Tag Archives: blood covenant
Men Beware of The Proverbs 5 Woman
Men Beware of The Proverbs 5 Woman
1 Chronicles 11 Daily Bible Reading with Paul Nison
1 Chronicles 11 New Living Translation (NLT)
David Becomes King of All Israel
11 Then all Israel gathered before David at Hebron and told him, “We are your own flesh and blood. 2 In the past,[a] even when Saul was king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord your God told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be the leader of my people Israel.’”
3 So there at Hebron, David made a covenant before the Lord with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel, just as the Lord had promised through Samuel.
David Captures Jerusalem
4 Then David and all Israel went to Jerusalem (or Jebus, as it used to be called), where the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the land, were living. 5 The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.
6 David had said to his troops, “Whoever is first to attack the Jebusites will become the commander of my armies!” And Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, was first to attack, so he became the commander of David’s armies.
7 David made the fortress his home, and that is why it is called the City of David. 8 He extended the city from the supporting terraces[b] to the surrounding area, while Joab rebuilt the rest of Jerusalem. 9 And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was with him.
David’s Mightiest Warriors
10 These are the leaders of David’s mighty warriors. Together with all Israel, they decided to make David their king, just as the Lord had promised concerning Israel.
11 Here is the record of David’s mightiest warriors: The first was Jashobeam the Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the mightiest warriors among David’s men.[c] He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle.
12 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son of Dodai,[d] a descendant of Ahoah. 13 He was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, 14 but Eleazar and David[e] held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord saved them by giving them a great victory.
15 Once when David was at the rock near the cave of Adullam, the Philistine army was camped in the valley of Rephaim. The Three (who were among the Thirty—an elite group among David’s fighting men) went down to meet him there. 16 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.
17 David remarked longingly to his men, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” 18 So the Three broke through the Philistine lines, drew some water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem, and brought it back to David. But David refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out as an offering to the Lord. 19 “God forbid that I should drink this!” he exclaimed. “This water is as precious as the blood of these men[f] who risked their lives to bring it to me.” So David did not drink it. These are examples of the exploits of the Three.
David’s Thirty Mighty Men
20 Abishai, the brother of Joab, was the leader of the Thirty.[g] He once used his spear to kill 300 enemy warriors in a single battle. It was by such feats that he became as famous as the Three. 21 Abishai was the most famous of the Thirty and was their commander, though he was not one of the Three.
22 There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions[h] of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it. 23 Once, armed only with a club, he killed an Egyptian warrior who was 7 1⁄2 feet[i] tall and who was armed with a spear as thick as a weaver’s beam. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it. 24 Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the three mightiest warriors. 25 He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.
26 David’s mighty warriors also included:
Asahel, Joab’s brother;
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem;
27 Shammah from Harod;[j]
Helez from Pelon;
28 Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa;
Abiezer from Anathoth;
29 Sibbecai from Hushah;
Zalmon[k] from Ahoah;
30 Maharai from Netophah;
Heled son of Baanah from Netophah;
31 Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah (in the land of Benjamin);
Benaiah from Pirathon;
32 Hurai from near Nahale-gaash[l];
Abi-albon[m] from Arabah;
33 Azmaveth from Bahurim[n];
Eliahba from Shaalbon;
34 the sons of Jashen[o] from Gizon;
Jonathan son of Shagee from Harar;
35 Ahiam son of Sharar[p] from Harar;
Eliphal son of Ur;
36 Hepher from Mekerah;
Ahijah from Pelon;
37 Hezro from Carmel;
Paarai[q] son of Ezbai;
38 Joel, the brother of Nathan;
Mibhar son of Hagri;
39 Zelek from Ammon;
Naharai from Beeroth, the armor bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah;
40 Ira from Jattir;
Gareb from Jattir;
41 Uriah the Hittite;
Zabad son of Ahlai;
42 Adina son of Shiza, the Reubenite leader who had thirty men with him;
43 Hanan son of Maacah;
Joshaphat from Mithna;
44 Uzzia from Ashtaroth;
Shama and Jeiel, the sons of Hotham, from Aroer;
45 Jediael son of Shimri;
Joha, his brother, from Tiz;
46 Eliel from Mahavah;
Jeribai and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam;
Ithmah from Moab;
47 Eliel and Obed;
Jaasiel from Zobah.[r]
Footnotes:
- 11:2 Or For some time.
- 11:8 Hebrew the millo. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 11:11 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 2 Sam 23:8); Hebrew reads leader of the Thirty, or leader of the captains.
- 11:12 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:9 (see also 1 Chr 27:4); Hebrew reads Dodo, a variant spelling of Dodai.
- 11:14 Hebrew they.
- 11:19 Hebrew Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men?
- 11:20 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads the Three; also in 11:21.
- 11:22 Or two sons of Ariel.
- 11:23 Hebrew 5 cubits [2.3 meters].
- 11:27 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:25; Hebrew reads Shammoth from Haror.
- 11:29 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:28; Hebrew reads Ilai.
- 11:32a Or from the ravines of Gaash.
- 11:32b As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:31; Hebrew reads Abiel.
- 11:33 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:31; Hebrew reads Baharum.
- 11:34 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:32; Hebrew reads sons of Hashem.
- 11:35 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:33; Hebrew reads son of Sacar.
- 11:37 As in parallel text at 2 Sam 23:35; Hebrew reads Naarai.
- 11:47 Or the Mezobaite.
Discernment
No other Name
No Other Name
(#357 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
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)
“I Am Yahweh, your Mighty One, the Holy One of Israyl, your Savior.” (Isayah 43:3) Many claim to know Me, to worship Me, to serve Me, and to love Me, yet they do not know My Name. This is a grave deception which must come to an end. “Thus you shall say to the children of Israyl: Yahweh the Mighty One of your fathers, the Mighty One of Abraham, the Mighty One of Isaac, and the Mighty One of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.” (Exodus 3:15)
Yet, those who call themselves My children do not know, or fail to use, My Name. I Am exposing your negligence, not to condemn you (Romans 8:1), but to chasten you, because I discipline the one I love, and I chasten everyone I accept as My son [the son I delight in] (Hebrews 12:6 from Proverbs 3:12). I do this to begin the healing, which comes by knowing My Name. For I Am Yahweh who heals you (Exodus 15:26); and for you who revere My Name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. (Malachi 4:2)
You cannot revere and reverence My Name without knowing and using My Name!
o Then men began to call on [worship] Yahweh by Name. (Genesis 4:26)
o And Moses built an altar and called its Name, Yahweh-Is-My-Banner. (Exodus 17:15)
o And those who know Your Name will put their trust in You; for You, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You. (Psalm 9:10)
o That they may know that You, whose Name alone is Yahweh, are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)
o I Am Yahweh, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. (Isaiah 42:8)
o In His days Judah will be saved, and Israyl will dwell safely; now this is His Name by which He will be called: Yahweh our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:6)
o For “whoever calls on the Name of Yahweh shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13 and Acts 2:21 from Joel 2:32)
To our loved brothers and sisters in the faith, it is time to put aside your generic pagan titles: “Lord, God, Adonai, and Elohim”. Research on the origins of such titles will clearly reveal the worship of Baal and the history of Canaanite and Phoenician idols. Would the Holy One of Israyl ever refer to Himself in such ways? Of course not; it is man who does such things and He will not endure this forever!
o Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My Name for the worship of Baal. (Jeremiah 23:26-27)
o And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If Yahweh is the Mighty One, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)
o For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more. (Hosea 2:17)
How often you have called out to such! These titles have always been for idols alone and have no power, so why have you adopted them? There is, however, power in My name! (1 Kings 18) Is it, therefore, not wisdom to call Me by My name if you desire to access My power? I Am Yahweh and My Son, Yahshua, also bears My Name. Yahshua means “Yahweh saves”, or “Yahweh is salvation”. And whatever you ask in His Name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in His Name, I will do it (John 14:13-14). What is My name, and what is My Son’s Name, if you know? There is no other Name on earth by which your mind can be saved (Acts 4:12)! For “whoever calls on the Name of Yahweh shall be saved.”
Listen very closely to the words of our Messiah loved one. Listen to what He declares about the Name: “I have come in my Father’s Name [Yahweh is salvation], and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name [pagan titles], him you will receive.” (John 5:43)
Now that you know, speak My Name as you seek Me. Change your ways and bring Me honor. I Am Yahweh, your Mighty One, the Holy One of Israyl, your Savior.
Begotten
Begotten
(#319 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
“You are My son; today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)
As we rise to the mountaintop (elevated consciousness) and transfigure (exceed this flesh life), so many of the ancient ways become brand new, magnified, and illuminated. Things we had long overlooked, rarely understood, and possibly even ignored, become new beacons within. A new light shines in us, light that changes everything. All former levels of understanding are recognized as elementary (Hebrews 5:12).
I now decree, “I can never go back (Hebrews 6:1-2)!” So be careful to do what Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in obedience to all that Yahweh your Mighty One has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33) “I can never again turn to the right or left. I will possess the inheritance He Has promised, His mind in me!”
Psalm 2:7 is one of those revelations in which you might have been tempted to stay with the elementary matters, until now. Written by David, but spoken to David himself, allowing for a clear and precise prophetic blueprint that would reveal the pattern of the begotten nature (Father-Son relationship) of Yahshua, the Messiah to come. Once again, an understanding of the heavenly mind language will bring absolute clarity of the depth being revealed; and with clarity comes power!
David literally means love and praise. Son means a builder and foundation of family name. Father here means to bear, bring forth, beget. It shows lineage. Now that we have the truth as originally prescribed, let’s take a look at the ancient ways with a transfigured mind and see the enormity of what is hidden in Psalm 2 verse 7; a verse about the bequeathing of a holy mind:
He has brought forth a new illumination in consciousness. Love and praise are the foundation of His Name. Love and praise reveal Yahweh; Yahweh in David, Yahweh in Yahshua, and Yahweh in you.
Can we yet be so bold as to bequeath something upon you and expect it to forever maintain every thought that comes hereafter? Can we express the true reality that when you think of your spiritual lineage, your mind can easily equate that with “mental lineage!” Can we expect you to remember this and forever embrace it?
Does your life (mental lineage) embody love and praise? If so, this day you too are His son or daughter; you too are brought forth.
Doomed
Doomed
(#314 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
It ultimately brings the purest of joy when you release it completely. Release what? Everything that supports your belief that there is any good in you whatsoever. And on this narrow road, where you come face-to-face with the truth, you will encounter a sobering paradigm. “If you were left to your own devices, you would be doomed.” The fullest appreciation of what salvation offers (the ongoing process of your mind being saved) is directly related to your acknowledgement of what you are saved from. “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.” (2 Corinthians 12:5) Boast in Him because weakness is the finest you can boast of.
The best you can come to the table with is this; “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh Almighty.” (Isayah 6:5) And if you are humble you will remember how deeply wicked every aspect of your conscience would be without Yahweh’s Spirit. Any climb from the pit you were in is only because of His grace. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of Yahweh. (Ephesians 2:8)
How many of you have been purchased from the grave by His grace only to start believing the preposterous idea that somehow you became “good” because of it. Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? (Galatians 3:3-4) Have you become judgmental, haughty, self-righteous, self-assured, rather than mournful, desperate, humble, and sober? Come near to the Almighty and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8) Perhaps you would be so bold as to ask Yahweh; “How wicked am I apart from You?”
When you have a revelation of the enormity of the wickedness of your personal “self” desire, you too will be terrified of the alternative of being left to your own devices. The mind of one who knows this is ever mournful, desperate, humble, and sober. And once we bear His mark, we confess that the reverent fear of our destiny without Him will keep our eyes fixed on Yahshua, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
“I know that whatever Yahweh does, it will be forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it. Yahweh acts, and men will revere Him. That which was, now is; and that which is to be has already been, and Yahweh requires an accounting of the past.” (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15)
Our Debt to Yeshua
Every Last Penny
(#306 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
“Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Debt is what one person owes to another, whether money, goods, or services; it is what a person is bound to pay to another, or to perform for his benefit; it is a “thing” owed, an obligation, or a liability. However, on the deepest level, debt is the obligation of a righteous life owed to Yahweh. When you fall short of righteous living you become a debtor to the Almighty.
You can be zealous for Yahweh but not understand the righteousness He requires. You can display ignorance of His righteousness by seeking to establish your own righteousness, instead of submitting to the only true righteousness. The Messiah in you is the only righteousness for everyone who believes (Romans 10:2-4). This is the scriptural pattern of “within and then without.” Anything less than righteous thinking empowered by the Messiah in you is where all debt begins.
Debt has two faces: imposition and neglect. Each of these give us exquisite insight into the metaphysical aspect of what Yahweh truly intended for us to understand about both what was transgressed and what was forgiven. They both begin as mental errors and lead to scarcity thinking, which of course ends in physical poverty.
Imposition is a burden or obligation, oft described as the trespass. It is the heavy weight you carry under the burden of self-righteousness.
Neglect is the duty violated by negligence or carelessness. It is the offspring of the mind which has complete disregard for the truths and commands of Yahweh.
Although the price of “past” debts (mental misgivings and their physical ramifications) is paid through the shed blood of Yahshua the Messiah (redemption), it does not mean that restoration (mental and physical) is not a necessary process (sanctification). Moreover, any continued imposition and neglectfulness, post confession of faith and renewal, speaks volumes to your Redeemer. Why? Because accepting His forgiveness also includes agreeing to be accountable to His standards. Unless, of course, you believe your redeemed state gives you some sort “get out of jail free grace card.” If you habitually minimalize the gravity of your choice to sin, “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20),” that’s precisely what you are doing. You are ignoring His commands and the penalty for transgressing them.
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? (Romans 6:1-2) It starts with the acknowledgment of personal responsibility for imposition and neglect of the standards of Yahweh. Only the fool looks at the torture stake of the Messiah and reckons that continuing sin has no consequence. Anyone who rejected the law of Mosheh died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of the Mighty One underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the shed blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28-29)
His death settled your debts, and because of His death every debt must be settled. Tread lightly loved one; how can you who have died to sin live in it any longer?
Fruit of the Spirit
Officious People
(#291 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
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.
Treasures of Darkness
Treasures of Darkness
(#287 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
“I will give to you the treasures of darkness [obscurity] and the hidden riches of secret places, so you may know that I, Yahweh, who calls you by name, Am the Mighty One of Israyl; I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create destruction [adversity]; I, Yahweh, do all these things.” (Isayah 45:3, 7)
Darkness and destruction; obscurity and adversity; do you wish to gain a supernatural perspective? These are created by Yahweh; created as “treasures in hidden places.” They are hidden in plain sight for those who have eyes to see (Luke 10:23-24). For far too long you have missed your treasures, most of you because of some form of denial. You deny that Yahweh would create darkness and adversity for His own purposes. You also refuse to see the “good” in the struggles, the persecution, the injustice, the false accusations, and wrongful harm. Don’t you believe that “all things work together for good to those who love the Mighty One, to those who are the called according to His purpose?” (Romans 8:28)
If you refuse the adversity, defy the obscurity, or erroneously give credit to a “devil” for the work Yahweh is doing, you will abort what He purposed for your suffering and persecution. Can you imagine if Yahseph (Joseph) rebelled after he was sold into slavery by his brothers? Can you comprehend the magnitude of the historical disaster had he chosen to avenge the injustice and eviscerate the progeny of Israyl, instead of taking this Holy perspective? “Do not be distressed nor angry with yourselves for selling me here, for Yahweh sent me ahead of you to preserve life. And the Almighty sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but Yahweh; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and master of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Genesis 45:5, 7, 8) Or can you imagine if Yahseph credited a devil for the magnificent work of his Father in Heaven? “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but Yahweh meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20)
Had Yahseph rebelled against the darkness, wickedness and obscurity, he would not have been used in Yahweh’s plan to preserve life. And his purpose to be used as the Almighty’s instrument to safeguard the lineage of Israyl would have died right there in Egypt. No doubt, Yahweh would have chosen another, but the opportunity for Yahseph to experience the power of forgiveness and become the preserver of Israyl would have been lost forever. Instead, if we listen to the still small voice, we can almost hear what Yahseph prayed; “You did this Father; You sold me into slavery; You separated me from my mother, father and brothers; You accused me of rape; You placed me in prison; and You transformed my mind as I obeyed. Then You made it so that I could feel only Your love for the ones who abandoned me, and lied about me, and imprisoned me. You used evil to save lives by such a great deliverance! Praise the mighty Name of Yahweh!”
“Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.” (1 Chronicles 29:14) In the darkness are the hidden treasures of Yahweh. Find them and you will overcome every fear and learn of His love. They are His treasures. Open your eyes and see! Next time you are faced with darkness all around you, consider this perspective; “Father, I was sent here to preserve life!”
Ever Growing, Ever Knowing
Ever Growing, Ever Knowing
(#285 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
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)