SPKM DON POTTER Thank you. This is a song, a tiny bit of preempt I’ll give you ahead of it. This is called “First Love.” It really deals with coming to the Lord in a real way, but more than that, seeing the faults of all of our friends and fellow Christians and whatever and loving them through them. I thought every Christian was perfect when I first saw them. I assumed that they were all wonderful, which they are, but then someone said, “Oh, wait till you get to know a few.” They thought and sure enough, there were a few that were not as wonderful as I would have hoped, I guess, you know. And the bubble sort of disappeared. Then I realized the Lord had something much stronger than just a false bubble. It was a commitment to walk with the brethren, regardless of what you think of them.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Don Potter and I are joined today by my good friend Dino Kartsonakis. Dino, God bless you, and welcome. You know, Dino, nobody ever lets you talk. They think that your last name is At The Piano, Dino At The Piano. They don’t know that your last name is Kartsonakis. They don’t know that you’re Greek. Of course anybody who looks at you can tell that you’re not, you know, you’re not from Denmark. But
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS Or Switzerland.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Or Switzerland. But nobody ever lets you talk. And I don’t think I’m going to let you play your piano today. I just think I’m going to let you talk. Why is that, Dino? Why don’t people let you talk?
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS I don’t know. I don’t know, because I can talk.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Do you speak Greek also?
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS I can speak a little Greek.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Don’t on this program because I don’t
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS The only phrase I like to say in Greek that everyone needs to learn how to say is that means, I love you very much.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS I receive that.
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS That’s a very good one. Oh, O.K.
SPRR RICHARD ROBERTS Dino, where have you been, what have you been doing? I understand you’ve just returned from Haiti. What’s going on in your life? What’s going on in your ministry?
SPKM DINO KARTSONAKIS You know, I had no idea, when I came forward when I was seven years old in Glad Tidings Tabernacle in New York City, and accepted Jesus Christ in my heart, I really had no idea God was going to use me as He has the past even five years. Of course I’ve played the piano since I was three years old. But it was seven years old when I made that commitment to the Lord. And it was then that He had this whole thing planned, you know. A lot of people see me primarily as a performer, entertainer, and a gospel entertainer. But I like to see myself as an ambassador for Jesus Christ, you know. Three years ago you may recall I recorded a record with the London Symphony for World Vision. And that record for Ethiopia brought in over three million dollars, and that like said something to me, you know, that people are responding because God’s allowing them to respond because of the missions, the people that need to be helped.