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I was alone and idle, I was a

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sinner too.

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I heard a voice from heaven saying there

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is work to do.

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So I took the master's hand and I

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joined the Christian band.

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Now I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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Oh I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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Oh I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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And I promised him that I would serve

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until I die.

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I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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I am missionary Richard Yerby on the spiritual

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battlefield for our Lord in Buddhist Japan.

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Now with another sermon on the theme of

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Neither Was I Quiet, which is perfect and

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upright Job's declaration in Job chapter 3 verse

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26.

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This sermon is titled A Sound of Battle,

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taken from Jeremiah 50 verse 52 which reads,

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A sound of battle is in the land.

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When I first entered, we could say invaded,

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this Buddhist stronghold town of Matsue to Japan

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in October 1977 with an overnight bag and

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got me an upstairs room in which to

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lodge in a little Japanese inn.

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I was soon shocked to learn that vacant

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rental housing was just about non-existent here.

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I prayed hard for God to provide me

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with a house to rent and so rejoiced

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when I found one after about nine months

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of hard searching and praying.

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I moved into it on August the 1st

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1978 and still live in it now in

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the year 2025.

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I didn't even own a bicycle then in

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my poverty much less a motor vehicle so

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I walked all over town looking for the

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children playing outside who knew me.

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When I found any children I told them

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that I now had a house and told

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them where it was.

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Thank God they flocked to it just as

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they had previously flocked to me in the

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park to see me there.

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So I immediately started Sunday school each Sunday

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morning and attendance was good.

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Also it was like open house most every

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day of the week as children showed up

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most any time of the day except during

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the school time.

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They came to play but I required bible

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and singing also.

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For about six months after I rented this

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house children showed up unannounced and unscheduled more

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days than that they did not show up.

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Oh it was a blessed time.

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I soon announced services for adults on Sundays

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and just a few came.

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I soon learned the disappointing thing about building

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a church in Japan.

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Despite all prayers and efforts one often builds

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down instead of up.

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Attendance is the highest at the start and

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steadily goes down.

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People flocked out when I first came here

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but mainly out of curiosity and excitement overseeing

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a Caucasian person which was a most rare

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sight in this town at that time.

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No other Caucasian lived in this town then

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though some missionaries and English teachers came here

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regularly for their business.

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When I first came to Matsuida a good

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number of people came to see me and

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to attend my evangelistic services but it was

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usually not out of a desire to hear

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about the Lord Jesus Christ.

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It was mainly for the same reason the

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crowd would go to a circus.

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It is rare and exciting and have you

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ever thought about why the circus only stays

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in town a few days?

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It is because the excitement soon fades and

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therefore the crowds increase a decrease in number.

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When I came to Matsuida people flocked around

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to see me for just about the same

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reason they go see a circus clown and

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as excitement faded away so did the people.

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Within three months after I moved here in

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August of 1978 the number of people who

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came to my house began steadily decreasing and

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just about reached zero in the year 1986.

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Anyway those first two years were most blessed

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with young ones and a few old people

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adults coming often and I would tell them

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all I could about eternal life in Christ.

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Previously in that parking town with many children

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flocking around me and now in my house

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with guests coming often neither was I quiet

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Job.

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During that autumn of 1978 and the following

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winter as I sadly watched the numbers drop

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God's leading to get out and preach in

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public steadily became clearer as time passed.

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So when the weather warmed up a little

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in the spring of 1979 on April the

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13th I got out and preached on the

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streets here in Matsuida for the first time.

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For months I had prayed for courage to

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get started doing that and when I finally

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did start what great joy and satisfaction it

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brought to my soul.

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Words cannot describe it to God be the

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glory for it.

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He honors such though I continued having Sunday

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services in my house and doing what I

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could to get people to attend them.

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From the first day that I started that

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street preaching it became my main missionary work

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till September of 1980.

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I often did it seven days a week

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up to six or seven hours a day

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sometimes.

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I know that is a short work day

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but my voice was usually gone after about

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six hours or so.

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I never used any mechanical means to amplify

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my voice but neither was I quiet not

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at least not until my voice gave out.

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The rest of my time each day was

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often spent alone with God in Bible study

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and intercessory prayer for those who were hearing

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my preaching.

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Save them Lord I earnestly prayed.

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At that time I gave out very little

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Christian literature because I seldom had money to

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buy it but I had a voice.

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God gave it to me free without monetary

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cost.

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When he created me he gave me that

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voice to tell other people about him so

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with his help I hope to always use

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it for that purpose.

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To date year 2025 I have continued to

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preach out in public regularly and hope to

146
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do so until I die or until Christ

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returns to take me home.

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But because street preaching was my main outreach

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from April of 1979 till September of 1980

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that short period benefited me so much spiritually

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and now abounds with such rich precious memories.

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Words cannot adequately convey that to you.

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It was a time when my life was

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so uncluttered and free from the cares of

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this life and things of the world.

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I had so few other affairs to attend

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to and almost nothing else on my mind

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besides going out daily and preaching simple salvation

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messages to all the lost Japanese around me.

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Therefore my eye was ever so single and

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what a blessing that was.

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Listen to the holy scriptures.

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The light of the body is is the

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eye.

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Therefore when thine eye is single that thy

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whole body also is full of light but

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when thine eye is evil thy body also

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is full of darkness.

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Luke chapter 11 verse 34.

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Daily I walk these many narrow streets and

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alleys stopping every 30 feet or so to

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preach a three minute sermon claiming Buddhist souls

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for Christ as I did so.

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I became very familiar with everyday life in

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town.

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I learned a lot of people's faces but

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few names.

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Though most of the people resented my intrusion

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my heart became molded to this town as

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I fasted and prayed for a spiritual awakening

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here.

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Would you also please pray for that?

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I would appreciate it.

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Once a nearby neighbor man somewhat vile person

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walked to a service in my house and

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remarked to me that it made a profound

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impression on him to see me preaching near

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his house holding my umbrella as a light

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snow fell.

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I would stay on the job in light

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snow or rain holding forth the word of

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life.

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The one thing these Japanese souls need.

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The one thing you or I or anyone

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needs.

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I lost my flag in battle.

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My staff is in my hand.

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I'm taking it to Jesus over in the

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promised land.

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In distant lands I've trod.

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Crying sinner come to God.

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I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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Oh I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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Yes I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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And I promised him that I would serve

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him till I die.

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I'm on the battlefield for my Lord.

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How glorious it be.

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It is sheer joy unspeakable to daily trod

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many places in this distant land of Japan

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on the battlefield for our Lord and Captain

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Jesus Christ.

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Crying out forsake your Buddhist and Shinto idols

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and come to your creator God to live

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forever.

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As 1979 wore on I became desirous to

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go further distances to preach as I had

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repeatedly preached up and down the streets of

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Matsuida.

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About that time a friend gave me a

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used bicycle free so I finally had some

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wheels.

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Then I began to pedal that bicycle east

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to the adjacent and larger city of Annaka

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where densely populated areas were even more abundant

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than in this smaller town of Matsuida.

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From April of 1979 to September of 1980

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I was richly blessed spiritually as I preached

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out in most everyday lots of days till

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my voice gave out.

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God filled my heart to overflowing with joy.

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He gave me much spiritual growth which I

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firmly believe was a direct result and reward

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of that street preaching.

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His presence was so close real and glorious.

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These things made me so rich.

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Also another important thing that made me ever

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so spiritually rich and that was physical poverty.

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I know thy works and tribulation and poverty

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but thou art rich.

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The Lord told that church in Revelation chapter

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2 verse 9.

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My works then were bible study, praying, fasting

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and public preaching.

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There was some tribulation and there was frequent

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dire physical poverty but thou art rich.

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The bible promises.

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Amen.

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I sure was.

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I was so rich.

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Physical poverty is most conducive to spiritual richness

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in a believer's life and the opposite is

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just as true.

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Physical riches are conducive to spiritual poverty as

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believers will come to live for all the

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exciting things that money will buy.

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Listen to the Lord speaking to the Laodicean

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church because thou sayest I am rich and

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increased with goods and have need of nothing

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and knowest not that thou art wretched and

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miserable and poor and blind and naked.

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Read it yourself in Revelation chapter 3 verse

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17 what the Lord declares to us present

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day Laodicean church folks.

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In prosperous nations that is the condition of

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much of the lukewarm Laodicean body of Christ

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today living for the many varied pleasures that

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all their increase of goods brings to them

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but spiritually those Christians are wretched and miserable

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and poor and blind and naked.

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That same passage of scripture tells us though

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most Laodiceans are without enough spiritual sense to

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realize that is their condition and we readily

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see the physically rich churches resorting to bringing

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the world and then even sin into the

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church to induce people to come and indulge

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in that which God so strongly opposes.

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Had I been blessed with plenty of money

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when I started missionary work I may have

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succumbed to using it to finance a lot

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of worldly activities to draw a crowd or

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engaging in worthless activity and then brag about

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the success of the vain worldly uproar that

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I had going on.

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Praise God for saving me from such foolishness

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by giving me the wonderful blessing of poverty.

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What a rich blessing in disguise is that

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of poverty and you say amen to that?

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I could give out very little Christian literature

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because I had no money with which to

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buy it so as I said my activities

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consisted mainly of street preaching, bible study, prayer,

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and fasting.

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Fasting was greatly aided by the fact that

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at times I had no money to buy

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food.

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From the time I moved to Matsuda in

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August 1978 till about June 1980 I had

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no refrigerator.

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Not having one was sort of a moot

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point as I usually had no food to

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put into it.

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The times I had no food to prepare

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and eat afforded that extra time for preaching,

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praying, bible study, and of course fasting.

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Oh I was so rich, rich beyond measure.

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The Lord said I know thy poverty but

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thou art rich the scripture promises.

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Amen.

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I certainly was.

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I had the riches of most close fellowship

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with my precious Lord Jesus Christ.

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Therefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the

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people with his own blood suffered without the

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gate.

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Let us go forth therefore unto him without

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the camp bearing his reproach.

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We read in Hebrews chapter 13 verses 12

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and 13.

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One way that we can go unto Jesus

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outside of the camp is to go outside

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our dwellings and outside our church houses to

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proclaim the Savior, exalt Christ, lift Jesus high

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out in public in the presence of the

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surrounding human race.

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His presence and his fellowship is ever so

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dear and precious there when we obey his

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invitation to do that.

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But so few Christians will do it simply

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because they are ashamed to bear his reproach,

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proud and ashamed of his reproach.

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As we proclaim Christ out in public it

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hurts our sinful pride severely the way people

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reproach us.

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Therefore we refuse his glory-filled invitation here

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in Hebrews to go unto him without the

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count bearing his reproach.

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Oh what blessed riches we miss out on

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when we refuse to do that.

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Let's pray.

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My dear Lord Jesus please help me not

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to spurn this wonderful invitation of thine.

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Please give me victory over sinful pride and

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help me not to be ashamed to bear

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thy reproach out in public before the devil's

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crowd.

347
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Help all my fellow believers to also please

348
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thee and bring much glory unto thee by

349
00:19:47,730 --> 00:19:51,070
obeying this blessed invitation of thine.

350
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Amen.

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At the start of my missionary journey dire

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poverty often prevented me from using any evangelistic

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method that required unrighteous mammon.

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So I had little choice but to opt

355
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for a mammon free method going unto the

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Lord without the count and bearing his reproach

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as I stood ever so close to him

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and he abode most close by me while

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I was proclaiming him to the many Japanese

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who were adamantly rejecting him.

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That close fellowship was ever so precious.

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How true it is that the best things

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in life are free.

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Amen.

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So from autumn 1979 through the spring 1980

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many of my days were filled with long

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hours of street preaching.

368
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I preached a lot of days in the

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00:20:51,010 --> 00:20:54,390
adjacent city of Anaka instead of here in

370
00:20:54,390 --> 00:20:56,130
the town of Matsuda where I live.

371
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I would pedal my bicycle down to Anaka

372
00:21:00,410 --> 00:21:06,370
about noon and sometimes preach till after 8

373
00:21:06,370 --> 00:21:11,310
p.m. Then I would steadily pedal that

374
00:21:11,310 --> 00:21:14,230
bicycle back home up to four or five

375
00:21:14,230 --> 00:21:18,710
miles up a steady slight incline most of

376
00:21:18,710 --> 00:21:23,970
the way often into a headwind flowing down

377
00:21:23,970 --> 00:21:27,950
off that huge live volcano further ahead Mount

378
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Asama.

379
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Arriving home after 9 p.m. having eaten

380
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no supper sometimes with no food in the

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00:21:37,070 --> 00:21:40,690
house I would sit with my Bible open

382
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right in the midst of the glorious presence

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of my savior Jesus Christ.

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Other than one chair, a desk, a small

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low folding table my house was void of

386
00:21:53,730 --> 00:21:54,170
furniture.

387
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There is no tv practically nothing with which

388
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to amuse or entertain myself therefore our God

389
00:22:02,210 --> 00:22:06,610
whose name is jealous, Exodus 34 14 tells

390
00:22:06,610 --> 00:22:09,110
us, was ever so glad to fill the

391
00:22:09,110 --> 00:22:13,130
empty house with his splendid glory oh how

392
00:22:13,130 --> 00:22:14,510
wonderful it was.

393
00:22:15,410 --> 00:22:20,450
I'm fighting for the kingdom the battle's almost

394
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won the trumpet will be sounding for the

395
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coming of the sun I'll lay my armor

396
00:22:28,050 --> 00:22:33,210
down pick up my robe and crown I'll

397
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walk the streets of gold with my lord

398
00:22:38,610 --> 00:22:42,470
oh I'm on the battlefield for my lord

399
00:22:42,470 --> 00:22:46,710
yes I'm on the battlefield for my lord

400
00:22:47,410 --> 00:22:50,610
and I promised him that I would serve

401
00:22:50,610 --> 00:22:54,230
him till I die I'm on the battlefield

402
00:22:54,230 --> 00:23:02,010
for my lord I recall one particular cold

403
00:23:02,010 --> 00:23:05,790
day in the winter of 1979 and 1980

404
00:23:06,890 --> 00:23:11,090
arriving home well after 9 p.m. cold

405
00:23:11,090 --> 00:23:15,330
and exhausted after pedaling my bicycle slightly uphill

406
00:23:15,330 --> 00:23:20,650
over four miles after standing preaching for six

407
00:23:20,650 --> 00:23:23,970
hours or so throughout a wide area in

408
00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:27,230
the city of Anahka I had eaten very

409
00:23:27,230 --> 00:23:32,170
little all day two quite small potatoes was

410
00:23:32,170 --> 00:23:34,850
all the food in my house and I

411
00:23:34,850 --> 00:23:38,850
had no money peddling home I debated eating

412
00:23:38,850 --> 00:23:42,230
both potatoes tonight or saving one potato for

413
00:23:42,230 --> 00:23:46,550
tomorrow arriving home I sat down in my

414
00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:51,670
little kitchen cold tired and hungry to catch

415
00:23:51,670 --> 00:23:56,210
my breath with thoughts of eating potatoes I

416
00:23:56,210 --> 00:23:59,690
had only two small portable electric heaters for

417
00:23:59,690 --> 00:24:03,510
heat in this cold house but I didn't

418
00:24:03,510 --> 00:24:05,810
bother to turn on either one of them

419
00:24:05,810 --> 00:24:09,850
rather I just sat down in the cold

420
00:24:09,850 --> 00:24:13,970
kitchen still bundled up to catch my breath

421
00:24:13,970 --> 00:24:17,530
after peddling that bicycle uphill over four miles

422
00:24:17,530 --> 00:24:22,750
before I fixed the tater to eat I

423
00:24:22,750 --> 00:24:26,710
was plenty worn out after holding forth the

424
00:24:26,710 --> 00:24:29,670
word of life for many hours with no

425
00:24:29,670 --> 00:24:33,770
encouraging word from any of the many buddhist

426
00:24:33,770 --> 00:24:37,410
people who heard it but my precious lord

427
00:24:37,410 --> 00:24:39,790
knew just what I needed after such a

428
00:24:39,790 --> 00:24:44,710
bland day so he just came right into

429
00:24:44,710 --> 00:24:49,050
my little cold kitchen his presence and great

430
00:24:49,050 --> 00:24:53,810
glory were so real and so blessed that

431
00:24:53,810 --> 00:24:56,870
I was quite overcome by it all as

432
00:24:56,870 --> 00:25:01,190
I sat there basking in the most real

433
00:25:01,190 --> 00:25:05,350
and glorious presence of my dear lord the

434
00:25:05,350 --> 00:25:09,810
concrete reality of his presence with me overcame

435
00:25:09,810 --> 00:25:14,430
my hunger and cold causing me to forego

436
00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:18,210
alleviating either one of them just to sit

437
00:25:18,210 --> 00:25:21,670
there basking in the great glory of almighty

438
00:25:21,670 --> 00:25:25,690
god I have meat to eat that you

439
00:25:25,690 --> 00:25:30,630
know not Jesus declared to his disciples in

440
00:25:30,630 --> 00:25:36,250
John 4 verse 32 words cannot begin to

441
00:25:36,250 --> 00:25:41,610
describe that marvelous fellowship there was no wind

442
00:25:41,610 --> 00:25:46,510
no fire not even a still small voice

443
00:25:46,510 --> 00:25:51,850
just the glorious reality of almighty god right

444
00:25:51,850 --> 00:25:55,390
there with me the definite reality of his

445
00:25:55,390 --> 00:25:59,210
very presence right there with me in that

446
00:25:59,210 --> 00:26:03,850
cold kitchen thoroughly convinced me of how highly

447
00:26:03,850 --> 00:26:06,550
pleasing it was to my lord for me

448
00:26:06,550 --> 00:26:09,590
to simply stand out in public open my

449
00:26:09,590 --> 00:26:13,870
mouth and tell everyone thus said the lord

450
00:26:13,870 --> 00:26:17,770
god I was so poor but I was

451
00:26:17,770 --> 00:26:20,950
also the richest person in the whole world

452
00:26:20,950 --> 00:26:24,970
Charles Dickens said it ever so well it

453
00:26:24,970 --> 00:26:26,930
was the best of times it was the

454
00:26:26,930 --> 00:26:29,630
worst of times all of us know the

455
00:26:29,630 --> 00:26:32,710
truth of that paradox looking back on the

456
00:26:32,710 --> 00:26:36,290
worst of times we can later realize that

457
00:26:36,290 --> 00:26:37,990
they were the best of times that the

458
00:26:37,990 --> 00:26:42,230
vice versa is usually true there were many

459
00:26:42,230 --> 00:26:44,650
nights like that glorious one I just described

460
00:26:44,650 --> 00:26:47,250
when I would pedal home late after preaching

461
00:26:47,250 --> 00:26:50,350
several hours and the presence of my lord

462
00:26:50,350 --> 00:26:52,350
here with me in this little house was

463
00:26:52,350 --> 00:26:55,370
so real and precious there were plenty of

464
00:26:55,370 --> 00:26:57,730
nights when I lay me down to sleep

465
00:26:57,730 --> 00:27:01,070
with an empty stomach but so full of

466
00:27:01,070 --> 00:27:03,390
the joy of the lord that it just

467
00:27:03,390 --> 00:27:07,050
flowed out of my upturned toes as I

468
00:27:07,050 --> 00:27:10,230
lay there on my palate uh on the

469
00:27:10,230 --> 00:27:13,110
my Japanese straw mat floor thinking about heaven

470
00:27:13,110 --> 00:27:16,970
and one day soon I will turn up

471
00:27:16,970 --> 00:27:19,670
my toes in death to go out to

472
00:27:19,670 --> 00:27:22,250
meet the reward for what I did with

473
00:27:22,250 --> 00:27:25,590
my life here on earth and how I

474
00:27:25,590 --> 00:27:28,890
rejoice that I haven't been quiet about eternal

475
00:27:28,890 --> 00:27:34,870
matters neither was I quiet amen by the

476
00:27:34,870 --> 00:27:37,410
way god bless each of you friends who

477
00:27:37,410 --> 00:27:39,930
support me financially so that I can eat

478
00:27:39,930 --> 00:27:43,850
when absolutely necessary if god lays it on

479
00:27:43,850 --> 00:27:47,070
your heart to provide me with another tater

480
00:27:47,070 --> 00:27:50,050
anytime on my website is my postal address

481
00:27:50,050 --> 00:27:52,170
in Vernon Alabama where you can mail a

482
00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:55,750
check also on my website is the connection

483
00:27:55,750 --> 00:27:59,890
for donating by paypal that url is christisall

484
00:27:59,890 --> 00:28:04,210
.us separating those three words with two dashes

485
00:28:04,210 --> 00:28:11,070
christ-is-all.us one day soon you're

486
00:28:11,070 --> 00:28:13,530
going to turn up your toes in death

487
00:28:14,030 --> 00:28:16,610
by all means make when that day comes

488
00:28:16,610 --> 00:28:19,470
make sure it is the most joyous and

489
00:28:19,470 --> 00:28:21,890
glorious day of your life by giving him

490
00:28:21,890 --> 00:28:24,550
your utmost while you're alive here on this

491
00:28:24,550 --> 00:28:24,870
earth