Tag Archives: Zachariah
Conviction of the Holy Spirit
Soothed
(#283 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
It’s never “just semantics.” Every word that proceeds from your mouth reveals your state of mind, and your state of mind is either completely holy or it isn’t. He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I Am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16) Can you have wrong thinking and still be holy? Can a house (mindset) be divided and still be whole? Yes, your house is your mindset, the thoughts that permeate your being! But Yahshua knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25) How better can we demonstrate the undivided mind than by the words of Yahshua Himself? “I can of Myself [ego] do nothing. As I hear [the Father], I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” (John 5:30) Unless His will is your will, you are a house divided.
And now you are responsible for this reality. You can make no excuses, allow no room for compromise. As you embrace this truth, your mind will become soothed, calmness will overtake you, and your faith will be reassured. But, let’s go deeper and add an extraordinary nuance to your understanding.
This soothing experience is not taking place in your own mind. It is actually His Spirit in you, His mind in you that you are sensing. It is no longer you, but the Messiah who lives in you! (Galatians 2:20) For “who has known the mind of the Master that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of the Messiah. (1 Corinthians 2:16) He speaks in the Holy of Holies within His temple. You are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). And remember, flesh and blood (self) cannot enter this most holy place. Praise Yahweh that “you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of the Almighty dwells in you.” (Romans 8:9)
If you are lazy, you may claim semantics are at work here; but the cost of doing so will be high. Rather than dismiss it, let this prayer marinate in your bones. “Father I know Your Spirit within me is always in a perfect state, complete in every way, lacking nothing. I deeply sense the effects of Your Spirit and how soothing You are. Thank you, and may I always proclaim that it is not I who lives, but You who lives in me. Let my life song sing…’I do not seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.’”
Only by HIS Power!
Feeding Frenzy
(#269 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
He rules forever by His power. His eyes watch the nations, lest the rebels exalt themselves. (Psalm 66:7) Selah [ponder this]
If it is His power alone that rules all things, then you would do well to consider how it is you have reached any level of success or authority? “And Yahshua came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore…'” (Matthew 28:18-19) If you have any authority at all, it is because He has passed the mantle to you. “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19) Therefore, if you’ve reached the “top” having never followed His leading to get there, then by what “power” did you arrive? “Not by might nor by [your own] power, but by My Spirit,” Says Yahweh of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
The author of true power, power which never diminishes, only releases such through His Spirit to the righteous (right thinking). Unfortunately, many of you will convince yourselves that you have been “good enough” to deserve His blessings and power. This personal “goodness” is nothing but a byproduct of “self” deception. “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10, 12) And more so, what does the desire for, or the reliance on, personal power entail? It necessitates the use of tricks and manipulation. If you have “success” and it did not come through His power, then you have hijacked it. And remember, His eyes watch the nations, lest the rebels exalt themselves.
Conversely, if it is the power of Yahweh that has promoted you, then your success will always be accompanied by fruit in your life that has His signature on it: obedience, humility, repentance, and “self” realization. The latter, of course, meaning the realization that the “self” must die to make room for His true power to manifest in you.
What are you feeding on loved one? What desires do you have? Are they rooted and grounded in the perfect life of Yahshua the Messiah? A good way to know is to ask these questions; “Would He have cared about such things?” And, “Would He have done what I did to get them?” There is only one source of power loved one. Everything else is vanity and will be sifted like chaff from amongst the wheat.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 2:11)
The Perfected Mind
The Perfected Mind
(#249 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:3) The mind of Messiah is no less than the knowledge and wisdom of everything pertaining to sinless thinking. And the nuance we want you to grasp now is that the perfected mind itself is a creation of Yahweh for mankind. What an awesome perspective! Perfection in thoughts, and therefore by Holy design, perfection in actions, is a creation of the Almighty? In essence, Yahweh Himself is above perfection, beyond it, if you can imagine. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:23).
Although perfection is commanded, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”
(Matthew 5:48), how many of you are so emphatic that, “No one can be perfect!”? This equates to no less than a barefaced rejection of your full inheritance for which Messiah died. Don’t believe it?
· Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. (1 John 3:6)
· Whoever has been born of the Mighty One does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of the Mighty One. (1 John 3:9)
· We know that whoever is born of the Mighty One does not sin; but he who has been born of the Mighty One keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (1 John 5:18)
If you continually excuse the lack of effort to reach for perfection, calling it humility, claiming that you are resisting the “self-indulgent” effort to be holy, again you tread dangerously close to trampling the shed blood underfoot. This is not humility loved one, but false humility. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins… Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of the Almighty underfoot, counted the blood of the Covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26, 29)
A perfect mind is possible only because of Yahshua’s life manifesting in you and that is only available, or more precisely “mandated,” because of the blood He shed. For those who understand this, there are things you will need to remember. On your journey to perfected thinking, one crucial thing to grasp is humility, no, not just humility, vast humility. This is quite different from the false humility we just exposed.
Once you begin, through strict and disciplined obedience, to access the mind of perfection, you will be able to root out any and all deceptive patterns of thinking. You must first do this in yourself before you are free to recognize it in others. This is a penetrating and humbling experience. Part of perfection is the decreasing “need” to correct the errors of others. Like Messiah in you (Colossians 1:27), you will learn to first pray for others rather than being quick to rebuke and correct. Be still and know that He is Yahweh, not you (Psalm 46:10). Part of perfect mindedness is the reality that prayer is the most powerful and effective tool you have. Ah yes, the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
Another crucial concept to understand is that the perfected mind speaks only after having exhausted every possible remedy and conclusion that fails to meet the Holy standard. In other words, a question like, “Well, did you think about this?” will always be met in the affirmative. How could you be at a perfected level of thinking otherwise? All avenues have been considered, and the perfected mind picks the perfect way every time. This is no less than Yahweh’s fullness in you loved one. With this type of thinking, how could the solution not always be perfect?
But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. (1 Corinthians 13:10-12)
It takes vast humility to sit face to face with Messiah! It is what will draw you closer to the perfect mind, and when you arrive it is what will keep you there. And then, it will take you beyond!
Unexpected Trials
Retrospection
(#240 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
As we go, we grow, and we set a path. –Michael David Beiter, Jr.
There comes a time when you realize that the edge you once stood on, that threshold where your utter despair and Yahweh’s comfort joined hands, was just “one edge,” for a new edge had come. You had persevered the anguish, believing that it could never be that tough again. But then, there it was again, a new edge with new circumstances, and that old pain. You thought you had grown, matured, and gained deeper spiritual insight. But, in an instant, you were crippled all over again.
Thankfully, in the moment you recognize the patterns; truly they are all you have. You realize the need to stay silent as you teeter on this new edge. You battle with memories of the regrets you had from the last breaking point; “I don’t want to think that again; I know what it says to You Father.” You purpose to make no impetuous moves, no emotional mistakes. You can’t afford to slip. “Don’t let me fall Father,” is repeated often in your silence. You meditate on your past victories, remembering how strong you felt after overcoming. Somehow you expected that the strength you had gained would be more permanent, not just a new arrow in your quiver, but a new bow. But this new crisis seems to vanquish the enlightenment gained from past victories. You wonder if you actually learned anything. Doubts enter in; “Am I a fool? Is any of this faith I claim even real? Are You real Father; are You here?” You become ashamed of these thoughts, but if you don’t reckon with them, that old friend sorrow will soon return.
Why is a devotional such as this remotely possible after so many others have expressed the power we possess to overcome? The answer is profoundly simple, His Holiness of course. The Holiness we will attain from this new “death” is far more than what we gained from the last edge we stood on. And each new edge is a fresh stone of remembrance on the path to Him, a reminder of His promises and His faithfulness (Joshua 4).
“You mean even when I think I have learned to be ‘unoffendable’ and pure of mind, Your high calling is purer still? And not only this, but that each edge creates something beautifully new in me, even when it makes me feel like I have now failed in an area I once thought conquered? Even if it makes me feel like I have forgotten everything I had previously learned?”
That’s correct loved one. Death, death, and another death is the path to His Holiness. The embodiment of strength: it is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). We have held you to a Holy standard. We know that illuminating patterns, and what they have produced within you, is inspirational. This word was to remind you that when you reach the place where you can only cry, “I can’t do it!” that is when you are in the safest, securest, most glorious, and transformational place possible; you are in the Palm of Yahweh—in the pure essence of His Holiness. You are going to make it. He is everything He claims to be.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
Love’s Attributes (9) Love thinks no evil
Love’s Attributes (9)
(#163 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
“Love thinks no evil!” (1 Corinthians 13:5)
Love thinks no evil, and therefore, Yahweh thinks no evil!
Evil, bad, spoiled, and afflicted, again as we delve into Hebrew origins, we are quick to find evil’s true meaning. If afflicted, afflicted where? In the conscience of course, in processes of thought! Therefore, if the mind is evil in thought, the mind is afflicted.
Evil is a fruit of a different kind; it rots from its core outward, from the center of consciousness out into the physical realm. We can see that it first destroys the one thinking evil and then it taints all that it comes in contact with. And even as they did not like to retain the Almighty in their knowledge, the Mighty One gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting. (Romans 1:28)
This ninth attribute of love is dealt with using much patience and faith, and this in Yahweh alone. If man could not, nor would ever choose righteousness, right thinking (Romans 3:10), then it only stands as holy truth that every thought produced from the “self” is evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11) Be of good cheer loved one, as Yahshua the Messiah has provided a way for your mind to be redeemed. Shedding the blood (life force) of the “self”, He has shown the pattern, the narrow path, for the removal of all evil in conscience. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. (Hebrews 10:2) “How does that happen?” you ask. “Your thoughts are not your own,” of course (John 12:49)! The pattern is to learn obedience to Yahweh’s commands alone, forsaking some supposed “free will” choice to do good. Obedience removes the evil within loved one. Obey and let Yahweh cleanse!
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. (John 13:34-35)
Love’s Attributes (8) Love is not provoked
Love’s Attributes (8)
(#162 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.Sufferwell.org
“Love is not provoked!” (1 Corinthians 13:5)
Love is not provoked, and therefore, Yahweh is not provoked!
From its origination in Hebrew and the context of different words dealing with provocation, it is always love’s enemy that does the provoking. And though love is never hindered by it, identifying the provoker is the key.
So what are love’s enemies? Hate, pride, resentment, selfishness, greed, and on and on it goes. And, from where do these enemies derive? That’s right, from none other than the ego of man. But be of good cheer loved one, as love is not provoked. It will never be defeated by the vain conditions of the mind of man.
And this eighth attribute of love, or pillar as we gain a mental picture, speaks as the previous seven; it mocks any offense, as love itself is unoffendable. Again, love is complete as it is. Created by Yahweh as a revelation of His essence, love is filled with the power of Yahweh, the power to attain to the exact purpose of its existence. Ask yourself, “Was man created for love, or was love created for man?” How you answer this says much, and you would do well to seek His face and receive His answer.
Remember loved one, when scripture reveals that Yahweh is not provoked, it is never that love has felt the need to be anything other than what it already is. The provoking is illustrated to show you how the ego is always in opposition to the truth about love, ever straining to compromise it with intellectual and emotional rationalization!
I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. (John 13:34-35)
No Weapon “Formed”
No Weapon “Formed”
(#081 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
There are several definitions for the word “form.” One in particular fits perfectly, giving you the clue about how to identify and then root out the personal ego’s pattern. A “form” is a document for the collection of information. Let’s consider that, “No weapon formed against [you] shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:16-17)
Yes, the forming here is describing an action, but what is being formed, and how, is what we need to pay close attention to. No doubt, it is Yahweh who allows the forming of the weapon, as He is the one who created the blacksmith (v. 16). Yet, the enemy uses this pattern of forming weapons against you as he “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) And, although the weapon may vary from believer to believer, the pattern is always the same. Follow the target; find the weakness, and then attack. Watch and listen to the response, collect more information, and attack again.
The weapon is always well formed. The enemy does not attack until there is enough information gathered. It might be a female, a new job, or an accusation. It could be wealth or poverty. Whatever weapon has been formed, it is tailor-made to destroy you if possible. How could it be so precise? Exactly what was needed to potentially create a great deal of harm to you? Listen very closely. It’s your life, your own words, and actions that were put into a data base. The weapon was formed precisely because you supplied all the information. Staring at pornography? Obviously lust is a weakness. Talking negative about your boss? Your negativity is now the weapon formed against you. Eighty hour work week while neglecting your faith and family? Your master is money and it now becomes the weapon.
The weapon is customized just by the enemy watching and listening to you. All of its power is gained from your external life, which reveals your mind (heart). There is no need to read thoughts; they are manifested in every action. “Watch and listen.” This is the key to the weapon’s mastery. The enemy is the grand information gatherer.
What now? Guard your words! In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19) Let your words be wholesome and few. Go to your Father in silent prayer when you have a problem. And your actions, principalities can see all that you do. Yahweh’s messengers of light are merciful! Satan’s messengers of darkness are deadly! They hear your words; they see everything you do.
Now consider the power of recognizing the truth about how the enemy, and your own sensual desires, form the weapons used against you. It is simply the data that you feed him. Praise Yahweh for He is faithful even when you are not! After you praise Him, change the way you live your life. Stop feeding the weapon which causes you pain and suffering. This is a mature faith indeed.
Yahshua is faithful and will establish you and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
Gathering and Suffering in My Name
Gathering in My Name
(#040 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Many years ago, a group sat before Me convinced I was there;
Gathered in My Name.
Someone convinced them that My being “there” meant I’d answer;
Gathered in My Name.
She said, “He’s leaving me,” and then adds, “I’m fine with that;”
Gathered in My Name.
“I can’t stand my job; my boss is so pushy;”
Gathered in My Name.
“God, can you hear us; there are more than two of us here;”
Gathered in My Name.
“We know you have greater things for us; please help us understand;”
Gathered in My Name.
“We’ve been coming together for months Lord; yet, Your hand has not moved;”
Gathered in My Name.
“Your Word cannot lie Lord; so why are You silent?”
Gathered in My Name.
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness of church pews….
The group sits before Me, with My Son and Spirit as witnesses;
Gathering in My Name.
“Father we praise You; and we worship and adore You;”
Gathering in My Name.
“We know we must change Yahweh, our hearts set like flints;”
Gathering in My Name.
“Your magnificent glory is all we can think of;”
Gathering in My Name.
“How foolish of us to think that gathering was for us.”
Gathering in My Name.
“We thank you Abba for the privilege of suffering;”
Gathering in My Name.
“By Your grace may we never forget why You made us.”
Gathering in My Name.
“And we thank you Father that as we praise You, You bless us;”
Gathering in My Name.
“Now seal it in us that we never forget this;”
Gathering in My Name.
It takes a humbling of the soul through the process of affliction for transformation to become evident. The suffering that brings about change is ultimately recognized as necessary to the one who endures. In the end, there is a piercing conviction of what it means to be gathered in His Name, the Name of Yahweh. All other man-made titles will fall away. In this Name and by this Name all else is sifted like wheat; only chaff remains. There is only light or darkness, loved one. There is only truth or compromise.
“Princes of nations are gathered together, the people of the Mighty One of Abraham, for unto the Almighty belongs the shields of the earth! He is greatly exalted!” (Psalm 47:9)
Life and Death – My Dreams For You
It makes no sense to throw a life preserver to a dead man right? How can a person die and still be be born again if he died? I talk about this in this video as we ponder Yahweh’s dreams for us.
My Dreams for You
(#028 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Come and hear, all you who fear the Almighty, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. (Psalm 66:16)
Listen to My voice; I know it will soothe your soul, for this is what I have planned. What desires have I put in your heart (Psalm 37:4)? What passion do you have for My will? You can run from Me, but you cannot hide forever. You cannot ignore your longing for Me indefinitely; it is ultimately inescapable.
Although you may backslide, you will return, for who has resisted My will (Romans 9:19)? I share the dreams you have for your life because they are My dreams for you. I created them specifically for you. I will give you your heart’s desires and not withhold, from you, the request of your lips (Psalm 21:2).
Remember, as My servant, you cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). My Son redeemed you and forever changed your future. When you resist your calling, your ego speaks to Me. “I can find comfort in serving another!” That is like putting My Son back on the torture stake. Your ongoing sinfulness is My evidence that, if left to your own devices, you would murder again. In this you indict yourself.
Surrender, My child, to the desires that I have for you. If you do, you will have all you dream of. I Am One whose promises can be tested and always found true.
I Am not like a man that I should lie (Numbers 23:19).
All My ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30).
I will make all things known to you (Ephesians 1:9; 3:5).
I will not leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).
My love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
I Am here. Will you have Me?
Sabbath Fellowship Friday December 30th, 2022 @ 8pm et.
Sabbath Fellowship
Join Paul Nison and guest as we fellowship and discuss bible topics.