Uncategorized – Page 41 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

In Christ Alone

In Christ Alone – Today’s Devotional – November 19, 2023

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil” —Proverbs 3:7

Trusting in self is the most prevalent downfall of Christian believers. We analyze and rationalize instead of praying. Deceit is not easily recognized because the temptations are based on the desires of our hearts. Humanity’s greatest enemy is a fallen angel who desires that we fall into his well-developed plans of entrapment. Satan uses our innate pride to easily convince us that we can live productive lives without God’s help.

We cannot win our internal or external battles using strategies based on limited human thoughts. The life of Christ is our example of the believer’s mindset, purpose, and lifestyle. Jesus was human, yet divine. In His earthly life, He could have relied on His divinity to make decisions, but in humility, He surrendered daily to God, His Father. Yes, Jesus prayed without ceasing to seek God’s will and guidance for His life.

“One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him)” (Luke 6:12-16, NLT).

“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 roadblock to including Christ in every aspect of our lives—we do not perceive our consistent need for Divine intervention. Each day, we take the time to reflect on our lives and revel in our accomplishments. By inwardly celebrating our achievements, we inspire ourselves to keep striving for greatness. We do not feel the need to pray a daily prayer of surrender because from our perspective all-is-well.

The quote by Francis Chan, “Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?” sadly is the summation of our prideful self-reliance. God strongly reminds us of the consequences of the sin of self-reliance, “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:21).

The Human Dilemma: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9

Can we recognize the deceitfulness of sin? No, we cannot. Without Christ, we are in a lose-lose situation. Not only do we gravitate toward innate carnal desires, but we also have a relentless enemy, the roaring lion, Satan who can manipulate us through the vice of pride. From our lifestyle, he observes that our relationship with Christ is weak or nonexistent and easily masterminds alluring temptations guaranteed to make us fall.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” —Proverbs 14:12

God is love! He reaches out to redirect our waywardness by allowing situations to arise that require His Divine Help. Most of us can recall a time when we sat down, contemplated, and developed solutions to a situation that we felt our knowledge and prior experience could resolve, but in the end, we suffered immensely from thinking our own thoughts.

Our perception did not include the possibility of negative consequences resulting from our analytical strategic solutions. At the time, we thought that our decision was the best decision. The habit of only bringing our toughest challenges to Christ but attempting to resolve routine issues without Him can also result in devastating consequences.

In Christ Alone, we have received the privilege to come to Him whether in repentance, asking for forgiveness, or seeking His Divine Help.

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…” —Psalm 95:6-7

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” —Psalm 34:17

“In this world, you will have tribulations…” Do not analyze, you can do nothing without Christ! Pause, Pray, and Wait for the Divine guidance of the Holy Spirit! We should never allow ourselves to be pressured into making immediate decisions. Even in emergent situations, pause, pray, and wait for God’s answer. Never forget that life and death are in the hands of our Omnipotent God.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

Develop the habit of praying and practice the fruit of patience. We are privileged to have Jesus serving as our Heavenly Intercessor, receiving every prayer brought to Him by the Holy Spirit. When faced with challenges, great or small, before decision-making, with faith and a grateful heart, we pray, “God, I need Your help.” The Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit is just a prayer away.

Christ gave us the Scriptural blueprint of seeking God in every aspect of our lives. We have a precious and loving Savior who tells us, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

In Christ alone, place your trust. From our obedience, we receive comfort, strength, and hope from Christ through the Holy Spirit. If we would take the giant leap of blind faith and commit ourselves to trust in Christ alone who is Faithful and True we would experience abundant peace and joy! In Christ alone, we can live a victorious life! Amen.

“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

Prayer: God, we have attempted to travel this journey without You and realize that we desperately need your help! We are weary of life’s burdens and in humility surrender ourselves to Your Divine will. Lord, we love You. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Loving Name, Amen.

Spreading the Joyful News that Jesus Saves

Demonstrating Gratitude Through Obedience

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 reveals His prayer for Himself, His Chosen 12 disciples, and His future disciples. We are the future disciples. Every Christian is a disciple whose Spiritual Assignment is to witness. God’s Mission is to bring those who are unaware of the plan of Salvation into His loving arms. Our concern must be for those who are lost. Spreading the Good News of a Savior who saves, restores, and reconciles fallen humanity is brought to fruition by us.

We are the designated messengers who must spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. An obedient heart is the only gift we can give to our Worthy King. Our gratitude must extend beyond mere words of saying thank you. Every Christian believer is a follower of Christ and has received the command to Go! [Matthew 28:18-20]. Yet, there are few who believe that Jesus’ command extends beyond His first disciples, which is a grevious error.

In Revelation 22:12, Jesus says He will give each believer a reward according to their work. Attending church, prayer, and Bible study are expected acts of worship. To witness daily to unbelievers is our work and one that our reward is based upon. Only what we do for Christ will be counted in the end. Faithful Obedience flows from the surrendered heart and reveals gratitude for their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: God, we pray for a spiritual transformation of our hearts, to take the focus off of ourselves, and to serve You with faithful obedience by giving others hope through the Good News of Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Worthy name, we pray, Amen.

Evidence of God’s Power

Evidence of God’s Power – Today’s Devotional November 17, 2023

“I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me, there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the LORD, and there is no other.” —Isaiah 45:5-6

From the parting of the Red Sea to the showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophet Elijah, the miracle of Abraham and Sarah having a child at 100 and 90 years of age, Daniel in the lion’s den, the Hebrew young men cast into the fiery furnace, Mary’s immaculate conception, the rescue of Paul and Silas from chains, and the apostle John boiled in oil, but never sustaining injury, God has shown His Omnipotence to humanity.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9

But now post-modern Christians ask, “Why doesn’t God perform the great miracles as He used to?” God is still performing great miracles. Salvation is the greatest blessing—to be saved by grace through our faith is not even understood by the angels. The Plan of Redemption which required Jesus’ death on the cross was in place before the world and humanity were created. Because of Christ, we receive redemption, never-ending forgiveness, grace, mercy, justification, reconciliation, and sanctification throughout our lifetime.

“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’ ” —Acts 2: 6-8

When we read about the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, it is difficult for us to relate to the Holy Spirit empowering the 12 disciples with the ability to speak in languages corresponding to the diverse group of people from 16 different areas who spoke their native languages.

We find it difficult to believe in the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit because we have not invited Him into our lives. The Holy Spirit empowers us with strength and the ability to overcome the vicissitudes of life and the temptations that we face every day. We also rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and discernment to comprehend the Truth of the Scriptures. The spiritual transformation of every willing and obedient believer is accomplished through the Holy Spirit.

“Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:22-26).

Sadly, most of today’s churches do not have pastors or members who possess the steadfast faith to move the arms of God. Christ will always have churches whose members have surrendered their hearts to Christ and still believe in fasting, praying, and prayer services dedicated to approaching the Throne of Grace. Their surrender and faithful obedience reflect a lifestyle of worshiping, praising, and honoring the King of Kings. If we hear their testimonies, they will describe an intimate relationship with a powerful, miracle-working God that most know nothing about.

“We forget about the power of God because we do not reflect on His past faithfulness in our lives.” —Cece Winans

God is still manifesting powerful large-scale miracles but we usually only think about our personal victories. This year, I shared with my 90-year-young mother the progressive and incurable heart condition secondary due to uncontrolled asthma that I was diagnosed with in 2022. Her immediate response was to begin praying and she ended her prayer by thanking God for my healing. She told me to begin fasting and praying in faith believing that God had already healed me.

In June, I had a follow-up echocardiogram which revealed a normal heart. Not only did God heal my incurable heart condition, but my asthma is also controlled. The Pulmonologist was dumbfounded when he read the test results and gave no response. Despite my weaknesses, I know for myself the love, mercies, and healing power of a Great and Faithful God. Yes, I re-dedicate myself to Christ through daily surrender because the heart that my God healed belongs to Him. I must tell others that our God is still healing and performing great miracles.

Evidence of God’s Wonder-Working Power

“What? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” —1 Corinthians 6:19

We have God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, three Divine powers dedicated to the spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being of those created in the image of God. The Holy Spirit is always available and is just a prayer away to comfort, teach, guide, and empower us with the ability to achieve our goals and overcome spiritual warfare.

“Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you…Fear not, for I am with you…” (Isaiah 43:4-5).

Ruah is the very breath that God breathed into humans in our creation. Created in the image of God, the anatomy and physiology of our minds and bodies are perfectly made. Our brains coordinate the movement of our bodies and the eleven body systems maintain homeostasis without our intervention.

From conception to birth and throughout our lifespan, we have the guiding eyes of God watching over us. As a student nurse, the first time, I witnessed the birth of a baby, I wanted to fall to my knees. God’s amazing love will never be fully understood until we are transformed and receive immortality when Jesus comes.

In our vast universe, God rains on the just [believers] and the unjust [unbelievers]. There are over 8 billion people on the planet Earth whom God sustains by blessing us with a sound mind, and restoring our minds, bodies, and souls while sleeping. We are complex thinkers, eat a variety of foods, move our extremities, engage in physical exercise, use our talents, and spiritual gifts because of the miraculous power of our loving Heavenly Father.

We awaken to the mercies of a new day, Christ keeps us safe by appointing guardian angels, provides our necessities, gives us gainful employment, and also blesses us with our desires if it is His will. And many believers are just as ungrateful as their counterparts, we take our blessings for granted as if we are the giver and source of our strength.

“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ ” —Job 1:8, 12

The fallen angel would destroy every Christian if God did not place extreme limits on him. The numerous diseases that are prevalent in this world could wipe out humanity. But our God places boundaries on their pathogenic fury and says, enough, you can go no further.

Although our earth is suffering from waste buildup, deforestation, extinction of wild animals, violence, climate change, and a falling away from God, we receive the miracle of life, health, and strength every day which is even greater than the parting of the Red Sea. Still, sadly most lack the spiritual insight to recognize and witness to others that our God is the same Powerful God performing even greater miracles now than in Biblical times. Amen. Be blessed.

Prayer: God, we thank You for the loving mercies we receive every day. And we ask for forgiveness for taking Your most wonderful blessings for granted. We love You and ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Asking the Holy Spirit for Help

Sabbath Devotional – Asking the Holy Spirit for Help – November 17, 2023

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” —Ephesians 5:8

Acceptance of Christ as our personal Savior calls for us to live a sanctified life which requires the human effort of full cooperation with the Divine. From praying, studying God’s Holy Scriptures, and attending church, we learn that we must renounce our former behaviors because we are now children of the light.

We can gain Scriptural knowledge and commit to obeying God’s righteous precepts and principles, but without the Holy Spirit will be unsuccessful in our numerous attempts to change our old behaviors.

The Holy Spirit must be an integral part of our activities of daily life. Although we love Christ and strive to have an intimate heart-to-heart relationship with Him, we require the Holy Spirit to keep us close to Christ. It’s easier to stray from God than we think.

Christian believers fulfill the role of disciples—we follow Christ by relinquishing a lifestyle of independence and self-seeking desires to one of total dependence on God. To be one with Christ requires a life of continuous worship—surrender, obedience, prayer, praise, and diligent Bible study.

Many steadfast believers who accepted Christ years ago have strayed from the Path of Righteousness. At one point, they were prayer warriors living faithful and abundant lives. Yes, they can still quote the Scriptures because they used to be diligent in studying the Bible but no longer have a relationship with Christ.

Their lifestyle reveals hidden sinful habits, the acceptance of new theologies and philosophies, and a semblance of worship but their hearts do not belong to Christ. Sadly many believers have apostatized because the darkness of this world’s pleasures has blinded their eyes to Jesus, the Light of the World.

The Consequences of Apostasy: “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” —Hebrews 6:4-6

The Struggles of New Believers: New believers endure one of the toughest struggles in transitioning to their new life in Christ due to a lack of understanding of the tribulations every believer must face throughout their earthly journey.

Yes, it’s exciting when you first accept Christ but when your friends and family forsake you for becoming a Christian then you must choose the Divine over the familiar. Many times your walk with Christ is lonely. Unbelieving friends and family will not understand your decision to follow Jesus.

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” —Acts 14:22

The Scriptures reveal God’s commands to let go of people, habits, and activities that fail to honor Him and then the struggle to be a follower of Christ becomes real. Life with Christ involves continuous internal battles of right vs. wrong, still, we can overcome our carnal desires, thoughts, and behaviors by praying for the power of the Holy Spirit.

The good great news is that we never have to fight temptations alone, we always have Divine Help on our side!

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” —John 14:15-17

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” —1 Corinthians 10:13

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13

God does not expect us to do the impossible. He never created us to bear our earthly burdens and temptations without Jesus’ Divine Intervention. When we are at our limits, trapped by out-of-control emotions, and ready to give up, pray, Jesus, I cannot stay on this journey without Your help.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

Something happens when we call on the name of Jesus for help—the Holy Spirit arrives immediately, and extra angels are sent from heaven to comfort us and fight the spiritual warfare we are going through. [Study Daniel chapter 9].

When you are ready to throw your Christianity [relationship with Jesus Christ] away, go to a quiet place to be alone and take a bottle of water with you. Drink the water. And then pray and cry out to Jesus, your Lord and Savior. His promise, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:8).

“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.” —Isaiah 65:24

Close your eyes and believe that your prayer has been delivered to Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor by the Holy Spirit. Quietly wait and you will feel the rush of a Mighty Wind–the Holy Spirit imparting spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength throughout your mind and body. Pray a prayer of gratitude.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” —Ephesians 6:10

We do not have to be ashamed of our weaknesses. Pray daily for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to receive Divine strength. Through prayer, we have unlimited access to the Triune God, three powers dedicated to whoever calls on the name of the Lord for help. The struggle is real, but Victory through Jesus is guaranteed! We have come too far to give up!

Begin praying several times a day. Our prayers can be silent or audible. Forming the habit of staying in God’s presence during peaceful times enables us to develop a lifestyle of prayer and builds our reliance on God. Even when the overwhelming trials come, our first response will be to pray. Jesus never fails!

When we obey God’s Righteous Precepts, we can live holy because of the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit who gives us the spiritual strength to “Be Holy, for I AM Holy.”

Prayer: God, we pray for Your Divine Intervention in our lives. We are calling on You because we desperately need the presence of the Holy Spirit right now. Lord, give us strength to overcome the tribulations and temptations that threaten to separate us from You. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Worthy Name, Amen.

God’s Character Revealed

God’s Character Revealed -Today’s Devotional – November 14, 2023

As the pastor began the sermon on God’s love for the rebellious, he reminded us of how God reveals His love to humanity. I paused the video to pray a prayer of repentance. We do not live our lives according to the love, grace, and mercies we receive every day. Unless we pray for wisdom from the Holy Spirit, we will never understand the magnitude of God’s tender heart for those created in His image.

We live in an era where the Biblical truth is not the standard for the absolute truth. The following two paragraphs are an excerpt on the Post-modern Christian movement.

“Post-modern Christianity falls into line with basic post-modernist thinking. It is about experience over reason, subjectivity over objectivity, spirituality over religion, images over words, outward over inward. For example, because experience is valued more highly than reason, truth becomes relative.

“This opens up all kinds of problems, as this lessens the standard that the Bible contains absolute truth, and even disqualifies biblical truth as being absolute in many cases. If the Bible is not our source of absolute truth and personal experience is allowed to define and interpret what truth actually is, a saving faith in Jesus Christ is rendered meaningless.”

“…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” —2 Peter 1:20-21

Since humanity was created, we have questioned the love of God and challenged His Sovereignty, so it is not surprising that we have elevated ourselves to place our experience over the absolute truth of the Holy Scriptures. God is fully aware of every anti-movement before it comes to fruition. And because He is the definition of love, the Triune God had the Plan of Redemption in place before the creation of the world.

The sequence: Adam and Eve are created, they receive the gift of a perfect home in the Garden of Eden, and enjoy the privilege of face-to-face communion with Jesus. Eve is dissatisfied and challenges God’s Sovereignty, Adam’s loyalty is to his wife instead of God, and disobedience prevails leading to the Fall of Man.

Adam and Eve lose their immortality and the Divine Covering of light resulting in the first death of animals to clothe the fallen couple. Adam and Eve are expelled from their home and animal sacrifice begins for the forgiveness of sin as the type for Christ [foreshadowing Jesus who is the antitype or fulfillment].

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” —John 3:16

Without spiritual wisdom and discernment from the Holy Spirit, we will never comprehend the magnitude of God’s love. What type of love is this? To give Your only Son for human beings who are living according to theoretical concepts they have developed.

“What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” —Psalm 8:4

The sacrificial offering of Jesus on Calvary’s cross offers us Agape Love, Grace, Mercy, Salvation, Redemption, Justification, Reconciliation, and the lifelong journey of Sanctification. Because of the suffering, shame, and spilling of Jesus’ blood, we are recipients of gifts that we are unworthy to receive.

Yes, the Perfect, Sinless, Righteous Lamb of God paid our sin debt setting us free from the bondage of a carnal heart always driven to fulfill its desires that oppose the perfect will of God. Christ’s sacrificial offering of His life freed us from the death penalty that sin demands.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” —Ephesians 2:8

God reached down to sinful humanity by giving His Son, Jesus Christ for the propitiation of our sins [Jesus satisfies the justice of God]. From God’s heart flows never-ending grace and mercies for the righteous. We are the privileged and highly favored recipients of God’s attention and His love. “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know’ ” (Jeremiah 33:3).

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” —John 14:1-3

Jesus has revealed God’s future plans for the righteous who strive to live a sanctified life. And lest we forget, John’s vision of the Heavenly City and the New Heaven and New Earth are described in Revelation chapters 21 and 22. Although we live in a world bombarded by degradation and unbelief in God, we still have the blessed hope that one day all sin and sorrow will be eradicated. Amen.

As our Heavenly Intercessor, Jesus continues His servitude to humanity. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.” —John 15:26

Our prayers of confession and repentance and cries for help are expedited by the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us because we do not know what to pray for. The Holy Spirit teaches us, imparts wisdom and discernment while studying the Scriptures guides us in our decision-making comforts us in times of grief and discouragement, and alerts us when exposed to false teachings and philosophies.

The Holy Spirit breathes into us the Divine strength to overcome temptation and to guide us in our activities of daily living. We are empowered with the ability to relinquish the stronghold of hereditary tendencies, learned behaviors, and sinful habits. Our journey of Sanctification—being transformed into the likeness of Christ’s Character is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” —2 Corinthians 5:17

Listen to the testimony of a former addict who accepted Christ as their personal Savior about the supernatural strength they received to let go of the sinful habits that held them in chains for most of their lives. Their desire to be free led to an endless cycle of living clean only to relapse leaving them in a state of hopelessness. They will tell you about God’s amazing grace that removed the carnal taste for alcohol, drugs, pornography, and other sinful behaviors.

Yes, they freely share their testimony filled with gratitude for the powerful love of God and how His transforming power cleansed them from all unrighteousness. The world labels those who are living a clean and sober life as recovering, yet, Jesus proclaims that their faith has made them whole and they are covered by His righteousness. God never leaves residual that has to be cleaned up by human effort, former behaviors, and habits are washed clean by the blood of Jesus.

Psalm 91: The righteous have guardian angels fighting our battles of spiritual warfare and constantly protecting us from seen and unseen danger every second of the day or night.

Now it is our turn to reveal the daily sacrifice we will make to God for being designated as the benefactors of His love and amazing grace.

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” —Philippians 2:8

Our hearts are the only gifts that are acceptable as a sacrifice to God. Unless we are praying the prayer of surrender and asking the Holy Spirit to guide, direct, and anoint us with power, wisdom, and discernment, we are not sacrificing anything to God. The choice to surrender—to consecrate and dedicate oneself to faithfully obey God is only understood by those with converted hearts who seek the will of God and abide in Christ.

God has a remnant, they are the faithful ones who not only understand the depth of God’s love [as far as the human mind can extend] but also express their love to God through daily surrender and obedience. Every day the faithful consecrate their hearts [minds, bodies, and souls] to Christ. Yes, they diligently pray for wisdom and strength from the Holy Spirit because they believe Jesus when He said, “…without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

With gratitude, they send up many prayers for the Divine Help to stay on the Path of Righteousness. It is not a secret, that the remnant have a personal agenda, to live forever in the New Heaven and the New Earth with their Lord and Savior, King Jesus. And we are willing to do anything for God, even unto death, because we have given Him the only sacrifice that God accepts, our hearts.

Prayer: God, we repent for not appreciating Your love, grace, and mercies. We pray for the strength to put our desires aside and dedicate ourselves to following You in our earthly journey. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.

Grace Carried Me Here -The Foster Triplets -Worship Music

I Sing Praises to Your Name – Calvary Orlando – Josue Avila – Worship Music

The Response of a Converted Heart

Today’s Devotional – The Response of a Converted Heart – November 12, 2023

Recently, I watched an interview with a younger Maya Angelou who in 1970 wrote “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” and also received the Chubb Fellowship from Yale University. The question was asked, Which college did you graduate from? Her reply, “None, although I only have a high school education, I am a professor at four universities, I have received a Chubb Fellowship from Yale University, and speak six languages, all of these accomplishments are based on my works.”

During Ms. Angelou’s final interview with Oprah Winfrey, she recounted her spiritual conversion. While having a casual conversation with a friend, he changed the subject by saying, “God loves you,” a concept she had never heard before. He instructed her to say “God loves me.” At first, she casually repeated the words, God loves me over and over without any emotion. Then he asked her to close her eyes and say it with conviction. This time when she said, God loves me, she felt the love of God in her heart and cried like a little child. At that moment, Ms. Angelou accepted Christ, and her heart was converted.

During her later years, Ms. Angelou’s writings and conversations with others reflected her love for God. Like the younger Maya Angelou who expressed that her accomplishments were achieved by her works, many of today’s Christian believers are striving for earthly accolades through their works. Instead of using their spiritual gifts and talents to honor and glorify God, they strive to bring attention to themselves.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” —Matthew 7:21, BSB

How does a believer who accepted Christ as their personal Savior end up practicing self-glorification instead of honoring God the Giver of all good things?

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.” —Romans 12:1

Our love for God has declined. We have embraced the false belief of once saved always saved, therefore, we cease worshiping God in Spirit and truth. Like Cain, we determine how we will worship God. Because God is not first in our lives, we no longer strive for the righteousness described in the Scriptures, “Be holy, for I AM Holy”.

We go through the ritual of praying and having a casual Bible study, but we do not pray the daily prayer of surrender. Nor do we seek God’s will and plans because we already have planned our agenda for the given day and our lives which reveals an unconverted heart. This week, I read a profound quote by Francis Chan, “Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?” Jesus reminds us that only a few will enter the narrow gate [Matthew 7:13-14].

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’ ” —Matthew 18:2-3

Why little children? Young children believe everything they hear, they are loving, faithful, trusting, and obedient always striving to please mommy and daddy. If parents nurture these qualities in their children from a young age, they have a better chance of growing into thriving, well-adjusted adults.

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17.

One author’s definition of Conversion: “The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, and the former habits must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ.”

Although we accept Christ, we have an internal battle that must be fought daily with the help of the Holy Spirit. The unconverted heart is filled with pride and selfishness. Our inherited sinful nature drives us to fulfill every thought of self-satisfaction and to follow our inclinations. Without daily surrender of our will to God, we will possess the same soul-destroying confidence the Pharisees exhibited. By practicing self-righteousness, they deemed their outward works as acceptable to God.

“Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” —Luke 18:9-12

Today’s Christians usually do not compare themselves to others, we have adopted the worldview of “Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth” and we use our standard of truth to serve God. Still we desire to receive our heavenly reward, but it is impossible without a converted heart.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…” —Philippians 2:12

The converted believer prays differently, “God, I surrender my will to Your will, Your way, and Your plans for today. And I ask you to anoint me with the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Give me the wisdom and discernment before I speak and make any decisions that will impact my life. Let every word and action represent the love of Christ and honor Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.”

Sanctification is the daily [and lifelong] spiritual process of growth and transformation of our mind, character, and personality into the likeness of Christ. With our surrender and commitment, the Holy Spirit empowers us to change and gives us the strength to overcome.

Those with converted hearts realize their human limitations of not being able to save themselves. So in humility, their daily prayers resemble the tax collector’s prayer. Yes, we are sinners saved by grace, still, every day we must renew our covenant with God through a prayer of complete surrender.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” —Romans 12:2

We can pray, study the bible, attend church, and help others, yet it is impossible to change our hearts based on our efforts. Daily surrender requires a spirit of humility. Even when we embrace 100% of God’s Truth, the human heart naturally resists surrendering to God and others. How many times have we said or done wrong injuring others but adamantly refused to surrender and repent?

Do not coddle your heart! The greatest battles come from within fueled by the deceitfulness of believing that spiritually all is well. When Jesus says, You can do nothing without me, believe Him! Reflect deeply on His revelation of our limitations. Each day by giving God complete control of our minds, we are converted by Christ’s righteousness breathed into us by the Holy Spirit.

The righteous are privileged. We receive God’s favor and blessings every day. What else can we give to Jesus, our King that is more important than the surrender of our hearts? Obedience is our highest act of worship. To completely give ourselves to God is not giving up our free will, we surrender our mind to God because we love Him, and know that we cannot change our carnal hearts.

The trajectory of our lives must change. We have to change everything about ourselves before we can go to heaven. When we strive to do our best, Christ becomes our righteousness, and the Holy Spirit works daily to transform us. When we put forth the human effort to get rid of our unrighteous habits and behaviors, we are covered by the love, grace, and mercies of God. And Christ our Heavenly Intercessor works with the Holy Spirit to produce a righteous character.

Perhaps we should declare “God loves me” with conviction and verbalize gratitude throughout our waking hours. Saying, God, I love You proves that we serve Him because our hearts belong to Him and we appreciate everything He has done and is doing to save our souls. Certainly, the Father who gave Jesus, His only Son for us deserves to hear that He is loved.

A believer who desires a converted heart lives with the mindset of “I surrender all,” readily inviting Christ every day into their heart by asking Him to sanctify them through His Righteousness.

Prayer: “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Jesus, we thank You for loving us and we love You. Thank You for your loving sacrifice and your grace and mercies. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Jesus’ Invitation, Abide in Me

Abide in Me

Every Christian believer is called to be a follower of Christ and to witness to others. Our relationship with Christ is deepened through much prayer and daily study of the Scriptures. Our prayer of surrender, God, not my will but Your will be done. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.