Don’t Give Up

Don't Give Up Season 2 Ep 8: The Weather Report

• Hamilton Smith, Bob Branton, James Burns • Season 2 • Episode 8

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0:00 | 36:53

This week, Bob, Ham, Jim, and Bob Jr sit down with Eddie Mesker of Open Door Ministries to talk about mission work, witnessing overseas, and taking the Gospel into dangerous places around the world.

In this episode, we discuss:

  •  Overseas mission work 
  •  Witnessing in hostile and dangerous regions 
  •  Trusting God in uncertain situations 
  •  The spiritual “weather” believers are facing today 
  •  Why the Gospel is worth carrying no matter the cost 

Eddie shares powerful insight and firsthand experiences from the mission field, reminding us that even in the darkest places, the light of Christ still reaches people.

No matter the forecast… stay faithful.

Don’t Give Up.

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SPEAKER_02

Jimmy, what is it? This is atrocious. A travesty is what it is.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, but what'd you let this happen, Jim?

SPEAKER_02

I don't know how this happened. I'm boiling right now. This is Catherine Jane.

SPEAKER_03

You Catherine Jane. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

The tide has turned.

SPEAKER_03

He thought you were the only one. Hello everyone. Welcome to Don't Give Up. I'm your host, Hamilton Smith, and your co-host, Bob Brain. We're a Christian podcast that stirs your soul and strengthens your faith. Join us as we explore powerful testimonies, the history of God's Word, and reveal them as delivering power over addictions, depression, and life's trials. We'll celebrate success, learn from failures, and ignite your journey to rising Christ's unstoppable grace.

SPEAKER_04

We started this podcast as we both experienced God's goodness, mercy, and power to take us from death to life. Our heart is to encourage you that no matter where you are, don't give up.

SPEAKER_03

God hasn't given up on you. No, seriously, rad line. Get it. Reach out to us on Instagram. It's raised after death, so it's not. That's pretty rad. It's pretty rad. It's just rad.

SPEAKER_02

Jimmy, what is it? It's super rad. Super rad.

SPEAKER_03

It was radder when I wore it, though. It was. And you want to know why? Because it covered more. My one is small. It isn't the host's deal.

SPEAKER_02

Mine was custom made too.

SPEAKER_03

Handmade, it's a good one. It's a one of one. It's a one-of-one.

SPEAKER_04

That is true.

SPEAKER_03

No, um, thank you guys for joining us today. Please don't forget to like, share, subscribe. Um, we're on TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, iTunes Music. We're on iHeartRadio. We're on all the platforms. We'll soon be on Snapchat. And um we have a very, very special guest today. I'm so excited. We have brother Eddie Mesker. Woo! AKA the Don't Give Up Weatherman. This guy's been everywhere.

SPEAKER_02

Wait a second, though. Have you explained what the weatherman thing means? Like officially.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, okay. You just need the lumbo. Yeah, I'm not sure. Let me know.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, well, let me explain. The weatherman is in the thick of it. He's there in the midst of the storm. He's on the streets.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, so he's the poor thing getting abused in a hurricane. Like, listen.

SPEAKER_05

What's my eight milk? He didn't even know. I get it now.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, now I get it. Yes. So I would say that's pretty rough. You're the weatherman.

SPEAKER_03

I mean, I'm not just saying it. I I Eddie is uh a modern-day apostle, uh, an evangelist. He's got a heart for uh our people and for the lost. And that's why he's the weatherman. He can take it. God don't put on us no more than what we can bear. And man, this guy can bear a lot. And I'm not just saying it because he's sitting here with me. I'm so blessed. We are so blessed to have him in our lives with don't give up because he is the epitome. He is the example of don't give up. You don't give up, Eddie. You press forward towards the mark and the high calling in Christ Jesus. You're not ashamed of the gospel. Uh, I've been witnessed with you uh and a couple times, and people have, you're like, hey, do you believe in Jesus Christ? And they're like, No, I believe in science. You're like, well, science proves that Jesus Christ is real. He's just he has an answer for everything. And it's not just to debate. And I think he He likes to debate, too. Yeah, sometimes he kind of likes that a little bit. But but it's not for the most part, he does. He has a heart and he he loves people and he's super funny. Uh we're just so blessed to have you.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, very blessed uh to know you for sure.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you guys. So, but do you want to walk us through some of these pictures, Ed?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, so this was when we was going to uh I can't remember where we were going, but they was out there was on both sides of the road. There was the Nepal picture. Tell everybody where this is at. This is right that those pictures there was that was in Kathmandu. It's right uh in the heart, that's the main the main city in uh Nepal. Um and why'd you why'd you go to Nepal?

SPEAKER_04

What was the purpose of going to Nepal?

SPEAKER_01

Uh lots of praying. So my first mission trip was in Romania with full gospel. They let me uh, you know, that the my calling is to be in the field of missions, was whether it be here in America or overseas. Uh um I'm leaning, God's got me more towards other countries. Uh and so I was praying, God, you know, send me, use me, use me. And Isaiah 6.8, that resonates the most with me because I prayed that exact prayer before I even read Isaiah, before I even knew it said it in the Bible. Because growing up I didn't read the Bible. I I didn't know, aside from the main, like John 3.16, Jesus died. I knew Jesus died. I knew that Noah had a boat that he saved the world in. I knew you know Moses had the you know broke the Ten Commandments. The major stories I knew. Right. Nothing else, I didn't know none of that. Um, so I prayed that prayer, you know, God, whatever your will is in my life, I'm sick of fighting it. I'm sick of being, you know, God told me he said you you've been a witness for the devil long enough. Now it's time to be a witness for me. And I took that and I ran with it and just kind of it, that's the motivation that I get, you know, God. I I made you a promise. I I said, God, if you if you choose me, I will go. I'm not gonna say no. Um, but that's not just out of ambunctions, that's not out of the there's a lot of prayer behind it, there's a lot of decisions, there's a and it's not just me, it's my church. So I I don't say it's you know it's me or I, it's we. And you guys are part of it now too. Um and counted the costs. I that's one thing you always say. You gotta count the cost. And that's and that's not financially speaking. That that's because you know, when you have a family, your first ministry is your family. So you gotta take that into consideration of where you're going, what you're doing, and how you're doing it, because you have a family. And so you gotta take that into consideration when you pray. Um where you're going. And I didn't initially, I didn't like, hey, I'm gonna go to Nepal. Somebody came to me, uh, as a man that comes to our church, and it's a gorgeous man, and he's got his own uh uh organization. It's something logos, and uh I I got the the picture of it on the phone. It'll probably pop up on here soon, but um international logos or something like that. But we uh he said, hey, uh you know, I've been you know, I go to gypsies over here in this country, I go to them all over. He's uh in uh Pakistan, um he's uh India, uh right here. This is actually one of my favorite pictures, and it I didn't want to pass it, but um, so he said, Hey, would you be willing to go? And nobody's willing to go to the scary places. Yeah, nobody's willing to go to the dark corners of the rooms. That goes back to that goes back to my promise, Lord, wherever you send me, I will go. And so I prayed about it for months and months and months, and then I got the text saying, Hey, the trip's ready. Will will you go? And before I gave a response, I talked to my wife a little bit. It was in a DMV getting my driver's license switched over, and and I said, you know, we prayed about this for a long time. And we prayed about it, and God said go. So I was like, all right. You know, I talked to my church about it. We talked about what we're gonna do on fundraising, getting the things so we can go. And uh and everything just like dominoes. It just fell perfectly in place. Tons of churches came together, people that I didn't even know came that they was donating money. They was just, this was uh it's not not missions ain't a new thing, but for for us in our church, it's a new thing. And so this was our first missions trip out of our church.

SPEAKER_04

And uh and for those who don't know, uh you're you're done an episode with us uh from religion to relationship. Yes. And explained your whole story up until this point. And then that's when that's when I met you. And then, like you say, you've hit the ground running, and you are you're fearless, you're you're uh, you know, you have a special set of skills. I joke around, you're like, but you you're ready to go, and you are, and you're you're willing to go wherever, which I I really do respect. I'm not just saying that because you're sitting there, I respect that. And you now you find yourself on the other side of the planet. It took you an entire day to fly from here to Dubai. From Dubai, you caught another flight and then end up in Nepal by yourself. It was a day and a half. It was 32 hours. Okay. And then by yourself, and you met people there that was on, you know, um, uh and then that's the stage of what we're dealing with now.

SPEAKER_02

Eddie, you you talk about the dark corners of the room, right? What like obviously it's God, right? The Holy Spirit urging you to do these things. But, you know, for me with the filmmaking, I have obviously like a a uh uh uh a love for that. What affects you, your soul, that makes you want to go and do this kind of stuff that's it's very extreme. It's not to be taken lightly. You're going to really like Nepal, uh it's actually illegal, isn't it, to to preach?

SPEAKER_01

You can yeah, so you can't preach publicly or none of that stuff. You can be a Christian and you can have a church, but there's things like like conversion, they have a no conversion law. So if you get caught converting someone to Christ, right, which basically if you go on the letter by letter by the law, you really couldn't have a church there because what do you that's the whole purpose of a church is to convert people. Right. You know, that's the whole that's the gospel. Right. Um, so yeah, so it's illegal basically on surface level, no, you can be a Christian, but deeply into it, yeah, it's illegal to be a Christian.

SPEAKER_02

But other than God, what what inside of you makes you want to go and do something? For someone else that's you know feeling like they might want to go do that, what makes you want to go to or you want it by the law?

SPEAKER_01

At one time maybe, but no, not today. Uh I spent my whole life being a witness for the devil. Like, like God told me, He said, You've done it long enough, now be a witness for me. And the only way, like I said, I didn't know nothing. I didn't know any biblical examples because I didn't read the Bible. I didn't, not that we were atheists, or I was an atheist, I mean, but um I didn't I didn't care. You know, if my wife was listening to gospel music when I got home from work, I'd get mad. She'd have it well, you know, in the shower, combing her hair, doing her makeup. I'd go over and turn it off or turn the phone off, fling it on the bed. She wasn't allowed to listen to gospel music. She wasn't allowed to go to Vummy and Traveler churches. That was strictly, to me, it that was a no no, that's that's a cult, that's evil. That's not that's not good. Um and so when you spent your whole life with that mindset, and now you hear God, and the only way I can explain it, it wasn't like a like a Hollywood ominous voice. It was like like a whisper in a hurricane. There was there was that's the only way I could explain it. It was like a like a hurricane in my mind, but it was just a whisper that was clear as day. There was like like this massive windstorm that just everything was just go my mind was just going in every direction, but it was that whisper just sink through like like like like uh like a beacon underwater. Like you see the movies where it's you beep beep, you got like the submarines. Yeah, it was like even though you hear all the other sounds, it was that that sound I focused on. And and like I said, that's why I made that promise. I said, guys, so you know, I'm sorry, forgive me for everything I've done. Whatever you have for me, but another prayer, there's two other prayers that came with that. I said, God, give me the knowledge and give me the wisdom so I can apply that knowledge. Because to me, knowledge without wisdom is useless. That's great, you know all these things, but if you don't want to use it, what what good is it? Uh and so um after the you know, i I I said the prayer, you know, of God, you know, wherever you want me, send me, I will go. And then, you know, later on it actually ended up being a Bible verse, Isaiah 6.8. Um, and then I prayed for the wisdom and the knowledge and the wisdom to be applied. And I just I asked God, I said, God, just take, take, my pastor's got a saying, and and I kind of said this without know before even knowing, take me out of it and you know, before I I mess something up, just insert all of you into me because I can't do it without you.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And there's nothing that I can do without God. And it's not like I've been all over the world. I appreciate it. Uh, I'm not an apostle, I haven't been all over the world. I've only been to a couple places, but I'm willing to go wherever God sends me. And we're coming up on another trip with our church. We're going to South America. Um it's gonna be down there, and and I'm really excited for it because that, like I said, this is this is something that our church is doing now. This is with my pastor, he's going with us Eli Wells, um, Charlie Smith, and and Joshua Jeffrey, all things consider, and every as the plan today, that's what the plan is. Things can change, but either way, God's called me to it. And you're focused on Romney Chow and Yeah, the reason why, because I've even had the people put that ask the question, why not? You know, there's plenty of Romney Chow here, there's travelers here, why not here? And I said, That's great, I agree with you. Why not here? God's called people for here, God's called me to go further. God's called me to reach the people that's not necessarily being reached, not that anyway hasn't really been reached so much, but in Nepal, there was people that never heard the gospel. Those gypsy tribes that never, you know, some of them has, but there was some that's never uh the one I was like some to some of them the first white person. There'll be a picture flipping here in a minute, is me trying to high-five kids, and they were scared, like, you know, like I used a boogeyman trying to high five them. And their parents kind of talked to them, so then they opened up and you guys playing with them. Um, and uh Yeah. But from right here, this was the road that we had to go from Kathmandu up to this one village. It was about a seven or eight hour drive. And man, it was like, I mean, there's just the mirrors was barely touching each other. There was a click to one side. The picture will be on here in a minute. Um, and you just see the Was this because of the war? Like all the no, no, that's that's just that's everyday life. That's it's a third world country. Wow. No, the war was only in the city, and it wasn't as bad as what a lot of people thought. That's a monkey. Um, that was just kind of that was all kinds of monkeys. A random monkey, yeah. Yeah. So that was the the first village that we we went into. Um the that old man was like the elder of it. I'm not for sure what the markings on his face meant. It's like a white T. Yeah. You'll see him pop up here in a second.

SPEAKER_04

No, he's pretty cool. I've seen these pictures.

SPEAKER_01

These are Rumneys. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, the lady with the orange. He's like a narrator.

SPEAKER_01

Well, except for a couple of them. They was part of the organization that I went with, but there he is sitting on the chair on the side. He's gonna teach you karate in a second. But it was there I am spitting the fire. But that was what the other prayer I was talking about is if you go into Mark, well, I mean, yeah, I believe it's in Mark, Jesus gave the nickname the James and John, and the nickname was Sons of Thunder. And so I asked God, and again, before I knew that that was even a thing, I said, God, give me the boldness that only you can give me. Because I I was never a lads that's uh uh person, but that's in a shed. Yeah, that was in a shed behind the house. It was like that was a church. Yeah, church. Because I imagine that's to hide, right? Um, part of it is to uh is to be low-keeper, but part of it is that's all they can afford to build. Yeah, I guess. You know, I mean that's straw with mud. Wow. It's that that's the house. Yeah. Make makeshift homes, you know. Like Rummer in any country, they they get by just fine. Sure, yeah they know how to live, they know how to survive.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, please make sure to donate to this ministry. Uh the Damascus.

SPEAKER_01

Uh no, so everything's run through Open Door Ministries of Ohio. We have an app. Pastor Eli. Yeah, Pastor Elizabeth.

SPEAKER_05

Shout out.

SPEAKER_01

Shout out, Pastor. Um, everything's run through the church. Uh and so we have an app, it's ODM, it's a little black square thing on there, and we'll pop it on the video. We'll put it up. Um and we're in the middle of getting a cash app right now for the church. But uh, we got the Instagram, it's ODM missions. We just got the new logo for it. Um and so, yeah, and everything that we're doing is strictly being pushed towards missions right now.

SPEAKER_04

Uh on this side of it, we got our church is doing other things, but yeah, I can honestly say, like, you're one of those people that uh is kind of a defender of that, uh, of making sure every dime goes to that. One of your pet peeves um was you was in some of these places and you've seen other organizations, we won't mention any names or anything like that, but showing up for photo ops and leaving again, not doing really anything. No. And uh, and that that happens. And you know, I know as my own self, as somebody, and I I consider myself a giver, but sometimes you hesitate because you're like, what is it? You know, it's like the people on TV and and they're they're trying to feed the the hungry, but they're 300 pounds and they're trying to, you know, ask for money donations. You're like, how much is this actually going there? And you stop, you know, and I'm not being smart, it just it you it does hesitate. But I noticed you're one of those people. I always brag that about you, like I would trust you with that because you are you're you're really strict on that. I noticed that with you, it you actually get mad. Yeah, you know, a righteous anger, but you get mad Mount Everest, by the way. Yeah. Which looks like clouds. It's tall.

SPEAKER_01

But no, and that you know, that's we run it through the church, every church has a board, uh everything gets discussed. It it like I said, a lot of people's like, oh, it's you, it's not me. Uh people think I'm the face of it because I'm pushing it. Yeah. But it it's ODM, it's open door ministries, and now you guys are a part of it. But what's your ministry called? That's just the logo I created for myself. It's Damascus Road Gospel or missions. I love that. Yeah. It's got a little uh leprechaun uh.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, but it it suits you though.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Because you were one way and you were devoted in that way. You thought you were doing right in that way. Just like like Paul.

SPEAKER_01

Paul was going out and doing things in the name of the Lord. And he was persecuting Jesus the whole time. I was persecuting Christ with every slur I throw towards ministers, every negative thing. I I I would wait, I'd watch like a viper, just waiting for them to slip up and just attack them. So as the bad apples has fallen, that's what I was pointing people towards, not everything that was growing beautiful. I was only pointing people towards the bad apples that fell off the tree. But that was the pruning process in their life that God was doing to better them. And I was only focusing people on the seeds that was falling, the bad things that was falling off the tree. Never mind it was a big, beautiful, glorified tree. I was you see that right there, see what that guy has on him.

SPEAKER_04

Speaking of fruit, how much of this with your through your eyes when you was over there ministering to these people was receiving from you?

SPEAKER_01

Some of them, uh the language barriers are big part of it, but we had translators, but uh some of them, you know, like these guys, they was all receiving and they was all happy after, you know, they were scared because uh some big white guys throwing his hands up after you. But afterwards, you know, like the this whole village. Well, about nine of them were saved out of that village, I do believe. Amen. Um and uh like just like this here, just eating and sitting out. I mean, you was just you was in the dirt with them. And sitting there there, I am trying to high-five. I wasn't getting too many responses with that.

SPEAKER_04

They didn't know what the hell was.

SPEAKER_01

But yeah, so that was a water well that that was built and put in. Um and that's another little shed type place of a building that was put in that I was preaching at. Uh, this little kid with the glasses, man, he was he was he was the life of the party. He was the life of that building. All right, all right. But that little um the ones like that you see stuff into that little boy, he he has the ability to take that to other villages that nobody knows about because he lives there and he had the power of God just come into him, even at that age. Yeah. Um and that's but you see joy. Yeah, we see horror, we see poverty, but when you're there and you get to see the the joy of the Lord come over people, the you know, the none of none of the the background picture exists. It's that smile. It's like this house. We was playing with the man that made the pastor, Boki's foot, having a hard time. And we had a little house prayer with him. Um but when when somebody receives that joy, yeah, I'll say the uh you know, I call it the background picture. None of it matters in that moment. That's your God moment. But people get caught up in the God moment and they don't know how to live after. And that's where you know, when people don't go back and people just can't, you know.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Well, that's one thing uh you called me on WhatsApp. And a bunch of times we talked, and uh uh you're explaining what you're eating, you've had very little sleep. I he was on a walk, he's showing us the whole town. I don't know if you remember this, and he found a stickers bar. He went, Oh my gosh. Yeah, he was so happy to find out. He was hooting and hollering doing the dance. Yeah, it it he said I counted All is joy. Yeah. Count it all as joy.

SPEAKER_01

That's what you're eating off of. Every animal and bug in the world gets in it. And you know, flick those aside. It's hot.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. On the other spectrum of it all, though, beforehand, and probably leading up to, and probably during it as well, you're headed into another country where it is legal, do what you're doing. How, because I imagine anyone sensible, you know, your your mind's gonna be racing. You know, and from what I know of you, you're a very fearless person as far as that goes, but I'm sure you was definitely under attack. The devil did not want you doing what he was doing. How did you deal with the devil and you know the fear that he was probably trying to sow in your life or you know, any kind of attacks that come, you know, because of this? Because this was pretty groundbreaking stuff. Not a lot of people do this, you know. There's uh these people heard the gospel for the first time. That's the number one rule against the enemy. It's not what he wants at all. You know, the true 100% gospel is what he's against. So when you're bringing this to people, I'd only imagine you've set you know him uh uh you know uh insane, you know, as far as that goes. So how did you deal with these you know particular things? Or what did he kind of come to your attention? Because I can only imagine that's probably what's holding a lot of people back, you know, is you know, if they because they think that if they do step out, you know, they're gonna be under persecuted or under attack from the enemy. So how did you deal with you know that in particular? That's a great question. And because I doubt that very good question. Very good question. You're both bumped.

SPEAKER_01

Sorry. You you deal with that and it's not only in missions, that's in every aspect of your ministry. But when you go, and like I said, that's part of counting the cost. Because before you go out and do something that the devil knows is gonna, he knows what you're going out for. Yeah, he knows what's coming. He knows the word of God doesn't go without void. So the attacks come before, and the attacks come the hardest after.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

I'm talking hurricane category five hits.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Because when he comes, and it's not like I said, the the devil's not omnipresent, he can't be everywhere at once. Right. But the demons are there and they're listening, they're watching. You got demonic spirits, yeah, and those is in all truth and reality, that's what's attacking you. Yeah, yeah. Because they're on the same team. They're team that full-blown war plan.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, you showed me the pictures earlier, and they had altars just on the side of the road. You know, the people was setting up and they was worshiping these demons. That's a stronghold, you know, and so you're physically attacking that stronghold, and the enemy that puts the enemy rash. You know, he does not want that at all. And, you know, but the on the other side of it, you know, no weapon form to guess against us shall prosper. You know, we are conquerors through him. You know, we don't have to worry about the enemy, you know, as far as that goes, you know, but he will attack you. Not that you're, you know, we're not um what's it called, safe from persecution. You know, we are, you know, we're but we're safe from everything else. You know, we the enemy can't physically get to you um and hurt you, but he can get to your head, you know. And so that's you know, where I guess I was going with that is you know, the mental aspect of it all is, you know, and uh because I guarantee you try to show doubt, you know, and fear and you know, and all these things to try to because at the end of the day, he didn't want you to go over there. You still went, you know, but that you know, the you know, uh all credit to you at the end of that, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Well, uh again, that's a great way of explaining that question. Uh yeah, so the first night, I mean, going there on the plane, there was no nerves, man. Everything was good. It was all, you know, I was walking around and I got selfies in Dubai, and I'm just, you know, because I had like a seven-hour layover there, so I figured I'll go visit for seven hours. Yeah. Um, we done the same thing when we went to Romania. We was in Germany. I think we had like a seven, eight-hour layover in Germany. We went, got some breakfast, looked around, and came back. But that first night in Nepal, my wife and eve of my pastors, and I can testify to this, I was scared. Uh I mean, because it was a 12-hour time difference. So it was two or three in the morning, my time, maybe four in the morning, when it was whatever time it was, their time. Um and so I'm telling my wife, man, like it's just like you said, all that was running through my mind. Is this really what God had for me? Even though I prayed for months, talked to God for months, got confirmation multiple times that that seed of doubt still got put in there, and I'm looking out the window, looking at a truly demonic third world country.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

And and you know, like those other third world countries, but you got churches all through them and stuff, and you're looking out this window, like the reality of you could be killed, which you could be killed preaching anyway, don't get me wrong. Yeah, but you're going into a place that's like I said, the dark corners uh of the room that's a little bit different. You're you're you're entering a different atmosphere. And yeah, so that that fear hit me hard. And and you know, my wife just said, just go get a shower. It was like at this time, like 4 30, 5 o'clock in the morning. Get a shower, try to get some sleep and rest your mind. I didn't end up sleeping, but I took a shower, and that shower it was just like being baptized, it just washed away the fear. It was just gone. Relaxed, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and it just the hot water in that room, because in the other rooms I didn't have too much hot water. Yeah, yeah. Uh but um it just it that's all the best way I can explain it. It washed away the fear while I was praying. The shower was running. All you heard was just the the spigot just with the thing sprinkling down on you. And it did. It just it washed away. It was like being mentally baptized in fear.

SPEAKER_04

It was just a few times a few times you got on with us. Um, it was seven in the morning your time there, and it would have been seven or eight our time, and we would have started Bible study, and you would you would listen in by PM, right? And you would uh you could tell it was refreshing you for the day. You know, you was laughing and joking with us, and you was getting the word and and uh and it was mostly quiet. We were asked the question because we couldn't believe what he was doing, but you could tell it was kind of refreshing you too before you went out for your day.

SPEAKER_01

No more than when Jesus went out for the 40 days in the in the desert, when he came back, you know, what did it say the angels was ministering to him? He needed the word of God because that that that was the human part of him. Yeah, and your body needs the the the food you need to be consumed, but your spirit needs the word of God to be consumed. And and because he asked me, he said, man, he said, you know, not a lot of people where you were at would be able to get on and get do this right now. And I'm like, I uh you don't understand, I need this. This isn't something that like I'll I'm just gonna get on and show everybody. If there's you know, I'm doing it, there's no excuse for you. You removed I needed it.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I get it, but you removed every excuse for everybody that doesn't hop on the teach and preach, our power, or the DC Bible study. I'm sorry, there's something wrong with you. Because he was in Nepal in a third world country, first thing in the morning hopping on. It was so encouraging to see that you do, you need to be desperate for the things of God. You need to, and and he will, he'll refresh you.

SPEAKER_01

You don't know how much you need it until you're in a situation where you need it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because you know, with like when I get asked to minister, um, and I'm I'm preaching to a room full of believers, you know, and I can only imagine, you know, going to places like you went that uh it'd be only be ten times worse. But the attack you get from the devil is unbelievable, you know. So the only defense I have is I just bury my head in the word and I go over my message and I go over a message, and he tells me I put myself insane how many times I go over a message, I can quote it inside and out, you know, and he fully tells me, take a break. Like you just take a break, and because you're gonna put yourself insane, go to a message. But when I'm not in my word and I'm not in that that uh that gut feeling, that that doubt, you're like, what am I doing? What am I, you know, up until the moment they hand me the mic to preach, is I get that uh fear and uh you know anxiety from it. But as soon as I'm in the word and I'm uh or I'm I'm up there preaching, it's all relaxation. You know, like when Jesus went to the well, he was preaching to the uh Samaritan woman, and he was starving and thirsty. He asked for a uh uh a drink and he was starving, he sent the disciples to get him food. Well, at the end of it, after he was filled, you know, uh like it's uh uh it's the same thing as like when you go on a fast that you're hungry the whole time, and but if you stay in your word, you're physically and I honestly when Jesus said I am the bread of life and all this, I you know, I'm thinking metaphors, you know, but uh physically filled, physically fed, you know, I've I'm no longer hungry, you know, or I'm no longer worried or stressed, as long as you and I I preached the message on this not that long ago, is I kept my eyes on him. You know, as long as you keep your eyes on him and focus on the word and all that else, it it falls behind. It's no longer, you know, a worry or a stress to you. You know, that's just how I personally deal with that, you know. Yeah, that is killer.

SPEAKER_01

Again, 21 years old mode. You're coaching.

SPEAKER_04

I hated this guy. Just hand him replace that.

SPEAKER_02

Nobody can replace you, though. Just hand him the keys to the podcast.

SPEAKER_04

Honestly, Bob and you mission accomplishment. Yeah, there we go.

SPEAKER_03

I'm just saying it. That was he said, yeah. Just hand him the keys. He's going, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Let me tell you, he was a little kid, and uh, I come out of the ether and got really serious about the Lord and uh and learned uh so much. I took off and uh we made every conventions and uh minister out, and he was by my side. I got pictures the whole time. He's by my side, you know, and uh everything I've learned up until this point, he's learned with me. And and it's been a pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Yeah. Beautiful. Bobby bomb.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I got born again and filled with the Holy Spirit at seven years old. So I don't know any other, you know, life than this. I've always been close to God. There was a moment in my teenage years, I never drank, I never smoked, I never did nothing bad, but uh was a moment in my teenage years where I was, you know, uh separated in a way. You know, I just kind of I was just running, you know. And then about two, three years ago, I was at a revival in Delaware and I got uh, you know, uh a word, and uh that's when my ministry kind of took off. I started taking it dead serious, and I went from there on, you know, that's just how I've always been since that point. And it took me a year. I've dug in my word, and then I, you know, I then as as I was going, opportunities would arise, you know. Like I I got asked to do the um um the um what's it called? The the school. No, the what's the uh the Bible college collector college couldn't think of that for nothing. And um I didn't know that once you do the Bible college, that's the only thing you need to be a um uh minister. And yeah, what's it called? A uh one of the ministers. So then once I got that, I was like, okay, after I finished that, I got asked to preach for the first time. You know, and as I went and I can't even give myself credit, I can't give myself credit for nothing because it's been purely the Lord since then. All I did was say, uh, whatever you need me to do, you know, just like you done with Nepal, is I it's whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. So and whether it's in the background or whether, you know, I'm sitting here, or if you hand me a mic, or if I'm doing something in the church, it's whatever you need me to do, Lord. I'm here. You know, you quote all the time it's better to be a uh a uh uh doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. You know, it's I'd rather, as long as that's what God wants me to do, that's all I'd want to do at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_02

You know, if nobody knows. Bob does a lot, young Bob does a lot behind the scenes for the podcast, helping us out. He's in the group message, he's gonna be able to do that. He lifts ideas, he lifts gear, he comes, he he runs the thing sometimes. I actually don't know what we would do without him.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you. He's as much a part of it as anyone else. Yeah, he really is. He him and you are uh, you know, there would this wouldn't be here without these two men here. And and even I gotta shout out uh your brother Johnny. Yeah, your brother Johnny. Uh everybody keep him up in prayer. Yeah, he's gonna be here today. I love you, Johnny. And uh feel better, man. Yeah, but uh he's also a big help. Lifting lane, going, get you food, get you drink, you know. He he'll give you an encouraged word, you know what I mean? He'll make you feel like the the the greatest person in the world. All you guys are like that.

SPEAKER_02

I'm believing that by the time this comes out, he's gonna be a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03

Amen. I I receive that in Jesus' name. But there you have it. Please support uh his mission, and uh it's not his, but uh, you know, I'll say the missions he's he's involved with. And uh, you know, thank you for watching. Please like, share, subscribe. We're on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, IR Radio. We're on everything. Please just get us out there, download the YouTube app, and and subscribe. It really helps. And buy my book when it's done.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, what's it called? Uh it's um so the title to it is Overcomers by the Word of Your Testimony.

SPEAKER_04

That's great title. And it's testimonies from uh all kinds of life and faith of what people's actually went through and actually overcoming.

SPEAKER_01

Am I dealing that?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. My testimony's in there. It's pretty cool. You got uh Carl Smith.

SPEAKER_01

I the James will be in it, and yeah, Bob wants to.

SPEAKER_03

A bunch of people's gonna be in there. Uh it it sounds really awesome. It was such a good idea. You and your sister? We'll put the title up here on the video. Your sister helped me. Me and my sister, yeah. As long as you ask. What's her name?

SPEAKER_02

Jamie Books. Okay. Shout out Eddie Mesker's sister. Um you can do the right here. We'll put the title right here. Can I do it? Go ahead. Really?

SPEAKER_04

You're gonna do it for me? Yeah. It's so bad.

SPEAKER_01

Hey, it's no. It has to be on that side.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, he's like the evil masterized. Wow.

SPEAKER_01

That was amazing. Right here. Right there. Okay. The camera can't pick it up no world, so that's it. Right here. Right there, right there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And I'm green screening your shirt, too.

SPEAKER_00

He's gonna put your face on his shirt. Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_03

All right. It'll be just a picture of Jimmy wearing it.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, your shirt will be a picture of me wearing that shirt. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh well, if you're struggling with anxiety, addiction, depression, any life trial that the enemy's trying to throw at you, don't give in. Don't surrender. Don't give up. God bless you. Have a beautiful day. I love you. Hallelujah. Just stop it and don't give up.