You're listening to Kfix on demand. D tours on the road sometimes can be
quite simple. It takes you off of one road and onto another road.
Arrows are everywhere you look, pointing you in the new direction, the direction
that you must go through now to get to where you're going. Interestingly enough,
a dtour doesn't really know where you're going. They assume they know where
you're going based on the road that where they caught you that they're detouring you
from. So ultimately their goal is to get you back on that roll road
eventually going in that direction in a way that isn't a great inconvenience. And
there are detours in scripture as well, and there will be detours in your
spiritual life. And oftentimes this concept of a detour puts one into a state
of chaos because it's like, Okay, I had planned for this, I
was going down this path, This was my goal to get to this area,
to do it this way in this amount of time, which is all
good, and the best way to start really is to have that plan,
to have that path. But as a believer, as someone of faith,
you always have to be in that state of whatever you want God thy will
be done God and be ready for whatever lesson. This ties into tests,
but it gets you in that mindset that if God wants to teach you something
that it can come out from everywhere. Now, this concept of a detour
or when you get off that main road going that main direction that you had
anticipated and prepped for, it can take a lot of time because now you're
processing new information. And let's face it, sometimes when you make a plan
to do something, you kind of go into autopilot and now you have to
really be in the moment, be present. It consumes more of who you
are, and that can be frustrating, not just the amount of time it's
taken, not just that it's going to be more difficult, but also just
the energy wise. It just takes your energy that is frustrating onto itself,
but in your life as a person of faith, as somebody who focuses on
their spirituality, you have to allow for God to do this. Christians would
not be where you are today if you didn't allow God to take you on
detours. There are detours throughout the entirety of Scripture, including probably the most
well known one forty years in the desert. So this detour happens to the
children of Israel when they're in the wilderness, and for many different reasons,
lack of faith, not trusting that God had the power to conquer. But
there were those there that accepted the detour by God and found that it wasn't
about leaving this perfect road that they had perceived was the best way, but
about trusting God would find and always put them on the perfect road. And
what seems like a curse or a frustration becomes a blessing. Think about what
Moses learned. Moses would press back a lot. If you remember when you
read the exchanges between Moses and the Father, Moses had a lot of excuses
at times, No, I'm not a good speaker, Maybe you should use
someone else, back and forth. But this detour built something, and Moses
too, didn't it. This detour strengthened Moses, says in Exodus three one.
Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father in law, Jethro,
the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of
the desert and came to the mountain of God. The Angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a flame of fire. Now Moses This goes on to
talk about the flaming bush and the contact that he had, and it says
that Moses thought, I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why
does the bush not burn up? When the Lord saw that he had turned
aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said Moses,
Moses, to which Moses replied, here I am God said, do
not approach any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place
where you are standing is holy ground. The exchange going on here is a
is a point of change for Moses. This is something that he wouldn't have
experienced should he been in a state of rebellion against the change of path or
the change of direction, or any change at all. And your life is
similar. There are things that you have set in your head that you think,
ah, this is the path I'm going to go on, this is
what I'm going to do. But in life there are detours, and in
your spiritual life there are detours as well, and you should welcome them.
And sometimes they are masked in frustration and ugliness, or something comes along and
you think, this is not what I want to do, or this is
not the path that I want to go down, but God is always there
on the other side of it, saying no, honey, I wanted you
to learn something. I wanted you to experience something, and this is the
way to do it. You see, God never gets lost. These detours
are for you reminders of what's important, reminders that you will get there with
persistence. You will get there with dedication. It may not come in the
time that you thought, it may not come the way you thought, but
with that dedication, with that perseverance, it will come. And as you
plan your paths in life and the paths that you want spiritually, emotionally,
with relationships, work, whatever they may be, that as you plan them,
know that somewhere inside that plan, somewhere deeply rooted inside that plan,
is a Plan B or more importantly, what my producer likes to refer to
as a Plan G. And that's God's plan. Whether that detour might pop
up and show you a different direction, a different understanding, a different path,
all ordained by God to teach you something else, to teach you something
with more depth than you would have learned the other way. And it's up
to you to be attentive, to be faithfully flexible, and willing to be
taken on a ride. Eric. Welcome to Jesus Christian. Good morning,
Jesus, thank you, my call, my pleasure. What's going on?
Could you bear with me? I have a condition. We have to spit
sometime. Okay, okay, as long as it doesn't involve chew okay.
I'm calling about the scripture Hebrews six four through six last week speaking about those
who have been enlightened in the pass of the heaving gifts of God. My
original question was, if a person's in that situation, what can they do
well? The condition is you have to be aware of it. If you're
aware of it, you're not really in that condition. It's like saying the
old saying that only people think they're sane. Same people question their sanity all
the time. So in that particular case, when you're reading, and just
as a way of reminding people, it says, for in the case of
those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and
have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word
of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen
away, it is impossible to be renewed to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucified to themselves the son of God and put him to open
shame. The question of that always comes up, well, does this mean
that people once saved always saved? That people can fall away from salvation?
We said, would the last caller last week? No? And that the
word tastes there is important because it's only talking about bringing it to your lips,
but not really consuming it. If you look a little earlier in chapter
five, verse nine, it says, and having been made perfect, he
became to all those who obey him the source of eternal salvation. So if
you put these two together and you think about them, like, can you
fill the glass of somebody who already thinks their glass is full? No,
they won't ever accept anymore. They'll say, no, it's already full.
That's what it's talking about. There is that hubris, that that pride that
thinks that they've already consumed it all when they've only brought it to their lips.
That you can't convince them that they haven't consumed it. Therein lies the
problem. So they end up rejecting God in their ignorance. But as we
know in scripture you're not judged on ignorance. So this is a wilful act
of rejecting any further understanding about God. So that's where it lies. It's
it's like, can you change the mind of someone, Yes? Can you
change the mind of someone who thinks that they're so much smarter than you that
you can't teach them anything? No, So in this case, the fact
that you would pick up the phone to even ask the question, Eric,
shows me you're not in that category, because someone in that category wouldn't even
ask the question. They'd already think, well, I already know everything.
I'm already in there. But the fact that you even question, going,
oh, I want anybody that questions their salvation even or questions how does this
work? Or can I lose something? Am I going to do something that
offends God? Or so greatly that he turns away from me? Those types
of things are from people who care. Yeah, and that if you're in
that place, Eric, then that would pretty much cast you out of the
category of somebody who is just kind of breezing along on the surface. It's
like somebody who comes to class, is there always on time? Has the
book open sits in class, gazes over the words. All those things.
Doesn't necessarily mean they're a good student. They're just kind of you know,
we talked about integrity today and that steadfastness and that consistency and how you know,
in Hollywood, it's very easy just to put up a facade or the
front of something to make it look like it's a building, because they know
there's no real need to build the entire building for the use that they have.
But in life you can't get away with that. You can't just have
a facade. You have to be through and through. That integrity has to
be through and through. And what chapter six of Hebrews, chapter six,
verse four, five and six is talking about is that somebody has the facade
of Christianity. They don't. They don't really, it's not a part of
who they are truly, it's just that facade and that that you know that
they're in lives major major problems. Rick, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Yes, thanks for being patient. How can I help you? Right?
Well, my question is regarding marriage and then later in life. I
understand supporting a marriage by having younger people go through the ceremony in front of
the church and in front of society to support their bond and union before God.
When you're in later in life and coming from failed relationships and you meet
someone who you connect with on a by heart, mind, body and soul
and commit to them for the rest of your life, basically, why does
society still expect you to jump through all those hoops and do the food for
all with the ceremony and then the legal aspect of it when it's a commitment
between two people that we know in our hearts is true. Without giving too
much specific because you don't need to give me a bunch of personal information.
What do you do for a living? I'm a truck driver, a truck
driver, okay, and so do you work for a company or do you
work on your own independently? Work for a company, but I'm gone from
the house five to six days a week. We're connected by phone. And
okay, Well, do you did you reach an agreement with that company when
you came to work for them of some kind? It was it an application
of some kind? Or okay, did you sign a contract of any kind?
No? Do you think they signed contracts with the companies that have you
shipping things for them? Or of course why because of the legality involved,
and I understand the legality part to bind persons to an agreement. Honestly,
Rick, it's not jumping through hoops, it's not. It's a part of
the process. It's a part of being committed. And no matter what you
say day, there's a part of you that's not committed, because if it's
not a big deal to you, then why not just do it? Why
not just do it and get committed because that's what God wants. The whole
process of doing those things are symbols. I get it. But there's a
lot of symbolism in scripture as well. Baptism is symbols, is a symbol.
Some people think that communion is a symbol. There's a lot of things
that seem like symbols, but they're outward showing of an inward faith or goal
or process. And part of that is being in fullness, going through the
process of marriage, doing it in front of friends and family, and being
committed. If you're hiding from that by not doing that or saying some people
make excuses and say, well, gosh, you know what, it's a
lot of money to have a wedding. I get that. You know you
can whittle it down there and do it very inexpensively. And if the world's
putting pressure on you for that, I get it saying no, I'm not
going to bend to that. But you can go and have a sweet simple
service before you and God and make that commitment and make it solidify it because
right now, I mean, there's people that say, oh, well,
I'm getting older, and I know it costs too much money to get married,
or our taxes will change, or we won't get the same amount of
and all these excuses just become practical reasons not to stand before God and man
and make it legal. Because scripture says you're to obey the laws of the
land and as long as they don't contradict scripture, and in this particular case,
the law of the land is, if you're going to be married,
be married, and right now, if you're not married, you shouldn't be
having relations, and that would God would frown upon that. And trust me,
the process, the scriptural process of marriage two thousand years ago took a
whole heck of a lot longer than you know, ten minute ceremony. Nowadays
you're talking weeks, you're talking a year or two of betrothal prior and then
sometimes the wedding took weeks and you had to feed everybody, including every single
person in the town. That's why my first miracle, the wedding at Cana
was so was such a big deal and not a parlor trick. Is because
making water into wine and it was about feeding and having enough drink for the
entire town. Otherwise you would not save face. I was participating in a
wedding there. If I thought it was just you know, hubbub and no
big deal, why would I even be gracing it with my presence or being
a part of it In that sense, I understand that. Yet, on
the legal side of it, the law does allow for what they call common
law, depending on where you live. You're in Vegas, yeah, depending
on where you live there, there's but that's just part of the legality.
So if you've been with this person for six years, what's common law in
Las Vegas? Seven? So what are you going to do? Then?
Well, it's not so much of what we do. I'm more concerned about
how other people perceive, and not that I'm looking for their validation, but
their comments should be concerned about God. Yeah, but you know, people
are gonna make comments. People are often wrong, trust me, and so
I wouldn't worry about that. However, scripture does talk about the appearance of
evil, and if you there's something that does the woman you live with,
does she have any interest in having a wedding or to be married in that
context? Ah, it's yes and no on both of our parts. Well,
I'm not sure what the no is. I'm not what is the know
if you're just talking about Oh, well, it's and it's the way the
world wants it. No, it's the way it is in financial situations.
And okay, so legal and financial situations that you guys are in keep you
from pretty much. Yeah, and what are those legal or financial situations?
Social security and you know, income and we're later in life and non minimum
you fixed incomes kind of thing. Sure, I've heard that on more than
one occasion. Well, there's and there's some people that would be more lenient
on this. I just think that you're cheating your guysself. And the whole
point of being partners is not just not just living together and not just being
a part of it in that sense, but really solidifying it by having that
that marriage and not cheating yourself with that experience. And the financial thing,
I realize is can be frustrating, but it's it's about the two of you.
If it's just about finances, it might be cheaper to you know,
then you just get a roommate. You know, it's not about just being
a room at I feel that deep down inside you. Whether you think that
it's it's just a bunch of garbage or not, that deep down inside you,
you know that what you're doing is not kosher. Otherwise you wouldn't have
called. And it's there's something about validating that and screaming that from the rooftops
and letting people know that that I think is an important part of the marriage.
But this sadly is becoming more common. Rick. I'm getting more calls
from people who say they're later in life and because of social security and such,
they don't want to get married. But God doesn't say do this because
it's convenient and it's easy. It says do this. You know this,
This is the purpose, and these are the laws currently And if you're going
to look through scripture and try and find a specific type of marriage or the
laws or anything like that, you're not going to find it in that sense,
not going to find You're not find anything. This is rick. This
is how you need to get married. But you definitely see my sealo of
approval on the marriages and the thing that took place. Those ceremonies become very
important, and it's not just for the ceremony's sake. It's for the sake
of the individuals in the ceremony to explore those and to really lock you in
if there's humanity, and this is I'm sorry men more on you than it
is on women, although that those numbers sadly are changing. Uh like to
have at least one toe on the dock at all times. You know that
kind of attitude where it's like, well I always have an out, or
you know, she doesn't own me in this sense, or what have you.
And I think that that kind of tentative attitude towards, you know,
towards the relationship, I think is more detrimental than it is helpful. Tom.
Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. Hi Jesus Hia, Tom. How
can I help? I've had seem like a big deal, but I was
maybe it concerned me when I'm not traveling for my job and listening to your
show. I go to a small little church and we're real laid back and
we just wear like flip flops and shorts and a T shirt and sometimes we
go outside when the weather's nice. I'm in North Florida and I was at
a party and somebody asked them what church got to Another guy said, oh,
you go to that hippie church. I'm like, well, why is
it hippie church? Because of because of the way we were just so laid
back, and he alluded to the fact like it was like almost disrespectful because
they we don't dress up like his church does. And I'm like, I'm
cool with that, man, if that's what y'all want to do. I
mean, but my question is, I guess, is is it disrespectful because
we don't dress up? And I don't even have a suit. To tell
you the truth, I just Tom, I would be broken hearted if you
weren't in church because you felt you needed to wear a suit. And it
sounds like a silly question. No, no, but I mean it's not.
And I'm telling you right now that they're there are many people listening that
are glad that you called. I'll tell you what I'm concerned about, Tom,
I want it to be a Bible teaching, Bible believing church. Is
it a Bible teaching, Bible believing church. Oh yeah, then the other
is just a kouterman. It's just stuff, and it's not disrespectful as long
as you come respectful. People were wearing sandals in the first churches, I'll
tell you that. So it's more a matter of the first churches were homes.
We met in homes. There weren't buildings with stained glass investments. There
was on the Jewish side of things. There were in temple. They had
formalities, but if you remember, I mocked a lot of the formalities in
Scripture and was upset with the fact the formalities tended to supersede the truth that
was being taught. So if it's so laid back that it's not even really
teaching anything and it's really about getting together and hanging out out and having donuts
afterwards, I have a problem with it. But if it's a church that
says, hey, come as you are, We're all about the message and
getting this message to you, and we don't want you to wait till you
have a suit. We don't want you to wait until you you know,
have time to do X, Y and Z. You come as you are,
then I think that's glorious. I think it's beautiful. But that's exactly
what it is. Yeah, we're not hanging out for the donuts, that's
for sure, but we're I mean, it's just like what you just said.
And by the way, I tell everybody about your show that, oh
that's very nice. I appreciate it. And keep in mind that, you
know, we grow because you do things like that, and when you tell
people about it, I really really appreciate it. But you as well,
Tom, be at peace, because the core of the church is scripture and
what scripture is teaching and there are traditions that go along with it that are
important, very important. But I don't ever want you to lose sight of
the purpose of why you're there. And there's so many churches have gotten have
lost their focus and gotten on this hype about the appearance. And now there's
stages. It's not even you know, the standing behind the pulpit. Now
it's like the stage and there's this big show and there's a place for that.
There's a place for that. You want to reach as many people as
you can and you know, modern day you have to be able to strike
the same chords or cord they can understand, and they being the people in
the church, and there has to be different flavors. There has to be.
But as long as it's always you know, ice cream is a particular
formula. It's a particular thing that makes ice cream, and otherwise it becomes
frozen custard. Otherwise it becomes frozen yogurt or these types of things, or
a gelato if you're Italian, I do that for you, Tony sitting in
the other room. So they there's a specific formula that makes something ice cream,
but the flavor of the ice cream doesn't. It doesn't keep it from
being ice cream. It just changes its flavor depending on the palette of the
individual, you know, the individuals that are consuming it. So when it
comes to church, I think that they it's very easy to get wrapped up
in what you like and make that the standard. Well, this is what
I like to do. I like to dress up. Some people like to
My producer, Neil likes likes it split down the middle. He likes to
dress up and the formality of certain things. And then on the other side,
if he if he's not available to do that on the very very very
rare occasion that he steps into a church. Yeah, I'm talking to you
that that there's that likes to be casual as well. And there's just different
flavors and and and things out there, and you should experience those as they
speak to you. Some people like simple acoustic music at a church. Some
people like, uh, you know, electric guitars and keyboards and full drum
sets and all of those things. And that's fine as long as it doesn't
take away from the message, as long as it doesn't take away from what's
being taught and what's being said, because that's the gathering. And when a
church becomes what am I wearing? What are you wearing? When it becomes
those things, that becomes idolatry, and it stops being part of the church,
and it starts stops being reverence and respect for God and becomes a show
of a class system. And this is what I make, and this is
how much I'm worth, and look at the fancy clothes I'm wearing, and
that becomes a distraction of God too. So don't you know, people are
gonna like it, and some people aren't. There's a church that might not
be you know, everybody's taste. It's a very artsy church. And in
this particular church, there's a lot of creativity going on. They encourage and
people sit at tables rather than in pews or chairs, and there's encouragement of
drawing or writing during the service. There's also painting that goes on that may
not be your cup of tea. But if there's if the Bible's being taught
there and they're trying to find ways for people to express themselves in that context,
great, If it becomes a distraction or a problem, then then it
takes away from God. And you don't have the right to take that spotlight
from God. And some people don't like the more relaxed churches. Broke my
heart to hear Tom say, I don't even own a suit. Could you
imagine not experiencing God because you think that a way cloth is tailored, cut
and sown is going to make a difference to God. The important thing is
the effort and the desire to seek God and showing the importance and the value
of God. You can get more suits, you can get more clothing,
but I'll tell you the one commodity you can't make more of his time,
and to give God your time to go and to show that I'm here and
I'm showing up and I'm with you and I love you, and I want
to hear about your love letter called the Bible, and I want to listen
to the things that you taught and the things that you said. That's that's
the beauty of it. Don't get caught up in the other things and lose
sight of the importance of being in that place and connecting with God's people and
connecting with God. It's not a silly question, not a silly question at
all time. Kf I am six on demand