STACE – Episode 2001
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Welcome to the all-new STACE show! Before we jump in, it’s time to LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW! So BOOM, hit the LIKE button, SHARE this to your social media, and FOLLOW our Rumble Channel at Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. For all links, blogs, transcripts and more, just go to our website – TheGCMedia.com, that’s TheGCMedia.com.
And now, without further ado, let’s go to…
The TOP of the STACK:
More than anything else, I wanna say this. GCM has gone through many changes over the years, you know – video series, blogs, podcasts, changes to the website, changes to the name of the show, etc. Here’s what never changes: our purpose for being here. I’m talking about the core of GCM, the core of this show, and the core of Christianity itself.
Let me lay that out for you. If you are a Christian, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. That means the Great Commission He gave His disciples is for YOU. What is the Great Commission? I’m glad you asked that question! It is a command Jesus gave us, an instruction, a duty, and a calling.
To do what? Glad you asked that! To take the Gospel – the Good News of Christ – into ALL the world. What does that mean? Good question! It means we’re supposed to be spreading the Gospel into EVERY PART of this world. Notice that. Jesus said take it with you everywhere you go, tell it, proclaim it. He said “into ALL the world.” All.
Do you know what all means? It means ALL. In this context, it means everywhere. Does that mean in every country? Yes. Does it mean every city? Yes. Every neighborhood? Yes. What about schools? Yes. How about city council meetings? Yes. Wait, even into the political arena? Yes! What is it about these words ALL and EVERYWHERE that you don’t understand? There is no place in the world where we shouldn’t proclaim the Gospel.
We’ve forgotten our calling. Or at least, we’ve underestimated its scope. We’ve allowed the world to condition us to think that we shouldn’t take our faith into government, our schools, or even our workplace. That’s nuts! The Great Commission is clear, and it is not meant to be limited. All means all, and we need to boldly go everywhere with Jesus.
What about separation of church and state? You knew that’s where this was headed, right? You hear people throw that out there all the time. News flash: There is absolutely zero mention of “separation of church and state” anywhere in our founding documents. None. Nada. Nil.
You mean it’s not in the Constitution? Nope. The declaration of independence? No, not there either. Well it’s gotta be somewhere! Yeah, ya know where that phrase was mentioned? In a letter, okay, in a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut.
What was the context? THAT is an excellent question. On January 1, 1802, Jefferson wrote a letter in response to the Baptists who had written him. They had expressed concerns about religious freedom in their state, where the Congregationalist Church was still legally established, and they felt their religious liberties were tenuous “favors granted” rather than inalienable rights. Jefferson’s reply reassured them of his commitment to religious liberty, stating:
”I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”
This phrase has since become a key metaphor in American legal and political discussions regarding the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, the intent was to protect religious liberties from being interfered with by the state (or the government).
The founders knew if people were to think their freedom to worship God was somehow granted by the government, they would also have to fear the government could take it away. They also knew the Bible was chock-full of great teachings, and most of them believed it should be taught in schools. They saw no conflict, as many politicians seem to today.
Even today’s leftist media seems to be Constitutionally illiterate because they don’t realize that our founding docs say that all our freedoms are God-given. Our rights don’t come from government – they come from God. Just as it states in our Declaration of Independence…
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
So yeah, let’s set the record straight. Our rights and freedoms come from God, not government. Government can try to take them away, but they can’t legally do it. And separation of church and state, though not found in any founding document, was a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson to emphasize that the government has no business messing with our religious liberties. Period. That’s it. The end.
So again, let me repeat. Jesus commanded us, His followers, to go into ALL the world with the Gospel message. Everywhere. And even if that were against man’s law, it would still be our duty because God’s law and His commands transcend all others. What’s our duty? To take Jesus and His teachings where? Everywhere. Into ALL the world, and yes, into ALL aspects of our lives.
Having said all that, let me say this, and I hope you will proclaim this along with me: The spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the good news, to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone and in every place. Every morning when you wake up, say that over yourself, over your day, and over your life. Live out the Great Commission every day, for the glory of God.
Next up, we’ve got a musical spotlight for ya, featuring Christian singer/songwriter/performing artist Brandon Lake. But just before that – speaking of Christian music – I wanna remind you to check out our internet radio station, Kingdom Radio.
That’s right. 24/7, you can hear Christian songs absolutely free with zero commercials, available even now as I speak. Just pick a way to listen that’s easiest for you. Oh, let me count the ways…
- Go to TheGCMedia.com/radio and click the LISTEN button.
- In your browser, go directly to kingdom.radio12345.com and hit PLAY.
- Download the Listen2myRadio app to your Android, iPhone, or other wireless device. Open the app, hit the SEARCH button and type in the word Kingdom. This will take you to the station, and you can save it as a favorite for easy return.
Any way you tune in, take Kingdom Radio with you everywhere. Praise God in your car, at the office, the dog park, wherever! Godly encouragement is only a few taps away. Kingdom Radio… Your ears will thank you!
Musical Spotlight:
You probably know that Brandon Lake is one of the most popular Christian artists right now. He’s well-known for songs like That’s Who I Praise, Count ‘Em, Too Good to Not Believe, Holy, Hard Fought Hallelujah, and more.
In this interview excerpt, Brandon reveals that one of his favorite songs he recorded is also one that almost didn’t make it onto his record. Check it…
[clip – Brandon Lake talks Gratitude]
LOOKING AHEAD:
In the coming weeks as we continue the new show, we’ll add various segments and try to keep it fresh for you. I will still, at times, talk about current events – yes, including the political stuff. As always, keeping a biblical perspective is the goal. If I goof up along the way, that’s why the show is now named after me, so you’ll know who to blame.
If you haven’t already done so LIKE, SHARE, and FOLLOW now! Hit that LIKE button, SHARE this to your social media, and FOLLOW our Rumble Channel at Rumble.com/GCM, that’s Rumble.com/GCM. All links, blogs, transcripts and more can be found on our website – TheGCMedia.com, that’s TheGCMedia.com.
Until next time, God bless.
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We Are Great Commission Media 