WEBVTT 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:06.339 Welcome to the Kingdom Family Podcast, where 00:00:06.339 --> 00:00:09.640 we rediscover our identity as sons and daughters 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:13.019 of Yahweh and learn to live the life of the Kingdom. 00:00:13.699 --> 00:00:20.559 Let's jump in to today's episode. All right, 00:00:20.620 --> 00:00:25.559 we are back to our conversation on rethinking. 00:00:25.850 --> 00:00:28.649 the end times. This is something we began last 00:00:28.649 --> 00:00:30.969 week. We're going to continue it on this week 00:00:30.969 --> 00:00:34.950 and for the foreseeable future. If you're looking 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:38.590 for a different lens of how to see the end times 00:00:38.590 --> 00:00:45.049 and I would say a more hope -filled lens, continue 00:00:45.049 --> 00:00:48.909 listening. This has been fun for me. I'm jumping 00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:52.060 in kind of studying some of this. I have learned 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:55.520 there is a lot of information, a lot of different 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.920 rabbit holes that you can go down and for someone 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:02.520 like me that can be very dangerous. Because if 00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:04.640 you listen to my podcast you know that I can 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:08.659 sometimes get on rabbit holes. But that is what 00:01:08.659 --> 00:01:14.420 it is. I would encourage anyone to pray for, 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:17.540 pray that the Holy Spirit would adjust your lens. 00:01:17.980 --> 00:01:21.099 and allow you to see scripture and read scripture 00:01:21.099 --> 00:01:24.599 through Christ. That has been the biggest thing 00:01:24.599 --> 00:01:27.180 that has helped me with a lot of different things. 00:01:28.939 --> 00:01:31.159 Some would call it a deconstruction journey. 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.319 I look at it more as, I look at it more of a 00:01:35.319 --> 00:01:38.480 reconstruction journey, because I'm not just 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:41.439 tearing down to tear down. I'm allowing Holy 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:46.219 Spirit into the conversation. and allowing her 00:01:46.219 --> 00:01:49.099 to adjust the lens that I view things through. 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.840 When you do that, that changes a lot of things 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:58.540 and that's just my opinion. There's so much if 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:01.280 we would allow Holy Spirit to begin to teach 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:05.859 us. Kind of like how I tell teenagers, you have 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:09.939 to sit down with a word, which this is definitely 00:02:09.939 --> 00:02:13.740 a word. you have to sit down with a word with 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:16.020 the word. And the word has a name and his name 00:02:16.020 --> 00:02:18.479 is Yeshua. In the beginning was the word and 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:21.340 the word was with God and the word became flesh 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:23.479 and dwelt among us and all that. So the word 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:27.060 has a name. I know I can offend people when I 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:30.599 say this, but our Bible is not the word of God. 00:02:31.419 --> 00:02:34.460 It's definitely a word. It's one of the greatest 00:02:34.460 --> 00:02:38.439 books that if not the greatest book that we have 00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:41.199 I've looked at it as a love letter as an invitation 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:45.560 to know him deeper But it's not the Word of God 00:02:45.560 --> 00:02:49.599 the Word of God has a name and his name is Yeshua 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.360 I think that's important even if you consider 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:55.300 back to when the writers wrote this they didn't 00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:58.620 have scripture they were writing inspired by 00:02:58.620 --> 00:03:01.360 the Holy Spirit and quite frankly you can see 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:03.319 my Bookshelf behind me have a lot of different 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:05.759 books. I think the Holy Spirit still inspires 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:09.939 people to write today I've wrote two devotionals 00:03:09.939 --> 00:03:12.379 now. I'm writing on it working on an actual book 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:15.979 this time I've got another devotional that I'm 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:18.280 actually I'm trying to expand my 30 -day devotional 00:03:18.280 --> 00:03:20.539 to a 90 -day. That would be one of my next steps 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:24.180 And all of this that I feel has been inspired 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:26.979 by the Holy Spirit to do and I don't just write 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:30.060 to write In in those moments that I'm working 00:03:30.060 --> 00:03:34.960 on this these items I invite Holy Spirit into 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:40.240 the room And into what I'm writing so I can have 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.900 Holy Spirit in Trinity's perspective Do I get 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:47.120 it right all the time? No, none of us are going 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:49.689 to get it right all the time There's always going 00:03:49.689 --> 00:03:52.830 to be things that we see through our lens or 00:03:52.830 --> 00:03:55.229 how we were raised and this, that, and the other. 00:03:55.689 --> 00:04:01.030 And that's just part of it. It is what it is. 00:04:01.870 --> 00:04:05.050 Does that mean that we're bad people? No. I mean, 00:04:05.490 --> 00:04:06.870 I don't know why I'm going down this rabbit. 00:04:06.930 --> 00:04:10.430 See, already four minutes in and I'm on a rabbit 00:04:10.430 --> 00:04:14.439 hole. So here we are. Anyhow, enough of all that. 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:17.000 I'm just saying that I believe personally the 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:20.180 Holy Spirit still inspires people to write today. 00:04:21.180 --> 00:04:24.339 Even with this stuff right here, the notes that 00:04:24.339 --> 00:04:29.540 I use, I use a lot of AI to help and then I go 00:04:29.540 --> 00:04:32.300 and do my own studying and deep diving and pulling 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:35.399 out things of Scripture, looking at early Church 00:04:35.399 --> 00:04:37.740 Father quotes. There's actually a website that 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:40.480 I found that you can look at a verse and see 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:43.860 what an early Church Father has said about that 00:04:43.860 --> 00:04:47.160 verse to see if it's beneficial or not for what 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:54.680 you're working on. So it is what it is. I'm not 00:04:54.680 --> 00:04:56.660 one of those who just takes AI and runs with 00:04:56.660 --> 00:05:00.800 it. I think AI is a tool, just like Google or 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:04.339 internet or cell phones, technology, whatever. 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:11.279 I think all of that is a tool, but not to be 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:15.350 replaced. with Holy Spirit and with us doing 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:18.670 what we need to do as far as inviting Holy Spirit 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:21.670 into the conversation, into our prayer and our 00:05:21.670 --> 00:05:25.050 study time, because ultimately the Holy Spirit 00:05:25.050 --> 00:05:30.310 is still the greatest teacher of it all. That's 00:05:30.310 --> 00:05:33.170 something that was told to me a long time ago 00:05:33.170 --> 00:05:39.439 by evangelist, bishop. Pastor Lance Johnson was 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.160 at a church and he looked at me when I was at 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:44.680 the altar and he said Son, he said that the Holy 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:46.480 Spirit will be the greatest teacher that you'll 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.939 ever need. I did not know the journey that I 00:05:49.939 --> 00:05:53.740 was about to go on after those words but here 00:05:53.740 --> 00:05:58.120 we are and this is this is where we are so let 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.980 me get my notes pulled up. I'm probably going 00:06:00.980 --> 00:06:05.800 to start today where we ended off last week but 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:21.600 give me just a minute let me pull this up. So 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.100 we ended last week talking about the mustard 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:26.439 seed and what does that have to do with the end 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:30.660 times? Well if you look at the end times I think 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:34.040 it's important that we get an understanding of 00:06:34.089 --> 00:06:37.689 What Jesus was saying what he was doing what 00:06:37.689 --> 00:06:40.670 the people then would have taken this information 00:06:40.670 --> 00:06:48.230 as And so Jesus was explaining The concept the 00:06:48.230 --> 00:06:52.189 idea of what the kingdom was like and so he uses 00:06:52.189 --> 00:06:54.329 the metaphor we ended with this last week But 00:06:54.329 --> 00:06:57.589 I'll just hit on this briefly Jesus uses the 00:06:57.589 --> 00:07:01.449 metaphor that the kingdom is like a mustard seed 00:07:01.449 --> 00:07:04.949 and we read that in Matthew chapter 13 verses 00:07:04.949 --> 00:07:07.529 31 through 32. I'll pull that up here and read 00:07:07.529 --> 00:07:10.829 that just so we have the context to start this 00:07:10.829 --> 00:07:18.589 out. Matthew 13 verse 31 through 32 and again 00:07:18.589 --> 00:07:22.319 I'm reading out of the passion. Then Jesus taught 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.480 them another parable heaven's kingdom can be 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.160 compared to the tiny mustard seed that a man 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.819 takes and plants in his field Although the smallest 00:07:30.819 --> 00:07:33.399 of all the seeds it eventually grows into the 00:07:33.399 --> 00:07:35.800 greatest of garden plants becoming a tree for 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:38.160 birds to come and build their nest in its branches 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:47.550 so small beginning massive growth This It's important 00:07:47.550 --> 00:07:50.529 to understand farmers would not have just planted 00:07:50.529 --> 00:07:54.509 the mustard seed And the the reason for that 00:07:54.509 --> 00:07:58.250 is it was considered an invasive crop I think 00:07:58.250 --> 00:08:00.449 last week and I'll use the same example this 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:04.430 week if I was to do it where we are at I'm not 00:08:04.430 --> 00:08:07.769 part of the world I alluded to something like 00:08:07.769 --> 00:08:09.730 monkey grass. I don't know if you've ever planted 00:08:09.730 --> 00:08:11.990 monkey grass, but if you ever start planting 00:08:11.990 --> 00:08:15.500 it It will take over a section And that's some 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:18.079 of the hardest stuff to remove to be such a small 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:22.279 smaller plant. It is hard to remove at times 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:27.180 so this was the smallest thing that they commonly 00:08:27.180 --> 00:08:31.019 used as a proverb and Jesus is using yet again. 00:08:31.019 --> 00:08:35.139 He's using a common expression of that day to 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:38.440 help express what the kingdom was like. Okay, 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:43.029 so Again, we can't just read this and think of 00:08:43.029 --> 00:08:45.690 it in our terms today. We have to understand, 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:47.789 and this is important when you're reading scripture 00:08:47.789 --> 00:08:50.610 anytime, is to ask what would they have heard 00:08:50.610 --> 00:08:54.769 that as? A perfect example of this, and I'm not 00:08:54.769 --> 00:08:56.529 gonna go down this trail today, but I'm gonna 00:08:56.529 --> 00:09:00.330 say it enough to make you maybe go read and do 00:09:00.330 --> 00:09:02.909 some thinking on it or whatever. It's the concept 00:09:02.909 --> 00:09:06.909 of hell. We have this idea and notion of what 00:09:06.909 --> 00:09:09.490 hell is like because of what we have been taught. 00:09:09.950 --> 00:09:12.610 But if you go back and look at the original language, 00:09:13.169 --> 00:09:16.110 there were three different terms used for our 00:09:16.110 --> 00:09:19.490 English definition of hell. None of them mean 00:09:19.490 --> 00:09:21.950 eternal torment. So I'm going to leave that there. 00:09:21.990 --> 00:09:25.710 I'll come back to that maybe later on. But that's 00:09:25.710 --> 00:09:29.190 just another example of we have to think about 00:09:29.190 --> 00:09:32.009 what they would have understood this as. and 00:09:32.009 --> 00:09:34.950 not look at the stuff that Jesus is proclaiming 00:09:34.950 --> 00:09:38.090 is going to happen, that he's talking about 2000 00:09:38.090 --> 00:09:42.350 plus years away when Iran is in another conflict 00:09:42.350 --> 00:09:44.750 with the United States. That's how we judge it 00:09:44.750 --> 00:09:48.730 every time. Any time of 36 years, let's see, 00:09:48.809 --> 00:09:51.590 let's say 25 years, enough to know what was going 00:09:51.590 --> 00:09:55.350 on. Any time that there is something going on 00:09:55.350 --> 00:09:57.710 in the Middle East, we look at it as it's got 00:09:57.710 --> 00:10:01.490 to be close to the end. September 11th, 2001. 00:10:02.409 --> 00:10:04.710 If you are old enough to know what that day means, 00:10:04.870 --> 00:10:07.049 you probably, when I said the day, you probably 00:10:07.049 --> 00:10:10.110 remember exactly where you were when that day 00:10:10.110 --> 00:10:12.129 happened and when you found out the news of what 00:10:12.129 --> 00:10:14.789 happened. Same thing happened. This is the end. 00:10:15.169 --> 00:10:17.450 It's talking about, it's time for Christ to return 00:10:17.450 --> 00:10:19.590 and all this, that and the other. And this is 00:10:19.590 --> 00:10:23.149 my concern is that we look at the end of things 00:10:23.149 --> 00:10:28.870 to be this, how can I put this? We look at the, 00:10:29.070 --> 00:10:33.330 how dark it is to be an indication that the end 00:10:33.330 --> 00:10:38.049 is near as if we're saying that Jesus lost that 00:10:38.049 --> 00:10:41.070 somehow at the end of all this that darkness 00:10:41.070 --> 00:10:44.830 gets a greater say than what the kingdom of life 00:10:44.830 --> 00:10:48.250 gets and what the kingdom of light gets and here's 00:10:48.250 --> 00:10:52.389 the problem is light wins every single time if 00:10:52.389 --> 00:10:54.490 i was to cut i can't do it because there's an 00:10:54.490 --> 00:10:57.559 app on my phone to do all this, but I've got 00:10:57.559 --> 00:10:59.840 three lights on in here. If I was to turn them 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:04.000 all off, okay, and my screen go completely black, 00:11:04.899 --> 00:11:07.759 the moment I hit a switch and to tell them to 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:12.899 come back on, darkness ceases to exist. And here's 00:11:12.899 --> 00:11:16.759 the brilliant thing is that there's no argument 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:19.139 between light and darkness. The moment light 00:11:19.139 --> 00:11:22.960 shows up, darkness ceases to exist. There is 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:27.000 no battle. There is no fight. The problem is 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:29.240 Jesus has called us more than conquerors. He 00:11:29.240 --> 00:11:32.039 tells us in Colossians chapter 2 that he has 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:34.779 stripped the powers of the enemy away from him. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:39.340 So he has no power. He has been effectively defeated 00:11:39.340 --> 00:11:42.200 and yet we still believe that there's something 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:45.419 left undone. That this thing has to end in a 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:48.179 certain way. Has to end and us bullying each 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:50.539 other up and all this that and the other. to 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:52.539 say that, oh, it's time for me to get out of 00:11:52.539 --> 00:11:55.019 here because to heaven with me and to hell with 00:11:55.019 --> 00:11:58.019 everybody else. That's ultimately what I hear 00:11:58.019 --> 00:12:01.059 when we begin to talk like this. And the problem 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:04.799 is, Jesus actually did, I just happen to believe 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:08.840 it, Jesus actually did what he came here to do. 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:11.500 So when he stretched on the cross and said, it 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:16.570 is finished, to Telestah, he meant it. He knew 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:19.350 what he was sent here to do. He completed it. 00:12:19.509 --> 00:12:22.950 And now it's up to us. Go back to Romans 8. The 00:12:22.950 --> 00:12:25.570 earth is groaning and travailing for the manifestation 00:12:25.570 --> 00:12:28.230 of the sons and daughters of Yahweh. It's not 00:12:28.230 --> 00:12:30.269 groaning and travailing for the manifestation 00:12:30.269 --> 00:12:33.029 of the rapture. It's not groaning and travailing 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:37.549 for Christ to come back. No. creation is groaning 00:12:37.549 --> 00:12:40.590 and travailing awaiting for you and I to come 00:12:40.590 --> 00:12:44.129 to our senses to metanoia to step into who we 00:12:44.129 --> 00:12:48.429 actually are inside of Christ and begin to proclaim 00:12:48.429 --> 00:12:54.190 back to creation who she is. So All that because 00:12:54.190 --> 00:12:56.850 we're talking about the mustard seed. Jesus is 00:12:56.850 --> 00:13:00.210 explaining that the kingdom is like the mustard 00:13:00.210 --> 00:13:03.309 seed that almost begins invisibly small. Again, 00:13:03.509 --> 00:13:06.029 I told you this last week. Go Google an image 00:13:06.029 --> 00:13:09.370 of the mustard seed. Look at how small he's referencing 00:13:09.370 --> 00:13:12.720 that the kingdom is like this. And I think that's 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.899 just what they had a reference to back then. 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.440 I think Jesus today, because of science and technology, 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.159 that he could reference the kingdom as something 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.419 even smaller. Because the smaller you go, it 00:13:23.419 --> 00:13:27.279 looks so insignificant. But if we don't understand 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:31.679 how significant those small things are. Okay, 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:34.100 think about the stuff in your body that your 00:13:34.100 --> 00:13:37.220 human eye cannot see that we can see your blood 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:40.399 cells that we can see Atoms and molecules and 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:42.759 all this stuff under telescopes and if those 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:48.120 things cease to exist Where would we be I mean? 00:13:48.460 --> 00:13:51.519 It's kind of it when you begin to think about 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:55.700 this and think about how small those Excuse me 00:13:55.700 --> 00:14:01.129 how significant those small things are it begins 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:04.169 to really mess with you and it speaks volumes. 00:14:04.750 --> 00:14:07.590 So the kingdom is like those small little things 00:14:07.590 --> 00:14:10.870 that seem so insignificant, but give it some 00:14:10.870 --> 00:14:14.669 time, give it life and let it begin to expand 00:14:14.669 --> 00:14:17.190 beyond your wildest imaginations. And I'm seeing 00:14:17.190 --> 00:14:19.629 this in our kingdom family ministries with the 00:14:19.629 --> 00:14:21.210 teenagers that we have and the families that 00:14:21.210 --> 00:14:25.570 we have that encounter the love of Abba, that 00:14:25.570 --> 00:14:28.370 Papa encounters these young people when we have 00:14:28.370 --> 00:14:31.019 our services and such. that they are encountered 00:14:31.019 --> 00:14:36.440 by the love of papa it's and the thing is it 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:42.200 starts small it starts small but then it begins 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:47.960 to grow organically so again something that we 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:50.360 said last week is what the jews would have expected 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:53.679 the jews expected a political kingdom they expected 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:57.649 a military overthrow of rom a visible Revolution, 00:14:57.909 --> 00:15:00.669 a mighty military force, that's kind of what 00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:03.769 they were expecting. So when Jesus starts talking 00:15:03.769 --> 00:15:06.289 about the kingdom being a seed, they're going 00:15:06.289 --> 00:15:08.409 to have some questions and probably some issues 00:15:08.409 --> 00:15:13.389 with this. Mustard basically considered a weed, 00:15:13.470 --> 00:15:15.750 I think I mentioned that last week. But once 00:15:15.750 --> 00:15:18.230 mustard grew, it spread everywhere, it took over 00:15:18.230 --> 00:15:22.690 fields and it was hard to remove. So. When Jesus 00:15:22.690 --> 00:15:24.549 made the statement in the scripture that we read 00:15:24.549 --> 00:15:26.870 just a minute ago, that a man planted mustard 00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:29.090 in his field, the listeners would have probably 00:15:29.090 --> 00:15:32.429 thought, why would somebody plant that? That 00:15:32.429 --> 00:15:35.590 stuff, it takes over stuff, it takes over my 00:15:35.590 --> 00:15:40.409 field. Why would anybody intentionally plant 00:15:40.409 --> 00:15:43.809 this? And that's the point, why? Because the 00:15:43.809 --> 00:15:47.870 kingdom spreads uncontrollably. You cannot contain 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:51.980 the kingdom. The kingdom will get out one way 00:15:51.980 --> 00:15:56.740 or another. Like the mustard seed, the kingdom 00:15:56.740 --> 00:15:58.980 advances through transformation, through influence, 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.659 through multiplication, through life. It's never 00:16:01.659 --> 00:16:05.539 by force. And I'm not going to go too far down 00:16:05.539 --> 00:16:07.720 this rabbit hole, but I do want to make mention 00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:10.159 because I think the things that we have in Scripture 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:13.940 is important and it takes us time and stuff to 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:16.460 actually dig in and allow the Holy Spirit to 00:16:16.460 --> 00:16:20.129 speak to us and reveal those mysteries. That's 00:16:20.129 --> 00:16:22.190 why I like I believe it's proverbs it talks about 00:16:22.190 --> 00:16:25.509 that it's uh I have to go live but basically 00:16:25.509 --> 00:16:30.990 it's it's He loves to hide things for them For 00:16:30.990 --> 00:16:32.929 us to be able to search it out. It's essentially 00:16:32.929 --> 00:16:35.409 I'd have to go read it word for word, but it's 00:16:35.409 --> 00:16:40.870 it's a favorite one of mine That it's for kings 00:16:40.870 --> 00:16:43.830 to go and search out the mysteries so he had 00:16:43.830 --> 00:16:47.840 stuff intentionally So one of the things he says 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:51.799 in this verse is he says, it eventually grows 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:53.480 into the greatest of garden plants, becoming 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:56.179 a tree for birds to come and build their nest 00:16:56.179 --> 00:17:00.440 in its branches. This is actually, again, Old 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.759 Testament language, and I did not know this until 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:05.720 studying this out some, that in the Hebrew scriptures, 00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:09.119 great empires are described like trees where 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:13.319 birds or nations come to nest. So birds here, 00:17:13.740 --> 00:17:17.140 would have been equal to the nations or the Gentiles. 00:17:17.779 --> 00:17:21.220 So Jesus is hinting even with this statement 00:17:21.220 --> 00:17:23.259 that the kingdom of God will become something 00:17:23.259 --> 00:17:28.160 where all nations find refuge. And again, likely 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:30.079 would have been offensive to Jewish listeners 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:33.759 who expected the kingdom to exalt Israel over 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:38.200 the nations, not include them into this. But 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:40.539 Jesus is saying the kingdom grows into something 00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:43.950 where everyone belongs and that's important to 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:47.769 understand. So the kingdom works from the inside 00:17:47.769 --> 00:17:53.769 out. One more thing here as far as mustard, the 00:17:53.769 --> 00:17:56.190 mustard seed cannot be controlled once planted. 00:17:57.089 --> 00:17:59.730 So you think you control the king god's kingdom 00:17:59.730 --> 00:18:01.470 through the temple system but the kingdom is 00:18:01.470 --> 00:18:03.650 breaking out beyond your system and I believe 00:18:03.650 --> 00:18:06.210 we're seeing that even today that the kingdom 00:18:06.210 --> 00:18:10.650 is breaking out beyond systems. It'll spread 00:18:10.650 --> 00:18:13.109 to fishermen, to tax collectors, to Samaritans. 00:18:13.289 --> 00:18:16.430 This is offensive language in that day and time. 00:18:16.869 --> 00:18:19.170 To fishermen, tax collectors, Samaritans, Gentiles, 00:18:19.309 --> 00:18:23.430 and ultimately the entire world. And both Mustard 00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:26.049 and Leaven share a key trait. They work invisibly 00:18:26.049 --> 00:18:28.190 at first. You don't see the growth immediately, 00:18:28.509 --> 00:18:31.430 but eventually the growth becomes undeniable. 00:18:33.130 --> 00:18:34.809 And again, this reflects the nature of the kingdom. 00:18:34.829 --> 00:18:37.970 It begins within people and then it spreads through 00:18:37.970 --> 00:18:42.670 people. So and then we have Matthew 13 chapter 00:18:42.670 --> 00:18:45.170 chapter 13 verse 33. It says then he taught them 00:18:45.170 --> 00:18:49.109 another parable Heaven's kingdom can be compared 00:18:49.109 --> 00:18:52.490 to yeast that a woman takes and blends into three 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:55.549 measures of flour and then waits until all the 00:18:55.549 --> 00:19:00.009 dough rises And we'll read dr. Simmons footnote 00:19:00.009 --> 00:19:02.049 here It says these two parables about the tiny 00:19:02.049 --> 00:19:04.869 mustard seed and the yeast both teach of God's 00:19:04.869 --> 00:19:07.640 kingdom having a small beginning but growing 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:10.599 unto its influence permeates and prevails into 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:13.759 all the earth. The three measures of flour was 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:18.160 nearly 22 kilos, enough to feed 300 people. What 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:21.680 once looked unimpressive rises to impact and 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.799 feed many. The number three always points to 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.839 resurrection life. So again, we have small influence 00:19:28.839 --> 00:19:33.519 leading to the transformation of the whole. Mustard, 00:19:33.599 --> 00:19:35.960 if you think about it, it's external spread. 00:19:36.839 --> 00:19:40.180 Leaven is internal transformation. And we in 00:19:40.180 --> 00:19:42.920 our Bible study did a study on the leaven because 00:19:42.920 --> 00:19:46.160 Jesus warns us of the leaven of hair, the leaven. 00:19:46.509 --> 00:19:49.089 excuse me if I could speak today, the leaven 00:19:49.089 --> 00:19:51.029 of Herod, the leaven of Pharisees, and the leaven 00:19:51.029 --> 00:19:53.509 of the Sadducees. All three of those are important. 00:19:53.549 --> 00:19:56.170 I would encourage you to go and study what those 00:19:56.170 --> 00:19:59.930 are and why he warned us to beware of them, to 00:19:59.930 --> 00:20:03.509 be mindful of them, to be on guard against them. 00:20:04.630 --> 00:20:07.430 I think it's important if you go and read that 00:20:07.430 --> 00:20:09.970 and kind of study what are those, what do those 00:20:09.970 --> 00:20:13.029 leavens represent and then understand when he 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:17.160 calls the kingdom like leaven. That's important 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:19.980 because it's internal transformation. Leaven 00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:24.460 works by penetrating everything. Just a tiny 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:27.680 amount transforms the entire batch. This is talking 00:20:27.680 --> 00:20:32.259 about making bread. Again, most Jews expected 00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:34.559 the kingdom to come through political revolution. 00:20:34.660 --> 00:20:37.700 They wanted military force. That's what they 00:20:37.700 --> 00:20:40.220 wanted to do because they wanted to overthrow 00:20:40.220 --> 00:20:42.900 Rome. That was their whole intention. I'm 20 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:46.720 minutes into this. There's no way that I'm going 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:49.400 to get all this out in this one. But it's okay. 00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:51.420 We're going to keep tracking. I got plenty of 00:20:51.420 --> 00:20:56.740 time. But Jesus says the kingdom, it comes through 00:20:56.740 --> 00:20:59.799 influence, transformation, multiplication, and 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:02.519 life spreading. I've said that over before, but 00:21:02.519 --> 00:21:06.039 I feel like that needs to be repeated, that that's 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:10.839 how the kingdom... comes. It comes through influence. 00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:13.000 It comes through transformation. Transformation 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:15.920 of what? Transformation of us as individuals 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:18.579 as we allow the Holy Spirit within us to do the 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:21.559 transformative work that people around you begin 00:21:21.559 --> 00:21:24.619 to take notice of the change within you. And 00:21:24.619 --> 00:21:26.480 then what they begin to ask, what are you doing? 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:28.880 What is your secret? What's happening with you? 00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:31.440 And then you can begin to explain to them with 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:35.119 the joy of the Lord that, hey, it's my God. It 00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:38.839 is Holy Spirit within me. Let me introduce you 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.960 to Papa. Let me introduce you to the love of 00:21:41.960 --> 00:21:45.420 my dad. That's where the conversation begins 00:21:45.420 --> 00:21:48.519 to happen organically. Because here's the thing. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:51.960 I believe the generation that we have today is 00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:54.420 looking for the authentic thing. They're looking 00:21:54.420 --> 00:22:00.599 for the real deal. So basically, the kingdom 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:07.460 is organic. It is not imperial. Jesus didn't 00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:09.200 build an army. He didn't build a government. 00:22:09.579 --> 00:22:11.779 He didn't build a political movement. He's not 00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:14.019 a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, an Independent. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:18.190 He's none of that. Jesus focused on people, why? 00:22:18.289 --> 00:22:22.950 Because people are the kingdom carriers. The 00:22:22.950 --> 00:22:27.130 seed multiplies through people. That's what begins 00:22:27.130 --> 00:22:29.710 to happen. Even what I'm watching happen with 00:22:29.710 --> 00:22:35.049 our group here, where we are at. And I may have 00:22:35.049 --> 00:22:37.150 told this story last week, I don't know, but 00:22:37.150 --> 00:22:39.390 it bears repeating because it spoke volume to 00:22:39.390 --> 00:22:43.170 me. One of the last couple services we had, we 00:22:43.170 --> 00:22:48.539 had a young 18 year old girl there. And when 00:22:48.539 --> 00:22:50.960 we started out the service and stuff, she did 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:52.599 not want to be around the group. She wanted, 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:54.440 she was with one of her friends. They kind of 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:57.059 stayed out to the side. They didn't want, did 00:22:57.059 --> 00:23:01.039 not want to be around people. And when we began 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:05.680 to pray, I felt I was just obedient with the 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:11.779 Holy Spirit and set up a... I guess an environment 00:23:11.779 --> 00:23:14.039 you would say to where she could encounter the 00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:16.420 love of Papa and understand that there was people 00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:21.119 around her. And by the end of that service, she 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:23.359 was laughing, she was dancing with the group. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:26.099 It was like a total transformation in this young 00:23:26.099 --> 00:23:29.500 girl that I saw from beginning to end. By the 00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:32.480 next week, she was in our Bible study. And then 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:34.519 I was told, I think it was the week after that, 00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:37.000 that she had a friend that she wanted to bring 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.440 to our gathering or service, whatever you want 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:41.529 to call it. But see, that's what I'm talking 00:23:41.529 --> 00:23:45.210 about. It grows organically. We don't have this 00:23:45.210 --> 00:23:49.630 massive group of hundreds of people, but something's 00:23:49.630 --> 00:23:53.609 beginning to happen to where these young people 00:23:53.609 --> 00:23:56.069 are encountering something authentic that they 00:23:56.069 --> 00:23:59.789 want to bring somebody else into this environment. 00:23:59.910 --> 00:24:03.150 So I'm not here to boast about me or to boast 00:24:03.150 --> 00:24:07.730 about the family that's hosting this. We're all 00:24:07.730 --> 00:24:11.609 just creating space for... Papa to have his way 00:24:11.609 --> 00:24:15.190 and to minister to the people that show up. That's 00:24:15.190 --> 00:24:18.849 all we are doing It's like this podcast. I mean 00:24:18.849 --> 00:24:21.809 man Let me just pull it up just so because I 00:24:21.809 --> 00:24:25.990 was floored And I don't I don't know what I'm 00:24:25.990 --> 00:24:28.329 doing this is this stuff is completely new to 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:33.569 me, I don't understand it all It's not nowhere 00:24:33.569 --> 00:24:37.309 probably professional My youtube has not got 00:24:37.309 --> 00:24:39.660 hardly any hits. I'm just kind of doing what 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:45.839 I'm doing as I am as I go but I put up our podcast 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:47.880 this past week and just looked at the analytics 00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:50.839 I do that occasionally and I was floored to see 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:54.759 the many different nations it was reaching like 00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:59.579 United States of course Vietnam Uzbekistan Ecuador 00:24:59.579 --> 00:25:04.640 Mexico Bangladesh India Algeria Venezuela Colombia 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:10.880 Iraq Argentina Turkey uh kenya and egypt vietnam 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:14.140 is sitting at 21 of my downloads i'm not sure 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:17.460 who's listening in vietnam i honor you i bless 00:25:17.460 --> 00:25:21.000 you um guys leave a review hit the follow button 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:23.680 subscribe button whatever they're called leave 00:25:23.680 --> 00:25:28.079 a review email me um i believe my this is sad 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:32.680 i don't even know my email but i believe i know 00:25:32.680 --> 00:25:37.150 you can do it I'll just leave it here while we're 00:25:37.150 --> 00:25:39.049 having this conversation. But you can't email 00:25:39.049 --> 00:25:45.170 me what that email is. I will get it. I think 00:25:45.170 --> 00:25:49.569 it's chris at echoes of eden dot com. If I'm 00:25:49.569 --> 00:25:54.329 not too crazy. See, this is what happens. I go 00:25:54.329 --> 00:26:01.140 down rabbit holes. I will get my email out there 00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:03.019 for you guys. I want to hear from y 'all. I want 00:26:03.019 --> 00:26:05.599 to hear, you know, do you hate this? Do you wish 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:09.200 I would shut up? Or is this helping anybody? 00:26:09.819 --> 00:26:11.660 Is this teaching? What do you want to hear more 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:15.680 of? That kind of thing. I think that's important 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:18.599 for me to know what's going on out there and 00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.339 what's for my listeners. Is there something you 00:26:22.339 --> 00:26:24.759 want me to go into more detail with and study 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:27.430 with or whatever? Guys, let me hear from you. 00:26:27.430 --> 00:26:28.910 If you're in Vietnam, if you're in the United 00:26:28.910 --> 00:26:32.509 States, whoever, leave a review, help out here 00:26:32.509 --> 00:26:34.589 with some of this. I don't know what to ask for 00:26:34.589 --> 00:26:38.650 because I don't do, like I'm not, I'm just doing 00:26:38.650 --> 00:26:41.650 like any one of you listening could do. I'm just 00:26:41.650 --> 00:26:43.690 trying to be obedient with what I feel the Holy 00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:46.890 Spirit leading me into, guiding me into, but 00:26:46.890 --> 00:26:49.529 by no means am I the expert out in this field. 00:26:50.589 --> 00:26:52.470 But this is the kind of stuff I'm talking about, 00:26:52.849 --> 00:26:56.190 is it starts so small. I was getting one or two 00:26:56.190 --> 00:26:59.049 downloads here and there along the way and just 00:26:59.049 --> 00:27:08.250 in the past 30 days I am getting I would say 00:27:08.250 --> 00:27:10.930 anywhere between seven to ten downloads per day 00:27:10.930 --> 00:27:14.230 and you know that doesn't sound like a big number 00:27:14.230 --> 00:27:16.609 but it's organic growth and I don't know what 00:27:16.609 --> 00:27:18.710 the I'm not I'm not doing anything different 00:27:18.710 --> 00:27:22.980 I'm not spending money advertising all this I'm 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:26.160 just a normal guy. I'm a dad. I'm a husband. 00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:30.160 I've got three beautiful children I'm just doing 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:34.380 what I feel like the Holy Spirit is is asking 00:27:34.380 --> 00:27:38.480 of me Leading me into that kind of thing. So 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:40.480 that's the whole point of what the kingdom looks 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:42.480 like it looks organic It looks small. It looks 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:45.779 like somebody who maybe doesn't know what the 00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:47.819 crap that he's doing But he's just on for the 00:27:47.819 --> 00:27:54.480 journey. He's on for the ride so Again, people 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:58.299 are the kingdom carriers and the seed multiplies 00:27:58.299 --> 00:28:01.980 through them. So everything that Jesus is talking 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:05.440 about here is expansion metaphors. The kingdom 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:12.000 is going to expand. Trust and believe. Then we 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:14.559 have, let's talk about salt and light. I want 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:18.839 to look at Matthew chapter five, verses 13 through 00:28:18.839 --> 00:28:26.440 16. But if you withhold forgiveness from others 00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:29.380 your father withholds forgiveness from you Why 00:28:29.380 --> 00:28:31.079 do I not all that's cuz that's Matthew chapter 00:28:31.079 --> 00:28:34.740 6 that has nothing to do with what I'm reading 00:28:34.740 --> 00:28:38.640 Excuse me Matthew chapter 5 verses 13 through 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:42.460 16 Says your lives are like salt among the people 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:45.359 but if you like salt become bland, how can your 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:48.440 saltiness be restored? Flavorless salt is good 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:50.559 for nothing. I'll be thrown out and trampled 00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:53.460 on by others your lives light up the world for 00:28:53.460 --> 00:28:57.619 how Can you hide a city that stands on a hilltop 00:28:57.619 --> 00:29:00.240 and who would light a lamp and then hide it in 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:02.880 an obscure place? Instead it's placed where everyone 00:29:02.880 --> 00:29:06.319 in the house can benefit from its light. So don't 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:09.339 hide your light. Let it shine brightly before 00:29:09.339 --> 00:29:11.700 others so that your commendable works will shine 00:29:11.700 --> 00:29:14.880 as light upon life. And then they will give their 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:18.000 praise to your Father who is in heaven. Salt 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:22.319 preserves Light exposes darkness, neither works 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:26.740 if removed from the environment. Hear what I 00:29:26.740 --> 00:29:30.759 just said. So the problem with this whole Rapture 00:29:30.759 --> 00:29:34.400 idea is that salt ceases to be salt and light 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:37.980 ceases to be light if it's removed from the environment. 00:29:38.680 --> 00:29:42.920 Makes sense? To me it does. Does it make sense 00:29:42.920 --> 00:29:46.519 to you? Do you see the problem here? If we are 00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:51.529 pulled out of this world, where's the salt and 00:29:51.529 --> 00:29:55.369 where's the light? That just doesn't make sense. 00:29:56.910 --> 00:30:00.630 That does not track with what we see in the person 00:30:00.630 --> 00:30:05.289 of Jesus who is very restorative by nature. And 00:30:05.289 --> 00:30:07.869 I believe that's what we are called to do as 00:30:07.869 --> 00:30:11.650 sons and daughters is to restore, to partner 00:30:11.650 --> 00:30:15.430 with Holy Spirit and see restoration and reconciliation. 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:20.359 You see, the first Christians believed that Jesus 00:30:20.359 --> 00:30:23.339 already reigns. This is the early church mindset. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:28.559 Their job was to announce that reign. Their message 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:32.339 was Jesus is Lord, which would directly challenge 00:30:32.339 --> 00:30:38.099 Rome's claim of Caesar is Lord. So here's the 00:30:38.099 --> 00:30:41.519 thing. The gospel does not call believers to 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:46.000 escape the world, but to transform it through 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:50.079 Christ's life within them. That's important. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:56.500 We are called to transform the world around us 00:30:56.500 --> 00:31:01.319 by the Christ within us. See that's why I think 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:03.559 it's important that the Holy Spirit had me do 00:31:03.559 --> 00:31:06.740 the revelation of Christ and all before this. 00:31:07.380 --> 00:31:10.039 Because we first have to understand one, that 00:31:10.039 --> 00:31:13.059 Christ is within inside of us and two, that Christ 00:31:13.059 --> 00:31:17.079 is within every individual that you and I encounter. 00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:23.259 And when you begin to allow Holy Spirit to allow 00:31:23.259 --> 00:31:26.400 you to see through their lens, the Trinity's 00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.980 lens, the Father's lens, it begins to change 00:31:29.980 --> 00:31:38.099 your heart toward people. It really does. Just 00:31:38.099 --> 00:31:41.240 something to think about. Just something to think 00:31:41.240 --> 00:31:46.690 about. So again, If the kingdom is like leaven, 00:31:46.849 --> 00:31:50.269 the kingdom is like the mustard seed, it may 00:31:50.269 --> 00:31:53.930 look small, but I think that's why Jesus, and 00:31:53.930 --> 00:31:55.490 I forget where it's at, but I think that's why 00:31:55.490 --> 00:31:59.089 the scripture encourages us to not despise the 00:31:59.089 --> 00:32:04.630 day of small beginnings. To remain faithful in 00:32:04.630 --> 00:32:08.349 the little things. To remain faithful in the 00:32:08.349 --> 00:32:14.079 small things. Not as a Let me be faithful with 00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:18.039 this so I can get more But understanding that 00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:20.480 the more you take care of the small things that 00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:23.380 seem Not to matter the more those small things 00:32:23.380 --> 00:32:27.160 become two bigger things think about children 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:31.240 When you first they first into your life, they're 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:37.240 so small and They're so small they're helpless 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:43.640 you have to do everything for them But the more 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:46.799 you begin to be faithful in the small things 00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:50.980 The more that child begins to grow and to grow 00:32:50.980 --> 00:32:55.180 and to become more independent to more to become 00:32:55.180 --> 00:32:59.059 Less dependent on you to do stuff for them and 00:32:59.059 --> 00:33:03.339 they are capable of doing things themselves Why 00:33:03.339 --> 00:33:05.480 because you were faithful in the small things? 00:33:07.569 --> 00:33:11.230 You were faithful in the beginning to help nurture 00:33:11.230 --> 00:33:13.470 that child to help care for that child to help 00:33:13.470 --> 00:33:18.430 love that child It's the little things that matter 00:33:18.430 --> 00:33:21.049 it's the little moments in life that matter This 00:33:21.049 --> 00:33:22.990 is not about even in marriage. It's not about 00:33:22.990 --> 00:33:25.210 the you know, you think about Valentine's Day 00:33:25.210 --> 00:33:28.630 It's not about that one day and doing this old 00:33:28.630 --> 00:33:30.549 great big thing I love you and then the rest 00:33:30.549 --> 00:33:34.799 of the year you just don't do nothing That's 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:37.079 that's that will not help your marriage. I promise 00:33:37.079 --> 00:33:43.000 you To me our Kind of our marriage is we just 00:33:43.000 --> 00:33:45.319 Valentine's another day. Like I try to love my 00:33:45.319 --> 00:33:52.099 wife every day that I can Am I perfect I Would 00:33:52.099 --> 00:33:57.059 like to think something no, I'm not no Am I perfect 00:33:57.059 --> 00:34:00.220 dad no, I get that wrong too much we just had 00:34:00.220 --> 00:34:03.190 a conversation of that yesterday There's days 00:34:03.190 --> 00:34:05.829 and I'm working on an e -course for men for fathers, 00:34:05.970 --> 00:34:08.090 but there's still some some days that I just 00:34:08.090 --> 00:34:12.349 feel like I blew it But I'm reminded that it's 00:34:12.349 --> 00:34:15.550 the small things that we have to do My wife has 00:34:15.550 --> 00:34:18.010 to be that voice to me. Sometimes it's the small 00:34:18.010 --> 00:34:20.269 thing. So the kingdom is the small things that 00:34:20.269 --> 00:34:25.289 we do It's loving the unlovable It's it's releasing 00:34:25.289 --> 00:34:29.230 hope to the hopeless It's praying for the sick 00:34:29.230 --> 00:34:33.170 and seeing them recover It's being an ear to 00:34:33.170 --> 00:34:37.710 those who need an ear. Being a voice of heaven 00:34:37.710 --> 00:34:40.710 in situations that needs heaven to intervene. 00:34:42.110 --> 00:34:44.409 Do you see how big of a deal that you are because 00:34:44.409 --> 00:34:48.969 Christ lives within you? And then you have the 00:34:48.969 --> 00:34:51.750 opportunity to partner with the Holy Spirit? 00:34:52.869 --> 00:34:55.510 To release the kingdom of heaven through you 00:34:55.510 --> 00:34:59.349 into the world around you? Do you see how big 00:34:59.349 --> 00:35:02.730 of a deal that is? That's massive when you think 00:35:02.730 --> 00:35:06.369 about it. That's so important when you think 00:35:06.369 --> 00:35:11.130 about it. It's like leaven. You can't see leaven, 00:35:11.130 --> 00:35:16.489 but yet it causes the entire loaf to rise. Why? 00:35:16.530 --> 00:35:19.710 Because the kingdom works like leaven. It's the 00:35:19.710 --> 00:35:22.150 internal transformation that you can't see anything 00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:24.650 happen. I remember on my own personal journey 00:35:24.650 --> 00:35:29.420 with the past few years that when... When I really 00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:31.960 begin to allow Holy Spirit to take me on this 00:35:31.960 --> 00:35:35.119 journey and I begin to submit to her Lordship 00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:40.360 And I begin to allow Holy Spirit to do the transformation 00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:43.760 that was needed It was my my wife and my kids 00:35:43.760 --> 00:35:46.159 who began to see the difference in me long before 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:50.739 I did They were seeing the living the loaf rise 00:35:50.739 --> 00:35:54.079 before I did remember having a playdate with 00:35:54.079 --> 00:35:57.280 my daughter We try to do a daddy -daughter day 00:35:57.280 --> 00:35:59.480 each month and that that particular night We 00:35:59.480 --> 00:36:01.900 stayed home and I said you got an hour with daddy 00:36:01.900 --> 00:36:04.539 in your room. We'll play whatever you want to 00:36:04.539 --> 00:36:09.820 play No, excuse me This was a different day. 00:36:09.820 --> 00:36:12.440 This was this was on a Saturday I believe when 00:36:12.440 --> 00:36:15.679 I was off of work and I was sitting in her room 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:18.880 We was joking doing something and she said daddy. 00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:26.820 Why are you in a good mood? Now as a dad that 00:36:26.820 --> 00:36:31.099 kind of broke me a little bit but then I looked 00:36:31.099 --> 00:36:33.519 at the bright side that my daughter was paying 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:36.480 attention and took notice that something about 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:42.559 daddy was changing something something something 00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:47.820 was happening inside of her daddy that's my friend 00:36:47.820 --> 00:36:50.679 that's what the kingdom is like and so if you 00:36:50.679 --> 00:36:54.789 want to rethink the end times If we're called 00:36:54.789 --> 00:36:58.110 to be that light, if creation is waiting on you 00:36:58.110 --> 00:37:04.510 and I, if we're called to be like salt, then 00:37:04.510 --> 00:37:08.349 if we get removed in a rapture situation because 00:37:08.349 --> 00:37:11.929 everything's going to hell, quote unquote, then 00:37:11.929 --> 00:37:15.909 what happens to the world around us? Where's 00:37:15.909 --> 00:37:23.460 the hope then? Where's the light supposed to 00:37:23.460 --> 00:37:29.800 come from then? It goes back to what I like to 00:37:29.800 --> 00:37:32.699 repeat from Damon Thompson. Don't check your 00:37:32.699 --> 00:37:36.840 brain at the door. If we get removed and raptured 00:37:36.840 --> 00:37:39.239 out because everything's just going chaotic, 00:37:39.860 --> 00:37:41.980 which again to me says an indication that Christ 00:37:41.980 --> 00:37:45.900 did not complete what he completed. If we get 00:37:45.900 --> 00:37:50.739 removed, where's the hope for those that's left 00:37:50.739 --> 00:37:56.940 here? that situation or is the truth that we're 00:37:56.940 --> 00:38:01.579 called to stay the truth that we're called to 00:38:01.579 --> 00:38:05.820 occupy until he comes like we talked about believe 00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:12.039 last week occupy until he comes believe we I 00:38:12.039 --> 00:38:14.619 believe we addressed that maybe we didn't yeah 00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:19.250 we did I got it in my notes meaning to engage 00:38:19.250 --> 00:38:23.710 in business, to trade, to conduct affairs. We're 00:38:23.710 --> 00:38:27.510 called and put here to occupy the kingdom, to 00:38:27.510 --> 00:38:32.210 occupy earth and to release the kingdom of God 00:38:32.210 --> 00:38:36.170 through us, to partner with the Holy Spirit, 00:38:36.230 --> 00:38:39.909 to release His love, to release His grace and 00:38:39.909 --> 00:38:44.949 His mercy to those around us and to see transformation 00:38:44.949 --> 00:38:49.429 not happening with force. But a see transformation 00:38:49.429 --> 00:38:54.750 transformation happened little by little by little 00:38:54.750 --> 00:39:05.150 by little That's that's so much better news Anyhow 00:39:05.150 --> 00:39:08.210 Think we'll stop there for today and next week 00:39:08.210 --> 00:39:12.289 we will jump into Part two of this which is how 00:39:12.289 --> 00:39:17.269 biblical prophecy actually works That's what 00:39:17.269 --> 00:39:19.449 we'll start diving into looking at some the some 00:39:19.449 --> 00:39:22.550 of the symbolic imagery and stuff of that nature. 00:39:23.269 --> 00:39:26.150 So My friends be blessed again, like I mentioned 00:39:26.150 --> 00:39:31.409 earlier leave a review share this subscribe whatever 00:39:31.409 --> 00:39:35.590 I'll get my email into the thing. I would love 00:39:35.590 --> 00:39:38.550 to hear from some people that's listening It 00:39:38.550 --> 00:39:40.329 is it helping you. What would you like to hear 00:39:40.329 --> 00:39:43.190 more of that kind of thing? Until next time my 00:39:43.190 --> 00:39:49.670 friends be blessed Thanks for spending some time 00:39:49.670 --> 00:39:52.570 with me today on the Kingdom Family Podcast. 00:39:53.329 --> 00:39:56.250 If this episode spoke to you, take a moment to 00:39:56.250 --> 00:39:59.610 share it and help someone else rediscover their 00:39:59.610 --> 00:40:02.969 identity as a son or daughter of Yahweh. And 00:40:02.969 --> 00:40:05.750 don't forget, follow the podcast so you can stay 00:40:05.750 --> 00:40:08.610 connected with everything happening through Kingdom 00:40:08.610 --> 00:40:12.260 Family Ministries. Until next time, live love, 00:40:12.659 --> 00:40:15.639 live free, and live from the life of the kingdom.