Faith From The Streets
Brian and Friends will discuss stories of faith, homelessness, hunger, and addiction. Most of all they will discuss how they serve the King of All, Jesus Christ.
Faith From The Streets
1Peter 4 5
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Sir Brian and gang lead us through 1 Peter 4 and 5. Still hitting close to home with what has been going on in our humble little town. We hope that everyone is enjoying our study through scripture as much as we are. I can't recommend enough on how important and rewarding it is to be in a bible study group. We have grown so close to one another. Leaning on Jesus and each other. Remember Jesus loves you and so do we.
Wheresoever your street might be. Fake for the street.
SPEAKER_02Like, in this case, it's more like I had a vision, so we should change our culture completely. Like, or I saw this thing. And maybe it's edifying, like Jesus appeared, it's a thought it's gonna be okay. And I can share that with you, and that may edify us, but I can't go out and say this is for everyone, because once this was completed, and we follow that, once Jesus' final words of revelation end in John's last writing, then there can be no revelation. Okay. Like, so Mormons, Islam, anything that comes after the Bible, correct, is not valid.
SPEAKER_08Okay. I mean, even says that in the like when I texted you the other day and said that if we talked about this, uh like the serious data.
SPEAKER_07Like that who told you this? Yeah. Yeah, like. Yeah, I mean that's the thing, who told you? Like why was that such a like I think I can say that I could say that was a revelation. I remember what it was.
SPEAKER_02We had been talking a few weeks before about your body. Oh, wait. The Christian economy, therefore, since it is the new and definitive covenant, will never pass away, and no new public revelation is to be expected before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ and his return. Yet, even if revelation and its capital R in this meaning the entire Bible, not the book of Revelation, if revelation is already complete, it has not been completely explicit. It remains for the Christian faith gradually to grasp and unpack its full significance over the course of the centuries, as it has done. Throughout the ages, there have been so-called private revelations, some of which have been recognized by the church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive revelation to mankind, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. You are not required by the church to believe a private revelation of Scripture, but you must at least understand why you don't with the doctrine of census fiddle, or sense of the faith, full common sense, on how to discern and welcome these revelations, whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his church. The Christian faith cannot accept private revelations that claim to surpass, correct, or f or exceed the revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, according to Hebrews 10 or and 1, where it says Jesus is the last. In this case, certain non-Christian religions and also in recent sects which base themselves on these revelations must be debunked until and said they are completely unorthodox and unchristian. So private revelation, like I saw a vision.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so like we can have versus you come to us and say, hey, I saw a vision, we all have to sell our conversations.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00Well, and I also say, too, where there's a Catholic belief, a Catholic belief, that uh uh anyone who interprets it upon themselves is doing that that same thing as well, too. A private revelation. So I because I've heard it expressed this way as well. So how do you read the Bible and not have it read to you by someone who's approved? So I don't uh I don't understand.
SPEAKER_02Well, in this case, it's more like I had a vision that showed me this miraculous line, so you should believe it.
SPEAKER_00I agree with you. I agree with that sentence.
SPEAKER_02So what they're what that says is okay, like maybe it happened, but you're not bound to believe that. Like you don't have to. Yeah. Um, which is actually kind of cool because in Church of Christ, no, you have to. Right? Like, you know, like yes, you do. Um but like so that, but again, it's and that's where I haven't gotten into yet is what they call the magisterium of the church, right? Like it's in the Catholic Church, it's called the Magisterium, which is really cool sounding, but that just means the teaching authority of the apostles as perfectly handed down till now. Um, so and that includes the Pope and bishops in the church, but they're not viewed as infallible, which I was not, I thought they were. I thought the Pope was an infallible human being, but he's not. In fact, there are things in place to get rid of him, should he prove to be bad, right? But like in this case, it's more like I had a vision, so we should change our religion completely. Like, or I saw this thing, and maybe it's edifying, like Jesus appeared to me and said, Scott, it's gonna be okay. And I can share that with you, and that may edify us, but I can't go out and say this is for everyone, because if once this was completed and we follow that, once Jesus' final words in revelation end, and John's last writing, then there can be no more revelation. Okay. Like, so the Mormons, Islam, anything that comes after the Bible is not valid.
SPEAKER_08Okay. I mean, even says that in scripture. Right. Um, but like when I texted you the other day and said that did we talk about this? Because I had like a serious deja vu moment for.
SPEAKER_02Like the Who Told You This?
SPEAKER_08Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Like Yeah, I mean that's the thing. Who told you? Like, w w why was that such a like I think about I can say that was a revelation.
SPEAKER_02No, I remember what it was. It was I this came to me and I meant to text you. We had been talking a few weeks before about your mom saying something about the King James, and we were talking about that, and I asked you, I was like, why don't you ask your mom this question? Who told you that King James was also authorized by God to make that translation? Okay. Yeah, it just hit me so hard, like, oh my goodness. Like, where can you show me a book, chapter, and verse that says there's only one translation of the Bible? Sure, 1 Peter, like like Brian brought up, says no scripture is ever brought up, its meaning is ever brought about about through private interpretation. But it's carried along by the Holy Spirit. Correct. Right? So there is one meaning of scripture. That doesn't mean it's not multifaceted in the sense that like there are pieces, but it doesn't mean I just describe whatever I think it means.
SPEAKER_08Well, that also takes away from it being the living word of God. So that's why we're not going to be able to do that. The community is important.
SPEAKER_02Like studying the Bible by yourself has resulted in every single heresy in Christian history. Because you need the iron to sharpen the iron. Right? Like that the Holy Spirit does work when you read and study and pray on your own. Yes, it's always working, but God gave us the church for a reason, and that's to be like, guys, like that's background crazy. Why would you think that?
SPEAKER_08But then you can also, like you said, iron sharpeners irons, you can take whatever your personal revelation might have been to your brothers and sisters.
SPEAKER_02And then you be like, bro, that definitely was not God.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, then you can you can discuss You were visited by a demon, my God. And discern if that is, you know. So that's that's part of the iron sharpened iron. It's like, well, this is my idea, this is my particular thought process.
SPEAKER_02Or it's like some people the reason people believe in ghosts, for example, is maybe they saw grandma or grandpa right after they died. Um we could look at the witch of indoor experience and say, maybe sometimes God allows that to happen as a comfort for that person. That doesn't mean ghosts exist. That means God knew you needed a comfort, so he allowed them to appear to you, right? Um, but it's not the norm. Right? God does, and what private revelation in that sense means is something God reveals to only you, as in like growing in your faith.
SPEAKER_00I I think it's interesting. I don't think it was actually a ghost. I I see so to a degree like where we're indoor time. Yes, yes, from our same yeah. Where we're cause because he he I use that word generally, but you're right, right. But he he he awoke from the grave and he's just like why'd you bother me? Yeah, why why he bothered me? Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01So he's like one of the ghost pirates from Pirates of the Caribbean. No, I think it's a big thing. I'm just kidding.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, right. He called him to the oath. But yeah, it's it it it but those are special situations in which because it was forbidden. So God pulls up the guy that Saul is running from. Exactly. And the Witch of Indoor is like, ah Yeah, like she didn't explain. She even knew it was wrong. Yeah, yeah. But like sometimes I think ghosts, like, in a sense, God reveals whatever that may be to certain people or lets them see a loved one or whatever, because it does bring them comfort, and God is the God of the living, not the dead, so therefore, no one in Christ is ever dead. Therefore, they're not just floating around ethereally until judgment day, you know. Um, you know, that's the thing, is the Witch of Indore is a very specific thing, but I don't I don't think it was a ghost either. It was actually Samuel, right? Um, you know, but they make it out that way because that was the context, like no necromancy, you know, and all that stuff. But and then people would be like, Well, I saw my grandmother after I died, or even my sister-in-law, like before my mother-in-law knew her dad died, my sister-in-law came down and told her she was one. It's like, I just saw grandpa, he's in my room and he died, but one did you know he's okay?
SPEAKER_08I definitely wouldn't put anything past, well, one God, but also children in the world.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01My grandma had a story like exactly like that.
SPEAKER_02And I mean, they're all kind of the same. And when I do demonology, they're all like the same setup, like my grandma came and told me this. And it's like, okay, well, I I maybe Satan can either look like that, or a demon can, or God is giving you an extra measure of comfort if you're faithful, if you're part of his community, that maybe he knows you need. I think that's the key. But not everybody gets that because we don't know.
SPEAKER_08I think that's the key. I think you're just saying that if you are a Christian, if you are in a person that has passed, I can see where that would be a thing. But if you're talking to non-believers and non-believers, then I definitely would lean more towards the demon thing. Yeah. But I can see if as a believer, as a Christian, that and if all the parties involved were Christians, I can see maybe where that would happen.
SPEAKER_01But I'm sure there's been non-believers that have a positive experience that relates to that. Possibly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, God knows exactly what every person needs. Absolutely. And that's why that person, because they're every if you look at just like we were talking about denominationalism, let's look at Christian Scientology. Or Christian science, not Scientology. I'm about to go on. Mary Baker Eddie or whatever. Um and so, like, they swore off all medicines, all everything she predicted the end of the world. She has all these texts and and all of these things that influenced a lot of Protestant thought at early American revivalism that we don't even think about. And but she was a heretic by all standards of the church in the Bible. Um, and so you know, what kind of like that personal revelation led her to launch a cult. Same with Islam, same with Mormonism, same with Waco, same with all the Mormon polygamous cults that are even even the Mormons are like, that's gross.
SPEAKER_08Well, yeah, there's fundamentalists and there's Mormon.
SPEAKER_02But like those are the private revelations that that that's talking about. Like no, like if God wants us to do something, it's going to be very clearly revealed to everyone, not just you. Okay. But there are some things that'll be like, well, what about this thing? And they'll be like, oh, that actually okay, yeah, we've heard this too, and three other people have this, so this this tracks.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, but if it's just like, well, I believe God is a flying tube sock, okay, you can believe that. But you don't that that's not for anyone else. Right. It's not helpful. It doesn't give us anything other because there isn't anything else to give. Jesus is it. Yeah. Right? So Yeah, it definitely doesn't edify God either. But it's fascinating how the people for the first 300 years managed to stay on the straight and arrow in such a crazy obviously the Holy Spirit, but they couldn't flip over and be like, what did Paul say to Timothy?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and yet, and we're still and we look at least they're starting to look towards them and be like, how did they and they didn't they didn't have what we have, and yet we're looking at them and being like, hey, let's replicate that.
SPEAKER_08Well, see that the awesome thing is the fact that it's still here. Like, it is probably the only thing that has stand at the test of time. We still have it today. What they were doing in the first century is still what we're doing. It's still doing, and it's still a hot topic in the world in general. You know, people are arguing and debating and all these things about it, so there's got to be a definite part of validity to it, you know. Like if it was a lie, then it would have died off a long time ago. Or if it was a wise tail or whatever, it would have changed. And they've tried to burn it, you know.
SPEAKER_02And they can't try to eradicate it from the world, and it's still here in the form.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. I mean, there are people in other countries that die over it to this day. Yeah. Which is crazy to think about. So big fishermen. Oh. Actually, it's 1 Peter 4. Of course, we have Tommy. The Sir Brian, I guess. Sir Brian. We'll leave it as Sir Brian. We won't go any further than that.
SPEAKER_02And I am the walking contradiction of a man known as Scott.
SPEAKER_08Not even sure what to say to that.
SPEAKER_02Me neither.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It just came out. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Um, it sounds like we've had a pretty productive week or interesting week. I know I had a pretty interesting day yesterday. Uh, a lot of different things that came up that I wasn't aware of. Um, but I'm praying on it, and it's like I told Sir Brian, I got to spend some time with the grandbaby, and that put me back right again. I just want to see poophole. Uh I don't know if he loves me yet, but by golly, he was fun. Yeah, I love that he was wiggling and a jiggling and laughing and smiling and talking to me a little bit. How come when I do that, you just call me fat? Well, that's different. It's a lot different. He's got more hair on his head than you do, too. It's not hard to beat. Well, no, it isn't. But yeah, he's uh that's awesome, though. He's a little character. I put him in his little play set that you lay under and we played, and just being around that just it it just really kind of reinvigorated me and gave me sense of purpose again. And I know I'm not the first one to ever do those things, but that's what God gives children. I I and that's what I did on the way home. I I prayed and I was thanking God for all these wonderful things that he has given us, the ability to have children, the ability to have grandchildren, to to have him as the example of the father to show us even if you don't have children to enjoy them.
SPEAKER_02Like they're hysterical if they're not yours. When they're doing things that just make you mad as a parent, it's hysterical to watch them do somebody else.
SPEAKER_08Well, and it's even like I said a couple weeks ago when you got, you know, with the the BBS thing. Yeah, when the clothes fell over, and I just laughed because I know that you have a grateful heart that you have those things to be complaining about. Like complaining, but also praising in the complaining. Like you could be like, I don't have these things, especially you, Scott, with the fact that you've we had to yeah, the the child making we have are completely based off of prayer. Yeah, exactly. So um, and mine were just God knew I needed to have them, so son of a gun. Um so yeah, it's just it's been a good week as far as that goes, being able to kind of reset. I've got a a big week home coming this week. Um I get to be the DJ for my stepson's wedding, which I'm excited about. Um the fact that he is kind of moving into that step now. We've talked about it a lot too in the podcast about we have a lot of young couples that are getting started, that are dealing with the things, uh homeownership, finding a home, finding a job, having the children. It's a stressful time. And it really helps to have the foundation of Jesus. To be able to understand that God the Father is watching over us and he has all these things already planned for us. We just have to be willing to accept them and be obedient, which isn't a bad word. Um so yeah, I I I love seeing the young couples and being a part of their lives and helping them. What about you, sir Brian? You got anything good to announce for this week?
SPEAKER_00Uh I mean no, uh there's a lot of things on my mind. Uh things that are going on uh with the gathering. Um Scott and I were talking about some things. I've done a lot of research, and if we can meet at some point, I think that would be very um uplifting. I would love to so okay. Um but uh apart from that, no, uh it's it's uh I'm just I'm I'm happy to be here, man.
SPEAKER_08Agree. I did get to go see Supergirl on Friday, and I thought it was good. It's getting bad reviews, it sounds like, but I like the fact that Brian sent me a text saying, enjoy your super gal. So that was fun. So uh we're gonna try to get through 1 Peter 4 and 5. They're kind of short chapters. Uh we'll let Brian start reading and we'll go from there.
SPEAKER_00Mine highs the pericopey. Uh says uh keep fervent in your love. Apparently the copier agrees. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to no longer live for the rest of the time in the flesh for the lust of man, but for the will of God, for the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In all this they are supposed in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation. I'm I'm reading today. But they will give an account to him who is already to judge the living and the dead. For to this the gospel has been proclaimed, even to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh is a man, they live in the spirit according to the will of God. The end of all things is at hand, therefore be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling, as each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God, whoever to be, as one speaking the oracles of God, whoever to serve, as one serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and might of forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice with exaltation. If you were exalted for the name of Christ, you were blessed. Because the Spirit of the glory of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or a thief, or an evildoer, or a troublesome meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be put to shame. But is to glorify God in his name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God. And it begins with us first. What will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? And therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing good.
SPEAKER_08It's interesting because at lunch today I was talking to Sir Brian a little bit about my walk now, and verse one really kind of hit there, and then in verse two it says, so as to no longer live the rest of the time in the flesh for the lust of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have worked out the desires of Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. And that's what I was saying. And I do still reminisce about it sometimes, but it and maybe that's wrong of me. I don't think we're supposed to do that.
SPEAKER_02I don't think it's wrong if you were like, man, I wish that I could still be there. No, I still I didn't pull it. Otherwise you'll turn into a pillar of salt like Lothwife.
SPEAKER_08Right. That goes back to what I was talking about. You know, I've already been through the rat race.
SPEAKER_02You're remembering, not glorifying.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I'm remembering, and I know what I felt like at the time, where now I'm on the other side of it, and I can say, Man, I'm so thankful that I was able to do those things and get through those things. Like I've had my time of suffering, and I've tried to tell all the community that we deal with here that remember that the suffering is what's going to give you character. Especially if you're able to praise it, but like understand that you're learning something from it. God can do all things, and if he takes away all your suffering, do you learn something? I I go to the saying, I can feed a man for a day by fishing, or I can teach a man how to fish and feed him for a lifetime. And I kind of feel like that kind of correlates together with that. The suffering you have to go through it to learn not to do it anymore. To stop making those terrible decisions. Stop relying on your own understanding and your own willingness and lustful desires, as it says, um and be obedient to God, which I said in the beginning here, um it really isn't a bad thing. Because if God is for you, then who can be against you? And if you are obedient to God, He's obviously for you. So remember, and I've told it many times, if I'm suffering or something's going on, I know that I have to learn something from it, and I have to make some kind of a transformation or a change of heart or whatever it is, but after that, it's gonna be so much better. I'm going to have not necessarily a reward, but I'm going to understand it and things are going to get better. Like I had to learn forgiveness the hard way. And it's been fantastic being able to do that.
SPEAKER_02So Thomas Merton says this, it just made me think of this. And a lot of times I've noticed, and maybe you gentlemen can notice too, we want to be exactly like the church in everything except this area of suffering, right? Like we'll say we wouldn't mind, but you know, nobody's quick to do it. But here's what he uh from his book, The Seven Story Mountain, which is his biography, says the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who did does the most to avoid suffering is in the end the one who suffers the most in this life. Yeah. I would put a stamp on that for sure. Think about it, you would run away from suffering only to be hit with more. When if you just would embrace it, you wouldn't be per se.
SPEAKER_08And sometimes, again, one of the biggest problems we have is there is accountability. There are consequences for actions. You know, you may have done something that unfortunately you're going to have to suffer the consequences so that you can move past it and not do that again. Because again, I I'm a firm believer is how do you learn? If God or say your earthly parents or whoever basically takes care of everything for you, what are you learning? You're not learning anything.
SPEAKER_02And if you're not disciplined, or says you're an illegitimate child.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, and I don't know, nobody wants me to be that, really. I mean, we have our father in heaven, obviously, but again But what Hebrews writer is saying is you're not part of that family either.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. God's not disciplining you. Yeah. You know, like, but also contextual wise, the suffering here is for the name of Christ, right? It's not just general suffering. Okay. Because Peter's writing this in Rome, codenaming it Babylon, so they're not going to catch on as quick, right? Um, and he's in very fixed, fixed situation where he's about to meet his end under you know, Nero and all that. And um Paul is there too. But these people are physically suffering for Christ. And it seems that the pagans were like, well, that should be enough to prove to you to come back the way you weren't suffering over here. But I like the way my translation, not that it's any better than yours, it says, you won't spend the rest of your life chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God, because you have had enough of the past evil things that godless people enjoy, their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness, their wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do, so they slander you. But remember, they will also face God, who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. That is why the gospel was preached to those who are now dead. So although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit. And then he caps that in verse 7 the end of the world is coming soon. So that's the kind like Peter exemplifies this in Acts 4, him and John, where they're the Pharisees are like, hey, don't heal that guy, and stop talking about Jesus, or else we'll beat you. And Peter says, okay. And they beat him, put him in jail, and then they keep coming back out and preaching and taking the punishment. They're not being hateful or ungodly, they're suffering for the name. And that's something that's very incredible to think about because it goes beyond just routine worldly suffering that Solomon will say fate and chance happen to all, right? And sometimes bad things. This this is a specific kind, like enduring for Christ and being made fun of or persecuted for belief in him.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And don't take away that I was just getting rid of this. I'm not trying to take away from your experience.
SPEAKER_08No, no, no, I'm not no no, I don't care about that. What I'm saying is don't take away from this that God wants you to suffer.
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_08That's not what he's saying. The self the self-flagellation.
SPEAKER_02Self-flagellation, yep.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, yeah, that that does not appeal to me at all. No. But I beat myself up enough in my own. You do self-flagellate just internally. Internally, yeah. Like like you were talking about in service today, I'm not good enough. I have to do this, this, and this. But God is not mad at you. Right. There's a question again, who told us that? Yeah, God has never, I don't think God has ever truly been mad at us. He may have been disappointed or upset in times in the Old Testament. But if if God was mad at us, why would Jesus have come? Right. Like, if if I was mad at something, I wouldn't send my son to go and die to save you. Agreed. Like I've I've spent many times, like when my kids were little, looking at them and thinking about this, going, There's no way that I would send this sweet innocent child to die for somebody I've never met before. You know, even yesterday with my grandbaby, it's like, no way. No way. I would definitely die before any of that would happen. Even today, my kids are grown. It's the same thing. You know, I would die for them, but to have them die for somebody I don't know? Mm-hmm. That's that's just such an amazing sacrifice that I think we don't truly comprehend.
SPEAKER_02Also, another thing that Thomas Merton learns later in life that he writes is why make that distinction between worldly suffering that just happens, like sickness and things? Sure, God can use those to draw you to him because he's right. But he says that so often in the world those things are given incredible biblical meanings because they're supposedly drawing you to. He's like, but the the the point is, and I'm I don't have the exact quote, so forgive me, but he's basically says the point of suffering and pain is that the point of suffering and pain has been taken away and been redefined through Christ. And that you are no longer sanctified and perfected by suffering as the world does, because the one who saved you has already done that. And so suffering for his name and being persecuted and martyred and things like that in the ancient faith are what Peter's referring to is a whole different ballgame than the you should just get closer to God because a sucky thing happened to you. No, uh that's that Jesus' death and resurrection strips any kind of meaning of that kind of suffering away and turns it all into redemptive suffering. You know.
SPEAKER_08And I think something else too is it gives us an idea of it's temporary. It's a very temporary thing.
SPEAKER_02Like uh being flayed alive is temporary, but it still sucks for about 20 minutes.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I mean, uh again, it it's uh our brain breaks on the idea of eternity. Eternity, yes. It's like the 30 minutes of suffering that is Scott's sermon. The 30 minutes that you're waiting for the clock at work or something like that feels like an eternity, and it feels like, oh, I can't wait to get out of here. And then in 30 minutes you're home, and it's been two hours since you've been home. You know what I'm saying? It's like stop suffering, stop focusing on that. That's not really be grateful in that. Be grateful that you have a job to be at waiting for the clock to get there, um, or to have children to complain about, or to have a mortgage to complain about, you know, or uh grocery prices. We're all definitely complaining about them, but we it's because we have them. Well, yeah, and we we're lucky that we have them, and we're not like the first century Christians, and even in the world today, there are people getting beheaded and killed for owning a Bible or speaking the name Jesus. Um but I think that is a testament to their belief and their faith, knowing that death is temporary, that there is something better after death. In Philippians, we read, you know, to live is to live to live as Christ to die as gain.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. Why would you even offer that it's it's uh let me take that further. It's not saying death is temporary, it's saying it doesn't matter to you anymore. Yeah, the sting of death is gone. Like that's what people have viewed and used as the worst case scenario to keep you in line, and that Satan has used as far as the writer of Hebrews says, and and all these fears have been absolutely disarmed and made a spectacle of by Christ on the cross, right? Like he embarrassed it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like saying, Really?
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know? Yeah. Like he absolutely disarmed it. Um and that makes me think in back here, 1 Peter verse uh 1 of chapter 4, it says, You must arm yourselves with the same attitude Jesus had and be ready to suffer. And again, not seeking it out. And we see if it happens, it happens.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, we see in the Garden of Gethsemane that he was like, I don't want this. Yeah, he was anxious. He asked God to take this cup away from me. Is there another way? Is there another way? So again, it's okay to have those anxieties and those worries, but he and ultimately knew that it would be just temporary, and he knew when he said to the to the Pharisees, only I can lay my life down and pick it back up again.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I mean, so And they're like, we'll see about that. And then they saw about that, didn't they? They're like, oh man, we did see about that.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. So like that paricaby was keep fervent in your love. I have highlighted above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
SPEAKER_02Ain't it though? Because it's not God forgiving sin in that case. It's your love.
SPEAKER_08It's yeah. And we have talked so much about that. And we talked about it just recently. You know, commandment one, love God above all things, and two, love your neighbor. Love yourself, love yourself above. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Love and above yourself.
SPEAKER_08And if you can't do number two, refer back to number one.
SPEAKER_04Refer back to number one.
SPEAKER_08But yeah, love covers a multitude of sins. And I think we have seen that so many times in our own lives, and we may not have caught it, we may not have recognized it, we may not have seen it or understood it, but all you need is love, as much as that's a Beatles song.
SPEAKER_02Well, they weren't wrong. True. They absolutely weren't wrong. All you do need is love, the love of God in Christ Jesus.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, because you are a beloved child of God.
SPEAKER_02But but also this is what reminds me of you guys have I don't know if you guys are my target audience, but the podcast might Brian may have, and you may have, weirdly, Tom. You ever seen La Miz? La Miseralf? So the part where Jean Valjean and the priest, right? He steals the he gives them a place to stay to hide or whatever, and then he steals all the silver, and then the police come or whatever, and they're trying to get him to accuse him. The priest lies for him, in essence, and so he doesn't get in trouble because he realized he needed it more than the priest did. So I mean, love covered a multitude of sins. Yeah. Right? Like, imagine like the time where you could walk in and just wreck something at work by saying something that's really made you mad, and you just let it go. You know, that's not weakness. That's just realizing at the end of the day, this doesn't matter, and I can overlook this thing. Yeah, and it's not if it's not killing anyone, or if if it's something I can forgive, then I'm gonna do it.
SPEAKER_08That's what I love about our our the way we are at the gathering. It's like we try to tell them, I understand this or that was stolen from you. Think of it as they needed it more than you did, and I will replace it that you can have it replaced at the gathering or whatever.
SPEAKER_02Like we've seen so much theft and personal or somebody walks into that, I have a tent, and they're like, mine was just stolen. Well, there's a new one. Yeah, and the right deal.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. I mean, how many times have you seen these things over and over again? And we've tried to tell them stop coveting all this stuff, which I get, homelessness. It would be very difficult when you're homeless to not if you were homeless. Yeah, it it it is. I get that. That's something I can't speak to. But I'm trying my best to get them to understand that the worldly things don't matter. I saw that grin.
SPEAKER_00I I I've heard a lot of expressions. Um there's uh one in our gathering who um feels as though it's it's his responsibility to roll with the tide. So when bad things happen to him, he's like, oh, you know, that's that's fine, maybe they needed it more than me. But he he does say these things in like uh in a reassurance kind of thing, trying to reassure himself. So um there's another one too who I've actually seen genuinely uh adopt the same mentality and and and he does genuinely practice it. So um I don't know, man. There's there's all kinds of streams of thought out there, and I I do think it's sad that there's kind of a need to to gather more stuff in the community, um, especially from uh from each other, but but they don't they don't really have uh yet like it seems to be uh a thought gathering steam, but a sense of community to all. That's to say they don't have community roles. Yeah, yeah. So so it's it's it's it's largely individualism uh which is separated.
SPEAKER_08Doggy dog individualism, I deserve that.
SPEAKER_02They don't or maybe they just the law is community use, even though that's not really the law. They there's something I need, I'll take it. Yeah, even though that's not right.
SPEAKER_08So so in my personal life, when I was married last, we had me and three boys and one girl. And I didn't see the desire or the need to take up space for everybody, especially the boys specifically, to um have their own pair of socks. Like their socks, who cares? You know what I'm saying? Like I understand the need and the desire and all those things for them when you need them, but at the same time, if you need a pair of socks, just come get them. Like everybody just takes from the community drawer, right? Which is what we call washed. Yeah, they're community sock drawer, just come get whatever you need and go. And I like that premise even at our gathering because we have the c we have the closet, the paint the clothing pantry. What they need, we can provide because of our gracious donors. Um but also at the same time, don't steal it from each other. Give it back to us, we will wash it, and we will I I love the fact that I've seen the same sweatshirt on four or five different gentlemen. That's the way it should be. That's a sense of community to me. Taking care of one another and respecting each other's need to self-preservere, right? Okay. Am I wrong in thinking that? No.
SPEAKER_02If you are, I don't my brain hasn't caught up enough to tell me.
SPEAKER_00No, I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I get what you're saying.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But but I do uh there there are okay, so whereas we yes, we we are helping uh a need and a needy uh individual as well, too, someone who is in need. Uh we we also have people with um different mental statuses as well, too. So so there there are uh people who are generally just kleptomaniacs as well, feeling a c fulfilling a compulsion to to take something, whether it's you know a block bag or a dollar bill. It could very well be. Yeah. Uh and and those those are things that we we manage together. So that's all yeah. But but like I said before, I I do I do see some form of uh a sense of community and it's it's it's slowly gathering steel.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, and I've seen it myself here recently too. So and and that's what I wanted for the gathering when I get it. Oh, agreed. And I've told them time and time again you guys should be taking care of each other. Yeah, take care. Other's backs.
SPEAKER_00If we're starting to hear, take it with you. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Don't give them a reason to accuse you out there. Which is in essence what Peter's saying is cool, if you do right and get in trouble, that's one thing, but like don't give them a reason. That's true. Do the right thing. Because you know you're gonna have what you have, but again, I haven't been homeless, so I can't feel the necessity of like I need to grab more or else I won't have, right? But I I I don't know how I would handle that.
SPEAKER_00But I I I was homeless for a time. I lived in my car. Uh I had a desperation. I didn't know like I I've heard of suitcations, I don't know where any of them are. Right.
SPEAKER_02They're never easy to find when you need them.
SPEAKER_00No, that and that and that was it. So and and I and I and I was like, I assume they're out there, whatever. I'm gonna go ahead and focus on what I have. And what I had was this uh this tiny little $400 car that I'd I'd uh spent money on before I went uh homeless. And uh I lived in my car and I delivered pizzas. So and I didn't have to do it for very long because I I ran into a friend and uh the friend had uh he remembered uh he remembered something I did for him and it was it was so silly to me at the time. I was like, yeah, of course, whatever. You're hungry, I'm going to feed you. And he remembered that, and because he remembered that he gave me a place to stay and and and and his home. And and and that and I was like, really? I just fed you.
SPEAKER_08That's all I did. So, but yeah. I'm glad you said that because my best friend, he's been in a situation where like we pretty much took care of him. We used to joke, it's like we'd see him walking down the street kicking a can, and I know he's all my age there, and we'd ask him, What are you doing? And he'd be saying, Moving. That's all he had was a can to kick down the road. But his wife asked me one time, Why have I always taken such good care of him? And the simple answer was, Tommy may be on hard times someday. I may have to call in a favor. I didn't really necessarily mean it that way, but at the same time, it's true.
SPEAKER_02You know, you never want somebody to be there for you if you're going through it.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, so like be there for as many people as you possibly can. And that's really what started my journey towards the gathering was seeing that I'm just one mistake away from the homelessness.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_08And how close all of us are. Yeah. So close to one mistake.
SPEAKER_02Yep. You know, or one giant repair bill.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, exactly. You know, so and honestly, that's when I wanted the most possessions, it was when I had a lot of possessions. Like I coveted more things when I had things, and now that I don't have nothing, I don't covet nothing. Yeah. You know, I'm ready to sell what I got, and me and my daughter live out of a van somewhere. Down by the river again. All right, let's go on to chapter five.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Uh Purikabi says, uh shepherd the flock of God. Therefore, I exhort the elders amongst you, as your fellow elder, and witness of the suffering of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed. Shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing, not under compulsion, but willingly, accordingly to God, and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness, nor yet as lording it over those allotted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men likewise be subject to your elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. For God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him. Firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished among your brethren who are in the world. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, strengthen, and confirm, and ground you to him be might forever and ever. Amen. As I regard him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and bearing witness that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.
SPEAKER_02And just whenever the Bible says amen after something, but someone's like, I don't feel like I should go any further yet. Like all power to him forever. Amen. Amen. But what's fascinating this to me is verse 6 humble yourselves under the mighty power of God that at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Talk about a guy who learned this the hard way. Peter. Peter. Yeah. Like betrayed Jesus three times is you know all that. But then at the the after the resurrection, Jesus lifted him up.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, and he said, Feed my sheep.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_08So he he goes to him and and talks about who do you say I am? And you know, he proclaims that he is the Christ. And then also with the walking on the water, you know, don't take your eyes off me. Um, but yeah, I I was particular to the casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. That's a really hard concept. Um in my version, probably in your guys's too, it says, on capital, casting all your anxiety on him. And that's one thing that is so hard to do. Like, how do I how do I lay it down? How do I give it to Jesus? How do I let go of it and not pick it back up? It it is hard, it is difficult. Um when you can do it, when you can finally get closer to being able to do it, it it is so freeing. Like the anxiety that I had before, being able to lay it all down and walk away from it, is fantastic. It it's been a huge like I just feel like I can breathe again. You know, and and I want that for everyone. I wish that they would be more willing to accept it. Casting all your anxiety on him. And then it's just as important as it says, because he, God, cares for you. Think about that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's not like some trite transactional religious exercise. Yeah, it's do this because your God loves you. Yeah, God wants to take this from your yeah, God said Tommy.
SPEAKER_08You know, God said Scott, God said Brian. His your name has been in his mouth long before your parents even knew. Long before they even existed. Right. And and and and putting that into perspective, a God who cares, a God who loves us, a God who wants us to come to him and give our burdens to him. As a dad, I want that, but at the same time, that's a hard burden to take on. You know, I I want to take on my children's burden, but at the same time, what is that going to cost me in the long run? Like, what is that going to do to me? You know, but having the faith, having knowing that God loves me, God loves them, God is for me, not against me, I can take that burden on and hopefully lead them in that. Show them that God has this. We had an experience earlier. Uh anxiety over what was going on in the house. She was a nervous wreck over what's going on in the house. And what did I say? God has this. Let her ha let him have it. Agreed, yeah. Lay it down. You know, and I can walk my kids through scripture, I can walk them through how many times God has taken care of me and us and all those things. And and that's the beautiful part about it, is we can take those experiences from the suffering to the glorifying. You know, through the fact, hey, we made it through that. God was with us then. You may not have seen it or known it. I did because I was heavily relying on him, you know. But also in that, I remember times when I would heaven or heavily go to him, but only when I absolutely needed it. And that's wrong. God has never been a genie in a bottle. He'll never be a genie in a bottle.
SPEAKER_02He's not a fire extinguisher.
SPEAKER_08Not a fire extinguisher. You know? Um, and that's why prayer is so so important, even when you don't know what to pray. We know that God knows, that God wants you to say, Hey, Abba, I need you.
SPEAKER_02But even then, when you don't know, the Holy Spirit prays what you should be praying.
SPEAKER_00Exactly.
SPEAKER_02We have a God who not only wants to take our anxieties and burdens, but actively prays for us to be able to release them to him. Like, let that blow your brain out the back of your head. Right. Like it's it's beautiful.
SPEAKER_08It really is. You don't need a middleman. There is no middle person between us. The veil was ripped in two for a reason.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_08To take away that separation of us from him. Correct. To have that relationship with him. Like God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, and ultimately that's the goal now. To still be walking with him. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever will be. I mean, it it it just it's beautiful when you really look at it and think about it and start to st rely on it and and be obedient and give those things. You know, there's a lot in these two chapters that is actually highlight that's actually um in c all capitals. Which is kind of interesting. It it's just, you know, hey, pay attention to this. Make sure you're watching this, make sure you're eating this.
SPEAKER_02And also verse 8, the stay alert, watch out for your enemy the devil. Um, the idea we we stop at the like a lion comparison, but he's looking for someone to devour. What kind of animals are these predators devouring if you watch National Geographic? It's the weak ones. The weak ones, the left behind, the the the sickly ones, which is the ones that are unhealthy. So Peter's saying, get yourself together, stay alert, don't become the weak one. Right? And sure, I think seasons in our life we all uh uh alternate between being weak and strong in different ways. But Peter's saying, stay alert because you have an enemy, and if you are sickly and he perceives that he will eat you for lunch. Do not let yourself be that way. Stand firm against them, be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers. So again, it's not just you and God are navigating, your family all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. And if you remember, like, or think about any time you've gone through anything terrible in your life, you feel like you're so isolated and alone. Like you're the only person that's ever possibly gone through this. And even though in your brain you can say, I know that's not true, your mind is very good at convincing you I am the only one right now.
SPEAKER_08I'm gonna say the chatterbox is very good for saying, hey, you're a loser, you're the only one that's ever done this. No one's ever made this dumb mistake before.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Um and so it's important to stay alert. Like that's part of your spiritual warfare, is realizing you have an enemy in the world and people around you that have a vested interest in pulling you away from God. And if you just limp around and don't pay attention, don't read your Bible, don't take part in church, don't pray, don't do anything to build yourself up, to display that love that covers a multitude of sins in your own life, like you're gonna get eaten for lunch. And a lot worse than a lion. Yeah, like stay alert. Yeah. Like you have to. And that's why it's really important. I think Paul camps out on it in I believe it's Philippians. What are the things you have to think on, right? Like have the same mind as Christ Jesus, whatever is true and noble and good and trustworthy and honorable. Think on those things. You know? Because if you think about it, yeah, we think about goofy stuff. Like I have ADD, and so like my life, my brain is just an amusement park. And sometimes the ungodliness will pop back out and be like, but like, at the same time, it's like you have to learn to pay attention to your thought life. Like, yeah, I have ADD, I have anxiety, I have depression, and I have all that going on all of a sudden, plus my own weird personality that's going on all the time. I have to learn to separate that from God's word and God's voice, or else I'll get eaten alive because, like I always say, you're the easiest person to convince yourself that you're right. Even if you know you're wrong.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You will be able to convince yourself of anything. Yeah, did he really say that?
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Until you look at Satan is waiting for you to do that. Yeah. So he can bite your leg off.
SPEAKER_05He bit my leg off. It's just a fresh wing.
SPEAKER_02That's what Jesus says. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_08He restores it. Yeah, I mean, that's I like that. That's pretty good, actually. Um, but yeah, I mean we see that too about taking every thought captive. I think that's in James. You know, and when you do have the foundation and you do have it written on your heart that, hey, God is for me.
SPEAKER_04Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_00Nothing, you know, nothing against me. Well, and and it and it's fine to say these things, and it's fine to realize these things, but how do you put them into practice? So, for for instance, how do we give something up to God? That's always the thing.
SPEAKER_02It's like, I can't believe we hand it to him. I'm like, here, Jesus, Jesus' plate of anxiety.
SPEAKER_00Well, no, and that's it. And and some people even do that as emotion, just like, I can't take this anymore, please God, take this from me, uh, raising their hands above their heads as if trying to give it to them. Uh I I think I think there is something to this and to what is said in uh in another scripture um where uh what do we give power to? Do I give more power to doubt and just believe everything I'm observing or or being led to believe because that's what I'm being led to believe, or do I believe that Jesus is God? Generally, when when I when I have an understanding and this is this might be a personal touch, maybe you have a different way of doing it. Uh I I generally just I I lean on him. I'm just like, okay, this looks bad, but I know God is present, I know God is in this, we are together. So what's at the other side? What's the outcome? How does this end? What am I not seeing? I say that a lot too. So uh so again, I I think in my way, that's how I understand giving it to God is I just genuinely just no, I this is bad, but I'm with God. That's it. So and then uh I I kind of lead on. So that's what I do.
SPEAKER_08I go, okay, what am I supposed to learn here? What am I supposed to lay down? What am I supposed to forgive? What am I holding on to that is keep is holding me back from this, that, or the other. What is it you were looking for, Scott?
SPEAKER_02I'm looking to Jesus' direct words in Matthew 11, that maybe Peter is calling to mind here, and this is the one I go to when I feel like I need to give something to God. When Jesus says, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I will give you is light. The idea historically that I've thought of, and I've just kind of had a retweaking of this lately, is Jesus exchanging a yoke with us. Yes. That's not it. Yokes came in a pair. He's going to shoulder it with you. Yes. And so I don't think it's as much. I think it's more like what you're saying that it's something, yes, I can say, God, please take this from me. But what I mean by that, I think, at least as I'm working my salvation out with fear and trembling, is Jesus isn't saying, okay, I'll just take this away from you. He's saying, put my yoke on you and let's walk together. Yes. You know, and you'll find out that my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And I want you to do this. Like I want you to hand this to me. So it's not even the fact that I'm just letting it go and throwing it to God and saying, hey, take it. It's God saying, I will walk with you through this and lighten the load because two are better than one. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_08I mean, it says that even, you know, two to keep warm better than a one. But we haven't actually referenced it. Yes, three steps. We haven't referenced the my yoke as light in a while. That's true.
SPEAKER_02But I think that's exactly what this is. It's not that we give it to God, it's that we allow God and consent for Jesus to walk with us through it. Would you say how else would you learn? Again, that's what I said earlier. You learn, you have to Jesus take this away in a miraculous way? Yes. And sometimes he does. Absolutely. But most of the time, no, it's it's learning to walk. I even people hate on the message, but its translation of this is probably one of the greatest, this passage. It says, you know, learn from my unforced rhythms of grace.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Walk with me, let me walk with you. You know? Um and that that's exactly what this is. It's how you give something to God. I mean, yes, if if saying and doing the motions of the Lord, I give this to you, and I have done those, and I still will continue. But ultimately, it's remembering, okay, Jesus, I've somehow managed to fumble my yoke back on without you. Please forgive me and and let me step back under yours.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And he's like, cool, put yours on too, and we'll walk together. Yeah. I mean. But he's not going to go where you don't ask him, and that's what people don't believe. That's why they get mad God didn't take this away from me. Right. Well, how are you going to learn if if if if if Jesus isn't walking with you through it? And and a lot of in spiritual formation and discipleship development, it's what I call the church is called in the modern iteration, it's called the wall. It's been called the dark night of the soul before. You know, but God brings you to the walls. And unfortunately, this isn't the going on a bear hunt song. You can't go around it, can't go over it, can't go under it. You have to go through it. But only God has the power to break through the wall with you. So if you don't allow God to walk with you to your darkest places, how is he supposed to bring healing there? If you don't ask him to go there, he's not. Not because he doesn't want to, because you haven't asked.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02James says you don't have because you don't ask. Like literally, like we this there's no formulation here where we have to like magically put together an equation and God's like, well, he did the prayer math right. I guess I have to help him. Well he's standing there saying, Scott, you idiot, you put your yoke back on and kick me out.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Stop so I can put it back on.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, I'm gonna walk with you.
SPEAKER_08I'm gonna reference back to when we were talking about uh in Mark with Robin and downstairs. God or Jesus was gonna walk by them. Yeah, it's like Yeah. But it's because he wanted them to call out to him. You know, he wanted to And they're like, it's a ghost. Yeah, exactly. They fumbled. Definitely they fumbled.
SPEAKER_02But I mean, we're gonna do that. We're still human, even the apostles are still human. We should be called the church, maybe uh Francis Spuffer calls he says the church should rightly be called the International League of the Guilty, but sometimes I think we should call it the International League of Fumblers. I would be okay with either one.
SPEAKER_08Um, but yeah, I mean that's it's just a beautiful thing when you realize those things, and I like how that's said, let me walk with you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like God did Jesus ever make the disciples walk by themselves?
SPEAKER_05No.
SPEAKER_02No, even when he sent them two by two. With the Spirit.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. And I I want to ask you, Scott, since um talking about it, how much of that is part of the covenant contract, walking through it together?
SPEAKER_02I mean, we could pull that imagery from the Old Testament if we wanted to, but I think the New Testament is ultimately different because not only does it take care of the sin we have, it takes care of the wrath, right? But also it's written and signed in God's blood. So there's nothing I can add to that covenant except just being a part of it, right? Nothing you can add. There's there's not a thing I could do to say, okay, Jesus, let's work out a different agreement with me. You know? And some people will tell you that.
SPEAKER_08No supplements to it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like there's no addendums or or you know, amendments. Yeah. But like, that's it. And I think that's what like even in this verse 10, right? Like, in his kindness, God called you to share in his, there it is, eternal glory by means of who? Christ Jesus. Right? So after you've suffered a little while, which it won't last, he will restore you, support, strengthen you, and place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever. Amen. Then I love that I wrote you this to help you, and your sister church here in Babylon sends greetings, and so does Mark. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.
SPEAKER_05Amen.
SPEAKER_02How cool.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like if an apostle says amen, it's hard to go beyond that. Like, I want to stop at verse 11 and be like, all power to him forever. Amen.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just stop.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But it doesn't stop there because he's saying, This is why I wrote this. Yeah. You're not alone.
SPEAKER_08We're never alone. Stop thinking that you're alone. Yeah. Remember, you have an advocate. It's Jesus Christ the righteous. That's right. Give it to him.
SPEAKER_02All right, Scott, praise out today. Our Father in heaven, um, I really can't think of anything more to pray but this. May all power and glory be to him and to you and to the Spirit forever. In Jesus' name. Amen.