Author: steps2successwithspiritualsolutions

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Sonya Johnson

Holy, Holy, Holy [Lord Send Me!]

The ministry of Bishop Dale Bronner reveals the manifestation of God’s power. At the age of 14, he started a Bible study in his home from 1976-1989 and the Praise the Lord Club at his school when he was 15. Woffamily.org/about-us

Most parents and those who exhibited rebellious behaviors can agree that the teenage stage is a tumultuous one. Yet God used a teenager to begin Bible study and witness to his peers by starting a Christian club. For 14 years, he was diligent in teaching others about the saving power of Jesus Christ. God rewarded his faithfulness by blessing him with a thriving ministry currently serving thousands of individuals in church and online.

God Uses Ordinary People to Complete His Work

In Israel’s great spiritual apostasy, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision in which the Holy of Holies was revealed to him (chapter 6). “Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’” (Isaiah 6:2-3).

As Isaiah watched the seraphim reverently worship God, he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips… (Isaiah 6:5)

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:6-7)

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8)

God is aware that we have deceitful and desperately wicked hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). Hence the reason for the sacrificial offering of His Son, Jesus Christ. With intentional surrender, humility, and reverence, we can boldly approach the throne of God. Yes, the Holiness of God surpasses the comprehension of the human mind. Even so, as God called Isaiah, we are also given a spiritual assignment that we must pursue every day with diligence. Prayerfully, we offer ourselves as a living sacrifice by wholeheartedly giving our lives as one of service to God.

Our Great Commission is to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a dying world. Commit yourself to God: “Here I am Lord, send me!” and the Holy Spirit will provide you with spiritual direction.

Prayer: God, we humbly offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. Please reveal our spiritual assignment. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Sonya Johnson

Longsuffering Never Ends

Dictionary definition: Longsuffering is “having or showing patience despite troubles, especially those caused by other people.”

Spiritual Definition: The word longsuffering in its scriptural context implies a patient forbearance of repetitious wrongs, accusations, offenses, or troubles. In simple terms, longsuffering implies patient endurance. Philadelphia Church of God

There is a vast difference in the spiritual definition of longsuffering as opposed to the worldview of longsuffering. Showing patience can be accomplished through pretense or as a performance. We can pretend that everything is alright by exercising restraint, showing fake smiles, and saying, I’m okay, yet deep inside we are annoyed or angry.

The practice of only showing outward signs that “all is well” has its repercussions. Eventually, our internal level of frustration [from others’ intentional actions toward us] will reach its limits. Often something insignificant may trigger an unexpected emotional meltdown [such as explosive anger] because we really do not possess longsuffering as a character trait.

Have you experienced a deep spiritual awareness of the requirements of the Fruit of the Spirit? The Fruit are character traits that all believers must possess. For every situation that arises, God expects us to respond appropriately because our character is in alignment with the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. Would you agree that longsuffering [patience] is one of the most difficult?

“Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.” (2 Corinthians 11:25). Read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, Acts 14:19, and Acts 16:22.

The Apostle Paul shares his experience, yet, he demonstrated longsuffering and did not retaliate or harbor unforgiveness for their heinous actions against him. The challenge is for us to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give us a total spiritual makeover of our characters and hearts.

Seeking transformation requires perseverance. Daily, we must pray for the inward anointing of the Holy Spirit. The testing of our character to produce longsuffering comes in various ways. Stop, think, and pray before speaking the wrong words. The very situation that is raising our level of frustration is the test that we will pass when we pray for Divine Intervention.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit so that we may experience the needed change in our characters. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Sonya Johnson

Striving for Excellence

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (Psalm 8:1)

In the past two decades, most are aware there has been a significant decline in love, moral responsibility, and values. Still, the greatest decline is in striving for excellence. Do you remember when companies proudly stressed that the customer was their most valued commodity? Now, the customer service script begins with “I understand your frustration,” or an automated voice with many prompts makes it nearly impossible to speak to a human being to resolve the issue.

Excellence is not perfection. Perfection [in humanity] does not exist, which explains why it is impossible to achieve. What is excellence? Striving for continuous improvement. Yes, excellence is a tough master, but it motivates us to push ourselves to do our best.

What does God expect from us in serving Him?

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Philippians 1:9-10 NLT

In the NKJV, verse 10 reads, “that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ…(Philippians 1:10).

Our perception of God determines our desire to strive for excellence. “Be holy, for I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16). Our minds must not shift and focus on the impossibilities of holiness. Know that God has not left us alone to reach the high standards that He requires of us. First, we must have a strong desire to be transformed into the likeness of Christ—Sanctification.

The human effort of surrendering our hearts to Jesus Christ invites the power of the Holy Spirit to intervene, allowing us to achieve above and beyond our natural abilities. Studying the Scriptures gives us knowledge. Maintaining a steadfast relationship with God through continuous prayer imparts the gift of wisdom. Faith and obedience invite the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit to give us supernatural strength to achieve excellence in all areas of our lives.

When the faithful strive for humility, obedience, and purity along with praying for guidance, we possess wisdom and discernment of spiritual excellence. It is then that our posture is in alignment with God’s will and our Spiritual Team empowers us to reach His standards of excellence.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We desire to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and holiness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification–Not Created for Multi-Tasking

In reading Genesis chapter 1, have you noticed that God had a systematic plan for creating the earth? He completed creation and in verse 31, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good…” (Genesis 1:31). God completed His daily plan, and “saw that it was good” before He started a new day.

In strategic planning, Development, Execution, and Satisfaction from Success or Disappointment from Failure are three vital components that result in a positive or negative outcome. Whether from a team effort or one person’s idea, staying focused is the expectation of achieving innovation.

Today I listened to a spiritual eye-opener: Humanity was not created to multitask. Not only does multitasking weaken the astute skills of concentration required for completion, but we also become mentally and physically fatigued, which weakens our ability to worship God and form our best ideas. Under the pressure of attempting to complete several tasks, our level of frustration is high, creativity weakens, and the stress of extra effort [like running in place] leads to burnout. Have you ever been too exhausted to enjoy a great celebration?

The discipline needed to maintain our focus and utilize important critical thinking skills becomes impaired when we have to split our focus to perform various tasks simultaneously. Think about your daily responsibilities. If you have become forgetful, need frequent cups of coffee, or are always frazzled by the end of the day immediate changes are required. Develop a schedule that allows the completion or near completion of one task before beginning another task.

Spiritual Implication [Missing Daily Worship]: Mental burnout and physical fatigue results in not having the desire, concentration, and energy to study the Bible. Nor can we remember God’s promises when facing spiritual warfare. Our prayers become meaningless words spoken quickly just to say we prayed. Breaking the habit of multitasking takes prayer and the discipline of self-control. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help with the process of elimination or rearranging your responsibilities. Always make God your priority by putting Him first.

Prayer: God, we have too many things to do in our lives. We need Your help to eliminate the busyness that prevents us from worshipping You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Sonya Johnson

Building Our Character

In the courtroom drama, “Whose Dog is it Anyway?” the plaintiff alleged the neighbor a few houses away from him had stolen his little Muffy, an adorable miniature poodle. Details of the story included the dog staying in the house unless leashed for a walk, but this incident happened when the plaintiff opened his door and Muffy saw her chance for freedom. He posted a lost dog poster with a reward throughout the large neighborhood. After one year, he gave up until he was outside one day [a year later] and saw Muffy run out of a neighbor’s house. When he knocked on the door to advise the defendant that the poodle was his lost dog, she denied that it was his dog and stated they bought her as a puppy.

The Judge’s questions: “Where did you get the dog from? How much did you pay for the dog because she is a pedigree? And where are her pedigree papers? The defendant was not prepared to answer the questions asked in rapid succession. She quickly answered, “I bought her from a lady who was selling poodle puppies but she did not give me papers. And I don’t remember how much I paid.” The defendant brought documents from a recent Vet visit that stated the dog was around four years of age.

The Judge questioned the plaintiff, “How old is the dog?” “Five years of age, your honor.” Judge to the defendant: “Bring the dog in the courtroom.” The defendant’s sister brings in the dog. Judge: “Put the dog down on the floor.” Muffy ran to her owner.

There are many situations that we face which prove the strength or weakness of our character. Our heart’s desires will cause us to make decisions that shatter our integrity and credibility. Have you ever reflected on a time when you blended a little truth with lies? Later, your conscience either produced feelings of guilt and remorse or you proudly justified your actions and congratulated yourself for coming out as a winner.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

God is aware that we are in a spiritual war between good and evil. He knows that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked [Jeremiah 17:9]. We cannot develop strategies, use logical deduction, or perform behavior modification techniques to become holy [1 Peter 1:16]. Humanity does not have the power to save ourselves. We need Divine Intervention to become righteous and overcome our natural sinful tendencies.

Daily, pray for God to search your heart and ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is our guidebook to developing a Christ-like character. Study as if your life depended on it because it does—never forget that our character determines our destiny.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit that we may develop in the likeness of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Devotional—The Struggle of Sanctification—Strengthening Yourself

The movement has spread to love yourself by taking care of your mind and body. Two of the goals are eliminating toxic people along with making healthy eating choices. Although mental, emotional, and physical health is important, our spiritual health is of utmost importance.

Listening to a Christian therapist describe the reason for the increase in mental illness in the Christian community was too complex for the average person. The topic of mental illness is explosive. We readily defend Christians who are anxious, worried, insecure, stressed out, and discouraged. According to the therapist anxiety and worry have surpassed depression.

When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The new person is healed of former mental and emotional issues that would prevent a healthy, thriving relationship with Christ.

Something is not right. Our lifestyle choices are draining our strength. We readily embrace popular worldviews that are a little truth blended with false teachings. Many have a form of godliness, yet they desire to hold on to the pleasures of the world.

Our daily habits remain the same after our spiritual transformation. We continue to chase selfish desires and hang out with unbelievers in our social circle. The trends of horoscope readings, tarot cards, crystals, contact with the dead, and seeking those who practice divination to tell the future are at an all-time high among many believers.

Christian social gatherings include dancing to worldly music. An individual who claims to tell you about your future [just for fun] may also be present. Satan has introduced concepts of self-healing and meditation using music that promises to bring peace. Disturbing our minds, even more, are desires for prosperity and to have a romantic relationship.

Social media is a platform to reveal your innermost secrets, share new and exciting ways to think and live, and worst of all, self-appointed prophets speak over your life. We embrace the music, movies, games, and lifestyles of the influencers that promote material gain, sexual immorality, and instant gratification.

There is no middle ground in serving God. We are required to give up every pleasure that does not honor God. Every thought, behavior, and activity should identify that we are a disciple of Jesus Christ and glorify God. Our minds become confused and distraught when attempting to serve two masters. Anxiety, worry, and depression reveal our spiritual priorities are not in alignment with God. Total obedience to God gives us inner peace and the reassurance that God will always keep His promises.

Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter. If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants—a land flowing with milk and honey! (Deuteronomy 11:8-9)

Prayer: God, please search our hearts and reveal all that does not glorify You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.