0:00:00 - 0:00:29 Sunday, November 13th, almost 3 p.m. 2022. Uh, one of my favorite Sunday activities is to free the captives and break some chains. And today we're gonna do that. Um, I guess literally isn't the word but, um, intentionally directly. Um, but it's late in the day, I've been up for almost 12 hours now and 0:00:29 - 0:00:52 I just stopped my main stuff. So, um, I like making these videos or writing blog posts when I'm brain dead. The reason for that is that, um, you're gonna laugh at that. I'm a little too intense when I'm fresh. So you probably, if you've watched any of my videos, it's probably, you're like holy cow. Uh 0:00:51 - 0:01:12 , I've got a high capacity water pump, gasoline operated because we had a little sewage catastrophe a couple of years ago. And I, I needed to buy that anyway. Uh, this thing when it, it just gushes water, its giant pipe, whatever. When you turn it off, the water keeps running for a minute. Um, as the 0:01:12 - 0:01:36 engine winds down and, uh, uh, that's when I like to make the videos and write blog posts because if it's, if it's the fire hose I put it into the books. Um Anyway, so, you know, I, I'm wearing my Wolverine shirt again. Uh I don't know why this happens. And it's funny because the last video, the last 0:01:36 - 0:01:57 time it struck me to make a video, I was also wearing a shirt and I said no, and I changed my shirt, so I'm not doing that today and I do want this all sounds rambly but I promise you that uh I, I actually thought this one out all these things I'm saying right now. Um Although I didn't write a script 0:01:57 - 0:02:28 , ok. So a couple things there. So with the script, this merges with the fire hose idea. Uh uh My principal focus right now is these books and I have to do that until I'm done because uh the value of what's in there vastly exceeds anything I can do this way. Um For now. So, um in the gospel is you uh 0:02:27 - 0:02:55 begin to learn more and more. You'll find that in ministering to others, there are things you can do to um to do more than you otherwise could. That probably seems self evident. So let's take it a little further, get it, dig into some mysteries a little. So what I've mentioned this one before, Jesus 0:02:54 - 0:03:23 calls that lady a dog. He didn't want to be mean to her. Je Jesus is the opposite. Mean he's literally the opposite of mean he is love. So why did he do that. Well, uh there are laws, there are laws that, um he lived by and uh that's, that's, I saw this on a podcast the other day, these two people were 0:03:22 - 0:03:51 positing about um what's God's relationship to law? Is he bound by law or not? It's a very simple answer. He's not bound by law, but he chooses to submit to law. What law, the law. So I'm not gonna get into that. But I will say everything he is and everything he does, it's completely tied together. So 0:03:51 - 0:04:13 if you want more of the power of God, how do you find it? Search for and live the character of God and not coincidentally, that's the subject of my next book series. I think that's gonna be published. I have to go wherever the wind blows. So that's not uh like a rudderless ship. I mean, in terms of John 0:04:13 - 0:04:39 chapter three, wherever the spirit breathes if you prefer. And I don't always know where that's going to go. Although with every day um that passes, I have a better idea. So, boy, where were we? I should take notes so I could go back. Um So let's see, we're talking about uh water pumps and Wolverine 0:04:38 - 0:05:05 shirts. Yeah. Ok. So the rules um there are rules that you can use to uh affect outcomes that wouldn't otherwise materialize. And so um you might be thinking to yourself, well, isn't that like cheating? Isn't that changing? Like subverting the will of God. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You know, see God's 0:05:05 - 0:05:27 will, it exists and it's like an equation because he lives by these laws, right? And uh you don't know the equation but you can learn about it line upon line and, and know it better than you did. And um this is one and the same is learning about his character and becoming more like him. It's all the 0:05:27 - 0:05:57 same. So um it's not a matter of um changing his mind. It's a matter of finding out his mind and learning more about the limitations of everything else below him and then seeking him to find out what you can do to help uh more expansively achieve his will here. And a lot of times that starts with what's 0:05:57 - 0:06:18 inside of you because you, you, you probably have a long list of things that you can change inside of you to, to align yourself better with God. And so the question is, what's his will inside of me? And what changes do I have to make to match up to that better than I do? But there are a whole lot of 0:06:18 - 0:06:42 changes outside too. And there's a phrase in the scriptures that describes what I'm talking about or refers to I should say what I'm talking about. And that is um his will on earth as it is in heaven. So um that idea that I just described, it's the key of miracles. Um and I'm just like hitting the heads 0:06:42 - 0:07:06 of this really fast. I'm not trying to lay it all out for you or whatever. If you have ears to hear, uh you will be rocketed ahead by light years in your understanding and if you don't, you can wait and I'll explain it clearer later. Um So, um miracles are not about um changing the will of God, they're 0:07:06 - 0:07:33 about helping the will of God more fully happen here as it is in heaven. So, um there are these little secrets, um which is probably not the best way to describe it. Uh Unknown things, mysteries. Um But they work, I mentioned in another video. Faith is, is like, it's in through faith, this phrase that 0:07:33 - 0:07:53 faith is a mechanism and it's just like turning a screw. Um So that's how miracles are too, believe it or not, right? But that, that mechanism. So babies don't know that you can uh that there's such a thing as a screwdriver and you put it on here and you turn it and uh such a thing as a screw. Why would 0:07:53 - 0:08:15 you want that? And all these? And they can't even think of that level, right? Uh And we're like babies, but you can come up to the point where God says this is a screwdriver and this is a screw and this is what this is good for and this is how you do it and that's the way that um that is the um most 0:08:15 - 0:08:38 effective way that miracles can work. There are lesser ways that aren't as good uh because they are so much more limited in what you can do and when you can do it. So, uh if you think about Jesus, he was not limited in what he could do or how often he could do it. And that's why his life was full, his 0:08:38 - 0:09:02 ministry was full of these miracles that had never been seen in such quantities or qualities. So this video is not about miracles. But the reason I went down that path was I wanted to talk about how um Jesus did things intentionally all the time and uh no one knew where he was coming from and a lot of 0:09:02 - 0:09:24 the things he did. And a lot of times people were afraid to ask, especially his disciples, they picked it up really quickly when they said something that seemed um I don't want to say out of character, but something that seemed new or different, they actually learned to stop asking about it really quickly 0:09:23 - 0:09:52 . And the reason was because they didn't like what they heard when they did ask about it. And we have this um I'm not bashing on the apostles, but we have this um opinion of all servants of God where we make them this whitewashed um magically saintly. I don't know what to say, like more righteous than 0:09:52 - 0:10:22 righteous uh sanctimonious pious. So there's a difference between sanctification or sanctified, I guess, and sanctimonious, they're different. Um And as you advance in the spirit of God, you'll actually be massively repulsed more and more by sanctimony as you're drawn higher and higher, which you should 0:10:22 - 0:10:51 probably more uh I should more accurately describe as lower and lower in sanctification. So as you descend below, more things you become more and more repulsed by fake exaltation, I guess. Um I could tell you stories about that. I don't know how off I wanna go, but maybe this is a pretty appropriate 0:10:51 - 0:11:15 to the topic. So when I was a college professor, um so, so I never wore the graduation robes when I was getting my degrees, I got my bachelor's degree um a billion years ago. And I was the first uh kid from my family to get a college degree. None of my parents had a degree and none of my siblings ended 0:11:15 - 0:11:41 up getting one and um my mom, I mean, it was a really big deal for her. In fact, it was such a big deal. I, I went uh I took a two year break after my junior year to go serve a mission and I came back so unsatisfied with life like normal life just it wasn't gonna be enough for me because I had a taste 0:11:40 - 0:12:11 of um ministry and I did not want to go back to school and finish my degree in computer science because that was about as far from what my heart wanted as to be. And thank goodness my mom, uh, thank goodness she made her, uh, her voice heard and thank goodness, uh, I love her because I, um, I definitely 0:12:11 - 0:12:35 wouldn't have finished. Um, if I didn't know it would disappoint her so much. And not, you know, I'm not saying she'd be disappointed in me, but I knew that finishing that degree meant a lot to her. It would give her a lot of joy, um, because it was something she wanted to do her whole life. And, uh 0:12:34 - 0:13:14 , mm, she was a single mom and we were really poor. She didn't have the opportunity to do that. And, uh, it affects me because my whole life, I felt, uh, I mean, responsible is not the right word, but I had such a strong desire in my whole childhood to do something about it to help her. And, uh, obviously 0:13:13 - 0:13:39 I was very limited because I was just a little kid. But I felt, um, I had a very strong desire to help beyond, I could see the problem far beyond my ability to help, uh, solve it. And I felt responsible because I could see it, but I, I didn't know what I could do to help it anyway. So finishing that 0:13:39 - 0:14:04 degree years later, um, finishing that degree was my way of, uh, giving her a piece of what she missed out on, I guess anyway. So I finished it and then um she was super mad at me cause I said, look mom, I'll finish the degree but I hate school. I have always hated school and this was really, really 0:14:03 - 0:14:26 hard and I never want to set foot on a college campus again. And I said I'm not even going to graduation. I finished my classes. I am done and she was upset by that. But I was like, that's the way it is. I'm sorry, I'm finishing this. It's gotta be good enough. So, uh then years later I went back to 0:14:26 - 0:14:49 school and got the master's and phd and I had a college professor and I was on campus all day until they kicked me out. So that's anyway. Um So my point is with all of that. Um There's, there's some lessons, there is why I go into it. My point is though I never dressed up in all the robes. I, I graduated 0:14:48 - 0:15:09 from high school and had that goofy thing on. Um But even then I rebelled, I had like this tie on. I, I don't think I'd ever worn a tie before. I didn't know how to tie a tie. Uh 17 years old, I guess when I graduated, but it had like this skull on it. And so it was my little rebellion thing and you 0:15:09 - 0:15:35 couldn't see it with the robes on. But inside I was, you know, so bucking the system. So the first time I ever put on robes because I also didn't walk for either of my graduate degrees. Be because I think it's ridiculous. Right. Um, so I just have never had a thing for ceremony. I was in the army for 0:15:35 - 0:15:57 10 years and I hated all that and, uh, I started enlisted, I became an officer so there's a lot of ceremony stuff to do and you're in uniform all day. I remember one time, uh, I went to airborne school, Um, once, well, you only go once, I guess, but I had a chance to go to airborne school and you get 0:15:57 - 0:16:19 these, uh, these, these, uh, wings, which is weird because the parachute doesn't have wings but whatever. Um, and after I went, I came back and my commander called me into his office and he was pretty upset with me and he said, where are your wings? We sent you to airborne school? You're supposed to 0:16:19 - 0:16:40 be wearing those wings they gave you. It's a big deal. And I said, you know, I don't wanna be flashy and make a big deal. I don't feel comfortable with that. I know I went and I know I completed it and that's good enough for me. And he said, tough luck buddy. There's 300 soldiers here. We pick two to 0:16:40 - 0:16:59 go. You're one of the two. And the reason we do this is we want to encourage other people to rise up to, you know, meritorious levels of whatever and you need to wear your wings or else you're gonna be in big trouble. And I said, oh, ok. So I wore the, the dang wings. I hated this stuff. Right. And promotion 0:16:58 - 0:17:23 ceremonies. Oh, so, um, I was aversion to that and, and so, um, I tried not to go to the commencement ceremonies at the university and then they kind of cracked down on that and made us all go. Uh, so the first time I actually wore the phd robes and the funny hat and everything was for other people's 0:17:22 - 0:17:44 graduation. So that was weird. And I think, I think I only wore them one time, which is funny and I felt absolutely ridiculous. So there's that. So, so why do I go into all that? There's actually a whole lot to say about this, totally doctrinally tightly bound. Um But this is why I'm saying all that 0:17:43 - 0:00:00 , um Jesus intentionally did things to um draw attention to the separation between what matters and what doesn't matter. So, um he uh like, for example, uh when they, he, he and his disciples, they didn't wash their hands before they ate. Here's a question for you. Do you think he did that normally? 0:00:00 - 0:18:37 Do you think when he was by himself he did that? Do you think he had done that his whole life for the preceding 30 years or so? I wouldn't be surprised if he did. So, the question is why didn't he do it uh in public and the reason was because he was being intentional about it. He wanted to draw attention 0:18:36 - 0:19:06 to the fact that the people he was around cared so much about things that were, you know, they mattered, they mattered, but they didn't matter at all compared to the things that do matter. And the problem is that when we attach ideas that um are not as good as we elevate them to, when we, when we over 0:19:05 - 0:00:00 promote the value of things, then uh ideals turn into idols. And this is something that I'm writing about. And at least one of these gazillion books. Um and so you, you don't want to do that. And so it takes three seconds, I guess to change into a non wolverine shirt. Um But I intentionally do this, 0:00:00 - 0:19:59 I don't put this on it, but I intentionally don't change. This isn't like my video uniform. I intentionally don't change because sometimes it's good to show what matters and what doesn't matter. Now, I understand the value of uh outward expression of reverence and I won't go into all the details, but 0:19:59 - 0:20:34 I have a protocol when I'm one on one with God. But my public prayers are very different than my private prayers because they're constrained by the level of light of those who are in my company. I, I don't have permission and the spirit will not um attend the tin is not enough. Uh There's like a fortification 0:20:33 - 0:21:04 or um is a quickening anyway, the spirit will not attend that if I try to exceed the bounds of those present. And, uh, you know, I was kind of bummed about that when I first noticed it, but I understand why. And as with all things in God, um, it is what's best. So, like I don't take off my shoes when 0:21:03 - 0:21:38 I'm praying at dinner every day. Um, but I do every single time I pray by myself and it's not because that's some rule. But um every time I kneel down to pray and it's just me and God, um I cannot not think this is the least I can do for you to show my respect. So for instance, and then when I make the 0:21:38 - 0:22:06 videos and sweats, I'm, I'm also using these little rules right where I can't sit here and, and write a script. I can't, I can't justify that time. Almost always. I've done it, I think twice. And that was I was told to. Um so by not writing a script, I get permission to make videos that I wouldn't otherwise 0:22:06 - 0:22:25 be able to make. And when I make them in a quick break between sets in my workout that I'm only lifting weights to, to uh pump up the oxygen in my, in my brain, get the endorphins going. So I can keep writing for an extra hour or something or trick my body into waking up at 3 a.m. Or whenever sometimes 0:22:25 - 0:22:54 , unfortunately much earlier uh 330 is like my ideal. Um So that, that's a weird thing. Can you imagine when you have a 330 be like, yeah, I slept in and just feeling like Superman cause you got five hours of sleep instead of the three. anyway or, or whatever, whatever the numbers are. Um So uh yeah 0:22:53 - 0:23:11 , the sweats, the informality like I'm just, I'm maximizing what I can possibly pump through uh all channels. So this was supposed to be about Psalms 107. Psalm 107 and I didn't even start talking about it.