Tag Archives: Zachary Bauer
A Plea for Justice
Crossroads
(#279 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Let my vindication come from Your presence; let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. (Psalm 17:2)
“I hear you son.”
“What part Father?”
“The crossroads you face, the conflict in your heart about vindication.”
“You are always listening; aren’t you Daddy?”
“Of course I Am son; open your heart to Me about it.”
“You’ve brought me so far already Father.”
“You are welcome.”
“Yes. You know that I always thank you.”
“I know son. Go on.”
“Well, I have been crying out for vindication for quite some time now.”
“And?”
“I’m just not sure it matters as much anymore, at least not in the same way.”
“You are at the crossroads son; it’s a new place.”
“I believe so Father. Is asking for vindication just seeking to be exonerated in the sight of man?”
“Let Me ask you son; do you believe you are right with Me?”
“It was done at the stake, but more than ever, it has become so personal. Yes Father, I believe I am righteous in Your eyes.”
“So, if you are vindicated in My sight, then why do you still cry out for vindication in man’s sight?”
“That’s the crossroads Father. Suddenly I’m not so sure I need that anymore.”
“Son?”
“Yes Father?”
“It’s time to choose the gate.”
“You mean…the narrow gate that leads to life? (Matthew 7:13-14)
“Yes. It’s the narrowest of all possible ways. And there are few who find it!” (v14)
“I’m scared Father. What will become of me? I…”
“No son. Fear not, for I Am with you; be not dismayed, for I Am your Mighty One. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“Then you’ve got me Abba?”
“I’ve got you son. Your humility is so beautiful to Me.”
“Will you walk the narrow road with me Abba?”
“Better than that My precious son; I will carry you!”
Even to your old age, I Am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry and will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4)
In His Presence
One Day
(#277 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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“For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of Yahweh, than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)
It is time to go deeper! You learned in yesterday’s devotion: “There is so much more beauty below the surface loved one; it is where He makes ‘known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.’ (Ephesians 1:9) If you are willing to go there, you will see things never before seen and experience things never before experienced.”
You must go deeper and today is the day to go there. Today we will serve our King with the reverence He is due. The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10) Even in this verse, if you dip just below the surface you will see that this is not a paralyzing crippling fear or anxiety, but reverence. Reverence of Yahweh is the beginning of all wisdom! So, reverence Him and let His Spirit guide you as we re-spect (look again at) Psalm 84:10. “For one day in Your courts…”
“For one day [illumination] in Your courts [“separated” and “surrounded” by Your presence] is better than a thousand [days of illumination] elsewhere [from some source other than Yahweh]. I would rather be a doorkeeper [vestibule to contain His essence] in the House [consciousness] of Yahweh (Maker of the Holy Mind for men) than to dwell [consciously reside] in the tents [thought dwellings] of the wicked [ego driven man].”
Here is a more concise paraphrase:
“One moment of illumination surrounded by Yahweh’s presence is better than a thousand days of illumination from some source other than Yahweh. Yahweh is the Maker of the Holy Mind and I would rather be a vestibule to contain His essence in my consciousness than to consciously reside in the thoughts of ego driven men.”
It’s all there loved one. Search the Word as a Berean and confirm it. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11) And when you do you will bask in the Glory of the House of Yahweh within you. Then you will certainly proclaim, “For one day in Your courts is so much better!”
Taking Risks for Yahweh
Deep Exploration
(#276 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. (Proverbs 20:5)
Deep waters! This is a powerful metaphor. Have you ever been in the deep of the ocean? Almost all light is absorbed within the upper 200 meters. Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth. There is barely any measurable light that can reach as far as 1,000 meters, in fact, so little that photosynthesis is not even possible. Below 1,000 meters, sunlight does not penetrate at all. That zone is bathed in total darkness. However, what does change considerably as you go deeper is the pressure. At sea level, the pressure on your body is 14.5 pounds per square inch (psi). For every ten meters you go deeper, the pressure increases by 14.5 psi. So, even though the change in perceptible light is negligible, the pressure change between 200 and 1,000 meters is eighty fold. And in the deepest ocean, the pressure is over 1,100 times that of the surface, or the equivalent 16,000 pounds per square inch on a human body. That would be equal to eight tons sitting on a surface little more than the size of a postage stamp. That’s a lot of pressure!
This magnitude of pressure creates risk, fear, and uncertainty for those daring enough to go there. The metaphor: the deeper you go the fewer men you will find have ever explored there. There are not many treasure hunters in the deepest places. Those who dare to go face all of the pressure and risk involved. But they go to seek the potentially remarkable payoff, “some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:8-9)
What is the increase in store for those who risk going deeper with Yahweh? What hidden treasures await you, if only you are willing to draw them out? I tell you, the treasures are the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.” (Matthew 13:11) You get it, right? To those who do not search, it has not been given. To those who do, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which the Almighty has prepared for those who love Him.” But the Almighty has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of the Mighty One. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)
The pressure is always increased when we travel to the depths, and the journey reveals who we really are, who we have been created to be. What too often is our daily alternative to the pressure? We stay on the surface. Staying on the surface only supports the illusion. Remember, it all looks the same from the surface and that is the great deception. We are not who we pretend to be. Better yet, we don’t even realize how much we are pretending. It is far worse than we are willing to admit. Some of us attempt to go to the deep places in order to heal, only to be frightened by the realities we discover in the depths, the pressure. There is so much more beauty below the surface loved one; it is where He makes “known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” (Ephesians 1:9) If you are willing to go there, you will see things never before seen and experience things never before experienced.
Search the deep things of Yahweh, to attain all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of the Almighty, both of the Father and of the Messiah, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3) Don’t give up. Don’t fear the pressure. Keep going back, little by little. Dive deeper each time, precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:13), remembering that the treasure hunters never dive alone. For safety, there is always a companion. And you know who it is; you are not alone. Go deep and find the treasures.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
My Weeping (#273 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©) www.sufferwell.org When He heard this, Yahshua said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the Mighty One’s glory so that His Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I am going to wake him up.” (John 11:11) So, then He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:14-15) Yahshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” (John 11:23) When Yahshua saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see, Master,” they replied. Yahshua wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” (John 11:33-36) Why do you think I was deeply moved in spirit and troubled? Do My words give you the impression that I doubted Lazarus would rise? Of course not! So, why did I weep? Why was I troubled? Why was I deeply moved? It was because of your lack of faith! Why does it take raising the dead, parting the sea, healing of cripples, and so much more for you to believe? Why must there always be a miracle? Is your eternal destiny not enough, even if it was all I had for you? Your faith is a gift and yet you still choose to doubt. Why do I weep? I weep over your doubting mind. I weep over your stiff-necked ways. I weep for you, not with you! When they rolled the stone away I looked up and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe You sent Me.” (John 11:41-42) Today, you are the one “standing here” and I am still weeping! Back then I said, “Lazarus, come out!” (v43) “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (v44) Today I say to you, “Come out and remove the grave clothes that bind your mind. Believe in My Father. Believe that He sent Me. Wipe away My tears.” Get more Bible Videos at our website: http://torahlifeministries.org on https://www.patreon.com/TorahLIfeMinistries on https://www.instagram.com/paulnison/ on https://www.facebook.com/groups/torahlifeministries/ on https://www.facebook.com/torahlifeministries?fref=ts on https://www.facebook.com/healthwatchman/?fref=ts on https://twitter.com/Paulnison on https://www.rawlife.com on http://www.rawlifehealthshow.com Music by http://www.audionautix.com
What it means to love your enemies
David’s Dilemma
(#272 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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David’s words:
“Arise, Yahweh! Deliver me, my Mighty One! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.” (Psalm 3:7)
“You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.” (Psalm 18:40)
“In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.” (Psalm 143:12)
Yahshua’s words:
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:28)
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)
The Father’s words about David:
“You have shed much blood and fought many wars. You are not to build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.” (1 Chronicles 22:8)
The Father’s words about all those of old who had great faith, including David:
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since the Almighty had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40)
Put on the mind of the Messiah. Discern and comprehend. David was missing something. He was accomplished, yet incomplete. We believe he would want you to know this. He would tell you that the vengeance of Yahweh is activated by your prayers for your enemies, not your prayers against your enemies, something he would have to learn in eternity. “Only together with us would He be made perfect.”
He would also tell you that we should not desire vengeance, nor find joy in your enemy’s demise. He would tell you that the Messiah’s life upped the ante from, “You have heard it said” to “But I tell you!” He would tell you that the “eye for an eye” concept was easy to fulfill, and that loving your enemy is the more perfect way. He would rewrite some of his Psalms. He would expect us to have figured this out. His perfection waits for our perfection. “Only together with us would He be made perfect.” There is no room for bloodshed in this perfect place. David was a man after Yahweh’s heart, the apple of His eye. Part of what made him so was that he would admit his shortcomings easily and repent!
We have so much more available to us than David did. Rather than use the excuse that you cannot perceive because, “His ways are higher than Yours (Isaiah 55:9),” say to yourself, “I will reach for that higher way!” It was always an invitation, never a limitation loved one.
Now pay close attention to a mystery being revealed. Meditate on it, for it is deeper and wider than it might appear at first glance. Showering love on one who might just be an enemy is the very thing that will activate Yahweh’s vengeance, if in deed vengeance is due. Love is a double edge sword love one, and it knows exactly how to cut.
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17)
Narrow Minded
Narrow Minded
(#271 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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And when they had preached the good news to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls [mind, will, and emotions] of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of the Mighty One.” (Acts 14:21-22)
When you think of tribulation, think: narrow, tight, closely pressed, distressed, restricted, or even “of straitened circumstances.” These would be the appropriate thought forms that the word “tribulation” is intended to invoke in the Hebrew mindset. In other words, “Let Me strengthen your mind by training you to restrict your choice of thoughts. Let Me teach you the narrow range of thoughts available to the mind being renewed.” It is a limited selection, no veering off to the right or left, but a straight and determined way of thinking. There is One body and One Spirit, just as you were called in One hope of your calling; One Master, One faith, One baptism; One Mighty One and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:4-6) Yes, it is narrow! There is One body with One mind, all having conformed to the mind of Yahweh, conformed to His Holy consciousness.
And why does this teaching and training feel like tribulation? Because tribulation is what you experience as a result of your resistance to the lessons. Tribulation draws its energy from your continual attempts to satisfy personal desire, rather than submit to Yahweh’s will. You have often heard the term “Flesh vs. Spirit.” Let the understanding of this penetrate deeply into your thought life. The resistance, which is your own self-will, is the cause of tribulation. And this will never change unless you decrease and Messiah increases in you. Without Him, your natural state would be corrupt forever. In other words, your need to satisfy yourself would dominate your choices every time. This is the antithesis of the limited choices available to the redeemed mind!
Learn this most Holy of patterns. When you “feel” closely pressed and distressed within your thought world, do not run to carnally safe places, those which only preserve the “self,” but rather, allow the Spirit to do a work in you. Consciously remind yourself that when your thoughts are tight and restricted, it is most likely the Spirit working in you. Learn to wait in silence and patience, so tribulation’s perfect work might be accomplished. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)
Don’t fret, don’t be anxious, and don’t be impetuous! They that wait upon Yahweh shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) Wait upon Yahweh and let your mind be strengthened.
Waiting before Yahweh in Silence
The Master Craft
(#267 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
www.sufferwell.org
Waiting before Yahweh in silence:
Be of great courage! Wait on Yahweh, and He will strengthen your heart (mind)! Wait I say, on Yahweh! (Psalm 27:14)
And to understand this master craft; the waiting, wouldn’t it be prudent to seek the Hebraic roots of what Yahweh intended when He said, “Wait?” Picture this meaning: to “bind,” to “twist,” to “collect.” These are the intended images; and their substance, of course, is spiritual. Many of you might have thought that the instruction is to wait for what you want when, in fact, the physical manifestation of what you want is not the relevant part.
It’s a matter of consciousness loved one, and the waiting has everything to do with receiving light so that the fragments of darkness (ego) slowly dissipate. Receiving the “Son” is like soaking in the “sun” on a cloudless day at the beach, but the “Son’s Rays” are far more valuable to your eternal mind.
Getting a spiritual “son tan” takes practice. You can determine how well you have developed your craft by going to a silent place and sitting quietly before Him. Clear your mind and see how long you can do just that. We think you will be very surprised at how little time you can sit in absolute silence, and we mean total silence with no thoughts running through your mind. We think you will be surprised at how quickly you want to make requests and petitions, rather than just bask in His glory, for His good pleasure. You have yet to learn that waiting in silence binds His Spirit and your soul together like two twist ties. It is the collection of His essence into your entire being like sun rays that soak into your skin. Learn to be a master craftsman of His presence. Sit quietly, and if you must, simply repeat His name over and over. Whisper “Yah” when you inhale and “weh” when you exhale. And then as your mind clears just silently think: “Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh….”
The Wonderful Plan of Yahweh
Sovereignty
(#266 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Your eyes saw my unformed substance; and in Your book, all the days [of my life] were written [preordained], even before one [day] came into existence. (Psalm 139:16)
You have My word. For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says Yahweh, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11) I give you My word to lean on in times when you think, “There’s nothing good about this life. Everything has gone wrong. Life is a mistake.” The hopelessness your mind indulges in is only an illusion loved one. Yes, you can experience a powerful and, at times, seemingly unconquerable oppression, but it is nevertheless an illusion.
If every moment of your life was ordained by Me before you ever lived one day, and if all that I create and establish is “good,” then what allows for illusions? Listen to Me closely My child; it is your unbelief that causes every ounce of strife in your mind, a lack of faith in Me and My word. Plus you must remember that it is through suffering that you are being perfected. He learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). He was made perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:10). The pleasure of Yahweh shall prosper in His hand through His suffering (Isaiah 53:10).
If it was the necessary plan for My Son, then you must agree that it is good for you as well. Remember He said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20) If you refuse to accept this as the way of your Father in Heaven, your non-conforming mind will stay bound to the ego, and the ego will always end up in thoughts of depravity and death, hence the illusion!
So, today I speak to you to bring healing and with that healing, joy for the life you live. And the “life you live” can be summed up in the “thoughts you think!” As My prophets always do, I call for you to repent; repent of your wrong thinking. Wrong thoughts always lead to wrong actions.
How many times do you witness in My Torah of love (thought instructions) that, on your own, you cannot do what is required. But, I stepped in on your behalf and empowered you to do it. I gave you a renewed heart (Ezekiel 36:26). I Am Sovereign over your sins as well as your spiritual triumphs loved one; and your sins have always been part of My process of transformation. Every single thought is either the manifestation of sin or Spirit. Either way, everything was written in My book long before you existed. Taking each thought captive means repenting of the sinful ones and rejoicing over the spiritual ones I placed in you. This is how the mind transforms until you can no less than say, “It’s a good life; Yahweh has been so merciful to me. It’s a good life!”
Netflix’s “Cuties” is pure evil
Cancel Netflix and their Child pornography films!
Love is the answer
The Tree of Life
(#265 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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The Tree of Life is …. within you! The soil (heart/mind) must be cultivated in order to remove the flaming sword (Yahweh’s judgment) that keeps the Tree from being accessed or bearing much fruit. Think of the flaming sword as being stuck in hard, cement-like, fallow ground. You must break up the fallow ground; it is uncultivated soil from which the tree will not bring forth abundant fruit. (Read Matthew 13:1-23.) Or you might think of it as a tree you cannot climb to taste its goodness.
You must sow righteousness into a circumcised heart which is fertile soil! Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek Yahweh, till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12) Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and take away the foreskins of your hearts. (Jeremiah 4:3-4)
Your ego which covers your mind like stringy moss or chokes your heart with thorns, keeps the original essence of the garden (hedged in conscience) from being expressed in you. Do not sow among thorns. Circumcise your heart so the tree (firm, fastened conscience) of life (heavenly nourishment) can grow in fertile soil to its full stature (Ephesians 4:13).
It is your “self” desire that keeps the sword (Yahweh’s judgment) in place. This cuts off your mind’s entrance into the fertile garden and keeps the soil untilled, and therefore prohibits your ability to eat (consciously devour) from the Tree. The Tree grows in the “Garden of Love.” The Garden of Love is the perfect imagery for what fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) the Tree of Life will produce once the “self or ego” is sacrificed. Surrender of “self” fertilizes the soil and grants access to the Garden. And that key to access the Garden, that “surrender,” is love itself; and it never fails to open the gates (1 Corinthians 13:8). The foremost reason it cannot fail is because love is solely committed to doing the will of Yahweh. Love is then expressed through the redeemed mind, the mind of the Messiah in man, and perfected through practice as it eventually annihilates the ego entirely.
Love is the standard by which every thought and action is measured. It is manifested altogether as patience, kindness, admiration, trust, modesty, humility, and meekness. It is gracious, polite, altruistic, peaceful, appeasing, virtuous, joyful, righteous, and truthful. It displays fierce loyalty; believes, hopes, and endures all things; and always succeeds and thrives. (The affirmative side of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Soon you will see it loved one. The Tree of Life is no less than the mind of Yahweh available through your obedience. The effort is the climb and soon you shall again eat of its fruit. We say again! The Tree of Life is the Truth of Life!
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34) Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:7)