Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the Path.

And you're listening to Live From The Past. We're coming from the Past Police Studios here in Johnston proper. Yeah. I have a oh, where did it go? Shoot. I had a news story that was like a it's calling the end that's not like an apocalyptic end of the world.

It's titled Don't Call the Pro Life Swedish Midwife. Have you read this one, Mike? What? Don't Call the Pro Life Swedish Midwife. Don't Call the Pro Life Swedish Midwife. Yeah. You know, I I missed that one. It was on my add the bookmarks or whatever. Yeah. I I deleted my bookmarks on accident. Here's the thing. I've probably added 15 things to a bookmark, never looked at one of them. Never one time. Yeah. Do you ever look back and go, did I do that? Yeah. Some guy years ago. Some guy posted something on Facebook. I mean, literally, like, five years ago, and it was like, how to get people to read your emails? I'm like, yeah. I should read that. And I bookmarked it, and I just saw it, like, a couple months ago. I'm like, boy, I I must have been sending five years worth of ineffective emails because I have not read this article. Do you guys remember the the, that, website we were going off of for the 50 reasons god doesn't exist? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We did that years ago. I have that bookmark still in one of my laptops. Like, that article list I have there, and I'm just like, yeah, man. I might read through those someday. I'm like, wait a minute. No. I'm not going to. Do you remember the name of that website? What if he's added some, Ben?

Actually, I thought about going back through them because I I don't recall what our answers were. And maybe hey, who knows? Maybe we've, we've we've grown, and I certainly hope that I answer some of those better than I did five years ago. I've actually listened to some of those shows recently, and, we did okay. What what was what was it? Fifty Fifty Reasons Proofs God Is Or Yeah. 50 Proofs God Isn't Isn't Real or God Doesn't Exist or something like that. The atheist or something or The the happy atheist?

Okay. Hold on. Here we go. God oh, yeah. Godisimaginary.com. 50 Simple Proofs. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Oh, yeah. There it is. I remember this whole thing. Yeah. Maybe we'll get back to it. Is there hold on. Let me see if there's any bonus bonuses.

Here you go, Mike. I'm gonna test you on proof number 50. Okay. I'm ready. Ready? Yeah. Proof number 50, ask Jesus to appear. I'm ready. Just about everyone knows the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. The story summarized in the apostles' creed. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. There's only one way for Jesus to prove that he rose from the dead. He had to appear to people. Therefore, several different places in the Bible describe Jesus' appearance after his death. Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John twenty and twenty one. And, first Corinthians fifteen three to six provides a nice summary of those passages written by Paul. As you can see in this passage, Jesus appeared to hundreds of people a number of different times. When we look at first Corinthians fifteen three to six, there's a question that comes to mind. Why did Jesus stop making these appearances? Why isn't Jesus appearing today? It really is odd. Obviously, Paul benefited from personal meeting with the resurrected Christ. Because of the personal visit, Paul could see for himself the truth of the resurrection, and he could ask Jesus questions. So why doesn't Jesus appear to everyone and prove that he is resurrected just like he appeared to Paul? There's nothing to stop Jesus from materializing in your kitchen tonight to have a personal chat with you. And if you think about it, Jesus really does need to appear to each of us. If Paul needed a personal visit from Jesus to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why wouldn't you? It is important question for the following reasons. We are told by the Bible that Jesus appeared to hundreds of people. We therefore know that it's okay for Jesus to appear to people. It does not take away their free will, for example, because it was okay for Jesus to appear to hundreds of other people. We know that it would be easy for Jesus to appear to everyone all through history since Jesus is all powerful and timeless. We know that if Jesus did reappear to everyone, it would be incredibly helpful. We could all know personally that Jesus is resurrected and that Jesus is God. If Paul and all the other people in the Bible needed a personal visit to know that Jesus was resurrected, then why not you and me? Yet, we all know that Jesus has not appeared to anyone in two thousand years. In other words, there's nothing stopping Jesus from appearing to you and several good reasons for him to appear. In addition, Jesus promises that he will appear to you. All that we have to do is pray to Jesus like, dear Jesus, please appear to us as you did to Paul and the 500 brethren so that we can see the evidence of your resurrection. In your name, we pray. Amen.

Oh, and he's gonna quote Matthew seven seven, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and you be able to do. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it. And then again, I say to you, if two of you agree on my earth about anything you ask, it will be done for them in heaven, crazily out of context, Matthew 18. Jesus is actually in our midst, so he is right here already supposedly. Yet, when we pray to him physically to materialize as he did to hundreds of others, nothing happens. Isn't it odd that nothing happens given the fact that Jesus promised us that something will happen? Isn't it odd that nothing happens when supposedly Jesus is right here with us already and materialization would be trivial for him? Is it odd that nothing happens when supposedly Jesus was happy to appear to hundreds of others? What you will find if you think about it is that the situation we see here is the kind of unambiguous situation described in a prior proof. We've created a situation where coincidence cannot answer the prayer. The only way for this prayer to be answered is for Jesus to actually unambiguously

materialize. In this situation, we also know that one, it is trivial for Jesus to materialize. Two, there would be many benefits if Jesus didn't materialize. Three, Jesus has supposedly materialized to other human beings. Four, Jesus has promised to answer our prayer that he materialized. Okay. He's gonna sum it up here. How do we explain long wind. That kinda Wow. How do we explain the fact? Okay. That this prayer goes unanswered no matter who prays despite Jesus' promise that he will answer our prayers. As you think about this, you realize that Paul's story in the Bible is false. Simply look at Paul's story like any judge in a courtroom would. What Paul's story in first Corinthians 15 is suggesting is entirely unprecedented.

A man dead three days with mortal wounds come back to life. Lazarus. There's no evidence that it is true and there are many alternative explanations for what Paul is saying. Why is the fact that he has mortal wounds matter? Does the is dead enough? He's not just dead. Like Mortal. There's there's evidence that he is dead. It wasn't like he was inflicted with a a disease and then he got the apart from he stinketh, I wanna see some gasses.

You see, Paul could be fabricating the story. Paul could have hallucinated or dreamed the meeting. Paul could have seen an impostor, etcetera. In addition, no one is seeing Jesus today even though it would be trivial and obvious for Jesus to appear to people today Just keep saying that. I'd like to see his data. Has he interviewed every single human being, the 6,000,000,000 people or so, or just the four people he knows? Yeah. All that you've been shut up. We're done with him. Hold on. Hold on. Oh, he's there's what else could he possibly say? He regurgitated the same thing. Hold on. What about Jesus's famous statement in the bible? Happy are those who have not seen yet still believe. What you realize is that this statement creates the perfect cover for a scam. Let's say you are Oh, my Let's say you're Jesus. You're a normal human being. You realize that you are going to die because everybody does. I'm sure that's that's really his circumstance. You know, thinking about the long time of my life, I should fool these people now. I want people to remember me. Nothing pays off like the long con after you died.

The two thousand year long con. Here's a lie okay. Here's a final sentence. If the resurrection were true, then Jesus would be answering prayers to see promises in the Bible. He would appear when people pray to see him. The reason why he does not appear is simple. Both Jesus and God are imaginary. Okay. Now listen here, mister I'm going to see him and then believe. Talk to everyone else in the Bible that turned away when Jesus started throwing down some hard teaching and they're like, yeah, this ain't for me. You know what I'm saying? Like and and and all the people that saw him after he resurrected. Right? Even the two dudes on the trail are were like, wow. And then blown away and turned around and followed. Even the people that knew him were like, I don't know, man. This is still a little shifty. You know what I'm saying? Like, act like some crazy, you know, glowing man gonna show up to you and you'll like, you know what? That's the ticket. That's that's me. Well, out of out of all the people in the New Testament that Jesus appeared to post resurrection, were any of them saying, okay, Jesus, appear. Right. I don't think it works that way. That's true. Jesus was just doing what he normally does and people caught him doing it. He's like, I will bless you with my presence so you know I'm alive rather than

I mean, he who's the who's the God in the relationship? Exactly. You know what? I we we were just talking about this because we we're reading what was it? Matthew in Mark six, where Jesus is walking on the water, you know, and and and the phrase in there that says, he meant to pass them by, but then they saw him. Right? Which made me think that, like, when Jesus when no one else is around, Jesus is like, well, the fastest way for me to get there is just to walk on this water. You know, regardless of whether they're men in a boat or not, I'm gonna go over, you know, and then they just happened to catch him doing it like, hey, by the way. Is that Jesus?

Because I it always it always seemed like a like a bit of a setup to me. You know, I'm like, Jesus, like, I'll walk out there, then they'll see me, and then I'll be able to do this TC guy I've been holding back on, you know. But then he's like, you know what? A to B, ain't no one around. I'm just gonna walk over. Yeah. Mark's pretty clear. Jesus intended to just walk by him. Yeah. He was not intending to stop. And the the the funny part is, like, the the cool explanation is is, like, you knew they were gonna see him. Right? But he he didn't have intention to stop over to vote and make a big deal out of it. They should have just been like, yeah, Jesus does that kind of stuff. Yeah. That's not true. They wanna show that their faith was growing. Like, they were starting to understand who he is and what he's there and and who he represents. And but, no. Once again, they're flabbergasted. I just can't believe this thing. He's like What? Well, I guess I'm gonna go over to the boat then. And you didn't get to think about the loaves. It would have been funnier if he was burning past him. You know what I'm saying? Like, really taking a hard jog at it. How's the wind, boys? I was walking the dog, but the dog couldn't do it.

He's got a fish on a leash wrecking him over. Wasn't that Aquaman? What was that? Couple weeks ago. Oh, Aquaman Jesus. That's right. So I'll bring that back. Dan makes a good point. There are actually quite a number of people who who appear who claim to have seen Jesus in the exact way Paul has seen him. You know what saying? Yeah. It's like, he he he appears as like a vision type of thing. It's he's not really in the flesh when he sees Paul. It's like a vision. Generally, as people genuinely,

sincerely seeking. Yeah. Yeah. And they might wait a few years. I mean, it's not like, well Yeah. Right. Are you coming or not? I waited five minutes, Jesus. Like, if you use the word materialize,

that's the secret bible word. You know? That's the open sesame. I can say this materializing the Greek, and then you practice all this out. Like a candy man, candy man, candy man. Look in the mirror and say Jesus three times, and he goes abide. Materialized. Jesus materialized. He shows up, hey. You said my name? I was busy.

Obviously, you called. But then you said it three times, and I'm like, oh, man. I have to? And then you look to your right and there's a there's like a Mexican dude going, no, senor. He looking for me. Jesus, materialize. Jesus, materialize. Jesus, materialize. If he showed up and you were like, should I build some tents?

Jesus, this is a sweet cool thing, man. Should we build some debt for you guys? You know nothing. I was like, oh, alright, man. Yeah. I mean, I I don't what he say. Well, he says, what about Jesus' favorite statement? Okay, Mike. What's the thought on happier those who have not seen yet still believe is the long con? Is that even a good con? Well, here's the thing. It's like, I've I've been con artists like that. Like, it has to come to fruition for it to be a con. Right? Otherwise, it's just it's like me trying to walk around downtown. I find a random guy that I don't know and I'm like, hey. Just so you know, I'm the senator from Alabama, and then I leave. If I never find out that he actually bought it or told other people or, you know, he's, like, writing in his autobiography fifty years from now, I met a senator from Alabama downtown. Like, if I never found out he did any of that, what was the point of me being a con artist? You know I'm saying? It's just me throwing out random lies into the universe just to know I can. Jesus is some trickster that's just trying to play a big deal on a bunch of people. He doesn't care what the outcome is. Right. The con has to have a response. Otherwise, it wasn't a con. He wants it to mess him up for a bit. He's the most ineffective charlatan ever. Yeah. He's just

like, there's no gain at all for telling the lie. Like, if these are lies, there's absolutely no benefit. As a matter of fact, they are what ultimately leads to his death. I was And you don't seem like Cacklin on the cross is like, got you, sucka. Yeah. Like, this is the stupidest con ever. And and really, like, this is where he gets me. Because if I remember anything about these 50 proofs, like, strings this weird logic altogether, you know, like Yeah. The Bible is full of this one long con. He he does, you know, believe that they're, like, they're separate people and they're written by some of the books are written by different people. And I'm like, who even puts up with this? Right? Like, so far like, we could we could prove,

like, what one of the most, historically accurate things is generally the Bible because we can there's enough historical writing around it apart from the Bible that we can say, yeah, John was a man. Jesus was a man. Like, there was there was other people that saw these guys. Right? And, like, to the point where they were killed for this Right. Long con from a guy All of them. Who's randomly just walking around telling lies? Yeah. And and every one of his disciples also fell for the con Yeah. After they saw him die and and, okay, let's say, not resurrect, and they were willing to die for the con. Right. And continue around and get everyone everyone else around them into the con. Yeah. You know, it ended the murder. With with consistent theology and perpetuation of said beliefs, for hundreds of years following up until today. So it'd be it would be Quite successful convoys. It would be a worthy example if if like like, you know, that that that cult that that drank the juice and died. Right? Like and so, like, one of them one of them happens to be out at the store. Right? He come back home and find everybody dead and drank the juice. This guy is insinuating that John said, yeah. I'll take that juice too. Obviously, it will turn out different for me. Right? Normal people would walk in and go, boy, that juice was a terrible idea. I'm gonna do something different. Right. I mean, how many how many times have you seen people abandon everything they they have ever stood for to save their own skin? About the time they say, hey, Ben. We're gonna bowl you in oil if you don't reject this fake charlatan. Yeah. I say, you know what? Yeah. It's not worth it. Yeah. Indeed. He's one of center senator from Alabama. I was just I made that up.

Yeah. I feel like there's plenty of opportunity to bail here. Here's the thing. There's there's there's good there's good conversations to be had about some of the the more outrageous stuff you read in the Bible. This just doesn't happen to be one of them. It's just not a good one. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's it's not something where where I don't feel like, maybe the direct quotes, aren't gonna support what you're trying to say, but, like, the reactions of people, actions always speak louder than words. And I got I got to thousands of dead Christians from when Jesus was born until now, if not hundreds of thousands or millions of people that have died in the name of Christ, all all for this long con. I I mean, I would have bailed a long time ago. You know what these are sacrifices Jesus asked for when he says join my kingdom? He says, these things gotta go. You gotta take on these things. I'll give you some I'll give you joy and peace in return and and and a a father to have. Right? And, like but, like, earthly things, worldly things, they have to go. Right? And people continue to do it. I mean, that's one heck of a con that has some legs. Right. You know, like, told the guy I was senator of Alabama, and then they just went ahead and made me one just because I told enough people. Right? That's basically what he's insinuating. It's like, you know, there's this guy in Iowa that keeps saying he's the senator of Alabama. Like, 40 dudes believe him. I think we should just make him. Yeah. We're we're tired of this mess. We're just gonna just Mike for his vote on HR four thirty two. Yeah. Yeah. Let's legitimize this guy's claim, see what he could do with it. And then to prove that I'm part of the congress, I will say, in absentia. I

will not be there. Alright. Well, maybe we'll hit those. Those are fun. Let's see. Also tonight, we got, BUVA BUVA be talking. BUVA, give me a preview on what you'd be talking about.

So within the last couple of weeks, kinda coming to a spearhead last week, I have been in this weird place, where,

I felt the fear of failure, for a lot of things that are going on, literally

crush me. Like, and I mean that and not trying to be cliche in that statement, but, like, up to a point where, like, last week, I was I was in tears talking to people that I care about, begging them to give me some kind of sense about this deal because I was so scared

of every single thing in my life right now that's going well, just completely crumbling, around me, and then me falling backwards into a pit that I've been in many times before. Not recently, but, but kinda just in this depressive state. Whether you would recognize. Like, you had a chair there. There are couple Right. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Like, I I'd find a happy sandwich that I left. But, no, it was it was fairly bad to like, it was it ended,

kind of in a scream fit between me and God, where I'm driving in my truck, and I'm I'm literally screaming at the top of my lungs. Windows rolled up and everything because I didn't wanna scare anybody into thinking that I they need I need to be pulled over and, incarcerated, but, screaming at the top of my lungs,

mad at God and mad about certain things and had to kinda work that out. And I just kinda had to be reminded of something simple, like something super simple that I've known forever, but it just it it it was weird.

And I was reminded in a way that is is super interesting, like a a song that I knew when I was a kid and hit me just differently as an adult than it ever has. And it ended from the scream fit between god and I turned into I hysterically belly laughed,

for a good fifteen minutes, almost had to pull over because I was laughing so hard, with this weird, scary, creepy elation that was going on. And so, yeah, it was it was emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically exhausting. So yeah. Was that the preview, or is that the whole thing? That was the preview. Oh, wow. Kids. Yeah. Man. Alright. Yeah. I'll give you a more detail.

I laughed. I cried. Yeah. Right. So Oh, yeah. Go Easter. Yeah. This is this will be a Boova Speaks extended version. Oh, man. I'll we'll we'll turn the second hour over to you and shut up. Sounds like a plan. I might have to make the podcast. Take that from here.

Alright. So here's the reason you don't call the pro life Swedish midwife. So there's a guy that wrote a there's a guy that wrote a book called The Benedict Option. And if I can I haven't read the book, but I read enough about the book? If I can summarize, it's basically, Christianity is on its way out. It's time to it's time to run for the hills. Live it out live it out boldly, but good quit trying to rescue it in society.

And, there's some interesting I would recommend reading. There's a lot of nuance to that discussion, a lot of interesting perspective from there. But, anyway, this this article is by the same guy, and he said, since the Benedict Option was published, I've heard from a number of Christian readers on the European continent wanting to know more about it. These believers are far ahead of us Americans in having to deal with what it means to live in a post Christian culture. As I reported here last year, though The U. S. Still remains far ahead of Europe in terms of religious affiliation and practice, but the sociological data show that we are now on the same steady path of decline.

This is something very, very hard for American Christians to wrap their minds around. The harder we fight recognizing it, the more vulnerable we are to be. I read this blog telling that the people who run this conservative church insist that congregation's young people are merely going through a phase with their own biblical views in certain areas. They don't grasp the magnitude or the essence of the change. And this is a story from Sweden that gives you an idea of what's possibly coming to The US. K? This is this is, this brings in our, our pro life midwife. Eleanor Grimark didn't set out to wage a campaign. In 2007, the 40 year old mother of two quit her catering job to become a midwife. She studied for years dreaming of bringing life into the world, but miss Grimark was professionally blacklisted in Sweden for opposition to abortion. Now she's at the center of a years long legal dispute whose outcome will have implications for freedom of conscience in Sweden and across Europe.

Despite a reputation for stellar health care, Sweden faces an acute midwife shortage. Blah blah blah blah blah. Local governments in many areas provide prospective midwives with a monthly stipend while they complete their certification. She drops out to do this and they give her, $1,900 a month to study to become a midwife. She's a devout Christian.

She knew that some midwives participate in abortions, but she assumed that hospitals would offer conscience carve outs for practitioners like her. There's so much to do as a midwife, she says in an interviewer a lawyer's office. So I just thought, okay. That's a one part, but I will do everything else. It turns out she was right. Over one third of Swedish midwives have never had anything to do with abortion. Now listen to That didn't sound like a lot. A third? That means two thirds of Swedish midwives are part of aborting babies. I I never would have connected a midwife with an abortion. I know. Right? That that that's like It seems I kinda got stuck on there. I'm like, I don't know what else is going on there. I'm just like, oh, wait a minute. Midwife? Two thirds of Swedish midwives have taken part in abortions and very few of them take place on maternal ward of hospitals where she wanted to work. More, but she underestimated the authority's determination to root out anti abortion settlement

sentiments. Excuse me. In spring two thousand thirteen, with one term left in her study, she has supervised at the hospital where she planned to work to accommodate her conscience rights. She received a furious call from one manager. How could you even think of becoming a midwife with these opinions? Miss Grimark recalls the manager screaming, what would you do if a patient who'd had an abortion came to you bleeding? Miss Greimark tried to con answer that she would help a woman in that condition, but the voice on the phone kept screaming. She was told she wasn't welcome. A few days later, a text message informed her that her stipend would would be cut off. Oh. They took all the text. I know. Right? Rough times. On and on it went. She was denounced by Sweden's former anti terrorism chief as being like Islamic extremists, this for holding pro life views. A show on national television characterized her as part of a global war on women. This is all being sorted out by the courts now. A Swedish lower court ruled against her, but this week, an appellate court will have its say, and it could end up in the European Court of Human Rights. The journal piece points out that both Norway and Denmark protect abortion rights and freedom of conscience with no problem. Sweden is doing what it's been doing out of spite to shut down any and all opposition

to abortion. So I think the broad point of his article here is to say, Europe is farther along in kind of its decline in undergirded morality. And he he's basically saying, I this is what The United States has to look forward to, and we're not recognizing that well enough. Ultimately, the impact of kind of this erosion of of some of these moral fibers and what that means for Christian trying to do normal things,

like work or provide midwifery services or whatever. So what what do you think? Overstated case or a, a viable warning? I I think it's reality. I mean, it's it's happened. You can there's stories like that here now.

I mean, it's just the cost of being a follower of Christ. You might have to change your course. So so what do you do about that, Dan? Right? Like, in this circumstance, this almost eliminates Christians from the midwifery business. Right? Like, do you do you not do you go to it anyway knowing that there's going to be a fight and and or do you I feel like if you bail from it, like, we've just kinda seeded a whole,

occupation and saying, we can't deal in here. I think it's always been that way. I I wonder how many blacksmiths were Christians in in the first century or became Christians and then had to, you know, had to work their way out because they're not making idols or or, you know, whatever. Right. Trying to think of whatever trade. The connection there for a minute. I'm like Oh, you looked at it. Why are blacksmiths in here? Christians

Christians can't have horses. They don't do horseshoes. Jesus. That's all a sign of luck. We believe in Jesus. One of them could be one of the apocalyptic horses and we don't take the risk. You know, I mean, I mean, whoever it is makes idols. You know, I assume blacksmith would do metal

idol. Yeah. My main point is, you know, that's part of culture. It's it's always has been. It's not a surprise. We've been in a little bubble for a few years in America, but but globally even. And it's like, you know, it's just gonna happen. It's just gonna happen. Who was the biblical example of that? We're like, hey, you're ruining our idol business.

That was Ephesus. It was Paul and Ephesus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So so yeah. I mean, it it it's not like it's a new problem. I I you might be over, I don't know, dramatizing it, a hair. Like, I I I don't think it's any worse than it's ever been, I guess, is what I'm saying. Right? Like, you It's probably better. Yeah. I I think it's I think you're putting magnifying glass on it. If you wanna focus on it, you can focus on it and say it's this big huge deal. I think it's always been a big huge deal.

And I think that we just we just sustain through it. Like, we some things we fight, some things we go. Yeah. Alright. Well, we'll do it, we'll do it at our houses if if that's gonna be the deal. Right? Like and I I I think that's a that's a conscious thing, and it's a holy spirit thing. And sometimes sometimes you you swing and and swing until you can't swing anymore, and some things you go, look. If that's gonna be your call, then, we'll just, gather in secret, and that'll be the deal. So you said the the poisons have just changed. Right? Like, whatever it is that that the the moral item has shifted and becomes the target for for Christianity. I suppose in the first century, it was, hey. Look. You're not participating in public, affirmations of the Roman gods. And they're like, well, okay. Well, no. We don't really do that. And and which means you're not taking part in in manufacturing things for those. You're not taking part in, you know, what what are the triumphs and things are are there. And I suppose as as those things shift, you're always gonna run into an interaction with people trying to live out Christian morality in a society that put I mean, that that simply isn't our undergird.

I'm preaching to Philippians right now, and and the whole context of that is, people are being pushed out of the trade guilds and and, I mean, they're suffering because of their faith. It was a big Roman outpost. They wanted the Roman gods. I mean, you know Yeah. It's everything we're talking about. Yep. And that that was a couple thousand years ago. Yeah. And it's it's once again, it's not like I mean, even if you look at specifically just Jesus' time, like, the the Jews were

basically in Jerusalem, centered around the temple. It's like it's not like they just ran out through Roman society and said, well, I get to be a Jew whenever I want. I'll do whatever I want, and I'll set up a this and that, and I'll have a church here. And, like, they had certain freedoms to do that because Roman didn't the Rome Romans didn't want any trouble. But, like, overall, like, we enjoy a free society that most Christians aren't the you know, that's not what Christianity was born out of. It was not born out of a a free society where you get the freedom to do whatever the heck you want and then stand on the American principles of I get freedom as an individual to do what I want here. And, like, that is not where Christianity did most of us living and dying up to this country's origin. Yeah. So so I think, ultimately, what he's pointing to is say that although this isn't inevitable, it shouldn't be a surprise. Agree. And as you see, like, whatever the moral issue of the day, that we should be prepared for what it looks like if someone says, sign signing things like loyalty oaths or like anti harassment,

language or things that otherwise, in a common society, whether it be to to, I don't know, the treatment of, of abortive rights or LGBT rights or, like, whatever it is, attempts to say, look, we need you to affirm something that you otherwise wouldn't be willing to affirm and the impact that that has to a society. And I suppose, if this overstates the application, like, I don't know, into captivity, you will go like, what like, whatever it is. That's just a consequence of what you believe, and,

you're gonna have to look at the chips, you're gonna fall where they may, but they're Jesus' chips. So he's just gonna have to handle that long term one way or the other. You know, I that's where I struggle living in a free society like we do. Right? It's like, normally, my my, tact would be, well, you do whatever you want, but I'm not gonna do that. You know I'm saying? And then I'll just go off on you know, I just won't do that. You know? And so, like, if a workplace said, look, sign this deal. You're you can't do this and this and this. No Jesus or whatever. And I'm like, well, I guess I can't work here. Right? But, like, on consequence living in a free society, we you know, people turn around and go, well, I should be able to work here, and I shouldn't have to sign that. And then they start battling it out in court or whatever. And, like, that's the line that I just I don't know. Like, I have a hard time pressing that that line sometimes. Sometimes I think it's right and just and good because frankly, I'd rather see our the country that I live in, obviously, you know, based on a a faith in Jesus Christ. I know that's not the case. And so sometimes I think it's sometimes we're little bit loud mouth and whiny and, you know, you should just take your Christian licks like you like what it is and then, you know, just say, look. I guess I don't work here then. And then other times, you know, when it comes to especially rights, you know, like abortion rights, I'm like, good night. We're killing people. You know what I'm saying? That one's probably worth fighting for. You know I'm saying? So,

you know but it does get into very it gets in in sticky areas for me. You know, I I see a lot of Christians standing on on platforms. I'm like, look, man. Just just take the beating. That's what you're supposed to do. Take it. You know? And and then other ones are are not quite so much. So yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. There there was a they found some donkey poop that they feel like might prove the Bible's account of king Solomon.

Oh. Well, that's gotta be an interesting tie. That's really lasted. So it says, archaeologists in Israel have made an interesting find that offers further evidence of the accuracy of the Bible's account of ancient history. It's a story in National Geographic that explains that throughout recent decades, researchers have debated the Bible's descriptions of King Solomon and King David's riches and power as well as the timeline presented in scripture. But a team recently found donkey dung while exploring an ancient camp that radiocarbon dating indicated was 3,000 years old. The reason why that is significant is that it makes the camp itself much older than the researchers originally believed. In fact, it could provide evidence that Solomon had access to copper mines, which may have been a source of his massive wealth as described in the bible.

The story gets even more interesting from the National Geographic says the dung samples included seeds and pollen spores so intact that Ben Yosef's team was able to determine the animal's diet which yielded another surprise. The feed was imported from an area more than a 100 miles to the north, close to the Mediterranean Coast. The distance to Jerusalem is about a 190 miles, a two week trip by donkey in ancient times. So I think they're trying to say that they're importing the food. I think the donkey just travels for a high end meal. Even the donkey had rabies, and it just ended up there. A rabbit the rabid donkey ran to the coast. Running wildly. This makes it kinda hard to, like, add like, as a as a Jesus man, you wanna grab on to the story and be like, yeah. See, validity of King Solomon. But, like, I'm not so sure about radiocarbon dating anyway because it puts the earth at, like, 6,000,000 years old or something. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I dispute that after, say, you know, two thousand years that you don't have any proof that that's an actual it's an accurate trajectory.

Right? Like, you can say carbon dissipates at x amount in fifty years. So if we drag that out, that means the earth is blah blah blah blah blah, where I would go, all you actually did was prove it decays over fifty years at that rate. Who's to say at year 75, it doesn't take a quick nosedive Uh-huh. And starts really going away. Know I'm saying? Here it is. You thought this thing was only, say, a thousand years old and ends up being 3,000. You're off the line anyway. Yeah. Yeah. So, like, I mean, I'd like to be excited about this, but, like, I think I have previous qualms with the the way they date things anyway. So Like, they found a pile of donkey poop. I mean, this donkey poop was really gonna change my ways. And it has affirmed what you know from Song of Solomon. Song of his riches had to be from the copper mines. Yeah. Okay. Thanks, donkey crap. Give a crap where he got this wealth from. Right? Who deals it? Was it gold? Gold was was the big deal. Like, copper is expensive now because it's rare. But back in the day, I mean, people farted copper. I mean, there was just it came out of everywhere. He

had to wire the temple. Come on. Yeah. I'm just saying, like, you didn't see the mercy seat being made out of copper. So but it can't be that big of a deal. No. That's true. God chose certain materials. And I suppose if copper is not in there,

it's a low rent item. Although People wind it out according to your description. Yeah. That's what I'm saying. So much now, but all kinda settled. Sounds really painful. Did you find the word fart so offensive that you had to change it to wind out cover?

Yeah. Fair enough. I don't get those channels at my house. We don't do the YouTube subscription.

I use the free version. Okay. Alright. Let's see. I had another. There's another article in here that was, are are certain prayers just a waste of time? So it was about, like, you know, if you get pulled over and you obviously been speeding and you're like, dear dear lord, please do not have let me get this ticket,

things of this nature or, let's see what was another one. Yeah. It basically basically I don't know. Silly silly prayers. Are prayers still, like that you feel, like, are shallow? Let's see. It's so, like, I'm trying to think The prayer life. I got an awesome one if you wanna hear it. Okay. Go ahead, boob.

When I was consistently late to church every week Uh-huh. All the time, like, my whole life, I would I would pray that god made all the lights green on my way to church so that I could make it on time, knowing full well that I woke up half an hour after I should have, and then would generally get upset if the red light happened. And I'm like, come on, God. Yeah. I feel like we had an agreement on this deal that church is a good thing. I should be there on time. Listen, you're making me some stuff. There's a lot of stoplights and you have control. Do you not have control over the stoplights? Materialize. Yeah. Jesus, materialize in my passenger seat and change the lights here.

And, yeah, that was that was the beginning of my faith was, alright. God, I don't know why you're not changing these lights. Don't worry about me getting up half an hour later than I should have, but really, I need you to change these lights so I make it to church on time. So here's the crazy part is I remember the exact day that I gave up on God when I was 13 and it was for something very similar to that. Right? Like, I was sitting at a cross an intersection, like a busy road in town on my bike, and I'm like, God, you gotta do something about this traffic, man. I've been sitting here for, like, ten minutes. It's getting outrageous. You know? And then I thought to myself, God does not care about the problem that you're in. Right? And, like, right at that point, I didn't talk to Jesus for, like, five, ten years. I mean, I was out. I just I thought, he's not concerned with my day to day life. I've been bugging him with these really stupid things for the last thirteen years.

Like, if God is who he says he is, there's no way he cares that I've been sitting here for twenty minutes. And, like, I bailed. I was done. And I thought I mean, it's stupid. Right? Like, I was a 13 year old idiot. But but, like, I've always struggled with with that exact question. Like, it could because I the arguments I can I can buy? Right? They're like, pray without ceasing. Well, means just that covers just about everything, you know? But then on the other hand, like, mean, you're not like, oh, holy God. You know, like, this cheese smells funky. Does this seem right? Send the Holy Spirit to do something so I can tell whether this cheese is any good or not. You know I'm saying? Like, I mean, is this within the king's purvey? I you know, it is. I mean, he could certainly do it, but, like, I don't go asking the the the queen of England for crap like that. You know? I'm like, handle the the dignitaries and make the place look nice, but I'm not like, you know, I need to raise queen. Can you talk to my boss? You know, it seems weird in in the way that that I view royalty that there's certain things that, like, the king it it you're not to address the king about. You know? And I can't tell whether that's out of reference or a a false sense of I don't know. You know what I'm saying? Like, I I just I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I had, what was I reading in third third John this week? When was last week? Anyway, I I it actually was interesting because, like, third John is extremely short to I mean, there's, like, eight chapters. Not much to it at all. I mean, it looks like he just wrote a letter that someone stole and took a picture of and decided to publish. So, anyway, he he, one of the things he opens with so this is the elder to the beloved Gaius whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health as it goes well with your soul. And I thought to myself, like, it occurs to me time to time when when me and the kids pray at night, we'll say, we'll pray, hey, I pray my, you know, pray grandma feels better or like someone's you know, my cough goes away and I'm, like, thinking to myself, I'm raising a bunch of kids who are using God as a slot machine, you know, like, fix me with my health. And and,

like, we should be praying to be persecuted. Lord, send a man with with an axe to the door so we could stand firm for Jesus. Maybe maybe witness to him. So but but but then, like, but those are things we care about. Right? Those was I I I know grandma. She's not feeling well, and I and I and I pray that she would. And then so I read this from John, and, like, what's John praying about? He's like, hey, guys, man. I hope you're in good health. I hope you're feeling alright. And when you know, I I we've met John. He doesn't seem like a man who's who needs to be chastised for praying shallow prayers. No. This is fine.

This is the thing you're praying about is is fine. Right? Like, the the only you run risk when you're saying, lord, may you do something that brings glory to me and me alone. Okay. Yeah. That's a problem. I don't you're idol worshiping somehow still talking to Jesus. But, like, other than that, think you need be careful about, like, being too hard on yourself about the things. Like, you care about it. Jesus cares about it. He's a good father and a good friend. Right? I care about stupid things that my kids care about because they care about. Mhmm. And so, like,

you know, I just you know, don't overdo it with whatever things you're trying to penalize yourself or make yourself feel, I don't know, ultra heavy and emotional about. Like, you wanna pray for grandma or pray for people's good health? Fine. It's a worldly thing. We're so that's what we live in the world. Okay? That's what the nature of healings are about. It's the nature of, like, laying of hands if you go back to James. Like, these were worldly things. He he didn't say, hey, ignore everything about the world around you when it comes to me. Only pray that you may sacrifice and jump into a fire that I may be glorified. That might be part of your life. I ain't I ain't telling you ain't gonna be, but, like, I don't know. Just just recognize it. Like, that's what James is praying about. That's what John is praying about. Perseverance

recognizes external surroundings and said, give us hope in it. And so, yeah, I guess I worry less about it. I think the the line that I used where I realized that where it was or why I wasn't doing this right was, like, if someone asked me, what did you talk to to to Moova about today? And I could say, well, this is the conversation we had, blah blah blah. But someone said, what did you pray about? I'm like, you know, I did pray but High and mighty lofty things. Yeah. Yeah. Or like, I prayed like, you know, two second, you know, God do something about this. And I couldn't remember actually what I had said to him. Right? You know what I'm saying? Like, I wasn't engaging in a in a conversation and it but I I was just it it was a it was a motion thing. It was a almost a chant more than anything, you know, like something I just say, you know, and then they had to say, you know, have I have I talked to God today? I know I prayed in the car, but I don't have for the life of me, can't remember what I was praying about. Know You what I'm saying? I'm like, well, that's crappy. Right? If I can tell if I can tell people what I talked to boov about, but if someone asked me what I talked to God about today, and I know legitimately that I did, but I can't remember none of it, that wasn't a legit prayer. Right? That's not a conversation with God. That's just me spouting off or thinking out loud. And that's that that that wasn't working. Like, I thought that's just not the way to do it. And that kinda hurts because because I can tell you that Buva and I were talking about carrots and caramelized onions.

I I got a list of things we were talking about, and I don't remember anything about God today. But you prayed today? I did. What was it about, Dan? I don't know. That's what I'm saying. That can't be right. That can't be right. You guys need to stop putting so much weight under your conversations with me. Oh, boo boo. Well, not not everybody can have, like, a a Jerry and King Lawler screaming match in their truck with Jesus all the time. No. I definitely don't have to do Jesus all the time. No. It's funny that you had to roll up the window. You know what I'm saying? Like, I was gonna, like, this is getting out of hand. Hold on. You

know what the worst part is? Is my window motors don't work. So I had to You're two handing it. I had to two hand it and work my way up this this this window. So, like, it was not an easy task. It was just I have a piece of crap old truck. Right? Nothing works at that time. Hold tight, sovereign king, while I work this out. Hey, Jesus. Give me second. Yell at you. That's it. I'm not I'm not done with you, Jesus. Give me a this window for me, please? But I don't want the people of Clive, Iowa to hear my my scream

about what I'm dealing with with you. You and I need to have this conversation. I need to have this conversation with the Dunkin' Donuts that I'm passing right now. Dan's right. Lift this window now, Lord. This is the problem. This is this is the exact thing we need to talk about. Great show. Can you please answer my windows, Mark? And you will answer. This is Ruva. Oh, we have those moments though. Yeah. I didn't forget that light thing from years ago with that church. I was trying to get there I hate not love that I have those moments, but yeah, absolutely. Forget this. I'm gonna poop in the parking lot so people I existed three thousand years from now. I like the copper.

Smell the copper. We can tell by this buva dung that he argued with the lures. It seems agitated and copperish. He also drive the crap box of a wheel. This dung smells like exhaust.

He says this guy says, I think that's one reason I don't pray about everything. I believe I only have so many vouchers to cash in. I shouldn't waste prayer potential on speeding and lottery tickets. It sounds silly when I read it back out loud, but I think it's true is if somehow an insignificant yes increases the odds for a significant no. I agree to that window thing. No. You cannot have heaviness. That's right. You but your grandma did. Look. Oh, come on. Oh, man. I don't care about these street lights anymore. There are it says there are other reasons too, like insecurity or a wrong view of God. But when I believe prayer is solely about outcomes, I act superstitiously.

I start out complimenting him because my dad always told me people help people they like, so it can't hurt. Right? Hey. There's some truth in this. I like this man's honesty. It says that I usually pray about someone else's need to prove to God and myself that I'm not selfish. Yep. All the while all the while wondering when it would be appropriate to transition to my request.

Oh, this guy beautiful. This guy lives at my house. God help it pour, bring peace to the nations. Oh, and by the way, if you got some time,

my window really needs to. Wow. It's gonna rain. I know that I haven't really put any money away to to buy a vehicle or fix this one, but if you wanna just, I don't know, have someone give me a truck facing the giant style, like, that'd be really awesome. Article is way more convicting than I thought it was gonna be. Okay.

Here we go. At some point, I make the move and I ask God for what I want. Make I sure to include your will be done in some form or another just to acknowledge I'm a team player. And then I wait like a high school senior standing by the mailbox for a college acceptance letter. How many others applied? Are my credentials good enough? What if I don't get in? He says everything I'm describing is why I've struggled with prayer most of my life. I treat it like a slot machine or an obligation. I love the honesty of Herbert McCabe's quote about prayer. He says, people often complain of distractions during prayer. Their mind goes wandering off on other things. This is nearly always due to praying for something you do not really much want. You just think it would be proper and respectable and religious to want it. So you pray high mindedly for big but distant things like peace on earth or you pray that your ant will get better from the flu when, in fact, you don't have much care about these things. Oh, man. Perhaps you ought to but you don't. And so your prayer is rapidly invaded by distractions arising from what you really do want, promotion of work, let us say. Distractions are nearly always your real wants breaking in on your prayer for edifying but bogus wants. If you are distracted, trace your distraction back to the real desires it comes from and pray about those. When you are praying for what you really want, you will not be distracted. People on sinking ships do not complain of distractions during their prayer.

Man. Boy, that's dead off. Wow. So so Holy cats. What's he I mean Well, let me let me see Yeah. So let's see who makes a point here. Give us some hope here. It wasn't until I started believing prayers about wanting what God wants more than getting what I want that I was able to pray for any extended period of time. I still don't talk to God about everything, but we have started talking more about little things, sometimes silly things, mainly just because I wanna talk to him. I feel better when we're done talking, not better about my odds. I actually don't think much about the odds anymore. I feel better about myself. I feel better about the things that were stressing me out or making me feel afraid. If I care about the things the people I love care about, how much more does my heavenly father? I just said that. Praying about everything is not about getting everything I want. I think it's more about bringing everything to him. I'm not built to carry it all, but he is, and no thing is too small for him.

Oh, man. He kinda really nailed me, and then I I you know? I think he nailed everybody. Oh. I mean, that's right on. No. Yeah. I have I have, like, almost counted in my head. Okay. Bless the missionaries. Right.

Like and then to, okay. That's enough. K. What I really need bring it today. Right? I've got the slow fungus. It goes from macro to micro in your list. Alright. Alright. God help the world. I can help specifically this country and And you're wonderful and awesome. I feel like my entire prayer life has been reading off of someone else's prayer journal. That one thing the one thing he missed that I'm extremely guilty of is, like, I use prayer as a reason to not to not do something I don't wanna do. Right? Like, I'm in bed and I don't wanna get up, I'm like, I gotta pray to someone. I gotta pray real quick. Yeah. Or like, I'm in the shower and it's super warm, I'm like, it's not time to get out yet. How's the good timing?

Hey, God. You wanna talk? Conditioner. Time to talk to Jesus. Finish up this prayer. That's terrible. You done the dishes yet? Nope. Talking to Jesus. Nope. Nope. In the middle of Jesus talking. So what what was the what was the synopsis here? What was the what was the way to because I'm I'm really interested to move past that quote. You went back to him, well, but god likes the little things. So Yeah. So it's not praying about he wanted and he started really worrying about or praying for what god wanted. Yeah. Except for what he like, ultimately, he's saying, what god wants is to is for you to talk to him about about about your stuff.

Right? Without the expectation, like, yeah, he could he could do that. I mean, that seems a little bit shifty. That's like making it sound to your rich uncle. You're like, yeah. You know, I'm just a few $100 short for the car. Like, I'm not just telling that story at a random. Right. Really, I want my uncle to give me a couple 100 bones. I wonder if it's like, okay. My my daughter is in college right now and doesn't really have a job, and and college is expensive, you know, whole stuff. Yeah. And and she is so careful to not, like, ask for things. Mhmm. Like, she overly tries to the point where I'm I'm, like, listening to see if she needs anything. Right. You know? And then I'll say, well, I can help you with oh, no. No. No. That that that you know, it's almost maybe that's the Yeah. The the the posture of of I'm not here begging for stuff. I'm just here letting you know what's going on in my life. And as a father, I'm like, well, I wanna help you. Right. Yeah. You know? Yeah. And and so the radar is on,

but I don't know. Somewhere in there was Well, I I like it because, like, that that sort of eliminates the the quarrelsoms around your will be done. Because, like, if I if I'm gonna pray to God and say, hey, I pray that your will is done, the logical response was, well, yeah. Like, that's that's the point of You're my right. It's my will. Things you don't need to say. I've got things under control. But but, like, it would be like, in in your example, the father's gonna do what he wants to do. Right? So like Right. If you go, hey, I'm gonna help you out in this. And he's like, oh, no no no. Oh, yeah. I'm gonna do what I want here. You don't have to ask for me to do what I want. I will do what I want. I'm the father. Sometimes

I'll just throw an extra know, mean, like, $25 is huge to a college student. I'll just transfer $25 over as they text her, gave you $25. What for? You're in college. Figure you needed it. Hey. If you guys wanna do that, just let me know. We'll have to hook our bank accounts. You can you can text me and just say, hey, Boob. I'll send you $25. I'm like, hey. Yeah. Sounds great.

$25 towards the new truck. That thing that thing that he's saying about when you're praying about stuff that's really important to you, that couldn't be any more right. Right? You know I'm saying? Like, when I'm praying for something that's very important to me, not only is is the prayer not full of distractions, but, like, even the outcomes, I surrender to them pretty well. Right? I like, I will usually say, this is how I'm feeling about this and I either need some peace about this or I need this to move in a direction and I need to know you're doing it. Either way is fine with me, but I just I I I I need some peace about this. It's tearing me up, you know, and, like, that's a that's a legit prayer. Right? Like, you're God. You you do God things. I'll let you be God. I just need you to give me peace about whatever you're doing. Right? And so, like, when I'm praying about something very heavy, that is exactly how I pray. But when like, the nighttime fluff before I'm passing out, I'm like, well, you know, if you could just keep an eye on the on the church and blah blah blah blah blah. And I'm like, you know what? I don't really care about that. You know, I'm just Do ever get amazed though at the complete insane things where your mind drifts in the middle of a prayer and you're like, how did I get here? Oh, yeah. You know, oh, I'm thinking about the wheat by Lake Anita. I'm like, what? What? Yeah. I mean, I don't there's what? That's my point. Also, like, that's that's not on my radar. Did you say wheat? I did say. I'm I'm just telling that's my point. It's like it's insane. It's It's like explorable at this time. Sometimes I think, I have no idea how I got there and has nothing to do with anything in my life right now. But I'm thinking about some dorky thing somewhere, and I'm talking to the god of the universe. I've actually I've actually it's occurred to me that I'm under attack by a a demonic presence in some time like that, because I think myself,

hey. No reason to be thinking this type of thing. Why am I so distracted? Evil spirits are after me. Yes. That's not been founded. That's an unreasonable thought. But I'm just saying it has occurred to me, but that was also the same time where my mind was wondering, so I thought, well Yeah. You're worried about some serious, then it's like, man, is Nessie real? Yeah. Right. Is that one of the things you created, Lord? Should I buy a Wii? Man, maybe I should get a Wii. What? I hear there's some out in Lake Anita. It's everywhere.

Alright. Alright. I feel like I'm gonna print that quote out. What's his name? Herbert? What's his name? Mhmm. Was it McCabe? Hold on. Herbert McCabe's quote about prayer. Yeah. I I I like to print stuff like that out just to know that I'm not fooling anybody. You know what I'm saying? Like, I like to put that stuff somewhere where I can see it and and go, the Lord's not fooled by you. I'm like, that's right. Right. That's right. He's right. We're gonna have to add that one to our mirror of of confrontational

things that you have to realize every morning. Yeah. You know what we should do? Because that app that you could you know I'm saying where it says do not trust this man? That's the same app that should show you and then the materialized Jesus right next to you. Jesus, materialize. Materialize. And he shows up and goes, I'm on to you. Stop phoning in your prayers.

How would you say something you really care about instead of talking about the wheat? Now you know I love you because this is what I did to Paul. I love the greens. You're not on your way to Damascus, but I still showed up. This app was developed once before when Noah made it just before the flood. Alright. I

hope that's never a subsection of Christianity where we're like, hey, man. We used to have all the same technology before the flood. It's like, These laser engraving yarkers. We made a big deal about all the animals. They have some kind of mind control device that just makes them walk. It was probably made with a three d printer in the first place. He's got, like, a floodwaters

of 400 BC. Big old Go to the woods of mistranslation. He just didn't know the actual material that was used in their three d printers. How Noah, how many how many animals you need to create, more animals once you get off the ark? Can I just send me a couple of each? Should

be fine. It should be fine. That's crazy. It all got washed away in the flood or Noah was drunk and crashed the boat. Either way, everybody's gone. You're listening to live from the path. Could've been a steam engine boat. Yes. Steampunk

Noah. That's why they haven't found it. You know what I'm saying? That that dung, that copper is probably from the motor that was running the boat. Exactly. That was part of the huge onboard Noah for the motor for the Ark. People always try to prove the wrong thing. It's got a bunch of lines, running the treadmill action there. Keep the thing adjourned. Exactly. Noah was like, that was actually animal powered. That's why we took seven birds.

Alright. Let's see. You're listening to life in the past. Thanks for hanging out so far tonight. Alright. Alright, Buva. So so bring us to a synopsis of what this deal is. Why are you yelling at the lord Jesus? Alright. So putting it all into a bundle for you. A lot of responsibility recently. I feel like, when I have a lot of stuff good that's going on, I always kinda get attacked in this weird way where I feel like,

I'm not good enough for the responsibility god's given me. I'm not good enough for the good things that are going on in my life, and it's all gonna crumble and completely crush me. And so I was in tears talking to somebody about this and how scared I was to even make a move because, I just I kept thinking that, you know, if I take on anything else, I'm gonna fail it. Or if I do anything else, it's just all gonna come crashing down on me. Right? And then I I got reminded of this this amazing thing that that is so true and important that I just it was something almost stupidly simple

of, no matter what I'm doing and no matter what, responsibilities God's got me in and what good things are going on, even if I do fail, it doesn't matter

in the grand scheme of things because God still wins. And and even if I being a a a messed up human being that that very easily could screw up a lot of things, like, if I screw up a lot of things that are going up, that that does not change that God is king and that Jesus is king and he wins, and he doesn't fail. And even if I do something, that doesn't mean that I'm falling from his grace, and that doesn't mean that I'm not,

not called one of his children. It's it's insignificant to think of the outcomes that are gonna happen. All I need to do is focus on on what I'm doing day in. And it it comes back to our our, be faithful in me. God's God will handle the in thing. It's it's the truth is I was seriously in a place where I was crippled and couldn't move because I was so scared of the ends. But that's not what God calls me to do. God calls me to, trust him and just do what I need to do now.

If I'm scared about college, do my freaking homework. Right? Like, that's all I gotta do. If if I'm scared about what my future's gonna look like, well, just prepare for it. So do your homework. Do good on test. Study. Don't do stupid things. Like, stay away from bad situations and generally love on your lady, and you're gonna be fine. And continue to to build your relationship with Christ, and then that's really all you gotta do. And I I get that I'm oversimplifying that, but it's it's the truth. It's Not really, though. You know, that's pretty simple. Well, Exactly. Straightforward.

Right. It's like I I get that I can screw certain things up, but, like, I I still have a basic idea of what the road road map is. And, yeah, I may not know where I'm gonna be in. Pretty sweet life, and I'm excited about the things that Jesus has done and the stupid stuff I've done. But yeah. And it was this it was this weird feeling of of, like, I'm screaming at God about, like, how mad I am that he's given me responsibilities even though he knows I'm afraid that I'm gonna fail it, and then how mad I am that that God has given me the opportunity to be influential in some way,

for him, yet I don't deserve that. And I'm angry and yelling, and then it just kinda hits me where I'm just like, dude, shut up. Just shut it. Just stop yelling. Literally, all you're yelling about is how awful you are and thinking that God can't cover it. Lord, I wanna worry about tomorrow. Yeah. Exactly. Like, God, I'm so bad, and I'm in I'm fallible, and I think I could fall and all this stuff like

Moses. Yeah. Exactly. Right. I'm just like, I could screw so many things up. And he's like, I don't care. Yeah. I know. I I still yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I knew. Isn't that enough to worry about? I knew what you could screw up when I handed it to you, but I still handed it to you. And I'm like, okay. And he's like, stop yelling at me, man. Like, you're you're mad at yourself. And so it's this weird thing where I just kinda had to be reminded of there really is no failure in Christ in that in that manner. It's just it's ultimately, like, it's it was this weird freeing thing where I'm like, dude, just shut your mouth. Stop it. You are trying to take on stuff that you don't even have to take on, and you're already worried about failing the stuff you have. Yet you're saying, hey, God. I'm a fail this stuff. By the way, can I have six other things That's right? That I feel like I'm also gonna fail? That's right. How stupid am I? And so it was this weird screaming fit and Clive running past dunk of donuts and rolling out my window with both hands. And I went from screaming and crying to I giggled. Like, I straight up I laughed like like I've haven't laughed in a long time. I'm like Santa Claus bowl full of jelly laughing in my truck because I'm just like, as I'm saying this out loud, how dumb do I sound? Then I'm just like, dad, I'm so mad at you for all these things you're giving me. I'm a take a couple more, though, because I feel like I need those too, but I'm a fail those too. And then it made me just crack up laughing. And I had to be it reminded me that I'm just like, dude, seriously,

you are so worried about things that are not yours to worry about. You are so scared for things that you shouldn't be fearful of. They shouldn't have been your mind. All you need to worry about is the fact that God has got you, and you've got to do that every day. That's all you have to do. Just focus on him, and that's it. Today has got today. Shut up about tomorrow. You don't know what time things are gonna happen. You've got a general idea, but all of that could change. Just look at today. Look at the steering wheel in front of you, and don't get in a car accident because you're screaming about stupid stuff. Drive home. Go to bed. Wake up tomorrow morning. Ask me what's next. And I'm just like, alright. That sounds awesome. And I'm sitting here praying for peace, and I'm like, dude, I literally have had it. I've had that peace sitting there, and God's just been holding it in front of me just like, dude, literally, stop looking at tomorrow. Look at today, and I've got it right in front of you.

Didn't you say there was a song involved? Oh, here's the thing. It was yes Jesus loves me. The whole Jesus loves me thing. Like, I started singing that. I was wondering where that was gonna come in because you were like, I thought it was gonna be, like, a song from my youth where it's like, shut up. Stop worrying about stuff. I'm like I thought it was gonna be a Barney song. I'll be honest. No. It was it was the it was the yes Jesus loves me. And it was specifically that chorus of yes Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus love me. Yes Jesus love me. Love that because the Bible tells me so. Right? And all I could think of was that. And I'm just like, yeah.

I guess I I forgot about that. And, like, it's so simple because that love extends to the peace that he can offer me and the joy that he offers me. And the fact that he's not giving me my responsibilities for tomorrow, he's only allowing me to have today. And I keep asking him to tell me what's next when I would stress about it anyway. And so if he told me that I'm gonna be dead next year, all I'm gonna do is sit in this year and go, oh, what can I do about it? And I'm gonna be so scared that I'm not actually gonna do anything. Or if he told me, hey. You're gonna be in North Korea next year. Right? Like, I don't know. All I would do is worry about that rather than just being like, alright, god. Today. Today, this date, what do I do now? Okay. I got it. Let's do that. I'm gonna go to school. If somebody asks me about you, I'm a talk about you. I'm a sit there, and I'm a do my homework. And if and if it comes up, let's talk about you, and let's show who you are today. And then tomorrow morning, I'm a wake up and do the same thing. If you got something else, let me know tomorrow. That's all it is. You telling that story, all I can think of is, like, God sitting on his throne right in this beautiful throne room, and here come Buva just, I mean, grinning ear to ear, walking into the throne room with worry all over his boots. You know? And God the father's like, oh, come on. You're bringing that stuff in here. Jesus, go talk to him and he's like, alright, Buva, come here. Now listen, told you, you can't bring them worry covered boots in here. You don't like it.

The water is still his glass for a reason. Stop it. Just and Bubba just as happy as could be with his worry boots on. He got oh, come on. I told you to take those off, Bubba. Stay out of here with I sent the spirit to come live with you so you don't come around here like this. And you still found the place. You get one day to come here. That's it. Not now. Ezekiel just swept in here. Do

you have six wings? And you're not allowed to hear the throes. Okay? You don't What do I see? Two eyes? Not nearly enough. That's enough. You got spinning wheel for arb. What you got? Nothing. None of that. Get out of here. Yeah. You look like you belong down there. Is that just one face? No. No. No. How many emotions can you show with that? You can only sing holy holy holy with one mouth. That is ridiculous. I made that he man with the spinning eye as an example, and no one takes it.

Uzziah has been dead for years. You're not allowed in here unless Uzziah has acted. Where's the coal? Someone get him the coal. I'm a man of unclean boots. Take him off. Bring that worry in here. You know, here's the Obuva. It's it's the hardest thing. Right? It's it's the hardest thing to start seeing the world. You you say, god, let me see the world the way you see it, But then we overdo it. We take on too much. We we we look at the world and we say, how will I help the pigmen the poor pigmen man who lives in a life of derision and the political incorrect jokes in his experience. And so so you worry about it. Right? It's not your deal. Right. Exactly. It's like that that stuff is it's not within your control. Right? Like, I can be faithful in when we say faithful in means, I mean, literally, the means of what you are presented with or what you have control over. Right.

And that that means tomorrow is not within your control because you cannot just make it tomorrow if you didn't want to. Right? The Lord still has to roll the sun around the joint Yep. Job style, and then it will show. So in the meantime, you have whatever means are in front of you and those are the ones you're called to be faithful in. And to try to retain such an open look at the world that says, let me see and love like God loves in this in these means right now without otherwise taking the rest of the world in and putting things that are God's upon your shoulders is very difficult. Because it feels right. It feels like I should worry about this guy from way over there who I've never met in my life, but someone might have a machete at his house. And so, like, you worried about it, but it it's just not your thing. It's like, god, you're gonna have to be god and I'm gonna have to be me and you you are well aware of the limitations of which you have put upon my life. So let me be faithful within those limitations. And, like and here's the thing, a lot of our a lot of our progress, if you wanna think of it this way,

it gets caught up in our in our planning for things that we have no control over. Right. Like, our ability to then to to posture or otherwise make, say, if we do this, x y z will follow. And I don't think that's you can be faithful in means that otherwise points to longer ends. It's okay. Right? Like Right. You don't need to spend all your money today necessarily and be like, lord, I was faithful because you were not. But, like, the the the point is is that, like, we're we're constantly saying if I do this, god will provide this or god will pay it off in this way when, like, we had means that we were to be faithful in that day right in front of us that we completely missed because we were looking beyond them and that just simply isn't our our worldview. We can't even handle that much. There's the things I can't handle. I can't handle worries beyond today, and and I can't handle,

the the the entire concept of justice. That's why both of those things sit upon God. I do love and I do right now, And those are my that's my responsibility. I deal in true things. And, like and so that's the thing, is fighting for the right perspective and looking around. It's it's a real micro way to live, but it's what's that's what creates macro things because then God handles ends that are amazing. And we just get to sit back and go, oh, look what God did with that Right. Thing that I barely did anything on and say, well, God is the one that does that. He he's the one that can make those types of things as opposed to whatever limitation that I plotted for. And keeping from worrying beyond that is hard, but it postures control over life that we don't have. And it's it's a wrong understanding of our ability to change the world as opposed to God's ability to change the world. But it's hard. It's hard because it it seems right. Right? Like, I'm concerned about x y z or I want to change x y z, and so I attempt to exert my influence beyond my ability as opposed to saying, I know what God can do. Let me just turn it over to him, and I'll do I'll pack the box today. I'll feed the man today and do whatever it is I can and and watch God multiply with it as he sees fit. You know, even Jesus, before going to the cross, said, you know, I have accomplished everything the father has sent me to do, you know, in so many words. It's like there's a lot of things that didn't get done. Yeah. Right. I mean, you you know, there there's still a lot of people around that pool waiting to get healed.

Yeah. Right. Right. He just do he did one guy. Yeah. Yeah. He did one. He did 12 disciples, healed one guy. Yeah. Yeah. I mean. Yeah. Right. He just he had stuff that he was supposed to do. That was in his point of view. So that's what got done. Yep. But and that's here's the deal. It's gotta be rough. Right? You're getting ready to go to cross. Your main man, guy's gonna take over the thing, takes out a sword and wax an ear off a guy while you're trying to get your deed done. You're like Yep. I can't influence They're not ready. Yeah. Maybe I shouldn't go. Yeah. I already did the big prayer, though. Give me one more ear. Last day on the job, and you see you replace him. He's a 21 no 21 year old nose picker coming in. You're like, no. No. No. This is gonna go down. Where's he even keeping that sword? I feel

like I would've saw it when it came in. You know you know It's like a dagger. I kinda wonder where's the dagger? Because, I mean, that that tunic don't leave much for hiding. You know I'm saying? You would accidentally scathe yourself in the man nipples or whatever. Don't know what these things look like, but, seriously, people would see the sword. You know? It's not like it's well hidden. It's like a scabbard. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's a What do mean? A three course thing. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I'm I'm fluid and scabbard. That's Yeah. I'm with you. I don't know what I heard. Isn't this scabbard of the sheams?

Yeah. Isn't that what it's held in? Yeah. The scabbard is the sheath, not the sword. I was hoping to get away with that. I thought I'd just throw out a word and see what Well, you said, you know what I mean after saying it. I know. I was trying to validate whether or not that guy. Listen to me. Getting your ear cut off with a legit sword had to hurt, but someone cutting your ear off with a sheath or something. I mean That's someone being inconsiderate, man. That's someone going, hold on a minute. Can you imagine Peter just whacking this man repeatedly with the scabber? Until blunt force trauma removes his appendage. That's true. We didn't get the whole discussion. Jesus is like, Peter, that wasn't even effective. I'm just gonna put that back.

Peter, that took way too long. Yeah. Stop trying to make this about you. Put your back on. Tighten up on your job, homie. Alright, man. I'm leaving in, like, two days, man. Come on. Alright. Dan's got some Pope style. Dan someone is mistaking Dan Hudson for the pope. It happens all the time. It was me. Pope Hudson,

give you some advice or no people aren't gonna leave you alone. That'd be awful. That'd be terrible. I'm trying to go grass out here. Exactly. Poop everywhere. You best leave. So so here's the deal. A few a few years ago, I got all excited about, the the shooting sports. Right? I got myself a gun and got the training and got the carry license and all that stuff. And and and the training is kind of a fun thing. You just sit there and shoot at targets, and and it and there's no there's no guessing

how well you're doing. I mean, it's right there. You know? And I've you know, I was never, like, you know, super duper marksman or anything, but I I always felt pretty good about it. I mean, you know, I've gotta hit a target and and and Yeah. Get a nice little cluster. Something happened a couple years ago, and and all of a sudden, like, I I was doing awful. I mean, just terrible. Like,

even hitting the target. Like, the the piece of paper was, like, know, what, 11 by you know, like, piece of paper or notebook paper or something. And I I wouldn't even hit the paper. Before, I I could do pretty good. And all of sudden, I'm, like, hitting just nothing. And I went with my daughter one day, and this is, a couple years ago, and and she was bam bam. She was she was hitting right in there. I'm like, mate, you're doing a good job. And and and I'm hitting nothing, and I can't even figure out how to adjust it because I don't know where I'm hitting. You know? I don't know if I'm high or low or, you know, right or left. And it was just terrible. And a couple years go by, and and I I just haven't shot much at all lately. I just just just, you know, kinda like I I figured the gun was bad or maybe my eyes are going bad. I'm getting old. It's you know, I couldn't figure it out. And we went back last week, last Monday, I think it was. It didn't matter when. Someday, Tuesday. And I was shooting, and I thought, okay. I've had a couple of year break. It's gonna be fresh. You know? Same thing. Jess. Jess. It was a bigger bigger target, though. It was like a life-sized one. Yeah. With a cutout of a of a dude, and I'm I'm shooting at a gun. Okay. This is because at least now I could see where I was hitting. Right. If if someone came into my house and and I had to pull a weapon, he was gonna definitely need a hip replacement. Right on. Yeah. I'm I'm aiming at the heart. There's like a cluster

on on the hip. I'm going okay. So then I I adjusted. So I'm I'm I'm aiming, like, way over over his head to the right of his shoulder. So at least I was getting a few in the center ish. But, yeah, then I'm it's awful. It's terrible. Shoot up my ammo. I'm all done. I'm like, I'm disgusted. I'm gonna sell my guns. This is it. But you're gonna get me a sheath. What is this? Stearns. I get people with a scabbard. I

don't even know what it is. And Buddy's with me. He gives me some ammo, and he goes, come on. Keep shooting. And and then he watches me for, like, two rounds or whatever. No big deal. Pulls me aside for fifteen literally fifteen seconds. He goes, there's two things. One, your support arms. Wacky. Mhmm. It was, like, hanging out rather than actually supporting. And two, you're pulling the trigger too quick. It's supposed to be smooth.

And I'm like, I don't know how visually you could even tell. Right. So, like, okay. Process that for a second, put some ammo in there, and right on target. Just all of a sudden, the the I mean, both the heart and the the head were just gone. Right. I just I think I was just totally right on it. You become the outlaw of Josie Whales. Like, you're on it. Exactly. Exactly. I'm in negotiation with the army right now

for some sniper. But I I just like, you know, he he goes, you you just got lazy. Like, you knew what to do. You know? You had the training. You know what to do, and you either forgot. You got lazy. Whatever it was, I don't know, but I couldn't figure it out. I was blind to it. I had no idea. And and it just reminded me how important it is to have people in your life walk alongside you who could observe and say, dude, you're getting lazy here as a brother. You know? And Yeah. Not not in a judgmental way. It was just like, this will help you. Right. And he totally, like, completely changed what was going on. I know that's just shooting. That's just target. I think, man, the spiritual life, that is so true. You get a little bit lazy. You start, right, praying about wheat and Anita and and because you're even at the range. Right? Like, it's not you don't even bail on the range. You're out there shooting. Yeah. Yeah. You're doing all the right stuff. Yeah. Right. But but just incorrectly. A little bit lazy, a little bit half hearted, a little something, whatever it was. Well,

just a little bit off. Right. Yeah. And you completely missed the target being just a little bit off. And I thought, how often do I completely miss the target of what Jesus called me to do because I I'm doing other stuff? Right. Going through the actions. Anyway, that was my thing. I thought, man, it's just it's just good to have people in your life that that that can observe you and and and say, hey. Here. Walk alongside you and and strive with you in the faith. Yeah. And here's that's that's a great example. Right? Because most of the time when when it's it's a fifty fifty, folks will offer that to people, and they're like, I I wasn't really actually interested in doing better. I was trying to do better. I was okay with just kinda hitting the target, you know, somewhere in his hip. I was cool. I like the hip. You know? And so, like, from a ministry standpoint, like, that has to be brutal. Right? You're you're you're you're not, you didn't the guy didn't pull you aside, slap you in the face, and say, do better, Dan. And you're like, well, I'm doing the best I can. I still suck. Right? You know, he did it in the right way, and and and you accepted it and took that and and made it exactly what it needed to be. It was unbelievable the difference. Man.

Yeah. I mean It was just unbelievable. I was just like, how in the world? And and I even I could barely tell the difference. I'm pulling the trigger. I just kinda just smoothly just kinda and I thought, bam. Right there. I it was it amazing to me. Is it is it do you think it's like, sometimes I, like, that that's where the the the closing statements from from sermons usually come in. Right? Like like, here's the thing you need to take with you. Like, sometimes folks just need something to focus on. Just even if it's a small thing, just something to focus on. So, like, by Wednesday or Thursday, when I'm getting getting beat up again, they'd be like, what's the thing I was supposed to focus on? Okay. Great. Puts me back into perspective. Right? It just gets your mind one click away from where it was and back to where it came from. And, like, not to say that that that, like, you know, you need to add a cheesy tagline in your sermon or whatever, but, like, you know what I'm saying? Like, sometimes we even I get I do this a lot actually is is, you know, I'll talk to people about Jesus, and I'll give them this huge scope of of of grace and and and, you know, and sacrifice. I do this with my kids all the time, and they, you know, they fade into gray and stop listening to me. You know what I'm saying? Instead of just giving them something that they can hold on to and walk with even if it's just one thing. You know what I'm saying? And makes all the difference in the world. And, like, well, maybe that is something to think about is, like, when you're trying to to to to purvey

a life of Christ to people who don't know him, you know, you don't have to start with the with the Amalekites. You know I'm saying? Like, you know what saying? Just just hit him with the with Bovus, Jesus loves me. Right? Like Yeah. Yeah. And and and don't let it go. Just stare him in the face and be like, seriously, you need you need to realize that, like, I know you're like, Jesus loves me. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. I don't think you quite get it. Like, every bit of you, even the gross parts that you wouldn't even tell me about. Right? Those are the parts he loves you. You know? And so, like, that's that really is a it's it's a great story. I think yeah. And I think, like, the one of the important things there is is is, yeah, the the the openness and having people around you. Right? Like, if That's living in community. Yeah. Right. Just like, and with that with the intention that or the expectation that people will do that. Right? Like, you can't be offended on things that you ask for. If I tell in fact, I had to do this today. I had to,

I had to reach out to a group of people and provide them feedback on something, that they had not that they hadn't hadn't really asked for. It was kind of assumed that I would do things like this, but, like, they hadn't really asked for it. And, like, I, of course, had to worry about it because I had to worry how are they going to accept it? Right? But, like, it's it's significantly different. Just like people can't steal from you things that you give. Right? You can't steal it if you're giving it away, but you cannot be harmed by feedback that you asked for if you say, look. I want you to be honest because I wanted to make me a better person. I want to to to help. I wanna see where I'm off. Right? And and, like, it's not even a crazy big thing here. Like, it doesn't mean someone's gonna say, hey. You're the worst person ever. Right? But, like, someone to just look at you and say, hey. You know, I was over at your place, and and I you were you were harsh with your wife. And it's feel it sounded like you were joking, maybe that's a thing for you, but, like, you

you should give that up. Yeah. That's not right. Yeah. You know what saying? And, like, the things that we're that we can accept not intentionally, but simply because we don't know the difference. Right? Like, we get a little blind to our own stuff and you realize what you were missing. It's just it's crazy what you get used to. It's crazy what you what can become acceptable to you, not because you lowered your bar, but because you just your bar faded and you didn't you just didn't know the difference. What was, there was a sermon example Dan gave. It was in Hebrews. That was just, like, six or seven years ago. It was a long time ago, but had to do with drifting. Being the drifting. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you just don't you don't know how far you've gone. You just it's not because you you didn't row away. That was just where you were. Yeah. And, like, that's a really strong image.

And if you got someone staying at the shore, he's like, no. Actually, you're you're quite a bit farther away. You need to change course, and you're like, god. Thanks for that guy at the beach. Right. So, so, yeah, living around people, living wanting that type of thing because there's not a there's not pride involved with saying, hey. Don't tell me that I stink. I mean, you're missing the target. Everyone else We can all see you stink. That's right. You might as well at least live openly so someone can help you. Okay. We'd like to talk about it in front of you instead of just behind your back. So if you could just hold up to this thing now. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Isolation is bad. Community is good. Help refine what you got going on. Right on. Alright. Get off Dan's lawn. He's trying to grow dandelions or something. Hey, man. I killed a bunch of I've killed a bunch of weeds in my yard. I sprayed at the end of last year because I got creeping Charlie. And I talked to a man that I met at the coffee shop. We just we shared a table, this man and I. And I say he works at a lawn service. And he says, first, gotta kill the creeping Charlie, and you gotta plant grass so that it doesn't come back. And I say, great. So I get towards the end of into the fall, early winter, and it's still pretty warm out. And so I spray all the creeping Charlie. And I thought, well, I can't put the grass down yet because that's pretty much chemicals and stuff everywhere. And then by the time that I get ready to where I can plant the grass, it starts to freeze over, and I can't plant the grass. And so now I got a bunch of dead brown lawn everywhere at my house, and I cannot seem to resuscitate it back to life.

And, that seemed relevant at the time when I started to tell that story, but I do not recall why. Thanks, Dan. Or thanks, Ben. Appreciate it. Oh, I was thinking about Dan's Danny Lance. There we go. I actually met a guy at the gas station today. I ran into him three separate times. Like, once at the warmer, and then I went over to the soda, and he was over at the soda. And then I was heading towards the counter or whatever, and he'd come ran into me again. And he was a gruff looking fellow, and I said, maybe we should just hold hands and go to the store together. And he smiled for just a second, and then he wasn't smiling anymore.

I thought that was the the the longest amount of patience he has for me. So I can't run into him again. That was the end. Okay. Alright, Mike. We got we got a one dear life from the path. Okay. Dear life from the path. Dear life from the path. I plan on studying abroad sometime in my college career. This is probably the only opportunity I will ever have to live in another country for months at a time, and and I have set my sights on a small town in South Africa. Upon mentioning my wishes to one of my friends, she explained that she has been wanting to go on this program too for the same period of months.

I wanted this trip to be complete immersion in another culture with no safety net of friends, so I do not want to go if we both get accepted. What should I say to quotes Katie about my complete one eighty? No more in Syracuse, New York. Well, it sounds like there's a group going. I don't think you want program. Right? Yeah. But he So there's gonna be other Americans there. Well, yeah. Right. Not just your friend. Like, you someone else will be there. Yeah. It's not like when you as soon as you step on the plane,

you know, that you're gonna be surrounded by until you get there. Start knocking on the hut doors. Hey. Can I Yeah? Can I stay here for nine months? Could be a bunch of people from Ohio. Like They're gonna be a bunch of fat white guys on that same plane. I won't be there. Yeah. Wouldn't that move? Whole 30, bro.

I mean I mean, pick can you can you go and then just pick a different South African town? Certainly, there's one within a few miles. I mean, would it be wrong to discriminate against your own people once you get there? Like, don't look at me. Don't look. Don't speak to me, Katie. I'm not here for you.

I think it's kinda selfish. I thought he was there to serve. No. He's there to emerge take from the culture. Yeah. He's he's the standard white man. He's going to study abroad. This is this is his giant way of trying to justify his own American ways. Keeping my own self here. I feel cultural because I lived where someone lives their whole life for a month or two, and then I got to go back to Facebook. Can't wait till I get air conditioning. Exactly what happens. Like, you watch guys give speeches. They're like, you know, in the time that I spend in South Africa, as I'm currently talking to you in, $300 slacks. Right. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? I was in a poor village, and I learned this about pottery making. I'm like, will you shut up? You're not credible. You know, those same people that do that kind of crap end up moving to South Africa. Right. You know what I'm saying? They live there, or they end up in some weird hut in Alaska. Either way, they they take it for what it's worth, and they they like happens. I love this, and this is what I'm going to do. Go to South Africa in, like, two months. Dan, are you going there as a white man, or are you going there as a man that's there to serve? I'm I'm there to serve. Okay. Right on. But I plan to go back. If you come back, Mike will judge you. Yeah. If you don't move into an Alaskan kid. I need $300 flex. Don't tell me any stories on how you, how you understand their culture because I ain't gonna buy it.

I understand they were upset at my pets. I showed up with my smartphone and took pictures of them. They loved it. Yeah. I said, I'll remember you forever, so I posted on my Instagram. Who's that guy? Just some dude on it. In the village. Yeah. See how they're still wearing pleated khakis over there? That's lame. So members only jacket? Oh, they actually, tend to dress better than us there. It's quite shock. The villages even. What do you mean? Because it's a British influence. All that well, that's all they've got. Yeah. And then they wear ties and stuff. Yeah. I'm like, I can't get I don't wear a tie. It's like yeah.

Anyway, sorry. I've I've made this on me. A good point. Like, I have a hard time with that. I I could never imagine going to a culture that does dresses fancier than we dress. Like, I would be offensive to them. Right? Like, I would rather go to a rundown village where I think I would fit in better. Right. My my buddy was speaking at at like, it's a preacher conference. It was equipping other preachers. Right? And and he you know, you're going across the world, so you don't try to you know, you pack light. And so but they wanted, like, suit coats. So, like, the the head dude there gave him a suit coat, but it was too small for for my buddy. And so he had he would hold it on his arm, so it's like he had his coat. Right. And and so they could respect him. Yeah. Right. I was like, dude, I'm glad we had this conversation because I was not seeing that. That's right. Boy, that would be so awkward to be a leisure suit, Dan. You're gonna have to take some with you. Like smoking jacket and a sport coat with you. Go like this in South Africa wearing a sports coat. I've been like, this just seems so silly. There there was a dude there, he said, that had a parka on. It was a 170 degrees. Oh. 107 degrees. He was wearing a parka. He's, like, 95 years old. And and he he's like, why is this guy going to parka? He goes, gentlemen have no weather.

Hey, man. That's the most Bond thing I've ever heard in my entire life. It's he says it has to be the British influence. Man. Have no weather. Can we can can you can you pin that on an urban gentleman? An urban gentleman has no weather. An urban gentleman has no weather. He wears whatever he needs to at exactly the right time. Dang. Alright. Print that one out too. Alright. Oh, man. Put that next to the Hashtag urban. Yeah. Well, I mean, I so I watched I I I

don't travel anymore, so I watch a bunch of travel documentaries. Right? And so but, I was actually astonished because there was a thing that I was watching about. It was either South Africa or or another country in Southern Africa and where they were talking about if they get any amount of money, they'll take care of their most basic needs, and then we'll spend a little bit to get a brand new pair of or type of clothing, whether it's a brand new shirt or a brand new pair of pants or a brand new pair of shoes. And it was literally their only thing they could hold on to to have any amount of pride. Yeah. And so because the houses they lived in or or the places they lived in and the lack of education they may have and all this different stuff, they don't have those points of pride where people in America could very easily cling to those things. What they all they had was a clean shirt,

and all they had was was clean socks or a nice pair of pants that wasn't ripped up, and that was their point of pride within their culture. And it's just crazy. That's something. Yeah. I did I yeah. I did that was blind to that. You're right. That's stuff to know before you get over there. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Secular says wait. So what was our advice? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Stop being selfish. Realize that you're not gonna have a total cultural immersion for a month and a half and then come back to The United States. Don't hold on to that like you're gonna be a better person because of Yeah. Yeah. I mean, is it is it wrong to go like, would I not consider myself if my wife and I went over somewhere for six weeks or something, would I not consider me culturally immersed just because someone was with me? Like, it requires a singular person? Yeah. You want a safe you don't want safety nets. Like, this is this weird, like, throwing away everything because you wanna forsake everything, but only for a little while. Right. You want a Jason Bourne your way over there. Like, you belong in all cultures. Yeah. Exactly. But you but you don't. No. You don't. No. You do not. I get that you don't wanna be a tourist. You don't like, you want to Spend more than a week there. You won't be a tourist. Yeah. Exactly. You wanna have realistic experiences. Alright. Well, don't don't stay in the five star hotel Uh-huh. And eat where everyone else eats, and then you're gonna be fine. Don't refuse the food unless you know it's actually gonna hurt you. Yeah. And if this Katie's your friend, I mean, it's an unfamiliar territory. It'd be nice if she had someone she knew there. Yeah. Is there just a chance you don't like Katie as much as you think you do? Yeah. Okay. Now this is studying. Right? It's not I I was thinking, like, Peace Corps or something. Yeah. This is studying abroad for college. So yeah. Then who

do your schoolwork while you're there. Get a chance to eat food you like and Yeah. Whatever. No. Yeah. That's a good point. You're doing school. Yeah. Yeah. There's no way you're the only white person there. Yeah. They don't pick one white person. And by the way, you're going to South Africa. Just a heads up. Like, that's still super Dutch. Yeah. Like like, there's entire towns where the population is the majority is white. Yeah. It's still Actually, fairly technologically advanced. The Dutch owned that country seventy years ago. Yeah. It's not like clicks and hums like you're making it sound. Right. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You know what? I don't even like you, I think.

Yeah. Our advice to you, dear life for the Path is We don't think we like it. What a hell of her school culture. We're just not fans of you in general. Katie's making a bad choice, but for reasons that you weren't thinking. Yeah. You weren't you weren't the one in the wrong. Katie is because she's going with you. Yeah. Dear New York, you're stupid. Here's

what Secular says. Secular says, the big lesson here is that you talk too much. That said, I think it is shortsighted of you to give up your dream because your friend might try to go and might get in. Her possible presence during this time abroad should not have that much impact on your plans. Can you say something to her? Yes. You can. In fact, you can be honest with her and tell her how much you wanted to go on this journey independent of any of your friends. You can ask her if she would consider going at a different time than you. Obviously, your entreaty is no guarantee that she won't go, but you can state your case. Recognize that knowing someone when you are many miles away from home could be a comfort without being a drag. It's also possible that you may discover that some other person you know or who is from your school or city could also participate in the program at the same time. You are not the only one applying for this program. You could choose to relax, see who participates, and welcome whenever experience unfolds. Yeah. There you go. Why don't you stop trying to hold the entire country of South Africa in your little greedy hands and just let stuff go down? You know what saying? Johannesburg is mine. Yeah. But, like, what type of long deceit are you trying to pull over there? Like, Katie, don't talk to me. Don't talk to me. I'm acting like I'm from here. Like, they're gonna pick you out. Alright. Well, I'm not a fan of him still.

What do you mean? Yeah. Just the guy. Is it wrong to not like him? Like, I could still love him and hope he knows Jesus, but personally, I I I wouldn't wanna run into him. I think it's understandable. Yeah. I don't like him. I'd beat him with a sheath or a scabbard. How about you with a scabbard? I wish my parents woulda had a paddle and scabbard.

Like, everyone else goes with a piece of wood with holes drilled in it or something or like a Yeah. Yeah. Tennis racket into more aggressive old sheath of a sword. Yeah. That's right. I can't imagine my old man giving me the whoopings with a scabbard. Is that is that like a passive aggressive threat that this is like, this is the lesser of the things I could have beat you with? Would it be worse if we'd when it was time to get your whooping like he put on an iPad? Take a swig of rum? Yeah. Get you scabbard. I did look that up. That is correct. It is a the scabbard is a sheath for the blade of a sword or dagger typically made of leather or metal.

Metal. A sheath for a gun or other weapon or tool. Don't you think if you get the metal out of a metal container, you'd go every time it happened? Like, chewing on tinfoil. You know I'm saying? Like, noise of of the two metal sliding together, you'd be it it it's at least hard to hear. Yeah. A leather is just a much more comfy home for a sword. Yeah.

Alright. You're listening live for the path. Thanks for hanging out this week. You can reach me at Mike Sword dot com. We continue this conversation on the wide web. Sword and the scabbard at [email protected]. Sword and the scabbard. Only the only the the elect could pull it out.

Wait. Is that a combination That's predestined. Reformed theology and the sword in the stone? Yeah. The Internet's a creepy place where people come together. Yes. You're predestined to be able to grab this sword out of the gap. The website white man in South Africa. I don't get a whole lot of traffic. Alright. We'll see you next week. Thanks for hanging with us. Shoot us an email, [email protected].

In the meantime, we will see you next week. What did I say that? Maybe maybe maybe not. Oh, yeah. Be faithful in means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.