So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all that he himself possesses. Luke 14:33.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
The sanctified life is a life free from encumbrances.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.
There is no one higher than I AM. I AM the Most High. There is no one that knows you and loves you as I do. There is no other God, and no one has ever even imagined a God like Me—a God who is love, a God who would take flesh and take your sins on Himself and take the judgment of divine justice in your place. A God who will never reject you. If anyone is rejected, it is simply because they have chosen to reject Me. I will never leave you or forsake you.
I know everything, I see everything, I made and sustain everything. I understand how everything works and I keep it all working. And I want to share all that with you who are My friends, so that you too can walk in authority with Me. Nothing pleases Me more than seeing you walking in the truth so that you are prospering and in good health. So that all things are working together for your good.
And with all that I am and all that I have, I am yours. Not just for an hour, not just for a day, not for just a year, but always, always. I am yours always. And you can be Mine always. This is a happy story that never has an ending, it is happily now and happily ever after.
Now My question, are you happy? If not, you have not experienced the sanctified life. For that is the happiest and best of lives because it is totally open to Me and totally free from the burden and trap of sin and the heavy weight of fear that so many people are bearing.
Jesus told those who desired to follow Him in the sanctified life that they must give up all their own possessions. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all that he himself possesses. Luke 14:33.
I want you to think about that and understand this for it is important that you do what He has told you.
Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 1 Corinthians 4:6-7.
What is do you yourself possess, I mean that originated in you and is not from Me? The word in Greek for possession used by Jesus in that context is “huparchó (ὑπάρχω),” which means to begin, to be ready or at hand, to be. It is from hýparksis, meaning “under” and arxō, meaning “begin, go first”, something you already have; what exists, especially what pre-exists, i.e., is already under one’s discretion.
But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31.
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from Me, from above. The gift of righteousness is not something you of your own in yourself, but I give you My own righteousness in Christ, for He took all your sins into His flesh and then We took care of that by Him taking your punishment and judgment. He took your possessions and gave you His. What did you possess that I did not give you? I think you know the answer. Sin and its consequences.
And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immorality, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7:18-23.
Your own possessions are the things that possess you—addictions, depression, fear, evil intent, gossip, an uncontrolled tongue, envy, strife, and the like. Wrath, anger, and bitterness are ugly things but the sinner holds them tightly. To follow Me you must let them go, give them up, and walk free with Me. As long as you are loaded down with your sins, shame, and blame you are not fit, and I mean in good shape, to follow.
But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62.
Jesus told you to repent (change your mind from below to above) and believe in the good news of the Kingdom! To follow Me you must step off the path of where you were headed before you were saved in My Son and take the true Way, the Holy Highway, the HIGH way of the sanctified. Get rid of all your divisions, strife, and blaming, shaming, complaining.
A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, nor will any vicious beast go up on it; these will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:8-10.
And that is the narrow way. The rejoicing way. The blessing way. That is where you run and soar, with no encumbrance of sin holding you down. It is the only Way to Me. It is the only way to true joy—joy unspeakable filled with glory. And it is yours in Christ Jesus your Way. But you cannot come without putting aside your own possessions.
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:1-3.
To follow Me, you must put aside all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander. I did not give you these, they are not in agreement with who I made you to be, for I formed you in My image and according to My likeness. These are not in Me and should not be in you. They have become your own possessions, originating from sin, from wrong thoughts dwelt upon, and from things that you did not remove when they began to grow in the soil of your heart. Every tree I did not plant, you must pull out, by the roots.
But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.” Matthew 15:13.
Now I will share with you what to do to give up all those possessions that will never let you get through the narrow gate to freedom! The glorious FREEDOM of My children. For whom My Son sets free is free indeed, yes, of all sin and the encumbrance of sin. He released you from your sins by His blood and made you a kingdom, priests unto Me. A royal priesthood, a sanctified people, My own special treasure called out of darkness into My own marvelous light. That is, if you pass the test. But you should pass as deep within you abides the anointing that teaches you all things.
This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:19-21.
Let us go to the book of Proverbs and I will show you how to live free:
Do not let lovingkindness (chesed in Hebrew, agape in Greek) and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4.
I often tell you to bind these things around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart. Wear them like jewels and speak them, meditate on them, read them, hear them, until the morning star rises in your heart and your whole world is bathed in the light of My love. When you know and believe in My love for you that is when your stony heart melts into a loving heart of joy. Let everyone see your shining jewels in the radiance of your life. And it will make your days radiant as well, whether in your home or out and about.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.
True faith is trust in another person who never lets you down but always has the right answer for your need. I tell you I know what you need before you ask Me but then I tell you to ask to receive. Why is that? To authorize Me to give you what you need and more, that is, to release into your life, what I know you need. Think about your bank account, unless you make or authorize a withdrawal the money just sits in your account. The same is true of your heavenly account. Come with confidence to My throne of grace and take your withdrawal. I have blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Heaven, you need to withdraw them by your words and actions to manifest in your mortal body and life on the earth. Once you make the request, you know it is yours, you have authorized the transfer of what I have already freely given you in Christ. The Holy Spirit shows you what is yours. 1 Corinthians 2:12.
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8.
Adam and many others were wise with worldly wisdom but that is devilish and cunning, full of selfish-ambition, envy and sin to get what would make you higher than others. Whatever would pull you into darkness and things you must hide from others, whether it be gossip or theft or whatever it is, you must reject. It is not of your nature. To fear Me is to hate evil. Do not fear what men can do to you for if you fear Me (which means you want to please Me above all else and you, like Daniel, would rather go in a lions’ den than ruin our relationship). And what is the result? Healing for your body and strength and renewal of your bones. Good news makes your bone strong, but a depressed spirit dries up your bones. Be careful about letting depression in, it will destroy your body with your own thoughts. The wise woman builds the house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands. That applies to your physical body and home as well as spiritual things. And death and life are in the hand of your tongue.
Honor the LORD from your wealth and from the first of all your produce; so your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10.
I give you the power to make wealth under My Covenant but I then direct you to give to My house and My work one-tenth of the wealth you bring in so that I can bless the rest and keep all your property holy so the devourer cannot take it. If the first fruits are consecrated to Me the rest is protected and sanctified. If you will tithe and make offerings, I make a promise, an extraordinary promise, to rebuke the devourer for you and to open the windows (the floodgates) of Heaven and pour out a blessing you cannot contain. Why would you ignore so great a blessing and hold back the tithe for yourself and squander it on your own things? Then you have not put your possessions under My protection. A thief is on the wrong territory and the devil will take all you stored up.
My son, do not reject the instruction of the LORD or loathe His reproof, for whom the LORD loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12.
Do not get offended and huffy over correction. It can save your life. And not only your life but that of your descendants, and, indeed, even of your nation. Solomon, in his older years, rejected My instruction and correction and worshipped idols. He divided a thriving nation that followed Me into a divided nation where the majority turned to idols as he had done. He ruined his life and that of those who followed him by rejecting discipline which would have saved him and the nation and his son.
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast. Proverbs 3:13-18.
All wisdom, true wisdom, comes from Me, from above, for My thoughts are higher than yours and so are My ways. But I share them with you by My Word and My Spirit.
Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do at the right time and understanding gives you the insights to walk it out. Let the Spirit of Wisdom embrace you with ways to profit and good health. Adam and Eve make an unwise choice with no understanding of the consequences, though I had told them, of what they did and released into the earth. When I give you instruction, follow it, for that is wisdom. It is not arbitrary, My Words are not idle words, they are your very life.
And if you walk in these things you have no reason to fear. When you lie down your sleep will be sweet—no regrets for the day only joy, the pure joy of the sanctified life. Living free in Me- above and not beneath.
Do not be afraid of sudden fear nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught. Proverbs 3:25-26.
Reject fear and live free by faith in Me, your refuge and your fortress, YOUR God in whom you trust. I am yours. I am your forever Father. And that is a joy no one can take from you if you will just come to know and believe—and live—in My love you life will be sweet.
I love you. I am yours and you are Mine. What a wonderful way to spend time and eternity. You are My joy, am I yours? I will be once you come to know the truth of who I AM. And you see it all in Jesus, for He is My love incarnate. He came to heal and save you. And that is what My Word does. Psalm 107:20. Give up those possessions that are possessing you and follow Me. Live care free, just cast all care on Me. Your business is to follow Me, and I will never lead you astray.