Episode 7
Bringing the Church Back to Jesus pt 2
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes that Jesus is the true vine, and understanding this is crucial for spiritual nourishment.
- Listeners are encouraged to reflect on how religious traditions may obscure the teachings of Jesus.
- The importance of pruning in one's spiritual life is highlighted, suggesting it may be painful but necessary for growth.
- The episode discusses the tension between religious authority and direct obedience to the words of Jesus.
- It warns against the dangers of elevating human leaders above the teachings of Christ, which can lead to spiritual deception.
- The host insists that true followers of Jesus will inevitably face persecution from both the world and religious institutions.
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Transcript
Welcome to Freedom Through Faith.
Speaker A:Prepare to be blessed.
Speaker A:As pastor and teacher, Robert Thibodeau leads us into the anointed study of the Word of God, teaching and empowering you how to impact your world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, teaching you how to receive the blessings and provisions of God.
Speaker A:And how to walk through this life with Freedom through faith.
Speaker A:And now, here's Pastor Robert Thibodeau.
Speaker B:Hello, everyone, everywhere.
Speaker B:Pastor Bob Thibodeau here.
Speaker B:Welcome to Freedom Through Faith.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:We're so blessed that you're joining us today.
Speaker B:Ah, it's a great day in the Kingdom of God.
Speaker B:And it's a great day to gather around the Word of God to study about our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Speaker B:And all that he has done for us so we can do more for him.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Don't shut me down.
Speaker B:We're preaching good already.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:Let's go to Lord with a word of prayer.
Speaker B:We jump right into today's Bible study.
Speaker B:Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before you this day praising you for the victory you've given us through Jesus, our Savior.
Speaker B:Lord, we thank you for enduring the pain and the shame of that cross for us.
Speaker B:And we praise you.
Speaker B:Oh, we praise you for the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of everlasting life.
Speaker B:And the opportunity to study your word.
Speaker B:Your word that you gave to us to live in victory on this earth.
Speaker B:Lord, open the Scriptures to us.
Speaker B:Lead, guide, direct this conversation by your Holy Spirit.
Speaker B:That we may accomplish all that you want with this broadcast.
Speaker B:And it's our prayer to someone somewhere this day would receive Jesus as their Savior.
Speaker B:As a result of this broadcast, whether live or on the recordings, we give you praise, honor and glory for it, Father.
Speaker B:We give you all praise, honor and glory for it.
Speaker B:In Jesus name, Amen and Amen.
Speaker B:Join me in our profession of faith, commonly referred to as the Apostles Creed.
Speaker B:We do this each and every week whenever the Holy Spirit pops it into my mind.
Speaker B:But it's so important to lay that solid foundation upon which we're going to build this study.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Just repeat after me.
Speaker B:At least loud enough for your own two ears to hear.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried.
Speaker B:He descended into hell.
Speaker B:But the third day, he rose again from the dead and is ascended up into heaven, seated right now at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty from where he is about to make his return and judge the living and the dead.
Speaker B:I believe in the Holy Spirit.
Speaker B:I believe the church is the body of Christ.
Speaker B:I believe in the communion of saints.
Speaker B:I believe in the forgiveness of sins.
Speaker B:I believe in the resurrection of the body.
Speaker B:And I believe in life everlasting in Jesus name.
Speaker B:Amen and amen.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Oh, we are deep into the midst of study on the red letter words of Jesus, because folks, the red letter words, they're exposing religious deception all around us.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And that's what we've been studying about.
Speaker B:We're going to do a deep dive into this today about how Jesus is the true vine and his words are basically the words that heal us.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And when we're doing this, it is so important for us to get something straight right from the very start.
Speaker B:Jesus is the true vine.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:There is no disputing that he's the true vine.
Speaker B:And if there's a true vine, what does that mean?
Speaker B:That means that there's also something called a false vine.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:And we can't have false buying false vines out there.
Speaker B:You know, the imposters, the.
Speaker B:The deceivers, the frauds.
Speaker B:And guess what?
Speaker B:They're just not in the world.
Speaker B:Okay?
Speaker B:They've crept into the churches too.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:They've crept into the churches and that's not a good thing.
Speaker B:That is not good because Jesus himself lays it down in John chapter 15.
Speaker B:Let's turn over there.
Speaker B:Turn to John chapter 15.
Speaker B:I want to put your eyes on something here.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Because this is.
Speaker B:This is something that you need to.
Speaker B:To see and understand.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Let me get some settings here.
Speaker B:Something's not operating correctly here.
Speaker B:So we're gonna fix it real quick, I hope.
Speaker B:There we go.
Speaker B:All right, so let's.
Speaker B:Let's look here at John chapter.
Speaker B:What'd I tell you?
Speaker B:John, chapter 15, verse one.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker C:I.
Speaker B:Who's he talking to here?
Speaker B:Jesus.
Speaker C:Right?
Speaker B:I am the vine.
Speaker B:That's what he's saying.
Speaker B:My father's the husbandman.
Speaker B:Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.
Speaker B:He's going to take it away now.
Speaker B:That means he's the source of all nourishment.
Speaker B:He's the vine.
Speaker B:Jesus is the true vine.
Speaker B:He's the source of all nourishment.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:All life, everything else.
Speaker B:Counterfeit.
Speaker B:Everything.
Speaker B:And who's in charge of making sure this vine and its branches grow properly?
Speaker B:God the Father.
Speaker B:That's what it says right here.
Speaker B:This is important because Jesus is not pointing to a church or an institution or a religious leader.
Speaker B:He's pointing directly to himself and the Father.
Speaker B:There's no middleman here, folks.
Speaker B:There's no priest, no pope, no denominational doctrine anywhere along that line that says you got to go through him to get to Jesus.
Speaker B:No, there's no denominational doctrine needed.
Speaker B:It's just Jesus.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And folks, that's where a lot of people get uncomfortable, okay?
Speaker B:Because religion loves.
Speaker B:Put something between you and Jesus.
Speaker B:That something, quote unquote, something might be a set of rules, a hierarchy, religious leaders, or an interpretation that tells you Jesus didn't really mean what he plainly said.
Speaker B:But Jesus here is very clear.
Speaker B:He is the true vine, meaning all other sources of spiritual life are false.
Speaker B:Now folks, we're talking here, if you continue reading, talking about pruning, you know, purges away the branches, that, that so others can bring forth fruit.
Speaker B:Every branch in me, he says, every branch in me that does not bear fruit.
Speaker B:What happens?
Speaker B:God takes away every branch that does bear fruit.
Speaker B:He purges it.
Speaker B:He.
Speaker B:He trims it so it may bring forth even more fruit.
Speaker B:Now let's be real here.
Speaker B:Pruning is painful.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Have you ever had a splinter?
Speaker B:Raise your hand out there if you had a splinter before.
Speaker B:It hurts.
Speaker B:It hurts going in.
Speaker B:And guess what?
Speaker B:It hurts when it comes out too.
Speaker B:But if you just leave it in.
Speaker B:And how many of you have little kids?
Speaker B:Oh no, no, no, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker B:It'll get festering, it'll get infected and then you got real problems.
Speaker B:That's what happens when we let things stay in our lives that God is trying to purge from us or prune from us.
Speaker B:He'll remove whatever it is keeping you from being fruitful, whether you like it or not.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Now that's, and that's a big problem for a lot of so called Christians today because we don't want God to prune anything from our lives.
Speaker B:We don't want to be in pain even for a little bit.
Speaker B:We want to stay comfortable.
Speaker B:We don't want to let go of things that, that in reality they're choking out the spiritual life within us.
Speaker B:We don't want to change our beliefs.
Speaker B:They've been passed down through traditions, multiple generations in some cases.
Speaker B:But Jesus says here what Pruning must happen if you want to bear true fruit.
Speaker B:Now, if you are truly abiding in the vine, you have to be open to his correction, okay?
Speaker B:Because it's easy to point at others and say, well they need pruning over there.
Speaker B:You know, they're Baptists and stuff.
Speaker B:Oh you know them Catholics, they definitely need pruning.
Speaker B:But what about you?
Speaker B:What about your doctrines?
Speaker B:What about your beliefs?
Speaker B:Are you willing to let Jesus strip away everything that does not align with his words?
Speaker B:Because let me tell you something, he is not interested in maintaining your traditions.
Speaker B:Not at all.
Speaker B:He's only interested in producing more fruit in and through your life.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So that brings up the next question, which is what cleanses us?
Speaker B:Well that's easy.
Speaker B:The words of Jesus, Praise God.
Speaker B:And this is the part that often gets overlooked.
Speaker B:Okay, let's go to verse three.
Speaker B:Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.
Speaker B:Did you catch that?
Speaker B:What is it that cleanses you?
Speaker B:The Word.
Speaker B:Not traditions, not rituals, not the teachings of men.
Speaker B:It's the Word.
Speaker B:And notice here, Jesus does not say now you're clean through the words that will later be written by self proclaimed apostles.
Speaker B:No, he says here his words.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker B:It's his words that cleanse us.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Why have we missed this?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:It's plain right there written for why did we miss this?
Speaker B:Well I'm so glad you asked me that question because I'll tell you why.
Speaker B:For generations, preachers and denominations and religious institutions have downplayed the red letter words of Jesus.
Speaker B:They've told us to focus on doctrines that they come up with that serve to elevate their own authority instead of focusing on what Jesus actually said in his words.
Speaker B:I mean, think about this for a second.
Speaker B:If Jesus says his words are what cleanses us, why do so many preachers spend most of their time quoting everyone except Jesus?
Speaker B:What do you mean by that, Brother Bob?
Speaker B:Why do seminaries focus so much on time on systematic theology, denominational doctrine and their church history, but hardly spend time teaching people to actually abide in the words of Jesus himself.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:It's because the words of Jesus actually disrupt the systems they have in place.
Speaker B:The words of Jesus strip away power from those who want to control the faith.
Speaker B:If believers actually lived by the words of Jesus, there'd be a lot of churches that would just lose their grip over the people.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And guess what?
Speaker B:That makes these leaders in various denominations.
Speaker B:I'm not picking on any one denomination.
Speaker B:Various denominations, the mega churches, whatever makes them basically mad as hell when you point it out.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because it strips away their control or what they think is their control over you.
Speaker B:Don't blame Pastor Bob here.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Jesus said it not Paul, not a denomination, not some council.
Speaker B:Hundreds of years later, Jesus said it.
Speaker B:Period.
Speaker B:End of story.
Speaker B:Now for more information on how to get in touch with.
Speaker B:No, we still got a long way to go today, praise God.
Speaker B:But let's look at the rise of Paul for a minute, okay?
Speaker B:His teachings, the Catholic Church influence in particular.
Speaker B:I'm not picking on them using his example.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Because I'm going to get into some history here that really most churches, they won't even touch at all.
Speaker B:You'll never hear about this.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because it shines a light in the darkness.
Speaker B:And that's where they love to operate at.
Speaker B:They may not even realize it.
Speaker B:You shine that light on them, boy, I tell you, they will get mad as hornets.
Speaker B:Let's talk about the.
Speaker B:The biggest corruption forced on the world right off the bat.
Speaker B:I'm just gonna call it what it is.
Speaker B:The Catholic Church.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:You're still there.
Speaker B:That was the dominant force in early Christianity.
Speaker B:Well, they say they are, but now they.
Speaker B:They play a huge role assembly what we have called the Bible.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:We have to give them credit for that.
Speaker B:But here's the kicker.
Speaker B:They elevated Paul's words, his letters to his followers and stuff.
Speaker B:They elevated those over the direct words of Jesus.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because Paul's writings were easier to control.
Speaker B:His words made it easier for them to control the masses the way they wanted to preach the word.
Speaker B:Jesus preached direct obedience to God.
Speaker B:You can read it.
Speaker B:John 14, verse 15.
Speaker B:Jesus warned against religious leaders manipulating the truth.
Speaker B:You can read about that.
Speaker B:In Matthew 23, Jesus declared that the kingdom of God is not about power or power structures, but Paul.
Speaker B:Paul's writing left them some wiggle room.
Speaker B:Yeah, wiggle room for the development of.
Speaker B:Of religious authority, religious traditions, religious hierarchy and control over the people under their flock.
Speaker B:Or in other words, control over doctrine.
Speaker B:That's why now we're going to get into something here.
Speaker B:That's why in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine, Right.
Speaker B:You've heard of him and the Roman Catholic Church, they embraced Paul's teachings.
Speaker B:Well, kind of.
Speaker B:They didn't diminish Jesus's words.
Speaker B:They just kind of sidelined them for a little bit.
Speaker B:Because Constantine saw an opportunity.
Speaker B:Christianity could be institutionalized and used to unify the empire.
Speaker B:Let me emphasize something here.
Speaker B:Whose empire was he trying to unify?
Speaker B:His empire.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And while the term Roman Catholic Church as we understand it today was not in use during that time.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:Constantine's actions significantly influenced the development of the early Christian church, which would later evolve into to what is now known as the Roman Catholic Church.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Give me a second here.
Speaker B:Get a sip of coffee.
Speaker B:Need some more energy now.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Now, in collaboration with Co Emperor of the Empire, Licinius Constantine, issued what was called the Edict of Milan, which granted religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire.
Speaker B:And everybody's, oh, this is excellent.
Speaker B:Excellent.
Speaker B:And it was good, okay?
Speaker B:But the decree ended the persecution.
Speaker B:By that decree, it ended the persecution of the Christians and allowed them to practice their faith openly.
Speaker B:And that's awesome, right?
Speaker B:That was a good thing.
Speaker B:And it marked a significant shift in imperial policy and laid the groundwork for Christianity's expansion within the Empire and eventually around the known world.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And then we go to the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. now, what was this all about?
Speaker B:Well, recognizing the need for unity within the Christian community, Constantine convened the first Council of Nicaea.
Speaker B:And this council aimed to address theological disputes, and particularly Iranianism, which questioned the divinity of Jesus and all that.
Speaker B:So it was this council that resulted in the Nicene Creed, which we just read is commonly referred to as the Apostles Creed today.
Speaker B:But it's simply a statement of faith that remains central to the Christian doctrines today because it lays it out line by line, basically.
Speaker B:Now, like I said, his name changed over the years, and it's called more or less the Apostles Creed today, even though the apostles really had nothing to do with it.
Speaker B:But again, you hear Pastor Bob say this on his program at the very beginning, most weeks, simply, like I said, simply because I believe it lays a foundation upon which we could build.
Speaker C:Okay?
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:That's the purpose for it.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Nothing to do with tradition or anything.
Speaker B:I just think it lays a good foundation for us.
Speaker B:There's nothing, folks.
Speaker B:There's nothing magical about it, okay?
Speaker B:It's a statement of faith, a statement of facts.
Speaker B:Remember, we talked about, you know, providing evidence, you know, several weeks back?
Speaker B:That's all this is.
Speaker B:It's a.
Speaker B:In law enforcement, they call it your statement of probable cause.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And that's really what this is.
Speaker B:Now, what I want you here to see here, though, is Constantine's involvement underscored his commitment to a unified Christian church.
Speaker B:And on the surface, that seemed like this was a great thing.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, this is awesome.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:This will work well.
Speaker B:But Constantine provided substantial support to the Christian Church through financial assistance and the donation of properties.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And he commissioned the construction, the construction of significant basilicas all around the area, such as the original St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Speaker B:Well, these actions help to facilitate the church's Growth, and it established a foundation for its influential role in society.
Speaker B:I guess you could say I want to get off track here, but it's important to note that while Constantine's policies and patriots greatly benefited the Christian Church.
Speaker B:It sure did.
Speaker B:The formal establishment of the Roman Catholic Church as a distinct and entity with its current structure and doctrines that was developed over several hundred years, several centuries of processing to get where they got to today.
Speaker B:But Constantine's collaboration with early Christian leaders and his endorsement of Christianity, they were the instruments in shaping the Christian trajectory within the Roman Empire itself.
Speaker B:All right, so we got that laid out as the foundation.
Speaker B:So what did they do?
Speaker B:What did they do to help establish this foundation?
Speaker B:Well, they held councils, like we just said, the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. to establish church authority.
Speaker B:Then they compiled the Bible together.
Speaker B:And what they did, they made sure Paul's letters were central to the Bible.
Speaker B:Okay, they declare Paul an apostle.
Speaker B:They declared Paul an apostle, even though the original disciples never did.
Speaker B:Never did.
Speaker B:Then we have the delightful opportunity of figuring out who's going to lead this new outfit.
Speaker B:All right?
Speaker B:I mean, we got the organization.
Speaker B:We got to have a leader.
Speaker B:Well, so the recognition of the Apostle Peter, the first pope, that evolved over several hundred years as well within the early Christian traditions.
Speaker B:Because while Peter is often regarded as the leader of the apostles, the leader of the disciples, and has believed it played a foundational role in the early Church, the formal acknowledgment of his position as the first pope developed gradually.
Speaker C:Okay, Amen.
Speaker B:So, I mean, it wasn't something that, you know.
Speaker B:Well, wait a minute.
Speaker B:Didn't Jesus say, you're gonna be the leader, Peter?
Speaker B:No, he never did that.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:I'm not gonna be able to pronounce these names exactly.
Speaker C:All right.
Speaker B:But I'm giving my best shot because my Greek and all that stuff is that Tertullian.
Speaker B:He was alive 155 to 240 and AD referred to Peter as the Blessed Peter the Chosen, the preeminent, the first of the disciples, highlighting his prominent position among the disciples and the apostles.
Speaker B:And then Pope Damascus.
Speaker B:You remember him?
Speaker B:We talked about him before.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:He was working with Constantine, and he utilized the biblical passage that we just referenced, Matthew, chapter 16, verse 18, where Jesus said to Peter, you are Peter, a rock, and on this rock I'll build my church.
Speaker B:And he used that to support the primacy of the Roman bishopric, I guess they call it reinforcing the belief in Peter's foundational role in the church.
Speaker B:Yes, And I covered this all before.
Speaker B:So I'm not going to take the time today to hash it all over again.
Speaker B:But Peter was not the rock of the church, all right?
Speaker B:It was the revelation, knowledge given to Peter by the Holy Spirit through the Father, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah, the long awaited Messiah, that the rock, that was the rock upon which Jesus could now establish his church.
Speaker B:It was the understanding he was the Messiah.
Speaker B:That was what Jesus was talking about.
Speaker B:Because remember how he talked about the solid foundation all the time, you know, building on the rock of the solid, you know, the solid foundation on a rock.
Speaker B:He who builds on sand, you know, is not going to be good.
Speaker B:Build it on a rock, lay that foundation.
Speaker B:What was he referring to?
Speaker B:Himself.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And when we receive that revelation of who Jesus is, then we're building our faith, our faith on that rock.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:I mean, you missed a good place to shout Amen right there with me.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Jesus is the rock.
Speaker B:Jesus is the foundation.
Speaker B:Anything built on anything else is shifting sand.
Speaker B:Now, since there was no church in his day, what did Jesus really mean?
Speaker B:Mean the Jewish people, they worshiped in the temple, in Jerusalem and in local synagogues and, you know, which were places of teaching, okay?
Speaker B:And community gatherings.
Speaker B:And Jesus being Jewish, right, he regularly taught in the synagogues in the area.
Speaker B:You can read all About Luke, chapter 4, verse 16 says it as well.
Speaker B:But the Greek word for church used in Matthew, chapter 16, verse 18 that we just referenced is ekklesia.
Speaker B:It does not mean a physical church building.
Speaker B:It means a called out assembly or a gathering of people.
Speaker B:In the Roman and Greek world, an ekklesia was an assembly of citizens who were called out for civic purposes.
Speaker B:That's what it means, okay?
Speaker B:That's all it means.
Speaker B:It was the Bible translators who came up with the religious name church.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So when Jesus said, upon this rock, I will build my church, he wasn't talking about constructing, you know, a religious institution.
Speaker B:He was not talking about building a physical building.
Speaker B:He was referring.
Speaker B:He was going to create an assembly of a group of people his followers called out from the world to be his disciples.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Again, the Catholics believe Jesus was giving Peter supreme authority as the first leader of the church.
Speaker B:This interpretation is problematic because hear me now, just a few verses later, Jesus rebukes Peter.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Jesus even called Peter Satan.
Speaker B: Matthew: Speaker B:It'd be odd for Jesus to declare Peter as the church's foundational leader and then immediately chastise him for heresy so harshly, don't you think?
Speaker B:I mean, it'd be like the president promoting someone, the General, in front of the whole formation of the division.
Speaker B:And until now, General, shine my shoes.
Speaker B:That wouldn't make any.
Speaker B:No, they wouldn't do that.
Speaker B:So the quick answer is no.
Speaker B:Jesus would not call Peter the leader of the church on this earth and then turn right around, have it recorded ever that the church leader is possessed by Satan or influenced by Satan.
Speaker B:That doesn't make sense in the natural.
Speaker B:So it definitely would not make any sense in the spiritual.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Oh, man, I know I'm stepping all over those toes today.
Speaker B:Jesus never instructed his disciples to set up a religious institution with a pope and bishops or any type of authoritarian structure.
Speaker B:He never instructed that.
Speaker B:So what did Jesus say?
Speaker B:Well, again, turn over there.
Speaker B:Matthew, chapter 28.
Speaker B:I'm sorry, 23.
Speaker B:Matthew 23.
Speaker B:And we'll look.
Speaker B:Verse 8 through 12.
Speaker B:Because Jesus gives a powerful rebuke against the hierarchical structures of religious leadership.
Speaker B:He says, but be not ye called rabbi, for only one is your master, even Christ, and all of you are brothers, your brethren.
Speaker B:Call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your father which is in heaven.
Speaker B:Neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, even Christ.
Speaker B:But he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
Speaker B:Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.
Speaker B:He that shall humbles himself shall be exalted.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:I think Jesus laid it out pretty good right there, don't you?
Speaker B:Because this passage, this passage basically contradicts the religious hierarchy that developed over time, particularly in institutions like the Catholic Church, where leaders are given these exalted titles, such as Pope, which means Father.
Speaker B:Reverend, Holy Father.
Speaker B:Jesus explicitly, explicitly talked against and forbid that kind of practice.
Speaker B:He emphasized that his followers are all just brothers and sisters, equal, hear me now.
Speaker B:Equal in their standing before God, and that only God the Father deserve such honor of a special title.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Oh, praise God.
Speaker B:Go ahead, say it.
Speaker C:Say amen.
Speaker B:I'll give all glory to God.
Speaker B:Right there.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:I mean, that is, you cannot argue with the words of Jesus.
Speaker B:I mean, after all, isn't that who the Catholic Church was supposed to be lifting up was Jesus.
Speaker B:Huh?
Speaker B:And I don't think Pastor Bob is just harping here against the Catholics, okay?
Speaker B:I'm not.
Speaker B:Because the Orthodox Church, they have a hierarchical structure as well.
Speaker B:They call theirs, I think it's patriarchs and metropolitans and bishops ruling over all of their respective jurisdictions, wherever they may be, while they don't have a pope.
Speaker B:Their ecclesiastical leaders hold significant authority, and they're treated like a pope with such high reverence, often being called your holiness and things like that.
Speaker B:Okay, but.
Speaker B:And they maintain.
Speaker B:Now, this is.
Speaker B:Listen to me now.
Speaker B:They maintain their bishops.
Speaker B:Their bishops.
Speaker B:That's why I'm saying, not any other religious authority in the earth.
Speaker B:Their bishops are the successors to the apostles, and their bishops have divine mandate to govern the church.
Speaker B:Nobody else.
Speaker B:So let's meet.
Speaker B:Let's move into the modern era a little bit.
Speaker B:Yeah, Passab is not just picking on the giants in the room.
Speaker B:All right, let's look at some of the things we can see every week basically all around us.
Speaker B:And I'm going to step all over some spiritual toes with this one.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:Evangelical megachurch pastors.
Speaker B:Yep, I said it.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Evangelical megachurch pastors now and many mega churches, not all, but in many.
Speaker B:The senior pastor becomes the central figure, often treated like a celebrity.
Speaker B:Some pastors even take on titles like apostle or prophet and claiming unique divine authority given to them by God.
Speaker B:And some have built their own little empires where their words carry.
Speaker B:Hear me now.
Speaker B:Where their own words carry basically more weight with their followers than scripture.
Speaker B:Some of these leaders live in extreme wealth while their congregations struggle financially, which really, if you want to get down to the nuts and bolts of it, that contradicts Jesus model of servant leadership.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Now, don't get me wrong.
Speaker B:I'm just gonna let that hang there for a moment.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Okay, yep, let's move on.
Speaker B:Many apostles and prophetic movements today elevate their leaders to nearly unquestionable positions of authority.
Speaker B:Some churches practice the Moses model, lack of a better term, where the pastor or leader is seen as God's anointed spokesperson and questioning them is basically considered rebellion.
Speaker B:Some church leaders claim to have direct revelations from God.
Speaker B:They have a direct connection.
Speaker B:They hear from God directly.
Speaker B:So they place their words above even written scriptures.
Speaker B:Folks want to get down to it.
Speaker B:That's how cults get formed.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So let's go back to what did Jesus say?
Speaker B:Not what did our leader say?
Speaker B:Not what did the pastor say?
Speaker B:Now, I know, I know.
Speaker B:I'm stepping all over your spiritual toes right now, but praise God for that.
Speaker B:Okay, we're doing some pruning here.
Speaker B:There's some pain and pruning.
Speaker B:That's what I started with.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:I mean, the.
Speaker B:The Angelican Book of Common Prayer and the Angelican church.
Speaker B:Anglican, Kurt.
Speaker B:Not angelic, but Anglican.
Speaker B:Church that establishes the role of bishops as having authority over doctrine and church governance.
Speaker B:Not the words of Jesus, but the bishop.
Speaker B:Did you catch that?
Speaker B:Not the Bible.
Speaker B:The bishop is the ultimate decision maker for church governance.
Speaker B:That's just shameful.
Speaker B:And don't even get me started on the LDS church.
Speaker B:I mean there's their documents state the president of the Church is the only person on the earth who receives revelation to guide the entire church.
Speaker B:The only person on earth.
Speaker B:Members are encouraged to follow the prophet without question.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Then we have was another one.
Speaker B:Jehovah Witnesses.
Speaker B:They say their followers are to obey the governing body without question.
Speaker B:Don't question the governing body.
Speaker B:In fact, their salvation is totally dependent on them remaining not in the body of Christ, but in the organization itself and obeying the governing body's directives.
Speaker B:If you disagree with the governing body's directives, you are lost at going to hell.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Don't shut me down.
Speaker B:I'm preaching.
Speaker B:Good.
Speaker B:I'm just telling you what their own stuff says.
Speaker B:Folks, I'm on a roll now.
Speaker B:Pastor Bob's on a roll.
Speaker B:But in all these instances, in every example I just gave the bottom line premise was disregard the words of Jesus and just go with what we have decided is best for you.
Speaker B:They won't come right out and say it.
Speaker B:That's what they mean.
Speaker B:What is Brother Bob established here?
Speaker B:That every single human appointed system of religious institution has done what?
Speaker B:They've disavowed what Jesus said, every single one.
Speaker B:Oh, they'll deny it, they will deny it, but yet look at what they're doing.
Speaker B:Oh Brother Bob.
Speaker B:What?
Speaker B:What did Jesus say about having leaders and leadership?
Speaker B:Oh, praise God.
Speaker B:Thank you for asking me that.
Speaker B:I'm so glad you asked.
Speaker B:I guess we can continue now.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Now that we have your attention across denominations, we see man being exalted to positions of supreme authority despite Jesus clear warnings against such practices.
Speaker B:Jesus said, don't be called rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ.
Speaker B:And all of you are just brothers.
Speaker B:That's again Matthew 23:8.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So he said, the greatest among you.
Speaker B:The greatest among you should be what?
Speaker B:Your servant.
Speaker B:Matthew just a couple verses later.
Speaker B: Matthew: Speaker B:Notice Jesus did not say here.
Speaker B:He did not say your leader.
Speaker B:He said your servant.
Speaker B:Not your leader, your servant.
Speaker B:If Jesus rejected titles and rejected hierarchies and rejected religious dominance, why do so many churches today elevate their leaders above the people?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Why would they do that?
Speaker B:Well, we laid out the evidence.
Speaker B:The answer is pretty clear.
Speaker B:Human nature craves Power craves control, crave status.
Speaker B:But Jesus called his followers to reject those systems and to follow him in humility and in truth.
Speaker B:So the real question here is, are we willing to obey Jesus?
Speaker B:Are we willing to obey Jesus words?
Speaker B:Or are we going to follow religious traditions that go and strive to contradict Jesus?
Speaker B:Even though they may not admit it, everything they're doing proves it.
Speaker B:This is why today's Christianity looks more like an institution than the movement Jesus started back here with the 12 disciples.
Speaker B:It also explains why the Christian church today is so ineffective in sharing the word of God.
Speaker B:People see so much corruption of what's going on.
Speaker B:They're like, I don't need that in my life.
Speaker B:I got enough of that at work.
Speaker B:I don't need that in my life.
Speaker B:And I don't blame them.
Speaker B:Anyway, praise God.
Speaker B:Let's move on.
Speaker B:Oh, praise the Lord.
Speaker B:How much time we got left?
Speaker B:Oh, wow.
Speaker B:Jesus said, the world is gonna hate you.
Speaker B:This is the warning Jesus gave to his disciples and to us.
Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:Jesus was crystal clear in that.
Speaker B:He said, if the world hates you, remember, it hated me before it hated you.
Speaker B: John: Speaker B:Amen.
Speaker B:So when you're coming out against this stuff, like I am right now, and they're ganging up on you, just say, you got it, Jesus.
Speaker B:I'm just saying what you said, Jesus.
Speaker B:I mean, let's not sugarcoat it, folks.
Speaker B:Jesus told us straight up, the world system hates him, and if we're following him, it's gonna hate us too.
Speaker B:That's not a maybe.
Speaker B:Well, you know, you follow Jesus, you just might not be like, no, they will not like you.
Speaker B:It's a guarantee they are not gonna like you when you come out like this.
Speaker B:The world isn't against religion.
Speaker B:It's against Jesus.
Speaker B:It tolerates all sorts of beliefs, don't they?
Speaker B:But the moment you say you're a Christian or that Jesus is coming soon, suddenly you're a problem.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because Jesus words exposes darkness.
Speaker B:And the world loves darkness more than it does light.
Speaker B:John 3:19.
Speaker B:Jesus makes it clear.
Speaker B:He says, those that truly follow him are not of this world.
Speaker B:The world with all of its power structures, all of its religious institutions and societal norms, all of that is opposed to the truth.
Speaker B:And when you stand for the truth, you become a problem to the system.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:I mean, the reason for this hatred is simple.
Speaker B:Jesus disrupts the status quo.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And the religious leaders, folks, the religious leaders of his time, they wanted that control, didn't they?
Speaker B:They wanted power over people's beliefs, over their Worship over their lives.
Speaker B:They had developed an elaborate religious system that benefited them.
Speaker B:But here comes Jesus flipping over tables, tearing down their self righteousness publicly in front of everyone, exposing their hypocrisy, calling people, the common people, back to a direct relationship with God that's dangerous to a system that's built on control.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:I mean, let's look at history.
Speaker B:The religious establishment has always been the greatest persecutor of true believers.
Speaker B:The Pharisees attacked Jesus.
Speaker B:The Catholic Church persecuted those who wanted to have their own Bible in their own language.
Speaker B:Today, modern denominations silence those who dare to question their doctrines or their prophets.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because the moment, the moment you start believing Jesus's words over their religious traditions, you become a threat to their power.
Speaker B:John 16, verse 2.
Speaker B:They shall put you out of the synagogues.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:The time will come that whoever kills you will think he does God's service.
Speaker B:Well, we see that in our society today, don't we?
Speaker B:You shine a light on their stuff, they scatter like cockroaches and someone will turn around and try and take you out.
Speaker B:I just think about that Jesus saying that people who kill his followers will do it, thinking they're serving God.
Speaker B:That's how deep this deception runs.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:This system so powerful that it convinces people that persecuting true believers is what leads to their righteousness.
Speaker B:It happened in Jesus's day, it happened in the early church, it happened throughout the Middle ages and it's happening right now today.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:Persecution, folks, does not always come with physical violence, though sometimes it takes the form of rejection.
Speaker B:Yeah, where you're, you're losing friends, losing opportunities, being labeled a troublemaker because you actually believe what Jesus said instead of going along with church traditions.
Speaker B:Ouch.
Speaker B:Yeah, I heard you.
Speaker B:I heard you through there.
Speaker B:I hear you.
Speaker B:That one stepped all over your toes that time, didn't it?
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So we have the religious system basically versus the, the true followers of Jesus.
Speaker B:That's what it comes down to.
Speaker B:Just take a look around.
Speaker B:Today the modern church has become a business, a social club.
Speaker B:It sells a version of Christianity that's comfortable, non threatening, acceptable to the community, acceptable to the world.
Speaker B:But that's not the Christianity Jesus preached.
Speaker B:Did he?
Speaker B:The Christianity of Jesus cost us something.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Turn over to Matthew, chapter seven.
Speaker B:Matthew, chapter seven.
Speaker B:Put your eyes on this.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord, verse 13 and 14.
Speaker B:Enter in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, broad is the way that leads to destruction.
Speaker B:And there are many there that go away in act.
Speaker B:So who does this, huh, is it enter into straight gate.
Speaker B:For wide is the gate, broad is the way that leads to destruction.
Speaker B:Many there are that go in there at because straight is the gate, narrows the way which leads to life.
Speaker B:And there are a few there that find it.
Speaker B:Well, how could that be?
Speaker C:I mean.
Speaker B:Shouldn'T the gate be open to everybody?
Speaker B:That's what you hear today, just open the doors to everybody.
Speaker B:This is happening.
Speaker B:Churches are everywhere right now.
Speaker B:Churches are everywhere.
Speaker B:Christianity is one of the largest religions in the world.
Speaker B:But how many people are actually following Jesus instead of following their denomination?
Speaker B:How many have truly counted the cost to follow Jesus?
Speaker B:Because Jesus never said here, he never said, follow me and your life will be sunshine and roses.
Speaker B:Be a follower of me and your life is easy from this point forward.
Speaker B:No, he said take up your cross and just follow me.
Speaker B:The cross is an instrument of death.
Speaker B:That means dying to your own will, dying to the approval of the world, dying to any system that seeks to replace the truth of Jesus with man made doctrines.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Pastor Bob, you're not preaching us happy today.
Speaker B:Well, if you let the word minister to you, it will be because here's the uncomfortable reality.
Speaker B:Many people who call themselves Christians are actually following a man made version of Christianity.
Speaker B:A version that's been sanitized, tamed, made to fit within the structures of this world of modern world.
Speaker B:When was the last time, when was the last time you heard of an all night prayer meeting?
Speaker B:It was packed out to standing room only.
Speaker B:When was the last time you heard of a revival in your town or in your area that's gonna last three nights?
Speaker B:Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday and maybe even Sunday night.
Speaker B:But it kept going for 30 days straight.
Speaker B:You don't hear about that anymore.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Well, Brother Bob, we just don't have time like that, you know, for that sort of thing, you know, in this age we live in because we all got to go to work, work and we got this to do and I got got to take the kids to sport it.
Speaker B:Really.
Speaker B:Jesus, who lives outside of time, made time to come here to do everything that needed to be done to save you.
Speaker B:And you're saying you don't have time to honor him, huh?
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker B:That's all I got to say to that is wow.
Speaker B:Oh, praise you Jesus.
Speaker B:Let's move on.
Speaker B:Hallelujah.
Speaker B:What I'm saying here, folks, if you actually follow Jesus, you will experience opposition.
Speaker B:You're going to experience opposition from the world, from your peers, from your friends, and most painfully, from religious people who think they're doing God A favor by rejecting you.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because persecution is a sign you are on the narrow path.
Speaker B:Yeah, right there.
Speaker B:Jesus said if they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you too.
Speaker B: John: Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:And it's not just, you know, this could happen.
Speaker B:Jesus said it will happen.
Speaker B:In other words, it's a promise.
Speaker B:If you follow Jesus, the world's gonna push back the system.
Speaker B:The world system will try to silence you, but instead of discouraging you, that should confirm something.
Speaker B:You are on the right path.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:The world has no problem with a watered down gospel.
Speaker B:None whatsoever.
Speaker B:The world has no issue with churches that preach self help messages but avoid speaking against sin.
Speaker B:The world doesn't have any problem with that.
Speaker B:The world doesn't mind religious institutions as long as they conform to the system.
Speaker B:Stay within your four walls.
Speaker B:Don't talk about the government.
Speaker B:But the moment you start preaching Jesus as he really is, well, that's when you stir up the hornet's nest.
Speaker B:That's when you'll start to see the resistance.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Because folks, persecution is not a sign that you're failing.
Speaker B:It is a sign they are standing right where Jesus stood.
Speaker B:And the apostles understood that.
Speaker B:They understood that.
Speaker B:The disciples understood that.
Speaker B:Want proof?
Speaker B:All right, let's turn over to Acts chapter 5 real quick.
Speaker B:Acts chapter 5, verse 41.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:After being beaten for preaching Jesus, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for his name.
Speaker B:What a perspective most people would be like, well, maybe I shouldn't be so confrontational when I talk about Jesus.
Speaker B:That's not what we just read.
Speaker B:That's not how the disciples seen it.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:The question is what?
Speaker B:Are you prepared to do that very thing?
Speaker B:Are you prepared for that type of persecution?
Speaker B:Are you ready to be rejected for standing on the words of Jesus?
Speaker B:Are you willing to lose favor with the world to gain the favor with God?
Speaker B:Jesus never promised us popularity.
Speaker B:He only promised us truth.
Speaker B:And he also said the truth will not be popular, didn't he?
Speaker B:So what will you choose?
Speaker B:What will you choose?
Speaker B:The comfort of going along with the system or the boldness of standing for Jesus even when it costs you?
Speaker B:Get back into the Gospels.
Speaker B:Read Jesus words, let them shape you and expect opposition along the way.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Don't be surprised when the system pushes back.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Rejoice.
Speaker B:Rejoice.
Speaker B:When that persecution comes, it means you are truly following Christ at that time.
Speaker B:Because the time is now.
Speaker B:The time is now.
Speaker B:The world, there's no doubt this world is growing darker and Darker by the day.
Speaker B:And the need for bold followers of Jesus has never been greater.
Speaker B:Will you stand?
Speaker B:Will you?
Speaker B:Or will you compromise?
Speaker B:That's the only question you can answer.
Speaker B:That's the only question you can answer.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:We're getting ready to run out of time, but I want to quickly discuss the spirit of truth versus the spirit of error.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:So Jesus did not leave us without guidance.
Speaker B:He promised to send the Spirit of truth.
Speaker B:John 15, verse 26.
Speaker B:But when the comforters come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he will testify of me.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:Notice what Jesus said here.
Speaker B:The Holy Spirit testifies of him.
Speaker B:The Holy Spirit does not testify to the role of religious leaders.
Speaker B:He does not testify to our traditions.
Speaker B:He doesn't even testify about Paul, only about Jesus.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker B:That's it.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:So what do we do?
Speaker B:What do we see done?
Speaker B:Today people claim to be led by the Spirit, but they spend more time quoting doctrines or quoting what Paul said than the teachings of Jesus.
Speaker B:They contradict Jesus's own words, often with actions or what they're saying.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:All right, so let's move on.
Speaker B:Keep watching that clock.
Speaker B:It keeps ticking down on me.
Speaker B:Let's move over to John chapter 16 and look at what else.
Speaker B:What else did Jesus say?
Speaker B:Well, Praise God.
Speaker B:John 16, verse 13.
Speaker B:How about when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he'll guide you into all truth.
Speaker B:For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.
Speaker B:And he'll show you all things to come.
Speaker B:So the Spirit does not lead people away from Jesus words, He leads them back to them.
Speaker B:So when a doctrine contradicts Jesus's red letter words, it's not from the spirit of truth, it's from the spirit of error.
Speaker B:It's just plain and simple.
Speaker B:And who has introduced us to the greatest errors of Christianity?
Speaker B:Religious institutions, traditions, doctrines that elevate Paul's writings over what Jesus said.
Speaker B:That's where the corruption is.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:The Spirit leads us back to Jesus.
Speaker B:The system leads us away from Him.
Speaker B:That's the difference.
Speaker B:So if you truly follow Jesus, get ready, because the world and the religious establishment is going to try to silence you.
Speaker B:The deception runs deep.
Speaker B:The it just did not happen overnight.
Speaker B:It's not something new.
Speaker B:It has been carefully crafted, methodically developed, and ruthlessly enforced by those who seek control rather than those who seek the truth.
Speaker B:The moment that you start questioning religious authority, that's the moment when you get attacked.
Speaker B:So why don't we focus on Jesus words?
Speaker B:Just ask your authorities that, your pastor, who.
Speaker B:Why don't we just focus on Jesus words?
Speaker B:You'll see just how entrenched this system really is.
Speaker B:And folks, that system will push back and push back hard.
Speaker B:It'll label you as rebellious, misled, possibly even dangerous.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker B:Because nothing, nothing threatens their control like someone who's fully surrendered to Jesus and him alone.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:Praise God.
Speaker B:So how do we discern the spirit of truth?
Speaker B:We're gonna have to take that up next time because we're almost out of.
Speaker B:Out of time for today.
Speaker B:Praise the Lord.
Speaker B:Oh, I just want to leave you with this.
Speaker B:The spirit of truth will always point you to Jesus's words.
Speaker B:Not to traditions, not to councils, not to theological debates.
Speaker B:Jesus words will convict you of sin and righteousness.
Speaker B:But he's not going to twist scripture to make sin acceptable.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:And the Holy Spirit is always going to glorify Christ.
Speaker B:Not a denomination, not a particular preacher or a church system.
Speaker B:The Holy Spirit of truth will always, always lead you to true obedience, not to religious rituals that replace leadership.
Speaker C:Amen.
Speaker B:On the other hand, the spirit of error will always justify traditions over scripture.
Speaker B:This is what our church has always believed.
Speaker B:This is what we stand for.
Speaker B:Yeah, we can tell.
Speaker B:They'll always create division based on human authority.
Speaker B:Well, if you don't listen to us, then you're outside of God's will.
Speaker B:Stuff like that.
Speaker B:It'll replace Jesus with religious hierarchy, elevating popes and pastors and theologians above the words of Christ.
Speaker B:Well, you know what the bishop says, you know?
Speaker B:Or they'll just try and teach another gospel instead of the words of Jesus.
Speaker B:One that strays away from Jesus's own words and will promote false Christianity.
Speaker B:Folks, the Holy Spirit is speaking to us today.
Speaker B:He is calling people back to Jesus and Jesus alone.
Speaker B:Not to a religious system.
Speaker B:Nope.
Speaker B:Not to a denominational label, to Jesus.
Speaker B:Are you listening?
Speaker B:Are you really listening?
Speaker B:Are you feeling uncomfortable right now?
Speaker B:That's good.
Speaker B:That means the Holy Spirit stirring something on the inside of you.
Speaker B:It means there is a decision you have to make.
Speaker B:Will you follow Jesus words?
Speaker B:Are you going to keep going along with the flow, with the system that has basically tried to replace him?
Speaker B:The time is now.
Speaker B:The time is now.
Speaker B:As we get ready to close.
Speaker B:If you want to accept Jesus, your Lord, your Savior, just pray this short prayer with me right now.
Speaker B:Say, lord Jesus, I thank you and praise you for your word.
Speaker B:And I thank you, Lord, that I am yours.
Speaker B:Come into my heart.
Speaker B:Lord Jesus, come into my heart, Take over my life, Be my Savior.
Speaker B:I receive you now in Jesus name.
Speaker B:We're all at times today, so that's why, Pastor, I remind you to be blessed.
Speaker A:You have just heard a message of encouragement from anointed pastor and teacher Robert Thibodeau with Freedom Through Faith Ministries in Baltimore, Maryland.
Speaker A:For more information on the Freedom Through Faith Ministries Ministries or to invite Pastor Thibodeau to your church, please Visit our website, www.ftfm.org.
Speaker A:that's FTFM for Freedom Through Faith Ministries.
Speaker A:Again, that's ftfm.org until next time when we gather together around the Word of God, be blessed and remember, we serve an awesome God.
