Cliff
Appearances
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, if he does, then the thief on the cross who turned to Christ and said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus says, I tell you the truth, today he'll be with me in paradise. That dude ain't going to heaven because he didn't get down off the cross and get baptized. So obviously my point is, no, you don't have to be baptized in order to go to heaven.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Now, one of the scariest passages of the Bible for me is Matthew 25, the parable of the sheep and the goats. where Jesus says, you can put some on his left, some on his right. He's gonna turn to those on his left and say, you know, I was hungry and you never fed me. I was naked, you never clothed me. I was sick and in prison, you never visited me. Right, Johnny? Yeah.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And those on his left are gonna say, when did we ever see you in that predicament? And he will say, every time you did not do it to the least of these, my brethren, you didn't do it to me. And then he's gonna turn to those on his right and say, enter the heaven that is prepared for you, for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you did give me something to drink.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And they're gonna say, when did we ever see you in that kind of a predicament, Jesus? And he will say, every time you did it for one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it for me. Now, to misinterpret that passage is, okay, so the way to heaven is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those who are sick and in prison. No, that is not what Jesus is saying. Gotta read in context.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So, the thief on the cross didn't get down to feed the hungry, he didn't get down to get baptized. But he put his faith in Christ. He happened to die the next moment, but he's gonna be in heaven. It's similar to Stuart with his road rage.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If he dies in road rage, he's not going to hell, because his going to heaven is not based on him doing a good deed, feeding the hungry, the moment he draws his last breath. But if Stuart has a genuine faith in Christ, he will feed the hungry, he will clothe the naked, and he will be baptized.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So absolutely, baptism is very important, communion is very important, feeding the hungry is important, clothing the naked is important, speaking kind words to people and not... swearing and cursing and abusing God's name is very important, but it's not the way to heaven.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The way to heaven is through Christ, through our faith in him, and if that faith is genuine, then we will live that kind of life. And the point of James is not contradicting Paul when he says faith without works is dead. But what he is saying is there is such a thing as a sincere faith, and there's such a thing as an insincere faith. You should read James.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The word faith appears all over the place. He uses Abraham as a tremendous example, a model of faith. So James' point is not, oh, faith is insignificant. No. James' point is, there's a sincere faith which will be shown by works, and there's an insincere faith which will not be shown by works. Hmm.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Stuart, Cliff? Stuart, why don't you go first?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
What is a holy kiss? Well, Paul says, greet one another with a holy kiss. And I'm sorry, all you guys, even you sisters, and George, I've never kissed you. Don't you dare be blasphemous. You come here.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Wait, wait, wait. Something happened yesterday. Something happened yesterday. A guy stepped out of the crowd and started busting Bryce's chops. He said, Cliff, you're dressed modestly and humbly. Bryce, look at those gold things in your ear, those rings. You should grow up and be more biblical. All right, so this guy went after him for his rings in his ears.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And your tattoos. I was in shorts and a t-shirt. So it was a real privilege to look the guy in the face and say, excuse me, sir, now you're dabbling in cultural things. Bryce's faith in Christ is deep and profound, just as deep and profound as my faith. Culturally, I dress the way I do because I come out of a particular culture.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
He dresses the way he does because he comes out of a different culture. Right. And we're not going to get into bashing Bryce because he has some rings in his ears and some tattoos on his arms. Because that's not the issue. The issue is Bryce's heart and devotion to Christ is impeccable. He acknowledges he's a sinner. He's not some self-righteous, arrogant twit. So please quiet down.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And the guy was very respectful and he quieted down. Thanks for standing up for me, Cliff.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Sorry for hurting you. He has two questions, right? I'm the second one. So what was the first question?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, the main point of the book of Galatians is it's Jesus alone. It's not Jesus plus circumcision. That's in Galatians. In Colossians, it's Jesus alone, not Jesus plus a particular philosophy, a particular fulfillment. I'm really fulfilled, filled up in Christ. And then they would add to it. So it's Jesus Christ alone.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So if anybody contradicts the Bible or if any teaching contradicts the Bible, I'm sorry.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
We're part in company. But if it's not in contradiction to the Bible, if it's a different interpretation, let's be real careful. And that's why, brother, I appreciate the way you handle the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic distinction. You're right.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
There are a lot of Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ who love the Lord, and there are a lot of Catholic brothers and sisters who love the Lord, and a lot of Protestant brothers and sisters who love the Lord, and charismatic and non-charismatic. And I think we divide the body of Christ in a very sad, unfortunate way when we major on the minors.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
As Stuart pointed out, we want to major on the majors, not on the minors. But if anybody starts going, Jesus plus, Jesus is not enough, it's Jesus plus, then we've got to start drawing the line and saying, no, I'm sorry, it's Jesus Christ alone. So if anybody's going to tell me, Mary is a co-redemptress, I'm going to say I'm sorry.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, I would disagree with that. I think Mary was a sinful human being the same way we all are because she was a human. She was born with a sinful nature. And then we get into, well, was the Immaculate Virgin really born of a man and a woman or just similar to the way her son was born, a virgin birth? And gosh, that's, you know, come on. Yeah. No, Mary had a dad and a mom, all right?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And it was one person who didn't have an earthly father, and that was Jesus Christ, because he was God in human form. So let's just try and stick with what the scriptures do teach on that point. But once again, let's not go back and start fighting these... You know what's really embarrassing? brother, is how many Catholics have killed Protestants and how many Protestants have killed Catholics.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's really embarrassing. You talk about egg on our face as followers of Christ, the garbage that went down over history in the wars between Catholics and Protestants and Protestants and Catholics, and both sides were guilty. I mean, come on, guys. That's embarrassing. Totally embarrassing. Similarly, I'm a white Christian. I own slaves, and I'm going to have all my slaves go to church on Sunday.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's embarrassing. Oh, and we're going to torch those witches in the Salem witch trials. That's embarrassing. Come on, guys. Oh, the Republican Party is God's party. The Democratic Party is God's party. That's embarrassing. Lincoln was right when he said the issue is not, is God on my side? The issue is, am I on God's side? Because God's side is always right.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
It's not my side and my nation and my Republican or Democratic party or whatever, I am socialist or whatever. No, it's Christ. It's the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
George, one of the most significant things you said for me personally was, because I met your mom and dad and they're beautiful people. And I know you've had some disagreements, right? But when you pointed out, you know, my mom and dad need to see the love of Christ in me. They don't need me to argue with them. Just go keep going, brother. Keep going.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And you're speaking the truth about the Bible and the Christ. But with my parents and my family, I mean, I had some strong theological differences with my dad. And I got too angry with him. And I regret that. And I'm very grateful I apologized to him because I was out of line. So I regret the time that I went after my father in this big theological debate. I mean, who gives a rip?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If the issues are so minor issues, the issue is, am I going to love you? Am I going to respect you? And we're going to agree to disagree. And that's real tolerance. And if anybody tells me a Christian is not tolerance, they're wrong. Because I follow a guy who, as he's bleeding and dying on a cross, prays for his enemies. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Guess what, guys?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's the essence of tolerance. Yeah. And that's what I have to do, and that's what I've got to live out. And it's not easy for me, and I've blown it so many times, I can't count how many times I've blown it. But the grace of God will change me and make me into a truly tolerant person where I accept people, love them. Do I compromise the truth of Christ? Never.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Never am I going to compromise the truth of Christ or the truth of the Bible. But I've got to deliver it with His love, with His humility. I mean, if the God who created the universe can humble Himself and wash His disciples' feet... I think I can get down on my hands and knees and wash some people's feet.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I think the Bible teaches that when we put our faith in Christ, we're totally forgiven. We are, in a sense, perfect in the sense that we're covered by the blood of Christ's death on the cross. So we are perfect standing before God. But no, we don't live perfect lives. Paul writes in Romans 7, the good I want to do, I don't do, and the evil I don't want to do, I do.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So no, I struggle with sin. Every day I sin, and every day I have to ask for forgiveness, and that's part of the process of growing.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So in one sense, yes, I'm perfect before God in the sense that Christ's death covers me, and I'm going to heaven because of God's grace. But in another very real sense, no, I'm far from perfect. I'm a work in progress.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
George, that was probably the most eloquent expression that I am really getting rather old I have ever heard. That was very kind of you. Thank you so much. All right, brother. So I'm going to stay along that track.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Before you all were born, 50 years ago, I memorized as a college student Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 34, where Jesus says, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. are you not much more valuable than they? So start thinking, Cliff, because God values you even more than he values the birds of the air, why do you stink and worry so much? Okay, that was 50 years ago, guys, that I memorized that.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And now that I'm 70, I still wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning, and my mind takes off. And there's too much anxiety, there's too much worry, And so this past week, I guess what I was trying to learn was, Cliff, are you going to trust God or not? And your anxiety is a clear statement, Cliff. You don't trust him. And it's kind of embarrassing, guys, because I've been at these verses for 50 years.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So it's definitely a process. There's so much I don't know. There's so many wrong habits I have. And yet God is changing me. God is growing me. But man, I got a long way to go. And that's why this whole issue of grace is so important. Because I am a sinner, a dirty, rotten sinner. I've memorized that scripture. I go over it, but I still worry at times. I mean, shoot, now I'm a grandpa.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And I got six of the cutest little granddaughters in the world. But you know one of the things I think about when I wake up at two or three in the morning is, oh Lord, if anything happens to any one of them, oh my goodness, that would crush me.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And this past week, I was with a family who go to our church where Stuart and I pastor, and this woman is crying her eyes out because she had two children, and the second child was born with severe, we're talking severe intellectual and physical handicap. Her husband didn't wanna have another child.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
She pressed him and convinced him, okay, we're gonna go through fertility and we're gonna have another child. They had another child and they just found out that this child is probably gonna have the same challenges that their handicapped child has. And this woman is just falling apart inside. The pain, why God? And the anxiety about the future. So trusting God, it sounds so simple.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
You trust God, you trust God, you have faith in God, you have faith in God. We all know that. But the challenge is to do it. To just do it. I don't know what's going to happen in my granddaughter's lives. I know there's going to be some pain. I don't know when... I'm gonna pass away. I know I'm gonna go to the presence of Christ. What that's gonna be like, I don't know. I've never experienced it.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Just trust God, will you, Cliff? So that's where I'm getting stretched, brother. Just trust. I can't look at the face of the woman whose third child was born with the same horrible birth defects that their second child was born with. I don't know why that happened. I can't explain that to her.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I can try and bring the comfort of Christ that he died and rose from the dead, and that's true, and that's beautiful, and that's what I'm going to hold on, and I'm going to trust him more and more. And one of my heroes in the faith was Tim Keller. Hmm. All right, so he died last year, right? Great pastor, brilliant writer, tremendous man of faith.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But when he was told that he had stage four pancreatic cancer, and his days were really, really numbered, he struggled with doubt. And I appreciated him sharing that fact. And you know what he did? He went back and studied the resurrection of Christ. Because he knew, blast it all, if Christ really did rise from the dead,
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
then although this pancreatic cancer is going to take me out of this world, I'm going to go be with Christ. And the verse that really hits you is Philippians 1.23. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. So what on earth am I so anxious about? Why do I worry still? It's a contradiction of my faith, and yet I'm human. I've got feet of clay. You know, I blow it.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But that's where I want to grow, and that's where I pray you will continue to grow, and I have so much respect for you all.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
You're so much younger than I am, and I celebrate that fact because it means there's a bright future for this country and this world as there are followers of Christ like you guys who take the Bible seriously, take Christ seriously, and don't go around taking pot shots at fellow believers because they are a little errant in certain ways. Mm-hmm. Brother, I love your background, Eastern Orthodox.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
There are some beautiful Eastern Orthodox Christians that I've met recently, some priests, Greek Orthodox, who I didn't know about. And they're just awesome people. And the majority of genuine followers of Christ in the town where we work are Catholics. And there are obviously a bunch of Protestant believers who really love Jesus. So I don't care if you're Protestant, Catholic, Greek, Orthodox.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The issue is holding on to Christ. And what does that mean? Trust Jesus. Just trust him. So for me, that means, okay, so no more grinding at 2 or 3 in the morning, Cliff, about all the fears or anxieties. It means to rest in Christ, to just trust Jesus.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And there's one person who really has been incredible with me. Because at one point, it wasn't four people standing there. At one point, it was one person, my wife. Yeah. You don't know how embarrassing that was for me. It was Rutgers University in New Jersey, and there wasn't anybody around. So Sharon, my wife, stands there and says, okay, Cliff, start.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And there I am standing, speaking to my wife. It was a little embarrassing for me, but she was just amazing. And her faithfulness and partnership in the gospel has been incredible. But then you'll never guess what happened. All of a sudden, The cafeteria doors open, and this flood of university students come running out of there. And we had a crowd of over 100 people like that.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But it all started with my wife saying, come on, Cliff. It's me. Let's go.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, if he does, then the thief on the cross who turned to Christ and said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus says, I tell you the truth, today he'll be with me in paradise. That dude ain't going to heaven because he didn't get down off the cross and get baptized. So obviously my point is no. You don't have to be baptized in order to go to heaven.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Now, one of the scariest passages of the Bible for me is Matthew 25, the parable of the sheep and the goats. where Jesus says, you can put some on his left, some on his right. He's gonna turn to those on his left and say, you know, I was hungry and you never fed me. I was naked, you never clothed me. I was sick and in prison, you never visited me. Right, Johnny?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And those on his left are gonna say, when did we ever see you in that predicament? And he will say, every time you did not do it to the least of these, my brethren, you didn't do it to me. And then he's gonna turn to those on his right and say, enter the heaven that is prepared for you, for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you did give me something to drink.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And they're gonna say, when did we ever see you in that kind of a predicament, Jesus? And he will say, every time you did it for one of the least of these, my brethren, you did it for me. Now, to misinterpret that passage is, okay, so the way to heaven is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those who are sick and in prison. No, that is not what Jesus is saying. Gotta read it in context.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If I put my faith in Christ, yes, I better feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit those who are sick and in prison. That is a genuine outworking of my faith. So, the thief on the cross didn't get down to feed the hungry, he didn't get down to get baptized. But he put his faith in Christ. He happened to die the next moment, but he's gonna be in heaven.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
It's similar to Stuart with his road rage. If he dies in road rage, he's not going to hell, because his going to heaven is not based on him doing a good deed, feeding the hungry, the moment he draws his last breath. But if Stuart has a genuine faith in Christ, he will feed the hungry, he will clothe the naked, and he will be baptized. So absolutely, baptism is very important.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Communion is very important. Feeding the hungry is important. Clothing the naked is important. Speaking kind words to people and not... Swearing and cursing and abusing God's name is very important, but it's not the way to heaven. The way to heaven is through Christ, through our faith in him, and if that faith is genuine, then we will live that kind of life.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And the point of James is not contradicting Paul when he says faith without works is dead. But what he is saying is there is such a thing as a sincere faith, and there's such a thing as an insincere faith. You just read James, the word faith appears all over the place. He uses Abraham as a tremendous example, a model of faith. So James' point is not, oh, faith is insignificant.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
No, James' point is, there's a sincere faith which will be shown by works, and there's an insincere faith which will not be shown by works.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Stuart, why don't you go first? He does that a lot, by the way, man.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, Paul says, greet one another with a holy kiss. And I'm sorry, all you guys, even you sisters, and George, I've never kissed you.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I noticed that, Bryce. Wait, wait, wait. Something happened yesterday. Something happened yesterday. A guy stepped out of the crowd and started busting Bryce's chops. He said, Cliff, you're dressed modestly and humbly. Bryce, look at those gold things in your ear, those rings. You should grow up and be more biblical. All right, so this guy went after him for his rings in his ears.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And your tattoos. I was in shorts and a t-shirt. So it was a real privilege to look the guy in the face and say, excuse me, sir, now you're dabbling in cultural things. Mm-hmm. Bryce's faith in Christ is deep and profound, just as deep and profound as my faith. Culturally, I dress the way I do because I come out of a particular culture.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
He dresses the way he does because he comes out of a different culture. Right. And we're not going to get into bashing Bryce because he has some rings in his ears and some tattoos on his arms. Because that's not the issue. The issue is Bryce's heart and devotion to Christ is impeccable. He acknowledges he's a sinner. He's not some self-righteous arrogant twit. So please quiet down.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And the guy was very respectfully quieted down.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
He has two questions, right? I'm the second one. So what was the first question?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, the main point of the book of Galatians is it's Jesus alone. It's not Jesus plus circumcision. That's in Galatians. In Colossians, it's Jesus alone, not Jesus plus a particular philosophy, a particular fulfillment. I'm really fulfilled, filled up in Christ. And then they would add to it. So it's Jesus Christ alone.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So if anybody contradicts the Bible or if any teaching contradicts the Bible, I'm sorry.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
We're part in company. But if it's not in contradiction to the Bible, if it's a different interpretation, let's be real careful. And that's why, brother, I appreciate the way you handle the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic distinction. You're right.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
There are a lot of Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ who love the Lord, and there are a lot of Catholic brothers and sisters who love the Lord, and a lot of Protestant brothers brothers and sisters who love the Lord, and charismatic and non-charismatic. And I think we divide the body of Christ in a very sad, unfortunate way when we major on the minors.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
As Stuart pointed out, we want to major on the majors, not on the minors. But if anybody starts going, Jesus plus, Jesus is not enough, it's Jesus plus, then we've got to start drawing the line and saying, no, I'm sorry, it's Jesus Christ alone. So if anybody's going to tell me, Mary is a co-redemptress, I'm going to say I'm sorry.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, I would disagree with that. I think Mary was a sinful human being the same way we all are because she was a human. She was born with a sinful nature. And then we get into, well, was the Immaculate Virgin really born of a man and a woman or just similar to the way her son was born, a virgin birth? And gosh, that's, you know, come on. Yeah. No, Mary had a dad and a mom, all right?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And it was one person who didn't have an earthly father, and that was Jesus Christ, because he was God in human form. So let's just try and stick with what the scriptures do teach on that point. But once again, let's not go back and start fighting these... You know what's really embarrassing? brother, is how many Catholics have killed Protestants and how many Protestants have killed Catholics.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's really embarrassing. You talk about egg on our face as followers of Christ, the garbage that went down over history in the wars between Catholics and Protestants and Protestants and Catholics, and both sides were guilty. I mean, come on, guys. That's embarrassing. Totally embarrassing. Similarly, I'm a white Christian. I own slaves, and I'm going to have all my slaves go to church on Sunday.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's embarrassing. Oh, and we're going to torch those witches in the Salem witch trials. That's embarrassing. Come on, guys. Oh, the Republican Party is God's party. The Democratic Party is God's party. That's embarrassing. Lincoln was right when he said, the issue is not, is God on my side? The issue is, am I on God's side? Because God's side is always right.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
It's not my side and my nation and my Republican or Democratic party or whatever, I am socialist or whatever. No, it's Christ. It's the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
George, one of the most significant things you said for me personally was, because I met your mom and dad, and they're beautiful people. And I know you've had some disagreements, right? But when you pointed out, you know, my mom and dad need to see the love of Christ in me. They don't need me to argue with them. Just go keep going, brother. Keep going.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And you're speaking the truth about the Bible and the Christ. But with my parents and my family, I mean, I had some strong theological differences with my dad, and I got too angry with him. And I regret that, and I'm very grateful I apologized to him because I was out of line. So I regret the time that I went after my father in this big theological debate. I mean, who gives a rip?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If the issues are so minor issues, the issue is, am I going to love you? Am I going to respect you? And we're going to agree to disagree. And that's real tolerance. And if anybody tells me a Christian is not tolerance, they're wrong. Because I follow a guy who, as he's bleeding and dying on a cross, prays for his enemies. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Guess what, guys?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That's the essence of tolerance. Yeah. And that's what I have to do, and that's what I've got to live out. And it's not easy for me, and I've blown it so many times, I can't count how many times I've blown it. But the grace of God will change me and make me into a truly tolerant person where I accept people, love them. Do I compromise the truth of Christ? Never.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Never am I going to compromise the truth of Christ or the truth of the Bible. But I've got to deliver it with His love, with His humility. I mean, if the God who created the universe can humble Himself and wash His disciples' feet... I think I can get down on my hands and knees and wash some people's feet.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I think the Bible teaches that when we put our faith in Christ, we're totally forgiven. We are, in a sense, perfect in the sense that we're covered by the blood of Christ's death on the cross. So we are perfect standing before God. But no, we don't live perfect lives. Paul writes in Romans 7, the good I want to do, I don't do, and the evil I don't want to do, I do.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. So no, I struggle with sin. Every day I sin, and every day I have to ask for forgiveness, and that's part of the process of growing.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So in one sense, yes, I'm perfect before God in the sense that Christ's death covers me, and I'm going to heaven because of God's grace. But in another very real sense, no, I'm far from perfect. I'm at work in progress.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
George, that was probably the most eloquent expression that I am really getting rather old I have ever heard. That was very kind of you. Thank you so much. All right, brother, so I'm going to stay along that track. Before you all were born, 50 years ago, I memorized as a college student
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 34, where Jesus says, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Are you not much more valuable than they? So start thinking, Cliff. Because God values you even more than he values the birds of the air, why do you stink and worry so much? Okay, that was 50 years ago, guys, that I memorized that. And now that I'm 70, I still wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning, and my mind takes off. And there's too much anxiety. There's too much worry.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And so this past week, I guess what I was trying to learn was, Cliff, are you going to trust God or not? And your anxiety is a clear statement, Cliff. You don't trust him. And it's kind of embarrassing, guys, because I've been at these verses for 50 years. So it's definitely a process. There's so much I don't know. There's so many wrong habits I have. And yet God is changing me. God is growing me.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Man, I got a long way to go. And that's why this whole issue of grace is so important. Because I am a sinner, a dirty, rotten sinner. I've memorized that scripture, I go over it, but I still worry at times. I mean, shoot, now I'm a grandpa, and I got six of the cutest little granddaughters in the world.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But you know one of the things I think about when I wake up at two or three in the morning is, oh Lord, if anything happens to any one of them, oh my goodness, that would crush me. And this past week, I was with a family,
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
who go to our church where Stuart and I pastor, and this woman is crying her eyes out because she had two children, and the second child was born with severe, we're talking severe intellectual and physical handicap. Her husband didn't want to have another child. She pressed him and convinced him, okay, we're going to go through fertility, and we're going to have another child.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
They had another child, And they just found out that this child is probably going to have the same challenges that their handicapped child has. And this woman is just falling apart inside. The pain, why God, and the anxiety about the future. So trusting God, it sounds so simple. You trust God, you trust God, you have faith in God, you have faith in God. We all know that.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But the challenge is to do it, to just do it. I don't know what's going to happen in my granddaughter's lives. I know there's going to be some pain. I don't know when I'm going to pass away. I know I'm going to go to the presence of Christ. What that's going to be like, I don't know. I've never experienced it. Just trust God, will you, Cliff? So that's where I'm getting stretched, brother.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Just trust. I can't look at the face of the woman whose third child was born with the same horrible birth defects that their second child was born with. I don't know why that happened. I can't explain that to her.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I can try and bring the comfort of Christ that he died and rose from the dead, and that's true, and that's beautiful, and that's what I'm going to hold on, and I'm going to trust him more and more. And one of my heroes in the faith was Tim Keller. All right, so he died last year, right? Great pastor, brilliant writer, tremendous man of faith.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But when he was told that he had stage four pancreatic cancer, and his days were really, really numbered, he struggled with doubt. And I appreciated him sharing that fact. And you know what he did? He went back and studied the resurrection of Christ. Because he knew, blast it all, if Christ really did rise from the dead,
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
then although this pancreatic cancer is going to take me out of this world, I'm going to go be with Christ. And the verse that really hits you is Philippians 1.23. I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. So what on earth am I so anxious about? Why do I worry still? It's a contradiction of my faith, and yet I'm human. I've got feet of clay. You know, I blow it.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
But that's where I want to grow, and that's where I pray you will continue to grow, and I have so much respect for you all.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
You're so much younger than I am, and I celebrate that fact because it means there's a bright future for this country and this world as there are followers of Christ like you guys who take the Bible seriously, take Christ seriously, and don't go around taking pot shots at fellow believers because they are a little errant in certain ways. Mm-hmm. Brother, I love your background, Eastern Orthodox.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
There are some beautiful Eastern Orthodox Christians that I've met recently, some priests, Greek Orthodox, who I didn't know about. And they're just awesome people. And the majority of genuine followers of Christ in the town where we work are Catholics. And there are obviously a bunch of Protestant believers who really love Jesus. So I don't care if you're Protestant, Catholic, Greek, Orthodox.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The issue is holding on to Christ. And what does that mean? Trust Jesus. Just trust him. So for me, that means, okay, so no more grinding at 2 or 3 in the morning, Cliff, about all the fears or anxieties. It means to rest in Christ, to just trust Jesus.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And there's one person who really has been incredible with me. Because at one point, it wasn't four people standing there. At one point, it was one person, my wife. You don't know how embarrassing that was for me. It was Rutgers University in New Jersey. And there wasn't anybody around. So Sharon, my wife, stands there and says, okay, Cliff, start. And there I am standing, speaking to my wife.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
It was a little embarrassing for me, but she was just amazing. And her faithfulness and partnership in the gospel has been incredible. But then you'll never guess what happened. All of a sudden... The cafeteria doors open, and this flood of university students come running out of there. And we had a crowd of over 100 people like that. But it all started with my wife saying, come on, Cliff.