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Life Around "The Fire"
Life Around "The Fire"
Words Change Everything
What comes out of your mouth when life hits you hardest?
We all have those moments—busted knuckles on an engine block, an unexpected shock, or devastating news—when our words reveal what's truly inside us. This raw, authentic episode explores the power of our speech during painful transitions by examining the most profound transition in history: Jesus on the cross.
Beginning with a disarmingly honest story about cursing after a repair-gone-wrong, we journey through the process of spiritual transformation that happens in every believer's life. Those moments when our words surprise even ourselves reveal the ongoing sanctification process as God patiently works to purify us from the inside out. Like knuckles against a hot engine, life's challenges expose what's truly within us.
The focal point becomes the seven statements Jesus made while experiencing the ultimate painful transition—crucifixion. From "Father, forgive them" to "It is finished," each utterance reveals a supernatural response to injustice, pain, and abandonment. These weren't just poetic last words; they were demonstrations of the creative power our speech carries, even in our darkest moments. Modern science confirms what Scripture has always taught—our words can literally alter our physical reality down to the DNA level.
Whether you're going through a personal crucible or simply want to harness the transformative power of faith-filled speech, this episode offers practical insight from history's defining moment. Join us as we begin a seven-part journey through Jesus' final words and discover how they can revolutionize your response to life's painful transitions.
Connect with us at lifearoundthefire@gmail.com to share your story or ask questions about walking through your own challenging seasons with grace-filled words.
Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved!
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.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.
this, uh, this, this is a true story. This is about 45 years ago, when I was 21 and, uh, I had just been really turned on to jesus. I mean, I was infused with the power of Holy Spirit. I had a ton of things that I wanted to do and I felt that God was just really giving me the strength and the power to do them and I was really walking on top of things, man. I had a good understanding of what was going on in my life and had an idea of where God was taking me and a relationship with him that was alive. And so one day, I was working on my car, my water pump went out. So, to make a long story short, I was working on it and I was having a problem with it, and it came to a point where I turned on this one bolt and my wrench gave way and I busted my knuckles on the engine and out of my mouth came not just a scream but words that I can't even begin to tell you where they came from. But it turned the air blue. I was cursing, cussing, I was doing everything under the sun, loud, and right behind me was my mom.
Speaker 1:I was living, I was, I was out of the house by then and I was living in a garage apartment in this, uh, small town hitting minnesota, and so she just stopped by. She wanted to bring some groceries sweet right, and she heard me turn the air blue or black, whatever, and I looked at her. She looked at me, and she just shook her head and smiled, didn't say a word, and walked up the stairs to drop off my groceries. Wow, man, and I felt like a penny waiting for change. I was like embarrassed, I felt I just wanted to hide. But, all that being said, there was something about that release that took place out of me that I realized that there was still something in me, there's still something somewhere inside of me that had stuff that I didn't even know was there, and, funny thing, that's more than likely the case that all of us have, at least to some degree, because we are being purified. On one sense, we are pure completely because of the work that Jesus accomplished, but yet he is accomplishing something in our lives right now, leading us to the place where we are perfect and pure, called sanctification. And so this stuff that was in me, though, was there, right, as I said, but it also it fueled the words that I spoke and it's kind of leading to a point here, but I want to share one more brief story about something that took place a couple of years later.
Speaker 1:I was at school, going to a course for a person to become a certified automotive technician, and at a vocational college, and I was doing really good, and again my relationship with the Lord had grown, was growing, and I was vocal about it. But I really didn't go around, you know, trying to shove stuff down people's throats. But if anyone asked or if I felt like, you know, god was prompting me to say something, I'd say something. And some guys got underneath. They just got the idea to test me. I didn't know it, but they were going to test me. I didn't know it, but they were going to test me. So they took a cord, electrical cord, and attached it to my metal shop chair, and I didn't know it. And when I sat in my metal shop chair they plugged it in and when I went to touch my vice, which was a metal vice, a bolt of electricity came out of my face. I was being, I was shocked right, not lethal, but I was shocked.
Speaker 1:Funny thing, I didn't say a word other than I looked at them and I said man, guys, that was childish, why'd you have to go do that? And I walked around the corner and shook it off. That thing that was in me previously, uniquely had been dealt with because I was being purified a process in my life and I am so thankful that God is patient with us in our process of purification. He's much more patient than I would be, probably much more patient than you'd be. He is patient. He is long-suffering, long-obnostral, he's able to take a deep breath and keep it together because he knows that we are people that are going through a process and he loves us in it and through it.
Speaker 1:But the words that I spoke carried with them something different, and later one of the guys came up to me and said you know, I really want to apologize for that. That was rude. And he said you know, actually God's been kind of talking to me about some stuff and I want to apologize and I'm trying to get things to take care of in my own life. And I said, hey, man, I forgive you. And we went on from there. But there is this process that we're going through, but also there's something about what we say what fuels the words that come out of our mouth. And there are different times that are challenging times for us because they're transitional times in our life. And in the previous podcast episode I said that we were going to continue on looking at the life of Jesus and the transition that he went through. But we're going to really park on and stay parked on the cross and what Jesus said while he's on the cross, because that was a transitional point in his walk, in his life, in his experience, in living, that was a transitional transition.
Speaker 1:Whether we're scared, whether we're in pain or it's just, life's events become hard and, you know, our character development really comes into play and our walk in the spirit and all that it shows us how much we need to grow and become like Jesus. And true relationship with Jesus involves real interaction, real identification and real development. We've said it before but I'll say it again it's far from being some sterile religious ritual performed to either fulfill some family obligation or some status obligation or some type of genie in the lamp arrangement. Just in case something goes wrong, you rub the lamp and a genie comes out and they help, fire insurance, all that stuff. It's not antiquated or outdated, it's not just a set of moral platitudes. In fact, it is more intriguing than any fiction or science fiction novel could ever match. It's evolving and it's bottom line, it's real relationship. It also carries with it true help during life's ups and downs. Why? Because Jesus walked through them and provides for us a way to walk through them with him, as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit who has come to earth in his name. We have a helper. We're not alone in the process.
Speaker 1:As I said, in the last episode, we highlighted some of the transitions that Jesus faced, growing up and ultimately laying down his life, experiencing death, experiencing a resurrection, experiencing ascension to the highest high, the heavenly realm, where he's seated at the right hand of the Father right now and soon to return. Soon to return. If anyone can relate Jesus can relate to change and difficulties in all aspects of life, as well as some incredible successes. Not just difficulties, but successes. Jesus had some successes, man. Talk about raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, feeding thousands with loaves and fishes just a handful. So he knew successes, but also the fact that he knew difficulties, because really, whether we like it or not, we face difficulty, we face transitions and we're gonna be looking at, actually, the last words that Jesus spoke while he was nailed to the cross Right, while he was nailed to a device that was really a device of torture perfected by the Romans, and he was the only one who was crucified on a cross. There were thousands of people that were crucified. In fact, one of the emperors of Rome would use the sacrificed people as human torches that would line the streets leading up to his palace. It was a device of torture. Jesus experienced that and he spoke while he was on it. Get the point I spoke out when I racked my knuckles. I spoke when I got electrocuted. Jesus spoke while he was experiencing the transition that was extremely painful, so he can relate to you if you're going through a transition right now, regardless of the level of it. He can relate to transition and he knows what to say and he is our example. And Holy Spirit is here to lead us and guide us to become like him. Hallelujah, hallelujah. And we can learn from what he said on the cross.
Speaker 1:As we face different transitions within our own life that are challenging, man, that are real and challenging, I find help from Holy Spirit when I ask him and I'm not special. He has a loving heart to reach out and help you In the midst of what you're facing. He wants to help you. He loves to help you. He is here to help you if you ask Him. So my encouragement is to ask Holy Spirit to help you if you ask him. So my encouragement is to ask Holy Spirit to help you, perhaps help you know Jesus.
Speaker 1:You can't know him by yourself, on your own. It's impossible. You can't become a citizen of the kingdom because you're not one, because your dad was or your mom was, or your wife was or your husband was, your boyfriend was, your girlfriend was. It doesn't work that way. You have to be born into it. And we can't be born into it except we're drawn by Holy Spirit and we have to come, through Jesus, into the kingdom and meet our Heavenly Father, who loves us and is there with a towel and a watchcloth, not a whip and a club. So the Holy Spirit will help us become like Jesus, and Jesus teaches us how to handle things, let alone what he accomplished on the cross. Not just so that we can handle difficult situations in life, but he accomplished some things that are so amazing that it's known as really a transitional point in world history is the cross. In world history is the cross. Everything changed as a result of what took place on the cross and at the resurrection. We have a new covenant, a new way of life that's available to us and it is for mankind, whomsoever, whosoever would call upon his name be baptized, be saved, immersed in him, hallelujah, following him all the way, man.
Speaker 1:And so Jesus spoke while he was on the cross, spoke while he was on the cross. Now, the things that he said are absolutely amazing, because he had the freedom. He could have said anything. He got placed there because people lied about him and basically framed him into being falsely accused of a capital crime punishable by death, and he didn't say a word to defend himself, because that cross was actually part of the plan. Amazing Jesus was the lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world even came into being. He said yes, and here we are now. Yes, and we can learn not just from him yes, yes, yes, yes but what he provided, so that we can actually walk in that, because he provided something so magnificent. It's better than having someone come up to you and say you, by the way, are the sole benefactor of an inheritance of two billion dollars and you just found out. You'd be like that's a life changer, of course. Billion dollars, and you just found out, that's a life changer, of course. What Jesus provided is greater than that. His blood is more potent than that Amazing.
Speaker 1:So there were seven things that Jesus said while he was on the cross. First thing he said was Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Now I've tried to say that like I was hanging on the cross. Now I've tried to say that like I was hanging on the cross and imitating the voice of Jesus, and I have yet to be able to do that. I'm going to continue to try. I'm asking the Holy Spirit to do it, because there's something about how someone says something that carries with it as much, and sometimes even more, than just the words themselves spoken by someone else. But he said, father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. He also said today you'll be with me in paradise. Now he said, father, forgive them, for they don't know what they do. He said that, considering the Roman soldiers and the people around that were mocking him, I've been mocked and my initial response has never been up to this point in time, father, forgive them. I have been mocked while I've been tortured. I've been mocked just because of my nationality and my response was not, father, forgive them. Today you'll be with me in paradise.
Speaker 1:He said that to a thief that was nailed to the cross next to him. A thief was going to die as a thief because he was a thief. And he looks at Jesus and says remember me. A thief was going to die as a thief because he was a thief and he looks at Jesus and says remember me. And Jesus said today you'll be with me in paradise Because he believed in Jesus. He put his faith in Jesus and Jesus said that's what I'm talking about, that's what I'm doing, and because you did that, you're not going to die and go into some sort of world of the dead in Hades, where there is death and destruction on an ongoing level. He also said woman ongoing level. He also said woman, behold your son. And he was talking to his mother and the Apostle John. And he said to the Apostle John behold your mother.
Speaker 1:Fourth thing he said was my God. My God, why have you forsaken me? Because he was experiencing the effect of separation from his father First time ever and the effect of sin being heaped upon him. Your sin, my sin, the sin of all the world, the sin that ever had been committed, the sin that was being committed and the sin that would be committed by everyone, was being heaped upon him and he was paying the price for that. Why have you forsaken me? And he said I thirst. Sixth thing he said is it is finished. And seventh thing he said is Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit. And then he died.
Speaker 1:Those were the seven things that he spoke while he was on the cross, a transition point in his life, the transition of transitions facing death by means of torture, bearing in his body the sins of all the earth, anything that could ever be committed, the most heinous of them. He was taking and burying them, taking them into his flesh, receiving them into his flesh, receiving a penalty of them into his flesh. I can't imagine what that would feel like. And for that man to have a heart of love. It's been said that he died as a result of a broken heart, a heart so full of compassion. He felt the disease of sin and death and it tore him apart. It wasn't the cross that killed him. He nailed sin to the cross. No one could have peeled him off the cross. He had to go to the cross to fulfill what we couldn't fulfill, so we could have what he has everlasting relationship with our heavenly father, with him, with holy spirit, with god and with one another, in his kingdom, his rule, his reign, his realm. The good news is the kingdom. We are citizens of the kingdom. When we believe in him, we are cleansed from our sins.
Speaker 1:The effect and weight of our sins. Have you ever felt forgiven? Really, really, really forgiven. You know the feeling and weight of our sins. Have you ever felt forgiven, really, really, really forgiven. You know the feeling, how light you feel when you realize that you are forgiven, that you don't have to pay for what you did. You don't have to somehow. Well, I know I'm forgiven, but I better pay you something you can't. That's not where it's at, better pay you something you can't. That's not where it's at. And so we're going to take those words and we're going to unpack them, one statement at a time. So the following seven episodes we're going to be focused in on the cross. What Jesus accomplished on the cross and how it pertains to us Amazing.
Speaker 1:Our words carry power, our thoughts carry power. Our thoughts carry power. We, by virtue of what we think. We create a sense of well-being or discomfort as a result of our thoughts. You ever see someone who's really angry. It's kind of awkward to be around Because you feel their vibe. Or if there's love, happiness, you don't even have to say it, you just think it. But words, words, words Add Power To our thoughts. Think it, but words, words add power to our thoughts because they are creative forces. Studies have shown that words can affect our DNA to this day. That's powerful. We stop and think about it.
Speaker 1:Jesus modeled it when he spoke to the blind man, touched his eyes, cleansed lepers, spoke words when he spoke to the DNA of people and it responded because he had faith in his father and he was obedient to speak the words of his father, because his words were life, not just good poetry or interesting philosophy. Life, the very essence of life found in words. The power of life and death is in the tongue. Scripture says Out of the abundance of the heart is in the tongue. Scripture says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Scripture says wow, man, we have the opportunity to draw from the resources that Jesus provided for us when he spoke on the cross, that transition, if you're going through a transition, man, or even if you're just walking with the Lord and you want to grow. This is relevant because we all speak words and we can learn how to manage our words and to use the resources available to us that God has provided Faith, hope and love.
Speaker 1:The grace of these being above Hallelujah, let's pray. Father, I thank you for who you are, what you're doing, for why you're doing it. You have a plan and it's unfolding and I so honor that and I'm glad to be a part of it. I'm glad to be alive. Thank you for showing us what you're showing us and, holy Spirit, I ask that you would grow us up, before we grow old, into the very likeness of Jesus. I look to you, I honor you, jesus, we exalt your name, we lift your name high, worshiping you as our Lord, our Savior, our God.
Speaker 1:Thank you for setting an example for Savior our God. Thank you for setting an example for us. Holy Spirit, thank you for teaching us how to function and walk like him in his footsteps. We need you and we stand here in Jesus' name, thanking you for accomplishing what we can't do on our own, to us and through us. Amen, amen, amen, amen. All right folks, I love you. If you have any thoughts, questions, 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 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.