Putting up the Roof

This is the Truth Network pursuits where you hear from ordinary people instilled with an extraordinary passion together we explore the stories of men and women who take what they love and let God turn their passion into the kingdom pursuits now live from the truth. Your host Robbie Gilmore you have an adventure day on kingdom pursuits. It starts with a pioneer. I mean, oh my goodness, when you think pioneer you're just already on adventure and so how fun is this going to be.

We have with us John Whaley. He is not only a pioneer but a national pioneer with the rooftop US joining Jesus on his mission. I think you can be blessed to hear how God is using this pastor now that how long have you been a pastor John for a pastor 21 years, but in ministry over 40 years and so now he's got. So you're probably wondering Robbie, what in the world is rooftop US so as you might guess speaking of roof tops.

Speaking of rooftops at play here. We got speaking of rooftops. John told me he was very inclined to be a rooftop national time as you might guess they want to raise single-minded volunteers for Jesus is not there rafter three and one. They were single-minded volunteers were Jesus's life there rafter and literally they would be upper class missionaries. The top dogs. Very uplifting people. This rooftop organization.

As you might wonder, but here's my question John all those people up on the review you're picturing them right. Would you call them ceiling fans. There you go.

So how fun is that. So you knew at the end of all the shenanigans actually would have a riddle which I do so you can win today by calling it 866-34-TRUTH 87884. All you have to do is tell us in what city does the Bible tell us that they raised the roof for a low-down center in what city does the Bible tell us that they raise the roof for a low-down center 866-34-TRUTH 87884 and I think guess that today Danny, Danny, that went well when tickets to the Wake Forest Georgia Tech basketball game which is this Wednesday, February 9 yes and we also have a book right I by the roof man himself is called the rooftop a crisis opportunity.

Yes, it might change or inclination or just saying it gets it all. 866-348-7884. You have the choice of the tickets or the book or if you happen to get big thing right now.

Immediately you could just all in all the goodies I had to do was tell us what city in the Bible where the Bible tells us they raise the roof for a low-down center scientist name the city and actually I know this one and and and and just for extra bonus points. Think about this. Why is that city named what it is because I have no little insight into that that there's more to this story than just a low-down center. John only. I am really interested in your story to begin with, like one day year in college or in high school like God shows up and says John, you said he's been a limit just it. I can bring our listeners and where I'm coming in on the landing here. I asked Jon I said will you know you know young whippersnapper and think he's kind in my age bracket and I said hello and you want to do this and he said why want to do it till I come home till I go home that looks in an eye at this lady at a nursing home. I used to go to name his back. She was 104 and she was working for God, right up until she was 104.

I can assure you she was still organizing the Bible study she was making sure I was there all that stuff and one day I asked. I said Miss Beck, and at what point do we slow down and she had read the Bible maybe 80 times in a 90 and 100 years. Whatever sheet she knew the Bible like nobody ever knew, and she quotes some verse out of Ecclesiastes and she says no. As long as were in the war were not in a lunch or in scripted you don't get out of war until it's over.

And so you know, there you go see John, you started out with that I'm I'm wondering how does God get a hold of somebody's heart like that when you're young like what happened ability to skew the background I came to know Christ when I was 10 years old.

Three years later at 13 God called me to the ministry really and went to my pastor and shared with him. This burden got him a hard and he said that is awesome having a youth led service in six weeks. Guess he's preaching and me at 1313 so it was made. Okay this is cool man I so you go to your pastor and you tell them that you feel led to do this and then within that short period of time. He says okay buddy, let's bring it that's it that's it. I worked hard on that sermon to a man I worked a sweated man ever what it was about.

Yes, it was all no matter fact it was on Nicodemus. John chapter 3 and sermon last an entire 10 minutes. Everything I had. I was done in 10 minutes. So this call tinted to be on mission with God has been since I was a teenager and softserve in a number of different areas of ministry started actually serving churches at 18 and vocational ministry pastor for over 21 years before coming to this ministry called the rooftop is been an amazing journey and see you when you say he's been preparing you for this for over 40 years.

I'm interested in that preparation what what you think he did uniquely for you that made you feel that way. Well basically because the heart of the rooftop ministry is prayer and going beyond the walls to reach people that will not come inside the walls of the church building for most of my life God has given me an increasing passion for prayer. Working closely with pastors strong kingdom mindset and just really a passion to see the church go beyond the walls was inching the first church ever pastored in Columbus, Georgia was outside Baptist in our actual slogan logo was the church without walls and a look back on that now and think how almost prophetic that was is now I'm leading a ministry that helps pastors and churches get beyond the walls of their buildings to reach people that need Jesus desperately okay what that meant, hones insight and for me that I was wondering about is can you connect rooftop to prayer for me okay of the rooftop comes completely out of acts chapter 10.

All acts chapter 10 the story of Peter in the rooftop and that that whole story is in the context of prayer you have a lost man in Cornelius's writing Hosea 9 of the shrimp.

Yes, I thought that I had to do with needing to affect everybody thinks that lata doesn't it doesn't. But it was all about prayer meeting Cornelius is seeking God and then you know God sends an angel to him saying to get Peter and peters on a rooftop praying when God shows up that amazing vision and gives Peter a fresh vision of his heart for a lost world that desperately as Christ is limited. How exciting. This is what we as as were sitting here John. You may have wondered about Dave Thomas, your whole life. The hamburger man and he Wendy's you know it all started out small.

I you may not know this but Dave Thomas was a Buick dealer before he invented Wendy's hamburgers and my dad knew it meant. And in these to go over to the hamburger stand right over there so you know, after all these years his great-great-grandson, Dave Thomas, Junior the third times are a narrator to have Dave Thomas with us. He's with how DI okay you know we got a little stuff on the rooftop with Peter and we got Haggai coming in welcome David, thank you very much for having here is morning that which you guys are gonna be so, you're so linked to know what you're doing. So I got Dave Thomas and we got John Whaley and we got you we got all his people caught in the answer to know in what city does the Bible tell us that they raise the roof for the low-down center and find out all that when you did state to pursue here today. Not only do we have John Whaley national pioneer with rooftop USF US joining Jesus on mission, but we also have Dave Thomas with Haggai international. They're dealing with the world.

I like this word gospel poverty only being thought about the kind of poverty that the world is up against when it comes to the gospel. Poverty summary we got a lot to talk about today but one of the things I know you're with me. Your like what city did.

The Bible tells they raise the roof for low-down center we got just as in Greensboro and gently lost Jeff oh no, somebody else you have to call in and win tickets to the Wake Forest game. We got the book you know up on the roof by the four Tops is another name of what's the name of the author.

This tethers Dennis tethers right out of founder of the research FFF UNESCO it's all available. I had to do was tell us which city in the Bible did they raise the roof and low-down center 866-34-TRUTH 87884 when we left her hero Peter.

He was on the roof there fix the lower down the shrimp and but I love what you were talking about that. Jesus, I mean that Peter was up there praying.

Yes, everything happens in the context prayer.

Peter's peers is having is quite time got interrupted rather dramatically found that that sheet that net full of all the unclean animals telling Peter to eat Peter. Of course always like to say is two words should never go together in the same sentence know Lord and you know it, but out of that wasn't about the food is about the Gentile world.

He needed Jesus desperately because the money was regional Avenue a radically changed his worldview radically radically change his worldview. He comes off of that rooftop. A totally different person goes a Cornelius is home. This Gentile Centurion entire household gets radically saved and and that begins there actually the mission movement to the Gentile world. From that point on in the in the early church. But everything in the rooftop ministry comes out of that and and our passion is. These people have a rooftop encounter with God.

Just like Peter had it a fresh vision of the people where they live, work and play every day that are lost and need Jesus and begin engaging them with the gospel and said Dave I'm interested in your rooftop experience. Since were were talking rooftop here is Sir with Peggy.

I like you were out there in the and on. Next thing you know, God has you on a mission right together offer gospel property. Can you tell us what was going on in your life and also below what the update. We are God. Well, yeah, so it might my I'm a simple story.

Nothing fancy about me.

I was in the corporate world and has felt for a long time. This calling to serve and didn't know how to serve because typically I'm in sales for the last 20 years of my life and so God said wanted to take the gift that you have which is the ability to open doors and create relationships and go out there and spread the word of Haggai to people and so my rooftop experience is a little different but I'm able now to be a part of this great ministry that connects world leaders and with the gospel and so and were trying to in the gospel. Poverty around the world so yeah that that message of Haggai. Can you kindly give our listeners a brief introduction because they're expecting the prophet, yes, and yeah yes oh yeah I had you international Scotus like the Old Testament prophet was founded by pastor named John Edmund Haggai. He he was a pastor in Louisville, Kentucky in the 40s and 50s, and then he was also evangelist as were 50-year-old ministry and what we have seen and what he has the vision that he felt. I gave him was why aren't you raising the fishers of men and indigenous countries essentially right and instead of always sending missionaries over which is a great need and we need missionaries, we need more than ever, but we he saw that there was going to be this lack of missionaries going into the field from resources from doors being shut to the Western world and so he said why don't I raise up Christian business leaders and teach them and train them how to become fishers of men and indigenous Christian in Edwards. This is a guy that's already in India selling cars as priority in Pakistan. You know, in the textile industry.

This right is right. So while one of the crazy things is in a lot leader something about this. Having a college degree in America is very common in today's world, but if we go back to the late 60s or 70s and 80s, and your from China, Indonesia, Sherlock, India, and you have a college degree year a somebody already right because very, very few people were college educated, and that's part of our mission as we wanted to go after the movers and shakers of the Christian world and teach them how to truly understand they are fisher of men right where they are and then let them explode.

You know, let them plant the roots deep and go so years. If you're with me either sit in on how we got rooftop people pray and overhear the constant at these people over here with Haggai and then you may be wondering who got lower through the roof so we are what city that all happened and we have Caroline's and Butner north Carolina Caroline neuron pursues good morning, a night here.

You only it's great to hear yours who hope you can hear me and he could not hear. Now I hear you great.

I hear you great and you know what city they raise the roof for the low-down center. I think it's Currently examining them. Yeah Capernaum I need to go.

You know, I wrote a episode of Christian card I theater called Nahum's Matt, you may not have heard that it is not all that famous go back and look at all the podcasts Christian card I theater you can find there's naps. I was actually three episodes that were made is bad and it was based on this idea and I saw really studied the city of Capernaum reason I know that is not the devil mad as it I found this a fascinating thought process that if you ever thought that the guys that lowered them down might've been who Jesus was talking about when he says your sins have been forgiven and I hate Jesus doesn't say I forgive your sins.

He says your sins been forgiven and so for all we know, and I just threw this little storyline and it just challenge everybody to say what if this guy some clear fishing boat and in the process got hurt and ended up like needing to be healed. What if it was some guy like that, that it really betrayed his buddies and those guys for gave him to the point that they wanted him to be set free, that they are the ones that lowered them down on the mat and when Jesus said your blessed because your sins are forgiven. He was pointing out to the guy that his buddies were the ones are bringing industries denies any going on a digital camera. Well, I don't.

I that's all my imagination is just really crazy, but thank you for calling and for women today that was awesome. Thank you.

Good to hear you boy because contest in which it is. Thank you for the sake of my bride. We have no is in Durham. I hope you still with me know your own kingdom receipts good morning David and Mark.

Luke I found actual city name in lights that marked up Mark. There it is down in quick enough. You know, I'm just telling that coming somebody with the name of Noah calling in about Nahum's Matt and Alan and Capernaum and all the stuff you know is to school to school. So what about that sorry it is that story ever intrigued your mind to just wonder about these guys have a lot at stake here daily. Get him up there a lot of night. They want to get to the Lord all you want about person's house that he felt I hear that by the borrower them didn't know you want take care Fran. I want to get the will they take a lot of niche in the recognize that in every area. There's not a ballet that that replevin. I don't want to call what they had to fix that back in the day, but it was like is that a lot of fate. They took into it and Emily need to be only thought that was anything but I think right now that one of the first people after Jesus and the loved ones that you meet in heaven's can be the guy he's roof got cut open as it is to replay like this guy.

You know why you're watching the instant replay you know the camera fades in on this guys face who you know if the homeowner like what said that you know God bless appreciate you called in today for less than thank you, provided so Danny if you want. If he wants another book or something.

I just put them on hold to get his information and will get no intake, just as I like winners. And unless this really really cool so back on the roof you know of of rooftop USA your training people in prayer. Essentially, my get in my getting this right.

Well actually the heart of the ministries train people and disciple making do I engage people around me every day that the rooftop began out of a passion and a burden to see the church leave the walls of the building. 95% of the people who come to church on Sunday never talk about Jesus, Monday through Saturday and that was the burden that that spells out around number a surreal number.

This is 95% of the people to go to church on Sunday and sing about Jesus and hereby Jesus never have conversations with others about our goal is to help them begin engaging starts with prayer. Getting a fresh vision of God's heart for those people to see people for God's promises you get to hear that shelf and stay tuned. And if you got another comment or question, maybe even thinking about this low-down center 663487884 more with Dave Thomas tell you the secret, Robbie Gilmore here in the Truth Network podcasts of help make my pillow the company it is today, and now Mike Lindell, who by the way, I've met is a great guy, the inventor and CEO of my pillow wants to get back to our listeners for the first time you can get deep discounts on all my coproducts if you go to my pillow.com right now, and click on the new radio listener specials who never thought that my dream job would be selling my pillows and you're getting tired of these sleeping droughts, but you can get deep discounts on my pillows, mattress toppers, bedsheets, and so much more.

For example, the body pillow is regularly 89, 99, but with a promo code get truth it's only 2999 remember all my pill products, the 60 day moneyback guarantee in a 10 year warranty. Just go to my pillow.com and click on the new radio listeners specials and get deep discounts on all my pillow products including the body pillow for only 2999 enter promo code get truth or call 800-942-9613 these great radio specials today were blessed really, really, to have with us Dave Thomas with Hagy international dealing with the world's gospel property in a very unique indigenous way through business people and we have John Whaley who is a national pioneer of rooftop US which their joining Jesus on mission and and and we heard a minute ago. Dave described Mr. Hagy, who was not that the prophet, but heat and ends up being a prophet how he you know was raised up in out and felt this burden for spiritual poverty across the world. Interestingly, the founder for rooftop is was an atheist right John and Dennis Dennis Prather's founder group is an atheist and it wasn't until he was in his 20s that he heard the gospel. His boss gave him a copy of CS Lewis's book mere Christianity as he was reading that on the train to and from work each day as I came in a crisis is Savior and said he was just radically say, but his burden became for those people beyond the walls of church buildings that nobody was reaching England, which is a very spiritually impoverished nation where only you know now 2 to 3% of the entire nation knows Christ attends church and I was Dennis splashing unit we gotta get beyond the walls.

But the reason people don't go beyond the walls because we don't see people the way God sees people so that the first getting that fresh vision of God's heart and then beginning to go beyond the walls and reach them where they are and so is the US tinier right in and like you said it's it comes from a foundational prayer of the then how are you actually engaging these people in discipleship. We do a lot of work with pastors and churches, helping them first begin to get God receive God's heart for their for their community, their neighborhoods, then teaching them how to share the gospel conversationally.

How to build relationships at work where they are where they live and begin to share their story and God story and begin to make disciples understanding that disciple making begins with the faith conversation we disciple people to Jesus and doing disciple them. And Jesus will succumb to Christ, so teaching people how does that has a lifestyle of just engaging conversationally and pointing people to the cross and leading them into that relationship with Christ and then helping them lead their friends and family and neighbors to Christ. So, becomes a constant process, which is fascinating to me that this is is is I listen to it, it's that the indigenous like you're taking the people that are already in the circle of friends that they have the unlimited that that they arty invested in where people I give them some credibility and all that, Inc. now give them no fresh messaging, which is exactly what you guys do, but you're doing it through the business world and essentially you you guys specialize in developing in Third World countries, I guess is correct. So we so our training is done and for nations.

If your Spanish-speaking is in Guatemala City.

If your Arabic speaking us in Cyprus. If you are a manager speaking is in Singapore and of English-speaking is in Maui.

The those four places are where we train because as the four most common languages in the world right some 90% of all people can speak one of those languages. They might snow two or three different languages. I learn and I had no idea so thought that Hinduism was in the list, so most of most Indians will speak English now is there common second language.

And so for India and for Pakistan and for those countries.

A lot of countries in Africa. They are taught English from a very early age to their more fluent in it than some of us write that growth in America and so that's why we have chosen those four major languages we have for international training centers, and then we have 505 alumni associations throughout hundred and 89 countries that do training constantly on a monthly basis in those countries. It will be in their native language and native talk so we know just like my dear brother here knows that there is over 6000 different languages around the world.

Okay, I'm certain the track review so this guy who speaks you know he lives in in Indonesia and he speaks the dialect of the tribe of the peace child or whatever right and so you know, I know my goodness he goes to your school where they you know speak one of those languages that he gets and then he comes back and he's loaded for bear, but he can do it both culturally with people because he's from that culture and also speak the language center correct correct so yeah so our ministry is designed to we teach them for 14 core subjects in evangelism, discipleship, how do you reach a Muslim. If you're from a Muslim country or how do you reach of Buddhist or Hindu right so they want to make sure that they understand how to reach them culturally very sensitive about that you know you just can't let it like I see a common theme theme of discipleship. Yeah, right.

And so I'm that's one of the words. It just like fries my bacon and he liked that being with the Wendy's background. That's right. Anyway ill for years and years and years.

I thought about the word from you now being translated from the Greek, which has to do with an enthusiastic learner somebody that's so enthusiastic that they just want to learn and lengthen that you take that enthusiastic person like yourselves like you to that that enthusiasm just automatically explodes wherever it is they go save you guys got these business people in your idea, or you've got pastors now who become enthusiastic to be able to intentionally get their people in their church to engage in conversations spiritual conversations with their weather workers, which by the way, you know how it happened for me. I was just a car salesman Russian suggested car salesman I was a great course but I just would read the Bible every morning I get so excited about what I read that I come into work and save and you know what I read today if I had is that customer you know what I read today you now it's just I was so excited about what I was learning that I just shared you know open and got it give me whatever salesmanship ability and so it was just like this is discipleship because if you get so excited to lately.

I started to think about all you know the Hebrews were the ones that they were originally the disciples right mean they were Jews. And so what is that word look like in Heber and and what is that exactly mean because when Jesus said go make disciples. He was telling Jewish people to be something that they would have known what he was talking about at at and it's interesting thing that that word in Hebrew is ever studied in China of the Hebrew that is much as that that actually the word Kalman which means the story has to do with scholarship and that the idea it was that these scholars were scholars of story and think of the power of that that you note that when somebody is a good storyteller which both you as our by the way, I have listed both of you with the power of knowing scholastically what the story is that that that's in the Bible and being able to do to do that well is got the same effect. It gives it gives me more stuff about that word that I think wow if we can go make disciples right is the great commission, which of your car salesman is all about great commissions set seal as of just originally just dialed into this for which we picture it is that you can get a better commission right then being in heaven someday some guy walking up to you and go on, hey, you remember that time you were somehow car or you were Nino's only rice or whatever it is you know that these guys right.

I mean I fun Alphonso John. I'm curious like when you took me up on, and on my show will you hoping our listeners would, but with the take away before them on rooftop before you answer that? I know your listing in your thinking. I would like to know the answer that? Did you have to stay tuned come back time to answer the question but also Dave Thomas and he told me that he's got more of a Canadian my this is a lot of fun thinking.

Today we are blessed, blessed to have with us John Whaley national pioneer with rooftop US joining Jesus on his mission, which is now that I know a little bit more about that what they're doing is they're discipling folks on how to really be able to share the best means of their lives. You know what Jesus is done for them as well as Dave Thomas with Peggy I international and they're dealing with the world's gospel property by doing the same thing.

Making disciples out of the business people of the world in different countries and so you know how close we get to hear about what God does. By listening to the Truth Network and I when I get the chance to be with these amazing people. So John is I ask going into the break.

What what were you hoping that you would be able to get across or what would be the call to action. Maybe of the people listening that you would go out and by the way, I've posted both diminished both ministries or kingdom pursuits.com so if you want to see their videos or find out more about how to pray for donate to, and all that stuff. It's all there kingdom pursuits.com but we had John what one of the things I was hoping that people would get out of the conversations today is they really begin pressing into God's heart and saying God help me begin to see the people where I met every day a neighborhood workplace where Matt through your eyes to see, these are people that are made in your image and need to hear the gospel and and and begin saying I give you that passion to begin to engage them and love them, don't go conversations with begin a limited right that that is so powerful and and write it if it occurred during the break. What we are talking about what is how important it is for somebody to share their story to be known to be heard and so part of the way that we can do this be good disciples really is to be students of somebody start their own story that in order to be a student of that we got asked questions like man, you know, tell me about your life was, you know, get to know or whatever it is to begin to engage our neighbor to love them well. Yes, I think first for too long. We taught the gospel as a presentation.

We talk to God story and their story of how to how to share their story, but we are left at that third component and that's the story the person you're talking with taking time to hear their story so you know how to interject the gospel how to interject even your story into their story, because once people know that you care about them there much more open to hearing what Jesus has to say right and make and they begin to relate like exactly so fascinatingly moving over to Peggy. I what were you hoping Dave is eke out on the show to David to be able to make sure that our listeners would know and how to engage with you guys. Well I me. I think the first thing is weekly growth in the southern Bible Belt and just like what was said. Just earlier and is Christians here need to understand that they have a call in this like we read in the Bible says we are the hands and feet of Christ, and I hope and pray. Even though I would love for ministry to thrive that the listener today would actually get that they can disciple right right with AR what it whether their doctor and nurse allow your schoolteacher. You know that one of the stats that we see is that a schoolteacher one schoolteacher will affect the thousand kids in their lifetime just by coming to the classes 20 and 30 at a time hopefully creator ministry is to show the love of Jesus to all these kids that will then hopefully be radically transformed before ministry. It's prayer we need prayer. Our leaders are in some of the most dangerous countries in the world.

We are in 189 countries and so we desperately need people to cover our leaders in prayer right for financial support is always great, but I think prayers and everyone thing if we get on our knees and we come before our Lord and Savior and start really understanding that the church is more than just where I go to this you know are. It's more than the building that we see driving down our street on that the church is so alive and thriving in other cultures and other languages. I'm hoping the people in America will cast that vision of the global body of Christ right and so on. Start really pouring into their prayer life for all these worldwide ministries because the gospel is growing and thriving were persecution is at its greatest. It's a beautiful thing in Inchon.

I imagine you seen it for over 40 years in ministry. Can you share a little bit about what excites you. Now I think what excites me now is a see what's happening in in the body of Christ and understand think you will be getting to wake up to the fact of I live in the mission field that my school is a mission field where I go or teach that where I sell cars as a mission field wherever Imad is a mission field that for so many years Christians didn't think that way but I think in America because we do live in a global culture the world has come to us you know and an understanding first of all that evangelism and disciple making stock complicate and think he will begin to see that telling story telling and listening bilayer. Having taught sales all my life. Listening is the gift of the key. It is the gift that you'll never find a salesman who can listen to other than that he went out of business pretty quick so meanwhile I want to hear again that all the stuff the kingdom pursuits.com Haggai international rooftop US find out more about that link about it and again, listen to their stories so that you can know how to pray so grateful for today. Have fun with this valuable work has been encouraging prayers coming up with change banks, followed by journey starts here now at 12 o'clock so much truth in action. Thanks