What The Church Should Look Like

In this episode of The Extremely Rational Podcast (“The ER”), Pastor Anthony and Alden talk about what people should actually see when they look at the church. They focus on the character of Christ and why it matters more than image, performance, power or reputation. You will hear how love, humility, forgiveness, and integrity shape a life that reflects Jesus in a real way. If you want your life to point people to Jesus, this conversation will help you take a clear, honest look at how you show up.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Extremely Rational Podcast. This is me being an announcer, and I don't know why. I'm Alton Brown.

SPEAKER_04 0:52

Amazing voice.

SPEAKER_02 0:53

You are? PA. PA, Pastor Anthony. Beanie. Or Beanie. Anthony.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Or stud Anthony. Or angels from the heavens.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Um, we uh we call it the Extremely Rational Podcast because PA TV. Whoa, that's another one. You get that one thrown in there pretty often, but I'm the other one.

SPEAKER_04 1:11

Well, I'm becoming more popular. We'll talk about that one. Yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

Old age. As I'm speaking.

SPEAKER_04 1:17

Like fine wine.

SPEAKER_02 1:23

Glorious.

SPEAKER_04 1:24

Take a sip. Drink up. Drink up and PA.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

Yeah. Alright, we're changing the name of the podcast. White or red? White for me on ice. Okay. And you like a lot of ice. I do. So we call it the extremely rational podcast because as you can see already, PA tends to be pretty extreme. I tend to be pretty rational, but sometimes it flip-flops. Anyway, ER for short, extremely rational. We just want to be an ER for you. So if you need to laugh, if you need to hear something of biblical advice, or you need to learn, or you just want to escape from reality for a little bit and just be blessed. And you need prayer and you need healing. Hey, we're your ER. Amen. Come hang with us, listen.

SPEAKER_04 2:02

Comments, topics, questions.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

Always, please. So we always open up with the open mic segment. Um, something just hit me, so you have no idea this is coming, but it just hit me, and I really want to share about it because it's wild. Now I have to say this with literally all due respect. Wow. Okay. Because this is getting nervous. Because no, because it's kind of it's kind of heavy. Um I shouldn't be nervous. No, you should be a little nervous. Okay. Go. So one of my closest friends in the world, best friend. His name is His name is Ray. Shout out, Ray. Love you, Ray. Unfortunately, his um his grandmother just passed away recently, and so um it was an honor for me. They asked me to sing at the wake at the really like a yeah, it was a funeral service.

SPEAKER_04 2:48

You haven't heard all them sing, he's awesome. Oh gosh, thank you. Amazing.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

But what I wanted to say is that um I've done that many, many, many times over my life, whether it be weddings or funerals, memorial services, many different functions, and it's always an honor, and I'm blessed to be asked. I'll be singing at uh a f a couple friend of mine's wedding on the fourth of July this year. Wow. Shout out Ryan and Faith. Love you guys. Here's what I wanted to say, though, more specifically towards funerals, is that that is one of the toughest requests to execute on. And here is what I mean. Okay. One, it's like you're already feeling nerves and and and unsettled and and you're sad and you're hurting for somebody, and but now you show up and it's like, okay, but I have to perform here, but you're asked to sing a song that glorifies the Lord. So it's it's worship, and it's like, but the room doesn't know what to do. And then they roll in the casket, and now there's an actual, you know, uh carcass in front of you, and you're sorry. And you're sorry, Ray, please don't watch this. Sorry, grandma. Hopefully, I'm just saying heaven that it's a it's an interesting thing culturally that we do, and uh it makes sense. You want to honor and bless them, and you want and the lives are blessed the old and sick mind. But yeah, but but you know, you're standing there here. So the truth, like I'm standing there, and and the casket is in front of me, and I'm standing and singing, and I want to worship the Lord, but you have a room full of people who don't know what to do, maybe three of them stand, the other, you know, 40 don't, and and then like do they do I put my hands up? Am I worse than the what's happening? There's a dead body here, and we're trying to honor them, and that's what this is really for, but it's also for the Lord. And it is like one of the strangest things to do and to execute on. And for me, I am as nervous or more doing that than singing the national anthem for the Mets of the Islanders in front of 20,000.

SPEAKER_04 4:42

I I've done funerals. My biggest challenge, and I hope you all know where we're coming for. We're born-again believers. We don't believe that person's in the casket. We believe as soon as they took their last breath, their soul is with the Lord, they are in paradise, they have gone home, they have gone to their reward. It is a celebration, but not everybody believes that. Yeah. And so to try to take them into consideration when you're singing or preaching or teaching, very challenging.

SPEAKER_02 5:11

Very challenging. But um, yes, I do also under so my point in saying that is like it it adds like a level of stress that is not all that common, um uh other than you know, performing somewhere at a huge venue and in like I have with 100% with sports teams and stuff. But anyway, we had a really, really cool um encounter. I'm still in the open mic here, really, I guess. Um, or not encounter, but we had a really um incredible weekend recently. Yes, sir. Um at Eastgate Church. We were able to bring in Corey Miller and Zach Hartgraves, and these two guys were awesome. Oh my goodness. Now, Cory Corey was uh long time uh part of and lead singer um at Red Rocks, Red Rocks Worship. Amazing and um just amazing. I mean, I'm not kidding you. We had a blast from the moment that they got here, and I really only connected with them day two. Some of our team connected with them day one, they just hit it off with us, and we were like buddies from from the start, and that's the way it should be. And they just yeah, and they just so blessed us, and I just wanted to shout them out and just say thank you because they were so much fun and they were so real and they were so genuine, and man, they just loved our team. And this is uh kudos and love and shout out to East Skate Worship and East Skate Young Adults, um, and just how much he and East Skate Church. They felt they were welcome and loved. Big time, of course. This goes with to Pastor Stephen and Pastor Sharon as well. I mean uh Pastor Steph as well, who they connected with. Amen. Because um we just had a blessed time, and they couldn't speak highly enough about the culture of our church, um, our leaders, our team, and just all that they experienced. And so, man, if uh if you didn't get a chance to be there the Saturday night and Sunday morning that we worshiped with them, um, check out some of the stuff that's out there because I'm sure by now uh there is some posts um with uh clips of what happened or even full songs on YouTube. Check it out with uh Eastgate Young Adults or Eastgate Church or Eastgate Worship, whatever you know, just find it. Uh it it's it's it was awesome. It just blessed me so much because these guys have uh have been on really big stages and they've really been doing this a long time. And the Lord has uh just so blessed and used them in huge ways to write songs that we sing at our church that the globe is singing in their churches. Um and so to just be up there, hang with them, learn from them, um, and worship with them was really cool.

SPEAKER_04 7:34

Absolutely, 100%. And it's our heart to hopefully make that national to just start bringing in people of worship, yeah. We can start connecting. And you know, maybe a lot of you out there, or many of you don't know, that the Northeast is called a wasteland when it comes to the kingdom of heaven or Christianity, that God's not doing anything there and uh it's a dead place. And uh, first of all, we know wherever God is, it's not dead. That's right. So it has nothing to do with the Northeast, it's people, but we want to begin to start having concerts with national people and just be like you said, fellowship, communion, relationships, yeah, and and start building the kingdom of heaven together.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

Amen. And one of the questions Corey Miller asked Pastor Stephen and I was what's the plan to write songs for our own church? Amen. Because he was just so blown away by the heart of the people on our team and the skill level of the people on our team. It's like, you know, you guys really should be writing your own songs and and putting them out there and writing for your church and this community. And um, it's something that I have a strong desire to do and hope to begin to do quite soon and start putting out some of our own stuff. So hopefully we'll gear up towards that real soon. Absolutely. We'll be working on it.

SPEAKER_04 8:48

It is. Uh I know it's the only church I've ever been besides pre Jesus, but I hear all the songs and we have a very unique team. Yeah, we do. Very talented, so blessed worship. Um yeah, it's uh it's entertaining and they're not trying to entertain us. No, which it's not for in any way. We would never do that. Um that means it's not harmful to your ear. Uh in musically, uh, and um you know, I know we have people that are just not believers the way we are and just absolutely love the worship because it's that good. Yeah, it's that professional. Yeah, and it's so encouraging. But that is not who we are, but it's not a bad thing. No. To to do it with all excellence. Yep. That even the world would see that, recognize that, and enjoy that and come for that.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

And and those who are really, really gifted and have uh literally been a part of some of the biggest uh worship movements, teams, and names that you've ever heard, for them to come in and say that about us is really special and and uh it's it's exciting, it's cool. Um last thing I'm gonna say really quick before we get get move on is uh this hat. Um uh in the previous episode I mentioned that um I won the New York Golf Club raffle, the TGL raffle, and this is that hat. I should have worn it last uh very slow. Yeah, but this is it. Go New York Golf Club. They didn't they didn't even make the playoffs.

SPEAKER_04 10:14

Fell off his roof. Uh what was it? Six years old, six. So 12 times, yeah, hit your nose twice. Yeah, you know. You can tell he's a little bit when you have, you know, you're doing the best you can. You did the best you can. You bounce back. That's right. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 10:28

Seven times seven. Thirty-two. Yeah, forty-nine. That's what I said. So I knew that. And anywho, um, I wanted to ask you a question. Yes, sir. If you're looking at the church, if you're looking at the body of Christ, my question to you is what should we look like? What should we emulate? What should we be projecting? I'm I'm not even sure if it's the right word, but what when we are when we are seen, when we are uh encountered, when we are looked at, what what is it that we should give off?

SPEAKER_04 11:02

Amen. I think there's many things, right? I and I think we'll we'll open it together. But I think the the key thing when and then we talked about last is that we we go to worship God and but the thing that the world should say, because really the world is our opportunity, it's not our enemy. Uh it's just it's the craziest thing. The world is our opportunity. It's like people, oh, my my job sucks, nobody's saved. Oh my god. If everybody's saved, then that's a wonderful thing. But you know, it's like bringing a cup of water to the beach. You know, you bring a cup of water to a desert.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Right.

SPEAKER_04 11:38

And so um uh most of my secular jobs, no one was saved, and it was such a a wonderful uh opportunity to show Christ. But I I think the the question is really what Jesus said: go and make disciples of every tongue in every nation, baptize in the name of the Father's Son, teaching them all that I taught you, and lo, I'm with you always. That's uh the end of Matthew. And I think we've done a real bad job of that.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

I agree.

SPEAKER_04 12:07

I think the church has tried to show them miracles, which are wonderful, and healings, which are wonderful, um, anointings, um, but uh I don't think we've shown them the love of our God, and I don't think we're in the unity that will display that to them. Right. It's absolutely amazing to me. And listen, you taught me more than anyone. Uh uh, and you know me, and you can be brutally honest. Um I certainly was not very empathetic, I was not very compassionate, I was a strong believer in Jesus, a very strong uh evangelist and preacher and teacher and his word, but I I didn't have his character, and I I have no problem saying that. I have a problem that I did that, I'm not condoning it. And um one day I'll tell my whole story, maybe you might have seen it, but I got born again in 82 and in 2004 for a very short season I was put in charge of the church, and when I evaluated everything, I found out I didn't have the character of Christ. I have power, I have authority, but I don't have no no love, no, I have no character. And so I think the church has made that a uh a fundamental mistake. And I think when we take the word of God and we hear what Jesus, I think it's John 14, 16, around there. They call it his priestly prayer. He literally looks up to heaven and he's and he's looking out at the disciples and talking to his father and says, Daddy, when they become one, like we're one, that's when the world will know that you sent me. How freaking powerful is that? He gave you guys the answer. No healing there, no miracles there. And you know, um, they have eternally existed. That's just, I mean, if you ever question your God and the person that is your Lord and Savior, your provision, your healer, this freaking guy has always been around. He's in really good shape. You can trust him. Yeah, he has eternally, that means 10 billion years ago and billion and billion and billion, just so you all can understand, there was no time then. He invented time for us. We need time, he lives in timelessness. Yep. This is your God, you should be so freaking secure in that. Like, this is chill. This guy's got me. But these three have never had a fight. And that is what we should look like. Our churches, we fight with each other uh over anything. You sat in my chair. Yeah. What the F, it's not your chair. And and so we just want to open your eyes and really open this up. Uh I didn't shout out last time, I will. I do a Bible class every Friday night, which has grown to miraculous. We call it even Pastor Stephen Knows, it's a mini church service now, which gives me the ability to really deal with things that we can't do on a Sunday. We can't deal with them. Yeah. And so we're dealing with issues like this. And we had 150 people on Holy Spirit night, and uh, I don't know when this is airing. The next one is March 20th, so if it's airing, I think uh it will be after. So we'll tell you how it went. But um, we're expecting 200 people. That's a lot of people on a Friday night. That's a lot on a Sunday morning. Yeah, and so um we want to make sure that as the crowds are coming, we begin to make the church major in the majors and start minoring in the minors. And the easiest way is the power of God, the authority of God, or the gifts of God are the minors, the character of God, the fruits of God, they're the majors. Big time.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:08

And I don't even know if we know what they are, it's just it's amazing. Well, and so how how can you know if you have his fruit if you don't even know what they are? Yeah, not good. Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. That's it. You should be looking at your tree. And so we just want to take a little time to talk about that. We wanna, again, I want to have empathy and compassion. Always. I I want to um, you know, people have really been hurt in churches, people have really been hurt in life. Oh, yeah. I don't want to dismiss that. I want to overcome that with love every time. I don't think God dismisses our sin. No, he overcomes it in love.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

Right. And when there's love, and I I know I've said this to you a lot and I think that you've appreciated it, but when there's love, it makes the difficult conversations possible because we get so scared of what might happen if I say to the, you know, my leader or my you know, my partner or whatever it is, whatever it is, oh, you know, I'm so nervous to confront them about this or to say this thing that it, you know, that isn't great or that I'm noticing. But it's like when there's really love there, it's gonna be okay. It's actually gonna work out, and you guys are gonna be fine, and you're gonna be stronger because of it, and you're gonna grow through it because you really do love each other. And if we can if we can realize that there's real love, um, we can get through some tough things, tough things together.

SPEAKER_04 17:33

And and and this is where we're headed for his church, not Eastgate. God forbid that Eastgate Church is the only church in America, and that's so sad. There are but we want to see the church get healthy. Yeah. And you want to know what the Bible says about love? It believes all things, it hopes all things. Yes, it does, it endures all things. And it never fails. Never ever. That's love because who is love? God is love, and God hopes all things. And that's even that, it's just my mind is being blown as we talk. We don't hope anything. We fight God, no matter what's going wrong, God's got hope. Yes, God's got belief, God's got endurance. Yep, and it'll never fail. Never. And that's why in Christ you cannot fail. You can't, because he is God's plan. And if you're with him, it may not go the way you want it, and it may not go the way you liked. Has your life gone exactly the way you wanted?

SPEAKER_02 18:33

No way.

SPEAKER_04 18:34

But his plan is not failing in your life.

SPEAKER_02 18:37

Never. Oh my goodness. I see him in it all, and it's awesome. And even when it's not awesome, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 18:44

That's exactly right. Because the growth and and really when you and I I just know we say it a million times, but we are aware that the church isn't about us. Life isn't about us. We're not.

SPEAKER_02 18:58

That's the problem. You're right. But people are not aware of that.

SPEAKER_04 19:07

It's not about us. Right. You've been there 42 years. It's not about us. I am so grateful to be a part. But you're a pastor. No, I'm a part. Yep. I don't want to lose that gratefulness that I'm a part of this. This isn't about me. All I've done at this church. Who cares? Who cares? Someone wants to honor me, that's wonderful. I want to honor people. Sure. This place is about Jesus. Yes. He's the only one who deserves. So when we keep that mindset, we we won't stray as much. And we're saying this all, guys, we want you to be so healthy. Yeah. Because anger and unforgiveness and pain and toxicity are just, they they just breed unhealthiness and unsuccessfulness on this earth. I want to be successful. I can't talk for anybody else. Same. Which my success is bearing much fruit, and that fruit would remain. And I'm not going to get into it, but probably if you want the greatest story that I've ever heard is a woman named Joyce Myers. Go look what she endured. And if I have it wrong, I'll always be corrected. I'm pretty sure TBN right now, but it's not TBN, to one of the that there's like two biggies. She is by far the most watched Christian person in the world. She is at 18 million people. Second place right now is seven million. Wow. If you see what she's endured, what she had to forgive.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Oh my goodness. The price she paid.

SPEAKER_04 20:36

It is absolutely unbelievable. Yeah, it is. And uh I'm not even gonna get into it. It it's it's really one of the most challenging stories you'll ever hear.

SPEAKER_02 20:47

It kills most people, and it didn't just uh not kill her, it um she you know she has used it in a way uh that has made an impact for good all her life because I was gonna jump in and say something like this that often you were saying before I w I really want to be successful, I want to be a successful Christian, and that looks like love and that looks like Christ-likeness. But problem is that so much of the world is seeking happiness. They want to be happy. I I want to be happy if I could just be happy, like that's all I want. I just want to be happy. You're like, okay, Joyce Meyer wouldn't have been happy. I mean, most if it would happen to her happened to you, you would probably come you would be broken the rest of your life and therapy the rest of your life and never been able to find happiness. What did she do? And here's what I what I like to say. I half of this I heard from someone else, the other half I create I added. And that is that happiness is tied to a happening. I'm happy because I got a new car. I'm happy because my sports team won. I'm happy because I'm going to a wedding later tonight or a concert. Right. It's I'm happy because something happened. But joy comes from a joining. And what she did is she joined in to the family of God. She's a daughter of God. She is joined with Christ, she is joined with Jesus, and so she. She has joy in that she's walking. That's what we want to do. We want to walk and live in a fruit of the spirit, like we touched on earlier, which is joy and live there. That only comes through a joining with Jesus in every moment of your life. Joy. Because happy happiness is fleeting. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_04 22:14

And it is so much more pleasurable, guys. If you want to be happy, nothing can make you happy. Like having this incredible, healthy outlook in life. Nothing. You know, we've said Timmy Tebow a million times. This guy refused to let any fame identify him. Jesus Christ is my identity. I think he won a Heisman, a national championship. Uh he went on to the pros. He won a playoff game. He had that John 3.16. He would not let any of that. That's not what identifies me. Nope. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. That's my identity. When you make that your identity, you're now making it about something like Alden just said, won't flee away. He's not a professional athlete anymore. Nope. He's a big boy. I don't know if you've seen him. Oh yeah. Timmy, you're a beast. He is a gym rat.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

He always has been. He's a very healthy man. Oh my God.

SPEAKER_04 23:07

Sign it out. And he waited and he did everything right, and God's blessed it. Yeah. He's a God now. No, no, the Lord has such great things for you. He's not holding anything back. Maybe you're tying his hands. Maybe to release what he has. Uh and um and it can all be what this is the only God. It not only can turn around for you and you've had pains in your life.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:36

And and get healed, but the word of God is so crazy is that now you have comfort to comfort others who are in pain. Correct. With the comfort, you can't get that without going through pain. Nope. How can you be comforted without going through pain? Yeah, you wouldn't even know. That's exactly right. And so Joyce Myers ends it. She's just she's lost her mind. Yeah. When you see the end of it, I'm sorry, I'm going to give you a spoiler alert. She said, when I look back on my life, I wouldn't change a thing.

unknown 24:07

Amazing.

SPEAKER_04 24:08

You've lost your mind.

SPEAKER_02 24:09

Amazing.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

And when you watch it, now this is about a 40, you know, I talk two minutes. This is a 45-minute testimony in front of about 500 women that's been watched by millions. She said, the reason I wouldn't is because I've been comforted.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_04 24:22

And I have comfort for you now. And you're worth it because Jesus died for you. Oh, so incredible. Imagine looking at your life like that.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

It's beautiful, man. Yeah. Special.

SPEAKER_04 24:31

It's unbelievable. And you're just going through this because Jesus died for you. And you're going to be carrying something for someone else. Sure. He's got you. He's got He's got everything you want and more.

SPEAKER_03 24:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:41

And the bottom line, and I we're not going to be here forever. I'm so sorry to tell you.

SPEAKER_02 24:46

We are not.

SPEAKER_04 24:47

How old are you, Alden? 36. How quick did it go? Too fast. I'm 70. Yeah. It's a blink. I know. And enjoy it. I enjoy life. But never hold on to this world. This world is fleeting. Hold on to the kingdom that you're really from, which is heaven. And begin to desire that character, that health. And begin to say, I'm going to love like God loves. I'm going to forgive like God forgives. Yeah. I'm going to have the character of Jesus Christ. And we've talked about it. He's told us we have to love our enemies. It's not optional. Right. We can't even love people sitting next to us in church.

SPEAKER_03 25:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:28

It's true.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Gotta love them.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

That's exactly right. You don't have to agree with everything. No. If they really hurt you, you don't have to be best friends. If you have a really healthy church, let's go sit down. Let's talk about this. Sure. Um, let's keep some strong boundaries. But let's love each other. Let's forgive each other. Plus, the Bible says this guard your heart with all diligence. Yep. For out of it flows the issues of life. Everything that filters through you will come through this place. And the more you put that a good word for me? Toxicity? Drama. Trauma. Bitterness. Bitterness. Do you know what Jesus said the Pharisees' problem was? What the his church in the Old Testament was? What all these people who rejected him, what their real problem was, they got a hard heart.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

I don't want that. Make this heart of stone like flesh. Absolutely absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 26:36

Make me like you, Lord. Give me that heart. Give me that mindset and remind me that really is the healthiest thing I can do. Healthier than anything I can do is to begin to look at the world the way you do, Jesus Christ. Look at my enemies. And you know this, I'll say it so quickly, but after 2010, 82, 90, I don't know, 30, 40 years, guys. If I'm handing it wrong, I just want to get to point out how powerful God is. Yeah. I I went into a um an investment that my wife told me not to. And I went in hard and I made a lot of money. And uh I got a call from them to come. And I think, oh my God, God, they're gonna make me see the the pastor of this incredible investment. God, this is it. We're taking, and it was called perfect love around the world. Anyway, when I walked in there, they said the feds are coming. We're all gonna be arrested. This is a Ponzi scheme. Pastor, do you think you could pray now? Guys lost chef in mind. Whoa. You want me to pray now? When I told you, guy. And so I said all that. Because in 2010, my wife and I lost our second home. We have barely recovered our credit. We got so decimated 16 years later. We're in a everything, but it just so devastated. It devastated my wife. And here's kudos to Carolyn. She asked me to not go in it. And I went in it and we lost our home. She has never brought it up once. Do you know how many times I would have brought that up to her? Oh, yeah. If I pleaded with her not to do it and she did it and we lost our home?

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Yeah, unbelievable. What a woman.

SPEAKER_04 28:24

Oh, just that's ridiculous. But I said all that because now I heard the Lord say, I need you to go into that prison and tell that man you love him and I love him, you forgive him and I forgive him. And watch what I do for you. And so I not only had to talk to my wife about it, many people in our church and friends, investors, and they said, Go, go with our blessing. And I went in there and God touched him. But here's the wild thing. I became a minister in 1985, and so I left my secular job and I worked all other jobs because the church really couldn't pay me for 25 years. Do you know since I went into that prison, I've never worked a secular job in my life? Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_02 29:05

Look at God. Well, God has blessed us with a home.

SPEAKER_04 29:07

He said he would. He said he would. We have more money in the bank today. Yeah. We did a 10-year prison ministry from that visit. Wow. And my wife and I are happier than we have ever, ever been because we chose to forgive.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

Yeah. Incredible. Key. You chose to love.

SPEAKER_04 29:30

And and and it and so if you've been hurt out there, if you have pastors, if you have people, go to them, talk to about it. It's real. Yep. And it's terrible. Joyce Myers, she didn't get healed in it. I think it was 20 years for her, if you watch her testimony. But she was willing to go through it with the Lord and to do some, I'm not going to say anymore. You watch it. Do some difficult things that he asked her to do.

SPEAKER_03 29:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:53

My goodness. Which was buy a house for the person that's brought all this pain into you and put them right next door to you. And she did it all. And and now she is reaping the benefits of Christianity.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 30:10

Because that's Christianity, guys. That's what makes us different than the world. Every religion is works and you know effort and eye for an eye. No, no, no. This is Christianity. Love the least. That's it. Love the person. And that does not mean you went over to the house and brought them flowers and said what you did to me was right. Say, I'm releasing you in forgiveness because he forgave me of all my sins. So I'm releasing you. I forgive you and I love you. Doesn't mean I even want you in my life. Right. There's a healthy Christian way. That's how Brother Alden to answer the question. We're going to bring the unity back to the church of God. Amen. Not the church of God. Not the denomination.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

Yeah, not the denomination. And we're not going to do it another way. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 31:00

It's not going to happen.

SPEAKER_02 31:01

No, you're 100% right. That's the way.

SPEAKER_04 31:03

That's going to happen through love and forgiveness. Unity. And the character of Jesus Christ. That's the only way. And if you really want the church, the world to see something different, you're going to have to show them something different, guys. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:17

You are. And the truth of the matter is, and it's something that you've said so often that I've always really appreciated, is that when you don't forgive, you're locking yourself in a prison. Um, and it's really true. It's like yeah, it's like you lock yourself in a cell when they've been getting the keys to come out, and you're like, and you think or like what others have said is that when you don't forgive somebody, it's like drinking poison and expecting it to kill them. Amazing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:44

Bill Johnson, I believe.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

Uh Bill Johnson said bitterness is murdering diapers. Think of those things, guys. Which is remarkable. Yeah, he may have said the other too, but I've certainly heard it before. And that just the point is not only is forgiveness important and it's key, but it is it is for you. That's exactly right. You holding on to being bitter and angry at somebody killing you. Yes, killing you. And it's gonna produce really ugly things in your life. Killing you. Get free. Don't lock yourself in a prison that you've been let out of.

SPEAKER_04 32:14

That's that's exactly right. And again, it's not condoning. It's forgiving. God, God does not condone our sin. Right. He forgives our sin. That's correct. And um, I'm just gonna end this segment. You do what you want, but I was in a Canadian prison, you know that. Yep. And so I'm gonna teach you about forgiveness and um choices and love. So I'm in there, I'm guilty. The officer beat me and arrested me, chucked me in there. I didn't know if I was there for going home when I was going home.

SPEAKER_03 32:44

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 32:45

I prayed out to God, everybody knows that. But here's the key illustration. That officer came to me, opened the cell, and said, I have no idea why, but we are letting you go free. What would you have said about me as I went if I would have gone in the next cell and locked myself in it?

SPEAKER_02 33:05

You're a fool.

SPEAKER_04 33:07

When God frees you, when his love frees you, when you can free others, why would you go lock yourself in? It doesn't make any sense.

SPEAKER_02 33:15

That's right. And even more so in the case of Christ, he has paid the price. Because if you feel so self-righteous enough to say, well, I deserve to be penalized, so I'm gonna lock myself in the cell. The problem with that is when it comes to faith in Jesus, he already paid the price. So you don't have to. You don't have to lock yourself in and pay a price. He did it. Amen. So go.

SPEAKER_04 33:36

And it's eternal.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Yes. And grow and change and don't do it again.

SPEAKER_04 33:40

That's exactly right. And he loves you. He has so much better for you. We love you. We hope you have a church, we hope you know him. Uh, but we are determined at Eastgate Church to be a church that loves. Always. To be a church that forgives, and to be a church that works on unity, not perfection. Yep. Unity. Yep. And we, my prayer is that God not only gives us that, but we can let that flow into other churches. And even find fallen ministers. Let's stop throwing stones at them. Right. Let's sit down with them, tell them God loves you, He forgives you. Go take some time and get restored.

SPEAKER_03 34:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 34:18

And let's get your church healthy. Let's get the church of God around the world healthy so we can do this unbelievable commission. Amen. And make disciples of every tongue in every nation, and let's go home and be with Him. Big time. Amen. You want to pray us out?

SPEAKER_02 34:33

Um, you should pray us out this time.

SPEAKER_04 34:35

Lord, how do we not respond to this unconditional, unbelievable love? This eternal, atoning sacrifice that you chose you did not have to. You chose because of your love to die for every sin that was ever committed. Help us to reciprocate in a way that emulates that love in our church, in our homes, on our jobs, that shows the world what you want them to see, that not only have we been loved, but how you love them, that the church can begin to love the way you did. So, in that vein, right now, anyone who's sick, you can put your hand on them, whatever it is, we're going to take the authority of God and declare over your bodies that by it with those stripes you were and are healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Sickness, disease, infirmities, pain, go in the name of Jesus. And anyone who does not know him, it's this simple. It's in Revelation, he says, I stand at the door of your heart and I knock. And if anyone would open up their heart, I'm coming in. Just open your heart. Say, Come on in, Jesus. What's the worst thing that can happen? Try it from 90 days. If it doesn't work, we'll refund all your misery. I think you're gonna find out, wow, this is the greatest thing that I ever, ever could have done. You're gonna find out your purpose, his plan. You're gonna find out how loved you are, you're gonna find out how forgiven you are, you're gonna find out you weren't a mistake, you weren't an accident. You have been planned before the world was by a loving God, and that you are part of his eternal family, and forever and ever and ever you will be with him. So we just encourage you, open your heart. And if you've done that, find a church, reach out to us, find a place to worship him. And just pray. That's all I did way back when. God, okay, I gotta find a place to worship you. And just keep looking until you're comfortable. Because he has that for you. We love you. We we know God has great things for you.

SPEAKER_03 37:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:07

So we just pray it out in Jesus' name, all these things, and we call them done. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 37:12

Amen. Hey, shout out Tony. You're the man.

SPEAKER_04 37:16

Love you, love you, love you, love you, love you. He has made this very professional.

SPEAKER_02 37:19

Yes, he has when we couldn't. Also, um, go listen to my new single, Cinnamon. Go listen to my new single, Cinnamon. Love it, love it, love it. God bless.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. It truly means a lot to us. If you'd like to hear more episodes like this, please subscribe to our channel. It's the simplest and most impactful way to show your support. We'll see you on the next one, and as always, God bless.