Uncategorized – Page 42 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

The Long-Distance Runner

The Long-Distance Runner, Today’s Devotional November 10, 2023

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV

There are three attributes a Christian must possess to be a distance runner in the Christian race, love for God, discipline [self-control], and structure leading to completion.

Love produces the willingness to surrender to God and serve Him with faithful obedience. Every day we pray the prayer of surrender and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will for the given day. We nourish our souls with the life-giving words of God by diligently studying the Holy Scriptures and building our relationship with Christ by praying throughout our waking hours.
Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit. With our gift of an intelligent and sound mind, we embrace and practice discipline by not participating in harmful-sinful behaviors. We adhere to Scriptural guidelines which identify God’s perfect choices to keep us aligned with His will and focused on Christ. Obedience and self-control result in the spiritual well-being of our minds, bodies, and souls. By carefully selecting only the activities, foods, and friends that honor God, we optimize our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health to run, run, run!
From studying the Creation story, we find God’s Characteristics include structure and completion. Stop multi-tasking! We have no evidence in the Bible that God or Jesus in His earthly life did several things at once. Multi-tasking is a human-derived concept [originating from spiritual warfare] that creates chaotic thinking, increased stress, and wearies our minds and bodies.

“And He said to them, ‘Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.’ For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.” —Mark 6:31

Too much on our agendas not only causes frustration and fatigue but we are too exhausted to have effectual personal worship with God. The secret closet time away from spouse and children is the time in which we receive spiritual restoration and strength from the Holy Spirit. God never expects us to be in church for every service, meeting, and community outreach activity. Even Jesus established boundaries when ministering to the multitudes.

Filling our schedules to the point that we do not have downtime results in a spirit of defeat. Multi-tasking and tight schedules prevent us from receiving our Divine gifts of joy and peace. When our schedules are full, the first area to suffer is our relationship with Christ. We skip worship, defer Bible study, and mumble quick prayers which prevents us from receiving the spiritual sustenance required to run the race.

Developing a work-life-task balance results in a structured lifestyle that allows us to enjoy our earthly lives and stay close to Christ. Completing our daily tasks gives us a sense of accomplishment and validates a job well done. In the Creation Story, after Christ completed His work, He reflected “…And God saw that it was good” (Genesis, Chapter 1), and was happy with the perfect outcome.

Distractions come in many forms, yet, God has endowed us with the ability to use our sound minds. By saying no to people, places, and things we can accomplish our goals. Believers can learn much from long-distance and marathon runners who live extremely structured lives. These disciplined athletes possess an invincible mindset and never lose sight of their overall goal, to win the race!

“Hellen Onsando Obiri (born 13 December 1989) is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner. She is the only woman to have won multiple world titles in indoor track.” Wikipedia

Unless we are long-distance runners, we can only imagine the response of the human body exposed to daily rigorous training and one that is placed under the subjection of a disciplined and structured mind. The results speak for themselves, she stands alone in her victories.

Something is awry when we have individuals who are willing to adopt and adhere to the stringent guidelines and training necessary to run long-distance races for earthly prizes but as Christians running in the spiritual race. we become distracted, discouraged, and falter when facing trials and obstacles.

The Apostle Paul compares our spiritual journey to running a long-distance race that requires endurance and perseverance. God never expected us to become long-distance runners without His Divine Intervention. Throughout the Scriptures, we have the instructions necessary to place our minds and bodies into subjection to Jesus Christ who freely gives us the grace to win the Long-Distance Race.

Earthly runners win based on their efforts, but we were created to run and win the race by using our human effort to reach out and ask for the Holy Spirit to empower us with the wisdom, discernment, and strength to keep running until Jesus comes again [Revelation 22:12].

Guidelines for the Christian Runner

“So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. 15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.’ ” —1 Peter 1:13-16, Amplified Bible

The human effort of loving and obeying God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds allows us to receive supernatural strength from the Three Divine Powers of the Triune Godhead, God, the Father, God, Jesus the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit. With a spiritual mindset to run until the end, our daily prayers for Divine Help are received by the Holy Spirit who relays them to Christ, our Intercessor, and He answers our cries for help immediately. Every day we receive the spiritual fortification that empowers us to adhere to God’s stringent spiritual standards of holiness to win the long-distance race!

God required Jesus to learn obedience in His earthly life, to live in poverty, and during His ministry “not have a place to lay His head” [homelessness] and to be obedient unto death on the cross.

How far are you willing to go for God? It’s a question we rarely think about, yet, our answer to the question determines whether we will receive our reward of eternal life from Christ or throw in the towel from disappointment and exhaustion.

Like the early Christians, will we keep running despite the earthly outcome [Read Hebrews 11:35-39], or we will cease running as the rich, young ruler did, and turn and walk away with sorrow? [Read Mark 10:21-22]. If we do not have knowledge of Moses, Joseph, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their spiritual journeys then our answer will be based on conjecture instead of the actual distance God requires of us.

To train as a runner in the Spiritual Long-Distance race, we must dedicate ourselves to surrendering and obeying God’s Spiritual Guidelines for runners. With perseverance, we consecrate ourselves by making a daily covenant vow to let go of every habit, behavior, and person that prevents us from winning the Race!

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” —Romans 8:18

In Jesus’ Name, Run Brothers and Sisters, Run!

Prayer: God, from this day forward, we surrender ourselves to be long-distance runners in the Christian race. We pray for a Divine blessing of anointing, power, wisdom, and strength to do Your will and to keep running until Jesus comes. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray, Amen.

Sabbath Blessings—Run the Christian Race

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV

Earthly runners win based on their efforts, but we were created to run and win the race by using our human effort to reach out and ask the Holy Spirit to empower us daily with the wisdom, discernment, and strength to keep running until Jesus comes again [Revelation 22:12].

Guidelines for the Christian Runner

“13 So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. 15 But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage]; 16 because it is written, ‘You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.’ ” —1 Peter 1:13-16, Amplified Bible

In Jesus’ Name, Run Brothers and Sisters, Run!

Surrender Requires Strength

Surrender Requires Strength Today’s Devotional November 9, 2023

“We love Him because He first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

Surrendering to the will of God is to serve God and receive Him more fully into your life. We do His will because God loves us. Our love for God is the catalyst that propels us to seek His face every morning and surrender our hearts, minds, and bodies to Him.

“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

Because we realize our dilemma of inheriting a carnal heart, we ask for spiritual strength, wisdom, and discernment from the Holy Spirit not only when we awaken but throughout our waking hours to overcome our desires and spiritual warfare. Surrender requires more than human effort.

For us to recognize the Voice of God, faithfully obey, and overcome temptation is humanly impossible without the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit. It is our intention to stay on the Path of Righteousness, but we can never order our steps to walk in holiness without the Holy Spirit.

“For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). “For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:17).

How we long for spiritual growth and the strength to just say no to every temptation. But that will never happen in our earthly lives without continuous surrender. Every day we fight against the raging desires of our hearts and adopting the world’s sinful behaviors.

Without the daily prayer of “Jesus, I surrender all to You” and the contrite plea for the Holy Spirit to give us strength and spiritual discernment, we cannot overcome the raging war within us to please ourselves.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” —Jeremiah 17:9-10

We inherited our carnal hearts. God knew the daily struggle we would face, the inner conflict of choosing right over wrong, and accepting truth or embracing error. Thankfully, God, the Father, and Jesus, God, the Son created the perfect plan of Redemption before Adam and Eve were created. We have an Advocate and Intercessor to help us. We are truly loved by God!

Because God is love, He desires that we also love Him. Gifted with a sound mind, a measure of faith, and the free will to love, serve, and surrender to Him is option #1. Free will allows us to choose option #2, to serve ourselves by following our hearts. But know this, there is no middle ground in surrender. Without surrender, our carnal hearts control us and desire is never satisfied with what it has!

Sadly in 2023, many believers have chosen the second option. Like Eve, we allow ourselves to be deceived into believing that God withholds the best from us. So we take matters into our own hands. We purchase tangible goods, embrace human-derived theories, and have relationships with unbelievers just to satisfy our desires. We say, “Lord, Lord” but fail to faithfully obey God as demonstrated by our decisions and lifestyles.

Do not justify yourself for not surrendering to God. The cause, you do not love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind. The effect, possessing the spirit of Cain in our hearts who also followed his inclinations by giving God a ritualistic sacrifice. Examples of today’s ritualistic sacrifices are attending church every week and giving 10% tithe and offerings out of habit but not submitting to the authority of God.

The Worldview versus the Biblical View

Years ago, Nike had a slogan, “Just Do It!” And that mindset has permeated the Christian community. We pray and ask God for our desires [whether or not they are in His will] and if not received, we fulfill our prayers by purchasing a house or vehicle, starting a business, making financial investments, or marrying the one that God never placed His blessing upon.

Biblical View: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” —1 John 5:7

Surrender to God takes strength! Like it or not we are impacted by our family, friends, coworkers, advertisements, tech advancements, human-derived philosophies, and worldviews. Weak Christians succumb to the influences of people, places, and things because they trust in themselves. The steadfast believer readily sends up petitions and pleas for Divine Help.

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13, NLT).

Surrender demonstrates our love and loyalty to God as evidenced by faithful obedience. To live as a transformed follower of Christ we strive to worship God in spirit and in truth. When we surrender to God, our spoken words, behaviors, and choices give honor and glory to God instead of pleasing ourselves. Whatever God says to do, we do it!

Prayer: Father God, make my life Yours, Jesus take my heart, and Holy Spirit fill me with your presence and power. I surrender all. Father take my hand and teach me to recognize Your voice. And guide me in my earthly journey as I continue to look forward to the promise of a life in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Our Mental, Moral, and Physical Powers Belong to God

Our Mental, Moral, and Physical Powers Belong to God Today’s Devotional November 8, 2023

“Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.” — Revelation 5:2‭-‬4

The apostle John wept because no human was worthy to open the scroll. From biblical times when Christians chose persecution and death to uphold their belief in Jesus to the believers in the 21st century who continue to widen the chasm between themselves and Christ, the plight of today’s Christians appears grim.

The prophet Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord [Jesus] in His Glory:

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling out to one another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory…'” —Isaiah 6:1-3, ESV

Do we acknowledge and reverence the Divine authority of God, the Father, Jesus, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit who is superior in Power—Omnipotent, whose presence is everywhere—Omnipresent, and All-Knowing-Omniscient, and rules this universe? Are we surrendering our entire being to Christ through faithful obedience and praying daily to be guided and anointed by the Holy Spirit?

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” —Exodus 19:5

“…Obey My voice and keep My covenant…” We have lost our desire for true worship. Despite receiving God’s grace and endless mercies, we do not revere God as the Sovereign and Supreme Ruler of this universe or in our lives. We are involved in worship rituals by attending church and casually browsing the Bible but our hearts and desires are far removed from worshiping God in Spirit and Truth.

Reflection: We have received the gifts of a sound mind, and the ability to gain knowledge, and if we ask for spiritual wisdom, it is freely given to us, yet, are we willing to acquiesce to the Sovereignty of God with our hearts, souls, and minds? What else do we have to give?

In our quest for the acquisition of knowledge, which tree are we eating from? Our roaring lion enemy seeks to feed us from the modern tree of knowledge of good and evil. We have a voracious appetite for gathering information but the Holy Scriptures are not our primary source. Philosophies based on human reasoning attempting to explain the mysteries that God intentionally hid from humanity are sought after, accepted, and interwoven into our belief systems.

We are impacted by the various worldviews and philosophies only if we have not surrendered our mental, moral, and physical powers to Christ. When facing new knowledge [and many times it is spoken from the pulpit], the prayer for help is answered immediately by the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength and discernment to resist falling into the temptation of false beliefs. Yet, we must put forth the human effort to renounce and avoid all human wisdom that is in opposition to the word of God [the Bible].

When hearing false teachings, will we stand our ground in silence? God does not need us to defend the Bible. Nor can we convince the person of their error. We pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to them. Many things that we attempt to explain, we should leave to Divine Intervention.

My response to a neighbor who began her conversation with, “I purchased the newest version of the Bible which includes knowledge that God left out of the original Bible,” was silence. When she noticed that I never gave feedback, she immediately changed the subject. There was no need for me to engage in a foolish conversation that would have escalated into an argument that served no purpose. Maybe it was my facial expression that revealed my thoughts.

I believe in the Sovereign God and the Divine Authenticity of the KJV Bible regardless of the languages it was originally written in. When I use alternate translations for the ease of my readers, I pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit before using other versions of the Bible. I also believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead who teaches and gives us spiritual wisdom and discernment when we pray for it.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not [a jot] an iota, not [a tittle] a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” —Matthew 5:17-18

God’s boundaries for human knowledge include the inability to discern the great and hidden mysteries that will never be revealed to us in our earthly lives. Nor can we have the deepest meaning of the Scriptures without praying for the discernment and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. The new knowledge that we feed our minds with instead of God’s Truth continues to separate us from the presence of God because we refuse to surrender to the Great “I AM.”

Like Cain, surrendering our will to God in faithful obedience has been replaced by developing our versions of sacrifice. Embracing compromise by accepting middle-of-the-road standards of righteousness results in negative feelings toward a Holy and Righteous God. Hidden deep within our hearts we do not acknowledge God as a loving, Heavenly Father, and our perception of Him drives us to seek human knowledge in opposition of His will.

Challenge: Ten percent of 24 hours is 2.4 hours. Create a 3-day time log to document how you spend your time.

The struggle is real! We spend more time on devices than studying the Scriptures. It’s time for us to become more excited about the reward of eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth than innovative tech advancements and new-age philosophies.

The Devourer is highly effective in using false predictions and teachings of unknown mysteries to distract us from not studying the Bible. No other book can give us the words spoken by God to men who were anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Are you willing to surrender your mental, moral, and physical powers to God?

Learning to reverence God requires a humble and obedient heart. It’s time for us to change our posture of pride. If angels bow and cover their faces, then we should approach God on our knees in submission to His Divine Authority. Although we cannot fully comprehend God’s love and His Greatness, in humility, we consecrate our mental, moral, and physical powers to be used and guided by the only Holy, Omnibenevolent, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent God.

Prayer: God, we confess and repent that we have not given You the reverence that You deserve. We realize that we do not have a close relationship with Christ. Lord, we are living as if we have unlimited time on this earth. We desire to receive our reward of eternal life. Please search our hearts and reveal everything that needs to be removed. We ask for the anointing, presence, and power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in Jesus’ Worthy name, Amen.

Our Feelings Do Not Define God’s Truth

God is a Present Help in Trouble

God is a Present Help in Trouble Today’s Devotional, November 7, 2023

When we know God’s Character [from studying the Bible] then we know that He is aware of our dilemmas. Yet, He waits for us to pray the Faith Prayer asking for His Divine help. Our faith doesn’t say God will work it out, God doesn’t have to think about His solution, we proclaim, God has worked it out! Pray and Wait for His wonder-working power to resolve your challenges. We serve an Omniscient All-knowing God.

“It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Isaiah 65:24

Pray a prayer asking for God’s help and in the same prayer thank Him for hearing and answering your prayer. Then pray a prayer of gratitude every day continuing to thank Him for His love and providing resolution to your challenges. God is a God of completion. There are no residual leftovers that need to be addressed when He intervenes. Be still by faithfully waiting in joyful anticipation. God is not asking us to help Him, He requires us to believe in Him. Develop a heart filled with gratitude and watch your perspective and your life change! We serve a God who Helps us now!

The Prayer that Defeated an Army of One Million Soldiers

The Prayer that Defeated an Army of One Million Soldiers Today’s Devotional November 6, 2023

“Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God…He commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment.” —2 Chronicles 14:2,4

Staying Prepared Even in Times of Peace: “And Asa had an army of three hundred thousand from Judah who carried shields and spears, and from Benjamin two hundred and eighty thousand men who carried shields and drew bows; all these were mighty men of valor.” —2 Chronicles 14:8

The Test of Faith: “Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots, and he came to Mareshah. So Asa went out against him, and they set the troops in battle array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.” —2 Chronicles 14:9-10

The Prayer of Faith: “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, ‘Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’ ” —2 Chronicles 14:11

God’s Completion: “So the Lord struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled…So the Ethiopians were overthrown, and they could not recover, for they were broken before the Lord and His army…” —2 Chronicles 14:12-13

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine…” —Exodus 19:5

As Christian believers, we must fulfill the spiritual conditions of participation in our relationship with Christ—possess steadfast faith, seek the will of God every day, and respond with obedience. When we love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, it is not burdensome to surrender in obedience to His Supreme Authority.

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

Have you ever conversed with one of the older members in your church who is always smiling, praying, and praising the Lord? They are never bewildered, anxious, or discouraged by the hardships of life, nor are they attempting to analyze and develop solutions to ease the difficulties caused by their trials and tribulations.

Saints who have lived long lives have learned to place all of their trust in God. They even pray differently, “God, You know about this situation, I am asking for Your help, and I thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” When praying to God for help, a single prayer of faith is sufficient.

My beautiful 90-year-old Mother recently expressed this to me, “We do not have to beg God. Ask in faith for God’s Divine Intervention and then pray prayers of gratitude. Thank God every day for the victory even before you experience relief or see changes in the situation.”

Using blind faith we rely on God to bring victory even when the waiting period is lengthy. During the delay, God is working, yet, His objective is to increase our dependency on Him.

“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

Like young children who trust their parents with their lives, the righteous are to depend on the faithfulness of God. When we strive to do what is good and right in the sight of God, we receive His favor. Faith does not shorten the duration of our tribulations, yet, we have continuous peace until God brings completion. Instead of lamenting over the darkness in the valley, our eyes are focused on the glimmering light that grows brighter with each passing day.

With joyful expectation, we have the assurance that God’s promises of deliverance will come to fruition. Surrendering oneself to God in faithful obedience is our daily sacrificial offering. What else can we give? Obedience is our highest form of worship. Obedience proclaims that Jesus is our First Love and places us in right standing with God, the Father. God honors those who obey Him by opening the windows of heaven and pouring out blessing upon blessing.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” —Isaiah 43:2-3

Amid the insurmountable obstacles, we can possess a sweet inner peace as we patiently wait on the Lord. Our steadfast faith diverts our attention from our hardships to Yahweh Yir’eh [the God who sees and the God who provides]. Because our hearts are frail, in times of trials and tribulations, God reminds us of His Sovereign Omnipotence, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27).

“You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.” —Psalm 54:7

We do not fear the tribulations or the strongholds of spiritual warfare that render us helpless to resolve. God desires that we see Him as our only option. We have the confidence that our God will deliver us. As the Holy Spirit carries our prayers of unwavering faith to King Jesus, our Heavenly Intercessor, we sing praises of thanksgiving because we know that it’s already done.

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” —Psalm 20:7, NIV

Ten Facts About the 7th Day Sabbath – CREATION Life

Rest is an essential element in God’s plan for us to feel whole. The word “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew word “Shabbat,” which means “to rest” or “to cease.” Here are 10 biblical facts about the Sabbath you may not have known:

The Sabbath was established at creation before there was a Jewish nation and before there was sin. God blessed and made the 7th day holy (Genesis 2:3).
The Sabbath commandment was given before the law was given to Moses, showing its ongoing importance (Exodus 16).
Jesus kept the Sabbath as an example and declared Himself the Lord of the Sabbath, indicating the Sabbath is indeed the Lord’s Day (Luke 4:16, Mark 2:28, Revelation 1:10).
The disciples of Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, continued to observe the Sabbath after his death, even resting on the Sabbath after His crucifixion (Luke 23:56, Acts 13:14, Acts 16:13, Revelation 1:10).
The Sabbath remains the seventh day of the week, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31, Genesis 2:1-3).
It is permissible and encouraged to do good works on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14).
God established the Sabbath as the fourth of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. This shows the perpetual importance of observing the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).
Jesus said the Sabbath was made for all people to observe, not just the Jewish nation. It was intended as a gift and blessing to all mankind, not an obligation or burden (Mark 2:27, 1 John 5:3).
The Sabbath remains a day of rest, spiritual rejuvenation and time with God (Isaiah 58:12-14).
The Sabbath will continue to be honored in the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 66:22-23).

To learn more amazing facts about the biblical Sabbath, visit: https://www.sabbathtruth.com/

Reference:creation

Stop Worrying, Let God Help You

For 15 years, I worried and had Insomnia because I had racing thoughts about the next day. I thought of ways to produce a perfect and predictable outcome. Many times I though problems that never surfaced. Finally, one day, I listened to a sermon on the Sovereignty of an All-Knowing God in heaven who knows the end to the beginning of every human being’s life. Nothing comes as a surprise to Him.

I prayed for His help and for peace. Immediately the stronghold of worry left and now, I sleep peacefully. I trust God with every aspect of my life. And I pray about everything even the little things. I have learned how to hear God’s voice speaking to me through the Holy Scriptures and my thoughts.

When you pray, ask for help with your challenges, and ask God to teach you how to recognize His Voice. It is the Holy Spirit that speaks to our mind. Pray and include quiet meditation. Many people pray and get up right away without giving God time to speak to them.

We can pray throughout our waking hours. Let your prayers be honest and to the point. We do not have to pray long prayers. Prayer is the greatest privilege we have. Prayer connects humanity to Divinity. Go Ahead, pray and believe. Wait on God. Use your faith to trust Him.

If you stop trying to figure out what will happen next, God will help you to live a faith-based life and you will enjoy peace because you trust in Him.

Prayer: God, I pray this Intercessory prayer for those who are struggling because they have never trusted You with their lives. Please give them your Divine peace as they begin this journey with Jesus. Give them peace, comfort, and strength. In Jesus’ Worthy name, Amen.

Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

With a Grateful Heart

With a Grateful Heart Today’s Devotional, November 3, 2023

“Hear me, O LORD, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies. And do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; Hear me speedily. Draw near to my soul, and redeem it; Deliver me because of my enemies.” —Psalm 69:16-18

This morning, I listened to a Devotional on Psalm 69, David’s urgent plea for help in trouble. Psalm 69 has 36 verses and the first 29 verses lament his dilemma. “…Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters.” [Verse 14]. But in verses 30 to 36, his focus shifts from himself to God.

King David began to praise God with a song of gratitude even before God answered. David remembered that God was always faithful and he thanked God in advance for His love and mercies always extended to the righteous. Like David, we also have many God-given victories that perhaps we have forgotten.

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” —Psalm 34:17-19

We usually pray for God’s Divine intervention when faced with a challenge that is impossible for us to resolve. Certainly, God honors our faith when we pray for His Divine intervention, believing that He will deliver us, yet, we were created to worship God. Consider this thought, for all the daily blessings we receive without asking, wouldn’t God expect us to send up many praises and prayers of gratitude every day?

Sadly, prayers asking for God to bless us with our desires far outweigh our prayers of praise and gratitude. Imagine a child who only said I love you to their parents when they desired a new toy.

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

Our heartfelt words of gratitude for the mercies of a new day should be our first spoken words every morning. Throughout our waking hours, we can pray short prayers of thanksgiving for God’s abundant love, the gracious gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ, His mercies of forgiving and forgetting our sins, the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom, and the angel armies who protect us from spiritual warfare and physical harm.

As we end our day with evening worship, our spoken words should be praises of gratitude for all the [spiritual and material] blessings we received for the given day. With reverence, we enter into our secret closets and shut out the voices and distractions vying for our attention because we are in the presence of a Holy and Righteous God.

The Holy Spirit renews our minds, bodies, and souls by giving us spiritual strength and the gift of peace. We also receive the spiritual wisdom and discernment needed to study and gain in-depth meaning of the Scriptures. We have the privilege to boldly approach the throne of grace with the expectation of the Holy Spirit interceding and taking our prayers to our Heavenly Intercessor, our King, Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

We do not have the power to schedule appointments with influential people or dignitaries, yet, the Supreme Ruler of this Universe, our Holy and Righteous Father God tells us to come boldly and enter His presence. For this reason alone, we should fall to our knees in humility thanking Him for His forever love and abundant grace, mercies, and blessings. Truly He is Worthy of our love, loyalty, and gratitude.

“We love him, because he first loved us.” —1 John 4:19

Prayer: God, with grateful hearts, we thank You for the rivers of grace, mercies, and blessings that flow from Your loving heart. Every day we receive abundant blessings that we do not deserve. Forgive us for the blessings that we never acknowledged or thanked you for. Thank You, Lord! We ask this prayer of forgiveness and thanksgiving in Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.