Spiritual Journey – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Our Life Matters To God

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it is not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3).

God desires the best for us; He wants us to have a relationship with His Son, God, Jesus Christ; to know and do what is right; to live righteously, and to know and obey His One and Only Truth in the Holy Bible.

Because of the hardships in our spiritual journey with Jesus, we may become discouraged or disappointed, but if we feel that our life does not matter to God, then we are in a Spiritual Crisis.

To understand God, the Father, and God, Jesus, the Son’s phenomenal love requires that we maintain a heart-to-Heart relationship with Jesus Christ through daily personal worship.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).

“The Vine: Jesus represents the Source of Life, Strength, and Power.” “The Branches: Believers must stay attached to the Source.” “Bearing Fruit: Doing good works and living a faithful life happens naturally only when staying close to Jesus.”

“Staying Connected: To “abide” means to keep a close, daily relationship with Him through faith, trust, obedience, prayer, and Bible Study.”

To abide in Christ requires using our faith to follow Him and live a sacrificial life of self-denial. Study Romans 12:1-2.

Put God First: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” To stay connected to God, we must love God and dedicate ourselves to follow Jesus Christ, our Faithful Shepherd, with surrender and obedience.

“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. Do not be wise in your own eyes…It will be health to your flesh [mind and body], And strength to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8).

Becoming weary and feeling as if we are carrying the weight of the world reveals that we have excluded God.

By attempting to use our thoughts and strategies to navigate through life, we have separated ourselves from the Divine Source of All Knowledge, Wisdom, and Strength.

Jesus tells us, “…you can do nothing without me.” Our spiritual journey of growth and transformation cannot be accomplished without Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

“It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24).

We desperately need to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to empower us with wisdom and strength. Because we must eat physical food every day, we must also pray daily, asking for wisdom and strength.

Nothing creates discouragement and despair like a decision that leads to facing unnecessary consequences. Yet we do not have to live the chaotic life of unbelievers, who will never enjoy Jesus’ Gifts of Peace and Contentment.

Resolution To Our Spiritual Crisis: We Make The Commitment to Redirect Our Faith and Focus Back To El Roi

El Roi (אֵל רֳאִי), translates to “The God Who sees me” or “The God Who sees.” Jesus knows every challenge and every adversity that will happen in our lifespan.

“I will never leave you or forsake you.” Jesus is committed to resolving life’s routine challenges and the unexpected hardships, but we must choose to include Him. Accepting Jesus as our Savior also means the commitment to follow Him; we pray, ask for help, and obey His instructions, waiting patiently for His resolution.

“Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you” [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]. (1 Peter 5:7, Amplified Bible).

The Prayer: ” Lord God, today guide me in my decision-making and give me the strength to keep moving forward.”

Faith, Trust, Courage, and Internal Joy and Peace are Spiritual gifts available to every dedicated follower of Christ. Imagine being in a one-sided relationship: you give your all, and the other person receives but never reciprocates.

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1, NIV).

Jesus has given us above and beyond what we deserve. It’s time for us to lavish our love on our Loving and Compassionate Shepherd, Savior, and Triumphant King.

By dedicating personal time with Jesus, we can whisper words expressing our love and gratitude to Him for sustaining our lives with the daily blessings that we take for granted. God is the Sustainer of all life: Our greatest blessing is God’s Ruach Breath that flows through our bodies.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Each day brings its own obstacles. We were never created to figure things out. The answer to building our faith and escaping the Spiritual Crisis is to restore our relationship with Jesus Christ by maintaining constant communication with Him through prayer.

“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27, NIV). Victorious faith requires that Jesus is actively involved in our lives, teaching and guiding us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Worshiping the King of Kings with consistent prayer and diligent study of the Holy Scriptures invites the Holy Spirit to give us the ability to see life through spiritual eyes.

The Holy Spirit empowers us with the wisdom and strength to persevere, keeps us spiritually connected to Jesus, and guides us to move forward and stay on the Narrow Path of Righteousness.

The Message of the Cross reveals the Plan of Redemption, which God, the Father, and Jesus Christ had in place before the world and before Adam and Eve were created. We have been rescued from the wages of sin [Romans 6:23]. Thank You, God!

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, Amplified Bible).

All of Heaven, the Triune Godhead [God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit] and the host of angels are dedicated to guiding and giving us the spiritual wisdom and strength to persevere in our journey with Jesus from Earth to Heaven.

Does our life matter to God? The Cross answers with a resounding Yes! We are greatly loved! Through our faith, we are saved by God’s Grace, and we are alive because of Jesus’ Love and Mercies. “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

God Validates Our Worth – The Spiritual Status of the Righteous: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” (1 Peter 2:9).

The Holy Bible reveals God’s Love, His Righteous Character, and is filled with countless stories of His Divine Intervention, which always produces victorious outcomes!

Does our life matter to God? We have 24/7 angelic protection! “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, NIV). The righteous have guardian angels assigned by their Commander, Jesus Christ, to protect and guide us 24/7. (Study Psalm 91).

Not only do our invisible angels fight Satan’s invisible evil angels, but they also help us to recognize covert temptations [spiritual warfare] that the human mind cannot discern. The dedicated believer, who prays and relies on Christ, will never be scammed or suffer from financial loss due to deception.

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Bible Is Our Spiritual Guide and Mirror

God has given us Commandments [His Moral Law] and Righteous Precepts that teach us the difference between His Truth and false doctrines, sin and righteousness, providing us with His never-changing expectations on how we are to think and live.

The righteous who remain faithful and persevere will be rewarded: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21, NIV). Yes and Amen!

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” (Revelation 22:12). It is just a matter of time, and He that shall come will come. Jesus asks, “…Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John gives us a limited description of the New Heaven and New Earth; Jesus reveals how sin and evil on this Earth will end; and His Ultimate and Definitive Plan to destroy the wicked and reward the righteous with our Eternal Crown of Life.

The Holy Scriptures reiterate that we are Sons and Daughters of the Sovereign God of this universe, who will inherit the Kingdom of God if we participate with the Holy Spirit by living righteously. Guarding our gift of time is crucial to progressing in our spiritual journey.

Busyness does not produce spiritual growth! “…making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.” (Ephesians 5:15, Amplified Bible).

There is only one reason why Christian believers become despondent in their Spiritual Journey, questioning if their life matters to God: They are spiritually disconnected from Jesus Christ.

Too busy to spend time with God? We are drawn away by our digital devices, ChatGPT, wealth-building, pleasure-seeking activities, insatiable desires, and unholy relationships. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:26 NLT).

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He [Jesus] is righteous. He who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning…” (1 John 3:7-8).

We cannot follow Christ with a divided heart. Without being anchored in Christ, Satan easily uses distractions to entice us. Many former Christians have drifted so far from God that they have lost their sense of direction.

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). Believers who spend time with God in Prayer and Study of the Holy Scriptures are anchored spiritually, mentally, and emotionally to Christ.

The Christian Community has changed—We cannot look for validation from those who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, which also includes many church members who only practice ritualistic worship. Attending church does not indicate that we are spiritually connected to Christ.

“Be holy, for I Am Holy.” God desires that we live a pure and holy life, made possible through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual Transformation and Maturity require a lifetime of steadfast determination to live holy, revealing our desire to cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

“I can come to Jesus just as I am, but I cannot stay just as I am.” Our earthly lives are a time of probation. We only have the here and now to actively participate in our spiritual journey. Make your relationship with Jesus your priority!

The Bible Is Our Guide to Eternal Life: We must study the Scriptures for ourselves. We cannot grow spiritually from listening to someone else’s Biblical knowledge. God never instructed us to only study part of the Bible—this false doctrine has pervaded today’s Christian Community.

No, animal sacrifice in the Old Testament does not apply to today’s Christians, but learning the Sanctuary Service helps us understand the magnitude of the Plan of Redemption and the Sacredness of the Sacrificial Offering of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

The perfect lambs that were brought to the temple and sacrificed pointed to Jesus, whose death was required on Calvary’s Cross. Yes, only Jesus, the perfect Lamb’s blood had the Power to wash away our sins and to save our souls.

According to Bible Scholars, the New Testament contains 70% of the Old Testament. We live in extremely evil times; believers are confused [My people perish for the lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6] and desperately need the power of God that comes from knowing and obeying the entire Bible [Genesis to Revelation].

The Bible identifies and teaches us how to differentiate between what is Holy and what is “filthy unrighteousness.” Always ask yourself before speaking, watching, or participating in an activity: Does this honor a Holy and Righteous God?

Studying the Bible teaches us God’s Higher Thoughts and Ways, and invites the Holy Spirit to empower us with the wisdom to understand the Message of the Cross, and God’s Love, Grace, and Mercies.

The Bible teaches us how we should honor and worship God. While on earth, Jesus lived a sacrificial life of self-denial, and He gave us instructions on how to live righteously and renounce sin in every form. The Holy Scriptures build our faith and trust in God, and teach us how to surrender, obey, and follow Jesus.

When God matters to us, we will stay connected to Jesus through prayer; we will abide in Christ by diligently studying the Bible; we will ask the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live a righteous life that honors, reveres, and glorifies God.

When our love for God is genuine, and our worship is revealed by a lifestyle of consecration, only then will the Holy Spirit begin and continue the Spiritual Process of Sanctifying and preparing us for Eternity.

Sanctification: Through the Holy Spirit, day by day, we will experience continuous spiritual growth and transformation, becoming more and more like the Righteous Character of our Triumphant King. Yes and Amen!

“And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).

Lord God, with humble hearts, we approach Your Throne of Grace, surrendering ourselves to follow Jesus with love and loyalty. We ask for forgiveness for the sins of self-reliance and following our thoughts, instead of asking for Your perfect plans for our lives. Lord, we have hit the wall and can go no further without Your Divine Help. We ask for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, we are Your sheep, teach us how to recognize Your Voice. Today we renew our covenant to follow and obey our Shepherd. Lord God, we look forward to the day when we will see Jesus and receive our Eternal Crown of Life. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Loving and Righteous Name of Jesus, Amen.

“What does it mean to be a Christian?” God’s Answer: The Message of the Cross

“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] Only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, Amplified Bible).

If a coworker asked you, “What does it mean to be a Christian?” how would you respond?

Our answer is John 3:16: “God, the Father gave His only Son, Jesus Christ…” revealing that we understand that “The Message of the Cross,” always focuses on God, the Father’s, and [Jesus] God, the Son’s Life-Giving Plan of Redemption.

The Apostle Paul explains the difficulty of the human mind comprehending The Message of The Cross: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

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

When we initially accepted Christ as our Savior, it is God, the Holy Spirit, who gave us the wisdom to understand the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ Love, the Sacrificial Gift of His Life, and His Power to cleanse us from the unrighteousness of sin.

The Blood of Jesus Washes Us and We Are Spiritually Clean: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). What a beautiful and foundational Truth!

“God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14).

“The Message of The Cross [Jesus Christ] is the Core Foundation of the Christian Faith. It is God’s Ultimate Act of Sacrificial Love, the forgiveness of sins, and the Power of Salvation for those who believe!”

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding…” (Proverbs 2:6, ESV).

Without asking the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual wisdom and knowledge, our understanding and perception of God’s Saving and Redeeming Grace is severely limited.

Daily worship invites the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and strength we need for our spiritual journey and growth; The Spirit of Truth also teaches us the deepest meaning of God’s Holy Scriptures [God’s Higher Thoughts and Ways, Isaiah 55:8-9].

Like the Athenians in the Apostle Paul’s era, who had an altar inscribed “To The Unknown God” many of today’s believers do not understand that Jesus is the Foundation of Christianity, or even know how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Bible is our Spiritual Guide. We must study for ourselves. Not knowing who God is and how to apply Christian principles to everyday life, diminishes one’s faith in a Loving God, who gave His all when Jesus went to the Cross to save our souls.

It is God, the Holy Spirit, who gives us the spiritual wisdom and discernment to comprehend the Holy Scriptures, and The Life-Giving and Life-Saving Message of The Cross.

The Answer to Living a Victorious Life Through Jesus Christ: “Pray continuously!” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Jesus’ Promise: “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).

God honors us when we consecrate and surrender ourselves daily to follow Jesus Christ, our Shepherd. The Christian Journey requires living a Christ-Centered life of faithful obedience, dedicated to worshiping God through Prayer and Bible Study.

In morning worship, ask for wisdom. And day by day, the Holy Spirit will empower you to see life through spiritual eyes, giving you the Spiritual Discernment to grasp the magnitude of Jesus’ Sacrificial Gift of His Life on Calvary’s Cross.

“Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding.” (Proverbs 3:13, ESV).

God is Omniscient, perceiving time as Eternal, and His Wisdom is higher than we can ever imagine. The Bible is unequivocally Superior to all human knowledge, strategies, and thoughts, and artificial intelligence.

Our prayer for a deeper understanding of Jesus’ Love and the Message of the Cross is immediately answered by the Holy Spirit. Whether we are new to studying the Bible or have studied for years, we can never exhaust the Wisdom of God.

Our Heavenly Father is Loving, meeting us exactly where we are in our journey with Christ. When we do our part, the Holy Spirit establishes a spiritual foundation, gradually teaching us God’s Higher Thoughts, and how to live righteously.

Sanctification is the Spiritual process of being changed into the likeness of Christ Righteous Character. Study Matthew 11:29 and Galatians 5:22-23.

“For it is written, ‘Be holy, for I Am Holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

When we pray and study the Holy Scriptures, God, the Holy Spirit gradually transforms our minds and hearts, preparing us for a Holy Heavenly Home.

Recognizing Spiritual Transformation: Not only will our desires be different, we will not speak words, or engage in activities that bring shame and dishonor to our Heavenly Father.

Reflection: Does your heart align with the Righteousness of Christ? Our thoughts reflect whether our eyes are on the prize of the Crown of Life, or if we are focusing on the meaningless things of this Earth.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8, NLT).

Everyday we must remind ourselves that we are the blessed recipients of God’s Love, Grace, Mercy, and Salvation. Keep yourself on a high Spiritual Alert! In these Last Days [2 Timothy 3], Satan is busy!

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).

Never let your emotions make decisions for you. Fight uncertainties and temptations by whispering prayers for God’s Guidance and Strength throughout your day!

The Holy Spirit responds by strengthening our faith, giving us directions, and redirecting our focus back to Jesus Christ, our Risen and Triumphant King.

The joy of the Lord is our strength! Because of the magnitude of Jesus’ Gift of Eternal Life, our hearts should overflow with love and gratitude.

Study Revelation Chapters 21-22, memorizing the love and beauty of our future Forever Home.

In John 16:33, Jesus warns us in advance that our Spiritual Journey would be tough, but with His Guidance, Strength, Power, we can face life with courage, “I will never leave you or abandon you.” Pray, trust, and depend on Jesus’ Strength.

From a spiritual perspective, there is no reason for a praying Christian believer not to be full of Jesus’ joy, peace, and happiness. Every minute of the hour of the day, we must fight the good fight of faith!

Immediately Respond to All Temptations With Prayer

Be aware of your thoughts and desires! Without the Holy Spirit converting our heart, the inherited human heart is filled with desires of greed that can never be satisfied!

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19, 21).

Allowing ourselves to be mesmerized by Satan’s temporary material possessions and money spiritually disconnects us from Christ.

Greed changes our hearts from pure to unclean, and evicts the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit no longer resides within us, we lose our spiritual focus, and the ability to think clearly.

Praying for our heart’s desires [success, material possessions, money, and relationships] will receive an answer of “No” from God. Why?

God’s priority is to change our character. We can come to Jesus, Just as we are, but we cannot stay that way. Spiritual Transformation is a slow process, requiring a lifelong journey of little steps of growth.

We cannot change ourselves, nor can we speed up the spiritual rate of growth, our responsibility is to follow, obey Christ, and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit.

God gave Jesus to save us from the wages of sin; and He desires to give us His Best Blessings in the New Heaven and New Earth, not on this temporary Earth that has no future.

Trust God, who knows the future and redirect your faith and focus back to Jesus! Change your prayer to, “Lord God, I want what You desire for me.”

“To him who overcomes, I will give the Crown of Life” is Jesus’ promise. It’s time for us to think, act, and live as if we are blessed recipients of Salvation and will soon receive our reward of Eternal Life.

We are Temporary Travelers Living on a Temporary Earth preparing everyday for our Forever Eternal home. Yes and Amen!

When our goals align with Jesus’ Promises in John 14:1-3 and Revelation 22:12, this Earth becomes insignificant. Jesus is Coming! We are waiting for our inheritance of the Crown of Life.

Use your faith to trust God and His Excellent Thoughts and Plans, which are designed to give us hope and a blessed Eternal Future with Jesus, our LORD of Lords and KING of Kings.

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hell and of Death.” (Revelation 1:18).

Lord God, we pray for a Spiritual Revival and Reformation in our hearts. We ask You to forgive us for our sins, and to give us clarity and strength when we are uncertain of why we are Christians. We confess that we are not studying Your Holy Scriptures as we should and our prayer life is weak. Lord, today we commit to loving and honoring You as You deserve. Thank You for reminding us that because You gave Your only Son, Jesus Christ to save us from the second death, we owe You faithful obedience, and honor, glory, and praise. We know that You love us, forgive us for not returning Your love. Today, we desire to restart our spiritual journey. Lord, teach us how to be holy. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Loving and Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.