Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Trusting in God Always Ends in Victory! Devotional Reading September 19, 2023

“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

Many Christians are in a battle of the wills, Our will versus God’s Will. Yes, we love God, but feel more confident relying on our knowledge and life experience. But the decisions we make that intentionally exclude God reveal some facts about the condition of our hearts.

With all of our heart, soul, and mind we love ourselves [before God] by trusting in our ability to produce absolute outcomes.
We practice irreverence by failing to acknowledge and trust in the Omniscient—All-Knowing God.
We embrace the worldview of self-reliance which produces the fruit of disobedience to God

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” — Proverbs 3:7-8

Yes, we were created as free moral agents and have the right to choose, but when we fail to honor God through surrender and faithful obedience, we use our free will to deny God’s Divine Intervention in our lives. Not only do we set ourselves up for failure, but we also take a detour from the Path of Righteousness and lose out on receiving God’s perfect blessings including eternal life.

Throughout the Scriptures, we have evidence of Jesus’ humility and obedience in His earthly life [as the Son of Man] fervently praying to stay in His Father’s will. The desire to trust God is a choice that springs from a heart with overwhelming love for Christ. Our dedication and commitment are to self or God.

“The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.” —Proverbs 4:19

There is no middle ground—either we trust God or we do not trust Him. Trusting in God strengthens our relationship with Christ. Trusting in self separates us spiritually from God. The perception of the power of human wisdom is exaggerated. We cannot foresee the outcome of our choices. Why should we choose to live as unbelievers who fall because they are in spiritual darkness?

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” —Romans 8:5

With spoken words, we can verbalize our belief in God, but without trusting in God, we are certain to suffer the consequences of defeat. You may think that your decision-making skills have given you a good life. Yet, there is no time limit for suffering the consequences that are certain to happen from a believer’s disobedience to God!

As a transformed believer who suffered the hard knocks of relying on my wisdom, there is a better way to live! To believe in God requires total surrender, faith, trust, and obedience. Our obedience demonstrates a heart filled with reverence and honor for God as the Supreme Provider. When I dedicated myself fully to Christ, I began to enjoy the blessings of peace and contentment that come from being aligned with His perfect Will. Yes, trusting in God erases our worries because we have confidence in His promises that can never fail.

Taking everything to God in prayer changes the course of our lives. We learn to rely on the One who gave His only Son, Jesus Christ for us. Our self-reliance and pride are washed away. We eagerly involve God, not only in life-changing decisions but also pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom to efficiently perform our routine activities of daily living.

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:19

Trusting in God gives us courage and strengthens our faith. From personal experience, I proclaim that our Father always gives Victorious Outcomes to the righteous who trust in Him!

Scripture: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17 NIV).

Prayer: God we pray for the desire, faith, and courage to trust You with our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

The Ordinary Things of Life

Devotional Reading, September 18, 2023

Think about your priorities. Do they reflect that you are preparing for Eternal Life?

Sadly, we are focusing on the earthly, ordinary things of life that distract us from preparing for the Day of the Lord. The antediluvians—inhabitants of Noah’s era were so preoccupied with their daily tasks and personal desires that they failed to acknowledge the warnings of an impending and great flood that would destroy the earth.

Because of their sinfulness, they could not possess the faith necessary to believe in Noah’s messages, resulting in a lack of desire to enter the ark.

“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” —Genesis 6:11

It is phenomenal that the condition of humanity described so many centuries ago is evident again in our world today. Not only are we repeating the same behaviors of those in Noah’s time, but advancements in technology have driven us into a frenzy. We already spend the majority of our free time looking at screens. With the development of AI [Artificial Intelligence] our interest is piqued.

Mentally, we suffer from the negative impacts of spending countless hours staring at screens to keep up with innovation. But the necessity to stay current has produce a life and death adverse effect—believers are suffering from the spiritual desensitization of Jesus’ Second Coming.

The pace of life is one of overwhelming busyness and is filled with numerous voices [secular and religious]. It is the ordinary routine life tasks that result in eating up our time, leaving us no time to worship God every day.

Our Priorities Determine Our Destiny

Busyness has us so mentally and physically fatigued that we do not have time to have a personal relationship with Christ. Or we have those who study the Bible but still live according to their desires because it’s easier to deviate from the truth then to consistently be forced to choose between right and wrong.

“Then Elijah approached all the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people did not answer a word.” —1 Kings 18:21

But our spiritual dilemma requires us to take action and make a choice. Faith, surrender, obedience, prayer, and daily study of the Bible are the non-negotiable requisites for the Christian believer. God must be first!

The apostle Paul said, “I die daily to sin.” We fight a continuous internal battle waged by the desires of our carnal hearts. It is easier to think and do wrong than to live righteously. To remain in God’s will, we must pray the I surrender prayer every day.

The Scriptures define the humility and character that is required by God to receive eternal life. Many have redefined righteous living according to their mindsets and lifestyles. At the end of the day, we should reflect on our thoughts and actions, “Did I do all to the glory of God?”

Are we witnessing to others every day, face-to-face, or through social media? We are not saved by our works, but our works are evidence of our faithful obedience to God’s commands for the spiritual works of every believer.

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

Either we will live our best life on this earth or in the New Heaven and New Earth. We must decide, will our earthly life reflect our priorities or God’s priorities? Each person determines their own destiny by whom they place their love and loyalty. Pleasing self is a form of idol worship.

Yet, Jesus created us as free moral agents. God will never force us to accept His will. But if we choose to follow our agendas then we should not deceive ourselves into thinking we will receive the reward of eternal life for living a self-seeking lifestyle on this earth.

We Require Divine Intervention to be Spiritually Transformed into Christ’s Likeness

“Can people change the color of their skin, or a leopard remove its spots? If they could then you that do nothing but evil could learn to do what is right.” —Jeremiah 13:23, Good News Translation

Although the trending worldviews proclaim that humans possess the powers of manifestation, self-healing, and mind control, we were created with limited abilities. We cannot change ourselves spiritually, mentally, or emotionally. Truthfully, we struggle with the behaviors that we can change. As creatures of habit, even when diagnosed with chronic illnesses, it usually takes a health crisis to initiate a change in an unhealthy lifestyle.

From our desire to be faithful and obedient, we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to transform our minds and characters into the Righteousness of Christ—Sanctification. Spiritual growth and development are comparable to that of a baby maturing into an adult. It takes a lifetime of human effort and Divine Intervention to change the innate sinful heart into a righteous heart [mind] and character.

We must fully cooperate with Divinity to be changed into the likeness of Christ.

“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

Preparation for eternal life is not a last-minute decision. It is accomplished by putting God first. Praying every day for His will to be revealed followed by our surrender and obedience invites the Holy Spirit’s presence and power into our lives. Spiritual transformation and obedience to God is possible for every believer who is willing to live righteously!

Preparation not only requires us to have an intentional mindset of obedience and the wilful determination to go all the way with God, but we also place boundaries on the ordinary things of life that distract and prevent us from receiving our reward of eternal life.

Scripture: “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” —Revelation 3:21

Prayer: God, we are at a crossroads in our lives that requires us to make the decision to prioritize our desires and make the decision to devote ourselves totally to You. Today, we renew our covenant vow with You. Lord, we pray for the strength to put aside the ordinary things that prevent us from faithfully obeying Your Will. We ask this prayer in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Every Believer’s Spiritual Assignment—Witnessing to Others

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

Receiving our reward of eternal life requires that we are actively working as disciples of Christ. Work refers to using our spiritual gifts and the assignment of witnessing to others [Matthew 28:18-20]. We use our talents such as singing, playing an instrument, encouraging others, praying for others, and helping those in need by using our blessings of an overabundance of money.

But most importantly with spoken words of encouragement and a Christ-like Character of love and compassion, we witness the Good News that Jesus is our Savior and there is a better way to live our earthly lives.

Prayer: Lord, we pray for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit that we may have the courage to witness about You. We pray for a character overflowing with love, compassion, and kindness. And may we represent You through our smiles, and spoken words of encouragement. In Jesus’ Loving Name, we pray. Amen.

The Man with Two Gods—Sabbath Sermon—Pastor John Lomacang

He Knows Me – Performed by Ivan Siegelaar, composed and orchestrated by Bruce Retief

Happy Sabbath–Pray for Strength and Victory

Praying in these perilous times that we will commit ourselves to fully surrender and serve God.

Maintaining Optimal Spiritual Health, Harmony, and Happiness [Part 2 of 2]

Devotional Reading September 15, 2023

If we do not fill our minds with the Scriptures then Satan will fill our minds with worldviews. Without Scriptural knowledge of God’s righteous precepts and commandments, we develop standards to live by that are not in alignment with righteousness. Our knowledge deficit does not remain, we fill the void by embracing worldly concepts that lead to the decline of our relationship with Christ.

The Bible is our Spiritual Guidebook in which God defines the standards for our moral code and value system.

Morals: a person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

Values: a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life.

“All of a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.” —Proverbs 16:12

Reflect on your decisions, habits, and lifestyle. Our morals and values are demonstrated by the way we think, act, and live. We need spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit to practice the righteous standards of God. Believe it or not, most of us are impacted by the spiritual warfare of worldviews. But know this, every worldview is a contradiction of God’s Biblical view.

We were created with a measure of faith to establish and maintain our belief in God’s love, power, and presence in our lives. When our faith is not in God because He is a stranger [the Scriptures reveal every aspect of God’s Character], from our disinterest in studying the Bible, we misappropriate our faith.

Some believers study the Scriptures and pray, but choose not to obey all of God’s requirements because they have already embraced the pleasures of worldliness. They live a life of self-deception. Their importance is on their works which they use as a substitution for faith in God.

We were created to believe in God. Human beings cannot function without a belief system. We need someone or something to believe in. Some people think they are elevating their status by believing in their human reasoning. Our minds cannot remain void, so we make a substitution for our faith in God by placing our faith in worldviews—worldly beliefs and practices.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” —Jeremiah 17:9

As our morals and values transition, our thoughts and emotions also change. We begin to incorporate different habits into our lifestyles and practice unrighteous behaviors every day without remorse. We lose all guilty feelings over our new and comfortable lifestyle. Did you know that it is easier to do wrong than to do right? There is nothing more pleasing to Satan than a believer who compromises and thinks they are still in right standing with God. With the decline of our spiritual health, our mental, emotional, and physical health also decline. Sinful choices never lead to a healthy, happy, and harmonious life.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” —1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 31, ESV

Worldviews that Destroy Our Spiritual Health, Harmony [with Christ], and Happiness

Pursue your dreams, just do it!
Look out for yourself first.
Trust in your judgment.
Follow your heart.
Trust no one but yourself.
Opportunity only comes around once, take immediate action.
Always speak up for yourself even if it involves conflict.
Do whatever is necessary to achieve your goals.
Make yourself happy—Enjoy life to the fullest!
Relax with a bottle of wine or use marijuana, it’s legal.

Self-centered concepts reveal the effectiveness of Satan’s opposition to God’s promises. Embracing worldviews disrupts our spiritual journey with God and has a parasitic effect on our mental and emotional health. Trending Worldviews: “The truth is what you believe it to be”, and “No one is coming to help you.”

God’s Views: In Psalm 119, verse 105, David said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17). “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

We cannot stop the decline of morals, values, and sinful practices, yet, it is a choice to compromise, embrace, and validate worldviews by incorporating them into our lives. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12). Satan is very deceptive! It is not easy to recognize changes in our spiritual condition when we are distracted by our life of ease.

Satan ceases to fight a compromising believer. He has a remarkable talent for using pleasure as lullabies that create a sense of spiritual tranquility and relaxation. We cannot engage in any aspect of worldliness—secular music, movies with sexual content and profanity, consuming alcoholic drinks, using drugs to relax, having relationships with unbelievers, and living a hedonistic [focusing on pleasure and having a good time] lifestyle when serving God.

Ask yourself, “Right now, where do I stand with God?” The apostle Paul tells us to awaken from our spiritual sleep.

Too busy and too tired to perform quiet introspection—soul-searching of our behaviors and habits, we continue our counterproductive lifestyle. No, things are not going the way we planned, but we do not recognize the need for self-examination. Still, we cannot rationalize our decision-making that excludes God or the need to embrace the shortcuts of worldly behaviors.

Because we are making a little effort to keep in touch with our religious beliefs by attending church or praying when we remember, we feel that our status with God is okay. Sadly, it usually takes a major life event for us to wake up out of our spiritual sleep. Then we have no choice but to come to Jesus.

“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” —1 Peter 1:15-16

The Holy Spirit gives us warnings through sermons, and our consciences—our thoughts. He allows us to see social media posts on committing our lives to Christ, reminding us to study the Bible, and giving up all secular habits to follow Christ. We can never say that God did not tell us that we have strayed from the Path of Righteousness. Every Christian believer who once had a close relationship with Christ and is now practicing any worldview knows they are not faithfully obeying God’s precepts nor are they in right standing with God.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” —Psalm 139:23-24

David knew the condition of the human heart. Every day, in humility, we can speak this prayer for God to search our hearts. God lovingly and patiently waits for our prayers asking for His help. Yes, our Heavenly Father knows our inner struggles and the warfare we face daily in our earthly journey. We have Divine help that is just a prayer away. Redirect your faith and focus on God by studying the Scriptures—begin with Genesis.

Seeking to live a godly lifestyle is the toughest decision we will ever make. Our lifestyle on earth is meant to prepare us for eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth. God says, “Be holy, for I am Holy.” He knows that we cannot achieve righteous living without the Holy Spirit. Do your part in the plan of Redemption! To achieve optimal spiritual health includes giving up habits, lifestyles, friends, and family members. Yet, all the sacrifices we make for God will be rewarded!

The condition of these perilous times requires that we renew our covenant vow of discipleship to Christ every day. We need Divine reinforcement from the Holy Spirit to maintain our spiritual strength! Our responsibility is to faithfully obey God and renounce sin. Jesus created us and we belong to Him! Never forget, that only the Three Persons of the Triune Godhead can empower us with optimal spiritual health, and harmony of the mind, body, and soul. Our happiness is consistent because it springs up from Christ’s Spiritual Well of Joy flowing within our souls.

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father for Your love, grace, and mercies. We ask for forgiveness of our sins and to create in us a clean heart. We need Your help to remain in optimal spiritual health. Thank You for blessing us with a sound mind and our measure of faith. We commit to love and serve You for the rest of our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Maintaining Optimal Spiritual Health, Harmony, and Happiness [Part 1 of 2]

Devotional Reading September 15, 2023

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…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 2:5,8

God is very concerned about our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. The theory that happiness is relative is a false concept. Amidst the global devastation of natural calamities and the human activities that cause harm to our environment, there is evidence of God’s love and compassion for us. From His response of providing for humanity to the beauty and diversity of nature, plant, and animal life, God loudly proclaims His Divine love and desire for our spiritual health, harmony, and happiness.

“‘teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” —Matthew 28:20

The theme of the Bible is God’s love for us. Who else receives God’s grace and mercies? Only human beings who were created in the image of God! Jesus sacrificed His life for us so we can live eternally in a perfect New Heaven and New Earth! We are loved, nurtured, and protected by our Savior. God’s love for humanity is one that not even the angels can understand!

The Harmony of Mind, Body, and Soul

Homeostasis: In biology, homeostasis is the state of steady internal, physical, chemical, and social conditions maintained by living systems. This is the condition of optimal functioning for the organism and includes many variables, such as body temperature and fluid balance, being kept within certain pre-set limits. Wikipedia

Jesus created us with a mind, body, and soul to function within Divine parameters. Living a healthy lifestyle enables our body systems to maintain the perfect state of homeostasis that humanity was created with. To maintain our spiritual equilibrium, we require Divine Intervention. Surrender and faithfulness are the conditions that must be met to maintain spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical harmony with God.

Our full cooperation with Christ, our Creator is expected to stay on the Path of Righteousness. God’s promises indicate that He will always be faithful in loving and caring for us. It is up to us to be faithful and obedient to God.

“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

Living in harmony with God requires a dependent relationship with Christ who is our Shepherd. We are compared to being sheep in a pasture. Possessing optimal spiritual health, harmony, and happiness is only possible when we faithfully obey God. With humility, we surrender our lives [mind and will] daily to God.

Our love and loyalty to Christ allow us to receive the spiritual benefits of Divine guidance and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Dedication to God results in receiving wonderful blessings—we can enjoy optimal spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health and live without worries or anxieties.

From our obedience, God honors the righteous with the spiritual gifts of peace, joy, and contentment. Who else can use supernatural power to fight our battles and promise us victory?

Reflection: “Do I strive to consistently honor God’s will and plans for my life by praying for spiritual guidance and worship Him through the daily study of the Scriptures? Self-reliance serves no purpose in the believer’s life. We have the full assurance that God always keeps His promises.

Despite having the spiritual resources of prayer and the Holy Bible, the culture of Christianity has declined—believers are plagued with mental and emotional unrest. Instead of relying on God’s faithfulness and promises, many are experiencing fear, discouragement, anxieties, and worries. The topics of sermons have changed from being Christ-centered to people-centered. Members come to church with burdens and leave with the same burdens.

Personal worship has become a ritualistic practice of saying a quick prayer on the go without time for studying the Bible. Worshipping God provides the spiritual strength to persevere in this battle between good and evil. Yet, we have eliminated daily communion with God to follow our desires.

Who has the time to worship during the week? This question was recently presented in a sermon. Worship is a lifestyle! Every thought, action, and behavior of a transformed believer should be centered on God which requires a heart filled with love, faith, and surrender. God commands that we should have no other gods before Him.

Living for oneself uses up valuable time. Our lives should include activities that promote overall well-being along with rest and relaxation but should not prevent us from spending quality time every day in worship to honor God.

Busyness is a strategy of spiritual warfare! Busyness is destructive to the mind, body, and soul! Busyness causes our relationship with Christ to be non-existent.

The Impact of Busyness on Our Spiritual Health: Because we are distanced from God, we embrace lifestyles that produce an unhealthy state of dysfunction. Believers are worn down and weary. Our brokenness is a consequence of not putting God first. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we committed to follow Him by serving the Most High God through faithful obedience. The foundation of believing that “God is always faithful” anchors us in our relationship with Christ.

Because of inconsistent worship [rarely studying the Bible], we are spiritually malnourished, physically tired, and in a state of mental fatigue, and emotional unhappiness. Relying on our strength has its limits. Our reference to victory is every story and promise within the Bible. Without the practice of reinforced learning, the mind easily forgets God’s Character and His promises of faithfulness. God’s divine intervention demonstrated in real-life accounts keeps us grounded and our faith strong.

Hear the Word of God and Do What it Says to Do: “But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].” —James 1:22, Amplified Bible

Signs of Spiritual Decline: Attending weekly church services is not enough to produce spiritual growth and transformation. Six days without God results in a weak, faithless Christian. We attend church, hear the word of God, and continue to live according to our mindsets. Without the Scriptures to guide us, we rely on our thoughts. When unexpected life events happen, instead of having joy and peace, we end up stressed and overwhelmed.

Self-reliance excludes God from our daily decision-making which always ends in suffering consequences. As a result, we become overwhelmed with discouragement and ask, “God, where are You?”

Without dedicating the first fruits of our time to worship God in spirit and truth, it is impossible to enjoy a relationship with Christ who gives us the spiritual gift of inner peace of our minds and souls. If we do not fill our minds with the Scriptures then Satan will fill our minds with doubt and the desire for immediate gratification. We will gravitate toward and accept the false concepts of worldviews as a standard for our lives.

Part 2 of 2 focuses on the impact of worldview on our relationship with Christ.

Scripture: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6

Prayer: God, we have not committed the time to worship You in spirit and truth. We confess that we have relied on our understanding. And for this, we ask forgiveness. We desire to make the covenant vow to spend time in personal worship every day. Thank You for daily provisions and the ability to pray and worship You any time of the day or night. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.