It takes faith, trust, courage, and perseverance to serve God in today's unstable world. Yet, we are never alone. Pray every day and pray often. Study the Bible. The Scriptures are a Love Letter from God to those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior. You will receive comfort, knowledge, and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Jeremiah 31:3. Be blessed in Jesus' name. Amen.
When God told me to relocate from Texas to Florida, I hesitated. Was this my desire? But when God is ready to fulfill the plans that He has for us, supernatural things begin to happen. The miracles that come into fruition proclaim that God is in control. Then it is up to us to obey and move forward.
It took two months to separate, donate, and pack my personal belongings. Yes, I had many challenges, including the Texas storms that left me without running water for ten days, but my focus never changed. I was aware that the moving date was February 25th, and I did what was required to meet the deadline.
Recently, I have noticed that my faith is not growing as it should. Through my prayers, I asked God to show me what I need to do for an increase in faith. God always answers prayers. I read a devotional this morning that reminded me that this world, in its present state, is not the believer’s permanent home.
And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5. God has plans to move us to a perfect, new home [the New Heaven and New Earth]. Without the chaos of sin, death, or disease, we will experience complete joy and peace. No more race relation issues will ever plague us again.
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.…” Revelation 21:2-3
We have become too comfortable with our present living arrangements. Every day should be a day of preparation to move to our new home. When Jesus comes again, it is not a secret that we will receive the reward of eternal life if we faithfully serve God. Redirecting our focus on God’s promises will allow us to maintain a joyful, peaceful life. Stay encouraged. We are nearing home!
Bible study: Revelation 21
God, thank you for reminding us that you have plans to move us to the New Heaven and New Earth. Please give us the strength to endure. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Many individuals are verbalizing that they are overwhelmed from trying to serve God. What makes us become discouraged in our spiritual journey? Has God made it impossible to serve him, according to His requirements? I have noticed that many preachers, pastors, teachers, and believers promote a “philosophical” approach to serving God. Following trends and prevailing schools of thought always get us into trouble.
God gave us the Bible, 66 books that we can study for ourselves. The Bible is our road map, spiritual mirror, reveals God’s character, His promises, and tells us the only way to salvation, which is through Jesus Christ. The Bible provides us with the victories and defeats of humanity along with the ever-present God always standing by to deliver us. Please remember to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and to give you wisdom before studying the Word of God.
Secondly, we are bombarded with too many religious visual and audio messages. Check out the various social platforms. Countless messages tell us to do this or that, define our feelings, defend various interpretations of the truth, and promote methods to conquer your depression, anxiety, worries, etc. Yes, I watch sermons, listen to audiobooks on the great controversy between good and evil, and music that honors God. But I measure the content of the video against the Bible, and many teachings/music are not from God.
This is the dilemma for many of us who enjoy clean, fun-time on Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Social media videos can easily become an addiction. Where does the time go? Hours pass quickly when we are having fun. Establish a time-limit. You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Exodus 34:14
Our love for God translates into spending time with God. Yes, I pray throughout my waking hours of the day and night. But I spend time alone worshipping God in prayer, praise and worship, and studying the Bible, which gives me the knowledge and courage to change, and build my relationship with Jesus Christ. Time with God is essential to establish a strong foundation in serving God.
1. “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” Matthew 22:37
When we are in love, that person is the object of our attention and affection. Establish and maintain your relationship with Jesus by worshipping God through prayer, praise, listening to inspirational music, and studying the Bible.
2. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Like a little child who does or says the wrong thing, saying “I’m sorry” is the simple act of acknowledging wrongdoing. God tells us to confess our sins to Him. He knows if our repentance is genuine or fake.
3. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23
Yes, we must change our thoughts, behaviors, and actions to reflect the character of Christ. God never leaves us alone to handle life’s challenges. We have supernatural help through Christ. Still, it takes human effort plus divine intervention to live righteously.
4. So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.” Genesis 35:2
So, yesterday, I watched a video of a young believer who proclaimed that God spoke to her and revealed that her struggle in serving Him was due to her love of secular music that promotes sexual immorality. The comments that followed were vicious. But the most thought-provoking, “You Christians have to give up too much to serve God.” We cannot stand on the fence nor is there a gray area or a middle ground in serving God. Read Revelation 3:14-22 to become familiar with believers who want the worldly pleasures mixed in with serving God.
There is a recipe for making our relationship with God less complicated:
Add lots of love, heaping amounts of faithand trust, cups of obedience, and immeasurable patience. It takes courage to change!
Increase your time with God in prayer and studying, and decrease your time on social media or your other time-consuming habits. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the people and content that promotes the truth, which honors and glorifies God. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
God, we ask you for the Holy Spirit to give us discernment to recognize truth from false teachings. And we also ask you to give us the courage and strength to serve you with our whole heart. Thank you for your unconditional love, grace, and mercy. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Accepting Jesus as our personal Savior brings responsibilities to maintain the relationship between God and ourselves. Our covenant with God requires us to believe that He is Omniscient–All Knowing and Omnipotent–All Powerful. God told Moses, “Tell them, ‘I AM’ sent you.”
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” Jeremiah 32:27. God is a keeper of His promises. God does not require us to carry the burdens of life without His divine intervention. We dishonor God with our doubts and unbelief. God expects us to keep our part of the covenant by faithfully trusting and waiting on Him in good or challenging times.
We are to live a life by faith and purpose-driven with the intent to serve God and others.
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6.
In His mercy, God made a covenant with Noah to cleanse the earth of humanity’s wickedness. “Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth.” Genesis 7:6. Although Noah was mid-life, he was faithful and demonstrated complete obedience by building the ark according to God’s instructions.
In comparison to biblical times, we have an easy life. We perceive our lives as unbearable because we do not want to experience the suffering of trials and sorrows. God will allow what is needed for us to experience complete dependence on Him. Our covenant with God is a vow for us to “believe in Him, and to patiently wait until He brings us victoriously through our challenges.”
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Bible study: Genesis chapters 5-9
Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for responding to our suffering by worrying. It is our desire to completely trust you with our lives. Thank you for the Sabbath and your daily gifts of grace and mercy. We ask for the strength and courage today to faithfully serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
As we watch the condition of our world rapidly decline, we can refer to the Apostle Paul’s letter to Timothy.
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Timothy 3:1-5
Our relationship with God determines our destiny. Either we will choose eternal life by total surrender and submission to God, or we will choose the final death by seeking after worldly pleasures.
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
Until we can pray daily, “God not my will but your will be done in my life,” we fail to put God first. Seeking our own desires is the reason that we have relationship issues with God. Submission is not a choice when we serve God. He loves us and is waiting to give us the best life ever.
It is human nature to look our best. After all, the first impression is the lasting impression. For human eyes, this may be true. Thankfully, when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, it is not our first impression that others see that counts. The Lord has appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3.
God looks at the sincere heart of the one who is seeking repentance and forgiveness. He accepts us exactly where we are in our lives. God showers us with His unconditional love, grace, and mercy that only a Heavenly Father can give to us. Embrace the opportunity for God to change you into the best that you can be.
Bible Verse: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Prayer: God, we thank you for seeing us from the inside. We give you our heart and ask you to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
God is loving, full of compassion, grace, and mercy. But God is also a God of “No Compromise.” “For I am the LORD, I change not…” Malachi 3:1.
God does not make adjustments in His laws, precepts, commandments, or requirements to live holy and acceptable lives. Righteousness by faith only comes through Jesus Christ. And yes, sanctification is a life-long process, which involves daily spiritual growth. The path that we must travel is narrow, winding, and upward. Because we are born with sinful natures, serving God requires human effort plus divine intervention.
We must make a covenant with God that requires becoming a servant. Obedience is not an option. Our daily prayer, “God not my will, but your will be done” is trusting God completely with your life despite the circumstances. Still, without knowledge of the scriptures and fervent prayer, we cannot obey God, nor can we understand confession, repentance, and forgiveness, or overcome temptation.
The Bible is our spiritual mirror and our road map to maintain our journey on the one-way street leading to eternal life. How far would we travel without prayer to connect to the Power source to refresh and energize us for continuous travel?
Our spiritual journey is comparable to traveling down a one-way street. The expectation is that everyone is going in the same direction. There is no chance of becoming lost unless you turn to the right or the left.
There will be many distractions [the temptations of worldly pleasures] during the journey. Maintain your focus! To receive our reward of eternal life, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. He will navigate us safely over the bumps, potholes, and debris caused by our trials, tribulations, and temptations. Trust Jesus with your life. He is our Spiritual GPS that provides error-free and no alternate route directions.
Bible Study: Exodus 8
God, we thank you for the guidance that we can receive any time of the day or night. Thank you for loving us. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:8
Anger is a God-given emotion. Without anger, we would tolerate social injustice and heinous crimes such as molestation, abuse, neglect, human trafficking, etc. The big mistake is that we use anger to hurt and retaliate against people instead of the issue. Because of our pride and sinful nature, we cannot control our anger without godly discipline and self-control. God has uncompromising guidelines on our emotions: Uncontrolled anger is a deal-breaker to receiving eternal life. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:14-15
Unfortunately, bitterness and unforgiveness tag teams with anger, and we lose the fight to push forward with an emotional healthy mindset. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20. But most importantly, anger prevents us from sanctification, the daily struggle of becoming righteous, holy, and acceptable to God. I have heard many believers boast, “I have righteous anger.” Well, that is not possible because God says, “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” Isaiah 64:6.
Many times we are at fault when an emotionally charged situation arises. The trending psychological answer of, “I am sorry you feel that way” is not appropriate if you have caused the inflammatory situation. If you know the individual and their problem of controlling their anger, say a short prayer aloud. At that point, you are asking God for divine intervention. Next, offer a heartfelt apology, and walk away.
We have a perfect role model, Jesus Christ, who dealt with the angry demands of many individuals who rejected his deity as the Son of God. But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Matthew 26:63. Most of us do not possess the godly discipline of maintaining silence. “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.” Psalm 46:10. Not only does God resolve the unrighteous situation, but He also does it in a manner that brings glory and honor to His Name.
Luke, chapter 4 tells us of the angry opposition that Jesus faced for telling the truth: When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:28-30.
Satan knows that his time is short on this earth. So, he uses distractions to deceive us into speaking and behaving in an unholy manner. Disobedience is enmity against God. Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:19-20
We have come too far in our spiritual journey to let anger, a deadly and uncontrollable emotion overpower us, and cause the loss of eternal life. Pray for deliverance if you love to become angry. He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. Revelation 22:20-21
Bible Study: James 1
God, we ask forgiveness for inappropriate anger, hostility, and retaliation. We desire to maintain peace, be obedient, and serve you wholeheartedly. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Bible Study: Psalms 23 and 27
God, thank you for giving your Son, Jesus to die for us that we may have eternal life. Jesus, we thank you for your great sacrifice and for being our Shepherd. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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