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We must learn to give everything to God in prayer. Always live by Faith! Miracles still happen.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1:18-19

During one of our recent Mother-Daughter visits, I realized that it is a great blessing to have a mother who is a believing Christian. As we reflected on Jesus’ blood sacrifice for us and our part in honoring and valuing the gift of Redemption, she made a profound remark, “Many individuals feel that when they stop living a worldly life or give tithe and offerings that they are sacrificing, but sinful human beings cannot sacrifice, we do what is required of us out of love for God and the fact that Jesus died for us.”

Our lives are a priceless gift from Jesus Christ, God’s only Son who agreed to die for humanity even before we were created. In order to comprehend what it took for the Plan of Salvation to be brought into fruition, we must realize that there was communication between God and Jesus. Because God is Omniscient, His Son, Jesus is also Omniscient; both were aware that when humanity was created, the chain reaction of doubting God would lead to disobedience, and as a result, we would fall into the abyss of sin, and the dilemma of choosing good over evil would continue throughout the ages.

Yet we are still making the decision to live according to our interpretation of Salvation.

Chance is our enemy; we may doubt that it will ever happen to us, but eventually, we pay the high price by suffering the consequences for our disobedience and disregard of warnings.

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 NLT

There is a current trend of the “inclusion of all” among believers, and they feel that their social circle should include relationships with unbelievers. We cannot hang out with those who are not walking in the light. It is a false concept that the believer will sway the unbeliever; even when Jesus’ disciples witnessed they went out in pairs. Separation is part of the boundaries that God has established for us and with good reason: Without God, we do not possess the strength to overcome temptation; and even with God’s promise of deliverance from temptation, we should not willingly place ourselves in situations that will lead to compromise.

He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? Luke 6:39 NIV

Do not be deceived! Walking in the light is a daily struggle of denial to sin and a steadfast commitment to God. When we fail to follow God’s commands, we will always pay the consequences for disobedience. God is fully aware of our plight to choose sin instead of righteousness, and He has provided us with a Spiritual Network which includes a unified Body of Believers.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 NLT

There is a common bond amongst believers, our love for God supersedes everything else and our lifestyle is a reflection of that love. We have committed our minds, bodies, and souls to accept Righteousness by Faith; we love others as Christ loves us by extending forgiveness; we graciously accept our commission to witness and to serve those in need; we are preparing for the Second coming of Jesus Christ by giving up anything that compromises our relationship with God, and above all, we seek harmony and peace with all individuals regardless of their ethnicity, religious or socioeconomic backgrounds.

Yes, we acknowledge that we are imperfect sinners, yet because of God’s grace and His mercies we are extended forgiveness by the confession and repentance of our sins to God, and we are grateful for God’s new mercies that are extended to us every day of our lives.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV

We must possess the mindset of living an uncompromised life; doing whatever it takes–giving up people, places, and things–in order for us to Walk in the Light.

Bible Reading: John 8:12-30

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask forgiveness for living a life of compromise. We have not taken the time to really reflect on the greatest gift from your Son, Jesus; His death and resurrection have made it possible for us to walk in the light. We pray for the strength to change and to give up everything that prevents us from preparing for Eternal life. We pray for the unbelievers that as we witness they will receive the gift of Salvation because you desire that none will be lost. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4 ESV

We think about many things on a daily basis; in fact, most of us are exposed to information overload which impacts our ability to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle. Although our world is dynamic-constantly changing, the continuous flow of information delivered through spoken, and written channels results in a bombardment that impacts our mind-body connection; and causes an imbalance that we were not created to endure on a sustained basis.

Unless we set boundaries, the stressors of daily life will prevent us from enjoying the quiet peace that our bodies require to maintain homeostasis-internal balance. Without relaxation, and intentional solitude we begin to travel the fast track leading to mental and physical burnout which causes an acceleration of the aging process of our brains and bodies.

When we continue to push beyond healthy limits, internal mechanisms are jump-started as the body attempts to protect itself by giving noticeable signs and symptoms; yawning, dozing off, forgetfulness, lack of energy, extreme mental and physical fatigue, change in emotions or moodiness, headaches or an increase in illnesses, especially colds.

Continuous exposure to overwhelming stress affects our relationship with God, we may possess the desire to have spiritual growth and to draw closer to God; but our state of physical exhaustion or mental fatigue prevents us from praying effectual prayers and taking the time to have focused studies of the Word of God. It is unfortunate that our praise and worship time with God is the first to diminish when we are overloaded with secular activities.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. Revelation 21:1 ESV

Thankfully, we do have the ability to make spiritually healthy decisions for immediate changes; recognition and elimination of the distractions that prevent our spiritual growth is the first step to regaining a balanced lifestyle. In order to prepare ourselves for the New Heaven and New Earth that is described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22, we must begin now by prioritizing; Communing with God should be first and foremost in our day-to-day activities of life.

Each day, search for a quiet place to relax or take a power nap if required; dismiss all secular thoughts and prevent distractions; when refreshed, establish a time of deep worship by praying and reading Revelation chapters 21 & 22 until you have the description of heaven committed to memory.

In our imperfect world, we are still afforded the opportunity to achieve spiritual growth, to establish habits of praise and worship and to look forward to what God has in store for us in His perfect world–the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Stay in His presence!

Bible Readings: Revelation 21-22

Prayer for today: Dear Lord and Father of all mankind, We thank you for the ability to praise and worship you as we prepare for Eternal life in the New Heaven and the New Earth. We confess that we have not spent the time necessary to grow closer to you and we ask forgiveness of our sins that have caused separation from you. We ask for your Divine intervention as we change our lifestyle to eliminate all unnecessary distractions. We look forward to living in the perfect world with you forever and ever. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body, I will see God. I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought. Job 19:25-27 NLT

The vicissitudes of life are the difficulties, the trials, the financial shortages, the broken marriages, the family troubles, the illnesses, the devastating loss of loved ones, and the terrible loss of material possessions. The weakness that all humanity possesses is that we experience the one event that overwhelms us and causes us to give up and lose faith in God.

God is aware of every trial that we will face in our lives prior to the occurrence of said trial. It is those very trials that will build our faith and trust in God if we just turn to him and ask for His Divine intervention in our lives. The loving God that bent down and picked up the dust in His hands and made us into his image is the same God who knows the number of hairs on our heads: And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Luke 12:7

God will never forsake us: Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

Our Heavenly Father has forewarned us of the severity of the tribulations that we must face; even so, He is faithful and just in all of His ways. Remember, Job was a righteous man and extremely dedicated to God, even God acknowledged that he was blameless, but Job experienced the devastation of catastrophic loss; material possessions, death of all of his children, a wife who turned away from God, and disloyal friends who accused him of committing sin against God to receive this level of punishment.

Even God did not spare Jesus from the death that was required to fulfill the Plan of Redemption: He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32. Before the fall of Adam and Eve, the plan to redeem humanity was in place; the Omniscient God required the sacrifice and death of His sinless Son, Jesus, in order for the human race to continue.

We must never give up on God; He is always with us and just a prayer away. If we dedicate our lives to God, then He will fulfill every promise that He has made. We must make a personal commitment by acknowledging that God is always with us!

Stay in His presence through believing, praying, and studying the Bible!

Bible Reading: Job 1

Prayer for today: Dear God, We want to take the time to praise your name. We love you and we thank you for your great faithfulness and your mercies that you have blessed us with every day of our lives. Please forgive us for the doubt that we hold onto in spite of knowing who you are. Thank you for the Plan of Redemption that we may have the opportunity for Eternal life. As we continue to grow closer to you, we ask for your Divine intervention upon our lives. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Norway

Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14: 23 NIV

The gift of creativity flows from generation to generation in our family and since I was a young girl I have been able to crochet, knit, sew, and design all types of crafts. Many years have passed and I have finally made the decision to focus on crocheting, using yarn and a hook to create little masterpieces.

Crochet lovers are a strong community with several hundred social media pages of which I am an active member of 3-4 groups. Yesterday, I read a very interesting dilemma that was posted regarding a friendship that ended where the crocheter made a prior commitment to make a baby blanket for her friend and now had ambivalent feelings on completing the blanket and giving it to her ex-friend.

If we possess a mindset of not acknowledging the decrease in the morality of our societies then peruse the social media sites every now and then. Not only were 99% of the responses directing the individual to complete the blanket and keep it for herself, but there were also many individuals who advised her to ask for money so she would not experience a total loss.

Should I get involved? I am very selective in responding to dilemmas on social media; after all, this is not the purpose of a crocheting site, it is meant to share pictures of your completed items and ask for assistance with issues that involve making items from yarn. I prayed, asking God for the words to post that would provide peace to the person who has experienced the loss of her best friend and who is in a state of confusion because she is asking strangers to help resolve her problem.

Blog entry: The cessation of friendship does not justify changing one’s prior commitment to complete the blanket; in fact, the action of others should not impact our morals or our values. Please complete the blanket and send it to her without pursuing compensation.

It is human nature to base our responses according to the actions of others; however, as believers, we must always stand for the truth, regardless of the situation. We will face challenges involving immorality, declining values, lies, conspiracies, and godlessness in every form. Our decision is either to live for God and obediently follow all of His commands or commit grievous sins against God by living for ourselves.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ESV

The Bible is God’s Word: it reflects the truth, it is concise, and simplistic enough for a child to understand without any confusion. We are not given options, there is no middle of the road compromise, no multiple-choice options, and no opportunity to give our interpretation based on presenting dilemmas. When we ignore God’s commands and make decisions based on our feelings or the actions of others, we are living on the premise of “the Bible according to me.”

Following God faithfully, and obediently living according to His truth provides us with unlimited opportunities to witness. The crochet group that I blogged on has thousands of members if we do our part then God has promised to do His part. We must be a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness. Do whatever is necessary to live according to God’s Word!

Stay in His presence!

Bible Reading: Hebrews 2

Prayer for today: Dear God, We ask forgiveness of our sins and shortcomings. We pray to be cleansed from all unrighteousness and to be filled with your Holy Spirit. It is our desire to live obediently and faithfully to your commands. We pray for the strength to stay in your presence, and to always do what is right in your sight, according to your Holy Word. May our lives represent our relationship with you as we continue to use every opportunity to witness to others. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

 

 

There was also a prophetess, Anna…She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying. Luke 2:36-37

If you were asked to give a total recall of every action and spoken word for yesterday, what percentage based on a scale of 0-100% would you be able to provide for how you lived the previous day? Based on what you can remember, would you repeat the same behaviors or actions or spoken words today?

There are some of us who are feeling great about yesterday and could build off of those accomplishments from the previous day, using them to move forward and carry over that productivity through today. If a well-organized lifestyle is one that you possess on a day-to-day basis then you certainly deserve kudos for your strengths in prioritizing, time management, and organizational skills.

For others, they are still striving to have a well-balanced and organized lifestyle; however, their lives reflect disorganization, making decisions on a whim, and not having enough hours in a day to accomplish the important tasks. It is unlikely that they are able to recall their actions from the previous day which creates additional stressors in their daily lives and prevents a smooth transition from yesterday to today.

When we acknowledge and recognize our shortcomings due to knowledge deficit or because we lack the skills necessary to have a productive lifestyle, then we have taken the first step to relearn and remodel our lives. We are blessed with many resources in the 21st century that enable us to change our situation; there are still individuals who love to help others, educational programs can be found in libraries, community colleges, and churches; self-help literature; on the job training; state unemployment training; and the list is endless.

In Luke chapter 2, verses 36-38, we are given a short but concise story of a prophetess by the name of Anna who was married for seven years and widowed for 84 years. She spent her time–day and night in the temple fasting, praying, and worshipping God; in fact, biblical depiction tells us that Anna never left the temple.

It may be difficult to imagine her choice to live in the temple, spending day after day inside, not having a home to take care of, failure to socialize with family and friends or to search for a way to make money. Even so, if we reflect on the era in which Anna lived, there were very few women who are mentioned in the Bible that could survive without a husband or support from their family.

In spite of how we view her circumstances, Anna the prophetess was filled with love for God and possessed great wisdom, what better place could she have chosen than the temple? The temple provided shelter, companionship from the daily worshippers who certainly assisted in providing for her needs as a poor widow, but most importantly she was in the presence of God. Because of her love for God, Anna knew how to prioritize her life and God honored her commitment by giving her longevity, provision of her physical necessities and fulfilling her emotional and social needs. The days of her life were abundantly enriched in all aspects, and this is evident by her desire to consistently put God first: Anna made the choice to remain in the presence of God, she possessed an ever-present spirit of gratitude as she prayed, fasted, and worshipped God day and night, always acknowledging His love, grace, and mercies.

Even though we may not recall all of our actions from the previous day, we should have total recall of our daily worship practices to God. We must possess a “God-first” mindset; our dedication to God must supersede every secular activity that is on our agenda. When our lives are filled with prayer, fasting, and gratitude through worship, God will rearrange the days of our lives for His honor and glory, and we will always have total recall of our worship to the Creator day after day, month after month, and year after year.

Stay in His presence!

Bible Reading: Luke 2: 36-39

Prayer for today: Dear God, We come to you presenting our spiritual deficiencies and we ask you to forgive us for our sins and shortcomings. We ask you to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to fill us with your Holy Spirit. It is our desire to always be in your presence by worshipping you with a grateful heart. You have done so much for us and we give you the days of our lives that we may honor you and give you the glory forever and ever. We thank you for your love, grace, and mercies, and we ask this prayer for change in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy…Exodus 20:8

Stop before you speak it or do it and ask yourself; Is this holy?

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1: 19-20 NIV

Many years ago I worked with a nurse who possessed the skill of listening with silence. We worked with a very challenging population of individuals who attempted to use daily “Sick Call” as an opportunity to leave the facility prior to completing the first 30 days of the program; the fabricated stories that we heard indicated that the person should not be alive and speaking to us if the symptoms described were actually true. I must admit that I had very little tolerance for those who were attempting to use the medical staff to bypass the Phase 1 restriction of the program, no community visits for 30 days. By the end of the day, I was at the point of exhaustion, not from the physical workload, but from my level of annoyance which I expressed verbally throughout the workday.

On this particular day, the medical clinic remained empty because most of the residents were on a community outing; with our backlog of paperwork completed, we enjoyed the opportunity to relax and chat about life. As we were speaking about the frustrations of the job, we spoke of the high-stress level of our positions; however, my colleague began to share his methods for remaining calm under all circumstances. He began to focus on the topic of effective listening as a learned behavior, a skill that he learned from his grandfather who taught him that it is always to the advantage of the recipient to listen with silence and to formulate a logical response based on the information from the speaker, especially in situations that could lead to confrontation. I laughed and expressed that it was easy for him to accomplish this feat because he learned the skill as a child to which he replied, “I will teach you how to listen with silence.”

It has taken two decades-20 years to effectively practice the skill of listening without an emotional response; although I know the concepts and benefits of effective communication, I confess that I still require additional improvement.

When we confess our faults to God, it is then that He is able to unleash the power of the Holy Spirit to help us in changing our wayward behaviors. This morning as I read a Daily Devotional on controlling your emotional responses in spite of the circumstances, I thanked God for answering my prayer to reveal the changes that I need to make in my life; at that point, I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking directly to me. It is not enough for me to study and pray, from a spiritual perspective, I must be an active and willing participant in the Plan of Salvation; my character defects must cease, my character must align with Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:32, James 1:19-20, and Mark 12:30-31.

Repentance is the godly sorrow that I must possess as well as remaining steadfast when I am tempted to act outside of the will of God. Yes, it will take dutiful prayer for the strength to be an overcomer; even so, “I can (and will) do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.

It is when I listen with silence, that I am able to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit admonishing me to walk on the straight and narrow path.

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 NIV

Bible Readings: Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:32, James 1:19-20, and Mark 12:30-31.

Prayer for today: Dear God, We confess and repent of our sins, our characters do not reflect that we love and serve you. We continue to hold onto and manifest defects in our character that are displeasing and for this, we ask forgiveness. It is our desire to become more like you and we pray for your Divine Intervention and the strength to change, to obey your commands and your plans for our lives. We thank you for hearing and answering our prayer which we ask in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019

 

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8 NIV

Performance evaluations are utilized as a tool to measure an employee’s strengths and weaknesses along with their measurable abilities and contributions to the company; productivity, attitude, interpersonal skills, motivation, and innovative ideas are just some of the core requirements that receive a rating based on the company’s goals. A favorable evaluation that demonstrates professional growth is almost certain to result in a merit-based increase in salary compensation and ongoing job security.

However, there is another major factor that determines whether or not a hard-working employee’s position is stable and that is the bottom line, a thriving profit margin with considerable financial growth; many individuals with excellent evaluations have experienced job loss due to unforeseen cutbacks. It is a gut-wrenching decision to be faced with the one and only choice and that is to downsize the number of employees due to a profit loss.

I can recall employment with a home health agency where the physician who provided us with the most patient referrals decided to open his own agency. The agency experienced a 70% loss of revenue which created a domino effect–the loss of referrals resulted in a great financial loss and the collapse of the operating budget. Immediately an action plan was developed for the nursing staff to approach physicians that they had a rapport with and market for patient referrals. Our sales marketer worked 10-12 hours per day to attempt to make up for the devastating loss. Even with the hard work and determination, within two weeks the Regional Director arrived with corporate directives to downsize three employees. Although there were many factors in determining who was laid off, the only logical decision was employee cutbacks or closure of the agency.

When we think about the Plan of Salvation, we are grateful that salvation extends from God’s grace and mercy. Thankfully, we do not have work to earn Eternal life; in fact, all we are required to do is accept the Lord Jesus Christ and freely receive Righteousness by Faith. Yes, God does expect us to possess love, faith, trust, obedience, to study his Word and pray without ceasing; even so, when we fail to abide by His Word, God never utilizes performance evaluations to measure our spiritual performance.

God had given us His Holy Word: when we study the Bible, we become fully aware of whether or not we are obediently following God’s commands or doing as we please. No, we do not have to earn God’s favor, we do not have to perform rituals, or adhere to a performance improvement plan if we fall short, disobey and commit sin; All God asks of us is to confess, repent of our sins, to live by faith and completely trust in His plan for our lives. Serving God is an all or nothing commitment and if we are faithful then He is just and will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

There are no lay-offs, terminations, or spiritual closures with God.

Bible Verse: You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:13

Prayer for today: Dear God, We thank you for the gift of salvation that is freely available through your grace and mercy. We ask you to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We come to you asking for the strength to do your will by letting all of our doubts go and to completely rely on you. Thank you for not measuring our performance whether we live righteously or whether we fail to obey you. Help us to never take your grace and mercy for granted. We pray for change in our relationship with you that we will have the determination to follow you wherever you lead us. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

© Sonya Johnson Ruiz 2019