The Hope Hotline - The Hope Hotline | S01-E07 | 02-08-23

Episode Date: February 8, 2023

Question #1The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that “eternal life” is a gift from God and Romans 6:23 that the wage of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life. My question is why do sinners also receive “eternal life” (in hell) if eternal life is considered a gift from God? This is in reference to the “Annihilation theory”.Question #2How can I know if I am dealing with demonic attacks, generational curses, or just bad luck?Question #3Why are we commanded to pray if God already knows what we need and wantQuestion #4Is righteousness considered a “free gift” and is it an “action” to be right with God like an option as part of our salvation?

Welcome to the Hope Hotline this fine Wednesday afternoon. I hope you're having a great week. We are going to go straight into the questions because I think the last time I talked to everybody, it was like two podcasts ago, I talked about myself. So we're just going to go straight into this one so I don't focus on me. It's really all about you guys. So our first question is, the Bible says in Romans 6.23 that eternal life is a gift from God. And Romans 6.23 that the wage of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.

My question is, why do sinners also receive eternal life in hell? If eternal life is considered a gift from god this is in reference to the annihilation theory okay i'll be honest with you i had no idea what the annihilation theory is so i had to look this up i had to do a lot of research on this because i'd never i'd never heard of it so you know you're never too old to learn. Let that be a lesson. And in this case, I spent a lot of time learning. So, the annihilation theory, for those of you who are like me,

who have not a clue what that is, it is the view that lost people in hell will be exterminated after they have paid the penalty for their sins. So, to paraphrase, if you are a sinner, the annihilation theory says that when you go to hell, you will only be there for a period of time, not eternally. And they have like, I have each argument, but they have like five different arguments why they believe that you'll only spend a brief period of time in hell, that you will not spend eternity in hell.

So I'm going to tell you what each argument is so that everybody understands so we're all on the same page for my answer so the first argument is fire consumes what is thrown into it so if like when you have a fire in your fireplace or your fire pit or whatever the wood that you throw in there burns for a period of time but but after that, it's a pile of ashes. So there's nothing left, right? Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Isn't that what we all are? So basically it's saying a person, we will be nothing.

You'll be a pile of, like when you're cremated, a pile of ashes. You're done. Nothing lasts in fire second argument is that the lost perish or are destroyed okay third argument is meaning of the word eternal and so in hell the passages that it's talked about it is claimed eternal means only pertaining to the age to come and not everlasting. So what I may try and do is when I address an argument, I may try and read that argument back so everybody's on the same page.

It just depends on how long this takes because I have other questions. So fourth argument, how is it just of God to punish sinners for eternity when their crimes were committed in time. That's their fourth argument. That's a flimsy argument, but whatever. Fifth argument is God himself and his saints would never enjoy heaven if they knew some human beings, let alone loved ones and friends were perpetually in hell. That's the fifth argument that they say sixth argument is eternal hell would tarnish god's victory over evil that's kind of laughable

but whatever so the first answer to the first argument which was fire consumes what is thrown into it. So that first argument is we're going to go and we go and we look at the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Okay. So if you understand the story and if you don't understand the story, so Jesus tells a parable about a man that's very poor, and he sits outside of a man named Lazarus' house. And this poor man sits there, and Lazarus does nothing to help this man as he sits outside begging for help.

And he just doesn't beg Lazarus, but he basically is done without and Lazarus does nothing to help him throughout this time. So when Lazarus, the poor man, and Lazarus, I mean, excuse me, the rich man has the home and Lazarus is the beggar. Okay, sorry, mixed the two up. So Lazarus goes and he dies and he's in heaven.

The rich man dies and goes to hell. So what happens is, and this story is in Luke 16, so you can go and look in 16. Lazarus is sitting at the bosom of Abraham and the rich man looks up it says the rich man can see Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham and he says to Abraham he's father Abraham would you allow Lazarus to dip his finger into the tip of some water and and give it to me and Abraham says no and he talks about being in the tip of some water and give it to me. And Abraham says no. And he talks about being in the place of torment.

Okay. So if the first argument is true, then it talks about in Luke 16, 28, it says the anguish in this flame, which is verse 24. So Luke 16, 28 is where it says the place of torment and then talks about the anguish in this flame for verse 24 okay so um Jesus wouldn't use a parable of something that is untrue that doesn't exist he only told parables of truth, of things that did exist. So if the parable is true, then the people in hell can see the people in heaven. And I think that will be one of the toughest things

that people experience in hell, because in the scriptures it talks about hell where they're alone. They're naked. They're full of shame. They deal with the torment of flames, but they also have to smell the sulfur. The worst thing you can do to anybody in jail, they say, is to put them in isolation. And so that's one of the things in hell. People will not communicate with anyone anymore

you'll be to yourselves you'll not have anyone to to commiserate with but then on top of that you'll be alone and then you'll see your loved ones your friends your family and everyone else where you can see them in heaven and their lives are completely different part of the problem with that is you'll recall the things that they told you about the truth of sin and that they need to repent hopefully we as believers are telling our loved ones and our friends they need to repent they need to come to christ we need to be winning the lost so that we do know that we've done all that we can so that they don't live in hell and they don't live in torment and so with that being said they will see you us believers in heaven but they'll know just like abraham or just like the rich man knew and can recall like that he has

friends and family they he doesn't want them to experience what he's experienced he even asked abraham please send someone to my brothers so that they don't come here and he basically told them they have moses they have the word of moses and so you know lazarus or someone from the beyond coming and talking to them to and speak to them will not change anything. So that scripture clearly, clearly in Luke tells that there's a place of torment and that there's anguish in the flames. So that means that your body doesn't extinguish itself. It doesn't disintegrate. It will be like constantly ever evolving you will feel the flames you will feel the the pain um and the torture of that but your body

will never change it will not ever become a pile of ash okay revelation 14, 10 through 11 clearly talks about this. It says that there will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. You do not, it does not ever change. And they have no rest day or night so people who go to to hell this scripture totally does away with that first argument um that the annihilation theory has okay the, um, so if you want these scriptures, it's Revelation 14, 10 through 11. Um, we'll also have them so that you can, um, in case I ever read them too fast, uh,

Tracy, who's the producer, she makes sure that they're on the screen and that you can write them down and you can actually read them for yourself. Okay. Answer to argument number two. Let's go back to number two. It says that the lost perish or are destroyed. And the answer to that is Paul describes the fate of the lost as suffering. That the punishment is eternal destruction. The punishment of eternal destruction. This is in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 8 okay so there's that that argument number two that they have totally destroyed paul clearly makes that clear answer number to number three let's look at that one and that is um the argument is meaning

of the word eternal in hell passages it is claimed eternal means only pertaining to the age to come and not everlasting well we've already um disproven that with revelation 14 10 through 11 that the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever and they have no rest day or night okay so the word eternal isn't there that's new king james version but at the same time that does away with that eternal means only pertaining to the age to come well and not everlasting so again revelation 14 10 through 11 does away with that the age to come in this particular answer for number three the age to come last as long as the life of the eternal god himself because he is eternal he lives forever and ever revelation 4 9 10 chapter 10 verse 6. Chapter 15, verse 7. All of those speak about lives forever and ever, which is God.

He is eternal. So that does away with that age to come theory. Okay. Jesus plainly sets this forth in his message with the sheeps and the goat. If you go to Matthew 25, 46, there's a part of that chapter. It's specific about sheeps and goat. And in that, if you go to verse 46, there's a part of that chapter. It's specific about sheeps and goat. And in that, if you go to verse 46, it says, And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

So hell is eternal. Heaven is eternal. They both will be forever and ever and I think that's part of the problem with people um in general comprehending or understanding eternal life like we know that as we exist on this earth our bodies change um and so we know that as we get older if you don't believe in what Moses experienced, which is Moses climbed a mountain on his last day. It says that his body, that his eyes were not dim and his force was not abated. So his body was in good health and his eyesight was good.

None of us as believers a lot of times expect that for ourselves, We claim life and death is held in the tongue. We proclaim different things like this is sore. This is my back isn't as good as it used to be. I can't see. Once you turn 40, your eyesight goes bad. I mean, we just proclaim so many different things over ourselves without thinking eternally. Like we as believers, the word is true that we can live to 120 i know that's shocking to a lot of people but they need to go and look at genesis moses was the end of going beyond 120 but he lived to 120 and it says what we ourselves can live to

that time time frame but eternally we we never even can comprehend what eternity means. So as believers, we don't understand what that is. But I can promise you that people who are not saved, they never think of things in eternity because they don't read their word. Their revelation knowledge of things is far less than us as believers um so so somebody who does you know thinks of hell or that'll proclaim well i'm not i'm not going to heaven i'm definitely going to hell they you know a lot of sinners will say that i'm not going to heaven i can promise you that i'm going to be going straight to hell well the thing is is they don't understand what hell is really like. And they definitely don't comprehend what eternal means.

So for them, it's just words that are spoken. They're empty. But truth is, is there is a true heaven. There's a true hell. And everyone will spend eternity in one of those places. And I think that we as believers we don't comprehend hell either and that's the reason why we only don't care about the people around us and winning the lost because we don't study the word and we don't really understand what

hell is like and if we did we would be doing everything in our power to make sure that our loved ones or even people that you're standing in an elevator. I get on an elevator and I tell you this, there's a lot of times when I get on the elevator and there's others on there with me, I sit there and I go, if the door ever opens or whatever the case may be,

I sit there and oftentimes think, are these people on this elevator saved where will they spend eternity um i don't know them but you know a lot of times you don't know people and somehow god opens the door for you to share your faith and i'm always waiting for that opportunity with a stranger or with a friend or whatever i'm always waiting for that opportunity for god to open the door for me to share my faith um he's always drawing people in. He's always drawing people in. So we as believers, we need to wake up. We need to wake up. We need to understand like this is real. This is real business. This is kingdom business and we need to be about it instead of doing what we want to do every single day and fitting God into little pockets of our lives.

We will actually one day when we're in heaven be very disappointed. We will be walking on streets of gold and we will be happy and content. That is true. But if we don't believe it says there'll be tears in heaven. And one of my favorite teachers says there'll be tears in heaven. And one of my favorite teachers says, there'll be tears in heaven, but some of those tears will be shed, not for just joy, but for the things that we didn't do while we were on this earth that we could have done.

I don't want that to be me. And I don't want to see anyone that I know and love, care about, and even my enemies. I'll be honest with you. I do not want to see my enemy in hell because hell is not going to be a place that any of us want anyone to be in. I mean, I can't stand some of these politicians

that are out there. I can't stand some of the things like Fauci, Pelosi, Bill Gates. I can't stand them, but I don't want them in heaven. I know that they've perpetuated a lot of death and they've done a lot of horrible things to people. But even in that, I do not want them going to hell. I want them to go to heaven. I want them to spend eternity.

And the thing is, is if they got saved, how much more could they do for the kingdom? Be a powerful thing. So argument number four um says that how is it just of of god to punish sinners for eternity when their crimes were committed um for time and here's the response to that who are we who are we to say if god is just or he's unjust? Who are you to say what is right and what is wrong? Who are you to say what is fair and not fair? Only God. And sometimes we have this mindset that we know better than other people, but for us to say that we know what is better than the superior, the God.

I mean, that's crazy to me. A lot of times today in churches, they're the ones that are saying what love is. Well, the word of God is love. The word is love. God is love. And Jesus is the word. So if Jesus' word says something is love, churches today are saying what's in the word of God isn't love.

Even though they don't say it. If you preach sin, if you preach that those that live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. If you preach things like obedience, they'll say those things aren't love. That we're all working out, like all of us are a work in progress. They'll have all these different things. The thing is, is they'll actually use different, they'll use terminology that actually contradicts the word. And they'll say what they're saying is more loving

than what another church says but the the church that they're saying isn't more loving is actually preaching the word and the word is love because jesus is love it's astounding to me i hope i'm does that make sense what i just said to you guys okay all right because i don't always explain everything that great and so that's why i just wanted to make sure that i was comprehending so just because it doesn't fit under your guise of what is compassionate what is loving that is not for you to say that's god's business and if god says it's love then it is that's just the facts um fifth argument god himself and his saints would never enjoy heaven if they knew someone be uh some human beings let alone loved ones and friends

were perpetually in hell okay well the argument to that is i have to find it. Universalists believe the same argument as well, and they believe that everyone will end up being saved. So actually universalism is the same as the annihilation theory. So they share that same theory, and that's how they have the people who follow in their faith. That's one of their arguments. That's one of their doctrinal ideas. So God would never be able to enjoy knowing people are in hell

is their big thing. But that's not true. It's like God has given everybody a choice. Everybody has a decision to make. He is free will. That's what's great about God. That's what's great about Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They will never, ever, ever force themselves on anyone or anything.

Everything is free will, free choice. Everybody makes up their mind and makes up their decision on what they're going to do. Even like it's free will and free choice if you want the gifts of the Holy Spirit that he provides. You don't have to take them. I mean, it's your loss, but you don't have to take them. Just like salvation. There is a church pretty much on every corner in the United States of America.

You don't go down a road without probably seeing one church. Everybody, everybody in the United States can be saved. They know one Christian somewhere, and there will be no one on this earth that has never had the chance of knowing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It was their choice whether or not they took it or not. So it's on them not to receive him. How is that God feeling? So God should feel bad that he's been rejected,

and if people decide to burn in hell, that was their choice. It's like, it's funny to me, because people like break up with people, right? They'll date somebody, they'll break up with them, and it seems normal that the rejection process is okay in that regard right people get rejected all the time they move on if you've broken up with somebody you've

rejected that person and you feel completely fine with moving on and if that person's hurt then that's okay that's okay for for those people who have done that right we don't look down on people who break up with people or reject people we just think that's that's just life but God being rejected and then having to just live with people rejecting him and them going and spending eternity in hell. God's supposed to feel bad about that. Right?

That makes a lot of sense. Makes no sense whatsoever. These people have made their decisions. They've decided Christianity is not for them. A lot of people make a mockery of God. I mean, Madonna right now. People like that make mockerery of God. I mean, Madonna right now, people like that make mockeries of God. And yet God is supposed to feel bad about them spending eternity in hell. Makes no sense whatsoever to me. I just, how people justify arguments, I don't get. But Revelation 21, 2 through 4 and 27 says,

Then I, John, so this is John in the vision, and he is speaking about the end times. It says, Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.

God himself will be with them and be their God, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. They shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. That is something that everybody has a choice to receive. It's up to them. So it also says there will be by no means anything that will defile or causes an abomination or a lie,

but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life will enter in heaven. So Jesus paid the ultimate price. Believers can receive the gift of eternal life. For sinners, the wages of sin is eternal torment. God gave up his son for us as a sacrifice. People reject that. And there's a cost of rejecting that.

That's just the facts. And if we were God, I mean, maybe you're holier than him. Maybe you're more loving than him. I don't know. I think that's a joke. But maybe you see things differently and you wouldn't be like that. But if you're a parent and you have paid a price for your child, you've given your child as a sacrifice for everyone to come to know you

and you've prepared a place in heaven for them and they reject you after all the ultimate sacrifices that you've provided and and and once you have done that then maybe you can have something to say about how god should be and maybe and how he shouldn't be but most of us wouldn't give up our dog for someone else so giving up your child would you know know, far exceeds that. But most of us would never, ever do what God did for all of mankind. So for us to, for us or anyone that believes in this annihilation theory, anyone who's a universalist and believes in these things,

well, until they've walked in God's shoes, made the decisions God's made, dealt with what God's dealt with the decisions God's made done with dealt with what God's dealt with then maybe they can be more loving than him until then I think that nobody has much to say about it um but ultimately we are not God and God gets to decide so and I think he does pretty dang good it does a good job right so we're gonna go to uh question number well we're gonna just go to the next question because sometimes i mess up with the numbers so i'm just gonna say next question from this time from this time point on i think that was aaron's idea god bless aaron

because i'm all over the place and i was worried about how many questions I was going to get through today. Voila. I'm a big talker. Huh? I can't tease Tom anymore. Yeah, I can. I mean, golly. Tom, he can't get through, like, I don't know how many slides. I'm doing better than him, though.

Next question. I'm a little hot in here. Is it warm in here? Whew. This sweater is a little thick. Okay. How can I know if I'm dealing with demonic attacks, generational curses, or just bad luck? Are you turning the fan on for me? God bless woman. Good thing I ain't wearing a skirt. I'd be blowing up my skirt. Heather's underneath my desk right now.

Johnny on the spot. Okay. Heather's crawling around on the floor right now. I'm so distracted. It's all good. All right. Let me get a sip. This is cold water.

I'm really hot. And I don't get hot flashes. Ladies, I prayed those things off a long time ago. You don't have to get hot flashes. Oh, I feel that. Heather goes, can you feel that? I feel that. I'm all better.

Ladies, seriously. Men, ignore this right now. Just plug your ears. This is a two-minute-less little commercial for women that are pre and post menopause so there's only a few of you well no there might be a lot of you listen you don't have to go through that menopause nonsense listen i literally started getting hot flashes i prayed those suckers off because they are like they are hell themselves if hell's anything like a hot flash

and i think it's worse i'm pretty sure it's worse because i've heard the temperatures that are down there supposedly hot flashes are nothing girls and boys but i'm just saying pray those things off because they are terrible terrible all right let's go back to the next question how can i know if i'm dealing with demonic attacks generation generational curses or just bad luck i can eliminate the generational curses for you immediately if you are saved there is no way you can be dealing with a generational curse if you are a believer the reason is because the scriptures are clear in second cor Corinthians 5.17 it says, 2 Corinthians 5.17, it says,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. So, whatever your history was before, it's gone. Old things have passed away, and all things have become new so you can't have a generational curse you're a new creature in christ whatever your your spirit man has now taken over and your carnal man is is is not the same okay so the spirit man is what dwells and what it is walking talking doing your business for you all right so if the holy spirit dwells in you a generational curse cannot exist okay so we're done with that demonic attacked okay it could be a demonic attack um that does happen um that's being

oppressed not possessed sometimes if you're doing things for god and here's the thing i would say i would have stipulations for this like a lot of times the devil doesn't have to do anything to us because we do it to ourselves but i will say as soon as you start doing things for the kingdom and the more that you're doing them, then you're going to face demonic attacks. That's just the fact. Satan's trying to stop you and distract you from accomplishing what God's will and purpose is for your life. So I will say when Tom and I started in ministry, before we started in ministry, things were pretty darn good we had some bumps in the road every now and then with just life circumstances or whatever

but then when we said we're going to enter into ministry and this is before we were even pastoring a church he Tom was worship leader then he we did things in the church all the time but like we were choir in the choir he was time, but we were in the choir. He was the head usher. I always worked in children's ministry to some certain extent, like nursery and things like this. This was before I ever had kids. So I've always, always served to some capacity, and so has he. But when we stepped out in ministry, he went and he was now a worship leading.

He became a youth pastor. That's when we started to see a shift in things, right? Just more things coming against you and you're like, what the heck? I've never faced this or dealt with these kinds of things before. Then when we started a church, all bets were off. Like things started just, I mean, they just start coming at you like crazy. You step up your faith because everybody has a measure of faith. The problem is, is not everybody uses the measure of faith that they're given.

Most of us don't. I haven't, I'm still not using the measure that God has given me. But as you face adversity, you increase your faith. You start, you know, speaking against these things, walking through them. He says, you'll go through many trials in this lifetime, but I'll deliver you from them all. So you just start, you know, you know that, okay, this is just a moment in time. I'm going to attack this problem or this issue. And you start seeing God answering. You start fasting and praying. You get less of your carnal nature.

You start walking more in the spirit. So the things that used to come against you, they're like, you don't even recognize them after a period of time. But then what Satan does is he starts amping up the attacks. He starts coming against you in different ways that don't work anymore don't work anymore previously so he amps them up then you have your measures of faith increase right if you are doing anything for god and you're like you're winning the loss you're in ministry you're healing and you're doing miracles things like that you're seeking his righteousness um then i would say it's very possible that you're coming, you know,

the devil's coming against you to distract you, to keep you from doing what God has called you, your higher purpose for, your calling. So, but most people are doing nothing. That's the facts. They're not in their word. They don't spend time in prayer. So, like, the devil doesn't even

need you're not a blip on the screen for him you're not on his radar not you per se who wrote this question i'm just saying in general most people are not even on his radar um demons aren't omnipresent like so like there are only a certain number amount of demons there's only one devil like they're not omnipresent they're not all over the place right most of the time we're doing things to ourselves we're making bad decisions we're in and out of our walk with god we wonder why um bad things happen to us. And a lot of times, like we wonder why we have financial problems, right?

Why am I never getting ahead? Well, I would say, are you giving? And I'm not saying, are you giving money? I'm saying, are you tithing? Okay, giving is above tithing. So are you giving of your tithe and offering? 10% is the minimum. And then offering should be above that. If you are facing financial problems, you should give more because the word is clear.

So many people, that's what they do, that I am in their sphere. And whenever they're in need of something, they give more. And then the abundance comes back more than what they actually needed. Most people don't give. They live in lack. And they feel like that's the devil coming against them. No, that's biblical principle not being applied to one's life. And so they're reaping what they sow.

I mean, it's as simple as that. If you have problems on your job, could it be you're lazy? Could it be that you're not doing what's being asked of you? Could it be you're a procrastinator? There's so many different aspects to reasons why people suffer. If you're having problems in your marriage and you feel like the devil's coming against it, I would say, are you being the biblical spouse that God's called you to be?

Are you watching the words that you are saying to your spouse? Most of the time, it's us doing it and we don't want to take responsibility because it's way easier to blame the devil. But always, always, always always this is one of the things that i have done in my life um since i came back to the lord and that one thing that tom always does when we're facing something um adverse the first thing that we always do is we look at ourself introspectively and say okay what part do we

play did we cause this to happen what must we do if it was us what must we do to fix it if we find through the process that there really isn't anything that we did on our part then we just spiritually attack it because you know everything is the wars are things that we can't see. There's spiritual warfare going on constantly. And we can't see it. So we should be waging war in the heavenlies. We should be putting on the armor of God every single day. So I'm going to just tell you, like, when I was not saved, I don't know how many people know I love Lucy, like Lucille Ball.

Like, I love Lucy. I literally remember saying to some people, I feel like I, like Lucille Ball. Like I love Lucy. I literally remember saying to some people, I feel like I'm like Lucille Ball. Because every single day, something crazy, wacky, or abnormal happens in my life. What in the world? Why is my life so chaotic? So like off the charts, nuts? Well, I wasn't living for the Lord and every decision I made pretty much was the wrong one that's just the facts and when you make wrong decisions on a daily basis well you're gonna reap it and that's just the facts it is people just don't want to take responsibility when I came back to the Lord I remember looking in the mirror and looking at all of my baggage that came with me from the four or five years that I was not saved.

I remember taking an inventory of all of the baggage. And I would have loved to have blamed somebody else for it. There are contributing factors to the reasons why I did what I did. But at the end of the day, I remember looking in the mirror and saying, you did this to yourself. You have to take responsibility for all of the baggage that you now carry. And it was the best and most freeing thing that I ever did for myself. Because once you take responsibility for your actions,

and you don't blame anybody else for them, then you can change them. If they're always somebody else's fault, then you never change you. Because it was never you. So as soon as you acknowledge your part that you play in it, then you can fix you. And then you can have a better life for yourself and you can be a stronger believer as long as it is never your fault then you never have to change which is not good at all um

hebrews 12 6 because the lord disciplines the ones he loves and he chastens everyone who accepts as his son. A lot of times it can be God. Not a lot of times, I'll say. Sometimes it can be God. And a lot of people will say, God, I've heard one of my favorite preachers just says, God loves you. He would never discipline. He doesn't punish.

That was Old Testament. That's not true. Hebrews is in the New Testament. So that does away with that argument. Because the Lord disciplines the ones he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. The word is very clear. It says when you are raising your children,

it says to not spare the rod. Okay? your children it says to not spare the rod okay if it says if you do not um punish your child you hate your child okay so why would god be any different in the new testament when we do not spank our children when they misbehave guess what's going to happen our children are going to become worse and worse and worse. They don't listen to you. Because they figure they're just going to get a nice talking to. Or they're going to be put in timeout chair. If the timeout chair was a great way to discipline,

then God would have put it in the Bible. It's not in there. It says to spank your child. There's a reason why. Because spanking works. If you start spanking your kid, you'll have to disciplineank your child. There's a reason why, because spanking works. You'll have to, if you start spanking your kid, you'll have to discipline them far less. But parents, it's like the big, like, I don't know what,

I don't know what it is, but like, I would never hit my child. I've heard people who are, that are believers say, I wouldn't hit my child, or there's other ways to discipline, or other means to do this and that. And I'm like, what are you talking about? You live by biblical principle. Biblical principle is spare the rod, spoil the child. And a father hates his son is what it says

if they do not discipline their child. So I don't say you spank every single time but you spank for defiance for rebellion because you will get that if you do not you know strong discipline super important but for us to think that god doesn't discipline us when we make mistakes well then hebrews 12 6 6 should be taken out of the bible it It really should. Because sometimes what you're experiencing is sometimes your bad decision, reaping and sowing for it, and God loves you so much,

he accepts you as his son, that he disciplines you for that. So it could be multiple things. It could be demonic attack, unless you're not saved, then if you're not saved then it could be generational curse or it's your bad decision and then god correcting you it's one of those things so easy peasy question number three oh crap i said question number three next question hang on next question

why are we why are we commanded to pray if god already knows what we need and want that's true god does know what we need and what what um what we want it that's said in the in the word a lot that he already knows. I mean, there's scriptures for that. That is absolutely true. But I will tell you, the reason why you need to do it

is because he commanded us to pray, even though he knows what you need. He commanded you to ask. So because he did that, it doesn't matter that he already knows it. He wants you to do it anyway. Because he said so. Let me just say this.

If this person that asked this question is a parent, then they might understand this. It might make more sense to them. If this is a person that has no children then it might a little bit but when your kids are when when you have children and they're growing up you a lot of times you already know what they want they don't ever have to tell you what they want i mean at christmas time a lot of times parents already know what their kids want they're not asking i mean we ask uh for the list of what they want for Christmas. Sometimes it's only because there might be something you don't know and you want to make

sure you have that under the tree. But most of the time, you know everything they're going to say because you know your kid inside and out. You really do. You know their hobbies, their likes, their dislikes, you know what the new thing they're wanting to get involved in, whatever the case may be. So you already know. But the thing is, is you ask them, that's Christmas time. But a lot of times you already know what they want. And the reason why you want them to tell you what you want is so that you can already be like, I'm giving that to you. I already got that. And then also, because then you'll be able to say, I know you so well. I love you so much.

I already got that for you. I got that taken care of. And then you see the joy and the elation on your kid's face. You know that they mean something to you because you've already taken care of it or they know you're taking care of it for you. God loves us. It says, if we don't worship him, the rocks will cry out.

He loves us admiring, adoring him, worshiping him. Seeing that he loves us to see how much he loves us. And that's just one way for us to see that. But as a parent, like, you know, you love seeing the joy on your kids faces or face when you give them what they want. And sometimes they didn't have to ask, but it's also cool when they did ask and you give them that very thing um so there's multiple for me there's multiple reasons why he wants us to do it but more importantly i do it because that's what he says matthew 7 7 through 11 says um this this

part of this scripture is referenced keep asking seeking says, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And he who seeks, finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. But then look at what it references to this. It says, or what man is there among you?

So we as mortal beings this is what he's saying for what man is there among you who if his son asks for bread will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish he will give him a serpent if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your father who is in heaven give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good gifts or give good things to those who ask him? So he wants us to ask. And in the Greek, the word ask means demand. He demands that we ask him. So it's not an option. Even though he knows what you what you want or what we want he demands that we ask him philippians 4 6 says do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to god it's not an option he wants you to ask so sometimes you don't need

to know why you know i love the questions and i think it's important to ask questions but sometimes there's just no answer other than because i told you so i mean all of us to some degree that have children um we've said that to our kid they you know they have to know why and at the end of the day the only reason is is because I said that's what I said and that's what you're going to do so that's just the way it is we have to be willing to accept that Matthew 6 8 says for your father knows the things you need of before you ask him so I think that as a parent I love when my kids, they do it now, they're adults, so they can pretty much buy whatever they want for the most part,

except for my son. My son, that's not true because he lives off of me right now while he's doing his training. I know, Heather's laughing. My son just finished his last amateur fight. He kicked butt, took names. I'm super proud of him on saturday night or well last saturday night um so right now he lives off of me and my husband because also all he does is train he works you know part-time but they don't really get get him anywhere so um so but he doesn't really ask either. He just uses my credit card.

So forget that. But when my kids were growing up, I loved when they talked to me and they asked me for something and they, you know, just wanted to communicate. And so it's just one more way for God to communicate with us and for us to share our dreams. Maybe something that you want,

spiritually speaking, will lead you into a conversation with the Lord that he can take you to the next level of, okay, the reason I planted that in your heart and I'm going to give that to you is because here's the next step that you're going to go after that. It just opens the door to conversation with God. That you don't know where it's going to take you. But it's just a sweet time to spend with Him. So if you have kids, you might understand this question a little bit better. If you don't, then it might not make sense. But I would say put yourself in God's shoes.

If you were God, would it make sense that he wants you to just ask him for the things that he already knows you want? And I think that you'll have a deeper understanding and appreciation. And that question was really good. So next question. Is righteousness considered a free gift and is it an action to be right with god like an option as part of our salvation now i was a little confused about this question and even the person that wrote this question said i hope that makes sense so what

i'm going to do is i'm going to try and answer this question the way that I understand it and hopefully it is the way that you meant it and did you just hear like a gunshot yeah it's probably a nail gun okay we have a lot of construction work around in here but we also don't have the this it's not a seedy neighborhood but it's a little seedy so we don't the church isn't in the best place it could have been a gunshot for all we know for crying out loud huh we're in a bubble we're good yeah we're we have a hedge of protection around us i'm not worried about that but a gunshot it sounded like one but it was yeah it was probably a nail gun okay so let me get a drink real quick i'm parched

what is that oh there was a bomb down the road the other day that is true the cops were surrounding the place pretty much that is true bomb threat see that's why you have to visit us here at foundation church if If you've never been. You never know what's going to go on. It's exciting. It's always fun. It's always exciting. Hey listen, if you've been to Pastor Rodney's the river, it's about the same.

It's not in the best of neighborhoods. It's kind of seedy. Good time though. Good time. I promise you a good time. You come to Foundation Church if you've never been. It's a good time. You never know you a good time i promise you a good time you come to foundation church you've never been it's a good time you never know what's gonna happen boom okay let me read the question again because i got off topic okay is righteousness considered a free gift and is it an action to be right with god like an option as part of our salvation. I have a burp in my throat.

Hold on. Okay. I'm a lot better. Listen. Like, I'm me. I don't know what to tell you. I got to be me. I'm about to sing, I got to be me.

I'm not going to change. Whatever's in this beautiful mind comes out of this beautiful mouth. I was about to say not so nice mouth, but my mouth is nice. So I'm going to read that question one more time for the third time. Is righteousness considered a free gift? And is it an action to be right with God like an option as part of our salvation? So the first question is yes, righteousness is a free gift. That is absolutely, because we got two questions in this one.

So the answer to the first one is, yes, it's a free gift. And I'm going to give you the scripture for that. Romans 5, 17 says, for if by the one man's offense, so jesus dying on the cross if or for if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one jesus christ so the man that sends okay so the offense of of one man's death, the man who sins, reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace

and of the gift of righteousness will reign in the life through the one Jesus Christ. So Jesus purchasing our salvation on the cross makes you righteous, free. As soon as you accept him as your Lord and Savior, you are righteous. Now here's the thing. The scripture says, seek ye first the righteousness. Seek ye first the righteousness of God, and then all these things will be added unto you. You're supposed to be, once you get saved, you're supposed to be continually seeking righteousness. You are the righteousness of God, but you seek it continuously.

And so if you do, more things will be added unto you. It's a promise. So I'm not 100% sure about this second part. This is where I get a little confused, slightly. So if your question is being right with God and action, then the answer to that is yes. Okay? Because actions speak louder than words.

Right? A lot of people think it's the other way around. Like you should just, my words should be enough. Well, if your words are different than your actions, then they are opposite of each other and you can't trust your words like the word is clear we jesus said we're to be fruit inspectors you'll know them by their fruit you'll know them by their actions not you'll know them by their words no you'll know them by your fruit. No, you'll know them by your fruit.

If something is growing, let's say, if a tree bears bad fruit, which is what it says, then you know the tree is bad. If the tree produces good fruit, then you know the tree is good, right? So just because someone's words sound good, but their actions are bad, because it says, whatever you reap, you will sow. So if you sow, which means if you plant something in the ground, an action,

if you sow bad, if your action is bad, then you'll bear bad fruit. If your action is good, then you're going to bear good fruit. That's just the way it is. Romans 5, 16 through 26 says, So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other,

so that you are not to do whatever you want. So, actions. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious. Okay? So, the acts of the flesh are obvious. So, how you behave. Okay? The sexually immoral, impurity and debauchery, The acts of the flesh are obvious. So how you behave. Okay.

The sexually immoral, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like. Now, a lot of people say that all these things, you can do all these things. You say the sinner's prayer once, you can behave like any way you want to, but you said the sinner's prayer. You can live any way you want to, and you still go to heaven. Romans 5 says different. And a lot of people live like this. They say, well, as long as I don't commit adultery,

as long as I don't commit adultery as long as um i don't murder i'm heaven bound this is not the same sexually immoral immoral so pornography masturbation um let's see pornography pornography, masturbation, fornication, having sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, that one right there covers a whole bunch right there. Okay, impurity and debauchery, idolatry. A lot of people, I mean, we have shows called American Idol. I mean, come on.

We worship at the feet of football players. We know better stats. We know stats about athletes better, like MLB players, basketball. We know them way better than we know the Word of God. In fact, most people have stats that they know about their favorite whatever, and they don't know one Bible verse. That's a fact. Shame on you. Witchcraft. People will have no problem in going and reading somebody's, you know, read my hand, read my palm,

getting on and listening to somebody read their fortune or whatever. Stay away from it. You're not supposed to be involved in that. Hatred. People get so mad at family members members they have hate in their heart towards their family member and they will not forgive them or a friend or whatever that in so much you forgive you are forgiven that is what the bible says so you have no option you can't hate somebody you have to forgive that is it period there is no one nothing on this earth

that you should have hate for. Discord. Jealousy. People live in jealousy. Jealousy is like their second or their middle name. Because they're jealous over everyone and everything. Why do you think keeping up with the Joneses is so common? We see it today. If somebody gets something, you gotta get that. But you might need to get the better one of that. Because you always have to be a step ahead of someone else or something. Jealousy, terrible.

Fits of rage. People who, you know, this is hilarious to me. People allow their children, small children, to throw temper tantrums. Get on the ground, throw a temper tantrum, whatever. What are you teaching your child to do in a temper tantrum? A fit of rage. So when they get to be older, guess what they do? to do in a temper tantrum a fit of rage so when they get to be older guess what they do they have an adult temper tantrum you're teaching your child to sin

when you allow them to throw a temper tantrum i had never allowed that in my family or my my children never got away with it they got spankings for it you're not going to have a fit of rage i will not participate and i will not help you sin. It's not going to happen. Selfish ambition. People who will step over people to get ahead. That's what that's talking about. Dissensions. People who gossip.

Who cause strife among friends or other people. Churches are filled with it. Trying to ruin, talking bad about staff members or talking bad about the leadership. Family, it's common. People and families talk so bad about each other. It's terrible. And then when they see them, they're sweet to their face. It's terrible.

Factions and envy, drunkenness. I could teach a whole lesson on drunkenness. Most people do not know that one glass of wine is usually your tipsy because the alcohol level is far beyond what it was in biblical times. So orgies and the like. I warn you, this is what it says. I warn you, Paul said this. I warn you as I did before that those who live like this not struggle.

Struggling is different. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. So if you said a sinner's prayer when you were like 15 years old and now you're living in a homosexual lifestyle or you're having sex outside of marriage or you're a hateful person and you won't forgive somebody

or you drink every single day to the point of drunkenness, it doesn't matter you said the sinner's prayer. It says those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. That's a fact. There's a lot of denominations now that are teaching, not even that you say the sinner's prayer. They're not even saying that if you said the sinner's prayer, they're just saying as long as you said a sinner's prayer,

you're going to heaven. It doesn't matter. Or you don't really need, you just need to do a fresh start, a new beginning. That's not even asking for forgiveness of sin. I don't even know what that is. I mean, it's not even a confession

and saying that I want you to be Lord of my life. It's frightening. It says, those that live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God, but the fruit fruit of the spirit and we're all to live all of us when we ask jesus into our hearts and we say you're the lord of our lives all of us now have the fruit of the spirit so you can quit praying for peace it already dwells inside of you or patience lord give me patience you got it if you're saved you got the fruit of the spirit the

spirit lives in you don't quit praying for patience start reigning it in and using what you already have you have it so use it okay says but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace forbearance patience kindness goodness faithful gentleness, and self-control. Everything that the word said, that if you do these things, you'll not inherit the kingdom of heaven, all of it's covered under the fruits of the spirit. You just need to access what you already have, start using it, and then the things that are, if you do these things,

you'll not inherit the kingdom of heaven, will eliminate out of your life. They'll be gone, right? Those who to jesus christ have crucified the flesh your carnal nature with its possessions passions and desires since we live by the spirit let us keep in step with the spirit let us not become conceited provoking and envying of others another action scripture so it's actions it's works people will tell you it's not workspace this is not a workspace faith well baloney romans 5 16 through 26 just said that it is okay here's another one john 15 1 through 10 says i am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that

bears fruit, he prunes. That it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me. That's an action, just so you know. In order to abide in something, you have to do that. That's an action. And I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine so you have to abide in him neither can you unless you abide in me now this goes against people who say that you can't lose your salvation well that's that's not true because you have to abide in him to stay okay and it goes further says i am the vine you are the branches he who abides in me and i in him bears much fruit for without me you can do nothing so we are supposed to be about something if anyone does not abide in me so you can choose not to he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they

gather them and throw them into the fire and they are are burned. This is important. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. In order to be a disciple, you must abide in him. And it says that you have to make the decision to stay in abiding in him. Love and joy is perfected. So as the father loved me, I also have loved you.

Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, action, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abided in his love. Okay, it is works. It it is actions that's just facts james 220 says but do you want to know oh foolish man that faith without works is dead okay um i'm not saying you have to do works like the jehovah witness and the mormons who are walking the streets okay that's not what I'm talking about. That's not, like, the Jehovah Witness,

one of the great reasons the kingdom halls are the cleanest places you've ever walked in is because they believe that works and we're going to get them into heaven. So, like, they are always working. They're out there trying to win somebody to them or they're cleaning up something. Okay, that is not the works that I'm referring to.

I'm talking about holiness. You should always be working to be holy. You should always be struggling with sin is not the same as living in sin. You should be eradicating sin on a daily basis. It says we are to be perfect as his father is perfect we should be striving for perfection okay you may say well i'll never attain it well daggum try i mean don't just sit there and go i'll never get there so you're not doing anything about it that's not what the word tells you to do it says to try to to be perfect like his father and heaven is

okay so you're supposed to you're supposed to strive for perfection. That's just the way it is. So now we've run out of time and I've gone way past it. Super sorry. But I'm going to close out and I am going to make sure that you have the opportunity to be saved. For me, that's all that matters. That's all that this is about. I love answering questions, but i'm going to be

honest with you it's far more important to win the lost than it is to answer your question and um so if you are not saved or if you've walked away from god all of us at one time have not been saved and some of us have walked away from god. And so if you meet that criteria, I want to say the sinner's prayer with you, and I want you to change. I want you to repent, come to know him, and have the life and life more abundantly like he promises for you. And if you feel like you want to do that, there's a reason for that.

Right now, you know that life is not that great. And you know that there's probably something way better out there for you. And you want to give it a chance. So I'm going to give you that opportunity. Say this prayer with me. I'm going to close my eyes with you. And just repeat after me. Heavenly Father, I come to you right now.

I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. I ask you to forgive my Lord and Savior. I ask you to forgive me of my sin. And from this day forward, I will live for you. And I will spend eternity in heaven with you when I die. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you said that prayer, you are heaven bound.

I would say to you to find a good church. And when I mean good church, I mean holiness church. You need to be discipled. If you live in this area, if you live anywhere, we have people who travel from the east coast of Florida to church almost every Sunday. If you live, we have people who live in Bradenton. We're in the middle of Sarasota County. They travel about an hour and a half to two hours to church every day, all the way down to Naples. They come to church and that's about a two hour, hour and a half, two hour track. Listen, if you live in the area, there are very few good churches around. Please

come. Introduce yourself to me. I want to meet you. We will help you. We will disciple you and we will get you strong in the Lord. Okay. It says in the word, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. We will make you as bold as a lion and whatever comes your way, you will face it head on and you will win. Victory is yours in Jesus name. Amen. All right. I will see you on Friday three to four. Bye.