Jesus Loves Us the Most

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

“The One who loves you the most is the One who you need the most. Jesus is our Safe Place!”

The umbilical cord connecting mother to baby is the only way the vital nutrients required for the baby’s growth and development can be received.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NLT).

Jesus says, “For apart from me you can do nothing.” The importance of daily personal worship is highly underrated. But without it, we suffer from Spiritual Malnutrition. There is no other way to receive our spiritual nutrients than to worship God everyday.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

“Do not be wise in your own eyes…” (Proverbs 3:7).

Many believers practice self-reliance, and think, “I am doing well in life.” Yes, we may easily handle the routine duties of life, but without praying for God’s guidance, we are disconnected from Jesus, the Source of Life who gives us Spiritual wisdom and direction.

We were created with limited wisdom and discernment, which means that we must depend on God to receive His guidance. How can we fulfill God’s plans for our lives, if we do not know His plans?

It is easier to skip prayer and follow our own thoughts than to pray for God’s guidance, that is, until we face hardships and challenges that human effort cannot resolve. Relying on God should be our first response in every aspect of our lives. 

God desires to give us our best life, not only on Earth, but also in Heaven. Yes, we are covered by Grace, but will be rewarded with Eternal Life because we faithfully obeyed God.

God also desires for us to seek His guidance, even in our routine activities of life. Relying on God requires a spirit of humility, surrender, obedience, and the faith to proclaim, I have decided to follow Jesus! 

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, NLT).

We are no match for Satan, our greatest enemy. Even the Believers who pray and study the Bible every day require God’s Divine wisdom and  discernment to recognize covert temptations, and the spiritual strength to overcome those temptations.

The Answer to Living Victoriously: In our spiritual journey, it is vital that we stay connected to the One, [Jesus, our Loving Savior and Mighty Warrior] who loves us the most.

“Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you Great and Mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3).

Daily personal worship establishes and maintains our spiritual connection to Christ. We receive Divine guidance from praying and studying the Scriptures.

To “Pray without ceasing” means to pray continuously throughout our waking hours. We can pray silently, or audibly anywhere at any time. Talking to Jesus empowers us to live consecrated and holy lives.

Talking to Jesus Changes Our Priorities:

“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ ” (Matthew 24:3).

Brothers and sisters, in these last days [2 Timothy 3], we desperately need Jesus, our Shepherd to lead us in our earthly journey. Staying close to Christ keeps us focused on our Heavenly goal of Eternal Life.

Who knows? We may be the generations of Christians who live to witness Jesus’ Second Coming [1 Thessalonians 4]. Yes and Amen!

Lord Jesus, we confess that we have excluded You from our lives. And right now, we make the commitment to ask for Your guidance before making decisions, and obey Your Will. We thank You for your matchless love and great sacrifice. We look forward to the day when sin will cease to exist, and we will live forever and ever with You. In faith, we ask this prayer in your Holy Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Run to Jesus! He Is Our Mighty Warrior

Jesus speaking to His disciples: “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me…” (John 14:30, NLT).

As Jesus hung on the cross, Satan thought He had won. But on that early Sunday morning, when God, the Father sent Heaven’s angels to roll back the stone. Our Savior awakened from the sleep of death, and walked out of the tomb, then Satan knew that he was defeated. Yes and Amen!

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians (6:12).

In Ephesians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul explains that every believer is involved in the battle of spiritual warfare. Yes, in the Great Controversy of Good and Evil, Satan is fighting Jesus for our souls.

But our greatest enemy does not have power over us, or our free will of choice. Satan cannot force us to sin against God, we willingly choose to embrace temptation.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24, NIV).

The Battlefield is Our Mind!

Every day, we are tempted to embrace the unbeliever’s lifestyle of chasing prosperity, pleasure, and the self-gratification of appetite, and sexual immorality.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21). Even believers have desires for wealth and success that do not align with the Righteousness of Christ.

Excessive spending, countless hours on social media, and relationships with unbelievers may appear to be insignificant, but every temptation has the ulterior motive of being a catalyst to forming habits that prevent us from praying and studying the Bible, which separate us from God.

Divine Intervention Is Always Available: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV).

Jesus does not allow Satan to ambush us with countless deceptions, our Shepherd and King places limits on the enemy’s schemes and attacks against believers. Without Divine boundaries placed on Satan, we would feel hopeless, and defeated.

Feeling Defeated? Check Your Spiritual Connection with Christ.

When we face continuous battles, we are disconnected from Christ. Our desires, choices, and lifestyles indicate whether or not, we are spiritually connected to Christ.

Reflect on your current lifestyle. Are you loyal to Christ? Or, is your priority to please self?

The Compromise: Satan has deceived many believers who have detoured from the Path of Righteousness because they are pursuing their desires. Sadly, they don’t even realize they are disconnected from Christ.

We cannot blend Christ’s Righteousness with the sinful desires for wealth, success, and an easy life, and remain spiritually connected to Christ.

Ways We Disconnect from Christ: Failure to have daily worship. Not praying and studying the Bible. Never praying for God to reveal His plans, or asking for God’s guidance. Engaging in sinful behaviors and habits. Having relationships with unbelievers. Following our own thoughts, and seeking the advice of self-proclaimed influencers and experts.

The Lifestyle of the Disconnected

It may appear that Satan is good to unbelievers because they possess the world’s wealth. But one of Satan’s greatest deceptions  are the worldviews that wealth produces wisdom, and a mindset of euphoric peace.

Unbelievers live a miserable life because their mind is always in a state of discontent. They are constantly developing strategies to increase their economic wealth and social status.

It is easy to boast about living the dream, but behind closed doors, unbelievers are anxious, worried, and stressed everyday. And yes, Satan constantly disturbs the minds of those who are loyal to him.

Unbelievers do not receive God’s gift of peace, nor, do they have the constant angelic protection given by Jesus to His faithful followers to fight Satan’s attacks of causing mental anguish and physical harm.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2, NIV).

Disconnected? Seeking Restoration with Christ Requires Repentance and the Daily Commitment to Surrender and Obey

“Be holy for I am Holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

Run to Jesus!  Reconnecting to Christ requires a change in our priorities and lifestyle. The commitment to living righteously includes choosing right over wrong when tempted, and being guided by the Holy Spirit when making decisions.

There is no logical reason for us to let Satan beat us down. Living righteously includes having Total Access to Jesus Christ. We can only fight Satan’s manipulative schemes and win when we are empowered with Jesus’ Divine strength.

Thinking and living according to God’s Righteous Principles requires Steadfast Faith, and the daily Spiritual Reinforcements of Prayer, Bible Study, Faith, Surrender, and Obedience, which keep us spiritually linked to Christ.

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33, CSB).

Yes, in our earthly journey, we will face spiritual warfare, but Satan is defeated! Invite Jesus Christ, our Mighty Warrior to fight your battles. He always wins!

Run to Jesus! He is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, Forever and Ever, Amen.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” (Revelation 19:11)

Lord God, with humility and surrender,we are running to You, asking you to forgive us for our sins of neglecting you as our First Love. Jesus, we are returning to You, asking for Your Divine wisdom, guidance, strength, and protection, as we face the Warfare in our lives. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in faith and in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

The Sabbath Is Here – Yes and Amen!

“Take this Sabbath day to nourish your soul and find rejuvenation in the simple beauty of nature. Like the ripening fruit on a tree, may this Holy Day bring you a sense of fulfillment and purpose.”

“The passage in the Book of Isaiah that refers to Sabbath worship continuing in the New Heaven and New Earth is Isaiah 66:23, which states, ‘And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, says the LORD.’ ”

Isaiah 66:23 confirms that God never changed the Fourth Commandment given to humanity to honor and observe the Holy Seventh Day Sabbath.

Yes, Sabbath worship will continue after sin and sinners are destroyed and Jesus Christ creates the New Heaven and New Earth for the righteous to live in eternally, Amen!

Lord God, Your love is amazing. Not only did You leave Your throne, and suffer a gruesome death on Calvary’s Cross for us, but You blessed us by designating 24 hours for us to redirect our focus from the routine matters of life to worship You in the fullness of Your Glory. We ask for a spiritual renewal and empowerment from the Holy Spirit as we honor You with love, loyalty, and faithful obedience. We ask this prayer in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Spiritual Layovers – Waiting On God

“Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:19).

Throughout the Bible, God’s Love and Faithfulness are revealed by His promises to move us forward. Yes, His promises give us hope, as we wait for their fulfillment with joyful anticipation.

Still, there are many things that God has for us that will not come to fruition for a very long time. Because God always requires a period of waiting to develop our faith, we will refer to these undetermined times of waiting as Spiritual Layovers.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:25).

Yesterday, I reflected for a couple of hours on these thoughts, “I have been waiting a very long time, when will the promises happen? I have been in a Spiritual Layover for longer than I care to remember.

Through the Scriptures, I received an answer from the Holy Spirit regarding my misdirected thoughts, God’s Answer: Continue to Wait.

David teaches us God’s purpose for Spiritual Layovers: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 25:4-5).

Spiritual transformation is God’s priority and certainly should be our goal as we prepare for Eternal life. Yet, Jesus is not surprised by our impatience because He knows the human heart and its’ insatiable desires.

Are you frustrated with waiting? One thing we can be certain of, God will never dishonor Himself, or jeopardize our journey of spiritual growth and development by giving us blessings that we are not spiritually equipped to handle.

Recently, I listened to a pastor describing our limited understanding compared to the Omniscient [All-knowing] God who perceives time from an Eternal perspective.

We must remember the story of Abraham and God’s promise to give him a son. Yes, he was 100 years old when Isaac was born, but God views the past, present, and future simply as “time,” so, He has no need to hurry.

“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).

Our Father’s Righteous plans include everything we require to enjoy peaceful and productive lives including spiritual growth and development in this life, and for eternity.

“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15, ESV).

The Domino Effect from Following Our Desires: Sin always produces spiritual death by separating us from God. Repentance and the commitment to faithfully obey reconciles us back to God.

Yes, God was fully prepared to activate His plan to help Adam and Eve to cope with the consequences of their decision to disobey His command not to eat from that one tree.

Their desire led to disobedience, resulting in losing immortality, face-to-face contact with Jesus, and their home in the Garden of Eden.

We do not have to repeat Adam and Eve’s choice of willful disobedience, how can we enjoy a peaceful and happy life that includes suffering devastating consequences, due to pursuing our desires?

The Neverending Love of God: Even when we disobey by chasing our desires, and suffer consequences, God does not abandon us.

If we repent, and commit to faithfully trusting and obeying Him then our Loving Father forgives by redirecting us back to His Chosen Path for our lives. And yes, He will give us the strength to endure the sorrows of our consequences.

The reliable solution to always aligning ourselves with God’s will: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray, Obey, and Persevere during the Spiritual Layovers.

Every day, through personal worship, we must pray for guidance, or our thoughts will never align with God’s Divine will.

Receiving spiritual wisdom gives us the ability to look beyond only desiring tangible possessions [the unbeliever’s primary focus and goal].

Reflection: How are we preparing daily to receive our Forever life with Christ in the New Heaven and New Earth?

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12).

We must not be deceived, Eternal life is a reward. Using our spiritual gifts, talents, helping those in need, and witnessing to others is the life of service required to receive our Crown of Life.

When Christ is our Shepherd, we faithfully wait on Him to guide us because we love Him and revere His Sovereign Authority, but most importantly, we appreciate His most wonderful, sacrificial gift of Redemption on Calvary’s Cross.

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:25).

God knows our hearts, character strengths, and weaknesses along with every intricate detail of our life stories. With much gratitude, we should thank God for keeping us on track spiritually by implementing lengthy times of waiting.

Jesus’ Righteous Character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22-23). 

Sanctification requires a lifetime of gradual spiritual growth. We must possess Righteous Character traits, Steadfast Faith, Patience, and Total Dependency on God.

God uses Spiritual Layovers to change our minds, characters, and personalities. Each believer’s Layovers are personalized according to their spiritual strengths and weaknesses.

Divine Discipline: Our Father’s love includes the discipline required to educate and train His children, ensuring we are not loving and seeking the same earthly success and treasures that will condemn the world.

Trust God By Remaining Patient and Obedient During the Spiritual Layovers

“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in Him, because we trust in His holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” (Psalm 33:20-22).

Yes, God created us with the ability to dream and desire, but our dreams and goals should include the priority of a Forever Life with Christ.

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ ” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

When feeling impatient, and ready to pursue a meaningless desire, remember God’s Divine Purpose, preparing you for the Eternal Life in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Even when our dreams and desires align with God’s perfect will and plans for us, His blessings always require a Faith-Building Layover. When our hearts are right, God will make it happen! Peace and Blessings!

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry


                 

Be Anxious About Nothing!

“Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me? (Jeremiah 32: 27, LSB)

We can agree that life has many challenges which keep us distracted from focusing on the unlimited power of God. Still, God is who He says He is.

Take a moment to reflect on “Who” you are praying to, God reminds us in the Scriptures that nothing is too difficult or complicated for Him to resolve.

The many benefits of studying the Bible is that God defines His Loving Character, and provides us with the history of His Divine intervention in the lives of those who pray in faith, asking for His help.

Jesus, God, the Son, the Second Person of the Triune Godhead is our Heavenly High Priest and our Mediator who receives and answers all of our prayers.

The same Jesus who parted the Red Sea, delivered the three young Hebrews from the fiery furnace, and raised Lazarus from the dead is still performing Great and Mighty miracles in 2025.

“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” (Isaiah 65:24, NLT).

Exchanging self-reliance for total dependency on God guarantees that we will enjoy a peaceful life. Prayer does not prevent or remove the trials, yet prayer combined with faith gives us the assurance that God remains committed to helping us.

Jesus promised to give us Divine strength to persevere when we are experiencing the hardships of life. Our role is to believe without doubt and wait on Him to resolve our challenges.

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:14, NLT).

When facing adversity, we use our measure of faith [even weak faith is still faith] to believe that God loves us, and He will intervene. Yes, we can pray with confidence knowing our Heavenly Father is always faithful in keeping His promises.

Lord God, we thank you for Your abundant love and Your willingness to help us when we pray in faith, believing that You are the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory. We know that nothing is too hard for you, and we ask forgiveness for our doubt and unbelief. Jesus, we ask for Your Divine Help in resolving the obstacles that we face, and thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we pray in Your Worthy Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Representing the Light of Christ In a World of Darkness

Christ Defines His Followers: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9). Yes, this is our identity in Christ!

“Jesus did not tell His disciples, ‘Strive to make your light shine;’ He said, ‘Let it shine.’ If Christ is dwelling in the heart, it is impossible to conceal the light of His presence.”

In a world plagued with darkness, Christ has given us a spiritual assignment to fulfill: Witnessing to those who do not know Jesus’ Light, His Love, and His Sacrifice to Redeem us from the vice-grip of sin.

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Every believer is a follower of Christ, which makes us disciples of Christ. We may not literally baptize others, but from witnessing, we invite the Holy Spirit to speak to the hearts of those who we simply tell, “Jesus loves you.”

Although some individuals may not respond, or even reject hearing that Jesus loves them, we have fulfilled our role, and then the Holy Spirit will take over. Still, they must choose to accept or reject Jesus and the free gift of Salvation.

There is an extreme shortage of love in our present world. People need to know they are loved. When they repent and accept Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizes them spiritually, cleansing their hearts from all unrighteousness.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20). This Scripture means that Jesus knocks at our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. Saying yes, opens the spiritual door.

We may never know who accepts Christ until we go to heaven, yet because we fulfilled our part as modern-day disciples, we will meet those who said yes to Jesus after we shared the love of Jesus with them.

Something is not right if we have no desire to witness: “If those who profess to be followers of Christ are not the light of the world, it is because the vital power has left them; if they have no light to give, it is because they have no connection with [Christ] the Source of Light.”

Excerpt from “The Light of the World” Devotional by EGW

“As the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe, so God designs that the light of the gospel shall extend to every soul upon the earth. If the church of Christ were fulfilling the purpose of our Lord, light would be shed upon all that sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of death.”

“Instead of congregating together and shunning responsibility and cross bearing, the members of the church would scatter into all lands, letting the light of Christ shine out from them, working as He did for the salvation of souls, and this ‘gospel of the kingdom’ would speedily be carried to all the world.”

“…there are souls enslaved by Satan; they are waiting for the word of faith and prayer to set them free.”

Who will tell them if we refuse?

We come across people everyday who are anxious, depressed, discouraged, and feel hopeless. They desperately need to know that Jesus saves and delivers us from the strongholds of sin, addictions, and despair.

With courage, we can tell everyone that we come across, “Jesus loves you.” Yes and Amen!

Lord God, in humility and surrender, we bow before your Throne asking for strength to live righteously. We ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit as we tell others of the Love and Saving Power of Jesus Christ. Teach us how to be shining lights that reflect Your love, grace, and mercy in a dark world. We pray for wisdom, discernment, and the courage to witness as we prepare for Your Soon Coming. We ask this prayer in the Righteous Name of King Jesus, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry