SPKM ORU SINGERS  SONG The_Time_Is_Now   AD01 PROMO — ORUCollege Easter Weekend — you come and the weekend is on us. Call today. (APPLAUSE)

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Larry Lea is standing by in the audience with special guests.  Larry, we’re going to give you a good handclap this morning.  (APPLAUSE)

SPKM LARRY LEA Hey, thank you, Richard.  It’s a joy to be here. And I am so thankful today that James and Betty Robinson and Buck and Dottie Rambo are here — but before they share with us we’ve got a couple of guys here from ORU that are part of the Karate Club or the Karate team.  I want you to tell me what you guys do? What is the Karate group?

SPKM JEFF MCKISSICK  SU02 Basically what we do is we are getting rid of a negative stereotype about the martial arts.  Just as John Jacobs and his Power Team were here the other day, and they were talking about a common ground.  That is what we are seeking to establish.  There are a lot of people in the martial arts, and there are a lot of people are interested in being in the martial arts, but a negative stereotype keeps them from it.  They think that in order to be in martial arts you must bow to certain idols.  Well, we bow before and after our class to the only bow of submission in our club here at ORU, is a bow to the Lord God Almighty. (APPLAUSE)

SPKM LARRY LEA And that’s the commitment of all of us here at ORU…and what is your name again?

SPKM JEFF MCKISSICK My name is Jeff McKissick.

SPKM LARRY LEA And Jeff, what do you do there?

SPKM JEFF MCKISSICK I am one of the head instructors.

SPKM LARRY LEA In other words you could hurt me right now, is that what you are telling me?

SPKM JEFF MCKISSICK But I wouldn’t…

SPKM LARRY LEA Oh, no, you wouldn’t every do that.  And what’s your name?

SPKM DAVID SHAY David Shay.

SPKM LARRY LEA Hi, David, and what part do you play?

SPKM DAVID SHAY I’m one of the officers of the club, I’m the secretary.

SPKM LARRY LEA You’re the secretary.  Let me ask you — I understand you have a presentation today.  What is that, please? 

SPKM JEFF MCKISSICK The club is a part of Oral Roberts University and a part of this ministry.  As a part of this ministry we are in support of everything that this ministry stands for, which is the healing team concepts. And we are here today to present the first of what will be a series of checks from that club.  Every month they have to give dues as a part of being a member of that club.  And these dues, now and in the future, will go toward the healing team ministry of Oral Roberts University.  (APPLAUSE)

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Hallelujah.

SPKM LARRY LEA Jeff, Thank you so much for that.  This is a check for $100.  And I want to just say thank you to you, Jeff, for you commitment to the Lord.  And the fact that we are a unified force for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ right here at ORU. Richard, it’s a joy.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Larry, while you are standing there — there are other groups around campus that are doing things like this. And sowing seeds.  Yesterday we received a check from a group of students who have been collecting aluminum cans and newspapers and turning them in.  They set a goal — they wanted to sow a seed of $10,000 in the medical missions.  And yesterday they gave the first seed of $2,000 to help equip and staff our first medical mission station.  And I’ll tell you, things are moving here at ORU, and especially since we made that great announcement several days  ago on the program.  (APPLAUSE)

SPKM LARRY LEA Well, that is exactly right.  And while there is a tremendous turmoil that has…and gone about — this tremendous controversy about medical missions, we are united here at ORU. And because of that there is a commanded blessing coming on us, and also all of those, our partners, that are standing with us. So we give God praise today.  And it is a joy to see the Spirit of God moving.  (APPLAUSE)

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Larry, I know that in just a moment you have to depart, because you are going to be preaching in one of our chapel services for your graduate school of theology.  But before you go give us a good word of testimony about the Signs and Wonders Seminary, and about upcoming fall and enrollment in the Signs and Wonders Seminary here at ORU.

SPKM LARRY LEA Well, we are so thankful, Richard, for what the Holy Spirit is doing here at ORU.  The Lord just is doing something unique in the sphere of theological education.  As you know, Richard, we have — last Tuesday night — have a class called Signs and Wonders where we are bringing people into this campus that are actually doing the work of the ministry.  There is a great difference between learning about God and learning about ministry.  And learning how to practically apply it.  That is the very reason I am here, because I am the pastor.  Also, the Church On The Rock in Rockwall, Texas.  And we are doing ministry there.  And here at ORU we are equipping young men and young women to actually learn about ministry, but also learn to do the work of the ministry.  And for that I just want to say to anyone who is listening today who has a desire to study the word of God, has a desire to go into the depth of the word of God, and then learn how to do the work of the ministry.  We here are equippers and we will help you, and believe God to do great things in and through your life.  And so we are going to be having a great enrollment campaign that is going to begin.  And if you have a desire, you can write me, Larry Lea, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and just tell me, “I need,” — or you know someone, maybe your pastor or others.  we have four new masters programs in our seminary.  A masters in counseling.  A masters of music.  We have a masters of Biblical arts.  And we are believing God is going to do a marvelous, marvelous thing through our seminary. So Richard, we are thankful for what is happening.  And I am believing God for 500 students in our seminary.  (APPLAUSE)

 SU01 Praise the Lord.  (APPLAUSE)  More and more and more testimonies.  And I received a prayer request the other day, and a letter that I must share with you.  “I’m writing this prayer request for my husband because he’s had trouble in several areas in his life.  Please feel free to pray for us, and don’t hesitate in reading our letter.” Although there are something in here — well, you might not necessarily read something like this on the air — but these people are desperate.  “We watch your program every day.  Many times I have wakened in the morning to see my husband touching the television set or his self, hoping for a miracle while you pray.  He wants God to heal him.  I have never seen or known anyone who wants God so much.  My husband is depressed all the time, and has some other problems that he has had to deal with.  He is an alcoholic.  And he has a liver problem that has been caused by all of the alcohol.  My husband wants God to touch him and make him whole.  He needs peace in his mind.  And he needs the old war memories cast out.  He still has the horrors of serving in the Vietnam War since 1967.  This has caused him all kinds of problems.  Will you please pray?”  And the P.S. says, “My husband  SM01 carries guilt because when he served in Vietnam he had to kill.  The Bible says,” this woman says, ‘thou shalt not kill.’ ( MS_Deuteronomy_05:17 ) How does this apply to the war?”  I don’t know — maybe James Robinson may want to deal with that in a little while.  First of all, God will never hold you responsible for what you must do in a war.  I want to remind you that David, a man whom God said was after his own heart, is the one who took his slingshot and slew Goliath.  And in the name of the Lord David had to destroy many people.  But God did not lay it to his charge because he was acting under orders from God.  And I say to you as a Vietnam veteran, or a veteran of the Korean War, or you could be a veteran of some other conflict where you served the United States of America —  you don’t have to carry that guilt.  And now you my brother, who is suffering in this way, I pray for you. Everybody just stretch your hands out toward the television set.  And you at home, stretch your hands out toward me.  And let me be your point of contact, and let’s pray.  My brother in California, you are a representative of so many men and women who may feel this way right now.  In the name of Jesus I cast out that discouragement and that load of guilt that you are carrying.  God did not put that on you, the devil has put that one your life.  And in Jesus’ name I rebuke it. And I ask all of those memories to be driven out of your life by the Holy Spirit.  And I want to pray especially for you, my Brother, you’ve been so discouraged and so distressed it has caused you to turn to alcohol.  Alcohol is not the answer to your problem.  All that is going to do is destroy your liver.  The answer to your problem is receiving Jesus as  your Lord and Savior and getting that peace in your heart.  And I want to pray for you, and I want to pray for anyone else who’s lost and you know you are lost, and you want to receive a miracle. You want Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  I’m going to ask you and everybody here in our studio to pray this prayer out loud after me.  Will you do it?  Oh, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.  I’m a sinner, Lord, and I’m sorry.  I repent of my sins.  I turn my back on the past.  I reject the devil.  I renounce him and all of his works. And I take Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.  Save me.  Heal me.  Deliver me.  Forgive me.  And now by my faith I receive your forgiveness.  Your forgiveness is flooding in me now.  Forgiving me of every sin, of every trespass, in Jesus’ name I’ll never be the same again.  Oh, friend, if you meant that prayer from your heart, and I believe you did, God is changing you now.  God is turning the situation around in your life.  I want you to go to your telephone right now and call area code 918 495-7777.  That is the Abundant Life Prayer Group.  Area code 918 495-7777.  And let me know that you just prayed that prayer and you agreed with me for Jesus to save your soul and set you free.  And my dear brother, you don’t have to carry that guilt anymore.  I’m so proud of all those men and women who have served our armed forces in wars and in conflicts.  I’m proud of those who are in the United States Army right now, who are serving around the world — who are in our Navy, our Air Force, our Marines, our Coast Guard. All of our armed forces services.  I’m proud of them.  We must have our armed forces.  And I thank God for them.  And I pray for every military leader today.  And I pray for you as a soldier, as a seaman, as a pilot, as a technician, or whatever it is that you are doing in the armed forces.  You are protecting your country, and God needs a protective service in the United States of America.  I thank you.  You are not alone.  There are servicemen that are watching this program in places around the world right now, even as I am speaking.  I thank God for you.  You are not forgotten.  America has not forgotten.  Don’t believe the news that you are lost and you are forgotten.  We’ve not forgotten you.  The core of America has not forgotten you.  And we are not going to forget you.  You are our own.  We are yours and you are ours.  We believe in you and we love you, and we pray for you. Don’t let that guilt load up on you, of what you had to do when you where serving your country.  That’s covered under the blood of Jesus Christ.  I praise God.  I think we ought to give the Lord a great handclap. (APPLAUSE) Hallelujah.  Well, Dr. Larry Lea is here today, the dean of our Signs and Wonders Seminary. He has a good word for you.  James Robinson is here to minister the Word of God to you.  Buck and Dottie Rambo are here. This is going to be an exciting program, I know it.  The ORU Singers are standing by with the Oral Roberts University Orchestra, (APPLAUSE) to minister “The Time Is Now” — give them a good handclap as they minister the gospel in song.

On the last night of His life, Jesus transferred His power to His disciples.  He told them in John 16:24 NKJV, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”  He was saying, “You’ve not used My name before, but from now on, you will.” 

It’s like when a businessman leaves the country and wants somebody to take care of his business while he’s gone. He gives that person the power of attorney—the authority to conduct his business exactly as he would if he were there.    

Jesus has given us His name to use as our power of attorney.  All of His resources and everything that He is are available to us. That means He wants us to act in His place exactly as He would act if He were still on earth.  We can take dominion over the devil and his attacks and say, “Devil, take your hands off God’s property—me!” 

James 4:7 tells us if we resist the devil, he will flee from us.  And Philippians 2:10 says, At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.            

Once when I had to fly on a stormy day, I wasn’t happy about having to get on a plane.  But as I took my seat, I said, “Devil, you take your hands off this plane.  I take dominion over you now, in the name of Jesus.  The angels are surrounding us, and the weather will not hurt us.  The pilots have wisdom, and we’ll make this trip safely.” 

We ended up having the smoothest ride imaginable! 

No matter what the devil throws at you, you can take authority over it.  When you use the name of Jesus, the powers of darkness drop to their knees because Jesus has given you His power of attorney.

When Oral and I married on Christmas Day, 1938, I knew I was marrying someone called to the ministry.  But at the time, I never dreamed that he would take God’s healing message across the nation and around the world.  And because Oral obeyed God’s call on his life, we’ve spent a lot of time apart during our marriage

The longest moments of my life have been those when Oral was not with me.  When he conducted his tent crusades across the country, he was often gone from the family for three weeks at a time.  I can remember thinking as I drove him to the airport to leave for his first crusade, Goodbye, Oral.  I’ll probably be doing this the rest of my life.

When Oral was home, it always meant twice as much work for me—more cooking, more straightening up around the house—but I loved having him home, and there seemed to be a peace in our home when he was there.

I believe a marriage is worth your attention, and it’s the little things you do that can help build up a marriage.  Oral and I liked to raid the refrigerator before bedtime, and the late night snacks were usually the time for heart-to-heart talks about our future, the children, and just being in love.  Over a glass of cornbread and milk we grew closer.

Our marriage is probably no different than most couples’.  Through the years we’ve been married, there have been some rough spots, but we always worked hard to keep our love alive.

We were criticized for traveling by plane to see each other during the long crusades.  When a friend suggested that the money spent on plane fares could be used for a better cause, Oral was quick to reply, “You can’t put a price on love!”  To us, love is priceless.

Oral dearly loves his family, but I’ve always known that his love for Jesus is even greater than his love for me or the children.  That deep, spiritual love doesn’t make us jealous, because Oral’s love for Jesus makes his love for us all the more sacred.

I’ve never been sorry that I married Oral Roberts.  There were many lonely hours when he was away, but always our hearts were together in unity and love that transcended the miles.  Over the years we’ve learned that there is no distance in love 

I believe a marriage is worth your attention, and it’s the little things you do that can help build up a marriage.  Oral and I liked to raid the refrigerator before bedtime, and the late night snacks were usually the time for heart-to-heart talks about our future, the children, and just being in love.  Over a glass of cornbread and milk we grew closer.

Our marriage is probably no different than most couples’.  Through the years we’ve been married, there have been some rough spots, but we always worked hard to keep our love alive.

We were criticized for traveling by plane to see each other during the long crusades.  When a friend suggested that the money spent on plane fares could be used for a better cause, Oral was quick to reply, “You can’t put a price on love!”  To us, love is priceless.

Oral dearly loves his family, but I’ve always known that his love for Jesus is even greater than his love for me or the children.  That deep, spiritual love doesn’t make us jealous, because Oral’s love for Jesus makes his love for us all the more sacred.

I’ve never been sorry that I married Oral Roberts.  There were many lonely hours when he was away, but always our hearts were together in unity and love that transcended the miles.  Over the years we’ve learned that there is no distance in love

LR: I want to encourage you to become a partner with this ministry.  You can pick up the phone and call the Abundant Life Prayer Group at 918-495-7777.  You can sow a seed out of your need and say, “You know what?  I’m going to plant this seed, believing that my God shall supply all of our need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

And as that begins to happen, I also want to encourage you, this precious woman called in and said, “I need a healing, and I’m sowing a $1,000 seed towards the healing of my daughter.”  This is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  It just came in.

This one in Saginaw, Michigan.  Now Saginaw is just a few miles out of where I was born.  I was born in Flint, Michigan.  And this lady said she needed divine intervention in her business, so she’s sowing a seed of her business.

This in Detroit—oh, those Detroit Tigers!  I grew up watching Detroit Tiger baseball from the time I was a young child.  And in Detroit, this precious one called in, sowing a $25 seed, believing God for a miracle.

And I want to encourage you again, if you want the stress book, pick up the phone, call the number on the screen.  I want to give this book to you.  Because you know what?  Lindsay Roberts needs to sow seed too, according to the Word of God.

Lots of people have called in with financial needs and have been sowing seeds.  But I want to read a couple of these.  This precious one called in from California and said her son needs his business to prosper.

This one called in from Arkansas and said, “Drug addiction with a grandchild.”  You know what?  We pray for the spirit of addiction to be broken off of that child and anybody else that has addictions that are not from God.  We pray for addictions in any area, in the name of Jesus, to be broken.        

In my life time I have never had addictions to something like drugs or alcohol or cigarettes.  I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life.  But you know what?  Addiction, if you look up the dictionary definition of it is like a hook.  And I pray for that hook to be released from people now. 

Spirit of addiction, you take your filthy hands off of God’s property.  You be set free from drugs or alcohol, anything that’s harmful to your body.  And prescription drugs that are used properly, thank the Lord for that.  But if there’s prescription drugs that are being abused improperly, in the name of Jesus, I pray, sweet one, for you to be set free.

You know, God calls us names like beloved and precious.  And I pray for people who think they are unlovely and unloved right now.  I pray for God to minister to you the very love of God himself.

Jesus in our Prince of Peace.  That means nothing missing, nothing broken.  And anything that’s missing and broken in your life, we pray right now for God who sent His Son Jesus into your behalf, for that God to work a miracle in your life, in Jesus’ name.

For this precious family in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, for financial needs.  (Reading names)  Cancer, in the name of Jesus, I speak to you directly.  The Bible says we can speak to our mountain, according to Mark 11:23, and we can command that thing to be cast into the sea and not doubt in our heart, but believe the things that we say shall come to pass, it shall be as we say. 

In the name of Jesus, I break the stronghold of cancer according to God’s Word and pray in the name of Jesus that cancer is rebuked.  That means, stop it, that’s enough!  In Jesus’ name.

There’s so many of these different names and needs here represented.  (Reading names)  This precious one, Timothy, is praying for a wife.  And I’m in agreement, Father God, for You to send the perfect spouse, for people who are praying for their spouse.  Lord God, I pray in the name of Jesus that people would find the perfect spouse, in Jesus’ name.

(Reading names)  People are beginning to send Seed-Faith gift after Seed-Faith gift.  And I tell you, I am believing—this precious one was $1,000.  (Reading names)

Father God, right now in the name of Jesus, we lift up every need, every name, everything that is unlike God.  And we ask You, my Father God, for divine intervention according to Your Word, in Jesus’ name. 

Don’t forget, you can pick up your telephone.  You can even go on makeyourdaycount.com.  Now, listen, if you go on there on the website, normally this book is actually a book that’s for sale.  But not today.  I’m not selling it.  I’m giving it to you.  Call the Abundant Life Prayer Group.  You can call for your prayer request.  You can put up the number on the screen, that toll-free number, and get this book for free.  Or you can write Richard Roberts and Lindsay Roberts, Tulsa, OK 74102. If you go on our website, makeyourdaycount.com, and want the book that says Overcoming Stress, it is my free gift to you.

And we pray for whatever it is that you’re going through right now, for God to heal you from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, in Jesus’ name.  Make it count.

LR: You know, I think that I have a new favorite place on this campus at ORU here.  I think my new favorite place is this spot right here in the Prayer Tower because you can just feel the presence of God.  You can feel the anointing.

This precious lady right over here is praying against fibromyalgia.  And this precious lady right here, you can see them, they’re all praying specifically for specific needs to be met.

And I want to lift up some names and needs right here.  (Reading names)  They go on and on and on.  Right now in the name of Jesus, Father, we just lift up every name and every need.  Lord God, You promised, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

And You said when you give in to the kingdom of God, it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

And according to the Word of God, we pray not only for spiritual miracles, we pray for physical miracles.  We pray for your soul.  That’s your mind, will, and emotions.  And we pray for financial intervention.  We pray for God to take the seeds that you are sowing and to honor His Word by multiplying it back to open the windows of heaven, pour out a blessing where there’s not room enough to receive it, and to rebuke the devourer for your sake.  I am believing for that, in the name of Jesus, amen.

And don’t forget, I want to tell you, you can have the Overcoming Stress book.  You can go on our website, makeyourdaycount.com.  This book I wrote literally out of experience.  It’s called Overcoming Stress.  Take charge of the negative situations that come to attack you.  Overcome them with the Word of God.  Real simple, the way to overcome stress is the Word of God.

The telephone number is a free call, 866-870-6932, 866-870-6932.  When the operator picks up the telephone and you tell that operator you want this book, tell them it’s my free gift to you.  Or you can write Richard Roberts and Lindsay Roberts, Tulsa, OK 74102.  And I want to send it so that you will be blessed and so God can intervene in the areas where you’re stressed out, and He can turn that stress into blessing, in Jesus’ name.

We’ve got a partners’ spot, and I’m praying that you will become a partner with this ministry.  We love and appreciate our partners.  You know, one scripture says a joint partaker.  A partner is a joint partaker.  As you sow into us, we sow into you, and we become partners together for the kingdom and the glory of God.  So watch this message, and we’re going to be right back here from the Prayer Tower.

60 Years of Miracles Ad

LR: You know, I do want to encourage you to become a partner with this ministry, a joint partaker.  If you look in the book of Philippians 4:13-19, it talks about Paul talking to the church at Philippi and that particular group of people.  That was the group of people that he talked about saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

And to that particular group of people, he went on to talk about giving and receiving, sowing and reaping.  And then as they sowed into his ministry, that particular group of people got to go to the next verse that said, “Now my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

That was not a scripture for the whole universe, although the whole universe could tap into it.  That was a scripture for a particular group of people that became partners with his ministry, that sowed and understood that as they sow, they have a Bible right to reap.  As they give, they have a Bible right that on the other end of that giving is receiving.  And the receiving is what?  The receiving is, “My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

LR:
I went to Nigeria by myself.  It was not even quite two weeks after Richard Oral had died.  And Richard was already scheduled to go, so a week earlier he went on ahead and he went to Swaziland.  And he had been there over a week, and then I flew to the Ivory Coast and to Senegal and to Lagos.

And when I got there, I hated the world.  I hated my life.  My son had just died.  He was my third pregnancy.  I’d had surgery after surgery.  I was in surgery for a hysterectomy, and God miraculously, sovereignly healed me.

And so I’m thinking, Next baby’s going to live. Next baby died, full term, died in my arms.  And my life was pretty much, “Let’s go to Nigeria and die.”  Yeah.  If I don’t die physically, let’s just at least go over there and die emotionally.  Because I’m already here in the United States, and everybody already read it in the papers.  Let’s go somewhere where no one knows me and just die there.”

And that was my thought.  As ridiculous as it was, it was reality to me.  And I ran into your mom and dad and Margaret and Benson Idahosa.  And they poured life into me in Nigeria.  We didn’t have a lot of food, and some of the places we went to, we were hungry.  We were physically very hungry.

I was spiritually hungry.  I was emotionally hungry.  And they just kept pouring life into me.  And when I came back, I had told Richard, you know, basically I didn’t want to come home.  I wanted to run away.  And I told him, “Don’t you ever ask me to get pregnant.”

And I’d been fighting the physical aspect of being very, very sick since I was 18 years old of one disease and one thing after another, which finally led to the diagnosis that they had given me.

And so I was coming back home, and I said, “You know, I never want to breathe another breath.”  And here I am flying alone.  I don’t even go to the grocery store alone.  And I’m flying alone to Africa, and I’m stopping in Senegal and I’m stopping in Niger, and I’m stopping in the Ivory Coast.

And I meet your mom and dad, and I meet the Idahosas and I meet Jesus all over again.  And now I tell the story, you know, people say, you know, I’m Lebanese and my husband is Cherokee Indian.  My mom’s Danish.  So we’ve got a lot of stuff going on. You know, my dad’s family was very Lebanese-looking.  My mom’s very Danish, little blue-eyed blond.  And obviously Richard is Cherokee Indian.

And so when people ask me, you know, because Jordan’s got a little aspect of everything, and they say, “Well, what’s her nationality?”

And I say, “Well, basically she’s Nigerian,” because that’s where the hope for Jordan was born.  I came back home.  I had faith to believe I could have a child.  And within about ten months, this is the product of your family and Benson and Margaret putting life into me.

So where else would her heart be but Africa?  Where else would it be?  And God puts those seeds in for a reason.  And when He puts those seeds in and people are willing to answer a call like that, what do you do?

If God’s telling you something right now, I just really want to tell you this, don’t overlook it.  When they said about building a school, when Amber put that thought in Jordan’s mind, when the Holy Spirit put it in her mind to go to Niger, she could have just passed it over and said, “Well, maybe in ten years I’ll do that.  Maybe in twenty years we’ll build the school.”

But she said, “No, let’s do it now.  We can do it now.”

If God is telling you that, if He’s telling you to hook up with their ministry, if He’s telling you to pay for their ministry, do it.  Do it right now.  Don’t let the opportunity for obedience pass you by.

And the easiest way you can do it is pick up your telephone right now, area code 918-495-7777, Abundant Life Prayer Group.  They will pray for you, and they will ask God to anoint this and bless it, 918-495-7777.  Or you can write Richard Roberts and Lindsay Roberts, Tulsa, OK 74102.

The second thing I encourage you to do is go to makeyourdaycount.com.  That’s our website, makeyourdaycount.com, easy to do.  We will link you over to that.  We’ll link you over to Revolution.  Revolution is the album that the kids have done, and it is one magnificent spiritual worship album, again, proceeds going to Hunger Needs a Voice.  And that is the whole program that these kids have developed for this purpose.

And I want to encourage you to it.  Don’t sit back and say, “Maybe it’s for somebody else,” because if God’s tugging on your heart, it’s for you.”  So I encourage you to do that, and please stay tuned because we’re going to be right back.

LR:

Well, I don’t know about you, but I tell you, every time I hear about what happened in Niger, what’s been happening in Africa, what’s been happening with ORU students who actually can’t wait to go to places like Niger and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ, feeding teams, dental teams, medical teams, nursing teams, evangelistic teams, and now the possibility—in fact, it’s not even a possibility, it’s already been started—opening a school in Niger.

I thank God for kids in ORU that feel the call to take God’s healing power to many, many nations, including the nation of Niger.

And I want to encourage you, if you’d like to be a part of it, go to makeyourdaycount.com.  That’s all you have to do is go to makeyourdaycount.com, and we’ll tell you all about it.  Make it count today.

LR:
The kids came back, and they came back with a passion and a zeal.  And I want to say insight.  They began to think of ideas with the Revolution album.  They began to think of a school, they began, they began, they began.

            I think sometimes God just has to let us kick-start in the place we’re going to go, and then suddenly when we ourselves kick-started, all of the sudden ideas and concepts and thoughts and provision starts literally—it’s just like Amber and Jordan said, Amber threw out the idea.  And like Jordan said, “Yeah, that’s an idea.”  But instantly the spirit of faith hit her, “Wait a minute.  That’s not an idea.  We can do this.”

            And these are kids in their early twenties.  These girls are gradating this year from ORU.  They finished their coursework early, typical of Amber and Jordan and Haley and these babies.  And they got done early and they didn’t get to walk across the platform.  She’ll get to walk in May.  And they were finished, Amber I think almost a year early, Jordan a semester early.

            And these are kids.  These are kids, barely in the beginning of their twenties.  And yet they’re building schools and visions and things.  And they believe it’s doable.  It’s not like, “Okay, in 20 years, we’re going—-well, if God.”  No, God is now.  God’s sending them.  The need is now.

            And so I want to encourage you of that, you know, if God lays it on your heart—I don’t even think Jordan thought about it.  I don’t think you even thought—a negative thought never crossed your mind.  First is the idea, and then, “We can do this thing.”

            And I think God’s looking for that.  If people will just hear the idea and say, “Yes, Lord, we can do this thing,” that’s faith.  And then I believe as God dropped that and you have faith for it, what He orders He pays for.  And we’ve seen the provisions just start rolling in.

 DC:
We’ve had a desire for years since arriving in Niger to do a school and just didn’t know how that was going to happen, but it was, again, one of those seeds that was in there.  And God connected us with another organization that was looking to build schools in Niger.

 NC:
They built our first building—

 DC:

And that’s how our first school got built, our first three classroom block, and we’re now finishing our second year and now needing to build a second three classroom block so we can add another class this year.

DC:
But in recent years I believe that famine that we had in 2005, a news person, the media got hold of it and finally started to air, and that’s when it started becoming a forgotten crisis.  But God has not forgotten Niger.

LR:
God was raising up a bunch of kids.

 DC:
We believe there’s more people out there that God has called to Niger that need to answer that call.

LR:
The number-one need, Neal, practically and logically speaking, the kind of people you need, the kind of—and I know you’re starting school.  I mean, you are right in the process—

 NC:

Well, we need people that have a vision to reach the unreached, that’s the first thing.  But we have opportunities in the area of education.  We’re believing for some medical outreach.  But we need people that are really just ready to come and be available, faithfulness and ability is probably the biggest thing.

            You don’t have to have a lot of qualifications.  If you’re ready to say, “Yes, Lord,” He’s ready to use you.  The harvest is great, the laborers are few.  And that’s because the laborers aren’t willing to go. 

            And that’s where we’re just telling people, “Come.  It’s time.  You’ve got to answer the call to the mission field.  You’ve got to go out and reach the harvest.”

 LR:
Is there air-conditioning?

DC:
No.

LR:

Is it the hottest place in the country, in the world?  Yes.  Is it a mission field?  Yes.  Is it the poorest country in the world?  Yes.  Are people starving?  Yes.

 NC:
But, you know, it doesn’t matter.  I mean, it doesn’t affect you if you’re hot.  When you’re leading somebody to Christ, you’re fulfilling the purpose that God had for you.  It doesn’t matter how sweaty you are, whatever it is.  You are telling somebody Jesus loves them for the first time.  It’s awesome!

 DC:
I developed, I guess I would call it maybe a coping mechanism when we first got there.  It is a difficult place to live.  It’s harsh.  It’s a harsh climate.  It’s harsh on your physical body.  It’s harsh on your electronics.  It’s harsh on everything for people there.

            And there was a time I felt discouraged, “What am I doing here?  You mean God really called me to this place?”  And it was just a momentary, it wasn’t a long-term.  But, I mean, it was just one of those—and I was hot, you know.

 NC:

So then we had to say, “Well, you’ve got to get out and go do some ministry.”

 DC:
I had already committed that day to go out to a village.  I wouldn’t have gone, had I not already made the commitment.  And I went out there, and I was with those people.  I was in a village service.  And it was just like, “This is what it’s all about.”  And I came back so renewed and refreshed after being in ministry.

            And Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of my Father.”  And that’s what I realized, so now I know whenever I start felling like that, I need to get out and do some ministry.  And it’s my fix every time.

JR: We would like to be able to build a school where we’re sending out these meals.  I think that it’s something that seems to be really doable.  Even at the time, my friend Amber was the one who had originally talked about with me.  And when she was talking, she’s just like, “You know, I think it would be great if we could go and build a school.”  But it was just kind of throwing the idea out.

            But as soon as she said it, it was like, “Sure, why not?  Sounds great.”  It’s not like, “Well, that’s nice.  Maybe one day.”  It was like, “We can do this.  We could really make this happen.”

            We were talking about we went to Africa together the first time, so both of us just love it.  And so we were like, “Hey, this is a great idea.  We should go out.  We would love to go out there and help kind of get the ball rolling and then see it once it’s done.” 

            It could really impact a lot of people.  For us, it’s a school, but for them, you know, they get an education, they get food, they get to live for years longer because they get nutrition that could drastically change them.

 LR:
The poverty level, by government, is the poorest country in the world, hottest country in the world.  And you chose to live there.  Go figure!

 NC:
Well, the harvest is great, and we’ve got to go where the harvest is.

 LR:
You know, Christians on the mission field don’t think like other people.  They think in terms of the opportunity as the coolest thing in the world, that God gives you the privilege of doing this.

 DC:
It’s an honor for us to have been a part of something like that.  And what Haley was saying, she’s not alone.  When people come to Niger, the bug gets them, whatever you want to call it.  I don’t know of any visitor that we’ve had—and we’ve had quite a few over the years—and the people say, “I would pay double for this experience.” 

            And those people by and large are all part of supporting us, part of our partner base, because it’s in them.  They’ve been there, and part of their heart is for that nation.  And I believe that now is the time for Niger.  The windows of heaven are open over Niger.

            When we first started raising our support back in 1997, we would talk to pastors and churches.  And we’d say, “We’re going to Niger.”

            “Oh, Nigeria?”
            “No, no, Niger, because at that time people didn’t even know Niger existed.

 NC:
The news media calls it “the forgotten tragedy,” because it’s just there.