Civil Disobedience, The Christmas Story, and Pro-Life Ministry

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:05.759 I am yours. I Am Yours, I am yours, s and me, 2 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:10.869 Lord, I am yours. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast 3 00:00:10.949 --> 00:00:14.990 and this episode we're going to talk about the Christmas story and civil disobedience and 4 00:00:15.109 --> 00:00:19.070 what that has to do pro life ministry. Stay tuned for this episode. 5 00:00:20.550 --> 00:00:35.810 Lord, I felt show passish touch your heart. Welcome to the Gospel Center 6 00:00:35.890 --> 00:00:40.090 pro life podcast. We're going to talk a little bit about the Christmas story 7 00:00:40.329 --> 00:00:45.929 in this episode and some conversations that Vicky and I had had about some things 8 00:00:45.929 --> 00:00:48.969 that go on in the Christmas story and you know, after the birth of 9 00:00:49.090 --> 00:00:52.920 Jesus and to do with the wise men, and we'll jump right into it 10 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.640 and Matthew Chapter two. Many of you know, of course, the story 11 00:00:57.240 --> 00:01:00.240 of the birth of Jesus. Were this is the day after Christmas. Will 12 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:03.520 recording this, and we celebrated the birth of Jesus, and we know the 13 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:08.310 story about the wise men and Matthew Conveis that story here in Matthew Chapter Two. 14 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:11.909 And then we know the wise man before they went to see Jesus, 15 00:01:11.989 --> 00:01:17.870 they saw King Herod and King Herod, in a crafty sort of way, 16 00:01:17.989 --> 00:01:21.859 told these guys. When you find the child. Let me know so I 17 00:01:22.019 --> 00:01:23.980 too can come and worship him. What he said. Of course, we 18 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:29.620 know what's behind his his motive. There's he wants to to try to wipe 19 00:01:29.659 --> 00:01:34.329 out this this person who may end up taking his throne. Yeah, here 20 00:01:34.370 --> 00:01:36.930 it's one of those guys that didn't want to let go of his authority in 21 00:01:37.090 --> 00:01:44.090 his and his position. And then we hear about this slaughter of the innocence. 22 00:01:44.329 --> 00:01:49.480 Is that it's called after Jesus was born and the wise man. Actually 23 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:52.439 something I heard, by the way, just a little little rabbit trail, 24 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:56.640 which was pretty interesting. I heard a preacher talking about the wise men and 25 00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:00.200 their gifts that they brought, and there's a lot of explanation there what these 26 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:02.750 gifts meant. The gold was the symbol of a king, you know, 27 00:02:02.829 --> 00:02:08.270 so Jesus was obviously is a king. The incense, Frankinsense, was to 28 00:02:08.389 --> 00:02:14.669 represent his divinity, right, he burned incense to the divinity, and so 29 00:02:14.830 --> 00:02:17.300 that was what that was to represent. or priestly, some people say, 30 00:02:17.379 --> 00:02:23.020 because his priestly nature. And then the Murr was for his death. You 31 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:27.699 know, they embalmed bodies or put Murr as a spice. But this preacher 32 00:02:27.740 --> 00:02:30.530 said, yeah, those things can be true, and those things are obviously 33 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:34.569 true aspects of who Jesus is. But he said, practically speaking, you 34 00:02:34.650 --> 00:02:38.530 have to wonder why these wise men brought these gifts to a baby. Right, 35 00:02:38.610 --> 00:02:42.449 he's shivering in the cold. He doesn't need gold. He's a blanket, 36 00:02:43.009 --> 00:02:46.800 he's a blanking, as when comedian said a bowl of soup would have 37 00:02:46.840 --> 00:02:52.680 done well, other than some frankinsense. But this preacher said these were costly 38 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:54.639 things. Obviously gold is Franktins was very colostly, and so it was. 39 00:02:54.680 --> 00:03:00.150 Murr. What if, and I think it's true, this was ordained by 40 00:03:00.189 --> 00:03:06.189 God in order to fund the trip to Egypt that Joseph and Mary and Jesus 41 00:03:06.270 --> 00:03:09.310 had to take, and that's what we're talking about here, is how they 42 00:03:09.349 --> 00:03:15.099 were under threat of being killed by King Herod Jesus was, and so an 43 00:03:15.139 --> 00:03:19.860 angel revealed to Joseph, Hey, this is going to happen, flee to 44 00:03:19.979 --> 00:03:23.740 Egypt, and so they did. And you got to wonder how they he's 45 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:24.780 a carpenter, didn't have a lot of money. He had just had to 46 00:03:24.819 --> 00:03:30.969 go to back to his hometown, who to Bethlehem, and that was pretty 47 00:03:30.009 --> 00:03:32.330 costly. I'm sure of a trip. So how is he going to fund 48 00:03:32.370 --> 00:03:36.050 this? Well, the wise men. So that's a little little free befo 49 00:03:36.129 --> 00:03:38.409 you, guys, as you listening. That's not what this podcast is about. 50 00:03:38.490 --> 00:03:40.719 That's an interesting thing to think about. God provides, yeah, God 51 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:45.520 does provide. In that situation, he did. But why did Jesus and 52 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:49.240 his family have to flee to Egypt? Hmm? Yeah, it was because 53 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:53.240 of Herod. And Herod here in Matthew, Chapter Two, Verse Sixteen, 54 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:57.909 and it says when Herod saw that he was deceived by the wise men, 55 00:03:58.349 --> 00:04:02.550 he was exceedingly angry and sent forth and to put to death all the male 56 00:04:02.629 --> 00:04:08.590 children who are in Bethlehem and all its districts from two years old, according 57 00:04:08.629 --> 00:04:11.139 to the time which had been determined by the wise man. So he said, 58 00:04:11.620 --> 00:04:15.259 all these children because again, this this person was possibly going to depose 59 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:18.339 him of His throne, because this was supposed to be a king, and 60 00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:21.699 rather than really want to worship the king, you wanted to kill the king. 61 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:26.889 Yeah, hum. And so we're talking about actually our subject, strangely 62 00:04:26.930 --> 00:04:30.889 enough, is civil disobedience. Yeah, because this story brings to mind and 63 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:34.370 if you look at in a lot of pro lifers throughout the years have I've 64 00:04:34.410 --> 00:04:38.680 even heard flip, who we had on some podcast to go and who we 65 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:42.600 interact with on a regular basis, talking about the the Deavil, on the 66 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:46.560 demonic nature of the attack on children, on the attack, of course, 67 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:49.680 of the attack on the unborn, and this situation. It was two years 68 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:59.029 and younger compared to this rage of Herod and back in Egypt, back in 69 00:04:59.230 --> 00:05:06.069 exodus chapter one, the rage of Pharaoh against the children of Israel and their 70 00:05:06.180 --> 00:05:10.579 babies who are ultimately thrown into the nol. We'll talk a will go to 71 00:05:10.660 --> 00:05:13.699 that scripture in just a second. Yeah, although it is strange, as 72 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:18.100 I've mentioned earlier, that Jesus escapes to Egypt from Herod and then, of 73 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:21.250 course, what happened in the days when the children of Israel, we're in 74 00:05:21.370 --> 00:05:26.050 Egypt, as they were to escape from Egypt and they were to be rescued 75 00:05:26.089 --> 00:05:31.490 from the the king of Egypt there. But this is this is the King 76 00:05:31.970 --> 00:05:38.879 Herod who is given a civil order, who's given a decree, and I 77 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:41.759 guess there's some debate over the level of power that he had. Could he 78 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:44.759 do this, because he was under Roman rule and he was sort of just 79 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.800 a figurehead really, but he obviously had some power to be able to direct 80 00:05:49.629 --> 00:05:55.550 whatever was his palace guard or whatever to go and slaughter two years and younger. 81 00:05:55.550 --> 00:05:59.230 I mean this, this obviously was, you know, a traumatic event. 82 00:05:59.430 --> 00:06:02.310 You know, it's references back here in verse eighteen seventeen. This was 83 00:06:02.389 --> 00:06:05.699 to fulfill what was spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah, saying a voice was heard 84 00:06:05.740 --> 00:06:10.980 in Rama, lamentation, weeping, great mourning Rachel, weeping for her children, 85 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:14.379 refusing to be comfort because they were no more. So he's repressing back 86 00:06:14.420 --> 00:06:17.019 to this scripture that was prophesied about this event and they were. You know, 87 00:06:17.139 --> 00:06:20.889 this is one of those prophecies that had application then and has application. 88 00:06:21.689 --> 00:06:26.170 You know, had application in Jeremi's Day and has application in Jesus Day. 89 00:06:26.209 --> 00:06:30.410 Yeah, so this is obviously a traumatic event. This is people having their 90 00:06:30.410 --> 00:06:33.560 children ripped out of their arms, taken and slaughtered. Yeah, I mean 91 00:06:33.560 --> 00:06:39.160 you imagine, if you're a palace guard, do you obey this this decree? 92 00:06:39.319 --> 00:06:43.959 Do you obey this Governing Authority? Yeah, and that's what we're talking 93 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.910 about. Talking about some in some aspects what we deal with as sidewalk counselors, 94 00:06:47.949 --> 00:06:53.029 because we and Charlotte have dealt with a lot of decrees, a lot 95 00:06:53.069 --> 00:06:58.870 of ordinances of man that we've had to, you know, respectfully disobey and 96 00:06:59.470 --> 00:07:02.300 do what we're called to do, what we know that what is is within 97 00:07:02.379 --> 00:07:05.500 our rights to do, and we'll talk about some of that as we as 98 00:07:05.540 --> 00:07:10.100 we go on. Yeah, but biblically, how do we think about that 99 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:13.300 sort of thing and how do we compare that to what we see in the 100 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:18.009 Bible? Right? So let's jump back then to exodus and and I believe 101 00:07:18.089 --> 00:07:21.889 we'll get a little deeper into this. So exit is chapter one, okay, 102 00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:26.490 and if you're are with going going there already, yeah, let's go 103 00:07:26.649 --> 00:07:33.000 there. And and this is whenever the Egyptian king, Pharaoh, began to 104 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:40.040 see that the children of Israel were increasing in number and he commanded the Hebrew 105 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:44.079 midrap wives, so the midwives, to those who helped these these Hebrew women 106 00:07:44.240 --> 00:07:47.589 to deliver their children, to kill the children when they were born if they 107 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:50.670 were male. There, which is, you know, another parallel. It 108 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:55.230 was, yeah, the young boys, yeah, the big boys were kill 109 00:07:55.269 --> 00:07:58.189 Hilp yea. Yeah, because he didn't want he was afraid that these people 110 00:07:58.230 --> 00:08:01.819 are going to rise up and rebel against him. They were outnumbering the Egyptians, 111 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:05.220 and he was wondering how much longer can we keep them under our thumb 112 00:08:05.860 --> 00:08:09.220 without them rebeling? And and so we need to nip this thing in the 113 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:13.649 bud, so to speak. Yeah, yeah, so what's that scripture that 114 00:08:13.689 --> 00:08:18.970 you have there in in exodus one? Yeah, okay, so exodus one, 115 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:22.649 verse fifteen is where it begins. Yeah, did you? Are you 116 00:08:22.769 --> 00:08:24.529 going to read it? Yeah, I'll read it. Okay. This is 117 00:08:24.569 --> 00:08:28.639 the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of 118 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:31.799 one was you'll have to pronounce that name, Chefar off Fra. Yeah, 119 00:08:31.840 --> 00:08:37.120 Huh, I love these biblical front and Pooh Pooh as are great names. 120 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.830 I've never heard someone named their child that, but they were obviously wonderful people. 121 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:48.590 Then it was like it was Mary, yeah, it says, okay, 122 00:08:48.629 --> 00:08:50.909 yes, for sixteen, and he said, when you do the duties 123 00:08:50.950 --> 00:08:54.429 of a midwife for the Hebrew women and see them on the birth stools, 124 00:08:54.470 --> 00:08:58.419 if it is a son, then you shall kill him, and if it 125 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:03.019 is a daughter, she shall live. Verse Seventeen. Here comes your civil 126 00:09:03.100 --> 00:09:07.580 disobedience. And this was the decree from the highest level of government that you 127 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:13.289 could get right in probably the entire region, maybe even in the entire world 128 00:09:13.289 --> 00:09:16.850 at this point. I mean Egypt was a very powerful probably the most powerful 129 00:09:16.850 --> 00:09:18.450 nation of that time, but at least in Egypt, this was the most 130 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:24.440 powerful voice, most powerful entity that you could get a decree from. And 131 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:28.000 here he goes and here he decrees this thing. and verse seventeen. But 132 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.399 the midwives feared God, that's a key right there, and did not do 133 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:37.360 as the king of Egypt commanded, but save the male children alive. So 134 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:39.950 the King of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, why have 135 00:09:39.029 --> 00:09:43.389 you done this thing? And Save the male children alive, and the midwife 136 00:09:43.429 --> 00:09:46.470 said to Pharaoh, because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, 137 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:50.549 for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them. Therefore, 138 00:09:50.629 --> 00:09:56.259 God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied and grew very mightily. 139 00:09:56.019 --> 00:10:01.419 This was because the the midwives feared God and he provided households for them. 140 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:03.820 Then it goes on in verse twenty two. So Pharaoh commanded that all 141 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:09.690 his people say the commanded all these people saying every son who was born you 142 00:10:09.730 --> 00:10:11.450 shall cast into the river and every daughter you shall save a live. And 143 00:10:11.490 --> 00:10:16.169 then we have the story of Moses and how Moses mother hid him. There's 144 00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:20.330 another civil disobedience and and she hid him until she could hide him. Two 145 00:10:20.330 --> 00:10:22.440 more put him in the bulrushes. Ultimately she was, or he was, 146 00:10:22.759 --> 00:10:30.200 adopted by Farrow's daughter and and protected rightlessly. Right, right. Yeah. 147 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:35.440 So, so it's a great story to illustrate the point, yeah, of 148 00:10:35.950 --> 00:10:39.909 an unjust law and and people's response to it. And then what? What 149 00:10:41.190 --> 00:10:43.870 were the consequences? And so when, when we were talking about this and 150 00:10:45.070 --> 00:10:48.909 trying to decide how to approach this topic, I did a little bit of 151 00:10:48.950 --> 00:10:54.820 research and I found what I thought were really good three guiding principles. This 152 00:10:54.100 --> 00:11:03.460 was from First Baptist Dallas, yeah, Org website. So three guiding principles 153 00:11:03.820 --> 00:11:09.970 of civil disobedience, okay, fee, and three guiding principal biblically. Biblically, 154 00:11:09.009 --> 00:11:13.450 yes, yes, this is this is from a Biblical perspective, from 155 00:11:13.610 --> 00:11:18.250 Gospel Focus per perspective. So and I thought they were good and and I 156 00:11:18.330 --> 00:11:20.559 think we can apply them to any of these stories that we read about civil 157 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.799 disider in the frangely, as we were thinking about this subject and talking about 158 00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:28.600 this subject, as I'm going through them, thinking about, you know, 159 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.429 examples of civil disobedience in the scripture. You know, some come to mind 160 00:11:33.470 --> 00:11:37.149 immediately and then some I didn't really think about. Right. I didn't think 161 00:11:37.149 --> 00:11:39.590 about Daniel, the story of Daniel, until you mentioned and I should have 162 00:11:39.710 --> 00:11:43.909 because that's a common story in the story of Shadrach Meshech in a bandage. 163 00:11:43.070 --> 00:11:46.620 Yeah, so this is, I think, of very important topic that we 164 00:11:46.700 --> 00:11:50.620 talked about as it has to do with prolife ministry, because we're not just 165 00:11:50.659 --> 00:11:54.899 talking about sidewalk counseling. We're talking about in other realms of prolife ministry. 166 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:58.980 Mean we're living in an ever increasing world that is is pro death, pro 167 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:03.370 abortion, and not just like pro abortion in some sort of a passive way, 168 00:12:03.570 --> 00:12:07.330 like, you know, pro choice, so to speak, where you 169 00:12:07.409 --> 00:12:09.649 can choose to be pro life if you want. But I'm going to be 170 00:12:09.690 --> 00:12:15.529 pretty know these people are actively, like trying to silence prolifers actively. You 171 00:12:15.610 --> 00:12:18.279 know, I mentioned to you about in California laws that they had passed in 172 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:26.799 California basically saying that commanding that prolife pregnancy centers have to refer for abortions or 173 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.309 at least point people in the direction right of people that provide abortions. Yeah, 174 00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:37.830 just like not just this is conspelled speech, like you're not just forced 175 00:12:37.870 --> 00:12:43.110 to to just be okay with an alternative, respective, we're forced to promote 176 00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:48.500 abortion right, which is which is insane. Yeah, and doctors and nurses, 177 00:12:48.620 --> 00:12:54.860 we had talked about earlier, being forced to perform abortions or they'll lose 178 00:12:54.899 --> 00:12:58.730 their jobs. Yeah, another example. Yeah. Well, like in universities 179 00:12:58.769 --> 00:13:01.250 and things, people who are training to be MD's have to, you know, 180 00:13:03.210 --> 00:13:05.690 told that they have to perform abortions, or at least be part of 181 00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:09.529 a of an abortion, in order to get their MD yeah. Yeah, 182 00:13:09.809 --> 00:13:13.720 so it's not something that that you can just say well, you know, 183 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:18.440 maybe that's okay for you, but not for me. They're they're being actively, 184 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.600 yeah, told to go against God's Clear Commandments. Yeah, and and 185 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:28.070 their own counctions. Yeah. Yeah. So, so I'll go into those 186 00:13:28.070 --> 00:13:31.389 three guiding principles. Yeah, and then then we can go from there. 187 00:13:31.470 --> 00:13:37.149 So the first one, when you're thinking about civil disobedience, does it? 188 00:13:37.750 --> 00:13:46.340 Does the situation rise to the the degree that I need to disobey? Yeah, 189 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:50.379 Higher Authority, not God, not the highest authority. Right now, 190 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:56.929 we're talking about a governmental authority. So the first one is your disobedience based 191 00:13:56.970 --> 00:14:05.129 on clear biblical mandate. Okay. And and so do you know does does 192 00:14:05.289 --> 00:14:16.919 what you are rising up against violate something that God has clearly told you do 193 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:20.720 not violate? Yeah. So, you know, an obvious example in the 194 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:26.070 pro life movement is thou shall not murder. Yeah. Yeah. And what 195 00:14:26.269 --> 00:14:30.470 is support example right here in this passage to yeah, so these Hebrew Midwi 196 00:14:30.549 --> 00:14:35.230 was it says that their motivation was. They weren't just motivated it is Abe 197 00:14:35.309 --> 00:14:37.029 Farah because they didn't like him, because he had a funny hat, right, 198 00:14:39.179 --> 00:14:41.620 or whatever, because he was an Egyptian, whatever. Know, it 199 00:14:41.700 --> 00:14:46.700 says they feared God. Yes, that was that was their chief thing. 200 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:50.940 Here in the scripture. That says that it was motivating them to disobey this 201 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:54.929 this this edict, yes, decree, and to fear God. You must 202 00:14:54.049 --> 00:14:58.730 know God and you must know what he says. And why I think that's 203 00:14:58.730 --> 00:15:03.169 important is because I can't tell you the number of times that I have again 204 00:15:03.330 --> 00:15:07.480 our work in front of this abortion center, where I will say, do 205 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.200 you know what the Bible says about the unborn? Yeah, and the sacred 206 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:16.039 nature of that unborn life and so many of them will say, no, 207 00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:20.200 I don't know. So how can you fear and obey God if you don't 208 00:15:20.200 --> 00:15:24.669 even know what he says? So it's implicit in that. Yeah, these 209 00:15:24.950 --> 00:15:28.269 midwives they feared God, so they knew God. Yeah, and they knew 210 00:15:28.309 --> 00:15:33.309 his word, at least his command thou shalt not murder. Now that command 211 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:37.460 had not yet been given. It's given later on in the in Exitus, 212 00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:41.179 Chapter Twenty, where God writes the Ten can ten commandments on tablets of stone 213 00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:45.299 with his own finger. Right, but this command is a universal thing. 214 00:15:45.460 --> 00:15:50.970 Like we know killing innocent people is wrong. We know that universally. And 215 00:15:50.210 --> 00:15:56.850 these Hebrew midwives, they knew that, they feared God and and they disobeyed 216 00:15:56.970 --> 00:16:00.610 because of that. That first principle. Does it right? Violate a clear 217 00:16:00.049 --> 00:16:03.919 command of the Lord? Is what you're being told to do by a Governing 218 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:07.279 Authority? Violated Clear Command of the Lord? Right, and and that that 219 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:12.759 guiding principle is based on acts five twenty nine, which is Peter in the 220 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:19.470 apostles answered. We must obey God rather than men. Yeah, so whatever 221 00:16:19.830 --> 00:16:25.870 that. That should be the first thing that we think when we're budding heads 222 00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:33.860 with a law. Does this law in some way force me to disobey God? 223 00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:37.659 Yeah, and if so, that's a law that you may need to 224 00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:47.330 be disobedient. Yea Arts. Yeah, okay. So the second guiding principle 225 00:16:47.450 --> 00:16:52.490 of civil disobedience. If you gay engage in civil disobedience, do so demonstrating 226 00:16:52.850 --> 00:16:59.769 respect for authority. Okay. And so, if you think of Daniel is 227 00:16:59.850 --> 00:17:06.119 a great example. Yeah, throughout the book of Daniel, whenever Daniel engages 228 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:11.000 with the king who was remembered, this king, Nebuchadnezzar, was not a 229 00:17:11.720 --> 00:17:15.519 God follower, right, no, no, at least not an initially. 230 00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:22.109 And so, but he deals with him with so much respect when he's commanded 231 00:17:22.750 --> 00:17:26.069 in. I you know, I don't actually have the reference from Gett. 232 00:17:26.150 --> 00:17:30.380 A man died to eat the vegetables. Okay, yeah, that's the version. 233 00:17:30.380 --> 00:17:33.980 Couple chapters. Yeah, that's first couple of chapters of Daniel. Whenever 234 00:17:33.980 --> 00:17:40.259 they're brought from Jerusalem and they're brought in the Nebuchadner, Nebuchadnezzar's house, right. 235 00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:45.690 Yeah, that's the first chapter. And Daniel Basically says, and there's 236 00:17:45.730 --> 00:17:49.329 some some reasons why, I think, when Daniel, when the guy who 237 00:17:49.329 --> 00:17:53.210 ever sees the these young boys that wants to make them strong and tough and 238 00:17:53.329 --> 00:17:56.930 whatever, right is going to feed them meat. And he says No. 239 00:17:56.809 --> 00:18:00.319 Some people say, and I think I agree, that this was meat sacrifice 240 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:04.599 to idols. It was going against God's law. Right it was? Maybe 241 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:11.079 pork probably was right. Yeah, and either way, Daniel was saying we 242 00:18:11.160 --> 00:18:15.430 can't eat this meat. It would defile defile us, and so let's eat 243 00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:18.829 vegetables. And then that sense, Daniel was sort of slie about this thing. 244 00:18:18.950 --> 00:18:22.789 So it wasn't like direct civil disobedience. It wasn't we going to do 245 00:18:22.950 --> 00:18:26.470 that. It was just like, well, let's eat vegetables for ten days 246 00:18:26.029 --> 00:18:30.740 and if things go well, then maybe this is a good idea for everybody. 247 00:18:30.059 --> 00:18:36.059 Yeahs pits it. He's approaching it gently and with respect. As his 248 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:40.859 first resort, his first resort is not you know, I will not do 249 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:45.809 this and you know, pulls, pulls out a knife for anything like that. 250 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:51.849 He tries to basically offer a solution where he doesn't compromise in any way 251 00:18:52.529 --> 00:19:02.359 his beliefs. But but he's still present very respectfully, a counter to whatever 252 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:06.119 this edict is. Yeah, yeah, and so he does it and does 253 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.720 it like you said, very respectfully. And then going on just a couple 254 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:12.670 of chapters past that, in Daniel Chapter three, we have the story of 255 00:19:12.950 --> 00:19:18.230 Shadrach Meshech and Abendego. Yeah, and you know, they even though they 256 00:19:18.309 --> 00:19:22.869 were pretty straightforward about this. It seems that they were. They were pretty 257 00:19:22.869 --> 00:19:27.380 respectful, and it says here, says Verse Sixteen of Chapter Three. This 258 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:33.059 is after Nebuchanezzar had established this what ninety foot idol that people were supposed to 259 00:19:33.099 --> 00:19:36.500 when music play, they were supposed to bow down and and worship this thing. 260 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:40.089 Several Times today, whenever the trumpet sounded or whatever, they were just 261 00:19:40.250 --> 00:19:42.609 a bow down to the sidal and then, of course they refused to because 262 00:19:42.730 --> 00:19:48.730 this violates a clear command of God. This violates clearly what we've been told 263 00:19:48.170 --> 00:19:51.970 in God's word. You know, they have the first command us not worship 264 00:19:52.009 --> 00:19:52.960 an idol. I'm the Lord, your God. You have no other gods 265 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:56.200 before me. Second commands you should not make for yourself an idol. We 266 00:19:56.319 --> 00:20:00.279 can't do this. God has commanded us not to. It would go against 267 00:20:00.519 --> 00:20:03.559 what God's commanded, it would go against our conscious and Verse Sixteen and Chapter 268 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:08.109 Three says Shadrach Meshech and Abednego answered and said to the king, Old Nebuchadnezzar, 269 00:20:08.470 --> 00:20:11.309 we have no need to answer you in this matter. If there is 270 00:20:11.549 --> 00:20:15.109 just if that is the case, our God whom we serve, say this 271 00:20:15.230 --> 00:20:18.309 is Nebuchadnezzar, had threatened them. If you don't bow down, then you're 272 00:20:18.309 --> 00:20:22.220 going to be you going to be killed, thrown into a unto the furnace. 273 00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:26.180 Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the 274 00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:29.500 burning, fiery furnace and he will deliver us from your hand, Ole King. 275 00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:32.059 But if not, let it be known, Oh king, that we 276 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:34.619 will not serve your gods, nor will we worship the golden image of which 277 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:38.569 you have said, of what you have set up. So they're saying God 278 00:20:38.650 --> 00:20:41.650 can deliver us, but even if he doesn't, we're still not going to 279 00:20:41.730 --> 00:20:47.410 worship your idol. And they're not calling him names, they're they're not making 280 00:20:47.450 --> 00:20:51.200 any threats, they're just saying this is a standard we will not violate. 281 00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:55.640 Yeah, and and they do it with respect. Even look at the our 282 00:20:55.799 --> 00:21:00.799 last passage that we were talking about with the Hebrew midwives that you know, 283 00:21:00.920 --> 00:21:04.990 they're being ordered to murder babies. Yeah, and honestly, it seems like 284 00:21:06.069 --> 00:21:11.430 they would be very justified in saying, you filthy creep, what are you 285 00:21:11.710 --> 00:21:15.109 asking us to do? Have you no conscience? But they don't. They 286 00:21:15.150 --> 00:21:22.779 answered gently and kindly and and with respect. Yeah, yeah, that's not 287 00:21:22.859 --> 00:21:26.180 easy. Let me, it is not easy be especially when you look at 288 00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:33.369 what you're facing, particularly with abortion. You're facing the murder, what we 289 00:21:33.569 --> 00:21:38.730 believe is the murder of absolutely have so many innocent little babies, and I 290 00:21:38.890 --> 00:21:48.599 think our fleshly impulse is to to strike out at these vile people. Ya 291 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:52.119 doing this, what we what? This this vile act. And Yeah, 292 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:56.599 I think even more, you know, more applicable is and you're dealing with 293 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:00.470 governing authorities that, yeah, make up laws and that try to apply laws. 294 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:03.309 I mean, yeah, we did with some of that. You we've 295 00:22:03.349 --> 00:22:07.670 had anything from signs that we use to show the truth about abortion and show 296 00:22:07.710 --> 00:22:11.990 the truth about a mom choosing life. We've had those signs taken out of 297 00:22:12.029 --> 00:22:18.059 our volunteers hands before. I'm actually dealing with now a federal lawsuit against the 298 00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:21.940 city of Charlotte. Yeah, so we have some experience in this realm where 299 00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:26.980 we've had, you know, laws, sound ordinances and and pigting ordinances and 300 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:30.089 these different things that we've never really had to worry about before because we know 301 00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:33.690 we're not lawbreakers and we write with the law is. But they've been twisted 302 00:22:33.849 --> 00:22:37.450 in applied in certain ways where it's like man, in order for us to 303 00:22:37.529 --> 00:22:41.410 do what God's called us to do, we have to disobey, like we're 304 00:22:41.490 --> 00:22:47.079 called you someone wants literature, to give them literature. Yeah, that's part 305 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.039 of you know, our motive ministry is part of our calling. Yeah, 306 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:53.799 and now we've been written saltations for given out literature to somebody who stops in 307 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:56.720 the driveway and asked for it. Yeah, I mean, in a sense 308 00:22:57.000 --> 00:23:03.910 we are being told do not speak for up at this last ditch moment, 309 00:23:03.109 --> 00:23:11.029 do not speak and offer what you know can save lives and your point people 310 00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:17.059 to God. But God commands us in proverbs thirty one, eight to ten. 311 00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:22.579 Speak for those who cannot speak for yourself. So that is an unjust 312 00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:30.009 law that directly violates God's commandment to us to speak and and the methods by 313 00:23:30.089 --> 00:23:38.250 which we speak to these women is our information, literally speaking, which they, 314 00:23:38.730 --> 00:23:45.720 the authorities, have tried to shut down through the sound ordinance, and 315 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:49.839 and Our signs, speaking with visual images. Yes, so you know, 316 00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:53.000 one of the things that I've said is we're talking about what we're dealing with 317 00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:56.549 personally, and I know what others you know. I mentioned California and the 318 00:23:56.589 --> 00:24:00.390 law that had been passed on. Thankfully that's been struck down, from what 319 00:24:00.549 --> 00:24:04.589 understand, where these pro life pregnancy centers not only have to disclose they don't 320 00:24:04.589 --> 00:24:07.470 do abortions, but they have to point people in the direction of abortions if 321 00:24:07.470 --> 00:24:11.220 they want abortions, which is ridiculous right, but you know, they had 322 00:24:11.259 --> 00:24:15.220 to push back against that and you have to make the decision because they were 323 00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:18.740 facing if they were if they were not going to obey that, they were 324 00:24:18.779 --> 00:24:23.529 facing five hundred per incident, initially when it was five hundred for the first 325 00:24:23.529 --> 00:24:29.089 incident in a thousand dollars for every an incident after that. It's like, 326 00:24:29.569 --> 00:24:33.130 can I obey this? Can I in good conscience obey not just not talking 327 00:24:33.170 --> 00:24:38.359 about pro life stuff, but actually being compelled to encourage people at least a 328 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:41.640 point people in the direction of abortions? Like, man, there's no way 329 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.160 right that I can honor God is so I think that's one of the things 330 00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:49.079 is, can I honor God and obey this. And if I'm told I 331 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:53.869 can't speak against abortion, I have to in order to honor the Lord. 332 00:24:53.910 --> 00:24:57.990 I know, the slaughter of the innocence is happening in our city, like 333 00:24:59.150 --> 00:25:02.710 in Matthew Chapter too. Yeah, I have to speak at against. Yeah. 334 00:25:02.710 --> 00:25:06.109 Yeah, and you know, sort of out of this passage, Shadrach, 335 00:25:06.150 --> 00:25:10.579 Meshech and Abednego, is there not just dealing with some I don't know, 336 00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:15.180 some sort of benign thing, edict or whatever, but this is like 337 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:21.299 a malicious and malignant thing where they're told they have to worship this ninety foot 338 00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:26.450 idol in the public square and they respectfully. Like I said, it's hard 339 00:25:26.529 --> 00:25:27.890 because, you know, even talking about this, I'm getting fired up, 340 00:25:27.930 --> 00:25:32.170 my blood starting a ball because I man, we have a command from God, 341 00:25:32.650 --> 00:25:36.279 we have this thing called the constitution in the United States to protect these 342 00:25:36.279 --> 00:25:38.039 rights, and yet we're still having to deal with this. Yeah, these 343 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:41.799 guys, though, they didn't have a constitution. They had God's word, 344 00:25:41.880 --> 00:25:45.119 but they didn't have, you know, different courts and things like that they 345 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:49.150 could appeal to. They couldn't file a federal lawsuit against Nebuchadnezzar. Yeah, 346 00:25:49.910 --> 00:25:56.670 they had to face some pretty tough circumstances and they were willing to do it, 347 00:25:56.750 --> 00:25:59.789 and I think that's right to and so that goes to the third one 348 00:26:00.390 --> 00:26:06.339 of the guiding principles of civil disobedience, and it's a hard one, but 349 00:26:06.539 --> 00:26:12.859 it is critical that we be prepared to suffer the consequences. Yeah, now, 350 00:26:14.420 --> 00:26:18.009 we know that in the end God will reward us, but there can 351 00:26:18.289 --> 00:26:29.009 be dire consequences to any act of civil disobedience. So be clear that the 352 00:26:29.210 --> 00:26:34.039 law that you are regarding as unjust and that you are going to disobey is, 353 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:41.599 is it truly a a law that forces you to compromise? It's a 354 00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:47.750 moral law, yeah, or an immoral law that causes you to compromise your 355 00:26:48.390 --> 00:26:52.230 ability to honor and glorify God? Yeah, and if it is, yeah, 356 00:26:52.470 --> 00:26:57.829 I think you have no choice but to to fight that. Yeah, 357 00:26:57.910 --> 00:27:03.500 absolutely. Well, let's go into Daniel, chapter six, I believe it 358 00:27:03.619 --> 00:27:06.619 is. Yeah, Daniel Chapter Six. This is another story, of course, 359 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:08.420 we all know. My Name's Daniel, so Daniels. So that's your 360 00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:11.579 favorite book, right, favorite. This nicely my favorite book of the Bible, 361 00:27:11.700 --> 00:27:15.890 though, but it's one of my favorite yes, and in the story 362 00:27:15.930 --> 00:27:19.329 of Daniel Daniel in the lions den. When I tell people in my name 363 00:27:19.569 --> 00:27:22.809 and they're like how I need to remember that, it's easy. Daniel the 364 00:27:22.890 --> 00:27:26.569 license, just remember the guy in the lions didn't right. Of course, 365 00:27:26.809 --> 00:27:30.680 the stay of the story of Daniel the lions didn't begins with an unrighteous edict 366 00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:37.839 from King Darius. In this situation where these men, apparently some of the 367 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:41.279 Council Darius, were jealous of Daniel because he was favored by the king and 368 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:45.910 they convinced him to make up this this new law that you can't pray for 369 00:27:45.950 --> 00:27:48.269 a certain amount of time. I think it was thirty days or something like 370 00:27:48.349 --> 00:27:56.589 that, to any other deity or any other God or any other entity except 371 00:27:56.589 --> 00:28:00.619 for the king. And and when this was passed, here's what it says 372 00:28:00.700 --> 00:28:04.539 in Daniel, chapter six and verse eight. Now, when Daniel knew that 373 00:28:04.619 --> 00:28:08.180 the writing was signed, so this law was passed, you know it was 374 00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:14.170 signed, he went home and in his upper room with his window open toward 375 00:28:14.210 --> 00:28:17.250 Jerusalem. So he didn't do it in silence, he didn't do it behind 376 00:28:17.289 --> 00:28:21.930 closed doors, he opened his window towards Jerusalem. So, and it's with 377 00:28:22.049 --> 00:28:25.490 his window opened towards Jerusalem he knelt down on his knees three times that day 378 00:28:25.769 --> 00:28:30.079 and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early 379 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:34.000 days. Daniel apparently did this all the time. This is his custom, 380 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:38.279 this is what he did. Never had a problem till they passed this law 381 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:42.710 and rather than saying wow, I maybe I should obey this thing, maybe 382 00:28:42.710 --> 00:28:48.430 I should go and hide and and pray in secret. I mean the Bible 383 00:28:48.509 --> 00:28:51.509 says you should pray in secrets, what Jesus says. So I can justify 384 00:28:51.670 --> 00:28:53.670 by just close step out of your custom, because obviously they're going to be 385 00:28:53.710 --> 00:28:56.660 they know your custom, they're going to be looking for here. You're setting 386 00:28:56.700 --> 00:29:00.539 yourself up for failure here. D Yeah, Daniel, what are you doing 387 00:29:00.660 --> 00:29:03.180 here? Don't you know you should obey the governing authorities? And yet he 388 00:29:03.380 --> 00:29:07.819 goes with his window open now, right, didn't believe it all. Right 389 00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:10.690 after that, right right after they said it, he goes open the window. 390 00:29:10.730 --> 00:29:12.250 I mean it says now when he knew. When Daniel knew, so 391 00:29:12.569 --> 00:29:15.690 he knew this thing. So it was like here's the here's the cause and 392 00:29:15.730 --> 00:29:18.089 effects, and I found out this thing. So he went rite home and 393 00:29:18.170 --> 00:29:22.490 pray. Now I don't think it was Daniel's motive at all, because you 394 00:29:22.569 --> 00:29:26.920 look at this guy, who's just a humble man, love God, that 395 00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:30.319 he was doing this for show. I mean open his window for show. 396 00:29:30.400 --> 00:29:33.240 Knows, there's this customs we always they did, right, this is yeah, 397 00:29:33.240 --> 00:29:37.119 he prayed and he prayed toward Rusalem three times a day. Yeah, 398 00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:42.190 he kept doing what he had done and ultimately he's apprehended and he's thrown into 399 00:29:42.230 --> 00:29:45.069 the lions den and, you know, by God's grace he was saved. 400 00:29:45.710 --> 00:29:49.029 But he knew full well, knew that he could be eaten by the Lions. 401 00:29:49.390 --> 00:29:56.140 Yeah, and and yet he still did this act of civil disobedient right, 402 00:29:56.180 --> 00:30:00.940 right, and he suffered the consequences and in this case, as in 403 00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:06.619 the case with the Hebrew midwives, God stepped in and saved him. Yeah, 404 00:30:07.289 --> 00:30:10.809 it's sad. With Chad Rach Mescheck in a Bandigo, God's diving rescue 405 00:30:10.809 --> 00:30:14.769 right from the fiery fern, right, but he doesn't always know, you 406 00:30:14.849 --> 00:30:18.849 know, he doesn't always and I think we have to be prepared for the 407 00:30:18.970 --> 00:30:25.519 fact that we may suffer. And you know, Jesus is a perfect example 408 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:30.160 of that. He he did not answer Herod was Adhrod that was questioning him. 409 00:30:30.200 --> 00:30:34.319 And he was and pilot and he was just silent and he could have 410 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:38.950 rescued himself there, but he would not answer you. The only answer gay, 411 00:30:40.069 --> 00:30:42.150 just as Satans pilot was like, don't you know, I have the 412 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:45.789 power to set you free. And he says you have no power except that 413 00:30:45.910 --> 00:30:48.230 which is given to you. Basically, you're under God's authority. Right, 414 00:30:48.269 --> 00:30:52.579 ultimately, man put yourself in check. And you know what, honestly, 415 00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:57.500 that is a great guiding principle as well as well that statement by Jesus. 416 00:30:57.579 --> 00:31:02.299 You would have no power unless it was given to you by God. And 417 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:04.609 so you know, when we go forth, if we keep that in our 418 00:31:04.690 --> 00:31:11.930 heart and mind, we remember that we serve the God of all power. 419 00:31:12.210 --> 00:31:18.369 Yeah, and and it is to I mean that's that brings me to some 420 00:31:18.490 --> 00:31:21.599 of the pastors that we were talking about that are sort of difficult. So 421 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:25.119 we can is there are some. Yeah, we had passages. We talked 422 00:31:25.119 --> 00:31:30.640 about the civil civil disobedience passages, some of those at least, and you 423 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.390 know how God honored those people. And I believe, no matter what, 424 00:31:33.509 --> 00:31:37.269 listen, if Shadwick Mischannak in a BANDAGO would have been consumed in the fiery 425 00:31:37.349 --> 00:31:41.470 furnace. Still, God would have honored them in eternity. Right. But 426 00:31:41.549 --> 00:31:44.950 God honored them in that case by saving them. The Hebrew midwise, in 427 00:31:44.990 --> 00:31:48.700 the same and Daniel the same even if. But their motive was not that 428 00:31:48.819 --> 00:31:51.660 God's going to rescue me. Their motive was I'm going to honor God no 429 00:31:51.740 --> 00:31:55.180 matter what. Honor them no matter what. But we have here in Roman 430 00:31:55.180 --> 00:31:59.380 chapter thirteen. This is where my mind always goes when I'm thinking about governing 431 00:31:59.420 --> 00:32:04.369 authorities and dealing with the government and that sort of thing, and I'm kind 432 00:32:04.410 --> 00:32:07.690 of give well, let's just read the passage, okay, and Romans Thirteen, 433 00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:10.690 verse one. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for 434 00:32:10.769 --> 00:32:15.079 there's no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by 435 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:20.319 God. Therefore, whoever resists the Authority resists the ordinance of God, and 436 00:32:20.440 --> 00:32:23.079 those who resist will bring judgment on themselves, for rulers are not a terror 437 00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:27.240 to good works, but evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the 438 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:30.269 Authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same, 439 00:32:30.150 --> 00:32:34.950 for he is God's minister to you for good, but if you do evil, 440 00:32:35.109 --> 00:32:37.630 be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for 441 00:32:37.750 --> 00:32:40.549 he is God's minister and Avenger to execute wrath on Him who practices evil. 442 00:32:40.589 --> 00:32:44.700 Therefore, you must be subject, not only too because of wrath, but 443 00:32:44.779 --> 00:32:50.259 also for constant sake, for because of this you will pay taxes. You 444 00:32:50.420 --> 00:32:53.859 also, you also pay taxes for their God's ministers attending continually to this very 445 00:32:53.980 --> 00:32:58.650 thing, render taxes so basicly, he's talking about taxes. I don't think 446 00:32:58.650 --> 00:33:00.890 that's the only context here. We saw tags. I think it's primary context 447 00:33:01.210 --> 00:33:05.930 where's talking about taxes, and so some Christians might ask the question, do 448 00:33:06.049 --> 00:33:08.529 I need to pay my taxes? And Yeah, you do, and Jesus 449 00:33:08.569 --> 00:33:12.529 even said that. Yeah, give the seas as, those that are caesars 450 00:33:12.569 --> 00:33:16.000 and right to God this thing. But how do we how do we view 451 00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:19.839 this, this passage, in light of what we're talking about, because we're 452 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:25.160 looking at Old Testament examples, and we mentioned and we'll mention again, probably 453 00:33:25.200 --> 00:33:31.549 we need to read those passages and Romans or acts. Sorry about these apostles 454 00:33:31.670 --> 00:33:37.269 who disobeyed, and so they had some commands from governing authorities, and yet 455 00:33:37.309 --> 00:33:42.940 this passage just telling us that we need to obey those governing authorities. Yeah, 456 00:33:43.460 --> 00:33:49.299 let me jump on to the first Peter Passage right because I think it 457 00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:52.259 ties in its pretty much the same themes. Is What Paul's given enrollments. 458 00:33:53.700 --> 00:33:58.009 But it says, and you know this is all those who are listen, 459 00:33:58.089 --> 00:34:00.170 Peter. What First Peter Chapter Two? Okay, and you know I'm a 460 00:34:00.250 --> 00:34:04.609 context guy. I don't like to just read a passage out of its context. 461 00:34:04.730 --> 00:34:07.849 But I won't read the greater context of this passage because I think it's 462 00:34:07.849 --> 00:34:10.400 pretty obvious. But for those who want to just read first Peter, it's 463 00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:15.199 very short. You'll get the context of what Peter's talking about here, but 464 00:34:15.239 --> 00:34:17.679 I'll jump into verse thirteen. It says therefore, and you know, when 465 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:21.079 there's a therefore, you should look back and see what it's there for. 466 00:34:21.360 --> 00:34:23.159 So I encourage you to look at the context of this. But therefore submit 467 00:34:23.199 --> 00:34:28.110 yourselves to every ordinance of Man for God's sake, rather through the king of 468 00:34:28.190 --> 00:34:31.110 supreme or to governors, as those who are sent by him for the punishment 469 00:34:31.110 --> 00:34:35.670 of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good, for this is 470 00:34:35.710 --> 00:34:38.420 the will of God that by doing good, you may put the science ignorance 471 00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:43.900 of foolish men as free. Yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, 472 00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:46.260 but as bond servants of the Lord, Honor All people, love the 473 00:34:46.340 --> 00:34:51.500 Brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. So again, here's here's a 474 00:34:51.619 --> 00:34:54.050 context. Or we're dealing with obedience to government. You know, Paul says, 475 00:34:54.090 --> 00:34:59.610 submit yourself to every ordinance of Man. Peter says, submit yourselves to 476 00:34:59.650 --> 00:35:04.889 every ordinance of Man. And we're talking about ordinances, right, we're dealing 477 00:35:04.929 --> 00:35:09.960 with what we believe to be some unjust ordinances here in Charlotte and looking around, 478 00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:15.199 you know there's some unjust ordinances, some things. That calls prolife ministries 479 00:35:15.239 --> 00:35:19.760 to have issues. Well, not just even your life. Let's just look 480 00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:24.630 at abortion. Yeah, abortion in and of itself is allowed my law. 481 00:35:25.030 --> 00:35:28.630 Yeah, our country. Yeah, yes, I'm say, it's the it's 482 00:35:28.670 --> 00:35:30.510 the law of the land, you know. Right, Rudy weight, right, 483 00:35:30.750 --> 00:35:32.710 but yeah, by the way, Ruby weight is not a law. 484 00:35:32.869 --> 00:35:38.420 Right. The courts, because of the constitution, are not to make laws, 485 00:35:39.500 --> 00:35:44.059 but they have in some senses, which is horrible. Right. That 486 00:35:44.179 --> 00:35:45.980 could be a podcast for another day. That's because that would be along going 487 00:35:46.059 --> 00:35:52.449 to go through. Yeah, but yeah, so we look at these ordinances 488 00:35:52.530 --> 00:35:55.809 of man and we look at some of the hindrances that they cost us personally, 489 00:35:58.610 --> 00:36:01.809 and we're like, we have to do what you know. Let's go 490 00:36:01.889 --> 00:36:05.800 back to the to acts. And this is what they said in the book 491 00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:10.519 of acts. Okay, they were told by the governing authorities and acts chapter 492 00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:15.039 four, I believe it is. And you know, they were preaching the 493 00:36:15.079 --> 00:36:21.349 name of Jesus, they were healing people in the name of Jesus and ultimately 494 00:36:21.429 --> 00:36:25.070 the Pharisees who were rulers, they were in charge. Hmm, in some 495 00:36:25.230 --> 00:36:30.230 ways. Now, they weren't in complete charge because Romans, the Romans ruled 496 00:36:30.230 --> 00:36:35.940 Jerusalem and and the whole area of Israel there, but they at least had 497 00:36:36.019 --> 00:36:40.579 some authority and there at least you know, religious and you know secular one 498 00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:46.530 elsa secular bit governmental authorities. And it says in verse thirteen of Acts Chapter 499 00:36:46.690 --> 00:36:52.090 Four. Now and they it's the Pharisees or the the Sahedron, so the 500 00:36:52.130 --> 00:36:55.090 Pharisees is said to season and the other rulers there in Jerusalem, when they 501 00:36:55.090 --> 00:37:00.090 saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceive that they were uneducated and untrained 502 00:37:00.130 --> 00:37:02.239 men, they marveled and they realize that they had been with Jesus. So 503 00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:07.079 they recognize this thing about them that had been with Jesus and seeing the man 504 00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:08.679 who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 505 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:15.599 But it basically what happens is they take these guys into their authority, to 506 00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:21.789 their custody, and they beat them actually for healing a man. Yeah, 507 00:37:21.829 --> 00:37:27.550 for healing a man. And and it says this is them conversing with themselves. 508 00:37:27.789 --> 00:37:30.980 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely 509 00:37:30.099 --> 00:37:36.460 threatened them that they now, that they now they speak in the name of 510 00:37:36.539 --> 00:37:38.940 Jesus. No more. So they're not supposed to speak in Jesus name it. 511 00:37:39.300 --> 00:37:42.940 So they called them a commanded them that they should not speak nor teach 512 00:37:43.179 --> 00:37:45.010 in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John, and this is the 513 00:37:45.050 --> 00:37:51.050 same Peter That wrote first Peter. Okay, so there's some context here and 514 00:37:51.449 --> 00:37:54.250 there's some there's things that we need to reconcile in our understanding here, which 515 00:37:54.289 --> 00:37:58.570 we'll talk about. But Peter and John answered and said to them whether it 516 00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:00.039 is right, in the sight of God, to listen to you more than 517 00:38:00.119 --> 00:38:05.239 God, you Judge Verse Twenty. I love this passage, for we cannot 518 00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:09.719 but speak the things which we have seen and heard. And so when they 519 00:38:09.719 --> 00:38:15.230 had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing 520 00:38:15.269 --> 00:38:19.110 them because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been 521 00:38:19.150 --> 00:38:23.949 done. And so this man's healed, God's glorify the Gospels preached. These 522 00:38:24.030 --> 00:38:29.900 guys are ticked off. So they arrest Peter and John and there threatened them. 523 00:38:30.019 --> 00:38:31.019 I said, they beat them if they didn't in this pastor. I 524 00:38:31.059 --> 00:38:37.699 think later on they actually do. Okay, and then they threatened them, 525 00:38:37.739 --> 00:38:39.500 tell them to can't speak. No, no more speaking in the name of 526 00:38:39.539 --> 00:38:43.650 Jesus. No, we're preaching this Gospel about this Jesus. Okay, we 527 00:38:43.769 --> 00:38:45.889 don't hear the stuff anymore because we're gonna we're going to put you to death, 528 00:38:45.969 --> 00:38:50.730 whatever they threaten them with. Yeah, and Peter and John's response is 529 00:38:50.969 --> 00:38:53.250 you judge for yourself whether it's right for us to listen to you or to 530 00:38:53.369 --> 00:38:57.920 God. For us, we're going to listen to God. Yeah, we 531 00:38:58.039 --> 00:39:00.800 can't help it. He's basically saying, we can't help it, we can't 532 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:04.039 help but speak the things which we have seen, in which we have heard 533 00:39:04.119 --> 00:39:07.000 what he's talking about. The Death Bear on resurrection of Jesus and the miracles 534 00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:13.309 that Jesus had performed, this majesty of this Glorious Savior. We can't keep 535 00:39:13.309 --> 00:39:15.670 our mouth shut about this thing. It's not just that we don't want to, 536 00:39:15.789 --> 00:39:19.829 it's like we can't, we can't help we have to speak this this 537 00:39:20.389 --> 00:39:23.820 truth about Jesus, and in the same way with us and the application that 538 00:39:23.900 --> 00:39:28.940 we're dealing with here in Charlotte. I mean, we've been struck, of 539 00:39:29.059 --> 00:39:31.739 course, with the Majesty of Jesus and we can't help but preach the Gospel, 540 00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:37.380 but also we've been, you know, dealt with the Holy Spirit for 541 00:39:37.500 --> 00:39:40.489 what's happening in our city, the fact that little baby boys and little baby 542 00:39:40.530 --> 00:39:45.289 girls are being murdered just minutes away from our churches, from our homes. 543 00:39:45.969 --> 00:39:50.250 Like we have to speak against this thing. We have and we've seen the 544 00:39:50.409 --> 00:39:53.119 effect of speaking against this. We've seen MOMS choose life. We just had 545 00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:59.280 the day after Christmas. Today we just had a mom who had had an 546 00:39:59.320 --> 00:40:04.280 abortion broken yeah, and was coming actually to the abortion clinic again, actually 547 00:40:04.320 --> 00:40:07.000 hoping that we would be there right. Thankfully, by God's grace, we 548 00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:09.510 were right and we shared the truth with her. She chose life for that 549 00:40:09.630 --> 00:40:15.230 baby and she's getting ministered to from her previous abortion and, like man, 550 00:40:15.309 --> 00:40:16.829 we've seen the result of this thing. We know what God can do. 551 00:40:16.989 --> 00:40:22.980 We must speak this truth. To withhold this truth would be a crime against 552 00:40:22.059 --> 00:40:27.900 God and against these women. Yeah, ultimately you'll be held account by someone 553 00:40:28.059 --> 00:40:31.380 to account. Yeah, it be held to account by God for what you 554 00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:35.340 have done or haven't done? Or will it be held to account by, 555 00:40:36.289 --> 00:40:38.690 you know, some Civic Authority, Civil Authority, for what you have done 556 00:40:38.730 --> 00:40:47.570 or or not done? And certainly my my preference is that my heart would 557 00:40:47.650 --> 00:40:53.400 long to be held to account by God and to have done what he has 558 00:40:53.519 --> 00:40:58.119 commanded us to do. What or one of the things? And you know, 559 00:40:58.199 --> 00:41:01.320 we're not not going to be able to get into the depth of Romans, 560 00:41:01.360 --> 00:41:05.829 chapter thirteen and all the back and forth arguments about that. Maybe we 561 00:41:05.869 --> 00:41:08.510 will at some future podcast, maybe have someone on WHO's smarter than us about 562 00:41:08.510 --> 00:41:14.150 this stuff. But one of the things I will say is that in Romans 563 00:41:14.590 --> 00:41:17.900 and in Peter What Peters talking about, you're dealing with, you know, 564 00:41:17.980 --> 00:41:23.219 a literal empire, a monarchy where you have the highest level of government is 565 00:41:23.420 --> 00:41:28.820 the emperor. Is the Roman emperor, and that's what you're dealing with. 566 00:41:28.940 --> 00:41:31.739 That context, in the context we're dealing with here in the United States of 567 00:41:31.780 --> 00:41:36.849 America. You know what the highest level of government is in this country, 568 00:41:37.849 --> 00:41:40.210 the highest level of the highest authority in this country, in our country? 569 00:41:42.289 --> 00:41:46.199 Well, yes, I would assume it's congress. President. No, no, 570 00:41:46.800 --> 00:41:51.519 actually, some no, court, not a not gonna happen. No, 571 00:41:52.239 --> 00:41:55.599 the constitution. Oh, of course, the constitution is what gives these 572 00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:00.789 it's what lays out these different areas of government, these three branches of government 573 00:42:00.869 --> 00:42:04.710 or all they wouldn't exist. It wouldn't for the constitution. Now, it's 574 00:42:04.750 --> 00:42:07.829 true that not necessarily everyone in government is going to abide or agree with that. 575 00:42:07.989 --> 00:42:12.789 They're right kind of rewriting their own little constantation. That's the that's the 576 00:42:12.869 --> 00:42:15.460 issue. Yeah, so the highest level of government that we have to obey 577 00:42:15.460 --> 00:42:20.300 in this country is the constitution, and there are things that are very plain 578 00:42:20.460 --> 00:42:23.260 in the constitution, like the freedom of speech. Yeah, we shall not 579 00:42:23.380 --> 00:42:27.380 be infringed upon. I mean, come on, you can't get more clear 580 00:42:27.539 --> 00:42:31.610 than that. And yet these there are government entities that try to circumvent or 581 00:42:31.650 --> 00:42:37.050 usurp the authority that the constitution has in this country and that creates a lot 582 00:42:37.130 --> 00:42:40.210 of problems. Yeah, it's so one of the the appeals that I make. 583 00:42:40.289 --> 00:42:45.039 You know, if I'm going to give out a pamphlet to a mom 584 00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:47.320 that's going into an abortion clinic and I'm threatened with a CETACEAN for stepping into 585 00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:51.599 the driveway or for stepping around a police barricade or whatever. And this you 586 00:42:51.639 --> 00:42:54.800 know well, the weird threats. One of our guys got jaywalking a couple 587 00:42:54.800 --> 00:42:59.429 of weeks ago for walking across the street and given literature. It's like this 588 00:42:59.590 --> 00:43:02.309 not in because there's yeah, cross the crosswalk, because the crosswalk within a 589 00:43:02.349 --> 00:43:05.710 mile and I have it. It's funny, but it stinks because we have 590 00:43:05.750 --> 00:43:07.630 to get a quart over this, we have to fight this, we have 591 00:43:07.670 --> 00:43:10.309 to get a lawyer in all this. It's ridiculous, right, but it's 592 00:43:10.349 --> 00:43:15.460 like I have to do that if I know it can save a baby's life. 593 00:43:15.980 --> 00:43:20.260 And also I know according to the constitution I have a right to speak 594 00:43:20.300 --> 00:43:24.539 or giving literature is speech. To give literature to somebody that asks for Yes, 595 00:43:24.739 --> 00:43:29.610 I know I'm not violating my conscience. I'm honoring God first and foremost, 596 00:43:29.849 --> 00:43:31.369 but I'm also I'm not violating the law of the land because it's the 597 00:43:31.409 --> 00:43:37.289 constitution. Yeah, so there are certainly constitutional portions of the Constitution, such 598 00:43:37.329 --> 00:43:43.360 a slavery, that that I do think, violate gods. Yeah, absolutely. 599 00:43:43.360 --> 00:43:46.840 And so there are times when the highest law of the land is immoral. 600 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:51.320 Yeah, and absolutely it is unjust. And then that, you know, 601 00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:54.750 then God is, though, supreme. Yeah, above it all. 602 00:43:55.269 --> 00:43:59.590 One of the things I would have a hard time with the the Romans Thirteen 603 00:43:59.630 --> 00:44:02.030 finding like a whole to be able to say, okay, you can, 604 00:44:02.789 --> 00:44:07.110 you can kind of disregard that. But in the was it in the first 605 00:44:07.150 --> 00:44:13.179 Peter? There's Peter beausage. It says fear God to write, and there 606 00:44:13.900 --> 00:44:17.539 in the list of things was fear God. And so in the list of 607 00:44:17.739 --> 00:44:22.579 who were your to honor and obey, God is clearly mentioned fear God. 608 00:44:22.739 --> 00:44:27.730 And of course, throughout the Bible God's Word is Supreme. Yeah, so 609 00:44:28.130 --> 00:44:31.610 when he's in the list and you've you can then kind of pick, well, 610 00:44:31.690 --> 00:44:37.570 which one of my kind of honor and and if the laws of men 611 00:44:38.440 --> 00:44:42.840 contradict the laws of God, I think you could make an argument in that 612 00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:46.800 passage well, fear God is is the most important. Yeah, so I 613 00:44:46.920 --> 00:44:50.719 don't know if that's true in the Romans. Thirteen one, I didn't really 614 00:44:50.880 --> 00:44:52.349 pick up any. Yeah, like I said, it's impossible for us to 615 00:44:52.429 --> 00:44:55.710 dig in the meat of that. But I will say just practically. You 616 00:44:55.829 --> 00:45:01.309 know, the Apostle, peter is not contradicting himself. When are whereas before, 617 00:45:01.349 --> 00:45:06.309 he disobeyed and did it respectfully the governing authorities. I say we can't, 618 00:45:06.349 --> 00:45:07.099 we have to speak in the name of Jesus, even they were, 619 00:45:07.139 --> 00:45:13.179 they were told not to. Yeah, and Paul of course himself knowing that 620 00:45:13.340 --> 00:45:16.099 in many scenarios he could be arrested, and it was. You know, 621 00:45:16.219 --> 00:45:21.809 he was told actually in acts later on the governing authorities in Jurus. Some 622 00:45:21.929 --> 00:45:23.369 didn't like Paul so much either. You know, I don't know if he's 623 00:45:23.409 --> 00:45:27.570 directly told. Don't recall him being directly told don't speak in the name of 624 00:45:27.610 --> 00:45:30.610 Jesus, but he was arrested and ultimately given over to the Romans, yeah, 625 00:45:30.730 --> 00:45:36.000 for what seems to be an act of civil disobedience. So there's there's 626 00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.400 some context that I think can easily be, I consolid again, we're not 627 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:43.639 going to be able to do it right here, right now. That lets 628 00:45:43.639 --> 00:45:46.679 us know that there are acts of sizzle, civil disobedience, and we see 629 00:45:46.679 --> 00:45:51.789 that, course, in the passage. We read in Daniel and in exodus 630 00:45:52.469 --> 00:45:54.550 that there are times when, in order to honor God, you have to 631 00:45:54.630 --> 00:46:00.550 disobey governing a thorn. Yeah, yeah, but it does create, I 632 00:46:00.590 --> 00:46:05.420 don't know if that's where you're going. It does create some questions about, 633 00:46:06.219 --> 00:46:08.260 well, how far do you take that? It does, it does, 634 00:46:08.420 --> 00:46:15.460 and I think it's really important. Something that I was thinking about as I 635 00:46:15.739 --> 00:46:22.809 was researching this subject was in all the examples of civil disobedience from an individual 636 00:46:23.210 --> 00:46:30.690 who loved the Lord in the Bible, do I ever see an example where 637 00:46:30.730 --> 00:46:36.519 violence was used? Yeah, and I don't. I can't recall. And 638 00:46:36.639 --> 00:46:43.000 in fact I think Jesus's example is clear that we don't respond with violence. 639 00:46:43.239 --> 00:46:46.869 Maybe he's arrested, unjustly, arrested for crimes he never committed. Yeah, 640 00:46:47.150 --> 00:46:52.630 in the garden of cassemone and and one of his disciples cuts off the ear 641 00:46:52.789 --> 00:46:57.590 of one of slee exactly the opposite, right, yeah, he didn't even 642 00:46:57.630 --> 00:47:00.429 grab a sword with Peter he rightly, he's the gas ere. Heals the 643 00:47:00.659 --> 00:47:09.139 ear and and so I don't think of the things that were called not to 644 00:47:09.300 --> 00:47:15.090 do in being civilly disobedient. I don't think we're called to violence. Yeah, 645 00:47:16.409 --> 00:47:20.050 I don't see that. Biblically, yeah, I don't either. And 646 00:47:20.329 --> 00:47:23.090 of course that's where folks mind will go. If you can just violate laws 647 00:47:23.969 --> 00:47:28.329 with then wow, what's holding you back from violating whatever, any law? 648 00:47:28.369 --> 00:47:32.639 Yeah, but what's holding this bag if you violate a law that you see 649 00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:37.360 is unjust? Number one is you don't just do it Willie Neilly. You 650 00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:42.000 don't just do it off the cuff and just disregard the law. You've considered 651 00:47:42.119 --> 00:47:46.349 the law, you've thought about what this thing might you know for the consequences 652 00:47:46.389 --> 00:47:51.789 might be, but also the context of this law and how it contradicts the 653 00:47:51.829 --> 00:47:54.510 ord to God and the convictions of your heart. So you don't just do 654 00:47:54.630 --> 00:47:59.820 it right off the cuff, Willie neely. It's something that you you have 655 00:48:00.019 --> 00:48:01.699 well, you thought it through. Yeah, and you know, as I'm 656 00:48:01.739 --> 00:48:06.659 thinking through, these three principles in the middle one of respect. You know, 657 00:48:06.820 --> 00:48:09.619 just again from our example on the sidewalk, not that we're a perfect 658 00:48:09.659 --> 00:48:17.809 example by any means, but but whenever there has been something proposed by the 659 00:48:17.969 --> 00:48:24.130 officers out there as the law that they're you know, at least the law 660 00:48:24.130 --> 00:48:30.719 of the day. We, I think, pretty uniformly respectfully approach them and 661 00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:35.800 respectfully challenge. Well, can you show us that? Yeah, we asked, 662 00:48:36.000 --> 00:48:38.079 you know, show us. Show US where where they're always sad what? 663 00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:45.710 And and and then we have often used, I think, creative ways 664 00:48:45.269 --> 00:48:53.389 to abide by the law but still be able to do what we know we're 665 00:48:53.469 --> 00:48:59.139 called to do. Yeah, so you know. And an example on in 666 00:48:59.300 --> 00:49:04.780 our situation is we're not allowed to cross a police barricade to hand out literature 667 00:49:05.099 --> 00:49:07.260 to women pulling in, even if they roll down their window and reach for 668 00:49:07.340 --> 00:49:12.650 it. So we're using grabbers now and we and a baby from all use 669 00:49:12.690 --> 00:49:15.409 the reach on the top right. And I think a week ago a baby 670 00:49:15.650 --> 00:49:21.369 was literally the mom took the literature from the grabber and and and read the 671 00:49:21.449 --> 00:49:24.719 literature and drove out of that place in chose life for her baby. So 672 00:49:24.880 --> 00:49:31.039 I think whenever possible you certainly want to work within the confines of the law, 673 00:49:31.280 --> 00:49:36.639 but that is not always possible. Yeah, it's not always possible, 674 00:49:36.760 --> 00:49:40.789 but you God gives wisdom, God gives us grace that the chief principle here 675 00:49:40.949 --> 00:49:45.230 is we have to seek to honor God. We have to fear the Lord. 676 00:49:45.230 --> 00:49:47.989 Yeah, and if we would fear God and God give us wisdom in 677 00:49:49.070 --> 00:49:52.750 these situations, and if we have to fall, follow lawsuit. That's part 678 00:49:52.789 --> 00:49:54.539 of the law of the land in this country. The way the constitution is 679 00:49:54.579 --> 00:49:58.579 set up, we can actually sue the government for infringing on our rights. 680 00:49:59.099 --> 00:50:00.820 We're doing that. So those who are listening, please pray for us. 681 00:50:01.059 --> 00:50:05.500 This is law suit. We would a would be victorious in the city would 682 00:50:05.500 --> 00:50:08.929 stop trying to hinder what we're doing. Yeah, but we have to honor 683 00:50:08.969 --> 00:50:14.769 the Lord. But we have to also understand there are sometimes consequences. Sometimes 684 00:50:14.769 --> 00:50:16.369 you're going to get thrown in the fiery furnace or in the Lions Den. 685 00:50:16.610 --> 00:50:22.039 God didn't always rescue you. You know, Jesus, ultimately it's different scenario, 686 00:50:22.039 --> 00:50:25.039 because he was he was destined to die. But the apostles, they 687 00:50:25.079 --> 00:50:29.960 were beaten, they were thrown in prison. Peter was actually later on in 688 00:50:30.159 --> 00:50:32.119 acts, I think was chapter five, where he was thrown in prison. 689 00:50:32.199 --> 00:50:36.269 Yeah, and he suffered. Yeah, and you know what? I think 690 00:50:36.269 --> 00:50:40.710 it's maybe the greatest test of faith that I have ever had in my life 691 00:50:42.230 --> 00:50:45.150 is how much do you trust God? Yeah, do you know what God 692 00:50:45.349 --> 00:50:51.780 says. Are you doing it? And if you're going to bear some harsh 693 00:50:52.019 --> 00:50:58.179 and difficult consequences as a result, will you still obey God? Yeah, 694 00:50:58.340 --> 00:51:05.250 and and if you do, it's because you believe God. You believe he's 695 00:51:05.289 --> 00:51:12.530 there. You REBOI, you believe he eternally rewards those who who obey and 696 00:51:12.690 --> 00:51:16.690 follow and love him and you trust that, no matter what happened, he 697 00:51:17.250 --> 00:51:23.320 is in control and it will all be used for his purposes. Yeah, 698 00:51:23.760 --> 00:51:29.480 yeah, well, I think with that will wrap this thing up. We 699 00:51:29.519 --> 00:51:32.829 appreciate those who listen. We would love if you reached out to us. 700 00:51:32.949 --> 00:51:38.590 You can reach out to me via email and and just suggest maybe some subjects 701 00:51:38.630 --> 00:51:43.510 that we can cover. May some maybe some things per life, ministry issues 702 00:51:43.590 --> 00:51:46.219 or whatever that you have questions about and you want us to talk through. 703 00:51:46.260 --> 00:51:51.139 We'd love to do that. My email is d parks at cities for lifecom. 704 00:51:52.179 --> 00:51:54.980 Vicky is v COSSI ORG at cities for lifecom. You can connect with 705 00:51:55.019 --> 00:51:59.619 us on our website, CHARLOTTE DOT cities for Life Dot Org, and our 706 00:51:59.659 --> 00:52:06.570 sidewalk counseling with training website is www dot sidewalks. The number four Lifecom we'd 707 00:52:06.570 --> 00:52:08.889 love to hear from you. Guys. We appreciate those who listen and hope 708 00:52:08.929 --> 00:52:13.929 that you had a blessed Christmas and we will talk to you in the New 709 00:52:14.010 --> 00:52:27.400 Year. Give me our love for love, give me our loft for gratitude. 710 00:52:30.429 --> 00:52:37.909 I know it will cost me my life. Nothing's too precious. In 711 00:52:38.190 --> 00:52:39.230 some met you