This sermon emphasizes the importance of ministering to the poor, highlighting how God chooses the weak and needy to shame the strong, and how reaching out to the poor can lead to the transformation of lives and the spread of the gospel. It discusses the unfairness in the world, the need for humility, and the power of God's love to touch and change lives, especially those who are marginalized and forgotten. The sermon encourages a focus on serving the poor and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through individuals to bring about transformation and salvation.

Let there be love, let there be love, O God Almighty, Who wants and is and is to come. Let there be love, O God Almighty, Who reigns forevermore. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! And I come in tongues of joy. And then it was said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us. And we are filled with joy. We're going to share with you later how the joy came about. But that is the sound of someone who has dreamed from a dream. And I want to say to those of you here who dream, that it was probably a dream, probably, that there was love. You probably got it very soon after you came to know me. It's usually very soon after. And it's the thing that's in your heart. It really is like a dream. The one day I've loved you. The one day will I see you. If only it were enough. And we're meant to have that dream. And it is meant to come true. Because the Lord put it there. You see, the man who sang that song was in a dream of going home. It was a song of a sentence. There are lots of them. The songs of a sentence were sung as people were returning home to Zion. And they would walk around the city. And as they got nearer and nearer to Zion, they would sing the song faster and faster and more and more happily. But they were going to be home so soon. And that's why I'm out to the blackbird and the tunnel with Thomas and Joy. Because our dream, mine anyway, came true. Except it was better than the dream. I want to go on now to say that the song finishes like this. Those who sow in tears will reap the songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying his feet to sow will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. When Jesus wept for us, Jesus' heart was broken for us. And this will be the way for those who want to minister in his name. But this is not a hard thing. Because, you see, we will not be weeping of ourselves at all. We will not be crying because we're having a hard time. We will not be seeking ministry because we're going through difficulties. We will be weeping with the heart of Jesus. The letters I most love to receive are letters from people who have just begun to minister to biblical people. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And they will be the ones who carry sheaves. With songs of joy. As Jesus did. The first steps. The first one to rise from the dead. Those sheaves of joy. Never forget, as we sing these songs of joy. If you cry a little, that's what it costs the Lord Jesus. Before we came here, one of our helpers saw those of us who were living. And he's standing with his eyes shut because he doesn't understand my English. By one of the mics now. He's got glasses on. And when she looked at him going out to catch the bus for the airport to come here, she began to cry. But they were tears of joy. Because she said, I remember him. His name is Achela. She said, I remember him. Two years ago. He had nothing. He'd been sleeping in the streets for 20 odd years. He'd been in prison over 30 times. When he came to us, he had no clothes and no teeth. Now he's dressed in righteousness. I don't know when I'll see Jesus. There'll be shouts of joy and tears of joy. I don't know which. I don't know what it will be like to see. I don't know if I'm going to reach him and how he'll want me to speak. I don't know. But that below him is a heart full of grief. And reaching him. And in his mercy, that he allows us to share that same heart. Reaching the world. The rest of you, we haven't finished, but can I sit down for a moment? When I started to share my story, and I was so tragic. And I have been really one of the worst. In 1979. I was considered by Hong Kong government not to be a person. And I cannot say that anymore. But I have been in Hong Kong for 20 years. And I was so angry when I know that I cannot say that anymore. And I have to stay in another place where I don't have any friends and relatives. I was living in darkness. In 1987. Someone shared with me that I need so much. And he told me that Jesus loves me and he can change me in everything. And one of them is the guy from New Zealand. And one is American. And also there are Chinese as well. But I was very sad. A person like me is good. There is somebody who cares. But I can see that they really care for me from their heart. And I feel very strongly for them. And I know that they do not look down on me. Because in all of my life I was very much thankful of God and he cares. And I can see that they really care. I have two friends. And I have known them for over 20 years. And they tell me and they tell me that Jesus can help them. And my two friends, their lives have changed. And so I began to believe about that. And I believe that Jesus, if Jesus can change them, he can also change me. I will stop. In 1987, I met a propagandist. And the love of the brothers and sisters and some foreigners really touched my heart and I really expressed it in words. And when I think about it, I want to cry. And even if people were I have been sad and I have been hit in my life but I have never cried. But the love has melted my heart, which is simple. And after a period of time I began to get healed. And by that time I already knew that Jesus can really save me. And I feel that I have the hope. And in Macau, there are quite a number of drug addicts. And as I have received the healing from the Lord, I would like to And among many of my friends, they have already died. And if it's not because of Jesus, I think I would not be here and I feel my heart is burning. And about one and a half years ago, the Lord used me to give me an opportunity to serve Him. And I have the opportunity to share the gospel in prison. And in the beginning, there are very few who really come to the Lord. But as the Spirit led us, now up to this day we have quite a number of brothers and sisters. And I have experienced that the Lord gave us a number of brothers and sisters people of different backgrounds, different colors, different cultures. And this is not from human love. It's the love of Jesus. And after a certain time, our work continues to smooth out. But the death rate of the drug addicts is very high. And all that I have lost before, He has given me back. And one like me has been living in sin and God can change me. And no man can actually change me but actually Jesus changed me. And through, when my family and my friends see the change in me, they accept me. Today, when you see me standing here sharing your guilt, it's actually a miracle. The old place where I was born, they do not let me in. And I am grateful for my religion. But the New Zealand government has actually granted me the visa to come here. And all that we have we give back to you. Let our lives speak your praises. We sing unto you Let our lives speak your praises. Let us know your way. We are your children We are your bodies We are your lives We are your will To be your sons To be your daughters Let our lives speak your praises We sing unto you Let our lives speak your praises Let us know your way We sing unto you Let our lives speak your praises Let us know your way We sing unto you We are the ones that you have chosen To lead us all on the earth And we stand We stand at your screen To lead us all I have chosen you because I love you I have chosen you because you trust me Yes, you are my wife Yes, you are my church But you are these because I gave my life for you You are these because I shed my blood for you And I did it because I love you Because of your weariness and your heaviness For I have spoken to you of my love and my faithfulness to you Blood is mine as you have my divine heart towards you And as I give myself to you so I want you to give yourself to me And as you give up your heart I take mine So will you see my purposes are attached to you So will you see my splendour amongst you And know that as you are feared and I speak of my love for you And I speak of my faithfulness to you And please have no fear as you walk with me I want you to know my love I want you to know this joy So abide with me So abide with me Me and my church are not friends We have a problem I need this land And everything I've got around my waist is lost I don't need this land No, it's the worst I was sick in the introduction when my brother said some words about me in the book It wasn't cultural He was talking about me as sick I had a great commitment to the Lord and that's not cultural The whole story is about this covenant to me That's the whole story That's the whole story And I hope that that can be of encouragement to you I have to tell you this that the longer I minister in the name of the Lord Jesus the less I feel worthy and the less I feel able and the less I feel equipped and the more I live by faith We should not be angry We are the stage of a conference I feel it's a bit much for you because the work the work today is for you who are pure of spirit and who feel free For those who are ready to conquer the world I guess you can join another seminar I want to talk about God's heart to the poor I know that you have been talking and listening and it's some kind of training about how to reach people in these areas and about how to reach people on the islands nearby and about how to reach the world and I want to talk to you about God's violence it's my violence and you will realise by the end of this evening that I am extremely prejudiced about who I think God wants us to minister to but I think it's God's prejudice and I hope that by the end you may understand why I believe it's God's violence In Galatians there's a chapter where the church Friends Peter and Tom had been discussing and praying with Paul and Barnabas what their work in the church should be what ministry they should separate themselves to which one should be which bit and possibly this may be one of the things that he asked the Lord to show me where should I be in what kind of work should I be doing what is my place in God's working of your path how can I bring the kingdom of God but here was one word that was given to Paul and Barnabas when they were separated to what you could call a specialised work which is the Gentiles this was given by in verse 10 of chapter 2 Galatians all that he asked was that we should continue to remember the poor was everything I was eager to do and I have to say to everyone here that no matter what your ministry will be and to whichever people whether you be involved with the secretary or with your man or somebody who writes letters somebody who goes out to the street somebody who learns another language whatever ministry to the poor is for every man and it's not optional this is I believe the basic minimum requirement for all Christians and I hope to show today and tomorrow from Scripture why even to the extent that I wonder if we are not involved with ministry to the poor if we ever know Jesus I believe it's as simple as that it's a natural or supernatural program from being touched by his heart I don't think it's possible I really don't think it's possible to have been touched by his heart and not to reach out to the poor because why and should we want to reach this part of this city should we want to reach this city should we want to reach New Zealand and the islands beyond and the people beyond and the people beyond there the quickest way to reach I don't know what other ways we should be learning in the last few days but I want to tell you the quickest way to reach the world easily the quickest way easily the quickest way if you want to get a job done quick is to enter the poor even if you can't be specialised ministry to business or housewife or whatever you can have that but if you want to reach the world the quickest way and impress the most number of people with a heart of Jesus able to walk then aware we have to push this path but one quickest way one quickest way verse 26 brothers brothers think of what you were when you were called not many of you were wise by human standards not many were influential not many were of noble birth but God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise this is the norm not the exception this is the norm God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong He chose the lonely things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not denied by the things that are so that no one may gossip it is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus who has become for us wisdom from God that is our righteousness holiness and redemption that for us it is written let Him be gracious most in the Lord so here it says not many wise, not many influential and not many of noble birth I believe that we have Princess Conrad here and you may already know that there was another member of our family from the Netherlands I believe who knew the Lord and read this verse and used to say I thank God for the heaven but it doesn't say not any wise by human standards not any influential not any of noble birth Princess not many so she said I thank God for the heaven a few a few wise a few influential a few of noble birth but not many so she said I thank God for the heaven a few a few wise a few influential a few of noble birth but not many it has changed because most of us in our efforts of evangelism we start somewhere else I don't know why I've been to many many missionary conferences in the last few years and they're nearly all of them I hope this one is an exception but they're nearly all directed at students they're nearly all directed at people looking to reach they're nearly all directed at people whom they believe will be influential and I believe there are scriptural in spelling there and I'm glad to love those people but they are looking in a minority and the Kingdom of God is not going to be bought about by their influence of evangelism of education it wasn't qualified even to be a church at those times people kept asking me by what authority it's a family thing from God the Father I've got some friends in in England they're lovely friends, I love them dearly and they've always done evangelism they've always always I love the people they've sent everything such a kind of man he's so wise wonderful couldn't bother using so they they've got such a plan in mind this is a top band they're aiming at the top band this is great this is great God doesn't need those men to bring about the Kingdom of God and if we look at the history of revival in any country we are going to find that revival comes about when God does wonderful things among the weak, the poor the underage those who have nothing to recommend them of the Lord Jesus that's why we see that's happening as well because people look at what the Lord Jesus does in us who are poor and weak and have not built a family and poor education and they say that has to be Jesus it could be no other way how are people to get here today you know people even come to Hong Kong when you've got your visa from New Zealand and there's no way to get to New Zealand from Hong Kong so he had to be escorted he had to get off the boat in Hong Kong and the customs officers had to march him to the airport and stay with him the whole time before he got on the train there's no way in man's wisdom or with man's influence that God shows the despised and the foolish so that everyone could see him as Jesus and that which is impossible in itself what do you think those customs officers said they said when they stopped him and when they saw our people who are so happy with the customs officers they said oh we trust you lot we know your customs the gospel is rich that's what people want in Hong Kong there's nothing else to recommend to me as a man of the land now do you need to see how it works it's you see it's very unfair I always think of the future is unfair you see because the amount of things it does when you've done your little bit which is a very very small bit God goes on doing the next bit because our people always hate us and his values changed and people just look at him and they believe customs officers look at him and they hear about Jesus you see him and you rejoice so many times over preach the gospel to the poor God has chosen the foolishness of the world to shame the wise God has chosen the weakness of the world to shame the strong I'm speaking about this from Angus first of all I think there are many of us who feel very useless and possibly with the talent of this great commission we feel adorned already you know I used to like to buy bags of chocolates after a missionary convention and go all fired up during the evening and then come home again you're feeling weak you're not quite up to it you're not quite as strong in your bedroom this is when you're chosen you see and the reason you're chosen is because you know what you have to know there's no way to do your job without it you know if you fell back to it you couldn't choose to if you feel quite unequal to the task you ought to have to believe that his strength and his wisdom and his anointing will do the work then you see the better glory and you'll start counting against your work and what you're working in will be just what he chooses to do lets you be in it's always that way around he knows it and you get to be in it that's it that's it I remember when my first around about 6 years I suppose in Hong Kong I used to visit friends in prison and they were all friends I didn't just visit prisoners I visited men I knew and there was a prison governor who used to say about me he said about me and to me of course the problem of Japanese was they were losers and I didn't see that was true because for the first few years I didn't see anyone come to Jesus and the people I visited when they were in prison they didn't change and they came out and made lovely promises and they went back and they went in they went back and they went in I used to have a talent for keeping their syllabus well they are the ones who are supposed to be in it and to take the fun in preaching the gospel to the poor now this one this way of preaching the gospel is going to be a little slower than any other ministry but it is not so for all of you who want to quickly go to church and get 5000 in two years this is not for you it may be alright that God wants you to do that job but this is not for you ministry to the poor is going to cost you life and your life and ministry to the poor is worth doing and it's worth it's worth ministering to one man with the love of Jesus whether he believes or not because you see I'm not going to minister so that you can say I got 5 million converts you go to minister because the heart of Jesus is to die for one man whether he believes or not of course Jesus died so that we should believe so that we could come into his kingdom and be forgiven and be healed and be set free but he didn't wait until he said yes Lord before he died he didn't wait until he got a son fetched from he didn't wait until he said I will repent Lord and die anyway he won't have anyway whether one of us here would have believed or not he died anyway that was his heart so if you want to do quick work this ministry is not for you but I still think it's optional this one is going to cost you life just like Jesus one that's all he wanted to save the whole world he died for the whole world but he died for each one and ministry to the poor is going to be one on one on one on one on one another they are not fool those people they can always tell remember when I used to teach in a school in my town for a while and there are a lot of people didn't like the Christian union and she used to say we are just after your soul I have to say I rather agree with her you know if they could somehow under some pretext get you into a meeting you know once they got you they get their minds at you it would be very hard for you to get out you would be asked to make a response she thought we were just after her soul you know she didn't feel like that and after all the only solution was one it's not making decisions for Christ it's sharing the heart of Jesus so that people will respond you don't have to make people respond you don't have to make a continuity I think they will touch into our hearts and we will hate it it's natural we have people running after us do you know that? we don't have to go out and bash people with the gospel we don't have to ask them to meetings in fact I'm increasingly believing that meetings in the wrong place bring people to the Lord you know it's very helpful to start our meetings they don't make the words most of them they don't speak our language they don't understand where we sit down they don't understand our Christian needs they don't understand what's going on we make them go through that so they can know Jesus I think the place for people to know Jesus is when you meet them with the gospel in their heart and you'll understand that and you won't need to pressure them you will respond with the gospel in their heart with yours so I think that this ministry to the poor first of all it comes to us knowing that we are poor unable to do the work to save the world certainly even as a small place we still have a lot of work that's going to be placed next how are we going to do it by the end of the year? I don't know so this is an encouragement if you feel weak if you feel not much good I feel your breath is too little and the second reason that I've chosen this is so that we start and I have to admit at first start on the street with the poor and the reason it's going to take longer than any other ministry it's going to be so ridiculous it's going to be so with your life it's going to be so with your death but that will make such precious foundations that it will last long long after the overnight churches have come in long after this decade's induction has come and gone those people were disbanded because they were reached by someone who understood what they felt like who were there on their time who shared the rest for when they were hungry who visited them when they were in prison who visited them when they were possible who took the shirts off their back and gave it to them that kind of gospel preaching it takes a long time a long, long, long time but the results that come from it are out of all proportion to the effort that was expended out of all proportion is it completely unfair this ministry completely unfair you may spend your life ministering to one man and you may never see him in front of the Lord but the fact that you have done that will touch millions and the world is watching be sure they are watching be sure they are watching and I dare to say that millions will come to the Lord because he wasted your life and ran for that God has chosen the lowly things of the world to nullify the things that are God has chosen the despised things to nullify the things that are two months ago we were I was in a different team and we were in Hualhua at a team called Move Out when it was sort of like this except a little bit younger and the Chinese ambassador was invited to one evening and I don't know if he had any idea what he was being invited to but he very preciously came and our brothers shared without doing any punches and we sang in Mandarin and he joined in we sang worship songs and the Holy Spirit was there I know that man felt the presence of the Lord do you know what they do across the drive in China sheeping and here were three men who certainly would not have been welcome in China singing praises to the Lord and preaching the gospel to the ambassador God has chosen the despised things to nullify the things that are and God has chosen the things that are not to nullify the things that are we have I don't want to listen to the whole story of how God has worked in our lives in Hong Kong but it's always been both on one hand God has surprised me and on the other hand I'm not surprised at all I always have expected him to be miraculous I've always expected him to be wonderful but I am also constantly surprised but what happened was that after quite a long time I think for me it was probably about four years and people used to say to me why are you still here? because nobody got saved nobody was changed I was spending my life with this group of tribe members it's a kind of mafia secret society in a place called the wall city which is just a big awful ghetto it's an out it was developed power electrically water was about 60,000 people in about 5 acres and it was very hard for me to imagine that here because we've got peels and sheep oil on the face you know the children have to play on concrete roofs there isn't grass to play on I think there's a couple of grass football pitches only but they're reserved for other people so the children have to play on concrete roofs anyway one day a young man came to me and he thought that I was crying I mentioned to him that I was crying I had a meeting and yet one more time no one had come to it I was always having meetings by myself anyway I was thinking to myself well, I don't have to stay here I can go somewhere else I can walk the road and he saw me crying and he said hey little owl why don't you leave this is a smart girl because I I'm obstinate too and you know he said why don't you leave I went and he said oh you've been here for years and you've given us rice and we always say thank you and you find us places to live and we mop them up and you register us at school so we don't go and you introduce us to jobs and we lose them we cheat you of money it's true isn't it we've both been involved in ministries before we've both been cheated yes or no you get awfully disappointed in people that say oh what I'm not going to be cheated let's start ministry it's stupid would you start praying for sick people because the first time you prayed for them that healed stupid you never know when you're going to get cheated this is the start of it or are you going to get cheated you think Jesus didn't help in the beginning when he was going to pray and yet he extended the same opportunity of salvation to that one you will get cheated you will get cheated it's alright alright so he said we cheat you of money we use you we walk all over you and he said why don't you go and find a nice bunch of students because they make nice costumes and it's true I can see they did I can see how you make them nice costumes too you know it's quite easy to buy packages for students you know conversion packages for the little verses you know next week's follow up material next week's follow up material I'm not saying that these aren't helpful they're only helpful to students they actually don't work on other people especially people who can't read and I have to tell you people that if you're even half interested in reaching the world a rather large proportion of the world you cannot read so you have to find other ways than literature or even sharing the Bible with them I know that sounds theoretical you also have to translate the word in a different way they can't read the page you also have to learn it so that it stays in your head and they remember how they were touched by the many words of Jesus so he said find a nice part for students because they'll make nice costumes and I said no I'm coming because Jesus has sent me and anyway I'm going to stay because he loved me like that and I told him what I just told you he didn't wait until I said sorry before you die, he loved me anyway and he loves you and all the things you've ever done and he said nobody would love us like that because we cheat and we steal they actually used to have parties which they invited girls to young girls of 13 or 14 some of the parties were also in connection with the police and then they would seduce the girls and sell them because then they were theirs into prostitution and they didn't think this was very bad they just thought it was their right it's quite a good way for a young man to make money he said nobody would love us like that nobody would die for us and I said I know it's very unfair but that's how Jesus loved me and that's why I'm here and he loves me like that and it's just as if all the wrong things you've ever done it's just like a dirty clothes he he's never done anything wrong he was God he really was God and he never did anything wrong at all he just healed people and made them whole and full but they put him on a couch and it's as if he gave you these clean clothes and put your dirty clothes upon him and his young man was shattered and he sat there in his dreams and he began to pray and he began to weep and he said Jesus I don't understand why you would do such a thing for me and that's how he came to know Jesus and from that time onwards he learned that if you pray for the people who are sick at that time, not later to receive the power of the Holy Spirit after all it's God who's getting away from all of us so we may as well make it inevitable to heal as soon as possible and when Peter the woman had it he walked and he danced every time and so he was baptized in the Spirit and that began one to one to one to one to one to one to one one brother told another brother told another brother told another brother and so this was out of my control now one telling another about Jesus and they're running behind me and that's how we began our homes we found out by accident that people could come off drugs came to see and he what he's talking about is that he's got this young man that I've been following around the duck heads for three or four months and I used to meet him at all hours of the day or night and he didn't want Jesus at all but God used to tell him where he was this is a complex of knowledge and not very dramatic you know, why do we always think we're supposed to be used in love okay we're not, we need to be used we're supposed to be able to get words of knowledge from the prayers I've been listening to all day not just in church we need to understand what they're for, right they're not for showing off they're for music so that people understand Jesus so, God didn't say he's on his deathbed or he's on that roof because he didn't speak in one particular place and he got this sort of hunt of York when he saw me coming in he said how do you know I'm here actually approaching you how are you and you know one day he said to me God are you talking to me and I was quite angry with him and I said well you mustn't laugh about God's things you know and he said no no you have, in that book he gave me I have made an escape from the book you could read and I'd actually put in the front of it to do it one day my friend I prayed one day it would be my brother and he looked at us and he said brother, I mean they know all about brothers anyway he kept the book but he got caught on it one day, I'm escaped it was so much heroin that I've given him run baby run and the crossing of the switched lake too and he read a page of run baby run a page of the Bible a page of the crossing of the switched lake and he actually got caught this went on for about 12 hours and he said I've been reading in this book and he said God says he gives special grace to people like me and I said what do you mean he said he gives special grace to people like me and he said yes it says that if you sin the most you get forgiven the most and I felt quite jealous anyway that was one of those times when it makes a beautiful film set he sits down in his squatter half of a cockroach is on the ground he laughs on to his tears and he kneels on the floor and invites you to his life and later on a whisper comes and bloody things anyway, he said we were going to come into one of our houses to come across my friend's house and we ran up to the doctor we'd never done this before we'd seen two people come off miraculously but we'd never consciously gone through it so the doctor said I'll give you methadone and we said well, we don't think so we think that the Lord can heal them without methadone after all it's only a substitute medication so let's move it back around I think the doctor is very nervous anyway this young man insisted that we bought a spittoon you know what a spittoon is something to spit into and because he was sure he was going to vomit because all our people have been in prison many times and they go cold turkey in prison that's very very painful and some of them killed themselves going through that experience it will be on heroin for a long long time they won't take anything else and so he was sure he was going to vomit and he sat in bed and I sat beside him in a mattress for 2 days and 2 nights and he had the most wonderful time every time he woke up he would pray in tongues and then he would ask for a cheese sandwich and it was 10 each time he said cheese and then he would pray a little bit more and then go to sleep and after 3 days and 2 nights he was wonderful and I looked awful and I was in waiting for the worst to come and it never came and he was set free and the result of that was that all his relations said oh well if God can change for me he can change anyone and we are just living in our house too and so they began to queue up now this is what I mean by unfairness of preaching the gospel to the poor it it will cause bitter tears and will be a life of bitter nights no more love nights I used to go to sleep with my underwear on and most of my clothes and the fun I had in the holidays was when I had a dress because I just got so used to being woken up at night by policemen or by addicts at the doorstep or by having to get up and do my current night duty that I stopped my dressing because it was easier to be on call all the time young you may have to give up in the coming months they do that they come in and they came in and they came in and they came in and then we needed to rent another place and more people came and more people came and then we needed to rent another place and there were four people playing, and then we needed to rent another space. And there was this young man called Sumi, and Sumi wasn't a person. I mean, he wasn't a person. Every time he got out to play football, he threw a head punch. Now, any of you here who have been ministering street kids or addicts know exactly what I mean by a head punch. You spend your entire life Oh, you're all here. We've always forgot this one. Because he wasn't a person. He had no personality at all. His father was a younger, and he'd been brought up in a hut with his sister, and he said that he used to watch his father. He used to watch the horizon. And if his father, you know, when the Chinese go to market, they put their groceries, their vegetables, on a string, which they put over their finger, carried them on a string, and they would reply. And he said that if they could see his father with something on his finger from a distance, they knew he wasn't family. And if there was nothing on his finger, they knew he'd lost. And he would give them more to school. And he decided to leave home when he was about eight. He started to starve his fingers under a bridge. And very soon afterwards, he joined a gang. Of course, he needed to, to be protected on the streets. And they began to take heroin, because the big ones don't deserve it. It was exciting. Later on, he came to our house and came to know Jesus. But he still wasn't like a person. He was always the one who provided. But he said, it's not fine. Because one of the things that we've learned that's very helpful for ourselves, and very helpful for those who live with us, is to pray in the Spirit. And especially the ones that talk a lot. And so we, we pray in a minimum of harmony, because we're by ourselves in the Lord. And pray in tongues. And he would do this. He would do this in fact much more than half an hour. And so he grew into the most beautiful God for us. Still the natural beauty. But we're brought up by Jesus like that, and we're not. No natural beauty that we should desire. No natural beauty. And he became so important at that time. He was the one that helped to raise the good voice. He was the one that would do too much activity in the room, and get up the next day and serve everyone else. Because the Lord touched his heart. He was someone who was not. And he became someone who is in Christ Jesus. James 2.5 says, Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit his kingdom? Has not God chosen the poor? Just in case you think that I'm still biased, I want you to think of one country in the world now where people are coming to Jesus Christ at a quicker rate than any country in any time in history ever. And that is China. Without big mass meetings, without videos, without different colleagues, without many minds, we know of villages and churches where a hundred or two hundred or three hundred are still sharing one Bible. No one is being biblically schooled. Somebody who has known Jesus for three months may be the next evangelist. And the evangelist's job is to walk to the next village. And tell them all he knows of Jesus. And he may only have ever worn poor dresses. He's certainly never been to anything like this. Oh, don't you think heaven would be such fun for them? Oh, I'm so looking forward to it for them. You know, it's like the man I met in prison. I'll call it one sort of death row. He'll never come out. The ones who come to know Jesus in a silent. They've never been in a meeting with more than three people. They've never had the fun like you here. You've got a taste of heaven on earth. You'll be singing with the saints now. And to catch some of the strains of the songs of the angels and singing. We have a taste of heaven. Oh, what fun heaven will be for those people who only ever have met in force or violence. And some who can't sing loudly because their neighbors have hoped to get a call on the Christians. But look, look and see what a rich country China is. For they are rich in faith. They are poor in the things of which we can't be accused. But they are rich in faith. They have been chosen to inherit the kingdom of heaven on earth. Here are some statements from the Zen too. Which probably some of you would know. There was a meeting which was held last July in the Philippines. And as we follow up to another meeting held some years earlier in Lausanne. Which many, many missionary organizations and churches and nations and evangelists have joined together to pray and to seek the Lord as to how we might together reach the world. I mean the targeted nations in the year 2000. I can't help feeling that all of them are in their own world still. Here are the figures. The world population will surpass 6 billion by the year 2000. More than 2 billion people are still unreached to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Okay, once we've got any more statistics, I am going to get a box of chocolates. I don't understand these big things, you know. I read these big numbers and I, you know, barely just want to watch a movie. Over 1.5 billion people, well this might touch a little bit more. Over 1.5 billion people, one third of the human race are destitute, lacking the basic necessities for surviving. I have heard of the human race, I can't believe that's not true, but they are a reputable bunch. I think they did their homework okay. One third involved, lack the basic necessities for survival. One third. I was talking about ministries before in a certain country once, well twice actually. And the ministers very frankly came up to me afterwards and said, gentlemen could you please not go on the list. This is not the right time for our people to be on the list. Because they, you know, they are not really rich there and they are all doing their best. You know, they keep watching television, their brothers and their families, you know, here in this country, that country. Do you want to lay a good chip on us in this economy? I can't lay a good chip on anyone. I only want to show you what's scripture. What you do about it is your business. And it's certainly my business. What I do, when I read scripture, that is my business. And if my heart isn't clear before the Lord about what I'm doing, with my time and my resources and my money, with everything I've got, I have no right to speak to you. But one third of the world lacks the basic necessities of survival. And the large part of the church seems to be involved in praying for better cause. It seems that you may even specify the curse. It seems that you may claim what you've decided to eat. I don't mind if you claim what God has designed for your future, that you may do the work of the kingdom. I don't understand claiming what I think I'll eat. I'm awfully afraid I might take it. I don't know what you want, but God will give you a giveaway that the world knows you love Jesus. And they are watching Christians. They are watching Christians. And they'll watch you watch. And if you're aware for sure that you came to a conference and this cunt is going to be watching you, Oh, you know that whole family went off to a Christian camp. And you know how they treat their children? Oh, that whole family went off to a Christian camp. Have you seen that great cause? Oh, Christians. The world has some kind of understanding about how Christian world's doing. I'm sorry about this, but they do. And do you know what the world is waiting for? They're waiting for Christians to increase the poor, open their homes to the homeless, take the clothes off their back for those who have none. Why do you think that one of the most respected people in the world today is Margarita? It's because she lifts the gospel. And whatever you think of her doctrine, she lifts the gospel. And through the way she lives her life and ministers to those dying people on the streets, the harlot users, millions more in every other country in the world are reaching for the gospel of Christ. You see. This is ministry to the poor. You see. The reason I say it's the quickest way to reach the world is that if you minister to the poor man, everyone else gets ministered to as well. That's how it works, see? Because the others are waiting to see how the Christians behave. And when you see the Christians behaving like Jesus did, for it's the Son of God, and that the lights of the sun, and let's raise them up, and gave up his faith in his Father, and humbled himself and became a servant. When they see us behaving like Jesus Christ did, they believe. They always did want to. They did. There are millions of people hoping it is true. And they will believe if we start behaving like Jesus. The poor of the world are still waiting to go down to Satan's. The poor of the world are a major concern. The vast majority of the people like to be evangelized of the poor. I was sharing about this in a certain place, and saying, well, it's fine that we've got these love to read programs for the un-evangelized patients, so that they're all going to be able to read the notes we've prepared for them to understand about Jesus, so they can grow up. Okay, that's great. But in the meantime, what about the parents? Now, I'm not so sure about this country, but I guess it may be true that there are quite a lot of parents in the country. Is that true? No? Not all the parents in Greece. I rather thought that was true. You never know that. Well, one person knows one granny at least. And if, a rather large proportion of the world, and it is rather a large proportion of the world, there are heaps of grannies who never get enough to read. There isn't time before they die. We're going to have to find another way to reach them. Well, I posed this question at this particular place, and I was terribly disappointed afterwards. And obviously, I haven't said it very well, because this young man came up to me afterwards, and he said, well, he said, I've heard what you've said about all people who can't read. And he said, I want to tell you that a group of us have been praying for ten years, and we've got a wonderful computer program for teaching people how to read. And, I said, well, that's most interesting. I suppose you're going to have to meet together people who can't read together somewhere, and put them into a room with computers. Right. Right. You're going to need to buy computers, of course. Right. Okay. Is it in English, this program? Yes, so far, it's taken us ten years to work out the English program. But, he says, it won't be too difficult. You can teach them to speak English first. So that they can learn the computer program, so that they can get educated, so that they can read the Bible, so that they can grow up into knowledge. He was serious. I'm sure you can understand me. And he was serious. God bless him. Now, anybody who's prayed for any project in ten years can be impressed. God bless him. But we have to find other ways to reach the core, the ground we can't reach. Who won't understand this month's Bible Lessons and follow along? And it's very simple. You'll reach there by being Jesus. You want to reach the core? You want to reach the ground you can't reach right away, isn't it? You'll always be sick. Pray for it. And you know what happens when they get back to beggar? They put their poor little hands in a very poor place. And they live in bed spaces. They really love bed spaces. That means they have a bed. And then there's a bunk bed all the time. All the belongings under the bed. There's nowhere to cook. There's no toilet. Just all these grannies crammed together because they've got no sons or grandchildren. And if you had no sons, they'd go off. So all these grannies living in these bed spaces. And we got to start visiting the grannies when we were very, very young. And pray for the grannies when they've got bad wrists. They didn't make any Christians first. But they believed in Jesus as they were healed. And then the next time they'd run along and they'd run. They'd say, why has this girl got the heels? When you pray for this one, she's got bad knees. They'd queue up. They'd queue up. Because Jesus has touched them where they hurt. This is a fine way to preach the gospel. And it's a way for the poor to understand that Jesus touches them where they hurt. I just want to read you what I said before. Chapter 16. Any of you think you know what Scotland did wrong to get destroyed? It's a nice blue city. Yeah. But you don't have to stumble towards Scotland. And know that it was a city that was destroyed. And you will need to know why Scotland was destroyed. In Ezekiel chapter 16, verse 49. Now this was the sin of the church of Scotland. She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and out of concern. They did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things to men. Therefore I give away to them as you can see. I just found that once the other day. I was shocked. I thought that Scotland was so violent. But yes, it's that she was destroyed because she was arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned. And did not help the poor and needy. Pride. And here is the opposite. Scotland is very good. But here is the king who was commended by the Lord. In Jeremiah 22, it says he defended the poor and needy. And so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me? Is that similar? Or a commendation? Or a king? He defended the poor and needy. And so all went well. Scotland and the poor. Because what happens as we preach to the poor or I should say correctly, preach with the poor because I must say this I must say this is that the others get preached to. Before verse 18 you all know these verses very well. I'm sure in New Zealand this has to be the most quoted one. This has to be one that you've heard on TV back from the great service or whatever or whatever Jesus came after having black magic and water and a spirit comes upon me and goes into the synagogue and he lifts up the cover like that and says, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to plot 500 churches in 10 years in every major city in the world. 200 20 television stations that we can read in the gospel the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach to these poor people. It's where he studied. It is where he studied to be not so poor. And he lifted a bunch of pictures for circus and that has to be comforting right? They have to be comforting what a bunch of losers and we can't watch it till the end at all still fighting for who's going to be class 3 I've got the chairs on the platform my wife can't get in. So we love them anyway. Another reason why I believe that the quickest way to reach the world is to the poor is this I hope you don't have to answer by your 10's now. Do you? Another reason why I believe it's the quickest way to reach the world is that the poor are not the gospel they don't need training Now you I guess that's why you come to this camp to get some training in preaching the gospel whatever they do it naturally There's an old song you won't look at it now but it's one which has gotten an awful lot of European questions when you read the song you think how could God allow that how could God decide for people in India how could he allow those slave owners how could he allow how could people that you have in your streets down here and I've seen it, you've seen it I've seen the people in your streets that's poor I've seen the people that come out of your house at night that's poor I've seen the people down in Christchurch I've seen the people in Australia in King's Cross I've seen the people that come from the islands here and don't know where their home is and don't know who their people are and get put in one bit of a city somewhere why is there a lot why are there some of us here who think we're motivated by God some of us even have parents who brought us up and gave us to us we are today there are millions of people in this country who don't know that some of them were ashamed of their parents and nobody comes back at night and nobody seeks them and nobody wants them what is it that some people are like us and some people are like us I want to tell you the answers in Psalm 102 God has allowed the difficulties and the poverty so that those people may call upon Him so that they may be saved so that the world will recognize Jesus that's how it goes and the so called rich will come to Jesus when they see the so called poor being touched and touched that's what Psalm 102 says it says let this be written for future generations that if people not yet created may praise the Lord the Lord looks down from His sanctuary on high from heaven to the earth to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death so the name of the Lord will be declared in Psalm and His praise in Jerusalem let this be written for future generations that if people not yet created may praise the Lord this is what happened in Hong Kong in our own lives we saw people hurtfully ill treated we saw people who had no poverty ever and this kind of conflict could never take place in Hong Kong without a miracle because there will never be this number of people who get this number of days off at the same time you are rich in time yeah you have days off and you have holidays and you have grass to lie on all I ever saw was people crowded queuing up to sleep because they couldn't lie down at the same time mothers working two jobs a day in order to feed their families and to pay their rent why why would God allow that why would He allow hell and death full of people hurting and crying at night why is it so unfair one country to another one race to another oh good answer because because He chose them you know our father's faith and He knew it with all their heart when they were taught this we are the best ones because we knew our poverty the rich ones don't know how poor they are they don't know how they need the Lord and we thank God that we could be unheralded for 30 years and there was nowhere else to turn but the Lord and you know the first thing they say when they come into our room to meet Jesus usually not more than 5 minutes before they meet Him they say I've been chosen and we haven't taught them that I don't know how they get it and they start to pray and say thank you God for choosing me and then they go out and find a friend outside and they say you've been chosen too extraordinary glory everyone who comes is chosen that's what they say extraordinary and through their testimonies the testimonies of guys who've suffered and had such an unfair and oppressed life many more have become Christians that's what this verse says let this be written for a future generation that if people not yet created their faith then they will know it when they see what God has done for them and there are people living now who've come to believe in Jesus Christ who were not alive when our fathers were suffering and crying in the night and their mothers were weeping and their fathers were beating them there are people who've become Christians who know Jesus because of the testimony of our brothers so unfair I didn't preach to those people I just preached to the poor and the others came in as a result and the rich this is the point if you think I'm biased you see the rich when you see the poor who've come to know Jesus they're jealous we have many many rich people in our fellowship we don't live in the middle people by the way we have the bottom the reds and the tops and the rich people the barristers and the bankers all of you didn't hear that they've seen what God has done in our sinful lives and they've said that's not what I want your lives are rich and I'm poor you see how it goes you preach to the poor that's why God's voice above the others is more important oh daddy we cry to you let the life be a sacrifice pleasing unto you let our names be your praises let us know your will we are we are we are the ones that you have chosen to be a song on the earth we stand we stand we have a dream all we receive all we receive has come from you all that we have we give back to you let our life be a sacrifice pleasing unto you let our names be your praises let us know your will we are your church we are your church we are your body we are your the life we are the ones that you have chosen to be a song on the earth we stand we stand we have a dream to measure up to give you more to pray for you to feel that you have failed Jesus in your love for him and if you find it quite easy to tell other people how beloved they are it's so hard to believe it for yourself you can't tell many people about the blood for them you have to believe for yourself not because of you or uselessness especially when you look at other people you find similar or rich ones who have got clear ministries and you know you have to let you know the way is good you have to pray for other people you have to pray for all of the people that will ask you to do this it never lets you break down you have to stay where you are you have to just gently hold your hands and you don't have to make them up high you know like this this this is receiving we invite the Holy Spirit to come to touch all of us we are weak there are some here who don't feel beautiful there are some of you who have got physical defects there are some of you who are not clever you think later you think at school and at church and especially there are some here every time you go to the fellowship or church you feel upset you don't feel quite right about it you know that's you you just hold on to your hands you don't want to ask the Spirit to touch you because you are the prisoner you will inherit the kingdom of God you will walk forward in spirit you are fleshly person and that is good for you don't steal don't steal don't emasculate touch the potentiality touch the calling spirit touch those who can speak especially the ones who can't use this you know they have to swear about it touch the ones who are afraid touch and just quietly wait for the Spirit of the Lord to come to you just to touch you just touch those of you who are already have some experience here and if there is a direct connection to you now just have a little look around you feel the Holy Spirit touching you