Johnny Chang
Appearances
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
sure but it's like what if like i'm gonna go buy a red car today sure and it's like what if deep down i'm doing that out of a selfish place sure but i don't know yet what if it's there is grace for if that makes sense yeah it does so like basically it's not whether you did do this or that um you have to replace your thoughts with the word of god that is what discerns so you can't you have to accept oh maybe i can't properly discern things
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
If I don't have the word of God, but to answer your question, there are practical thoughts, right? You have to trust. Like if I'm going to use, you know, if I'm going to go eat, do I want Chipotle or Chick-fil-A? We don't have to be like, okay, God, Holy Spirit discern me, right? Do I do Chick-fil-A? They close on Sundays. Like it's, it's, it's overthinking at that point.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I think there's practical thoughts, but when I say discernment comes from conviction or condemnation. So there's a difference between the two. A lot of people feel like they're convicted, but they're actually being condemned, right? Romans 8 verse 1 says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
That means whenever you have a negative thought or a thought of confusion or fear, that is not from God. That's what the Bible tells us. So if you know the Bible, then you can discern. But some people will think, well, fear is from God. They think it's a warning. But literally what I've learned is. All conviction is always positive, actually. It's always for the greater good.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Yeah, so I grew up in Section A project housing on the east side of L.A. And my father was like an atheist. My mother was a Buddhist, like a hardcore Taoist Buddhist. And my dad was an alcoholic and didn't believe in any, you know, he didn't really have like good morals. He was beat as a kid. So he kind of passed that generational trauma on to me and my brother. So he beat me. He beat my mother.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Condemnation is always negative. It makes you spiral. One thought leads to three thoughts, 10 thoughts, 300 thoughts. And you're just like, I don't want to, what am I doing? I'm feeling horrible. I'm not a good Christian. I'm backsliding. All that is condemnation. God doesn't condemn. He even tells the woman caught in the act of adultery, neither do I condemn thee.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So there is no condemnation in God. We are actually truly liberated and free when we're true biblical Christians who believe in the salvific message. The issue is our thoughts don't tell us that we can't discern unless we're in the word because our feelings, you know, they deceive us.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So falling seven times, it means that we still have our flesh, right? Paul speaks about it in Romans 7, verse 15, for I do the things that I don't want to do, the things that I keep on doing I don't do. The things that I hate that I do. Right. And he explains it in verse 20, that is the sin that dwelleth inside of me that makes me do these things. And that's clear.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And it is synonymous with Proverbs, because what it's telling us is when you trust your flesh, you will fall. But we still have an advocate, which in first John chapter two is Jesus Christ. Right. We have a person that when we do sin in our flesh, God lifts us up.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So a real Christian, if you look at the end result, if they're falling seven times, but they get back up, that means they get up every single time. Does that make sense? So that's what we need to remember. Satan will always make you fall and then be like, stay there. But what this means is, no, I'm righteous in the eyes of God. God has lifted me up. I don't have to Beg for forgiveness.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I have to thank him that even though I fell, God, you still lift me up. You don't condemn me. You don't kill me when I sin. You don't take my arm. You don't even really discipline me. You show me this is why you shouldn't trust yourself. Trust the word of God. Right. And then you move forward with that.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
now that also ties into the abusing grace first and foremost what people don't understand is they think that if you sin willfully so they'll use hebrews 10 26 for if we sin willfully you there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins they remove a big chunk of that verse and that's why we need to know the bible accurately it says for if they sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Then there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. This knowledge of truth is found in Ephesians 1.13. It literally tells you this is the word of truth, the knowledge of truth, the gospel of your salvation. So true abuse of grace is Jesus, through grace, died on the cross and gave it to you for free before we even asked him to.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But you're still claiming and you don't take the identity of his identity, which is he's righteous, holy and sanctified. You then continuously say, no, I'm a sinner, though, because what you see is sin, what you feel is sin. You think sinfully. Right. So you accept that that is actually abusing grace. And secondly, people don't sin however they want if they truly come to the position of a sinner.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Every person who's met Jesus proclaims the gospel afterwards. It's actually the people who are legalistic that think that they can control their sins. They're the ones who sin willfully because they're rejecting the grace of Jesus Christ. That is abusing the grace, right? It's not, oh, do I sin however I want? Why would you sin however you want?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He beat my brother. And so I kind of took to the streets because I like I'd rather stay out and chill than come home and get beat. Yeah. So at the age of 12, I joined a gang out here in San Gabriel Valley. And like three months into that, I ended up going to prison. It's called California Youth Authority. So I was 12 years old. I went from 12 to 25.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
For example, Bryce, you got a lot of followers, right? And you're with your girl. How long have you been with her?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Okay, so prior to you dating her, let's say there's an Instagram baddie or someone who's really beautiful comes up to you and wants to date you. Because you don't have a relationship with your girl at that time, you can date her, right? Yeah. But now that let's say you're famous, right? You're Instagram famous. You have other people coming up to you.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
They think you're handsome and they come up to you and they go, hey, you know, let's like they want to like cheat. They want you to commit adultery. They want you to fall into your flesh. even if they're beautiful, right, in your eyes, who are you going to think about?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
The person that you have a relationship with, which is your girl, and you're going to think about her heart, and you're going to be like, dude, I can't do this. No matter how pretty you are, no matter how beautiful you are, you're my type, whatever, whatever you're offering, I love her because we have a relationship. Likewise, why did Jesus die for our sins? To deepen our relationship, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So if he deepens our relationship, Yeah, before when I didn't know Jesus, of course I could just sin. I was sinning however I wanted. I was a gang member. I shot at people, been stabbed, been shot, all this stuff. But now that I have Jesus, when Satan the baddie comes and tries to play, hey, let's do this. Let's go back to doing coke. Let's, you know, let's sleep around.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I will think about because of my relationship and my savior, I would not sin however I want.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
right so this is what people misconstrue is they think oh i can just send out johnny you're teaching that we're perfect and righteous we could just do whatever we want absolutely not if you truly believe and you recognize that you're supposed to burn in hell which is what i knew i knew there's a lot of heinous things that i've done i didn't go to prison at 12 years old for selling strawberry shortcakes you know i was obviously you know a gang member so i
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I know that I was supposed to go to hell. And then when I heard this salvific message that you're righteous and you didn't do anything for it, Jesus did it all. Why wouldn't I love him so much? Why wouldn't I give all of my life to get to know him, read the Bible, follow him and all of that, right? So abusing grace, essentially, I'm sorry for the long-winded explanation.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It's essentially trusting that, it's still trusting in yourself. That's how you abuse the grace. Because Jesus says through grace and through my blood alone, which I shed for you, can you come to me? I am the way, the life, the truth. You can't come to me, right? You can't come to my father unless it's through me.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But people think legalistically, keeping the commandments, doing better, trying harder. That's what's going to get them into heaven.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
but jesus came for the sinners a lot of good people sadly are not getting into heaven the pharisees were very good people they kept the laws they added to the laws sadducees and scribes they did all of that but they abused the grace because when jesus came and he was like i am the prince of peace i am the messiah the messiah they were like god of isaac abraham and jacob is my god yeah
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You're nothing. And these good people who didn't break the laws, they were condemning people who broke the laws, took them to the cross and crucified him. So this goodness is abusing the grace. If you think you're good, you will trust yourself because you don't trust evil people. And when you trust yourself, you will sin continuously. That's how it is.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Essentially, I was locked up and I was incarcerated. And yeah. You know, it was, it was, uh, during that time that I became actually a Muslim in, in, in prison. No way. Yeah. So I was a Sunni. I was studying under, uh, like an Imam. Um, he was one of my, his whole family essentially was, um, Sunni, Sunni Muslim. And so, you know, I read the Quran front to back three times. I read the Bible again.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Yeah. Absolutely. So we can take Paul's stance on this. So Paul, it's arguable, but he essentially wrote 14 epistles. He had Tertius, he had other people write under him, Luke and things like that for Hebrews. But he says, I am the chief of sinners, right? Number one. But then, and then he also says in first Corinthians 15, that he is the least of the least apostles.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Let's think about that for a second. He's saying he's a chief sinner. He's in an era where there's Nero and this guy is killing a mass murderer. He's saying he's worse than him. Is he actually physically saying that he's worse, like he's murdered more people? No, it's a heart posture thing, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So Paul, we can take from him that he teaches us true humility by remembering who we are without Jesus. So he'll say it in Romans chapter 7 and verse 21 will say, who will save a wretched man like me? I thank God, Jesus, right? Who saved me, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So as the reason why people like you experienced this and appreciate you for sharing that, why they get big, big headed is because they forget where they came from. It's the same as King Solomon. When King Solomon came to God before he was a king, I am but a child, he says. I don't know anything.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But then he started getting the wisdom and he started to misunderstand that this wisdom from God is now his own wisdom. Yeah. So like my perfection is not from me. If you strip Jesus away from Johnny Chang, bro, I could just murder people straight up. I'm a very, very like hateful person.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Very calculative, very manipulative. But I understand that that's the person I can never trust. That was a person that God crucified in Galatians 2.20. Yeah. And that's why I move boldly by saying we're perfected and righteous. But if you forget who you are, Bryce, a person who at 17 can only kill himself, you understand what I'm saying?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
That's what it comes down to with me. I'm going to a church in Austin. We're doing 10,000 people out there. And we just went to Phoenix and 1,300 people showed up. And right then and there, Satan creeps in. Johnny, you're doing good. You could preach the gospel. And as soon as I hear that, I'm like, wow, that's crazy.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
One of the sisters comes up to me and goes, Johnny, that was such an amazing sermon. And I tell her straight up, sis, you're too late. I said, what do you mean? I've been sitting here and I've been watching it the whole time. I said, Satan already told me that. She's like, oh my gosh. So we have to distrust our thoughts. Satan will always, he won't drag you down.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He'll boost you so high so that you can fall to your death. That's what it comes down to because pride before the fall. So you have to recognize, I know the Bible, not because Johnny knows the Bible, because God has given me the provision and the grace to do so. But you can only do that by remembering who you are without Jesus Christ. And that's what I always remember.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I know who I am without Jesus. I'm not a person who cares about anybody. Very narcissistic, very selfish, very cunning, very lustful. But at the same time, God saved a person like me. And he, instead of killing me because I'm supposed to die, he killed his son for me. Why would I then trust that same person? And this is where you assume that identity of moving with humility, but also boldness.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
At that time, front to back, two times. And he was telling me that we have to pull from the book that came before us, which is the Bible. So there's Abraham, there's Cain, Kabriel, and all these different people also in the Quran. So yeah, I got my GED. I was trying to work on myself mentally, emotionally, physically. But the one thing that I kept feeling was like emptiness inside of my heart.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Sure. So overthinking is the same as the difference between overthinking and deep thinking is the same as conviction and condemnation. Overthinking will always leave you, as you say, confused, fearful, angry, frustrated, sad, lonely, miserable. Deep thinking is always empathetic at its core. It's always positive. Right.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So, for example, one time I was driving, you know, this was prior to me finding God. You know, I had a BMW and I would always drive without my seatbelt. And, you know, I was just horrible like that.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And I would drive 90, 95, 100. And I looked down on my phone one time, I'm going on the freeway, I'm doing like blazing, 95, almost 100. And I look up and I guess there was just like that sudden stop of traffic in LA and I couldn't stop myself in time. But that day, I remember putting on my seatbelt, right? For some reason. It was all God, obviously. But, you know, and I crashed.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I totaled the car, but I walked out unscathed, right? And the window, like, I felt the sheer force where the window, like, busted open. And I felt like if I didn't have my seatbelt on, I would have flew out. I would have been dead. Right. So every time I think about that overthinking, for example, in this situation would be, God, you're so stupid. Why do you speed? You're an idiot.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You don't deserve to drive. It's all negative. Right. You're like, why do you do this? Like you're dumb. Right. And then it would cause confusion, frustration. But every time I think about that. Deep thinking would be, man, God, thank you for allowing me to, although I crashed and I was a knucklehead, you saved my life with the seatbelt. Hope and peace comes out of that.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So if you want to see the difference between overthinking and deep thinking, most people think they're deep thinkers, but they're actually overthinkers. You gauge it with negativity or positivity. It's very simple. It's like actionable steps.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Once you sit there, Bryce, and you think, you know, just to help you out, if you start to feel that fear, condemnation, frustration, you know right then, oh, I've entered overthinking. I need to stop. Like I don't need to go anymore because this is just going to lead me to be spiraling and rabbit hole after rabbit hole and feeling some type of way.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And that's what helps me because Satan will give you these thoughts. And to combat that thought, you would think about that, right? Okay, is this negative at its core? It is. Then if it's negativity, I don't need that. And right there, you draw the line in your heart and it stops everything.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
and and it's just like riding a bike you know when you first started distrusting your thoughts all the things that i'm teaching it's going to be hard you're going to fall scrape your knee you may mess up again but the more you repeat and you do this right the more just like riding a bike it becomes part of you and you learn that skill for life right yeah it's the same with distrusting your thoughts differentiating between what's overthinking and deep thinking condemnation conviction and that actually helps you and you get to a point where you're at this level where i'm at where it's like
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
No matter what I did, I was just happy, sad all the time. This crazy roller coaster. So I got super blasted. You know, most people who are tatted down, it's because, at least in my experience, is because we feel nothing except for pain. So like I would rather feel something than nothing, even if it was pain.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Oh, I know exactly what, when Satan comes in with this thought, I can, I can forsake it right away.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I think me, I think in verses, which is crazy, right? Like that's why I read the Bible. Cause like every time you ask a question, there will be like a million verses that pop up. And that's what happens when you keep reading the Bible. So for me, the line and the discernment, as you say, is the scripture. And then there's times where it will go blank, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
There's times where you're like, dude, I don't know what's going on. Then, of course, prayer and also speaking life, right? And I talked about this on George Yanko's podcast, Avengers podcast, why God took Adam and, you know, told him to name all the animals. Because in Proverbs 18 talks about there's power and life and death and the power of your tongue. Yeah.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So like you have to speak that out, you know, like, oh, I'm overthinking right now. Right. In the name of Jesus, I don't want to overthink. Father God, please help me through your grace to not think so, you know, negatively. Please replace my thoughts because I can't do it. You have to do it for me.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I think what I've learned is that you can never misinterpret silence, right? So there's a lot of leakage that people, like when someone speaks, for me at least, I can see where their subconscious is. I can see where their heart is. It's called a heart posture, right? So I've learned through the Bible, James chapter three, you quoted, right? Be slow to speak, slow to anger, quick to listen, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So I went from that to then coming out, being released, tried to fly straight and recognize that I couldn't. I was a two strike felon in California for a violent crime. I was in there for a shooting, essentially two counts of assault with deadly weapons. I was like, all right, I genuinely like I'm trying. I'm applying to all these places. There's no love being shown. I was like, man, F it.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
That's really important because in Ecclesiastes, it talks about that too. But it's when you sit there and you let somebody speak, they're just going to pour everything out. And then it's almost like the way I see it is like I'm like a spiritual heart doctor, right? Like I'm just waiting for them to like, like diagnose it, you know?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And it's not from a level of authority or I'm better, but I've just noticed like, okay, God, I'm going to listen to what they have to say. And then you give me the scripture and literally verses will come out.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Right. Like there was a point where George and Ruslan was getting into the hell. Yeah. And I knew like we're checkboxing God right now.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
yeah we're basically saying okay god if this is true make it make sense to me and if you noticed i was like you know george like we're trying to check box god straight up like we're finite individuals trying to understand an infinite being you've already said that even if he does send to people and torture them forever you would believe him regardless right it's because we're trusting our thoughts right because when he sat there
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I kept thinking of Isaiah 64, where all our righteousness, including our thoughts, everything from us is like filthy rags. But George was trying to understand, right? Make it make sense to me, make it make sense to me. Well, then what makes us different than an atheist or an agnostic? God doesn't call us to walk by sight and things to confirm him.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Even though it doesn't make sense, we are called to walk by faith and believe him. So I could see that. And what that helped me recognize and how I hone in on that skill is just recognizing that people will share their hearts and I don't have to step on the toes. I don't have to. And why I let Angela do that is because I've learned that just let people talk. and they will express their hearts.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
They will show you everything that's in their heart. And then you can then, you know, and I'm the same, like I used to cut people off. I used to have like main character energy, you know, and, and I used to just be like, yo, I gotta say this. I gotta say that. But if you listen to people, you actually gain a lot more, uh, than, than actually speaking.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It ties back into like taking, not taking ownership for what Satan has planted inside of you. So you don't want to, obviously, you want to be peaceful, but there's times where you're just not. And that's what, it goes all the way back to distrusting your thoughts and your feelings.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Because if you trust yourself, then you will take ownership of that intrusive thought or that anger or that frustration when it's not even yours, right? The way I explain it is like,
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
if you're shopping in a grocery store and you have a shopping cart full of your items and someone just comes and throws in like a can of beans you're gonna be like yo this is not mine like you take it out and be like yo don't do that again right we do that with our shopping carts but we don't do that with our minds satan drops things inside of us and we're like oh yeah i want to eat beans can you understand he'll drop in you're frustrated oh yeah i'm frustrated amen
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You know, I'm gonna go back to my neighborhood. I got plugged in. I started making 30, $40,000 a month selling drugs basically. And even then, you know, I had the cars, I had the women, I had the penthouse, I had all the materials that I had, but still emptiness inside of my heart. And that's when I really felt miserable.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
that's something that's very dangerous yeah so if you learn oh this is not from me i don't want to feel angry right now ah then i know right then and there it's not from me it's from satan if i follow this i'm gonna be angry so it's thinking deeply about your thoughts and then that's essentially what cliff was saying right he was saying that don't give it power and i'll go
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
deeper by saying it's not even about giving it power we're taking ownership and making it ours when it's not even ours so we have to recognize that so yeah do i get angry of course do i get lustful absolutely but i think about it deeply wait a minute if i trust this what is this going to lead to right it'll lead me sure it may be happy but let's weigh this out for a second if i do let's say a line of coke will i just do a line of coke absolutely not i'll do an eight ball
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And then I'll start drinking. And when I get drunk, I get lustful. Then that will lead me to this. Now, what about core of the heart, which is my digital congregation? What about good news? My church, they're going to, I'm going to, I have hundreds of thousands of people following me.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And that's through that one line of Coke and following that thought, it's going to ruin everybody's heart of like, man, Johnny walks with peace. He understands. And even if he, he could fall, there's no hope for me.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So I kind of learned to really think deeply about, Whereas Satan, through technology, chat GBT, iPad, right, which is babysitters for kids nowadays, he makes you not think. And that's his strongest weapon. So if you don't think deeply, you're only going to accept everything that comes to your mind. And that's exactly how he deceives everybody in this world.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I think that was worse than me being in prison, because when you're in prison, you still have some kind of hope. If I get out, I'm going to be happy. You know, I came about the PJs, the projects, I'm gonna make money, you know, and I reached all of that and I was still empty. So I was like, dang, this is horrible.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
yeah yeah uh it's it still has to do with not being in our word right because the word of god tells us that he protects us right we're under his wings he cannot let those types of things happen to you but satan and god also says he doesn't give us a spirit of confusion neither does he give us a spirit of fear so when again when you feel confusion when you feel fear it is not from god no matter how much it makes sense right if i lace this with cyanide and it's your favorite drink let's say
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
no matter how, and you know that it's cyanide, you're not gonna drink it, even if it's your favorite drink, right? Same thing. The thought makes so much sense, but it doesn't, it's still, the end result is fear and ultimately death, right? And it makes you stagnant, right, inconsistent, so... It takes time, but this is what I help people with when I do my one-on-one mentors.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I work with pastors in 90 different countries. Pastors have the same thing. Johnny, I get what you're saying, but I'm not at that level. I still trust what I'm thinking, and it makes so much sense to me. And I'm like, but because you trust that above what the Word says. You know about the Word, but it enters here. It doesn't enter here. So we have to humble ourselves and recognize, wait a minute.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
If it's really hard for you, you have to start with prayer. You have to acknowledge one thing. Oh, it's hard for me. I know what you're saying, God, but this is why I'm wretched is because although your word is true, I still feel like my thoughts and the way it's packaged makes more sense than your word. Why? Because you've been groomed. You're 21, right? Yeah.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
At the age for 21 years by Satan telling you one thing, it's not going to just happen overnight where you distrust your thoughts. Yeah. Right. But Satan even plants that expectation. Okay, Bryce, you're in your word now. You got to conquer this. You got to do this. He makes us work. Right. So you just have to recognize, oh, I'm a person who I need God.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Because let's say you could conquer your fears. You could quote scripture all the time. You didn't struggle with anything. Why would you need God? You found God at your lowest point and me too. We all find God at our lowest point. But Satan, what he plants inside of us is his heart to be the most high. Think about it. Satan was in heaven. He had everything that he wanted.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And at the, it was during that time that I attempted suicide three different occasions and thank God, God held onto me. You know, and a series of events happened, like long story short, my mom, she kind of, her car broke down and she had me take her to the church. I went to the church, we broke bread. You know, God really uses food like he did with, you know, Peter and all that. So he...
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He was a nakash, a cherubim, a seraphim, which is a seraphim, right? He was a very, very high-ranking angel, and he was a guardian to the throne. He had everything. He was only number two to God, essentially, right? God and Trinity is one. So he had everything, but he was the one that rebelled the most. He's like a spoiled kid, right? So we ask God to give us provision to make...
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
like more peace and you know, all that is the same as like what Satan did. He had everything, but he rebelled against God. When we have everything we want without the fear, you don't go to God. You get what I'm saying? Like we'll just trust in ourselves more. So God loves us. He allows us to have these challenges. which ties back into the righteous falling down.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He will let us fall to remember who we are. He could remove the sins like that. He could have our sinful nature change, but he doesn't do it. Why? Because that's the exact thing that ties into humility, humbles us and makes us realize, oh, this is why I need my savior.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It tells us to set our scales back to zero, right? And what that means is God hates a broken scale. Say, for example, you put a five-pound weight on a scale and you pull it off, it should go to zero. But our hearts are not like that. When we receive blessings, waking up in the morning, things like that, our heart should be zero, but it's not. It's still focused on the blessings from before.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And so this is what causes us to not be thankful. when gratitude fades pride and like expectation rises you get what i'm saying so that's why it ties back into what i said earlier which is not trusting your thoughts and really remembering who you are bryce we're not people that deserve to live if we're being real none of us in in this room do why because we were natural enemies of god
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But instead of killing us, he killed Jesus. So if you just remember that now, you may not have been in prison or a gang member.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But we were imprisoned in something. Right. I was in prison physically, also spiritually, mentally. You as well. Right. Except the physical part. And so those people, people like us were freed by Jesus physically. If you just think about that, you'd be so happy. Like, wow, not only am I allowed to preach the gospel, I'm speaking in front of ASU, I'm going to Austin, I'm doing that.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Lord, I'm a person who's a pitiful person. I can't even get myself out of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. And when you start to think about it from that perspective, the grace of God, the gratitude starts to grow. But God, you let me walk on these stages. You keep me humble. You have because of you, I am happy, you know, so this is kind of what it comes down to.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You know, you have to just remember who you are and that will make you wake up every single morning. Right. I did short term missionary in Liberia, Africa, and the kids there taught me how to be thankful. Truly God through them. So at this time, I was complainful because I'm like, bro, I got six months.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
I've been out of prison for a little bit, but they want me to go there for six months in Africa, a country that I don't speak. And we're pretty crazy. They gave me a one-way ticket. And the pastor said...
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
if if god doesn't work to get you back to where you need to be then rip up the bible don't believe in him so it was a no money witnessing trip is what we call it right you go and you just literally have to walk by faith right and that was hard for me this is like year two year three for me in my walk right yeah so i was like bro you're like making me sink or swim essentially yeah so i get there and
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
placed it in the pastor's heart that day to make black bean noodles, which is my favorite. You know, until this day, it's my favorite food. Dang. And he opened up with, not in a judgmental way, but a very loving way. And that's the first time I truly felt loved. I thought my homies loved me, and they do, but it was a humanistic love. And he truly loved me with the heart of God through the gospel.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
automatically i'm complainful it's hot out there we're eating one meal a day we have to hike two to three miles one way to get our water come back and but yet what i noticed about the kids was there's like 50 kids in the village and they were playing uh with the soccer ball but it wasn't even a soccer ball it was a beach towel rolled up and duct tape and they were playing with like you know sandals and they were dancing
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And I'm like, bro, I have running water in the States, right? I don't have to hike. I literally can eat three meals a day, five meals a day if I want to. But why is my heart not as happy and as joyous as them? It's because it was a heart issue. They were so thankful for the gospel. They were so thankful to even be alive. They didn't have time to think about depression or poverty.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
They were living it, but they were so much happier than I was. So I recognize, oh, this is not a whether I have more money. Right. Like a full bank account does not fill an empty heart. Right. So I'm like, it doesn't matter. Like it's their heart posture. They're thankful for everything. And it's because they love God.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
They truly believe like, wow, God came to our village and told us about the gospel. And that really changed something inside of me when I came back here. That's how I move with peace. Of course, Satan attacks, right? He's all, you got to get this. You don't have enough this. But again, comes back to remembering who you are. That's what's going to help you stay humble. Satan boosts you up, though.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
No, Bryce, you're doing good. You preach the gospel well. Look at all these people. You're working now and you got all these. Like, if you do that, Satan will puff you up to where you can't. Even the blessings that come to you, you wouldn't be thankful.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And he was explaining to me how sin was an identity, not an action. You can't change yourself. Being Chinese is the same as you can't stop sinning, right? You're born as a sinner through Adam. And that's why you keep messing up, but you're trying to, he's like, imagine looking in the mirror and saying today, I'm not going to be Chinese or I'm going to be less Chinese. It's impossible.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Yeah. Uh, it again ties back into remembering who I am. Right. Um, I'm not even supposed to be out for the crimes that I've done. I should do a hundred years and I should burn. Right. So I recognize that every single day I'm out of prison. It gives me a heart to be like, man, I'm only here because of my pastor, Pastor Kim, who poured love into me. Why wouldn't I reciprocate it to people?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
There's a lot of Johnny Changs out there, right? There's a lot of Bryce where their anxiety and their depression and loneliness crushes them and it cripples them. So for me, I know it's not my heart. God has given me that heart to be like, look, what makes God happy in 1 Timothy 2, in 1 Corinthians 2, what's good to God is for people to be saved.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He wants all men to come to the knowledge of salvation, essentially. And so when I think about it, I want to please God. I do. Not because it's a transactional thing, but because he saved my life. And he pulled me out of literally the pits of hell and transferred me into heaven as a citizen.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So when I think about that, there are so many people who poured into me, Pastor John, Pastor Kim, all these other pastors. why wouldn't I pour it, pour it into other people? And a lot of people question me, you know, they, they make videos, they do all this type of stuff because they don't, it's either jealousy or whatever it is, right? It's the enemy.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
But I've learned to tune all of that out and say amen to all of that because without God, that's who I am anyways, a heretic who doesn't believe in God, a lustful person, a gang member, you know, all of that. Right. So I've learned to just acknowledge that everything does come from God to remain humble.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And then I don't burn out because then I start to feel like this is a it's almost like a privilege, bro, to be able to preach the gospel. We have churches in China and there's underground churches. We have underground churches in Arab countries, too.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
For us to even sit here and have a podcast and not worry about, you know, people coming in and taking us away and giving us 100 years for, you know, expressing our faith is a blessing.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
so when you think about it from it's a perspective shift but also a heart posture like there's so many of my brothers and sisters part of our mission that are literally have been to prison for preaching the gospel and and i'm like yo i'm not even on that level respectfully so you know to me that's gangster yeah i mean and i'm like so i'm like
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
i i just i'm just thankful to be able to preach this precious gospel to see somebody's soul literally see the chains break right in front of you to be able to pour and nurture into people i used to think people were weird when they would have like succulents and plants and stuff yeah i'm like why would you waste your time watching this stuff like grow bro
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So you're normal. And that's the first time I heard, you know, having a YA number, a California CDC number to, to then going from criminal to, You're normal. And then, you know, I just felt the love. And he taught about Hebrews 10, 14, all these different scriptures, essentially telling me that it was an identity and that my new identity is in Christ.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And if I'm planting plants, I'm planting cannabis. Like I'm trying to make money off of that. But it's like like now I understand, though, because when I see people start from being, you know, in their depression and just four months later, completely free, it does something to me. It's like a currency that is priceless. Right. So that's what keeps me from burning out is remembering who I am.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
without jesus yeah distrusting my thoughts that i'm tired and whatever and just being grateful that man a wretched dirty evil person like me a sinner who is now saved gets to preach this precious gospel gets to walk on the ground in the foundation of the apostles like apostle paul and peter and all that a person like me, oh man, that's so, like what a privilege it is.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You know, it's the legends of faith as they say, right? The hall of faith, not the hall of fame, right? So that's how I feel genuinely. And I don't know, it's just a heart thing. I'm just thankful.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It literally means, if you look at Romans 6, verse 14, it says, "...for sin shall have no dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace."
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
being free from sin is recognizing that you're under grace that you didn't do anything jesus two thousand years ago did everything and he made you come up to heaven with him we have we're co-heirs to the throne two crowns one throne right so he's made us a royal priesthood as well and that's what true freedom is is you know being free from sin is recognizing that you know
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
No matter what we do, it's not counted against us. Now, again, doesn't mean you can go and do whatever you want. Yeah. But if you just sit and let that sink in, oh, my gosh, it doesn't matter what I do. I can't do anything to, you know, reverse the shedding of the blood that you gave freely for everybody. God, thank you so much for that. Because you knew that we couldn't keep the commandments.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
That's why in Matthew 5 you said, I didn't come to abolish the law. I came to establish the law.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Why did Jesus have to establish the law? Because we couldn't. Why does he have to die for us? Because we can't die. We'll die on our sins and go to hell. And why does he rise? Because we can't live without him. So it's all Jesus-centered, right? But sadly, a lot of people try to take that because it feels good to follow the commandments.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It feels good to work for something and then sit behind and go, look what I did. I read the Bible. I did X, Y, and Z. Understand? And that's why the Pharisees couldn't accept him because they wanted works. They were showing the synagogues and they had the drip, you know, and they were like, I'm the ish, basically. Yeah.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And they couldn't accept that Jesus was like, no matter what you do respectfully, it doesn't compare to my work. And without me, you're not getting to heaven.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And if God holds the kingdom, who holds the keys to the kingdom, tells you that you're righteous and perfect, then you should believe that above your thoughts. Right. And I trusted that. And here we are today.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
That made them want to murder him basically. Right. And they did. So I think it's very important for people to recognize that sin is freedom from you trying to do anything and recognizing that God is Through Jesus, did everything already. That's why he hangs on the cross and says, it is finished. He doesn't say it's a deposit. Do better and then you'll get your money back.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He doesn't say it's a loan with interest. Pay me back. He literally says it is finished. Right. And so he's and then he sits down. Right. Because he sat down on the throne. What do we do when we sit? We rest. Right. Because there's no more work to do. But sadly, Satan of this world, God of this world, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
The prince of the power of the air tells people work harder, do better so that when you, who is imperfect, tries to be perfect, you fail. And when you fail, your spirit is broken. And then Satan can just drag you and do whatever he wants with you. That's what it comes down to at the end of the day. Shoot.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
There was just a lot of like controversial stuff, you know, that I won't get too into, you know, out of respect for them. But I was like, OK, so we're in prison for a set amount of rules. And then there's there's the prophet who's doing certain things that I didn't find justified, number one. And then when I questioned out of a good heart. I wanted to understand.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
They were basically telling me you shouldn't question. Right. So that's number one. Number two, the emptiness. No matter what I did, I was praying five times a day. You know, I was I was physically fit. You know, I was reading. I was everything I had. I got my GED, anger management, counseling, all because I was a Muslim.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And I was bettering my mind, but there was still that emptiness inside of my heart. So I was like, yo, it doesn't matter what I do. I'm always going to fill this happy, sad, sin, repent, up and down lifestyle. And so that's the thing that I recognized was there's something inside of me that is like God-sized hole, and I just can't fill it.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And I thought I could do it with the Quran and with being a Muslim, but it didn't fill my heart respectfully.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So if you look at the Bible, John 16, verse 9 tells us of sin because they believe not unto me. So a lot of people know about Jesus. The demons know about Jesus. But truly believing in someone is trusting what they say above what you think. Right. So let's say, for example, you know, you go out and, you know, I'll use you as an example.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You go out and you're at one of these Christian events, but then it shifts to you going to a club. And then a lady hugs you and you got makeup on your shirt and you come home smelling like cigarettes and alcohol and you got, you know what I mean, this makeup. If your girl loves you, she's always gonna have her thoughts like, yo, why does Bryce have makeup on his shirt?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Why does he smell like he's been to a club? If she trusts you, she would take what your word says above her thoughts. Do you understand? Above the situation. Likewise, Jesus is telling us in 2 Corinthians 5.17 that we're new creatures. All the old ways have passed. The issue is we trust our thoughts above that word. So the stronghold comes from not trusting the word of God above your thoughts.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So the way that I explain it is... Your thoughts influence the way you feel and the way you feel influences behavior. People don't just wake up in sin. So if I have a thought, like let's say a lustful thought, then it's going to bleed into me and give me lustful feelings. And then the action is just a byproduct of that thought. Does that make sense? Yeah, no, that makes sense.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
A lot of people think like, oh, you know, I have to cut it at, you know, bounce with the eyes at the action. They're not recognizing that not only is sin an identity, it's trusting your thoughts above the word of God. So if you want to break free from every stronghold, it's very simple, actually. You have to get in your word because if you're not in your word, you're in your feelings.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And the Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17, verse 9, All of our heart is deceitful above all things desperately wicked who can know it. That means our hearts will deceive us. One day we'll be happy. Next day we'll be sad, right? So if we trust that, that's how we're going to live. Happy, sad, happy, sad, all the way up and down. And this world teaches you that, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Trust your heart, follow your heart, trust, you know, your thoughts, believe in yourself. That is literally demonic doctrine. It is the byproduct of being sad and empty, right? The byproduct of that is being sad and empty. So yeah, I don't tell people that, you know,
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
that to stop this or you know cut all these things out of course you should be doing those things but that's very surface level we have to get to the root issue of i'm trusting myself even as a christian as a catholic as a jew whatever if i trust my thoughts thoughts that are different from god isaiah 55 7 and 8 tells us my thoughts are not your thoughts right
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So what I teach people is when you starve the flesh, right, then you will feed the spirit. Likewise, when you feed the flesh, you will starve the spirit. So what Satan does is when you open your Bible, he attacks the flesh. You get sleepy. That's a normal thing, right? And then the second thing he does is he places expectations inside of you.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
He will tell you, read your Bible and finish your Bible, you know, in a year, like a Bible in a year. It sounds good on the surface level. The issue is you'll go strong for like two to three weeks, right? Maybe even a month. But things happen in life. You get distracted. career choice, whatever, all this other stuff, work happens, life happens, and then you fall from the consistency.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
And that's when condemnation enters. Look at you, you call yourself a Christian, you were reading so well for like two to three weeks, a month, what's going on here? Again, he works through these thoughts, right? So what I tell people, if you wanna read the Bible, I've read the Bible front to back 25 times now,
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
how i do it is i read until i get sleepy so whether it's 10 verses 10 chapters or 100 chapters i i wait upon the grace of god to give me that strength to fight my flesh number one so once i start doing the nodding off i'm like i'm gonna close the bible yeah sometimes it happens in 10 verses sometimes it happens in 100 chapters right so you we live by grace right and then
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Second thing is don't have expectations, right? Don't do Bible in a year, five chapters a day, read the Bible every day. Just open it until you get sleepy. Don't have this expectation. And you'll notice you'll go from Genesis to Revelation once, twice, two, three, four. It'll continuously go. And so this is what helps people move forward and read the Bible.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
The last piece of advice is read the Bible to accept it, not to understand. Because we're finite individuals, we cannot understand infinite amount of wisdom. If you just sit there and read, faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God, also reading the word of God. Study to show yourself approved means to just keep reading. And you'll notice that this word will just pour into you.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
If you hang around a barbershop long enough, you're going to get a haircut. If you hang around with gang members, you're probably going to do nefarious activities. But if you read your Bible enough, the Bible will start to bleed into you. And that's the secret that most people don't know.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Absolutely. Absolutely. I think it depends, right? It's relative, right? I think depression comes from, again, thoughts, right? Because you don't, and in feelings as well, the way that the Bible explains the mind is a connection from your brain to your heart. That's what we call the mind. So yes, if you're not renewing your mind every day, you will be depressed.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
If you're not taking every thought captive, 2 Corinthians 10 5 tells us, right? And bringing it to the obedience of Christ, which Jesus Christ in John 1 14 is the word, right? He's the word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. So if you don't replace and renew your mind every day with scripture, you will fall into this thing called depression, which is all deception, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
You can't have a testimony without the test. Right. So yeah, definitely.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
So Satan will tell you, even though you have the best things in your life, everything's going well, he'll give you those feelings. Just like John 13 verse 2, where he plants the heart inside of Judas to betray Jesus. He can do that with us too. So it's not necessarily, is depression real? No.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It's if you're not in your word, the byproduct is depression, loneliness, emptiness, fatigue, burnout, all this other stuff that all these Christians are facing. Right. So I don't actually believe a true if you're a true Christian and you're truly in your word, you're not going to be depressed. You're always going to be peaceful because your feelings go up and down.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
your heart changes, your thoughts change, your perspective changes, but the word of God never changes. So if you want to live happy and based, as we say, you read the word. And so that's why I'm not better than people. I have a GED education, high school equivalent. I read King James version, these, those, arts, all that other stuff.
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
It's hard to understand, but I read it not because I'm trying to flex on people because I know if I'm not in my word, I'm in my feelings. And if I'm in my feelings, I don't have the discernment. Hebrews 4.12 literally tells us the word is the discerner, right? Because, you know, a lot of people say it's the Holy Spirit. Sure, that's one of the gifts, but actually what's more solid, right?
The Bryce Crawford Podcast
The Johnny Chang Interview (EP 87)
Because Satan can also give feelings and can also come as an unholy spirit and trick you and deceive you. So the word is what discerns. And if you're not in your word, you can't properly 100% discern.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
To kind of build off of what Sister Angela was saying, too, I think a lot of people, and as well as the identity being brought up, a lot of people don't understand that sin is also an identity issue in terms of Romans 5, verse 19. Through one man's sin entered the world, and death passed upon all men. For that, all are sinners, right? So Adam's sin passed it down to Cain.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
He didn't teach Cain how to murder or anything like that. It was a nature that was passed down. And a lot of people think that, well, you know, like for the lady in your example, she's feeling condemnation because she's looking at her actions, not understanding that it's an identity issue. And that's why Jesus says, Galatians 2.20, that I have been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The issue is people trust their thoughts above the word of God, right? John 16 verse 9 tells us very clearly that unbelief is sin, right? Of sin because they don't believe in me. Well, believing in Jesus, not just knowing about him, is believing exactly what sister was saying, what he did for us. He perfected us, made us righteous, made us holy.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And that's something that people struggle with because they're trusting their thoughts and what they see, not walking by faith. So a lot of the times people live this happy, sad lifestyle, this up and down lifestyle, serving ministry for 10s, 20s, 30s, you know, years. And it's because they're focusing on what they see. And our eyes are obviously deceitful. Our heart is deceitful.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So any feeling that they have, right, anything that they look at with their own eyes, observing, it causes them to live this rollercoaster lifestyle. And that's why they're saying, I can't be, I'm not worthy. Well, our job is not to look at ourselves, but to only be in the scripture, only look at what God is saying about us.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And he shows us beautifully in the first miracle with the wedding at Cana, right? When they look at it, it's water, right? Six water pots, touch it as water, taste it as water, smell it as water. But Jesus says it's wine. What he's teaching them is actively metanoia, which is repentance, distrusting your thoughts, going above your mind, transcending your mind back to the word of God.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So Jesus says it's wine. We look at it, it's water. Likewise, Jesus says, I made you righteous. I died for everything. No, but I'm still a sinner. When we focus on ourselves in this way. that's when we're able to kind of really fall short and not experience the true love and the blessing from God. And this is what I notice with a lot of people who come and say, I got to stop my sins.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, God already crucified everything. Second Corinthians 517 says you're a new creature. It doesn't say you're being made a new creature. You are. So either you're a new creature or you're going to trust your thoughts. And if you trust your thoughts and what you see, you will fail. But if you trust the word of God that never changes. And you can continuously move forward with that identity.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Oh, I'm perfected through Jesus. I don't have to trust my thoughts. The world tells me to trust my thoughts, follow my heart. God says, lean not on your own understanding. Your heart is deceitful above all things. So which one am I going to trust? Either trust the word of God or trust my feelings. And that's kind of.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
What I've noticed, at least in my experience, of why people continuously fall short, feel that condemnation, which they think is conviction, two different things, right? So, yeah.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Yeah. So, you know, Matthew 12, 37 tells us, you know, by the fruit of your lips, you shall be justified by the fruit of your lips. You shall be condemned. The reason why Adam, you know, God had Adam named the animals was not because God was tired. He could have named the animals himself. What he was teaching Adam was that there's power in your tongue. Right.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So if you're sitting there and you're saying, you know, it's a rhinoceros, it's a dog, you know, it's a hippo, whatever. So shall it be is what you know, God was teaching Adam, but it's in the same stroke. If I say that I'm a sinner and nothing's going to work out, I'm depressed, I'm lonely, I have anxiety. What I'm doing is I'm giving that power, right?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And it's leading me and dragging me according to what I say. But if I sit there and I say, although I sinned, God has washed my sins. I can continuously move forward boldly and meet him at the throne of grace, at the throne of mercy, then it gives us this type of confidence to move forward. It's not a prideful ego thing. It's, God, I'm assuming my identity because you gave me your identity.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
You gave me your crown. You gave me literally everything that I need. Even your cross, you gave it to me because I was crucified on that cross with you, right? So it's very important. to understand that what we say, our heart is going to follow that as well. There is power in that tongue. When I thought I was a gang member, that's how I moved. Oh, I got shot. I've been stabbed.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I'm just going to be a prisoner for the rest of my life. I'm a two-strike felon. When I followed that mindset and I trusted that, yeah, I'm a gang member. I'm no good. Like, I'm going to just do whatever I want. I lived in that depression. But when I heard the gospel through Hebrews 10, 14, for by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Perfected as in past tense, forever is eternally. Meaning Jesus did everything. He didn't fail. So I was able to assume that, wow, I need to stop trusting Johnny Chang and his thoughts. I need to start trusting the word of God. And the more I did that, I started to read the Bible. I started to really know God, and it was much different than me trusting in myself.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I think baptism is more of a spiritual, like symbolic one. Right. Of course, if you have an actual water baptism, it is a declaration of faith. And it is an opportunity for us to preach the gospel because at the end of the day, the gospel is what's going to save us. They're not being dunked in water.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And so and that's why Paul, you know, when he wrote all the epistles, he also mentioned in Corinthians that. I come not to baptize but to preach the gospel. So I think truthfully preaching the gospel is symbolic of, you know, washing away your sins. It's the very core message of Jesus. It's the testimony of Jesus to have the blood wash away all of your sins.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Now, the water baptism is just symbolic of that. Whether that's up to the families or not, we shouldn't worry about it causing division. As long as we keep everything gospel-centric, I think it won't divide anything, right?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So it's not like, oh, you got to do this and you... If we are to do those things, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9, 22, to the weak I became weak so that I could save some of them. I am all things to all men so that I can save some of them. Instead of getting into these quarrels about this is the right baptism, this isn't, if we keep it all focused on Jesus and the gospel...
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
There is no division, right? So I think if you just focus on that, if they want to get baptized, great. If they don't, great. We don't have to argue about those things.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
The gospel is the true, I would say, the spiritual baptism. Because what does the blood do? It cleanses you from your sins, just like the water.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If I believe that Jesus washed away all of my sins, that is the baptism. And it goes to Cliff's point with the thief on the cross.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Yeah, he's the true rest, right? Sabbath day is the rest, right? So what do you do on the Sabbath day? You rest. In Colossians 2, 16 to 17, it says, don't let people judge you in meat and drink or of the Sabbath days or even the holy days. I am the Lord at Sabbath. So what do you do on the Sabbath day? You are to rest. What do you do when you meet Jesus Christ?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
When you're a dirty, evil sinner and you can't, you're defeated, you are to give all of your sins over to him, believe in him, and rest, right? That's why he says you have to enter into my rest. And then also Mark 11, 28 also says that, Matthew 11, 28, I'm sorry, tells us that, you know, those who are heavy burdened and laden come unto me and I shall give you rest. So Jesus is the true Sabbath.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And that's, again, it stops all the quarrels between is it a Saturday? Is it this day? Of course, there's also a Jewish Sabbath. There's also, you know, different ones. But if you just keep it gospel-centered, if you just keep it Jesus Christ-centered, there is no division.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Well, James tells us we've got to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I think also believing, right, with the prayer.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So a lot of people pray, and it's almost like a transactional thing. God, I pray. Now, where is it? Mark 11, 24, it tells us pray, believe, receive.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
A lot of people pray, wait to receive, and then believe. It's backwards. And I think we should definitely pray for people, but also believing. You know, hey, like, that's what my mom did. I was, you know, still selling drugs, and I was carrying a gun, and mom goes... you're going to be the world's best gospel preacher. And I'm like, you got schizophrenia. I was like, you're crazy.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I got drugs for that. Right. And then she, but she believed it inside of her heart, even though she didn't see and the situation and the circumstance wasn't it, she was able to recognize that, you know, and it's just beautiful believing. In your prayer, after you pray, is the most important thing. Amen.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Again, it's a contextual thing. Go ahead, go ahead, sis.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Actually, I think I'll answer with an example. I was recently at Polinski Unit. It's a death row unit. And I was preaching the gospel to, you know, it was like 50 death row inmates. And they had a date, meaning an execution date. And, you know, everyone was saying they were righteous, perfected, Hebrews 10, 14, John 3, 16.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And then one of the guys was like, you know, Johnny, don't you think that's a little bit... undermining like people and the victims that they affected because I'm telling them that Jesus died for them. And when I went outside, I kind of pulled them to the side and I said, you have a point, but you have to understand we're all victims. We're all victims to sin. We're all interconnected to sin.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I love you too. I think it all ties back into like knowing the context, which is reading the Bible, right? Second Timothy chapter two, verse 15 tells us study to show yourself approved. And that's very important because how are you going to understand the context if you don't study?
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
right, so if I'm trying to teach trigonometry, right, just because I'm Asian does not mean I'm good at math, okay, I wasn't one of those guys, I was a bad Asian, don't like anime, all right, so if I want to teach trigonometry, I have to at least study it, right, I have to at least put in the work and the hours, and this is why God tells us to be in our word, because if you're not in your word, then you're in your feelings, and then you're in your interpretations, and
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And I think that's something that our audiences have to understand too, is that when we're judging other people, we are people also who are interconnected through sin. We're all falling short with the glory of God. And that's something that we have to you know, kind of ingrained. And with my community, they understand like we're dirt. That's our saying, dirt gang, right? God made us out of dirt.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
No manner of scriptures for interpretation, as they say. So it's important for us to understand that as you read the context, as you continuously read the Bible, it gives you the actual context. And it basically is a byproduct of it.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
Dirt is something that stepped on, spat on, peed on, pooped on, undervalued. However, when it remains that way, you plant a seed inside of it, it produces life, right? The word of God is the seed, but only if we can accept the seed, we have to be this good soil, right? So I've taught people that we have to come with humility.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
If you're judging other people, you're coming from a point of pride, ego, whatever it is, and it doesn't allow people to humanize other people. So we have to just take the Bible as what it says. Remember who you are.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So if I can offer a perspective. No, you. I think it's a deeper rooted issue of trying to conceptualize things and bring a checkbox to God. We are finite individuals. We cannot understand the infinite wisdom and that takes humility. A lot of people tend to question because they are like, okay, God, I don't want to have faith in you. I want you to confirm things with me and then I'll believe you.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
That in itself is not love either, right? So we need to come from a position of, okay, God, whether it makes sense to me or not, we are called to trust you as well because the beginning of love is trust. You cannot
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
love somebody you don't trust you know what i mean so i feel like it's important to kind of step away from all of this vain quarreling and babbling respectfully and bring it back to oh i don't know anything god i trust that you have set everything up you know exactly what's best you love these people more than me to your point amen then you will know exactly what you're gonna have like how you're gonna handle it who am i being finite creation telling creator x y and z right so
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
I think that's helped me a lot. And then bring it back to the gospel. Because we have to then teach people, hey, like, you don't have to go to hell. Like, God made it where everybody can get to heaven. And he, you know, predestination, all that. We can talk about all that. But we're going to be missing the forest for the trees. We have to focus on the gospel. At the end of the day. Amen.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
And I think this is one of them that I got to have to put away and just... If I can just add to that too, not to cut you off, but George, I'll hold him accountable. He calls me and he called me about that exactly. He's like, they're murdering me on the comments. And I was expressing, we spent like two hours on the phone talking about this.
The George Janko Show
The Christian Avengers | EP. 100
So at the end of it, he is definitely, I can attest to this, that he's definitely trying to learn. And we're all students at the end of the day. We're going to learn until we die. So... Please be nice. Yeah.