S1: Hi friend, thank you so much for downloading this podcast
S1: and I truly hope you hear something that edifies encourage, equips, enlightens,
S1: and then gets you out there in the marketplace of ideas.
S1: But before you go, I want to tell you about
S1: this month's truth tool. It's called Have You Ever Wondered?
S1: And I absolutely love this topic because if you're like me,
S1: going out into the night sky and looking up and
S1: seeing a million stars, don't you just stop and think
S1: about God? And are you not in a moment of
S1: awe and wonder or looking out over the vast expanse
S1: of an ocean and you start thinking, what is man,
S1: that thou art mindful of him? And it makes you
S1: wonder about the magnificence of God? I think that sense
S1: of wonder was put there on purpose, and this wonderful
S1: book includes a composite of multiple authors who have written
S1: from their perspective as a scientist, or a historian, or
S1: a mathematician or an artist, on why they all have
S1: this sense of awe through the work that they do.
S1: In other words, the heavens declare the glory. And as
S1: it tells us in Romans, we are really without excuse
S1: because his handiwork is everywhere. And this book invites you
S1: to walk through the chapters written by people who all
S1: have a sense of awe and wonder when it comes
S1: to God through their various disciplines in life. It's an
S1: amazing book and it's yours. For a gift of any amount,
S1: just call 877 Janet 58. That's 877 Janet 58. Ask
S1: for a copy of Have You Ever Wondered? And we'll
S1: send it right off to you as my way of
S1: saying thank you, because we are listener supported radio. Or
S1: you can go online to in the market with Janet Parshall.
S1: When you're also on the website, consider becoming a partial partner.
S1: Those are people who give every single month at a
S1: level of their own choosing. You always get the truth tool,
S1: but in addition to that, you get a weekly newsletter
S1: that includes my writing and an audio piece just for
S1: my partial partners. So 877 Janet 58 or the website
S1: in the market with Janet parshall.org consider becoming a partial
S1: partner or asking for this month's truth tool. Have you
S1: ever wondered? And now please enjoy the broadcast.
S2: Welcome to In the Market with Janet Parshall. Today's program
S2: is where Janet and her husband, Craig, take some of
S2: the stories making headlines this week and offer their insight
S2: and analysis. Before they get started, let's take a quick
S2: look back at some of the highlights from the week.
S3: When some new idea comes in to challenge those reigning paradigms,
S3: it's often treated with some contempt. And this is exactly
S3: what is going on with intelligent design and Darwinian evolution
S3: right now. Neo-darwinian evolution, for better or for worse, is
S3: the reigning paradigm within biology for how life arose and
S3: and diversified to all the forms we see today. Intelligent
S3: design is coming and saying, actually, there are other scientific
S3: ways to look at this question that are not mechanistic,
S3: that are not naturalistic. We can actually use our understanding
S3: of what intelligent agents can to do, can do to
S3: better understand how we can explain the complexity of biology.
S4: Satan knows the Bible very well, and when he looks
S4: at the entire Council of God, he's not omniscient, but
S4: he knows his Bible. He knows that at some point
S4: in the future, the the Jewish people are going to
S4: go through with a bunch of people through the tribulation.
S4: Some will survive, some will not. Those who survive will
S4: call on Yeshua, will say, Baruch Hashem Adonai. Blessed is
S4: he who comes in the name of the Lord, and
S4: that will usher in the second coming of the Messiah.
S4: When that happens, Satan is out of a job and
S4: he does not like his retirement plan.
S5: What do you call it when you say to a
S5: mother you can kill your baby one hour before they
S5: are born, but if you kill them an hour after
S5: they are born, you'll be prosecuted. And the answer, of course,
S5: is that this bill was it is not. It's not
S5: even about abortion. It's about infanticide. And one of the things,
S5: and you and I have talked about this before, I've
S5: been saying this for years as the West turns away
S5: from Christianity, particularly in the United Kingdom. We are not
S5: progressing to a secular nirvana. We are regressing to a
S5: Greco-Roman pagan view of the world.
S6: The New Testament like a beautiful rainbow, beginning with the
S6: first coming and ending with the second coming of Jesus.
S6: And so even when you look at the whole Bible,
S6: Genesis and Revelation are just perfectly corresponding bookends. You know,
S6: from creation to new creation and from the garden to
S6: the new Jerusalem. And so I commend to people, both
S6: biblical theology and looking at, at the Bible more synthetically,
S6: you know, how the different parts all fit perfectly within
S6: the whole library of the 66 books of Scripture.
S2: To hear the full interviews from any of those guests,
S2: go to In the Market with Janet Parshall and click
S2: on Past programs. Here are some other stories making headlines
S2: this week.
S7: European Union leaders are to be presented with a choice
S7: by the European Commission. Get a quick trade deal with
S7: the US at the cost of Washington getting better terms,
S7: or escalate the fight in the hope of something better
S7: in Nairobi.
S8: Some are making money out of protests that shook the
S8: Kenyan capital on Wednesday. Others are counting the cost after
S8: confrontations between police and protesters turned chaotic.
S9: US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr's newly appointed panel of
S9: vaccine advisers met for the first time on Wednesday.
S10: Shell has denied reports it's in talks with BP regarding
S10: a takeover. The Wall Street Journal said Wednesday that negotiations
S10: were at an early stage, but shell said no talks
S10: were taking place.
S2: Janet and Craig have lots to share and they'll put
S2: the first story on the table when we return. To
S2: get more information or to download the podcast of any
S2: of the interviews, go to. In the market with Janet Parshall.
S1: The questions that matter most often come while watching a sunset,
S1: or listening to music, or looking into the night sky.
S1: That's why I've chosen. Have you ever wondered, as this
S1: month's truth tool? God draws us to himself through a
S1: sense of awe and wonder, and this book will help
S1: you discover how. As for your copy of have you
S1: ever wondered when you give a gift of any amount
S1: in the market, call eight 7758. That's eight 7758 or
S1: go to in the market with Janet Parshall. Happy Friday
S1: to you friends. So glad we're going to spend this
S1: hour together. Mr. Craig Parshall is with me. We take
S1: a look at all kinds of stories making headlines through
S1: the lens of Scripture. If you're interested, by the way,
S1: our first hour today, Craig and I talked about some
S1: of the major Supreme Court cases that were handed down
S1: yesterday and today. Very important, dealing with some pretty big issues,
S1: not the least of which is a reaffirmation of parents
S1: rights and the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
S1: Thank you Lord, what a great decision. So you didn't
S1: miss it, because all you have to do is go
S1: where you find your favorite podcast and download in the
S1: market with Janet Parshall, and you will have heard everything
S1: we talked about the first hour. Glad you're with us
S1: this hour, by the way. I looked at my calendar
S1: and I can't believe it. I blinked, I put my
S1: Christmas decorations away and now it's time to put up
S1: the American flag, because the 4th of July is right
S1: around the corner. But Tuesday is the 1st of July,
S1: which means from today until midnight on the last day
S1: of June. If you don't yet have your copy of
S1: Have You Ever Wondered? Well, it goes back in the bookshelves.
S1: So please, I want you to get a copy of it.
S1: It's my way of saying thank you when you financially
S1: support in the market with Janet Parshall. And you can
S1: do that for a gift of any amount. All you
S1: have to do is call 877 Janet 58 877 Janet 58. Say, hey,
S1: I'd like a copy of. Have You Ever Wondered? We'll
S1: send it off to you. It's my virtual hug around
S1: the neck, and my way of saying thank you for
S1: financially supporting this program. You can do it online too.
S1: I know some of you are very gifted in this
S1: tech stuff. Just go to in the market with Janet Parshall.
S1: Scroll to the bottom of the page. There's the cover
S1: of the book. Click it on and get your copy of.
S1: Have You ever Wondered? While you're there, consider becoming a
S1: partial partner. That is my ever increasing number of sweet,
S1: precious friends who give every single month at a level
S1: of their own choosing a you always get the truth tool,
S1: and b you'll get a weekly newsletter that includes my
S1: writing and a bit of audio just from my partial partner,
S1: so that's yours as well. So think about pray about
S1: being a partial partner or get a copy of Have
S1: You Ever Wondered 877, Janet, 58 or online at In
S1: the Market with Janet Parshall. Org by the way, have
S1: you ever wondered is a compilation of authors under the
S1: editorial leadership of Andy Bannister, who's been on this program.
S1: He lives in the UK. Such a wonderful guy, and
S1: it really is about how we have awe and wonder,
S1: particularly on these summer nights. Oh, with all this heat,
S1: if you're not having a rainstorm, look up there and
S1: the skies are twinkling with stars. God made them all.
S1: The Bible says he hung them all and he named
S1: them all. I don't know about you, but my little
S1: Mickey Mouse mind can't take all of that in. And
S1: I am filled with awe and wondered. Our God is
S1: an or some God. In fact, the word or should
S1: really only be used about God rather than boy, wasn't
S1: that ball game awesome? No. Awe is reserved to God himself,
S1: and he puts that sense of awe and wonder in us,
S1: not by accident, so that we might hunger for something bigger,
S1: something greater, someone bigger and greater than us. And that's
S1: the great and glorious King himself. I love this book.
S1: It'll stir your heart. It'll make you say, wait a minute.
S1: Why am I always happy when there's a happy ending
S1: to a story? And why do I think that this
S1: isn't going to satisfy me? And why do I still
S1: have a hunger after I try that? But I'm still
S1: wanting something more. All of that and more gets addressed
S1: in the book. Have you ever wondered? So goes away.
S1: Midnight Monday 877 Janet 58 or online at In the
S1: Market with Janet Parshall. We're going to start out by
S1: giving you an update on two cases that we talked
S1: about before that I think are important. And I think
S1: we owe you the duty of giving you an update
S1: When some of these cases happen, there's a camp called
S1: I'd Rather Have. Jesus. Uh, and it's. I can't even
S1: say the name, but they the letters stand for. I'd
S1: rather have Jesus. It's a Christian camp. It's in Bailey, Colorado.
S1: My Colorado friends will know what camp I'm referring to.
S1: They were told that they would have to let children
S1: be indoctrinated by the trans cult. Whenever facilities were going
S1: to be used by people. The boy went to this
S1: Christian camp and he said, you know what? I'm a
S1: girl and he's going to show up and he's going
S1: to use the other bathroom. The camp said, no, no,
S1: that's going to be a problem. We we just don't
S1: think that's going to work for us. And so we
S1: have some big concerns. Well, they asked for an exemption
S1: being a religious camp after all. And Colorado, guess what?
S1: Because boy are they aggressive there. We're praying for you. Colorado. Uh,
S1: they refused to give in and said, no, we're not
S1: going to give this protection to this Christian camp by
S1: any stretch of the imagination. Well, then along comes a
S1: little group called Alliance Defending Freedom. And they said, okay, well,
S1: I'll meet you at Eurasia and we're going to see
S1: what we can do. So rather than having this go
S1: all the way through, they made an exception. Thank you, Lord,
S1: to allow the camp to continue freely practicing their religious
S1: free their beliefs that 99.99999% of all human beings throughout
S1: the world would agree with Craig. Why is this such
S1: a victory?
S11: Well, it's a victory number one, considering the state of Colorado.
S11: It has been. And we got close friends. We love
S11: the people of Colorado, but the power structures, the political
S11: power structures in Colorado are a hot mess. Uh, they
S11: seem to enjoy. And they certainly have become experts in
S11: targeting Christians of faith who have sincerely held beliefs about
S11: not participating. As the Apostle Paul says in the very
S11: evil that they don't agree with. But Colorado says, oh,
S11: you will, or we'll be. You'll be fine. You'll be
S11: sent to an education camp, basically. Um, and you'll lose
S11: a lot of your civil liberties that other people have
S11: that are first class citizens. You'll be a second class citizen.
S11: So Colorado has been in a troubled state for some time.
S11: I hope that this is the beginning of a turnaround,
S11: where they're saying they're waking up to the fact that
S11: they are on the wrong side, not not only of history,
S11: but of the law.
S1: And they did more than back up. By the way,
S1: the state is clarifying in a memo on its website
S1: and in administrative guides that churches, synagogues, mosques or any
S1: other place that is principally used for religious purposes are
S1: exempt from the requirements. Now, I'm going to say, given
S1: the hostility, and this is the state that gave us
S1: Jack Phillips masterpiece cake. Right. And I think creative 310
S1: is also from Colorado, too, if I remember. Right. So
S1: when you look at what they do when it comes
S1: to religious liberty in Colorado, it's a chilling effect. So
S1: this was good for this camp. I think I may
S1: have figured out how to pronounce it. I'd rather. I'd
S1: rather I'd rather have. Jesus, I a r a h
S1: a j e a rad day. That's it. You think so? Yeah. Okay.
S1: All right. Now, I may have that dead wrong, but anyway,
S1: the bottom line. I'm happy for the camp. So, do
S1: you remember another case that we talked about to this
S1: one was Washington State. Washington state, by the way, was
S1: going to have legislation called SB 5375. It was scheduled
S1: to take effect on July 27th. Oh, that happens to
S1: be today. Unlawfully targets. This is what some are saying.
S1: And this is a complaint that has just been filed
S1: by the Department of Justice. This is the update. This
S1: is why we're telling you, the complaint argues that this legislation, quote,
S1: unlawfully targets clergy and specifically Catholic priests by requiring mandatory
S1: reporting of abuse for clergy without exempting the professional. That confessional,
S1: by the way, which is supposed to be confidential, uh,
S1: in fact, the lawsuit reads the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation,
S1: also known as confession, is one of the seven holy
S1: sacraments of the Catholic Church. It is a sacred rite
S1: with roots that can be traced back to the origins
S1: of Catholicism. The seal of confidentiality is therefore the lifeblood
S1: of confession. Without that, the free exercise of the Catholic religion, i.e.
S1: the apostolic duties performed by the Catholic priests to the
S1: benefit of Catholic parishioners, cannot take place. And so I
S1: find it fascinating. And boy, do I admire this woman,
S1: the assistant ag, Harmeet Dhillon. Uh, she is in charge
S1: of DOJ Civil Rights division. And God bless her, she
S1: while she is not, um, a professing Christian, she is
S1: one who understands the invaluable nature of religious liberty. So
S1: good for them. And by the way, while this hones
S1: in specifically on Catholics, there is that that private confidentiality
S1: it would spill way beyond the confessional booth in its application,
S1: I'm sure. So give me your take on this.
S11: Well, this is a season of the return to reason
S11: And reasoned approach to the Constitution and to the long
S11: history of the law in the United States and much
S11: of the English common law that we inherited in the colonies,
S11: and then, when we became a constitutional republic, was imported
S11: into our understanding in the 1700s and into the 18th
S11: and 19th century. Um, and it has stood the test
S11: of time until very recently. Now, the confidentiality, uh, afforded
S11: it has been known by various names. The, the, um,
S11: the parishioner, uh, penitent, uh, clergy exception. Uh, it's also
S11: been just simply the clergy confidentiality. Confidentiality exception. And by
S11: the way, the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, uh, have adopted, uh,
S11: those kinds of confidentiality requirements. And the states have historically
S11: had them for two centuries. Now, suddenly some of the
S11: more progressive, quote unquote states like the state of Washington
S11: has decided, no, we're going to change the history of
S11: the law on this issue. And by the way, it's
S11: not just the Catholic Church. Uh, if a pastor of
S11: a Protestant church has a member come in or even
S11: a member of the public come in and say, I
S11: need some spiritual counsel, but I need your I need
S11: this to be confidential. Well, very often the the best
S11: work that takes place in terms of a spiritual breakthrough
S11: with a person who is burdened like that is the
S11: protection of confidentiality. And by the way, confidentiality has been
S11: extended to other important decision making processes. I'll give you
S11: as an example, jury deliberations are absolutely sacred and confidential.
S11: No one can force them to say what happened in
S11: the jury room, unless the jury themselves want to break
S11: that silence. That's confidential. You're voting when you vote. No
S11: one can put a gun to your head and say
S11: you're going to tell me who you voted for. That's illegal.
S11: That has been protected for anonymity and for the anonymity
S11: of your vote. So confidentiality here has a long history. Janet.
S11: And I'm shocked that the state of Washington would say
S11: we're going to obliterate all those hundreds of years.
S1: And the next time somebody shouts separation of church and state,
S1: just smile graciously. Because this is another example. Again, that really,
S1: while it's not in the Constitution, it becomes a cudgel
S1: for states like Washington who think they have the right
S1: to intrude in the church, the very thing that Jefferson
S1: warned against and promised he would protect when he wrote
S1: to the Danbury Baptist Society. The government stays out of
S1: the church. Period. End of statement. So I am very
S1: happy to see DOJ put some shoe leather into this,
S1: and we wish them all the best in their lawsuit
S1: against Washington State. We're going to take a break. Come
S1: right back. Now you've got an update because we had
S1: talked about both of those in the past. I want
S1: you to be current on this back after this. I
S1: love good news stories. Sometimes we have to dig a
S1: little bit harder to find those, but we got a
S1: bunch today. First we started, like I said last hour,
S1: talking about some really excellent decisions coming down from the
S1: United States Supreme Court. That's a good news story. Then
S1: we talk about the fact that the Christian camp in
S1: Colorado is protected. That's a good news story. Then we
S1: talk about the fact that the DOJ is going to
S1: go over this unconscionable intrusion into the ecclesiastical practices of
S1: a church and violate the privacy between a priest and
S1: a parishioner, and it will spill beyond Catholicism. By the way,
S1: the same vulnerability could take place in the pastor's study.
S1: That's good that DOJ wants to go after that. And
S1: here's another good story. And I was telling Craig boy,
S1: I'll tell you, you'll talk about these cases of exploitation
S1: until the cows come home. You'll do documentaries, ABC we'll spend,
S1: you know, Dateline and 2020 and all this other stuff.
S1: But when there's victory, when there's absolutely liberty and justice
S1: gets meted out, how come it's so quiet? Well, we're
S1: not going to be quiet. We're going to herald this
S1: from the rooftops. It was called Operation Dragon Eye. Officials
S1: are calling it the most successful child recovery effort in
S1: the United States. I'm sorry. Did you. Did you not
S1: get this in the news? Good. Well, let me tell
S1: you then. Operation dragonfly, a rescued 66 zero critically missing children.
S1: What if your baby was one of those 60 and
S1: they were in Florida's Tampa Bay region? It was led
S1: by U.S. marshals, and it involved over 20 agencies. It
S1: was a two week operation. Only the Lord knows how
S1: difficult this must have been. And it reflects a powerful
S1: example of justice, compassion and government working in unity to
S1: protect the vulnerable. These kids were ages 9 to 17.
S1: They were identified as high risk, mainly endangered by abuse,
S1: trafficking and exploitation. So the Florida Attorney General and U.S.
S1: Marshal William Berger confirmed eight arrests, including suspected traffickers and
S1: child predators. The suspects face serious charges ranging from human
S1: trafficking to drug offenses, with bonds as high as $250 million.
S1: Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department
S1: of Children and Families played a vital role, ensuring that
S1: each child received immediate physical and psychological care, and authorities
S1: hope this rescue is a turning point for the young
S1: lives involved. So there it is, shouted from the rooftops.
S1: Rent an airplane. Fly it through the sky. 60 precious
S1: children rescued from the claws of this demonic activity. I
S1: think that's huge. And again deemed to be the largest
S1: rescue of children being trafficked in the country. This is
S1: a huge story.
S11: There are those who, um, try to minimize the reality
S11: of the risk to children and youth in this country. Um, well,
S11: you know, statistically, you know, what are the odds? But
S11: one child is too many to be human trafficked. One child, uh, who,
S11: for whatever reason, finds his or her way on the
S11: street and without a home is so vulnerable to predators.
S11: And by the way, uh, a number of those who
S11: had been arrested and charged with these crimes were known
S11: sex offenders. So the the future of these children was
S11: very dire. And I just praised these Florida law enforcement agents, uh,
S11: and I, I wasn't sure from reading the background whether
S11: the feds were involved as well. But there there are
S11: a number of years ago there was a, I think
S11: close to 80, um, children had been rescued, um, down
S11: in Georgia. But it took, I think, close to a
S11: year of tracking and surveillance to be able to determine
S11: this and then find them and rescue them. So this
S11: is happening not in a third world country, but in
S11: the United States of America. And if you don't think
S11: that this is a problem in your neighborhood, unfortunately, think again.
S1: Wow. All right. That's good news story. Now let me
S1: talk about AI because hey, it's Friday. We love to
S1: talk about AI. Goldman Sachs said this week it's going
S1: to roll out an artificial intelligence tool that could be
S1: used to take over tasks traditionally done by junior bankers.
S1: What did Craig and I what have we said over
S1: and over and over again? You know, I it's more
S1: than just making a pretty cartoon on your computer top.
S1: It's going to end up taking away people's jobs. I
S1: care about my fellow man. I care about their ability
S1: to put bread on their table. I believe in human flourishing.
S1: I think it's a biblical mandate. And guess what? Now
S1: we've got the rise of the machines. And so, of course,
S1: this is fueling ongoing fears that technology is going to
S1: soon eliminate entry level jobs. So I will be used
S1: to generate efficiency plans in the Wall Street giant's investment
S1: banking and wealth management divisions by helping employees with everyday tasks.
S1: According to an internal memo that was circulated and eventually
S1: got out to the press. Mhm. Uh, in fact, it's
S1: interesting because Goldman Sachs, their CIO, uh, said this today
S1: marks an important moment in our AI journey as we
S1: are excited to announce the firmware launch of the AI assistant.
S1: We're giving them names now the first generative AI powered
S1: tool to reach this scale. So apparently the David Solomon
S1: led financial powerhouse had previously rolled out the tech to
S1: about 10,000 of its estimated 46,500 global employees. I'm. I
S1: got to tell you, I'm. You know, they're all about
S1: the bottom line. That's why they're bankers. That's why they're
S1: Goldman Sachs. I get it. But it breaks my heart
S1: because somebody's going to lose a job because of a machine. I,
S1: I don't call that progress. I that makes this kind
S1: of a story. Makes me unhappy.
S11: You know, I read this story, um, and I immediately thought,
S11: and this is going to show, you know, my proclivity
S11: for certain movies that you and I enjoy. But I
S11: immediately went back to the 1957 movie called Desk Set
S11: between Katharine Hepburn. She was a information librarian who had
S11: answered all wide variety of questions that were called in
S11: to her, and she'd do it from her own notes
S11: and her own knowledge. And then there was Spencer Tracy,
S11: who was the computer expert who would come in and
S11: he was going to replace Katharine Hepburn with a computer. Uh,
S11: if you're tired of hearing these I stories about how
S11: they're going to replace us, I'd advise you watch desk set.
S11: It's a great comedy. But also there's a lesson there
S11: that computers are not ready, nor will they ever be
S11: ready to replace humans.
S1: Yeah. And again, I don't know what the answer is
S1: to this because somebody builds them. The guy who builds
S1: the machine, the gal that builds the machine, they're making money.
S1: The people who buy the machines are buying the machines
S1: because it's going to cost them less money. And they
S1: don't have to pay employee taxes or benefits to a machine.
S1: I get it, but in the meantime, this is what
S1: happens when you take God out of your worldview. You
S1: don't see his image in your fellow man. Back after this.
S1: We live in complicated times and in the market. We're
S1: helping you interpret complex cultural issues through the lens of Scripture.
S1: Our team of partial partners is growing. And to say
S1: thank you, they receive exclusive information from me. In fact,
S1: I talk to you directly from my personal computer to
S1: yours by email. Become a partial partner today and you'll
S1: receive these exclusive benefits. Call eight 7758 or go online
S1: to in the market with Janet parshall.org. Org. One of
S1: the things Craig and I would like to do on
S1: Fridays is really and truly help us learn to discern.
S1: We talk about the Bereans a lot on this program.
S1: So these people tested the writings of Paul. They didn't
S1: swallow anything hook, line and sinker. And neither should we,
S1: particularly when it comes to the careful handling of the
S1: word of life holding fast to that which is good,
S1: not adding to or subtracting from, but absolutely teaching line
S1: upon line, precept upon precept, and not trying to bend
S1: and twist whatever you read in Scripture to fit some
S1: current cultural or political ideology that the person who's doing
S1: the teaching might have. When that happens, you are hearing
S1: a wolf, and it shouldn't come as any kind of
S1: a surprise. We need to recognize that sound, don't we?
S1: Matthew 715 says, beware of false prophets who come to
S1: you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. And
S1: that's just one of multiple verses that the Bible talks
S1: about with those who are going to come among us,
S1: and they're going to have all kinds of false teaching.
S1: It is imperative that you and I learn to discern
S1: either what we're hearing from the pulpit comes into alignment
S1: with God's straight truth or gray in between. So you
S1: read the word, and through the power and the inspiration
S1: of the Holy Spirit, that's your Geiger counter. That's your
S1: straight stick. That's your metric. Wait, wait, wait, what I
S1: just heard from the pulpit doesn't say that in the Bible,
S1: but that that doesn't come into alignment with. I just
S1: read from the word of God. And so Craig and
S1: I will oftentimes play what we call wolf audio. That's
S1: what the two of us call it, because these are wolves.
S1: And I'm not interested in naming the name of the pastor,
S1: tell you if that's a male or a female. And
S1: I'm never going to name the denomination because we, you know,
S1: we kind of root for the home team. And then
S1: you get so bound up in a particular denomination, you're
S1: not hearing the utterances. So it's out of the overflow
S1: of the mouth, out of the overflow of the heart.
S1: The mouth speaks. It is listening to what someone says
S1: that becomes imperative. So I want you to listen to
S1: this person who's going to tell the story of the demoniac,
S1: the Gerasene demoniac. This is an absolutely fascinating story in Scripture. And, well,
S1: just put on your thinking cap, listen with the ears
S1: on your heart and listen to what this person standing
S1: at the pulpit in front of a gay flag draped
S1: over the pulpit and draped over the altar and draped
S1: around the person's speaking's neck. Just listen.
S12: Loving this half life, he's he's alive. But then he's
S12: he's living among the tombs. He's socially buried. And his
S12: community describes him as dangerous. This is someone who would
S12: have been so separated from belonging and community. He would
S12: have been completely labeled as beyond help. But Jesus isn't
S12: afraid of him. Jesus opens with a question what is
S12: your name? Another thing that should perk our ears up
S12: in Scripture, just like in our day to day lives, right?
S12: Our names really matter. So when this man says Legion,
S12: for we are many, that means something. And that's where
S12: it gets explicitly political. Because Legion isn't just a word
S12: for a lot. It's not just like he whipped out
S12: a thesaurus and thought, what's a fun word? Legion is
S12: something really specific. It's a military word. And in this
S12: moment in time in history, it's a Roman word for
S12: a division of soldiers. The language that the man is
S12: using to name himself is the language of empire. He
S12: doesn't say I'm hurting or I'm broken or I'm alone.
S12: He says I am occupied. I am legion. The demons
S12: that have been tormenting this man are not just personal.
S12: They're political. They reflect the systems of domination that he
S12: lives under. And however we engage these stories of demons,
S12: whether we understand them as literal beings or we understand
S12: them as the language that the people had at the
S12: time to describe other afflictions. The gospel here is really clear.
S12: By using the name Legion. This man has been so colonized,
S12: so criminalized, so degraded, that he can only name himself
S12: by what is hurting him. That's what Empire does. It
S12: gives people labels instead of names. Undocumented. Unstable. Criminal threat.
S12: Other Empire teaches people to call themselves Legion. So what
S12: do we do with this today? With all the stuff
S12: happening in the world, in the world that I talked
S12: about at the beginning of our sermon, we do what
S12: Jesus did. It's not so hard, but it's so radical.
S12: We ask each other, what is your name? Not the
S12: name on your birth certificate or your email handle, or
S12: your real ID that you had to get but your
S12: real name, what the spirit calls you, the name that
S12: you claim when the chains fall off and no one
S12: puts them back on.
S1: Oy vey. Where do you start? With something. You know,
S1: when all else fails, just read the instructions so you
S1: can go to Luke chapter eight, verses 26 through 39.
S1: It is a fabulous story. So because she makes such
S1: a point of the person's name, let's talk about it.
S1: So she rightfully talks about the name that it was legion,
S1: meaning many. So if you look at a Roman legion,
S1: that was a whole lot of soldiers. Okay. So I
S1: don't think it's by happenstance that he's called Legion because
S1: the answer is right there to be found in Scripture.
S1: When Jesus says, what is your name? The demoniac answers, Legion,
S1: for many demons have entered us. In other words, it
S1: wasn't just one which would be awful enough. He's got
S1: multiple demons that have taken up residence on him, a
S1: legion of demons. And they, the Bible says, begged him
S1: Jesus not to command them, the demons to depart into
S1: the abyss. And this is where the large herds of
S1: swine shows up. And what happens? They get cast into
S1: the swine. The demons. Do the demons come out of
S1: the man? They enter the swine. The herd rushed down
S1: the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. And
S1: there's so much more to the story. And the man,
S1: of course, rejoices once the demons are gone. No, she
S1: had to take a sharp turn into politics. I'm sorry.
S1: Were they voting for Nero? Were they voting for the Epicureans?
S1: Were they voting for the Stoics? Were they voting for
S1: the Pharisees? Were they voting for the. Where does voting
S1: and politics come into this? This is a man who's
S1: occupied by demons, and Jesus rescues him and sets us free.
S1: The demons, she said, are political. I'm pretty sure they
S1: were not political at all, but hey, that's just me.
S1: Your take. Craig.
S11: Um, well, it's difficult to to try to decide where
S11: to start with, um, all of the errors that this
S11: cleric wearing a clerics collar in this church are committed.
S11: But let me give you the overview. When I heard
S11: this and read it, I thought, this is a perfect
S11: example of the danger of what C.S. Lewis said was
S11: the error of of naturalism. In other words, that every issue,
S11: even if it looks like it's a spiritual or transcendent
S11: or supernatural episode, for instance, some of Jesus's miracles, clearly
S11: supernatural in nature. But the natural person goes, no, I'm
S11: going to interpret this as a simple, natural act. How
S11: can I explain it in natural terms and demythologize the
S11: existence of any spiritual or transcendent spiritual aspect to this?
S11: So it couldn't have been a legion of demons in
S11: this individual, this man. It had to be a political
S11: statement of a poor, tortured soul who was being oppressed
S11: because the Roman Empire was in charge of his neighborhood. Um, no. No.
S11: As a matter of fact, the story goes on. And
S11: she this particular female cleric didn't expand on that. The
S11: story goes on to say that Jesus exorcised the demons
S11: and the demons, begged him not to, uh, begged him
S11: to send them into the swine because of what frankly,
S11: Jesus talked about in Matthew chapter 12. You see, the
S11: the demonic world exists, the spiritual world exists. And as
S11: Jesus explained in Matthew chapter 12, when someone is occupied
S11: by a demon and is exercised spiritually, that demon is
S11: ends up in a what Jesus described as a dry,
S11: waterless places seeking rest and finding none. It's a place
S11: of torment and so therefore they have to reoccupy a human.
S11: Jesus is not going to allow that sends them into
S11: the swine instead that go over the hill. That was
S11: an entirely supernatural reality, showing the supernatural power of the
S11: Son of God, not some political statement about the Roman Empire.
S1: I think the part that breaks my heart the most.
S1: And again, I man looks on the outward appearance. God
S1: looks on the heart. We read in first Samuel. So
S1: I can't tell you what's in this particular person's heart,
S1: but I can tell you what I think she's missing,
S1: and that's Jesus. Because if you read this, there's no
S1: sense of politics. There isn't any sense of the empire.
S1: The empire doesn't give people names. It gives them labels. Well,
S1: here's what happens at the end of this. Precious. Honestly,
S1: this is a story that puts a lump in your throat.
S1: So the man from whom the demons had gone, the
S1: Bible tells us, begged that he might be with him, Jesus.
S1: But Jesus sent him away, saying, return to your home
S1: and declare, how much God has done for you. And he,
S1: the person who formerly had legions of demons inside him.
S1: And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how
S1: much Jesus had done for him. So he goes from
S1: being a demoniac to an evangelist. And this poor person
S1: who is wearing the colored robes of the gay pride
S1: flag on her podium, on her body, and on the
S1: altar behind her, is so focused on trying to superimpose
S1: sloppy political thinking into the story that she missed Jesus.
S1: That Jesus was able to take a man who was
S1: in excruciating pain and somehow had been occupied by all
S1: these demons, and now he's so treasured what Jesus did
S1: for him. He wanted to follow Jesus the rest of
S1: his life. And Jesus says, no, just tell people how
S1: much God loves you and what Jesus has done for you.
S1: So I have to tell you, Craig, It breaks my
S1: heart because not only is it a torturous misinterpretation of scripture,
S1: you want the fancy word for it, it's eisegesis. She
S1: put there what wasn't there, as opposed to exegesis, where
S1: she pulled out of the scripture exactly what the scriptures taught,
S1: and in the process she missed Jesus. Oh Lord, please
S1: help us to never miss Jesus, particularly in your words
S1: back after this. So did you ever stop and think
S1: about the power of a name? I mean, how many
S1: times do we read in the scriptures where somebody actually
S1: has their name changed, right? And it's usually very significant.
S1: Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah. Um, we just look
S1: at who gets called Israel in the Bible, right? I mean,
S1: these names are so tremendously important. And when you have
S1: a child, I don't know about you, but in the
S1: partial household, boy, did we do a lot of praying
S1: before we named our children because we thought this is
S1: going to be something they carry with them for the
S1: rest of their life. So after much prayer, it was
S1: decided that when we had children, we would name them
S1: after people in the Bible so that we would always
S1: have an open door to talk about the attributes the,
S1: the good and the bad, because most of the humans
S1: in Scripture have just that. They have good and they
S1: have bad things that we can learn from. But we
S1: wanted to give them a paradigm of a person in
S1: history that we could turn back to and say, this
S1: was what they did right. Here's where their challenges were,
S1: and that would become an open door. So hence Sarah, Rebekah,
S1: Samuel and Joseph. And, uh, we for our house, it
S1: was the right thing to do and we felt very
S1: happy about it. But I gotta tell you, there's a
S1: precious baby coming into the world. That's going to have
S1: a challenge, because this baby is going to have an
S1: interesting name. In fact, they put out a baby shower
S1: announcement that says, join us to celebrate the upcoming arrival
S1: of our little bundle of joy. The baby's name is Chernobyl.
S1: Hope you can't make this up. Chernobyl hope. And apparently
S1: that showed up in the baby shower invitation. It was
S1: posted online under the title I'm Speechless. And Greg, there
S1: are a lot of clever people out there because there
S1: were people who commented. Someone said, I'm sure everyone at
S1: the celebration will be radiant. Another person said, speak for yourself.
S1: If I were a guest at the shower and heard
S1: that name, I'd have a total meltdown. This one? Are
S1: all friends invited or is this just for the nuclear family?
S1: Of course, this is referring to the absolutely horrible incident
S1: that took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Center in the
S1: former Soviet Union. It's just a terrible story. And then
S1: other people said, well, after this they can they can
S1: have Auschwitz, joy, Hiroshima love and Columbine kindness. This one said.
S1: Introducing new triplets. Nine over 11 peace Boston Marathon sunshine
S1: and Sandy hook radiance. So it's just amazing that people
S1: would put that kind of a name on for the
S1: rest of their life. Craig, your thoughts?
S11: You know, I tried to find, um, some positivity in
S11: this and I thought, did this dear woman who was
S11: proposing this name, was she, uh, kind of stumbling on
S11: trying to find an optimistic view for the future. In
S11: other words, may we never have another Chernobyl or. And,
S11: you know, that's where the hope part comes in.
S1: Um, why would you burden a child with.
S11: Exactly. In other words, think about the ramifications for your
S11: child living with that. Uh, would you call, you know,
S11: would they start adopting a nickname so they wouldn't have
S11: to be burdened? Uh, hi, I'm czerny, you know, I'm
S11: not Chernobyl. I'm. I'm Czerny. Um, on my journey. So, uh, but,
S11: you know, on the on the serious side of this, uh, names, uh,
S11: carry with it blessings or curses. Um, and you just
S11: beautifully laid out some of our thinking just in our family.
S11: And we know other families do this, too. A lot
S11: of thought about the name that's going to be given
S11: to a child very often thinking about names from your, uh,
S11: extended family or to carry on the legacy of the
S11: name of a grandfather or grandmother, uh, as a middle name, uh,
S11: and to be able to create kind of a link
S11: and an appreciation for the family that has come before
S11: and the attributes that they brought. So important names are significant. Um,
S11: so I'll pray for this person that they still have
S11: time to change.
S1: Hopefully that poor child. Wow. So at this point, I
S1: want to bring in a little common sense, because often
S1: what we talk about on Fridays really is just so
S1: lacking in common sense, whether it's this trans issue or
S1: some of the cases that we've talked about that the
S1: Supreme Court had to take up, or even the craziness
S1: of naming a child after a horrific human disaster. I
S1: think at this point, I want to call in your
S1: honor as my expert witness one, Andy Griffin. So you're
S1: going to hear a little craziness. And then here's the
S1: sagely wisdom that probably now you'd only see in black
S1: and white. And if you're lucky, you might find it
S1: somewhere written, but it's probably going to be shouted down
S1: by woke inclusivity language. And then again, there's this common sense.
S1: So you decide. Have a listen.
S13: When our children tell us who they are. It is
S13: our job as grown ups to listen and to believe them.
S14: Now, I'm afraid it don't work that way. You can't
S14: let a youngin decide for himself. He'll grab it. The
S14: first flashy thing with shiny ribbons on it. Then when
S14: he finds out there's a hook in it, it's too late.
S14: The wrong ideas come packaged with so much glitter, it's
S14: hard to convince them that other things might be better
S14: in the long run. And all a parent can do
S14: is say, wait, trust me and try to keep temptation away.
S1: Package with so much glitter. I mean that that's. I
S1: love the simplicity of that. But it really is profound
S1: because when you think of someone coming as a prince
S1: of light, right? And how deceptive he was and shiny objects,
S1: I mean, there's nothing new under the sun. And yet
S1: he just said it in plain talk. And what I
S1: liked was and he said it as a reminder for
S1: us never to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. No,
S1: I'm afraid it just don't work that way.
S11: I that advice beware of latching yourself to every shiny
S11: new thing rather than that. Say, well, what are the
S11: ancient truths that have stood the test of time from
S11: time immemorial? And you'll find those, by the way, in
S11: the covers of Genesis to Revelation. Walk in the word.
S11: Keep it as the guide for your life. Those are
S11: the ancient divine truths that are going to make sure
S11: you don't fall for the shiny new thing. You will
S11: hand handle, uh, life with the things that really matter
S11: and the things that are true, rather than the things
S11: that grab your attention and then melt away.
S1: Yeah, well, that's the joy of truth, isn't it? Is
S1: that it's eternal? It's the same yesterday, today and forever.
S1: It's knowable. It's objective. It applies to all people in
S1: all times and all places, and sometimes it isn't shiny.
S1: And oftentimes it's not new, but it still is the
S1: best thing that's out there. So seek truth. No truth.
S1: Follow the one whose name is truth. And I hope
S1: you have a great weekend. Thank you so much for
S1: joining us in these conversations there again, designed to have
S1: you take the Word of God and apply it to
S1: every single aspect of the world around you. God didn't
S1: make us stumble in the dark. He said, hear, my
S1: word is a lamp unto your feet and a light
S1: unto your path. Here I'm going away. And if I
S1: don't go away, you're not going to have the benefit
S1: of the comforter, the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
S1: He hasn't left us. He hasn't left us on our
S1: own by any stretch of the imagination. I don't know
S1: about you, but in a world turned upside down and
S1: on Fridays we point to all the upside down craziness
S1: in the stranger things out there. Just cling to Jesus.
S1: He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We'll see
S1: you next time, friends.