God loves us – Page 23 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

In Christ Alone

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

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

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

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

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

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” —Proverbs 3:5-6

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

Spreading the Joyful News that Jesus Saves

Demonstrating Gratitude Through Obedience

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

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

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

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

Evidence of God’s Power

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evidence of God’s Wonder-Working Power

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Asking the Holy Spirit for Help

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Response of a Converted Heart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.