What is your opinion of John 20:23 where it says if you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven, if you retain the sins of any they are retained? Dear Pat, are our silent prayers as meaningful to God as our spoken ones? Sometimes I think that ...
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Time for some questions.
Let's go for it.
It is.
Let's bring it on.
This first one comes
from Roland, Pat.
He says, what is your opinion
of John 20:23, where it says,
if you forgive the sins
of any they are forgiven.
If you retain the sins of
any, they are retained.
I think what Jesus is talking
about is we have in our hands
as Christians, the
message of forgiveness,
which is faith in Jesus Christ.
And if we give that message,
people find forgiveness.
If we withhold that
message, then those sins
remain on those people.
And also, he talks about
binding and loosening.
Whatever you loosen, earth is
loosed in heaven, and so forth.
It has to do about the
power of the church
to set limits and guidance
for the conduct of people.
This is Joyce who
says, dear Pat,
are our silent prayers as
meaningful to God as our spoken
ones?
Absolutely.
God's a spirit you.
Can commune with him in spirit.
You don't have to
be verbalizing.
God didn't need language.
He knows what's in your heart.
This is Janie who says,
hi Pat, my name's Janie,
and I'm a senior in high school.
I have been battling
with idolizing basketball
for two years.
Now I wonder if I
should just quit.
Sometimes I think
that quitting is just
running away from my problems.
Is there a way for me to follow
Christ and play basketball?
If God is really
telling me to quit
I think that I could
do it, but I know
my parents would not be happy.
I don't understand, we're
just idolizing stuff.
I did sports, football,
boxing, that kind of stuff.
It's just what you did.
But as a kid, it
isn't your faith.
Your faith is something else.
So you commit your life
to Jesus and there's
nothing in the world wrong
with playing basketball.
There's nothing in the
world wrong with being
good at basketball.
You just don't obsess on it.
And you just have to get
your head around the fact
that He'll make you good,
He'll let you be a superstar
if you've got the ability.
But don't get all hung up on it.
I mean, be concerned
about the Lord.
Put Him first.
And if you do that, then
this all will go away.
This is Stan, who says I was
saved when I was 10 years old
but got derailed spiritually
in my college years.
In my 30s after a divorce, I
reconnected with the church
but by then, I developed a habit
of drinking a six pack of beer
or a bottle of wine and
smoking a pack of cigarettes
every Friday night.
I'm 52 now and still do it.
It seems like a release I need
after a long week at work,
but I always feel
guilty the next day.
I think maybe I
continue in this habit
because I still haven't found
a wife since my divorce.
Am I kidding myself thinking
that I'm still a Christian?
Yeah, you're still a Christian.
I mean, I think you'd
be sick as a dog
if you smoked a pack of
cigarettes on a Friday night
and then drinking
a six pack of beer.
Are you out of your mind?
I mean look, this business about
I need a release, nonsense.
I mean if you need
such a release,
go ahead and run a
half a mile or a mile
or get up on some of
those machines in a gym
and work out and get a bit of
a sweat and take a cold shower.
I mean, this is nonsense.
I mean, you're kidding yourself.
So don't ask me about
it, you talk to yourself
and say listen,
I serve the Lord.
And he is my joy.
And if you read the Bible,
how can a young man cleanse
his way, the Bible says,
but taking heed there too
according to by word?
That's what it is.
By word have I hid in my
heart that I might not
sin against you.
So focus on the word, and
this other stuff is-- I mean,
it's just nonsense.
You've got a habit, and it's
a pretty weak habit at that.
Leave it aside.
And I can't see in
the Bible anything
wrong if you want a glass
of wine on Friday night.
I mean, by all
means, be my guest.
But I think you
don't have to drink
a bottle or a six pack of beer
or smoke a pack of cigarettes.
We leave you with today's
Power Minute from Psalm 29.
The Lord will give
strength to his people.
He will bless his
people with peace.