always singing and when we 08:17 would walk to school and back, he always had this 08:21 up being optimistic attitude. 08:24 Danny's father Tommy Shelton senior was 08:27 disabled by a heart attack and then cancer, 08:29 even after a miraculous healing from cancer the 08:32 set backs took a financial toll on the family. 08:35 Danny like his other siblings, learned to work 08:37 hard providing for the family. 08:39 Graduating high school, unable to go to college, 08:43 Danny took a trade. We had an uncle from 08:46 California come to a visit with a friend of his and 08:50 his friend said man I'd like you to built me 08:52 a house I'm gonna retire back in Southern Illinois, 08:55 originally from Southern Illinois, I like you to built 08:57 me a house. So, I talked to Kenny let's do it. 08:59 Well, Kenny was making good money as a coal 09:01 miner and I wasn't making that much money. 09:04 So he had more to lose than me, but eventually 09:08 we talked to this guy we said you know what, 09:09 I think we can build a house so we right out 09:11 here just within a mile of where we're sitting at 09:15 3ABN studios today. We built a first house ever 09:18 someone else I think I was 20 Kenny was maybe 09:21 24 years old. We dug the footings by hand, 09:24 we didn't have backhoe, we used the shovel. 09:26 Dug the footings, poured the concrete ourselves, 09:29 laid the blocks for us by ourselves and we didn't 09:32 think about hiring very much out at all, I think 09:34 we did heat and conditioning and 09:35 carpeting. My brother Ronnie is a electrician, 09:38 self learned electrician, he did the wiring for us 09:41 so then Ronnie started working with us and three 09:43 of us started working in construction. 09:45 We never ran out of work from that point on, 09:48 the time we got that house done somebody 09:50 else wanted one built, they wanted new room 09:52 here, they wanted something. So we learned as we 09:55 went, and so I'm glad for the patience that the 09:58 people had and frankly today if I were building 10:01 a new house and some young guys 20 and 24 10:03 years old wanted me to sign a contract with them, 10:06 I would really doubt they could do the job and do 10:08 the work because where did they 10:10 get this experience. Humble beginnings in 10:12 a small town, a hard work ethic, a positive outlook 10:17 and his growing faith in God prepared 10:19 Danny for what was to come. 10:27 You know God can take every experience in your 10:29 life, negative you know as well as positive, 10:34 and turn it around and use it for good. 10:37 My favorite Bible verse is "For I know the plans 10:39 I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper 10:42 you and not to harm you, plans to give 10:44 you hope and a future." 10:52 A friend of his was saying that they were 10:53 gonna try to get a quartet together, and wanted 10:55 to know if he wanted to be a part of it and he did, 10:58 the man said. I want you to hear this woman, 11:01 there's this woman that you really got to hear, 11:02 she's really got a good voice, my dad's like. 11:05 I don't want to sing with a woman, I want to sing in 11:08 a male quartet, he said oh come on you got to hear 11:11 Well, he said they went to the church, she gotten 11:14 there earlier and he heard her and she was 11:16 singing and playing piano when he got there. 11:18 That voice joined more than just a group of 11:20 singing Shelton Brothers. Kay became Danny's wife 11:24 and the mother of a baby girl named Melody. 11:26 Melody wasn't the only child Kay brought two 11:29 other daughters to the new family. Now, Danny 11:32 had a singing family to take on the road. 11:35 Well, it was my mom and dad and I would sing. 11:38 My sister Ronda would play the bass guitar 11:41 and my sister Lisa would play the piano and she 11:43 would occasionally sing too. You know we're 11:46 traveling around a lot and we just got to spend a 11:49 lot of extra time together 'cause we were driving 11:51 everywhere and, it was a really 11:54 good time, we were close. 11:57 In June of 1982 we had traveled to Berrien 12:00 Springs, Michigan to sing in churches in that 12:04 Michigan area where we had made friends. 12:06 Driven 7000 miles was home a few hours until 12:10 my wife said I need to go in little poodle had been 12:13 staying at a place, somebody keeping it, 12:16 I need to go get our little poodle in town. 12:18 So, Melody you come and go with me and so 12:22 she drove, she was gone I went out of, I remember 12:24 I have a little shed out there and that little cart 12:26 board shop and so I went out to that and she had 12:30 gone two, three minutes and I heard this car horn 12:33 just solid and finally it started getting on my 12:35 nerves, I wonder what did somebody know this car 12:38 horn is just stuck, so I go back out and I'm kind 12:41 of looking down the road and this car pulls in my 12:43 drive way extremely fast and a neighbor from 12:46 down the road jumps out Judy Steinmetz jumps out 12:49 and says Danny come quickly your wife and 12:51 Melody has been in an automobile accident 12:53 and so I jumped in her car and we raced down and 12:57 ambulance wasn't there yet. And we were going to get 12:59 the dog, we got about three blocks or so from 13:02 the house and this car just slammed into the side 13:06 of us and I remember spinning around 13:09 and getting thrown all the way to the back of the 13:12 van and back out the front and through the 13:14 windshield and I landed on my arm it was broken, 13:18 I didn't realize it at the time, it didn't hurt until 13:21 later. I remember looking for my mom and 13:24 I couldn't find her. I said oh is Melody and 13:27 Kay okay, she said well Melody, she's gonna to be 13:33 okay she has a broken arm and I but she is, 13:37 I don't know where your wife is and I said you 13:39 don't know where she is she said I don't see her 13:41 oh we can't find her, and it was a flat area open 13:44 field she couldn't have been gone so as soon as 13:47 we got to the corner, I called her name didn't 13:50 see any answer I looked under the van and when 13:51 I looked under the van she was in the ditch face 13:54 down the wheels wasn't on her she was just laying 13:57 in the ditch face down. So, I reached on there and 14:00 I called her name she didn't answer, I remember 14:02 that I reached out and I touched her and instantly 14:05 I knew she was dead. That was my worst fear. 14:11 The thing that, you know that had been in the back 14:13 of my mind before, maybe a year before or 14:16 so, someone had been telling about how their 14:17 mother died, in a Tornado, when they were 14:21 11 and I hope that never happens, but you know 14:26 my mom was my best friend, we were 14:28 absolutely and I've never been that close to anyone. 14:32 I said your mom didn't do so well oh well, was she 14:36 okay, so finally I said honey she is really not, 14:39 oh what do you mean by that? So finally I said 14:42 well honey the worst thing you can think of, 14:44 what's the worst thing you could think of that 14:46 could happen, I don't know and when was she 14:48 was lying on the table and nurses were coming in, 14:51 who's working on her and the doctor was here, 14:53 so I said what's the worst thing you can think of 14:55 honey I could not say those words, not only for 14:58 her but maybe for myself to really cope with the 15:01 fact your wife's dead and so I said, I said honey 15:05 was the worst I don't know daddy so finally 15:08 I said well honey you mommy didn't make it. 15:10 She said what do you mean? I said well your 15:13 mom is dead and she said oh and she just looked 15:17 away didn't say anything and it was the hardest 15:20 thing I've ever had to say in my life that afternoon 15:23 we went home and she was taken up to Parker- 15:27 Reedy Funeral Home, here in West Frankfort 15:28 and so Melody and I were home and people started 15:31 coming, bringing food and just saying you know 15:34 we want a happier lady call me and it's Christian 15:38 of another denomination really nice lady and she 15:40 said I'm a friend of the family and she said 15:42 I would just want to tell you something may be to 15:44 help you out, I'm so sorry about your wife's death 15:46 but I want you to know at the moment of your 15:49 wife's accident, look at it like this God just needed 15:52 another beautiful angel voice for the angel choir 15:56 and I just was taken, so taken back by that and 15:59 I said there are not wanted to be unkind 16:01 I mean I've just lost you know a mother and a wife 16:04 and I said, what did you just say and she said well 16:09 you know just think about it, God needed another 16:11 beautiful angel voice for the angel choir, 16:13 so he took your wife and I said to her you know 16:15 what, to tell you the truth I appreciate your thoughts 16:18 I said who, where did you, in the Bible where 16:20 did you read that and she said well my daddy 16:23 always told me that you know she said I'm just 16:25 trying to make you feel better and I just found 16:27 myself saying, well, I appreciate you saying 16:30 that, that I don't serve a God, who gets bored with 16:34 his angels choir and he looks down and he 16:36 willing to take a wife and a mother. John 10:10 says 16:39 the Thief, Satan comes, but for to steal kill and to 16:43 destroy Jesus says I've come to give you life and 16:46 give it more abundantly and I said I'm not offended 16:49 by that I'm just taken back by that, I want you 16:52 to know that this has nothing to do with God, 16:54 this has to do with the Devil, he's angry at what 16:58 we're doing and he's out to steal and kill, not just 17:01 her, all of us, our souls. Well, from that moment 17:07 on I knew there was a call in my life that was more 17:10 than just singing, because I didn't feel like even 17:13 saying that to this woman and yet I was trying to be 17:17 you know tactful and not be because she met so 17:20 well, but I said you know what kind of world do we 17:23 live in and what are we as Christians that believe 17:26 that we serve that kind of God who cares so little 17:28 about this little girl for 11 years mom is her favorite 17:32 word, I mean dad was number two, everything 17:35 was mom this mom that, God's gonna do that now 17:38 we need to get our priorities straight and we 17:39 sat there all night I laid with her and she was 17:43 I mean miserable and I just laid down beside her 17:46 I said honey you know let's go through these 17:48 Bible scriptures. I wanted her to know that the devil 17:53 is out to steal, kill and destroy, that's why she 17:55 was willing to sing for her mother's funeral and 17:59 I am so thankful that she did because her 18:02 relationship with God changed my life, that 18:05 day I said Lord I want the relationship with you that 18:10 my 11-year-old daughter has, the Lord gave me a 18:13 Godly sorrow and from that point on it's been a 18:17 relationship and guess what it grows and it 18:20 grows and it grows and the more 18:22 I learn about God, the more I love it. 18:25 I sang if heaven ever was promised to me and 18:28 live for Jesus. As far as it having an effect on 18:32 my dad's life, I had no idea I did know. 18:36 You know I was a child, I didn't know two years 18:40 later when he was speaking up for it somewhere. 18:43 It's just amazing Danny, Danny just did everything 18:47 anything and everything that he could to be the 18:51 father and the husband that any daughter or any 18:56 wife would want Danny was a good 18:58 husband and a good father. I remember the tragedy 19:01 of it and I had only known Kay as she came 19:05 to our church to sing and, and she was seemed a bit 19:09 shy, but she was a very sweet lady and it was 19:13 such a tragedy to you know find that Danny 19:17 had lost his, his wife and Melody her mother that 19:21 was heart reaching. Melody was so very 19:23 young, but something I recall from those years 19:26 he just seemed so committed to Melody to 19:29 see that she had all the loving nurturing that she 19:33 needed even if it was just coming from her father. 19:40 And just before the beginning of 3ABN 19:42 there was a spiritual revival going on in his 19:47 life as well as in mine and I think Danny was 19:50 seeking for this and I was seeking for this. 19:54 And as, as we began to commit our life to Jesus 19:56 Christ. And I know my prayer and I believe that 19:59 as well his was I finally get one day said Lord 20:02 I've got to hold your hand and I'm not gonna let you 20:05 go until you bless me. And well I wanna have a 20:08 part and his prayer was to in finishing the work, 20:11 don't care how small it is, how long it would, 20:13 I just wanna have a part in finishing the work. 20:16 And I believe God honored that all the way around. 20:24 That's what I'm saying through all of these years 20:26 since my wife is killed in automobile accident, 20:29 what I love about God is that he takes the ugly 20:32 situations of sin, death, disease and sickness 20:36 and being a creator he does what he knows how 20:39 to do best. He creates beautiful things around 20:42 these ugly things, but we have to have a mind set 20:45 to trust him enough to watch that happened. 20:49 We've began to sing, week after week and that 20:51 little girl stood up casting around singing. 20:54 We started getting calls from other TV stations 20:57 and so well we heard about this one of the TV 21:00 programs talked about my wife died and I know that 21:03 this wasn't what the people saw theologically 21:05 but the interviewer was pressing me. 21:07 Well, you go forward, why do you go forward 21:09 and how do you feel about you know, 21:12 your wife's in Heaven, can she see all this. 21:14 So, finally I said to him you know I won't be just 21:16 as honest live TV program, honest I can be, 21:19 my wife is not in Heaven and he just, my wife 21:21 not in Heaven you know I guess he was 21:24 thinking the opposite as I was getting ready to 21:25 tell I said my wife has sleep in Jesus, she is 21:28 resting till the second coming of the Lord and 21:31 Savior. And so we begin to talk about you know 21:34 what happens, what happens to you when you die? 21:37 And I didn't even realize that I had known because 21:40 I was growing up I was taught a lot of scripture. 21:43 But I just had my religion had, I hadn't seen a 21:47 purpose to really use it all that much. 21:49 But suddenly now I saw this is an opportunity, 21:52 so I told him, you know what and I have also 21:55 getting defected, you know this didn't, 21:56 God didn't take my wife. This was the devil right 22:00 after the program. Right after our interview 22:02 one of the phone caller has said hey a guy wants 22:04 to talk to you. Guy, I answer to phone I just 22:07 heard your testimony on this channel, oh yes 22:11 he said do you know what when I was 9, 22:13 I'm 64-years-old when I was 9 my mother died 22:17 and I was without a mother my whole life, 22:19 I would go to school every time no mother take 22:21 me to school, no mother to cook for me. 22:23 No mother to be there when friends come over, 22:26 any functions we had at Church, no mother and 22:28 everybody said oh! God took your mother to 22:30 Heaven. He said do you know what? I began to 22:32 hate God, I want nothing to do with God, how can 22:35 God care so little about me that he would take 22:38 my mother to Heaven? And he said all of these 22:40 years I have never been a Christian, no desire to be 22:43 want tonight I was flipping channels and just 22:46 heard you mentioning a thought I wanna hear 22:48 what he is gonna say and he said I've never heard 22:51 present at the way you did. Is it too late for me 22:54 would God accept me, my, my, my salvation 22:57 tonight would he save me, is it too late. 23:00 I said of course he would, led him in sinner's prayer 23:02 that to me was like I'm so unfacetious to say look 23:07 at the power of television went on and spoke. 23:10 I don't know this man, will never meet him on 23:12 this earth probably if it did, we would know each 23:15 other probably I wouldn't know him if I saw him. 23:17 And yet right now he, I led him in a sinners 23:20 prayer, he gave his life to Jesus? 23:22 We are Seventh-day Adventist in the media, 23:24 shouldn't we be the heads and not the tails. 23:26 So, I began to think about it every time, I went on 23:29 Christian programming you know I wish people 23:32 come up. All these singers and all these 23:34 you know preachers and people, they had the 23:36 green rooms back and they have food out and so 23:38 in between when you're not on, somebody else 23:41 and they would say hey brother who are you? 23:43 What's your name? Where are you from? 23:44 I'm Danny Shelton from Southern Illinois, oh! 23:46 good, good to have you here, hey what's name 23:48 your Church? You know, what's Church you go to? 23:51 I at here and the entire where, the Church of the 23:52 Dove, I'm this denomination, 23:54 and I'm that. Brother what Church you go to 23:57 a Seventh-day Adventist, oh! Seventh-day 24:01 Adventist well I've got a brother that's a Mormon, 24:04 I said no I'm not an Mormon, I'm a Seventh 24:05 day Adventist. So, I would go home and 24:07 I would lay in bed at night and I said Lord 24:09 where are we? Why doesn't the Church catch 24:11 the vision? Why doesn't this leadership? 24:13 And I began to get negative on it, you know 24:16 we are to be out there and one night I made the 24:19 mistake if you wanna call of that, if you don't 24:22 wanna do some for God don't be questioning him 24:24 and tell anyone, everybody else should 24:25 do because he may put that right back on you. 24:28 And so, I was laying there and couldn't hardly 24:31 sleep it's 2 in the morning I had just heard some 24:33 things on a Christian television I knew it was 24:35 not true. And I knew they weren't true and I said 24:38 Oh! Lord, how is this truth, the further we go 24:43 that behind we get, the old saying says. 24:45 Lord, that's what happening to us, how do 24:47 we get this truth out to the world? When will this 24:50 Church wake up and I heard this voice in my 24:53 ears say I want you to build a television station 24:58 that will reach the world with an undiluted three 25:00 Angels messages. One that would counteract 25:02 the counterfeit, I sat straight up and I said 25:07 I can't even believe I knew it wasn't me 25:10 because I didn't even know what it meant, 25:12 I had never heard the term undiluted three 25:15 Angels messages, to tell you the truth I'm ashamed 25:18 that I didn't even know a lot about this three 25:20 Angels messages the whole message. 25:22 oh! I could argue with people about the Sabbath 25:24 and the state of the dead you know what you eat 25:26 and all these kind of things but I did not have 25:29 the entire picture of what present truth really was. 25:32 I thought I did, found out I didn't and I said isn't 25:34 that amazing, God is saying to me, reach 25:37 the world with an undiluted Three Angels 25:39 Messages, one that would counteract the counterfeit, 25:41 never heard those terms, never used those terms. 25:44 So, I said this is either if there Lord or this is the 25:48 devil, I knew that this was God, I knew it was God 25:51 because I had seen it and I had been praying 25:53 about it. Lord where are we in the media. 25:56 So, I didn't want to do I had met a friend Jim and 25:58 Ann Greer down in Louisiana, and so I didn't 26:02 know why, but 2 in the morning I wanted 26:04 somebody to talk to and I said they'll understand, 26:07 they'll listen, so I called and told them the Lord's 26:10 impressed me to build a television station that will 26:12 reach the world and she had kept talking Three 26:14 Angels Messages, I talked Sabbath stated of that, 26:17 Three Angels Message present truth to give to 26:19 the world. I'd listen but I hadn't, hadn't really put 26:22 all my efforts into that. When I told her what she 26:25 says so shocked me she said oh! That's wonderful, 26:28 that says the Lord I tell you what, Jim's in school, 26:31 so he won't be able to work, but I get, I'm taking 26:35 classes I'll be out so tomorrow night it's a 12 26:37 hour drive. I think from Shreveport, tomorrow 26:40 night I'll be there, I'll drive all night and we'll 26:43 come up and start building the station. 26:45 Well, I remember is the very next morning or 26:48 might have been that evening he come down to 26:49 my house knock on the door he's excited, he said 26:54 Kenny the Lord has impressed we're to build, 26:56 build a TV station that would reach the world 27:00 and when that was said. Something inside of my 27:04 heart said that's exactly right that's it, that's it. 27:09 And he says you know we wanna work together 27:11 with you all that from just matter of 27:13 hours and I said yes. Well, with me as well as 27:17 him, it made some changes, I had 27:20 construction business for 18 years, my own 27:23 business, that's all I ever did but when he said 27:26 that I was as well he what it rate to give up. 27:29 All of those things it just didn't matter this was 27:32 something that as soon as he mentioned it my heart 27:35 said this is it. This is what it's all about, what we've 27:39 been praying for, to be able to reach the world, 27:41 to be able to work for Jesus and so I guess I was 27:44 probably excited and he was back, I could hardly 27:46 stand out this is it. And then the thought was 27:49 happened, but where do you begin. What do you 27:52 do, you know we know nothing about, 27:55 we don't have any money. Well, when you fellows 27:57 told me that vision that you had, I thought oh! 28:01 How big, how big, how big and then I thought but 28:03 we have a big God. My mother was very excited 28:07 when Danny first talked her about this. 28:10 I think when she told me I think probably my first 28:13 question was why would he pick him? 28:17 Why would he pick you know, when him and 28:19 Kenny were going to do it together, why them 28:22 I mean they don't know anything about TV, 28:24 they don't know anything about media and you know 28:28 it just sounded like something that was really 28:31 far fetched and just kind of a dream that you know 28:37 could this possibly ever really happen I just, 28:41 I couldn't imagine and even if I did, even when 28:43 I when the building was starting to get erected and 28:46 that kind of thing. And I could visualize it 28:49 little bit, I still visualized as a little, a little local 28:53 thing you know like our, our local stations here, 28:57 television stations. No, inkling in a million 29:02 years that this would be a worldwide ministry, 29:05 I mean just nothing like that would enter had 29:08 entered my mind. Filled only with the 29:11 words, build a television station to reach the world 29:15 and his commitment to go forward if God supplied 29:18 every need. Danny Shelton's faith in God 29:21 would be launched to new heights God's profession 29:24 would began in the most unlikely place a 29:27 Charismatic Church down the road. 29:33 I actually met Danny in just a few months after 29:36 we got up here, he was building a building for 29:40 friend of ours in Main street and we had moved 29:42 out of a base, or we started searching a 29:44 basement and move to store front building on 29:46 Main street and he had ministered for us here 29:50 came and sang for us he and Melody and Kay, 29:54 and Kay this has been before Kay had been lost 29:57 her life in an accident. And get to know him 30:01 there and he is a precious brother we matter of fact 30:04 we used to stand around on the Main street and 30:06 sing Danny and Kenny and I they put up with me 30:08 trying to sing and. Danny build Children Church 30:11 tables for us and as every move we made actually 30:16 Danny was instrumental in doing carpentry work 30:18 for us in different things and I knew him, he is a 30:20 carpenter first and foremost as a brother-in 30:23 the-law he just really precious to and he did a 30:26 lot of work for us matter of fact. Yes, this is going 30:28 to some kind of nice we would hire him to do a 30:30 little bit of dry wall work for us. And we'd watch 30:34 him do it, and then we'd try it and do the rest of it 30:36 ourselves. He'd let us do that though, he would 30:41 actually he would teach us how to do something 30:43 and then let us you know finish it 30:45 up do the rest of it. He very gracious in doing 30:47 that, because he knew we were a fledging Church 30:50 on a limited budget and everything but 30:52 he very, very precious really. 31:01 The only thing I could think of, Hal and Mollie 31:03 Steenson charismatic pastors both of them, 31:06 they had a fast growing Church, one of the fastest 31:08 growing biggest Churches in the area. I used to go 31:10 out and sing for them with them and help 31:13 brother Hal build when he had on to this Church or 31:16 whatever. I used to do a lot of that with them, 31:19 I said well they've got a little studio, we've sang, 31:21 I guess if I am gonna get in television I better see 31:24 what television's like you know go out and let just 31:27 time I've never thought about what does 31:28 equipment cost, how do you run it, what are you do? 31:31 But Anne came she is ready to go to work, 31:33 so she comes out and I said well what do 31:36 we're gonna do. Let's go visit Hal and Mollie. 31:38 I believe that Danny did call me and ask if he 31:40 could come by, had some lady with him that had 31:43 come up from the South, I believe Louisiana, 31:45 to pray with him about this he had a dream and a 31:48 vision I believe it really it was a night vision. 31:52 And I said sure, I was busy as in our studio at 31:54 the Church, it was a fledgling Church like two 31:56 years old and had all this television equipment 31:58 that God had provided for us and so he came out 32:02 and came in the studio and I was sitting there 32:04 and he said. Well, I want to talk with you, 32:08 you know about that in all this TV equipment to 32:11 getting all and everything and I said okay what is it. 32:13 He said, I had this dream and. 32:15 I, I tell him, pastor Hal the Lord has impressed 32:18 me to build a television station to reach the world 32:21 with an undiluted Three Angels Message as one 32:23 that would counteract the counterfeit. I don't even 32:25 know what all of it means, but I know it's God. 32:28 Well, I don't know what the three Angels message 32:29 was, I never heard it before and he didn't know 32:32 what the counteract the counterfeit, was he 32:36 talking about me was I counterfeit, I didn't even 32:38 hear that. But what I did hear was reach the world, 32:43 when I said heard him say world it went off like fire 32:48 works went of in me. He'd just asked me 32:50 question, I don't know Hal, I really don't pastor 32:53 I just, I just know I'm supposed to, we got to 32:56 do something this lady drove up from Louisiana, 32:59 let us look at your equipment. So we went, 33:01 looked at Hal, I think they had something like 33:03 a $100,000 worth of retail equipment, that's a 33:06 tremendous amount of money, it's a lot of money 33:09 now it was tremendous amount of money back there. 33:13 About three weeks or two weeks before that a guy 33:15 had come from Indiana a pastor had heard that 33:18 I was gonna selling our television equipment. 33:22 And the reason why it was because God did not 33:25 call me to start a television ministry and 33:28 we had, had I guess I can say this Paul Crouch from 33:33 TV and he had called us and we would know we 33:35 are going to buy a local television station he 33:38 would purchase it for us and we could start a 33:40 organization and be over the television station and 33:44 I told my prayer about it but he didn't think so God 33:46 didn't called me to start television station. 33:49 And that's just the truth of it and God told me no, 33:53 as matter of fact I was getting too involved with it. 33:56 He would come over to buy it and I told him no 33:58 I don't think, I'm gonna sell it to you matter of 34:01 fact God might we won't me to give it away. 34:04 So, he is the guy from Indiana smile with big 34:06 like I'm want this television equipment, 34:07 but God didn't tell me to give it to him. 34:10 And so when Danny came by and told me said 34:12 well you've got all this equipment, I don't have 34:15 anything and I said well who knows Danny and 34:19 leave what I told you but God might not have 34:21 us to give it to you. And the way he said it 34:24 was this, the Lord impressed me that there 34:26 will be a time and a place and person. 34:29 And I'm getting a terrible feeling this is a time 34:31 and the place and you might be that person. 34:33 And I thought that he just say what, it sound a like 34:36 he said am I give you all this equipment so I can't 34:40 believe it so we left there shocked, just lady and me 34:42 we were shocked. So, I went on that night, 34:46 went to bed couldn't sleep. So, is that night I think 34:49 about 11O'clock I don't decide go into bed and 34:53 whatever the phone ringing and Danny said 34:54 you're the reason why I can't sleep. 34:58 What you are talking about? 35:00 Brother Hal, yes, you know I know it's 35:03 emergency is a pastor, yes brother Danny I said 35:05 Brother Hal, because of you, today I couldn't 35:07 sleep I said what you said that I couldn't sleep 35:10 what's that? I said well when you said that the 35:12 Lord impressed you not to sell the equipment but, 35:14 he impressed you there will be a time and a place 35:16 and a person and you suppose to give this 35:18 where as, so I can't rest then I told my brother 35:20 about it I said I don't know I guess I'll just call 35:24 you every hour on the hour if I can't sleep you're 35:26 not gonna sleep after doing this to me. 35:29 And he said, he said brother relax the Lord's 35:33 impressed me over the course of the evening, 35:35 he said do you know our ministry is a local 35:38 ministry that the Lord impressed me that 35:41 we're to support you and gave you this equipment 35:44 as you're gonna reach the world. Said it so 35:46 calm and I said you're gonna give the 35:47 equipment. And he said yes I said can you do 35:49 that? He said well why can't I and I said 35:53 and my Church is same called the Church Board 35:55 and well wouldn't your Church Board let your 35:57 Pastor give away I said $100,000 worth of, 36:01 in my Church I said the particular Church I go to, 36:04 if he gave away a cassette player he better have 36:06 some answers for everybody. 36:08 I told him brother go to sleep, I have already 36:10 talked to the Board, my Board consisted of the 36:13 Mollie and my associate pastor who was the 36:15 president, vice president secretary treasurer. 36:17 And we've talked about it we're gonna give 36:19 you this equipment. You know, he felt, he 36:21 impressed of the Lord that we needed to make 36:23 this commitment of the equipment to Danny 36:25 and so it was just like this is the direction the Lord 36:28 is leading with him, who wants to against God. 36:31 As I'd go Church and just tell them and people 36:33 didn't believe me I would say look into miracles 36:36 God impressed as Charismatic really well, 36:38 do you have the equipment in the hand, 36:40 no but he says as soon as we wanted. It's not him 36:42 holding it up, it's us, why I would I take it put it in a 36:44 barn or put it in shed, soon as we get our 36:47 building up, so I finally called Mr. Brother Hal 36:50 I know I hate to do this but could you guys get 36:52 your Church Board to sign an official after they 36:55 would saying that you have donated this to our 36:58 new young ministry 3ABN, yes certainly 37:00 he said and they did. That encouraged him, 37:04 that spurred him forward and gave him an impetus 37:08 to move forward, that was another one of those 37:10 faith builders just to know that equipment was 37:13 committed to him, although he never needed 37:16 that equipment. Well, let see at the time it was, 37:18 it was and I didn't know a lot about television, 37:21 it was good equipment this was back TV 37:23 equipment when he went on the air that wouldn't 37:26 have worked to gone to satellite. But it was 37:29 a spark that got the fire going. 37:32 We ended up with equipment, the miracle 37:35 that says you know what if the Charismatic 37:37 Pastor will donate that much to us. 37:41 God is surely behind this. Hal and Mollie Steenson 37:44 Church was named Praise World Outreach, because 37:47 Hal had a dream, a dream that's Southern Illinois 37:50 was somehow the hub of the wagon wheel. 37:53 With spoke reaching the entire world for Christ, 37:56 that dream would become a reality but at that time 37:59 the question was how can you reach the world? 38:05 Yeah, I was working at the television stations, 38:09 one I'm that I made or help to construct and as 38:15 time went on I was sold into the ministry and the 38:17 ministry started to grow and I had a suspicion that 38:24 they were going to want to expand out the 38:29 operation into other cities. And if that was going to 38:32 happened they would need a way to deliver 38:35 ministry programming to those cities and satellite 38:39 would be the way that it would be done so 38:41 I was doing research into programming delivery 38:44 through the satellites and had develops reasonable 38:51 amount of knowledge that I pretty well knew how 38:54 that, how that might be accomplished. 39:02 After I talked to Pastor Hal and sister Mollie, 39:06 and they made a commitment to donate television 39:09 equipment to us. I was so excited about it, 39:11 I told my brothers about it. And then Danny's 39:13 mind is working right now, where do we start, 39:15 where to begin? And so go right down. 39:18 Find out somebody that can give us some 39:19 directions then he met to Clarence Larson as soon 39:20 as he talked him he comeback and called me 39:22 said I've met the most wonderful man and 39:24 I mean his got information, he is 39:26 somebody that can really help, I said praise God 39:29 Danny because you and I. 39:30 We don't know anything about it. 39:32 So, the next day I said why don't we go down 39:34 we'll eat, I buy it, you didn't how much I buy 39:37 you lunch in Marion, if you go with me I want 39:40 you to see this TV station, I had sang on it, local TV 39:43 station at Marion, Illinois and there was a really 39:46 nice guy there I mean just always 39:48 smile Clarence Larson. I was working on a VCR 39:51 machine and Danny showed up and 39:56 want me to tour the facility and he brought 40:00 two other brothers with him I think. 40:01 So, we started looking at it and he indicated that 40:07 he was going to want to deliver a message 40:09 to the world and how would go about that. 40:13 That question caught me off guard coming from 40:16 Danny carpenter. So, he showed us all this equipment 40:19 it was Greek, I had no idea, what any of it was for, 40:23 how it worked. I would always just look straight into the 40:25 camera when I was singing or talking didn't ever 40:29 spent little time thinking what it look like from the 40:32 other perspective. So, as I was talking to Clarence, 40:35 he said he said hey I need to, I need to talk 40:38 to you he said I fell like in. So, we went in an area 40:41 where they were building part of new offices I remember 40:44 there is an open insulation in there. 40:46 So, I explain to him that he could use satellite to do 40:51 that it would be only way that I know of that he could 40:52 do that in a timely manner I was using words 40:56 in terms and I am sure that he hadn't heard before. 40:58 I saw the smile so didn't know is that a laugh because 41:02 I had seem some of those already, is that the belly, 41:05 you know belly laugh is that what is that? 41:07 And he smiled then he said wow that's really 41:09 interesting he said I want to tell you some thing 41:11 I have been doing the study and he said about it uplink 41:15 and I said what's that he said well on uplink station 41:17 is a station that we were shoots signals to satellite 41:19 that then can be rebroadcast to different parts 41:22 to the world then he said I think there is an area 41:25 that in Southern Illinois appear that will work he said 41:29 I said really and he said yeah think there is he said 41:32 I just feel impressed to talk to you about it and again 41:36 he said I know that you are carpenter and singers 41:38 and I don't what's your background isn't any of this 41:42 but some how I think I am supposed to tell you about 41:45 this and I said man I love to meet with you where 41:47 to do you live? Whenever we were three looking 41:49 in three talking and then they left I really kind 41:53 of thought that there will be a possibility that I 41:55 wouldn't hear anymore about it because he saw 42:00 a lot of stuff that he was don't have to deal with 42:05 and not being as familiar with it I am sure that it was 42:09 threatening back little bit. I felt very uncomfortable 42:14 telling him and I've wondered why I was telling him 42:16 that I wend ahead and I was prompted to do it 42:20 and I went ahead and did that I didn't think that much 42:23 about it after I did, except I felt uncomfortable 42:26 and then when ever he started talking about well 42:31 what is an uplinks station, then I thought oh 42:34 boy I've really blown this. You missed it. Yeah. 42:37 I kept thinking well as time goes on and he look 42:40 into this further and further he just might go away 42:43 and I'd be great I shared time with Danny, 42:46 I shared time with some other people and that 42:48 would probably be what would come of it but 42:50 I did see the determination in Danny I am glad 42:55 that he choose to come in talk with me about it 42:58 because that led to my healing and it led to one 43:02 of the best projects that I had not pretended to do. 43:07 God prepaid Clarence Larson for the right moment 43:11 a Baptist engineer working for Christian television 43:14 station confirming what seemed to be impossible 43:17 to reach the world, Danny Shelton needed land near 43:21 the small town of Thompsonville, Illinois. 43:23 By faith he began looking for land but God had a bigger 43:27 plan using an elderly woman who attended a local 43:32 Christian Church in the area. 43:36 I wanted to do something for the Lord as I would 43:40 hear on TV and hear on radio religious programs 43:49 and I would long to do something myself for the Lord 43:52 then I've seem to have any talents. 44:02 Fonda Summers, 77 years old hardly knew her my 44:05 mother met her once came to a prayer meeting, 44:07 'cause a literature evangelist had gone to her door, 44:09 the week before and 12 people I said at West 44:13 Frankfort Church. Lord's impressed to me build 44:15 a television station to reach the world they all knew me. 44:18 So, they knew there is no way that could happen. 44:20 I heard you make your announcement what you was 44:23 wanting to do I wanted to do it so bad and the Lord 44:29 when I got home that I couldn't get the idea out 44:32 of my mind and the Lord kept saying, 44:34 I have talked to the Lord and I've said I want to do 44:39 it but here I haven't got anything and the Lord said 44:42 what is this in your hands? It come to me well I said 44:46 that they only made it 2 acres of land and it wasn't 44:52 this land didn't have any crop on it and 44:55 the sprouts are starting to grow back. 44:58 this little lady went home called my mother on Friday 45:01 night and said you know I was listening to what your 45:04 boy said Kenny and me with there my brother, 45:07 that they needed property to build the TV, 45:10 I said we are looking for property, she said I got 45:12 some property and I would like to give you all of it 45:16 out from me, she said I got 2 acres in the back I 45:18 could probably give you and so she said just tell the 45:21 boys if they need this 2 acres I will give it to them. 45:24 So, my mother called me she said would you believe 45:26 it this lady we don't even know Fonda Summers 45:29 is willing to give 2 acres and so me now knowing 45:32 everything about television already because 45:34 I am in the business I said well mom it doesn't work 45:36 that way I talk to Clarence Larson an engineer 45:39 he says there is only certain spots that you can put 45:42 in I said I found out the word uplink to know 45:45 what that was shooting up to satellite and I said 45:48 Clarence says there is only certain places that you 45:50 can put uplink there are so many interferences 45:52 I won't get into the technical part because 45:55 I don't know all about it and I know you won't 45:57 understand it but it's not likely that it would 45:59 work but you know if it work sure we'll be happy. 46:02 So, I asked would she like if we went to Benton, 46:06 Illinois and go out about 7 miles and then go back 46:09 about a mile to the north that is about were the area is. 46:12 So, I called Clarence Larson and I said Clarence, 46:15 a lady donated some property and she says she 46:19 is impressed to give this property to us and he said 46:22 well it won't really work there is only he said 46:25 I have been studying you know the area looking up 46:28 microwave, microwaves signals and he said you 46:30 would have to have a place from the best I can 46:32 tell out by Thompsonville. Well, Thompsonville is 6, 46:35 7 miles you know east of Benton and out so I 46:40 said what he goes well yeah out you know out by 46:43 Thompsonville I just said the lady lives out of 46:45 Thompsonville, you're kidding he said. 46:46 I heard about that from Danny that Ms. Summers 46:50 gave the land and I had already heard the significance 46:54 as to why Danny was looking at that land 46:57 and Danny had made the connection I had. 47:01 So, he said well listen I know a company in Western 47:04 Virginia that will Comsearch and for $6000 they 47:09 can do a study, I said $6000, Clarence I don't have 47:12 $600 I don't have $6 for that well but you got to know 47:15 for sure you can't just build a TV station. 47:18 So by faith, we called Comsearch, I don't have time 47:22 to go through all the miracles but God provided 47:24 that $6000 which is a huge amount of money the 47:27 little 2 acres that Fonda Summers donated, 47:30 dedicated to us, gave to us, she said I saw I had 47:33 a dream and in this dream years ago we were gonna 47:37 sell the property she said and in this dream 47:40 I saw the most beautiful fatted cattle coming from 47:43 all directions it had a fence around it, 47:45 the south end my husband had opened the gate 47:47 and all this beautiful fatted cattle began to fill in 47:50 this little 2 acres and she said I knew then that God 47:54 some how would want this property be used for his 47:58 honor and glory and she said now I look this the potential 48:02 of the city station bringing in souls from the 48:05 word of God, she says that from, from, from God's word 48:08 and because it could be preached from this little 48:11 spot. So, I believe the Lord wants me to 48:13 donate it Comsearch came did the testing. 48:16 They were not really pleased that we picked the site 48:20 they said that's what they do, they would do a 48:23 complete search and tell you where you could put 48:25 this satellite. Danny came to him and said I know the 48:29 certain the location I want you to do the test 48:33 to see that is okay forward to be there. 48:36 Danny didn't go away he come back and he had 48:38 question about this and question about that and 48:42 pretty quick he was, he was pretty well had 48:45 a good idea that, that it was possible to do it. 48:51 There were tremendous amount of potential 48:54 interferences, not one interferences in this little 48:58 2 acres we had scientific land to come from 49:00 Atlanta Georgia they came out and did test with 49:03 moon and everything else at night and it was so 49:06 particular that we can only put the dish even 49:09 on one corner of the 2 acres to not have 49:12 any interferences as you can do up it, 49:14 but build shields and getting into a lot of expense, 49:16 but we didn't need anything and they were around 49:19 22 satellites I think in space at the time, 49:22 he says you can shoot at any of these satellites 49:24 you want to, I mean incredible, 49:26 miracle after miracle. I got selfish and I felt like 49:30 I should have offered a piece right out on the road 49:33 because the building should sit out publicly but 49:38 I thought well my children might not want me to do 49:42 it there and because if they wanted it, 49:45 or when I was gone, they would want to use that 49:49 part of the land. So I said you'd have to have 49:52 it back in the back and as it turned out you did 49:56 bought the land and that was the only spot any 50:02 place that you could have used but I gave it to 50:06 the Lord for his work. Alright. 50:08 No matter what name they worked under 50:11 I gave it to God. Amen. And of course, it had to be done 50:18 in earthen vessels somebody who he used 50:23 as his stewards and I knew he would bless us, 50:27 and I couldn't see any difference in your faith you 50:31 believed in God's word and I did and it is for God and for 50:38 his work and still yet I don't know what will come 50:44 I still ask the Lord that he will work and watch and 50:48 what he one said will be said and those he wants 50:52 to reach will be reached. Well, I think lot of 50:55 times it's a city on the hill to me as I look up 50:59 here it's a little hill and at night my bedroom window 51:03 and I look there and I say Lord there is the city 51:06 on the hill. God supplies, he supplied 51:17 when it was needed, never was it in the bank never 51:20 was it there to say okay we can do this because 51:23 we have it every step whether we say small or 51:27 whatever it might be was we had to do in faith. 51:29 First and then God supplied the finances for it. 51:42 Once we have the property from Fonda Summers, 51:45 once Comsearch says yes you can build an uplink 51:48 station we need a driveway, we don't, 51:51 we really don't have money for a driveway. 51:54 This property was donated there is some little hills 51:56 some sort of couple of acres there were but 51:58 to get the road back there and to try to get the 52:00 property leveled off and him and I was like you 52:02 knows it's too much for a shovel, but God did 52:05 say do it you know we're gonna have to level 52:06 it off to build a building and we just hadn't been 52:08 working for a man which is rare nowadays he 52:12 had a what we call it bulldozer, 52:14 a little cat one that moves in six ways, 52:16 the blade moves and all and I was doing some, 52:18 we are doing some work for him and I just mentioned 52:21 it, I said you know we got some property I need to, 52:23 he said just why don't you take, take this little 52:26 bulldozer of mine and just keep track of the hours 52:30 and just pay whatever you think it's worth and so I said 52:35 brother is wonderful and so he even loaded it up 52:38 brought it to Thompsonville, put it on the property 52:40 where the first building's at and the dish unloaded it, 52:44 but he decided he wasn't gonna run it, 52:46 I'd have to run it and so I was so excited about 52:49 how wonderful it is, but he look at me and he said 52:50 you have to buy the fuel. And Danny and I looked 52:54 back to each other, that's a little tough 52:56 right now too. And we didn't have money 52:58 for diesel we were buying 5 gallons can at a time 53:02 and people would come out from our little church 53:04 and definitely say we heard you're doing this building 53:06 well that's great well here let me give you $20 53:09 and you know let me give you $5 and they didn't 53:11 ask for receipts, they said hey we see what you're 53:15 doing, here it is I mean we were just starting 53:17 to put this whole network together and getting 53:20 aboard and getting our bylaws 53:22 and trying to make it all legal and get a corporation 53:24 going so this was all you know how people are 53:27 just willing to help so literally $5 here, 53:30 $10 here, $20 there. So, by faith we said 53:33 I'll tell you what we do, we buy 5 gallons of the fuel 53:36 and so we bought 5 gallons of fuel and I have 53:39 put in the back the truck and I went out there 53:40 and you know if you carry a load on side it's a little 53:43 unbalancing he'd tell you the same thing and after 53:46 a few days of that we just poured 5 gallons in about 53:49 time it ran we stopped and prayed that we get 53:52 another enough to another 5 gallon finally 53:54 said let's by a faith let's buy two 5 gallons cans 53:57 'cause if I carry them Dan, you can carry how 53:59 you want, but if carry them I feel better to carry 54:01 One in each hand I balance it better. So, by faith we 54:04 start out 5 gallons and then went to 10 gallons 54:07 and then we can fill the thing up. 54:08 I called raw Sprague rock company, 54:11 and little out here in Thompsonville they sell rock 54:15 and they, it's 1400 feet off the main road, I think 54:19 it was and so they say well, it cost about $6000, 54:22 but God had provided at that point commitments 54:25 from people, provided property and I just knew that 54:29 it was of God. So, I said we got to step out in faith, 54:31 so I told that company can you bring it like a week 54:35 from whatever it was, it was Tuesday, 54:38 can you bring it about a week. Yeah, that's one, 54:40 you know we had to space it to their schedule yeah 54:43 we can do it about a week. So I told my brother, 54:45 now I just ordered $6000 wroth of rock we don't have 54:48 any money, we go home and we pray for it 54:50 and two or three days go by we go to the mailbox because 54:53 I am already going to churches telling people what 54:55 we're doing, this is like Monday before they're coming 54:58 Tuesday maybe it's Sunday or Monday, 55:00 go to post office West Frankfort, open up PO box, 55:02 we open it up there is only two letters it doesn't 55:05 look good, we're getting a little nervous. 55:07 We got $6000 of rock, open the first letter 55:10 a lady says I read about your story, 55:12 someone wrote a story and put in one of our Church 55:15 papers up in Michigan, just out of Chicago in the 55:21 edge of Michigan. I was so impressed with the story 55:24 the Lord impressed me send you $2000, 55:26 we have never had a $2000 donation I mean that 55:29 was just huge. So I opened up the second letter 55:32 it was from Dale and Ruth Hall, I believe from I 55:38 had been out in San Diego, California. 55:41 And they said they had a little note and I had spoke 55:43 at the Church, I didn't know the folk but this letter 55:47 came and said to Lord impressed us of the urgency 55:49 in which you need these $4000, so two letters 55:53 $6000 huge for us, absolutely huge we get the 55:57 rock in. Now we need to dig a footing we know 56:00 that our shell of building gonna cost you know 56:02 25000 if we put roof on it do everything we need 56:06 we are gonna be looking at $50,000 just, 56:08 we were done it like person says why did you know, 56:13 you didn't have it all out, you didn't have your 56:14 prospective sort to speak all that and I said 56:17 we did it like you, somebody said how to eat an elephant, 56:21 one bite at a time. Danny and I, we never failed 56:23 to get down on our knees, I can't tell you how 56:25 many times, dozens I could say hundreds, 56:29 I don't think it's an exaggeration at all, 56:30 for every aspect of that work we would get down 56:34 on our knees and say God this is your project, 56:36 we have nothing, we have nothing which to offer 56:38 except for ourselves, we promise to show up 56:40 and work for you and as we do this you promised 56:43 to supply all of our needs and we're gonna claim 56:45 that promise. And God was always faithful, 56:48 every time he was faithful, after we were ready, 56:51 after there is nothing else we could do, 56:54 he would supply and take care of that need 56:56 and then we'd go on to the next step that happened 56:58 through the whole project but God was maybe 57:02 testing the faith, increasing the faith, 57:04 because there were larger thing ahead, 57:07 no longer was it 5 gallons of fuel but it become 57:11 you know 20,000 become 50,000, a 100,000, 57:15 300,000 you know these kind of things. 57:18 And so God was leading his children. 57:22 That's what we are, we are his children, 57:23 a step at a time to enable us to be ready for that so. 57:27 He is an awesome God by the way. 57:29 You're watching mending broken people, 57:33 the 3ABN miracle story. Stay with us for an hour 2 57:37 of this 3 hour documentary coming up on 3ABN. |
Revised 2024-11-19