Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
Okay, so Clinton is asking, can someone answer my Bible question? Is writing OK as a professional Fiction? So I think he’s saying it’s fiction writing. Okay. As a profession. And the Mandela effect, I know I’m not from this reality, meaning this is not my world that I grew up on. So what is up?
Speaker 2
All right, two questions. I’ll start off first by answering, is writing fiction okay? And I first want to just qualify what I’m about to say with the fact that did Jesus ever say anything or sort of present fiction?
Speaker 1
I mean, there are certainly some stories and parables that he told that weren’t specific actual events that happened. It wasn’t necessarily a specific event. It was an analogy that he shared.
Speaker 2
He made up stories often and they might draw on real life scenarios, but he created object lessons, stories that people can connect with. And I think a good idea of a fictional story that he told is the story of Lazarus and the rich man that you can find in the book of Luke. And in that one, you have all of these different elements that aren’t actually biblical. And a lot of people didn’t try to think, oh, well, because Jesus had it in this parable. Therefore, let’s make a doctrine out of it. Whereas he was taking mythology from the Greeks and the Pharisees of that time and made a story of this guy called Lazarus that hasn’t happened, won’t happen. But it proves a point. So there’s not something inherently wrong with fiction. It’s more like, okay, what do you do with it? What is its effect? But let’s talk now about some guiding Bible principles, and I’m just going to read the Bible verses, and it’s up to you to be moved one way or the other about them and leave it to the Holy Spirit. So first, let’s look at Philippians four versus eight to nine versus eight to nine.
Speaker 2
And can we get that up? Hopefully, I’ll start reading. So it reads, finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are Noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report. If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things, the things which you learned and received and heard and saw me these do and God of peace will be with you. So let’s take a look at Ephesians 5:6-17. It’s a little long, but I think a lot of this is right on point. Let no one deceive you with empty words or because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
Speaker 2
But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest as light. Therefore, he says, Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See, then you walk Circumspective, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is 1 Peter 1:13 -19 Therefore Girt up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the Grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance. But as he called you is Holy. But as he who called you is Holy. You also be Holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be Holy, for I am Holy. And if you call on the Father who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, for your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb, without blemish and without spot.
Speaker 2
And John 5:30. This is an example of what Jesus says to be like. He talked about himself. He says, I buy myself can do nothing as I hear, I judge, and my righteousness is my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me. So Jesus his guide in principle. Where he decides to go, what he decides to do, he’s asking the Father, what should I do? And then first Samuel versus twelve. Maybe I got a little long. Let’s skip that one, but check out 1 Samuel 12:20-24. A beautiful statement by Samuel calling out the children of Israel, telling them it says, like verse 21, And Do not turn aside then, for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. I can understand that. If you feel like God wants you to go a different way than you are now, that could be really tough. How can I get there? And then you’re always going to feel like you’re failing or you feel like to be saved or to be successful or please God, you have to be some type of person and cut these things out, and then you force yourself to do it, and that is always going to lead to failure.
Speaker 2
That’s always going to lead to guilt and shame. There’s one way which you can overcome these things, and that’s only by God’s help, by letting God work with you and to empower you and to change your heart. So I want to end with Psalms 19, verse 14. And it reads, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. And you can also go to Lord change created me a new heart. Oh, God. I mean, that too. There’s so many verses, so many promises of how God will be the one to write his law in our heart and changes. And that’s how we can really get to the point where God wants us to be wherever that is for you.
Speaker 1
It’s beautiful. I think it’s like what you just laid out there. It’s really saying that. It’s really like, what is the purpose of what we’re doing? Is it to live according to God’s plan, or is it to undermine that? It really gets deeper than is it fiction or not? It’s a much deeper question of what is the direction of it? Where is it taking?
Speaker 2
Yes. I mean, what does God want us to be doing with our time right now? And how does God want us to be influencing the people around us? And when God comes and takes us to heaven to be with them? If you’re looking back in your life, what would you be proud you did or what would be your regrets? Like, why did I waste my time with this or that? Now is a time when we can make decisions that we can through eternity, be comfortable with and proud of and proud of in a good way.
Speaker 3
I think that’s really true. And I think that like you’re kind of saying when it comes to fiction and writing, I think it’s kind of an amoral thing in and of itself, kind of like a brick. A brick can be used to build a house or a Church. It can be used for something positive Or brick can be used to smash someone’s window. It can be used either way. And when I think of Godly fiction, I think of the book Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, which was used to glorify God and teach lessons about Salvation. And I think it can be used in a positive way. But there’s definitely a lot of fiction out there that’s just garbage, too. So that can just be a distraction. Anyway, that’s what I get out of it. I totally agree with what you’re saying. Let the words of our mouth and meditation of our heart, the words that come out on our paper and on our computers, be acceptable in God’s site. I think that’s a really good principle. Amen a second question to Clinton or what Clinton had said. Can we recap that second question?
Speaker 1
Yes. So this is regarding the Mandela effect. I know I am not from this reality, meaning this is not my world that I grew up on.
Speaker 2
So what is up that, Tina, what’s up. And what is Mandela effect?
Speaker 3
Yeah, well, let’s start with what it is. So what the Mandela effect, basically is it’s a phenomenon where a person or group of people have either a false or a distorted memory. Basically, they have a memory of something that didn’t actually happen, and not just one person, but multiple people can have the same memory. And even though they swear that this thing happened in reality, it didn’t. And the reasoning for this is there’s kind of two sides. One is that it’s like, well, we just we have faulty memories. Sometimes our minds make up things or just come up with a false memory of something for whatever reason, whether something was kind of like primed that thought into our mind, planted the seed that made our mind go in that direction. Or some people also believe that there are multiple realities, like parallel universes and where there are different realities that could be taking place at the same time. And then those just kind of cross paths. And there’s something called in quantum physics called the string theory, where this is believed to be true, where there’s multiple realities that happen. And sometimes these realities cross paths, like in this reality, this person took this path, but in this other reality, the same person took a different path.
Speaker 3
And sometimes those things cross paths. And the reason I think it’s called the Mandela effect is because back in the 1980s, we remember Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned in South Africa. Many people had a memory that he passed away in the 1980s, but in reality, he actually was released from prison and became the President of South Africa for a few years in the mid 90s. But a lot of people had this memory of for whatever reason in their mind that no, he passed away in the 1880s. And we’re not exactly sure why a lot of people had that memory. Honestly. I think probably there was just a false news report that came out that’s a very real possibility where things just looks really bad for him. And maybe people just in their mind thought, oh, he must have passed away. There’s a lot of reasons for this. Personally, I don’t believe that there’s multiple universes or parallel universes just because I believe that there’s just time is concrete. And God says, I know the end from the beginning, and so there is a concrete end and there is a concrete beginning. And so I believe that only God knows the future and God is in control of all this.
Speaker 3
I think that sometimes our minds do play tricks on us. I think there’s a lot of things to be said for that. And so I think all we can do is really live in the here and now and not try to I guess you say overthink things, but I know my friend Jay had put up some Bible verses. Actually, Jay, I’ll go ahead and have you share those, if you don’t mind, because I think they’re really good. I think they show a strong argument as far as biblically, having an understanding of the universe and the world around us, what we can actually rely on and not some theory, but something true and tested like the Bible.
Speaker 2
Wow. That’s a good way of framing these verses. So the first verse comes from Matthew 24, verses three to four. And it begins with the disciples are asking Jesus, tell us, when will these things be? And they’re talking about, when is Jerusalem going to be destroyed? And when will Jesus second coming be or the coming of his Kingdom? And Jesus answered, so the first words out of his mouth are, hey, keyed that no one deceives you. So right there, Jesus said ten times, whatever, Nathan, you need to know, number one, don’t be deceived then. Sorry. Two, Thessalonians chapter two, verse eleven, two, Thessalonians 211 says, and for this cause, God shall send them a strong delusion that they shall believe a lie. And again, talking about even the people’s world, the Church, these people are going to be greatly deceived, not just a small little bit deception. A strong delusion is going to come upon the world and a lot of people are going to be led into destruction from that.
Yeah.
Speaker 2
And then Isaiah, go ahead.
Speaker 3
I think it just gets worse and worse as time goes on, as we get closer to the end, closer to the coming of Christ.
Speaker 2
Exactly. Actually, is there even next verse to that one that says, because they love, not the truth?
Speaker 3
Yeah.
Speaker 2
I mean, people don’t love truth anymore. There’s my truth, there’s your truth. Whatever I want to believe is it as opposed to Bible saying, the only way not to be under a strong delusion is to love truth. You got to pursue it, got to make truth, whatever it is, your objective. And then finally, Isaiah 25, verse seven. This is a fascinating verse to me. And it is talking about the end of time where God comes back and gathering his people. And then it talks about this part where it says, and he will destroy on his mountain, the surface of the covering cast over all Peoples and the veil that is spread over all nations. Like right here, it’s talking about how all the world were under this veil, this cloak, and like, okay, well, what’s the significance of that? But you go elsewhere and the Apostle Paul talks about this veil that was covering, for example, the Old Testament, as the Jews would go back and read it just kind of how Moses had to wear a veil over his face because they couldn’t handle the light shining from his face. It’s kind of the same thing, like God has us cloaked and covered by this blanket because we can’t handle the truth of his presence.
Speaker 2
We can’t handle the truth of what else is out there. So I think in some ways we’re under a bit of a delusion. We’re really cut off from reality. The whole world is the whole world. We the whole world.
Speaker 3
And when I think about these verses, it really gives me a lot of assurance that I don’t have to worry about there’s an alternate universe and I could get trapped or fucked in there’s. So many fears like so many years ago, people were so afraid of aliens and all these things like what could happen. And I’m so glad that we have something we can trust as God’s word. And I think about the word, sure word of prophecy. And God says in Isaiah 46 910, it says, remember the former things of old. Remember, look back in history for I am God and there is no I am God and there is none like me. And God says he is declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. And when you look at the prophecies of Daniel revelation, I mean they were fulfilled right on time to the team, every single one of them. There is not a prophecy of the Bible that has ever failed. The prophecies of false prophets that have come up and risen.
Speaker 3
Yes, they have failed. And God says prophecies will fail. Look at one Corinthians 13. It says where there’s prophecies, they’ll fail because these are prophecies of mere men trying to enlighten or exalt themselves spiritually.
Speaker 2
There’s a couple of conditional prophecies where God promises things and they don’t happen because Israel does become evil, whatever. And says, okay, I’m going to pull back these promises I was going to give you or look at Jonah. He gave a false prophecy that within 40 days nanova would be destroyed.
Speaker 3
But there was a condition of them not repenting.
Speaker 2
Exactly.
Speaker 3
Yeah, no, I totally agree. And even you look at Nebuchadnezzar, his prophecy was delayed a year because in Daniel chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar has this dream where there’s a big tree that’s cut down and seven times pass over it until basically this tree understands that only the heavens rule. And when Daniel hears this dream and he gives King Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation, Daniel says, let my accounts will be acceptable to you, cut off your sins and stop oppressing the poor. And so it’s a year that passes that nothing happens because I believe in Aaron heated his morning. But then after a year his pride comes back up and we see the fulfillment of his humbling process. So yeah, I totally agree. God’s word is conditional, just like John 316. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever should believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. So God’s promise to each of us is there. It’s a conditional promise that we have to believe. And so if we believe in Christ and we follow him then we won’t perish and we’ll have everlasting life but this is conditional.
Speaker 3
So within God’s promises which are in essence a prophecy because they’re going to come to pass it’s either the blessing or the curse. It’s whatever we choose to be.
Speaker 2
Almost like we’re in a video game I’m talking about this meta question right of what’s reality, what’s truth but it’s almost like we’re in a video game where God is pre programmed things where if you obey him a listed to him you’re going to get these outcomes whereas if you go this other path you’re going to have a bad boss on the other side that you’re going to encounter. That’s how it is.
Speaker 3
That’s how God made it and so we have a certain level of ability here to make decisions that will affect the outcome definitely and that’s another thing that makes me so excited about the future that God has for us because he says we have 1000 years to rule and reign with Christ and I really believe in that thousand years when we first go to be with Jesus that we’ll be able to see kind of the behind the scenes like why some people were in heaven and why some people weren’t and we’ll get to almost like play back a video and look at the reasons why some people chose to accept or why they did it and we’ll see that God is just and we’ll see that God is fair in all his judgment and all that he’s right to judge.
Speaker 2
That is the truth.
Speaker 3
I think that’s the next world I want to be in that’s the reality I want to plant I feed on and stand firm and I hope that is for you to Clinton I pray that we see you in heaven in the near future by God’s Grace yes with that.
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