Tag Archives: Christmas
Being Steadfast
We are in a race and we must run this race to win and not give up. That is why we must do our best not to get distracted and pace ourselves to win the race. The prize is far greater than we can comprehend with our human minds. Eternity awaits us!
King of More
(#150 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
I met a man, a humble man. He was humbled by patterns of affliction. His wife, taken from him in a foreign country and jailed for reasons unknown to him. His four children, missing for months and only recently discovered scattered among friends and relatives. Yes, he himself imprisoned with no way of communicating with any of them. He says to me, “What can I do but trust? Every day I pray and wait, and that somehow I would hear some news. I pray that my wife is ok, and that she is soon reunited with the children. I pray that one day we will all be together again. Uphold me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. (Psalm 119:116)” He looked me in the eyes; I could see the depths of his soul. The word “surrendered” came to my mind. Like Job, everything was taken from him.
It is “natural” to consider such suffering and be grateful for what we have. It is the way we have programmed our minds, almost like “being content with settling.” We have these thoughts; “Well if he can be hopeful and he has it that bad, I feel ‘guilty’ for feeling bad. I should be more grateful, even though I desire more. Yes Father, I need to be content with what I have.”
Is this what Yahweh has for us? Is this more than we can ask for, think or imagine? (Ephesians 3:20) I declare that I would be amiss if I did not proclaim the contrary.
“You are the Father of more. You are the great I Am. You are the infinite One. I know this because You planted it in the heart You gave me. You have shown Yourself to be this way. For these reasons, I cannot settle. I want fullness of life, not just getting by. I need to believe in the abundant more Father. You are the King of more, and I come to You in obedience.”
Yes, my soul screams out “Abundance!” and with that Father, I leave it with You.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)
Who Is Blessed?
Break it Down
(#143 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Note from the editors: take a breath; clear your mind; and enjoy the ride!
Psalm 84:5-7
Blessed [favored] are those [the ones who follow the pattern] whose strength [power, provision, purpose] is in You [Abba], who have [without guessing, moving forward] set [like in concrete, steadfast] their hearts [minds] on a pilgrimage [advancing, moving, no rust, no moths]. As they pass [yes, they leave and move on] the Valley [low places] of Baca [weeping], they [the ones operating in Abba’s power] make it [create a new thing] a place of springs [life, abundance, real reality]; the autumn [falling] rains [Spirit outpouring] also [as well as, doubly] cover [sustain] it [the mind in the valley] with pools [abundant blessing, overflow]. They [the blessed ones] go [keep moving] from strength [trust in Yahweh] to strength [more trust in Yahweh, closer to perfection] till each appears [kneels] before the Mighty One [Yahweh] in Zion [un-obstruction, perfection, a pure mind].
Here is a powerful paraphrase for your edification:
Favored are the ones who follow the pattern, whose provision and purpose are in the Father, who move forward without guessing and with steadfast minds advance. They leave the lower place of weeping by operating in Abba’s power and create something new, a place of abundance; the Holy Spirit pouring out in double portion is what sustains their new thinking with abundant overflow and blessings. These blessed children of Yahweh continue to move from trusting in Yahweh to even more trust in Yahweh as they approach perfection, until each kneels before the Mighty One with a perfect, un-obstructed, pure mind.
Obedience To Yahweh
Choose This Day, or I Will
(#139 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Please read Deuteronomy 28:1-12 before you continue:
If you fully obey Yahweh your Mighty One and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, Yahweh your Mighty One will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey Yahweh your Mighty One:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
Yahweh will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
Yahweh will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. Yahweh your Mighty One will bless you in the land He is giving you. Yahweh will establish you as His holy people, as He promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of Yahweh your Mighty One and walk in obedience to Him.
Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of Yahweh, and they will fear you.
Yahweh will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land He swore to your ancestors to give you.
Yahweh will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.
You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
If you fully obey…
Blessed above all nations.
Blessed in the city.
Blessed in the country.
Blessed in your womb.
Blessed with your crops.
Blessed with your flocks.
Blessed in your basket.
Blessed in your coming and going.
Blessed in victory over your enemies; they will flee from you, in seven ways.
Blessed in your barns.
Blessed with your hands.
Blessed in the land.
Blessed in holiness.
Blessed with prosperity.
Blessed from the heavens.
Blessed in lending.
Blessed as the head.
The key phrase among all these blessings is, “If you fully obey!” Do you see the beauty of it, the “it” being your obedience? Doesn’t it sound abundant? Yahweh says, “I have a special plan for you, a plan to bless you. I only want goodness for you.
Doesn’t My Son’s death prove that to you? I desire and I will have your obedience.
If you would you like to see how adamant I Am about blessing you, read about My curses for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
Yes, I will make sure you get your blessings. Soon My child, pleasing Me will be your only desire.
Love
Worthy of Me
(#128 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.Sufferwell.org
He who loves [and takes more pleasure in] father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves [and takes more pleasure in] son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his stake and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:37-39)
Do you “love” the gift more than the Giver? Do you take more pleasure in your family than the One who created not only the concept of the family, but your family itself? “The family as a concept?” you question. Yes, it is a pattern on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). The family was created as a shadow of My heavenly realm, My heavenly family. How then could you prefer the family I created for you over Me? May I expose your top three reasons? It is not that I don’t understand your decisions to place them above Me, even if unintended. I know your heart; it too is a creation of Mine.
#Three: You claim that loving them is loving Me.
#Two: My father and mother never loved me properly, so I vowed to do it right.
#One: We can touch them, hold them, feel them, and see them.
Love is also something I created so you could know Me, My character, and My nature (1 Corinthians 13). If you are “in love”, you are in Me. I Am love. If you are in Me, then you are not “in error.” Choosing family above Me is error. Once you have properly connected with Me, in love, only then may you properly love others. Again, you cannot love apart from Me. I Am love. I cannot be separated from love. All love contains Me. I define love; none of your ideas of love are correct apart from Me.
Here are My top three ways to help remedy your problem.
#One: Repent!
#Two: Open your heart (mind) to Me first.
#Three: Spend time with Me so you can learn how to love.
Soon and very soon, My child, you will realize that because of My love you are worthy of Me and all the love that I offer. I Am in love with you.
This I Know
This I Know
(#122 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
When can you truly be “free?” It’s complex, yet so very simple. It’s merely a matter of “self” realization. Freedom can only come from the realization that the ego exists as part of your carnal nature, and that the carnal nature is one of total wickedness. Couple the awareness of this with the implantation of the Spirit of Yahweh into the conscience, and therewith, the idea of freedom becomes a realization, but not yet realized.
Paul speaks of “flesh vs. Spirit” and reveals, in part, the answer that is being elaborated here. Yes, the answer lies in this simple thought: “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please the Almighty. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Mighty One dwells in you.” (Romans 8:8-9) I now realize that everything about my “self” (carnal nature) must decrease in order to become everything He desires for me. I must decrease! (John 3:30) This is most certainly a key component to the pattern of freedom, and must transform every thought within; but it is not the totality of the pattern.
The next step comes from obedience to step one; the realization that “On my own I shall never be good, ever!” By continually acknowledging this portion of the pattern, a new reality is birthed into consciousness, and it will sound something like this:
“Father, I am ready for the transformation, a complete shift from carnal to spiritual in all areas of my thought life. I believe that what first qualifies me is the presence of Your Spirit in me. And then when You do transform me and set me free, that the persistent recognition of it stirs this confession within; ‘I could have never done this, nor would I have ever wanted this goodness and purity apart from You.’”
It’s so very—perfect!
This is the only answer for a Coronavirus Cure.
This is the only answer for a Coronavirus Cure.
I Need That
I Need That
(#067 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Father, when a word I give helps another, I need that.
When I dream of how Your blessings are coming and someone confirms it, I need that.
When I pray to You and sense Your strong presence, I need that.
When friends and loved ones pray for me, I need that.
When my children can still find joy in You even while I suffer, I need that.
When my children desire to stay intimate with me, I need that.
When I pray and You answer, I need that.
When I ask You to show me the way and You do, I need that.
The faith to trust what I cannot see, I need that.
Daily hope, I need that.
Whispers from Your Spirit, I need that.
Words of affirmation, I need that.
Favor, I need that.
Forgiveness, I need that.
Wisdom and knowledge, I need that.
Humility and meekness, I need that.
The ability to sing no matter the circumstance, I need that.
The heart to continually worship, I need that.
Courage, I need that.
Strength to stand before my Goliath, I need that.
Peace and prosperity, I need that.
Father, you provide all we need because You promise that we shall not want (Psalm 23). You promise that through the knowledge and understanding of You we will have all we need for life. Please fill our hearts so completely that we would no longer are aware of what we need.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of the Almighty and the Master Yahshua Messiah, as His Spiritual power has given to us all things that pertain to life and being conformed to His Mighty image, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the spiritual nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)
Ecclesiastes 6
Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another serious tragedy I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity. 2 God gives some people great wealth and honor and everything they could ever want, but then he doesn’t give them the chance to enjoy these things. They die, and someone else, even a stranger, ends up enjoying their wealth! This is meaningless—a sickening tragedy.
3 A man might have a hundred children and live to be very old. But if he finds no satisfaction in life and doesn’t even get a decent burial, it would have been better for him to be born dead. 4 His birth would have been meaningless, and he would have ended in darkness. He wouldn’t even have had a name, 5 and he would never have seen the sun or known of its existence. Yet he would have had more peace than in growing up to be an unhappy man. 6 He might live a thousand years twice over but still not find contentment. And since he must die like everyone else—well, what’s the use?
7 All people spend their lives scratching for food, but they never seem to have enough. 8 So are wise people really better off than fools? Do poor people gain anything by being wise and knowing how to act in front of others?
9 Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.
The Future—Determined and Unknown
10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny.
11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they?
12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?
John 3:6-10 Children Reading The Bible
John 3:6-10 Children Reading The Bible
