Co-host (2:38)

Top Lobster Productions.

Host (3:00)

Foreign. We're back in Jude. We made it all the way to our last study in Jude, which is crazy that people would hang in there that long on like a 25 verse book that we've probably cross referenced a hundred passages on now. So I'm just really grateful to everybody that's hung in there. There's like a big day to like really finalize the book of Jude and shout out to Aiden, my son turns 18 today. I don't know if you knew that.

Co-host (3:29)

But no, Happy birthday.

Host (3:30)

Aiden's 18 today.

Co-host (3:32)

He's good. Okay, great.

Host (3:33)

He's crushing it at life, dude. He's crushing it.

Co-host (3:36)

Happy birthday, dude.

Host (3:37)

So Jude is this Jude. Verses 1 through 4 is like the intro and the purpose of the letter, right? Like anytime we're reading a book in the Bible, we've got to come to terms with like, who's the writer, who's he writing to? It's Jude. He's writing to the church and then he's saying his purpose, which can really be summed up in verse three and four. Remember, he says he tells the church to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints because there are certain men crept in unaware who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness. So that's really the context, right? Then you go through verses 4 through 19, which is exposing the apostasy, exposing that, giving you examples of that through scripture, giving examples from scripture, which, like when we talk about apostasy, we could just say, you know, the carnal life is really what he's exposing. And then what we're in now is verses 20 through 25, which is the solution or the application, which is spiritual life. Like he's just exposed verses 4 through 19, this, this life of apostasy, this life of falling away, which revolves around personal gain, personal lust, personal desire, love of self and will actually take advantage of the church to benefit self. And then, and then now we see the solution. Now we see the solution. That's where we're at verses 20 through 25. So like I'm saying the point, the, the point that he's getting at is to earnestly contend for the faith. And I feel like this needs to be said. Sometimes people read that and they think like they have to win arguments with words, right? You guys probably know Some people that may or may not be in the room that, that I'm talking about when I say that, like, people think, like, earnestly contends for the faith, which means, like, we. We have to win arguments with words. But we, in arguments, we win arguments with life. Like. Like, that's what we do in the Christian faith. We win arguments with life, the way we live our life. You want me to go this way or this way?

Co-host (5:38)

No, you're good.

Host (5:38)

See, we win arguments with life, not with words. Like, to make this real, think about if you guys have ever, like, interviewed somebody or even sat in on an interview and they do, like, this great interview, and then they come to work and you're like, what happened to the guy from the interview? Like, this guy's terrible in real life. Crushed it with the words, right? But talk is cheap. Talk is cheap. That's why we're not earnestly contending for the faith, winning arguments. We're winning it with the way we live our life. Or think about this weird thing. There's this thing in America called presidents. And so every four years they have, like, the elite ruling class, like, puts up. There's one on the red team, there's one on the blue team. They put up these people and they go around and they, like, say words and shake hands and kiss babies. And then based on that, we supposedly, like, vote. They call it voting. And then they're saying, like, oh, yeah, the people get to pick which one of the ruling class elites is ruling the nation, the red team or the blue team. But the context is that, like, they went around and did, like, this popularity contest by saying words and trying to get people's vote, which is a completely different skill set than running a nation. Those are. Those are two completely different irrelevant skill sets, man. Like, running a nation, like, you got, like, it's basically sales and then operations, right? Those are two totally different things, dude. But somehow we've ended up in this space where, like, a guy talks and talks and talks, and so they pick him. And now. And now he has the job of running a nation, which could have nothing to do with this skill set of being able to talk. It's just. It's the wildest thing, you know, we just, you know, we're living in a simulation. What are you going to say? Okay, so verse 20. Let's read it. But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And if some have compassion making a difference. And others saved with fear pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. That's how. That's how Jude wraps this up. So let's unpack this. Verse 20. Build up yourselves on your most holy faith. So. So build up yourselves. That's. That's thing. How. Not. Not on temporary things. Like, I think a lot of people think they're building up themselves as they're building a bank account, they're buying a house, maybe another house, they're buying a fancy car, they're doing cool things in business, which, that's great, those are great things, whatever, but that. But this is. I'm about building up yourselves on your most holy faith, which we've talked about this Hebrews 11, one passage before, right? That faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So build up yourself on that substance. Make your faith more and more real. And it's gotta be a living, real faith. Remember in James 2:19, it says that demons believe, demons believe and tremble. So that's like this. It's not just believing, it's building yourself up on faith, building yourself up on that substance. Remember, faith is a substance. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Let's see how Jesus breaks this down in Luke 17. Let's look at Luke 17, verses 5 through 10.

Co-host (9:01)

And the apostle said unto the Lord, increase our faith.

Host (9:05)

So that's the context. They come to Jesus and they're asking him this. Jude says, build up yourselves on your most holy faith. That's basically what they're asking. They're saying, lord, increase our faith, so we could build up ourself on our most holy faith. How do we get more faith?

Co-host (9:18)

They're asking him to do it.

Host (9:19)

Watch. Watch what happens.

Co-host (9:21)

And the Lord said, if ye had faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye might say unto the sycamine tree, be thou plucketh up by the root, and thou planted in the sea, and it shall obey you. But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he has come from the field, go and sit down to meat.

Host (9:41)

Hold on, hold on. Let me. Let me just deal with 5 and 6 real quick. And then we'll go into 7 through 10. I feel like, you know how we talk a lot about not being deceived, Especially, like, people are arguing over doctrine and theology and how does the end times go down and how does the millennial thing happen? Did it already happen? Are we in the middle of it now? Is it going to happen at a later date? And there's all this arguing over, like, words in a book, and who can prove it? Because they're, like, so smart, and they understand letters and they have doctrine and theology and they've studied Hebrew and Greek and. But we were talking about, like, knowing the Lord. Like, knowing the character of the Lord is very important to not be deceived, because you have to be able to apply it to the day that you live in, not just win debates based on, like, two plus two is four. Like, the word of God is not just an intellectual book of, like, two plus two is four. So, like, this is one of the things that Jesus is like, man.

Ryan Reynolds (10:32)

He.

Host (10:32)

They say, increase our faith. He doesn't even, like, answer. He doesn't even, like, answer what they're saying, dude. Like, what he's doing. And this is a characteristic of God. I feel like this is. This is what he does. He. He's give. He's making them hungry for faith. They say, increase our faith. He tells them something that is designed to make them hungry for more faith. That way they will go get faith. He doesn't spoon. He doesn't say, oh, increase our faith. Here's a scoop for you, Peter. Here's a scoop for you, Matthew. Here's two scoops for you, James. No, no, no, no. He doesn't operate like that, man. He tells a story. He says, bro, if you had faith, imagine what you could do by doing that. He's making them hungry for faith, and they are going to increase faith. And they're going to learn, as this story goes on how to increase faith. Faith without works is dead. So do the works of faith, which is different than works of the law. But they're going to do works of faith that's going to build them up. Faith comes. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So faith comes, faith goes. They're going to be intentional to be in the word of God to get more faith, because they're excited now. They're saying, like, wow, faith is this thing that can do stuff. I know people get offended by that, but that's. But that's clearly what the scripture teaches. Okay, now we. Now we can do the rest, seven through 10, because this is a super valid point. Man.

Co-host (11:52)

But which of you, having a servant, plowing or feeding cattle, which say unto him by and by, when he has come from the field, go and sit down to meat. What do they mean by meat? Dinner to eat. Right. And I will not rather say unto him, make ready wherewith I may sup. And gird thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunken, and afterward thou shalt eat and drink. Doth he thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not so likewise when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded of you. Say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do.

Host (12:30)

Dude. So just to unpack this real quick. I know that's a little confusing. He's saying, like, yo, if you're a servant, you just do what you're supposed to do. You're not expecting anything. You're just doing your duty. He's immediately saying, be careful about pride when it comes to faith. This is what he's saying. He's saying, dude, if you had faith, look what you can do. But be real careful. Be real careful. Because if you do have faith and incredible things are happening, be very careful for pride. You're just doing your job. You're just doing what you're supposed to do. Do we have the Romans 12:12 1 passage in Romans 12:1, it says, this is your reasonable service. Like, don't. Like, don't think that. Don't think that because now you have faith and things are happening that now you're a big shot. Don't do that. He immediately has a warning about pride. Faith is what's expected. Watch what it says in Romans. It says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies or your whole being. A living sacrifice, not a dead one. A living sacrifice, like your entire life. You sacrifice that to God. That's faith. Holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. I love that verse because, like, the creator of the universe came down, let people spit in his face and rip his beard out, made him die this bloody, torturous death to buy me back from the dead so that I don't spend eternity separated from him. Yeah, I think it's my reasonable service that I would have faith and give my entire being to him. Do you see what I'm saying? So it's not like you did something good or you're some big shot now because, like, you're rolling in the faith. Like, that's not what this is. About.

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Ryan Reynolds (15:05)

A very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means a half day. Yeah, give it a try@mintmobile.com Save upfront.

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Host (15:33)

See mintmobile.com okay, let's look at Matthew 17:14 through 21. And you like reading because you don't like the dead time. Is that what's going on? Like if there's like dead time in between passages, I'll read for you.

Co-host (15:46)

Sometimes it looks like you're struggling. And when, and when they will come to the multitude. There came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him and saying, lord have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and sore vexed. For oft time he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. What does that mean?

Host (16:04)

You got a demon. See a demon. He's a, he's a. He's a lunatic. Like it, it looks like this is talking about even like what's it called when you have like the convulsions and the people start foaming at the mouth and have. What's it called again? Epilepsy. Yeah, it looks like it's potentially. This is what he's talking about which, like, for a long time, that's how they understood epilepsy was demonic, was that it was, well, demonic that it was like the foaming at the mouth and all this stuff. But no matter what, it's definitely a demon. That they're coming to Jesus and saying, hey, can you help? Now the guy says in verse 16, he says, I brought them to your disciples and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered, I don't know if you're ready for this top. You might get offended. Then Jesus answered and said, o faithless and perverse generation. Remember we've talked about this before. That, like, Jesus would probably not be welcome in a lot of, like, modern American churches. Like, look how he just generalizes an entire generation and he doesn't stop to say, now hear my heart, church. I don't mean everybody. I don't mean everybody in this generation. Hear my heart. He doesn't say that. He thinks you have a brain and you can think through it and understand that he's generalizing an entire population. And of course, you know that that doesn't necessarily mean every single person's like that, right? It's a generalization. And like, that used to be okay. Now I guess people are offended by that. But he just crushes this whole generation. O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer? You bring them here to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil and he departed out of him. And the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said, why could not we cast him out, right? What are we talking about right now? We're talking about build up yourselves on your most holy faith, right? And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief. Okay, we got to deal with this too, because people, people won't necessarily understand in 10. 1. Like, we don't have faith in faith. Like, that's kind of this weird thing. I think there's like a word of faith movement or something. Or like, name it and claim it. And it's like this concept of having faith in faith. We don't. We. We don't have faith in faith. We have faith in Jesus and in what he's told us through his word. So this. So you're like, what, man? Why is he riding him hard like this, dude? Like, these guys bring the disciples. A. A boy with a demon. They can't cast him out. Jesus says, you faithless and perverse generation. Like, he's like, he's riding them for that Right. Why? Because in 10:1 it says this, it says when he, Jesus had called unto him his 12 disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. That's why it's something that he had already given them. He had already given them through his word, this power to do this. And they weren't operating in it. And that's why he rebuked them and called them faithless.

Co-host (19:05)

So he gave them faith, but because it's a substance, you're able to lose this thing.

Host (19:10)

Well, he gave them power. We could, faith and power go together, but he gave them power over those unclean spirits and the fact that they weren't operating in that power that he gave them, he was saying, you're faithless, you don't. I gave you this power and you're not operating in it. You're not operating in it by faith. So again, it's, you don't have faith in faith. You don't have faith in things that like you just make up. You have faith in the word of God, you have faith in what God has told you. And in this case, he told them that they have power over this demons and they're not doing it. So he rebukes him, he says, because of your unbelief, he said, he tells him straight up. For verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, there we see this faith as a grain of mustard seed again. And this point needs to be made. The issue like a, like a mustard seed is like this really tiny seed, this incredibly small seed. So it's not the matter of like having big faith, like you're a big shot, you have big faith. No, no, no. That mustard seed, so little. But as life, as long as you have a living faith, as long as you. It could be the size of a mustard seed, he's literally saying that it could be this tiny, it could be this little speck on the table. As long as it has life in it, as long as your faith has life in it, this is what you can do. If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, living faith, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind?

Ryan Reynolds (20:39)

Hey, Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday. Because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off, unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium Unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means a half day.

Host (20:58)

Yep.

Ryan Reynolds (20:59)

Give it a try@mintmobile.com Save upfront payment.

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Ryan Reynolds (21:08)

See mint mobile.com hey, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. You know one of the perks about having four kids that you know about is actually getting a direct line to the big man up north. And this year he wants you to know the best gift that you can give someone is the gift of Mint Mobile's unlimited wireless for $15 a month. Now you don't even need to wrap it. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment.

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Host (21:38)

See mintmobile.com this kind of what?

Co-host (21:41)

This kind of devil.

Host (21:42)

Yeah, this kind of demon. Where it says devil in the King James, that's what we call a demon. Howbeit this kind of demon, which is intriguing because if there's this kind, then there must be that kind too. Like there's all these different kinds. Howbeit this kind, they don't go out but by prayer and fasting. So he rebukes them for their lack of faith, says, you don't have faith. This kind only goes out by prayer and fasting, which makes this connection between prayer and fasting. Building faith. Does that make sense? He's saying you can't cast them out because you don't have faith. This kind only goes out by prayer and fasting. You got to be on another level to build the kind of faith to cast these ones out. Like, I get, I know people get like, really offended if you say like, oh, your faith does things, like your faith accomplishes things in the earth. But the scripture, like clearly teaches that. It clearly teaches that like your faith has power to do stuff.

Co-host (22:43)

This is actually, I don't want to detract from your, your episode here, but one of the disagreements we had with Albarino was whether aliens leave in the name of Jesus or not. And he says there had been cases where they don't. And obviously we were trying to make the angle that they're demonic. Well, you know, some leave with prayer and fasting. These types leave with that. These types, you need a certain amount of faith. Yeah, that's A hard concept to tell people, like, especially when straw. We've been told, We've been told that, like, you know, there's incredible.

Host (23:19)

Appreciate it.

Co-host (23:20)

Incredible power in the name of Jesus Christ. But still these things require. There. There is still a requirement of certain things. It's bizarre to me. Well, not bizarre, but like, it's just interesting to think on.

Host (23:31)

Well, no, there's. Yeah, there's different levels of faith and I know, I think maybe you got a little. Not happy about that to say, like, oh, it's on the person who got abducted or whatever. If I remember the conversation I didn't get. I'm not really saying that, but potentially like, ye different people with different faith do different things with that faith. And we brought up the sons of Ska that tried casting out demons in the name of Jesus. They did the same thing that other people did, but it didn't work. And so, so maybe there is a, a situation where aliens leave people alone at the name of Jesus and other times they don't. I don't know. Aliens isn't really my thing. I don't know. I mean, I'm intrigued by it, but I just don't know a lot about it to speak on it.

Co-host (24:08)

Well, demons.

Host (24:11)

I see you. Okay, watch this in Luke. Just to kind of bring this point home about our faith isn't what God has told us, right? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So our faith is about what God has given us in his word, right? Not. Not like making things up. So we're going to look at Luke 8:22 through 25. Did I didn't have this in the notes. I did. Okay, I got it. I got it. Now, it came to pass on a certain day that he went into a ship. That's Jesus with his disciples. And he said unto them, let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed, he fell asleep. Jesus fell asleep. And there came down a storm of wind on the lake. And they were filled with water and were in jeopardy, jeopardy. Some would say. That's another. Remember we talked about Job and how Satan controlled the weather in Job. Some would say that's what he was doing here too, that Satan was tampering with the weather. Because these were fishermen who spent their life like on the water. And this would be very bizarre for these fishermen to just be caught off guard by a storm like this. Like, it's crazy. Like. So that's why some people think this is like the supernatural storm. Satan's trying to take them out.

Co-host (25:17)

Yeah, I think I've done like a little study on this as well. Like, when you look at that, the. The sea that they were in, it's a. It's not a huge sea. It's not the sea. So that kind of a storm would be unusual for that.

Host (25:29)

Yeah, it would be very unusual for them. And there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy. And they came to him and awoke him saying, master, Master, we perish. Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased and there was a calm. And he said unto them, where is your faith? This is what he says to these guys, man. He's saying, like, it's unacceptable that you just freaked out because a storm came. And they being afraid, wondered, saying one to another, what manner of man is this? But I wonder if Jesus thought, what manner of men are these? Like, where is their faith? For he commanded even the wind and the water, and they obey him. Again, this is a point I'm trying to make. He says in verse 22, we're going to the other side. If he doesn't say that, you start freaking out. Okay, no problem. But if he told you we're going to the other side and he's on the boat with you, what are you freaking out about? Do you see what I'm saying? This is the context. We have faith in the word of God. When God tells us something and then we deny it and then we don't believe it, that's a problem. That's a problem. We're not saying, have faith in the fact that you're going to be a millionaire, or you have faith in you're going to drive a Cadillac, or you have faith in, I don't know, make up the stuff, because that's what people do. Now there's a faith movement where you start making things up and you make yourself believe it. That's not faith. Faith is believing what God has told you through his Word. These are good examples because he told them, we're going to the other side. We're going to the other side. And I'm in the boat with you. What do you mean you're freaking out now? That's. That's having no faith. That's a problem. Okay, now we're going into. All right, but you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Now I know there's a group.

Co-host (27:29)

Within.

Host (27:29)

The body of Christ who I know and love And I'm very close to called, like Pentecostals or charismatics who think that praying in the Holy Ghost means just praying in tongues, which I'm not saying that you can't pray in tongues in the Holy Ghost. I'm not saying that. But there's no way that I'm accepting that praying in the Holy Ghost means just praying in tongues. Like John Wesley. If you think about John Wesley, this dude never prayed in tongues. He turned the world upside down. Like, you will never convince me that he was not praying in the Holy Ghost. You'll never convince me of that. He didn't. He. He didn't pray in tongues. Right? That's just. That's just one of the things within our. Within the body that's just like interesting stuff that the different denominations believe the different things or whatever. But let's look at. I think what the scripture teaches about praying in the Holy Ghost is really in Romans 8, 22, 27. No, I'll go to it. Romans 8. I just thought you had to read it because I know how you get. All right. Romans 8, 22. Watch this. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together. Until now. No, I'm going to go back to 19. Let's just do it. Just because we're here. It's kind of off track, but it's. We're here. Let's just do it. For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. Because the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason, to him who had subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails and pain together. Until now, bro, that's saying that the entire creation is like, hey, human beings, let's go. Let's go. Adam brought the curse on the entire creation. And all of the creation is still under the curse. And that creation can't do anything about it. They can't do anything about it. Like, we're the kingly line. Like we're the ones that rule the territory of the earth. They can't do anything about it. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached unto the ends of the world. And then the end shall come. Like, that's man's job. Demons can't even do it. Like, Jesus starts casting out demons and demons are preaching the gospel. They're saying, we know who you are, the Holy One of God. And he says, shut your mouth. It's not demons job to preach the gospel. That's man's job, right? And like the whole creation is saying, like humans, come on, let's go man. Like we're stuck in this way of life now under the curse. Like, let's get this going. Okay, that was just a sidebar, but I just, I don't know, I really like that passage. But. But I do want to start in 22. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails and pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the spirit. We have the beginning. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Because we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, what does he yet hope for? That's not hope. He already sees it. But if we hope for the things we don't see, then do we with patience wait for it? Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Ryan Reynolds (30:44)

Hey, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. You know one of the perks about having four kids that you know about is actually getting a direct line to the big man up north. And this year he wants you to know the best gift that you can give someone is the gift of Mint Mobile's unlimited wireless for $15 a month. Now you don't even need to wrap it. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment.

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Ryan Reynolds (31:13)

See mintmobile.com hey, Ryan Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means half day.

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Host (31:44)

Mobile.Com this is what the scripture teaches man. Let the Holy Spirit pray through you. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because he makes intercession for the saints, according to the will of God, the Holy Spirit's inside you wanting to pray. Give him that. Let the Holy Ghost pray through you. Let him pray through you, right? And when he does that, there's like, groanings which cannot be uttered. Some people know that experience, some people don't. Some people don't know what that's about. Some people have been in a place of prayer and they're just praying and praying and praying, and the next thing you know, they're crying and praying and they're praying and crying and crying and praying and they're going. And then ultimately ends up in just. Whoa. Just groaning. That can't even be uttered. It's just not even words, man. You're just in this place of agony.

Co-host (32:31)

I think that's where the fasting comes through, man. Like, sometimes I think if you're fasting, you're able to get into that thinner spot and then praying, that'll. That'll flow right through you.

Host (32:40)

Well, yeah, you're just way, way, way more sensitive. You're way more sensitive when you're fasting. Like we talked about, like the Tony Hawk game. When it goes into slow motion, it's like that, dude, you're just. Your spirit's way more sensitive, man. You're way more aware. And so some of that stuff pricks your heart and grieves you that maybe you kind of didn't you noticed before, but you didn't care too much. Now it's grieving you because you're praying in the Holy Ghost. You're feeling the way the Holy Ghost feels. You're. You're. You're feeling how God feels, and you're praying accordingly. And that's where this groaning comes out, man. You're just groaning like you're praying and praying, and then, boom. You just have nothing left to say, man, other than just, ah. Some people know that and some people don't. That's okay. We're looking at 1 Corinthians 6, 19, and 20. Now.

Co-host (33:30)

What know ye not that the body of the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God.

Host (33:34)

Hold on. What Know you not that your body. Not just the body, your body. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own. Dude, this is heavy for me. When I first read this passage, you're not your own. You ever see this movie called.

Co-host (33:59)

I.

Host (33:59)

Saw it on the Airplane in. It's a video game and it's called Assassin's Creed. Assassin's Creed. There's a line in that movie, bro, where he goes, the blood that flows through your vein is not your own, bro. It's hard. That movie's hard, bro. And then it gets into, like, the apple that got eaten in the Garden of Eden. I can't remember. It's a rad movie, though. But it's just got this gangster line in it. The blood that flows through your vein is not your own. It's what this is saying, dude. Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? Why? Because you are bought with a price, therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. Okay? That's Christianity 101, dude. Like, if you sign up for this, your body's not your own anymore. Like, that's even when I think it came up about tattoos before or whatever. And I said, yeah, yeah, whatever. But your body doesn't belong to God, so. Doesn't belong to you. Sorry. So if you want to mark it up, that's. I'm not saying yes or no. I'm just saying you have to take that to God because your body belongs to God. This is like, dude, we could do a whole study just on this verse.

Co-host (35:04)

I'd like to. Because that. This verse gets into, like, so your body. Your body and. I'm sorry, your body and your spirit, which are gods. I assume that's lowercase G, because I have it all capitalized here. But that's a. That is an interesting delineation. I like to get into that a little bit more.

Host (35:22)

Yeah. What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? So the. The big thing here I'm trying to talk about is, like, some people talk about, like, having a visitation from God. I'm not looking for a visitation from God, right? So people are like, oh, I had this dream, I had this vision, I had a visitation from God. Amen. I. I love that and I respect that. I'm just saying I'm more centered on or focused on or thinking about creating a habitation for God. I'm thinking about creating an environment where he wants to live. Like. Like, am I. Am I an environment? Like, am I. Am I an actual environment where the Holy Ghost wants to live? Like, am I actually creating an environment, like, by my life where he's comfortable, where he's going to live? And I think just being aware of that is, like, a huge Step just being mindful of that because I'm not my own man. I was bought with a price. That is such a hard line. But. But the point I'm just trying to get at is we're just building up a couple of passages right here about being aware. Like, we're talking about, let the Holy Ghost pray through you. Right. Praying in the Holy Ghost. Okay, well, we have to be aware that he's in us and that he's living in us. So let's just read through some passages that are going to make this real, that he's inside of us. So Luke 11, do you think, like.

Co-host (36:36)

I was having the conversation about Hanukkah recently as well. That's a celebration of the. The temple. But here we have consistently saying that Jesus Christ is that new temple. And then we have this idea of the temple that's inside of us, that the Holy Spirit is dwelling. This is what God had left us when Jesus Christ leaves.

Host (36:53)

Yeah, but you're talking about people who are not. You're talking about a culture, whether it's Kenya or Mexico or Canada or England. That's a nation. You're talking about the nation of Israel. They're a nation, and they have a holiday that revolves around. Yeah, their temple. That's something different than us being the temple.

Co-host (37:14)

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Like that. I guess that line between the temple is external, the temple is internal. And then how does that affect how we are, what we do, our actions going forward? How does that affect our abilities?

Host (37:27)

No, this is a great. This is a great topic. Yeah, it's a great topic because you're right, because, like, sometimes people get caught up in this idea that now, like, the church is the temple. They may. They may or may not use that language, but they're like, yeah, when I go to the. A frame building with the cross on it at 10:00am every Sunday, like, that's the temple, like, in their mind. No, no, your body is the temple. Like Ravenhill. I seen Ravenhill preaching one time, and he was saying, I love this guy, dude. He goes. He goes, all right, anybody in here that smokes cigarettes, Light them up. He's in church?

Co-host (37:57)

Yeah, he's in church.

Host (37:58)

He's in the pulpit. He goes, anybody who wants to smoke cigarettes, go ahead, light them up. And everybody's just, like, sitting there. He's like, yeah, light them up. Whoever here, that's cigarette smokers, go ahead, smoke. And everybody's just, like, silent, right? They're just moving. He goes, yeah, that's Funny, because I saw you outside smoking. I saw you guys outside smoking cigarettes. So anything that you're willing to do out there, you should be able to do in here, because this is the temple.

Co-host (38:21)

Yeah.

Host (38:21)

If you're willing to do that to your temple out there, do it in here.

Co-host (38:24)

The church is just like a. I don't know, a drawing of it. It's like a depiction of.

Host (38:28)

Yeah, yeah.

Co-host (38:29)

Very interesting.

Host (38:30)

Yeah, but we are the temple. And we'd have to unpack that a lot more because in that same passage, I believe he's saying, you are the temple individually, but the church as a whole is the temple as well. The body of Christ, the body of believers, not just you individually. The Holy Spirit lives in you. He also lives in all of us collectively as the body of Christ. So, yeah, that's like a way deeper thing that I could see you want to get deeper into, and we definitely can. All right, so Luke 11, nine. And I say unto you, remember, we're just getting to this point of coming to terms with the creator of the universe living inside of you. People struggle with this. They're like, yeah, no, when they pass the paper around and it says, you can be Buddhist or Hindu or Islam or whatever, I check the box that says Christianity. No, no, no. Does Christ live in you? Whoa. Yeah, I got baptized. No, no, no, no. But does God live inside you? Yeah, I go every Sunday. No, that's not. No, no. Does. Does God live inside of you? Like, that's what we're trying to get at here. Because this is a crazy thought. Like, this is the craziest, most offensive thing. I mean, the thought of, like, God coming down to the earth and letting people spit in his face and rip his beard out and dying a bloody, torturous death to buy us back. That's wild. But I think this rivals that, dude. The thought that the creator of the universe would live inside of us. So it's like you kind of have to keep getting this in your spirit and thinking about it and reading it over and over and over till you really come to terms with this. Like, there's nothing else. There's no other so called religion that has anything remotely close to that, like the. That God would live inside you. And I say unto you, ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks, finds. And to him that knocks, it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you, that is a father, will he give him A stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he. Will he for a fish, give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? This is what we're talking about, man. We're talking about. Let's. Let's just make sure we have the context here. We're reading in Jude, praying in the Holy Ghost, right? We've read about in Romans 8, letting the holy Ghost pray through you, right? We've talked about in the 1 Corinthians 6, passage that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Like, he lives inside of us. This is saying, ask God for the Holy Spirit. Ask God for the Holy Spirit. He wants to give him to you. That's what this is saying. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit? To who? To them that ask him. And don't get hung up on like crazy. You know, there's like this big fighting doctrine over, oh, well, you're already saved, so you have the Holy Spirit. Like, the scripture says to ask God for the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't get hung up on, well, do I have them? Do I don't have them? Okay, let's just start over and ask him now. Just ask them now.

Co-host (41:30)

Well, I think these are these decisions that we have to make every day, right? It's like, are you gonna watch that pornography? Are you gonna do this thing? Are you gonna say this? The words are fleeting, so that's a lot harder. But, like, the actions are the things that we should deal with constantly. And I think if they're at least coming to my mind, like, should I do or should I not? It's almost like they're passing through this temple, and I'm deciding if I'm gonna let that stay or not let that in, you know?

Host (41:55)

Right. But you're bringing up a heavier topic, bro. It's like. I think it's Romans 7 that kind of really breaks it down. That, like, here's this perfect law of God, right? You can't do it. Like, you can't. Like, you're saying, like, oh, do I. The pornography or the this or the that? Like, you can't resist it in your own strength. Your only solution is the Holy Spirit living in you. That is your own. Like. Like, that's what the entire Old Testament taught us is like, hey, nobody can do this. Like. Like, here's the law. Here's the catch. Nobody can do it except for one. And he did it. He fulfilled the law.

Co-host (42:26)

Yeah. Like, these things. There's a difference between these things coming to your mind. Like the. The thing that's almost on your lips that you're about to say, and then you doing it.

Host (42:33)

Amen.

Co-host (42:34)

At least we could. At the very least, we could stop from doing it.

Host (42:37)

Yeah. We're gonna be. We're gonna be pelted with these thoughts, these fiery darts from the enemy. Yeah. Nobody's saying you're bad if a thought crosses your mind. I mean, there's probably. Everybody in the chat probably knows you've had some thoughts come across your mind. You're like, where the f did that come from? I did not want to think that. Like, I could. I did not want to think that thought that just came in my brain. It's what you do with it from there.

Co-host (42:56)

Yeah. Like $200.

Host (42:57)

But the whole point. I don't like that. The whole point is let God live through you. That's what the entire Old Testament taught us, is like, you can't do this in your own strength. The only way to live this is God living through you, which is grace. Like, that's the concept of grace, is that. It's God living through you. You can't do it in your own strength. So just. Just get used to the idea of God living and speaking in and through you. Where did we end up at? Were we in Luke 11, 9? Was that. We just.

Co-host (43:28)

Just finished, right?

Host (43:29)

Do we have Mark 13? Because I don't know what all is in the notes and what's not.

Co-host (43:32)

Yeah, we do.

Host (43:34)

Okay. But take. Take heed to yourselves, for they shall.

Co-host (43:38)

Deliver you up into councils and in the synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and ye shall be brought in before rulers and kings for my sake. For a testimony against them who.

Host (43:47)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. To get. To get them converted?

Co-host (43:50)

No, no.

Host (43:51)

To get. To make them become Christians?

Co-host (43:54)

No, no.

Host (43:54)

For a testimony against them. That's another thing. Maybe some people know this experience. Some people don't. Sometimes, man, like, you know, the Lord is drawing you to have some conversation or some engagement with some person, and you do that. I remember in the beginning, like, walking away from some of those conversations going, like, that's not how I thought that was going to go. And then I didn't understand, like, the Lord wasn't guiding me into that conversation to save them. It was a testimony against them. Like. Like, that's a thing.

Co-host (44:20)

Dude, we spoke about that last week, about when we should, like how we should be having these conversations leading to whatever. And you're like, hey, it's not up to us to guide how it is. It's just for us to do what we're called. Interesting thought there.

Host (44:41)

Okay, wait, where are we at? Mark?

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Host (45:42)

See mint mobile.com we're still in Mark 13:9 through 11.

Co-host (45:49)

And the gospel must, must first be published among all nations. So this is after the persecution, he says. And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Host (45:58)

Remember, that's what the creation's waiting for us to do. The creation. Remember we just read in Romans that the creation's waiting and groaning, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, Was it? Yeah, that. That's what they're waiting for us to do. This gospel must first be published among all nations. The turkeys and the deer and the chickens can't do that, dude. That's human's job. That's man's job. But when they shall lead you and deliver you up. This is what I'm getting at. Take no thought beforehand what you shall speak, neither do you premeditate. But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour that speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Just get used to this idea of the Holy Ghost living in you and talking through you and speaking through you and living through you. Get used to that. That's all I'm trying to say here, man. Remember, the context is praying in the Holy Ghost. I'm just trying to build you up with these passages about the Holy Ghost being in you and guiding you. Now, the brother shall betray. This is how serious it is. The brother shall betray the brother to death. And the Father, the Son and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death. It's going to get ugly, man. It's going to get nasty. And you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. Remember, Jesus never sugarcoats it. He says, make sure you want to sign up for this before you sign up for it, because you're going to be hated of all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Dang. Which, I mean, logically, you have to get from this passage that he that doesn't endure to the end won't be saved. Right? But Jesus is saying, he that does endure to the end, he will be saved. This is heavy, bro. But I. But, but that's. What I'm saying is like, you've got to know the Lord and be guided by the Lord, because in that hour, boom, he's going to give you what to speak. That hour where you're most desperate, you're most in trouble, you're most in danger. And that hour whatsoever shall be given to you in that hour that speak. For it's not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost, man. I'm telling you, this concept of God living through us, that is Christianity, all right? And. And this only happens through relationships. Doesn't happen through cemetery school, which. That's great. If you go, there's nothing wrong with that. But it. That's not what we're talking about. We're not talking about, like, memorizing verses. We're talking about this relationship with God, like, knowing his guidance because he lives in you. All right, now we're in. Let's look at Acts 13:1 4 for an example of praying in the Holy Ghost. Not. Not the example, but one example of praying the Holy Ghost. Acts 13:1 4.

Co-host (48:32)

Now, there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas and Simeon that were called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manan, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetra and Saul as they ministered.

Host (48:47)

To the Lord and fasted. There's this fasting again. And Praying. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said. The Holy Ghost said, separate me, Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto. I have called them. This is what we would call apostles of the Holy Spirit. Right? People want to argue a lot if they're still apostles today. No, only those ones that walk with Jesus were apostles. No, this passage right here is where the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas. And Barnabas in a later passage is referred to as an apostle. He was not part of the original. He was an apostle of the Holy Spirit. He was called by the Holy Spirit. This is praying in the Holy Ghost. They're praying, they're fasting, they're getting after God. They're going hard after them. They're not just like, hanging out saying, like, hey, what are we gonna do for our next church service? How do we get more people to come in? How do we do the better music and fog machine? No, no. They're talking about, like, high level, heavy weighty operations on planet Earth, man. And as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me, Barnabas and Saul, for the worker unto. I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed into Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. This is an example of praying in the Holy Ghost, man. Stuff's happening.

Co-host (50:06)

They added a third step there as well, which is interesting. They fasted, they prayed, and they laid hands on. That seems significant.

Host (50:14)

Amen. Yeah, I wasn't really digging into that, but amen. Yeah, that's another level, dude. Which there's a thought. You may or may not notice this, dude, but sometimes when people are in the shop and they seem like, demonized or whatever, sometimes I will just put a hand on them because my understanding is that the Holy Spirit will flow through you. Like, remember these passages where Paul, they take handkerchiefs and aprons off him and they put them on. People and diseases leave them and demons leave them. I believe that the Holy Spirit is even a tangible presence that absolutely. If it can go into, like, cloth, material and stuff like that, it absolutely can go through me, into somebody.

Co-host (50:49)

Is that why you keep touching me?

Host (50:51)

Stop. But even, like, my family or whatever people sometimes, you probably never noticed, but I'll just put a hand on someone, even just while I'm talking to them. Because I believe that. Because I believe that. Because I believe, like, if the spirit of God is operational, then yeah, he can Go like if we had a way to measure it, we could see it or whatever. He would actually be going from me into somebody else. If somebody thinks that's silly or prideful, whatever, I don't care. I don't care, man. That's the realm I'm living in. Like I love the Lord, I. And I try to live my life in the reality, like in light of me and God. I'm not trying to live my life in the reality of the Kardashians and Justin Bieber and the super bowl in the World Series and whatever's going on on the job. And the Republicans did this and Democrats. No, no, no. I'm just down here for 120 years and I want to live my life in light of the reality of me and God. Like this is like, this is the story of me and God and I'm just going around the earth and I'm just doing my thing. Here's some coffee, here's a nice little pastry. Like I'm just doing my thing. And then here's some person that's struggling. Maybe they're physically sick, maybe they're like spiritually sick, maybe whatever. I'm going to put my hand on them just while I'm talking to them. Not going to make some big show out of it, not going to do some big prayer. I'm just going to put my hand on them, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. Because something happens in that process. They laid hands on them. I don't think that was just like some figure of speech, if you will, or just some format that they did, like some cold dead formality like, oh, here we're doing this thing because it's. No, no, I think they knew something was happening when they did that. Okay, let's look at what not to do. Let's look at what not to do because in Acts 7:51, this is Stephen before the council. Like the organized religious institution that claims to represent God. This is Stephen standing before that council man. This is what he says. You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. What do you do? You do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did. So do you. So we're not talking about resisting the Holy Ghost, we're talking about praying in the Holy Ghost. Right. We're unpacking all these passages. I know it's taken a little while. Are we like. No, we're good. Everything's good. Okay. So we're building up ourselves on our most holy faith and we're praying in the Holy Ghost. We're not resisting the Holy Ghost. We're aware that he's living inside of us. We want to make a habitation for him. We're getting used to this idea that he's going to be living through us and speaking through us because we are his temple and we don't want to resist him. We don't want to resist him by our lifestyle, by our mindset towards Him. We don't want to resist him in any of those ways. We want to give him free range in our life. Like, that's the ultimate human experience. Is the creator of the universe living through you? All right, let's look at verse 20 back in Jude. We're back in Jude, verse 20.

Co-host (53:45)

But ye beloved, building up yourselves on the most holy faith, Praying in the.

Host (53:49)

Holy Ghost, Building up yourselves. This is where we're at now, right? We already dealt with building up yourselves. We dealt with praying in the Holy Ghost. I just want to look at this word building. Just building, right? If we're going to look at this, you've got to look at the ultimate passage on this topic. It's Luke 14, verses 25 through 33.

Co-host (54:15)

All right, we'll take. Let's take a quick break, guys. We'll be back in three minutes. Sit tight. We're back.

Host (56:13)

Sorry about that, everybody. All right, so we're. So we're in this passage. Yeah, I had to be focused for this passage because this is heavy to me, bro. So this is Luke. We're talking about building, right? So we're in Luke 14, verses 25 through 33. Hold on, I'm gonna pull it up. I'm gonna pull it up.

Co-host (56:35)

And there went a great multitudes with him. And he turned and said unto them, if any man come to me and hate not his father and his mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

Host (56:56)

Okay, hang on, hang on, hang on. We're going to get into a lot of stuff. We're going to get into a lot of stuff, but first and foremost.

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Host (58:35)

Just notice that Jesus never sugarcoats it. He never sugarcoats it. He's. He's being very plain with people. He says, hey, you want to come after me? No problem. You got to hate father, mother, wife, children and brethren and your sisters in your own life also. If you don't do that, you can't be my disciple. Now this is an identity passage, as far as I can tell. Like this is, this is how people identify is within their family ranks, within their family. Especially in that day, families were a lot closer than today. Like today you have family and the kids grow up and they all move to different countries, different states, whatever it's not, doesn't really matter so much anymore. But like throughout time, like family was identity. And he's saying like, if you can't lose your earthly identity to be connected to me and be willing to lose all of them if it comes to it, to hate them in comparison to your love for me. Like if they're going to pull you away from me and you're going to go with them instead of me, you can't be my disciple. Like, he just says that very plainly. Okay, let's keep going. Where are we in verse 27?

Co-host (59:40)

Yep.

Host (59:41)

And whosoever does not bear his Cross and come after me, he cannot be my disciple. Do people even want to be a disciple today? I don't think they even get told this in church, dude. Like, like if they, if, if everybody who came to this, to the show on Sunday morning got told this, how many of them would say, yeah, I still want to sign up for that? And why aren't they being told this? Because he's being very plain. He's being very plain. Don't sign up for this unless you mean it. All right, so now we're in 28. For which of you intending to build. Here we go. Which of you intending to build a tower sits not down first and counts the cost whether he has sufficient to finish it, Less happily after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it. All that behold it begin to mock him saying, this man began to build and wasn't even able to finish. Or what king goes to make war against another king sits not down first and consults whether he be able with 10,000 to meet him, that comes against him with 20,000 or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassage and desires conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has cannot be my disciple. This is one of those stories from Jesus that could apply both ways. Dude, I really think this, I really think. I know there's a lot of people like, no, no, no. Every verse only means one thing. That's great, that's fine. I really think this applies to Jesus. Jesus says, I'm building, I'm building something, right? Which of you intending to build doesn't sit down and count the cost? Jesus says, I've count the cost and I'm building a church. That's what he's saying, I'm building a church. And guess what we're going to do? We're going to go to war. This is what this passage is about. And this is Jesus. He has counted the cost. He has made that conscious decision to come down to planet Earth and say, no, man, those humans are worth it to me. I'm willing to do this. I've counted the cost, everything it's going to cost me to surrender my ability as God. He's never going to stop being God. But he surrendered his abilities as God. Like for one to be everywhere at once, dude, when he came to the Earth, he was only in one place at one time. So in that sense, like he surrendered his abilities as God. He said, I've counted The cost. I'm willing to do that because they're worth it. I'm going to buy them back from the dead. I'm going to build a church and we're going to go to war, right? And I think this applies to man too. I think this applies to man. I think this applies to Christians. That a man has to decide, has he counted the cost? That's really the context. He's saying like verse 33, have you counted the cost? Likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple. So have you counted the cost? Have you counted the cost? Because if you're going to sign up for this now, you're going to be building and warring, right? You're going to be involved in the war, you're going to be involved in the building of the church. Like, make sure you are ready to sign up for this. Something's being built. It's the body of Christ.

Co-host (62:31)

That's what he says. When, like, do you. You have to hate all of your family. And it's not, I don't think he means hate in the word. Like, like you personally hate them, but you have to be ready for like, like crazy stuff's gonna happen.

Host (62:43)

You'll be ready for them to hate you. And if they do hate you, you have to be willing to say, okay, man, I'm with Jesus. And then, bro, you see it with the Muslim nations all the time. Like the dude Steve Masud, when he preaches here, like he forsook Islam to be a Christian. His entire family wanted him dead, dude, they sent people after him to kill him. He's got a wild ass story, bro.

Co-host (63:01)

Yeah, yeah, gotta, I gotta.

Host (63:03)

We don't know a lot about that in this nation because like the type of Christianity that we have is a very palatable Christianity. It's not like they don't even read these passages to say, like, make sure you're ready for this. Oh, no, no. Everybody come. Yay. Say, repeat after me. Say this prayer even before you've repented. Say you believe in Jesus. Invite him into your heart even though he's on the right hand of the Father in heaven. Do the. Okay, now you're a Christian. Yay. Right? So we don't really have like persecution or suffering loss or family caring a whole lot. You, you, you definitely have it. Some definitely have it. Some. Don't get me wrong. I'm just saying, like the majority of it is not like that.

Co-host (63:37)

This is also extremely fair. Like you're being Warned.

Host (63:42)

Yes.

Co-host (63:42)

Of this.

Host (63:43)

Yes.

Co-host (63:43)

Before you do this thing.

Host (63:45)

Yes. That's why I'm saying this seeker friendly church with the slide in the lobby is a scandal in the eyes of a holy God because he's spending his time saying, no, no, no. Whatever you do, count the cost before you sign up for this. Do not sign up for this if you're not ready to forsake everything. Yes. Now you say, oh, no, we're. We're not like in war. We're not soldiers. Let's just look at 2 Timothy 2, 14 real quick. I'll just read it. It probably wasn't in the notes. I think I might even put this in this morning. Abcdefghi it goes Thessalonians, then Timothy, because it's in alphabetical order.

Co-host (64:18)

Two tim. What?

Host (64:19)

Two tim two, one through four. Watch this. Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. This is Paul talking to Timothy. And the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Bro. Keep the chain unbroken. This. This is a heavy concept, man. I wish people understood this today, man. I wish we could build up a generation that would operate like this, man. Don't let the chain be broken, Timothy. This is what you got to do, man. The things that you heard from me. Now you go commit to faithful men. I've given it to you, Timothy. You give it to faithful men. Don't just give it to anybody because they're the local guy that'll donate a lot of money to the church. No, no, no. Make sure you find faithful men, man. We can't let the chain get broken. The things that you've heard of me among many witnesses the same commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. It goes from me, Timothy, to you, to them, to the next generation, man. We cannot let the chain be broken. You therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We're in a war. We're in a war. If you never got told that, you have to know that we're in a war. We're referred to as soldiers of Jesus Christ. You therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No, man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier. Think about that. Imagine if you went to war in Iraq or Afghanistan, and just in the middle of the war, you're out there, like shooting, and then you just kind of take your stuff off and you just kind of go do whatever you're going to do at the local bar and go in the grocery store. You start living like a civilian. Like, you're not even at war. He's saying that's. That's like what the Christian life is like. Do not sign up for this. Get involved in the war and then just drop your weapons and go walking off to the grocery store in the local bar. No, no, no, no, man, that wars. No soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life. Don't be entangled with the affairs of this world. No man having. Putting his. Put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Like, you sign up for this. You have to make sure you want to do this because you're in a war. That's what he's saying. If you sign up for Christianity, your life is going to be spent building and warring.

Co-host (66:31)

That's what the idea of the backslider.

Host (66:34)

What do you mean?

Co-host (66:35)

I mean, backsliders within the church is a different connotation than what I'm kind of taking from here, where it's like, if you backslide and you don't go to the church, they look at you at a certain way. But if you. This has more consequences for the backslider. Yeah, Actual consequences. Not just somebody who doesn't go to a place anymore.

Host (66:53)

Yeah, yeah, man. You. You sign up for this and then forsake the king. And he's warned you. He's warned you a bunch of times, like, make sure you're ready to sign up for this before you sign up. He's doing everything he can to say, like, don't sign up for this. This is like, the exact opposite of modern Christianity, bro. He's saying, like, dude, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. It'll be worse for you if you sign up for this and then forsake me. So just make real sure before you sign up for this. We don't preach like that today, bro. It's playtime today. They're like, come to the church. You can jump in the little bounce house and have a good old time. That's not how he preached. He said, whoa, whoa, whoa. Before you do this, just make sure you're willing to forsake everything or don't do it. All right? Here's the ultimate example of, like, what happens if you're not building or warring, right? This is the life of David.

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Host (68:38)

See mint mobile.com this is a brutal passage to me, dude. This is a brutal passage to read. I'm just going to read it anyway. 2 Kings 2. Sorry. 2 Samuel 11, starting in verse 1. And it came to pass after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Job and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Amman and beseech Rabba. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an evening tide that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon. Sometimes I think about humanity and things don't change. Like this was porn in that day, like pornography like, but only the king had it accessible. Like it's almost like the king kind of set up his setup so that he could like kind of go see stuff whenever he wanted. I almost think that, bro, I just think that that spirit is so heavy on people, man. Like this porn and desiring to watch the sex or have access to sex and sexiness all the time. Like it's like, yeah, only kings really had it like that before, dude. And he like set up his life like that.

Co-host (69:43)

Well, did David set that up or did Saul set that up? And it's like, it's. That's an interesting idea because that's a structure that's in place already. And now you're just inhabiting it. It's like a tool. You're using it again.

Host (69:53)

Yeah, I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't know. That's just what I think of, dude, is that, like, imagine like only kings had access to porn in that day, and now every human on the planet. Like, even when I was a kid, if you wanted porn, you had to go into, like a gas station or you had to have a buddy's dad that you, that you like, stole it from, like a magazine or something. Like, now any human on the planet can just start pushing buttons on his phone and have it. Like, that's, that's crazy, bro. Like, that. I. I don't know. We're living in a rough day. Like, again, when you guys talk about times that, where it's hard to be a Christian, I always say this is the most dangerous time and place ever in humanity to be a Christian. Like, there's just a lot. Do we have access to everything? So we could either go like to the highest level or to the lowest level, but it's going to be on steroids whichever way we go. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, bro, isn't this Bathsheba the daughter of Elyon, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? David, Are you sure? And David sent messengers and took her. And she came in unto him, and he lay with her, for she was purified from her uncleanness. And she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived and sent and told David and said, I'm with a child. This story is, like, so hard to read, man. And David sent to Job, saying, send me Uriah the Hittite. And Job sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Job did and how the people did and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. So David's like, hey, man, go down and see your wife. Here's a bunch of food. Have a, have a feast with her, man. Have a good time, bro. Appreciate you. Oh, but Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his Lord and didn't go down to his house. Sorry, this passage is hard for me to read sometimes, man. And when they had told David, saying Uriah went not down unto his house, David said to Uriah, camest Thou not from your journey. Why then did you not go down into your house? And Uriah said unto David, the ark and Israel and Judah abide intense. And my Lord Job and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields. You think I'm just then going to go into my house to eat and drink and lay with my wife? As thou live and as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing. I don't know. I just. Like, at this point, it's like, does Uriah know? I don't know. I've thought about this passage so many times, dude. And that had to prick David at his heart, bro. Uriah's like, I'm no dude. Like. Like, the entire military of the armies of the kingdom of God is out there in the field. I'm gonna go lay with my wife.

Co-host (72:24)

I was like, you're gonna go lay with my wife?

Host (72:26)

Yeah. Think about this, dude. And David said to Uriah, terry here today also, and tomorrow, I'll let you depart. So Uriah boat in Jerusalem that day and tomorrow. And when David had called him again, he did eat and drink before him, and he made him drunk. Like, dude, David's doing everything he can to destroy this guy's character, to. To crush him, to bring him down to David's level in this situation. This is what's hard about. This is, like. It just feels like. This is, like, not like David. It's. The more you read of his life before and after. It's just. It's a lot. And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Job and sent it by the hand of Uriah. Dude, he doesn't even go down to, like, look at Bathsheba. Like, Uriah's home. Like, not only is he not gonna lay with her, he doesn't even go there to, like, look at her and just say, hey, just want to tell you hi. It came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Job, who's in charge of the army, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter saying, set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him that he may be smitten and die. It's almost like Uriah took shots at him. I feel like Uriah knew this whole time. Like, people knew because she sent to David to say, hey, I have a child. I'm sure, like, some stuff got around in town. You just. I don't know. I just have the sneaking suspicion Uriah knew. And so, like, they sit down to eat. And they're almost having like a stare down at the meal.

Co-host (73:47)

Well, you gotta, you also gotta think, yeah, there's messages being sent back and forth. This guy traveled back from battle. This is not the next day. These. It's probably like months passing.

Host (73:56)

Yeah, Uriah, I think he knows, dude.

Co-host (73:58)

Yeah.

Host (73:58)

And David's pissed because Uriah punked him and put him in his place. And it came to pass when Job observed the city, that he assigned Uriah into a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out and fought with Job and there fell some of the people of the servants of David. And, and Uriah the Hittite died also. So now he's banged his wife, impregnated her, tried to get him drunk to go lay with her, tried to just give him a bunch of food to have a feast so that when the child's born they can say it's Uriah's child. Like that's the whole concept. And now he has him killed. You just, you're just watching the story. You're going like, wait, what? One of the greatest men of God that's ever existed, he did what? What? Then Job sent and told David all the things concerning the war and charged the messenger, saying, when you've made an end to telling the matters of the war unto the king, and if so, be that the king's wrath arise, because like the war is not going the way he wants it to. And he says, he says unto you, wherefore approach you so close unto the city when you did fight, would you not know that they would shoot from the wall who smote Abimelech? This is a story from Judges 9. The son of Jerubba sheth, did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? Why went you so close to the wall if David says all that? To hurry up and say to him that your servant Uriah died also, because that'll chill him out. So the messenger went and came and showed David all that Job had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us in the field, and we were upon them even under the entering of the gate, and the shooters shot from off the wall upon the servants, and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Then David said unto the messenger, thus shall thou say unto Job, let not this thing displease you, for the sword Devours one as well as another. Make the battle more strong against the city and overthrow it and encourage him. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the morning was passed, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife and bare him a son. But the thing that David did, but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. This is this terrible passage, dude, this is one of these passages you wish, like, didn't exist. Like, you literally wish, like, when you read this whole story, you're like, I just wish this story wasn't here. I've read this story to my kids, like, their whole life growing up. I've always read this story just so everybody understands. Like, this is part of the Bible. It's another one of those passages that, like, you wouldn't put in a. You wouldn't put in a book if you were just trying to start a religion. Like, why would you put, like a story like this after one of your great heroes? I'm going to keep reading all the way through 18. Do we have the time to go through 12 18? And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, there were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children, and did eat of his own meat and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. So this rich guy, he's got tons of flocks and herds. And then there's this poor guy, he's got one lamb that lives in his house with him. It's so close to him, it's all he's got. And there came a traveler under the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock, this guy who's got tons of flocks and herds to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him. But he took the poor man's land, the one that lived in his house with him, that was like his own child. He took that lamb and dressed it for the man that was come to him, not even for himself, just for some traveling stranger. He took the other guy's lamb. That was the most precious thing to him. Nathan's telling this story to David. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, as the Lord lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, thou art the man. Damn. David's lucky that God's more merciful than David. But this is crazy, man. Look how hot David gets about this story. And Nathan says, nah, bro, you're the man. You're that man. I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if that had been too little, I would moreover, have given unto thee anything. He says, I would have given unto thee such and such things. Where? Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? You've killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. And have taken his wife to be your wife and have slain him with the sword of the children of Amman. Uriah was one of God's guys, dude. And you let one of God's enemies kill Uriah. Too fast, Trevor. Too fast.

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Host (78:59)

I know what I'm doing, Mom.

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Host (79:21)

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Host (79:38)

Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house. Like when you hear the story of Israel from this point on. Dude, this has affected everything in the history of Israel now. Everything. Every. This is where the branch comes from. Where now we end up with, like, Judah and Benjamin in the on the one. And then you end up with all of, like, Israel proper on the other. This is the beginning of all of the divide and the chaos and the madness. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me. You didn't despise Uriah, David. You despise me. And you've taken the wife of Uriah the hit out the Hittite to be your wife. Thus saith the Lord. Behold, I. I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. Remember, we've talked about this before God. God goes to lengths to make sure you understand. He's the one bringing it. Thus saith the Lord. Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I'll take your wives before your eyes and give them unto your neighbor. And he shall lie with your wives in the side of the sun because you did it secretly. But I'm going to do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. This is what we do love about David, though, man. He can repent. Like. Like, he doesn't try to make excuses. Like, remember Saul was king and he just made excuses. As soon as he was presented with his sin, he made excuses. You look at the life of David. When he's presented with the sin, he repents, man. Thank God for that. David said unto Nathan, I've sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, the Lord has put away your sin. You shall not die. Because remember, David's curse against the man was that he must die. And then, no, David's probably looking at Nathan going like this, like, am I about to drop right now? Nathan says, no, no, man, he's not going to smoke you right now. He's not going to dust you.

Co-host (81:19)

So do you think that that was also available to Saul? I mean, although he wouldn't have taken that route? Yeah, this is always available.

Host (81:24)

I wouldn't say always available, but it was up to a certain point, right? Nathan said, and I like this story, bro, because it's like sometimes, you know, God spoke directly to David. But in this. In this situation, he chose not to. He chose to bring Nathan as if to say, hey, David, Nathan, like, you guys are boys. David, you. You can trust Nathan, like, with your life. You can trust him with everything, man. And sometimes God does that. Like, God can speak to you directly, but he'll send somebody else just so he can build his church, just so he can build his body. Say, hey, this is somebody you can trust, man. Like. Like, you need to trust him. So he brought David and Nathan together like this. How be it? Because by this deed, you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the child also that is born unto you shall surely die. And Nathan departed into his house, and the Lord struck the child. A lot of people's theology won't allow for this verse right here. The Lord struck the child. Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child. That Uriah's wife, Baron the David. And it was very sick. The Lord struck the child. Sick. David. Therefore besought God for the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth. But he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. Okay, so that's the story of David and Bathsheba. If you've never heard it, like, you need to know that that story exists. I don't care. So I don't know, man. Like I said, this is like this gut wrenching story to me. And I look back at verse 27, chapter 11, and it says the thing that David had done, displeased the Lord. And I just remember reading that one time and saying, like, what thing? What do you mean the thing? Like, like, let's, like, let's look at this story and like, how many things is there, man?

Co-host (83:25)

It's a lot.

Host (83:25)

There's so many things that did this, dude. Like, he kills a man, he takes a man's wife, he doesn't repent. I mean, dude, it's nine months. Like, they have a child, it's nine months later till David repents, bro, Nathan comes to, he's got the child. It's been nine months. David never repented. You say, wait a minute, what's the thing?

Co-host (83:48)

Because he did. Maybe he didn't think what he did was wrong.

Host (83:51)

Here's what I'm getting back to remember. The context is building and warring. You have to go back to verse one, dude. It came to pass at the time after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle. David's a king. This is the time when kings go forth to battle. David doesn't go. He sent Job. He sent Job and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Amman and besieged Rabba. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. That's the issue, dude. A man of God has to be either building or warring. When you're in a war, you're in a war, you're holding everything together. Some people would say with like duct tape and prayer, like, you're just, you're in a war. If you're not in a war. You need to be building this entire story, which is like the worst story to read. It's like this gut wrenching story to read. And it just, it makes you just sick. It makes you sick to read this story. It all happens because David's being idle and he's just chilling at the house. You ha. You have to be progressing, man. We talked about this before. Grow or Die, like, was the last episode. Like, if you're not growing, it's because you're dead. You have to be building and warring. And that's what Jesus is laying down in that Luke 14 passage, man. Count the cost. Because as soon as you sign up for this, you're going to be building and warring.

Co-host (85:01)

This is kind of what we came to in the, in the shop, little inside baseball. You asked me, like, what are we doing? What are you doing? What's the plan?

Host (85:07)

Yes.

Co-host (85:08)

And I go, well, right now we're building. Like I'm building. And I, like, I have my head down and I'm building. Very focused on this. What comes next? I guess we're trying to be more.

Host (85:18)

Intentional about what exactly are we building? Like, what do we want? Do we want something that people think is cool?

Co-host (85:23)

Do we have enough materials?

Host (85:25)

We want to.

Co-host (85:25)

Ready to finish?

Host (85:26)

We Want to know 70%? No, we're about 100 in here now.

Co-host (85:31)

What?

Host (85:34)

But yeah, yeah, I don't know, man. That's a, that's a tough thing. And it all comes back to idleness. And like, sometimes people accept idleness or laziness, like, it's okay, but the Bible doesn't accept idleness or laziness. Like, it's okay. It leads to danger, man. I just want to make that point, man. Like, you sign up for Christianity, you sign up for this walk with Christ, you're going to be building and warring till the end. And if you're not doing one, you need to be doing the other. And if you're not doing that one, you need to be doing the other one. And if you're just idle, you have to ask yourself, like, what am I doing? Am I building the church? Am I warring? Because there's a kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness. Like, where am I at here? Which hopefully for most of us, it'll be building, building, building with less time of war, hopefully the majority of our life, we're not just constantly warring, warring, warring, warring. Some of us might be, though.

Co-host (86:24)

Are we senselessly warring? Is a question. That.

Host (86:26)

That's a whole other thing. Yeah, that's a Whole other topic. Who are we warring with? Is it really relevant? Are we warring with people that are never going to get it? They're not part of the discussion. Are we warring with people who are on our team, but now we're fighting over, like, the minutia. Like, yeah. Who is our war really against and what are we really doing? We need to be very mindful of this because we don't want to have, like, say, David. Nathan comes to David. God has sent Nathan to make them tight. And then David starts bickering with Nathan and fighting with Nathan. God's like, no, no, no. I sent him so you guys would be teammates. I didn't send you guys to fight with one another. Like, you were supposed to trust him, David. So, yeah, all of the above. All the above. But we're building a church. Like, that's what we're doing. The same way Noah was building an ark. We're building a church today.

Co-host (87:09)

Do we get tax discounts?

Host (87:12)

Stop. I know what you're doing, and I don't like it. All right, we're into verse 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God. I like this, Pat, this verse, and I really hope that through all of this, we've been noticing that, like, for example, verse 21 says, Keep yourselves. Verse 24 says, now to him that is able to keep you, there's always this balance, right? There's always this balance of, like, keep yourselves. But just keep in mind you can't. Verse 24 says, him that can keep you, right? Keep yourselves in the love of God. This is how I would take this. It doesn't say, put yourselves in the love of God. You're already there. You're already in there. You're already there. Endure, right? Like we read in Mark already, He that endures into the end, keep yourselves in the love of God. Endure in the love of God. One of the hard things about endurance is, like, you can't lose it. You can't use it or learn it in, like, cemetery school. The only way to build endurance in the Christian walk is to endure. You can't. You can't build it. Like, you can't. You can't build it any other way than enduring. You can't be taught endurance. Like, the. The only way to build endurance is to endure. Keep yourselves in the love of God. You don't put yourself there. You're already there. He's. He's talking to the church. But keep yourselves in the love of God. Like, live or respond accordingly, right? Make sure your life. Make sure that Your life is like well kept. You know how like when the, when the bug company comes here, they always come in, they go, dude, you guys keep this really nice. Like, you guys don't have any bugs. You're so clean in here. For a coffee shop, they're like, you know, we go into some restaurants, it's crazy. And they're like, this is very well kept. Right? We understand the concept of like a well kept coffee shop. Or like a woman who keeps her house well kept. She keeps her house very nice. It's like that, like, keep yourselves in the love of God. Keep it well kept. Keep your life like well kept. Faith without works is dead. So like live your faith. This is going to build it, right? Like, keep yourselves in the love of God.

Co-host (89:19)

I think that's the hardest thing though. This is like you're talking about every day. This is not a thing that you just do and then put away. This is something that you do every day, consistently, ritually. It's easy for people to fall off of that.

Host (89:32)

Yes, yes. But that's why, like real preaching is encouraging and bringing things up and bringing things to people's memory, things they may already know. Like, keep this going. It's not enough. Just this one day a week thing. We need to be doing this. Like if there is going to be buildings that people pay for, land and buildings that people pay for, at least have something in there seven days a week. Don't do it one day a week. Like at least have something going on for people to come in. Maybe some people can only make it on Tuesdays. Maybe some people can only make it on Fridays. Maybe some people can only make it on Mondays. Maybe some people can only make it on, on Sundays, but have stuff going on like seven days a week, like helping people. Because this is a big, this is a big thing, man. To, to keep themselves in the love of God, to keep themselves on track.

Co-host (90:14)

I'm in defense of the church. I will say some of them do. Some of them do that for that. It's not, it's not like typically what the people in, in the United States expect of the church. It's. There's a misconception, but they are open. They are doing stuff. A lot of them, a lot of days a week, people don't participate in it. They want to do the one thing. And I think, I don't know why the misconception is there.

Host (90:37)

You got to build people up on truth, dude. If you build them up with this idea that like we're going to have pizza Parties and bounce houses and slides in the lobby, then that's what you end up with, is people who are attracted to that. But that's why Jesus didn't preach like that. He said, make sure you're ready for this. Make sure you're ready to go to war, otherwise do not sign up. So if all you do is this foo foo message, then you just bring in a ton of people that don't want the seven days. Right. But if you bring people in on the truth, because some people say, oh yeah, but this 501C3 system is good for newbies, like new people. I don't know, man. I don't know. It seems like, okay for new people, it kind of brings them in. But if you build them up on a fake faith in the beginning, then was it really good for him in the end? I don't know. It doesn't look like that's what Jesus did. He goes hard, like right from the jump, says, make sure. Before you even think about signing up for this, make sure you're really, like, you're willing to sacrifice your entire being for this. Do you see what I'm saying? So if you don't bring them in like that, like, don't be surprised that they don't live like that. Like, don't be surprised that they don't stay the course. Don't be surprised that they're weak, soft people 20, 30 years down the road. You brought them in on like fake stuff.

Co-host (91:44)

Yeah. Then that, that, that raises the question of are we meeting people where they're at or are you showing them firmly? This is, this is what is expected.

Host (91:53)

Yeah. And there's this misconception, man, that like there's these so called seeker friendly churches. Like, this is madness, bro. Like nobody can come to God unless he draws them first. So there's not really even such a thing as a seeker. Like the only way you're seeking is if God's drawing you. So if you're trying to make up this thing to get people to like it, bro, you're bringing them in on a straight falsehood. Like you're bringing them in on something fake. But if God is really drawing somebody, then just preach the word of God with fire. Bring it. Bring the fire and hammer and just preach hard. Just bring it, dude. Because those people God's drawing, they'll respond to the truth. They won't respond to playtime. Like all the people that are responding to playtime, that's not good. Let's keep going. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Joy and Blokes Representative (92:42)

Right.

Host (92:43)

Looking with the goal in view. Like you're saying we've been talking about goals, like do we have any short term goals? Do we have any long term goals? But we're looking with the goal in view. The mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Remember, this is life eternal. John 17:3, that they may know thee, the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent. That's eternal life. That is life. Eternal life. Knowing God, not knowing doctrine, not knowing theology, which is great. Everybody wants to know doctrine and theology. That's great. But eternal life is knowing God. Too fast, Trevor. Too fast.

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Host (93:24)

I know what I'm doing, Mom.

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Or attend a corporate team building workshop.

Co-host (93:28)

Go, team.

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Host (93:33)

They're listening to us right now.

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Co-host (93:45)

Shh.

Host (93:46)

They're here.

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Host (94:18)

Let's look at. Let's look at a. Let's look at Luke 11:34,36. I don't know that a lot of people necessarily understand this concept. I know a lot of people don't understand this concept. So it's Luke 11:34 through 36. It goes like this. The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is single, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is evil, the body is also full of darkness. Notice you would think right here where it says when the eye is evil, that like on the sentence before that, it would have said the opposite. It would have said, when your eye is good. Right? You think you'd have like, when your eye is good and when your eye is evil. But Jesus uses this language. He says, when your eye is single, and he compares that with when your eye is evil, the light of the body is the eye. Therefore, when Your eye is single, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is evil, the body is full of darkness.

Co-host (95:22)

Is he talking about aim? Aim like what it's focused on. It's singularly focused on one thing rather than the evil being a multitude of things.

Host (95:31)

This is profound. This is profound. Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in you be not darkness. So you could have that light in you, but it's darkness. So hold on, let's unpack this. Let's unpack this. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, single, right? Don't have the light and the darkness. Have the light and have no part dark. If your whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light. As when the bright shining of a candle does give thee light. Okay, look at this man. Hebrews 12. 2 says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, right? That's being single. We're looking to Jesus, just Jesus. We got into this yesterday. Not Jesus plus, that would be light and darkness in the body. This is. This says, keep your whole body single, right? Keep your eyes single. Don't have light and darkness. Don't have Jesus plus. Right? What are we talking about? We say Jesus plus the Mount Carmel showdown with Elijah. Was he talking to the lost world? Was he talking to the lost nations that didn't know God?

Co-host (96:44)

No.

Host (96:45)

No. Was he saying, you guys don't know God? No, he was saying, you can't serve God. And baal.

Co-host (96:51)

He's talking to Israel.

Host (96:53)

Yeah, you can't serve God, the true living God. And baal. Do you see what I'm saying? That your eyes not single if you're serving God and baal. You know, we have a system today that incorporates Jesus, but worships all kinds of other stuff. It's called Catholic. There's a Catholic system, right, where, yeah, Jesus is incorporated, but we're also going to worship Mary or venerate Mary, saints, all these other things. We broke it down yesterday, right? Jesus said, you can't serve God and mammon. All these things keep coming back to. It must be just Jesus. It must be God who you're serving, not God plus something else. Like in my own story, I remember reading a book on world religions that my brother had, and I was like, reading this stuff. I was like, okay, cool, man, whatever. I read a little bit about Hindu Buddhism. I was reading about Judaism. I was reading all this. I was like, oh, that's cool. And then I'll just like, kind of read the Bible too, and I'll kind of mix them together.

Co-host (97:48)

I remember thinking that you're doing a coexist.

Host (97:50)

And then I got. Yeah, that's what I thought back then, bro. And then I got a Bible, and I was like, oh, dude, this does not mix. This. This does not mix. Two. Two things that came over me when I first got a Bible. I was like, this does not mix with anything else. And this is definitely the truth. I don't know what to do with it, but this is definitely the truth.

Co-host (98:08)

Not only does it not mix, I'd say that it stands in contradiction to most of, like, yeah, everything. Even its closest brother, Judaism.

Host (98:17)

So we got to be careful with that. It can't be Jesus plus something else. Your eye has to be single, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Some people, like, they commit adultery and they say, oh, but David did, like the story we just read. It's not what the scripture says. It doesn't say looking unto David. It says, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Like, that's what we're focused on. We're not mixing in anything else. We don't mix. Everybody's mixing in Jesus. Now, what the chick said with the Palladian Jesus or something, or the ascended master, like, everybody's mixing. It's Jesus plus. Everybody's. No, no, I'm cool with Jesus. No, no, no. It's Jesus only.

Co-host (98:53)

It's like a streaming service.

Host (98:54)

Jesus only, bro. That's what he's saying. Your eye must be single.

Co-host (98:57)

This is why they had to kill him, dude. Yeah, because he's. He's speaking firmly. He's telling you exactly what it is.

Host (99:03)

Yes. All right, what if we look at John 3, 14, and 15? Because I really want to unpack this looking thing looking unto Jesus, John 3, 14, and 15. Everybody knows these passages.

Co-host (99:17)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Host (99:27)

Amen. Amen. That whosoever believes. Right, but what's he referencing?

Co-host (99:37)

Moses.

Host (99:38)

Right? In the wilderness, Right? As he lifted the serpent. Yeah, as Moses lifted the serpent. That's what he's referencing. He's saying, in the same way shall the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believes on him will be saved.

Co-host (99:52)

So now we're in numbers 21, right?

Host (99:53)

Yeah. All right.

Co-host (99:55)

Numbers 21, four through nine.

Host (99:57)

Yes, sir.

Co-host (99:59)

And they journeyed from the Mount Hor, by the way, over the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom. And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

Host (100:08)

And the people spoke against God and against Moses. Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there's no bread, neither is there any water. And our soul loathes this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents. I'm not saying that's dragons. I'm just saying it. They're called fiery serpents. The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people. And much people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord. Look at this repentance and against you. Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people as a true intercessor. They hated Moses, and he would still intercede for them. And the Lord said unto Moses, make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that has bitten when he looks upon it shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole. And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. Notice this difference, man. Notice that in this story, it's anyone who looks upon it. But when Jesus tells it, he said, it's any man who believes. Like, there's this connection between what you're continually looking at and focused on. Remember, your eye must be single looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And there is this connection between what your gaze is on, what your focus is on.

Co-host (101:33)

Your orientation.

Host (101:34)

Yes, it's a great word. Your orientation. What are you. What is your orientation? Towards. Towards one Jesus, right? Looking, focused. Gaze, attention. There's a connection between that and faith. Jesus is saying that. He's saying like, in the same way Moses did it. He lifted up the serpent of brass. That was a type of Christ. If you looked on it, you were saved. In the same way, if you believe, if you have faith, you'll be saved. Saved. So what are we looking at? What are we focused on? It must be on Jesus. Single, not Jesus. Plus. Okay, let's look at two Peter 3, 12, 14.

Co-host (102:22)

Looking.

Host (102:22)

Hold on. I didn't mean to cut you out, but just look at this. Colossians 3. Real quick. I'm just gonna say it real quick. If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. Like, seek. Look at. Focus on. Set your gaze upon those Things which are above where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Stop with your focus being on the things of the earth because you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory. So set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth. Sorry about that. Now we're in two Peter three.

Co-host (103:06)

Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of the Lord, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Why is that a question? What is. What is he saying there?

Host (103:18)

There's no question. Oh, there's a question mark.

Co-host (103:21)

Yeah.

Host (103:22)

Oh, okay. Sorry, we had to go back over. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be? That's the question. How should you be acting? Should you be acting like all the stuff in the temporary realm is really that important? Seeing then that all these things are going to be dissolved? You know, like in the Avenger movie, when the guy goes like that and the stuff just goes. I mean, all this stuff's gonna dissolve like that. Okay. If you know that, what should you be acting like in your life? Should you really be so focused on living in a mansion and having the fancy boat and having the fancy truck and having all the fancy stuff? Like, is that. Is that really your focus? Not saying it's bad if you have those things, but is that your focus? What manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness? Looking for. This is what we're getting at. Looking for and hasting under the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for. This is what we're looking for. New heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Too fast, Trevor. Too fast.

Advertiser (104:28)

Here at the Zebra research shows people would rather teach their kids to drive than search for auto and home insurance.

Host (104:33)

I know what I'm doing, Mom.

Advertiser (104:35)

Or attend a corporate team building workshop. Go, team. Feel that synergy. Or be regaled by Uncle Frank's conspiracy theories.

Host (104:42)

They're listening to us right now.

Advertiser (104:45)

That's why the Zebra searches for you. Comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can compare. Today at the Zebra.com we do the searching, you do the saving.

Host (104:55)

Shh. They're here.

Advertiser (104:56)

Most people would rather attend a corporate team building workshop. Than search for auto and home insurance.

Joy and Blokes Representative (105:01)

Go, team.

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Feel that synergy. That's why the zebra searches for you. Comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can compare. Today@the zebra.com who's ready for the trust.

Host (105:11)

Fall wherefore beloved, seeing that you look for such things, Be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. This is what Jude's talking about in the beginning. Earnestly contend for the faith. He's saying, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. All right, so we're looking for the king and therefore his kingdom. Like these passages that are talking about looking for this coming kingdom, a new heavens and new earth. That's simply because we're looking at the king and that's his kingdom. Okay, now we're back to Jude. We're wrapping this up. We're so close. We're so close.

Co-host (105:55)

A little tidbit of information here. If you look at the sigil of Lucifer, it's the diagram of the eyeball, which is actually very interesting. I don't know who made it, but the sideways diagram of an eyeball and how vision comes into the cornea and reflects back, like, that's actually the sigil Lucifer. It's kind of like a triangle with a circle there. So it's almost like whatever is coming into your eyes is. That's, like this weird temptation. I feel like this might also be the battle that we're constantly fighting.

Host (106:25)

Yes.

Co-host (106:25)

The things that. That we have to perceive, we have to perceive it as. As one with God. But the way we're designed in this physical realm, it is coming through this. Like, it's coming through this physical realm that we're perceiving at first in this weird way that is not.

Host (106:43)

And now, more than any other time period, I mean, imagine a couple hundred years ago, you live on a farm. You're only perceiving what's going on around you in the natural world and, like, what you have access to right in front of your face, bro. We have access to stuff from around the planet right now at all times. Like, from this. Like, it's with us all the time.

Co-host (107:02)

Our filter has to be so fast.

Host (107:04)

Yeah.

Co-host (107:05)

Like, from the things coming in into your eyeballs to what's perceived by our bodies inside of our temple, it's almost impossible. Dude. It's crazy.

Host (107:12)

It's overwhelming. Some would say it is impossible unless God is living through you. Like, that's the whole context. Like, you can't fulfill the law. You can't fulfill the requirements of the law in your own being, in yourself. God living through you is the only way. Like, that's what I'm saying. We're not. It's not like we're Christians and that makes us really good at not doing bad stuff. It's like, no, we're Christians and we've surrendered our whole being to God. Let him live through us. Okay, so now we're in 22 and 23, which says, and of some have compassion making a difference. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. So there's this concept that, like, you're not going to live this Christian life alone without. Without saving and helping others, right? We're building his body. Like. Like Christian life is spent helping others, guiding others, saving others out of the fire. Right? Let's look at 1 Corinthians 9:19 through 23 to see how Paul kind of explains this. It says, for though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the more. That's a. That's Paul's life summed up actually in a sentence. For though I be free, I don't owe anybody anything. Paul says I don't. I don't have any debt. I don't owe anybody anything. But even at that, I've made myself a servant unto everyone. Not to some, not just to big shots, not to people who can give something back to me. I've made myself a servant to all of humanity. Even though I don't owe anybody anything that I might gain, the more gain them to what? To Christ? And under the Jews, I became as a Jew. Are people willing to become as a Jew to save the Jews? And under the Jews, I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the law. Is under the law that I might gain them that are under the law. Like, I think an easier way for us to understand this today is like, are you so much of a Republican that you can't win a Democrat to Christ? Do you see what I'm saying? Like, people just have these identities. They're like, I'm this. I like this. I drive this kind of car. I live in this kind of neighborhood. I go to this kind of church. You're welcome in my church as long as you're just like me. We see that a lot here. We see that a lot here. Just with people who are like, yeah, we want you to come to our church. As long as you're just like me. Like, if you're a homeless person or just even a poor person, but you have a house, and maybe you have different political views, different socioeconomic status, we don't really want you in our church. You see that a lot in American church. Paul's saying, like, am I so much of a Republican that I can't win Democrats? Do I love the Georgia Bulldogs so much that I can't win somebody who's an Alabama fan? He's saying, like, no, no, man. Make yourself a servant to all. Unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the laws. Under the law that I might gain them that are under the law to them that are without the laws, without law being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak. I made all things to all men that I might by all means save some. Some, some. I'm willing to lose everything. Not in the hope I'm going to save all of humanity, but then I might at least rescue one or two man out of the fire. Do you see what I'm saying? Like, that? That's Paul's heart. This I do for the gospel sake that I might be partaker thereof with you. This is the gospel sake. That's what Jude's saying in 22 and 23. We got to save some people. We got to save some with compassion and some with fear. But we've got to live our life in such a way that we're a sacrifice to save others. Like, you guys make fun of me because I talk to everybody. Like, I like I find common ground with everybody. This is probably really where I got a lot of it from. Was just like reading the scripture and being like, okay, I get what Paul's saying. He's saying, like, find common ground with humans. Like, find that whatever it may be, don't be so much of a Republican that you can't save Democrats. Don't be so much of a Georgia Bulldog fan that you can't save Alabama fans. Like, don't be so tied to anything in the earth, man, that you can't save. No matter what it takes. Come to hell or high water. Save some. I'm willing to sacrifice everything that I might save some. Okay, one Tim. 4:16 says something wild, too.

Co-host (111:35)

Take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine, continue in them. For in doing this, thou shalt Both save thyself and them that hear thee.

Host (111:43)

You're not alone. This isn't just about you. The Christian life is not just about you. Yeah, you're going to save yourself, man. Take heed unto yourself, and under the doctrine, the teaching which you've gotten, continue in it. Don't just take it and say, oh, I'm good. No, continue in it. Because if you continue in it and doing this, you'll save yourself. But guess what? As you continue in that life, you're going to save the others that hear you. You. It's not. It's not just about you, man. You've got to understand, there's other people whose lives are at stake, depending on how you walk this out.

Co-host (112:16)

Who's on your ship?

Host (112:19)

Let's look at 2 Corinthians, 5, 10, through 11.

Co-host (112:27)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one man, that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. But we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Host (112:48)

Yeah. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Like, this is not our modern churches preaching the terror of the Lord and persuading men. You do not want the terror of the Lord. The context is the judgment seat. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Yeah, Christ the judge, you know, Jesus the judge, not Jesus the buddy, that you do the high fives and you go through the McDonald's, drive through and get saved and just happens that quick? No, Jesus the judge. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body, in his life, in his entire being, according to that he has done, whether it's good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Like we know the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Hey, man, come to this side. Come to this side. If they don't take it, whatever. But we. We do what we can to persuade men.

Co-host (113:45)

It's crazy how legalistic this stuff is.

Host (113:47)

What do you mean legalistic?

Co-host (113:49)

We have a judge, we have a courtroom. You have the lawyers, the accusers.

Host (113:52)

Yeah, it's very real.

Co-host (113:53)

Yeah, it's real.

Host (113:54)

Yeah. I know people think that, like, spirit realm stuff is just la, la, la. It's whatever you think it is. No, no, no. It's very real. It's more real than this realm. It's more real than, like touchable things. This realm was made from that realm. That realm is incredibly real. Like, like all of the structures that we have here. This is just the shadow of the things in the unseen.

Co-host (114:11)

Man, I wanted to ask you, when we read, we read the scripture about Jesus, like, Jesus came and he came in this, in this body, even though he's kind of like, I don't really want to. Like, I'm giving up a lot to come here. I was like, way better off in this other realm. But these other entities seem to revel in being in this realm. Why?

Host (114:31)

Wreaking havoc.

Co-host (114:33)

That's it. Like, that's their whole thing.

Host (114:35)

I mean, dude, if they know that, remember, hell was made for Satan and his angels. This story is going to come to an end at some point. They have a limited amount of time to take as drag as many people with them to hell as they can.

Co-host (114:49)

So it's just spite.

Host (114:50)

Yeah. And ultimately hell, which gets thrown in the lake of fire with the darkness that never ends. With the fire that never ends. These are different ways that the Bible describes the ultimate destination for those who don't know God.

Co-host (115:04)

Kirk Cameron doesn't see it that way, but.

Host (115:05)

All right. But either way, that's their goal. Man is like just taking as many with them as they can. It's weird and it's probably just like humans. Like humans have an idea that this story is real, the Bible's real, but they don't want to deal with the reality of that. They just want to keep living how they want to live. There's probably an element of that as well. You know, it's just like, yeah, that's like this fun way to live, man. It's just living chaos and sin and drag others to hell with them.

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Co-host (115:49)

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Pack the Internet, download Airalo today. That's a I r a l o Airalo. And use code CRAB for 15 off. Your first e SIM terms apply. All right, we're so close to wrapping up. Acts 27, 9, 44. This is like another heavy passage for me, man, that I just remember from a long time ago. I'm glad it's coming up now. This is Paul on his voyage to Rome. Now, when much time was spent and when sailing was now dangerous because the fast was now already passed, Paul admonished them and said unto them, sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. So Paul's telling these guys that are in charge of the ship that's taking him and other soldiers, other prisoners to Rome. Hey, man, I got a bad feeling about this is what Paul's saying. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship. That's like the captain of the ship, he said, no, no, we'll be fine. More than those things which were spoken by Paul. After all, Paul is just a spiritual man. He doesn't have any credentials. He doesn't have letters behind his name. He doesn't have. He's not a professional, he's just a spiritual man. What does he know?

Co-host (117:47)

Is he also a prisoner at this point?

Host (117:48)

And he's a prisoner.

Co-host (117:49)

Yeah. So kind of shut up, right?

Host (117:51)

Yeah. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in the more part, advised to depart there also. And if by any means they might attain to Finnis and there to winter, which is a haven of Crete and lies toward the southwest and northwest. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose loosing there, they sailed close by Crete. So they're just. This is the story of them sailing along. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind called Euryklideon. And when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. You probably have some people that could come on and talk about euro.

Co-host (118:23)

Yeah, that's something.

Host (118:24)

I'm sure you got people that know exactly what that's referring to.

Co-host (118:28)

Yeah, that. That one sticks out.

Host (118:29)

And when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind. We let her drive and running onto a certain island which is called Clauda. We had much work to come by the boat, which when they had taken up, they used helps undergirding the ship and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksand. Remember quicksand when you used to watch cartoons when you're a kid? As we should fall into the quicksand, straight sail. And so we're driven, and we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest. The next day, they lighten the ship, they start throwing stuff out. And the third day, we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared. Bro, they didn't see anything but a storm for many days. They didn't see the sun or stars or anything like that's how crazy the storm was. And no small tempest lay upon us. All hope that we should be saved was taken away. That's a rough place to be at. There's people who live like that today. They have just no hope. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, sirs, you should have hearkened unto me. I told you in the beginning, we shouldn't have did this. That's what he said. You should have hearkened unto me.

Co-host (119:31)

He did. He didn't do anything. They're like throwing stuff off the ship. He was abstaining from doing anything. Just sitting, watching.

Host (119:37)

No, I don't know. I don't know. I think he. I don't know. That after long abstinence. That's a good question. Yeah. Like, he just kind of refrained from everything.

Co-host (119:44)

It's kind of funny. Sit back and say, like, I told you so.

Host (119:46)

No, I don't know. I. I always read it like, he's just chilling, like down below. He's just chilling, man. He's just in meditation with God. He's just chilling. He's not doing anything. He's not freaking out. He's not. He's like, whatever. After long abstinence, Paul stood up in the midst and said, sirs, you should have listened to me and not have loosed from Crete and have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be a good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. I love this dude. He says, nobody's gonna die, man. We're gonna lose the ship. But take courage, guys. Nobody's gonna die. How do you know, Paul? Because there stood by me this night the angel of God whose I am and whom I serve. Saying, fear not, Paul. You must be brought before Caesar. And lo, God hath given you all them that sail with you. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer. For I believe, God that it shall be even as was told to me. Howbeit we must cast upon a certain island. But when the 14th night was come. As we were driven up and down in Adria about midnight. The shipment deemed that they were near to some country. And sounded and found it 20 fathoms. They could do a sound thing and see how long it took for it to come back. That's how they knew how far away they were.

Co-host (120:57)

Echolocation.

Host (120:58)

And when they had gone a little further, they sounded again and found it 15 fathoms. Then, fearing lest we should have fallen upon the rocks. They cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for the day. And as the ship men were about to flee out of the ship. When they had let down the boat into the sea under color. As though they would have cast anchors out of the ship. Guys were sneaking off the boat. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, except these guys abide in the ship. You cannot be saved. That's a heavy thing. I'm not even going to unpack that. Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off. So they believe Paul now. And while the day was coming on. Paul besought them all to take meat. Saying, this day is the 14th day that you have tarried and continued fasting. Having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat. For this is for your health. For there shall not a hair from your head fall from any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took meat. And we were in all in the ship. 276 people. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship. And cast out the wheat into the sea. And when it was day, they knew not the land. But they discovered a certain creek with a shore. Into which they were minded, if it were possible to. To thrust in the ship. So they're just trying to sail into this island. Right into the creek. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves under the sea. And loose the rudder bands. And hoist up the mainsail to the wind. And made towards shore. And falling into a place where two seas met. They Ran the ship aground and the forepart stuck fast and remained unmovable. But the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers council was to kill all the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. But the centurion, the dude who's in charge of everything, willing to save Paul, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, kept everyone alive, and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land. He says, all right, anybody who can swim, go swim, get to shore. And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they escaped all safe to land. So, like, it wasn't pretty, but they made it, man, you can't swim here, man. Get on this board. They all made it. Like, this is what's being said in this passage, man, your, your faith, your life isn't just about you. Who's on your ship. We have to come to terms with this, man. Like, if you drop the ball, how many others are going to lose? Now, of course, we first think about our wife, our kids, but like, how big is your ship and who's on it, man? Like, if you don't walk this out, how many others are going to lose because you're not doing what you're supposed to do? Do you see what I'm saying? This is the Christian life. It's not about us. It's about everybody else who's on your ship. All right, verse 24, man, this is the end. I can't believe we've made it so far, man. Like in this story. I can't believe we've done this many sessions on Jude and get all the way to the end like this, killing it.

Co-host (124:10)

There's also something here I wanted to point out. I think it was Sorry when he says the angel came to him. Yeah. For there stood an angel by this night. Here. Right here.

Host (124:24)

Yeah.

Co-host (124:25)

It's interesting because it pertains to the earlier part of what you were talking about. There stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve.

Host (124:36)

Amen. That's like Elijah, right, when he said, I stand in the presence of God.

Co-host (124:41)

Yeah, but who I am. So he's talking about this thing that is internal to him. And then he also saying, whose I belong to?

Host (124:49)

For there stood by me this night the angel of God whose I am, like I belong to God. An angel of God came to me tonight. The angel of God whose I am and whom I serve, I belong to God, I serve God. He sent one of his angels to talk to me, but I belong to him because remember, he's in the ancient pagan world, right? He's trying to explain to them, like, who this is that he's talking about. All right, so we're wrapping it up. Man. Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. That's how he wraps this up. Man and I just want to bring this. I just want to bring this into view again. Man. Verse 21 says, Keep yourselves. Verse 24 says, now unto him that is able to keep you from falling.

Joy and Blokes Representative (125:45)

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Host (126:46)

Man, we've really got to begin to live in the balance of this reality, man. You can avoid a lot of pitfalls of the Christian life. Remember this. There's a straight gate and a narrow path, right? And a lot of times in the Christian life, man, there's like a extreme that goes this way, an extreme that goes this way. One of those things, hopefully if you never get drug into this conversation about like Calvinism and Armenianism, I think it's called Armenianism. Like I cared that little about the topic that I. It's what I think it's called Armenianism. Like there's like there's this one Thing that says, like, man does everything. God doesn't do any of it. It's all on man. And then there's this other thing, is like, no, God does everything. Man doesn't do anything. We've got to learn to live in the balance of those two things, dude. You can't keep yourself from falling, yet you're told to keep yourself. You can't keep yourself. Only Jesus can keep you. Only Jesus can keep you, yet you're still commanded to keep yourself. We've got to learn to live in the balance of that. We've got to learn to live in the balance of this reality that it's my responsibility, but I can't do it. I can't do it right. So anytime I see this stuff, I like to think like, lord, you're telling me to keep myself. All I can do to keep myself is pray to you to keep me. Do you see what I'm saying? I can't do it, but it's still my responsibility. Jude kind of wraps up the whole letter like this. 2 Peter 1 through 10. I don't know if we had that in the notes. 2 Peter 1, 1, 10. It says, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. These dudes are always a servant first and an apostle second. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. To them that have obtained like precious faith with us.

Co-host (128:31)

Through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Host (128:34)

Not through our righteousness, through the righteousness of God. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Do you know that his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that had called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises. Some would say that the sanctification process is simply accessing or walking out or living in these promises that have been given to us. All of this has already been given to us, but we're not necessarily accessing all this. That is what the sanctification process is, is like. As you go through that sanctification process, you live in more and more of these promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, the nature of God, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. That's like step one, step one. Peter's about to list out some stuff, but if you don't escape the corruption that's in the world through lust. You can't even move forward. You have to escape the corruption that's in the world through lust. And beside this giving all diligence, add to your faith. Virtue into virtue, knowledge and to knowledge. Temperance into temperance, patience into patience, godliness into godliness, brotherly kindness into brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacks these things is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Right? This is just like when Jude says, earnestly contend for the faith. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall. If you do these things, you shall never fall. Remember, you can't keep yourself from falling. Only Jesus can keep you from falling. But if you do these things, you shall never fall. Like, this is what's going on in the Scripture, man. We have to live, delay, learn to live in the balance of these passages, right? I can't do this in my own strength, yet I have to. I can't do this, yet I have to. So I have to do this in the strength of God. And that's what this whole thing is kind of coming back to, man, is letting God, surrendering our life and letting God live through us. Because we can't keep ourselves, only he can keep us. Yet we're commanded to keep ourselves, that we never fall.

Co-host (131:04)

This is. This is like a specific passage. When I was reading it yesterday, preparing for this.

Host (131:08)

This.

Co-host (131:10)

The Bible's hard to read. It's like, like, I think you said it yourself, it's a puzzle, right? But this is one of them as I'm reading it. It makes this a lot easier to read.

Host (131:22)

What do you mean?

Co-host (131:23)

I don't know. I. It was a weird. It was a weird one for me. But as I was like reading through this, that specifically where he's talking about, like, and if you do this, this leads to this, then you take that and that leads to that. And I'm like, oh, there's just like instructions. He's just telling you how to do this. And it kind of like opens up your eyes, the these and thous and all that other, like the old language, which is, I think is necessary reading in the King James. I don't like reading these other versions, but it does kind of like, sometimes you're just reading the words and you're kind of like, what's happening here?

Host (131:53)

It makes you very dependent on God, because this isn't like a, like King James. English is not a language that I especially talk in. I don't talk like. Like this.

Co-host (132:02)

When you come to the coffee shop like that.

Host (132:04)

Like this nice and this clean and this intellectual is not my style of language.

Co-host (132:08)

Yeah.

Host (132:08)

Yet when I read it, it forces me to slow down. It makes me slow down.

Co-host (132:13)

Right.

Host (132:13)

Like, it makes me slow down to where I had to say, wait, what? And they say that it's translated like word for word.

Co-host (132:19)

There is a certain codex, though, in which you're reading this, that it's just like, not unlocked until certain moments, I suppose. I know I've. I've heard this from people as well, people that can't read. Like Owen Benjamin, he said he can't read the. This dude's very smart. Can't read it.

Host (132:35)

For me, it was the opposite. I was very stupid and it was the only thing I could read. It was like the opposite for me. I could never read anything, man. I would never, ever read. And I was 19 and I got a Bible and I couldn't stop reading it. It was like the craziest thing, man. It was like the craziest thing. But that was in an NLT type of Bible where it was just like plain English. But yeah, man, like, not only are you putting the puzzle pieces together, as you accumulate more information, not just that, that, but you're being changed. Your capacity is changing. You're growing your capacity and you're getting more puzzle pieces. That's why in the beginning, it's the hardest. You have way less capacity. You have, like, no puzzle pieces, and you're trying to make sense of this. But if you can get a buddy to kind of help you out and guide you along, kind of point out some passages to you and kind of get you going, that's what the entire library is. It's like all these great men of God who have come before us and they can kind of of carve out this path for us and show you, hey, hey. Go down this path. Go down this read. Oh, now this kind of makes sense now. More stuff makes sense now. As I continue to read the scripture, not only am I getting more and more puzzle pieces, but I'm better at puzzling now because it's changing me as I'm reading the scripture. It's not a novel. Jesus said, my words are spirit and they are life. As I'M consuming this. It's actually changing my structure. It's actually changing me now. Do you see what I'm saying? It's changing me. And now I have more puzzle pieces. Pieces. So the beginning is the hardest, but once you get going, once you get. You get to a point ultimately where you can't. You can't go away from it. Like, you need it every day. Like you need the word of God. Like you need bread and oxygen. But for a while, it's not like that. And you have to cultivate that discipline to get to that point.

Co-host (134:08)

For me, as a learner, this happens all the time with guitar. You hit a block and then there's like a certain thing that might not even come through, like, actually doing it, but it breaks. And I go, oh, duh. And then I, like, you move forward past. I'm just saying, like, that this one here was like that thing. For whatever reason, I don't know why.

Host (134:27)

The whole study or the two. Peter?

Co-host (134:30)

Well, I mean, I get maybe, I don't know, in conjunction with the study, because I'm preparing all these notes, so I'm obviously, like, reading them and putting them in order. But that one, I guess this is the last one. And I looked at it, I was like, yes, stupid. That's how it felt.

Host (134:43)

Good. Yeah, that's good. So we're going to wrap up. I'm just going to pray. I'm going to pray because, like, I just feel like this is a great way to wrap this up, man. Are we done? Did you want to say anything else?

Co-host (134:57)

No.

Host (134:57)

Okay. God, I just want to. I just want to thank you that we even were able to do this study. This whole thing is still so crazy, Lord. Like, these, like, these two crazy dudes just come in the shop and then, and they're just like these local guys that have this podcast. And now all of a sudden, like, you're using my voice and you're using the word of God to communicate through some kind of technology system with. I don't know, man, with all the cameras and the lights and the microphones. And this just came out of nowhere. And somehow we did this deep dive on the Book of Jude that was this, like, great blessing for me, God. Like, you know how great this was for me to just take this book, like this little. It's like this one little chapter, and we cross reference, like, a hundred passages, man, over like, six or seven studies. And you guided me and instructed me in this whole thing. And it was this really wonderful thing. And I'm really Grateful for this, God. I'm grateful for this whole situation, and I'm grateful for, like, anybody who stuck around this long to hear this. God. Like, people, like normal church people are not sticking around for two hours, God, for, like, two hours. Studies who's doing that, Lord, These clearly, these are the ones that, like, you're grabbing, like, you're drawing their heart and you're grabbing them. This is not anything that tickles the flesh. This is not anything that, like, fakers or hypocrites would ever want to listen to. Like, what faker and hypocrite would ever want to hear these kind of messages, God? And, like, you've brought real ones and somehow made my voice do a thing to help attract real ones to your heart, God. And that's what I'm always praying for in this process, is that I'm just introducing people to you and introducing you to them, and then I'm, like, getting out of the way, hopefully. I'm just saying, like, jesus, Susie, Susie, Jesus. And then, boom, I'm like, hey, you guys call me if you need anything. And so I'm just very incredibly grateful for this whole process. And I really do pray that you help everybody here to really understand this thing that we brought up in the end, which was living in light of the reality of it's our responsibility, yet we can't do it. Help us, God. God, help us, like, if we have a destiny, like, if we're predestined, help us to fulfill the destiny that you made us for. Like, we can't do it. We're destined to do it, and yet we can't. We can only do it in your strength. Help us to live like that, God. And, you know, another big thing, Lord, that, like, you know, especially over the last year, has been this big thing for me, is trying to live in light of the reality of me and you. Like, not getting up and, like, living my life in the reality of, like, a coffee shop or a farm or, like, whatever. I don't know, all the things of the earth or what's in the news or what's going on in the economy or any of these things, Lord, but living in light of the reality of me and you and, like, just going about the day like that. Just. Just going about the. Like, whatever's happening or whatever's being said or whatever gets done. Like, living in light of the reality of this is a story about me and you and, like, me and you are just walking around the earth. I pray that you would put that in everybody that's listened to that they would begin to live this life in light of the reality of them and you, and they would just be walking around and that would be their mindset about how they're living today. That they would be very mindful of the reality of you and them. God, that's my prayer. In Jesus name, Amen.

Joy and Blokes Representative (138:36)

If you're paying more than $1 a month for any ED or hair medication, listen up at Joy and Blokes when you start TRT or Enclomiphene, you can add any ED or hair loss prescription for just $1 a month. Month $1 add ons with your hormone plan and right now all labs are 50 off. I'm Josh Whalen, founder of Joy and Blokes. I built this company because men are tired of paying for fragmented care without results. Every Joy and Blokes lab includes a visit with a licensed clinician who connects your symptoms to your biomarkers. You'll get a real plan that covers hormones, performance and confidence. If you're considering TRT or Enclomiphene, this is the most efficient way to do it. It get started@joyandbloaks.com and use a promo code podcast. New customers get 50% off their labs and for a limited time, you can take advantage of our $1 ed or hair loss add ons when you start TRT or Enclomaphine. Not available in all states. Compounded medications are not FDA approved. Learn more at joyandblokes. Com.