Tag Archives: Blessings vs. Curses
Valentine’s Is a Dark Wicked Day
Learn the truth about this winked day in History
Indebted To Who?
Indebted To Who?
(#047 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Is it not the very thing that comforts you to the core of your soul? Is it not in our model prayer; “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive the debts of our debtors?” (Matthew 6:12) The forgiveness of debt is the removal of pain, remorse, guilt and shame; the torture stake covered all obligations. It is the very thing that brought your soul back to life; real life, a redeemed life.
And yet Caesar has placed trillions of dollars, and counting, of debt burden in your minds and, therefore, on your shoulders. It is there with every credit card bill, with every loan, with every tax, with every levy, with every price jump of “goods and services,” and with every news report that mentions the “state of the economy.” It is literally there with every purchase. Yet, the words of Yahweh are meant to bring clarity where there is confusion. They are meant to make your yoke easy and your burden light (Matthew 11:30). And with that in mind, let’s take a fresh look at what it means to “Give Caesar what is Caesar’s.” (Matthew 22:21)
It became “Americanized!” That is what happened to your mind when you acquiesced to the idea that anyone who identifies themselves as “leaders” must therefore be God-appointed “governing authorities.” If a house divided cannot stand (Luke 11:17), then how is it possible that the One who predestined you to be set free from all debts, would then raise up authorities who place trillions of “dollars” of debt upon you? Is there any variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17) in the One who you call “Lord?”
Listen to the voice of Yahweh loved one: “If I proclaim that anyone holding debt against you is wicked (Matt 18: 32-33), then would I choose leaders who place an insurmountable debt on the shoulders of you and your children’s children to countless generations?” Yet how easily you fell into Caesar’s trap believing that “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s!” meant that you were beholden to him. To the contrary, the burden you feel in your mind from Caesar-created obligations is Caesar’s burden. So, in obedience to His command, give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s!
Note: US Dollars are actually “Federal Reserve Notes.” A “Note” is not real money; it is an I.O.U. debt instrument. Are you carrying debt in your wallet?
Your Life For HIM
The Servant’s Way
(#044 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free. But if the servant declares, “I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,” then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life. (Exodus 21:2-6)
He knew what freedom meant. It meant there was only one way in all things, and that was the way of the Father, His Master. There could be no variation; no shadow of turning if He was to complete the task at hand. Everything was perfect; everything was precise, word for word, precept upon precept.
By preferring His bride and children, He knew He would pay a hefty price. As He again contemplated the law of the Hebrew servant, there could be no doubt about what His orders were. A servant, after all, follows orders.
It was the acceptance of the task at hand, long before Gethsemane, when the sweat that flowed like blood began. It first started when the sacrifice was contemplated, when He declared, “I love My Master, My bride, our children. This is why I came. My form was in existence long before the creation of man; but now I have chosen to stay, to become a servant for life. I will no longer be like the wind, but ‘taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man’ (Philippians 2:7-8). Taking on the form of a man, this is when My piercing began.
When First I Was Pierced
One to be pierced as prescribed by the law,
His Master well pleased to infinity,
In an instant the cup of redemption fulfilled,
All it took… “Hand over Divinity.”
Yes, I am He who took on your form,
The true sacrifice that must be heeded.
I never before had these hands or these feet,
These limbs I’d simply not needed.
How can you kill who has always existed?
It’s the mystery of faith we concede.
The thought of the death of this One Divine,
You might-as-well ask wind to bleed.
Do not be mistaken with skewed human thinking,
That My hope was for this cup to be taken,
It was for joy set before Me I accepted your stake;
But with that all eternity shaken.
For the rest of My days just as you I will be,
The depth of this sacrifice of Mine,
Something new to embrace, even for Me,
Yet to you I will still be Divine.
The Goal of The Torah
Believe Like You?
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(#043 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers; because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)
[The Pastor grabs the pulpit, fire in his eyes, ready to deliver the WORD]
“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) And so the word of God teaches that the only thing one needs to do in order to be saved…”
[His face reddens with heightened emotions]
“…is to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead…”
[His fists bang the pulpit]
“…AND YOU WILL BE SAVED!”
[His hand removes the sweat from his forehead with a cloth; he looks to the congregation.]
“I’m preaching better than you’re clapping people! Can I get an amen?”
[The congregation laughs and then erupts; amen and halleluiah reverberates throughout the building.]
After the service, Deacon Jones abruptly waves down Pastor Bill. “Yes Deacon Jones, what can I do for you?”
“Well, we might have a problem brewing in the church and I wanted to inform you of it,” says Deacon Jones.
“What is it son?” asked the Pastor.
“Well, several people have informed me that brother Richard is telling people that the bible teaches that Jesus did not come to change the law or the prophets and that, for instance, Christians are still commanded to abstain from eating pork. It’s causing some dissention.”
[The Pastor, unhappy about what he has heard, informs Deacon Jones he will handle it, and as he walks away, still within earshot of Deacon Jones, he mumbles to himself…]
“What must I do to save these legalists in my church?”
Deacon Jones thinks to himself, “I wonder if he really believes these things he preaches.”
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they strongly affirm. (1 Timothy 1:5-7)
How I overcame the Sin of Smoking Marijuana
How I overcame the Sin of Smoking Marijuana
Traditions of Men
If I could pick one Bible message out of everyone I ever did I think it would be this one. It is about how the traditions of man cause the death angel of Yahweh not to passover us and what we need to do about it.
(#041 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Why do you break the commandment of the Almighty for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3) For the sake of your tradition you have made void the law of the Almighty. You hypocrites! (vv. 6, 7a)
“Never again do you have our permission to walk off like that Yahshua.” Mary was visibly shaken as she squeezed His arm.
“I told you I was in My Father’s house, why is it that you don’t understand?” Yahshua said.
“What did those teachers say to you? They never speak to your father, or any common man.”
Yahshua, knowing these things very well answered gently; “Mother, it is I who spoke. Did I not tell you I am always about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)
Joseph kept silent. Mary, at this point practically dragging Yahshua with her: “Well, what did You say to them Son?”
“I was reciting the words of My Father from the Prophet Jeremiah.”
“This is what Yahweh says, ‘Do not learn the way of the heathen, and do not be deceived by the signs of heaven, though the heathens are deceived by them. For the customs of the people are vain; for one cuts a tree from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They decorate it with silver and gold and fasten it with nails and hammers, so that it will not move. They are upright like a palm tree, but they cannot speak, they must be carried, because they cannot go. Do not give them reverence! They cannot do evil, nor can they do righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 10:2-5)
“And then I reminded them of Jeremiah’s powerful affirmation.”
“Inasmuch as there is none like You, O Yahweh (You are great, and Your Name is great in might), who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is Your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. But they are altogether senseless; as one, they are consumed by their foolishness; their stock is a doctrine of vanities.” (Jeremiah 10:6-8)
Yahshua smiled.
Mary, finally relaxing her grip on His arm said, “Oh yes my child; we must stay far away from the traditions of men when they transgress Your Father’s commands, at all cost. We will always be set-apart in that way. The teachers you sat with have many of their own traditions which violate the Law, but you clearly know that already. It seems that at least part of Your Father’s business would be to expose them.”
Yahshua again smiled. “Yes mother, I know. One tradition at a time mother, one tradition at a time.”
Gathering and Suffering in My Name
Gathering in My Name
(#040 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Many years ago, a group sat before Me convinced I was there;
Gathered in My Name.
Someone convinced them that My being “there” meant I’d answer;
Gathered in My Name.
She said, “He’s leaving me,” and then adds, “I’m fine with that;”
Gathered in My Name.
“I can’t stand my job; my boss is so pushy;”
Gathered in My Name.
“God, can you hear us; there are more than two of us here;”
Gathered in My Name.
“We know you have greater things for us; please help us understand;”
Gathered in My Name.
“We’ve been coming together for months Lord; yet, Your hand has not moved;”
Gathered in My Name.
“Your Word cannot lie Lord; so why are You silent?”
Gathered in My Name.
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness of church pews….
The group sits before Me, with My Son and Spirit as witnesses;
Gathering in My Name.
“Father we praise You; and we worship and adore You;”
Gathering in My Name.
“We know we must change Yahweh, our hearts set like flints;”
Gathering in My Name.
“Your magnificent glory is all we can think of;”
Gathering in My Name.
“How foolish of us to think that gathering was for us.”
Gathering in My Name.
“We thank you Abba for the privilege of suffering;”
Gathering in My Name.
“By Your grace may we never forget why You made us.”
Gathering in My Name.
“And we thank you Father that as we praise You, You bless us;”
Gathering in My Name.
“Now seal it in us that we never forget this;”
Gathering in My Name.
It takes a humbling of the soul through the process of affliction for transformation to become evident. The suffering that brings about change is ultimately recognized as necessary to the one who endures. In the end, there is a piercing conviction of what it means to be gathered in His Name, the Name of Yahweh. All other man-made titles will fall away. In this Name and by this Name all else is sifted like wheat; only chaff remains. There is only light or darkness, loved one. There is only truth or compromise.
“Princes of nations are gathered together, the people of the Mighty One of Abraham, for unto the Almighty belongs the shields of the earth! He is greatly exalted!” (Psalm 47:9)
Woman wearing a bikini was arrested in the Maldives
Woman wearing a bikini was arrested in the Maldives
The Potter’s Hand
The Potter’s Hand
(#039 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Why must you continuously kick against the goads? It never works (Acts 9:5) because you are never alone. As you struggle and strain to fulfill what you believe is His will, you automatically presume that because what you are engaged in is “for Him” that He will be with you and will favor your outcome. Yes, it is true that Yahweh is always with His chosen ones. However, you must not get caught in the trap that blinds you from seeing that not everything you claim to do “for Him” is actually for Him. In many instances is really for yourself and others. Perhaps, then, what it means that “you are never alone” actually refers to an even much bigger role He plays in your life than you formerly imagined, one which, until now, you’ve refused to see. Here it is; He is not always with you to favor your outcome, but He is constantly crafting and molding His chosen vessels for honor (Romans 9:21).
The Potter is always fulfilling His plans for His Body, plans that are far more complex than you may be thinking. Your failures and successes are being supernaturally crafted at the Potter’s wheel to affect the entire unified Body; the commonwealth of Israyl (Ephesians 2:11-13). As you yield to the effects of His hands, your pliable heart (a mind once bound only to carnal desire: Ezekiel 36:26) will soon acknowledge that the Potter is always molding His creation into a beautifully crafted temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), His Son being the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). As the water (Spirit precipitation) softens you (the clay being molded) in the hands of the Master, allow the process (the spinning wheel) to perfectly shape you into a vessel of honor created for His purpose. Yield voluntarily; obey to the point of death, or the yielding will be mandated by His Spirit (Philippians 2:5-11). Knowing that Yahweh will ultimately have His way every time, isn’t it so much better to wait and hear His voice, rather than to presume and do it your way?
Ultimately, if you have decreed to be doing something “for Him”, and in the end it turns out it was not so, do not despair. The final outcome can be shifted at a moment’s notice to teach you a lesson even greater than the blessing you might have expected from doing what you had originally presumed was for Him. Even if the lesson is painful to learn, it is not a failure! Embrace it with the same joy and gratitude as if what you had set out to do came to pass. He is Sovereign over both the things He reveals and those things He alone knows will take place. Never try to control situations. Take strides but never strive. Let Yahweh be Yahweh; all is well!
Do not be unequally yoked
You may believe the people you hang out with are good friends and trust worthy but we cannot trust our feelings. Rather, we must rely only on the Word of God taken by faith. God’s rewards for us are directly related to obeying His Word, not to how we feel or think about it.
Too many people today are unequally yoked with unbelievers. Partnering with unbelievers is like inviting a thief into your life to ravish your soul.
Before you comment or judge what I am saying please see this video…
Do Not; There are Snakes in Your Midst
(#038 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
What do you make of this beloved? It certainly seems harsh. Nevertheless, do My commands come with options? Do you have flexibility when I say, “Do not?” Does My “do not” mean: “Only once in a while, do not? Only on weekends, do not? Only on Sabbaths and Holy days, do not? Only if you feel like it, do not?”
My will is to protect you and to ensure your increase (Psalm 115:14). My promise is that if you abide in My words you will bear much fruit, which is the only way My disciples can be recognized (John 15:7-9). The harmony I desire for your life will yield an abundance of real fruit, the type filled with sweet juice, which can only be found in Me (Hosea 14:8). What you will harvest if you follow your own plans will be like hollow plastic, a cheap imitation fruit.
The risk you face when you fellowship with darkness, if you partner with one who does not bear My seal, is that My light in you becomes dimmed. Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) There are realms other than the one you are accustomed to that make up the true reality; and you can be easily deceived because you have become comfortable discerning only what you can see. If you had a glimpse of the principalities that war for your soul, then you would better understand why I Am adamant when I say “Do not!” For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.(Ephesians 6:12)
Trust Me My child; it is not open for discussion. The path to life is very narrow (Matthew 7:14). Partnering with unbelievers is like inviting a thief into your life to ravish your soul. And “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
It needs to be made perfectly clear to you that My Son was always able to differentiate between the souls who were redeemed to hear His voice, and the ones He would need to expose as snakes in your midst; light and darkness beloved. Cultivate His wisdom and you too shall know!