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Joshua, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
My lord, Hello, I have been a student of yours for forty years, and I have one question for you.
There's one thing that challenges my pay and that is the suffering of the innocent.
Okay, well, that that weighs on a lot of people, obviously, But tooth academically, it's it's easier to look at and I know that when you're going through pain, or when you see a child dying or something like this, that it becomes a whole different question with emotions involved.
But if you're looking.
Strictly, strictly with scripture, there is no one innocent. For one, there's no such thing as an innocent. Scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
All.
It doesn't say everyone except this group or everyone that group now innocent by human standards. Becomes kind of contest of well, I'm not as bad as that person, so it stops being innocent, and it's it, it starts being well less guilty than the last person. Now, having said that,
that's theologically and academically looking at you know what innocence is. Uh, And there's oftentimes and you may have heard this on the program that if you go and you listen to the program, you'll hear people call up and say, well, this happened to me, and why bad things keep happening to me? And you spend enough time and you start to unravel them, and.
You'll see where.
Where you play a larger part and the things that go on in your life than you think. Now everybody blames God, but really you you sit there and drink broken glass and then complain to God that you have blood in your stool, there's an issue. It's really Uh, it's really about the things that you do in your life as well as being in a world with others that do wrong. So you can, for instance, be a wonderful driver and you know, play by the rules, and someone else can drink and t bone you when you're
in an intersection and cause harm or death. So what you do in this life reflects on others as well. Now, all of those things are really by human standards. When people say, well it's not fair or how can bad things happen? Well, really, the concept of bad is defined by what has to be defined outside of just what your desire of good and bad is, because it has to be bigger than that. There are some people that think that it's okay to harm children. Well, it's not
okay to harm children. Why because God says it's not okay to harm children. And there needs to be a transcendent law giver that's above all those things to begin with, from what you can even judge what good and bad is. So these standards that you're using, in one sense, are God's standards. You're saying this is right or this is wrong, and the bad things are happening. But also God says that there are times where there are things in your life that you may think are bad. There's a lot
of things that come with pain in life. The hedonistic belief system was that that which felt good was good and that which felt bad was bad. But you know in this world that not everything that feels bad is bad and not everything that feels good is good. So you start looking at the standard differently and how it plays a part in your life. You know, the sweat of your brow when you're working could be tiresome or painful, but it's productive and helpful.
Saying if you work out.
When you work out, you're actually tearing your muscles apart and letting them grow back together. It feels like destruction. And there's all kinds of things in your life that don't feel good or may seem bad that aren't. Now when truly horrible things happen, everyone looks at the person that they perceive to be innocent and says, this person
didn't deserve it. However, you need to look at the other person that's causing it or the other things that are going on, to see what decisions were made there in inflicting that on someone else. If everyone went by the will of God, there wouldn't be any of those. Sure there would be hurricanes, there would be earthquakes and things like that, but those still have ecological purpose on
this earth. What doesn't have ecological purpose is creating higher towers, or living closer together, or all kinds of things that actually cause problems and not just necessarily natural disasters. So really it's about understanding that this is not the best world, but the best way to the best possible world, which is Heaven. Terry, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Good morning, Hi. I have a life situation going on right now, what's going on? I have a sixty five year old sister who's been alcoholics since were teenagers. She married mid thirties to an alcoholic. He's now mid seventies, just getting out of detox today. Actually, they had twin girls who are now twenty eight. Both of them are alcoholics. Oh boy, they're also down and out. Okay, my husband and I just hear a little history. Took these girls in when they were three. These guys got them back
when they were ten, so that was just holy help. Anyway, my sister's on her deathbed now and the girls, of course, are devastated, and she's my rock. I mean, it's just far. But my question to you is you are all forgiving? Correct? Do you take her to heaven? And my other question is these girls, one of them can't walk and refusing all medical treatment and I mean we even got her into the ear with the doctor. Bottom line, she refused
any test. So I feel completely helpless with them. So between those two questions, maybe you can help me.
Wow, well, there's a lot going on there. That is the death depending death of your sister involved. Is the alcohol involved in that?
Oh yes?
Completely? Heart attack? Several struggles. Now she's just emaciated completely well, a wheelchair bound for the last three years, but drank until the day she went. As far as I.
Know, as far as forgiveness, God forgives all, but only reconciles with those that reconcile with God. So there is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. You can forgive somebody, but it doesn't mean you reconcile. You can forgive something that does somebody something horrible to you, doesn't mean you let them back into your home. Forgiveness is for you, not for the person you're forgiving.
So in.
You know, human human case, in God's case, God forgives because it's righteous and just to those that ask.
So when it comes to.
Her, you know final place is she going to be in heaven? That depends on where her heart is and if she's received me in her life. And it's not if you're asking, does somebody in the state of sin.
Not go to heaven?
Well, everybody is in a state of some kind of sin when they die, So it's a matter of where they are in their life and their heart specifically, not just the circumstances or the things they've brought on and God judges those things in context, and it's not some sort of, you know, some sort of gray scale where it's like, I'm sorry, if you just rank you know, this much less you'd get in. It's not about that.
It's about where someone's heart is and have they received And in this particular case, when it comes to addiction, it's not the traditional act of rebellion where somebody can stop and doesn't. This is something that has a foothold. It's given the enemy a foothold. So first and foremost you have to not you have to trust God for that. Continue to pray, pray with her, to be available to her, and to ask her outright if you'd like and say, you know, where's your heart with God? If you'd like
to get her better equipped for that. As far as the children are concerned, if they're in a state where everyone in their life, in their immediate family is in this state of you know, disrepair, completely falling apart due to alcohol, and they still don't see a need for it, they're going to be a tough nut to crack to try and get them to see their need for help.
The best thing you can do in times like that is just not be a negative support, and that is somebody who just in your desire to show love to family members or loved ones when they're going through things.
Sometimes people do the wrong things.
They give them money when they shouldn't be giving them money, or sometimes even giving them shelter when they don't need shelter, because really they're just using it as a place of stops in between doing what they're doing. So it becomes difficult for you to weed out terry and to kind of filter as to what is the best thing to do and how you can help them, but never do anything that would perpetuate their illness or somehow.
Continue them down that path.
You have to do things that are going to keep them away or direct them away from those things, and that's.
Going to be difficult. Sherry, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show. Hi, Jesus Hi.
I have a question about the practice of shamanism. Is that mutually exclusive to Christianity.
Yeah, Shamanism and Christianity in their purest forms not mix.
And unfortunately a lot of times people adhere to certain things and then they become Christians and well they're new Christians, they kind of continue to do everything they were doing anyways, but call themselves Christians, and so throughout the centuries, actually this has taken place and created whole new belief systems because people kind of were either forced to be Christians or socially were Christians or whatever, and they adapt all
these other things. Well, the Shamanism takes many different forms, way too many for us to actually get into any real detail on the program, but they adhere to some things that absolutely would be Christian healing. You know, doing spiritual healings is not opposed to Christianity or vice versa. Shamans believe they can communicate with the spirit world Christians can pray to God. So there might be similarities where people would go, Oh, they don't really contradict. The shaman
believes in the supernatural, believes all these things. But they also deal with images of animals, dealing with omens and spirit guides and all these things. They deal with trances, putting people into trances for all kinds of reasons, or these vision quest type things that would completely contradict stuff that takes place in scripture or what scripture calls you to do. Is there some reason this pops up in your life?
Well, I'm an anthropology student and I have an interest in shamanism, and as far as trances go, I'm also a massage therapist, and so I'm really interested in the healing arts, the healing aspects of shamanism. And when I think when people when you give massages, it induces a trans white state for a somatic therapy.
Okay, you're you're kind of stretching, because one could be an actual physiological response to what's going on and where shamanism is talking specifically, and sometimes even using drugs or what Scripture refers to as sorcery translates from the word pharmacia in the Greek. It actually means it's where you
get the word pharmacy. Now, a lot of the sorcery or those types of vision quest things in Scripture were provoked by the use of drugs and stimulants, different than a physical reaction to being put in a RESTful state. Because Scripture also talks about proper meditation as well. So there's times of meditation, or there's times with connecting with God or spiritual things, fasting, prayer, all these things. Okay,
I'll put to you this way. For the lack of time, is that there's going to be similarities in things, but it doesn't make them compatible. For instance, in logic, they call this category informal logical fallacies when things don't mix right logically. For instance, all cops carry guns. Does that mean that everyone that carries a gun is a cop.
No. So, although there's going.
To be similarities between Shamanism and Christianity, and there are spiritual aspects to the both of them, and there's good things, and there's healing, there's things like that, they aren't really compatible. There are similarities and in part of the quests and some of the attributes, but they ultimately in their truest form, do not mix. One is going to be watered down or changed completely for you to be able to interchange them.
Shamanism is I think it's wonderful that you're studying it, and as an anthropology student, I think it's a fascinating study. But it as far as melding completely with Christianity or your Christianity, it doesn't work that way. And I know that in this takes place a lot in school. This is one of the important things about going to college, and going to school is exciting diffferent parts of your
interests and curiosities. But what ends up happening is if something becomes sexy or interesting and people try and cram it into their belief system, and that doesn't always work.
There are some things, like.
You know, that you could practice that wouldn't cause a problem, but something like this in its truest form, absolutely would. Flora, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Hi, good morning, Hi.
How can I help you?
I have a.
Dilemma with a family situation. I have a nineteen year old who has a friend that I'm not very I don't want to be judgmental, but I don't feel he's a good influence on my son, and it situation is getting awkward.
Okay, well tell me about the kid.
Why don't you like the kid?
Okay, about twenty three years old. He's been incarcerated twice. I'm not sure what the first time was for, but I know the second time was for stealing a car. Okay, that's no, it's not And I just don't I just don't think he's a good influence on my son. I think he he is trouble. But if the situation got awkward because yesterday we were out and my step son invited him over while we were gone, and he knows
he's not supposed to have friends over were out. So this young man was outside our home talking to him when we arrived, and so I immediately told him that, you know, he needed to tell his ask his friend to leave. And so my husband was kind of upset with me because I guess he was in there.
That I was.
So I said it openly and his he feels that I should give this kid a chance, and I don't. And I don't know at what point do you say, Okay, this person is not good, I don't want them around, or we need to give you know, as Christians, we need to not be judgmental and see, you know, if this kid's going to change. So that's my dilemma. I don't know how to handle it. I don't know. I don't know what to do.
You know, it's interesting, you there's a judicial system where people are incarcerated from time to time, and the frustration is that people do their time and they're supposed to be let out and the system is supposed to say that they're ready to come back into society, but no one seems to want to let them do So, Okay, and I get that. I get the reasons why, because this system's faulty, and all too often the system puts people back on the street because they don't have space.
Or what have you.
I would be curious as to why he was in jail the first time, and I would say that it's completely legitimate for you to bring this boy over to your home and sit him down with your son and your husband and say, you know what, I acted kind of short with you the other day, and I wanted to explain myself. I would like to know more about your situation, because all I know is this, and I
think that's why I reacted that way. And you're a friend of my sons, and I want you guys to be able to have a relationship and friendship and all of that stuff. But this is my home and this is my child, and I'm concerned as to why you were in the first time and what you think you learned from both of these trips to jail, and if I can have your word that you're not going to bring that stuff around my home and at least it
gives you an opportunity. I know it sounds like a corny Brady Bunch moment, but but parents will do all kinds of heavy duty lifting outside of the situation, but nothing that is uncomfortable inside. So instead of going, okay, and we're going to chain down our son, take away his phone, do all these things so he now he's in prison so that he can't have contact, it's face it and then see if you get a reading, an honest reading, not just of wow, it's scary because the
guy's been to jail because nobody was an angel. Now, I'm not saying everybody had to steal a car and that's not, you know, a great thing to have done. However, I do know people who have stolen cars in their youth and are perfectly wonderful people that you would invite to your home. Okay, so I think that your initial reaction is a wonderful one, one of protection for your home. I'm curious as to why your husband is your husband pretty relaxed about the situation.
Well, I kind of feel that that that is another underlying family issue. I kind of feel like he's comfortable with letting me be the bad guy, and he sits back and.
Allows me.
You know, he he doesn't like conflict, so especially you see if that's the dilemma with blended families. Also, he doesn't like to have conflict with my step son because he's always he's always uh holding that guilt that he doesn't want to alienate him because he didn't really he wasn't with his son, he didn't really raise him. So now that they have a relationship, as you know, he's older, but the guilt is always there. So he does not
like to have conflict with him. And and I honestly, I think then he he wants to avoid it, so he allows me to be.
The Well, technically, technically you're the parent, and so that's a whole different layer of you know, confusion and frustration. So technically you are the disciplinarian in this context. Also, just to shed a little light on how males work, and a lot of women don't understand this, is that men women fight differently than men. Women fight emotionally, and if you're honest with yourself, you know that that women will fight emotionally with one another.
I have to agree that I do my I'm right off the cuff, I'm you know exactly where I'm coming from exactly.
And that's that's it's a wonderful trait actually, and men tend to learn at a very young age that the slightest thing can get go to fisticuffs or a physical altercation immediately as young boys. They learn that young girls won't sit there necessarily pull hair and go through all that stuff on the playground, but boys will scrap and throw things and punch each other in the face at
a very young age. And so a lot of men come across to their wives sometimes as being laxadaisical, or lazy or too relaxed about certain situations, whereas a lot of men know they're just kind of balancing it saying, you know what, I have a first gear and I have a sixth gear, and I will go from zero point one into a physical altercation because that's the world
that I was taught as a boy. That always, no matter what, even if you try and rationalize it and go, well, you know what and be diplomatic, boys will throw punches. And that doesn't happen in most cases to women. And so a lot of times women don't understand that, and they'll go they'll run up to somebody in a public situation start yelling, and the man's like, honey, honey, stand down, stand down. Because the man, because a woman's going, no one's gonna sit, you know, haul off and punch me.
And it's good that you don't think that the world shouldn't be that way, but the guy is going. You know what, this can go from you being upset because someone pushed you to an all out brawl with police involved in one second once a man gets involved. So sometimes men tend to be a little too relaxed because of the fear and concern the way they were brought up.
Always things can go from zero to sixty because now when men get involved, now it becomes a pride issue and you know, testecular fortitude comes in and you know, are you saying that I'm a wimp and all this stuff and it gets blown out of proportion. So sometimes that affects it. But really truth is, he didn't raise the boy, but you are the parent in this circumstance, and what you say goes now. He needs to support you as your husband to give you the strength and
the tools you need. So in this case, I think confronting the situation head on and being reasonable with this twenty something year old and saying, you.
Know, you come in my house.
I have fears and concerns, and you've got to understand that, and he'll probably probably will go yeah, absolutely, So I just want to know who you are, and you know how long? If have they known each other all of these things and asked that said, okay, well, you know, we'd be happy to have you around in this context. But if I hear anything, I'm going to put an end to it. And not because I'm trying to be the lord of all, but because I care very much
about my son. And learn about his parents if you can, and as much as you can, and make decisions based on the whole pick. Sure, I know it's scary proposition, but know all the information first and then make a decision as to what you're going to do. Jim, Welcome to the Jesus Christ Show.
Someone has committed just toy, Someone has committed a mortal sin like suicide.
Okay.
Does that mean that like it's pointless to even pray for them in hell? Or if they did commit a mortal sin, maybe like one second before they passed away they repented. Does that make any difference? Is it there gone forever and it's no point even thinking about them? What are your thoughts?
Well, you have to kind of argue depending on where you're standing. Protestants would have a different point of view than Catholics most certainly, so there's doctrine involved as well. But I would say this that there is no reason to think that there is not something very intimate going on between man and God that in what you would call a second could be an eternity outside of this world, and everyone gets a proper opportunity to accept or reject God.
It's not based on ignorance. It's either you accept or you reject knowingly. And when it comes to suicide, it's one of those very ugly things because it's the last act of freedom that abolishes all other acts of freedom. It's a well, it's a crime. It's a crime against the gift of God, most certainly. Now, this is not to belittle the pain of people that contemplate as many many do, or to belittle the pains that go on in the world that make people frustrated or want to
leave this planet. But what it is is to look at this act and see that there is nothing Sadly, many people think of suicide because they're trying to themselves of pain, but really suicide doesn't end pain. It merely pushes it off to the people that are living. And so there's no way to eradicate that you work through pain, you don't. There's no way to really eradicate it in that sense, which is said.
What about purgatory with someone like that, go to purgatory or I know, I think that's more of a Catholic doctrina.
Most certainly purgatory.
But do most faiths in Christian in the Christian religion believe in purgatory or is it just something that was established out of.
From theologians purgatory.
Purgatory is a sticky one because there are different belief systems, most certainly, and there are things that maybe the Protestants would say, yes, I believe that there's this period here, whereas Catholics might say, no, it's a it's a literal place going through the purification process. The problem with many of these views is that it adds an asterisk to the death on the cross, so it's well, is there,
what's the payment? And one of the things I said at the very very end on the cross is to tell usty and through you know, contortions of translation and understanding of the term it gets translated into the end, it is finished, paid in full, all these different things, but ultimately it sounds vinal. So there are many that wrestle with that concept. And there are some concepts of purgatory that are kind of with a small p that may fit into scripture, and there are others that may not.
Outside of that, I want you to think about your main question and that as if someone commits this sin of suicide, and this suicide is self murder, can one still pray for them? And one would have to go to scripture and see that Scripture says that it's appointed for man to die once and then the judgment, So really to be praying for them is at the point of where they're being judged, is really an act of individual preference. Then it is something in scripture that says
this is what you should be doing. You should always trust God and know Jim that God has a plan that you could not even fathom, and that anyone who has the opportunity to receive will make that choice with the best of who they are, and God knows that. And there are things that could take place in the moments. One of the reason why many in the Christian faith in different denominations feel that suicide is the unpardonable sin is because there's no way to repent from it, there's
no way to turn away from that. But you could argue that about murder too.
You can't. Can't.
You could stop murdering, but you can't unmurder somebody that you murdered. So I think that there's there is room for argument that in those moments what seem like seconds, as somebody passes, even by their own hand, that God is in communication with them, and that during that process God can absolutely reach out and to be with that individual. Having said that, I will state over and over the obvious on this program that suicide is obviously frowned upon by God.
It is.
An ugly, the ugliest returning of a gift that you could possibly imagine or conjure, and to look on in the face and say thank you, no, thank you, can be a horrible and ugly act of rebellion. And as this show has had the pleasure of coming across people who have once thought those things and now we'll write emails and keep in contact, that they're no longer in that state. And we say here over and over again that we call them life circum circumstances, because they do change.
Is that often those things do change. And as we say over and over that if you don't wait for the end of the movie, you don't get the happy ending. Love one another to day, go out and be kind to each other, and remember, although we only have this little time together each Sunday. More importantly than all the craziness these words.
I Am with You
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