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Making men MEN again. The David Alliance will help you slay your giants.
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Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
Recession Proof? or Poof!
What is coming… we are in a recession… and some are calling for a full fledged depression like in the 1940’s…. financial setbacks like business slowdown, decreasing profits, massive layoffs and joblessness, the bursting of the housing bubble, thousands of foreclosures, personal and business bankruptcies, bank failures, investment company collapses, the loss of retirement funds, and the social ills and unrest that go with the downturn. not being able to pay simple bills like heat, gas and electric. Food shortages, etc…
What can we do? There are a couple things that the experts are telling us to do and there are also some biblical insights.
Lets first start with the experts.
Cash is king. You may be able to pick up some new buildings, businesses and even investment items if you have the cash. (these can be sold years later for massive profits)
- Now might be a good time to have your kids move back in to the house. Even if they have a family. You can split the cost of housing, food, heat, gas and electric… and while living with your parents or with your kids is not the most enjoyable option… not enough money is a far greater stress then living with family.
- Cut the fat. You don’t need spotify, YT red, hulu, ESPN+, Amazon prime, Spectra cable, the newest phone, the newest clothes, a TV in every room.
- Sell your fat. You have 4 guitars, you only need 2 acoustic and electric. sell the others. Sell that motorcycle, sell that cottage and boat, you can use the money to survive or invest. But don’t sit on assets that are more valuable liquidated.
- Tap into that skill you have always wanted to monetize. You write, speak, fix lawnmowers, do gardening etc… find a way to make money from it.
- Start a garden and buy some chickens. You may laugh but I have quite a few families that only spend about $100 a week on groceries and food, because they do just this… you might say… $100 is still a good chunk… oh did I mention they all have large families? Like 8 kids…
What does God say?
God is sovereign over these things, he foresees them all, he causes or permits them all, and when he causes or permits something, he does so with purpose and design.
- “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33).
- “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).
- “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples” (Psalms 33:10).
- “[The Lord] declares the end from the beginning . . . saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:10).
So none of the recessionary events has surprised the Lord. His purposes and designs are being fulfilled according to plan. And what I want to do is draw your attention to some of those purposes.
Five reasons for Recession in Gods design
Now what are some of God’s purposes in this recession? I will mention five:
- He intends for this recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing.
- He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind.
- He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in his grace rather than in our goods, in his mercy rather than our money, in his worth rather than our wealth.
- He intends to advance his saving mission in the world — the spread of the gospel and the growth of his church — precisely at a time when human resources are least able to support it. This is how he guards his glory.
- He intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love.
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
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Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
John 14:6 Jesus is the way the truth and the life
If you just look at the evidence of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ it is overwhelming… The evidence is insurmountable pointing to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God. HE IS GOD!
There are truly intelligent people who do not believe in Jesus, and there are just as many truly intelligent people who do believe in Jesus. But the question is have you looked intelligently into who Jesus is?
Have you ever had the wrong impression of someone because of what someone else has said about them… or you know someone who is a weirdo and they say I am great friends with Stephanie, so you judge Stephanie according to that person - I mean if this guy is a weirdo, adn he knows Stephanie really well - than my Goodness son, stay the heck away from Stephanie… WE can do that with Christianity.
Christianity is the only belief system that hinges on the fact that Jesus is who he said he was, he would do what he said he would do - Die, Be dead for 3 days, Resurrect and ascend into heaven. Every other religion can have its leader proven a fraud and still stand on its lists of do’s and don’ts. But if you take Jesus out of Christianity you lose the whole foundation of what it is.
He is the way the truth and the life… no man comes to the father except through him. He is either the way, the truth and the life… or he is not. He cannot be that for some people, but not for others… that is not logical. That is like saying 9x7 is 63, but only for some people.
The Hebrew understanding of the word truth was not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge… meaning you know it is true because it works - because of your experience. When Jesus says “I am the truth” he is saying you can not only know the truth but you can experience it as such by knowing me.
Again Truth GK alay-thea -the reality, the most certainty, it is verity, the soundness of proof.
He is the way - that is truth
He is the life - that is truth
It is verifiable by proof of outcome… a sound judgement proven as most certain.
He is the way to life - that is the truth.
Do you want more life? Zoe? life abundance?
Well then the truth is that he is the way to that.
Dig in, dig deep, dig long and hard…
he is worth it… truth!
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Friday Oct 14, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
The books of the prophets are group into the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. The Major Prophets include five books which are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The Minor Prophets include twelve books called Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
The common theme of these prophetic books is a call to repentance in order to avoid pending judgment interlaced with a promise of the future coming of the Messiah who would setup Israel’s glorious kingdom.
To live in repentance is to assume a pattern of life that consistently and rhythmically brings you back into the hearing of God’s two words: Law and Gospel.
As Timothy Keller said, “...repentance is the way we make progress in the Christian life. Indeed, pervasive, all-of-life-repentance is the best sign that we are growing deeply and rapidly into the character of Jesus.”
Daily repentance and faith is not living in constant doubt about the power of Christ’s forgiveness, but, rather, in constant realization of our tendency to abandon God. It is a daily re-orientation of our eyes onto the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
what is repentance… the greek word literally means to change ones mind and accept Gods will. There is no magic spell that one is waiting for… you ask God to forgive you of your sins and lead you into repentance… changing your mind into his will and acting on it.
And here is the unique thing about repentance… you don’t have to know you have sinned, you don’t have to feel like a sinner, there is not always a sense of guilt or shame… you might feel quite normal. but you know that your life should have a daily rhythm where you ask god for repentance and insight into his will for you life.
They say a rocket to the moon is off course 90% of the time, but it gets to the moon because of its continual recalibration and adjusting to its inner compass. I bet no astronaut in flight in space wonders “hmm did the space ship just take a hard right?”… they can’t tell if they are off course, they just trust the internal process of readjusting to the course. That is what repentance is for the believer. I want to be more like Jesus, I think I am ok, but I am sure there are things in my life where I am off course. So father please help me see and understand where I need adjustment, forgive me, change my heart and my actions.
Now that is a life on target, tha
Thursday Oct 13, 2022
Thursday Oct 13, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
How many people have no time for religion, Jesus, church or anything of that matter… so many times the attitude is Hey thats fine for you, but right now what I really need is a job.
You might say… hey Im glad you are into Jesus, but right now I gotta know wether to marry Lisa or Nancy, Wether to go to college or a trade school, wether or not to buy a house or keep renting… or should I trust my father in law or not…
Ok so lets magically say that I can answer all of those correctly. Mary Nancy, Go to trade school, keep renting for a few years, DO NOT TRUST YOUR FATHER IN LAW. THERE… so now what… no, really now what? You have the answers and life seems less complicated.. but now what? You are still empty, searching, looking… so who cares if you have the answers but don’t know the test giver?
Listen to these nimrods!
The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” ―Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“Whatever we are, whatever we make of ourselves, is all we will ever have—and that, in its profound simplicity, is the meaning of life.” ―Philip Appleman
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.” ―The Dalai Lama
Hey you took the course, you made the grade, you got the house and the career, the woman of your dreams, the lambo’ and the sick cottage out in the woods of Montana, the killer high rise apartment and the friends in high places. You are the best at your field, the top athlete, the best musician, the smartest and most looked up to…. and so now what?
Hey you got a hole in your pants…
Hey you got a hole in your soul… everybody’s born with 1
You cannot fill the hole inside of you with anything other than the perfect match… close enough isn’t good enough, almost is still empty and more and more won’t work either. You have to find the exact match for that hole in your life… and that exact match is Jesus.
He is the way the truth and the life.
We are all looking for the way… what should I do in my life, relationships, investments, with my talents… He is the way… he will guide you
He is the truth… no one wants to feel gullible or fooled. But how many die with all the toys and still feel duped… like this is not what life is about. Freddy Mercury of the band Queen at the end of his life admitted to having it all and still feeling lonely and empty. and I can share a 1000 more people who had it all and said the same thing. But Jesus is the truth. YOu will never feel duped living for Jesus.
He is the life. He gives so much passion, purpose and Zoe… life abundant that it makes anything and everything the best.
What is life ultimately about? the meaning of life? it is to KNOW God and make him known.
Yes, I am a pastor, but I am also a personal trainer, a business owner and an entrepreneur and more, but in all of these my fulfillment comes from knowing my purpose- knowing God and making him known in all of these.
My last thought… there may be someone who stumbles on this podcast and says…yeah I tried Jesus… but it didn’t work for me. My guess is you either tried Religion.. and tried to keep rules hoping to find meaning… when it really is about a relationship… so try that instead. OR you thought by “being” a Christian you would have the secret formula for all you ever wanted, dreamed or desired…and when life went sour, your wife left you, your business failed, your kid got on drugs… you thought, well this Jesus stuff doesn’t work. Again, he is not a life coach or a steroid to get you what you want - rather he is God who wants you to know him and serve him… not your wants.
and believe it or not- that is true fulfillment and truly the meaning of life.
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wednesday Oct 12, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
Proverbs 26:4-14
4 Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.
5 Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools, or they will become wise in their own estimation.
6 Trusting a fool to convey a message is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!
7 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.
8 Honoring a fool is as foolish as tying a stone to a slingshot.
9 A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like a thorny branch brandished by a drunk.
10 An employer who hires a fool or a bystander is like an archer who shoots at random.
11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.
12 There is more hope for fools than for people who think they are wise.
13 The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”
14 As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.
How to argue with a fool.
First rule and most important rule is always stay calm. The more loud they get the more agitated they get, the more calm you are. You don’t need to soften your voice, just remain calm. You will actually see them getting worn out. They typically feed off of others peoples anger… when you don’t respond they typically peter out and just walk away.
I believe we see this when Pilate was questioning Jesus in John 19
"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
Next is break their train of thought. Tony Robbins taught me this one years ago. He was in the middle of an argument and he stopped the person and said have you ever eaten a large bowl of crickets and urine? The guy stopped and was like… what???? But what it did is it created a new pathway of thought to manifest in that mans mindset. Jesus told a lot of parables around the pharisees. He told many that were just completely confusing to people… but it did do one thing. It created a new pathway of thought in many of those who were not necessarily agreeing with him, but listening to him
Here is a weird but fun one. When someone wants to argue with you don’t look at them in the eye, but rather look at their forehead and just over one eyebrow. It will cause the person to feel awkward and lose concentration and it also makes them feel like you know they are lying and they in turn many times stop lying.
In the middle of an intense exchange it is important to compliment someone or even hug them. You gotta remember that you don’t know if they are arguing because they truly disagree or if they just had a bad day and are taking it out on you. I love the fact that everyone was quick to judge Mary for sitting at Jesus feet, quick to judge the harlot who was caught in adultery, quick to judge the women who poured perfume on Jesus feet etc… but Jesus knew what was going on behind the scenes.
Next one. Agree with the person in simply saying you are a very smart and educated person who has a lot of insight, so I know you are smart enough to see this for what it really is. Many times they realize they will be calling themselves stupid by choosing to argue with you rather than agreeing with you that they are smart and they do really see what is going on. They may talk themselves into is slowly, but let them have that out.
Finally sometimes just staying quiet is the best way to make a point. Jesus in front of his accusers said nothing. Even while they hit him, spit on him and beat him… he said nothing… and in turn made the soldiers look incredibly stupid. Silence is what caused the final soldier at Jesus side by the cross when he died to remark “surely this is the son of God”. He watched how Jesus did NOT respond to the hate.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Tuesday Oct 11, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
On Mercury, a day is two years long.
What you think of as a day – how long it takes the Earth to rotate – isn't 24 hours. It's 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.2 seconds. The reason it's 24 hours from sunrise to sunrise is because every day the Earth moves further in its orbit round the sun – and the change in its position lengthens the day slightly.
A second isn't what you think it is. Scientifically, it's not defined as 1/60th of a minute, but as "the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium 133 atom".
speaking of time -lightning strikes Earth 6,000 times every minute.
There are total 31,557,600 seconds in a year.
- 1."Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." - Mother Teresa
- 2."Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week's value out of a year while another man gets a full year's value out of a week." -- Charles Richards
- Statistics have revealed that an average employee spends 2 hours per day recovering from distractions.
- Also, according to RescueTime, on average, we spend 3 hours and 15 minutes a day (49.4 days per year) on our phones.
- BusinessFirstFamily has stated that poor communication has also been responsible for the loss of 280 hours per year.
Isaiah 40:31 Those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. teach me Lord teach me lord to wait.
- The wait is the process. The process is painful. The hebrew word for wait is Kawvaw… it means to be drawn under tension. You are not just waiting like sitting in your lounge chair watching espn surfing your phone, there is a tension… when will this happen, how will lit happen, is it going to happen.
And that is the process. The process is learning how to deal with the Fathers tension… every person in scripture who was used by God had to wait with tension…
Joseph… had a dream and had to wait under tension to see it manifest, David was anointed King and had to wait years under tension to see it manifest. The apostle Paul was saved and had to wait under tension 13 years before he started his ministry… the list goes on and on.
Enjoy the wait! it will build your faith
The wait is the purpose… not the outcome.
So many times we think that what is coming will be worth the wait… but the truth is simply this: the wait is worth the wait. In what other situation will you be put in where you have no control, you have no idea when, you are not sure if ever it will happen… and you don’t know if it will be a bust or not. This is all wrapped up in the process of waiting. So you have to wait 4 months to get that new job.. but are you using the wait time to become the best employee. Waiting is waiting for you to assign its purpose. And trust me God will also assign his own purpose if you are careful enough to watch for it.
I can’t tell you how many times I have waited for things from God only to look back after receiving them and thanking him more for the wait then the blessing I received. I love what Jim Rohn says that ties into this so nicely “why make a million dollars? because of what it will make of you for you to make a million dollars. I would add, why wait? for what it will do to you in the waiting process.
The wait is the promise- it is where the seed of faith lys, every promise has a built in waiting period. If I tell my son I am giving you a new bike, and just hand it to him… that is nice, but it builds up zero trust and faith in my son between the two of us. However if I say I am bringing a new bike home today from work… well he has to wait and trust. If I say I am getting you a new bike for your birthday and that is in 7 months… he has to wait longer and have his faith tested… but in 7 months, he will be able to say… I knew it… my Dad promised!
Look at Joseph, Paul, David, Peter, Abraham, Solomon… even Jesus had to wait for his promise. He had to wait 3 days to raise up from the grave…
Don’t fret over waiting, let it sink in and enjoy the ride. Those that wait upon the Lord… those that under tension and pressure still wait on him, will be rewarded… don’t give up to soon and miss the blessing!
Monday Oct 10, 2022
Monday Oct 10, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
just got back from this Muskie trip… and I found myself asking a lot of questions… why this rod, why this reel, what this bait, how should I reel , where should I cast, what happens if it bites, what if it swims up to the boat following my lure?… and you know what asking questions is a great way to live your life….
I don’t want you to waste your life… it would be tragic if you did, or didn’t realize it until it is too late.
I want to challenge you with a few questions that I hope you truly chew on and use as a litmus test for your life. First question is does it matter in the long run? Is what you spend your time on, whatever your life goal is, where you put any type of energy be it financial, mental, time, etc… does it really matter at the end of your life.
Let me explain what we call the law of diminish returns… it is best understood in dating, you hold hands, you kiss, you french kiss, you fondle, you have sex… that is the short course. It is an eating away of levels that should be there to protect. But the longer you let the little foxes in, pretty soon they spoil the whole vineyard.
So you have some things in your life that to you matter, but maybe they are harmless except for the fact that they are step one to diminishing what is truly important in life.
You have a hobby… you play baseball as an adult male in the mens league… nothing wrong with that but it takes up time, money and you have no interest whatsoever being a light to the other players or trying to win them to Christ.
But it is just the tip of the iceberg. Because it steals time away from your church attendance and maybe your tithing, it gives a bad impression or the wrong impression to your kids… in time they don’t go to church at all and now your grandkids don’t even find the thought of God at all appealing… its old fashion. And you say… well that didn’t just happen because I played baseball as a hobby as an adult… I disagree- I think it had everything to do with it… while maybe only one of the pieces, they all played a part into your diminishing returns as a follower of Christ. Is your life and your life choices really matter in the long run?….
NEXT 2 QUESTIONS HAND IN HAND
What are you doing? Great question? No matter what you are doing - what are you doing? Why are you doing it?
Here is the surest test of this question… no matter what you are doing answer these 2 in light of what you are doing.
Does it lead to actionable transformation in your life?
Does it advance the kingdom of God?
**I mean really take time and look at the music you listen to, the church you go to, the people you hang with, the hobbies you participate in, the food you eat, the schedule you keep, the words you use, the places you surf on your phone, the words and conversation you have… EVERYTHING YOU DO, GO, THINK - What ever makes you- you… is it leading to transformation in your life?
Are you going to be more like Jesus in a noticeably marked way in a few months,,, and even more so in a few years…
look we just don’t have time to mess around with things that don’t translate in transformation in our lives.
Finally does it advance the kingdom of God.
What is the kingdom of God? It is doing things Gods way. It is living, believing and acting as if heaven is here on earth. We demand in prayer and faith for Gods will to be done here on earth… and we see results.
It is simply living in such a way “with Christ as our model” that the non believer believes and the weak Christian is strengthened, and our walk promotes who Jesus is. We live in such a way that we make Jesus famous!
Look what you have filled your life up with..well…
It might feel good, it might even be good… but does it fall into either of these categories?
Chewing gum is good, it tastes good… it does nothing… and in time may actually give you cavities.
In fact it may feel good, sound good, you may be told it is good, but it may in fact lead to demonic possession, oppression, depression, suppression or a watered down mission and a room full of hot fudge sundaes… and no meat - no substance.
Is what you are doing really matter?
Is Jesus more famous because of what you do?
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
Have you ever blown it and felt bad and asked someone to forgive you and they do… but uh, it just doesn’t feel right or complete? I have been on both ends… and that is where we are going today.
Repent and be Baptized… we have heard sermons about this, we may have read these scriptures in the bible and we think we may actually done this exact command… but have we?
What is repentance? Is it forgiveness…? Hey I blew it please forgive me of my sins Jesus. Ta Da… all take care of… maybe its not the simple.. well actually it is not that simple. So what is true biblical repentance.
Before I get to a scripture, lets look at a playing field we can all relate to. Someone hurts you, they really do something or say something that cuts you to the core. It has left a major mark in your relationship with them… maybe mark it to light of a word… they have left a car crash in your heart and soul… you feel like it will never be the same.
AND YET… in a few days they come and ask for forgiveness. They say they realize what they did was so wrong and it hurt you. In this rehearsed dialogue somewhere they ask you to forgive them… and you do… but… it just doesn’t feel right… no on your part - you really do want to forgive them and you mouth those words… but its not sitting right.
I would like to throw out the idea that maybe that person thought forgiveness was the same as repentance.
Lets make it simple: Forgiveness is the act of reconciling (just the mind mouth connection.)
But repentance is the heart asking for forgiveness. You can tell they feel bad, distressed, they hurt for you. They are actually grieving in the act of asking for repentance… it truly bothers them. (I think every person married knows what I am talking about)
So what marks true repentance?
Joel 2:12–13, the Lord calls to Israel, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” In the Old Testament, people commonly expressed great grief and anguish by tearing their cloaks. But more than caring about the proper “signs” of being upset about their sin, God cared that they actually grieved over them in their hearts — grieved to the point of weeping and mourning.
The tearing of garments you might say in todays world is just an outward form of forgiveness… it is an act to some degree. But God wants repentance… a heart move.
In his famous psalm of repentance, David reminds us that God does not delight so much in the outward signs of repentance (which included making a sacrifice), but “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). We’re not talking about the shame and condemnation the enemy wants to heap on us, but a godly grief.
When you ask someone for forgiveness it is important that you ask God to prepare your heart with the understanding and impact of what repentance is. Simply “God let my heart be broken like yours is broken when I sin”.
1 Tim. 2:25 says God grant me a true heart of repentance so that I may have a knowledge of the truth.
That is how I truly hurt that person or yes, even how I hurt God.
See the truth is this… when we hurt others we hurt God. So in turn when we ask for forgiveness from others we are asking for forgiveness from God… he can smell out a rat… that is someone just tearing their garments. So ask God, if you have the guts to reveal his heart of repentance to you so that you can truly have forgiveness from others and from the almighty.
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com Gym Apparel for men and women that rocks and shocks and ain’t for everybody - but just might be for you. wellbuiltbody.com
I heard a great line by Jocko Willink on the Joe Rogan podcast this past week. He was talking about Ju jitsu and how hard it is to truly master it and you never really master it. Jocko said he trains people for a few days in some intensive course that helps their mind will and spirit and they end up also learning some basic moves in ju jitsu. He explained to them after they all felt truly accomplished that what they just learned was more or less like almost… almost learning how to write one letter in the alphabet and yet not knowing how to read… Then he went on to say and if you learn the alphabet and learn to read you open up another door and see a french word… ahhh its never over. There are thousands and thousands of words and languages to learn how to read and write and speak. He again said this is what trying to learn Ju Jitsu is like. Then Joe Rogan added, this is why you have to stay humble… you don’t know it all and there is someone out there who doesn’t know it all, but still knows more than you.
I see a lot of arrogance today in our Christian world - most likely do to media. People are quick to call out pastors and evangelists on predominantly petty stuff… ok I get it - they are trying to build an audience… but still the thought of some Christ followers coming across like they know everything OR can at least sit in the seat of judgement is a little crazy. Even if you have know Christ your whole entire life and you know him well… adn you know your bible and you know the greek and the hebrew and the aramaic and the history… all of that is still just basically learning how to write one letter in the alphabet and still not knowing how to read or write or speak english… and again thousands of more words.
So how should one respond to those we disagree with.. and yes even if it is a blatant sin.
Well lets suppose you don’t know the person that well or maybe not at all.
Always always speak in love. Speak in truth… but in love. I like starting my sentences with… hmmm that is an interesting take. And then I will follow up with a statement that contradicts what they are saying, but with love humility and using scripture. I will say something like “and how would you respond knowing what you know with the verse that says…, and regardless of what they say, again I respond in love.
Think of it this way. When people are in sin or you feel in error, use the word of God as a reflection pool. Help them see their beliefs compared to who God is and what his word says. You job is not to correct them first, but rather steer them first and let the word of God correct them. Now I am not afraid of pointing out the facts and the fallacies of people… but if I do it in a prideful way I am creating the wrong reflection. If I do it in an angry way, I am creating the wrong reflection. If I do it in a superior way I again am creating the wrong reflection.
Lets read James 1:22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. 23For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, 24and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.…
Again we must help people see a reflection from Gods perspective.
Do you remember Snow white and the 7 dwarves… every day the nasty witchy queen would ask the magic mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all. the mirror would say you my queen are the fairest of them all… was snow white not around at that time? yes she was, but still growing up…. it took time for the mirror to finally break the bad news to the queen… you are no longer the fairest of them all. It gave a new reflection… but it took time. It is much like the word of God when used properly in someones life by a believer who approaches them in love. Be the mirror God wants you to be and reflect who he is.
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at
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Which is it? Either and or both. Have you ever asked someone a two part question and they answered yes to both. Maybe a question like “do you love your son Ryan more or do you love your Son Reese more”. and I would answer yes.
Today is not a long one… but it runs deep!
If you change the truth of the Gospel you are claiming to be God. What do I mean. If I reinterpret scripture to meet my own agenda and my own personal sins then I am saying Gods word is no longer truth. I am in fact saying I am more of an authority than God… thus I am God.
Christ says to worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:24 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” What is the spirit? Well we know the Holy Spirit has gifts like meekness, kindness, gentleness, long suffering, mercy, love etc… so if we reinterpret scripture to promote the spirit over the the truth we are in fact saying I am in charge of the truth. I will tell people that God loves you no matter what you do, believe or your behavior. Yes you have sex before marriage but you love each other, yes you were born a homosexual and God will still allow you into heaven, yes you can steal or cheat or lie if it is for a good cause… Because God is love and mercy and gracious… By this belief we devalue the truth emphasizing only the spiritual facets of his nature.
1 John 4:20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Hey news flash, if you don’t love God, you aint going to heaven… just saying. And how many people I have met who say they are followers of Christ and can’t even live up to this one simple verse.
But they go hand in hand. And when we do this -again we have become the authority and not Gods word.
It is so important to find out what scripture meant to that culture, to that church and in those times… what was the true intent - and when you can assuredly know this you can know what it means for us today and how to apply it. You can no longer just say a certain lifestyle or sin is now ok because times have changed. Gods word is timeless and his nature, character and holiness is never changing.
Psalm 119:89-96 God reigns, He is timeless, limitless in power, knowledge, and space. As a result, His Word is timeless. God would as soon cease to be God his word was not timeless.
It is like being in a marriage and telling your spouse, you must let me sleep around because you love me and you said you would never leave me or forsake me… this is compensating your sins by serving only the attributes of his spirit and not the truth of his word, but the truth is on the other side of the fulcrum, if a man commits adultery his wife can leave him… the spirit is balanced by the truth and the truth is balanced by the spirit.
This is a crucial flaw in a lot of the younger Christians… they may actually mean well by thinking well we don’t want people to feel judged or unloved by God… it is actually the opposite - Love is Holy and truthful.
When I went through all my cancers I am glad a doctor balanced the truth… “you have cancer” with the spirit… I am going to give you the best care I can. Rather than… hey you are going to be fine, you are the best, you are healthy as a horse… I would feel great about my tests but I would be dying inside. I am glad he told me the truth balanced with the spirit of love and grace.