Promote those things which will help to suffer.
(A) Discipline yourselves to suffering. 'As a good soldier of MESSIAH, endure hardship.' (2Timothy 2) Learn to bear a reproach with patience, that is die daily. He began with lesser sufferings & by degrees learned to be a martyr. How far are those from suffering who indulge the flesh. 'What shall I say,' says Jerome, 'to those who make it all their care to perfume their clothes, to crisp their hair, to sparkle their diamonds, but if sufferings come & the way to Heaven has any water in it, they won't endure to set their feet on it!' Those 'silken Christians' that pamper the flesh, are unfit for the Kingdom.
(B) Be well skilled in the knowledge of YAHUSHUA. One can never die for someone he doesn't know. 'For which cause I suffer those things; I know whom I have believed.' (2Timothy 1:12) Blind men are always fearful. An ignorant man can never be a martyr. He may set up an altar, but he'll never die for an unknown EL. It's amazing to me how many people would die for zeal with knowledge, what I mean is, claiming to do anything for or boasting of a CREATOR of which they say they have a personal relationship with, but yet have no idea what HIS name is or thinks it doesn't matter.
(C) Prize every truth of YHWH. The filings of gold are precious, the least ray of Truth is glorious. 'Buy the truth & sell it not.' (Proverbs 23:23) Truth is the object of faith, the seed of regeneration, the spring of joy. Truth crowns us with salvation. If ever you'd suffer for the Truth, prize it above all things. He who doesn't prize Truth above life will never lay down his life for the Truth.
(D) Keep a good conscience. If there be any sin allowed in the soul, it will make one unfit for suffering. If a ship be sound & well-rigged, it'll sail on the water, but if it's full of holes & leaks, it'll sink. If conscience is full of guilt, it won't sail in the bloody waters of persecution. If a man's heart is rotten, he'll never stand in a storm of tribulation. How can a guilty person suffer when he knows he's likely to go from the fire at the stake to hell-fire! Let conscience be pure. 'Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.' (1Timothy 3:9)
(E) Make the Scripture familiar to you. (Psalms 119:50) The Scripture well digested by meditation will make us fit for suffering. 'Let the word of YAHUSHUA dwell in you richly.' (Colossians 3:16) The Scripture arms a Believer both against temptation & persecution.
Against temptation: YAHUSHUA, when tempted, used Scripture for armor: 'It is written.' Are you tempted? Are you tempted by pride? Read, 'YHWH resists the proud.' (1Peter 5:5) Are you tempted to lust? 'When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin & sin when it's finished, brings forth death.' (James 1:15)
Against persecution: When the flesh draws back, Scripture will recruit us. It'll put armor on us & courage in us. 'Fear none of those things you shall suffer.' Though your body be martyred, your soul shall be crowned. But I shall not faint when trials come, 'MY grace shall be sufficient.' (2Corinthians 12:9)
(F) Get a suffering frame of heart. 'If any man will come after ME, let him deny himself & take up his cross.' (Matthew 16) Self-denial is the foundation of godliness & if this isn't laid, the whole building falls. If there be any lust in our souls which we can't deny, it'll turn at length either to scandal or apostasy.
Here are several areas of self: Worldly self; that is, his estate. 'Behold we've forsaken all & followed you.' (Matthew 19:27)
Relative self; that is, his dearest relations, if YHWH calls. If our nearest alliance, father or mother, stand in our way & would hinder us from doing our duty, we must either leap over them or tread on them. 'If any man come to ME & doesn't hate his father, mother, wife & children, even his own life, he can't be MY disciple.' (Luke 14:26) Relations & even our own life must not weigh heavier than YAHUSHUA, he must be willing to become a sacrifice & make YAHUSHUA's crown flourish. 'They loved not their lives unto the death.' (Revelation 12:11) YAHUSHUA was dearer to them than their own blood.
Self-opinion; Every man has a high opinion of himself. He's drunk with spiritual pride & a proud man is unfit for suffering. He thinks himself too good to suffer & disdains the cross. How did YAHUSHUA come to suffer? 'HE humbled HIMSELF & became obedient unto death.' - Philippians 2:8
Self-confidence; Peter's confidence undid him. 'Though all men shall be offended because of you, yet will I never be offended; though I should die with you, yet I won't deny you.' (Matthew 26) He who trusts himself shall be left to himself & one who goes out in his strength comes off to his own shame.
Self-wisdom; We read of the 'wisdom of the flesh’ (2Corinthians 1) Self-wisdom is carnal & says to keep out suffering but doesn't to speak against sin yet finds subtle distinctions to avoid the cross. Fleshly wisdom tries to save the flesh. 'This wisdom isn't from above, but is devilish.' (James 3:15)
Self-will; This hasn't only an indisposition to good, but an opposition. 'You've always resisted the HOLY SPIRIT.' (Acts 7) There's no greater enemy than self. It's against YHWH. The will loves sin & hates the cross. If we suffer for YHWH, we must cross our own will & say, 'Not my will, but Your will be done.'
A man must deny self-reasonings. The fleshy part will be reasoning & disputing against sufferings. 'Why do you reason these things in your hearts?' (Mark 2:8) Such reasonings as these will begin to arise in our hearts: This self-denying frame of heart is very hard. A man doesn't have so much to do in overcoming men & devils as in overcoming himself. 'Stronger is he who conquers himself than he who conquers the strongest walled city.' We must turn from self-seeking to self-denial! Those who can't deny themselves, when sufferings come, will deny YAHUSHUA as well.
Whatever you deny for MESSIAH, you shall find again in HIM: Every one who has forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for MY name's sake shall receive a 100-fold & shall inherit everlasting life.' (Matthew 19:29) Instead of these 'preachers' telling you to give them money for 100-fold, they should be teaching you the true name of the MESSIAH in order to receive 100-fold... YAHUSHUA!
It's but equity that you should deny yourselves for YAHUSHUA. Didn't HE deny HIMSELF for you? HE denied HIS joy, honor & HIS life, yet endured the shame. HE poured out HIS blood as a sacrifice on the altar of the cross. Being YAHUSHUA denied HIMSELF for you, won't you deny yourselves for HIM?
Self-denial is the highest sign of a true child of the MOST HIGH. Hypocrites may have great knowledge & make large professions, but it's only the true-hearted saint that can deny himself for YAHUSHUA.
A holy man once tempted by the devil, was asked, 'Why do you take all these pains? You watch & fast & abstain from sin. O man, what do you do more than I? Are you no drunkard, no adulterer? No more am I. Do you watch? Let me tell you, I never slept. Do you fast? I never eat. What do you do more than I?' 'Why,' says the good man, 'I'll tell you, devil; I pray; I serve YHWH; more than all, I deny myself.' 'No way, then,' says the devil, 'you go beyond me, for I exalt myself.' And so he vanished. Self-denial is the best touchstone of sincerity. This seperates you from the hypocrites.
To deny yourselves is what others have done before you. Moses was a self-denier. He denied the honors & profits of the court. (Hebrews 11:24-26) Abraham denied his own country at YHWH's call.
If you don't deny the world for YAHUSHUA, the world will deny you. It'll turn you out of possession & which is worse, not only the world will deny you, but YAHUSHUA will deny you: Whosoever denies ME before men, him will I also deny before MY FATHER which is Heaven. - Matthew 10:33
Jason Desmond
Ambassador of HIS Kingdom