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S1: Broadcasting from Chicago, across North America and beyond. It's Carl

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S1: and crew. Come as you are an experienced guide. Overcome

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S1: what seems impossible and live as you never imagined. Start

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S1: your morning with a laugh.

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S2: Practical from the Bible. Tips and tricks to kill. Not

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S2: tricks but tips and tricks.

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S3: Tips and tricks to kill. Tips and tricks.

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S1: Delivering the truth daily.

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S4: All of my attempts to, you know, prop myself up

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S4: with achievement in good works. Well, God wasn't impressed by that,

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S4: even if other people were.

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S2: The gospel changes everything.

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S5: Freedom in Christ. Man, it's like that backpack of cement

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S5: just falling to the ground.

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S1: Now from the call of Hope Studios, this is Carl

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S1: and crew doctor Drew Dickens with us right now.

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S6: I do not want to, nor should we. As Jesus followers,

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S6: we have this security that the world does not know.

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S6: My goodness. You look at the futures market this morning.

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S6: If there was ever a time to not. If there

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S6: was ever a time to not put your trust in

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S6: this world and its systems, it is now. And then

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S6: you've got in London this anti-Semitic attack on these ambulances

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S6: outside a synagogue. We've got what's going on in Iran

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S6: that's messing with the hormones straight. Now, Iran is threatening

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S6: to go after desalinization desalinization plants in Israel and beyond.

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S6: And that would really put us on tilt. I think

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S6: all those rumblings have our stock markets on tilt. Now

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S6: for a disciple of Jesus, and I want you to

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S6: hear my heart on this boom crew. We don't have

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S6: to get unnerved on this stuff. We can we can

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S6: settle into the reality that he who began this work

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S6: in us will carry it on to completion until the

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S6: day of Christ Jesus. Now, Drew Dickens has a doctorate

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S6: in this whole issue of the intersection of artificial intelligence

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S6: and spiritual direction, and I love to tease him. Seven

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S6: years ago, he couldn't get a phone call and now

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S6: his phone doesn't stop ringing. Drew, I want us to

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S6: get a lay of the land. What's going on with AI?

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S6: And I'm talking just bullet lists. Give us the headlines.

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S6: What's happening that we all need to know.

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S7: I tell some of the biggest buzz right now, and that's,

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S7: I guess, why we're talking this morning is Peter Thiel,

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S7: which is a name that many won't be familiar with,

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S7: but very familiar with what he's done. Uh, he's the

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S7: inventor of PayPal. He's a billionaire out of Silicon Valley.

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S7: He invented PayPal. So we all use that every day.

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S7: He was the first outside investor in Facebook, so he's

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S7: doing well. He started another company called Palantir, which essentially

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S7: is AI driving. What happened in Venezuela? What's happening right

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S7: now in the Middle East, in Iran. So it's AI

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S7: driven military contracts is what Palantir is. So he's very

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S7: much involved in that. But his passion right now is

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S7: he's traveling the world. He's in Rome right now. Uh,

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S7: he's been in, um, speaking in Silicon Valley. I know

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S7: he's been in Dallas. He's been all over talking about

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S7: the Antichrist, which, which is part of the drumbeat that

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S7: you and I keep talking about that, that, that, that

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S7: I keep coming back to is Silicon Valley has no

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S7: problem with the intersection of AI and spirituality. It seems

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S7: to be where the friction is. Is the church talking

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S7: about AI and spirituality? So there's a lot of negative

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S7: pushback from the church, which is we should be discerning.

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S7: But boy, Silicon Valley gets it. It's they, they see

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S7: the intersection and we don't. And that that's the that's

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S7: a bit of a frustration for me and why I'm

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S7: so excited about the topic with you guys this week.

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S6: So on that front, what is teal? What's he up to?

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S6: What's he trying to discern here and why? Why do

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S6: you believe he's got such urgency around this? And it's

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S6: not just teal. This conversation is being teed up all

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S6: over podcasts right now.

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S7: Sure is. And in fact, my, my podcast that released

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S7: just this morning is on is on that topic. You

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S7: mentioned that earlier, and.

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S6: We're going to have, we're going to have a link

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S6: boom crew to that here in just a little bit.

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S6: So hang on, go ahead.

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S7: And what's, uh, what's confusing is all these talks that

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S7: he's having are, are private invitation only with sort of

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S7: the cultural elite. In fact, his organization's called acts 17,

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S7: which he draws from Paul speaking at Mars Hill to the, uh,

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S7: cultural elite of the time. So, uh, to, to be clear,

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S7: I have not I'm secular, but I'm not elite. Uh,

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S7: so I've not been invited. Um, I've got several friends

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S7: that have heard him speak privately. Um, you're not allowed

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S7: to record any of the conversations. You have to give

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S7: up your phone when you come in. Um, there have

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S7: been some conversations that have leaked and others have talked

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S7: about their time with him. So it's hard. It's hard

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S7: to really nail it down. But but so much of

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S7: what he's talking about sounds so appealing to us right now,

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S7: is he is pushing against those that are negative in

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S7: their views of, of AI. Obviously, there's some self-serving aspect

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S7: of this to him because he doesn't want government regulation. Right? Um,

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S7: and so he, he sees those talking against AI as

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S7: part of the, uh, the, the, the threat to our humanity.

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S7: He sees that as a form of the Antichrist. Uh,

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S7: and so there's definitely some self-serving elements to this, to him,

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S7: but what, what I love that he's doing is he's

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S7: talking theology, uh, to the cultural elite who maybe have

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S7: never heard, um, boy, I want to be careful in

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S7: saying the gospel, but never heard a lot of this before.

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S7: And so I'm excited for that. Um, but he's definitely, uh,

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S7: drawing some comparisons to the Antichrist. Uh, to, I think,

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S7: serve how Silicon Valley wants to advance AI right now.

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S6: Yeah. What's fascinating about this is now you've got intellectual

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S6: elites that are discussing what used to be considered a

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S6: fairy tale in the Antichrist or end times theology. That's amazing.

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S6: Is it not?

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S7: Absolutely. And, um, Moody, you're having Charlie Dyer on who

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S7: I adore, uh, was a professor at DTS where I

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S7: went to seminary and he's with Moody. Uh, so, so

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S7: he will be able to speak to this in great detail,

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S7: but this is pre-millennial dispensationalism is what it's called, uh,

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S7: started in the 1800s, uh, by John Darby, um, embraced

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S7: by D.L. Moody. Um, it is the foundational teaching of

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S7: some of the foundational teachings of Dallas Seminary. Um, and

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S7: so premillennial dispensational, very big word for meaning that the

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S7: rapture will occur before the tribulation. Um, and we take

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S7: revelation 20, the thousand year reign of Christ very literally.

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S7: So that's the pre-millennial and the dispensation of revelation 20.

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S7: And so we take these things very, very seriously. Uh,

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S7: Peter Thiel has a very much is not aligned in

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S7: those teachings. Um, but, uh, you know, we need to understand, uh,

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S7: the foundations of those. If anybody ever read the left

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S7: Behind series, that's premillennial dispensationalism. Um, and so it's something

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S7: we're familiar with, but not, not haven't spent a lot

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S7: of time studying perhaps. Um, and that's what Peter is

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S7: bringing to these cultural elite. And so for that, I

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S7: applaud the, I applaud the, his time with it.

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S6: With whether you are pre-trib, Mid-trib or post-trib, though the

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S6: reality of the rise of Antichrist is real. And that's

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S6: common to all three of those positions. And so coming

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S6: up here in a moment, we're going to talk with

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S6: drew about this brand new podcast, who gets to name

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S6: the devil. And my question is, why would you name

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S6: a podcast that. Hang on.

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S1: Get your info from a source you can trust. It's.

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S1: Ask the experts. Week with Carl and crew.

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S6: Doctor drew Dickens, my guest right now. AI expert. He

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S6: speaks of artificial intelligence and the intersection of really spiritual

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S6: formation and not only went to Dallas Theological. He's got

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S6: a PhD in this whole idea of the intersection of

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S6: AI and spiritual formation. This is just awesome, man. God

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S6: made you for such a time as this. Why in

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S6: the world did you name a podcast? Who gets to

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S6: name the devil? What a weird name, drew.

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S7: Hey, it got your attention, didn't it?

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S6: Yeah it did.

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S7: You know, the Antichrist is an interesting topic and it's

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S7: and it's mentioned all through Scripture in so many different ways.

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S7: I mean, first, John, uh, talks a lot about it. Second, John,

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S7: obviously we can go to Daniel. We can go to

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S7: first and second Thessalonians and revelation. And each time, Um,

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S7: in context, the Antichrist is mentioned a little a little differently.

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S7: Sometimes political, sometimes theological. Um, and so that that was

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S7: the purpose of it in context of Peter Thiel out

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S7: there talking about it a lot. Um, so he defines

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S7: the Antichrist as more of a political movement than a

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S7: person will.

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S6: Be, but it starts with a single little horn coming

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S6: up out of an obscure European nation, reconstituted Roman Empire.

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S6: But it will become a movement. But it starts with

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S6: a man.

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S7: Absolutely. And Daniel seven, you're quoting. So. Yeah, absolutely. And

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S7: it is a person. Uh, and again, I have very

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S7: literal interpretations of that. Um, and boy, you keep coming

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S7: back and I loved how you started the segment talking about, uh,

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S7: second Timothy first John. We're not to be people of fear,

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S7: but of hope. And so it's easy to read some

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S7: of these things and hear some of these teachings and

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S7: really come away shaking a bit and especially looking at

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S7: world events right now. Um, but I want to end

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S7: on that, to make sure that people have hope in this.

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S7: Because no matter where you go on this, you keep

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S7: coming back to, as you were saying earlier, that kingdom

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S7: on a on a ball. So in in the end

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S7: we win. Uh, that that's the great news. That's the

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S7: hope that we have to take. Take away from all this. Um,

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S7: so much is going on around us right now with

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S7: AI is the roots of so much of this. Again,

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S7: I applaud Peter for being out there talking about revelation.

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S7: And he's kind of has has a message of hope

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S7: in it because he's saying the people that are that

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S7: are so negative right now are part of that Antichrist

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S7: movement that I disagree with, because I think we can

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S7: all be discerning people. But he does have a message

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S7: of hope that, uh, we need to use AI for good. Uh,

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S7: not bad. So I, I agree with that, but, uh, but,

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S7: but we should also be people that are discerning right

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S7: now looking at AI through the lens of scripture and

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S7: through the lens of the gospel.

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S6: It face value. AI, it seems to me, can do

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S6: something with the proliferation of a movement that nothing else

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S6: could have done for the last 2000 years. Is that fair?

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S8: Isn't that true? Yeah.

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S7: When I first came to Christ, my mom didn't. My

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S7: mom and dad didn't have a clue what to do

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S7: with me. And so she ran out and bought a

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S7: book called The Late, Great Planet Earth. Some of you

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S7: may be familiar with that back in the 70s. Hal

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S7: Lindsey Yeah. And so when I was reading that, and again,

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S7: we're going back now. Oh my gosh, 50, 50.

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S6: Years, 50 plus.

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S7: Years ago, I read that and I was scared to death.

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S7: And so really for the first time looking at hope

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S7: in that, but um, yes, I was reading and thinking,

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S7: there's no way something like this can ever happen. I

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S7: can't imagine a world like this where we're living in

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S7: that world now, where we can have the power of A.I.

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S7: drive so much of this for the first time. So

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S7: it's becoming a lot clearer, I think, how the enemy

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S7: might use some of this technology to advance. I mean,

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S7: we're looking at fake videos that that can be produced

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S7: and an audio. And so there's so many ways to,

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S7: to trick us into believing fake news and so on.

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S7: So yeah, we definitely have our hands on a tool.

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S7: You mentioned what's going on right now with AI, the

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S7: biggest movement. You and I have been talking about this

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S7: for a while on the show is Agentic AI, which

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S7: is autonomous. That can do some of much of this

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S7: things without us even prompting it to do. So imagine

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S7: that being in the in the hands of the Antichrist,

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S7: in the hands of the enemy. So we can see it.

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S7: But again, you know, we with belief in Christ and

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S7: the divinity of Christ, we have hope that, you know,

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S7: we will be in that kingdom on the globe, as

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S7: you said, uh, and that that Christ does win ultimately,

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S7: in spite of all this negativity.

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S6: Love it. Drew, what has you really excited about AI

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S6: right now and what has you concerned? And I'm talking

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S6: about the last ten days and boom, you're listening right now.

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S6: I need you to know AI is that exponential? Isn't

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S6: it true that things are.

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S7: Oh my gosh.

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S6: Uncorking every day.

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S7: I was reading an article even before the show started

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S7: this morning. I have an AI agent that goes out

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S7: for me overnight and pulls together the top five articles

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S7: on AI. Do you really?

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S6: Who do you give those prompts the night before to

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S6: that agent? Or what do you do? Or have you.

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S7: Said it always? I set it and forget it. I

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S7: wrote this a couple of weeks ago and it goes

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S7: out for me while I sleep and pulls all this together.

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S7: And so for for that, I'm thrilled. But one of

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S7: the articles that pushed me to this morning I was

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S7: reading before the show, um, is, is, is that exact

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S7: thing is agentic AI and the power of it to

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S7: be able to do things autonomously. We always think of

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S7: self-driving cars and things like that, but it goes out

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S7: and finds those for you and brings them to me

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S7: without me asking. Uh, so Agentic AI is super exciting

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S7: to me right now. Um, and we've done a couple

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S7: of shows on that. I've got several, many, many podcasts

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S7: on that. What concerns me though, is the same thing.

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S7: The proliferation of autonomous autonomy within AI that goes unregulated,

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S7: that we start to lose control when it starts to

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S7: write programs that we don't ask it to, that we

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S7: don't have any control over. It can get it can

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S7: get out from under us pretty fast. So I'm excited

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S7: about Agentic concerned about it when we don't have some, uh,

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S7: biblical and physical hands on it as well. And we

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S7: just let it go run in the wild.

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S6: I, my daughter tells me, and she's a bit of

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S6: an AI expert. Um, that was when she got her

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S6: PhD in Georgia. She was focused on that. And she

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S6: tells me, dad, you use AI, more than 99% of

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S6: the people that are on the streets. And I use

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S6: it a lot. And I agree and I use it

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S6: a lot. But here's here's the issue. I'm more concerned

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S6: about everyone listening right now who's freaked out about AI. Um,

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S6: who doesn't even know where to get started. So let's

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S6: take freaked out first. What do you. What do they

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S6: need to know? That should calm their hearts 100%. Other

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S6: than the fact that. And this is not the only thing,

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S6: but it's powerful. God's sovereign over all this. Drew.

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S7: Amen, Amen. Keep coming back to that. Yes. Not a

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S7: people of fear. God is sovereign. He is in control.

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S7: None of this surprised God. He didn't say, oh my gosh, boy,

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S7: I didn't see the AI thing happening. Uh, and it's

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S7: really you mentioned exponential. It's almost vertical right now. The

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S7: growth of this, it's just straight up. It's not an

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S7: up and to the right. It's almost straight up, uh,

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S7: of how it's being used. I'll take both issues at

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S7: the same time. And that's, and that's, uh, freaking out.

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S7: And what do I do about it? Um, selfless plug, uh,

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S7: with the AI and spirituality podcast, but, uh, follow along

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S7: and you are unicorn. You use it more than anybody

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S7: I think I know. So keep listening to Carl and crew. Oh, yeah.

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S6: No, I'm going to bring you in because I ain't

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S6: no expert on it, but it is a great tool,

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S6: isn't it?

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S7: It really is. And so I would say just first

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S7: thing is just log into everybody knows ChatGPT. There are

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S7: a lot of them, but just just log in and

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S7: start trying it. Just ask it a couple of questions

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S7: and start a conversation. We're all using it whether we

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S7: know it or not. It's now embedded in every every

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S7: time we open up a laptop, we're using AI. So

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S7: just take take the initiative and get in there and

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S7: start playing with it. I think we'll get over the

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S7: the freaked out nature of it, and it will start

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S7: giving you some sense of, of control that, you know what,

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S7: there are ways for me to be involved and engaged

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S7: in this. And that's what I would encourage everybody to

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S7: do is first, just try it.

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S6: Boom. I got to tell you, we got a real

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S6: treat for you today. We've got this brand new podcast

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S6: that launched 1 a.m. central time today. Who gets to

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S6: name the devil Peter Thiel? Rome and the Church's prophetic

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S6: moment is the subtitle of this podcast launch today. So

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S6: we've got a link embedded in this keyword that we're

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S6: going to have you send in, that has that, and

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S6: also to his broader blogs and you name it, he's

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S6: got every bit of content you can imagine right there.

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S6: So I want you to check it out right now.

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S6: I do not be in fear. We do not have

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S6: a spirit of fear, but of power and love and

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S6: clear thinking. By the way, self control. So let's step

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S6: into it today. Text the word drew to 800 555 7898.

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00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:07,000
S6: Text drew to 800 555 7898. And you're going to

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00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,479
S6: find some incredible content right there. Come and get it, guys.

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S6: Text drew to 800 555 7898.

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S1: Get to know the team behind the scenes. Follow Carl

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S1: and crew on Facebook and Instagram.

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S6: Get a deal with End Times for the entire week

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S6: from tomorrow on and we are going to have a

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S6: banner week. But the real question is how do we

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S6: live in these times? And even in the end times

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S6: where we don't lose our mind and we really hold

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S6: strong to our faith. In fact, we grow in the

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S6: grace and knowledge of God's goodness, his favor, his power

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S6: to do in us what we can't do in ourselves.

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S6: How do we do that? The metaphor Jesus gives is

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S6: there's two different kinds of people that are building a life.

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S6: Those that hear the word don't apply it, and they're

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S6: like building on sand. And then there's those that hear

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S6: the word and apply it, and they're built on a rock.

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S6: Same storms coming their way. Two different total outcomes with

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S6: us right now. Greg Dempster Oh, Greg, isn't it awesome

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S6: to talk about that? God is our rock in which

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S6: we are unshakable no matter what storms are coming our way,

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S6: my man.

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S9: I mean, that's the promise that God would do what's

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S9: necessary in us to help us apply to obey his

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S9: words and then find ourselves. Matthew seven on the Rock.

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S9: It's just it's just amazing.

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S6: You know, I want to begin with something. I want

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S6: to tell you a story, Greg, about my new, you know,

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S6: about my husky pup blaze that I got. I don't

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S6: know if you knew that. Okay, so you know about blaze.

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S6: So I tell this story. I've told it a couple

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S6: of times, but it's so cool. So I took him

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S6: out for a walk here. Oh, a couple months ago.

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S6: And we went, came around the corner. Birds are tweeting

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S6: Suns out. It was chilly, but all of a sudden wham!

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S6: This monster. I found out after the fact. It's not

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S6: a Rottweiler. He looks like one because I found the

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S6: owners of this dog guy's and he's not a Rottweiler,

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S6: so he's just a big old dog that looks like one.

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S6: But he body slammed this bay window. Greg and I thought,

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S6: he's going to come through that window now. My dog blaze,

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S6: he's looking at me and you'd think he's running at

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S6: the end of the leash. No. He actually circled around

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S6: me and put me between himself and that Rottweiler, thinking,

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S6: that guy's coming through that bay window, man. He's coming

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S6: at me. So I it was a, it's a it's

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S6: a cool picture of him huddling close to me. But

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S6: here's what's really cool, Greg. And you'll get this one

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S6: so easily. That experience that I had with Blaise that

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S6: day was the result of a bonding morning that I

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S6: had with him. So when he was a young pup

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S6: and I was having to sleep in the basement because

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S6: the minute he'd stir, it means that he's got to

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S6: go out or he's going to miss his kennel. And

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S6: I had hear him stirring at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m.

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S6: and jeans on out the door does his work. One

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S6: morning I woke up, though not to stirring, but to

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S6: the most unbelievable stench you can imagine. Greg. I mean,

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S6: it stunk to high heavens. And I'm like, oh no.

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S6: And in the dim lit basement, I look inside his

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S6: kennel and I'm like, oh no, he pooped all over

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S6: the place. And then he thought, well, I pooped. I

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S6: might as well go ahead and pee here too. So

387
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S6: it was just a concoction of mess he had laid

388
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S6: in it. He had slept in it a little bit.

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S6: It was mashed in his paws and I did something

390
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S6: so crazy. But I felt like he doesn't need to

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S6: be beat up emotionally right now. And I sat cross-legged.

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S6: I'm going to cry. For crying out loud. I sat

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S6: cross-legged in front of that kennel and I said, come here, buddy.

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S6: And he was so filled with shame that he could

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S6: barely look at me. And I said, come here, buddy.

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S6: And he lifted up his head a little bit, still

397
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S6: head down, and he took a step. He took two steps,

398
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S6: stepped into my lap. Now my jeans are totally wasted.

399
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S6: And now he steps up into my lap, fully leans

400
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S6: up against my white t shirt that's totally gone. And

401
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S6: I put my arms around him and I hugged him

402
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S6: and I said, I love you, buddy. And he looked

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S6: up at me and he's like, you gotta be kidding me, dad,

404
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S6: you love me. I said, I love you, bud. That

405
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S6: day we bonded and that's what formed his trust in me.

406
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S6: between me and that Rottweiler. That's a pretty decent picture

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S6: about why we need to get close and in love

408
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S6: with God, isn't it, Greg?

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S9: I think we carry things on our own. We feel

410
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S9: like it's our job to clean up the kennel regularly

411
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S9: when we're making messes in it. And what we need

412
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S9: to do is just what you described. We need to

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S9: come to a God whose arms are outstretched, who knows

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S9: that he's the only one that can make the changes

415
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S9: in us that need to be made. And, and as

416
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S9: we learn to come to him, as we learn to,

417
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S9: to move out of our brokenness and to, to the Almighty,

418
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S9: we find things opening up. We discover what it means

419
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S9: to be loved. We discover what it means to be

420
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S9: accepted even when we don't deserve to be accepted. We

421
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S9: discover what it means to live a life that is

422
00:22:16,550 --> 00:22:19,110
S9: a life that God promises. That where he throws our

423
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S9: sin as far as the east is from the West, we.

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S9: We learn to live a life where we have nothing

425
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S9: to prove, nothing to gain beyond what God promises to

426
00:22:26,030 --> 00:22:28,910
S9: give and nothing to lose. And that positions us for

427
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S9: the time that we live in. Yeah.

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S6: That's beautiful. What keeps people from stepping out of that

429
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S6: proverbial kennel of life in our mess? To really curl

430
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S6: up into the lap of God. And I'm. That's not over.

431
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S6: Sensationalizing this is it, Greg.

432
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S9: We're just living according to the way that we live

433
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S9: prior to Christ. That that it all depended on us,

434
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S9: that our value was dependent on our performance. We. Depending

435
00:22:50,990 --> 00:22:55,830
S9: on approval, we are either feeling valued or devalued. And

436
00:22:55,830 --> 00:22:58,630
S9: God wants to break all that down. He's saying that

437
00:22:58,630 --> 00:23:01,670
S9: that's the way that you used to live. I have

438
00:23:01,670 --> 00:23:04,550
S9: a new way for you, and that is with a

439
00:23:04,550 --> 00:23:09,149
S9: value that's finished. It's static. It's it's never going to

440
00:23:09,190 --> 00:23:11,750
S9: grow more than it is that he's offering all of

441
00:23:11,750 --> 00:23:14,469
S9: himself and all of his acceptance and all of his,

442
00:23:14,670 --> 00:23:18,710
S9: the value that we could live in, in it's entirety

443
00:23:18,990 --> 00:23:22,590
S9: to us. And we then get to discover that more

444
00:23:22,590 --> 00:23:24,990
S9: and more and more and live more free.

445
00:23:25,510 --> 00:23:27,590
S6: Coming up here with Greg Dempster, we're going to have

446
00:23:27,590 --> 00:23:31,229
S6: a link for you to his site with tons of resources, guys.

447
00:23:31,230 --> 00:23:33,510
S6: Many of thousands of you have tapped this, but we're

448
00:23:33,510 --> 00:23:35,869
S6: going to invite many, many more of you to tap

449
00:23:35,990 --> 00:23:39,470
S6: tap it. Today we're going to talk about how we

450
00:23:39,470 --> 00:23:43,830
S6: move from the Kennel of Shame into the arms of God.

451
00:23:43,830 --> 00:23:46,869
S6: Practically more with Greg Dempster straight ahead.

452
00:23:47,950 --> 00:23:50,550
S1: Your shot of hope to get you through the day.

453
00:23:50,790 --> 00:23:54,190
S5: You are so, so loved. God does not want you

454
00:23:54,190 --> 00:23:56,229
S5: to stay in your past, and I want you to

455
00:23:56,270 --> 00:23:57,550
S5: know and believe that today.

456
00:23:57,550 --> 00:23:59,430
S1: You're listening to Carl and Cru.

457
00:24:00,030 --> 00:24:02,230
S10: It isn't just for the purpose of.

458
00:24:02,430 --> 00:24:06,790
S6: Eliminating shame and getting freedom from that. It's then to

459
00:24:06,830 --> 00:24:11,230
S6: live a life that we can only live in communion,

460
00:24:11,390 --> 00:24:15,390
S6: fellowship with our Savior, Jesus Christ, the father and the spirit.

461
00:24:15,390 --> 00:24:17,909
S6: Greg Dempster, my guest right now, founder and director of

462
00:24:17,910 --> 00:24:22,510
S6: Christ's Life Ministries. It's been a senior leader, elder ministry director.

463
00:24:22,510 --> 00:24:27,190
S6: He's really committed his life to renewal from the inside out,

464
00:24:27,630 --> 00:24:30,430
S6: allowing us to see who we really are in Christ,

465
00:24:30,430 --> 00:24:33,950
S6: lift our heads and walk forward in confidence. Greg, there's

466
00:24:33,950 --> 00:24:37,070
S6: never been a time that, uh, in, in our modern

467
00:24:37,070 --> 00:24:41,070
S6: history where the time is now for disciples of Christ

468
00:24:41,070 --> 00:24:43,590
S6: to really understand who they are in Christ, lift their

469
00:24:43,590 --> 00:24:46,950
S6: heads from shame and walk forward. How do we practically

470
00:24:46,950 --> 00:24:47,990
S6: do this? Greg.

471
00:24:49,430 --> 00:24:52,310
S9: I think you laid it out just in that last

472
00:24:52,310 --> 00:24:56,070
S9: segment that we have to encounter the living God. His

473
00:24:56,070 --> 00:24:59,469
S9: word is designed for us to to take it in

474
00:25:00,230 --> 00:25:03,950
S9: and and then to find him that we need God. We, we,

475
00:25:03,990 --> 00:25:08,510
S9: we need him changing us. We need to know him

476
00:25:08,510 --> 00:25:12,270
S9: in a way that that lifts us above our circumstances.

477
00:25:12,750 --> 00:25:16,790
S9: And that's what the word promises that God, God wants

478
00:25:16,790 --> 00:25:21,030
S9: us to to walk with him wholeheartedly and then find

479
00:25:21,070 --> 00:25:24,230
S9: strength to navigate through difficult circumstances.

480
00:25:24,950 --> 00:25:27,990
S6: How central is not just the Word of God, but

481
00:25:27,990 --> 00:25:30,750
S6: the truth of who God is to making that happen?

482
00:25:31,590 --> 00:25:35,590
S9: I don't know that there's anything that's more important that

483
00:25:35,590 --> 00:25:37,750
S9: that God is who he says he is. In fact,

484
00:25:37,750 --> 00:25:42,350
S9: right now, Psalm 139 is is as true as when

485
00:25:42,350 --> 00:25:45,510
S9: it was written that there's nowhere where we can flee

486
00:25:45,510 --> 00:25:49,270
S9: from his presence, which means that he's in my studio

487
00:25:49,670 --> 00:25:54,470
S9: right now. He is with everyone who's listening in cars

488
00:25:54,470 --> 00:25:59,510
S9: or in office buildings. His presence is there and available,

489
00:25:59,510 --> 00:26:02,470
S9: and we need to learn to step away from our

490
00:26:02,470 --> 00:26:07,230
S9: independence and into a dependent life. It really hinges on

491
00:26:07,230 --> 00:26:10,389
S9: Romans ten nine that that if I'm willing to bow

492
00:26:10,430 --> 00:26:14,870
S9: my knee and confess him as master the doors to

493
00:26:14,990 --> 00:26:19,550
S9: freedom and strength and, and everything that God's designed the

494
00:26:19,550 --> 00:26:21,350
S9: Christian life to be begin to open up.

495
00:26:21,750 --> 00:26:22,270
S10: What has.

496
00:26:22,270 --> 00:26:27,469
S6: Kept evangelicals across North America bound up in a performance

497
00:26:27,470 --> 00:26:32,230
S6: metric rather than proximity to Jesus? What are the contributing

498
00:26:32,230 --> 00:26:33,109
S6: factors there?

499
00:26:33,390 --> 00:26:34,909
S9: You know, you and I have talked about this in

500
00:26:34,910 --> 00:26:37,830
S9: the past. It's been said that the best predictor of

501
00:26:37,830 --> 00:26:41,350
S9: future success is past behavior. And a lot of us

502
00:26:41,350 --> 00:26:46,430
S9: have lived a life where we're managing ourselves. We're that

503
00:26:46,430 --> 00:26:50,430
S9: our success is our responsibility. That if I'm valued, it's

504
00:26:50,430 --> 00:26:54,350
S9: because I performed well or I've gained approval and God

505
00:26:54,350 --> 00:26:59,110
S9: wants that. He wants us done with that type of mindset.

506
00:26:59,150 --> 00:27:02,430
S9: He he wants us, along with Paul, to be able

507
00:27:02,430 --> 00:27:05,110
S9: to say, I'm willing to lay it all down to

508
00:27:05,150 --> 00:27:09,430
S9: find everything that I've needed through relationship with the Almighty,

509
00:27:09,470 --> 00:27:14,990
S9: relationship with God, real, real knowing, making my home in him.

510
00:27:14,990 --> 00:27:18,429
S9: And and so as we're stepping towards him, it might

511
00:27:18,470 --> 00:27:22,670
S9: that first step might just be Romans ten nine. God,

512
00:27:22,910 --> 00:27:28,070
S9: I reject myself as master, and I accept you. Now,

513
00:27:28,430 --> 00:27:32,950
S9: maybe for the thousandth time, I accept you today as

514
00:27:32,950 --> 00:27:35,630
S9: my master. Help me follow you. Yeah.

515
00:27:36,150 --> 00:27:39,990
S6: New mercies are every morning. And I think you're right on, Greg.

516
00:27:39,990 --> 00:27:43,629
S6: I think there needs to be a redeclaration almost morning

517
00:27:43,630 --> 00:27:47,910
S6: by morning. That you are my authority. You're my supreme authority.

518
00:27:47,910 --> 00:27:51,710
S6: You are my Lord. Which doesn't just mean he's a figurehead.

519
00:27:51,750 --> 00:27:55,910
S6: It means that he's taking control of every aspect of me.

520
00:27:56,790 --> 00:28:01,469
S6: How does a person. It seems that we when we

521
00:28:01,510 --> 00:28:05,230
S6: come to Christ, if you're genuinely born again, there has

522
00:28:05,230 --> 00:28:07,510
S6: to have been a time when you said, I can't

523
00:28:07,510 --> 00:28:11,150
S6: do this. You've got to take over to the person

524
00:28:11,150 --> 00:28:13,950
S6: that feels like. I think some of the leading indicators

525
00:28:13,950 --> 00:28:17,310
S6: that maybe we've taken back the control of our life.

526
00:28:17,310 --> 00:28:19,990
S6: And it's we've got a man centered gospel rather than

527
00:28:19,990 --> 00:28:24,869
S6: a Christ centered gospel, is that we find joy that

528
00:28:24,869 --> 00:28:29,350
S6: is no longer resident, that exuberance of being led by

529
00:28:29,350 --> 00:28:32,750
S6: the Spirit of God and even hearing his voice. How

530
00:28:32,750 --> 00:28:34,830
S6: do we reclaim that today, Greg?

531
00:28:35,310 --> 00:28:39,750
S9: You know, it's Titus three five says that salvation has

532
00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:45,830
S9: this renewal component. It's a component that the Holy Spirit,

533
00:28:46,350 --> 00:28:50,230
S9: by God's design, comes and renews us daily. And that

534
00:28:50,230 --> 00:28:54,150
S9: renewal we've learned from Romans 12 is a renewal of

535
00:28:54,150 --> 00:28:59,470
S9: my perspective, how I see, how I interpret life. We

536
00:28:59,510 --> 00:29:01,550
S9: we need him to do that, or else we're going

537
00:29:01,590 --> 00:29:05,870
S9: to be interpreting, looking through the same flawed lenses that

538
00:29:05,870 --> 00:29:09,830
S9: got us stuck and broken time and time again in life.

539
00:29:09,830 --> 00:29:13,510
S9: And so just we've said this before. In fact, this

540
00:29:13,510 --> 00:29:16,830
S9: is part of our ministry back in Arkansas. To start,

541
00:29:16,830 --> 00:29:21,630
S9: you have to stop. And maybe stopping begins today where

542
00:29:21,670 --> 00:29:25,630
S9: as you're listening to us, you just pause and say, God,

543
00:29:25,630 --> 00:29:30,550
S9: I I've been pushing, I've been trying and striving. And

544
00:29:30,550 --> 00:29:35,470
S9: I know that your grace will empower my earning. And

545
00:29:35,470 --> 00:29:39,070
S9: so stopping, I think is the key. God, I stop

546
00:29:39,070 --> 00:29:42,830
S9: now and I'm asking for you to be my Lord

547
00:29:42,830 --> 00:29:44,870
S9: and master and take over control.

548
00:29:44,870 --> 00:29:48,390
S6: Yeah, it's a kind of a declaration, you know. Boom crew,

549
00:29:48,390 --> 00:29:52,110
S6: I want you to know something. This, this website is

550
00:29:52,190 --> 00:29:54,990
S6: so loaded with content that's going to help you dig out.

551
00:29:54,990 --> 00:29:58,630
S6: And some of you are stuck in family of origin issues.

552
00:29:59,150 --> 00:30:03,790
S6: Some of you are stuck in, uh, perpetuating myths and

553
00:30:03,790 --> 00:30:08,110
S6: lies that you've believed about yourself and God that need

554
00:30:08,150 --> 00:30:12,310
S6: to be broken and those chains can be broken. And

555
00:30:12,310 --> 00:30:15,870
S6: we've got a phenomenal. Site for you. Some of you

556
00:30:15,870 --> 00:30:18,790
S6: picked up and we've heard reports back. I mean, Greg,

557
00:30:18,790 --> 00:30:22,070
S6: one of the most encouraging things are. People are saying,

558
00:30:22,070 --> 00:30:26,510
S6: I'm taking this these two journey, uh, really workbooks that

559
00:30:26,510 --> 00:30:30,670
S6: you've constructed and offered for free to everyone who's listening today,

560
00:30:30,710 --> 00:30:33,230
S6: journey one and journey two, it's right at the headliner

561
00:30:33,230 --> 00:30:35,670
S6: of his website. You'll be able to find him right there.

562
00:30:35,870 --> 00:30:38,510
S6: And they're building small groups around these things. Greg. And

563
00:30:38,510 --> 00:30:41,310
S6: you've had thousands of downloads of this content. It's got

564
00:30:41,350 --> 00:30:43,990
S6: to be encouraging. It just shows that there's a hunger

565
00:30:43,990 --> 00:30:46,950
S6: for this kind of authentic relationship right now, doesn't it?

566
00:30:46,990 --> 00:30:49,270
S11: It just shows that God is a renewing God.

567
00:30:49,470 --> 00:30:52,110
S9: And I'm telling you right now, it's the first step.

568
00:30:52,110 --> 00:30:55,750
S9: We're going to see renewal sweep through the church, and

569
00:30:55,750 --> 00:30:58,470
S9: we're going to see a sustained work of revival where

570
00:30:58,510 --> 00:31:02,709
S9: God allows his power, his presence, to rest on the

571
00:31:02,710 --> 00:31:05,710
S9: church again, and the leadership will be ready for it.

572
00:31:05,710 --> 00:31:09,190
S9: And it'll be a work that's a long lasting work.

573
00:31:09,230 --> 00:31:11,750
S9: And that's that. All of that's extending to all of

574
00:31:11,750 --> 00:31:15,070
S9: your listeners. I mean, renewal can begin today. New life

575
00:31:15,070 --> 00:31:16,830
S9: can begin today. You know.

576
00:31:16,830 --> 00:31:20,590
S6: That's really interesting. We have I have never heard this before,

577
00:31:20,790 --> 00:31:24,670
S6: but the remnant that's spoken of, which always exists that

578
00:31:24,710 --> 00:31:29,270
S6: small or, uh, relative to society around us, small group

579
00:31:29,270 --> 00:31:34,790
S6: of people, the remnant is not some weak, sniveling kind of, um,

580
00:31:35,110 --> 00:31:39,750
S6: barely alive group of people. These ones are robust, alive

581
00:31:39,750 --> 00:31:43,110
S6: in Christ Jesus and radiating to those around them who

582
00:31:43,110 --> 00:31:45,550
S6: by prevenient grace are ready to take hold of that

583
00:31:45,550 --> 00:31:49,550
S6: same Jesus. So wow, final thought Greg. And then I'm

584
00:31:49,550 --> 00:31:51,150
S6: going to give a link to your site here.

585
00:31:51,670 --> 00:31:55,190
S9: I mean, it's Ephesians 123 that Jesus is the head.

586
00:31:55,190 --> 00:31:57,990
S9: We're his body, the place where he speaks, acts, and

587
00:31:57,990 --> 00:32:01,070
S9: through which displays his presence, that he's far from done

588
00:32:01,070 --> 00:32:04,830
S9: with you, that that you might be dead or feeling

589
00:32:04,830 --> 00:32:08,990
S9: just suffocated by life. But God's will is for you

590
00:32:08,990 --> 00:32:12,590
S9: to rise up and become an oak of righteousness, a

591
00:32:12,590 --> 00:32:15,790
S9: planting for the Lord's display of God's splendor. That's his

592
00:32:15,790 --> 00:32:17,990
S9: desire for you. Just turn to him.

593
00:32:18,230 --> 00:32:21,270
S6: Yeah. Beautiful. Got a link for you. Boom. Crew. Text

594
00:32:21,270 --> 00:32:27,190
S6: the word life to (800) 555-7898. Just one word. Life to

595
00:32:27,230 --> 00:32:32,550
S6: 800 555 7898. We're going to get you hooked up

596
00:32:32,550 --> 00:32:35,830
S6: with resources galore there. Everything we're doing is helping you

597
00:32:35,830 --> 00:32:38,390
S6: take your next step with Jesus. And maybe your step

598
00:32:38,390 --> 00:32:40,950
S6: today is to lift your head from that point of shame,

599
00:32:41,150 --> 00:32:44,990
S6: or that point of pride, or that point of self-sufficiency

600
00:32:44,990 --> 00:32:49,550
S6: and say, God, you are my supreme authority today. Renew it.

601
00:32:49,550 --> 00:32:52,750
S6: For some of you, it's been months for some years,

602
00:32:52,750 --> 00:32:57,430
S6: some decades. And today is a day of renewal. Text

603
00:32:57,430 --> 00:33:06,190
S6: the word life to 800 555 7898. Life to 800 Five. Five. Five. 78.

604
00:33:06,230 --> 00:33:10,470
S6: 98 Web Links. Grab resources today.

605
00:33:11,670 --> 00:33:16,150
S1: Breaking chains and running free. You're listening to Carl and crew.

606
00:33:17,430 --> 00:33:20,470
S6: We were talking preparation for the end. We're talking end

607
00:33:20,470 --> 00:33:23,830
S6: times all week long here really in earnest tomorrow morning.

608
00:33:23,830 --> 00:33:27,350
S6: We're really talking prep for it today. But we got

609
00:33:27,350 --> 00:33:31,469
S6: a roster of experts on end times prophecies and events.

610
00:33:31,470 --> 00:33:34,110
S6: And what do we see unfolding now? What's going on

611
00:33:34,110 --> 00:33:37,630
S6: with Iran? How does that play in the great battle

612
00:33:37,630 --> 00:33:41,190
S6: of Gog and Magog? And that's a lead up to

613
00:33:41,350 --> 00:33:46,390
S6: the Great War of Armageddon. And why? My goodness, guys,

614
00:33:46,390 --> 00:33:48,510
S6: there's so much going on in the globe right now,

615
00:33:48,550 --> 00:33:51,510
S6: especially in the Middle East. Isn't that interesting that the

616
00:33:51,510 --> 00:33:55,750
S6: hub is still Israel? It's still in the hub.

617
00:33:56,030 --> 00:33:57,310
S2: This little plot of land?

618
00:33:57,350 --> 00:34:00,390
S6: Yep. I think it's the size of what new Jersey,

619
00:34:00,630 --> 00:34:01,350
S6: new Jersey.

620
00:34:02,670 --> 00:34:03,830
S2: New Jersey's not very big.

621
00:34:04,030 --> 00:34:09,750
S6: No, no, new Jersey's crazy, too. So we get crazy.

622
00:34:09,750 --> 00:34:11,470
S2: All centered around new Jersey.

623
00:34:11,630 --> 00:34:14,430
S6: Must be that size of landmass that attracts that stuff.

624
00:34:14,790 --> 00:34:18,510
S6: Just all kinds of angst and things going on. It's just,

625
00:34:18,550 --> 00:34:22,750
S6: it's just there's challenges all over the world today. And

626
00:34:23,510 --> 00:34:27,390
S6: preparation is everything. It's been a while since I've shared

627
00:34:27,390 --> 00:34:29,510
S6: this a long while, so I'm going to do something

628
00:34:29,510 --> 00:34:33,150
S6: very important right now. I want you to know some

629
00:34:33,150 --> 00:34:36,549
S6: of you think you're ready and you're not. For the

630
00:34:36,550 --> 00:34:41,950
S6: Lord's return, you just gotta. I just need you to

631
00:34:41,989 --> 00:34:46,190
S6: know this. Some of you think you're ready and you're not.

632
00:34:46,510 --> 00:34:50,950
S6: You say, Carl, come on. How can this be? Well,

633
00:34:51,590 --> 00:34:57,270
S6: because the mind's ability and one's ability to deceive oneself

634
00:34:57,270 --> 00:35:01,230
S6: into thinking they possess, combined with the deceiver, Satan, who's

635
00:35:01,230 --> 00:35:03,630
S6: really wanting to pull the wool over our eyes, is

636
00:35:03,630 --> 00:35:06,710
S6: such a real and present danger it's almost hard to

637
00:35:06,710 --> 00:35:11,150
S6: get your head around. Matthew seven is one of the

638
00:35:11,150 --> 00:35:13,710
S6: hallmark passages for this. Many will say to me on

639
00:35:13,750 --> 00:35:15,589
S6: that day, Lord, Lord, and he's going to say, I

640
00:35:15,590 --> 00:35:18,790
S6: never knew you. Depart from me. And you know what

641
00:35:18,790 --> 00:35:22,390
S6: their rebuttal is going to be. Hey God, we preached

642
00:35:22,390 --> 00:35:24,870
S6: in the name of Jesus. We baptized in the name

643
00:35:24,910 --> 00:35:29,230
S6: of Jesus. We cast out demons. We did mighty works

644
00:35:29,230 --> 00:35:31,710
S6: in the name of Jesus. He's going to say, I

645
00:35:31,710 --> 00:35:34,910
S6: never knew you. How can this be? Spiritual activity does

646
00:35:34,910 --> 00:35:39,549
S6: not mean spiritual new birth. And my goodness guys, we

647
00:35:39,590 --> 00:35:41,989
S6: don't have to look beyond the state of affairs in

648
00:35:41,989 --> 00:35:44,590
S6: the American church today to know that this is real.

649
00:35:45,230 --> 00:35:49,710
S6: You don't have to look that far. It's everywhere. And

650
00:35:49,710 --> 00:35:51,790
S6: I'm going to shoot it to you straight. Here's why

651
00:35:51,790 --> 00:35:55,790
S6: I love you. Because Jesus loved me first, and because

652
00:35:55,790 --> 00:35:59,270
S6: I lived thinking I possessed something in Christ that I

653
00:35:59,270 --> 00:36:02,750
S6: didn't for so many years. I love you enough to

654
00:36:02,750 --> 00:36:04,390
S6: tell you the truth. I'm going to take you to

655
00:36:04,430 --> 00:36:08,190
S6: a passage. It's in Matthew 25, and I'm going to

656
00:36:08,190 --> 00:36:12,590
S6: actually read this, not just tell the story. And I'm

657
00:36:12,590 --> 00:36:14,910
S6: asking you to stay with me here, no matter where

658
00:36:14,910 --> 00:36:20,990
S6: you are in your relationship with God. Jesus is explaining

659
00:36:20,989 --> 00:36:23,710
S6: the kingdom of heaven, and he's explaining what it's going

660
00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:25,549
S6: to be like. And listen what he says. This is

661
00:36:25,550 --> 00:36:29,470
S6: Jesus's words. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like

662
00:36:29,510 --> 00:36:32,870
S6: ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet

663
00:36:32,870 --> 00:36:37,549
S6: the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish. So this is

664
00:36:37,550 --> 00:36:39,430
S6: why the church is called the Bride of Christ, right?

665
00:36:39,510 --> 00:36:42,069
S6: So this is what he's illustrating here. Five of them

666
00:36:42,070 --> 00:36:46,870
S6: were foolish and five were wise. For when the foolish

667
00:36:46,870 --> 00:36:50,070
S6: took their lamps, they took no oil with them. Which,

668
00:36:50,070 --> 00:36:53,430
S6: by the way, makes the lamps pretty inoperable. You gotta

669
00:36:53,430 --> 00:36:58,509
S6: have oil. They took no oil with them, But the

670
00:36:58,510 --> 00:37:03,109
S6: wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the

671
00:37:03,110 --> 00:37:08,029
S6: bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. Now

672
00:37:08,030 --> 00:37:14,629
S6: isn't that fascinating? They all got spiritually drowsy, even the

673
00:37:14,630 --> 00:37:19,550
S6: wise and the unwise. Everybody's going, ah, he's not coming,

674
00:37:19,670 --> 00:37:23,350
S6: he's not coming, he's not coming. Boy, is this so

675
00:37:23,390 --> 00:37:28,150
S6: true of us today. But at midnight there was a cry.

676
00:37:29,110 --> 00:37:34,069
S6: Here's the bridegroom come out to meet him. Then all

677
00:37:34,070 --> 00:37:40,549
S6: those virgins rose the bridesmaids and trimmed their lamps. Now

678
00:37:40,550 --> 00:37:43,310
S6: these are the wise ones. And the foolish said to

679
00:37:43,350 --> 00:37:45,870
S6: the wives, give us some of your oil, for our

680
00:37:45,870 --> 00:37:49,950
S6: oil lamps are going out. It says, okay, so this

681
00:37:49,950 --> 00:37:52,310
S6: evening if you go to the book of revelation. Hey,

682
00:37:52,310 --> 00:37:55,430
S6: this lamp stand when it starts to lose its effectiveness.

683
00:37:55,590 --> 00:37:58,750
S6: God says, I'm going to take it away. Interesting parallel,

684
00:37:59,630 --> 00:38:02,350
S6: but the wives answered, since there will not be enough

685
00:38:02,350 --> 00:38:05,430
S6: for us and for you. Go rather to the dealers

686
00:38:05,430 --> 00:38:08,590
S6: and buy for yourselves. And while they were going to buy,

687
00:38:08,910 --> 00:38:11,950
S6: the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in

688
00:38:11,950 --> 00:38:15,029
S6: to him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

689
00:38:16,350 --> 00:38:20,630
S6: Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open

690
00:38:20,630 --> 00:38:23,230
S6: to us. But he answered, truly I say to you,

691
00:38:23,590 --> 00:38:29,669
S6: I do not know you. Watch therefore for you you

692
00:38:29,710 --> 00:38:33,589
S6: know neither the day nor the hour. You gotta ask

693
00:38:33,590 --> 00:38:35,190
S6: the question, what in the world is going on here? Well,

694
00:38:35,190 --> 00:38:38,989
S6: Jesus paints a very clear picture. He's saying that there

695
00:38:38,989 --> 00:38:44,669
S6: are ten bridesmaids, and all of them have one thing

696
00:38:44,670 --> 00:38:48,310
S6: in common. They have an awareness that the groom is

697
00:38:48,310 --> 00:38:51,470
S6: coming for the bride of Christ. All of them. All ten.

698
00:38:51,950 --> 00:38:55,470
S6: The unwise here are not shaking a fist at God.

699
00:38:55,510 --> 00:39:00,110
S6: They're not living like hell. They're not out there just.

700
00:39:00,830 --> 00:39:06,830
S6: They aren't antagonistic. They aren't atheistic. They believe in God

701
00:39:07,390 --> 00:39:11,350
S6: and they actually believe that Jesus is going to come again.

702
00:39:12,670 --> 00:39:17,310
S6: But they're shut out of the kingdom of God. All

703
00:39:17,310 --> 00:39:22,350
S6: ten are drowsy. But when midnight comes and the announcement

704
00:39:22,350 --> 00:39:25,870
S6: is he's coming, which means the coming of Jesus Christ.

705
00:39:26,070 --> 00:39:30,110
S6: Five are ready, five are not, and five are shut

706
00:39:30,110 --> 00:39:35,069
S6: out and five are brought in. That is super sobering

707
00:39:35,910 --> 00:39:38,870
S6: because it harkens right back to Matthew seven. Many will

708
00:39:38,870 --> 00:39:40,750
S6: say on that day, Lord, Lord, and he's going to say,

709
00:39:40,750 --> 00:39:43,830
S6: I never knew you. Same language being used here. What's

710
00:39:43,830 --> 00:39:49,910
S6: this mean? It is super easy to be in church

711
00:39:50,230 --> 00:39:53,710
S6: but not be in Christ. Now, for those of you

712
00:39:53,710 --> 00:39:56,670
S6: that wig out about this and go, oh my goodness,

713
00:39:57,630 --> 00:39:59,190
S6: I'm going to give you a I'm going to give

714
00:39:59,190 --> 00:40:01,750
S6: everyone a link right now, but some of you don't

715
00:40:01,750 --> 00:40:05,030
S6: need a link. You just need to finally get squared

716
00:40:05,030 --> 00:40:07,630
S6: with God once and for all. But there are nine

717
00:40:07,630 --> 00:40:10,270
S6: ways to know. You stand with God and He stands

718
00:40:10,270 --> 00:40:13,030
S6: with you. So I want you. You can just text

719
00:40:13,030 --> 00:40:17,549
S6: it whenever. Text Stan to 800 555, 78, 98. One

720
00:40:17,550 --> 00:40:21,870
S6: word stand to our number here. But here's what, here's

721
00:40:21,870 --> 00:40:23,750
S6: what we do with that. What I do with that

722
00:40:23,750 --> 00:40:25,910
S6: blog is I just look at scripture and go, this

723
00:40:25,910 --> 00:40:28,669
S6: is the evidence of people that are not perfect, but

724
00:40:28,670 --> 00:40:32,070
S6: they are in Christ Jesus. But make no mistake about it,

725
00:40:32,070 --> 00:40:34,710
S6: the gap between the amount of people who are in

726
00:40:34,710 --> 00:40:39,870
S6: church and those who are in Christ is wide. It

727
00:40:39,870 --> 00:40:45,710
S6: is wide. And I and from the bottom of my heart,

728
00:40:45,710 --> 00:40:49,109
S6: I need you to hear my heart right now. God

729
00:40:49,110 --> 00:40:54,390
S6: in his Providence in. Prevenient grace is working right now

730
00:40:54,390 --> 00:40:58,030
S6: to jar some of you loose from being an unwise

731
00:40:58,070 --> 00:41:01,229
S6: lamp bearer that has no oil in your lamp, to

732
00:41:01,270 --> 00:41:05,069
S6: becoming a wise lamp bearer who, when Jesus comes, he

733
00:41:05,070 --> 00:41:09,630
S6: will take you with him. R.C. Sproul. I saw a

734
00:41:09,630 --> 00:41:13,750
S6: clip of him lately and he said, uh, he says

735
00:41:13,750 --> 00:41:18,230
S6: there is a vast difference between those who profess Christ

736
00:41:18,230 --> 00:41:22,590
S6: and those who possess Christ. And he said, the numbers

737
00:41:22,590 --> 00:41:26,390
S6: of people who profess Jesus and verses the numbers of

738
00:41:26,390 --> 00:41:30,310
S6: those who possess Jesus are radically different. Why is this?

739
00:41:30,350 --> 00:41:35,710
S6: Why is this so? It's because we've created a culture

740
00:41:35,870 --> 00:41:38,110
S6: that's pretty. It's a pretty good gig.

741
00:41:38,550 --> 00:41:41,350
S2: It's not hard to profess Jesus here.

742
00:41:41,390 --> 00:41:46,230
S6: Yeah, it's a pretty good gig in that, uh, there's

743
00:41:46,230 --> 00:41:49,670
S6: not a lot of persecution. There's some rise for some

744
00:41:49,670 --> 00:41:52,870
S6: that would dare to stand and say, Jesus is my Lord.

745
00:41:52,870 --> 00:41:56,230
S6: He's my Saviour. But by and large, what you have

746
00:41:56,270 --> 00:41:59,150
S6: is a place to go. Generally once a week, sometimes

747
00:41:59,150 --> 00:42:01,630
S6: a couple times a week. You got friends that are

748
00:42:01,630 --> 00:42:04,430
S6: really solid, because some of those are really in Christ

749
00:42:04,430 --> 00:42:08,590
S6: and they're just genuine, loving people. And you might have

750
00:42:08,590 --> 00:42:11,190
S6: flown in to the church on the coattails of family

751
00:42:11,190 --> 00:42:13,310
S6: and culture, and that's what you kind of did in

752
00:42:13,310 --> 00:42:15,590
S6: your neighborhood or your home, and that's what you did.

753
00:42:16,590 --> 00:42:19,629
S6: And I want to tell you, it is possible to

754
00:42:19,670 --> 00:42:22,469
S6: think you know Jesus and you don't. And I am

755
00:42:22,469 --> 00:42:25,589
S6: one of those guys, and I haven't shared this part

756
00:42:25,630 --> 00:42:31,590
S6: in a long time. So I'm raised in church and

757
00:42:31,630 --> 00:42:35,469
S6: I remember having moments of deep conviction. Jonathan, you did

758
00:42:35,469 --> 00:42:38,270
S6: as well, right? Sure. Deep conviction. It's like, oh my goodness,

759
00:42:38,310 --> 00:42:43,550
S6: I got to get squared with God. But conviction does

760
00:42:43,550 --> 00:42:47,870
S6: not indicate transformation. As a matter of fact, Paul's clear

761
00:42:47,870 --> 00:42:52,629
S6: that there's there's tears of regret and there's tears of repentance.

762
00:42:52,630 --> 00:42:55,030
S6: And oh, baby, they are not all tears are the same.

763
00:42:55,390 --> 00:42:58,030
S6: But I cried tears. I had disappointment over my life,

764
00:42:58,030 --> 00:43:00,630
S6: but I never fully surrendered to Christ. Even though I

765
00:43:00,630 --> 00:43:04,910
S6: walked aisles and got baptized, I was never in Christ Jesus.

766
00:43:04,910 --> 00:43:06,870
S6: By the way, this is not just a few. I've

767
00:43:06,870 --> 00:43:10,310
S6: heard this from thousands of people that were like me.

768
00:43:11,950 --> 00:43:13,950
S6: So what did God use to get a hold of

769
00:43:13,950 --> 00:43:15,910
S6: my heart and show me that I was one of

770
00:43:15,910 --> 00:43:19,989
S6: these bridesmaids that had an empty lamp? No oil? What

771
00:43:19,989 --> 00:43:22,630
S6: have I told you? That Jesus was coming back? Yeah,

772
00:43:22,630 --> 00:43:25,989
S6: I used to sit at Chilkoot. Charlie's a bar in

773
00:43:25,989 --> 00:43:32,430
S6: Alaska and argue theology while I'm getting hammered. How insane

774
00:43:32,430 --> 00:43:34,870
S6: is that? No joking.

775
00:43:34,910 --> 00:43:37,750
S2: No, I mean, in all honesty, that is from someone

776
00:43:37,750 --> 00:43:41,270
S2: who who had his own deception of salvation and thinking

777
00:43:41,270 --> 00:43:44,390
S2: I was all good when I wasn't. It can be

778
00:43:44,390 --> 00:43:45,670
S2: that ironic?

779
00:43:45,989 --> 00:43:46,550
S9: Oh, it's.

780
00:43:46,750 --> 00:43:51,070
S6: And it's scary. Yeah. Because it's like, whoa, you're you're

781
00:43:51,070 --> 00:43:56,310
S6: defending Christ and yet you don't know him. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah, yeah.

782
00:43:56,950 --> 00:44:00,710
S6: I profess Jesus, but I did not possess Jesus. R.C.

783
00:44:00,710 --> 00:44:05,550
S6: Sproul nailed it, man. So we know it's an epidemic

784
00:44:05,550 --> 00:44:09,150
S6: in the church. And I'll tell you how we know this,

785
00:44:09,150 --> 00:44:14,390
S6: because there are about according to Pew report, there's 2,224%

786
00:44:14,390 --> 00:44:19,550
S6: of Americans are would affiliate with a Bible preaching church

787
00:44:19,550 --> 00:44:22,550
S6: and they may be Christers go on Christmas and Easter

788
00:44:22,590 --> 00:44:26,230
S6: a little bit more, but about 20 plus percent believe that.

789
00:44:26,230 --> 00:44:29,230
S6: But there's only 4% that claim to have a biblical

790
00:44:29,230 --> 00:44:34,150
S6: worldview that believes in the father, son, Holy Spirit, the death, life,

791
00:44:36,030 --> 00:44:41,509
S6: the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the

792
00:44:41,510 --> 00:44:44,030
S6: power of the Holy Spirit that they aim to take

793
00:44:44,030 --> 00:44:47,310
S6: that worldview and let it direct their private and public lives.

794
00:44:47,350 --> 00:44:51,070
S6: I mean, with intentionality. They're disciples of Jesus Christ. Best

795
00:44:51,070 --> 00:44:54,630
S6: word is disciple, not Christian. Christian doesn't mean anything in

796
00:44:54,630 --> 00:44:58,670
S6: our culture today. Nothing. 72% of our of the United

797
00:44:58,670 --> 00:45:00,950
S6: States of America and probably a chunk of Canada, if

798
00:45:00,950 --> 00:45:04,030
S6: you're listening there and I know you are, would claim

799
00:45:04,030 --> 00:45:09,230
S6: to be Christian. Okay, so here's the deal, guys. So

800
00:45:09,230 --> 00:45:13,430
S6: what did God use to break me free? He brought

801
00:45:13,430 --> 00:45:18,350
S6: me to the end of myself. I. After I completed

802
00:45:18,350 --> 00:45:21,270
S6: the Iditarod Trail race at the age of 18, I

803
00:45:21,310 --> 00:45:25,590
S6: really was faced with a choice out on the Bering Sea.

804
00:45:25,910 --> 00:45:30,390
S6: Standing me alone with God and Satan chirping in my

805
00:45:30,390 --> 00:45:31,790
S6: ear and I had a Y on the road. I

806
00:45:31,790 --> 00:45:36,710
S6: remember it distinctly, knowing what was right and just going

807
00:45:36,750 --> 00:45:39,270
S6: my own way. And I went my own way. But

808
00:45:39,270 --> 00:45:42,589
S6: I still thought I had my lamp right? I just

809
00:45:42,590 --> 00:45:44,790
S6: didn't have the oil. And I think that represents in

810
00:45:44,790 --> 00:45:47,549
S6: Matthew 24, by the way, the presence of the Holy Spirit.

811
00:45:51,510 --> 00:45:54,190
S6: And I went out and I tried to fill up

812
00:45:54,230 --> 00:45:56,950
S6: what Pascal calls that God shaped void. And I tried

813
00:45:56,950 --> 00:46:00,469
S6: everything guys. And I, you know what's weird is when

814
00:46:00,469 --> 00:46:02,590
S6: you're really trying to fill that void, you will do

815
00:46:02,590 --> 00:46:05,509
S6: things that when you were in, when you become in

816
00:46:05,510 --> 00:46:08,109
S6: your right mind with Jesus, you look back and go,

817
00:46:08,110 --> 00:46:10,670
S6: how in the world did I do that? It's because.

818
00:46:11,350 --> 00:46:14,989
S6: It's because we're all on a search for meaning. We're

819
00:46:14,989 --> 00:46:17,350
S6: all on a search for identity. We're all on a

820
00:46:17,350 --> 00:46:21,549
S6: search for some kind of joy or hope somewhere. And

821
00:46:21,550 --> 00:46:26,390
S6: I went after it, man. I went after it and

822
00:46:26,390 --> 00:46:29,190
S6: I tried to find it. So here I am, raised

823
00:46:30,270 --> 00:46:34,310
S6: to not dabble in alcohol or drugs at all. And

824
00:46:34,310 --> 00:46:37,029
S6: I went deep dive into this man. I'd get a

825
00:46:37,030 --> 00:46:42,350
S6: few drinks in me and I couldn't get enough. And

826
00:46:42,350 --> 00:46:45,590
S6: then working in the oil fields of Alaska, I started

827
00:46:45,590 --> 00:46:48,310
S6: snorting cocaine, man. And it's crazy how it got there.

828
00:46:48,310 --> 00:46:50,350
S6: It doesn't even matter how it landed there. But I

829
00:46:50,390 --> 00:46:52,750
S6: got hooked on that stuff because it gave me a

830
00:46:52,750 --> 00:46:57,310
S6: high I had never felt before. And then it gave

831
00:46:57,310 --> 00:47:04,029
S6: me paranoia, and then it gave me zero satisfaction, and

832
00:47:04,030 --> 00:47:06,670
S6: I couldn't get enough of the stuff to keep me high.

833
00:47:09,030 --> 00:47:12,030
S6: And on the outside, I was Mr. Life of the party.

834
00:47:12,030 --> 00:47:16,469
S6: And inside I was dying in a pile, man. And

835
00:47:16,469 --> 00:47:19,069
S6: I was being an answer to my dad's prayers. Who

836
00:47:19,070 --> 00:47:22,670
S6: told me six months before God filled my lamp with oil.

837
00:47:22,710 --> 00:47:25,069
S6: He said, I'm no longer praying that you come back

838
00:47:25,070 --> 00:47:28,710
S6: to church. It's very apparent you don't know the Lord personally,

839
00:47:28,950 --> 00:47:31,509
S6: and I'm praying that either you surrender all you are

840
00:47:31,510 --> 00:47:33,390
S6: to Jesus, or that God would take you out of

841
00:47:33,390 --> 00:47:36,029
S6: this world because you're killing yourself anyway. And he said

842
00:47:36,030 --> 00:47:40,270
S6: it with tears flowing down his face. And he stood

843
00:47:40,310 --> 00:47:42,710
S6: back like the father of the prodigal son. And he

844
00:47:42,710 --> 00:47:48,670
S6: just watched. I'm not inviting you to go back to church.

845
00:47:48,670 --> 00:47:51,549
S6: I'm inviting you to come into Christ for the first time.

846
00:47:51,550 --> 00:47:53,430
S6: And there's some of you that the Holy Spirit is

847
00:47:53,430 --> 00:47:56,110
S6: pulling down a veil of darkness, and you're going, Holy cow,

848
00:47:56,150 --> 00:48:00,990
S6: that's me. Praise God because he brought you here today.

849
00:48:03,989 --> 00:48:07,069
S6: If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord. Not

850
00:48:07,070 --> 00:48:11,110
S6: that you just profess his name, but you confess that

851
00:48:11,110 --> 00:48:16,190
S6: he is today the leader of your life and believe

852
00:48:16,190 --> 00:48:18,150
S6: in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

853
00:48:18,150 --> 00:48:21,990
S6: You will be saved. And I'm talking about the full

854
00:48:21,989 --> 00:48:25,310
S6: surrender of everything that you are to Jesus Christ. Holding

855
00:48:25,310 --> 00:48:27,630
S6: nothing back in. Today is your day of salvation. I

856
00:48:27,630 --> 00:48:29,950
S6: want to be super clear with you here today, though.

857
00:48:30,110 --> 00:48:32,629
S6: This is not about adding Jesus to your life as

858
00:48:32,630 --> 00:48:37,870
S6: you walk this broad path of materialism. It's not about

859
00:48:37,910 --> 00:48:40,750
S6: adding Jesus to your life as you walk this path

860
00:48:40,750 --> 00:48:46,069
S6: of addiction. It's about surrendering all that you are and

861
00:48:46,070 --> 00:48:48,190
S6: all that you've made and all that you hope to

862
00:48:48,190 --> 00:48:52,230
S6: be to Jesus Christ. And it's repenting, having a metanoia

863
00:48:52,230 --> 00:48:55,270
S6: moment when you turn around because you can't call him

864
00:48:55,270 --> 00:48:58,070
S6: Lord and stay on the broad path, friend. You can't.

865
00:48:58,070 --> 00:49:02,549
S6: It's not salvation. It's fool's gold, man. You got a lamp,

866
00:49:02,550 --> 00:49:05,750
S6: but you got no oil in it. When midnight strikes

867
00:49:05,750 --> 00:49:09,989
S6: and they say, hey, the bride's the groom's coming for

868
00:49:09,989 --> 00:49:13,230
S6: the bride. The groom's here. There will be no time

869
00:49:13,230 --> 00:49:16,150
S6: for you to go get lamp for your oil, for

870
00:49:16,150 --> 00:49:19,510
S6: your lamp. There will be no time to go get oil.

871
00:49:20,950 --> 00:49:27,710
S6: Today is your day of salvation today. And I only

872
00:49:27,710 --> 00:49:30,670
S6: know that God prompted me to tell my story here,

873
00:49:30,670 --> 00:49:33,030
S6: because I'll tell you, the rest of it is this.

874
00:49:33,310 --> 00:49:37,230
S6: I was so stinking messed up on cocaine. My life

875
00:49:37,230 --> 00:49:39,549
S6: was such a train wreck. Yeah, with the guys I

876
00:49:39,550 --> 00:49:43,350
S6: ran with. I was kind of a hip dude. But man,

877
00:49:43,350 --> 00:49:46,189
S6: I knew inside my heart. I was far from hip.

878
00:49:46,190 --> 00:49:49,950
S6: And I was far from God. And God revealed that

879
00:49:49,950 --> 00:49:55,870
S6: to me on a cold winter day in Alaska. February 11th.

880
00:49:57,110 --> 00:49:59,589
S6: And he just asked me one question. Are you done yet?

881
00:49:59,590 --> 00:50:02,350
S6: And I'm asking you the same question. Are you done yet?

882
00:50:03,510 --> 00:50:11,830
S6: Are you done yet? Are you done yet? And see,

883
00:50:11,870 --> 00:50:14,109
S6: God in his goodness is reaching into your soul. And

884
00:50:14,110 --> 00:50:17,469
S6: he's saying, are you done yet? And you know what

885
00:50:17,469 --> 00:50:21,149
S6: you're saying back to him, I'm done. And I'm not

886
00:50:21,150 --> 00:50:25,510
S6: inviting you to grab a lamp. Most of you listening

887
00:50:25,510 --> 00:50:28,509
S6: have a lamp. You believe Jesus is coming again? You

888
00:50:28,510 --> 00:50:30,750
S6: have a hunch he is. I'm asking you to fill

889
00:50:30,750 --> 00:50:36,830
S6: that lamp with the oil of salvation. And you're only

890
00:50:36,830 --> 00:50:39,270
S6: fit for the kingdom of God when you repent and

891
00:50:39,270 --> 00:50:42,910
S6: surrender all that you are to him. This easy Believism

892
00:50:42,910 --> 00:50:45,710
S6: this I don't. Don't lean back on being baptized. I

893
00:50:45,710 --> 00:50:53,469
S6: got baptized too. Big deal. Baptism without Jesus. All that

894
00:50:53,469 --> 00:50:59,710
S6: leads you to is an eternity separated from him. Today

895
00:50:59,710 --> 00:51:04,029
S6: is your day of salvation. And God is turning your

896
00:51:04,030 --> 00:51:06,550
S6: heart off the broad path that leads to destruction. Onto

897
00:51:06,550 --> 00:51:08,629
S6: the narrow path that leads to life. And it's his

898
00:51:08,630 --> 00:51:11,350
S6: power alone that did it. But God in His grace

899
00:51:11,350 --> 00:51:15,110
S6: is revealed to you. You got no oil in your lamp,

900
00:51:15,710 --> 00:51:18,950
S6: and I'm appealing to you. Be reconciled to God today.

901
00:51:19,670 --> 00:51:21,310
S6: And it's a cry of the heart. And just say

902
00:51:21,310 --> 00:51:24,350
S6: it to him right now. God, I'm done running from you, God.

903
00:51:24,350 --> 00:51:26,190
S6: I'm done trying to fill my life with stuff that

904
00:51:26,190 --> 00:51:30,430
S6: won't fill it up. God, I'm empty in my hands.

905
00:51:30,830 --> 00:51:33,270
S6: And with lifted hands I turn and surrender all that

906
00:51:33,270 --> 00:51:47,549
S6: I am to you. Today is your day of salvation, friend. Today. Today. Oh,

907
00:51:47,590 --> 00:51:49,870
S6: please don't let pride hold you back. Oh, what will

908
00:51:49,870 --> 00:51:52,950
S6: people think? Who cares if somebody thinks ill of you

909
00:51:52,950 --> 00:51:56,509
S6: for surrendering to Jesus. Realizing that you had a lamp

910
00:51:56,510 --> 00:52:00,030
S6: that had no oil. Don't. Don't worry about those guys.

911
00:52:00,350 --> 00:52:03,390
S6: They'll always be there. They may not know Jesus either.

912
00:52:03,390 --> 00:52:06,830
S6: Wouldn't it be bummer if your fear of being found

913
00:52:06,830 --> 00:52:09,589
S6: out that you weren't in Christ hinged on people that

914
00:52:09,590 --> 00:52:15,310
S6: weren't in Christ themselves? Holy cow. Is that picking worth it? No,

915
00:52:15,310 --> 00:52:17,270
S6: it's not worth it. So listen to me right now.

916
00:52:17,310 --> 00:52:19,109
S6: Cry out to God and say, God, I give you

917
00:52:19,110 --> 00:52:24,310
S6: everything that I am today. I am turning around by

918
00:52:24,310 --> 00:52:26,790
S6: your power and your grace, and I'm going a new way.

919
00:52:26,989 --> 00:52:33,350
S6: I want the abundant life that you promise. I've known

920
00:52:33,390 --> 00:52:36,270
S6: of it, but I've never tasted it. Tell him that

921
00:52:36,710 --> 00:52:39,270
S6: today I confess with my mouth. You're the leader of

922
00:52:39,270 --> 00:52:41,830
S6: my life for the first time ever. And please don't

923
00:52:41,830 --> 00:52:47,230
S6: let pride hold you back, friend. You're willing to gain

924
00:52:47,230 --> 00:52:49,870
S6: the whole world and lose your soul. Don't friend today.

925
00:52:49,910 --> 00:52:55,590
S6: Don't do it. And tell Jesus today I am yours.

926
00:52:55,630 --> 00:52:59,590
S6: I am fully yours. Everything I am, I am yours today.

927
00:53:00,150 --> 00:53:02,910
S6: And I praise you, God, in Jesus name, that you're

928
00:53:02,910 --> 00:53:06,190
S6: calling people out of darkness and into the light right now.

929
00:53:07,430 --> 00:53:09,509
S6: And if that's you, if today is this day where

930
00:53:09,550 --> 00:53:15,069
S6: God is filling your lamp with oil, and you may

931
00:53:15,070 --> 00:53:17,270
S6: get a little groggy in the days ahead, but when

932
00:53:17,270 --> 00:53:21,350
S6: the trumpet sounds, man and they say, hey, the groom

933
00:53:21,350 --> 00:53:25,830
S6: is here, you're ready baby, you are ready. And if

934
00:53:25,830 --> 00:53:28,110
S6: that's you, we're going to help you in these first steps.

935
00:53:28,390 --> 00:53:30,310
S6: And I want you to follow the link that we're

936
00:53:30,310 --> 00:53:31,950
S6: going to give you. We're not going to hound you,

937
00:53:31,950 --> 00:53:33,990
S6: but we're going to help you text the word new

938
00:53:33,989 --> 00:53:37,029
S6: right now, wherever you are. New one word to 800

939
00:53:37,030 --> 00:53:41,509
S6: 555 78, 98 and I want to say welcome to

940
00:53:41,510 --> 00:53:43,830
S6: the family, wherever you are right now. I know we're

941
00:53:43,830 --> 00:53:48,109
S6: running long, but this is important. Long text the word

942
00:53:48,110 --> 00:53:53,989
S6: new to 800 555, 78, 98. One word new to

943
00:53:54,030 --> 00:53:59,670
S6: 800 555 7898. Welcome to the family all over North

944
00:53:59,670 --> 00:54:02,190
S6: America and beyond. I know the Spirit of God is working.

945
00:54:02,190 --> 00:54:06,590
S6: I know that with absolute confidence. Why? Because Jesus promised

946
00:54:06,590 --> 00:54:10,950
S6: that when we proclaim the truth, there are many. The

947
00:54:10,950 --> 00:54:13,950
S6: fields are ripe for harvest and this field's ripe today.

948
00:54:13,989 --> 00:54:19,150
S6: Text new right now to 800 555 7898. Today is

949
00:54:19,150 --> 00:54:26,750
S6: your day of salvation. One word new to 800 555, 78, 98.

950
00:54:26,830 --> 00:54:29,310
S6: Just right now, I don't want anyone else texting anything.

951
00:54:29,310 --> 00:54:32,029
S6: God's working in people's souls right now. Text the word

952
00:54:32,030 --> 00:54:34,350
S6: new right now. This is for you, my friend. Today

953
00:54:34,390 --> 00:54:35,110
S6: is a new day.

954
00:54:36,150 --> 00:54:38,710
S1: The gospel changes everything.

955
00:54:38,870 --> 00:54:41,630
S4: Where else am I going to find peace? Joy, eternal

956
00:54:41,630 --> 00:54:45,190
S4: life not found in anyone else.

957
00:54:45,230 --> 00:54:47,110
S1: You're listening to Carl and Crew.

958
00:54:48,030 --> 00:54:51,109
S6: You know it's Thomas Aquinas who codified that. We've got

959
00:54:51,110 --> 00:54:54,670
S6: three fronts of battle, as it were, the world, the

960
00:54:54,670 --> 00:54:58,390
S6: flesh and the devil, the world, or all the systems

961
00:54:58,390 --> 00:55:00,950
S6: that are out there. I mean, it's everything that we see,

962
00:55:00,989 --> 00:55:05,469
S6: everything that's screaming at us. 401 S get your hobbies

963
00:55:05,469 --> 00:55:08,830
S6: lined out. You know those who die with the most

964
00:55:08,830 --> 00:55:13,310
S6: toys win. Yeah, I saw that bumper sticker many years

965
00:55:13,310 --> 00:55:15,710
S6: ago and I thought, oh my goodness, that guy hasn't

966
00:55:15,710 --> 00:55:18,150
S6: found out. That one's a lie yet. Yeah there are.

967
00:55:18,510 --> 00:55:21,589
S6: There are so many things in this world system that

968
00:55:21,590 --> 00:55:24,510
S6: are screaming at us, follow me. So that's a battle

969
00:55:24,510 --> 00:55:26,589
S6: in itself. And then you get the flesh. The Greek

970
00:55:26,590 --> 00:55:29,710
S6: word sarx. It's all that stuff that we are apart

971
00:55:29,710 --> 00:55:34,030
S6: from the power of the spirit. Those ingrained habits. Family

972
00:55:34,030 --> 00:55:36,950
S6: of origin. Issues that we still battle with to this day.

973
00:55:37,070 --> 00:55:39,750
S6: And then you throw in on top of it the

974
00:55:39,750 --> 00:55:43,950
S6: devil with all of his demons. So it would appear

975
00:55:43,950 --> 00:55:46,950
S6: that we've got a battle brewing against us here, Ali.

976
00:55:46,989 --> 00:55:50,870
S4: Yeah. And you feel like. Well, that sounds encouraging this morning.

977
00:55:51,350 --> 00:55:53,629
S4: I'm up against all of that as I get out

978
00:55:53,670 --> 00:55:55,390
S4: of bed and try to head to work.

979
00:55:56,110 --> 00:56:00,270
S6: Yeah, but I'm I'm telling you today, in many ways, Satan.

980
00:56:00,310 --> 00:56:04,590
S6: Satan is a toothless dog. He's got a lot of bark,

981
00:56:04,910 --> 00:56:08,430
S6: but he's got no bite. We have got a guest

982
00:56:08,430 --> 00:56:12,149
S6: coming in here, doctor Mark Hitchcock. I think the first

983
00:56:12,150 --> 00:56:14,550
S6: time I heard him was with Janet Parshall. And I'm like,

984
00:56:14,550 --> 00:56:18,710
S6: oh my goodness, this guy is loaded for bear. And

985
00:56:18,710 --> 00:56:20,710
S6: if you're ever in Alaska, you want a guy that's

986
00:56:20,710 --> 00:56:24,469
S6: loaded for bear. So we are going to we are

987
00:56:24,469 --> 00:56:29,069
S6: going to get with doctor Mark Hitchcock coming up here

988
00:56:29,070 --> 00:56:30,390
S6: in just a couple of minutes.

989
00:56:31,830 --> 00:56:34,830
S1: This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio.

990
00:56:39,590 --> 00:56:43,710
S6: Doctor Mark Hitchcock has got quite a background here, doesn't he, Ali?

991
00:56:43,750 --> 00:56:46,870
S4: He does. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he

992
00:56:46,870 --> 00:56:50,790
S4: serves as senior pastor of Faith Bible Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.

993
00:56:50,830 --> 00:56:54,510
S4: He's authored over 30 books related to end time Bible

994
00:56:54,510 --> 00:56:58,470
S4: prophecy that sold over a million copies.

995
00:56:58,710 --> 00:57:01,870
S6: Yeah. And he's with us right now. Good morning, doctor

996
00:57:01,870 --> 00:57:03,870
S6: Mark Hitchcock. Good to have you with us today.

997
00:57:04,390 --> 00:57:06,350
S12: Well good morning to you guys. Thank you for having me,

998
00:57:06,350 --> 00:57:07,149
S12: I appreciate it.

999
00:57:07,790 --> 00:57:10,710
S6: If you look at the very first gospel that was written,

1000
00:57:10,710 --> 00:57:15,069
S6: the gospel of Mark, somewhere between 6066 A.D, you get

1001
00:57:15,070 --> 00:57:18,430
S6: into this incredible narrative, the story about the gospel, and

1002
00:57:18,430 --> 00:57:21,030
S6: it talks about John preparing the way and then Jesus

1003
00:57:21,030 --> 00:57:26,709
S6: himself coming and baptizing in the spirit. And then immediately whiplash,

1004
00:57:26,710 --> 00:57:30,590
S6: we see the spirit. Verse 12 immediately drove Him Jesus

1005
00:57:30,590 --> 00:57:33,990
S6: into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness 40 days,

1006
00:57:34,030 --> 00:57:37,150
S6: being tempted by Satan. And he was with wild animals,

1007
00:57:37,150 --> 00:57:39,790
S6: and the angels were ministering to him. It's a shorter

1008
00:57:39,790 --> 00:57:42,350
S6: version of what Matthew unpacks a little bit more of

1009
00:57:42,990 --> 00:57:47,669
S6: the war with demonic realm is real. Mark, let's just

1010
00:57:47,670 --> 00:57:49,550
S6: start there. It's real, isn't it?

1011
00:57:49,910 --> 00:57:53,670
S12: Well, no, it's certainly real. You know, Satan is mentioned

1012
00:57:53,910 --> 00:57:58,230
S12: 19 in 19 of the 27 books of the New Testament.

1013
00:57:58,750 --> 00:58:04,670
S12: Jesus himself mentions Satan 25 times. And so Satan is real.

1014
00:58:04,910 --> 00:58:09,110
S12: Demons are real. They're not just some force. They're actually beings.

1015
00:58:09,110 --> 00:58:12,830
S12: They're beings that exist spirit beings. And it's a real war.

1016
00:58:12,870 --> 00:58:15,510
S12: It's fought on three fronts. We kind of usually just

1017
00:58:15,510 --> 00:58:18,710
S12: think of the, you know, the spiritual battle against Satan

1018
00:58:18,710 --> 00:58:22,100
S12: and his demonic host. But you're right. We have the flesh,

1019
00:58:22,380 --> 00:58:25,340
S12: which is, I call it the traitor within that lives

1020
00:58:25,340 --> 00:58:27,620
S12: inside of us. It's the kind of the nature of

1021
00:58:27,660 --> 00:58:30,460
S12: the fallen nature of the old, old man. And then

1022
00:58:30,460 --> 00:58:33,180
S12: we have this world system around us, and we talk

1023
00:58:33,220 --> 00:58:35,820
S12: about the world of politics or the world of sports. Well,

1024
00:58:35,820 --> 00:58:40,020
S12: there's a a world system, and Satan uses the flesh

1025
00:58:40,020 --> 00:58:43,220
S12: and he uses the world as well in this battle.

1026
00:58:43,220 --> 00:58:45,340
S12: And basically what he's trying to do is he's trying

1027
00:58:45,340 --> 00:58:48,380
S12: to keep lost people from putting their faith in Jesus.

1028
00:58:48,660 --> 00:58:50,939
S12: And once we become a believer, I mean, he wants

1029
00:58:50,940 --> 00:58:53,500
S12: to frustrate our life. He wants to to, to defeat

1030
00:58:53,540 --> 00:58:56,100
S12: us so that we can't be effective in our life

1031
00:58:56,100 --> 00:58:57,780
S12: and witness for Jesus Christ.

1032
00:58:58,300 --> 00:59:00,380
S4: Doctor Mark Hitchcock, our guest this morning. You know, I'm

1033
00:59:00,380 --> 00:59:03,140
S4: curious about your background. You graduated from law school. You

1034
00:59:03,180 --> 00:59:06,060
S4: worked for a judge at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal

1035
00:59:06,060 --> 00:59:09,900
S4: Appeals for four years. How did you go from working

1036
00:59:09,900 --> 00:59:13,300
S4: in that realm to this being your kind of specialty?

1037
00:59:13,580 --> 00:59:16,380
S12: Well, when I was a lawyer and attorney, I was

1038
00:59:16,420 --> 00:59:19,140
S12: teaching Bible classes and doing some different things, and it

1039
00:59:19,140 --> 00:59:21,180
S12: just became clear that's what God wanted me to do

1040
00:59:21,220 --> 00:59:23,540
S12: full time. I always joke with my my wife, she

1041
00:59:23,540 --> 00:59:25,540
S12: married a lawyer and ended up with a preacher. So

1042
00:59:25,540 --> 00:59:27,220
S12: I kind of did the old bait and switch on

1043
00:59:27,220 --> 00:59:31,140
S12: her a little bit. But but you know, I went

1044
00:59:31,140 --> 00:59:34,420
S12: down to Dallas Seminary and, uh, never, never looked back

1045
00:59:34,420 --> 00:59:37,340
S12: since then and got my, my master's degree down there,

1046
00:59:37,380 --> 00:59:39,500
S12: my master of theology, and then went back and got

1047
00:59:39,500 --> 00:59:43,100
S12: my PhD and had the privilege to teach there now

1048
00:59:43,100 --> 00:59:45,500
S12: as well. So I pastored the church in Oklahoma and

1049
00:59:45,500 --> 00:59:47,940
S12: teach at Dallas Seminary. But it was just a, a

1050
00:59:48,100 --> 00:59:50,820
S12: clear calling of God upon my life. I've never doubted

1051
00:59:50,820 --> 00:59:53,620
S12: it or have any wavered at all in that since

1052
00:59:53,620 --> 00:59:56,940
S12: that took place. So, um, but it's been a great blessing.

1053
00:59:56,940 --> 00:59:58,540
S12: I've been at the church I'm at now at Faith

1054
00:59:58,540 --> 01:00:00,140
S12: Bible Church 34 years.

1055
01:00:00,340 --> 01:00:05,580
S6: Tremendous. We're tackling the issue of demonization. What does that mean?

1056
01:00:05,780 --> 01:00:10,340
S6: What authority do demons have? How do I fight this battle?

1057
01:00:10,940 --> 01:00:13,260
S12: So the key thing in life is for us to

1058
01:00:13,260 --> 01:00:15,979
S12: be submitting to the Lord. The focus of the life

1059
01:00:15,980 --> 01:00:18,140
S12: of a believer is not to be fighting the devil,

1060
01:00:18,140 --> 01:00:20,420
S12: but it's to be submitting to God. And if we

1061
01:00:20,420 --> 01:00:23,900
S12: submit to God, then we can resist the devil. And

1062
01:00:23,940 --> 01:00:26,740
S12: as far as you know, that Satan doesn't afflict the righteous.

1063
01:00:27,100 --> 01:00:29,140
S12: When we look at job, I mean the very first

1064
01:00:29,140 --> 01:00:32,340
S12: book probably written in the Bible, it says that job

1065
01:00:32,340 --> 01:00:35,260
S12: was the most righteous man on the earth. And of course,

1066
01:00:35,300 --> 01:00:38,300
S12: you know, Satan is unleashed upon him and, you know,

1067
01:00:38,340 --> 01:00:41,220
S12: brings him as much misery as he ever has any

1068
01:00:41,220 --> 01:00:44,980
S12: other person. So I would argue really many times, maybe

1069
01:00:44,980 --> 01:00:48,020
S12: the more righteous you are, the more you are afflicted,

1070
01:00:48,220 --> 01:00:50,980
S12: because Satan is going to go after people that have

1071
01:00:50,980 --> 01:00:53,540
S12: more influence to try to bring them down. I think

1072
01:00:53,580 --> 01:00:55,740
S12: a lot of Christians, really their own flesh in the

1073
01:00:55,740 --> 01:00:59,380
S12: world is probably, you know, keeping them occupied pretty well.

1074
01:00:59,420 --> 01:01:01,980
S12: They aren't really following the Lord very much. And so

1075
01:01:02,020 --> 01:01:04,300
S12: I think Satan and demons are looking for people that

1076
01:01:04,300 --> 01:01:07,300
S12: are righteous, that are doing great things for God that

1077
01:01:07,300 --> 01:01:10,100
S12: they can bring down. But it's very important to remember

1078
01:01:10,100 --> 01:01:12,580
S12: that we are to resist the devil. That's what Jesus did.

1079
01:01:12,620 --> 01:01:15,500
S12: You know, he quoted the Bible three times. Three times,

1080
01:01:15,500 --> 01:01:17,660
S12: he says. It is written, it is written. It's written.

1081
01:01:17,660 --> 01:01:20,140
S12: By the way. Quoted the book of Deuteronomy three times

1082
01:01:20,140 --> 01:01:23,300
S12: as well. So but, um, we're to submit ourselves to

1083
01:01:23,340 --> 01:01:25,820
S12: God first, then we resist the devil. And the Bible

1084
01:01:25,820 --> 01:01:28,140
S12: says that he will flee from us. And so we

1085
01:01:28,140 --> 01:01:31,100
S12: resist him in the Lord and God's Word. And we

1086
01:01:31,100 --> 01:01:33,460
S12: can have victory in this battle. But it all starts

1087
01:01:33,460 --> 01:01:36,340
S12: with submitting ourselves daily to God. It's the positive before

1088
01:01:36,340 --> 01:01:37,060
S12: the negative.

1089
01:01:37,420 --> 01:01:41,220
S6: Clearly, Mark, we find in Ephesians written to the church,

1090
01:01:41,460 --> 01:01:44,420
S6: Paul saying, be angry and do not sin. Do not

1091
01:01:44,420 --> 01:01:47,620
S6: let the sun go down on your anger and give

1092
01:01:47,660 --> 01:01:52,340
S6: no opportunity to the devil. That term opportunity is really

1093
01:01:52,340 --> 01:01:56,060
S6: foothold or toehold. Almost a mountain climbers term. What does

1094
01:01:56,060 --> 01:02:00,940
S6: it mean to give Satan a toehold if you're born again?

1095
01:02:00,940 --> 01:02:03,060
S6: A lot of people have questions about this. What do

1096
01:02:03,060 --> 01:02:03,740
S6: you say, Mark?

1097
01:02:04,220 --> 01:02:06,660
S12: Well, you know, when we when we sin in our lives,

1098
01:02:06,660 --> 01:02:09,140
S12: we open up our lives to the enemy to get

1099
01:02:09,140 --> 01:02:11,860
S12: a beachhead, you know, into our life. I think in

1100
01:02:11,900 --> 01:02:15,220
S12: that passage in Ephesians, he's just said talked about anger.

1101
01:02:15,260 --> 01:02:16,940
S12: You know, don't be angry. Don't let the sun go

1102
01:02:16,940 --> 01:02:20,020
S12: down on your wrath. Don't give the devil an opportunity.

1103
01:02:20,020 --> 01:02:22,580
S12: I think in that context, it's anger. You know, a

1104
01:02:22,580 --> 01:02:24,540
S12: lot of people when they're, if they're if they're living

1105
01:02:24,540 --> 01:02:27,820
S12: an angry life, they're, you know, upset all the time,

1106
01:02:27,860 --> 01:02:31,180
S12: you know, yelling, shouting, just filled with anger about all

1107
01:02:31,180 --> 01:02:32,980
S12: kinds of things. There's a lot of lot to get

1108
01:02:33,020 --> 01:02:35,540
S12: angry about in our world today. And certainly there's a

1109
01:02:35,580 --> 01:02:38,620
S12: righteous anger about sin and things that are happening in

1110
01:02:38,620 --> 01:02:41,620
S12: our world. But it's very easy for even righteous anger to,

1111
01:02:41,820 --> 01:02:43,580
S12: you know, to kind of bleed over and to become

1112
01:02:43,620 --> 01:02:46,340
S12: unrighteous anger at some point in time. So, you know,

1113
01:02:46,380 --> 01:02:49,580
S12: an angry person, it's telling us in that passage is

1114
01:02:49,580 --> 01:02:52,500
S12: giving kind of a portal to the enemy down into

1115
01:02:52,500 --> 01:02:54,979
S12: their heart and their life for him to be able

1116
01:02:54,980 --> 01:02:58,020
S12: to gain more control over their life. And once you give,

1117
01:02:58,060 --> 01:03:00,220
S12: you know, an enemy, a beachhead or a foothold in

1118
01:03:00,220 --> 01:03:02,500
S12: your life, then obviously they're going to going to go

1119
01:03:02,500 --> 01:03:04,820
S12: out from there. I don't think anger is the only

1120
01:03:04,860 --> 01:03:07,180
S12: sin that gives the enemy a foothold. I think there

1121
01:03:07,220 --> 01:03:09,540
S12: are probably many other sins that do as well. But

1122
01:03:09,580 --> 01:03:12,260
S12: in that context, that's what's being mentioned there. So, you know,

1123
01:03:12,300 --> 01:03:15,020
S12: that's that's something for everybody to think about who's listening.

1124
01:03:15,020 --> 01:03:17,900
S12: If you've got an anger problem, you're giving the enemy

1125
01:03:17,940 --> 01:03:20,460
S12: a foothold into your life every day. And that's a

1126
01:03:20,620 --> 01:03:23,460
S12: sad and tragic thing to be happening in your spiritual life.

1127
01:03:23,700 --> 01:03:25,340
S6: Mark. I want to give some hope. I guess the

1128
01:03:25,340 --> 01:03:27,820
S6: flip side to this is first John one nine. If

1129
01:03:27,860 --> 01:03:30,820
S6: you confess your sins, he is right. He is faithful

1130
01:03:30,820 --> 01:03:33,260
S6: and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse

1131
01:03:33,260 --> 01:03:37,060
S6: us of all unrighteousness. It seems to me that what

1132
01:03:37,060 --> 01:03:39,540
S6: we find in Scripture over and over again is get

1133
01:03:39,580 --> 01:03:43,780
S6: honest with God, get honest with yourself and that agreement

1134
01:03:43,780 --> 01:03:46,740
S6: with God. Let's just take anger. I've got anger in

1135
01:03:46,740 --> 01:03:49,620
S6: my life. I do not want to give a toehold

1136
01:03:49,620 --> 01:03:54,300
S6: to Satan. God, I admit this to you. I agree

1137
01:03:54,300 --> 01:03:57,700
S6: with you, God. I repent of it. We don't have

1138
01:03:57,700 --> 01:03:59,820
S6: to worry at that point, do we? If we mean

1139
01:03:59,820 --> 01:04:02,300
S6: that sincerely, we are set free.

1140
01:04:02,660 --> 01:04:04,460
S12: That's right. I mean, it's that simple. You're right. You

1141
01:04:04,460 --> 01:04:06,220
S12: go to God and we agree with him. That's what

1142
01:04:06,220 --> 01:04:08,940
S12: the word means to confess, to say the same thing.

1143
01:04:08,940 --> 01:04:11,180
S12: So we say about our sin. The same thing God

1144
01:04:11,180 --> 01:04:14,380
S12: says about our sin. It's wrong that it's an affront

1145
01:04:14,380 --> 01:04:17,419
S12: to God, that it separates us and our fellowship with

1146
01:04:17,420 --> 01:04:19,340
S12: the Lord. And now you know, when you do that,

1147
01:04:19,340 --> 01:04:22,420
S12: it says, he is faithful and he's just to forgive

1148
01:04:22,420 --> 01:04:25,580
S12: our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And

1149
01:04:25,580 --> 01:04:27,220
S12: that when we do that, we can have a clean

1150
01:04:27,220 --> 01:04:29,620
S12: slate with the Lord. Our fellowship with God is restored,

1151
01:04:29,660 --> 01:04:31,860
S12: and we never lose our relationship with the Lord as

1152
01:04:31,860 --> 01:04:34,700
S12: believers when we sin. But we can we can break

1153
01:04:34,700 --> 01:04:38,660
S12: that fellowship with him. That fellowship is restored and that

1154
01:04:38,660 --> 01:04:41,300
S12: we can. We can go forward in life, in power

1155
01:04:41,300 --> 01:04:43,660
S12: and in the way that God wants us to. But yeah,

1156
01:04:43,700 --> 01:04:45,780
S12: we have to be honest about our sin problems that

1157
01:04:45,780 --> 01:04:48,340
S12: we have and that we have to avail ourselves of

1158
01:04:48,340 --> 01:04:51,180
S12: all the resources God has given us. You mentioned Ephesians six.

1159
01:04:51,300 --> 01:04:54,700
S12: God's given us a whole, a whole array of, of

1160
01:04:54,740 --> 01:04:59,140
S12: spiritual resources to come against the enemy and not allow

1161
01:04:59,140 --> 01:05:01,980
S12: the enemy to have power and control over our lives.

1162
01:05:02,340 --> 01:05:05,860
S6: Amen. I love that, Mark. Uh, let's go after demonized,

1163
01:05:05,900 --> 01:05:11,540
S6: the word has been wrongly interpreted as possession or even oppression.

1164
01:05:11,540 --> 01:05:14,260
S6: It really doesn't mean either of those, Mark, does it?

1165
01:05:14,540 --> 01:05:16,860
S12: No, it just means to be under the influence of,

1166
01:05:16,900 --> 01:05:19,780
S12: you know, be under the influence of a demonic spirit.

1167
01:05:19,780 --> 01:05:22,620
S12: But there is a there is an idea, obviously, of

1168
01:05:22,620 --> 01:05:25,620
S12: demon possession. That's the term we use because, you know,

1169
01:05:25,660 --> 01:05:28,220
S12: Jesus says that the demon is in a person and

1170
01:05:28,220 --> 01:05:31,140
S12: Jesus will tell the demon to come out of the person.

1171
01:05:31,140 --> 01:05:34,740
S12: So clearly it's residing inside the person. Um, so I

1172
01:05:34,740 --> 01:05:36,620
S12: think it's, I mean, you know, it's just a term

1173
01:05:36,620 --> 01:05:39,260
S12: that we use. I think demon possession, we need to

1174
01:05:39,300 --> 01:05:41,860
S12: make sure we understand what it means, but I don't

1175
01:05:41,860 --> 01:05:45,140
S12: think that it's an incorrect statement to use because clearly

1176
01:05:45,140 --> 01:05:48,980
S12: the person's being possessed, they're being controlled. They're being indwelled

1177
01:05:48,980 --> 01:05:53,140
S12: really by a demonic spirit, someone who's under demonic control

1178
01:05:53,140 --> 01:05:55,900
S12: in that way. But obviously, well, I don't think a

1179
01:05:55,900 --> 01:05:58,940
S12: believer can be demon possessed in that sense. But certainly

1180
01:05:58,940 --> 01:06:03,500
S12: demonic spirits are oppressing believers all the time, coming against us,

1181
01:06:03,860 --> 01:06:07,220
S12: trying to thwart and frustrate our activities for the Lord.

1182
01:06:07,260 --> 01:06:11,780
S12: Trying to discourage us, disappoint us. We talked to God.

1183
01:06:11,900 --> 01:06:14,460
S12: We pray to him and that he's he's the one

1184
01:06:14,460 --> 01:06:16,700
S12: that we talked to in the spiritual realm.

1185
01:06:17,340 --> 01:06:19,660
S6: I got to tell you, we've got a resource for you.

1186
01:06:19,700 --> 01:06:23,020
S6: Mark has written on this whole issue of demonic attack

1187
01:06:23,020 --> 01:06:25,220
S6: and how to deal with it. Ali, let's give that link.

1188
01:06:25,260 --> 01:06:29,340
S4: To 101 answers to questions about Satan, demons, and spiritual warfare.

1189
01:06:29,380 --> 01:06:35,500
S4: Just text faith to 800 555 7898. Text faith to

1190
01:06:35,580 --> 01:06:38,820
S4: 800 555 7898.

1191
01:06:39,540 --> 01:06:42,500
S1: He was sharing the gospel on the radio and then

1192
01:06:42,580 --> 01:06:46,940
S1: he got saved. Young thunders in the crew. It's Carl

1193
01:06:46,940 --> 01:06:48,660
S1: and crew on Moody Radio.

1194
01:06:50,140 --> 01:06:53,620
S6: So what is the disciple of Christ? Their imitators of Christ.

1195
01:06:53,620 --> 01:06:55,700
S6: And I love those three words that were submitted. And

1196
01:06:55,700 --> 01:06:58,939
S6: there's a lot of other great responses coming in. There's

1197
01:06:58,940 --> 01:07:02,700
S6: different aspects of his life. I'm big recently on the

1198
01:07:02,740 --> 01:07:11,860
S6: unseen things. Those disciplines of introspection. Those disciplines of quietness, conversation.

1199
01:07:11,900 --> 01:07:14,900
S6: Those things that happen when people aren't watching, those are

1200
01:07:14,900 --> 01:07:18,740
S6: powerhouse men. All of those are characteristic of the life

1201
01:07:18,740 --> 01:07:22,820
S6: of Christ. And there's a lot of discussion about what

1202
01:07:22,820 --> 01:07:26,260
S6: is someone. I mean, the Iditarod Trail race just got done.

1203
01:07:26,260 --> 01:07:29,100
S6: Jesse Holmes won that thing, by the way. I've got

1204
01:07:29,100 --> 01:07:33,500
S6: this little husky puppy, six months old right now. I

1205
01:07:33,780 --> 01:07:36,900
S6: found out here yesterday that he's going to grow about

1206
01:07:36,900 --> 01:07:38,900
S6: one more inch in the shoulders, and then he's just

1207
01:07:38,900 --> 01:07:40,340
S6: going to fill out, and he needs to fill out

1208
01:07:40,340 --> 01:07:42,660
S6: because he has one lanky teenager right now, let me

1209
01:07:42,660 --> 01:07:45,700
S6: tell you. Woof. Uh, but he's he's a good boy.

1210
01:07:45,700 --> 01:07:48,020
S6: And his mom and dad, I mean, he's a true

1211
01:07:48,060 --> 01:07:50,580
S6: sled dog. I mean, through and through. And his dad

1212
01:07:50,580 --> 01:07:55,300
S6: was running lead in a team that completed the Iditarod

1213
01:07:55,340 --> 01:07:59,020
S6: in fifth place this year. And his mom, Fendi, was

1214
01:07:59,140 --> 01:08:01,780
S6: leading a puppy team even though she had a litter

1215
01:08:01,780 --> 01:08:05,820
S6: of puppies. September 24th. She recovered and got conditioned enough

1216
01:08:05,820 --> 01:08:07,620
S6: to lead a team to Nome and just crossed the

1217
01:08:07,620 --> 01:08:10,540
S6: finish line a couple of days ago. Wow, isn't that something?

1218
01:08:11,300 --> 01:08:15,060
S6: So when you think about what is an Iditarod musher?

1219
01:08:15,100 --> 01:08:18,900
S6: Oh my goodness, there's been some debate about this. There's

1220
01:08:18,900 --> 01:08:22,700
S6: a guy named Cheruku. He's one of the richest Norwegians.

1221
01:08:22,700 --> 01:08:25,500
S6: He's worth about $7 billion. And they have this new

1222
01:08:25,500 --> 01:08:29,740
S6: expedition class in the Iditarod. If you give them $300,000,

1223
01:08:29,740 --> 01:08:33,059
S6: you can go run the Iditarod without being pre-qualified. All

1224
01:08:33,060 --> 01:08:35,139
S6: you have to have is another team with you or

1225
01:08:35,140 --> 01:08:37,740
S6: someone on Snowmachine that follows along with you. So if

1226
01:08:37,780 --> 01:08:40,260
S6: you got a cool 300 K, you can go on

1227
01:08:40,260 --> 01:08:43,780
S6: this race and and it was thrilling. So this guy,

1228
01:08:43,820 --> 01:08:47,139
S6: I mean, if you got 7,000,000,300 K and all that much.

1229
01:08:47,180 --> 01:08:47,780
S2: Not so much.

1230
01:08:47,820 --> 01:08:51,019
S6: No. It's like sneezing. So he did it. And he's

1231
01:08:51,020 --> 01:08:54,820
S6: an adventurer 68 years old and completed that race here

1232
01:08:54,860 --> 01:08:56,340
S6: just several days ago.

1233
01:08:56,420 --> 01:08:56,939
S13: Good for him.

1234
01:08:57,180 --> 01:08:59,939
S6: Pretty cool. So there was a lot of debate on

1235
01:08:59,939 --> 01:09:04,620
S6: different social media platforms. Is this guy an Iditarod musher? Well,

1236
01:09:04,620 --> 01:09:07,580
S6: he ran the Iditarod, but an Iditarod musher has so

1237
01:09:07,580 --> 01:09:09,380
S6: much more to it. I mean, there's a kennel of

1238
01:09:09,380 --> 01:09:13,340
S6: anywhere between 50 and 300 dogs. There's you got feeding schedules,

1239
01:09:13,340 --> 01:09:17,259
S6: you got preparation, you got training out the wazoo, man.

1240
01:09:17,300 --> 01:09:20,099
S6: I mean, you got a lot going on. And that

1241
01:09:20,140 --> 01:09:22,740
S6: leads us to a question of, well, what is a

1242
01:09:22,740 --> 01:09:26,260
S6: disciple of Christ? And the one thing I want to

1243
01:09:26,260 --> 01:09:29,500
S6: just tackle here for a moment is this reality a

1244
01:09:29,500 --> 01:09:36,339
S6: disciple of Christ? What passes for discipleship today is often

1245
01:09:36,340 --> 01:09:39,700
S6: individual growth. A lot of times when we think about discipleship,

1246
01:09:39,700 --> 01:09:44,860
S6: we're thinking about our individual selves. And that's good discipleship

1247
01:09:44,860 --> 01:09:48,019
S6: reorients the way we live. God, by the power of

1248
01:09:48,020 --> 01:09:52,460
S6: the spirit, allows us to break free from sins and

1249
01:09:52,460 --> 01:10:01,540
S6: addictions and to overcome sexual abuse. Memories from childhood. I mean,

1250
01:10:01,580 --> 01:10:04,139
S6: the list goes on and on about what God wants

1251
01:10:04,140 --> 01:10:09,019
S6: to do through discipleship. But here's the missing deal that we,

1252
01:10:10,060 --> 01:10:13,460
S6: if we take hold of, it'll change everything for us.

1253
01:10:13,979 --> 01:10:18,099
S6: Because what passes for discipleship today is often individual. But

1254
01:10:18,100 --> 01:10:24,259
S6: biblical discipleship is a radical partnership with God to step

1255
01:10:24,260 --> 01:10:27,259
S6: into a movement that only he can pull off. And

1256
01:10:27,260 --> 01:10:31,059
S6: here's the point. It's not about our lives being a

1257
01:10:31,060 --> 01:10:33,700
S6: cul de sac of all the things that God wants

1258
01:10:33,700 --> 01:10:37,820
S6: to pour into us. It's about our lives being a conduit.

1259
01:10:38,420 --> 01:10:41,580
S6: And I'm convinced of this. It's somewhat theoretical, but I

1260
01:10:41,580 --> 01:10:45,179
S6: want you to bear with me a second. I wonder

1261
01:10:45,180 --> 01:10:48,660
S6: if a lot of disciples are missing out on even

1262
01:10:48,660 --> 01:10:53,580
S6: the fuel for personal discipleship, because they've seen this as

1263
01:10:53,580 --> 01:10:57,179
S6: a closed system, that it's about my relationship with Jesus

1264
01:10:57,180 --> 01:10:59,220
S6: and what he wants to do in me. Here's what

1265
01:10:59,220 --> 01:11:03,620
S6: I believe. When we kick the end out of the

1266
01:11:03,620 --> 01:11:06,900
S6: spiritual dead sea of our life and we have outlets,

1267
01:11:08,020 --> 01:11:11,780
S6: the health of that lake of our life, that sea

1268
01:11:11,820 --> 01:11:14,660
S6: of our life will become so much healthier because there

1269
01:11:14,660 --> 01:11:18,019
S6: will be flow through. So now no longer are we

1270
01:11:18,020 --> 01:11:21,740
S6: just a receptacle of what God wants to do in me.

1271
01:11:22,060 --> 01:11:24,460
S6: We have an outlet of what God wants to do

1272
01:11:24,500 --> 01:11:27,380
S6: in others, and it changes everything.

1273
01:11:27,420 --> 01:11:31,660
S2: I think you're absolutely right about that because when it's

1274
01:11:31,660 --> 01:11:37,780
S2: just for us, it really does eventually kind of ruin

1275
01:11:37,820 --> 01:11:42,420
S2: our spiritual lives. If we. It feels mundane after some time.

1276
01:11:42,420 --> 01:11:46,780
S2: It feels like it's missing its purpose. And when we

1277
01:11:47,180 --> 01:11:50,660
S2: take what God gives us that is for us and

1278
01:11:50,660 --> 01:11:53,259
S2: benefits us, but then we pass it on to others

1279
01:11:53,260 --> 01:11:56,540
S2: as well for their benefit, life just becomes so much

1280
01:11:56,660 --> 01:11:57,540
S2: more livable.

1281
01:11:58,020 --> 01:12:01,660
S6: So much more. So I want to I want you

1282
01:12:01,660 --> 01:12:04,540
S6: to think about two words with me just quickly. Fair shot.

1283
01:12:04,620 --> 01:12:07,460
S6: We talk about this term a lot without even knowing

1284
01:12:07,500 --> 01:12:10,139
S6: it in everyday language. When somebody comes in for an

1285
01:12:10,140 --> 01:12:12,340
S6: interview and they don't have all the skills, but boy,

1286
01:12:12,340 --> 01:12:15,299
S6: they're really hungry to go, you know, what do we say?

1287
01:12:15,500 --> 01:12:18,379
S6: Are they deserve a shot at this, right?

1288
01:12:18,420 --> 01:12:18,980
S2: Absolutely.

1289
01:12:19,020 --> 01:12:23,180
S6: And sometimes when someone that doesn't have it all together

1290
01:12:23,220 --> 01:12:25,700
S6: or all the training that they need for a certain position,

1291
01:12:25,700 --> 01:12:29,860
S6: but they got motivation, they got character, they're hungry. What

1292
01:12:29,900 --> 01:12:32,979
S6: goes on inside our mind is they deserve a fair

1293
01:12:32,979 --> 01:12:38,700
S6: shot at this. So here's my proposal. What if we

1294
01:12:38,740 --> 01:12:46,059
S6: joined an extraordinary mission where we are becoming disciples, that

1295
01:12:46,060 --> 01:12:51,420
S6: is turning genuine believers into partners with God? I mean,

1296
01:12:51,420 --> 01:12:56,620
S6: partners with God, not because discipleship is imitating Christ. What

1297
01:12:56,620 --> 01:13:00,860
S6: did Christ do? It wasn't his relationship with the father

1298
01:13:00,860 --> 01:13:06,980
S6: wasn't a closed system. His whole intent was to take

1299
01:13:07,340 --> 01:13:10,460
S6: what he's received and who he is and give it

1300
01:13:10,460 --> 01:13:12,979
S6: to the world around him. And I think that's one

1301
01:13:12,979 --> 01:13:16,179
S6: aspect of discipleship that we've messed up, messed up on.

1302
01:13:16,740 --> 01:13:18,820
S6: So what if we kick the end out of the

1303
01:13:18,820 --> 01:13:22,179
S6: Dead Sea? Just think about this a moment. What if

1304
01:13:22,340 --> 01:13:28,180
S6: our mindset was like Christ and we believed everybody deserved

1305
01:13:28,180 --> 01:13:31,260
S6: a fair shot at the gospel? And why do I

1306
01:13:31,260 --> 01:13:33,900
S6: say that? Because with the stats that we've been looking

1307
01:13:33,900 --> 01:13:36,740
S6: at for the last couple of months here, guys, we've

1308
01:13:36,740 --> 01:13:40,500
S6: got 4% just in America. So Canada, you've got to

1309
01:13:40,500 --> 01:13:43,660
S6: be a close reflection of that other. Others of you

1310
01:13:43,660 --> 01:13:48,299
S6: listening here in North America or beyond, most people listen

1311
01:13:48,300 --> 01:13:51,179
S6: to me live in cultures where just a scant small

1312
01:13:51,180 --> 01:13:58,299
S6: percentage of people Really have a biblical worldview and aim

1313
01:13:58,300 --> 01:14:01,460
S6: to order their private and public lives around it. So

1314
01:14:01,460 --> 01:14:06,180
S6: in America, it's 4%. Now you might say, oh my goodness,

1315
01:14:06,180 --> 01:14:10,179
S6: this is horrible. It's only 4%. What if we flip

1316
01:14:10,180 --> 01:14:16,420
S6: that around and say, no, no, no, we've got a 96%

1317
01:14:16,580 --> 01:14:20,500
S6: mission field. Who lived next door to us, who live

1318
01:14:20,500 --> 01:14:24,059
S6: across the street, who are at the breakfast joint with

1319
01:14:24,060 --> 01:14:27,059
S6: us right now this morning that we're going to this meeting.

1320
01:14:27,740 --> 01:14:31,379
S6: The colleagues that I work with, and here's the crazy

1321
01:14:31,420 --> 01:14:36,099
S6: thing about that 96%, a vast number of those, and

1322
01:14:36,100 --> 01:14:37,939
S6: I'm not willing to throw a number at it today,

1323
01:14:37,939 --> 01:14:42,500
S6: even though we've talked about it in the past, maybe possibly,

1324
01:14:43,100 --> 01:14:47,860
S6: and I don't know, I'm guessing somewhere between 50 to 70%

1325
01:14:47,860 --> 01:14:50,700
S6: of them have never had a fair shot at the gospel.

1326
01:14:51,740 --> 01:14:53,780
S6: And when I say a fair shot at the gospel,

1327
01:14:53,780 --> 01:14:58,340
S6: I'm talking about what Jesus came to do, to redeem,

1328
01:14:58,340 --> 01:15:02,340
S6: to restore mankind, to set people free from their sins.

1329
01:15:02,900 --> 01:15:05,420
S6: Do you know that because of prevenient grace, there are

1330
01:15:05,460 --> 01:15:09,099
S6: God fearing people right now your neighbors, people down the street,

1331
01:15:09,100 --> 01:15:11,700
S6: people you work with that if they had a fair

1332
01:15:11,700 --> 01:15:16,700
S6: shot at the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they would like Cornelius, repent,

1333
01:15:16,979 --> 01:15:21,140
S6: surrender and follow Jesus. Like Lydia, the seller of purple.

1334
01:15:21,380 --> 01:15:23,979
S6: So we got acts ten. Acts 16. What do you got?

1335
01:15:24,020 --> 01:15:27,860
S6: God fearing people where God was already priming the pump

1336
01:15:27,860 --> 01:15:30,620
S6: of their soul. All they needed to do was hear

1337
01:15:30,620 --> 01:15:38,580
S6: about Jesus. So why? Why does everyone deserve a fair shot?

1338
01:15:38,580 --> 01:15:40,340
S6: And why would you want to be involved in that?

1339
01:15:40,340 --> 01:15:42,740
S6: Because I think it'll bring health and vitality to your

1340
01:15:42,740 --> 01:15:46,660
S6: own spiritual life like nothing else can. So I want

1341
01:15:46,700 --> 01:15:50,179
S6: to give you three quick answers to why I a

1342
01:15:50,180 --> 01:15:54,380
S6: fair shot for every person. Even as we're going to

1343
01:15:54,380 --> 01:15:57,700
S6: be talking this week, starting tomorrow about end times, why

1344
01:15:57,740 --> 01:16:02,139
S6: position ourselves out of a bunker bunker mentality, even out

1345
01:16:02,140 --> 01:16:05,140
S6: of a let's go to church mentality to let's go

1346
01:16:05,140 --> 01:16:09,139
S6: to the world first, because everyone deserves to hear the

1347
01:16:09,140 --> 01:16:14,580
S6: good news. Love what Paul says in Romans 1014 through 15. Amen.

1348
01:16:14,620 --> 01:16:17,860
S6: How are they going to hear unless they're sent? How

1349
01:16:17,860 --> 01:16:19,420
S6: in the world are we going to know? And then

1350
01:16:19,420 --> 01:16:22,500
S6: he says, how beautiful are the feet of those who

1351
01:16:22,500 --> 01:16:28,020
S6: bring good news? Everybody deserves to hear the good news. Secondly,

1352
01:16:28,020 --> 01:16:31,860
S6: because we are called to reach people where they are.

1353
01:16:31,860 --> 01:16:34,340
S6: One of my favorite passages of scripture, and I can't

1354
01:16:34,340 --> 01:16:36,500
S6: believe we haven't hit this much around here. But in

1355
01:16:36,500 --> 01:16:39,580
S6: first Corinthians nine, Paul says, I'm free, man. As an apostle,

1356
01:16:39,580 --> 01:16:43,740
S6: I'm free. I'm not obligated to anyone. But he said

1357
01:16:43,740 --> 01:16:46,340
S6: to the weak, I became weak to those with the law,

1358
01:16:46,340 --> 01:16:48,820
S6: with the law out, the law without the law, I

1359
01:16:48,820 --> 01:16:51,900
S6: became all things to all people, so that by any

1360
01:16:51,900 --> 01:16:56,939
S6: possible means I might save some. And then the big

1361
01:16:56,939 --> 01:17:01,660
S6: roundhouse is y a fair shot. Third thing, because many

1362
01:17:01,660 --> 01:17:06,380
S6: are prepared to receive Jesus as Lord. Jesus said, man,

1363
01:17:06,420 --> 01:17:09,540
S6: the fields are ripe for harvest. Pray that the Lord

1364
01:17:09,540 --> 01:17:14,099
S6: would raise up workers for the harvest field. So as

1365
01:17:14,100 --> 01:17:17,139
S6: we head to a week of end times, I want

1366
01:17:17,140 --> 01:17:19,780
S6: you to get a vision for what it is to

1367
01:17:19,820 --> 01:17:25,740
S6: be a disciple of Christ, not just receiving truth for self,

1368
01:17:26,340 --> 01:17:30,059
S6: but receiving truth for the purpose of giving it away,

1369
01:17:30,100 --> 01:17:33,860
S6: making your life not a cul de sac of God's stuff,

1370
01:17:34,580 --> 01:17:41,220
S6: but a conduit of truth and hope and love. Because

1371
01:17:41,220 --> 01:17:46,620
S6: every person we run into today deserves a fair shot

1372
01:17:46,620 --> 01:17:47,500
S6: at the gospel.