You want to use...ME? FT. Tomiwa

On this episode we talk about God using less than ideal people , concerts vs worship nights , and more! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:06

Welcome to another episode of the Modern Disciple Podcast. My name is Isha. It's your boy Mike. Tommy Wa. Yeah, we got Tommy Wah again back from alone. Um so how you guys have been feeling?

SPEAKER_04 0:19

I'll say for me, I feel like life's been kind of like not stagnant, but it's been the same. It's been calm, so I can't complain. Just more studying, trying to get out of my comfort zone. That's good, that's good.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Um for me, it's been good. Today's a Sunday, so happy Sunday. Happy Sunday. Church was good. Um most importantly, spring break. So away from school. So excited about that. Take a break, you know. Time to rest a little bit, but also like work on a couple things that I've been planning on working on. But for the most part, it's been good though. It's been good.

SPEAKER_05 0:58

Uh for me, it's it's been up and down. Um he knows, but my my aunt died on Friday. Um it's crazy because I like it's gonna sound crazy, but I was I was expecting it. Like, cause she's been sick for two years, she had cancer. Like, even how she looked like, I was like, yeah, like we were all praying to like, oh, like God heal her, God heal her. But you know when you know something, you're just like, yeah, like I I like I could tell that at some point she's gonna pass. So she died on Friday. My dad's older sister. Everyone is family is sad, we're all sad, but we we thank God that she's not in in pain anymore, at the least, so it's good. And we thank God that she's she's with him right now. So we thank God. Um this week, another long week, Monday through Fridays. I hate them. Um just because love work and you have to be a man, get stuff done.

SPEAKER_04 1:58

So that's that's it for me. The weekend will pass by too, like just blink a blink of an eye. It's crazy. Literally.

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Two days just go like that. But when you see Monday or Tuesday to go, it does not go.

SPEAKER_05 2:10

I feel like for me, it even though I did a lot of things this weekend, you know when like you do a lot of things, but you didn't do any anything that's fruitful. That was me this weekend. Like, I did a lot of things, but it wasn't things that's like okay, like things that I actually needed to do. So yeah. Oh, so before we even started recording, we were having a conversation. We're talking about how people feel the need to to go to worship nights, kind of to like experience God. That wasn't the entirety of the conversation, but that's what I um I was saying. So I don't know if you guys want to carry on that conversation.

SPEAKER_04 2:54

Yeah, I was just gonna say it's kind of like chasing like a high in a sense where it's like that first initial experience where you feel feel like you have received the Holy Spirit, you constantly look to chase it, but you don't do the actual dedication in terms of like spending time with God and spending time with in your word. So that's what I would say about it. Like that's the culmination of it. Like you go to these worship nights over and over again, you fall on the floor, you're crying, you're crying, then you go home, everything's the same. And we'll see that so many young people go to these events, so many young people go to these worship nights, but if it's let's go out and like let's say go to do charity, let's go out and like do things that will actually make you like things that you don't want to do. People will not attend, people will not show up, so yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

I think like worship nights, like I said, like it's like a double-edged sword. Cause it's like I love worship nights, like they're good, because you know, I we've already done a couple and everything like that. And they're good, they're effective, especially like they're effective when you present Jesus and everything. I remember me and Josh were having a conversation about worship nights and everything like that, and it's like from the from the songs that we choose to the word that is preached, like to everything, that as long as Jesus is presented, that people will encounter, like people will encounter God and everything like that. But I think the the situation with worship nights is like in a sense, the people, if that makes sense, that come where it's like you'll notice, like you call up a worship night, you'll see the people gather. But when you say, Oh, we're doing like for instance, like a Bible study and all that, you see that number diminish so quickly, and it's off the reality. Like Mike was saying this, like I think one of you guys were saying it earlier was like it's as if like when people see a worship, like they see they represent it as like the club. Or like, yeah, or like a like uh a next thing to that's close to like a concert for them. Where it's like, you know, the the big oh music, music, everything, but when it comes down to like let's now sit down and like let's talk about the word, let's get into the word and everything like that, you don't see that same hunger and fire or excitement to come to those events where it's just mainly about oh now if you want the the happy not I don't even want to say happy vibe, but like the the active type of thing where it's like you want the sound of the music, the sounds of these things like that, which gives you the vibe of what a concert would be. But instead of like because and all it's not say they're bad, because they're good things, you feel what I'm saying. Everything that's created, we it could be used is used, we could use to present um God. But I think it's it's more so like the nature of the nature in the mind of how the heart of man is, where it's like, did you are you like what is the reason why you're coming to this worship night for the first place? Because if we have that, if if the same reasoning that and was okay to encounter to encounter Christ, to to you know deepen your relationship with God, then you'd it's I I would I feel like it should be consistent in everything where it's like it shouldn't just stop at a worship night. To me, I feel like a worship night is like if it it you could say that it's like it's like the beginning or it's like a it's like a it's like a soft a soft touch where it's like alright, now that you're here, it's like alright, let's get out to the real, let's get on to real to the real nitty-gritty. Because the reality is, yes, you could the song, yes, there's there's power in like obviously like singing a song and everything like that that presents Jesus and everything, but the main thing is here and it's the word. If you don't have this or have any foundation of this, because the Bible says that he who builds a foundation on my word would be like a wise man, and when the ways turn, he's not moving. It's not he who comes to a worship night and listens to the song will not be moved. No, it's the fact that you need the word, like the word is the most is is the most essential part in our life as believers. So like when that is pushed aside and like in a sense being less than being um I guess less basically to other people is like you neglect the word, but you choose to go to something that resembles like a concert thing in place of that, which you can't replace the word for it. Like it's as Christians, like we understand that there's nothing we could do to replace word because the sole foundation of our faith is the word. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

I I was gonna say something, but I forgot what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_04 7:17

Yeah, I even had a question, but I was gonna wait. Go ahead. Okay. So I was gonna ask like you guys that do you feel like the responsibility of worship nights, is it on the organizers to make sure like they present Jesus properly to these people, or do you think it's on the people to come with an actual heart of repentance? Like, I think it's both. It's both.

SPEAKER_05 7:39

Definitely, because you like you as somebody that's that's like I always say, right, like anything that we do and we've attached Jesus' name to it, we have to do do as best of a job as we can, right? So that we don't present the wrong Jesus to people, right? Because if we're saying this is for Jesus, and you know what I'm talking about too, by the way, if you think you know what I'm talking about, um if we are slapping Jesus' name on something, right? And he's not at the core of it, he's not the heartbeat of that thing, yeah, that thing's going to that thing's going to fail. There was no point in us even wasting our time to meet to to to to to say this is a worship night. It's not a worship night, it's a concert.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:29

So once it it becomes a concert and not a worship night, and we're more so focused on the theatrics, we're focused on this, we're focused on that, that's when I I'll blame the people that organized it, right? But on the other side of things, right? If if if those people, so even with the people who are coming, there's non-believers who are gonna be there, right? And then there's people who are believers, right? I think the non-believers, you you can't, in my opinion, you can't be as harsh with them, but because there's a reason why they're there, that they're trying to experience Christ, right? But me as a believer that already knows who Christ is, I should already understand my heart posture. Like, oh, like, am I just going there just to go there? Yeah, so that's kind of what I what I think.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Yeah, um, uh I'm more say saying it's it's it's both in this, but understanding that you can't control like the heart of other people. Of course not. So I think it first starts with the people that are organizing it, right? Like if we go to John 12 and I believe verse 23, Jesus would say, Um Let me see. Uh wait, no, not 23. Yeah, verse 32. So John 12, 32, it says, and when I am lifted up from the earth, and I will draw all and I'll draw and I'll draw all people to myself. So the reality is as us who organize events that are for Jesus, you we understand like our first goal is to lift up Jesus first. Because the reality is when we lift Jesus up, men will be drawn. Like when we look at the lives of like when we read the Bible, especially in Acts, you see like the apostles never went saying, Oh, let's go get people. But their main goal was to let's lift up, let's lift up um the name of the Lord, let's lift up Jesus' name. They went out to go lift him up. So in doing so, people were drawn to Jesus being lifted up. So the sole responsibility of any event that we say is for God, is that our main goal and the main thing is to lift up his name first. Because it's by doing that is when the people are drawn. So it's not to like I know we were talking about um people like this and the third, but I also realizing it's it's also it's not a numbers game at the same time, it's it's not a numbers game at all. So even though yes, we could see like damn, like you can see like the hearts of people is like, oh, you could tell like okay, you're just here for the thing. But regardless of that, it's never forget the central going that's just to lift up lift up his name first.

SPEAKER_05 11:04

Yeah, and like even with that, like you said, it's it's it's it's really not a nonbres game at all, right? Like, I I told Mike and Alan this like when we first started this podcast. I was like, even if it's just one person that actually like tunes in and and hears the Christ that we're preaching about, that's that's even more than enough. Like, like one person, sure. Even if it's not even one person and it's just us three talking about Jesus Christ, even that's enough. Yeah, right? Like, I think people equate the success with with something that's tagged with with Jesus' name by the amount of people who show up. Yeah, there was a event that I went to uh at my girl's church. Well, it wasn't at her at her church, but they brought that event to Rhode Island. Not as many people showed up as they thought would show up, but funny enough, that was my favorite event that they ever did. Cause I like it's it's a different level of intimacy when there's not hundreds of people around you, you know, screaming in your ear, like praying your ear, and it's really just you and God, and you're just talking to God, and like it's just you and him, and there's like what like 20 other people in the room, yeah, sure, but it's not, it's just more intimate that way, in my opinion. And I and I got more out of that event than almost any other event that they ever did. And they've had events with mad people in it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

So, yeah, and I mean, cuz I heard um, what's it called? I heard a management this one time where it's like for their for his churches, he has like a number cap where it's like 120. Because we see in the Bible there is a there is a mega church. Like I remember I had this conversation with someone where it's like, all right, mega churches, it's like in a megachurch that's full of let's say like 2,000 or something like that, it's kind of hard to like accommodate to every single to every single um member there. So, and like you said, it's like there are times where it's like as ministers or as people who are like preaching the word, it's so essential not to think of it as numbers because of the fact that you could have it could affect your message because you start seeing like damn there's nobody here. The like your I don't want to say enthusiasm, but your posture in which you're speaking, it is your enthusiasm. I agree with that as well, bro. Won't have like there's no like for instance, there's a way in which I'm speaking, you could tell, like, oh, this man's serious, or like you you're drawn to what I'm saying. And the moment where you start then there's times where you can see me speak, and I'm just like looking as if I'm like I'm down or I'm lost, you're like, there's a different effect in the wish for where I'm speaking. So I think um, like you said, because the reality of the Bible says like we're two or three are gathered, so it means like we don't need a thousand people here, like as long as one person is saved, that's more than enough. That's one soul, that's one soul that we took that Satan doesn't have. Exactly. So even in in what you said, like a lot of people who the people who did that event could have been like, damn, we're expecting like a hundred plus people. But the fact that you could say now today it's like, oh, you enjoyed that event enough. That's more than enough because of the fact that someone was someone um gravitated, someone received what they needed to receive from that night.

SPEAKER_04 14:24

So yeah. I was gonna say, I feel like that even stems from like thinking about what men think rather than ultimately who it matters to, which is God. Because even like the worship night example, the people kind of attend for concerts, I would say. It's more in the line of where like I can go to this thing with and get that same high that I would get from going to a concert or from going out without being judged or being looked at as if I'm like not a Christian. In that same way. That's why I feel like many people go. And I do think the main, the main, like, the ver most important kind of like thing for the like event organizers is to make sure that people who leave there, especially non-believers, know who God is. Like, especially like things like altar calls, whether it's people who come up to accept Jesus Christ, this shouldn't be that they just go home and then that's it. There has to be like mentorship after they have to be taken and led, like led on the right path. So whether it's like what I've seen a lot of programs do, which I really like, is that after these people come up to the stage and like accept Christ, or they get like they receive the Holy Spirit through through the altar call, they take them, they take them away from that program now. They go downstairs and maybe a head pastor or a uh another leader comes and like mentors them, and then after their support after that program. Yeah. I feel like that's the best way to do it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:50

Let me ask you guys a question off of what you said, right? So we know these these worship nights and things like that, right? They grab all like like we will grab all these like drummers, singers, um instrumentalists for and and all that kind of stuff, right? Do you guys think, right, that it's how do I phrase this question? Necessary for this no God? Not just no God, but no God, like ex like be somebody that's okay, yielded fully to God, right? Because time and time again, right? I see this gonna be crazy because I just went to an event, so they go into what event talk about. But like I see people grab artists, insurmentalists, and all that kind of stuff, and then these same people that we just saw. I used to be one of them, so don't say that I'm judging anybody, I'm not judging anybody. I used to be one of them disclaimer, disclaimer, no, no, I for sure. But like the same people you'll see drumming, singing with their eyes closed, hands up, open their eyes, oh my Lord. Are the same people after that you see them? Oh, what's moves after this? Let's go to the club real quick. Like, like, do you guys think that it's it's like what's the importance of that? Like, like having somebody that like, and one thing I don't like is when people say that like Christians are boring, right? If you think I'm hanging out with me for a day, you realize I'm not like I like to do regular stuff. Yeah, but like there's certain things that I don't I don't obviously do anymore because of the fact that I realize okay, that's not in the will of God, and that's not what God wants us to do. But outside of that, Christianity is not boring. Uh that's number one, right? But like do what what do you guys think is the importance of having somebody on your worship team, somebody who's preaching, somebody who's doing anything that's pretending to church. What is the importance of them being fully yielded and invested in God?

SPEAKER_04 18:13

I kind of have like two things to say about that. In regards to like the worship night and getting all these names, I feel like ultimately there's nothing on one hand, there's nothing wrong to doing your best when it comes to like bringing the gospel, making things as appealing as possible to bring people to Christ. Like if there's something that you could do that's that's like that'll probably like make everything like more appealing to people, and that's for the sake of like the gospel, but if if you can do that, like that's great. But I feel like the issue comes in when you're prioritizing that over what actually it is is for, which is bringing Jesus to people. Yeah. And then in terms of the instrumentalists, bringing them is great, but they also have to be like you said, they have to be fully aligned. If they're not fully aligned, things can come crashing down because ultimately it's not about talent. And we've seen like multiple examples of that where like you can see all the talent is stacked in this way, and then for some reason everything just crashing down, and it's because it wasn't based on a firm foundation, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

Um, I think it's very important, especially the preachy part. I'm not gonna lie, the peachy part is very important, but in terms of instrumentalists, I mean, I think it's important off the fact that there is like if you look at David, right? When David would play the lyre, you'd see that in the way he played, he had an effect to the point where the same spirit that was tormenting soul would go away. So meaning, like, yes, it's one thing to have a talent and a gift to play, but it's another thing to where that talent is yielded and given to God. Right? For instance, I had a friend, um, I have a friend, um, he was telling me, uh telling me me, Josh, and Chi this story where he was playing the keys, right? And he would just talk to him, he was like, Why is it that one person determined how this song should be played or how this needs to be played? And he said, as soon as he was saying that, the Holy Spirit telled it to started to just show him numbers, right? And he started playing those numbers, and you see it was a whole different sound. So it shows like it's it's not just talent, but yet what if that talent is not being yielded under God? You can see the the ways God will use your ability to play music or play whatever instrument is to move. Because there there is power, there's there's a way God uses music for things, right? I think it's it's somewhere in in the sounds where it would say like when the when the king has come, um something will go will go out after. So we see like there's there's a sound, right? There's the things there's things that God can use with sound that that that has power and in it. So now when that's when that sound or that talent of playing music is now united under God and God is able to use that, it'll be way more effective than someone who just knows or has the talent to just play drums. So I think it's very important to like have people that are extremely like that not let me not say extremely, but like that are like you know what I'm saying, that have an actual relationship with God and that are united because like if we see like um minister dunsen or theophilist, like you see like for them, the people that they have singing with them, it's not just regulating people, it's people who themselves they disciple and things like that. So if we take off, take the blueprint of the people who um what's it called have been doing it before us? Even in the Bible too, we see it all the time. We see we see it through the people who they um the apostles and then they had other than it weren't just it wasn't just any regular people who just had exactly crazy spiritual giftings or anything, guys. Exactly. It was people who they trained in disciples.

SPEAKER_04 21:36

I was gonna say, wasn't that what we read in um Corinthians with um Paul saying that he he was gonna leave it to was it Timothy to come and carry on the work? Yeah, I believe so. Yeah, yeah, might have been, yeah. But it was like someone he can he he had like discipled and someone that he can vouch for that they can vouch for oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:56

Yeah. And I don't and I think that I That's something like that that God's kind of been opening my eyes to is that sometimes like but then again, right? An example might be a bad example, right? But I was watching, I love the chosen. This is like my third time watching the chosen, right? But then I was I went down a rabbit hole, right? And come to find out not everybody in the chosen is is like even a Christian. And it's probably more more so like 10% of them are like are Christians, the rest are atheists. Not the rest of them are atheists, but like they believe in like Hinduism or something like that, right? And that's kind of what I'm kind of equating, even though, but it's so funny, right? Because even in all that, right, like the show itself and Christ itself, because Christ was Christ was preached, right? Was more like no even for the fact that they weren't themselves Christian, people gave their life to Christ because of a show that was based off of Jesus, right? They didn't need to go out and preach about Jesus, they just showed who Jesus was, and that was enough for people to like to to to to give their life to Christ, right? So is it really a problem that some people aren't Christian and they're put in this in this atmosphere of Christian? So the the other side of the argument was okay, maybe God put these actors into this show to touch their hearts enough to convert them to become a Christian, right? So maybe it could be it could possibly be the same thing for us having those those those non-believer and by chance, maybe they hear a singer who has yielded to God so much that they themselves fall under the anointing, and now their view of God is different. And because of that, one person who can sing very well that they are working with, even though they don't believe in God, now as a result of that, they're giving their life to Christ because of that. That's just another viewpoint. I'm not saying that's like an LBO, but that was a viewpoint that that somebody in the comments said, because I was like, yo, like, why would you guys even have like people that aren't Christians play Peter, for example, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:42

I'm just like I think it ultimately comes under the instruction in which God gives you because for instance, like okay, with our podcast or things that I've done, I've had some of my friends help me out with church events and things like that that aren't Christians, right? Like um one of my friends, Alan, I had him help out with being a photographer for um a church event that I had going on. So I think when it comes to because if we're speaking in terms of ministry, it it ministry ministry is most effective when it's bled when it's under the Holy Spirit. So I think when it comes to the ministry which you're doing, I don't think you make a big move without a consulting God in the first place. Because when you do that, all right, you're able, because he's the one who gave you this assignment. He gets the one who gave you this thing. So he's the one who knows who needs to be here, what to do here and there. So when you go under his instruction, there's a chance like God could say, yeah, bring that person off the fact that there's something that God wants to do. So it ultimately to me comes under comes to what is what it what is God saying on this matter, what did God tell you? Obviously, people are gonna have their opinions on it, but I think but ultimately it's like you have the word R and now you go with it. So I don't think there's per se any black and white answer to everything that goes in this in this um topic to begin with. So I think it ultimately just comes down to what instruction that God has given you. Like in ministries that I'm in right now, not I won't say all of them are super serious or like as um what's it called, consecrated as you know, me, Joshua, TR. But we know that they're there for a reason, that we chose them for a reason. And we know that even though they're not as you know in in deep as we are, we understand that they're gaining something apart. And one thing is I would I'll say to people is not to compare, give grace to other people in the sense of like then not everybody's gonna pick up, pick up, um, pick pick up the way the same way we pick up the word as quickly as we are. So we don't everybody has a time, has their own time and their own um their own path in which God has taken them to. So a lot of times I feel like we we look at people in terms of looking at ourselves onto them as like, oh, I was able to understand this. Why aren't you? So I think it's just giving grace sometimes to people. But ultimately, I always say like refer back to the Holy Spirit. What is God telling you here? Like, okay, should you hire this person? Should you hire that? Now, in terms of the the show The Chosen, I've watched it too. Um, yeah, I mean, they did the work. A lot of people, like I said, a lot of people that that's the plan of that's probably the plan, the will of God for it was like, yeah, let these people here. Because I know when they were doing the I think the next scene that's about to come out and turn when the with the crucifixion, um, I saw a little a clip about it where it's like you see like people were actually moved by what was going on and things like that. So it's in those moments where you see like people, some actors like it's just a regular like recording and things like that, but it's those moments that God will use to touch a person's heart.

SPEAKER_05 27:42

And it it reminded me about a specific verse just now, right? Uh Philippians 1, 15 to 18. It says, Um, it's it's not the exact same thing, but it reminded me of this verse. It says, It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this, I rejoice. Yes, I will continue to rejoice. So I think like the most important thing is that like I took out of that is Christ is preached. Like, like no matter what, at the like at the least and at the most, Christ is preached.

SPEAKER_04 28:42

That's a good point. You kind of answered my question where I was gonna ask, or where I was gonna say that ultimately you're kind of saying is that even like the unbeliever is subject to like the plan of God. Exactly. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 28:55

Alright, so dilemma time, right? It says faith versus financial wisdom. A church member feels called by God to quit their stable job to pursue ministry, but they have a family and no financial plan. It's stepping out in faith, obedience to God, or a responsible in irresponsibility toward your family.

SPEAKER_00 29:22

He's wait, what's the God said he said God feels or God told him?

SPEAKER_05 29:27

A church member feels called by God to quit their stable job.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

See, I don't the feel by God part as well as exactly if it's an actual like a prompting that's you're feeling it's heavy, I'll say the first option pray on it. You know, pray on it and see, and then I mean, yeah, talk with your family about it. Cause I don't think you make as a man, as a house, as a man in the household of um, the man of a household, I don't think you just make a decision without insulting consulting with your family in the first place. So I think first, uh, what's it called? Um, you know, if you receive okay, yes it is, and all right, then you start to step into it. And I think when doing that, you have to understand you must hold on to that word and not turn back. Right? Because the reality is God told Adam not to eat of the fruit. So Adam had the word, but because he he let Eve influence him to not eat of the fruit, he forgot he let go of the word that in which God had given him. So to that dilemma of it, it's like the man has to hold on to that word and that prompting and then go with it in faith. So yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:35

And I think this is what a lot of people do as well. That's wrong. I'm I'm guilty of this sometimes, right? Is is is not fully knowing the voice of God, right? Because it's said that he he he he feels like God is asking him to do this, right? You can feel that right now, but an hour from now, will you still feel the same, right? And feeling is not the same thing as oh God told me to do this. So if you're saying that, oh, like you feel like you need to quit your job because because God said no, like even for from what you said first, you said you feel, you didn't start off with oh, this is what God told me to do. Yeah, so I so you starting off with that already kind of has me like shaking a little bit, like, yeah, you like you need to go back to the drawing board and ask, okay, God, why why am I feeling like this first? In in order to know, okay, what's my next step? Because as you said, like you're the man of the house. If you have a wife, you have kids, and you're just doing things like like rashly, yeah, your kids won't be able to go to school. Your wife's gonna be looking at you like, oh, like they all joining ministry. You put us in this position because you said you feel like it. Like, did God actually and that's sounds something that my fiance always tells me, she's like, Okay, like did did did God actually tell you that? Yeah, like, and I'm like, hmm, did God tell me that? Let me now go back to the drawing board and be like, okay, like God, like, yeah, is is is this what you're actually telling me to do? Yeah. Cause I told him actually it it's irrelevant to the conversation, don't worry. Yeah, about the job thing. So, so basically what what was going on is the the way that God speaks to me is that like I won't even be thinking about something, and yet like I'm just prompted.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 32:36

So I was prompted to just put my two weeks into my job to just like like stop working there for a bit. Stories about him, bro. Bro, and then after that, I I put in the two weeks, right? And my family was like, yo, like, like I usually it was a risk because I could end up with no job, yeah. But I did it and I got a better job as a result, right? Yeah, so some people don't understand how God speaks to them and they just go based off of how they feel at the time, and that's not what you're supposed to do. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:12

I was even gonna say, like, exactly what you said, like going back to the drawing board or going back to the secret place to make sure like this is what you're being told. Yeah. And I was even gonna ask, like, where is the confirmation and all that? Like, when it comes to things, like I kind of thought of not only like there's many instances in the Bible, but even like a story our pastor told us when he was first becoming a pastor, and where there was so much like unsureness, there was so much, like, where is like is it my own like headcanon that's telling me like this is the way I should go? He got a confirmation from a little girl in that in the like in another store, a rest stop store when they were on the way to the interview to becoming a pastor. And when I look at people like Paul, for example, there was a confirmation that he was on the right path, like what he was doing is what God had actually told him. So that was kind of my question. Where, like, do you guys feel like well, do you guys see that there's always a confirmation in the sense when someone is called to do something like that?

SPEAKER_00 34:12

Um like to it, um to the dilemma. Uh yeah, I mean, I feel like yeah, yeah, because if we see Abraham, God told him what's called to depart from your family, this and the third, but he brought a lot along with him, right? But you see, they got to a point where it's like, all right, that lane was too small for them, like they have to split off. So that's telling, like, okay, God said depart from all of your family. So I feel like there's always like, even if you 75% did what God told you, there's something that would be like, no, you haven't fully done what I've said. So there is, I'll say, like, there's you get confirmation that'll like, okay, there what God is saying is what God is saying about a situation or about prompting you to do something, there's things that'll like bring to come to your remembrance or be like like it'll like like spike that same the same thing that God has said um to make you be like, alright, all right, God is this is actually from God, like this is what God is actually saying. So yeah, I feel like there is there's ways God will use things to confirm, confirm something to you, especially I feel like too if you ask God, it's like God, I'm a little like you know, show me like is this actually what you're saying? And God will use things to say it to you. So I think, like, for instance, um with our podcast, for me, I was very like, I'm not too sure. I'm not too sure, but I took it to um what's it called? Uh I brought it to Josh. Josh said the same thing. He was like, Yeah, it started. I was like, okay, I took it to another person. Boom. So you see, it's like these multiple things that'll when you take it to like wise console, you see, especially I'll say in when it comes to things like that, take it to people that you trust, and actually people that know the word too. You take it to Y Console, and then people will also help to confirm what it is that God is telling you. And then I remember I was talking to someone on campus, right? And we were talking about God and everything. And in that moment, I'd seen myself talking to them on a podcast. Yeah, so when I saw that, I was like, okay, it's time for me to you know move because this is what God is actually telling me to do. So yeah, I believe God, God does like send confirmation to the things in which He tells you to do.

SPEAKER_04 36:17

Because like, especially for me, like, because like we're in a time where like a lot of people will kind of say things over your life or will prophesy to you. Yeah. So oftentimes I will like it's not that I won't believe it, but the confirmation will kind of show me that, oh, this is what I should be doing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:35

And and what one thing I was going to say as well, right? Especially if when you're somebody that's that's yielded to God, right? You have to think about this specifically, right? You're you're a man of God, right? So you're already already under God, right? God gave you a wife that you're helping him take care of, right? God gave you children that you're helping him raise, right? So how could he not confirm to you the things that you need to do to take care of those things that he gave you?

SPEAKER_04 37:14

That's a good I was even gonna say, like, even like with the ministry side, what is the strategy in that sense also? Like with the fit, not only the family, but also the ministry.

SPEAKER_05 37:25

Are you just quitting and then it's like I'm gonna just start it, start whatever I can, or like and I think kind of with the example that Tomibus said, right? He he God kind of already told him that that's what he would be doing, right? So there was already a confirmation with that. If God is asking you to start uh that, for example, he's going to see you through it. So no matter what, the confirmation is always going to be there unless you're being blind and you're not paying attention to the things that he's showing you, right? And uh what we you were talking about earlier, right? I there's just what I think. There's always three voices, right? There's God's voice, and there's the enemy's voice, and then there's your voice, right? So the most important thing is kind is is is knowing which voice is who, right? There's times where you might feel like, oh, like I'm prompted to do something, right? And then it may just be your own human feeling just prompting you to do that, right? And then there can be something else and it's the enemy that's trying to do this, and then with that, like it's easy to I I even feel like with that, it's kind of easy to know it's the enemy because it's kind of contrary to what God would want you to do. Yeah, and then God's voice. And I feel like you can know that it's God's voice by kind of just seeing if if it aligns with who God is God is and who God says that he is in the Bible. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

Yeah, you hit it in the nail where it's like to hearing, because we're actually seguing into the topic a little bit, but um, yeah, to know God's like literally, like the scripture, like when you know the word of God, it's as if like the way God speaks is like you know his character, you know how he um what's called, how God acts, how the way he speaks. So you know, like when you hear something, it's like this doesn't seem like God. Why would God say this? So I think in everything is always like when you know the word, you're it's pretty when you know the word, you're able to know the the um the voice of God, if that makes sense, because this is literally the very word of God. And um to add on to what you were saying, like Philippians 1, 6 will say, and I'm sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. So meaning that whatever it is that God has given to you to start or to do, it's the fact it's the fact that He began this work with you and He will see it to the end. You feel what I'm saying? He'll bring it to part, he'll bring it to He'll bring it to pass. Like with Abraham, he said, I'll bring um you have a child with um Sarah, but Sarah was barren. But even though they, you know, they ended up um doing it with um Hagar and anything like that, God still kept his word and still finished it, finished the work in. So the thing is just um holding on to the word because like there are for instance, my pastor says something to tell you where it's like it's these things that like in which we're commanded to do, you realize it's also it's by grace, it's not something that we earn most of the time, right? So understanding that if God has spoken something to you that oh, you have this or to do this as that, is like before just know that the moment he spoke it, he's already starting that with you. So it's not like God is telling you, is telling you to do something, you're just left stranded. It's like no, the moment he entered he brought that to you, the work has already been started. It's now time to act out and go. So now, like the scripture we just read in Philippians 1.6 is like he who began this work with you will see it to see it to completion. So it's yeah, even though like obstacles might have come, but the reality is like he who he who is with you is greater than he is in the world, of course. So he it must come to pass as long as you walk in a line with him and be in obedient to the words.

SPEAKER_05 41:13

And and that's a a point that you just made as well, is that there's there's a call, but there also has to be a response to that call, right? Yeah, if if God is is is is the one that's truly calling you to do it and you respond to it and see it through, God, God will see you through it no matter what it is, especially if it's something that He Himself has called you to. You didn't call yourself to come and do it, he's the one that said, Ishaek, come here, walk with me and follow me. You follow him, he's like but the thing that that people always try to like attribute it to is that people want to follow God, but they don't want to like suffer, right? They believe that following God or being obedient to God in itself doesn't come with consequences. That's just not the truth. Like there was something that God asked me to do, oh was it last year, around like November, October. I did the thing, the response I got to the thing that I did, I was like, God, like, why did you tell me to do it if this was gonna be the outcome? But it wasn't about what the outcome of it would be, it was the fact that I did it. So yeah. So what you asked me to do? No. Okay, so the topic of today that we wanted to talk about was going to be uh God using less than ideal people in the Bible, and even today, right? Because like we know, it speaks about in the Bible that God uses the weak, foolish things of the world to confound the wise, right? Yeah, and we see that very various times in the Bible that God uses this thing so like no man can boast that it was the works of them, right? And then we're also going to speak about how like when we found out that God actually wanted to use us, right? One question I did have, right? Do you guys think that God wants to use everybody, right? I say that because it it's it's it's been a question I've I've been asking myself, right? I know that yes, God wishes that that that that that everybody would be saved, but not everybody is going to be saved, right? Because of their own free will, right? But then it's it's also like okay, do you guys believe that God wants to use everybody?

SPEAKER_00 43:53

Um yeah, but I think the problem is when people hear God wants to use, they automatically think a preacher. I think that's the problem. Because the the thing the matter is that we already have enough preachers. God is not looking for preachers. So when people hear, oh, God wants to use, they automatically think to do it, something to do with the pulpit. But a lot of times God is probably looking for a business for a Christian businessman. So God is looking for the next president. God is looking for the next congressman for the next list. Because the reality is we were all predestined for something. So meaning that we're all the n the what we're we're all meant to give, we're all meant to like the Bible says, um, let us create men in our own image and in our own likeness. Likeness be not in the sense of being in the same likeness as the essence of God, but being as repri like rep images of God, if that makes sense. As if like, for instance, um us as our ch children of our parents, our parents' job is to build us to be to look like Christ essentially. So basically, when the Bible says to be in his image and in his likeness, is to be like Christ-like essentially. So we all have a purpose that's like the Bible says, like that's been predestined for each of us. So we're all being used by God. The thing is we have this and the nature of free will because love, love is love is love is not love if you don't have a choice to love what it is. So you have to choose to love God. So the reality is God wants to use all people wide to glorify him. But the reality is now who is willing to let God use them. That's the thing. So I think when a lot of people think of God using me again, it's mostly to the pulpit or to sing and this and third. But the reality is like that's not what that's not all it is. Because if anything, we're just we're putting God in a box in that sense. It's like, oh, we're just taking that all to be. That's why people will say Christianity is boring because everybody thinks it's just the pulpit. They just preaching, preaching, but it's like no. And everything we do is to glorify God, be it in business, in in um government, in sports, in whatever it is, it's all to glorify God. So yeah, uh everybody is like essentially like cold. Everybody's called, like I said, many are called, but few.

SPEAKER_04 46:02

So I instantly thought of like we were reading it last week, the story of the um the parable of the stewards. Oh, yeah. Where like all the servants were given these things that they were entrusted with, whether it was small or big, they all were entrusted with something. Even if it was like, I feel like when we when we speak about preachers, we think of like Philip Anthony Mitchell, we think of like these big like to be called to do that. But even some of the best like preachers are even like small congregations, whether it's small groups that they are mentoring. So it's not necessarily like the magnitude of what we have been called to do, because the only thing that benefits is like men. But God has ultimately called you to do whatever he has called you to do is all for his glory. So the only thing that matters in that sense is like your heart, whether it's aligned with Christ or not, and that's the only way you can fulfill what he has called you to do. And I've I was gonna say, at bare minimum, when I'm looking at Matthew 28, 19, at bare minimum, God has called us to do that, to go and make disciples of all nations.

SPEAKER_00 47:07

Yeah, everybody's an evangelist. Yeah, every everybody's called to be an evangelist. So I think like to even add on to what you're saying, um, like if we look at one thing, one thing I've learned, especially one thing like my pastor has heavily like taught me, is like the problem, the problem nowadays with believers, like we all compare too much. We look at one another, which is like covestuousness happens, and it is like that's not what it means. Because what Mike is doing is not what God wants me to do. Exactly. What Isha is doing is not what what Mike wants you what God wants Mike to do. So the thing is we all have because you know how the Bible says we're we're all members of one body, right? Meaning that, for instance, each every finger in my hand right now has a different function. You have the air, I'd be the eyes, exactly. But they're all a part of the same body, they all work together. Now everybody will look at oh a big picture like, oh, I want to be that, I'm trying to take this position. So now instead of looking for what God actually has for them, they're thinking that well um this is what God would like, but whole time it's not. Because God wants to use you for this to do more greater impact than you actually being on on like for instance, like being a Philip Anthony Mitchell, because what God made for you made to uh made you to do is not what Philip Anthony Mitchell can't do it. It's you. What Philip Anthony Mitchell is doing is not what you can't do. So for instance, my right leg can't do what my left leg is doing, my arm can't do what my leg is doing. They have different functions, but they're both important to this body. I can't fully function without one another. So it's the same thing where we all we're all called to do something, but in order to find that out, again, we go, as we always say, is go back into the word because you find out who you you find out who you are by knowing who God is. David found out who he is, why? Because he knew he knew God. And the thing is, like, we're talking about like like Sabak says, like, lesser of people. I it's because in the time in which we're now is men fall, right? So everything is the the sense like we talk about like in in America right now, America teaches you to be self, get it on your own, get it to be this, to be this big person. And the thing is, God is not looking for like when we read the Bible, God despises people who are proud, the pride and everything like that. But he says, But uh, but a um put a but a broken and contract heart you will not deny. So meaning that someone who is humble, who comes to God as as who as he is and allows God to use him is the one God is using, the one who men would be like, How is he there? Is the one who is the one God is looking for the reality is like David, when we leave when we look at the life of David, we're like, oh, David is this big king, is this king now. When we look back at him, we see David when Psalms 27 would say, even if my mother and father were to forsake me, right? Meaning that we see that he even David's own parents would forsake him. Because even when Samuel came, David wasn't there, but it was his other brothers, meaning that his whole family didn't look at him as if like he's of anything. But yet that is still the same man that God used to the point where Jesus came out of him, out of his thing, out of his um lineage, and then he even told him that your your throne will um what's called will be established forever. So it's like you like literally the topic says like that no man would boast, that no one would say, Oh, they did it, but so that God would give glory. And I think when you guys said something about the heart posture, and that's why like when like to David again, it's like God is looking for someone like um what what's what's it called David Um Heart for D.

SPEAKER_05 50:31

I forgot to say after God's heart, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:34

Thank you. A man after God's heart, meaning that even as someone who reached the he's king and everything, his heart posture never departed from I just want to be, I'm just here for God. It's only what God, only what God cares about is what I want.

SPEAKER_05 50:48

And it's so interesting with that specifically, right? Because is it psalm 51, right? It says, and take not your Holy Spirit from me, right? Yeah, that this was when David sinned, right? And he slept with the person he wasn't supposed to sleep with, and he killed her husband as a result, right? Yeah, like that that's that even in itself is is what you call heart posture, even when you're grieving, even when you're like a sense of grief is over you, right? David was the king. I'm sure he had all the food he wanted, women he wanted, but yet he still said the only thing that you should not take from me is the Holy Spirit. Meaning, take the castles away, take the woman away, take this, take that, take everything else, but don't take the Holy Spirit away from me, yeah, from me, right? And I think even that in itself also is a reflection of of again the person that actually has a heart for God, that realizes, okay, God, I know I transgressed against you, I know I sinned against you, but but but don't leave me in my mess because once you leave me, I'm actually cooked. And he even saw firsthand what happens when God leaves a man. Yeah, he was tormented by spirits that only God could could um uh remediate, right? And to what you guys were saying prior, right? I think knowing how God wants to use you is also very important, right? Yeah, um, one thing I kind of have started to adopt and realize is that only foolish people don't know how God wants to use them, right? Because God is gonna show you how He wants to use you and what He wants you to do to reach a certain point, right? But sometimes the only way you won't know is if you're ignorant. Yes, you may not know how it's going to happen per se. For example, right? When you look at um Mary, for example, right? When was it Cabra who came and said, Okay, blessed are you, um, and you are going to conceive a child. She said, Oh my lord, I have not yet known a man. How will this happen? Yeah, God told her what would happen what would happen, but she doesn't know how it would happen, right? And I think that's that that's kind of my my my thing as well, right? Is is we know that God wants us to do certain things, but we're so eager to know how, like, God, how how is this gonna happen, right? People have told me like things and prophecies and that, but in my head, I'm just like, God, God, like, like, I don't even see myself how wow, this that there's a lot of things going on in my head right now. Like, I don't know how I don't even know how to phrase it, but but but it's like, God, how is this going to happen? And back to what I was gonna say before I started going on this rant, is people need to know how God wants to use them in a sentence of I don't know which one of you said it, but you said the way apostles salmon is being used isn't the way that we might be used, right? Yeah, I heard something a long time ago, right? It said some have been sent to their families, some have been sent to their towns, some have been sent to their cities, and some have been sent for the nations, right? It doesn't mean each level isn't as important, right? Yes, you may be sent to all of Africa, right? But that person who's being sent to his family for that specific family family to give their life to Christ is no less than the some than the person who was been sent to all of Africa, right? And I was I was I I heard something, right, in regards to um what's that song? I posted it in the chat. You have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus, right? The way that song in itself even came about was because of the fact that one man in India decided to give his life to Christ, right? And once he gave his life to Christ, right, the king told him that he should denounce his faith, right? And as a result, he said, I'm not. They killed his kids in front of him. He the king asked him, Denounce your faith. He said, No, I'm I'm not denouncing my faith. They undressed his wife in front of the whole city, shot bows into his wife, killed her as well, too. Yet he still didn't renounce Jesus, right? After that, again, they said, Okay, we're gonna kill you now. They killed him, and after they killed him, even up until his death, it like he didn't renounce his faith in Jesus, right? After they killed him, funny enough, the same people that killed him and his family gave their life to Jesus Christ. Yeah, so that was how like even in that small act, as like as you're seeing it then, it might have seemed so insignificant. But 2,000 years uh after that, or like however much after that, we're still singing that song that he made while his wife, his kids, and everybody is dying because of that one thing. At that time, it may seem like all like his family, yeah, like they gave their life to Christ, so what? Like that didn't matter at the time, but years, years, years after that, we know his story, and as a result, people give their life to Christ through what he did.

SPEAKER_04 56:32

Yeah, so even gonna say, like, if God was even to tell us the how, will we even be able to comprehend it? Would we be able to even like understand it? Like with your example with Mary, like I have not known a man, so how how will I conceive a child? If God was to tell her the how, will she even be able to understand it?

SPEAKER_00 56:52

Yeah, I think it comes with like when Jesus says, like, I have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now. So the reality is you can't always we can't bear everything, like we want, oh, tell us more and more and more, but we don't have the capacity yet to handle the information that God has to give us the full thing. And to the story we were just telling, it's funny enough, I don't know why, but I was getting this like sense of like I'm about I was about to cry because of like how beautiful of a story that is that even that you're his unwillingness to denounce Jesus, yet his whole family's being killed. It shows you like this it's it's like when we when we look at this this uh Christian life and this walk, it's the fact that it's not about us, but it's about him. Like the Bible says that um for the for the joy set before him here, dear the cross, where the fact that is like Jesus says like no greater love than that um no greater love than this than for a man to lead that his life for another. Where it's like many people have died just so that we right now can have a gospel, right? And that's how God used them. For the fact that it's not it's not just because they died or anything like that, but it's the fact that because they were to stand on the truth and on the testimony of Jesus that God came down and as man to die for our sin. Like that's powerful in itself. Because that's that's literally the the testimony just like we were at a point where there was no hope. Where man had no hope, like God said. So the thing is that's why like to the whole being, you know, God using lesser to thinking that oh God, um what's it called, to putting God in a box and how it's going to use you, you we shouldn't be able to do that because we're we're in a sense we're limiting God. Because the Bible says, not to him who's able to do exceedingly more than we could think, imagine, or think. Meaning that past what not to in terms of power, but past what you could think or think of what you can be, God says I can do exceedingly more and beyond with I could use you in exceedingly more ways than you could even think of yourself. And the reality is uh like I've been in the position where it's like, God, why me? Like, why are you using me? Like I there's more people who are more qualified who are more qualified for this thing that you're asking me to do. And the reason is that's that's the answer right there. Yes, there's more people who you who in through your eyes are saying it's more qualified, but who I see is a man who who I've already built up to be qualified.

SPEAKER_05 59:15

And that's even something I was talking to him about on Friday, right? Is that it's it's so funny because sometimes I sit like on my bed and talk to God. I'm like God, I I'm I'm not your smartest, I'm not your smartest child. I don't know the most, but yet you always put me in like a position to like lead other people that know more than I know, right? Like, like even uh at my church, for example, right? I'm the head of the uh media team, for example, right? I I know things about media, obviously, right? But there's people that that I believe are smarter than me and know more than me yet, like I like I'm I'm the head of that, right? Even at work or with certain things, like like I've been put in like positions where like I'm kind of like leading things, but I'm like, I'm I don't know the most, I'm not the smartest, so what like why me? Right? And and sometimes I believe it has to do with with with with with God being so sovereign and great because he sees things that you don't even see, right? Prior to this, right? It brought me to the story of of Cacidian, right? So let's go to Judges 6. That that was what I was kind of reading before we said that. Oh we are gonna meet Judges 6. It's uh chapter uh verse 11. It says, now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the Terebinth tree, which was in Obrah, which belonged to Joash the Abizarite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the wine press in order to hide it from the Medians, Medianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor. And it's interesting that the angel of the of the Lord said that somebody who was hiding was a mighty man of valor, right? So with that, I was thinking, I was like, okay, it just has to do with the sovereignty of God and God being able to see things ahead of time and being able to see that okay, this is a man I can use, yeah, but right now he doesn't know how I can use him and the fact that I'm I can be his strength, even though he himself is a weak man, right? And it and I think that's that has to do a lot with with how we kind of think that we cannot be used by God as a result of our own weakness, but in our weakness, well, he's he's made he's made strong. So if God is made strong because of my weakness, so that I don't boast uh uh about the fact that I'm being used mightily by God, or I was chosen by by God because I'm so good, that is a complete and utter lie. So that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:36

I was gonna say that's why it's so important that the loudest voice in your head has to be God's voice because whatever you think about yourself, whatever others say about you, what whatever you have heard is not is not more sovereign than what God has already spoken to you in your life. And I love your point about Gideon, because Gideon literally replied, like, what how can I go and save save Israel from the Midianites? And even in the example of the the stewards, the last servant had said, Oh, for I heard you were a hard man who had what reaped what you had not sown. So I took I took the talent and I went and hid it in the ground so that I may give you what you have given to me back. And it because of what he had heard, because of what he thinks, that was over what the master had already told him. In that same sense, whatever we think, whatever we think about ourselves, oftentimes we just sit in it and that's louder than the voice of God in our head. Yeah. Or do you even say that for me? Like, you it's sometimes that you've been told to do something that you've been given like a charge, and it's like, yo, how can I even do that? But you're looking at your current self, you're not looking at the man God has made.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:45

Yeah. And like it's so essential to like literally, like, the God's voice has to be the main thing you hear. Like, it has to be. Because the reality is you yourself could be your own downfall, you yourself could be your own hindrance. Because when I look at the life of Paul, right? When Paul started preaching, the people like, wasn't this the man that was just persecuting Christians and third to the point where they were stone him and everything like that? Um Paul could have been like, What am I even doing though? But the fact that he had an encounter, he he re he he held, like you will see like in the scripture, you say he um he didn't meet um Jesus like how the apostle did, but he had the encounter, like he could testify about meeting Jesus through his encounter. That just that that alone by God by Jesus saying that he's called him to go preach, um, to preach to spread to preach the gospel, that was alone was enough for Paul. For Paul held on to that no matter what he was going through. It was just a matter of just preaching Christ. And now God was able to use what his talent was, which his talent was already now turned around for the betterment of him. So the thing is it's like I remember one time, um, what's it called? Like me, I'm I'm very much like I'm a quiet person. Like I don't really like to be at, you know, do all this. But and I remember I used to ask God, I'm like, I don't think I could do this. Like, I'm a very like, even me like speaking right now, I'm not a person who's like outspoken as much. Like, I'm usually like, like sometimes like I'm a little timid, this and that third.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:16

I surprised them, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:17

You don't seem like that when you but um I remember the Holy Spirit um them showed me this, right? And he said, Um, if you were in me and a if you were in a classroom, right, and you're about to present a project, if your friend was with you, you'd have the boldest and assurance to to be able to speak and present that project. But if their friend was in the same room as you, but sin and let's say in the back of the classroom and you're presenting, you don't have that same strength again to speak. But he said, But he said, But me, I'm with you always, and you will always have that strength. So, meaning that, like with um what's it called, with Gideon and even with with Paul, we can see in everybody in the in the scriptures, is like it wasn't according to this. But it was the fact that God was with them. Like the Bible says in Isaiah 43 is like even when you walk through the through the deep um deep waters, I'm with you. Even if even if you're being um tried by the fire, it shall not burn you. Like the fact that is like for why? Because he's with you. And because it's through him, you could like the Bible says, like, with um Whoa, um, what's that Philippians 4 13? Um, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, all the fact that I can endure whatever it is, why because he's with me. I could no matter what obstacles in my way, it doesn't matter because of the fact that because God is with me, I must, I must almost I must go for it. That I'll I'll be nothing less than what God has called me to do. And it's not from it's not saying I'm doing this, it's not according to my strength or according to anything, but it's the fact that it's him. It's him that's me moving me. It's the fact that us being here right now is of the testament. Like it's not any of us. It's not like I don't think any of us ever thought we were gonna do it, like would be in this position.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:00

Yeah, we we didn't even want to show up today, but we're like God's God's work has to be done. And to you, you to your point as well, too, right? Um in in Exodus, right? Moses uh spoke about how I'm slow of speech. So basically he was like, okay, God, like, while some argue that he he he was talking about the the uh the way in which he was able to speak um uh what's it called? Um Egyptian, right? Yeah. I take it as Moses was a stammerer, like he stuttered. And when I read that, I'm like, okay, I I stutter a lot too. And I used to think that, God, like how like how can you use somebody like me that doesn't speak as well as um apostol Selman, apostle aromat, these people like that. Obviously, I don't have to be like them, but but it if you truly want me to be somebody that preaches and wins souls from me being able to preach to people through the things I've experienced and through the things that you have put in my mouth, how can you use me when I cannot even articulate myself properly like I should be able to, right? But however, that's the reason why I love the Holy Spirit. Because, for example, the first time I ever preached, right? Like, I was like, yo, God, I don't I don't even want to even do this because if I go up there and I embarrass myself, is is your name at stake, not my own state? Like, like it's really it's it's really you. Like if I go up there and I start to stutter and and and and I screw up, it's it's it's you, it's not me. So that day, funny enough, right? But before I preached, right, I prayed a prayer, and like so in my church, right? Uh before the pre uh preacher hops on the the um pulpit pulpit to preach, you have to pray, right? And uh, while I was praying, I start I just started crying. I don't know why, like I was crying, I was crying as I was praying. So I finished praying, I hopped on the pulpit, and not once did I stutter. And me, I stuttered, as you guys can tell, like I stutter, but I hopped on the pulpit and the Holy Spirit came. I didn't I didn't even stutter, not one, like not at all. And it's so funny because truly, truly, in our weakness is when God proves himself that you on your own outside of me, you cannot, you literally cannot do anything, you can't do nothing. So even with the story of um Gideon that we just read, right? Outside of God, if not for God, Gideon would still be hiding in that wine press. So it's really at the end of the day, like it's really just God that enables us to be able to do things or see ourselves in a way that that that that that he sees us, right? If you were truly made in the image and likeness of your father, you also have to act like you were as well. To you can't be acting like, oh, I can't do this, I can't. No, yes, you can. So that's that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:13

And that's like I feel like it all comes back to the like the theme of like aligning yourself with the will of God. Because, for example, if we talk about men, like in terms of if we look at the eyes of men and look at compare Saul, Saul and David, Saul, what was said about him? He was handsome, he was well, head above all people. So, why did one fail and what one stood stood tall? Like, funnily enough, and it was all because one aligned himself with the will of God.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:42

Literally it, because Saul was called to be king, everything was set before him, but the reality is his heart was more focused towards the applause of men and but not the will of God. So, and all things is just again, like God is looking for those who want him, yeah. Want him who's not looking for the lights, who's not looking for these things. It's not God is looking for a remnant of people that just truly want him. Like there was um I had an encounter and um God spoke to me and he took me to Zephaniah 3-9, right? And if we go there real quick Zephaniah.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:25

3-9, yeah. One second.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:28

You you can read it. Uh for then I will restore to the peoples a pure language that they all may call on the name of the Lord to serve him with one accord. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:40

Yeah, so you see, like, that's literally all God's looking for. For people who will literally just worship and call upon his name in one accord, just doing the will of God, and that's simply it. He's not looking for those who want to use his name for their own benefit. He's not looking for things like that, but simply just God. That's literally just whatever you want. Like the Bible says, like, he who put his hand on the pod does not look back. So it's like people who like it's like it's like it's as if like you in especially in an in a time as this right now, like it's so detrimental for you to make a decision where it's like it's either God or nothing. It's either God or shoot, you're gonna you're going to your hellfire. It's simple as that. So God is looking for literally for like we see in our generation, especially people in our age, we there's a lot of people that are like they have an idea of God, like they're hungry for an idea of God, but yet with no actual foundation of who God is. And I think it's very, it's very important, because it's very important that I think people really go back and sit with the scriptures and also like talk with talk talk to God and even ask God, like, okay, what do you want me to do? Where do you want me to do this? And one thing I've noticed too, like it's a little like side like segue, but a lot of people like don't understand that the Holy Spirit is a person and not just a it's not a thing, but he's a person, like he's an actual person. Like he's actually God that dwells in you. So like you could you could speak with the Holy Spirit and He will reveal reveal whatever it is that God has for you, whatever it is that God wants you to do, whatever it is that needs to be taken out, or this and the third, like that. So I think one of the most important things, especially now, is understanding the person of the Holy Spirit, that it's not just a thing, but it is he's actually a person.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:26

It's crazy because like when you had mentioned like how like people like are looking for this like kind of like high innocence. I literally like thought I keep going back to Saul because like in that same way when we talk about people going to worship nights to go get that feeling, Saul kept going back to David for his torment to go away instead of actually going to the source. Yeah, which is I just thought that was funny.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:49

Yeah, and I also think that like you said, that desire has to be there to do the will of God no matter what it is, right? Um in Isaiah 6, right, it talked about when um when when Isaiah had the vision of the throne room, right? And Isaiah understood that yes, I I am unclean. It says, woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in in the midst of people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the the king, the Lord of hosts. And then afterwards, the angel came to him and touched my mouth with uh with coal, with coals. And then it said, Behold, this has touched your lips, and it's your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged, right? And this is the part I love, right? Eight. Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? Who will go first? And as I said, here, Lord, send me. Here I am. And it's interesting because again, there is a call. God needs so anything on this earth that's going to happen, right, is going to happen through man because that is how God has ordained for it to happen. Yes, God can use rocks, he can use this, he can use that, but ultimately, God wants to send us to go and do his will. Just like the enemy is looking for a man as well to do evil, God is looking for a man to go out and carry his will and do good, right? And what I love about that is that he said, Here, here, God, send me, right? He knew God wanted to do something, and he responded to that call that God said, right? And it's so interesting because Isaiah doesn't know if God wants to send him to Iraq. He doesn't even know if it's Mars or Pluto. He just said, God is just send me because you need something done, because I am a man that knows your heart, that wants your heart, I'm going to go no matter what. He doesn't, but then when you read the nine, that's when God told him what he would do. After Isaiah had already said yes and did not even know what needed to be done yet.

unknown 1:16:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:09

So with everything, God, God is looking for people to use. We just have to respond to the call that God is asking us to do. God's always speaking, right? God always has his hand out. It's up to us as human people, as human beings that he created that look in it that look in his own image and likeness to reach out to his hand, respond to that call, and do the things that God is is is looking for us to do. Because again, God is looking for men to go and send out. He's looking for women to go and send out. But if you're somebody, again, that that that doesn't desire God, like how how how how is things gonna get done? Granted, God has a remnant of people that will do things. So if if you like don't do it, your time will gonna pass by and then you're gonna end up as a man that could have been.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:05

Especially the first the first verse where it says, Who has believed? Uh hold on, let me go to the let me go to my other version. But it says, Who has believed our report into whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Where it's literally like that first tense is like who has believed our report, which is a message of salvation, which is on the testimony of Christ. Who has believed, who has believed our report, who has believed what it is that God has presented to you. Because if we look at that, Isaiah 6 right there is Isaiah saw um saw God and realized, like he said, Woe to me for I'm a man of clean lips. He realized because mind you, Isaiah was already a prophet already. But he realized it doesn't matter if I'm a prophet, is the fact that woe to me for I'm a man of all cleanings and I dwell with unclean people. And then obviously we've seen the angel Lord brings up in the code, and then God says, We're looking for someone to send. And it says we could say, Who has heard what report, and now we're looking for someone to deliver that report, and Isaiah just says, Here I am, not knowing what the report is or where it is that he has to go preach, exactly but the fact that you make yourself available to what God, to the assignment that God has for you, and you align yourself with it, knowing the fact that you have not heard the truth and you have seen God, right? Because even in that Isaiah 6, it would say, in the year that King Uzziah died, meaning that even if an earthly king dies, there is still a king in heaven who lives forever. Yeah, simple.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:21

And um, oh, I was gonna say something and I lost it. So I need to go brough.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:27

Yeah, I was even gonna say like I can't lie. Same thing happens to me, bro. But yeah, ultimately, like uh to me, it all comes back to the voice of God or God being realer than anything that's going around, even the suffering that's going to happen. I know that the king in heaven is even greater than that suffering. Yeah, so I all all all is needed is my obedience.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:59

So I remember what I was gonna say. So I had written something down in my journal. I don't see it in my notes, so it has to be in my journal. Um is availability over ability, right? Like I always see the this thing that God qualifies the unqualified, right? Yeah, so as long as you're somebody that desires to be used by God, as long as you're somebody that's willing to be used by God, you you you you don't have to essentially focus on the fact that okay, God, I'm not the best person for this job, God, I'm not the strongest, God, I'm not the smartest, okay, that's fine. You be be be be someone that that is willing to work with God and everything else he's gonna equip you for it. That's the point of being somebody that's anointed. Because anointing ultimately is just equipping you to do what God has has willed. Even if you don't necessarily have the skill set that you think God can use, God can use it because of what we talked about earlier. Um, what did we say? Uh we talked about um God use uses our weakness, so no man can both. So if you feel like you don't have the the the ability, that still does not mean that God cannot use you, but you'll you have to be willing to use and you have to be again a a man that wants God.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:40

To your point, when you when you do that thing that you saw that wasn't in your ability, that's a testimony only to God. That's kind of like the manifestation of like like the manifestation of like that belief that like there's no nothing that can truly tell me that God isn't there. The fact that I was able to even do this, like you said, when you when you preached um for the first time and you didn't stutter, that there's nothing after that, there's nothing that can really tell you that God isn't real. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:21:09

Like even with the great man of Gaza, you said Apostle Roman, his whole left side is is um I think it's paralyzed. But yeah, we've seen him do great things. We've seen him that's a general, right there. That's a general, and think about it, many people were like will see him as unqualified, but yeah, God qualified him. Um I think one thing to say is that especially as the life of a believer is understanding that God called you, and that's all that you need. Even if men were to say, oh no, or look down on you or put you down, it's the fact that he who called you is all that you need. The fact that God has already spoken it, that's all that you need, and so just run with it. Because the reality is that you're not looking for a man to call you, you're not looking for any else to call you, but except it's all you as a believer. The main thing that should matter to you is what does God think? What does God care about? And especially when it comes to like again being used or anything like that, it's like God has called me here. And no it doesn't matter if even if it be my parents or be my friends, it doesn't matter what anybody says. The fact that God says I'm to be this, that is what I'm going to be.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:15

And and and also end with this because I think we're coming up on time as well. Is that that's one of the biggest problems I think is that being scared to be used by God because of what you think other people think about you, right? When, as you said, yes, I completely agree, is that being like caring about what God thinks is much more important than caring about oh, how do I look to these people who I'm going to. So with that being said, um, what are you guys looking forward to for the next two weeks?

SPEAKER_04 1:22:53

Man, getting out of my comfort zone in terms of like my work endeavors, trying to look for new new a new chapter in my life. So I'm looking for that. Forward to that for the next week. I'm gonna use that spring break we have. I didn't have classes in person anyways, but no. No work, no work for a week means like I could kind of use that time to study, look over resumes and stuff like that. So that's what I'm looking forward to.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:22

Me, man, this week. I want to say sleep, but I know I'm not gonna get that. Yeah, we I'm not gonna get the sleep that I'm looking for, but definitely um preparing for um things to do with Pensa. Uh the big event that we got coming up in April 12th, working on that. The again, getting ready for the hoodies, doing all that. Um, I think even my own personal one-on-one time with God, looking forward to that too. Um, and yeah, honestly, this this semester this this year gotta go. This semester has to go. This year gotta go as well. Like, like, like I just want I just want to be done with school.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:01

I just want to be done with school. Now you say that, bro, but like when you start working full time, you're gonna miss school, bro. I ain't gonna I like I I I used to say the same thing too, but now that I work full-time, you don't get no spring break, you don't get no summer break, no winter break. Every day it's a suffering. Every day for like the same, bro. It's just all right, I go to work, go to the gym.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:21

The only spring break is the days you got off. Exactly. Uh I think I think it's just like, bro, I don't want to report to a man every day, you got homework at this time, it's like, and it'd be the most unconvenient time. It's like, uh, at least because I feel like my thing is like, at least for the job, it's like all right, you know you gotta work from nine to five. After that, no man can tell me nothing but me. 24-7. There's a man sending me, oh, this work gotta be done. It's like there's you know you're gonna have the work do the work at your job too, though. I mean, yeah, but at least I'm getting paid. At least I'm getting paid.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:56

Some jobs though, uh like my friend's job before, like he was salaried, bro. This guy worked like he said he worked 27 days straight. So it was like 27 days straight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He he was uh salaried so like it's not as if like he he was hourly from from like Monday to Friday. Like anytime that like he he got like he called, he got called like he had to do it, like whether it was like a actually I don't think he worked on Sundays, but he worked, he had to work like weekends, like back to back to back to back. Because of the fact that he was salary, but he had to do it because of the fact that again you're getting paid to do this and and you get paid a lot to do this though.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:44

So yeah. Shh, 27 days straight. Yeah, he told me like I'm gonna pray for you though.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:50

He said, I'm gonna pray for you though. Alright, take it easy. But for me, I don't man, me I've had a lot of stuff in my head. There's a lot of things that that that that I'm looking to do, but that's the thing again, is I keep asking God how how is it going to happen. But there's a there's a lot of things that I'm looking to do, but I just keep asking God, God, how how how is it going to happen? Or rather than me just believing and and trusting that it's happening, and and also just asking, okay, God, is this in the will of God? The things that I want to do, are they actually in your will? But outside of that, I'm looking forward to actually spending more time with God, especially one, because obviously we know that that's what starts off the communication with God is actually making time for him and being in his presence so you you can even hear hear him more clearly and things like that. And so that he can actually it give you that strategy that you're looking for to do the things that that um you want to do and the things that you may not want to do, but you know that you need to do and God's calling you to do. Um looking to get back in the gym as well. I think the last time I went to the gym was when I saw Chi at the gym, which was like a month ago. That's like every year. So I had a slack and with the boy Chi, man. So so I've been slacking with the gym. I need to I need to be back in the gym, gym business, and yeah, that's it for me. So uh with that being said, my name is Isha. It's your boy Mike. Tommy Well, yeah, we'll see you guys next episode.

SPEAKER_04 1:27:32

I don't know if it's I don't know if Tommy Will see you.