In the spring of 2006, one satellite evangelistic series captured the attention of thousands of people around the world. From March 10 through April 8, "Revelation Speaks Peace—Unlocking the Signs" (NET 2006) was uplinked live from Phoenix, Ariz. At the end of the series, pastors baptized more than 550 people in Phoenix, in addition to thousands more across the nation.
Although it was a North American Division event uplinked from Phoenix by the ACN/Esperanza Channel (and also picked up by the Hope Channel and 3ABN), It Is Written heard from people in places as far away as Australia, Mexico, the Philippines, France and South Africa. “We received calls and e-mails from people all over the world who were watching the series in a local church,” said It Is Written Speaker/Director Shawn Boonstra of the church participation. “Thanks to the hard work and prayers of local pastors and church members, these people made decisions for Christ.”
It Is Written held the event in Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre where Boonstra preached twice every night to accommodate the crowds. The first meeting at 5 p.m. was uplinked via satellite, and the second meeting began at 7:30 p.m. According to local coordinators, approximately 3,000 people attended at least one of the two sessions each night on the weekends.
Boonstra felt encouraged by the volunteer effort of the Arizona Conference and Souls West volunteers. “Each night, 100 to 200 pastors and church members helped us with hosting, greeting, grading Bible studies and other activities at the theater. Their commitment was outstanding,” he said.
Prayerful Preparation
It Is Written chose Phoenix as the location for these meetings when the Arizona Conference invited the ministry to come to the city for evangelistic meetings.
The Celebrity Theatre was soon chosen as the event location. Boonstra was excited by the idea that this venue—which has hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment—could be turned into a place where people would uplift the name of Jesus.
The Meetings Begin
On March 10, Boonstra preached the first sermon to the satellite and local audiences. Arizona President Duane McKey was instantly struck by the surprising demographics of the Phoenix crowd. He had assisted with many evangelistic series in the past and noted that they usually attracted an older crowd. However, after viewing the nightly crowds during Unlocking the Signs, he said, “We had a very young audience—it was thrilling to see.”
As the nights progressed, story after story emerged from Phoenix:
Event Security Guard Makes a Decision for Christ
Over the course of a few nights, Dick Wilcox noticed that one of the security guards was listening to each nightly program very intently. He could tell that she was eagerly soaking up the truth, and one night he approached her and said, “For some reason, I have a feeling that the Lord has been working on your heart.” Tears started streaming down her face and with a smile she asked, “Does it really show that much?” She told Wilcox that she wanted to study with a pastor in preparation for baptism. A few nights later she was standing in the waters of baptism and exclaimed, “This has been the happiest time of my life!”
Two Nurses “Seek the Truth”
One evening, two nurses approached pastor Claudio Martin. They had just heard Boonstra preach about the Sabbath and pointedly asked him, “Are you a pastor?” to which he responded in the affirmative.
“Then how come you pastors have been deceiving us for so long? Don’t you read the Bible? Why haven’t you been telling us to worship on Saturday as the Sabbath?” they asked.
Martin explained, “I absolutely believe that we all need to follow the truth. Because of that fact, my church meets every Saturday for worship.” The women were extremely happy to learn that there was a Sabbath-keeping church near them, and Martin gave them his information so they could begin a personal Bible study in preparation for baptism.
Canceled Motorcycle Trip Results in a Changed Life
A man named Lee had been extremely disappointed after his weekend motorcycle-riding trip was canceled due to an uncommonly heavy rainstorm in the Phoenix area. Disappointed, he spent the weekend at home and decided to watch television on Sunday morning. That is when he saw It Is Written and an invitation to come to the meetings. Five weeks later, he was a changed man who now had a new church home.
“The Signs” Via Satellite
The amazing stories were not limited to the Phoenix area. Nearly 1,000 churches in North America—and many more around the world—participated via satellite. Here are just a few of the responses:
A Presbyterian pastor and his wife had been watching the meetings and said, “There have been a lot of questions in my mind for years, and it is all so clear now. I don’t know how I can go back to my church and preach the way I’ve been preaching.” He is currently taking Bible studies with an Adventist pastor.
A Catholic man named Joe wrote to say, “There are no words that can express the huge impact these sessions have had on my life. I’ve really enjoyed listening to information right out of the Bible. I am so blessed to have attended every session so far, and I am really proud of the commitment I have made to Jesus Christ.”
Pastor Dave Recalde wrote from Pasadena, Calif., to say that they had 50-70 visitors attending each night, including a Protestant minister from Japan and a 91-year-old man who said that he had “canceled all evening appointments as not to miss any of the meetings.”
Miraculous Results
By the end of the meetings, local pastors had baptized more than 550 people in Phoenix. And only heaven knows the number of people who accepted Christ in churches that carried the series across North America and around the world.
At the end of the series, McKey thanked It Is Written and Boonstra for coming to Phoenix. He said, “One of our pastors summarized this experience well when he exclaimed, ‘I will never be the same!’ We all feel that way about Unlocking the Signs. Our thanks go out to Shawn and the It Is Written team for this life-changing event.”
