Tag Archives: Christianity

Love, forgiveness, self-sacrifice

Babble On

(#051 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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Rise, rise, to the loftiest heights,
Find Me your own way?
Anger, resentment, pride and strife,
Building towers made of clay.

Pride, the mortar it takes to cure,
To your own destruction it sets.
Your path to heaven, seventy-angels obscure,
Your ascension their mission besets.

How can a unified structure start,
When not one man prefers the other?
Build towers in your hardened heart?
Instead, first love your brother!

Rise, rise, to the loftiest heights,
To find Me this is the way.
Love, forgiveness, self-sacrifice,
No greater-love than one’s life to lay.

You never know when the soil of your heart (the ability to cultivate Yahweh’s thoughts) will be hardened permanently from a famine of hearing His words (Amos 8:11). The mandate to, “seek Yahweh while He may be found;” and to “call on Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6) had better be taken seriously, as this could be your last day.

Listen loved one, the cry of the Father’s heart is for unity. He sacrificed His own Son in order that His people would be of one mind, one speech, and one body (Ephesians 4:1-6). Nevertheless, there are many members in this one body and all the “body parts” do not have the same function. (Romans 12:4) With this in mind, should one man (the modern-day pastor) reign supreme over all the functions of the body? Sadly, the “church” has supported such practices and men of position have enjoyed the grandeur. Woe to you shepherds who aim to please the masses in order to preserve your position (Matthew 18:12-14).

But, new things are coming and the “old guard” will be removed with a new breed of shepherds to take their place (Jeremiah 23:1-4). They will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth (v. 5). These new shepherds will have no need to chastise or manipulate the congregation into submission. They will not be insecure about their own limitations, but rather embrace personal challenges as supernaturally inserted thorns of humility, perfectly placed by the Father (2 Corinthians 12:7). In this new paradigm, the talents of the congregation will inspire mutual submission.

It is time to rise up as the body, together as one, and listen for the Master’s voice. Woe to you shepherds who refuse to obey all that’s commanded of you, to you who fail to heed Yahweh’s whisper while it can still be heard.

The Power of Forgiveness

Matters of Fact
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(#050 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of the Messiah, for the sake of His body, which is the assembly [called out chosen], of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from the Almighty which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of the Mighty One, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them the Almighty willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Nations: which is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:24-27)

They will come, not with persuasive words of men, nor with anything suave or slick, but in the power of Yahweh (1 Corinthians 2:3-5). This is how you will know the “sons” for whom all of creation groans with eager expectation (Romans 8:22). In this final hour they are being raised up to release the Power of Yahweh into the lives of the chosen, and the power of judgment onto those deemed wicked by the Father.

The sons have secrets loved one, mysteries of the Kingdom of Yahweh to reveal (Matthew 13:11). They will share with you the patterns to the secrets; the signs on the narrow road, if you will. Expect a paradigm shift with every mystery revealed. Even those who are seasoned in the faith will have their eyes opened to these new vistas. Yes loved one, if your salvation (saved mind) was complete, you would be revealing the secrets rather than receiving them, no?

Let’s explore the deeper mystery of forgiveness. As a result, you will perceive its profound intent, purpose, and pattern. It all begins with an honest “self” assessment. Your “self” only cares about yourself. And through your faith, you have come to believe that your spiritual obligation is to forgive your oppressors, and in this there is a portion of truth. But your “self” skews the pattern. It looks something like this. “This was done to me and I know I am called to forgive; but, it’s just so hard.” And so you subtly convince yourself that forgiveness is yours to offer, rather than a heavenly gift received, which you then pay forward by His grace. It would correctly sound something like this; “I am the chief of sinners without the the Messiah (1 Timothy 1:15-16), therefore, all forgiveness must come through Him.”

Abandon the religious attempts at forgiveness and step into the mystery revealed about true forgiveness, the kind that keeps no records and seeks nothing for itself. It’s impossible to do this unless you are empowered by Yahweh, which first allows you to experience genuine forgiveness within. That experience is the Messiah in you, the hope of glory

Suffer with Joy for YESHUA!

The Father’s Best

(#049 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

Read chart first!

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And prayerfully, this is ultimately you! “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of the Almighty and have the testimony of Yahshua the Messiah.” (Revelation 12:17)

And, so it is with those called to acknowledge that suffering is the key element in their quest for perfection (Hebrews 2:10; 5:8). From the scriptural pattern of being persecuted (sentenced) for righteousness sake (Matthew 5:10), you can easily presume that a lack of suffering is attributed to a lack of spiritual growth, maybe even the failure to risk stepping into the greatness of your heavenly calling. Why would you avoid the risk? “Self” preservation is the reason; and quite frankly, it is a sin.

And imprisonment does not only exist as physical incarceration loved one; it starts in the mind. So ask your-self, “Am I in prison? And is it making me more Holy?” If not, then perhaps a shift in perspective is warranted. If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) But, how can you be set free lest you had first known the utter depths of your bondage? It is from that valley we rise!

The Bible, Coronavirus, and Our Health

Apple of Whose Eye

Apple of Whose Eye

(#048 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. Yahweh does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart [center of intellect].” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Shaul (Paul) taught that we must take every thought captive and make it obedient unto the Messiah (2 Corinthians 10:5). He was revealing the Messianic allusion of the words of the great prophet. He says, “You judge by appearances;” (v. 7) you are looking at the outside, the physical, but it is the mind that truly matters (v. 5). Yes, the mind, and the command to take every thought captive, is magnificently congruous with the prophet’s Hebrew understanding of the heart, the center of intellect. People look at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart! Yahweh is looking for the mind of the Messiah in you. Oh yes loved one, [His] ways are higher than your ways and [His] thoughts [higher] than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

King David was a man after Yahweh’s heart; “the apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8). Who was David? He was a murderer, an adulterer! Let there be no doubt; there are many “Davids” in the church today, who are lost in their iniquity, and yet who are madly devoted to the things of the Father. The church itself would deem these modern-day “Davids” as sinners, guilty, unclean, and even not fit for salvation. And they would accuse those sinners in their hearts, while at the same time singing praises to the “Lord” at weekly services, using words from the very Psalms written by David, the murder and adulterer.

The truth about David’s courage and lineage is preached, which of course leads to the Messiah. But, the preaching commences with fervor as does the condemnation of these modern-day Davids. And all of this is shielded under the umbrella of self-proclaimed righteousness. This disconnect is not because so much time has passed since King David walked the earth, as if time would heal the constructs of the ego. Time does not change the heart of man. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Almighty. (Romans 3:23)

This disconnect is due to the denial that the brand of “church” or practice of “Christianity” they preach does not coincide with the true intent of their thoughts, the wickedness in their hearts. Unforgiveness and condemnation is the manifest evidence. We love to acknowledge the Messiah’s greatness as He “forgives us even though we do not know what we are doing. (Luke 23:34).” And yet, it is a rarity indeed to witness a modern-day believer lay down his life for another, especially one who is “unworthy.”

Yahweh is looking for those who realize that if He only used “good” people to do His work on the earth, then there would be no one to use. Stop wrongly judging your living brother by appearances, while at the same time glorifying the dead heroes of the faith who were just like them. This, indeed, is a reality check for us all!

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?

Who is your king?

Give to Caesar

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(#045 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

(4) “Then all the elders gathered and approached Samuel, saying, ‘Appoint us a king to judge us; just like other nations.’ But these things displeased Samuel… Samuel prayed to Yahweh… Yahweh said, ‘…they have not rejected you [Samuel], they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them… to this very day… forsaking Me in order to serve gods [men]… listen to them and let them know how a king will reign over them and will behave toward them.’
(10) …Samuel said, ‘This is how the king you desire to reign over you will behave… he will take your sons and appoint some to serve his chariots… some will drive his horses… others will run before his chariots… you will plow his ground… bring in his harvest… manufacture his weapons of war… he will take your daughters… seize your best fields… demand a tenth of your sheep… you, yourselves, will become his servants. You will cry out, but Yahweh will NOT listen to you.’
(19) The people REFUSED to listen to Samuel. ‘No, we want a king over us. Then we will be like other nations with a king who will fight our battles.’ …So Yahweh instructed Samuel… “Appoint them a king…’” (Highlights from 1 Samuel 8:4-22)

Ask and You Shall Receive

Come one, come all; step right up,
And give your tribute gladly.
There are walls to build and roads to pave,
You want a king so badly.

Your priests and leaders all agree,
Over time their plans revealed.
“Better to pay… than to fight me,
Your best will plow my fields.”

For if the masses all agree,
Do not fret or be dismayed,
Our faces alone, your currency,
Your part, it must be played.

The entitlements offered will tempt to sway,
The most oppressed of you at heart.
“All must protect the kingdom’s way,
Each must do their part!”

Pay no attention to those foolish ones,
“Come out of her…,” they cry.
“We’ve read THE book; we understand.
But, give fear of man a try!”

Come one, come all; step right up,
And give your tribute gladly.
There are walls to build and roads to pave,
You’ve got your king so sadly.

“Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to the Almighty what is the Almighty’s.” (Matthew 22:20-21)

That The World May Know with Ray Vander Laan

Give Us A King

You may have learned somewhere that God did not want Israel to have a king. Most Christian churches teach this to youngsters early in Sunday school. But it is wrong. God did want Israel to have a king; he just had a certain kind of king in mind. In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, long before the time of Saul, God said, “Be sure to appoint over you the king the LORD your God chooses” (emphasis added). God’s choice for king: that is what Israel ignored.

God’s Qualifications For Israel’s King

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God gave the qualifications for a king. First, the king was to be an Israelite (17:15). This meant the king would belong to the people who recognized the authority of God.

Second, the king must not acquire many horses (17:16a). The Bible explains that horses came from Egypt, and horse-trading would tempt the Israelites to interact with the pagan people from whom they had been delivered.

Third, the king must not take many wives (17:17a). It was normal in ancient times to seal treaties between kings by intermarriage. Foreign women would influence the Israelites to abandon the unique lifestyle to which God had called them. Later in Israel’s history, Ahab (who married Jezebel) and Jehoram (who married Athaliah) learned the hard consequences of ignoring this proscription.

Fourth, the king must not accumulate large amounts of gold and silver (17:17b). Perhaps God wanted to make sure Israel’s king remained dependent upon him for success; or perhaps he wanted to keep his people from interacting with the pagan nations that would be supplying the gold and silver.

Fifth, the king must keep a copy of God’s Torah with him to be read throughout his life, so he would rule according to God’s principles (17:18-20).

This was God’s king: faithful, separate from the pagans, guiding God’s people to righteous living as a shepherd leads his sheep.

A King Such As Other Nations Have

Facing a Philistine threat at the time of Samuel the prophet, Israel requested a king. Samuel was angry because he knew they were rejecting God’s rule. The key to God’s displeasure was the request itself, to “appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have” (1 Sam. 8, emphasis added). The Israelites did not ask for a king that God would choose, but one that the world would choose.

Jewish scholars maintain that the story of David and Saul makes this contrast clear. When the people asked for a ruler such as other nations had, God gave them Saul, “a man who couldn’t keep track of donkeys in his care,” to show them what their kind of king would be: a self-absorbed failure. Throughout his life, Saul did things to satisfy his own desires and not God’s.

By contrast, David, a shepherd like God, was God’s choice for king, a man after his own heart. David lived by the words of the Torah, keeping the Lord always before him. When he sinned with Bathsheba, he was beside himself with sorrow, because he knew he had turned from God.

Who Do You Want As Your King?

Today, we face the same decision the Israelites did. Who (or what) do we want as our king (master)? The fascinating stories of 1 Samuel provide us with some insight and perspective.

Solomon was the wisest king of all. Yet the Bible judges Solomon by God’s standards: “Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horses” (compare 2 Chron. 9:25 with Deut. 17:16a). “The king [Solomon] made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones” (compare 2 Chron. 9:27 with Deut. 17:17b). “The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents” (compare 2 Chron. 9:13 with Deut.17:17b). “He [Solomon] had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines [mistresses]” (compare 1 Kings 11:3 with Deut. 17:17a).

What a shock! The wisest human ruler who ever lived broke almost every command God gave for a king.

We are left wanting something better. Matthew, the Jewish writer, voiced our need: “If this is the best the human race can provide, there must be someone else.” Then he remembered the words of Jesus: “… one greater than Solomon is here” (Matt. 12:42).

That is God’s final choice for the ideal king: Jesus the Messiah. He must be our choice as well.

The Goal of The Torah

The Price of Sin

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Messiah Yeshua our Lord.
-Romans 6:23

But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Messiah Yeshua.
-Romans 5:15

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is Yahweh’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Yeshua our Messiah
-Romans 7:17

But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses Yahweh’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
-Roman 7:13

Adam or You?

(#042 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

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Adam:  Why would anyone possibly blame me for the sinful desires of their own heart?

Eve:  Well Adam, you know that you are the first man to have sinned.

Adam: Gee, thanks honey. I did have help if you remember. I am serious though; I don’t like the idea one bit, being blamed for the sin of another. It’s simply preposterous, unconscionable really.

Eve: Well, one day I am sure people will create their own doctrines and portray the beliefs they had conjured up in their own hearts as if they actually came from our Father.

Adam: You mean people will actually believe the doctrine that Yahweh will hold me accountable for their own lawlessness?

Eve: It’s bound to happen.

Adam: Yahweh has forgiven me and, although my consequence for rebellion was grave, His forgiveness made me into a new creation.  Abba says that all men have this same opportunity to repent and become brand new.

Eve: So, it would seem that even their sin of changing the words of Abba will be forgiven as well?

Adam: Yes honey, but it still bothers me.  If they are made into new creations, why would they sin again even after such grace is bestowed on them?  And even worse, why would they sin and blame it on me?

Eve: I am quite sure both will happen. It seems that humans have a propensity to do just that.

Adam: Well there you have it then!

Eve: Have what Adam?

Adam: All men will be just like me, all on their own; they won’t need my help to sin.  I just happened to be the first.

Eve: Please elaborate Adam.

Adam: Sin once, okay, blame me! But, sin again after you have been renewed, now who’s to blame?

Eve: Oh, I see. Now let’s pray that they will see it as well.

 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to the Almighty. (Romans 14:12)