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Life Around "The Fire"
Life Around "The Fire"
Breaking Free from the Dead Religious Spirit: Embracing Authentic Faith in God's Kingdom
Have you ever felt trapped in the confines of empty traditions, longing for a more authentic experience of faith? Join me as I share my personal journey from religious routine to genuine spiritual expression, inspired by the powerful teachings of the Gospel of Luke. Our latest episode explores the tension between religion and the Kingdom of God, where I candidly discuss my struggle to create content that remains true to my spiritual convictions. We'll explore how building meaningful relationships with God and each other can transform our lives, as opposed to relying solely on conventional church structures.
This episode also shines a spotlight on the demonstration of God's Kingdom, emphasizing the importance of balancing teachings with living out those principles in real life. We reflect on how early Christian focus has shifted and advocate for a revival rooted in love and power, rather than outdated legalistic practices. As we journey together, you'll hear my heartfelt declaration of blessings, inviting all listeners to engage in a dialogue that fosters growth and understanding. Whether you're a lifelong believer or new to exploring faith, this episode promises a refreshing perspective on living out the promises of the covenant with genuine passion.
Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved!
Feel free to check out our website 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.
You know, folks, I'm going to be straight up with you on something today. I've started and stopped doing this podcast, this episode right here, three times today, and each time I started I got a few minutes into talking and I just was like I can't say that, I don't want to say that this is just words, right. So I started again and it was just words. Third time, words again and I got it. It's like you know what we have made a commitment here and for those of you who are new, this is something that we have made a commitment a long time ago to this point right here, and that's this we are going to keep things as real as possible. We're not going to just do a podcast for the sake of doing it or we're not just going to try to do church. I've done so much church stuff. I'm done doing church. I have no interest in doing one more church service or church program, because most of it most of it not all of it, but most of it in the end is just a whole lot of human effort. Just call it what it is it is works, it's religion. You know, the Scripture says that the banner God's banner over us is love. It's not. His banner over me is try harder, do a little bit more, get another program, see if something happens. Throw it against the wall, maybe it'll stick. Ah no. But even when we, even when I have made a commitment to keep things real, man, keep things real I find myself getting into that rut again of doing it because we did it that way yesterday, or it worked that way yesterday, it's got to work that way again today. I've discovered a long time ago that the formula to this whole thing is there is no formula. We're talking about the kingdom of God, not the church program of God, not the church program of God. We're talking about the kingdom of God, within which we have those of us who have been called out of the realm of darkness into the glorious light and kingdom of the Son of His love, jesus Christ, empowered by none other than Holy Spirit, infused with the life of God, supernaturally born again into His kingdom. Citizens and children of God, Citizens of the kingdom and children of God. A new species, literally a new breed, hallelujah. Why in the world would we try to go back to Egypt, so to speak, trying to go back to the old religious way of doing things, trying to go back to the old religious way of doing things.
Speaker 1:If there's something I could say that's worth anything today, it's this Get ready, get ready, man, because God is doing something in a brand new way, never been done before. He's revealing himself in a significant way. He's setting the record straight. It's God showing himself to be God across the nations and things that have just been done in his name that had been programs and religious, and some of them not all all of them been nasty and bad. A lot of them have been sexual abuse and scandals and money and all that. Come on, man. Well, that's been coming down right and left and it's still. I would not want to be involved in that stuff right now if I were you, and I'm so glad I'm not. Not want to be involved in that stuff right now if I were you, and I'm so glad I'm not.
Speaker 1:But also programs, big-time programs, big religion is coming down because God's not worried about what it looks like. It's not too big to fail for God. Some people say, well, that's too big, we can't let that fail. It's too big, huh huh. What happened to the reputation? God's not worried. His reputation is just fine. It's about us learning how to walk as citizens of his kingdom and to co-operate with him.
Speaker 1:That's that, that, that, that that right Relationship, relationship with him, relationship with one another In a meaningful, real way, to function in the power of his kingdom, but in the wonder of his love, in the wonder of his love, to have a loving, passionate relationship with him and to have that with each other. Well, I can actually like you, we can actually worship God and like each other. What's up with that? We can bury the hatchet. Fortunately for a lot of us, there ain't no more hatchet. It's been beat down right. The sword's been beaten into plowshares, thank God, and you know, once again this has caught my attention, man, this is not something that's just happening in my mind, in my heart, in my own private Idaho.
Speaker 1:I'm not the only person thinking this way. There's a whole movement going on of people who are not just I'm not talking about malcontent. I'm not talking about people that are, you know, just wanting to find something wrong for the sake of finding something wrong and talk about it. I'm talking about those of us who've been doing stuff, and good stuff, but it hasn't been God's stuff. But I'm hungry for that. I'm hungry for that, and so that's why I'm expressing things like this on this podcast today.
Speaker 1:I mean, it started as a result of me looking at the gospel of Luke, chapter 22. I'm going to read some of it, man, because it just it got a hold of me and you know, I read from a variety of different translations. I have a lot, many, many, many translations, and I'm going to get many, many more, because I really love to see the various shades of how things are expressed, kind of like a diamond, and I study the original languages so that I can get a grasp of what it was originally, as close to original as possible, how it was presented. The scriptures, because they're so powerful, man, they are so powerful. That's why I've devoted my life to being a scholar, a student, a person who's devoted to the scriptures, and so, yeah, some are transliterations, some are paraphrased, some are, you know, a little antiquated, but sometimes and some I read from different languages German, latin because there are different nuances and a little key can open up a big door and sometimes one word can just make all the difference. So I'm reading out of the new King James translation right now, and Luke, chapter 22,. This is what got me all worked up.
Speaker 1:Luke writes now the feast of unleavened Bread drew near. So Unleavened Bread was a Jewish holiday that was celebrated annually, celebrating the time in which the Israelites were released from Egypt as slaves. They were slaves, they were released and God brought them into, eventually, the Promised Land, and so they celebrated the Passover, where the angel of death passed over and secured for them their pathway, their passage, their pathway, secured for them their pathway, their passage, their pathway Into being redeemed Out of slavery. And so who says now, now the feast of the loving bread drew near, which is called Passover Right. And the chief priest inscribes Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover Right.
Speaker 1:And the chief priests and scribes this is what this really got to me. Man, the chief priests, the chief priests and scribes we're not talking about, again, just a ragtag group of people that were hoodlums. We're talking about people that were seriously religious. Man, some of the elite, highbrow, goober, smoochers, Chief priests, and the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him. So they feared the people. So these people. It got to me. You know what got to me. This actually happened.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we're so familiar, sometimes I'm so familiar with these stories that it becomes almost like a fairy tale. And I kind of put myself in this spot like I'm observing, I'm the fly on the wall watching this happen and I'm like these guys were serious. They're actually, they're plotting murder, but they were afraid of the crowd because they were these people, the chief priests, the scribes, that religious group. They really wanted people to look at them and they were like, favorably, they didn't want to be looked at in a wrong light. Religions like that, it's all about exterior. What's it look like? What's the program? How's that going to look? How's it going to appeal to the people? Forget about God. You know, we're worried about people and what got to me was this religion. Religion always wants to get rid of Jesus. Religion always wants to get rid of Jesus. In this instance, they wanted to murder him, kill him, and they were plotting, meaning they're going to do it, but they had to figure out how they can do it, so it's not going to look bad. Figure out how they can do it, so it's not going to look bad.
Speaker 1:So then Satan, satan, satan entered Judas. How does that work? How does that work? Satan entered Judas, the spirit being Satan, the once high-ranking cherub, satan, whether he was a cherub or seraphim, he was high-ranking angel. How did he enter into this guy? But he did. He entered into Judas.
Speaker 1:Then Satan entered Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve, meaning he was one of Jesus' guys, one of the twelve apostles. Isn't that wild? It just it. So astounds me how people can get. And also, how in the world did Judas allow Satan to enter? So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests. After Satan entered him, so he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him to them, and they were glad Well, this actually happened.
Speaker 1:And they were glad to find somebody who can help them kill, somebody who could kill God, the Son of God, the Messiah. Now, this wasn't a surprise to Jesus, but nonetheless, nonetheless, but nonetheless, nonetheless. This was something that was actually taking place. Let me stop right there and say this what we're experiencing right now on planet Earth is actually taking place Just like that was taking place then. That was something, then that was Something's going on right now. Something is going on right now. That's a demonstration of God's kingdom. The unfolding plans and purposes of God are doing just that very thing, unfolding right now in front of our very eyes, and we're part of it. We are alive, part of it. It's not a story book, it's not a fairy tale. This is actually going on. This is actually happening. What we're living out right now and what we're living in is actually going on. Just like that really took place.
Speaker 1:And they were glad and agreed to give him money, of course, what else? So he promised and sought opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude. So there, there, okay, we're going to do it so that the folks won't see. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed, and he sent Peter and John saying go and prepare the Passover for us that we made. Then came the day.
Speaker 1:That's what I wanted to, really, that's what just got me. This whole thing got to me. Getting to me because the reality of what's going on, it's apprehended me. It's not something that's going to be happening, it's happening. It's not something that's on the way. We're in it right now. We're in a bona fide demonstration of God, a reforming of things. None of us have ever been down this road before.
Speaker 1:And so a word to the wise be very careful what you allow to come out of your mouth, the words that you allow to come out loud out of your mouth. Monitor the content and quality of what comes out of your mouth, because what comes out of your mouth, because what comes out of our mouths, is going to manifest In a magnified way. We are living in a time where things are actually being ratcheted up. They're not the same as they were 10 years ago. We're living in a different day and a different hour. We're getting closer to the culmination of things and, as that takes place, there's going to be more and more of a demonstration of God's presence, but also tumultuous things taking place on planet Earth. Darkness is going to get darker and the light is going to be brighter, and the light is going to push back the darkness, because the darkness can't comprehend the light. Is going to be brighter and the light is going to push back the darkness, because the darkness can't comprehend the light. The light is not overcome by darkness, it's the other way around, and the spirit realm is going to manifest itself on planet Earth, both good and evil. But I'm emphasizing, we're emphasizing the kingdom of God. Woo, the kingdom of God. If you don't know, it's amazing.
Speaker 1:That was central to the teachings and demonstration of Jesus, the kingdom of God, and it was to the early church. For most of the first century into the second century it was the kingdom of God, and then it seemed to kind of get caught up in discussion on doctrine. And then things got into having councils and putting together creeds all of which can be good Debate and argument and who's right became something that overshadowed the demonstration of the kingdom. See, we need both the word and the works to be really functioning in a healthy way. The Word of God and the works of God. It's not one or the other, it's both. But several years ago, once again an emphasis began moving more and more to the forefront concerning the kingdom of God.
Speaker 1:The marhut as it's called in Hebrew, or the basile as it's called in Greek Kingdom. It's kingdom, kingdom of God. Basile, as it's called in Greek kingdom, it's kingdom, kingdom of God. It's the realm, it's the rule, it's the reign. It's already and it's not yet. It's here, but there's more to come.
Speaker 1:But what's here right now is far more than what we have been expressing. I'm not talking about words being expressed. I'm talking about a demonstration of the spirit and power. Woo. First step is by saying I'm poor, wretched, naked and blind, I, I don't know, I don't I, I, I know, had knowledge far too much and I have lived out far too little. I'm talking about me, but that's changing. That's changing, that thing is changing and, as a result, there's actually now authority that's coming on the scene, and that's the authority of God. That's what people marvel at.
Speaker 1:When they heard Jesus teach, they said man, he's talking with authority. He's not talking like the dead speeches that the Pharisees and other Sadducees people give, that are lawyers, are just droning, on and on and on, and dead. He's alive, he's Dead, he's alive, he's got authority, he's got power. Even the spirits are subject to him, demonic spirits Leaving, shrieking out, crying. What do we have to do with you? Are you here to torment us? Are you here to punish us ahead of time? Jesus said be quiet, get out. And he did. That's what we're called to do. That's what we're called to demonstrate Great, excellent teaching, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Solid doctrine. Amen, yes, bring it on, but the works, the works, the works, the works. The demonstration of the kingdom, demonstration of god's spirit and his power and propelled by his love. Come on, we don't need a reviving of legalism, a Charlie checkup system. Is your doctrine straight?
Speaker 1:I firmly believe we need to keep our eyes open for false teachers, but at the same point in time, we need to allow each other to grow, to develop, to make some mistakes. Each other to grow, to develop, to make some mistakes. Love, a revival of love, a reformation of love, the power of God, the love of God, his love, be done. Right, thy kingdom come, thy love be done. But yeah, it's real, this is real. That's what got to me when I was reading this. I'm like this is actually.
Speaker 1:This is an actual account of the setup to what they thought was murder Jesus. But he set the record straight by saying nobody takes my life. I give it. I'm laying my life down as a ransom for many. Praise God, he sealed the covenant in his blood. That really took place. That's really taking place. The effect of his covenant is really taking place.
Speaker 1:The promises found in his covenant are really taking place right now. We really can live them out. There's more to come, but what's available right now is so much more than what we've been living out, At least me. But that's changing Because I'm done doing church. I'm done being intimidated by people who want me to do things because there's a new program or in order for me to be accepted, I need to do things their way, whatever. No, I am accepted. Now I'm going to be very devoted and committed to seeing people equipped to do the work of the ministry man to beautify myself as his bride, to make myself beautiful, to make myself perfect, holy, ready, made herself ready. So yeah, this is real, man, and it's gonna get more real. It actually is. What we've been talking about is going to be coming, is here and it's going to continue to increase.
Speaker 1:Let's not try to revive the old stuff because that's what we're accustomed to, or because we haven't waited long enough. We say, well, we waited 10 minutes and nothing's happening. Let's get back to doing the old program again. And it's taking them a little bit longer to do. I don't feel no power. I don't feel the Holy Spirit filling me. We waited a half hour. I don't feel no power. I don't feel the Holy Spirit filling me. We waited a half hour. Right, you know what I'm saying, man, Remember when you were first in love with someone that you loved, time was of no, just time.
Speaker 1:That's first love, living. We can wait on him until we are infused with power and then demonstrate his kingdom Words and works. Let's pray, father, I love you, I, father, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, jesus, I love you. You sought me out, you taught me how to love Holy Spirit, you found me and now you're teaching me how to walk like Jesus. I love you. I ask that you infuse us with your power that we would radiate with glory. Be a city on a hill. That just can't be here.
Speaker 1:I thank you, I thank you, I thank you. I know you're going to do it. I know you're doing it and you're going to do it more and more and more. Thank you. We stand here, I stand here, right here, as Jesus in his name, and say so be it, bring it on. Amen, amen, 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 liferonthefire, at gmailcom, or type in liferonthefire and look us up on the web. We would love to hear from you In the meantime. God bless you. Adios amigos.