WEBVTT - Pastors' Perspective-09/25/26 0:00:16.589 --> 0:00:18.148 Brian's got all this stuff on the table, 0:00:18.558 --> 0:00:19.079 not what? 0:00:19.799 --> 0:00:23.719 Welcome to Pastor's Perspective. I'm your host, Brian Perez. It 0:00:23.719 --> 0:00:27.030 is Friday, and you know what that usually means, that 0:00:27.030 --> 0:00:31.239 Brian and Cheryl Broderson are here today, and they are 0:00:31.239 --> 0:00:34.329 not here literally in the studio. Well, Cheryl is. Uh, 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.599 Brian is online, but either way, they are here to 0:00:37.599 --> 0:00:41.638 answer the questions you've got about God's word, about walking 0:00:41.638 --> 0:00:42.439 the Christian walk. 0:00:43.049 --> 0:00:45.010 Give us a call. Let us know what's on your mind, 0:00:45.129 --> 0:00:48.769 what you're, what you're working through in the Bible or 0:00:48.769 --> 0:00:55.990 in your own life. 888-564-6173 is the number to call. 888-564-6173. 0:00:56.130 --> 0:00:58.130 You can also watch us live streaming if you'd like 0:00:58.130 --> 0:01:02.209 to on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. So Brian and Cheryl, 0:01:02.369 --> 0:01:05.310 great to see you again, second time this week, in fact, 0:01:05.850 --> 0:01:06.688 because you were here Monday. 0:01:06.790 --> 0:01:07.029 It's true. 0:01:07.529 --> 0:01:10.810 Yes, now you're both together here again today. 0:01:12.299 --> 0:01:15.149 This is great. Anything, anything new? 0:01:15.658 --> 0:01:18.020 Brian, what is that stuff that you have on the 0:01:18.020 --> 0:01:19.359 table next to the bed? 0:01:21.359 --> 0:01:23.619 Because everyone can see it on the screen. You're not 0:01:23.619 --> 0:01:25.399 supposed to, you're not supposed to see all of that 0:01:25.399 --> 0:01:25.409 stuff. 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:27.420 Well, you can. It's just right there. 0:01:28.649 --> 0:01:28.689 Bye. 0:01:29.819 --> 0:01:31.619 I'm gonna turn away from that. 0:01:31.740 --> 0:01:34.539 That is good. That was, that was a good move, Brian. 0:01:34.750 --> 0:01:36.100 That's a really good move. 0:01:36.979 --> 0:01:40.139 That's all the junk that I, you know, I'm packing. 0:01:40.219 --> 0:01:41.619 I have to get ready to 0:01:41.619 --> 0:01:44.339 go. That's right. That's right. I get to see Brian tomorrow. 0:01:44.420 --> 0:01:44.719 I'm 0:01:44.719 --> 0:01:45.740 so excited in 0:01:45.740 --> 0:01:46.158 person. 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:48.799 In person, not on a screen like this in 0:01:48.799 --> 0:01:51.280 person for the first time in what is it 8 weeks? 0:01:52.259 --> 0:01:55.450 Yeah, I, I, I left the end, end of July. 0:01:55.530 --> 0:01:57.070 Did I leave the twenty-eighth of July? 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:58.020 Twenty-eighth of July, 0:01:58.130 --> 0:01:58.899 8th, yeah, 0:01:59.649 --> 0:02:03.310 yeah. So isn't that crazy? That'll be a great reunion. 0:02:04.159 --> 0:02:04.990 Yes, tis, you know, 0:02:05.289 --> 0:02:05.640 I think we're 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:06.710 gonna have hamburgers. 0:02:08.039 --> 0:02:09.920 We're hamburgers so great with 0:02:09.920 --> 0:02:11.820 my homemade buns. They're so good. 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.479 Oh yeah, and corn waffles. I can't wait for the 0:02:15.479 --> 0:02:16.000 corn waffles. 0:02:16.079 --> 0:02:18.840 The corn waffles are so good, so good. 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:23.999 So I want to say that um, I mentioned this 0:02:23.999 --> 0:02:25.540 to Cheryl yesterday, but 0:02:26.159 --> 0:02:32.730 Um, Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of our landing in 0:02:32.730 --> 0:02:35.749 the UK to plant Calvary Chapel in London. 0:02:36.510 --> 0:02:40.270 And um man, I cannot believe that 30 years have passed. But, 0:02:40.279 --> 0:02:44.600 you know, honey, I was thinking about the kids, and 0:02:44.600 --> 0:02:48.710 I was thinking, OK, yes, 30 years ago, Kristen was 15, 0:02:48.960 --> 0:02:53.669 Char was 13, Kelsey was 7, Braden was 5, and 0:02:54.079 --> 0:02:54.400 so 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:55.650 they're 35, 0:02:55.779 --> 0:02:57.559 37, yeah, they're up there. 0:02:58.350 --> 0:03:01.449 Yeah, add, add 30 to each of their um 0:03:02.350 --> 0:03:05.100 Years when they left for the UK and that's their 0:03:05.100 --> 0:03:05.909 age today. 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:09.299 So no wonder, no wonder you've got white hair, you know, 0:03:09.870 --> 0:03:11.230 I know, no wonder I'm, 0:03:11.829 --> 0:03:14.309 but I will never have white hair just, just for 0:03:14.309 --> 0:03:16.270 the record. Hey, um, Brian. 0:03:17.380 --> 0:03:20.779 Um, I, I was talking to Jill and John, and 0:03:21.139 --> 0:03:25.020 they're moving church. They're gonna be over at the location 0:03:25.020 --> 0:03:28.299 where Prince of Peace Lutheran used to be, yeah, but 0:03:28.299 --> 0:03:31.059 you know what they've got, they've got, yeah, this is 0:03:31.059 --> 0:03:33.699 their last week in the location they're at, and I 0:03:33.699 --> 0:03:36.460 was telling them about in England how we had been 0:03:36.460 --> 0:03:39.210 there for 6 weeks and the lady said, um, you, 0:03:39.449 --> 0:03:42.159 you next Sunday is your last Sunday here, and we're like, wait, 0:03:42.579 --> 0:03:45.290 and then the Lord provided the place, you know, Westminster 0:03:45.290 --> 0:03:46.639 City School for us to go to. 0:03:46.909 --> 0:03:50.029 And how we, we needed to let the people because 0:03:50.029 --> 0:03:53.279 our church had grown from 8 people to about 20 0:03:53.469 --> 0:03:55.809 and we needed to let those people know where they 0:03:56.150 --> 0:03:59.510 should go the next week and that's when we happened 0:03:59.510 --> 0:04:02.409 upon this business card machine. 0:04:03.199 --> 0:04:07.799 At uh Victoria Station and we, we did a we're 0:04:07.799 --> 0:04:11.460 moving card and it didn't have enough room for school 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:14.059 and so it cut it off at school we're going to, 0:04:14.279 --> 0:04:17.919 we're gonna move to Westminster City school so it sounded 0:04:17.919 --> 0:04:19.279 a little cooler than just. 0:04:19.409 --> 0:04:21.760 School, so it was just so funny. I just couldn't 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.960 fit that last L in, you know, but um I 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.440 was just thinking about that because they're doing little flyers 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:31.339 and I was thinking about those business cards and it's 0:04:31.349 --> 0:04:33.839 interesting that, you know, they've got, they're under the same 0:04:33.839 --> 0:04:39.870 kind of situation that we were, um, some, uh, 38 week, uh, 0:04:39.878 --> 0:04:44.659 no less 30 years, so 29. 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:47.479 Or so, no, years ago, 0:04:47.539 --> 0:04:47.628 3, 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:52.339 yeah, yeah, 31 because we, we did that and that was, 0:04:52.639 --> 0:04:53.849 wasn't that February, March, 0:04:54.349 --> 0:04:55.279 yeah, yeah, February, 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:57.289 yeah, so interesting, yeah, 0:04:57.560 --> 0:05:01.979 yeah, so one more little piece of trivia from my, um, 0:05:02.719 --> 0:05:08.979 my life here in South Carolina last night, um, me and, um, 0:05:09.359 --> 0:05:12.799 my two daughters, Kristen and Kelsey and John, my son-in-law. 0:05:13.219 --> 0:05:18.589 And Remy and Lila, we all went to an amazing church, um, 0:05:18.829 --> 0:05:24.869 that was established in the 1800s here, and it was 0:05:24.870 --> 0:05:29.948 so fantastic. We have a man who's doing, um, some 0:05:29.948 --> 0:05:34.190 work around work around the house. Yeah, he's really a great, uh, craftsman, 0:05:34.609 --> 0:05:38.888 and you know, he's building walls and doing so forth, so. 0:05:39.258 --> 0:05:41.939 You know, he's been asking us to come and last 0:05:41.940 --> 0:05:45.779 night was friends and family night, so we went and 0:05:45.779 --> 0:05:49.948 it's a, a black Pentecostal church, and I'll tell you, 0:05:50.299 --> 0:05:56.219 it was lively and we had a really fantastic time 0:05:56.219 --> 0:06:00.258 and just such precious people, you know, just so, so 0:06:00.258 --> 0:06:02.440 sweet. You know what? I love the body of Christ. 0:06:02.979 --> 0:06:03.139 Yeah, 0:06:03.219 --> 0:06:04.699 I was just sitting there thinking. 0:06:05.258 --> 0:06:07.219 Man, if you would have told me a year ago 0:06:07.219 --> 0:06:10.598 that I would be sitting in a black Pentecostal church 0:06:11.180 --> 0:06:16.759 in South Carolina in 2026, I would have never even 0:06:17.419 --> 0:06:19.910 dreamed that that could be the case. But uh yeah, 0:06:20.099 --> 0:06:21.698 it was so good, so. 0:06:22.568 --> 0:06:23.098 Um, 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.199 00, no, I thought you were gonna say something else. 0:06:28.318 --> 0:06:31.879 So I, yeah, yeah, no, I'm ready to, uh, I'm 0:06:31.878 --> 0:06:34.039 ready to get back to SoCal. It's been a long, 0:06:34.159 --> 0:06:37.620 long time and, uh, ready to get home to my 0:06:37.639 --> 0:06:38.109 beautiful 0:06:38.109 --> 0:06:41.698 wife. Yeah, we're keeping it Southern though, South Carolina and 0:06:41.698 --> 0:06:45.340 South South California. We're keeping it SCC. 0:06:45.389 --> 0:06:45.560 That's 0:06:45.560 --> 0:06:46.680 we're keeping it SC. 0:06:47.818 --> 0:06:51.339 Yeah, that's right. Well, we're gonna start with a call 0:06:51.339 --> 0:06:53.779 that's a little bit closer to where Brian is right now. 0:06:54.378 --> 0:06:58.659 It's Stephanie in Virginia who watches us on YouTube, and 0:06:58.659 --> 0:07:00.638 then Jazz, you'll be up next, so stay on the line. 0:07:00.900 --> 0:07:06.388 888-564-6173 is the number to call. Stephanie, hi there. Thanks 0:07:06.389 --> 0:07:08.139 for calling into Pastor's Perspective. 0:07:09.008 --> 0:07:09.249 Hi, 0:07:09.329 --> 0:07:11.930 thank you for taking my calls. My question is for 0:07:11.930 --> 0:07:13.090 my six year old daughter, 0:07:13.210 --> 0:07:13.560 Mila, 0:07:13.650 --> 0:07:15.949 but she wanted me to ask the question, of course. 0:07:16.090 --> 0:07:16.530 Oh, 0:07:16.650 --> 0:07:16.840 we'd 0:07:16.840 --> 0:07:18.929 love to hear Nila. Just tell her to be brave 0:07:18.930 --> 0:07:19.750 next time too. 0:07:20.169 --> 0:07:22.449 She, she asked really good questions, and you know, my 0:07:22.449 --> 0:07:24.239 answer to her is like, let's go to the Bible. Let's, 0:07:24.289 --> 0:07:26.120 let's look at, and I usually I can find the answer, 0:07:26.169 --> 0:07:29.410 but this one was a little bit, uh, complicated. So 0:07:29.410 --> 0:07:32.930 she said, um, why does the Bible say that Elijah 0:07:32.930 --> 0:07:35.729 went to heaven, even though Christ hadn't come? 0:07:36.210 --> 0:07:39.699 And where did people go, um, you know, in the 0:07:39.699 --> 0:07:40.259 Old Testament 0:07:40.259 --> 0:07:42.780 when they died, if they were followers of God. That's 0:07:42.780 --> 0:07:43.780 such a good question. 0:07:44.259 --> 0:07:45.259 So that was her 0:07:45.259 --> 0:07:45.578 question. 0:07:46.329 --> 0:07:49.369 That, that is a, a great question, yeah, um. 0:07:50.150 --> 0:07:54.849 You know, I think I grew up in Roman Catholicism, 0:07:54.990 --> 0:07:59.250 and in Roman Catholicism, you had this picture of, um, 0:07:59.340 --> 0:08:05.310 the gates of heaven were locked because of sin and 0:08:05.310 --> 0:08:10.250 could not be opened until Jesus died and rose again. 0:08:10.669 --> 0:08:17.270 And that imagery, I, I think, kind of passed into, um, 0:08:17.669 --> 0:08:19.530 like a theological position. 0:08:20.199 --> 0:08:23.919 That nobody could go to heaven until Jesus went to 0:08:23.919 --> 0:08:24.609 the cross. 0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:29.590 And I mean, that, that could be true, except like 0:08:29.590 --> 0:08:37.009 your daughter noticed, uh, Elijah, Elijah is taken up into heaven. 0:08:37.750 --> 0:08:42.790 And so, and then of course we have, yes, and Enoch, 0:08:42.869 --> 0:08:46.629 Enoch is taken, you know, he, he walked with God, 0:08:46.670 --> 0:08:49.749 he was not, for God took him. And then, of course, 0:08:49.790 --> 0:08:53.749 we have at the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew chapter. 0:08:54.290 --> 0:08:59.849 17, we have Moses and Elijah in glorified bodies appearing 0:08:59.850 --> 0:09:05.350 with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, as we call it. 0:09:05.889 --> 0:09:11.309 So there's nothing definite in scripture that says that um 0:09:11.410 --> 0:09:14.988 Old Testament saints did not enter into glory. 0:09:15.328 --> 0:09:21.470 Um, before Jesus died and rose again, because, of course, 0:09:22.210 --> 0:09:26.590 Jesus is the Lamb who was slain from the foundation 0:09:26.590 --> 0:09:32.248 of the world. So, God is considered, uh, you know, 0:09:32.328 --> 0:09:36.610 the blood of Jesus shed from before time began. And so, 0:09:36.660 --> 0:09:39.170 but there are others who say, no, no, you know, uh, 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.110 before Jesus went to the cross, died, and rose again. 0:09:43.900 --> 0:09:47.578 We, uh, the, the saints of old went to, uh, 0:09:47.660 --> 0:09:50.420 a place called the bosom of Abraham that's talked about 0:09:50.420 --> 0:09:53.780 in Luke chapter 16, and so that could be true, 0:09:53.980 --> 0:09:56.939 but there's a difference of opinion, uh, some, 0:09:58.319 --> 0:10:01.439 Lean more toward, no people went directly to be with 0:10:01.439 --> 0:10:06.360 the Lord. Others, they went to a temporary place of 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.999 comfort and rest that was referred to as the bosom 0:10:09.999 --> 0:10:11.079 of Abraham. And Enoch, 0:10:11.759 --> 0:10:15.860 Enoch and Elijah seem to be the exception, exception, right? Yeah, 0:10:16.078 --> 0:10:18.400 and maybe it's because their names begin with E. 0:10:20.989 --> 0:10:25.100 So ease get exceptions, but no, because we know that Elisha, 0:10:25.150 --> 0:10:28.748 it did not happen with, um, but it is interesting 0:10:28.749 --> 0:10:32.189 because um Eve or Eve, that's true, that didn't happen 0:10:32.189 --> 0:10:32.749 with Eve. 0:10:33.710 --> 0:10:36.258 Thank you, Brian. You would bring that up again. 0:10:37.499 --> 0:10:38.340 Yes, it's all 0:10:38.340 --> 0:10:42.489 about Eve. It's all about Eve, but um, yeah, it, it's, 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:45.578 it seems it would seem that God made a special 0:10:45.578 --> 0:10:49.929 exception and perhaps it was because he let them in, 0:10:50.139 --> 0:10:52.900 you know, in Hebrews 11, it tells us that these 0:10:52.900 --> 0:10:56.220 all died in faith, um, not having received the promise, 0:10:56.340 --> 0:10:59.100 but they saw it afar off and they embraced it. 0:10:59.540 --> 0:11:05.749 And perhaps Enoch and Elijah had even more revelation so 0:11:05.749 --> 0:11:09.270 that they were already trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ. 0:11:09.629 --> 0:11:12.989 And perhaps that was the reason, you know, because think 0:11:12.989 --> 0:11:18.699 about it, Enoch walked with God for 365 years, you know, 0:11:18.790 --> 0:11:23.389 these intimate talks and walks with God. And I was, 0:11:23.629 --> 0:11:26.988 it's interestingly enough, I was reading John chapter 15 today. 0:11:27.350 --> 0:11:30.229 Where Jesus says, I no longer call you servants but 0:11:30.230 --> 0:11:33.629 friends because servants don't know what their master is doing, 0:11:33.710 --> 0:11:36.189 but I call you friends because everything that the Father 0:11:36.189 --> 0:11:39.509 has told me, I'm revealing it to you. And I thought, 0:11:39.569 --> 0:11:42.790 you know, friends, uh, confide in each other and they 0:11:42.790 --> 0:11:45.868 tell each other their secrets. And so when we become 0:11:45.869 --> 0:11:48.470 friends with God, he tells us our secrets. And so 0:11:48.470 --> 0:11:51.030 Enoch was known as, you know, pleasing God. He was 0:11:51.030 --> 0:11:54.709 a friend of God and then Elijah had that special revelation. 0:11:55.328 --> 0:11:58.650 So that could be, you know, but I would, I 0:11:58.650 --> 0:12:01.209 would say that was an exception and I would say 0:12:01.210 --> 0:12:03.809 before Jesus came, they went to that place that we 0:12:03.809 --> 0:12:06.809 call the bosom of Abraham or that part of Paradise 0:12:07.129 --> 0:12:11.309 that was um a special place for those who loved God, um, 0:12:11.489 --> 0:12:15.209 but still needed to have the revelation of Jesus. 0:12:15.889 --> 0:12:17.869 OK, what do you 0:12:17.869 --> 0:12:18.439 think, Stephanie? 0:12:18.470 --> 0:12:19.629 I was trying to make it for a six year 0:12:19.629 --> 0:12:22.790 old too, you know. Yeah, yeah. So, OK, so I mean, 0:12:22.910 --> 0:12:25.989 because I, my first answer was, you know, well, you know, God, 0:12:26.189 --> 0:12:29.100 so he, he chose like God, if God wants Elijah 0:12:29.100 --> 0:12:30.868 to go to heaven, he's gonna go to heaven, you know, 0:12:30.939 --> 0:12:34.179 that's kind of was my first answer, um, but, uh, 0:12:34.189 --> 0:12:35.988 I was like, oh yeah, does say so, so, yeah, 0:12:36.150 --> 0:12:38.860 so God, God and His sovereignty, you know, chose Elijah 0:12:38.860 --> 0:12:41.189 to go to heaven, Enoch to go to heaven. 0:12:41.559 --> 0:12:44.009 And, and so in the Bible, just so I, I 0:12:44.009 --> 0:12:46.759 because I have heard of the bosom of Abraham and 0:12:46.949 --> 0:12:49.670 the seal and peace, is that in the Bible or 0:12:49.670 --> 0:12:52.610 that that where, where could I find that? That is 0:12:52.610 --> 0:12:55.389 just in, um, Luke chapter 16. 0:12:56.249 --> 0:12:59.040 So it's in a parable that Jesus told, but it's 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:03.129 interesting because Jesus never uses names in parables. And so 0:13:03.129 --> 0:13:06.249 people wonder, is this a parable or is this something 0:13:06.249 --> 0:13:10.369 that is actually happened because Jesus uses the name Lazarus. 0:13:12.170 --> 0:13:12.729 So 0:13:13.639 --> 0:13:15.759 You know, and that's, that's where that story is. It's 0:13:15.759 --> 0:13:19.309 about the rich man who lives sumptuously and about Lazarus, 0:13:19.319 --> 0:13:22.069 who was a baker who lived outside the 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:27.280 This uh rich man's house and lived on the crumbs that, 0:13:27.319 --> 0:13:29.920 you know, of the food he didn't want the crumbs 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:33.360 and they both died and it said, I love this 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:37.110 because it says the rich man was buried and Lazarus 0:13:37.110 --> 0:13:42.699 was taken by the angels to Abraham's bosom. So that's 0:13:42.879 --> 0:13:45.400 kind of where the, the terms come from and you 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:45.809 know and. 0:13:46.078 --> 0:13:48.439 And the man looks across, the rich man looks across 0:13:48.439 --> 0:13:52.040 and he sees Lazarus, and Lazarus is being comforted. There's water. 0:13:52.119 --> 0:13:56.160 He's standing next to Abraham. And, uh, Tim Keller has 0:13:56.160 --> 0:13:58.599 a wonderful Bible study on this because he talks about 0:13:58.600 --> 0:14:01.360 how this rich man has not changed in the least. 0:14:01.460 --> 0:14:04.738 He's still feeling superior to 0:14:05.150 --> 0:14:07.910 Um, Lazarus, and he's still trying to order him around 0:14:07.910 --> 0:14:10.150 and get, you know, have him get some water and 0:14:10.150 --> 0:14:13.189 bring it across this chasm to me. Like Lazarus is 0:14:13.189 --> 0:14:15.710 not important to you, Abraham. He's a servant. He was 0:14:15.710 --> 0:14:19.150 the beggar outside my house, so make him do something 0:14:19.150 --> 0:14:22.340 for me. And Abraham's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, you know, 0:14:22.389 --> 0:14:23.309 in your life you had. 0:14:23.400 --> 0:14:27.079 All the good things and Lazarus had nothing. And now 0:14:27.079 --> 0:14:30.860 you see there's this huge chasm between us and Lazarus 0:14:31.079 --> 0:14:34.520 is blessed and you are, you know, where you are. 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:37.960 You're not so blessed. Yes. So anyway, that's a, it's 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:40.920 a great story. Even children can understand that story. You know, 0:14:40.999 --> 0:14:44.600 my mom, uh, used to do family devotions when my 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.508 dad wasn't home. Every Saturday morning it was family devotions, 0:14:47.559 --> 0:14:48.059 no matter what. 0:14:48.699 --> 0:14:51.249 And we couldn't go anywhere or do anything. Family devotions 0:14:51.249 --> 0:14:54.460 was a priority. And my mom, I remember, uh, she 0:14:54.460 --> 0:14:58.610 had two favorite chapters. And one was the stoning of Steven. Um, 0:14:58.660 --> 0:15:00.660 we had that one a lot and the other one 0:15:00.660 --> 0:15:02.720 that she did was, uh, 0:15:03.420 --> 0:15:07.420 For some reason it was always Luke chapter 16 and 0:15:07.420 --> 0:15:11.210 I don't know why it was, I don't remember her ever, 0:15:11.449 --> 0:15:14.850 ever teaching anything else at those family devotions, but those 0:15:14.850 --> 0:15:18.249 two stories ever and I mean she probably did. I 0:15:18.249 --> 0:15:21.040 just don't remember. Yeah, where my dad kind of took us, 0:15:21.090 --> 0:15:23.489 you know, through the Bible as he does, as he 0:15:23.489 --> 0:15:25.610 was known to do, but you know, even as a 0:15:25.610 --> 0:15:29.129 family we would, you know, study, but mainly we were studying, um. 0:15:29.710 --> 0:15:32.710 Kind of Bible stories with application and then we would 0:15:32.710 --> 0:15:35.879 all pray. Um, it was really, really a precious time. 0:15:36.119 --> 0:15:39.230 For some reason when the my siblings grew up because 0:15:39.230 --> 0:15:41.550 they're quite a bit older than I am, it just 0:15:41.550 --> 0:15:44.170 stopped and it was like, wait, where's family devotions? I'm here. 0:15:44.189 --> 0:15:46.150 And they're like, well, yeah, you can read your Bible 0:15:46.150 --> 0:15:50.230 by yourself. Like, OK, you know, but I really enjoyed 0:15:50.230 --> 0:15:52.869 those times. Can't we go back to the stoning of 0:15:52.869 --> 0:15:55.949 Stephen or uh to Abraham's bosom? But anyway. 0:15:56.850 --> 0:16:00.110 Stephanie, thanks for your phone call today here on Pastor's Perspective. 0:16:00.319 --> 0:16:05.850 888-564-6173 is our number. Yvonne, we'll talk to you after 0:16:05.850 --> 0:16:10.970 we go to jazz listening here in Southern California on K-wave. Hello, 0:16:11.050 --> 0:16:12.290 what's your question for us today? 0:16:13.660 --> 0:16:15.340 Hi, um. 0:16:16.110 --> 0:16:17.610 I want to know. 0:16:18.340 --> 0:16:20.699 Well, I have a couple of questions. I want to 0:16:20.699 --> 0:16:25.280 know what it truly means to be liberated and 0:16:26.170 --> 0:16:30.850 How does someone know when they receive the Holy Spirit 0:16:31.129 --> 0:16:31.980 and 0:16:33.069 --> 0:16:37.749 Can people manifest in front of you and why can't 0:16:37.749 --> 0:16:39.949 I focus when I listen to your radio 0:16:39.949 --> 0:16:40.210 station? 0:16:40.829 --> 0:16:45.480 Wow, those are a lot of great questions, Jazz. Um, one, 0:16:45.790 --> 0:16:48.829 let me just, um, talk about Luke chapter 24 for 0:16:48.829 --> 0:16:51.530 a second, and this is when the resurrected Jesus appears 0:16:51.530 --> 0:16:52.610 to his disciples. 0:16:53.009 --> 0:16:56.280 And up to that point, the disciples, even though they 0:16:56.639 --> 0:17:01.030 loved Jesus, uh, they believed in Jesus, they really didn't 0:17:01.030 --> 0:17:06.199 understand Jesus or what Jesus was trying to communicate. Um, 0:17:06.579 --> 0:17:10.610 in the Gospel of John, you'll find scriptures, um, that said, 0:17:10.739 --> 0:17:13.499 and after he was risen from the dead, they remembered 0:17:13.499 --> 0:17:18.300 that he said this, and that it corresponded to this scripture. 0:17:18.619 --> 0:17:21.649 So it didn't make sense to them till after Jesus 0:17:21.650 --> 0:17:22.619 rose from the dead. 0:17:23.029 --> 0:17:26.308 And in Luke chapter 24, Jesus um appears to all 0:17:26.308 --> 0:17:30.389 the disciples in this locked room and they're all scared 0:17:30.388 --> 0:17:32.789 and they're talking like, did he rise? There's some women 0:17:32.789 --> 0:17:35.988 with some, you know, interesting stories. Peter claims to see 0:17:35.988 --> 0:17:39.868 him and Cleopus and this other disciple claim that they 0:17:39.868 --> 0:17:41.938 walked with Jesus. Is it true? And all of a 0:17:41.937 --> 0:17:45.029 sudden Jesus appears to them and the interesting thing is 0:17:45.029 --> 0:17:50.149 it says that he opens their understanding so that they 0:17:50.148 --> 0:17:51.828 can understand the Bible. 0:17:52.499 --> 0:17:55.310 And so, I think one of the signs that we're 0:17:55.310 --> 0:17:58.189 truly baptized with the Holy Spirit or that we have 0:17:58.190 --> 0:18:02.229 the Holy Spirit is understanding. That suddenly things that didn't 0:18:02.229 --> 0:18:06.790 make sense before make sense. And another way to know, 0:18:07.030 --> 0:18:09.030 am I truly baptized in the Holy Spirit? 0:18:09.310 --> 0:18:11.109 I, I would say there are two things. I think 0:18:11.109 --> 0:18:14.709 it's one, a hunger like you've never had for Jesus 0:18:14.709 --> 0:18:16.869 and a hunger like you've never had for the word 0:18:16.869 --> 0:18:20.619 of God, a hunger, um, just to be close to God, 0:18:20.709 --> 0:18:23.190 to talk to God. So I would say it's like 0:18:23.190 --> 0:18:27.790 this ravenous appetite for the Lord. And then I would 0:18:27.790 --> 0:18:31.229 say also it's a conviction of sin because Jesus said 0:18:31.229 --> 0:18:34.310 when the Spirit has come, he will convict of sin. 0:18:34.820 --> 0:18:36.749 And what I find with the Holy Spirit is this 0:18:36.749 --> 0:18:40.349 radical conviction of sin, like, I shouldn't do that. And 0:18:40.349 --> 0:18:42.420 I've never felt bad about that before. Why do I 0:18:42.420 --> 0:18:44.669 feel bad about that now? And I think that's a 0:18:44.670 --> 0:18:48.430 really clear sign that the Holy Spirit is with you. 0:18:48.469 --> 0:18:51.708 And as Jesus said in John chapter 15, that he 0:18:51.709 --> 0:18:53.729 would sin the Holy Spirit and he would be 0:18:54.400 --> 0:18:57.349 With us, uh, I'm sorry, Luke chapter 14, that he 0:18:57.349 --> 0:19:01.359 would be with us and he would be in us. Um, 0:19:01.479 --> 0:19:03.560 so when you're born again, you get the Holy Spirit, 0:19:03.638 --> 0:19:06.700 but when you're baptized in the Holy Spirit, I think it's, um, 0:19:06.709 --> 0:19:09.300 even this full. 0:19:10.060 --> 0:19:12.999 I think the way to describe the difference is it's, uh, 0:19:13.020 --> 0:19:16.780 it's like this full surrender. Like, all right, Lord, your 0:19:16.780 --> 0:19:17.780 will completely. 0:19:18.589 --> 0:19:21.830 And I want everything that you have for me. And 0:19:21.830 --> 0:19:24.270 I think in the beginning, when people first come to 0:19:24.270 --> 0:19:26.670 the Lord, they're a little reserved. Like I'm just trying 0:19:26.670 --> 0:19:29.670 this out. I'm, I'm seeing if I can trust you. 0:19:30.359 --> 0:19:33.759 And then the more they, they hear about the Holy Spirit, 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:36.020 they say, well, I think that's what I really need. 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:39.998 I need just to have that hunger for the Lord 0:19:39.999 --> 0:19:41.280 and that understanding. 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:45.790 So I'd say that, um, I'm not quite sure what 0:19:45.790 --> 0:19:49.180 you mean by manifest, and then I'm not quite sure 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:50.999 what you meant by um 0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:53.930 There was something in the first question that I didn't quite, 0:19:54.009 --> 0:19:57.909 I was gonna ask liberty liberty for clarification on that. 0:19:58.810 --> 0:19:59.929 What did you mean by that, Jazz? 0:20:00.879 --> 0:20:04.239 Um, what I was asking was that what does it 0:20:04.239 --> 0:20:10.270 truly mean to be liberated, um, free from sin? 0:20:10.570 --> 0:20:14.609 OK, yeah, yeah, yeah, because there are those who teach 0:20:14.609 --> 0:20:16.280 that when you're baptized in the Holy Spirit, all of 0:20:16.280 --> 0:20:18.520 a sudden you don't sin anymore, and that's not true. 0:20:18.810 --> 0:20:20.300 It used to be called uh um. 0:20:21.050 --> 0:20:24.169 Oh, the holiness movement, and they taught that, oh, if 0:20:24.170 --> 0:20:26.989 you're really baptized in the Holy Spirit, you'll never sin again, 0:20:27.290 --> 0:20:29.369 and that's not true. I know a lot of people 0:20:29.369 --> 0:20:33.109 fully baptized in the Holy Spirit and uh um we, 0:20:33.489 --> 0:20:35.629 as long as we're in these bodies on this earth, 0:20:35.660 --> 0:20:37.959 we're gonna have temptation and. 0:20:38.479 --> 0:20:42.040 We're going to make mistakes and we're gonna sin, um, 0:20:42.109 --> 0:20:45.239 hopefully not willfully, but maybe, you know, we'll say something 0:20:45.239 --> 0:20:47.879 unkind and go, wait, where did that come from? I 0:20:47.879 --> 0:20:50.280 don't want to do that. And that's where you sense 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:53.119 the Holy Spirit is when there's that conviction like, I 0:20:53.119 --> 0:20:55.520 don't want to talk like that. I, I, I don't 0:20:55.520 --> 0:20:57.679 wanna do that anymore, you know, I don't want to 0:20:57.680 --> 0:20:58.520 be unkind. 0:20:58.959 --> 0:21:03.200 Um, or, you know, perhaps you, you kind of stretch 0:21:03.200 --> 0:21:06.259 the truth, you lie, and you're like, oh my goodness, 0:21:06.440 --> 0:21:08.310 that was a lie. I don't want to lie. You're 0:21:08.310 --> 0:21:10.388 the spirit of truth. I want to tell the truth. 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:15.159 So I think rather than, uh, not sinning anymore, it's 0:21:15.160 --> 0:21:18.320 actually this conviction of sin. And I think the more 0:21:18.320 --> 0:21:22.200 that we recognize our sin and hate our sin, the 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:24.560 more that we call out for the help of God 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:26.680 and the freer we are from our sin. 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:29.849 Um, there's an example that's in a book called The 0:21:29.849 --> 0:21:33.249 Great Divorce by CS Lewis, and it tells the story 0:21:33.249 --> 0:21:34.320 of this, it's. 0:21:35.310 --> 0:21:38.290 Not a real story. It's fictional, so it's an illustration. 0:21:38.629 --> 0:21:41.388 But it's about this man that has this lizard, and 0:21:41.388 --> 0:21:44.149 the lizard represents sin that's on his shoulder, and the 0:21:44.150 --> 0:21:45.909 man doesn't feel like he can be free of the 0:21:45.910 --> 0:21:48.979 lizard because he knows that when he takes the lizard off, 0:21:48.989 --> 0:21:51.869 it's going to hurt. The lizard's gonna bite him. It's 0:21:51.869 --> 0:21:54.978 going to stick its talons into the man. And so 0:21:54.979 --> 0:21:55.570 the man. 0:21:56.180 --> 0:21:57.680 You know, the Lord comes to him and he says, 0:21:57.739 --> 0:22:00.738 you know, remove that sin from your life. And the 0:22:00.739 --> 0:22:02.900 man says, you know, I can't, I can't, it, it's 0:22:02.900 --> 0:22:05.050 gonna hurt too bad. I, I can't do it. It's, 0:22:05.499 --> 0:22:10.050 you know, he's gonna bite me and the, the, um, 0:22:10.200 --> 0:22:13.300 monster on his shoulder is just making life miserable for him, 0:22:13.420 --> 0:22:19.099 just absolutely miserable, whispering horrid things into his ear, clawing him, just, just, 0:22:19.499 --> 0:22:22.339 you know, making his life so it's not normal. He 0:22:22.339 --> 0:22:23.739 can't live the way he wants to. 0:22:24.450 --> 0:22:26.759 And again the Lord says to him, I'm telling you, 0:22:27.219 --> 0:22:30.820 take that thing off. And finally the man says, All right, 0:22:30.910 --> 0:22:32.889 I can't take it any longer, even if it hurts. 0:22:32.900 --> 0:22:34.599 I'll take it off. And the man puts his hand 0:22:34.599 --> 0:22:37.179 on it to remove this lizard, and sure enough, the 0:22:37.180 --> 0:22:40.540 lizard's clawing at him, but as he's removing it, the 0:22:40.540 --> 0:22:44.259 hand of the Lord comes on the man and helps 0:22:44.259 --> 0:22:48.218 him to throw this lizard off, and it falls to 0:22:48.219 --> 0:22:50.659 the ground. And when it falls to the ground, it 0:22:50.660 --> 0:22:52.540 turns into this white stallion. 0:22:53.530 --> 0:22:57.900 And the Lord says now ride that white stallion. In 0:22:57.900 --> 0:23:01.739 other words, you're to have mastery over it, not it 0:23:01.739 --> 0:23:05.830 having mastery over you. And that's exactly what Jesus or 0:23:05.830 --> 0:23:13.379 what the Lord says in Genesis chapter 4. He says to, um, Cain. 0:23:13.780 --> 0:23:16.749 Um, sin is crouching at the door, but you're to 0:23:16.749 --> 0:23:20.530 master it. It's not to have dominion over you. And 0:23:20.530 --> 0:23:24.109 so I think that would be the best explanation of 0:23:24.109 --> 0:23:26.830 how to be free from sin. You know, put your 0:23:26.830 --> 0:23:28.749 hand on it to take it off and the minute 0:23:28.749 --> 0:23:31.310 you choose to get rid of that sin, and you, 0:23:31.509 --> 0:23:34.020 you tell the Lord, help me, he's gonna come and 0:23:34.020 --> 0:23:37.790 he's going to empower you to be free of, of 0:23:37.790 --> 0:23:38.629 that sin. 0:23:39.030 --> 0:23:39.869 Does that help you, Jazz? 0:23:41.749 --> 0:23:42.869 Yes, thank you. 0:23:43.150 --> 0:23:43.450 OK. 0:23:43.570 --> 0:23:45.310 OK. And, and then your last question, what do you 0:23:45.310 --> 0:23:47.129 mean by manifest? I'm just curious. 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:50.060 Um, like, 0:23:51.930 --> 0:23:52.709 How can I say it? 0:23:52.770 --> 0:23:53.589 Like, um, 0:23:54.290 --> 0:23:57.080 like, can you make something happen? Is that what you're asking? 0:23:57.129 --> 0:23:58.889 Cause I know the new thing is like if I 0:23:58.888 --> 0:24:01.530 think hard enough or do hard enough, then it'll happen 0:24:01.530 --> 0:24:03.830 because I'm manifesting it. Is that what you mean or? 0:24:05.339 --> 0:24:08.839 Like, you know, like people react like um 0:24:09.479 --> 0:24:12.259 In a certain way, like without 0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:17.430 Like, well, it's because I'm gonna give you an example. Um, 0:24:17.440 --> 0:24:19.830 I was at work, I was at work and then 0:24:19.830 --> 0:24:22.560 there was this guy and he came in. 0:24:23.509 --> 0:24:27.150 The kitchen because I'm a cleaner and he said, oh my, 0:24:27.190 --> 0:24:29.270 it's like very clean in here, and I said, OK, 0:24:29.349 --> 0:24:31.830 thank you. And he said, yeah, like, you know, you 0:24:31.830 --> 0:24:33.899 did a very good job and I said, thank you 0:24:33.900 --> 0:24:36.208 for always being so kind and so sweet. 0:24:36.959 --> 0:24:40.270 And then as he was leaving, he turned around and 0:24:40.270 --> 0:24:43.629 he said, I'm not always this nice. I'm not like this. 0:24:43.790 --> 0:24:45.909 And I was just like, OK. I was like, 0:24:46.729 --> 0:24:48.940 Um, what was that? What was that about? 0:24:49.280 --> 0:24:51.239 You know what I think that was about? I think 0:24:51.239 --> 0:24:53.940 he was saying you did a really, really good job 0:24:54.400 --> 0:24:56.229 and if you hadn't done such a great job, he 0:24:56.229 --> 0:24:57.040 never would have said it. 0:24:57.869 --> 0:24:59.879 So that means you did a really good job. And 0:24:59.879 --> 0:25:01.958 I think that was what he was trying to say. 0:25:02.780 --> 0:25:03.830 Oh, OK, OK, 0:25:03.910 --> 0:25:08.070 OK, OK, because at my church, they call it manifesting, 0:25:08.150 --> 0:25:10.670 so I'm just, I'm trying to really explain to you 0:25:10.670 --> 0:25:14.589 what manifesting is, I guess, like, you know, like evil 0:25:14.589 --> 0:25:15.910 spirits manifesting. 0:25:16.388 --> 0:25:18.790 That's what it is. Yeah, I have a problem with that. 0:25:18.869 --> 0:25:21.869 That's kind of like a, a teaching that I don't, 0:25:22.160 --> 0:25:26.150 that Brian and I don't fully agree with, you know, um. 0:25:27.330 --> 0:25:29.849 That, you know, um. 0:25:31.489 --> 0:25:35.888 You know, I, I think sometimes that's an opportunity when 0:25:35.888 --> 0:25:39.129 somebody says something like that, that it's an opportunity to say, well, 0:25:39.170 --> 0:25:43.290 the Lord helped me clean it, you know, and sometimes 0:25:43.290 --> 0:25:45.259 what you're doing is you're baiting a hook or I 0:25:45.259 --> 0:25:47.209 know somebody who can make you really nice all the 0:25:47.209 --> 0:25:49.050 time if you want to be nice all the time, 0:25:49.410 --> 0:25:52.639 you know, there are, um, sometimes I think those are 0:25:52.638 --> 0:25:54.950 openings to share the gospel because what we. 0:25:55.330 --> 0:25:58.489 What we forget is those people need Jesus, like the 0:25:58.489 --> 0:26:01.129 whole world needs Jesus. And if we're just looking at 0:26:01.129 --> 0:26:04.209 people like they're in the demonic camp or they're in 0:26:04.209 --> 0:26:07.689 the spiritual camp, we're forgetting that this is a mission 0:26:07.690 --> 0:26:10.488 field and we're here to deliver everyone we can from 0:26:10.489 --> 0:26:13.650 the grasp of Satan. And Paul tells us the whole 0:26:13.650 --> 0:26:16.609 world's in the grasp of Satan. Everyone who's not a 0:26:16.609 --> 0:26:18.739 believer in Jesus Christ is in the grasp of Satan. 0:26:18.950 --> 0:26:21.969 Everyone is, and they're under the influence of the prince 0:26:21.969 --> 0:26:23.089 of the power of the air. 0:26:23.420 --> 0:26:25.540 So what we wanna do is we want to save 0:26:25.540 --> 0:26:28.379 those people and part of saving those people is throwing 0:26:28.379 --> 0:26:31.609 out the lifeline, you know, just, you know, we know 0:26:31.609 --> 0:26:35.820 Jesus and um that's why I clean it because I 0:26:35.820 --> 0:26:37.180 clean it for the glory of God. I mean, I'm 0:26:37.180 --> 0:26:39.489 thinking of Colossians where it says whatsoever you do, do 0:26:39.489 --> 0:26:41.739 for the glory of God. And so I clean it 0:26:41.739 --> 0:26:43.830 like I'm serving Jesus. I mean, you could say things 0:26:43.830 --> 0:26:48.050 like that and uh it will make them think. Um, 0:26:48.070 --> 0:26:50.619 I'll tell you a story real quick. I know stories, me, 0:26:50.700 --> 0:26:51.359 I'm full of them. 0:26:51.849 --> 0:26:56.229 But years ago, yes, I had a girlfriend who was in, um, 0:26:56.700 --> 0:26:59.208 high school, and there was a girl behind her who 0:26:59.209 --> 0:27:03.060 was really into transcendental meditation and every weird thing you 0:27:03.060 --> 0:27:05.759 could possibly be in that was not God and very 0:27:05.940 --> 0:27:09.379 um hostile towards the idea of God, and she kept 0:27:09.379 --> 0:27:11.889 kind of prodding my friend over and over again like, 0:27:11.900 --> 0:27:13.498 why are you a Christian? Why you didn't, you know, 0:27:13.619 --> 0:27:16.218 you get all the time just kind of mocking her 0:27:16.219 --> 0:27:18.959 and everything and so my friend turned around and said, 0:27:19.379 --> 0:27:20.708 for God so loved the world. 0:27:21.080 --> 0:27:23.839 That he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes 0:27:23.839 --> 0:27:26.759 in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. And 0:27:26.759 --> 0:27:29.359 every time this girl prodded her, she would say, For 0:27:29.359 --> 0:27:31.719 God so loved the world, and say the Bible said, 0:27:31.820 --> 0:27:34.219 God so loved the world, and she did that. So 0:27:34.638 --> 0:27:37.638 this other friend, Susan was her name, she went, Suzanne, 0:27:37.800 --> 0:27:40.439 she went to her house to got in her position 0:27:40.440 --> 0:27:42.400 all ready to do her TM, you know, and to 0:27:42.400 --> 0:27:43.920 say her special word. 0:27:44.570 --> 0:27:47.940 And she could not clear her mind because running through 0:27:47.940 --> 0:27:51.180 her mind was God so loved the world that He 0:27:51.180 --> 0:27:52.540 gave His only Son. 0:27:52.959 --> 0:27:55.080 And so she said, God, if you're real and if 0:27:55.080 --> 0:27:57.540 you really gave your son, I want you right now. 0:27:57.879 --> 0:28:01.320 And she received the Lord. She got a Bible, she 0:28:01.320 --> 0:28:03.509 started reading it and she came to my friend Lisa 0:28:03.509 --> 0:28:05.599 the next day and said, I just gave my life 0:28:05.599 --> 0:28:08.280 to Jesus and she became, Susan became our friend. She 0:28:08.280 --> 0:28:12.359 went to, you know, Christian college, but that's what I 0:28:12.359 --> 0:28:15.979 mean about throwing out the lifeline to these people. 0:28:17.670 --> 0:28:19.330 Brian, I'll give you about a minute. 0:28:21.479 --> 0:28:24.300 A minute. I want longer than a minute. Cheryl had 0:28:24.638 --> 0:28:28.040 like 20 minutes. I know, but that music, you know. 0:28:29.089 --> 0:28:32.580 Yeah. But that's the way it works. Ah, yeah, I, 0:28:32.660 --> 0:28:34.379 I just think going back to the manifest thing for 0:28:34.379 --> 0:28:36.939 a minute, this is people talking about that now. You know, 0:28:37.060 --> 0:28:40.540 manifest means to kind of to show, show forth something. 0:28:41.060 --> 0:28:47.619 And so, you know, if a person is demonized, then 0:28:47.619 --> 0:28:52.650 they could manifest. Like in the Gospels, we see these, um, 0:28:52.700 --> 0:28:55.080 exposed. I think what you're saying is exposure, right? 0:28:56.349 --> 0:28:59.070 Well, it's, it's like come out, you know, it's like 0:28:59.070 --> 0:29:04.310 it shows, shows itself, yeah. And so, of course, a 0:29:04.310 --> 0:29:07.560 Christian will never do that because a Christian can never 0:29:07.560 --> 0:29:12.190 be possessed by uh a demonic spirit. Um, what a 0:29:12.190 --> 0:29:16.070 Christian manifest, what a Christian would manifest is the fruit 0:29:16.070 --> 0:29:21.030 of the spirit, because the spirit indwells us as Christians, so. 0:29:21.479 --> 0:29:24.320 Yes, that ought to be, ah, working itself out in 0:29:24.320 --> 0:29:27.070 our lives, if we, you know, we can call it manifesting. 0:29:27.359 --> 0:29:29.800 You know, these words come along and these ideas, and 0:29:29.800 --> 0:29:34.200 they kind of gain some traction for a while. Um, 0:29:34.479 --> 0:29:38.200 there was a doctrine years ago called the, the manifestation 0:29:38.200 --> 0:29:41.139 of the Sons of God, and the idea was that 0:29:41.440 --> 0:29:42.099 one day, 0:29:42.859 --> 0:29:47.229 Poof, we're all just gonna appear with power and glory, 0:29:47.280 --> 0:29:50.709 and we're gonna change the world and all of this, and, 0:29:50.839 --> 0:29:52.780 you know, it was an idea that, 0:29:53.910 --> 0:29:57.509 Never happened, but one day it will happen because one 0:29:57.509 --> 0:30:01.349 day we will be, um, fully conformed into the image 0:30:01.349 --> 0:30:04.310 of Jesus. Amen. Taking a break, we'll be right back 0:30:04.310 --> 0:30:05.830 on Pastor's perspective. 0:30:19.270 --> 0:30:23.499 We are back here on Pastor's Perspective. Got Cheryl and Brian, 0:30:23.660 --> 0:30:29.709 Brian and Cheryl, the Broderson's here, 888-564-6173. Let's go to 0:30:29.709 --> 0:30:32.469 Yvonne and Santa Ana watching us on YouTube, so we'll 0:30:32.469 --> 0:30:35.229 wave hi to Yvonne. And uh what's your question for 0:30:35.229 --> 0:30:35.709 us today? 0:30:37.119 --> 0:30:42.259 Well, good afternoon, and that was a very interesting discussion, um. 0:30:43.129 --> 0:30:47.089 I had an incident this morning, uh, where I saw 0:30:47.089 --> 0:30:49.489 one of my neighbors. He's a young man, and he's 0:30:49.489 --> 0:30:54.450 always so helpful, uh, to me when he sees me. Uh, 0:30:54.570 --> 0:30:58.739 I'm 90 and I'm like the woman in Luke, um, 0:30:59.479 --> 0:30:59.560 Anna 0:30:59.560 --> 0:31:05.050 10. Yes. And, uh, anyhow, I said, oh, have you 0:31:05.050 --> 0:31:07.849 been away for a while because I haven't seen you. 0:31:08.320 --> 0:31:12.280 And he said, well, yes, I've, I've been to a 0:31:12.280 --> 0:31:20.999 seminar in Big Bear on self, uh, enlightenment, and I said, oh, well, 0:31:21.080 --> 0:31:24.560 that's something we all need to work on. And I said, 0:31:24.680 --> 0:31:28.759 do you read your Bible daily? And he said, no, 0:31:29.160 --> 0:31:32.920 I'm Buddhist, and I meditate daily. 0:31:33.989 --> 0:31:34.680 And 0:31:35.580 --> 0:31:40.060 So, you know, I almost feel like it was a 0:31:40.060 --> 0:31:44.619 missed opportunity for me, um, that I should have gone 0:31:44.619 --> 0:31:48.910 on further, but, um, because I pray every day, use 0:31:48.910 --> 0:31:52.879 me to your glory, Lord. And so I just wanted 0:31:52.879 --> 0:31:58.119 to find out what is the best way to witness 0:31:58.170 --> 0:31:59.920 to people of other faiths. 0:32:00.379 --> 0:32:03.580 I think you just did it. I think you, I 0:32:03.580 --> 0:32:04.839 always say bait the hook. 0:32:05.609 --> 0:32:09.190 And give them something to think about. And I mean, 0:32:09.650 --> 0:32:12.650 I always try to find the bridge, OK, like what I'm, oh, 0:32:12.770 --> 0:32:15.560 I meditate too, but I love not clearing my mind, 0:32:15.570 --> 0:32:17.690 but being able to meditate on the truth of the 0:32:17.690 --> 0:32:19.570 word of God and the things that it says, but 0:32:19.570 --> 0:32:21.109 I think you did great. 0:32:21.405 --> 0:32:23.364 And I wouldn't be surprised if he came back with 0:32:23.364 --> 0:32:25.645 more questions. Uh, I've got a story for you real 0:32:25.645 --> 0:32:30.504 quick though. My son-in-law, who's now with Jesus, when he was, um, 0:32:30.604 --> 0:32:34.165 he got saved in college through navigators, and his mother 0:32:34.165 --> 0:32:37.344 was a Buddhist, a very strong Buddhist. She was from Thailand. 0:32:37.790 --> 0:32:41.359 And my son-in-law, I began to share with her about 0:32:41.359 --> 0:32:44.139 his relationship with Jesus and all that had happened, and 0:32:44.139 --> 0:32:46.339 she looked at him, she said, Michael, I'm a Buddhist, 0:32:46.639 --> 0:32:50.060 and I've heard all this Christian stuff before. You show me, 0:32:50.170 --> 0:32:53.160 you show me if it's real. And if, if I 0:32:53.160 --> 0:32:56.119 see you and I see it's real, then I'll want 0:32:56.119 --> 0:32:59.030 to talk about it and maybe I'll receive Jesus. Two 0:32:59.030 --> 0:33:01.180 years later, she came to Michael and she said, You 0:33:01.180 --> 0:33:04.440 have shown me with your life that it's real, and 0:33:04.440 --> 0:33:04.999 I want Jesus. 0:33:05.619 --> 0:33:09.859 And she received the Lord. She's 94 and she is 0:33:09.859 --> 0:33:13.900 walking with Jesus and she goes to church, um, all 0:33:13.900 --> 0:33:17.300 the time and I asked her, um, recently, you know, 0:33:17.580 --> 0:33:20.499 what something about being a Buddhist, she said, Cheryl, it 0:33:20.499 --> 0:33:23.619 was so dark and that was so long ago and 0:33:23.619 --> 0:33:26.580 receiving Jesus was the greatest thing that ever happened to 0:33:26.580 --> 0:33:30.020 me and I just want to talk about Jesus. And 0:33:30.020 --> 0:33:33.420 so anyway, she's got you by 4 years, um. 0:33:33.729 --> 0:33:37.619 But I think that what you did was just perfect 0:33:37.619 --> 0:33:40.839 because what you're doing is you're creating a thirst and 0:33:41.099 --> 0:33:44.139 you know, if he's gonna, he's gonna be wondering about 0:33:44.139 --> 0:33:47.520 that and about reading his Bible and is he really open? 0:33:47.540 --> 0:33:51.020 Is he really enlightened? Is he really search spirituality if 0:33:51.020 --> 0:33:53.339 he hasn't read the Bible. So I think what you 0:33:53.339 --> 0:33:56.060 did was tremendous, Yvonne, tremendous. 0:33:56.219 --> 0:33:56.440 Yeah, 0:33:56.570 --> 0:33:56.900 Brian. 0:33:59.709 --> 0:34:02.580 I, I'm just curious, was he, um, 0:34:03.450 --> 0:34:07.550 Like, uh, of Asian descent or was he just a 0:34:07.550 --> 0:34:11.430 normal Caucasian American? He was, yeah, OK, so he's Asian. 0:34:12.359 --> 0:34:17.439 He's Asian, yeah, so probably a family connection with, with Buddhism. Um. 0:34:18.169 --> 0:34:20.530 Yeah, but like Cheryl said, and, you know, when he 0:34:20.530 --> 0:34:23.969 talked about meditating and, you know, looking inside is the 0:34:23.969 --> 0:34:28.570 kind of the idea, their self-discovery and all of that, 0:34:28.969 --> 0:34:33.080 you know, you might just think in terms, well, you know, actually, 0:34:33.649 --> 0:34:36.640 there's somebody outside of us that needs to rescue us, 0:34:37.050 --> 0:34:41.090 because the more we look inside, um, you know, the 0:34:41.090 --> 0:34:45.009 more discouraged we could become. But, of course, Jesus comes 0:34:45.009 --> 0:34:46.029 from the outside, and, 0:34:46.899 --> 0:34:50.040 Rescues us. So that's, that's just a thought, but I 0:34:50.040 --> 0:34:54.169 like Cheryl, I agree, you did wonderfully in, in just 0:34:54.169 --> 0:34:54.759 what you did. 0:34:56.449 --> 0:35:01.350 Well, uh, OK, and I'll be looking for more opportunities. 0:35:01.850 --> 0:35:02.320 I love 0:35:02.320 --> 0:35:07.649 that. Yeah, that's great. And sometimes, you know, it's just, um, 0:35:07.729 --> 0:35:10.770 I mean, sometimes we get to say things, and other 0:35:10.770 --> 0:35:14.209 times we get to just be kind to people and 0:35:14.209 --> 0:35:16.929 they take note of that and, um. 0:35:17.870 --> 0:35:21.020 And now that you, you know, now that you've talked 0:35:21.020 --> 0:35:23.919 to him a little bit, uh, he's probably gonna be 0:35:23.919 --> 0:35:26.419 thinking a little bit more about it, so, see if 0:35:26.919 --> 0:35:28.540 further opportunities develop. 0:35:29.600 --> 0:35:31.520 Now Yvonne, did you say that this young man, you 0:35:31.520 --> 0:35:33.560 hadn't seen him in a while, and when he, when 0:35:33.560 --> 0:35:35.830 you do see him, he's very kind and he helps 0:35:35.830 --> 0:35:40.040 you with things? 00 yes, he's, he's always, what can 0:35:40.040 --> 0:35:43.319 I do for you type of thing. And, and actually 0:35:43.320 --> 0:35:45.759 I was taking my trash out and he just took 0:35:45.759 --> 0:35:47.530 it right out of my hands and 0:35:48.300 --> 0:35:51.630 Went off with it. So that's great. That's very kind. And, 0:35:51.739 --> 0:35:56.029 and he, he resolved an electrical problem I had one 0:35:56.030 --> 0:36:01.749 day and so he's always aware, always aware of what 0:36:01.748 --> 0:36:04.830 I'm doing when I go outside. So the only reason 0:36:04.830 --> 0:36:07.709 I asked for clarification on that is because a lot 0:36:07.709 --> 0:36:08.560 of people think that. 0:36:08.820 --> 0:36:11.060 You know, Christianity is just about being nice to people 0:36:11.060 --> 0:36:14.498 or being kind, and so her neighbor friend might say, oh, 0:36:14.570 --> 0:36:16.580 but I am a good person. Look, I help you 0:36:16.580 --> 0:36:18.699 with all these things that you need around the house 0:36:18.699 --> 0:36:19.770 and everything else, and 0:36:20.419 --> 0:36:24.179 What, what might be a comeback to that, Brian? 0:36:25.630 --> 0:36:28.310 Well, I think that the truth is, um, 0:36:29.540 --> 0:36:32.140 You know, you, you do meet people that are good 0:36:32.140 --> 0:36:35.540 in one sense, and there are people that are obviously 0:36:35.540 --> 0:36:39.259 better than other people in regard to the fact that 0:36:39.259 --> 0:36:44.060 they are trying to live a virtuous life, um, an 0:36:44.060 --> 0:36:47.620 ethical or moral life, but of course, at the end 0:36:47.620 --> 0:36:52.179 of the day, um, the standard is beyond us, and 0:36:52.179 --> 0:36:54.380 Jesus is the standard. 0:36:55.239 --> 0:36:58.959 Of righteousness and so if we're not living up to 0:36:58.959 --> 0:37:03.159 the standard that Jesus set, which is perfection, which none 0:37:03.159 --> 0:37:07.279 of us are, uh, we need a savior. And so 0:37:07.280 --> 0:37:10.880 this is, you know, of course in Buddhism, as in 0:37:10.880 --> 0:37:14.320 so many of the other religions, sin. 0:37:14.899 --> 0:37:21.979 Is not really a factor, but in Christianity sin is 0:37:21.979 --> 0:37:27.739 a major obstacle to a relationship with God, and it 0:37:27.739 --> 0:37:30.498 has to be dealt with and that's what Jesus did 0:37:30.498 --> 0:37:34.529 at the cross and when we receive Jesus our sins 0:37:34.530 --> 0:37:37.299 are forgiven and that opens the door for us to 0:37:37.300 --> 0:37:41.040 come into a relationship with God but I find too 0:37:41.340 --> 0:37:43.020 that um. 0:37:44.429 --> 0:37:47.070 You know, I, I think we should be prepared and studied, 0:37:47.149 --> 0:37:51.669 and if you have a neighbor who's, who's Hindu or 0:37:51.669 --> 0:37:56.630 Buddhist or Muslim, and you want to brush up a 0:37:56.630 --> 0:37:59.270 little bit on kind of what they think about things 0:37:59.270 --> 0:38:01.909 and what they believe about some things, it's always good 0:38:01.909 --> 0:38:06.719 to know, have a little bit of background, but ultimately, um, 0:38:07.030 --> 0:38:10.159 I think we ask the Holy Spirit to help us. 0:38:10.770 --> 0:38:14.489 When we engage with those people, you know, oftentimes when 0:38:14.489 --> 0:38:18.209 I'm in a situation like that, I am literally praying 0:38:18.209 --> 0:38:22.090 under my breath at the moment, Lord, help me. Lord, 0:38:22.209 --> 0:38:24.649 give me a word, show me a, show me a 0:38:24.649 --> 0:38:27.929 way in here and give me wisdom on what to say, 0:38:28.248 --> 0:38:30.209 and God's faithful, he does that. 0:38:31.659 --> 0:38:33.629 Thank you very much for your phone call today, Yvonne. 0:38:33.689 --> 0:38:40.249 888-564-6173 is our number. Here is Christian in Pomona, listening 0:38:40.248 --> 0:38:44.530 to K Wave. 888-564-6173 is the number he called. Hello. 0:38:46.239 --> 0:38:49.799 Good evening, pastor. Uh, I would like to ask if 0:38:49.800 --> 0:38:55.669 there might have been any possibility that Adam and Eve 0:38:55.669 --> 0:38:58.399 had access to the tree of life. 0:38:59.340 --> 0:39:02.529 Prior to being banished from the Garden of Eden. 0:39:03.580 --> 0:39:05.100 Hm, Brian, what do you think? 0:39:07.509 --> 0:39:11.120 Well, they certainly had access to it because God had 0:39:11.120 --> 0:39:12.339 said to them 0:39:12.909 --> 0:39:15.870 Of all the trees in the garden you may eat freely, 0:39:15.949 --> 0:39:17.550 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and 0:39:17.550 --> 0:39:20.870 evil you shall not eat. So we would assume that 0:39:20.870 --> 0:39:26.429 the tree of life was there among those trees, but um. 0:39:27.120 --> 0:39:29.929 And, you know, perhaps they ate of it. We, we 0:39:29.929 --> 0:39:36.110 really don't know. The prohibition was once sin entered in, 0:39:36.770 --> 0:39:40.890 that they were then banished, and the, the angel, the 0:39:40.890 --> 0:39:43.489 cherubim with the flaming sword was put to guard the 0:39:43.489 --> 0:39:44.569 way to the tree of life. 0:39:44.929 --> 0:39:50.729 Um, I think it was to protect them from stretching 0:39:50.729 --> 0:39:53.169 forth their hand. That's, that's what it says, from stretching 0:39:53.169 --> 0:39:57.569 forth their hand, eating and living forever in the state 0:39:57.570 --> 0:40:02.669 of fallenness. So they might have eaten of it before 0:40:02.669 --> 0:40:07.448 the fall, but they were prohibited and protected from doing 0:40:07.449 --> 0:40:08.409 that after the fall. 0:40:09.149 --> 0:40:10.120 Any thoughts, Cheryl? 0:40:10.630 --> 0:40:13.640 Um, no, pretty much what, um, Brian said, but I mean, 0:40:13.759 --> 0:40:16.679 I just think about, you know, how they eaten after 0:40:16.679 --> 0:40:20.469 the fall and, you know, sin corrupts and sin, uh, 0:40:20.479 --> 0:40:24.499 decays and just how awful it would be to live 0:40:24.800 --> 0:40:29.280 with your body deteriorating but still alive and thank God 0:40:29.280 --> 0:40:31.718 that he did put that prohibition. You know what I 0:40:31.719 --> 0:40:34.678 noticed though today just in my reading in Psalm 51 0:40:34.679 --> 0:40:36.330 when it says, um. 0:40:37.140 --> 0:40:39.810 It was interesting because I was reading Christian Standard Bible. 0:40:39.830 --> 0:40:43.499 It says, do not, do not banish me from your 0:40:43.498 --> 0:40:47.380 presence or take your spirit from me. And I was 0:40:47.380 --> 0:40:51.699 thinking that's exactly what happened and maybe David was thinking 0:40:51.699 --> 0:40:53.020 back to the garden. 0:40:53.290 --> 0:40:56.729 Of when Adam and Eve sinned, how they were banished 0:40:56.729 --> 0:41:01.909 from God's presence, and they, their spirit within them died 0:41:02.130 --> 0:41:04.520 and it was just something that I'd never thought of 0:41:04.520 --> 0:41:06.810 or seen before when I, but this time when I 0:41:06.810 --> 0:41:09.928 was reading Psalm 51, I was thinking, wow, that is 0:41:09.929 --> 0:41:12.919 garden language of what happened with the fall, and he's 0:41:12.919 --> 0:41:15.169 looking back and saying, look, I know what happened with 0:41:15.169 --> 0:41:16.449 Adam and Eve and their sin. 0:41:17.239 --> 0:41:19.199 I don't want that to happen because of my sin. 0:41:19.320 --> 0:41:22.419 So anyway, that's a whole another thing, but it just 0:41:22.600 --> 0:41:23.109 came to me. 0:41:24.040 --> 0:41:24.239 Has 0:41:24.239 --> 0:41:26.560 nothing to do with what Christian asked. 0:41:27.649 --> 0:41:28.580 What do you think, Christian? 0:41:30.140 --> 0:41:34.979 Yeah, that, that's an appropriate answer because I saw exactly 0:41:34.979 --> 0:41:38.729 what you said that they were not um. 0:41:40.919 --> 0:41:44.459 They were not banned from it until after the fall, 0:41:44.759 --> 0:41:48.319 but the cherubim, is that not a reference to the 0:41:48.320 --> 0:41:49.640 word of God itself? 0:41:51.390 --> 0:41:53.310 I think the flaming sword would be more the word 0:41:53.310 --> 0:41:54.840 of God than the cherubim. 0:41:56.580 --> 0:41:58.419 No, but I think it's, you know, we do have 0:41:58.419 --> 0:42:02.620 references to the cherubim. They're described actually in Ezekiel and 0:42:02.620 --> 0:42:09.779 in Isaiah. So cherubim, that's a plural for cherub, and 0:42:09.780 --> 0:42:11.279 a cherub, um, 0:42:11.739 --> 0:42:12.439 not those cute little 0:42:12.439 --> 0:42:13.659 cuddly Ezekiel, 0:42:14.219 --> 0:42:20.049 yeah, according to Ezekiel 28, um, Lucifer was the anointed 0:42:20.050 --> 0:42:21.399 cherub who covered. 0:42:22.130 --> 0:42:27.860 And so they are powerful, powerful spiritual beings. That's what 0:42:27.860 --> 0:42:28.780 a cherub is. 0:42:30.380 --> 0:42:35.140 Very good. 888-564-6173 is our number. Let's read a question 0:42:35.140 --> 0:42:39.300 that was submitted online through the pastor's perspective page at Kwave.com, 0:42:39.580 --> 0:42:41.939 which you can easily get to if you're watching right 0:42:41.939 --> 0:42:44.979 now on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. You can just scan 0:42:44.979 --> 0:42:46.219 that QR code there. 0:42:46.659 --> 0:42:52.339 Uh, an anonymous person from an anonymous city writes, I 0:42:52.340 --> 0:42:54.979 grew up in the church and believe the Bible is true. 0:42:55.060 --> 0:42:58.259 I believe Jesus is who He says He is. I 0:42:58.259 --> 0:43:00.939 believe He rose again. I've asked Him to forgive my 0:43:00.939 --> 0:43:04.658 sins and save me, but I have trouble believing I'm 0:43:04.659 --> 0:43:08.380 actually saved. I know the Bible says without faith it 0:43:08.380 --> 0:43:10.649 is impossible, impossible to please God. 0:43:10.909 --> 0:43:13.899 I struggle with the faith to believe I'm saved, which 0:43:13.899 --> 0:43:16.380 then convinces me that because I don't have the faith, 0:43:16.419 --> 0:43:18.699 I must not be saved. How do I get out 0:43:18.699 --> 0:43:21.659 of this loop of asking the Lord to save me 0:43:21.659 --> 0:43:22.699 again and again? 0:43:23.580 --> 0:43:26.580 The, the, the verse that says, even the demons believe 0:43:26.580 --> 0:43:30.299 and tremble causes me so much fear. Am I in 0:43:30.300 --> 0:43:32.489 the same boat? Brian, what do you say? 0:43:34.189 --> 0:43:36.880 Ah, no, you're not in the same boat. The demons believe, 0:43:36.949 --> 0:43:41.909 but they don't receive. They have not submitted to the 0:43:41.909 --> 0:43:46.390 authority of Jesus, which I'm assuming you have done. It 0:43:46.390 --> 0:43:49.040 sounds like you have done that. And really it's a 0:43:49.040 --> 0:43:54.880 matter of just simply believing what the scriptures say. And 0:43:55.159 --> 0:43:57.360 Jesus said, Whoever comes to me, I will never turn 0:43:57.360 --> 0:44:00.040 them away, and um. 0:44:00.640 --> 0:44:03.080 Of course, if we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus, 0:44:03.239 --> 0:44:05.040 believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, 0:44:05.719 --> 0:44:09.640 we shall be saved. Whoever calls on the name of 0:44:09.640 --> 0:44:12.989 the Lord shall be saved. So you just have to, 0:44:13.070 --> 0:44:15.280 at a certain point, you just have to say, OK, 0:44:15.640 --> 0:44:18.919 I have done those things and therefore I am going 0:44:18.919 --> 0:44:20.640 to stand. 0:44:22.169 --> 0:44:28.780 In faith that God is faithful and that God said 0:44:28.780 --> 0:44:33.739 if I did this, then this would be the outcome 0:44:33.739 --> 0:44:36.620 or this would be the result and you take it 0:44:36.620 --> 0:44:39.419 for you take God at His word, not. 0:44:40.290 --> 0:44:44.649 Not how you feel about something at a particular moment, because, 0:44:44.969 --> 0:44:48.610 you know, feelings can really be our enemy because we 0:44:48.610 --> 0:44:51.408 might not feel like God loves us. We might not 0:44:51.409 --> 0:44:55.489 feel like our sins are really forgiven, but God hasn't 0:44:55.489 --> 0:45:00.748 left us the victim of our feelings. If we just 0:45:01.130 --> 0:45:04.149 trust in God's word, then 0:45:05.709 --> 0:45:09.229 What he said is the case. That is the fact. 0:45:09.669 --> 0:45:13.270 Yes, I, I agree, but also I'm thinking if you 0:45:13.270 --> 0:45:16.469 weren't saved, if you really weren't saved, if you didn't 0:45:16.469 --> 0:45:19.489 love Jesus, you wouldn't be worried that you weren't saved, 0:45:21.140 --> 0:45:23.310 you know, I mean, it's just one of those things 0:45:23.310 --> 0:45:26.749 like if you, if you weren't saved, you would just 0:45:26.748 --> 0:45:29.310 be like, hey, I'm, I'm OK, you know, but the 0:45:29.310 --> 0:45:31.169 fact that you want to make sure. 0:45:31.449 --> 0:45:35.149 That you're saved and that you're with Jesus is just 0:45:35.290 --> 0:45:37.249 the fact that you are now I grew up with 0:45:37.248 --> 0:45:39.890 some of those same insecurities and I used to always 0:45:39.890 --> 0:45:43.560 think that I was clinging to Jesus and sometimes I, 0:45:43.610 --> 0:45:45.550 I felt like he was like, OK, you know, like Mary, 0:45:45.570 --> 0:45:50.569 don't cling to me and um I remember reading in 0:45:50.570 --> 0:45:52.530 John chapter 10 where Jesus said. 0:45:53.449 --> 0:45:56.649 I'm, I've got you in my hand. I'm grasping you 0:45:56.649 --> 0:45:59.939 and nothing can take it out and the Lord just 0:45:59.939 --> 0:46:02.448 really spoke to me through His spirit and said, You're 0:46:02.449 --> 0:46:05.390 not holding on to me. I'm holding on to you. 0:46:05.810 --> 0:46:07.929 And that's what we realized and my father used to 0:46:07.929 --> 0:46:11.830 give the example of whenever we would cross a parking lot, 0:46:12.050 --> 0:46:14.489 he would hold my hand, and I thought I was 0:46:14.489 --> 0:46:17.419 holding his, but there was no way my hand was 0:46:17.419 --> 0:46:20.790 gonna wriggle out of his grip. He was holding me. 0:46:21.300 --> 0:46:24.189 And when I'm, when we're being held, you know, you 0:46:24.189 --> 0:46:27.069 might think I'm holding on to Jesus and he's actually 0:46:27.070 --> 0:46:29.790 holding on to you and the fact that you want 0:46:29.790 --> 0:46:34.029 to hold on to Jesus is just proof that he's 0:46:34.030 --> 0:46:35.090 holding on to you. 0:46:36.479 --> 0:46:39.800 Thank you so much anonymous for sending in your question 0:46:39.800 --> 0:46:41.929 through the, yeah, Ananni. 0:46:43.110 --> 0:46:46.780 888-564-6173 is the number to call. We've got a few 0:46:46.780 --> 0:46:50.149 minutes left. Danielle in Riverside, hello. What's your question for 0:46:50.149 --> 0:46:51.140 Brian and Cheryl today? 0:46:52.390 --> 0:46:54.988 How are you? Thank you guys so much for all 0:46:54.989 --> 0:46:58.149 that you do each and every day. Thanks, Danielle. 0:46:59.009 --> 0:47:01.649 I know, I, I feel like I bug you guys. 0:47:01.890 --> 0:47:03.890 I don't call that often, but I was gonna 0:47:03.890 --> 0:47:06.600 say I, I have my, we haven't heard from you 0:47:06.600 --> 0:47:07.229 in a long time. 0:47:08.100 --> 0:47:08.120 I know, 0:47:09.179 --> 0:47:11.020 I, I feel, I'm, 0:47:11.140 --> 0:47:14.179 I love to witness to people the best I could 0:47:14.179 --> 0:47:18.259 possibly can because I'm a people person. I love my landlord, she, 0:47:18.320 --> 0:47:22.040 I adore her, but she, she always comes to me 0:47:22.300 --> 0:47:24.860 for a prayer. Can you pray, do this, you know, 0:47:24.969 --> 0:47:26.319 and I'm, you know, for sure, 0:47:26.699 --> 0:47:30.909 but she had a last breakup with her boyfriend and 0:47:31.340 --> 0:47:31.979 she 0:47:32.590 --> 0:47:36.549 Um, you know, ask for prayer, and then ask for advice. 0:47:36.630 --> 0:47:38.790 I gave her all the advice I could. I told 0:47:38.790 --> 0:47:41.310 her what's in the Bible, and then she goes and 0:47:41.310 --> 0:47:43.270 does it her way. She goes, oh, it's just so 0:47:43.270 --> 0:47:46.229 much easier to do it, uh, the world's way. 0:47:47.140 --> 0:47:49.840 I'm on a dead stop. I don't know what to do. 0:47:50.459 --> 0:47:52.339 Just let her go and pray. 0:47:53.429 --> 0:47:54.459 So what is she doing 0:47:54.459 --> 0:47:55.080 that well, 0:47:55.159 --> 0:47:56.790 I don't think we want to ask that because I 0:47:56.790 --> 0:47:58.840 think I know what she's doing and it's not a 0:47:58.840 --> 0:48:01.679 good thing that she's doing. Um, you don't want to, 0:48:01.759 --> 0:48:03.919 you don't want to, yeah, she's because she's back in 0:48:03.919 --> 0:48:12.529 an alcoholic. Yeah, weed, and she's numbing them numbing, yeah, yeah, 0:48:12.919 --> 0:48:15.919 you know, I would say anymore. Yeah, I would almost 0:48:15.919 --> 0:48:19.110 take her to the Bible and say, you know what, um. 0:48:19.719 --> 0:48:23.560 In Matthew chapter 7 verse 21, Jesus says, not everyone 0:48:23.560 --> 0:48:26.479 who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom 0:48:26.479 --> 0:48:29.279 of heaven, but he who does the will of my 0:48:29.280 --> 0:48:32.100 Father in heaven. So, if you're trying to do it 0:48:32.100 --> 0:48:35.259 your way, and you're trying to do your own will 0:48:35.310 --> 0:48:37.880 and your own coping, you know, not only are you 0:48:37.880 --> 0:48:42.280 ripping yourself off because the Lord has so much for you. 0:48:43.350 --> 0:48:47.299 Um, you know, and he could be your coping mechanism. 0:48:47.439 --> 0:48:50.640 He could bring so much healing that the alcohol is 0:48:50.640 --> 0:48:53.880 just numbing, something that hurts where Jesus wants to heal 0:48:53.880 --> 0:48:57.839 the hurt itself. And you know, you're not in a 0:48:57.840 --> 0:49:01.679 safe place because if you're doing it your way, you know, 0:49:01.840 --> 0:49:03.999 Jesus said it's only those who do the will of 0:49:03.998 --> 0:49:07.439 my Father, and that would be again Matthew 7:21. 0:49:07.748 --> 0:49:10.969 So that might be when she comes for 27, 21. I've, 0:49:11.199 --> 0:49:14.399 I've actually said that to her. Perfect. Yeah, I've mentioned 0:49:14.399 --> 0:49:16.929 that to her because she mentioned to me this was a, 0:49:16.959 --> 0:49:19.800 a few couple of years ago she'd asked me, oh, 0:49:19.880 --> 0:49:22.399 I can never hear from God. I go, What do 0:49:22.399 --> 0:49:26.239 you mean? So I'm asking, I'm, and I question myself, 0:49:26.320 --> 0:49:27.689 is she really saved? Yeah. 0:49:28.679 --> 0:49:33.859 Yeah, yeah, I, I would say no, um, and that she's, 0:49:34.140 --> 0:49:37.780 you know, she's, um, again, when you're numb like that, 0:49:37.800 --> 0:49:41.280 you can't feel how lost you are and you know 0:49:41.880 --> 0:49:44.509 what it is, is, you know, it's not just receiving Jesus, 0:49:44.560 --> 0:49:47.120 but it's making Jesus Lord like he becomes king of 0:49:47.120 --> 0:49:50.759 our hearts and he tells us, you know, he. 0:49:51.370 --> 0:49:53.689 You know, I was, I was reading the other day 0:49:53.689 --> 0:49:56.520 again and I'm, I'm in John in my personal devotions 0:49:56.520 --> 0:49:59.370 right now and just that fact that Jesus says, you know, 0:49:59.449 --> 0:50:01.169 I'm in the Father and the Father is in me 0:50:01.169 --> 0:50:04.969 and I will be in you, that the, that Jesus 0:50:04.969 --> 0:50:08.969 himself is in us, but he takes the lordship, he 0:50:08.969 --> 0:50:12.488 takes rule of our heart, and he, he wants us to, 0:50:12.649 --> 0:50:13.850 you know, he, he. 0:50:13.949 --> 0:50:17.429 Wants to bring our whole lives into submission to him, 0:50:17.790 --> 0:50:21.589 not so he can tyrannize us, but so that he 0:50:21.590 --> 0:50:24.939 can love us and bless us and help us and 0:50:24.939 --> 0:50:28.589 strengthen us and speak to us and I just think 0:50:28.590 --> 0:50:31.749 these people who are living in these, I'm gonna do 0:50:31.748 --> 0:50:35.189 Christianity my way that never make Jesus Lord miss out 0:50:35.189 --> 0:50:36.509 on all the good benefits. 0:50:37.320 --> 0:50:39.840 You know, they, it's like, you know, I have to 0:50:39.840 --> 0:50:42.640 say this, when I was young, I was a, I 0:50:42.640 --> 0:50:44.989 was a Girl Scout and I just paid my dues, 0:50:45.040 --> 0:50:46.560 but I never went to the meetings. 0:50:47.790 --> 0:50:50.080 Uh, it was an all Jewish trip and so they 0:50:50.080 --> 0:50:52.040 could never do anything on Saturdays. That was my free 0:50:52.040 --> 0:50:53.520 day and they would do things on Sunday, so that 0:50:53.520 --> 0:50:55.310 was part of it. But you know, I missed out 0:50:55.310 --> 0:50:58.429 on all the benefits because I just paid my dues, 0:50:58.640 --> 0:51:01.909 but I never got part of the activities and I 0:51:01.909 --> 0:51:03.839 feel like there's a lot of Christians there that just 0:51:03.840 --> 0:51:07.270 kind of pay their dues, but they miss out on 0:51:07.270 --> 0:51:09.860 all the field trips and all the adventures. 0:51:10.044 --> 0:51:13.455 And all the goodness and the benefits that that God 0:51:13.455 --> 0:51:16.774 has for you, it's like joining a gym and paying 0:51:16.774 --> 0:51:20.475 every month but never going, never doing the exercise machines, 0:51:20.735 --> 0:51:23.294 never getting the free water, you know, never enjoying all 0:51:23.294 --> 0:51:27.725 those benefits that that come with it so I think 0:51:27.725 --> 0:51:30.245 you could say, you know, Christianity has so much, Jesus 0:51:30.245 --> 0:51:31.674 has so much more for you. 0:51:31.989 --> 0:51:34.748 And you're living in, you know, if you are saved, 0:51:34.800 --> 0:51:38.259 you're living just in like the, the least of it 0:51:38.759 --> 0:51:41.669 when God's got so much, you know who, um, Steven 0:51:41.669 --> 0:51:44.640 Curtis Chapman wrote a song about this and he said 0:51:44.640 --> 0:51:47.399 it's like playing Game Boy in the middle of the 0:51:47.399 --> 0:51:48.100 Grand Canyon. 0:51:49.560 --> 0:51:52.479 You know, you're so you're so obsessed with your little 0:51:52.479 --> 0:51:54.799 game that you don't realize you're in the middle of 0:51:54.800 --> 0:51:59.709 this extraordinarily beautiful site and I think that's what it is, 0:51:59.870 --> 0:52:02.060 you know, when you're trying to do it your way. 0:52:02.679 --> 0:52:05.850 Danielle, thanks for your phone call today on Pastor's perspective. 0:52:05.959 --> 0:52:09.759 Let's go to Ariel in Riverside who's watching us on YouTube. 0:52:09.840 --> 0:52:15.840 We'll wave hi to Ariel. What's your question for us? Hi, Peter. Peter, 0:52:16.748 --> 0:52:21.279 thank you, Perez, Brian, thank you for being on with 0:52:21.280 --> 0:52:21.979 your beautiful. 0:52:22.380 --> 0:52:26.030 Beloved wife, I'm wearing the same earrings without us knowing. 0:52:26.080 --> 0:52:29.320 Look at us. I'm wearing green like us, Sarah. 0:52:29.520 --> 0:52:32.080 Oh, right, good, good, good. Yes, fun, fun, 0:52:32.199 --> 0:52:33.239 fun. It's so 0:52:33.239 --> 0:52:36.199 beautiful. I've been wanting to come on and, and ask 0:52:36.199 --> 0:52:39.819 you a question, a motherly question, not to say that the, 0:52:40.159 --> 0:52:42.040 the brothers can't help me out, but 0:52:43.070 --> 0:52:46.580 But, um, you know, just biblically, I wanna know, um, 0:52:46.590 --> 0:52:50.248 real quick, just how, how can I, um, 0:52:50.699 --> 0:52:52.949 So me and my husband have a dilemma. We're, we're 0:52:52.949 --> 0:52:56.209 35 years married, so you guys have a lot on us. So, 0:52:56.570 --> 0:53:00.929 so we'll get a winner tonight. Um, how do we 0:53:00.929 --> 0:53:05.330 ask for prayer and leaders when we're dealing with 0:53:05.370 --> 0:53:07.169 prodigal children? 0:53:07.370 --> 0:53:11.448 Yeah, OK, so we've been through this twice and we 0:53:11.449 --> 0:53:14.570 conscripted our whole church in London to pray for our daughter. 0:53:14.919 --> 0:53:18.560 And the church was so precious they didn't judge her. um, 0:53:18.570 --> 0:53:21.209 it's because they had all been either prodigals or came 0:53:21.209 --> 0:53:25.009 out of some pretty, you know, bad situations. But when 0:53:25.009 --> 0:53:27.890 my eldest daughter came back to Jesus, they lined, they 0:53:27.890 --> 0:53:30.649 were so excited they felt like she was an answer 0:53:30.649 --> 0:53:35.370 to their personal prayers and they lined up to hug her, 0:53:35.489 --> 0:53:39.350 to kiss her, to tell her they were so, so excited. 0:53:39.739 --> 0:53:42.719 And I remember she just dissolved into tears, but she 0:53:42.719 --> 0:53:45.469 had never felt so loved in all her life. Um, 0:53:45.479 --> 0:53:49.540 my other daughter, um, I was at a retreat and 0:53:49.759 --> 0:53:53.640 I felt like, um, the women were afraid to be 0:53:53.640 --> 0:53:56.759 real and so I just stood up and I said, look, 0:53:56.800 --> 0:53:59.640 I've got a protocol and I love her and I 0:53:59.640 --> 0:54:01.759 need your prayers because Satan's got a grip on her 0:54:01.759 --> 0:54:02.319 right now. 0:54:02.820 --> 0:54:05.899 And all of a sudden, uh, all these other mothers said, 0:54:05.909 --> 0:54:07.779 I've got a protocol. I've got a protocol and we 0:54:07.780 --> 0:54:10.009 all stood and we began to pray for each other 0:54:10.390 --> 0:54:14.070 and I'll tell you chains were broken that night when 0:54:14.070 --> 0:54:16.270 we prayed together and I'll tell you one other story. 0:54:16.310 --> 0:54:18.899 I was in a prayer meeting. I went to a 0:54:18.909 --> 0:54:19.969 pastor's wives retreat. 0:54:20.610 --> 0:54:22.770 And I said, can we have a prayer meeting for protocols? 0:54:22.820 --> 0:54:24.259 And they said, would you like to teach it? And 0:54:24.259 --> 0:54:26.939 I said, teach it. Anyone who's got a protocol feels 0:54:26.939 --> 0:54:29.679 like a loser, you know, like I'm not gonna teach. 0:54:30.179 --> 0:54:32.020 Anyone who has a protocol, come to my class. I'll 0:54:32.020 --> 0:54:34.020 teach you how to, you know, get a prodigal child. No, 0:54:34.100 --> 0:54:34.860 I don't want to teach it. 0:54:35.239 --> 0:54:38.120 I wanna pray. I wanna pray with pastor's wives who 0:54:38.120 --> 0:54:40.140 are going through the same thing and let's break these 0:54:40.140 --> 0:54:43.439 chains and I'll tell you that night chains were broken 0:54:43.719 --> 0:54:47.419 and I think it is so important to be real 0:54:47.800 --> 0:54:50.409 and to ask for prayer and say, will you be 0:54:50.409 --> 0:54:54.919 part of the celebration of my daughter or my son 0:54:54.919 --> 0:54:57.880 when they come back to Jesus? Will you invest your 0:54:57.880 --> 0:55:01.439 prayers and your time in seeing my child saved. 0:55:01.699 --> 0:55:05.140 Because the devil wants them, but let's fight so that 0:55:05.140 --> 0:55:08.248 they can be God's trophy of grace. So I was 0:55:08.248 --> 0:55:11.459 always very open and honest and walking in the light, Brian, too, 0:55:11.550 --> 0:55:12.749 about that. Yeah, 0:55:13.100 --> 0:55:15.100 Ariel, thank you so much for your phone call today 0:55:15.100 --> 0:55:17.899 here on Pastor's Perspective, and that's all the time we 0:55:17.899 --> 0:55:20.380 have on today's episode. Thank you so much for watching 0:55:20.380 --> 0:55:23.620 and listening. Martha, let me give you a fast pass. 0:55:23.699 --> 0:55:25.689 You can call us on Monday and we'll try to 0:55:25.689 --> 0:55:27.859 put you up closer to the beginning of the show, 0:55:28.300 --> 0:55:28.719 but uh 0:55:28.925 --> 0:55:31.415 God bless you guys. We'll see you at church on Sunday. 0:55:31.485 --> 0:55:34.505 We're gonna archive today's episode. If you wanna watch it 0:55:34.505 --> 0:55:36.373 again or listen to it again or share it with 0:55:36.373 --> 0:55:39.645 your friends, call us back on Monday for Brian and 0:55:39.645 --> 0:55:42.594 Cheryl Broderson, I'm Brian Perez, and we'll talk to you 0:55:42.594 --> 0:55:44.384 Monday here on Pastor's Perspective.