.jpeg)
Life Around "The Fire"
Life Around "The Fire"
Finding Serenity in a Chaotic World
What if knowing about Jesus isn't enough? Join us on an intimate journey from skepticism to an encounter with the divine, as we uncover how truly knowing Jesus can transform your life. In this episode, we unravel the layers of His identity, exploring the significance of His many titles, including the Prince of Peace from Isaiah 9:6. Discover how embracing His peace can bring order and calmness to our chaotic lives, and learn how centering your life on Jesus through prayer and reflection can help you live as a citizen of His kingdom, manifesting His peace in your everyday actions.
Dive into the profound dual nature of Jesus as both the Son of David and the Son of God, a cornerstone of faith and salvation. Through biblical teachings, we emphasize the transformative power of Christ's love and wisdom, inviting you to connect and grow in community. Listen as we celebrate the life-changing guidance of Jesus, the wonderful counselor who leads us towards spiritual growth and accountability. As we embrace His love, wisdom, and unity, we encourage you to share your insights and continue spreading God's love in the world.
Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved!
Feel free to check out our wesite by typing in lifearounsthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life.
Shalom to you and your home.
Howdy folks. I want to welcome you to another episode of Life Around the Fire. My name is David Attari and I'll be your host today. We are a podcast that is devoted to spiritual growth, and what we mean by spiritual growth is this Growth in our relationship, first and foremost, with God, then in our relationships with one another. What I'd like to do today in this episode is continue on with this whole topic of elevating the name of Jesus. It has to be the number one thing that I personally love to do.
Speaker 1:And it's kind of amazing because if you'd have asked me many years ago what my thoughts about Jesus were, I would have been very reserved in my comments because I really didn't know him. I mean, I didn't know him. I mean, I didn't know him. I knew about him but I'd heard more than I knew, right, and I'd heard from other people about him. And then I'd seen some things that I didn't like that other people were doing, and they were doing them in his name, and it really turned me off in a big way because I thought, well, if that's what Jesus is like, I don't want any part of that, but if it weren't for God, I wouldn't believe in God. If it weren't for God, I wouldn't believe in God. But thank God, he is God and thank God. Jesus is God, the Son who has come to reveal God and who has sent his spirit to reveal him to us across the nations. And so now, instead of me being either conservative about my thoughts regarding him, kind of awkward actually or when things got wrong, you know, when things went south, when things got bad, I would use his name as a curse word.
Speaker 1:Some of you might be able to relate. But now it is my joy, it's my privilege, to speak his name and talk about him, because I've met him, absolutely miraculous and out of this world that that sounds. It's true, I have met him. God, by his spirit, has revealed Jesus to me personally, and not just to me, to millions upon millions, upon millions of other people from a variety of different times in world history, in many different ways, jesus has been revealed to us, and now he's demonstrating himself through us, powerful man. And so, yeah, I'm highly motivated and I love exalting his name, because his life is in me.
Speaker 1:The life of his spirit, the life of Holy Spirit, the life of God in me, loves to boast on Jesus, and so that's what we're doing. We are boasting on him and in so doing we're expressing from the scriptures, because the scriptures are our baseline, from which we operate, are our baseline from which we operate. We're expressing from them the names that are attributed to him, and I personally have found 100 names attached to Jesus in both the Old and the New Testament 100. And each one of them is full of meaning, full of life, and that 100 is scarcely the beginning concerning his majesty, his dominion, his power, his authority, his supremacy, his centrality. His supremacy, his centrality. He is all and in all.
Speaker 1:It's just whether or not we acknowledge the reality of who he is personally, relationally, not perfunctory, not in a perfunctory fashion, but in a real, living way. Just being religious isn't necessarily relational, in fact, sometimes it's just the opposite isn't necessarily relational, in fact, sometimes it's just the opposite. And God is into relationship. That's his heartbeat. And so in his name we find expressions of his relationship with us. And so, before we go any further, I'd like to take some time and pray right now and just invite God to center our attention in on him, because there's a principle known as beholding and becoming, and we believe in that. I believe in that Experientially, I practice that Because what we behold, who we behold, we become like, and I want to continue to become like Jesus. Not become a better David, not become a better me, not become like you, but like Jesus. And then, in the area of my life that I'm following him, yeah, follow the example. And hopefully that's growing and growing. In fact it is. It's developing more and more and more, and I see the same things happening in the lives of men, women and children around me, but it becomes more prevalent as we focus our attention in on him. And so, father, we come to you right now and we literally present ourselves to you as people that want to have our attention zeroed in, laser-locked in on Jesus. Attention zeroed in, laser locked in on Jesus, so that we would become like him. Like him, that his life would develop and grow within us and that he would be our focal point in everything we say and do, in everything we say and do. Help us, holy Spirit, to grow up before we grow old and to be a people that live as citizens of your kingdom, in your culture, for your glory, in your culture, for your glory, in your name. We stand here and we say amen, amen, amen, amen, amen.
Speaker 1:Well, in the previous episode we left off on the name of Jesus, known as the Prince of Peace or Shalom. Take it from Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 6. That's one of the attributes or one of the names that Jesus has. That Jesus has, and being the prince, or being the one who is the authority of peace, means that he knows what it's like to be absolutely satisfied In need of nothing. In fact, he knows what it is like to change the atmosphere when he walks in the room, because his peace is so strong that it literally overtakes strife and confusion and lack and brings things in order in calm, in confidence in security. Shalom Lacking nothing, calm in confidence in security. Shalom, lacking nothing in any area. Prince of Peace, and he gives that peace to us, the peace that goes beyond our understanding, which actually keeps our hearts and minds centered in on Jesus, and so that's one of his names Prince of Peace.
Speaker 1:In Acts, chapter 3, verse 22,. He's known as the prophet, the one who can see and the one who knows how to say. He can see into the future and he sees things clearly now and he can speak about things concerning the future and he can speak about things right now. He is the prophet In John, chapter 11, verse 25,. He's known as the resurrection and the life. Resurrection, resurrection from the dead. Think about that. Dead and no longer dead, but now one who demonstrates eternal life, not just eternal existence, but the quality of life that God enjoys. God life, the resurrection and the life, and he gives that to you, he gives that to me, he gives that to us, life and he gives that to you, he gives that to me, he gives that to us. Jeremiah in his book, in the 23rd chapter, verse 5, he said that he's the righteous branch. He's the branch that's righteous, that grows out from the kingdom like a branch, from a tree, strong branch. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 12, is rock and he is solid rock.
Speaker 1:Revelation 5.5,. The root of David, meaning he existed before King David. He was actually the root of David. Ruler of God's creation, revelation 3.14,. Ruler of the king or the kings, I should say Ruler of the kings of the earth, revelation 1.5. Savior Titus, chapter 1, verse 4.
Speaker 1:Son of David, verse 4. Son of David, luke 18, 39. Now, the root of David, but also the son of David. He came after David. King David, interesting, he was before David. He came after David.
Speaker 1:Son of God, son of God, son of God, god the son, john, chapter 1, verse 49. Son of man, meaning he was completely man. Matthew 8, 20. Son of man, but also that was 20. Son of man, son of man, but also that was a title. Son of man, son of the Most High God, luke 1, 32. Source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. Source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Speaker 1:Hebrews 5.9. Not just temporary salvation, not just temporarily secure, but secure Meaning he saves us, he has us and he'll keep us all the way through. Yeah, that's powerful man, the one mediator. 1 Timothy 2, verse 5,. Mediator, the one who mediates between us and God. The Father mediates, speaks on our behalf and speaks highly of us, not to convince God, but he is one who speaks contrary to the one who accuses us, to ourselves and to God at least attempts to, day and night. And Jesus mediates. He says nah, that's not the truth. I've made them this, I've made them righteous. The one mediator, the stone, the builders rejected Acts 4.11. The capstone11, the capstone, the cornerstone, the builders, the religious people. No, we don't believe in that. Don't believe in him.
Speaker 1:Lo and behold, he's the one, he is the one true bread John 6.32 meaning the one who sustains us Really, the true bread, the true source of life. We don't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. And his word is his eternal bread, the kind that doesn't leave us hungry Like a drug, can leave us afterwards hungrier than when we first began Drinking, wanting more than when we first began, but not getting as much as when we first began Drinking. Wanting more than when we first began, but not getting as much as when we first started. Addiction's a real horror. True light John, chapter 1, verse 9. True wine. John, chapter 1, verse 9. True wine. John, chapter 15, verse 1. Truth. John 14, verse 6. Truth I am the way, the truth and the life.
Speaker 1:No one comes in relationship to the Father except first through me. That's actually a privilege that's been given to us. It's not a got to, it's a get to. We get to come to him and come through him to the Father. We need to. He cleanses us from all that's unrighteous, presentable to God. The Father, who's holy, who is without, does not have that within him and does not have that within him and does not tolerate that in his presence. So that has to go. See, it's things that come between us and God that he wants to eliminate. He's not out to get us, he's out to remove the stuff that hinders our relationship, that hinders us loving, experiencing him and him loving, experiencing us.
Speaker 1:Way the way, the way maker. Where there is no way, he makes a way. He makes a way. He makes things impossible possible. He is the way maker. Where there is no way, he makes a way. He makes a way. He makes things impossible possible. He is the way. He's the way to the father, but he's the way out of temptation, out of evil, into the glorious light, so we can be free from being literally in bondage to those things that are actually dark. Man. Praise God.
Speaker 1:Wisdom, the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1.24,. The wisdom of God. You see, knowledge is knowing stuff. Wisdom is how do you apply it, how do you get from point A to point B? You know you need to, but how do you do it? Wisdom is the how-to, showing us things that enable us to live things out, not just no stuff. That's love, man, love, love gives us the solution. Any fool can point out a problem, anybody, even a fool, but it takes wisdom to provide the solution. Knowledge and wisdom, and if we love knowledge, we'll love. Correction is not bad. Being religiously beat up is bad but correction, correction, is necessary. I need correction at times and God knows how to correct. He knows how to convince me when I'm wrong or I need correction.
Speaker 1:Wonderful counselor, wow, wonderful counselor. You know, sometimes he does that uniquely to us, without anybody being involved or anybody else being involved. But sometimes, oftentimes, he uses other people because he wants us to have relationship, not just being islands of self-improvement, but people that are connected, having a culture of honor. You know, I heard a story about a guy recently who he he started an experience that was very new to him and that was that he was becoming involved in a group of people that really man, they were like living out the values, practices, priorities of the kingdom of God. They were living it out and he had some pretty. You know, he had some personal problems that were going on and some of them were rather deep and he just he had some bad experiences previously involving him sharing those problems and then later hearing other people talk about the fact that he had these problems and the people that we're talking about weren't people that he'd shared it with. I mean, you get the point, it was gossip, it was talking behind with. I mean, you get the point, it was gossip, it was talking behind. He had experienced that thing that is so common, that kills so many fellowships Tailbearing, just being loose-lipped Telling other people's stuff. But we need to get it out right.
Speaker 1:Counsel Well, jesus is the wonderful counselor and he looks to do it through us. Just empty counsel that comes from the culture of the world and that's not going to really lead us anywhere. It's like peeling skin off an onion when it gets to the end, there's nothing there, but there's always something beneath it, always, always, always an issue. So anyway, he finally he said, okay, he's going to risk it. But before he shared it, he just shared his story about his previous experiences and the person that he was sharing with said we just don't practice that. And so he risked telling them what was going on and proceeded to get some help, and it never went beyond the person who was helping him. He never heard about it from anyone else and it so freed him up. It freed him up. That is contagious. That kind of love, that kind of culture, that kind of environment is contagious. That kind of love, that kind of culture, that kind of environment is contagious.
Speaker 1:The wonderful counselor, the word, word, word, up man, word, he is word, he is the logosos, the Eternal Word, and he's the Rhema, the Right Now Word. He is the Word of God, the Word of God, word, john 1.1. In the beginning was the Word one of his titles? In the beginning was the Word One of his titles. Word, the spoken Word, the audible Word, the visible Word, the Word being made flesh and dwelt among us. Word Finally, revelation 19, verse 13,.
Speaker 1:The word of God, not just word, not just the word of a wise guy or the word of a nice old lady, but the word of a nice old lady, but the word of God, both the eternal word, the word that covers things in general, the logos, but also the specific, the rhema, the one that's alive and active in our life right now. Rhema, r-h-e-m-a it's a Greek word, logos, l-o-g-o-s Greek word, both describing word we have been given God's word regarding how he feels about us and it is spelled L-O-V-E, with T-I-M-E and R-I-S-K all wrapped up in one. We have been given God's word regarding his ability to save us, hold us and keep us to the end. Praise God. That's amazing. So we have taken these past two episodes and highlighted 100 names of Jesus, and that's scratching the surface.
Speaker 1:I'm looking forward to continually growing in knowing not just about him, but experientially knowing him and expressing his life through my life to others around me, because that's really how those around us are going to know that God is.
Speaker 1:Who God says he is is when we are one, as he is one, and his love is in our midst. His presence is upon us, within us and around us. Hallelujah, let's pray. Father, thank you for who you are, for what you're doing, how you're doing it, all of the elements of your reasons, your abilities, plural abilities, from everlasting to everlasting. You're amazing. You are amazing. Lord Jesus, we exalt your name, holy Spirit, we acknowledge that Jesus is supreme. I thank you for revealing him to us and through us, we stand here, we sit here, we present ourselves to you In his name and we say amen, amen, amen, amen, amen. All right, folks, I love you, amen, amen, amen. All right, folks, I love you. If you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at life around the fire at gmailcom, life around the fire is all lowercase. All one run on word life around the fire at gmailcom or type in life around the fire. Look us up on the web. We would love to hear from you In the meantime. God bless you. Adios amigos.