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Life Around "The Fire"
Life Around "The Fire"
Guest Speaker Tracy Perez Discusses The Process Of Finding Divine Connections: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Contemporary Faith Practices
Discover the profound journey of spiritual growth with our insightful guest, Tracy Perez, a gifted teacher with extensive pastoral, prophetic, and apostolic experience. Tracy guides us through the fascinating concepts of "Olam" and "Eon," representing eternity and ancient wisdom, and how they bridge the realms of the physical and spiritual. Together, we explore the delicate harmony between science and spirituality as key to achieving a holistic understanding of life. Our conversation highlights the divine connection that flows through scripture, likened to the sound of many waters, and challenges listeners to appreciate the sacred balance between ancient traditions and contemporary faith practices.
Imagine a world where anxiety and gratitude cannot coexist—this intriguing notion is central to our exploration of spiritual teachings and historical practices that promote peace. By reflecting on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Celtic saints, we delve into the transformative power of quiet solitude in nature as a pathway to divine consciousness. Tracy and I discuss the possibility of a new reformation within the body of Christ, one that honors ancient ways while embracing the transformative teachings of Jesus. Through powerful biblical examples, we invite you to consider a broader, more profound connection with the divine that transcends the material world.
Finally, we share personal stories of those who have embraced faith amidst challenges like severe autism, discovering peace and unique spiritual sensitivities in the process. Inspired by the teachings of the early church and St. Augustine, we emphasize the power of living in the present and trusting in faith to achieve rest and fulfillment. As we conclude, we invite you to embrace your potential as world changers, aligning with spiritual principles to impact global transformation. We express our gratitude for your journey with us, encouraging you to share your experiences as we collectively seek spiritual growth and peace.
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.
Hi folks, I want to welcome you to another episode of Life Around the Fire. My name is David Ruttari 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 we're going to do today in this episode is continue on with Tracy Perez in the studio and Tracy once again, brother, it is, it's a joy, it's a privilege, it's an honor, it's a joy, it's a privilege, it's an honor.
Speaker 1:And if you weren't with us in the previous episode, tracy is a gifted teacher and a person who has functioned for many years pastorally, prophetically, and now is kind of functioning as somewhat of an apostolic figure. And we're not big about titles around here, we don't throw them around too much, kind of this way A deacon is a deacon as long as he deeks Right, and so an apostle is an apostle as long as he's an apostle. And sometimes titles are important, like if you go to a hospital and there's a doctor, you've got a nice one, you've got a doctor. School, you've got a principal, and in the Army, you've got a general. They're function. So we also believe that we are equal in value. Equal in value now. We are equal in value, but we differ in function.
Speaker 1:And so, tracy, it's a joy to have you in, and some of the material that we're covering previously, and even today, has been known to be somewhat controversial, at least in the evangelical settings concerning the church, and the rap has been kind of bad at times, but it's kind of out there. Well, you see, the pendulum has swung in many respects too far over into the scientific and the pragmatic, and the natural and the spiritual realm has been viewed as even somewhat spooky or suspect, and without the two we're out of balance, and so this is really not out there. This is just actually becoming more balanced, and so we don't throw stones at those who are a bit more scientific or secular, but at the same point in time, we're not interested in being classified as being out there and unworthy of having our thoughts being told. So, all that being said, tracy, you have a free, free, free format here, and you just pick up from where you left off.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we left off with the breath, and thank you for that, david, because I really, as a teacher in the body of Christ, I take it very serious. And we're talking about this realm and we have a limited amount of time, so we don't discount all the doctrinal truths that are there by any way, shape or form. But this is you know you're getting, and at times you know I would prefer to have something completely understood, if you would, before I come and sit down to teach it, and maybe that's even become a fault in my teaching. At this point I'll say, because I have to tell you that I don't completely understand what we're talking about today, and but I want to, and I believe doing this is part of of all of us coming to that understanding. So I just I want to say that that I come to you, come to you with the best of intentions and I believe the Holy Spirit is speaking this, and there are people that know a lot more about this than I do and I hope to run into them and be able to sit down with them at some time.
Speaker 2:So we talked about olam, this breath, this eon everlasting, the eternal, and how those words and they can mean ages. So we have to be careful not to misunderstand. They can mean time past. They can mean the men of, you know, the men of old right, the men of renown in Genesis. But we automatically shift to that, to the men of a different dispensation. You know dispensation, you know, as opposed to the men that were operating in this reality along with the earthly reality. See, we have to operate in this reality. So that's where the translators had trouble. I believe that's where we have trouble.
Speaker 2:So the idea of this eon word, which would be translated as eternal, everlasting, in the New Testament, as old and ancient, the ancient of days, in the Old Testament, it has. It came. The origin was that it cut from the vital life force, the breath, the breath, and we can't. That just is that, is it? So we have to look at this. So inspired word of God. Inspired, of course, means to be breathed out. You know God inspired he, you know, when he created Adam. We get inspiration. That inspiration is from that realm, I believe, coming into the natural, and we receive it. Our poets receive it, our prophets receive it, we receive it and then we can bring it into this realm To apply. It is where it has to be. So it's found that Greek word eon A-I-O-N is found 128 times in the New Testament and Olam 432 times.
Speaker 2:Now, eon and Olam. There's an old saying that there's a thread that runs true, or a river runs through it, if you will, in a storyline. And so if you think about Olam and Eon, as there is a river that runs through the word, even though it can mean all these things we've talked about, but there has to be, there is, and I believe that we'll understand it the thread that runs true in the word Olam is like a river flowing, like a river flowing. Like a river flowing, the word flowing is used. Just start reading the word flowing the everlasting hills, that's good. Like a river flowing. Like a river flowing, the word flowing is used. Just start reading the word flowing. You know the everlasting hills, you know that's good, the everlasting.
Speaker 2:And then, jesus, would you know God's voice is what Like the sound of many waters? Right? Jesus said you know when Holy Spirit would come upon the body? What Out of our bellies will what Flow? Living water? Okay, so I it would come upon the body. What out of our bellies will what flow? Living water? Okay, so I think of flowers, flowers, we become flowers. So I, and then I and I just wrote this down so y'all, y'all bear with me, but flowers, flowers, and, and and. After the beatitudes. But jesus is talking about worry and anxiety. How do we apply all this to this realm? Well, he knew that in this realm, we deal with anxiety, we deal with fear. You know, death is around us, suffering is something we deal with all the time. And he said consider how the lilies of the field grow, consider the flowers.
Speaker 2:They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was adorned like one of these. So blessed are those, ignatius said, blessed are those who live in the present moment, for they shall see God in all things. What this has done for me is, even sitting here in your front yard, david, and looking out at the trees I'm just going to say it, I become conscious of my breath. Romans one 20 says God's invisible attributes. Paul starts his discourse to the church in Rome. God's invisible attributes are clearly made known by that which he's created, and so so that language to to describe an invisible spirit, realm and invisible God, god who came to earth, incarnated as Jesus.
Speaker 2:But to describe that we have to bring the natural into it, and I think there's a challenge to that Right, and so you'll see all the references to but with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your request known to God and the peace that passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, so that peace that passes, all understanding, I believe, is that realm. Ah, okay. All understanding, I believe, is that realm, okay. And so what paul would be saying here is anxiety in this realm. How do we get to this realm where the peace of god is, because it is god right? Yes, we access it with prayer and petition and gratitude and thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:We access it Because perhaps those things bear with me, perhaps those things calm us, calm us down so that the other things anxiety, fear, preoccupation with oneself they become less. And that quietness you said something about just being still that accessing or being cognizant of this Be still and know that I am.
Speaker 1:And know that I'm God, and know that I'm God. So I just wanted to touch that for just a moment, that prayer and all these other aspects of what you're talking about, especially Thanksgiving. It's hard to be anxious and be thankful at the same time, and so it calms us down.
Speaker 2:They actually have scientific proof now, with our brain imaging technology, that anxiety and thanksgiving or gratitude originate in the exact same part of the brain and they can't coexist at the same time, which is extraordinary to me. You know somebody who has spent some time being anxious, you know I'm not saying that. So I think you know somebody who spent some time being anxious, you know so I'm not saying that. So I think you know this stillness. So if we, we were, we were created adam and we were created in the garden, to, to walk with god, with only god consciousness, and then the fall. So all the anxiety and the suffering and all that, that's all the result of the fall and the enemy. Well, jesus redeemed that, the result of the fall and the enemy. Well, jesus redeemed that. So I believe you know there's a certain amount of uh for me, and, and I think that you know, throughout history, the desert fathers, the celtic saint, you know, just on and on and on, to, to, to find access to this in the quiet and solitude in nature. You, you know what I mean. Which Romans 120. So if you're ever wondering, you know God's invisible attributes are clearly made known. That was seen. You know Jesus in Matthew 634 was a scripture for me. Just, you know, it's where we get, one day at a time, that old saying but therefore, be anxious, be anxious. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow, be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient. You know so, this other realm we Connor calls it the old way. We started our, our, our church. We call it the old way, fellowship and and really what we're doing and David is part of that has been from the beginning is we, uh, I believe, as we will open ourselves to understand, then God will allow us to understand. Yeah, you know, yeah, and then, as we understand, I believe it's really important going forward. I'll go so far as to say we are in a reformation of the body of Christ from the old. So we want to honor the old. We never want to dishonor the old as we go forward. But I believe and many are saying this, not just me, but I am getting this on my own David is too, but it's being agreed with by prophets and people all over the world that we're going into the new, but it will have something to do with the old and we've been looking at that the first century of church for a long time, like there are keys there. You know we'd start house churches and we would do all these things, but it just really hasn't quite yielded the fruit culturally as we would hope. You got something, david. Nope that.
Speaker 2:And so I believe that, as we understand this realm, I don't believe Jesus just did things to do it or just to wow the apostles. I don't think he did that. I believe everything he did was to teach a lesson, even to say, consider the lilies. You know, I don't think it was just off the cuff. You know, I don't think it was just off the cuff. He had three years to create, to take 12 people to multiply. That could change, that would change the world.
Speaker 1:You think every word that he said would not be wasted.
Speaker 2:Well, he said I only do. He said I only see. I only do what the father tells me to do or say right, had to make him count.
Speaker 2:Well, he only did what the Father said. I believe the Father. Well, he desired to have fellowship with us. That he had in the beginning, that is his desire, was his desire through Olam. So I believe everything Jesus taught was, to that effect, right. So there was practical washing feet. The greatest example I'll ever do in John 13 is I'm going to wash your feet, so that's servant's heart.
Speaker 2:But I believe all of that leads to getting rid of self, all of the stuff that is the world system, that is part of the fall, all of these things that will allow us to access this realm that the early apostles had, that changed the world. So at the Mount of Transfiguration, he demonstrated it. He demonstrated it Walking through a wall, he demonstrated it. He demonstrated both of those realms at the same time. That's what I wanted to point out. That's why those scriptures, this demonstrated through so many scriptures Like I said, I've got 30 pages that I could print it out that we could talk about.
Speaker 2:But those scriptures show that these two realms, I'd like to say, collided or overlapped at the same time, because the apostles were there, they're watching it and they even described it as if, like they were asleep. He walks through the wall. It appears to be a ghost and there's Peter, and then Peter participates in it for a moment. We actually know now that the atom, the building block of all of the material world, that 90% of it is invisible To the naked eye To the naked eye Through our best imaging technology. We call it gray matter, we call it that and I just but so why? If 90 of the material world or a better way to put it might be if everything I spend my whole day waking up, trying to gratify, take care of, do all these things, is only 10% of it, then I may be missing something.
Speaker 1:That's a good, now, that is a that. Right there, that nugget. If we spend all of our time, what did you say? If we do everything and sell our soul, then we're gonna be to gain the world as though it's nothing and laying our treasures up in heaven.
Speaker 2:you know we are going to heaven, so I am not trying to establish any new doctrine.
Speaker 2:No, yeah, no, I think what I'm opening up is there was a broader understanding to the I believe what I'm learning, I should say and a broader understanding of that whole word, the heavenly places, you know. And when Jesus said on earth as it is in heaven, he knew, he had that reality. He knew that reality and he was asking the father, can it be here, John 17,. The glory that I had in you, you know in them. And so I believe that the early apostles and of course, through Christ, in us, the same thing can be true walked in that kind of, and that's where the church grew and multiplied, that's where the fear of the Lord came upon culture. You know, as they healed, as they went about in boldness, they were unafraid to die. They knew this, they had experienced it and they taught it.
Speaker 2:We know that from Acts 2.42. They met with the apostles' doctrine breaking bread and fellowship. That apostles' doctrine means they didats where we get didactic from they, actually hands-on training. So they met the early church. The Apostles took what they had learned from Jesus and hands-on trained the rest of the church, and on and on and on until somehow it became, I believe, just just head knowledge. It became a head knowledge. But Romans 8 talks of life in the spirit. Right, right, the law of the spirit, life ruled by the spirit, not the flesh. That beautiful chapter of Romans. 8, right, and it comes in, and it speaks of creation waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Reveal. You know, for the sons of God. It's extraordinary how he uses the same language as the sons of God. You know, as the men of renown, and I don't want to get too far out, but I believe that is where we're headed. I believe that is where we're headed.
Speaker 1:Do you have any insight as to when, culturally specifically the church that we began to get dull in our being able to function with the reality of two worlds at the same time? Where did it switch? What switched it?
Speaker 2:Well, there would be attacks on it. The enemy would attack it from the very beginning. So, even with the apostles, you know, 40, 30, 40, 50, 60 years later, 40, 30, 40, 50, 60 years later, with the Gnostics, to that, they estimate there were like four to 500,000 Christian churches. So in that world, and that's three centuries, that's a bit, but still, you know, of course, it had become such. You know it had become the truth. It was the truth. That was happening through the early church really is why Constantine did what he did.
Speaker 2:So I think that David, and then centuries and centuries, until we have that we dulled is a good way to put it. It really is. That we dulled is a good way to put it, it really is. And so I think for me and it's a personal thing, but but as I carry a burden for this and anybody that cares to, to uh, to journey with me on this, what I'm seeing is that I want to understand that more. You know, because I see it in my son. He has survived insurmountable and he's healing and he's happy, severe, self-injurious, non-verbal autism. He's never been able to hold a conversation other than typing. He's had his struggles, believe me, but he has found a place of peace and absolute joy, which is how this came about. I was like what were you doing right there? I've never seen such peace and joy on a human being. And he said I was in the old way, dad, and that's what a few years ago.
Speaker 2:He was in the zone, so to speak. He was in the old way. His disability, god, through grace, or through maybe it's a limitation in our own brains that have been put on us through culture you know Right.
Speaker 1:I know James said that the poor in this world have been made rich in faith. What would be reviewed by some people as being a disability actually opens them up to being sensitive to things that are what you're talking about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it has to be access. You know all the super new when you look at the supernatural, the spirit realm coming into this realm, which has been there all through the Bible, when you look at it, it's accessed by faith. You know, by faith and obedience. God designed it that way. I mean he'll just do it, but it's usually, don't you think? Wouldn't that be safe to say?
Speaker 1:I would say it would be safe to say, would that be?
Speaker 2:still to know that's right where he's Moses, right that is so work with me on this one, trey.
Speaker 1:Okay. So For hypothetical purposes, say that I gain, I'm able to function. Olam is the reality to me, the practical application of that. How does that affect the world? I live in man, yeah.
Speaker 2:I, you know it starts, I like to think you've heard it starts with one person. Right, it starts with one person? Uh, it affects me is like I said, is I actually look, I could and I, and it helps me to get in a natural place. But now, if, if, if, the cares of the world are crushing in on me and I'm anxious if the cares of the world are crushing in on me, I'll just bring it down to a personal level, because that's where we all operate from.
Speaker 2:And Paul says be anxious for nothing, but through prayer and petition, with gratitude, make your request known to God. And the peace that's what I'm looking for, that old line, the peace of God that transcends all understanding, so it transcends knowledge. Okay, then, what this has done for me, david that's a good question is now I'm unafraid now to sit and actually concentrate on my breathing and say Jesus, father's you, okay, every breath, right in him, I live and breathe and have my being right yeah so now I can stop and I'll concentrate on my breathing, I'll concentrate on the fact that I am.
Speaker 2:he has me, me right there, but that's a start and what I find and this is just over the past months and up to a year or so and I start being less anxious.
Speaker 1:That by itself is a practical application.
Speaker 2:Well, it's a huge one, because I believe we all deal with that. The second, though, I want to say corporately that I believe what we're talking about here at the early church, corporately, that we would learn to walk in this. I believe, as we understand it, I believe the Father will pour it out as we understand it, as we ask for it, as we pray into this, as we, he wants the knowledge of the glory of God to cover the earth, and this is part of it. And so I believe, corporately, as we, as we come into a new understanding, I believe, teach, and I believe this has to do. I believe that Olam and everything, the peace of God that passes all understanding, it has to do with, with the rest and Shalom, you know, the practical application, that place of total surrender, belief in faith, but this place of rest, and then we could go down a long rabbit trail there.
Speaker 1:Another day, another time, right? I do have this, though, hypothetically speaking, again, right. What if, let's just say, you had five minutes and you kind of knew that it was it Five minutes to say something. Okay, what would be one of the key things that you'd want to see?
Speaker 2:For me, this walk with the Lord, it's by faith. But the apostles? It had become so real to them. St Augustine said something along the lines and some people won't like it and some people don't like St Augustine, but he said it in Confessions of God. And I still did every sin and lived a life in the world right.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I'm paraphrasing I had faith in God and I did it, but now I know God.
Speaker 1:But now I know God, but now I know God.
Speaker 2:Yes, and 1 John says something similar. In 1 John about sin, you know, and being free from sin. Right In 1 John 4, which is about knowing God. So to be free from sin, which is the encumbrance you know, free from the sin that encumbers us, you know, and run this race in Hebrews 12. Sin is everything that's self-originated and self-empowered, other than God-empowered, and it's preoccupation with self-consciousness For me. In about three minutes here, I have become very aware now I've become more aware of my breath, of talking to you right here, David. I want to not think of anything else but you and I being here right now.
Speaker 1:This podcast.
Speaker 2:I want to be completely here. I want to be completely present. I want to be completely present, which means I'm in the completely in the presence, okay, which is really where we need to live, and I believe, and when that happens, then extraordinary things start happening, because we'll be, we're in the presence of the creator of the universe, we're in the press. Jesus is the presence which is and don't ask me how it works but is Olam.
Speaker 1:But go ahead, not that you're going to get there, that we're going to. When we die, we'll finally be able to get to heaven. Paul says we are seated.
Speaker 2:He didn't say we will be seated. Currently speaking. My Western mindset wanted to put it there and I think it was limited to go any further. In a way, I believe you asked about dulling. I think that there was probably motivation by much of the church to control people through real know, through real doctrine, through real truths, but making that making heaven and hell, you know, and even today and again we want to have a lot of grace on those people. But at the same time I have to speak my truth as I'm experiencing it and be willing to put up with whatever, may you know, what may come, any persecution that may come from that. But you know, my truth is I have seen it, then I have experienced it. And as I learn, as I learn, how to find peace here and now is really, you know, requires me to be present, completely present. And as I learned that, then what I realized? I understand what Augustine was saying, I understand what John was saying To know, to know, to know. God, you know 1.
Speaker 2:John's full of to know and love, to know and love God, and both of them come from being present.
Speaker 1:To know God and make him known.
Speaker 2:And make him known, and I believe we will, because Jesus said now go out into all the world and make disciples. Teach them this, teach them this.
Speaker 2:That's rich, and so you know, maybe that's rich, and so you know, maybe, and so I believe that this, I believe the reformation will, will somehow is going. This new way forward is going to incorporate these old, incorporate these old truths, and I believe teachers right now are even out there listening. Here you are, you are having this type of stuff being revealed to you absolutely in a brand new way, absolutely, and so I just want to encourage you all to test everything. Go to the father, though, as he starts revealing these truths, he's doing it because he, he, is ready for us to go forward yeah, all right, brother, my brother, my brother, my brother, from another mother.
Speaker 1:We got the same father yeah, that's good thank you.
Speaker 1:thank you for the reason I'm saying thank you, primary reason I'm saying thank you is there's something about speaking things out loud, yeah, that shifts things, that brings things, that causes things to be imparted, and that there's an impartation that's taking place as a result of some of the things that you're sharing. And I'd like to take a moment as a result of some of the things that you're sharing, and I'd like to take a moment and just ask you to kind of wrap things up in a point of just speaking, blessing on us and praying, please, and I want to thank you, david, for honoring me to make this available.
Speaker 2:I always look forward to our time together because I feel like I can just cut loose and you know I don't need three points in out and we can kind of just talk about what the Lord is showing us and what we're seeing and building relationship. You know we're talking about relational before functional. So I just want to bless everybody listening functional. So I just I just want to bless everybody listening. I want to bless you, david, uh that we would uh that the father first, that everything we're talking about that, that we will have full understanding of it, that we will experientially know it, that he will start showing it and and making it clear, uh, that we would start asking, that we would start asking him to make that Ephesians 3.10 promise.
Speaker 2:That is our purpose, the mystery through the age of the purpose that we would show the heavenlies and the powers and principalities in the heavenlies. It doesn't work from them down to us. It works from the Father to us and then to them impacting. So if we're impacting the heavenlies, then we learn, because this is a spiritual world over a natural world. When we're doing that, then this whole world changes. So I just want to encourage everyone here to become a world changer by changing their own hearts, by being present with the Lord, and then we are world changers and then, corporately, we, we will change the world. That's the word. I think so.
Speaker 1:That's the word, that's the word we love you, those of you listening, we, we love we, we, we care, man, we, we care about what's taking place let David know what you think about this, so he can tell me you got it, man, what Tracy just said.
Speaker 1:Please feel free, man, to drop us a line at lifearoundthefire at gmailcom. Lifearoundthefire, it's all one word. All run on lifearoundthefire at gmailcom. Life Around the Fire is all one word. All run on lifearoundthefire at gmailcom. Or you can just type in lifearoundthefire and visit us on the web. We would love to hear from you and in the meantime, god bless you. Adios amigos.