Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. It's Matt Slick Live. Matt is the founder and president of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry, found online at Carm.org. When you have questions about Bible doctrines, turn to Matt Slick Live for answers. Taking your calls and responding to your questions at 877-207-2276.

Here's Matt Slick. Hi, everybody. Welcome to the show. It's me, Matt Slick, and you're listening to Matt Slick Live. If you want, you can give me a call.

All you've got to do is dial 8772078. 2276. You can give me a call and if you want Via I see how it is. Via email address. You can send me an email to info at carm.org, info at carm.org, and put the subject line radio comment or radio question, and we can get to them.

Last night, I did about two-hour teaching, answering questions on various things. And Eastern Orthodoxy is coming up, and something really disturbing. uh was told to me last night really disturbing It really, really did bother me. It saddened me. This guy said that in his city.

In their Eastern Orthodox Church, they have to go to multiple services because people are just packing in. And I'm thinking But it's not even a Christian religion. And it's growing. And we had these discussions and What's really interesting is that I was talking to a guy. And um about you know about what each sort of doctrine teaches.

And he was an Eastern Orthodox catechumen, which means he's studying it, hasn't been officially entered into the church membership roles. And he's pretty much convinced it's true because he's studying with them. And I brought up the issue of the priesthood, which I think is very Very powerful. In fact, people are starting to comment now that it's a really good argument. The priesthood of the Old Testament is what they're doing now.

It's not found in the New Testament at all. And it was really interesting because, as I was talking to this guy and I told him this, it just didn't matter. And and it This surprises. The dickens out of me. You know, I say, look, what your priesthood is, is in the Old Testament, and it's not in the New Testament.

It's not. Proclaimed in the New Testament. It is modeled after the Levitical laws of the Old Testament, which the Bible says that that old covenant is obsolete. That's Hebrews 8:13. You don't need it anymore.

It's obsolete. It's done. And they don't care. It blows me away. It really does.

I mean, it's like our church teaches us. Excuse me, but Don't you hear what the Word of God says? And Personally, I think that is the reason that uh People are joining these churches because they don't care about God's word. They care about their ears getting tickled. That's what it is.

They want their ears tickled. Yeah, can you tickle my ears, please?

Okay, what do you want to know?

Well, you know, I want to hear about some smells and bells and put some gold and silver up there at the altar and put some icons up there so I can bow before them and pray to the people that they represent. And then give me a priesthood thing with an altar. We offer the sacrifice weekly to help forgive your sins, even though it's all in the Old Testament stuff. I don't care, I just like it. I don't care what God's word says.

I just want to do. What I feel is good. I'm reminded of SpongeBob, you know, I was growing up. with the kids.

Well, you know, our kids are growing up, that is We would have SpongeBob Saturdays. we'd uh we'd before it went woke. And um we would uh watch SpongeBob. It was fun, you know. We watched for a couple hours.

It was a bunch of episodes: mom, dad, the girls, and we'd ask questions. It was fun. And in one of them, Patrick Starr and let's see, SpongeBob. SpongeBob says you've got to use your imagination. And I never forgot that.

Because it's it's uh For the people in the Roman Catholic and East Orthodox Church. It's similar to the issue of Of scripture, their feelings. They don't care about God's word. They don't care what God's word says. They don't care.

You don't care. And uh But they're going to judge truth by their feelings and the truth of their true church. Man, I just get so s. Just so tired of it. People don't want to hear God's word.

And so, what I was doing then, I was quoting him scripture. That's you know, and politely, I was I was doing this politely. And uh boy. Is that why? Yeah, you hit like that.

I was quoting it politely about um About what Jesus says. And this is really something, this is true, okay? This is out of.

Now, you gotta hear this. If you're a Christian, you've gotta hear this. This is really. This is important. This is the dividing line kind of thing of Scripture.

And this verse is becoming more and more important to me. As I look And I think about apologetics. Jesus says in John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and They follow Me. That simple truth right there. That's that's simple truth.

My sheep hear my voice. And I and when I quote scripture to them, And I show them, this is where your priesthood is in the Old Testament. For example. And I also went over last night the issue of idolatry. And I read scripture that says, don't do the very things you're doing.

It says, don't do it. And you guys are doing it. I showed you, you do this, you do this, this is where you do this. And the Bible says, don't do it. Right there, I read it to him, said don't.

But they don't care. Because their church is true. And so Jesus says, My sheep hear my voice, so I know them, and they follow after me. That means that they're going to go after the voice. of Jesus.

They're going to go after what Jesus says. and not what somebody else says. And so uh They they follow Let's see if I get this verse. The Bible says Other shepherds, okay, there's false shepherds out there. And that's The Roman Catholic Church is, and that's what East Orthodox Church is.

Oh man, I gotta tell you some stuff I found out about the. I'd verify it too. Oh my goodness. But anyway. Jesus says uh And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.

I must bring them also. They will listen to my. my voice, so it'll be one flock and one shepherd. And he says this, John 10, 16. At any rate, um It just it just is to me it's fascinating.

It's fascinating how people just don't want the word of God. And why? Because they're not regenerate, I guess. My conclusion is they're not saved because if they were saved, that means Jesus would be inside of them. Because that's what he says in John 14:23.

The Father and I will come and make our abode with you. and they don't hear his voice. They hear they're following after another shepherd, a false shepherd. That's what's going on. Let's get the Patrick from North Carolina.

Patrick, welcome. You're on the earth. Uh hello, Matt. Hello. How are you doing today?

Hanging in there, hanging in there. What do you got? Good. Um I have a question. Could you read?

Mark three thirteen Mark Three. thirteen O'Pollin. my rival program. There you go.

Okay, let's see. Mark says and they went to the mountain and summoned those uh whom he himself wanted and they came to him. Yeah.

Okay.

Okay, so Jesus was on a mountainside. He chose the ones he wanted and they came to him.

Now was he speaking about choosing the twelve apostles? I had to read the context of C, but he said it says in the next verse he appointed the twelve, so yeah.

Okay.

So, does that connect to John 6:37, where all the Father gives me will come to me? It could be, because some people want to say John 6, 37 through 40 is only talking about the twelve apostles, but it's not true. And the reason it's not true is because he says in verse 40, This is the will of my Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes on him will have eternal life.

So that's what's going on.

Okay.

Yeah, but um Would it be fair to say that Mark and John are Uh two Of the same event.

So I believe that So If um Mark, he's definitely talking about the apostles being chosen. Why wouldn't it be John 6:37 is the apostles also, all the Father gives me will come to me. Because of this slimy thing that I can teach you about. It's really aggravating. But it's necessary.

Sorry. It's called context. And the problem with economic The problem with context is um when you read it Then it doesn't say what you're trying to get it to say. I know this argument.

Okay.

I know the argument that all that the Father has given me will come to me, that I will certainly not cast out, for I've come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me. This is the will of Him who sent me, that all He's given me, I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. This is the will of my Father. Everyone who beholds the Son, everyone can't be just the disciples.

Okay.

Yeah, but um Yeah. John 17, 12. While Jesus, it says, While I was with them talking about the apostles, I protected them.

So in other words It actually cross-references in the Bible to John 6. Authority were You guys use that as a salvation verse, but really he's protecting the apostles. Yeah, I gave you the reason. that it doesn't work. And this is what's happened now twice.

You ignored my answer. You dismissed my answer.

Well, then you've got to go to John 6:70. We're done. We're done. So, Patrick, uh he needs uh some help. doing some serious thinking and in some other areas, trying to help them.

But uh I noticed that we've had hundreds of conversations over the years in this venue and other venues. And so notice that Patrick did, he ignored my responses. He ignored.

So when this is a cult mind. when you give them an answer directly addressing what they say. and they don't address it, they go back to their argument, they go someplace else. They don't look at the immediate context. They just go to someplace else and say this foot beans over there, so therefore, here.

But they don't look at what I said, they don't look at their response, they don't. They don't deal with it, and that's not good. That's not how you do interpretation. Bob from Louisiana. Bob, welcome.

You're on the air. Hey, Matt, how are you doing today? I'm doing okay. How are you doing? All right, yeah.

You like what Patrick said? No, no, Patrick. Repeatedly. Fails to understand the things of God. fails to understand the exegesis, inserts his ideas and doesn't respond to the answers I give, My answer is that automatically means they're right, but he needs to respond to them.

But if you continue to ignore the response, Well then you're not dialoguing, you're just preaching.

So what do you got? No, in in Psalms, the twenty-third Psalms, I think I read The Lord is my shepherd. Is is that there? Yes. Huh?

Yes. And who Who wrote that? Was that Days. Mm-hmm.

So Yes.

Well, who was his shepherd, Matthew? The Lord, because it says, The Lord is my shepherd, and that's Yoni Mote. Yodhe Vavhe it's the texture grammaton, it's the name of of Yahweh. Was that Jesus's shepherd also? Mm, okay.

It's UK. in Psalm twenty three The context The shepherd is Yahweh himself.

Okay.

Now, you have another question about Jesus or what? Yeah, well did Was Yahweh Jesus his shepherd? That's what I want to know. It was Yahweh Jesus' shepherd. I don't know of any verse that says that.

What do you think he might have been? What you're doing here is equivocating without understanding that the word God can have different meanings, even in the Christian Trinitarian sense. God can refer to his essence, and this deals with. With Predication, okay, God is triune. And identity is you know Is one is equal to another.

So when you argue about this, when you raise this issue, What you're asking is, Yahweh is the shepherd, but Jesus had a shepherd. And so therefore he can't be Yahweh. But it means you fail to understand the doctrine of the Trinity and how the word Lord and Yahweh is used. in different senses.

So hold on buddy, we gotta break. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages. All I need now is Juanita. for the trifecta, as Humble Play says.

Alright, be right back after these messages, please. Stay tuned. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right everyone, welcome back to the show.

Let's get back with Bob from Louisiana. Are you still there? Yes, sir. All right. Pray with AI.

pretty good that's pretty good uh commercial there, Matt. Yeah, Stu's pretty good. He's a good guy. Yep. Yeah.

So what do you got? Do you want to talk about the Lord is my shepherd, or can we look at Luke chapter 12?

Well, you're the guest, so we've already looked at Psalm 23. Do you want to go to Luke chapter 12? Go ahead.

Okay.

Jesus said Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Which is hypocrisy. That's correct. There's nothing covered up that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known. He says, accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light.

And whatever you is whispered in your inner room shall be Proclaimed on the housetops. You've read that before, right? Yes. And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who tell the body.

Okay.

And after that, have no more they can. Yeah.

What's your question? Right here, I will warn you whom to fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Who who is that him?

The one who has authority to cast in hell. And who is that?

Well, that's God. That's not Jesus, right? No, Jesus is God. That must be a problem here. In Matthew 25:41, and the Son of Man, Jesus, He is the one who judges them.

Depart from me, cursed into eternal fire. He judges them. Matthew 25, 41.

So you just said that it's God, and you're trying to say he's not God, but Jesus is the one who's judging them for damnation. I just read to you what Jesus said, though, Matt. I got you. I understand you. Luke 12, verse 5.

Fear the one after he's killed who has authority to cast you into hell.

Okay, now if you go to Matthew 25, 41. Right, Matthew 25:41. It says, Then he that's himself will say, The Son of Man, right? To those on his left, depart from me, accursed ones, in the eternal fire, which has been prepared for you before the devil and his angels. That is true.

So the Son of Man comes in his glory, angels with him. You'll sit on his glorious throne. He's the one, he's the king. Who's going to be doing the judgment?

So you just shot yourself in the foot. See, Bob, you deny who Christ is. Yes, you did. You tried to show me that Jesus is not God in flesh because you're saying God's the one who judges and sends him to hell. I just showed you where that's what Jesus did.

So, therefore, Jesus is God. When are you going to repent? You know that's not true. Bad. Here's a question for you.

I got a question for you. I got a question for you. Okay.

Okay.

When are you going to repent of your false doctrines? I'm trying to get you to get rid of yours. Uh I just showed you from scripture using your own logic where Jesus is God. And then you ignore it. Like the previous caller, you ignore responses, you ignore them.

If you ignore a response and continue on, you're not engaging, you're just preaching, you're not being rational.

Okay, reminds me of Charlie Kirk. You know, he would engage with people. He would respond to what they said. And then they've, I watched several of them, they very frequently would ignore what he said and go in a different direction. just like you.

So I'm just reading Matt, I'm just re We will now move along. Because it becomes aggravating. Let's go to... Let's see.

Next log. Jermaine. Hey, Jermaine, welcome, buddy. You're on the air. I promise to be different from the previous two callers.

Is that a question? It's about The Holy Spirit. And actually, it's kind of Coincides with what those two gentlemen were bringing up. I've met a lot of people who like to say, They're led by the Spirit. And what I Actually, one of them is an in-law relative, but when it comes to examining the text of what it actually says.

My position is that you can't just say Ask for the Holy Spirit to guide you because it it the Holy Spirit will lead you right back to the text. And I hear the same thing from Cultists and Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, they all tell you just pray for the spirits guiding and Now we'll come back to your home, but Isn't it true that the text itself goes right along with prayer. Of course, we are not to exceed what's written in 1 Corinthians 4:6. The Scriptures are the standard. Which is why it says, Don't exceed what's written, which is why Jesus.

appeal to scripture, which is why Paul quoted scripture, this is why Peter quoted scripture. And so It is the standard because it alone is inspired.

So yeah. That should be where they go too. And God cannot and will not contradict His revealed word if He speaks to someone in their hearts. He won't contradict. his own word.

Yeah.

So when people say They're praying for the Spirit's guidance and they're praying for enlightenment And I hear this all the time. But now Wouldn't that be more of a case if they were listening to their own flesh versus what is actually written?

Well, um No, I wouldn't say so, because the spirit is. Is is God. And so to say, you know, Spirit, please guide me. The person could be reading scripture and praying and asking for God's guidance, asking for God's wisdom. And uh the Lord can work Providentially, you know, through open and closed doors.

He can put impressions and ideas in our hearts and our minds. He can illuminate scripture. He can do all kinds of things. And so, um, You know, well, excuse me, whoa, sorry about that.

So, praying for the Spirit's guidance, I don't have any problem with that. It's like saying, you know, praying for the Father's guidance or the Lord Jesus' guidance or just God's guidance. That's okay, as long as they don't use their heart. And what they think they feel as the final answer, it should always be subject to scripture. Yeah.

Yeah, and that's where I have an issue with some folks that say they prayed and it led them to Mormonism. Yeah, and let him to See that the watch hour. Correct. Right. And that's why it says in 1 John, where is that?

1 John 5. Oh, man. Let's see if I can remember this one. Uh first on five fourteen. Um let's see if I'm right.

Yep, I am. This is a confidence that we have before him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

So people will say, pray about Mormonism, pray about the Book of Mormon to see if it's true. God never says to pray about a book to see if it's true. You say seek scripture. Truth is found in scripture, not in a feeling.

Now they're going to say, well, you know, you get it from the Holy Spirit.

Well, how do you know you get it from the Holy Spirit? Words that say that in the scriptures, that the Holy Spirit will do that. Jesus is the way, the truth.

So you've got to go to Christ.

So they have it's just it's a satanic method of deceiving people by keeping them very close to the truth, but just twisting it just enough so that they they commit idolatry.

So, and Christians could do this too when they say, I'm going to get a feeling or a confirmation in my heart from the Lord, and that's what I'm going to judge as truth. That's very dangerous. They need to say, whatever feeling I get, I need to judge it by scripture. That's how they should do that. That's why they need to study God's Word.

Otherwise, they're not following Christ.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah, I think that's it for me. I um Hmm. Obviously how it can be frustrating when people don't adhere to what the Texas is actually trying to say. That's a problem with the church today in a lot of places. A lot of churches are teaching the truth, but a lot of people are not following it.

Alright buddy, there's a break. We gotta go. All right you're main. God bless man. Keep in contact.

God bless. Bye-bye.

Alright. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages, please. Stay tuned. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick.

Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. If you want to give me a call, the number is 877-207. 2276. Let's get on with Rich from North Carolina. Rich, you're on the air.

Hey, Matt. Uh, it sounds like the night is starting off a little tough, so I'm going to give you a little underhand pitch. I just I just need the softer side of matte slick on this one. All right, no. I was raised Catholic for fifty plus years.

walked away from the Catholic Church. Uh found Christ has has been you know, life saving, but Uh and I haven't been back uh home for a little while. And I'm going back for a celebration, but I'm walking back into the lion's den. And so I'm really looking for Sooner or later, this subject's going to come up that we left the Catholic Church, and I'm just looking. or a way to start a conversation without throwing the family event into turmoil.

Um They don't say anything. But I'm not but I'm not called to be silent. Oh, okay.

So then, what you're doing is you're saying the truth of God's word may cause problems.

Well, that's something you're going to have to face.

Well, that's. It's their problem, not my problem. But I want to be polite. I want to be loving. I want to be kind.

I don't want to be disturbing. But if I'm, and I'm not going to bring the subject up, but if I'm asked, I'm not going to share. die away either. Good. Good.

Well I would be praying for opportunities. To begin with, and that you would be patient and kind, as the Bible says in Colossians 3, verses 4 and 5. you know, or it's a four, five, and six, that's right. And so um Be prepared for Starf. Um Now there there's so many things I could tell you.

You know, like you could have a piece of paper ready with quotes. You know, that's how it feels like an ambush. You can ask questions. You know, if they were to.

Well let me give you a principle. People Like an atheist comes to me and says, Prove to me God exists. The underlying principle that an atheist is holding on to is that God does not exist.

So a lot of times people don't realize that is based on something else underneath it.

So what I say is try and find out What's underneath it? And If the Family members are talking about whatever it might be. They want to know why you won't go back to the Catholic Church. then they're presupposing it's simply true. That's what they're doing with that.

That's what's going on. So you can address that. and in your response. Because what you're addressing is what their underlying principle is. not exactly their question, even though you are addressing the question.

And so they say, Why are you not going back to the Catholic Church?

Well, because you don't believe it's true. And just leave it, you know. Yeah.

I'm just praying that the Holy Spirit, I mean, I don't think it really matters. My answer is as long as it's delivered calmly and quietly and compassionately. But you know, once the tone rises, then it doesn't matter what you say.

So I'm just praying for that. you know, that calmness. Yeah.

And relying on my testimony because they can't refute my testimony. No they can't. That's right. And Focus on your relationship with Jesus. Because you can inadvertently undermine other things by just Talking about Jesus.

I remember a woman when I was studying, when Charlie Spine and I were studying. Mormonism with Jerry and Marian Bodine back in Southern California. A woman came in who was a Mormon and she's left Mormonism. And she told us the reason she left Mormonism. And she said it wasn't the arguments.

It wasn't all that stuff that she'd heard. She was driving down the 22 freeway, she said, and Going east. I remember all of it. And she said she tried. turned on a Christian radio station that was just worshiping Jesus.

Praise songs. It was it was beautiful. And she literally pulled off the freeway, either. on the shoulder or off. I forgot which.

And just talked to God and said I want what they have. with Jesus. Lord If you're there, that's what I want. And she said, I remember this clearly, she said, instantly. She knew Mormonism was false.

It was just revelation. Wow. It's just not true. And she said that, I never forgot that. And so the issue here is that we're called into fellowship with Jesus.

They're called into fellowship with the authority of the church, the magisterium, and Mary. That's where they are. And so you can just point ahead to, well, my Lord Jesus, you know, he says, come to me.

So I go to him. And I have this this relationship with him directly. I don't need to go to anybody else. I go directly to him. And it's great.

It's so refreshing, it's relaxing, it's easy. I don't have to do all these incredible things to keep myself right with them. It's just there, and you can see by saying things like that. You're addressing all kinds of stuff. Without addressing it.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's perfect. Really helpful. Thank you. I hope the rest of your night goes Well Well, me too. I'm actually thinking about getting online and doing some QA.

So usually I get attacked. But for me, that's a good night, you know?

So hopefully. Beautiful thing. I think that I think Satan is working overtime. With everything going on in the world and the calls and the comments, and you know. I I you just gotta think he knows it's coming closer to the end, so he's working harder.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, I appreciate everything you do. Thank you. Well, thank you. Right, well God bless.

Okay.

All right. Alright. All right, now let's get to Dave from North Carolina. Dave, welcome. You're on the air.

Hi Matt, how are you this evening? Oh, hanging in there by God's grace. Damn it. Doing great. What do you got?

Likewise, I guess what I'm concerned about, and I just want to say this first: I want pastors to be compensated and not have to worry about. anything when when they do their calling for the other Lord, but I look in the scripture, I think it's Matthew 6:20, Jesus said, The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. And then I look at the salaries of some of these Christian organizations and mega church pastors that I'm a little I'm trying to reconcile and a little taken aback. I was gonna get your thoughts. Yes, um I saw your your uh message in the uh our our producer in the box.

And so I did a little bit of research. for pastor salaries, and some of them are quite exorbitant.

Okay.

So Let me say this. Uh 1 Timothy 5.17.

Okay.

An elder, assuming a pastor is an elder. The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching, for the Scripture says you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing, and the laborer is worthy of his wages.

So It seems to be from these two verses, 1 Timothy 5, 17 and 18. that the pastor should be compensated for his work. Doesn't mean he has to be because sometimes churches can't do it and he can work another job. And that's okay.

Now, I remember reading an article where the author said, he doesn't say he would do it as if he believed it, but he could exegetically make the case that a pastor could be paid double what everybody else gets paid, because it says Uh double honor. And he wasn't going to go that far, but he said some people could get in there and make that case. Because double honor, he's worthy of his wages. And somebody said, You can put those together. And it was just an interesting insight, and he wasn't advocating that.

But I never forgot that sub that small point.

Alright, so I don't have any problem with the pastor being personally being paid well enough that he has to worry about his mortgage and his family and things like that. Right, right. But you know, getting a million dollars a year. Um you know uh or I'm looking at some, a senior pastor, which includes housing benefits, $162,000 to $197,000 a year for memberships of a church over $1,000 is average. That's a lot of money.

It is, it is. I understand this a lot and the cost of living and everything. I certainly don't want the pastor being worried about his mortgage and that detracts from his. Yeah.

But this is I'm speaking strictly in terms of the opulence that's way beyond the pale, and I'm sure you know what I'm referring to. Oh, yeah. Yeah, Copeland Hagen, yeah. Um I'm I'm with you, and I think there's uh a balance of it. You know, if I was a pastor, and let's just say for some strange reason I become a pastor, and a church is 10,000 strong, let's just say.

And the elders said, We want to raise your salary to five hundred thousand dollars a year. because of of the level of work you're doing, I'd say Uh no I don't think so. I just need enough. And I'd like to have a savings account so when I'm done, I can live off of that. That's all I need.

Don't don't give me that. I'd say I don't I don't wouldn't want that much.

So, now, unless the housing costs $250,000 a year, every year, and you get a compensation, but. No. Right. Yeah.

One last question. I'm just making certain I'm interpreting it strictly. When Jesus said the Son of Man has a word to lay his head, is this what he was referring to in the scriptures? No, um he was talking about himself.

Okay, we gotta break.

So hold on, we gotta break. We'll get to that afterwards, okay? Hold on.

Okay.

All right, thank you. If folks will be right back after these messages, please stay tuned. And if you want to call me, the number is 877-277-7777-7777. Two zero seven. Two two.

Yeah.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking a call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. Alright everyone, welcome back to the show. Let's get back on with David. All right, Dave, you still there?

Yes, yes, mm-hmm.

Alright, so when Jesus says the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, He's talking in the context of himself who was not married. who had no children, didn't have any familiar responsibilities like that. His mom was being looked at, okay, because he's obligated to make sure that's done. That was done, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to do what he did according to the law.

So he was dependent on others for hospitality. And for his food and stuff, as were the disciples.

Now that doesn't apply to You know, you and me, I've got a wife, and I guess you have a wife, you know, but for those of us who have wives and children. We need then a place to put our heads to take care of our children.

So what he was teaching was no Don't depend on earthy security. when you're going about doing the will of God. And and then, you know, sacrificing yourself and uh the spiritual lessons of of prof of trusting in him.

Now, I remember George Mueller, uh reading his books, uh he's he's a a hero of mine. The Orphan King. And he was a pastor, and I never forgot this, he said to the elders. He said that he would live only on what the congregation provided in the offering box. And when that dried up, he'd know it was time for him to move.

Right, okay. That's his thing. And so I'm not saying that's how all pastors should be. I'm not saying that because we have mortgages, we have car payments, we have medical payments, we have things, and we need security. But we shouldn't put our hope in that security.

Just like the ministry I'm in right now. For example, We're having some Let's just say some challenges recently. A lot of ministries are. And ours are and they're they're pretty heavy challenges.

Well, Okay. My hope is not and my security is not in what karm can provide. But what God can provide However, he does that. And so Living that is easy to say, but not always easy to do. And Jesus did it.

And so We need to be willing to follow him. Luke 9.23. You don't be take up your cross your cross daily and follow after him. And so You know, you get up from there and do a sermon is necessary at this point, but okay. That's great.

I I I follow you there. Bib biblically based insight. It helps me greatly, and I just wanted to thank you for that. Yeah.

Well, praise God, brother. Praise God. All right. All right. Take good care and I'll talk to you another time, okay?

Alright. Yep. Okay, God bless. Thank you. Yeah.

All right. If you want to give me a call, we have free open lines: 877-20722-76. Let's get to Buskman. Hey Buskman, welcome, buddy. You're back on, buddy.

Hey, it's always great to call in, Matt. How are you doing tonight, brother? I'm doing okay, hanging in there. By God's grace, I have the incredible privilege of being able to enter questions and, Lord willing, teach people truth and whatever. And I always pray that.

What I say falls on deaf ears, and what God says goes down to the heart.

So, yes. That's how. Actually. That's a good prayer, Matt, also. Hey, in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, Matt, I wanted to bring this question up to uh Church leadership.

Um Do you think it's effective uh for Christians to carry. personal protection, and we know what we're talking about. Yeah.

or concealed. And in Ohio, it's an open carry state. And I would like your comments on that, Matt, if you wouldn't mind. Yeah, I was out today and I was carrying concealed. uh and and I carry regularly.

And so Jesus says in Luke 22, 36, Luke 22, 36, he says, Do you have a sword? And they said, no, we have two cloaks. Sell one and buy a sword. Jesus' own words were to be armed.

Now he didn't say buy a sword for each one. But It looks like the idea, what he was talking about, was protection, the right of self-protection with a group. And so we can get into other nuances. We have the right of self-protection, but not the obligation. We do have an obligation to protect others.

So, if someone's gonna, I have my shirt on today, sola gratie, solo fide, you know, the five solas. With a cross on it, and some women started talking to me about it. It was really interesting. And uh You know, if someone's going to attack me because of my faith in my shirt, I may or may not defend myself, may just take a few hits or whatever. If the person starts attacking someone else, that changes the story.

Because the scripture says defend the helpless. It doesn't say, you know, think about it, and if it's okay, give it a shot. It doesn't defend it.

So Christians are obligated to defend. what level of defense is necessary. I think a level of defense is necessary that's concomitant with the threat.

So if someone's just physical with hands, physical hands need to stop 'em. If he's got a weapon, then the weapon needs to stop.

Well, you know, if you can, you know. Not a rule, but you know what I'm saying.

So I have no problem with the people carrying, Christians carrying, and being well armed. Let me run this by uh In at least it seems like everywhere I go, Matt, in public. And it's very rare. But if there is one person, say, you know, at the local grocery store. And it's usually the males.

and I see, you know, a firearm on a hip of a of a man. you know, looking through the soup or whatever. I gotta admit. I get a little uneasy.

Okay.

Okay.

changing that Uh that environment and if you know, godly, constitutional, carry Uh United States uh citizens just started garbing themselves And like I say, in Ohio, we're allowed to In Ohio. That would just, you know, we'd go about our days and our weeks. you know, with our with our protection on our side. If there was enough People doing that, I feel. It would change the climate.

And over time my community would be more and more comfortable as they got more and more used to it. Which I think Would then tell someone of a wicked heart. I like the RSV, how it calls it. you know, the heart and wicked. Um it would cause that wicked heart that's thinking about doing something stupid.

maybe checking that heart. Oh, you have any comments on that? Sure. Yeah, um I've seen guys open carrying here in Idaho. Open carry in Idaho is fine.

And when I see that, I don't care. Yeah, no, it's like that's fine.

Now, we were in church a couple of years ago, and the pastor asked a very interesting question. It was a very vague question. He says, I want to see some hands of those who may or may not be carrying right now or have carried here in church in the past. You don't have to raise your hands, but go ahead and raise your hands now. And about two thirds of the hand.

Yeah, two-thirds of the hands went up. Mine included.

So the you know, it's we're well armed here in Idaho.

well armed. And my wife even asked if she wants to go out shooting and be familiar with the one weapon that she would use if an intruder was here. Yeah.

And so That's just how it is. And if you'll notice, you know, in Idaho and in Ohio, you don't hear too many stories about. Bad things happening because everyone's equal. We don't. As a matter of fact, Matt, in 2019, We had a mass shooting in very close to where I live in Dayton, Ohio.

It took place in a club and bar scene. It's called the Oregon District. This happened in August of twenty nineteen. But it was it was a non carry Dayton is a very democrat city. But I wonder if if it was not a gun free zone, if that shooter would have thought twice.

Now I do have to shout out to the Dayton Police Department because they neutralize this situation. in less than twenty seconds, Matt.

So I'm just wondering Yeah. Go ahead, sir. I've heard commentaries from people who've who bad guys who've been caught who said wouldn't go into these places with it unless it was gun free. to do their stuff. That's exactly what they want.

There's no guns. Yeah, and you know, when I went to a restaurant today, okay. And I'm sure other guys were were carrying too in the restaurant. I don't feel uncomfortable at all. And if I had seen people with weapons on their hips, man, good.

Well, praise God. It just lets people be known. Yeah, we take care of our own, we t take care of ourselves. That's fine. That's awesome.

Yeah.

So, what would be the biblical basis? If I ran into a Christian map that said, Musklin, I don't know if you should be uh having your your your firearm um, open like that, what could I use to tell my my brother?

Well, I think that sensibility is number one. If you go into a place That the site of open carry would definitely, knowledgeably, cause problems. and discomfort. You shouldn't do it. It's like you know a Jew comes in, I'm not gonna say, Hey, you want a pork sandwich?

I'm free, but I don't want to stumble anybody.

So we just need to apply research.

So that's the 114 argument you're saying. Yeah, just no, just the idea of being sensitive.

So if I'm gonna go someplace... Um like Well, i you know, I can't I'm trying to think you know, any places um You know, if I know that, let's just say we go to a place, a hospital, I wouldn't take it to a hospital, but you know, where people have been shot by, you know, say a gunman. uh and to go in with a gun on the hip might be very traumatizing. You know, I'm just as an extreme example, but the idea here is to be sensitive. And you don't want to do it with little kitties around, I wouldn't think.

You know, maybe, or maybe it would. I don't know. It just depends. It's a big argument. But um I just think we need to be wise, always.

That's why I carry concealed. And nobody knows.

Okay.

Got it. Yeah, I was thinking that as well. And a lot of Christians I know they do conceal carry, but I thought, you know. If we could change the climate in our United States of America. And I think You know, if if if the evil heart saw many sidearms on its citizenry It would just kind of damper I could be wrong on that, Matt, but I'm thinking maybe we could have less.

you know, little kids being shot up at mass and And uh, you know, Charlie Kirk's being shot on on campuses.

Well, it's never going to be stopped altogether because they can get a long-range rifle and there's only so much you can do. But, you know, you've heard the story. Last year, I think it was, an intruder went into church, started shooting, and a guy who was armed. stopped him. Uh quickly.

Lists on his website, Matt, a bunch of those stories. I mean, it's just story after story. Really?

Well, I want to know more. He does, yeah. All these stories of Good Samaritans neutralizing a what could have been a horrific situation, yeah. Yeah, the rock star Ted Nugent. He's an avid shooter and hunter.

He's got great information. I'll check it out. I'll check it out. Yeah, I'm absolutely for people defending themselves and Christians being armed if they choose to. If they choose not to, that's okay.

When I walk around the block and do my exercise, I carry pepper spray for dogs, but it'll work on people too. And I'm going to carry a weapon then. Yeah, I have a burner. The the less lethal launch of those They shoot the rounds of peppered spray, or you can go inert, which is just a, yeah, yeah. I carry honestly, Matt, I carry it quite a little bit because it looks like a real firearm.

But My heart is always, I want the man alive so I can bring him to Christ before he dies. That's my my hopes.

Okay, buddy, we're here's the music, we're out of time, all right? God bless, brother. All right. God bless. Hey folks, interesting conversations we've had today.

May the Lord bless you by His grace. We're back on the air. Stand for truth. Stand for the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you by his grace.

Back on the air tomorrow. We'll talk to you then. Have a good one. Another program powered by the Truth Network.