Should We Keep Track of Numbers in Prolife Ministry?

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:05.759 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours s and me. 2 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:10.269 Lord. Just a few weeks ago we celebrated five thousand babies saved through the 3 00:00:10.310 --> 00:00:13.550 Ministry of Cities for life here in Charlotte. But is it biblical to keep 4 00:00:13.589 --> 00:00:17.109 track of numbers or is it just prideful? And what are the benefits and 5 00:00:17.230 --> 00:00:20.550 some of the downsides of keeping track of numbers? Join us as we look 6 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:29.059 at this from a Gospel centered perspective. I felt show passish touch your heart. 7 00:00:33.219 --> 00:00:37.049 Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast and this episode we're going to 8 00:00:37.130 --> 00:00:42.810 talk about numbers. We've recently, as a ministry, celebrated five thousand baby 9 00:00:42.890 --> 00:00:46.250 saved. We praise God for that. We had a little celebration here with 10 00:00:46.329 --> 00:00:52.479 our volunteers at the office and celebrated what God has done since since actually before 11 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:57.560 cities for life got started, right some folks started keeping numbers back in two 12 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:00.200 thousand and eight. Cities for life got started officially in two thousand and ten. 13 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.310 A lot of those folks are keeping keeping numbers. Are Part of the 14 00:01:03.430 --> 00:01:10.069 original cities for life crew. Anyway, we counted five thousand babies that have 15 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:15.030 been saved in that period of time. Here in Charlotte and you know, 16 00:01:15.109 --> 00:01:22.579 I wanted to do a podcast to celebrate that but also to ask the question, 17 00:01:23.620 --> 00:01:27.700 is it really biblical to keep numbers? Is it really some thing that 18 00:01:27.780 --> 00:01:33.730 we should do as a ministry? I know for me personally, before, 19 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:38.290 you know, I'd been out at Latrobe, the La tree abortion clinic, 20 00:01:38.409 --> 00:01:44.969 since two thousand and five and really did not see the need to keep the 21 00:01:45.010 --> 00:01:49.799 numbers of babies that were saved and sort I guess, you know, I 22 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:53.120 guess I wanted to view it as as like humility, like all, we 23 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.920 don't need to keep track of the numbers and and all of that. And 24 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:00.909 I think it was really more pride, though. It was almost like, 25 00:02:01.510 --> 00:02:06.430 you know, I'm so we're so awesome and so so humble. So it's 26 00:02:06.469 --> 00:02:09.069 Neis is like this this pride for humility, so humble, we don't need 27 00:02:09.069 --> 00:02:13.389 to keep tracking numbers because it doesn't God knows. You know, sort of 28 00:02:13.430 --> 00:02:16.259 that mentality right, and you know, I regret not Havn't kept track of 29 00:02:16.300 --> 00:02:20.860 those numbers, because there are, you know, there were some Saturdays at 30 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:23.340 that time, Saturday's were the busiest day where we would see, you know, 31 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:28.379 three, four, five babies saved in one Saturday and we just didn't 32 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:30.610 get people to ask how many babies have been saved over the past so and 33 00:02:30.729 --> 00:02:32.810 so be like, Oh, I don't know that almost would say it with 34 00:02:32.930 --> 00:02:36.449 pride or I don't have a clue, but God knows. You know, 35 00:02:36.650 --> 00:02:39.090 numbers don't matter it. Numbers don't matter. Obedience is yeah, are Imedia 36 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:43.250 are obedience and you know what. So we're going to talk through some of 37 00:02:43.289 --> 00:02:47.680 that in this podcast because there are some mentalities and I think it maybe there's 38 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:53.840 ditches on both sides, you know, where we take pride in the numbers 39 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:58.120 and all this, or we take pride and not keeping track numbers. You 40 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.310 know, ultimately, you know, I think we'll start the same way. 41 00:03:00.349 --> 00:03:06.189 That will end. It's God that does the baby saving, it's God that 42 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:08.870 does opening hearts, it's God that does the saving, it's not us. 43 00:03:09.509 --> 00:03:14.219 So we have to acknowledge that right and if we acknowledge that and we keep 44 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:17.979 in that vain, then I think we can guard ourselves against being prideful because, 45 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:22.939 you know, there are some things that really irk me in you know, 46 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:27.250 in Christianity, in prolife ministry. They have to do with numbers. 47 00:03:27.409 --> 00:03:30.849 You know, I do not like you know if anybody, if you work 48 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:36.849 for a pregnancy center and you use this method to raise money and stuff, 49 00:03:36.849 --> 00:03:39.969 I'm not you know, do what you do before the Lord. Okay, 50 00:03:40.009 --> 00:03:45.800 but I do not like when, like pregnancy centers especially, talk about numbers 51 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.080 and talk about, you know, we saw this many baby saved and this 52 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:53.000 is how much it takes to save a baby. So, you know, 53 00:03:53.080 --> 00:03:55.830 if you give us whatever it is, I don't know what the emacs, 54 00:03:55.870 --> 00:04:00.750 allmount of numbers, excellentiment in that'll save a baby. I don't like that. 55 00:04:00.870 --> 00:04:03.590 Yeah, now that's a personal you know, I'm not saying I don't 56 00:04:03.590 --> 00:04:06.750 like it. And here's what the Scripture says about not doing that, because 57 00:04:06.789 --> 00:04:11.060 I don't know if anish scripture immediately comes to mind. That says, you 58 00:04:11.139 --> 00:04:15.099 know, don't, don't. I just don't like the idea of putting a 59 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:17.300 price tag on our you know, save a baby for whatever, a hundred 60 00:04:17.339 --> 00:04:21.379 dollars. That irks me. Could be a personal thing, but I think 61 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:27.769 it's I think it's the Lord or in me that doesn't like that. Could 62 00:04:27.769 --> 00:04:31.009 be wrong about that, though. But also, like I said, there's 63 00:04:31.009 --> 00:04:33.850 a ditch on both sides and there's this idea that you know, numbers don't 64 00:04:33.850 --> 00:04:40.399 matter. It doesn't all that matters is obedience and and on its face that's 65 00:04:40.519 --> 00:04:42.839 true, and we're going to talk about some of that and some of the 66 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.079 the points that we're going to talk through here on that. On its face 67 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:49.439 that's true. We're called to be obedient and we've talked about this another podcast. 68 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:53.709 Will Continue to talk about this. We're called to be obedient, whether 69 00:04:53.750 --> 00:04:57.629 the numbers are there not. The Bible tells us, open your mouth for 70 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:00.389 the speechless and the cause of all who are pointed it ou open your mouth, 71 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:03.110 judge righteously, plead the cause of the born needy. Period. It 72 00:05:03.189 --> 00:05:08.740 doesn't say plead the cause of born needy. And unless you produce so many 73 00:05:08.779 --> 00:05:11.259 babies being saved in this and that and this and that, right can go 74 00:05:11.379 --> 00:05:13.779 take a break. Then you can take a break or you know, you 75 00:05:13.860 --> 00:05:15.779 can't take a break. You know, whatever, whatever. Yeah, so 76 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:19.620 we're called to obedience, we're called to obey the Lord will call to proclaim 77 00:05:19.699 --> 00:05:25.009 the Gospel. But within that call, as we see, you know, 78 00:05:25.089 --> 00:05:30.290 in particular the call of reclaiming the Gospel, there is going to be fruit 79 00:05:30.329 --> 00:05:33.370 that's going to be born, there are going to be souls that are saved. 80 00:05:33.410 --> 00:05:36.240 And I think we do see. If you know, we look at 81 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:42.399 this thing biblically, do numbers matter? If we look at it biblically, 82 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.040 you have an entire book of the Bible called numbers. We have that in 83 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:50.430 our bibles. It's in the Old Testament. If you don't know, it's 84 00:05:50.470 --> 00:05:56.670 one of the five books of Moses. Right. Yeah, and so numbers 85 00:05:56.790 --> 00:06:00.430 do matter and obviously your God wouldn't have inspired a book of numbers. Yeah. 86 00:06:00.910 --> 00:06:03.420 Now, of course we know the book of numbers is not just about 87 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:08.899 tallying numbers. Of A lot of it is, although a lot of it 88 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:13.540 is. Yeah, I mean that's the bulk of it is lineages and those 89 00:06:13.579 --> 00:06:17.259 sort of things. But read the passage you've got you've got written down here 90 00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:21.889 from numbers that has to do with well, it was pretty interesting when you 91 00:06:23.329 --> 00:06:25.889 contacted me and said, Hey, what do you think? Would this be 92 00:06:26.009 --> 00:06:29.649 a good topic? Who Does? Do numbers matter to God? Yeah, 93 00:06:29.769 --> 00:06:31.209 and that was the day, I think, or the next day, I 94 00:06:31.410 --> 00:06:36.920 started in my daily Bible reading. Just happened to be starting them. So 95 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:42.040 happen? Are flutes? Started to read in the book of numbers and the 96 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:46.000 Book of numbers is honestly my least favorite book, and it's filled with numbers 97 00:06:46.149 --> 00:06:49.670 and and and you're not a numbers person? No, I don't even love 98 00:06:49.829 --> 00:06:57.269 numbers. But but God numbered everything, numbered the people, he numbered the 99 00:06:57.430 --> 00:07:01.379 utensils used in service to him. He gave exact numbers in the building of 100 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:05.660 the temple. I mean numbers are and numbers have special meaning. Yeah, 101 00:07:05.899 --> 00:07:11.939 numbers are often symbolic throughout the Bible, so numbers clearly matter to him. 102 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:15.129 Yeah, so here was, I thought, a great verse just to start 103 00:07:15.170 --> 00:07:17.730 us off. We're going to go into a lot of verses, yeah, 104 00:07:17.850 --> 00:07:24.290 over the course of this podcast. But this is not numbers for forty six 105 00:07:24.410 --> 00:07:28.810 to forty nine. Okay, all those who were listed, of the Levites, 106 00:07:29.089 --> 00:07:32.279 who Moses and Darren and the chiefs of Israel, listed by their clans 107 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:36.800 and their father's houses, from thirty years old up to fifty years old, 108 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.279 everyone who could come to do the service of Ministry and the service of bearing 109 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:47.430 burdens in the tent of meeting. Those listed were eight thousand, five hundred 110 00:07:47.470 --> 00:07:51.990 and eighty. According to the commandments of the Lord through Moses, they were 111 00:07:53.110 --> 00:07:59.259 listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were 112 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:03.779 listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses. Yeah, say some really 113 00:08:03.939 --> 00:08:09.819 critical concepts. Yeah, absolutely, Moses was commanded by God to list them. 114 00:08:11.459 --> 00:08:13.930 They were to be listed. All of those that were basically of eligible 115 00:08:15.129 --> 00:08:18.610 service age were to be listed, not only to number how many of those 116 00:08:18.689 --> 00:08:24.449 would be called to serve God, but the task. It also listed that 117 00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:31.959 they would be called to do. Yea God. So so that's it, 118 00:08:31.080 --> 00:08:35.000 I think, a great place to to start. that. Yet numbers, 119 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.679 numbers were, you are, important and used. Yeah, and then you 120 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.950 know, the the context that we're talking about, and what brought this to 121 00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:46.070 mind from me, was that we've seen five thousand baby saved as a ministry. 122 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:52.029 And is it biblical for to us to keep back at those numbers? 123 00:08:52.710 --> 00:08:54.230 And is it prideful? I mean to me, that would be my main 124 00:08:54.309 --> 00:08:58.700 concern. Am I being prideful, because I don't. You know, our 125 00:08:58.740 --> 00:09:01.299 goal is not to draw attention to us, it's draw attention to the Lord. 126 00:09:01.820 --> 00:09:05.580 But when the Lord gives you a platform and it gives you a ministry, 127 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:07.539 you want to make sure you're being fruitful to so numbers are away for 128 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:11.289 us to to gage fruitfulness and we'll get into a little bit of that here 129 00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:15.450 in just a minute. Yeah, but you know, you do have also, 130 00:09:15.570 --> 00:09:18.889 you know, as we're thinking about ministry and we're thinking about you know, 131 00:09:18.409 --> 00:09:22.850 I mean we look at numbers of people that are coming to the abortion 132 00:09:22.929 --> 00:09:28.559 clinics. We need to look at those numbers and the people that are flooding 133 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:33.200 into that place and then figure out, as a ministry, okay, how 134 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.200 many people do we need as volunteers out there on the sidewalk? You know, 135 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.509 that's something we're constantly looking at, YEP, trying to raise up more 136 00:09:39.590 --> 00:09:43.110 numbers of people to be out there so that we can be as effective as 137 00:09:43.190 --> 00:09:46.950 possible reaching those people, because you know as well as I do if you're 138 00:09:46.950 --> 00:09:52.830 on the sidewalk there and it's just you and another person and you've got a 139 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:56.940 flood of sometimes, you know, like on a Monday or Friday, which 140 00:09:56.980 --> 00:09:58.980 are some of the busiest days, sometimes even on the Saturday it busy, 141 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:03.220 when you've got forty or fifty people coming in, it's just two of you. 142 00:10:03.700 --> 00:10:05.460 Right. I mean, numbers do matter, for sure, they're yeah, 143 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:09.370 right, you're like overwhelm. Now we take confidence in the Lord. 144 00:10:09.490 --> 00:10:13.649 It's not about the numbers of people's you know, the Lord can save by 145 00:10:13.730 --> 00:10:18.850 few and by many. So you know, we have to balance this idea 146 00:10:18.970 --> 00:10:22.960 that you we need more people out there in the sidewalk with this source, 147 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.360 of course, Biblical idea that we've got a trust in the Lord. So 148 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:28.240 we're not trusting in numbers. And I think that would be the that would 149 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:31.080 be the issue if, if our trust is in numbers, if, as 150 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:35.149 if our trust is in having a number of people out there on the sidewalk, 151 00:10:35.190 --> 00:10:39.230 or our trust is in having a number of baby saying that somehow makes 152 00:10:39.309 --> 00:10:45.350 us better than someone else or makes us more more special to God or something 153 00:10:45.389 --> 00:10:50.259 like that. So you've just listed so far two things that are a trap 154 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:54.980 of numbers, and the that's pride and trust. Yeah, our pride can't 155 00:10:54.019 --> 00:10:58.460 be in those numbers and our trust can't be in those numbers. Yeah, 156 00:10:58.539 --> 00:11:03.860 but numbers do serve a useful purpose. And God says we're two or three 157 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:07.769 are gathered in my name. So we know that numbers matter, that they're 158 00:11:07.889 --> 00:11:11.850 that he does want us you gather more than just one. And then he 159 00:11:11.009 --> 00:11:16.330 sent people out to ministry in two's, Ye, right, and they had 160 00:11:16.409 --> 00:11:20.799 to be a minimum of two. And we do that even just for accountability, 161 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:26.840 safety purposes someone to videotape if something terrible happens. So again, those 162 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:35.070 numbers are important. Yeah, here's a quote from Eugene Peterson, who theologian, 163 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:39.549 I think, is or commentator, Bible commentator, and he writes in 164 00:11:39.629 --> 00:11:45.110 the in his introduction to the book of numbers, we need organize as organizational 165 00:11:45.269 --> 00:11:48.659 help. When people live together in community, jobs have to be assigned, 166 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:56.419 leaders appointed, inventories kept, counting and listing and rosters are as much a 167 00:11:56.580 --> 00:12:01.450 part of being a community of God as prayer and Instruction and justice. Accurate 168 00:12:01.490 --> 00:12:07.370 Arithmetic is an aspect of becoming a people of God. So I think he 169 00:12:07.610 --> 00:12:13.570 lists some of the positive reasons for numbers. Yeah, in in the book 170 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:18.639 of numbers itself. So and and the book of numbers is a an accounting 171 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.440 of the soldiers for the Lord, the rosters and results of battles. I 172 00:12:24.519 --> 00:12:26.360 mean he does talk about the results of the battles, which in a sense 173 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:31.470 is what we're doing right when we're out on the sidewalk and we're recording the 174 00:12:31.509 --> 00:12:35.909 numbers of baby safe. That's like tabulating in a sense, the results of 175 00:12:35.590 --> 00:12:41.389 a battle, yes, spiritual battle that day. Yeah, so you know, 176 00:12:41.470 --> 00:12:43.740 there's some just one scripture that came to mind for me and I was 177 00:12:43.779 --> 00:12:48.940 actually looking for it. Why? You were talking sort of a funny scripture 178 00:12:48.940 --> 00:12:50.940 about numbers to me. I mean maybe there's some depth to this thing. 179 00:12:52.379 --> 00:12:54.740 So maybe just were for me for a little bit of comic relief, talking 180 00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:58.690 about numbers, because it is interesting, little bit of a rabbit trails. 181 00:12:58.889 --> 00:13:05.090 It's interesting how often the Bible mentions obscure numbers and just numbers of things and 182 00:13:05.450 --> 00:13:09.129 things that are tabulated like you, like you mentioned there in the numbers passage, 183 00:13:09.169 --> 00:13:13.240 and there's other places where things are numbered and things are counted in all 184 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:16.759 this, and I think one since it shows us the the way that God 185 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:20.480 is pretty thorough in his word and the way it God's people are pretty through 186 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:24.080 and he calls us to be through, and also the way that just knew 187 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:26.590 this is a practical book. The Bible's a practical book and it's his story. 188 00:13:26.710 --> 00:13:31.149 Yes, I mean he actually counted a week at the actual numbers, 189 00:13:31.269 --> 00:13:35.350 and you know, that shows I think that gives you a greater proof that 190 00:13:35.549 --> 00:13:41.820 he was accurately recording history exactly. Yeah, and so this passage that's we're 191 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:43.139 something funny, is numbered to me. Okay, we're in. It's a 192 00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:46.580 funny number. This is John Twenty one, okay, and this is the 193 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:50.779 story of so it's after the resurrection of Jesus. The disciples have gone on 194 00:13:52.340 --> 00:13:56.169 to go back to fishing and you know, maybe there's some messages out there 195 00:13:56.250 --> 00:14:00.009 about why they did this and that whatever, but Jesus is on the shore, 196 00:14:00.210 --> 00:14:03.370 he sees them, they don't recognize him. He tells them the cast 197 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:07.570 their nets. They cast their nets and when they get a miraculous catch of 198 00:14:07.649 --> 00:14:09.960 fish, that's when Peter Realizes all. It's the Lord and he jumps into 199 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:16.919 the water. Anyway, says here in John Twenty one. In Verse Eleven 200 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:20.480 is eleven. Yeah, Verse Eleven, Simon Peber, Peter went up and 201 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.230 drag the net to the land full of large fish. One hundred and fifty 202 00:14:24.389 --> 00:14:28.029 three. So not just a round number of a hundred fifty pound, a 203 00:14:28.070 --> 00:14:31.029 hundred fifty, yeah, around a hundred fift notice it's a hundred and fifty 204 00:14:31.309 --> 00:14:35.629 three, hundred fifty three. So you have to ask yourself like, okay, 205 00:14:35.789 --> 00:14:39.460 why did John Record the exact number of fish? Why a hundred fifty 206 00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:43.940 three? And I'm sure there's theories out there. I'm sure probably this number 207 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:50.059 does have some kind of biblical significance, like some kind of underlying meaning. 208 00:14:50.259 --> 00:14:52.529 I don't think we should question at all that there were exactly a hundred fifty 209 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:54.970 three fish. I mean there's no reason to believe there wasn't, because it's 210 00:14:56.049 --> 00:14:58.929 God's word, right. But it's funny to me. A hundred fifty three 211 00:14:58.970 --> 00:15:01.570 fish, yeah, why not just around a hundred and fifty? Why did 212 00:15:01.809 --> 00:15:05.049 just say, you know, they caught a hundred or, you know, 213 00:15:05.169 --> 00:15:07.120 some measurement of the day or whatever. Why did they have to count them 214 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:11.759 at all? It's something that I'm houndering. Yeah, but I mean I 215 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:16.720 think it does speak to this the nature of God and his word being pretty 216 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:22.029 thorough with keeping tracking the numbers and keeping track of even catches of fish, 217 00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:26.629 and in this passage, I think it relates even very directly to what we're 218 00:15:26.629 --> 00:15:31.350 talking about because again, it's a result. It's a result of God's command. 219 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:35.899 They were obedient, and presumably Jesus was there as they're counting the fish. 220 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:39.059 If that was like not to be done, yeah, if we were 221 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:41.340 just supposed to say, well, we were obedient to you, Lord, 222 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:45.779 who cares? How many? Who Cares? I mean, yeah, but 223 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:50.529 he apparently approved of them counting the fish and they gave an exact count. 224 00:15:50.570 --> 00:15:54.129 Yeah, at this point, this is this is where he tells them, 225 00:15:54.210 --> 00:15:56.850 he gives them some specific instructions. Cast your net on the right side of 226 00:15:56.929 --> 00:16:03.049 the boat, and so they did, and they called that multitude a hundred 227 00:16:03.090 --> 00:16:04.519 and fifty three fish. Anyway, to me, that's that's when I read 228 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:08.480 that passages, I'm like, Wow, Lord, you're pretty thorough. That's 229 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:12.440 that's a that's a funny number. That's a lot of fish to about. 230 00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:15.320 It's a lot of it because they were probably big fish. Those were what 231 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:18.509 it says large fish is a hundred fifty three. A large fish. There 232 00:16:18.509 --> 00:16:22.309 were a hundred fifty right, and they ate right away, some of those 233 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:27.070 fish. Yeah, yeah, so I wanted to point that. Well, 234 00:16:27.110 --> 00:16:30.870 I don't think that's a rabbit trail at all. Actually, I think that's 235 00:16:30.110 --> 00:16:34.139 the most pivotal verse even of all the ones I gather up this because it's 236 00:16:34.179 --> 00:16:38.740 very clear. God gave a command, the command was obeyed. HMM, 237 00:16:40.059 --> 00:16:44.539 therey results and there was a counting, yeah, of the results. Yeah, 238 00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:48.889 not for pride. But I think why? I think that's a great 239 00:16:48.929 --> 00:16:52.529 question. Why? And I think I don't know all the answers of why, 240 00:16:52.610 --> 00:16:57.809 but one immediate why answer that I can think of is it points them 241 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:06.720 back to their obedience to God produced this enormous catch when they had been been 242 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:10.519 completely unsuccessful. Yeah, prior to that, right. Yeah, absolutely. 243 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:14.839 So. Yeah. Well, you know, you can look to and I 244 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:18.670 think we need to look at the other other side of the coin, to 245 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:22.630 that there were those in God's word who were obedient to the Lord. You 246 00:17:22.710 --> 00:17:25.190 know, you have Jeremiah, the Prophet, for example. Yeah, it 247 00:17:25.349 --> 00:17:29.750 was obedient to the Lord till the bitter end. And you know he didn't 248 00:17:29.750 --> 00:17:33.700 have very many converts. He didn't put to God ever say count your converts, 249 00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:37.619 no good, not. Probably did. Basically probably, probably for good 250 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:41.420 reason. You look look at a man like Noah, for example, who 251 00:17:41.980 --> 00:17:45.170 them, who we know as a shit builder and as a guy who obeyed 252 00:17:45.250 --> 00:17:48.170 God and building a boat in the middle of the desert when there had been 253 00:17:48.210 --> 00:17:52.210 no rain and no reason for a boat. And there you goes building that 254 00:17:52.329 --> 00:17:56.730 thing for some folks say a hundred to a hundred twenty years that he built 255 00:17:56.809 --> 00:18:00.720 this thing and he didn't you know, he had the whole known world that 256 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:04.440 he was preaching to and they only converts he got was really his family and 257 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:10.799 they were pretty reluctant to to be converts to his calls as well. So 258 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:15.150 we have to weigh out scripturally. Obedience does not always translate into, you 259 00:18:15.230 --> 00:18:19.029 know, a hundred, fifty three fish right. Obedience is where the victory 260 00:18:19.069 --> 00:18:23.109 is. Is One we have to obey God, whether or not we see 261 00:18:23.230 --> 00:18:26.309 results. So you know, keep that in your mind, guys, as 262 00:18:26.390 --> 00:18:30.140 we're going through this. We're not we're in no way invalidating, you know, 263 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:34.380 other ministries or men women to God in the past or whatever who didn't 264 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:40.579 have certain fruit. But we do see in the Bible this counting of numbers 265 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:44.569 and this keeping tracks, keeping track of fruit and that sort of thing, 266 00:18:44.970 --> 00:18:47.930 and we're going to talk right now that. Why would you do that? 267 00:18:48.250 --> 00:18:49.650 What are some of the biblical reasons to do this and what are some of 268 00:18:49.690 --> 00:18:52.930 the results of the yeah, and I don't want a gloss over, though. 269 00:18:53.089 --> 00:18:57.400 I think a really important point you just made that I want to repeat 270 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:04.119 because I think it is important. Numbers can be damaging to a ministry if 271 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:10.990 they discourage you if you're being faithful, and this does happen in many menistries 272 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:15.109 in all areas, not just pro life, where you are being faithful and 273 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:21.869 people still die and people still don't turn to the Lord or whatever, your 274 00:19:21.950 --> 00:19:27.460 focus of your ministry is not, apparently, ever obtained. Yeah, so 275 00:19:27.779 --> 00:19:33.619 in that case, to look at numbers can harm the ministry. Yeah, 276 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:37.299 so it is a danger. I think there is an honest danger. Yeah, 277 00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:41.450 there is with with numbers. Yeah, and ultimately, like the point 278 00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:44.849 I made, is it bows down to obedience to God. Like you don't 279 00:19:44.970 --> 00:19:48.569 need to see numbers if you have direct command from the Lord like, for 280 00:19:48.690 --> 00:19:52.279 example, given a voice to the unborn. Yeah, if we never saw 281 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:57.039 and I would hope, by God's grace, that I would still be faithful 282 00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:00.160 to the Lord's call out there on that sidewalk, I believe that I would. 283 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:04.559 Yeah, even if we never saw baby saved, and we've had days 284 00:20:04.839 --> 00:20:07.789 we have been baby safe and there's not got. It's harder, it is 285 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:12.230 harder, it is harder. Yeah, but yet still we are going to 286 00:20:12.309 --> 00:20:15.589 be obedient to the Lord and we're still called to be obedient, whether we 287 00:20:15.710 --> 00:20:19.269 see the results or not. Yeah, however, our would say, and 288 00:20:19.390 --> 00:20:25.140 this is not meant to discourage anyone at all, but just as a practical 289 00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:30.859 and I think even biblical call in the Bible commands US continually to examine ourselves. 290 00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:37.009 Yeah, and I we're involved in a ministry and we're never seeing positive 291 00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:41.289 fruit from that ministry. It does not invalidate that ministry, but it should 292 00:20:41.369 --> 00:20:44.130 cause us to make an assessment and it should cause us, you know, 293 00:20:44.170 --> 00:20:47.970 if we're involved, if you're involved on the sidewalks at an abortion clinic and 294 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:51.920 you're seeing massive amounts to people going into that abortion clinic and you're never seeing 295 00:20:52.039 --> 00:20:55.559 any result, you're never seeing anyone tell you that they chose life or come 296 00:20:55.559 --> 00:20:57.799 out and talk with you and have a conversation, then I think you do 297 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:03.119 need to validate, or not validate, but at least Sam examine what you're 298 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:07.109 doing. Is what I'm doing biblical? Right? Is What I'm doing? 299 00:21:07.470 --> 00:21:12.829 Is that are the things that I'm saying biblical? And maybe evaluate that with 300 00:21:14.029 --> 00:21:15.630 some other brothers and sisters and you'll go to your pastor and say, Hey, 301 00:21:15.630 --> 00:21:18.299 here, I want you to come out with me one day and just 302 00:21:18.460 --> 00:21:22.980 see if what I'm doing, if it's honoring the Lord, if I'm ineffective 303 00:21:23.019 --> 00:21:29.180 in some for some reason. Now I would say this or my experience that 304 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:33.089 people, you know it's you know got people on social media that I'm connected 305 00:21:33.089 --> 00:21:36.730 with. It do ministry all over the country and you know, maybe there 306 00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:38.329 are some of the more effective than than others. I don't know. I'm 307 00:21:38.329 --> 00:21:41.329 not writing numbers down engaging all of that, but from the most part what 308 00:21:41.410 --> 00:21:45.089 I'm seeing is people are seeing baby saved. They're out there and God is 309 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:48.599 honoring what they're doing with babies being saved and there can you know, people 310 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:52.640 might look here in Charlotte and say, Oh, you guys, you know 311 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:56.079 you're seeing baby saved every day, and we are mostly, seem asually every 312 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:57.720 day. Yeah, and and we praise God for that. Again, we 313 00:21:57.880 --> 00:22:02.869 know it's God's doing, giving him a glory to him exactly doing that work. 314 00:22:02.990 --> 00:22:06.829 Yeah, but also, you know, they're like the HEBROWN abortion clinic. 315 00:22:06.869 --> 00:22:08.349 That's that's, you know, twenty minutes down the street from where we're 316 00:22:08.390 --> 00:22:12.190 at. Yeah, there's not a lot of interactions and stuff that takes place 317 00:22:12.309 --> 00:22:15.660 there. There's some difficulties, are some hurdles that are there that are hard 318 00:22:15.700 --> 00:22:18.099 to navigate through and a lot of people come over and talk. We do 319 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:22.579 see baby saved there, yeah, from time to time. But you know, 320 00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:25.779 there's a sort of a ratio thing to. You know, here on 321 00:22:25.859 --> 00:22:30.809 latrobe drive they're doing you thirty abortions every day on average at least, you 322 00:22:30.930 --> 00:22:33.450 know, and there's some days where they do fifty. Right you know, 323 00:22:33.529 --> 00:22:37.730 the Hebron abortion clinic their numbers might be ten at the most. So that's 324 00:22:37.009 --> 00:22:41.369 a difference to that's that's sort of a practical thing I did want to mention, 325 00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:47.759 but also in again the practical point of examining things, because there are 326 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:51.799 ways that I've seen people do ministry in front of an abortion clinic that they 327 00:22:51.880 --> 00:22:56.359 might be, I guess, obedient to God. They're got out there saying 328 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:57.950 abortion is murder, and I'm not saying you shouldn't. You should say abortion 329 00:22:59.069 --> 00:23:00.430 is murder, I get it. But there are those who are going out 330 00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:04.869 there with just, I don't know, maybe, and maybe I'm just viewing 331 00:23:04.910 --> 00:23:10.670 it from the outside looking in, with an angry spirit and angry at abortion, 332 00:23:10.789 --> 00:23:14.140 and we should be. It's terrible. But when you come across and 333 00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:17.140 you're on the sidewalk with an angry spirit, don't be surprised if people don't 334 00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:18.819 come over and talk to you. Exact and I guarantee this, though, 335 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:22.099 even you know if you're if you're proclaiming the truth of God's word. There 336 00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:26.779 are probably babies that are being saved and they're just not stopping and telling you 337 00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:29.009 may never know. Yeah, you may never know. Yeah, and maybe 338 00:23:29.049 --> 00:23:30.170 you're content with that. Yeah, you know, I don't know right every 339 00:23:30.210 --> 00:23:34.410 yeah, all I'm doing is just throwing some practical things out there and I 340 00:23:34.529 --> 00:23:40.130 think by the end of this podcast, hopefully you guys who are doing ministry 341 00:23:40.569 --> 00:23:44.039 in on the sidewalks and doing ministry and a pregnancy center, if you're not 342 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.799 keeping tracking numbers, hopefully by the end of this podcast you'll see a good 343 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:51.359 reason to do that. Yeah, and and you'll begin to do that and 344 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:53.920 give glory to God for those numbers. Yeah. So as I was going 345 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:56.470 through, as I would, I've been reading through the book of Numbers, 346 00:23:56.509 --> 00:24:03.109 which is divine appointment, I think, because it it's right during the discussion 347 00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:07.230 of this topic. But I was thinking there were four purposes that I thought 348 00:24:07.349 --> 00:24:14.299 became apparent to me for why numbers do matter both to God and to us. 349 00:24:14.539 --> 00:24:18.500 And so I'm going to tell you those four purposes that I came up 350 00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:21.539 you may have others. Yeah, I'll refute all of those, probably, 351 00:24:21.940 --> 00:24:26.289 probably, and and then I'll give scripture to support it, because you may 352 00:24:26.329 --> 00:24:29.250 be able to refute me, but scripture if you yeah, you're right. 353 00:24:29.609 --> 00:24:33.529 Okay, so the purpose number one, and I think we would all agree 354 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:37.680 with this one, honestly even. Yeah, numbers encourage God's people. Yeah, 355 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:42.079 if they're big, if they're small, maybe not. Somewhere that FIVEZERO 356 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:48.240 number baby saved. That was an enormous encouragement to me. I got the 357 00:24:48.359 --> 00:24:52.680 text the day that the five thou baby was saved and it's you know it. 358 00:24:52.349 --> 00:24:57.309 Every baby matters, every single life is precious beyond belief. But the 359 00:24:57.470 --> 00:25:03.630 sheer number that five thousand babies are saved in a place where most people will 360 00:25:03.670 --> 00:25:08.420 think no decisions for life are ever going to be made. Yeah, that's 361 00:25:08.460 --> 00:25:14.059 an amazing encouragement. Yeah, to those of us who labor in the pro 362 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:18.859 life area. Yeah, so here's here's a verse that I think supports that 363 00:25:18.900 --> 00:25:22.970 that numbers can encourage God's people. Okay, it's first kings. One thousand, 364 00:25:23.009 --> 00:25:26.809 nine hundred and eighteen is one of my favorite books in the Bible and 365 00:25:26.890 --> 00:25:30.250 one of my favorite chapters, by the way. I love this chapter. 366 00:25:32.289 --> 00:25:37.759 So this versus. Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose 367 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:44.039 knees have not bowed to bail and every mouth that has not kissed him. 368 00:25:44.039 --> 00:25:45.160 Yeah, so do you want to give the background of that? You know 369 00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:49.029 that that was this is the passage with Elijah right and the side all of 370 00:25:49.109 --> 00:25:55.390 yeah, and and the worshippers of bail and Elijah has what some folks call 371 00:25:55.470 --> 00:25:59.670 the Elijah mentality based on this passage. I'm the only one. My God, 372 00:25:59.710 --> 00:26:03.190 where's where's all your people? Everyone is departed from from you and I'm 373 00:26:03.190 --> 00:26:06.940 the only person that's righteous. Yeah, and you know, I've seen that 374 00:26:07.539 --> 00:26:11.940 is from people own social media on Facebook, who are doing ministry at Abortion 375 00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:15.140 class and I where's everyone? Where's the church at? And I get you 376 00:26:15.220 --> 00:26:18.410 know, four years you know, I was out in front of Latrobe here 377 00:26:18.490 --> 00:26:22.210 and others, but just a handful of people, and there's like one, 378 00:26:22.210 --> 00:26:26.849 thousanree hundred churches in the Greater Charlotte area and we wondered where's all these churches? 379 00:26:26.890 --> 00:26:30.250 There millions of Christians around in this area, right, hundreds of thousands 380 00:26:30.250 --> 00:26:33.799 of Christians. I don't know about millions, but like, where are they 381 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.000 at? And it can be discouraging and I get that. And we can 382 00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:38.880 have the Elijah mentality. You know, I'm the only one. I'm no 383 00:26:38.920 --> 00:26:44.319 one person in the you know, Charlotte area that cares about the unborn and 384 00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:48.509 you know God. This is sort of a rebuke actually to Elijah. This 385 00:26:48.589 --> 00:26:52.109 is not just an encouragement, this is a rebuke. Now, hopefully, 386 00:26:53.309 --> 00:26:59.349 and I think in one since Elijah did take this as an encouragement. But 387 00:26:59.470 --> 00:27:02.740 and so hopefully it was an encouragement to him. But again it was also 388 00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:07.140 a rebuke. There you're not the only person that standing for righteousness. You're 389 00:27:07.140 --> 00:27:08.940 not the only person that's doing what is right in the side of God. 390 00:27:10.700 --> 00:27:14.980 He has other people right that has that have dedicated themselves to him and not 391 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:17.730 bow their knee to to the eye. That's right. And he named it. 392 00:27:17.970 --> 00:27:19.730 He named the number and it was any able number. gave him a 393 00:27:19.730 --> 00:27:25.609 number. Seven have seven thousand right, and so I think Elisha was encouraged. 394 00:27:25.650 --> 00:27:30.799 He knew he was he was not alone. And and those seven thousand, 395 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:40.319 I think of those also as the fruit of of ministry, because those 396 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:45.950 seven thousand probably had parents, other people telling them about the one true God, 397 00:27:45.710 --> 00:27:49.509 and they obviously are following the one true God, or God wouldn't have 398 00:27:49.549 --> 00:27:53.470 mentioned them. So they are both an encouragement as fellow warriors, but I 399 00:27:53.549 --> 00:27:57.069 think we could also look to them as an encouragement of the fruit, yeah, 400 00:27:57.150 --> 00:28:02.299 of of other faithful people, of some of those, you know, 401 00:28:03.099 --> 00:28:06.859 could be fruit of Elijah's ministry as the profit of Israel, very much like 402 00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:10.299 they had heard Elijah and preach. Maybe. Yeah, they'd have heard heard 403 00:28:10.339 --> 00:28:14.089 of some of Elijah's prophecy. Yeah, yeah, and they were the fruit 404 00:28:14.130 --> 00:28:17.690 of his ministry. Quite possible. Right. One of the reasons I love 405 00:28:17.809 --> 00:28:22.009 this passage so much and that chapter so much as Elishah had just had this 406 00:28:22.089 --> 00:28:26.200 enormous victory when he says that he had had a huge victory over the prophets 407 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:33.960 of Baal and and the immediate response to that huge victory was discouragement. Yeah, 408 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.680 and I think and and and that's discouragement, I believe, comes from 409 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:41.829 Satan, to to discourage him and all of us in history to no longer 410 00:28:41.910 --> 00:28:47.349 continue in ministry. So, by God, naming this large number it, 411 00:28:47.710 --> 00:28:53.390 it reminded him that that be encouraged. You being you know, there are 412 00:28:53.470 --> 00:28:57.819 others and there is fruit. Yeah, if your minish know locally, one 413 00:28:57.859 --> 00:29:03.700 of the encouragements for US months months ago, we first started this podcast I 414 00:29:03.779 --> 00:29:07.180 did an interview with Justin reader, who started love life right and we've talked 415 00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:10.289 about them often times on the podcast. In those guys, you know, 416 00:29:10.369 --> 00:29:12.769 their first year and doing the prayer walks in front of the abortion clinic. 417 00:29:14.210 --> 00:29:15.890 When they did their final prayer walk of the year, I think was two. 418 00:29:15.930 --> 00:29:19.690 It was two thousand and sixteen. I remember coming up on that stage 419 00:29:21.170 --> 00:29:26.359 and looking across that crowd of four thousand people and just being overwhelmed, you 420 00:29:26.440 --> 00:29:29.759 know, haven't been out there in front of the Latroux for for so long 421 00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:33.599 and wondering where is the church? It was like that was God's answer. 422 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.630 Here they all. We have thousands of people and could there be more? 423 00:29:38.190 --> 00:29:44.269 Sure, you know, there could be more, but I could be encouraged 424 00:29:44.309 --> 00:29:45.549 by that number. I can be discouraged. I couldn't you know. It's 425 00:29:45.630 --> 00:29:51.029 like, you know, like like the Christian the grave is never satisfied. 426 00:29:51.109 --> 00:29:53.500 You know, like some Christians, this will never be satisfied with, you 427 00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:56.259 know, with what God's doing. And I, you know, I'm just 428 00:29:56.339 --> 00:30:00.019 thankful that God's doing that. So and that was a great encouragement to me. 429 00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:03.220 It was a great encouragement to you. Yeah, and and so you 430 00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:07.250 numbers can be a great encourage rights, and I think God designs it that 431 00:30:07.329 --> 00:30:11.130 way. Yeah, I'd there have been many, many days this happened, 432 00:30:11.250 --> 00:30:15.529 just it actually happened today, where we knew that there had been baby saved, 433 00:30:15.609 --> 00:30:18.450 but they were not confirmed. We knew from other clues. Yeah, 434 00:30:18.529 --> 00:30:22.079 but then right as we're getting ready to leave, so I'd been out there 435 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:26.480 over four hours, it was cold. Yeah, kind of a bitter Coldie, 436 00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:32.160 they know, and considering like the weather was not was not calling for 437 00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:33.599 it to be that. God, no, it wasn't. But I was 438 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:38.309 shivering, all of us were, and at like one o'clock a mom pulled 439 00:30:38.349 --> 00:30:44.990 out of the the driveway and the abortionist had already arrived and she told us 440 00:30:45.390 --> 00:30:52.259 she chose life and that that that was one verified baby that was saved and 441 00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:56.180 and we all just started dancing and being for joy and the cold didn't matter. 442 00:30:56.380 --> 00:31:00.819 So, you know, just just being able to count one that we 443 00:31:00.900 --> 00:31:07.930 knew for certain was was an encouragement. Yeah, okay, so purpose number 444 00:31:07.970 --> 00:31:11.210 two. Purpose number two, this is the one you'll probably have the greatest 445 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:15.450 argument about. I'll have a problem with this one. Yeah, okay, 446 00:31:15.529 --> 00:31:18.279 okay, probably cut for my wording, but it was the best I could 447 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:26.119 do. Okay, okay. Numbers Validate Ministry for raising support. Okay, 448 00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:30.400 okay. And here's here's the verse that I threw in with that. It's 449 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:34.589 front. Well, some verses acts to verses, forty one to forty seven. 450 00:31:36.710 --> 00:31:40.470 So those who received his word were baptized and they were added that day 451 00:31:40.509 --> 00:31:45.390 about three thousand souls, and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the 452 00:31:45.509 --> 00:31:49.940 fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers, and awe came upon 453 00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:55.819 every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles, and 454 00:31:56.059 --> 00:32:00.019 all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they were 455 00:32:00.059 --> 00:32:05.849 selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had 456 00:32:05.970 --> 00:32:09.369 need. And Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in 457 00:32:09.410 --> 00:32:15.009 their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God 458 00:32:15.289 --> 00:32:19.559 and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number 459 00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:24.720 day by day those who were being saved. So this is God. They 460 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:30.470 counted the number of soul saved, they must have, because they knew they 461 00:32:30.470 --> 00:32:32.829 were about three Tho. Yeah, the Lord added to their number. He 462 00:32:32.950 --> 00:32:37.990 was clearly pleased by that. But it's spurred them on. All these people 463 00:32:37.150 --> 00:32:43.950 being saved. I think we could make the argument that they were selling their 464 00:32:43.990 --> 00:32:47.819 possessions and distributing the proceeds to all, to everyone who had need their coming 465 00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:54.140 together and eating together and breaking bread together as part of well, there's all 466 00:32:54.259 --> 00:33:00.329 these people that have that are the fruit of our work and now we need 467 00:33:00.410 --> 00:33:07.170 to minister to them. So it helps to spur more efforts at ministry seeing 468 00:33:07.289 --> 00:33:10.490 all this fruit. That's my take on it. Yeah, well, it's 469 00:33:10.609 --> 00:33:14.680 not a bad take. You know, I would have a problem with the 470 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:17.240 idea of numbers validating manistry for the same reason I mentioned earlier. You know, 471 00:33:17.319 --> 00:33:22.640 it's God that validates ministry. And how does God validate ministry? Well, 472 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:25.440 ministry needs to be based on his word. That's right. And so 473 00:33:25.720 --> 00:33:29.950 if ministry, if a ministry, is not based on his word, that 474 00:33:30.069 --> 00:33:35.910 ministry is invalidated immediately. Right. So there's a ministry per life or whatever, 475 00:33:36.190 --> 00:33:39.029 ministry, Missionary Ministry, whatever, that's not validated by God's word. 476 00:33:39.069 --> 00:33:44.700 Like they're doing things that are completely unbiblical in a framework this completely unbiblical, 477 00:33:45.339 --> 00:33:49.460 then they've invalidated themselves. I don't care what their fruit is. That's yeah. 478 00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:52.220 I want to know is what you're doing in line with the word of 479 00:33:52.259 --> 00:33:55.369 God. Can you show me scripture that backs up what you're doing and why 480 00:33:55.410 --> 00:33:59.490 you're doing what you're doing? If you can't, then in my mind you've 481 00:33:59.529 --> 00:34:05.049 invalidated yourself and God's not validated. Yeah, so in that sense I'll say 482 00:34:05.170 --> 00:34:10.159 it's not the numbers that validate, it's God that validates. But I will 483 00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:13.719 say, because you know, you put in there and raising support and you're 484 00:34:13.719 --> 00:34:17.119 unstum about financial support. You know we're talking about people actually, you know, 485 00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:22.039 talking about the ministry verbally, that support, that's encouraging other people to 486 00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:28.110 be involved and that sort of thing may be particularly about financial support. I 487 00:34:28.190 --> 00:34:30.630 mean, you know, if I'm looking this is something I mentioned before we 488 00:34:30.710 --> 00:34:35.070 even started the podcast here, is that you know, if I'm looking at 489 00:34:35.389 --> 00:34:39.019 the say too missionary groups, let's say they're a missionary organizations and there's two 490 00:34:39.019 --> 00:34:44.659 of them and they're both missionary organizations in India, and both of those missionary 491 00:34:44.699 --> 00:34:46.460 organizations, I look at their statement of faith, I look at their framework 492 00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:51.539 of ministry and it looks thoroughly Biblical in both ends, right, but one's 493 00:34:51.579 --> 00:34:57.130 more effective and establishing churches and and seeing people converted and seeing people discipled. 494 00:34:57.650 --> 00:35:00.369 Yeah, and I've got money and I've got a burden for India. Yeah, 495 00:35:01.050 --> 00:35:05.889 I'M gonna probably give money to the to the one that's more effect right. 496 00:35:06.130 --> 00:35:10.079 Right, there's the both are doing biblical work, both are validated biblically, 497 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:15.679 but one's more effective. Once you know producing, you know and I 498 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:19.440 can verify those numbers are true or whatever. Yeah, then I'm going to 499 00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:22.869 give money to the more effective group. Yeah, almost be unwise to unless 500 00:35:23.269 --> 00:35:25.989 you know explicitly the Holy Spirit put it in a hard to give to the 501 00:35:27.070 --> 00:35:29.989 other, the other ministry. Right, I'm going to give to the more 502 00:35:29.989 --> 00:35:32.909 effective ministry. Yeah. Well, something even in terms of giving to ministries, 503 00:35:32.949 --> 00:35:37.059 where numbers can help is I will look through. Well, does this 504 00:35:37.340 --> 00:35:45.019 ministry, what percentage of this ministry goes to the actual whatever the ministry is? 505 00:35:45.380 --> 00:35:49.659 Yeah, WHAT GOES TO ADMINISTRATION? WHAT GOES TO SUPPLIES? What goes 506 00:35:49.860 --> 00:35:53.889 to lavish vacations for your yeah, exactly, your CEO, you know, 507 00:35:54.090 --> 00:35:58.809 and those numbers help you to make wise decisions on what is the best use 508 00:35:58.929 --> 00:36:02.730 of limited resources. And I think that's true of our volunteers or any any 509 00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:08.840 person thinking who am I going to volunteer with? Yeah, I think sometimes 510 00:36:09.039 --> 00:36:15.719 knowing that the effectiveness helps people to determine I will go in volunteer with them. 511 00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:20.349 I know that was what happened with me. I I and I know 512 00:36:20.429 --> 00:36:22.869 I've said this before on the PODCAST, I didn't know that that a single 513 00:36:23.030 --> 00:36:28.989 person ever came to an abortion center undecided right, actually chose life. And 514 00:36:29.110 --> 00:36:32.579 so I was shocked when I started reading the numbers and it was the numbers 515 00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:37.780 of the baby saved every day that was being reported on facebook by Lisa Mets 516 00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:45.659 Gir and, and that to me, may I became very interested because it 517 00:36:45.260 --> 00:36:51.809 was clearly a ministry that was producing fruit in the only way I knew how 518 00:36:51.929 --> 00:36:57.570 to count. The fruit of a pro life ministry were babies being saved. 519 00:36:57.650 --> 00:37:01.119 Yeah, yeah, so, so that's that's what we mean, or what 520 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:07.360 I meant saying numbers validate ministry for Racing Support. I think it helps us 521 00:37:07.519 --> 00:37:12.079 to it's not the only validation. It's not even really a validation of the 522 00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:14.880 primary valid right. Sure, right, I'm thinking one sense. Yeah, 523 00:37:14.880 --> 00:37:16.269 you could say it is. It is a validation. Yeah, sure, 524 00:37:16.389 --> 00:37:21.269 but it helps give wisdom, yeah, to those who are seeking what what 525 00:37:21.469 --> 00:37:24.030 ministry to support financially or with their time. And, yeah, volunteer. 526 00:37:24.110 --> 00:37:28.150 And you know, of course, this is act chapter two. This is 527 00:37:28.190 --> 00:37:30.500 right after Peter. You know, the Holy Spirit fell the day of Pentecost 528 00:37:30.539 --> 00:37:34.739 and Peter gets up and preach is one of the most powerful sermons ever preached. 529 00:37:35.300 --> 00:37:37.380 It wasn't a secret, friendly service, now, it wasn't. He 530 00:37:37.619 --> 00:37:43.059 wasn't tickling the People's ears. He basically laid the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on 531 00:37:43.139 --> 00:37:45.170 the people and said this Christ him, you crucified. God has made both 532 00:37:45.289 --> 00:37:49.690 Lord and Christ. And so it says. They were cut to the heart. 533 00:37:49.690 --> 00:37:52.530 Yeah, and they were convicted of their sin. They whatss we do 534 00:37:52.889 --> 00:37:54.849 to be saved? He doesn't, you know, he didn't say. Well, 535 00:37:55.010 --> 00:37:58.489 just repeat after me. And you know, he really gets down to 536 00:37:58.599 --> 00:38:00.320 it. Be Baptized. This Jesus that you guys crucified. You need to 537 00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:05.159 be baptizing his name right now. Yeah, and look at how many we're 538 00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:07.679 saying. Yes, three feels at three thousand. So so it's like, 539 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:12.079 brother Peter, you had a mega church at that time. And then look 540 00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:15.510 at Peter. If it at least me. I then look at that and 541 00:38:15.590 --> 00:38:20.150 I look at Peter and I look at what did he do or what did 542 00:38:20.230 --> 00:38:24.309 he have out? What did the Holy Spirit encourage out of him? Because 543 00:38:24.309 --> 00:38:29.739 I want that, I'm going to if my desire is to bring people to 544 00:38:29.780 --> 00:38:31.820 the Lord, I'm going to look at the person that brings a lot of 545 00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:36.900 people to the Lord. That may or may not be necessarily always true. 546 00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:39.619 There may be like Jeremiah, the prophet, Jeremiah who but he was called 547 00:38:39.659 --> 00:38:44.809 the weeping Prophet. He did not have a happy life. He was sad, 548 00:38:45.369 --> 00:38:47.530 it was he was very discouraged, but he was he was but he 549 00:38:47.650 --> 00:38:51.530 happy in the Lord and faithful in the Lord. He was faithful. You 550 00:38:51.610 --> 00:38:53.210 know, I'd say. You know, if you look at the population of 551 00:38:53.289 --> 00:38:57.719 Jerusalem at this time, and me talked about he said earlier you Peter had 552 00:38:57.719 --> 00:39:00.840 a mega church. You know. Yeah, I've heard people disparage mega churches 553 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:04.920 and I understand there's a lot of goofiness and megachurches may not be the most 554 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:08.480 biblical model, but I've sort of, I guess, tongue in cheek, 555 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:10.869 mentions. You know, book of acts had to do. There was a 556 00:39:10.909 --> 00:39:14.789 mega church because you look at the population of DRUSOM. You know, it 557 00:39:14.829 --> 00:39:17.389 couldn't have been more. I read some estimates that were there were Twentyzero people. 558 00:39:17.630 --> 00:39:21.230 I think that's way low. I don't think that's the case. And 559 00:39:21.389 --> 00:39:24.900 some folks say they're up to two hundredzero people in Jerusalem around that time, 560 00:39:25.219 --> 00:39:29.699 around the time of the apostles or whatever. Either way, with a two 561 00:39:29.699 --> 00:39:31.539 hundred thousand or you know, if it's Twentyzero people, he had more than 562 00:39:31.579 --> 00:39:35.699 ten percent of the population turn into the Lord. Yeah, you know, 563 00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:39.730 I would say the more accurate numbers probably around I don't know, a hundred 564 00:39:39.809 --> 00:39:44.050 thousand or so people lived in drew some of course they were others who visited 565 00:39:44.090 --> 00:39:47.610 druism whatever. Either way, in comparison, yeah, I mean he probably 566 00:39:47.769 --> 00:39:52.690 that. You know, the comparison maybe ratio today. Threezero people in that 567 00:39:52.690 --> 00:39:57.360 day would be more like twentyzero today. As far as having people together worshiping 568 00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:01.639 the Lord. Yeah, either way, massive fruit was born from this message 569 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:05.920 that Peter Preach and of course it was because he was empowered by the holy 570 00:40:05.960 --> 00:40:08.230 spirits. If you want anything, you you want to know anything, we 571 00:40:08.389 --> 00:40:12.630 would peter do. You know. How did he do this? When him 572 00:40:12.989 --> 00:40:15.230 right? It's like what we said in the beginning. Yeah, it was 573 00:40:15.269 --> 00:40:16.869 a Holy Spirit in here, the spirit of God. So you want to 574 00:40:16.949 --> 00:40:20.670 know how to be effective, like Peter? Yeah, Surendo yourself to the 575 00:40:20.710 --> 00:40:22.900 Holy Spirit, right, get to know God more through his word and find 576 00:40:22.940 --> 00:40:27.300 out what he what he requires the view, and just bow your hard to 577 00:40:27.300 --> 00:40:30.340 him. And Lord, make me like Jesus. That's what Peter. That's 578 00:40:30.380 --> 00:40:31.980 right, mentality here, right, like Jesus. Yet, Peter, and 579 00:40:32.059 --> 00:40:36.849 the evidence of that in this case clearly was there was. Yeah, normous 580 00:40:37.250 --> 00:40:40.369 fruit have and it was counted. Yeah, so it was first. Didn't 581 00:40:40.369 --> 00:40:45.050 matter in that case. They yeah, okay. Purpose number three. I 582 00:40:45.170 --> 00:40:50.760 think this is very true and very important. Numbers shock us out of complacence. 583 00:40:50.760 --> 00:40:55.679 Yeah, and here I'm specifically talking about the number of abortions. Yeah, 584 00:40:57.039 --> 00:40:59.880 and this is sort of maybe in one sense, we've talked about the 585 00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:02.639 positive side, the numbers that were saved, and those numbers can encourage people 586 00:41:02.719 --> 00:41:07.590 and all that. But then again, the number you mentioned here, the 587 00:41:07.630 --> 00:41:09.909 number of lives that were lost. Yeah, what is it? Sixty five 588 00:41:09.949 --> 00:41:14.349 million? Yes, what's they astimates? The estimate? Yeah, sixty five 589 00:41:14.510 --> 00:41:17.469 million. That's just numbers that we've been able to track. I mean and 590 00:41:17.579 --> 00:41:22.179 a lot of states don't report. So they don't report. Probably some Mundy, 591 00:41:22.300 --> 00:41:27.460 I'm sure, under report. So and of course you got to look 592 00:41:27.460 --> 00:41:30.940 at the potential of abortions that have happened with you know, maybe this is 593 00:41:30.980 --> 00:41:34.250 a subjective definitely a subject for another time, but birth control in the morning 594 00:41:34.289 --> 00:41:37.329 after peel and like that. Yeah, it's probably much higher than that. 595 00:41:37.570 --> 00:41:44.170 Probably the number that we have, sixty five million plus Ye, should be 596 00:41:44.250 --> 00:41:49.519 a number that that shakes us out of our complacence. It should. And 597 00:41:49.599 --> 00:41:53.880 I've got again another one of my favorite passages in scriptures as support for this. 598 00:41:54.159 --> 00:41:59.119 This is from the book of Jonah. Jonah for to eleven. But 599 00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:02.190 God said to Jonah, do you do well to be angry for the plant, 600 00:42:02.429 --> 00:42:06.829 and he said yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough 601 00:42:06.829 --> 00:42:09.869 to die. And the Lord said, you pity the plant, for which 602 00:42:09.909 --> 00:42:14.829 you did not Labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into 603 00:42:14.869 --> 00:42:17.659 being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity 604 00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:22.260 Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than a hundred twenty thousand 605 00:42:22.500 --> 00:42:29.099 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much 606 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:32.090 cattle. Yeah, so the Lord is laying a number on Jonah here and 607 00:42:32.369 --> 00:42:37.409 saying this number, I mean I'm grieve. You grieved over this plant. 608 00:42:37.690 --> 00:42:40.170 I'm grieved over these lost people who don't know they're right hand from their left 609 00:42:40.250 --> 00:42:44.320 hand, I don't know what, from down who God had sent Jonah. 610 00:42:44.360 --> 00:42:47.400 Yeah, absolutely, said share the truth of the one true God with and 611 00:42:47.639 --> 00:42:52.559 and initially he refused. Yeah, and now he's complaining about this one plant 612 00:42:52.599 --> 00:42:55.199 that was had grown up as shade and God, God, took that away 613 00:42:55.679 --> 00:43:00.030 to make a very significant point about there's a lot of people, yeah, 614 00:43:00.070 --> 00:43:05.030 that need that, need me. Yeah, and and your concern is over 615 00:43:05.150 --> 00:43:08.789 your shade, yeah, instead of those hundred Twentyzero people that will perish forever 616 00:43:08.989 --> 00:43:12.829 for all. And he gives you, gives a number, a large number, 617 00:43:13.019 --> 00:43:16.019 of course, and that day, you know, hundred and Twentyzero people 618 00:43:16.420 --> 00:43:21.179 in one city. Yeah, and God's grieved over that. And, yeah, 619 00:43:21.219 --> 00:43:24.500 numbers matter to him. Yes, sense. Yeah, and and Jonah 620 00:43:24.980 --> 00:43:30.409 presumably had become complacent to the fate of what we know he did. He 621 00:43:30.969 --> 00:43:34.769 refused it first, to to share the truth of God with those people, 622 00:43:34.809 --> 00:43:38.489 as he he'd been commanded. So God kind of shocks Jonah out of his 623 00:43:38.610 --> 00:43:43.079 self pity and complacency. We you know, one of the things that in 624 00:43:43.320 --> 00:43:45.920 history that we use, and we're talking about something like the Holocaust, right, 625 00:43:46.280 --> 00:43:50.880 the sheer numbers of people. Yeah, it's not that every life, 626 00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:54.000 every individual life, doesn't matter. They do. Every life does matter, 627 00:43:54.079 --> 00:43:57.829 but when you talk about the sheer numbers of people that were dealed in the 628 00:43:57.869 --> 00:44:00.510 Holocaust or, you know, you look at a communism, how many people 629 00:44:00.550 --> 00:44:05.869 in the twenty central been killed under it's like a hundred million people have been 630 00:44:05.909 --> 00:44:12.940 murdered under communism in just recent history. Yeah, those numbers are staggering and 631 00:44:13.059 --> 00:44:15.940 should be staggering and they should shake us out of any kind of complacency, 632 00:44:16.539 --> 00:44:21.699 as it pertains what we're trying to allow in this country. Yeah, with 633 00:44:22.420 --> 00:44:25.570 socialism, which is just the gateway to communism. This is not a political 634 00:44:25.610 --> 00:44:30.489 podcast, but just that. Guess where you stand? Yeah, because we're 635 00:44:30.489 --> 00:44:34.730 a stand on this stand on communism. Back it's killed one hundred twenty million 636 00:44:34.889 --> 00:44:37.809 people and we want to touch that thing. We don't want to be anywhere 637 00:44:37.849 --> 00:44:43.559 near what communism is. Yeah, yeah, but numbers shock us and they 638 00:44:43.559 --> 00:44:49.360 should shock. Those large numbers. Here's purpose number four. Okay, numbers 639 00:44:49.559 --> 00:44:53.789 mobilized warriors for the battle. Okay, so second chronicles, th seven eight 640 00:44:53.949 --> 00:44:59.469 is the scripture that I pulled out for that one. Be Strong and courageous, 641 00:44:59.909 --> 00:45:02.150 do not be afraid or dismayed. Be for the King of Assyria and 642 00:45:02.190 --> 00:45:07.619 all the horde that is with him, in other words, a lot of 643 00:45:07.699 --> 00:45:13.619 people. Be for there are more with us than with him. With him 644 00:45:14.139 --> 00:45:16.699 is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord, our God, 645 00:45:16.940 --> 00:45:21.929 to help us and to fight our battles. And the people took confidence 646 00:45:21.969 --> 00:45:27.969 from the words of Hezekiah, King of Judah. Yeah, so the culture 647 00:45:28.010 --> 00:45:34.610 of death to US seems to have hordes of supporters. Yeah, right, 648 00:45:34.849 --> 00:45:37.760 we if you look at, you know, media, it seems the media 649 00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:45.480 support for the large part is pro abortion. Every single every single contender for 650 00:45:45.599 --> 00:45:51.349 the presidency on the Democratic side is, as you know, for abortion. 651 00:45:51.429 --> 00:45:53.989 Yeah, and then it seems, you know, just looking out across the 652 00:45:54.070 --> 00:46:00.190 landscape of of our country, if you really get down to the nitty gridy 653 00:46:00.230 --> 00:46:05.539 of and ask people about abortion, yeah, you're going to get, for 654 00:46:05.619 --> 00:46:08.300 the majority of people, at least some acceptance. You have the idea that 655 00:46:08.380 --> 00:46:12.500 it's okay to murder child right inside the whom? Right and that can be 656 00:46:13.019 --> 00:46:17.219 that can be discouraging. Right on the flip side, though, when you 657 00:46:17.340 --> 00:46:21.449 start to see, in like I mentioned earlier, when you start to see 658 00:46:21.570 --> 00:46:23.210 thousands of Christians coming out and pray and when you start to see, you 659 00:46:23.329 --> 00:46:28.369 know, the sidewalks and more and more people getting a burden to come out 660 00:46:28.409 --> 00:46:32.159 on the sidewalk and be involved in ministry in that context, especially considering American 661 00:46:32.199 --> 00:46:36.199 Christianity and how we've been taught that, you know, it's all about our 662 00:46:36.239 --> 00:46:38.360 comfort and all about the way that we feel. To see people stirred up 663 00:46:38.400 --> 00:46:40.800 in such a way and get out of, you know, back to point 664 00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:45.679 number three, get out of their complacency. Yeah, is encouraging to me 665 00:46:45.280 --> 00:46:49.429 and it's encouraging for other people. You know. I mean one of the 666 00:46:49.510 --> 00:46:52.750 means that we get, I say, a good portion of our new volunteers 667 00:46:53.269 --> 00:46:58.269 it's been because they've seen something on facebook that somebody else has shared, they 668 00:46:58.309 --> 00:47:00.949 have a friend that's come out as somebody came to the prayer walk or they 669 00:47:00.989 --> 00:47:02.099 themselves came to the prayer walk with they were, you know, a good 670 00:47:02.139 --> 00:47:06.179 number of people and they were encourage okay, other people doing this, I 671 00:47:06.300 --> 00:47:10.139 can do this right, you know, because the Lord encourages us with other 672 00:47:10.260 --> 00:47:14.619 people. You know, right, so and so's doing a you think about 673 00:47:14.699 --> 00:47:17.250 missionary work. How do most people get encouraged to do missionary work? It's 674 00:47:17.289 --> 00:47:20.570 not that, you know, Jesus comes to them in the dream and calls 675 00:47:20.610 --> 00:47:22.130 him to do missionary work. No, it's that they know somebody, they 676 00:47:22.210 --> 00:47:25.530 read about somebody that's at on the mission field and that person is doing the 677 00:47:25.570 --> 00:47:29.329 work of the ministry and they're seeing fruit and they're encouraged by that and so 678 00:47:29.409 --> 00:47:32.280 they go on the mission field temporarily and they feel called permanently mission for yeah, 679 00:47:32.280 --> 00:47:35.119 well, it's like that on the sidewalk as well. Yeah, and 680 00:47:35.159 --> 00:47:38.719 there's I can't remember it was Elijah or Elisha, I always get that mixed 681 00:47:38.760 --> 00:47:47.710 up, but where he's standing discouraged and and the Lord, whoever he's with. 682 00:47:49.510 --> 00:47:52.949 Maybe he's standing with a I can't remember, but I'm sure you will 683 00:47:52.989 --> 00:47:55.789 remember this, and the Lord reveals on the horizon. Yeah, yeah, 684 00:47:55.829 --> 00:48:00.300 that was all sh that was a lisha. So obviously I'm messing up this 685 00:48:00.340 --> 00:48:02.739 story. Didn't just briefly talk about that? Yeah. So, so, 686 00:48:02.900 --> 00:48:07.099 basically the armies and I forget the king's name, sorry. The armies of 687 00:48:07.139 --> 00:48:12.969 King something, whoever came and surrounded the city where Elijah, or Elisha, 688 00:48:13.210 --> 00:48:17.010 sorry, and his servant were staying. Right Yah Hasi was the servant. 689 00:48:17.090 --> 00:48:21.730 I think of that right right now, about that. Yeah, and so, 690 00:48:22.449 --> 00:48:23.610 yeah, so they look and they see this army. At least the 691 00:48:23.849 --> 00:48:28.039 servant looks and sees US Army and he's overwhelmed, all the right, terrified 692 00:48:28.079 --> 00:48:30.079 and to get we calls no way we can get that. We're gonna get 693 00:48:30.119 --> 00:48:35.320 demolished. Then aliasha praise and says Lord, open his eyes, and then 694 00:48:35.480 --> 00:48:38.119 the Lord opens his eyes and he sees all. There's this heavenly host, 695 00:48:38.280 --> 00:48:44.469 this angel arm army that surrounds and of course they are encouraged right and right 696 00:48:44.909 --> 00:48:49.630 by the numbers, by the sheer numbers of this heavenly hosts that God has 697 00:48:49.710 --> 00:48:53.670 sent, yeah, a heavenly army to to help us. And I don't 698 00:48:53.710 --> 00:48:58.900 know that I've ever seen that. I think he's never rolled back the clouds 699 00:48:58.980 --> 00:49:01.019 for me to see, but I know it's true. I know they're there, 700 00:49:01.099 --> 00:49:06.340 and sometimes I'll visualize that as I'm standing in front of the abortion center 701 00:49:06.380 --> 00:49:10.449 and feeling discouraged, I remember there is the heavenly host is all there. 702 00:49:10.690 --> 00:49:16.570 Yeah, and and they are fighting for us. Yeah, for God's glory 703 00:49:16.690 --> 00:49:22.610 and for his purpose, and his purpose is clearly to to save the innocent. 704 00:49:22.849 --> 00:49:25.519 Yeah, absolutely, to protect those those babies. Yeah. So, 705 00:49:27.920 --> 00:49:34.960 but but I thought that this verse also pointed out really a very important truth, 706 00:49:35.119 --> 00:49:38.070 okay, that there's really only one number that matters. Yeah, and 707 00:49:38.230 --> 00:49:44.949 that number is truly just one. Yeah, the one who stands with us 708 00:49:45.150 --> 00:49:47.789 is God. Yeah, absolutely, and if he is with us, the 709 00:49:47.949 --> 00:49:52.429 truly is all we need. Yeah, absolutely, that's yeah, keep in 710 00:49:52.510 --> 00:49:55.059 mind one Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, we were on the sidewalk. 711 00:49:55.219 --> 00:49:59.940 Me and Francine were there. I believe was me and Francine and maybe 712 00:50:00.099 --> 00:50:02.340 one other guy, maybe Kevin was there. Okays, are volunteers, for 713 00:50:02.420 --> 00:50:07.809 those who are listening, and there were a lot of the pro abortion people 714 00:50:07.849 --> 00:50:12.369 were there already, yea, and there were quite a few patients in the 715 00:50:12.489 --> 00:50:15.449 parking line. They're only three of us and it can get overwhelming sometimes when 716 00:50:15.449 --> 00:50:17.809 it's only a few of us. And then we've been the police are there 717 00:50:19.010 --> 00:50:22.039 and they're there being a hindrance to what we're doing. It's just it's just 718 00:50:22.159 --> 00:50:25.360 madness out there sometimes and Francine said something like, you know, there's some 719 00:50:25.559 --> 00:50:29.280 there's more of them than there are of us, and I said, Oh 720 00:50:29.280 --> 00:50:32.400 yeah, it looks like we got them surrounded. There's more of them, 721 00:50:32.440 --> 00:50:35.949 there are more of them numerically. But Hey, yeah, we've got the 722 00:50:36.030 --> 00:50:37.750 Lord on our side, we've got the heavenly host, we've got the angel 723 00:50:37.789 --> 00:50:43.670 armies and we really got them surrounded. Yeah, Yep, because we have 724 00:50:43.829 --> 00:50:46.829 the power that raise Christ Jesus from the dead living in us. Right. 725 00:50:47.429 --> 00:50:52.340 And you know, Romans thirty one, if goddess for us, who could 726 00:50:52.340 --> 00:50:55.699 be against a guess, if the God who made the heavens in the earth 727 00:50:57.099 --> 00:51:00.380 is on our side, the whole world can be against us, we're still 728 00:51:00.380 --> 00:51:04.449 going to have victory. Yeah, and and so, you know, I 729 00:51:04.489 --> 00:51:07.170 want to encourage you guys, do you guys who maybe are maybe just getting 730 00:51:07.210 --> 00:51:10.530 involved, being on the sidewalk at an abortion clinting, maybe just getting involved 731 00:51:10.570 --> 00:51:15.369 in some kind of prolife ministry? Maybe not yet involved, but want to 732 00:51:15.449 --> 00:51:19.599 be involved. You know, we're called to a Bay God and out of 733 00:51:19.679 --> 00:51:22.599 obedience to God there's going to be fruit that's going to be born. I 734 00:51:22.599 --> 00:51:24.599 don't want you guys to be encouraged. You know, if you've looked at 735 00:51:25.119 --> 00:51:29.320 cities for life, if you looked at our numbers, and you know sometimes 736 00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:32.349 things that God intends to be an encouragement can be a discouragement and you can 737 00:51:32.389 --> 00:51:35.869 think, well, I'm not I'm not bearing that kind of fruit, I'm 738 00:51:35.909 --> 00:51:38.110 not seeing baby saved on a regular base or whatever. You know what, 739 00:51:38.469 --> 00:51:42.869 it's not. Again, it's not about that numbers. Encourage us, praise 740 00:51:42.909 --> 00:51:45.789 God, take, take keep tracking number. That's that's one of the reasons, 741 00:51:45.869 --> 00:51:49.820 original, originally, that the folks started keeping tracking numbers, just just 742 00:51:50.099 --> 00:51:53.539 to being courage to see what God is doing. Maybe you're not seeing those 743 00:51:53.539 --> 00:51:58.460 numbers right now. Again, like I mentioned, you maybe seek some counsel 744 00:51:58.539 --> 00:52:00.420 from other folks. Reach out to us. You can reach out to me. 745 00:52:00.579 --> 00:52:04.889 Deep Parks of cities for lifecom I'm not going to claim to know all 746 00:52:04.929 --> 00:52:07.889 the answers for you and correct everything that you're doing wrong. I'll give you 747 00:52:07.929 --> 00:52:09.809 some suggestions to some of the things that we've seen. They're effective on a 748 00:52:09.889 --> 00:52:14.050 sidewalks and of the things that are not effective, of course, in a 749 00:52:14.090 --> 00:52:16.679 biblical framework, not in my opinion, not in some you know, board 750 00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:20.519 room is people sit down and etched out a scheme. No, it's not 751 00:52:20.639 --> 00:52:22.599 like that. We want to do things biblically and we do, but biblical 752 00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:25.039 within a biblical framework. We are some of the things that we've seen to 753 00:52:25.079 --> 00:52:28.800 be effective and I love to share some of that stuff with you. You 754 00:52:29.000 --> 00:52:31.429 can go on our sidewalks for life. That's why we established that website, 755 00:52:31.670 --> 00:52:38.230 www upside, www dot sidewalks, the number for lifecom Vicki's writing articles. 756 00:52:38.230 --> 00:52:43.110 I've written a few articles and those are there to help you be effective within 757 00:52:43.190 --> 00:52:45.539 a biblical framework, to help you bear fruit. Want to bear fruit for 758 00:52:45.659 --> 00:52:49.980 God. It's ultimately not about our glory. It's not about the glory of 759 00:52:50.019 --> 00:52:53.340 Cities Rush. It's about God being glorified. He's the he's the Lord of 760 00:52:53.460 --> 00:52:57.300 this Ministry. He's if you're a Christian, he's the Lord of your life 761 00:52:57.579 --> 00:53:00.570 and all the fruit that's born. Just Give Glory to God for it. 762 00:53:00.769 --> 00:53:02.570 Celebrate the numbers, like they did in the book of acts, the numbers 763 00:53:02.570 --> 00:53:07.210 of babies that were say are people that were saying day and as we celebrate 764 00:53:07.210 --> 00:53:09.010 the numbers of babies are safe, and then give glory to God. It's 765 00:53:09.050 --> 00:53:13.480 all God's doing. What we're added to them, all of those who are 766 00:53:13.519 --> 00:53:16.880 being saved. Right by whom? Not by Peter, right by God. 767 00:53:17.519 --> 00:53:22.320 So as we see baby saved, we're giving glory to the Lord. It's 768 00:53:22.360 --> 00:53:25.800 God that did it. We're I'm not stupid enough to believe that I'm so 769 00:53:27.039 --> 00:53:30.429 wise and so good that I can figure out how to change a person's heart. 770 00:53:30.590 --> 00:53:32.949 I can't. I can't do it, you can't do it, but 771 00:53:34.110 --> 00:53:37.469 God can do it. Surrender to him and watch him be glorified through your 772 00:53:37.469 --> 00:53:38.949 life. So we hope we were. We were encouragement. Do you guys? 773 00:53:39.230 --> 00:53:44.539 Hope you guys will continue to listen? Share this podcast, you know, 774 00:53:44.619 --> 00:53:46.059 tell friends to listen. I think it will be encouragement to them. 775 00:53:46.099 --> 00:53:59.369 But until next time, God bless o love for love, give me our 776 00:53:59.650 --> 00:54:10.719 love for gratitude. I know it will cost me my life. Nothing's too 777 00:54:10.960 --> 00:54:14.199 precious. And some met you