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Life Around "The Fire"
Life Around "The Fire"
Walking in The Spirit
What happens when an LSD-using, rock-and-roll lifestyle collides with a genuine encounter with Jesus Christ? This raw, powerful testimony traces one man's journey from religious duty to spiritual reality, revealing the transformative power of walking in the Spirit.
Born during the baby boomer generation and spiritually reborn during the Jesus movement at age 13, the speaker candidly shares his wandering years through drugs and darkness. His turning point arrives at age 21 during the charismatic renewal—a dramatic shift from going through religious motions to experiencing genuine spiritual empowerment.
The revelation that changed everything? "There's a difference between just reading the Bible and having the Author read it with you." This perspective transformed Scripture from a dead religious text into a living message, beginning a forty-year journey of continual spiritual discovery. Drawing from Galatians 5-6, the teaching explores the stark contrast between works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit, offering practical insight on maintaining spiritual vitality without burning out.
Walking in the Spirit isn't mystical or unattainable—it's practical cooperation with God's presence that produces supernatural results. The balanced rhythm of work, rest, worship, and play creates sustainable spiritual growth that avoids the common pitfalls of weariness and disillusionment. As we persevere in this Spirit-led journey, we participate in God's ultimate purpose: His kingdom covering the earth "as the waters cover the sea."
Ready to move beyond religious obligation into authentic spiritual living? Connect with us at lifearoundthefire@gmail.com or visit our website to continue the conversation and discover resources for your spiritual journey.
Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved!
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Shalom to you and your home.
I was born in 1959, and I was raised on a small farm outside of a small town by the name of Hibbing, minnesota, and I was the fifth child with four sisters all older than me in front of me, and so I was the baby of the family, and I was born during what's now known as the baby boomer generation those people born between 1946 and 1964. And so I am a baby boomer by birth. However, in 1972, I was born again. I had an experience with Jesus at the age of 13 that transformed my life. Holy Spirit introduced me to him in a very powerful way and my life was changed as a result of him imparting to me his life and taking from me my sins and forgiving me, cleansing me and showing me that he took them, the penalty of them. He took them to the cross, and at the age of 13, I felt the weight of sin. Up to that point in time, I really hadn't thought about it too much, but when I met Jesus, the epitome of love and holiness, the contrast between me and him was so stark. Even at the age of 13, I recognized that I was a sinner, but he showed me that he took that and brought it to the cross, the penalty of it, and instead of me having death as my future, he gave me his life, not just for that moment, but for eternity, his eternal life, and so I was born again at the tail end of what's known as the Jesus movement. Now, interestingly enough, at the age of 21, I came into a very committed, deep commitment, my life, deeply, completely committed to Jesus and filled, baptized into his spirit and filled with his spirit, empowered at the age of 21. I have experienced some things that are part of different sociological turning points the charismatic renewal that was sweeping the nations, and I was one of those who had been swept up in it, and so that was very significant.
Speaker 1:But the time between the age of 13 and 21, I had experienced kind of a wandering around, and even though I was born again, I really didn't have any. There was no really follow-up to that in my life, because even though I was a church-going young person, it was mainly just religious, just duty, just going through the motions. Religious, just duty, just going through the motions. So Christianity, the Bible, jesus, it lost some of its allure and also the influences of other people got to me and I just began wandering around. And in my wandering around I stumbled onto drugs, sex and rock and roll and I became one of those people. That was my lifestyle and I thought that's the way I was going to be until I die. That's the way I was going to be until I die, except that's when God intervened and stopped me in my tracks at the age of 21, like I said.
Speaker 1:But in part of my wanderings I said I had gotten involved in that whole drugs, sex, rock and roll thing. And involved in that whole drugs, sex, rock and roll thing. Well, the drugs part of it introduced me to LSD and a variety of others, but LSD was probably my drug of choice because it was what I considered to be mind-expanding. Many people had told me about some of the negative experiences they had with it and they sounded terrible, but I hadn't had that. I had had what I consider to be very good experiences, come to find out that it was a portal into the dark realm, is a portal into the dark realm, psychedelics from a KI, and the end result is very negative. But, like most, any things that are sinfully enticing, they're enticing and if they weren't enticing, we probably wouldn't buy into them if we saw the end result.
Speaker 1:So, anyway, the psychedelics were very intriguing to me and, as a result of my spiritual sojourning with the use of psychedelics, when I encountered Jesus at the age of 21 and the power of his spirit, there was some language that was being used and it was a whole different thing. It wasn't just religion Christianity was far from a religion. It was relationship and being empowered and citizens of the kingdom of God and just doing the stuff, man, not just reading about it, watching Things from the past and singing about them, but Living it out, doing. What we were watching and reading and I heard about this one phrase really got to me. It was called walking in the spirit, man. I heard that and I'm like I want that Walking in the Spirit Come to find out. It meant walking in cooperation with Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Even better, even greater, even greater, even greater.
Speaker 1:So I was hungry and I looked around at some of the people that I was hanging out with. I saw this one guy that was a little bit older than me and a real cool guy and he really seemed like he knew what he was talking about and so I walked up to him and I said, hey, I got a question. He goes yeah, what man? I said this, walking in the spirit. He goes yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I said what? How do you do that stuff? How do you walk in the spirit? He goes oh, let me show you. And I thought, come on, bring it on. And so he grabs this. He had this book and it was the Bible and he handed it to me. He goes it's all right here. And my heart just sunk. I was just like, ah, the Bible.
Speaker 1:It's like the book that was on the bottom of my list, if even on the list of books to read, because I associate it with religion, dead religion, read because I associated with religion, dead religion and a dead book, old dead book, dead, meaning it didn't have any relevance to me at all, it was just words on a page. And he goes you know, there's a difference between you just reading this and you and God reading it together, having the author read it with you. And that was like a eureka moment Having the author read the book with me, because the author can bring it to life. So you just ask him, just ask God to go through this with you. And so I asked him well, where do I start, and it just starts at the beginning. And so I did, and I have been involved in that journey since, because the author has been reading this book to me for now the past what? 40, 50 years? And it's still full of things that are new revelations to me.
Speaker 1:Amazing how alive these 66 books are that make up the book, which that's what Bible means. The book Make up the book. And so, without apology, we around here are people of the book, I'm a man of the book and so, without apology, we around here are people of the book, I'm a man of the book, I live by the book because I walk with God's help, by his word, because his word is true and so. So this walking in the spirit is going to be something that we're going to focus in on for a while, together with the life of Jesus and his work on the cross, what he accomplished, the efficacy of what took place on the cross, his blood, his covenant, his resurrection, his ascension, the centrality of Jesus, but also, in that, our walking in the Spirit, because it's relevant, it's very germane to how we go about living our life in relationship with God and with one another. And so, from the Bible I'm going to be reading from a book in the New Testament, the book of Galatians.
Speaker 1:The book of Galatians, galatians, chapter 5, verse 16, verse 16, through chapter 6, verse 10. And I'm going to make a couple points of commentary as I'm reading, but primarily I'm just going to read straight from the scriptures and then make a few comments at the end and then we'll pray. But from Galatians, chapter 5, verse 16, paul the author, the apostle Paul, writes to the church in Galatia. And now Holy Spirit, speaking to us, says so. I say Holy Spirit speaking to us, says so. I say live by the Spirit, or walk by the Spirit, or walk in the Spirit. Walk in the spirit. Live by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature, for the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit, what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature, and now he's going to list them. The acts of the sinful nature, and now he's going to list them, the acts of that nature that so gripped us prior to knowing Jesus and still tries to attach itself to us or distract us from our relationship with Jesus and cause us to feed into it.
Speaker 1:Because the acts of the sinful nature are obvious Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery. Which debauchery is? Doing things in excess, like having a glass of wine no, having like 25 glasses of wine. Excess Idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy. Fits of rage interesting fits of rage, interesting fits of rage. You ever see someone who can get a fit of rage? It's amazing. It'd be a real, seemingly gentle person, but if you cross them and you see that fit of rage, it looks good, kill man, and sometimes it's a tongue could kill. And by the kill man. And sometimes, if the tongue could kill and, by the way it does, if looks could kill, you'd be dead. Fits of rage, selfish ambition that's a thing. Dissensions meaning creating conflict in people's lives, where relationships are affected and they are disrupted, and factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.
Speaker 1:I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God, but the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, the outgrowth of walking in cooperation with the Spirit that's living in you, you being the temple, me being the temple, we being the temple of Holy Spirit, of God's Spirit, of God, the Spirit living in us. The fruit, the outgrowth of him living in us and us cooperating with him, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passion and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Woo-hoo, there we are now. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and ending each other. Right, right, come on. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus, not on competition with one another, but on cooperation with one another, and our eyes on Jesus walking in the Spirit. It's almost so mystical man Walking in the Spirit, almost like walking on water. Walking in the Spirit, almost like walking on water. Walking in the Spirit.
Speaker 1:Paul goes on to say he goes. Brothers, if someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Right, if we find someone who is struggling with an issue, and those of us who are brothers, sisters in Christ, friends, colleagues in the Lord, we should restore one another, restore that person in gentleness gently, because we already know that we've done wrong. I can beat myself up more than anyone else can when I've done wrong, and when I'm restored gently, it leaves a greater impression on my life than if someone browbeats me and treats me harshly, telling me what I should do and shouldn't do, as some sort of superior. But watch yourself, or you may also be tempted. Carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself without comparing himself to somebody else, for each should carry his own load.
Speaker 1:Anyone who receives instructions in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Meaning if you have good teachers, pastors, prophetic people, apostolic individuals, even evangelists, people with the evangel the good news and we got money, man, it's our privilege and our responsibility to support that person financially and also to support them with our prayers, with our encouragement to support, because when you're out in the front lines, sometimes I mean it looks different than what it really is. I mean it looks different than what it really is. Sometimes it can be pretty hard and it can take a toll on a person. So those who are teaching really can use encouragement.
Speaker 1:Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up One more time. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Speaker 1:Walking in the spirit, walking with the spirit, life in the spirit. What an amazing way of living. It is more than just good conversation. It's an actual reality meant for us to take and to apply to our life and in so doing, begin to participate in a demonstration of God's kingdom and power advancing on planet Earth. Praise God, his kingdom come, his purposes, his plans be done, and his plan is for the expansion of his kingdom on planet Earth to the point that his kingdom covers this Earth as the waters cover the sea. His kingdom covers this earth as the waters cover the sea. God has called us to colonize planet earth with his kingdom and has given us the power to do so. His very spirit, the same spirit and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in us.
Speaker 1:But sometimes we get weary for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we get weary because we try to do it on our own again, and God lets us. Sometimes we get weary because we get involved and we don't take time to rest. There is a rhythm to life and it goes like this Work, rest, worship and play. We need all four of those Work, rest, worship and play.
Speaker 1:If we have too much work, we burn out. If we have too much rest, we burn out. If we have too much rest, nothing gets done. If we have too much play, we really don't see world issues in a real way. And if we have too much worship, sometimes we lose touch with things that we need to understand concerning the already and the not yet the world that we live in. Personally, I think it's really hard to have too much worship going on in one's life the worship of God but I believe you know what I mean where other things aren't attended to.
Speaker 1:So there are reasons for us getting weary, but there's a mandate for us not to let that continue on, because we are responsible for our own lives. Yes, god being with us carries us if we walk with him according to his ways. And sometimes that pendulum you know, I mean work, rest, worship, play. In a perfect world, we'd be doing that perfectly all the time. But we all know that the pendulum in life swings and sometimes we swing over in one direction and we need to come back to the center.
Speaker 1:And so we're going to be taking some time and looking at this whole aspect of us walking in the spirit, being empowered, but also having an awareness that that empowerment can at times become so exhilarating that we burn out. And there are many, many, many examples of that Many, many, many examples of that when people have started out strong and have burned out in the end. I want to finish strong, I want us to finish strong, and God has given us a way for that to take place. So we don't need to become weary or we don't need to lose heart, because weariness cause us to lose heart and to give up, kind of like is this ever going to really take place? Is this ever really going to happen? Is what we've heard said concerning what God is going to do, is that ever really going to happen? And the answer is yes, in its proper time, god's proper time. And God's proper time and God's proper time.
Speaker 1:As we all know, his ways are not our ways. They are higher than ours. His words, his ways, but they do take place. But they do take place and he is faithful to bring about what he said. And he has said that he is going to cause the knowledge of his presence and the reality of his kingdom to cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. And it is true and amen, and we get to be part of that.
Speaker 1:Let's pray, father, thank you for once again, who you are and what you're doing and how you're doing it, and that you called us. You called me God, you called me into participating in this and you called us around the nations. You called us to do it with you and to. It's gotta be you, and so kingdom come and purpose of God be done in the earth as it is in heaven. Holy is your name, god, we honor you, we believe you. And concerning your name, god, we honor you, we believe you. And concerning your ways, we say amen. And we stand here in the name of Jesus and we say amen again, 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 lifearoundthefire, at gmailcom, or you can type in lifearoundthefire and look us up on the web. We would love to hear from you In the meantime. God bless you. Adios amigos.