At Church, we talk about Jordan Peterson entering rehab to quit anxiety drugs. Is it normal for human beings to take antidepressant medication? Is it mental illness or spiritual? 

Church on Sunday, September 22, 2019, streamed live video 11 AM PT on YouTube, Facebook, Periscope, DLive, Twitch, and Mixer! NOTE: The latter three platforms (DLive, Twitch, and Mixer) do not preserve past videos long, but are great platforms for watching live. 

Look for Church audio recordings of the service afterward on Apple, TuneIn, Spreaker, Stitcher, and SoundCloud, also findable via rebuildingtheman.com/church 

Why Won’t You Forgive Your Father?

Jesse talked with a young woman who says she forgave her mother, but not her father. She realized her mother could not help herself but tried her best, but she felt that her father did not do his best. She knows it’s wrong to be angry at him but says she cannot make herself forgive him. 

In response, Jesse’s producer James points out that many people repeat this line that they’ve learned, saying that they cannot make themselves forgive. But they use this learning as an excuse not to forgive. Jesse agrees, saying that you definitely can forgive once you realize you’re wrong for hating. 

Jordan Peterson in Rehab for Antidepressant Addiction

Watch 21-minute Short Cut: Jordan Peterson in Rehab: He Listened to the Voice of Satan

Jesse then began on his topic for Church today by asking how many people are on antidepressant medication. One lady said that she was diagnosed with manic-depressive disorder and has been taking pills for them for 25 years. She is not inclined to try to quit, and feels it would throw her off balance to do so. 

(Later she does agree that such drugs are abused, but she still would not quit. She compares her habit to taking vitamin pills each day. But she does agree about the spiritual side and that’s why she attends Church with Jesse Lee.) 

News came out recently that a man Jesse respects went into rehab to come off of medication: Dr. Jordan Peterson, whom Jesse’s interviewed. He’s a psychologist and Canadian professor who’s stood up for free speech and for what’s right on certain things. 

Several people in church are familiar with him, and some including Jesse were shocked to learn this. His wife had cancer recently, and other major health issues. During that time, Jordan got on anxiety medication to deal with the stress, but afterward when he tried to quit, he suffered bad withdrawals. 

His wife has traveled with him on speaking tours, and given him feedback on the clarity of what he says. 

Jordan’s daughter put out a very interesting video about her father and mother, mentioning that he looked like a “lost puppy” (we might have misquoted her as saying “sad puppy”). That is a shame for a daughter to say such a thing about her father! 

Some have critical remarks to say about Jordan, but regardless Jesse urges them to wish him well. 

Is It Normal for Humans to Be on Medication?

Jesse asks several people: Is it normal for human beings to be on antidepressant medication? He eventually makes the point that our battle is spiritual. Satan’s job is to deceive, rob, steal, and kill (to steal, kill, and destroy). The Devil must keep you overreacting in order to control you. A pill does not solve the spiritual problem. 

God gave us a sound mind. The Devil gives people a crazy mind. Nowadays everybody’s crazy! But God sent Christ so that you can come back to Him and live a good life. 

In the past they did not call it “mental illness,” but they called it “crazy.” If you call it what it is (like calling a fat person “fat” rather than obese), it can wake you up and make you eat better and exercise. 

Later in service one man disagrees, thinking there’s a “contradiction” in what Jesse says. Jesse mentioned that doctors are for physical issues like when Jesse got his cleft lip fixed, but not spiritual issues. But this young man believes scientists, doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists who claim that the problem is just brain chemistry. Jesse asks him where the voices come from that tell people to kill themselves and they do it? The man admits it’s a mystery, but Jesse clarifies, it’s the voice of Satan. Jesse urges him to drop anger, forgive. The man says he’s unlikely to return. 

A Stepfather on His Schizophrenic Stepson

A man in Church says that his stepson is schizophrenic, and his wife is not on the same page with him about the problem. Jesse points out that we should not adopt the names that the “experts” put on these spiritual issues. Words like “depression,” “schizophrenia,” or “bipolar” tend to deceive you into believing in their false solutions! 

Jesse also asks this man why he got involved with a woman who already had children. He says that he fell in love with her. Jesse asks him if he said he fell in lust with her, and he agrees to that as probably a better description for it. 

The stepson is 17, and has been taking medication that has side effects, and now he’s in a psych ward! The man will be visiting him after Church today. He says he urges the young man to seek God, something along those lines. But Jesse points out that he will not understand what that means. Instead, Jesse urges him to tell his stepson to forgive his mother for driving him nuts, and his real father for not being there. This man should also apologize for getting between the boy and his natural parents for whom the boy’s soul yearns. 

The World Is Living Out the Old Testament

Jesse makes the point that the Old Testament is in the world, while the New Testament is the Kingdom of Heaven in us. But it’s only for those who repent and are born again. 

Jesse points out, for example, that the actress and activist Alyssa Milano is “as nutty as a fruitcake.” She told Ted Cruz that she had a panic attack before meeting him, because she has anxiety. But she wanted to see him face-to-face to see that he’s human with a heartbeat. But she bragged about having two abortions! Jesse says he would have read her the riot act! 

A man says he injured his back, but was too stubborn to take pain medication or go to the chiropractor. So he did his own physical therapy. But nowadays people don’t want to take the pain without drugs. 

This is why Jordan Peterson has this issue: He has not been born again. You can have degrees up the yin-yang, but if you’re not born again of God, you’re miserable. 

It’s not mental illness, but rather, it’s psycho-spiritual illness. Jordan Peterson freaking out over his wife’s sickness does not do anything good for him or her! That’s weakness. When the father is weak, the mother and children suffer as well. The man leads his wife and represents Christ on earth. 

Jesse does not tell people to stop taking their medication, but says that unless you deal with the anger, you won’t solve the real problem. 

Last week’s Biblical Question: Can you be born again and become mentally ill, depressed, or suicidal? The answer is no. 

Announcements

BOND is moving at the end of the year, and so far we’ve raised $36,000 towards that. We have a donor matching up to $50,000 (through September) toward our $100,000 target for the building fund. Thank you all for your support. Go to rebuildingtheman.com or call 1-800-411-BOND (2663). 

We look forward to having an end-of-year gathering, and in March we will celebrate BOND’s 30th anniversary. Make sure you do the Silent Prayer. And speak up, but don’t resent! 

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