Richard Ellis Talks

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis. Thanks for
allowing us to share this time with you. Honestly, it's
our favorite time of the day where we get to
hang out together and talk about how the truth of
God's word can make a huge difference in your life.
And that's what we're going to hear from Richard in
a way that only he can do with words of hope, insight,

(00:21):
and humor. You may be stuck in traffic or stuck
in life. Either way, today's message is going to help
get you on the right track as you learn how
much God loves you right where you are. So let's
get right into today's talk. Here's Richard Ellis.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
The title today's message is the Wedlock on this side
of Heaven. Things don't always go well, and they don't
always go right. So let me as gently as I
can kind of go into this to make sure there's
no misunderstandings. I am not a hater. This has nothing
to do with hatred. Sometimes I feel like I'm I

(01:00):
am the hated for simply believing something. Please do not
abdicate your right not to be angry and by getting
all those things that's not the intent, but it is okay.
I don't hold it up a lot. It is okay
to believe the book, okay. And Jesus is all I got,

(01:22):
and this is all he gave me to use. I
got nothing else. So I really have nowhere else to
turn but in these pages. And I can't explain everything
in these pages. There's some things that God has done
that I don't get, but I got nowhere else to go.
And people say, well, you know, Christians hate gay people.

(01:44):
A true Christian loves people regardless of what. And this
is where it gets tricky, regardless of their sin. And
you say, who you're calling something sin? You know what,
I didn't write this stuff, as I've said before, I
just work here. So I'm going to just simply read
you some things from the book. And that's what I

(02:05):
will have to answer for one day, knowing the truth,
believing the truth, speaking the truth in love, and then
let God figure out the rest. Turn to Genesis chapter one,
verse twenty seven. Genesis chapter one, verse twenty seven. So
God created man in his own image, in the image
of God. He created him male and female. He created them.

(02:29):
This is really simple stuff. You would think that we
would get the simple stuff. Then God blessed them, and
God said to them, be fruitful and multiply. Now this
is really simple stuff. It takes a man and a
woman to be fruitful and multiply. A man and a
man cannot be fruitful and multiply. A woman and a

(02:51):
woman cannot be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and
subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air, and over every living
thing that moves on the earth. It's what it says,
it's what happened. It's what's up now. He said, well,
why didn't that work out? Because Adam and Eve, the
man and the woman, the husband and the wife. The
first that we get screw up. Eve doesn't do what

(03:13):
she's supposed to do. Adam doesn't do what he's supposed
to do. We have sin, and then this chaos ensues,
this fall literally, and when man fell, we fell hard
and hit our heads, hit our hearts, we hit everything
you could hit. And it's not a good place. Now
there is redemption, there's hope, there's change. But again you

(03:34):
have to call sin sin to have a remedy for sin.
Go to Genesis chapter two again kind of expounding on
this verse eighteen. And the Lord God said, it is
not good that man should be alone. I will make
him a helper comparable to him. Not exactly like him,
but comparable. There's a difference. I'll make him a helper

(03:56):
out of the ground. The Lord God formed every beast
of the field, every bird of the year, and brought
them to Adam to see what he would call them.
And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.
So Adam gave names of the cattle, the bird's ear,
that every beast of the field. But for Adam there
was not found a help or comparable to him. And
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam,
and he slept, and he took one of his ribs,
closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib

(04:18):
which the Lord God had taken from man, he made
into a woman, and he brought her to the man.
It's there, It's simple. God did not make a man
for a man. He made a woman for a man.
And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman
because she was taken out of a man. Therefore a
man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined

(04:41):
to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Go
to Daniel chapter three. Just keep going right, right right,
keep going right. I'll give you a minute to find it,
because it's important to see this stuff in the Book
of Daniel. And here in chapter three, these are Jewish

(05:01):
men who have been taken captive in Nebukanezer's kingdom. They
started out with names Hannah and II Azeraiah Michael. They
were given new names Shadrack, Mishak, and a Bendigo. If
you went to church growing up, you learn this story.
And so the king makes a decree and if you
read the whole thing, I'm not going to take time

(05:21):
to read all this, but he made a decree that
everyone had to bow down to this image that was created,
and if you didn't, there were severe consequences. And these
three guys simply said, we can't bow down now at
this Before I even read the story, let me throw
something out here. First of all, you got to figure
out are you a Christian. Now, if you're not a Christian,

(05:43):
you got a bigger fish to fry. But if you're
a Christian, then you have to decide and understand what
does that mean if he is your savior, then implicit
in that almost is that he has to be lord.
That means he is the boss. He controls your life.
It's about serving him, trusting him, obeying him, following him,
doing what he says to do, not what you want
to do anymore, and trusting him. And when you get

(06:06):
to a place and the world says you have to
do this, you have to say, well, I am a Christian,
I am a follower of Christ. That doesn't work for me.
And what if they say, well, we're gonna kill you,
then you're gonna have to kill me. You say, well,
what if it gets to that point and I'm afraid
and I deny Christ? Peter denied Christ. Let's don't worry

(06:28):
about getting to that point. You're not to that point.
Maybe decide what you're gonna do before you get there,
and you have an easier time knowing what to do
when you're there. Now, if you're one of these angry,
militant Christians just out there beating the drum they're going
to hell, you know what, if someone is going to hell,
that should not bring you joy whatsoever. That should break

(06:50):
your heart. That should break my heart. So when even
when you call sin out, it should be with a brokenness,
and you should look at the person say look, I
know you may disagree, and I'm just telling you what
the book says and what I've discovered in my own life.
But there's reason to repent. There's reason to call it
what God calls it and asks for help, because without him,
it's way worse than just some lifestyle. So Daniel, let's

(07:13):
jump down to verse eight. Therefore, at that time, certain
Kaladeans came forward and accused the Jews. They spoke and
said to King Nebucan Ezer, O King lived forever, You,
O King, have made a decree that everyone who hears
the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltry
in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down
and worship the gold image. And whoever does not fall

(07:34):
down and worship shall be cast into the midst of
a burning, fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you
have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrack, Kneeshak,
and a Bendigo. These men, O King, have not paid
due regard to you. They do not serve your gods
or worship the gold image which you have set up.
Then nebucan As are enrage and fury gave the command

(07:56):
to bring Shadrackneeshak in a bendigo. So they brought these
men too, were the king nebuican Nezer spoke saying to them,
is it true, Shadragneeshak and Abendigo, that you do not
serve my gods in worship the gold image which I've
set up. Now, if you are ready at the time
you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lireed psaltry,
and symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall
down and worship the image which I have made good.

(08:19):
But if you do not worship, you shall be cast
immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And
who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?
Shaddrag mee shack and a bendigo answered and said to
the king, O nebucon Nezar, we have no need to
answer you in this manner. If that is the case,

(08:39):
our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
from your hand. O King, He said, what do you
mean by that? Either way they're going to get delivered.
It might be from the fire, or it might be
in the fire into the presence of God. But they're
going to get delivered either way. But if not, let

(09:02):
it be known to you, O King, that we do
not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold
image which you have set up is your God able
to deliver. You see, if you don't believe that, then
you cower, then you quake, then you quit, and you
don't speak up. It's funny and not so funny how
many ways there are for us to deny our Lord.

(09:25):
You get in a conversation and someone says, hey, what
do you think about this? So are people posting all
these posts and blogs and all this stuff? Big congratulations.
Look I get it. If two people have longed in
a sinful relationship to be acknowledged by the society and
that happens for them, I get how someone could congratulate them.

(09:47):
I just have a hard time congratulating zin. I don't
congratulate adulters. I don't congratulate fornicators. And if you don't
know what fornication is pretty simple to sleeping with somebody
you're not married to, he said, But everybody's doing that.
You know what, who cares? If everybody's doing it, it
still is what it is. Keep reading nebuchan As are

(10:08):
full of fury. And the expression on his face changed
towards Shadrack Mishak and a Bendigo. He spoke the command
that they heat the furnace seven times more than it
was usually heated, and he commanded certain mighty men of
Valoru in his army to buy in Shadrack Mishak and
have been to go and cast them into the burning
fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats,
their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were
cast in the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore,

(10:31):
because the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot,
the flame of the fire killed those men who took
up Shadrak Mishak and a Bendigo, and these three men
fell down bound in the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King nebukin Azer was astonished, and he rose in
haste and spoke saying to his counselors, did we not

(10:51):
cast three men bound into the midst of the fire.
And they answered and said to the king, true, oh King,
Look he answered, I see four men loose walking in
the midst of the fire, and a fire by the
way which had killed the people that threw him in.
I see four men loose walking in the midst of
the fire, and they are not hurt. And the form
of the fourth is like the Son of God. So

(11:13):
what does that have to do with you. I am
never by myself, and as a Christian, it is not
that the Son of God is with me. It is
that he is in me. You can't put me on
a planet somewhere and I be by myself. I can
never be alone again. He is not just with me,
he is in me. Then Nebukan as A went near
the mouth of the burning fire furnace, spoke saying, Shadrag

(11:34):
Mishak can have been to go, servants of the Most
High God. Now all of a sudden he gets it,
come out and come here. Then, Shadraged Mishak and have
been to go came from the midst of the fire,
and the say traps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors
gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies
the fire had no power. The hair of their head

(11:55):
was not singed, nor were their garments affected, and the
smell of fire was not on them. Nothing of the
fire affected them. Never can Aser spoke saying, blessed be
the God of Shadrak Mishak and a Bendigo, who sent
his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him.
And they have frustrated the king's word. You know what
we're supposed to be about. Frustrating the king's word is

(12:20):
your life. Frustrating the King's word. No matter what they say,
no matter what they put on us or put out there,
we show by the way we live the Lord that
we let live in and through us, that there is
a better way, and yielded their bodies that they should
not served nor worship any god except their own God.
Willing to yield your body a living sacrifice, well, I

(12:43):
don't want to die. Therefore I make a decree that
any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against
the God of Shadrak Mishak and of Benego shall be
cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an
ash heap. Because there is no other God who can
deliver like this. The same king who said you're going
to bow, said, no one speaks against this God. So

(13:06):
a king can change his mind, even a court can
change their mind. But it's going to take some people
of a nation to change their mind first. And to
change their mind, you got to change your heart, and
only he can bring about the kind of change needed.
Then the king promoted Shadrak Mishak, and have been to
go in the province of Babylon. Go to Matthew chapter
twenty four, New Testament. Matthew twenty four. Let's jump in

(13:30):
at verse four. And Jesus answered and said to them,
take heed that no one deceives you, for many will
come in my name saying I am the Christ and
will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and
rumors of war. See that you are not troubled, for
all these things must come to pass. But the end
is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and

(13:51):
earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings of
the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up
to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated
by all nations for my name's sake. Now, please get
this in your head and in your heart. If you
are a Christian, you are not going to be popular,

(14:12):
even if you're the best Christian, the kind is Christian,
the most loving Christian. The world is going to hate you.
You have to get your head around this. And then
many will be offended, will betray one another, and will
hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up
and deceive many and listen to this verse, And because

(14:33):
lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
If you're a Christian, I don't doubt your salvation. But boy,
can sure cool off in the kingdom. Or we don't
love him like we used to love him, where we
won't die for him, where we won't live for him,
where we won't even let him do an inspection in
our own lives to see if everything's okay, just between

(14:54):
us and him. But he who endures to the end
shall be saved. And this gospel of the Kingdom will
be preached in all the world as a witness to
all the nations, and then the end will come. Why
do we push so hard? Why is it take the planet.
Why is it going to all the earth? Why do
we spend so much money, so much time, so much

(15:14):
effort sending people because the sooner everybody hears, the sooner
we all get to go home. And I don't have
a death wish, but I do have a heaven wish.
I got a Jesus wish I'd like to see because
the older I get, the longer i'm here, the more
this place wears me out. Go to First Corinthians, chapter six,

(15:35):
and these things are somewhat obvious. But this is not
the only place this stuff is mentioned in the scripture.
But I'll read it just so it's documented, and you
see it's here, First Corinthians six. Let's jump in at
verse nine. Do you not know that the unrighteous will
not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.
So if someone tells you and just live like hell

(15:56):
and make heaven, don't be deceived. It is not possible.
And please don't mistake this. You say, well, but I'm
a Christian in their times where it looks like I
still live like hell, that is possible. But I'm talking
about someone not a believer, just living in an ungodly,
unrighteous life. And you say, well, what does even that mean?
Do not be deceived? And here's the list. This is
this passage. Neither fornicators people who sleep with someone they're

(16:18):
not married to, nor idolators people who worship anything but God,
nor adulterers people who sleep with someone they're not married
to someone else's spouse, Nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves,
nor covetious, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor extortioners will inherit

(16:38):
the Kingdom of God. The Bible doesn't single out one group.
It's an equal opportunity identifier. They said, well, why do
you people chase just that? We don't chase just that.
But it seems like you're after nice gay people. I'm
after nice drunks too. I'm after nice adulterers too, I'm
after nice fornicators. I'm after nice thieves. Let's legalize stealing.

(17:01):
That's what we need to do. I feel bad for
all my friends that are thieves, right, It's terrible. They
can't help it. They just love stealing. They're not hurting anybody,
they're just taking stuff. So let's pass a law that
makes that okay. You say, dude, you're crazy, and I
say you're crazy. Pick a sin, make it legal, and
it's all okay. Do not be deceived. Do not be deceived,

(17:28):
because if you're deceived on one of these, there's a
good chance you're being deceived on yours. Because if it's
okay for them, because they're nice people, it's really gonna
be okay for me. And in reality, we're all nice people.
So all dogs and nice people go to heaven and
it's all gonna be okay. It's not true. Now, look
at the rest of this little passage. First Corinthian six

(17:48):
and such were some of you. That's a fact. We've
got a room full of this list. But you were washed,
you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name
of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God.
That's the only way it changes. I expect nothing from

(18:09):
a person who is a non believer. If I find
out someone is not a Christian, whether it's anything in
this list or beyond this list, they got issues, I
get it, and we can legalize whatever you want to legalize.
All I'm saying is, if you want to change something,
Jesus is the only answer for change. The blood of
Jesus is the only thing going to change you and

(18:29):
wash you clean. And if you're interested in that, I
got an answer for that. I got a key to
that lock. First Timothy, Chapter two, First Timothy, Chapter two,
Verse one. Just keep going to the right. This is
Paul writing to this young kid, Timothy. He says, therefore,
I exhort first of all the first thing I want
to exhort you on that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving

(18:54):
of thanks be made for all men, for kings and
all who are in authority, that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God,
our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and
to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there
is one God and one mediator between God and men,

(19:16):
the man Christ, Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for
all to be testified in due time. So what is
one of our primary responsibilities to pray for those in authority?
Stop wagging your finger and complaining about the leadership in
a country that you don't pray for. Well, this person
and that person they did that. How much time do
we spend praying for those in authority, presidents, kings, whatever

(19:39):
it is those in authority. Well, I don't like that guy.
I don't like his policies. The Bible doesn't ask you
whether you like them, pray for them. God change nebukin
Ezra's heart and mind. Why couldn't he change a president's mind.
He's not limited. He can write stuff on a wall
with his own finger. So pray. Start from your insides out,

(20:00):
and start from someone else's insides out, and ask God
to change. Easy to be angry and judge and point fingers, pray.
Go to Matthew, chapter twenty seven, last passage. I would
like to cite one more case out of Matthew twenty seven.
Jews versus Jesus, verse one. When morning came, all the

(20:22):
chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus
to put him to death. And when they had bound him,
they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilot
the governor. Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the
governor asked him, saying, are you the king of the Jews.
Jesus said to him, it is as you say. And
while he was being accused by the chief priests and
the elders. He answered nothing. Then Pilots said to him,

(20:43):
do you not hear how many things they testify against you?
But he answered him not a word. So the governor
marveled greatly. Now at the feast, the governor was accustomed
to release him to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished,
and at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore,
when they had gaither together, Pilots said to them, whom
do you want me to release to you? Barabbas or

(21:04):
Jesus who is called Christ. For he knew that they
had handed him over because of envy while he was
sitting on the judgment seat. So here is this trial
and it gets down to a feast decision. But this
guy has the authority decide who gets released and who
gets condemned. While he was sitting on the judgment seat,
his wife sent to him saying, sends a message to

(21:27):
Pilot and says, have nothing to do with that, just man.
Even Pilot's wife knows this guy is innocent, for I
have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that
they should ask for Barabas and destroy Jesus. The governor
answered and said to them, which of the two do

(21:48):
you want me to release to you? They said Barabbas.
Pilots said to them, what then shall I do with Jesus,
who is called Christ? They all said to him, let
him be crucified. Then the governor said, why what has
he done? But they cried out all the more, saying
let him be crucified. When Pilots saw that he could
not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising,

(22:10):
he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying,
I am innocent of the blood of this just person.
You see to it, and he calls him a just person.
And all the people answered and said his blood be
on us and on our children. What a catastrophic statement.
Then he released braves to them, and when he had

(22:30):
scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. That child
didn't go very well, and the real Supreme Court let
it happen. For whose sake? For mine?

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Richard will be back in a moment to wrap up
today's talk, But first I want to share a couple
of thoughts with you.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
Let's be honest.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
Real life isn't about living some highlight reel.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
For others to see.

Speaker 1 (22:54):
Most people have deep hurts, questions and struggles. Well, we
get it, and we want to help you in any
way we can. So let's keep this conversation going. You
can give us a call anytime at eight five five
six Richard, or connect with us at our website, Richard
Ellis Talks dot com. You can even put in your
prayer request right there on the prayer wall. Call us

(23:14):
at eight five five six Richard or online at Richard
Ellis talks dot com. And now let's get back to
Richard with a final word on today's show.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
The only innocent man who ever lived died in my place,
and all he asks is that I let him live
in me and through me, and take a stand when
he decides to take a stand, not to condemn people,
not to judge people, but to speak the truth and love.
And whether it's the wedlock, Jesus is the key to
that wedlock. By the way, in any of the lock

(23:46):
you need a key to, he is the key, He
is the way, He is the truth, he is the life,
and you will never get to God but by him.
He said, well, but I can't do this. Why don't
you ask him what you can and can't do, and
let him give you the wisdom to communicate truth and
love and take a stand, a strong, gentle stand. And

(24:07):
if you suffer persecution, welcome. They hated him, They're going
to hate his followers. I'm not trying to get people
to hate me. It's just how it works. Now. I
know there's a good chance that there's some of you
I may never see again because you say I'm out,
and that is heartbreaking. Because my desire and my intent

(24:27):
is not even to offend you, but to try to
help us be the people he called us to be,
and not be afraid and reach out to those people
because sin never works. It never works out. Adultery usually
does not work out very good for the parties and
the children affected by it. When there's children. I spent
enough time with couples that fornication, sex outside of marriage

(24:51):
doesn't work out too good in the long run. Homosexuality
side of mites, whatever the lid drunkards, we got everybody,
We are all in this room right now. If such
some of you were.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
This has been Richard Ellis Talks with Richard Ellis, there's
only one reason we do this program, to take the
planet with the good news of Jesus Christ. That's our
message and our mission, and you have a vital part
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by these talks with Richard, be sure to share with
someone about the change they've made in your life. And
we'd love to hear your story as to how the

(25:25):
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(25:47):
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Until next time, Thanks so much for listening to Richard
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