The Hope Hotline - The Hope Hotline | S01-E22 | 03-31-23

Episode Date: March 31, 2023

Question #1How can we get saved by just saying “the sinners prayer” when scripture specifically tells us to confess Romans 10:9-10 to get saved? Also, why close our eyes, etc. when scripture says to confess before men (Matt. 10:32)? You did have people raise their hands openly and go up for prayer recently. That is scriptural from what I have studied. Thank you for clarifying this.Question #2 Eschatologically speaking, what, if any, is the distinguishable difference between the actual seed of Abraham and those of us who believe? Question #3I have a couple of questions about people who claim to be Christians and go to church on a regular basis. With all the dating apps out there one person goes on and pays money on a regular basis and has even been scammed when they got their banking information and kept taking money out and sending overseas.They say they want someone and especially an Asian woman whom he has never met other than what is in the brochures that look like hookers.Even under the roof of Christians they will go on these websites and the supposedly Christian home says it’s okay.To me they can preach they are God fearing Christians while promoting sin?

Hello and welcome to the Hope Hotline. Sorry about that, I don't know my name and I don't know the name of this podcast. Oopsie Daisy. I think think any more Red Bull coffee something but alas this is water that I have in this little cup now some of you guys are wanting to know about the cups and we've got some made I think Heather made about about 25 of them but listen these things they are not cheap. I'm not going to lie to you. Like this, this is crazy because we can't just get these made,

and I think it's because the handle and the inside of the cup, the handle and the inside of the cup, this is a Walgreens. Isn't that what she said, Walgreens, not CVS. This is a Walgreens mug that we had made and we had it made the week that we opened up the podcast. It might have been days before, but we couldn't find anything to match this blue. So we took a chance that this handle in the inside,

because this is the only thing we could find that was remotely close. It just so happens, I would say, it's not by coincidence. God. Even the little things God cares about. My cup. So.

Kid you not. Like we were guessing. When we had all this done. That it was going to match that blue right there. And it did. Lo and behold. So now we're stuck ordering everything from Walgreens. Because we can't find this cup anywhere

and we can't find one with a blue handle. With that being said, in order to get one of these cups, because some of you guys have said you want one, they're like $25, which for me, I wouldn't pay that. I wouldn't pay that for a cup. It's expensive. I mean, listen, Hope Hotline's pretty great, I wouldn't pay that for a cup. It's expensive. I mean, listen, Hope Hotline's pretty great, but $25?

And that's what it costs. I mean, we don't really sell anything and make money off of it. So even like the T-shirts and the sweatshirts and stuff like that, when we sell them, and the hats, we don't make any money. We're basically selling what it costs us to make it. We don't make, we really make no money to speak of because prices have gone up. But let alone, you want people to wear it, so you've got to make it affordable. Because if you charged a family, if everybody in the family wanted one, you got two kids and two adults, and it costs $20 for a T-shirt or $25?

That's ridiculous. How much are our t-shirts does anybody know like how much do we charge for our t-shirts i tell you you used to work the merchandise come on girl move it 15 or 20 i think they were 10 but i'm not kidding they things have gone up so much our t-shirt prices have gone crazy. So a t-shirt's $15. What is that new Mint Foundation shirt? There's this sweatshirt that everybody loves right now. $25? Yeah, that's because by the time it's done, it was $25 just to make.

I think it's $29.99 on the website for a sweatshirt. But we charge $25. to make but we charge 25 I think and the reason is is because I think when it's all done with shipping and stuff like that yeah that's because we have to ship it so by the time I think they included five dollars for shipping but still so if you buy it in in here i think it's 20 25 here if you buy it at the church and it's 30 if you buy it online but that's because they charge shipping for it yeah so they're in-house they're 10 yeah it's ridiculous what things are costing because we used to be able to do the shirts. We could do t-shirts for like eight. Yeah, it's crazy.

It's nuts what prices have gone up. But I digress because we were talking about the cup. This cup here, yeah, 25 bucks. I mean, listen, people. Unless you really want it, don't spend it. I don't know why you would, but that's a lot of money for a mug. We don't make money, so I don't really care. But we would never, I mean, not that it's wrong if you do.

I'm not saying that if you charge more to to to for your ministry or even business or i'm not saying that but we just don't do that but i think 25 for a mug is insane what's that song insane well is that what it was? Because I used to go to the club and dance to that song. I didn't dance that great to it, but I have rhythm. I'll tell you this. I have way more rhythm.

If you go back to the commercial that we just did last week for the questions, Norma and Talia are a dancing in the front and then we're dancing in the back for the record we really couldn't dance other than with our hands and keep our feet still because Tracy has no dance skills whatsoever like you're probably the worst dancer I've ever seen in my life. That's a fact. I'm not kidding. There's a, there's, I mean, oh my gosh. Tracy, Tracy, somehow, someway you have to make it be right now that, so people can see the blooper where you are dancing and Heather literally fell to her knees laughing so hard because you're so bad. I told her, I said, Heather, I said, don't look at her.

Like if you look at her, you're not going to make it. Because I had already spent the prior day with Tracy trying to teach her some moves. So that made it be that we just moved nobody. You know, you don't move your feet. After showing her how to do some dances and realize she knows no dance and she can't do it at all we reverted to um which we were already going to do just norma and talia up front doing some tiktok dances because they knew them but we could have done a little bit more in the back because me and Heather actually do have rhythm and we can actually do a little bit more than not by much not by much but but more but Tracy

she's got no skills but that was part of the fun let me just tell you go back and watch her do the sprinkler oh my gosh can you play it right now oh dear'll play it right now. Oh, my gosh. Can you play it right now? Can you play it right now? I'll play it right now. Oh, dear. Okay, can I be talking while they're watching it? Yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh.

Okay, so watch her. We're going to watch her do the sprinkler. Oh, I can't see it. Okay, so if you look at Tracy doing the sprinkler. Okay, so first of all, she's not on beat. Second of all, can you just loop it for me? First of all, she's not on beat. Second of all, can you just loop it for me? First of all, she's not on beat. Second of all, if you look at me and Heather,

we're basically on time the whole entire time you're spinning. Like the whole entire time you're going around, her and I are like kind of just boop, boop, boop, boop, and spinning right in. Tracy looks like she's having an epileptic fit like something like her body is being held back something is pulling her arm the opposite direction or her feet can't can't function either so part of her body is pulling being pulled in the reverse while her feet are trying to be taking the momentum forward. I don't know what's going on, but Tom literally, when he saw it, Tom's like, what is she doing?

Like, does she know, like, what? Is she trying to do the same thing you're doing right now? Oh, that's right. Well, no, you look like you're being tased. Okay. I'm going to show you this other one. a towel you put it on tiktok i'm not tiktok did you put it on instagram so this is when she shows it to you tom when i showed tom like uh i called i called tracy norma taped this too but oh my gosh.

Tracy, you do not look great. Oh my gosh, I'm done. That's the best ever. You are so freaking funny. Addie, it's okay. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

I'm going to die. I'm not going to make it on Wednesday. I'm not going to make it. I'm not going to make it. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. I need to regroup. I called Tracy from, I went into Norma because I was laughing so hard.

I went into Norma because she was going to bed. It was late at night. It was like 11 o'clock at night. Because I think Tracy sent me. Tracy, did you send me the video of no, it was Talia. Talia tagged me in Instagram. And I'm not, I don't really know how to operate Instagram right now. I don't know how. I just got, I just got jacked up and bought some stuff that I thought was real and didn't.

Listen, this is real. I had to tell the credit card company. Listen, before I even tell you what I fell for, you just need to know I'm a true blonde. I fell for a fraud. Okay? I should be embarrassed, but I'm not. Because I'm such a dingbat sometimes.

Whatever. Whatever. It happens. I've learned my lesson. I'm not. Because I'm such a dingbat sometimes. Whatever. Whatever. It happens. I've learned my lesson. I will never do it again. But, so Talia tags me in this video of, I don't even know if I knew that you had videoed it, Talia. But it's of Tracy dancing. Of hopefully what you're going to be able to see of her getting tased.

Because Tom said she looks like she's being tased. But I go in to Norma. I'm like, Norma, oh my gosh. This is hilarious. Norma's like, I've already seen it. She doesn't find it as funny as I did. You didn't find it as funny? Are you kidding me?

Well, I couldn't even tell Tracy. I called Tracy up from Norma's bed. I can't even talk. I am laughing so hard. Trace, you were nervous at what I was laughing at? Oh, so Tracy didn't know what I was laughing so hard about. So she's like nervous as to what's going on. I can't even speak. I'm laughing so hard. Maybe Norma still has it. I don't know. So you can see the video. But I'm laughing so hard. Norma's high. I think Norma had to talk for me.

Because I couldn't even get it out. When I saw that video of you, and you're horrible. She should be embarrassed you're so bad. But no, she owns it. She's proud. You know, you do make me laugh. But just the simple. I told Norma.

I was like, Norma, oh, my gosh. When I saw you doing the Norma, I was like, Norma, oh my gosh, when I saw you doing the sprinkler, I was like, she is so bad. She is so off. How is it possible? I mean, Heather aren't even that great of dancers. I mean, back in the day when I went to clubs, I did what was called either dumb dancing, which you don't care. As long as you're on beat, you're just there to have fun.

We always made fun of the people who were super serious when they went to the club and danced. So like they had to like show off their moves. Nobody's there for that. They're there to have fun or to meet somebody and hook up. I really wasn't there to meet somebody and hook up, but I was just there with my girls having fun, laughing and joking around.

I didn't do the hookup thing. I didn't do that. So, or I did what was, what did they, I was a dirty dancer. Like I was nasty. Yeah, Tracy said me too. Like I don't think I can dance without my tongue being out. But my tongue really wasn't out to be on purpose, like to be nasty. But it ends up being nasty.

But, like, I couldn't dance without my tongue being out. But then the moves that I was doing, even though I was having fun, it was nasty. I was a nasty dancer even though I was having fun, it was nasty. I was a nasty dancer. But I was having fun. I wasn't going home with anybody. That wasn't the objective. The objective was just drunk, fun, laugh, and if somebody ticked me off, pound some faces in.

That's all it was about. Just kidding. Not kidding. Kidding, not kidding. Hey, listen, if I had to teach somebody a lesson, it had to be done. I can do that now. Whatevs. Now I've wasted 15, 16 minutes minutes 17 minutes on your dirty dancing or no

you're bad dancing she did not dirty dance she is a horrible dancer though it's great it's great so hopefully we have videos for you that you have been able to observe and see you've laughed along with for it with us for the last 17 minutes and you may have seen something that you missed like that some of those questions and the dances in between you might have missed how bad she was so we're gonna backtrack make sure you didn't miss anything and you can see she's horrible like even when we're doing this like i don't even know what you were doing with your arms like you look like you're barely hanging on

oh yeah which was funny because if you had to move your arms before you could not move your legs her feet would not move if her arms had to move at the same time but I was very impressed with your grapevine. Oh, that's because you've done it before. Super impressive. But you suck at everything else. God bless you. You're terrible.

Okay. That was fun. Talia says yes. So if Talia says yes, then it'd be. It was fun. So let's see. We're going to go to the first question, which all of them are good questions,

which is a very cool question, but they're all good questions. So how can we get saved by just saying the sinner's prayer when Scripture specifically tells us to confess Romans 10, 9 through 10, to get saved by just saying the sinner's prayer when scripture specifically tells us to confess Romans 10 9 through 10 to get saved also why close our eyes etc when scripture says to confess before men Matthew 10 32 you did have people raise their hands openly and go up for prayer recently this is scriptural from what I have studied thank you you for clarifying this. So I would say everybody does it differently. And I mean, to me, it kind of, I mean, I don't really care how somebody wins the loss

as long as the lost are being saved. I mean, we can get down deep into the weeds of how to do it. But let's look at Romans 10, 9 through 10. Since you referenced this, it says that if you confess with your mouth, because this is like the Romans road, right? That this is like what they always, this is when you want to witness to somebody, speak about Jesus, and then it's a call for salvation. Everybody uses Romans, right, to do it, which is fantastic because it's a great,

I mean, the Bible teaches us how to raise our kids. It's a great guidebook. It teaches you how to do everything, right, how to be a good wife. It should teach you how to win the lost, and it actually does. Teaches you lots of things if you look in there. So Romans 10, 9 through 10, you're absolutely right. It's a great way, and it is the way that we're supposed to win the loss or how to do it. It says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart

that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. If you confess with your mouth that the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. So two different things. One is to confess with your mouth and the other one is to believe. All right, we're going to touch on both of those because believing is as important as confessing with your mouth. So the sinner's prayer, part of the sinner's prayer is the confession with your mouth. Okay? It basically validates saying the sinner's prayer, in my opinion. Now, people can have differing opinions,

and I'm not saying that, I mean, I've seen people get saved many different ways, but you do have to confess with your mouth. How can we get saved by just saying the sinner you put in quotes the sinner's prayer when scripture specifically tells us to confess romans 10 to get saved the sinner's prayer is saying is confessing um with your mouth it's saying lord i believe you're the Lord of my life. Like when Tom does it, he says, how does he say it? I ask you into my life.

I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. I believe that you died on the cross, I believe is what he also says this is very simple each time so that no matter where you are at in life whether you be a you know an elementary school student in the in the church and you want to get saved all the way up to somebody who's in their 80s the sinner's prayer that he has people repeat will be one that everyone from youngest to oldest can say and actually understand and know what they're saying so they know that they know that they got saved because they understood what they were confessing or saying at the time.

So how can we get saved by just saying the sinner's prayer when Scripture specifically tells us to confess Romans 9 through 10? I don't quite understand that question that you have when the sinner's prayer that is being said, which is a confession, is actually validating Romans 9 through 10. So I'm not sure that, or 10, 9 through 10. I'm not sure that I don't or do understand your question you're calling out Jesus and your need for him which is a confession and you're saying that he's going to be the lord of your life

and then you're repenting of your sin which is also scriptural in it, and we'll go through those scriptures. So I'm just not sure. And then your other thing is also why close our eyes when scripture says to confess before men. Well, some people have you close their eyes. Some people, like Tom has people close their eyes, and then he has the ones that want to get saved raise their hand i've done it that way i've also done it the other way where everybody keeps their eyes open and then um they raise their hands i don't think either one of them is wrong um luke 12 through 8 12 8 says also i say

to you whoever confesses me before men, him, the son of man, will also confess before the angels of God. So either way is not wrong because it didn't say, it doesn't say. So if somebody raises their hand and confesses it before Tom, then, I mean, they've done that. They've confessed it before Tom, then, I mean, they've done that. They've confessed it before men. It doesn't mean that everyone in the room has to know who is doing the sinner's prayer. Sometimes people are not comfortable because they're a very private person, but as long

as it fits the scripture and it's scripturally based, like as long as they're a very private person. But as long as it fits the scripture and it's scripturally based, like as long as they're willing to confess it and let a person see that they are making that stand, that's living it out. Or you can do it the other way where everybody's eyes are open and they're confessing it before the man or men or whatever i mean you could say well before men is plural and he's only doing it the one person's only doing it in front of tom or whatever i mean i think we're getting deep into the weeds on that

i don't think it's like heather i mean tracy was saying she agrees i I think that what the scripture applied here is that you're willing to say to someone, I need to be saved. I need to get my right life with God. And Lord, you're it. I need you. And I need you to now guide me, direct me, and I'm going to live for you. I think that's the foundation of it. I think some people, I'm not saying that when I say this, it's not directed at the person who wrote this, because I obviously don't know the heart behind it, and I don't know you.

So I don't want to project something on to this person that's not true or right. But I think we get very religious and rigid in how we believe things should be done or things should take place. And I don't think at Foundation Church we are seeker sensitive at all. In fact, I think we've been accused of it being the opposite because we're so deep in your, you know, we push people to worship God in our worship time. We call out things. We're very in your face. And so much we've been accused of being too much in your face

about how people live and how they hide their hide their christianity um so that nobody even knows that you're saved i mean i think we're always propelling people to be more of what god's called them to be to be that answer for people who are seeking, seeking a walk with God. I just, we get in trouble because of people going out and soul winning. I mean, I just think when nobody does that anymore, I just think that, I think we can be too nitpicky sometimes because it doesn't fit the way people believe it should be done. Again, I'm not saying that this is the case for the person that wrote this. I just think that it can be like that.

So I think the way that we do it in a way a lot of, right now most people don't even have a salvation call at the end of their messages, or at the end of the service. And if it is, it's so vague, that you don't even know you're getting saved. So, that we actually have one, like, I have a family member,

who goes, who's church, they came to my church many, many, many years ago. And they told me that their church, they hadn't even had a salvation call in their church in years. They didn't even remember it. They hadn't even, I don't know what their church does today. I don't know. Everybody's church has changed and evolved and things like that. And I'm sure that they've had change in leadership.

So if the, well, if the change in leadership, if there's been a change in leadership and if the change in leadership, I was about to say indoctrinated it, but it's not true, what's the word I'm looking for, has instituted it, then that might not be the case anymore. But most churches don't even have a salvation call. And if they do, it's called a fresh start, a new beginning. And then if you've ever seen a fresh start, a new beginning and then if you've ever seen a fresh start or new beginning you don't even know you're there's no confession of anything there's nothing so what are you really saved from so

you're you're just joining a club as far as i'm concerned so um and i'm not saying you reference you reference how we do it so maybe you attend this church and maybe you don't like how it's done maybe you do like how it's done i don't know um but since there seems to be a reference to the church either you watch our service but i think they close out and you don't even see the salvation at the very end we close out so you probably attend it um everybody has their way and my thing is as as long as you're winning the lost and they actually know they're being saved and the prayer is a confession

and you are saying that you want, you are turning your life over to the Lord and he is your Lord and Savior, then you're doing it right. Let's say, were you about to say something, Tracy? Were you wanting to add something? No. Romans 10, 13 says,

For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. That means you have to say something. That means that you should be praying something. I mean, you could have a conversation with the Lord. I do believe people get saved privately. So my question would be, if you get saved privately and you didn't confess it before men, are you saved? Because Romans 10, 9 through 10 says that you have to confess it before.

No, excuse me. Luke 12, 8 says you confess me before men. So I'll confess you before the angels of God. Maybe that can also refer to when you're speaking to people that if they ask you if you're saved and you say, yes, I am saved. Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Maybe it's referring to that too. You can look at it that way too. But Romans 10, 13 says, for whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2, 21, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name

of the Lord shall be saved. There's different ways of being saved. Romans 1.16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. So it says you have to believe. For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. In that scripture, it didn't say you had to confess.

It says you have to believe. Like I said, I think you can be saved in your prayer closet by yourself. I think if you're in a group, you go to church, you're in a Bible study, and you want to be saved, people can stand with you. You can say the prayer or somebody can guide you through the prayer Bible study, and you want to be saved. People can stand with you. You can say the prayer or somebody can guide you through the prayer if you don't know how to say it. There's many, many ways to declare or confess that you want to be saved. But you can also believe. And when I say you believe, that doesn't mean,

like there's lots of people who say they believe in God. They believe in Jesus. Okay, they believe that he exists. They don't believe in him to be the Lord and Savior of their life. There's two different things. There are ones that, like the disciples, they walked with God, or they walked with Jesus. They saw him and give up. They saw him give up his life.

They saw him after he gave up his life that he was he was resurrected. And then they went around and preached the gospel. They believed. Did they necessarily confess their sin and necessarily get saved like we do traditionally in this church? No, they believed in who he was, and then they declared who he was, and then they won the lost, and they discipled those people who received salvation. So I would say believing is another way that you become saved.

But I think the more perfect way is the Romans 9, where you say the sinner's prayer, you confess your sin, you make a serious decision. Oftentimes when you raise your hand and you declare it among people, you take that a little bit more seriously. You're very apprehensive to draw attention to yourself and to say, I'm not like one of you guys. I'm not saved.

I do need him. Okay, so when people have to do that, they tend to take that decision more seriously. It's not flippant. It's something that their heart's usually beating out of their chest because a lot of times we're not, there's not a lot of people that are out there looking to draw attention to themselves

and say, woo, look at me. You tend to be like, I just want to stand here quietly and not draw attention to myself. Again, I don't think that there's any wrong way to win the lost per se, but you have to make sure that the person's truly saved, that they actually know what they're doing. They know that it means now that you've said the sinner's prayer

that there's change that has to occur. It says to repent. It says that John and Jesus, when they walked this earth, that their ministry was repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, which is what John said. And Jesus, when he walked this earth, he also told people they must repent. Repent means that you go the opposite direction in which you were headed. You do a 180-degree turn.

So with that, when you get people saved, you also have to direct them and disciple them so they understand the decision that they made and they can't continue in the lifestyle that they were leading. And that's where I think we fall short more importantly than how somebody is getting saved and what they're saying and how it's being saved.

And is it done where people are only raising their hands and everybody's eyes are closed? I think that's just so small into the bigger picture, which is, are we teaching people after they are saved how to move forward with their walks with God? Because Jesus said we are to win the lost and disciple believers. He didn't say you just win them. He said after you win them, you disciple them. That's truly important. I mean, you can't do one without the other. It's like the parable of the sower, which is in Matthew.

They'll have some that fall on. There's only one ground that the seed fell onto that it was rich soil and it lasted. The rest of it, the cares of this life took them away or it fell on weeds and all these different things. You have to like, once you win them, you have to put them in good soil so that they flourish and grow. And a lot of times, Billy Graham said this, one of his biggest regrets is he would have these, and he's actually one of the ones

that instituted the sinner's prayer about winning the loss, having them come forward, confess their sin, and being saved. He was one of the big proponents of the salvation call, right? So one of his biggest regrets, he says, is that after he discipled them, I mean, after he won them,

they were left to their own demise. They weren't plugged in to anything. They kind of said the sinner's prayer and then they went on their way. That's dangerous. That is not what the word tells us to do. So one of the things that I love about Take the Nations, which is our evangelist that we support heavily,

is Bia and Daniel, detouette is du-touette. Du-touette. Du-touette. Did I say that right, Norma? Something like that. What Daniel does and Bia does and their team that they have, which who's their team right, Norma? Something like that. What Daniel does and Bia does and their team that they have, which who's their team now, Norma?

Because we need to be praying for them. So there's Daniel, Bia. Matthew and Rachel. Is there somebody else on the team? This is like people need to be praying for Take the Nations. That's the main group. Okay, so what they do which is valuable they don't just go into these communities when the lost have these Crusades and

and bail okay what they do is before they ever go into them I don't know if Daniel and be through this because they're usually they have some bigger things that they do but they have a team i guess it's matthew and rachel they have a team and maybe them too and they go into the community before because i think bia was telling me this or daniel they go into the community that they're going they're headed into a month or two months actually they usually do it like three months i think one of them told me where they start heading into that area. They start publicly campaigning so people know that they're coming.

They also go into the local churches, many of them. They speak with the pastors so that once these people, this crusade is over, that these people who are saved have churches to plug into. They actually get the people who are saved have churches to plug into they actually get the people who are saved and they get them involved and in relationship with the local churches so that once they leave they have somewhere to go and they are discipled they also, teach them how to grow.

They teach them health things and stuff like that, which is very, very important. And that's great and all. But all that'll do you no good if you're not discipled. And so that's way, way more valuable. Because you don't want them after they're saved just fall by the wayside you want them to have their seed grow flourish and then they start winning the lost and discipling believers that's really what it's all about otherwise it's fruitless it's empty and it's in vain I will ask

you not you in particular that asked this question i would ask in general though if you are a person that is critical in winning the lost or how it's done or just a critical person in in nature I would say, what are you doing? It's so easy to sit back and examine how everybody, how people do things. But I say, well, before you examine them and before you have your two cents, because people tell us all the time, people always want to give their advice or they think that they know how to do it better. But I will always say, well, what are you doing? And I don't mean that rude or mean, but I always want, I'm like always thinking to myself,

well, we're doing something. What are you doing? Like, it's so easy to sit back and watch and have an opinion. But why don't you put yourself out there so that somebody can give you their opinion about how you're doing something? It's so easy to just sit back idly by and observe. But I would ask, who is the last person that you walk through the salvation call with? Or you led to the Lord maybe um maybe you didn't do it the same way

I do it Tom does it or somebody else that you know you've been under or you observe that's not even in ministry but just goes and wins the lost right um what I would say is when was the last time you did it? And do you think that somebody would have an opinion on how you did it? And maybe they would have their two cents to add to it. My thing is, if you're winning the lost, and then you're rising these people up to be solid believers, to have solid walks with the Lord, and those people actually go to heaven, then what does it matter?

And if you're not doing it, maybe you should worry less about how somebody's winning the lost and start focusing on you winning the lost. That's what drives me crazy sometimes. It's like everybody has an opinion, but they have an opinion on that which they do not do. It just floors me. People always want to tell you how you should pastor.

Like, seriously, how they think you should pastor, or how they think you should run their church. And I just sit there sometimes and I go, well, start your own church and then you run it that way. If you think you can do it better, plant your own church, get your own group. Don't take it from the church that you attend, but go out there, lay the groundwork, and start doing it yourself. And then it'll be just the way you like it.

People don't want to do that though. It's the same with business. Oh my gosh, yes. If you own a business, your employees can always tell you how you do it wrong or they could do it better. Well, dadgummit, go out there and start your own business then. Take the risk.

Take the risk because failure is inevitably, you will never ever do things 100% correct. You are going to make mistakes. I love Michael Jordan. One of the things that Michael Jordan said, he said one of his quotes is something along the lines of, I have failed more than I have succeeded. But he said, if I had never tried and failed,

I would have never had as many successes as I have. You're going to fail. You're not going to hit the ball out of the park every single time. But at least you're not going to hit the ball out of the park every single time. But at least you're at bat. Whereas most people never hold the bat, but they can certainly tell you how to hold the bat. They're way better at holding the bat than you, but they've never held it.

And I'm not saying that that's how this person feels when they ask the question. That's not what I'm saying. But I am speaking to people right now who may have not written this question and they need to hear this because probably who wrote this question is very sincere and very sweet and their intention was not ill at all behind the question but there are people who know everything and can tell you how to do it way better than you do, but they've never done it before. And that drives me crazy.

That drives, Sheddyville, that's what Tom always says. Sheddyville, just close the mouth, close the mouth and start showing some action. You do a lot better just closing your mouth and you start doing something. It's really easy to talk. It's really hard to get up off the couch and have to do something. For me, it's like we have a soul winning every other, it's not every other Saturday, but it's pretty common.

If people had to go out cold turkey and just meet people and talk to them, because god's going to bring the ones to you that are ready and prepared there's other ones that are going to go tell you to shove off but there will be the ones we just had 37 37 i think it was out of 260 something people 37 gave them 37 people gave their hearts to the Lord not last Saturday but the Saturday before that that means the harvest is ripe you will be widely rejected more than you'll be received but the thing is is God's going to bring those ones that he's been drawing in to come across your path and my thing is is go out there and win the lost. Earn some crowns. You know, that's super important. Be rejected.

It's very humbling. It's very humbling. But there's something precious about it too. Because it makes the ones that say yes that much sweeter. Okay, next question. I think I only lasted, I've only done one question and I only have 18 minutes left. Holy Moses.

Estacologically, and I had to get something to sum that out for me. First of all, the person had it spelled wrong that sent in the question, so I had no idea what they were trying to say. But this is the, I mean, but I have it spelled correctly in my thing. Estacologically speaking what if any is the distinguishable difference between the actual seed of Abraham and those of us who believe? Why don't you just ask me to tell you how an atom is created? A-T-O-M.

Not atom, A-D-A-M. An atom. A nucleus. Holy crap. I don't even know what estacologically means. I do now, but oh my words. Like some of these people that ask these questions, you're brilliant. And I'm not kidding kidding like that's a brilliant

question it would have never like it would have never crossed my mind this question I just I am a true blonde I didn't know how to spell it either I had to look up if you misspell something and it's close enough, they'll find it for you. And then if you look up the definition, then you actually can figure out if it was meant to go with that question. That's what I did, girl. Otherwise, I would have been a hot mess.

So, okay, again, I don't really understand the question. You should have just asked me how to tell you how an atom or a nucleus is created. Okay, because I really, I don't know. And I'm not going to begin to even be able to tell you. I remember looking up what ecstacologically meant. And even after I did that that I still didn't understand even though I know that it coincided and and it it joined together with your question but I'm

gonna tell you right now you need to ask that one to Perry stone or somebody like that somebody who's brilliant. It ain't me. Listen, if I answer this question for you, I can promise you, you're going to be as lost as last year's Easter egg, okay? We don't want that. I don't want that on my hands. So I ain't answering that question. I'm going to move to your next question because you had two and one.

And that second one was way easier than the first by a lot. So that's the one I'm going to answer. And I'm really sorry, but I do know how to spell estacologically now. So I appreciate you for that. But you don't because because you just misspelled it. So although you're brilliant, you're not a good speller. Just kidding. I'm not kidding, but I'm kidding. Okay, who are the chosen and who are the elect?

And is there a difference or are they the same which you know what that's a really good question because a lot of people are very confused by that because it's old testament and new testament they're talking about the chosen in both so i can see how um how somebody could be very confused about that. And if I hadn't studied greatly Revelation, like if I hadn't just done a major two and a half year in-depth study for the ladies ministry of this church on Revelation, I might not have known that either. But I do.

So the Old Testament, God was speaking to the Israelites. And I'm going to show you where that is. So when he spoke of the chosen in the Old Testament, it was strictly the Israelites, the Jewish people. It's in Deuteronomy 7, 6. It says, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own position, or possession, excuse me, for his own possession,

above all peoples who are on the face of the earth. So Old Testament, because Jesus hadn't come, so the Gentiles didn't exist, which are us, and so we're not grafted in, right? So speaking strictly in the Old Testament, always, always the Jewish people, the Israelites. Now, in the New Testament, when you look at the words elect and chosen, it always identifies sinners that God has saved. So that could be Jewish people, that could be Gentiles, that could be us.

All right, 1 Thessalonians 1 through 5. Now Paul, in this, Paul wrote Thessalonians. He's speaking to the people of Thessalonians, Thessalonia. Okay, so the people of Thessalonia or the Thessalonians were not, there were few Jewish people. They were mostly Gentiles, which Paul was sent for the Gentiles. If you remember, like Peter, he was sent out for the Jews. Paul was sent out for the Gentiles, for the conversions, right? So

1 Thessalonians 1.5 says, we know brothers loved by God that you are chosen. So like I said, Paul is specifically speaking to the Christians of Thessalonians, and they are Gentiles. There are very few Jews at that time. So if you look at the New Testament, which is really what we stand on today, obviously you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. So Old Testament, chock full of knowledge. It's not voided out. It's just added on.

Old covenant is inferior to the new covenant by which Jesus provided for us. And so the chosen and the elect are both the Jewish of the beast, they believe those are the Jewish people. Even the Jewish people believe that as well. So because it speaks specifically after a certain period of time, and I can't remember what chapter it is, that everything is really, the Western world isn't spoken of at all. And everything now is in the Eastern part of the world,

that things are happening. So that's why a lot of people too, a lot of theologians believe that the elect in Revelation, that when they a lot of people too a lot of theologians believe that the elect in revelation that when they're speaking of that elect that elect is specifically speaking of the jewish people but the chosen and elect throughout the new testament there is referenced many times and paul references it many times and he's the Christians that he's referring to are our Gentiles which are us so I hope that I hope that helps you so the thing is is with some of this stuff you have to look at who it's being said the time period

it's being said in and time period it's being said in, and also like in Revelation. Revelation is speaking specifically about a vision of things to come. And not that it differs from the other teachings in the New Testament, it is adding to it. I don't know how to explain that better, but it doesn't eliminate what Paul said about who the chosen and elect are if it references that the chosen and elect

in Revelation is referring to just the Jewish people. I don't know if I said that correctly so it's less confusing, but it's all-encompassing. But Old Testament, Old Testament, it was always the Jewish people. It was always the Israelites. But we have a new covenant. And if you look at what Mary, what did the angel say to Mary when she was told she was going to have Jesus, she was highly favored. Well, and the only other place in Scripture where it talks about being highly favored

is when God talks about us, the Christian. We are highly favored, which is a huge compliment so i would think if paul says we are chosen um and and there's other places that were called the elect then um it doesn't just because some theologians believe that the jewish people be the ones that are the, and I believe that too, though. I do. I believe that the remnant of post that you hear about, if I were to guess, it will be, because I still believe, even though we're chosen elect, the Jewish people are still his, they're his babies. They're his people people he is a Jew

so although we're grafted in and we are very special and we are still named the same there's something about the Jewish people and the covenant that God made with Abraham.

And so, not that there's tears, but I think there's tears. So, I think it's an interesting question, and I think it's not really that, I mean, I think you can answer it, but I think you can't answer it concrete to a certain extent because all of us are called that. But to what? I don't know. It's not heaven and hell, but I wish I had a better answer for you than that. But again, I think chosen and elect are all of us, but Revelation, I think when he's specific to talks about that and it's specific it's the jewish people so next

question because i got six minutes and i want to get to this one and i think it's going to eat up a lot of time but that's okay i have a couple of questions about people who claim to be Christians and go to church on a regular basis. With all the dating apps out there, one person goes on and pays, and I think this is somebody's family that they're asking this about. It's very vague. It's either somebody you know very well, like close friends, or it's family. But I have a couple questions about people who claim to be Christians and go to church on a regular basis.

With all the dating apps out there, one person goes on and pays money on a regular basis and has even been scammed when they got their banking information and kept taking money out and sending overseas. They say they want someone, and especially an Asian woman, who he has never met other than what is in the brochures that look like hookers. Even under the roof, there's people that are giggling in here because I know you're not trying to be funny but that's not good even you got even Tracy giggling

I'm gonna tell you I think your friend's a hot mess first of all just from your little paragraph so let me preface it by starting with that which I think you already knew they were a hot mess. That's the reason why you're asking this question. They just don't know that they're a hot mess. Even under the roof of Christians, they will go on these websites and supposedly Christian home says it's okay. To me, they can preach they are God-fearing Christians while promoting sin. Now that last sentence, I don't understand that last sentence because it doesn't make sense. And I think maybe you were writing it fast, but I think what you're saying to me, they can preach they are good, good,

they are God-fearing Christians while still promoting sin. Or how can they preach they are God-fearing Christians while promoting sin? That's how I really think that you meant it. But we're going to go to the Bible. 2 Corinthians 6.14 says, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness, and what communion has light with darkness? How in the world can you go on a website pick a woman and know she's a believer

you can't you can't so that in and of itself tells you they should not be doing this. It's so simple. Like, for me, usually when people do this, when people go online and want to find someone in another country, I mean, sometimes it's because they're attracted to, like, my son. He finds women that, I mean, my son, finds um women um that I mean my son well my daughter too but um so have I um we've never cared about color skin and that doesn't bother us a bit so like I've dated at pretty much every I would say I say I dated in every nationality but that's not true

what but I've liked every nationality and I've dated a lot of skin colors, so it doesn't bother me a bit. I could give a rip. So I think people, like my kids, my son finds Asian girls very pretty. He finds African American girls very pretty. My daughter, she doesn't care, skin color. She's had, I think think there ain't no color that

my daughter hasn't found good looking um Puerto Rican um like Middle Eastern African American she don't care white whatever she don't care I I just think some people really don't care about that stuff and so they find attractive what they find attractive now here's the thing what I find that people tend to do that are insecure that that like a certain nationality so this guy apparently is very attracted to Asian women there is's nothing wrong with that. Who cares? Whatever nationality he is. If he likes Asian women, that's not a problem. The problem is is trying to find one or trying to meet one without

meeting her. Like hooking up or trying to meet her through a venue or a vein that doesn't really allow you to know the person and to know, like you can say, well, they fill out this questionnaire and they say they're a Christian. People say a lot of things, actions. So if you find a girl that's over in Korea, let's use Korea. You go find an Asian girl in Korea right are you really

gonna get to know her yeah you can spend a lot of time talking on the phone with her but you don't know what she does like you make it you may be lucky to talk to her for two hours a day what is she doing 22 of the rest of the hours only that will tell you whether or not she's saved. And what's so easy about this is usually people who are not confident in themselves, they go to websites and they do this because they're afraid of rejection. And they don't feel confident enough to do the face-to-face, so they're desperate. They'll find somebody who's just pining to get over to America

and will do anything to get to america that means hook into the hook line and sinker into somebody who's just as desperate as them but in just a different way like if you claim to be a christian your confidence is in him your self-esteem is in him. And sometimes what is so funny to me is these men aren't always unattractive that feel like this. Everybody always thinks it's, oh, he must be hideous or she must be just so ugly that that's what the reason they're going this route because they could never get anybody. That's not true, guys. You don't have to be unattractive to go this route. It has to do with how you think of yourself and your self-esteem.

If you have self-esteem, if you feel inferior, if you don't like something. Some people have crooked teeth or whatever or is missing a tooth. They'll never go out of their house. They'll never go and do anything. They don't want to meet anybody until they have that surgery that fixes it. Well, I get that to a certain degree, but your one flaw that you find so despicable,

guess what? There might be somebody out there who just doesn't give a rip. They look at you. They think you're extremely attractive and it's irrelevant to them I mean I just think that a lot of times we make something so much bigger than the flaw and now we we focus on that when there's so much more going for us. So I would say that the person's using this as a way to find somebody because they have bigger problems.

So they need to focus on those problems, get right spiritually speaking, because that's a big issue. But it doesn't sound like, sounds like they're a hot mess. So we should never pay, never pay to find a mate, never. What did you say, Norma? Norma goes, it's weird.

It's not right. It is like prostitution. Yeah. Well, yeah. The person who's involved in the relationship and then the person that's paying for the person. It is. It's weird.

And I'm not saying that people haven't fallen in love. Like I've had family members. I know of a family member who did this for a girl in the Philippines. She's a lovely girl. They have a little boy, and their marriage is very, very good. But does it always work out like, and they didn't claim Christianity, but does it always work out like that? No, and usually people from other countries, God is not the person. God is not their...

No, no, no. What I was going to say is usually they don't worship God. Usually it's Buddhists, Hindu, things like that. You're not going to like... Even if you... People from Haiti, they have deeper issues, not Christianity. There's a lot of witchcraft and things like that.

You've got to be very careful about this. Maybe you just need to trust God will bring the right person in your direction. My thing is, is how much do you get out of the house? How much do you involve yourself in church? How much do you involve yourself in Christian social groups? Places that would be considered appropriate to find a mate. I think probably a lot of people stay in their house or in their room or whatever, and that's the way that they, that's their problem. They don't get out.

But again, they don't get out because they're insecure about themselves. And usually people, and people are gonna argue about this, but insecure people are very selfish people because you're so self-absorbed. Usually insecure people, they go, no, no, no, you don't understand. No, no, you don't understand. No, no, you don't understand.

You don't go out because you're insecure about yourself. That's a lot of thinking about you. Yeah, shy people. A lot of times shy people, they're very self-absorbed. You're too concerned, you're so shy because you're so concerned if you say the wrong thing or if you look a certain way or you know whatever the case may be how will people think about me okay you're very self-absorbed okay who cares who cares listen it might shock the world, which is you.

It might shock you that really nobody cares. Nobody's thinking a bit about it. So everything that you're concerned and feeling inferior about, nobody cares. They don't. Just get out there. Live life to its fullest. Like shake a leg. Have fun. Not don't. Just get out there. Live life to its fullest. Like, shake a leg. Have fun. Not like her. And when I say shake a leg, I mean dance. Go out there. Dance. Have fun. Not at a bar. I'm just saying, you know, go out there and experience things, right? Dance the night away. But not like Tracy. She's terrible.

But even in the midst of her stinking, she don't care. It's fun. She had fun. She laughed. She joked around. She brought joy to my heart. I laughed. I had so much fun.

But that's what you can't be so serious about yourself that that you ruin your life but I mean seriously if if she was so insecure about her dancing like but we had so much fun I mean who cares people care too much you're not a good dancer even though you think you are but who cares you can dance if you want to isn't that how the who cares you can dance if you want to and that how the song goes you can dance if you want to go out have fun not at bars not clubbing just go out have fun meet people you may not click with everybody lots of people do not click with me I am way too much for some people I was way too much for Tom when he first met me I didn't care go out there and be you people who love you will love you. And the people who don't are missing out. That's how you have to think of it. Just gosh darn it. But you'll find

somebody who just thinks you're the biggest prize. You'll find your mate. You'll love life. There'll be a Christian. And this person that asked this question, you need to send it to the person you're talking about because I'm preaching to them I'm not preaching to you and to anybody else that suffers like this person people are in here giving me some amens and praise you Lord's right now but I will tell you I've seen somebody who's done this when I was like um let's see I was um I've run out of time but I'm gonna tell the story um she was an attractive girl which is crazy she was like model tall she's probably 5'11 blonde long blonde hair like had those voluptuous lips that everybody pays for now um she's a christian girl uh the only the she didn't do she lived with her mother she went to church on sundays church at

night so it's not so i applaud her like she's out there right to a certain extent though though um she felt like her husband was going to knock on her door I was probably in my 20s I remember saying to her because she was in her 30s and she wasn't married and she's not she's an attractive girl but she lived with her mom and she's kind of like one of those girls that um like everything all her shirts came to here to her wrist and all of her dresses came down to her ankles. And not like you need to be dressing like a hoe or a skeevy, but come on. Not everything. I mean, she was just shy of the little.

A job? No. What is it? The cap that. The bonnet that people wear. Just shy of that. That hurt you. I mean, you can wear a pair of pants. Show your cankles. But she told me, I said, like, do you date? She had never dated.

She was an attractive girl. And not, like, my daughter's 22 has never dated, so please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. You don't need to date everybody. But when you're in your 30s and you've never gone on a date and you live with your mother and your mother I think wants you to stay living with her if you know what I mean um and be her best friend um and she remember I remember her telling me oh I don't I don't need to go I said you need to go out like you need to get out get out I'm not telling to go. I said, you need to go out. Like, you need to get out. I'm not telling you to go to a bar or something.

You just need to go out. Because at the time, I was doing the bar scene. But I'm like, you don't have to go to a bar or anything like that, but you have to get out there. She's like, no, if God will bring him to me. I'm like, how is he going to bring him to you? She goes, I said, what do you think? He's going to just send him and knock on your door?

And she's like, yeah, yeah. I'm like, are you serious? Like, you honestly believe that God, and do I believe that that could happen? Maybe, but on the whole, you got to do something. Like, get out there. Make yourself available so that the God can come even approach you. You're not going to have some guy go, God sent me and I'm hoping there's a woman in here,

like an Ananias with Paul. I mean, sorry, that doesn't happen very often where the prophet comes to you and whatever. I just think you got to get out there. And I think for her, she was very afraid of rejection. She wanted to be involved with somebody, but she was extremely afraid of rejection. So it was much safer to live in her home with her mother and then be best friends. If you want a spouse, you have to get out there. You have to make yourself available.

You don't just date everybody. Like my kids are super cautious they always evaluate before they date and then if they are interested in somebody they bring it to us like we've known who they've liked and we haven't really ever put our stamp of approval on anybody but nine times out of ten, it hasn't even gotten there because our kids pray, they ask God, they get to know the person. You can like somebody and think they're attractive all you want to, but if you don't have a lot in common or if it just doesn't mesh and click,

it's not going to work out. You might as well move on. So for us, both of our our kids it's never gotten to that point they've been attracted to somebody they've gotten to know them and then they pray about it in their spirit they just know it's not it's not i just don't feel it so it's never even gotten to that place um but that's what you need to be out there doing you need to be out there meeting people uh creating relationships. It could start out as a friendship that evolves into something else.

But being insecure is not going to help you. So I say get off the websites, start meeting people, and quit trying to buy your bride. It don't work. I've seen it not work. I've seen the bride come over here, get to America, and then dump the guy. Yeah, it's true. They dump them. They got to America, got their visa, got their citizenship. Bye-bye. So love will only last as long as the visa exists.

And once the citizenship is in place, you might be losing it. You might get a few good years, but whatever. So if you want a relationship that will last the sands of time, Jesus is your answer. Tracy goes, I love it. Seriously, huh? Yeah, I'm going to transcend. Truthfully, the only relationship that's worth having that will last forever and ever and ever into eternity

is the one that you'll have with Jesus. And if you are an insecure individual, he will make you secure. And then he'll just add it on to you. Pile after pile after pile of goodness and a cherry on top. And if you don't know him, today's your day. If you knew him and you know that it's time to come back because this nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing makes you happy and it will not make you happy, then you need to come back. So I offer you this opportunity. Let's just say this prayer together. But I will tell you this, you know, if I'm talking to you right now,

you know, because the pricking and prodding and the feeling that you feel on the inside, I know that feeling. I know what I'm speaking about so if you're feeling that feeling and this relates and in in in and you're like how in the world it's because I've been there it's as simple as saying this prayer say it with me dear Heavenly Father I ask you to come into my life I ask you to be my Lord and Savior. I turn from my ways, the life that I was living. I'm going to go the opposite direction. I'm going to live for you. And when I grow old and depart this earth, I will live with you for eternity in heaven.

I thank you for what you did on that cross. In Jesus' name, amen. You are saved. You'll be joining me in heaven. Hopefully, if you're the website guy looking for an Asian woman, you've said, or you'll say the sinner's prayer, you'll be joining me there too.

In the meantime meantime I will see you the next time tune in 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday I'll see you bye real talk real talk real talk