FIRST E-MAIL QUESTION HAS TO
DO WITH THAT.
THIS IS JOEL, JOEL'S
QUESTION IS: "WHY DO YOU
PROMOTE AND CELEBRATE
CHRISTMAS WHEN IT HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH JESUS?
CHRISTMAS IS BASED ON NORT
DI NORDIC PAGAN GODS".
Gordon: JOEL, YOU'RE
MISINFORMED.
CHRISTMAS HAS NOTHING TO DO
WITH THE NORDIC GODS.
THE VERY NAME, CHRIST, WHERE
CHRISTIANS WOULD GATHER
TOGETHER ON THE 25th AND
CELEBRATE THE MASS OF
CHRIST.
AND CELEBRATE THE ADVENT,
THAT THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
WAS BORN THIS DAY IN THE
CITY OF BETHLEHEM.
THAT'S THE ORIGIN OF IT.
YOU CAN CRIPPLE ABOUT WAS IT
REALLY DECEMBER 25th?
YOU CAN QUIBBLE ABOUT THE
DATES.
YOU CAN QUIBBLE ABOUT
CERTAIN THINGS ASSOCIATED
WITH IT.
YOU CAN CERTAINLYPOINT
CERTAINLY POINT A FINGER AT
ALL OF THE MATERIALLISM, AND
HOW IT IS MORE NOW OF
SHOPPING.
BUT AT ITS CORE, IT IS A
CELEBRATION OF CHRIST.
SO KEEP THAT IN MIND.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS
RESTORE THAT TRADITION TO
SAY TODAY WE'RE GOING TO
CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS
AND SING CAROLS, SING HYMNS,
SING CELEBRATION, SONGS OF
JOY AND CELEBRATION, THAT
THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD WAS
BORN THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF
DAVID.
Terry: DEBBIE SAYS, "IF
GOD FORGIVES US OF ALL OF
OUR SINS AND HE WILL
REMEMBER NO MORE, WHY DO WE
STILL HAVE COR CONSEQUENCES
WHEN JESUS TOOK OUR SINS ON
THE CROSS.
HOW LONG WILL WE HAVE TO PAY
FOR OUR SINS?"
Gordon: YOU NEED TO
BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THE
CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR SIN
WERE WIPED OUT ON THE
CROSS.
HE BECAME THE CURSE FOR OUR
SINS.
IF HE BECAME THE CURSE, WE
ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE
CURSE.
THE APOSTLE PAUL IS VERY
SPECIFIC, WE DON'T HAVE THE
CURSE OF THE LAW ANYMORE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE PENALTY OF
THE LAW.
SO START BELIEVING THAT.
IF YOU'RE ASKING, WHY DO I
HAVE SOME DISEASE BASED ON A
BAD HABIT I HAD BEFORE,
WELL, THAT'S JUST MORE THE
NATURAL CAUSE AND EFFECT.
YOU CAN BE HEALED OF THAT
DISEASE, AND SO BELIEVE
THAT.
IF THERE ARE CERTAIN
TROUBLES GOING ON IN YOUR
LIFE, BE ASSURED OF THE
PROMISE OF JESUS.
IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE
TROUBLE.
BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, FOR I
HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.
I THINK IT IS JUST A CHANGE
IN YOUR PERCEPTION AS TO
WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR
LIFE.
AND I NEED A LITTLE MORE
SPECIFICS OF WHAT
SPECIFICALLY IS HAPPENING TO
YOU?
WHAT KIND OF CONSEQUENCE DO
YOU WANT TO BE CARRIED
AWAY?
AND REALIZE THAT JESUS
PROMISED THAT WE'D HAVE
TROUBLE.
HE PROMISED THAT WE WOULD
HAVE PERSECUTION, BUT BE OF
GOOD CHEER.
HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD.
AND ONE DAY WE'RE GOING TO
BE IN PARADISE WITH HIM, AND
THAT IS THE ULTIMATE
CONSEQUENCE OF SIN, THAT HAS
BEEN ETERNALLY TAKEN AWAY.
Terry: THIS IS JULIA,
THIS IS A REALLY SERIOUS
SITUATION, SHE SAYS, "MY
SON-IN-LAW BURNED DOWN MY
HOUSE IN AN TIEMP ATTEMPT
TO KILL ME, MY DAUGHTER &
HIS 4-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
NO ONE WAS HURT.
HE IS AWAITING THE CHARGES
OF ARSON AND ATTEMPTED
MURDER.
HE IS VIOLENT AND
CONTROLLING, AND THE
4-YEAR-OLD SUFFERS FROM
NIGHT TERRORS.
MY DAUGHTER IS FRIGHTENED OF
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF HE GETS
OUT?"
Gordon: I THINK A LOT
OF US WOULD BE FRIGHTENED.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAPPEN
WITHIN THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
AND THEN THERE ARE THINGS
THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THE STATE
LAWS THAT YOU'RE UNDER.
AND IF YOU VIOLATE THE STATE
LAWS THAT YOU'RE UNDER,
THERE IS A SYSTEM OF JUSTICE
IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU UNDERSTAND THERE IS A
PENALTY FOR DOING THAT.
AND THAT WE ENFORCE THAT
PENALTY.
AND PARTICULARILY IF YOU'RE
PRONE TO THIS KIND OF
BEHAVIOR, IT IS IN THE
BENEFIT OF ALL PEOPLE IN
THIS SOCIETY THAT PERHAPS
YOU BE REMOVED FROM
SOCIETY.
SO I'M PROUD OF YOU FOR
FORGIVING.
AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE
YOU FOR THAT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE
VERY DIFFICULT TIME
FORGIVING SOMEBODY FOR DOING
THIS KIND OF HORRIFIC ACT.
IN TERMS OF PARTICIPATING
WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, YOU
HAVE TO OBEY THE LAWS
YOURSELF.
AND PART OF THAT IS DON'T,
YOU KNOW, COVER UP CRIME.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO
PARTICIPATE WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT, PARTICIPATE
WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM.
TELL THE TRUTH.
YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO, THAT'S THE ANSWER TO
IT.
I WOULDN'T BE CONFLICTED
ABOUT IT.
AND UNDERSTAND THAT PERHAPS
IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM YOUR
SON-IN-LAW WOULD BE ABLE TO
FIND PLACE WHERE HE IS AT
PEACE, AND THAT JESUS CAN
COME AND CHANGE HIS HEART.