November 24, 2024 • 28 mins
Circumstantial Thankfulness
Struggling With Faith with the loss of family
Greed and Debt
Struggling With Faith with the loss of family
Greed and Debt
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanksgiving is Thursday. But unfortunately, sometimes during trying times, maybe
you're going through something in your life, relationships or work,
maybe finances aren't so great. All these things, Life continues
to do what it does on earth regardless of holidays.
(00:26):
Right but as Thanksgiving approaches, and you have these things
in your life that have caused turmoil or pain or frustration,
it can be very difficult to find things individual things
in your life to be thankful for. But being thankful
shouldn't be a state saved for good times alone. If
(00:50):
you wait till things are good and going well to
only be thankful, you miss a little bit of what
God's doing in your life.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
God calls the.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Believer to be in a continual state of thankfulness. God's
sustaining love doesn't change for you. Right in good times
are bad. God doesn't say, oh, well, I don't love
you anymore. Your relationship may change with God if you're
doing things that are harmful to you, or you're living
(01:23):
a lifestyle that may be damaging. That may cause issues
with your relationship. But God doesn't change how he feels
about you. And good times are bad now. Likewise, your
thankfulness should be the same in good times or in
bad times. If you look around and you get caught
(01:45):
up in just the circumstances in your life, you may
not feel like there's much to be thankful for. But
I assure you there are things to be thankful for
at every moment, in any time of your life. And
if you get into that rut that why me, or
(02:07):
woe is me? Or look at all the bad things
going on in my life, you may miss the picture,
the true image that God has for you and the
things that He's creating for you in your life. One
Thessalonians five eighteen says, give thanks in all circumstances, for
(02:28):
this is God's will for you and Christ Jesus. So
are you in that place where you can give thanks
for everything, not just for what you want or what
you enjoy. If you get the attitude like a child,
where the child's only happy when they get what they want,
when they get exactly the thing they want when they
(02:50):
want it, then you're being like that child to God.
If you get that mindset that kicking and screaming or
throwing a tantrum in the grocery store or the toy
store or whatever it might be. You become that child
to God, your relationship has to be bigger, broader, and
(03:13):
more realistic. I remember seeing on one of the home
video shows not too long ago, they were showing clips
of the holidays, in particular Christmas. They were showing kids
receiving gifts, and the parents were sometimes playing jokes on
them or doing gag gifts or goofy things. And then
(03:36):
there were some videos where it was merely them videotaping
their holidays and it would show the kid's reaction.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
To a gift.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Now, if you're a parent, you know it's not always
easy to guess exactly what kids want or get the
right specific one, or maybe they have an eye for
a particular color or something or other, and sometimes you're
going to get it wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
This video, it's exactly what took place you had.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
You have this child receiving something slightly different than what
they had wanted. But it was quite sweet. I was
this young child opened it up and said, oh, this
is so great. It's not the exact one that I wanted,
but this is so great, and that kind of attitude
(04:24):
of well it may not be exactly what I want,
but the more important thing is that this shows me
that my parents care. Now, God, unlike parents, knows exactly
what you need and exactly what you want, and they're
not always the same thing. They're not always the things
(04:45):
you want aren't always what's best for you. So God,
in his infinite wisdom, will always do what's best for you,
and you may not always like it. But being in
that state where you learn to be bless in the
place you are right now, that place you're standing right
(05:05):
this moment, not just where you want to be, not
that next time or if I get this then I'll
be happy. No, being blessed in the place you are
right now, knowing that that godly promise that God will
never leave you or forsake you. And it's it's difficult
(05:31):
to be thankful all the time. It's difficult to be
in that state of thankfulness, and I understand that. But
the key, as always on as it is on everything,
is to remain focused on God, putting God first, putting
God above all all else is what puts you in
(05:52):
that mindset of thankfulness. Is it difficult to always be thankful? Absolutely,
it is difficult, But if you're focused on God, you'll
see it, you'll be in that thankful moment Psalm one
oh seven, Verse one, give thanks to the Lord, for
(06:14):
he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Not
getting lost in the circumstance and being lost in God
is to know that God is steadfast in his love,
(06:34):
that the things that God promises.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Will endure forever.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
During each show here on the Jesus Christ Show, I
refer to you all the time, all the time, and
you've heard it over and over that the trial. I
refer to the trials in your life as life situations.
Now we say that in the show because they change
(07:03):
just as circumstances. Circumstances change. I want you to know
that these life situations will change. You must remind yourself
that God transcends situations. God transcends something that is going
on just in the moment, these situational issues, and that
(07:24):
He has a plan for you. And I know when
you're in the middle of the pain, when you're in
the middle of the frustration, it's hard to remind yourself
of that. It's hard to remember that God has a
plan for you.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
But he does.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And the key to this this time of the year,
with Thanksgiving just around the corner is to find that
mindset of being thankful always, not being caught up in
the circumstances. The enemy would love for you to be
caught up in the minutia, to have the little things
in life in your face all the time, to where
(08:02):
you can't think about anything else. It's just about those things.
If you get focused on the little picture, you miss
out on everything around you. And there's so much going on,
so many things where God is putting blessings in your
life or taking away those things that are cursing it.
(08:24):
And like the child illustration we talked about earlier, the
child may not understand that a particular sugary cereal or
candy or something is not always good for them. They'll
kick and scream and be frustrated and mad at you
as the parent for not allowing them to have it.
(08:46):
But ultimately, it's not only what you give that is
going to be the blessing to a child, it's what
you take away and protect them from. Same way God
in your life. God not only is blessing you by
putting things in your life, placing the things that you
need when you need them, but God blesses you by
(09:08):
the removal of things that are damaging or threatening to you,
the things that may pull you down or may have
you spiral out of control down a path that's not
going to be beneficial for you. And only when you
are there in that mindset, only when you sit in
the present and understand that God will give you what
(09:31):
you need when you need it and take away those
things that are are not good for you. Only in
that moment are you truly able to be thankful for
all things, not just circumstances and the things going on
around you, but for everything. Thanksgiving right around the bend.
(09:52):
It's coming up quickly. Unfortunately, when Thanksgiving is coming up
in the primary focus of the whole holidays to be thankful,
maybe things aren't going so well in your life or
you're going through something. Then when you're in the middle
of that, it's hard to go, Okay, I'm going to
dust it off, all of the ugliness that I'm going
(10:15):
through and just be thankful. Could be financial things, relationship things,
but all of that plays a part in where you
are in your mind, and it's hard to find that
place to be thankful to God when you feel that
your life is in an upheaval, when you feel that
your life is turned upside down. But God calls you
(10:36):
as a believer to be in a continual state of thankfulness,
not something that is bent or twisted by the things
going on in your life, but always is steadfast focusing
on the things of God, always knowing that it's about
God and what God brings in your life or what
God takes away, not just the stuff. So good times,
(11:01):
bad times doesn't matter. First, Thessalonians five eighteen says give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for
you in Christ Jesus. So it doesn't say give thanks
in all circumstances except for A, B, C and D.
It says, be thankful, give thanks in all circumstance. We
(11:25):
talk about on the show often about life's situations, and
we say that because they change, and I want to
remind you over and over that they're going to change.
So if you call today and we talk about your
life situation, I want you to think, hey, this can change.
If it goes from good to bad, it can go
from bad to good. You got to know that God
(11:47):
transcends any of these situations, these issues that are in
your life. God has a plan for you It's easy
to be thankful when wonderful things are happening, when great
things are going on. But about those those desert times
in your life, when God seems to be gone and
good fortune drives up. You have to be in a
(12:08):
state of thankfulness there, so you can call them desert
times versus dessert times. The dessert times everything always seems
to be going well and you're thankful, But in the
desert times you have to be thankful. Also, look for
the little things in life you might be taking for granted.
Thank the Lord for them. Thank God not only for
what he provides, but also for what he takes away.
Be consistent in your gratitude towards God. Remember, life is
(12:32):
not just those circumstances. And when you get to that
place where your spirit is louder than your head, where
you're aware that He is consistent regardless of what's happening
around you, then you can truly be thankful in all circumstances. Jim,
(12:53):
welcome to the Jesus Christio.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I should I am well? Jim? How are you?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I'm good?
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Kind of what's going on?
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Well? A long I've got a long FORMA trying to
shorten up just because I know you don't have a
lot of time. I have been struggling with my faith
in you, and I know it's not the right thing
to do, but it's been a struggle. I've lost both
my parents at a very young age. My dad died
(13:24):
in fifty five and my mom died at fifty eight,
and I've kind of taken it out on you and
held you responsible. Now, within the last three months, I've
had my dad heavily on my mind. I've seen him
(13:45):
in the mirror when I look, just like I've seen
him in the mirror when I look in the mirror
I've had. I don't even necessarily that there were dreams
about him, but I think he's come and seen me
in my dreams and basically telling me everything that I'm
doing right now is wrong. And the other day I
was listening to some country music and the first four
(14:07):
song was to come on country music were my dad's
favorite four gospel songs, and it was on a country
music station, not a gospel station. So it got me
thinking that what I have been doing is wrong. Now.
Whether that come from my dad, where that come from you,
I'm not sure. But what I'm calling you for today is.
(14:27):
I know that God waits patiently, He doesn't give up
on us. I know, I know that you guys are
going to sit there and wait for me to come
back to you. But how do I go from in
lacks of a lack of a better term, pure hatred
for the loss of my parents back to where I
(14:50):
used to be with faith in God and basically giving
praise every day for the life that I have and
not make it seem like it's a selfish gesture.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, I understand. Part of that is to understand that
that the Father is your father as well, in the
sense that it seems that your family has has all
graduated to go on to heaven and you're looking around going, hey,
that that doesn't seem fair. They seem too young. But
(15:28):
to keep in mind that that God is part of
that equation as well, and that God is part of
your family, and that you still do have family in
a different way. Absolutely, But that's kind of the first
step is to understand that that's still that still exists
and that still takes place. As far as the other
part goes, that being angry at God and thrusting your
(15:51):
fist to the heavens is not the antithesis of the
love of God. There there are a lot of people
you don't talk to you in life that you don't
know and you don't care about. This is not one
of them. This is a situation where you were hurt
and you want to get God's attention in a very
specific way, and you do that by doing what you
(16:13):
do in a human relationship to try and get their attention.
And I don't think any of that is wrong to
begin with. I think it's okay to be mad. I
think it's okay to be upset and to feel like
you were cheated or that something's missing, or that too
much burden was put upon you. But if you're not
in God's word, if you're not reading it, if you're
(16:35):
not trying to understand those things, if you're not in prayer,
if you're just in thrusting fists mode, that it takes
longer to heal because you're not actually in that relationship
with God at the time. And the only thing that's
going to help you heal from this and understand it
is being in that relationship. But God's not judging you.
(16:55):
It's not like God's some sort of ex friend or
something who's going to hold a grudge and say, well,
I don't know, you didn't talk to me for so long,
therefore I'm not gonna I'm not going to talk to
you now. That's not the way God works. God's ready,
willing and able and right there. He never leaves you,
never forsakes you, and is right there and all you
(17:17):
need to do is need him and he'll be there.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
No magic tricks.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, So the process is one of honesty, and I
know that that's a concern of yours. It's like you
don't want God to think one or the other. But
God's not reading your actions that way. God's reading your heart,
and to go into it honestly, start reading again, start
(17:47):
spending time with God. You may never get an answer
as to why your parents were taken at the time
they were, but as you know, there are people that
didn't grow up with their parents at all. There's everyone
has their their life and the process of that life,
(18:11):
and everybody's assumption is that it's going to go to
a certain way for a certain length of time and
there's no guarantees. So the the place to be is
that place of of appreciation, to appreciate you. Do you
feel that you appreciated your parents less because they died early.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Okay, do you think you would have loved them more
if they stayed longer?
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
How so?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Well, I guess I would have had more time to
love them.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I mean, I still love them, they'll leave me wrong,
but I'd.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Have had more time to spend with them.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
So I don't think I would have loved them anymore.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
But I would I would have had more time to
love them.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
More time to love them.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
But it's not like you would have loved them more
in some sort of you know, qualitative sense. It's just
it would have just been more and there will be
that time. There will be time to spend with them again,
just not here. And their purpose was for God, just
as your purpose is for God, and you need to
(19:13):
go continue on that. It's it's sad and it's frustrating
when you lose people. I get it, but you can't
lose God. He's He's got the keys to the understanding,
for one. But also it's the first thing you learn,
(19:33):
you learn that death is imminent. It's strange that it's
the one thing that everybody knows is coming, and that
it doesn't have a particular date. It's not set the
way people think it is. People think, ah, though people
live to ninety or whatever. There's no set date.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's the one thing that everyone's surprised by.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Yeah, can I ask you just one more quick question?
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Of course, what is I don't know the Bible.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Very well as far as where to find things. Is
there a section of the Bible that will help aid
in the healing of the healing process basically, well and read.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
The entirety a scripture. Scripture is there for understanding and healing,
It really is. But if there's if you're looking for
tiny morsels that will be helpful, uh, you know, just
to be able to pick up and read, I would
suggest reading front in the Book of Psalm. If you
go through the Book of Psalms, it's filled with people
(20:36):
in different states of pain or frustration or things going
on and still in their in their their their state
of loving God. The Psalm three, for instance, is title
Victory in the face of Defeat. So it's often about
(20:57):
looking for guidance in times of pain or when you
go down a path that you didn't think you were
going to go down to through And I think that
that can be very very helpful for you as well,
just to give you some peace at times.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
So there's a place to start.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You're welcome, and I hope that we hear back from
you as you kind of understand little bits and pieces
or there's you know, epiphanies that you come across or
you build, continue to build that bridge. Feel free to
call back anytime.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
I will.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I appreciate that in the process of pain, in the
process of going through these things, it's hard to continue
to have faith. I will also recommend as some nonscriptural
books that tie into that the problem of pain and
(21:55):
a grief observed by CS Lewis are really wonderful ways
of seeing somebody deal with those with those very issues
as they pertain to God. You can find them just
about anywhere on any bookstore or online, but they really
(22:18):
are a great insight towards a godly person going through
or looking at, either academically or in his own life,
the process of pain, losing someone and not understanding things.
And it can be very powerful to see somebody be
honest about those things from a theological standpoint, because the
(22:42):
assumption is the moment you raise your fists or you
get mad that you've cut yourself off from God, and
that's just not the truth. It's still a very honest
and responsive feeling. God is still listening. It's when you
shut got out completely and you have indifference. As it's
been said before, many, many times, the opposite of love
(23:05):
is not hate. It's indifference. It's not caring at all,
one way or the other. That's the place God doesn't
want you to be. But being at a place where
you're angry is at least still in a place of
caring and having real, deep and authentic emotions. And if
(23:25):
you're still if you're in that place, that's still a
place God can reach you. That's still a place that
God can work with, and it's still a place of
great honesty and focus upon God. It's not turning yourself
away from God. It's actually focusing directly smack dab in
the middle of God, just with anger. Greg, Welcome to
(23:55):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Show.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
Hi. Thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
My pleasure and help you.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Yeah. So, in light of the last caller in your
last your last comments about about pain, you know I
have seen both in my own family and my neighbors
a lot of pain associated with reacting to debt and
all the things associate with that. So it sent me
(24:22):
on a journey and to scripture to ask a question,
why is the church so silent on this matter when
it seems in scripture it's very much a key part
of the notion of bondage. Just three real quick work
pictures from from scripture and then get your comments on
(24:42):
this about why are why the church's mission and theology
seems to be ignoring this matter. So first of all,
on Mica and six A, where it says, what does
the Lord that God require you but to do justice?
And the idea of justice there is to I believe,
(25:03):
to restore someone's position and to a state of a
freedom or or a natural condition.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So wow, you whoa, wha, whoa, You're reading a lot
in the scripture there. As a matter of fact, you
didn't even put it into context.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It says the relationship which those things which are good,
which the word is beneficial, that individual that individuals act justly,
meaning that they're dealings with others should be just and
on the level right, and to love mercy. Yes, okay,
So where it seemed like you were using a little
(25:42):
isogy there and putting something into scripture rather than taking
it out naturally.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
So so where are you going with that?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Well, the notion of that was just one aspect of
a bondage that I saw justices trying to address to
restore someone's relationship shit to God and to their fellow man.
With the way I understood the word justice, you know,
it is derived from the idea of righteousness, but yeah,
(26:11):
I was just focusing on justice. And then the next
word picture from where Jesus stands up and reads from
Isaiah sixty one. I think it is where he talks
about to free the captive. And then the third word
picture would be where Jesus overturns the money tables at
the adoor the temple. And so this oppression of debt
(26:33):
as just one example that causes us and our neighbors
to suffer, seems to me in lie of the commandment
all of our neighbor we should be very concerned about,
not just that, but just looking at that as a
contemporary issue right now. And why, you know, why is
justice and its different requirements so.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Ignored or in what sense?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
I just don't hear much being said about this, so
that it's getting a lot of energy, a lot of
infusion into our leadership or institutions, our lives, and to
be based more and more on debt. And it's very costly.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It's oh well, debt.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
The Scripture has much to say specifically about debt and
being in debt, but that comes from greed of all kinds,
make no mistake greed. And the debt that has been
taken on government or otherwise is mutually done. There are
those that are playing the part that want things in
(27:43):
such a way that they over extend themselves to get them.
It takes two in that particular dance. I know everyone.
It makes it easier just to point to the government
on that, but really there is a dance that is
going on that deals with accountability and deals with people
having personal responsibility for their finances. His scripture says to
(28:03):
be good stewards of the things that you have, and
that in the totality of that comes the problem. It's
not just one or the other, and justice really is
talking about personal personal accountability there more than anything else.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Kf I am six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanksgiving is Thursday. But unfortunately, sometimes during trying times, maybe
you're going through something in your life, relationships or work,
maybe finances aren't so great. All these things, Life continues
to do what it does on earth regardless of holidays.
(00:26):
Right but as Thanksgiving approaches, and you have these things
in your life that have caused turmoil or pain or frustration,
it can be very difficult to find things individual things
in your life to be thankful for. But being thankful
shouldn't be a state saved for good times alone. If
(00:50):
you wait till things are good and going well to
only be thankful, you miss a little bit of what
God's doing in your life.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
God calls the.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Believer to be in a continual state of thankfulness. God's
sustaining love doesn't change for you. Right in good times
are bad. God doesn't say, oh, well, I don't love
you anymore. Your relationship may change with God if you're
doing things that are harmful to you, or you're living
(01:23):
a lifestyle that may be damaging. That may cause issues
with your relationship. But God doesn't change how he feels
about you. And good times are bad now. Likewise, your
thankfulness should be the same in good times or in
bad times. If you look around and you get caught
(01:45):
up in just the circumstances in your life, you may
not feel like there's much to be thankful for. But
I assure you there are things to be thankful for
at every moment, in any time of your life. And
if you get into that rut that why me, or
(02:07):
woe is me? Or look at all the bad things
going on in my life, you may miss the picture,
the true image that God has for you and the
things that He's creating for you in your life. One
Thessalonians five eighteen says, give thanks in all circumstances, for
(02:28):
this is God's will for you and Christ Jesus. So
are you in that place where you can give thanks
for everything, not just for what you want or what
you enjoy. If you get the attitude like a child,
where the child's only happy when they get what they want,
when they get exactly the thing they want when they
(02:50):
want it, then you're being like that child to God.
If you get that mindset that kicking and screaming or
throwing a tantrum in the grocery store or the toy
store or whatever it might be. You become that child
to God, your relationship has to be bigger, broader, and
(03:13):
more realistic. I remember seeing on one of the home
video shows not too long ago, they were showing clips
of the holidays, in particular Christmas. They were showing kids
receiving gifts, and the parents were sometimes playing jokes on
them or doing gag gifts or goofy things. And then
(03:36):
there were some videos where it was merely them videotaping
their holidays and it would show the kid's reaction.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
To a gift.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Now, if you're a parent, you know it's not always
easy to guess exactly what kids want or get the
right specific one, or maybe they have an eye for
a particular color or something or other, and sometimes you're
going to get it wrong.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
This video, it's exactly what took place you had.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
You have this child receiving something slightly different than what
they had wanted. But it was quite sweet. I was
this young child opened it up and said, oh, this
is so great. It's not the exact one that I wanted,
but this is so great, and that kind of attitude
(04:24):
of well it may not be exactly what I want,
but the more important thing is that this shows me
that my parents care. Now, God, unlike parents, knows exactly
what you need and exactly what you want, and they're
not always the same thing. They're not always the things
(04:45):
you want aren't always what's best for you. So God,
in his infinite wisdom, will always do what's best for you,
and you may not always like it. But being in
that state where you learn to be bless in the
place you are right now, that place you're standing right
(05:05):
this moment, not just where you want to be, not
that next time or if I get this then I'll
be happy. No, being blessed in the place you are
right now, knowing that that godly promise that God will
never leave you or forsake you. And it's it's difficult
(05:31):
to be thankful all the time. It's difficult to be
in that state of thankfulness, and I understand that. But
the key, as always on as it is on everything,
is to remain focused on God, putting God first, putting
God above all all else is what puts you in
(05:52):
that mindset of thankfulness. Is it difficult to always be thankful? Absolutely,
it is difficult, But if you're focused on God, you'll
see it, you'll be in that thankful moment Psalm one
oh seven, Verse one, give thanks to the Lord, for
(06:14):
he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Not
getting lost in the circumstance and being lost in God
is to know that God is steadfast in his love,
(06:34):
that the things that God promises.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Will endure forever.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
During each show here on the Jesus Christ Show, I
refer to you all the time, all the time, and
you've heard it over and over that the trial. I
refer to the trials in your life as life situations.
Now we say that in the show because they change
(07:03):
just as circumstances. Circumstances change. I want you to know
that these life situations will change. You must remind yourself
that God transcends situations. God transcends something that is going
on just in the moment, these situational issues, and that
(07:24):
He has a plan for you. And I know when
you're in the middle of the pain, when you're in
the middle of the frustration, it's hard to remind yourself
of that. It's hard to remember that God has a
plan for you.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
But he does.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
And the key to this this time of the year,
with Thanksgiving just around the corner is to find that
mindset of being thankful always, not being caught up in
the circumstances. The enemy would love for you to be
caught up in the minutia, to have the little things
in life in your face all the time, to where
(08:02):
you can't think about anything else. It's just about those things.
If you get focused on the little picture, you miss
out on everything around you. And there's so much going on,
so many things where God is putting blessings in your
life or taking away those things that are cursing it.
(08:24):
And like the child illustration we talked about earlier, the
child may not understand that a particular sugary cereal or
candy or something is not always good for them. They'll
kick and scream and be frustrated and mad at you
as the parent for not allowing them to have it.
(08:46):
But ultimately, it's not only what you give that is
going to be the blessing to a child, it's what
you take away and protect them from. Same way God
in your life. God not only is blessing you by
putting things in your life, placing the things that you
need when you need them, but God blesses you by
(09:08):
the removal of things that are damaging or threatening to you,
the things that may pull you down or may have
you spiral out of control down a path that's not
going to be beneficial for you. And only when you
are there in that mindset, only when you sit in
the present and understand that God will give you what
(09:31):
you need when you need it and take away those
things that are are not good for you. Only in
that moment are you truly able to be thankful for
all things, not just circumstances and the things going on
around you, but for everything. Thanksgiving right around the bend.
(09:52):
It's coming up quickly. Unfortunately, when Thanksgiving is coming up
in the primary focus of the whole holidays to be thankful,
maybe things aren't going so well in your life or
you're going through something. Then when you're in the middle
of that, it's hard to go, Okay, I'm going to
dust it off, all of the ugliness that I'm going
(10:15):
through and just be thankful. Could be financial things, relationship things,
but all of that plays a part in where you
are in your mind, and it's hard to find that
place to be thankful to God when you feel that
your life is in an upheaval, when you feel that
your life is turned upside down. But God calls you
(10:36):
as a believer to be in a continual state of thankfulness,
not something that is bent or twisted by the things
going on in your life, but always is steadfast focusing
on the things of God, always knowing that it's about
God and what God brings in your life or what
God takes away, not just the stuff. So good times,
(11:01):
bad times doesn't matter. First, Thessalonians five eighteen says give
thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for
you in Christ Jesus. So it doesn't say give thanks
in all circumstances except for A, B, C and D.
It says, be thankful, give thanks in all circumstance. We
(11:25):
talk about on the show often about life's situations, and
we say that because they change, and I want to
remind you over and over that they're going to change.
So if you call today and we talk about your
life situation, I want you to think, hey, this can change.
If it goes from good to bad, it can go
from bad to good. You got to know that God
(11:47):
transcends any of these situations, these issues that are in
your life. God has a plan for you It's easy
to be thankful when wonderful things are happening, when great
things are going on. But about those those desert times
in your life, when God seems to be gone and
good fortune drives up. You have to be in a
(12:08):
state of thankfulness there, so you can call them desert
times versus dessert times. The dessert times everything always seems
to be going well and you're thankful, But in the
desert times you have to be thankful. Also, look for
the little things in life you might be taking for granted.
Thank the Lord for them. Thank God not only for
what he provides, but also for what he takes away.
Be consistent in your gratitude towards God. Remember, life is
(12:32):
not just those circumstances. And when you get to that
place where your spirit is louder than your head, where
you're aware that He is consistent regardless of what's happening
around you, then you can truly be thankful in all circumstances. Jim,
(12:53):
welcome to the Jesus Christio.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
I should I am well? Jim? How are you?
Speaker 3 (13:00):
I'm good?
Speaker 1 (13:01):
Kind of what's going on?
Speaker 4 (13:03):
Well? A long I've got a long FORMA trying to
shorten up just because I know you don't have a
lot of time. I have been struggling with my faith
in you, and I know it's not the right thing
to do, but it's been a struggle. I've lost both
my parents at a very young age. My dad died
(13:24):
in fifty five and my mom died at fifty eight,
and I've kind of taken it out on you and
held you responsible. Now, within the last three months, I've
had my dad heavily on my mind. I've seen him
(13:45):
in the mirror when I look, just like I've seen
him in the mirror when I look in the mirror
I've had. I don't even necessarily that there were dreams
about him, but I think he's come and seen me
in my dreams and basically telling me everything that I'm
doing right now is wrong. And the other day I
was listening to some country music and the first four
(14:07):
song was to come on country music were my dad's
favorite four gospel songs, and it was on a country
music station, not a gospel station. So it got me
thinking that what I have been doing is wrong. Now.
Whether that come from my dad, where that come from you,
I'm not sure. But what I'm calling you for today is.
(14:27):
I know that God waits patiently, He doesn't give up
on us. I know, I know that you guys are
going to sit there and wait for me to come
back to you. But how do I go from in
lacks of a lack of a better term, pure hatred
for the loss of my parents back to where I
(14:50):
used to be with faith in God and basically giving
praise every day for the life that I have and
not make it seem like it's a selfish gesture.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
No, I understand. Part of that is to understand that
that the Father is your father as well, in the
sense that it seems that your family has has all
graduated to go on to heaven and you're looking around going, hey,
that that doesn't seem fair. They seem too young. But
(15:28):
to keep in mind that that God is part of
that equation as well, and that God is part of
your family, and that you still do have family in
a different way. Absolutely, But that's kind of the first
step is to understand that that's still that still exists
and that still takes place. As far as the other
part goes, that being angry at God and thrusting your
(15:51):
fist to the heavens is not the antithesis of the
love of God. There there are a lot of people
you don't talk to you in life that you don't
know and you don't care about. This is not one
of them. This is a situation where you were hurt
and you want to get God's attention in a very
specific way, and you do that by doing what you
(16:13):
do in a human relationship to try and get their attention.
And I don't think any of that is wrong to
begin with. I think it's okay to be mad. I
think it's okay to be upset and to feel like
you were cheated or that something's missing, or that too
much burden was put upon you. But if you're not
in God's word, if you're not reading it, if you're
(16:35):
not trying to understand those things, if you're not in prayer,
if you're just in thrusting fists mode, that it takes
longer to heal because you're not actually in that relationship
with God at the time. And the only thing that's
going to help you heal from this and understand it
is being in that relationship. But God's not judging you.
(16:55):
It's not like God's some sort of ex friend or
something who's going to hold a grudge and say, well,
I don't know, you didn't talk to me for so long,
therefore I'm not gonna I'm not going to talk to
you now. That's not the way God works. God's ready,
willing and able and right there. He never leaves you,
never forsakes you, and is right there and all you
(17:17):
need to do is need him and he'll be there.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
No magic tricks.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, So the process is one of honesty, and I
know that that's a concern of yours. It's like you
don't want God to think one or the other. But
God's not reading your actions that way. God's reading your heart,
and to go into it honestly, start reading again, start
(17:47):
spending time with God. You may never get an answer
as to why your parents were taken at the time
they were, but as you know, there are people that
didn't grow up with their parents at all. There's everyone
has their their life and the process of that life,
(18:11):
and everybody's assumption is that it's going to go to
a certain way for a certain length of time and
there's no guarantees. So the the place to be is
that place of of appreciation, to appreciate you. Do you
feel that you appreciated your parents less because they died early.
Speaker 4 (18:30):
No, not at all.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Okay, do you think you would have loved them more
if they stayed longer?
Speaker 4 (18:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (18:36):
How so?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Well, I guess I would have had more time to
love them.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
I guess.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I mean, I still love them, they'll leave me wrong,
but I'd.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Have had more time to spend with them.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
So I don't think I would have loved them anymore.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
But I would I would have had more time to
love them.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
More time to love them.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
But it's not like you would have loved them more
in some sort of you know, qualitative sense. It's just
it would have just been more and there will be
that time. There will be time to spend with them again,
just not here. And their purpose was for God, just
as your purpose is for God, and you need to
(19:13):
go continue on that. It's it's sad and it's frustrating
when you lose people. I get it, but you can't
lose God. He's He's got the keys to the understanding,
for one. But also it's the first thing you learn,
(19:33):
you learn that death is imminent. It's strange that it's
the one thing that everybody knows is coming, and that
it doesn't have a particular date. It's not set the
way people think it is. People think, ah, though people
live to ninety or whatever. There's no set date.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Yet.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
It's the one thing that everyone's surprised by.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Yeah, can I ask you just one more quick question?
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Of course, what is I don't know the Bible.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Very well as far as where to find things. Is
there a section of the Bible that will help aid
in the healing of the healing process basically, well and read.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
The entirety a scripture. Scripture is there for understanding and healing,
It really is. But if there's if you're looking for
tiny morsels that will be helpful, uh, you know, just
to be able to pick up and read, I would
suggest reading front in the Book of Psalm. If you
go through the Book of Psalms, it's filled with people
(20:36):
in different states of pain or frustration or things going
on and still in their in their their their state
of loving God. The Psalm three, for instance, is title
Victory in the face of Defeat. So it's often about
(20:57):
looking for guidance in times of pain or when you
go down a path that you didn't think you were
going to go down to through And I think that
that can be very very helpful for you as well,
just to give you some peace at times.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
So there's a place to start.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You're welcome, and I hope that we hear back from
you as you kind of understand little bits and pieces
or there's you know, epiphanies that you come across or
you build, continue to build that bridge. Feel free to
call back anytime.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
I will.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I appreciate that in the process of pain, in the
process of going through these things, it's hard to continue
to have faith. I will also recommend as some nonscriptural
books that tie into that the problem of pain and
(21:55):
a grief observed by CS Lewis are really wonderful ways
of seeing somebody deal with those with those very issues
as they pertain to God. You can find them just
about anywhere on any bookstore or online, but they really
(22:18):
are a great insight towards a godly person going through
or looking at, either academically or in his own life,
the process of pain, losing someone and not understanding things.
And it can be very powerful to see somebody be
honest about those things from a theological standpoint, because the
(22:42):
assumption is the moment you raise your fists or you
get mad that you've cut yourself off from God, and
that's just not the truth. It's still a very honest
and responsive feeling. God is still listening. It's when you
shut got out completely and you have indifference. As it's
been said before, many, many times, the opposite of love
(23:05):
is not hate. It's indifference. It's not caring at all,
one way or the other. That's the place God doesn't
want you to be. But being at a place where
you're angry is at least still in a place of
caring and having real, deep and authentic emotions. And if
(23:25):
you're still if you're in that place, that's still a
place God can reach you. That's still a place that
God can work with, and it's still a place of
great honesty and focus upon God. It's not turning yourself
away from God. It's actually focusing directly smack dab in
the middle of God, just with anger. Greg, Welcome to
(23:55):
Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Show.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
Hi. Thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
My pleasure and help you.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Yeah. So, in light of the last caller in your
last your last comments about about pain, you know I
have seen both in my own family and my neighbors
a lot of pain associated with reacting to debt and
all the things associate with that. So it sent me
(24:22):
on a journey and to scripture to ask a question,
why is the church so silent on this matter when
it seems in scripture it's very much a key part
of the notion of bondage. Just three real quick work
pictures from from scripture and then get your comments on
(24:42):
this about why are why the church's mission and theology
seems to be ignoring this matter. So first of all,
on Mica and six A, where it says, what does
the Lord that God require you but to do justice?
And the idea of justice there is to I believe,
(25:03):
to restore someone's position and to a state of a
freedom or or a natural condition.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
So wow, you whoa, wha, whoa, You're reading a lot
in the scripture there. As a matter of fact, you
didn't even put it into context.
Speaker 5 (25:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
It says the relationship which those things which are good,
which the word is beneficial, that individual that individuals act justly,
meaning that they're dealings with others should be just and
on the level right, and to love mercy. Yes, okay,
So where it seemed like you were using a little
(25:42):
isogy there and putting something into scripture rather than taking
it out naturally.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
So so where are you going with that?
Speaker 4 (25:50):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (25:50):
Well, the notion of that was just one aspect of
a bondage that I saw justices trying to address to
restore someone's relationship shit to God and to their fellow man.
With the way I understood the word justice, you know,
it is derived from the idea of righteousness, but yeah,
(26:11):
I was just focusing on justice. And then the next
word picture from where Jesus stands up and reads from
Isaiah sixty one. I think it is where he talks
about to free the captive. And then the third word
picture would be where Jesus overturns the money tables at
the adoor the temple. And so this oppression of debt
(26:33):
as just one example that causes us and our neighbors
to suffer, seems to me in lie of the commandment
all of our neighbor we should be very concerned about,
not just that, but just looking at that as a
contemporary issue right now. And why, you know, why is
justice and its different requirements so.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Ignored or in what sense?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
I just don't hear much being said about this, so
that it's getting a lot of energy, a lot of
infusion into our leadership or institutions, our lives, and to
be based more and more on debt. And it's very costly.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
It's oh well, debt.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
The Scripture has much to say specifically about debt and
being in debt, but that comes from greed of all kinds,
make no mistake greed. And the debt that has been
taken on government or otherwise is mutually done. There are
those that are playing the part that want things in
(27:43):
such a way that they over extend themselves to get them.
It takes two in that particular dance. I know everyone.
It makes it easier just to point to the government
on that, but really there is a dance that is
going on that deals with accountability and deals with people
having personal responsibility for their finances. His scripture says to
(28:03):
be good stewards of the things that you have, and
that in the totality of that comes the problem. It's
not just one or the other, and justice really is
talking about personal personal accountability there more than anything else.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Kf I am six forty on demand
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