Benny Prasad Speaks at Timesquare Church - 2011

[Applause] Thank You pastor cotta and it's a joy for me to be back here alive and I thank God for the gift of life that he has given me know I love to come back to Time Square Church is because I don't have to impress somebody here or perform but it's a home 17,000 miles away from home and I could still be the same Benny Prasad the way the Lord created me and that's a blessing for me Thank You Buster and many people started to come and ask me did you make it and you know when you ask that question there's so many thinks that can go on and the question was did you make it to the last country because last time I not come one country was left and God was so gracious he was so true numbers 23 was 19 says God is not a man that he lies he's not a son of man that he changes his mind and in 2002 when he gave me a vision to travel to every nation by 2010 he did not change his mind when the economy crashed you know he did not change his mind when when the nations were really going through those struggles with political crisis he still kept to his word he who began a good work and you is faithful to complete it and today I am able to tell the world with this one passport that God has helped me to travel to every single nation on earth every single nation and and he helped me to break the world record which was not it was a bonus actually God never told me about the world record but I came to know that there was a man who had a world record for traveling to every nation in the shortest time and by His grace I broke the world record by becoming the fastest man to travel to every nation 245 countries including Antarctica in six years six months and 22 days and to glory all glory to Jesus well there's a scripture in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 actually was 7 onwards he says he told them you don't get to know the time timing his father's business what you'll get is the Holy Spirit and when the Holy Spirit comes on you you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem all over Judea and Samaria even to the ends of the earth and I never knew that God had that as part of my life to the ends of the earth you know ends of the earth is very interesting there's a small little country called Pitcairn Island it's the most remote country in the world it's only accessible by boat once in three months provided you have a seat in that boat and God gave me the privilege to do the first-ever concert in two hundred years it has a population of 66 people and 52 people showed up for the concept so 80 percent of the country was there for the concert and and it and it happened because of his sovereign plan it's not because of anything else it is a sovereign plan and my friends hold on to his promise hold on to his plan for your life not what the world offers his ways are higher than man's face his thoughts are higher than man's thoughts if he could do that with a broken person like me he has a plan for each and every one of you depend on him put your faith in Him put your tomorrows into his hands because he can shape it in the most beautiful way for his glory and all remember that his sovereignty is not based on how your prayers have been answered how you feel about God how you feel about him today he is a sovereign God and he has the plans for our lives and he has his own timing timing his father's business let us dwell upon his timing and in his time he makes all things beautiful I'm just going to play a song for you all and share about my life the greatest thing that I love to share is my testimony is not my music music is only a tool and in 2004 when they didn't allow me to share my testimony at the Olympic Games in Greece I was so grieved and I prayed to Jesus said not they're not allowing me to share the greatest joy of my life which is not music it's Jesus so he gave me the idea to design a guitar the world has never seen so that people will be attracted to come and look at my guitar and ask me questions and I can share my testimony back to them and that's how he gave me the idea to design this guitar which is the world's first guitar with drums inside again at 15 the teachers told me not to come back anymore after my first day of music lessons because they told me I had no talents if God could take a worthless musician to designing the world's first bongo guitar imagine the plans he has for each and every one girl praise the Lord and then when I broke the world record CNN was very quick in being the first news channel to cover up I used to have a hat saying thank you Jesus and I thought I was smart to out beat the news but this time they were a bit more smarter by saying sir this is a secular channel and we are we cannot take this thank you Jesus had because it's a religious statement so they made me take off the hat and I was a bit discouraged and as I was on my way in the plane to the yram conference I was praying to God and saying God how can I glorify your name give me an idea give me an idea that's going to out beat these people so he gave me this beautiful idea and you had and this hat says thank you Jesus I'm an Indian and you know and this praise the Lord yes and this this is not just a religious statement it's a patriotic statement you know so till today no news channes able to take this hat off my head because that means they're questioning my my nationality so so praise the Lord praise the Lord yes and I want to tell you my friends no matter how difficult it is out there in this world you can ask God for creative ways to be his light to be his salt to be his voice to be his truth in this nation in this city and I'll tell you you will really become a great testimony that this land needs the nations need such a simple idea and yet it makes such a profound statement and God can do that in your life so I'm going to play the song again if God could use broken fingers where doctors told me with arthritis you will never be able to play an instrument if he could give me the strength to play an instrument like this he has a great plan for you plans not to harm you but to prosper you to give you a bright hope and a future but all that it takes is for you to surrender your life just as you are into his hands and I love him to mold your life in his time and according to his will naturally you will become a beautiful fragrance for his glory here on this earth and the life that's going to come there [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] if you're in Luke chapter 5 Jesus calls his disciples and it starts out was 1 2 3 he says once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gunnison the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the word of God he noticed two boats tied up the fishermen had just left them and we're out scrubbing their nets he climbed into the boat that was Simons and asked him to put out a little from the shore sitting there using the boat for a pulpit he taught the crowd first thing I want to say is never say it is chance our good luck our luck when God makes his choice I personally don't believe in good luck when people say Benny good luck in your travels I said I don't need good luck because I know of a father who knows my tomorrow he knows from the end to the beginning so I've stopped using the word good luck because I want to be careful with my vocabulary when people say Benny you are so lucky I said I'm so I am blessed I am NOT lucky I am blessed you know and I want to challenge you my dear friends that I don't know what background you come from but I want to tell you that you know you are not a mistake being born in this world I I thought I was a mistake my father was a scientist to design aeroplanes my mom was with a Christian radio station and looking at me as the first born they had such great expectations they put me the best of the best schools everything was great to the point when I was nothing but just the opposite of my father's expectations and I was called worthless useless I was beaten every day from the age of 6 to 16 had to get up at 4:45 in the morning to study when everybody used to go and play during the vacation times I was locked in the house to study this was my life and teachers called my mom and dad and said we don't need useless children like your your son take him off this time great we don't like to have him in a school this was my life and I was given wrong medication at the age of two from two til 16 I was on high dosage of cortisone steroids and doctors found out at the age of 16 that I have six months to live because 60% of my lungs got damaged and my immune system broke down and I started to develop rheumatoid arthritis and all these things the question comes where is God some of us might be asking that question where is God am I really a plan of God am I really a masterpiece of God with 40 percent lungs can you call me a masterpiece with just six months left with the medical reports can I be his workmanship it's a question and I want to tell you my friends when I looked at Jesus what he did on the cross for my sin for my life and when he said he could transform my life I remember at 16 I was at the verge of committing suicide it's not the greatest act in life I want to tell if there's anyone who is who is at that verge of thinking of committing suicide it's not at all a great decision but I thank God I heard his voice he said even though you are called useless I still need you I told him god I have nothing to offer other than my broken life he says that's all I need Benny is your life and I gave my life to Jesus having nothing no talents no education no health no future he takes my life he transforms my life just like what he promised in the Bible therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation the old is gone and the new has come and he brought newness into my life and he transformed my life and made me a new creation and no more I believe that I was a mistake no more I believe that I was a chance but I knew that God had a perfect plan for my life I knew that he could use me he could heal me completely and I also believe that he could use me with 40 percent lungs not wearing the shirt reminds me of going to tippet last month 15,000 feet above sea level had to go and perform for 100 orphan girls without a heater was impossible for me to even imagine with with fingers like this but you know I could experience the warmth of God 15,000 feet above sea level without a heater I could play my guitar and share my story a message of hope to these girls who have been rescued from slavery if God could do that with my life I believe that I am NOT a chance I'm not a mistake but I'm perfect plan of God just the way I am my friends I just want to encourage you today is no matter what background you come from how you were born so don't believe the lie of the enemy that you are a mistake your nationality was a mistake no I thank God he has given me an Indian passport because even though the world told me that it is impossible for you to travel but Jesus says Benny what is impossible for man is possible for me and today he can do that in your life he does not need our help he needs our obedience so get ready to hear his voice and to put that voice into practice and you will become a testimony of righteousness for his glory secondly then he goes on he says when he finished teaching he said to Simon push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch Simon said master we have been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow but if you say so I let out the nets it was no sooner said than done a huge haul of fish straining the nets past capacity they waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them they filled both boats nearly swampy then with a catch it's amazing Simon Peter could have even even questioned Jesus saying Jesus you are a carpenter and I'm a fisherman carpentry and fishing has nothing in common but yet you know Peter says because you say so I will do it second thing I want to say is never say never when God says now never say never when God says now and remember I had 25 dollars a month as my support in 2002 when Jesus told me I'm going to take you to the nation's and when I told him god I don't think it's possible with this then he makes it even more clear by saying I'm going to take you to every nation by 2010 it's not about what we have or how much we have no it's about just surrendering those five loaves of bread and two fish into the hands of the maker who can really do that impossible miracle so that he can get the glory today that's what happens with my past but recently when I came to Atlanta the security officer said sir can i escort you to the immigration I said yes he says not you sir actually can I hold your passport and take it to the immigration officer because he was like he felt so so happy holding this passport I go to the immigration officer instead of asking me these questions he says wow you have traveled to so many places so I gave him a bit of a geography lesson actually they're sharing about my travels and sharing and then he asked me where do you get the money to travel the best answer I could ever give his Jesus provides because he praise the Lord he he has the power he has the power to do the ultimate miracle in our lives let's hold on to him don't give up never say never when God says now I remember Pakistan was my last country the the government told there's only two ways I can go to Pakistan the embassy told me don't even come your visa is rejected automatically if you have a blood relative or if the government of pakistan invites you and there was no hope for me the only hope I had was the Word of God because God told me that he's going to take me to every nation and since he is not a man that he lies I could only rely on him holding on to his promises but I'm holding on to you but time is running clock is ticking but God is never late according to his time because timing his father's business you know timing his father's business and I remember going to North Korea of all the places if there is anybody in the wilderness you know this is a story for you I went to North Korea and on the 29th of April I arrived there there was this 43 story hotel called young Dokdo I came out of the 32nd floor I heard two people speaking in a local language in India called Hindi I turned around in shock and amazement and I said why you're speaking in Hindi they said no this is or two who do is 50% Hindi and 50% Arabic they asked me who are you I told him I asked them who are you they told we are the official delegation from the Pakistani Parliament then I told them my situation they said meet us at 10 o'clock at through room number I checked the room number it was diagonally opposite to my room you know it cannot be coincidence our good luck no way not in North Korea my friends not in North Korea and you're sitting here this evening is not coincidence it's a perfect plan of God receive that for your life you being born here on this earth is a perfect plan of God receive that my friends so I went there at 10 o'clock in the night took my guitar played a song for them shared my testimony found out that it was the Speaker of the Parliament of Pakistan was sitting there he says don't worry Benny this is a simple thing tell me when you have to go I will call the Ambassador and we'll do the rest of the things and when I went back to India I told him he calls up the ambassador ambassador calls me on my cell phone and he says the speaker called me just now can you please come to the embassy in five minutes I will grant your visa you know God did that most impossible miracle and it started off in the most impossible place but the best thing was to put my faith and trust in him time spent waiting on goddess who never raced it and he was able to accomplish what even the embassies told me it is impossible the man who told me that you will never get your visa was asked to grant my visa the same man the same man the same man he told me you will not get your visa the Ambassador asked him grant finish his visa in five minutes what is impossible for Jesus for the world is possible for Jesus Christ and I want to tell you my friends hold on to him the world might say so many things he is the greatest influence that we can ever have you're looking for a job be in the center of God's will great on him don't try to look for influences in this world he will do that miracle for your life so never say never when God says now moving on then Simon said master sorry moving Oh Simon said when he saw it fell to his knees before Jesus Master leave I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness leave me to myself when they pulled in that catch of fish were overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him it was the same with James and John Zebedee's sons co-workers with Simon you know the third one is that never say I am unworthy when God convicts your sin never say I'm unworthy you might be going through you you might feel the conviction of Jesus don't run away from Jesus run to Jesus run towards the light because when you come into the light it your sin is exposed and that's what happened when I saw the what Jesus has done for my life all that I could say is God please forgive me for what I used to think in my past and he transformed my life and made me a new creation he asked me to forgive my father many times we go through so many courses about forgiveness in terms of the world they go through psychological training distance this form it was simple when I read the Bible he says Benny you have to forgive forgive your sinners do good to those who hurt you love your enemies as yourself and I forgave my father overnight it was so simple because it was a win-win situation and my father looking at my forgiveness he transformed and today he is my best friend you know and Jesus can do that don't hold on to bitterness don't hold on to unforgiveness I remember first trip when I did to Russia in 2002 I didn't I don't believe in paying bribe no matter how dangerous the situation is and and it was tough and I didn't give bribe after 20 hours they deported me back to India and yet I decided I will never go back to Russia but God asked me to forgive and I went back seven times to Russia you know it is part of that process he convicted my sin and it's very important that we learn to forgive no matter how difficult it is he will give you the grace and the strength he gave me the strength to forgive my teachers the same school that called me worthless and useless this is a beautiful story of restoration the same school had the 25th anniversary they chose 10 students and call them the heroes are the stalwarts of the school and for some reason I was one among the 10 and and when this happened they asked the the since I looked very different with long hair and with a guitar and all the others were highly educated people they thought it was very safe to use me as the spokesperson for all the other nine and I went on the stage with my guitar and I told them you know I was known to be the most useless child in this school and I looked at the building and I told them this is what they used to think but when Jesus came into my life he transformed me and today I'm even called the stalwart of the school and the same teachers came back to me and they told me that many what you spoke will change the future of the school the teachers who called my mom and dad and said take your son off the school because he's a useless worthless child came back to me and said what you spoke will change the future of the school the difference is Jesus being born in my life that's the difference that's the difference and today he can do that he has done the most impossible thing my prayer in North Korea was to play a song of worship to the public and God did the miracle they said in 53 years no foreigner has been allowed to perform in public but just because it has never happened doesn't mean it will never happen God can do that miracle today he's a master in that and today this is what he has done they were about 3,000 people who had gathered and God gave me the privilege on the first of May to become the first foreigner to perform in public for 3,000 people a song of worship my Jesus my Savior Lord there is none like you you know God has given that favor an ordinary person he can take to extraordinary levels it's only possible with him today he can do that miracle what was impossible for me for my family for my nation for my even for my passport God did the miracle today he can do that because his word is true dwell on his word dwell on his word finally he says jesus said to Simon there is nothing to fear from now on you will be fishing for men and women they pull their boats up on the beach left them nets and all and followed him lastly never say I'm useless when God says I need you never say I'm useless when God says I need you and imagine God takes Simon Peter and makes him a Fisher of men and women for his kingdom if God could use Simon Peter if God could use Benny Prasad today God has a plan for you for his kingdom if God could take ordinary people for his extraordinary purpose if he could provide for me never asked for money never borrowed money debt-free he could take me to the nation's and this is the proof if he could do that with my life he has a plan for your life don't give up my friends no matter what you're going through he has the power to do the most amazing extraordinary miracles and I just want to close with this story I just want to give an altar call here if there's anyone here you have never known Jesus as your personal Savior I might be a runaway from God disappointed but this evening you want to say penny I want to give my life to Jesus I want to come back and fellowship with Jesus I want Jesus to be born in my life there's anyone like that this evening is your day of salvation the greatest day of my life is not the Olympic Games he's not when I finished the last country of my travels it's not the world record but the greatest day of my life was when at 16 completely lost broken shattered Jesus comes to me and he says Benny even though you're called useless I still need you the day when I asked Jesus to come into my heart when he transformed my life and made me a new person if there's anyone here you have never known Jesus as your personal Savior and this evening you want to say I want to give my life to Jesus you can put your right hand up please and I would like to pray for you yes see your hand put your hand down please yes anyone else Preston order yes I see your hands please yes yes please put your hand down please yes brother in the back you put your hand down please praise the Lord thank you Jesus thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] that song is called shout to the Lord and it talks about something that God is able to do that produces a shout inside of you I want to lead you in a prayer this evening and you have to make this prayer your own and if you make it your own jesus promises to come and be God to you promises to come and forgive your sin and to live inside of you and to make you into it the person that he intended you to be from the moment you were conceived in your mother's womb and that was no accident no matter what the circumstance was God allowed you to be born he knew you would be here tonight and he had a sovereign purpose for you that nobody else but he can fulfill and as you saw in this last song this evening he can take your broken life and make a beautiful song of praise to him out of it that's what he does with everyone who turns to him do you believe that tonight I do with all my heart praise God would you just lift up your voice to me tonight those that have come to this altar and those who need to pray this prayer and just simply pray this with me Lord Jesus I am a sinner I haven't lived right my life hasn't brought glory to you and I'm tired of living this way I don't want to live in sin anymore I'm tired of the despair and the heartache and the heaviness that living apart from you has brought into my life Jesus son of God I believe that you died on a cross to pay the price for my sins because you loved me and you want me back to forgive me and to live with you forever tonight I opened my heart and I invite you Jesus Christ to come into my life and be my Lord and be my Savior take the brokenness in me and make it whole again take that which has no value to man and produce of it something that is a value to God I give you the right to my life to all of my future everything I ever will be all that happens through me I give it all to you the only thing I ask you Jesus is that you make a sweet song out of my life do something in me that brings glory to your name I yield myself to this purpose guide me teach me and take me wherever you want me to go from this night and forward I will be by the grace of God a loyal follower of Jesus Christ I thank you for receiving me cleansing me and promising me that I will live in you and when I die I know that heaven is my home I'm deeply grateful I love you Jesus thank you for saving me amen

Channel: Benny Prasad

Views: 587,295

Rating: 4.8687 out of 5

Keywords: Timesquare Church, Benny Prasad, Instrumental, Bentar, Tribute to the Unknown God, Shout to the Lord

Id: Ntc6nvz9WQs

Length: 37min 15sec (2235 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 17 2013