Episode Transcript
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Did you know, right now it may seem like Godis absent, or farther away than normal. It
may seem like he is difficult to hear or reach.Sometimes it feels like there is so much junk
floating around and life seems hard and cloudy.Well, that's because it is. The truth, however,
is that God isn't absent or far away. He justneeds to be gone after. We need to put in more
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effort and sometimes we just don't have thestrength to put in so much effort. The problem
isn't God, it's our sight and hearing. We arelistening to and seeing the wrong things. It
isn't that God has moved at all or changed.It's mostly that there is a layer of crud between
where he is and where we are. This layer hassettled in above us and is being fueled by
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toxicity, hostility, and anger, and every otherdark thing that's upset right now. Picture
the earth and then picture a dark cloud-likeatmosphere all around it. of toxic lies, misinformation,
hostility, etc. Then above that, everythingis still the same. But from our perspective,
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all we see is this dark layer that's loud andwe don't necessarily see the truth. Our view
and our hearing are blocked. Our senses aredulled and bombarded by this dark cloud we
need to press through. Like when a massive stormrolls in, we look up and all we
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are clear blue skies, the sun, everything. Butfrom our perspective, all we hear and see is
the storm, and it affects how we feel. Thislayer of misinformation gives us the wrong
impression of God, heaven, and the world. Weneed to press through it and see for ourselves
the truth that is obscured by the atmosphereabove. God is right there. Maybe He isn't as
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easily accessible as He once was. But it doesn'tmean he has changed or moved. There's just
a lot of pollution in the way. We just mightneed to work a bit harder to press through
this junk and trouble. Press through it andreally see him. We look up and around us and
just see the news, the worry, the lies, thehostility, the sickness, the problems. And
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then we make it worse by engaging with it, byentertaining it, letting it in. and letting
it affect us and our families. We should insteadbe ignoring it and pressing through it. It's
like God is standing right there, but yet werun around all day long not even noticing Him.
First of all, we don't even take the time oreffort to at least try and look His way. Mostly,
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we are just so busy with our lives, we havelittle time to actually look. And second, now
that there is this layer of junk between usand Him, It's even harder to make an effort.
We just assume he's far away. Sadly, we havebeen listening to everything we shouldn't be
listening to. We have been believing everythingwe shouldn't be believing. We are upset, afraid,
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worried over everything we shouldn't be. Godisn't far away at all. The atmosphere is just
in the way. Instead of being pushed down bythis atmosphere, instead of being crushed and
bullied by it, we need to press through it.It requires effort, more effort than maybe
we are used to. Maybe we are used to God beingright there, the air light and open. But right
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now something's in the way and it wants youto believe lies and get you off track. It gives
an appearance that isn't true, that God is absentor he isn't answering or doesn't care. We need
to be careful. We don't allow this to startto affect our hearts and weigh us down. God
hasn't moved an inch. He isn't mad, upset, punishingyou. He is standing there in all his splendor,
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pouring out nothing but good. The atmosphereis trying to hide him and wants all the attention.
Like a child. Oh no, don't look at him. Lookat me. Pay attention to me. I'm upset. Be upset
with me. Be hurt. Be afraid. Be worried. That'swhat's so heartbreaking about it. Right now.
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He is being accused and dishonored by all sortsof things. But yet he's standing right there
doing nothing but good, even though we don'tdeserve it, even though we haven't earned it.
If only we could really see. He's pouring outonly good, and it's for everyone, not just
a few, even those we think don't deserve it.Right now, God has only good regardless of
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what we are and what we've done or haven't done.We make this hard and difficult when really,
it's pretty simple. God only has good for you.All you have to do is choose to accept it.
Oh well, I've done this, or I've done that,you know what? It doesn't matter. God only
has good. Now one day, that may change. It'sup to you. But if you are on this earth right
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now, God is only offering good, regardless ofwho or what you are. It's not really even about
who you are. It's about who He is. We need tostop seeing what's in the way. Stop listening
to it. Stop engaging with it. Press throughthis atmosphere and get to where God is and
remain there. Press through for your family,your friends, your loved ones, your church.
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Press, press and keep pressing until you breakthrough this atmosphere and see the truth.
The truth that is right there in front of usbut is trying to be hidden. The atmosphere
says God is upset, that He's judging you, He'smad at you, He's sending bad things your way,
and we listen and we let it affect us. We haveto press through this atmosphere of misinformation
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and see Him. He's only good and only doing good.He's only offering good. When we realize He
has been right there this whole time, it's heartbreaking.We hear a lot of stuff every day. It's time
to press through it and start seeing. Picturea road lined on both sides with large groups
of people, shouting, screaming ideas, opinions,negativity. And at the end of the road, way
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off, barely lit, is the goal. Where God is waiting.Where the truth is. Where the air is clean.
The more you tune everything out and press forward,the better chance you have of making it to
that place. Focus in and keep walking. Don'tturn to the left or the right. Don't take notice
or strain to hear what is being said about you.Let it remain mumble-jumble. Don't try to explain
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or engage in conversation. Move forward. Sorry,I can't listen right now. Sorry, I can't pay
attention right now. I need to keep pressing.I need to get to where God is. We need to stop
listening and start pressing. Pressing throughthis atmosphere, till we see what's really
above it. and not only see it, but anchor ourfaith and heart in it. Not just look at it
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every once in a while, but be connected to it.Press until it's noticeable that you aren't
under the same atmosphere everyone else is.Wow, what's up with you? Everyone else is so
worried, upset, harassed, and angry. But notyou, why? I pressed through and saw. My hope
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and confidence aren't in this atmosphere. butthe one above it. I'm not looking at all this.
I'm looking above it at the truth. I am connectedto what's above. Press through and see. Really
see God for who He is right now. He's reallynot that far. We think so many wrong things
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about Him. Press through. Diligently seek Him.Don't just wait for Him to come after you.
Why aren't you here to help me, God? Well, He'sGod. If he wants to come near, he will, up
to him. We will just wait, wonder why he's notcloser, and just keep waiting. No. Start pressing.
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Start pursuing. In Luke, it talks about thewoman with the issue of blood. Most people
know this story about how she touched the hemof Jesus' garment and was healed. It sounds
so easy, like she just walked up to him. Butthat day, there was a massive crowd surrounding
Jesus. The Bible says the mob was pressing andhemming in all around him. It would have seemed
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very difficult to get to where he was, maybealmost impossible. And to make it even worse,
she was probably in great pain because of hercondition, maybe even weaker than normal. But
yet she pressed through the crowd with greatdetermination and was able to touch Jesus'
garment. That took a lot of effort. And whatwas interesting was she wasn't on Jesus' agenda
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for that day. He wasn't on his way to see her.He was on his way to heal a little girl. He
probably would have just passed right by her.But because of her great effort and pressing
through, she was able to be healed, to be connectedto Jesus. Jesus even asked, who touched me?
Because he felt healing life go out of him.Someone had connected to who he was. And consider
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this, he was surrounded by a huge mob of people,but nobody else was being healed that we know
of. He was just trying to get through the mobhimself. So again, maybe Jesus seems difficult
to get to right now, and maybe he isn't on hisway to see you. Don't let that stop you. Press
and keep pressing. And finally, the apostlePaul said,
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I press on towards the goal and I will takewhat Paul is saying one step further. Don't
only forget what is behind, but forget whatis surrounding you, what is above you and keep
pressing through it. And don't stop until youare right where God is, connected to who He
is right now.