Participants:
Series Code: YFBR
Program Code: YFBR000006B
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00:01 Welcome back to Your Favorites by Request.
00:03 Music has given me a wonderful opportunity 00:05 to meet a lot of great people. 00:07 And I have a friend now on the phone 00:09 who is a wonderful person. 00:11 I love Simon Ivascu, 00:13 he is part of the Freedom Singers, 00:15 a wonderful man, Simon, how are you today? 00:19 I'm right and I'm good, Tim. 00:21 Thank you for chatting with me, it's good to see you. 00:24 Oh, it's great to see you too. 00:26 And you are calling from British Columbia, right? 00:29 Sure. Excellent. 00:30 Well, now I know a lot about your story. 00:34 I mean, in fact, I've had the privilege 00:35 of traveling with you as the Freedom Singers. 00:37 But tell our viewers a little bit about you? 00:41 Well, I like to think, I'm a normal guy. 00:44 I just came unusual into Canada, 00:48 a number of years ago. 00:50 I came as a stow in a shipping container. 00:54 We escaped along with a buddy of mine from Romania, 00:57 we ended up in Italy 00:58 and from there we got into a container, 01:01 somebody locked us up 01:02 and we were shipped across the ocean 01:05 which at that time I didn't know, 01:09 if we were gonna make it or not. 01:12 We didn't know what country we were going to 01:14 but here we are today. 01:16 Oh, that is amazing, so amazing. 01:19 You have written a book 01:20 and if people want to get to really know 01:23 the full breath of the story and depth of the story, 01:27 they would need to read that book, 01:29 because it is wonderful and it's... 01:32 I traveled many nights with you 01:34 and would hear the story and would never tire of it. 01:37 So thank you for allowing me the privilege of meeting you. 01:41 And I know that at one point, 01:43 because I know the story so well, 01:45 I'm gonna just interrupt you 01:47 to know that music has played 01:49 a really important part of your life 01:50 at a certain moment in that voyage. 01:54 Absolutely, and, you know, when it comes to songs, 01:59 majority of them that I'm familiar with, 02:03 they have such an important message. 02:05 Message of hope, message of encouragement, 02:08 and that you are right, 02:10 at one point you know our story is, 02:11 we were stuck in the bottom of ship 02:14 in the container, 02:15 not being able to get out 02:17 without water, without food, without hope. 02:21 We got at the very lowest point in our life 02:24 where we just didn't know what else to do. 02:28 We literally, we were dying, slowly dying. 02:32 Our bodies were shutting down 02:33 after three days without the water. 02:36 And that's where little tunes started ringing in my mind. 02:42 In fact, I've heard my buddy whispering 02:45 the words of the tune, 02:46 and I thought he was praying at the beginning, 02:49 and then I listened more closely 02:52 and I caught myself just whispering. 02:54 We couldn't sing by that point, we were so weak. 02:57 And I caught myself whispering the same words. 03:01 And to me, it really stuck with me, that particular song. 03:04 It's one of my favorites, 03:06 "Because He lives, I can face Tomorrow". 03:09 Oh, wow. 03:10 That is so powerful. 03:12 And you've heard me often singing, 03:14 you know, you don't have to be stuck 03:16 in a shipping container 03:17 to go through life, 03:19 through challenges in your life. 03:22 But this is a song 03:24 that I hope the audience will take it to heart 03:26 and just put God in their lives and trust Him. 03:30 You know, it's one of those things 03:33 that you are either on your own, 03:36 and good luck with that, 03:38 or you put God and say, Lord, I trust You, 03:41 because I can face whatever is coming my way 03:44 because of You. 03:45 Yeah, right. 03:46 I love that song. 03:48 Oh, that's great, Simon. 03:49 Oh, what a treat to hear that. 03:52 God sent His son 03:57 They called Him Jesus 04:01 He came and died 04:05 Heal and forgive 04:26 Because He lives 04:32 I can face tomorrow 04:38 Because He lives 04:44 All fear is gone 04:48 Because I know 04:54 He holds the future 04:59 And life is worth the living 05:05 Just because 05:08 He lives 05:16 Simon, thank you so very much for sharing that with us, 05:19 and it's great to see you again, 05:21 and I look forward to seeing you soon, brother. 05:24 Peace to you. Thank you. 05:25 God bless you. God bless you, Simon. 05:29 We hear from our Western friends now, 05:31 Kathleen out in Sunizona, Arizona. 05:35 And our north of the Mexican border 05:37 I think that is 05:38 and William in Moab, Utah 05:40 which is close to the beautiful Arches National Park. 05:43 And they both requested 05:44 one of the most popular 20th century hymns, 05:47 "The Old Rugged Cross". 06:05 On a hill far away 06:09 Stood an old rugged cross 06:13 The emblem of suffering 06:17 And shame 06:21 And I love that old cross 06:25 Where the dearest and best 06:29 For a world of lost 06:32 Sinners was slain 06:38 So I'll cherish 06:40 The old rugged cross 06:46 Till my trophies 06:48 At last I lay down 06:54 I will cling 06:56 To the old rugged cross 07:02 And exchange it some day 07:06 For a crown 07:11 O that old rugged cross 07:15 So despised by the world 07:19 Has a wondrous attraction for me 07:27 For the dear Lamb of God 07:31 Left his glory above 07:35 To bear it 07:37 To dark Calvary 07:43 In that old rugged cross 07:47 Stained with blood so divine 07:52 A wondrous beauty I see 07:59 For 'twas on that old cross 08:04 My Jesus suffered and died 08:09 To pardon and sanctify me 08:15 So I'll cherish 08:19 The old rugged cross 08:24 Till my trophies 08:27 At last I lay down 08:33 I will cling 08:35 To the old rugged cross 08:41 And exchange it some day for a crown 08:48 Now you sing it. 09:19 Oh yeah, good words. 09:21 So I'll cherish 09:24 The old rugged cross 09:30 Till my trophies 09:33 At last I lay down 09:38 I will cling 09:41 To the old rugged cross 09:46 And exchange it some day 09:51 For a crown 10:01 I love songs about the cross. 10:03 And here's another great song about the cross, 10:08 "Lead me to Calvary". 10:16 King of my life 10:19 I crown Thee now 10:22 Thine shall the glory be 10:28 Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow 10:34 Lead me to Calvary 10:41 Lest I forget Gethsemane 10:47 Lest I forget Thine agony 10:54 Lest I forget Thy love for me 11:00 Lead me to Calvary 11:33 Lest I forget Gethsemane 11:35 Lest I forget Gethsemane 11:41 Lest I forget Thine agony 11:47 And lest I forget Thy love for me 11:54 Lead me to Calvary 12:01 May I be willing, Lord, to bear 12:07 Daily my cross for Thee 12:14 Even Thy cup of grief to share 12:21 Thou hast borne all for me 12:27 Lest I forget Gethsemane 12:33 Lest I forget Thine agony 12:40 Lest I forget Thy love for me 12:46 Lead me to 12:48 Calvary 12:56 Remember Jesus loves you. Thank you for watching. 13:21 Send me your song 13:23 Then you sing along with me 13:32 Your Favorites by Request 13:34 La-la-la, la-la-la |
Revised 2017-08-03