You're listening to kf I am six forty on demand. Skylar, Welcome to
Jesus Christ Show. Hi Jesus Um, thanks for tying show. UM,
I have a U wait Skylar, Skylar, Honey one second? How old
are you? Eleven? Eleven? And Skylar? Do your parents know that
you're calling? Yes? Okay, good, go ahead. UM. I
have a spiritual thing, UM that I'm being boyed in school by a girl
and I don't really like it. M. And how is she boying you?
Like? She's like making fun of me, She's like falling me around
M. And what does she make fun of? Things you say? Things
you do? Or she just generally is making fun of um. She's like,
um doing the things you said? MMM, you know the things that
people can make fun of, like, UM, my producer Neil he went
bald when he was like like twenty three years old, so he shaves his
head so he's got no hair and sometimes people will joke about that, but
it also it's also what makes him distinctive. It's also what makes him memorable.
And sometimes people point out those things about you because they're memorable and they
don't know how to express it, so they do it in a negative way,
but ultimately other people see that as one of the things that make you
a wonderful human being is that you have these unique the way you say things,
or the funny things you say, or the way you walk or the
way you talk. And if they're pointing those things out and they're making fun
of them, usually that is what makes you different and makes you wonderful and
makes you Skylar and not someone else. But as far as what scripture says,
scripture says, and you can read this with your folks later on in
the Book of Romans, and this is chapter twelve, verse twenty. It
says, but if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he
is thirsty, give him drink, for in so doing you will heap burning
coals upon his head. And it goes which doesn't sound very pleasant, but
listen, it goes on to say, do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good. So the scripture asks you to be nice to
those people that are mean to you, as long as they aren't physically trying
to hurt you. If they get to the point where they're hitting you,
or they're throwing things at you, or they are gonna try and harm you
that way. Then I want you to let someone know because that's not okay.
And if they're using words to say mean things, you want to tell
people, but I don't want you to say mean things back to them,
okay, because that makes you that lowers you to their level, and I
don't want you to do that. So I want you, honey, to
read through that scripture with your folks later on. And I also want you
to ask them about this show and let them explain to you what we do
here and all that, because that'll be part of the fun as well.
But just know that when people point things out about you and what you look
like, those are the special parts about you. Okay, Okay, all
right, my dear, you go and you have a great day. You
rock down, well, you rock to Skylar bub bye, honey, My
goodness. It's very easy to look at life and to look at what you
are and who you are and the things that your physical attributes are, what
have you or the way you say things. A bully is someone who just
wants to point those things out. But they want to point those things out
and hope it's not constructive criticism. They're pointing these things out and hopefully in
hopes of hurting you. My goodness, we get we get email like that
all the time, and so please know I'm not above it. But you
can't let that slow you down. If you watch these shows like um they
have those wedding series, you know, where they show everything that went want
wrong at the wedding, I guarantee that's what made the wedding memorable. It's
those things that stand out, that are different that make you memorable. When
something doesn't go right, that makes that time memorable. If it's just a
day, an average day, where everything goes okay, you forget it.
It's the days where something exceptional happens, either good or bad, that you
know, buries that into your brain. And just like Skylar, that that
there's there's going to be attributes of Skylar that somebody may think is funny or
they want to make fun of the name and change it a little bit.
That's what kids do. And there's some bullying that is not fun, but
it's kind of the healthy part of growing up. And then there's this new
breed of bullying that gets very ugly and super mean spirited and and should be
defended against. And there is a time for the as well. Never let
anybody put a hand on you, Let never let anybody harm you in any
way, shape or form, ever, and that you defend yourself against that,
and you go to the proper authorities if you're at school or at work
or whatever, to let them know if you're being bullied there as well,
because it happens at works sometimes as well. But when people start to point
out characteristics, the way you talk, or things like that, take pride
in that if you were to go and have a cartoon drawn of you at
the fair or at you know, Disneyland or disney World or something, and
you have a drawing done of you, you'll see that they will accentuate certain
parts of you, and you may be offended by that, Oh wow,
my body really? That small as my head? That big is my nose?
That big? I mean No, it's an exaggeration of those things that
make you you. And that's what bullying is sometimes. It's people trying to
exaggerate the wonderful characteristics that make you you and make them a negative, and
you want to make them a positive by not succumbing to that, not giving
in to those taunts and making you someone ugly like they're being and you continue
to love them through it. Now I read verse twenty in addition to twenty
one because my producer Neil quite frankly gets a kick out of it every time
he reads that being an ice to your enemy leaped, you know, heaps
coals upon their head. Obviously that is referencing Proverbs twenty five as well there,
but that that imagery of that kindness leaping or keeping coals upon their head
is really to show you that that your goodness is what bothers somebody who's being
bad, and by being kind to them it really is twofold. It allows
you from breaking down and becoming them. And then two it is like you
know, across to a vampire. Kindness burns and it will hopefully help them
see the stupidity of their ways. But always be, you know, take
the high road. Stillwell, welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. Yes,
Jesus, I'm calling because my father and I came to the state of Texas
from Florida to establish the church following my dad's calling to do that. My
dad has had a long success of of doing that and anyways became to Texas.
I left everything to help him open up the church. The church has
been going on for about four years. It's going well, but he had
to move back to Florida for a couple of reasons. But anyways, Um,
we have a new pastor, and obviously it's it's hard for me to
just I've never had another pastor other than my dad. Um, but at
this time, you know, I'm here and I'm a leader here, I'm
the music director and I have you know, It's my problem is that I
have a hard time identifying with the new pastor and I feel like I'm just
fulfilling my responsibilities and then myself and my family are not being spiritually fed.
And what is it that's so? What is it that's so different in regards
to your current pastor? You know his his A lot of it has to
do with his preaching style. A lot of it has to do with all
the changes, um that happened so quickly. Um, it just seemed as
though the teachings that my father used to bring were more I don't know,
they just kind of and it's it's more people than just myself. But do
you have a problem with a pastor himself? Do you get along with him?
Oh? I get along with him. Great. I think he's a
he has good intentions, and I feel that the church is going to succeed.
Um, I just I don't know if I just not your taste,
it's not your cup of tea. I don't feel like I'm I'm learning,
and I don't feel like I'm being spiritually fed. And I just don't know
if you know I have responsibilities there, So I don't know if it's it's
okay to do that. Do you have a desire to pastor the church yourself?
No, I don't not at all. Okay, so you can pick
up and you can move to another church, no problem. Yeah, I
feel like I could do that, and I feel like it it's what my
heart wants. And I went to another church the other day and I felt
it was amazing the experience I had, and I felt that that's where I
belonged. But I have responsibilities here, so I understand my questions. Are
the responsibilities more important than you know, my family, spiritual life and being
fed? No, your responsibilities. Your responsibilities are to your family first and
then to that that body second, I mean the church body. It's wonderful
for you to be a participant and people should be a participant in their churches.
And you have a commitment. I mean, if you've signed something or
you've said I will be here till this time, then you should fulfill that.
But if it's if it's not you know, a contract that you've made
with the church, or if you just really if you think that the church
is doing anything damaging, if it's just not your cup of tea, then
you should you know, you finish and you fulfill. But if if you're
if you're saying that you're not being fed and it's not your flavor and all
of these things, then you know you're obligated to pick up and move.
You give them proper amount of time to find a replacement. UM, explain
your your concerns and say this is you know where I'm at. I feel
really lad I went to this other church, and I feel very motivated by
this church, and UM that you'd like to take your family there and you
feel like you're being led there. But you don't want to leave them in
the lurch either by not having someone to replace you or any of those things.
So treat it like a job in that sense, and give them a
proper amount of time to get somebody else. But there's nothing wrong with switching
churches as long as it doesn't become you know, musical churches and you just
didn't you know, didn't, didn't, didn't and you just keep hopping from
one to one um and really search yourself. I mean, have you gone
to churches that were pastored by your father for a long time? Yeah,
my whole life. Yeah, So it might be that might be a hard
change for you to begin with, to sit under someone else or to hear
someone else's teaching and you're you, you've been fed a particular type of food,
a particular type of way for a long time, and it may just
be discomfort. So just make sure that you search your heart thoroughly and prayerfully
on this and make sure that it's not an emotional decision based on normal discomfort.
But there's there's nothing wrong with leaving a church, even if you're in
leadership, as long as you give them proper amount of time voice your your
concerns or thoughts or wishes or what you feel you're being led to and all
those so that the pastor doesn't get, you know, sideswiped and then feels
like they're doing something wrong. It just may not be what you're looking for
currently. Okay, all right, excellent and good, I hope so,
and then you move forward prayerfully. I mean imagine this if and this happens
a lot in churches, that if if strangely enough, you went to a
restaurant you didn't like something, you would assume, well, that's just not
to my taste. I mean, some people might go, oh, that's
a horrible restaurant. You know, the sauce was too watery or whatever it
be. But really it might just be your taste. And if your taste
is not into that, well then you go to another restaurant that suits your
palette. Is Spiritually, a lot of people will jump on the bandwagon of
a new church, and then if if the pastors stern on something or says
something they don't like, now all of a sudden that it's not being led
by God. And I think that's silly. I think churches, for the
most part, are the pastors are listening to God and the movement of the
church and the Holy Spirit to see where God is going and are being attentive
that way, and the rest is going to be flavoring and things that you
like or that you don't like based on your own particular palette. But don't
put that on. Don't put that on them. That's not fair to just
cramp it down their throat. It's not fair. Jane. Welcome to the
Jesus Christ Show. Hid Hi Jane. How can I help him? My
dear had a frog in my throat? That's okay, get him out.
I did cost him up, excellent, it could It could be worse.
It could be a series of frogs or locusts or frogs. Not so bad
about hoss. Yes, well, how can I help you, my dear.
I have a lit cross that hangs on a gutter on the back side
of my house. It was kind of an afterthought with our lit up Christmas
decorations, and when we took the Christmas things down, we decided to leave
the cross up and I turned it on every night for about an hour.
And a neighbor told my husband yesterday two doors away that he could see it
in the reflection of the window of the house across the street, and he
found it extremely offensive offensive to have a cross shining in the neighbor's window across
the street. And I walked over last night to see if that was true,
and he had to really cran his neck to be able to see it.
But that's beside the point. At Christmas, he had a great,
big peace symbol it up in his window, and I didn't go tell him
and offended me. But that's not the point. My first reaction was not
a good one, and I thought I'd go up and give him a piece
of my mind. But I don't have a lot to spare because I'm getting
older, so I decided not to do that. You may not get it
back, Yeah, that's true. And I decided, well, I looked
at some scripture and realized that I needed to take the cross down. If
I love because I'm a follower of yours, the loving thing to do would
be to take the cross down. My question for you is should I write
him a note and tell him in a very nice way why I'm taking it
down. I'm not taking it down because I'm afraid of him, or the
only reason I'm taking it down is because I don't want to offend him.
I'm more concerned about loving him, and the loving thing, and the peaceful
thing to do in the neighborhood would be to take it down. So should
I let him know or should I just take it down. Well, look,
there's a couple of things going on here. And first, is this
someone that you have problems with or you've never encountered other problems? Actually know
him? He came to our home. We had a Christmas tea and he
came and everything was very pleasant. Has he voiced that he has a differing
belief than you? Well, I don't know. We didn't talk about our
belief I assume he probably does. With the piece symbol in his window when
everybody else had Christmas decorations, but nothing, you know, we didn't bring
it up, We didn't tell We were all very pleasant. There's been a
problem. So during during the Christmas time holiday, he put up just the
the crow's foot, the little chicken foot peace symbol, very big eight foot
one in his window. But that was his business. He has a freedom
to do that. Of course, we put up a big lit Nativity scene
in our front yard with the cross in the background. I see. So
this is in the front yard of the backyard that you have. This cross
is hanging on a gutter on the back side of the house, but you
can see it from the front of the house and that's why it's there.
I kind of left it up because of this business with the cross out in
the desert that people really have to go out of the way to see,
and somebody wants it taken down. The memorials to the veterans, and I
thought, Okay, this is private property, not a lot of people going
to see it. But if everybody that believes put across up, people wouldn't
have to go to the desert to see one. Well, I understand where
you're coming from, and I do. I do completely here that it's frustrating
when it's your own property and the like. But if the purpose is to
bring peace and understanding to one another via this symbol, that really, I
mean, it is just a symbol. There's you know, there are two
guys died next to me on crosses as well. It's more about the resurrection
that brings that piece of hope. And in this particular case, if it's
offensive um uh to somebody like that, and it's it doesn't change your house,
it's not you're not superstitious. It means nothing to you as far as
superstition, and um then I think that it is a beautiful sentiment for you
to to take the higher road and to love end quote your enemy or your
neighbor through through this. And there's nothing wrong with you writing a note and
saying it has come to my attention that the cross bothers you. Um it.
It brings me great peace and joy to see it lit up for that
hour each night. UM. But I would never want my peace or joy
to infringe on your own. And so I'm taking it down. UM.
I hope that this is you know, not to be nasty or anything.
Um uh you know, Uh, My my goal is to for us all
to live in this neighborhood, um, being friendly and helping one another,
and you know, please always let us know. And if it's something we
can do, we will do. Thank you, you know, and just
have that kind of attitude. Not nan or nan or nan or or or
yeah I took this down because of you, your big jerk and or anything
like that, because that doesn't really it's a hard that then it becomes a
pride issue. Uh and uh and and do it that way, I think
is the more loving and peaceful way to bring it about. And not hey,
you put up a peace symbol and I put up this or what and
don't look for things that he's doing that you can shoot back at or anything
like that. Just leave it at that and say, well, I was
happy to have it for the time that I did, and it infringed on
other people, and I will respect that, knowing that you live in a
community that communes with one another, and and leave it at that. But
I think you have the healthy and the proper attitude. Jane, Thank you,
You're very welcome. Thank you. I know it's frustrating, and I
know that there's it's going to be some of you that may disagree with that
and say no, you're stand strong and hold it up. But here's the
thing. It's it's this attitude where where you're just trying to protect that symbol,
and really what you want to protect is what the symbol stands for,
right which is Christianity, which is the following of Christ, which is the
tenets of Scripture and the importance and the beauty and the justice of scripture and
your freedom to express that in the United States. That's what you're trying to
protect. And if that's what you're trying to protect, then it's not about
the symbol. It's never about the symbol. I know that that in that
context, you're any more than your marriage is about the wedding ring. That
those things are symbols, outward symbols. So the world knows, but the
world should know that you're a Christian in many different ways that have nothing to
do with jewelry or affectations, you know, a koutraman or things around the
house. Your faith should be worn on the very expression of who you are
and what you do in life, the way you act. This very act
of taking down that cross in this context, the very act of showing that
restraint and loving a neighbor and saying goodness, gracious. That was never my
intent to offend. So please take this action of me removing the cross from
my lighted cross as a sign of peace and understanding. That becomes a very
powerful note because I guarantee if somebody went to someone with that attitude and says,
take your peace symbol down off of your window, they go, no,
forget you, I'm going to do what I'm going to do, and
you really it really shows the nature of a person, not what they say
or how they act, but how they react to a situation. That really
shows the character of the individual. And I think Jane obviously has on an
immense amount of character and faith. Her faith isn't wrapped up in a piece
of plastic or a piece of metal or a piece of wood. Her faith
is wrapped up in her heart and no one can ask you to take that
down. Throughout the existence of the United States, you've seen that this goes
back and forth. Jane even cited one herself that there's this kind of war
on the symbols of Christianity. Now you can, you know, you can
look at things like other pagan belief systems and it's a okay. The Jack
O'Lantern and the black cat, which these types of things, even if they're
fanciful recreations or representations of them, that they can you can put those up
in a school and there's no problem. But you have to call a Christmas
tree holiday tree, or you can't put any of these symbols up because they
represent Christianity. And yes, there's a double standard, get used to it.
There are also others that fight for in God, we trust on money
and one nation under God in the Pledge of Allegiance, when that wasn't even
originally in the Pledge of Allegiance. And you're not going to tell me that
the country was less God focused when it wasn't in the pledge of allegiance.
So be careful what you fight for. It's not that those things aren't worth
fighting for at times, and there are opportunities because it really starts to infringe
on your freedoms as well as a standpoint of being an American that you should
have that ground. But more importantly than any of the symbols or any of
those statements, you know what would mean more to me than it's saying God
we trust on your money. What would mean more to me is if you
trusted God truly, honestly and in the depths of your heart. That has
more value and means more to me than just saying it or throwing it on
a dollar bill. So I think when you look at the actions and your
actions, speaking loudly and showing the character who you are, I think that's
more powerful. And now this guy has to go to bed each night not
feeling like he had a victory in any way, shape or form, because
it's not What does that even mean? If you have it on for an
hour or two, it's no big deal. But why fight that and have
him further dig his heels into the ground against Christianity and those the practice Christianity,
and another reason to fuel the fires of his frustration, anger, or
whatever it might be that make him feel that way, because to be offended
by a cross is a bizarre thing. You can drive up and down streets
all over the place and see that people have symbols of their Jewish faith on
their doorposts. I for one, find that beautiful. I smile every time
I see one at the that symbol of an outward faith that is deep within
an individual. And if somebody doesn't feel the same way, then so be
it. But people searching and the different beliefs out there and all of that
is a thing of beauty. The purpose, the hope is that they obtain
truth. And it's not just for culture, it's not just out of habit
or those things, but it's truly truth seeking. And some people that will
be a turn off to, and there's others that will appreciate it and understand
it for what it is. But my concern foremost, always above everything is
going to be what's in your heart, not what's hanging on a wall.
Mike, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. Thank you, Jesus, thank
you for taking my call, my pleasure. How can I help you?
Well, I've known many friends over the years from different religions that all believe
in Jesus, and they also believe even God and pray to one God,
and they have good families and everything. And they'll tell me that because I
believe Jesus is God, that I can't go to Heather. Oh. Well,
they're sound like fine friends, but bad theologians. That that's really part
of Christianity, an essential And if you remember when I was talking with the
disciples, often I would ask them and who do you say that I am?
That that was a huge importance to their belief because if they had some
sort of false notion as to who I was, then they were no longer
important to the cause of growing Christianity. So will you find in scripture a
place where I say the words I am God? No? Never, But
you do find throughout scripture statements that are the equivalent, especially two thousand years
ago. Uh. For instance John ten thirty I say I and the Father
are one. Uh. That's a major claim. So John ten thirty three.
Also, um, if you remember, they tried to stone me for
that very reason, and it's you know, which good work do you stone
me? Well, they're not stoning me because they want to. They're stoning
me because I'm making a proclamation of deity. And I love to go to
John because that is the deity of Christ. They find in John John eight
fifty eight. Yes, and including John you know one one which is you
know in the beginning was the word, the word good God, and the
word was God. But then one of these religions they have a Bible that
says God was a god, a god small gee. And then it's like
my Bible is wrong or something. Okay, well here's the thing. There's
there's a bunch more. John eight fifty eight is a great example. I
tell you the truth. Before Abraham was born, I am that that word
I am is a Hebraic reference that is incredibly power powerful at the time,
and so much so that again based on Leviticus levitical law, they wanted to
stone me. So um, the John one one verse gets difficult. And
although it's a great verse, in the beginning was the word, the word
was with God, and the word was God. And the word became flesh
later on in fourteen. But the problem with that is that in the Greek
um there's there. It's a little convoluted. So technically the verse that they're
saying, hey, it can be translated this way, they're right, Oh
no, no, it can be. However, it's not proper translation in
the Greek. So I'm not going to get into all the complications because there
are many as to why why it can be translated that way. But context,
context, and we're running out of time, so I want to get
a few things out. Context does not allow it. So yes, is
it grabbed grammatically a possibility? Yes? Is it a possibility in context of
the verse? Absolutely not. So well can I go to heaven? Though?
Jesus as my main question that can they go to heaven if they pray
to God for intercession? And I do believe in Jesus, I do know
anymore than if you if you won't find the same place. If you dial
a phone number and you get the last two digits wrong, but everything else
was done with good intent, and you really believe in the area code was
right and all that you're you're not going to get the same person. I
would also ask you to go to Acts twenty twenty eight and a very good
one is John twenty twenty eight that talks about Thomas. If you remember,
he says ikusmuthus moon in the Greek. He says the Lord of me,
the God of me, and that would be and I don't correct him.
I don't correct him at all. And if that was, if he was
wrong, it would be blasphemy. And I would have corrected him because he
was calling me God. He wasn't saying oh my God, which is what
that particular group that comes knocking on your door will tell you. But that
would have been using God's name in vain, and he would have been reprimanded.
I didn't reprimand him. Remember, more importantly than all this nuttiness,
these words, I Am with you always kf I AIX on demand