Tag Archives: Bible Q&A
A Servant’s Prayer
A Servant’s Prayer
(#079 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.orgOh Sovereign One, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what elohiym (strength or might) is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do? I pray, let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that fine hill country and Lebanon. (Deuteronomy 3:24-25)
Father, I know I am under Your yoke (Read Lamentations 3:27-39). Your heavy hand is upon me. Your chastening rod is swift and precise. I have experienced a death and pieces of a new life, all at once. So much has been shaken. Mourning and joy have been wrapped together. Like the story about the how the bald eagle would shed its beak, claws, fur—everything, at forty years; all earthly power and glory seemingly lost. I too was forty when You brought me here Father, to shed everything. Moses also was forty when you brought him out, and David too, to be king over all of Israel. As the story goes, in the next season of its life, eagle replaces all that was lost. The creature is renewed entirely. The next forty years are its best. Moses? David? Yes! And what of me Father?
Are my wings full again Father? What of my claws (ability to grasp holy precepts)? I feel Your power, but is it the power of one completely renewed? I am transforming daily, yet, when is enough? My cry: “Father, is this yoke still heavy upon me? Am I still under Your chastening rod, Your face turned from me? (Lamentations 3:7-9) Have I learned my lesson(s)? Is it possible I am missing it completely? I need to know I am pleasing to You. It’s all that matters. It’s all that matters! I will cry out like Moses. ‘You have begun to show your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand. For what elohiym is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works You do?’ Father, I long to set my feet on the good land. Your milk is the substance of my soul; Your honey is the sweetness of Your voice within me. If I have pleased You, if You have turned back to me, make these words mine. ‘You have begun to show Your greatness and Your strong hand is obvious; Your mighty works are undeniable.’ Come Abba.”
If it is not faith it is sin
Yahshua, You, Action!
(#078 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“For whatever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23) The word “of” used to describe what happens because of faith is a gross under-translation of the preposition here. It is not wrong; it just does not do justice to the power of faith. Something more tangible, even more primitive, needs to be elaborated. Whatever is not born from faith; proceed from faith; come out from faith within; is not the outcome of faith; from faith in the interior outward, or originate from faith, is sin! Faith must be the origin. Can you feel that now? What is being said is that whatever does not root itself in the depths of its source, in this case faith, and then extend out to create its impact, is sin. Now, doesn’t that have more of a bite then “of”?
What are you saying to us Father? Anything that is not produced through the life of Yahshua working in me is sinful? Under this mandate, I can see why You would say to men who claim to know You, “Depart from Me!” (Matthew 7:22-23) Every thought, and every act proceeding from that thought, must originate from faith. Father, this means that every single thing someone thinks, and then acts upon, must be according to this pattern: it originates in our minds; then we must measure it against Yahshua’s words and life; then it lands at our feet (mental stability in the law) for final approval, allowing us to take action. That is what a life would look like if every action came from its intended source. Faith is demonstrated as we emulate the repeated patterns of the life of Yahshua; we will be accountable for every word we speak (Matthew 12:36). It affirms why every thought must conform to this revelation. “From the abundance of the heart (mind), the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34-35)
Won’t you join each of us in this prayer? “Oh Father, would You, through Your Son, implant this in my heart and soul as a perpetual pattern? This is truly the transforming of the mind. Holy Spirit, I know You dwell with both Father and Son, and it is with Your guidance I will achieve this pattern of thought and action. This truth must invade my mind in order for my actions to be appropriate. Only by the Spirit in man can this be done. I submit to the pattern Father. Sear it in me. If I rebel, sear anyway. My life is Yours Father; take it! Yes, I will have this mind in me. I will follow the pattern, for it is the faith that You gave me that accomplishes this anyway. Magnanimous You are indeed.”
Protection and Love
Little Children
(#077 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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You dear children, are from the Mighty One and have overcome them [the Antichrist spirit, spirits of the lower “self,” the ego] because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
You see My child, this is another truth you can rest upon. It is a truth from Me, by My spirit, through My much loved servant John, delivered right into your heart (mind). Do you believe it? Slow down; consider what I am asking you. Do you believe you have overcome? I never take My eyes off of you. I see your fear. I hear your fear. Go ahead, ask Me; I can handle it. The humble ones know to ask, as they whisper to Me, “If He who is in me Father, has overcome, why do I still feel defeated? Why do I feel like I am losing the battles? Why am I afraid of You?”
It’s all perspective most loved one, perspective. What if I told you your loss is really your gain? Would you allow Me to make those decisions for you? Can I decide what is best for you? You have heard that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” (Isaiah 55:8) You know I am not limited by time. Not only do I see the beginning and the end of all things; I Am the beginning and the end of all things.
This is the pattern according to My will. Those, the meek ones who stay near, never shudder at My sudden changes in course. Those who suffer under My hand learn to be overridden, and they learn to appreciate it. When My work is completed, no one has ever said, “How dare You?” Instead, they have all bowed before Me and worshipped. You are learning to overcome My child. Open your eyes and see. Your obedience has you tucked right under My wings. I will do the flying. You just rest there.
Though I Doubt, Yet Will I Believe
Though I Doubt, Yet Will I Believe
(#076 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.orgAll of life’s mysteries can be summed up in one idea—faith! Do we really believe our Creator? Do we truly take Him at His word? Have we made the transition from head knowledge to faith, to things beyond our understanding? In other words, have we moved from possible belief to precise action? If we truly believed the Creator, if we truly took Him at His word, we would never fear, never lose joy, and never doubt.
I have known you for years my brothers and sisters. The way of man is in you. Yes, you tell me you believe, but I don’t believe you. I can’t anymore. Your faith has not allowed you to cross over; it has not become belief in action. I can no longer live with a belief like that; I must believe more than that.
My mind is focused on one thought only. “Did Yahshua ever worry about anything? Did He ever doubt the absolute goodness of the Father?” No! No! No is the answer; and this means that in the garden, when He might have been tempted to doubt, He fought through it before doubt could manifest. I too must step, no, actually leap over to this place, and acknowledging my doubt first is the only way to get there. I know in my head that His ways are the only ways to the have the life I am called to; now I need to put action to my belief.
Please birth true faith in me Father. I want belief in its purest form, belief that acts. Only You can show me that everything You say is true. Show me it’s all true Abba. Show me what You will do for the one who truly wants to believe, the one who wants to see their faith manifested.
Is He Your Everything?
Is He Your Everything?
(#075 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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A man in prison and his Creator [a sixty-second dialogue]:
Father, I know Your Word teaches that You are my everything. It says that You come first and all things come after You. It instills deep into my soul that You alone are my peace, my joy, and my power. Your Word tells me that no matter what, as long as I always have You on the forefront of every thought, my peace, joy, and power will never diminish. But rather, I will experience increase of all of these promises. This is what You meant when You said, “All things work together for good to those who love the Almighty!” (Romans 8:28)
As I stare at the picture of my wife and children that I have in my cell, I say to myself; “This would mean that if I lost them, or was separated from them for a long period of time, even then all things would be ‘good,’ and I would still be able to live in the fullness of Your joy.” Father, please forgive me. I don’t know how to do that. Please, don’t make me learn that way.
Father, in the middle of being torn between Your reality and the illusion that I accepted as truth for so long, I beg for Your grace that I may experience a peace that surpasses all understanding. And I plead for Your mercy and forgiveness for preferring my illusion over Your truth.
Now, in a sober moment we ask those of you, who may have confined yourself in the prison of your own mind, “What are you afraid to lose? Is He your everything?” You would know He is if you had the peace, the joy, and the power to show for it. They are the fruits of obedience to His Word, loved one.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to the Almighty; and the peace of the Mighty One, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts (minds) and souls through Yahshua the Messiah. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Confident Humility
Confident Humility
(#074 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.orgHumility, yes. False humility, no! Who told you that meekness meant weakness? Apologizing for things you did not do, or believing that everyone must like you. Who told you that humility was living in poor conditions, physically, spiritually or emotionally? Meekness is not powerlessness, but actually ABSOLUTE power under control; confident humility! There was one who once lived as a man who demonstrated ABSOLUTE power under control.
Abuse? Who told you that you are expected to take abuse as a sign of your love towards Yahweh? “But Yahshua said give your cloak and tunic. He also let them spit on Him and he even forgave them,” you say. Yes, this is correct, and He also “disappeared from their midst” several times when they tried to kill Him (Luke 4:30; John 8:59). He would “know His time;” He had ABSOLUTE power under control.
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Anything done with a heart (mind) that submits to the Father is powerful and correct. Find anywhere Yahshua apologizes, other than FOR you, saying, “Forgive THEM Father…” His sinlessness made it so apologizing would not be necessary. Who apologizes for holiness? That’s the point! Many claimed to be offended, harassed and hurt by Yahshua, but He knew better. He had ABSOLUTE power under control.
False humility stems from insecurity, and insecurity from rejection. And on and on it goes. Yahshua, in reference to being murdered on the stake, disregarded the shame, “for the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). His connection with the Father enabled Him to constantly remember the crux of all that He was asked to do, and all that stood in His way. It was Yahweh’s will that Yahshua would die for the sins of many. It gives Yahweh great pleasure to offer this death to you and me (Hebrews 2:10). Yahshua knew His Father’s heart, for it also gave Him pleasure to be our sacrifice. He also knew that serving the Father in such as capacity, with unabashed obedience, established Him as the authority over even those who called themselves His enemies. In reality, He was positioned with such prominence that He could have no enemies. Anyone or anything that would come against Him, could only do so with His permission. He had the ability to call on legions of Malachim at any time, yet He never did (Matthew 26:53). He had ABSOLUTE power under control.
He knew the principalities He dealt with and He knew man was inferior to anything the Father could perform on His behalf. He had no doubt. He forgave His murderers, you and me, with a whole heart. He did it with a sound mind. He chose it with no malice. He had ABSOLUTE power under control.
Let us give you an example, so it becomes practical for you. Someone makes a claim that you offended them when your intent was not to do so. The secure person, one close and connected to the Father and who understands humility, might say this. “I’m sorry you misunderstood. My intent was not to offend you. May I explain what I meant?” This person is not upset, nor harmed in any way by the misunderstanding. It ends right there for them. The insecure person, displaying false humility, might sound like this. “No, no. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry; I did not mean it like that. Please let me explain.” Their need to be affirmed and understood is no longer humility, but insecurity. They will continually apologize until they “feel” accepted again. They will carry that burden for days and weeks until they get what seems like resolve, though it never comes.
Yahweh is your security! Live close to Him and He will fill your heart with true humility, confident humility, which is ABSOLUTE power under control.
Cut to the Chase: Faith Defined
Cut to the Chase: Faith Defined
(#073 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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1) The evidence of things unseen;
2) Belief that He exists and rewards those who seek;
3) When material gain does not define life;
4) Enduring without knowing the end result;
5) From belief to absolute knowing;
6) Hope acted upon;
7) The path of righteousness (right thinking);
8) Given in measure, multiplied in fruit;
9) The Spirit’s whisper;
10) Obedience anyway;
11) Accepting a new mindset;
12) Moving forward in Him, even while you might actually be scared to death.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen… For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to the Almighty must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:1, 6)
Give Your Best Effort To Seek and Find Yahweh
If You Seek
(#072 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)
Do you understand the “you” and the “ask, seek and knock” of My command? Do you see the choice, the pattern of having to choose? The “and” in “ask and; seek and; knock and” proves that effort is required. The “you” brings to light that no one can do it for you, not Abraham; not Moses; not Paul; only you. This command reveals many mysteries.
He can be found. Yes, He may even hide at times. Perhaps He’s playing hide and seek with you. Perhaps He even disappears for a while, on purpose. Consider, again, from yesterday’s devotion, Lamentations 3:7-8:
He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
He placed heavy chains on me.
Indeed, when I cry out, calling for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
He hides at times because He intends to elicit effort from His children. No effort, no revelation. You get it? The doubt; the fear; the wondering: it’s all in your head! Do you want to be healed? He is the cure for all dis-ease. Do you want to fly? He is the answer for all of your hopes and dreams.
Yes, much like the little children playing the game called “hot or cold,” you must ask, seek, and knock to find what you are looking for. His Spirit is calling out to you. Can you hear the whisper? “You’re getting cold; change directions.” “Now you’re getting warmer,” the Spirit beckons. “Hot, you’re getting hot,” your senses are now alive with anticipation!
No doubt, He is here to help, but you must provide the effort. He must see your desire to find Him and all He has for you. Staying lukewarm will not end well (Revelation 3:16). Won’t you be hot for Him? Will the words of Paul be the banner over your life? “To live [capture the holy mindset] is Messiah, and to die [let go of all ‘self’ ambition] is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) He is waiting.
Why Affliction?
Turn Back
(#071 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
I am a man familiar with affliction—
under the rod of the Almighty’s anger.
He has led me—brought me
into darkness, not into light.
He truly turned His hand against me,
again and again, all day long.
He made my flesh and skin prematurely old;
He broke my bones.
He laid siege against me,
surrounding me with bitterness and suffering.
He has forced me to live in darkness,
like those who are long dead.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
He placed heavy chains on me.
Indeed, when I cry out, calling for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
He impeded my way with blocks of stone,
making my paths uneven.
He is like a bear that lies in wait for me,
a lion in hiding.
He forced me off my path,
tearing me to pieces and making me desolate.
He bent his bow,
aiming at me with his arrow.
He caused His war arrows
o pierce my vital organs.
I have become a laughingstock to all my people,
the object of their taunts throughout the day.
He has filled me with bitterness,
making me drink wormwood.
He broke my teeth on gravel,
covering me with dust.
He has removed peace from my life;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
(Lamentations 3:1-17)
Your correction is impossible to ignore. Everything is atoned for. Perfection comes through repentance, even forced repentance. This is what happens when You decide to bring Your strong arm against Your children. Your love enables us to see our errors. There is no easy relief at this level. Restoration is to be earned at this point. The child will grow up. No sparing of the rod in this season. (Proverbs 22:15) The Rod is meant to make us cry out. So, cry out we will Abba!
“Turn back to me Father. Please help me heal the wounds. Afflicted for my good, I accept the wisdom of it. I would like to move forward now. I would like to rise from my fall. My awe for You is permanent. I accept the scars on my heart and my soul as good. It is a reminder, like nail marks. Yes, there is restoration for me and my family, yet there are others, those who loved me. They believed in me. Grant me this prayer Father. Let me restore all that may have been taken on my account, even to those who abandoned me. You know them Father. If I have found grace in Your sight, if I have pleased You Father, then send Your manna. Peace on every side Father. This prayer I ask of You, in Yahshua’s name. So be it!”
May He give you the desire of your heart and fulfill all your purpose. (Psalm 20:4)
Suffering Removes Sin
Suffering Removes Sin
(#070 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.orgWho created the Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23)? Who created the idea of death itself? Who created the evil one for the tempting? Who created physical and emotional tests? Dare you, My creation, steal My thunder and give credit to another. I own all I’ve created, and this includes suffering. It is Mine and you need to learn of and from it.
Brace yourself, all of you who claim to love Me. Your suffering is produced, directly or indirectly, from sin. Hear this! Suffering removes sin; it is designed to do so. Some insist on suffering as they persist in sinning. Slow your mind; I know that you have questions. I also know of your misunderstanding of My ways; My ways are above yours (Isaiah 55:9). I want you to listen as I say it again. Directly or indirectly, sin results in suffering. And what is even harder to swallow is that My perfect Son suffered for your sins! This proves that one can suffer because of the actions of others. Think about how this plays out in marriage, for instance. Of course your sins affect others. The same goes for the body, My people, Israyl. Yes, I know it is a big responsibility to consider that your personal sin affects many, but you had better accept it. It is My reality, and it does not change.
Do not resist Me about this! If My son remained sinless and yet suffered because of sin, how much more you? Do not conceptualize suffering in your mind as condemnation, instead, think sanctification. Suffering purifies. Read the words of My Spirit in Hebrews 2:10. “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Yes, it is My pleasure to introduce you to suffering and purge out the evil in you.
In My eyes you are already white as snow (Isaiah 1:18), however, you are still conscious of your sin. It is your mind that still needs to be cleansed. You need to be able to say, without wavering, “Imitate me as I imitate the Messiah!” (1 Corinthians 11:1) Suffering will certainly help bring this to pass. Tell Me that you love My ways, the patterns in which I operate, and how I always work for the “good” of those who are called according to My purpose (Romans 8:28). Can you remember that suffering is the path to My goodness? It is a treasured tool that produces fruit. Embrace My pattern; it really is for your good.