Christ Un-barred - EP 102 - How do we forgive ourselves?

All right, guys, we are here. This is Christ Unbarred. We're going to start talking now with the regular voice like this, like we're doing a show. No, we're not. And this is the way we're going to do things from now on. No, I'm just kidding. No, we're not, you guys. We are... It is hot, guys. It was 103 today. Yes, it's 103. It's still warm outside. Really hot. Yeah. So this weekend here in Modesto, guys, those of you that are old school, if you guys remember an old, old movie by George Lucas, I'm going to get my mind went blank. What movie is this? Boulevard Night? No. No. Oh, I don't know. Oh, my gosh. My mind went blank, guys. See what happens when you're 54. Graffiti Night. Yeah. Right. It is, right? Yeah.

Graffiti something. American Graffiti. American Graffiti. By George Lucas. George Lucas is the guy that made Star Wars. He grew up in Modesto here, and he actually, before Star Wars and all that, he did American Graffiti. It's a classic movie about cruising, and that movie was based here in Modesto. So all of my life, because of that, cruising, that movie was huge across the nation, and it put Modesto on the map. They actually mention parts of Modesto in that movie. You've never watched it, huh? Remember we said we're going to watch it? No. You watched it, I think, a few times, and then I- No. I watched it all my life growing up. Oh, okay. But I haven't seen it in years. No. And I haven't watched it with you. Yeah. I've never seen it ever. Yeah. We should watch it. Okay. So anyways, guys, cruising has been a huge thing because of that movie way back. And all my life, they had this thing called Graffiti Night. It used to be like this cruising, and people with hot rods, low riders, old school, I mean, whatever custom car you had, were always out.

But then it got really violent in the 90s, and cruising got shut down. But car enthusiasts and the city kind of took over Graffiti Night because it was like, before it was called Graffiti Night, just by the people. And it became a city thing, and the city kind of took it over and made it a holiday. So it's huge. Every hotel is booked. You see custom cars everywhere. And it's happening right now. So actually, right outside of our church, there's a sobriety checkpoint. Yeah. Oh, is there? Yeah. There's a bunch of police out there because there's a lot of people, obviously, drinking. The bars are full. The restaurants are full. The streets are full of cruisers. It is... I don't go out there, guys. I don't do it. I used to do it when I was a teenager and go out there and cruise and stuff, but I don't. But anyways, we're here, and it's Friday night, and we're ready to acknowledge these letters, the letters you guys have sent us. Let's do it. Yeah. I was hanging out with Brother Juan earlier. He was released from Tampa, remember? He did 15 years. You guys saw him doing a grocery giveaway. And the women... Is it 15 or 12?

No, he did 15. 15. The women were having something in the lobby. Yeah, we had our women's discipleship, and we needed to do it today because we have to cancel the one because we're going to be in Monterey. Yeah, we're going to Monterey in two weeks, guys. So if we didn't do it today, then we wouldn't have one the whole month, and I don't want that to happen. Yeah. So while the women were in the lobby, me and him were here in the office, and I had these pork rinds. So I was like, hey, look at this new flavor of pork rinds. So we're eating them, and then it made our mouths super dry, and we couldn't interrupt the women. And we're like, we're a heck of thirsty. So I had a watermelon and a... Cantaloupe. No, it's not a cantaloupe. No, it's a honeydew. Honeydew. And we cracked them open, man, and we hydrated ourselves with the watermelon. You're funny. How come you just didn't go over there? I didn't want to interrupt, but it was so good. We were just sitting here and eating the whole thing so anyways You ready I'm ready I know So the first one is mr. Christopher, of course, I can't say last names or Actual prisons, but I will say the city. It's in Corcoran, California and Oh

Yeah, we got sure it looked like a menu you want us to get to somebody remember He used to be writers from Stockton and then he ended up going to prison. Yeah. Yeah, so Got your letter, man. Thank you Charles in Iowa Park, Texas. Thank you for the photo You're right man after doing 31 years. You're right. Even though three years left. He goes man. I'm short timing. Mm-hmm Yeah, it is. Yeah Yeah, and good question brother about what are the requirements to help you with a book and I will reiterate and say this is that We need a contact for you out on the outside Because that whole book and everything we don't want to deal with anybody's royalties whether you sell one book or a thousand books Whatever we don't want that money coming through us and that's oh you we just want to help you set it up You know, so you need somebody out here to set it up because whatever account we put on Your books that money's gonna go directly to the bank account That person has set up has nothing to do with us at all. So that's kind of requirements having somebody in the outs, you know Oscar out of Salinas. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you for your letter. God bless you Charles and DelVal, Texas Thank you so much for your letter Chadwick in Ellie, New York Is there any church in Vegas that we know I don't know any pastors in Las Vegas, I wish I did But thank you. He has resources that he sent. Oh nice. Yeah, so appreciate that brother and man, I wish I knew You know, this is why I want to have a network of churches, you know Because so many of you are releasing to different places different cities different states, you know, I can't think of one church I do know but it's just it's just a veal Yeah, maybe I can just get that information and yeah Brother Derek New Castle, it's funny because The other one you put beep Yeah So I thought remember last time we thought he we congratulated him for becoming the chaplain clerk. Mm-hmm. He hasn't become he was He was explaining to us about the chaplain requested him to apply Yeah, yeah, but I'm really glad you're reading the dr. Michael Heiser book Amazing unseen realm and

Brother, it's always good to hear from you, man. Yes, we appreciate you very much This is a lot of resources Chadwick. Wait, did he just send resources over here? He did. Oh, okay sure, I mean, Nevada Sure did shorty. Yeah, so thank you. I'm calling you shorty. I'm just saying oh did shorty. This is some amazing artwork on the front of this Mr. Anthony and Menard, Illinois, you deserve a King with that's paint, right? What kind of paint is that brother? I don't know. Yeah, that's nice. That is paint. That's really nice I like the gold Wow, yeah Wow, so brother Series is next door. If you go back to the Christmas Lane That was series. Mm-hmm So if you if you go back, I literally left it recording from Christmas Lane back to the church It's only like five minutes less. Yeah minutes So there's one block that way is the Salvation Army and then there's a long bridge That bridge separates series from Modesto. Mm-hmm. Very close. Yeah, it's it's right right there. Let me see I don't know what else we wrote Yeah, oh and and really powerful testimony and And I I I love the fact that you're sharing so much and just being new to the Lord brother I just gonna say stand strong my prayer for you brother is not to get put in situations where where you want Where you're forced your hand or whatever this and that my prayer is that the Lord always put you in places That is gonna keep you So you don't come out of pocket or come out of character of who you are in Christ, but I'm glad that you're that you're um I'm glad that you're actually staying in character though you know that you're that the lord is uh that you're staying strong absolutely yeah look at your cow on the screen oh he's so cute look at the little udders she's so pretty we're gonna name her Betsy because my middle name is Besabel so we're gonna call her Betsy all right sounds good to me all right Betsy Jesse from Post Texas um amen for the praise report that you got a hold of your sister you

got a hold of your nephews you guys are connected on your tablet that man we love that man praise god amen okay Amy wait that deserves that in an air yeah Amy out of Harrisburg Pennsylvania um man being part of the choir so proud of you you know in an ear for you I'm gonna tin in an ear everybody today I'm so proud of you that's awesome good job and and just the kind the kind words that you said about us I'm yawning I don't edit nothing you know me but uh you know what's funny guys is is I was watching a couple other uh I guess podcasts that you guys get and um great stuff you know I mean but I'm watching it right now you know and I'm just like they sound so polished like every word we're so unpolished every word was perfectly said everything was said smiles you know there was no yawns no um these weird moments or nothing like I came in here guys I was so hot and I just put my hair up in a bun right now because it's I'm hot you know I'm like oh my god my hair is growing again and I just threw it up in a bun I'm like oh well they're gonna see me with a weird looking bun I didn't even brush my hair okay we had a great conversation yesterday with a brother that just got out he was he would write us quite a bit brother Roque yeah Leo uh Roque and um had a good conversation with him he's doing good guys for those of you that maybe were around him and uh had a great conversation and and he was just sharing with us about how he loved the authenticity that he saw and and and we're like listen um we don't have time to be sitting here editing or being like oh let's do a second take let's do a fifth take oh let's rerun that back like we're just gonna hit record and let it go you know and he was just like that's what I love about it you know I mean and so we don't we're not acting man we're just we're just hitting record and just fellowshipping with you guys this is how I do it is I try to do it in a way where you are sitting on the other side of this table can you imagine going and having coffee or lunch with somebody and then you're not liking what you said and you're like oh let me wait let me do it over let me do it over you know I mean you don't do that you can't do it you just keep talking you know I mean so that's kind of our our thing and we just want to talk with you guys that's it okay Angelo out of Avenal um we always always always always appreciate your prayer requests you always give them to us but thank you for this time because you always just just send the prayer request but we appreciate the fact that you shared your life yes thank you you know and we just love how you are growing and and and being discerning of yourself and

and seeing your own self in your in your strengths and your weaknesses and that is awesome man so I appreciate it you know because he always just sends all the prayer requests we're like who is this you know thank you so we love the fact that you shared a little bit uh Fernando in uh Phoenix Arizona and um thank you thank you yeah birthday is June 28th that's that's uh the Sunday of when we get back from Monterey the Monterey's is 27th yes but you know what let's sing happy birthday now and to all the wait because we're gonna sing to all the June birthdays okay what about July for those in Edovo okay we'll sing for the July and all wait one two three happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday god bless you happy birthday to you happy birthday guys really really appreciate the encouragement in your letter thank you so much and thank you for that beautiful blessing by the way charlie fry bread yakima Washington So you said that, you know, you hope that someday I could do a, uh, if you could do a bike ride and film and I'm just like, how about, how about you just come and do a bike ride with us, you know, um, that'd be awesome. Yeah. Do it. Do it. Where's my beep? Brother, Derek. And Newcastle, Indiana. Brother. Your sister got baptized. That's so cool. Praise report. Your sister got. Man, praise God. All of heaven is rejoicing. That's just the first of many in your family, brother. Yes. The first of many. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

All right, uh, Fernando out of orange, California. Thank you so much. Appreciate you, brother. Thank you, brother. Okay. James in Great Falls, Montana, where we're going to be at. I know soon in August. Did he suggest for us to go somewhere over there? To he said, uh, Mammoth Hotel. Mammoth Hotel. I don't know where it's at. I don't know if it's an area where we're going. Let's check this out real quick. Check it out. Let's check it out. Mammoth Hotel in Montana. Let's see. Right? Well, that really went close. Oh, that is where we're going to go. Look, we're going up this freeway. Yeah, Mammoth Lake, Mammoth Hot Springs. Yeah, that's where you're saying. Yeah, my sister wants to go that way. Yeah, perfect. Yeah, so we are going to go and he has a joke. Let's listen to the yoke. Let's see. It's the first joke of the night. Here it is.

Hmm. A white man and a black man were arguing about if God was black or white. Not of thin air. A flash of light appeared out of nowhere and a brown man appears and says hola. I'm Jesus. I guess he was Mexican. Oh man. Thank you, man. I'm really we're really excited to see your state. We've never been there at all. But everybody says it's beautiful. Jeremy in Bennettsville, South Carolina, man. Praise God for you accepting Christ to give in your life to the Lord man. This these this is why we do what we do. That was extended. I didn't know if it was going to end. I don't know what got into me. But man, I was a long in an ear. I know brother. Keep writing us. Keep studying the Bible. Keep studying the word and God bless you. We want to hear more from you as you continue to learn and grow. Yeah. Yeah, keep studying your new Bible. Amen. Are you speaking life into that?

Yes, Bobby Ray Lakeport, California. God bless you. Thank you so much. Also keep studying your Bible brother. Yep. Keep studying your new Bible. All right, Anthony and leg. Le Gange Le Gange, Kentucky. Le Gange. Le Gange. I'm going to I'm going to find out how to pronounce that. Let's see. Le Gange. How to pronounce. How do you spell it? Is it an M or an N? Oh, no. Here it is. Le Grange. Le Grange. He forgot the R. Look. Oh, look. What? I'm going to spell that right. I know. Wait, I've been four zero zero three one. Oh, wait in Kentucky. Le Grange is pronounced as the Grange the Grange. He forgot the R.

Really? Could it be spelling that right? Yeah, so you're pronouncing things wrong. You're sharing about how he had that infection that almost killed you brother. What? But the fact is this God has the last word. That's right. God has the last word. And so obviously I don't have to tell you this. You already know that God has a plan for you. He doesn't save people from things like this. Just so the same. Oh the same. Oh the same. He does it because you are called to reach lives for him, you know, so I just want you to continue to grow in the Lord. What the enemy meant for evil. Amen. God meant for good. Yes. All right, mr. Richard out of Napa noach, New York Always appreciate your letters brother always always do And you know what? I I took your advice Because he was just like, you know, what? How's Jeremy doing? You know check on him sometimes, you know what I did brother Just to just so you know how much you know me when when? Somebody some of you asked me something like that. I reached out to Jeremy today And I messaged him I didn't call him I text him because I don't you know Sometimes he's busy whatnot and he messaged back and he said he's doing good actually His actual answer was

I'll tell you what I said. I said, how are you doing brother? I just wanted to say hi and tell you that we love you and then he wrote back. He says hi, bro I'm good. Love you all. Thanks for checking on me. I hope you're all well Nice. Yeah, so thank you. Amen. Thank you for reminding. Yeah Sometimes we need reminders to guys. Yeah, we don't know what if he needed to hear that right then and there, you know, thank you The Lord place it upon your heart so that we can take heed Yeah, because the Lord knew when we were gonna open it. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah Okay, Daryl Connell Washington and Amen lots all kinds of bookmarks Spread them out like you're playing poker. I'm gonna Look at this You're just showing them the back. Hold on, babe. I'm gonna turn them around in a minute in a minute All of these are handmade bookmarks all of these You don't know how exciting this is Because I've been so wanting what I'm gonna do is I'm laminating this And then I'm gonna put them in these cute little pouches some clear pouches and put little bows on them and I'm actually I'm trying to gather as many as possible and I'm gonna give them out as Gifts, I want to kind of have like a Christ on Bard day Here at the church on a Sunday and I want to give them out to everybody in the church You know how we give little gifts out so I want to give them out to the people as they're walking in So, I think right now I kind of have maybe like maybe like this is gonna bring it up to maybe like 60 Like about 60 of them now So but I need to have at least I need to have at least two These have verses on the back. Yeah, you guys put verses in the back of them and then you sign your name I need to have names on the back. So if you put your names in the back, that's awesome But I'm gonna laminate them and then I'm gonna give them to the people as they come in and everything So, you know, whatever bookmarks you send it doesn't matter if it's from a magazine or whatever you want to draw them Whatever you want to do they're gonna be given to somebody. So this these are made by table time ministry There in Connell, Washington. Thank you. Thank you brothers. Not only to you Darrell, but to all the brothers that are there

We're so appreciated Every single bookmark that is sensed, you know, even if it's a simple one I save them. Amen A Trampas in Phoenix, Arizona, and thank you so much for the artwork Really nice artwork member. Remember we open this up. Yes Yes, and those are gonna go on to the one this one for us that one's for us Yeah, and they're gonna go into the children's. This is cool. It's like a little singing frog. Mm-hmm. Oh Yeah, you can see it. It's a frog holding a guitar. Mm-hmm and Then very nice this one's for us It's like a mountain sunrise or sunset And He says because we travel a lot and stuff Batman and I think this is my favorite actually right here this little turtle I Know it reminds you of turtle Lane when you go ride your bike, huh? Yeah, surely. I named it that actually now Are you hot? Yes, you want this fan on I'm sweating you want the fan on and when do I ever get hot? It's really hot in here And you decide to turn it off the moment I get in here real cold Thanks, all right Juan Yeah, and Mary's again. I never see sweat in Marysville, California. Thank you. This is a Spanish one and Mucha gracias, but we did see the requests. Si miramos to the pedido que Lo que los estas pidiendo. Muchas gracias Can you feel it? Yes, thank you. Okay Charles in Dalhart, Texas God bless you, man. Thank you so much. Nice. Thank you. Love orange, man. I've got to give you that Are you using this letter for a family Thomas in What There's not even a city or state At all

What is that, I don't know man, I'm just gonna That's ena, Illinois's Is it yes Why do you write it in one word? I don't know either way. I mean, we don't have any PayPal program at all brother. Sorry If you go to episode 81 is 81 there's a resource there. Oh, yeah for a PayPal PayPal pen pal pen pal resource. Yes If you go to episode 81 episode 81 and you're gonna have to search it. I don't know the time It's at 1 out. It's at the 1-hour mark somewhere after after a 1-hour mark. Yeah Okay Mr. John in Morganton North Carol Lina and Got some jokes and wow, what a testimony You know about your mom and and the cancer than your dad was was you know, what happened to your dad later on? Wow, brother Thank you for just sharing your heart and trusting us, you know, we're strangers, you know And you still share that with us and you know, thank you so much Okay You Guys ready. Yes This is a joke a little story Sorry, Joe. Yes story. Oh, all right It's about old. Mr. Do Take the black you want me to turn a CEO? No, it's too late now at a time. Look how many we have left, babe Oh like 5,000 Old mr. Do was 89 years old and he had a doctor's appointment for his yearly checkup Mr. Do was sitting in a waiting area the doctor's office for his name to be called

the nurse opens a side door where all patients go to their get their weight and their height and go to the exam room before The doctor comes in as mr. Do is waiting. The doctor comes into the exam room and asked mr. Do how he's doing And mr. Do said hey doc doc doc, you know, the Lord has been mighty good to me The Lord said I mean the door the doctor said how so mr. Do He says, you know every time I go to the bathroom. He turns on the light for me when I leave he turns it off for me Doctor sitting there scratching his head on this patient statement and the doctor said I'll see you back in two weeks Two weeks rolled around. Mr. Doc is at the mr Do is at the doctor's office same process all over again goes into the exam room and waits and the doctor comes in and says how Are you doing? Mr. Do? Hey doc doc doc, you know, the Lord has been mighty mighty good to me and the doctor said how so Every time I go to the bathroom, he turns on the light for me when I leave he turns it off The doctor looks at him and says I'll see you in a week One week rolled around Mr. Do was back at the doctor's office with mrs Do with him the nurse calls mr Do back and mrs Do is right beside him as they walked into the exam room a few minutes later The doctor came in and asked mr. Do how he was doing and mr Do said hey doc doc doc doc, you know, the Lord has been mighty mighty mighty good to me And as he's telling the doctor the doctor's looking at mrs Do and he says every time I go to the bathroom He turns on the light for me and when I leave he turns it off the doctor looks at mr Do and then and mrs. Do and back at mr. Do and then back at mrs. Do and mrs. Do says hey doc He's peeing in the refrigerator again You Does the light turns on and off he's delusional he's he's old Not delusional what's the word I I don't know

Yes He's over here thanking God because the light turns on when he goes in the bathroom the light turns off when he stops He's been peeing in the fridge Oh my gosh, I get it now. You Yeah. He's going to be in the fridge the whole time. That's gross. Yeah, it is. Yeah. All right. Last few guys. Oh, it's a joke. That's all it is, is a joke. Kaden. Kaden from Cameron MO. John, that was gross. Kaden from Cameron MO. Is that Missouri? Yes. OK, here it is. This is a zinger, guys. You guys paid attention. Pay close attention to this joke. You've got to hear every little nuance of it. Have you ever heard the me neither joke? Huh? Have you ever heard the me neither joke? No. Me neither.

Ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha. Na na na na na. Ha ha ha. That's a good one, man. Ha ha ha ha. Oh, gosh. OK. That's all he said. Or she or he. That's it. Kaden? Kaden. Yeah, that's it. That was good. No letter, no nothing. Just a joke. That was good. Mystic. Me neither. In Denver, Colorado. Thank you so much, brother. Thank you so much. Amen. All right. We got a lot of questions on this. Wait, no. No, it's not. No, it ain't. Oh, Anthony again, out of Menard, Illinois.

The one that is asking about series. OK. So, man, really nice artwork. Look at this. Whoa, that's nice. That is really nice. Wow. Oh, happy Father's Day. Yeah, it's a Father's Day. Yeah. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. And also, to your daughter, Inada, you know what I mean? That's awesome, you know, the shout out that you gave. And, you know, like, I hope you, you, maybe you already were doing this, but never, never quit writing your kids, ever. Yes. Whether they write or not, sometimes they're busy. They're busy just being children. They're busy in school. They're busy doing homework. No, her nickname is Nanis. That's so beautiful. Well, Nanis, you know, your daddy says hello, and she loves you very much, mija. Yeah. Yeah. Your daddy loves you, and he just wants you to know that. And I know when Father's Day is coming up,

so make sure that, you know, you write your daddy or whatever. OK, mija? Amen. All right. OK. This is beautiful. I know. It's really good work. This is really nice. I don't know if you guys can see this, but really, really nice. I have a couple of questions, though. I'll try my best to answer them, brother. Again, I'm going to answer these just kind of just fly. I'm shotgunning off the top of my head, but let's see. I have a question. If everything was created in seven days, what's up with the dinosaurs? Because we didn't live in their time, so what's up with the time from the dinosaurs to us? Really good questions. There's no definite answer. I'll give you some theories that some scholars have. One of them is that dinosaurs did live at the time when humans did. And the first thing they'll say, well, what about carbon dating and this and that, right? Well, think of it this way. Think about this. God created Adam in one day, right? But if they carbon dated him at that time of his creation,

they would say, oh, he's 30 years old or whatever. He was one day old. You see what I'm saying? So I don't trust the carbon dating. I really don't when it comes to the things of God, because he says, let there be land. There was land. Let there be this. So God fast forwarded everything and created everything. So one idea is that dinosaurs did roam when humans roamed, and something happened in the flood that the dinosaurs didn't. Another theory that many people have is that, and again, I'm just telling you just things some people say, Christian believers and scholars believe and historians, is that some believe that everything wasn't created in seven days, that so seven days are just symbolic, like how the Bible says one day is 1,000 to God and 1,000 is one to God. So that maybe how it says that the Earth was void without form, so obviously the Earth was already here. You know, so other people believe that, that maybe dinosaurs were here before and then God decided to do this earth as we see it. So there's different ways and different things people think. I will say this though, you know what's interesting is, this is my little take on it. The other day I saw a skeleton of a beaver. Where? On YouTube. And when you look at a skeleton of a beaver, it doesn't look the way a beaver looks. You would never notice, with the skeleton you can't tell, it has that long flat tail.

Its teeth, they look monstrous, but beavers are kind of cute. So what I'm saying is, if you look at a skeleton of a beaver, without knowing what a beaver looks like when it has muscle and flesh and tendons and all that, we don't really know what the dinosaurs look like. So I've heard in the recent years that dinosaurs have more relation to birds than they do reptiles. I've heard that before too. So there's a lot of theories out there, we don't know. So anyways, I probably didn't give you an answer. Question two, if only Noah and his family lived through the flood, where did all the different races come from? That's a good one too. Actually, if you read the story of Noah right after that, because God caused a flood to come because there was wickedness on the earth, actually because of the Nephilim that were sleeping with women, and that's a whole other story, but basically God caused the flood to happen. But soon after the flood, man started to become wicked again to the point where they started to build the tower. And that's where the Tower of Babel comes in. At the Tower of Babel, God caused different languages to come upon the people because the people could no longer communicate with each other. So they began to drift off into their own nations and eventually they became nations and people. So another thing is this, and I don't believe this, I believe in a worldwide flood. But some believe that the flood happened only in the known world at that time, say the Middle East and all that, and maybe the flood didn't happen in America or Australia or in Russia. I tend to lean more toward a worldwide flood myself, but if that is, and again, I haven't gave it much thought, the people that believe that what if the flood happened only in the Middle East area, because actuality, they wouldn't know. There was no satellites, there was no internet, there was no nothing.

So did they think the flood happened everywhere? But I don't know, man. We will never know. Yeah. Well, we'll know someday when we're with the Lord. And question three, if it was only Adam and Eve in the beginning, does that mean that Adam and Eve's kids populated the whole earth and where did Abel and Cain's wifes come from? Was there more people than just Adam and Eve then? It's a really good question. I don't think it's that hard of an answer though, to be honest with you, because the other day we were talking about how many, like for instance, I forgot whose family you were talking about, but let's say my grandparents had 14 children and those 14 children, which my mom was one of them, had more kids. And then those are my cousins. And now we cousins have children and now our children are starting to have children. That is just in our lifetime. I'm only 53 years old. Adam and Eve lived hundreds and hundreds of years old with no birth control. So when we see this whole thing of Cain, like we read it real quick, like, oh, Cain killed his brother Abel and then he wandered off and he got married. You don't know, first of all, how old Cain and Abel were. We don't know how many children were populated at the time. We don't know how long Cain, think about it like this, Cain lived hundreds and hundreds of years old. I have cousins in my lifetime, I don't even know they exist. Well, I found out from my real blood father, my biological father, that I have 80 something aunts and uncles and I have hundreds of cousins and all kinds of families that I didn't even know. And I was like, what the heck? Like in the hundreds.

Again, in your. Lifetime. Yeah, so what happens when Adam and Eve lived eight nine hundred years old. Yeah With no birth control No abortion clinics Yeah, people were just having kids and kids. There was no internet. There was no jobs. People were just having babies You know literally God said be fruitful multiply So it's not that hard of a stretch to think that in two three four hundred years That there would not be cities and all this stuff going on, you know, so yeah I think that's all the letter questions you had But yeah, man, there's gonna be times for more questions, you know, appreciate your letter Okay Oh more prayer requests from Jeremy and Avanon prayer requests nice. Thank you and And Robert and Solidad, California. Thank you for the art Is the last Yeah, a lot of stuff going on out there Well, they're still doing the I know a lot of activity. Yeah, he has lots of family here in Modesto. Oh, wow you know and Like a card. Yeah He says that his godmother Modesto and he doesn't even know if she's alive But she's here and he gave the address. Oh, wow. I don't know. Maybe we can find out who she is or something I don't know. I'd hate to show up and scare somebody, you know, but I mean, maybe we could look maybe we could look into it Brother, I don't know, you know Okay. Okay. You have a chaplain here, you know, yeah this is Albert and Kennedy, Texas and III Don't know if you did that to get my attention because you said this is the last letter I'm writing you because this was an Amazing letter. No, I don't know if you did it to get my I hope you said that to get my attention even I Real right we read every letter anyways

But we loved this letter your articulation and the way so I really hope this is not your last letter Yeah, you had a lot of questions, I don't know if I can answer all of them, but I want to hit some of them Yeah, I don't want it to be the last letter. That's for sure. No, I really Honestly enjoyed your letter Okay, can thank you for all the kind things you said yeah, by the way Okay, can god bless evil? No, you can't Does that? So so I would say this though if you really wanted to articulate is I would like to know your definition of the word blessed Oh You know because blessed could be like I bless it or blessed could be permission Like I give you my blessing to go there because if that's true if you're saying that in that sense there's times then where God allowed things to happen, you know, like a Pharaoh or Or Babylonia or a Syrian King so depends your definition of that a number two Why did Jacob's mother make him steal Esau's blessing? Why because she was closest to Jacob He was more of a mama's boy and Esau was more of a daddy's boy, you know So she had favor over her son Jacob, but he was the second one born, but she wanted him to have the blessing That's why she made him steal Esau's blessing Number three did not God bless both Ishmael and Isaac with multitude of people. Yes God did You know, and there's no there's no Question about that. He blessed them both because a lot of people say one side is Islam. The other side is Judaism God never he said I'm gonna bless you, you know, but blessing Esau and blessing Isaac is way different from one being the chosen ones You know, so a perfect example is Many times the father would bless his children, but the firstborn Would get the inheritance, but he still blessed all the other ones For how can we hate or dislike what God has blessed we can't We can't hate it. I'm not so I'm not sure where that's coming from Can we as men discern God's wisdom? I Think we spend a lifetime learning to discern God's wisdom and it takes a lifetime

Some of these you asked Sharon, I don't know if she if she can't answer something I'll answer it for her He says when you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you truly see? A daughter a daughter of the most hiking It took me a while to be able to see who I was in Christ But I I really truly see I see a daughter of you know, because You got to remember I Didn't have a father in anymore, you know, so It took me a long time to realize that I had a father So yeah he's my father and And so I see a daughter. That's what I see Number two, it's kind of goes along with number one. Do you love yourself as God loves you? Absolutely. I do You know, how can I how can I say that I have Christ in me but yet then Not see Christ in me, so when I look at myself I have to Speak to myself as if I says speaking, you know of me. So, of course Do you think that we can truly love ourselves like God loves us Like if you ever had like you're like I remember one of my daughters thought she hated her pictures She said she was ugly and I'm like, what are you kidding me? You mean I wonder how God sees us You know, I think there was a there was a time when I used to feel Ashamed I used to feel unworthy. I used to feel unloved I used to feel rejected and I used to feel all of that But I really really truly feel that you know It took a long time for me to look at myself and speak to myself the way he would speak of me Amen, you know because I you know, I'm like You know what? I'm gonna look at myself and I'm gonna love myself the way, you know I tell people that all the time I'm like

Look at yourself in the mirror and speak to yourself the way because if Christ lives big in you Then how would what would Jesus say of you? You know if he lives in you then speak to yourself the way Jesus would speak of you You know, let every word that comes forth from your mouth be like, you know what? I'm beautiful You know what? It doesn't matter what anybody says It doesn't matter what people think or anything then speak of yourself the way Lord would Because what comes forth from our lips is what manifests right? Yeah Go speak it because even if we don't think that of ourselves, it's what's it's what's gonna come It's what's gonna become I think Ultimately, it's like are we gonna believe what we think of ourselves? Are we gonna believe what the word says about us? Yeah, you know we gotta make it speak it enough but we got to speak it enough speak it enough because if we say a lie if You say a lie and you continue to say that lie and you continue to say that lie Then you're gonna end up that lie is gonna become so real to the point where you're gonna become you're gonna believe that lie Yeah, and I and that's that's truth because that that you that lie becomes truth to you because you speak it so much So why not speak? What the truth is and keep speaking that and keep speaking that even though you may not believe it But if if you keep speaking it it becomes it Yeah, so you got us you got to keep affirming it and keep speaking that truth and it will become truth I'm curious to see how you're gonna answer this one Why are most women in the Bible portrayed as bad or evil I Don't know. I don't think they are. Yeah, I don't think they are. You know the other day It's it's crazy because the other day I was actually doing It's funny because I actually have it right here and I was doing a study on the 50 50 women in the Bible and and it was crazy because I really wanted to to I really wanted to

Like, you know See about the women, you know about these 50 women in the Bible and It was pretty cool because I was like man Lord you have There was so many that that I had never heard about because there's like even like How do you pronounce that babe? Fingers in the way. Oh, I don't know Yeah, Joseph it and there's Miriam there's Deborah Jile Of course, we've heard a rehab Abigail Esther Mary and Elizabeth. I Don't even know how to pronounce that Okay, Lydia Now there's just there's so many it it's just You Yeah, I I can't I can't find the thing that I was doing the other day. But anyways, I was studying. There's so many that we had never really heard about. And I was so intrigued by it, because not all of them were bad. There was maids. There were servants. There was even servants that actually saved children. And Like Mephibosheth? Yeah. There were so many women that did some heroic things that never really got, that I've never even heard spoken of. And I was like, why were these women, how come these women never get spoken of?

And so I've been trying to, I was looking for it here, because I've actually been working on something, because that's something that I want to talk about with the women in the discipleship class, because I wanted to speak more about these women so that women become more familiar. Because they're not, I don't know why people, I've heard a few people talk about some of these evil women, but there's, I think I've read maybe about two or three of them that were not great women. I mean, obviously Jezebel. Yeah, Jezebel is one of them. You have a few of them. Yeah, there's a few, but there's not a lot of them. But a lot of them are heroic women, or women that have done some great things. But no, I don't think that all the women are evil. I think that maybe they've done less things, but there's amazing women in the Bible, amazing women. Amen. Yeah. Okay, this next one, he asked you, he says, if Jesus is God in human flesh, why was he on the cross saying, why did he say, father, why have you forsaken me? Who was he talking to? Who was he talking to? If Jesus is God, then why was he saying, father, why have you forsaken me? I'd like to answer this one. If you want to answer it, but.

Go ahead. So a lot of times people get confused with that, when it says, Lord, Lord, why has thou forsaken me? He, what he's actually doing is actually quoting a Psalm. If you go to Psalm 22, he's quoting Psalm 22. And what's interesting is Psalm 22 is talking about him being crucified, written hundreds of years before. So when he says that, he's quoting scripture and every Jewish person that was there knew as Jesus is on the cross dying, he was quoting scripture that was pointing to him. So that's what's really interesting. So us, when us Christians read it, we're just like, we read it like the way you just said it. But I do also want to say this, is that while Jesus was God, the Bible says in Ephesians that he stripped himself of his glory, he came and humbled himself to be a human. So while he was a human, he submitted himself under God. So he didn't walk around here, for instance, because he's God, so he didn't feel hunger. Because if he, okay, if he would have came as God, he wouldn't have felt hunger. He wouldn't have got tired. The nails wouldn't have hurt. The whips wouldn't have hurt. The cross wouldn't have hurt. He wouldn't have suffered. Yeah, so he completely stripped himself of his, of everything and came as a human. So while he was here as a human, he had to submit to God

just as any other human had to. So I think that's, we get confused with that. So when he said that on the cross, he was quoting scripture and every Jewish person around there knew that. So I knew you were gonna. Yeah, I didn't know that, yeah. Five, his last one, how can God forgive me for hurting the person that I hurt if I can't forgive myself? You know, that's, you know, I don't know how to really answer that because I think you're the only one that can really, answer that because that's between you and God, you and the Lord, you know? And I know that when I, I remember that when I, what I went through with, you know, the man who I thought was my father and after what happened with what he had did to me and I was sitting next to his deathbed and, you know, after all the abuse and the sexual abuse and, you know, and what he had did to me and everything, I remember just. sitting next to him and he was dying and I was taking care of him and there were so many people that were just, you know, like, you know, how can you take care of him after everything that he did to you? And I did. And I took care of him. I wanted to. And one day it was just me and him in that room and he looked at me and he just said, you know, I'm sorry, do you forgive me? And I looked at him and I told him, you know, dad, I already forgave you. You know, you just need to forgive yourself. And he's all, I just want another chance. And I said, you know, well, you can have another chance, but maybe you just, you know, won't have another chance here. And I remember that he just looked at me and I can tell that he

was being sincere. That I know that he needed to find that forgiveness and ask the Lord for forgiveness. He really did. And that's something that he needed to do within himself. And, you know, from what I remember, he ended up going to pass away in Honduras. He left within two days and he passed away in Honduras. And I found out that he did, he did accept the Lord in Honduras. And it made my heart happy to know that he did. So I really believe that he was forgiven. I really do. I believe that with all my heart that he was forgiven. And I believe that it was sincere. So that's something that I really do believe that you have to forgive yourself. Sometimes we have to be the ones that, you know, the Lord forgives us, he loves us, and we are forgiven. But sometimes I think you need to forgive yourself. You need to find it in yourself to forgive yourself. Yeah. I agree. I think the hardest thing for me to forgive was myself. You know, but the thing is this, is that there is, if we have to, as much as we can't realize it, we have to accept the fact that Jesus forgives us of our sins. And we're like, no, but not the sins I did. No, because be careful when you say that. Because in essence, when you were saying God can't forgive you, what you're saying is that his blood he shed on the cross is weaker than your sin. So you have to first truly understand what he did on the cross and who he did it for. He did it for you. That no matter what, and if you don't understand what I mean, go back a couple of weeks to my message called My Life and His Life, the series we're doing. Yeah, it's, oh my God. It's part one of the sermon series we're doing on testimonies. And I'm talking about a King Manasseh. And I don't know what you did, but I'm pretty sure you didn't do nothing close to King Manasseh. King Manasseh raised up idols, brought Israel to worship false idols. Our story is his story. Sacrificed his own children by throwing them into the fire. Horrible, horrible things that Manasseh did. But when Manasseh was thrown in prison, he cried out to God. God saw his heart, forgave him, and brought him out of prison and gave him the kingdom back. After all the stuff he did, I doubt you're worse than Manasseh. And if God forgave him, this is why I love that story so much. I gravitated toward that story when I read it in solitary confinement, because I felt the same exact way. I'm like, I have hurt so many people. There's no way God could forgive me. And when I read the story of Manasseh, I'm like, okay, Lord, if you had mercy on this man, surely you have mercy on me. And finally, years, I want to say three years after getting saved, it was at a Kairos, remember?

Where they gave us a piece of paper on rice paper. They said, write all the names of people that you wanna forgive. And I'd already been saved for three years. And I'm not trying to be super holy or nothing, but I left my sheet blank. I'd already forgiven the guy that ratted on me. I'd already forgiven all my enemies. I didn't have nobody to write on there. And I'm not trying to be super Christian, but I really, in all my heart, I wanted, I'm just like, I don't have anybody I need to forgive. And I remember the pastor that was visiting that day, he came and he said, you don't have nobody to put on there? I said, no. And then he said this, he goes, have you forgiven yourself? And boom, oh my God, tears came to my eyes. And I said, no, I haven't. And he goes, well, now you have a name to write on it. And I wrote my name really big on that sheet of rice paper. And the ceremony was, you take it up to this big bowl of water. And when you drop it in there, it just dissolved. So you need to learn to forgive yourself, brother. Yeah. Yeah, you do. But that's the end. That's the last of all the letters.

We thank you all so much. Keep writing us. God bless you. I don't know why, brother, but I don't know when the last time, maybe you need to hear it, but I just want to tell you that we love you. We love you very much. And we love all of you guys very, very much. And I don't know when the last time, today, we were talking in my group, because we were talking about the five love languages and everything. And I think one thing that I had to admit today, it's like a lot of the times, even being pastors and everything, we're surrounded by a lot of people. And we've said this before, that sometimes it could be a lonely place and everything, but, you know, and we hug people and all of that, but how often do we really ever, does somebody ever just stop and just say, hey, you know what? I love you. You know? I think a good way, we hug people, but how many people hug us? How many people hug us? And today, I actually said that. I said, you know what?

I think sometimes I just want a hug. Sometimes I just want a real hug. And I just want to be told I love you, you know? And I just want to say that we love you guys. We really, really, you know, we love you. And I want you guys to hear that, that we really, truly do. And the reason why we do what we do is because we really, really, truly love you guys very, very much. And we want you to know that. And we want you to hear it, so. I don't even know if I said your name. I don't know, but you better say it now. Yeah, if I didn't say it, I apologize. But it's Albert in Kennedy, Texas. He's the one that was asking all these questions. So thank you so much. God bless you. And make sure you watch our Sunday services. And, um. Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na. God bless. Bye, guys. Bye, guys. Bye. We were talking to a few people, shared experiences about that. And it is true that if you do speak in a tongue, pray that you interpret that tongue. That's Bible. That's according to what we're reading.

Verse 14 says, for if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. I want to read it again because this is something interesting that there's people that don't believe in tongues. There's churches that don't believe in tongues. There's people that are skeptical about tongues. And so they say, I'm going to read it again and I'm going to say what a lot of them do say. In verse 14, again, it says, for if I pray in a tongue, he says, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Okay. I'm going to read it in the message. It says, if I pray in tongues, my spirit prays, but my mind lies fallow and all that intelligence is wasted. So what's the solution? I really don't like the way the message worded that. I don't always agree with how the message words things. So I'm going to actually read that again and talk about it in ESV. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. Okay. A lot of people that there's churches that first of all, don't believe in tongues, but then what they try to do is some of them will try to rationalize it and say, Oh, it's talking about other languages. Like if you're in Mexico, then pray that you speak Spanish so you, so they can understand. Right. And they'll say tongues really just means other languages because they'll, they'll rationalize it like this. They'll say, because back then, you know there was different nations and different in the Roman empire, people spoke different languages and whatnot. So if, if all you speak is Greek or you speak is, is Latin or you speak is Hebrew, then, then you should learn other languages, right?

That's, that's what many places now rationalize to say that this is really just talking about another language. But there's a hole in that theory in this verse, it says, if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So those of you who's bilingual here. So what this is, if this was talking about another language, then this is saying, when you speak English, you think with your brain, but when you speak Spanish, you have no idea what you're saying. That doesn't make logical sense. So if tongues is just another language, then this verse is saying, learn to speak Swahili, learn to speak Ugandan, and your mind won't know what you're saying. That doesn't make sense. Because if I learn another language, because many churches say, this is talking about learning other languages so you can reach the gospel to other nations. But whatever language, if I choose to learn to speak French, I'm going to understand what I'm saying, right? If I speak English, I know what I'm saying. If I speak Spanish, I know what I'm saying. So this can't be speaking about another worldly language. Because let's read it again. For if I pray in a tongue, it's my spirit that prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So this is clearly talking about a language that your mind cannot understand. So to me, when I read this, including many other verses, this throws out that theory that the Bible, when it says tongues, is really talking about other national languages. Does that make sense to you guys, what I'm saying? Verse 15, it says, but, I mean, it says, what am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. In the message on that part, let's see if I like the way they worded it or not. The answer is simple enough, do both.

I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful. thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit and sing with my mind. Interesting. I'm gonna read it again in the ESV because I wanna slow down on this. He says, so what am I gonna do? He says, I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. Now I could be wrong, but this is what I read when I read that. If I understand my needs, I'm gonna pray in a language I understand my needs in. But there's things that we don't understand that I will pray in the spirit. Because the Bible says when you speak in tongues, remember we just read it in 14, in the beginning of 14, where it says, when I speak in tongues, I don't speak to men, I speak to God, mysteries that no man can interpret. There are things, guys, that inflict us. There are things that have arrested us and captivated us and held us hostage that you don't even understand why. It's beyond our comprehension. If I hurt my foot, I'm not gonna pray in tongues over it because I understand, Lord, I need healing of my foot. But if I'm waking up with a broken heart and I don't understand, then my spirit is gonna pray.

That's why, so again, let's read it, 15, what am I to do? He says, I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also. The things I understand, I'm gonna pray for. The things I don't understand, then I'm gonna speak in a heavenly language that the Lord and my spirit knows what to say to our God in heaven. It's so weird that you actually say that because there's a different type of heartache that we can't even comprehend sometimes. I don't even know how to, because you can't comprehend it, you know? Because it's like a heartache, a pain. When you hurt for your children, when you hurt like this, it's a pain that you can't even comprehend. It's a heartache that I think a mother, it's so deep, you know? And I think we can't comprehend that, and I feel like that's something that only he can comprehend, you know? Yeah, that only God can comprehend. And there's times, I remember there was a time that I told David, I think I was telling him, I'm like, it hurts so badly that I can't even explain it. And I remember telling him that, remember I told you that the other day? And I was like, I don't know that there's this pain

in my heart that I don't even know how to explain it to anybody. And I feel like that's a comprehension that only he can understand, that nobody can ever understand that pain. Yeah, that's what I feel. Yeah, I agree, I agree with that. Verse 16, but he says, otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say amen to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. And in the message, it says, I should be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I'll sing with my spirit and sing with my mind. If you give a blessing using your private prayer language, which no one else understands, how can some outsider who has shown up and has no idea what's going on, when to say amen, know when to say amen. Your blessing might be beautiful, but you have effectively cut the thread and effectively cut that person out of it. And we were talking about that last week, about what happens when you're in a position, in a place, and somebody comes in, it is better to share the gospel in words they understand than everybody speaking in tongues

and they don't understand. This is where Paul was saying, there's nothing wrong with tongues, just put it in its right position where it belongs. And even here, it's like he comes full circle again, and he's saying once again, he's like, what good is it if you say this beautiful blessing in a language that nobody understands, and there's an outsider here, and they don't even know when to say amen. And I think that nowadays where everything's so polarized, You're either left-wing or right-wing, or you're either this or you're either that, and everything's polar. And then the church has become like that. You believe in tongues and it just goes way out with the prophecy and casting demons and just gets crazy, just way out there, or you go way out and reject it. Why can't we come back to a place where we live supernatural Christian lives, but we still keep our mind intact? We still keep our sanity. We still keep our reasoning. Because it seems to be that Paul is talking a very reasonable Christianity. And I think that we need to come back to that. I don't mean us here in Modesto, I mean the church. Because it just seems so polarized. And why is that? I think that's a dangerous thing. In verse 19, he comes back again, he says, nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue. He came right back with it again, just to solidify, to make sure that the church in Corinth understands this.

It says in the message, he says, I'm grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him. I enter into this as much or more than any of you. He says, but when I'm in a church assembled for worship, I'd rather say five words that everyone can understand and learn from than say 10,000 that sound to others like gibberish. I mean, we have to make up our minds. Are we going to be biblical Christians or trendy Christians? Because I'll be honest with you, if you speak in tongues and you go to a church that it's all about tongues, it could get exciting, man. It feels good. You feel the energy. But are we trying to follow trends or are we trying to follow the Bible? We got to make up our mind of what kind of Christian we're going to be. I believe that we need to be biblical Christians, not following trends, not following fads, not following what the latest big YouTube channels doing. They're giving prophetic words that we chase after that, or they're casting demons out and we chase after that. Been there and done that. It just keeps going in circles. You know, there's a giant, at Great America's, that giant merry-go-round, you guys know that giant? Yeah. Okay. And I think like one of them is a dragon and it looks cool, you know what I mean? And it's like this dragon, but if you stay long enough, that dragon is going to come back around and then it's going to come back around, come back around. When you get saved for a long time, you start to see the trends of the prophetic gift, the casting out demons. And see, here's the thing. All of those things are real.

All of those things are a, it's like a tool belt, but what I'm talking about is the trend where the whole church, like that's all that matters is the prophetic word. And it'll stay for about two, two and a half years. And then everything's about healing and then everything's about whatever the next thing is. We, this is what the word of God is. The word of God is a standard. It's a rule to keep us from that. You know, when you play bowling and those things that go up for the kids, the bumper lanes, like seriously, some Christians need spiritual bumper lanes because they're easily, easily swayed with whatever is huge right now. That's not what the Lord wants. He doesn't want you swayed by what's trending on YouTube or Instagram or TikTok or whatever, you know, the latest Christian, whatever's doing. That's why we need to be in the word because the word will keep you with those bumper lanes. I love praying and somebody gets healed. I love praying and somebody gets delivered. I love giving a prophetic word. I love those things because those things are of God. But when we make it about those things and not Jesus, we've already messed up. He is the hub of the rim and the gifts are the spokes. He has to always, always be the hub. Marcelo, what's up, brother? I'm going to give you the, look at that, the Bruce Lee cat. Thank you, brother. Oh yeah? Hello. How's that? Yeah? Oh, wow.

Okay. Amen. All right. Verse 20. So he says, so brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. In verse 21, it says, in the law it is written, by people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people. And even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord. Thus tongues are a sign not for believers, but for unbelievers. While prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers, but for believers. If therefore the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you're out of your minds? But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all. He is called to account by all. The secrets of his heart are disclosed and so falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. I want to read that in the message. He says, to be perfectly frank, I'm getting exasperated with your childish thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head, your adult head? It's all right to have a heart like unfamiliarity with evil. A simple no is all that's needed there, but there's far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility. It's written in scripture that God said in strange tongues and from the mouths of strangers, I will preach to this people, but they'll neither listen nor believe. So where does it get you? All this speaking in tongues no one understands? It doesn't help believers and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at. Plain truthful speaking, on the other hand, goes straight to the heart of believers and doesn't get in the way of unbelievers.

If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you're all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out there as fast as they can? But if some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God's truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth and probe their hearts. And before you know it, they're going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you. I love this example that Paul set because again, remember, we can't forget the words of Jesus that all of heaven rejoices when one sinner repents. Now I haven't been to heaven yet, but I imagine it's a big place. Yet Jesus says all of heaven rejoices over one sinner. Think about that. So Paul is coming full circle and he's like, my job is not to outspeak anyone in tongues. My job is not, you know, and he's not talking against tongues, but he just like, listen, isn't the focus here to get people saved? Isn't the focus to get somebody to come in that doesn't know Jesus and before they leave, they hear a word that compels them so much that they're convicted, that they fall on their faces and cry out to God? That's important. And I love the fact that, you know, Paul is like, listen, I speak in tongues, man. So he's not, he's not coming from the side of that doesn't. He's just putting it in its place where it belongs. Again, let me remind you back in 14 verse 2, he says, one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men, but to God, for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit. So he's not talking against tongues. He's just putting it where it belongs. And then he kind of changes a little bit in verse 26. I love this because, you know, those of you that are on the school that we've been promoting, I'm doing a church history series on there. And it's really interesting stuff because why do we come in a church building? Why do we sing a few songs and then announcements? Why do we have somebody preach? Why do we have an altar call at the end? Like, if you really think about it, why do we do the things that we do as a church service? Who says it's supposed to be that way? Where do we get it from? Is there anywhere in the Bible that says this is how you hold a church service on Sunday? No, there's not really. But

there's some hints and this is it right here. Look at this. He says, so what then brothers, when you come together, each one has a hymn. You know what that is? A song. And then he says a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. I love this verse because in other words, what he's saying is when you come together for a church service, every single thing you do should be to bring people up, to edify. Because if not, then it shouldn't be there. And in the message it says, so here's what I want you to do. It says, when you gather for worship, each of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all. Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. And if prayers are offered in tongues, two or three is the limit. And then only if someone is there to interpret. So even then, he says, it's not always going to happen. AB1, check this out. What am I going to give you? You know what? Because you're a winner, I'm going to give you the Olympic cap. The one is gold medal. So this is really close because there's not many verses that give us what a church service should be like. So I like this. So it's Bible that we sing together. That's Bible. Jorge Luis. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. What's one I haven't done in a minute? Cat the baptizer. This cat, he's scared of the water, but boom, he comes out anointed. Amen. All right. So I'm going to do that. All right. So I like it because it's Bible that says, it's saying come together and sing. So if you, I'm not saying any of you, but sometimes people purposely come to church late because they don't, they just want the message. They don't want to worship. None of you do that, but I'm just saying other places. Worship guys is for your heart. God already has millions of angels worshiping him at all times. When we worship, do you realize that it's, it's, it puts us in a position that are how our hearts and our minds are open to receive the word. And sometimes we come in without worship and the And sometimes we come in without worship and the word doesn't hit us because we came in cold. There's something beautiful in coming together and worshiping God together. That's important. So it's interesting. He says, everyone have a hymn and then a lesson. In other words, a sermon, a Bible study, whatever you want to call it, you want to call it a teaching or a sermon and then a revelation. A revelation is insight into what God is saying to the church.

And then it says, is it in tongue or in interpretation? In verse 27, if anyone speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three. And in each turn, and let someone interpret. That's wild, right? Nowadays, if we try to stop somebody, they're like, oh, you're quenching the spirit. Well, Paul is literally saying, hey, two or three, and that's it. Let me remind you again, when you speak unto God, nobody can interpret it, right? When it's you talking to God, nobody can interpret it. So clearly, Paul is not saying here, let two or three of you speak in a tongue only unless somebody interprets. Listen to what I'm saying. Remember what I said, when you talk to God, nobody can interpret. When God sends a message, you pray that you interpret or have somebody else interpret. So the fact that Paul is saying only two or three of you and then somebody interpret means Paul is not talking about the personal worship to God, he's talking about the message God is giving the church. We have to learn to really read and see what this scripture is saying. So what I don't want is have some tongues police on the altar call. And somebody's sitting there like, okay, one, two, three, oh, you got to stop, you got to stop. They're not talking to you. They're talking unto the Lord, mysteries. That's what that says. He's not saying two or three of them. What he's saying is somebody, if you've ever been in a church service and all of a sudden somebody stands up and there's a word from God in tongues and the whole church gets quiet. That's what I'm talking about where Paul says, let only two or three and there better be an interpreter. That's what he's talking about. And then he says in 28, but if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent

in church and speak to himself and to God. Wow. That's kind of sad, right? If God is sending a message to the church and nobody's there to interpret and Paul says then stay quiet. You know what's sad about that is God was probably going to, sometimes he comes and he's given a message of correction, but sometimes he's giving a message of inspiration. He's given a blessing. Can you imagine? But nobody can receive it because nobody can interpret. Wow. That'd be like somebody just coming into that door and saying in Russian, whoever understands me, I got a million dollars for you. And we'd all look at him and be like, Hey, who's this guy? Get him out of here. Guess what? Nobody here would receive a million dollars. What if God is sending the message to the church? He's about to give a blessing, but nobody can interpret it. That's why Paul says, pray that you interpret because we'd never want to stop the things of God. And if it's a correction, it's a correction we probably need because God doesn't speak just to speak. If you're going to say something, it's important. So also in verse 29, it says, let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said. Oh, this is a good one right here. Wait, I'm going to read the message though, that part. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three is the limit. And then only if someone is present who can interpret what you're saying, otherwise, keep

it between God and yourself and no more than two or three speakers at a meeting with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn. No one, no one person taking over. Okay. So right here when it says, let two or three prophets speak, let the others weigh what is said. You know, what's wild is that this clearly lets us know that the prophets of the old Testament are different from the people that are walking in a prophetic gift now. The prophet of the old Testament, Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah, Elijah, Elisha, I mean all of these, Moses, the law said, if a prophet speaks and it doesn't come true. kill them if that was still true now there'd be a whole bunch of dead leaders everywhere yeah so back then put it this way back then the prophets were so in tune the prophetic because here's the thing Jesus hadn't yet come to reveal himself so the prophets what the prophets said they could literally write scripture so if you have a prophetic gift you're not gonna add to the scriptures so clearly it's a different prophet back then than a prophet now make sense because if the prophets now were the same as the prophets then then you would be able to add to scripture and if somebody ever told you that hey man I wrote a book I'm gonna add it to the Bible you better run so clearly the prophets now are different from the prophets then and this verse proves it because back then you didn't you couldn't judge a prophet but look what it says let two or three prophets speak and let the others weigh what is said in other words Paul is saying if somebody with the prophetic gift speaks we get to be the judge of it you couldn't say that to Ezekiel you can't say that to Elijah or Samuel be like hey come give a word and we'll judge you'll be like what he'll send fire down so obviously it's different and why do I say that because there are people now that call themselves prophets and they actually want you to to to to speak to them as if they are in the same level as Elijah well I don't see

that I don't see it I don't care what you say I'm gonna be a biblical Christian and it says here let two or three prophets speak and let others weigh what is said anybody ever think of that or see that now I will say this though the fact that he does say prophets means there are prophets because that's another argument if people say oh there's no prophets anymore today what do you mean then that means there's no pastors either or there's no evangelists either there's no teachers either then you can't do that you can't pick and choose the Bible says that some are prophets some are apostles some are teachers some are you know so we can't omit one of them and and I think here's why I think people want to be quick to omit prophets because we're thinking the prophets like the Old Testament so because of that we throw that out I do believe there's a prophetic gift now why how do I why do where I get that because I want to be a biblical I want to be a biblical Christian and Jesus had already lived he had already been crucified he'd already resurrected he had already ascended when Paul says this and yet Paul says let two or three prophets speak that means there was prophets after Jesus so there are prophets how do I feel about self-proclaimed prophets that's a whole other conversation because there's a lot of that going on so um what I want before we go on what I want to say is we got to remember that we don't follow after signs the signs will follow after us a prophet never has to tell people he's a prophet because the signs will follow after and confirm it you don't have to say to everybody hey I'm a pastor because you know what the pastoring would just ooze out of you you don't have to go and saying I'm a teacher I'm an evangelist hey look I'm an evangelist you know what everywhere you go people will get saved because the signs will follow you verse 30 if a revelation is made to another sitting there let the first be silent for you can all prophesy one by one so that all may learn and all be encouraged and the spirit this is another important one and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets for God is not a God of confusion but of peace

I'm going to read that here. It says, no more than two or three speakers at a meeting with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over, then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God. And you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you're also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn't stir us up into confusion. He brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches, no exceptions. Wow, amen Paul. He says, I'm going to go back to 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. What does that mean? I remember when I first got out of prison, I was at a Christian event in Los Banos. I wasn't a pastor of a church yet. And it was the weirdest thing because there was a guy there, again, whether he was a prophet or not, only God knows, but he was saying he's a prophet. And there was another guy there that said he was an apostle. I'm fresh out of prison and I watched these guys argue about who has more authority over the other. While there's a bunch of gang members there that needed Jesus. And they were actually trying to flex on each other. You got to submit to me, I'm an apostle. You got to submit to me because I'm a prophet. And I'm just like, I was fresh out, man. I'm just like, shut up. I just wanted to slap them both. Like the three stooges. And it's like, you kind of come out a little rough around the edges, you know, and I'll just get mad because I'm just like, I'm like, this is a mockery of the gospel.

I was getting offended for real, you know, and so the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets because God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, verse 34, uh oh, look at this one. The women should keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission. As the law also says, if there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. Boy, have I seen this one bring up some great arguments. Now I got to ask this though. Why is, we always got to do the what, why, and where's, and sometimes the how's. This is what I mean. Paul is saying this to the Corinthian church. He didn't say that to the church in Ephesians. He didn't say it to the churches in Galatia. He didn't say it to the churches in Thessalonica or in Rome. So we got to think about that because if this was something that was across the board in Christianity, Paul would have had to repeated that over and over and over, right? Why? So the question is, why is he saying it to the church in Corinth? So now let me remind you. A lot of women, women back then were kind of like second class citizens. It was the men and then underneath was a woman. Put it this way. A woman couldn't even testify in court because they were just, their word meant nothing in court. They were like children. Women were not educated. The men were educated. I think the girls, the Jewish girls could only go up to the equivalent of what we would

call third grade and that's it. After that, they would have to go and learn from their mothers on how to be good wives when they grow up. So they didn't know scripture. They didn't know Bible. They didn't know these things. The men did. The men continued to learn. Matter of fact, the Jewish men, do you guys know the Jewish men by the time they were 13, I believe, had to memorize the first five books of the Bible. They had to... it word for word for their bar mitzvah. So the Jewish men understood when Paul was preaching about the things of God, the women didn't. So it seems to be, again, I wasn't there, you guys weren't there, but we know that this wasn't something that was across the board because Paul never mentioned this to other churches. So it was something that was going on in the Corinthian church. One of my theories is that maybe the women kept interrupting the service because they weren't educated in the word of God the way the men were, and Paul got frustrated and he's like, hey, men. So actually it almost wasn't an attack on the women, it was an attack on the husbands. Why are you not teaching your wife at home? Why is she constantly interrupting our service when you should be teaching her at home? So it seems to be, why do I say that? Because you got to remember too, in the book of Acts, you know who Paul hung out with? A couple, Aquila and Priscilla. And the Bible says that they were tent makers and Paul was a tent maker, so he would travel with them. And it said that Aquila and Priscilla, husband and wife, would teach. He didn't say, hey, tell your wife she can't be talking. He didn't have an issue. Why? Because she understood the word of God. She understood. So again, what I don't like too is a lot of times, some women though will use this as far as women pastoring a church. This is not talking about that. That's a whole other conversation. So again, we want to read things slowly and chew on it slowly so we have a biblical understanding. You know, and a lot of, I have heard people use this and I know denominations that the woman cannot even stand on the pulpit, much

less on the platform. There are churches, if a woman wants to share a testimony, she has to stand below on the bottom. And they will use this verse. I have met women that know the Bible backwards and forward. So we can't say, Paul said it to the Corinthian church so that means every church. No. He's talking to the church in Corinth. So again, like I said, we can't leave our brains outside of Bible. You know, and that's not good. Where are we at? I'm curious to know how the message worded that one. Hold on. Okay. It says, wives must, this is the message in the same passage with the message, wives must not disrupt worship. Talking when they should be listening. Asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God's book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. Do you both women and men imagine that you're a sacred Oracle determining what's right or wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you? So I don't know what these women are doing, but whatever it was, Paul felt he had to address it to the Corinthian church, not the whole Christian church as a whole. Something was going on there. Maybe these women just are constantly talking. I don't know. Huh? What's that? Oh, okay. Okay. So yeah, 35 was the, yeah, at the home. So 36 says, or was it from you that the word of God came or are you the only ones it has reached? He says, if anyone thinks he's a prophet or, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I'm writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So my brothers earnestly desire to prophesy and do not forbid speaking in tongues, but all things should be done decently and in order. There, he says it right there. He's, he's he's not talking against tongues he talks tongues he goes i i wish some of you spoke as much as i do he was i speak more than more of you but there's got to be order so you know it sounds like there's a balance there because there's order in the church god is not a god of confusion so ultimately i don't know what they were doing with tongues in the corinthian church but he says what for whatever reason we don't know he says man don't forbid people to speak in tongues he says but in all things do it decently and in order ab1 there you go again man hold on look the moses cat with the 10 co-meowments thank you brother um

um yeah so all things should be done decently in an order i i think that goes along with everything that we do in service bible study when we come together ministries we do um it's there needs to be order and and again this is bible this is what the word of god says why because god is not a god of confusion satan brings confusion so we don't want to have a service in confusion because that's satanic there's got to be order and it's got to be done decently that's bible so this is something that we need to strive for we should strive to have a decent orderly service a decent orderly bible study a decent orderly fellowship and worship imagine if you had a whole bunch of musicians up there and all of them all of them wanted to play their own chord the guitars and c chord keyboards and g chord singers and b minor i mean it would sound insane yet they'd all be playing their instruments correctly but they wouldn't be playing them in harmony and it would sound like a mess it would sound like confusion i think that's why things need to be done decently and in order like pauses so that should always be a goal is that we do things in order abran rodriguez what's up brother look you get darth cat thank you thank you for that uh you give me a super chat i give you a super cat all right any questions so far okay i'm gonna go just a little bit more we're gonna go into chapter 15 he says now i would remind you brothers of the gospel i preached to you which you received in which you stand and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word i preached to you unless you believed in vain i'm going to read it in the message he says friends let me go over the message with you one final time this message that i proclaimed and that you made your own this message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved i'm assuming now that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy that you're in this for good and holding fast so i i feel like he's about to say something so he's reminding them he's like remember don't forget the message you heard because you got to remember every time paul shared the message and then he would leave other false teachers would come or other teachers would come and try to add stuff to what paul preached so then they would switch up and i have a feeling that that's why he's saying he's like hey do i need to remind you again of the message that you

heard and verse three he says for i delivered to you as a first importance what i also received that christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried and that he was raised on a third day in accordance with the scriptures real simple he's like didn't i come tell you what other message did i come and tell you other than he died he was buried and he resurrected Why are you adding more to this? That's the gospel. Why are you adding stuff to it? Why are you putting more to it? Why are you adding salsa to those chips? Like this is the core of, he was, isn't this what got you saved? Now here's why. Let me give you some context. So Jewish people, they followed the law. They, you know, didn't eat certain things and they did certain things certain days and all this and that. So now he's reaching Jewish people and non-Jewish people. They're getting saved. Why? Because they heard the message of the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus. They surrendered to Christ. They stand on that. They believe they're saved. And all of a sudden Paul leaves. And then you have some teacher that comes along and says, oh, you guys are saved. Cool. Are you guys following the law? Are you still eating this? Are you not eating that? Oh, what do you want? And all of a sudden they're adding more to the Christianity. Churches do it today. Churches still do it today. How do you get saved? Believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Oh, but do you speak in tongues? Oh, do you do this? Or do you tithe? Or do you do that? You're adding stuff. You're adding stuff to the gospel. You know, there's evangelizing churches that if you're not out there in the streets evangelizing, you ain't really saved. And other churches are, if you're not doing this and you're not really saved, you're not doing that, you're really saved. And Paul is like, can we scale this thing back? Did you forget? He says, do I need to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, by which you were saved? He goes, I gave it to you, man. Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures. And he was buried. And he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. Notice he kept saying, this is what the Bible says. Paul is not talking about the New Testament. The New Testament didn't exist yet. He's saying this is in accordance with the law and the prophets. How do we know that? Isaiah 53 talks about Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus walked on this earth. So there's nothing wrong with us saying here at House of Rest, we have a sixth class discipleship class. Here at House of Rest, we do. Nothing's wrong with that. But when you say you need to do those things in order for you to be saved, can you imagine if I said, until you take

the six classes, you're not saved. Unless you tithe here, you're not saved. Unless you're in grocery giveaway ministry, you ain't saved. That's crazy. That's adding to it. There's nothing wrong with a church having its own culture. You just can't add to salvation. That's where it goes wrong. Let's see. Did I read it in the message yet? Oh, yeah, I did. Oh, no. In the message, it says, the first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me, that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as scripture tells it. That he was buried and that he was raised from death on the third day, again, exactly as the scripture say. And then it says in verse five, and then he appeared to Cephas, Cephas is Peter, then to the 12. Then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. He says, for I'm the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. Look at that. Remember what he did? He would go around arresting Christians. You know what Paul sounds like? The opposite of people that like to put apostle in front of their name, self-proclaiming. And he's like, man, I'm unworthy of it. I'm not even worthy of it. He was, I'm the least of all the apostles. And you know what? even worthy of that because I persecuted the church. He says, but by the grace of God, see this should be our attitude guys right here, but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain. You know what I love that is the fact that he gave us something we didn't deserve and saying, Lord that grace you gave me it's not going to be in vain, I'm going to use it for you Lord. I'm not going to, it's not going to be in vain. You're not going to give me all this mercy and me not do anything with it. I'm going to do something with it because I should have been still in prison. I should have been still on whatever it is your past is. You should, you and I should have still been there, but because he saved us, he gave us freedom. Let's not use it in vain. He's in verse 10 again, by the grace of God, I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me, whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believe. In the message it says, he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers and later to more than 500 of his followers all at the same time and most of them are still around, although a few have since

died. That he then spent time with James and the rest of those who commissioned to represent him and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was, and I love this, he says, it was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle. As you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence. He says, but because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am and I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do. God giving me the energy to do it. I love this because he says, so whether you heard it from me or from those others, it's all the same. We spoke God's truth and you entrusted your lives. There's humility in it. There's humbleness in it. He understands his calling. At the same time, he doesn't exalt himself. He's not trying to lord over. He's not trying to say, oh look at me, I'm an apostle. Whatever your calling is, instead of telling people what it is, just do it. Just do it because if that's who you truly are, it will ooze out of you. It will come out of you. You can't help it. It's like a fire inside of you that if you don't release it, it's going to burn you up inside. You want to know what your calling is? Look at what your passion is. Because if you are passionate about something, nothing is going to stop it. Nobody's going to tell you you can't. Nobody's going to say nothing to you. You're going to go for it. You're going to do it. You're going to push through in an orderly way, with order though, not in a divisive way, not bringing about division. You're going to do it in a way that's going to encourage and uplift and it's going to drive you. This is powerful, guys, because when we read things slowly and try to understand it slowly, it helps us build who we are as believers and as Christians. Agents that are trying to find counterfeit money don't study counterfeit money, they study the real money. Because when you study real money, you know the fake. And when we understand the Word of God and read it and discern it and chew on it, it's going to be really hard for somebody to come and derail you or add to your salvation or teach you in a way that is not biblical or teach you in a way that's going to sway you into believing something that you, that's not what you came in it for. We want to be biblical Christians. I don't want to be the loudest church. I don't want to be nothing. I don't want to be the loudest church. I don't want to be nothing.

I just want to be the most biblical church. Because when trauma comes, and heartbreak comes, and betrayal comes, and persecution comes, those that are going to stand are those that understand their word. Because if you don't, you will fold. And I don't want none of you to fold. Because we don't know. I mean, whoever thought churches would get shut down in 2020, nobody ever saw that coming, but it happened. You know, Canada passed a law a couple weeks ago that outlawed some parts of the Bible. That's not across the world. That's our neighbor. What would happen? What would happen if parts of the Bible were outlawed here in America, and every pastor, every church was warned that they couldn't preach that. You can preach the Bible, but you can't. You know what? The moment that starts, it ain't going to stop there. Because you give the world an inch, they'll kick the door wide open. We don't know. We don't know if someday we won't have this anymore. What will you do then? If all you did was learn how to jump and shout in church, and just, you know, the preacher gave you an encouraging word, and that's it, then you know what? What happens when the preacher ain't there and the worship team ain't there? What happens? But if you're taught in the word of God, and you understand, so whether you have me or anybody else or not, and persecution comes, you're going to have the word. Your foundation was not built on David. Your foundation was not built on house of rest. Your foundation is built on the word of God and him. And you will be able to withstand and keep going. We don't know. 2019, I didn't see it coming, but it happened. And we don't know what the... I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just giving you reality. We want to be prepared. We want to know. I believe the day is coming where we're going to have to have Bibles and we're going to have to bury them because they're going to get outlawed. And if all you have is a Bible on your phone, you need to have a paper Bible. You need to have a few of them. So let's bow our heads. Lord God, we thank you so much for your word. We thank you for this Bible study. I thank you for each and every person that is here, Lord. We love your word. That's why we're here, God. We come here on a Wednesday, some of us right after work. We got to work tomorrow, Lord God, but we love your word. It is evident, Lord God, or else why would anyone be here on this Wednesday night where they could be at home eating pizza and watching TV? But they're here. And I don't think they're here because they love me. They're here

because they love you, Lord. And we just thank you. We give you all honor and all glory in the name of Jesus. Amen.