Freedom From the World’s System

16 Comments

1. I’m in the middle of listening, but had these quick thoughts come to mind re the fact that no bankers have been held accountable for their actions in the US:

   1) Iceland has jailed some of their bankers — something that has not happened in the US. What is interesting to me about that is that Iceland is a very small community. The whole country has a population a lot less than many US cities What it makes me ponder is whether this small size leads to a greater sense of community and therefore a stronger desire to protect that community through jailing these people. Takeaway: Smaller leads to stronger community.

   2) Where there have been penalties in the US, they have been aimed at the corporations, not individuals. This makes me think that perhaps in the US culture there is a much stronger sense of the corporate over the individual than you might see in other countries. Takeaway: For those of us in the US, we need to remember that we are much more prone to see abstract constructions like corporations (or “churches” or denominations) as having precedence over individual people.

   I’ll keep on listening now …

2. Hi Wayne,
   Any chance you remember which one of the recorded podcasts or interviews you grabbed from Kevin Dutton’s website? I’d love to download that segment you used as a future resource, but was hoping to avoid sorting through all of the listed material.
   Thanks!
   Jeff

3. Sorry, Jeff. I did not get that clip from one of his audios. I’ve never head them. I took it off a podcast where he was the interviewee. Some news guys from the Bay area…

4. Wayne, thanks for this podcast!

   I really liked this ‘updated’ (or ‘reworded’?) definition of sin.

   Everytime I argue with someone about nothing and then catch myself with a question ‘Hey, why am I doing this?’ 🙂 It’s exactly about short term satisfaction without thinking of longer term goals (like relationships in this particular case).

   So I believe Lord guides me using these words of yours. Cool!

   thanks again!

5. From reading the first sentence of the topic posting and then listening to the podcast, I was reminded of this quote: ‘If in order to fight the beast, you become the beast, then bestiality wins.’ Countless times there are examples of people/organizations that see the evil, then try to fight the evil, and then become evil in the process themselves. Recently there was a Baptist church that was planning to attend the late movie star Paul Walker’s funeral in protest, saying that a ‘fast and furious’ lifestyle will lead you to Hell. The response was, predictedly, overwhemlingly negative, even leading some to say Walker was a Christian because of his charitable work.

   Often I am reminded of a classic “God Journey” podcast, one of the funniest ones I’ve ever heard, but in which the point was made, the culture is sick, you can’t change it. Yes, Jesus is the Great Physician, but one must first want to be well, in order to be healed.

   By the way, Wayne, I scored 12 on the psychopath test. I was a bit concerned when I agreed with the first question (I do often do things on the spur of the moment), but it was mostly disagree from there.

6. Hi Wayne…I’m “Sue who is sad” (smile). Thanks for your encouragement at the beginning of the podcast. I’m being asked to live in a different space than where you are and also Jesus is showing me to keep my eyes on Him. This means that although there’s currently deep pressure in my life, He does give moments of joy in Him (this has actually been a delightful surprise to me)! Moments of unexpected joy and my response “Wow…I’m reacting differently here even when outwardly things are hard”. Thanks for pointing to hope…yes to remember that there’s so much better that He has and to live there. The other thing is that the maturity process is so different for each person. When I think it’s taking so long to mature and grow in this life…I remember that it’s His love that is patient with me and allows the time to be what it needs to be for my good. I have a hunch that I’m not alone in this and hopefully this will encourage others as well. Blessings

7. As I listen to this pod cast I was prompted to share what had been happening in my life.
   I own a small business and last February I need to hire another person. Two people that applied for the job came to the top of the pile one was a very qualified lady and the other was a young girl ( her name is Kaitlynn)with no experience. I felt prompted to hire Kaitlynn. After about 4 months Kaitlynn was doing a very good job and I was pleased with her work. I had just recently came out of a bad deal at church and my wife was very distant. So I had no close friends and was feel very cut off from the world. One day as I was praying I ask Jesus why he saved me. I got the thought that it was maybe just to minister to Kaitlynn. I ask what does that mean and I got no answer. I did say Lord if you want me to minister to a young good looking girl you must take away any sexual attraction and he did. So I started to minister to her by just loving her like a Dad. She is very worldly and has been on her own since she was 13. Since she started to work for me she has got pregnant and had a miscarriage, her grandfather who was the most important person in her life past away, and her boy friend of two years kicked her out. About three months ago Kaitlynn started being very sick like she had the flu. After about 3 weeks of this, one morning she came to me and told me she was hooked on heroin and need help. Since then I have walked with her through detox, finding a new place to live , get away from old friends, her being so sick from secondary detox . Through all of this trying to show her how much God loves her. It has been costly in terms of time and money and this is all happening at the busiest time of the year for my business. But I can see God at work in all that has happened and I am thankful for being able to be a part of what He is doing. To date Kaitlynn is about 6 weeks clean but is still sick from what the heroin has done to her body. She is open to what I have to say about Christ but she has not chosen Him yet. But I will continue to do what Jesus ask me to do and that is to love her like a Dad.

8. Ronald, thanks for sharing your personal story of following Jesus in a very pressured situation. I’m so thankful that when we share our “journeys” it provides encouragement and a note of what it means to follow Him and then watch His leadership unfold. For me, it certainly begins to build confidence in hearing and listening to Him and then trusting Him to be very practical in how He provides the outcome of that obedience and trust. Thanks!

9. I’ve come to talk & think about being on a journey a lot after our departure from organized church. My wife & I have taken many divergent paths over the years looking for life. We had meetings in our home for 10 years after meeting in church buildings & conference settings for 40 years.We hosted Bible studies &, lead prayer meetings , & had Saturday night suppers as we ventured along outside church walls.
   In our child rearing years my wife & I had generally, taken our family to services 3 days a week, & attended conferences, locally & out of state. We were busy. We changed church affilations three times & were asked to find another church once, in our search for what? I think we were trying to find a place we could grow-up in. We did grow up, I think. We certainly grew older. My wife & I became ordained elders; licensed within the network of churches we spent the last 10 years of our organized church days. Our children grew up some what literally” in church”. They are not likely to follow in our footsteps that closely. We no longer lead or attend services regularly, while they take their young children to services on Sunday morn. We have been on a journey I suppose for our whole lives, yet lately as I’ve wondered about the definition of ” journey”, Abraham’s story has shed some light. He left Ur, his home town, only to become a “sojourner” temporary resident/ renter in a land he was destined to possess. To possess it, his family needed to grow. Through the next two generations, Isaac-Jacob- Joseph: Abrahams family were only 70 in number. Then, it seems that circumstances, famine in particular, sent Joseph & the rest of the family to Egypt so they could mature into a large enough bunch to possess a large piece of land. When growth there threatened the hierarchy sufficiently that slavery became necessary, Moses was raised up to get them out. Moses led them out, but by that time most weren’t convinced that staying in Egypt would be better. To change Abraham’s family from being a renter to being a land owner they had to grow up and so did we. Even after they possessed land they were easily induced into enslavement to their neighbors ways, had need of deliverers, till finally they became carried away captive and returned as refugee/rebuilders to rebuild what would never sustain life. Jesus came to change “promised land” from being a “place to live in” to being a living relationship to live in. Unfortunately it didn’t take long before Abraham’s family returned to systems that aren’t working. Within 1-2 generations after Jesus ascended, Abraham’s family moved back real close to where they lived in Old Testament ways and so we of the New Testament era journey to find a way to live in what He really came to bring us into.
   I think one thing I’m getting is that we take up residence in our promised land when learn to come & go with the pillar of fire by night & the cloud by day. When We learn to walk with, come & go with Jesus. Our journey is about being prodded to leave comfort zones or only stay as long as He does.

10. Good comments as usual.

    Stephen you may wish to take a look at Americanbanker.com for further info on actions taken against bankers. You’ll find over 800 individuals are in trouble with multiple convictions and judgements. D & O’s (directors and officers) are being prosecuted. I would also note that not one American lost a dollar in a bank. Plus the American stock market has had the greatest rally in it’s history. Unfortunately many Icelandic families cannot say the same thing. The wheels of justice in this country may grind slow but they do grind. As it is written you will reap what you sow.

    I’m not so down on our country. We have many wonderful opportunities.

11. Just began a new group with a bunch of business guys from Newberg, Oregon. Turns out they haven’t heard anyone like me. Or so it appears. My wife explained very carefully how I need to take things slow. It has taken me a very long time to get where I am at. Others will move at their own pace. She also said I need to guard against arrogance.

    And here I thought I was the most humble guy I know….. In fact, I am quite proud of my humility…… Or at least I used to be….

    I married well!!!!!

    Blessings!

    Mark

12. Love your wry wit as usual Mark (smile). Seems you did “marry well”. Learning patience and becoming more like Jesus takes time. Thanks for your input!

13. Mark I can understand your wit….. 🙂
    I share your sentiments because my husband has to “put me to size” with my own “humility”.

14. I have been very quiet because on 17 Dec I broke my good arm at the shoulder. They can’t put it in plaster, just a sling so I have been left with no arms to use. Inconvenient to say the least. I am starting to use it a little.

15. Hi there Eve-Lorraine! Happy New Year (and a belated Merry Christmas). Sorry to hear about your arm…wow when the conversation is happening online, not being able to post is like having your voice taken away! (laugh) It’s been a quiet forum…guess Christmas and New Years is a busy time for everyone. I remember when I was caring for a special needs girl and she broke her arm…the “newest thing” is rather than plaster casts they placed her arm in a sling also. I remember being surprised and then having to encourage her to leave that sling on! (smile) Blessings to you as we move into 2014.

16. A Happy New Year to you Wayne and all your family!

    thank you for this wonderfully insightful podcast.

    I love your heart and I love your mind, both full of grace and wisdom but without condemnation or being judgemental, one of the hardest things to achieve as a Christian.

    Mercedes (the one that never managed to come and see you in Esher, UK and will no doubt live to regret it!)

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