"Being Bound: What’s Holding Us Hostage?"

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Hi, welcome to Fit 101, Vocalizing Every Noted Topic with a Christian twist. I'm June Bryant, your host, and we welcome you to our podcast. Our vision is to win souls to Christ and to help those who know him by giving them a fresh new perspective on Christian living and reading God's Word. Our mission is to biblically educate people while growing in their Christian walk by answering questions that they are uncomfortable to ask in a church-like setting. You can find us wherever you get your podcast. Please like and subscribe. You can also visit us on YouTube, Instagram, or on our website vent-101.com, where you can leave any questions or comments that you may have. Thank you. Good afternoon, everybody. It's June in the room. We back on another Saturday. We're sorry for the late delay. You know how the enemy tries to interfere with this uh podcast, but uh God he always tries, but uh guess what? God is the victor. We come out the victor every time. And I'm gonna go around the room and let everybody introduce themselves.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Well, I'm Rich, and I'm happy to be back. And uh get your ink pens out, share, like, and subscribe, and you know, join in the conversation on Facebook.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Amen, Rich. Uh, I'm Pat. Just glad to be here one more time. Uh, and just being in the presence of everyone, especially Mother Earth.

SPEAKER_05 2:15

Hello, my name is Margaret, and I'm glad to be here today. It's been a while since I've been in the studio, and I just thank God for giving me the opportunity. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Yeah, welcome back, Margaret.

SPEAKER_05 2:30

Welcome back, welcome back.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Yeah, you were here last year. No yeah, it's been a whole year.

SPEAKER_00 2:37

That was the first year, wasn't it? Or the second year?

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Was you here this year on the year?

SPEAKER_05 2:42

You did the natural, um, the nature of uh that was last year.

SPEAKER_03 2:47

Last year, it was last year, yeah. Because uh we did the younger women earlier this uh year. Uh but anyway, as we gather our memories, because I know I need to dust off mine. So we the last uh we're gonna talk about, not the last, but the first topic we're gonna talk about today, and you all will see part two uh on YouTube next week. But uh first podcast we no, the week after next. No, I get it together. But we're gonna talk about what's holding us hostage. Being bound, what's holding us hostage? Uh the metaphor of being held hostage or being bound, uh, quote unquote, is often used to describe when we as believers feel trapped by situations, trials, or issues that we have in our lives. But in the spiritual realm, it can also be symbolized as being under the power of sin, uh fear, or being influenced by the world. Uh while the reality of physical hostage taking and bondage sounds terrifying, family. It sounds really scary. Spiritually, it should remind us of our need for true freedom from our sin and our struggles that we're dealing with in and in the process allowing God to deliver us from them, whatever it is that's pinning us down. Uh, I want to point out a lot of us, I'm talking to the believers, a lot of us like to be bound, to have an excuse. You know where the Lord got me bound and hostage for my sin. No, you can be free from that. Yes. But as children of the most high God, God expects we are expected to live in the freedom Christ has won for us by shedding his blood and dying on the cross and not being held hostage or in bonded, period. Bonded, period. Amen. John 8, 34, 36, uh, Jesus replied to the, I think it was the uh um, get with me, help me. Not the Philistines, Lord. My mind is going blank. He's talking about the Pharisees. Pharisees, huh? Yeah. Very, very, very I truly I tell you, let me repeat it. Jesus replied, Very truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now, a slave has no permanent place in the family, meaning our uh the kingdom of God, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you'll be free indeed. So we ain't got no reason to live in in hostage situations, uh bound by the sin that we are in. But I'm gonna turn it over to the uh everybody else so y'all can oh, when I was doing this research, you know how uh certain songs come to you? The song No Never Alone came to me. But we'll talk about that later. Okay, all right, yeah. I'm gonna open it up for y'all.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

Wow, I guess we just jump right on in it. Go ahead, Miss Penn. Don't jump in there.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Yeah, but that's a good, very good. I always say that. June always have good introductions. Thank you. Yes, but uh you were talking about where Jesus was talking in John, the eighth chapter and the 36th verse. Well, the 34th verse 2 says that everyone who commits sin, yes, that's what you're bound to. You know what I'm saying? And and when you when we're talking about sin, it's really, really broad. Yes. So we can't pinpoint this or that, you know, or whatever, because we need to check our own self, right? Amen. But the sin, uh, when we do the sin, we are slaves to it.

SPEAKER_11 7:15

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Whatever it is, lying, stealing, whatever it is, we're slaves to that. Because like we can't get loose. But you said a said the word too, that Jesus, who the Son has set free, is free created. That's the only way we're gonna be set free, delivered. The chain's gonna be broken through the blood of Christ. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. We were bound to sin. Amen. But it's another thing that goes along with that. You know, when we're loose from it and we're free, we're free indeed. Yes. Now it's our choice if we want to hold on to that sin or not. That's our choice. Because we can't blame Jesus no more because he ain't gonna go on the cross and die again for you. No. So who the Son has set free is free indeed. And then Romans 6 tells us that shall you continue in sin, that grace may abound. That grace may abound. God forbid that. So, yeah, I mean, it's a choice if we want to stay free.

SPEAKER_03 8:13

Amen.

SPEAKER_05 8:14

I like to say, I feel we put our own self in bondage. Um when we uh the moment we stop walking in the spirit, the moment we stop uh allowing God to have control of our lives, we get in, and and sometimes you're not even underware because um it could come upon you. See your mind can change, and it could change so subtly, and it comes in so quiet, like a like a sneaking in. And before you know it, you throwing off course. That's right. You know, um it whispered, it's you remember that illustration they used to have with Satan on one side and the angel on the other side. That's how we feed ourselves into traps, because instead of us keeping in the word, following the Holy Spirit as He gives us guidance, we start listening to the whispers of Satan. That's right. And he's not coming to us with that roar or that loudness or that boastfulness or or um hollering at us and nothing like that. He's whispering. And he whispering softly, yeah. That's how he's enticing us, you know, because he's coming to us in a in a subtle way, like he did Eve in the garden. Yeah, he didn't approach Eve boastfully, no, loudly, uh sarcastically, like you know, he starts whispering. Did God really say that? You know, sweet rate. Yeah, like we do today. When we want something and we move, hey baby, how you doing? You look so cute, you look so good today. You know, you're not gonna come up to that person and say, No, you don't. Not really. I couldn't lie, because I want what I want. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So when we start surrendering to the uh to our minds, and we give over to our flesh, you know, and uh that's what it is. That's when the trouble comes in. But you can control that. We have control over that. We have control over God gave us power when we became his Jews. He he anointed us with power. Yes, what you gonna feed? You gonna feed the mind, you're gonna feed your flesh, or you're gonna feed the spirit. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 10:58

That is true. Um I think this topic came like at like the right time for me.

SPEAKER_04 11:07

Praise God.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Because man, these last two weeks have been just all over the place, you know, uh with uh have to make decisions. Um when I think of the topics, what's holding me hostage or being in bondage, words like bondage and captivity come to mind. The idea of being a slave to something or being held captive by something, this could be anything that separates you or takes your focus off Christ.

SPEAKER_08 11:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

To be bound or in bondage can be physical or spiritual. Yes, it can. Physically, we can be a slave to our jobs.

SPEAKER_07 11:47

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

We've all been there. Spiritually, we can be a slave to sin. Yeah, the Bible often calls Egypt the house of bondage because the Israelites lived as abused slaves there before God set them free. Um Bible characters like Paul and Silas frequently were imprisoned and chains during their ministry. You know, Samson was bound with ropes. You know, uh, and as you brought up, Adam and Eve, uh, I think that's when uh the first people who was disobedient and brought sin into the world, you know, uh, they were enslaved. It says they were enslaved by their human nature, you know, and a lot of us when we think of being held hostage or being bound, forget that part of our own human nature. We we tend to want to blame the devil. Oh no, the devil didn't make you do that. No, you know, because you ain't been uh, as they say, praying without ceasing, you know, staying in the face of God. You know, it won't allow for those doors to swing open and Satan to walk through there. And all he does is plant the seed of temptation or doubt. You know, it's one of those two. It's either temptation or doubt. But if you're tempted to doubt, then that's the uh the threefold that he gets you with. Like you said, he's whispering. Galatians 5:1 says, It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Yes, man. So when you think about yoke, which one, you know, he said, Come to me. Take my yoke, you know. But we we do the world's yoke, you know, and we tie ourselves to and be obligated to things that is not aligning with his will. You know, so that's where we fall victim to being held hostage, or as uh the topics say, being bound to something. Um these jobs are the biggest things to be bound to because that's where my decision making was in the last two weeks. Hey, I had some opportunities on the table. Should I stay or should I go now? You know how the song goes. And it's like, but there's a good part of bound too, if you walk in in a line with God's will.

SPEAKER_08 14:18

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Because you want to be bound to his will, you want to be bound to the assignment until he releases you. Yes, sir. Some of us leave too early. Amen. And that's what helped me kind of with my decision making this week. Like, hey, am I am I walking away from my assignment? Because I don't want to do that, you know, because slight obedience or delayed uh obedience is still disobedience. Disobedience. That's that's that's just my little take on uh being held hostage and being bound. It's been it's been a crazy two weeks.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Praise God. And and these topics don't come by accident. Because I, as people don't know, we have the I I come up, or whoever's gonna host comes up with the topics months in advance. At least one month. I because I told you I try my best to pray and ask God to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to me. And I don't know what's coming, but when he gives me the topic, I relate it to whoever's gonna be the guest or either uh just our regulars, the regular Vent 101. So we can make preparations to study for it in advance. But when it when we talk about them here in the studio, 10 chances out of 10, it's necessary.

SPEAKER_02 15:43

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

And that's just the Holy Spirit, that's God working behind the scenes. But Antoine, welcome back, welcome uh in this out of the studio. Antoine said, very true, is uh it'd be more the decision we make, not the enemy. And it's true. But but I want you all to elaborate, I'm gonna give different hidden ways. We're talking to the new believers and uh the new members in Christ and the seasoned members, uh, hidden ways that believers can be bound or held hostage. While many recognize obvious forms of spiritual bondage, such as sin, uh uh fear or pride, uh, there are subtle, less obvious ways that can help hurt seasoned believers as well as new believers watch out for, can trap you or hold you back or stunt the new believers' growth in Christ unintentionally. So we're I want to give you a couple of them. Number one is the fear of backsliding, fear of black backsliding or being judged. A believer may have the fear of being put out of a church, criticized, or even excluded if they don't follow certain rules or regul or rules or traditions. The key word is traditions for me. This can make the new believer hesitant to speak up or disagree, even when they sense something is wrong. Because new believers, God has instilled the uh uh uh the uh gift of discernment in uh all of us, truthfully, you can have it. If you pray and ask God for it. But the fear of being judged will keep you bound. Keep you being held hostage because you don't want, especially new members, when you join a church or you uh you just first ask Jesus to be your savior, you don't want to uh say anything out the way that or you don't want to uh make nobody that a seasoned believer or old believer will be offended by. So therefore, you keep yourself in bondage or being held hostage to not wanting to be judged. But let don't worry about that. Do you all have any any advice for the new believers that have the fear of being judged or uh the fear of black backsliding because they are being judged?

SPEAKER_01 18:30

My thing is, oh I'm sorry. No, go ahead, sweetie pie. My thing is that uh when you were talking, it goes back to what Rich talked about doubt. Uh once you give your life over to Christ, this is this is just me because I experienced this. Be sure, know, stand for sure with confidence that you are in the hands of God, that you are saved, that you have uh separated yourself from the world. You got to know that. Don't put doubt, don't let that doubt do that. And when you were talking about that, the the entrapment of it, all that is the oppression that comes, whether it comes from your flesh, whether it comes from the outside. People, I'm telling y'all, people, the church is not perfect. That's right when you go into a building. That's true. Because anywhere where people are, it's an in some infection or imperfection there. So please know for yourself. This is what I'm saying. Be sure that you have given your life over to Christ with a prayer heart and know. And then that that will alleviate some of that oppression. That's what that is. People will oppress you in the church. Yeah. I was oppressed, y'all. Okay. And it goes back to the mind. So they said the devil workshop is up here.

SPEAKER_04 19:50

Yeah, it is.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

But it's in your ear gates too. Yes, it's in your eye gates, what you hear, what you see. So I had to be sure. I said, no, I can't let them say that to me. Yes. Because I know I gave, I know I asked for forgiveness of my sins. And Lord, changed my life. And God did that for me. I was I'm a living witness of what transformation is. Amen. And so that's my, I'm gonna shorten it up a bit. No, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 20:21

That's real good because we need to keep in mind, all believers need to keep in mind, the church is full of sick folks. You don't come to church to heal nobody, just the truth. You come to be healed yourself. Yeah, and that's be be careful about who you sit under as your leader, also. Because some leaders will uh judge you into hell. You see what I'm saying? So just be careful. But what were you gonna say?

SPEAKER_05 20:54

Um the word of God tells us to examine ourselves, yes, you know, to see whether we are in the faith. Yes, you know, and that's one thing we have to keep in mind. This is a daily thing, it's not a weekly thing. Yes, when you go to church, you know, uh a monthly thing when you take communion. This is something you have to do daily. Come on, examine yourself when you get up in the morning, you know, when you pray to God, when you read his word. This got to go on daily. You can't little bit here and a little bit there. It's not gonna work like that. It's not gonna work like that. Sin will take over. You will get complacent, you get lazy. You will. We will become lazy in the things of God if we don't keep examining ourselves. Lord, did I do what you want me to do today? Did I talk the way you want me to talk today? You know, did I say? The wrong thing to somebody, I heard somebody, you have to examine yourself. That's good. Really? And if we don't, that's for the young Christian, the new Christian, and for the especially for the older Christian, because you do get complacent. And you get judged. Yeah, you get judged. But you ain't put no nobody. Remember not to put anybody before God. That's right. That's where your grace and your mercy come from. That's where your salvation comes from. That's where your eternal life comes from. It comes from Him, not from nobody else. And like you say, don't put your pastor or your preacher or somebody on a pedestal. No, don't do it. Above the things of God, it's not gonna work like that.

SPEAKER_03 22:46

You're supposed to respect them. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

And pray for them.

SPEAKER_03 22:51

Pray for them first. Definitely. That's first. Yeah. Because if you think you're going through, think about what your head is going through. The enemy is on them even harder. But uh the fear of I'm gonna wanna address the fear of backsliding. Don't don't be afraid because you're going to sin. Nobody, nobody is sin. So don't be afraid of the words backsliding.

unknown 23:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:23

Just stay in the face of God and then get yourself surrounded by people who who understand where you are in your walk. Did you want to say something about that? Just real quick.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

I think uh as the kingdom of Christ, as the church of Christ, uh, I think we don't uh teach and preach holy boldness enough uh to make a babe in Christ comfortable enough to uh understand that they don't have to shrink in Christ in a room where to make somebody else comfortable in their own skin and ego. You know, uh there are certain promises from Christ already once you become saved. That's he'll never leave, you know if you're saved. That's right.

SPEAKER_04 24:24

So amen.

SPEAKER_00 24:25

If you if you are yet seeking the kingdom and um and you're new to this, it's a way, you know, always be a person that uses grace and mercy when they address an issue in the first place. You know, um you can't you can't control nobody's reaction to what you said, but you can control the delivery. Yes, you know, so uh as long as it starts and end with grace and mercy, the same that you would let Christ, that you would want from Christ, uh I think it it will be perceived very well to where you don't have to be um so afraid, you know, uh to approach uh because we we in the in the kingdom of Christ gotta hold each other accountable and ourselves. Yes, we do. You know, we we spoke about accountability partners, you know, and getting around those like-minded individuals, but I think if if if the focus at times was teaching what holy boldness looks like, and some of us who say they're more seasoned display that to where uh a new babe in Christ could see that, I think uh some of those issues with you stepping on toes, nah. You know, but but that's that's that's the word you know that's gonna draw you a pushing.

SPEAKER_03 25:51

Yeah, in my opinion. My goodness, you've have a lot of Christian, a lot of believers that have been in this walk a long time, but they fail, they don't want to have holy boldness because that calls them out to be called out. Yes, so if you're walking in holy boldness, you're gonna have to walk in that thing, son. You can't be lukewarm when I'm telling you, um, because you're gonna be watched, and there, those unbelievers, non-believers, whatever way you want to call it, they're gonna call you out.

SPEAKER_05 26:35

Hey, I thought you were Christian.

SPEAKER_03 26:40

So that's why a lot of us that are devout Christians don't want to walk upright, and you're gonna pay a heavy price for that. God will hold each and every one of us according to what we do when we get before Him. So don't forget, don't you have, boy, that's a good point. We might do a podcast just on holy boldness, but you have to, especially now, especially now, uh, just walk upright in Christ. Because a lot now, go ahead.

SPEAKER_05 27:20

I want to say this. I think um fear can play a big part on holding us back. Um, when you think about um putting yourself out there and letting the spotlight show shine on you, and you get kind of scared. You being held high. You get you get scared, yes, and so you back off. Um, the Bible said for us to take up the cross. If you want to be a disciple of God, you have to take up the cross. He didn't say try to peek out.

SPEAKER_02 28:01

Take it up.

SPEAKER_05 28:02

You know, he said peek, take it up. That's right. So fear would hold us back because when we get out there and that spotlight is on there, we're gonna mess up. Is somebody gonna see through us? Or guess what?

SPEAKER_03 28:19

We are gonna mess up, you know. And and to that, I'm gonna say, let people, let people talk. Yeah. At the end of the day, they they're gonna do it anyway. But that would be your answer.

SPEAKER_05 28:33

So it's a weak one.

SPEAKER_03 28:34

It's all you would be a challenge. And it's it's hard. It's hard to sit in the shoes of people that are out there like us, Vent 101. Oh, we being watched.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Amen. Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

Keep watching us keep watching us. Antoine, Antoine's on here. Keep watching us. You bring 10 friends. Bring 10 friends. He said, Bring it. Keep watching us, yeah. Like but it's the truth. Yeah. That's why we are a lot of Christians are being held hostage because of lack of holy boldness, because they're afraid that people will say, I thought you were a Christian. You know, that's that's a good point.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

So I uh Jim, can I make a remark on what you said about uh I'm going back now, how the church puts so much on us. You know what? And you were talking about don't be afraid, you know, don't be thinking that I'm I'm gonna backslide, I'm gonna mess up. But that's because people have placed those things in us to cause us, those those changes. You know what I'm saying? So they pull me back. You can't do this. I was told that I wasn't saved because I wore pants. That was a, you know what I'm saying? That was a form of bondage. Yeah, you know, because I said, once again, those that are in it are in Christ are are free indeed, right? Yeah. We're in Christ. So I had to search that out for myself, but it kept me in bondage for about six years. I really thought I wouldn't, I really thought if I had on pants, I wouldn't say. Isn't that something? Wow. That that's that's the mind program. That that yeah. But when God showed me in his word in Romans 8 and 1, it says, uh nobody, nobody that's in Christ. There's no condemnation to them that are in Christ. That's why I made the comment about the new believers if they're questioning or doubting or just know, be confident that you have given your life over to Christ. Amen. Because you'll stay in bondage, I'm telling you. Yeah, you'll stay in bondage.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

And that's Romans 8:1, right? 8.81. I showed we had it in here, too. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.

SPEAKER_03 30:55

Yeah. Uh Antoine said to respond to backsliding, just don't stay there, move forward and lean on your faith in God. So when you do backslide, he gives you the strength to overcome, plus the lesson to be learned from it. Amen. And he said, Isaiah 41:10 to help those at a time of fear or anxiousness.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Yeah. Um, and first John. 1 John talks about how God forgives, you know, if we sin, just confess it. And God is just and faithful to forgive us for our sins. Amen. 1 John 1 and 9.

SPEAKER_03 31:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 31:33

Uh I I want to say another uh hidden ways. Unresolved personal strongholds. Unresolved personal that nobody knows about. Strongholds. If the believer has an unresolved personal issue like bitterness, addiction, or pride that they haven't addressed, these can leak into their influence, family. This is not, I got it highlighted for me. This is not healthy for the believer. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 32:14

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 32:15

This ain't healthy for us. No. Those hidden sins that God knows about. I made the statement before. I've made it several times. I committed some sins I didn't want God to know. Only Him and me. And I didn't want Him to know. But this will hinder you, keep you held hostage. Yes, it will. Especially new believers may unconsciously take these patterns in, feeling trapped by the same struggles they had before. So the key is to confess your sins before God and ask Him to help you to get through over them.

unknown 32:59

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

Because it'll cause you, if you keep it to yourself, I'm talking about not talk to God. Some things I don't want to talk nobody about but God. I'm in. You see what I'm saying? But if you don't talk to God, it'll cause you to revert back into them.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:20

Let's say hypothetically, you get over a particular sin, whatever the sin. We stick to the main sins. I say adultery, fornication, blah, blah, blah, blah. But there are hidden sins that are just all sin is sin. Yeah. That's it. But I pray that I don't go back into that sin. That's where you can get held hostage because you feel the guilt factor comes over. Lord, you delivered me from this nod and went back to it back too. But Lord, please get me over this again. Yeah. And again. Till finally you get tired of being sick and tired of sinning.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

That particular one. Because it's going to be another one facing you.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

It's crazy how we glaze past gossip. Like we don't necessarily put that in the sin cabin. No, they don't.

SPEAKER_03 34:22

Gossip is one of the worst things.

SPEAKER_00 34:26

Yeah. You know.

SPEAKER_05 34:28

That's it. Uh I I think that um Good morning, Tanya. Some strongholds that we have. We have uh a belief. We come to a belief that it's so bad that God won't excuse this. That's right. That's right. So you hide, you you suppress it. You won't let it go. But God is the creator of this great universe. He created us. What can't he handle?

SPEAKER_10 35:03

Right. That's Satan.

SPEAKER_05 35:05

He's still, he's still whispering. No, that's too bad. He ain't gonna say he ain't gonna believe you to that. That's too bad. Jesus, Lord. You know, he's not he's not gonna listen to you. Don't pray. He's not listening to your prayer. Why? Because he ain't answered the prayer yet. It's been a month, it's been two months. It's been you know. So these strongholds that take on our mind, I'm telling you, they so subtle. You all you need to. We really need to not give place to the devil. Um, no, everything the devil don't make us do it, we do it because we are drawn up to the devil. Because it feels all our own lust. Yeah. The Bible says we got the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of pride. And all three of those, you know. Um, the devil didn't make me do it. We chose to do some of these things because we didn't think it was sinful. We felt comfortable, we felt innocent. It wasn't about nobody but me. I hurt nobody. You know what I'm saying? So we could find ourselves being held trapped in that mindset.

unknown 36:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:20

But we got to remember that our mind and our flesh, and even our heart is working against us a lot of the times. Yes. Yeah, it's working against us. They work together. Because in the heart, the Bible says, what evils, everything that is, it flows from the heart. From the heart. Whether it's good or bad, it's gonna flow out. Yeah. That's it. With the mind, the mind gonna take over from where the heart, that desire, that heart started, the mind gonna take over. And they're gonna start playing. Well, how can I do this and how can I do that? And then when he gets through playing, then the flesh is gonna take over and take it up through. It's gonna take it all the way through. So we have to remember, we're not just fighting against one thing. We forgot, we're fighting against, oh Lord, your arm too short the box with God is too short the box with the devil, too. You better get the Holy Spirit on your side. Yes, Lord. Submit.

SPEAKER_04 37:19

Yeah, submit. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 37:22

Amen. Amen. Amen. Yeah. Um, another, and then we'll touch base on uh how to avoid being held hostage, but another thing that will keep, I'm gonna say seasoned believers, over-reliance on their spiritual gifts. A believer who is overly forced, focused on their own spiritual gifts may unintentionally make others, meaning new believers, feel that their spiritual life is incomplete without possessing the spiritual gifts that they possess. The woman, the one that, I didn't say I didn't mean woman, the woman or man, because they're gonna think. But whoever has that spiritual gift that thinks they're above you, a new believer might make you uh uh to the new believer. I want that gift. Why I don't have that gift? Yeah, I I can do this or I can do that, and uh, you need to get that. Pray for that spiritual gift, whatever the gift may be. This can create a dependency where new believers feel they must follow that person instead of Christ. Go ahead with it. That will keep you held in hostage. Yes, that's that believer that has the I'ma I'ma throw discernment out there. If I got discernment, a high tolerance for discernment, you don't have it. Oh, I wish I had discernment like her. I'm gonna take what you say. There you go. I'm gonna hold you at high value. Whatever you say, Margaret, I'ma believe it. And you might tell me ham is pie. You see what I'm saying? Yes, I know it. I know exactly where you're coming from. We got to be careful. Keep yourself in the word.

SPEAKER_05 39:23

There.

SPEAKER_03 39:24

Keep stay in the word. Don't, because everybody that has certain spiritual gifts might not be possessing them for real. You don't know. No. That's why you can't follow man.

SPEAKER_05 39:38

That's the key. Would you say that might be a Sunday gift? Who? Not a money through. That's right, money. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 39:45

That's good.

unknown 39:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:47

Please pay attention. And this is to believers, period. But pay attention. Uh, don't put nobody over Christ. Amen. Amen. Rely on the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit will issue each gift to you that's for you. That's right. Just because uh one person has that gift don't mean that you gotta have it. You might not. That ain't for you. And that's where people get held. They are bound. They rely on too many people. They rely on humans. Don't do it. You can pray with people, you know, you can have your person that you really admire to pray for you and stuff, but if it look it up in the word.

SPEAKER_00 40:43

Right. Do your own research. Because some people move out of that seducing spirit. Yes. You know, and I when I say seducing spirit, I don't mean sexually in manner, but just in conversation. That's right. It sounds smooth. And then, you know, a lot of I've noticed a lot of people say they have the gift of discernment. And at times when when when when when you're seeing this, because you see it a lot nowadays on social media, oh, I'm gonna use my discernment, the gift of discernment. And you can't have that without the rest of it. Like, like, like not not being a believer, but you got the gift of discernment, like, how does that work? You know, uh they have good feelings. Yeah, yeah. You know, you're not believable. Earthly or secularly, it's it's intuition.

SPEAKER_03 41:46

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 41:47

From the spiritual side, it's discernment, you know, because those gifts come through the Holy Spirit. That's right. And how do you have that if you don't have the Holy Spirit, if you're not a believer? So be careful. Kind of study and see what that discernment gift is, and that'll let you know if you really got it. You know, uh, a lot of people always, that's that's one that's really highlighted. The gift of discernment.

SPEAKER_08 42:13

Spiritually now.

SPEAKER_00 42:14

That's what I'm saying. You're right. You're right.

SPEAKER_05 42:16

And you just look like but you know, uh, God works for his children. Yes. He worked for his children, but Satan always also worked for his. So there is a different type of discernment. You got people who live in their life through things that supposedly have been discerned, and they live in their life through that, but it's not of God, but it was of Satan. You see, he's he he he's working for his people just like God is working for his children. That makes sense to remember that. That's where you get them palm readers, that's where you get all the sorcery, that's where you get the witch trap, that's where you get all of this. And if you rely on that discernment, you're gonna lose out. That's worldly discernment. Yeah, you're gonna lose out on a whole lot. Yeah, that's where it that's worldly discernment. You got that right.

SPEAKER_03 43:11

That that's crazy. But people are living a life from it. Yes, they are. Don't let nobody don't don't think that you out here in them streets working off of discernment.

SPEAKER_11 43:24

That don't even click.

SPEAKER_03 43:26

That's that's you either this, you either, what does the word say? You either hot or cold.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

Right.

SPEAKER_03 43:32

You you cannot be lukewarm. My discernment told me to. I hate, I don't want to throw out different stuff because I don't want people to think that I'm being uh judgmental, but you cannot serve two masters.

SPEAKER_00 43:48

Let it fall where it falls.

SPEAKER_03 43:50

You can't serve two masters.

SPEAKER_05 43:52

Let me throw this out here. Somebody says something. And when people say something to me, I try to Look it up. You know, they mention somebody's name. I ain't never heard that name. I ain't never heard that before. I go to Google and I look things up. I go on YouTube and I look things up. Somebody said something about this person called Nature Boy. Have you ever heard of Nature Boy?

unknown 44:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:19

Who confessed herself to be God? What?

SPEAKER_00 44:22

All these people follow him.

SPEAKER_05 44:23

And got all these people following him. This is what I'm talking about, this discernment. Look it up. I'm God looking it up.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

Nature Boy. Nature Boy or Wick Flair. That's all I know. That's all I was getting ready to say.

SPEAKER_00 44:38

Woo! Nature Boy. It's like a new cult.

SPEAKER_05 44:42

It's a cult. It's a cult. And and it's people are oh my goodness. The things that we are being faced with in life, um, with this subject, if you go on YouTube, and I want people to really do this, especially children of God, go on YouTube and look up the spiritual fight. The spiritual fight, and this is what we're talking about today. You will really be blessed. Just look up the spiritual fight on YouTube and sit back and listen. And learn and be blessed. Because it's gonna talk about what we're talking about right now, being in bondage. Our flesh, if you feed the flesh, it's gonna take over. Oh, yeah. If you feed the spirit, you know, so we you're gonna learn a whole lot from that. Um the spiritual fight. It's in the mind, it's in that flesh, it's it's in your heart. You got to guard it all. We got to guard it with the word of God.

SPEAKER_03 45:51

Amen. I want to go over a couple of uh things that to avoid being held hostage. All right. Uh avoid persistent sin. Don't sin all the time. And addictions. Truthfully, don't sin all the time. If you don't practice, if you yeah, don't don't sin. It's it's it sounds easy for me to say, but it's easy to do if you stay in the face of God. That's what keeps all of us. Uh Romans 6:16 says, Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? We just said that. That's right. You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God. That's what I just said. Don't be a lukewarm, yeah, which leads to righteous living. Believers are not bound by sin, but if sinful habits persist, they can become strongholds, what we just talked about. Amen. Of spiritual bondage and hostageness or hostility. I made it up. No. Avoid habits that hold you hostage.

SPEAKER_04 47:08

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

Just whatever holds you hostage. Man, you know what sin you're in. Don't don't lie to yourself. Don't play yourself. You know what sin you're in that you just don't want to kick.

SPEAKER_04 47:19

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 47:20

There's some sins that you don't want to kick, and there's some sins that you can kick, but you just enjoy doing it. Keep it real with yourself. That's it.

SPEAKER_00 47:29

I'm gonna hold on to this one for a while.

SPEAKER_03 47:32

Yeah. And you can guess what? What if God calls you home before you while you holding on to it? That's what scares me. When the Holy Spirit reveals something to me that I'm know I'm doing, that I'm doing wrong. And even if I did unknowingly, because sometimes the the spirit will just speak to you and say, speak to me. Amen. You know you're wrong for that. Amen. You shouldn't do that or you shouldn't say that. Because some things that I that I have said in the past, the Holy Spirit revealed to me, you know, you are out of line for saying that. So you can't say everything. I because I've I don't have a filter sometimes, but the Holy Spirit will put those, I'll put them words right back in, especially on my job. That's where it's a problem. Because it's all you can feel the demonic activity around you, literally. That's why I stay, have to stay in the word, uh but guard against deception and false beliefs. Amen. Second Corinthians 4, 4 through 5 says, Satan, who is the God of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the good news family. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is exact, the exact likeness of God. You see, we don't go preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus' sake. We have to avoid being misled by false doctrines or lies that distort our relationship with God. Stay away from them. Seek the truth in Scripture and the guidance of mature believers. Amen. Amen. Mature. There's a difference in mature and seasoned to me.

SPEAKER_00 49:39

Definitely.

SPEAKER_03 49:41

You can be a seasoned believer for 20, 25 years, but you ain't mature. Boom. In the word. So watch.

SPEAKER_05 49:53

Don't be deceived. Amen. Amen. Um, Romans 12 2 encourages us not to be conformed to this word, but be transformed. Yes. Renewing of our minds. How are you gonna renew your mind without the word of God? Yes. How can you remove renew your mind? If you get the word, you got to do what? Practice the word. You got to live the word. So it encourages us not to be conformed. Yes. Don't give in to it. You know, be transformed. Yes. God didn't save us to leave us where we were. He saved us to change us. Yes. To give us growth. You know. And that growth is every day. Every day, when you stay in his word, it's every day. You're going to increase a little bit more and more. So we need to remember God's word is true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because he's true.

SPEAKER_03 50:51

Yes, he is. Antoine says so much on here, y'all. I got no, I gotta say it because uh those on YouTube won't hear it. Um, but uh just don't you I just I read that. Okay. Good morning, Tanya. And Tanya said, let me go down. Psalms 118, 8. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. Amen. And Antoine said unforgiveness is a big one that we held hostage. Uh that's why at the women's conference we deal with, we focus on unforgiveness and love. Those are two big things that people uh have an issue that are being held or bound. Yeah. They are they're bound. You ain't being held hostage, you bound in that. Because being held hostage, what you hostages you normally are being freed. But when you're bound, you that's a choice. Don't, don't uh we gonna unforgiveness is a big one, like you said. It is uh uh Antoine said facts, ain't Margaret.

SPEAKER_05 52:08

Unrepentance, unrepentance is another one. Don't not repent in your sin because you don't think you can handle it. We do that. We got we I did that. Oh yeah, yeah. I did that. I held on to some sins and did not take it to him, even though I was still going to church and maybe still singing in the choir. We did things, and we did it because we didn't think that he would forgive us of that sin because we felt it was too great. You know? So unforgiveness and not repenting, that's the worst thing you could do. When you sin, not repenting. That's good. Yes. Oh my goodness. Yes, not repent. That's and when you wake up in the morning, that should be part of your prayer. Father God, forgive me. What they used to say in back in the day, omission and commission. That's things that you done forgotten, you done did that. You don't even remember you did. So you know, bring it back to my remembrance, Father God, so I can ask forgiveness of it and repent of that. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 53:21

So we need to check out any sin keep if it's not confessed.

SPEAKER_05 53:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 53:30

Yeah, Proverbs uh 28 says, I forget what verse, but it says that, you know, when you don't confess it, you don't prosper in nothing. You know, so you keep yourself in bondage because you won't you won't prosper. Will not.

SPEAKER_00 53:45

How are we holding and hiding things from God and he omnipresent?

SPEAKER_01 53:50

Right. He knows it.

SPEAKER_00 53:53

Good luck with that.

SPEAKER_01 53:54

He knows it.

SPEAKER_00 53:54

He's been there. He said, he's just waiting on you to profess it. But I said, oh wow. He's like first say it never leave you nor forsake you. So he write that with you when you're doing it.

SPEAKER_03 54:07

Oh, that's the scariest part.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

But I'm gonna hide it from him.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

You can't hide.

SPEAKER_05 54:12

No secret. You can't no secret.

SPEAKER_03 54:15

If I had known what I know now back then, well, I I knew it, but you know how you're ignorant to the fact that I guess that's the best way to put it. Some of the things you're blinded. You're blinded. Yeah, that's what it was. I was blinded because some of the stuff I did, hmm, blinded.

SPEAKER_01 54:36

And sometimes it's just blatantly disobedience.

SPEAKER_05 54:39

Yeah, would you sin if it didn't feel good to you? No. Would you sin if it makes you feel uncomfortable? No.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

Right, right.

SPEAKER_05 54:48

Would you? Would you sin if you know it brings harm to you physically? Yep. That's right. You would it makes sense. You wouldn't do it.

SPEAKER_03 54:58

No one would. Being blinded is is not good. Boy. No, it's not good. It's not good at all. But don't let the sins of others or what they did to you hold you hostage. I'm gonna look at the camera and say that. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 55:18

Me too.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

Don't I'm look when we look at you. We're looking at them. We're gonna look at them. Don't I'm gonna repeat it. Don't let the sins of others or what they did to you hold you hostage. The sins or bad choices that your loved ones did to you can cause your heart to break, but don't let them control your joy or your relationship with God, family. Don't let that affect you. Forgiveness, like we are, it's an internal act. Forgiveness is an internal act of the Holy Spirit. So don't say you can't forgive because if the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have the power to forgive. And you must rebuilding trust and making peace is possible only if the other person is willing. Let go of resentment and Christ rest in Christ's love. Amen. That's a lot of people have gone to their graves mad or hurt behind what somebody done did to them. Let it go. Let it go. I'm yelling because it's mandatory. That hinders your growth in Christ.

SPEAKER_01 56:42

Let it go.

SPEAKER_03 56:43

Don't don't trip off of what no. If they hurt your feelings or did something foul to you, that's between them and God. Amen. Say it.

SPEAKER_05 56:53

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 56:54

That's between them and God. They're gonna pay for that.

SPEAKER_00 56:57

That's true.

SPEAKER_03 56:58

Just forgive and let it go. Boom.

SPEAKER_00 57:01

In order to say the difference between saying I can't forgive versus I'm not or I won't forgive.

SPEAKER_03 57:10

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 57:11

That's misplaced accountability and responsibility. That's gonna, I'm gonna take the sting off me. Well, I can't forgive. That's like me shifting it to you, mom. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But when I say I won't, I won't. And I'm not, that's a me thing.

SPEAKER_03 57:26

That's a me thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 57:27

It's just a shift of accountability and responsibility. It's your responsibility to hold yourself accountable for forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus. I've been guilty of that, the unforgiveness part of it. Because, man, but who are you? Yes, come on. To not forgive as you would want Christ to forgive you. So, you know, I was uh when we were in the men, and I was saying, I extend mercy, but I don't extend grace. And it brought me to tears because I was like, wow, but I but God gives it to me freely every day. Yeah, yeah. But I'm I'm gonna give, how do you not give the brother and sister? That's those two are tied together. So, okay, I'll extend mercy, but I ain't putting no grace with it. Meaning if I see you in the grocery store, I might still come after you. Yeah. You know, and that's that's that's that's demonic.

SPEAKER_04 58:23

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 58:24

That's that's that's that's that's being bound to unforgiveness. And and when it peeks out, you get you make the news. You see it every day. These people then, you're like, man, how did they harm their whole family? You know, that that we gotta be, we gotta be careful and we gotta understand, you know, for the new believers to understand that not fighting against flesh and blood, yeah, but principalities, you know, uh get get a good grip on that itself. Research that, you know, uh, this week if you got time.

SPEAKER_01 58:59

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 59:00

Because man, that that that it's a lot of things that stem off of that, you know, that that get us to what we see on the news and social media. And how you how you do home your whole family? These are these spirits that people are operating in, dignity. You know, that exactly that that we're not uh keeping an eye on, keeping a check on, you know, in our day-to-day lives, but you know, stay prayed up, y'all.

SPEAKER_05 59:29

I like to ask the question Is forgiveness complete without forgetfulness? Not forgetting. Is it complete? Is it thorough? If we forgive, should we is it right to forget? Or should we hang in the middle of forgetfulness? You forgive it. I forgave you. What have I forgotten? Like Christie When you forgive, he forgives. I'ma be honest with you.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:13

In my opinion, it is very possible to forgive, but I think it's almost humanly, humanly impossible to forget. But with that being said, you might remember what somebody did to you, but you forgave them and you ain't holding them accountable. See, if you if you don't forgive and for the forget part, I don't think it's humanly possible. But if you truly forgive them, that means and love them unconditionally, you can go on with that person.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:53

That's what I'm talking about. That's the point.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:55

And be cool with them. But you I don't think it's human be here. Yeah, I don't think it's human to me. I don't think it's humanly the possible to forget. I don't think. No, because we have a memory.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:08

We have a memory bank, and we do have uh, you know, back in our subconscious mind, things come up. That's the human part. But when you forgive, that's completeness. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? It's just like Christ back again when he died on the cross. He died for the reason to forgive us for our sins. Even though God, Almighty, all-sovereign God knew that we were gonna be slipping up and doing wrong, you know, that you know what I'm saying? We still have total forgiveness. Yeah. Total forgiveness. He don't hold nothing against us. We don't dingle dangle stuff around us, you know, and hold stuff. Uh when you forgive, that's completeness. Yeah. It's over. Yes, we're human and we have a memory bank back there. We're gonna remember. I remember when I fell and put a big hole in my. I remember that. Somebody pushed me down. I didn't know about no forgiveness and stuff, but I said, you know, I'm I'm forgiving and whatever. But it come on, but this score is here to remind me, and in the back of my head, I remember that thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:15

I just want people to think about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:17

But I still I still love them, I still play with them on the playground. I still, you know what I'm saying? Whatever, you know, like that. So yeah, forgiveness is complete because it's spiritual.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:26

Well, we're gonna have to. That was so good. We're gonna have to end it because we got another one, one more scripture.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:33

Give me one. Ephesians 6, 11. Says, put on the whole armor of God, yes, that you may be able to stand against the walls of the devil. He's after us, it's a battle. Yeah, so we have to prepare ourselves. We have to put uh clothe ourselves like a soldier. So let's get ready for the battle. Stay ready for the battle. Put on the whole armor of man.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:57

Yeah, and with that, I'm gonna add Galatians 5:1. So Christ has truly set us free.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:03

That's it.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:04

Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up into slavery to the law. And I'm gonna ask you one question. What steps can we take today to stand firm in our freedom and not give in to the bondage of slavery? Uh, ask yourself that question along with what uh Margaret said. But uh, I'm gonna close us out in prayer. Father God, I thank you. Thank you, Father God, for one more day to be able to try to get it right, Father God. I thank you for the uh the the this podcast on what has me bound or am I being held hostage? Father God, open up those listeners that they may receive the word that you give them. Not what we uh uh what we gave them, but what you receive, Father God, through the message of the podcast. Father God, I thank you, Lord, for giving us the power uh to go through the airwaves the the way that you have. And I thank you for each and every one that has listened to our voices, uh, whether it's today or next year, Father God. I thank you. Thank you, thank you for the power that you have given us, Father God, to bring forth the word. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:26

Thank you. Thank you.