The Jeff Cavins Show (Your Catholic Bible Study Podcast) - Spiritual Landmines Can Kill

Episode Date: October 23, 2020

In our walk with Christ, we have to learn to detect spiritual landmines- the sins that are destructive in our lives and separate us from God. Today, Jeff shares the story of Magawa, a rodent trained to detect deadly landmines in Cambodia to inspire us to also find our spiritual landmines that harm our relationship with the Lord. Snippet from the Show Sin is a spiritual landmine for the soul, and Christ is the Divine Physician who comes to heal the destruction. Email us with comments or questions at [e-mail] Text “jeffcavins” to 33-777 to subscribe and get Jeff’s shownotes delivered straight to your email! Or visit ascensionpress.com/thejeffcavinsshow for full shownotes!

You're listening to the Jeff Kaven Show, episode 189, spiritual landmines can kill a lesson from Magawa. Hey, I'm Jeff Kavans. How do you simplify your life? How do you study the Bible? All the way from motorcycle trips to raising kids, we're going to talk about the faith and life in general. It's the Jeff Kaven show. Hey, thanks for joining me again this week. This is show number 189, and we're going to talk about spiritual landmines and how dangerous they are in your life. And if you are a mother or a father, you have a responsibility to help detect landmines in your children's life. So often we hear news about children who step on spiritual landmines and their life tank. they go south and after a tragedy, whether it's suicide or whether it is kidnapping or some other type of calamity that takes place. We look back and we think, boy, I wish I could have avoided that. Why didn't I see that coming? And you hear that so often with parents or friends who

they have a friend who takes their life and all of a sudden they look back and think, you know, if I had just, if I just looked at this carefully, I would have seen it coming. So we want to talk about spiritual landmines today, and I do have a number of texts from the Bible that I'm going to be using, and I want to give those to you. It's very easy to get all of the show notes for this show and all the shows in the future. All you've got to do is text, my name, is one word, Jeff Kavens, at 3377. That's 3377. That's 3377. Hey, big news this week. I got to tell you, I can't remember if I mentioned this last week, but the new Spanish Great Adventure Bible is out now. It's out now. The Spanish Great Adventure Bible, I'll put the link in the show notes. You can get the Great Adventure Bible for all of your friends who speak Spanish. Maybe you speak Spanish and English, get one of each. And it is really, really beautiful. Also, I wanted to put this word out there. that, of course, most speaking engagements have been canceled, right?

You know, we're not going out and speaking around the country. But I do want to offer you the opportunity, at least, to have me speak at your church via Zoom. If you're interested in me speaking at a conference at your church via Zoom or to your leadership or to a women's group or a men's group, then you can go to jeffcavens.com and you can fill out the form that is an invite and be specific as to what you are thinking about can be a little bit difficult when people write in and say, we want you to come to our church and we don't have a date and we don't have a topic. Figure it out. But if you do know what you would like to talk about or have me talk about or when or to what audience, you can put that in the form, fill it out,

give it to me, we'll get back to you, but it's a new way of speaking to your parish. via the internet. Okay, we're talking about spiritual landmines and avoiding spiritual landmines. And those that really detect landmines in our lives could be, they could be described as heroes, couldn't they? They could be described as a hero, those who save lives. I know that before she passed away, Lady Diana was really involved in this whole, this whole area of removing moving landmines post-war and also taking care of those who lost limbs due to landmines. She was very, very passionate about this. And I believe that her sons have also taken up the cause.

But that is the work of a hero, somebody who knows that there's danger out there lurking and that some people may be just one step away from losing their life or one step away from incredible tragedy, would it be that parents would do this type of thing, right? That they would be able to detect landmines in their children's lives, or if you have a friend in your life, they can detect landmines, spiritual landmines in your life, or you can detect them in others. Have you ever been in a situation like that where one of your friends or a family member, suddenly their life was just completely shattered? And you look back and say, you know, I should have said something.

Don't step there. Don't go there. Get back home before this time. And it may be too late at that point. Well, there are a lot of spiritual landmines. There's certainly the obvious spiritual landmines like porn. There's envy, you know, and envy can certainly be a landmine that if you step into that, it can be a trap that is that is spiritually explosive. Emotionally explosive. Lying can be a spiritual

landmine that puts you in a very, very precarious situation with the law, with relationships, with your employment. So there's these types of spiritual landmines. There's stealing is one, right? Stealing or here's one that is really devastating, and that is bearing false witness. Bearing false witness or adultery or addictions. Addictions. I think that is one of the key landmines in people's lives today where they don't realize it, but they buy a pull tab and all of a sudden they're buying 10 pulled tabs and all of a sudden they're dipping into their savings or they're going to the track. Addiction can be a landmine, alcoholism, drug addiction, a landmine that it doesn't really look like that much. It's just one more step, right? I mean,

I'm not addicted. I'm not going to plan. I'm not planning on being addicted. But one step leads to another, to another, and all of a sudden, boom, you, you're trapped. You're in the middle of it. And I do think that these landmines can destroy a life, and they can do it very quickly. And part of the role of parents is to identify and point out our spiritual landmines. point them out to your children, or even to a friend. Let me introduce you to somebody that may become a hero of yours. His name, Magawa. Magawa.

And Magawa is a guy who was born November 5th. His birthday is on November 5th. He is an expert mine detector. He can go into a field, and he can detect landmine. like none other. He was born in Tanzania in Africa, and he was born in Tanzania, but his current place of employment is CM Riyap Cambodia. Now, if you know anything about Cambodia, you know that Cambodia is one of the highest as far as percentage of landmines still left. In fact, Southeast Asia has a number of countries that lead the pack as far as landmines go.

Magawa is working in Cambodia. He is a determined worker and always has a great, a great attitude. Now, listen to this. This is very interesting because Magawa has just been awarded the PDSA gold medal award for his life-saving work. That's here in 2020. He got that award. He overcame an epic journey, 20,000 miles around the world to become the first ever to leave Africa. and go to Cambodia to engage in this type of work. And as I said, he received the PDSA gold medal award, and he can detect explosive chemicals. But listen to this, it's really interesting. He can detect explosive chemicals

and ignores uncontaminated scrap metal. It's a rare gift that Magawa has. He can search at 200 square meter minefield in 20 minutes. In 20 minutes, that is the size, roughly the size of a tennis court. Now, for most people with a traditional metal detector, that would take them anywhere from one to four days to clear that area, the size of a tennis court. But Gawa can do it in 20 minutes, and Cambodia is the second most mine-affected country in the world after Afghanistan. Now, those that trained Magawa in his training camp, they trained him to

detect particular chemicals. And Magawa has never been injured on the minefield because of his training. And those that work with Magawa say that he has such an even temperament, and that might be part of the key as to how he can detect landmines, but he has an even temperament and even takes, get this, I'm not kidding, he takes a nap in the middle of the afternoon before concluding the day's work. Now, I have a picture of Magawa receiving the PDSA award in the show notes. I've got a picture of him, so if you want to know what he looks like, he is receiving the award, and I have a video in the show notes showing Magawa actually executing his gift here and clearing about the size of a tennis court.

He's found 39, I know this is interesting. Now, stick with me here. He's found 39 landmines and 28 unexploded munitions in his career. Now, the UK charity, PDSA, has presented him with its gold medal for life-saving devotion to duty in the locating and clearing of deadly landmines in Cambodia. Now, I say all that because we need heroes. We need people that are gifted at detecting landmines in our lives and pointing them out. We need pastors.

We need deacons. We need fathers and mothers that can detect landmines and lovingly and gently say, you know, listen, this is dangerous in your life. If you don't do it, nobody else is. McGawa did it. And, you know, born in Africa, never, never dreamt. in a million years, probably that he'd end up in Cambodia, and then he would receive the UK's PDSA award, the gold medal award, which is proudly worn around his neck. Now, let me give you just a little bit more information about Magawa here. Magawa is 2.7 pounds, 27 inches long. He loves

bananas and peanuts, and Magawa is a rat. that's right Magawa is a rat who is too light to set off landmines and he has been trained with these super rats in Africa to detect explosives

not bad huh not bad for a rat inscribed on his metal it says for animal gallantry or devotion to duty and of the 30 animal recipients of the PDSA award. Get this, Magawa is the first rat. You're tearing up right now,

aren't you? I can tell you're tearing up. This seven-year-old rodent was trained by the Belgium registered charity Apapo, which is based in Tanzania, has been raising the animals known as hero rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis since the 1990s. The animals are certified after a year of rigorous training. Now, what can we learn from this wonderful Magawa super rat, this trained rat? Well, we'll go into that right after this break. You're listening to The Jeff Kaven Show. Reading the Bible is something we as Catholics know we should do, but let's be honest,

it can be kind of complicated. Even though it's a complete story, the Bible isn't really one book. It's more like a library, with dozens of books and dozens of genres. There's poetry, prophecy, and prose. There are apocalypses and revelations, historical accounts, and allegories. No wonder it's difficult to keep a finger on the story of God's love and plan of salvation for his people, the thread that keeps all of it together. If you're wishing there was a simple guide to help you tie all of this together,

then you're just like Jeff Kavins and Tim Gray. That's why they wrote the book, Walking with God. Walking with God is a single book that traces the story that ties the Bible together. It helps you to understand the big picture of the Bible. If you're looking to read more of the Bible, walking with God will help you do it with confidence, peace, and clarity. You can find out more and order Walking with God on ascensionpress.com or on Amazon. Okay, welcome back.

what you're saying right now, you're thinking, I smell a rat. No, it's Magawa. He's not just any rat. He is a super rat who is trained to detect landmines. And of the 25,000 people in Cambodia who are missing a limb today because of landmines, talk to them. Talk to them. They would have wished that Magawa would have gone before them to avoid the pain. and the suffering, in the disability of losing a leg or two or an arm. Our kids and our friends are in the same situation that today, yes, they may have full use of their legs and arms, full use of their intellect, full use of their will. But there are landmines out there that can compromise their life and put them into situations

which are very, very hurtful, and you might see those landmines. You know, I would consider this landmines in a family, things like the computer, alcohol, firearms, whatever it might be that can become a landmine. None of these and themselves are landmines, but what can happen on a computer can be a landmine or with alcohol or firearms or whatever it might be, parents out of town for a couple of days and saying, well, we're just going to trust you kids. Well, in today's day and age, that can be really, really risky. Detecting sin and avoiding it, the spiritual landmines in our lives. I want to go through some scripture here with you and draw some lessons from

this. And this may be, for you personally, might be, I may be like Magawa today warning you about those landmines that you are about to step on? Or maybe you have kids or friends that as I go through these scriptures, you would say to yourself, wow, I think I need to say something. I think I need to pray for them that they don't step on this particular landmine, whether it is porn, or whether it's envy or stealing or addictions, whatever it might be. First Thessalonians, and I've got all these in the show notes for you. First Thessalonians 522 says, abstain from every form of evil. Obstain from every form of evil. In other words, avoid it. You don't want to step on these landmines at all. When you go back into the Old Testament and you see Israel coming out of Egypt, which was

an atmosphere of slavery, it was an atmosphere of false gods, idolatry, addictions. When they were coming out of Egyptian bondage, God said something to them that was very, very powerful. He said in Leviticus 10, verses 10 and 11, he said to this young fledgling nation that God was trying to disciple and to bring them to a place where they would become like him, he said, you know what, you are to distinguish between the holy and the common and between the unclean and the clean. And you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses. In other words, God was saying to Israel through Leviticus here, through Moses, you need to avoid the landmines. You need to distinguish. You need to

detect the difference between that which is holy and that which is common, that which is a spiritual landmine. You see, we as Christians, we don't walk just willy-nilly around and kind of do our own thing. No, we walk by faith. We walk by faith. We walk with the mind of God. We see through the eyes of Jesus. And if you know that there's a landmine up ahead in your life or someone you love, isn't it love to tell them? Isn't it love to point it out and say, you know, you have an addictive personality. Avoid that. This is not good. This cannot end well. My dad used to say, you know, nothing good happens after midnight. I think that's probably more like 10 o'clock, but nothing happens good after midnight other than you go to sleep.

And my dad said that to me because he didn't want me to step into landmines. So let me ask you this question. Are you teaching your children? Are you yourself learning how to distinguish between the holy and the unholy, the common? Do you know what makes us different? Do you know the landmines out there that will make you just like everybody else? Avoid them. Avoid them. I like what Paul said to Timothy, and it's easy to memorize this verse because it's 2 Timothy 22. Just remember the 2 is you too, right? 2.2. 2.2 says, Paul says to Timothy, because Timothy was

a young pastor in Ephesus, he said, so flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord. from a pure heart. One translation says, and I kind of like it a little bit better, it says, run, run from youthful lusts, run from them. This is a landmine. This is a trap. This will set you back. This will compromise your future in terms of mobility, in terms of being able to do the things that you want to do. Flee, don't mess with this. Don't walk through that field. Don't do. Don't do that. Magawa would point that out to you. Now, if a rat can sense that, landmine, how much more a child of God, can sense a landmine in their life. The prudent man, the prudent woman, will take an

alternate course. The fool, or as it says in one translation, the stupid, will keep walking in that direction. And they will roll the dice. They'll roll the dice to see, maybe I can beat this. Maybe nothing will happen. Fool. That's what a fool does. In Ezekiel 33, in the Old Testament, Ezekiel was very big in talking about the watchmen. And I was a part of developing a ministry in the Twin Cities called Catholic Watchmen, where we were challenging men as fathers. to be providers and to be leaders and to be protectors. And so Ezekiel 33 versus 7 through 12, I'll stick all this in the show notes. No need to pull over right now.

Ezekiel said, so you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die. and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way,

that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, thus have you said, surely, Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live? Say to them, as I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turned from his way and live.

Turn back. Turn back from your evil ways. For why will you die, O House of Israel? Ezekiel is really giving kind of a description there. of Magawa, right? He's smelling out, detecting those landmines that, no, no, no, don't go here. Turn. Turn. Paul said to the Galatians in 6-1, he said, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Boy, that's good advice, isn't it? I need it. I'm sure you need it. We all need

it. Paul is being straight up with us here, and he says, you keep an eye on yourself, okay? He said, listen, brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, if you're spiritual, if you're mature, you're discipling someone, you need to restore them in a spirit of gentleness. It's not harsh, It's not judgmental, but it is restore them in a spirit of gentleness, act like someone who loves them. But then he goes on and says, hey, dude, you keep a watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. So our life has lived out every single day with one eye up ahead and one on the Lord, right? We're kind of watching out on our path. Now, really, our whole heart is on the Lord, but you know what I mean?

we've got to keep an eye on what is ahead of us, where we go. Colossian says evil company corrupts good morals. You've got to watch who we're with, especially younger people, right? My mother reminds me of growing up, my mother, I said to her one day, I wanted to go. There was a new kid that moved into town. His name was Tim. And Tim was into black light posters, Jimmy Hendricks, and the whole thing. and a strange aroma always came from Tim's house.

Smelled like rope burning or something. And I said to my mom, can I sleep over at Tim's house? She had heard from some other mothers about Tim. And she said, no. And I said, Mom, don't you trust me? And I think her answer was, no. Her answer was, you know, no, I'm going to protect you. What was my mom doing?

My mom was detecting a land. mine. She said, no, you're not going there. Praise God for great mothers, huh? Praise God. James Chapter 5, verses 19 and 20, my brothers, if anyone among you wonders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wondering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Again, Paul wrote to Timothy, 2nd Timothy 4, to preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience in teaching. If you're going to point out a landmine in your children's lives or a friend, do it with patience and teaching and teaching. The answer isn't when they say why the

answer really is not just because, or that's the way it is in this house. Be patient. Teach them. Paul wrote to the Romans, all this is in the notes. Romans 1617, I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught. Avoid them, he said, landmines, spiritual landmines. And back to Timothy, Paul said to Timothy is something very encouraging. He said, listen, all scripture, and I encourage you, my friends, get a Bible.

get a Bible. If you want to know how to avoid landmines, get a Bible. Paul said all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training and righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. Love it. Love it. And then, finally, Proverbs 12-1, whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, that he who hates reproof is stupid. You're thinking right now, I was taught not to say that word. Well, I was too, but then I read the Bible. Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid. Avoid spiritual landmines. My friend, as we conclude today, I want to pray for you. And I want you to think about those things up ahead in your life that our landmines, don't play games with them. Please do not play games

with them. Magawa, if he was here, he had walked before you, but you might be Magawa in your children's lives. Let's pray. In the name of the Father's Son and the Holy Spirit, Lord, I lift up my friends to you today, and I thank you, Lord, for the example of Magawa. Just a rat who save lives. Lord, I pray that you will use us to save lives, both friends and family and have the love and the the courtesy, the boldness, the charity to point out landmines that can seriously hurt. Thank you, Lord, for giving us insight into this. In Jesus, name we pray, amen. Name of the Father's Son and the Holy Spirit.

My friend, I love you and I ask you to pray for me. And again, if you want all the show notes today, just text my name, Jeff Kaven's, one word to 33777. From the blizzard in the fall, deep in the woods of me. Minnesota. God bless you. Have a great week.