Podcasts about me lord

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 29th of May, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 6:46. Jesus says: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?” Then we continue with the Book of Luke 19:8: “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”You see, what the Lord is looking for today from you and me is action, not cheap words. Faith is a doing word, it is a verb. It is not a noun, it is an action word. It is not just empty words. You and I have to start becoming more intentional. Zacchaeus was prepared to give back 400% to anyone that he had cheated. Now you see, that is faith in action. That is showing Jesus that he meant what he said, and because of that, you read down further in the scripture, Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house today.”You know that old joke about the guy that is always promising to pay his way, and every time it comes to his time to pay, he has short arms and long pockets. You know those guys? Maybe you and I are one of them, just keep saying, “I'll pay” and you never put your hand in your pocket! Just pay and don't say anything. That is more honourable. I want to say to you sir, you and I, we must stop telling our wives we are going to change that lightbulb, or we are going to mow the lawn. Just do it and you will show your wife that you really do love her. We need to be doers of God's word today and not just hearers. Today, go out, tell somebody about Jesus Christ. Maybe take your girlfriend and go and buy her an ice cream. Don't keep telling her you are going to do it, but seriously, maybe you need to spend more time in prayer. Maybe you need to get yourself into physical condition so that you can be more effective for the Gospel of Christ. Maybe you need to be more verbal and not just hopeful, and God is watching you and He is watching me, and He will promote us and He will reward us. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

Send us a textMatthew 12:50 says "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." Jesus is not dismissing his family or saying they have no part with Him, but He is saying His true (spiritual) family are those who have trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior.  It is not those who try to do good things, go to church, get baptized or take communion who are the family of Christ, but it is those who have trusted in Him and because of that they do His will.  That is, they keep His commandments, no, not perfectly, no one does this on earth, we will be perfect in heaven but our want to's, our desires are to please God.  Not because we have to but because we want to as we have been changed from the inside by the Holy Spirit who now lives in us because we are saved. All throughout the New Testament the Bible says those that know Christ live differently because of their salvation.  You can't be a Christian and not have your life change.  It is impossible.  Over and over again Jesus would say “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say (Luke 6:46)? Trust Him today and become part of His family.     Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?             John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.               “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32           Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.              hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.nethttps://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F            The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

Join us as Pastor Johnson teaches the midweek refuel with a subject entitled, "Get in Me Lord."Join us on Sunday Mornings at 11am at 3002 Chelsea Avenue Memphis Tn 38108. You'll be glad you did!

Erik Jones discusses Luke 6:46—“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?”

Title - “Not Everyone Who Says to Me ‘Lord, Lord'” Text - Matthew 7:21-23 by Mike Mcgowan

n this episode, Pastor Ryan teaches about the vital importance of the Bible in our lives.John 1:1-31 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. Luke 16:16-1716 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. 17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one [g]tittle of the law to fail.Hebrews 4:1212 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.Romans 6:1-6 & 12-131 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be [a]done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Romans 6:12-1312 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Matthew 7:21-2321 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,Luke 6:46-4746 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: John 15:5-85 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

My teenage son was learning to drive. He had completed the classroom portion of Driver Ed. and he was very interested in getting some "behind-the-wheel" experience. One afternoon he wanted to shoot baskets in the driveway behind our house, and he said, "Dad, would you move the car?" I said, "No, why don't you move it?" He stammered, and said, "Yeah, why don't you move it?" So I got in the car with him and I said, "Okay, what do you do first?" He said, "Put on your seat belt." I said, "Great! Okay." Well, we're only going 12 feet, but "Good. And then what?" He said, "Put it into gear." I said, "What do you do first?" He said, "Put it into gear." "What do you do first?" "Oh, put your foot on the brake. That's right." Well, we had a very interesting little maneuver going on there in the driveway. He did manage to back it up and kind of pull it up the driveway without taking out too many trees. Afterwards he said, "Well, Dad, classroom's one thing, but, you know, doing what they taught us? That's a little different. I mean, I know how to drive, but there's going to be a big difference between classroom and behind-the-wheel isn't there?" Yeah. Uh-huh. Of course, classroom has no purpose unless you do put it to work behind the wheel. I mean, it's easy to learn a theory; the challenge is to use it on the road. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "It Isn't Real Until It's Behind the Wheel." Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Joshua 1:8. God's instructions go like this, "Do not let this book of the law" (which is the Bible you have right there in your hand or on your shelf). "Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth. Meditate on it day and night..." Okay, that sounds like a classroom doesn't it - learning to drive? "...so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." Okay, so what's the purpose of meditating on it? What's the purpose of not letting it depart from your mouth? Using it on the road! "So you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." See, knowing the Bible, studying the Bible - that's good, it's just not an end in itself. It's a means to an end. You're supposed to know it so you'll do it. It's like driver education. It isn't enough to know the facts. You miss the point unless you immediately put it into practice. Be careful to do what you just were thinking about and reading about. The tendency, of course, is to do what's easy; learn the verses, study the Bible, debate the theology. You could be in seminary debating all the great theological issues, heavy into the Bible, biblical truths, theology, and be spiritually dried up because you're not doing anything with it. You're not driving. You see your mission when you're reading the Bible isn't just to eat spiritually. It's to digest it, to get it into your system, to draw strength from it. So, whenever you're reading a verse about temptation, let's say, you should say, "Well, now what temptation am I facing today?" And you immediately apply that verse to that temptation. When you're reading about trials in your life, you say, "What trial am I facing right now?" And you apply it to that trial that day. When the Bible says, "Don't let sin control your body," you ask, "What sin has been controlling me too much lately?" And you fight that sin that day with that scripture. There's no risk in learning what God wants. Just like there's no risk in learning how to drive. It's a little scary to go out on a limb and live that day risking that day on that truth, but see, that's how you build spiritual muscle. On any given day we ought to be able to stop each other and say, "Hey, what are you doing today because of what you read this morning? What are you doing differently because of what God told you today?" You know, there's a false sense of spiritual well-being in going to Bible studies, and mastering theology, and getting biblically smart, because you could be dying inside. The question is, "What are you doing?" See, if you're not doing it, you're dying. That's why Jesus said, "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" You notice God didn't say to Joshua, "Meditate therein so you'll be careful to know." He said, "be careful to do." So, connect your intake to specific obedient action that day. Don't be fooled into thinking that knowing is growing. Don't just hear it in the classroom. Risk it on the road, because it isn't real until it's behind-the-wheel.

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Jun 9, 2024 ========== June 9 | Acts Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo June 9, 2024 Tim Keith ‭‭Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭12‬‬ Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant. When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul — also called Paul — filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil and enemy of all that is right. Won't you ever stop perverting the straight paths of the Lord? Now, look, the Lord's hand is against you. You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬‬ Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬‬ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬‬ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” WHY MISSIONS? All people without Christ are lost. Only the Gospel can save the lost. Every Christian is called to share the Gospel with the lost. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126‬:‭5‬-‭6‬‬ Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. JESUS: I have come to seek and save those who are lost… Come, follow Me, and the Holy Spirit will empower you to go make disciples of all nations, and teach them that I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Me. Look out on the fields, they are ready for harvest. But too few workers are answering the call to go into the harvest. Come, deny your selfish ways. Why do you call Me Lord, but do not obey My commands? Come, take up your cross, and follow Me. And, when you follow Me, I will make you fishers of people. Now, go make disciples of all nations, and remember, I am with you always. Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

One of the most disturbing passages in the New Testament is found in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21–23) This shows us that everything about showing an outward “faith” can be faked somehow. The worst part is that those who are deceived are the ones who think that they are doing all the right things. James 1:22, says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” So, there appears to be a contrast between a loyal relationship with God in faithful discipleship and one simply based on just doing the work to try to be seen or appease God. Know God is following Him fully. Jesus also asks, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46–49)Our foundations can be rattled, but if we build our lives on Jesus, we will not be moved! (Psalm 127:1ff; 1 Corinthians 3:11) If we are going to follow Jesus and be His disciples, we need to be with Jesus, learn from and become live Jesus, and do as Jesus would do. This is not always easy, and there are times when we will have many questions for our teacher. Know this: God is not afraid of our questions. Why? Because good students ask questions!References:Proverbs 20:22Psalm 27:142 Corinthians 12:7–101 Samual 15:22–23-----Call us: 208.524.4747prayer@watersprings.netOnline Giving: https://watersprings.net/give.phpServe at Watersprings: https://watersprings.churchcenter.com...CCLI Streaming License: 20080252 Size ECCLI Copyright License: 1406906 Size FDISCLAIMER: Closed captioning and/or transcription is being provided solely for the convenience of our viewers. Watersprings Church does not review for accuracy any information that appears in a closed caption or transcript. Watersprings Church makes no representations or warranties, and expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability with respect to, any errors or omissions in, or the accuracy, reliability, timeliness or completeness of, any information that appears in a closed caption or transcript.

In this episode, we consider some of the questions that Jesus asked different people, what the answer was to the question and the lessons we can learn from His questions. Some of the questions we will consider: "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" biblquestions.org

———— The David Alliance   TDAgiantslayer@Gmail.com    MingleMateMarry.com podcast youtube and website for the perfect marriage material and swag. They got a great hoodie called its a great day to be married… after today maybe some of you will want to wear purchase it… because many of you are not loving the days you are married…    Hey just a heads up…. I am seriously thinking of switching up my podcast into one 30-40 minute audio and video podcast. I might then take that podcast and cut it up into small fragments for the online and radio sections I do… but I would love to hear what the audience thinks, so hit me up.    Luke 6:43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.     v. 43 Bad GK Sapron - worn out, rotted  oh a bad tree produces fruit… but its worn out, rotted fruit. Of no value.    But wait… look at v. 45 Bad fruit from evil treasure in his heart GK Slothful causing degenerative break down… it rots so as to become evil.     THE RESULT   46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (what is the rock? it is Gods word in action - listens to his word and does them) 49 But he who heard and did nothing (sloth) is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell (sloth built the house. and it breaks down - no good fruit here) … And the ruin of that house was great.” (what does that mean? it affected everyone)  How many girls and women right now are sleeping around like it is the thing that is acceptable, the thing to do, the right thing, the normal thing - even if you are a Christian it is seen as what you can get away with… because Dad didn't build the house - and the whole family is breaking down. How many boys are lost… no real vision for life, no real direction, no real drive, no real spiritual interest… suffering with a lack of knowledge and know how to run a relationship, a business, their checkbook their habits and choices… because Dad did not build the house… Dad did not put the word of God into action.  I got a question for you? Are you a a bad bush? V. 44 did your kids grow up wanting to eat the richness of grapes only to find briars. Men it is time to wake up… there is no secret formula, just read Gods word, and do it! Find a mentor who will help you…or you will continue to watch your whole world and your family wash away in the coming storms of life.   

"The evidence of repentance is obedience"The Difference Between Professors and Possessors a. Possessors Hear the Word THEN Heed the Wordb. Professors Hear the Word but DO NOT Heed the WordThe Deliverance of Those Who Genuinely Possess Faith a. "the stream beat against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."The Doom of Those Who Simply Profess Faith a. "And immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."Key verse: 46 - "But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?"Support the show

Silver Quintette - "Sinner's Crossroads" [0:00:00] St. Stephen's Male Chorus of Wash. D.C. - "Any Way You Bless Me Lord" [0:03:27] Chariot Gospel Singers - "Give Up Everything" [0:08:45] Caravans - "Hallelujah, It's Done" [0:14:16] Jackson All-Stars - "I Don't Mind" [0:15:18] Christian Harmonizers - "What Have You Done" [0:18:39] Southern Travelers - "Teach Me Right From Wrong" - Teach Me Right From Wrong [0:21:41] Sensational Singing Stars - "Angels Rolled the Stones Away" [0:25:00] Echoes of Joy - "Down on My Knees" [0:28:57] Original Gospel Trumpets - "I Must Tell Jesus" - 31st Homecoming Reunion of the Golden Trumpets [0:33:54] Fantastic Clouds of Harmony - "We Need Love" [0:36:45] Traveling Souls - "I'm Traveling On" [0:39:31] Bogard Brothers - "I Don't Mind" [0:43:02] Mt. Pleasant Choir - "He'll Wash You" [0:45:04] Fabulous Golden Tones - "The Lord is My Shepard" - Take Care of Me Lord [0:47:42] Concords - "You Got to Reap What You Sow" [0:51:27] Sensational Skylights - "Jesus is Using Me" [0:56:56] https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/129912

Josh recaps the final days of turkey season, and continues the study of "I AM." Verses on the Timelessness of God: Exodus 3:15; Psalm 90:1-2; Isaiah 44:6; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:4, 8; Luke 20:37-38. Jesus' "I Am" Statements: I am the Bread of Life (John 6). I am the True Vine (John 15). I am the Good Shepherd/the Door (John 10). I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). I am the Light of the World (John 8:12). I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11). I am Meek and Lowly (Matthew 11:28-30). "You call Me Lord and Master, and ye say well, for so I am" (John 13:13). Email: closerhomeoutdoors@gmail.com

                    Matthew 12:50 says "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." Jesus is not dismissing his family or saying they have no part with Him, but He is saying His true (spiritual) family are those who have trusted in Him as their Lord and Savior.  It is not those who try to do good things, go to church, get baptized or take communion who are the family of Christ, but it is those who have trusted in Him and because of that they do His will.  That is, they keep His commandments, no, not perfectly, no one does this on earth, we will be perfect in heaven but our want to's, our desires are to please God.  Not because we have to but because we want to as we have been changed from the inside by the Holy Spirit who now lives in us because we are saved. All throughout the New Testament the Bible says those that know Christ live differently because of their salvation.  You can't be a Christian and not have your life change.  It is impossible.  Over and over again Jesus would say “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say (Luke 6:46)? Trust Him today and become part of His family.        Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?              John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.               “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  -John 8:32             Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.              hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F             The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions

In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks the question, "But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?" This question from Jesus is for those who are standing in front of Him, and it is also a question that reaches everyone who will ever hear it asked. Danny and Kurt will discuss this very important question and what it means for us today.

Luke 10:1-24October 23, 2022Main Point:We glorify God when our lives are involved in His mission for the church.Being mission minded means:1. Submitting to the Lord's choosing. Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;2. Understanding the mission.Luke 10:3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.Romans 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.3. Obeying the orders.Luke 10:9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.'Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and [a]manifest Myself to him.”Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

27th Sunday in Ordinary TimeSCRIPTURELuke 17: 5 - 10MUSIC"Servant Song; What Do You Want of Me Lord"

Christians know that good works don't save us. We are saved by His grace through faith, and not by works. But what about after we are saved? The Bible lists many verses where we're told to be full of good works. Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" That begs the question, "If works don't follow a person's salvation...are they really saved?"                                                                           For more information about Bill Wiese and Soul Choice Ministries please visit us at: https://soulchoiceministries.org/  You can find more of Bill's teachings at: BillWieseTV-YouTube

Main Point:God is glorified when we learn to seek and submit to His better plans.To experience God's better plans we must:1. Stop telling Him what He should do.Luke 9:12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”Job 36:22-23 “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? 23 No one can tell him what to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.'2. Learn to accept the Lord's challenge.Luke 9:13a But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”3. Stop focusing on your own abilities and resources.Luke 9:13b And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.”Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.4. Do what He says.Luke 9:14 For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”Luke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?5. Participate in His work.Luke 9:16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude.Colossians 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

When tragedy happened, our guest Hope Tally - wife, mother, and Christ follower - made a choice. Please join us as Hope shares her surrender story. From a near-death experience, Hope allowed her thoughts and actions to become fluid with God as she fully depended on Him. Hope encourages us to walk in freedom by surrendering control to God and sharing the love of God with others.   ***** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. Ladies, we are so grateful that you have joined in with us today. And I would love to welcome our guest, Miss Hope, Mrs. Hope, Tally, hope, welcome. Hope Tally   Thank you, Kimberly, I'm so blessed and excited to be here with you today. Kimberly Hobbs   And we're so excited to have you. And today, ladies, and we are just here to encourage you and empower you. We all have a beautiful purpose that God has just for us. And it is our hope that through hearing some of the stories of the women that we have on as guests, that you would be empowered to walk further into your beautiful purpose. And I want to share scripture with you I love to share some of these inspiring scriptures that show us that we have purpose. But God says in Philippians 213 That he is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him that should make all of his excited because he's putting that in you ladies giving you that desire, giving you that power and strength to do it. So just trust Him, just trust Him. And as you listen to some of these stories, and you hear some of the words, the focal words, like today, we're gonna focus on the word surrendered. You may start to think about your own life and how and what can you surrender to the Lord? How can you walk forward into that beautiful purpose. So today, our guests, I'd love to share a little bit about our guests before we get started. And today, our guest hope Talley she's from Asheboro, North Carolina. And she is I'm excited to say part of our women, world leaders team. And hope is coming on board with us to serve with her gifts and talents for the Lord. And we are just so just blessed to have you hope. So today's story, as I said is one of surrender. And hope was raised in a Christian home. She learned about God in church. And she was called at a very early age to serve Him. As Christians, we're all supposed to submit to the will of God and do what pleases Him pursuing truth and righteousness above everything else. Hope as we open up here with your story, you have shared with me about being married, you're happily married, you have two small children. And we got we get to talk ladies before we do these interviews, and I get to know the women and some of their story. And so she's hope is married. She has two children and her story is one of tragedy, something happened in her life. And that's where she's gonna start here with sharing a little bit about her story. So hope do you want to open up with your story? Hope Tally   Sure, Kimberly. And the the tragic part of the story starts on back in August of 2014. I was driving my children to their first day of school, when another driver made a decision that just in a few seconds time completely changed and altered our labs. I was air flighted to a local Trauma Center and our children followed by ambulance, I really don't remember a whole lot I remember bits and pieces and voices was kept fairly well sedated for a few days for a host of reasons. My skull had been fractured in six different places. My spine was fractured in five places, had an open wound fracture to my left femur and a whole host of other fractures and sprains. And basically, the the open fracture to my skull was concerning because the swelling that it was causing, if it continued would disrupt your my carotid artery. And the ER doctor told my husband that this is as bad as it gets without additional internal organ damage. And so in the beginning, no one knew if I would survive the brain trauma. And I know without a doubt that God performed a miracle or protection and healing in my body that they are while I was going through that in the beginning. But I think sometimes it's The aftermath of that, then, is the hard part. And he taught me so much about surrender during that time. It included physical, mental, mental, and emotional, hard stuff. And we all have that in our lives. That's the part that took the courage in the middle of the fear. And that's the part that took strength in the middle of what felt like overwhelming defeat. And that's the part that took endurance that I didn't have on my arm. And so it took, basically, about two and a half weeks in the hospital one week in intensive rehab and 24 hour care lined up to get me home. We had, basically, they were having to treat me as a stroke victim, because I was broken from head to toe, on the left side of my body. And when you can't do anything for yourself, it really changes your outlook on a lot of a lot of things. It took on three surgeries, and two different types of fitted braces. So once we got past, the, I guess, survived the brain trauma. And then it was while I walk again. And I was told by some of the medical professionals that even 10 years prior, I probably would have lost my leg altogether. So it took three surgeries, two fitted braces, but I'm now walking the Lord. So all of that is, you know, his healing? Absolutely. But he taught me so much. Through the aftermath of that it took two years just to heal my brain, basically. And in the beginning, I remember I knew people by their voices more than anything, I couldn't see very well, I'm just moving my head was very dizzying. for months on end, I don't even know how to describe what effort it took just to comprehend what people were saying to me. And my memory became almost non existent. And no multitasking had to relearn how to do things in a different perspective. And it took about two years sort of battling back what felt a little bit like a mental breakdown, because I really was broken. And, you know, it's, it was hard to even describe what I was going through. So that to even get help from another person. But I learned and the Lord taught me over and overthrow this whole thing that you know, her Jesus is more than fluent in brokenness. And he knows he's been there. He isn't just, you know, far off, he's right here with us. He was became a manual, so you could walk along and walk among us. He knows what it's like to be broken. And he just showed me so many ways to surrender to him and how he would just help me overcome in the middle of that battle. So that's the start of the tragic story. Kimberly Hobbs   Yes, yes, you went through so much in that period, as we talked earlier, and God taught you so much as well. And you were telling me, I think it was 1111 months after the surgery, there was this shard of glass that had to work its way out of your skin and you have a little story about that. But that last piece of glass you know, think about this lady's she was in a major car accident, you know, glass, everything flying all over the place, and her body was broken and all these pieces and all these places. It was broken. And through that period of time. You don't you didn't know it then but you know what now there was this teachable time as your body had to heal as you had to relearn things in your life. You had to learn to depend on God rather than yourself. You know, you were no longer in control you had to surrender. So Many things like we can't even comprehend. She couldn't walk. She couldn't even think she couldn't speak, right. She couldn't talk. I mean, she was like out, she was out of it. And when she came back to and the swelling of the brain started, all these things had to be relearned and reworked in her body. And she's still suffering, you know, from things. So the word surrender has stayed with you hope and back when, when I first met her, and I said, You know what, what word reverberates in you that, you know, you feel that this podcast would be talked about, and she said the word surrendered. And I laugh because I'm like, wow, God, this word just doesn't leave women world leaders this year. And there is no coincidence that our book being written this year is titled surrendered. So many women are writing and voice of truth, our magazine, talk about the word surrendered. And here we are, again, and another podcast talking about the word surrendered. So ladies out there, and must have a message for you today, because here we are on this word surrender, and again, so as I was saying that 11 months, that last chart of class was working its way out of your body, and, and this word surrendered, is being taught to you over and over and surrendered ladies means accepting the battle has been won, not on your terms, not on our terms, that you are willingly giving your life over to the authority of the winning side, you are taking the humble position and embracing what is over how you would have it right. So you're surrendering that to God, because God is the winning side. Galatians 220 says, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me, the life I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Hope, how did God teach you over this time that followed? Hope Tally   Oh, wow, so many ways can really the another verse that that is very similar to that that come always comes to mind during this time is Second Corinthians 515. And it says, And he died for all that those who live should know, should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. And I think, you know, my pride was completely stripped from me because you can't do anything for yourself. And you either, I guess you could hold on to it, it just doesn't work very well. And so I had to learn to let that go. And allow God in so many humbling ways. But you know, I think if we get when we allow our pride to come to the forefront it erodes away that humility that he needs to further his kingdom, you know, and and it were so many times I did not in any way form or fashion walk this through the storm perfectly. I was so human through all of this. But um, you know, there were times when the weight was just felt in, just like it would never end. And there were times when the hard and the painful stuff just got to me. But I think one of the things that he taught me to surrender was in the middle of the weight and in the middle of the heart, and the pain and the suffering. I think a lot of times when we're walking in the middle of anything, but especially something hard. God wants him to be my answer first. Wow. Yeah, he taught me that. That, you know, do I crave him more than the pain. I crave him more this stuff more than the suffering enough to say, Lord, if this suffering fulfills your will in someone else's life, then don't take the suffering away. But let me overcome. Let me bear through it with you with your strength. And I think that's one of the things he taught me the most. And that's one of the things I tried to keep in mind. And I journaled a lot of stuff throughout this just so I can remember because we will I'm talking about myself here we we are very forgetful creatures, or I am at least and I think I always need so many reminders just to remember what he's done and what hMaene's taught us. So I can continue in that. But, Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. You did you had to survive. under so many things, and one of the things was, you know, physically, yeah, you had brain injuries, you suffered a lot. And you were used to doing things of your own accord, and on your own and just going because you know, that's how God created you and designed you, you, you did a lot of things. But now things are different, they look different. And so you have to write things down, you have to journal things to remember them, you have to just rely on God. So you'd surrendered things over to him. And you told me to the more you read the word that the more you saturated yourself in reading it over and over and over the power, God was able to work through you and you were able to release things to him that you couldn't control anymore. You just couldn't do it. And ladies listening, there are things in your life right now. That you you just can't control anymore. And you've tried to hold it all together, you've tried and tried and tried. But you know what God is saying? Give it to me, release it to me, surrender that word needs to. It's not on your terms anymore. You know what? God can do this. And you can do all things through Him who gives you the strength, but three surgeries later, my dear hope, every part of your body needed strengthening. And you talked about going through that period of time where you had to have surgery upon surgery. And you needed that strength. You asked God, God, how strong Do you want me to be? You know, like, you seriously just cried out to him? How strong Do you want me to be? You talk about that. Hope Tally   And, you know, he taught me through this time as well. He can handle what we throw at him. If was frustrated, if we're angry, and we're weary, and we're worn out, he can handle it. And he knows that, in fact, I think he'd rather just be honest about it and be upfront and him work on it with us then to just pretend like it's not going on. And that's one thing I did, I cried out. And I said just how strong Do you want me to be? It was after a day of grueling physical therapy, it didn't seem like anything was working. And I just didn't have much of a good outlook. And he whispered back to me through His scripture. And it was Second Corinthians 12 Nine, and it says, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. And he was heard back, and he pretty much just said, I don't my strength is made perfect in your weakness, not the other way around. And so um, and, you know, I've seen, I think it's through my weaknesses that I've seen, the Lord reveals his power and reveal his sufficiency to me. And he's taught me our savior is has always promised and promises to lead, strengthen and guide us. And sometimes when the disappointments and the hard stuff and the darkness closes in, and it sort of feels like you're suffocating. He says, Give it to me. And it's back to that surrender thing. Give it to me. And when I would surrender it to him, and put Him first, he always provided everything I needed to overcome right in the middle of that battle. You know, it might just be that battle. But that's all it needed to be. It doesn't have to be all the battles that I've got to fight for the next two years. It just needs to be this one step this one battle. And he always showed up and he always provided everything I needed right then Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And that scripture James for 10 says, humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. And think about that word surrendered. You surrendered yourself before the Lord. And He lifted you up hope. Absolutely. Ladies, think about that. Think about that scripture. That's again, James for 10 humbling yourself before the Lord and it's not easy to do. It's not easy to do when you're fighting against your flesh. Right, right. And we want to take all that control but that's why it's so important. Ladies, saturate yourself in the word keep words on index cards, if you can't remember them, you know, look up these words and scriptures that have to do with what you battle in the flesh. And put those scriptures around your house. They are so important. There's power in the Word, it will change your life. So hope again, in closing now. We want to just really pour into these women You said something to me. I want to give another scripture here before I share this, but James 122 says, Do not merely listen to the word. And so deceive yourselves, do what it says, right? Don't just listen to God's word, ladies, you have to do what it says you have to put action on your faith, your reading, hoping to find these nuggets of truth in there. You can't just what James 122 says, Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, right? The enemy wants to deceive you with everything going on around you. But do what the Word says put action on your faith. So you said to me hope as a wife and a mom, we often control because we women want to take that control you we often control the House, which becomes a trap. So can you talk about that? Can you talk about how it traps you? Hope Tally   For me, I think before the accident, and I'm going to I mean, just totally honest, I mean, I still battle this today, you know, this is not something I think, you know, we have to give it over every day. It's a surrender every day. It's not just a surrender once and we're done. But I think because we you know, a lot most of the time, a lot of times, as women, we control the schedules, we control what we eat, we control how everyone gets to where they need to go, we, you know, it's sort of like we were the master of the rail. Right, but not not exactly, but just just a little bit. And I think in a way that sometimes becomes a trap for wanting to control most things, instead of and I think, sometimes too, when we're fighting so hard, just to make it through the day, or fighting in the middle of something that's hard, that we ended up being chained by that control. And it's the surrender that brings freedom, he taught me that through that accident is that there's such freedom and surrendering because when we surrender, we handed the reins over to the one who has all the resources that we could never comprehend. And and I think it another verse that comes to mind, just like the one that you said, is Luke 646. And it says, Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Kimberly Hobbs   Yes. Hope Tally   And so he was so many times taught me through the aftermath of that accident, that he's also saying, you know, follow me just like he told the disciples lay down whatever it is lay down your nets, if it's the control, if that's the thing that you need to lay down, lay it down. If it's comfort, I mean, I had to get over that to comfort is not necessarily, you know, that can be something I need to lay down because I might need to get outside of my comfort zone to do what he's asked me to do. But lay it down and drop those nets and just surrender it to him. And he taught me to do this each day. And I think sometimes as mothers and women, we're so busy trying to juggle all the balls in the air, and things get crazy. And I've had some say to me before, you don't know how crazy my life is. I have a little bit of an idea. And I think whatever season you're in, though, however it looks you put him first. It may not mean that every morning you can do a full out Bible study, but pull up one or two scriptures and just meditate on those all day and do that, like you said, do them put them into practice during the day and you will see him show up in ways you never expected when you actually do what he says. And I think a lot of times our obedience is the key to us experience Him experiencing him here on earth. It is when he shows he he's always here, but it's when he really manifests and we see his work. We see him working when we obey Him and do what he's called us to do. And so he taught me to look at each day and just say with open hands, Lord, I'm here. I'm opening my hands. You fill it up with what you need to fill it up with instead of an Yes, there are very important things we need to get done during the day. But Lord of that means that I have to take a break in the middle of something because I see a need that needs to be met. Or I see someone who seems to be not having a great day and needs a word from you, then I stop and do it. Help me to listen to your voice. And just just to do that in a way that furthers your kingdom, you know, and I think that's part of being surrendered again, you know? And absolutely, it's just a daily step by step thing that we just, we commit to every day, every step, Kimberly Hobbs   Every day, every day. Yeah, beautiful, powerful words hope that you just shared. And ladies, there is surrendering. There's freedom and surrendering to the Lord and hope, just share that, you know, through really relinquishing our control, and it allowed you to be fluid with God instead of controlling, you know that. And now you can help others like you said throughout the day, and and you can help others in this world. And that's what it's all about ladies as just releasing our own control. It's all about Jesus. And Jeremiah 1023 says that Jeremiah speaks and says, Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own. He's confirming that it is not for them to direct their steps. Wow. That's powerful, right? Yes, not for them. Were to surrender to God. All. All of our health needs to come from him. When you can't do it on your own ladies, and you may be facing a problem right now, you may be going through something horrible in your life right now. And you can't do it on your own surrender to God. Matthew 633 says to seek first his kingdom, and His righteousness, just like hope was sharing in that and teachable moment. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So we need to rest ladies in God's love. Surrender is such an important word in our life. Matthew 1128 I just love to share scriptures, you know, because again, I said, there's power in the Word ladies, power, power, power. Matthew 1128, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. Do you think hope was a little weary and burdened in that time to follow those accident? You know, she had to take care of two small children, thank god who lived and survived this accident. Oh, my gosh. God says Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Think about that ladies for your own life right now, as you're listening to this. God tells us to give him your whole heart surrender it to him, and let your eyes delight in his ways, ladies. That's proverbs 910. Like I said, Put the scriptures all around your house, all around your house because they speak life back into you, and the life that God has intended for you. Your life isn't your own Ladies, you're bought with a price, glorify God and what you're doing, glorify Him. Psalm 5015, call on Him in your day of trouble. Call on Him. And of course, we all love this scripture, Proverbs three, five, and six that says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, ladies, lean not unto your own understanding. Don't take that control when you are tempted to take it over. Lean, not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways. God says, acknowledge Him, surrender to Him, and He will direct your path, he will. So hope to have a final word to say to the ladies before we close. Hope Tally   I think I just want to encourage anyone who's going through anything that you know, surrendering to His will, there's nothing that our God cannot handle, and there's nothing that he can't over help you overcome. And, you know, he taught me a whole lot to about choices, because we all have a choice to surrender or not to surrender. But he also told me that every time I chose my way, it was the harder way it was the way that didn't usually end up quite as quite as good. So I just want to encourage everyone to choose him and choose his way to focus on our Savior and gain his eternal view on whatever's going on around you whatever circumstance you might be facing. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. Good word, hope. Good word. Thank you so much for sharing today for being our guest here. And you know what God is doing in hopes life is just incredible. And in she doesn't want any focus on herself. But it's amazing when you surrender to God, and he just takes over and he's doing amazing things in her life. And God says, when, when you're in trouble, call on me when you're in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50, verse five, and that's what hope is doing with her life. God gets the glory for all this. She doesn't want glory for what she's doing. And let me tell you, she's doing some amazing things. And I'm not sharing because she didn't give me permission to share. But just what I know what she does in her job is pretty powerful. And she can do that if she didn't surrender everything to the Lord. What she does in her ministry is again, Glory to God. She gives all the glory to Him and ladies, that your life to That's what God wants, you will give me the glory, he said. So think about that. surrender it to him, surrender your life to Him. As we close, just know ladies that we are here for you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, through these podcasts through teaching through encouraging you through sharing stories like we do every Monday. We are just wanting to help you and empower you to walk with the Lord. So please don't forget to tune in each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have other helpful tools through the website, please check out our website. Ladies. We have an amazing magazine that comes out that will encourage you. It's all about encouraging and scriptures it's called voice of truth. We also put out books every year through women world leaders. One of the books hope story reminded me of one of the you know a few of the stories here and courageous steps of faith which is one of the books that we put out by women world leaders. Do you need to take that courageous, courageous step of faith ladies, this book might be with for you with lots of helpful tools in it. So think about that. And go to our website and check out some of the tools that God has allowed us to share with you. So from his heart to yours, we are women world leaders, all content is copyrighted by women were leaders and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Hope. Thank you for joining us today. And God bless you and each of you that have tuned in to listen have a beautiful and surrendered day.

"The best way to life is to do it GOD's way, and be humble, and be submissive, and be honorable towards one another, and that's where we build our trust in one another" "What is wealth? What is the definition of wealth? It's not just having money, but it's having every area of your life that is producing peace, and joy in your life... Wealth is truly living what you are destined to live, fulfilling the destiny that GOD has already placed in your life... Remember when Jesus says, "How can you call Me Lord, how can you call Me Owner, and you don't do what it is that I've told you to do in the very beginning?"... Humility is Submission. If you don't submit, you're not humble. If you want more grace flowing through your life, if you want the blessings of GOD, the key to it is humility, and humility is submission. Submission comes from the heart of the person, they choose to submit. GOD doesn't even force us to submit. It's by choice. It's by will. That we choose to submit to the will of GOD and to do what is right. That is a humble person. Humble people run to authority and other people run away from authority. GOD wants us to walk in a corporate wealth. The corporate wealth should be more than Solomon ever had. No one individual will ever be as wealthy as Solomon was... But the corporate Body of Christ will put those amounts and make it like Solomon made silver a common thing. It will make gold and diamonds such a common thing. Because of the wealth that GOD can trust His body to, He can trust with His kingdom wealth." Original Broadcast on Love & Unity https://fb.watch/dPh4YK3PcO/ More Than Enough Ministries ContactUs@MTEMinc.org https://mteminc.org (408) 945-4439: O Give. Please send the tithe and offerings to GOD https://mteminc.org/index.php/online-donations/ Or Zelle Offerings@MTEMinc.org Or Mail Checks and Money Orders to: More Than Enough Ministries P.O. Box 4400 Manteca, CA 95337 Thank you --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/communion5779/support

Main Point:We glorify God when we live Christlike lives, characterized by obedience.Living Christlike lives means:1. Loving like Christ.Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 2. Looking like Christ.Luke 6:41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?Philippians 2:4-5 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 2 Corinthians 4:18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.3. Being under the Lordship ChristLuke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.

Episode 106 We are thrilled to be joined today by author, speaker, and public theologian, Brian McLaren. His new book, "Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned" is an absolute must-read for any Christian struggling to make sense of things in this crazy world we live in. We talk about creating hope, fighting white supremacy, re-wilding Christianity, and the playful joy of reimagining religion.  Speaking of reimagining religion, have you checked out Zack's new podcast with his wife Nichole, "Reimagining Faith with the Pastors Jackson"? If you enjoy DtW (and of course you do), then you should check it out!    Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/   produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis    Transcript  This transcript was automatically generated by www.otter.ai, and as such contains errors (especially when multiple people are talking). As the AI learns our voices, the transcripts will improve. We hope it is helpful even with the errors. Zack Jackson 00:04 You are listening to the down the wormhole podcast exploring the strange and fascinating relationship between science and religion. Our guest today is an author, speaker, activist and public theologian. He is the author of over 15 books including faith after doubt, a generous orthodoxy and a new kind of Christian which got me in a whole lot of trouble at my home church 20 years ago, his new book do I stay Christian, a guide for the doubters, the disappointed and the disillusioned is an absolute must read for any Christian struggling to make sense of things in this crazy world we live in is an absolute joy and honor to welcome to the podcast, Brian McLaren. Oh, joy   Brian McLaren 00:45 and honor for me to be with you guys. So, so glad to be here.   Zack Jackson 00:49 Yes, I was thrilled to death to get that the email confirming that you had time in your very busy schedule to be with us today. We're all big fans, and I'm sure a lot of folks on the of our listenership likewise.   Brian McLaren 01:03 Well, hey, and I gotta say, now that I know about you guys, I'm your fan as well. And, you know, this subject of the inner interaction between faith and science, my goodness, so important these days. So really happy to be in this conference. Yes, thank you.   Zack Jackson 01:21 I love the way that you weave these two things together in your writings, by the way, and I've noticed it really in the past 10 years worth of books are so it seems, it seems almost effortless that every once in a while you're just gonna get some reference in there to evolution, some reference in there to the cosmic origins of the universe, it just seems like it is. It is always somewhere in the back of your mind.   Brian McLaren 01:45 Well, it's Yeah. And maybe I could say it this way. Without science. I don't think I could be a Christian. So. So yeah, I can't imagine how anyone would want to have a faith that were they had to keep their faith in one compartment. And then everything else. Another compartment compartments, right. Yeah.   Zack Jackson 02:10 Well, that's a sound clip that I'll definitely Absolutely. So Ian and I have been talking a lot recently about your new book, which when the time this podcast launches will have been released yesterday, so available to all of your major retailers. So this book, which is just so helpfully entitled, do I stay Christian? answers that question, which I think a lot of folks have had over the past couple of years, especially. But it's it's very helpfully organized into three sections, the answer that question that? No, I will not stay Christian. And here's why. Yes, I will stick it out and stay Christian. And the last section is how, which of those sections is taking up the most real estate in your mind? And in your day to day life?   Brian McLaren 03:03 Well, let's see. I think all of them jostle for the top position. But I think actually, the writing of this book propelled the third question up in importance. Because in the writing of this book, I realized it's just inevitable. Some people cannot stay Christian, the religion is killing them. It's damaging them, they need to get away at least for a time. And, and other people will stay Christian, it's who they are, and how could they deny who they are? And, and then what I realized is, even whatever you decide on staying Christian, you have to wake up the next morning, and ask what kind of a human being am I going to be? And that I hope that the Reading of the book helps lift the importance of that question up for everybody.   Ian Binns 04:02 Well, and I, you know, Brian, I really appreciated that aspect of the book. And as I said, Before recording, I absolutely loved the book, you know, so for me, I don't have the kind of historical experiences that I know, Brian, you talk about in your books, and that Zach has had and talked about before, the feeling I needed to leave, like, deconstruct and then come back or anything like that. But one of the things that I've always struggled with, is and you you do so well, in the first several chapters, when the answer to your question is no, you know, those chapters explaining No, just really stood out for me. And so but sorry, I know, I'm rambling. This is normal for me. But at the end, I loved as you just said, to connect it back to what kind of human do we want to be? You know, I tell people a lot when they question, my faith, because I'm open with my doubts and questions and the idea of a literal resurrection. I think those are all questions and doubts I have. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to resolve them yet. But I think I prefer to think of it as that I want to live my life, fighting for what Jesus fought for,   Brian McLaren 05:12 what a great way to what a great way to sit.   Ian Binns 05:15 Right? And so if it's more of that's the way I live, I don't have to stand on a rooftop and scream, everyone be a Christian. It's more of a this is the life I want to live. And I love that you did that.   Brian McLaren 05:26 And isn't it ironic that major sectors of the Christian religion are really uninterested, whether you want to fight for the things Jesus fought for, they're really interested in whether you will check certain boxes, agreeing with their authority figures about what you're supposed to say about Jesus. So I just can't help but think that Jesus would be happier with someone who's ready to join him in the struggle with his word for that was follow me, then then have certain opinions about me. In fact, you know, there's that password thing in the Gospels where he says, You know, I really don't care if you call Me Lord, Lord, I mean, what difference does that make the words you use about me? If you don't do what I say so?   Ian Binns 06:10 All right. Well, and in this book, and also to in your podcast, learning how to see, you start off talking about something that was very close to me. So I got my PhD from the University of Virginia. And so I was in my wife and I were in Charlottesville was the first place we really lived as a young married couple. Were there for 208. And so when the the situation happened in Charlottesville in August of 2017, that was very challenging for us, because the grounds of UVA are places I spent four years of my life that we love that town. And so that was very challenging for us. And then hearing you on your podcast and Reading this book. I would love to, if you could talk more about that experience. Because I didn't realize you were there. And so I just curious if you can kind of talk about that. Yeah.   Brian McLaren 07:04 Well, the story of how I ended up there was kind of interesting, I had introduced this couple to each other who ended up getting married, and both were seminary graduates. And so they were a ministry couple in Charlottesville, and they contacted me and they said, Look, Brian, we you may not have even heard about this. And I hadn't it it turns out, you know, before, was it August 10. I forgotten the date now. Whatever the date was, in August, they'd had a series of Ku Klux Klan rallies, it was like it. A lot of people don't know this. But there is a group of people who are planning for a civil war. And they want to make Charlottesville the capital of the new Confederacy.   Ian Binns 07:46 I did not know that part.   Brian McLaren 07:48 Yeah, it's scary. And it's crazy stuff. But and, and yet very disturbing. And they said, so a really big one is coming in August. And we're we're trying to get clergy to come support us, and to stand with us. And they said, we're finding a lot of clergy of color. And we're finding a lot of women, clergy who will come we're really finding it hard to get white male clergy to come. And of course, there's a big supply of them, but they just couldn't get them to come. So they said it. They said, Is there any chance you could come you need to know it's going to be dangerous, there going to be a lot of guns there. Several militia have already signed up to be there. And they'll all come heavily armed. And I said, I'm not going to tell that last part to my wife. But yes, I would be honored to be there. Actually, she knew that there would be some danger. And she made me make certain promises to her about what I would do and not to when I was there, but it was just an experience I'll never forget first seeing how organized these folks were. They were super, super highly organized. I was invited into a meeting an Antifa meeting of people who were organizing to try to not let these folks sort of rule the city for a day. And I never thought in my lifetime, I would see people carrying Confederate flags, and Nazi flags and a bunch of other flags along with Bibles and other Christian paraphernalia. I never thought I would see that. And of course, and I happen to be just up the street when Heather hair and other was killed and others were injured by a guy using a car as a terrorist weapon to drive through a crowd. And a group of us clergy went I was wearing you know, black leather shoes and I just remember the feeling of my feet slapping against the ground as I ran down this hill into this crowd where there's chaos and people screaming and crying. And so an experience I'll never forget. But then January 6 2021 happened and I just thought there they are again, you know, and in between, I'd organized an a public An event here in Florida where I live, where we had been, our event was disrupted in the entrances were blocked by the proud boys. So I yeah, this has been a big part of my experience and watching the complicity of major sectors of the Christian faith with these folks has been the AI, it's highly significant in the way I wrote this book, do I stay Christian? Because I feel like that I wish I'd put the sentence in the book. But it only became clear to me actually, in the last few days, that one of the reasons I wrote the book the way I did, and I took those first 10 chapters to really take the No seriously is because I am worried that those 10 chapters give a kind of overview of some of Christianity's crimes. And through the centuries, I'm worried that the worst things Christianity has ever done will be exceeded in the next few years. And that's why I feel anyone who stays Christian, better be aware of the danger that our religion poses to this world and to many of our neighbors. And that then puts a kind of responsibility on us to say, if I'm going to inhabit this religion, I better take responsibility for trying to stand up to some of the harm that it is in danger of doing and not just in danger of doing it is actually doing, you know, as we speak, no, yeah.   Zack Jackson 11:29 I mean, we're not just complicit in the rise and spread of white supremacy. Western Christianity is the author of white supremacy, it is very much our child. And it is completely inseparably intertwined with Western Christianity as we know it. And so this is not an issue for the black church to figure out or to lead us in. This is not an issue for people of color to be taking charge. This is our problem, our sin and our need to, to work on to fix to fight. And you're somebody who's been at the frontlines of that. It seems, what what can the rest of us do us white Christians out here? How can we help fight the scourge? I mean, just look, even as we're recording this, we just, we just witnessed another white supremacist, killed 10 people in a buffalo grocery store. And by the time that this podcast launches, who knows? We'll have there will be another one. It just seems like we're just spinning our wheels. Yes.   Brian McLaren 12:31 Well, let me say first, I really agree with you that white Christians really have a responsibility right now. And one of our responsibilities is to listen to the cries and the agony and the frustration of our neighbors of color. who are who are just, you know, who can blame them for saying, you know, if they hear thoughts and prayers one more time, you know, I mean, it's just, it's just, yeah. So here's what one thing I think we can do, I think we can all make a commitment that we will never let a racially harmful statement go unchallenged. And, and I think we have to learn how to challenge them in ways that don't create a worst blowback. But silence is its own vote of confidence, and its own voters support for outrageous, immoral, harmful, dangerous statements. So my little recommendation to people is that you've developed your own version of this five word statement, here's my version of it. Wow, I see that differently. It's instead of, you know, you're such a bigot, you're, it's I see that differently. I throw a while in there, because I want to add a little bit of emotional intense intensity without having to yell or scream. Wow, I see that differently. And almost every time I say that, people say, What do you mean? What do you mean? And if it's in public, I say I say to them, I'd rather talk to you about this in private. If you'd like to ask me about it in private some other time, I'll be glad to talk to you. And the reason I say that, and there might be times to have the conversation in public. But what I've noticed is that anytime these conversations happen in public egos are so involved, people are defending themselves, people are performing their loyalty to whatever group it is. And so it seldom becomes an act of communication, and usually becomes the kind of argument that hardens people and their positions. And I would like to be someone who helps little cracks form in their position or, or helps soften their position. And if if I can set up the terms of that discussion, then I'll say to them, if you're ever curious about why I see things differently and how like came to see things differently. I'll be glad to have that conversation with you and private. Just let me know when you'd like to know how I came to see things differently, because I'm not asking them to tell me how they see things. I'll listen respectfully if they want. But I've been listening respectfully, that's what got us into this situation. And so while I see that differently is my, my mantra in these circumstances?   Ian Binns 15:27 Well, that's very disarming, I   Brian McLaren 15:29 think, and I go, and I feel it's honest, and it's not aggressive. But it also is an act of protest. And it's just an act of deferring boldly, hopefully, graciously, non hatefully, you know? Yeah. And frankly, I'll just say, frankly, late in the book there, in that house section of the book, there's a chapter called, announce and renounce, or renounce and announce, and in some ways, it's the same thing. It's, it's, it's having more and more of us just have the courage to say, I am not where you are. And to do it in a way that says, It's not that I hate you. It's not that I am going to insult you. In fact, I'm going to just state in a way that says, I don't, I'm nothing's changing in our relationship, but I'm not where you are. If that creates a problem for you, then we'll deal with it. But I need to let you know I can be at a different place than you are. So I thought   Ian Binns 16:31 that story you told in that chapter about John Ray and Amanda was really powerful. And one of the phrases that stood out, it was after early on in the story. When John Ray comes back to Amanda and says, I was confronted by your father for 20 minutes. And the phrase that you use in the book was he felt that he was in the presence of Christian hate? Yes. And I thought that was just just those four words, or five words. Yeah, forward presence of Christian hate just really kind of caught me of because I feel like that's what we're seeing a lot of right now.   Brian McLaren 17:08 Yes, yes. And of course, Christians will say, that's not hate, that's love. And they, and they're satisfied with that. But there is something really ugly going on. It's just ugly. And I've experienced that. And my gosh, when you're on Twitter, and Facebook, you know, I grew up fundamentalist. And part of being a fundamentalist is you didn't cuss? And you didn't use crude language. And you you felt this obligation to be decent and, and respectful. But my gosh, the profanity and I mean, it's just, it's just shocking to me to see what what people are doing in the name of Jesus, and it's all sort of acceptable. And of course, some of this is because they're imitating their new leader, you know, Donald Trump, who's, in a sense, the new leader of their denomination that has that has newly formed and, and, and part of this is just stuff that's been in the American psyche for a long time, and maybe we're better with a profanity, because it's, you know, somebody said, what I mentioned, I've had a lot of interactions with the proud boys, they said, there, it's just the kk k with that, and the sheets are off. And I think that's, there's some truth to that. So this is a historical reckoning, that needed to happen. So better now than not letting it happen, you know, letting it fester for another 100 years.   Zack Jackson 18:35 Yeah, that chapter, which kind of tells the story of a couple whose ideologies had changed, their faith had changed, and they hadn't really let their family know, which I think a lot of folks who have deconstructed can relate to because they're going to, they're afraid of then being renounced by their family. And she gathers up the courage after her husband has been sort of accosted for 20 minutes to go up and just tell her father, this is how it's going to be from here on out. And you talked about that in terms of a coming out story for her. And that framing, I think is really helpful. And something that queer theologians, this gift that they have given us, this idea of coming out, it is a vulnerable experience, in which you can be hurt in all new ways. But it is such an empowering experience. I read one, one theologian referred to John one as God's coming out that Jesus is incarnation is him, showing who he truly is to the world and offering up himself to be either accepted in new ways or hurt in all new ways. And I honestly had never understood the Incarnation until then. But this idea that those of us us who are straight sis hetero folks who have never had the need to come out to people to tell them, This is how you have perceived me. But this is how I truly am. We've just always been known for who we are, that this is something that we we should learn, that we should need to love louder than the hate and that we need to be more vocal. It's not enough to just love on our own, but that we need to love loudly and outwardly. Yeah,   Brian McLaren 20:30 another little saying that has kind of been sitting with me lately is I would rather be rejected for who I am then accepted for who I am not.   Ian Binns 20:39 And I wrote that down. Well, like I, I want to tattoo that on my arm or something, because I think that's such a powerful phrase. It really is.   Brian McLaren 20:47 And I think what one of the things that just saying it that way helps me do is realize that the fear of rejection has so much power over so many of us. And as someone who's experienced a bit of rejection. And now I know Zach has led to other people to being rejected. But, but it's, it's not the end of the world. It's not the worst thing that ever happens to you. In fact, some pretty amazing positive things happen can happen in the experience of rejection. So And isn't it interesting in the gospels, this is really a major theme of Jesus teaching. Hey, guys, if you take seriously what I'm saying, you're gonna be rejected, here's what's gonna happen and it and then we're surprised when it happens.   Zack Jackson 21:39 Right? The high priest is gonna block you on Twitter at this point. And   Ian Binns 21:44 well, and I think you mentioning the rejection, the fear of rejection, I mean, that's something that cripples me at times, you know, with my own work of wanting to write, as an academic for more public audience, it, it, something that holds me back quite a bit. And Reading, you know, your book has helped and then also Rob Bell's work as well as helping me remember that it's not, I cannot control people's reactions to my work in my message.   Brian McLaren 22:14 And so we're writing about things that matter than then there are things that people have strong opinions about, and they have vested interests in. And so of course, there'll be pushback, like, you know, every once in awhile, I have to sit down with myself and just say, of course, people would get upset. What were you expecting to get a Nobel Prize? You know, of course. So, yeah, that's just the territory. And it's, it's, it's part of the privilege of talking about things that really matter and, and working on things then that matter. So I like that doesn't it doesn't make it easy, but it does, I think it is, it's something we have to do that helps us navigate through those first few experiences of rejection, that that can either scar us for life or become our hazing. For for a member membership, and a new, a new community.   Zack Jackson 23:19 And I've experienced a lot of the dirty underbelly of the Christian church growing up in, in the back rooms of the church, and then being a part of church leadership, the first 10 chapters of your book, where you talk about all the reasons why you should leave Christianity. I, at the end of every chapter, I thought to myself, I know where he's going. I know there's a there's a part two, but I'm almost ready to just like, just close the book here and be like, yeah, no, he does have a point, why should I be a part of this and re even Reading part two, a couple chapters in where you're talking about why we should stay Christian. And I thought, these don't quite outweigh yet in my mind, where, where Part one was. And then then I hit chapter 14. And you asked us to consider an anticipatory Christianity that is leaning towards the future. And I love that phrase so much. I highlighted it, I wrote it down. And anticipatory Christianity because it describes the stance towards the future in which that doesn't necessarily claim that everything in the future is better than everything in the past that we're evolving into something better, just something different to newer and maybe better adapted. Would you care to unpack that phrase for us? Yeah. Wow. That is bringing you life and older.   Brian McLaren 24:46 There's a lot of ways to do it. But a kind of fun way is to say that both in religion and science, a lot of us inherited a religion, where the Locus of Power was always in the past. So So the, you know, the big bang happens. And I bet most of us have seen this in a science movie somewhere. And it's like somebody's playing pool and they hit the cue ball and the cue ball hits the rack of, you know, balls, and everything is action reaction being driven from the past. And that describes, that's one way of looking at the universe. It's one way of describing the universe. But there's another way to look at it to say, to think of the Locus of Power, not just being in the past, but actually being the future itself, that opens, that constantly gives everything a chance to move in some new direction. And the way that theologians have talked about this is to say instead of thinking of God, pushing things out of the past into the future, imagine God in the distant future, inviting things to keep moving toward maturity. The one of the early church scholars, who is a very imaginative fellow, his name was Gregory of Nyssa. And Gregory, got in trouble with a lot of his fellow scholars, because they all bought into this idea of Greek philosophy that perfection is static, because perfection can only get worse, if it could change, it wouldn't be perfect. If it could change for the better, it wouldn't be perfect. So perfection is always static. And Gregory said, that's just not good enough. He said, perfection is infinite progression, this idea of an endlessly open future for endlessly new possibilities, you know, and so that way of thinking, instead of God's sort of being in control, either behind us or standing over us, it's God inviting us into greater freedom, and greater wholeness and greater maturity and greater relationship and greater diversity and greater beauty, which is actually what we see kind of unfolding in the universe, you know, there was no Mozart or Bob Dylan or Taylor Swift, you know, 4 billion years ago. And so these things, new things that you never ever would have anticipated, are baked into the possibilities and, and have chances to open up. So that's, and when we let that kind of almost scientific view, also have a theological expression. It helps us think about Christianity, not as something that is already set in concrete, but something that is, in its very early stages.   Zack Jackson 27:48 It is hard to think about Christianity in its early stages, 2000 years later, but that is, that can be helpful,   Ian Binns 27:56 if we can, you know, I think I said before we started recording that, especially Reading the first part of your book, where you're providing, you know, many reasons why the answer to your question will be no, that's when I was Reading it near my wife, and I would stop and be like, Oh, my God, I have to have to read this for you. So if I can read a quote to you, that just really stood out for me. And I just would love to get your thoughts on it a little bit more, but it's in the chapter. Because Christianity is a failed religion. And at the very end, you talk about, you know, you kind of are speaking to that your reader, obviously, of asking if that was harsh to them, for people to consider many of the things you've already shared. But you say if you persist in minimizing these failures of the past and brushing them aside as trivial matters, then please realize, to growing millions of people, you now represent the contemporary failure of Christianity to transform lives. To put it more bluntly, you are a living example of the failure of Christianity, and you are another reason for them not to stay Christian, which resonated with me. I mean, I probably I'm very emotional person. And I started crying when I read it, but it was just a, I'd love to know, how did that feel. As a leader in Christianity, many people look to you to write that sentence.   Brian McLaren 29:21 Yeah, I remember writing it and I and I have been in so many of those conversations. I won't mention this name just out of politeness, but a leader of people in my generation, and probably your generation would know his name. He died a few years ago, but he was super well known, highly respected on Christian radio and all that sort of thing. And we once had an email exchange and he gave me permission to go public with it, but I just couldn't do it. And in that email exchange, he said the Crusades weren't that serious. The Witch burnings were exaggerated, he just minimized every single thing. And I just thought to myself, you know, you think you're making Christianity look better. And something else I realized about him is that, for him, Christianity and Western civilization were fused together. And his defense of Christianity was a defense of Western civilization. And in that way, it was an act of aggression toward Muslims, and Buddhists and Hindus. And so it all sort of was of a piece, you know, and I think that's part of what so many of us just don't want to be part of anymore, we don't want to be part of that kind of dismissive defensive. Christianity. And, and, of course, you know, I'm not wanting to go around and vilify all these people of the past. I mean, they are what they are, and they did what they did. And, and, and if I'd been alive, I may have done many of the similar, similar things. But to say that the message of Jesus Christ should not have demanded more of people. It just feels to me like a pretty low opinion of the of Jesus and His message.   Ian Binns 31:21 Well, and as I said, early on to, you know, I try to live by his message and what he fought for, and died for, right. But one other thing you said a little bit earlier in the text, you said, you know, teaching others by their example, to live by Jesus's spiritual method of radical non discriminatory love and courageous truth telling, you know, that's gotten me in trouble at times. With some, and I don't do it nearly as much as I used to. And Zach has actually said, and some of my science education friends have said that they're really happy that I don't engage as much on Twitter, as I used to, partly because I was blocked by Ken Ham, who is still welcome to be on the show. But what I also have several friends who are members of the LGBTQ community, and who are people of faith, and I remember telling one of them one time when we were having a conversation about some of their struggles, and I just kind of said that I believe in a God who loves us for us. Yeah. And that if that makes me wrong, when I have to face God, it didn't my time. And I'm told that's not the way it works. My response to my friend was, I don't want to be there anyway. Like if that if that's what can get me into heaven. If Heaven is a place that they say, you messed up, you have to renounce that I'd say I'm going somewhere else.   Brian McLaren 32:49 Yes, that that God is not good enough. Right? That's just not good enough. My friend Tripp fuller says, Look, if if your view of God isn't half as nice as Jesus, there's something wrong. So, right,   Zack Jackson 33:06 how can Christians take Jesus and like, look at him in the Gospels? And then be like, All right, well, but at the end of it all, we're gonna meet scary God. And he's going to do the scary judge thing. While Jesus the guy, you know, the don't cast the first stone guy. He's just going to be in his room because he's a naughty boy or something. I don't know. Why is he not up on the jet like we can affirm that all members of the Trinity are of one substance, according to the ancient Creed's, but yet won't apply Jesus's examples of grace to the judgments that we fear from God, there   Brian McLaren 33:46 was a Quaker theologian who I just think captured what we're discussing right now. So aptly, he said, it was Elton Trueblood. And this isn't a quote, but this is sort of the substance of one of his ideas. He said, The Christian understanding of the deity of Christ did not mean that we had a definition of God. And Jesus came along and we lifted him up to that definition. He said, what this really is supposed to mean is that we had a definition of God. And Jesus came along, and we had to adjust our definition of God. And I think that's very well, I think that's very well said, I think that's what it should have been. I don't know if that is what happened historically. But I think that's how it should have been.   Zack Jackson 34:38 Yeah, if I can, if I can pivot here for a second. We've we've been on some heavy topics. I want to I want to lighten things up a little bit. I your chapter on rewilding ourselves and our faith and humanity itself was far and above my favorite chapter of the book. I highly They did. The basically the whole thing. It reminded me very much of a conversation those longtime listeners might remember, way back in 2020, episode 42 with Dr. Scott, the paleontologist from PBS, his dinosaur, I   Ian Binns 35:15 remembered it too. First thing I thought about called   Zack Jackson 35:19 reinventing the natural world was was his and his theory. And his, the whole devotion he has towards educating children is that in in order in order to save the world, from climate disaster from environmental disaster, we will not do that by better spreadsheets. Because nobody is apathetic because they don't know the facts. They're apathetic because they don't care. And so his entire life Miss mission is to help children fall back in love. I love to read and chant nature, and to get them outside. And even while watching television to then inspire them to go outside afterwards. Because when you fall in love with the world, then you want to save it. It's your mother. Again, it's not it's not just a commodity anymore. And Reading your chapter about being out on a kayak in the middle of the of Florida. And there's gators and birds and fish and the whole deal. I'm I'm there in my mind. And I'm imagining my own slice of wild here in the Pennsylvania mountains. And I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about how the natural world and how this process of rewilding has awoken your spirituality and how we might best share that with people.   Brian McLaren 36:40 Well, maybe I could just tell you two quick stories. One from yesterday, we had a death in the family over the last week. And so I was out of state. I was in New Jersey, for the funeral. And I had to do a whole bunch of interviews for this book. So I was in, in the home office of my deceased brother in law. To conduct these interviews, I brought along my microphone and had my computer set up. And right outside his window. There's a dogwood tree and in the dogwood tree, about two feet from the window was Robin building her nest and so I was doing interviews literally from you know, 10 in the morning till 11 At night, cuz some of them were Pacific Coast time. And so as I sat there through the day, I watched the mother Robin, come and go and come and go mouthful of mud a mouthful of grass and watching her use her the shape of her body to form the perfect cup. If you've ever observed a bird's nest, it's just this perfect semi sphere. Oh my goodness, it's just an I never gotten to watch that. That's such a intimate angle. And if that wasn't good enough, just before dark, she was out, I guess gathering more materials. And a little English Sparrow came in and climbs into her nest and steals a bunch of grass. And it was just great. And I just felt like I just got to see a little bit of mischief and fat, all the rest of it. But just all felt I just it just was it. There's a poet. What a great resume. There's a fellow named Lanham from Clemson University, who's a biologist and a poet. Isn't that a great combination? And he uses that term in one of his poems orgasm, that we have these experiences of oh, that produce this sort of delight you know, that's that goes beyond words. And, and I had said I felt watching that all unfold. And then another experience. Last summer I fall in love with a place I highly recommend it for people who like this sort of thing called ring Lake Ranch. It's a Christian based retreat center, but it's just a place that brings you out into the wilderness of Wyoming and you get to ride horses and fly fish and hike and and just enjoy an incredible a place with deep history for the sheep eat or people that Native American people that area and, and I took a hike with a botanist. And as we walked through a Badlands area along the Wind River Gorge. She would just everything she talked about was the relationship. We came along she said see that flower there says I've never seen that flower in bloom during the daytime. It's a night blooming flower. And she said there is one species of wasp that pollinates that flower and it only comes out at night. And she said isn't it amazing to think one species of Wasp and one flower have evolved to be sort of partners in their in one another survival, you know, and then we'd come upon a sagebrush, and she talked about before she was done, you just felt you were on holy ground, it was like a burning bush. But it was the sagebrush because she explained, this is high desert. And in the in the winter, snow drifts form around sage brushes, and that snow drifts, then when it melts, it concentrates moisture around the base of the sagebrush, which helps the sagebrush live but also becomes like a little oasis of moisture. And then she starts talking about all the creatures that depend on that moisture of the sagebrush. And I mean, you're done. And you're just, you're, it's ecstatic to think of the web of life that is around you. And, and that sense of connectedness, if that's not holy, I don't know what it is, you know. And so any kind of Christianity that wants to ignore all that and just look at the world as something that God plans to destroy, because he wants to suck our souls up into heaven or send them somewhere else. You just think what, what a blasphemy to, to discount and the wonder and glory that's there, you know, in that a Badlands of the Wind River Gorge.   Zack Jackson 41:27 You talk about that sort of mutual evolution. And the two things that when we first were developing the ideas of evolution, the common conception was survival of the fittest, the strongest, right the the beefiest and biggest teeth. And we've learned that the in many ways that was just white supremacy, Reading itself into science, when the truth is that it's survival of the most adaptable, the most resourceful, the best collaborators is, is survival of those who can work with others best is is how species evolve and continue that relationality is just,   Brian McLaren 42:10 and if we're going to survive, we have to learn that wisdom from from creation, I was honored to be invited to write a book about the Galapagos Islands. So I've had a chance to visit there a few times. And I in my book, I wrote a couple of chapters about Charles Darwin and I, I got to read his biography while I was there, and and then just did a bunch of research and that term survival of the fittest, you may know this. It wasn't Darwin's term. And Arthur, Arthur Wallace, I think it was Arthur was his first name, I, he, he recommended the term because natural selection sounded like it personified nature too much, you know that nature is making choices. Like a Calvinist, God makes choices, and they wanted to get away from that. When they use the word fittest, it meant fit best, the opposite of the most domineering and aggressive, it's those who fit best.   Zack Jackson 43:06 So yes, yes, you will love my favorite. That my favorite new fact in physics that is just that is filling my soul with all in wonder these days. Is that do you think about the part of the atom that makes that has stuff, right? That has mass that has the stuff that makes you a thing, and not just nothing? Where does your mask come from? Well, only 9% of the mass of an atom comes from the particles of the atom 91% of the mass of every atom comes from the interaction between the atoms, the forces created by the protons and neutrons, generate the the 91% of the mass of you and I and the planet and the stars. Everything is a relationship between things without the relationship, the things that exist don't exist. And I love that. I mean, that is just, that's the illogical.   Brian McLaren 44:05 Literally the weightiest part of the universe is its relationships.   Zack Jackson 44:10 Exactly. It is it is, if you ever wanted to find a fingerprint of a relational Creator, who created a creation that continues to create, it's right there.   Brian McLaren 44:20 And this is when you were talking about anticipatory Christianity. This is if if what will happen if we're given the chance to incorporate all of these magnificent understandings into our theological work, and not just be stuck under this very low ceiling of Neoplatonic philosophy? Which has its own beauties and all the rest, but you know, yeah, so all of this is one of the other reasons it's a little hard to walk away in spite of all the horrible things because somebody is going to get to do this kind of revisioning of what we mean when we say the word God, in light of all of this, and what we mean when we say the word human in light of all of this, and it's sort of would be a shame to miss miss that fun.   Zack Jackson 45:15 It is fun, isn't it?   Ian Binns 45:17 Well, and, you know, Reading throughout your, your book too about, you know, the interconnectedness of all things, and just the importance of, you know, stepping back from that just developing those connections and those relationships, you know, that's something that as a teacher, I do with my students, and, you know, I teach future elementary school teachers how to teach science. And so one of the first things I really focus on is not necessarily, let's get into teaching science immediately, it's, let's develop a connection to each other a relationship. And, you know, I've been told by some of my colleagues that they've always been impressed that typically by week two, I've developed a very strong rapport with my students. And I tell my students, this is my messaging to them all the time, is that if you're able to connect with your students, on a personal level in some way, you can teach them anything there is yes, yes, yes. Because they will learn to trust you and know they're in a safe space.   Brian McLaren 46:21 Yes. And in the presence of that kind of respect and affection, you know, and in the presence of that, our curiosity comes out. And so then we become natural learners because we feel safe and all the rest. Oh, it's so true. And this, again, is one of the things that I think we have to realize that the Christian religion, by working so much on a base of fear and shame, creates an antagonistic environment to learning and curiosity. And it might be one of the factors in the lack of transformation we were talking about before, it makes people sort of hunker down, rather than open up.   Ian Binns 47:07 Well, that's, you know, part of that, too, with developing that relationship and connection is in it kind of touches on something. Zack, you said earlier when talking about Dr. Scott, coming on, as you know, teaching people to love nature, again, is that I approached my class, also teaching them to not fear science. Yes. And to realize why it's such an incredible thing to teach. And that children are natural born scientists. Yes. Just they'll whole notion of being curious and wanting to ask a question is doing science. And so I remind them of that. And then I say, Now let's have some fun, and focus on ways to teach it. But if they can get that down, yeah, pretty quickly, we're gonna have a good time. So   Brian McLaren 47:54 be a nice thing for seminarians to hear.   Zack Jackson 48:00 I mentioned before we started recording, friend of mine just wrote his first book, called Jesus takes the side embracing the political demands of the gospel, his name is Johnny Rashid. By the time this episode airs, I think it'll be a week out from release. And in it, one of the things he argues is that Western Christianity doesn't have a sense of honor, but it does have a sense of shame. And most societies are honor shame based, and his family comes from Egypt, and they have a deeply ingrained system of honor and shame and honor and shame is how you keep society together, how to keep religion together, but Western Christianity has a lot of shame. But we have no systems of honor. anymore. And so we cling desperately, to our our dogma, our beliefs, our right thinking, because it is so easy to feel shame, and so hard to find honor in the system anymore. Sounds remarkable. It is. And it's it's a great book, and everyone should read it. But I think that when we're talking about reimagining the church and reimagining our faith and our religion and what it means to follow Christ. I mean, I can't think of another historical person who spent more time pouring honor on people that other people poured Seamus. Yes, yes, yes. And if we're going to reimagine this faith, I think we put that near the center. I love it. As as we're, as we're sort of wrapping up our time together. I want to I want to ask you one more question. That for me, is very full circle. Because back in 2006, I preached a sermon as a teenager, at my home church, based on your brand new book, The secret message of Jesus. A part of that book is in which you talked about how the phrase the kingdom of God doesn't work. In this post monarchical world. You know, nobody knows what a kingdom is anymore. Jesus was using a metaphor for his time that no longer works, and probably carries too many too much baggage for it to be useful. And you propose a dozen different solutions. The the, my favorite one at the time was the dream of God, that was the name of the sermon, actually just listen to the sermon today, it was very hard to listen to an 18 year old me preach a sermon. But here we are. I wonder if in the past 16 years, you've found a version of the kingdom of God that resonates deeper with you. And with the current reality, we find ourselves very   Brian McLaren 50:40 much. So that's very relevant to our discussion today. You know, there, there's a chapter in the book called to free God and, and I, I have a beautiful quote from Barbara brown Taylor that plays heavily in the book and and, in fact, maybe the way for me to say the phrase is to say that I think this phrase refers to the kingdom of God. And I think it refers to God. In that chapter I talk about in do I stay Christian, I talk about the you that we refer to God, that seems to me becomes a we, because the the nature of God, it seems to me is a God of participation, who invites us into participation in the divine life. And so anyhow, the phrase is the web of life. And, in fact, I, I wrote a little table grace, that is my table grace for the last several years. And it's I just say, for this breath, for this heartbeat, for this meal with these companions. For the web of life of which were part we give thanks with all our heart. And it's an as I'm saying, the web of life. I realized, I'm not just talking about you that web of life includes God. It's a we that's God and creation in that one web. So that now I think the web is what weighs 91%, or this 91% of the mass.   Zack Jackson 52:20 Yes, absolutely. It is all about how we are connected to one one,   Ian Binns 52:24 if I may ask one more question. Brian is based on something you said to us at the very beginning. After you talked about your experience with Charlottesville, you said you kind of alluded to that you are concerned about things to come. Yeah. Right. So that was hard to hear. Yeah. So what gives you hope? Yeah. Because January 6 was rough. It was rough. For those of us who admit what happened.   Brian McLaren 52:57 So in that's really an important question. And in fact, that's going to be at the heart of the next book I write actually. And I guess one thing I can say is the word hope used to mean for me, where do I see trend lines that make me think things might get better? And I'm not defining hope that way anymore. I'm not defining hope as having anything to do with evidence or not, not depending on evidence. And because what I expect this is what's helping me have hope, to not have to depend on evidence for things getting better. What I expect will happen is that forms of Christianity will get worse than they've ever been. I think that's almost unavoidable. I think, I can't imagine it not happening. i There are people who want it to happen, they want Christianity to become in words I would use uglier, more selfish, more vicious, more violent. And I have no hope that that will not happen, like that will happen. But here's the here's what I think, as that happens, I'm quite certain that we are seeing and we'll see extraordinarily beautiful expressions of Christian faith and other expressions of human life as well. Just because the ugliness that we'll see will will provoke many of us to step out of sort of complacency into a more vigorous and robust expression of beauty and pursuit of beauty. And, and the lies and conspiracy theories on one side will make us more passionate to actually know and face the truth and and, and, of that, of course, I do see evidence I see our conversation being evidence all The three of us are different than we were three years ago. And, and so, you know, it's just all around us. I would I was, you know, I said I was out of town. And when I was on a plane coming home this morning, as I walked down the aisle of the plane, I just had one of those kinds of grace moments, where as I walked down the aisle, I, this guy is asleep. And this woman is tending her child, and this older person is Reading a magazine. And as I'm walking down the aisle toward my seat at the back, cheap seat of the plane, I just felt this tenderness and love and saw the beauty of these people was one of those moments where you just sort of you feel every one of these people is beloved, you know, and, and I just think more and more of us are moving in that direction. But that won't stop the ugly people the ugly things from happening, and taking over more and more people's lives to so that's how I that's how I survived i i have to be able to expect the worst will happen and and the best will happen.   Ian Binns 56:07 So then we'll just also have to have you back on when you finish that next book. Okay. I would like that. I would appreciate that response. Brian. That helps a lot. salutely Thanks. Yeah.   Zack Jackson 56:18 The book is called do I stay Christian, a guide for the doubters, the disappointed and the disillusioned, it is available wherever you get your books as of yesterday. Brian has been such a pleasure to talk with you for the past hour. Thank you so much for carving time out of your ridiculously busy life to be   Brian McLaren 56:38 such a delight. It's just been a pleasure. I'm, I feel energized and I'm so glad you're doing what you're doing. Thanks for having me on. And please keep up the good work. It's important. Thank you      

So many people who believe in Jesus find their lives are falling well short of what they expected. And all too often that's because they're so immersed in their culture that they believe more of what the world has to say, than what God has to say. It's easy to do. DON'T LET CIRCUMSTANCES CONTROL YOU This is a tough one for me today because it doesn't matter who we are: Our circumstances influence us to a greater or lesser degree. When you lose a loved one, of course, you're going to mourn that loss; that's natural. Of course, when you get a promotion or a pay-rise at work, you're going to feel like celebrating. When someone treats you badly, you'll be hurt. When someone treats you well, you'll be delighted. None of us is divorced from the day-to-day realities of our lives, and sometimes our circumstances are for us; other times they're against us. That's just the way it goes. Rudyard Kipling was a well-known writer and one of his most famous poems is called If. We don't have time to read the whole poem, but it's all about doing the right thing, irrespective of your circumstances. In fact, two lines of that poem are inscribed above the players' entrance to the centre court at Wimbledon. Those two lines are these: If you can meet triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same. Interesting isn't it? Kipling calls both triumph and disaster what they are: Imposters. Now, Kipling wasn't a Christian, but he was the son of two Methodist ministers, and no doubt his parents' beliefs had a lot to do with the shaping of his philosophy and life. Think about it. When you have a triumph, you win a race or you get a promotion or you succeed in some way, how long does that last? In Australia where I live, no sooner does a Prime Minister win an election than the press and the electorate are chasing after him or her with a pickaxe. It's so easy to be seduced by success that pretty soon, you start believing your own propaganda, but success is by and large a fleeting thing. Even those who amass great fame and great fortune, they often find themselves struggling in their lives, so much so that many of them end up taking their own lives. What is success really, other than a narcotic – an imposter? Jesus, when He was walking this planet, He drew massive crowds to His rallies – four, five thousand at a time, and in those days, that meant that whole towns and cities would all but close down, as people flocked to hear Him. They were amazed at His teaching. They marvelled at His miracles. Jesus had rock-star status across Israel, so was He intoxicated by the adulation of the crowds? John 2:23-25: When he was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival many people believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing but Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to any of them because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about him for he himself knew what was in everyone And just as well because just a few chapters later, in the same gospel (6:24, 66), we read this: The Jews began to complain about Him because He said, ‘I am the Bread that came down from heaven'. They were saying, ‘Hang on. Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can He now say, “I have come down from heaven”?' And because of this, many of His disciples turned back, and no longer went about with Him.” And then of course, there's John 19:16-18: So they took Jesus, and carrying the cross by Himself, He went out to a place that is called the Place of the Skull (which in Hebrew is called Golgotha). There they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. There's such a fine line, isn't there, between success and failure? Yet we seem to become so swept up by success, when the adulation of the crowd is really just a fleeting aspiration, and so overcome by failure when failure is (after all) one of the most common occurrences in life. We have this fairly floss-sugary expectation that our lives should always be fine, with never a cloud in the sky, let alone a howling storm. It's a complete fantasy, yet we somehow cling to it like nothing else. We milk it when it's going our way, and we beat ourselves up when it's going the other way. You have to ask yourself, "What's the matter with us when we let our emotions swing up and down based on a fabrication like that, I mean really"? And if the truth be known, some of our great so-called failures can in point of fact be the greatest time of growth and learning and development in our character that we'll ever experience. I mean, look at Jesus. When He was hanging there, nailed to that cross, crying out, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani" (which means My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me), didn't Jesus look like the biggest failure in all of history? Yet the moment of His death was in fact the greatest triumph of all time. Colossians 2:13-15: When He forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands, He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the end. See, if we believe that God is, that He exists, that He rewards those who seek Him, if we make Christ the foundation stone of our lives, if we start making our love for God and for those around us our decision-making litmus test, then little by little, circumstances matter less and less. When I told people that I was writing a book called "Your Road to a Stunning Life", many of them immediately leapt to the false conclusion that it was just another one of those prosperity doctrine, get-rich-quick-under-God books, but that's not what God promises. What He promises us is this (John 16:33): I have said this to you so that in Me you may have peace, for in this world, you are going to face persecution, but take courage, for I have overcome the world. See, what Jesus promises us is that in the middle of the worst times in our lives, we can have peace. We can have courage. What Jesus promises us is His blessing, despite and irrespective of our circumstances, good or bad, and that's the real thing. It's not an imposter. So what circumstances are you going through, the good or the bad or the ugly, that are causing you to believe in them rather than in God? If you're riding the crest of a wave, have you started to forget the God who blessed you and put you there? Deuteronomy 8:12-16: When you've eaten your fill, and you've built your houses and you live in them, and when you have herds and flocks that multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, don't exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; who led you through the terrible and great wilderness and arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. God made the water flow for you from the flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors didn't know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. And if you're down in a dark valley, what do you believe – the awfulness of your circumstances, or do you believe in the might and the power and the love and the presence of your God? Psalm 23:4-6: For even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life. The overriding reality of your life is not your current set of circumstances, good or bad, because they come and go. The overriding reality of your life is your God, who poured His love out for you, through Jesus Christ His Son. So which one of those do you choose to believe in: Your circumstances or your God? Because your choice is going to make a huge difference to the life that you end up living. BE DELIGHTED WITH WHO YOU ARE Yeah, so how do you react to seeing yourself or hearing yourself? I used to hate seeing myself in a photo. Now part of that was the fact that I was carrying so much extra weight. That bit's changed over the last few years as I've slimmed down by rather a lot, but isn't it funny how we can cringe when we see what we look like or hear how we speak? I remember when I first started this whole radio gig, way back I think it was in 1998, so it's been quite a few years. I'd go into the recording studio feeling quite uncertain about myself. Max (my producer back then, who still incidentally is my producer today), one of the most preached-at people on the planet (poor fellow), he'd record what I said and then edit out the stumbles, and turn it into a radio-program. I distinctly remember the first time I listened to one of them. I was horrified. "Is that what I sound like? You're kidding me". See, to me, my voice and how I spoke the words, it didn't seem normal (the way other people speak). When I finally heard myself played back, I thought I sounded … well … weird, odd. Surely people wouldn't want to listen to this stuff. Now of course, we do all sound different; we all look different; we're all distinctly different from one another, but layered over the top of that when you think about it is this sense of inadequacy, through which we judge ourselves. Haven't you ever thought about how funny that is, that we can see ourselves in the mirror bleary-eyed every morning, and yet when we see ourselves in a photo, we cringe? Or the fact that when we've been talking all our lives, hearing our own words as we speak, but then you might hear a recording of yourself and you're horrified by what you hear. This phenomenon that ninety-nine percent of us are all too familiar with speaks about a sense of inadequacy, a sense of poor self-esteem. It's fed a lot by the fact that we don't match up with the images of beauty that we see in the magazines and on television. I frankly am never likely to have one of those rippling muscular bodies like the guys plastered across the front of the men's health and men's fitness magazines, and for you women, that sense of inadequacy can be even worse. Society tells you what you have to look like: Something that's pretty much impossible to achieve, and in fact, as I've said a few times before on this program, it's this gap between those ideal images of success and beauty on the one hand, and who we perceive ourselves to be on the other, that advertisers exploit ruthlessly to drive sales for their products. Next time you watch an ad on television, watch it really carefully. Critically. There's an implicit brand-promise on the ad. Buy this product or service, and you can look like this or have this or be this, or have other people think of you like this. And then, when that doesn't work, having spent your money, they dangle the next carrot under your nose. Is it any wonder that so many people just don't like themselves that so many people are so unhappy with who they are and what they have and where their life's headed? Now just stop and think about this for a moment. When you look at you, how happy are you with you? Are you falling into this trap of comparing yourself with those false, unattainable images of success, trying to achieve them but knowing that you never will? Come on. On a scale of zero to ten, how happy are you with you? How comfortable are you in your skin? Now I know that none of us is perfect and of course, we need to think realistically and soberly about our flaws and our weaknesses. We should never stop growing and maturing and we should always be ready to make the changes we need to make, but that's entirely different to having this nagging sense of inadequacy that so many people, so many people, live with day after day. We're chatting at the moment on the program about living a stunning life. What sort of a life are you going to be living if you're never happy with who you are? The Bible, God's very Word to you and me, tells us this about ourselves. Psalm 139:13-18: For it was You, God, who formed my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; that I know very well. My frame wasn't hidden from You when I was being made in secret, intricately woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance; in Your book were written all the days that were formed for me when none of them as yet existed. How weighty to me are Your thoughts, o God; how vast is the sum of them. I can't count them; they are more than the sand. I come to the end, and I am still with You. You know, the Psalmist who wrote that, he saying to God: "I'm completely amazed, totally gobsmacked at who I am, at who You've made me to be. I just can't get my mind round it, Lord." What a different view that is to the one that's reflected back from those distorted mirrors that the advertising industry holds up before us. God made you. He didn't make a mistake. He wasn't churning out sloppy work that day. The same hands that flung stars into space, the same hands that worked the timbers in that carpenter's shop in Nazareth, the same hands that were nailed to the cross for you, were the hands that laid down every strand of your DNA: Every gene, every chromosome that defines who you are is the sovereign choice of the living God who sent His Son to die for you, and you … You are utterly amazing. You are who God made you to be, and you have a choice here. You can either believe what the world's telling you about you, or you can start believing what God's telling you about you. Which one of those do you think's the more reliable? Which one do you think is telling the truth? Which one is going to set your feet on the road to living the stunning life that God planned for you to live, do you think exactly? I remember one of my lecturers at Bible-college, Doctor Barry Chan, talking about this to me years ago and he implored us to ditch our self-image and replace it with a faith-image. Well, such great advice when you think about it, and what happens when we start doing that is that little by little, we're set free from this burden and sense of inadequacy, and it's replaced with a quiet confidence in who we are and who we aren't, and it's that second part that's just as important. You know how it feels when you compare yourself with someone else? You're not as good-looking; you're not as smart; you're not as articulate; you're not as wealthy or whatever it is, but then, you were never meant to be anything like that other person. God made you to be you. I used to feel so inadequate because of all the things I wasn't good at, until I started to wrap my mind around who God made me to be, until I let the Word of God (and let me tell you, Psalm 139 is still one of my favourite passages) do its mighty work in me. I realised just how much I'd changed when I started shooting TV-programs, and I saw myself for the first time on television. When the producer played the first program back, I was steeling myself for that awkward feeling of seeing myself on the TV, but it didn't come! I really liked what I saw: Yeah, ok, a tweak here; an improvement there, but I realised in that moment how wonderful it is for me to accept me just as God accepts me: For me to see myself through God's eyes, rather than through this nonsensical distorted false view that the world wants to reflect back at me. It totally transforms your life. It sets you free to be who God made you to be. Listen to me. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are God's unique creation. He loves you so much that He's prepared to have His Son die to save you, so that you can spend eternity with Him. Wrap your heart around that, and you are on the road to a stunning life, let me tell you. FAITH + LIFE = LIFE You see, all He asks us to do is simply to believe: To believe in Him; to believe that He is; to believe that He rewards those who diligently seek Him out. So can I ask you this: Do you believe? And before you answer that question, let me say that I'm not asking you this as a theory-question. I don't want to know whether or not you give intellectual assent to the existence of some supreme being. No, that's not what I'm asking you at all. Churches are full of pew-warming Christians that benignly believe in the existence of a God. It turns out that the devil is entirely happy for them to take up a place there in that nice, warm church that'll keep someone else out in the cold, because he knows that when it comes to the things that really matter, their lives won't count for anything. The devil knows that the person who ticks the box marked: "Yeah, I believe that there's a God' will never do anything of eternal significance in someone else's life, nor are they themselves likely to spend eternity with Christ, because faith without works is dead" (James 2:17-26), and Jesus said: Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21) So that's not what I'm asking. What I am asking you, is do you believe in God with your very life, with everything you are, with everything you have, with every hope and with every dream? Are you seeking Him out? Are you seeking to approach Him, to be with Him, to know Him? Do you long for Him with all your heart? Well, do you? Because when you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him, and when you do, you will discover that He is the God who accepts you and approves of you and rewards you, and sets you free from death, and gives you the most amazing eternal inheritance. That's a complete game-changer. That's why believing in Jesus with your life is so important in living an utterly stunning life. What I mean to say is, your faith in Jesus: Is it the sort of faith that causes you to arrange every aspect of your life around Him as your foundation stone, or is it more the wishy-washy insurance policy kind of faith that believes in God … well … you know … just in case? Perhaps you're not quite sure. Perhaps you're wondering: ‘How can I tell the difference'? That's not unreasonable. Well, here's how to tell the difference. When you make a big decision, is your primary concern whether God wants you to decide this way or that, or are you more concerned about what's in it for you? When you hear one of the tough sayings of Jesus – things like: ‘Love your enemy' or ‘Anyone who's angry with a brother or sister is subject to judgment' or ‘If somebody strikes you, then turn the other cheek' or maybe ‘If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away', when you hear those sorts of things coming out of the very mouth of the Son of God, does your heart struggle to figure out: ‘How am I going to live that out', or do you dismiss them as being for somebody else? This, people, is where the rubber hits the road. It's in the decisions, the life-decisions; in each relationship-decision; each work-decision; each financial decision, big or small, that we either set our lives out around the Cornerstone of Christ, or we choose to go our own way. Is deciding in favour of Jesus, is going His way always easy? No, not at all. In fact, Jesus promises that it would be anything but. It oftentimes requires sacrifice and suffering, but going our own way, rejecting the Cornerstone, setting our lives out and building them according to our own plan, is the road to destruction. Yeah, it'd be as easy at the time, but the downhill run always seems easy. The reason that so many people aren't living the stunning life that God has planned for them is that they believe in Jesus with their heads; maybe even with their hearts, but not with their very life. How about you?

Not everyone that saith to Me Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven

Not everyone that saith to Me Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven

The reason Jesus came to earth was to usher in the Kingdom of God – to show us what God's Kingdom is like and to open the door for us. In short, Jesus was, and still is, a Kingdom builder. So – what can we learn about that important task from Him?   A Whole New Focus For the last couple of weeks on the program, we've been taking a look at what exactly it means to become a kingdom builder on this earth. You see, I'm convinced that God has a plan for your life, just as He has a plan for my life, and I strongly suspect the main focus of that plan is not to make ourselves wealthy and comfortable. I strongly suspect that God's plan for me and His plan for you is not that we should get out there and build our own little empires, but rather, to roll our sleeves up and be about the business of building His kingdom. See, our empires, man-made empires are so vastly, profoundly different to God's kingdom. We want to build things that we can see: A business; a reputation; success, that's an empire. God wants to build a spiritual kingdom on this earth, that involves winning over the hearts of men and women and children with His love, through Jesus His Son. And I think that in this age of affluence and wealth, whether we're partakers of that affluence and wealth or whether we simply aspire to it, it's all too easy to get these two confused. Of course, there's nothing new in that. People had it all confused back in Jesus' day too. Jesus was out there talking about the kingdom of God coming, and the religious leaders who just quietly had been feathering their own little nests, making themselves wealthy and powerful at the expense of God's people, well when they heard Jesus talking about the kingdom of God, the picture they had in their heads was the picture of a worldly empire: Their own despotic little empires; the empire of Rome, that was their world-view, and so this is what happened. Luke 17:20-21: Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and He answered: ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say ‘Look, here it is' or ‘There it is', for in fact, the kingdom of God is within you'. In other words, this is not a physical kingdom – a worldly empire like the Roman empire, which was at the forefront of people's minds back then, but the kingdom of God is something else entirely. The kingdom of God lives in our hearts. It's the relationship we have with Jesus. It's all about the glad submission of our hearts to the will, and to the rule, and to the plan of God. And so that brings us back to the question that I asked a few minutes ago: Why are you on this earth? What's the purpose that God has in mind for you? There are many who don't have answers to those questions. Maybe you're one of them. I want to introduce you to a couple of men, one young and one not-so-young, that God's brought across my path recently. Let's start with the not-so-young man. He's in his early fifties, very much in the prime of his life; he's about to build a new house and he's very successful in his chosen field; works for a large, corporate organisation. I was asked to speak at a men's breakfast at his church not so long ago. The organiser of the men's breakfast was really disappointed that not as many people turned up as he'd expected. I smiled, because you know, I never worry about numbers; they belong to God. I had a sense that morning that God had something to do in people's lives. It turns out that the theme that I was led to speak about, Psalm 139 (all about God's purpose for our lives), really touched this man. It brought something to the surface that had been there for a while: God stirred him up. Despite all his apparent success, and by the way he's also an elder in a very large and prominent church, this man had a feeling deep inside that God has something else for him: Some plan, some purpose, that hasn't quite yet been revealed. I'm catching up with him shortly for a cup of coffee to talk about it. The second man, a younger man, a very successful author and speaker. He travels all over the world as a speaker and gets paid a bundle of money just to show up. Often you see him on the news at night on TV, being interviewed about this and that. He's the emerging go-to guy in the media whenever something in his particular area of expertise pops up. I mean, this young guy has the world at his feet. He has talents and abilities that I will never have. He felt to seek me out after we met at a conference, and ask me if I could spend a little time each month mentoring him. Now the guy is full on for Jesus. He's successful, everything's going really well, and yet again something inside, prompted by the Spirit, told him there has to be more. As I sat having coffee with him, I know in my heart of hearts that God has the most amazing plan for this young man's life, beyond anything that he can even imagine right now. Two men in the space of a couple of months come across my path, and just at a time when God was prompting me to write about becoming a kingdom builder. Coincidence? I don't think so. I don't believe in coincidences anymore. I remember almost twenty years ago when I'd given my life to the Lord, and it was the same pattern. My worldly empire was pretty successful, but my heart yearned for something. I couldn't put my finger on it back then. I couldn't have said to you: ‘You know, I think the Holy Spirit was starting to get me to step out on this journey to discover God's call on my life', but that's exactly what it was, and I know that as I speak about this right now there are many, many people quietly nodding their heads. I know that God is touching people (maybe you) with this same realisation that no matter your circumstances, your age, what's going on in your life, He has more for you. It may not be a change of job or career. For most people it isn't. Maybe it does involve that; I don't know, but if your heart longs to follow Jesus, if deep in your heart you want to be a kingdom builder (not just an empire builder) then perhaps, perhaps today's a turning-point. Maybe today God's speaking to you. Maybe today is the start of something new.   Jesus The Kingdom Builder The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, it's a strange concept to you and me. You know, I've read a lot of my Bible, particularly the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). It's only in the gospel of Matthew that you find the term ‘The kingdom of heaven' used. Mark, Luke and John record only that Jesus talked about the kingdom of God. At various times Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being here, and at other times as something that's way off there in the future. Sometimes it's something we enter into now; sometimes it's something that we have to wait to enter into. It's this idea of here already, but not quite. Have a listen to Matthew 3:2: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And then at other times, He talks about the kingdom of heaven as being something in the future. Matthew 7:21: Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11: I tell you, many will come from east and west, and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But this whole kingdom-of-heaven/kingdom-of-God thing was and is a big deal for Jesus. Those two terms together are mentioned ninety-eight times in the New Testament, mostly by Jesus, and often you find Jesus saying things like: "Look, the kingdom of heaven can be compared to a man sowing seed in a field", or "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed", or "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field". They're all out of Matthew 13, or like a merchant in search of pearls or like a net thrown into the sea, or like … On and on He goes about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus came not just to open the door for you and me into the kingdom of heaven through His death and His resurrection, but also to show us what the kingdom of heaven actually looks like. Think about that. Jesus came to this earth to bring the kingdom of heaven near; to tell us about God's kingdom; to open the way for us to enter God's kingdom. His whole purpose, His whole mission, His whole focus was on inviting you and me into His kingdom. Why am I rabbiting on about this? Why am I making such a big deal about this? Because it is a big deal. Because it is a big deal for Jesus – the King inviting you and me into His place; into His palace; into His kingdom; under His protection; to receive all the benefits of being one of the King's kids. When I was a child, I lived in my parents' house. I didn't really appreciate the benefits of that, but looking back on it now, I totally get it. My parents brought me into this world. They sacrificed a lot to clothe me and to feed me and to educate me. They put up with all my childish ways and my teenage tantrums. Of course, I didn't always like the discipline they dished out and the rules that they imposed, but I was endowed with considerable benefits and blessings simply by living in their house. Now, imagine that you get to live in God's house – in God's family, here and now, and for the rest of eternity. The kingdom is like a man who found a treasure in a field, and he was so overjoyed that he sold everything that he had to buy that field so that he could have the treasure. That's what Jesus said. That's what the kingdom of heaven is like. The benefits are vast! Back in union with God; forgiven; peace; power; provision; plenty; God's love, and the whole purpose of Jesus coming to this earth was to usher in the kingdom of God – to open the way into His kingdom to you and me. Then He calls His disciples to be His followers, His family, His people, and He says to them. Matthew 28:18-20: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. See, He builds His kingdom here and now on this earth in the hearts of these disciples, and then calls them to go out and build the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of people all over the world. In other words the Great Commission, handed on from Jesus to His disciples, is to go and build the kingdom of God so that one day, all those who have entered it will spend eternity in it and receive all the glorious riches of their inheritance in Jesus Christ. The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, they're not just terms that slide off our tongues unthinkingly; God's kingdom is everything. It's the most important thing. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come! Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." That's how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Jesus was and is a kingdom builder. Ok, a whole bunch of people didn't get that. They thought His kingdom was there to compete with the Roman empire, but that wasn't it at all. Jesus came to usher the kingdom of God into this world, to show us what it's like, and through His death and His resurrection on the cross, to fling the door wide-open so that you and I can enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was and is a kingdom builder, and He's calling His disciples (you, me, anyone else who believes in Jesus) not just to sit in the pews of a church; not just to complain about the sermon the pastor preached or the music, but to be exactly the same as Him – to be imitators of God, to be imitators of Jesus, to be a kingdom builder; nothing more, nothing less. So, the question is: What are you going to do with the rest of your life?   A Man on a Mission Over these past few weeks on the program, we've been talking about how to transition between being someone who's all about building your own empire to someone who's first and foremost about building God's kingdom on this earth. Empire building comes very naturally to you and me because sin is engrained in our very DNA. It's something that King David knew all too well when he came to God to confess his sin of adultery and murder. Psalm 51:3-5: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless when You pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, and a sinner when my mother conceived me. And that question that I asked you just a moment ago: ‘Are you an empire builder or a kingdom builder' is not just a question that I'm hurling in your face; it's a question I ask myself constantly, over and over again, because I know that there is such an incredibly fine line between being an empire builder and a kingdom builder. I see it in the ministry of Christianityworks all the time. Here's how it plays itself out. As well as you on your local station, these programs that we produce are heard all over the world on well over a thousand radio stations, so as you can imagine, our team interacts with lots and lots and lots of other ministries. What do we want to achieve? Well, we want as many radio stations as possible to broadcast these messages because the more stations that air them, the more people are going to hear about Jesus, and the more lives are going to be touched and transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ. It's that simple. Some organisations we interact with, in the name of our Lord Jesus, are open and collaborative. They deal with us in love, and after all, whether they choose to air these programs or not, it's acting in love that matters. Right? Others … well, let's just say others aren't so much like that. I remember one station that I dealt with in particular a few years ago; no names, no pack-drill. For them it was like … it was like this was a business that they were in – a business: Tough, brutal, dismissive, and yet others are more concerned that the gospel is preached rather than the business side of things. But it's not just other people: I'm not just pointing the finger here. You see, this is the important bit. I have to constantly be asking myself: What are my motivations? What are the intentions of my heart? Is our team out there doing what we're doing in order to grow the kingdom of God in the hearts of men and women and children around the globe, or are we just in the business of growing our own empire, so that we can boast and say: ‘Look! Look at how successful this ministry is. Look at how successful we are', because I don't care who you are or what you do: Pride will always try to raise its ugly head, and so I put checks and balances in place in the ministry to ensure that we deal with that all-too-natural sin of pride. Why am I talking so openly and bluntly about my own experience? Because this, my friend, is right where the rubber hits the road. We can be like those people I talked about earlier – the wolves in sheep's clothing; people that talk the talk and pretend to walk the walk, but in the end they're only interested in their success, not the growth of God's kingdom. It's all about what's going on in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12-13: Indeed, the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow. It's able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart, and before God, no creature's hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the One to whom they must render an account. As you live out your day-to-day life, how much are you driven and motivated by what's in it for you, as opposed to what God wants you to do? And how often do you get the two mixed up? I know just how easy it is to rationalise your own comfort as being God's will. We trot out passages like Psalm 37:4: Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. And we decide, ‘Sure. God wants me to have more of this, or a bigger one of those, or a flashier one of these or' … We all do it, don't we? We want the benefits without the sacrifice when all along, the first part of that verse says: ‘Take delight in the LORD'. What does that mean? It means to delight in His Word; to delight in Him; in His will; to delight in His commands; to delight in following Him wherever He calls; to delight in sacrificing our lives for Him That comes first; all the other stuff gets added later. That's why Jesus said (let me come back to it again, because we've visited this passage a few times in this series), Matthew 16:24-26: If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses it for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and yet forfeits his soul? What shall a man give in return for his soul? My friend, that's the language of sacrifice. It's the language of losing. It's the language not of success, but of giving everything up – everything, even your life if needs be, to follow Jesus and to do His will. Do you enjoy losing? Do you enjoy being misunderstood? Do you enjoy people talking about you behind your back, and reviling you for Christ's sake? Me neither; none of us do, but let me suggest to you that unless you and I are experiencing those losses and those sacrifices on a regular basis, then that's probably a pretty good indicator that we're more into empire building than kingdom building. If you want to be a kingdom builder really, then you have to ask yourself these tough questions over and over again. But it's not all down side, because Jesus knows what it's like to be persecuted and reviled. Jesus knows what it means to hang there on that cross, looking like the biggest failure in all of history, in order to do His Father's will, and He has something to say about that to you and to me, when we find ourselves dangling in the wind, because we've decided to forsake this idea of building our own empire for the sake of His kingdom. Matthew 5:10-12: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Did you pick it? Blessed are you when you're dangling in the wind for My sake. Blessed are you when they talk behind your back, and point their finger at you, and laugh at you, just as they did with Me. Blessed are you, for yours is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people precisely like you. It's completely opposite to our worldly view of success, isn't it? It totally defies the man-made wisdom of comfort and wealth and reward. My friend, we're talking about this precisely because this is what it means to follow Jesus. This is what it means to be a kingdom builder, and that's exactly what Jesus wants you to be – a disciple of His; one who is reviled just as He was; one who has an eternal impact in the lives of those around you, just as He did. Are you ready? Are you ready to be a kingdom builder?

Me: Knock Knock Heaven: Who is it? Me: Lord it's me again Heaven:

This week's playlist: Heart Song (God Bless the USA), Gravity Aware (Blues Groove), Janelle (Dance with Me / Lord of the Dance), Gaylen Paul (Church With No Walls), Seed (Let God Arise), We Are Vessel (Light Broke the Darkness), VAES Contigo Voy / I Go With You), Troy Williams (Blessed Assurance), Heart of the City Worship Band (Rise Up), Jorad Holmes PICTURED (Yes), Victory Worship (Awit Ng Bayan) and Nate Sabin (Praise Nation).

This week's playlist: Heart Song (God Bless the USA), Gravity Aware (Blues Groove), Janelle (Dance with Me / Lord of the Dance), Gaylen Paul (Church With No Walls), Seed PICTURED(Let God Arise), We Are Vessel (Light Broke the Darkness), VAES Contigo Voy / I Go With You), Troy Williams (Blessed Assurance), Heart of the City Worship Band (Rise Up), Jorad Holmes (Yes), Victory Worship (Awit Ng Bayan) and Nate Sabin (Praise Nation).

[ By Pastor Marcus Ellington ] [ This message was recorded on June 19th, 2021, episode 2 for our 2021 Summer Camp, One Body. One Family. One Mission ] " Walking With Jesus (Discipleship) " - Luke 9:18-26 (NKJV) -   And it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”19  So they answered and said, “John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again.” 20  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” 21  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” 23  Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels. John 8:31-32 - Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - Luke 6:46-49 - “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?47  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  48  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.49  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. (John 13:12-15) 72 Now, notice Him. As He, here on earth, we see some of His work. Let's see what He meant in Christian faith now. Here He is here. The stream of all Christianity, the Head, the Beginning, the Origin of the Christian faith was Jesus Christ, God's Son, the beginning of Christian faith, the starting place for all mankind of all ages to look to that starting place and begin from there. He was an Example to us. Is that right? 73 When, 13th chapter, Saint John, when feetwashing was brought along, and He said… Watch as Peter, self-starched, this Peter—Peter was, protected, sassed, stood there as a stiff collared. And He walked up to wash Peter's feet. He said, “You're never washing my feet.” Oh, my. We have so many of those today. “You're never washing my feet.” 74 Jesus looked at him, said, “Well, if I don't wash you, you got no part with Me.” 75 Peter said, “Then Lord not my feet only, but my hands and head.” Kind of unstarched him, didn't it? 76 Oh, I'd imagine those kind words, looking around at Peter and saying, “Now, now… If I—if I can't wash you, you got no part with Me, if you can't follow My commandment, if you can't do the will of the Father; Peter, I love you, but you've got to do these things.” That's part of the Christian faith. 77 Then after He got through washing the disciples' feet, set down, said, “Now, you call Me Lord and Master: and you say, well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you ought to wash one another's. For…” Listen at it. “For I have given you an example, that you should do to each other as I have done unto you.” He was the Example of Christianity. He was Christianity. He was our Pattern. 78 Don't never try to pattern your life after some preacher, after some priest, after some great religious man here on earth, but pattern your life after Christ. He is your Example. He set an example. He lived an example and presented it to the Church. Oh, I hope that soaks so deep. 55-0123e - "Earnestly Contend For The Faith" Rev. William Marrion Branham ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order your own copy of the Family Altar at http://store.bibleway.org Appreciate what we do? Consider supporting us: https://anchor.fm/ten-thousand-worlds/support --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ten-thousand-worlds/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ten-thousand-worlds/support

Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV-  They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” This phrase kings and priests is not just the future assignment of God’s people, it’s a reminder that God’s original design was and is for His people to be at the center of all social, civil and government to functions. Throughout our talk, the first and consistent truth we see is that in every account that kings and priests worked together, they were a successful, blessed nation. Our OT is full of incredible stories of God’s people experiencing the supernatural forces of our kingdom when they chose to obey. At the end of the day, living a Godly life is simply living from within God’s Kingdom.After all, we are God’s chosen people. 1 Peter 2:9,NKJV-  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” As God’s special people, when we come together, inspiring, encouraging, assisting, balancing one another, doing things His way, it absolutely proclaims and displays the praises of our God. These principles only work within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. Which means we have to have a clear understanding of how God’s government works. And the first thing we’ve got to accept is that He’s expecting His Kingdom to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. It’s never out of some legalistic approach, but functioning within the boundaries of God’s established government. In other words, operating under the instructions of the King. Luke 6, “Why do you call Me Lord, and not do the things which I say?” One of Jesus’ primary purposes since He arrived is establishing His Kingdom, getting His self-contained government operational. Matthew 6:33,AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” John 14:21,NKJV- “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” But until we stop seeing Christianity, more specifically the church as some religious organization and understand Jesus’ commands, were never intended to be a bunch of legalistic, religious rules, but commands from our King concerning the function of His Kingdom. This is why he tells all of us we have to put His Kingdom principles first. But when the influence of God is removed form the social and civil functions of any society, people are left to their own conclusions. This is why God gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelist, and teachers, to equip the body of Christ with truth pertaining to His kingdom. God designed us to be His anointed representatives of His Kingdom in our natural world. Make no mistake, Revelation 5 is absolutely bringing God’s original intent back into perspective, He made us kings and priests to reign on the earth.  And even though Jesus is referencing a future date, He doesn’t mean that we’re subject to the kingdom of darkness until said time. But here’s the thing, possibly one of the biggest challenges the born again face isn’t so much the powers of the kingdom of darkness,  it’s our refusal to embrace the world we’re born of, embracing a way of living that is beyond humanity. Philippians 3:17-20,NLT- Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. Psalm 115, The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the children of men. “Let them have dominion” is the fundamental principle of the Kingdom of God into this visible world God gave His creation. Colossians makes it very clear that God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. One of Jesus’ primary objectives was restoring God’s original creation to his God ordained position. Functioning as Kings and Priests in this foreign land. Establishing our Kingdom. God, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. As a matter of fact, Kingdom of Heaven principles can’t even be executed here without an heir of the Kingdom exercising dominion. Functioning with complete reliance on our King. As Kings and Priests, don’t make the mistake of thinking this kind of life will just happen. Training is required. Obedience demanded. Seriously, it’s no different than how this fallen world works, minus the supernatural power God makes available for His Kingdom. Bottom line, if we’re ever going to live supernatural, we’ve got to start talking and thinking supernatural. Romans 8 tells us that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Romans 8:5-7,NKJV-  Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Paul highlights this reality in 1 Corinthians when he tells them he can’t even speak to them spiritually, because they are so carnal. God wants to distinguish you! (Abraham,Joshua,Esther,Gideon, David) This means we’ve got to do things His way. And this is why the apostle James tells us we cannot continue living a double minded life. Another way to say it would be, double Kingdom. Remember, Jesus told us a kingdom divided can’t stand. What if it’s time for God to distinguish His church? Time for the world to see that greater is He that’s in us than he that’s in the world. 2 Chronicles 20:15,NKJV- “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.” v.20-22, So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” Remember, every time God’s people listened to the Kings and Priests, God began to move. When kings knew their role in secular, civil, and governmental, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed. As a matter of fact, they were 3 days gathering the spoils of the enemy. And there they called the place the Valley of Berachah, the valley of blessing. Amos 9:13-15,NKJV-  Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up From the land I have given them, Says the LORD your God. My prayer is that all of us believe God for insight and revelation from this talk. For us to have a better understand of the divine partnership of kings and priests. 

Revelation 5:9-10,NKJV-  They sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us KINGS and PRIESTS to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” This phrase kings and priests is not just the future assignment of God’s people, it’s a reminder that God’s original design was and is for the church and business, education, and government to function as one. God is counting on Holy Spirit anointed men and women, occupying as kings in their field of business, education, and government. And God has filled our OT with pictures of His original design to not only inspire us, but strengthen us to translate this truth into our culture today. Exodus 19:3-5,MSG- As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the people of Israel: “You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep My covenant, out of all peoples you’ll be My special treasure. The whole Earth is Mine to choose from, but you’re special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” 1 Peter 2:9,NKJV-  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” As God’s special people, when we come together, inspiring, encouraging, assisting, balancing one another, doing things His way, it absolutely proclaims and displays the praises of our God. Kings and Priests flowing as one. Throughout the OT, on every occasion, when kings knew their role of secular, civil, and governmental affairs, and they relied on the spiritual guidance of the priest, all they did was blessed. God’s plan is and always has been that all spiritual and civil structure of any society be led by Him, to function under His ordained positions of the king and the priest. We simply have to be able to interpret this kings and priests revelation in light of Jesus’ New Covenant. His design has always been for the church, His body to be at the center of all civil, social, and governmental affairs. And I do think the NLT’s view, “priest kings” is a great description from the perspective of how God designed us to flow together. But the function of each does differ.  Being submitted to God’s kingdom doesn’t mean unhooking from the world and going into the ministry. Don’t forget God deliberately plants the righteous in certain places in this fallen world. This is why Jesus prayed for us this’d way, “Father, I have given them Your word; because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” This is Peter’s point that we are to be these royal, priestly people representing God.  1 Peter 2:9,NKJV-  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” But because we have allowed division between the kings and priests, the enemy has gotten his foot in the door. And one of his most successful tactics of distractions is manipulation and fear. But the church is waking up! I believe what the prophet Ezekiel said is unfolding. “This desolate land will become like the garden of Eden.” Think about it, what if the ascendency of the righteous became so dominant that all the affairs of the nation were under the hands of the righteous? Genesis 1:26,NKJV- Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” The Kingdom of Heaven, God’s government is His ordained system that He’s expecting to be implemented by His governing body, the church in the earth. These principles only work within the boundaries of the Kingdom of God. Which means we have to have a clearer understanding of how God’s government works. God is calling kings and priests together for the advancement of His kingdom in these last days. These principles are superior principles from a supernatural position. Accessible only through faith and obedience. Remember our OT examples, every time kings and priests flowed together, obedient to the Lord, everything they did was blessed. It’s never out of some legalistic approach, but functioning within the boundaries of God’s established government. In other words, operating under the instructions of the King. The centurion soldier understood this reality perfectly. Luke 6, “Why do you call Me Lord, and not do the things which I say?” Colossians 2:6,NKJV- “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,” One of Jesus’ primary purposes since He arrived is establishing His Kingdom, getting His self-contained government operational. Matthew 6:33,AMP- “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” John 14:21,NKJV- “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” But until we stop seeing church as some religious organization and understand Jesus’ commands, were never intended to be a bunch of legalistic, religious rules, but commands from our King concerning the function of His Kingdom. No where in His plan did He ever intend on religion being part of it. From His start, Jesus was setting up His kingdom with people willing to follow Him, of their own free will. Religion is nothing more than mans response to the spiritual vacuum created as a result of a broken covenant. Something religion refuses to embrace is that God in His self-existing holiness cannot violate His Word. This is why he tells all of us we have to put His Kingdom principles first. But when the influence of God is removed form the social and civil functions of our culture, people are left to their own conclusions. Proverbs tells us, where there is no divine revelation from the Almighty, people make their own decisions. I honestly believe that this OT model of Kings and Priests is exactly the answer our world needs before Jesus comes back for His glorious bride. “Father your will be done on the earth as it is in heaven.” Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, it absolutely amazes me just how much people will accept as truth so they don’t have to submit to the Lordship of Jesus. This is why God gave the church apostles, prophets, and teachers, to equip the body of Christ with truth pertaining to His kingdom. Remember what Paul told us, “The same way you received Christ, walk in Him.” Each person has to choose. That’s the incredible power of free will. Just like we believe Jesus is Savior, we must believe that He is Lord. We have to choose to accept the fact that Him and His Word are the "I Am" of His self-existence. This is why the Psalmist says, His Word is flawless, proven, living, and eternal. Forever settled. So, when God spoke in Genesis 1, He established the realities of His Kingdom, within His creation. This is why the angel said, what is man that you are mindful of him? Hebrews 2:6-8,NKJV- What is mankind that you are mindful of them, and son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet. In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.  Genesis 1, God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; LET THEM have dominion over all the earth. He didn't say, let Us have dominion. And regardless of how much religion apposes this revelation, by His very own words, He established mankind as the only legal authority on the earth. "Let them have dominion" is the foundational principle behind God creating us. God designed us to be His sovereign representatives of His Kingdom in our natural world. Make no mistake, Revelation 5 is absolutely bringing God’s original intent back into perspective, He made us kings and priests to reign on the earth.  God's plan for His creation hasn't changed. This is why He made us in His image. We're suppose to act like Him, not religions attempt at what He's like, but what He's actually like.

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KEEP UP WITH FAITH SHAMLEY: Register for her FREE event! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-night-of-inspiration-tickets-148117251687 Faith’s Nonprofit: @reachworldwideinc Podcast @thesupernaturalhustler INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/faith.camille/ PODCAST IG: https://www.instagram.com/thesupernaturalhustler/ YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRIkII7slCY&feature=youtu.beBIBLE VERSES FROM THIS EPISODE:  "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back."1 Kings 18: 43 NIVElijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.James 5: 17 ESVHe cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.John 15: 2 NIVWhen you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.John 15: 10because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.James 1: 3 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?Luke 6: 46 NKJV“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.John 15: 18 ESV

By Tom Shanklin "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10, NKJV) Often in our meetings and our ministry online, we lead people in a prayer to receive Christ based on this scripture from Paul’s epistle to the Romans. According to this verse, we receive salvation by what we believe in our heart and confess with our mouth. When we believe the Gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, and we confess with our mouth “the Lord Jesus” (or as other translations say, “Jesus as Lord”) we are saved.  But then we have many scriptures from the lips of Jesus and others, who indicate that we are to be baptized in water. It begs the question, if I am saved by believing in my heart and confessing with our mouth, “why should I be baptized?”  Study Guide: Why Should I Be Baptized? ”And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV) There are several baptisms mentioned in the Scriptures: baptism into Christ (salvation), baptism in the Holy Spirit, and baptism of fire (persecution). But we are talking today about water baptism. The word “baptize” is translated from the Greek word “baptizo,” which means to dip, dunk, or immerse.” In fact, Worrell translation of the Bible translates “baptize” as Immerse and translates the phrase “John the Baptist” as “John the Immerser.” It is a totally accurate translation. To baptize IS to immerse. However, even if we didn’t have the Greek translation, we could see from the Bible that baptism is an immersion.  "After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized." (John 3:22-23, NKJV) Notice, John baptized in Aenon near Salim, because there was “much water there.” If John was baptizing by pouring or sprinkling, he would not need “much water.”  Also, notice Philip baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch: "And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:38-39, AV) They went down in the water and came up out of the water—immersion.  There are various ways to baptize by immersion. You can baptize in a baptismal in a church, a swimming pool, a stock tank, a creek, a lake, or a pond. Just get creative, and get ‘er done.  So, you ask, “Why should I be baptized? Well, let’s see what the Word of God says. 1. Because Jesus commanded it "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV) "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46, NKJV) Life with God begins with making Jesus Lord. But if you are not willing to do the first thing that he said for you to do, you are not really allowing Him to be Lord. He did not say, “Be baptized if it’s okay with your relatives.  When I was praying about sharing this message, I went to the Lord in prayer and asked Him, “What is the main thing on your heart concerning this message. Here is the thought that came to me: “If Jesus was willing to go to the cross and suffer a horrible death for our sins, and take upon Him the sins of the world,

180回目のジェイコブ・レイディオショーのエピソードはビートルズの「涙の乗車券 」についてお話しています。人によって大好きなビートルズの曲は異なると思います。僕にとってビートルズの「涙の乗車券」は少年時代を思い出させてくれます。甘くて酸っぱい社会を知らなかった。でも希望だけは持っていました。夢もありました。ある程度知ってしまった親父となった今となってはあの頃の夢や希望を思い出させてくれます。・・・続きはポッドキャストで。希望への道（歌詞）黄金色の農園を 走ってく紅色に染まった 山々はるかに澄み切った空が 君を見守ってる温かい大地が 君を励ましてるああ この道の向こうに 希望があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear Me ? Lord（神様 私の声が聞こえますか？）華やかに輝く 夜空の下でこころが渇いた人たちが 泣いてる愛に飢えた羊たち さまよえる羊たち崖から落ちないように 導いてくださいああ この道の向こうに 希望があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear Me ? Lord（神様 私の声が聞こえますか？）ああ この道の向こうに 光があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear My Heartbeat ?YouTube版も見てね！https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL00Me7FqXTW6ct5mG0k1PkUeVWmu3hMA3

“Champions are brilliant at the basics” - John Wooden1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 6 fundamental principlesHebrews 6:1 Hebrews 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection Growth is expected.The strength of the house is not in what you see, it’s in what you don’t see.the Bible is truth! John 17:17 Thy word is truth. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.Romans 3:4 Let God be true, and every human being a liar.Luke 6:46The Word of God creates an indestructible foundation. The size of the structure is determined by the strength of the substructure supporting it.The size of the significance of your life is determined by the strength of the Word of God supporting it.Matthew 7:26 everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 2 Timothy 4:3 The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.Hebrews 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, #1 We Belong To GodI Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.You don’t belong to you. You belong to God Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? God doesn’t energize your selfish efforts, God energizes what He initiates.#2 We Don’t Run The ShowSheep can't navigate. Sheep are not good at carrying burdens, Sheep can't defend themselves, Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.Psalm 23 #3 God’s Got The PlanJeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Psalm 37:5 "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Isaiah 49:23 Truly, those who hope and trust in the Lord will not be dissappointed. #1 We Belong To God#2 We Don’t Run The Show#3 God’s Got The Plan

177回目のジェイコブ・レイディオショーのエピソードはビートルズの「マジカル・ミステリー・ツアー 」についてお話しています。ビートルズ初めてのTVサントラ盤。1967年に発売。当時は、２枚のEP盤と２４ページのブックレットで１セットと変わった構成。・・・続きはポッドキャストで。希望への道黄金色の農園を 走ってく紅色に染まった 山々はるかに澄み切った空が 君を見守ってる温かい大地が 君を励ましてるああ この道の向こうに 希望があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear Me ? Lord華やかに輝く 夜空の下でこころが渇いた人たちが 泣いてる愛に飢えた羊たち さまよえる羊たち崖から落ちないように 導いてくださいああ この道の向こうに 希望があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear Me ? Lordああ この道の向こうに 光があるああ この道を まっすぐに！主よ 進ませて欲しいCan you hear My Heartbeat ?YouTube版も見てね！https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL00Me7FqXTW6ct5mG0k1PkUeVWmu3hMA3

Episode #21,  August 9, 2020Luke 6:46, Why do you call Me Lord and do not do what I tell you to do? Do you look at Jesus as a figurehead with no authority in your life, or is He your Lord; the boss of your life?

Last episode I interviewed a person who identifies as spiritual but not a Christian. Therefore, this week do not have the normal bonus episode of why do you believe in God, but I do have something for you. A while back I had the chance of preaching and I touched on a very tough topic. The Book of Romans speak on what is needed for salvation and this is commonly known as the salvation prayer. Some believe this is all you have to do and you are saved forever, some disagree. For me I truly believe what Romans 10:9 say but I also questioned scriptures like Matthew 7:21-23 where it states that Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom… Is this a contradiction? If I say the Salvation Prayer, can I guarantee my salvation? The truth is we have to share the who story when we are sharing the Gospel. They answer to this question, I believe is found in the story of the Rich Young Ruler. See Jesus knows your heart, and the question is, do you really believe in your heart when you say the salvation prayer? Or is there something you hold in your heart that is more valuable then following Christ? Listen to this episode and find out! With Love from your progressing (not perfect) Disciple, Rico Lane Be A Blessing & Share your Testimony! Email: Blessedtimony@gmail.com Website: Blessedtimony.com Google Play: Blessedtimony On Google Play App Store (IOS): Blessedtimony App Amazon: Rico's Amazon Page Everywhere Else: Just search Blessedtimony! You will find me if I'm on it. A few keywords for the SEO (just ignore them, I know I'm doing this wrong lol): The Best Christian Podcast Ever! Christianity, God, Bible Study, Testimony, Love, Deliverance, Addiction, Christian Liberty, and Jesus is the best!

By Pastor Gil Dirmann Scriptures (All NKJV) - John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - 1 John 4:9-10 -  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - John 14:21-24 - He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. - Luke 6:46-49 - “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” - John 15:13 - Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. - Hebrews 5:8 - though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. - Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Message Points (3 Truths About Loving and Obeying Jesus) 1. Loving and obeying Jesus is voluntary, but never optional 2. Loving and obeying Jesus deepens our relationship with God 3. Loving and obeying Jesus is foundational to Kingdom life Love - (Gk) Agapao - A love not focused on what it can get, but on what it can give Obey - (Gk) (Collective) - Listening intently to a command, vigorously protecting what's been said, and thoroughly carrying it out to completion. Excerpt from Following Jesus:“The writers of the New Testament considered being a servant and follower of Jesus to be their highest and most cherished honor. In their minds, it was inconceivable to claim to love Jesus without diligently obeying Him.” (Pg. 23)

https://youtu.be/VmFLR3WTgXA Mark 11:27-33Peel back the onion and the most of the problems in America is rebellion and lack of submission to AuthorityLuke 6:46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?Isaiah 65:2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts;We must come from an understanding of Scripture as authority- 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, What is going on in his story is quite simple-The chief priests are questioning Jesus and the authority by which he is doing what he is doing.Jesus is doing stuff they don’t like. They can tell that he is swaying the crowd and they must shut it downThe means by which they are doing it is by questioning his authorityJesus puts it back in their face- they believed John the Baptist to be a prophet, so if they believed that John was from God, then Jesus must be from God because John said that Jesus was from GodHis question put them back in their place- if you don’t want to admit that John was from God, then I’m not going to tell you by what authority I do what I doThis interaction was prophesied by Jesus in Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.Why was Jesus evasive? They were trying to trap him so they could bring the charge of blasphemy against him and have him crucified, but the week isn’t over yet, so he wasn’t going to tell themUnderstand- the Jewish authorities were the ones who had the spiritual and social power in this system. You had to go through them to do anything, and Jesus did whatever he wanted.He preached what he wanted. He healed who he wanted. He did whatever they wanted and it threw them in a uproar! THEY WERE THE ONES IN AUTHORITY- not him!The main issue was that they didn’t want to submit to Jesus authority. Not then. Not now. What authorities does Jesus haveThese guys want to question authority when they have no grounds. He evades. He ISAuthority as Creator and the WORD– John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Authority as the first and the last- Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”Authority as sustainer– Colossians 1:17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.Authority over Nature– Matt 8: 26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calmAuthority to Judge John 5:27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.Authority over time– John 2:7  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.Authority over animals- Matt 17:27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”Authority over Sickness Mark 2:10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, take up your mat and walkAuthority over death– John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Authority over demons- Matt 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon youAuthority over the Sabbath– Matt 12: 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”Authority over Angels- Matt 13:41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

We’re playing 6 pairs of great tunes to welcome in the new fall season - Pop, Rock, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Country and P&W! With: Gaylen Paul (Ancient of Days), Janelle (Dance with Me/Lord of the Dance), True Gain (Glory), Everything New (Weather), Darnell Davis & The Remnant (Nothing), MNSBC Mass Choir (Amazing Grace), Isioma (Afraid), Dezal PICTURED (Power in the Name of Jesus), M.O.G (Take My Hand), The Williamsons (Shout), Heart of the City Worship Band (I Run To You) and Evangel Worship (Run To You)!

In March 2015, Yield to the King Ministry was started when I clearly heard from God that this was my new assignment. I know for some of you this may sound a little "woo-woo" and maybe even a bit much, but for me it was the beginning of an amazing journey.   The dialogue in my head went something like this: God: "I'm going to bring about a change in your life." Me: "What sort of change, God?" “Please do show me if it’s my heart or attitude.” God: "I want you to start a faith-based nonprofit and dedicate it to Me  I want you to help those in need." Me: "Lord a new organization at my age? How am I going to do that if I'm working everyday?" God: "You may take off from your job and I'll care for you. Be ready to give up some of what you have and what you are used to doing." Me: "Really Lord, but I'm not ready to retire nor am I prepared." God: "Do what I've asked you to do, trust Me and watch Me work." Join us Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 3:30pm, PDT, as we discuss the mission from God to impact homelessness in the greater Seattle, Washington, area. As the founder and Executive Director of Yield to the King Ministry hear from me directly and learn how impacting the life of one homeless person at a time is the work of Jesus Christ. Hope 4 Today is an outreach program of Yield to the King Ministry.  You can contact us by visiting our website www.yieldtothekingministry.org.   

Sunday March 23rdMatthew 7:13-29Billy Graham told of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach. Wanting to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy told him, Billy Graham thanked him and said, "If you will come to church tonight, I will tell you how you can get to Heaven." The little boy thought about it for a moment and said, "No, thank you, sir, I don't think I will be there.”Billy Graham was surprised and asked “Why not?”The boy replied, “How are you going to tell me how to get to heaven when you don't even know how to get to the post office!"In this second half of Matthew chapter 7 Jesus makes several significant statements about how to get to heaven. The first one is found in verses 13 and 14:13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.It's very popular in our culture today to say that all roads, all religions, eventually lead to heaven.The spiritual journey is often pictured as a mountain, with heaven on top of the mountain, and every religion finding its own unique path up the mountain, but with all of the paths ending up at the same destination. The basic philosophy is that "If all roads ultimately lead to the same place it makes no real difference which road we take."But what does the bible say about the path to heaven?The key to entering heaven is being RESTORED to a right relationship with God. Sin has separated us from God and the only way that our fellowship with God can be restored is for that sin to be removed. Does any other religion provide for the forgiveness of my sins?2nd Corinthians 5:21 says "For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ"Philippians 3:9 says "Now that I belong to Christ, I am right with God, and this being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him" Acts 4:12 says "There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them"And of course Jesus said in John 14:6“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”Of course some people question whether God is fair in allowing such a narrow gate and a narrow road.Is it wrong for God to be so specific about the path to salvation?Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”It's not as though God WANTS people to choose the path that leads to destruction!1st Timothy 2:4 says "This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth"So why don't more people choose the narrow gate? Maybe, as Jesus says, they can't find it. If you can't find something it may be because you're looking in the wrong place or looking for the wrong thing! If people are looking to fulfill their own selfish desires, they won't necessarily be looking towards a path that requires sacrifice; that requires laying down my life and picking up my cross each day! The simple reality is that the way of the cross is hard.In Acts 14:22 the Apostle Paul says that ““Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” As Jesus now goes on to warn about “false prophets” He may be including teachers who deny that the way of Christ is narrow and requires sacrifice.15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.The bible quite often uses the analogy of sheep to represent those who follow after Jesus and the analogy of wolves to represent those who would mislead or devour the flock:In Matthew 10:16 Jesus gave this warning to His disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Ezekiel 22:27 says this about false religious leaders, “Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravaging the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.”Paul also warned in Acts 20:29 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”What does Jesus mean when He says that these wolves will be wearing sheep's clothing? He is saying that the WORDS of the false prophets may be attractive or appealing and might even seem biblical. The only way to find out for sure whether you're encountering a fellow sheep or a wolf is to look at their fruits. If they are truly of God then we should see evidence of the fruit of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23:“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”Here are some of the false fruits that are mentioned in the New Testament:1.   Controversial doctrines:1st Timothy 1:3  “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.”  2. Creating division:1 Timothy 6:3-5 If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.3.  Weakening other's faith:2nd Timothy 2:18 describes “men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”4.  Destructive heresies2nd Peter 2:1 says, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”When Jesus uses the example of fruit trees, He is making it clear that His followers won't be identified by the words from their lips but by the evidence of their actions. He goes on to amplify this point in verses 21-2321 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'Those tend to be seen as scary verses because we all call Jesus Lord. And here is Jesus saying “Not everyone who calls Me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”! In fact, the doubling of a person's name, like saying “Lord, Lord”, was considered an expression of intimacy. Jesus is clearly saying that claims of intimacy don't make the difference; good works don't make the difference; even miraculous works don't make the difference; only doing the will of the Father makes the difference between those who SAY they are believers and those who really are. 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”If you tie this analogy back to the two roads, it's essentially the same point; one road leads to destruction and one foundation leads to destruction. One path leads to life and one foundation can survive the storms!Jesus IS the path, and Jesus IS the solid rock that can keep us safe through the storms of life.When the people heard these teachings, they knew this was radically different from all of the other teaching they had ever heard.28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.The scribes and the Pharisees taught by quoting from what previous teachers had said, using that as their source of authority. Jesus taught directly from His own authority. He didn't need to quote from anyone else.If we recognize that Jesus is the only true authority concerning who gets into heaven and how they get there, then we must accept the reality that there is no such thing as “all roads lead up the same mountain”. In fact, Jesus narrows the choices down to 2 roads, 2 gates, 2 kinds of trees, and 2 types of foundations to build your house on. There aren't 10 paths, or 5 paths, or even 3 paths; there are only two. You're either headed in the right direction or the wrong direction. The wonderful thing about God's grace is that He is continually trying to put us back on the one and only path that leads to him!In the 1929 Rose Bowl game, Georgia Tech was playing the University of California. In the first half a University of California player named Roy Riegals recovered a fumble. But in his confusion he ran in the wrong direction. In fact, he ran 65 yards in the wrong direction, until one of his teammates caught up to him and tackled him just short of their own end zone! During half-time everyone wondered what the U of C coach would do. Would he bench Roy for the rest of the game? As the men sat in the locker room, Roy was in the corner, his face in his hands, crying like a baby. Finally the coach looked at the team and said, "Men, the same team that played the first half will start the second half...and that includes you Roy." The players on both teams would tell you that they'd never seen a man play football with as much intensity as Roy Riegals did in that second half!Many of us have spent many years running in the wrong direction, but God gives us the same chance as that coach gave to Roy – get back in the game and turn things around in the right direction! And we should take that opportunity and play out the rest of our lives with PASSION, and INTENSITY, and APPRECIATION for the second chance we've been given, because there's more at stake for us than the outcome of a football game. Our eternal destiny was changed because God made a way for us to have a second chance!

Writer, Ann Marie Davis, "Ourselves Walking," http://annmariedavis.net/; Director, Vanessa Gould, "Between the Folds," film http://www.greenfusefilms.com/screenings.html; Doug Howerton, a member of Maxine Hong Kingston Veteran writing group, with a story in her, "Veterans of War Veterans of Peace" (2006 Kona Press). He has a new work based on the MOVE organization he was a member of. He is reading from his play, "Firing Blanks at Moving Targets," Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, 7-9 PM at "Art of Revolution," 1724 Adeline Street, in Oakland, CA, (510) 238-7017, $5-$10 (sliding scale). Visit www.myspace.com/metapoet All proceeds will be used to benefit programs and services for seniors. (Art of Revolution is moving to East Side Cultural Center, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. We close with Emily Kirsch, Ella Baker Center, "Community Convergence for Climate Change" 6-8 PM at Laney College, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland, Wednesday, November 18, 2009. There is a CCCC after party at the Monkey Lounge, 5708 Fremont Street, Oakland, CA, 8:30-11:30 PM. Register at: http://www.ellabakercenter.org/index.php?p=gcjc_community_convergence We feature the music of Lizz Wright, "Walk with Me Lord" (from Salt), and Lee Williams's "The Rain."

Walk with Me Lord walk with me. (REPEAT) While I'm on this tedious journey. I want Jesus to walk with me.