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The Truth Of The Matter is Episode 178: Garner What you Hear Before You Trust What You Can See
26 Plays26 days ago
Continuing with the Gospel of Matthew series we move on to unpack Matthew 11:2-5. It was this passage of Scripture that inspired the title of episode 178. It was this passage of Scripture that made me realize what we hear can definitely impact what we might believe and what we will ultimately see. As people of faith there is nothing more straightforward than this: Walking by Faith, concentrating not on what is seen but on what is not seen, and remembering that faith comes from hearing, and that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Tune to see What John The Baptist did by focusing on what he heard and how that gave him the hope and strength in what he knew all he waited on was visible validation from his disciple.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Truth of the Matters podcast. I'm your host, Jonathan, and this is episode 178. Let's begin by recognizing and appreciating all of our new and consistent listeners.
00:00:22
Speaker
We thank you all in advance for continuing to press play at your own convenience. I pray that this podcast, regardless of the episode you press play on, can and will be a blessing to you. So as always, we begin with a question.
Entering New Spaces and Learning Interaction
00:00:36
Speaker
How has the Lord blessed me this past week? Well, for starters, I believe God, you know, has made a way for me to enter spaces I never thought I would ever enter, ever have the opportunity to be in.
00:00:51
Speaker
And I'm learning about the process of dealing with people on different levels, in particular those who have access to things that I am in need of. At first, I honestly thought know, there's a lot that goes into making things happen, and it's more than I actually anticipated.
00:01:30
Speaker
Ultimately, my takeaway is there is a heightened level of tolerance that needs to be built up.
Facing Approvals, Rejections, and Success
00:01:38
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And so you need to be able to handle the highs and lows of what gets approved and what gets rejected. Results that end with cheers of satisfaction or tears of disappointment, which brings you back to the joy board.
00:01:56
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You know, there's a phrase that I have heard used by church folks, and that is newle new level, new devil. Again, the phrase is new level, new devil. Meaning, you know, as you rise in success,
00:02:11
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And that could be with exposure or achievement. You will have those who love you and support you. You will have those who claim that they're giving you constructive criticism.
00:02:27
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Then you have those who are hiding in plain sight among your supporters while actually talking about you like a dog bad mouthing you behind your back.
00:02:39
Speaker
Now if you were to ask me, this actually sounds like the devil you know, right? It sounds like it, the same old devil you know, but guess what? When you rise, you have people who become more envious and critical of what you say and do to the point that it becomes unbearable and then the news starts to spread and it starts to spread to those who knew nothing about you.
00:03:09
Speaker
And then they become part of this group that hates you based on what they have chosen to hear and believe.
Unpredictability of Life and Staying True in Faith
00:03:21
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Keep this in mind, right? The hate, the jealousy, the envy is based on this is unhealthy gossip.
00:03:36
Speaker
So, new level, I disagree with the new level, new devil, or do I agree with that statement? And my response is that in life, in this
00:04:02
Speaker
What you think is impossible is very possible. What you think is a given is not a given. Ultimately, life is really unpredictable. And when you go up the ladder of success, you're going to deal with so many different personalities,
00:04:22
Speaker
lifestyles, perspectives, beliefs. And as a follower of Christ, my suggestion is don't lose sight of who you are. in Christ. That is key. Don't lose sight in who you are. And don't rely on your own strength. That's another one especially bonus for you. Remember this, right? With opportunity comes opposition.
The Importance of Independent Thinking
00:04:49
Speaker
And with a promise comes a threat. Again,
00:04:54
Speaker
With opportunity comes opposition. The second way that God has blessed me is in my ability to be a independent thinker.
00:05:16
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You should not allow someone's poor experience with an individual affect or impact that experience with you. Okay. With you dealing with that individual. Personally, I desire to have my own experience with an individual instead of adopting the same mindset and conclusion that others have come to. Right. So let's unpack that a little bit more.
00:05:44
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Do I consider what someone tells me about someone? Sure. If I'm going to be intentional, when I talk with people, it begins with, of course, being respectful and genuine. And those are, I believe, requirements in any rule of of engagement when it comes to conversation. And of course, as a side note, you know, we do need to have more dialogue with others, right?
00:06:10
Speaker
The key is listening, on honestly. I believe everyone desires, everyone desires, everyone deserves to have an opportunity to be heard. And when we don't practice that enough, people won't feel comfortable and then they won't see how important and valuable they are. Again, as a side note, I believe we do need to have more dialogue with one another, each other.
00:06:40
Speaker
And the key is listening. I believe everyone deserves, everyone desires to be heard. And when we don't practice that enough, people won't feel comfortable. And when they won't feel comfortable, they won't see how important and valuable they are. So back to being an independent thinker. Here are some more thoughts, right? When I engage with people, I love to make my own assessments.
00:07:08
Speaker
And if I plan to do that, then I need a fresh start with that person. Instead of using someone else's experience and learning about how they have arrived at an outcome, when I may not agree with the same conclusion and I might not come to the thoughts that they have regarding that person. You know, being an independent thinker requires you to give thought out responses, thought out responses, whether that is on the base
00:07:42
Speaker
basis of informed decision or a decision that is rooted with temporary feelings, guess what? It's still your choice. And no one could take it away from you, right? Again, being an independent thinker requires you to give thought out responses. Whether that is on the basis of an informed decision or a decision that is rooted with temporary feelings, guess what? It's still your choice.
00:08:12
Speaker
and no one can take it away from you. So my opinion as an independent thinker, I love the process as an adult. And I hope that more people will learn or will lean into being an independent thinker because having the power to decide things requires you to take full accountability. And I believe once you do that, you start to place onus on yourself, right? Now i understand that everyone isn't ready.
00:08:41
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for this, but one day you will be. Not only that, you will notice a huge difference in how you live your life and being in control of
Reflecting on God's Blessings Daily
00:08:51
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it, I believe is important.
00:08:57
Speaker
Now the reason why I always begin this podcast with reflection is because I believe that God is blessing us every week. I believe that God is blessing the believer and non-believer. I believe that God deserves the glory, the honor and the praise. And if you sit back and observe, you will see how God has been moving and operating on your behalf. What we don't do enough of is reflection. So I say reflect daily and then you will notice the presence of God with you daily.
00:09:38
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I believe it requires you to pay close attention you to the details of your life. So if you're being optimistic about desiring to reflect, I say, give it a shot because I believe God is looking out for you. So I say, try and see what it's like.
00:10:05
Speaker
to spot his grace and mercy over your life and the little things. Amen. And with that being said, this leads us right into prayer. So let's pray. Oh God, in the name of Jesus, what I love most about your relentless is pursuit for me. And it's not just your pursuit for me, it's your pursuit for everyone, the believer and the non-believer.
00:10:32
Speaker
Lord, it was in your word that you said in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9 that the Lord is not slow in fulfilling this promise as some count slowness. But it's patient towards you, not wishing that any shall perish, but that all shall reach repentance.
00:10:50
Speaker
Therefore, Lord, we thank you for your love, for your patience, for your mercy. We thank you for eyes that we are able to see with discernment and ears to listen with caution, seeking out and recognizing what is true. As we go to your word today, bless us by providing what is excellent and sharing with us what is praiseworthy. Give us something to meditate on, something for us to hold on to in faith with hope. Lord, we ask you these things, humbly, honestly, and In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Podcast Theme: Information Gathering and Trust
00:11:32
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And amen. So continuing through the gospel of Matthew series,
00:11:38
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We start with chapter 11, and if my my memory serves me right, we left off at verse one, where we did episode 176. Today is episode 178, and we're going to take a look at verses two through five in the English Standard Version. And it was this section of scripture that inspired the title of this podcast, which is Garner, what you hear before you trust what you can see. Again, Garner.
00:12:08
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what you hear before you trust what you can see. So let me read the passage that I will talk about today and tell you how this text inspired the title of this podcast along with the topic. I honestly believe that this is something that needed to be talked about and that's the reason why I'm making it my business to talk about that with you today.
00:12:37
Speaker
So the passage is Matthew 11, chapter 11, verses 2 through 5, okay?
00:12:48
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Now when John heard and imprisoned about the deeds of the Christ, he said word by his disciples. And he said to him, are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another?
00:13:03
Speaker
and Jesus answered them go and tell John what you hear and see the blind received their sight the lame walk lepers are cleansed and the dead hear and the dead are raised up and the poor have good news preach to them
00:13:27
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In my opinion, the theme or what stands out to me the most from reading verses two through five is what you heard should play out and what you see. Again, what you heard should play out and what you see. The title of this podcast again is Garner, what you hear before you trust, what you can see. So what does it mean to Garner?
00:13:56
Speaker
To garner is to gather or collect something, especially information or approval. To garner is to gather or collect something, especially information or approval. The truth of the matter is everyone on a daily basis is garnering information and attempting to utilize it. We are rich in information, but poor in wisdom.
00:14:27
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The truth of the matter is in 2024, we are rich in information, but poor in wisdom. The problem in my humble opinion has never been the access of information. It's been the uses of that information. Again, the problem in my humble opinion is that it's never been the access of information.
Wise Use and Selection of Information
00:14:50
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It's been the usage of that information.
00:14:53
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You know, I believe we struggle with how we use it. And in the year of 2024, things have changed.
00:15:06
Speaker
Evolution continues to take place. And as a human race, we are still evolving in many different ways and different facets. You know, when you reminisce on how you use to get your news and compare it with today's time, things of course have changed. We don't get it the same anymore. Now we have apps, we have social media.
00:15:35
Speaker
And social media has changed the way we gain access. The speed in which we get the information is continuing to break records, right? Some people get their news from Facebook, right? TikTok X, which used to be Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat. The art of classic news is fading.
00:16:00
Speaker
Heck, the art of cable is fading. Now, if you pretty much sign up for all of these apps, whether it's Peacock, Amazon, Netflix, it's pretty much costing the same amount that it would cost if you had cable, right? So, if we're being honest here,
00:16:26
Speaker
There are outlets that provide news that is false. There are outlets that provide news that is controversial. There are places in which narratives are created to assassinate a person's character. Right? It seems to me that the source in which The information is coming through, creates chaos, division, dissensions. Ultimately, it starts problems that we don't necessarily have the ability to always knit in the bud, right? So you might be asking, how does this conversation tie into Matthew 11 verses two through five? I'm glad that you asked.
00:17:20
Speaker
Allow me to explain how it has inspired this topic. You know, with so much information being provided to us, you have to decide on what you want to listen to and what you want to watch. And as you collect information, you should be making better choices on what you're going to listen to moving forward. You have to decide is what you're playing helpful Is it changing the way that I think about life every day in a positive or negative fashion? Does it resonate with me?
00:17:59
Speaker
Has it shaped me in a better light? Do I see myself being a better person as a result of listening to this person's content? Obviously, there's a lot of different portions of content. Even the Truth of the Matter is podcast is a piece of content that's either helping you Or in other cases, it could be someone out there who doesn't feel that they find any value in this podcast. And that's okay. Every podcast that's out there, I believe, just select few, have its impact and a stamp on somebody's life.
00:18:36
Speaker
And that's what I hope that I'm doing. I hope that I've blessed some people in some way, regardless of the episode that they decided to press play on. I believe it can and it will bless them. That's sort of the reason why that's one of the things that I put in the beginning. But here's another correlation that comes to mind. How about what you eat, right? There are so many options for us to choose from. Over time you began you'd be actually begin to look like what you eat. The same way with information. The infam information can impact how you think. And what you eat can impact how you look. Right? This is what tends to happen that you eat a lot of things that is fueled with sodium in it.
00:19:30
Speaker
Your body responds in a way in which it results in the fact that your intake of sodium is too high, right? If you eat too many things, too many junk foods, that's what creates it, creates certain health concerns and problems that you have to at some point address. The point is we have access to so much. The reality is we can't listen to it all.
00:20:03
Speaker
We have too many voices pulling us into so many different directions. It's getting to a point that we're going to have to choose. You know, the word of God is here for us, not only to guide us, direct us, to inform us, to educate us, to lift us up, to encourage us, to encourage us.
00:20:31
Speaker
The word of God is also here for us to study and to monitor our life out there. We monitor our life after Christ, but we also acknowledge that the word is alive and well. And that word is also Jesus Christ. And there's also a word that echoes the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, where we believe all scriptures, Holy Spirit breathe.
00:20:57
Speaker
for correction and also for improvement direction. So the word of God is clear. And one of the passages that I love is Luke 11, 28 in the Ampervite version. And it says, on the contrary, blessed and happily favored by God are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it. Amen. I received that. For the believer, obviously the follower of Christ,
00:21:27
Speaker
We have two passages of scripture. This is very clear. One of them is Second Corinthians chapter five or seven. We walk by faith, not by sight. Pretty direct, right? We walk by faith, not by sight. Romans 10, 17. Romans chapter 10 verse 17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. and Again, very direct, very to the point.
00:21:57
Speaker
Now what I have for you in this passage of Matthew chapter 11 verses 2-5 is a moment where John hears something and that impacts his next movements. I believe that's how it should be as obedient children of God. But I believe this example points out to how the goal is to garner information.
00:22:24
Speaker
And that information that you're garnering is either going to fuel you or direct you to be impactful in your community, but also in the body, or it's going to be a detrimental effect.
00:22:42
Speaker
And in this case, the language here in the passage is very important and we'll get to that in a second. So let's read. Matthew 11 to it says now when John heard in prison about the deeds of Christ He sent word By his disciples. So who are we talking about here John the Baptist? What happened to John the Baptist? He was put in jail How do you end up in jail? Well the gospel's
00:23:19
Speaker
kind of lay out a foundation where you have different pieces of the puzzle. So let's do that. Let's go to the Gospel of Luke chapter 3 verses 18 through 20. And I'm going to switch over from the English Standard Version to the NLT, New Living Translation. John used many such warnings as he announced the good news to the people. John also publicly criticized Herod Anticipus, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Curtis, his brother's wife, for many other wrongs he had done. So Herrick put John in prison, adding this sin to many others. Interesting, right? What we see here is John declares something that is done that sets the standard of representing truth.
00:24:14
Speaker
Herrick considers it a sin, to the degree that not only does he charge John with this sin, but he also charges many others who follow in the footsteps of the standard that John is setting. See what happens when truth enters and takes up space. It's almost contagious, contagious to the degree that you have individuals who are picking up on the standard of representing what truth is and making sure So what happened, right? John spoke truth publicly and felt the dependency of speaking that truth in return.
00:25:08
Speaker
One of the things I talked about earlier is that any time an opportunity presents itself, you have opposition. And every time a promise is granted or given, there's a threat. Let's go to Mark chapter six versus 14 through 20 again, NLT.
00:25:29
Speaker
Harry Anticipus, the king, soon heard about Jesus because everyone was talking about it. Some were saying this must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles. Others said he's the prophet Elijah. Still others said he's a prophet like the other great prophets of the past.
00:25:55
Speaker
When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, John, the man I beheaded has come back from the dead. For Herod has sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor of herdies. She had been his brother Philip's wife, but Herod had married her. John had been telling Herod, it is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife.
00:26:24
Speaker
So Hurdies bore a grudge against Sean and wanted to kill him. But without Harrods approval, she was powerless for Harrods respected John. And knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Harrods was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so,
00:26:51
Speaker
He liked to listen to him. Now I find this truly fascinating, right? You knew that John was a holy man. You knew that John spoke truth. It rubbed him in the wrong way. But potentially, possibly, did his scent have it free, right? The truth, South Central Free, was hearing the truth in spite of the lifestyle he was living. Still, in some sense, admirable.
00:27:21
Speaker
honorable maybe very interesting but now that we know what happened to John I want to address the process he went through and I I want us to examine this because we tend to do the same thing as well as individuals right you know when Solomon wrote there's nothing new under the Sun I immediately agreed because it's true it's so true I just love the way he put it there is nothing new under the Sun So when we when we read verse two, understand the situation, right? John is in jail. To the degree of uncomfortability, we don't know. Could have been really harsh. Then again, maybe. It wasn't. Either way, this requires more research to gather, right? What were the experiences of those who were in prison?
00:28:17
Speaker
during this time on a consistent basis, right? This is a question, but for now let's leave it for another time. What I want us to consider is the state of mind of John, right? He was put in jail for doing what was right. John understood his mission. Let's allow the scriptures to tell us plainly and directly. Let's go to the gospel of John chapter three.
00:28:43
Speaker
and let's look at verses 28 through 36 actually you yourselves know how plainly i told you that i am not the messiah i am only here to prepare the way for him
00:29:04
Speaker
It is the bride's groom who marries the bride. And the bride's groom's friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore I am filled with joy as his success. He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less. He has come from above and is greater than anyone else.
00:29:31
Speaker
We are of the earth and we speak of earthy things. He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them. Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true, for he is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God gives him the spirit without limit.
00:30:01
Speaker
The Father loves His Son and has put everything into His hands, and anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn't obey the Son will never experience eternal life or remain under God's angry judgment.
00:30:21
Speaker
So the thought that came to mind that I wanted to ask, that I wanted to share is, you know, what goes through a person's mind once they have done what was right. begin to reconsider the choice you made? Either way, what we see that happened is that John,
00:30:50
Speaker
focused on what he heard. Why is this so important? Well, what comes along with what you heard impacts your faith.
Faith in Christ through Scripture and Validation
00:31:03
Speaker
Not what you saw or see, right? Verse two in Matthew 11 says that John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ. Interesting in language here, the Christ, the anointing one, right?
00:31:18
Speaker
And what we get from john is that he sent word by his disciples, right? So the mere fact that his focus is on what he did shows that he remembers something that gave him the hope that he had why he was in jail, right? Let's be honest, right? Being locked up even for the right reasons. In some cases, there is some resentment, I'm sure. Right? There is a feeling of uncomfortability. But what I believe the passage that ultimately gave John the about this hope had to have come from Isaiah 35 1 through 7. Let's read it of course in the NLT.
00:32:09
Speaker
Even The wilderness and deserts will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice in the blooms with spring, carcasses. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy. The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebion and lovely as Mount Carmel or plain of Sharon. The Lord will display His glory, the splendor of our God.
00:32:41
Speaker
with this news strengthen those who have tried hands and encourage those who have weak knees say to those with fearful hearts be strong and be and do not fear for your god is coming to destroy your enemies he is coming to save you And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the dead on the death. The lame will leap like a deer and those who cannot speak will sing for joy. Springs will gush forth in the wilderness and streams will with water, will water the wastelands.
00:33:26
Speaker
The parched ground will become a pool and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and wreaths and rushes with flourishing where the desert's jackals once lived. So understand that John heard the fulfillment of scripture and what was left was visible confirmation. So what does he do? He sends his disciples to find out. And what you get is truth being fulfilled followed by visible validation.
00:34:07
Speaker
Again, what you get is truth being fulfilled, followed by visible validation. So verses three to five are direct, right? Are you the one who is to come or shall we look for another, right?
00:34:27
Speaker
That's John's disciples, in search of the Christ. And how does Jesus respond? He answers them. Go and tell John what you heard and saw, or what you see. The blind received their sight, the lame walk, leopards a cleanse, the deaf hear, and the dead arised, or raised up, and the poor have good news. Preach to them.
00:34:54
Speaker
So to conclude, you know, I love what Jesus did here. He pretty much pointed John's disciples back to the written word. Simple, direct, easy. Pointed them back to the written word. You know, in the gospel of Luke, remember what he did, right? If we go to Luke chapter four, verses 17 through 21, it reads, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling that he found a place where it was written.
00:35:25
Speaker
Your spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners in recovery for sight, for the blind to set their pressure free. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down, the eyes of everyone in the synagogue.
00:35:47
Speaker
Fastened on them he began by saying to them today the scriptures fulfilled your hearing right Jesus was clear also in Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 Do not think that have come to abolish the law or the prophets? I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them so What's the takeaway today the takeaway that I want a Lot of people to understand and to know is that God is amazing And he's so amazing that with so much mixed information that exists, I believe full heartedly, he wants you to do Matthew 7-7.
Seeking Truth and Commitment to Christ
00:36:32
Speaker
Ask that you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you.
00:36:37
Speaker
He wants you to do research. He wants you to pursue him. Draw near to him, draw near to you in the book of James. He wants that because once you find out the truth, once you discover the truth,
00:36:53
Speaker
Once the truth has been revealed to you, not only does it set you free and impacts your lifestyle and impacts the way you see the world and impacts who you are as a person, you become much more bold in your commitment to be a follower of Christ. Right? And that's my story. And that's a story that fits for many others, right?
00:37:25
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And i I think at the end of the day, how you come to know Christ is unique to you.
00:37:38
Speaker
And I think that's just a beautiful And on that note, I want to thank you so much for tuning in today. I hope what I have to share has been a blessing to you. And on that note, we finish with devotional time.
Closing Prayer and Farewell
00:37:59
Speaker
Let's go to Isaiah 55 verse 11. It says, soul shall my word be that goes out from my mouth and it shall not return to me empty, but it shot accomplish or what ah shall shall accomplish that which I purposed it and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. You know, as follows with Christ, I think it's so amazing to read something in the word
00:38:23
Speaker
and see it play out exactly the way it was said in the Word. It just proves that the Word is alive and well. It also proves that His Word can bring life to our situation and to our spirit. Here's a short prayer for the rest of the week. Father God in Jesus name, thank you for being alive and active on our behalf consistently.
00:38:47
Speaker
You are not a God who's dead, but you are a God who's very much alive. And your return is very much expected, but unknown in time. Lord, we believe it and therefore we proclaim it. And I believe as I speak for most believers or many believers, I can't wait to see it coming pass. If you agree with that, please say in Jesus name we pray. Amen. And of course, until next time.
00:39:16
Speaker
The truth of the matter is podcast audience, be careful, be vigilant and watchful as we depart from one another, but never the presence of the Lord. God bless. And I can't wait to talk to you next time. Have a good one. Bye.