Participants:
Series Code: AWR
Program Code: AWR360002A
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00:01 Find out how a blind woman
00:02 and the most introverted member of the church 00:04 are both using their cell phones 00:06 to share the gospel with others. 00:09 This is AWR360A°. 00:24 AWR is here in Pretoria, 00:27 the capital city of South Africa. 00:30 Located at the southern tip of Africa, 00:32 this multi-ethnic society boasts its variety 00:35 of cultures, languages, and religions. 00:38 This is evident by the constitution's recognition 00:41 of 11 official languages, 00:43 the highest of any country in the world. 00:45 It is here that Cell Phone Evangelism 00:48 is spreading like wildfire. 00:51 Yay! 00:55 Cell Phone Evangelism 00:57 was founded by a small team in Namibia, 00:59 who were seeking to share Jesus with everyone. 01:03 The Holy Spirit inspired them to use their cell phones 01:07 as a way to send a prophecy series 01:09 to their contacts. 01:11 Rapidly, the people began responding 01:13 and surprisingly, forwarded these Bible lessons 01:16 to their own friends and family. 01:19 Many of these cell phone evangelists 01:21 have quite a story to tell. 01:24 Our AWR team has arrived 01:26 in the quaint city of Stilfontein 01:29 to meet Anna-Marie, a wonderful lady 01:32 who is using her cell phone for evangelism. 01:38 As we arrived, she greeted us with a sweet smile. 01:42 She immediately drew me in 01:44 as she began to share her life's story. 01:49 Over 16 years ago, I went into kidney failure 01:52 and I lost my kidneys. 01:55 For Anna-Marie to survive, 01:57 her sister decided to donate one of her kidneys. 02:01 For the next year and a half, she was on dialysis. 02:05 But the worst was yet to come. 02:08 I started getting blind also, 02:11 and I was really scared getting blind. 02:15 She wondered 02:16 how would she accomplish her life goals 02:19 and cope with being blind. 02:21 But God gave her the courage. 02:25 Her challenges of kidney failure and blindness 02:28 was just a prelude to what happened next. 02:32 These circumstances resulted 02:34 in the amputation of her right leg. 02:37 It was also very difficult 02:39 because I didn't want to sit in a wheelchair, 02:41 but I got a prosthetic leg 02:44 and I'm walking with it perfectly now. 02:48 These trials and afflictions would be enough 02:50 to greatly discourage anyone, 02:53 but she never lost her faith in God. 02:56 It was during this time 02:58 that one of her friends sent her something interesting. 03:03 And it was Loucha, one of my friends, 03:07 sent me a WhatsApp voice note 03:09 and asked me if I'm interested in the audios. 03:12 And I said, "Yes." 03:14 I would like it because it's always a struggle 03:16 to go to church, 03:17 so if I can listen to that on my phone, 03:20 it's much easier. 03:22 And I must say, 03:24 I think it's a best choice that I make in my life. 03:28 After hearing the messages of truth, 03:30 she had a deep desire to share it with her friends. 03:34 I'm also sending that audio recordings 03:38 to a lot of my friends in Afrikaans and to an English. 03:42 And yes, if I can do it, 03:44 I hope many, many other people can send the Word of God 03:48 also via WhatsApp and audio recordings. 03:52 When we discovered 03:54 she became a cell phone evangelist, 03:56 though blind, we had to know how she did it. 04:00 Okay, because I'm a blind person, 04:02 I'm using a smartphone that talks to me 04:06 so I can do everything on my phone like this. 04:38 Anna-Marie is forwarding these Bible lessons 04:41 to 10 of her contacts. 04:43 She is determined 04:45 to continue the work of the Lord. 04:47 The devotion of those who do Cell Phone Evangelism 04:50 knows no bounds. 04:53 But how did it reach South Africa? 04:56 Gideon was one of the founding members 04:58 of Cell Phone Evangelism. 05:00 He was determined to spread it across his country. 05:03 Right now friend, he is securing pardon 05:06 for you and for me before all the angels. 05:09 He lifts His hands and He says... 05:11 I was invited to preach in Namibia 05:15 in 2013, I think it was. 05:18 And then we started... 05:19 Neville and I started the group on WhatsApp 05:23 because the people were so far and a few in between 05:26 that we started a WhatsApp group 05:28 to keep connected. 05:30 We then realized that this was a powerful tool. 05:35 And then often Neville finished the Afrikaans version 05:38 of Revelation of Hope. 05:40 We decided that I should start that in South Africa 05:43 in the English version. 05:45 And that became a great success. 05:48 In fact, we have around 3,000 people 05:51 that receive the Revelation of Hope in South Africa, 05:54 and may more up in Africa 05:56 and it's being broadcast all over the world 05:59 at this moment. 06:01 When Neville and I started the WhatsApp groups in Namibia, 06:05 our groups were very, very small. 06:07 And we were very excited 06:08 when a lady by the name of Barbie 06:10 joined our group. 06:12 She lives in Divundu, a town in northern Namibia 06:15 with a population of only 5,000 people. 06:20 As we arrived on Barbie's farm, we were greeted 06:23 with the most precious sound of children singing. 06:26 Our team was honored 06:28 as they performed their welcome concert. 06:30 We are happy to see you 06:33 God bless you 06:36 God bless you 06:38 God bless you 06:40 God bless you 06:42 As I talked with them, 06:44 I was surprised to hear 06:45 that each and every one of them 06:47 joined the church, thanks to Barbie. 06:52 Barbie is a sweet Afrikaans' lady. 06:55 She makes a living by creating cement sculptures. 07:01 My friend Elise told us about a man, 07:03 who was doing Cell Phone Evangelism 07:05 on his phone and invited us to join in. 07:08 Because there are no churches around here, 07:10 I immediately liked this idea. 07:14 As I listened, I felt closer to God. 07:18 While hearing these recordings, 07:20 the Holy Spirit was reaching her heart. 07:23 She felt the need to share these lessons 07:25 with her friend. 07:26 They studied every day together, 07:29 loving what they heard, 07:30 always comparing it to their Bibles, 07:33 then came the Sabbath truth. 07:36 When we heard about this Sabbath, 07:38 it was a shock 07:39 because we always thought Sunday was the Sabbath, 07:42 but seeing the evidence 07:43 presented straight from my own Bible 07:46 was so compelling and so truthful, 07:49 we knew right away 07:50 that we had to keep the seventh-day holy. 07:54 So they went hut to hut, house to house, 07:58 sharing the biblical seventh-day Sabbath. 08:01 To our surprise, when we presented them 08:04 with the Sabbath truth, they agreed. 08:07 We were delighted as they kept coming back 08:10 with so many questions. 08:13 The Lord impressed us to hold the service 08:15 that very Saturday. 08:17 At first, no one came. 08:20 We started to have our doubts. 08:23 But then Barbie's eyes 08:24 saw the first child running towards her 08:27 and more smiling faces followed. 08:32 The joy in their hearts 08:33 at seeing these children knows no words. 08:39 Next, the adults walked through her gate. 08:43 Dozens of families made their decision 08:44 to join the church. 08:46 All it took was 10 days of listening 08:50 to Cell Phone Evangelism 08:52 for them to hold their first church service 08:54 for the community. 08:56 They were evangelists before they were even baptized. 09:00 There was no one in our area to baptize us right away, 09:04 but that did not stop us from sharing our belief. 09:08 We just wished someone had shared this truth 09:11 with us sooner. 09:12 From listening to now witnessing, 09:16 Barbie's group is reaching out to other communities 09:19 with the truth of the Lord 09:21 combined with the biblical health message. 09:23 Barbie has even planted a community garden. 09:29 So I started this farm 09:31 to teach people how to eat healthy. 09:34 I have all kinds of vegetables here 09:37 that the villagers are unfamiliar with. 09:40 There's radishes, soya beans, 09:44 peppers, egg plant. 09:49 I teach them to cook these vegetables 09:51 and how to get the most nutrients out of it. 09:55 I also gave them the vegetables 09:57 and taught them to take the seeds 10:00 so that they can plant it themselves 10:03 and that's what they're doing. 10:06 They are now starting small gardens of their own. 10:11 While we were there, 10:13 she came up with a beautiful idea 10:15 to provide Bibles for the local people 10:17 in their own language, 10:19 allowing them to see the truth for themselves. 10:22 She is now organizing community events 10:24 to be a witness to the surrounding villages. 10:27 Because of her, the children wear t-shirts 10:30 that say "Seventh-Day Adventists." 10:33 The community is taking notice 10:35 as the kids volunteer their time. 10:39 The cell phone is a powerful tool. 10:41 It can literally reach to the ends of the earth. 10:44 These people have been using it 10:46 for the Lord's advantage 10:48 and it's incredible to see these results. 11:22 It would've seemed to be the worst moment 11:24 for all the followers of Christ. 11:26 Jesus had died on the cross, ridiculed and tortured. 11:30 Many of them who thought 11:31 He'll be sitting on Israel's throne 11:33 now were in hiding and in mourning, 11:36 but this was not defeat. 11:37 This was the moment of victory, for the tomb is empty, 11:41 we serve a risen savior. 11:43 Death has no power over Him. 11:46 Still, people of the world 11:47 have yet to hear their redeemer. 11:50 Many have not heard about Jesus 11:51 because they are waiting for someone to tell them. 11:54 This is why I love Adventist World Radio. 11:57 We can go wherever air goes 11:59 and this message must be broadcast 12:02 to all over the world. 12:04 You too can take part in this final work 12:07 of our risen savior. 12:09 If you would like to partner with AWR 12:11 in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ 12:14 around the world, 12:15 then visit us at awr.org. 12:18 Here you will find training videos, 12:20 podcasts, and much more. 12:22 You can easily donate online and support this great cause. 12:26 Be sure to visit us on Facebook and YouTube 12:30 by searching for Adventist World Radio. 12:33 The Lord has commissioned us to join together 12:35 and spread His truth because He is coming soon. 12:42 Back in South Africa, in the city of Pretoria, 12:45 a man named Marius had been an elder 12:48 in the church for 33 years. 12:51 Yet, he felt that he was doing nothing. 12:53 That is, until, Gideon started 12:55 sending him the Bible prophecy series. 12:58 When Gideon introduced the Cell Phone Ministry to me, 13:01 I listened to it and I really knew 13:04 this is what I would like to hear 13:07 because I really love the Lord. 13:10 He eagerly listened to all 28 lessons. 13:14 Listening to these messages on cell phone, 13:18 and being an elder for 32 years and in the 32 years, 13:24 I've been doing nothing for the Lord. 13:26 I've got nothing to share. 13:28 So the Lord has given me everything 13:30 and I've given nothing. 13:32 That is when his thoughts became consumed 13:35 with the Revelation of Hope series. 13:38 I thought about it. 13:41 I've got everything on my phone. 13:44 And I can do it myself. 13:46 He started with a group of nine that doubled to 18 in one week. 13:51 He invited his Sabbath school class 13:53 to start their own WhatsApp group as well. 13:56 Nine young people joined in, but he was surprised 13:59 by one of the hands that went up. 14:01 It was not who he expected. 14:04 So when I asked this question, in the class, at church 14:08 "Who would like to participate in this, with a cell phone?" 14:13 I was quite shocked, 14:15 because Schalk raised his hand. 14:21 Marius was surprised 14:22 because Schalk is a quiet person. 14:24 For two years, 14:26 Schalk have been attending the church, 14:27 yet said nothing even when the pastor asks 14:30 for an amen during the sermon. 14:33 He was the quietest person in the whole congregation. 14:37 And I repeated my question. 14:38 I said, "Schalk, this is the Revelation seminar. 14:45 Who wants to do that?" 14:47 And to his surprise, 14:49 Schalk raised his hand even higher. 14:52 I seriously doubted that Schalk can do this. 14:56 It's not Schalk. 14:59 Could the quietest person be successful 15:02 in this kind of evangelism? 15:04 Yes, I regard myself as a introvert. 15:07 I don't see myself as an evangelist. 15:12 You see, Schalk is the only Seventh-day Adventist 15:15 in his family and he had a desire 15:17 to let them know about the truth. 15:19 So when he heard Marius talk 15:21 about Cell Phone Evangelism, he thought 15:24 "That's how I can reach my family." 15:27 So despite the elders warning, 15:29 Schalk started sharing the series on his phone, 15:32 hoping his friends and family would listen 15:35 and to his surprise, his small group grew. 15:38 The quietest person in the church 15:41 soon had 18 people listening. 15:44 Not one of them an Adventist. 15:47 When I sent out the WhatsApp request 15:50 to my friends and family, 15:52 I was surprised how many responded then, 15:54 said they want to participate 15:56 as all of them were not Seventh-day Adventist. 16:00 He was also surprised when many of them asked 16:02 if they too could share it with their friends and family. 16:06 And he happily said, "Yes." 16:08 It's amazing how the Cell Phone Ministry 16:11 has given you, Schalk, a loud voice. 16:15 Maybe next time in church you can give us a loud amen. 16:20 Maybe not yet. 16:24 Marius' group was gaining listeners fast, 16:27 thanks to the dedication of his team. 16:29 Then he began training the surrounding churches 16:32 to do the same. 16:34 Lives were being touched, including Annelie's. 16:40 I met Annelie at an Adventist bookstore 16:43 where she sells Christian literature 16:45 and a variety of health foods. 16:47 She enjoys telling people about God, 16:50 but her life wasn't always like this. 16:54 I was divorced after my first wedding, 16:58 my first marriage. 17:00 A worldly life followed of drinking, 17:03 smoking and dancing at clubs. 17:05 But then, she started dating a new guy. 17:08 And he introduced her to Cell Phone Evangelism, 17:12 sermons on the phone. 17:14 She enjoyed what she heard. 17:17 And, after receiving the first WhatsApp, 17:22 I decided to, well, why can't I share it as well? 17:25 Impressed by the series, 17:27 she immediately created two WhatsApp groups, 17:29 filled with many of her friends 17:31 that she could share the sermons with. 17:34 And I think this brought about between 480 and 500. 17:38 So 500 people are listening to Revelation 17:41 because you are passing it on. 17:43 I hope so. 17:44 Beautiful. 17:46 That's incredible how God's using you. 17:48 Because she was sending the messages out, 17:50 it had the unexpected blessing 17:51 of bringing her boyfriend and her 17:53 closer to each other, and most importantly to God. 17:58 In a short period of time, 17:59 Marius' group expanded to over 1,200 people. 18:03 Within two months, 18:04 non-Adventist listeners from the group 18:07 started coming to church. 18:09 Then baptisms followed. 18:11 But above all else, 18:12 there was one contact on his list 18:15 he wished would listen. 18:18 Looking at the list of people 18:20 I'm seeing in Revelation seminar two. 18:23 I realized there's one person I haven't invited. 18:27 And that is my son Elmer. 18:29 He left the church. 18:31 And I thought, I'm gonna put him on the list, 18:34 he won't have a choice. 18:37 He will receive it because I love him 18:41 and I love the Lord. 18:42 A father's love for his son to return is 18:45 something our heavenly Father knows all too well. 18:49 There is nothing God wants more 18:51 than for His lost sheep to return to Him. 18:56 At a young age, I started smoking and drinking. 19:00 I hung out with the wrong friends 19:02 and then it got worse. 19:04 I stopped keeping the Sabbath. 19:07 I left the church and started using drugs. 19:11 This was the darkest time of my life. 19:14 But it was then that my dad 19:16 began to send me messages of hope. 19:20 As I listened to this prophecy series, 19:22 I was shocked. 19:24 I once knew all of this, 19:27 but these were the truths 19:28 that I chose to ignore long ago. 19:31 It was a wakeup call, a mirror for my life. 19:35 I knew what I was doing was wrong. 19:38 And as I fought about my father's love, 19:41 I made the decision to come back to church. 19:46 It is amazing to see the Holy Spirit 19:48 working in the lives of these new evangelists. 19:52 It reminds me of the disciples when the Holy Spirit descended 19:55 and their numbers multiplied. 19:57 The Lord is ready to bless. 19:59 He first needs us to take action 20:01 to spread His Holy word, 20:03 but that cannot happen while we remain complacent. 20:09 Marius was an elder in the church complacent 20:13 but when he did the work of the Lord, his son returned. 20:18 After sending this Revelation seminar, 20:21 the blessing I received. 20:24 The phone calls, the people from all over the country, 20:31 I can almost say all over the world 20:33 has come and say, "I want to keep the Sabbath." 20:39 The biggest blessing was, 20:41 when Elmer, my son, came to me and said, 20:44 "Dad, I want to follow the Lord." 20:50 Soon I started dating a wonderful girl 20:53 and she started asking me questions about religion. 20:57 And as we talked, I said, 20:59 "My dad is sending me a Bible series on my phone." 21:03 She was excited to hear that. 21:06 After studying together, we felt impressed 21:08 to share these messages with other people. 21:11 This brought us closer to each other 21:13 and to our heavenly Father. 21:16 Annelie and Elmer are the perfect example 21:19 of what God can do in someone's life. 21:22 Their devotion to winning souls 21:24 has made their own relationship grow stronger. 21:28 In just four months time, 21:29 Marius formed 25 large groups 21:33 that are sending the message out 21:34 to thousands of listeners. 21:36 We're sending out to 1,755 people. 21:41 I get so many people day by day, 21:45 their reaction is, they want to keep the Sabbath. 21:48 They want to be baptized. 21:50 The Cell Phone Ministry is working. 21:53 Leadership support for Cell Phone Evangelism 21:56 is increasing every day. 21:57 The South African Conference President 21:59 gave us these words of encouragement. 22:02 People are actively using Cell Phone Ministry 22:05 in South Africa and especially people 22:08 which in the past they've not been 22:11 actively involved in ministry. 22:13 People who have been on the sidelines, 22:15 not really felt that they've something 22:18 they can contribute towards the mission. 22:20 Because of the simplicity and the non-invasiveness of it, 22:24 a lot of people 22:26 who weren't involved in the past 22:28 are now involved, 22:29 busy reaching out to people, 22:31 and a lot of our members are excited about this 22:35 that this is a opportunity of life time. 22:38 Maybe an opportunity that has a limited time frame. 22:41 And one that we must use at all costs 22:44 to proclaim the gospel. 22:46 Upon returning to AWR's main office here 22:49 at the General Conference, 22:50 we received an exciting update from Anna-Marie. 22:54 You see, at the time we interviewed her, 22:56 she had yet to visit an Adventist Church. 22:58 Yes, that's right. 23:00 She was so impressed by what she heard 23:02 on her cell phone that she decided to attend 23:04 a Seventh-day Adventist Church for the first time. 23:07 Listen to what she had to say. 23:10 My first time at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 23:14 What a pleasant experience! 23:17 First of all, everybody was so, so friendly. 23:22 And, the other thing that amazed me was the fact 23:26 that everybody was kneeling down 23:28 when they prayed. 23:29 So it was really, really a nice day at the church. 23:35 So we are definitely going back again. 23:38 Though blind, she now sees. 23:41 Anna-Marie is now leading others 23:43 to the light as a cell phone evangelist. 23:48 Since returning to the church, 23:49 Elmer has made his decision for the Lord. 23:52 A week after we interviewed him, 23:54 he was rebaptized. 23:55 What a blessing! 23:57 He continues to share Bible truths 23:58 through his cell phone 24:00 alongside his girlfriend, Annelie. 24:03 We knew Elmer's testimony was so powerful 24:06 when the devil tried to stop a recording session. 24:09 Frequently, the devil tries to discourage our team 24:11 while on these trips. 24:13 This time, he used birds. 24:15 They look pretty innocent, don't they? 24:17 But what happened next was incredible. 24:20 Every time, Elmer would open his mouth 24:22 to share his testimony, these birds went mad. 24:26 Their piercing sound was terribly distracting 24:30 and we would have to start filming 24:31 all over again. 24:33 The devil did not want Elmer to tell his testimony. 24:36 But God answered our prayers. 24:38 Watch and listen to what happens next. 24:43 I didn't do anything, 24:44 in fact didn't anymore, and then I said, 24:48 I'm coming back to church, and I'm now re-laid, 24:52 I'm coming every Saturday to the church now. 24:55 My dad started sending me the Bible studies 24:57 on the seminar on the WhatsApp group. 25:01 And then you better read. 25:04 And I started listening to them again 25:07 and I don't think any person is going out anymore. 25:12 Let's try three, two, one. 25:16 My dad started sending me the Bible studies 25:18 on WhatsApp group. 25:20 And soon we started doing this. 25:23 Three. 25:28 No way. Okay. 25:30 Where two are more united. Okay. 25:32 All right. Yeah. 25:33 Moreover. 25:35 Dear heavenly Father, we're please we want 25:36 to make this recording to glorify You 25:39 and this powerful testimony of Elmer's. 25:41 Lord, use it for all others 25:44 that have really seems same type of story 25:47 and they can see hope in Elmer's testimony. 25:50 Amen. 25:51 And we're please, Elmer works always, 25:53 we can get a wonderful recording. 25:55 We're gonna give all the glory 25:57 in Jesus' precious, powerful name, amen. 25:59 Amen. 26:00 Okay. Let's go. 26:02 Three, two, one. 26:04 My dad start sending me Bible studies in WhatsApp. 26:08 After I prayed in Jesus' precious powerful name, 26:12 those birds' mouths were shut. 26:14 We are so thankful that camera kept rolling, 26:17 so we could share 26:18 behind the scenes miracle with you. 26:20 The Lord is ready to bless the work of those 26:23 who take a stand for Him. 26:24 Just like Gideon Pelser, 26:26 every Sabbath he trains dozens of new leaders 26:30 in Cell Phone Evangelism. 26:32 He is a true witness for our Lord. 26:35 When you think 26:36 of the Revelation of Hope series 26:37 being broadcast through the WhatsApp app, 26:40 on the broadcast facility specifically. 26:43 The potential is actually unlimited 26:45 because every week, we start a new group. 26:48 And I have the potential 26:50 of approximately 150 new participants per week. 26:53 And I have approximately 150 people 26:55 that join in the new group every week. 26:58 So it's absolutely unlimited. 27:00 You can have a thousand groups. 27:04 And it'll never stop 27:05 because as people are impressed 27:07 with the Revelation of Hope series, 27:09 they talk to friends, and colleagues, 27:10 and acquaintances, 27:12 and we then receives their names 27:13 and their cell numbers to add to the new group, 27:15 so it will never stop. 27:17 The potential is absolutely unbelievable. 27:19 And the beauty of the cell phone 27:21 is it literally has no walls, no borders, no limits. 27:25 It's absolutely unbelievable to know 27:27 that with the technology in place today, 27:29 God can literally finish His work 27:31 in a few years. 27:33 Really this is broadcast to baptism 27:36 in the most effective way possible. 27:38 AWR personally invites you 27:41 to become a cell phone evangelist. 27:43 It really is very simple. 27:45 You can do it from your living room chair. 27:48 We are all commissioned 27:49 to share the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. 27:52 Cell Phone Evangelism is a way 27:54 that we can reach the whole world 27:56 in a very short period of time. 27:59 Go to awr.org for training materials 28:01 and step by step how to videos for Cell Phone Evangelism. 28:06 You too can make a difference, 28:08 an eternal difference in the lives of others. 28:11 From broadcast to baptism, this is AWR360A°. |
Revised 2020-01-23