S8E7 - What is the Kingdom of God Really About?

He talked about, the kingdom of God is really about. I'll give you a hint. It's not some superpower overthrowing enemies on earth, and it's not us waiting for the shoe to drop so we could be rapsing out to go somewhere tomorrow in heaven. Welcome to the Forgotten Jesus Podcast. I'm your host, Adam French, where we learn about the real Jesus. I'm here with Pastor Robbie Gallady and Candy Gallady, both accomplished Bible communicators, authors, Robbie's the pastor of Long Hollow Church and the founder of Replicate Ministries. Got a new book that came out that just broke the Amazon stock, right? I mean, I don't know if I've ever seen that before. I don't even know. I don't know if that's a good thing to work with. But it's not even out. Like, we need to call Amazon actually. Can we eat? No, but Robert, can you reach out to Amazon right now? You should go to Newton. The thing went live. I don't know if it was pre-orders or not. I don't know if my publishers and they work hard, so they're like, "Oh, this is a great thing. The book sold out." I was like, "Is that a good thing? Yeah. Nobody can buy the book now." Well, and they did remind me, if you want to buy the book, you can buy it on other places, like Christian book or Barnes & Noble. It's just out on Amazon. You can buy it at lifeway.com. In fact, if you're interested, it's weighthere.com.

Weight. W-A-I-T-H-E-A-R.com. Wait here. It's a book I just put out from sitting with the Lord for 10 months, if you've ever heard our story, and it's all the seven or seven ancient practices I implemented in my life still do today, but they're accessible, and you can take a challenge or a challenge in everyone to take the weight here challenge. If you're in the challenge, let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear weightherechallenge.com and I recorded seven videos to walk you through like a discipleship manner how to do these practices. I told him, though, I'm not reading the book until I get my sign copy. Me neither. Me neither. Me neither. And Joseph will not read it. That's what I like. I like that. I have not read it. We're waiting. Maybe you started reading it. Maybe it's actually read it. This is our third time. This is our third time. We would have been the first to get one. We would have been the third time until I get one. Come on. We've got it. Wow. Hey, you let down a real quick part, though. The book also documents the revival that happened at Long Hall of Church.

So if you're a church member or if you've heard about Long Hall or anything like that, or if you're interested in revival, you know, what is that? That's like a word that you heard your whole life when you're growing up in church. But what does that really mean? What does that really look like? What is a modern day revival? So that's a great part of it, too. Well, I guess I could say the way you put it is God did something in your heart during the revival. And this is what led you to write the book. Is that right? Is that how you put it? Yeah. And it's mainly about the personal revival that God didn't know. I would say I've had the privilege of writing a lot of different books through the years. I feel like this is the best book I've ever written simply because it's raw, it's real, it's transparent, very vulnerable in the book, talk about my own struggles. And I did that in a way so people can connect and say, "Wow, God can do this in Robby's life or Long Hallo's life, the discipleship church. How would God send a revival or 69 people are baptized in eight months, you know, to a discipleship church? I would hope they would say, "Man, could God do it in my church?" And I believe you can't. I believe you can. It is. Well, if somebody asked me back then when the revival was going on, if I thought that's why God sent it to Long Hallo was because of the foundation-led discipleship. And I was like, "Wow." I haven't thought. I said, "I mean, God's going to do what He wants to do.

I really don't know the answer to that, but I would hope it didn't hurt, you know, to have that foundation." But I would specifically ask that question. Isn't that interesting? That's good. The first thing about one of the tricks that the enemy uses is our own sin against us. He tries to discredit grace and amplify shame. So, Josie and I, we had a council session yesterday where a council, a young couple, and it was so refreshing because we're like, "This is normal." We're like, "This is what we went through," and we walk out of there and we're feeling excited. We've made us feel good about it. We get in the car and Josie's like, "Man, isn't it crazy that God uses us even though we're messed up?" And they do the real thing. Well, no, I mean, we're transparent, but it's like, we're not like perfect. Like, we don't feel like qualified and it's like, and that's what I love about the book is because you're sitting here saying, "I'm vulnerable. I'm showing that I'm human, that I have struggles, that I'm not living in sin, but there's obviously I'm not perfect." And then while that's happening, while you're being vulnerable and letting God work in your heart, there's a revival happening. Yeah, that's right. Yeah. And so, it's not, I'm going to talk about this maybe on October the 4th, I'm going to let Yeah, and then God starts he can start something with that That's good. Yeah, and he sent it before you know people say well you sat in the porch and then you were perfect far from it I was in process right and isn't that cool as long as you're in process. That's right God still works All right today. We're transitioning out of the sermon on the mouth But I think we need to take one sermon to just explain where we have been and what the sermon is about

So we're gonna do the entire if you've saying and I just learned and I just listened to the podcast for first time today Or I just started a few weeks ago where you're in luck because I'm gonna give you the entire sermon on the mountain cliff notes In fact, I'm gonna give you the entire ministry of Jesus in the next 30 minutes. So buckle up I can play my mom always says suck it up, but yeah Candy but here's what I want to do before to set the tone I want you to go to Matthew 8 and I want to read what happens next in Matthew 8 Verse 1 because here's the thing if we study Jeremy can you do my favorite? I got my in my bag is my chronological Bible book the white book should be white book in there should be in the front. It's a big old white book It should be in there or should be in the back. It's not in the back. I forgot it. Of course. I forgot it Nope, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Forget it again. Robert. We'll get it next time Okay, we are fault. We have to bring the book back in. I'll tell you there it is. They harm you the gospel Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, all right if you're watching online harmony the gospel CSB We put this aside because we were in the sermon on the Mount But after this now what this book is by the way you should have a Bible in this book period if you're gonna follow along If you're gonna read the gospels, this is a must The but the gospels are not written chronologically in order The closest is Luke who tries to write a chronological account of Jesus, but he's not even in order all the time But they're writing for a purpose to teach certain things. So they have no problem. And this is how the Jewish culture thinks The Jewish mind has no problem putting Different parts of a story in a timeline out of order to prove a point. It's hard for us to say Adam You woke up this morning recorded the podcast then you went home ate your breakfast then you woke up out of bed It's like no, that's that's backwards. I did everything backwards that they have no problem because they're trying to prove a point Okay, so to point to show you what I mean is Matthew 8 1 does not happen chronologically after Matthew 7 It's not in order, but Matthew puts it in order now if you're following the podcast you remember We've already covered this in mark Robert remembers this we recovered this in mark early on when Jesus is gonna heal this man of Leprosy remember the man with leprosy comes to Jesus says Are you willing that happened all the way back in mark before the sermon on the mount? Okay, we already covered this and the parallel passage is in Matthew 8 1

But I want to ask the question before candy reads why in the world would Matthew put this passage right here at this time? after the sermon on the mount Okay, so read the first candy and then we're going to talk about Because here look the perikaby says it's section 45 in this book So this cleansing of the leprolo just so you see Matthew 8 mark 140 Luke 5 12 actually comes Before the sermon on the mount before the calling of Matthew before the healing of the sick man All that's before but Matthew puts it after watch this so just read 8 1 through 3 or 4 Okay, okay when he came down from the mountain large crowds followed him right away a man with leprosy came up Knelt before him saying Lord if you were willing you can make me clean Reaching out his hand Jesus touched him saying I am willing be made clean Immediately his leprosy was cleansed then Jesus told him see that you don't tell anyone But go show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them, okay Matthew's got a shortened version mark in Luke or longer, but the question is this why would Matthew put that? Like like literally he says after Jesus comes off the mountain But what you're saying is that did not happen chronologically after he comes down the mountain. No, no, okay So so then why they say that okay, it's okay. That's the thing it doesn't say that mountain He says after he came down the mountain a man came to it. It could be any mountain Okay Why is Matthew inserting this here because you look at the chronological book I just showed it to you if you if you're in should go look it's peric It's number just so you're interested number section 45 in the harmony of the gospels and notice where it is It's right where mark 140 Luke 5 Matthew it's right after Jesus preaches in Galilee Then he's gonna call and heal remember mark when the man brings the guy comes in He has a demon and he heals the demon and then he calls Matthew all that's in the past So why would Matthew put it here? Here's why Jesus just got finished preaching? And what Jesus is doing is He's trying to correct people's misunderstanding about the Kingdom. Now let me just pause here for a moment. What was the common thought? You've got to remember, you've got to read this in the mindset of the people, which is what we're trying to do in this podcast.

What did the audience who was listening at that time hear or think when you asked them the Kingdom of God? Define for me the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. What would the first century Jewish audience say? What does that mean? Kingdom of God. I would say they're thinking like the next life, right? Is that right? No, that's what we're thinking. Oh, is it the temple? Okay, no, okay, yeah. The temple, but... They would say like the Mausan is where... What does it mean when God's Kingdom is reigning and ruling for them? Let me say it another way. That's what the Kingdom of God means. Oh, when Messiah would come and rule. Okay. When the Messiah would come, what else? What else? Jeremy? You already know the answer. Sorry, Robert, Robert. Give me two. Over through your enemies. There's no rule. The Kingdom of God for them is when the kings in charge, so let's back it up. So the Kingdom of God is there's a king ruling over the nation. Now let's back it up. What has to happen to get to that point from where they are?

Because where they are are, the Greeks have controlled. Now the Romans are in charge. We're being decimated. We're being taxed. We're being put down. What has to happen to get from here to here? Messiah has to come. He's going to take over. Messiah comes and then what has He take over? Through what? They think through military means, but it's not. Through battles, through wars, which equals what? Blood, death, destruction, decimation. That's what you have to understand. That's what they think the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God, coming to earth is. Now what kind of response does that breed in the people? Think about this. So if a king's in charge and I'm a subject, let's say I'm in England, and I'm a subject and a monarchy of a king over a kingdom, and we're on the same team, what kind of mentality does that breed? Active passion, let me take and make a difference, or laziness, passivity, let me sit back. You're in control. What does that breed? The opposite. Yeah, passivity. I think they're waiting for somebody else to do. You're waiting. Okay.

Now watch this. I'm going to show you how them and us suffer from the same problem. Okay. So that's what they think. And you think you want to add, but I'd add this, one more thing. Watch this. They're waiting for peace. And that's what they really want. They want peace. Oh, you pray for this today. Peace in the middle. Peace, right? Now here's what's fascinating. Guess what the present day Jewish people are waiting for in Israel right now? Peace? Yeah. The same thing. They are literally 2,000 years later waiting for the exact same thing. A Messiah to come, to decimate the enemies, destroy all our foes, put Israel at the rightful place, and we'll be a gift to the nation and God will bless us with that. That's what they're waiting for tonight. Now here's the thing, and I don't want to offend anybody, but you got to realize this. The Jewish people right now are waiting for the Antichrist to come, and I know it's going to shock people, but you have to follow me. Because any other Messiah, beside Jesus is what? A not Messiah or a non-Messiah, which is the Antichrist. So that's why you got to be very careful, like saying, "Hey, we're going to help these people rebuild a temple," and all that. They're rebuilding a temple, which again, if you heard my revelation study, you know,

where I said on that, but they're trying to rebuild a temple that Jesus explicitly said, "You don't need anymore," because on the Messiah, I've already come up. Now watch this. It's important. But they don't believe that Jesus was the Messiah, so they're still waiting on who they think the Messiah is, which is like bizarre, because he's never going to come. Right. Right. And even if he does come, remember, in the context of Jesus, even if Messiahs do rise up, there were 12 from a hundred years before and after Jesus, no, but they could get duped into some Messiah. You see what I'm saying? They've already been duped before. Right. That's what I'm saying. You see, it's harsh. And believe me, I'm not against the Jewish people. Don't hear what I'm saying. What I'm saying is they are praying and believing and going to the Western Wall to bring back the Messiah, which as a Christian, we know the Word would be an antichrist. Wow. Does that make sense? It's hard. I just started thinking about this. It's interesting. Yeah, it's interesting. Great. If that's a false Messiah, the antichrist, but yet they would think it would be the real Messiah? Yes.

You understand? There's three religions that converge on the Temple Mount. I don't want to get geopolitical, but what does that do for them? It actually kind of makes sense. I mean, they already missed the real one. Right. You said they already missed Jesus and he was there, but it's kind of like, yeah, exactly. They missed that one. How they going to see, quote, the next one. What are you asking, Kenny? Sorry. Well, okay. I'm just like, like some random dude rises up and says he's the Messiah. Okay. Which happens? Judas to go. who's not the Messiah, but yet they think he's the Messiah, which we know is the Antichrist. What does that do for them? Well, they soon I'm saying like it's a lie. No, I know that's that's why that's why what I would say again, not to get all political, but the greatest thing we could do for the Jewish people is share the gospel because to tell them, Hey, the guy you passed on years ago is actually the guy and you don't have to wait any longer. You got to remember though, the temple, this is why I don't think the temple will ever be rebuilt. And even if it is rebuilt, it has no significance or bearing on a Christian's life or even a Jewish person's life. Here's why. Okay. What was the temple? What was the significance of the temple in the first century? Okay. What was, what did they believe the temple symbolized? Intimacy with God, right? Okay. Intimacy with God because within the temple, there was two sections to it in the actual temple, not the mouth, but the actual temple. The first section was called what? You remember? The holy, the holy, you mean inside? The holy place was the first section. So you're going inside out? Yeah, inside. Okay. So yeah, holy of holies. And then inside the holy of holy, I mean, the holy place was first. Yeah, holy place. Like you've been inside the holy of holy place is the

holy of holies. You have one building, two sections, one small one's bigger. Inside the holy, the holy place was three things. It remember all this is furniture and it's a picture. The temple is a picture of God's big house, but it's also a picture of our little house at home. In the temple, in the holy place, you have the menorah, which is, which is light, a lamp. You have a table of show bread, the King James calls it a table of bread, which is food. And then you have incense, which is a place of smell or perfume for a home. So you have a certain kind of smell. That was a place you offered a prayer. Then you went inside and that was kind of like the bedroom, you know, the special access to God. But here's what they believed. Wherever the Ark of the Covenant, where God resided above, they believe where the Ark of the Covenant sat, don't miss this. That was the punctilliar point on planet earth, where heaven met earth. This is what they believed. Think of it like a portal, if you will. It's kind of a bad, it's usually like stranger things kind of things. But anyway, you know, like the portal into another bread, that's probably bad, but don't email me. But it's like the, it's like the place where heaven met earth or better yet where God met his creation or humanity. That was the place. So much so, Candy and I have been in Israel multiple times, Vivian as well. If you're, if you have a Jewish tour guide, watch this, they will not walk on the top of the temple mount, where the dome of the rock is now for it, for the Muslims, they will not even, they'll send you up and they'll meet you on the other side. Why? Because a Jew, an Orthodox Jew, will never walk on the temple mount for fear of stepping on the place where they don't know was the holy of holies. Did you know that? They would not, they will not walk on the temple mount because if they step on that, they blaspheme God and they don't know it and no one knows where it really is. That's how protective they are at this place. Okay. So why is that important? Why does Jesus say, but you got to understand, no stone on this temple will stand. I'm telling you, it's going to be decimated. Why? Because Jesus is saying, I'm the temple. See, that's what John was getting across. In the beginning was the word, the words with God, the word was God, the word became flesh and God dwelt among us in flesh. What he's saying is, now Jesus is the point in human history, not a place, not a temple made by hands, but a temple that God feels in a person and then ultimately in a people, which is us, which is why Paul says, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Now I'll approve it to you. Well, can I just say something? Okay. Well, you got to hit your button. I don't have a question. I have a comment. I need another comment. Oh, she's commenting now.

I'm thinking this is like the best home renovation ever. Okay, because you think about it. It's the whole entire thing. You don't get that. Like we're talking about the temple was like the home, like mimics our little home or whatever, but he completely demolishes that thing and it's like a complete home renovation because now through the spirit, he lives in our hearts. Look at baby. She got it. Yeah. You don't get that honey? Yeah. Well, yeah, you got it. Well, it's not a home renovation because you get a new home. He doesn't like renovate the temple and start over. He destroys the temple, gives you a new home. But anyway, it's a home relocation. By the way, there is an incredible sermon series that Robbie did that shows you how every piece of the temple points to Jesus. When he first got here, that was so good. And we built that long hollow. We built every piece and we had a traveling temple. You can go and search my job over there. So maybe if people are leaving the drones, they'll die. But were they? Well, they never just think it was too much. But not because it really like, dude, this is too much. I love it. Go back and look at some of your 50 or something. But not the pieces. I worked. No, they loved it. Don't give it a lightweight a traveling temple. Maybe I would go in but ignore the rooster haircut or the rat 'em and I had but but it points to Jesus though Which is what you try and say okay? Now watch this is a simple place. This is what's interesting cyborg never heard this for a bit Every disagreement living you like this every disagreement in the book of acts that happens between the Christians and the religious leaders Happens either in or around a temple Every one of them either a Jewish temple or a false pagan god those men are Zeus and I you know in Philippi That's Zeus in the it's always around paganistic temples or so it just shows you this temple is important This is why I say and agree with what you want or not But the reality is this is why a third temple cannot be built because of a third temple is ever built and anybody goes to Sacrifice anything to the temple number one it goes against Jesus's words that destroy the temple But number two is it says that what Jesus did on the cross was insignificant Because we need another Sacrifice or we need another it's not sufficient like Jesus you got us to the five-yard line me a great job But no when Jesus died on the cross and said you'll never need this building again Because you don't have to go worship at a place you worship through a person and they have access So it's way bigger than just eschatology. It's about theology biblical theology. Okay, so why is the kingdom of heaven so important?

Because the kingdom with the sermon on the Mount That's what the sermon on the Mount is about and what happens is as soon as Jesus comes off the sermon on the Mount Matthew and search this picture here of the sir of the kingdom of heaven and action now Let me just for context and I want to go too long for time But let me just and we did a whole series Robert can link the notes Link the series on the kingdom of God. We did a couple episodes, but let me just give you a refresher For Jesus the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God same thing. Don't have time to get into it Why does Matthew use Kingdom of heaven Mark and Luke use Kingdom of God because Matthew's writing to a Jewish audience that Respected the name of God. They didn't even say the name of God outwardly They replaced it with Adonai or Lord and so Matthew replaced it with heaven And if you don't believe me here's the here's the example and in the prodigal son story Remember a prodigal son comes to his senses and he said I've sinned against my father and against heaven heaven How do you say it gets a place? It's God I've sinned against heaven and against my God is heaven exactly So it's really not rocket. Well, we're heaven is God is and we're God and God lives and God resides in him Okay, so the okay, so Kingdom of Heaven Kingdom of God same thing Don't think some people wasted a lot of literature and and ankle and trying to just it's not different It's the same thing. Hebraically trust me on this. Okay, but here's the question What is the Kingdom of Heaven? If I say Kingdom of Heaven for the Jews they say and it's it's some place here on earth or Messiah's reigning decimate nineties Here's the question if I were to go to your church if you're listening and you're not long. How do we go to long? Hollow forgot our student ministry and we walk through the aisle Sunday Okay, or the or the or the or the or the chairs and I asked the question What is the Kingdom of Heaven or better yet? Where is the Kingdom of Heaven? What would the average Christian say and suburban rural America? Adam they'd say yeah, you're pointing, but it's pointing up like up. It's a it's another place that we go to after we die What do you think that's what same thing candy? What do you think? Well, I think you're asking a wrong question. Okay. Well, no, do we not? Miss questionnaire No, I'm just saying How would you ask the way you word the question is gonna be the answer you get and so like if you say what is the Kingdom of Heaven?

Okay, it's gonna be different than if you say who is the Kingdom of Heaven, okay? But you're aware. Yeah, I know but you know the answer. I'm trying not to give the answer away But I'm just saying in general. Okay, the average Christian is going to say like Adam Well, yeah, they anybody would think the King Robert. Where would you say the Kingdom of Heaven is most Christians? In the sky exactly. It's some big man in the sky. Yeah, country music theology. Okay Is it here and now or there and then what would you say most Christians would say there and then it's coming later? Yeah, okay, now watch this It's two different perspectives. This hit me recently two different perspectives from the first century Jewish audience and the apostles I'm approved to you the apostles thought that too at first the disciples They thought it was God coming to earth as a Messiah. We wouldn't say that nobody would say oh the Kingdom of Heaven is when God Right, no, but no a modern Christian saying anything here. They're talking about going there after they die in heaven far away Okay, watch this both of those breed the same response laziness Watch this because if I'm waiting for a Messiah to come to make all things right I'm just gonna sit back and wait But if I'm waiting for Jesus to return and write to Hades and a hand-basket anyway. Marinathic, come Lord Jesus, come make, and then what do you do in the meantime? I'm just sitting idly waiting. And for Jesus, and for John, and for the apostles, it was the antithesis of that. So remember the Kingdom of Heaven is three things, write them down if you're listening. The Kingdom of Heaven is a place, it's where the presence of God, and don't think like far away, heaven for the first century mind was here. And now it was in another dimension, supernaturally we can't see it. That's what a vision is by the way. A vision is when Paul went to the third heaven, he didn't go like bottle-rocketing in the sky away. God just gave him eyes to see here. Remember Elijah? We just read that.

We just read this. Yeah, who was? Where was Elijah goes in the whirlwind and the chariots of fire and the horses and you're thinking, okay, like, are we, well, not we because we weren't there, but like peering into a realm that we can't normally see, you know what I'm saying, when he picks you up, when he picks you up, where's he gone? He disappears somewhere. Yeah. When Jesus disappears. He just disappears into the air, and it's the supernatural realm, okay? That's what a miracle is by the way, it's pretty crazy. That's what a miracle is by the way, I think. A miracle is when God, the timeless God, bends reality of space and time and matter, and enters in and basically performs a miracle. Now we are bound by time. God enters in through that different dimension realm and bends reality, and I'll show you this. Isn't it interesting, we've played this before, that the first miracle of Jesus, first one ever publicly is what, okay, and you know, number one miracle of Jesus, putting him on a spot. Come on. Let's go. Okay. You wouldn't even hear for that. He's locked in. He's locked in. I don't know where we got this guy, we need to give him. Give him a bonus. Give him a raise. Give him a raise.

All right. No. He's smart. Okay. Most people think that's just a miracle of substance. It's not just a miracle of substance, yes, it's a picture of the Red Sea. We talked about that when Moses, his first miracle was turning the water of the river into blood. It's that and it's more though. The miracle is a picture of time because it says he created wine, but not just any wine, old wine, which we did the research found out, it takes five to six years. Jesus, in a moment, bends time in reality. Now for guys like you and me, bro, that's the greatest news we can ever hear because for our whole lives, we say, I wasted so much time and that's why Paul said that, man. I feel like I'm one untimely born, that's why we love Joel 2 22. God restores what the locus have eaten away over time. And if you're listening, just a sidebar and you're thinking, man, my life, my life is a wreck. I've thrown my life away. I've done bad things. I haven't been the person I wanted. I'm still, I'm still, you know, I'm still not right with the Lord. Just know the goal is not perfection. It's progression and direction. You're in process, right? And if you still have breath, you still have life. I remember needing to hear this the times you did too because I would just, I'd take one step forward, two steps back, two steps forward, three steps back. And I'd be like, God, Lee, why am I still struggling with this? Why am I still doing this?

Why am I still have these thoughts? And little did I know, God's like, no, just stay on the journey. And so if you're thinking about quitting, and you deal with this item all the time, I mean, we had an amazing landing service this past week, tell them about that with the fire. And was that not amazing? Well, you know what you got me thinking about is we have a huge audience that listened to this podcast in incarceration, and when you're incarcerated, what do we say? We're doing time. Time. We're doing time. I don't want you to hear that today, behind us. And so it's like, and but we have, and that's, I don't think that's from the Lord. I don't think it was, I don't think, I don't think doing times from the Lord, because like where's God at? Where my feet are. So, and you always say the kingdom heaven is what? Here. Right now. So it's like, right now, you know, I'm trying to just make it through the day, or make it through the next moment. And we had, that's where we have to read, that's the renewing of our mind. Because if we're just doing time, we're just saying, I'm just getting by, I'm just floating by, I'm just waiting to that end date. But if you look at today, like, all right, God, what would you have me to do today? Who is the person around me that I can help? What is the scripture? And we, we, we, we start renewing our minds to be right in the present moment. And what does God's kingdom look like for me? You say, well, how can I do that if I'm in a prison cell?

How can I do that? If I'm in a pod, or how can I do that when I've got three kids and, you know, eight dogs or whatever, like to this, you know, the mom at home, we were just like, listen, you just ask God, God, what would you have me do to do today? God, what, your presence is in my feet. So how can I connect with you? How can I walk with you? And I think that's where, that's where I don't, I don't understand it, but there's The first time I ever had a concordance, I felt like this is the first time I ever really sensed the Holy Spirit, the presence of God. 'Cause I was reading something and I researched it and I remember I was standing up at the wall and then I realized I've been staring at the wall for 45 minutes. Oh wow, you know what I mean? But it felt like what? Four seconds. - Tech again, about a minute, yeah. - Because I was with the presence of God. And I think that's how we get to sort of bypass the weight that time can put on us and for a difficult situation. But to your point, we had a girl that was carrying around the burden of the world on her. Like, she had studied all these different religions. She had accumulated all these books of false gods of, I mean, maybe even the covers were just demonic and some romantic books that were inappropriate and just all these things that she had been given.

Stuff that's out there in the world, you can get successful too. - Right, right. - And through CR for students she's going through in the North with all these things and we did an inventory and she's like, listen, I just want to clean out everything, not just in my heart, but in my life, in my room. - That's good. - So she brought Delaney, a giant box of books that was all these demonic, well, Delaney's like, I'm going to throw these away, I said, no, we're not. We're going to burn these. - We're going to burn these baby. - We were announcing this. - We were announcing, so we popped up in the truck, drove to the back of the property at lunch hall and prayed and I doused it with, well, I've doused it with-- - You know, there's something to have to burn. - There's a no-born burn ban right now and something. - I'm sorry. - I think they're-- - I was going to say, whoa! - She asked me, she said, can I worry about it? - She said, can I post that in the all-staff zoom? I was like, better not, I said, just post it on Facebook. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, pretty no. - Everybody needs a good burn call once in a while, you know what I'm saying? - Hey, listen, we're getting trouble with this.

- I burn stuff in my backyard one time, just before, way before I knew you, honey, but me and my daddy. - Wow, this is cool. - Yeah, we got, it was from like, just bads. You never heard this story? - No. - It was saved and like, you know, my eyes were open like when I was in the midst of this really sinful relationship and the Lord set me free and then I wanted to, I mean, obviously you have memories, you know, you can't really erase those, but any letter, any card, any gift, anything that I had from that relationship went into a burn call in the backyard. - Hello, I think God's doing something with this because I think people get stuck and really they get stuck in time because they won't let go of things. You and I have that same story of, we took our, whenever you tell it, I'm like, yeah, this dude's just, - Same thing, same thing. - I had this big old box of CDs with Tupac, everything. - The little clip chart with the, - Yeah, I've read the Bible. - Two and three days. - Yeah, I had everything and then like, I'm reading the Bible and I'm hearing the sermon and then the Lord's like, yeah, you're listening to like, gangster rap and killing and murdering it.

And I had that moment where I threw it all the way in the trash can. It's like, maybe somebody that's listening, you've just got to delete that app. You've got to take some stuff out of your room and go burn it, go throw it away, get rid of. You're stuck in time and you can't see the kingdom of heaven in your life right now 'cause you're holding on to a whole bunch of hell. - Yeah, come on baby, that'll preach. - It's time to burn it up and hit yours. - Well, you said a while ago, like, someone that might be listening, it's incarcerated, the phrase doing time. But it's like, we have to shift our mindset to like, not doing time, but to be on time. Like, what do we need to be on time on point with today? You know, with what God might be telling us or our response to him, you know, that's where things like shifting our mindset. - Yeah, so the scripture I came to mind was Ephesians 5, 15. Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, I love this scripture. Redeeming the time, making the best use of the time. - That's good, that's good. - So it got me thinking, if you're listening, it doesn't matter if you're incarcerated or you're in a kitchen right now or you're on a lawnmower or riding in a car.

You got two ways to deal with time. You can waste time or you can redeem time, biblically. And I've wasted many years of my life and I'm not saying I still want me in the days ahead. But again, when I got saved at 26, 27 years old, I felt like I was behind the eight ball. I felt like I'd wasted my life. I was thinking the other day, I'm almost, I've been following the Lord almost as long as I've been not following the Lord. Like I'm getting close two years from now. I'm gonna follow the Lord longer than I was lost, which I can't use for that. - Praise God. - Awesome day, yeah. - This year, November 12th, which is literally around the corner, will be 24 years. - 24, yeah. - 24 years far more, almost 25, man. - Come on. - Yeah, exactly. But here's the thing, so how do you redeem the time? How do you take advantage of the time and that's to be intentional. You need to be intentional with your time. And you said this before, that's what silence and solitude so hard people to get. And even in my D group guys, they're like, "Man, it feels like I'm wasting time." And I said, "Well, the difference between wasting time "and sitting in the presence of God in time "is the direction and the person "and the intention before you go in."

If my intention is to veg out on Netflix or watching sports activity, whatever, or whatever. Then that is wasting time. But if I'm gonna go in with the intention, God, I'm gonna be present in your presence. Then there, and again, I've been doing this now for almost six years, I'll be honest, and I'll be honest about it. I still times think, I just have for 20 minutes and did nothing. I really, my brain, which is the flesh, still coming back. - Yeah, yeah. - But I gotta remind myself, 'cause I have enough time under my belt with the Lord, you know, hundreds of hours sitting with the Lord, hundreds of hours sitting with the Lord in silence, where I gotta remind yourself, no, that is the most important thing. 'Cause remember, I'd go out to the porch and I'd say, God, I didn't get anything. I just wasted all this time, hour and a half. I got nothing. And the Holy Spirit said, no, you didn't get nothing. You got me. And I finally got you. - Well, and I think if you practice that rhythm and like how, not you specifically, but if anybody's practicing the rhythm you're talking about, it makes you, it puts you in a more sensitive state in your normal everyday life to hear God's voice too.

So when you're sitting in silence, and like you're saying, you might not get something right away in that particular hour or 30 minutes or whatever it is, but yet you're training your mind and your body to like slow down and it just puts you in a more heightened state to hear when the Lord speaks, I think at any given time. So like you're capitalizing on an hour of silence, but yet it's kind of like muscle. You know, when you work out your muscles in the morning, you know that burns calories all day long. Well, when you sit in silence, you know what I'm saying? It's almost like it's burning calories all day long and putting you in a more heightened, I think, state to be able to hear God. - Trying to get in that heart rate zone, but to hear God. That's good. You get in the heart rate zone. - I was thinking the same thing. - I was thinking the same thing. So what is the world has seen this? You have all these books that say what, tell me your five people you hang around and I'll show you your future. - Future. - Right? - That's good, Adam.

- What I was thinking about is, 'cause it's happened to me the other night, I went on the back porch, and here's the thing, you can set your phone, I've set my phone for 9.30, so I'm gonna go on the back. - For sure. - I was like, I came back, I didn't hear anything, it was like, but the next day I feel like I was energized in spiritual things. And you hit on it though, the reason why. If you hang out with Rob, you're gonna learn about what? You're gonna learn about disc golf, you're gonna learn about revelations, you're gonna learn-- - Lifting weights. - Dorns, lifting weights. I mean, the guy's awesome, right? I love his guns. One of my best friends, love hanging around him, right? Him is a big germ, right? So, but you hang around God, he's God. It's gonna energizes you spiritually, so even if he doesn't even say anything, I'm being influenced by the presence of God. - Just being in the presence of God. - Exactly. - And how it's long-lasting. I really think that's fascinating, honey. - I'll give you one, I'll give you another one, you just got me thinking.

So, people always say, how do you always use this line specifically? So, something in the Lord gave me. I bent my ear to hear the accent of the Holy Spirit. Now, use those words important in the Lord gave me that, I think, but here's why. Just like, when I was raising New Orleans, I would speak about the French quarter and go to, you know, you drink water, we're gonna make groceries. We talk with a guy, it's like a New York accent, dialy. So, there's an accent I talk with. People from Mississippi, you know, don't volunteer, man. We're gonna win this, we're gonna win this year. We're gonna build a team that is an accent. - That's pretty good. - Yeah, that's pretty good. - A little slower on the words, we're gonna win. - We're gonna win this year, we're gonna win this year. Tomorrow, we got a good store, we got a good quilt. - Yeah, hi y'all. - Mississippi's close like that. - Yeah, Mississippi's close like that. - But there's a certain accent that is recognizable. When I went to a basketball camp in Philadelphia in high school, I went to like a blue chips camp years ago when I was a senior, and everybody there, right away, they said, "Galley, you from the Bronx? You from New York?" 'Cause they recognized my accent was so distinct.

Okay, here's the thing, it hit me the other day. What Jesus said, "My sheep know me." Oh, I know my sheep, and my sheep hear my voice. Okay, watch this. Never thought about this before, but I thought about it just in real time, watch this. What if, what if, you remember when you would play outside with your friends, you'd be down the street by 15, 20 guys playing, and then Mama Margaret would come out and she'd say, "Robbie, get in that." And nobody else's head turned, but you wouldn't-- - Right, you knew. - You knew, or Kathy would come out, "Galley!" You know, yeah, or, yeah, "Oh, Penny." So scream. - Who's Penny? - I'm like, "I'm not sure if you were looking at me, but no, I know Penny, yeah." - Oh, yeah. - No, no, when our moms come out, there's a certain accent that immediately-- - The tone, even the tone. - The tone, yeah, immediately. And here's the funny thing, nobody around is looking. They're just looking around. Okay, what if, I'm not saying it is, but just follow me here, what if entrance into heaven with Jesus or the new, or heaven, a new earth for eternity was based on this call? Watch this, this is sobering and scary at the same time.

What if, when we die, we all go to one big warehouse, millions of people in a room? - No, it gets him better. Yeah, maybe. - You gotta be out of here his voice. - Why, no, why is he saying that? - What if, what if, the only way you respond talking, oh bro, so good to see you. Anyway, you bet. And all of a sudden one voice goes out and says, "You know, come home, come home, come home." And the only people, feel the way of this. The only people who turn around and respond are the people who have been their ear to the accent of the Galilean Savior, okay? - That's so good. - You know, watch this. How do you learn to hear the voice of God by spending time with God? - That's so good. - How do I learn to fall in love with Candy? How do you learn to fall in with Josie? You spend time with him. And so let's close, we're gonna put a pause here 'cause we've got part two. - Let's keep doing that honey, spend a time. - Let me just say one more thing 'cause you're gonna let my mom just came back from Ireland. And I've told, she told me this story before,

but listen, she said this is crazy. She said you'll be sitting on a hillside. You'll see 1,000, have you heard me say that? I should have said this one before, but they'll see thousands of sheep. And you think that they're all from one shepherd owner. I don't know if you've ever heard this. There's like 10, they just all grazed again. - All hanging out together. - And so this is what's wild, bro. I'm getting chills. They'll walk out there, mom said they'll walk out there together, they'll be like 10 shepherds and they'll be like, and they'll-- - Certain call. - Whatever, they'll say, "Hey, come up, hit, hit." And the sheep, listen, all of a sudden the sheep apart, and like 10, 15 little sheep are come to him. - No. - By themselves. - By themselves, because they know-- - And the rest don't move. - They know their shepherds voice. - In a group of people, my dad heard whistles and I was listening to him. - Yeah. - Oh yeah. - Just by the second. - That's what he's intervening, everybody does that. - Yeah.

- Yeah. - His voice knew. - Yeah. - That's hilarious. - Yeah. The same whistle, somebody thinks this is a goofball whistle. The other whistle is like, no, it's a clarion call to come home. - Yeah. - So the question is, as we roll, that's deep. So the question is for you, when the Savior calls, where you know his voice, hear his voice and respond. We'll pick up next week because next week, we're gonna talk about the kingdom of God through the book of Acts. Get ready. Acts, give you some homework, is there are two insights that bookend acts that tell us what the whole book's about and the whole ministry of Jesus. You don't wanna-- - Powerful, powerful. Don't miss that, thank you so much for listening. Listen, if you wanna become a part of the forgotten Jesus team, please go ahead and hit subscribe. And if you wanna help us get this content out, you can click like, comment, share this with a friend. It's real easy. You can leave a comment on our podcast. You can leave a comment on YouTube. And listen, if you heard this, you thought, man, this was good.

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