SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS How do people respond when you say, “I’m called of God to go to a certain place.”  And people say to you, “Well, that’s crazy,” you know.

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Particularly where we are they say it’s crazy. Northern Virginia is a very exciting place to live.  In fact, you know, I see empty stores and I see empty houses and that’s so strange to us.  Where we are the average median income per household is $45,000.  People put houses up for sale and within 3 and 4 hours they have four and five contracts on them.  So we’re in a very highly developed area.  It’s a place where a lot of successful, a lot of high oriented are there.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS A lot of government people live in that area too?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW A lot of government people there.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Go across into Washington every day?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Yes.  In fact, the people that make Washington work don’t live in Washington.  They live in the suburbia areas, either in Maryland or in Virginia where we are.  And so I was down praying about our area one time.  I said, “Lord, show me the spirit of where we are?  What’s happening where we are?”  And the Lord showed me that the horse and the rider of our area was that spirit of poverty, the spirit of intellectual pride and also the spirit of materialism.  As long as material things are in the hands of God’s people, it’s wonderful.  But when material things get in the hands of the wrong people, it produces pride. 

So those two spirits are very loose in our area, the spirit of materialism and the spirit of pride.  So when we went there and we began to, as it were, knock on doors.  I didn’t have any cash

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Just started knocking?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Knocking on doors, handing out fliers.  We’ve got four kids and we used them.  And we started handing these fliers out and started knocking on doors and telling people about the Lord and saying, “The Lord sent me.”  And we got a lot of stares, I mean, we had a lot of funny looks, you know.  But the Lord did send us and two years later He spoke to me, of all things, to put up a gospel tent.  And

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS A tent?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW A tent.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS In, outside of Washington?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Route 7, which is the major arterial source going into Washington, D. C., 45,000 cars a day pass that piece of property.  And the Lord had miraculously given me the piece of property debt-free.  Now I put this tent up.  And it was a big one.  It was 50X100.  Your dad would laugh at that, right?  But the Lord filled it up.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS But it was a start.

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW It was a start.  It was a start.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS  SR01 You know, you’ve got to start somewhere, and don’t despise small beginnings. (RR_Zechariah_04:10 )

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Amen. That’s one of my favorite Scriptures now.  But we put that tent up and the Lord filled that one up. The next year we put it up again and now this year we’ve got a larger tent, seats 2,000 people. It’s a big 80X140.  And I am here to horse-collar you and bring you to Northern Virginia for a crusade.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Now I’ve never been horse-collared, at least not lately.

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Well, I don’t even know what that is, but I’m after you, you know.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS I appreciate that.  We’ll be praying over it.  Arlie, I know that one of the first contacts that you had with the Oral Roberts Ministry was through the paralysis of your sister when she was 12 years old and the dramatic miracle.  Can you share that testimony?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Yeah, really, it’s a powerful thing.  You know, we have appreciated the ministry of Brother Roberts for a long, long time.  My sister when she was born, she was born with, she was an infantile paralytic.  And she did not walk until she was 10 years of age, and this was back in 1948.  Your daddy was holding a crusade in Goldsboro, North Carolina in a B-29 hangar. And I remember it because

We witness a lot in just the example we set because every hotel that we stay in, every team that we play, you do get to talk to the players. A lot of people think we have chapel every morning and we are forced to do these things, you know, and we have to give money and things like that.  And it’s really, I guess good PR almost for ORU when we have somebody like us that can say, “No, it’s not really like that.  ORU is a really neat place to go to school.”

And aside from the beautiful campus and everything that’s around us, the academics are great and the teachers are more than willing to go out of their way to help us, especially as athletes, because we miss so much.  It’s not strange at all for people to have good grades as on, you know, a lot of other college campuses.  I lived in a town that had a college and it was the average to make C’s and it was the average.  But everything here is above average, and that’s one good thing that I like about ORU.  Everything here is just a little bit above average and everybody tries just a little bit harder, I think.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Thank God for Oral Roberts University, and I’ll be sharing a little  SU04 bit more about that later.  Arlie Whitlow is my special guest today. He is a minister from the Washington, D. C. area.  Arlie, good morning.  God bless you.  We welcome you to Tulsa.  Arlie, before we begin to talk, I just got word while you were watching that story from the ORU girl–and I’ve got something in my eye.  I’m going to get that out in a minute, Lindsay–while she was giving that report on ORU, she’s one of our Lady Titan basketball players–yeah, I’ll get it out in a minute–we got this word from the word of knowledge that I gave earlier in the program when I was in the Prayer Group with you, holding that soap.

SPLR LINDSAY ROBERTS I remember it.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS There was a word of knowledge that the Lord gave me and it came through the Abundant Life Prayer Group just a few moments ago.  This is Mildred Chandler calling from right here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “Praise God, Richard, for your ministry. I’ve had a terrible time for several weeks getting around due to arthritis in my knee.  This morning, just now, you had a word of knowledge when you and Lindsay were up in the Prayer Group, a word of knowledge about someone being healed in the knee.  I knew it was me.  All the pain left immediately. I am completely healed.  My husband is one of your prayer partners with the

Abundant Life Prayer Group and we really believe in your ministry.  Thank you again.  Thank you for being on television. Thank you for being there.”  (Applause)  Hallelujah]  Thank God for Him confirming His word with miracles and signs and wonders. Arlie, you minister in one of the suburbs of Washington, D. C., in the Virginia area.  You started with 35 people.  Your church has now grown, more than 500 people.  How did you get started in the ministry?

SPKM ARLIE WHITLOW Well, I’m the son of a pastor and dad’s been in the ministry now some 50 some odd years.  And we’ve always been in the deep South and South Carolina and that area, Georgia area.  And then the Lord led us through Bishop Meares, who is my pastor and has been for a long time, he kept asking me to come to Washington, D. C. and I knew that was the flesh, that couldn’t be God.  If I’m going to go anywhere, I’m going to go South, not North.  But the Lord did lead us and He did in fact lead us there and we started.  And we didn’t know a soul there in that whole area, with the exception of one elderly man down in Vienna.  But I had the word of the Lord and He sent me there.  We started knocking on doors.  And what has happened since then has been a phenomena.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Lindsay, I know that, I know that as people get this film they’re not only going to be deeply touched, but very moved as they see the dramatic story of this little boy Davie and his courageous fight against tuberculosis and how the healing power of God comes into his life and into his family’s life and how their lives are completely turned around.  It’s a story that although this film was made in 1952, it lives on.  And of course everybody has a neighbor like Mrs. Hackett.

SPLR LINDSAY ROBERTS I have to tell you what that reminded me of because it just  IL01 quickened my mind when I saw that.  Do you remember when we were ministering in South Africa and there was a precious little boy who had, I can’t think, I think they called it Perthes Disease and he called it “the Perth.”  And this little boy was never able to run, never able to play, never able to do anything.  And the mother began to tell the really tragic story of this little boy’s life.  And the little boy was healed in the service and began to run and play.  And the newspapers just went berserk with criticism.  And when they finally asked Richard, “How can you stand up there and do all this?” And all Richard said was, “Just ask the little boy.”  That’s how I feel about that film.  You just ask the little boy.

When you see a child of God healed, this film will tear your heart out. It really will, because it’s the story of a little boy who had tuberculosis and the trauma that that family went through and how he was healed.  And, you know, whether you agree or disagree in what you believe and don’t believe, you just ask the little boy.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS A miracle settles the issue.

SPLR LINDSAY ROBERTS That’s right.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS If you’d like to have your own copy of this magnificent motion length, full-length motion picture, Venture Into Faith, all you have to do is pick up your telephone, call the Abundant Life Prayer Group. Sow a seed on your credit card of $100.  Or sit down and write me a letter, Richard Roberts, and send a Seed-Faith gift of $100.  And later in the program I’m going to be showing you what your seed is going to be doing here at ORU this summer, as well as other things. And you can have your own copy of this limited edition of Venture Into Faith.

I’ll only be offering it this month on the television program. And of course we’ll be sending you your certificate of authenticity, signed, numbered and dated by my father Oral Roberts.  Yesterday I was talking with a man here in Tulsa who said, “When are you going to show  SU02 some of your Korea crusade on the television program?”  And I said, “Well, I did this past Monday and Tuesday.”  He said, Well, I didn’t get to see it.”  And so I was telling Lindsay about it last night and she said, “Well, Richard, there are a lot of people who probably haven’t seen it.”  So I think I’ll take you back to Korea and let you see exactly a portion of what happened while I was there.  I was ministering in Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho’s church, the largest church in the world.

The opening night we had some 50,000, the second night 60,000.  I preached to 110,000 people in two nights while I was in Korea.  I just returned this past week.  And so right now, let me take you to Korea and give you just a little taste of what happened while I was there.  And this is the discussion that Dr. Paul Yonggi Cho and I had right after the crusade closed.  Just watch this.  CHO AND RR ROLL-IN

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS  SONG Hes_been_resurrected

SPKM ORU STUDENT  SU03 It is a lifestyle here.  And you have to adapt to that lifestyle and you have to, you have to become part of ORU.  You can’t just go here and be on the surface.  You can’t go here and be half into it and half not because when you come here you’re associated with everything that is here. Self-discipline on the court is really especially a very important thing because you get out on the court and people are watching you, not only as a basketball player but also they’re watching you as an ORU student and they’re watching you as a Christian because of everything that ORU represents.

SPKM BARBARA WALDEN  PRYM In the name of Jesus I come to you this morning because God spoke to me last night and said, “When you do that show tomorrow morning, I want you to reach out and tell the people out there that time is running out.  There is a Jesus and you must come to him.  Don’t think because you’re successful and you have everything for you, believe me, the money is not going to get you to heaven.  The awards will not get you into heaven.” I thought my awards would get me into heaven but you have to be born again as a Christian.  And I come to you with all sincerity today.  Jesus, please, Father God, reach out for us.  I feel today there is someone there now. I feel right now there are women who are listening to this program right now, and there are men, who are saying, “I don’t need Jesus.  I’ve got it all.”

Father God, I ask in the name of Jesus, touch them right now. Touch the ones who are listening to this program.  Let them know that all of those material things are not going to get them to heaven.  Like you father said, “God says he’s not against you having money, but just not praise money, just not put money first.”  You must put God first and I pray…. I lost a friend who was 38 years old who died on the plane Thursday.  She was of the Jewish religion and I disobeyed God because God said to me, “Go to Judy.  Tell Judy she’s got everything in life financially, but tell Judy to come to God.”  I started to pray with Judy.

Lord knows I prayed.  I prayed about four times with her but then I stopped because she said, “Barbara, please don’t put this one me.”  And I thought:  Well, I can’t do this.  I disobeyed God but, Father Jesus, this morning I come to you.  I will never disobey you again, Father, knowingly.  I am going to go forward from now on, Jesus, and I’m going to praise you to everyone no matter where I go.  God, I will talk about you and I will praise you.  Thank you, heavenly Father.  Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Now I add my prayers to Barbara’s prayers. You feel the Spirit of God coming out of her as she gives her own witness and her own testimony. Are you ready to meet Christ?  If you are, then pray this prayer out  PRRR loud with me as everybody here prays this prayer out loud with me.  O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner, a backslider.  I’ve missed the mark in my life and I realize it.  I am sorry.  I repent of my sins.  I turn my back on it.  And, God, I ask you to forgive me.  And right now I receive your forgiveness.  I renounce the devil and his grip on my life and I take Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.  Save me, Lord.  Heal me, Lord.  Deliver me, Lord.

Set me free, Lord, in Jesus’ name.  From this moment forward I will be a new Christian, a new person, changed.  The Holy Spirit is in me now.  Jesus is in me now and I’ll never be the same again.  Friend, if you meant that prayer from your heart, and I believe you did, Jesus has entered your life.  The past is forgiven.  You say, “How is that possible?”  The Bible SR02 says if we confess our sins, he, God, is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (RR_1_John_01:09 ) He has been waiting for you to pray that prayer.  He has been waiting for you.  Barbara, Lindsay and I affirm your prayer in that we have made up our minds that we are going to tell people about Jesus no matter where we go.  I have just returned from a tremendous week in Korea well, in those service I preached to more than 110,000 people.  Many people were won to Christ, many healings, and I have made up my mind I am not ashamed.  The Apostle Paul said, Lindsay, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone”  man, woman, young person, boy and girl, Jew, Gentile, Arab, Buddhist, Shintuist it makes no difference.  I am going to talk about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Lindsay.

SPKM CLARENCE BOYD I was probably the first student who was from that denomination at Oral Roberts University.  Today you probably have anywhere from 5, 6, or 7.  Oral Roberts continues to draw from our denomination young people who are interested in the charismatic movement.

SPOR ORAL ROBERTS Of course, the important thing here is that no matter where you are from as a faculty member, an administrator, or as a student, you are in a charismatic university built on the Holy Spirit and the authority of God and we’re trying to break down all these walls of separation  IL01 and be human beings, be people of God.  I remember Ben Gurion said something to me, Richard, when I was with him just before he died.  He was the first prime minister of Israel and I had a group of ORU students visiting him in Israel and I asked him what he thought was the greatest scripture in the Bible and right there where the Bible was written in the Holy Land the prime minister of Israel, Ben Gurion, said to me, “The greatest scripture in the Bible is the scripture in Genesis where it says, ‘And God made him man.’”  He didn’t make him Jew, he didn’t make him Gentile, he didn’t make him black, white, red, yellow.  He just made him man.  (APPLAUSE) Man, man, a human being. And if there is one thing standing out here, Dean Boyd, it is that human beings are at Oral Roberts University and we sit down and we get together and we love each other and we get our education.  We keep our burning as we get our education.  Now say that a different way, Richard.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Well, I always tell people that ORU is the university where I got my learning but kept my burning.

SPOR ORAL ROBERTS Now that’s the way to say it.

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS I’m a graduate of ORU.  And while the ORU Singers are getting ready to sing right now, I want to say to you as a parent or as a grandparent, or as an aunt or uncle of someone who is interested in ORU, or as a young person who would like to attend ORU, there are still a few spaces available for the fall semester coming up in August.  We begin our fall semester around the last week or so of August.  All you have to do is pick up your telephone and call the Abundant Life Prayer Group at area 918-495-7777.  Now when you do, they will ask you some questions that will facilitate us to get information to you such as your social security number, your year of high school graduation, whether you just graduated from high school or whether you are transferring from another school, your grade point average, your SAT or ACT scores, whichever are the ones you need for ORU.  We can help you.  And there are scholarships available in some categories so don’t let the lack of funds turn you off on trying.  Call us and let us know.  There are still a few spaces available for the fall semester. Right now the Oral Roberts University Singers are going to minister one of the greatest gospel songs ever written, “How Great Thou Art.” (APPLAUSE)

SPKM ORU SINGERS  SONG How_great_thou_art  (APPLAUSE)   AD02 PROMO for RR’s Album, “I Am Determined” for a Seed-Faith gift of $10.  (APPLAUSE)

SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS You can have your own copy of my brand new album, “I Am Determined,” or the cassette, “I Am Determined.” All you need to do is sow a seed of $10 or more into this healing ministry for everything we’re doing for God.  There you can see it on your screen now.  Ask for the album or the cassette.  Just say, “Richard, please send me the album, or the cassette.”  Write me:  Richard Roberts, Tulsa, Oklahoma, or in Canada:  Richard Roberts, Toronto, Ontario.  Or you can sow a seed-faith gift on your credit card by calling the Abundant Life Prayer Group at 918-495-7777.  There is the number on your screen right now, and I will rush the tape or record album immediately to you.  Just let me know which one you want and we’ll put it into the mail. We were talking about the upcoming fourth annual Oral Roberts Ministers’ Conference in association with the Charismatic Bible Ministries Fellowship this next June and I thought it would be most appropriate for you to hear one of the most unusual testimonies that has come out of this past year’s conference.  My special guests today are Steve and Denise Vickers from Montgomery, Alabama, pastors of Christian Life Church. (APPLAUSE)