ENGLISH Dante Gebel #827 | The ring of zero ward

ENGLISH Dante Gebel #827 | The ring of zero ward

Let’s not forget that our best mantle of love comes from God. His love always covers us despite our failures and setbacks. And just as He protects us, He presents us with opportunities to give love every day. We have to learn to see our world as a museum of divine treasures. Some of those treasures live in our own house; others cross our path in our daily lives… and not all of them will think like us. So, when interacting with people, let us not allow class, race, gender, politics, or culture hinder the work of our Creator; on the contrary, let our goal be to demolish the barricades that keep the children of God separated from each other.

[Music]

foreign

[Music]

an unsettling story of two childhood

friends

that enlisted in the army

during the second World War

it was 1940.

in the middle of battle in the middle of

the war when one of them Skinner

fell into the hands of the Japanese as a

as a prisoner of war

of these friends a month later

his friend became a prisoner of war

Skinner’s friend Arthur brassy

so Skinner and Arthur bressey they were

both prisoners of war in the hands of

the Japanese

they were locked up in different camps

and they didn’t see each other for a

long time I insist they had been friends

since their childhood they went to

school together

they went to high school together

and now they were in different prison

camps

after many months

Arthur bressie

came across the rumor that his friend

Skinner was in

zero Pavilion

zero Ward

and that Ward was divided into two

sections

one for the sick that expected to

recover

and another sector

for the evicted

those that were inevitably awaiting

death

in this last sector

it was filled with people with wounds

with sores plagues induced by the

tropics awaiting the inevitable end and

Skinner Arthur bressey’s friend was on

that side awaiting death

when Arthur realizes that his friend was

in Ward zero

he asked a Japanese guard to visit his

friend for the last time

but asking to visit the other sector the

other Camp was like asking for a knife

in the stomach

the Japanese weren’t too nice with the

soldiers but for whatever reason he had

favor with us with the guard he was

given a white flag on a bamboo stick a

pass and they told them you have five

minutes you only have five minutes and

so Arthur arrived at the sector of the

dying Ward zero

he leans on the barbed wire fence and

yells to his friend Skinner

and so staggering

slowly and painfully

the remains of a human body arrived the

last time they had seen each other

Skinner weighed 90 kilos or 180 pounds

now he was a skeleton of less than 35

pounds 77 pounds

so Skinner’s body

was like a room a housing many tropical

illnesses he had malaria

scurvy

the century pellagra berry berry all

these illnesses eating him from the

inside out he couldn’t eat he couldn’t

drink

he was almost dead and so Arthur

separated by just defense

has a hunch he has an idea inside of the

knot

of a of a handkerchief wrapped around

his neck I’m speaking about Arthur he

had hidden his greatest treasure a ring

from his high school it wasn’t worth

much but it was his graduation ring it

cost him 8.75

and when Arthur was captured the enemy

took anything of value from the

Americans and if a soldier wasn’t able

to take off his ring the Japanese would

cut off their finger with the knife with

the sword but he was able to take it off

and he hid it

in his Navy handkerchief

in the knot and now as he looked at his

friend Skinner on the other side of the

fence

there weren’t any guards around or

looking

he quickly passed his ring through the

fence and he said this is your Skinner I

don’t know maybe you can negotiate it in

exchange for something and I ask myself

this story is a true story I ask what

kind of love and friendship does

something like this because it’s one

thing to give a gift to someone who is

healthy it’s one thing to share your

treasure with someone who is strong

someone that can give thanks or even

return it but giving to the weak

your greatest treasure and trusting your

greatest treasure to someone that’s

dying no that’s that’s something

different that’s something else entirely

in fact this gesture declares I believe

in you I believe you can live don’t

don’t give in don’t surrender this

gesture is don’t quit don’t let your

arms down I was thinking about this

story and I asked might we know someone

like Skinner that’s on the other side of

the fence almost dead well if our child

is having problems behavioral problems

or Rebellion at school then yes we do

know someone that’s on the other side of

the fence if our partner or spouse is

battling against depression or if

they’re bipolar we have another case of

someone that’s on the other side of the

fence if we have a friend with cancer

if

the entire classroom bullies a a

schoolmate and we’re just wash watching

on the sidelines or if we have a friend

who has failed in a business or they

feel fragile if we know someone

then I’m convinced they also need a ring

and the most important thing is that we

can give it to them we can do it through

acts through words we can change that

person’s life forever but let me

continue with the story

Upon returning to his room Skinner hides

the ring that Arthur gave him under the

floor where he would sleep so that the

inspection team couldn’t find it and the

following day

he decided to run the greatest risk of

his captivity he was dying anyways so

another risk wouldn’t make a difference

he decided to trust a Japanese guard

he made a sign and he passed the ring

through the fence to the Japanese guard

and the Japanese man said Ichiban takai

I might not speak English but I speak

Japanese ichikai

which means is this valuable

you’re what they might be watching me

from Japan I’m not making it up

Skinner

makes a gesture to make him understand

that yes it’s valuable so quickly the

guard hides the ring in his pocket and

he leaves days later

the guard who had no obligation with him

but was thankful for the gesture passes

by Skinner and throws a package to his

feet

and they were pills

of

sophomai sulfonite and they would

alleviate

the infection in his urinary tract he

wasn’t able to pee

a day later

he gave him a basket of limes to fight

against the scurvy and the pellagra

which is what can induce a heart attack

later he came back with pants shorts

a bit of canned meat

and Skinner begins to heal the wounds in

his mouth with this medication and

finally he’s able to chew the food

now Skinner was able to eat he was able

to digest he was able to retain his

weight in less than three weeks Skinner

was on his feet

before he would drag himself literally

like a reptile now he was able to be on

his feet in less than three months they

take him to the sector of the sick in

recovery those that had hopes of getting

out and days later he was capable of

working in the prison and he was the

only American in all of history

that left Ward zero alive

everything because of a ring all that

because someone believed in him

and they gave that dying man a ring to

see if something could happen and I

insist Skinner wasn’t the only person

that was given a ring we also have one

on our finger

Jesus described this when he told the

story of The Prodigal Son

he said that the sun demands his

inheritance prematurely he moved to Las

Vegas he spends his money on slot

machines and women and with the same

quickness of blackjack he is now in

Ruins since he’s too proud to go back

home he finds a job

cleaning the stables at the racetrack

when he’s surprised to be tasting

the the horse that the the food that the

horses eat he says no I’m going home

and on his way home he’s rehearsing his

speech of repentance

but the Lord says that the father sees

it from a different perspective

scripture says that when the sun was

still far away his father saw him

he had compassion for him he ran out

he embraced him and kissed him

I read the story once and again and I

don’t expect an answer like this this

this kid this guy

whatever you might call him in whatever

country you’re from he dilapidated the

fortune

he behaved like a like a scammer like a

fraud

so I would expect the father to cross

his arms and have a furious face so that

the son can learn or at least some sort

of reprimand but the father doesn’t do

any of that the Lord says that in place

of that he gives him a hug gives him

kisses and gifts bring the fattened calf

an Argentinian cow world champion and

we’ll eat it

we’ll celebrate we’ll have a feast

sandals a ring a fattened calf

before the guy had time to wash his

hands he already had a ring on his

finger and in Christ’s times Rings were

signs of delegated sovereignty so

whoever wore the ring could speak in the

name of The Giver of the ring you might

have seen it in movies

it was used

to imprint a sign on soft wax

so whoever had the ring did business in

the name of the person that had given

them the ring and I say might we have

done the same would we have given the

Prodigal Son the power and the

Privileges of representing us in our

matters after the mess that he created

would we have entrusted him with a new

credit card

your child asks you for the small

inheritance that you have he spends it

all

and then you say here son you spent it

all but here’s my Visa use it in case

you need it no no way we wouldn’t do

that we wouldn’t give them our ring

before we question the wisdom of the

father let’s remember that in the story

we’re the child we’re the son not the

father and when we arrive at God’s house

we were given authority to do business

in the name of our Celestial father when

we preach the truth

act as ambassadors of God when we manage

the money that he allow us to earn

because he gives us Health to work we’re

his managers yes or no

when we forgive we’re his priests

when we promote healing or health where

his Physicians his doctors

so we have a voice and a vote in the

house of the Lord because it gives us

the ring and the most surprising part my

friends

is the fact that he never asked us to

give it back when he gave us that ring

of Grace

and weren’t there times where he had a

reason to ask for it back

the time that we promoted our cause and

we forgot about him and we became

prideful

but we would ask to serve him so much

and then eventually we began to demand

Applause and gratitude to be recognized

and we forgot that it was about him

didn’t we deserve to be slapped across

the face

and the ring taken away when we lie or

exaggerate to show that we have

something that we don’t when we take the

gifts that God has given us and we use

it for our advantage

when we ask the Lord to please bless and

get us out of debts so that when that

happens we stop coming to church and we

forget

of when we when we needed him

when we go back to Las Vegas and we were

seducted by the neon lights look and

Knights of party and tequila

have taken the ring then and there of

course you should have did he have the

right yeah no one says amen I know but

he had the right

now did he do it or not

do we still have a Bible yes

are we still allowed to pray yes

are we still able to hear a message at

the church

here at home yes so if you’re listening

to me right now

if you’re watching me through a device

it’s because you have enough money to

survive

yes or no yeah

so I get the impression

that God wants us to continue wearing

the ring despite how foolish we are

it appears that he still believes in US

incredible can you look to your left and

right and say how incredible that God

still believes in you incredible that he

believes in you and since the other

person is looking at you too it goes for

you as well

God didn’t give up on us

God didn’t turn his back on us God still

believes in you he still Believes In Me

and he gives us the ring

he goes into Ward zero of death and he

passes the ring through the fence and so

this is the first question that I have

today

that faith

that God has in me and you and he has

that he has in US

listen carefully it’s what I’m going to

ask I want it to be a an honest question

I want the answer to come from your

heart

can we have that faith that God has in

us where he never asks for the ring back

he still trusts in us even when we mess

up can we have that same faith in other

people

no they said see how sincere they are

oh your mom no way she said

are we capable of believing in others

the way the Lord believes in US

do we know someone that needs a ring and

we’re not giving it to them

someone that’s on the other side of the

fence

that we know they’re in the ward zero of

the dying and they need a mantle of Love

they need to be loved not to be

questioned or or demanded of of answers

might it be that we receive that

faithfulness from God and we’re not able

to give it to others

because we forget that the first mantle

of Love Came From God the first time the

Lord covered us we didn’t deserve it I

don’t know if you’ve ever thought of

the fact that our creator is a fashion

designer Adam and Eve

knew him not just as a Creator but as a

designer

because all the fashion brands exist

because of Adam and Eve

ironing boards designer suits it all

goes back to the Garden of Eden because

before sinning Adam and Eve

were walking around as God brought them

into this world they didn’t need

clothing but after they sinned

they weren’t able to get dressed quickly

enough so the Bible says that they hid

behind the bushes

they tried to make clothes using fig

leaves

never before had they felt shame but now

it was the only thing they felt

and now after this all they felt was

shame

what did God do he said if you eat from

the forbidden fruit

you will perish

it was Justice didn’t Justice demand

that Adam and Eve should die immediately

now I ask

can Justice coexist with God’s goodness

when you mess up is God still good

but if he continues to be good

does he just do away with Justice let me

put it this way I remember one time my

mother kicked me out of the home

I was 16 years old

I would leave very early and come back

late at night when I would go out and

party

it was the 80s don’t blame me it was the

80s no one remembers what happened in

the 80s so I would go very early and I

would come back late and one day my mom

was tired of it and she said a phrase

that all mothers say she said this isn’t

a hotel

this isn’t a restaurant

you don’t come here just when you need

your underwear washed you think you can

come in any time no this is a home

respect it no Mom it’s just that I

stayed with my friends no if you’re

going to behave this way then make your

suitcase and move out and she kicked me

out

and since I was very very proud

I packed my things and I said it’s fine

I’m leaving you’re going to miss me and

she said no I’m not going to miss you

just leave because I didn’t raise

children to be

living on the streets and so I packed my

things I was thinking where where am I

going to go where will they wash my

underwear

but I I made my suitcase and I’ll never

forget about it

and so as I’m about to go out she yells

to me and she said you’re going out like

that without kissing your mother

and so I go I give her a kiss and I said

fine she said leave I don’t want to see

you again

and I’m about to leave and she said

you’re going to leave like that and I

said what’s going on she said no sweater

she said put on a thick jacket because

then you’ll get sick

and then

she runs to me wrapped my neck with a

with a scarf and kicks me out

disappear from my sight

and I said who kicks their child out

but asks them to put on a sweater and

wraps them in a scarf

a mother

that still continues to love her child a

mother that mixes Justice with

unconditional love that won’t change

because the the child is foolish so

Genesis 3 21 says this the Lord God made

garments of skin for Adam and his wife

and clothed them after they sinned he

clothed them and this simple phrase they

clothed him shows three powerful

powerful scenes number one God kills an

animal for the first time

or at least this is the first time it

was registered and all the history

of the Earth

the ground is speckled with Innocent

blood the animal didn’t deserve to die

and Adam and Eve did

the couple deserved to die but they

lived the animal deserved to live

but it died second scene

he makes some clothing

the Creator the designer of the Stars

becomes Adam and Eve’s tailor and the

third scene God clothes them he doesn’t

throw the clothes down at their feet

put your clothes on and disappear like

my mother

when she kicked me out she wrapped me in

the scarf because she said I don’t want

you to get sick I might have a lost

child but he’ll be healthy

God does the same thing

God covers them

God protects them love always protects

always and so I say

didn’t God do the same thing with us

more than once we eat our portion of the

forbidden fruit don’t tell me that you

haven’t done it more than once

we say things that we shouldn’t say

we shouldn’t say them but we do

we go to places

we shouldn’t have gone

we take fruit from trees that we

shouldn’t touch and we knew it

when we do that a door opens and shame

sneaks in

and we hide we make clothing out of fig

leaves we give weak excuses we stop

coming to the church we give ridiculous

justification

we cover ourselves in good acts we try

to compensate having taken the forbidden

fruit with I’m serving the lord God has

to see that but all of a sudden a gust

of wind of truth comes and we’re left

naked and what does God do before this

well the same thing he did for our

appearance in the in the garden

he pours out innocent blood he offers a

life of not an animal but his son he

doesn’t call it the skin of an animal he

now calls it a mantle of justice and he

doesn’t throw it on the ground he

doesn’t say close yourself sinner no he

clothed us he clothes us with himself

Galatians 3 27 says for all of you who

were baptized into Christ have clothed

yourselves with Christ he himself

clotheds us he covers our nakedness

isn’t that marvelous

and we can even

tune in with the song of the great

Isaiah

I Delight greatly in the Lord my soul

rejoices in my God for he has clothed me

with garments of Salvation does someone

believe it or not

and a raid me in a robe of his

righteousness as a bridegroom adores his

head like a priest and as a bride adorns

himself with the jewels that’s what the

prophet said so God always covers Us he

always protects us

and he does for us the same thing that

he did for the adulterous woman he

protected her from the rocks from the

stones how many times did he protect us

from the stones how many times like the

disciples he protects Us From The Storm

how many storms has God protected us

from

it protects us from a bad relationship

he protects us from friends that aren’t

friends all of a sudden a relationship

ends our friendship ends and we don’t

understand why when someone breaks up

with you or breaks your friendship don’t

insist because God hears the

conversations that you don’t

and so God becomes upset

that you have friends that say they love

you but behind your back they criticize

you you don’t hear them but God does and

he takes them out of your life he

protects you all of a sudden you don’t

understand why your relationship ends

it’s because God hears what they’re

saying behind your back and he cuts it

you want to upset God

then touch one of his children

that isn’t a blessing to you he saves

you from a relationship that you’ll

regret for the rest of your life

I know there are some regretting saying

oh my boyfriend left me you don’t know

the parasite that was removed from your

life and if someone is doubting this

then look on Facebook look for your ex

and you’ll realize all the things that

God saved you from look at that 30 years

later look at the woman look at this guy

look at him

and you might say and to think that I

would ask God why why why but God

protects us and this is the second deep

question

who wouldn’t like to do the same thing

for the Lord protect him and you might

say well he doesn’t need to be protected

no

well what if we were given Mary’s

privilege

what if

what if the Lord was placed in our arms

like a naked baby

that’s God why don’t we do the same

thing that she did

that she wrapped him in diapers in in

clothes because that’s what um that’s

what love does a mother covers 30 years

later another person did it

but this time Jesus body wasn’t cold

because of the temperature of the stable

in Bethlehem but because of his death

and Joseph of arimatia

brings his body down from the cross

and just like Mary

cleaned the baby’s body

fresh out of the womb Joseph prepares

the savior’s body so that he can place

it in the in the in the Tomb

cleans the spit from his face the blood

from his beard

and scripture says that Joseph wrapped

his Body in clothes in a sheet

we want to have the privilege of doing

the same well God gives us the

opportunity every single day

the privilege that Joseph and Mary had

and he presents us opportunities every

day he said

I needed clothes

and you clothed me

so I ask again

might we know someone in this season

that needs some sort of protection

a ring passed through the fence

do none of us

know

do none of us not know someone

that was destroyed by legalism

you can’t imagine the amount of divorced

people that are

that are the demand that are demanded

for answers instead of just being

embraced and loved and this isn’t about

condoning sin this isn’t about us not

caring no but in place of asking for

explanations

we have to cover those little ones so

that the Lord says

as you did it for me as you did it for

them he did it for me

I’ve never stopped asking the Lord

to not allow us to become demolishers of

intolerance

take all the president S turn into dust

we have to say you still matter to me I

don’t care what you did with your life

you still matter to God and you matter

to me someone needs to believe that do

you truly believe it yes or no

foreign

what is River’s sign or symbol to

destroy the barricades that maintain the

children of God separated from one

another

the third question

what fences

divide our world in two because now we

don’t have prison camps held by the

Japanese but what fences are dividing us

we’re on one side and on the other

we always find the person that we’ve

learned to ignore to disdain

Union

the Adolescent that has a bunch of

tattoos and piercings all over

we say these are the piercings we can

see where are the ones that we can’t see

or the proud guy

with a bunch of money that we don’t like

the American the Chinese the Indian the

Argentinian the Australian

the Hispanic with a funny Mexican accent

the person that has a different opinion

that has different political views the

Samaritans living outside of Jerusalem

there was a high fence in the ancient

world remember Jesus or sorry John wrote

Jews and Samaritans

don’t intermingle both cultures that

hated each other for many years the

Samaritans were on The Blacklist

scripture says that their utensils their

beds even their saliva was repulsive

they were considered impure

none of the Orthodox Jews traveled

through Samaria the majority was great

pleasure went around the city double the

distance to not have to go through

Samaria

but Jesus broke the rules he spent a

great part of a day drinking at a well

speaking with a Samaritan woman a woman

that had five husbands but was now

living with her lover

and as we say in my country she had a

quick underwear

say it in a in an elegant way or the

elasticity was wearing out

but God didn’t condemn her the Lord

didn’t condemn

he didn’t say so that we can drink water

first change your life get married with

one of the five fixture life and then

we’ll see how we drink water together

because you’re a Samaritan woman and

even your saliva can contaminate no

Jesus goes to the other side of the

cultural taboo

because he loves to destroy fences

and I also see that

not only does he speak with the

Samaritan woman but he sends Philip to

Samaria acts 8 5 says Philip went down

to a city in Samaria

and proclaimed the Messiah There When

the Crowds heard Philip and saw the

signs he performed they all paid close

attention to what he said

for the street for with streaks and pure

spirits came out of many and many who

were paralyzed or lame were healed so

there was great joy in that City

men and women were baptized there was a

Revival in Samaria

Philip was

walking on Uncharted land

but the Lord said no let’s go even

further than that

he takes a risk like Arthur did for his

friend Skinner it says that an angel of

the Lord spoke to Philip and said

goes out to the road the desert road

that goes down from Jerusalem to Casa

so he started out and on his way he met

an Ethiopian eunuch that came to

Jerusalem to worship and the guy was

going back on his Chariot not a Tesla he

was reading the Scrolls of Isaiah

and the angel says go to that chariot

and stay near it there was a fence that

separated Philip from the Ethiopian the

Ethiopian had dark skin but Philip was

white

Felipe

Philip was an American

the Ethiopian official was from distant

Africa Philip had grown up there the

traveler had enough money to be

traveling but Philip was a refugee

exiled from Jerusalem and it’s not a

minor detail the levels of testosterone

because Philip according

to scripture was the father of three of

four girls but the Ethiopian

was a eunuch he didn’t have a wife

children nor plans of having children

it was two guys that were completely

opposite one of them had four daughters

the other was a eunuch but Philip didn’t

stop it says that he opened his mouth

and he began to announce scripture and

preach about Christ

as they were going down the path

they see water and the Ethiopian says is

anything stopping me from being baptized

now

a black African official influential and

effeminate asks a Christian from

Jerusalem who’s White

satin and viral

he asked him is there a reason I can’t

have what you have what did Philip would

have said oh no hold on it’s not that

easy first we have to fix your life

we’re going to have to have

reconstructive surgery

because you don’t fit into what a good

Christian is but Philip

a founding member

of the group of demolishers of

intolerance

blows away the fence and he says if you

believe with all your heart you can and

the Ethiopian says of course I believe

that Jesus Christ is the Lord

and so Philip continued continues

and he has his first convert that’s not

a Jew and we’re with our mouth open

saying why so what do we do with a

chapter like this

the Holy Spirit

being porn out

poured out in Samaria

what are we taught it shows us how God

feels and respects to those that are on

the other side of the fence

I have felt that since the beginning of

the pandemic

that we have to talk to those that we

think are on the other side of the fence

whether they’re Catholic Jehovah’s

Witness atheist whether they’re Orthodox

Jews renewed Jews it doesn’t matter

there’s someone that for whatever reason

we place them on the other side of the

fence but God says I also love them I

have a plan for them I died for them not

just for us do we truly believe it yes

or no

Ephesians 2 14.

for he himself is our peace say with me

our peace

who has made the two groups one and has

destroyed the barrier the dividing wall

of hostility by setting aside in his

flesh the law with its commands and

regulations his purpose was to create in

himself one new Humanity out of the two

thus making peace and in one body to

reconcile both of them to God Through

The Cross by which he put to death their

hostility

so you’re going to have to love your

mother-in-law

who are our Samaritans

who are our eunuchs from Africa

or from Ethiopia

who are we taught to distrust

what type of people do we avoid I was

brought up in a legalistic church where

they said be careful with those churches

where they applaud careful with those

churches where the sisters wear pants

because that tempts the men

with those bodies and those pants who’s

going to be tempted but that’s what they

said to us the church where I was raised

there was no way to be tempted even if

you wanted to be tempted there was no

way Rupert the brother that played the

guitar tempted you more than the sisters

sitting in the pews

the sexiest woman was 98 years old

but we were taught to distrust

so there’s a moment

where you have to take down some fence

and so God begins to purposely take us

to Samaria so that with our ring of

faith we may save their lives so when

you find people like the Ethiopian

eunuch that’s so different to us you

have to learn that we shouldn’t allow

class or race or gender or politics or

culture

to impede from God’s work yesterday I

received an email from a beloved

colleague who I sent a kiss to

after this he won’t send me any more

kisses but he said to me Dante you know

why River grows because there you allow

anyone and I said well isn’t that what

church is

when did the church transform into a

museum of elite Saints but there aren’t

any they’re all Hypocrites those that

say I never said no

we’ve all messed up and we’ve deserved

to to have the ring taken away that God

gave to us when we accepted Christ in

our hearts we’ve all failed we’ve all

messed up

well you just preach what people want to

hear not what they need

well what people want to hear is exactly

what they need a mantle of love

a way of surviving and I love you or I

believe in you

not too long ago a mother wrote to me

about her son on social media she said

she said he’s in a prison of Maximum

Security because he

committed a felony

he carried out an unarmed robbery the

entire family has given up on him but

the mother says I have a different point

of view I pray for him and I believe and

declare that my son’s best years are

ahead of him my son’s a good boy of

course he committed an armed robbery but

the mother says he’s a good kid because

she’s a mother like the one I had that

kicked me out but wrapped me in a scarf

and she said when he gets out of there I

know he’s going to do important things

in his life and he hears your sermons

every Sunday from prison and I know he’s

going to do important things I believe

in him I believe in him

imagine if the mother said no no no he

messed up he’s not my son anymore

so like this mother you can’t throw the

towel in on anyone because Jesus didn’t

do it Joseph didn’t did it didn’t do it

his brother sold him

and as a slave in Egypt he welcomed them

in his Palace David didn’t do it Saul

wanted to avenge himself

but David had a weakness he said he’s

the anointed one

may God free me from touching him Gomer

a prostitute the wife of Hosea she was

taken out of the Red Zone but Hosea left

the door open

when she goes back to her lovers but

Hosea loves or allows her to come back

Jesus saw something and Peter

that made him believe that he was worth

developing

he saw something in Mary he saw

something and the thief on the cross I

don’t know what he saw but he thought

that he was worthy of saving

he saw Saul

and what he saw is an apostle of Grace

here at River we have to learn to give

opportunities because we are a product

of opportunities we were given Grace yes

or no

we were given Grace

yesterday somebody wrote to me and they

said

this time on a text message and they

said thank you for giving me Grace I

didn’t expect so much Mercy

and I said

This Isn’t false modesty I said no no

I’m simply giving what I’m sure one day

I will need

I need Grace every day I can’t give

anyone Justice you don’t want Justice

you don’t want Justice careful when you

say where’s the Justice with my ex

no careful you don’t want Justice

bless that fool bless him say Lord

wherever he is with that crazy woman I

bless him

bless your mother-in-law Lord I bless

this woman she’s she’s a mess but bless

her

my favorite story

about people that give a ring of trust

or of credit to a dying person

through the fence

it has two protagonists

a controversial Pastor from Argentina

back in the 80s and a 17 year old boy

that was looking for a job

no matter what it was and for some

reason it wasn’t very common back in

those days in churches but that Pastor

had a tolerant soul

and he began to be known as someone that

gives credit

to all the people that other churches

discard

and so this pastor gives the 17 year old

boy a job

this boy was completely immature

every week he had a new girlfriend

until one time

the pastor even found the boy drunk at

his work desk

he didn’t fire him

when he heard the boy cuss

or when the boy would disappear for

weeks at a time

the pastor didn’t ask the boy to abandon

the church when he smelled cigarettes on

his clothing

he could have hired another young boy

someone also didn’t care about

impressing girls but he saw something in

him

he thought

he was worth it to be saved

and knowing all of his defects he once

said hey why don’t you preach stand in

front of 2 000 people

in my case I don’t ever remember going

in a car

and encountering A Philip

nor do I remember

um going down the road to Damascus and

seeing a great light but the grace

that this pastor gave me penetrated

inside of me and so today if this

message blesses you you should give

thanks to God for someone named Hector

Anibal Jimenez who didn’t give up on me

back in 1988

someone didn’t give up on me they said

this guy’s worth something he’s good at

something it’s not that he said I see a

great preacher in him but he said no

something I don’t know what he saw but

he saw something that made him believe I

should be saved and so he gave me the

ring through the fence I wasn’t

promising

it’s not that he said oh I see a great

talent in you no there was nothing

physically I was a featherweight I had

to walk by twice to be seen

emotionally I was completely bipolar

spiritually

I didn’t even know what the word

spiritual meant

I had a distant relationship with God I

was God’s grandchild not son

because God’s children were my parents I

was a grandchild

I had heard of it being born in a garage

doesn’t make you a car being born in a

Christian household does it make you a

Christian I didn’t have a relationship

with God but someone saw something in me

I don’t know what and let me tell you

another unsettling story that’s very

moving

for decades

a certain Andrea Moscone

followed the same routine every week

seven days a week he was an Italian

teacher was an Italian teacher he would

put on his suit and tie and he would go

to the municipal Palace in cremona Italy

and he would go into the violin Museum

the stringed instruments Museum the most

valuable instruments in all the world

they’re invaluable relics even today

violins made by the Ahmadi family

two violins from the guarnarius family

and the most valuable one

a violin made

by Antonio stradivari they were all

there and so these instruments

are 300 years old they deserve the

attention

of Moscone every single day because he

knows that if those instruments are left

Unturned

or if they’re not played they lose their

capacity of vibrating so Mr Andrea

wasconi’s job is to make music with

those instruments that are centuries old

so every morning he brings out the best

of the best reverentially

he would bring out each violin from its

glass case he would play it for six or

seven minutes he would return it to the

box and follow on with the next one when

Moscone was done with his work day

the museum had heard the sweetest music

played through the most valuable

instruments

they had heard the best melodies

from the best capped instruments in all

the world

but we have something in common with Mr

Moscone

don’t go into that museum every single

day I don’t play a Stradivarius

we’re not musical instrument curators

but our task is more important than

moscone’s

we have the opportunity of bringing out

the best in people

some of those instruments

live in our home

some of those fine violins have your

last name

and we think of them

as those that forget to wash the dishes

those that don’t wash their clothes

those that make a mess but who are they

really they’re instruments that are

finely tuned and finally made by the

hands of God

we know they have bad breath they smell

like feet they have bad behavior bad

habits

but if we treat them carefully they play

music this pastor Jimenez treated me

carefully as if I were a Stradivarius he

said

young boy do you want to preach

a week before I had messed up

I said I don’t know how to preach and he

said yeah but you have to start

somewhere

from that day on I never shut my mouth

again

but someone said to me you’re worth

something

you have something to give

that Museum of people also includes

other sorts of people

those that repair our car those that

wash our cars

those that grade our exams those that

were police uniforms those that deliver

our mail or check our computers when our

internet is running slow

they compose the collage of all of

humanity obviously they don’t feel like

a shred of areas but they’re destined to

Bringing unique music in their genre

all these people need is an Andrea

Moscone committed to Bringing out the

best in them all that people need is

someone willing to follow that

commandment of reciprocity love one

another

and if you can accomplish to see what’s

in other people you see a museum of

divine Treasures that child that wakes

up at 11 in the morning

that sleeps

like a groundhog they have a purpose how

do I know it because I was one of them

the one who comes back with alcohol in

his breath they have a purpose how do I

know because I was that person or that

womanizer

has a purpose how do I know because I

was that person

the person that has

problems with their sexual identity I

don’t know what it’s like because I

didn’t have that problem

but they need someone to listen to their

music

you might have said or you might have

thought what else is he going to

identify with all right

we exist

so that music Sprouts from within them

and so Moscone

had a tour cabinet

filled with resin oil and Bose but we

also have a tall cabinet with tools

encouraging words Trust

genuine forgiveness I trust you so you

do anything to bring out the best in

others why because God is always

bringing out the best in us yes or no

little by little day by day from one

level to the next God is making a new

version of us and we grow to the measure

of the stature of the fullness of Christ

and so God gives us second opportunities

always yes or no

how the Lord

you

how he loves you princess he didn’t lose

trust in you

you can’t imagine how that how much that

word has has healed me when he said to

me that they haven’t lost trust in you

when I doubt when my faith fails when

sometimes I don’t see a way out I say I

don’t know how you’re going to get me

out of this one but he’s God says I

don’t lose my trust in you so let’s not

lose trust in ourselves or in others

let’s not lose trust and those that

appear to not have an exit and of course

I want to go back to our initial story

about the ring

Arthur

gave Skinner

a lot more than just a ring he gave him

a pro a proclamation a verdict

you’re very valuable to me that ring

to Skinner man continue breathing stay

alive

you’re worth being saved it’s worth it

that you live and I say the same thing

to you today stay alive breathe I don’t

know what you might be going through but

whatever it might be please don’t give

in

don’t surrender don’t quit keep

breathing

that’s what the Castaway felt and

sameke’s film in the case of Tom Hanks

he said I knew some way that I had to

remain alive

because who knows what the tide will

bring tomorrow you don’t know what the

Lord might bring tomorrow so stay alive

I know sometimes you don’t feel like it

you say like my mother um as a mother

I’m a failure as a son I’m a failure

others say as a husband as a wife I I

ruined it I messed up others say I don’t

have the capacity to love anyone but the

Lord tells me to tell you stay alive

breathe

Arthur believed in his friend Skinner

and he gave him the means and the

courage to save himself and you and I

have the privilege of doing for others

what Arthur did for Skinner

what God does for us

so in what way will we show people that

we believe in them in what way

well I believe that we can save

someone’s life we can save someone’s

life

almost six years after the war the war

ended

after they had enlisted in the Army

Arthur bressey

was back at home in Connecticut

and after spending a few hours in his

home the the doorbell rang and it was

Skinner the war was over they were both

free

you know

Skinner said with emotion I came to your

home because you should know that I was

the only American

that made it out alive from Ward zero

and remember when you saw me that day

behind the fence no man saw me the way

you did his friend said I saw you with

love no you saw me as if to say I’ll

never see you alive again

I know you saw me

with descendants it doesn’t have to say

I know I’ll never see you again

that’s why he had so much courage or

that’s why it was so valuable

that you gave me a ring because others

would have said no this is just

throwing it out but you had hopes that I

might survive and so Skinner at the door

go look through his pocket and he had an

exact copy of that ring

from Arthur’s high school that had saved

his life

and he said

I’m sorry that the Japanese guard kept

the real one but at least wanted to give

you

copy it cost me 18 and Arthur said you

shouldn’t have

but Skinner said no I wanted to I never

want you to forget that your ring saved

my life and brought me back home

and you know this week I was thinking

that I’m not sure I don’t have any

biblical basis I want to clarify

I’m not sure

if in heaven there’s there will be a

time for recognition

but let’s just conclude that there will

be because it says that there will be

tears and laughter

that our emotions will be intact

so if there’s a moment for recognition

in heaven

I imagine or I want to believe there are

Knights that I go to bed thinking of

this that we’re on our feet each one of

us

well certain people walk by us

and little girl goes by that we never

met personally a girl from Uganda and

she says to us thank you for feeding me

for trusting in me

for believing that I was valuable for

sending your seed even though you lived

so far from my Village and then a

teacher from New Delhi India goes by and

says thank you for praying for me for

saving my children

because you believed

that it was it was worth it to save me

and even though we never spoke you

helped me and then a priest from

Venezuela walks by and says thank you my

friend

not only did you save my life

he bought me brought me closer to Christ

but also all these boys who had Down

syndrome that are now healthy and healed

and maybe someone from Buenos Aires

joins in from Bogota from China from

Havana from Canada from Somalia and they

say thank you

for coming close towards zero thank you

for giving us your ring

thank you for reminding us that we

should stay alive there’s not a single

day in which I don’t think about that

moment if it exists

we’re going to cry of joy

because the Lord says that he will

collect all of our tears and why should

he

why will he wipe our tears there are

tears of joy

of having trusted in someone of

re-encountering our skinners that’s why

I always say that here at River

we’re we’re demolishers of intolerance

from now until Christ returns her until

we pass we have to demolish prejudices

May our weapons

be

the words of I don’t care what you’ve

done you’re still matter to me you’re

still valuable we have to tear down

those walls that separate us and today

we offer you our ring those that watch

from different parts of the world

because we believe in you there’s

something in you that makes you worth

saving and I always say how the lord

loves you how can he not love you

princess he loves you the lord loves you

there’s something within you that

deserves salvation a new opportunity

you’ve messed up you’ve screwed up he

won’t take away the ring

he’ll go all the way towards zero and

he’ll say I trust in you stay alive this

is church there’s no other way and God

has not given up on us do you truly

believe it

we’re going to celebrate the Lord of

lords the King of Kings come on

celebrate the king of kings and say this

is church this is church I want to hear

that Applause let it be heard all the

way in Los Angeles in Las Vegas let it

be heard

in all the corners of America of Europe

Asia Africa

[Music]

come on celebrate the king the king oh

Hallelujah

blessed be God

lift up your hands to heaven for a

moment father I’ve spoken what I believe

you told me to tell your church your

army

I’ve spoken to them from the depths of

my heart without omitting without adding

what I believe is your Revelation Lord I

asked that those that are crying now

those that are on the other side of the

fence the hundreds of thousands of

Sinners

that are here that felt dead I want to

pray for them for those that felt that

all the illnesses of the tropics

are in their body

those that have illnesses of the spirit

and their soul

that have come to destroy that have come

to end the spiritual lives of many Lord

I pray for them today come on lift up

your hands

those that can barely do it because your

strength is gone because life has hurt

you lift up your hands to heaven and

celebrate the King of Kings say Lord

thank you because there’s a ring of

faith

like The Prodigal Son there’s a ring on

my dirty hand my hand dirty with the

filth of the pigs you’ve placed a ring

on it because you trust in me

it’s a card of Grace the Lord says I

forgive you I forgive you you’re a new

creation I place in you a new time of

Grace a new time a favor receive receive

those that have the baptism of the

spirit enter speed as the spirit gives

you utterance so that this prayer is

more effective pray with me now and say

Lord a ring of grace and favor upon all

the skinners of this world those that

are in the ward zero of this world I

pray for them I pray for those that have

let their arms down I pray for those

that feel poisoned in their soul tired

the Lord blesses you

and now we’re crying out for others now

we’re crying out for those that are on

the other on the other side of the fence

it says

I gave you the opportunity to close me

when I was naked to feed me when I was

hungry to visit me while I was in prison

as you did it for my little ones you’ve

done it for me I’ve given you the

opportunity to clothe me to cover me

come on give thanks to God for that

opportunity because now God is showing

you people

people that you’ll have to give that

credit to people that you’ll have to say

I send you a vote of confidence of trust

of credit of Grace

upon those that the world has discarded

the Lord says don’t discard anyone

don’t judge don’t separate don’t

segregate I am the god that said I have

come for all tongues All Nations all

race yes yes my beloved servant here at

River anyone comes in what’s more is you

can send all those that contaminate your

congregation here at River they will be

welcome river is a hospital for the soul

here we receive people no matter where

they come from however because God says

I’ve paid a price with my blood

don’t step

on what I’ve given I’ve paid a high

price for each person drink drink drink

from this Glory from this anointing

impressive

holy God come on lift up your hands and

drink

You Are Holy

I feel that something is going to happen

today

it is let out in the month of July mercy

and Grace something that wasn’t there

before someone needs Grace today

someone needs God’s forgiveness I mean

speaking to those that already have

Christ in their hearts

that have messed up you’re fighting

against weaknesses or you’re fighting

against

Misfortune tragedy in life

the ups and downs the Lord tells me to

tell you I place in you a new credit

receive a ring of favor receive a ring

of credit says the Lord receive favor

River receive receive receive

receive now now farther from the north

south east and west a win from another

place blows come on I want to hear you

cry out to God they’re at home as well

something is happening and those tears

are healing wounded hearts

those tears are healing

hearts

healing Souls impressive more more more

come on lift up your hands and drink

drink these are the last minutes but I

feel that God is doing something that no

eye has ever seen nor ear has heard nor

has risen to the heart of man something

new a change

those that are here for the first time

and have never accepted the Lord say

Lord Jesus Come into my life forgive my

sins

write my name in The Book of Life Lord

write my name in The Book of Life

beloved church I know

that people from all tribes tongues and

Nations will pass before us when we’re

in heaven and they’ll say to us thank

you

and you’ll say I never traveled but you

sent your seed

and if you haven’t sent your seed you’ve

prayed you’ve cried out for children

that you don’t know for couples

marriages that you’ve never seen and the

Lord today wants to reward you and bless

you

from now on out you’ll Harvest on this

side of the Sun but they’re in heaven

there will be times of Jubilee and

reward oh blessed are you father thank

you for this moment thank you thank you

can you feel it lift up your hands to

heaven and drink drink

it’s the glory of the spirit Moment by

moment

at home

[Music]

receive something new is happening

Moment by moment

more more and more everyone everyone

lift up your hands and worship

young people receive something strong

from the spirit that surges now and

grows it’s the glory of the Lord filling

it all Moment by moment

father those that are at home and before

we dismiss them

May July be that month of inflection

may the Lord Find Us United may the Lord

Find Us loving

may we reach

or give Mercy to all the brothers on the

other side I don’t care that they call

me a fraud I know that the Lord came for

every single one and until my last days

I will preach this gospel and I will say

everyone Jews Samaritans Catholics

Protestants Jehovah’s Witness Mormons

Muslims Jews everyone everyone

the times

are sure everyone everyone he says I’ve

paid a price for all of them the

Japanese the Chinese the Asians everyone

Caucasians Americans Hispanics everyone

lift up your hands and say that is my

God this is church this is the hospital

this is the safe place those that are on

the other side may God bless you may he

protect you I’ll see you next Sunday

we’re going to worship here a few more

minutes may God bless you how the lord

loves you how the lord loves you

princess and prince

Hallelujah

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it is

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thank you

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foreign

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[Applause]

foreign

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