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The Truth Of The Matter Is - Episode: 195 Bible Study Reflection Solo or W/Friends Biblical Practicality (the pursuit of occupational dreams.)
33 Plays18 days ago
Bible study reflection solo or with friends is an inspirational segment. It started by getting together for bible study with friends Erik and Jennifer and still having more to say. Thus far, the segment has been about unpacking different passages of scripture read in bible study and still feeling the need to explore things more deeply. A couple weeks ago I had an in depth conversation with two friends. One is a Doctor and the other is a lawyer and we were talking about the pursuit of occupational dreams. In this episode the conversation is about seeing the practicality in biblical text. Tune to see if you agree.
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Transcript
Introduction to Episode 195
00:00:00
Speaker
This is the Truth For The Matters Podcast. Welcome back to another edition of Bible Study Reflection, Solo or with Friends. This is episode 195. Of course, I'm your host, Jonathan. And for those who are unfamiliar with this segment, let me give you a quick background story to it.
00:00:18
Speaker
It was inspired by a Bible study that I had with two of my friends, which we did once a week. We would choose a book and a Bible, unpack it together, choose two or three chapters, read them individually and see what we could unpack by ourselves.
Joining the Bible Study Community
00:00:35
Speaker
Then we would come together, fellowship of one another, and learn about what we believe God has revealed to us individually. You can't forget what scripture says.
00:00:45
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Anytime two or three are gathered, there am I in your midst. And you know, what I concluded from these talks I will still be full of information, yet still curious about a lot of it all.
00:00:58
Speaker
So as a result, I decided to create this segment called Bible Study Reflections, Solo or with Friends. Again, the ultimate goal was to grow and fellowship with others.
Engage with Jonathan on Social Media
00:01:10
Speaker
And so I'm extending you an opportunity to fellowship with me on the next Bible study reflection episode. You can reach out to me on TikTok or IG. And those handles are the truth of T-M-I-S.
00:01:24
Speaker
Again, it's the truth of T-M-I-S. You can also reach out to me on my Facebook called I'm a Believer. Again, it's called I'm a Believer. And finally, send me an email at speeded83 at gmail.com.
00:01:42
Speaker
S P E E D E D 83 at gmail.com. I am looking forward to hearing from some of And I want to add one more other thing.
00:01:54
Speaker
If you're interested in joining a live Bible study, in-person Bible study, and you are in a tri-state area, you can come to 864 Gates Avenue.
00:02:06
Speaker
Again, it's 864 Gates Avenue between the hours of 11 to 2.
00:02:13
Speaker
I'm usually there every Saturday having Bible study with seniors.
Opening Prayer
00:02:19
Speaker
You are more than welcome to join us. It's a great time. Sometimes donuts are there.
00:02:25
Speaker
It's free. You have good laughs. You have good conversation. It's been a great experience. I've been doing it for over a year now. It's been a blessing to me. I appreciate every moment of being there.
00:02:38
Speaker
And honestly feel sad if I'm not there. And so I want to extend my listeners to that opportunity as well. If you've never met me, there's an opportunity to meet me.
00:02:50
Speaker
Great opportunity to fellowship with believers, have fun, but most importantly, dive into the scriptures and draw near to God. So before we dive right into what I have to share with you today, we here on The Truth For The Matters podcast believe in prayer first and foremost.
Theme: Biblical Practicality in Careers
00:03:12
Speaker
So let's pray and then I can't wait to share with what I have for you today. Heavenly Father in Jesus name and I want to thank you for being God because you are God and God alone.
00:03:26
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I want to thank you for your influencement of the Holy Spirit who alive and well and active in the life of the believer. I am continuously appreciative of your grace and mercy that you extend to everyone, including me, on a daily basis.
00:03:46
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I know I don't deserve it, but I know that you're a God who gets one, two, three, four, five plus chances.
00:03:56
Speaker
As we dive into your word today, Ask that you bless us, that you build us up for testing, that you strengthen us for times ahead, that you encourage us with the desire to be bold as representatives and ambassadors for you.
00:04:13
Speaker
Again, Lord, prepare us for the tough decisions ahead. Let our eyes not depart from your word, but continue to search the scriptures so that we can be
00:04:27
Speaker
ambassadors to share your word and to change lives and to point people back to you. We know you're the only one that does the saving. And so we rely solely on you to do that saving.
00:04:39
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Our goal is to live a life worthy of our calling. Our goal is to be listeners. Our goal is to fellowship with one another.
00:04:51
Speaker
Let our faith be musically encouraged by one another's faith. But most importantly, let us continue to strive to be better than who we were the day before.
00:05:03
Speaker
And on that note, Lord, we thank you, we honor you, we glorify you, we lift you up.
00:05:09
Speaker
In Jesus name we pray. Amen. So for the longest period of time, I've been promising you an episode called biblical practicality. And it's finally here. It's finally here.
Reflection on Intentions and Heart in Giving
00:05:22
Speaker
So the name of this episode is called biblical practicality, the pursuit of occupational dreams. And this is a very interesting title. Again, it's called Biblical Practicality, the Pursuit of Occupational Dreams.
00:05:37
Speaker
And, you know, a couple of weeks ago. ah had an in-depth conversation with two friends, one who's a doctor, the other is a lawyer, and we were talking about the pursuit of occupational dreams.
00:05:52
Speaker
For most of us, it starts at a young age and the decision either remains or fluctuates as you grow older. And, you know, I thought the conversation was amazing because it brought me back to the word of God.
00:06:05
Speaker
And I use the word of God to justify my position in both those conversations. As an aside, something about me that I don't mind sharing is that I'm the type of person who takes nothing for granted.
00:06:20
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I find every conversation I've ever had or will have to be worth it. And so if you've ever gotten a chance to talk to me, I'm sure you'll realize that I'm always willing to ask questions.
00:06:34
Speaker
I make eye contact and i enjoy spending time talking with you, whether there it's one minute, whether it's two minutes, whether it's five minutes, whether it's 10 minutes, I learned something from you.
00:06:48
Speaker
And so
00:06:51
Speaker
If you ever get the chance to talk to me, just know that I am down to have a conversation with you and I will appreciate the interaction. Now, back to the in-depth conversation that I had with two of my friends.
00:07:07
Speaker
We spoke about a lot of things, but there's this one part of our conversation that I want to share with you all today. Full disclosure, i did receive permission and thought it would be a teachable moment on how the Bible can provide practical application for things we may have.
00:07:25
Speaker
not considered. Again, I've seen permission from both these individuals. Their names will remain nameless. And I thought it would be a great opportunity to show practical application for the things that we may not always consider.
00:07:42
Speaker
Sometimes we have to take a step back and recognize the practicality in certain things. Right.
00:07:51
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And for some of us, It's about taking a backseat. and potentially using common sense and obeying.
00:08:04
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If it's not common, then I suggest that you be open to what you could do when you haven't thought about it. Again, if it's not common sense to some, I think it's common to be open to what it could do when you have thought about it.
00:08:22
Speaker
So the first passage I want us to go to It's the Gospel Luke chapter 21 verses 1 through 4. This passage, in my opinion, is very practical.
00:08:34
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And I plan to use this passage a little later to tie in a few other things. As Jesus looked up, again, this is Luke chapter 21 verses 1 through 4.
00:08:47
Speaker
As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
00:09:00
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Truly, I tell you, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth, but she out of her poverty put it all that she had to live on.
00:09:17
Speaker
Now, after looking over this section of scripture in the verses, I can see that is informing us of a lot of things. For this case, I'll share with you a few things.
00:09:28
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And I will touch on one aspect later on. Just in case you did not know. God sees all, hears all, and knows all.
00:09:41
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I believe that many of us are aware of God's ability to be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Remember what God did.
00:09:51
Speaker
He put on flesh and came through the life and person of Jesus Christ. What I see here in verse 1 is that Jesus is putting you and I, the reader, on notice that he is aware of everything that we do, even within the spirit of how we do it.
00:10:09
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The text tells us that Jesus observed those who put an offering and provided us with educational perspective. What we should be mindful of is the heart in which we do things.
00:10:24
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And that's regardless of the circumstances that you or i find ourselves in. Again,
00:10:33
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what I think we should be mindful of is the heart in which we do things. And that tends to happen regardless of the circumstances that you or I find ourselves in.
00:10:47
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planning to come back to this, so let's place a pin in that for now. Speaking of the heart in which we do things, let me explain that a little more. What I mean is I believe our intentions, our attitudes, our mindsets, is all about the matter of the heart.
00:11:06
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or the spirit in which we decide to do things. Ask yourself, what is your tone? Are you delighted or are you annoyed when you are doing something for someone?
00:11:20
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Are you willing or does someone have to convince you to help them? I think about this all the time when I'm dealing with my parents that they asked me to do something or when I'm dealing with my brothers that they asked me to do something.
00:11:34
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Am I annoyed? Am I delighted?
00:11:40
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Am I willing?
00:11:42
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I have to think about that. And I think, you know, as followers of Christ, we should continue
00:11:52
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to work on our delivery of how we share the gospel, not just the gospel, but how we help others. Now you might be saying, why do I say that? Well, because you never know who you have to share it with.
00:12:07
Speaker
And when you have to share it You need to be reminded of something that I thought Paul said that is very profound. In Colossians chapter four, verse six, he says, let your conversation be always full of grace, season with salt, so that you may know
God’s Perception of Actions and Intentions
00:12:27
Speaker
how to answer everyone.
00:12:29
Speaker
The key word is always let your conversation be always full of grace. Season was sought so that you may know how to answer everyone. The key word in this verse is always not sometimes, but always really understand that God can use us at any moment and time and that we are instruments for his righteousness.
00:12:56
Speaker
In the NLT, it says, let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Oh, man, I love that.
00:13:07
Speaker
In the NLT, it says, let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. I'm to say it one more time.
00:13:19
Speaker
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. And then I'll repeat the other one.
00:13:30
Speaker
Let your conversation be always full of grace. Season will soar so that you may know how to answer everyone. And the NLT where it says let your conversation be gracious and attractive so you will have the right response for everyone.
00:13:47
Speaker
The key word is attractive. And so when Paul says in 1 Peter 3, verse 15, but in your heart, revert Christ as Lord.
00:13:58
Speaker
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect. The key word again 1 Peter 3.15 is always, always, which is the key word we find in Colossians 4.6.
00:14:22
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And so the key words that I have pointed out are always an attractive. And so as followers of Christ, we should continue to work on our delivery of the gospel message because you never know.
00:14:35
Speaker
when you will have to share it with someone you may not be fond of. And so the heart of the spirit in which you do it will matter. Will they be able to experience the love of Christ through you?
00:14:47
Speaker
Or will they be turned off by your attitude, tone, or delivery? Again, think it's important that I say this. Will they be able to experience the love of Christ through you?
00:15:00
Speaker
Or will they be turned off by your attitude, tone, or delivery? You know, there's a wonderful passage in 1 Samuel 16, verse 7, that says, But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.
00:15:19
Speaker
For the Lord sees not as a man sees. Man looks at the outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.
00:15:31
Speaker
Based on this verse, we are informed that the Lord and how he looks at man is not the same way we look at man. Why is this important?
00:15:42
Speaker
Well, we were created in his image, the Imago Dei, and that means we are deserving of dignity and respect. We were given freedom of choice. And so within that, God pays attention to what drives us and our hearts.
00:16:02
Speaker
The question that is often asked hinges on the story of Cain and Abel. Why did God appreciate Abel's offering more than Cain? I would say that Abel offered what he had with faith and from the best of what he had, specifically the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.
00:16:25
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Cain on the other hand offered from the fruit of the ground without demonstrating the same level of devotion or offering the best of his produce.
00:16:38
Speaker
This in my opinion, God was able to recognize Through their heart. Let me give you two personal examples that come to mind. Let's say I invite you over for dinner and I'm the one cooking the meal.
00:16:52
Speaker
I fry two pieces of chicken. One comes out perfect while the other one is slightly overcooked. Do I give the guest the one that came out perfectly or do I give my guest the one that is overly perfect?
00:17:07
Speaker
cooked. Now the guests may never know, but God will know because he is aware of your heart and what you are doing. Here's my final example here, and I want you to think about this one.
00:17:21
Speaker
Let's say I signed up to volunteer at an elderly home. On my face, I am smiling, but in my heart, I can't stand the place. In fact, I am counting down the time I'm there.
00:17:35
Speaker
On the surface, I was able to fool the people around me. I was able to build up the hours that I needed to put on my resume. But guess what?
Faith and Intention in Giving
00:17:44
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God saw that I really didn't care. And it was the ends that justified the means type of thing.
00:17:54
Speaker
Nothing more, nothing less. I will echo the same sentiment. You can fool human beings all day long, but who you can't fool is God.
00:18:09
Speaker
Remember what Proverbs 4.23 says, Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Meaning the thoughts and beliefs that we all have originate from our hearts and that will influence our actions.
00:18:29
Speaker
Not only that, our hearts help shape our overall lives. So it's very important what we allow into our hearts because it would eventually play out.
00:18:40
Speaker
in our lives. So for instance, in the book of Galatians chapter five, specifically, it talks about the acts of the flesh, the fruits of the spirit, depending on what you allow into your heart or spirit will eventually play out and what your heart desires to fulfill.
00:19:00
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You know, in the gospel, Luke chapter 12, verse 34 says, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This really speaks to the foundation of your values and principles and where it is rooted in.
00:19:17
Speaker
So if it's rooted in the word of God or is will it be rooted in self elevation? Last passage that I will use to drive my point home.
00:19:31
Speaker
A second Corinthians chapter nine, I believe, verses six to nine, and it states, remember this. Whosoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly.
00:19:45
Speaker
Whosoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
00:20:00
Speaker
And God is able to bless you abundantly. So that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
00:20:12
Speaker
As it is written, they have freely scattered their gifts to the poor. Their righteousness endures forever.
00:20:24
Speaker
Again, the focus is on your heart. And only you know what you are capable of giving. Remember the passage says God loves a cheerful giver.
00:20:35
Speaker
So give what you have decided to give in your heart. Again, you may be able to fool human beings. But you won't be able to fool God.
00:20:47
Speaker
It's a beautiful passage in Galatians 5 where it says... God will not be mocked.
00:20:59
Speaker
Let me touch on the other aspect now that I mentioned earlier. Please understand that there isn't a certain amount of anything that pleases God. In this case, we're talking about money.
00:21:13
Speaker
There isn't a certain amount of money that would please God. okay As Isaiah 64, 6 says, we are all infected and impure with sin.
00:21:25
Speaker
When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags like autumn leaves. We wither and fall and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
00:21:38
Speaker
Of course, I am speaking again in reference to the Gospel Luke chapter 21 verses 1 to 4. God is righteous judge because he's able to look at our circumstances And the challenges that are going on with us individually and also our families.
00:21:58
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Remember that nothing ever occurs to God. He does not go through a process like you and I. Right. He does not need to think about it.
00:22:12
Speaker
Therefore, he decides what is best. And guess what? No one else can.
00:22:19
Speaker
You know what you can and cannot give. This is based on understanding what you're doing it for and why you're doing it. Right. And I'm speaking about what your intentions are behind your giving.
00:22:33
Speaker
Again, you know what you can and cannot give. This is based on your understanding on why you're giving and why and what purpose is going to serve.
Guidance and Decision-making in Life
00:22:45
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Remember, giving is based on faith capabilities. This is why you have offerings and you have tithes. In my opinion, this is very practical.
00:22:57
Speaker
And I don't believe God is up in heaven taking notes on what you give. He also is not saying you to hell in this either. In my opinion, he knows your heart.
00:23:08
Speaker
And so you can fool man. But you cannot fool God. Now the passage I really want to get to is in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses through 30. Again, it's the Gospel of Luke.
00:23:29
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again it's the gospel of Luke chapter 14 verses 25 to 30. Specifically, I want to talk about verses 28 to 30.
00:23:44
Speaker
But before we do that, let me kind of set the stage. So what my lawyer friend, she began sharing with me that she grew up wanting to be a lawyer at a young age.
00:24:00
Speaker
Again, I call this the pursuit of occupational dreams. At a young age, I believe that some start to think about how they could be useful in a marketplace.
00:24:12
Speaker
And the truth of the matter is some don't know. They honestly don't have a clue on how they can be useful. I believe this is normal. You know, I've done several workshops on finding your purpose, and I've had these in-depth conversations with the age group of 14 to 18 and. 18 to 24, and this is a frequent concept that comes up often.
00:24:41
Speaker
And so here's the biblical response normally that people are given, and I would say it's not always full of context that is often regurgitated.
00:24:54
Speaker
A lot of times people go to Genesis chapter two, verse seven, and it says, then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
00:25:05
Speaker
And the man became a living being. What you may hear is that God is the source of all life. And so you should pray to God. He would tell you what will be next in your life.
00:25:20
Speaker
Here is another verse that comes to mind in the book of James, chapter one, verse 17. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
00:25:37
Speaker
What you may hear is that God is responsible for my gift and how I choose to exercise it is important. You should be using your gift to serve the church.
00:25:50
Speaker
Oh, and by the way, God does not take my gift away, even if I decide not to use it to serve him. The most important thing is that I should pray to God and he would direct me on how to use my gift.
00:26:05
Speaker
Now, here is my thoughts on these two verses. Again, these are my thoughts. I encourage you to examine what I have to say and determine if it's trustworthy or not.
00:26:18
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So when it comes to Genesis 2, verse 7, yes, I agree, God is the source of all life. He created all things. However, that doesn't stop people from going their own way while acknowledging that God is the source of all things.
00:26:41
Speaker
Sometimes God gives us instruction and then he's silent.
00:26:49
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if you look at Genesis chapter 12 verse 1, it said the Lord has said to Abram, go from your country, your people, and your father's household to a land that I will show you.
00:27:01
Speaker
Now, if you've read Genesis 12, the whole chapter, God did not give him any more orders.
00:27:09
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What occurred after was decisions made by Abram. None that the Lord told him to do.
00:27:18
Speaker
And so some may say it was smart. Some may say it was silly. And so I say read it and decide for yourself.
00:27:29
Speaker
But my point is, if you think that God is going to give you a GPS and order your every step, Or he's going to hold your hand to the end of days without allowing you to make any decisions.
Pursuing Careers with Faith and Timing
00:27:45
Speaker
I think you're sadly mistaking. If you read the story of Jonah in the first verse, God told Jonah to go to the great city of Nevena.
00:27:57
Speaker
And preach against it. And what does Jonah do? Verse two, he runs away from the Lord and his commands. People do this all the time.
00:28:11
Speaker
Believers do this all the time. Non-believers do this all the time. Because sometimes people don't always embrace their calling.
00:28:27
Speaker
One more example that comes to mind is in 1 Samuel 8. God wanted to rule and lead Israel. On his own by himself.
00:28:40
Speaker
In fact, he wanted Israel to be the only nation without a king. What did Israel want? Ah, they want to be like all the other nations and have a king.
00:28:52
Speaker
So what does God tell Samuel in verse seven? And the Lord told him, listen to all. That the people are saying to you. It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.
00:29:09
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Now because know the story, we know story And we understand where it leads.
00:29:19
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We know that God allows them to have their king. Their king was Saul. And then God chooses their next king, who was David. And eventually that opens up the door for Jesus to be our king and priest.
00:29:40
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Please read the Hebrews to learn a little bit more. We don't have the time.
00:29:47
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What is my point? Life may seem sometimes like a game of chess. A single chess game has a lot of moves.
00:29:58
Speaker
Some have said the average number of moves is about 5,949 moves. nine hundred and forty nine moves But every move, the possibilities to keep count are exponentially even more difficult.
00:30:15
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Just know that you sit there trying to calculate the possibilities, God knows them. And it's not something he has to arrive to.
00:30:28
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He just knows.
00:30:34
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So when we inquire of the Lord, that doesn't mean we will immediately obey once we find out what it is that we're supposed to do. He knows this.
00:30:46
Speaker
He understands the possibilities. And he knows that just because you were informed of what your calling was, that doesn't mean that you're ready to embrace that calling either.
00:31:01
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right That doesn't mean when a person realizes what their potential destiny might be, that they can stomach or understand what it might take for them to be successful.
00:31:14
Speaker
So yes, we should go to the Lord, but we also have to understand that there's a preparation for some potential fluctuations. You know, I think of several examples of what happened when people came to Jesus making a request or inquiring of something.
00:31:31
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And Jesus answered them with some interesting responses that believe are worthy of studying. But for now, for the sake of time, I'm just going to mention them to you.
00:31:45
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And then I want to leave it up to you for you to study.
00:31:50
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There's a beautiful story in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 20, verses 20 through 28, the Gospel of Mark, verses 35 through 45.
00:32:05
Speaker
I want to read Mark because I think the meaning is more direct when it comes to the reasoning of why I'm using this text. I think the huge difference is that the mention of their mother is in the Gospel of Matthew.
00:32:22
Speaker
And so I want to use Mark. And it says, Then James and John, the sons of Zechubes, came to him.
00:32:34
Speaker
Teacher, they said. We want you to do for us whatever we ask. What do you want me to do for you? He asked. They replied, Let one of us sit at your right hand and the other on your left in your glory.
00:32:52
Speaker
You don't know what you are asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? We can, they answered.
00:33:03
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Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. it But to sit at my right or my left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.
00:33:19
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When a tent heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
00:33:39
Speaker
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
00:33:51
Speaker
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. What's the reason why I'm mentioned in this specific passage? Well, Jesus' remarks were gentle.
00:34:08
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right In verse 38, he says, You don't know what you are asking. Now there is a promise of them indeed drinking from his cup and I believe we as believers can piece together what he meant.
00:34:21
Speaker
But for such a promise to be granted, I think there needs to be a clear understanding of the requests. And I believe sometimes when we request something from God, we don't really understand the implications of that request.
Aligning Personal Plans with God’s Plans
00:34:39
Speaker
I don't think it was a mistake, but intentional when Jesus told his disciples in the Gospel of John 16, verse 12, I still have many things to say to you, but you can't bear them now.
00:34:54
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Sometimes it's about timing. Sometimes it's about the right season in your life for you to step into a career or a God given purpose.
00:35:06
Speaker
And so what I want to say is, in some instances, things happen at such a fast pace. In other instances, things are delayed for the sole purpose of character development.
00:35:21
Speaker
Another passage on reference here is again, Mark, chapter 10. But I want to look at verses 17 to 22, Mark, chapter 10. But I don want to look at verses 17 to 22. It says, as Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him.
00:35:40
Speaker
Good teacher, he asked. What must I do to inherit each eternal life? Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments. You should not murder. You should not commit adultery. You should not steal. You should not give false testimony.
00:35:57
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You shall not be defraud. Honor your father and mother. Teacher, he declared, all these i have kept since I was. a boy.
00:36:08
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Jesus looked at him and loved him. One thing you lack, he said, go sell everything you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.
00:36:21
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At this the man fell, the man's face fell.
00:36:28
Speaker
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth. And sometimes when you read passages like these, the lesson is in the self reflection.
00:36:43
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Really knowing what your priorities are, setting your actions on those priorities and operating and moving with knowing exactly where you need to be and how much energy and time and effort you need to give those things.
00:37:01
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Right. And so let's get to the main point here. My two friends believed in one thing, right? My lawyer friend believed that she was going to be a lawyer, and so she worked her young life hard.
00:37:20
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And what was the end result? She became a lawyer. My doctor friend said she was going to be a doctor since she was little. What happened? She worked her young life hard to be what?
00:37:36
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a doctor. So what does that mean? If I want to be something when I was little,
00:37:45
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should I work my young life and then should I be able to be that thing?
00:37:53
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Possible. Yeah, think it's possible. You know, I asked them both, what would you tell a young kid who wants to be a doctor, lawyer,
00:38:06
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And you know what they said? They said they would tell them the same exact thing, the same formula that worked for them should be able to work for that kid, that young lady or that young man.
00:38:22
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Another thing is they said is that they believe God told them that they were going to be a lawyer and a doctor and that they should count on God and making it happen because God was able to make it happen for both of them.
00:38:38
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So here's what I would tell you. Is it possible? Yeah. Are there certain people born to do what they do? Absolutely. Again, is it possible?
00:38:50
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Yes. Should everyone be successful from that formula? No. It's not that easy.
00:38:59
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It sounds good, simple, reasonable. But is it like that for everyone? No. In fact, I thought I was going to be a football player.
00:39:11
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I thought that I was going to be the NFL. And I worked so tirelessly hard. I worked in ways that I thought I would never work.
00:39:23
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I ran. I worked out three times a day. I ate like crazy. And I just wasn't in the right situation for it to happen. Did I blame God at some point during this stage? I did.
00:39:39
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But what's crazy is there was a lot of things that I got out of it that I'll share with you later.
00:39:51
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You know, I believe I know two people that it just happened to happen like that for them. And so you know what I say? God bless them. Amen. That's amazing.
00:40:04
Speaker
Now, let me read the passes that I brought to them that I mentioned earlier. I'm going to read it in this context. Gospel Luke chapter 14, verses 25 to 30. And it says large crowds were traveling with Jesus and And turning it to them, he said, if any anyone comes to me, does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters.
00:40:30
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Yes, even their own life. Such a person cannot to be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
00:40:41
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Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone will see it and ridicule you.
00:40:59
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Saying this person began to build and wasn't able to finish. Okay, now here's the connection for you each selected text that I've provided you today.
00:41:12
Speaker
If we look at verses 25 through 27 in the Gospel Luke chapter 14 that we just read, it speaks about the choice you are making when it comes to being a disciple of Christ.
00:41:26
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Ultimately, it's about the exercising of your faith. This is why I mentioned the Gospel Luke chapter 21 verses 1 through 4.
00:41:36
Speaker
The poor widow's actions were in faith. She gave in faith. And when it comes to placing your faith in God, he wants us all in.
00:41:48
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The example that's given in here and that's used here is a vital one. But keep in mind that we can apply it in so many other areas of our life.
00:42:03
Speaker
Faith is a substance of things hopeful, the evidence of things not seen. To truly see God reveal himself to you, you have to place your faith in it like it counts.
00:42:16
Speaker
Like you don't know what is going to happen. outside of what you're able to prove. Right? Faith is the substance of things, hopefully evidence of things not seen. When you're placing your faith in God, you're not always going to be able to measure evidence.
00:42:36
Speaker
The evidence that we do have is in the stories that were written for the sole benefit to help you in your faith. Okay? Remember what Paul said in Romans. These things are written for the strengthening of your faith.
00:42:56
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OK. And when something is written for the strengthening of your faith, it's something that you let your eye see to give you.
00:43:08
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The confidence in what you know about your God. This is why it's such a beautiful thing to read the scriptures and know that the scriptures are true and that the scriptures were written not just for teaching, but also for strengthening and encouraging.
00:43:28
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All right. And so what I want to say here is that the example given about the widow
00:43:40
Speaker
is for us to keep in mind that we can apply this kind of faith in a lot of other areas of our lives. Remember the practical part here.
00:43:53
Speaker
Use what you see the widow do and apply it
00:44:00
Speaker
to your own life.
00:44:03
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Don't get caught up in example. and missed a message in the example that you can apply in other areas of your life, like your prayer life. Are you really praying about what you're struggling about?
00:44:17
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Are you really praying for your family, for your friends? Right? What about your worship life? When you worship God, are you really worshiping him and the things that you do?
00:44:29
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Are you worshiping him and song and dance?
00:44:34
Speaker
How about when you volunteer? Are you volunteering with the right spirit, the right heart?
00:44:42
Speaker
Right? Remember what 1 Corinthians 10, verse 31 says, so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
00:44:55
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Remember what Colossians 3.17 says. Whatever you do. Whether in word or in deed. Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks to God the Father through him.
00:45:12
Speaker
You know, the rest of Luke chapter 14, verse 28 to 30 says, suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
00:45:26
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For if you lay the foundation of not able to finish it, everyone who sees it ridicule you, saying this person began to build and was wasn't able to finish it.
00:45:38
Speaker
Now, the beginning of verse 28 sounds like an assumption. It also sounds very practical. The word suppose means to assume something is the case on the bias of evidence or probability, but without proof or certain knowledge.
00:46:01
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So Jesus is using an example to make his point. He's posing a legitimate question. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?
00:46:15
Speaker
Right? He then follows up with a logical conclusion in verse 29. If you lay the foundation... and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you.
00:46:28
Speaker
Now that's a nice way of putting it. it But in other translations you have, then everyone will laugh at you. And all who see it will begin mock you.
00:46:40
Speaker
So my suggestion is, or my suggestion was to both these friends of mine's.
00:46:49
Speaker
It might have worked for them. And guess what? It might have and might work for some. But my suggestion is that you shouldn't try to put all your eggs in one basket because it may not work out.
00:47:05
Speaker
In fact, there's nothing wrong with having a plan B and having a plan C. Yes, the gamble that you might take on yourself might work.
00:47:17
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Some may call it faith. Some may say it's not. I say,
00:47:26
Speaker
be practical. I say, have a multitude of different possibilities.
00:47:38
Speaker
Yes, have faith. Yes, trust in the Lord. Be very practical in your decision making.
00:47:48
Speaker
It doesn't make you less blessed if it doesn't work out. Remember, all things work together for those who love the Lord and are called according. to his purpose, which means you might get a degree in something and you might think it's worthless.
00:48:07
Speaker
But wherever God is trying to take you, he will make sure that he will utilize every ounce of what you have learned in different arenas to then be a blessing to someone else.
Jonathan's Personal Journey of Faith
00:48:20
Speaker
Some people go through long periods of time in pursuit of what they're calling this just for preparation to be a blessing and a help to those who really need
00:48:37
Speaker
And so you just never know where God is taking you, right? When I think about my personal life and I think about what God has done for me,
00:48:49
Speaker
I went into college wanting to be a football player. And so at the university that i was going to play football at, I was going to major in pre-law. I didn't know what I was going to take me, but guess what?
00:49:03
Speaker
It took me having to come back to New York. It took me having to take off a semester. It took me having to
00:49:16
Speaker
reapply to a school at UAlbany. It took me having to major in history to eventually switch it to philosophy. It took me having to major in philosophy go to church one Sunday, be convinced that the Bible is full of philosophical writings that would capture my attention.
00:49:42
Speaker
And then it took me desiring after I read multiple books for history and lawyer class to then want to pick up the Bible.
00:49:55
Speaker
And then it took me having to go through that to then prioritize God. God's knocking at our hearts and he's taken us through the short way or a very, very long way to have us re allow him to be the center of our lives.
00:50:22
Speaker
And so it took God knocking at my heart and having me approach him in an intellectual way for him to change my life.
00:50:33
Speaker
And so we all have our journeys to the Lord, some easy, some hard. But what I do want to re-emphasize is that God is spiritual but also very practical.
00:50:52
Speaker
You know, in Isaiah 1, verse 13, it says, We are encouraged to reason and think ahead and to be practical about our decision-making. they shall be as wide as snow though they are red like crimson they shall become like warm we are encouraged to reason and think ahead and to be practical about our decision makingking The reason why I pointed out Genesis chapter 12, verse 1, and talked about the silence of God is because I want you to see that Abram did something during that period of time that made sense to him.
00:51:31
Speaker
And guess what? It still led him down a path where God gave him favor. And so let's look at our final passage for today.
00:51:45
Speaker
Genesis chapter 12 verses 10 through 13 reads, And now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while, because the famine was several.
00:51:59
Speaker
And as he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarah, I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, this is his wife.
00:52:11
Speaker
Then they will kill me, but will let you live. Say you are my sister, that I will be treated well for your sake, and my life will be spared because of you.
00:52:24
Speaker
So from a practical standpoint, he was thinking of the actions of the lustful men, which means he knew what would be a possible action of these men if they found out that Sarah was his wife.
00:52:42
Speaker
He suggested that they would kill him. His conclusion is that they would kill him. And take her to be Pharaoh's wife.
00:52:55
Speaker
In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with being in touch with societal norms. And having a plan to try and combat and avoid conflict. This is what he thought in his mind of a solution when faced Or what he knew would eventually be something he would be up against.
00:53:18
Speaker
While we are here on Earth, we need to pay attention to human behavior. This is why we have subjects in school like sociology and psychology.
00:53:30
Speaker
This is why having an understanding of culture in the times that we are in give us leverage to maneuver in an environment where you don't become a product of it.
00:53:46
Speaker
You never know. And so I believe just like the three wise men, in the previous episode, we're paying attention to the times and studying it.
00:54:00
Speaker
I believe that is what we do when we enter spaces and we deal with people. That is how we exercise what it says in James. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry because human anger is not the righteousness that God our Father desires.
00:54:17
Speaker
This is how we avoid giving the devil a foothold to come through, like what it says in the book of James. This is why we know that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
00:54:30
Speaker
We pay close attention to our enemies, close attention to our friends. Right. In the Gospel of John chapter eight, it talks about how Jesus was well aware of those who were following him and were trying to benefit from being around Jesus during his ministry here on earth and how he allowed it to happen.
00:54:49
Speaker
How he had 12 disciples and he knew that one of them was a devil. Right. always think about what Jesus said to his disciples. He said, watch and praise that you may not give into temptation.
00:55:02
Speaker
Right. These are so many amazing, beautiful things. About being able to face trials and tribulations and know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish his work so you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
00:55:19
Speaker
If anyone lacks anything, let them ask God who gives generously without finding fault. God is so masterful.
00:55:29
Speaker
And so as ambassadors and representatives of him, we also too need to be mindful of God's planning. Whether it's David setting a table before his enemies.
00:55:42
Speaker
Whether it's Jesus allowing people in his inner circle or allowing people within a circle where he can watch them benefit and how we can read those same stories and learn from how God.
00:56:00
Speaker
continues to move within his purpose and there's still things that can be benefited while at the same time moving and operating with what he was here to do.
Conclusion and Closing Prayer
00:56:14
Speaker
Right. We just got to be mindful and thoughtful about this. So for those who are listening to this podcast, I appreciate your time and efforts.
00:56:25
Speaker
Again, anytime I put something together, i want to make sure it's worth your while. Okay. Obviously, i have other commitments. And so that's the reason why I haven't been recording as frequently as I would like.
00:56:40
Speaker
However, if I'm going to take my time and produce an episode just like this, I wanted to make sure it's something that you get out of It's educational. You can always press play and return back to it.
00:56:52
Speaker
So for those who have not listened to episode one, If you do, you'll be able to have a better understanding of my story and the genesis of this podcast and how this podcast has been a tremendous blessing for the creator of it.
00:57:13
Speaker
I also provided you with an extension of episode one by diving even deeper in episode 181, giving you a much more deeper breakdown of what I started in episode one.
00:57:25
Speaker
So I encourage you to check it out and know this, that every time you press play, we believe that you will be blessed. And every time that you share it, we believe that those who hear it will be blessed.
00:57:39
Speaker
And so I hope this was a blessing to you as much as it was a blessing to me. And on that note, let's end with prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, in Jesus name, thank you for another day and another opportunity to share with the world, those who press play, what I have learned in my, a long time with you.
00:58:05
Speaker
Thank you for the platform you've given me. I do not take it for granted, but I appreciate every moment of it too because it gives me an opportunity to be a blessing to somebody else out there that makes a conscious decision to see what it is that I have to share.
00:58:25
Speaker
Lord, thank you so much for family, friends. Thank you for enemies. Thank you for that you do. Thank you for loving me unconditionally.
00:58:45
Speaker
And allow just myself, but my listeners to be careful, vigilant, and watchful As we depart one another, but never your presence. And with that, and on that note, Lord, we say these things. In Jesus' name we pray.
00:59:01
Speaker
Amen and amen. And of course, I will talk to you guys next time. Be blessed. Have a good one.