<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

San Gabriel Academy

Ted N.C. Wilson

Ambassador for Christ

Thank you so much, Kelly, and what a wonderful experience it is to be at San Gabriel Academy.

I was glad that I had a ticket so I could get in.

You know, I can see that there was a lot of preparation that took place for this evening and for our Sabbath service tomorrow.

And I just want to express great appreciation on the part of the World Church for what God is doing through you as parents, as students and as staff and faculty here at San Gabriel Academy.

And as Kelly mentioned, I am an alumnus of SGA, well from the third grade, alright?

In fact, just for a few moments, for old times' sake, Bonnie Iverson and my wife Nancy and I walked down past the last portion of your property.

And just a few feet beyond that, over on the other side of Muscatel, is the house that I lived in for about 6 months when we stayed with a wonderful aunt and uncle that I had.

And in fact, that aunt lives in Marysville, not too far from Seattle right now and I called her up and her daughter was there I wanted to make sure that was the house that we actually lived in because you know things look a lot bigger when you're 9 years old.

And what a privilege it's been to spend a few minutes also with the faculty and the staff.

Thank you, Principal Negrete, for your valiant leadership here, for the way in which I can sense this faculty and staff pulling together for mission and the students.

I have to tell you I was so impressed with that beautiful song.

A beautiful song, all things bright and beautiful, an arrangement by John Rutter.

Beautiful accompaniment with that orchestra and the choir.

You folks sounded, I'm not trying to flatter you, you sounded university level.

It reminds me of the very fine Academy chorale that bonnie iverson and I used to sing it we had a great time in our academy at tacoma academy which is all the way across this continent you know seventh day Adventist education is priceless.

Thank you, Kevin, for your encouragement that we are 1 family and the families are here so you are right in every score, no problem.

It is a family we belong to, a Seventh-day Adventist family.

And I want you to feel very much a part of it.

Don't ever feel that somehow you're secluded, you're hidden over in some corner here in this vast Los Angeles basin and that you're not counted, that you're not important.

You are a vital part of God's last day mission.

We have a great approach that we are trying to take following the counsel from God's holy word and from the spirit of prophecy about mission to the cities.

If ever there was a place that has a part in mission to the cities, It is San Gabriel Academy.

And here on this corner, in this beautiful little spot, you have an opportunity to witness to so many people in this area.

Don't forget you're part of the great mission that has been given to us by heaven itself.

You know I'm really enjoying your objectives.

First of all, you're educating for eternity.

This is not the end of the line here on this earth.

For I want to tell you I believe with all my heart Jesus is coming soon and I'm so glad to see the strong spiritual emphasis here at SGA.

Praise God for the mission spirit I detect.

So what's happening here on this campus is not just for the next few months, not just for the next few years.

You're allowing the Lord to use those faculty members to help you to see Jesus in a more powerful way.

You know it's just a privilege to to be able to understand also that in this whole process you're not to serve yourself you're to serve others you're to grow in Christ by serving others you can achieve that objective of growing in Christ and then aspire to excellence not only scholastically not only with a mental acuity that will help you to rise above the level of so many in other schools because Seventh-day Adventist education drives you to excellence mentally but more importantly the excellence that God asks you to aspire to is a relationship with him.

An excellence that will truly give you an advantage as you go out into the world and on to further study and to the various roles that the Lord has for you.

But I do want to appreciate so much the hospitality we've received so far and the wonderful opportunity to come and be with you today and tomorrow at the White Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church.

And thank you for all those who have participated this morning.

Andrew, thank you for you and your students who helped in such a wonderful way to set a spiritual tone as we were singing.

And Crizel, thank you for opening our meeting with prayer.

You know What a privilege it is to be part of this last day movement.

You might expect the President of the General Conference to say, yes, Jesus is coming and we need to be working harder and yes, the end of the world is coming and all.

I want to tell you I don't just say that I truly believe it.

You are living young people in the most momentous time in Earth's history.

In fact even the last few months, even the last few weeks, as you look around the world, you see things disintegrating everywhere.

Political situations that simply are out of control.

Bombings and terrorism that is cropping up everywhere.

You cannot escape the kind of terrible calamities that are coming on this earth.

The stock market doesn't know what to do.

Cultural and social values are being challenged.

You live in a momentous time, but I want to tell you 1 of the most exciting times to be alive.

An opportunity to truly allow those objectives – serve others, grow in Christ, aspire to excellence, to be seen in your life not simply through your own effort, but most importantly, leaning heavily upon Jesus.

You know it's refreshing for me to to come to a place like SGA.

We visit a lot of places around the world.

But I want to tell you the brief few minutes that we've spent here, And we've been here since about 4.30 or so, 5 o'clock.

Just kind of socializing with the staff a bit and then listening to you tonight.

I want to tell you, I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in this place.

And I'm going to share that with other people.

I'm going to tell them I visited a place right in that big city of Los Angeles, not far from the heart of that city, where Jesus is shining through in a powerful way.

Don't lose that relationship with the Lord, because the Lord wants to use you in a mighty and powerful way.

Now it isn't normally the case that I come and talk to academies, although once in a while that does happen.

But about a year ago or a little more, your director of, I think she has a lot of titles, but, director, okay.

Bonnie Iverson and I went to school together, as I mentioned, in Tacoma Academy.

And she contacted me and said, well, you know, is it possible you could come and talk to our students, to be with us?

You need to know you have a great promoter of San Gabriel Academy in Bonnie Iverson.

And I can tell that she really believes in you as students.

And so we worked things out and arranged scheduling and normally I would have gone home yesterday after attending Loma Linda University board meeting.

And last night, I had the privilege of speaking to a group, the Middle East Fellowship, a group of people who come from the Middle East, but have found themselves here in this country.

And in a few moments, I'm going to tell you an experience about the Middle East, where we just visited a few days ago.

And then this precious experience tonight and tomorrow, Sunday we'll be headed to Andrews University.

They have a constituency meeting and a board meeting, and then home for a few days, and then on to Germany and Japan and Hong Kong and the Philippines.

I want you to pray especially for our committee meeting that we will have of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division on Friday March 18.

We are going to be in the process of choosing a new division president.

As many of you will know, unfortunately, Pastor Gulfan and Pastor Asoy, who was elected at the recent General Conference session, both of them passed away within a period of about 3 months of each other.

And so SSD as we call it, Southern Asia Pacific Division, which covers so many countries in the southeast part of Asia, Philippines, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, over into even Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

A vast division with enormous amounts of people.

And over a million members, but a great challenging place.

Back to Menu

Ambassador for Christ

Transcript

Sponsor

Recorded

Sound Doctrine