Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 248 | Phil's Alternative to Overthrowing the Government, Al's New Movie & Jase's Space Invaders

Episode Date: March 26, 2021

Al discovers one of his scenes was cut from the new film "Roe v. Wade." Jase has been plagued by space invaders since he was a kid. Phil points to a passage in the Bible that holds the solution to all racism. Jase was once welcomed to a new school with a slap across the face from a guy who ended up becoming his neighbor. And the guys discuss where teenage hostility comes from, why overthrowing the government isn't the answer, the movement to resegregate society, why God is greater than any calendar, and the horrifying reality that people are still killed for their Christian faith. -- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? This pine pollen is started hitting here in Louisiana. Have you noticed it on your Oh yeah, a lot of it? Well, the problem is people like me, we are, I am an allergy sufferer. We talked about suffering in the last podcast. I've had it my whole life. I guess I get it from mom because you don't really have the issue, right? None at all. So it's just, it's brutal. year around because we live in a place really not fit for human habitation. It's a place of extremes. There's a lot of stuff here that will hurt you.

Weather that desires to hurt you. And then a guy like me, I should be living in Arizona or somewhere where the air, Colorado or something probably. But, you know, we're from here. We're tough. We just kind of deal with it. So I had to stop by on the way out here this morning. We were a little late getting started because I had to get two shots in the buttocks.

is about twice a year it gets so bad just with headaches that I have to go get it, you know, like a reaffron shot and some steroids. So I'm feeling a lot better sitting here. But I woke up this morning, you know, my eyes just red, you know. Yeah. It's rough. So, so last night I experienced something. I've never experienced.

So at the, at White's Ferry Road, we screen, we pre-screened a movie that's releasing next week. And it's called Roe versus Wade. And so it's about, you know, what happened, the whole Supreme Court trial, the whole deal. It's got some really big name actors in it, you know, so it is well. So we were pre-screening that because Lisa and I, you know, we were heavily involved in the pro-life movie. And but what was ironic about it, so I was kind of hosting it. We had people come in from the community, a lot of people from our church, we had about 200 people in the fellowship center to watch the movie.

And now, you know, we got these new digital screens. Yeah, they're really amazing. It looks really great. But the thing about it was different about this is I'm in the movie. Oh, this is your one. This was the one I talked about a long time. It finally took a long time. You're like, you don't last long, right?

Well, I just have two. Well, don't, don't ruin it. No, no, no, no. Spoiler alert, Al. It's okay. I have two scenes in the movie. So I play the attorney who connected Norma McCorvey, who was the Jane Roe in the Roe versus Way. I connected her with Planned Parenthood.

And the movie is really amazing because it just gives you the behind the scenes on what happened with that whole thing. What amazed me was I got thinking about, you know, this is a Supreme Court decision that in our lifetime is the one that has the biggest one that's affected our culture. I mean, that's pretty fair to say, right? I mean, so. Terrible decision. Here's what's amazing about it. Because of obviously who controls media and all that, you realize there's never been a movie made about the Supreme Court decision? I didn't know that.

Never. There's been one minute. series because I researched it when I was going to be in this movie because I wanted to make sure you know I was on the right side of thing yeah I want to make sure it was something I want to put my name in yeah I've had so many contacts you know post our little duck show about you know because I want to be in a western yeah which I'm still waiting I had one come up and I was like I don't care if I die in the first five minutes right I just want to come riding up on the horse and say you know howdy but or whatever you know

but most of the ones I've gotten are just, I just can't do this. So in this one, my scene, so I had two scenes that I film, and one's about in the middle of the movie. And so that was in there. I was kind of worried because I thought, you know,

a movie's made, well, they cut scenes all the time, if it doesn't quite fit. So I said, I've told the whole church and all these people, I'm in this movie,

and we watch it, and I'm not in it. I mean, it was a possibility, because I'd never seen the film. So I'm in the, my talk. talking part, my lines, that's in there because he's kind of, you know, they're describing.

They're basically getting together and figuring out how they're going to hoodwink this pregnant woman, which is what they did. I mean, did you practice your lines? Yeah, I did. Carly went with me and she was my little acting coach. Did you like put it in your own words or did you know? No, you got to like, because that's the difference. I'm pretty good at just, you know, ad lib and that's what we did on Dynasty.

but when you've got to like everybody's marking off of you doing it right and these are professional people yeah i'm just ow you know so i was super intimidated about even doing the scene because you got become the person well i stretched myself as an actor dace because playing this attorney so i so i film that scene and then the other scene i filmed which was a couple weeks after um this guy he gets murdered this attorney executed actually and so they they want to to film that. And if someone killed him? Did they find out him?

They still don't know. There's a man in prison for doing it, but they still don't know the motive at all. Look, and the attorney that I played was a homosexual. So the story was, is some kind of lover's trist. But I don't know. Whoever heard of a lover's trist when somebody marches somebody out on a field and shoots him three times in the back? I don't know about that.

But anyway, it's still controversial is what happened to it. So we filmed that scene, but instead of getting shot in the back, for a dramatic effect, they shot me in the front. So they call it in the movie business, they call it getting squibbed. Oh, you died in the... Oh, yeah. Did you have, like, exploding blood? Yeah, so there's a guy just off camera.

I was wondering how they did that. He's got the remote control. And in my shirt, they put this pack, the two patches, I mean, the packets of blood or what looks like blood. Is this right at R? You know, I don't even know. Oh. It may be. It's a rough movie to watch because it's about abortion.

If your chest is exploding. Yeah. But, well, but I'll get to that a minute. So, so anyway, the guy comes up. up and he marches me out there and I get down on my knees and then he's got a gun and he's just pow pow he shoots me twice when that guy hits the thing because you only had two shots at this they had two blood packs so something screws up the budget issue or so yeah this is probably i'm not a multi but it's a it's uh i think this it was a six million dollar production anyway bam bam

and then i just then we talked about how do you you know what would happen i'm down on my knees because they want to just should have sold out and just face planting Well, I did. And so, because they were saying, go back. But I said, well, I'm on my knees. You really wouldn't go back, would you? So we had this little discussion about what to do. So I basically just, so I, anyway, but that didn't make the movie.

And so. Oh, it didn't make it. No, I was super disappointed. So, you know, because I had told the church, you know, I'm going to get shot in the movie, and then it never happened. And so I thought, well, all right. So I got up afterwards, I kind of closed this out. And I said, well, I didn't get shot. So I wonder if you could get that footage for your own personal.

He sent it to me. Yeah. So I got on the phone. Last night. Well, actually, I tweeted something about the movie. And then Nick, who's the director and the star of the movie, who worked on Torch Bear with us. We met him. That's how I got to know him. And he, so he texted me. He said, hey, you at the premiere? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, well, I'm there. And I was like, you're at my church? And he was like, oh, I'm in Covington, Louisiana. They had one in Covington. So he was there. So anyway, he said, man, that your death, your death, scene. He called it his Oliver Stone moment because he said it looks really cool. And he said, I had to cut it because they test these movies to audiences. And because the guys only in one scene, like, even with narration, they were like, who is it? Like, why did he get killed? It was confusing. So he finally, so he just, he had to cut. He said, but it was. Or it just may have been a nice

way. You should have just, like, got shot and you just should have started running. Like, I refuse. Did I, then, I mean. Yeah, I was like, I should have more. I should have sold out more on the, but anyway, it didn't make the movie. But so he said, do you want to see it? And so he's sending it to me today. So we will get to look at it. Anyway, that's my sense.

But it was, I mean, it was a great experience just be, you know, and I've been around enough sets because I was doing the show. But it was, it's a little bit different, you know what, but the, like John Voitz in it, the whole Supreme Court, the nine justices, if you watch the movie, they're all well-known actors. You know, you recognize them. These guys that are there. So they are all in the project, which was really good. It's a pro-life movie. You know, I had to check it out. It's really good. So it releases on Good Friday, April 2nd nationwide. So I don't know with Corona, I don't know how many theaters it'll be in all that. I'm sure. Look, the Corona restrictions,

I saw somewhere, I've spent a lot of time in waiting rooms and, you know, whatever, the news is on. You don't have, you can't change the channel. But I did, I did see something that, it it said breaking news. The CDC, in some instances, have gone from six feet to three feet. Yeah. And I thought, what? How do we get to these decisions? Because none of this is practical.

Look, I've been in a hospital for days. And like in the elevator, I was in an elevator that was about six by six. And they have signs everywhere that says keep six feet apart. Well, I'm like, I can't make myself any smaller. I'm in the corner. Slim that profile, soldier. People come in and it's like, well, you know, what do we do? Get in your corner.

But you're in an elevator. And I mean, three feet. I wasn't getting within three feet of people before the coronavirus. Because you just didn't want to be that close. I don't. It's called a space invade. The coronavirus, I saw it coming. and I did exactly what I've always done, jive to town once a week, come back.

They canceled that. Can't do that anymore. Who canceled that? The government. It's the government, boys. You can no longer meet in a group. I said, I said, well, the text has loomed large when Jesus said, where two or three of you are gathered in my name, I'll be there.

So that's what we did. I just actually retreated a little further than I had already retreated. But Jace makes a good point. So we're a year into this. And all of a sudden it's like, you know what? We said six feet. We really meant three. Yeah, I'm like, follow the sides.

Are we sitting around having meetings about this over three feet? I mean, it's not, I just don't believe. I would say I baptized about 100 people, maybe 150 do that. It's been us. Now, those hundred could have given it to you. That's what I'm saying. And look, I've made us. We're within three feet.

I have my hands on the back of their head, and I'm clasping their hands in front, and I'll push them down in some water, and they come forth. and for some reason I escaped it but Phil here's the bottom line there are some things and this is what the left side

of this argument don't understand we believe there's a God and he's real and he's all powerful and we'll try to I think most spiritual people have tried to work as a good American citizen we live in the world

we've tried to abide by the rules however there are a few things that I'm willing to risk my life for. And if I'm going to go to an event where there's a thousand people who are risking their life, quotation, over hearing Jesus, you know what?

I'm there. And that's probably how I got it. That was my mind. I mean, and I'm going in airplanes and, you know, I'm, I mean, I'm basically going around because I just feel like I've got to make a spiritual decision here.

I'm trying to stay within the parameters. But, you know, if someone wants to be baptized, I'm not going to say, oh, I would love for, you know, to get you to reenact the death, bell, and resurrection, and we go to heaven together. But we got this little rule that I can't get within three feet of you. It could be hard to baptize you without getting close. So I heard about, let's take great.

I heard about some churches, Jace, that drain their baptistries because they were like, we're not going to baptize. That's unfortunate. Nonsense. And when I heard that, I thought, man, because I'm with you, Jay. And I said this from the beginning, look, if I get it, and even if I die from it, because we've got some criticism from some of our listeners that we all just aren't taking this serious enough. It's like, no, I'm taking it serious. And I realize that people have lost their life.

And I hate that for anybody. And I think there should have been more talk about if you're in a high risk profile. Right. They should have tougher restrictions. That's right. Nobody talks about that. No. I'm like, you know, if you're over.

70, which I didn't have to tell you that because you got it. You're already been isolated from society. You realize that about two-thirds of all the coronavirus deaths in the U.S. were in nursing homes. Yeah. Two-thirds. Which is unfortunate. But I'm telling you, to your point, that should have been 911 on the nursing homes

from day one. We lost Mrs. Grandma. And look, she followed every procedure that there was to follow, and she still got it, which is what nobody on the other side of the argument, they're not addressing that. I'm like, we played by the rules and she still got it. So, you know, I think in all of these things, it's just like any other thing in life.

There's some common sense to be applied, and you just do the best you can. But you know, at a macro level, I think, we talk about positives from the pandemic, and we talked about what we've been able to do, our live stream and reaching people, And you just mentioned hundreds of people have come to Christ, thousands maybe, because all of a sudden it's like the world's upside down. But one of the things that's happening, I think, that's going to be a real positive down the road is the federal government has amassed so much power in D.C.

That's not what the founders intended. The idea of the republic was the states would have the power. So I think one of the things that this has done at a macro level is that it's allowed states to run their states again. because you'll have a guy like Newsom in California with very draconian restrictions and still is. And then you got DeSantis down in Florida, who's basically just been wide open for pretty a while. And look, their numbers are the same. That's right. So it's proving the fact that you don't have, just because somebody in some place says something, that in our state we're not going to do it that way.

And that's what the founders really intended for the country to be. Less concentrated power because they want to get away from that monarchy. and more in the state. So I think that's going to be a positive. It's going to come out of the pandemic. I really do. So that'll be one of the many things. But anyway, I don't know, I guess we're over a year now into it,

and you're still talking about it because it still affects so many people's lives. You're talking about it because they're saying go from six to three. That's right. It's just. Wear two masks now or three. So forget about one, Dad. Now they're encouraging to wear two. I mean, look, here's what I know.

There are some people in our world. who are space invaders. And they're the ones that need to back off. Because I don't like it when somebody, you know, there's a couple of people at our church now. You know who they are. Oh, yeah. Because they come up and now they have a mask on,

but I can smell yesterday's coffee because the guy is like six inches from my ear. That's right. And I'm like, I try to position my feet to where he, but he's just climbing all over me because they're space invaders. And they don't realize they have. that problem, but I'm like, you need to listen to the CDC. You have a sign. Three feet there, brother.

So that's the pot. I was trying to be pod. That's the positive of having this feat, because there are a lot of people who have a problem, you know, pre-pandemic that were space invaders. And anything that I get those people to back off is I'm a welcome. And it's the little things. Like you're on a plane, the flight attendant has a mask on, you got a mask on. She can't hear you.

I can't hear her. Well, right. It's just, I mean, it's just the, the, the, it's a guy where I don't, and I used to not mind flying. I don't like flying, but I don't mind it. And it gets you there quicker. So I was like, I'm in flight mode. But now I'm just, it's just a miserable experience. In the airports, half the things are shut down, you know, where you used to could go in and get you something to eat, no.

You know, it's just, it's just. Yeah, it's tough. It's made it tough on everybody. It's been, it's been. tough. Hopefully we're coming out now. Well, it was tough in the days of the Roman Empire, too. Acts chapter 12.

We've got friction. We have friction. We have friction. They're throwing people in prison for talking about Jesus. Hmm. Sound familiar, Jay? So, Jay, so when you were gone, one of your fill-ins was, we had Kellett on, and he had preached Acts 10 and 11.

And you and dad had talked, when I dropped out of the podcast a couple of weeks ago, you all had talked about Acts 10, which basically brought in the gospel to the Romans. Dad said to the Gentiles with Cornelius. And it was interesting. What we talked about days in between, and today we can get to 12, was in Chapter 11 that the church, the Jerusalem church, they were not happy at all about the news that now the Gentiles were in. That's correct. So when Peter went back, he had to basically retell the whole story.

say, no, boys, this is, this is from the Almighty, because the same thing that happened on the day of Pentecost just happened again. But we talked quite a bit about change and churches, and sometimes how that mindset, you get so locked in. Because, you know, we're talking about 10 years here, basically, or 8 to 10 years have gone by. And so people already are starting to get rooted in the idea that this is the Jews only thing. And so the Gentiles coming in caused quite a bit of friction. I think the key verse was in chapter 11, 17, where, you know, Peter, finally he realized that if God gave them the same gift as he gave us who believed in the Lord, who was I

to think that I could oppose God? I mean, I just wish that fundamental principle would catch on today. Because now we have broken up every group of people into their own little camp. What went down here in Acts chapter 10 through 12, Al, is the solution to all form, any form of racism. Correct. That's it. What did the order some headquarters say? You're all one.

There's no favoritism between Jews, Gentile, another color, whatever. They're all one. We're all one. This solves everything. I like how. And they attack it to this day. Right. I like how the spirit of God is used to bring people under that.

umbrella. Right. And he did the same thing in 1st Corinthians 12. We've all been given the same spirit to drink, you know. There's a pretty powerful, uh, note that God sent Peter. Yeah. Because Peter, you said, why did he pick him? Because he had, he had, uh, leanings toward the old Jewish establishment. I'd say a little more than leanings. That's right. Yeah. Because remember when he got the vision, he didn't want to eat the food. Remember when he got into a little bind when Galatian were, we call him off on the side? He said, what's just separating over here? And you got your little cadre over here of Jews, but you're not paying any attention to these Gentiles. What's interesting, Dad, that happened on the timeline. That happened after this.

Yeah. So it shows you that once you have a tendency sometimes, you tend to want to go back there. And so he was getting pressure from these Jewish Christian brothers to ignore the Gentiles. And Paul called him out on. This is the council culture at its worst. You know, right here. Oh, exactly. It popped in my head. When we moved out here, I was going into the third grade. Oh, we're talking what, eight years old?

My first day of school up here at a school that I agreed to love, you know, just out in the middle of the sticks. First day of school, I walk out there, recess. Guy come up, invaded my space, got a little club. I thought he's going, hey, how you doing? You've been having this space invasion problem from the beginning. And about four guys lined up behind him in a line. and I thought, what we got going here?

He just reached up and just slapped me across the face. That's just exactly like an episode from Matt Dillon. They walk into the bar. There's about one leader with y, yeah, yeah, yeah, the loud mouth and about four backing him up. Okay, here's what I mean. And Matt Dillon, they ain't called him in yet. They call him in. He puts a bullet in most of them usually.

And then the show was over. Well, so I said, well, and there's coffee. I said, why did you hit me? He said, because you're not from around here. Yeah, you're like, okay, here we go. And, of course, I did the typical, you know, eight-year-old stunt. I said, you better not do that again, which is a dumb thing to say. Already may try it.

Yeah. So he came up again, and then I just took off running. Because the only quality I had in eight years up, I was fast. I was fast. Yeah. And look, then they were so impressed at my speed that they didn't care where I was from. Racism even takes place, if you're not, but 10 years old. Well, because I just thought, you know, we're reading this.

Yeah. You're not from around here. You're not from around here. So guess what? Welcome with a slap across the face. What a welcome. And look, I will say this, that five years later, fast forward, five years later, that same fellow who slapped me.

Now we're getting older because, you know, in eighth grade, that school went to the eighth grade. We had a guy come out there who had been, you know, we learned later had been in and out of foster care. But he's a little bigger, bigger fella. And this guy, he, day one, he still, he. Welcome to pancreas. Well, look, when he went to hit him, that guy ducked his head and K-O'd Mr. Welcome. I'm talking about K-O. Just the lights went out and he just fell over.

Forget playing a scene in the, I mean, he is, and I thought he killed him. Did it break up his going, where'd you come from, you know, from around here? Hang on, just a joke. In an ironic, I didn't plan on telling this story. You know what happened? Dylan rolled in. And so look. The new kid was Matt Dillon.

And so look, here's an in an ironic. twist. Years later, we get, Miss and I get married. We lived in an apartment for a while. Our first house that we bought, which wasn't very nice, my next door neighbor was that guy. The same guy. Had he mellowed? He sat in a lawn chair and drank beer all day. And so I thought, you know what? We're adults now. I'm going to have to share Jesus. with this fellow. And I actually believe in the couple of years that we sent there. You know, I don't, you hate to tell a story and say, oh, he turned. He came to Jesus, but he really listened. And we had a good relationship. And I shared, I poured Jesus in him.

Did you ever say, do you remember the time you just slap me? Well, yeah. I was just wondering if you went there. Did he ever say why he did that? He said, he was just a bully. That's just what he did. And then I said, well, I remember that day on eighth grade. When the old bully met a bigger guy, a bigger bully. What did he have to say about that? He said, you know, the lights went out. He's like, I woke up thinking, what in the world happened? I was like, oh, he sidestepped and come with a left hook because he was left-handed.

See, he didn't realize it. Southpaw. And I said, when he hit you, it looked like every bone in your body broke. I said, it was awesome. And you said it right. It's because this kid had had to fight for his life. I mean, that's what that's... It's rough.

We fought back then. You know, I remember getting in a little gang-type fight in about the eighth or ninth grade. And it was all that. It was just whatever was different about other people. We were all white. But it's just whatever, wherever you're from, I mean, it's just fighting. And then the other problem was the way they did the school back in our day, was you went to eighth grade

at this one school, then you went to another school in the ninth grade, then you went to another school in the 10th grade. And you know what's crazy? And every time you'd come in, you'd have to do these battles all over you.

And look, the people you thought with, they were now your allies when you moved to the... That's why yesterday, out of the group of about 10 or 12, that requested that I baptize them, I said,

I preached the gospel to them, make sure they understood they had to put their faith in Jesus and what he's done for them, death on a cross, it, bear, resurrection.

I gave him a powerful sermon, and they were from multiple states. Two of them I noticed when they walked, I was up in the baptistery, and as they, the men were coming down on one side, and the women were on coming down from the other side where they get their baptismal clothes on.

So a couple of them, I asked them, I said, son, how old are you? I saw one of them. The first one came down. I said, hmm, I didn't,

I didn't, wasn't checking the age. I just was baptizing as they came forth. So the first one, I said, how old are you, son? He said, 13. And I told the brothers out there, the brothers were seated out there, watching the new birth of these people. I said, 13 years old.

I said, you know, for you who are saying, well, I don't know, that's pretty young. I said, I just, when he told me he was 13, I reel back my life when I was 13. and I was kind of like Jason's talking about. I said, I did quite a bit of mischief at 13. I said, I believe I knew what sin was right and wrong was. I said, so come on in, son. So I baptize them.

13, I said, close enough. It doesn't give an age on when you baptize somebody, but the bottom line was 13, young buck. It's pretty obvious at that point when I always take people to Glacians 519. What is 13, 8th grade, 9th, 3rd, 8th, 9th, 3rd. in there Yeah, eighth and ninth grade. Well,

your little story gives a little momentum. Well, that middle school is about where you start to figure some stuff out. You know, it's weird is when I, when I, you know, came to the Lord, I was at,

I was 14 and I always felt God called me to that age group because it was so difficult to live for Jesus at that age. You already feel awkward. And I was a, remember,

I was a, a late bloomer so I was so small and I mean I came from a pretty rough group of people I mean look I got whipped consistently I would stand up and fight but get whooped so how do the atheist among us I love them all atheists I don't care about agnostic whatever I love them pointing to Jesus but how do you explain that particular human characteristic when when children girls and boys when they turn about them early teenage years, I always call it. I said, where'd all this, where'd all this hostility come from? Where's, where's all this stuff coming from? It's a good point. What's going on? True. If you, if you're... What department in saltwater put in your conscience right and wrong and

they team up and form little groups, they begin to divide right before your very eyes. Think about it out at a very young age. Right. But Jay's made the point in a minute ago, unity is a common cause. because the same kids that were fighting, you put them in another setting where other people are after them and then we're together. That's correct. Hey, look, the most fights I had with in my life

was Willie. I'm talking about physical alter and it's been well documented. Your own brother. To my own brother. But then you let... Jase, we're back to Kane and Abeo. But you let one thing happen to him.

Right. Oh, I was standing beside him. I'm like, no, you can't fight him. That's my job. You can't pick on my brother. Yeah. If you come at one of us, you come at all of them. But that's what we don't have in our society.

Well, as you know, Jay's, as a whole. As you know, the code back in the days, y'all remember it, no fighting. I said, do you have disagreements? Okay. I said, but if it ever turns to blows, that's when I step in and the belt goes on all involved. Well, I hate to tell you. That was the code. I hate to tell you.

No fighting in the house. The code was broken. Oh, tell me. about it. Because y'all weren't around. Young lawbreakers, Jays. That's what y'all were. Young lawbreakers. Let's take another break. And you know, but you mentioned that about whether it's atheist agnostic, not just that,

but it's just our culture today, the idea, you know, e pluribus unum, out of many one. I mean, the founders had the right idea. Because, look, everybody's coming here from other countries. Which is on our current. Yeah, on some stuff, it's all over the place. But now, in a weird way, I mean, we desegregated our society, which was a good thing. And tried to build this unity. And I read just this week that one of the Ivy League schools are having seven different graduations.

This group, the Asians, black people, white people. I mean, they're re-segregating or trying to re-segregate our society. It's the craziest. But it's because if you don't recognize good and evil. evil, like you said, and see it for what it is. I mean, it's just, it's common-sensical. You see a kid, they're struggling with it. But if you're not willing to recognize that and admit it that this is, this is what happens. You got good and you got evil. You got things that hurt you and you got things that will help you. But they, when it's not recognized, it's not taught or it's not

understood, then this is the sort of thing. So have a word for it. They keep bringing up the word, but so far they haven't come up with a solution on bullying. Well, if you teach you, children from the time they're that high to love God and love their neighbor. If you instill that in them, no, no, nothing comes to blood. Or that all people are valuable. All people created them and you guys. But we just, I don't know if it's just a different mindset, Jay's, but just like you said, I was bullied my whole 10th grade year when we got to Weston Road because I was dating this girl that some other guy I wondered. And so he had this little band of thugs that every day made my life miserable. But I thought about, I never told y'all. I

never went to some person. I just figured out how to navigate it. Oh, it was a problem. You know, bullying. Still is. It's just still a problem, which is, you know, that's why, you know, parenting and having those, if you can survive it.

And this right here. Have a spiritual, you know, foundation. In Acts chapter 10, if you look at it, you say it's just older people misbehaving and ostracizing themselves and each other. It's the same old story, the vision. Right. That's the evil one. That's why I said, we don't need to overthrow the government.

We need to overthrow the evil one that begins to work in human beings when they get about 13. Well, and again, the original idea, the reason the Jews didn't want to have anything to do with the Gentiles was from God several thousand years earlier. Because when they went into these lands, he said, you can't hang out with these people, the false gods, all that. So that was the rule that God gave them for their own benefit. But now we go thousands of years forward. and he's saying, no, the Gentiles, people of faith are in. And the mystery of the gospel, Paul said, was that the dividing wall of hostility is torn down.

And so that was the official role of the church. And so that's why this was so interesting, I think. Well, I think it all starts off with, you know, saying King Herod, he arrested them because why? They belong to the church. So they weren't, they're not like us. They're exercising their freedom to believe in God. and we're not going to tolerate it.

That they're different and you thought you were free. No, you're not free. You're free to do what we tell you, which, look, you still see the same veins in our culture. I mean, everybody, oh, in the name of freedom, you know, and next thing you know, you got all this long list of rules that unless you comply with, you know, we'll give you the consequences. And what I find more disturbing is that here's James, they, They put him to death. That's one of the sons of thunder.

Yep. And he's the first of the original group to martyr, to die for the cause, which is, it was a big watershed moment. And I thought it was interesting, too, that Herod, you know, we hadn't heard about Herod since way back from Jesus, you know, so he's kind of been. You know, what an instigator he was. Oh, yeah. And so my theory is, is because remember the Jewish leadership, because the power structure

is you got the Romans occupying. you got the Israel monarchs that had been broken into four, because this is a different Herod, by the way, than the one that was when Jesus died. And then you've got the Jewish religious leadership. And they all had a certain amount of power, but they always had somebody above them. Because the Jewish leadership couldn't just kill you for anything.

But obviously they could kill you because I asked Stephen, right? So my theory is that when the Jewish leaders lost Saul, I mean, he converts to the cause, all of a sudden they have no teeth you know what are they going to do they can't stop it they kept trying to do something about it so I think probably somebody from that group went up to this hair at Agrippa

and said you better you better get a handle on this thing this thing's getting out of control because he just shows up and the first day he does he kills one of the 12 nobody had been in that way and then you notice in like verse 4 they were going to make this

this trial public it was all and thus you just got in between the lines that they're motivating by fear. You cross will kill you. And we're going to put you on public display, and they're trying to make a mockery out of their faith in Jesus. Yeah, you think Peter was going to get a fair shake there in the old public trial?

It's a joke. But what I thought about here, too, is you don't, there's just one little sentence, and all of a sudden, this foundational father of our faith as a. believer loses his life you know Stephen is I guess the the first recorded martyr right of course he wasn't part of the original crew but it does seem inspiring that you have one the whole chapter is devoted to the whole story is told and here it's just one little sentence and you're like man I mean why would why would you know the the skeptic inside of he thinks well why would why Why would God allow that to happen?

Exactly. And that's what people tend to start thinking. But I think you've got to realize the big picture of this, that even the times when God came in and saved these guys or kept them alive, they all died. I mean, this is part of the life we live, and that's why Jesus conquered the grave. And that you do your part.

I love your point yesterday. You made about the number of days. Yeah, I want to tell that. Let's take our last break. So yesterday in my sermon dad, I talked about, I was preaching this text, and I talked about Doyle Jenny, it's a big boy. You got brain tumor. And it affected him, I don't know if you all remember, like he would laugh and cry.

Like, he couldn't control his emotions. As time went on. Because he was a very, like, stoic, pretty serious guy, great guy. And for some of you longtime listeners, this is the guy who got his way into our duck line because he brought a whole. ham like 14 days in a row nestled in his bull arms he thought oh they took me because I brought a ham so he brought one every day and after about two weeks Phil said hey you can hunt with us but get off the ham how about a how about a turkey so so the big boy is burly's dad so we've talked about

burly before on the podcast but big boy Jennings was all-American at oklahoma noseguard in the 60s wasn't it? I think he was like three national champions. Oh, he was something. He was tough as nails. But anyway, so he got this cancer in his brain. And so I went and saw him in the hospitals. It was one of the last times he was still lucid enough to have a conversation.

But he told me something I've never forgotten. And it really hits this context of what Jason was just talking about. He said, you know, Al, he had some verse. He found it in the Old Testament. I can't remember where it is. But he said, whatever version it was, it said, had the phrase a certain number of days. and he looked at me, he said, I just want to tell you right,

and he's crying, you know, but he said, I want to just tell you, you know, this is probably it for me. You know, I have my run. I don't,

I don't think that all of mine is going to deliver me from this. You know, it's just very realistic. And he said, but I realized that he gave me a certain number of days. And I look back on it,

and I feel like, you know, I've always could have done a little bit more. He said, but you're young. He said, and you don't know

how many days you got. Don't miss an opportunity, you know, with what you got here on the earth. And so I thought about that in this context because it seems, Jason's right, it seems unfair that one of the Sons of Thunder, which by the way, you remember their mom came to Jesus and says, one needs to sit on the right and one on the left. I'm talking about these two. And he looked at him and Jesus said, can you drink the cup that I'm going to drink? And they

were like, we can. And he said, oh, you will. And so, you know, that was a little bit of a, you know, that was a hint right there. And so he was the first one. He had a certain number of days. And then that was it. Yeah, there's a description. I'll have to talk about the days are numbered. And even when he says we're God's created workmanship, you know, he said, and he has the days numbered.

Right. I'm sure. I think that's in Psalm 137. And, you know, God is referred to several times as the ancient of days. Yeah. Yeah. Now, he's not. But days and time does not affect him because he created it.

Peter said a thousand years is like a day ago. Yeah. And even in Genesis, he created the concept of time with day and night. But he uses that for us because even when you fast forward to the day he comes back, it says for he has set a day. And I think that that's in First Thessalonians 5, 4, and that day shouldn't surprise you. Because you remember that chapter started off saying about, times and dates, I don't need to write you.

Right. And you're like, why is, why are you making a big deal of it? Because really, everybody has a calendar. God is familiar with everyone's calendar. And it, every day, it's literally crossed off. There's only a certain amount of days no matter what. Well, you know what was happening. So why are people getting on the other side of it saying, well, I can't believe this happened?

He had another point. He said, now he, God, has appeared. once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Then he says, just as man is destined to die once. And after that, to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once, not to take away sins. Many people, and he'll appeal her second time not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting on him. That's pretty well covered.

Well, and the problem is... This is a short run, by the way. A lot of these first century churches and people, when they said that, they said, oh, well, so they were just quitting work and just waiting because they thought he was going to show up any day. So, you know, Paul keeps saying, you got to work. You got to make the most of your opportunity. All those texts, he was challenged, because, look, we're 2,000 years later. But if you put it in God's timing, that's two days.

Oh, yeah. See what I'm saying? It just shows you that throughout the history of time, people have hippie tendencies. That's right. That's what the same thing happened. They're like, oh, we're just going to stop life, go out, smoke some weed. Make love, not warm. Yeah, and just, all that, after about five.

All these people working and all that, let them run. We out in the middle just watching them all there. After about five days when you can't find a toilet or whatever, you know, you're like, you know, maybe I ought to go get a job. I mean, it just, but that's. But you know, Jay, it's so much a part of our culture now. I notice there's a commercial that I forgot who. it was. It was a deodorant commercial of all face. And there's this guy and he's in the basement.

His parents are there. They're Asian. And it's like, you know, get out of the basement. And then he puts the deodorant. And then all of a sudden he, his parts of his body start disappearing. He's a fireman. And then he's like, he goes up through the floor and said, this is the way out of your parents' basement was the deodorant. And I thought to myself, now our culture is so used to having people that won't work that are living in their parents' basement that they're making commercials about it. I mean, that's when you know. That's the ultimate reflection.

I think the greater point, though, is that God is greater than the calendar. I mean, we went through that whole concept. That could be a lesson right there. I mean, you just think about all the stuff in the Bible about times and dates, and he's like, and it was created. He's not on the timeline. He created the timeline. He created the calendar. So that's why it's not, we don't get upset.

I mean, sure, we look at something like this that happened to James, and we're like, man, you know, I hate that that happened. Because we're all like, well, that was him. It wasn't me. But one day that's going to be me. And if it happens in the name of Jesus or if it just happens. And he fixed it to where time is predicated on him. Right.

His arrival, his departure, you're like, he's the marker of time. That's a little insight right there. So I wonder why we all count time by Jesus. Well, y'all have pretty well discussed why. I hate to bring this up because I bring it up so much. But that Hebrews 13-8, that's why he said Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you would just meditate on that for two minutes every morning for the rest of your life, it's a life-changing thought. It is.

And I'll say this. If you want to check out that sermon from yesterday, it's called Unchained. And look, my stuff was what it was. But the sermon is worth watching to watch the video at the end of it. I did a video testimony. We've been doing video testimony, we did one with you, Dad. And there's a guy named Randall who was in prison for, he was a drug mule when he was a truck driver. And, you know, he got in prison.

He became a son of God. So when he came out, he was on fire for, you know, prison mission. And does a lot in the prison ministry. It's incredible. Yeah. Angola, all these areas. I mean, he's a go-getter. But that story was, wow.

So you got to, yeah, you got to check that story because he tells about converting a guy who was out of a, he just shared Jesus with him. And he was. A drug cartel for Mexico. He was one of the worst drug cartels in warias in Mexico. He was the leader of it. And some old boy in jail came over and he said, what were you talking to him about? He said, I was just sharing Jesus with it.

He was like, do you know who that is? He said, no. He said, I mean, and then he told him who he was. And Randall said, well, I don't care who he was. He's talking about, you know, being a Christian now. So he becomes a Christian. Which goes back, though, to what we've been discussing today of not diversifying. Because we know how the prisons that we've all spoken in prison, you're talking about clans.

Everybody has their little clan, which is the whole problem that's going on in the earth. And we're all fighting each other because you're not in our clan. But here's a guy in Jesus who he didn't care. He didn't care. that and he may lose his life for talking to this guy. And so he winds up, he was in prison because he was a part of a group of people that killed two border agents.

And so he had two life sentences back to back. Never was supposed to get out of prison. But Randall said in the video that this man, the biggest amount of time that's been taken off a sentence in the history of the federal prison system was this guy. He got out because of his life change. establishes a church and warres, hundreds of people are part of this church. Now, he's preaching the gospel. He's on fire.

The cartel thought that the reason he got out was he must have ratted him out. So they executed him in front of his family and a lot of the church. At the church where they met. And this happened less than a month ago. So I made the point of the reason. Yeah, it was like, that's when you said that, that's when it hit me. I was like, I mean, this just happened. This is less than a month ago.

And I thought that this is. real. Like the point I was making of the church just as we read these stories and we think, well, you know, this was a long time ago and people were getting killed for their faith. Well, they're still getting killed. Oh, yeah. Because of being a follower of Christ. And look, he's down his knees. He said, he told his sister, said, be sure and tell brother Randall, thanks for sharing Jesus with me. And then the church started singing Jesus loves me as they killed him. And I mean, it was just, I mean, I got chills. Oh, it was moving. It was moving. Someone said, even after they killed him, They just kept singing.

Yeah, they did. And they were telling him, you know, they tried to tell them the busted church. They were just like the cartel was trying to treat them like these people were treating the early church. Look, his brother just stepped right into the pulpit and they're still going. I mean, they're not stopping. You know, they're just like, you'll have to kill us all. For all you folks that think this is a bunch of bull, you ought to pay attention to this kind of stuff.

That really just happened. One of the things you've got to get over following Jesus, which, because pride is the problem, is when you go from being a wolf in this world to a sheep, you're vulnerable. And, you know, granted, you're going to die anyway, but a lot of people, they view Christians as weak. And, well, because we're sheep considered to be slaughtered, that's what Revelation says, because our God invented and created the calendar. Therefore, it's really not that big a deal.

And Jesus was murdered, but then resurrected. Yeah. So, so will we. Yeah. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube and be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to Blaze TV at blazed.com slash unashamed.