The Gospel Twins Podcast
A podcast that brings the freedom and truth of God's Kingdom to the masses.
The Gospel Twins Podcast
Forgiveness That Frees
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if the difference between stuck and free is not how hard you pray, but how quickly you forgive? We dive into the everyday moments that reveal kingdom realities: a peaceful home taking shape in winter, a missed subscription reminder that turns into a lesson on diligence, a medical bill negotiated down that showcases mercy, and a long-estranged brother calling after decades. Each story pushes us to examine timing, choices, and the quiet courage of obedience, showing how God’s faithfulness meets us when we move.
We talk candidly about prayer that listens more than it lists. Sometimes the holiest act is to be still long enough to hear direction. That stillness doesn’t mean passivity; it means focus. We share practices that make room for God’s voice: Scripture before social, worship before work, gratitude before grievances. When our attention stops drifting, our prayers stop scattering. The result is clarity—less striving, more partnership with the Spirit, and a steady heart in noisy times.
Forgiveness is our turning point. From the Prodigal Son to modern family dynamics, we explore how resentment can make “fairness” feel righteous while mercy feels wrong. Jesus ties forgiveness to answered prayer—not to punish us, but because the heart cannot host grace and grudges at once. We also wrestle with traditions and conscience, honoring the pain some holidays hold and seeking wise, respectful paths forward. Beyond culture wars, we argue for mature peacemaking: naming wrongs, diffusing triggers, and refusing bitterness the final word.
We close with practical stewardship—of money, bodies, and minds. Marketing claims meet real nutrition. Convenience collides with conviction. And yet the invitation stays open: build a life that looks like that winter home—grounded, peaceful, and warm with presence. If this conversation encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your story might be the next testimony of grace in motion.
This is the Gospel Twins with your host, Sean and John, your go-to podcast for the kingdom perspective on current events and the good news God has for the culture. Get ready to renew your mind, one piece at a time.
SPEAKER_04People of God, people of God, welcome back to the Gospel Twin Podcast when you get your mind renewed piece by piece and episode by episode, and I am Sean. And I am John. And we are the Gospel Twin. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_00What up, man? What up? What up, man? It's all good. It's all good.
SPEAKER_04It is uh snowing outside. Have you looked outside?
SPEAKER_00I haven't, man. I haven't, dude. I saw it that it had snowed, but I didn't know that it had currently started snowing again.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04I think uh the these Michiganians or me Michiganians are how you pronounce it. Yeah, they um they got used to the snow not coming until late December, man.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, almost January.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, almost January. This is how I remember it when I was growing up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, oh yeah.
SPEAKER_04Like in mid-November, uh late November, just snowing all the way till February.
SPEAKER_00All the way, absolutely. That's how we came up, man. Yeah, yeah, that's the trip, man. So I guess it is a little something to this climate change thing, man. Yeah, because it it definitely has shifted, man.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I ain't you know, I I'm not mad at it, man. I just uh like I said, I like it until maybe the end of the end of January, then you know it can go.
SPEAKER_00Right, right. Look, I'm just gonna go over it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I just I like the late, I like the way it looks when I look outside, it looks peaceful.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, it's dope, man. For sure. For sure. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, people just like I'm ready for the summer already.
SPEAKER_00Man, it stayed hot for so long, man. I know it was hot all the way up into October, man.
SPEAKER_04I didn't like that like man, why don't you just you know, like move, man? Right. Right. Michigan has four seasons, and then you're gonna have to deal with the winner.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. Get rolled over, man. I don't know. One or the other, one or the other.
SPEAKER_04I just vibe with it.
SPEAKER_00When winner don't care, ain't trying to check in with you, you know what I'm saying? Like you said, you can you can dip.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, just like that. And I and I know people that left Michigan, like I love it. Uh uh no snow, no, you know, shovel, no uh scrape windshields and yeah, yeah, I feel like no.
SPEAKER_00So what up, man? Oh man, it's all good, dude. It's all good, man. You know, just uh speaking of as you were saying, man, just with with the snow boy, man. We went out, uh, they got, you know, at the crib, you know, we got building the house, they got everything all uh closed in, got all the windows in, and uh went by there, man, on uh the other day, bro, and just it's snow was on the ground and just looking, sitting out, looking out that back window, man, and seeing all that snow and you know, and the land and stuff, dude. That was so so dope and peaceful and serene, bro. I was like, I can't wait, you know, to to next year when we in here and the snow and all that come, man. It was it was dope, dude.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's a nice location. So, hey, also, too, with all that scene that you described. Do you were you you gonna have a fireplace?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. Ah, yes, sir, yes, sir. You gotta have the fireplace, boy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you have a house guest over there, man. I'm bringing my house shoes.
SPEAKER_00You know, dude. You know, we're gonna have that stuff set up at the dope, bro. Yes, sir. We we will even have, man, you know, for people, because some people might come over, man, and it's hard for them to get their shoes on and off. We just booties shoot. Yeah, but go right over them, boys. Put them right over there, man. Just go ahead, tuck your shoe, keep your shoe on, but put these on, you know. Yeah, man. Wifey, man, is just really, man, she just trying to, you know, create a vibe, man, over there. Just that's the whole thing, man. And that's that's her literal, literal thing. She's like, I just want this to be a place of peace, yeah, serenity, you know, calm, and uh, and and just protecting that, man. We writing scriptures and stuff on the, you know, on the framing and all of that, man. So yeah, yeah. We talking about it, man. We're talking about it. Because we got the out the out back, there's a part of the land that's got a high water table. So it ain't really like much building we can do back there. So we were talking about creating a little pond back there. So yeah.
unknownYeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I had a coworker that had he had uh he made his wife a garden. It was really beautiful. Man, it was a big garden, had like um walkway through it and flowers on here and all that type of stuff. And and um I think it rained for a long time, and so what ended up doing this, man, and causing it made it made it look like a pond, man. Oh wow, and he was they re they they accepted it that way. This like this is cool, even though it was a garden, now it's a pond, it even looks better. Yeah, so he walked me through there and it was pretty nice, man.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's dope.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you uh yeah, that pond boy is really, really peaceful.
Building A Sanctuary And Kingdom Atmosphere
SPEAKER_00Yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, man. We we definitely man got a lot of uh a lot of you know expectations and hopes for it over there and setting it up, man. Just making it a kingdom spot, bro. Hey man, you know, um have you heard of this uh app?
SPEAKER_04Um uh it's called the Bible Chat. I saw it on um TikTok. Okay, and uh it's a new app. I like I mean I I love it a lot. And I I always use the Bible app. And um with the Bible app, I get the daily scripture, and then I Bible plans. And I'm not saying I'm tired, but I would like something to change. I just want a little change. What I like about this Bible chat app, it um uh it pops up, it gives you a it gives you a scripture every hour on your locked screen.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04On your phone. Okay. Yeah, so you it would like on my phone, you can see the daily verse, and then on the on the on the left side is the daily verse, on the right side is the hourly scripture. And sometimes you it could be like the whole screen or just a small spot spot on your screen, and you tap it, it takes you straight to take you straight to the app, and then you read the scripture, then it used to break the breakdown of the scripture. Oh wow, and um, yeah, so it give you a day's journey, and then you got uh all these different things. You got Explore, they got like uh David and Goliath, they got like animations on there. Oh, okay. Okay. Uh they got a community, like my wife is on there, so we we're friends on that. Just like, you know, just like the like Instagram and all that. Yeah, even the Bible app itself. You know, we got a community.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, community, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Today, yeah, uh, yeah, the the Diverse, and then you got the tower. I'm looking at this as it got watch, you got comics, study, read, wow, kids, and explore. Uh, they got a I'm assuming I'm on a free version, but I had sent it to my friend, and she said that uh they want to charge me after seven days, but like I haven't seen anything, man.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you ain't seen a charge, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I've been on it for three weeks now.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, dude. Speak man, that's dope. No, I have not, I didn't know anything about that, man. You know what? I think you might have mentioned it before, but it was just like a real quick in passing in the conversation, and we didn't uh lock in on it. But man, I'm I'm gonna check that out, dude. I'm gonna check that out. But since you said, you know, you haven't seen no charge, bro. I man, I was this morning, bro, got hit with, you know, woke up looking at my phone and said, you authorized a$79 and something charge. And it was something that I was uh trialing, and I was for man, I had it in my phone to remind me to cut it off, and I ignored the reminder, bro, and forgot it. Got hit with that charge, bro. Oh man, oh you know I hated that$79, dog. I was like, oh man, dude.
unknownOh shit.
SPEAKER_00I should, you know, sometimes I do them trials, man. As soon as I do the cut it on, I go right in and cancel it. Then they know enjoy it for the seven days or whatever it is, man. And that's when I forgot to do it, bro.
SPEAKER_04I I got that from you, because I I do that now.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. Oh, yeah.
Apps, Subscriptions, And Stewardship Lessons
SPEAKER_04You're talking about a charge, bro. You know, I got my knee, I got my knee fixed, I got a knee replaced, and so I was having issues through therapy, and I couldn't get been my knee, so uh they scheduled a second procedure, uh knee manipulation, so I went in for that. Man, my my uh insurance didn't cover all of it, and so they sent me a three thousand dollar bill, and I'm like, woo man, three thousand dollar bill. They didn't even tell you about that, no man, and so I was so upset, and so but then check this out. So then um the hospital reached out to me, like we'll settle out for 800 and something dollars. And I'm like, sweet, let's do it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I was driving now, I was like, get in touch with you. So I called, couldn't get in touch with them, and also I was planning on going because I was supposed to get a follow-up, uh year follow-up on my knee. And they never called me, and so I've just I I just forgot about it, bro.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And um, and then I get a call saying um uh they send it, they sent it to a credit creditor dog. What? I'm on the phone. Look, I'm on the phone with these people, man. And um, so so it's like, well, uh, we can do it 12 months, 10 months, six months, whatever. I was like, I need to spread it out. And so, yeah, so how much is that? Uh$300 a month. I was like, I don't have no three hundred dollars. Right to get for this. No, I said, and I ain't can't I can't even bend my knee, right?
SPEAKER_00Right, right, right. And I'm still dealing with this. It ain't even working right.
SPEAKER_04So this lady was like, okay, let me let me crunch some numbers. Uh blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Yeah, uh, we could do it for I could break it down down to like 220 a month. Like, so I was like, so I'm thinking about it. And then she just she just got one, she did one one, her mind is one track mind. Let me get you uh credit card information, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04And I'm like, what? And so then I I I started giving it to her, then and and Holy Spirit stopped me. And I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna call them because I got I got I got the I got God on my side.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_04I'm about to call them and I'm gonna talk to them and see if I can talk to them now. Yeah, and she said, Well, I'm gonna tell you this, they're gonna send you right back. So you might as well square this way now and don't have to worry about them because you're coming back here. I'm like, you can't tell me what they're gonna do. I was like, you don't know that, and then she managed to bro. She was she was so annoying. I ended up hanging up on her, man. Wow, yeah, she just will not stop talking. Just give me give me a credit card, give me a credit card number, give me a credit card now.
unknownLike, what?
SPEAKER_04I'm trying to have a conversation with you. You just saying one thing, right? And I know I don't I don't do that, don't rush me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, yeah, man, for sure.
SPEAKER_04And I'm gonna try, and she just kept saying it. I was like, you know what, click, yeah, you know, and so then I end up calling the hospital insurance, and so they said, Well, Mr. Hicks, initially we did offer 75% off. We can't offer that to you now, but we can't offer you 50% off. I take it, right? No more. I just want this over with, right? Right. Man, because I they was like, uh, because they were talking about sending me back to the crash like, no, I said that lady was not bud. She told me no, she wanted me paid 3,000 in full. Wow, wow, 3,000 and change, so uh, but no, they got they gave me 50%, so I'm gonna pay that off and get them out my air.
SPEAKER_01Cool.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's crazy. We we we we bless God for favor, you know, despite you know, missing the first round, you know.
SPEAKER_04Oh no, you know, I had to pray for that. Like I know, you know, definitely ask for the mercy, man. Because yeah, uh it was on me, man.
Medical Bills, Negotiations, And Divine Timing
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And man, that dude, that but see, man, that's that's kind of a a a segue into to this because you know, you had an opportunity, man, that you know, um to sell it for 75%, you know, and whatever happened, you know, that you weren't able to lock that in, you know, things start happening, you forget, you move, you know, and stuff like that. It happens, man, but then it comes back around. We still we still gotta deal with it. We still gotta deal with it. And then you had that encounter, but then bless God, you know, Holy Spirit, you got that relationship. He whispers to you, nah, nah, don't, don't, don't deal with this here, you know. Call him back, and then you do it, and then you get the 50% off. And here's the thing, man, it's it's still God's favor, it's still him doing it, but but we can uh enter into areas where we're not gonna get get it as good as it could have been because of our you know delay for whatever reason. And and man, and that's that's that's a significant understanding to have as it pertains in the spirit, man, that there are timings, there are things that you know that that you need that are time sensitive if you want to get the best result, you know what I mean? Or or you can come back. And then it it's a more merciful thing now, you know what I mean, than than the initial uh initiation when you know it was coming to give you that that bigger, you know, uh, you know, uh whatever they whatever they the settlement, however they were doing that. So yeah, man. So we that is that is just indicative of how the kingdom worked, how the spirit realm works, man. It works the same way that our realm works, man. Paul says, if you want to understand the invisible, just look at look at the visible, man. You know, this you don't have to wonder and be in confusion and uncertainty. Just look at how it works. And we think like, but this is God, and he could, he could, he could, you know what I mean. But but don't think about what he could, think about what he would. What did he say he would do? Don't don't look at him and talk about what he can do. He knows what he can do. He don't he ain't you know in in confusion about his abilities, man. But he did design things to operate a certain way. And and he says the diligent hand is made, is made rich, you know, and the slothful will be brought to poverty. So one of the things let us know if if something comes up, man, deal with it right away. Yeah, you know what I mean? Deal with it now, you know, and then it there's even when people read the scripture, the the story, when Jesus talked to the disciples, if I tell you to go do something, he said, don't even salute the salute nobody on the way, go get it done. You know, it you gotta understand now. Is Jesus talking about when he tells you to go do something like be mean to people? If somebody speaks to you, don't speak to them, then you know that's not what he means. But he's telling you, don't get distracted, don't lose focus when you need to be going to get something done, go get it done. And uh it's just man, it frees up uh a lot of stuff in your life, man. And um I'm sure if you thought about it, you like to to you wish you could turn that back and deal with it at the 800.
SPEAKER_04You know, you know because I celebrated when they said that number, I was like, what right?
SPEAKER_00Heck yeah, let's do this, but you were just driving.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and then the the spirit of procrastination, man.
SPEAKER_00Um it bro, it matters, it matters, man. And and you can plead the blood and you can do everything you want, bro. Some things are just like man, dude, it's obedience and partnership, man. You know, it is, it's a hundred percent. It's a partnership, man. And like, I was looking out for you, bro, but you know, you know what I mean. I was looking out for you, dude. So, you know, it's bro, it's just it's strange how we think that the spirit world is just so awkward to deal with, you know what I mean? Like we can pray, prayers are hit and miss, you know. Um, if God desires it to, I mean, I know I need to pray, but if God decides he wants to do anything, do it otherwise, then you know, we'll just see what happens. That is nothing works like that in existence, except what people think about the spirit.
SPEAKER_04I will tell you this. Once I uh once I understood the kingdom and uh how it works and and my relationship to the father, man, I mean, I've been I've been getting answers, I've been getting my prayers answered, my man. Sure. Um, like when I was uh when I had the when I was working out in Van Dyke and that was an hour and 15 minute drive, it was it was just so dangerous. I did that for three years, but my wife and I and we came together, man, we prayed on that, man. Um we were in agreement, and bro, I I was that that prayer got answered, I was able to come back this way to Lavonias.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And um so got that. And um, but then uh I prayed because I was on that that that horrible schedule, that four crew, 12 hour things, and I I've prayed out of that, and um I asked for a specific job, uh the clerk, the clerk job. So I didn't get I get two jobs, man. So it was like wow, I get two jobs. But my my prayer for the clerk job were was answered.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. For sure.
SPEAKER_04But I was I went to the other job first and it was really easy, laid back, and then the boss over there, I used to work with him, and he told me, he's like, Sean, this is a good place to uh retire from. And not listening to him instead of the prayer meet my that prayer that I got answered.
SPEAKER_06Sure.
SPEAKER_04I uh so when that person came and said, Well, that clerk the clerk job is available. Do you want it? Or do you want to stay down here? And I said, I'd stay down here. And now I've regretted. My schedule has changed three times to be down here, man.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And I've been so upset with myself for making a decision. Not because I haven't had a stable job.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And the job that I asked for, it was presented to me and uh and available for me. But I I turned it down.
Partnership With God And The Power Of Prompt Obedience
SPEAKER_00Choices, bro. Choices. That is such a powerful example of what of what we're talking about. Because when you when there's certain things that you have desire for, when you're praying it, like you said, this partnership, man, that you know, it's the father. He said, I'll give you the desires of your heart. And it doesn't just mean that he will make you desire what he wants you to desire, it's that he will prompt you in a direction because he's orchestr, he's orchestrating your life in the directions that he is purposing it to go in alignment with who you are and the things you desire that you want to get, you know. So he he's always working a dual uh uh you know ending. It's his purpose, but your pleasure also. And things that brother enemy just always try to come and bring a whole lot of different variations of something, man. You know, and it and and and we get caught, man, because you know, okay, well, I'm making a choice here, and oh, this seems better. I'm gonna choose this, you know what I mean. But you actually pray for that, and then you also gotta realize I'm not just praying it whimsically, you know, the father is partnering with me in my prayers to pray for something that he's desiring for me, you know, because it's gonna because he knows ultimately it's gonna please me better, you know, and what I'm and and it's gonna work out his purpose. And so, man, when we but but here's the thing we can choose our own way, yeah. And and he's still here's another thing, dude, and he's still with us. Yeah, you know, he's always even when we choose maybe something that's less than he desired for us, he's still with us in it, you know, and it's not like we're ever our choices cause us to be left to our own devices and things like that. So this this is why it's the relationship is so imperative, you know. That that's that has to take precedence against, you know, over everything, bro. Uh you know, all of the even ceremonial devotions and things that we have, man, because bro, I recently was in prayer and I was gonna, you know, I had I got my you know my generic outlay of prayer and stuff and what I pray for. And then as I'm doing that, my spirit opens up to different things and I maneuvering different areas in prayer, but you know, but uh, but I got my I got my kick start, you know. And so so I'm coming down, man, and I'm feeling this prompted, man, of just just sitting here, just be cool, you know, just be still. And I'm but I'm trying to I want to go through my devotions though. I I need to do that. It's all I'm gonna do. You know what I mean? I need to do it, I need to do it. And um, but holy spirit over he he went out, you know, but it but not at not after not stumbling a couple times because I kept trying to start doing it, and and it just was it was so b it was so heavy and belaboring to try and do it to where I just realized okay, he he ain't even trying to hear this, you know what I mean? So I'm like, let me just do what he says and be and be still. And as I was still, man, then I was able to start hearing him talk to me about some stuff. And bro, that's what prayer, you gotta understand. Like you keep you you say that partnership, and we can't emphasize that enough. Prayer is not just us coming in with our list of requests and petitions and supplications or intercessions, you know, for other people, bro. Sometimes you just want just come in and sit down and just kick it or listen to him. That actually would be more beneficial to let him do most of the talking, you know. So yeah, bro.
SPEAKER_04So when I mean, like, so like when you had your and have these conversations with the Lord and like um I had a and I had a nice little prayer, and uh um I waited till I got to my car, and uh it was and um so after I finished, I just usually I just listened to a podcast or I didn't have anything, but it was just it was just silence, man. I didn't hear anything. So after about 10 minutes, I was like, I'm just gonna put something on. So what do you do in those situations usually? Or do you experience that?
Silent Prayer, Stillness, And Hearing God
SPEAKER_00Oh sure, okay absolutely, absolutely. So if if I'm going through that, man, and I'm just uh hit a moment where you know I can tell that, you know, he's not really talking, you know, we're just kind of in a silent space. I'll just start picking something to meditate on, you know what I mean, to to think about, you know what I mean? Even if it's something not necessarily that I'm looking for to happen, but I'll meditate on something that he already did. Like you, like you said, like you prayed about, you know, the leaving the the plant out in, you know, that was an hour away, you know, and just how you were, you know, and Lord, you came through for me on that. I, you know, you're just so dope. I'm like your faithfulness is just, you know, it's just off the charts. And, you know, and and not really orchestrating nothing, but just keeping myself in in the in the vein of of him, you know what I mean. And then it's like it just things just start happening, you know what I mean? You just either start, you know, get a song on your heart that you wanna, you know, listen to, or you'll, or you'll have something will come up, man, or to just, you know, cut on, cut on a podcast or whatever, you know, something that's gonna, you know, be edifying to you or something. But it's it's never it's never a moment when it's not something that's that's happening, you know what I mean? You know, even it's like driving down the street and you passing buildings and doing, you know, whatever it is, in the natural, it's the same thing in the spirit, man. It's never a stall, you know what I mean? It's never, don't ever think like, you know, it's nothing going on. It's it's always true, yeah. Yeah, even in those quiet moments, man, it's some powerful things occurring just just to sometimes have you not say nothing. You know what I mean? Just just so you don't say something stupid that you know stops him from being able to do something that he's working on. It's like, you know, if you're in a barber, shot the barber chair, and you know, and you, you know, you could be talking to him, but when it's time for him, he's trimming up that beard and getting around your face and stuff, it's not time to keep talking, bro. You gotta be quiet. He gotta, I'd prefer him to be quiet because you know what I mean, because barbers have a tendency to stop when they talk, you know, and all that stuff like go on and get through this part. So it's it's always something, you know, this that's going down, bro. And even in them silent moments is is when the good good be, you know, it's happening. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, we was uh you were talking about talking about forgiveness. Uh I got a little story too. I had told you a story about my brother that I haven't spoken to in 30 years, 28, 28, 30 years, and um he reached out to me through uh what his my nephew did through Facebook Messenger. And uh and so uh the last time I saw him, it was it was it was pretty awkward, he's estranged from my dad. And so when he found out that my dad got me a job, he was upset. And he stayed, we were at a game, he he just turned his back on me and stopped stopped speaking and made conversation.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_04And uh so yeah, I felt some kind of way about that, and and I hadn't seen him since '97. I was like I said, he also did that to another brother of mine of ours, he did the same thing. So I guess whatever, I guess he was just upset with our our dad, and he just took it out on us or whatever. So when my brother reached out and wanted to hook up, I was happy. Yeah, uh, I was joy, I was like, man, and I'm when we're getting older and I miss him. So I just wanted to, I just was happy that he reached out and then especially find out because I know he lived in Florida that he was gonna be in Michigan, like that's link up, yeah, for sure. And even though I mean I was happy to see him, I did remember what happened, but I didn't focus on that.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_04And it made me think about the story about the prodigal son, and uh that was my posture on this situation, yeah. But when uh my brother Andre wanted to talk to my other brother that he he shunned too, yeah, my other brother wanted an explanation.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04You had an explanation, and he wanted to clear out, clear something out, and he wanted then he wanted to tell him like man, even though we had a relationship with that, we didn't have it better than you.
SPEAKER_06Right, right. We had it bad too, dog, right, right.
Practicing Presence When Heaven Feels Quiet
SPEAKER_04He thought we have it so good. And uh also my brother my brother Andre, we used to talk to my brother Mike. So my uh my brother Andre called me just to check on me. Uh just didn't want to see how the Thanksgiving holiday went. Yeah, I said, Did you talk to Mike? And then his voice tone changed a little bit. He's like, Yeah, I talked to him. He brought up something I wasn't too proud of, and I know it, man. Like, it's no way you could be proud of that, man. Sure. You know, I mean, like how you just play this, but I I wasn't gonna just harp on that. Yeah, I just wanted to do that. Yeah, for sure. So and um, but no, I was talking to my wife about it. She's like, Some people just like the air cleared, and so I get it, man. I just uh I didn't want to make it awkward, super awkward, because I know he had to know he was in the wrong when he did that, sure, and uh and like the project was done. I was just happy, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, right, right. Absolutely, absolutely.
SPEAKER_04So he ate he came off. We had chili and we ate, man, you know. Yeah, I just didn't I didn't have no robe and rings, man, but he was straight.
SPEAKER_00Right, but right, but the hot but the open, the welcomes of it, man, was was just like that. And man, dude, that's that's that's awesome, man. And you know what? And it and I love the fact that um the situation is the two brothers with the other brother, you know. So you, you know, so and you get to be like the the the the father is just happy that he came home, and but then there's the the brother that you know had had beef. And here's the thing, man, had beef with the father for how easily he forgave. And secondly, man, we don't know the reconciliation of what had to take place between the two brothers because the story ends with the father talking to, you know, uh the other son that never left, saying, you know, this is you know, this was your, you know, my son. He was gone and he was dead, and now he's back. Yeah and you know, and he's alive, and we rejoice over that. But we don't know, man. They still live in the house. So, you know, we see that the father has dealt with the sons, but now the brothers gotta deal with each other, you know, and that brother's gonna have to forgive. And you see, he was salty about the brother because he knows he was like he spent his money on hoes and and all this stuff, and you you just gonna ignore all that, you know, because he wanted he wanted to see some repercussions, he didn't want to see reward come to him for that. Like if that he he okay, so he can go out and spend and do all that and come back and get rewarded for it. I'm not rewarding him for him for for his behavior, I'm rewarding him because he's my son and he was gone and now he's back, yeah. And that is the blessedness, man. And and bro, so you see that the brother already got unforgiveness he has to deal with in his heart. One towards his father, and of course, towards his brother. So it's ended right there because we see the father's heart in it. But but what I mean, what was the process with the other with the between the brothers?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, we don't know, but we know it. Something had to be worked out between them. And um, and we don't know that. But but one thing I do know is that there was gonna have to be um a reconciliation that took place uh if there was gonna continue to be harmony and blessing in the other brother's life, you know, the one that never left, you know, because the other brother had humble already humbled himself. He knew what he had did.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's like you said, the other brother, your brother, you know, knew that he had, you know, let that situation, you know, get to where it shouldn't have gotten to.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
Reuniting With Family And Real Forgiveness
SPEAKER_00So, but that humility of wanting to come back, and you know, he was willing to take a lower seat and not get that, you know, that treatment of a son, man. But so you already see that the process of reconciliation, everything was already happening in his life. But what that other brother, bro, the one that never left, the one that's done everything right, you know, the one that you know that's been with the father all along, but he's had this secret stuff in his heart for all this time. You ain't never threw a party for me and my you know, friends, and this, bro. You all you had to do is ask this stuff been here, yeah. You know what I mean? And this this is how believers are even today, man. They want to see repercussions and consequences, man, for you know, for people's behavior, you know, they don't want to see the father just bestow blessing and reward on people.
SPEAKER_04Even if it's a like light punishment, that's all you gonna do.
SPEAKER_01Right, that's all that's it. That's it, you know.
SPEAKER_04It's the fire brimstone. What is it?
SPEAKER_00You ain't gone. I can't, Lord. I've been, you know, I've been tithing forever, and and still ain't seen the windows of heaven open up for me. And this person don't even do this and that and this, and they doing this, and you blessing them with that, or or you'll have to flip it and say, It ain't the father blessing them, you know, that is yeah, he just gonna let them, and they doing the devil is is just setting them up, you know. It's the devil, you know, right. So that's either either the father ain't doing something or the devil is, you know, it's not the father being good to him despite the behavior.
SPEAKER_04And and much as this much as the enemy is involved in a lot of stuff, he can he get caught in a lot of strays too, though.
SPEAKER_00No, bro. He catches a damn of strays, bro. It was like, yeah, I mean, he'll take it, you know what I mean? He'll take it like holding okay. That's what you do. Cause it just opens up for him to be able to do some other stuff, bro. But bro, yeah, he catches strays all and he was crew coming back. You ain't gonna believe this. They said you was responsible for this. You know, I didn't even know who they were. Who was that? I mean, dude, that's serious, that's serious business, man.
SPEAKER_04Fault of your own, your own actions, you do something, and then then and then you get the consequences because of it, then you want to blame the enemy, man.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely, bro. It's just purely your choice, bro. You you did it because and bro, God's system is so dope and so set up for us to be successful, yeah, that even when we do willfully make bad choices, he says, still come boldly to the throne of grace, obtain that you for the reason of obtaining mercy, so you can get the grace that you need to help you. And you know, bro, that's all but he's but he told us what we had to do. He gave the prerequisite of the approach. Yeah, you gotta come boldly. I don't want to hear you. Don't come boldly. The prodigal son didn't go to his father boldly, bro. Yeah, he went cowardly. He said, but the father, but the father still showed him mercy and and brought him up, man. He ain't even acknowledged what he said. He is like, I sinned against you, against heaven, and everything. I don't even deserve to be your son. Just you know, treat me like a servant. Go get the you know, he didn't even he ignored him, bro, and just talked to his servants and said, Go get the get the fatty calf, get some silent stuff, man. Clean this boy up. My son is back, bro. Yeah, and he was hype and he was happy. And this is Jesus is literally giving us the heart of the father, you know, right here. He's saying, Look, this is this is how the father feels about it, man. He ain't trying to come down on you, bro. All you have to do is come to yourself and recognize what you've done, and he will it. Bro, he will put you right back. It says, Before honor comes humility. You gotta humble yourself first. Yeah. And then he'll honor you, man. But people don't want the humility that people do not want to engage in is astounding. It and humility comes from the word humiliate. Sometimes you got to do something that's humiliating to you, and people won't do it. No, I'm not. What why should I go and apologize to them, you know, for what they did? They the ones did that, you know, and this and that. Or why should I help them when they I tried to help them by telling them not to do it, and they chose to do it themselves. So hey, they got to they got to deal with it, man. You gotta pull yourself up from your own bootstraps, bootstraps. But here's the problem with that, bro. Bootstraps. Here's the problem with the bootstrap ministries, bro. Is that you wouldn't want that if you were if the tables were turned. No, man. You would want mercy, bro. So how are you not going to give somebody the very thing that you desire? And he literally says, This is how the kingdom works. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. If you forgive, your father in heaven will forgive you. If you don't forgive, your father in heaven won't forgive you. Jesus is saying, He literally is saying this is how it works. You judge not, lest you be judged, for with the same meat or measure of judgment you give, that's what you're getting. Oh, but but that was you know, the blood, though. The blood doesn't circumvent God's character, man. The blood ain't more powerful than the word. The blood came for a reason, bro, to to eradicate the sin problem. And now that that's over, it's time to be reconciled. Yes, the reconciliation process must begin. And bro, for a lot of believers, they've just experienced the blood. They don't even they don't even fully understand that their sins have been totally forgiven, bro. They haven't even entered into the reconciliation process yet.
SPEAKER_04Hey man, hence the box church, man. Oh man, you know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'm it's it's a fact, man. They still stumbling over redemption, bro. Yeah, how you gonna get reconciliation? You ain't even got the redemption piece right.
SPEAKER_04It's so much freedom, and that's man. People just don't understand. People, guys, so much freedom and understanding and reconciliation, and then uh uh all the things that Jesus died for. It's it's taken care of, you know. It's done.
Prodigal Son, Mercy, And Sibling Hearts
SPEAKER_00He said it's finished, and we said no, it ain't.
SPEAKER_04Maybe you don't understand what is finished mean or what part's finished and what part of it.
SPEAKER_00Right, what parts I don't know. Right. The pun okay, how how about this? The punishment part is done. Because that's when you're looking at what Jesus did, that whole day of redemption and the cross and the beating and all, that was the punishment for sin. So the punishment, the punitive uh damage has been paid. Now there's an inheritance that we have as a result of that. And Jesus literally died, Jesus' death wasn't just for sin, it was also to pay the price for the sin, to bring us back into reconciliation and relationship with the Father, and for us to get the inheritance, because the inheritance belonged to Jesus alone at that point. And the only way an inheritance becomes and act it becomes activated is the death of the testator. How can I pass on my inheritance if I'm still alive, bro? So he was like, I got I gotta die, I gotta go through this so y'all can get it. And then now that he went through all that, we still like you know, Lord.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, one thing I wanted to say too, uh, you know, when we mess up, like I said, he uh he answered my prayer and then uh made the wrong decision. But he's faithful, man. Absolutely, and so like you said, um talk to my you know, say what I messed up back, obtain the mercy, man. And then that's it. And um, I did that. So and I'm looking for another job. And he's been so faithful, right?
SPEAKER_00I know he's gonna do it again. You know that's coming. Absolutely. I'm not sure what it is. You know it's coming, absolutely, absolutely, but here's the thing in in that waiting period, and and waiting doesn't mean that we're just in it's just in activity, it means that we just have a can a constant expectation of it's coming. Some growth and yeah, it's bro, absolutely, but in that process of waiting, gotta watch out for the distractions, man. Yeah, yeah, got gotta watch out for the the deceptions. The enemy, bro, will do something or or have his system is designed to do it, it's it's just designed to do it, man. And unforgiveness is like one of the biggest blessing blockers that there ever could be. And and I mean, so much so in it, Jesus in Mark 11, he says, look, when you when you pray, believe you receive, you know, and don't doubt. He's like, Man, you're gonna have whatever you pray for. That's that's your desires, bro. He ain't even talking about the needs being you don't even, you're never even supposed to pray for your needs. That that's that's a given. So that's one thing that we ought to just lock down right now. Never pray for your needs. Anything that you know that is necessary for you to live, already know the father provides that. If he didn't, he's not a good father. And you know he's he is, so like you said, he's faithful. Prayer is mainly for desire, it's mainly for um, you know, for the things that you don't have to have, you know what I mean, to exist, you know, to live. But Jesus said, but we and you and you'll get it. He said, but if you praying and you got an aught against any, yeah, he ain't just say anybody. He said, any. And when you read that in the original Greek, that word any means anyone or anything, it doesn't matter if it's something that's causing an ought or unforgiveness in your heart. He said, You you need to just stop praying right now and and get that dealt with. He's like, Because if you don't forgive your others their trespasses, then the Heavenly Father, man, he ain't gonna forgive you yours.
SPEAKER_04You know, you and I have been talking about because we just recently uh celebrate Thanksgiving. Well, some people celebrate Thanksgiving. Yeah, yes, right, right.
SPEAKER_00And so I always celebrate Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and I it was it was one of my favorite Thanksgiving. I mean, my favorite holidays. Yeah, but recently I just um since I'm doing all this research, I'm doing so much research. Um I'm going through these journeys and yeah and I'm still trying to come out the matrix. I'm still trying to I my thing is my thing right now is learning the origins of things.
SPEAKER_01Sure.
SPEAKER_04I don't, you know, people we just do all these traditions, uh and we're doing it because they're traditions, and like you want to know why, right? Like, why are we doing this? Like, okay, and so I'm going down this, and and some things I agree with, and a lot of them, a lot of them I don't.
SPEAKER_00Sure.
SPEAKER_04A lot of them, sure, and Thanksgiving was one of them. Okay, and um having this conversation with the Holy Spirit, and I said, should I? You know, because we we having this conversation uh inside our family. My wife, she not really not wanting to do it either. Okay, and I'm coming across some people just like with the uh the same sentiment with Columbus Day, the same, the same thing. Um, why are we celebrating this guy who you know who who just was just mean and just gets me? He did some bad things, he did some bad things, he did very bad things, and we're gonna give him statues in a day. So then I was like, it's all the Holy Spirit, like, should I say, well, look, remember that video you saw uh with with the Native Americans? And I was like, and that's all he just said. Remember that video? I said, Yeah, and you know what? I mean, uh, so maybe you asked me, should I go should go, should I go look at it again? So when looked at it again, and then I saw another video, and so then these other videos, both of these videos that I saw, and I sent you one of them were talking about the origin of it, and and so uh these these Thanksgiving is based on a massacre, and so uh a genocide, and so uh these Native Americans were getting massacred, and then um the pilgrims or uh or the uh or the whatever would have a have a dinner and that honor is like you know called it Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER_00Right the honor of the massacre.
Mercy Over Bootstraps: Jesus’ Standard
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and and I was like, I don't I don't like that man. I don't I don't I spread my spreading vibe with that. I don't want to participate in that. And it also reminded me of just like we talked previously, you know, we've been doing these holiday theme podcasts and we did Christmas. I mean, that's it seemed like that'd be people's favorite episode. I know I bring that up. Um you might have to repost that one when that comes up. Um we talked about Halloween, which the origins of Halloween was uh you know, celebration of dead, and you know, but people trying to turn it, make it endearing. And a lot of these traditions, these uh pagan holidays are people trying to twist it and make it to something uh endearing. But it's like uh you know when I talked to our brother, my brother E. West, who lives in Arizona, who works with Native Americans and and and lives around them, and he's like it's a dead. He said they don't like it. It's a yeah almost like it's a slap on the face. Sure. Uh you celebrating something that you know my relatives got killed for.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04My ancestors got killed for, and it just uh it's a a national holiday. People, you know, isn't that the biggest travel day? Thanksgiving, I believe. It's the biggest travel day in the uh on the calendar, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, but okay. I think so. I believe it's uh Thanksgiving Day.
SPEAKER_05Okay.
SPEAKER_04Uh is the biggest. So it's it's a lot of stuff that's pointing to like, man, and y'all celebrating that? And it brings us a day of dread. And I was like, you know what? And they say, well, they say, well, if you're gonna do it, how about just learning some Native American culture, you know, maybe you know, read a book or uh donate or educate. And so I was like, I agree with that. And and so uh that's what I'm gonna do part here for it. And the people I talked to also said something similar to that. And um, but yeah, you know, what I was telling you is like, you know, it's something that we gotta do as people to forgive this country, and then and you can fit, I we definitely can fit forgive the country, but I don't wanna I don't wanna do something that's feel like slap in the face to our yeah, you don't have to do that.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. And and and and bro, here here's the thing is that you know we have tendencies to um, and we're talking about as a as a people, you know, we have tendencies to look beyond the go the next step after, and we haven't even done the first one. You know what I mean? So where where we are right now, man, and I think not only as a nation, but the world, is there's so much unforgiveness for so many different things in this in this world that it is hindering literally the blessing of God. Now, now what I mean by that is that when God has a blessing, I'm not talking about me being blessed. That's an in you can't stop me from being blessed as an individual with your unforgiveness. But what you can do is you can hinder the the whole blessing because we have as a nation a lot or the world or whatever unforgive unforgiveness, because there's blessings that God can give you, like reward blessings, but there is a blessing that God has, like the blessing that he gave to Adam in the beginning, you know, to be fruitful, to multiply, to replenish the earth, subdue it, and dominate it, the blessing of the kingdom, the dominion is what we want, that global dominion of the kingdom of God. If if we don't reconcile this globally, then we lock ourselves out of the finished work of Christ because the blessing was bestowed back, he's the last Adam, and there are things that he has brought the kingdom with him, and now it is in the Ecclesia's hands to spread the earth with that blessing of the dominion of the kingdom and its governance. The reason why you that's not happening is be one of the reasons is because this blanket of unforgiveness that surrounds our planet, like an ozone layer, that is actually hindering the father from being able to release that purpose um completely on us as a planet, as his people, because he can't do it according to what Jesus said. He said, if you don't forgive, the father will not forgive you. And what I mean by that, people like, but we're all forgiven. You're talking about redemption. We ain't talking about that, but the blessing, bro, is totally different. He was bringing us back into reconciliation with God so we could procure the blessing and have it and extend it through the earth like he always intended it, that identic reality. We, bruh, we got so much unforgiveness on so many different levels that it is just hindering that from happening. But you can look in your own, people can look in their own personal lives and see the things that they've asked for, things that they've been believing for, and it doesn't happen. Bro, it don't take God a long time to do anything, He will do it as fast as we will allow it to be done. When you pray, always know it's God, He's answered it before you. Soon as you prayed it, He's answered it right then. All of the everything all of the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen. Now make sure that it's something that Christ promised, though. But all of it is yes and amen. If I pray for something and I don't see it manifesting, bro, it's time for me to start doing some introspection. Why it, what's happening? God is not changed, he hasn't changed his mind, he hasn't changed his purpose. Why am I not experiencing it? Then you have to have those honest conversations with Holy Spirit. And when I was doing it, man, the Holy Spirit was like, Man, yeah, he's like, do you literally realize how much unforgiveness you he said? Y'all have as a people, not just because at first I was talking about just the nation. We need to turn back, you know, America, you know, and we need to, you know, forgive ours, you know, the nation and all of that. He's like, man, this is not just an America thing, this is a global issue. And but it starts at the small level, bro. Let me ask you a question and be honest with you, tell the truth. Why do we even still know about the issues that happened with America? Why do we still know about slavery? Why do we still know about racism? Why do we still know that these things happened generations later? Why do we still know that?
SPEAKER_04Because a bit, because it's still here, racism is still here.
SPEAKER_00People are still dealing with the racism. It's still being perpetuated.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, perpetuated.
SPEAKER_00But but why? How? How is it still been because we're teaching each other this thing?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, right, right, right.
Redemption, Reconciliation, And Inheritance
SPEAKER_00We're educating each other in all of the ills and and horrors of the past. And it's stopping, it's literally stopping and blocking the blessing of God from being able to penetrate and come in and do what he has purposed for it to do. And that is to actually revive this world. He's forgiving it, man. He said Christ died not just for us, he said he died for the world, bro. For God's so loved the world. That's everything. That's everything. And it literally says all the creation is grown in in Geral and waiting for the sons to manifest because when we enter into the liberty, it says they then enter into that same liberty with us. So, but what's stopping us from entering into the liberty that God that Christ died for us to enter into? One of the main things, no thing is the end all be all. So I don't want people to think, like, well, I'm we totally forgave. And what it's not one thing, but you can't ignore the one, you can't circumvent this, and then want to have the next thing. You you got to deal with this first things first. Let's get rid of all of this unforgiveness, bro. And be like, oh, what happened happened. We can't change it. We we can't undo that, but we can can't sweep it on the rug either. You can't. No, we're gonna have to deal with it because guess what? Forgiveness means something happened.
SPEAKER_04Man, check this out, man. Uh, I'm at my line. I'm cashing out. It was a bagger and and a and a cashier, both were Caucasian. They were having a conversation as I walked up, and the bagger was saying, oh yeah, there was a protest downtown. And and and the cashier was like, protest about what? Oh, how bad white people are. And I'm like, oh my god, dude. Oh my god. Like, dude, I was like, man, I'm not trying to hear this.
SPEAKER_00Let me go to another line, bro.
SPEAKER_04And then the late, and like I said, they both from Caucasian. And and the uh bagger was she was a female, she was like, Yeah, cause we suck. She said, if I was if I was a different race, oh my god. She said, if I was a different race, I would protest us too. And I was like, dang. And then she says, um, and then she goes and says, Oh man. Then she was like, well, if there was more, more uh inclusion and involvement in government, maybe things would be ran better and um not just superiority. And I was like, you know, I was like, nah, I no, she said pretty much like all. I said, nah, just we just uh the other groups just want to share, man. We just want to share it, man. Right, you know, and and she's like, yeah, you know, but then she's like deprecating, man, and some stuff, man.
SPEAKER_00I was like see, you didn't see, and that's the thing, man. There's this is where this is where the the body of Christ, this is where the ecclesi is supposed to be bringing the back reconcile me. Reconciliation is just like a banking term, it's like balancing the books, it's it's bringing the books into balance. You don't want to be too, you don't want to be in error, but you don't also don't want to be in extremity either. You know, it's it's a balance, man. It's a reconciliation, bro. No, don't don't ignore what you did, take responsibility for it, but don't go over into self-loathing about it either.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, right, right.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? It's it's forgiveness around the board, bro. It's not only I gotta forgive others, but I also gotta forgive myself, too. You know what I mean? Because you do you know the things I've delayed that that the five bro, Moses was supposed, Moses was the deliverer for the children of Israel. He was born for that. It was it was his purpose, but because he made a decision and acted out on it and killed that Egyptian and then had to flee because of that. Now his feeling was right. You shouldn't be mistreating people, man. Yeah, and especially, you know, he had found out he was Hebrew, though, like don't mistreat my people. And he and he got pushed and went from being an heir and he went to the extreme and he murdered the Egyptian, and now he's on the run and he had to leave, and then he began to just do life somewhere else and for 40 years. But do you know for those 40 years that he got to do life and then God gotta come back and deal with him and then restore him and all this stuff? Do you know how many more the people, the nation of Israel is still in bondage for another 45-50 years? You know what I mean? Because of because of one person's you know, inability to, you know, to control themselves, man. And bro, like once we get past this, there's other things we gotta work on, bro. We got we talking about control. We gotta work on self, not that we didn't forgave, we gotta work on some self-control. You know, we we gotta do better going forward, you know. But until we reconcile this past of, like you said, we can't sweep each generation's, it seems like everything is just, you know, getting better to people. Because, like you said, we're sweeping it under the rug. But as soon as that rug gets pulled back, or somebody takes office and shows that people can become emboldened about their prejudices and all of this stuff, then we're right back where we started from. Why? Because it never did get healed, bro. Yeah. Um, and 40 acres in a mule ain't gonna do it.
SPEAKER_04No. Uh, have you have you seen the latest? Man, it's so much it's never a dull moment with this administration. So now Juneteenth and Martin Luther King days are taking off of uh days or getting free passes to like parks and museums, man. What Donald Trump just removed those two two holidays as free entrances to like certain things, man. And I think he's and I I don't know how true this is, I gotta look it up. But I know that part of it's true that he removed those two holidays. No, no, what do you mean when you say remove it?
SPEAKER_00What what did he do with it?
SPEAKER_04Let me let me look it up, man.
SPEAKER_00See, you know.
Waiting Well And Guarding Against Distractions
SPEAKER_04Uh let's see, Trump removes. Okay. Uh yeah, national park cuts free entry for MLK Day and Juneteenth.
SPEAKER_00So you can't get into the park for free. Yeah. Who even wasting time with that, bro?
SPEAKER_04And so look, and he adds his birthday. So you can get in on his birthday, you get in the parks free. But he removed the fee-free calendar drops the MLK as Trump's birthday.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_04And the Trump administrative has has against has railed against it and described it as woke policies. But think about this. Look, man, how they look how they demonize the word woke, which means educated. Right.
SPEAKER_00Right. So you gotta do but that is what it's about. But that's what you do. Because what you do is you demonize it, man, and keep people, you know. Now people would think like, well, I I can't, you know, get more informed than that, you know, because then this is gonna cause some more issues and this and that, and this. No, man. This is it, bro, the more that we know, the freer we're supposed to become, bro. Yes. And we're not supposed to use our education and our our knowledge to bring anybody into bondage, it's supposed to be used to bring people into liberty, man. And that is just what even who it's so much more things going on that we need to be dealing with, bro, than worrying about free passes in the parks and and stuff like that on these days, because we're trying to show that, but I'm gonna, but you can get in free on mine though. You know, come on, man. Come on, bro. You can't make this stuff up, bro. Unless they did, you know, unless it is made up. But this is he's straight.
SPEAKER_04We got long, we are yeah, he's straight, and it's like it's a straight trigger, bro. And it's like for people, I'd look at it now. It's like, and so I saw somebody post it. I'm like, do you expect anything less? I mean, I don't it doesn't surprise me at all, man.
Thanksgiving Origins, Conscience, And Respect
SPEAKER_00It doesn't, and but you know, man, again, it's these, and this is some of this stuff, like you said, it's a trigger, and and that is another thing, man, that we have to begin to be aware of that. Like, what's triggering me? Because the thing is, I don't want to be triggered in a negative way. Now, it's nothing wrong with triggers, man. Triggers get you to do some good stuff, but if it's gonna trigger me in a negative way, I have to diffuse it. I may not be able to stop it. You know, man, if a bomb, when a bomb is gonna go off, I'm not thinking of ways to make it no longer a bomb. You know, it's a bomb, bro. My thought gotta be to diffuse it, you know, that way it won't blow up. So my thing is, bro, I know racism exists. I know that there are things about it that triggers people in a negative way. Our job is to diffuse it to where, because guess what, bro? If if a bomb that can't blow up ain't nothing but a paperweight, man. Yeah, you know, that's all it is. It's it's it's just it's just there, it can't do anything. This is what Christ came to do. It said he came to destroy the works of the devil, bro. The devil is who he is, he ain't gonna change, he is what he is. Yeah, will he ultimately be cast and gone forever? Yep, but the works, if even if I get rid of the person, if the works are still in operation, then it's still a problem, bro. They may no longer be a problem, but the works is still an issue. And the enemy have got this, the matrix, he got it, he got it tuned in real good, bro. He got it running real good. And but our job is to diffuse it, is to diffuse. I can't take away people's ability to have opinions and choices, right? But we definitely have to be able to diffuse the things that's gonna trigger people to to behave negatively. And and one of the biggest things you could do, man, I asked uh perplexity, AI to A, you know, AI, um give me a word picture of forgiveness. You know, I want to see like what would you say a word picture is for forgiveness? And it said, imagine having a balloon in your hand and you just let it go. I mean, bro, that was such a simple. I'm talking to AI, bro. I said, just give me a give me give me a practical picture of what it looks like to forgive. Just having a balloon and let it go and let it go. And and dude, it's like we want it to be complicated, you know, because even if you can, we don't have to go through all this therapy to uh to forgive. Yeah, you just let it go. Here's the thing helium gas wants to rise. If if you're holding on to it, I'm keeping this gas from doing what it wants to do, it wants to rise and float away. When you hold unforgiveness, bro, unforgiveness doesn't want to dwell in your body because bro, you made in God's image and likeness. You're created for love, joy, peace, all of this stuff. Unforgiveness, hatred, prejudice, all this stuff, that you're not designed for that. And guess what? Treat that like an inert gas, it doesn't want to be there. Bitterness and stuff doesn't want to be. You want to know why? Because it's not designed for it, it wants to leave. But us holding on to it is what starts causing disease in the body, starting caught ruining relationships and all of this stuff. Why? Because you're holding something in that doesn't even want to be there, just let it go, and it'll rise and go. And guess what? Your body is designed to do, your body is designed to heal itself.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I was about to say heal itself.
SPEAKER_00If you get rid of all of the the foreign stuff, the body will just heal itself, bro.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's deep stuff, man. So much going on, so much yeah, dude. I don't know. This I do know what to say, but it just a process that we all have to go through. There's so much going on sometimes. I'm just like, so that's why when I wake up first thing in the morning, I try to avoid the because I know that like I'm I'm sometimes I'm tempted to go go straight to Facebook or TikTok to see what's going on. So what I do is uh I might delete some emails and then I go to my Bible app and then I go to the Bible app and then I go to the the Bible chat. Yeah, and then I'll go to the rest of that stuff to try to prepare my heart and my spirit before I see this. Dude, you got to before I see this crap.
SPEAKER_00You have to, bro. Spend the time with the Father, with Holy Spirit, with the Son, bro. Just be in the there are different ways to do that. Like you said, through the through the scriptures, through meditations, through whatever you're gonna do. But you gotta spend that time first before you try to step out into this madness, man, that's you know, that has become part of been the normalized chaos. You know, you can't this it's nothing normal about this stuff, bro. It's nothing normal. If it's not righteousness, peace, and joy, it's not normal. Yeah, it's not normal.
SPEAKER_04Like uh I was talking to you about the Bible chat uh app. You know, so like my mom, man, she's she was always scared, you know. Some people, a lot of people scared of technology.
SPEAKER_00And oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04And my mom is she avoids it, and uh, she's always half. So now it's the point where everything needs to be done for because she don't want to she don't want to learn it. She don't want to learn it. And then if she tries, she gets frustrated and gets anxiety. Um and um I was having a conversation with my girl, and and um, you know, we were talking about you know different walks, and she, you know, she got her walk. She still she says she loves the tangible Bible. She likes, you know, yeah, sure. And um, she reads that, and um, and I I haven't even I haven't even touched my Bible, not the physical book uh a long time. I just I like it because my main my phone is always nearby and it's always in my hand, you know what I'm saying? So I look at that, and I I wanted something just to break the monotony, I wanted something else because I do the Bible plans, which is very helpful and scripture and all that, and devotions, but I just wanted something different, and I like just the added features that the Bible chat provides, and uh and so I was just um of that, and she was like, No, I'm old school, I'm I'm I'm happy where I am, and which is cool, man. Sure, you know, uh but yeah, we all got different walls, but I I do love it, and I I want to show her like like with the technology, like it keeps track on how many days you're in it. So like now my Bible apps tells me that I've been into the Bible app 400 416 weeks in a row.
SPEAKER_00Wow. Right on.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it tells you 316 weeks in a row, uh 340 days this year, yeah, and um 755 days, straight days, and so yeah, oh nice, and so I was like, yeah, you know, uh but think about we like our we like our little ribbons and uh acknowledgment.
SPEAKER_00Our stats and stuff, yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_04So looking at that, and I see that in the open bible app and I see that hundred that 755, I'm like, okay. But I try not to focus on it because I need I have one because I this is a lifestyle, that's why those numbers are loud. Let me those numbers are large because it's a lifestyle.
SPEAKER_00It's a lifestyle, right? It's not you're not trying to achieve that, right?
SPEAKER_04At one point, and think about it when I was I I would miss a day that I was like something go up and something, and then I'm like, oh man, I gotta start my logo again. I gotta start my house like my legs be so frustrated. I'm opening up, I see that zero number number one on there, like I would just have 400 now that one.
Global Unforgiveness And Blocking Blessing
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we gotta that's it, it's gotta leave. We can't be the hype because I'm gonna go on and check it off my checklist. You know, we all hype about that, you know, man. Come on, bro. We did it's gotta be a lifestyle, and then when it's a lifestyle, you look up, yeah, and and you didn't did 700 and something days. I wasn't trying for this, it just was a result, you know, of the lifestyle, bro. That's all that's all it is, is a gentle uh shift. It's just a tweak and leaving it from this. The the it's as we say, going from religion to relationship, bro. It's just it's just literally changing the seat. I'm not doing it because I'm trying to strike off some religious checklist. I'm I'm literally seeking to be in a relationship with the Father. And when you desire and seek that, bro, you don't have to worry about nothing else. You don't have to worry about end times, you ain't gotta worry about mark of mark of the beast, the rapture, this and that, this and that. Because, bro, my own thing is I am involved in this real relationship with this God that you know that everybody else is just reading about. And bro, how are we in 2025 and people are still having to debate if God exists, bro? I know that's sad. That's sad. How is that even possible, man? That's that's just like somebody, that's just like somebody saying the electric or today, somebody saying electricity don't exist.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and think about it, is people it's so much, so many things that you can point to today and show this the marvelous work uh of our man. This I mean, just absolutely his existence. Just like uh I saw Pastor Todd is a is a is a uh clip going around. He was like he was on a breakfast club. Oh, yeah, yeah. I saw that. Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, he said, he said, just imagine two people having sex, making love, and then creating this child that looks like the parents and the grandparents and the grandparents have all these different characteristics, mannerisms.
SPEAKER_04How perfect, how perfect had to fall into place for this to happen. That's how wonderful he is, man.
SPEAKER_00You know, I and then with the technology of us being able to see how much I mean, man, over a hundred or two hundred years ago, bro, they they didn't know electricity, you know, they didn't understand it like we do today. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Now that the technology is here and confirmation is here, who would still have a debate that electricity exists? Well, with all this technology that we have, that science is proving, you know, that God, that everything that the stuff he said is true, how can you still be having this debate if he's real, bro? If he exists or not? It's crazy. But then at the same time, when I start thinking like that, I'm like, Lord, I have to forgive their yeah, you know, they're they're they're blind, you know, and and they can't see. And they need to wear some glasses like DMC, you know.
SPEAKER_04But you know, um technology is cool, it's it's a tool, man. You know, that's all it is, bro.
SPEAKER_00It's a tool, that's all it is, bro.
SPEAKER_04And um, but you know, um, like you say, you can't um put new wine in old wine skin, man.
SPEAKER_00It's impossible.
SPEAKER_04You know, so and then also your new creation, man. All things passed.
SPEAKER_00All things are passed away, all things have become new. So that means you gotta start thinking new. You gotta start doing things that's new, you gotta start behaving in new ways. You bro, it's get ready to get rolled over. Get with it or get rolled over. I mean, it's the easiest, it's the easiest way you can put it, bro. It's it's the truth. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04I just embrace it. It's like we I had this conversation so many times about the electric cars. It's here, man. It's coming. You can slow it down.
SPEAKER_00But it's like you said, it ain't even coming no more. It's here. It's already here.
SPEAKER_04And I was having this conversation because it was like, because I work with a lot of people that don't like them. Oh man. I was like, man, but the technology, you know, well, we don't have the infrastructure. Of course, yeah, we don't, but could we not fold? We're not trying to build it. Right. Slow it down.
SPEAKER_00Bro, I'd already have one. If we had the infrastructure, I'd already have one right now.
SPEAKER_04I mean, they quiet and fish efficient. You know, it's just charging them up, you know. They just got to get these more charger stations and just set it up. And because it's coming. And so I uh uh I was having a conversation with the coworker. I'm like, you know, China doing way better. Uh, not really, man. Please. I'll look that up, man. Dude, and see, but what we're doing here, our issue here is that we want to make electric trucks. See, a lot of this a lot of countries in the east just have a small car.
SPEAKER_00Just got the little small compacts.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you know, and that's efficient, but you got these big old trucks, so yeah, it's gonna take a lot. And there's one guy that's like, well, have you ever dealt with uh a car, uh, electric car fire? Like, no, you know, the batteries blow up. And I was like, do you and I'm like, do you know that that was an issue when we went from horses to oil of uh gasoline because people's like a lot of people was hesitant getting cars because they were afraid it was gonna blow up.
SPEAKER_00The combustion, right? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_04Same thing, same thing, absolutely, man. Just electrical, you know, like one day we woke up, they had horses, one day woke up, the horses were gone, man.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. Bro, it's you can't stop progress, man. No, no, like you say, you either get with it, you either, you know, roll with it or get rolled over. Yeah. So I'd rather roll with it, dog.
SPEAKER_04I got a light this week. I just got a light one, man. You and I talked about it, but people got haven't heard, no. So we were talking about cereal, and we, you know, and we always talk about the companies, and you gotta know their intent. Follow the money. Read the instructions, then follow the money. Like so you we was talking about, you had mentioned Cheerios, because Cheerios they uh promote a healthy heart. A healthy heart, you know, and uh oats are good, but no, man. Uh so I looked it up. Uh General Mills is funded by the Heart American Heart Association, which they also suggest that Crisco and vegetable oils are healthy options when they're not. So we're gonna make this cereal and say it's heart healthy when it's really not, you know. Uh the three first ingredients are oats, corn, and sugar, which is terrible. Corn is just a filler, uh, it's hard to digest. Sugar, you know, we haven't sugars. And then the oats and the corn that that they use are not organic, and then the vitamins and minerals that are that they use are synthetic. Oh my god. And three-fourths a cut cup of oats uh cheerios is 140 calories. Who's eating three-fourths a cup, bro? Nobody, nobody, and the standard bowl is about four times of that.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_04So you'll be eating over 500 empty calories on that, man. So look. So now I got this knowledge. So uh on on Friday, I was like, uh I asked my wife that she wanted, because I was at uh I was at my um physical therapy, and two doors down, physical therapy is a Thai place. I'm like, you want you want anything from the Thai place? Like, yeah, sure. You know, she liked the crab ran goon.
SPEAKER_01I was like, all right, okay.
SPEAKER_04So I went over there and um I wanted some I wanted me some uh vegetable fried rice. It's like, hey, man, what kind of oil y'all use, man? He said, Oh, I'll be back. He came back, he said, vegetable oil. I was like, oh dude, I was just defeated, defeated because I thought they used peanut or sesame seed oil, but they don't. I was like, all right, it's a cheat day, I'll go and do it anyway.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So it's like$24. No, like$24. I'm like, so I'm spending$24. I'm paying for inflammation. I'm spending$24 for inflammation. I'm paying to intentionally poison myself.
SPEAKER_00Let me tell you, people won't people won't pay$24 for inflammation, but they will for inflammation.
Defusing Triggers And Choosing Peace
SPEAKER_04And it's hard for me to go out now because I'm like, I'm like, man, y'all, I'm paying all this for to get poison, inflammation, and and you know this, and you know I'm gonna say this, and then for it, and then to eight hours, turn it to do do these.
SPEAKER_03It doesn't make any sense to me.
SPEAKER_04Think about it in that way, and I I I man, I'm battling myself when I go in these places because I know my wife, I want her to she likes that stuff, man. No doubt, and I'd be like, man, I'm spending this money to poison myself. I just go home and make my own food. Yes, I'm I'm I'm being challenged over here when it comes to getting out, man. I just don't go ahead. No, I'm just saying Eric is a chef, and so he uh he on the opposite side of that, man. He knows yeah, and uh and I get atmosphere and presentation, sure, sure, but dude, it's poison.
SPEAKER_01You gotta forgive him, dog.
SPEAKER_04I'll forgive him.
SPEAKER_01I gotta eat it.
SPEAKER_06I gotta eat it. That's true.
SPEAKER_04Facts. Facts. Facts. I'm paying for like you know, because that stuff, like for me, it gives it breaks my skin out. So I'm paying for pimples, bro. Right, right.
SPEAKER_00Don't do that.
SPEAKER_04Don't pay for pimples, bro. Let me get it. Let me remember like that video I posted. Let me get a side of information.
SPEAKER_00Right, right. Get a cup of pimples, yeah. Well, when you put it like that, you know give me a white head with that and a couple of blackheads.
SPEAKER_04Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_00And on that though.
SPEAKER_03All right, man.
SPEAKER_00We I people of God, people of God, we love you.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for tuning in to the Gospel Twins Podcast. Remember to like, subscribe, and share.