Tag: Devotional

Devotional Reading–No Bible Study Equals the Practice of False Teachings

There has always been a dividing line among Christians–those who believe in God and obey Him and those who believe in God, yet do not obey Him. But in the past five years, something extraordinary has developed and escalated to disproportionate numbers–we now have Christians who do not believe studying the Bible is necessary for Salvation and Sanctification.

Fact: “All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]…2 Timothy 3:16

The entire Bible–Old and New Testament was given to holy men by God.

False Teachings: We do not have to study the Old Testament. The Ten Commandments are no longer valid including the Creation seventh-day Sabbath. Immortality is given when humans die. All people except the extremely wicked will go to heaven. Attending church once a week indicates that we are doing our part in the plan of Salvation.

Fact: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” –Psalm 119:105

We require daily spiritual guidance from God. Without instruction, we slip into darkness because we no longer need to be led by the Voice of God.

Fact: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

Sanctification is daily spiritual growth–conversion and transformation into the likeness of Christ [His Character]. The human effort of worshipping God through prayer, diligent Bible study, and surrender and obedience to the will of God is a lifetime spiritual journey.

False Beliefs: Since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we do not have to do anything additional to be led by God. If I memorize the Scriptures, then I do not have to keep studying–Head knowledge is placed as a priority over a heart-to-heart relationship with Christ.

Fact: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.…” James 1:22-24, BSB

Fact: “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). We cannot rely on self-rule.

Fact: “And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you” (Mark 7:20-23).

False Beliefs: God understands that we cannot live holy. Since we are covered by God’s grace, just repent for your sins that you can’t stop doing.

Fact: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…'” (Genesis 1:26).

Yes, we were created in the image of God. Still, we are not demigods. Our minds are finite with great limitations. We require daily guidance, wisdom, and discernment that only comes from the Holy Spirit–we ask for these things through prayer. The spiritual warfare that we face every day is fought by our guardian angels [Read Psalm chapter 91].

Fact: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

To know God’s thoughts and ways, we rely on our Teacher’s daily anointing and guidance–the Holy Spirit who discerns the Scriptures and instructs us in our daily lives to do our Heavenly Father’s will.

Fact: “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 issue of our spiritual standing with God is serious. Jesus says that we must depend on Him to bear fruit–righteous thoughts, actions, and living.

Obedience is humanity’s greatest obstacle. We cannot live according to our desires and expect to receive the reward that Jesus promised. Christ explains that our dependency on Him is like becoming a little child with faith and trust in their parents. Having a thriving relationship with Jesus is easy when it flows from the love in our hearts.

Fact: I Am Coming Quickly! “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!'” (Revelation 22:20).

The times we live in are perilous. Evaluate your priorities. God must be first! Our time of 24 hours is sufficient to perform our activities of daily living and to have time to worship God every day.

Daily Worship is not an option for Christian believers. We must have a steadfast relationship with Jesus Christ. Make a covenant promise to fully surrender and obey God. Pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit–Our Teacher to possess wisdom and discernment of the Holy Scriptures. Study to learn the character of God, His promises, and His expectations for us to live righteously.

Prayer: God, we confess that we have not studied the Scriptures. We ask for forgiveness of our stubborn hearts. Anoint us with Your Holy Spirit. We thank You and give You the honor and glory that You deserve. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotional Reading—The Worship Hierarchy—Bless the Lord

Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, Bless His holy name! –Psalm 103:1

When we look at God’s Hierarchy, God, the Father, Jesus Christ, His Son, the Holy Spirit, the angels, humanity, and animals, it is evident that God created His Kingdom based upon a “We” [collective] standard. We were created from love and to have healthy interdependent relationships with the Trinity Godhead and with each other.

The individualistic mindset of “I” was not a concept of God’s original plan and will never exist in the spiritual realm. Placing oneself as a priority produces a selfish heart and distorts our outlook on life. Striving to place himself as one of the Trinity Godhead, Lucifer’s prideful heart brought chaos into heaven.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him (Revelation 12:7-9, ESV)

The repercussions of Lucifer’s sins of pride and disobedience have infiltrated humanity, resulting in an internal conflict between God’s hierarchy and Satan’s hierarchy for thousands of years. As a result of our acceptance of the worldview of individualism, we are plagued with mental and emotional issues of low self-value, anxiety, worries, discontentment, and discouragement.

Many people are wandering through life without a sense of spiritual purpose so they attempt to calm their inner fears and turmoil by chasing after material possessions and engaging in unhealthy relationships. Despite the negative consequences of placing oneself as a priority, many accept the worldview of individualism as evidence of strength and empowerment.

Collectivist: relating to the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it.

The Biblical Worldview: “Now the LORD God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him” (Genesis 2:18).

Throughout the Bible, we have evidence [God’s numerous promises] that God did not create us to be alone nor has He ever left us to fend for ourselves.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

“I will never leave you or forsake you “I will send you the Helper from the Father” (John 15:26).

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

God’s original plan is for us to live in harmony with His precepts. In the book of Malachi, God says that He never changes.

Have the Attitude of Christ

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” –Philippians 2:3-5, NLT

Jesus’ life of blessing others revealed His love and the desire to bless God by always giving His Father glory and honor. Jesus created us to love God, love others, and love ourselves—which is the only hierarchy that God approves of. Our Savior’s life was one of self-sacrifice. Jesus lived to help others by teaching them the love of God and providing the necessity of food along with spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical healing. Remember that Jesus, the Son of Man always put God, His Father first, and then the needs of others. Never once, did Christ place Himself above others.

Perform a self-evaluation of your mindset and values. Are they in alignment with the Biblical Worldview of collectivism? Yes, God has given us free will of choice. We can live according to our worldviews and interpretation of God’s Truth, yet, our individual choice will impact our destiny of receiving the reward of eternal life. The world as we know it, with the conflicting worldview of individualism, “Looking out for number one” will not have a place in the Kingdom of God in the New Heaven and New Earth.

Changing our mindset from I to We requires humility and obedience. With God, all things are possible. Jesus has promised to finish the work in us [Philippians 1:6] if we do our part in striving after righteousness. Live to serve! Placing the needs of others as a priority is an outward sign of the internal condition of our hearts. Our love for God is evidenced by blessing others. God is truly blessed by our desire to bring honor and glory to Him. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits…” (Psalm 103:2).

Bible Study: Matthew chapter 5, verses 1-12

Prayer: God, we have lost our way by accepting worldviews that conflict with Your precepts to live righteously. And for this sin, we ask forgiveness. We pray for a change of heart that we will live to bless others as You did. Thank You for loving us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Devotional Reading—Walking On the Water—Did Peter Fail? From The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

The points for consideration about the Apostle Peter are from a sermon preached by Pastor D. Snell of Oakwood University SDA Church.

From reading the Scriptures, Peter was impulsive, impatient, and impetuous. Whether Jesus was telling a parable or teaching the disciples, Peter never listened with the intent to learn. The disciple who could not control his mouth was always ready to correct others and to express his opinions which impeded his ability to gain knowledge, wisdom, and an in-depth understanding of spiritual matters.

After feeding the 5,000, “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was there alone” (Matthew 14:22-23).

While Jesus was in solitude communing with God, His Father, the disciples were fearful and anxious because of the stormy sea. They attempted to maneuver the boat to safety, “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary” (Matthew 14:24).

“Now in the fourth watch of the night [between 3 am and 6 am before sunrise], Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.'” (Matthew 14:25-27).

Although Jesus identified himself and spoke words of comfort, Peter verbalized the fearful thought in all of the disciple’s minds, “Is it really Jesus?” “And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water'” Matthew 14:28.

In His loving nature, Jesus did not rebuke Peter: “…He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29).

Peter’s Failure? “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!'” (Matthew 14:30).

Jesus was aware the disciples were in a fishing boat tossing back and forth in a tumultuous storm that should have made the boat sink and caused death from drowning. But these were not normal circumstances. Although Jesus was alone on the mountain, His watchful eyes were covering and protecting His beloved disciples from the catastrophic effects of the raging storm.

Back to the disciples! We understand the disciple’s minds were crippled by fear. Twelve men in a boat using their expertise, but were helpless in preventing a near-death experience. Yet, not one disciple prayed and called on the name of Jesus for help during the storm. We know this because there would have been recorded scriptures indicating they prayed for Jesus to help and save them. And if they prayed for Jesus’ help, when they saw a man walking on the water, all of the disciples would have known that it was Jesus.

Sadly, Jesus knew that His disciples did not believe that He was the Son of God–the Messiah.

When Jesus spoke the words of comfort, “Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid,” the storm was in full effect. Only Peter, the reckless disciple possessed a tiny bit of faith–still, it was enough for him to get out of the boat and walk toward Jesus.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19)

Like many of us when facing storms, in his humanness, Peter lost his focus by looking away from Jesus. We know that Jesus promised to deliver us from our troubles, but we fixate on the situation instead of faithfully believing and waiting for deliverance.

Jesus saves Peter: “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” (Matthew 14:31).

“Pastor Snell’s commentary: ‘When Jesus saved Peter, the storm was still raging. Jesus did not bring the boat to Himself and Peter, they walked back to the boat. The disciples in the boat never asked Jesus if they could come to them, they just sat and watched Jesus and Peter walk on the water and enter the boat. Peter had enough faith to walk side-by-side with Jesus.'”

“And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God'” (Matthew 32-33).

On the same day, the disciples had just witnessed one of Jesus’ greatest miracles—feeding a multitude of 5,000 plus. They were overtaken by fear when they saw a man walking on the water because of two reasons. They [secretly] held on to their former pagan belief of ghosts. And before the storm, the disciples did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God.

The reckless, impulsive disciple who could not control his emotions or his spoken words had little faith [as pointed out by Jesus]. Still, Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat to go to Jesus and walk back to the boat side-by-side with Jesus.

In Matthew chapter 16, “…Jesus asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ “So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?'” (Verses 13-15).

“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matthew 16:16)

Jesus’ Response: “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” Matthew 16:17

Jesus changed Simon Bar-Jonah’s name to Simon Peter and blessed him because he wholeheartedly believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

Before Jesus’ arrest leading to His crucifixion, He stated to the disciples, “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” (John 16:24)

Where do we stand as disciples of Jesus? Are we sitting in our lifeboats with minds full of worldly beliefs that prevent us from actively acknowledging that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do our daily prayers reflect that we are asking for faith, courage, wisdom, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit from Jesus?

Without the habit of praying for spiritual growth and a closer relationship with Jesus, we will have the mindset of the disciples–when in trouble we will not remember to pray. Our minds will be filled with fear or we will expend energy attempting to resolve life’s issues without success.

Our lifestyles reveal if we love Jesus. If we love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds, then we faithfully serve as obedient disciples who live to do the will of God.

“So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.'” (John 21:15)

Yes, Peter denied Christ three times. Still, Peter loved Jesus. It was from Jesus’ overwhelming love, grace, and mercy that Peter, the impetuous, cowardly, disciple received complete forgiveness and restoration as His disciple.

The Apostle Peter is an example of the spiritual transformation that is possible when we love Jesus and acknowledge Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our lives. Every day, with humble hearts on bended knees, we must proclaim, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Hallelujah to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Amen.

Bible Study: Matthew chapter 14 and John chapter 21

Devotional Reading—Who Stopped Your Progress? From The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

Our dreams, goals, and plans are healthy signs of the motivation necessary to achieve bigger and better things. Our excitement grows as we research and develop strategies to accomplish our vision. Hopefully, we have searched for a mentor with the work experience to give us the guidance required for our dream to come to fruition. To achieve is vital to the growth of our intellect.

But is the sky the limit? We agree that a new entrepreneur faces fierce competition in today’s business arena. Yet, confidence, courage, and common sense will propel your business plan into a start-up with endless growth opportunities. As a former business owner, there is one aspect new business owners do not anticipate: losing a relationship with [some] family and friends who readily give their opinions on how to operate your business.

Can you imagine that your business is doing well and one of your employees secretly speaks to their coworkers that the business operations are making them work harder not smarter and the software you have chosen has many flaws? Immediate termination may be your first thought, but that would not resolve the doubt that was placed in the minds of your staff.

A mandatory meeting reminding your employees when they were interviewed that the organization’s mission and vision were thoroughly outlined to them and they agreed to assist in achieving said goals. In addition, have a one-to-one meeting with each employee to assess their loyalty to the company.

Start-Up Churches: The Apostle Paul faced many obstacles when starting the early Christian churches, especially the churches of Galatia which refers to a region in north-central Turkey. The Galatians epistle exposes the difficulties he faced with the members of the start-up churches.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

The new converts did not anticipate the separation from their cultural morals and values and the family and friends they were familiar with when they accepted the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Because they desired to keep their former worldly friends and participate in sensual idol worship, they embraced false theories from religious heretics, people who develop a different opinion of God’s truth and attempt to convince others to accept their false beliefs.

The Apostle Paul urged the Galatian members to consider their commitment to Jesus Christ and the consequences of returning to their former practices of idol worship.

“Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?”(Galatians 4:8-9).

Paul pleaded with those who had accepted Christ and had known the power of God in their lives to return to the Living Truth. He was not alone in His efforts. The mighty power of the Holy Spirit worked on the conscience of many who had wandered away and they returned with a steadfast commitment to serving God.

When those who were steadfast in serving God begin to falter in their relationship with Christ–it is spiritual warfare from Satan. He uses people to distract us from God’s Truth and to entice us to give up our righteous standards. But his favorite tactic is to bring people from our past sinful life or former Christians who “…having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:5).

Bible Study: Book of Galatians

Prayer: God, we pray for clarity. We have listened to the doctrines and beliefs of many individuals and can no longer discern if our beliefs are false teachings. We ask for forgiveness for our sins. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit as we study the Scriptures. Thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy name of Jesus, Amen.

Devotional—The God Who Answers Prayers from The Struggle of Sanctification by Sonya Johnson

“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek.'” –Psalm 27:7-8

God’s promise to the righteous: “When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.” –Psalm 91:15

We serve a dependable God who promises us that He will answer our prayers. Throughout the Scriptures, we find examples of those who prayed for God’s divine intervention and received a yes answer. Elijah’s prayer for three years of no rain, King David’s prayer of confession and repentance, King Hezekiah’s prayer to extend his life, Jesus’ prayer to raise Lazarus along with His prayers in John chapter 17, and the Garden of Gethsemane.

When Paul and Silas were wrongly imprisoned, God intervened. “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Acts 16:25

The Dilemma of Today’s Prayers–Praying Amiss

The confusion of hearing mixed messages from self-exalting pastors, Bible teachers who give their version of the Scriptures, and self-proclaimed prophets who prophesy a false interpretation of the Word of God, truth combined with prosperity teachings has led many to pray for material possessions. The Apostle James tells us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). Definition of Amiss: wrongly or inappropriately. The prevailing reason for inappropriate prayers originates from our hearts’ lusts [desires]. God will not give us the desires of our hearts unless they benefit us spiritually.

But Jesus tells us to ask: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will also do; and greater works than these he will do because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

Jesus’ promise to answer our prayers with yes has a condition. He will give a yes answer to our prayers if we are asking for the spiritual things that are necessary to do His will to perform greater works. Throughout Jesus’ life of 33 years, His works reflect the ministry of salvation and miracles of provisions and healing. What exactly does that mean? Are we limited in our prayers to God?

“Then a great multitude followed Him because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.” (John 6:2)

People Who Followed Jesus Because of His Power to Give to Them

“…when the people, therefore, saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” (John 6:24-25)

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God, the Father has given me the seal of his approval.'” (Johns 6:26-27).

The crowd of people followed Jesus because He fed them not because they were interested in having spiritual insight–the understanding, knowledge, and wisdom that He was the Son of God and the power and authority that was given to Him by God, His Father.

The Prayers of Today’s Christians

Are we praying for others? Or do we simply ask only for ourselves and our families? Our priority in prayer is usually for material possessions. Or, we pray for deliverance from the consequences of our wayward actions. Even for those suffering from physical illnesses, God may not provide healing for them.

In Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 34, God has promised to give us provisions–the things that we need daily. Our daily prayers should reflect asking for spiritual blessings in our lives: Forgiveness of our sins, for God to reveal His will for our lives, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, wisdom and discernment of the Holy Scriptures, a deeper relationship with Christ, our purpose and spiritual assignments, and daily protection from spiritual warfare.

In Isaiah chapter 38, we read of King Hezekiah’s physical condition, his prayer, and God’s answer.

Hezekiah’s Predicament: “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live ‘” (Isaiah 38:1).

Hezekiah’s Prayer: “Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly” (Isaiah 38:2-3).

God’s Answer: “And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, ‘Go and tell Hezekiah, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years’ ” (Isaiah 38:4-5).

In Daniel chapter 10, we read about Daniel who fasted and prayed for three weeks as he fervently petitioned God to understand His vision. To excel in the divine knowledge required for our journey of Sanctification, we must make our spiritual connection with God our number one priority. Never forget the earth as we know it will one day be non-existent. Every day we should prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords to live with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth. Amen.

Jesus’ prayer in John chapter 17 gives us an example of praying for ourselves and others.

Bible Study: John 17

Prayer: God, we admit that our prayers have been self-focused, and we ask for forgiveness for this sin. We pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and a deeper relationship with Jesus. Lord, we ask You to give provisions to those in need. This prayer we pray in the Worthy name of Jesus, Amen.