WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.759 You're listening to kfi Am six forty on demand. 2 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:11.359 Self love Leviticus nineteen eighteen is where we jump off 3 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:15.439 from today, talking about loving your neighbor as you love yourself. 4 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:20.600 This easily and simply implies from the word of God 5 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.160 that you have to love yourself. You have to understand 6 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:27.760 that we looked at the fact that everything that is 7 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:32.079 good from God, the enemy has a perversion or a 8 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:38.200 a polluted version of God gives you passion, the enemy 9 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.880 gives you lust. God gives you righteous anger, The enemy 10 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:45.679 gives you rage. God gives you healthy self love, and 11 00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:49.520 the enemy gives you conceit and selfishness and narcissism. And 12 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:51.280 that's not what I call you to, that's not what 13 00:00:51.359 --> 00:01:04.439 I want. But there's there's this attitude that, well, if 14 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:07.959 you love yourself, then you're being focused only on self. 15 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.599 And I'm telling you this that if you love yourself properly, 16 00:01:11.640 --> 00:01:15.400 as First Corinthians thirteen says, that talks about being kind 17 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:18.079 with yourself. Okay, because this is talking about love. Remember, 18 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.480 love is patient, Love is kind, Love does not envy 19 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.120 or boast. Well, think about it this way for yourself, 20 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:26.239 that you are to be patient with yourself So many 21 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:30.799 times I will talk to someone on the air or 22 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:33.519 receive an email about someone who's just not patient with 23 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:38.079 themselves and what you're growing through or learning, and being 24 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:44.519 kind to yourself, not being envious about other people's selves, 25 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:53.040 certainly not to boast, not to be arrogant or rude. 26 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:58.040 This is interesting that love, as it says in one 27 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.719 Corinthians thirteen, it does not insist on its own way. 28 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:06.920 What does that mean if you're talking about loving yourself, Well, 29 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:11.680 it's about understanding that not everything you want for you 30 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.639 is healthy or good. It's why you yield to the 31 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:17.560 will of God and not your own will. And that's 32 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.560 part of loving yourself is understanding that God's will is 33 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:30.879 better for you than your own. That love bears all things, 34 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:35.479 and with that is embarrassments and mistakes and things that 35 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:36.960 you will go through in life. And you know what, 36 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:42.240 everybody else goes through them too. Believes in all things. 37 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:46.639 It says about love in one Corinthians thirteen. You have 38 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:50.639 to believe in yourself as well. And that's not some 39 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:56.960 self help thing. That's not some you know, mamby pamby 40 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.840 kind of here here is some candy for you to 41 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:04.599 chew on and feel good about yourself. No, it's about 42 00:03:04.680 --> 00:03:08.280 knowing that God created you with purpose and skills and abilities, 43 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:13.520 and you need to believe in those things, those tools 44 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:17.960 that God gave you. That's all part of who you are. 45 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:24.800 Be hopeful for things, endure all things, and know that 46 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:27.840 the love that you have in life is given to 47 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:34.240 you by God and it is endless. Scripture also says 48 00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:36.560 that the more you know about God, the more you'll 49 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:43.599 know about yourself. Firse John three to one. See what 50 00:03:43.719 --> 00:03:47.120 kind of love the Father has given to us? That 51 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:50.199 we should be called children of God, and so we are. 52 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:54.439 The reason why the world does not know us is 53 00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:00.240 that they did not know him. This is saying that 54 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:07.240 the world can't even love you because they don't know 55 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:12.479 and love God. Similarly that you, the more you know 56 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:15.280 about God, the more you can love yourself. The more 57 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:17.240 that you understand that the Creator has given you this 58 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:22.600 life and all the things in it, and that the 59 00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:27.199 trials you go through are there for you to strengthen yourself, 60 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:35.800 to endure and to hone that love. If you get 61 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:40.800 that thing, if you take that with you today, that 62 00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:44.600 knowing that to know God more, spend more timeliness in 63 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.759 his word to spend more time with his people, spend 64 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:53.439 more time in prayer. Then you'll know yourself better. You'll 65 00:04:53.480 --> 00:05:01.439 be able to love yourself properly when you know God 66 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:11.160 and love God. Romans thirteen eight and ten eight through 67 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:17.319 ten have an interesting description of the fulfillment of the law. 68 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.720 It says, oh, no one anything except to love each other. 69 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.319 For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 70 00:05:27.959 --> 00:05:29.800 I'll pause for a second. And how are you supposed 71 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:35.600 to love another like you love yourself? Goes on to say, 72 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.560 for the commandments you shall not commit adultery, you shall 73 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:42.199 not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, 74 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:46.279 and any other commandment are summed up in this word. 75 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:54.079 You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does not 76 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:59.000 wrong a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. 77 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.399 All of the ten commandments, it's saying here, every single 78 00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:06.839 one of the ten commandments are fulfilled in that concept 79 00:06:07.079 --> 00:06:13.480 of love, true love. Yet it says again that you 80 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:18.560 shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. Love does 81 00:06:18.560 --> 00:06:21.439 not wrong a neighbor. Love should not self, love should 82 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:28.439 not wrong itself. The fulfillment of the law. Do you 83 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.439 realize that you cannot break any of the commandments if 84 00:06:31.480 --> 00:06:37.639 you do everything in love. And that's what it's saying here. 85 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:43.639 It's very easy to get caught up in life. You 86 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:50.680 see these, some of them quite horrible reality shows, and 87 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:53.800 the way people treat one another, and the insecurities and 88 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:56.639 the ugliness, and the way the producers and the cameraman 89 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.959 and everybody else do their part to try and cap 90 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.680 sure the ugliest part of humanity. And you'll find it 91 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:06.480 it's not hard to capture. You don't need producers, even 92 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:10.079 you don't need any of that. People can be very 93 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:14.160 ugly to one another, and it's hard to remember not 94 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:20.240 to be sometimes, but it usually stems from not knowing 95 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:24.839 yourself and not having a healthy love for your own self. 96 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.600 You need to understand who you are and that I 97 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:34.639 made you, The Father made you in his image, And 98 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.319 what is that? Does that mean two legs? Two? I 99 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:42.199 know that means intellect, will, and emotion, and that you 100 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.199 have those things, and that you are designed to be 101 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:49.879 a creature of love, both to others and to yourself. 102 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.279 And the world will tell you that love is sex, 103 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:57.920 and the world will tell you that love is power, 104 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:00.240 and the world will tell you all these things, and 105 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:05.720 it's not it's understanding, its appreciation. It's a true knowledge 106 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:08.839 of who God is and who you are through God. 107 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:16.240 And the proper application of those things is what will 108 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:21.040 make you healthy. And I will tell you there is. 109 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:27.000 Can you imagine walking into a filthy restaurant with a 110 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:30.920 lousy sign outside. Nothing looks clean, no one looks like 111 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:35.960 they care. Why would you want to eat there? You wouldn't. 112 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:42.000 And it's the same with how you present yourself. If 113 00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:48.240 you crawl into a hole, if you stay in the dark, 114 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:54.679 if you don't explore your own curiosities and wonderment with 115 00:08:54.759 --> 00:08:59.679 this world, if you don't want to explore on your 116 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:03.600 very own, the assumption will be that none of that 117 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:09.799 will change with a partner. If you're curious and excited 118 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:13.279 about life, if you are not feeling good in the 119 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:16.120 place that you are, your first response is to quit, 120 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.519 that's a problem. If your first response is to well, 121 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:21.600 then I'm going to climb out of this hole and 122 00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:26.320 I'm going to find a place where I am exhilarated 123 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:34.320 and stimulated and excited by the things around you. I mean, 124 00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:37.279 when you walk out and you see a different moon 125 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:42.000 or a big harvest moon or just a tiny little sliver, 126 00:09:42.879 --> 00:09:45.240 or you see the way clouds roll in or roll away, 127 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:50.840 or the way the sun rises or sets, the way 128 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:56.559 the ocean comes in and out. Where you find the 129 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:04.480 simple little things in line that can bring so much joy. 130 00:10:04.559 --> 00:10:07.320 When you find that person in your life, you'll find 131 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:10.159 that this is always interesting. The things that your partner 132 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:15.320 finds about themselves that they don't like usually will be 133 00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:17.080 the things that you do like and that drew you 134 00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:20.679 to them. The strange, funny way that they curl their 135 00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:25.480 lip when they talk, the slight pigeon toe of the 136 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:29.519 left foot, how it just slowly inches in like a 137 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:35.360 child when they walk, the big eyes, the beauty mark, 138 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:38.600 whatever it might be. I guarantee the things that you 139 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:44.480 love about your partner they despise, they don't like them. 140 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:48.440 So what I ask of you today is to look 141 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:50.559 at yourself and to look at yourself through the eyes 142 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:55.080 of others, to find that that beauty, that wonderfulness, that 143 00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.120 comfort and who you are. And I will tell you 144 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:01.080 the world will be a tre to you. And that's 145 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:06.720 not the goal. That's the result of healthy people living 146 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:13.320 in a healthy environment around other healthy people, loving yourself 147 00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:16.679 self love. It seems contradictory to Christianity, and it's not. 148 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:19.360 As a matter of fact, Scripture says in Leviticus nineteen 149 00:11:19.399 --> 00:11:22.919 eighteen that you have to love your neighbor as you 150 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:29.320 love yourself. And those are strong words. That's God saying that. Listen, 151 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:33.720 you need to have a structured understanding of who you 152 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:38.000 are that allows you to appreciate who you are in 153 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:42.600 the context of this life and the context of serving God. 154 00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:48.120 So it's not about conceit not about narcissism, not about selfishness. 155 00:11:49.559 --> 00:11:54.559 It's about understanding who you are, me first, not me only, 156 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:59.960 and I love how concise that is not necessarily true 157 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.440 about the me first in the sense that there is 158 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.600 kind of a selflessness that goes with it. But the 159 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:11.279 balance that is should be achieved is about knowing who 160 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:15.039 you are and appreciating who you are, because no one 161 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:19.519 else will appreciate you if you don't appreciate yourself. And 162 00:12:19.559 --> 00:12:22.440 so God says to love your neighbor as you love yourself. 163 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:27.399 So you have to love yourself first, but not in 164 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.840 the way that you push everybody out of the way. 165 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:32.799 It's to help things move along, it's to help society. 166 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.639 It's to help your relationships. So really it becomes an 167 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:42.519 act of selflessness and not selfishness. So what is love, well, 168 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:46.600 One Corinthians thirteen. If you've ever been to a Christian wedding, 169 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.559 you know this. Love is patient and kind. Love does 170 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:53.600 not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. 171 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.559 It does not insist on its own way. It is 172 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:02.080 not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice and wrongdoing, 173 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:09.080 but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes 174 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.799 all things, hopes, all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 175 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:19.679 It even says one Corinthians thirteen that prophecies they will 176 00:13:19.720 --> 00:13:23.759 pass away, tongues they will cease, knowledge it will pass away. 177 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:27.679 But love stays consistent. And so all these things should 178 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:30.960 be things that you apply to yourself. But the way 179 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:34.480 you love yourself is to be patient and kind, not 180 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:39.360 only with others, but with yourself. I've met some incredibly 181 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:42.879 loving people who are so kind to others and yet 182 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.879 can't be that way to themselves, don't know how to 183 00:13:45.879 --> 00:13:48.559 be kind or patient with their own selves, their own 184 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:56.039 learning their own path. It's not about how bragging, not 185 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:01.320 about boasting, not about envy. Oh they're more when it 186 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:03.480 comes to this love, the self love that I want 187 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:09.720 you to have much more. Marty, Welcome to the Jesus 188 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:10.159 Christ Show. 189 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:15.559 Good morning, Jesus. Hi Hi. I just want to say 190 00:14:16.360 --> 00:14:19.440 a few things very quickly before I get into my question. 191 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:23.240 I came to know you personally very young, at the 192 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:26.919 age of five. I'm fifty three years old today, and 193 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:31.080 just want to thank you publicly for always being there 194 00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:37.039 and always never ever ever letting me go through anything 195 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:39.559 without knowing that you were there for me. 196 00:14:40.600 --> 00:14:42.399 Well, Glory to God. That's wonderful to hear. 197 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:47.600 Yes, I have a question and for the first time 198 00:14:47.720 --> 00:14:54.440 in my life, just wondering what a spiritual battle truly is. 199 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:59.080 My firstborn grandson became very ill two years ago, is 200 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:04.759 ill today as we speak. And you've been so faithful 201 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:09.799 to guide and give this family strength because without you 202 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:14.120 we couldn't have done it. But I have other believers 203 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:19.159 around me that keep saying or asking me, what is 204 00:15:19.159 --> 00:15:22.840 the spiritual battle that your family is going through and why? 205 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:28.399 And as though there were an evil something looming over us, 206 00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:33.399 even though you've been so faithful to be there every 207 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.720 step of the way for us during this trying time 208 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.080 and so I'm confused why other believers would I would 209 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:42.919 say that or question that, or. 210 00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:45.159 They are they acting as if it's like a curse 211 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:47.679 or something or some sin brought up that you brought 212 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:50.799 in and then therefore this is somehow punitive. 213 00:15:51.559 --> 00:15:55.840 Yes, yes, and I'm blown away and I'm confused about that. 214 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.399 And we lean on you every day and every step 215 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:02.759 of this way. You have shown us that you are 216 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:04.440 there and have never left this family. 217 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:08.879 Well, I'd like to think that maybe they're miss they're 218 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:13.240 missing something, or that really when they're saying spiritual battle, 219 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:16.960 that they're just referring to the generic term. There are 220 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.600 spiritual battles going along in every Christian's life, every single 221 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:24.519 one of them. And that's part of the protection and 222 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.919 growth process of earth. That's one of the reasons why 223 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.720 you're here and you're not created in heaven, you're created 224 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:35.879 here on earth. There is a purification process that goes 225 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:40.639 through this life, and every Christian in this life that 226 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:45.639 you're going to experience. Romans five three says more than that, 227 00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:50.279 rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance. So 228 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:56.600 those those trials that suffering one Peter four twelve, beloved 229 00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:59.759 do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it 230 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:03.279 comes upon you to test you as though something strange 231 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:06.519 were happening to you. You shouldn't be surprised. It shouldn't 232 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:08.440 be out of the norm for a Christian to go 233 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:14.279 through things through garbage. And it's the old bumper stick 234 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:16.319 because you know how Christians love the little sayings, the 235 00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:20.799 old bumper sticker. That's not what your future holds. Who 236 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:24.960 holds your future that's important is really the key. And 237 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:30.279 either there's some misunderstanding as to that concept of spiritual battle, 238 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.920 but really you should want to welcome it in the 239 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:38.000 sense that it's part of the purification process that God 240 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:41.039 is with you through throughout the entirety of it. Rejoicing 241 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:43.920 in those things are good because in those trials is 242 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.920 where God reaches in and has glory. I mean, listen 243 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:49.079 to the tone of your voice when you talk about 244 00:17:49.079 --> 00:17:52.039 the things that God has done in your life, you know, 245 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:55.200 and those times when I've stepped in and those times 246 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:57.960 where you felt My presence and all of that is 247 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:02.440 you can only talk about that because there are trials 248 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:05.880 in your life. If everything was perfect, you know, what 249 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:07.799 are you going to say? We life is great, and 250 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.720 God is good and everything's fine. You know, how dull 251 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:15.039 is that the things in life that are commonly referred 252 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:18.440 to as trials are the things that make your life 253 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:20.799 unique to you, and your experience is unique to you, 254 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:26.000 and your endurance and strength and spiritual growth unique to 255 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:29.680 you and your family in this case, and that's not 256 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:33.240 a bad thing. It's bad in the world. You know, 257 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:35.720 we were having this discussion earlier about what's bad and 258 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:39.240 what's good, and the world gets confused about those things. 259 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:42.440 There are many things that are painful and that can 260 00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:47.200 cause pain or turmoil that are good for you. And 261 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.839 so I wouldn't look at that as a as a 262 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:52.680 pejorative or a negative term. When someone says spiritual battle, 263 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:56.880 I would look at that as you know, you go 264 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:00.400 through Ephesians and you see where it talks about the 265 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:03.440 armor of God. What do you think the armor of 266 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:09.240 God's for spiritual battles. Spiritual battles exactly to protect you 267 00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:15.200 from evil. And if you could see what's taking place 268 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:19.359 on a daily basis in the spiritual realm around you, 269 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:26.799 in the battle front, and angels with swords drawn to 270 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:34.200 defend and all these things, it's quite fantastic. Beautiful and 271 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:39.640 terrifying to those who don't believe. But you're a believer 272 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.359 and you're covered in that. And and if somebody says 273 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:47.319 you're going going through a spiritual battle, you look at 274 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:51.119 them and say thank you. Yeah, God, God sees you 275 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.799 in the light that you are worthy of protection, you 276 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:57.440 are worthy of refinement, you are worthy of being in 277 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:01.599 a place that you can glorify God. And that's what 278 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:02.640 comes from trials. 279 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:06.519 And we do every single day we give God the 280 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:10.079 glory because we give you the glory because of the 281 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:17.359 fact that you have proven doctors wrong. Every time we 282 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:24.319 receive bad news, you do. Your perfect plan is shown 283 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:26.960 to us. And you've been so faithful to do that. 284 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:32.839 And this family has grown spiritually and pulled together and 285 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:38.319 has brought us so closer. But we lean on you daily. Daily, 286 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:39.640 We lean on. 287 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:42.400 You, and people see that, and that's part of your 288 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:45.079 testament of faith, and it's part of who you are. 289 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:48.319 And it's not about the outcome. Everybody's always saying, you know, 290 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:51.119 you see these Christians that are always walking around with smiles, 291 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:53.559 and you know they're not always happy. It's not about 292 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:57.559 always being happy. It's a joy is different. Happiness is 293 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:01.200 a momentary feeling of joy due to a happening. Something happened, 294 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:04.680 and you go, now I'm happy. But joy, true joy 295 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.880 comes in times of pain. It's an understanding that God 296 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.519 is there and that God provides, and it's a constant, 297 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:15.240 and you're gonna have highs and lows, and there's gonna 298 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.119 be good things and bad things that happen to you 299 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:21.839 by the world's standards, But ultimately you keep that attitude, Marty, 300 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.839 that God is with you and that it's all to 301 00:21:23.880 --> 00:21:29.680 glorify God, and you're ahead of the game. People misunderstand things. 302 00:21:29.880 --> 00:21:33.559 I think about this for a second. Every time you 303 00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:37.279 refer to someone as courageous. You know, if you think 304 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:41.839 of firefighters or law enforcement or military, or any of 305 00:21:41.880 --> 00:21:44.640 these people that put their life on the line for 306 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:47.680 you on a daily basis, for your freedoms, for the 307 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:53.079 peace of mind, all of these things, your protection. That 308 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:56.279 the very things that you call them, the very attributes 309 00:21:56.319 --> 00:22:01.480 that you find noble or heroic or courage just don't 310 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:07.359 exist without turmoil, without fire, without gunfights, without you know, 311 00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:13.759 ugliness and adversity. That really it's that purification. It's those 312 00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:17.880 trials that really show the character of an individual. Or 313 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.079 shower show that the true faith and makeup of somebody. 314 00:22:23.880 --> 00:22:28.480 And this attitude, not that you certainly don't have marty, 315 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:31.359 but this attitude that I've heard from time to time 316 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:35.160 with Christians, that it's Christianity is supposed to make everything okay, 317 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:39.559 and that you're always fine and there's never a problem. More, 318 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:43.799 there aren't these tests. No spiritual battle is true. But 319 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:47.000 every Christian should be going through spiritual battle of one 320 00:22:47.079 --> 00:22:49.480 kind or the other. And I'll tell you something, the 321 00:22:49.559 --> 00:22:52.680 closer you get to God, the more that you might experience, 322 00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:58.400 because it's like the hotter the fire, the more refining 323 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:04.400 that fire, the hotter will get. One Peter one point 324 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:08.559 seven says, so that the tested genuineness of your faith, 325 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:14.440 more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested 326 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:17.519 by fire, may be found to result in the praise 327 00:23:17.559 --> 00:23:22.640 and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 328 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:27.480 The purification of gold goes through a heating process and 329 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:33.119 a process of trials, if you will, And Scripture talks 330 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:36.319 about the dross being scraped off the top and thrown 331 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:39.319 to the side. The dross is the imperfections, it's the 332 00:23:39.640 --> 00:23:42.839 it's the oils or certain minerals that shouldn't be there, 333 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:49.000 or whatever dust that during the heating and purification process, 334 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:51.519 that which doesn't burn out, that doesn't just burn up, 335 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:57.240 goes to the top when you're heating these metals and 336 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.599 getting them pure. And you see those stamps on the 337 00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:01.920 side of metals, whether it be jewelry or what have you, 338 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:06.200 that talk about their purity that comes from the heating, 339 00:24:06.920 --> 00:24:11.359 that the processing of those metals to get them to 340 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:16.079 a point of perfection in the eye of the maker. 341 00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:20.400 And if you're a believer, you should be going through 342 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:23.519 these things. You should be going through experiences that are tough, 343 00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:29.440 that are testing, that that are purifying who you are 344 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:34.079 and what your faith is, and that you shouldn't be surprised, 345 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:36.680 as it says in one Peter four twelve, you shouldn't 346 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:41.799 be surprised about fiery trials in your life. You should 347 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:47.079 be content with God's grace and you should know that 348 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:51.680 you're going to go through these tests. So if anyone 349 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:53.960 comes up to you and says that you know and 350 00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:58.079 uses it as a as a negative term or says that, oh, 351 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:01.400 like it's some weakness in your faith, on the contrary, 352 00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:05.519 it could very much be due to the intensity of 353 00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:09.119 your faith. The enemy putting special attention on you, and 354 00:25:09.880 --> 00:25:12.079 I want to attack you because of the intensity of 355 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:16.440 your faith, and that should be understood. And don't take 356 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:18.519 it on yourself and the weight on your shoulders as 357 00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:28.799 if you've done something wrong, because that's not the case. Jim, 358 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:30.240 Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. 359 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:33.920 Hello, Holy Host, Hi Jim, How can I help you? 360 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:39.240 Why would God put people in hell or taking a 361 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:41.799 brand or a mark of a sixty sixty six in 362 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:44.359 their four hair right hand when it's going to be 363 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:46.359 the only way they can buy or sell. 364 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:52.000 Well, that's up to interpretation as to whether that's what's 365 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:54.319 going to go on or not, whether it's six sixty 366 00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:56.759 six or tattooed. And there's been a lot of speculation 367 00:25:56.839 --> 00:25:59.480 as to what the so called number of the Beast 368 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:03.160 is and what that will mean. It's not that somebody 369 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:07.119 goes to hell for that. The hell is created for 370 00:26:07.880 --> 00:26:11.119 those who reject God and don't want to be with 371 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:15.759 God for eternity. So in the case of speaking about 372 00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:19.200 the Book of Revelation and the things that are talked 373 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:22.960 about there, that really the sign or this symbol is 374 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:28.960 about rejecting God in totality. It's not just about exchanging 375 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:35.119 things or for money or using it for commerce. It's 376 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:38.480 not about that. It always comes down to the one 377 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:42.839 unpardonable sin spoken about in scripture, and that's rejecting God. 378 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:46.799 It's rejecting technically, rejecting the Holy Spirit, who brings you 379 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:50.640 to Me, who brings you to the Father. So if 380 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:53.599 you are at that point where you do what is 381 00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:55.960 spoken about in scripture, and keep in mind in the 382 00:26:55.960 --> 00:27:02.640 Book of Revelation, it's not very specific. It's a sketch 383 00:27:02.759 --> 00:27:06.279 of something that will take place. Many people thought that 384 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:08.200 that was going to be credit cards. Some people thought 385 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:12.680 it was social Security numbers. People have thought all of 386 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:16.720 these things, that it was going to be some sort 387 00:27:16.759 --> 00:27:19.680 of this is the mark of the devil. But it's 388 00:27:19.720 --> 00:27:22.200 not about, oh now I've got a tattoo, or there's 389 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:24.519 this mark on me, I'm doomed to hell. That's not 390 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.839 how it works. It's not some weird technicality that God's 391 00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:32.559 looking for to boot you out of heaven. It's a 392 00:27:32.680 --> 00:27:38.799 specific and wilful act of rebellion, turning away from God, 393 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:42.240 flipping God the finger and saying I don't want you 394 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:48.519 in my life. That's very specific and that's done with 395 00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:52.480 will and intent. It's not accidental. It's not all well, 396 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:54.920 I needed to buy bread for my children. So there 397 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:59.960 may come a time, trust me, things may get worse, 398 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:02.799 and there may come a time where you have to 399 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:06.880 make a decision between your existence on earth and the 400 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:13.039 pleasures on Earth and God and so what you see 401 00:28:13.079 --> 00:28:17.759