Setting Your Watch By Trouble - J. Anthony Gilbert's AlongTheWay Journey Ep 02

Some guy vandalized the church threw a board through the front window, started yelling and cursing had to call the police and right then I knew I was in the right spot. I knew right that in there, I said, This must be the place. If everything would have been cozy and comfy. I probably would have like maybe it's not God. But the fact there was so much adversity, I knew that that was what God was.

Welcome to along the way. I'm John Matarazzo, your host and fellow traveler. Thank you for joining me on my journey as I try to become more like Jesus every day. I love that I have the opportunity to talk with fascinating people and learn how God has met them along their way. I believe that everyone has a story, and we can all learn from each other's journeys. Through my work as a TV producer, I get to interact with some of the most amazing people making an incredible impact in God's kingdom. And this episode of along the way, my journey connects me with Pastor J. Anthony Gilbert of another level ministries in Pittsburgh, who was also one of the host of a TV program that I produce "RealLife" on Cornerstone network.

I hope you enjoy this episode of along the way.

Pastor Jay Anthony Gilbert, it's a pleasure to have you on along the way. It's good to be here. Yeah. Thanks for having me. Oh. So we go back a couple years now, the three working at Cornerstone television, and you're one of my one of my hosts for The Real Life program.

But I want to hear some of those. I want to hear your story. But I want to hear some of those moments where you look back and you say, oh, wow, God was really intervening or God was operating in my life, and I didn't realize it at the moment. So can you just tell us a little bit about who pastor J. Anthony Gilbert is? Oh, man, that's who go it's a loaded question. No, no, it's good. I mean, all through

My whole life really, I mean, I don't think there's just one specific error. I think he's always moving in our lives, even when we don't sense. You know, he's always working together for our good and somewhere some fashion and one of the unique times of my life was I remember I went out for a job.

At this wonderful job, I think it's around 1819 years old. And it was an opportunity to basically I was going to work with mentally handicapped people. And it's going to be doing just simply vacations going on cruises. And that's all I did go to Football Hall of Fame. I was kind of like doing a little bit of work. But I wanted the full time position. And basically this other guy came in, took the job right out from under me, also disappointed and then that fell through and then having good What better job than just simply to go on vacations and things like that. I didn't know that that

existed.

I know. When I found out about I said, Man, that was just a phenomenal opportunity. And I was so disappointed. And then

after that fell through that I was going to school, possibly for radiology, I got accepted, there's only four people or 6pm I can remove very small amount of people that got accepted and round The same year. I said, Okay, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna try this. And just didn't work out. I send in the application. They said I got accepted. And I said, Okay, great. So I'm waiting to hear back from them. But they were waiting on one of my reference letters. And a pastor friend of mine for whatever he said he sent it but they never got it. So they gave my position to somebody else. And I was just so upset that every single door shut. But then all sudden, a friend of mine I'm a big Bishop TD Jakes fan always have been. And he says, well thought out to rod parsley. And let's go out there and I said, Alright, that's fine. I just want to go to hear Bishop Jake because he has can't meeting. So you have money to buy an own Benny Hinn, TD Jakes, the whole week, which is packed full of it. Oh, wow, that sounds

like a great lineup.

It was a phenomenal time. And we just had a blast and some there, then my friends, I'm going to world harvest Bible College, and how's it going to Bob because my dad opened up a church, I'm will preach, I'm going to touch lives. That's all I was worried about. So went up there. And I don't remember which night it was. But basically, Rod parts. If anybody wants to come to my school, I want you to come down my friend, grandmother by the hand and said, Come on down with me. I said, Man, I'm going into the gospel, preached the gospel, I don't need to be doing any of this stuff. And so I went up there with him. And pastor parsley prayed a prayer and said, if they're called to be in this school, you put it in their heart, don't let them sleep. Long story short, I woke up the next morning. And I knew that I knew that I knew I had to go to Bible college. And that college completely changed my life. That was in July school started August 20. I had not $1 to my name, I had all my whole year paid for. I never paid a nickel out of my pocket. And the reason why I'm saying all this is that if that door would not have shut for the college, or of that for the college for the job, and for actually would be college of the radiology school. I never would have gotten the call to Bible college. And that would have been so I didn't see all of it God was doing at the moment. But when I look back now, it's like, Wow, thank thank you, Lord, for what you did.

Yeah. So those, those let downs were setting you up for where God brought you now.

And you know, 20 years later, 22 years later, I'm in ministry, on Cornerstone television, our a church. All these things happen in those years in Bible College, where the most formative years of my life not only changed my life, it changed my family, my ministry, it's helped change my city. I still carry an importation from what I got during that time. And so I could have been working take people on vacations, but now I'm sending the devil on vacation.

Has that's pretty cool.

So that's, that's how you got into ministry.

Yeah, but

I want to hear how you got to Pittsburgh, because I think it's a fascinating story. How you met your wife and how God brought you to Pittsburgh. So just just tell us about that.

Well, it kind of goes along with the first question just asked, you know, just when you didn't see what God was up to. I was single for many years. I didn't church pastor in a church and I was single for real. I wasn't the Playboy puppet and all that stuff. I really was single. And so I was thinking from about 2002 2011

when I met my wife, Tiffany now, and I did one girl for like 30 days, but it just didn't work out. And so basically, throughout that whole period of time, I lived as a single guy and then I was one day it was for Christmas. And me my dad my mother passed away in 2007. So me my brothers and my dad and I said this is the exact words I said so just being straight off the gut is we call it I said this is the last time it's just gonna be us rusty brothers for Christmas. I do not want to see another one that you guys just for Christmas. And that was in December. On a 21 day fast in January God spoke to my heart to get on Christian mingle. Well the funny thing about Christian NGOs that I had preached against dating sites my whole life I preached against the other way don't get on it there the devil don't mess with those things kind of like the water boy everything said devil Mama, you know, I was like it was the devil to me. And God's telling you to get out there. And I tell you what, I'm watching bt that all my what was watching the time but then that Christian mingle commercial me on the headline that you set up, it's all in there now. But it's that many times you're waiting on God. But many times God is waiting on you. And I was like the heavens opened up the Spirit of God to send upon me like a dove in a voice from heaven said this is the way walk in it so hopped on there within two weeks and the 21 day fast. I met my wife Tiffany here in Pittsburgh. I have one bad experience or Christian man when I said God, if this doesn't work out, then this next one here, I'm done. And that's when I met Tiffany.

So you weren't living in Pittsburgh was not

know. So I traveled every weekend. I was preaching on Sunday mornings I would leave my job. around three o'clock in the afternoon travel out here about three and a half hours. Stay here on your bathroom Old and New York to Pittsburgh, which got a three and a half hour drive. And I would stay there all week and not get from 430 in the morning to drive back to New York to preach to be at the top of that morning. I did that for eight months straight pretty much. So I ended getting married get married in Pittsburgh. And then she went to Bishop Joseph Garlington church. And her her closest mentor was Bishop son, his name is Chet Williams. And he really mentored her and he kept telling me she got to have JC can fJ speak. So finally had me come out here for times of refreshing. So I spoke twice on Friday and twice on Sunday for his church during a conference that he had. And when I left here, Pittsburgh didn't leave me. If I remember writing where I was in Pittsburgh, and I've told my wife, I'm not done with Pittsburgh yet. I said, I picked there's still more there. within nine months, we ended up leaving everything we had in New York and came out here. We took a $50,000 year pay cut, we had just bought a six bedroom home, we had a very successful church. Everything was going real real well, and got to pack it up. And we took such a big pay cut, we had to live with our in laws. Ouch. And so we went back and thank god they're not are outlawed. And so we lived with them for a couple of years. And that's how I end up getting to Pittsburgh, though. And through that process, I was serving a bishop Garlington church and the chairman of the board. The time at Cornerstone said, We are looking for some people of color that hold your gift and talent, would you be willing to sit down with the CEO? So I sat down with the CEO. And he asked me if I would come on as a guest. I came on as a guest. And then that fall, you guys asked me to do one show one day, they came right to me, and I think was after that first show. Dave said, Would you commit for the whole season?

Yeah. Oh, yeah. It was just a originally it was just let's let's try it out once. And then we were hooked. We were hooked. After that. We were like, Okay, well, we need Jay every we need him every week.

And I had no idea that that's what I was going to be doing was TV. What people don't know a lot of times about TV is that I had a small local cable access channel that I did in only in New York, reached maybe 10,000 people and I used to stand in front of a camera every week. And just as soon as they turn the camera on, I would just go and I practice it intros and outros every single week. And it shows you how what you're doing in private God will reward you openly is good. And and I remember all those years of doing that I never knew that God says you're preparing for Cornerstone Television Network, which reaches 6 million homes. So I went from what pretty much out from 6000 homes to 6 million homes. But every week I was faithful over that john, and I remember that Matta fact during that process, I kind of said, I'm not really reached nobody I should just quit and stop. And then the Lord spoke to me. Because in rebuked me basically because I went to go back on the channel said I'm sorry, we don't have any room for you. And I felt so bad. And God said next time I give you something be faithful over it. And little did I know we got back on but that was preparing me to be ready to be the extemporaneous guy that I am on TV today. And it's just amazing like you said all along the way, the things that God does and how he prepares you for what you're coming into.

Yeah, I love looking back and looking back at our lives and seeing Wow, God bless brought us together as as co workers and really friends. Your become a very good friend over the last few years. And I'm grateful that God's brought you into my life. And I'm grateful for your along the way stories that have brought you here.

But I want to hear some more about about that. So you're now pastor a church. When you're not on TV, you pastor a church can tell us a little bit about that.

Another thing I was there just preaching at bishops church along the way, and no pun intended. And all sudden now he said you know what? He goes, I have a ministry that's dying. They said, Would you be interested in going there and speaking there and seeing what God says to you? And my ministry means the local local church. Yeah. And what the unique part was is 30 days prior to that God has spoken to us to my wife and I said that something was getting ready to change, someone's get ready to shift for us. So we went on a fast. And during that process, Bishop Joseph Garlington came to us and said, I have a church. I want you to go there. And we pretty much already knew because we been fasting for range anyways. And we came here and was finding the first day that I came here to speak as a guest. Some guy vandalize a church through a board through the front window, started yelling and cursing, had to call the police and right then I knew I was in the right spot. I knew right then in there, I said, This must be the place. If everything would have been cozy and comfy. I probably would have like maybe it's not God. But the fact there was so much adversity, I knew that that was what God was calling me to noodle john, one of the things I've learned throughout my life is, a lot of times we think being in the will of God is always going to be cozy and comfy. And I've learned to set my clock by trouble. I've learned every time in my life when bad things happen. That's usually a good indication that you are in the will of God because you're going into enemy territory. And that's what we're supposed to be doing as well. Bob says the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, but the violent take it by force. So when I saw that, I was thinking in my head and I said, this is where God's called me to be because the devil is already nervous about what I'm getting ready to step into. So I ended up taking this church here, my wife and I, and it's been phenomenal what God's been doing. We're believing God for a new building right now. But we've been growing where we are. And it's been a great process.

I want to ask about the mindset that you were just talking about, how did you decide like, this is what I'm going to look for to see God's will?

Okay. Well, you know, because usually, whenever if you think about if you're playing all the Steelers fans, or wherever they may be, listen, we're in Pittsburgh land right now. But wherever they are, this is definitely Steeler nation. If the Steelers are on the one yard line and getting ready to go into a touchdown, it's not quiet. It's not laid back. You're about to score. So both teams are going nuts. The coaches are screaming, the fans are screaming, why there's so much at stake. So I've learned every time good things are getting ready to happen. Or I'm about to score a touchdown for the kingdom, the adversary is going to have a goal line defense, and so through, are you sure the title of your show alarmed the way I've seen each step that whenever those major adversity in my life, it was always a sign. That's why I set my clock by trouble. It showed me that something good was getting ready to happen in my life. And so when I press through those times, usually on the other side of that there's always been a great breakthrough. So through the process, is how I found that.

So how do you discern if this is an actual roadblock from God? Or if it's just a goal on defense?

Great question. Most of the time, there'll be something within me that says I gotta keep going. If it's a door closed, the Bible says that God gives you the desires of your heart. So if he, if you're sensitive to him, and you want his will, if he puts a door up, not only with that door, there should be something in your heart and in your spirit. That's kind of like, this isn't where I want to go. As matter of fact, why people don't know this. It was actually a church here in Pittsburgh, a church of about 250 people that was offered to me, and and I had been praying about it and seeking the Lord for it. And every door is open, they were promised me a bigger salary that I'm making now. And all these things, and I just knew it wasn't God. And so there wasn't even a whole lot of obstacles. There was some, but my heart wasn't in it. And so as a result, if if all that adversity is coming, and my heart's not in that, I know that isn't God, but most of the time when it's the atmosphere, if there's adversity, faith will pursue. There's something that keeps on going. It's kinda like the woman, that her daughter was grievously back to the Spirit. And Jesus said, it's not fit to give the children's bread to the dogs. Now, right there even having gave her a roadblock. Yeah, let her faith was greater than her roadblock. And I think that's how I've determined along the way my faith will be greater than anything is kind of get, they'll say, no, this belongs to me, and I know it. And so I'll press through regardless.

That's a great word, Pastor Jay, that's really good. Do you remember the first thing that you heard God speak to you?

The first thing that God ever spoke to me, going back to ministry, the first time that I feel that the Lord spoke to me before ministry, I was about

I want to say 1313 years old, maybe I don't remember the executive. I was young, and I was in a service. And the Lord spoke to me and I used to get $5 a week from my parents. And I'll never forget those a preacher up there. And God spoke to me and said, I want you to so that. And my dad, I said, Dad, I want to give my whole house this week. And he said you sure because he thought you'd want to give all that away. $5 for me back then that's a lot of money for me. You know, that's a lot of pizza and video games and everything else I gotta play. And so I said, No, Dad, I want to give it so I sold that. And I never forget, I gave that. And then that summer, there was this paper route. It's basically kind of like in a high rise apartments, but it was for older people, those six floors, 50 papers, I think you made like, I don't know, like 50 bucks a week. And everybody wanted that route. And I'll never forget, I saw that seed. And I ended up getting that paper out. Wow. And I remember that God spoke that to me. And my dad was so jealous of that paper out there. He said, If you give it up, I've taken it because it's so easy. Everybody else had to go door to door out whether all my papers were right there. I just went through it took me about 10 minutes. I made 50 bucks a week. And I remember given that to God. And I think that's one of the first times that God spoke to me. That's, that's really cool.

So how did how did that change you?

I'm still looking for today. But my dad was a giver, john. He gave cars I gave cars. I remember there was this time that there was a family that came by and we were my parents were really blessed. And they always blessed us with nice things. And I remember I don't remember those jack is john back in the day where they had to pull it up the Raiders jackets with the hoodie and they're the pullovers orders.

Yeah, sorry.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I had I wanted to Michigan Wolverines one, and I got this beautiful blue one. And this family came by and they didn't have a lot. And my dad said, I want you guys to go up and grab a jacket, you gotta you know, just get one that you don't want. And whatever it was, they were nice, you think given junk. But remember that you don't want I want to put out my Michigan one. And I gave that to this family. That was my favorite jacket. And I sold that. And I tell you what, john, I don't think I bought a jacket. Since then. The jacket I'm wearing that you see me right now my dad bought that for me. I have jackets hung up all around my house and everything, and none of them that I pay for. And so it started me on a path of becoming a giver. And, and my dad model that I was in Bible college. And I remember my second year, I had a 39 39,000

miles I was in 1989 Honda Accord LX. I mean, this thing was mid condition. I mean, beautiful. And God spoke to me said you walk and you go give it to lady that was in your church. And so I gave my car away to leaving church. But then I ended up getting a 1998 Toyota foreigner paid it off quicker. I never paid for anything really out of my own pocket. I'd paid a little bit, but it was all pretty much paid for by other people that blessed me. And all my life. I've always been a giver. So that's set the tone for me that's still to this day, I still believe in seed time and harvest.

That's really cool. We talked about some of your purpose, already your purpose in life? And how kind of how you identified that. But I want to look at what's the first practical step that you took going from wanting to be a pastor to actually becoming a pastor? What are some of those steps that you took,

I think going to college was a big thing. I was like one of the first people in my family to ever go to college. And, you know, a lot of times people think education is important. But it really is. And for me it was practical to say, well, what's so practical about that, because nobody in my life was thinking about college. Not that we're against her thing just wasn't on my radar. And I think that was one of the first steps that I took is just go to school and get educated, find out things you don't know, you know, a lot of times we want to just be Spirit led. And that's great. I'm all for that. But God draws from the knowledge that we gain and that we obtained through those type of things. And so I think getting educated was the first thing that I did,

what would you consider your most difficult step to your purpose?

A difficult or the hardest time?

Either one, I

think the most the most difficult part for me, one was waiting, having to wait. Many times God's timetable is not ours. And I have one of my favorite lines to tell people all the time, but it was something I had to learn about life is you can't bypass process to get to progress. And I think the most difficult thing is you want progress. And many times you're trying to build a ministry and God's trying to build a minister. And when that's not an alignment, you're trying to build something when God's trying to build you, you're going to find yourself real frustrated, because God isn't going to grace you to enhance your ministry, because he's trying to build you so you can carry the ministry. So I think the waiting period was one of the most difficult times just waiting for something to happen. being faithful in and how its kind like David taken care of the sheep, am I ever going to get out of the sheep pasture, you know, and just waiting on the Lord through the process is probably one of the most difficult times but then also went through a period of time where I was a knucklehead. I didn't listen to nobody. And I lost half my church, I almost went bankrupt. I had to move back in with my parents have to add my own home. A lot of people don't know this about me, I had to check into a psych ward. People thought I was crazy. Because of the way I was leading my church. I wasn't a bad leader in regards to how I treated people. But I started getting real Goofy, we don't have time to go into all that. But man, that

may be hard to it's a continual,

I tell you what, there's a major story behind that. And I was running through stores and preaching in the stores and the police were showing up in my house because I was getting down the middle of a bank and just worshiping God in front of everybody. And long story short, there was a lot of things that people may say, wow, that's real zealous, but zeal without knowledge is not a good thing. And that's what was lacking. So people warned me about some of the steps that I was taking. And eventually people started leaving my church. And it was just a real rough time for me. So I learned through that process, how to heaven here to here.

Part Two,
we're going to have to explore that a little bit on a separate on a separate one. This is a good kind of an introduction, Pastor Jay.

Yeah, that's a lot to go into it, we open up a big can right there.

I've heard a lot of your stories, I haven't heard people have it.

I'm glad that you can look back at it and smile and laugh. Now because you that's going along the way type moment where you had an encounter with God, or God sent people to intervene in your life to say, hey, that's not the right way you shouldn't go. let's let's let's correct this. And now you're seeing a lot of fruitful fruitfulness in your life.

Without a doubt. I mean, there are so many things john now as a leader, one of the biggest things I think I learned through that process without going into the whole story was, remember when Moses heard from God that it was time to go into the promised land. So they sent 12 spies in the land to spout off for 40 days and 40 nights when they came back to the 12. So they weren't going, Moses heard from God. But the leadership did not want to follow him. So none of them went in. So I've realized something, whether you're hearing from God or not, is irrelevant in regards to leading people. Because if people aren't hearing you and willing to follow, you can't go whether you're hearing from God or not. So I had to learn not only hear the heart of the people, but how to gain the heart of the people. So then they would want to follow me and I lost that during that season. So now I have a more finely tuned here to the sheet that are followed me in this in the pasture.

Well, that kind of leads me to one of my next questions is those detours that you've had in your life, I'm gonna call a detour on the path that God has for you. What is some advice that you would give me to avoid those same detours?

Well, in that one having here to here,

always be just, and I'm sure you already know this. But everything that God speaks isn't always to you personally. God uses your your credit. God uses your enemies. God uses the people you like us to people, you don't like all to speak to you and learning how to hear his voice. And every situation of times if we don't like somebody, or we don't, we don't respect somebody the way that we'd like to were like, well, they can't God can't use what they're saying or doing. And I had to learn to hear even my critics. I'm in another story with that. But I'm not going to go into it. But I mean, there's so many different things that have happened along the way, that have taught me how to hear the voice of God. So the biggest thing I would say in regards to what I've went through is hear the Lord. And then secondly, don't despise small beginnings in the waiting. You know, what God does in those times prepares you for what's coming. And I realized this many times people's gifting takes them someplace, their character can keep them. And so what will happen without hockey has an open, Hoffman has an open, you don't know what's out there, God's already seen it. And if he hasn't let it come into your life yet, it's because he's still molding you or preparing them for you. And so the importance of really trusting God in the waiting seasons and knowing that he's doing a great work in those times, and sooner or later, though, this is the scary part. If it comes to you, and you despise the training, eventually, the blessing will crush you because you did not let you despise small beginnings that happened in your life. Wow.

That's good. That's really good. I've got a couple more fun questions. If you could talk to yourself in the past, what version of yourself Would you talk to? Like what age would you talk to? And what would you tell yourself? That's a great question. It really advice would you give yourself at a younger age?

I was just talking to somebody I think it was yesterday and I said, Man, if I could go back I was in Phoenix, Arizona speaking over the weekend, and when I was down there, his son the pastor's son, he's 19 I said boy if I could go back to 19 there's so many things I would tell myself one is listen don't be enough have listened number to take risk. I mean, man, you got to be one of the launch out Don't be afraid to fail. Just go leave the results up to God. And if it before then though, before ministry I would go back to when I was a boy. And I was I was bullied as a child growing up I was made fun of I grew up in a time where

being black there was still prejudice, but then Black people was all about black power. You got to be black or black you out of bed and I was mixed. So I don't feel it the whites I didn't fit in with the black so your dad is black. Yes. Black. My mother was white is white. Yeah. And so I'm I'd go back to me and say man, do you realize how beautiful you are? How fearfully and wonderfully made you I do you realize your talents, gifts, things, abilities, all the things I ran from all the things that I didn't want I was like I should embrace to I was earlier. And my ability to play sports and all that I mean, everything I would just told myself to have more confidence, believe greater go for go for the gusto and just launch out and trust God in you and trust what God's put in you. And and that's what I tell myself from a little boy. But then as in ministry years, I'd say man, listen, listen, man, you'll save yourself a lot of problems.

Do you think that eight year old version of yourself would receive the advice?

Yeah, cuz I choke him until he did? I know what's best for you?

Um, you know what? That's a good. That's a great question, too. I mean, you know, I kind of remember, remember back to the future, when his son comes back and try to talk to his dad, imagine be able to go and look at some of those things like that. You know, but once again, even if I didn't listen, you can't bypass the process. So true. Yeah, that's everything that God uses in order to, you know, some people will come to me say, Man, you got such great wisdom. You know, you got this, that and the other. And I'm like, man, do you realize it's all about what you get along the way. And that's what that's what builds your ministry is all those things are stumbling blocks, those mistakes, and most of time, you're truly thing over and stumbling over things that other people are going to need to hear about. So God allows you to walk through those things. So you have a message for those people.

That's great.

So I'm going to skip over a couple questions. I feel like you kind of answered it a lot. So what is a life verse that you have?

Ah, there's a few of them. But one that really comes to mind, Matthew 633, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, his way of doing things. That's what righteousness is, and all these things will be added unto you. That's something that's I've always been a kingdom guy.

Can't water it down. Not one to live, you know, some people live one foot in the world, one foot in the church. It's not what God's called me to be. That's where my ministry called another level ministries is all about, it's all about living the heavenly life in every area of life on Earth. You know, and you can't live on another level. You know, you can't expect God to bless you on another level, but live on a lower level. You know, and and so for me, it's always been about Kingdom john really running heart after God not watering down my life, making sure I have an anointing that's pure, and you can't have an anointing that's pure and be tainted with the world. So one of my other statements kind of a life statement is for God, I live and forgot I die. Something that's what I put on Christian mingle, got my wife. She came after it. But that's really how I've chosen the latest for the kingdom of God.

That's cool. What is it? Key motivation that you have to keep going when things are hard or discouraging.

One don't want to go to hell. Out of serious though, you know, just, I don't even know sometimes, john, I don't think I have the a word like there's nothing keeps me going to him. It's just the presence of God in my life. It's just being surrounded by him my prayer life. And even when I'm discouraged, I've learned to draw great strength with God through prayer. There's never been a time in ministry that I wanted to quit. Ever. there's ever been a time that I've been burnt out. Have I been tired? Yep. I mean, like, we're like, I need a sabbatical. I need to quit. I, I've never had that. I've never understood that. Have there been times when it's been rough? Yeah, there been times I said, Do I want to pay this price? Yeah, I've thought that but but quitting. I mean, it's all I can say is it's because of him. He just keeps me. And when I if I heart starts getting cold, I gotta come back to him. Because I can't survive without him. I've got to have them in my life, I got to have them. When I get up in the morning, I want them when I go to bed at night. If there's anything in my life that starts watering that down, I got to get it out. I don't want my life. I want the presence in the blessing of God on my family, I don't want for ministry, I want it in my home. I want it in my car, I want to in my office when nobody's around, not just in the pulpit. So when you have him constantly in you, if you have a merry spirit, while you're living in a Marvel world, you'll keep on serving. The problem was Martha was not spending time with God anymore. And so as a result, she's was doesn't Mary get up here and help me? you know, because she needed to be Sitting at the feet of Jesus we're Mary was so I think just constantly being with him, is what keeps me going and just being in love with God.

What advice do you have to really apply the revelation that God gives you to your daily life? How do you do it? And how would you suggest that I do it?

Oh, man. Well, you know, for me, that's one of their is when I talked earlier about going into the psych ward and all stuff at ministry, I realized after I came through all that, and I really had time to sit and to really listen, and where I made mistakes, everything I was preaching, if I would have lived it, I wouldn't have fell into what I fell into. And so now I always tell people this, that my messages are kind of like making coffee, you first have to port, run it through the Laboratory of your own life, strain it through. And then after it goes through your life, you can give people more than just some water that you got to drink. You gotta actual beverage, you know, and I think a lot of times we get messages, and we're like, oh, wow, we got this great revelation. And then we give it out to others, this would be a great message to preach or, you know, someone like yourself that has music. This is a great song for the people. If God gives you a song, it's going to be for you first. And then for the people. And I think we mistake mistakenly believe that we only get messages for other people. So while I'm preaching, I'm always thinking, does this apply to me? Because I don't want to preach to others, like Paul said, and then myself become a castaway. So it's important that I first run it through the Laboratory of my own life. And even while I'm preaching it, does this apply to me, and then also makes you more humble? Because when you're walking through that you're preaching others, you're not pointing the finger at them saying you guys better do right, you better do your thinking, How am I living? Am I doing what I need to do? Am I operating how I need to operate in my live and how I need to live? Is this operating in my life? And if it's not, well, then there's an opportunity to make that adjustment. And so everything you get first ask yourself, does it apply to me? And if it does work it and if it doesn't, you've checked it, and you've given got an opportunity to see if it fits you.

Do you have any suggestions of books that would impact my life?

Oh, man, well, we're in my office right now. And you've got a whole laboratory full of different things that you could look at.

You know, there's, there's, there's so many I like the old church fathers. And when I when I say what's your church fathers to me, Charles Finney, Spurgeon, when I read those guys, my heart's my heart burns. I read a lot of contemporary people in my heart doesn't burn like it does with them. I sense that that generation of people, the Spurgeon, the spin, ease the Wigglesworth, they had a relationship with God that I don't know if a lot of us possess. And when I read the writings, it doesn't matter which one that's why I'm not giving you exact book, it could be any of them. Watch money is a phenomenal author, Charles Finney, I mean, you read about these guys, and they just talk about their prayer life. And it brings me to tears.

Any any final thoughts as we sign off?

This has been fun. You know, I have to say this is probably one of the first times I've done something like this. And it's caused my heart to burn a little bit, just going back and rehearsing some of those things. And I'm so glad that you're doing this. There's some people that need to hear our versions of our world and what we've walked through and, and you know, I love what you're doing. And I think it's great.

I'm glad that you, you said that your heart was burning within you as you're doing this. Because this, the whole point of this podcast, or the story that this podcast is is based around is the road to amass, and the disciples finally get to their destination. And Jesus breaks the bread with them. And he's been walking with them this entire time. They just didn't realize it. And he breaks the bread. And he disappears in front of them. They look at each other and they realize didn't our hearts burn with us the entire time that he was revealing the scripture to us. And I feel like as we rehearse some of those things in our past, as we look to the future, that that our heart should burn and our word should really help other people grow in that, and I know our conversation here, you have helped me. I've learned a lot of things about you didn't know already. And a lot of things I want to ask more questions about another time. Stay tuned for another episode with J. Anthony Gilbert later. But I feel like I've grown as a person because of this conversation with you. Thank you, Pastor Jay.

It's a pleasure. And thank you for having me. You could have chose anybody and chosen.

That conversation with Pastor Jay caused my heart to burn within me, especially talking about the process. God really is in the process. I've heard people joke, don't pray for patience, because God will give you opportunities to be patient, and who wants that? We live in a world of fast food and microwaves instant messaging and Amazon Prime. We want to skip the waiting. But Pastor Jay talked about God's timetable, and that we can't bypass process to get to progress. There are many promises in my life that I believe that God has for me, and I'm still waiting for them. Unfortunately, I'm not as patient as I would like to thank you that I am. I know I'm still in the process. And I'm trying to not despise those small beginnings that was very convicted when he said, if we despise the training, the blessings will crush us. Lord help me. I know that God isn't done with me yet. And he cares more about the growth happening in me than what is happening to me. It's all about trusting God in the process. If you want to know more about pastor j Anthony Gilbert, you can go to his Church's website at another level dot church. You can also watch him on episodes of real life on Cornerstone network and online at real life dot CTV and dot o RG. I will be providing links in the show notes as well. And as I mentioned in the interview, I have to do a follow up episode with Pastor Jay To find out more about the detours that he mentioned.

Thank you for joining me along the way. If you've enjoyed this program, please rate and subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at along the way dot media. I hope you've enjoyed this part of the journey and make you realize when Jesus is walking with you along your way