Although this post is a re-post from about a year ago, it is never more needed than now! In addition, I have modified the presentation that I had attached before to include more! I pray this will be both edifying and equipping for you in these unstable days when our faith armor is an absolute necessity for spiritual survival. In all my lifetime, I have never seen a time as now when our use of the armor of Yahuah is more critical, necessary, and important in our journey down the narrow path to the Kingdom. We are faced with principalities in high places blatantly attempting to take control in broad daylight - they are no longer hiding! They are frantically going about their evil, because they simply have very little time left! Thinking through this, I am reminded of something I read in the commentary section of my new KJV study bible... "The spiritual battle we are engaged in exists from now on until our beloved Savior returns. There is no quarter end, no cease fire, no temporary truce, and no cessation of hostilities. From now on until the end, there is all-out war." This is so true, but do we really get it? I know that there was a time when I had no idea of what was taking place in the spiritual realm, and now, that type of ignorance can result in some serious trouble. I feel an urgency in my spirit to fully grasp this and be equipped to handle it. Are you a fighter, or would you consider yourself a warrior in life? As for me, absolutely not. I have always been a peacemaker, avoiding the fight whenever possible. In the last few years, the Father has brought this to my attention and has been teaching me that this personality trait may be admirable in life (and we know He loves a peacemaker - Matthew 5:9); however, this is not an option in the spiritual realm. The battle there is ongoing and is of a magnitude that only the scripture can make known to us.. This battle has nothing to do with people (although it sure feels like it sometimes), but involves high-level principalities that are so bad that our gracious Father has holy angels protecting us before we even ask! These entities are so wicked and grotesque that seeing them would strike us down in fear, thus our loving Father has kept them completely invisible to us. The Word is clear to us about this, but sometimes we just forget... you know, out of sight out of mind. Read the scripture below slowly and ponder it for a few minutes before moving on: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12 I recently had to do some deep spiritual introspection as I continue to try to overcome a level of grief I've never experienced, and in the midst of this, the enemy came in with ultra force (you know, he loves to kick us with a pointed steel-toe boot when we're down). It is in these times that we can get so down that we will begin to listen to his voice and believe his lies. He barges into the open door of trauma and grief and attempts to corrupt our foundation to the point that his lies become believable, which of course then manifests further into our already-fragile emotions. This is the trouble I referred to earlier -- this is a very vulnerable place to be. This is that time when we must rise up and fight, even when we feel we have no strength, remembering that Yahusha is IN us, and we have His mind, His strength, and His Spirit! We literally will win through Him, by Him, and ultimately for His name's sake! He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will always be victorious over the enemy as our strong tower. But we have to choose to rise up first through Him and equip ourselves in Hiim to fully win the battle! We equip ourselves with His armor that He shares with us, and He tells us to TAKE it! Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:13 I mentioned how the enemy can try to corrupt our foundation when we are down, and this is a key point. When the enemy's voice becomes easier to hear and receive than the promises of the Father, then we know our foundation is compromised -- in other words, we must immediately feed ourselves more with the voice of the Holy Spirit through the truth of the Word, which is almighty and all powerful in Yahusha!. This will strengthen our foundation again and equip us to fight in faith! It's simply having the faith to rise up, put on our armor, and battle in His strength. On that note, I think it is important to bring out a few points about the armor that jumped out at me last year when I did a Zoom study on this subject. It helped me to understand the magnitude of the gift of the armor! The armor belongs to the Father, thus the "armor of God", and He has given it to us as a tool to fight, thus it is a gift! But just as we take action to open a gift in life, we have to take action with this gift as well! In Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-18, we are told to act multiple times, mainly by TAKING and STANDING, and finally with PRAYING and WATCHING. In looking at these scriptures below, pay attention to the words in all caps:
In this end time in which we have been appointed to live, and as children of the Most High God, we have no choice but to become professional warriors, both proactive and reactive, knowing our enemy's tactics to the point that we zap him in the spirit before he has any chance to steal, kill, or destroy. As for me, this is only possible through the mind, strength, and armor of Yahuah through Yahusha in me! I will lose the battle if my faith is weakened to the point I don't act; that's the simple truth. This post is meant to be a reminder for us all as well as an encouragement. There are so many promises and tools and gifts given to us that will give us a victorious walk, but I would say that many of us tend to forget sometimes. And when we forget, we usually have to go through an experience to be reminded. I am hopeful that this will help in our remembrance specifically with regard to the incredible gift of the armor of our God and Father! In closing, I would like to share the powerpoint on the subject from the Zoom study I mentioned above. I think this will further encourage you in your journey towards the Kingdom with the Word and with visuals that highlight the power of this tool that we have been given by the Love of our Souls! He desperately wants us to win this battle, and He will always equip us with all we need... fully, completely, and faithfully every single time! Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10 Enjoy the Powerpoint by clicking on the image below.
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This post is about suffering.... the necessity and beauty of the intensity of suffering... the necessity and beauty of the intensity of not only picking up our cross and carrying it, but being placed upon it. Let's face it, there is some suffering that feels as if we are that thief hanging on the cross next to the King of Kings, watching Him suffer the worst undeserved agony of all time, but yet being there right beside Him suffering a very intense, much-deserved agony of our own. (Please note that the word does refer to the cross as a tree, but for the sake of this post, I will use the word "cross" as that is most familiar.) I will be the first to tell you that there is much weakness in suffering. What I mean by this "weakness" is a failure to recognize the necessity and beauty of the intensity of suffering through lack of wisdom and knowledge of its purposes then resulting in an overflow of great misery and loss. In other words, in our own weakness, we either inconsistently see the necessity and beauty of it, resulting in a regrettable missed opportunity, or we don't see it at all. To not see suffering for what it is intended for the child of the Living God is to miss one of the greatest opportunities in our spiritual journey towards conformance to the image of our Beloved Savior. I can speak these words from experience. I am humbly grateful to be able to say that I recognized one of my greatest crosses for what it was and surrendered myself to the full magnitude of it -- completely against the will of my soul. This "magnitude" involved isolation from those I could touch and feel and so desperately needed; it truly was complete reliance on the Spirit of the God I serve. I had not previously known pain of this magnitude that could completely overtake body, soul, mind, and spirit. BUT, I knew this pain was of the suffering I must endure for the sake of the One who undeservedly suffered so much more for me... that I may partake in His sufferings and know of Him at a level of complete dependence (if led, you can read more about the details of this suffering in a previous post). Please note that this is not to say that any of our own works can apply to our salvation or sanctification, but it is our works from faith and our love for Him that bring us to the acceptance and endurance of suffering through Him. In my case, the Holy Spirit gracefully revealed this to me in the midst of what I was experiencing, and I am ever so grateful for the mind and strength of Yahusha (Jesus) in me that I was able to obey His way and endure. What has come from it, birthed out of His grace and mercy, has been a level of growth and sanctification I could not have attained through any other means. It was His will for me, and I cannot describe the gratitude I feel for it. Although I lost most of what meant anything to me, I see the spiritual purposes and fruit so clearly, and I thank my Abba Father from the depths of my being that He chose to give me this dose of suffering. Having said all that, I would be remiss not to confess the moments of doubt, fear, anxiety, despair, and even "whining" that I allowed in the midst of this. Although it was not near to the level of my past, it was still there nonetheless, and it still tries to creep in now in the aftermath. But when it does, my gracious Father is always there to immediately remind me of the pleasant and fruitful garden of His love and shalom that came from my experience and continues to pour forth even now. I cannot express my level of overwhelm and gratitude when I ponder all of it in remembrance. He is truly PERFECT in all His ways, and I love Him with a love I cannot put into words... knowing that my love for Him is solely the outflow of His love for me... for while I was yet a sinner, He died for me (Romans 5:8), and I only love Him because He first loved me (1 John 4:19)!! Next, I would like to share with you a few excerpts from a book I am reading that purposefully and immediately inspired me to stand up from my study desk, march straight to my little writing nook, and just start typing this blog post. I believe the Spirit is saying to all of us... Yes, this is intense -- this thing called suffering -- but it is absolutely both necessary and beautiful if you are going to intimately know Him who you call "Lord" and "King". Because the world and even Christianity in general typically does not teach us that this suffering is an integral and very important part of our claim to be a child of God, we sometimes need reminding. If we say we are His, and we say we follow Him, then we too will willingly partake in suffering as He brings it to us... and of course, all for our good and His glory -- just as His suffering resulted in good for the whole world to the glory of the Most High God, Yahuah! And in remembering that the Word says that Yahusha learned obedience by the things He suffered, then we know that this too will apply to us as we learn (Hebrews 5:5-9). Of course, our suffering will ever compare to His, because there simply is no comparison. Yahusha's suffering included separation from His Heavenly Father while His full wrath was poured upon Him, whereas our suffering, although painful, will always bring the Father closer to us (Psalm 34:18). He will always equip us to bear what He brings to us, and through our full surrender, we will always grow from it and be able to share the resulting fruit to the benefit of others. I pray you are touched, blessed, and filled with the words I will share below taken from the book, "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ", by Jeanne Guyon. This was written in the 1600s by a soul who understood these "depths" of which she speaks. This was never intended to be a published book, but only a written sharing with those closest to her of the revelations she had been given. However, our Heavenly Father had other plans to ensure it was passed on and made available to many generations that came after her. I am so very grateful and pray that you too will benefit as I am! The following excerpts are taken from Chapter 7, entitled "Abandonment and Suffering". Please allow these words to penetrate your soul and spirit and receive the nourishment they offer. Please NOTE, I have added a few words in brackets to provide context for full understanding. If you (have made the choice to fully surrender and abandon all your being to Yahusha ha Mashciach - Jesus Christ - to be blessed and to be loved [by Him], you cannot suddenly turn around and take back your life at another season.... when you are being crucified! Nor will you find any comfort from man when you have been put on the cross. Any comfort that comes to you when you are knowing the cross comes to you from the Lord. You must learn to love the cross. He who does not love the cross does not love the things of God (Matthew 16:23). It is impossible for you to truly love the Lord without loving the cross. The believer who loves the cross finds that the most bitterest things that come his way are sweet. The Scripture says, "To the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet." (Proverbs 27:7) You may be certain there will come to you an inward spiritual advancement when there is also in your life a real progress in knowing the experience of the cross. Abandonment to Christ and the experience of the cross go hand in hand. As soon as anything comes to you in the form of suffering, at that very moment a natural resistance will well up somewhere inside of you. When that moment comes, immediately resign yourself to God. Accept the matter. In that moment, give yourself up to Him as a sacrifice. Receive it as from God, no matter what it is. The burden is far lighter this way. [And why is it lighter this way?} Because you will have desired the cross. [Having said that the burden is far lighter when received from God], this will not prevent you from feeling the weight of the cross. If you have not felt the cross, then you have not suffered. Feeling the pain of suffering is one of the principal parts of suffering. Pain is an inescapable aspect of the cross. Without it, there has been no cross at all. Suffering is woven into the nature of the cross. Pain is at the center of knowing suffering. Please remember that your Lord chose to endure the most extreme violence the cross could offer [for your sake!]. Sometimes you bear the cross in weakness; at other times you may bear the cross in strength. But whether you bear it in weakness or in strength, bear it! Both weakness and strength should be the same to us since we bear the cross in the will of God. This appointed time on the Heavenly Father's calendar is always amazing in some way. This season of fall feasts after the Trumpets have blown, final Atonement has been made, and the celebration of our ingathering to forever dwell with our Father is truly the culmination of all things! The Feast of Tabernacles in particular, which is eight days long, can be representative of eternity when the God of the Universe, Yahuah, becomes ALL in ALL after His Son, Yahusha the Messiah, has reconciled all things and brought them unto subjection to Himself (1 Corinthians 15:28). I cannot imagine this day, but we can recognize and even celebrate these appointed times and be brought there in the Spirit, as we know for certain it shall some day (hopefully very soon) come to pass! He is 100% faithful to His Word, and Yahusha will ensure every jot and tittle are accounted for and fulfilled. Glory to the name of our God, for He will ALWAYS reign! At this time during each year, I like to re-share a post I did back in 2019 on this feast, in hopes that it will be an added blessing to this wonderful holy day. I pray it will mean something to each and every one who reads!! First, if you are not an observer of the Father's appointed holy days, please consider joining in! These were statutes that He established for His people that they may never forget the full story of His Son, our redemption, and the ultimate culmination of our salvation when the Father Himself dwells fully in the midst of us forever and ever!! I pray that what I share is a blessing to all, whether you are celebrating or not, and I also encourage you to study these out, because each year I learn something new. (Note: What I share below is what I have learned, but as with all my posts, I do not proclaim to be right about everything; therefore, it is important that you search these things out and see what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.) As we enter in to the Feast of Tabernacles, we remember that that this is one of the seven and the last of the seven of those appointed holy times established by Yahuah for His children of Israel -- and it is the pinnacle or culmination of the ultimate promise that these times represent. In summary, His appointed times tell us an amazing story that will fulfill the Creator’s plan and promise to His faithful children. It looks something like this, which is very abbreviated:
So here, today, as we consider these appointed times and begin the Feast of Tabernacles, we remember the things Yahuah did for His people in the past and look forward to the promises of the future! These promises give us joy and hope, and therefore, we celebrate!
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. Leviticus 23:34-36 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths… Leviticus 23:40-42 There is so much in this last feast – so much to celebrate! Here are a few very important points to ponder with regard only to the numbers that are associated with it:
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8
In the last day, that great day of the feast [referring to the feast of Tabernacles], Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7:37 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Revelation 21:3 Even considering the numbers that are associated with this feast and their representation and significance is just amazing! But there’s more! Yahuah also told His people to dwell in “booths” for the seven days of the feast and then to have a holy convocation on the 8th day after the feast. As we look into these booths a little more, as well as what seems to be the overall purpose of this feast, we will see both the past and future merging together. The past being an actual nature of "works" whereas into the future, we can see the overall spiritual purpose in our remembrance. Very importantly, Yahuah told His people he wanted them dwelling in booths for the seven days of this feast, specifically to remind them of the time that He had the Israelites dwell in booths after He brought them out of the land of Egypt. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 23:42 When we think of this time, there are several important points that come to mind that actually give us a glimpse into what may precede the Israel of God in the end days as they are finally begin their journey to promised land of the kingdom and then into eternity. Here again, the past is showing us the future…
They were confirmed as His people, and He loved them, despite their waxing and waning faith. It was by Him and through Him, their sole provision, that they were kept alive and well while He prepared them for the promised land. Is this not where we should be even today? Isn’t this the very same type of reliance that we should have on Him today? Doesn’t the Spirit of our Father tabernacle within us today? For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Acts 17;28 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23 If we look closely just at the sustenance that was provided to the children of Israel in the wilderness, we clearly see the Son, Yahusha, at work. Was the water from the rock the same water that Yahusha offered the Samaritan woman at the well – the living water that when drank would cause a man to never thirst again? Has Yahusha not been called the “Rock” of our salvation? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:13-14 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:4 Was the manna from heaven the same bread that Yahusha fed the 5,000 and told them that was the Bread of life that would be the meat that would bring everlasting life? Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:27 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35 Even the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night… His presence among us as our protection and direction in the day and our light and protection at night. And even the fact that He dwelt among them and tabernacled with them… Yahusha dwells within us through his Spirit. He is always with us providing every single thing we need. He will even give us the words to speak, the strength to endure, and He will warn us and protect us by telling of us things to come. …or he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13:5 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:26 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13 We have so many reasons to remember this feast and be thankful for the promises contained therein; it should be a celebration of gratitude and anticipation! All of the feasts and special days are specific, appointed times that Yahuah used to gather His people, purify them, prepare them, and show them of the wonderful One (Yahusha) to come. This One would be the very Way used to reconcile and gather all together in Him in the end, that He may be with those who love and obey Him, through His Son, in His kingdom and into all eternity. Alleluyah!!! That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him… Ephesians 1:10 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 |
Special NoteThese writings are written in love and a spirit of servitude. They are not designed to judge but make us think. We are all sinners in need of saving, and we all need encouragement and absolute truth to endure on the narrow road to sanctification and ultimately eternal life. Categories
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