And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Lost souls and unbelievers are not found in the church. We have been given work to do—“The Great Commission” by Jesus Christ. Hearing “Well done” from Jesus is not based on attending weekly church services or giving tithe and offerings monetary contributions. Yes, we do these things because we love and obey God’s commands. Yet many fail to follow Jesus’ command to go and witness.
With advanced technology, we can utilize social media to reach thousands in distress who need to know there is a loving Savior who gave His life so they can be free from sin. We are to “Go” and make disciples. Jesus’ command to witness is not an option. Using our social media and the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit can reach thousands of spiritual distress.
Make the decision to devote your life to the things that matter. Strive to live for the glory of God. Always seek to have a deeper relationship with God. We were created to worship God in Spirit and in truth. And to tell everyone about our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is soon to return.
Human Effort plus Divine Intervention equals Victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Years ago, I negotiated a higher salary for a temporary position that I obtained through a Hiring Agency. The assignment lasted for 16 weeks. For some unknown reason, I checked the paystub of my final check, and much to my surprise, there was a $2 per hour difference in the salary paid for the assignment.
I contacted the Human Resources liaison, who asked, “You never checked your payroll stub.” My answer was, “No, I had a written contract. Why was it necessary for me to check my stub?” I received a check for the deficit in an overnight express envelope the next day.
As I reflect on this story, I realize that as human beings we put too much trust in people, employers, investment companies, businesses, and banks. In fact, many individuals feel intimidated to obtain second opinions regarding their health or medical diagnosis.
Surprisingly in 2022, scams are still being orchestrated with the highest level of expertise. Many victims receive a phone call from a person representing an alleged governmental agency or bank who says they owe money or suspicious charges were charged to the debit or credit card. And trusting the confident voice, they readily give their confidential financial identifiers to a stranger.
Still, the greatest deception is a never-ending scheme perpetrated in the spiritual realm. Satan has convinced us to rely on ourselves. Yes, we trust our judgment based on prior experience or desires of the heart.
The irony is that we place too much trust in ourselves, other people, and institutions, but we have little to no faith in God. If you believe in God and did not pray for direction and God’s will to be done, or wait for His answer, unfortunately, your plans will not come to fruition the way you think.
I can recall a story from a former pastor who had his own investment business. He told the congregation that he prayed about making an investment and received the answer of “No” from God. But the financial returns were too great to pass on this opportunity. Within days he lost $250,000.
The unequally yoked relationship, the start of a business, financial investment, the relocation for a new job, or the purchase of a new vehicle or house, if God has not given His blessings upon our desires, we will place ourselves in a lose-lose predicament.
The consequences of Disobedience always place us in spiritual bankruptcy. Not trusting in God is guaranteed to end in failure. “Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.”(Proverbs 13:15).
The Solution: Always Pray and wait for God’s answer!
Prayer: God, we ask for your direction and blessings upon our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.
Prayer is the life of every believer. Beware of anything that stops a diligent habit of praying. “Pray without ceasing”— maintain the childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.
The Lord is good, a strong Refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him (Nahum 1:7).
Our spiritual journey is uniquely developed according to our strengths and weaknesses as determined by God. What exactly does that mean? God is aware that we have unique life experiences, so He allows only the struggles that produce a character that reflects the character of Jesus Christ. God does not crush us as some would have us believe. We are not grapes going through a winepress! God is a loving Father who tells us, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
The characteristics of being Confident, Cautious/Careful, Carefree, or Careless are the mindsets and lifestyles that we have embraced. Those who are confident consider the cautious/careful cowardly. The carefree and careless consider the confident as rigid. And the cautious/careful consider everyone else as risk-takers. Yet whichever category we fit in when we face Adversity, the amount of courage we possess matters the most.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
Courage is not a stand-alone characteristic. It requires faith and trust, either in oneself or God.
When the stormy hardships produce havoc, many think that their intellect, strategic planning abilities, prior experience, or people who always come to the rescue can resolve any challenge they face. Our demeanor changes once we apply all of our human efforts and tap out the resources of our family and friends, but the storm remains.
Two responses: Either we turn to God immediately and ask for the strength to go through the stormy trials, or we become overwhelmed, discouraged, or angry. The “Why me? or Why now?” questions that no human being can answer, God provides the answers in His Holy Scriptures.
“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).
Trials and sorrows change and build the character required for eternal life!
When it is evident that our mindsets and lifestyles demonstrate faith and trust in ourselves, God will allow trials and hardships to bring us back to Him. Eventually, we acknowledge that we have reached our limits and, in humility, confess, repent, and ask for Divine help. Unfortunately, some believers only have a superficial relationship with Jesus Christ. They become bitter, angry, or depressed, quickly blaming God for tough times. And willingly join the unbelievers because they do not desire to endure hardships.
If we only persevere, God has promised us a glorious future. Even in our earthly lives, the storms do not last forever! God always lets us know that He is here.
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:16-17).
Know that God never expected us to live without His Divine Intervention. We were created to stay connected to God through prayer and study of the Scriptures. Imagine receiving spiritual nourishment from God through our spiritual umbilical cord 24/7. That is the access we have to our Father God, who desires for us to be overcomers.
Yet victory requires faith, trust, courage, strength, and endurance. God’s resources of love, compassion, and power are abundant. God will never fail us! His promises are Yes, to which we respond, Amen.
Bible Reading: James 1
Prayer: God, for too long, we have relied on our abilities. And for this sin, we ask for forgiveness. We need You and ask for the strength and endurance to overcome. We ask this prayer in Jesus’ name, Amen.
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12
A concept is causing significant dissension and division among Christians–prosperity! When we hear messages based on God promising us wealth, we will react in one of two ways, “It’s a false teaching” or “Yes, Jesus says to ask anything in His name, and He will do it.” Yet, Jesus has told us “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…” Matthew 6:19, first part.
Sin has given us a natural longing to desire the things we do not have. Is it possible for us to be content? The answer of yes or no is an individual one, which reveals our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will explore the response of no, which many hesitate to say. They usually respond with, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). And the conflict of truth versus error begins.
The Desire–Are you familiar with the phrase, “Some people are their own worst enemy?” We begin the decline into sin by our heartfelt desires. We have entered Satan’s Game of Chance as inexperienced players at this stage. But Pride continually urges us to pursue our dreams. Unsure of ourselves, we seek and select people who agree that we should follow our hearts. We make sure that we keep our strategies a secret, especially from the Saints of God who always say, “Pray and wait on God.” We grow weary of God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11. So, we begin listening to…the Influencers.
The Influencers persuade us to chase our dreams now. Many have become successful in the financial arena. We readily listen to the testimonials of social media’s elite, successful entrepreneurs or peruse the websites of powerful investment companies. JP Morgan advertises, “Set up a call or virtual meeting with a J.P. Morgan Advisor to discuss your investment goals and help keep them on track.”
An unequally yoked relationship is today’s believers’ second most prevalent deception. We have lost control of our senses, especially our eyesight. When children are younger, they are immature and desire the pleasant things they see. Yet, as they mature if taught restraint, they learn that not everything pleasing to the eyes is good for you.
The Rebellion–In these last days, Satan’s two deceptions are causing an internal conflict for first place in our hearts, seeking prosperity and having unequally yoked relationships with unbelievers. Chasing wealth and giving into lustful desires has many “Christians” renouncing God. Because compromise has overtaken the desire to obey God, they worship God with works–attending church or making tax-deductible contributions. But their minds are far from giving God the reverence of total obedience. “For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7-8).
The desire for what we do not possess has existed since the conflict with Lucifer in heaven. Adam and Eve gave up immortality and face-to-face communion with Jesus in the Garden of Eden for the deceptive lie of having God-like omnipotence–knowing all. We do not care! The Bible provides God-breathed historical accuracy in the Scriptures of fallen humanity and proof of God’s love, grace, mercies, and restoration. Yet, pursuing our desires becomes the driving force, and we willingly become players in the Game.
The Knockingon the Door of Our Hearts–“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).
The Failure–Because our Heavenly Father loves us, He intervenes, and our dreams that we brought into fruition fail. The loss of our financial investment, or the business falters into bankruptcy, and the relationship [no matter how dedicated you loved] is over when the unbeliever continually disappoints or walks away without remorse.
The Choice–God’s Restoration: With heartfelt sorrow, we confess and repent, [leaving the sinful Game] and receive spiritual restoration from the blood of Jesus Christ. “For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight…” (Psalm 51:3-4).
The Choice–Remain a Player: Many become angry and depressed, blaming God for not blessing their pursuits or relationships. They embrace the trending belief, “You can’t have success without failures,” and they decide to develop different strategies and continue to pursue their desires. Pride consoles them as they up the ante, “I’ll develop different strategies or find another individual with different values.” Now they have no need for God’s divine direction. They think of themselves as experienced players in the Game of Chance.
The Apostle Paul has forewarned us in 2 Timothy 3 regarding the condition of the last days. There is no middle ground. The player is seeking earthly rewards. But the righteous believe Jesus’ promise to supply all of our needs. We ask in prayer for God’s will to be done and patiently wait for God’s blessings. “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.” (Revelation 21:7).
Prayer: God, we thank You for seeking us to save our souls when we have wandered away. We pray for forgiveness, not because of the devastating consequences we have suffered. But because we desire to leave the Game of Sinful pleasures. Today, we surrender our hearts and ask to renew our covenant vow with You. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.
I have often asked groups of people to nominate whom they believe to be the best example of “faith” in the Bible. Most people favor the familiar heroes of faith: Abraham, Job, Moses, or Elijah. Some mention John the Baptist or David.
When asked to explain their choices, people usually speak of those events, such as Abraham’s offering of Isaac, in which people do remarkable things that don’t appear to make any sense. For many Christians it appears that faith has more to do with blind incredulity than with a life-changing relationship.
Jesus Christ is our best example of faithfulness!
Jesus spoke explicitly of His faith relationship with divinity outside of Himself: “I do nothing on my own authority, but in all that I say, I have been taught by my Father. He who sent me is present with me, and has not left me alone; for I always do what is acceptable to him” (John 8:28, 29, N.E.B.). The divinity that charged Jesus’ life with power and purpose was not His own, but His Father’s.
Prayer: God, we pray for an increase in faith and the desire to obey Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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