There are times when our Heavenly Father by way of His Holy Spirit, asks us to do something we perceive as very difficult. If we have heard His voice prompting us, what is our immediate response? If it something we want, or is an affirmation of a request for direction we are happy. If we haven’t heard His voice saying something difficult through a prompting in our spirit, or by way of a scripture, it’s questionable whether we are really hearing Him. When He is speaking to us, we listen, but do we actually hear Him? In these instances once we do really hear Him, His words seem harsh and unyielding.

We need to read the biblical accounts as they are, and not embellish or misconstrue them with our overly emotional interpretations based on a feel-good factor. Looking at the account in Luke 18 of His encounter with the rich young ruler; we must see that Yeshua/Jesus didn’t show the least concern that the rich young ruler should do what He told him to, and He didn’t make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said “sell all that you have and come follow me.” Messiah did not plead with him, try to lure him with promises or compromise with a suggestion, He simply spoke some of the strictest words a person could ever hear; and then He left him alone, giving him space to choose by exercising his gift of free will.

Have we ever heard Yeshua/Jesus say something to us that is difficult and without compromise?

Has He said something personally to us to which we have deliberately listened, something we have heard him say directly to us?

This man understood what Yeshua/Jesus said, he heard and understood, realizing the full impact of its’ meaning, and it broke his heart. He didn’t go away defiantly but instead he was full of sorrow and very discouraged. He had approached Yeshua/Jesus with determination, full of zeal thinking he was doing everything right, and then Messiah’s words stopped him in his tracks. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Him, the words produced discouragement.

Do the things Yeshua/Jesus asks of us produce discouragement in us because it’s not what we want to hear? Furthermore He knows what is in us John 22:23-25. Jesus didn’t entrust Himself to anyone because He knew what was in man.

He also knows that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later, one way or another.

The sad fact is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life.

Are we like the rich young ruler, sorrowfully discouraged, turning away from Messiah with no response to His directive?

Are there things in our lives that are more important than following Him? Are we not willing to count the cost and pay the price?

He had no question as to what Yeshua/Jesus had asked of him or what it meant, and it produced such a deep sorrow in him that he had no words by which to express himself.

Has that ever happened to us?

Has His Word ever come and pointed out an area in our lives that needs attention, one that requires us to yield it to Him?

Sometimes He puts His finger right on a certain quality, desire, interest or relationship of our hearts and minds that He sees needs adjustment; or in some cases total change and we don’t want to admit it and deal with it. If so then we have experienced the state of being discouraged and speechless with sorrow.

The Lord will not chase us, nor will He plead, threaten or offer compromise. However every time He meets us where He has pointed out such a place in our life, He will simply repeat His words and ask us if we really mean what we say. If we do, then these are the conditions noted in 18:22… sell all that you have…. In other words divest ourselves of everything that might be considered a possession, or an idol, or a hindrance that we have placed before the Father; get rid of them all until we are simply bare before Him and ready to fully give Him ourselves.

This truly is where the battle is really fought, in the realm of our will before our Heavenly Father. We have heard that the battleground is in the mind, in our thoughts and carnal emotions and it is true. Paul shares a profound truth about our human experience in Romans 7:14-25. He explains the struggle that exists within us that our fight is with the natural self vs. the spiritual self.

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 

Are we more devoted to our idea of what Yeshua/Jesus wants than to Yeshua/Jesus Himself? If that is the case then we are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will cause deep discouragement and sorrow in us. What He says is seemingly difficult, and it’s only easy when it’s heard by those who have His nature in them. Galatians 4:19.

This is the process of spiritual formation and maturity. It implies a transformation where the character and life of Messiah become evident in the believer.

We must be careful not to allow anything to soften the hard words of our Savior. We can sometimes be so rich in our own poverty, meaning, having an awareness of the fact we are a nobody and will never be His disciple; or we can be so rich in the awareness that we are a somebody that we will never be a disciple.

Are we willing to be destitute and poor even in our sense of awareness of our destitution and poverty? If not, that’s why we become discouraged. Discouragement is disillusioned self-love and this self-love may be love for our devotion to Yeshua/Jesus and not love for Messiah Himself.

Sadly we have added to the basics of the gospel of His kingdom. We have learned our doctrines, dogmas and interpretations from other humans, who in turn learned them from others and so on. What have we truly received from the Lord Himself? Paul said in 1 Cor. 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. The phrase encourages believers to trust in the guidance received from the Lord and is often used to convey divine revelation or instruction. Not solely from other people but taking the time to study out the Words of instruction in scripture for ourselves.

Galatians 1:17 Paul was in Arabia (including Damascus and the surrounding desert) for at least three years immediately after his conversion. He did not go to the other Apostles. It seems he was 3 years hearing first hand from Messiah and we know the disciples and apostles also heard teachings from Him personally. We can too both through His Word if we take the time to study and through the promise that His Spirit will teach us all we need to know. John 14:26  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Sadly we have become lazy and these days it’s too easy to listen to a 1000 voices with a 1000 interpretations, and we can easily form our own gospel by cherry picking the parts we like and ignoring those that don’t fit our personal lifestyle and paradigm. When Yeshua/Jesus doesn’t run after us with any kind of correction we take that to mean everything is ok. We can become devoted to a denomination, a church, a pastor, a doctrinal teaching, even a Christian lifestyle instead of to the source of all life. We can become discouraged by our own lack of obedience and discipline when we don’t hear and obey the words of the One Who gave it all for us.

1John 2:17 This world and the things of this world will pass and we are not of this world John 17:16, although for a short lifetime we are in it.

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven.

Hebrews 13:14-16

Let’s remember we are passing through it

and not passing by Messiah

in order to have and

gain the whole world and suffer the loss of eternal life.

Mark 8:36.

Let’s be encouraged and devoted to Him alone

and remember His promise that…

whosoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:25-6.

The unfolding events of these days should be prompting us

to get our lives in order,

to be occupied with the preparation of our hearts,

not discouraged but devoted,

by being spiritually ready to meet Him face to face.

Shalom shalom

‘Mishpachah’

‘Family/Tribe’

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa,

friends, visitors and every reader…

Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His

and are truly born again from above.

Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is

your Redeemer, Savior, Lord

and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.

I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus.  Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.