The Study Boys
Lex Lutheran and FLAME continue The Study podcast with a new venture—The Study Boys.
In this second space, the focus is on proclaiming Christ, His gifts, engaging culture, and thoughtfully including the Book of Concord in today’s conversations. This podcast serves as a reaction platform, spotlighting helpful teachings rooted in the Holy Bible and ancient Christian thought while confronting unhealthy ideas that invade the Christian space.
The Study Boys
When Unity Is Sinful
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Unity sounds like an unquestionably good thing—but can the pursuit of unity itself become sinful?
In this episode, we examine the difference between Christian unity rooted in sound doctrine and a false unity that requires us to ignore, minimize, or compromise what God has revealed. Biblical unity is not simply agreement for agreement’s sake. It is unity in Christ, His Word, and the truth He has given His Church.
We also discuss another danger: adding man-made laws and burdens to God’s commands. When human traditions are treated as necessary for pleasing God, becoming more spiritual, or drawing closer to Him, they can obscure the very means by which God has promised to come to us.
Rather than inventing our own path to God, Christians are called to receive His gifts where He has promised to give them—in His Word and the means He has established.
What happens when keeping the peace requires compromising truth? And what happens when our attempts to become “more spiritual” actually lead us away from the freedom of the Gospel?
I am struggling in my walk with Christ right now to understand times where I am disappointed or where I feel like God I know you're still good and I know you're gonna do these things, they've already been done, but it's not here yet. And because it's not here yet, I feel like you're taking forever, and the fact that I can't control the timeline of how you operate is frustrating for me because I feel like it's never gonna come.
SPEAKER_07The Holy Spirit told me told me one day, I don't like driving in a car that goes beyond this speed.
SPEAKER_06Why are you in this lane? I've been telling people this, and they I don't know if they believe me. The more that you mature in your walk with the Holy Spirit with the Lord, it almost feels like the Holy Spirit is on you for everything.
SPEAKER_00The study, the study, the study. Study, boys, we back. Finally, what's up with you, Broski? We back.
SPEAKER_02Oh man, man, man, we back, we back, man. Just chilling, man. You know, my man had a birthday and a whole bunch of things going on. You know, sometimes you gotta step back in life.
SPEAKER_00You know, how how you doing, man? I'm I'm doing swell, another 365 around the sun. Glad to be alive, Broski. That part.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, glad to have you here, man. How about you, man? Oh man, how about you? I'm doing good. I'm doing good. Just you know like you got a fresh one over there, gang.
SPEAKER_01I'm kinda long, man. Kind of long, kind of, you know. I'm trying to bring that specific back, you know.
SPEAKER_00That's what's up. But yeah, nah, it's been good, man. I think um uh I'm I'm still celebrating the views, the comments, the motion behind the last two episodes. So shout out to everybody that's tapping in. Seems like new people are finding the Extra Notes Academy channel. So shout out to you all. Shout out to everybody that's commenting how much they are growing and benefiting. So I love to see it, bro. I love to see it, man. We we just doing what we do off camera, on camera, bro. That part.
SPEAKER_02That's the hardest part people don't realize is like, yo, you guys are just turning on and talk like like you regularly do. It's like, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just the camera here. But yeah, nah, nah. That part. But it's helped it's helpful. Like people get a lot out of our conversations, you know, and we're going forward. So let's delve in, man. You know, what's the the topic we're gonna hit tonight?
SPEAKER_00No, I think this is gonna be interesting, man. We have an array of things. One of the things that's interesting, and I hear this a lot. I hear a lot of people complain, and maybe in one sense, lament. Like they're sorrowful over the division within Christ's body. They're sorrowful over the number of denominations we have. Now, some in other traditions like to exaggerate the number as a shot at those Protestants, they are called, and they like to exaggerate that number and make it like there's this huge division more than it's earthly possible. So, you know, I get that. But, you know, I uh some people have a legitimate brokenness over, man, I wish we were more unified. We all got the same Bible. Can we all just get along? Can we just follow Jesus and be friends? And I I definitely understand that sentiment. I get it. I do long for the body to be one in um in like completeness, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So, but then people sort of take that genuine sort of pressure point, and then they want to flatten the truth of God, they want to flatten sound teaching just so we can have an assemblance of unity on this side. And that is the wrong thing to do. So we get into this clip, check this point out, and let's talk about it, bro. Let's get it.
SPEAKER_05Let's do it. Denominations will not matter on judgment day. Denominations is not a requirement for me to enter the kingdom of heaven. I said it already. What? This shoulder goes up, this shoulder goes up. I drop them. I don't care. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. That's it. Simple. Not this way, not that way. Pick up the phone and call Kanye. How in the body of Christ is there division? One band, one sound. We play for the same team. How? Your program is not bigger than the program. Your program has nothing to do with my salvation and my relationship with Jesus Christ. Miss me. Y'all worried about the wrong things. The woman of God out here, bro, they're single. By choice, like they don't want no man. That's what I'm worried about. You worried about Pentecostal, seven nigga, Ventists and doctors of the Catholic Christian. Do you follow the Bible? Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Saved! We're good. Follow the Bible, you're good. Sanctioned. Now if you excuse me. Ladies, I got a lineup. New York City, I love you. That's my talk. Good night.
SPEAKER_00Hey, okay. Young boy had a lot to say. Young boy. Time out, time out.
SPEAKER_02Time out. I hate the part at the end where he's talking about, oh, I got a lineup, young ladies is single. Because we just talked about me getting a haircut, a new hairstyle. Yo, it has nothing to do with either or. I don't want people thinking like I'm chopping biblical wisdom and the end being like, Las Vegas, Nevada, Northwest, holler at your boy. Next. No, it's nothing like it was too much parallels how we ended our conversation before off-screen. You know what I'm saying? When we ended off-screen.
SPEAKER_00You just want to clear that up. You just want to clear that up real quick.
SPEAKER_02But yeah, bro, that's hilarious. We were just talking about my my new my new hair. Yeah, I mean, and that, yeah, dude's wild.
SPEAKER_00Wow. Dude's wild. Man, bro. Nah. Again, I get it, right? I definitely get the sentiment. And it does sound spiritually mature. It does sound like you have arrived at some maturity where you see more clearly what things are actually all about. And in that sort of, I guess, professed clarity, you think it's as simple as naming the name Jesus and calling yourself a Christian. I wish it was that easy. I really do. That would be great. However, we know that is not the case. He mentioned so many contradictory groups, in fact, when he just started to run down different denominations, and he just wanted to flatten it and equalize each and every denomination. And again, it's not that simple, bro. When you slow down and you realize that ideas have consequences, ideas start wars, ideas bring down families and societies, and you realize each one of these denominations have different claims on the nature of God. In fact, uh, like the Seventh day Adventists have an entirely different set of uh doctrines. They have a different book, they have a different founder, um, which functions as a filter over how they read the Bible. They have an entirely different backstory. They talk about uh Jesus and Satan were friends, and then Jesus was elevated, and Satan got jealous, and it's just an odd thing, is and it's false, but that's something that's a core teaching to the Seventh-day Adventists. You talk, you have that, you just can't dismiss that for the sake of the name Jesus. What Pentecostal? If you're talking about the oneness Pentecostals, they outright deny the triune nature of God Himself. So again, I understand, bro, you just want us all to hold hands and sing worship songs, kumbaya. But these ideas have consequences, and some of them do place your soul at risk, and and and others outright put you in the line of those who are on the way to perdition and judgment. So you can't flatten that you can't flatten it, bro.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And why did he want to call Kanye? But beyond that, um, I I get I get the sentiment. I he just threw that in there. Shoulder up, shoulder up. Call Kanye. Like, okay, bro, you're just animated for the camera, I guess. But um I get the sentiment. I mean, in a sense, he what he starts off with of a denomination is not what gets you into heaven. So just because you are Methodist doesn't mean you're getting into heaven and the Baptists aren't. Or the you're because you're Lutheran, you're getting into heaven. And if you're Presbyterian, you're not. You know what I'm saying? So I get what he's saying. It is about Christ, everything's about Christ. But as you mentioned, that that's a real second grade level, no offense to old boy, but because he's not just him. A lot of people say this level of understanding of the reasons or purposes of denominations. Words have meaning, beliefs have meanings in a sense. So denomination allows people to know what is it you believe. Because as he mentioned, he that it was a good criteria, but when there's no depth to it, the criteria doesn't hold up. Meaning that like he's like, follow the Bible, okay. Uh Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses do use the Bible. You know, Islam in their book says you must uh accept or follow the books that come before. So in a sense, they hold the Bible. These groups will still quote or or or say that they believe in the teachings of Jesus. But when you really push the issue, you see that hold on, that's not the same Jesus. That's not uh Satan and Jesus are not brothers. What are you talking about? Jesus is not the the the angel Michael. You can't just have these fluffy, you have to truly care about what is being said, and that's what leads to doctrine and things of that nature, which establishes denominations. Now, there are doctrines that we disagree on in denominations, but that doesn't mean that we still can't call each other brothers, but that same basis is why we don't call some people brothers. That same basis is hold on, you might say this, but you're not being truthful to what the scriptures teach about who our Lord and Savior is and what he accomplished for us. I can't you know, I mean, and we yeah, probably get go down the rabbit. I'm about to talk about another group. Um, but yes, in a broad sense, without being too direct, yeah, we have to care. We have to care. So I get what he's saying. Denominations is what can get you into heaven. True. Trust and faith in Christ is what gets you, what gets you right with God, yes. A person who doesn't have denomination, who doesn't even know about it, who picks the Bible up, sees it, and the Holy Spirit works on him, yes, no denomin, yes. That doesn't mean he's a non-denom. Non-denoms are denomination people, sorry, put that out there. But you go too far when you act as if denominations, the basis of them and what's going on with everybody trying to be accurate to the truth and laying it out there clear for people to see. This is how we view it. This is how we view it. That's a beautiful thing. Rather than you go somewhere and find out, like, yo, what? No, I don't I don't I can't rock with that.
SPEAKER_00So Yeah. No, that's real. And I do think people should think about that. They should think about why do we have denominations? If it's just merely because somebody wanted their own team, then that's one thing. But if it's a collection of people who care about a subject, and they care so much that as they continue to define the thing, they noticed that other people thought something different. And it was so severe and so serious that they had to branch off. So we should know denominations exist because for the most part because of serious reasons, not just trivial. Um, I want my own club or my own group. Now, that's definitely out there, but historically, I mean, these things came through pain and a a lot of drama and vigor.
SPEAKER_02It can't do people's lives. It can't do people's lives in the line. Like, I know, I know, I don't know, dude. I guess he's not part of the denomination, but he probably is. And if I had to guess, I probably would say Baptist. You know what I'm saying? Or Dancing Baptist, aka Pentecostal. But I would say that the trend you're talking about now is I want my own group. I want my own this. The root of it is people's lives were on the line. When you, per conviction, was just like, I cannot do this and be in good standing in regards to the conviction on my heart, you could die from these things. Like there's a reason why Martin Luther had to be snuck out and hot hidden in a castle. There's a reason for that. It wasn't a game. He wasn't paranoid. They killed Huss before that. So these things weren't started just to be cool and to be, you know, oh, yeah, I should be the pastor. I'm gonna go start my own church down the street because the youth group likes me so much, and there's so many of them, and they don't even know who that pastor is anyway, because they leave church and come hang out with me for the past five years. I can start my own thing, man, and I got my own special revelation. You know, it ain't about that. This right here is literally about sound teaching when people were saying, I can't sit here with this. I have to depart because of error in teaching.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. And it's interesting too, if you think about it, it's like, let's just say, let's just go with what he proposes, right? We all just flatten our distinctive and let's just rally together around the name Jesus. It's still gonna be very difficult to pull that off because you have sinners in the room. So there's still gonna be division. There's still gonna be a need for clarity in defining things. So while again, that sounds spiritually mature, it has the veneer of an actual solution, but it it it literally is the worst solution to this division. Because once you get everybody in the space, they say we all follow Jesus, we all Christians, let's go, you're still gonna have to define who God is. You're still gonna have to pray to someone named Jesus. You're still going to be having to figure out what things are most important, what things are um least important, you're gonna have this grade, this scale of topics and issues to work through. And like the the um thing people normally say is in essentials, let's just all have unity, right?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00In non-essentials, let's let's just practice charity. Let's be kind and let people have room to have disagreements. But in all things, let's have love. People have already come up with that sort of quip, and guess what? It has not proved to be as helpful as whoever thought of it. Because the the very essentials have to be agreed upon. And that's what we're seeing in current times is that people they don't know what the essentials are. They're willing to dismiss a bunch of important things in the name of, well, let's just put this in the category of secondary. Things like the Trinity, things like Jesus being fully man and fully God. And you know what always wins in these conversations? Personal revelation. What God showed me. You know what I'm saying? What God revealed to me, how this hit me, the revelation I got when, and then it starts the division all over again. So, yeah, it's just interesting. I I like it's real life, and I like I like I love his reflex for unity. I love his zeal to bring the body together so that we can actually deal with issues on the ground. He talked about one. He said there are a lot of single young women who choose to be single. They don't want relationships, i.e., they don't want to be married, they don't want to be wives. So he's sort of wagging his finger at the women. And obviously, that's, you know, men have issues too, so that's a bit lopsided.
SPEAKER_02But I would say he's he's trying to act as if the women in all these different specters, yo, I'm free. We all of the same fake. What's good? You know, the imaginate movie costs a little less than the regular. We can get popcorn, baby. You know what I'm saying? Extra butt on that.
SPEAKER_00I I think he's he's shooting the shot. He's trying to widen the landscape. He like, I can bounce around in a few different denominations and shoot my shot. You know what I mean?
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00So he's trying to say, hey, let's let's get over this bickering so we can actually address real issues on the ground. And I know this seems like a solution, but let's press on this, young boy. What if you marry this woman and she's of a different faith, you find out? How you and you all produce children in the marriage. How are you gonna raise those children? Who are you gonna teach them to pray to? When they receive the Lord's Supper, will they receive it in its purity or will they receive it as a metaphor? When they are baptized, will they be baptized in Jesus' name only, which is not Christian baptism, or the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00What was you gonna say, bro?
SPEAKER_02I don't say, or what if you don't speak in tongues and she tells you you're not fully engulfed by the Holy Spirit? I don't see the evidence.
SPEAKER_04That part.
SPEAKER_02Get me wrong. Well, what I don't mention also was this actually uh one of the guys who who uh engages us a lot on our content, yo, this directly relates to this. So it's a clip, and this guy he posted saying, I'm Jehovah's Witness, and we absolutely believe in Jesus. Yeah, he says, um, the guy says, Lost me as well. I'm a Jehovah's Witness, and we strongly believe in Jesus. No part of our religion doesn't believe in him. He's the very basis of how we live. Right? And so you have literally Jehovah's Witnesses watching clips of pastors and things saying, Yo, we believe in Jesus too. We believe in Jesus just because it's the name in a sense. And then the guy who fought who who listens to us a lot, I believe his name is Genesis. Um, shout out to you, bro. You know, thanks for you know staying in contact with us and stuff. He, I love his answer. He's like, everything centers around Jesus and what is believed about him versus what the Bible actually says. When it comes to Jehovah's Witnesses, they believe Jesus to be that which is Michael the archangel. Jesus was never an angel, you know, and basically goes into context trying to help the guy understand that you have to know who this guy is, which is doctrine, which leads to these types of things we're talking about. He gives a little shout out at the end. That's he says, uh, check out the Study Boys podcast by Flame and Lex. Truly great podcast. Hey, right on man for the shout-out, you know, but to the part he's addressing, as you can see from what we're talking about, the other, the person he's replying to literally is just like, what's the issue? We believe in Jesus too. We have a Bible, I'm Jehovah's Witness, this. And he had to step to the table saying doctrine matters. And in so many words, doctrine matters, and that seems distance to the conversation, but doctrine is what defines denominations. So doctrine matters, denomination matters. You know, now am I saying that a different denomination than mine isn't getting to heaven? No. Please let's truly engage the point. No, but we can't say denominations don't matter at all as if doctrines aren't the basis of them. That's basically saying doctrine doesn't matter. So I love that example really ties directly into this.
SPEAKER_00It really does. That's a perfect analogy, I mean, example. And it's it's interesting too because two things. One, people oftentimes forget that part of fruit bearing is having right doctrine. Most of the time they say, let's just get to bearing fruit, let's just get to doing good works. And they're only thinking morality and helping people. But part of bearing fruit is right teaching, right doctrine. I might even say that's more important because plenty of religious groups, plenty atheists, humanitarian, philanthropic people do good works in the world. Something that's superior and more important is what Jesus asked his disciples, who do men say that I am? He looked at his disciples and he asked them, Who do men say that I am? And they said, Some say you're Elijah, some say you're Jeremiah, some say you're John the Baptist who came back from the dead. Right? And look, some of those people were okay to be mistaken as, in one sense, Elijah. That's a that's A solid guy. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_02That's a big deal. That's a big deal. That's a big deal, bro. Elijah, I'm giving you that, like, hey, bro. Hey, hey, you know what I mean? Your boy out here. Mystical, magical baby.
SPEAKER_00You know what I'm saying? Fightful to the end. You know what I'm saying? Like he had a little wane of doubt where he said, is this the Christ? Should we be waiting for another? He had a moment of weakness, but nevertheless, he trusted in his Lord, right? That's not a bad person to be mistaken for. So, so, but Jesus continued to press in, and when he asks that, and Peter responds, he says, You are the Christ, right? And Jesus says, Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father in heaven has revealed this to you. So that's what we're getting at is what is the revelation that God has given us through his prophets and apostles? So that's why we have to care because Jesus posed this question to his followers, and we do right to take that seriously. We do right to react or confess exactly what the Father revealed to Peter and the apostles. We do right to confess that same truth that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, who is the true Son of God. Uh, he is the God man. He is the one who takes away the sin of the world, right? So that is why this matters. So I think um, again, we appreciate Young Boy, not trying to crush him or his faith, but we just want to challenge people that think this way, not only him, but in general, to care a bit more and think a bit deeper about how we got here. It wasn't because nobody cared. It's centuries and centuries of vigorous debate and discussion. So at least value the division in that regard to not dismiss it as, oh, these what nobody's serious until I came on the scene. Look at my hairline, ladies. I'm about right, like, like, nah, it's plenty of people have cared. Plenty of people have cared. That's why this is so hard. You feel me? Yeah. Anyway, let's keep it going, man. I think uh this next clip is important too because it is sort of the expression of one of those pockets of denomination that if you're camping out there, you will have certain expectations that will impact how you see God, how you think about God, how you think about your own life, your own walk. So let's talk about that. Let's get into that.
SPEAKER_03I am struggling in my walk with Christ right now to understand times where I am disappointed or where I feel like, God, I know you're still good and I know you're gonna do these things, they've already been done, but it's not here yet. And because it's not here yet, I feel like you're taking forever, and the fact that I can't control the timeline of how you operate is frustrating for me because I feel like it's never gonna come. I really struggle to trust the Lord and know that He is faithful and know that He has done done it already. In the midst of not seeing it, or other people in my community getting the things that I'm praying for before me. That sucks. He told me to believe for these things, and you know, I should be happy, and I am, because that means this in the neighborhood, if somebody's getting it before me, like it's coming.
SPEAKER_00Okay. This this is this one is intense. I am moved by her intense emotion, right? So I want to be sensitive to sis. I could tell this coming from a real place, right? Like she's not just uh trying to be funny or clout chasing. You can feel the weight, whatever she's waiting for, praying for, and it's lingering, it's dragging along. She is she on the edge. So yeah, my heart goes out to her. Hopefully, whenever this was recorded, she's past that and she has peace or rest. You feel me? And she's the name, I hope, for sure.
SPEAKER_02But I feel like you even left. I thought you were gonna say, I hope I hope she got it by now. I got what she was hoping for. I thought you, I thought you were.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say, but I'm like, I don't know what it is. So I ain't even gonna, you know what I'm saying? I don't know what sis was praying for. I felt it coming.
SPEAKER_02Like, you're like, yeah, yo, I I hope that season has has passed and she achieved and got what she wanted. I was like, but we don't know what she was praying for, cuz. I didn't know exactly. We don't know exactly. Easy, be easy.
SPEAKER_00I'm going there for anything. I'm like, I don't know what sis was praying for. But but I do think that um this is the yeah, the perfect place to go after that last clip because so the first gentleman wants us to flatten everything. If you do that, you're going to be in a room with this school of thought, and you're gonna have to deal with it. You're gonna have to provide answers for this. So just flattening everything is not gonna lead to kumbaya and everybody being quiet. No, you're gonna have to deal with real people, real expectations, real letdowns and disappointments, and this is one of them. And part of the main thing that she said was she says, God has already told me that this is gonna happen. God has already promised this, and the fact that other people have been blessed shows that the blessings are in the neighborhood. So the two assumptions is that God has some kind of way communicated to her in her mind, right? I'm not saying, but she's saying some in her theology, God already said it happened. It are it's already, and for me coming up in a space like that, what she's saying is in the spirit realm, in the other world, it's there. My healing, my spouse, my new job, it's already a reality in the spirit realm. I just need to access it and pull it down. I need to bring it into the natural, bring it into reality. So the way I access that is through patience and praise, through patience and prayer and not complaining, not doubting, because if I doubt, that's gonna block the pace and the speed to which it lands. And the fact that other people getting it, it's like Amazon is around the corner. I saw the truck when I pulled in the neighborhood, it just ain't reached my address yet. But I know the delivery truck is it's it's outside. It's riding around, dropping off packages. I'm just waiting for it to come to my address. So these are the assumptions in that theology. Right, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And this is kind of um playing off the last one we were talking about, the aspect of, as you were just saying, when you flatten it, these are real things. And when we say real things, it's not just talking about her, but she was taught that somewhere. That was a teaching. That was something that those expectations that she has was something somebody told her was true about the Bible. She might have got it herself, I can't say for sure, but usually you get that we all have our word Timothy in somebody's Paul, where we're f we're listening to this person who's a spiritual leader or a religious leader, and we're analyzing and comparing to scripture and digging scripture, but we all have that. No matter what you think about me and my Bible, you still have some type of um spiritual um someone has spiritual authority over you in a sense, someone who you view as somebody who knows more or more experience. All that to say is when you flatten it, these are things and concepts that are prevalent that come up. And the part that really got me was the aspect you kind of touched on of I see people getting it before me. And if you really look at what was said, and this is no shy assist, if she sees it, I actually hope you find comfort in this and realize that yo, it's not really about you. No offense, it's really not about you. Maybe you weren't supposed to get it. Maybe the reason they got it isn't because of what you you're thinking is God that gave it to them. Maybe it wasn't. Something I heard a long time ago and I found profoundly true is the devil don't care if you live a great life. The proof of the devil isn't, oh, look at him. He's poor, he's struggling, he has cancer, he has this, he must be of the that's not proof of demonic or the devil. And somebody being rich and bountiful and blessing and achieving isn't proof of the divine and the calling or something spiritual going on. The devil will be perfectly fine with you hitting the lotto tomorrow, being having $15 million in your bank account and denying Christ or having a wrong view of Christ, thinking Christ is um Zeus, you know, say with Sandals who lived in Jesus, Jesus' time in the that century. He doesn't care about those things. So to think to tie those blessings to I see God working for them, that means it's coming for me too. It's already did. I just have a hard time believing and trusting it. Just know God never directly promised wealth and success and and to be our genie in a in a bottle. We have to realize that, and sometimes you have to look back and take it back to the first episode, the first thing, and realize if this place is teaching this type of things and the folks is not forgiveness of sins, it's a problem. It's a problem. And it creates these situations where somebody can end up being as despaired as she was, where she's literally going through. You can hear the pain in her voice when she's talking about I'm having a hard time seeing people succeed, to paraphrase, seeing these things accomplished by other people, and I'm I'm assuming not in the best season of her life. I'm not saying she's doing horrible, but whatever it is, she wants more. And these false expectations are teachings of some traditions that people have to be on guard for. And just because they're saying naming and claiming in the name of Jesus doesn't mean we should flatten it out and not look at that theology as a whole and assess it on this basis.
SPEAKER_00That's good, bro. All right, let's see what else she got to say. I I love that. Let's get into it.
SPEAKER_03But like, Lord, like, I'm disappointed right now. I'm disappointed, and I'm trying to trust you, and I'm trying to worship through it, and I'm trying to not covet, and I'm trying to be faithful and things like that, and trying not to be in control because we know that my times are in your hands, as it says in Psalms 31. Um, but Lord, I I am really like I'm getting aggravated and I like I'm my hope is being deferred and I'm getting disappointed because I feel like the things that I've been praying for, hoping for, and you said that are coming, like I feel like you just dangled it in my face, which is not true, it's a lie, but it's it's just really this discouraging, and Laura, I'd be a little upset. I'd be a little upset. But I'm realizing like now that there's there's hope in all of this because even if the Lord doesn't give it to you right now, like he's still good. And like what does it matter if you never receive it? Like, if you were to die tomorrow, you have all that you need. He died for you, you accepted him. Like, his blood is enough. And I was listening to a podcast, and in a podcast on uh the pick with Parries, somebody said we have to stop comparing and being so angry when God blesses someone with something else that we don't have because all of us have a million dollars per se. That is the blood of Jesus. But just because somebody got a million dollars and a penny, that don't make God less good. They just have an extra penny. And I can just thank him for that. And the additions that he does decide to add in his perfect time and his perfect will, um, that's just an extra blessing on top of his love and his blood that has already covered me. He's already chosen me and said that I am enough. And I was reading Psalms uh 42. The desire and the the relationship, the longing for God, that that right there, that's enough. That's enough.
SPEAKER_00Interesting, bro.
SPEAKER_02Interesting. I do love how she brought it back in a sense, um and came to the the real just talked about. Of how even if you don't get it, what you're hoping for and what you're coveting, you know. I like how she said, I'm trying not to covet. Kind of knowing that she is coveting. You know what I'm saying? But that's repentance. That's you know, Lord, I'm a sinner. Help my unbelief. That's that type of time it sounds like she was getting to, and I love that that she realizes that the overall prize is Jesus' blood that was shed for us. And if she does get it, that's she's good, and she is good. You know, but that's that that doubt and despair that she does have and she's fighting through, and and sis, you're headed in the right direction and on that type of time. But the initial cause of that despair, of that wanting and having expectations of God and getting anxious or annoyed at it, is coming from teachings that say something different than what you said at the end. Like those set those those false expectations is what you're battling against. No one should have ever put that thought out there that yo, if time got a blessing, Bill's gonna get one. We're gonna praise our way through it. Those those type of things aren't aren't biblical. You know what I'm saying? And she's fighting her way through it. And I love that it came back to Christ and that she sees that that even if I don't get this, I'm good because it's all about Christ.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Now I agree. I it is definitely helpful. I mean, I'm happy to see her have that perspective that at the end of the day, the day will end. And when it does, I am washed by Jesus' blood. And as a sweet, sort of quick caveat, I do hear a lot of talk about the blood in the spaces that I came from, but I would love to hear it more focused on the forgiveness of sins. So the blood of Jesus forgives our sins versus the blood of Jesus being what we lean on to just sort of make everything okay. Like, well, at least I got the blood, and by that I would want it to be more rooted in, man, I have the forgiveness of sins. And sometimes the blood is used as like a spell that's cast over evil, is it's it's used as a catch-all for I'll be okay. And and you will be okay if your sins are forgiven. So, you know, so again, this is not to pounce on that particular point singularly.
SPEAKER_02It's a great point, though. It's a great point because overall, in regards to the conversation of denominations, which we're kind of dealing with, a lot of denominations are scared to focus on you need forgiveness of sin. And it turns more so is to they, the sinners in the world, need to hear about Jesus so they can have their for their sins forgiven. I'm not saying that's not true. What I'm saying is is the guy outside, the they, yes, they need to hear about Christ and and and have faith and have their sins forgiven. And guess what? You need to hear about Christ, and you need to live a life of repentance. And we all need Christ. It turns into an aspect of them over there, you know what I'm saying? So you don't end up so when they talk about the blood, it's almost as if I can't talk about it washing away or covering your sin currently and presently. So it turns into just a type of force feel, some sh some some some shield or something you lean on at hard times, or some some ointment return to Captain America. Now I'm real strong and I can defeat anything. Ah, I got power pellet. Bro, it's for forgiveness of sins. That's what you need. Period. Period. Beyond all the extra stuff that that God does work with us, encourage us, strengthen us. Yes. But you're not right with the Father unless your sins are forgiven.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00And that's so true because as you know, the Holy Spirit clearly is revealing his law to her. So she talks about coveting.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00And she knows that coveting is wrong. She knows that it's a a violation. So I like that. That's that's beautiful evidence to see. But that's the thing, right? If if you don't have forgiveness for that coveting, which if she was in a in a in a healthier expression of Christianity, she wouldn't have had to say, I'm trying not to covet. She would have been freer to say, man, I'm coveting like nobody's business. I see that Amazon truck and it has patience with God. It annihilates my hope that He got me. Like, but she can't say that because it's not safe to be a sinner. It's not safe to be broken in a lot of these spaces. You have to pretend that you're stronger than you are, or you have to pretend you're not as weak as you are. So I wish she was in a place where she can more readily say, I am coveting. Like you wouldn't even understand. And I need forgiveness for that coveting. Because if I don't receive forgiveness for that coveting, it's going to drive me to bitterness, which Satan can use to snatch my faith, as I am exhausted with a God who won't come in a timing that I want him to arrive in. That's where this leads. But you can't talk this openly and freely where the forgiveness of sins isn't positioned properly and ultimately where Jesus isn't positioned properly as central and the one who constantly forgives us of our covenant. So that's something that I think, you know, is worth discussing. And I think another thing is also in though, I've been, we've been in those places, bro. I've been in those rooms where they pit the things you want up against the forgiveness of sins. And the forgiveness of sins, aka covered by the blood, it's almost like, it's like, yeah, you know, I mean, I'm covered by the blood. I know, I know. But what I really want, though, is the thing that I've been praying for. But if I can't get it, you know, I'm covered by the blood, it is what it is. They they position it like it's just this default. Yeah, it's just this default thing that's good. But, and I know I'm supposed to celebrate it because it's really about that, but at the same time, I've been given this other expectation that God cares about too, because of that space. They make it like God is equally trying to hook you up with material things, and he's equally trying to hook you up with being covered by the blood, the forgiveness of sins that they should say. And when you make those two things equal, you have this tension. Now she's she's in this dismay. She's divided, she's torn, trying to celebrate the forgiveness of sins, but it's just not scratching that itch, right? And again, we all can relate to that. I mean, how many of us wanted a job, a spouse, a healing, whatever? So we all get it. But when that's highlighted so much, then it expands that appetite for material things than just living before the Lord, grateful for what you have, using your natural gifts to do good in the world, and celebrating that you are forgiven along the way as you're constantly coveting, right? That's that's more life-giving, and that's less stressful, actually. So she got a few more seconds. I'm gonna let her finish. I think what she's about to say is important before we finally move on. Let's get into that.
SPEAKER_03That's enough. And that's a hard reality to come to because the desires are the desires. Point point, period. But God is enough, and he is sovereign, and he is good. Even if he doesn't give you another thing, he is good, he is enough. Because he died for you, and he loves you. Shall I? Yeah, that's a hard truth that I am swallowing, and I am practically going through it. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_00So, yeah, just yeah, she's mentioning the psalm. She talked about it where it says that God would give you the desires of your heart. And when when in those spaces they use that passage in the Psalm, they extract it from its context. If you look at the context, this is a people of Israel desiring justice. They're desiring stability in the nation, they're desiring righteousness over against evilness and evil rulers and the way that trickles down and impacts the nation. So the desires of their heart is for God to make things right. And ultimately, God has done that in Christ Jesus, who is the fulfillment of Covenant law. He's the fulfillment of Israel herself, where Jesus is actually the good Son of God, the one in whom the Father is well pleased. So that psalm has its fulfillment in Christ, but even in the immediate context, it wasn't saying whatever you would wish for, whatever your heart desires, I got you. If you can think of it, and it's not what you would consider evil, because you're not thinking about God's standard. You're thinking, well, I ain't asking for something wild, something taboo. I just want a car, a house, a spouse, a healing. And we think that's what that passage means. But we remove it from its context and then we dump inside of it all of our desires, whatever it is. And then we start to hold God to that. So again, when you come at this stuff with bad teaching, just flattening doctrine and theology, now you have an expectation from God that He never set. And now you disappoint it, and that's not, that's not it. That's not helpful.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. No, 100%. Nothing to add. Their context is king and realizing it's all about Christ. Realize when when Jesus says you read the scriptures, they all testify of me. You realize that. So you you're not there thinking that the Israelites, man, they were their hearts desired. They wanted they were tired of walking in the desert. So they they wanted an airplane. Look, we have airplanes now. It's not that. You know, it's not that at all. Nah, nah. But old boy, in the first clip, he needs to slide, he's sliding her DM. She's single too. I saw no ring on the finger. Man, we might be making love connections by these clips. We might be doing God's work out here, you know.
SPEAKER_00Get them some sound teaching. You know what I'm saying? Link him, link them up. You feel me? That part, cuz. That part.
SPEAKER_02If you're single, Ray Domingo, we have a community. Click here.
SPEAKER_00We have a community. That part. So anyway, man, we're gonna get into this next one. Just just hear this one, y'all. We're gonna we gonna we're gonna close it out on this one. Let's go.
SPEAKER_07The Holy Spirit told me told me one day, I don't like driving in a car that goes beyond the speed. Why are you in this lane?
SPEAKER_06I've been telling people this, and they I don't know if they believe me. The more that you mature in your walk with the Holy Spirit with the Lord, it almost feels like the Holy Spirit is on you for everything. Everything. Everything to make you more like Christ. It's almost like this is how we're able to one see how distant we are. Yeah. And if the Lord gave us all there was for us to change and know, we wouldn't be able to. He said, My conviction is overwhelming.
SPEAKER_07Overwhelming. And and the Holy Spirit spoke to me. And he said to me, When you drive, I do not want you to go five, no more than five above the limit. Therefore, get in the middle or right lane.
SPEAKER_02Go ahead, go ahead. Go ahead. No, no, no. I hate fake sin. I hate, like, I got what he was saying about the conviction on your heart, and it shows you the distance between you and Christ's standard, and you're always gonna fail. Amen to that, bro. But let's not sit here and make up sin, bro. You can't tell me that that's what crushed you. You driving five miles per speed limit over the five miles over the speed limit. Nah, bro, it'll fake piety, man. Like, get out of here with that. You know? I I know you got real sin. I know there's real things you want to talk about. You can't talk about. You don't talk about I was in the left lane, the Holy Spirit said, scoot over. Bro, you ain't that important, bro. No offense, man. The Holy Spirit ain't sitting here giving you GPS like that. You know? Some GPS will blink red. You're going too fast. Come on, man. Like, bro, if you're going to talk about sin, let's talk about sin. Real life sin. There's people struggling out here. There's people hurt out here, and you're talking about your Buick, you know what I'm saying, going downhill faster than it's supposed to. Maybe your brakes ain't good, cuz. You know? Nah, man. I I hate fake piety, where they're they're trying to make it sound like some deep spiritual revelation of. Anyhow, anyhow.
SPEAKER_00Oh my goodness, bro.
SPEAKER_02That whole notion of nah man, you go, man. Yeah, yeah. That annoys me, bro. It's hilarious, the example. But then how dude took it, he was like, Yeah, I'm trying to tell you, man. The Holy Spirit told me. It's like me going five miles above speed limit. And the old boy was like, I I know, man. I know. You know the Holy Spirit be on you to make you more Christ-like. So you mean tell me Jesus knows about diving five miles about speed limit? Like that's what he was doing? Like, like, where's this? Where? Never mind, bro. That's trash theology out there, bro.
SPEAKER_00It is, man. It really is. I'm I'm trying to find the dude's name. So the guy who hosts this podcast, one, I want to say, avoid him at all costs. He's one of the worst heretics to ever touch earth. He's very, he's very poisonous and detrimental to anyone's faith. So if you subscribe to his channel, unsubscribe, pray that he repents and then turns to Jesus. It's it's very bad. And I don't say that for everybody. So uh if I find his name, I find it. If I don't, yeah, just avoid him like the plague. Mark and avoid that guy, seriously. But anyway, it's so much I want to say, bro. I think one, I think it's problematic that there's this expectation for Christians to learn how to hear God's voice in our heads. And I think that's very dangerous. I've seen a I've seen a host of platforms as of late try to help people know how to discern when it's God speaking to them, their flesh, or Satan, and they all have these extra biblical principles to help you get better with that. And there's nothing in the Bible that offers training for knowing how God speaks to you in your head. The apostles never teach, the prophets never teach this particular skill. So do not try this skill. I was as a teenager coming up, I was given lessons on how to know whether it's God, the flesh, or the devil. None of this stuff is biblical. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4, do not go beyond what is written. So if you have collected some skills along the way that you think are based on biblical principles on how to hear God's voice, dismiss it outright. I know some of it, oh, if I've heard so many things on that. If it aligns with God's will, if it's hard and you don't want to do it, that means it is God. All these weird things that the Bible never teaches us, the apostles never instruct. So that's number one. I think that's just please, please, please avoid that. That is going beyond what is written. Paul said, don't do that. Um the other thing I think is important too is yeah, it's this notion that you get closer to God as you are ascending and climbing up the ladder of morality. And as you're climbing up the ladder of morality, God is, He's giving you greater degrees of closeness as some type of reward. Like, woo, look how holy you're becoming. Now you can get closer to me. Woo, man, you've you're sinning less than you did last week. Now I'm gonna draw closer to you.
SPEAKER_02No, now you're driving at the speed limit more. It's not even real sin we're talking about here, bro. I mean, I I love your point. Real talk. Real talk. Everything you're saying is 100% valid. I just hate fake sin. So it everything you're saying is true because that's what they're building it up to. But if we look at the exact context, is you're driving five miles, four miles now above the speed limit instead of five. That's what we're talking about. That's what makes you closer to God.
SPEAKER_00Insane, bro. Insane. And and and I'm gonna say this, a lot, like these people in particular and others will be very critical of Rome because they'll say Rome has all this tradition, and tradition, tradition is bad. But these things are the traditions of your school of thought, your denomination, and these are the the traditions of men. It's like the Pharisees and the scribes who were adding traditions and further putting a wedge between Jesus and the people. They were blocking people from receiving Jesus because they were constantly adding on fake sins, to your point.
SPEAKER_02They were constantly creating traditions, standards, they say I forgot the number, but um, they say by the time the book of Malachi, or after that, by the time the New Testament came, it was 600 laws that weren't from God now out there.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_02So you're going around here thinking, oh, I can't do this, I gotta do this, I gotta do this, I can't do this. And God's I never said that.
SPEAKER_00Never.
SPEAKER_02I've never, I've never I've never talked about the speed limit. It's literally a man created thing. It's literally, I remember the speed limit went from like 55 to 65. So was it sin before when I was mashing a 65 on I-80 going through Oakland? Or was I actually good and covered going 65 when the speed limit was 55 back in the in the in the 90s? Now it's 65, so I guess I'm good now. Like, bro, don't sit here and make up these fake standards and say, well, you know, he just didn't want me. I drive in the middle lane, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And and this how you know, so people do this now by default. They say, God told me, God told me, and it's they don't even think about it. It's just by default. Man, God told me the other day. I was talking to God, God said, so be very weary of that. But listen what he said, bro. He said, the Holy Spirit told me to only go five miles over the speed limit. So the the Bible, the actual revelation of God, understood in context, God says to obey the laws of the land, right? So if God says obey the laws of the land, and the land law says go 55, and some spirit tells you you can go 60, now you have a contradiction in the character of God that God would whisper in your ear, it's okay to break the laws of the land, bro. Go on here, go extra five. I got you. You know what I'm saying? So now you have this different characteristic of God who contradicts his command to actually obey the laws of the land. So because you have lied on God, bro, we're not listening to you. We're not, you have no authority. You are not to be trusted. So that's another thing. It's like you're you are lying on God. You're telling us that he told you to break the law. God did not tell you to break the law. That is outlandish. So it, I mean, it's what more can we say about this? But this thing is out there. And like the dude in the first video clip, if he wants to make room for all of this, it's going to be problematic. And ultimately, it will lead people away from Jesus, the forgiveness of sins that has been earned and won and delivered for us freely based on his word and sacraments. That's what's at stake. Souls, and it's dangerous. It's dangerous, bro.
SPEAKER_02Very dangerous. I just thought about this right now. If uh the the lady in the second second clip we did was under his teaching or at his church, and it's just like, I'm still she's struggling with real life coveting and things of that nature. And the sin you're talking about you're struggling with the Holy Spirit's correcting you on is this five-mile speed limit thing? Why would she feel safe talking to you about real sin? Why why would she even dare to talk about her sin? If anything, it's like, man, mine was in the Ten Commandments. Yours isn't even there, bro. Like, I'm done. I'm out. Like, bam, he's working on you. You're so pious, you're so spiritual, you're he's working on extracurricular stuff with you. You know? You you got extra credit problems. I'm trying to get a C in this class. I'm going for the two point oh, and I'm not passing. It will be crushing. People don't even realize that this fake pious and and fake sin stuff they talk about. When I say fake sin, it's like they want to mention stuff they struggle with, like, oh, uh the Holy Spirit told me don't overdraw my bank account. I really been struggling with that. My bank account is just it's a hard thing for me. It's people out here who are robbing, stealing, and killing. It's people out here who are coveting to the point where it's like, I have to turn to these real sins and do things for food and this, and it's not okay. And we're over here making up sins and putting them as as top tier things of speed limit, and you're a le people ain't people ain't gonna feel comfortable talking about miscellaneous falsehood sins. You have to put that real right there in front of them, bro. We sin. Real sin, real life sin, lust, covet, greed, all these things are real deal. Don't come at me with some I brought four-stripe Adidas, not real Adidas. Don't come at me with some with some outlandish stuff of I brought fake Gucci while I was down in New Orleans. Man, if you don't get out of here, bro, uh nah, man. Like, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00That's so good, bro. That's so good. Because all it is really is you trying to flex is self-righteousness.
SPEAKER_02It's self-righteousness. And and as a leader, it's poison. Because now I'm not coming to you with real deal, real world issues, because you can't relate, bro. You talking to me about, you know what I'm saying? These type of things. You talking to me about, oh man, I tried to Kobe and I missed the trash can and left it there. I littered, bro. Bro, okay, go pick it up. Now let's go talk about some real stuff, bro. Hey, I want to punch my co-worker in the face. I want to punch my coworker literally in the face. Let's talk about anger. Let's talk about something real going on, bro. Don't talk to me about you missing the trash can on your fadeaway jump shot with the paperball and you not picking it up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And the Holy Spirit said, I have three more times. He'll let me miss. He'll let me miss three more times. I got three more. I got three more. It's ridiculous, bro. And and again, if if in that conversation, where they were leading was not to Jesus, not asking him for help or humility or the for forgiveness. It was leading towards what what buddy say, the rank heretic. He said, both of them, but the the dude, the host of the podcast, Mr. Ring Heretic, he's like, man, ain't that real? It's like the closer you get, he be on you for everything. So, so if the law, let's just say if this was God's law actually on you, are you gonna turn to yourself or are you gonna turn to Jesus? Because they were like, man, you gotta negotiate with the Holy Spirit on how much of the law you can break. That's how close y'all are. He'll let you know how much of it you can break. The thing starts veering off into the strangest set of ideas, bro. Not about Jesus, not about going to him, trusting him for the forgiveness of sins, but trusting in yourself, doubling down, working harder to show how close you are to him or to get a greater measure of him. The whole line, the whole stream of thought is not biblical, is not Christianity, and it's accepted. This man's podcast, he has over millions of subscribers to his YouTube channel. He gets hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of views, and this shows you that people that name the name Jesus, that refer to themselves as Christians, think this is acceptable. It is not. This is going beyond what is written, and we have to dismiss these things because they're not Christianity. Going back again to the first guy, this is why we care. This is why we take time to make sure we are following God's revelation, taught and delivered to us by the prophets and the apostles, preserved in the written word of God. That's why we take the time to talk. That's why we have division when it's necessary. When people like these gentlemen, I'm being kind by calling them gentlemen, when they start adding things to the conversation, that's why we say, wait, no, that's not what the Bible says. That's not what the Holy Spirit says. Holy Spirit don't desire that type of closeness with you. That's weird. That's odd. And we dismiss that. That's why I matter, bro.
SPEAKER_02So they will, amen, everything, his list. The list he put out there, yo, they'll be high five. They'll be on that time. It's like, okay, so let's really delve into this. You know, but nah, nah.
SPEAKER_00That part. So yeah, this is good, man. I pray that it's encouraging to listeners. Share this with people that you know are in the variety of spaces that popped up in this podcast. And, you know, again, we have to keep praying for people that name the name Christ. Some of it is innocent. They're just out there and they get drawn to these things. They're not aware. Some of it is from the brokenness within, from their own insecure reasons, their own coveting, they go after these teachers. What did Paul say? We gather to they gather together teachers to scratch their itching ears. He says, in the last day, that's what people would do. They would go out and collect people that say what they want to hear. That's wrong. So that's why we have to have these conversations.
SPEAKER_02So, anyway. One thing I'll say is if you have a hard time discerning the type of thing Flame was talking about, just do this. If the church is not focused on Christ and the forgiveness of your sin, it's not just a red flag. It's a red carpet for you to walk down and get out of there. That's just my thought. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's one way. I'm not saying people can't talk about other things in the pulpit in regards to that like not to bash exegetical preachers. I I love you guys, you know what I'm saying? So sometimes they'll get a text where it's not really about forgiveness of sins, and they're just exeging through the text. You know? I get it. I think that you're missing the point, but I get why you're why that happens, you know what I'm saying? So I'm not saying those guys are bad or that like that. Their goal is still to point you to Christ. So Christ is still the main character. If you're in the church and it's not pointing you to Christ, and I'll go further, if it's not about forgiveness of sin and your sin, yes, that's a flag you should be concerned about. You know? So, and like I said, we work in a law gospel dynamic, so you're always going to get the forgiveness of sin aspect of it. I mentioned exegetical, not to bash nobody, because there are solid ones that I like listening to. And sometimes it misses that point. So I do have to put that little buffer out there saying there are some times where forgiveness of sins won't be highlighted to the degree that I think is biblical and it's supposed to be there. So I'm not bashing them because they're still trying to point you to Christ. I'm saying separate from that kind that from that that that scepter where they're all trying to get you to Christ. If it's not about that, it's about other things. You're the main character. Yeah. Realize that maybe this is the type of stuff. I like it here. It's cool. I I like caring about my my season. I'm not caring about my blessing. I do want a breakthrough. Why is everything about me? Yeah, bro. It's about Christ. Yeah, uh, you might want to exit stage left and dip out, you know.
SPEAKER_00So that part. Yeah. Amen, bro. So yeah, this is good. Y'all want to know some good church homes? Hit us up in the comment section. Let us know what city, what state you in. We can point you to some solid church homes with some solid pastors and good communities of brothers and sisters. So anyway, man, hit that hype button. Just keep tapping that mud till your finger just turns red. Move these videos around. We thoroughly appreciate it. Check out exonosacademy.com, see what we got going on over there.
SPEAKER_02And uh if God's mad you for driving five miles above the speed limit, imagine him how he's gonna feel about you not hitting that hype button. I'm playing. I'm playing. I'm joking, guys. We out though. You know what I'm saying? We out.
unknownWe out.
SPEAKER_02The study, boys.
SPEAKER_00You the study, the study, the study.
