Life Around "The Fire"
This podcast is dedicated to those wanting to experience a living and real relationship with God as well as growing together in love for one another. We consider that to be a true sign of spiritual growth as we journey along The Way. If this is you then come along with us as we co-operate with God in what He is doing around the corner and around the world!
Life Around "The Fire"
The Holy Spirit's Power, Relationship with Jesus, The Kingdom of God
We open 1 Samuel and trace the scarlet thread of Scripture to a revealing portrait of Saul—a leader anointed by the Spirit, admired by people, and yet undone by fear of man and a restless heart. From the mountain-top moment of prophesying with the prophets to the valley of hiding among the baggage, we explore how a surge of spiritual power differs from the steady work of intimacy with God.
Together we unpack why anointing is functional—given to serve and to meet the needs of others—while relationship is covenantal, forming character that can carry weight. Samuel lays out order and obedience as the rails for blessing, a framework that protects hearts when the spotlight fades. We revisit Saul’s rally against the Ammonites, a stunning victory fueled by the Spirit’s power and righteous anger, and then face the sobering truth that public wins cannot heal private fractures. God still touches the hungry through imperfect vessels, but He cares deeply about who we are becoming when no one is watching.
This conversation leans into practical, heart-level questions: What happens when the power lifts? Where do we go when insecurity speaks louder than calling? How do we move from self-help to surrender, from hype to holiness? We point back to the atmosphere of God’s kingdom—righteousness, peace, and joy—and to a simple, costly path of obedience that invites lasting transformation. If you’re tired of chasing moments and ready to build a life with God that endures, this one will meet you where you are and call you deeper.
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Shalom to you and your home.
For those of you that have been following the past few episodes, you know that we've been studying the book of 1 Samuel and finding some very relevant things in that book that pertain to our lives today, because once again the scriptures are God breathed. Yes, men were used to pen the words down, but they were being moved along as they were doing it by the Holy Spirit, and their words contain life. Actually, they are the Word of God. And we have at hand, in our hands, a collection of books that we call the Bible that all have a scarlet thread, meaning there's a there's a thread of blood, there's a bloodline all the way through the Bible. It's very consistent, made up of 66 books, many of from different authors, spanning a period of hundreds and thousands of years, and yet telling the same story, and the story is a true story, and it focuses in on the Messiah, that there will be a Messiah that will come and deliver us from evil. And in the old covenant, in the old testament, the people of that era were looking forward to Christ. They were looking at things that they didn't know yet, they didn't know who, they didn't know when, but they were hoping for a deliverer. And sometimes God would give a picture of what that deliverance would look like by using someone else, someone like Samuel. Samuel was used by God to portray some of God's character, some of his nature, because Samuel had a close relationship. There's a word right there, man. If you get anything from any of these teachings, the word relationship, not religion, not our effort of doing things, but our relationship in life with God and with one another. Samuel had a relationship with God. And God had initiated that, like he does in all relationships. We're not the ones who are inclined to go looking for God, because we have a nature that we're born with that is in opposition to God. We're prone toward things that are unhealthy, unfortunately. But thank God Jesus came. And the Old Testament saints were looking forward to his coming. Now we're looking forward to his second coming. He has come, so we're looking back on, we who are alive now, can look back on some of these things and see his footprints marching all the way throughout the Bible. But also we can see that when he came, he came at the perfect time. Jesus came at the perfect time. But we're looking at another character right now in this whole long bloodline and seed battle, a battle against seed, seed of unrighteousness and the seed of God. Where there is this tension in seeing evil overcome by the kingdom of God, by his rule and his reign, his righteousness, his joy, his peace. Amazing. Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit make up the fragrance, if you will, of the kingdom of God, what it feels like. What the atmosphere is like in God's kingdom. And we get to participate in that kingdom now for those of us who place our faith, our confidence, our trust in the works of Jesus accomplished on the cross. What he provided for on that cross is relationship with God that is right. We actually can have a relationship with God, not just religion, not just a works that doesn't always work, but a relationship that is deeper than any other relationship because it's based upon a covenant. Which mine becomes God's, which God's becomes mine. His life is given to me in covenant. And so we we find in this particular portion of the scriptures somewhat of a it's it's it's it's at times difficult, difficult for me anyway, difficult for me to read because I know the difference between having the anointing of God on me and it not being on me, but I have the benefit of God dwelling within me, whereas individuals such as Saul, King Saul, did not have the same relationship with God that we do. And we can see the struggle, and if you don't have a relationship with God, you'll be able to identify with these feelings that Saul had, and perhaps this can serve as a wake up from a bit of slumber that you've been kind of caught in, and you can wake up and say, I don't I don't I don't have to live that way. Jesus has provided for me the way, the truth, the life, and by experiencing relationship with him and forgiveness, release from the burden of my sins, so I can have a right, a right, a real right relationship with my Father, God the Father, God, not some smart guy or kind woman, but God, God Almighty, creator of the universe, creator of the universe. And you look around just on planet Earth, and all that's here in the fullness of it, and that it belongs to the Lord. Amazing. But for those of you who've been with us for a while and looking at 1 Samuel, you'll remember that we in chapter 10 notice that Samuel the prophet gave Saul a very clear prophetic word concerning things that were going to be taking place in his life over the course of the next couple of days. Things that hadn't happened yet, but Samuel said, This is how it's gonna be, this is how it's gonna look, this is what it's gonna look like. And he told him some very specific things, and those specific things unfolded just like Samuel said, and at one point in time, Samuel said, The Spirit of the Lord is gonna come upon you, and he's gonna turn you into a different man. That anointing, that uponness of the Spirit of God, was reserved for certain situations and certain individuals. And Saul was going to be a recipient of that because he had been anointed with the oil of God for the purpose of being a king over Israel, and he was going to experience what it would feel like to be under the power of the Holy Spirit. Up to this point in time, and he's probably approaching the age of 30, if not right at 30 years old. Because that was a time of real male release into different aspects of their life where they reached their full potential. It was at the age of 30. And so Saul was a right, he he was he was the tallest man that people knew. He was like a shoulders and head above everyone else. So he he was taller than everyone else, and he looked the part, he looked, looked, looked the part of a king. But what people didn't know is that there was something inside of him that was going to grow and develop into a very significant problem because it was not being dealt with. There were opportunities for it to be dealt with, but Saul chose not to do it the way the Lord had prescribed, and he chose to do it his own way because Saul, in the depths of his heart, in the depths of his life, was an insecure man. He was insecure, he had fear, he had this severe case of the fear of man. He was afraid of the opinions that other people had. And if you're a leader, you best be prepared for the opinions of other people. As many as there are different types of people, there are going to be different types of opinions. And some of them are going to be encouraging, and some are going to be not encouraging, man. They're going to be coming in the form of attacks, even against you. And sometimes by people that you felt like you really knew well. But all of those things are designed to bring about an opportunity for us to grow beyond those things inside that are problems of the sinful nature. And insecurity is part of the sinful nature because it's focused in on self. Poor me. And so we find in chapter ten this wonderful experience is recorded where in verse ten of chapter ten, scripture says, When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him. The Spirit of God came upon him, meaning Saul. The Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, What is this that's happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul among the prophets? A man who lived there answered, And who is their father? So it became a saying, Is Saul among the prophets? After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place. Now the power of the Spirit came upon him. Something that he had not experienced before happened. And if you ever had the power of the Holy Spirit come upon you, it's the most unique feeling of being empowered, of being infused with a life that is outside of your own. It's the life of God. And you can see things and you say things as clear as oracles that come from the mouth of God. A prophecy is just absolutely speaking, thus says the Lord. And this group of prophets were traveling around the country, blessing communities with prophetic ministry. I love it. And Saul was a recipient of that. And you know, when you're under the power of the anointing, it feels like it's always going to last like that. It's always going to be like that. It's always going to last. It's always going to last. The anointing's always going to be on me. Thank you, God, I'm chosen. But the fact of the matter is, the anointing is not a relational thing. It's a functional thing. It's meant for the service of ministry. But relationship is meant for the purpose of intimacy. And when we have relationship with God, when the Spirit of God is not upon us in power, we still have relationship with Him that's intimate. And that's what grows. And that's what deals with the character flaws within us. It's God who's at work within us. Not we ourselves trying to improve ourselves. That's self-help. And that is not very effective. Granted, it's better than self-destruction, but self-help can't put Hump D together again. We can't find ourselves entering into a relationship with God just because we're trying to improve ourselves. Again, it's self-help. Insecurity feeds on self-help, but it's an endless cycle. But with God in us, who's at working within us, he works within us as we cooperate with him to overcome these things. Much like a priest. And Saul had a taste of it. He had a major time, a power encounter, if you will. Holy Spirit came upon him. Epi is a Greek term for upon. Three aspects of the Holy Spirit are para meaning coming alongside of, and meaning in and epi. Pero and epi there are three Greek words that describe the function of Holy Spirit in our lives. He comes upon us, he dwells around us, and he lives within us. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ. Key point. Well, Saul experienced the anointing. He experienced the very life power of God. And undoubtedly it not only blew his mind, shifted his paradigm, caused his worldview to change, but also it affected him inwardly. It was an experience. But it wasn't the same as being born again. He was not a born-again man. He still had this issue inside of him, this nature that would fight against the things of God. And we see that taking place in his life in chapter 10. Verse, let me see. Yeah. Verse 20. Well sorry, 21. Then he, Samuel, brought forward the tribe of Benjamin. You see, Samuel had the tribes coming in front of him because he was going to point out to everyone who the king was. And so he had the various tribes come across the procession. There were twelve tribes, and so all twelve tribes came, and then the tribe of Benjamin came. And then Samuel said to them, clan by clan. And Maitri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul, there we go, finally Saul of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not found. He was not to be found. So they inquired further of the Lord. Has the man come here yet? And the Lord said, Yes, he is hidden among the baggage. So they ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others. This is the same man that previously had been under the power of the Holy Spirit, and now that which is say it that wore off. That wore off, and now Saul is left with feeling just like Saul again. And Saul did not feel at all equipped to be a king. He knew there were things inside of him, just like we know. There are things inside of us that are hindering things in our lives. You just know it. He doesn't know it. Nobody really has to come out and tell you. You just kind of get an idea of that after a while. If there is, if there's if there's something impeding your progress spiritually, it's a thing pertaining to your old nature, undoubtedly. And Saul came face to face with Saul again, and he was full of insecurities, so much so that he, at the time of his inauguration, his public recognition as king, one of them, he was hiding amongst a bunch of baggage where the donkeys hang out. He didn't want to be he didn't he didn't want he was scared, man. He was afraid of what he wasn't able to accomplish. The anointing, the empowerment is wonderful, but we can't live our lives waiting for the empowerment and reverting back to our old way of doing things once that wears off. Because the empowerment, the anointing of God for a certain situation eventually wears off. And sometimes we get accustomed to being under that anointing for an extended period of time, and when it wears off, we could think something's wrong. Like in the case of Saul, I'm sure he thought something was wrong. What's wrong? What's wrong? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with me, man? I I don't believe I can't be a king. I have all this stuff I know. I have all these things about me that I know. And yet, God was going to give him more opportunities to enter into something that would bring about a change, and that was relationship with God. He didn't have that. And so the anointing is not a replacement for relationship. Relationship is greater than the anointing we walk in. Because relationship is the very basis for us having our name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The fact that the Lord knows us and wants to know us deeper, looks to know us completely, and for us to know him completely, to be one as he is one. And so Saul had this wonderful experience of being anointed, then he had that come down experience of meeting Saul again, meeting himself. And so they get Saul out from the place behind the bags, and then Samuel explains the relationship that the king is to have with the people, and the people to the king, and the relationship with God. He wants that to be clear. This is what will go well with you if your right relationship with God is being pursued. If you're in pursuit of that, that was what the Lord was looking for. For that to take place so that he could begin to prepare them for more. And if this is a little caveat, if things aren't happening in your midst, meaning you're not seeing the power of God's kingdom, two things. Number one, it could be that it's just a waiting time. Or secondly, things aren't in right order, and God can't release things more because it wouldn't be beneficial. If you had a million people in your fellowship, but you have a toxic thing going on, or things are out of place, not necessarily even toxic, they're out of order. They have to come in order before things can be blessed. So Samuel gives the people a very clear understanding as to what their responsibilities were and what the king's responsibilities were regarding relationship with God and with themselves. But if you don't, God's hand is going to be against you, just like it was against those who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, because of their internal attitude, their murmuring and their unbelief. Unbelief was there, and it just you know was evident in what in how they lived. Unfortunately, God couldn't bless that. That had to be purged out. That's why things in our life need to be purged out in order for God to bring about a greater blessing. But the good news is he wants to, and if we simply submit ourselves over to him, he will. He will, he's faithful, he will. That's the good news. Your life can be empowered today, right now, inwardly, because of the relationship, and then you can experience the anointing of God which comes upon that, which turns things into a much greater demonstration of the kingdom because it's the power of God, not just the power of our good works. Good works have power. Saul was doing good things, he was a good farmer, but he wasn't a very good king because he didn't allow God to deal with the insecurities in his life. There's another passage in which there was these individuals that came and they had been oppressed by one of their neighbors, the Ammonites. And the Ammonites were always after these individuals in Jabbeth Gilead. And one day these people called out to their fellow Jews to come and help. There we go again. The spirit of God came upon him in power, meaning it hadn't been with him the entire time between events, but here we are. And he burned with anger. It was a type of anger that was a righteous anger, and he cut up a couple of oxen and distributed them all throughout Israel and said, if we don't do something about this, this is the way it's gonna be for us all throughout Israel. They're coming, they're gonna slaughter us. We've got to do something about this. And 330,000 men were rallied in a short period of time, within seven days, they were rallied. 300,000 men were rallied to come and fight against the Ammonites, and they did, and they won. And Saul was confirmed as a king because he was a great military leader under the anointing. But when the anointing had run its course, and Saul was lifted, excuse me, Saul was left with just being Saul again. He disobeyed a direct order. And we're going to pick that up in the next episode concerning the issue of obedience as it pertains to leadership, but just because you are anointed doesn't mean you have good character. The Lord is more interested in having people of good character than having more people who demonstrate their anointing and draw great crowds, but really nothing much other than a show takes place. Yes, lives are touched, and that's why the anointing comes. Because lives, even though the motives behind the scenes aren't all that good often, because there are sincere lives that are hungry, lives that get touched, and the anointing of God is effective in doing that. But God wants character. Because relationship with God, He wants us holy, because He is holy. Let's not rely on the anointing. Let's cherish it, of course. But really to rely upon Jesus as our example and to lean on Him. And as we do, we lean on the Father, our Heavenly Father, and He supplies our needs as we lean on Him. Hallelujah. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for who you are, God. Really, and how you're doing things, why you're doing them, where you're doing them, how you're doing them. Thank you for using us. For more than anything. Father, we worship you. And look for deeper relationship. Relationship. To know your ways, to know you. So it brings you joy and what causes you sorrow. To laugh with those who laugh and weep with those who weep, but to have that first be with you. So we honor you by presenting our whole selves to you as a living sacrifice. And invite you, Holy Spirit, to consume us. Burn away all the dross, skim it away. And cause us to be pure in heart so that we can see God. And we pray these things. We stand here and we believe for that to be true and declare it to be so. We say, in the name of Jesus, we stand here with the Amen and the Amen. Amen. Alright, folks. We love you. And if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at LifeRoundTheFire at gmail.com, or you can type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web. We would love to hear from you. In the meantime, God bless you. Adios, amigos.