009 Jude Pt 3

Do you know the Bible is God's Holy Word? Do you know it is

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subscribe and support this podcast. So we are Maranatha Ministries and now Redemption Draweth

Nigh. Welcome, Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the program. We're your

host Leonard and matthnew Tonight we're getting back the Book of June. So this

is just the continuation. There's so much stuff here and it's really it really

has a sister chapter in Second Peter, chapter two. So there's just so

much here to unpack. But Leonard, let's get your opening comments this week

about the Book of June. Yeah, you know, I'd like to start

off where were we last left off. I know you were talking about just

these four verses. You didn't get a chance to go through it in the

Hebrew. What it says in the Hebrew. I'm really interested and really wanted

to know what that says in the Hebrew, because I know we went over

with the Greek. But I would like you to just, you know,

to tell us a little bit about what this is saying in the Hebrew for

those that don't know that, you know, the New Testament was written in

Hebrew too, Yes, it was. That is the Delitch New Testament.

Now everybody needs to know it was. It was revised by honorable ull Rick,

and not only and he was the most foremost Hebrew expert at the time,

but later in its final revision, the tenth revision Dolman, which was

also an expert in Hebrew. He actually revised and published after Delich died.

So we have to understand the miracle of this, because this is before the

inception of the modern Hebrew as a language. Everybody knows that after nineteen forty

eight the Jewish scholars got together and reinstituted the Hebrew language. No, the

Deltsch translation was before that. I got a question, though, I've been

looking at the delts I have one of those, but I got from the

I think it was called the Hebrew the Israelite Institute or something like that.

Yep, yep, yeah, And I've seen that they revised one in twenty

twelve, and this year I didn't know they had revised it. I wouldn't

use it even if they did. I accept what Doman finally revised in the

tenth edition, and he had delicious permission to look at that. I'm not

I'm not even gonna consider it. I'm not going to look at the text.

There's no reason for it to be revised. Intin who is just for

the listener. So if the listener looks up online like you know, like

I did, they know what to be looking for. Okay, yeah,

but yeah, if and when I talk about the Hebrew, that's what I'm

talking about because it's already been historically established as the authoritative Hebrew New Testament.

So you know, most Christians don't know that. Most supposed scholars, they

only stick to the Hebrew for the Old Testament. They ignore the Greek Old

Testament and stick with the Greek New Testament and ignore the Hebrew New Testament.

So yeah, we we go places no other ministry does. That's that's that's

for sure. So you know, one of the things that you see prophetically

whenever you look at this this text in the Hebrew, for one, its

use of the word Russia in this text. Now, that is the Hebrew

word for wicked. It's the Hebrew word here used in a Dults New Testament

repeatedly. Well, let's look at verse fifteen. This sticks out in the

New American Standard Bible, because it's just, it's just repetitive, it's nature.

It's just to execute judgment upon and to convict all the ungodly of all

their ungodly deeds, which they have done in an ungodly way. This is

the Hebrew word russia. It's first used in verse four. Here, Again

the New American Standard Bible uses for ungodly persons. You need to know this

is very important where this word is used in where it's coming up in the

Old Testament. Take note the example is given here of Sodoman gomorrah. And

take note this is the Hebrew word used there in Genesis chapter eighteen, verses

of twenty three and twenty five to contrast the zadac in Hebrew the righteous.

What contrasts that is this word russia or wicked. So Genesis chapter eighteen,

verse twenty three, Abraham came near and said, will you indeed sweep away

the righteous with the wicked? And verse twenty five the same concept, basically

the same phraseology. Abraham reiterates himself when he's speaking to God himself, Far

be it from you to do such a thing to slay the righteous. That's

zadek with the wicked Russia. So in implementing this this Hebrew word the way

it is in the Book of Jude and of course Second Peter chapter two,

because Second Peter chapter two it's in verse five, eight, nine, and

seven, So it's there repeatedly too, making sure that you understand the fact

there's only really two kinds when it comes to this point and the group of

people that we're dealing with. The Hebrew is using phraseology so that you understand

it. These people who have come to Christ and have rebelled, as this

text states repeatedly, they become like the fallen Angels. Now that might be

a shock to some people's system to say, what are you talking about,

ladies and gentlemen. New Testament is fairly clear in multiple locations, especially with

the Greek word that means above the heavens. In Christ, we are above

or our places in the heaven least the appiano in Greek. What this text

is coming out and saying that if you're a Christian and you turn for those

things and go back into the world, go back into sin, and especially

if you're a leader and you do this, this is just like the fallen

angels who rebelled against God's plant. They're put on the same level repeatedly.

Here it uses phraseology to to contrast the Zatak with the Russia. It's very

clear lines, very clearly defined. That's why repeatedly it uses this, this

contrast with what happened Sodom and Gomora, Oh, what happened in Egypt.

Let let's let's take a look at the first in verse five, it says

this the neub American standards. This is the first example that's given. He

says, no, I desire to remind you, though you know all things,

once for all, that the Lord, after saving the people out of

the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. This is

his first example, and this is the best example to use because people forget

that during the forty years in the wilderness, Leonard who led the children of

Israel around, I mean it was Moses, No, it was God.

Well, it was God. Yeah. Remember during the day it would manifest

as a pillar of cloud, right, and at night the pillar of fire

that went on for forty years. Right. People don't realize this is the

perfect example. That's why it's used first. These people actually all the pillar

of cloud, there was actually fed manna for forty years. Leonard the god,

they was in his presence for forty years, and still they rebelled.

Yeah, they still wanted to go back to Egypt. They were complaining about

what they had when they were in slavery. That's right, while they were

in slavery, they wanted to go back. They grumbled, they could blame.

They tested God ten times. The Book of Numbers says, So this

text is wanting you to see that example first, that this is a special

group that is well this this Hebrew word Russia. You know, it reminds

me of those. So it's like it's like you were to get saved,

right and God do a mighty miracle in your life, and then just once

God sets your feet, you're set on a solid ground and h know,

God begins to bless your hands or just anything. But those blessings become stumbling

blocks because you allow it to. I guess you would allow it not not

to acknowledge God, but to acknowledge yourself by by what you're getting. I

had this perfect example. I had a friend that exact same thing. God

was blessing him. God was opening doors, and God was doing all kinds

of things, and after a while, through my conversations with him, he

was really bitter, and I repeatedly kept saying, brother, you need to

be thankful for everything that God has given you. Remember, I just just

try to remind him of where God has tooken him out. And eventually it

got too much where I had to just stop. I had to just leave

him alone, and he eventually just went back into, you know, the

life that he was in. But even worse, his wife called me and

call him constantly hang up on me. Finally, though, after he lost

everything, finally realized by getting back up that you know where he went wrong.

But it just reminds me there are some people that that sometimes they don't

see it, you know, they completely just fall away and they never get

back up. So this is what it kind of reminds me of where being

in slavery, because that's how I look at sin as bondage. I look

at sin as being in slavery and being bond you know, bound by your

you know, by your senses, by the desires of your senses that's controlling

you instead of the you know, instead of being the desires of your heart,

which is, you know, things that are good that are above.

You know, not all your desires are good, but when you're a believer,

they should be. So this is kind of like what it reminds me

of when I'm hearing you say this, that these people even though after seeing

the miracle, you know, after seeing you know, the cloud by day

and the pillar by night, and seeing the miracle of all the plagues and

the ocean sweeping over it and being fed by manna and water coming from a

rock when they were absolutely thirsty. And it's just even though those things they

forget and they still well, I guess it would be in their heart,

but still in their heart as Egypt, you know, I get even says

it right in Kora, whether they should already be in a place with milk

and honey or something like that. You promised us we'd be somewhere in the

Promised Land, but you know, in Egypt we had this, that and

the other, and I guess their heart was never left Egypt. So yeah,

this is this is what you were saying, just reminds me of that

God doing a miracle in your life, and then after you're cleaned up,

you're going right back to the pigstime. And that is highly offensive. I

mean, you're offending the Holy Spirit. At that point, you're on dangerous

ground. But this is I mean, this text is likening those into visuals

to the fallen angels, and truly they are. I mean, it would

be better if they'd never been born. I mean, it's one thing to

be lost in your sins, in ignorance, having never been saved. But

once you come to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and then you turn

from it, it would have been better if you'd never been born, just

like the angels. Right now, this text is very clear that it would

have been better if they had never been created. And take note it uses

this in this order so that you get this. I mean, there is

no doubt who verse six is talking about. Let's go to the next verse

and the angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandon their proper

abode. He has kept an eternal bond under darkness for the judgment of the

Great Day. We know what that sin was. Genesis chapter six is very

clear the angels left their proper domain. They come here and took wives from

whomever they chose. The very next verse follows it up with its inversion it's

no secret that what was happening in the valley of Sodom Gomorra was exactly the

opposite. What these angels were doing was coming down, and they did not

defend themselves, and the townspeople were raping them. If you don't know about

that story, please go read Genesis chapters eighteen and nineteen. It's very plain

those people had figured out that when angels come down, they could rape them.

You know. It also said that in what you were just saying in

a second Peter two twenty one, for it would be better for them not

to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn away

from the holy commandment handed handed onto them. Yes, once, once this

happens, ladies and gentlemen, it would be better for you to be a

fallen angel. You're the same, You're in the same predicament. Well,

it's better. It would be better for you not to have known the ways

of righteousness, just to be a sinner without, you know, without ever

having salvation, having the chance to would be better for you just to stay

lost, then to be lost and to be found and then to be lost

again. That's right. I mean, people think that you know that the

fallen angels are in a terrible predicament. Well, you're going to receive the

same fate. The Bible's very clear about that. And people just don't.

Boy, they just don't. They just don't get it. Now, we

can read the next verse and figure this out really quick. God doesn't mince

any words here, just to Sodom and Gomorrah and the seas around them,

since they in the same way as these. So let's explain that the verse

before it was talking about Genesis six, the angelish come down and vic whis

from whomever they chose. It's saying that the people in that valley of sodom

and order were doing the same thing in the same way as these indulged in

gross immorality. And when after strange flesh are exhibited as an example in undergoing

the punishment of eternal fire, ladies and gentlemen, there's no denying what the

Book of Revelation plainly states is going to happen to these people. After the

beast and the false prophet have been flown thrown into the lake of fire,

that's squarely where they go, and their torment goes up for ever. And

once you've come into the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and turn around and

go back to the pig sty. You are on equal par with the fallen

angel. That's what this text is bending over backwards to tell you. It's

pointing that out to you. Your damn Now, that's harsh words, but

that is exactly why this chapter here, Leonard, is quite right, everything

that's coming out of my mouth it's either coming from Second Peter chapter two or

Jude, because literally there's sister chapters. You know. Let me ask you

this, Leonard. You've honestly read through Jude quite a few times now,

right, Yeah, So what do you make of vers eight? If you've

got it there, read it for us? Yeah, In the same way,

these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh and reject authority and

revile angelic majesties or glories. What do you make of that? Well,

that's something I've been thinking about looking at this, thinking about these men dreaming,

how they defile the flesh. I was trying to look at that word

dreaming, and it has to be like it's like a divine dreaming, right,

and how they defile the flesh and reject authority and revile angelic majesties.

That's like you know in Sodomingamoran. Well, one things for sure, this

versus word in such a way makes you scratch your head by like, what

how can you how can you revile angelic majesties by dreaming? How can you

do that? Now? To me, I'm setting here looking once again at

the Hebrew. I see the word in play here, and I know where

else that word is utilized. And most people they don't well, they can't

put two and two together if they're not looking at the Hebrew. But this

word here, ladies and gentlemen, for dream that you're seeing. That Hebrew

word is three times in Deuteronomy, chapter thirteens. It's in verses one,

three, and five. Now I'm going to read that when I do,

boys, it's really going to hit you hard. Ladies and gentlemen, it's

going to hit you hard, because you know, the closest one to memory

that I remember as of late is this this false prophet Dana Coverstone. He

is a pastor. He pastors an Assembly of God church. He just come

out and said that he dreamed back in twenty twenty that Trump was going to

come back into the office by November, and all this bunch of garbage,

all of it lies. He is outright, straight up a false prophet.

So take note. This is pretty important because well just just listen. Take

note when it says dreamer here or dreams, that's the same word used in

Jude verse eight. If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you

and gives you a so or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes true

concerning which he spoke to you, saying, let us go after other gods

whom you have not known, and let us serve them. You shall not

listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the

Lord your God is testing you to find out. If you love the Lord

your God with all your heart and with all your soul, you shall follow

the Lord your God and fear him. You shall keep his commandments, listen

to his voice, serve him, and cling to him. But that prophet

or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he is counseled

rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of

Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the

way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk, so you shall

purge the evil from among you. You know, that's scary. That's scary

because I don't I don't even think Balem did that. I mean Balem,

he he didn't even say a rebuke like that against the children. He only

said what God told him to say. But he did, you know,

tell the king how to seduce the children of Israel. But when it came

to having a rebuke, I think he had blessed them. Am I correct?

That's right? He went not only that in his final prophecy, He's

the one that prophesied the Bethlehem Star, right, So that's what I'm saying.

Even Balem didn't dare do something like that, even though he was he

was wicked in what he was doing, because he counseled the king on how

to seduce the children of Israel. But when it came to, you know,

prophesying, he didn't prophesy anything against him like that. He's try.

He only prophesied what the Lord told him to say. Right. And I've

been thinking about this, dreaming right here, and that's the thing that came

to my heart was about from when I was looking at that word, it

was just like, how these It just reminds me of like what you just

said, how profits these days? I mean, we see them all the

time, you know, they're everywhere. And even the next verse when it

talks about Michael the Archangel that you know, even he didn't bring a rebuke

against the devil or you know, say a rebuke against him, we said

the Lord rebuke you. Even he didn't, you know, bring an an

argument to a judgment against Satan. But I see a lot of these prophets,

you know, say that they can control angels and they can have them

do your will. I mean I've recently heard that from a woman saying that

that we can control Michael the Archangel to do our will, and don't you

know that? And then she was what was scary is she was telling the

people you don't know your word. You don't know you don't know the word

of God. If you knew your word, you would see that in there.

And I was just like, whoa man, it's oh, I see

it all right, right, but I eat it. But she was like,

you don't know that you can do that. You have that authority to

tell Michael to do whatever you want and you have it. Just she didn't

read the next you know, she was saying that, you know, don't

you know, we can trample on scorpions and all this and that, but

she didn't read the next verse that comes after that. But anyways, but

yeah, this is what it reminds me of, though, these two verses,

And that's exactly what you were saying in Deuteronomy is exactly what I was

thinking about what we see today. Plenty of those. Yes, they are

literally a dime a dozen. It blows me away. They have no fear

in God. I mean, oh my goodness. They will falsely prophesy getting

nailed for it, and they won't even miss a beat. They'll just keep

right on go when they've been caught so many times out right lying. But

you know, like in Deuteronomy, it's to test. It's a testing for

the people, that's right. That's what that's what's really scary about Deuteronomy chapter

thirteen. There it says it's the Lord your God doing it to you to

test you. Let that sink in, ladies and gentlemen. It was very

clear what it said. It said it was the Lord your God testing you

to see if you loved him with all your heart. So just imagine,

look, imagine if the Lord sends an angel to test you and then you

do something like this and rile against that authority. You talk about being doubly

dumb, but you're supposed to know this. I mean, Jude and Second

Peter chapter two is an afterthought of Deuteronomy chapter thirteen. It's an afterthought you

should know. That's exactly what Jude and Second Peter Chapter two is being built

around. It's being built around this idea, this interaction with the angelic both

good and bad, both positive and negative. But ladies and gentlemen, yes

there are fallen angels, but date no. Deuteronomy chapter thirteen said that the

Lord your God would be testing you to see if you loved him with all

your heart. So if an angel shows up and does this, you're outright

commanded already to test the spirits, right Leonard, yep. And if any

angel shows up and you test them with the question did the Lord Jesus Christ

come in the flesh? Did he resurrect? Now those are specifically trunk cards

that you can see whether an angel is fallen or not. Just do that

listeners test. New Testament comes right out and tells you just perform that listeners

test, just question them on Christ. But if this angel comes to you

and God has sent him to test you, and you go to railing on

him, you're a special kind of stupid. You don't rail on angels period.

But you're right, Leonard, These these false prophets today, they're a

dime a dozen, and they do it all the time. And it blows

me away that nobody that listens to them puts a stop to it. It

just it blows me away. Why do you think that is? Why do

you think people tolerate that, Leonard? And it has to do with their

heart. I mean, obviously it has to. You know, they're seduced,

you know, I like how Jude puts in verse ten. But these

men revile things which they do not understand, and the things which they know

by instinct, like unreasoning animals. By these things, they are destroyed.

Yeah, there's a sensuality again. Yes, and remember this sensuality means the

senses. This is where this this is why one of the translations uses licentiousness.

It's the root word is sense licentiousness. The KJV uses well, well,

it basically means the same thing, but it's a different word. But

that's the root word here. That's why verse eleven comes right out of the

gates and telling you the prime example of that they've gone the way of king.

They've gone the way of king. I mean, everybody knows what that

means. Yeah, murderers. Murderers for nothing. April had done nothing wrong.

He was just jealous. He chased after his senses, He let his

senses consuming him. Yeah, like an animal. That's that's exactly what he

did, Like an animal. Yes, like an animal. He killed me.

Yep. It's it's very disturbing the massive amount of compare and contrasting we

have here with with the Chosen compared to these people who are literally these are

not people outside the church. Let let's make this clear. These are people

inside the church, ladies and gentlemen. Yeah, that's the crazy part,

Matthew, that he's not talking about like sinners that don't know that having come

to Christ, these are these are supposed to be brothers and sisters of the

faith. You know, That's what I see a lot when it's talking about

like in these verses. It always has to do with rebuking like the Brethren.

He even like John the Baptist was rebuking you know, the Brethren.

Absolutely, you wire, I mean this is this is part of it.

You have to make sure that you're keeping godly company. And and now,

oh my goodness, there's entire denominations that are ran by outright heretics. I

mean, Leonard, this is true. Okay, take for example, everybody

probably knows this from it being all over the news that the Methodist Church is

split because the Methodist Church, the United Methodist Church is at what is outright

antichrist. So like percent have split off and started what is non as the

Global Methodist Church because literally the people in charge at the highest levels are outright

heretics, I mean outright heretics. Yeah, they're doing the a sodom ingemorus

stuff. Oh yeah, that's exactly what they're doing. This is talking about

this talking about them. Yes, it is explicitly talking about them. So

if you need examples of what we're talking about here, go look up the

clergy of the United Methodist Church, their pedophiles, their homosexuals. There they

deny Christ, ladies and gentlemen, They deny that Jesus Christ is the only

way to heaven, and they deny the power. They have a form,

yes, of godliness, but they deny the power. That's right because they

are obviously devoid of the Holy Spirit. Lettered right, there's no way you

can talk against righteousness and have the Holy Spirit. No, I mean,

let that sink in, ladies and gentlemen, let this sink in. Let

me say that again, because maybe a lot of you aren't familiar with this

type of thought process. If you speak against righteousness, if you say that

righteousness is wrong, if you say, for example, if you say that

it's not a requirement to not steal, if you preach that you can steal

and enter the Kingdom of heaven, there's no way you have the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit would never tell you it's okay to violate the Ten Commandments.

Never do that ever, That is an anathema to the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is never ever going to tell you it's all right to break

the Ten Commandments. Just not gonna happen. Think about this, under what

circumstance, Leonard, would the Holy Spirit lead you to violate the Beatitudes?

None? Deero, The Holy Spirit would never do these things. The Holy

Spirit will never tell you to violate the Ten Commandments or the Beattitudes. Not

ever. Anyone who says otherwise, they do not have the Holy Spirit,

they are not anointed, they have not experientiously a Christian. You just need

to realize that Christianity it is experiential. It is if you haven't experienced the

Holy Spirit, what's the power of your testimony? And that's only done by

the spirit of God. That's right, it's so easy. What is the

law and the testimony? It's very easy. The Bible is very clear that

God wrote the Ten Commandments with his own finger. Jesus Christ comes right out

and says, I do these things by the finger of God. He literally

calls himself the finger of God. Look these verses up. So the ten

Commandments, that is the law. What is the testimony, ladies and gentlemen.

The testimony is what other people observe of you. And they had better

be observing the beatitudes, because if they're not observing the beatitudes. I want

to say this again very clear, I have not experientially experienced the Holy Spirit.

You just have you haven't been in contact with the Holy Spirit. And

if you haven't been in contact with the Holy Spirit. You're not experiencing Christianity,

you're experiencing something else, like you're noted methodism. I guess, well

what it is. It's giving a testimony of Jesus Christ in a negative way

by the way you live your life if you claim to be a Christian.

That's right. I guess that's one thing I wasn't expecting to speak on today.

It never crossed my mind that I would ever be led down that path

to speak this way. But ladies and gentlemen, if you were baptized when

you're a baby, that's good. But you need to experientiously encounter the Holy

Spirit. That's when you're a Christian. Okay, you have a life changing

event. I mean, Leonard, of all people, you're probably an expert

at this, right. Oh yeah, man, I mean, let's not

mince words here. You were by every definition a gang banger, correct,

right. You had an experience with God and he changed your life. Amen.

Amen. I think that your wife can testify to that in the court

of law, correct right. And you know what's crazy, Matthew is I've

been so I have a felony on my record and going back to court to

get it off, and I talked to my lawyer, who I haven't talked

to in like twenty years, to do it, and he represented me twenty

years ago. And so we've been going through it, and I've been sending

him all these letters from people that I've known, pastors and the school of

Ministry, and then in my work, my job, all the jobs that

I've been to, and he when he read it, and then when he

read it back to me, he's like he first he asked me, he's

a Leonard. I just got to ask you, like, what happened?

You know, what, what was it that radically changed your life? He's

all because when I knew you, you were a completely different person. And

it just gave me the opportunity just to just to express to him what Christ

has done for me. And I said, it's all because of Christ.

He's like, I've never at all my thirty years of uh you know,

practicing law and criminal law, I have never experienced anybody that's had a churasstic

change like you. With all the evidence to show, and from all the

years of of what and all the people of all your jobs and all them

writing you know things that they remember me and they remember what kind of worker

I was, and you know, and just all these people saying stuff,

these letters and just what this you know, what God has done for me?

And he's it spoke as a testimony to him because he knew me before.

And uh, he just was blown away. And then when he wrote

me this letter that he was sending to the judge to get that felony dropped

to a mysterimeanor and get it expunged. Uh, I was just blown away

by how he wrote it. And he said that he's he's just it's it's

incredible, he said, it's incredible to see that. So yeah, so

let me ask you something, Leonard. Were you born into a Christian family.

No, my well, my mom she was Christian, but she didn't

in the beginning she was in she had she was backsliding. And then after

she got married, you know, she started going to church when I was

born, but my dad no, but she started to. But it was

very hard, you know, the life that because it was a two seated

life that I was getting, you know, put inside of me one of

the world and one of the Church. And and it just wasn't good until

my dad, until he gave his life to the Lord. But that didn't

happen till he was twelve, and that was pretty much too late at that

time for me. So did you ever get baptized when you were a kid?

No, your mom didn't have you go through a dedication service or anything

like that. I don't remember. I remember them having baptisms at church when

I was little. I just never did it one. Thanks for sure you

had an experience, didn't you. Oh yeah, man, That's what I

tell the kids at the skate park, you know. You know, I

tell him that if you really want to know if God is real, just

cry out to him, tell Jesus, you know, tell Jesus that you

need him to change you. And I said, it's not like there's going

to be a bright light from heaven or voice from heaven. But like I

tell the kids, you know, I haven't been the same since. That's

why I'm here today talking to you. My life is completely changed. And

that's what happens when you become a believer. Your life completely changed, and

then you grow so you don't stay the same. And I've always had a

problem with this before, and I've spoke upon it. How people been in

the church for twenty years and they're exactly the same, exactly the same.

There's no growth. There's something wrong, Yes, there's something massively wrong with

that. But they don't Leonard, they don't understand that you have to have

an experience, right. And I think a lot of them, like you

know, when I was going to the School of Ministry, and I've talked

to some of the people, this is years two thousand and seven, a

lot of them just like grew up in church and it was just like whatever.

I don't know. To me, it wasn't like whatever. To them,

it was just like whatever. It was just, oh, yeah,

we go to church. And I think I think what they were into was

like church culture, Christian culture. Right. And I hate to say this,

Leonard, but there's an awful lot of people that's going to church that's

exactly fits the criteria you're talking about. And they never experientiously got to know

God. They never had an experienced Leonard. Yeah, they was raised in

the church and I grew up and they're still going to church. And they're

a dead issue, Leonard. I'm sorry to say that, but they're a

dead issue, aren't they. Yeah, Because because sometimes I try to talk

to them, guys, you know, it's I gotta tell my wife.

You know, sometimes I get a discouraged. I think sometimes it's I get

sadden because I'm talking to people. You know, they're saying they love the

Lord, and I'm like, okay, man, let's let's study. Let's

like, you know, get into the word and talk about God. And

you know, I don't know nothing about baseball, football, basket, I

don't know anything about that, you know, but let's talk about God.

I'm not interested in anything else. But let's talk about the Word, man.

And and they're just not excited like I am. And sometimes it's I

tell my wife. Sometimes I you know, it's like a let down.

Like, man, you see somebody you think they're going like they're into God

and into his word, and but then when you talk to them, you

see their heart and it's I mean, it's sad. Name man. They're

just a part of Christian culture. That's exactly what they are. Christian culture.

They're like going to the listening to all the Christian music and watching all

the Christian movies and and going out to the bowling alley with the Christian Fellowship.

And but there's no digging, there's no like, hey, man,

let's get into the world, let's dig in to the word, let's experience

the Holy Spirit. Exactly right. I mean, you're right. You'll see

them, you know, making arrangements to go to this local restaurant, right,

But you will never see them making an arrangement to have a prayer meeting

down at the riverside, right or down at the You'll never You'll they'll be

caught dead before they're caught gathering around the flag pole and praying. Okay,

let me just lay that again. Any public display of Christianity, they'll never

do it. But yeah, they'll have their Christian bowling leagues and all that

garbage potlus oh yeah, yeah, pot lucks galore for themselves. I mean,

they won't invite the homeless, they won't invite people off the streets,

they won't invite the lost. They'll have the potlucks with themselves. And that

goes that is diametrically opposed to Christianity. I mean, everything else is supposed

to take a back seat. Everything else is supposed to be just footnotes.

Okay, Leonard, I work every day, but I'm here to tell you

that's not what I am. I am a Christian man, so where I

get a paycheck from to pay my bills to. That's just how God supplies

my needs. That ain't what I am, and that's not what I do.

I do the Bible, God's Holy Word, That's what I do,

and I really don't care to do anything else. The Holy Spirit has infected

my psyche. I mean, I'm here to tell you today that most of

the day today at work, yes, I had to talk with foe employees.

Yes, I had to talk with other people. Guess what, Ninety

percent of the time, Leonard, I was talking to the Lord. That's

why I did. Nine percent of the time. I literally talked with Jesus

all day long. On my lunch hour, I wolfed down my food in

Listene. I looked at my watch, soo it was seven after so I

spent and it took me five minutes to get back. So I literally spent

forty that's forty three minutes praying. That's a fact. I mean, I

don't I mean, isn't this common knowledge that that the Bible clearly says that

if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you. I

mean, that is what it says, right, amen. I don't understand

why people don't do it, Leonard. You know, I told the guy

at work that I'm training another guy that I'm training. I said, you

know what the enemy likes to do is he likes to distract people. Distract

him with work, distract him with bills, distracting with relationships. But if

you don't, if you don't put yourself, you know, under the control

of the Holy Spirit, you will fall into those distractions. Oh yeah,

you will. And I and I said, about ninety eight percent of the

church has fell into those distractions. And that's I'm giving it a big numbers

as the percentage that hasn't At two percent, now, that's about what I

would say. I'd say you're just about right two or three percent. Because

they refuse to draw near to God. They refuse to do it. I

mean, you know, I mean it's Monday night and the football game's on,

right, Yeah, I mean you realize it would take a major event

to where these people wouldn't watch Monday night football, and if you even suggested

it, you would offend them. Leonard. They get offended. Right.

You even have pastors talking about their team while they're preaching. Oh it's it's

Sunday, it's you know my game, my team is playing, but you

guys are here and I'm here with you is a ha ha haha, you

know, making it seem like a joke, but that's really in their heart.

It's absolutely in their heart. And you know, I've I've really got

to say that, ladies and gentlemen, if if you're not experiencing the Holy

Spirit, you know you need to try to draw near to God, because

I assure you he will draw near to you, but you have to sacrifice

your time for him. I mean, it's just shocking for me that people

don't understand this because I've been doing this my whole life. But I mean,

surely you understand that you have to You have to make time for your

own spouses and your own children, right, So surely I'm speaking through the

obvious nature of your problem. Ladies and gentlemen. You need to start sacrificing

your time. But I'm here to tell you it's a fact. If you

draw near to God, he will draw near to you. And if you're

doing your you're a whole home Christianity. Don't expect to experience the Lord by

God, just don't expect it. But if you start sacrificing and start giving

him time. And I'm not saying you have to read the Bible. Give

him time on your knees. If you're not, you know, if you

don't have a whole lot of time, pray to God on the bray.

I don't even know how to drive without praying. Man, I'm telling you

the facts. I never recall driving by myself in my car and not praying

the whole time. I talk to God all the time, Leonard. I'm

just telling you that's a fact of my life. So ladies and gentlemen,

if the only thing you do is slap in the CD player on your way

to work or turn on the radio, turn it off and pray. You

know what. I'm here to tell you. This is a fact. You

will feel better. I Am telling you this is how it will start.

God will start making you just feel better. You will start feeling more positive.

You'll start even physically feeling better. And I don't know any other way

to put it. You need to start sacrificing your time and give it to

God, because I'm telling you, if you spend time with Him, he

will draw near to you. Leonard. You've experienced this, right of course,

That's what I tell my kids that, you know, when i'm driving,

even when i'm training and quietness, I'm just talking to the Lord and

I'm meditating on his word and you know, thinking about things of his word,

and I'm just looking at people that are around me or you know,

people that i'm training, I'm like, you know, praying for them in

my mind. And you know, man, God will give you peace,

He will bring you calmness, and you know, ladies and gentlemen, I'm

not I'm not trying to say that you're gonna get the the all the bells

and whistles. I'm not saying that. I'm not gonna say that you'll start

seeing visions and you'll see Jesus. I'm telling you it will be mundanely perfect.

And that's probably a shock to your system. Well, if you never

have any supernatural experiences, Matthew, why do you do it? Because I

like being near God, because He's near to me. Ladies, gentlemen,

I'm done. I don't need nothing. I don't desire to go to the

super Bowl. I don't desire to go to Waikiki Beach, nothing, zero,

zilch. The only thing I truly desire The only thing I really want

is to see the Perugia of Jesus Christ with my own two eyeballs. That's

really the only thing I want. You can have my wife, she'll she'll

testify. Ask my children, they'll tell you right to your face. I

don't long to live longer, don't long to live what everybody calls it better,

don't need it. I mean I can prevent to you with what I

drove to work today. I've been driving. I mean, it's going to

be a shock that most people said I can't listen to the radio. Ladies.

Tell me you want to know why. Oh, my radio works perfectly

fine. But my cars are two thousand and five, so it's not digital.

My radio's analog. So when I turn on the radio, I don't

pick up anything because everything's went to digital. Remember when they switched everything over

to digital in two thousand and seven, Leonard, My radio's two thousand and

five, buddy, I don't care. I don't care, Ladies, John,

I don't care. I don't need. I don't need a Cadillac.

I just I got no care for it, no want for it. I

want to see him bust through the clouds. That's what I want. I

want to see him penetrate the upper atmosphere. I want to see him take

oh wickedness and unrighteousness and blast it asunder. That's what I want to see.

Amen. And this attitude is crept into my spirit because you know,

I spend more time with the Lord, my God than I do my wife.

And if you don't believe me, go ask or she'll tell you.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. You need to

have an experience with the Holy Spirit, ladies and gentlemen, because if you're

living a whole hume life, you have no idea. You have no idea.

Because I'm here to tell you I'm satisfied. Price shocks people. How

can you? How can you be satisfied if you're well below the poverty level.

I just told you I don't need Briar's ice cream. I don't care.

I don't care about fulfilling my fife senses. The Holy Spirit has fulfilled

me, and the only drive I have to see His will done, and

that's flaked. When are your clothing? Comments? Right's the top of the

hour? Yeah, I mean Matthew's right. You know, we just need

to draw near to the Lord and h And if you're hearing this and you

feel like you've been feeling like you want to get close to God and you're

not sure how, well, that's how it takes sacrifice. There's something you

need a sacrifice. Time. We sacrifice time to watch movies. We sacrifice

time to go out knee, We sacrific fast, time to go play baseball,

to do all go swimming, to do all kinds of things. Not

saying that you can't do those things, but we're saying, if you want

to get a closer relationship with God and you're feeling that, that's what you're

asking, like, God, how do I get closer to God? That's

the answer. You just need to make time for God if you want to

get closer to God. It's that simple. It's just that simple. And

he will. Matthew is absolutely right. He will fulfill you. He will.

It's not things that fulfill us, it's God who fulfills us. You

look at all these rich people. They have all this money, but they're

not fulfilled. Man, Why because they lack God. They don't have God.

There's a void there, there's an emptiness. Why because God doesn't live

there. So money's not going to fill that. It's time with the Lord

that's going to fill that. So draw nearer to God and he will definitely

draw near to you. You want to know how you get closer to God,

draw near to Him. Take the time. Write this down, ladies

and gentlemen, James, Chapter four, verse eight. That's a promise you

need to experience God, Ladies and gentlemen. You can only do that by

getting into His presence. That means getting out of whatever habits you've got and

getting into the habit of drawing near to the Lord, your God. Let's

take this out in prayer. They're heavenly Father, whom we serve through the

Lord Jesus Christ, your son, Father and our Savior. Please fill us

with your Holy Spirit so that we will be pleasing and acceptable in your sight.

To Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Thank you so much for

giving Leonard and I this precious time to draw near to You. Give us

up a hunger that is unsatiable for your word. Lord. I pray that

you bless everyone who will listen to this episode. I pray that you you

put a hunger in them to draw near to experience the Holy Spirit. They

come into a personal, a quite personal relationship with your son, the Lord

Jesus Christ. And in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.

This is our petition. And in Christ Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Amen. All right, ladies and gentlemen, until next time, God

bless God's beed. Thank you for listening to Marinath the Ministries with Matthew Miller.

I appreciate you tuning in. For more information, stop by and visit

us at patreon dot com backslash Matthew Miller, or you can correspond to us

via snail mail by writing to PO box zero two four reader, North Dakota

five eight six four nine. Now, if you're a God fearing, Bible

believing, Gospel preaching Christian, please repeat after me, I pledge allgiance to

the Bible, God's Holy Word. I will make it a lamp unto my

feet and a light into my path. It's you words will I hide in

my heart that I might not sin against God.