Welcome to the God's Goodness podcast where our mission is to encourage and highlight God's
Goodness and modern-day miracles. We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hankins. Today we have
with us a first time for something. Before we get into that, I want to thank you for tuning in.
We want to thank our longtime listeners for supporting us and sharing the podcast. We ask
that you share it with a friend so it's encouragement for others. And with us today,
it's our first time having three guests at once. So we're going to see how the Holy Spirit leads
this whole thing. They are in a band called Tri-State Worship. You've heard from two of the
members before. We have Ben Akers and we have Anthony Brown, but then we have the third member
of their band. We have Carl Jamison with us as well. And we're going to have Carl open us up
with an opening prayer because he hasn't gotten to yet. And then we will get into it. So thank you.
Alright, sounds great. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time for us to get together
in your name. And we pray that you anoint this podcast and you keep it fun here. And your name,
we pray, Amen. Jesus. Amen. Thank you, Jesus. So thank you for being with us. And we're just
going to have you start it off wherever it makes sense. We're going to be talking about God's
goodness, modern day miracles. And how does Tri-State fit into this? Yeah, it is a miracle. It's
definitely a miracle that we are formed. That God's all fit to just, you know, just take a couple
of three great abosos and put them together and do his work. So that in and of itself is a miracle
that we are formed as that band. And all three of us, we have different backgrounds and walks of
life, but we do share the same common thread of that we believe in Jesus and that we just want to
lift him up wherever God opens the door, we go. So worship is important because it opens the door,
it changes the atmosphere and invites the miracles. You know, honestly, I was thinking I was
reflecting on it before and worship is important to me because it's easier to sing praise to God
than it is for me to say praise to God. Right? When I'm thinking, Oh, praise God, it feels awkward,
but when I'm singing it, it feels right. Yeah. And so I don't know if there's something to do with
that or God has his plans. And so there may be something he built into us that is for singing
praise to him. And worship is a great outlet for that. We're singing in worship is a great outlet
for that. He created us as musical creatures, you know, I feel like and even though the word says,
you know, make a joyful noise, just the fact that we we have that kind of built into our DNA,
that we like music and we like noises, we like sounds and frequencies and vibrations. And so,
yeah, I mean, that is definitely that's a good point for sure. Some people are more musically inclined.
Yes, some of us are gongs. That's me. I've always I've always stick to the drums because I
could never get any other instrument to work for. Or be going something to say to. I believe she
too likes drums. Right. Yeah. So how did you guys meet? I mean, because we know you know your
backgrounds and it seems very interesting how from where you started and the life that you
led and the trials that you faced, so uniquely different from each other that how did you guys
meet in the center? How did Jesus pull you to that point? So, okay, so Ben and I met on the back
of a garbage truck. Yeah. So we we we we and I you know, I worked for the city of Weirton in
West Virginia. I was working there before Ben and then Ben got hired. I don't know who was clean up
or what, but he needed a job. So he applied the you know, getting hired. And I was the guy that
got lost his job because he came to work drunk or something or was drinking a 40. Yeah, there was
a guy that lost his job and basically replaced him. Now it wasn't Ben that lost. I took the guy
took the place. Yeah. But yeah, that's basically how we met. And then there was a usually like 30
to 40 minute ride back with the landfill and him and I do nothing but do talk. So so and our
driver, you know, he just drove. So we just we just talked and I don't know we just came up. I
don't even know how the conversation started, but we just started talking about church and music
and the Holy Spirit just took over and I found out that he played guitar and he did what he does.
And then he found out that I played drums and at the time I was actually playing drums with my
outcasts. Yeah, it was the outcast ministry. Actually, my mom was the was the lead to play
piano and my dad ran our sound and that was kind of how it fit in that he played with us for a
little bit, you know, and then yeah, then eventually he just got to let him somewhere else. And
I don't know, eventually we just it was funny about that. It's after because he got a better job.
He left and I was still in the garbage truck for a little while after he got a better job. Yeah,
he got something better and I was stuck where I was at. But I thought him and I would like lose
contact. But we yeah, we kept in touch. I had his number. He had my number and we just yeah,
we just kept in touch. We played at churches together. But you know, before obviously before
Christ, it was formed fully formed. You know, we played at churches together, worship together.
And yeah, I don't know just even when we weren't doing that, we still just remain friends. You
know, every once in a while we'd hang out and stuff and just chill. And then yeah, then I don't
God, I don't point at us in this direction, you know, he's seen the worst in me. I've seen the
worst in him. You know, I was there. I was there with him, you know, there was divorce and it was
just, you know, we just know each other on such I'd say an intimate level almost, you know,
because he always asked me for money. And so that's our story. So so where's where's Carl,
how do you fit into this? Like, how did you meet these jokers? Well, I met Ben at a summer job.
There's a Christian camp up at the top of the Laurel Highlands up at the top of the mountain,
Jamonville. And it's in a small town called Hop, which is outside of Union Town. So we met at
this camp. I was working there as for a summer job in I got booked to play. Yes, in Ben got booked
to play there for the worship for for about the whole summer. I mean, every once in a while, we
would have we would have another guest or something. But for the most part, Ben would be leading worship.
And I decided to play alongside him. I originally started off on keys that I brought my base in.
Actually, I think it was when I met Sonny. Yeah, I think so. And that was the only time that he ever
played drums there. And I was probably really unfortunately that summer kid thing. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I was
remember that. You remember that chapel that's yeah, it's like kind of if you would get covered there.
You know, the acoustics were the acoustics are the acoustics were phenomenal in that building.
The biggest drummer problem is everyone complains about it's too loud. Well, too bad. Unfortunately,
that's that's what I would say. Yeah, I was I was used to that, honestly. I mean, too bad. You
know, that was the first time that I met. That's crazy. Yeah. I mean, if you've been to a concert,
then you'll that'll be nothing to you to be honest. Yeah, right. But to get back to the point. Yeah,
that's how we met. I started playing on bass and then Ben and I started getting closer. We kept in
touch and then I went to his his basement where he had a little studio. We did a little bit of
rehearsing and in a little bit of recording, a little jam session. And then we started playing
gigs and another together at Jermonville. And then we got other venues that we started playing at
and God would open up different doors and who came up with the name? Well, that was I think it was
like all of us. All of us. I have a little I have a revelation about that, though. So when it comes
to the name, so for the longest time, you know, because I we me and me and Anthony both were
signed with LBM. And at the time, it was a season. But then when when God closed that door for me,
it was kind of like I was plunged into this not darkness, but this this season of, you know,
God wanting me to focus on family and other things. So during that time, God spoke to me,
he said, you know, Ben, and I love you. And I guess I've given you a gift. But
you're taking that gift and you're almost like you're elevating your elevating yourself, but in my
name. And that really shook me to my core because I had to repent. I said, God, I don't want to do
that, you know. And so my eyes were opened. And so God said, no more is it going to be Ben Acre's
music? But I've given you a drummer and I've given you a bass player and the three of you
are going to come together in unison and unity and do my work. And no longer are you going to be
Ben Acre's music because he's from Anthony is from West Virginia, you know, I'm from Island,
Ohio, and then Carl's and PA. So just fit tri-state worship. And so that was kind of like the end of
Ben Acre's music in the beginning of something new that God's doing. And since then, we've played
a handful of shows, different churches and things like that. Miracle services, venues.
They're on Facebook if anyone wants to see them. The God's Goodness podcast page.
If you want to see what they look like and what they sound like too.
Yes. You mentioned that God closed the door on that for you. But I remember the interview
and it doesn't sound like God closed any doors that you could have still done, Elbe. And it's
said he asked you and the more important thing is you had the courage to be obedient.
Yes. And I think that is the more important. And I just wanted to express that to the viewer.
It wasn't just that God is closing doors, but he's asking you to close some of them on your own.
Right? Because he has better things for you. He has a better plan and not to harm you, not to hurt
you, but to give you life and to give you life abundantly. And if you have the courage, like
if you give us a spirit of boldness, if you have the courage to step out in obedience,
you can seize what he is giving you. Yes. That is so perfect because when the enemy,
the enemy doesn't come at you with a spirit of conviction, but the enemy comes at you with a
spirit of condemnation. The enemy says, you know, look what you've done. You're a terrible person.
You should just kill yourself. You know, that's the enemy. But when God, when the Holy Spirit
opens your eyes to something that's going on that might not be right or it might be leading you down
a path that's not in line with what the Holy Spirit wants for you, then it's not out of that out of
that spirit of condemnation. It's it's a gentle tug. It's like, it's like, hey, my son or my daughter,
you know, I love you, but there's some things that you need to change. You need to repent.
This is that it's not the end of the world. You know, just be obedient. I love you. You know,
I'm just showing you some things and it's not like it's, you know, oh, you're a hateful, spiteful
person. How could God love you? That's the enemy. So I knew, I knew that it wasn't the enemy. I knew
it was God because it was that gentle tug. It was that, hey, I'm pulling you away. If you'll let me,
if you just be obedient, you let me just like a pulling the reins in a horse. Just a little kind
of, he's not like cranking it, you know, like he's trying to stop the horse on a dime. Yeah,
a little nut because in the end, he doesn't want to hurt us. He knows that peeling the layers off
all at once, although beneficial for us, is not healthy for us because it would break us so
completely to be hurt so much so fast. And some things, you know, some things did happen at home
with when I was signed with LBM. So it wasn't necessarily the record label. It was just,
I wasn't like, like we talked about in my podcast, it wasn't that I was not, I was not just couldn't
handle it. It was a responsibility. It was temptation. And so that was God. It was not that it was
the label and God pulled me away from the label for a time. So I don't necessarily have to sign
with a record label on an artist contract. But that doesn't mean that once I get priorities right,
that, you know, maybe a distro deal or something in the future couldn't open up. And so right now,
like there are talks right now with LBM, not as to go back as an artist, but as to maybe get on some
sort of a lower level distro deal, something like that. So God's opening doors, but he's closing the
ones that he knows for a fact that should not be open. And so that's where it's very easy to
distinguish like, is this the enemy or is this God? Because if it's the enemy, then you know,
it's coming out of a hateful, spiteful attitude. But if it's God, it's coming out of a gentle
nudge. It's like, Hey, you know, I see you. I love you. But, but you know, so very true. What is the
the goal for tri-state worship? Is there like something that you like you want to be like
the go to band for the tri-state area? Do you want to do you want to have, you know,
is there like somewhere in there that you want to be able to bring the word in a larger venue?
Like or by through worship? Like, I mean, is there are there songs you're developing that
that you think are going to bring praise to God? Like, so I feel like, I mean, and these two guys
here to my left and right, I feel like they'd agree. But in my personal goal, what I would like to see
is what the Father would like to see. So as long as it's going in a direction that God is above it
and in the center of it, then then I'm at peace. But if it ever starts going in a place where,
you know, it's starting to look like the other side's coming in, then we need to stop. So wherever
God leads, like if it's bigger venues, it's bigger venues. If it's smaller locations,
it's smaller locations, because God is going to the people that need to be at each of, you know,
wherever we play, they're there for a reason. And God is going to use us. We're tools in God's toolbox.
So God, God has gifted each one of us with different gifts. And so we could use them separately.
Right. Because why does God need two 10 millimeter wrenches?
Yeah, right. Exactly. Yeah. That's a good one. Yeah. So why do I need three of these? I need one.
And we just need to be obedient and go to the places that He opens the doors. A lot of that falls on
us too, because, you know, you can't exactly, you don't know. And so you do some fishing.
Just sit in the corner and wait. Yeah. So yes, there is an element of me reaching out to
different venues and different churches in different places and trying to secure those places.
But if I cast my net, then the fish that are caught are the ones that God says go. The fish
that get away or it doesn't, you know what I mean? I like to think that it's not up to me. No, it's
not. If that's His glorious burden, it's only up to me to tell you that it's a way for you to talk
to Him. Yes. That you can bring. If you think that He's wrong, tell Him not me. What if I'm wrong?
What if I'm the idiot? You talk to Him. This is what I want. I want you to talk to the Father
directly because of the blood of Jesus. Yes. And right now what we're praying for is we're praying
that we can, you know, get a couple churches that would allow us to come in this year and do, you
know, a tour called You're Not a Mistake tour because that, you know, a lot of people, like,
they have really messed up lives because they don't know Christ or, you know, for whatever.
They do know Christ. They have a hard time reconciling that about themselves.
Yes. And the enemy has a nasty way of coming in and feeding us lies. How many times do we need,
do we hear the same lie before we believe it? Right. And so a lot of us, you know, we start to
believe that I'm not worthy, that I'm not, you know, that maybe I'm a mistake. The suicidal
thoughts. How could God love me? How could God love me? Look what I did. I did 15 years in prison
for this or for that. So we feed into those lies. But, you know, the truth is, is that you're not
a mistake. The truth is, is that you were wonderfully, fearfully made. And part of these
churches that we're reaching out to, I'm trying to explain that to the staff, you know, saying,
you know, hey, this is what we do. We come in, we speak the truth. Our audience is,
is the drug addict. Our audience is the captive. Our audience, our audience is the,
is the broken, the lost, you know, the healthy don't go to hospitals. Right. That's our audience.
And that's who we want. That's who we're trying to attract because, you know, we're trying to show
them the love of God, the goodness of God. And so we're not so interested in, you know, perfect
religion. I mean, sure, if somebody shows up to one of, you know, the events and, you know,
get saved and they're of a kind of a saint background, praise God, you know, any soul is great.
Any soul saved is great. But it's that population that tend to feed into the lies, you know, from
the enemy that we're really after because that, yes. Yeah, we're not the broken, you know, the
broken places Isaiah, you know, says, you know, the Lord binds up the broken hearted. And so
that really is our population that we're targeting. And so ministries like celebrate recovery,
you know, things like that, we're trying to, I don't want to use the word partner with because
that's suggestive of like a long term thing. But, you know, we want to worship alongside with
those ministries. We want to come alongside and whether it's for a season or if it's just for a
Friday night, somebody that's broken, somebody that has been down the road of maybe I'm going to kill
myself or has been down the road of let me inject myself with heroin, somebody in that population
is almost guaranteed to show up. And then when they hear the word, you know, when they hear the truth
and the worship and that's what it's all about for me. I don't want any of the glory. I don't. I
want to just be the willing vessel, the humble willing vessel that God is going to use to get
those people to the places that God wants them to be to show them that this is this active life
of drug use this, this, you know, you did 15 years, this is not your failures are not going to define
you. This is not who you are. This is not your identity in Christ, right? And so a lot of times,
you know, the old saying, you know, sometimes the word of God is preached better through,
through worship, you know, and so worship just does something. It just splits the atmosphere,
you know, and so worship is very powerful. And I feel like it's, it's very easy to not easy, but
it's just very it's something that when you if you get a room full of drug addicts that are
hungry to change, you know, and then worship breaks out. I mean, boom, it's like something.
God created us as spiritual creatures created in his image, spiritual creatures needing a
relationship. Yes. Right. Because when he created us, you know, as unimportant as you think you are,
he could not imagine heaven without you. Right. He's like a kid on Christmas morning waiting
for you to come home. Like, can you imagine that the God of the universe, the king of everything,
made you with the intent of spending eternity with you could not wait to spend eternity with you.
The word says he's jealous for us, you know, like how important you think you are like,
I'm faulty and I'm frail as a man, I will never let my son die for another person if it's up to me.
Right. If he decides to sacrifice himself, that's on him, I'll be upset. Right. But that will never
be a choice I made. He loved us so much while we were still sinning, he said, his only son for us.
That's something I wouldn't I would be incapable of doing. Right. If he asked me to do it, I'd be
like, Oh, God, don't Abraham me, man. This is not cool. Like, I don't know if I could do that.
Like, you know, and yeah, and it's tough. And I know God knows what our limitations are. Right.
He knew it was going to pass. Abraham just needed to know Abraham was going to pass.
Yeah. Right. Yeah. But yeah, that's that's our vision. That's that's where we're at as a band,
as as a band for God, you know, for Jesus. That's, you know, we're not we're not trying to
make billboards and things like that. We're trying to make the billboard of Jesus. That's all we're
trying to do. We're trying to use our gifts that God's given each of us to come together as one
unit to do the Father's will. And so what do you all do for our audiences so they get refreshed?
What do you all do for a living outside of worshiping Jesus? Like, what do you do to earn the money?
No, I guess I'll go first. I know I I we're going to steal distribution center. So just I cut steel,
basically. Perfect. I have my own business where I own a package delivery route. I used to do road
side assistance for a little while. That contract fell through. But now I'm pretty steady with
package delivery and it's 1099 contract work, but it's fulfilling and it's not as dangerous work
outside of the road. Yeah. So yeah. I'm also an independent contractor in a business. I tune,
repair pianos and yes, I do technically work with steel. I do pull and push steel and the
tension to the tension that it needs to be at. But he does the piano at our church too. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. That's one that I that's one that that's my that's my monthly. Yeah. So I was gonna
say your nemesis is what you're about to say. Yeah. My orchid. Don't strike the key so hard,
Barbara. That's like a tune this every week. What is it a 1970 something's done for?
Oh, it's a Steinway. It's only the main Steinway. And I'm the only one here that actually has a
like a regular nine to five. I need to get on. I need to figure out what I would do. I get my
eye. So you know, honestly, I brought up for a reason is to illustrate that not a single one of
you is doing anything that somebody would expect that would bring glory and worship to God through
song. Right. And so I would encourage people that he doesn't matter where you are. It matters what
you do with the calling God is placed on you. Amen. Yeah. That's good. That's it, brother. That's
it. I like that. Let me look at Peter. You know, he was a fisherman of all things and Jesus called
him in. Matthew was a tax collector. You know, I mean, Jesus wasn't out here targeting, you know,
the religious and the Pharisees. And you know, it was it was the scum of the earth. It was but
but I mean, Peter wasn't that smart. And we know this because well, we know this because he didn't
stay in school to be to become a rabbi. Right. Right. We know that if he became a fisherman to
follow his family's trade, which was again, not the most desirable job to have, that he failed
out of school at some point that he did not get the Torah. He didn't get he couldn't memorize.
He couldn't get it. There's something he was kind of a I'm not going to say he's an imbecile,
but he's like somebody who didn't study the word. Right. So he wasn't he wasn't chosen by man. Yeah.
But God chose him. Yeah. So even though he wasn't in the word as much as you thought, even though
you're not in the word as much as you think you ought to be, that doesn't mean God is not going
to choose you. Right. And so you better you better get in the word sooner after that so that you
could at least discern that that's him. Yeah. Right. That's true. And I liken that to like if
Jesus walked the earth now instead of back when he did, he would have chose the HVAC guys. He would
have chose the blue collar workers, the, you know, the steel workers and the coal miners and the,
you know, the self employed and he would have sat with the politician that you don't that you don't
like. Whatever side of the fence you're on there is and whatever side don't care. You sat with that
guy or that woman. He wouldn't have been a pastor's, you know, he would not have cared at all that
you would have called him names for sitting at the table with the person you vehemently hate.
He's looking for that willing heart and you guys are willing and you're going and then you're seeing
things. So what kinds of things have you seen in your journeys through these churches, miracle
services? Like you've seen God move. I felt God move. Like when they were doing that miracle
service with the Dili Se and Justin Buckles, they were episode one in season two. So listen to that
and you won't expect that story. But when they were praying over people, I would get the Holy
Spirit would fill me up. There was so much Holy Spirit in the room. I would get tears and then
they would go and then the next person would come up and I just get tears each time somebody was
getting healed and it was just so powerful. Yes. When the Holy Spirit goes through her, she's like a
she's like a Capri Sun. She's like a sleek and like you're squeezing it too hard. It's immediately.
If I look over, she's tearing like, I know. I already know. I don't have to ask. I know.
I'm so glad you went there because I'm the same. I feel the same way. Like as somebody who's, you
know, single handedly been to that miracle, led worship at that miracle service and revival service,
I mean, spiritual chains of darkness are just breaking off of people left and right. And so
there was a time where I was even healed because at one of the services, it was in Greensburg.
I had an issue with my stomach to where I had bloody stool. And so, you know, he was calling
people for saying, you know, if you need a miracle, come up now. It was after he gave his testimony
and preached and so people were lining up and I was on the guitar, you know, just kind of playing
lightly in the background and I kept hearing God telling me to go get your healing. So I put the
guitar down and walked up to him. Just he's like, what's up? What do you need, brother? I call if
you walk down with it, kept strumming as you did it. I'm not going to take you. I'm just saying.
And five was in the audience. I've been like, that guy, that's awesome. And it's kind of
embarrassing, right? And it was a little embarrassing, but, you know, I had to be obedient. So I took
the guitar off and I walked up to Justin and I told him, you know, I said, yeah, this is what's
going on. And he healed and he put his hand on my stomach and you begin to just cast it out. And
to this day, I have not had that problem. So I mean, I single handedly have witnessed it. I've
seen it. So it's a privilege. It's an honor to
be like a GI bleed. No. Well, here's my thing. If I happen to win tickets to
casting crowns or something, which I'm not even like, I don't, I don't want to say I'm not a
fan of casting crowns, but like, you know, it's not a band I listen to on the regular. But if I
was to win tickets to some big name band like that, but then on the same night, like if I had a
decision to make, like if Justin and Delice was preaching and they were doing a miracle service
and it was on a Saturday night, but Mercy Me was coming and it was on a Saturday night,
I would go with Justin and Delice because the not saying that the spirit of God isn't in those
concerts, but I'm saying because of what I've already, it's different. It's different. It's
be a part of what I've already witnessed and what I know happens at those services far beyond any
comparison outweighs anything that could go on at a Mercy Me concert. Like I would rather be in
the, in the direct spiritual presence of God than to be in the nosebleed section around the lawn
seats. That's because many are called but fewer chosen. Right. Yeah. Right. Just that's my heart.
I would rather be in the physical direct presence of God than in a lawn seat at a Mercy Me concert
where, you know, I may or may not get to see anything meaningful going on, you know, so
just sing it. Just sing it, you know, and that's just my two sets, my heart. That's where I would
rather be. You know what I mean? What about you, Anthony? Where do you see like what's your heart
for the band? Like he said, correct him if he's wrong. Yeah, no, no, I mean, I mean, I think,
I think band kind of touched on most, most like all the good, the points because, you know,
the one thing I want to say is that we're, you know, we're, you know, we're not religious people,
put it to speak, we're just followers of Christ because I mean, there's a big difference in that,
you know what I mean? Because I mean, I go to, I mean, obviously I go to a church that's, you
know, denominational, you know, they got their rules and bylaws and stuff, but, but he still
preaches, you know, from the word of God, you know what I mean? Like he doesn't preach church of God,
he preaches, you know, that, hey, I'm, you know, we're disciples, we're not just, hey, we're,
we're religious people, you know, but that's why I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to, you know,
be a part of it because I'm, because it's, you know, it's kind of like we're one of the same,
you know what I mean? Because I've never really been religious, so to speak. I mean, we have
our like traditions and stuff, but like I have, I don't, I don't really, I don't really care about
all that. I care about just following Christ. What, what does it mean? Right, no, obviously,
religion gets in the way of the relationship. That's where I'm going to quote, relationship,
right? Religion, I think, is a means to try to control people to believe the way you believe,
but relationship is, is God explaining to you that you just have to believe not in any special way.
Right, exactly. Exactly. Just know that I am God and that's, that's it. There's no magic to
it. There's no words to it. There's no ceremony you have to do. Yeah. Quite literally, accept my
son and his sacrifice for you. Believe that I raised him further dead. Acknowledge it with your
lips and you will be saved. Be born again. Period. Period. You're done. What do you tell Nicodemus?
He said, you must be born again. Right. You know, to believe and know that I am God and that,
you know, I'm in control. When God was making a covenant with Abraham and Abraham setting up all
the sacrifices to walk through, God put him to sleep and he walked it for the covenant because
he knew Abraham would break the covenant. He knew that man would fail. So God did the ceremony
because he knew he would never fail us. Right. Yep. That's right. Yeah. I think Ben touched on a lot
of things that, that we're looking for. I mean, I would say my viewpoint in this band is let's just
see where the Lord takes us. That's about where, that's, I'd say that's about where I would stand.
I mean, I would say you're up for the adventure. In your mind, in any aspect of life, I mean,
you kind of just, you want to live completely spontaneous, but you want to, you want to just
be mindful of where the Lord really wants you. And you want to just live in a way that
maybe there's a plan that you weren't aware of and don't anticipate so much. Don't really,
don't, I guess, don't worry about it too much. Just see where it takes you. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Couldn't agree more. Never worry about it. I got this vision of like, yeah, that's beautiful.
I just got this vision of like, God's extending his hand out, you know, and we don't know where
he's taking us. We don't know what's behind door number one or door number two, but we know
that wherever he's taking us, we're going to be safe. We're going to be provided for,
you know, so it's kind of like, we just put our hand back in, we just put our hand in his
like children, like children and we say, my children, God, trusting their parent, taking us
blindly wherever you're leading up a cliff. I have no idea, but I trust you completely.
Yeah. Like my daughter, she's 13. Well, no, she's, wow, she's 14 now.
Don't, don't, don't listen to this. Oh, she's 14. But you know what? If I said, honey, get in the
car, we got to go somewhere. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that I'm not taking her somewhere
where her life is going to be in danger. Right. You're not, there's no harm in your intense.
None of them. She gets ready and she goes. And so, you know, now I don't do that. I tell her,
like, where we're going. But I'm saying, if I know for a fact, like that if I was to be like, hey,
honey, like if something happened, like an emergency, you know, we had to leave quick. If I just said,
you know, hey, honey, get in the car, we got to go. She wouldn't question it. She just be like,
all right, say that about our son. He needs a 78 age dissertation with references of life.
And then he'll tell you if he wants to go or not. And then he'll decide and then he has to debate
this for himself with an internal monologue that literally just puts them on pause. That's,
that's a little back and forth. That's literally my eight year old. He thinks that he's like,
35 or something. It doesn't matter. He's in the car. Nope.
You ever go like, I just don't trust you. It was the same way with my dad growing up and my mom and
dad. But if I said no, then there was consequences. Right. You know, the difference, I think between
the Christian life with the children and living without it, because my parents were not Christian,
is that it was a fear response. I obeyed out of fear. Now I obey out of love. Right. There's such a
difference. You know, and that's why I think that I'm sorry, go ahead. I've put you on twice now.
I don't know. You're good. You could not. I was just thinking because the way you said that is
actually crazy because so my parents have adopted four girls, you know, and, and they, well,
they're different than raising boys. Obviously, I was the only boy basically growing up.
And literally the same thing. Well, what I'm saying is my dad was trying to raise.
I know I have daughters. I was just teasing me to make him comfortable.
No, no. So my dad was trying to raise them the way that he raised me, but it's like,
I'm different because, you know, my dad, I'll yell at me or get up to like, he never hit me or
anything physical with me. But I never even the chance to because I was too afraid. I was too afraid.
I was too afraid to stop it. See me. I obeyed him out of the field. They get fueled in really.
I think there was one time I raised my hand to my mom and I didn't do it again.
Wake up a couple of days later looking for your eye in the yard.
Yeah. See, I was too afraid to even attempt that because my dad, if you've met my dad, well,
I should say in his younger days, he was very intimidating. You know what I mean? And it was
one of those things where I just, I didn't want to know what would happen if I didn't obey him.
You know, the belt was coming out of those hoops really quite.
My generation is the find out generation. I learned everything the hard way.
I even invented a yo-yo trick called flirting with death where I stood in the arm of the couch
and my dad slept on it and just zipped it down and tried not to hit him.
Knowing full well if he woke up, I was going to get yeeted far.
Yeah. Yeah. I would have been yeeted in the future because that's when I would have woke up.
Yeah, right, right. You were like, I got a beard now.
You know, that one part reminded me when you're, you give your hand to the Holy Spirit, those videos,
they were on TikTok and the summoner, they'll lift their hand in the video and then it's like,
wait, wait. Okay, now. And then it's like, they go a little crazy that the Holy Spirit's
naked on a wild ride. Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. You know, I feel like that's us, you know,
God extends the plan. He says, look, you know, here's my plan for you. He may not reveal
everything all at once, but we get bits and pieces. Yeah, you have to take that first step
to see the next step. Yes. In the present, not the future, but in the present, we get little bits
and pieces, little sneak peeks of what's, what could be to come if you just obey and just be
obedient to what the Father has for us, you know, and it's like, he doesn't give the whole show away,
but he might give you a 30 second teaser, you know, and that's our intuition.
And it's enough to get you excited. Yes. And when you beat yourself up and when you get discouraged,
you have to remember that God factored that in. Remember, he sees everything
right now, yesterday and tomorrow. Yeah. Right. So he knew, he knew. So you're not messing anything
up. You're not messing up his plane. You can't. It is that is, that is a sin from the devil to
have the pride to think that you can mess up God's plan. Right. You need to get that out of your
head. So, you know, when we're talking about how the metrics of the podcast are a little bit lower
this season, that there's like a spiritual attack, like it's, it's part of the ride. This is it.
Hey, God factors in, he calls you to do this. Do you think he's going to let it go to zero? Absolutely
not. Maybe he's testing your faith to, you know what I mean? Every, every step of the way. And again,
he doesn't do it for, for his sake. He already knows we've got an A or B on the test. He already
knows. He gives us a test that we know where we stand. Right. Right. And we know where we need
to correct and we know where we need to grow. Yep. And when Paul was in the prison, it was like,
he's still worshiped, even though he was at the lowest point, you know, shackled up and, you know,
Paul, Paul could have very well said this. He could have said, you know what, God,
this is where I do all this in your name. I follow you and this is what you have for me.
He could have cursed God, but instead he praised him. What happened? She had to have been sarcastic.
I don't know. Well, at least I wasn't like stoned to death. Like,
guys, I was persecuting. So I guess I got a good. Thanks, Lord. Yeah. Right. Right. I don't know
what vendetta you had against Steven, but thanks for not stoning me. I appreciate you looking out
this time. Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, it's just that needs to be our attitude and attitude of
gratitude at all times because, like I said, Paul was in the prison. He could have chose to curse.
But instead he praised Joe. Job could have chosen to curse. Oh, yeah. If anybody had any reason,
any like work, a legitimate gripe. Yeah. Yeah. Because the world perspective. Yeah. From our,
from the world's perspective, Joe definitely had every right in the book. He was a textbook
definition of if I'm going to be able to, he had that, he had the t-shirt, you know, he could have
very well easily. He had a legitimate complaint, you know, in the world's eyes. Right. So instead
of saying, God, why did you do this to me? What did he say? Praise God. Praise God. You know,
that's what we need to do in all circumstances. Yeah. Because like once you know, you know, you know,
like going back, that's not even an option. Going back to the way things were without Jesus and
without pursuing him. It's like night and day. It's like, why would I ever go back to that?
Yeah. And I've been, just my life, my journey, you know, even when I was homeless, I've been in
some pretty dark corners of my life, but I can say that I've never had anything quite as despicable
as Joe as what happened to Job. Even on my darkest day, doesn't compare, you know, under the bridge.
Yeah. Right. With the tarp. With the tarp. Yeah. Sleep in and whatever, where I could sleep, you
know, I mean, that doesn't compare, that pales a comparison to what Job went through. So I have
no reason to. Yeah, we weren't covered in poils. No. None of your family was murdered like in the
same day. I may have stunk, but that's it. I might have had a bad attitude and stunk, but
it blows my mind because if my attitude back then was so bad, imagine what would have been like,
if all that stuff that happened to Job actually happened to me, I couldn't have took it.
And that's why I didn't. Right. God knows. He knows. He knows. He knows. Because he made you.
Yeah. And he knows what he's going to take to fold you and grow you into what he needs you to be
as a spiritually mature Christian. But at no point in the Bible does he ever call us adults of God.
That no point should we ever take the mantle of anything but children of God. Right. It doesn't
mean we don't have authority. It doesn't mean we don't have power in the name of Jesus. But it
just means that's the approach that we need to have to our Creator, our Father. Yes. Right. Not
because he gives us things, but because he's our Father. I love you. I want to be with you.
And if you give me nice things, that's cool too. But I just want to be with you. Yeah. Yeah.
And he gives us patience, especially with my wife. Like my wife has so much patience.
Can't imagine why. All right. So yeah. This has been fun. We figured it out.
Always worked it out. Always does. Amen. And I don't even hear the dog barking anymore.
They're often on their intermittent, but more loud they're loud than I don't hear.
They just want to join in. Right. Like yeah. They're making joyful noises. Right.
Right. Right. That's so funny. So predictable. Right. Just has to be heard. Oh goodness.
Yeah. This has been a real treat. And it's so interesting the differences between all of your
backgrounds, all of your faith journeys. Yeah. Right. And all of the ways that could have stopped
you from being in this room right now, but didn't. Right. All the prayers you didn't have to ask
because he put you on this path and already taking care of the obstacles that were
going to be distracted, that were going to derail you from being in this moment.
And I think it's so amazing that God is so vested in Carl's life, is so vested in Ben's life, is so
vested in Sonny's life that he is able to manipulate everything around you individually
with the six, seven, eight billion people on earth right now without a problem. Right. Right.
That if everybody all of a sudden right now decided to declare Jesus his Lord, God said,
well, I guess I don't need the rest of this book. Right. Boom. We're all in heaven. This is it for
the rest of eternity. He'd be able to have a conversation with every single one of us simultaneously.
And that is, that is to my mind. I can't even comprehend it. Right. He's able to be with
all of us individually at the same time. Right. I'm going to go walk with Jesus. Like, well,
I got to wait my turn because there's like 753 million people ahead of me. I take my number.
It's like when you call customer service, you are a caller number 500 and 74.
Well, no wonder I have all of eternity because he's going to take that just to walk with it.
Right. And that's not how it's going to be. No. You're going to be blown away with how it's going
to be. It's going to be like, it's going to be like you are a part of him for all of eternity,
that he can never leave that part that is, that you're going to be cognizant of for all of eternity.
It's like 740 million phone calls coming in at once, but instead of being met with just your
caller number or whatever, it's, hello, this is God. You know, he calls me by name. What's that,
Ben? Yeah, exactly. Huh? Yeah. At the same time, he's answering everybody else and it's like,
it's mind blowing. What's really neat is when everybody's getting the same downloads from the
Holy Spirit and then the same messages are coming out at the same time from different people who
aren't even talking to one another, but the Spirit's talking to them. We've thought like, maybe pastors
went to conventions together and got their material because we go to different churches and visit
with friends and whatnot. I'm like, hey, they just, they're preaching about the book of James in
our other church. Oh, they're preaching about this and that. Hey, they're preaching everywhere we go
all the time and they're not related except through Holy Spirit where someone says, hey,
this is what I want to teach this week. And God says, I want you to teach all these people. I want
this to be a theme amongst my people. Yes. And it's like when somebody speaks a prophetic word over
you on a Monday and then Friday of the same week, another person from a completely different church
or a completely different environment speaks the same prophetic word over you. It's like,
that's confirmation. Yeah. And that's happened to me. So it's, it's the Holy Spirit speaks to his
people through his people and through himself too. But I feel like, you know, I've been visited in
dreams. I got to spoke to me in dreams. God has been there. He spoke to me through his people.
There's things that I'm just like undeniably. Okay, that was from God, you know. So he speaks to us
if we talk to him like right now in this environment, not through me, not through a book, right? He'll
speak to us directly. Yes. We have to hone that because we're not used to listening. Our problem
is we like to talk. Yeah. And they would like to hear an answer that's like an answer you would give
me. Yeah, yeah. And when he doesn't do that, we're like, all right, well, I'll keep talking. That
must not have been God. We're not, we're not good with uncomfortable silences. I'm just going to
keep on rambling and just, just go right on full send. And so we have to, he gets says, well,
you're not going to listen to me. I'm going to get Anthony to tell you. Yeah. And he's going to
tell you something. And you're going to mention something to Carl. Carl's going to go, oh my
God, I need to hear that. And then you're going to have a revelation that it was from me.
And the more you practice it, we had a guest on that, Caitlin Childs wrote a book and it was
all about hearing the voice of God. Seven days to a life of limelice, how to ditch the rules of
religion and discover unrestricted freedom. You know, highly recommend you pick it up.
Yeah. Yeah. You know, and it's a great read. Okay. Powerful.
Your listening ears for the voice of God in a very real and tangible way that everyone can relate to.
And once you start getting good at it, like you're flexing your muscles, listening to him,
it gets easier and easier. Just like, you know, the first time you hit a drum set, were you amazing?
I mean, you might have been, I don't know, probably not the, right? I could never do it. I have zero
rhythm. And so I'm a zero. I can't even play basketball. And I can't carry a note, even if it
jumped in my arms, right? But I could draw it, right? So we all have a different gift and how
we use it. And, you know, when I do medicine and, you know, poorly, I'm like an EMT, so it's like
the highest professional medical care you can get from minimum wage. But, you know, it's still there.
The point is, is God has a purpose and a plan for every single one of us. And even if you're good
at something, doesn't necessarily mean that's the purpose and plan for you. That's just a bonus
gift he's giving you, right? Something you can use to enrich someone's life, your own life, or
something else for the glory of God, but not necessarily your purpose or his plan. You just
said something that direct, oh, I got spiritual goosebumps like none other, because I don't know
about maybe six to eight months ago, I was on YouTube and I was hit very hard. And I questioned
it because I'm like, is this God? But now after what just came out of your mouth, I know for a
fact I'll send you the link to it. But I was on YouTube and I was doing a live thing and I said
that exact same thing. I said, just because you're good at something doesn't mean that that's what
you're, that's wild. I mean, even though that happened six, seven months ago, you see, our timeline
isn't the same as God's. I mean, God just confirmed that now, even though it happened to me six
months, but I worked for word almost how you said it was exactly how I said it. And we didn't even
know each other back then. It's not wild. I'll have to show you. It's not wild to me. I expected.
I expected every single time. I don't know why, but something always happens like that where
somebody gets something off of something I say. I love every single time. People are getting
revelations this season. I love it. So it doesn't matter if the viewership's going down, slowing
the people that are at this table, I'm getting lifted up in the name of Jesus. I mean, I can't
make this the whole. Because if you are going to bring the kingdom to other people, then why not
feed the people that are trying to feed the people? At that time, I was going through a very rough
time because there was a lot of things happening at church. I was on staff there as the worship
leader, and it was kind of a weird time because I was being pulled away from that position.
And I was thinking and just having these thoughts, and that came out of my mouth.
But now I know God's taking me that direction, and it was God. And then you just said that.
So I'm like, whoa, that's crazy. Yeah, thank you, Jesus. That is amazing.
Thanks for setting Ben straight. You're right. And using me to do it. You're right.
That's crazy. Wow, that's great. Yeah. Very cool. Very cool. If this episode has been a blessing
to you, we ask that you pass it along to a friend or family member that God laid on your heart.
And if you could do us a solid and rate the podcast in Spotify or iTunes, that would greatly
help the algorithm encourage other people to listen to it and be encouraged as well. And then we
also have a fundraising campaign that helps us pay for this audio expense to make it sound so excellent
by Dima in the Ukraine. And we would greatly appreciate prayers as well. And all those links
are in the in the about section. And with that, we will talk to you next time.