Why Christians should celebrate the feasts and holy days of the Old Testament

Why Christians should celebrate the feasts and holy days of the Old Testament

If you want me to

Door of Hope

(#254 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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Therefore, behold, I Am going to allure her [My Son’s bride], will bring her into the wilderness and give her understanding [speak comfort to her]: And I will assign to her these, her vineyards, and the Valley of Achor [troubled mind] as a door of hope. She will sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the days when she came up from the land of Egypt [carnal materiality]. (Hosea 2:14-15)

This is the never changing and ever difficult pattern for the fallen mind to grasp. But it is that which leads to the perfected mind. The valley is the place where hope is created and destinies revealed. And you must make a conscious decision to either conform to this most Holy of patterns or continue to rebel. The rebellion always manifests with predictable signs: anger, resentment, sadness, doubt, fear, bitterness, rage, jealousy, judgment, pride, etc. Each of these are indicators of your denial of this pattern; “The door of hope is in the valley (wilderness).”

Yahweh has seen fit to show His supernatural Hand in your life, a magnanimous gift unto itself. And He has chosen the wilderness as His place for this revelation. But, because the valley is the designated place of revelation, denial of the pattern leads to denial of revelation.

The voice of one crying, “In the wilderness prepare the way for Yahweh; make straight in the desert a highway for our Mighty One.” (Isaiah 40:3) Interestingly, each time John quotes this: Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; and John 1:23, the translators write, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare a way…,” whereas Isaiah actually says “The voice of one crying, in the wilderness prepare a way….” Do you see the subtle difference? It’s just a misplaced comma, yet it changes everything! It is not the “voice” that is in the wilderness; it is the “way” that is in the wilderness!

Remember this loved one! It makes all the difference and it will not change! And when you seek to grasp it, an amazing thing takes place as a result of your obedience. Yahweh will gift you with a supernatural peace which empowers you to actually rejoice in the wilderness; it is the ability to suffer well! Think about it. The wilderness is not a punishment as it is often presented. It is actually a place of freedom; the Israylites were freed from bondage. It is place of training in reverence; Yahweh gave His people the instruction manual for life. And it is a place of supernatural provision; where else can you get water from rocks, manna from heaven, and shoes that don’t wear out, etc.?

However, once you are given permission to go free from “Egypt” (the carnal ego), it is all too predictable that you will desire to return, as the lusts of the flesh have been rooted deeply in your subconscious. We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:5-6) This is the very thing that causes you to dread the valley experience and that which creates desires to “go back into bondage.” As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (Proverbs 26:11)

These carnal desires can be overcome by allowing the Spirit in you (the Son’s presence) to dominate your personal choices rather than seeking to satisfy your sensual desires. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Mighty One dwells in you. (Romans 8:5, 9)

Understanding this most precious pattern prepares you to receive the mind of the Messiah promised to you; be perfect! “So, you mean that when I finally grasp that suffering is the only road to perfection, the narrow road to perfection, then Yahweh will actually give me joy in the midst of the suffering, so that it no longer feels like suffering to my mind?” The words of our Messiah will best explain. As they tore His flesh and drove nails through His limbs; as He hung suffocating and in agony on a tree; and as He bore all the past and future sins of humanity in an instant; He said, “Father, forgive them!” He had a mind at peace and filled with love in the midst of the most amazing display of suffering the world had or will ever witness. Suffer well loved one. Suffer well.

Consider It

Consider It

(#253 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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“And He did not speak to them except in parables, but when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.” (Mark 4:34)

He led “the” life to emulate. Every pattern Yahshua demonstrated with His words and actions was a guide for our perfection. With this in mind, as we closely examine His ministry, one that would ultimately reach the masses, we notice something peculiar to our sensibilities. He consistently moved away from the crowds (Matthew 15:38-39), and chose rather to reveal the deepest things about Himself and His Father in the most intimate settings, to a distinct few. Now after six days Yahshua took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2) To change the world He moved away from the crowds. Counterintuitive to our instincts for sure, yet this was the formula He used to impact the masses. Interesting!

Even when He did speak to larger groups, parables were His chosen method. But He always reserved the revelation of the deeper mysteries, the secrets of the Kingdom, for a chosen few. And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:10-11) Ask yourself why.

Preprogrammed agendas of men have often caused us to err in a “we must save the world” mentality. We fabricate self-prescribed missions, believing that everyone “must know.” Yahshua never had this mindset. Take a moment and consider what Matthew 4:34 and 13:10-11 are revealing? “It has been given to you [the few] to know; to them [the masses] it has not been given; when they were alone, He expounded all things.”

Yahshua was never concerned that anyone who His Father chose would be lost. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your Name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12) This was because Yahshua was promised that if He shed His blood, all those the Father intended to come would come. And the Father’s Word was all He ever needed. That is why He could focus on a small inner circle with intimate fervor, and at times, on just three even more closely. These few powerhouses; these seasoned, mature men and women, operating in the full power of Yahweh, were distinct from the masses who were hardly prepared to receive anything more than parables. Once fully persuaded, they were able to affect others with whom they were intimate. And on and on it shall go.

You too have this promise loved one, for your family; your friends; and your community and nation; and whoever is chosen shall be redeemed. This was established before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Take heed to why you are constantly trying to “save the world,” while your own inner world (your conscience) is battling about who Yahweh really is to you. Know that you have been called to be a “witness” to and about Him. How can you rightly represent Him in any matter pertaining to life and Holiness if you are double minded in your beliefs, words, and actions? Of course it sounds silly to think otherwise, and yet, you minister while undone! Work out your salvation (the perfecting of your conscience), and then perhaps He will allow you to truly witness for Him. Broken minds cannot lead, and blind men only lead other blind men into pits (Luke 6:39).

I don’t trust myself

Worldly Wisdom

(#250 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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You have heard it said in various ways, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” And what is meant by this worldly wisdom? Is it meant to construe that if something “feels” right, then it is right? And what makes something right, or wrong for that matter? Is it a matter of “to thine own self?” Or does the Almighty make it so? These words of wisdom come from Polonius in Hamlet Act 1, scene 3. And of course, Polonius is just the mere fictional voice of Shakespeare, a man. Here are a few other “words of wisdom” from the same scene. If they are wise, what makes them so?

· Give thy thoughts no tongue…

· But do not dull thy palm with entertainment…

· Give every man thy ear but few thy voice…

· Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgment…

· For the apparel oft proclaims the man…

· Neither a borrower nor a lender be…

· For loan oft loses both itself and friend…

Now, take into account that Yahweh has declared that man’s unredeemed heart (center of intellect) is “wicked and deceitful above all things.” (Jeremiah 17:9) Then consider that the very thing that opposes obedience to Yahweh’s commands is, “To thine own self be true.” Can you trust yourself, Shakespeare, or any man? Or would you be better off knowing what the Master has to say? “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) My commandments! Cursed is the man who trusts in man; blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh. (Jeremiah 17:5, 7) How do you “feel” about this? It is black and white, no? Trust Yahweh and keep His commands. These are not actions based upon feelings or man’s wisdom, but rather those based on immutable truth.

“To thine own self be true?” Perhaps you might consider stating the following out loud, making a decree that will forever keep you from trusting “thine own self”: “Self, I must tell you that I cannot trust you. My Almighty Father has often told me, throughout His word, that you are only interested in your own personal desire (will). And that you will never conform to the Holy standard ‘because the carnal mind is enmity against the Almighty; for it is not subject to the law of the Almighty, nor indeed can be.’ (Romans 8:7) Self, you must decrease so the Spirit of Yahweh, through the life of His Son, might increase within me (John 3:30). Goodbye self; you are not welcome here anymore!” Think it not silly loved one. This is what it looks like to take a very powerful step towards the Light and to leave behind all that the world might offer.

And here is a final thought to consider; any “words of wisdom” from Polonius that are true, are only so because they represent Yahweh’s Word. Man apart from the Almighty has no wisdom to offer humanity. “Cursed is…! Blessed is…!” It’s that simple!

Acts 15 The Jerusalem Council

Acts 15 The Jerusalem Council

What Commandments should new Jewish people follow?

What a friend we have in Yeshua

Shake it Off

(#247 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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“But he shook the creature [viper] off into the fire, and suffered no harm.” (Acts 28:5)

How often have you considered such things, like Shaul’s (Paul’s) ability to overcome such a seemingly insurmountable physical obstacle? A viper “fastened on his hand” and he just “shook the creature off!” How about things that Abraham, Moses, and David overcame? How often have you thought, “Why not me?”

Let us consider how and why Shaul suffered no physical harm? It was not as you might think or imagine. Take heed loved one; nothing is ever physically achieved until it is spiritually conceived! Many acts of faith propelled Shaul’s ministry, but a recent specific memory of a spiritual promise fulfilled was most likely what inspired him during his encounter with the snake.

Just the night before, Shaul demonstrated amazing faith as he “believed” the promise of things to come even during a storm that was sure to take the lives of all aboard his ship, including his own. Consider his words; “For there stood by me this night a malak [messenger] of the Almighty to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Shaul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed the Almighty has granted you all those who sail with you.’ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe the Almighty that it will be just as it was told me.” (Acts 27:23-25)

Because Shaul could testify that “it will be just as it was told me,” not even a viper bite would mean death for him. Why? Because Yahweh made a promise to him that Shaul was certain would be fulfilled. “You must be brought before Caesar.” Just like Abraham believed Yahweh for his son’s inheritance, “My son, the Almighty will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering,” (Genesis 22:8) Shaul knew he would see the future Yahweh had promised.

Faith allowed Shaul to shake off the viper (mind tormentor) and move forward as if nothing had happened. Literally, he set his mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:2). He knew that Yahweh was his strength and his shield; his heart trusted in Him, and he was helped (Psalm 28:7). He was able to ignore the physical realm, and all of its illusions. It’s never from the physical where power is derived! Remember this! All power is spiritual; and all power is from Yahweh alone. There is no other source of power! (Psalm 62:11)

My soul, wait silently for the Almighty alone, for my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

In the Almighty is my salvation and my glory;

The Rock of my strength, and my refuge is in the Almighty.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him; The Almighty is a refuge for us. (Psalm 62:5-8)

Blessed by Suffering

Beautiful Affliction

(#242 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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Yet it was Yahweh’s will [it pleased Yahweh] to crush Him, and cause Him to suffer [bear sickness], and though Yahweh makes His life an offering for sin [guilt], He [Yahshua] will see His offspring [seed] and prolong His days, and the will [pleasure] of Yahweh will prosper in His hand. (Isaiah 53:10)

Yes loved one; when this Priest [Yahshua] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Almighty. (Hebrews 10:12) He is the last sacrifice, the full atonement for your sins. He is your life-giver and your redemption (permission to renew your conscience to perfection). You seem to comprehend this at times, to actually live like you believe it; your obedience is how I gauge this. May I share something with you about the process? Perhaps this will help you develop a stronger desire to know Me, and therefore a stronger desire to obey.

Today child, it is the “crushing” I would like to discuss with you. Could have I chosen another method to perfect you, another “modus operandi,” a different pattern for purification? If I wanted, couldn’t I have simply allowed My Son to come and teach? I could have planned for Him to stay with you for many years, even centuries to show you My ways, no? Or, could have I simply programmed My creation to obey Me at all times? Yes, all of these options, and more, were available. So, why then do I, instead, choose the “crushing method” for your perfecting? Because it is the suffering that made My Son perfect (Hebrews 2:10). And Remember what [He] told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted [Him], they will persecute you also. (John 15:20) Therefore, do not invalidate the suffering process when the pattern shows up in your own life.

Yes, I did say that My Son was the last sacrifice for sin for all time, but I did not say that I would no longer use suffering to align My people with their destiny (James 1:2-4). Quite the opposite; it is in the suffering that the dross (all mental “self” reliance) is removed. “For it has been granted [gifted] to you on behalf of the Messiah, not only to believe upon Him [Yahweh], but also to suffer on behalf of Him [Yahweh].” (Philippians 1:29) It is in the suffering that purity is birthed. It is I who make all decrees, to bless or to afflict. Even if I choose to use evil to prune you, then so be it! And don’t be so hasty to assume that evil is some “outside force” and not a tool of revelation exposing the evil that resides within you loved one. Yes, the crushing and chastening are Mine!

Why would My way seem so harsh? You would not think it cruel if you embraced that My chosen methods always represent pure love My child. No more of your double-mindedness! Reckon this as truth; I only do good on behalf of My children, and therefore the suffering is to bring about good. I have said it before; this is a never-changing, ever-present pattern on the narrow road to perfection.

Now you should be thinking, “If I align with Your ways Father, then I would be able to see that suffering inevitably brings holiness into my life, and therefore serves good for those called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). And that would mean I should suffer well.” Exactly, My loved one. Embrace My “modus operandi,” My way of doing things. When your mind comes to peace with such thoughts, you are prepared to sail to the heights, finding the life I have always intended for you. Trust Me, you will get there; your suffering ensures it.

Yes, the only way to perfection is through suffering, so suffer well loved one. Suffer well.

Giving up everything you own

A Hard Saying

(#241 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his own stake and follow Me cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)

Read it again!

Be still in your soul My child, and listen to Me. If I gave you revelation about whom and what in your life are your greatest priorities, it would be brutally convicting. I Am grace and mercy, but I Am also truth and judgment. If I took everything from you today, whether in a whirlwind, or in what men call an “accident,” it would reveal so much about you. It would show in what and in whom you place your trust. Trust in the flesh (any thought fueled by the personal will) always plants you in parched places; trust in Me and you are like a tree (truth) planted by many waters (Jeremiah 17:5-8).

If I took everything you value in your physical world, who would I be to you then? “Cruel,” is what I often hear. Is that what you would say as well, loved one? Would I still be the “Mighty One” to you? Would I still be “Loving Father?” The truth says so much about your love for Me, about who and what really comes first in your life? In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything [utterly forsake dependency upon your own understanding] cannot be My disciples. (Luke 14:33) It is good that I challenge you to consider such things.

“Who do you say I Am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living Mighty One.” Yahshua replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 16:15-17)

Now read from Luke 14:26 all the way to the end of the chapter, and talk to Me. Let’s really talk about who I Am to you, and in this you will receive your heavenly revelation.

Let His Mind be in you

Treasure of the Heart

(#237 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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Watch over your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the sources of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

Hebrew is a language of action. Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our Almighty, Yahweh is One! You shall love Yahweh your Mighty One with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) The first word of this key verse, quoted by Yahshua Himself in Mark 12:29, is very revealing. “Hear” in Hebrew, shamah, pronounced (shaw-mah’), implies to hear, listen to, and to obey. Moses and Yahshua are not recommending an intellectual exercise; the instruction is to “hear and obey” the command. It involves a response: it requires action to be fulfilled. We are supposed to think about what we hear from Yahweh, and then we are supposed to do something about it.

Heart and mind—these are one and the same in the Scriptures. The heart of a matter is one of thought and it is from the mind that life manifests. The thoughts of a man precede his actions. Hear and do! However, the heart of a man can devise both righteousness and wickedness. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45) So, actions literally materialize from the treasure of a man’s heart, or in other words, the thoughts upon which he dwells.

Be warned loved one; the Word of the Mighty One will judge the thoughts and intents of your heart (Hebrews 4:12). With the tongue we praise our Mighty One, and with it we curse human beings, who have been created in the Mighty One’s image. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (James 3:9-10) Therefore, you must guard your heart (mind) with all your strength. How so? Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to the Mighty One; and the peace of the Almighty, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts [center of intellect, intentions] and souls [character in consciousness] through the Messiah Yahshua. (Philippians 4:6-7)

But, that is just the beginning; there is an even higher calling, beyond guarding your center of intellect and character. It is a place where your awareness of impure thoughts is cleansed altogether. How much more, then, will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Yahweh, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living Mighty One! (Hebrews 9:14) This is a place in which even the thought of sinning is not conceived.

Yahshua is our model; though He was tempted (constantly aware of self desire), He never conceived [thinking “not my will”] and therefore never even entertained evil desires (James 1:15). His mind remained pure through utter self denial and you are promised the same inheritance loved one. For this reason the Messiah is the mediator of a renewed Covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15) You have the mind of the Messiah. (1 Corinthians 2:16) In Him, you have been called to righteousness and have been given the power, through the Spirit, to reach this high calling. He has done His part; the rest is up to you. No one who is born of the Mighty One will continue to sin, because Yahweh’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of the Mighty One. (1 John 3:9)

Life springs forth from the heart (center of intellect) and therefore makes the soul (feelings, entire consciousness) merry.

Please Listen

Cling Tight

(#235 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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He put his trust in Yahweh, the Mighty One of Israyl, and after him was none like him among all the sovereigns of Judea, nor who were before him, and he clung to Yahweh. He did not turn away from following Him, but guarded His commands, which Yahweh had commanded Moses. And Yahweh was with him – wherever he went he acted wisely [prospered wherever he went]. And he rebelled against the sovereign of Assyria [the intellect focused on worldly prosperity] and did not serve him. (2 Kings 18:5-7)

Hezekyah (Hezekiah) understood. He embraced the true reality that the most important element in the walk of faith in the Most High was to “cling to Him tightly!” His testimony in 2. Kings itself speaks of Hezekyah’s obedience to the word of Yahweh, his clinging to Yahweh’s commands. It’s as if his life was a living testimony of Deuteronomy 30:15-20. Choose life; love Yahweh; obey His voice; cling to Him! The outcome: He will multiply and prosper you. The alternative: turn away; close your ears; worship self made idols; and “you shall surely perish.”

Hezekyah (the recognition of inner “strength” given by Yahweh), like all good kings, knew that the enemies he would face, the opposition that would come against him, would simply be too powerful for him alone. Hezekyah understood that to be a righteous king, his foremost responsibility was to remove all idol worship (ego driven devotion), and fight to trust in Yahweh Almighty alone. He was walking in the steps of the king after the Almighty’s own heart; “In You, O Yahweh, do I put my trust.” (Psalm 71:1)

What sounds so simple and basic is indeed a paramount task in the life of a king; so many before him had failed. The “pleasures” of the world and the influences of man had torn down many kingdoms of those who came before. Kingdoms that were intended to flourish and take dominion simply vanished at the hand of disobedient kings. Yes indeed, Hezekyah understood that his actions would affect the entire kingdom, and he had a reverent fear because of that reality.

How many of us simply go throughout our days and years, numb to the fact that our actions, as royal priests (1 Peter 2:9), affect the entire body of the Messiah, and that our lives do impact the Kingdom? Please recall; “The Kingdom of the Almighty does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of the Almighty is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)

We somehow believe that our “secret sins” aren’t noticed by our Creator, and don’t affect other believers. This is a strong delusion that runs throughout the body and must be done away with. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. (Luke 8:17)

The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live. (Psalm 119:144) This is the cry of a heart that clings tightly to the hem of His garment, “taking every thought captive unto obedience (2 Corinthians 10:5),” as did the Messiah. And one who possesses such a heart (center of intellect) then proceeds in that obedience with a reverent and awestruck wonder of Yahweh. This is the life of success. This is the life that is continually guarded and protected from all enemies. This is the heart of the child that knows Daddy will provide. “Daddy is the authority, and I do what Daddy says!” A very wise and obedient thought indeed.