Tag Archives: bible
Things Unsaid (Two)
Things Unsaid (Two)
(#298 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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The Father’s supernatural use of His “vessels of wrath” to guide you personally:
Yahweh said to Mosheh, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you power to do. But I will harden his heart [mind] so that he will not let My people go.” (Exodus 4:21)
Yahweh called Mosheh for a specific reason, to free His people, and granted him the power to do so. We will call this Yahweh’s wisdom and direction for Mosheh to fulfill his purpose (calling). He tells Mosheh to deliver a message to Pharaoh and then Yahweh hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that he WOULD NOT let the people go. Knowing that this appears absurd to the unredeemed mind, Shaul writes: “What if the Almighty, choosing to show His wrath and make known His power, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory…?” (Romans 9:22-23)
The vessel of wrath, in this case Pharaoh, who would ultimately be destroyed, was created to make things difficult for Mosheh. Yahweh’s intention was to make Mosheh (His object of mercy) aware of His glorious calling, and at the same time, to reveal His own glory. In other words, Yahweh used a vessel of wrath to guide Mosheh to his destiny. The pattern is this; the Father inserts objects of wrath into the path of His people to effect a fuller understanding of their calling. The purpose is to alter their course, leading them to discover the vision He has for them.
One of the keys to understanding the process of discovering your personal calling is to recognize how the tests force you to practice rest in the midst of “wrath.” Testing teaches you to fully trust Yahweh’s guidance when unforeseen events take place, even if those events are initiated by those destined for destruction. Once this is affirmed in you, you can testify, “I am always right where I am supposed to be. He will make sure of it. His sovereignty guarantees it.”
Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3) The Kingdom is meant to be understood by children. The reality that Yahweh is sovereign over all is more easily accepted by a child. That He is sovereign over both the chosen and the unchosen is ONLY accepted by a child! You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. (John 15:16)
“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and this is their vindication from Me, declares Yahweh.” (Isayah 54:17) The weapon will not prevail; you will overcome it. Nevertheless, this does not negate the fact that it is Yahweh Himself who formed it. “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.” (Isayah 54:16)
The vessel of wrath is His tool to test His chosen ones; it is His way of making the riches of His glory known.
So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isayah 55:11)
The vessel of wrath is His tool to test His chosen ones; it is His way of making the riches of His glory known. Listen very closely loved one. If you reject and resist the oppressive force of the weapon that was meant to test and refine you, then you are rejecting the sovereignty of Yahweh and the predetermined plan that He chose for you specifically, in order to bring you into your personal calling. If the weapon brings suffering, then suffer well, endure, and step in to your calling!
Unoffendable
Unoffendable
(#295 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“Great peace have they who love Your Law, and nothing will offend them [cause them to stumble; trap them].” (Psalm 119:165)
Imagine this offer for a moment. It is yet another supernatural exchange that comes through the obedient mindset. Love His Law and nothing will offend you! Love His precepts, instructions, commands, and testimonies. (Read all 176 verses of Psalm 119). Love His word and your mind will never stumble; obey His ways and you will always have poise and balance.
Yahshua said to His disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses [things that challenge people to stumble] should come… (Luke 17:1) Offenses will come! Those irritations that entice you to blow your witness; those annoyances that lure you to stagger are a certainty; it’s your reaction that is optional. Offense is best described by the imagery used in the original language. It is a snare or the trigger of a trap; the mechanism closing a trap down on the unsuspecting victim. Wait a minute! When you are offended it is you who are trapped? Precisely!
You need not be an unsuspecting victim. Lay claim to this promise; “For Yahweh Almighty will help me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.” (Isaiah 50:7). Of course it sounds wonderful, but many times it seems impossible for those who might have actually pondered this heavenly offer. And so what about this “exchange” that has been offered? Under what circumstance can you make such a bold claim; “He will help me; I will not be ashamed?” Profoundly, it is quite simple. “Yahweh Almighty has opened my ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.” (v. 5) He speaks and you obey; it’s that simple!
Here are several steps you can practice. Repeat these over and over to become unoffendable. And then teach them to others:
Step one: Remember the goal; it is wise to recognize the fruit you are plucking. The fruit of the Spirit is…Peace. (Galatians 5:22) “Great peace have they who…” and then nothing will offend;
Step two: Love His Law; “Great peace have they who…love His Law.” This is the key that unlocks the fruit. The Law is the blueprint of the mind of Yahweh; it is the key that opens the door to the mind that cannot be offended. Oh, how I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day; I hate the double-minded, but I love Your law. (Psalm 119: 97, 113);
Step three: Obey His Law; it reveals the will of Yahweh. “You rest on the Law, and make your boast in the Almighty, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent [superior], being instructed out of the Law.” (Romans 2:17-18) Desiring His will changes what you ask of Him; He alone becomes your fulfillment. “Yahweh, help me to love You more than anything. I delight to do Your will, O my Mighty One; yes, Your Law is within my heart,” (Psalm 40:8) becomes your prayer. This cry that pours forth from the obedient heart is the culmination of a surrendered will. As Yahweh becomes your everything, everything becomes yours. Loved one, when you own everything, what could possibly offend you?
Step four: Love like Him; Love is the fruit of an obedient mind, which is no longer “double-minded” but “double-edged;” no longer capable of simultaneously producing thoughts of blessings and curses (holding offense). Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? (James 3:11) The fruit of the Spirit is…Love. (Galatians 5:22)
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my Mighty One, in whom I trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers. And under His wings you shall take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and fortress. (Psalm 91:1-4)
When He is all you need, you fulfill the command “I shall not want,” and no snare will ever trap you again!
Call Upon The Name
Call Upon The Name
(#293 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“I will lift up the cup of salvation, and I will call upon Your Name, O Yahweh.” (Psalm 116:13)
This cup of salvation is no less than a supernatural outpouring into your center of intellect, Hebraically known as the “heart.” It is the cup which gives you the power to transform your mind from its fallen state to a Holy state. It is the very mind you are exhorted to share with each other, the mind of the Messiah. Make My joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being One in spirit and of One mind… In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as the Messiah Yahshua. (Philippians 2:2, 5) This is the mind that has become “obedient unto death” (v. 8) and removed all “self will.” I have been crucified with the Messiah and I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
One thing this renewed mind recognizes is the true Name of the Creator Himself. Yahweh, not some generic title like “Lord.” The closer the mind gets to perfection, the more necessary it is to be specific with every word spoken. This is the inevitable result of a greater refinement in thinking. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of the Almighty, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to the Messiah. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
There is power in His name; Yahweh! “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”(Romans 10:13 from Joel 2:32) Let’s explore this single verse for a moment. Shaul’s words, as he quotes the prophet Joel, more than any other, have been used throughout Church history to show the way to salvation. Honestly, do you think Joel said “Everyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved?” Do you think Shaul said that?
How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds [hearts]? They try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, just as their fathers forgot My Name through worship of Ba’al [the Lord]. (Jeremiah 23:26-27) Ba’al: a Phoenician deity or Hebrew for lord, master, owner. It is tragic that the proper Name of Yahweh has been replaced 6,823 times in the Old Testament with the word LORD (all caps). Many bible translations distinguish the Father (LORD) from the Son (Lord) by using different capitalization styles as such. Some don’t even do that. But even so, when reading the word “LORD” or “Lord” in English, your mind does not distinguish between the two. That is why when you read: Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved,” you think of the Son (Yahshua) and not the Father (Yahweh). Who has ascended into Heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, and what is His Son’s Name, if you know? (Proverbs 30:4) Everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved!
Would it be too profound to consider this as one of the reasons power has been missing from your life; you fail to call Him by the Name which He gave you to use? “Then men began to call on the name of Yahweh.” (Genesis 4:26) Sit in silence and meditate on this. Say His name over and over: Yahweh—Yahweh—Yahweh—Yahweh. Not for some vain repetitious reason, but perhaps for the first time ever, to experience a direct connection with His Power; Yahweh!
The Mighty One said to Moses, “This you shall also say to the children of Israyl, Yahweh, the Father of your fathers, the Mighty One of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial: the Name by which I Am to be remembered by [the Name you should call Me], from generation to generation, for all generations!” (Exodus 3:15)
Then I called on the Name of Yahweh: “Yahweh, save me!” (Psalm 116:4) This is His Name; call upon it forever!
Warning about Sin
Fair Warning
(#292 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve Yahweh. He is the Holy Mighty One; He is a jealous Mighty One. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. If you forsake Yahweh and serve foreign gods [mental self-reliance], He will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after He has been good to you.” But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve Yahweh.” Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve Yahweh.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. (Joshua 24:19-22)
“It’s all about grace.” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of the Almighty—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Ah yes, “It is not from your own effort, but by grace.” And then there is the oft forgotten next verse; For we are the Almighty’s handiwork, created in the the Messiah Yahshua to do good works, which the Mighty One prepared in advance for us to do [that we should walk in them]. (Ephesians 2:10) Yes, your declaration of faith stands as a witness “against” you because by grace you have been saved to serve Yahweh, and that means you have “good works” to do. And Shaul, the Hebrew writer of the letter to the Ephesians, knew of only one definition of “good works.” Mitzvahs: good deeds founded upon the precepts and commands of Yahweh.
Joshua was offering Israyl a renewal of the wedding vows they had committed to some 90 years earlier after Mosheh came down from the mountain. The people answered together and said, “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do.” So Mosheh brought back the words of the people to Yahweh. (Exodus 19:8) Even then, their own words echoed as a witness against themselves. This is why Joshua could convict them of a history of rebellion (v. 19) and adultery for serving other gods (v. 20). It is only adultery because they first said “I do!”
Oh that the body of the Messiah would understand this wedding vow. The promise is so much better than the vanity of what the doctrines and commandments of men offers (Mark 7:7). When you said “I do!” you accepted a new standard for your life. And once you did, anything less is willful disobedience. King David knew this; “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.” (Psalm 19:13). And the writer of Hebrews reminds (re-minds) us of the dire consequences of such; “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” (Hebrews 10:26)
You know the truth! Do not run from these foundational principles any longer. You proclaim you are “Free in Christ.” “It is for freedom that the Messiah has set us free.” (Galatians 5:1a) But, what are you free from? “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1b) Are the good works, the good deeds founded upon the precepts and commands of Yahweh, which were “prepared in advance for you to do,” the yoke of slavery? Is freedom from His commandments why grace abounds? What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. (Romans 6:1-2, 6-7) It is abundantly clear that it is slavery to sin that you have been freed from, not slavery to His commands (good works).
You are now free to hand over all of your choices and allow Him to take complete dominion of your life? You are free to say, “Father, I acknowledge that Your commands and the shed blood of Yahshua are now the standard that will judge my every thought and action. I expect punishments for disobedience with the same joy that I expect blessings for obeying You.”
Loved one, whether or not you acknowledge His Word as a witness against you, if you proclaim to follow Yahshua, it already is. Seriously reflect on what it means when Shaul says that “your old self was crucified with Him.” Consider this fair warning; you surrendered any other option when you said, “I do! I will serve __________.” If you filled in the blank with a title or some pagan given name, then much of your disobedience has its cause therein. If you have yet to call on the Name, the only given Name of the Mighty One, then perhaps for the first time, you will take your wedding vow in the Name of Yahweh.
Fruit of the Spirit
Officious People
(#291 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Officious: assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, especially with regard to petty or trivial matters; intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering; self-important; self-assertive; overbearing; overzealous; opinionated; intrusive; meddlesome
You know the kind, those who have a strong need to be right, rather than to benefit their listeners, or should we say, “Targets.” They will say their zeal is all about “spreading the truth.” But, the fact is that their “strong need” is rooted in insecurity and unworthiness, not truth. There are many people like this. This might even be you. There is transformation waiting for those vulnerable enough to look in the mirror, those willing to go there.
How can the bearer of truth be distinguished from the one trying to compensate for feelings of insecurity and unworthiness? It’s simple; first look for the peace. Truth is always accompanied by peace. In other words, if one is blessed with deep insights about the Kingdom of Yahweh, then joy, gentleness, calmness, composure, and peace that surpasses understanding will prevail in his heart [mind] (Philippians 4:4-7).
Within that peaceful state, the one who stewards the truth recognizes that he is nothing more than a farmer sowing seeds. He recognizes that he plants and the Almighty brings the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6) The response of the “ground” is not up to him. The Messiah was crucified for the seeds He planted; yes, very often truth and rejection go hand-in-hand!
Even so, truth is never accompanied by an overbearing spirit that insists on its own way. Remember, love does not seek its own (1 Corinthians 13:5). Yes, love, as well, is always present with truth. The bearer of truth loves anyway, even when rejection and hostility come as the blowback from proclaiming Yahweh’s reality. How would truth respond to such an attack? “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
As for the roots of insecurity and unworthiness, they will slowly dissolve over time as insistence gives way to humility and as identification with the “old man” gives way to the “new creature in the Messiah” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22-24). Humility is another characteristic that is always present with truth. As you become humble, Yahweh is magnified. He must increase, and you must decrease. (John 3:30) As you become lesser, Yahweh becomes greater in you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Master, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10). When you accept that lesser is greater, the transformation will heal your desire to become everybody’s everything. You will become peaceful, quiet, and content being yourself. How do we know all of this? We’ll let you guess.
Peace, unfailing love, and humility are all integral characteristics of Yahweh’s truth; they bear His signature. But, none have a place in the “gospel” of officious people.
Is it finished
Is it Finished?
(#288 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“It is finished! (John 19:30) We have Jesus now.” “And this Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14) “Oh, that’s when it’s finished. Wait a minute, I’m confused. Which is it?” It is finished and it’s not finished? This is the great Christian paradox that renders the church weak and powerless in so many ways.
I was listening to a “minister” of thirty-five years one day, as he repeated over and over with great fervor and animation about how, “It is all finished in Christ!” I was reminded of Shaul’s haunting words from Romans 10:2, “I can testify about them that they are zealous for the Mighty One, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” In other words, “I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to the Almighty, but they are misguided.”
My challenge to him was this; “If it is all finished, tell me why…
• I need to work out my salvation with fear and trembling? (Philippians 2:12)
• I must run the race that lies ahead of me and never give up? (Hebrews 12:1)
• I must press on to take hold of that for which the Messiah Yahshua took hold of me? (Philippians 3:12)
• I should be a doer of the word and not just a hearer? (James 1:22)
• I must be transformed by the renewing of my mind? (Romans 12:2)
• I should press on toward the goal to win the prize? (Philippians 3:14)
• I must let perseverance finish its work so that I may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything? (James 1:4)
• It is not those who hear the Law who are righteous in the Almighty’s sight, but it is those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous. (Romans 2:13)
• I am commanded to ‘Be perfect as His heavenly Father is perfect?’ (Matthew 5:48)
• Until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished?” (Matthew 5:18)
His response was, “Well, we are supposed to do what Jesus did, right?” I replied, “So it’s really not ‘finished’ in Christ, a believer must also ‘do!’ It’s more like we are supposed to finish what He started, correct?” He stood there looking stunned for a moment and then blurted, “Well, it’s all finished in Christ.”
Is this you? If the Messiah said, “Be perfect as My Father in Heaven is perfect,” was He jesting? Did He say, “No problem, I did it for you? You have no stake to carry.” Or rather, did He say, “If people come to Me and are not ready to abandon their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters, as well as their own lives, they cannot be My disciples. So those who do not carry their stakes and follow Me cannot be My disciples. In the same way, none of you can be My disciples unless you give up everything.”? (Luke 14:26-27, 33) Open your eyes (spiritual perception). Put away the horrendous doctrines that cripple you and render you as powerless ministers.
We have an observation for you to consider; “The Good News of the gift of salvation to chosen men is finished. The Good News of the Kingdom is NOT finished.” It still needs to be lived out (preached by an obedient life) to the entire world, and then the end will come. That’s what Yahshua said!
True Faith in Yahweh
Evidently
(#286 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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To substitute what satisfies in the moment, regardless of established truth, has been the way of mankind from the beginning. Trading facts for feelings is littered throughout man’s history. It evidently boils down to an inability to believe Yahweh and His Sovereignty, thus uncovering a primitive distrust in Him, His methodologies, and His commandments.
There is a heavy price to pay physically and spiritually for this lack of faith. Disbelief first ages a man spiritually, and we don’t mean that it matures him. It makes him old, as in degenerated. And how does this affect his spiritual life? It traps him in the same bad doctrines that caused the dis-ease in the first place. We think in modern vernacular you would say it like this: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” And as you have learned so often in these devotions, the physical shadow always reflects the spiritual reality.
There is a pattern that accompanies the choices of distrust and disbelief of the great I Am; it was established in the Garden and it leads to death and labor! “If you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:17); “The ground is cursed because of you. Through hard work you will eat food that comes from it every day of your life.” (Genesis 3:17) You can resist this truth, but kicking against the goads is futile (Acts 26:14).
The sad thing is that history will not heal this issue for mankind. It has to be a personal choice, not a historical one. All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not satisfied. (Ecclesiastes 6:7) If history could have done it, Cain’s example of his own effort yielding bad fruit would have taught us this lesson (Genesis 4:3-7). Instead of heeding the warning; “sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it,” (v. 7) he watered the ground with his brother’s blood. He was therefore cursed “from the ground” (v. 11) which would forever yield bad fruit (Genesis 4:10-12).
If history could heal us, the Exodus would have taught us a lesson. Forty-two campsites named in Numbers 33 (plus 17 others mentioned elsewhere in the Torah), all stopping grounds before crossing the Jordan. There was lots of setting up and breaking down over 40 years, all those extra years and extra stops because of distrust and therefore, disobedience. Who did the Mighty One swear would never enter His place of rest? He was talking about those who didn’t obey Him. So, we see that they couldn’t enter His place of rest because they didn’t believe. (Hebrews 3:18-19)
Evidently, knowing the history does not matter. The pattern continues; and you are participating in it. You might be experiencing it right now, the temptation to choose feelings over facts; satisfaction in the moment over truth and reality; disobedience that leads to death and labor over trusting His Sovereignty. The remedy is also in you. It is a choice you can make today, a choice to believe everything about Him. Much of the faith to do so is a gift that has already been deposited in you. The final piece is your choice. And the opportunity arises when your feelings contradict your faith. Choose this day whom you will serve; facts or feelings? As for us, we will proclaim as mandated; “I will serve Yahweh!” (Joshua 24:15)
“Turn to Me when I warn you. I will generously pour out My Spirit for you. I will make My words known to you.” (Proverbs 1:23)
Ever Growing, Ever Knowing
Ever Growing, Ever Knowing
(#285 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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I pray that the glorious Father, the Mighty One of our Master Yahshua the Messiah, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Him [Yahshua] better. Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that He calls you to have, and the glorious wealth that Yahweh’s people will inherit. (Ephesians 1:17-18)
In order to keep advancing in wisdom and understanding, you will need to know that the power of the “self” or “ego” is the ever present and ever ready power of opposition and resistance to Holiness, which itself is “The Messiah in you; the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Never will it be “you in you” that rises to the mind of the Messiah.
It is crucial that you recognize that even after an entire life of sinlessness, Yahshua had a moment of doubt, in other words, a moment of “self.” “Why have you forsaken [abandoned] Me?” (Matthew 27:45-46 from Psalm 22:1) What is so critical for proper understanding is the realization that His doubt manifested after He had done everything the Father asked of Him up until that moment. He was on the stake, already pierced, just on the cusp of obedience unto death; His commanded task would be “finished” (Matthew 27:50; John 19:30) within the next few breaths. And then, a single thought of doubt. Was it sin? Of course not! Was it necessary? Most definitely! Was it a lesson for all ages about the human struggle? Absolutely!
Do you remember we discussed Psalm 22 in Devotion 259? The conclusion of the matter was this:
“It’s all about the mind, the thought processes, how we think about our “self,” and how we redeem those thoughts by the power of the Spirit. It’s all in the mind loved one. Life is in the mind!”
We broke down verses 12 and 13 from a more metaphysical, in a sense, supernatural perspective.
“A growing number of dispersed and stubborn thoughts have invaded my thinking process. These are thoughts that enslave me to an unredeemed material consciousness as opposed to the freedom of spiritual thinking. These fleshly thoughts continually revolve in my mind and keep me entangled. These carnal thought processes create and propagate scattered and fragmented ideas. They pull and pluck at my brain; and they cause a rumbling and moaning within. They roar so loudly that I cannot even think straight.”
And those were David’s thoughts after he had cried out; “My Mighty One, my Mighty One, why have You forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” (Psalm 22:1) Those too were Yahshua’s words! This is our lesson loved one. Until death, and this means your last breath, the ego will always be lurking. Self-will, which forever stands in opposition to the will of Yahweh, will not be eradicated until your mental resurrection.
With this knowledge we can identify the pattern. When Yahweh increases your power, the ego will always be right there desiring to use that power for self-glorification. Be ever on guard, ever so diligent, to not only understand this, but to daily confess it. “I know that everything about the fallen me would want to misuse Your power and grace Yahweh, but for today I would ask that You give me Your strength and courage to deny myself and take up my stake, and that Your Son would reign and rule within me.” And know this truth loved one; one day, when your mind is resurrected, your ego will never again be present in your thought processes. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. (Hebrews 10:2) You will, at that point, have the mind of Yahweh. Rejoice we say! Consider this and rejoice!
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)
Who may spend time with Yahweh?
Who May?
(#284 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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O Yahweh, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may live on Your holy mountain? The one who walks with integrity, does what is righteous, and speaks the truth within his heart [mind]. The one who does not slander with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor. The one who despises those rejected by Yahweh but honors those who fear Yahweh. The one who makes a promise and does not break it, even though he is hurt by it. The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never be shaken. ~Psalm 15
In order to equip you to cross over the Jordan (thoughts that cause decrease and inhibit spiritual increase) into your promised land (firm foundation of Holy mindedness), it would behoove you to ask this question. “Did the Messiah ever teach anything but the doctrine of His Father?” Yahshua responded to them, “What I teach [doctrine] doesn’t come from Me but from the one who sent Me. Those who want to follow the will of My Father will know if what I teach is from Him or if I teach My own thoughts. Those who speak their own thoughts are looking for their own glory. But the man who wants to bring glory to the One who sent him is a true teacher and doesn’t have dishonest motives [unrighteousness in him].” (John 7:16-18)
Do you believe His doctrine or your own thoughts? Is your understanding veiled? Shaul spoke of those of old whose minds were darkened. Their minds became closed. In fact, to this day the same veil is still there when they read the Old Covenant. It isn’t removed, because only the Messiah can remove it. (2 Corinthians 3:14)
Who may abide in the tabernacle (presence) of Yahweh? Who may ascend to His holy mountain (elevated thought)? Who will not be shaken (emotionally disrupted) in times of trouble?
One who:
· Walks with integrity;
· Does what is righteous;
· Speaks the truth within his heart;
· Does not slander;
· Does not do evil;
· Does not bring disgrace on his neighbor;
· Despises those rejected by Yahweh;
· Honors those who fear Yahweh;
· Keeps a promise even though he is hurt by it;
· Does not collect interest on a loan;
· And does not take a bribe.
“The man who wants to bring glory to the One who sent him is a true teacher.” Yahshua said to them, “You don’t believe because you’re not My sheep. My sheep respond to My voice, and I know who they are. They follow Me.” (John 10:26-27) Do you believe? Are you His sheep?
The Messiah has offered to remove the veil from His sheep. Does it still blind you? Hear His voice; follow Him!
Conviction of the Holy Spirit
Soothed
(#283 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
It’s never “just semantics.” Every word that proceeds from your mouth reveals your state of mind, and your state of mind is either completely holy or it isn’t. He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I Am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Can you have wrong thinking and still be holy? Can a house (mindset) be divided and still be whole? Yes, your house is your mindset, the thoughts that permeate your being! But Yahshua knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25) How better can we demonstrate the undivided mind than by the words of Yahshua Himself? “I can of Myself [ego] do nothing. As I hear [the Father], I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” (John 5:30) Unless His will is your will, you are a house divided.
And now you are responsible for this reality. You can make no excuses, allow no room for compromise. As you embrace this truth, your mind will become soothed, calmness will overtake you, and your faith will be reassured. But, let’s go deeper and add an extraordinary nuance to your understanding.
This soothing experience is not taking place in your own mind. It is actually His Spirit in you, His mind in you that you are sensing. It is no longer you, but the Messiah who lives in you! (Galatians 2:20) For “who has known the mind of the Master that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of the Messiah. (1 Corinthians 2:16) He speaks in the Holy of Holies within His temple. You are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). And remember, flesh and blood (self) cannot enter this most holy place. Praise Yahweh that “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Almighty dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9)
If you are lazy, you may claim semantics are at work here; but the cost of doing so will be high. Rather than dismiss it, let this prayer marinate in your bones. “Father I know Your Spirit within me is always in a perfect state, complete in every way, lacking nothing. I deeply sense the effects of Your Spirit and how soothing You are. Thank you, and may I always proclaim that it is not I who lives, but You who lives in me. Let my life song sing…’I do not seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.’”