Tag Archives: Christianity

Two Ways, One Will: A Kingdom Perspective

Two Ways, One Will; A Kingdom Perspective

(#313 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org
All the paths of Yahweh are mercy and truth, to such as keep His Covenant [Law] and His Testimonies [Case Law]. For the sake of Your name, Yahweh, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. Who, then, are those who fear [reverence] Yahweh? He will instruct [prepare] them in the ways they should choose. They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the earth. (Psalm 25:10-13)

Tap into the complexity, yet simplicity of what Yahweh is saying. “He will instruct [prepare] them in the ways they should choose.” Both instruction and choice are necessary. His ways are His will for your life. Yes, there are two ways, your ways and His, but only one will, His! You must learn His ways and then you must choose a path. You can know His will for your life by knowing His ways; they are best discerned by knowing His Law (Torah) which is the structural foundation of His Covenants. Indeed, you are called a Jew, and rest on the Law, and make your boast in the Mighty One, and KNOW HIS WILL, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the Law. (Romans 2:17-18)

In the parable of the unjust steward in Luke 16, the master commends the dishonest manager for how shrewd he is; “The people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.” (v. 8) Those who operate outside of Yahweh’s Kingdom can be very shrewd in the way they function in the world’s system; and when believers operate in that system, they too might experience the prosperity it has to offer. But until you learn His ways; you cannot expect to spend your days in His prosperity. What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of the Almighty. (Romans 3:1-2)

The oracles of Yahweh are His responses or utterances; Holy declarations; statements originating from Yahweh, as in the entire Old Covenant. In all that they applied incorrectly, Shaul still gave the Jews a decisive advantage in knowing Yahweh’s will because they were instructed in His oracles, His law! And you? Is this your testimony? For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of the Almighty; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (Hebrews 5:12)

Far too often you were led to believe as if Yahweh has two separate wills. It is often described as His “permissive” will and His “perfect” will. It is not so loved one! Yahweh only operates with One will, and that will is always consistent, never changing or altered. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of Yahweh. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which the Almighty supplies, that in all things the Almighty may be glorified through Yahshua the Messiah, to whom belong the glory and the dominion [the Kingdom] forever and ever. So be it. (1 Peter 4:11)

In addition, do not think you can approach the throne to be instructed unless you have complete forgiveness in your heart. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)

It takes practice loved one; you must take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and make it obedient to the mind of the Messiah in you (1 Corinthians 2:16)! How? Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Yahweh’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) Then you can approach the throne of grace with His will in you, and He will “instruct [prepare] you in the way you should choose.”

How powerful, the way YOU should choose. The Messiah asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?” You choose! In Luke 18:38-42; Mark 10:48-52; and Matthew 20:31-34; those requesting that He find mercy on them are met with a favorable ruling. However, in Mark 10:35-40, James and John say, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask.” And Yahshua asks the same thing: “What do you want Me to do for you?” But, in this case they are met with a sharp rebuke instead of a favorable ruling. “These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” Prepared, yes, “Those who fear [reverence] Yahweh? He will instruct [prepare] them in the ways they should choose.” This was obviously not the perspective that the sons of thunder had in that moment of asking; they had not asked according to His will. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss [with wrong motives]. (James 4:3)

It is the path to this One Will that must be discerned. There is the path of mercy; if you approach Yahweh with the correct heart (do not ask with wrong motives), even if you are not instructed (prepared) in His way, He can still rule in your favor. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” The other path is the path of truth. This is the path of the learned, those instructed and prepared in His ways, wherein the conformity to the One will is secure, and all of your acts are of Him and empowered by Him; you have the mind of the Messiah. Yes, He is ever merciful, but in this case, He rules in your favor simply because you have been instructed and have chosen His path, His way, His will.

Two paths leading to One will, a Kingdom perspective. The risk for those who think otherwise; a mindset that believes Yahweh has standards lower than perfect holiness. Let it not be so for you loved one. Let it not be.

One Author and Finisher

One Author and Finisher

(#311 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org
“Looking unto Yahshua, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:2)

Every word matters loved one. Be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19). Would He waste His own words who has proclaimed, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise?” (Proverbs 10:19) And so as directed by His wise words, we are commanded to “look” to Yahshua as “author” and “finisher.”

What does this looking unto Yahshua mean? It means to: fix our eyes; look only; focus on; look steadfastly; to fix one’s gaze upon; to look away from all else. This is a spiritual matter. The intensity of the “looking” is not just about what you look upon, but what you look away from. It is not seeking what is physical. It is tangible, yes, but not what you can touch with your hands. Soul searching might be a more accurate explanation, a deep search within for what is and what isn’t. How can you tell if you are looking unto Yahshua? It’s obvious; take what your mind is producing in the natural and measure it against the life of He who said, “I am the way!” (John 14:6)

The author of your faith; it means: originator, source, founder, prince, and leader; the person who is the originator or founder of a movement and continues as the leader. As we look unto Him, we are commanded to see (spiritually perceive) Him as author. What does this mean to you? Would it be fair to conclude that if you don’t know what it means, or you have failed to seek out its meaning, that He has not been your top priority? Listen closely loved one; those who are His have their names recorded in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5). If your name is written, it is because you have professed your desire for Him to direct your life (mind activity). His sheep listen to His voice; He knows them, and they follow Him (John 10:27). This is what He is saying; “Look at My life; I’m the way to do it all. I stand ready to take over, but I won’t force Myself on you. And be very careful dear loved one, our Father is long suffering, but He is not timid.” Embrace that your old man has died and that His life in you has replaced him (Galatians 2:20). His life is now writing the book on yours. In other words, He is the author of your life!

The finisher of your faith; it means: perfecter, completer; the consummator who brings a process to its end. His perfection guarantees yours loved one. This crucial function has most to do with personal obedience. You are perfected because there was a death. Yes, His death paved the way. The question remains; must you die also to be perfected? An emphatic “Yes!” but then the critical distinction; die how? Our old self was impaled with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6-7) Yes, to attain the promise of perfection the death of your old nature is a requirement; the death of your body—optional.

He was the last sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:10) necessary for you to achieve the promise. He made a way for you to be perfected before physical death, yet so many will deny such is possible. These are the timid ones, never quite dedicated enough to lose their life for Him (Matthew 16:25). Each man’s work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Who do you identify with, the timid who will only escape through the flames, or the one who is willing to lose his life? What do you say when asked of perfection? “It is not possible, not until we are dead (physically); He was the only one who could be perfect?” The finisher of your faith would tell you otherwise; He would say, “I finished it for you. (John 19:30) It is My life in you now!” (Galatians 2:20) So, if He is saying “yes,” why are you saying “no?” If a house [totality of thoughts] is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. (Mark 3:25) Come to grips with this most important of realties. “It is finished;” now do your part because of it!

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?

Are you good enough?

Ed Beged

www.sufferwell.org

(#305 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

Our righteous acts are like…ed beged, in Hebrew pronounced “ayd behg’-ed”.

Don’t ever forget it; the very best you can offer is nothing more than a disgustingly dirty rag. All of us like one who has become unclean, the Hebraic perspective portraying something foul, contaminated, defiled, or utterly polluted.

For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:18-20)

Nothing good dwells in you! Without Him, all that is in you is disgustingly dirty, foul, contaminated, defiled, or utterly polluted; it is sin living in you. Why is it so very important to remember this? Because He alone saves the un-savable. The Messiah is everything! But the Mighty One demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, the Messiah died for us. (Romans 5:8) He chooses the foul ones to become sons and daughters. Nothing you did, or did not do, warranted such grace. Everything you did, or did not do, warranted His wrath.

And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4) Ah yes, those who live according to the Spirit. And so you are clear, the Spirit is the free redemptive gift; it was never your choice to receive it. You were kidnapped by sin and He paid the ransom without you ever asking. And somehow, after this redemption, we tend to lose sight of whose work it was. Yes you were made new in the transformation, but it is no longer you but the Messiah in you who lives (Galatians 2:20). Don’t lose that perspective and start behaving as if you had something good enough to offer to deserve it. Oh yes, you are worthy, but not on your own. It is only the Spirit in you that makes anything in you righteous.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Mighty One lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, they do not belong to the Messiah. But if the Messiah is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead is living in you, He who raised the Messiah from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11)

Precisely! His Spirit in you gives life because of His righteousness, not your own. Anything that you resurrect of your “self” will always be foul, contaminated, defiled, or utterly polluted. He will increase, but first you must utterly decrease (John 3:30).

Things Unsaid (The Narrow View)

Things Unsaid (The Narrow View)

(#302 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org 

“Therefore, let all Israyl be assured of this: Yahweh has made this Yahshua, whom you impaled, both Master and the Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37)

Master and the Messiah; ruler and savior; king and priest; leader and servant; lion and lamb; what shall you do? You will do what you are called to do; that’s what you’ll do. The Messiah in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), that’s who you’ll be; that’s who you are!

Are you eager to see the fruit? If you have allowed the soil of your heart (mind) to be cultivated, the seeds to be planted into fertile ground, then you are very likely sensing the rain coming, the downpour of the Spirit that is necessary for that seed to crack open (die) and the seedling (new creature) to come forth.

Because of this Suffer Well Devotional, and even more so now as we conclude this short series within, your heart must feel pricked (Acts 2:37), no? It is impossible for His word to return void (Isaiah 55:11)! For the word of the Almighty is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart [mind]. (Hebrews 4:12)

You must certainly have some “attitudes of the heart” that lead to questions:

Q: “If I agree and adhere to the patterns expressed in ‘Things Unsaid,’ and I apply them daily as I seek Yahweh’s will, can I be sure my calling will be revealed?”

A: This is exactly what will transpire! Remember that the patterns are meant to first test you, as testing of your faith produces perseverance. And perseverance will finish the work Yahweh intended in you so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:3-4) The fire, the heat, the stirring, and the pressure, are all sources of spiritual energy used to refine your calling once the dross is removed!

Q: “Why is modern-day Christianity lacking the power promised us?”

A: Ephesians 1:19-20 says we were imbued with the same power that Yahweh used to raise Yahshua from the grave, yet we still act like dirty vessels. We pretend to be “ambassadors” of Yahweh, but do not even understand our own Spiritual potential, our true destiny and calling.

Q: “It seems like I cannot just accept ‘Jesus’ into my old life and use Him as if He’s a type of: super-therapist; corporate trouble shooter; mac daddy marriage counselor; money magnet; luck charm to blow on my dice, so I can win the lottery; faith healer who will dissolve this tumor in my colon; Christian guru, can I?”

A: That is 100% correct! You can’t just paint Yahshua on your old dilapidated barn. He’s not a spray can of Rust-Oleum® who will cover over your rust. If that is what you want, I believe He would call you a “whitewashed tomb” (Matthew 23:27). Instead of covering it up, He came to tear the old barn down. Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into the Messiah Yahshua were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:3-4) Yes, a new life; a new creature, not some better version of the old creature. Yahshua the Messiah was impaled in order to become the author and perfector of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their stake daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23).

Q: “It’s a little scary to consider that learning about my true individual calling might disrupt all that I have currently attained to in my physical life, for me and my family. How should I process this?”

A: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:39) Is it freedom to satisfy all your carnal desires if you must exchange you soul for them? Having it all and yet bound by the wounds of your mind, will and emotions is not freedom. “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Q: “If I am truthful within myself, I have to admit that it’s hard to trust Yahweh for all of this. To think that His Son, His prophets, and His chosen ones truly lived by faith and not by physical sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) is a strength I fail to see in myself. What do I do?”

A: Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes. (Luke 10:4) So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:31-34) When you are weak you are strong loved one! His power is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-11). Keep admitting, “Of myself I can do nothing.” (John 5:19, 30). Never stop saying that no matter what, and He will do all within you that He predestined for you!

Q: “So what is the master key to all the keys expressed over the last six days?”

A: Brace yourself; pray this and receive! “Yahweh, I believe that You will give me the love that I need to love You and Your will more than anything else in life, and with that my calling, my purpose, and my destiny will be revealed. For in [You] we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Can you see it loved one? Can you see the intense beauty of all that He has done, and how He has done it? Make it so for us Yahweh, make it so!

But seek first the Kingdom of Yahweh and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Things Unsaid (Five)

Things Unsaid (Five)

(#301 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org

Individual direction for you personally:

After the earthquake came a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper [a still small voice]. (1 Kings 19:12)

This step in discerning Yahweh’s revelation of your calling is, no doubt, the most difficult to ascertain. Even more than the “what to do,” this part requires obedience plus an understanding of timing, timing that is decided by the Father alone. The call on your life is loud and clear; the voice that is calling, as gentle as a whisper. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) Hearing this still small voice reveals what the Most High has had planned for you from the foundations of the world. “My sheep hear [listen to] My voice; I know them and they follow Me.” (John 10:27) When you follow Him, all things are possible for those who believe (Mark 9:23).

It is also necessary to mention another subtle nuance of receiving direction, and how your choices affect how you hear His voice. “They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have Yahweh speak to us or we will die.'” (Exodus 20:19) This account exhibits how, if you are not willing to come boldly before the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16), your desire to stay one step removed will be granted by the Father. However, we also know that it is Yahweh’s preference that you hear His voice directly. It is the glory of the Most High to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (Proverbs 25:2) Never forget; you are a royal (kingly) priest (1 Peter 2:9)! Or, like Esther, you are His queen who just may be predestined to play a major role in the deliverance of His people, if you would be so bold!

“My sheep hear [listen to] My voice.” His voice will be heard by the child who is humbly confident that it is the Mighty One’s desire to speak every single direction He has for the day, and who also humbly waits to hear those directions. This is the single most personal aspect of your faith. You can personally commune with the Creator of Heaven and earth and hear His voice. If you embrace this possibility, as unique as it seems, and you build a strong desire for such in your everyday life, your journey to discovery will be more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

There is one final jewel in understanding “Things Unsaid.” This personal revelation, the most unique part of discovering your calling, can only be trusted if, first, you have submitted to obeying all the patterns. In other words, in order for you to trust that you are getting “individual direction straight from the voice of your Creator,” you must acknowledge that:

1. He makes the riches of His glory known to His objects of mercy by using His objects of wrath;

2. You did not choose Him; He chose you;

3. No weapon forged against you will prevail and Yahweh Himself forms the weapon;

4. Personal priorities get in the way of hearing His answers;

5. Revelation of your personal calling is already in you. The Messiah in you guarantees it;

6. You must receive and apply wisdom and wisdom is learned, earned and discerned;

7. To discern the voice of your Creator, you must:

a. Learn the word of the Most High;

b. Reject human wisdom;

c. Love Yahweh and obey His commands;

d. Understand what the Almighty has freely given you;

e. Put on the mind of the Messiah;

8. Wisdom is discerned for specific times and reasons;

9. Wisdom is unique to each person and each situation;

10. Wisdom denies all personal desire and prefers the greater good of others;

11. Wisdom dies on a stake while completely innocent and forgives those who murder her.

Do these and you can be confident you will hear His voice. Then, no longer can you settle for: “I am not sure why I am here, or what my calling is.” The earth cries out for sons and daughters who operate in the fullness of their calling. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of the Almighty to be revealed. (Romans 8:19) As we all step into our personal callings, we then can establish dominion corporately and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

All things are possible for those who believe!

Things Unsaid (Four)

Things Unsaid (Two)

Things Unsaid (Two)

(#298 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org
The Father’s supernatural use of His “vessels of wrath” to guide you personally:

Yahweh said to Mosheh, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you power to do. But I will harden his heart [mind] so that he will not let My people go.” (Exodus 4:21)

Yahweh called Mosheh for a specific reason, to free His people, and granted him the power to do so. We will call this Yahweh’s wisdom and direction for Mosheh to fulfill his purpose (calling). He tells Mosheh to deliver a message to Pharaoh and then Yahweh hardens Pharaoh’s heart so that he WOULD NOT let the people go. Knowing that this appears absurd to the unredeemed mind, Shaul writes: “What if the Almighty, choosing to show His wrath and make known His power, bore with great patience the objects of His wrath prepared for destruction? What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the objects of mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory…?” (Romans 9:22-23)

The vessel of wrath, in this case Pharaoh, who would ultimately be destroyed, was created to make things difficult for Mosheh. Yahweh’s intention was to make Mosheh (His object of mercy) aware of His glorious calling, and at the same time, to reveal His own glory. In other words, Yahweh used a vessel of wrath to guide Mosheh to his destiny. The pattern is this; the Father inserts objects of wrath into the path of His people to effect a fuller understanding of their calling. The purpose is to alter their course, leading them to discover the vision He has for them.

One of the keys to understanding the process of discovering your personal calling is to recognize how the tests force you to practice rest in the midst of “wrath.” Testing teaches you to fully trust Yahweh’s guidance when unforeseen events take place, even if those events are initiated by those destined for destruction. Once this is affirmed in you, you can testify, “I am always right where I am supposed to be. He will make sure of it. His sovereignty guarantees it.”

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 18:3) The Kingdom is meant to be understood by children. The reality that Yahweh is sovereign over all is more easily accepted by a child. That He is sovereign over both the chosen and the unchosen is ONLY accepted by a child! You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. (John 15:16)

“No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and this is their vindication from Me, declares Yahweh.” (Isayah 54:17) The weapon will not prevail; you will overcome it. Nevertheless, this does not negate the fact that it is Yahweh Himself who formed it. “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc.” (Isayah 54:16)

The vessel of wrath is His tool to test His chosen ones; it is His way of making the riches of His glory known.

So is My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isayah 55:11)

The vessel of wrath is His tool to test His chosen ones; it is His way of making the riches of His glory known. Listen very closely loved one. If you reject and resist the oppressive force of the weapon that was meant to test and refine you, then you are rejecting the sovereignty of Yahweh and the predetermined plan that He chose for you specifically, in order to bring you into your personal calling. If the weapon brings suffering, then suffer well, endure, and step in to your calling!

Things Unsaid (One)

Things Unsaid (One)

(#297 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org

It is time to unlock the revelatory calling in your life; it is a supernatural gift. But in order to fine tune your narrow path, we must initially take a broad view. It is essential that you first remember that the totality of Yahweh’s commands apply universally. In other words, the commandments are not for personal interpretation, the entire body (congregating thoughts) is called to obey because the Law expresses the superior will of Yahweh (Romans 2:17-18).

Once you come into alignment with that, it’s then time to get personal; “The commandments do not tell me anything specific about my calling. So, what part of the body am I; and how do I know?” It is a common perplexity faced by those who do not recognize scriptural patterns, those missing some keys to the Kingdom. Let’s call those missing keys “things unsaid.” They unlock doorways to your very personal calling. Scripturally, you might call them the backstory. Let us demonstrate this by encapsulating a well-known scriptural narrative.

The central figure is David, the man after Yahweh’s own heart. The story can be found in 2 Samuel 7, his vision to build a temple made of cedar for Yahweh. It’s a detailed story with countless allusions and lessons, but for our purpose we will keep it pointed. David declares his disdain for the tent that he has placed the Ark of the Covenant in and his subsequent desire to put the Ark in a “house of cedar.” Let us remind you that it was David’s choice to put the Ark in a tent in the courtyard of his palace in Jerusalem, instead of putting it back in the Tabernacle Mosheh built, which was still standing in Gibeon.

This should be your first hint that something is either very wrong or that David knows something we don’t. And that is the key (pattern) we want you to recognize. There is no record anywhere that Yahweh had ever told man that His plan was to move the Ark from a tent of curtains to a house of cedar. Yet, we know from Yahweh’s response that it was the exact vision that He wanted David to capture, and He blessed David and his progeny for his faithfulness. What we don’t see is all the asking, seeking, and knocking (Luke 11:9-10); all the spiritual tenacity of not letting go (Genesis 32:26); and the spiritual violence (Matthew 11:12) it took for David to discern the heart of Yahweh and find the vision He had for him, in order for him to advance His Kingdom. He was after all, a man after Yahweh’s heart. And this is precisely what He has for you, a vision you are supposed to seek after, one that He predestined for you as your contribution in building His Kingdom (Romans 8:28-29).

Over the next four days we will define specific patterns which will lead to the greatest of all earthly pleasures, knowing your Creator better and discovering why you exist for Him:

1. The Father’s supernatural use of His “vessels of wrath” to guide you personally;

2. A simple look at the life, and not just the words, of men like

Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Israyl, Kepha (Peter), Shaul, or Yahshua Himself;

3. Individual wisdom (insight, revelation) for you;

4. Individual direction for you personally.

We will take each of these, one at a time, and you will step into the purpose He predestined for you. For today, we ask that you till (mentally prepare) the soil (ability to receive) of your heart (center of intellect) (Hosea 10:12, Jeremiah 4:3-4), and ask Yahweh, even now, to reveal and overcome any carnally-based perspective that has held you back. Come wanting to listen and hear. Till the soil today and be ready to plant the seeds of His love deep into your consciousness. Up and away loved one, to the highest of heights (the mind of the Messiah).

With Yahweh You are Never Lost

Lost?

(#296 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)

www.sufferwell.org
“From one man He made every nation of men, so they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26)

Have you ever said, or heard someone say, “I feel lost?” And we don’t mean in regards to longitude and latitude, but in vision, purpose and direction. Today is your day to step into your inheritance, to acknowledge that you have already been released into your destiny. In the Messiah Yahshua, you who once were far off [at a distance, far away, remote, alien] have been brought near by the blood [having been shed] of the Messiah. (Ephesians 2:13) Your destiny has been ordained by Yahweh. Put off the old man (Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:22) and never look back, “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” (Philippians 3:13)

All that awaits those who look back is salt (Genesis 19:26). The “salt” of bitterness, regret, and shame, is all that is available if you do not “forget those things which are behind.” Instead of clear vison, purpose, and direction, you will feel lost. Have you sung, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound; I once was lost, but now I’m found,” only to have your life truly sing, “And now I feel lost again?” Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. (James 3:11-12) Found yet lost again? This ought not to be so! (v. 10)

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:22) There are several things you can do to guard against this mental relapse:

Choose Facts over Feelings: First, you must decide to live in what is known and not what is felt. Fact: He determined the times set for you and the exact places where you should live. How you feel about something may not always jive with His truth; in that case your feelings MUST acquiesce to the facts. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares Yahweh, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11) How then can you be “lost?” It’s not possible loved one, other than you giving more weight to your feelings than His promises.

Grow up: Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? (Isaiah 28:9) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of the Almighty; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (Hebrews 5:12) It is time to grow up; time for some solid food! For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of mature. (Hebrews 5:13-14a)

Transform Your Mind: Digest this; what the Father says is true for all time! You can, and must bet your life on it. Transforming your mind (heart) is a process that must start now. The mature thinker has their “senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14b) and concludes: “I feel lost but I know it is not possible because my life is in His hands.” This type of thinking is an indication of a transformation taking place; it is the “renewing” of your mind. (Romans 12:2) A mind that can digest “solid food” will deny all that opposes His word, no matter how it feels.

The complete transformation of every thought that does not conform to the mind of Yahweh is victoriously within your grasp. It is not as difficult as you might think; it’s as simple as a choosing what He says over what you feel. You are never lost loved one, only choosing to feel that way.

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)