I remember precisely the day we met, and I think even the time of day. It's a funny thing when you have momentous events. you have a tendency to remember things. September the 24th, 2011, a pastor stood up. One person stood up. And I was thinking as we were having coffee and donuts in the back meeting room area, we'll call it cafeteria, whatever. That table, I believe, was precisely the table that we sat up at. The personhood Personhood National was looking for a local pastor or a church where we could meet and organize. And I get a call one day from Keith Ashby, and he said, We found this pastor in the Sam Springs area, and it was Pastor Haley. And that's the time we met, and we've developed a very close friendship ever since. And God brings people together, for sure. Well, I tell you, Ruth and I have been—we met here in Tulsa and been married almost 53 years. Brother, I'm still a little bit behind you, but we're working at it. It's been a wonderful time. I had a career with Sun Oil Company. We made a few moves, and we've been back here since 1980. The house we're in is like 37 years old now. I mean, that's getting up there. But we used to move where the trees never got big or they're planted and everything else because we would move to another job or something like that. They used to have careers, young people. where you'd work with a company for 30 or 40 years. Now, I had a lot of different jobs, but I was with the same company, and you don't see that much anymore. Long term, I think, one of my kids told me, well, Dad, that's about five years, you know, so things have changed. Ruth and I have been involved in pro-life for much of that time, but the one thing that before I found out that Rusty was going to be able to be with us today, I was going to talk about the power of one, of one person, because I think so much of the time, and particularly In things that are really a challenge, like trying to save the life of a little unborn child, we think, well, I'm only one person. What can I do? What do I amount to? I just want to give you two or three things in my life where one person has made the difference. And I would encourage you, when you're on your own this afternoon, what have you, just say, Lord, remind me, let me go back, remind me of how people have blessed me. See, each of us, we're very important. to one person, another, another, what have you. And you know what? We can be an influence on a lot of people if we're willing to do that. God uses people, see? Jesus died, but his followers of Christ said it's our job to be that one person to help others. Well, I was saved at the age of five years old. in August of 1946. That would tell you I was probably born around 1941, and that's true. I'm pretty good at math, you know. But the one thing when I was thinking about that, and I thought, who includes me? Well, a bunch of people did, in all fairness, certainly my mom and dad. Brother, I thank a Sunday school teacher, and that type of thing. But Brother Robert, I thought of my pastor. His name was, back in, you know, you're always, I don't know the man's first name to this day, his brother, okay? Brother Simpson was my pastor. And he used to have us on Sunday nights for training union, we'd come in, he said, kids come in early. So we'd come in at 6.15 rather than 6.30 and sit right down here. And he'd teach us biblical principles. And that was so meaningful in my life, and I think he had more influence than anybody else, that one person, Reverend Simpson. One other thing. It's a funny thing. Now, I can go back that far. They say as you get older, you can remember distant things, you can't remember the current things, you know? Well, there may be some truth in that. The invitation song the evening that I was saved was the old hymnal, Almost Persuaded. You've got a feeling some of you have heard of that song. It's probably in your hymnal. I was thinking one day, and God, it's like he took me back. And he said, think of the one person that obeyed me all the way. Well, that first one person was the Apostle Paul when he spoke to Agrippa. He witnessed to him. King Agrippa, who could have taken his head off. You know, I mean, they weren't real friendly people. And he called him out, and he talked to him about Christ. And remember, and I believe it's the 28th verse of the 26th chapter of Acts, where he talks about, Paul, you know, you've almost persuaded me to become a Christian. 1871, there was a pastor, Reverend Brundage, who gave a sermon based on that scripture. and said, almost, almost, almost, but lost. Reverend Brundage, one person in that audience that day was a man by the name of, a songwriter by the name of Philip Bliss. And he penned that song, Almost Persuaded. Well, this little boy of five heard that song, see? Well, there are other things, of course. Of course there are other things. But see, the Apostle Paul, Reverend Brundage, Philip Bliss, and then that sermon that night culminated with the singing of Almost Persuaded. And I'm just going to give you just a couple of words of it. Almost persuaded now to believe, almost persuaded Christ to receive. And then it goes on in the last verse. And they used to sing the songs a few times. I can tell you, if the sinners didn't come, let's hit them again. And I probably needed them. And brother, I was sitting back on the fourth row. It's a funny thing. The fourth row, one, two, three, is where I'm sitting today, actually. And it convicted my heart. I came right down here, see, because it said almost persuaded. Harvest has passed. We had just finished the crops at five years of age. I remember that. I was born and raised on a farm. Harvest has passed. Almost persuaded. Doom comes at last. Almost cannot avail. Almost is but to fail. Sad, sad, that bitter well. Almost, see, almost, but lost. So I got down here and settled things with my Lord and Savior. And let me tell you, He is closer today, this morning, than ever in my life. I serve a risen Savior. And guys, do not become discouraged because you're just one person. Study the scripture, and I know most of you probably are. God used one person most of the time. It's a funny thing, if you want to get something done, don't form a committee. Get somebody that'll do something, you know? I'm not against committees now, but I think you get the gist of it, because it's kind of like, well, let somebody else do it. Let the pastor do that, you know, and a little hallelujah there or something, and you kind of go on down the road. But those are, That's kind of what you were going to be hit with this morning. So I just wanted to hit you with a couple of those things. And I tell you, I do want to mention one other thing. And that's to introduce Rusty. In 1991, and about eight years before that, I'd prayed a prayer that God knew my heart. You know, the scripture says that God looks on our heart. And I said, God, Let me, I need my heart to be tenderized. You know, I wanted to, sir, I've been serving him a long time, but I wanted to be tenderized. And I said, would you just let me see people through your eyes? That can be a dangerous prayer, brother. He answered that prayer, and I've been emotional ever since, I gotta tell you. Really? When you can see things through his eyes, suddenly you're not nearly as negative toward people and everything else. You say, they're hurting people. And after that prayer, I used to fly a lot and all. I'd get on an airplane and there'd be a flight attendant, just everything going good. And it's like he'd break my heart, but they have those needs, you know? So I'm praying for them. And that's the kind of relationship that God will give you if you'll ask for it. Well, I met Rusty Thomas, and at that time his wife and three children, broken down on Interstate 35, just inside the Oklahoma line, coming from Wichita, Kansas, toward Oklahoma City. I was barreling along about 70 miles an hour, and I'd been in the Kansas City area and Wichita area and what have you. I topped this hill, and here's an older-looking van alongside the road, and I thought, I saw this guy there, and I don't know what's going on. So I gotta tell you, I'd like to say I was real spiritual, and I pulled up behind him and said, how can I help you? I flew right on by. But the Lord was dealing with me, had to deal fast, because at 70, you're moving right on. So I get down the road, and it's kind of like, are you going to stop this car? And brother, something told me, the Lord told me, you better pull it over. So I did. I had to back up on the shoulder about half a quarter of a mile. Well, there was Rusty Thomas. and he was trying to change a tire, and he was having trouble with working the road slope slightly and what have you. Much longer story short, that was the day that I met this young man, who at that time was about 35 years old, Rusty, because I was 50 years old at that time. I remember that exactly, how God worked on my heart. I said, follow me later. I said, well, follow me into Ponca City. There's a Walmart there, and you'll be able to get some help with these tires. We sat in the Burger King there for probably a couple hours, and I tell you, God built a relationship between two men that had never happened to me before or since, and I'm really so thankful for that, and I learned It's like, you know, God took me back. He said, son, you said, you know, bring this thing together. Let me see people's heart. Tenderize my heart. And I think he was saying you needed a lot of that, you know, too. So I began to see the heart of a man that I really come to love and admire. And I think what he told me that day, if I had to just put it in one phrase, was obey God. Whatever he tells you to do, obey him. And I've tried to do that. I'm trying to do it more all the time, so pray that I'll do that. So Rusty Thomas, my good friend from Waco, Texas. He and his family, Kendra and the family, are with us this weekend, part of the family. And brother, welcome. Glad to have you. Miss Deedee. Where's Miss Deedee? Come on up, Miss Deedee, before I speak. How are we doing on time? Yeah, we're doing good on time. Hallelujah. How many know testimonies are good to encourage our faith? Amen. Hallelujah. She has a testimony I want you to hear. Bless you. Bill had asked me to come give account of some of the things that were happening out at the mill. I think most of you know about Sharifa, the one that I had talked about. You almost couldn't miss it because every time I put it in the e-news, it didn't look like it went through. So I think you heard about it three different times in the e-news. And we're probably thinking, we get it. But so in case you haven't, she was a young lady who came out there, and the van was running. And she sat out there for probably 15, 20 minutes. And some gentleman was driving her. Finally got out and fortunately all the death squirts had left, which the ones that flock to them and get them in the mill. So we just asked her, would you come talk to us for a minute? And she just came straight over. She didn't hesitate and won't go into all the details. Like I said, most of you know it, but we were able to talk to her. Unfortunately, she had started the procedure the day before, so we weren't prepared for that. I wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about. and she was worried there was something wrong with the baby. We were able to get in contact immediately, which was just, I didn't think was gonna happen. We were able to get in contact with a pro-life doctor, was wonderful, was willing to see her, and he was so busy, and he even had a lady who was in labor that he said, you know, I might have to leave at any time. So that caused him to be behind, but was more than willing to see her, took the time to go see her, was able to do an ultrasound on the baby, and the baby was fine. So he told her, of course she was only about 16 weeks, he said, Looks like it might be a boy, but don't hold me to it, because it's a little too early. I thought it was too, because I was able to go back there with her. Well, she just found out it's a girl. So she's excited. I think we're thinking about giving her a shower here in a couple of months. And then Friday, we had a mother, and it was taking her daughter in. And she left about, they entered, and then about 10, 15 minutes later, they came out. And she stopped. and talked to Ruth and both of them were just in tears. They were both crying and told her, thank you for you guys being out there because it was because you were out here that we changed our mind. So and then over the years and Ruth could give you stories because and I really want to take this opportunity to thank Bill and Ruth. They've been out there every Friday and then some for 25 years heading this up faithfully. The coldest weather, the hottest weather out there, just dripping and you're freezing and you can't feel your feet or whatever. They come out there. And so I just want to thank them. I also want to thank Rusty. I don't know if, you know, he's director of operation Rescue Operation Save America. And in Kentucky, correct me if I'm wrong on any of this information, but he has been on the front lines. I mean, we all have different positions. Some of us are called to go on the front lines. Some of us are called to hardcore prayer, finances, getting involved with your legislate, whatever. But you couldn't be any closer to the front line than he is. And responsible, him and his ministry, for getting now in Kentucky, there's just one abortion clinic still open that they're trying to get shut down, but have been able to minister and get those clinics shut, and I just want to thank you and how diligent you are working with politicians and being involved that way, you and Kendra and your family as well. Well, Pastor Bob, thank you for opening up this door of opportunity. I mean, to stand behind a pulpit is a serious thing. Most people treat it lightly. I've learned through the years that's not a light thing. Amen. And you should approach it somewhat with a little fear and a little trembling. Amen. Because we're handling the very words of Almighty God. And we have a sacred trust to not only preserve its meaning and truth, but to pass it on faithfully. Amen. You know, just the other day I was reading the book of Proverbs and I called my son Jeremiah over. He's my youngest son. And the scripture that really jumped out to me says, every man proclaims his own goodness, but a faithful man, who can find, you know, typically as men, you know, we want to put our best face forward. You know what I mean? We, we want to, you know, kind of declare, you know, how good and wonderful we are. You know what I mean? We're really good and wonderful. It's those other guys. We know how that rolls, right? But a faithful man who can find, and I'm training my sons. I want their reputation to be formed not by how much they boast and brag on their exploits or whatever the case may be, but just by doing their duty as men and being consistent and faithful. I mean, that's so important for stability and security in others. It truly, truly is. And of course, in the ministry that we are involved in, and it's anything but secure and stable, because you're dealing with death and darkness and despair and destruction. And how many know you have to have a serious anchor to your soul as chaos is swirling all around you. You know, there's a reason why the church avoids the American Holocaust. How many know life is kind of tough? It is. We got battles from within. We got battles from without. We got pressure. We got stress. Things don't go our way. You know, we got issues. A lot of us got a lot of issues, right? So who has time for that? And who wants to invite more pain and sorrow into our lives, right? But who is our Lord? Who is He? How is he described in scripture? Is he some jolly Buddha in an intoxicated state smiling at people? Says he's a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. And how many are grateful that he's a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? because that's what makes him our faithful high priest that is moved and touched by our infirmities, our struggles, our sorrows, our pains. I mean, he completely identifies with this, except without sin. How many long for that day? I don't know about you, I long for that day. Amen, to be set free from whatever this thing cases me. Amen. Hallelujah. Well, brothers and sisters, just briefly, what's today? We call it sanctity of life. That's a sort of the positive spin on this. But what's the reality? Why do we even acknowledge this day? This is not like an American holy day holiday. This ain't fourth of July. This ain't Christmas, this ain't Easter. What in the world are we doing acknowledging January 22, 1973? What's the big deal? Why do we even take the time once a year? And sadly, that's the extent of the struggle. How many besides me? We're not supposed to give God the crumbs of our life. How many know that? We're not supposed to give God like the leftovers. How many know throughout scripture, he demands of us our best. He demands of us our best. Amen. You just read Malachi right on through. You know what I mean? And so, you know, we go through this yearly. Acknowledgement one day out of the year that something is terribly, terribly gone wrong in the United States of America. Terribly! Because the day we're acknowledging is like pinpointing an incredible violation of everything that as Christians we are supposed to hold near and dear to our hearts. First and foremost, the God that we say we love and serve. How many know the personhood of God cringes? In fact, can I use the word angered? by what is happening in the land of the free, in the home of the brave. How do we know this? Because the scripture tells us he hates, everybody says hates, he hates the hands that shed innocent blood. Now, how many besides me, you treasure, you treasure in your soul that God is a God of love? How many know you and I, we would be ink spots on the pavement? if it wasn't the reality and truth that God is love and He is so patient and He is so long-suffering as He deals with the infirmity and the sinful nature of His creatures. The fact, I'm telling you, the more I study Scripture, the more I get to know God and as I look at our nation, I'm actually shocked every morning I wake up and I am breathing and our nation is not a burning ember. Seriously! We are doing things as a nation, as you study this book, my gosh! They were obliterated! They were annihilated! And here's the thing, as Americans, to much that is given, what? Much more is required. We have been the beneficiary of God's bounty, like no other nation on the face of the Earth! My goodness! And what have we become? What have we done? It boggles the mind. It really, really does. So when we say sanctity of life, we must understand the reality of what we are saying. Because what we're acknowledging, and believe me, we were going astray from the Lord long before January 22, 1973. In some ways, that is a symptom of a deeper problem with the idolatry that our nation has embraced for so long. And that's why we have moved from a free nation to a nation that's becoming more socialistic and communist as the days go on. But what happened? brothers and sisters, is on that fateful day that is not a day of celebration, obviously, it is a day of infamy. Just as much a day of infamy as December 7th, 1941. What happened there? Pearl Harbor. And there's all kinds of conspiracy things about that that Roosevelt knew and just held it back so we would enter the war. But the fact of the matter is something drastic happened on December 7, 1941, and Roosevelt said, this will go down as a day of infamy. But that was an outside force attacking us, invading us. What happened on January 22, 1973, black rogue judges masquerading as Supreme Court justices, under the color of law, unleashed lawlessness upon the land. And it was at that point we officially, as a nation, made a covenant with death. We made a covenant with death. Read the Declaration of Independence. What is our true national covenant? God Almighty is the author and the protector and the giver of our rights. That among these are what? Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. And it's the ordained duty of government to protect those God-given rights. That is our national creed. That is our national covenant. And four times, God is acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence. He is the mall giver. He is the supreme judge. He is the creator. And it is divine providence. And because of those things, we pledge our life, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. and on every conceivable way when you look at child sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood, it violates everything! Everything! Not just the child, not just the family, not just the church, law, government, I don't care what area, it touches, it corrupts and it perverts and it brings death and devastation. The only thing it does not violate. It actually enables the bloodlust of the human race. That's the only thing it doesn't violate. It enables and empowers it. Brothers and sisters, this is what we're up against. This is not a political game. This is not just a day that we acknowledge once a year. How many have a concern for your children, for your grandchildren? If you're a sane person, if you have any kind of tenderness in your conscience, if you have any kind of love for God and for your neighbor, brothers and sisters, what is on the horizon What does our future hold? See, when God broke my heart and opened my eyes to this Holocaust, I want you to know I was always a preacher of righteousness. I didn't go to any official seminary or anything like that. I wasn't indoctrinated into any kind of theological scheme or school of thought. God just blasted me out of the mountain. It was raw. It was raw. I mean, my Bible schools were literally caves, literally caves in the cave. God's visiting me and breaking me. So I didn't have a whole lot of head knowledge of the scripture or of the Bible. But I knew God. I knew God. And I knew what he did, and I knew what he was calling me to do. But there was a lot of things I was clueless of. And so I went through the school of hard knocks. That's my theological diploma. But the point of the matter is, brothers and sisters, I was always a preacher of righteousness. I did not shy away. from the burning issues of the day. If our nation was sinning, I called it out from the pulpit. My family, myself, I was very, I am still, very transparent. Thanks be to God, but how many of that could be dangerous? You know, just like tell the truth about yourself, you know, like me, how many of those people love to take that as a club and beat the snot out of you? As pastors, we've got to be careful. And by the way, listen, pray for your pastor. You understand he struggles just like you guys, except he's the target. You understand that, right? Like, where does the pastor go when he struggles? Can he go to you? Can he? You don't think pastors struggle? You don't think men of God are tempted? You don't think they go through things? We do. In fact, we're losing 1,500 pastors per month in the United States of America. Do you know how hard it is to be a pastor? Do you have any idea? I've been there, brother. I've been there. But the point of the matter, brothers and sisters, is that I was a preacher of righteousness. And I did address the burning issues of the day. and I actually said from the pulpit, listen very carefully, that abortion is murder. Abortion is murder. But see, there was this disconnect. There was this disconnect between my rhetoric and my failure to act. In other words, How many know if the church makes truth claims, if the church makes any truth claims based upon this Bible, this very word of God, how many know it's important that our actions match our rhetoric? How many know that's really important as far as having integrity? See, a lot of times we don't understand what abortion has done to the testimony and the witness of the church herself. See, because my problem was, yes, I am proclaiming the truth, but then the Spirit of God comes to me and convicts me and says, son, you are saying abortion is murder, but you ain't acting like someone is truly dying. Epiphany. Epiphany. Whoa. I could remember, we got to get ready to close up here. I have so much more I want to share, but I just want you to hear this. I got a call from a black pastor in Waco, Texas. We were at Planned Parenthood pleading for the lives and the souls of people. I'll never forget. He said, Reverend Thomas. Yes, sir? I'm Pastor So-and-so. Just got back from Africa. And I want to address your people at the Orson well. I said, OK. Sure. Come on out. And he was very curious to what he might have to say. And he came out. He was an elder. he was very elderly, he had just got back from a mission trip. And he said that the first thing he did was to encourage us and to strengthen us in our resolve to see this evil to end in our city, in our state, in our nation. And then he proceeded to say, you have no idea how important what you are doing at this evil, wicked place. He said, I just got back from Africa on a short-term mission trip, and I had doors open to me throughout Africa. He said, it didn't just happen once. It didn't happen twice. It didn't happen three times. He said it happened several times, where he's pouring out his heart. He's ministering the gospel of the kingdom. And when he got done, instead of people coming up to him, shaking his hand, saying, attaboy, that was a good work, pastor. Thank you so much. for coming to America, he said he was approached time and time again by the Africans. And they would say to him, Pastor, you live in a nation that is butchering and savaging their own children. You live in a nation that is sexually immoral and deviant. Here's an idea. How about you go back home, clean up your house, and then come back and tell us about Jesus? I mean, that's a reality check. See, brothers and sisters, we do not understand what abortion has done to us as God's people. Do you know what the stats are of Christians who are not just silent and inactive when it comes to this Holocaust? Do you know how many people who profess Christ go into those doors? In other words, there's more Christians going to abortion mills to partake of the evil than the stand against it. It's like 78%. 78% of women and families that walk through their door, they sit down and they fill out a form and they name their church and their pastor. Who's ever been at the abortion mill pleading with the pro-aborts to repent and change their mind and come to Jesus so they might be delivered from this evil? How many of you have been doing that? Do you know one of the main reasons why I'm never, ever gonna do it? It's because those who name the name of Christ are their best customers. Hey, these guys that are coming here and offering their children to Moloch and Baal They're in your churches, and they name your pastors. So you know what you've got to say to me? It doesn't resonate! Because I see the hypocrisy of this thing. Brothers and sisters, this is the reality. This is, everybody say reality. You can say it, go ahead. Sanctity of life Sunday. Sanctity of life Sunday in reality. What are we dealing with here? And brothers and sisters, what is our duty before God? Now you have Bill and Ruth Dar. When I close up here, you got Bill and Ruth Dar. They're leading the charge at the death camp. Can I tell you, they need fruit warriors. They need preacher boys. They need people that will come and plead the case, plead for souls, and plead for lives. They do, brothers and sisters. What did Jesus say? I will build my church and what? The gate somehow will not prevail against it. You gotta understand that that place is a gate of hell. Literally, it's a gate of hell, literally. Literally, on earth, the very gates of hell. Because that's what Jesus described in the Old Testament. Old Testament, you know what the gate of hell in the Old Testament was? The place of child sacrifice, the shedding of innocent blood. That was Gehenna. Jesus said, I'm going to build my church, and that is not going to prevail. So we got to ask, why for 45 years is this gate still prevailing against the church of the living God? Is the problem with God? No. No. So brothers and sisters, I think we've got some dialogue, and we have to go out here with God. What is our responsibility? Are we to love our neighbor as ourself? Do you think that might be important to God? Our neighbor's being a disloyal. Our neighbors are partaking of this evil, and our neighbors are putting their hand to this evil. Do we love them? Do we love them? Are we supposed to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death? Are we supposed to do that? Are we our brother's keeper? Are we? Are we supposed to speak for those who can't speak for themselves? Is that what God said? How many of you can read the word of God and somehow miss its application in your day? I mean, we're pretty good at that. Like we actually read the words and these are God's commands, but somehow it doesn't resonate and there's no application in our day. How many besides me, you want to see the word of God come alive in our lives? How many want our faith revolutionized? How many do you want your walk with Christ to actually mean something in the real world where the rubber meets the road? How many besides me desire that? Brothers and sisters, this is that. This is that, so I want to encourage you. Connect with Bill and Ruth. Sign up, get involved. I got, at the end, on the political front, you've got a brother, he's a pastor, running for governor. The first thing he's gonna do when he gets elected governor, the death caps are done in Oklahoma. You're gonna become the first abortion free state in the United States. Brothers and sisters, get his, Hit his deal, go to his website. Look at what he's saying, look at his plan, his platform. It will blow you away. Because this is the guy we've been waiting for. Honestly, for decades, this is the guy I have been praying for. And he actually appeared in Oklahoma. Amazing. So brother and sister, I don't wanna leave you hopeless, but I am just gonna tell you this is a serious matter, and God needs good soldiers of Jesus Christ who will hook their sleeves, And let's get to work. Why? Because we want to secure a future and a hope for our children and our grandchildren. Amen? Is that worth it? Amen. God bless you guys. Thank you so much for your time. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. May the Lord lay hold of our hearts in such a way that we would ask ourselves the questions, what can I do? What can we do? What can we do as a church? What can we do as individuals? What can we do to be salt and light? Our Father in heaven, we ask that these truths that we've heard will so stir our hearts. Not just today, but the days that you are pleased to give us that we live our lives here, enable us to be lights and salt. in our society, use us in a mighty way to have an effect upon those that we live and work with. We know that apart from you, this task is an impossibility, but we know you on our side to bless our feeble efforts. We ask it in Jesus name and for his sake, amen. You've got a 10 minute break and then come back in here and we'll start our worship time in just a little while.