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by Rob Harris
May 3, 2023 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Isaiah 66:18, Luke 24:44-50, Acts 4:20, Philippians 1:6-7, Philippians 1:12, Philippians 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/rob-harris--enlarge
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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thank you Pastor Mr appreciate Pastor Sloan and sister Sloane's burden for Missions their involvement their labor of love amen the field is the world praise God amen we are right in the middle of harvest before I get into our lesson tonight I've got a few little objects here I want to share with you how many of you remember the Berlin Wall it was a wall that many people died trying to cross it kept East Germany out of out of the modern day they were like trapped in time and you probably read stories about how people tried to overcome and climb over the wall and they were shot in the process but all that's history and now it's just fragments and I have some fragments if you want to look at this after service fragments of something at one time was a wall that seemed that no one could pass but now it's just history or fragments and there are things in your life that you might face that seems to be great walls but you keep serving God and being faithful to God they will become history and they will just become fragments Lost in Time praise God another thing of you who loves old Bibles I love old Bibles and old commentaries and books this is one of the oldest ones I have I acquired this in Scotland when we were there and this uh is dates back to 1627 and it is uh portions of uh uh Thessalonians it's uh a commentary basically but it goes to show you that the printed word has been around a long time amen and and you know there were people back in the day how many years is that close to 400 years old as this was passed from generation to generation or maybe it just stayed in someone's library or study but somebody might have opened that and studied back in time but you know all through time God has people that are going to search and study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly and dividing the word of Truth amen I'm just going to place these down here if anyone after service likes to look at those if you'll take your Bibles we're going to get into the word of God and the subject that we are looking at is missions uh special place in my heart for Missions once you get involved in missions the the you know whether it's here or abroad it's it's a great work amen and I want to tonight I want to try to leave a foundation with you and challenge you on what the word says drawing your attention to Isaiah chapter 66 and verse 18. the Lord said for I know their their works and their thoughts it shall come that I will gather all nations and tongues and they shall come and see my glory if we could see the big picture God is in the process and he is the one who is gathering the Nations and in the church where there is neither Jew nor Gentile but all one new man in Christ Jesus we are a new creature and he is the one who is doing the great work and he is in the process of gathering but he needs the church he needs you as an individual as one that can Proclaim this glorious truth amen looking at our upci uh there are basically 232 Nations and territories with the upci work there are other organizations that have Works in these nations also preaching this Apostolic message there are 691 missionaries just some statistics tonight missionaries on the field and they're also now 13 countries awaiting work are those who would go there and I would venture to say probably one of those is Sudan and we do have some missionaries Grove family that is in South Sudan but there are countries because of strict laws it's very difficult to get in but the word of God is going forth into all the world and if we could understand that this plan is God's plan and he is in the process of gathering the Nations uh why he wants them to come and see his glory he wants glory to be manifested he wants his his his kindness and his love and his compassion to be manifested so that people can be filled with the Holy Ghost so that people can walk in newness of life so that people can have a joy unspeakable joy praise God and God is in the process but he needs you and I as individuals and that's where we come in and if you think about in the Bible when you read about all nations uh he is the desire of all Nations all of these nations that are fighting and the Nations that are are are doing all kinds of things Jesus Christ has the title of the desire of all Nations he is the one they are looking for he is the one that they are hungering for but it will take you and I to be one that will open their eyes through this glorious gospel plan amen the God of this world has blinded their minds lest they should see this glorious gospel and there needs to be Enlightenment as you were illuminated and the light shined upon you you become a reflector of that light in his glory praise God God is interested in the Nations uh whether it's here our great nation we live in a great nation if you don't understand that go and live in a foreign country for a while come back to America America and you're going to appreciate America a lot and even though we have trouble here we live in a great Nations we have freedom to worship we can come no one's stopping us on the roads unless you're speeding but no one's blocking you from coming to the house of God we have that freedom how long do we have that we do not know but we know this but now is today is the day of salvation and we will continue in that in this all nations he wanted his house to be a house of prayer and whether it be here or in foreign lands the house is to his house is to be a House of Prayer in all nations praise God let's look at this Great Commission that we have the great uh challenge of the global evangelism that we are a part of look in Luke chapter 24 and verse 44. he said these words The Words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled all things must be fulfilled so if God is going to gather the Nations uh if he is going to gather a people it has to have a fulfillment uh every promise in the word of God from eternal life to a glorified body fashioned like unto his glorious body to make in all things new to wipe every tear off every face and all of these promises there has to be a fulfillment and one of the greatest fulfillments that we find in the word of God the word of God says Jesus Christ said I will build my church he will build his church and we are the part of the the process and we are his hands we are his feet we are the ones who are to share this glorious truth praise God all things must be fulfilled everything written in the law of Moses and then the prophets and the Psalms concerning me then he opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures Lord open my understanding that I might see what this Great Harvest is uh we are fixing to go into a new challenge it seems in my perception that the church this local assembly were shifting gears going into a new facility to us and also in the future going into something even larger so we're going to have opportunity there's going to be new people coming there's going to be people that are hungry and and if we create the atmosphere of worship and prayer and love and we involve ourself in discipleship there are people that are going to come in and one of the greatest things that are going to attract them is our love for one another how will they know that ye are disciples if you're going to be a disciple you are in the process of discipleship or you are instructing someone else or helping them it might be in Sunday school it might be in a home Bible study uh it might be through the ministry of Music whatever it is you are instructing and helping someone and when we show love in the body of Christ that is how people will know and there is an attraction to this world for the love of God manifested in you and in me open our understanding Lord God open my eyes that I might see wondrous things out of thy law it one of the greatest challenges in this Harvest and in the fields that are white Under Harvest uh open your eyes open your spiritual eyes and realize uh everyone who comes through those stores are hungry and are searching and if we could if we could just catch and hold on to those that come through these doors and visit us I mean there would be enormous growth so when Pastor talks about oh get get around them shake hands and get to know them and all of that the purpose of is to show love to them to let them know that we care for them praise God Amen the Bible says here thus it is written in a behooved Christ to suffering to rise from the dead the third day and here is the the the the basis of the Gospel possible plan the Great Commission it is the great challenge it is what uh we are to be a part of and Jesus Christ you find these in Matthew Mark and Luke and when you put it together it basically goes like this you have all power and go ye it's not just one or two it is ye go ye that that is personal that is directed to you and to me as an individual teach All Nations there's teaching involved there's instruction involved a baptizing uh there is teaching to observe that is to obey all the Commandments uh we are to not just pick and choose oh I like that one but not too sure about that but oh all scripture is given by inspiration of God it is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for this action and righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works all scripture praise God Lord that I would understand that he said I Am With You Always even into the end this mandate this purpose this responsibility this great commandment is to the church it is to you and to me go ye into all the world preach the gospel to Every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but there is also a warning to those that are an unbeliever that if they reject that it is the gospel to the Damned also we must understand there is a serious note in this even though it is good news to those who reject it it is not good news because it is the message of damnation to those who turn from it and do not obey the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ praise God there will be signs following oh God give us signs give us Miracles uh in my name they will cast out Devils they will speak with new tongues there is power over all the enemy there's no harm that will come to you you'll lay hands on the sick and they recover this is all involved in this Great Commission to you and to me uh this is just as fresh as it was the day that he spoke it it is just as alive today and a challenge to you and me as it was when he was commanded praise God and oh when he opened their understanding and he said I want you to preach and teach a repentance and remission of sins people need to understand that there has to be repentance that there has to be remission of sins and it is his name and it's going to be among all nations God is interested in the Nations he is interested in all of the Nations and he said this I want you to start at Jerusalem ye are witnesses of these things and behold I send the promise of my father praise God if it's a promise there has to be a fulfillment uh if I said I promise you I'm going to bring you some pecan pie and I show up one day without pecan pie you realize oh boy here's the Fulfillment and I'm going to eat and enjoy it so the promise that he has given you the promise that we would be endued with powerful and high that we would be clothed upon with that power amen that is a promise to all amen thank God and he led them as far as Bethany and then he said all right you've got to go on to Jerusalem I'm going to lead you so far and then you've got to take the next step praise God the basis of the Great Commission this gospel is going to be preached in all of the world among all nations and then shall the End come let me go and talk to you a little bit about missions uh uh Acts chapter 4 and verse 20 when Peter and Paul were Peter and was speaking and he said for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard what you have seen God do what you have heard from the preaching of the word of God to the power of the spirit whether it be tongues whether it be tongues and interpretation whether it be the hearing what the spirit says to the church and we cannot but speak speak the truth in love speak what you know every one of us is a mouthpiece for God we are someone that has the ability walking wisdom to those that are without Redeeming the time let your speech be always with Grace season with salt that ye may know how you ought to answer every man those that ask you the reason of the hope that lieth within you speak the word praise God speak that word and see what God will do praise God the plane landed in Ethiopia in 1971. I got off that plane and I had no clue where I was what I was doing all I knew is I had a little suitcase in my hand and I didn't understand why my dad would take us over to some foreign country leave America with McDonald's and all that good stuff and take us over somewhere but we were young and and we just took it in stride and and uh we it was adventure to us and we got off the plane and and we eventually made our way to the service and it was in Ethiopia that I was baptized in Jesus name and I was filled in the Holy filled with the Holy Ghost when I was a little boy so this country has always had a special place in my heart but let me back up a little bit in history and in time and I'll share to some of this with you I believe in in the Sunday's adult Sunday school class but um my when my dad was a baby his mother did not want him and you've heard that story before with some mothers they don't have time for their child and they just want to take that child and and put them on a back burner and continue their lifestyle and that was what his grandma his mother did she was going to take him and place him in an orphanage to be raised as an altar boy in the Catholic Church down in Nolans or New Orleans however you want to say it laughs but my grandma thanked God for a Godly woman I wonder when we stand before God in the judgment and all the awards and all all the things that we've read about and we've longed for it could it be that that little grandmother or that little dear lady that was so faithful to church she walks up and boy she gets the best crown and all of us preachers we're just in line hoping remember me in Paradise you know I don't know how it's all going to turn out but let me tell you there's a lot of people behind the scenes that are faithful be steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for ye know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain amen what you're doing for God there is a reward and sometimes it might seem insignificant or you don't get the recognition that you feel you have to have down here it's not about down here it's about him he must increase we must decrease he he's the one who gets all of the glory we can't Rob him of his glory without him we're just a Vine that dies up and shrivels a branch and it falls to the ground and becomes firewood but with him oh there's power there's anointing there's Authority that can destroy the Yoke praise God but my dear grandmother which I never got to my great-grandmother had been I never got to know she was old time Pentecost and uh she she got a hold of him and she said you cannot take that baby and place him in an orphanage I'm going to raise him and she raised him in the church back in those days when they had sawdust on the ground the old brush Harbors a lot of us don't even remember that or know about that I don't know about that I've only heard about it uh I mean I've been in some mud huts and some tin roofs in Africa but still the church is pretty nice but there was a day when it wasn't nice flush like we have today and she took that baby and began to raise that baby because she realized the investment of a soul little did she know that that child would grow up have it's a personal experience with Pentecost be filled with the Holy Ghost obey God go to Bible College and eventually say you know what I'm going to break away from my traditions I'm going to break away from what's going on all around me uh you know you guys might put on white robes at night and go around and do dumb things you know the clan but I don't want anything to do with it and he left that can you see the picture he left that setting and he went to Africa to preach the Glorious plan the gospel plan and he they would say they'd say they called him Sonny Boy Sonny Boy what in the world are you going over to Africa when you got some people here that you can take care of he said well God's put it in my heart and and there's the Macedonian call and and they're calling me and it's a place I have not yet been but I want to go and I want to Proclaim Your Truth amen and that's what he did and little did he know the impact uh uh that grandma would have in his life and she went on to her reward but because of her investment my dad he is still living He is struggling with his health today but he is still living today serving God thank you sir serving God and being faithful in the house of God praise God and haven't been in Africa for so many years and laboring for the Lord building a bible school there and Pastor is understands about the importance of Bible schools in foreign countries to be involved in the Bible School uh the Bible school there was um uh set up and and uh got into action by brother James Kilgore Life Tabernacle Bible school and it is still going today teaching and instructing this glorious plan to reach other people and it all goes back back to one little lady who decided to make a difference when you decide to make a difference that's what it's all about and I remember when I was over there and and I use a lot of personal experiences is because not for self but because I want to share I cannot but speak the things which I have seen and heard and I remember when I was a little boy I was probably about eight or nine and there was this man that came over from America brother Leo Upton great great missionary evangelist we would call him and this is back in the day when they didn't video it or it wasn't you know tooting the horn style you know it was just behind the scenes and and hundreds of people getting the Holy Ghost and and I'd always think what how does he do this who is this man a little little short man just he has little hat kind of balding you know and just just walking you know and and just you know laid back and and here he was preaching this glorious plan A Simple Plan of Salvation and hundreds of people being filled with the Holy Ghost and I witnessed that and I saw that and I wondered God this plan is so much bigger than every one of us and I fast forward I didn't see that man after that for about 30 years then I saw him at one of our conferences and they were honoring him they had him up on the platform they put a beautiful robe upon him and they were saying we want to honor you for all of your labor of love overseas and they said you want to say anything and this is what he said he said if only I had another life to give I would give it but he knew he only had one life we've got one shot at this one life and he gave it is all he desired another life but he could not have that that was his desire and he went on to his reward but I remember as a little boy here's a man preaching this glorious truth praise God I was in the city of nakuru that's the north kind of North part of Kenya uh it's about four or five years ago and a man walked up to me after service he was the pastor of the church we had been preaching there and time had gone by I mean you know since the 70s 80s 90s 2010 into 20 before all this coveted stuff if you know what I mean able to travel freely but this man came up to me and he said this he said your father baptized my father in 1972 at the YMCA and when he said that I knew he was telling the truth because when we first went to that country we found this facility in the town that was owned by the YMCA back before the YMCA song came out if you know what that is but back before all of that he baptized his his dad so my dad baptized his dad here we are the Next Generation think about it you know this is generational it just doesn't stop to me I think about my daughter and my granddaughter my son and my two two granddaughters one of them's here in in church tonight and and I think about the responsibility that we have to pass this truth on to live a life of Integrity to live a life with uh without rebuke to live a life that is transparent of the glory of God praise God I wore this shirt tonight I don't know if any of you been to the Philippines but it's a beautiful place I had the privilege to go over there and minister uh back when they had the conference well I didn't minister in that big conference but back when they had light the fire two thousand I had an opportunity to go over there and um this is the Filipino suit so to speak so if you go over there this is what they wear that's what we would call a suit and when I was over there and every time I wear this shirt it reminds me of this man and I can't ever get away from it we were in service and people were worshiping God and having a good time then they had offering and everybody was walking up and putting in an offer and you know how they do it and then all of a sudden here came a man without any feet without any legs no wheelchair no nice scooter to come down on not one of those fancy push kind you know whatever you like he was just on his I don't know what they were you call them Nubs or I don't know what it was but he was he was scooting down the aisle to give an offering and then he scooted back nobody met nobody said well we'll pick you up we'll move you this one he didn't want anybody to touch him he was doing his thing he didn't have any feet how beautiful are the feet of them that carry the Good Tidings of great joy the good news of the Gospel but here's a man that didn't have any feet so I inquired about this man and I asked him who is this guy they said oh he's one of our pastors he passes up in the mountain There and Everywhere he goes he's scooting down with no feet no legs no crutches no wheelchair a great challenge but a mind that is focused and set praise God and I thought how could I ever complain and said oh I'm just too tired my legs hurting and I'm getting a charlie horse and I can't come to church and and I realize there are times we get sick I understand that if you get sick and you start throwing up don't come to church but here's a challenge a man without any fee hey then you can't really say how beautiful are the feet you can't say that to him he wouldn't perhaps understand but God takes all kinds and he molds it and he perfects it for his glory and that's what it's all about praise God I don't bring anything to you as far as new the Simplicity of Christ it's not hard we try to make things difficult just love God and love people and have a passion for souls and say what can I do I'm going to put my hand to the plow and I'm going to hold on and I'm going to trust the plow you put your hand to the plow you don't look back you trust the mechanism of the plow and you keep on going praise God praise God Philippians I hurry on tonight Philippians chapter 1. verse 6 and 7 Paul was speaking about many things he said being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ he's going to perform it over another part I believe in the Book of Luke they said there shall be a performance amen God's gonna do it amen and he's looking to someone who says you know what we are well able to take the city amen we believe God there are people here in this beautiful city people that are hungry that are going to come to the house of God and they're going to see and they're going to see discipleship but in action disciples and people will know them how by how you love one another and we all are different we all have our our different ways and stuff but we all come into the unity of the body a a church that is Unified that wants to see the power of God working in our lives and in others praise God and he went on to say this he said I have you in my heart in as much as both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel ye are all partakers of my grace think about the defense we are called to defend this glorious gospel earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints how do I defend this first of all it starts with live in it I live it uh I it becomes uh manifest in me I'm I'm defending it in the greatest uh message is your life to let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify their father which is in heaven praise God and the confirmation of the Gospel there's confirmation in this God confirms it uh he he said I'll fulfill it these signs will follow there's going to be anointing there's gonna be power there's going to be healing there's going to be Authority but it's going to come from prayer it's going to come from speaking boldly it's going to come from being desirous of God's working in your lives praise God and in verse 12 he said I would have he said these things that have happened to me I've fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel there are things that happen in our lives that it's just like you get blindsided every one of us could stand and say I've got a story to tell you about some things that happened in my life and and Bam I just got hit hard but think about this it is for the furtherance of the Gospel sometimes people come into your life to cause you to pray more and seek to remove envious or Envy our bitterness or or strive for our jealousy you see you see God wants us to work on these things we don't want to stand before him on that day and not having dealt with these deep rooted things that can take root in your life if you're not properly given that ground good ground in that heart good soil and removing the thorns and the rocks and the Wayside ground all of those things so seed can fall into good ground and bring forth fruit and he said this he said it is happening to me rather for the furtherance of the Gospel so the gospel starts going further amen it's it's not going to stop amen I might bail out you might bail out God forbid but it's still going forward and oh the best thing to do is dive in and get a hold of it and hold on a praise God Amen because uh he is going to gather all nations praise God I want to see that great Gathering uh I'm not looking today and worrying about what's going on in the world there's always going to be trouble but what I am looking to okay God what are you doing and how can I plug in I want to plug in and I'm going to be praying and I'm going to sit on my watch and I'm going to be looking Lord just like the prophets did in the Old Testament I'm going to look and I'm going to wait Lord because uh that that message is coming it's for an appointed time there's a point at times this specific uh church here this local assembly has gone through stages and there's been challenges uh the the tornado for example and other things that churches go through but here we are on this day and hour it's going for the furtherance of the Gospel plan it's going further and we're a part of it praise God praise God praise God amen thank God for his word and he goes on his verse saying 17. he said in this subject he says we're not preaching Christ out of envy and strife some get caught up in that oh envy and strife has plagued Humanity but oh keep us from that and but good will uh and not out of contention but sincerely and it goes on and says uh knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel amen so the defense the confirmation and the further and so I'm going to defend it I'm going to hold on to it I'm gonna love it I'm gonna live it to there's going to be the proof in the pudding the confirmation amen praise God and it's going further amen we've still got some miles to go the journey is still on huh fight the good fight of Faith lay hold on eternal life the steps of the righteous man is ordered by the Lord praise God amen amen and more and more as you see that day approaching the scripture says praise God second Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17. second Corinthians 5 and verse 17. this is what God is in the business of reconciling praise God therefore If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are new don't let shame from your past rob you of what God is doing in the new creature shame is sometimes a grudge that I hold against myself when I need to release that shame and say Lord God I want you to make me new old things are passed away all things have become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation to bring it back we got fishermen in this room good fisherman professional fisherman throw it out there bring it in that big bass your reconciling you're bringing it back I want it back into the boat it belongs to the boat it might be in there but that trophy belongs in the boat praise God and that's why we are Fishers of Men praise God Amen uh you're going to fish and you're going to catch the Bible say you shall catch men we're catching people they're coming in but let's let's close the Nets that have holes in them where they would somehow drift out and so that we make sure that we catch them praise God to it that God was in Christ this is the beautiful plan of the Mighty God huh oh God was in Christ for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily ye are complete in him which is the head of all principality and power God was in Christ what reconciling the world unto himself he's Gathering he's Gathering the Nations praise God and that's why he says uh uh look under the fields there white unto Harvest and it goes on in that portion of scripture in John it says he that gathereth fruit unto eternal life we are in the process of gathering fruit for the Lord it is for eternal life it's just not for us it's for others praise God not imputing charged to their account their trespasses on them I'm so God I'm so glad that God didn't charge all the things that I've done in the past of my account but his Precious Blood can wash it he can cleanse it that's why repentance is so important that's why we preach water baptism in Jesus name for the remission of sins that's why we preach the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the spirit gives the utterance this plan remains uh we build upon that foundation of the Apostles and Prophets of Jesus Christ the Chief Cornerstone take heed how you build upon it uh I don't want to put Haywood and stubble things that will burn up that will not last the test of time but put precious things on there build on this Foundation you can't change this Foundation you can't come along and have a new gospel plan if you do you're accursed you cannot interpret this grace and call it Grace that you can slide right into heaven doing anything as some interpret it you've got to go back to the original plan over in Africa they have these things they'll say this part here they'll say this one if it's cheap and it's a remade one they'll say this one Taiwan but the other one if it's real Japan they'll say this is not original that's what the Lord was the original he wants you to be the original amen praise God thank God for this truth and we're all recipients I stand before you tonight because somebody prayed for me amen somebody taught me somebody instructed me I didn't just Waltz right in and just get it all it took years of impartation and and knocking that hard head hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation so we're ambassadors what are we to do for Christ ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech You by us do you understand the importance of that you are standing in God's place as his spokesman as his Ambassador as his representative this is what this Great Commission involves you are his hands you are his feet uh you you are what this world needs and it said we pray you in Christ stead be ye reconciled to God praise God the great Gathering in closing I want to share a little story with you that happened to us when we were in Nigeria little background on my wife her parents were missionaries she was raised in Nigeria West Africa spent I believe 11 12 years there and Cameroon also and also in she was in um Liberia that's West and I was raised in the East and for some reason we came across each other at a place called Texas Bridal College yeah and I finally realized what Bible school is really all about to learn the Bible afterwards you know but we we we did three terms overseas on AIM and I'll be talking about the aim program and then in some later lessons be a wonderful thing if the parents and pastor shares in that burden that our young people could go on AIM or go for a period of time and be involved in a foreign country be wonderful um we were in Ethiopia excuse me in Nigeria and we were um labor in there there's a bible school there Chris Christian Development Center and students from all over the country from Nigeria there from Ghana from Liberia from Cameroon and now all of these that we taught and had a part in their lives they're all over one of my best friends that was I taught there he is in London preaching can you imagine a guy from Nigeria he's in London preaching this glorious truth got a church in London I think that's cool but we were in Nigeria and um we've been moving to this new facility and we've been uh packing some stuff upstairs and we were sleeping in there was the first night to sleep in this this uh place and about three o'clock in the morning we heard this noise and all of a sudden our door busts open and then comes about six armed robbers and they said where's your money and we said well it's just right over in that uh little place there and they took it they found a BB gun if you ever had a little BB gun in the end comes out it looks like it's got a big barrel and they they were saying where are the cartridges for this gun and I'm saying it's it's a BB gun you know no where's the bullets the cartridges say white man I'm going to beat you if you don't tell me where the cartridge is for this gun I'm going to beat you and finally I convinced him it was BB's gonna get killed over a BB gun you know and Hannah not arrived in the United States yet and our son Aaron my oldest son Aaron he was asleep three years old back then he was asleep in the other room here we are in a foreign country we're being robbed at gunpoint these guys Point guns out of and my wife kept on saying my my little baby is in the Next Room well can you can I go get him they said no no you cannot stay in the bed and they had guns on us and they were quietly robbing us and next thing we knew in came our sun fast asleep in the arms of an armed robber and he gently laid him in bed with us you imagine that I mean we we do anything for our kids but there's sometimes it's out of your hands you've got to trust God and they went around and they they uh started packing suitcases full of clothes got my wife's dresses or shoes and my clothes and put them in all in suitcases and then they found a Bible number of Bibles we have a number of Bibles and they started loading up Bibles they were going to take those two I said wait a minute leave me that one that's the one I use and teach from they said okay I thought well if they're going to leave me the Bible they're not going to kill me so I'm going to preach to them I said you guys you know you need to go to church I told them where our church was and if they would have showed up you know the next Sunday I wouldn't have known them from Methuselah and of course it was dark in there you you know they had light shining on us and I really wouldn't have cared you know they came and got the Holy Ghost big little sacrifice some clothes and stuff for someone to get the Holy Ghost but they weren't going down that road they took the Bibles and I said you guys need to go to church and they said these words I'll never forget they said oh let's go to church ah even the devil goes to church in other words we might be Thieves we might be robbing you but we still go to church we're still good heard that story and then they left they didn't harm us they didn't harm me they could harm me they could harm my wife they could have taken our little boy often to Lord knows where but God was watching over us and then one day we heard the news uh they they caught the thieves and over in Nigeria they don't play right it's it's not the woke crowd it's not the repeat criminals over there if you're caught an armed robbery it's it's the firing squad and they took every one of those they've done a number of jobs they'd killed some people in the city they've done a lot and they took every one of those armed robbers and they executed them not because of us but because of the law I would gladly say let them go or you know put them in jail let them go do some hard labor or something or let them work to repay don't kill them but I didn't have any jurisdiction I was just aggressed in the country an American I didn't have much say at all as far as that goes and often wonder what what do they do with those Bibles shall we stand tonight what do we do what do they do they did they give them to somebody else did they crack it open and say ah let him who still steal no more all that don't apply to me you know I don't know it wasn't too long a few few weeks later I saw a lady walking down the road and my wife said look at that lady I said what she's wearing my dress she went to the local Walmart Market bought her a nice dress and of course stuff gets recycled and you can't you know there's something you just can't do you just let it go but think about that we've got an opportunity we've got a Great Commission God's in the Gathering business but he's looking to you and me let's be a part of it thank you Pastor God bless you amen foreign number two mama that Bible's still out there somewhere those pair of shoes too sis they're probably still