Episode 60

In this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, we continue the How Were Your Barriers Removed series and talk to Pastor Gary, who was born in a Jehovah Witness home but came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Join us as we learn a little about the JW faith and how much it can hinder someone from coming to the light, and how Jesus Christ tore down those barriers to save a lost soul.

Snippet

I think we live in a society of quick quotes put down. We want a simple quote or something that’s going to put everything in place, and so much of it is wrong. I mean, all our lives we’ve heard things like God will put more on you than you can handle, but it’s really not true. Go to volume that you can’t handle through Jesus Christ. Paul prayed three times for this infirmity he couldn’t handle it, but God to migrate is sufficient. I think sometimes we try to just get these little BOOKMARKS. I can sound like they sound sound, but they bite you.

Intro

Thank you for tuning in to the Removing Barriers Podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG, and we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.

This is episode 60 of the Removing Barriers Podcast, and this is the 15th in the series of how were your barriers removed? And in this episode, we’ll find out how pastor Gary’s barriers were remove when he came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ad

Do you have the desire to earnestly content for the faith which was once delivered onto the Saints? Answers and Genesis can help. They provide biblically sound books, CDs, DVDs, Homeschooling materials, VBS materials, online courses, digital downloads and the Answers magazine and more. Plus tickets to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. Go to the Answers Bookstore by clicking the link in the description section below. So you too, can be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks the reason of the hope that is in you.

Pastor Gary. Welcome to the Removing Barriers Podcast.

Thank you folks for having me. Thank you for taking this time. Looking forward to the interview and I am Pastor Gary Nicholson, Pastor Small Church in Virginia, and it’s just been a blessing to be in the Ministry.

Amen. So pastor, tell us what state or country were you born in? I was born in Virginia, here in the United States of America, and I’m proud of Virginia and always told me I was proud of my state and getting a little than not be too happy about that.

We pray the press on what type of family were you born into? Pastor? Were you born into a military family? Religious family. Secular family, large, small. What was your family like that you were born into?

It was a secular family. My mom and dad was a factory worker. My mom stayed home. I have a brother and sister, and I had a half sister from Mom’s previous marriage that grew up with us. It was four kids. They were freaking family. We were a moral family as far as living. And we always had the impression that we could always be worse. And so what we did, we believe in God. My dad was very religious and to witness my mom was not. So that’s kind of what that was. Our religious affiliation.

Yeah. So you said your mom wasn’t religious, but your dad was. Did that create any friction in the house?

Oh, yes. When they would come around? Mom didn’t want to be around, and she was very, I don’t know, say better against them because they’re very adamant that any other Church or if you weren’t part of the jealous webs, you know, you were just an outcast and mom didn’t like that idea. But dad took the four of us to the Kingdom Hall, and I guess it cut us out of the house. It cause some friction, just as any mixed religion would. And he saved or unsaved.

So before your Salvation, what was your life and upbringing like? You mentioned a little bit of friction here and there because your parents didn’t share the same faith. But did you grow up going to any religious type, schooling under your father’s preference or tutelage? Did you have friends that kind of challenge you in different faiths, or were all of your friends Jehova’s witness, what was your life and upbringing like?

Well, I went to the public schools. Do is within his Kingdom house. They were big on bowel study. So a hit some of those in the house, and that was the training that we got. They would come to the house and study. And as far as friends, it was pretty much a non topic. We just grew up, figured that we were hard working. We’re just trying to do the best we could. And no kids got together. We played ball and everything. A few friends in the King of few people are eight when we were around them, but we would talk to them and whatever outing the path would be there. But just they were kids growing up when school rode us together and really didn’t talk a whole lot about religion once in a while. You know, we mentioned God or something like that.

Yeah, that sounds interesting. Passes. So how deep into the Jehovah Witness faith would you say that you went? Were you, like, sold out or was your father sold out? How deep did this go for you?

Well, that was really into it. And he did a lot of door door visiting with them. And as a kid up, go with them. And it was kind of like one of these things is the way you acted when you rounded your hose. I mean, as kids, we weren’t around them. It was off the table. He only talked in, acted that way around them. And that was into it. And if I go out visiting with him some. And well, by my teen years, I turned 13, has this fellowship. So I went through my teen years. Really? No religious education, no really viable training at all.

Earlier you said to me when we were talking that you grew up on a farm, how did you balance that with really, just having a working farm school? It seems like you were hard work, busy, kind of family. How did you balance growing up on a farm and all these requirements from the Jehovah Witness faith?

Well, it was a small farm. We had gardens, chickens and, you know, hogs and things like that. We’re just trying to be really, I guess, mom and ever trying to be self sufficient. They didn’t depend a whole lot of stores, things like that. We pretty much made everything our toy. We made course they bought groceries and things. But when it was time to go, Kingdom Hall dropped everything you went on. It was just something you did. And they the game that Joe as Witness put a lot of emphasis on attendance. And my dad was going regular. I mean, really wasn’t a choice. We just want.

So did you ever in your time growing up, did you ever appropriate and make the Jehovah’s Witness doctrine your own? Did you ever. Now I’m not familiar with the process. I don’t know if you go through some type of baptism or class or sign up or something, but did you ever become Jehovah’s Witness yourself, or did the Lord present someone to you to have you hear the gospel before you went down that road? Or was it something you never even considered?

Well, it was in high school. I met my girlfriend who later became my wife. And she and her parents were nominal Jehovah Witness bible studies, things like that. And, you know, we talked about that off and on during my teen years. Like I said, dad was out of it. I got saved when out 19. Six weeks after I was married, about six weeks before my 20 birthday. I never really planted my own. I guess if you’re filling out an application, it was asked your religious preference from where we put you out as Witness because it was all we knew. I’d never been a Baptist Church, never been to another Church of any kind. No even funerals or weddings. Maybe that would be the only time I’ve been to another Church. So I never really did as my own.

Yeah. So describe to us the first time you heard the gospel then, because you ever drove in his background, you grow up with your father going door to door stuff like that. Then in the ten years those were removed because your father was the fellowship. Describe to us the first time you heard the gospel. Would you say the first time you heard the gospel was at the driver Witness Kingdom Hall, or was it someplace else?

You have never really heard the gospel, and I don’t know that I really understood it. I just knew that there was a God in heaven. I knew that of God, and we’d have to give an account to them. My wife and I came back from our honeymoon and we just felt like, of course, you’re sensitive. Once your marriage to work and all those things. And of course, she fixed our meal and we thought we all ask the blessing for the meal and we struggle with it. I didn’t really know how to pray and just a standard prayer. And we finally, as you show us what Church to go to because we on Church. Then we’ll go back to the Kingdom Hall. I guess it’s just the Lord leading and directing. And it wasn’t long. We got a visit from our local Church and really kind of brushed it off. But the next week or so, the pastor of the Church and the Deacon, the Church came, I present the gospel to still, I understood it, but I didn’t. Even the pastor asked me about Salvation and save ever ask the Lord to save. And I’m like, you mean like, save me from a burning building. I didn’t have a concept of the gospel, but he explained it and praise the Lord and my wife both got safe thing night and looking back on it, you know, at the time, it just seemed like a good idea. It just seems like, you know, Andy Griffer may vary they with the Church that way we were looking at and we were actually saved or if we saved and we started growing in the Church. And so that pastor, we were probably the easiest people to lead to the Lord that he had ever witnessed to because I think we were ripe fruit and we want to hear the truth. And they presented it on that because A and I will go out on a limit.

That was the first time you actually came to the full realization of you send or did you came to a realization of your fan before that point?

Well, I guess maybe looking back, we were starting to realize because we were wanting to go to Church. And I guess we were wanting to do right and be moral. And, you know, the Ten Commandments to I couldn’t have told you what the Ten Commandments were. We wanted to do right. And we didn’t realize maybe at that night how far we were from God. But as we’ve grown, we realized I left the Earth anytime 19 years, I would be in the Delta. Yep. Well, this will be taught we truly were Babes in Christ, right?

Yeah. So just for the curiosity, because growing up in age in this Church, how did they teach you that you can be reconciled with God or find favor with God? Because you hear the gospel for the first time at 19, shortly after you got married and you grew up a good portion of her life in the Dove, witness fate. What did they tell you that you need to do or not do to find favor with God?

Well, the big push is you’ve got to be part of your organization. They’re the only right or they are not a Church. They push it all turkeys are wrong. They are the one true organization, Jehova. And they put you through training. And when they are satisfied with the answers that you give them all, you’re welcome into the organization. As far as being right with God and everything, it’s like all false religion. So maybe so we won’t know until we get there kind of thing.

Oh, wow. I’ve never thought of that. So they don’t teach some sort of Salvation message?

No, it’s all about the organization and about how wrong. Also, the churches are. They are very adamant about training you if you ever had Joe is when they come to your door, if you ever met, it’s usually two. The one to talk and is the one that’s in training. And so really, they’re kind of scoping him or her and making sure that they’ve got all the right. It truly is a manmade religion truly is a works Salvation. And the sad part is they do all this work and still don’t know that they have eternal life, and they really don’t push internal life because their makeup is surviving Jehova’s judgment and living on Paradise Earth. We really don’t have a heavenly message at all. It’s about surviving amage herder.

Do you believe those teachings were some of the major barriers that were preventing you from being safe? Or do you believe that there were other barriers that were prevent you from being saved earlier?

Probably the teaching that they have is so ingrained in you that you can’t go outside of jokes organization and have being as Grace. And it’s so ingrained in you. That’s why we prayed. Did you hope what Church to go to? Because we want to go to Church. We want to know more about God, but you couldn’t go to Church because we told all our lives have been drained in us that all churches are evil. The only true organization is a organization which was witnesses. So we just struggled with that. And I guess we were thinking Empson in the Church. You had to go to Church to be saved. And it was just it was a conflict. I mean, it was like talking out both sides of your mouth, you know? So that was probably the biggest barrier because we didn’t know what Church to go to, but we didn’t want to go back to the Kingdom. Paul, they really work on making you understand that churches are wrong. They don’t do anything like a Church. They don’t have few. They don’t have pop. They don’t put up any kind of hard or I don’t think they put up Bobble verses in the home.

That’s interesting. I’ve never been in one, but that’s quite interesting. And those barriers were moved at night. That preacher came and actually present the gospel to you and your wife.

Yes, for a lot, if you want to hear the rest of the story.

Oh, definitely.

The pastor of that Church came and he witnessed to my wife and I and he had a Deacon with them. And the first visit was we just kind of brushed them off. The Little Joe II spokes out, but the next visit was two different. Man. It was a pastor and the senior Deacon, I guess, and I got saved. And I attended that Church. Join that Church. My wife and I got at that Church and we grew in. After 20 years, I went to the Ministry, so I didn’t go to the College in the Ministry helps in my 40s 41, and there’s a turn of events that the Lord could work out. I came back to the county to help with my aging parents, the Church that I was saved in. I’ve come back, I moved away to North Carolina, go to College, went in the mastery, and through a series of events, the Lord brought me back to this county. And while I was here, I was attending the Church. Second pastor, that Church resigned. So I end up being the pastor of my home Church and the senior Deacon that was there that night. I got say, serves my Deacon for a few years, and of course, he’s passed on the glory now. So that is odd. That night, 40 years ago, when they witnessed me, I ended up being his pastor years later. Hey, man, that is great. You can’t make this stuff on a guy can do this.

Absolutely. You listening to the Removing Barriers podcast we are sitting down with pastor Gary Nicholson and we finding out how or his barriers were removed. We’ll be right back.

Ad

Sometimes, no matter how great the selection, you just can’t find exactly what you want. Design it yourself. Custom gift baskets solve that problem by allowing you to choose the specific products you want to include with your unique gift basket. And in addition to hand selecting the products, you can further personalize your custom basket, adding coffee mugs, stuffed animals, Mylar balloons, or even an imprinted ribbon. When you’re done, we’ll put it all together in a one of a kind perfect basket and ship or hand deliver it directly to your lucky recipient. Click in the description section to design your basket today.

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new after Salvation. What changes were evident in your life, pastor?

Well, at the time, looking back, I didn’t realize I was growing, but I think the biggest change was joy. Now I work graveyard shift, so I would go in at night at 11:00 and the Church that was saved to the pastor that eleven or they had a revival service just a few weeks after we save and we attended every night and just hearing those songs for the first time. I remember going into work that night after the revival and the gather. The actual where you smile were so happy about it. I didn’t fill out a date time. And I just think the joy and just showing the joy. And then the language changed. And then I think one of the biggest changes that I noticed right away I wasn’t aware of it was music. I mean, I was total rock on me and my wife. We love music. We listen to radio if you know anything about eight track the old eight track tape. So I don’t know anything. Rock actor, 1980. I missed it. But before that, I can remember one time I wasn’t fussing at my wife. I was fussing. We were listening to them using doing something around the house. Did you hear what they said? You hear what they’re singing. And of course she heard it. We’ve been listening to it all our lives. But after Salvation, I guess for the first time, I really heard it and condoning the sin and just highlighting the sin and glorifying the base. And I was just set back to that. And we got rid of all our rock music and track tapes and everything. And I love good Christian music and gospel music. So I guess that would probably be the biggest change. My language change my whole thought. Life change. Like I said, I saved almost 20 years old. Now here we are. 40 years later, I’ve been alive twice as long as I was dead. So it’s been an interesting train sound like there was a sensitivity to send. Once you got saved the music. Now you realize how evil and maybe naughty. They were right. And I didn’t realize it was moving the Holy Spirit like that. It was gradual. I was like, what’s going on here? Now, looking back, I realized it was the Holy Spirit convict her hearts and just even my parents. And like joy. And I mean, everything was new. Everything was new. We go to Church and the Sunday school lesson song, even the Christmas music a few months later was Christmas. And we didn’t know the songs. We didn’t know the Christmas song, and they were such a joy music, I think was the biggest change.

Is it because while growing up Jehovah Witness, you guys don’t celebrate Christmas and birthdays and stuff like that, right?

Right. And we knew the secular Christmas songs, joy to the world. I might know a few words, but I didn’t know that all stances and really didn’t hear them because we didn’t go to Church. This might be a little bit off topic, pastor, but fill me in here. Why is it that your witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas or birthdays? Well, Christmas, they say that they don’t put the emphasis on the birth of Christ and they really don’t put the emphasis on the death of Christ. They celebrate holidays, they equated to idols. And it’s a world holiday. And I don’t know, they was born on December, but like I said, they totally shun away from anything that would resemble Christianity. They caught Christine and then as far as birthday, they there’s two birthdays mentioned the Pavel Pay rose and parrots. And you know what happened? It Harris birthday, Pero all that went on. So they’re saying that those two mentions are bad. So that’s why they don’t celebrate birthday. And they kind of lighten up on somehow. Like if a wife and husband want celebrate the anniversary, that’s up to the individual and they kind of backed away from that. But they’re not going back away from Christmas birthdays. Once again, it’s a works Salvation, right?

Alright. So do you think the way your barriers were removed, like the barriers you mentioned in your life, Do you think the way your barriers removed would be effective for someone growing up similar to you today? So growing up in a nominal do you have a witness home or even not a nominal one and not here in a clear presentation of the gospel and stuff like that? Do you think that person have any hope and dear barriers can be removed just like you have did?

Well, I do. And Jehovah Witnesses, they’re very tough nut to crack. And but so is Mormonism. And I’ve talked to some Mormons and things and they’re pretty much the same. They can’t get all the emphasis of self work, Salvation. And I think we live in a society of quick quotes put down. We want a simple quote or something that’s going to put everything in place and so much of it is wrong. I mean, all our lives we’ve heard things like God won’t put more on you than you can handle, but it’s really not true. Go on. The volume that you can’t handle through Jesus Christ. Paul prayed three times for this infirmity he couldn’t handle it, but God to migrate is sufficient. I think sometimes we try to just get these little BOOKMARKS. I can sound like they sound sound, but they bite you in the end kind of like that. They just have an answer for everything while it’s right or wrong, or whether you have anything to do with the questions they give you an answer and they’re adamant about it. So I think we need to get over that. Versus really spoke to my heart here lately is Hebrews twelve to and the writer is talking about the cloud, a witness and all those witness around the heroes of faith. But he tells us and Hebrews chapter twelve, verse two, looking under Jesus author and the furniture. And that’s what we’ve got to do. Jehovah Witness, Mormon, any false religion, any unsafe? I think we failed to show them the love of Jesus Christ. It breaks my heart. I’ve heard preachers do it. They just have all to have all the jokes with the Greek says this and the Greek. We’re here for that. And you know that’s more harm than good. Some way we need to show the love Jesus Christ. That’s what I think we’ve gotten away from. And even with believers, we put a lot of emphasis the Joe witness for lying on the Kingdom Hall, being in the organization and all about what you can do. And then we as believers. Sometimes we get caught up that ourselves. Like I said, things work out on the way God can do it. And you just have to think, wow, we think about us in this universe and how small we are and the guy the universe reached down and did that for us. And I think we need to never get over that.

Yeah, definitely. There’s two things that’s going through my mind here, pastor. First, you seem like you’re saying that when you witness into someone or you join the club of crisis, someone that is not an intellectual argument.

Right now, if you study the bowel, I don’t see a lot of debate going on. You know, when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, he answered their question, he didn’t shake them down. And, you know, he stood on the scripture. And you really need to know the Scriptures. And it doesn’t hurt to know where they’re coming from. But like I said, I now have to pay them. But, you know, I don’t see where the Babel does a lot that going back and forth. Yes, you did. No, I didn’t. Yes, you do. Cause a lot of times your homes witnesses at Mormon. I’ve had him get upset with me. And I’m just telling you what you believe. And then, of course, they denied. But I don’t go back and forth. Yes, you do. And they’ll say, no, I don’t kiss you do. I just stayed what the scripture says and maybe what they believe and leave it at that many times. Jesus Christ and answer is accusers and low. Now he gave an answer and he didn’t go on and on about it. And like I said, it goes back to those sound like, you know, you got to have an answer for this. I call SmackDown. You got help, SmackDown and put them in their place. You know, just show Jesus and stay with the scripture. And I like what the religious leaders said about James and John. So much for intellect.

Yeah, it definitely is not about winning the argument. So many times we ride, I try to win the argument and try to have, as you said, the soundbite or the intellectual peace to say, to give the smack down. That’s definitely a great advice. I can win the argument. So if I win the argument and lose them whatever I want.

Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Another thing that was on my man is this because a lot of times I think when we go and witness to folks and we have mentioned this several times on this podcast and kind of beat the Dead Horse, but we go to keep on beating it until we see, like, he has been setting off a lot of time when we go witness to folks it seems like we want to start that Jesus love you repent of your sins rather than trying to figure out what is that barrier that is preventing folks from being saved. And you seem like you’re saying here. Hey, when you’re witnessing of witnesses focus on the barrier that prevented them from seeing the cross girly and not necessarily on the religion itself. Am I reading you correctly there?

Right. And it’s the same way with all the on sale. If you talk to them. I always use this if you want to say an analogy when Jesus Christ some of them as well. When did we see you? A Humber and J or thirst. You know, I always say this. If you were to stand before the gates of heaven, why should you come in? This is hypothetical. They’ll give you all kinds of reasons. And while I do this, I’ve been to this Church for whatever. Those are really barriers to keeping them from seeing the cross. They’re looking at what they’ve done to give the God rather than we have to see what God has done for us. And the Jehovah witness. They been like that question they’re not having bound because it’s so ingrained in them after Armageddon the resistant return, basically back to the garden, eating that re Paradise Earth. And that’s what their whole goal is. They’re not works. They’re barriers to, as you say

As a pastor, I’m sure that you are constantly talking to people, giving counsel, helping in any way that you can. But when it comes specifically to the area of evangelism, what are you doing personally in that area to help remove barriers like the one you face in your life in the lives of others?

Well, we like to go door to door, visit and COVID put a hundred on that. But at our Church we do faith promise, and we do it base promise, outreach. And we take, you know, what money that people pledge and maybe support missionaries or print up invitation Flyers to the Church or special media. So we try to get out in the community. And one thing with our Church, that’s right on a busy highway. And we try to be a witness that way. And the Church is some picturesque that our outreach is kind of reverse because we have a lot of people visit because they just want to visit the Church. It’s such a nice looking Church up against the heel, and it’s right on a busy highway, and they would like to visit. So log out, they’ll call for our Church and then we’ll go visit them. And so this salary just trying to be a witness wherever I go, Walmart is a great place to win. And because everybody’s there just in our day to day lives, just trying to be a witness, just tell people about Jesus Christ and just we can’t change people. That’s something that many of us it takes years to hire myself. We can’t change people. I canceled a young man a couple of weeks ago. He’s the guy at work were just irritating because they were doing things unbiblical and everything. He was telling this and everything he said, what do you suggest doing? You’re not going to change people on the Holy Spirit to do that. Just show them Jesus. Just show them the love of Jesus and you know, they will come to you, Jesus Christ, that I would draw all mean to me teaching and teaching his word, living for him. Now I’m not encouraging not to speak up to Jesus. I’m just encouraging him to live for Jesus. Your test language, Jesus and these folks eventually will come to you. I know in my workplace when I work a secular job, I want to say they persecuted. They would pick on you about being religious. But, you know, the tragedy came up. They would come to you if there’s a death of a loved one marital conflict, or they would come to you simply because we’ve got to live our faith. We’ve got to live our faith and our Church. Like I said, it gets a lot of exposure and just be ready as Peter to be ready. Always. They give an answer to every man. And I like going out knocking on doors. So many times people will get the idea that’s the only time they outreach is those 2 hours on Tuesday night or Saturday morning or whatever. But we’ve got to be witness.

So we want to go into somewhat of a fun section and find out some of your favorite. So tell me, what is your favorite scripture verse?

Well, that’s a tough one. And I have a life first. I always tell people when I preach and now say, okay, today we’re going to be preaching from the gospel of John, my favorite gospel. The next hour preach. We’re going to preach from the book of Ephesians, my favorite book and the Bot favorite birth. There’s a lot of good very office feed all the word of God, but one that I’ve narrowed it down to. June, God in his knowledge and his wisdom. Jew comes right before revelation. And June writing about all the things that are going on and there’s men have kept in unaware things that are going on. And Michael disputing with the devil about Moses body and all those. But verse 22 of June says a thumb have compassion making a difference. And that’s a life birth. Favorite verse O, our Lord and Savior had compassion. He looked out of the people and he had compassion, and he made a difference in their last. And that’s what I’d like to. I’d like to know that I’m making a difference. It’s all the call to have compassion. And we know that we live in a society that is like compassion. There’s division, there’s hatred.

And if some have compassion making at here at the Removing Barriers podcast. We refer to what people would call Bible story. We actually refer to it as Bible history because we don’t believe there are any stories in the Bible. We believe these are actual historical accounts. Do you have a favorite Bible historical account that you like to go back to in the Scriptures?

Yeah. Once again, I know you love all the history because it is his story. Absolutely. I hate to refer to as story sometimes because we get to add it’s like a bed tap story, right. I really love the history of the Church. When you look in act or save or told the Apostles, go Wait and Jerusalem for the Holy Ghost. And then chapter two, you’ve got Peters preaching and the people heard them. All the people there all the nations that said and they heard them in their own language. That was a miracle. And then when you think of it, if a miracle that they heard, because when you think of hearing, you expect a difference when I preach a message and we hear, we must go from here to does well, the folks he said after Peters preach, what do we do? What do we do? He told him to repent, be baptized and named Jesus Christ. I just think of how the boldness that they had and how the Church came together. Folks were getting saved. The Holy Spirit was moving and the religious leaders didn’t know what to do with Peter and James and John, and they lock them up and see other things. Checker four where they can’t do and okay, we’re going to let you go. But don’t treat the name of Jesus Christ anymore. Peter and John answered chapter four, verse 19 of Acts. Peter, John said, whether it be right in the side of God, the heart of you more than the God judge you for we cannot but speak to things which we have seen in her book accent just the history of the Church and how the leaders came together and how the word went out, how they just care for one another. And I think with COVID coming out and it kind of reveals, I believe a lot of believers and a lot of churches are unprepared to care for one. I had the love with a brother. I mean, I don’t know what the percentage is. There’s a lot that aren’t going to come back because the COVID there’s lots is going to come back once COVID is over. But, you know, the early Church and just they were filled. Then, of course, you got the servants like Steven and Phillip, Paul got saved and how it turned his life around and he do it before people and the Kings and all he witnessed to him all at the government expense. You got to go around. So it’s just amazing when I study the Bible, I like to study, compare and contrast in Genesis. He started with the man Adam. Then you read the New Testament, Jesus Christ the second Adam. And then he started with a group of people, the Jew, the Abraham, the Old Test, the New Testament. It’s the Church. And just comparing contrast, you think about Abraham offering. Isaac need to compare that to Calvary, how Jesus Christ is the wood and everything the offering was there. It’s just I like the history of the Church.

So what is the most convicting scripture passage to you?

Well, you know, we get carried away and caught up in this world. And like I said, Hebrews trail is to looking into the author and finisher of our faith. I like what Jesus told the disciples. We sent them out to about two and they came back rejoicing. And he said, no, don’t rejoice that yet, Parlo devil. But rejoice that your name is written in heaven. Remember your names written down heaven. But I think the most convicting verse to me. There’s two of the Psalm 139, verse 23 to search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, verse 24. Then see if there be any wicked way and leave me in the way of everlasting. And I think sometimes we concentrate no visas in the way of everlasting. But you know, when you pray and ask God to search, try your heart and see if there be any wicked way in me. If we’re all honest, if we were searching for a wicked way in ourselves, that’d be a very short trip. So I think that’s very convicting, you know, my heart and either be any wicked ways.

That’s pretty powerful. What would you say is, and I realize this might be difficult to nail down to one. But what would you say is the most comforting scripture verse for you?

Well, like, it’s hard to nail it down to one.

Right.

When you look at the great scheme of things, God is our Creator sending his son and we get frustrated. We pray for a certain thing and it works out, but not the way we thought it. We end up paying for a solution. And then we tell God how to solve this problem. And usually it doesn’t work out that way. And Solomon says, Enthusiast, I have to for God is in heaven and you’re upon Earth, and that things like that is in heaven. But I think the most comforting verse is Romans 832. He spared not his own son, but delivered him, of course, all. How shall he not with him? Also freely give us all things. And when you redress the chapter, it’s just question after question. What shall separate us from the lower body is going to condemn God the elect. And I always tell my people when you run across a question rather than the battle. Reading an article in the newspaper before you go, any phone, stop and answer the question. And if you keep reading is usually the question gets answered. If we think about God who loved so much that he gave his only son and then we Fred and maybe get concerned about this issue or health or maybe our finances. God, I was freely all things and take comfort of that.

What about your favorite hymn of the faith?

My favorite him. I like, teach me that way oh, Lord. Well, I won’t sing it the first thing that way. Oh, Lord, teaching that way I got in graceful for it. Teach me that way coming to walk right more of a face, less a side leave me with heavenly like teach me that way the four stands as long as my life shall last and I’m like this if I live to be my dad’s age, I got maybe 15 years left. And Lord willing, I won’t make those 15 years or how long Lord give as long as my life last teach me that way wherever my lot be cast teach me that way until the race is run until the journey is done to the crowns. One teach me that way I want to hear well done, good faith serving. So that is my favorite song, man, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one, but definitely look it up, okay? It speaks to me.

Who is your favorite giant of the faith in the Bible?

Well, the faith. There’s so many of them. I love them all. I kind of have fellowship with Joshua. I just think of Joshua. And when you think about the job that Joshua had falling Moses, I mean, man, that would be tough. And Joshua, he was told God told him, he said, Moses, my servant is dead. But you know, Joshua, I’ll be with you. That was with Moses and the children of Israel. Joshua will be with you as we were with Moses. And thanks for the warning. But Joshua had so much going for him. And I just think about the way Moses passed off. Then Joshua came, how much prep, how much he knew and got to be strong and have good courage and even told Joshua, you know, I’ll make you a prosperous and you’ll have good success, you know, in the Ministry, what is prosperous and good success? You know, hundreds of people getting saved, people join the Church and going on that would be great. You know, that’s great, that’s prosperous. That’s what we want. But what about Church that are preaching and teaching the gospel and the folks just aren’t following everything. But God says all this prosperous and good success. And I like to look at the human side of it. And I think it all out. It’s comical. It’s humans. We are humans. And Joshua, when he sent the spies in across the Jordan and go into Serico, he wants a two if you remember two that came back 40 years earlier and said, we can do this. He being one of them. And Ten said, we can’t do it so wonder we sent two spies. Maybe. Well, the tie. I’ll break the tie. Some want to go. And then as they were dividing the land, he messed up with the giving nights. So they tricked him. And, you know, but God was with them. And he told some of the people that were kind of complaining that they hadn’t got their land yet. They said, We’re a great tribe. He said, why he so great. Get up there and get the land. And then he ended his life of the book is free of me and my house will serve the Lord. So I just really fellowship. I can’t. Joshua just where I’m at in Ministry. I’m following another man is not the former pastor. Don’t try to be there. It’s great heroes of the faith that I have today, preachers and all. But I don’t try to be like them. Joshua falling shadow. Moses had to be tough.

Yeah, definitely. Alright pastor, we have been going on for a while. Let’s wrap it on up and tell me, how can barriers be removed in the life of others?

I think once again, just looked at Jesus. We use believers. If we would just live Jesus show people love Jesus and we get away from really looking itself. We need to get self off the throne and we will really see the real deal that Jesus lost us. It made a difference in our lives. And, you know, little disheartening that Christian believers tell you that they can’t with us. And they can’t tell all about Jesus Christ. Yes, you can. The Holy Spirit will help us and think the best way prepares me. We just need to get over ourselves and just allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.

Pastor Gary, thank you for joining us and then removing various podcast.

Thank you for having me.

Outro

Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us, to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers, go to RemovingBarriers.net. This has been the Removing Barriers podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clay view of the cross.