SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS First generation, not second. First.
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON First…. and to rise to that particular level of being the Assistant Secretary of the Navy and in the White House. (APPLAUSE) But let me just tell you something. I want to tell you something about Oral Roberts University. You know, when everybody around was looking at private schools and so forth, there were no private schools that would open their doors in every department in there to the black race. I mean, you would go in there and you might find one but never in any position…. in fact, like singing with a group or helping with the TV SU04 programs and cameras, you never saw that. This university, Oral Roberts University, and I had been all over the country…. this university, Oral Roberts University, was the very first one in the United States that opened up its doors and all of its departments to the minority race, the very first one in the United States of America. Those are facts, they’re down, they’re even in the Library of Congress. By the way, we were looking there to see who was the very first one in there and it was Oral Roberts University. (APPLAUSE) And all over the country the people look to this as the beacon light for better understanding between races and so forth. I was asked this question. They asked me, “Why is it, Johnny, that Oral Roberts University has opened up its doors when none of the others even thought about it?” He was the very first one. And I said, “It was the Holy Spirit really was there. Others talked about the Holy Spirit, but they act upon the Holy Spirit, and they said, ‘These are God’s people regardless of what color, race, and creed, and kind, and this is going to be open for all the people.’” That’s the reason why they come here. (APPLAUSE)
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Well, we don’t….. just like you said, it’s not something that we talk about a great deal, we just do it. I could be very honest with you this morning and tell you that probably 25% of the support that comes in to this ministry comes from blacks. I thank God for that.
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON Praise God for that. I love it, love it, love it. (APPLAUSE)
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Per capita, they are probably the strongest and most generous givers to this ministry, per capita, of anyone I know. They are FOR this ministry because they feel like we are for them. Now is that what you’re trying to say?
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON Exactly. That’s the reason why. They believe that you are for them, this ministry is really for them.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS We have a very large percentage. I’d have to ask, but I’d say maybe as high as 20 percent of ORU would be blacks as well as we have some Hispanic students and other minorities. We believe people are people. They’re all God’s children.
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON I know that.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS We don’t talk about it a whole lot.
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON But you know what the rather beautiful part is is when you come here and you feel it. Now when I come in, I feel the love of the people that’s here and they just absolutely engulfed me with that love. That’s the most important thing. Now I want to tell you something ________________ you don’t know anything about this SU05 ____________________. I have a brother who is in California. My brother was reared up on your dad’s ministry. He went to the camp meetings and all of this. He watched your program and he called me last week and my wife told him that I was going to be on the program and he said, “Listen, you tell that young lad”.. (meaning you. My brother is almost 80 years old)…. He said, “You tell that young lad… you give him this testimony.” He said, “You give him this testimony.” He said, “I went to the hospital and the doctor said I had cancer of the colon, that I needed an immediate operation.” And he said, “The next day I was watching that young lad’s program and he said that God was going to touch somebody out there and he said that the Lord was healing him and he just put his hand right on where I was. Then he said to go and check it out and see if God has not healed you.” (APPLAUSE) And he said, “I accepted that and the next day I left and went to another hospital and I told the doctor, ‘Give me a thorough examination,’ and he took a whole day because I don’t get around as well, I’m a little slow, but a whole day and he gave me a thorough exam from top to bottom and he came to me and he looked at me and he said, “Amos, what are you talking about cancer? There is no cancer anywhere in your body?” (APPLAUSE)
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Johnny, what would you say to someone who is down, maybe who has a negative attitude, maybe they feel like life has dealt them a bad hand, that maybe they say, “Well, I just have not been able to accomplish, Johnny, what you’re been able to accomplish and there’s just no way for me.” Or perhaps they have sickness or disease in their body or something has gone wrong in their marriage or their home or their family or they are disillusioned in some way? What would you say to them?
SPKM JOHNNY JOHNSON First of all I would tell them to make a choice. You see, people choose to be where they are. It doesn’t matter whether you are negative or positive. You make that choice. You make that choice and you say, “I’m going to be set,” and you will be set. If someone says something to you, you immediately say, “I am going to get angry and I’m not going to like what he said.” So all of a sudden you become that negative person, but you could do it the other way. You could SU06 say, “I’m not going to get angry with that person. I’m going to forgive that person immediately and then I’m going to love them.” You see, love is the answer to all of your difficulties. The first thing you have to do is to forgive that person. Then when you forgive that person, you lift the burden off you and you can love them. You can’t love someone until you forgive them. And you must have that love that passes all understanding, a love that you cannot see, you cannot feel, but you know it’s in your spirit. Not in your head, but it’s in your spirit. (APPLAUSE) And every time you squeeze, love comes out.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Johnny, they’ve hurt me too bad and I can’t forgive them. I just can’t let this thing go.