Coming Out of Darkness - Episode 41

It is time for you to walk in the Light.

Dr. Don and Justin discuss the concept of coming out of a dark period - both historically and personally in one's life. They explore the idea that many people live in a state of spiritual darkness, comparing it to the Dark Ages in history, where people were disconnected from the Word of God. They emphasize the importance of living as 'Children of Light' by following the teachings of Jesus, stepping out in faith, and doing away with doubt and unbelief. The episode covers topics such as spiritual healing, the power of belief, and trusting God. They share personal stories and highlight the importance of community and relationship with God for overcoming life's struggles. This episode aims to inspire listeners to strengthen their faith and live righteously in the Light. 

Transcript

Episode 41 - Coming Out of Darkness

[00:00:00] Justin: . So Don, what are we going to talk about today?

[00:00:32] Don: Well, Justin, I think we got a good topic once again this week, uh, coming out of Darkness. 

[00:00:38] Justin: Coming out of darkness. So you're implying that we are in darkness. 

[00:00:44] Don: We can be. yeah, I know there's understandings, you know, as far as darkness is concerned, 

[00:00:51] Don: I know there were the dark ages. You know, they say between roughly 500, um, AD and to a thousand [00:01:00]

[00:01:00] Don: …AD was considered the darkness economically and um, 

[00:01:04] Don: culturally. Yeah.

[00:01:06] Don: there were the dark ages, but it was also a period of time in the church age where, you know, they really fell away from the things of God.

[00:01:14] Don: They didn't have the Bible. you know, they, they got hooked up with different concepts and stuff and people really didn't have an understanding of God. And therefore, they were in a dark place until the word of God was opened. opened up. 

[00:01:28] Don: There was a period of time where all of a sudden, I know, I think it was back in the 1400s where the first print, printed Bible came out 

[00:01:36] Don: and you had individuals that grabbed on it and all of a sudden started to see things in a good, positive way.

[00:01:45] Don: And 

[00:01:45] Don: I know, go ahead, Justin. 

[00:01:48] Justin: No. Yeah. I agree with that. I mean, that's, that's a good, uh, summary of the darkness of, of historical context. And yeah, I think [00:02:00] we all do go into dark periods in our life. Many of us find ourselves in darkness. Um, this

[00:02:08] Justin: episode today is to help people who are in darkness and coming out of it and

[00:02:14] Justin: the Bible highlights us being sons of light, sons of God.

[00:02:21] Justin: But we are, we are supposed to be Children of light, 

[00:02:24] Don: that's right. That's right.

[00:02:25] Justin: Children of light.

[00:02:28] Don: Yes,

[00:02:28] Justin: We dispel the darkness. So we are supposed to be the lamp set on a hill, right? We

[00:02:35] Justin: are supposed to be walking in righteousness. , that's what light is. It's righteousness. Our, our, our path back to God through Jesus is righteousness.

[00:02:48] Don: Yeah, doing things in a right way.

[00:02:49] Justin: doing things in the right way and no longer doing them the wrong way. This is why repentance is the first step of truly realizing this because repentance, like you said, yeah, it's [00:03:00]realizing we've been doing them the wrong way. I think, I think it was Paul that says our spirit is dead before we have the spirit of Christ.

[00:03:08] Justin: It's completely dead because now this born again process, the, The spirit of Christ is birthed inside of us. It's now one with our own spirit. So now we now, so because of that, we have a path back to God through righteousness. And as we know, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. 

[00:03:28] Don: did. 

[00:03:28] Justin: And as the Bible says, the same spirit that was in Jesus Christ, that rose him from the grave is in us today.

[00:03:35] Justin: Right. 

[00:03:36] Don: right. If we open up our lives to it.

[00:03:38] Justin: and . Just to get into it right away. I want to talk about that because there's a lot to say about this about the dark ages about the ages where the church is in darkness. Some would even say the church is probably still in some darkness today. 

[00:03:52] Don: so. Possibly 

[00:03:53] Justin: And I think there's a lot of ways where we can interpret it that but everything changed at [00:04:00] Pentecost

[00:04:01] Justin: and because there's Once Jesus died and before he was resurrected, these people were living in darkness.

[00:04:11] ,

[00:04:11] Justin: for three days, they had no idea what was really going to happen. Did we lose Jesus forever? Did we lose our chance to be disciples, right? Did we lose our chance with our teacher to be able to do the will of God, the kingdom of God? Is this where it ends? You have to wonder that those people That were closest to him had to be living in darkness. Right. So

[00:04:37] Justin: much that when he appears after when he's, when he comes back, when he's resurrected and he appears to Mary Magdalene, he says to her, do not, she says Rabini, right? As rabbi, right? The teacher, she says, Rabini. And he says, do not cling to me. And I would only have to think that, you know, he says that to her because she wanted to cling to him.

[00:04:58] Justin: She wanted to grab him [00:05:00] and,

[00:05:00] Don: Oh, yeah. I'm a big hug.

[00:05:01] Justin: The Jesus she thought was gone forever, right? You know,

[00:05:04] Justin: or even

[00:05:05] Justin: though because a lot of people weren't necessarily believing what he was saying. , no one else had predicted their own death and then ever came back again.

[00:05:15] Justin: So I just have to think that that changed everything because the Pentecost was when the spirit was poured out for for all the people that were in the upper room. 

[00:05:25] Don: It was I think about 150 or something like 

[00:05:29] Don: that.

[00:05:29] Justin: Okay. I think that was later accumulation. So it says that 150 people or so received the spirit on that day. And on that day, the spirit of Christ is now one with their own spirits.

[00:05:42] Don: right, right.

[00:05:44] Justin: let's just talk a little bit about what it looks like to be in darkness. Some ways

[00:05:48] Justin: that people find themselves in darkness and

[00:05:51] Don: right.

[00:05:52] Justin: really how to come out of it.

[00:05:55] Don: Yeah Well, you know, it's interesting Justin you talked about a lot of things here and I think Jesus [00:06:00] did you know He made a pathway because I know he's called us out of darkness into this wonderful light. And, uh, it's interesting about darkness. You can't get rid of darkness with dark, but as soon as you put light with it, you can start to see again.

[00:06:13] Don: And what happens a lot of times in people's lives is they walk in darkness and they don't even realize it. They get so comfortable in what they're doing. They don't realize they're not really seeing what's going on around them. 

[00:06:26] Don: And a lot of people, 

[00:06:28] Don: uh, find themselves, 

[00:06:29] Justin: you can't see much in darkness, 

[00:06:30] Don: No, you cannot. No, you cannot. And a lot of people don't realize it until a word is spoken.

[00:06:36] Don: It's amazing the power of a word. Sometimes all of a sudden it turns on the light switch. And I know I've worked with people through the years that have struggled in areas of darkness. 

[00:06:48] Don: And for somebody that's walking possibly in the light, you can see the struggle and you realize that The one that has to turn on the light is Jesus Christ himself, 

[00:06:58] Don: and it takes a [00:07:00] relationship with him for people to really see it and get it.

[00:07:03] Don: I know I talk with people, you know, a lot about a lot of different things, even politically, you know, and a lot of people do not see it because it takes, , a spiritual, you know, Encounter to get the light shining and I know through the years I've had individuals that have had very rough lives. I had a real good friend of mine that I worked with that , we, uh, he was a situation I'll try to explain it well.

[00:07:29] Don: His dad had a restaurant, he had a restaurant and his dad spent all his time at the restaurant and it was all about the restaurant 

[00:07:37] Don: and on weekends and stuff, the children. So he wasn't treated real well. by his dad. 

[00:07:43] Don: And that's what happens a lot of times in people's lives. It's they weren't treated well and because they were hurt, all of a sudden it's an avenue.

[00:07:52] Don: It's an avenue for issues to happen in a person's life. And a lot of times people will. go [00:08:00] to doctors and they will get drugs and they will do a lot of different sorts and pay people big money just to hear their issues and problems where Jesus actually came to solve those situations. 

[00:08:12] Don: He came to solve the hurts, the pains and situations of that nature.

[00:08:17] Don: I know this one gentleman that I had the privilege of working with, he struggled with this. Uh, it was depression that he struggled with. 

[00:08:24] Don: And he he used to tell me how ugly it was. And it was hard for me to really grasp that because, you know, I, I didn't deal with that, but I 

[00:08:32] Don: used to always speak words of encouragement with him.

[00:08:35] Don: We talked about the things of God 

[00:08:38] Don: and, you know, we had a good relationship. And I know, uh, a while back, I, I know I talked to a subject called a success by association 

[00:08:47] Don: and it's important, like if you're struggling in an area where you're in a dark spot where your mind is off track or whatever, it's important to associate with good, positive, positive.

[00:08:59] Don: , [00:09:00] beliefs and understandings because people when they speak the word of God, because I know the Bible says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 

[00:09:08] Don: And , what it takes is a faith in God, a trust in God. And a lot of people don't have that faith. And therefore darkness can have its day in a person's life.

[00:09:18] Don: And this individual I worked with. Uh, there was a period of time where I was separated from the gentleman for a number of years. And 

[00:09:26] Don: in one day there was a downsizing of our company 

[00:09:29] Don: and he got himself into a dark spot. He got himself in a dark spot and he ended up, uh, losing his life.

[00:09:37] Justin: Okay. Did he did he lose his job before that?

[00:09:40] Don: Yes, he did. Yes, 

[00:09:41] Don: he did. He, you know, and I, and I called him right after it happened. We talked a little bit and invited him to be a part of what I was doing and he missed the first one. 

[00:09:50] Don: So I called him again. He says, I know he says, I know, you know, Jesus, Jesus is the answer. But some of this stuff, it is a battle to fight 

[00:09:59] Don: [00:10:00] and to fight it by yourself.

[00:10:02] Don: it is hard. 

[00:10:03] Don: You need the. You need to plug into believers. You need 

[00:10:06] Don: to, and that's the beauty of what Jesus, I think, came to do. Because if we can get ourselves in, in a position where we develop a faith and a trust, where , there isn't a doubt in our mind that Jesus is going to take care of us and allow us to be healed in all these situations.

[00:10:25] Don: What happens, not only for the person that is well, you know, when a person's well and can 

[00:10:30] Don: trust in God, but God has made him. Well, there's an anointing that flows on that person. 

[00:10:35] Don: I know back in the apostles day, they used to lay people so that the shadow of Peter would 

[00:10:42] Don: just touch and they would be healed.

[00:10:45] Don: There was 

[00:10:46] Justin: faith. 

[00:10:46] Don: Oh, Yeah.

[00:10:47] Don: they just believe that Jesus was there. And that's the area that, you know, people that struggle need to get themselves into. A lot of people don't. And a lot of people, you know, when you talk about dark ages, [00:11:00]

[00:11:00] Don: there is Dark ages going on right now, because Jesus, it's interesting when you get into the Bible, it says he healed everyone.

[00:11:08] Don: They all were healed. It 

[00:11:10] Don: wasn't certain ones he bypassed, or it doesn't count in the Bible doesn't say that Jesus came and made them sick, 

[00:11:17] Don: or any of that sort of thing. No, it was, it's our adversary that does this, 

[00:11:22] Don: but Jesus came to heal the sick 

[00:11:25] Don: and and it's also interesting, Justin, 

[00:11:28] Don: when we talk about the disciples, because I know in the Bible it talks about Jesus sending them out two by two.

[00:11:35] Don: And they would, they would talk about the things of God. 

[00:11:38] Don: They would talk about the things of God and they came back and they were amazed how people were being, , you know, set free of 

[00:11:45] Don: evil, evil, spirits and things of that nature. So I'm saying to myself, what did they do? Did they give them some pills, you know, or what did they 

[00:11:53] Don: do?

[00:11:54] Don: Good. They spoke the things of God to them 

[00:11:56] Don: and the people believed it. And [00:12:00] that belief process is so powerful. If you can get someone, because also I, sometimes this, you know, I'll throw some questionable things here, but I, I know myself, people, a lot of people call themselves believers. But what is a believer?

[00:12:14] Don: , a believer is one that could put his whole trust in God, no matter what the circumstance might be.

[00:12:20] Don: It's, it's the Peter that stepped 

[00:12:22] Don: out of the boat and walked on water until doubt, until doubt got there. 

[00:12:28] Don: When he started looking around and started realizing, Hey, this 

[00:12:31] Don: probably shouldn't be happening.

[00:12:33] Don: He started sinking and Jesus reached out and grabbed him. 

[00:12:36] Don: But it's the same thing with us. You know, we got issues and whatever. We have to have the faith to step out of the boat 

[00:12:42] Justin: To step out of the boat.

[00:12:44] Don: And, 

[00:12:44] Don: and trust that Jesus is there for us. And sometimes, as individuals, we have to have the faith to help those that are struggling.

[00:12:55] Don: You know, , our faith in reaching out and trusting in God is something that can [00:13:00] touch. Because I know there's examples in the Bible where Like this one father comes to Jesus and he says, my kid is sick. My kid is sick. And Jesus says, you know, by your faith, he's going to be healed. 

[00:13:12] Don: And then, then, he says, Lord, pray for me and help me with my unbelief because he realized that.

[00:13:20] Don: His faith wasn't that strong, you know, and then Jesus, because of all that, healed this individual. It wasn't the kid that was coming up asking for it, it was his father. 

[00:13:30] Don: So it tells us that we can pray for people, we can reach out, it's our faith that we develop. But a lot of times in the Christian world that we live in today, it never gets to be to that level.

[00:13:42] Justin: right, right. Yeah. That's so true. 

[00:13:44] Justin: So. I agree with so much you're saying right there , I mean, when it comes to healing and stuff like that, that's just another reason how we're living in darkness. You know, you take the concepts of Jesus and the teachings of Jesus and the disciplines of [00:14:00] Jesus, the person, and you, and you translate that to what's being taught today in a lot of churches, and it does not translate. Um, it does not transliterate either. You know, there's, , there's a huge gap In between the faith, like you were saying, the belief and what we have now, which is doubt and unbelief and and when it comes to faith, any kind of doubt creeps in, will shadow out, will actually cross cancel the faith that's present. So, when Jesus says you need to have faith as a mustard seed, okay, well this, this is true, but in the Near East, in the Eastern Church, in the Eastern times of that day, doubt was a phenomenon. It was not something that was so common, but when you believed in something, you believed in it. So, if you had faith in , as a mustard seed, if you had a mustard seed level of faith, There was no doubt. That's why,

[00:14:59] Justin: [00:15:00] that's how effective it was. 

[00:15:02] Justin: So, I know it was also in setting context to just help them to have more faith, but when you look at the reality of these things, what I'm saying is, it doesn't translate. 2, 000 years later, we're not doing what we were, I think, called to do. A lot of the ways people were being saved, then, People should be being saved still today. A lot of the ways that people were in darkness, then people are still in darkness now, so therefore it makes sense that the ways to free people, the way to save people who are oppressed of the devil should never have changed because we're under the same shackles and chains.

[00:15:46] Justin: To this day, we're still under the same sexual immorality. We're still under the same lustful desires. We're still under the same covetousness and

[00:15:56] Justin: all, you know, the, uh, we're still living [00:16:00] by a world of comparison and , we're still self judging individuals.

[00:16:05] Justin: right,

[00:16:06] Justin: So. We are going to be caught in darkness.

[00:16:09] Justin: We're not going to see the light in our lives. Like you were saying, I really appreciate you sharing that story about your friend and I'm sorry about your friend. Um, 

[00:16:19] Don: he's a good man,

[00:16:20] Justin: in that sense, you are trying to be the light and you really were the light for him. Like you were saying, you were reaching out saying, I got this program and And he's just not seeing the light.

[00:16:31] Justin: He's in so much darkness that he's

[00:16:32] Justin: just not seeing the light. And he, you might be able to say Jesus's name, but you're still in darkness yourself in the way. And I want to say, I just want to touch on that a little bit, because the way that the church is not properly translated down to the disciplines, the teachings have not been translated down properly. And. That statement that was made by your friend, I think is a good example of [00:17:00] that because a lot of the times the way it's presented in church, the way Jesus is presented is in church is, yes, he's the way and he is the way. John 14 6. He says, I'm the way, the truth and the life, right? But people say that, right? In a church setting as if, okay, he's the way and he did it and I just have to believe in him. And that's all it is. And that's not true at all. He's,

[00:17:26] Justin: he's, he's the way for us. He's the way he showed us the way so that we would, we are now following. We are the way.

[00:17:35] Don: Yep.

[00:17:35] Justin: me, right? Pick up your cross and Follow me. Come after

[00:17:38] Justin: me. I show you the way. And now you follow along in these teachings that I've given you and you. The reason we still find ourself in the same kind of darkness is because we're not following the way we're following our own way We're following our deceitful ways And I think it isn't until we completely come to the end of ourselves [00:18:00] The end of our way that we realize his way

[00:18:03] Don: Right. Yep. 

[00:18:05] Justin: that is when we can invite this light to dispel this darkness to get rid of this darkness out

[00:18:10] Justin: of our lives 

[00:18:11] Don: Yes.

[00:18:12] Justin: So So I guess what are some ways you think that people can come out of the darkness in their life? 

[00:18:19] Don: Well, I tell you what, Justin, I'm going to tell you what I really feel, 

[00:18:23] Don: you know, what I really feel. 

[00:18:25] Don: I, I feel that the devil's having a heyday right now. I mean, with, with, with the churches and a lot of stuff out there, the 

[00:18:34] Don: devil's having his way because people are not getting to the place like we talked about where Jesus healed.

[00:18:40] Don: Amen. Everyone, you 

[00:18:42] Don: know, it was and like churches, you know, they're out there and they want to fill , their church bodies and stuff with people and stuff. You know, it's interesting because if we ever got ourselves into the place where we could trust Jesus, like we could step out of the boat and there wasn't a doubt in our mind.

[00:18:59] Don: And I believe that [00:19:00] takes some work. I believe you wouldn't have to advertise or even go out to reach people. People would be coming to you because you'd be everyone that would be. Mentally and struggling, physically, whatever it is, would be healed. It's because I know in the Bible, if you get back into the Old Testament, what are the children of God, what was it like in their goshen in Egypt or out in the wilderness?

[00:19:25] Don: There wasn't sickness or feebleness about anyone. 

[00:19:29] Don: Everything was taken care of for these people. Fact is, my Bible tells me their clothes didn't even wear out. Their shoes didn't wear out. 

[00:19:37] Don: God took care of every need. And my Bible says that God loves us. He has created a process of belief and faith. 

[00:19:47] Justin: he actually took them through that way, the long way into the wilderness because

[00:19:52] Justin: he took them to save them. That's why he took, he took them such a long detour and the whole time they're sitting there [00:20:00] complaining the whole time. 

[00:20:01] Don: They were, they were, there was a lot that they had to learn 

[00:20:04] Don: . 

[00:20:04] Don: when they first came out of Egypt, they were living in a worldly system there and they 

[00:20:08] Don: wanted all the treasures of Egypt and they 

[00:20:11] Don: started, like you're saying, whining and complaining, but by the time, you know, they got their 40 years in the wilderness, well, that generation pretty much was done with.

[00:20:19] Don: The rest of them, they had a trust in God because God took care of everything. 

[00:20:23] Don: He was their food. He was their water. He was their covering. He was their direction. 

[00:20:29] Don: He was everything. thing in their life. And that's the spot that he really wants to be in all of our lives. 

[00:20:35] Don: But most of us in the teachings that we live with today, we never get to that point.

[00:20:41] Don: So our adversary, the devil, he can do whatever he wants as 

[00:20:45] Don: far as Because I know Moses even said, if you don't follow your God, like you've been taught here in this wilderness, all the curses of Egypt and everybody else around are going to be upon you. 

[00:20:58] Don: So what do we see today? [00:21:00] We see a whole bunch of people out there with all the curses of everything around in our country, in our world right now, as far as diseases, as far as all that.

[00:21:08] Don: God wants to take care of all of this. We have to get ourselves into a place where God can work in our lives. And that's where right now, looking at the perspective, we talk about dark ages. I believe many people are in a dark age. , they're buying into something that is easy street. Easy, whatever, because they 

[00:21:29] Don: don't want to be dedicated to anyone that died on a cross 2000 years ago.

[00:21:33] Don: They 

[00:21:33] Don: want to be able to live their life and just be comfortable. Make it easy for me until I have to leave this world. Well, 

[00:21:39] Don: there is so much that we can do in our lives, but if we can place our faith and trust in him and allow believers, can you tell a story, Justin? 

[00:21:48] Justin: Yeah. You can tell a

[00:21:49] Don: I can tell the story. Okay. Well, this is a story and actually I got it from Zig Ziglar.

[00:21:53] Don: I'll tell you 

[00:21:54] Don: because he was saying there was a story he put out there. He said a picture is worth a thousand [00:22:00] words, you know, and once 

[00:22:01] Don: you see a good picture, it can be worth a thousand words, but he says words can be more than that. 

[00:22:06] Don: And he was talking about a story in Hollywood where There was a man named Peter Marshall and he was a minister in Washington 

[00:22:14] Don: and they were doing a movie on it and he had an actor playing Peter Marshall 

[00:22:19] Don: and, and he went, he talked about faith and believing and this is all casted, you know, with cameras and all that.

[00:22:26] Don: But in the back of the whole set. There, there was a lady that had gotten into a car accident a year earlier, and she was in a wheelchair. She couldn't walk. 

[00:22:36] Don: And when they got, when he got done with that message, he was talking about faith and healing and believing. The whole set was shocked because she got out of her wheelchair.

[00:22:48] Don: Her name was Marjorie. She got out of her wheelchair and she walked up to the front where this actor was. This was just all staged, but it shows you the power of [00:23:00] belief and trusting in the things of God, no 

[00:23:03] Don: matter how it's presented to you. That's where these podcasts are powerful because they're preaching and they're laying out a word and a thought.

[00:23:11] Don: Thought and we're just, we just pray that they can break through. Somebody can grab onto this because Jesus, you know, the Bible says the kingdom of God is at hand. It's something that we can 

[00:23:22] Don: reach out and grab onto. And he does want to 

[00:23:26] Don: get us out of this dark stages that we're in right now. 

[00:23:30] Justin: Yeah. The kingdom of God is at hand. You know, that was actually said 2000 years ago. And I think the reason I want to say that is because the point of ministry, the point of Jesus's ministry, Jesus said to Peter, upon this rock, I will build my church. He said, my church. So we have to remember whose church it is, who even came up with the idea of the church, the body of believers in Christ is the [00:24:00] head. So I think a lot of the times, Don, why we're not seeing these healings. Get done. Why we're not seeing mass deliverance, people being set free out of darkness, like in Jesus's day, is because the churches are not adopting what Jesus's ministry was actually doing. They are taking. A lot of the times the concept and of Jesus and his death and his resurrection, and they're making that their focal point, but then their churches, whatever they want to do, and that's why we're not succeeding in this because it's not about us.

[00:24:39] Justin: It's not our church. It's his church. . We were supposed to follow the same guidelines, the same disciplines. We were

[00:24:48] Justin: supposed to follow what he said. This is the kingdom of God coming to you. 

[00:24:52] Don: Yes. 

[00:24:53] Justin: is proof that the kingdom of God is here. The Pharisees said to him, this guy casts out demons with [00:25:00] demons.

[00:25:00] Justin: He casts out demons by the. By Beelzebub. And he says, how can demons, how can the devil cast out himself? A house divided against itself cannot stand. So therefore, if satan is casting out his own demons, that's going to be the end of his kingdom. And Jesus says, But if you know That it is my father, , the, the power of God that's casting out these demons.

[00:25:25] Justin: Then, you know, the kingdom of God is here. And when you know that, that is the, the true ministry of Jesus. He taught to,, he taught to heal everybody. He taught to cast out the demons, all of

[00:25:39] Justin: these things.

[00:25:40] Justin: That we're taught that we're supposed to be carried down into his church, right? So every church that we know of should look just like the ministry of Jesus. That's the way it was intended. It was his church. So we're not

[00:25:57] Justin: supposed to go around, we're [00:26:00] not supposed to just kind of go around and act like we know what we're doing and just doing our own thing. He

[00:26:05] Don: hmm.

[00:26:06] Justin: gave us the way. He gave us, you know, a specific way to follow. And we're supposed to follow that way.

[00:26:14] Justin: And I think if we were doing that all this time, we would be walking in the same power and authority, and we would be seeing the same things that we were seeing done 2000 years ago. And maybe

[00:26:26] Justin: there would be people getting healed by the shadow of, uh, of somebody else because of

[00:26:31] Justin: that anointing on them.

[00:26:32] Justin: Right.

[00:26:33] Don: Oh, yeah. 

[00:26:34] Justin: there is a lot of unbelief in the church. And I think there's a lot of. hurt from the church because the church did not do things the right way because they're not doing things according to Jesus ministry. , a lot of churches only incorporate Jesus just to talk about what he did, but not to actually teach people to do what he did. [00:27:00] You see what I'm saying? He

[00:27:01] Justin: says the same spirit. He says, greater things will you do? Because I'm going to my father, right? So

[00:27:07] Justin: what are the greater things?

[00:27:09] Justin: And

[00:27:10] Justin: sometimes we, we have to wonder that living in this world today, what are, what are the greater 

[00:27:14] Don: I know. I know. 

[00:27:16] Justin: And I think we would know had we been following his guidelines, had we been following his ministry, because we always have to remember it's his church, it's his ministry. And 

[00:27:28] Don: That's 

[00:27:29] Justin: we shouldn't all look so different. We shouldn't look like 75 different denominations. We should all look just like him.

[00:27:38] Don: Yep. One church. 

[00:27:39] Justin: And the body should be very, , recognizable, you know, the head should be able to, the head should be just as recognizable as the foot is. You know, we should be able to see all of ourselves in this thing.

[00:27:51] Justin: And I think there's so much division. I think that's what keeps people in darkness because they don't even know what way to go. They don't even know where to start. [00:28:00] We've come podcast titles over the last year in terms of what keeps people suffering. And we have. I just want to be really honest about this.

[00:28:11] Justin: Paul says in the Bible, there is a God of this world. Prince

[00:28:16] Justin: of the power of the air. He calls him the God of this world. Small g. Yes, small g. That's Satan. And , it's true. And it's been true since Paul said it. 2000 years ago, and we have to realize that we have to understand, like you're saying, when when that spirit is born into us, our spirit has now been born into Christ.

[00:28:40] Justin: The same power that rose him from the grave is now In us, and we are expected to walk out this, you know, this life of righteousness. We're expected to walk out this, this life of light. Because once the Bible talks about , having a single eye. And when that eye is full of [00:29:00] light, it radiates

[00:29:01] Justin: out of you because you have a single eye, right.

[00:29:04] Justin: Your focus isn't going all over the place, your beliefs aren't all over the place, you know, your dreams aren't all over the place, your thoughts aren't all over the place, you have a single eye and it's flooded with light. And that's what we do when we meditate on the word, when we think about what Jesus did, and we don't just look at Jesus as like some mythical figure or some person who is perfect and we're not, but

[00:29:26] Justin: we look at him as a character.

[00:29:28] Justin: Guide to where our lives need to be so that we can help others. 

[00:29:32] Don: yes, that is so true there, Justin. Well said, well said, but I know what you're talking about there is serious business, 

[00:29:41] Don: you know, and Paul in the Bible, it was serious business. These guys gave up their life for this message. 

[00:29:49] Don: The fact, The fact, that we live in a peaceful Church world today tells me something isn't happening that probably should because whenever you [00:30:00] have truth, whenever God can be in a position where he can heal and take care of things, the adversary is right next door trying to disrupt it and bring it down.

[00:30:10] Don: And when Jesus came and died on the cross, a lot of people think that's a free ticket. The Heavens. Yeah, that he, he became and know it like you're saying he came to be an example 

[00:30:22] Don: of us. See a crucified life. Paul says, I fought the battle of faith. He talked about the fact that he lived life fighting to keep his faith up.

[00:30:33] Don: Alive. You know, we get a seed like you mentioned about a mustard seed. Jesus said that little mustard seed can move a mountain, 

[00:30:40] Don: but you know, it has to be developed. It has to be built has to become strong. There can't be any doubt in our mind. We are 

[00:30:48] Don: of who we are of what we are. How we're living and the thing that really gets me, Justin, is the fact that we're only given a breath of life here to get things [00:31:00] right. You know, we're born into this world and I think a lot of people are just in a holding pattern right now, hoping that someday everything's going to turn out okay. And our adversary is having a heyday because he can, he can pour sickness, he can pour all kinds of mental situations, whatever he wants on people.

[00:31:19] Don: And there's no. There's no solution for it, except for maybe going to the doctor and getting some drugs or whatever it might be. But Jesus is the solution. He is the answer. He is the one that sets us free. But it takes a faith. It takes a relationship with Him. We, as a believer, we have to believe in more.

[00:31:39] Don: Then the fact that he was around 2000 years ago, we have to believe that he wants to work in our life today, tonight, you know, right now in our lives. And once we allow that to happen, once we carry that belief, because I've mentioned before the hour I first believed,

[00:31:58] Don: see, I remember the time [00:32:00] when somebody started sharing the word.

[00:32:01] Don: I heard a lot about God through the years, but the hour I first believed. Believed where I realized that Jesus is close where I got started getting tangles in my arm. It started to realize that this stuff here isn't just words. This is life. This is reality. 

[00:32:18] Don: And the fact that people right now, because I know in my life personally, I got people that are struggling, they're struggling in life physically and emotionally and whatever in different areas. I got to get myself into a place where I can develop a faith where it is dripping, where the anointing of God drips from me so that I can touch these people. I know I was at Costco the other day and a lady walked by me and she brushed against me. You know, as soon as she brushed against me, I started thinking, boy, in Jesus's time, there was a lady that came in and believed that she just touched his hem.

[00:32:57] Don: She 

[00:32:58] Don: was going to be healed. Just had to [00:33:00] be 

[00:33:00] Justin: internal bleeding. 

[00:33:01] Don: Just had to be in association with him. I said, boy, wouldn't it be something if our lives were in such relationship with God where he would just flow wherever we're at. You know, we are a blessing to everyone. Everyone that comes in association has an opportunity to be healed and we have no doubt it's possible.

[00:33:20] Don: Beyond the shadow of a doubt who the source is and what the source is wanting to do in this world. Because Jesus came and died on a cross, not a pretty scene for a reason, 

[00:33:33] Don: for a reason. And right now we are birthed in this world and we're meant to live in this world for a reason, but we have to develop this faith and trust in him. 

[00:33:44] Justin: Yeah. And I think a lot of the times we think that when we're so low, because I've been in, I've been in spells in my life. I've been in, I've been in. Depression. I've been in, I've even had suicidal thoughts at time at times. And when we get to those points, , we we don't [00:34:00] feel like there is a reason we start to , we start to be just completely surrounded in despair and we start to be stuck in a cycle of suffering and it gets to a point where it doesn't even, it just seems hopeless to even continue. And that is exactly where. Satan wants you. That's exactly where the enemy wants you. He wants you to be completely predictable so that he can keep you not realizing that this life that your life has so much purpose and so much meaning because it is

[00:34:37] Justin: God living life through you,

[00:34:41] Justin: your life.

[00:34:42] Justin: As

[00:34:42] Justin: all said, you're so you should not love your own life Not even unto death. And what he was saying is because it's actually, it's Christ living through you. It is God living through you. So this whole thing about it being your life, your own [00:35:00] life is actually a deception to begin with. It was never

[00:35:03] Justin: your life.

[00:35:04] Justin: It was his. So the fact that. Satan gets you to a point where he makes you feel like you need to take your own life. It's

[00:35:13] Justin: not yours to begin with. You already have, you're already, . You already have an owner. You, there is no, you know, people, a lot, a lot of the times I like to talk about like being possessed by spirits or something.

[00:35:26] Justin: Nothing can possess you in that way. It's about oppression. He has oppression. You can be oppressed. You can have he has dominion over your life. He has he's in your domain the evil one, but god is the owner over your life, right? So nobody can take the ownership away and the greatest deception that the Enemy uses against you is to make you feel like somebody can take that away from you so that it feels worthless It doesn't even feel like there's a point you actually feel like you'll be doing me a favor God if you just get rid of me, and that [00:36:00] is Um, that's exactly what the devil does is he gets you to that point where he justifies that and he gets you to come into agreement with it so that it can continue to manifest in your life.

[00:36:12] Justin: So when the spirit is born in you, the Holy Spirit is your friend, your comforter, your counselor. When, , when the Spirit of Christ is born in you, now you see things differently because the Spirit intercedes on your behalf. The

[00:36:33] Justin: Spirit makes groanings out to God on your behalf. We talk about praying in tongues, baptism of the Holy Spirit, right? The

[00:36:40] Justin: Spirit is interceding on your behalf. The two, your spirit and his spirit become one. And now the reason this happens is so that you can do the will of God. You can be a vessel of God and no longer be a vessel for the devil. Because [00:37:00] I'm sorry to say, but Christians can be vessels of the devil. People say like, well, Christians can't have a demon. That's not true at all. It's not about possession. It's all about domain in your life. And some people, some people need a little bit of deliverance. They

[00:37:18] Justin: just need a little 

[00:37:19] Justin: bit of, they just need to be delivered from a little bit of things and they'll be okay. And some people need to be delivered from a lot. 

[00:37:28] Don: This is true. 

[00:37:28] Justin: To say just a Christian can't have a demon or whatever the case is makes it so black and white and that's not what it is at all. So the greatest deception, in my opinion, is actually Satan getting people to believe that, that

[00:37:42] Justin: Christians, because then I can never have a demon, right?

[00:37:44] Justin: I believe Christ. I said the prayer, I'm saved, once saved, always saved. Okay? So I don't have to worry about being possessed or whatever the case is, not knowing that you're living a sinful life and you're being caught into, you're being caught into unrepentant sin and not even realizing [00:38:00] it because you think there could never even be a chance that you're being deceived, right?

[00:38:04] Justin: Because the doctrine is that you cannot be, you can't have a demon. Okay. Well, , it's just not true. And it's, it's just another, , another example of how the enemy uses these things, weaponizes these things against you so

[00:38:19] Justin: that you cannot

[00:38:20] Justin: grow as a believer so that you cannot truly grow. As we were intended to grow, we were given an example, we were told to follow the example. We

[00:38:30] Justin: were told that this is the way ministry, this is what the church is. It's his church. And now if we're going to make a church, you know, we need to follow his ministry and

[00:38:41] Justin: we will start

[00:38:41] Justin: seeing miracles. We will start seeing wonders and signs and we will start seeing the same things occurring now that happened 2000 years ago, the way we were supposed to. 

[00:38:53] Don: Right. That is so true. Wow. A lot being said there, Justin. No, it's interesting because I know there's a piece in the Bible [00:39:00] that it says, when, when he comes, will he find faith on earth? 

[00:39:04] Don: You know, and I, sometimes I question that and I know, uh, sometimes I know myself, I need to be slapped once in a while. I need somebody to wake me up because 

[00:39:15] Don: it seems like.

[00:39:15] Don: We get ourselves into a slumber

[00:39:18] Don: and a lot of times the church is just that they're in a slumber. They're not really seeing what is really happening out there and their part in it and what Jesus has designed each and every one of us for. We are powerful. You know, the enemy should be afraid of us, you know, definitely because all power in heaven on earth can be powerful.

[00:39:42] Don: placed inside of our lives. I know we've already talked about once we find the purpose that God would want for us, you know, and we live that and we place our faith in that. And we beyond a shadow of a doubt, believe 

[00:39:56] Don: that Jesus came for a reason and we're placed our [00:40:00] total faith in him because life is so quick, you know, it's quick and it's fast.

[00:40:05] Don: Some for some people, they leave easy. Some people they leave hard. But you know, it doesn't matter how we leave. What matters is where we go after we leave. And if we take this time right now and we don't come to the realization that God is real and it takes the faith With beyond a doubt entrusting in him to put him in operation.

[00:40:28] Don: He is our source. He is our strength. He is our hope. He is everything in our life. And we live in a world today that everything is trying to destroy that faith, you know, getting us into a place and we don't even see it. You know, that's the dark ages we talk about. We don't even see it, Justin. And that's the sad thing.

[00:40:51] Justin: I think that that unbelief keeps us in the darkness. So it's time for us to stop living in unbelief. It's time for us to get out of [00:41:00] unbelief. It's time for us. It's time for the church.

[00:41:04] Justin: as a body to

[00:41:05] Justin: wake up.

[00:41:06] Justin: It's time for the church to come out of darkness. It's time for the church to wake up and to realize whose ministry it is and to follow that pattern, to follow that example of the ministry 

[00:41:20] Don: That is so 

[00:41:21] Justin: because then we will see the supernatural come.

[00:41:24] Justin: The supernatural will not just be something that we read about in an Eastern book from 2000 years ago. The supernatural will manifest. In today's time, the supernatural will manifest daily. The

[00:41:36] Justin: supernatural will be in everyday normal for us. So it's in order for us to do this, we have to get out of unbelief.

[00:41:45] Justin: We

[00:41:45] Justin: need to get out of the darkness 

[00:41:46] Justin: and we need to believe

[00:41:48] Don: Yes, yes we do. We need to get to the position where the church can be made great again. You know, where we don't allow this doubt and this darkness to allow our [00:42:00] situations to continue on. God has got a work to be done and he's allowed us to be alive today to be a part of it. And that's where we're hoping that this is a blessed message, anointed message that can hit home where it needs to hit home.

[00:42:17] Don: And we want to be blessed by it.

[00:42:21] Justin: and we will be. Amen.