08 Apr If You’re More Than Conquerers, Stop SINNING as Christians

Men’s Forum: Jesse talked on his radio show Friday morning about our monthly Men’s Forum the prior evening. Men from around Southern California meet the first Thursday of the month, 7pm at BOND in Los Angeles.

We talk about things going on in our lives, how we see the world and ourselves — young men and old, many Christians, some not. Because the men trust and respect one another, they never repeat anything personal or private shared in meetings. The guys can open up more freely in the intimate atmosphere than in our bigger Church services (video streamed live online) with women and children present.

In the video above, Jesse talks about his biblical question of the week from Romans 8:37, which says that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Are you more than a conquerer? Unfortunately, many Christians accept the widespread assumption that they can be angry and sin as children of God. Most intellectual Christians and pastors actually spread this false teaching. This deception shuts Christians out of the life God wants for us.

Other things we talked about:

Marriage: At Thursday’s meeting, we discussed marriage and divorce, and the right and wrong ways men treat their wives. Oftentimes, men marry women for shallow reasons. When the relationship sours, they give up on the marriage, and do not deal rightly with the conflict within themselves. Husband and wife develop separate, selfish lives, even if they remain in the same home. Children also suffer in these confusing situations.

America: We also talked about America. We often hear people say that America was built on theft, wrongdoing, and the love of money. Such people develop a ham-fisted judgment against their country, due to seeing and resenting wrongs in their lives. Their resentment skews their perception of the world. What they don’t realize: Everything in life is spiritual. There have always been good and evil people in the country, doing good and evil things. Satan feeds resentful people judgments and lies against the country which prevents them from examining themselves or their world anew in present reality.

Car dealerships: Similarly, some look at all car dealerships as being “out to make a buck” and lie to “suckers.” As a result, some men will not even enter a decent establishment when looking for a car. Being closed off in their minds, they cut off opportunities to find a great deal, or face a challenge in life. Perhaps a good man could show a dishonest dealer how he should treat customers — an act of love. Rather than being “in the world but not of it,” many men disengage from the world and refuse to develop spiritual strength.

Who are you?

Jesse asked each of the guys, “Who are you?” Some said they did not know — one said that because of the way he’s complicated his life, he cannot see himself clearly. Another said he’s a male human being seeking “meaning” to his life, because he believes that’s what God wants for him. Some called themselves children of God. Jesse asked them how they knew that they were children of God. They said they knew because of things they’d done and learned from scripture and from others.

Most Christian men and women learn a false Christianity as children, taught by their intellectual mothers who mean well, but do not know, or live out, what they think they know. Because such well-meaning mothers are of their father the devil, they make the children like them, unknowingly teaching them the things of the devil, falsely imitating the things of God. But we must live by the spirit and not by the intellect.

Jesse urged the men not to engage with any thought that enters their mind about anything, because Satan constantly works to deceive us through ideas, imagination, and judgment about ourselves and others, about God, and even about Biblical things. We often make messes of situations by our error, thinking we know something, believing we are doing the right thing. When you do this you are listening to the lies of your father the devil. But by doubting the darkness of the intellect, we can see by the light of God, and life becomes clear. Then we can know who we are, return to the father, and become children of God.

Learn more

If you want to understand what went wrong in your own life, Jesse sheds light on what went wrong in the lives of many public figures you may be familiar with — from Barack Obama to Richard Pryor — and how to overcome root problems in your life. Read The Antidote: Healing America from the Poison of Hate, Blame and Victimhood.

Jesse also urges that you pray. You can find his instructions to a simple, silent prayer on our Church page.

We offer private counseling for individuals, couples and families.

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