Episode #53: How do I draw close to God?

[00:00:11] Thank you for listening to the Finding Neverland Podcast.

[00:00:15] Finding Neverland is a Christian metalcore band based in Denver, Colorado.

[00:00:21] This episode was broadcasted live.

[00:00:51] What is up everybody?

[00:00:53] Happy Friday!

[00:00:56] Welcome to our podcast.

[00:00:58] This is the Finding Neverland Podcast, episode number 53.

[00:01:04] We're going to be talking about how do I draw closer to God?

[00:01:11] Yeah.

[00:01:12] Yeah.

[00:01:13] We're a Christian metalcore band.

[00:01:16] We're called Finding Neverland.

[00:01:18] This is our Bible Study podcast.

[00:01:20] So thank you if you're joining us.

[00:01:22] We do this live every Friday night on our Facebook page and our YouTube page.

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[00:01:38] related to God or scripture or music or our band or just want to leave some encouragement.

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[00:01:48] We post our episodes edited on Spotify and Apple podcasts every Wednesday.

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[00:02:11] So yeah.

[00:02:13] How are you doing, Luke?

[00:02:15] Good to see you buddy.

[00:02:17] You too, man.

[00:02:18] How are you doing?

[00:02:19] All right.

[00:02:20] Ready for the weekend I guess?

[00:02:24] So ready to do a band practice tomorrow hopefully?

[00:02:28] Yeah.

[00:02:30] Excited about that.

[00:02:35] Awesome.

[00:02:36] Awesome.

[00:02:37] Yeah.

[00:02:37] So we're going to do some, going to do a band practice.

[00:02:41] Got a little bit of an announcement.

[00:02:43] Pretty cool.

[00:02:43] Big announcement for our band.

[00:02:45] We are now signed to Infiltrate Records out of Florida.

[00:02:55] So this is a really exciting Infiltrate Records.

[00:02:58] They are a gospel centered Christ following record label.

[00:03:04] And it's been something that I think me and Luke have been praying for.

[00:03:08] Somebody that can help us grow our band but also understands our vision and understands, you know,

[00:03:14] and can see what we're trying to do.

[00:03:16] We're not just trying to be a band and make a bunch of money.

[00:03:21] You know, I feel like we're finding Neverland has a bigger purpose and we're just trying to follow

[00:03:25] and be obedient to Yahweh in this pursuit.

[00:03:29] And we love playing music and we want to share the gospel and I think Infiltrate Records

[00:03:36] is doing that too with their record label.

[00:03:38] So we're really excited to team up with them.

[00:03:41] Blake over there.

[00:03:42] Great dude.

[00:03:46] You want to come on the podcast sometime too?

[00:03:49] Yeah, yeah.

[00:03:50] So we're going to try and get Blake as a guest.

[00:03:52] Got set it up.

[00:03:54] He's a pretty busy guy.

[00:03:56] Obviously running, you know, running a bunch of different bands, but he said we're the first metal band on his label.

[00:04:03] So that's really, really cool.

[00:04:05] We're excited about that too.

[00:04:07] So yeah, so hopefully we'll get Blake on the podcast.

[00:04:10] I think we're also maybe we're going to get set up.

[00:04:14] He's got a podcast and he might, he's trying to get Finding Neverland on his podcast.

[00:04:20] So look out for that as well.

[00:04:22] Nice.

[00:04:24] Yeah.

[00:04:25] So excited about that.

[00:04:29] Yeah, other than that, I think that's all my announcements.

[00:04:34] That's good stuff, man.

[00:04:36] Yeah, it was definitely a unique first meeting with Blake.

[00:04:41] And it's kind of the Holy Spirit was really been telling me at least, you know, this is something you're not going to find anywhere else in a partner that wants to basically just support what you're doing because there's a whole lot of, I mean, that's one of my first questions was like,

[00:05:01] why in 2024 would anybody sign part of their rights and music away to a label when you can do everything independently?

[00:05:11] And he just flat out was like, you get to keep all of those rights to your music and royalties and everything else.

[00:05:20] We just we just want to support you in growing.

[00:05:24] And I said, oh my gosh.

[00:05:26] And see the gospel spread off and the fact that we're the first band like this maybe they'll bring on some other bands that are the same style.

[00:05:35] We might pave the way for them.

[00:05:37] So yeah, really exciting to keep an eye on.

[00:05:41] Yeah, and I'm excited about.

[00:05:44] Yeah, we could do it independently.

[00:05:46] But him and his team are extremely educated with the music industry and how things work and you know streaming and things like that social media branding.

[00:05:58] And so I'm really excited about the knowledge that that he's learned and the networking the network that he's grown.

[00:06:07] He's like teamed up with Bentley Records and in New York City and gets a lot of help.

[00:06:14] And I think he was telling me this week he was at a conference.

[00:06:17] So yeah, really, really cool.

[00:06:19] Really excited about that.

[00:06:20] And so thank you guys for your support and and this thank you infiltrate for believing in us and giving us a chance.

[00:06:32] Yeah, cool.

[00:06:33] Yeah.

[00:06:35] Cool.

[00:06:35] So tonight we're going to be going to talk on how do I draw near to God.

[00:06:44] And Luke came up with this topic.

[00:06:47] So shout out to you for coming up with that one.

[00:06:53] Yeah, I think that's a this is a question or something that's been near to me.

[00:07:01] And so I feel like this episode might be kind of drawn around James 4.8, which says draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

[00:07:11] And I think that's a verse that we we talk about, you know, and even growing up, you know, going to churches, you hear that a lot like draw near to God and he'll draw near to you.

[00:07:22] And I think I kind of didn't really know what that meant.

[00:07:25] Like, you know, what does that mean draw near to God?

[00:07:28] Like, OK, well, like, does that mean I just pray and he'll he's always there?

[00:07:33] And or do I just do I need to go to church more and he'll he'll be he'll be near to me.

[00:07:40] It's like it was kind of like I didn't really understand, you know, what that meant.

[00:07:48] So right.

[00:07:50] Like it's like it's a magic.

[00:07:53] Well, I was just when you said that I'm like like it's a magic spell that you're casting or something.

[00:07:59] Yeah, to say that to say that in scripture, like if I draw close to God, then he will draw close to me.

[00:08:05] And then when you don't feel his presence, what do you do then?

[00:08:10] Yeah, you know, you just keep saying that same verse over and over again.

[00:08:15] You know, what's the answer to this is not.

[00:08:20] It's not cookie.

[00:08:21] It's not cut and dry like that.

[00:08:23] I think he wants us to seek the knowledge and find the actual answer to getting to know him further and deep as deep as we possibly can.

[00:08:33] I mean, he didn't send his son to die for that for this, you know, for for somebody to just lie.

[00:08:38] I can't feel him.

[00:08:39] So I guess I'll just go through the motions.

[00:08:42] That's not what you see in the early church.

[00:08:44] That's not what you see with Paul and the disciples who received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

[00:08:51] Yeah, so yeah, that's good.

[00:08:53] Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[00:08:54] That's exactly what I was kind of going with was it just seems like it's like this magical thing that we don't really we don't really quite understand.

[00:09:03] But I really actually feel like I understand that verse by reading John James 4 7 right before it, which says submit to God, resist the devil.

[00:09:17] Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[00:09:21] And yeah, it's like so now I actually it's like understanding if you draw near to God.

[00:09:30] It starts with submitting to God.

[00:09:33] And then even before that verse, James 4 6 says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

[00:09:43] So James is kind of I feel like James is kind of putting this almost less instruction plan like it starts with humility and then it starts with submitting to God.

[00:09:55] And then God draws near to us.

[00:09:57] And that's that's kind of how I can understand like walking with God takes humility and submitting to him.

[00:10:04] It doesn't just it doesn't just mean acknowledging him or or just praying to him and asking for him to give us things.

[00:10:11] I think if we read 4 6 4 7 4 8, it's kind of an instruction plan of what what we should do and it starts with humility.

[00:10:22] Recognizing you know recognizing that I can't do this on my own.

[00:10:26] I'm you know we're part of a fallen sinful world and our flesh is consistently wanting to take control.

[00:10:37] And so, you know that that contradicts our spirit of God and and yeah.

[00:10:44] So I really just feel like starting to understand that God draws close close to us when we are feeding the spirit when we're reading his word when we're sitting in quiet time and prayer, resisting the flesh, resisting things that the world our culture loves.

[00:11:04] All of a sudden it becomes very clear that God is close to you in those times in those hard times.

[00:11:11] Like scripture says his strength is made perfect and weakness so you know we if we can remember that those times where we got to resist, you know, worldly fleshly desires.

[00:11:23] You'll notice God feels pretty close in those times.

[00:11:29] Yes, I mean I tried an experiment the other day for two days in a row.

[00:11:36] You know, talking about the world and things like that I mean even consuming a lot of media or watching a lot of videos or something like that is really just drowning out anything that you want to actually experience when you do come to try to connect with God in the Holy Spirit.

[00:11:54] I tried, you know when I got home.

[00:11:57] I put my phone down.

[00:11:59] I said Indian style with my legs crossed and my hands folded, and then I started to start to just tell God everything he already knows.

[00:12:10] And I think that comes from he already knows everything you're going to say but I think he wants to know that you know that, you know what I'm saying.

[00:12:21] He wants to know that you know what's going on and then he wants you to know that you know that also, you know just sexually very loving of him to just be like you need to know what you're saying right now you can't just be tough praying to me.

[00:12:37] And so I thought my posture would be my legs are crossed.

[00:12:42] I'm not going to get up and walk around as a show up a visual of like I'm here.

[00:12:47] I'm sitting.

[00:12:48] I'm not laying down because that's a lot of tendency for me to be praying while falling asleep.

[00:12:54] You know, I'm going to actually focus on the prayer and not be laying down where I could possibly fall asleep.

[00:13:00] And my brain would actually love to do that rather than talk to God.

[00:13:04] So sitting in that style.

[00:13:07] I thought this was the most aside from being on your knees and actually just hitting the floor, you know or face down, you know, but on your knees by the side of your bed.

[00:13:17] I think that that sets the mood sets the tone for what you're actually doing there.

[00:13:22] You're doing it on purpose, you know, it's purposeful action.

[00:13:26] And like you were saying, it actually takes a lot of action to I guess, you know, actually go towards God.

[00:13:35] But I actually I did feel like a sense of, you know, I still felt I still felt really, really bad from the day or something.

[00:13:43] But there was not all this other stuff in my brain before I went to sleep, other than the fact that I just had this conversation with God.

[00:13:53] And then I wrote down my prayers in this journal for two days in a row.

[00:13:59] And then the third day yesterday, I didn't I didn't do it, you know.

[00:14:02] But I was saying, you know, how is this going to affect what I hear back from God and my spirit and everything like that?

[00:14:09] And if anything, I could say that I just was obedient in those moments to actually seek God.

[00:14:17] And you know, just I want to bring this first up to him and it says, you know, Matthew seven verse seven seven and eight.

[00:14:27] This is Jesus talking to his disciples into the people.

[00:14:31] He says, keep asking and it will be given to you.

[00:14:34] Keep seeking and you will find.

[00:14:37] Keep knocking and the door will be open to you for everyone who keeps asking receives you keeps seeking finds into him who keeps knocking the door will be open.

[00:14:48] And not one thing I see here is he just says keep about five or he says it six times or something here.

[00:14:56] He says, keep knocking keep asking.

[00:14:59] And if you do, you will receive and the door will be open to you.

[00:15:02] So it's a repetitive action.

[00:15:05] It's not.

[00:15:06] Oh, well, I prayed about it and he knows what I want, you know, or he knows what when he said I won't even bring it up again or something.

[00:15:13] Or then you start to resent the fact that you don't feel like your prayers are being answered and those type of things.

[00:15:18] But we have to ask ourselves honestly, do we really want to grow closer to God?

[00:15:22] Or are we just hoping to get what we can from him without getting too deep because there's a soul other part of my life is for the world and for the flesh.

[00:15:32] And that's really what you're saying to God when you hold something back, you know, you're supposed to surrender everything to him.

[00:15:39] That's just just what I what I've started to notice recently.

[00:15:45] I love that. Yeah, I was thinking.

[00:15:48] I've heard a lot of people misinterpret those verses as more looking at it as more of a worldly thing like keep knocking if you want that new job or that new house, you know, God will give it to you if you keep asking keep praying.

[00:16:03] And, you know, as as I don't think that's a terrible interpretation.

[00:16:06] I really I just from what I'm what I'm learning and, you know, following Jesus and reading his word it just Jesus's words hold weight like they hold eternal weight and I just

[00:16:22] I just feel like like verses like that Jesus is so concerned with our souls more than maybe our physical possessions and our material things and things like knocking on the door makes me think of

[00:16:37] when maybe a believer is struggling with sin with the sin that they keep keep

[00:16:47] maybe falling for or just can't seem to have any hope in.

[00:16:51] I just that I just feel like this verse encourages encourages that, you know, keep fighting keep going keep moving forward keep asking keep asking for grace.

[00:17:05] Yeah, yeah, so I just yeah I love those verses and I just yeah just the first thing that comes to mind is as I feel like many people take that as you know kind of surface level.

[00:17:17] But I think we got to remember that that Jesus is really concerned with our eternal life, our soul.

[00:17:24] And so a lot of these things are encouragement for yeah our walk with our walk with God in our heart.

[00:17:36] That would definitely it's like the verse where he said, this is how much he was concerned with our physical beings he said if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it into the ocean.

[00:17:47] You know it's better to enter the kingdom of God. It's better to enter heaven with without an arm then to be thrown into the lake of fire, you know to be sent to hell away from God for eternity.

[00:17:59] And that's how or pluck out your eye if your eye causes you to sin, you know, saying this doesn't really matter.

[00:18:06] You know all the things that you think that are don't matter.

[00:18:09] And what is it that the devil just 180 degrees a complete antithesis of what God tells us is important.

[00:18:17] He's all about the physical he's all about what you get here and now.

[00:18:23] You know maybe I even respect the people who are honest and say oh I'm just living my best life and if I go to hell whatever you know I've met people like that where they're just like I'm a hedonist you know and they've signed up for that you know and it says God will give them a blessing.

[00:18:39] And he'll go over to a depraved nature because that's what they chose and he'll let them do that.

[00:18:45] And even Paul said if it's a believer that's going down that path to cast him out to the devil so that maybe his soul will be saved on judgment day, meaning send him out so that he can be tormented by his sin and by the devil and maybe he'll come back to God you know it's actually real it's really rough you know these things that we don't really get into in the church.

[00:19:09] But yeah very even he was saying you know it's just absolutely life and death eternally for you to placate something as serious as your soul and you sign it you know I guess committing adultery with your God you know that you this what God hates the most.

[00:19:31] I think is hypocrites people who say they know him but don't and that's why he says you know they will say to I will say to them I never knew you to many people and probably more people than not.

[00:19:46] And so that's the same chapter we're reading right now.

[00:19:51] I should tell me about it dude the Holy Spirit is amazing but like shows you.

[00:19:58] I don't know my brain just parted on that one but yeah.

[00:20:04] Yeah the other thing I was thinking with with you know Jesus saying keep asking keep knocking.

[00:20:12] I think of the people you know who are constantly searching for truth and I think there's this promise from God that if you keep searching for truth like Jesus shows up and I've seen it time and time again and I think of.

[00:20:29] I was just watching what's the guy from forgetting Sarah Marshall the actor.

[00:20:39] Russell brand have you have you seen yeah.

[00:20:42] Yeah that I mean he's just one of those guys that I was just like wow he's an example of I mean just for years for the past probably.

[00:20:51] I don't know however long six or seven years you know he I haven't really seen him in a movies and just seen him on podcasts you know talking with people he was a guy that was just constantly trying to figure out the truth and of life and I think he went through every religion probably and was trying to find something

[00:21:10] and everything and was and was just asking questions and you know going on people shows and you know just one of those guys that I really admired for how he was able to listen even though he's so he's a really smart guy and you know he didn't overpower anybody with his knowledge or anything very very humble.

[00:21:31] And so you know that just makes me think that's somebody who is a candidate to be a part of the kingdom of God and he and you know he got baptized and found.

[00:21:42] Found the truth with Christ and he's reading the Bible and it's just incredible.

[00:21:48] So yeah I think of that with with keep asking keep knocking it's like it's like man if you're struggling with what truth is I promise you Jesus shows up every time because he says he's the truth he's the way the truth in the life.

[00:22:03] Absolutely.

[00:22:07] So it touches me so much right now man it's like he said that he's the truth and yeah Russell Brandt I really got to see him in real time become sold out for God and he's unashamed of it he's very that's all he talks about now is and he's saying things that most newborn believers don't even know he's already got a download from

[00:22:32] the Holy Spirit just reading scriptures and everything he's just like you know he's telling it like it is he's like you have to die to yourself.

[00:22:41] You know I used to be addicted to heroin for this many years and he he's talking openly about you cannot come to God without dying to yourself you know.

[00:22:53] So that's amazing a real life example you know just somebody looks like somebody spamming our comments right there.

[00:23:06] Somebody somebody needs money.

[00:23:10] Sorry Michelle.

[00:23:11] Yeah.

[00:23:14] I think yeah happens.

[00:23:16] Thanks thanks for joining the podcast though.

[00:23:19] Yeah thank you.

[00:23:20] God bless you.

[00:23:23] I'll be like what we're talking about but there's something you know you're talking about submitting man and everybody talks about resist the devil and he will flee from you but they leave out that whole first part submit to God.

[00:23:37] And then you said just like you said verse six before that says something and then verse eight you know it's all one after the other just like boom boom boom.

[00:23:45] And this is how God wants to teach us is like this truth truth truth you know there's no lies in any of this you know I've got some definitions for this right here it says you know submit the guy resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[00:23:58] And I looked up the definition of submit and it's a verb.

[00:24:02] It says accept or yield to a superior force or to the authority or will have another person.

[00:24:08] So it is.

[00:24:11] Submitting to an authority you know it's just there is no other submit submission and then resist is a verb withstand the action or effective and then there's another they put it another way in another version it says surrender to God resist the devil and he will flee from you.

[00:24:28] And I looked up surrender and that's a verb and a noun you know verb you know cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority.

[00:24:40] Because that is our opponent not you know he was our opponent he was our enemy at one point before Jesus it says well why we were still sinners you know and so we get to surrender to this God that has mercy on us and you know of course it's that now and also like I didn't really realize this I was thinking about.

[00:24:58] I was thinking of surrendering as an action like a verb but you can say there was a surrender as a as a now you know like a thing and I was just thinking today the Holy Spirit was like is there a point in your life where you can say this day and this time in this place there was a surrender.

[00:25:16] There was a moment of surrender to God and if you can't say that I'm not talking about backsliding on talking about you know not feeling like you have the Holy Spirit or you were or you're saved.

[00:25:31] But is there any point in your life where you just decided I'm going to surrender to God and if you haven't done that or even taken a moment to do that then you have no excuse for anything that you know you want to complain about him.

[00:25:46] You have no excuse for anything in your life you have not even tried you have not even opened the door you have not even knocked on the door like we were saying you know so it won't be open to you if you don't ask you won't receive.

[00:25:57] And I think the world uses that as a huge excuse sometimes like well if God doesn't find me then he's not he's not he doesn't love me you know if he he should come down and find me you know it really takes action on our on our part.

[00:26:13] You know real quick I just I kind of pinned this down today man and then I'll stop talking.

[00:26:20] I feel like the Holy Spirit put this on my heart because this is just as a as a as a topic.

[00:26:26] Why should we want to have this relationship with this God and this creator like as a valid question for somebody who says why do I need this.

[00:26:35] I'm doing just fine on my own or you know somebody who thinks I don't want this and I just had a download from the Holy Spirit explained it all to me and I'm like wow now I know why I believe what I believe and why I do struggle and put this effort into submitting to God even if I fail.

[00:26:54] At a certain point in our lives just about everything we have or do not have is a direct result of our own actions or inactions and that's something we can't deny when we're young maybe less of that is our own fault because we don't have a choice of where we were born or what family we were in.

[00:27:12] But as we get older you know we have a choice to make on a daily basis on what how we conduct ourselves and this is just a universal fact it's never been anything else since the beginning of time that we are responsible for most of what we have in our lives and God allows us to make these decisions with free will so.

[00:27:33] You know but God promises you know that his grace will close all the gaps on our mistakes if we trust our lives to him and all our lives as believers are living testimony of this.

[00:27:47] His grace and mercy covers non believers to who don't even know him and it's clearly evidence is clearly evidence if this wasn't so we wouldn't even be breathing right now if God applied his justice directly to us.

[00:28:01] If he applied it directly to us his justice used Jesus as the sacrifice to apply his justice to his escape go so now you can begin to understand the links.

[00:28:13] He will go and the death of his desire to have a relationship with his creation and it's a close one that he desires as close as his relationship with his son who he sent to die for us and know him to this degree.

[00:28:27] And you know when I said he'll close all the gaps he's I mean all the gaps you know all of our feel all of our you know missing the mark.

[00:28:37] Not just some of them not just the bad ones you know he wants to wipe away all of our said he wants to take away all of our guilt.

[00:28:46] So I think that's a good argument to start off with with why do you why do you want to put any effort into this.

[00:28:54] You know most of our most of the pain and suffering we experience in life is a result of our bad choices.

[00:29:01] We are all imperfect but what if you could actually one day we all have an imagination right we all have a really nice imagination is sometimes it eats us up inside but let's use our imagination for once I've never even heard this proposed before.

[00:29:18] So maybe this will shock some people too because I was shocked when I thought of this you know we're all imperfect but what if you could actually one day.

[00:29:30] That don't what if you could actually say one day one day you can actually say that the only suffering you incurred upon yourself was that of the cross and knowing the one who died on it.

[00:29:43] Allowing the one who sent him to die to do it and carrying your own cross to die to yourself and know this God who died for you.

[00:29:52] Now that's a destiny to me.

[00:29:55] You can actually say all the pain and suffering I'm going through on this point forward is not my own doing I didn't cause this I didn't bring this upon myself.

[00:30:04] I'm actually suffering for the gospel and for the truth.

[00:30:08] You know what if you can say that one day you know we won't ever be able to see that perfectly but you know being born again means not having to suffer from our own hands within anymore if we suffer let it be joyful suffering and communion with our heavenly Father.

[00:30:25] That's good man.

[00:30:26] I was just talking to somebody I think a couple weeks ago and you know he was saying you know he's not a believer but he was talking about how everything good he has is because of his hard work and everything that he has is because of everything is him and then and then proceeded to complain about his life in the state of the world and politics and stuff like that and how bad everything is.

[00:30:54] And you know it's just that seems to be a reoccurring position I see with a lot of people is everything good that they have is because of them and their own.

[00:31:07] Their own their own hard work but everything bad is because there's this God out there that's just allowing bad stuff and how could he do that so that's one of those frustrating things that annoys me.

[00:31:21] Yeah you know when things are good when things are good we get we give ourselves the glory we give each other the praise not to God not to God who deserves it all the praise and then when things are bad he gets the blame.

[00:31:39] You know yeah imagine how heaven upon that they just don't they just don't get it.

[00:31:45] Yeah yeah you know God says God says he sends rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous.

[00:31:53] I like you know I like you know for the whole world he died.

[00:32:01] Yeah I mean everybody's gonna I mean life is suffering but Jesus promised us that he's overcome the world so I think I want to be on I think I want to be on that side.

[00:32:13] I think I want to go where he went where he's going because he's already overcome the world so let's follow him.

[00:32:21] It's totally just like that just like that saying that you know God God's already on the other side of you know everything that has you worked up God is already on the other side of it and has it all worked out.

[00:32:35] Yeah what am I thinking yeah I just again I think it kind of boils down to you know as we see that in order to draw near to God we see two verses before.

[00:32:47] God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble and man if we really want to draw near to God and walk in fellowship with him it takes humility it takes.

[00:32:58] Submission it takes knowing his word Jesus said if we love him we will keep his commandments.

[00:33:07] And yeah and our way of loving God is by having a desire to be obedient to what he wants in our lives not what not what our what ourselves want and fulfilling the desires of our flesh like getting money prosperity and wealth and things like that.

[00:33:34] So yeah I think that's this is a good topic to talk about it's like how do we draw near to how do we draw close to God it's like yeah as a little kid I heard that all the time and it's like well how do you do that you know it says he's always with us but you know how do we how do we draw.

[00:33:51] Like our purpose in this world is to fellowship with the with our creator is to get to know our creator like that's why we're here that's why he gave this you know this.

[00:34:02] This the Bible is for us to have access to who he is now you know how grateful am I to have the word of God I get access to know who our creator is and how he works and how he thinks and what's on his heart and the things that he's he's done and the things that he's going to do.

[00:34:22] Yeah, I love that.

[00:34:24] Not just to know him or know who he is or any of that which is our main goal but to serve him also that is actually the whole purpose of our existence and a lot of people are really just writing that off completely like there is no service.

[00:34:44] There is no serving God there is no serving fellow man.

[00:34:49] It's all self service it's all very selfish desires and what's going to make you feel better or feel good we put so much on us on feeling good that everything else is definitely not even a flip on the radar.

[00:35:05] We're not going to consider you know helping this person or you know are serving God if he asked us to go do something that must be the wind talking it's not actually it's definitely not your flesh.

[00:35:18] You know it's definitely not your your your your will is telling you to do something holy.

[00:35:25] You know like like volunteer here or give this person a ride and stuff like just be there for somebody.

[00:35:31] You know of course the best thing you can do for somebody sometimes is just listen you know not not always talk so much and always have to have the answers especially as a believer you know if somebody's going through something just being a good listener is probably more valuable

[00:35:52] and having a thousand answers for them because they just want to tell you what they're going through you know and the reason they're telling you that is because they value your opinion.

[00:36:02] They value your what you are going to say about it they they know you have some answers they know you have the answers and they're coming to you for help you know they're not complaining to you.

[00:36:14] You know those type of things worse like I can't keep I can't have negative people around me oh they're draining me so much and stuff and it's like oh man imagine if Jesus said that with all the complaining disciples that were around them they were ungrateful.

[00:36:29] And he knows he's going to die for these people who just don't even you know they're complaining about the most mundane things you know.

[00:36:39] Like and then even saying who's going to be greatest in the kingdom they were arguing over that like who do you love more Jesus and stuff and it's like he had to just look at him and be like you know you'll find out you'll find out just do just do the will of my father and all these things will be added to you.

[00:37:01] But I think it takes an attitude it takes a actual heart posture that we only get from submitting to God and asking the Holy Spirit to lead us.

[00:37:12] I just tell God honestly when I'm not desiring to serve him you know when I'm not desiring to obey him and he already knows this in my heart but he wants to know that I know what I'm thinking and saying and he wants me to know.

[00:37:28] He wants me to know that I know that I know and stuff you know that he knows that I know that he knows that I know.

[00:37:35] I think that's a very integral part to the relationship that you have when you pray and when you wait for prayers to be answered or you listen you know and I guess that's what I'm saying too is like you know we can talk to God so much and not spend a lot of time listening with our heart posture to listen and receive.

[00:37:55] They were not going to receive because we're always talking or always you happen and just yeah you know we can't stop throwing things at him and we're already moving on to the next problem before he even solved our previous problem.

[00:38:11] You know and he's just like well what's the point.

[00:38:13] You know you don't have enough patience to wait for the answer you don't have enough willpower to actually listen and take a step back you know nothing is a crisis especially when he's in charge and just to have that attitude about life in general I think even if the most horrendous things happen to you in life you know that you can still praise God.

[00:38:38] In those times and like you were saying it's like you're not who you are when things are going great you're who you are when things are terrible and you still choose to get up and you still choose to praise God.

[00:38:49] That's your true nature when when things are tough we find out what men are made of.

[00:38:56] That's a faith that endures.

[00:38:58] It's a faith from from from God.

[00:39:02] It's a gift from God.

[00:39:03] I was thinking when you were talking one of the things that really helped me in my prayer life was understanding the Lord's prayer.

[00:39:15] I think it was Pastor John Bavir who was talking about how his prayer life this helped his prayer life and you know how God Jesus teaches us to pray our father who art in heaven like the first thing who is in heaven.

[00:39:32] Hallowed be thy name.

[00:39:34] You know Jesus teaches us to give reverence to God first to you know it's essentially humility in our prayers is saying God you are hallowed.

[00:39:48] Your name is above all and so that's something that that changed my prayer life was I was I was I was kind of praying to God to help me with all my problems and all my issues.

[00:40:02] And you know scripture talks about you know petitioning to God.

[00:40:09] But first if we in our prayer life if we honor God and revere him and give him you know acknowledge him as Lord give him glory in our prayers and you know it takes two seconds that's really what I feel like if I if I start in that posture.

[00:40:32] That heart posture in my prayer life it seems to be all of a sudden I feel the spirit with me and I can feel him closer and I can feel him there.

[00:40:42] Because I just I you know I feel like God God doesn't come to a place if he's not given respect and you know if our prayer life is constantly just like God I need this God I need this God I need this God how is this happening and it just kind of it just feels like we're not really revering him giving him.

[00:41:02] The respect so yeah that's something I just encourage to anybody who you know wants to draw closer to God is you know in your prayer life.

[00:41:12] You know start by telling God how grateful you are and you know give him glory and remember the good things that he's done for you and and how great he is and just grow this image of.

[00:41:28] The Lord and how big he is and how wonderful and merciful and just beautiful he is I think if we start in our posture and that in our prayer life it becomes a little easier.

[00:41:42] To feel his presence and to and to petition to him for things that we want it's a little easier to do that so yeah just when you were saying that I just wanted to encourage people in your prayer life to do that.

[00:41:58] Now man is perfect you know just like it says in Proverbs you know the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

[00:42:09] If you don't come with that with that attitude then you might as well just be talking to yourself I think you know how when Jesus was being baptized by John the Baptist and first of all you know some people might think he John the Baptist is a member of the Baptist.

[00:42:28] You know I don't know there's some people out there that actually thought that but no he was a he was a Baptist because he baptized people and then the religion was created after that word.

[00:42:40] So the people who think this is actually true I'm just like okay you don't even know the timeline here but John the Baptist got baptized and it says heaven opened up and the spirit of God descended like a dove onto Yeshua.

[00:42:58] And so they're like you know they're likening the Holy Spirit to a dove as a is it like an animal like an image of a dove and if you know anything about doves.

[00:43:09] They're very sensitive creatures in the physical that we know here if there's any doubt and that this is where around you and you start to yell or even raise your voice a little bit or argue.

[00:43:25] They can't take that like that energy you know they will leave the whole they will leave the vicinity.

[00:43:34] And I think the Holy Spirit is sensitive to that also you know if you're holding on to something resentment will eat you alive.

[00:43:45] And if you're with regret all these things can be washed away in a moment if you just ask God to take it away from you and just heal you from all that pain emotionally physically and just show you his glory is asking for that.

[00:44:03] And the Holy Spirit is just going to bless you you know mentally and so many different ways.

[00:44:12] And then of course in the physical you'll start seeing things in three dimensions things that you didn't even know was God working you just start to see in hindsight kind of it's always in hindsight most of the time where you're like I didn't know he was doing that for me.

[00:44:28] But that's just how we operate on this plane of time that we operate on you know God is outside of time but we're very much so going forward and we can't go backwards so we can't really live the past.

[00:44:40] We are almost always looking backwards to find things that we missed you know it's never and I think that's one of my goals is to like actually experience those things in the present tense.

[00:44:54] Not so much as look at back to you know that's nice to be able to figure out where to go and experience the power in the moment and know that I'm adherencing it too.

[00:45:12] That's my goal not to let it and be that's the ultimate goal I think is you know should be for anybody or have an active you know there's some people you know that I've met they claim to have conversations with God it's a two way conversation.

[00:45:32] They never ends they just they're just constantly talking and they constantly feel like God's telling them back exactly what they when they need to hear and it just it just never stops you know and I'm like wow I wish you know I could get to that level of

[00:45:48] you know relationship and it but it just it just takes so much so much effort on our part and God wouldn't have it any other way.

[00:45:56] It's like he's a gentleman he's not going to force his way into anyone in anyone's life or when mean anything.

[00:46:08] Yeah.

[00:46:09] Yeah that's the other thought that keeps coming to my head is you know people saying you know why should I submit to God like yeah you know our culture and

[00:46:19] Our world makes the word submission and authority you know these are all negative trigger words for our world for selfish prideful people that want to do their own thing.

[00:46:34] You know so these are all bad these are all technically bad words.

[00:46:40] And so yeah I think you kind of you kind of nailed it on the head like we as followers of Christ we find it we find this sense of joy and peace in laying down our life and it's not easy.

[00:46:55] It's not easy to deny ourselves that we live in this fallen world our flesh is you know our flesh wants to control us so yeah it's not easy.

[00:47:07] You know following God and and and you know being a Christian is hard.

[00:47:16] Yeah Jesus is is amazing and I just yeah I don't really know where I was going with that but I just kind of just I'm just thinking of the people who are you know why should I why should I draw near to God why

[00:47:42] How bad they're how many issues they have in their life.

[00:47:47] It's almost like you're lying to yourself a little bit.

[00:47:51] Absolutely you're deceiving yourself and you don't even you know I realize it.

[00:47:58] Yeah yeah but you know only the Holy Spirit is going to be able to reach those people you know somebody quoting scripture to them somebody telling them this is what happened in my life.

[00:48:08] It could hear a hundred different testimonies of someone who used to be so broken and their life was changed by coming to know God and trusting Jesus as their savior.

[00:48:18] It's not going to happen for him until they actually take the steps to reach out to God and say I'm sorry.

[00:48:26] Yeah you know it's just like the story that Jesus told very purposefully to the people about the rich man and Lazarus and then he was begging at his gate for you know years and he just walked by and didn't pay him any mind.

[00:48:43] He never helped them at all and then it says Lazarus passed away and then a short time later the rich man passed away also but the rich man found himself in a terrible place.

[00:48:59] I think hell is what he's talking about where it was hot and burning and the flames were not quenched and he had no thirsty he could he had thirsty he couldn't quench and he's issues you know it's he says that Lazarus

[00:49:13] he saw Lazarus in the distance with Father Abraham because he recognized the patriarch and they were in a different realm and he said can you tell Lazarus to dip his finger in some water and to cool my tongue.

[00:49:24] So even in afterlife he's treating Lazarus like he's a servant like he's lower than him but Abraham is just like this there's nothing what you're asking can't be done there's a chasm between us and there's nothing we know it's not possible.

[00:49:39] And then so the rich man actually accepts that and says okay well you know please go up here to my family my brothers and sisters and my father and tell them and warn them about this place so that they don't end up here too just warn them and tell them not to come here.

[00:49:58] Abraham said they have the prophets you know they have the prophets and the word of God.

[00:50:05] And he said no no they you know but they know the prophets and stuff like that but if somebody actually went to them from beyond the grave then of course they would listen.

[00:50:16] And he said no if they didn't listen to the prophets then neither will they listen to someone who appears beyond the ground just speaking to our stubbornness of we know what the truth is there is no afterlife when you die there's nothing.

[00:50:34] But what Abraham said was absolutely true that you know Jesus performed miracles in front of people and they all despised him wanted to kill him wanted to kick him out of the town for raising people from the dead.

[00:50:51] From exercising demons out of people and this is just our this is just humanity as a whole they saw the power of God in front of them and they didn't many people did believe but most people were you know they had the spirit of the devil and then it was like get away from me I don't you know I don't want anything to do with this God and this in this stuff you know I'm living my life right now.

[00:51:20] And I think you know when Jesus says blessed or you know you you believe because you have seen he was talking to somebody and he said bless her those who have who believe and yet have not seen you know talking about us and they did not witness his miracles you know but we take these.

[00:51:38] I witness a house of these disciples and actual I witness accounts that unless they had a death wish every single one of them.

[00:51:48] You know went to their death proclaiming this truth and that this stuff actually happened you know where they all crazy you know did they all have a death wish was it that big of a cult we've never seen anything like it in the history of this planet or Christianity took off like that you know.

[00:52:07] And it had so much effected power on the Earth's population.

[00:52:13] Yeah with the power of the Holy Spirit through that so I just think that there's so much so much evidence that people don't want to don't want to even raise the surface of it because you know like it says you know since the beginning of time.

[00:52:29] I think it was Paul that says this he says you know the creation of God.

[00:52:35] There's a witness to his existence the splendor of his glory and his existence and it has since the beginning of creation so that nobody has an excuse to not believe in him or to not follow him.

[00:52:50] And it's just telling us plain as day that we can see all the miracles and signs that we can still and says even in you know in Revelation it says even when Jesus comes back and makes war with.

[00:53:05] In his armies there's an earth that curse God and actually join the fight against God that there is man fighting alongside the forces of evil to defeat God to try to defeat God's plans.

[00:53:20] And that just boggles my mind but it's you know everything else has happened in King drew so why wouldn't this you know we see how the world is now.

[00:53:30] I'm a betting man I think that's probably the way it's going to go down you know the words going to be split into there's going to be a final great battle and just like the devil things he's got a chance there's people on this planet that think they might have a chance to if they side with.

[00:53:48] You know this this you know this being who says I will give you all the all the you know riches in the earth and you'll be the ruler of so much you know in this kingdom that I'm going to set up and he just outright is lying to him you know just like he lies to us every single day about our own likes so.

[00:54:07] I think it's pretty extravagant stuff.

[00:54:11] Yeah that's one thing that I think of when so we see like you see people are Christian or Christian conservative on like Fox News and things like that.

[00:54:21] And I'm always just kind of baffled when a Christian is so appalled by the state of our world, or when they see something.

[00:54:33] I don't know I just like yeah I feel like the more I follow Christ the more I read the word of God the more I read the Bible the more I get to know him.

[00:54:44] The more I'm kind of just not surprised by things that are like on on the news on Fox News and you know they're like look at what they're doing in public schools and look at what they're doing here and look at what they're look at what the LGBT community is doing look at what the music industry is doing look at.

[00:54:59] The movie industry is doing I'm I'm kind of just like the more I follow Christ the more I'm like yeah you know this is the world like this is what Jesus talks about.

[00:55:11] This is the things that the the prophets talked about these are the you know these are the things that apostle Paul shared on.

[00:55:21] So yeah, I just thought of that when you were saying some of those things is you know I think the more we read the word of God the more I think we should feel not surprised by the fallenness of this world and and when I see a lot of Christian intellectuals online talking being so appalled by.

[00:55:44] The things that our human race chooses to do it makes me think that you're not reading your Bible and you're not actually fellow shipping with with with God.

[00:55:56] This is my opinion.

[00:55:58] So,

[00:56:00] Oh yeah.

[00:56:03] Good stuff man.

[00:56:06] We're getting close on time.

[00:56:10] I yeah to kind of summarize

[00:56:14] to draw near close to God it takes you know it takes humility.

[00:56:19] It takes

[00:56:21] takes submitting to God it takes keeping his commandments reading his word

[00:56:28] getting to know him in prayer.

[00:56:31] But also I really feel like there's going to be this question of

[00:56:39] you know us making it sound like following

[00:56:43] you know submitting to God is like this terrible hard task.

[00:56:48] And I think I think me and Luke have you know a peace with being obedient to the Lord and I really think God is

[00:56:55] I really think we overlook some of the simplicity of

[00:56:59] what God is telling us to do and in his word.

[00:57:02] I think he's I think a lot of times he's actually very simple with some of the things that he's calling us to do like you know Jesus saying

[00:57:11] that his is yoke is easy and his burden is light.

[00:57:15] And so we got to remember I don't know just for me personally a lot of the things that I feel like God wants me to be obedient in

[00:57:23] they're very easy like it's not difficult for me to be obedient to God right now I think a lot of the things that he's given me.

[00:57:31] I can I can easily do it's just

[00:57:35] maybe my flesh is contesting with me maybe my you know the enemies working at me to try and pull me away from those things to draw closer to God.

[00:57:45] And so yeah I just want to encourage anybody listening that I think God is not asking more of you than he thinks you can do.

[00:57:59] And I think yeah I think I think God is very gentle with us and it's it's it's amazing so yeah.

[00:58:14] You're right this I mean the actions are very simple and easy but the taking of those actions is what's the problem you know if we take that

[00:58:24] you know that's the hard part is our will that needs to die you know be crucified.

[00:58:34] Amen. Amen dude good stuff.

[00:58:38] So this is episode number 53.

[00:58:42] Thank you guys for tuning in we got spammed a little bit halfway through there look like that's okay.

[00:58:52] Looks like it looks like our podcast is reaching reaching everybody now.

[00:58:56] I know who are asking for money so that's cool.

[00:59:00] Interesting. Good stuff.

[00:59:03] Yeah so to summarize we talked on James for eight.

[00:59:08] We talked on Matthew seven good episode man.

[00:59:13] It was good yeah I love you.

[00:59:16] Yeah thank you guys for listening I think it's my turn to end us with a prayer.

[00:59:24] But yeah thank you guys for listening well and we end every episode in a prayer if you have a prayer request.

[00:59:31] Please put it in the chat.

[00:59:34] Let us know we'd love to pray for you.

[00:59:37] Yeah we'll post this episode on Wednesday on Spotify Apple and YouTube.

[00:59:42] So yeah go follow us where all our tags are at finding Neverland band.

[00:59:47] You should be able to find us with that so thanks for listening.

[00:59:52] Let's say a prayer and hope you guys have a good weekend.

[00:59:55] Father thank you for this evening.

[00:59:57] Thank you for your goodness.

[00:59:58] Thank you for your amazing grace that you give to us.

[01:00:03] Thank you for your word.

[01:00:06] Thank you that if we desire to draw near you you're always there.

[01:00:13] You're ready to be there with us for your children who you love so much.

[01:00:22] I'm just amazed by your character and the way that you treat you treat us and.

[01:00:29] The grace that you continue to give us and the mercy and just the access that we get to have to you.

[01:00:41] We're thankful for it.

[01:00:43] God I just pray for anybody listening that they could be encouraged that you'll that you that you are there that you are listening to them you are hearing your children's prayers you're hearing their desires you're hearing their.

[01:01:00] They're.

[01:01:02] The issues that are in their lives God I just pray that.

[01:01:07] This show or you know in our lives that will just that your light will continue to shine through whatever you want us to do in this band and this podcast and just as people.

[01:01:18] God I pray that people get to know your character more that they'll get they'll get to know your heart and your desires.

[01:01:27] God because ultimately that's what matters.

[01:01:31] Father I pray that you're going to you're going to move closer to.

[01:01:37] This generation in America that this upcoming election.

[01:01:44] I pray that you're going to you're going to keep moving and keep changing lives God we love you were so thankful for what you're doing we're so thankful for your word.

[01:01:57] And God thank you just keep I pray for healing for anybody listening in this this episode I pray for continued guidance God I know your word doesn't go void so whoever's listening to this episode.

[01:02:17] It just it's just I hope it reaches I pray that it reaches who you are desiring to reach God we just we just want to be obedient to you we want to share your word we know how good you are we know how loving you are not graceful and merciful you are.

[01:02:33] We're thankful for just this opportunity to be able to share your word and God we want to we want to draw me and Luke we both want to draw closer to you we want to know you better.

[01:02:46] Each and every day so I pray for Luke that that revelation will come and I pray that.

[01:02:53] This band will just continue to grow as as much as you want us to so father we love you we bless you we thank you we praise you.

[01:03:08] And I pray all these things in that name that's above all names Jesus amen.

[01:03:16] Thanks brother.

[01:03:17] Thanks for listening y'all we love you.

[01:03:22] Again this is episode 53 pretty crazy getting up there.

[01:03:27] I just met with my master this morning and he was like dang you guys already at 53 like you guys got a bunch of episodes now it's amazing.

[01:03:38] Just keep doing it.

[01:03:39] Yeah we're just going to keep doing this until God tells us not to so.

[01:03:46] Or yeah it tells us to do something else.

[01:03:48] So thank you thank you for listening.

[01:03:51] Thank you for supporting us.

[01:03:56] Yeah we love you will be praying for for you guys.

[01:03:59] Let us know if there's anything that we can help help you with go check out our music.

[01:04:07] Yeah till next week.

[01:04:09] We'll see you guys.

[01:04:12] Sounds good.

[01:04:14] Awesome.

[01:04:15] We'll see you next week.

[01:04:18] Alright love you too.

[01:04:20] See you guys.

[01:04:55] you