The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are cautioned that
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some material may be too
candid for younger children.
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Hello, and welcome again
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to another
edition of Pure Choices.
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I'm your host
Pastor Joshua Nelson.
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And I'm so excited
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and glad you
decided to join us again.
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We are having
another amazing topic today.
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We're talking
about self-destruction,
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self-denial really, and
we're really going to get
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into this topic
of dying to self.
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And so before we begin
to introduce the panel,
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let's just bow for
a moment of prayer.
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Dear heavenly Father,
we just ask again that
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you would allow us
to die to ourselves
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even as we begin
to discuss this topic,
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in Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen. Amen.
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All right, to my left,
I have Kimberly Pearson
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who is the Associate Chaplain
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at Oakwood University
in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Yes, yes.
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Then I have Jeremy Anderson
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who is an author and a
speaker in Madison, Alabama.
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And actually, he is
the author of this book
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which we are
using our title from
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which is called
"Self-Destruction".
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So we're really
happy to have him today
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to talk to us a
little more about this book.
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Of course, it says
"How to die to self
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and live in the Spirit
of God, Self-Destruction".
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Happy having
Jeremy Anderson here,
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the author of this book.
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And next we also
have Dajanae Maxwell,
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who is a Oakwood
university Theology student.
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Amen. All right, all right.
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Representer for the ladies.
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That's right, that's right.
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And then we have James Brandon,
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who is a
university campus chaplain
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in Tampa, Florida.
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So we have a great, great panel,
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and we're going to
get into this subject.
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All right, so let's
start talking about this topic
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of
self-destruction, self-denial.
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But first, we just got
to answer the question,
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what is self-destruction
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because a lot of
people may be wondering,
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"Well, what is that all about?"
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I mean, what are
you talking about.
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We're not talking
about anything else
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but we're talking...
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But spiritual
suicide, spiritual denial.
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You know, a destruction
of your spiritual self.
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We're not talking
about real suicide,
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just make sure that's clear.
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Right.
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So expand on that
a little bit, Jeremy,
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what is this really all about?
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You know, I've been a Christian
for 33 years like all my life.
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You know, I've
been in the church,
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and I'm just recently
understanding this concept
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of
self-destruction, self-denial.
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And so one would say,
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"I've truly just
began to truly live."
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Right?
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If we look at the
Biblical reference
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of what Jesus said in Luke 9:23,
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He gave His disciples
very clear instructions
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on what to do and how to live
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if they are to be disciples.
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Christians, right?
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He said, "There's
three things you must do,
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deny yourself,
pick up your cross,
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and follow me."
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And it's evident, we
can't pick up our cross,
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we can't follow God if
we don't deny ourselves.
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So for me, denial of self
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is getting to a
point where we say,
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"Lord, not my will
but Your will be done."
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And everything we do,
we're looking to please God.
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Wow. Mm-hm.
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All right, I like that.
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I think, I think what's
so rich about this topic
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is that the
self-denial thing is major
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because it's really kind of cool
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because it's a call to die
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but at the same
time, it's a call to live.
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Yes.
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So you're dying but
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in that act of dying actually
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you're
resurrecting a new person.
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Mm-hm. And the
thing about that so...
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There's a tension that we
all struggle with our hearts
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and our minds are always
warring against each other.
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Our hearts are passionate
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and it wants to
indulge and everything.
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It wants to take, take, take,
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but our hearts have to kind
of try to convince our minds
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to live out that
thing, to play out that thing.
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So our minds has to
be connected with God
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so that we can counteract
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what we really
want to indulge in
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and learn how to
deny, and kind of sit back,
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and die so that our
spiritual self can live.
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Okay.
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You know, what I also think,
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self-denial or
destruction of self is anti...
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It's antisocial, you know,
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it goes against the
grain of pop culture
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and popular social
thought, and popular,
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you know, belief systems
of, you know, protect myself.
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Mm-hm.
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Do everything possible
to make sure that I'm okay,
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I live, do you?
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I'ma do me, get
yours, I'ma get mine.
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And that's the kind
of the mentality we have
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while denying self
is opposite of that.
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It means I'm
going to do you. Mm-hm.
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I'm going to do
what's best for you.
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I'm going to make
sure that everybody has.
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I'm going to put down
everything that I want
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and take up what God has for me
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in the best
interests of my spiritual life
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and the life of my fellow man.
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Yeah.
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So as you're saying
that, I just wanna, I mean,
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it's only we
watching and wondering
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and I'm even
asking, "Why even do this?"
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You know, why even
take the time to, you know,
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just focus on
somebody else or focus on God
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and not focus on myself.
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I mean it's really
isn't... It's my life.
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You know, so I've
got to work about,
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worry about myself, you know.
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So why should I even do
this? Why should I do this?
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It's the fact
that God created you.
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God created me.
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God created everyone
listening and with that,
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with that fact,
understanding that God,
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in the sense, denied himself,
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not in the sense,
but very practically,
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when he was here on
earth as Jesus Christ,
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He denied his feelings.
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And so what makes us
think we don't have to.
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And in denying your
feeling of not wanting to suffer
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and you denying your feeling of,
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"Oh, I want to get that despite
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who may be affected and
how they will be affected."
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It's very...
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It's I want to be like Christ.
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So I will do the
things that He did,
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even though it hurts my flesh.
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But it will grow my
spirit, so that's why I do it.
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Mm-hm, okay.
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And, you know,
what happens, you know,
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that's the way she
said that was so perfect.
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You know, what Christ did here
was He lived a life of service.
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Everything He did was anti-self,
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you never saw cars floating
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from town to
the next, He walked.
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You never saw Him using
His powers for His self.
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He used it to serve others.
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He denied himself to a point
where He even gave His life.
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So I think there's
something deeper here,
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at if we can't get to the
root of self-denial, it's sin.
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Self like our
sinful selfish natures...
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There you go.
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Is like that's
what we're wired to.
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Yeah.
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And if we look
at what Isaiah says,
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the enemy Satan
when he was in heaven.
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Lucifer at that
time, He said that,
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"I would exalt
myself above the heavens."
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You know, he was made
and created to worship God,
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just like we all are.
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We're created to worship
God. He was a covering cherub.
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He was over the
"praise team" with the choirs.
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But His focus took off of
where from God to his self.
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Yeah. How he's beautiful.
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How he can sing.
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And he began to
worship himself and that...
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And it says,
the Bible says that,
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"Iniquity was
found in his heart."
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And so this is what
we're battling here.
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Yeah.
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We're battling self,
our will versus God's will.
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And that's what I
really want to touch on
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because that is
the root, that is...
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I mean, we have to understand
that our self is not like God,
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that we are against God.
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You know, so that's really...
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You know, when we're on this,
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this program right now
trying to talk about this,
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you know, we're
recognizing that we...
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It's not about us, you know,
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we don't want it to be about
us because we know who we are.
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We know that we are
faulty and we're bad.
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So we need to be
about somebody else
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other than us, you know.
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James, you
anything to add to that?
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Because, you know,
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in really looking at this thing,
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still people may be wondering,
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well, what does it look like?
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You know, what is...
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What does
self-destruction look like?
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I mean, do I...
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Is there a moment when I just
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put myself to bed
and say, "I'm done"?
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You know, how does
that... What do I do?
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How does that really come about?
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Yeah. Good question.
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I think that's something that
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we all struggle with who we are,
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try to, try to find out
how that can really work,
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you know, especially because
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as was
mentioned the pop culture,
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that the current on with
the world that we live in,
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everything is saying indulge.
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Mm-hm.
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I think how that looks is
truly asking God to baptize us
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with the Holy Spirit.
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Mm-hm.
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And that really...
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It makes sense because
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when Christ was
baptized with water
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after He got up from
the baptism of water, He...
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The skies opened
up and in, you know,
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"This is my son
who I'm well pleased,"
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and He got a firm
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and He got anointed
with the Holy Spirit.
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And once he was
anointed with this Holy Spirit,
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then He was able to
go in the wilderness,
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which He was tempted
by the Devil for 40 days.
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And I think that,
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that's where we are, we're like,
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well, how do we then
go into this wilderness,
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where everything is being
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just compassed
about us in all this sin,
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all these
temptations of being around us,
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how do we then stand firm?
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And how do we live? Right.
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And as truly being
in the morning like,
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in the morning
really like Christ,
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following Christ's
example getting up,
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"God, I'm giving myself
to you, my desires, my plans,
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I'm putting me at Your feet,"
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and just asking the Holy
Spirit to live inside you
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so that your desires,
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your heart that's
deceitfully wicked,
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it gets recreated.
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An example for
that to me would be,
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through this process of
sanctification, you know,
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I used to, I mean...
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Well, before
you go on that side,
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what is sanctification?
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Just kind of... Yeah, yeah.
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Sanctification is basically
a settling in holiness,
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kind of, moving
from where you are
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to daily getting to, kind of,
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we being reflecting
more of the image of God.
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So... Day-to-day basis, yeah.
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Yeah, exactly.
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So as the Holy
Spirit infills you,
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your desires are more
inclined to Godly desires.
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Yeah.
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And you don't, you
know, things that are sinful,
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they kind of,
they seem off to you.
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Whereas, you used to
like to indulge and used to,
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you know, be
comfortable around those things.
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Those things
kind of become like...
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You don't feel comfort,
your spirit is not settled
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because it's not your spirit.
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It's not yourself.
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It's the Holy
Spirit that's in you.
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So things like music
and things that you hear,
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I mean, one thing
for me like cursing
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when people
curse it's like my...
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I'm just like, you know,
it's just, it feels so off,
00:10:30.96\00:10:33.83
it feels so wrong, where before
00:10:33.86\00:10:35.26
it didn't really used to matter.
00:10:35.30\00:10:36.63
So it is a daily
00:10:36.67\00:10:38.73
asking of the
infilling of your Holy Spirit.
00:10:38.77\00:10:40.20
That's kind of
how it looks like.
00:10:40.24\00:10:41.57
I don't wanna get
you off your point
00:10:41.60\00:10:42.94
because you're making
example of something but...
00:10:42.97\00:10:44.61
I don't wanna...
00:10:44.64\00:10:45.97
You're good. We
good? Okay, go ahead.
00:10:46.01\00:10:47.34
The story that he...
00:10:47.38\00:10:48.71
Well, not the story but the...
00:10:48.74\00:10:50.15
Okay, so Christ was baptized.
00:10:50.18\00:10:51.71
Okay.
00:10:51.75\00:10:53.08
And then the Spirit fell on Him.
00:10:53.11\00:10:55.18
God
acknowledged, "This is My son
00:10:55.22\00:10:58.19
who I am well pleased."
00:10:58.22\00:10:59.79
And then He was able to go
00:10:59.82\00:11:01.49
through the
wilderness experience.
00:11:01.52\00:11:02.86
And then He was
able to deny himself,
00:11:02.89\00:11:04.66
so He is fasting, right?
00:11:04.69\00:11:06.96
So Christ is fasting
00:11:07.00\00:11:08.53
and the tempter is coming to Him
00:11:08.56\00:11:11.87
and challenging Him to boast.
00:11:11.90\00:11:15.30
Challenging Him to show
all the power that He has.
00:11:15.34\00:11:19.47
But Christ denies that
because He know He can.
00:11:19.51\00:11:22.54
And He knows who He is
because His Father said,
00:11:22.58\00:11:26.45
"You are My son.
00:11:26.48\00:11:27.82
So I don't have
to prove it to you."
00:11:27.85\00:11:29.18
Right.
00:11:29.22\00:11:30.55
I can deny myself in
all that I know I can do
00:11:30.59\00:11:33.66
because I know who I am,
and I know where I stand.
00:11:33.69\00:11:36.29
And, you know,
it's so interesting that
00:11:36.32\00:11:37.79
both can talk
about 'cause I was,
00:11:37.83\00:11:39.16
as we were talking, I
was thinking that very thing
00:11:39.19\00:11:41.40
about part of the
reason is self-destruction
00:11:41.43\00:11:44.50
ties into value
systems and identity.
00:11:44.53\00:11:47.24
When I know who I
am, who I belong to,
00:11:47.27\00:11:50.04
and who I come from,
00:11:50.07\00:11:51.51
I don't have to
prove anything to anybody
00:11:51.54\00:11:53.41
but it also equips me
to serve other people.
00:11:53.44\00:11:57.01
And so we have a huge issue
with value system and identity.
00:11:57.05\00:12:00.72
If I don't value you,
who cares if I kill you,
00:12:00.75\00:12:03.35
who cares if cuss you out,
00:12:03.39\00:12:04.75
who cares if I sleep with
you, because I don't value you.
00:12:04.79\00:12:07.36
But when I learned about
who I am, God said to Jesus,
00:12:07.39\00:12:11.39
"This is My son."
00:12:11.43\00:12:12.79
And so when Satan tempted
Him and said, "Who are you?"
00:12:12.83\00:12:15.26
He already knew
who He was. Yeah.
00:12:15.30\00:12:16.90
So when someone says,
"Yo, jump, do something,"
00:12:16.93\00:12:19.37
you know, temptation.
00:12:19.40\00:12:21.24
Well, you ain't a man
unless you sleep with me
00:12:21.27\00:12:22.84
or you're not that...
00:12:22.87\00:12:24.21
I don't have to
prove anything to you
00:12:24.24\00:12:25.57
'cause I know who
I am and I'm valued.
00:12:25.61\00:12:27.98
And so dying to
self ties into identity.
00:12:28.01\00:12:31.48
I can remain strong
because of who I belong to
00:12:31.51\00:12:35.08
and who God is.
00:12:35.12\00:12:36.45
And it's not easy.
00:12:36.48\00:12:37.82
Paul's struggle, in
the Bible, Paul says,
00:12:37.85\00:12:39.19
"That which I
want to do..." Yeah.
00:12:39.22\00:12:40.56
"I don't do, the thing
that I don't want to do.
00:12:40.59\00:12:42.59
Those are the very
same things that I do."
00:12:42.62\00:12:44.46
So it's a daily struggle.
00:12:44.49\00:12:46.90
But when I know who I am,
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.80
I know where I
can go to get power
00:12:48.83\00:12:51.10
to keep going when I mess up.
00:12:51.13\00:12:52.83
Mm-hm. Mm-hm.
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.37
That power, that
power point is really rich
00:12:54.40\00:12:57.41
because I believe that
Christ made, of course,
00:12:57.44\00:12:59.37
the ultimate sacrifice,
when He went to Calvary.
00:12:59.41\00:13:02.54
But before He
went and allowed them
00:13:02.58\00:13:04.58
to put Him on that cross,
He had some time in the garden.
00:13:04.61\00:13:07.78
And when He was in
the Garden of Gethsemane,
00:13:07.82\00:13:09.15
it was a really
rough time He was having.
00:13:09.18\00:13:11.39
And He went to the garden
00:13:11.42\00:13:12.75
three different
times to pray to God.
00:13:12.79\00:13:14.29
And each time He said,
"Lord, is there any way
00:13:14.32\00:13:16.49
that this cup can pass from me?"
00:13:16.52\00:13:18.19
But He said, "No, not my
will but Thy will be done."
00:13:18.23\00:13:21.23
Three different times, I mean,
00:13:21.26\00:13:22.60
that was a
really painful or deal
00:13:22.63\00:13:24.33
that He was going through.
00:13:24.37\00:13:25.70
So realistically, the
process of self-denial
00:13:25.73\00:13:28.14
is a painful process.
00:13:28.17\00:13:29.50
We have to move past
what we want and we say,
00:13:29.54\00:13:31.54
"You know, what God, not my will
00:13:31.57\00:13:33.01
but Thy will be done.
00:13:33.04\00:13:34.38
So the someone watching looking
in the real practical place,
00:13:34.41\00:13:37.25
I would say that
throughout the day,
00:13:37.28\00:13:39.45
your grocery shopping
to what school you go to,
00:13:39.48\00:13:42.58
to who you date,
you're just saying,
00:13:42.62\00:13:43.95
"God, what is
that you want from me?"
00:13:43.99\00:13:45.39
Yeah.
00:13:45.42\00:13:46.76
As supposed to me
operating in a carnal mind,
00:13:46.79\00:13:48.19
the flesh like the
worldly desires what I want,
00:13:48.22\00:13:50.63
just taking a pause and say,
00:13:50.66\00:13:51.99
"Okay, God, what do you want?"
00:13:52.03\00:13:53.60
It's the decision
I'm about to make,
00:13:53.63\00:13:54.96
glorify you or am I
going to glorify myself?
00:13:55.00\00:13:57.67
And so and that only
works if we have the infilling
00:13:57.70\00:14:00.40
of the Holy
Spirit within our minds.
00:14:00.44\00:14:02.34
Yeah, and you know,
00:14:02.37\00:14:03.71
that's what you said too
about it being painful...
00:14:03.74\00:14:05.54
Mm-hm.
00:14:05.57\00:14:06.91
Is the real
part of it, you know,
00:14:06.94\00:14:08.28
we want people to
realize that this is a...
00:14:08.31\00:14:09.94
It's a hard process is that,
00:14:09.98\00:14:11.31
as you said
sanctification process
00:14:11.35\00:14:12.68
is not an easy
process, it is painful.
00:14:12.71\00:14:15.25
And Paul even likens
it on to crucifixion.
00:14:15.28\00:14:17.65
To crucify
myself so crucifixion,
00:14:17.69\00:14:20.09
it's pretty painful, you know,
00:14:20.12\00:14:21.69
it's not something easy,
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.09
and we watch and
we follow Jesus' path
00:14:23.12\00:14:25.53
through the crucifixion.
00:14:25.56\00:14:27.20
We can, you
know, we see how He...
00:14:27.23\00:14:28.56
The passion because He
goes through to the cross,
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.37
and He's, you
know, wearing the cross,
00:14:30.40\00:14:33.00
He's nailed to the cross.
00:14:33.03\00:14:34.37
I mean, those are
painful things and so.
00:14:34.40\00:14:36.57
Especially talking
about pure choices,
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.37
you're going to have to go
through a time in your life
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.24
when it's going to
be very painful, I mean.
00:14:40.28\00:14:42.24
So let's talk about
the pain a little bit.
00:14:42.28\00:14:43.61
Let's talk about our journey
and maybe how it really feels
00:14:43.65\00:14:47.02
and process
because it's not easy.
00:14:47.05\00:14:48.38
I mean, from my experience,
it's not, it's not easy.
00:14:48.42\00:14:50.49
It's hard, it's a fight.
00:14:50.52\00:14:51.85
You can be in tears sometimes
00:14:51.89\00:14:53.22
because you want
to do certain things
00:14:53.25\00:14:54.59
but you just say,
00:14:54.62\00:14:55.96
"Ah, God, please trade me
in a clean heart," you know.
00:14:55.99\00:14:57.79
We want a blessing
without the burden.
00:14:57.83\00:14:59.46
Yeah, yeah. It's right.
00:14:59.49\00:15:01.26
We never wanna go
through the tough times.
00:15:01.30\00:15:02.86
And you don't get the
blessing without the burning.
00:15:02.90\00:15:05.47
And when we talk about
giving us a clean heart
00:15:05.50\00:15:07.57
in the purification
process, purity, right,
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.01
everything we're talking
about here follows a line.
00:15:10.04\00:15:12.44
And so I believe that God
wants us to get to a point
00:15:12.47\00:15:14.44
where he's able to
purify our characters, right?
00:15:14.48\00:15:17.45
And so we're going to the fire,
00:15:17.48\00:15:18.81
just as the fire
purifies the goal.
00:15:18.85\00:15:20.18
And so there are a things...
00:15:20.22\00:15:21.55
Anything that
purifies goes through
00:15:21.58\00:15:22.92
the destruction process.
00:15:22.95\00:15:24.29
That's right, that's right.
00:15:24.32\00:15:25.65
And so sometimes God
will put us in that fire
00:15:25.69\00:15:27.02
and allow us to get to a form,
00:15:27.06\00:15:28.39
where we can
listen to His Holy Spirit,
00:15:28.42\00:15:29.76
we can deny
ourselves because at that time
00:15:29.79\00:15:31.29
we're adopting the
character of Christ.
00:15:31.33\00:15:33.53
And then we're
able to deny ourselves.
00:15:33.56\00:15:35.23
We're able to pick up our cross
and embrace the persecution
00:15:35.26\00:15:38.10
and we're able to follow Christ.
00:15:38.13\00:15:39.90
But yeah, that's
the next level sacrifice
00:15:39.93\00:15:41.50
He's calling us to make.
00:15:41.54\00:15:42.87
There's always as with
the expectation in the surety
00:15:42.90\00:15:45.37
that there's glory
at the end of the day.
00:15:45.41\00:15:47.18
Oh, come on, talk
about it. So with the kind...
00:15:47.21\00:15:49.14
With the fact that
Christ had to endure
00:15:49.18\00:15:52.18
and that He had to deny himself
00:15:52.21\00:15:53.55
that He was on the cross,
00:15:53.58\00:15:54.92
He had in mind the
purpose at the end of the day.
00:15:54.95\00:15:58.75
So for us personally,
where we go through things
00:15:58.79\00:16:02.19
we have to deny
ourselves versus,
00:16:02.22\00:16:03.59
you know, you're so impulsive,
00:16:03.63\00:16:04.96
you say
whatever, you do whatever,
00:16:04.99\00:16:06.33
you're all over the place.
00:16:06.36\00:16:07.70
But then once you're in Christ,
00:16:07.73\00:16:09.06
you realize that you need
00:16:09.10\00:16:10.43
to be a little
bit more together,
00:16:10.47\00:16:12.37
that you need to
say, "Okay, Father, can I?
00:16:12.40\00:16:15.70
God, is this what
you want me to do?"
00:16:15.74\00:16:17.81
And then it hurts,
It's not necessarily
00:16:17.84\00:16:20.84
what I want to do, but
it's what I know I should.
00:16:20.88\00:16:24.45
And the purpose
behind it is what drives it.
00:16:24.48\00:16:27.72
Well, the Bible talks
about, you know, pressing.
00:16:27.75\00:16:31.49
And it says, "Not that
I have already attained,
00:16:31.52\00:16:34.09
not that I've already
made it, but this is what I do.
00:16:34.12\00:16:36.59
I press towards the mark."
00:16:36.62\00:16:38.46
Now in order to
press, what does that mean?
00:16:38.49\00:16:40.43
There's resistance. Yeah.
00:16:40.46\00:16:42.10
There is so that
pressing, that pushing process
00:16:42.13\00:16:45.30
involves coming
against some resistance.
00:16:45.33\00:16:48.04
There is going to
be flesh resistance
00:16:48.07\00:16:50.44
to what you're trying to do.
00:16:50.47\00:16:51.81
If you have normally
been very sexually active
00:16:51.84\00:16:54.41
and you decide that
00:16:54.44\00:16:55.78
you're going to
commit your life to God,
00:16:55.81\00:16:57.21
and you aren't going
to satisfy the desires
00:16:57.25\00:16:59.85
of your flesh of yourself,
you want to put that to death,
00:16:59.88\00:17:03.99
that means be done with it.
00:17:04.02\00:17:05.35
Mm-hm.
00:17:05.39\00:17:06.72
That involves
pressing against that desire,
00:17:06.76\00:17:09.09
pressing against those
late-night temptations,
00:17:09.12\00:17:11.53
pressing against those
texts, suggestive text messages.
00:17:11.56\00:17:15.60
And that's what it is as,
00:17:15.63\00:17:16.97
so as you press it
involves resistance.
00:17:17.00\00:17:19.47
But what happens when,
you know, when you workout,
00:17:19.50\00:17:21.17
what happens when
you do resistance?
00:17:21.20\00:17:23.17
You get
stronger. You get stronger.
00:17:23.20\00:17:24.81
You get stronger.
00:17:24.84\00:17:26.17
So that's kind of how I see it.
00:17:26.21\00:17:27.64
You press against the resistance
00:17:27.68\00:17:29.28
until you get strong
enough to move forward.
00:17:29.31\00:17:31.41
And that really is
paying the picture of
00:17:31.45\00:17:33.31
the great controversy
00:17:33.35\00:17:34.68
that is happening
to all of us, you know,
00:17:34.72\00:17:36.05
because not only
are we, you know,
00:17:36.08\00:17:38.49
we're drawn
away by our own lust,
00:17:38.52\00:17:40.36
you know, but
we're also fighting
00:17:40.39\00:17:42.42
spiritual
battles, spiritual warfare
00:17:42.46\00:17:43.83
who's you know
the Devil adversary
00:17:43.86\00:17:45.19
is trying to tell
us, "Don't die to self."
00:17:45.23\00:17:46.70
You know, "Don't
let Christ leaving you."
00:17:46.73\00:17:48.20
So in what you said too
goes into a couple of points
00:17:48.23\00:17:50.87
I want to bring out
00:17:50.90\00:17:52.23
and want us to
discuss little more
00:17:52.27\00:17:53.60
about your
spirit versus your flesh
00:17:53.64\00:17:55.94
and how then feeding those two
00:17:55.97\00:17:58.17
is going to help
you gain the victory
00:17:58.21\00:18:00.14
in this pursuit
toward self-denial.
00:18:00.18\00:18:02.61
So I'll let you
go with that one.
00:18:02.64\00:18:04.85
Yeah, yeah,
that's that whole heart
00:18:04.88\00:18:06.88
and the mind thing that
heart and mind connection.
00:18:06.92\00:18:10.39
And so many
times we're thinking,
00:18:10.42\00:18:13.76
we think that we
can't indulge and we...
00:18:13.79\00:18:18.19
Sometimes we label things as
sacrifices so okay, you know,
00:18:18.23\00:18:22.13
"I want to go and you know,
00:18:22.16\00:18:24.13
have sex with
this girl or whatever."
00:18:24.17\00:18:25.73
And then you're saying.
00:18:25.77\00:18:27.10
Well, you know,
00:18:27.14\00:18:30.11
that's what I want to
do and I want to do it.
00:18:30.14\00:18:32.87
But I think that if
you sacrifice something
00:18:32.91\00:18:36.38
or if you give up
something of lesser value
00:18:36.41\00:18:41.28
and you get something
greater, it's not a sacrifice,
00:18:41.32\00:18:45.45
it's an investment.
00:18:45.49\00:18:46.82
Okay.
00:18:46.86\00:18:48.19
Give something of a lesser,
so now you're saying, okay.
00:18:48.22\00:18:50.23
If you're living
in the Spirit of God
00:18:50.26\00:18:51.59
and that's your
temptation you're saying,
00:18:51.63\00:18:52.96
"You know what,
00:18:52.99\00:18:54.33
I'm going to put
this thing right now
00:18:54.36\00:18:56.87
of gratification right now,
00:18:56.90\00:18:58.70
this is of a lesser
value than I would get
00:18:58.73\00:19:02.57
if I put that on the side
00:19:02.60\00:19:03.94
and save all of
that from my wife,
00:19:03.97\00:19:05.51
save all of
that for my husband."
00:19:05.54\00:19:07.04
And that's the
ultimate satisfaction.
00:19:07.08\00:19:09.08
So you're not
really sacrificing.
00:19:09.11\00:19:10.65
That's right, yeah.
00:19:10.68\00:19:12.01
You're really
making an investment.
00:19:12.05\00:19:13.38
I like that.
00:19:13.42\00:19:14.75
And there's so many
other things, you know,
00:19:14.78\00:19:16.12
when people come to Christ
and Christ has requirements.
00:19:16.15\00:19:19.02
You know,
living a Christian life
00:19:19.05\00:19:20.79
is not necessarily rosy
00:19:20.82\00:19:22.76
but at the end of the day...
00:19:22.79\00:19:24.13
That's right.
00:19:24.16\00:19:25.49
The things that you are saying,
00:19:25.53\00:19:26.86
"Okay, I'm putting this aside
because they're of lesser value
00:19:26.90\00:19:29.26
and I'm getting what's greater."
00:19:29.30\00:19:30.83
You know, music or you know,
00:19:30.87\00:19:32.63
watching different movies
and being in certain circles
00:19:32.67\00:19:36.17
and indulging in lust and
all these different things.
00:19:36.20\00:19:38.94
Those things are...
00:19:38.97\00:19:40.31
You're not
sacrificing those things,
00:19:40.34\00:19:41.74
Christ is given
the ultimate sacrifice.
00:19:41.78\00:19:43.11
Right.
00:19:43.14\00:19:44.48
And He came down
and He was, He's God
00:19:44.51\00:19:46.72
and He's, and He's...
00:19:46.75\00:19:48.08
That was a sacrifice.
00:19:48.12\00:19:49.45
So if He
sacrificed for us, yeah,
00:19:49.48\00:19:51.69
how much should
we value ourselves?
00:19:51.72\00:19:53.36
Yeah.
00:19:53.39\00:19:54.72
It's like, wow, God made
an investment in us, you know,
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.59
He sacrificed...
00:19:57.63\00:19:58.96
Yeah, He for a sacrifice for us.
00:19:58.99\00:20:00.33
So just making those
decisions based on not simple
00:20:00.36\00:20:04.40
and not what's going on now,
00:20:04.43\00:20:05.77
but what we can
see in the future
00:20:05.80\00:20:07.37
is definitely key to
trying to wrestle with that.
00:20:07.40\00:20:11.84
Yeah, you know, just
looking at, you know,
00:20:11.87\00:20:14.71
in another practical
way of dying of for self
00:20:14.74\00:20:18.61
and living in the Spirit of God,
00:20:18.65\00:20:20.92
the Lord gave me this
concept a few years ago of,
00:20:20.95\00:20:24.42
you know, starving the
flesh and feeding the spirit.
00:20:24.45\00:20:27.26
And so, you know,
we all have a flesh,
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.26
a sinful of carnal side,
00:20:29.29\00:20:30.63
we want to do
what we want to do.
00:20:30.66\00:20:32.26
We want to do what pleases us
00:20:32.29\00:20:34.06
and then we have
this spiritual side
00:20:34.10\00:20:35.73
that tends to, you know,
00:20:35.76\00:20:37.10
what God is
trying to connect with us
00:20:37.13\00:20:38.47
and be in tune with him.
00:20:38.50\00:20:39.83
And so I let people know,
if you have two boxers, right,
00:20:39.87\00:20:42.80
they're the same
height, the same stature,
00:20:42.84\00:20:44.61
the same weight,
the same arm length,
00:20:44.64\00:20:46.78
and, you know,
both of them are fit,
00:20:46.81\00:20:48.78
you know, the same.
00:20:48.81\00:20:50.15
When this comes time to box,
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.51
it's going to be a good back
00:20:51.55\00:20:52.88
some as they can
go back and forth,
00:20:52.91\00:20:54.25
back and forth.
00:20:54.28\00:20:55.62
But if you take one
boxer and you start the boxer
00:20:55.65\00:20:57.62
for a whole week
before the boxing match,
00:20:57.65\00:20:59.69
you can imagine who is going
to win the one, that's fed.
00:20:59.72\00:21:01.92
And it's the same way
in our spiritual life.
00:21:01.96\00:21:03.39
If we can get to a point
00:21:03.43\00:21:04.76
where we can
starve the flesh, right,
00:21:04.79\00:21:06.80
watching the stuff we listen to,
00:21:06.83\00:21:08.40
the music, watching
what we watch on TV,
00:21:08.43\00:21:10.67
what we put into our
bodies different toxicants.
00:21:10.70\00:21:13.00
When we seize on that,
00:21:13.03\00:21:14.37
but we begin to
feel the Spirit of God
00:21:14.40\00:21:16.10
within us prayer,
00:21:16.14\00:21:17.47
Bible study,
fasting, worship, service,
00:21:17.51\00:21:20.91
you know what I'm saying,
that's how we feed the spirit,
00:21:20.94\00:21:23.45
and that's how
we'll continually grow
00:21:23.48\00:21:25.21
moving forward the
mark of righteousness.
00:21:25.25\00:21:26.58
Yeah, and I'm very happy
you said that because, you know,
00:21:26.61\00:21:29.28
self-destruction can't happen
00:21:29.32\00:21:31.55
without also filling
yourself with something...
00:21:31.59\00:21:34.42
That's right. That's right.
00:21:34.46\00:21:35.79
Because if you're
just removing everything,
00:21:35.82\00:21:37.16
you know what the
Bible says, and you know,
00:21:37.19\00:21:38.53
then a bunch of more demons
are gonna come inside of you.
00:21:38.56\00:21:40.66
You have to be
able to fill yourself,
00:21:40.70\00:21:42.03
so let's talk a little bit
about the filling of yourself.
00:21:42.06\00:21:45.23
And really in the process of
00:21:45.27\00:21:46.77
a sanctification again of Christ
00:21:46.80\00:21:48.57
trying to do this work in you
00:21:48.60\00:21:50.07
because again let's make
sure we talk about this too
00:21:50.11\00:21:52.81
because it's not
about you just...
00:21:52.84\00:21:54.54
Again if your
self-destruction has happened,
00:21:54.58\00:21:57.31
you can't say,
"I'm doing this myself."
00:21:57.35\00:21:59.15
You know, it's
still Christ in you,
00:21:59.18\00:22:00.85
giving you the will to
even do His good pleasure.
00:22:00.88\00:22:02.85
You know, so in
doing, in doing this thing,
00:22:02.88\00:22:06.92
in doing this
self-destruction thing,
00:22:06.96\00:22:08.49
what are some
practical things that we can do
00:22:08.52\00:22:10.63
to kind of begin the process
and kind of get ourselves
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.76
or feed that boxer, if
you're saying like that,
00:22:12.79\00:22:15.66
you know, I mean
getting us in the right place.
00:22:15.70\00:22:17.67
Well, I think one
of the first things
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.03
we need to do is be
honest with ourselves.
00:22:19.07\00:22:20.94
A lot of times we try to
deny the things we wrestle with.
00:22:20.97\00:22:24.61
"Oh, I only drink
casually, socially,
00:22:24.64\00:22:28.21
or I'll only have sex in
a committed relationship."
00:22:28.24\00:22:31.08
You know what I mean?
And so we pacify our sins.
00:22:31.11\00:22:34.45
We have this little
pet sins that we like,
00:22:34.48\00:22:36.32
we keep in our back
pocket, it's not that bad.
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.85
When...
00:22:38.89\00:22:40.36
If most people can be
honest with themselves, we know,
00:22:40.39\00:22:43.79
you know that it's not
right, it's something in it
00:22:43.83\00:22:45.99
that makes you feel like
I shouldn't be doing this.
00:22:46.03\00:22:49.06
Acknowledging those
things with God and saying,
00:22:49.10\00:22:51.43
"God, I wrestle with
this, I struggle with this."
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.67
And then also understanding
things that are generational.
00:22:53.70\00:22:57.01
Stuff that I have
wrestled with that,
00:22:57.04\00:22:58.91
my momma wrestled
with, my daddy wrestled with,
00:22:58.94\00:23:00.88
my great
granddaddy wrestled with,
00:23:00.91\00:23:02.54
and being honest and saying,
00:23:02.58\00:23:04.08
"This is
something I struggle with,
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.81
God, I need you to give
me the victory over it."
00:23:05.85\00:23:08.08
So I think first being honest
00:23:08.12\00:23:09.58
and then developing
safe accountability system.
00:23:09.62\00:23:11.95
Yeah. Okay.
00:23:11.99\00:23:13.32
You know what I mean,
00:23:13.36\00:23:14.69
putting ourselves in
relationship with people
00:23:14.72\00:23:16.19
who are able to say,
00:23:16.22\00:23:17.56
"No, no, sister,
come, come with me.
00:23:17.59\00:23:20.16
Let's, let's,
let's pray together,
00:23:20.20\00:23:21.63
less wrestle with this together,
00:23:21.66\00:23:23.77
let's, let's talk
about it together."
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.37
Not to indulge together
00:23:25.40\00:23:27.50
or not to make
each other feel good
00:23:27.54\00:23:29.10
about what
you're doing but to say,
00:23:29.14\00:23:31.07
"I'm going to
hold you accountable
00:23:31.11\00:23:33.27
for dying to that
thing, that flesh, that self."
00:23:33.31\00:23:36.51
So honesty and accountability
00:23:36.54\00:23:37.88
that I think are two
very important things
00:23:37.91\00:23:40.02
in moving forward.
00:23:40.05\00:23:41.62
Yeah, yeah, and you know,
00:23:41.65\00:23:43.32
and also in saying that
00:23:43.35\00:23:44.69
you have to be really
real to yourself, you know,
00:23:44.72\00:23:46.32
because in many situations
especially, in the church,
00:23:46.35\00:23:49.69
I'm talking about in
the church now, you know,
00:23:49.72\00:23:51.36
a lot of people are
not honest with themselves
00:23:51.39\00:23:53.33
and not honest with what
they're really going through
00:23:53.36\00:23:55.13
and how bad things
really are, you know.
00:23:55.16\00:23:57.87
So I don't know if someone...
00:23:57.90\00:23:59.23
You wanna say something on that?
00:23:59.27\00:24:00.60
That honesty part, you know,
00:24:00.64\00:24:03.61
in the first
chapter of the book,
00:24:03.64\00:24:06.24
I explained to
the reader a process
00:24:06.27\00:24:09.64
that God took me through.
00:24:09.68\00:24:11.08
And that was a painful process.
00:24:11.11\00:24:12.61
I reached a certain
point in my ministry,
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.22
I was traveling
all over the world,
00:24:14.25\00:24:15.58
and I began to feel myself.
00:24:15.62\00:24:17.52
I mean that book
came from a dark place.
00:24:17.55\00:24:19.75
Like God, and God saying...
00:24:19.79\00:24:21.12
I was praying to God saying,
00:24:21.16\00:24:22.49
"God, take me
to the next level."
00:24:22.52\00:24:23.86
He said, "I'll take
you to the next level.
00:24:23.89\00:24:25.29
But Ima first show you
where you currently are."
00:24:25.33\00:24:27.50
And He showed me how
selfish and self-centered
00:24:27.53\00:24:29.96
I could be even in ministry
00:24:30.00\00:24:32.07
and that blew my mind and
broke me all the way down.
00:24:32.10\00:24:35.00
And I mean, it took me
physically down through there.
00:24:35.04\00:24:37.61
And to let me see
how much of an issue
00:24:37.64\00:24:41.78
self could be, even in ministry.
00:24:41.81\00:24:44.21
And so it was eye
opener so what Chaplain Pearson
00:24:44.25\00:24:46.98
is saying is so keen.
00:24:47.02\00:24:48.38
We have to recognize
where we are with God
00:24:48.42\00:24:50.75
in order for us to move forward.
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.29
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:52.32\00:24:53.66
And talking about
this, this suffering, right?
00:24:53.69\00:24:58.26
Talking about this but
suffering with the purpose,
00:24:58.29\00:25:01.76
I think about 2
Corinthians, right,
00:25:01.80\00:25:03.90
from chapter 1 to chapter 12.
00:25:03.93\00:25:05.73
Yeah.
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.10
That just focuses on that
this suffering is for a purpose
00:25:07.14\00:25:10.91
and this suffering is a lot.
00:25:10.94\00:25:12.34
Everybody right here
00:25:12.37\00:25:13.94
and people that are listening
00:25:13.98\00:25:15.34
can understand that good fruits
have come out of suffering,
00:25:15.38\00:25:19.21
that if I
didn't go through that,
00:25:19.25\00:25:20.58
then I would never understand
what I understand today.
00:25:20.62\00:25:23.08
So it's not just, just because.
00:25:23.12\00:25:25.32
But if I...
00:25:25.35\00:25:26.69
But if I make pure choices
within these tough situations.
00:25:26.72\00:25:31.39
Then I can better
understand God's heart.
00:25:31.43\00:25:33.53
I can better
understand my purpose,
00:25:33.56\00:25:35.63
and the reason why I
can make these pure choices
00:25:35.66\00:25:38.03
is 'cause I
already know who I am.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.97
So now that I know,
okay, I'm a daughter of God,
00:25:40.00\00:25:42.67
what does that mean
in my every day life?
00:25:42.70\00:25:44.91
What is that, what
does that look like?
00:25:44.94\00:25:46.64
There's a, there's the
fact that the Queen of England,
00:25:46.68\00:25:50.21
she holds herself
in a certain manner.
00:25:50.25\00:25:52.45
There's things that she does
00:25:52.48\00:25:53.82
and there's things
that she doesn't do.
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.32
So in that concept that I'm
the king of the most high God
00:25:55.35\00:25:59.59
that even though
I'm suffering though...
00:25:59.62\00:26:02.02
How Christ did
00:26:02.06\00:26:03.39
and I have to
partake in that suffering
00:26:03.43\00:26:05.03
that He did.
00:26:05.06\00:26:06.39
And even in Hebrew speaks about,
00:26:06.43\00:26:08.00
what child doesn't
get disciplined by his,
00:26:08.03\00:26:11.90
by their father that the
fact that I'm going through this
00:26:11.93\00:26:15.80
and is purposeful
00:26:15.84\00:26:17.17
and it's a denying of the flesh
00:26:17.21\00:26:19.04
that it shows
that God does love me
00:26:19.07\00:26:20.84
and He is
purifying my character.
00:26:20.88\00:26:22.74
Amen. Yeah, yeah.
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.11
I think that's so
important to keep that,
00:26:24.15\00:26:25.51
the end result
in mind, you know,
00:26:25.55\00:26:27.05
because it is going
to be tough, you know,
00:26:27.08\00:26:28.98
it is going to be tough.
00:26:29.02\00:26:30.35
But you've got
to keep the reason
00:26:30.39\00:26:31.72
why you doing this,
you know, and the blessing.
00:26:31.75\00:26:33.09
So I mean, just
real quick, I mean,
00:26:33.12\00:26:34.46
we have few more seconds here
00:26:34.49\00:26:35.82
but what are some
benefits from self-denial?
00:26:35.86\00:26:37.83
What are some benefits
that you can expect to have?
00:26:37.86\00:26:41.03
I believe we get
close to the God.
00:26:41.06\00:26:43.57
And then we have a
better understanding
00:26:43.60\00:26:45.03
of the sacrifice that He made.
00:26:45.07\00:26:47.14
And at the end we're
getting our characters
00:26:47.17\00:26:49.80
to a point where God is like,
00:26:49.84\00:26:51.64
"Now you can
reside in heaven with me."
00:26:51.67\00:26:53.44
That's what, that's what...
00:26:53.48\00:26:54.81
We're living our
lives here on this earth
00:26:54.84\00:26:56.41
to hear God say, "Well done."
00:26:56.44\00:26:58.11
And so He's trying to
get our characters right.
00:26:58.15\00:26:59.48
We're not really going
00:26:59.51\00:27:00.85
to the Kingdom of
Heaven right now, you know.
00:27:00.88\00:27:02.65
And you know what else,
it puts us in a position
00:27:02.68\00:27:04.32
to serve other people.
00:27:04.35\00:27:05.69
Yes.
00:27:05.72\00:27:07.06
When I recognize I'm
going through something,
00:27:07.09\00:27:08.62
then I'm not too
high up to help you
00:27:08.66\00:27:10.19
'cause you're
going through something.
00:27:10.23\00:27:11.56
That's right. Praise God.
00:27:11.59\00:27:12.93
And in our churches especially,
00:27:12.96\00:27:14.30
as young adults
and as young people,
00:27:14.33\00:27:15.66
and you know, for those viewing,
00:27:15.70\00:27:17.73
you know,
creating safe communities
00:27:17.77\00:27:20.50
where people know
that I'm going through it,
00:27:20.54\00:27:22.84
you're going through it,
00:27:22.87\00:27:24.21
so let's go through it together,
00:27:24.24\00:27:25.91
let's talk together,
and let's serve each other.
00:27:25.94\00:27:28.44
And that creates
the kind of community
00:27:28.48\00:27:30.68
where the Holy Spirit can dwell
00:27:30.71\00:27:33.01
and just produce
all kinds of change.
00:27:33.05\00:27:35.28
Amen.
00:27:35.32\00:27:36.65
Well, that about
sums it up for us,
00:27:36.69\00:27:38.25
we're just going to wrap it up
00:27:38.29\00:27:40.12
with this verse from
Galatians 2:20, Paul says,
00:27:40.16\00:27:43.59
"I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:27:43.63\00:27:45.63
and I no longer live
but Christ lives in me."
00:27:45.66\00:27:49.13
Amen. Wow.
00:27:49.16\00:27:50.50
What a powerful testimony,
00:27:50.53\00:27:51.87
and thank you
all for your input.
00:27:51.90\00:27:53.23
Remember always
to make pure choices.
00:27:53.27\00:27:55.90