April 10, 2025 • 63 mins
Today Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar discuss things that are not in the Bible along with verses that are often taken out of context. Ray shares that as a new Christian, he wanted to know what wasn’t in the Bible. It’s easy to see what is, but harder to identify what isn’t. Many phrases sound biblical but aren’t. One common phrase is “God helps those who help themselves.” In reality, Christianity is about relying on God, not self-reliance. People like this phrase because they crave self-discipline, but true faith means trusting in God’s help, not our own efforts.
Another phrase is “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” In truth, God often allows overwhelming situations so we rely on Him. He isn’t looking to harm us but to draw us closer. When we come to the end of ourselves, we find the beginning of Him. Oscar shares a personal experience of realizing his reliance on himself and learning to trust in God’s strength. “Cleanliness is next to godliness” suggests outward cleanliness equates to righteousness. But morality alone isn’t enough—we need the gospel.
Many misquote “Money is the root of all evil.” The Bible actually says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Money itself isn’t the problem; it’s the trust people place in it. Wealth can be a snare, but true contentment comes from trusting Him, not accumulating wealth. “God wants me to be happy” is another misconception. The Bible prioritizes joy over happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances, but joy is rooted in Christ. God is more concerned with our holiness than our comfort. Jesus endured suffering, and if our ultimate pursuit is happiness, we will lose our way.
“Name it and claim it” theology is challenged by the story of the paralytic, who was healed because of his friends' faith, not his own declaration. Similarly, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” is often misapplied. Paul’s message wasn’t that we can accomplish anything we desire, but that we can endure all situations through Christ. A verse commonly found on jewelry, spoken between Jacob and Laban, is often misunderstood. It was actually about distrust, not a general blessing. Likewise, “Judge not lest you be judged” is misinterpreted to mean Christians shouldn’t judge at all. However, scripture later says to “judge rightly.” Finally, “God causes all things to work together for good” is often quoted without the full meaning. The rest of the verse explains that God works through our circumstances to make us more like Christ. Even hardships serve a purpose in shaping our faith.
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Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!
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Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.
You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!
Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Contextually, in the midst of that, the Apostle Paul
ishe learned to get by with alittle and he learned to get by
with a lot when it comes to hisdaily sustenance.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me, but
what we do is we misapply thatto be anything right.
I mean, just name it, name itand it's gonna fall into place.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah and boy.
This is so key when it comes tohermeneutics right Proper
interpretation of Scripture.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Let me read the context of that I was about to
say yeah please.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So Philippians 4, 10 to 13,.
But I rejoiced in the Lordgreatly that now, at last, your
care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care,
but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard toneed, for I have learned, in
whatever state I am, to becontent.
I know how to be abased and Iknow how to abound Everywhere
and on all things.
I've learned both to be fulland to be hungry, both to abound
(00:50):
and to suffer need.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
See that, like you get thecontext Paul is talking about.
No matter what situation he'sin, he's suffering, he's
abounding, he can, what he canbe sustained because of Christ,
and he can endure all thosesorts of things.
Here is one of my favoritequotes Friends, is it cheesy who
(01:20):
cares?
Here it is.
Friends, is it cheesy who cares?
Here it is.
Yesterday is history, tomorrowis a mystery, today is a gift.
That's why it's called thepresent.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, and speaking of presents, friends today.
Today we have many presents.
I hope there's a motorcycle inthere for me Again.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Okay, we got oh boy, we got good presents One of them
I'm not happy about, for Oscar,but that means I'm gonna like
it.
Ray, mark and Easy and Oscar, Iam so very grateful for all the
incredible work you do inequipping the saints in the
ministry of sharing the gospel.
Your ministry has been a trueblessing to me and countless
others, and I'm so thankful forthe ways you faithfully serve
(02:12):
and love others in Christ's name.
Ever since I became a believer,I wanted to share the gospel,
but I just didn't know how orwhere to begin.
By using the simple tools thatyou created from the Bible, I've
helped me tremendously innavigating gospel conversations
and pointing the lost to thecross.
I'm a longtime listener of thepodcast YouTube channel and
Ray's Just Witnessing channel.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Oh, a little plug for Ray's channel.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I might change the name on there AZ Ray's
Witnessing to College Students.
No we're staying with it.
I think, oh, are we Okay?
Ray's Witnessing to CollegeStudents has provoked me to do
the same.
I oh, are we Okay?
Raise witnessing to collegestudents has provoked me to do
the same.
I, too, walk the campus of alocal college that's minutes
from my house.
I take along my fellow laborersin the faith, my kids and my
amazing wife to pass out gospeltracts, gifts and sharing our
(03:00):
faith to all those who will stopand have a conversation.
To help find these outreachactivities, I have started
roasting and selling my owncoffee.
It's a little side hustle but itkeeps me accountable in doing
what I'm supposed to do and byreaching the lost by all means.
Matthew 28, 18 to 20.
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
A true listener.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Oh that's funny, true listener, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Truly truly.
This has been a blessing to mysoul.
There is no other experience orsatisfaction in this life than
working for and serving our Lord.
May God continue to bless youall abundantly and may his hand
be upon all of your futureendeavors as you serve his
kingdom.
Love you guys.
Alex and that's how it says,alex and the gifts.
Mark, I heard it said manytimes that you like socks, and
(03:48):
how deep and great your love foryour wife Laura.
May these socks bring you evencloser hand in hand.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Mark Hand socks.
You have socks, socks, socks,socks, socks.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
How could anyone like socks?
That's a weird thing.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oscar Coffee mug.
Of course enjoy from coffeeside biz a coffee side hustle.
I guess this must mean this isyours too.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Coffee beans is there a poppy in there for me?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Ray, you keep asking that someone send you a
Lamborghini.
Well, here you go.
You weren't specific about whatkind?
Wait, look, send you aLamborghini.
Well, here you go.
You weren't specific about whatkind?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Wait?
Look at his socks.
Look at Mark's socks,lamborghini.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Ooh, thank you, it's just a toy one, just in case.
What are those, mark?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Is that ET?
What in the world is that no?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
it's that lamb.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Remember that lady used to have a little lamb.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Oh, the little lamb lady For your imaginative eyes.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Mark's socks have two googly eyeballs and hands are
ears attached to them.
Those are the weirdest socksI've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
No question about it.
Lamb chops was the name of thelittle puppets Easy Clean.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Ocd freak needs a desk vacuum.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Check no way A desk vacuum, a desk vacuum A desk
vacuum.
What that's wild.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
That is too cool.
Open it up and put it in yourmouth.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
See what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Wow.
Thank you, Alex.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Dude.
Thank you so much, Alex.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Very thoughtful guessing.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
All right friends, but it doesn't end there.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
There's more, more, more.
Okay, this is a big one here.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
All right, these guys now it's, it's, ray's fault
that we've had these sincechristmas.
Christmas, what is it we'relike?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
how we missed them.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
But here, let's do it united opening so why is it
raised full?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
wow, I don't know.
It just felt good to say thatall right, there you go.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Hooray Max Spence.
Wow, man, these people reallywrapped them up nicely.
All right and easy.
Okay, dang, this is wild, isn'tthat cool.
All right, let's start with thecards.
I'll start with mine, becauseI'm humble.
Let's start with the cards.
Okay, oh, I opened them for youguys already, by the way.
(06:03):
Just to make sure yeah just soyou don't have to open them
online.
All right, easy.
I've always pronounced itAugustine.
Yeah, whether I'm right orwrong, I do not have to say I
have always pronounced it thatway, although I am wrong a lot.
Cursive is an art and I alsolove tabbouleh.
Yeah, you should try it on awheat thin with a white cheddar
(06:24):
cheese curd on top.
Thank me later.
Ooh, that's almost blasphemy inthe tabbouleh realm.
I know the coffee is wholebeans, so if you don't have a
coffee grinder, I assume youmight not consider your judgment
of black coffee Come out of aKeurig.
I'm sure Oscar would be happyto help, maybe.
I love the insanity you bringto the podcast.
(06:44):
I'm one of 10 kids, solistening to you all pick on
each other feels like home.
Thank you for all you do.
Merry Christmas, gianninaHarvey.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
G-I-A-N-I-N-A Harvey.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Is that Ray Comfort?
I hear opening that no.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It's Christmas.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
On to the tie ball.
All right, let's see what I got.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Our sound guy is really enjoying this moment, by
the way.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
This is fun, huh guys .
What did we get here?
Let me see Ooh, coffee, ooh,that smells good.
You jealous Oscar, not yet.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
So, gianni, I can't pronounce it.
You pronounce it for me,giannina.
I think she sent me a littlemoose and she says, oh, like the
one in Alaska.
Yes and she says never approacha moose.
I guess she might be fromAlaska, but she said she's seen
one that's about my size and youcould approach her.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
A dwarf moose.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
What thoughtful gifts .
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Oh, look at this Come on.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
She's a chicken lady too.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So maybe for Oscar's sake, I'm going to try black
coffee this is a really cool mug.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Did you want us to read these cards?
What?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I got coffee and a little ornament that's a
pour-over.
That is awesome.
Thank you so much.
All right, there you have it it.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I think we read my card.
That's good, you guys can allread yours, mine's.
All that matters, mark, howmany socks have you gotten?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I cannot get enough socks.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Unbelievable, it's idolatry.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And I got a Giannina, I read your card Easy.
Won't let me read it on air,but thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I read mine as well and it's actually very, very
beautiful.
It's one of the nicest thingsanybody's ever said actually All
right, I'm going to get rid ofthese boxes.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Easy, just broke his mug no, it didn't break, he's a
clean freak and he had to movethe boxes out of the studio.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Seriously, that's one of the nicest mugs I've ever
gotten.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I'm sure the listeners tuned in today to hear
us have a Christmas date.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, it was fun Belated Christmas.
Wait, get rid of all this trash.
What are you doing?
All right, friends, let's reignin order once again.
Giannina, I think that's howyou say it.
Forgive us if we mispronounceit.
Thank you so much.
And I don't know why.
Oscar, what is that?
It looks like a bong.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
How do you know what that looks like?
I?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
don't know, it's a Christmas ornament.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Dude, that is really nice.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It's a V60 pour-over.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
It's a way of making coffee.
That is really cool.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So anyway, I think they were left in an office and
we were on holiday at Christmas,and then you guys went overseas
or someone overseas, timepassed and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
So sorry about that.
We made it no problem.
Terrible, All right friends.
Anyway, thank you.
Why am I?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
breathing so heavily from opening gift.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
You need to go running with us.
Seriously, that's when you knowyou're out of shape.
It's bad.
Honestly, your hair looks nice,thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I don't like it.
You're looking like we rememberyou here More normal.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
It's not out of shape , it's just getting old.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Is that what it is.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
When we filmed that exploding thing, I was running
through that field with Kirkwhen all the explosions oh yeah.
I ran really fast.
I just couldn't breathe when Iended, and that's when I
realized I was getting old.
I was about 60, I think Can youdo that today, ray?
Run fast, yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
What about running?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
up an escalator was backwards.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh boy, how did we not get that on video?
Speaker 4 (10:07):
That was the closest I've been to death.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You know, my family all sign up for a half marathon
or we're signing up for a halfmarathon.
You guys want to join us?
Come on.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know Danny and Tanny, danny and Tanny he's a
Danny and Danny, our sons did it.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We're going to do the hard half A routine, point no I
seriously want to get back intorunning.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
It's one of my favorite things to do.
That's great, oscar, you don'tstrike me as a runner.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
I don't particularly enjoy it, like when I'm done
running.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I'm usually upset that I did it, I think he's
going to say I feel refreshed.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Yeah, I would prefer working out or playing
basketball.
I love watching running.
I just can't stand it, even asa kid, when in school, remember,
I used to hide under a hedgewhen they ran around the block
and I'd pick it up the secondtime.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
You never got caught doing that, right?
No, you're crazy, I wasterrible.
All right, friends, we alreadydid the cool classic comment, I
guess, with the cards.
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Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yes, it's very popular.
It's such a simple principle,but it's so eye-opening.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, this one's good friends to give to someone that
you've spent some time with,maybe shared the gospel with.
Is that 50 pages?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It's one of my favorite booklets that we have
by far, it's really good, it'sreally cool.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
All right, friends, you almost heard me break a mug.
Don't forget the Living Watersmug and that bit of study Bible
and Living Waters TV Mug breaker, mug breaker.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Ooh, that's a good name.
Sounds like a wrestler's name.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It does mug breaker.
Um yeah, living waters tv.
It is growing and there's a lotof good content on there.
Check it all out at all right,friends, today we're talking
about that's not in the bible,examining verses that don't
exist.
We'll also talk about uh, howcan you examine something that
don't exist?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
We'll also talk about how can you examine something
that doesn't exist Exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
See that Oscar, Wisdom, Wisdom Mark.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
You're making me think.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oscar, I'm trying to think what can you examine.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
There must be something that doesn't exist
that you can examine.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Examining verses that don't exist, that's what we're
doing.
Lawrence Krauss tells us thateverything came from nothing.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
No, no, he says nothing created everything.
It's a huge difference.
Is it Really?
Yes, I mean, we believeeverything came from nothing.
God created everything fromnothing.
But, Krauss believes that therewas no God and nothing created
everything Hummingbirds andflowers and trees.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Where's your buddy Krauss?
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Oh, where's your buddy Krauss?
Oh, I do email him now and thensay how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Does he respond yes, oh nice, he says shut up,
unsubscribe.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
No, he doesn't.
He's very nice, but he never,ever wants me to talk about God.
He's told me that yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
All right, friends.
Oh, we're going to talk aboutverses that don't exist.
We'll also talk about Versesthat don't exist.
People that say verses areverses in the Bible and they
don't exist because they're notin the Bible.
But we'll also talk aboutverses that are taken out of
context.
I mean, almost are not verses,in that they are misapplied, and
(13:17):
so, yeah, yeah, all right,thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Thank you for joining us.
I would like to join us friends.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I think this is an important subject because, as a
new Christian, I remembersitting there.
I was about three days old andI had a Bible on my lap.
It was a huge Bible.
I thought I want to conquerthis.
I want to be able to say that'snot in the Bible.
After 50 years I haven'tconquered it.
There's so many verses Ihaven't even understand or got
to in a sense, like Leviticusand stuff like that.
But when someone says God helpsthem, that help themselves, I
(13:49):
want to be able to say that isnot in the Bible, because that's
the basis of Catholicism.
God will help you.
After all, you can do Same withMormons and it's a deception.
And so we need to know what'snot in the Bible.
I mean, for those who don'tunderstand the principle, it's
easy to know what's in the Bible.
Jesus wept.
I know that verse, so you cansay that is in the Bible.
(14:10):
But to say it's not in theBible, you need to know the
whole of Scripture, right.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Well, I would say this would be at the top of the
list when you guys, in terms ofverses that people don't know,
the word think must be in theword and you hear it quoted here
and there from time to time.
But let's break some of thesedown.
Obviously, we don't just wantto say, okay, that's not in the
Bible, but let 's talk about whysome of these verses conflict
(14:36):
with what is in the Bible.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Right, in terms of what we know Scripture says
regarding some of these things,because some of them not only
are not in the Bible and areperceived to be Christianese,
but some of them areantithetical to what actually is
in the Bible.
Well, that one is, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (14:54):
God helps them to help themselves.
As works righteousness.
There is a way that seems rightto man.
The end of that way is death,and this appeals to
self-righteousness of men andwomen.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, don't forget the women, right, I'm sorry,
women sin too.
Yes, yeah, not my wife.
Your wife, that's letting youdo something that you want to do
, oscar.
Yeah, she loves me.
What are you doing, oscar?
Tell us what you're doing Oscar.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I am going on a snowboarding trip in which Ray's
going to love this.
No he's not.
So we will fly into Washington,then we'll take a four-hour
drive into Canada, and then weget in a helicopter for a
45-minute ride to a spot whereyou can't drive to, and then I
will get in a cab which isbasically a tank on snow and
(15:38):
they will drive us up to thecliffs of these mountains while
we were snowboarding down themfor four days.
You're going to film this.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Yes, oh, please do, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
If you die, we don't care, we just want to get it on
camera.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I give you permission to put my death on camera, if
it happens.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Thank you, oscar, walked into the studio today
with news that Kelly gave herblessing, like he just did drugs
.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
It's not a good sign.
I mean when a wife buys ahusband skydiving.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Hey honey, guess what I got you for your birthday we
have an extended life insuranceplan as well.
Sign here, honey, let's go tothe Grand.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Canyon.
I see what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I did walk up to Easy and I go.
She said yes.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I haven't seen you this excited in a while, Oscar.
So God will not help you ifyou're trying to help yourself
on this one, Oscar.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So what happens if you fall down a crevasse?
What are you going to do?
Crevasse, crevasse, crevasse.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
The hopes is I'll have an RF chip on my jacket.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Oh, that's good, so they can find your body, that's
great.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Are you serious?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Like a locator chip.
There's a locator, yeah, youhave to buy I do already have
one a jacket that has a locatorchip on it, so that if you get
hit by an avalanche they can digyou out as quickly as possible.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, it's to find the body.
It's for the relatives.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I'm getting one under my skin, on my hand and not on
my forehead.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh, that'll directly communicate to the government.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Yeah, locate me, yeah , oh boy, if you get in a
crevasse or get buried by acrevasse buried by an avalanche.
You're going to be thinking ofme.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I will, I will Seriously, oscar, you're crazy
dude, the stuff you do.
I'm so excited.
No, no, let's go to.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
UCLA and you preach open air.
I'm down, let's do that.
Yeah, I don't mind that.
I don't mind that, yeah right,get your heart thumping, yeah
right.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, right, mark, break that down for us.
The unbiblical element of Godhelps those who help themselves.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yes, psalm 121-2,.
My help comes from the Lord whomade heaven and earth, and
Romans 5-6,.
For while we were still weak atthe right time, christ died for
the ungodly.
God does not help those whohelp themselves.
The fact is, we can't helpourselves.
You don't understand how deadyou are in your sins and your
(17:54):
trespasses.
Christianity is this great bigjourney of realizing that
Christianity is nothing like theworld, and it is a continual
cry out to God for help.
It's not a moment by moment.
I got this one.
I got this one.
You know I didn't need youtoday.
Maybe next week you know this isan easy one Maybe next week you
(18:14):
know this is an easy one.
Somebody who is self-reliant isnot a praying person.
You know, I learned that fromRay.
I like that, you know, are you?
I remember asking Ray one timeare you nervous when you open
your preach?
And he said he goes.
Yeah, you know, but a nervousman is a praying man, right?
Otherwise, what is the pointand the purpose of having the
(18:36):
Lord inside of our lives?
We need Him.
We are so reliant upon Him.
I've often said that we needHim more than our lungs need
oxygen or more than our veinsneed blood.
Moment by moment, day by day iswhen we need Him.
There's nothing we can do.
That's why Christ came, becausewe couldn't help ourselves.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, you know, there's a prayer I pray when I'm
feeling nervous, when I'm aboutto do something, especially in
ministry, and it's this that'sthe one where you go, ah.
But it says Lord, please removeany unnecessary nervousness.
Oh, that's good, and I say thatspecifically because whatever
necessary nervousness I need tohave to keep me dependent on him
(19:15):
, even though, like in my flesh,I don't want it.
But I never want to get to aplace where I'm just like yep,
here we go, and it's like nodependence on the Lord no crying
out to the Lord.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
You ever found that you're alone in a pulpit without
God's help.
Boy, you can feel that it'slike a nightmare.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I feel like that happens to me 30 seconds before
preaching every time, like Ithink about all the ways I
relied on myself rather than himin my prep work and I'm like,
oh Lord, help me, I need you now.
Yeah, I think the phrase Godhelps those who helps themselves
.
I think the reason why peopleare gravitating towards that
phrase is because they wantself-discipline and
(19:54):
responsibility, and certainlythe modern man lacks discipline
and responsibility.
But the phrase is fundamentallyunbiblical for the reasons that
you just said.
It was Mark.
The gospel teaches us that Godhelps the helpless, that we
cannot save ourselves, thatsalvation is entirely of grace,
in other words, cannot saveourselves.
(20:14):
Salvation is entirely of grace,in other words, god doesn't
just offer help, he rescues thepowerless and his grace will
certainly allow us or motivateus to live in a responsible way.
I love to explain it like thisthe gospel is not a life raft
out to a drowning man.
The gospel is a lung full ofair to the man who's already
(20:34):
drowned.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
That's so good, yeah, and you know, I think you see
man's hubris and folly when hesays stuff like God didn't do
that for me, I did that formyself.
And that's where you really seethe height of blindness and
ignorance.
Right, what can you do withanything in your body that
(21:04):
wasn't given to you by God?
I mean, like everything youhave was given.
Tell me how you created youreyeballs.
I want you to give me adetailed description of how you
formed your teeth and sculptedyour hand.
My mother did that.
Who can tell me where I camefrom?
A little boy would ask.
But you know what I'm saying.
If God removed his hand fromholding all the molecules in the
(21:29):
universe together, we wouldjust all fall apart in a
heartbeat.
And so, yeah, and I hear whatyou're saying, Oscar, because
that often is, I think, what'sbehind it.
It's like, no, you have to work, you can't just sit around and
be lazy.
But really I think, well, ifyou dig down deep and you
extrapolate, that man isbasically saying that, no, we
(21:50):
have to earn our way to God, wehave to be able to do something
to gain God's favor.
And we can't help ourselves.
In the ultimate sense, it's gotto all be Him.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Self-righteousness is married to pride and mercy is
married to humility.
You think of the story of thecenturion Lord, please go with
him, heal his servant becausehe's worthy.
He built us a synagogue andtwice in that incident the
centurion says to Jesus I'm notworthy and that's what you have
to come to, to come to Christ toa point, realizing you're not
(22:24):
worthy.
You can't help yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What is it?
The door, the low door, ray.
You always talk about that.
Yeah the low door Ray.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
The low door.
Ray Ray only enters through thelow door.
I like to use low doors.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Oh yeah, the door of salvation is very low.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's one reason why Ray never has to worry about
getting robbed at home isbecause all he has is the doggy
door for a front door.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
I actually got through that.
Do you remember that?
I do, you were there.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
The time when Julia was like what Is Ray stuck in
the doggy door?
Like this is protocol, it'swhat we do here.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I got through.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, you made it, yeah, so yeah, that's so
important, so key to remember.
And when it comes, like forexample, to preaching or
evangelism, if I'm gonna err andI have a limited amount of time
I would rather err on the sideof praying more than prepping
(23:21):
more.
And again, that's not to saythat obviously we shouldn't prep
and be diligent, we should be.
But, man, I would rather go toa pulpit, I would rather step up
on a box, knowing that I'vecried out to God that I'm
utterly bankrupt and desperatelyin need of him.
You know, and I pray, we livethat way.
(23:42):
I pray that you know, we wakeup in the morning and begin our
day with Lord help me right.
You guys know I have thatpainting in my office.
Lord save me, right, Peterdrowning.
And Lord save me.
I'm so stupid, I'm so foolish,I'm so prone to error.
Lord, I need you at every turn,you know.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
I've heard it said, of preaching inspirational
perspiration.
Those are your alternatives.
Either God's helpful or you'realone.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I say I need unction.
What?
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Oscar, I was going to ask the guys in the back
Talking about.
I say I need unction.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
What, Oscar?
I was going to ask the guys inthe back.
What are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I was going to ask the guys in the back to make
sure they send me a clip of yousaying I am so stupid.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
That's a proverb, right?
We all held back from sayingamen.
I did.
I was actually shocked.
I'm like what I'm waiting herefor yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Well, it was just a given.
Well, it was just a given.
This kind of goes hand in handwith God won't give you more
than you can handle.
When we've been designed to beoverwhelmed, we've been designed
within our DNA to be completelyover our heads in life, so that
(24:57):
we trust in Him, so that werely upon Him.
I remember MacArthur talkingabout it at the last Shepherds
Conference, how he loves beingin situations where a parting of
the seas is necessary, right,Well?
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I wouldn't say that, eva Pray fine, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Sing it Ray.
No Ray is what.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
But it really is.
It's a neat place to be,knowing that you know God is.
Listen.
We think that it's a dangerousprayer, right, god refiner's
fire, and we joke about it.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
No, I don't.
What do you mean?
Joke about it?
Are you joking?
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
But listen, if we break it down theologically
right, god is not looking saying, oh, you prayed the prayer, oh,
now I'm going to squash you,now I'm going to remove your
finances, right, it's like no,we have the ability with God to
pray whatever we want to pray,to say whatever we want to say,
and God is able to decipher andsay no, yes, maybe wait.
(25:50):
You know that's what God does.
You know we don't need to fearpraying anything with God, and
it's good to say, nevertheless,not my will, but your will.
You know, be done, lord.
But you know, the idea ofseeing God come through clutch
is a beautiful thing.
God is never late, he's neverearly, he's always on time.
Amen, how?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
about this, Mark, oh sorry.
God will never give you morethan he can handle.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Ooh, that actually goes into what I was about to
say, because I think, again,this is a misquote, this one
from 1 Corinthians 10, 13, inwhich it talks about temptation.
But you make a really goodpoint, which is that God will
absolutely give you more thanyou can handle.
Why would he do that?
Because when you come to theend of yourself, you begin to
depend on him.
(26:35):
Where I am weak, you will bemade strong.
His strength will be knownthrough my weakness.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I live at the end of myself.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I remember when my mom was struggling with drug
addiction.
She was in and out of rehab.
She would disappear for weeksat a time with my little sisters
.
We wouldn't know where theywere.
We'd find out they're living ina motel.
They were out in Vegas whereverthe case.
And she had gotten out of rehabafter her first stint.
I had her move in with me,hoping that that would help, and
(27:05):
she had relapsed.
And I remember one night beingin my bed and just bawling my
eyes out, crying out to God, Ican't do this.
You have the wrong guy 20something.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Oh, really, were you an atheist then.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
No, I was a believer now, yeah, for a young believer.
And so, anyways, I was cryingout to God I can't do this, you
have the wrong guy.
You have the wrong guy.
And I fell asleep that nightrealizing all of the ways I was
relying on my own self.
I will make sure she goesthrough rehab, I will this, I
will that, I have a plan.
And it was just like the Lordshowing me that this, I'm not
(27:44):
getting through this unless Iturn to him in the midst of all
of that.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
You know, cast all your cares upon him, for he
cares for you.
We tend to cast upwards andthen it comes down on us, on him
, if he cares for you, we tendto cast it upwards, and then it
comes down on us no, I know.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
And also we say, lord , I'm leaving this at the foot
of your cross.
And then we say, in Jesus' name, amen, get up and hoist it back
on our back and walk away withit.
It's crazy, but yeah, somethingI've mentioned before on the
podcast, but I think it's worthrepeating, is our verbiage often
gives us away right and we saythings like Lord, help me not to
do this in my own strength.
(28:19):
The deception is in that wethink we have any strength of
our own right.
Think about that.
I don't have any in my own.
What strength do I haveindependent of the Lord?
Our prayer should really beLord, help me not to be deceived
in thinking that I can doanything without your strength,
because it's the only strength Ihave to rely on.
So, yeah, good stuff.
Now this verse is in the BibleCleanliness is next to godliness
(28:42):
.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's not in the Bible.
This is the easiest verse.
I wish it was so.
Where would it be?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, I don't know where the book of easy.
Yeah yeah, but look, this is asilly one.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
We don't have to.
There's no such thing ascleanliness.
You know that.
We've got all little tiny bugscrawling across our.
I don't Flesh, I don't no, Idon't, I walk around with
ultraviolet light on me all thetime I have seen them.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know that's creepy when you look at those
microscopic little.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Electromicroscopes yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
That's pretty crazy.
While we're breathing in theair, these little microbes.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Protein.
Seriously, I'm not breathing.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
I think one of the big things to this one is
Protein.
Just breathing in protein.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Did you just get that ?
It just hit me.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Breathing in protein.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
We're eating, bro it's funny, what you mean
breathing in protein.
We're eating, bro, it's funny.
What are you chewing?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Protein Breath Microscopic protein.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
I think the lie here is thereality that even if you put
yourself together, it seems likegodliness.
I mean the scripture warnsagainst whitewashed tombs.
The most well put together, themost religious person that
you've ever met that keepsthemselves both morally,
physically, spiritually clean,unbeknownst to you, might be a
(30:01):
whitewashed tune.
Ultimately, what we need is apurity of heart, which only
comes through the gospel, and nooutward disposition of having
it together will ever make upfor what's going on inside of
our hearts.
Oh, amen.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, you know you.
You think about those thatappear to be clean, so to speak,
like morally politicians, oreven pastors, or, and then you
end up finding out, man, therewas so much going on beneath the
surface.
That's never happened, has it?
No, never was me.
I was so immoral that I triedto somehow cling to a form of
(30:40):
purity by my outward cleanliness.
And when I'd come home, and ifthings were in disarray for some
reason, if I was in a hurry andI come to my room and I would
feel suicidal, I wouldmeticulously clean my room, I'd
dust it, I'd organize everything, I'd sit back on my chair in my
room and I would meticulouslyclean my room, I'd dust it, I'd
organize everything, I'd sitback on my chair in my room and
I would just breathe a sigh ofrelief, like now, my world is in
(31:01):
order.
You know, and little did I knowI needed Christ you know that,
yeah, pilate believed incleanliness.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
He washed his hands.
Oh wow, honor Jesus, I'm a veryclean person.
I cannot stand touching thedoor handle of a public restroom
.
I always stand touching thedoor handle of a public restroom
.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I always use my chin, I use my chin.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Don't steal my thunder.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I did not know you were going to say that yes, of
course.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Just give me three seconds Use my mouth.
Always use my chin.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You got to switch to your chin, your double chin,
right, that'll help All right.
Money is the root of all evil.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
This has got to be up there with one of the top ones.
So many people quote that Moneyis the root of all evil.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Blame the money.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Blame the money?
Yeah, it's like we've got alitter problem.
No, we don't.
We have a lazy people problem.
Got a litter problem?
No, we don't.
We have a lazy people problemnot a litter problem.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Don't blame the litter.
So what's the verse really?
Speaker 4 (32:02):
say, ray, what the love, oh the love of money is
the root of all evil, all kindsof evil, as the modern versions
say.
King James says of all evil.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Why is that Mark?
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Why is the love of money the root of all evil?
Well, it's a snare, isn't it?
It promises things that don'tnecessarily deliver.
Jim Carrey said that he wishesriches.
I'm going to paraphrase richesupon everyone to demonstrate
that it doesn't deliver right.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Oh, try me.
He gets $20 million for a movie.
You know, I'd rather have moneyand be able to feed my family
than no money and not be able tofeed my family.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Okay, so, Ray loves money.
Go ahead, Go ahead, Mark.
Thank you, Ray for exposingyourself.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
How much do I correct him?
I just let the man go.
He's a little senile, he's.
You saw that he tried to hit me.
The love of money, right,because we are to trust in God
and when you have a lot of moneyit's easier to trust in your
abilities with your finances.
You know, you think of the like.
(33:07):
The best seasoning is hunger.
What will a hungry man eat?
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Anything, that's really good, I like that.
Is that a Mark original?
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, I don't good, I like that.
Is that a Mark?
Speaker 3 (33:16):
original.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
I've said it for years to my kids.
It's like you open up yourpantry it's filled with food,
yet you complain that there'snothing to eat.
And there's a thousandrestaurants around you and
there's no place to go.
A closet filled with clothesand you've got nothing to wear.
It's kind of like when you getdown to the bare minimum you get
a little bit more grateful whenthings come your way.
(33:40):
I remember a couple times in mylife where I didn't have very
much money and doing aninvoluntary fast, two, three,
four, five days, sometimeswithout eating and praying for
food, and then, when the foodwould arrive, not scarfing it
down like maybe a homeless manwho would get it, who hasn't
eaten it, but just pausing andthanking God.
(34:02):
Thanking God as you're eating,after you're done eating.
Well, that's what happens.
David said.
I was once young and now I'mold.
I've never seen the righteousforsaken or his descendants
begging bread, and now I'm old.
I've never seen the righteousforsaken or his descendants
begging bread, being in thatplace where God opens up his
hand and he satisfies the desireof every living creature in his
timing.
It's absolutely perfect.
(34:23):
And, as our friend ThomasPurtell says, some people are so
poor that all they have ismoney.
What a terrible place to be.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Yeah, money is the root of all kinds of evil.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
The love of money.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
The love of money, the love of money.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I think you just messed that up, didn't I Get
behind me Satan Both.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
Ray and I are the example.
You didn't pray before youspoke.
That's it.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Oscar scripture twister.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Oscar.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Preaching every.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Sunday at.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Money is the root.
No, money is the root of allkinds of evil.
Why is that?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
all kinds of easy you should try it one more time.
Give him the conch one moretime Go.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil
there you go.
The reason is because money isultimately a tool, a resource
and even a gift from God.
But the reality, too, is thatour hearts are wicked, they are
desperate, they are sick, and weoften turn good gifts of God
(35:34):
from God into idolatrous things.
We do this with children, wecan do this with jobs, we can do
this with money, and what endsup happening is money.
If your root idol is comfort,then you will hoard money to
make yourself safe.
If your root idol is the praiseof other people, then you will
(35:57):
use money to show your status inthis life.
If your root evil is control,then you will use money to
control people and things aroundyou, and so money is the root
of all these kinds.
The love of money is the rootof all these kinds of evil.
And it's actually funny that Ikeep messing up because that
word, love, is so important,because our loves are the things
(36:21):
that we hold dear, our idols,and so that's the reason why
that word that I keep messing upon is so important because our
money, the way we spend ourmoney or the way we save and
hold onto our money, is oftenthe root of where our idols are.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
And that scripture, they that will be rich, pierce
themselves through with manysorrows.
It's not saying you've gotriches, it's the greed that's in
the heart that desires to berich that causes you to pierce
through with many sorrows.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Well, paul goes on in that same chapter and he says
instruct those who are rich.
And then he talks about howthey need to share and not trust
.
He says don't trust in theuncertainty of riches.
And that's the thing right.
Because in essence, what you'redoing is, if you're placing
money before God, you'recreating an idol out of money,
because the only one who iscertain is the Lord.
(37:11):
Everything else is uncertain.
So when you're treating moneylike it's uncertain, you're
making it God.
You're putting it in the placeof God and Ray.
Jesus basically spoke to thisyou can't love God and mammon.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
You can't have two masters.
Yeah, you put money as yoursource of joy, your source of
peace, your source of trust forthe future.
That's when it becomesidolatrous.
God should be our joy, heshould be our source of peace,
he should be our source, andit's so easy to do that.
Say, I've got a certain amountof money in the bank that gives
me peace, that gives me joy,that gives me a sense of just
(37:45):
trusting the future will be fine.
But it's uncertain riches thatcan go like that.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, man, it's crazy when you think about those who
even still had a lot of money.
I remember reading a few yearsago about a Japanese businessman
.
He was a billionaire, that's it, and he committed suicide.
Yeah, he committed suicide.
But you see this all the time,because it's not just not having
(38:10):
money that makes peopledepressed.
Having money that makes peopledepressed, it's having and
realizing that it it isn't.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
It isn't divine.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, it isn't infinite.
How much is elon musk worth atthe moment?
400, 433 billion billion, don'tthey?
Speaker 4 (38:29):
project, he'll be the first trillionaire, possibly
yeah, we've got to find anotherword for trillionaire, because
it's thrown around trilliondollars.
That's a what's that?
A thousand billion, and abillion is a thousand million.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
It's just breathtaking is it a thousand
billion?
Is that what a trillion is?
Yeah, I think it is.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Wow, it's a thousand billion and a billion is a
thousand, million and a million.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I'll forget it you know, and you could never have
enough money, right?
Rockefeller was asked thequestion how much is enough?
As the richest man, he saidjust a little more.
Yeah, that's real.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yeah, it is real, you know.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
Israel, israel, israel, israel, israel, israel,
israel and Lebanon.
Pray for.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Israel, yeah, but Squirrel, no.
You threw me off.
What was I going to say?
A squirrel, a squirrel, oh.
That's why Scripture says thatgodliness with contentment is a
great gain.
To be content.
You know, con With With Tent, atent In a tent.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
That's the Apostle Paul.
Remember that Living in a tent?
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Oh yeah, that's what it means, for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
We do live in a tent.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Yeah, live in a tent, this tent that God lives in,
okay here's another one that youwould think we're only going to
touch.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Two or three of these .
We've got about nine or ten,don't we?
Who knows, we'll see.
Oh, go ahead, ray, you want tothrow?
Speaker 3 (39:44):
one out no, yeah, um, yeah, that is not in the Bible.
Um, yeah, um yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
He's following his heart.
Oh, um, yeah, yeah, he'sfollowing his heart.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Um yeah, oh man, my voice is so nice.
So this one, you would thinkwait, you're laughing, right,
Deceptive Ray, you're laughing.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
The heart is desperately wicked.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I have this cough that Wheezy won't even come
through.
It won't let my wheeze, mybeautiful wheeze come through.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
How about this one?
Speaker 2 (40:11):
God wants me to be happy.
Mark, that's the one I wasgoing to do.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Stop it.
It's like we can finish eachother's sandwiches.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Okay, yeah, that's the one I was going to say.
You may not hear peoplebasically say this is a Bible
verse, but they talk as if,though.
This is in the Bible.
Ray, talk about it.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
God wants you to be happy.
We've got a new catchphrase forour podcast an offense to those
with sanity.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
The Bible emphasizes joy.
You know more than happiness,yeah Right, that there's a joy
inexpressible and full of gloryInside of Ray's book.
God is a Wonderful Blend foryour Life.
He talks about why am I talkingto what you're right here?
Yeah well, you get a kickbackWith the Titanic.
I refuse to tell your story.
He's kicking me under the tableEasy.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
how would you distinguish the difference
between joy and happiness?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Yeah, I would say, happiness is circumstantial and
happiness is.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Dependent Circumstantial.
That's really good.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Circumstantial.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
It comes from what's happening.
Conditional, that was the otherword.
It comes from what's happening,and that's why America's in
pursuit of happiness.
You never catch it.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Oh, did you notice that From what's happening,
h-a-p-p that's what he did.
What he said, that, yeah, hedid that.
He never listened to anything.
Speaker 4 (41:48):
He's a beautiful day, he's happy, but he runs out of
gas.
His girlfriend leaves him andit's a wrong day.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
He's not happy because of circumstances what's
happening to him Right.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, joy is rooted in a person.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
It's also objective, isn't it?
Rejoice, not because demons aresubject to, but rejoice because
your name is written in heavenand the word rejoice is in
essence another word for joy.
It has joy right in the middleof it.
Spelled differently to sort oftrick you.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
So, if you rejoice, what's joicing?
Speaker 4 (42:16):
in the first place.
You're doing it again.
You're joicing again.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Yes, joicing If Ray wrote a dictionary.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
God is not choice.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
If Ray wrote a dictionary Gotta snipe, Gotta
snipe.
They like the gotta oh that'sterrible.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
This is, I think, a really hard one for American
Christians to listen to andunderstand, because the comfort
life, the good life, is an idolto us.
We want comfort, we want a goodlife, we want experience.
It's like how can that not bethe precipice of everything that
we are trying to accomplish?
To be able to look at somebodyand say God is more interested
(42:52):
in your holiness than yourhappiness.
It's discomforting, right, butit's ultimately true.
God is interested.
As someone else once said, he'smore interested in your
character than your comfort.
God means to make you more likewho you were designed to be,
more like his son, and his sonhimself experienced persecution
(43:13):
and suffering and even death onthe cross.
And so if that's true, then howmuch more?
Why wouldn't we expect toexperience suffering in this
world?
But if our focus, if our NorthStar, is happiness, we're going
to be disappointed in this world.
But if our focus, if our NorthStar, is happiness, we're gonna
be disappointed in this life asa Christian and not as a
Christian, because life isuncomfortable in this fallen
(43:34):
state.
But the promise of the gospelis that one day you will
experience true joy, no morediscomfort in heaven, and until
then, the goal of God in yourlife is to make you more like
his son.
He's more interested in yourholiness than he is in your
happiness.
Speaker 4 (43:51):
I think it's summed up in the scripture riches
profit not in the day of wrath,but righteousness delivers from
death.
That's what we should beseeking to make sure we have the
righteousness of Christ on theday of wrath.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
And therefore it's possible to be joyful and not
happy.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
That's possible right , and so what I was going to get
to earlier is inside of Ray'sbook.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
God has a Wonderful Plan for your Life.
He talks about how, on April12th 1912, is the date Titanic
went down.
Right around that time youthink of the people inside the
lifeboats and they're looking attheir family go down in the
North Atlantic, down into thisicy grave.
If you were to stop everything,freeze, frame the event and
interview the people inside thelife raft and say, aren't you
(44:33):
happy?
It's like, well, there's a joythat's inexpressible in that you
know that you're saved.
But I can't say that I'm happyas I see my loved ones and my
friends that I just made dieright before my eyes.
I wasn't happy when I sawcertain things inside my life.
I'm not happy in those, but Ihave a joy.
I have a joy and I have acertainty that God is at work
(44:56):
and he is working all thingstogether for my good.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
I think Peter captured it well First.
Peter 1.
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Well, you didn't give the verse.
You know, 1 Peter 1.
Oh wow, well, you didn't givethe verse, you just gave the
whole chapter 1.
Speaker 4 (45:08):
Peter 1 what Give us the?
Speaker 2 (45:10):
verse.
Let me see 1 Peter beginning inverse 6.
Yes, good one.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
That's a good one, love it.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Buffoons man.
In this you greatly rejoicethough now, for a little while,
if need be, you have beengrieved by various trials that
the genuineness of your faith,being much more precious than
gold that perishes though it istested by fire, may be found to
praise, honor and glory at therevelation of Jesus Christ, whom
, having not seen you lovethough now you do not see him
(45:45):
yet believing you rejoice withjoy inexpressible and full of
glory.
Speaker 4 (45:51):
What sort of joy is that?
Could you explain?
Speaker 2 (45:54):
it yeah, but before that no, it's inexpressible, you
can't.
He said yeah yeah, I can.
But the verse before the one Iread.
He talked about how we have aliving hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead to an inheritance
and corruptible, undefiled andthat will not fade away,
(46:14):
reserved in heaven for you.
So sandwiched between that isthe joy right, and he connects
that with rejoicing in lovingJesus.
So what more do we need for joy?
And again, I love the fact youguys highlighted that, the
reality that we can be sad andhave joy, we can grieve, we can
lament, we can experienceemotional pain.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Though the fig tree does not blossom.
You know that verse Habakkuk,one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Habakkuk, habakkuk, but you know what I'm saying.
It's like what more do we need?
Then?
We're going to heaven andconnected with what Peter is
saying we don't see Jesus now.
We've never seen him.
We don't see him now.
We rejoice with joyinexpressible and full of glory.
Why?
Because heaven is really Jesus.
(47:03):
We're going to go be with himand that's the joy that carries
us through.
I'm weeping, I'm crying, I'm inpain, but I'm not undone, I'm
not utterly destroyed, becauseI'm going to go to be with Jesus
, the one that I love, the onethat loves me, who loved me I
mean, paul says this who lovedme and gave himself for me.
(47:26):
What more do we need?
Speaker 4 (47:28):
That's the essence of our faith.
I'm just thinking the Bibleverse if any man loved not our
Lord Jesus Christ, let him beanathema.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
That's what scripture says.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
So, that's the essence of loving God with heart
, mind, soul and strength,putting your affection upon
Jesus yeah, I love what you'repointing out Easy.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
It reminds me of James 1, 2 to 4, which is my
brethren.
Count it all joy when you fallinto various trials.
And I love the way that it usesthe phrase count it all joy
because it reminds us to, Ithink.
Look at life as an accountant,and an accountant looks at a
profit and loss sheet.
And so if you look at your lifeand you're like I've got these
(48:06):
bills, this car payment, thismortgage, this medical bill, and
that equals $10,000 a month indebt, you might feel the wave at
all.
That's your present day trials.
But if you look at your profitsheet and you're like I make $10
million a month, then that$10,000 means nothing.
(48:26):
And that same way, when youlook at the various trials of
your life, count it up these areyour trials.
But also count up the eternaltreasure, the inheritance you're
getting in heaven and realize,count it all joy.
You're good.
The profit is much greater thanthe loss.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
Oh, it's so good.
Yeah, you know, you guys know,our house just flooded recently,
right, yeah, right Right beforeI went to Cuba, the day before
the house floods and basicallyeverything's ripped out, and you
know it's.
I mean we're.
It's just weird.
We're living with bare floors,open walls Sounds amazing
actually Like a regular modernhouse and what did you discover
(49:05):
yesterday?
Speaker 4 (49:06):
Oh, asbestos in my house.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Trifecta, so you know .
But again, rachel and I, wejust looked at each other and we
just said look, how blessed weare right.
Like circumstantially.
But if we train ourselves towhen those things strike, I'm
going to heaven.
I'm going to be with Jesus,Okay now.
(49:33):
Yeah, we're dealing with hard,but let that hold us and carry
us through.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Don't be looking to this temporal happiness.
Yeah, seek first the kingdom ofGod and his righteousness, and
all that junk will be added.
I added that word, junk Addedunto you.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
All right, let's look at some verses that are
misinterpreted, unless you guyshave some you want to throw in
here, name it, claim it followyour heart.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
If you have enough faith, you're going to be healed
.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
Yeah, they're absolutely great.
What?
Let's look at those.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Did you say they sound great?
Yeah, great samples.
When you think about.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
If you have enough faith, you'll be healed.
Boy, it's such a difficult one.
We hear it all the time.
I like to point out the factwhere we had the paralytic, that
was lowered through the roofdown to Jesus, and it was the
faith of the friends, not thefaith of the individual, who
needed to be healed.
So if somebody says well, youneed to have enough faith, I say
(50:24):
well, let it who needed to behealed.
So if somebody says well, youneed to have enough faith, I say
well, let it be according toyour faith.
Where's your faith?
It doesn't have to be the faithof that individual, and it's a
great example in the midst ofthat Well, the paralex.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
When your friends let you down, jesus will lift you
up.
Elevators will let you down.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
That's right.
Elevators will let you down?
Speaker 2 (50:42):
Yeah, that's good, All right.
Well, let's touch on a few.
Do you have something, Oscar?
Are we going to say something?
Speaker 3 (50:46):
Are we going to cover hate the sin, love the sinner?
Speaker 2 (50:49):
Go ahead?
No, I don't want to.
Well, we are limited Go ahead,what do?
Speaker 1 (50:55):
you got.
Give us the absolute best here.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
it is the best we could possibly have Well okay, I
want to get into misquoted, soout of context.
We talked about we're going todo that.
Philippians 4.13.
What Powerful.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
Speaker 1 (51:12):
Steph Curry on his shoes.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Everywhere.
Mark, explain this to us.
Speaker 1 (51:16):
Yeah, well, it's not that you can literally do
anything and everything that youcan possibly put your mind to
it right, a man will never givebirth to a female.
Cont everything that you canpossibly put your mind to it
right, a man will never givebirth to a female.
Contextually, in the midst ofthat, the Apostle Paul is.
He learned to get by with alittle and he learned to get by
with a lot when it comes to hisdaily sustenance.
You know, I can do all thingsthrough Christ, who strengthens
(51:37):
me, but what we do is wemisapply that to be anything
right.
I mean, just name it, name itand it's gonna fall into place.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
Yeah and boy.
This is so key when it comes tohermeneutics right Proper
interpretation of Scripture.
Let me read the context of that.
Speaker 3 (51:53):
I was about to say yeah, please.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
So Philippians 4, 10 to 13,.
But I rejoiced in the Lordgreatly that now, at last, your
care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care,
but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard toneed, for I have learned, in
whatever state I am, to becontent.
I know how to be abased and Iknow how to abound Everywhere
(52:16):
and on all things.
I've learned both to be fulland to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
See that you get the contextPaul is talking about.
No matter what situation he'sin, he's suffering, he's
abounding, he can what, he canbe sustained because of Christ,
and he can endure all thosesorts of things, and even I mean
(52:36):
you take the backdrop of thisletter to the Philippian church.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Paul has been shipwrecked, his body has been
utterly beaten, he's been kickedout of cities, and he is
writing this letter while inprison.
And so the context isn't I cando all things.
It's more like I'm experiencingall of these trials and I will
make it through them because Godis strengthening me, which
(53:01):
hearkens back to God, helpsthose who help themselves, like
Paul is recognizing.
I can't help myself, but theLord is here with me so
reverently.
Speaker 4 (53:10):
But there's a lot of ear-tickling scriptures that
people just.
That appeals to the flesh.
I was telling you yesterdaythat I tried something different
at Huntington Beach when I wasinterviewing people.
I got a Bible verse and wroteit down and quoted it to someone
and said tell me what you thinkit means.
And I thought that's a goodthing to do get unsaved people
to tell us what this Bible versemeans.
I thought I want to do thatmore often.
(53:30):
So I got on Amazon and I foundlittle Bible promises a hundred
of them in a little box.
I thought this will be great,open it up.
And it was all air ticklers, itwas all.
I have plans for you, no way.
Yeah and I thought so.
I've just ordered, printed on acard just today, Bible verses
about sin, righteousness andjudgment that we can memorize,
(53:51):
and they're not ear ticklers,and that's what's missing in so
much of today's Christendom.
Speaker 2 (53:57):
I love the way that that's put.
You know ear tickling, becausethat's what it?
Is, you know it's like oh, myear likes to hear that don't
tell me hard things, you knowthat I can you show us what
you're tickling?
Take all my x, and take all myx, yeah I haven't watched that
in decades yeah, we know, yeah,this is um, uh, this is, this is
(54:23):
a good one.
That, I think again, is anotherexample of bad hermeneutics,
when people will take things anddo that.
Speaker 4 (54:28):
Could you define hermeneutics?
Speaker 3 (54:29):
Her-men.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
This woman has men, hermeneutics is the correct
biblical interpretation of I'mtrying to find this first.
What the writer's intended.
Is that correct Easy?
Speaker 3 (54:47):
When Easy's checking his sports betting, we could do
a barbershop.
What'd you say when Easy'schecking his sports betting?
Speaker 2 (54:57):
Oh, this is my oh yeah, here, it is here, it is
here, it is Okay.
Genesis 31.
Mishpah you guys heard aboutMishpah.
Okay, Mishpah, also Mishpah,because he said may the Lord
watch between you and me when weare absent one from another.
And often people you'll seethis on, jewelry, you'll see
(55:20):
this on, but this is betweenJacob and Laban, when, when you
know, jacob had left and takenoff and they were making this,
this between them because theydidn't trust each other.
And he said you know, he'staken his wife's and kids and
everything and taking off, andand Laban, you know Laban didn't
trust him, and so things likethat, oh, may the Lord watch
(55:42):
between me and you when we'reabsent from each other.
No, he's saying, like God'switness, if you try to come back
and do something to hurt me orwhatever.
Speaker 4 (55:49):
So, yeah, things like that.
That was very good, ez.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (55:52):
I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (55:53):
what you just said Sounds like a sermon in the
making.
Speaker 4 (55:58):
I understood.
Nice rough draft have to makesense next time.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
EZ it.
That makes sense next time.
It was great, I loved it.
Oh, I love myself.
Okay, matthew, 7.1.
Judge not that you be notjudged.
Speaker 4 (56:13):
That's the world's favorite Bible verse.
Talk about that, ray.
Yeah, it's talking aboutChristians putting one another
down, judging your brother,because he's talking to the
Christians they gathered aroundhim in the Sermon on the Mount
and it's in reference or incorrelation to Romans 14.
Who are you to put your brotherdown?
Set him at naught, as the KJVsays Further on in the
(56:34):
scriptures I think anotherchapter.
Jesus said when you judge, userighteous judgment.
In other words, if you see anelderly lady, someone going to
punch her in the face and shefalls down, you can say to
yourself that's not morallyright.
You can make a moral judgment.
And so Christians have nojudgment in their hearts when it
comes to morality.
We can make those judgments.
Speaker 2 (56:56):
Yeah, paul in Corinthians, when he was talking
about I believe it's 1Corinthians 5, he was talking
about putting away the wickedman from yourselves and he says
do you not judge those who arein the church, those who are
outside?
God judges, but do you notjudge, in other words, don't you
make a judgment morally, onthose that are professing Christ
(57:18):
.
You know we get a bad rap forthis often when we talk about
true and false conversion.
Oh, you're judging people.
No, we're saying hey, examinethe fruit, because scripture
says this If we say we havefellowship with God but walk in
darkness, we lie and don'tpractice the truth.
By this we know we come to knowhim and we keep his
commandments.
So one who says I've come toknow him but doesn't keep his
commandments is a liar and thetruth is not in him.
Titus 1.16, to me on that day,lord, lord, right.
(57:38):
And he's going to say to them Inever knew you.
So it's important.
This is very, very key, becauseI think a lot of Christians,
oscar, you might agree don't saythe things they should to
people, because all they'regoing to think I'm judging them.
Speaker 3 (57:58):
And maybe one of the things that holds us back from
saying the right thing is weknow we have sin in our own
hearts.
We think to ourselves well, Isee the sin in them, but I know
that they see that same sin inme, which reminds me of the
process of the Levitical priestsin the Old Testament, and this
is what we should do.
You know, at the Day ofAtonement, the priests would go
before the Lord and representthe people and ask for
forgiveness.
(58:18):
But before they did that,before they talked about the sin
in others that was in need andforgiveness, the Levitical
priests would look at the sin inthemselves.
They would go through acleansing process because they
knew that if they stepped pastthat curtain in an unrighteous
way, they would be struck downdead.
And so we need to come beforethe Lord and we need to confess
(58:41):
our sins.
We need to not approach peoplein hypocritical ways.
This is sort of the oppositeend of that, in that we can be a
bad kind of judgmental in whichwe have a self-righteousness,
in which we're unwilling to seeour own sin, in which we're
calling other people out whilethey're looking at us going man,
you're right next to me in allof this, and so I think we ought
(59:01):
to examine our own hearts andcome before the Lord and
practice public repentance tothe people in our lives so that
we can speak with a clearconscience and not be held, not
be reserved, because we knowthat we're no one to speak.
Amen.
Speaker 4 (59:20):
And often that being leveled at judge, not least to
be judged as to the Christianwho's trying to share the gospel
with an unsaved person.
And the way to handle that I'vefound, is just to ask questions
, Like Paul did in Romans 2,.
You say you shall not steal.
Do you steal?
You don't say you're a thief.
You let them say that.
Speaker 2 (59:36):
Yeah, that's good.
Yeah, and also a part of beingjudgmental is judging people's
hearts, people's motives, thingsthat you can't possibly know.
But when it comes to externalactions that violate God's word,
yeah, that's a judgment, butthe word of God is making the
judgment.
You're agreeing with what itsays?
Speaker 3 (59:55):
And to somebody who might be like.
Well, I feel uncomfortableusing the 10 commandments and
the law and evangelism.
Does God not send judges?
He sends judges.
You are not judging by your ownstandards.
You're coming as a herald tothe great judge who has judged
us all.
Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Amen, good, all right , just one I'll touch on real
quickly as we wrap up, andthat's Romans 8, 28,.
And we know that God causes allthings to work together for
good.
Yes, it's true, but alwaysremember the context is in that,
as he conforms us into theimage of Christ, the reason why
it's important to understandthis is because people will
interpret that in oh okay, well,my car just broke down, so now
(01:00:37):
God's going to give me a brandnew Lamborghini as a
hypothetical, like the one Rayjust got.
Oh, I have a Lamborghini A's, eh, toy one, cave Really.
Oh, I have a Lamborghini AZ,toy one, oh, a toy one, yeah,
caveat.
Speaker 1 (01:00:46):
Yeah, aren't all your things toys?
It's the only thing he fits in.
Speaker 4 (01:00:51):
What do you think of people at button?
Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:00:54):
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
But it's important to understand that what that's
meaning is, even if you gothrough difficult circumstances
and things don't turn out theway you want them to, god is
still going to use thatcircumstance for the good, and
that he's making you more likeChrist and that's the greatest
hope, because that thing thatmay go good.
Now you're thinking, oh no,what if something happens to it
(01:01:17):
again?
But no, it's unconditional,because he's conforming us
Doesn't mean that, principally,god doesn't impact circumstances
positively at times, but that'snot what we're looking at, and
the importance is context.
Amen, times, but that's notwhat we're looking at and the
importance is context.
Amen, amen, amen.
Wow, this was fun.
A lot more frowns.
But hey, be a Berean, be in aBerean insertion and see if what
is said is true.
Is it agreeing with what isheard and taught by many?
Because plenty distort andtwist the scriptures to their
(01:01:37):
own destruction.
They don't follow my God'sinstruction.
What?
Speaker 4 (01:01:40):
do you say Quaker you like?
That Just be clear.
Next, time.
Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
Yeah, get a little clear.
That was very good.
All right, friends, there youhave it.
Don't forget why Christianityis solving life's most important
questions.
As Mark and Ray punch eachother over a million copies in
print.
Remember Living Waters, my Life, the Heaven Study Bible, living
Waters TV, alllivingwaterscompodcast at livingwaterscom.
That's where we want to hearthe good stuff, friends.
And yeah, remember all thatrating stuff and all that good
(01:02:05):
stuff.
Thank you for joining us,friends.
We'll see you here next timeCrazy On the Living Waters
podcast where we have no ideawhat we're doing.
Ray, everyone can hear youwhispering to your phone You're
using Siri in the middle of allthis.
Bye friends.
Contextually, in the midst of that, the Apostle Paul
ishe learned to get by with alittle and he learned to get by
with a lot when it comes to hisdaily sustenance.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me, but
what we do is we misapply thatto be anything right.
I mean, just name it, name itand it's gonna fall into place.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah and boy.
This is so key when it comes tohermeneutics right Proper
interpretation of Scripture.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Let me read the context of that I was about to
say yeah please.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
So Philippians 4, 10 to 13,.
But I rejoiced in the Lordgreatly that now, at last, your
care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care,
but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard toneed, for I have learned, in
whatever state I am, to becontent.
I know how to be abased and Iknow how to abound Everywhere
and on all things.
I've learned both to be fulland to be hungry, both to abound
(00:50):
and to suffer need.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
See that, like you get thecontext Paul is talking about.
No matter what situation he'sin, he's suffering, he's
abounding, he can, what he canbe sustained because of Christ,
and he can endure all thosesorts of things.
Here is one of my favoritequotes Friends, is it cheesy who
(01:20):
cares?
Here it is.
Friends, is it cheesy who cares?
Here it is.
Yesterday is history, tomorrowis a mystery, today is a gift.
That's why it's called thepresent.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yeah, and speaking of presents, friends today.
Today we have many presents.
I hope there's a motorcycle inthere for me Again.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Okay, we got oh boy, we got good presents One of them
I'm not happy about, for Oscar,but that means I'm gonna like
it.
Ray, mark and Easy and Oscar, Iam so very grateful for all the
incredible work you do inequipping the saints in the
ministry of sharing the gospel.
Your ministry has been a trueblessing to me and countless
others, and I'm so thankful forthe ways you faithfully serve
(02:12):
and love others in Christ's name.
Ever since I became a believer,I wanted to share the gospel,
but I just didn't know how orwhere to begin.
By using the simple tools thatyou created from the Bible, I've
helped me tremendously innavigating gospel conversations
and pointing the lost to thecross.
I'm a longtime listener of thepodcast YouTube channel and
Ray's Just Witnessing channel.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Oh, a little plug for Ray's channel.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
I might change the name on there AZ Ray's
Witnessing to College Students.
No we're staying with it.
I think, oh, are we Okay?
Ray's Witnessing to CollegeStudents has provoked me to do
the same.
I oh, are we Okay?
Raise witnessing to collegestudents has provoked me to do
the same.
I, too, walk the campus of alocal college that's minutes
from my house.
I take along my fellow laborersin the faith, my kids and my
amazing wife to pass out gospeltracts, gifts and sharing our
(03:00):
faith to all those who will stopand have a conversation.
To help find these outreachactivities, I have started
roasting and selling my owncoffee.
It's a little side hustle but itkeeps me accountable in doing
what I'm supposed to do and byreaching the lost by all means.
Matthew 28, 18 to 20.
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
A true listener.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Oh that's funny, true listener, yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Truly truly.
This has been a blessing to mysoul.
There is no other experience orsatisfaction in this life than
working for and serving our Lord.
May God continue to bless youall abundantly and may his hand
be upon all of your futureendeavors as you serve his
kingdom.
Love you guys.
Alex and that's how it says,alex and the gifts.
Mark, I heard it said manytimes that you like socks, and
(03:48):
how deep and great your love foryour wife Laura.
May these socks bring you evencloser hand in hand.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Mark Hand socks.
You have socks, socks, socks,socks, socks.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
How could anyone like socks?
That's a weird thing.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oscar Coffee mug.
Of course enjoy from coffeeside biz a coffee side hustle.
I guess this must mean this isyours too.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Coffee beans is there a poppy in there for me?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Ray, you keep asking that someone send you a
Lamborghini.
Well, here you go.
You weren't specific about whatkind?
Wait, look, send you aLamborghini.
Well, here you go.
You weren't specific about whatkind?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Wait?
Look at his socks.
Look at Mark's socks,lamborghini.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
Ooh, thank you, it's just a toy one, just in case.
What are those, mark?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Is that ET?
What in the world is that no?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
it's that lamb.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Remember that lady used to have a little lamb.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Oh, the little lamb lady For your imaginative eyes.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Mark's socks have two googly eyeballs and hands are
ears attached to them.
Those are the weirdest socksI've ever seen.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
No question about it.
Lamb chops was the name of thelittle puppets Easy Clean.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Ocd freak needs a desk vacuum.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Check no way A desk vacuum, a desk vacuum A desk
vacuum.
What that's wild.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
That is too cool.
Open it up and put it in yourmouth.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
See what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Wow.
Thank you, Alex.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Dude.
Thank you so much, Alex.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Very thoughtful guessing.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
All right friends, but it doesn't end there.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
There's more, more, more.
Okay, this is a big one here.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
All right, these guys now it's, it's, ray's fault
that we've had these sincechristmas.
Christmas, what is it we'relike?
Speaker 2 (05:31):
how we missed them.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
But here, let's do it united opening so why is it
raised full?
Speaker 4 (05:36):
wow, I don't know.
It just felt good to say thatall right, there you go.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Hooray Max Spence.
Wow, man, these people reallywrapped them up nicely.
All right and easy.
Okay, dang, this is wild, isn'tthat cool.
All right, let's start with thecards.
I'll start with mine, becauseI'm humble.
Let's start with the cards.
Okay, oh, I opened them for youguys already, by the way.
(06:03):
Just to make sure yeah just soyou don't have to open them
online.
All right, easy.
I've always pronounced itAugustine.
Yeah, whether I'm right orwrong, I do not have to say I
have always pronounced it thatway, although I am wrong a lot.
Cursive is an art and I alsolove tabbouleh.
Yeah, you should try it on awheat thin with a white cheddar
(06:24):
cheese curd on top.
Thank me later.
Ooh, that's almost blasphemy inthe tabbouleh realm.
I know the coffee is wholebeans, so if you don't have a
coffee grinder, I assume youmight not consider your judgment
of black coffee Come out of aKeurig.
I'm sure Oscar would be happyto help, maybe.
I love the insanity you bringto the podcast.
(06:44):
I'm one of 10 kids, solistening to you all pick on
each other feels like home.
Thank you for all you do.
Merry Christmas, gianninaHarvey.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
G-I-A-N-I-N-A Harvey.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Is that Ray Comfort?
I hear opening that no.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
It's Christmas.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
On to the tie ball.
All right, let's see what I got.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Our sound guy is really enjoying this moment, by
the way.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
This is fun, huh guys .
What did we get here?
Let me see Ooh, coffee, ooh,that smells good.
You jealous Oscar, not yet.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
So, gianni, I can't pronounce it.
You pronounce it for me,giannina.
I think she sent me a littlemoose and she says, oh, like the
one in Alaska.
Yes and she says never approacha moose.
I guess she might be fromAlaska, but she said she's seen
one that's about my size and youcould approach her.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
A dwarf moose.
Speaker 4 (07:39):
What thoughtful gifts .
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Oh, look at this Come on.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
She's a chicken lady too.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
So maybe for Oscar's sake, I'm going to try black
coffee this is a really cool mug.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Did you want us to read these cards?
What?
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I got coffee and a little ornament that's a
pour-over.
That is awesome.
Thank you so much.
All right, there you have it it.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
I think we read my card.
That's good, you guys can allread yours, mine's.
All that matters, mark, howmany socks have you gotten?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
I cannot get enough socks.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Unbelievable, it's idolatry.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
And I got a Giannina, I read your card Easy.
Won't let me read it on air,but thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I read mine as well and it's actually very, very
beautiful.
It's one of the nicest thingsanybody's ever said actually All
right, I'm going to get rid ofthese boxes.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Easy, just broke his mug no, it didn't break, he's a
clean freak and he had to movethe boxes out of the studio.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Seriously, that's one of the nicest mugs I've ever
gotten.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I'm sure the listeners tuned in today to hear
us have a Christmas date.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, it was fun Belated Christmas.
Wait, get rid of all this trash.
What are you doing?
All right, friends, let's reignin order once again.
Giannina, I think that's howyou say it.
Forgive us if we mispronounceit.
Thank you so much.
And I don't know why.
Oscar, what is that?
It looks like a bong.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
How do you know what that looks like?
I?
Speaker 3 (09:05):
don't know, it's a Christmas ornament.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Dude, that is really nice.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
It's a V60 pour-over.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
It's a way of making coffee.
That is really cool.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
So anyway, I think they were left in an office and
we were on holiday at Christmas,and then you guys went overseas
or someone overseas, timepassed and all that good stuff.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
So sorry about that.
We made it no problem.
Terrible, All right friends.
Anyway, thank you.
Why am I?
Speaker 1 (09:29):
breathing so heavily from opening gift.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
You need to go running with us.
Seriously, that's when you knowyou're out of shape.
It's bad.
Honestly, your hair looks nice,thank you.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I don't like it.
You're looking like we rememberyou here More normal.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
It's not out of shape , it's just getting old.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Is that what it is.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
When we filmed that exploding thing, I was running
through that field with Kirkwhen all the explosions oh yeah.
I ran really fast.
I just couldn't breathe when Iended, and that's when I
realized I was getting old.
I was about 60, I think Can youdo that today, ray?
Run fast, yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
What about running?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
up an escalator was backwards.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Oh boy, how did we not get that on video?
Speaker 4 (10:07):
That was the closest I've been to death.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
You know, my family all sign up for a half marathon
or we're signing up for a halfmarathon.
You guys want to join us?
Come on.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
You know Danny and Tanny, danny and Tanny he's a
Danny and Danny, our sons did it.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
We're going to do the hard half A routine, point no I
seriously want to get back intorunning.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
It's one of my favorite things to do.
That's great, oscar, you don'tstrike me as a runner.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
I don't particularly enjoy it, like when I'm done
running.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
I'm usually upset that I did it, I think he's
going to say I feel refreshed.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
Yeah, I would prefer working out or playing
basketball.
I love watching running.
I just can't stand it, even asa kid, when in school, remember,
I used to hide under a hedgewhen they ran around the block
and I'd pick it up the secondtime.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
You never got caught doing that, right?
No, you're crazy, I wasterrible.
All right, friends, we alreadydid the cool classic comment, I
guess, with the cards.
And now a radicallyrevolutionary resource.
This podcast is brought to youby why Christianity Solving
Life's Most Important Questions.
Great booklet, booklet Over onemillion Ray.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yes, it's very popular.
It's such a simple principle,but it's so eye-opening.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Yeah, this one's good friends to give to someone that
you've spent some time with,maybe shared the gospel with.
Is that 50 pages?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
It's one of my favorite booklets that we have
by far, it's really good, it'sreally cool.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
All right, friends, you almost heard me break a mug.
Don't forget the Living Watersmug and that bit of study Bible
and Living Waters TV Mug breaker, mug breaker.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Ooh, that's a good name.
Sounds like a wrestler's name.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
It does mug breaker.
Um yeah, living waters tv.
It is growing and there's a lotof good content on there.
Check it all out at all right,friends, today we're talking
about that's not in the bible,examining verses that don't
exist.
We'll also talk about uh, howcan you examine something that
don't exist?
Speaker 3 (12:05):
We'll also talk about how can you examine something
that doesn't exist Exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
See that Oscar, Wisdom, Wisdom Mark.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
You're making me think.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Oscar, I'm trying to think what can you examine.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
There must be something that doesn't exist
that you can examine.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Examining verses that don't exist, that's what we're
doing.
Lawrence Krauss tells us thateverything came from nothing.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
No, no, he says nothing created everything.
It's a huge difference.
Is it Really?
Yes, I mean, we believeeverything came from nothing.
God created everything fromnothing.
But, Krauss believes that therewas no God and nothing created
everything Hummingbirds andflowers and trees.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Where's your buddy Krauss?
Speaker 4 (12:41):
Oh, where's your buddy Krauss?
Oh, I do email him now and thensay how are you doing?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Does he respond yes, oh nice, he says shut up,
unsubscribe.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
No, he doesn't.
He's very nice, but he never,ever wants me to talk about God.
He's told me that yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
All right, friends.
Oh, we're going to talk aboutverses that don't exist.
We'll also talk about Versesthat don't exist.
People that say verses areverses in the Bible and they
don't exist because they're notin the Bible.
But we'll also talk aboutverses that are taken out of
context.
I mean, almost are not verses,in that they are misapplied, and
(13:17):
so, yeah, yeah, all right,thank you.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Thank you for joining us.
I would like to join us friends.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
I think this is an important subject because, as a
new Christian, I remembersitting there.
I was about three days old andI had a Bible on my lap.
It was a huge Bible.
I thought I want to conquerthis.
I want to be able to say that'snot in the Bible.
After 50 years I haven'tconquered it.
There's so many verses Ihaven't even understand or got
to in a sense, like Leviticusand stuff like that.
But when someone says God helpsthem, that help themselves, I
(13:49):
want to be able to say that isnot in the Bible, because that's
the basis of Catholicism.
God will help you.
After all, you can do Same withMormons and it's a deception.
And so we need to know what'snot in the Bible.
I mean, for those who don'tunderstand the principle, it's
easy to know what's in the Bible.
Jesus wept.
I know that verse, so you cansay that is in the Bible.
(14:10):
But to say it's not in theBible, you need to know the
whole of Scripture, right.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Well, I would say this would be at the top of the
list when you guys, in terms ofverses that people don't know,
the word think must be in theword and you hear it quoted here
and there from time to time.
But let's break some of thesedown.
Obviously, we don't just wantto say, okay, that's not in the
Bible, but let 's talk about whysome of these verses conflict
(14:36):
with what is in the Bible.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Right, in terms of what we know Scripture says
regarding some of these things,because some of them not only
are not in the Bible and areperceived to be Christianese,
but some of them areantithetical to what actually is
in the Bible.
Well, that one is, isn't it?
Speaker 4 (14:54):
God helps them to help themselves.
As works righteousness.
There is a way that seems rightto man.
The end of that way is death,and this appeals to
self-righteousness of men andwomen.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Yeah, don't forget the women, right, I'm sorry,
women sin too.
Yes, yeah, not my wife.
Your wife, that's letting youdo something that you want to do
, oscar.
Yeah, she loves me.
What are you doing, oscar?
Tell us what you're doing Oscar.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
I am going on a snowboarding trip in which Ray's
going to love this.
No he's not.
So we will fly into Washington,then we'll take a four-hour
drive into Canada, and then weget in a helicopter for a
45-minute ride to a spot whereyou can't drive to, and then I
will get in a cab which isbasically a tank on snow and
(15:38):
they will drive us up to thecliffs of these mountains while
we were snowboarding down themfor four days.
You're going to film this.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Yes, oh, please do, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
If you die, we don't care, we just want to get it on
camera.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
I give you permission to put my death on camera, if
it happens.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Thank you, oscar, walked into the studio today
with news that Kelly gave herblessing, like he just did drugs
.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
It's not a good sign.
I mean when a wife buys ahusband skydiving.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Hey honey, guess what I got you for your birthday we
have an extended life insuranceplan as well.
Sign here, honey, let's go tothe Grand.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Canyon.
I see what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I did walk up to Easy and I go.
She said yes.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
I haven't seen you this excited in a while, Oscar.
So God will not help you ifyou're trying to help yourself
on this one, Oscar.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So what happens if you fall down a crevasse?
What are you going to do?
Crevasse, crevasse, crevasse.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
The hopes is I'll have an RF chip on my jacket.
Speaker 4 (16:37):
Oh, that's good, so they can find your body, that's
great.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Are you serious?
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Like a locator chip.
There's a locator, yeah, youhave to buy I do already have
one a jacket that has a locatorchip on it, so that if you get
hit by an avalanche they can digyou out as quickly as possible.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Yeah, it's to find the body.
It's for the relatives.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I'm getting one under my skin, on my hand and not on
my forehead.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Oh, that'll directly communicate to the government.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Yeah, locate me, yeah , oh boy, if you get in a
crevasse or get buried by acrevasse buried by an avalanche.
You're going to be thinking ofme.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I will, I will Seriously, oscar, you're crazy
dude, the stuff you do.
I'm so excited.
No, no, let's go to.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
UCLA and you preach open air.
I'm down, let's do that.
Yeah, I don't mind that.
I don't mind that, yeah right,get your heart thumping, yeah
right.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, right, mark, break that down for us.
The unbiblical element of Godhelps those who help themselves.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Yes, psalm 121-2,.
My help comes from the Lord whomade heaven and earth, and
Romans 5-6,.
For while we were still weak atthe right time, christ died for
the ungodly.
God does not help those whohelp themselves.
The fact is, we can't helpourselves.
You don't understand how deadyou are in your sins and your
(17:54):
trespasses.
Christianity is this great bigjourney of realizing that
Christianity is nothing like theworld, and it is a continual
cry out to God for help.
It's not a moment by moment.
I got this one.
I got this one.
You know I didn't need youtoday.
Maybe next week you know this isan easy one Maybe next week you
(18:14):
know this is an easy one.
Somebody who is self-reliant isnot a praying person.
You know, I learned that fromRay.
I like that, you know, are you?
I remember asking Ray one timeare you nervous when you open
your preach?
And he said he goes.
Yeah, you know, but a nervousman is a praying man, right?
Otherwise, what is the pointand the purpose of having the
(18:36):
Lord inside of our lives?
We need Him.
We are so reliant upon Him.
I've often said that we needHim more than our lungs need
oxygen or more than our veinsneed blood.
Moment by moment, day by day iswhen we need Him.
There's nothing we can do.
That's why Christ came, becausewe couldn't help ourselves.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Yeah, you know, there's a prayer I pray when I'm
feeling nervous, when I'm aboutto do something, especially in
ministry, and it's this that'sthe one where you go, ah.
But it says Lord, please removeany unnecessary nervousness.
Oh, that's good, and I say thatspecifically because whatever
necessary nervousness I need tohave to keep me dependent on him
(19:15):
, even though, like in my flesh,I don't want it.
But I never want to get to aplace where I'm just like yep,
here we go, and it's like nodependence on the Lord no crying
out to the Lord.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
You ever found that you're alone in a pulpit without
God's help.
Boy, you can feel that it'slike a nightmare.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I feel like that happens to me 30 seconds before
preaching every time, like Ithink about all the ways I
relied on myself rather than himin my prep work and I'm like,
oh Lord, help me, I need you now.
Yeah, I think the phrase Godhelps those who helps themselves
.
I think the reason why peopleare gravitating towards that
phrase is because they wantself-discipline and
(19:54):
responsibility, and certainlythe modern man lacks discipline
and responsibility.
But the phrase is fundamentallyunbiblical for the reasons that
you just said.
It was Mark.
The gospel teaches us that Godhelps the helpless, that we
cannot save ourselves, thatsalvation is entirely of grace,
in other words, cannot saveourselves.
(20:14):
Salvation is entirely of grace,in other words, god doesn't
just offer help, he rescues thepowerless and his grace will
certainly allow us or motivateus to live in a responsible way.
I love to explain it like thisthe gospel is not a life raft
out to a drowning man.
The gospel is a lung full ofair to the man who's already
(20:34):
drowned.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
That's so good, yeah, and you know, I think you see
man's hubris and folly when hesays stuff like God didn't do
that for me, I did that formyself.
And that's where you really seethe height of blindness and
ignorance.
Right, what can you do withanything in your body that
(21:04):
wasn't given to you by God?
I mean, like everything youhave was given.
Tell me how you created youreyeballs.
I want you to give me adetailed description of how you
formed your teeth and sculptedyour hand.
My mother did that.
Who can tell me where I camefrom?
A little boy would ask.
But you know what I'm saying.
If God removed his hand fromholding all the molecules in the
(21:29):
universe together, we wouldjust all fall apart in a
heartbeat.
And so, yeah, and I hear whatyou're saying, Oscar, because
that often is, I think, what'sbehind it.
It's like, no, you have to work, you can't just sit around and
be lazy.
But really I think, well, ifyou dig down deep and you
extrapolate, that man isbasically saying that, no, we
(21:50):
have to earn our way to God, wehave to be able to do something
to gain God's favor.
And we can't help ourselves.
In the ultimate sense, it's gotto all be Him.
Speaker 4 (22:01):
Self-righteousness is married to pride and mercy is
married to humility.
You think of the story of thecenturion Lord, please go with
him, heal his servant becausehe's worthy.
He built us a synagogue andtwice in that incident the
centurion says to Jesus I'm notworthy and that's what you have
to come to, to come to Christ toa point, realizing you're not
(22:24):
worthy.
You can't help yourself.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What is it?
The door, the low door, ray.
You always talk about that.
Yeah the low door Ray.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
The low door.
Ray Ray only enters through thelow door.
I like to use low doors.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Oh yeah, the door of salvation is very low.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
That's one reason why Ray never has to worry about
getting robbed at home isbecause all he has is the doggy
door for a front door.
Speaker 4 (22:44):
I actually got through that.
Do you remember that?
I do, you were there.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
The time when Julia was like what Is Ray stuck in
the doggy door?
Like this is protocol, it'swhat we do here.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
I got through.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, you made it, yeah, so yeah, that's so
important, so key to remember.
And when it comes, like forexample, to preaching or
evangelism, if I'm gonna err andI have a limited amount of time
I would rather err on the sideof praying more than prepping
(23:21):
more.
And again, that's not to saythat obviously we shouldn't prep
and be diligent, we should be.
But, man, I would rather go toa pulpit, I would rather step up
on a box, knowing that I'vecried out to God that I'm
utterly bankrupt and desperatelyin need of him.
You know, and I pray, we livethat way.
(23:42):
I pray that you know, we wakeup in the morning and begin our
day with Lord help me right.
You guys know I have thatpainting in my office.
Lord save me, right, Peterdrowning.
And Lord save me.
I'm so stupid, I'm so foolish,I'm so prone to error.
Lord, I need you at every turn,you know.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
I've heard it said, of preaching inspirational
perspiration.
Those are your alternatives.
Either God's helpful or you'realone.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
I say I need unction.
What?
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Oscar, I was going to ask the guys in the back
Talking about.
I say I need unction.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
What, Oscar?
I was going to ask the guys inthe back.
What are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I was going to ask the guys in the back to make
sure they send me a clip of yousaying I am so stupid.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
That's a proverb, right?
We all held back from sayingamen.
I did.
I was actually shocked.
I'm like what I'm waiting herefor yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Well, it was just a given.
Well, it was just a given.
This kind of goes hand in handwith God won't give you more
than you can handle.
When we've been designed to beoverwhelmed, we've been designed
within our DNA to be completelyover our heads in life, so that
(24:57):
we trust in Him, so that werely upon Him.
I remember MacArthur talkingabout it at the last Shepherds
Conference, how he loves beingin situations where a parting of
the seas is necessary, right,Well?
Speaker 4 (25:05):
I wouldn't say that, eva Pray fine, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
Sing it Ray.
No Ray is what.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
But it really is.
It's a neat place to be,knowing that you know God is.
Listen.
We think that it's a dangerousprayer, right, god refiner's
fire, and we joke about it.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
No, I don't.
What do you mean?
Joke about it?
Are you joking?
I'm not.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
But listen, if we break it down theologically
right, god is not looking saying, oh, you prayed the prayer, oh,
now I'm going to squash you,now I'm going to remove your
finances, right, it's like no,we have the ability with God to
pray whatever we want to pray,to say whatever we want to say,
and God is able to decipher andsay no, yes, maybe wait.
(25:50):
You know that's what God does.
You know we don't need to fearpraying anything with God, and
it's good to say, nevertheless,not my will, but your will.
You know, be done, lord.
But you know, the idea ofseeing God come through clutch
is a beautiful thing.
God is never late, he's neverearly, he's always on time.
Amen, how?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
about this, Mark, oh sorry.
God will never give you morethan he can handle.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Ooh, that actually goes into what I was about to
say, because I think, again,this is a misquote, this one
from 1 Corinthians 10, 13, inwhich it talks about temptation.
But you make a really goodpoint, which is that God will
absolutely give you more thanyou can handle.
Why would he do that?
Because when you come to theend of yourself, you begin to
depend on him.
(26:35):
Where I am weak, you will bemade strong.
His strength will be knownthrough my weakness.
Speaker 4 (26:41):
I live at the end of myself.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
I remember when my mom was struggling with drug
addiction.
She was in and out of rehab.
She would disappear for weeksat a time with my little sisters
.
We wouldn't know where theywere.
We'd find out they're living ina motel.
They were out in Vegas whereverthe case.
And she had gotten out of rehabafter her first stint.
I had her move in with me,hoping that that would help, and
(27:05):
she had relapsed.
And I remember one night beingin my bed and just bawling my
eyes out, crying out to God, Ican't do this.
You have the wrong guy 20something.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Oh, really, were you an atheist then.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
No, I was a believer now, yeah, for a young believer.
And so, anyways, I was cryingout to God I can't do this, you
have the wrong guy.
You have the wrong guy.
And I fell asleep that nightrealizing all of the ways I was
relying on my own self.
I will make sure she goesthrough rehab, I will this, I
will that, I have a plan.
And it was just like the Lordshowing me that this, I'm not
(27:44):
getting through this unless Iturn to him in the midst of all
of that.
Speaker 4 (27:48):
You know, cast all your cares upon him, for he
cares for you.
We tend to cast upwards andthen it comes down on us, on him
, if he cares for you, we tendto cast it upwards, and then it
comes down on us no, I know.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
And also we say, lord , I'm leaving this at the foot
of your cross.
And then we say, in Jesus' name, amen, get up and hoist it back
on our back and walk away withit.
It's crazy, but yeah, somethingI've mentioned before on the
podcast, but I think it's worthrepeating, is our verbiage often
gives us away right and we saythings like Lord, help me not to
do this in my own strength.
(28:19):
The deception is in that wethink we have any strength of
our own right.
Think about that.
I don't have any in my own.
What strength do I haveindependent of the Lord?
Our prayer should really beLord, help me not to be deceived
in thinking that I can doanything without your strength,
because it's the only strength Ihave to rely on.
So, yeah, good stuff.
Now this verse is in the BibleCleanliness is next to godliness
(28:42):
.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's not in the Bible.
This is the easiest verse.
I wish it was so.
Where would it be?
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, I don't know where the book of easy.
Yeah yeah, but look, this is asilly one.
Speaker 4 (28:56):
We don't have to.
There's no such thing ascleanliness.
You know that.
We've got all little tiny bugscrawling across our.
I don't Flesh, I don't no, Idon't, I walk around with
ultraviolet light on me all thetime I have seen them.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
You know that's creepy when you look at those
microscopic little.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Electromicroscopes yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
That's pretty crazy.
While we're breathing in theair, these little microbes.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
Protein.
Seriously, I'm not breathing.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
I think one of the big things to this one is
Protein.
Just breathing in protein.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
Did you just get that ?
It just hit me.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Breathing in protein.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
We're eating, bro it's funny, what you mean
breathing in protein.
We're eating, bro, it's funny.
What are you chewing?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Protein Breath Microscopic protein.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
I think the lie here is thereality that even if you put
yourself together, it seems likegodliness.
I mean the scripture warnsagainst whitewashed tombs.
The most well put together, themost religious person that
you've ever met that keepsthemselves both morally,
physically, spiritually clean,unbeknownst to you, might be a
(30:01):
whitewashed tune.
Ultimately, what we need is apurity of heart, which only
comes through the gospel, and nooutward disposition of having
it together will ever make upfor what's going on inside of
our hearts.
Oh, amen.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
Yeah, you know you.
You think about those thatappear to be clean, so to speak,
like morally politicians, oreven pastors, or, and then you
end up finding out, man, therewas so much going on beneath the
surface.
That's never happened, has it?
No, never was me.
I was so immoral that I triedto somehow cling to a form of
(30:40):
purity by my outward cleanliness.
And when I'd come home, and ifthings were in disarray for some
reason, if I was in a hurry andI come to my room and I would
feel suicidal, I wouldmeticulously clean my room, I'd
dust it, I'd organize everything, I'd sit back on my chair in my
room and I would meticulouslyclean my room, I'd dust it, I'd
organize everything, I'd sitback on my chair in my room and
I would just breathe a sigh ofrelief, like now, my world is in
(31:01):
order.
You know, and little did I knowI needed Christ you know that,
yeah, pilate believed incleanliness.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
He washed his hands.
Oh wow, honor Jesus, I'm a veryclean person.
I cannot stand touching thedoor handle of a public restroom
.
I always stand touching thedoor handle of a public restroom
.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
I always use my chin, I use my chin.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Don't steal my thunder.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
I did not know you were going to say that yes, of
course.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Just give me three seconds Use my mouth.
Always use my chin.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
You got to switch to your chin, your double chin,
right, that'll help All right.
Money is the root of all evil.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
This has got to be up there with one of the top ones.
So many people quote that Moneyis the root of all evil.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Blame the money.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Blame the money?
Yeah, it's like we've got alitter problem.
No, we don't.
We have a lazy people problem.
Got a litter problem?
No, we don't.
We have a lazy people problemnot a litter problem.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Don't blame the litter.
So what's the verse really?
Speaker 4 (32:02):
say, ray, what the love, oh the love of money is
the root of all evil, all kindsof evil, as the modern versions
say.
King James says of all evil.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Why is that Mark?
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Why is the love of money the root of all evil?
Well, it's a snare, isn't it?
It promises things that don'tnecessarily deliver.
Jim Carrey said that he wishesriches.
I'm going to paraphrase richesupon everyone to demonstrate
that it doesn't deliver right.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Oh, try me.
He gets $20 million for a movie.
You know, I'd rather have moneyand be able to feed my family
than no money and not be able tofeed my family.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Okay, so, Ray loves money.
Go ahead, Go ahead, Mark.
Thank you, Ray for exposingyourself.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
How much do I correct him?
I just let the man go.
He's a little senile, he's.
You saw that he tried to hit me.
The love of money, right,because we are to trust in God
and when you have a lot of moneyit's easier to trust in your
abilities with your finances.
You know, you think of the like.
(33:07):
The best seasoning is hunger.
What will a hungry man eat?
Speaker 3 (33:11):
Anything, that's really good, I like that.
Is that a Mark original?
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Yeah, I don't good, I like that.
Is that a Mark?
Speaker 3 (33:16):
original.
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
I've said it for years to my kids.
It's like you open up yourpantry it's filled with food,
yet you complain that there'snothing to eat.
And there's a thousandrestaurants around you and
there's no place to go.
A closet filled with clothesand you've got nothing to wear.
It's kind of like when you getdown to the bare minimum you get
a little bit more grateful whenthings come your way.
(33:40):
I remember a couple times in mylife where I didn't have very
much money and doing aninvoluntary fast, two, three,
four, five days, sometimeswithout eating and praying for
food, and then, when the foodwould arrive, not scarfing it
down like maybe a homeless manwho would get it, who hasn't
eaten it, but just pausing andthanking God.
(34:02):
Thanking God as you're eating,after you're done eating.
Well, that's what happens.
David said.
I was once young and now I'mold.
I've never seen the righteousforsaken or his descendants
begging bread, and now I'm old.
I've never seen the righteousforsaken or his descendants
begging bread, being in thatplace where God opens up his
hand and he satisfies the desireof every living creature in his
timing.
It's absolutely perfect.
(34:23):
And, as our friend ThomasPurtell says, some people are so
poor that all they have ismoney.
What a terrible place to be.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Yeah, money is the root of all kinds of evil.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
The love of money.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
The love of money, the love of money.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I think you just messed that up, didn't I Get
behind me Satan Both.
Speaker 4 (34:41):
Ray and I are the example.
You didn't pray before youspoke.
That's it.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Oscar scripture twister.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (34:47):
Oscar.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Preaching every.
Speaker 4 (34:49):
Sunday at.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Money is the root.
No, money is the root of allkinds of evil.
Why is that?
Speaker 1 (35:05):
all kinds of easy you should try it one more time.
Give him the conch one moretime Go.
Speaker 3 (35:12):
The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil
there you go.
The reason is because money isultimately a tool, a resource
and even a gift from God.
But the reality, too, is thatour hearts are wicked, they are
desperate, they are sick, and weoften turn good gifts of God
(35:34):
from God into idolatrous things.
We do this with children, wecan do this with jobs, we can do
this with money, and what endsup happening is money.
If your root idol is comfort,then you will hoard money to
make yourself safe.
If your root idol is the praiseof other people, then you will
(35:57):
use money to show your status inthis life.
If your root evil is control,then you will use money to
control people and things aroundyou, and so money is the root
of all these kinds.
The love of money is the rootof all these kinds of evil.
And it's actually funny that Ikeep messing up because that
word, love, is so important,because our loves are the things
(36:21):
that we hold dear, our idols,and so that's the reason why
that word that I keep messing upon is so important because our
money, the way we spend ourmoney or the way we save and
hold onto our money, is oftenthe root of where our idols are.
Speaker 4 (36:38):
And that scripture, they that will be rich, pierce
themselves through with manysorrows.
It's not saying you've gotriches, it's the greed that's in
the heart that desires to berich that causes you to pierce
through with many sorrows.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Well, paul goes on in that same chapter and he says
instruct those who are rich.
And then he talks about howthey need to share and not trust
.
He says don't trust in theuncertainty of riches.
And that's the thing right.
Because in essence, what you'redoing is, if you're placing
money before God, you'recreating an idol out of money,
because the only one who iscertain is the Lord.
(37:11):
Everything else is uncertain.
So when you're treating moneylike it's uncertain, you're
making it God.
You're putting it in the placeof God and Ray.
Jesus basically spoke to thisyou can't love God and mammon.
Speaker 4 (37:22):
You can't have two masters.
Yeah, you put money as yoursource of joy, your source of
peace, your source of trust forthe future.
That's when it becomesidolatrous.
God should be our joy, heshould be our source of peace,
he should be our source, andit's so easy to do that.
Say, I've got a certain amountof money in the bank that gives
me peace, that gives me joy,that gives me a sense of just
(37:45):
trusting the future will be fine.
But it's uncertain riches thatcan go like that.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, man, it's crazy when you think about those who
even still had a lot of money.
I remember reading a few yearsago about a Japanese businessman
.
He was a billionaire, that's it, and he committed suicide.
Yeah, he committed suicide.
But you see this all the time,because it's not just not having
(38:10):
money that makes peopledepressed.
Having money that makes peopledepressed, it's having and
realizing that it it isn't.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
It isn't divine.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Yeah, it isn't infinite.
How much is elon musk worth atthe moment?
400, 433 billion billion, don'tthey?
Speaker 4 (38:29):
project, he'll be the first trillionaire, possibly
yeah, we've got to find anotherword for trillionaire, because
it's thrown around trilliondollars.
That's a what's that?
A thousand billion, and abillion is a thousand million.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
It's just breathtaking is it a thousand
billion?
Is that what a trillion is?
Yeah, I think it is.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Wow, it's a thousand billion and a billion is a
thousand, million and a million.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I'll forget it you know, and you could never have
enough money, right?
Rockefeller was asked thequestion how much is enough?
As the richest man, he saidjust a little more.
Yeah, that's real.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Yeah, it is real, you know.
Speaker 4 (39:02):
Israel, israel, israel, israel, israel, israel,
israel and Lebanon.
Pray for.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Israel, yeah, but Squirrel, no.
You threw me off.
What was I going to say?
A squirrel, a squirrel, oh.
That's why Scripture says thatgodliness with contentment is a
great gain.
To be content.
You know, con With With Tent, atent In a tent.
Speaker 4 (39:24):
That's the Apostle Paul.
Remember that Living in a tent?
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Oh yeah, that's what it means, for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
We do live in a tent.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
Yeah, live in a tent, this tent that God lives in,
okay here's another one that youwould think we're only going to
touch.
Speaker 4 (39:38):
Two or three of these .
We've got about nine or ten,don't we?
Who knows, we'll see.
Oh, go ahead, ray, you want tothrow?
Speaker 3 (39:44):
one out no, yeah, um, yeah, that is not in the Bible.
Um, yeah, um yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
He's following his heart.
Oh, um, yeah, yeah, he'sfollowing his heart.
Speaker 2 (39:54):
Um yeah, oh man, my voice is so nice.
So this one, you would thinkwait, you're laughing, right,
Deceptive Ray, you're laughing.
Speaker 3 (40:01):
The heart is desperately wicked.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
I have this cough that Wheezy won't even come
through.
It won't let my wheeze, mybeautiful wheeze come through.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
How about this one?
Speaker 2 (40:11):
God wants me to be happy.
Mark, that's the one I wasgoing to do.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Stop it.
It's like we can finish eachother's sandwiches.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
Okay, yeah, that's the one I was going to say.
You may not hear peoplebasically say this is a Bible
verse, but they talk as if,though.
This is in the Bible.
Ray, talk about it.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
God wants you to be happy.
We've got a new catchphrase forour podcast an offense to those
with sanity.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
The Bible emphasizes joy.
You know more than happiness,yeah Right, that there's a joy
inexpressible and full of gloryInside of Ray's book.
God is a Wonderful Blend foryour Life.
He talks about why am I talkingto what you're right here?
Yeah well, you get a kickbackWith the Titanic.
I refuse to tell your story.
He's kicking me under the tableEasy.
Speaker 3 (41:08):
how would you distinguish the difference
between joy and happiness?
Speaker 2 (41:12):
Yeah, I would say, happiness is circumstantial and
happiness is.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Dependent Circumstantial.
That's really good.
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Circumstantial.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
It comes from what's happening.
Conditional, that was the otherword.
It comes from what's happening,and that's why America's in
pursuit of happiness.
You never catch it.
Speaker 2 (41:30):
Oh, did you notice that From what's happening,
h-a-p-p that's what he did.
What he said, that, yeah, hedid that.
He never listened to anything.
Speaker 4 (41:48):
He's a beautiful day, he's happy, but he runs out of
gas.
His girlfriend leaves him andit's a wrong day.
Speaker 3 (41:53):
He's not happy because of circumstances what's
happening to him Right.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, joy is rooted in a person.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
It's also objective, isn't it?
Rejoice, not because demons aresubject to, but rejoice because
your name is written in heavenand the word rejoice is in
essence another word for joy.
It has joy right in the middleof it.
Spelled differently to sort oftrick you.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
So, if you rejoice, what's joicing?
Speaker 4 (42:16):
in the first place.
You're doing it again.
You're joicing again.
Speaker 3 (42:19):
Yes, joicing If Ray wrote a dictionary.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
God is not choice.
Speaker 4 (42:25):
If Ray wrote a dictionary Gotta snipe, Gotta
snipe.
They like the gotta oh that'sterrible.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
This is, I think, a really hard one for American
Christians to listen to andunderstand, because the comfort
life, the good life, is an idolto us.
We want comfort, we want a goodlife, we want experience.
It's like how can that not bethe precipice of everything that
we are trying to accomplish?
To be able to look at somebodyand say God is more interested
(42:52):
in your holiness than yourhappiness.
It's discomforting, right, butit's ultimately true.
God is interested.
As someone else once said, he'smore interested in your
character than your comfort.
God means to make you more likewho you were designed to be,
more like his son, and his sonhimself experienced persecution
(43:13):
and suffering and even death onthe cross.
And so if that's true, then howmuch more?
Why wouldn't we expect toexperience suffering in this
world?
But if our focus, if our NorthStar, is happiness, we're going
to be disappointed in this world.
But if our focus, if our NorthStar, is happiness, we're gonna
be disappointed in this life asa Christian and not as a
Christian, because life isuncomfortable in this fallen
(43:34):
state.
But the promise of the gospelis that one day you will
experience true joy, no morediscomfort in heaven, and until
then, the goal of God in yourlife is to make you more like
his son.
He's more interested in yourholiness than he is in your
happiness.
Speaker 4 (43:51):
I think it's summed up in the scripture riches
profit not in the day of wrath,but righteousness delivers from
death.
That's what we should beseeking to make sure we have the
righteousness of Christ on theday of wrath.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
And therefore it's possible to be joyful and not
happy.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
That's possible right , and so what I was going to get
to earlier is inside of Ray'sbook.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
God has a Wonderful Plan for your Life.
He talks about how, on April12th 1912, is the date Titanic
went down.
Right around that time youthink of the people inside the
lifeboats and they're looking attheir family go down in the
North Atlantic, down into thisicy grave.
If you were to stop everything,freeze, frame the event and
interview the people inside thelife raft and say, aren't you
(44:33):
happy?
It's like, well, there's a joythat's inexpressible in that you
know that you're saved.
But I can't say that I'm happyas I see my loved ones and my
friends that I just made dieright before my eyes.
I wasn't happy when I sawcertain things inside my life.
I'm not happy in those, but Ihave a joy.
I have a joy and I have acertainty that God is at work
(44:56):
and he is working all thingstogether for my good.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
I think Peter captured it well First.
Peter 1.
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (45:04):
Well, you didn't give the verse.
You know, 1 Peter 1.
Oh wow, well, you didn't givethe verse, you just gave the
whole chapter 1.
Speaker 4 (45:08):
Peter 1 what Give us the?
Speaker 2 (45:10):
verse.
Let me see 1 Peter beginning inverse 6.
Yes, good one.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
That's a good one, love it.
Speaker 2 (45:22):
Buffoons man.
In this you greatly rejoicethough now, for a little while,
if need be, you have beengrieved by various trials that
the genuineness of your faith,being much more precious than
gold that perishes though it istested by fire, may be found to
praise, honor and glory at therevelation of Jesus Christ, whom
, having not seen you lovethough now you do not see him
(45:45):
yet believing you rejoice withjoy inexpressible and full of
glory.
Speaker 4 (45:51):
What sort of joy is that?
Could you explain?
Speaker 2 (45:54):
it yeah, but before that no, it's inexpressible, you
can't.
He said yeah yeah, I can.
But the verse before the one Iread.
He talked about how we have aliving hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead to an inheritance
and corruptible, undefiled andthat will not fade away,
(46:14):
reserved in heaven for you.
So sandwiched between that isthe joy right, and he connects
that with rejoicing in lovingJesus.
So what more do we need for joy?
And again, I love the fact youguys highlighted that, the
reality that we can be sad andhave joy, we can grieve, we can
lament, we can experienceemotional pain.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Though the fig tree does not blossom.
You know that verse Habakkuk,one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (46:41):
Habakkuk, habakkuk, but you know what I'm saying.
It's like what more do we need?
Then?
We're going to heaven andconnected with what Peter is
saying we don't see Jesus now.
We've never seen him.
We don't see him now.
We rejoice with joyinexpressible and full of glory.
Why?
Because heaven is really Jesus.
(47:03):
We're going to go be with himand that's the joy that carries
us through.
I'm weeping, I'm crying, I'm inpain, but I'm not undone, I'm
not utterly destroyed, becauseI'm going to go to be with Jesus
, the one that I love, the onethat loves me, who loved me I
mean, paul says this who lovedme and gave himself for me.
(47:26):
What more do we need?
Speaker 4 (47:28):
That's the essence of our faith.
I'm just thinking the Bibleverse if any man loved not our
Lord Jesus Christ, let him beanathema.
Speaker 3 (47:35):
That's what scripture says.
Speaker 4 (47:37):
So, that's the essence of loving God with heart
, mind, soul and strength,putting your affection upon
Jesus yeah, I love what you'repointing out Easy.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
It reminds me of James 1, 2 to 4, which is my
brethren.
Count it all joy when you fallinto various trials.
And I love the way that it usesthe phrase count it all joy
because it reminds us to, Ithink.
Look at life as an accountant,and an accountant looks at a
profit and loss sheet.
And so if you look at your lifeand you're like I've got these
(48:06):
bills, this car payment, thismortgage, this medical bill, and
that equals $10,000 a month indebt, you might feel the wave at
all.
That's your present day trials.
But if you look at your profitsheet and you're like I make $10
million a month, then that$10,000 means nothing.
(48:26):
And that same way, when youlook at the various trials of
your life, count it up these areyour trials.
But also count up the eternaltreasure, the inheritance you're
getting in heaven and realize,count it all joy.
You're good.
The profit is much greater thanthe loss.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
Oh, it's so good.
Yeah, you know, you guys know,our house just flooded recently,
right, yeah, right Right beforeI went to Cuba, the day before
the house floods and basicallyeverything's ripped out, and you
know it's.
I mean we're.
It's just weird.
We're living with bare floors,open walls Sounds amazing
actually Like a regular modernhouse and what did you discover
(49:05):
yesterday?
Speaker 4 (49:06):
Oh, asbestos in my house.
Speaker 2 (49:09):
Trifecta, so you know .
But again, rachel and I, wejust looked at each other and we
just said look, how blessed weare right.
Like circumstantially.
But if we train ourselves towhen those things strike, I'm
going to heaven.
I'm going to be with Jesus,Okay now.
(49:33):
Yeah, we're dealing with hard,but let that hold us and carry
us through.
Speaker 4 (49:34):
Don't be looking to this temporal happiness.
Yeah, seek first the kingdom ofGod and his righteousness, and
all that junk will be added.
I added that word, junk Addedunto you.
Speaker 2 (49:43):
All right, let's look at some verses that are
misinterpreted, unless you guyshave some you want to throw in
here, name it, claim it followyour heart.
Speaker 1 (49:51):
If you have enough faith, you're going to be healed
.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
Yeah, they're absolutely great.
What?
Let's look at those.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Did you say they sound great?
Yeah, great samples.
When you think about.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
If you have enough faith, you'll be healed.
Boy, it's such a difficult one.
We hear it all the time.
I like to point out the factwhere we had the paralytic, that
was lowered through the roofdown to Jesus, and it was the
faith of the friends, not thefaith of the individual, who
needed to be healed.
So if somebody says well, youneed to have enough faith, I say
(50:24):
well, let it who needed to behealed.
So if somebody says well, youneed to have enough faith, I say
well, let it be according toyour faith.
Where's your faith?
It doesn't have to be the faithof that individual, and it's a
great example in the midst ofthat Well, the paralex.
Speaker 4 (50:34):
When your friends let you down, jesus will lift you
up.
Elevators will let you down.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
That's right.
Elevators will let you down?
Speaker 2 (50:42):
Yeah, that's good, All right.
Well, let's touch on a few.
Do you have something, Oscar?
Are we going to say something?
Speaker 3 (50:46):
Are we going to cover hate the sin, love the sinner?
Speaker 2 (50:49):
Go ahead?
No, I don't want to.
Well, we are limited Go ahead,what do?
Speaker 1 (50:55):
you got.
Give us the absolute best here.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
it is the best we could possibly have Well okay, I
want to get into misquoted, soout of context.
We talked about we're going todo that.
Philippians 4.13.
What Powerful.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
Speaker 1 (51:12):
Steph Curry on his shoes.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
Everywhere.
Mark, explain this to us.
Speaker 1 (51:16):
Yeah, well, it's not that you can literally do
anything and everything that youcan possibly put your mind to
it right, a man will never givebirth to a female.
Cont everything that you canpossibly put your mind to it
right, a man will never givebirth to a female.
Contextually, in the midst ofthat, the Apostle Paul is.
He learned to get by with alittle and he learned to get by
with a lot when it comes to hisdaily sustenance.
You know, I can do all thingsthrough Christ, who strengthens
(51:37):
me, but what we do is wemisapply that to be anything
right.
I mean, just name it, name itand it's gonna fall into place.
Speaker 2 (51:46):
Yeah and boy.
This is so key when it comes tohermeneutics right Proper
interpretation of Scripture.
Let me read the context of that.
Speaker 3 (51:53):
I was about to say yeah, please.
Speaker 2 (51:55):
So Philippians 4, 10 to 13,.
But I rejoiced in the Lordgreatly that now, at last, your
care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care,
but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard toneed, for I have learned, in
whatever state I am, to becontent.
I know how to be abased and Iknow how to abound Everywhere
(52:16):
and on all things.
I've learned both to be fulland to be hungry, both to abound
and to suffer need.
I can do all things throughChrist, who strengthens me.
See that you get the contextPaul is talking about.
No matter what situation he'sin, he's suffering, he's
abounding, he can what, he canbe sustained because of Christ,
and he can endure all thosesorts of things, and even I mean
(52:36):
you take the backdrop of thisletter to the Philippian church.
Speaker 3 (52:41):
Paul has been shipwrecked, his body has been
utterly beaten, he's been kickedout of cities, and he is
writing this letter while inprison.
And so the context isn't I cando all things.
It's more like I'm experiencingall of these trials and I will
make it through them because Godis strengthening me, which
(53:01):
hearkens back to God, helpsthose who help themselves, like
Paul is recognizing.
I can't help myself, but theLord is here with me so
reverently.
Speaker 4 (53:10):
But there's a lot of ear-tickling scriptures that
people just.
That appeals to the flesh.
I was telling you yesterdaythat I tried something different
at Huntington Beach when I wasinterviewing people.
I got a Bible verse and wroteit down and quoted it to someone
and said tell me what you thinkit means.
And I thought that's a goodthing to do get unsaved people
to tell us what this Bible versemeans.
I thought I want to do thatmore often.
(53:30):
So I got on Amazon and I foundlittle Bible promises a hundred
of them in a little box.
I thought this will be great,open it up.
And it was all air ticklers, itwas all.
I have plans for you, no way.
Yeah and I thought so.
I've just ordered, printed on acard just today, Bible verses
about sin, righteousness andjudgment that we can memorize,
(53:51):
and they're not ear ticklers,and that's what's missing in so
much of today's Christendom.
Speaker 2 (53:57):
I love the way that that's put.
You know ear tickling, becausethat's what it?
Is, you know it's like oh, myear likes to hear that don't
tell me hard things, you knowthat I can you show us what
you're tickling?
Take all my x, and take all myx, yeah I haven't watched that
in decades yeah, we know, yeah,this is um, uh, this is, this is
(54:23):
a good one.
That, I think again, is anotherexample of bad hermeneutics,
when people will take things anddo that.
Speaker 4 (54:28):
Could you define hermeneutics?
Speaker 3 (54:29):
Her-men.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
This woman has men, hermeneutics is the correct
biblical interpretation of I'mtrying to find this first.
What the writer's intended.
Is that correct Easy?
Speaker 3 (54:47):
When Easy's checking his sports betting, we could do
a barbershop.
What'd you say when Easy'schecking his sports betting?
Speaker 2 (54:57):
Oh, this is my oh yeah, here, it is here, it is
here, it is Okay.
Genesis 31.
Mishpah you guys heard aboutMishpah.
Okay, Mishpah, also Mishpah,because he said may the Lord
watch between you and me when weare absent one from another.
And often people you'll seethis on, jewelry, you'll see
(55:20):
this on, but this is betweenJacob and Laban, when, when you
know, jacob had left and takenoff and they were making this,
this between them because theydidn't trust each other.
And he said you know, he'staken his wife's and kids and
everything and taking off, andand Laban, you know Laban didn't
trust him, and so things likethat, oh, may the Lord watch
(55:42):
between me and you when we'reabsent from each other.
No, he's saying, like God'switness, if you try to come back
and do something to hurt me orwhatever.
Speaker 4 (55:49):
So, yeah, things like that.
That was very good, ez.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (55:52):
I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (55:53):
what you just said Sounds like a sermon in the
making.
Speaker 4 (55:58):
I understood.
Nice rough draft have to makesense next time.
Speaker 2 (56:05):
EZ it.
That makes sense next time.
It was great, I loved it.
Oh, I love myself.
Okay, matthew, 7.1.
Judge not that you be notjudged.
Speaker 4 (56:13):
That's the world's favorite Bible verse.
Talk about that, ray.
Yeah, it's talking aboutChristians putting one another
down, judging your brother,because he's talking to the
Christians they gathered aroundhim in the Sermon on the Mount
and it's in reference or incorrelation to Romans 14.
Who are you to put your brotherdown?
Set him at naught, as the KJVsays Further on in the
(56:34):
scriptures I think anotherchapter.
Jesus said when you judge, userighteous judgment.
In other words, if you see anelderly lady, someone going to
punch her in the face and shefalls down, you can say to
yourself that's not morallyright.
You can make a moral judgment.
And so Christians have nojudgment in their hearts when it
comes to morality.
We can make those judgments.
Speaker 2 (56:56):
Yeah, paul in Corinthians, when he was talking
about I believe it's 1Corinthians 5, he was talking
about putting away the wickedman from yourselves and he says
do you not judge those who arein the church, those who are
outside?
God judges, but do you notjudge, in other words, don't you
make a judgment morally, onthose that are professing Christ
(57:18):
.
You know we get a bad rap forthis often when we talk about
true and false conversion.
Oh, you're judging people.
No, we're saying hey, examinethe fruit, because scripture
says this If we say we havefellowship with God but walk in
darkness, we lie and don'tpractice the truth.
By this we know we come to knowhim and we keep his
commandments.
So one who says I've come toknow him but doesn't keep his
commandments is a liar and thetruth is not in him.
Titus 1.16, to me on that day,lord, lord, right.
(57:38):
And he's going to say to them Inever knew you.
So it's important.
This is very, very key, becauseI think a lot of Christians,
oscar, you might agree don't saythe things they should to
people, because all they'regoing to think I'm judging them.
Speaker 3 (57:58):
And maybe one of the things that holds us back from
saying the right thing is weknow we have sin in our own
hearts.
We think to ourselves well, Isee the sin in them, but I know
that they see that same sin inme, which reminds me of the
process of the Levitical priestsin the Old Testament, and this
is what we should do.
You know, at the Day ofAtonement, the priests would go
before the Lord and representthe people and ask for
forgiveness.
(58:18):
But before they did that,before they talked about the sin
in others that was in need andforgiveness, the Levitical
priests would look at the sin inthemselves.
They would go through acleansing process because they
knew that if they stepped pastthat curtain in an unrighteous
way, they would be struck downdead.
And so we need to come beforethe Lord and we need to confess
(58:41):
our sins.
We need to not approach peoplein hypocritical ways.
This is sort of the oppositeend of that, in that we can be a
bad kind of judgmental in whichwe have a self-righteousness,
in which we're unwilling to seeour own sin, in which we're
calling other people out whilethey're looking at us going man,
you're right next to me in allof this, and so I think we ought
(59:01):
to examine our own hearts andcome before the Lord and
practice public repentance tothe people in our lives so that
we can speak with a clearconscience and not be held, not
be reserved, because we knowthat we're no one to speak.
Amen.
Speaker 4 (59:20):
And often that being leveled at judge, not least to
be judged as to the Christianwho's trying to share the gospel
with an unsaved person.
And the way to handle that I'vefound, is just to ask questions
, Like Paul did in Romans 2,.
You say you shall not steal.
Do you steal?
You don't say you're a thief.
You let them say that.
Speaker 2 (59:36):
Yeah, that's good.
Yeah, and also a part of beingjudgmental is judging people's
hearts, people's motives, thingsthat you can't possibly know.
But when it comes to externalactions that violate God's word,
yeah, that's a judgment, butthe word of God is making the
judgment.
You're agreeing with what itsays?
Speaker 3 (59:55):
And to somebody who might be like.
Well, I feel uncomfortableusing the 10 commandments and
the law and evangelism.
Does God not send judges?
He sends judges.
You are not judging by your ownstandards.
You're coming as a herald tothe great judge who has judged
us all.
Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Amen, good, all right , just one I'll touch on real
quickly as we wrap up, andthat's Romans 8, 28,.
And we know that God causes allthings to work together for
good.
Yes, it's true, but alwaysremember the context is in that,
as he conforms us into theimage of Christ, the reason why
it's important to understandthis is because people will
interpret that in oh okay, well,my car just broke down, so now
(01:00:37):
God's going to give me a brandnew Lamborghini as a
hypothetical, like the one Rayjust got.
Oh, I have a Lamborghini A's, eh, toy one, cave Really.
Oh, I have a Lamborghini AZ,toy one, oh, a toy one, yeah,
caveat.
Speaker 1 (01:00:46):
Yeah, aren't all your things toys?
It's the only thing he fits in.
Speaker 4 (01:00:51):
What do you think of people at button?
Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:00:54):
Stop it.
Speaker 2 (01:00:55):
But it's important to understand that what that's
meaning is, even if you gothrough difficult circumstances
and things don't turn out theway you want them to, god is
still going to use thatcircumstance for the good, and
that he's making you more likeChrist and that's the greatest
hope, because that thing thatmay go good.
Now you're thinking, oh no,what if something happens to it
(01:01:17):
again?
But no, it's unconditional,because he's conforming us
Doesn't mean that, principally,god doesn't impact circumstances
positively at times, but that'snot what we're looking at, and
the importance is context.
Amen, times, but that's notwhat we're looking at and the
importance is context.
Amen, amen, amen.
Wow, this was fun.
A lot more frowns.
But hey, be a Berean, be in aBerean insertion and see if what
is said is true.
Is it agreeing with what isheard and taught by many?
Because plenty distort andtwist the scriptures to their
(01:01:37):
own destruction.
They don't follow my God'sinstruction.
What?
Speaker 4 (01:01:40):
do you say Quaker you like?
That Just be clear.
Next, time.
Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
Yeah, get a little clear.
That was very good.
All right, friends, there youhave it.
Don't forget why Christianityis solving life's most important
questions.
As Mark and Ray punch eachother over a million copies in
print.
Remember Living Waters, my Life, the Heaven Study Bible, living
Waters TV, alllivingwaterscompodcast at livingwaterscom.
That's where we want to hearthe good stuff, friends.
And yeah, remember all thatrating stuff and all that good
(01:02:05):
stuff.
Thank you for joining us,friends.
We'll see you here next timeCrazy On the Living Waters
podcast where we have no ideawhat we're doing.
Ray, everyone can hear youwhispering to your phone You're
using Siri in the middle of allthis.
Bye friends.
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