Holy Spirit – Page 31 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

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.

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.

Stop Worrying, Let God Help You

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With a Grateful Heart

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Appointed Time for Everything

An Appointed Time for Everything Today’s Devotional October 31, 2023

“For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” —Ecclesiastes 3:1

Reflection: Does my time and lifestyle demonstrate total surrender and loyalty to God? Is my faith strong enough to wait patiently for His answers?

The [lengthy] Pruning and Preparation Season is the most important season in our Christian experience. Yet, it is the season that produces the greatest despair. To possess a Christ-like character, we must allow God to eliminate our unrighteous traits through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Still, our spiritual transformation is a journey that requires Human Effort and Divine Intervention. “The closer we become to Christ, the more we recognize our sinfulness.” —Billy Graham

“How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.” —Job 13:23

God always reveals our sins and unrighteous character traits through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit speaking to our conscience. We acquiesce to the Voice of God by confessing, repenting, and agreeing to do our part in the cessation of wilful disobedience and letting go of worldly habits and behaviors.

When we are in agreement with God, we receive spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit to change our minds, characters, personalities, and lifestyles. During this season, the Holy Spirit’s assignment is to produce spiritual growth within us. He teaches us to recognize and obey the Voice of God.

The Holy Spirit imparts the wisdom of God’s higher thoughts which changes the perception of our earthly purpose. For us to become the recipients of God’s greatest blessings, the Holy Spirit places us in alignment with God’s will and plans for our lives. Our love for God is proven through faithful obedience.

Because Christ is our First Love, we follow in His footsteps to use our spiritual gifts, talents and spoken [and written] words to give honor and glory to the Most High God. To receive spiritual transformation is a free-will choice. We must put forth the human effort to willingly cooperate with Divinity by seeking God daily in prayer and supplication. “Not my will, but Your will be done” and renouncing sin.

“When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’ ” (Psalm 27:8).

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). While in the pruning season we must develop the habit of continuous communication with God. Praying once or twice a day is not enough. If we fail to use our faith to stay in the presence of God, we will lose touch with the Holy Spirit and end up following our inclinations.

Waiting on God is the ultimate test of our willingness to surrender and faithfully obey when we have no idea of where God is leading us. David tells us that waiting on the Lord [for an unknown length of time] separates the uncommitted believer from the steadfast believer. “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed, That I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 27:13).

To lose heart: To begin to feel that one cannot do something that one has been trying to do: to become discouraged.

When studying Psalm 27, we find that becoming discouraged during the wait of this lengthy season is a character weakness—one that has existed since the creation of humanity. We easily tell others, “You just have to wait on the Lord” but how strong do we remain when our wait extends from days into months and years?

The Holy Spirit directs the baby-step journey of our spiritual growth and development. Still, at times our human weaknesses will prevail, slowing down the progression of our spiritual journey. Although we strive, we will fail and fall into temptation. We may possess most of the traits of the Fruit of the Spirit, but our behaviors reveal impatience, or we become distracted by earthly pursuits and our time with God becomes nonexistent.

God knows in advance the struggles we face and factors in our falls and level of spiritual maturity when determining the length of our pruning and preparation season. Christians tend to think that disobedience is the only reason God extends our wait time.

Spiritual readiness is not determined by our academic degrees, achievements, a ginormous knowledge base, our status in society, or attending church every week. Spiritual readiness is evidenced by our faith, obedience, perseverance, and the desire to do our part in possessing a righteous character.

“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” —Luke 8:17

Without pretense, we stand naked before God who looks at our hearts when determining how long our pruning season will last. He knows our weaknesses, yet, our Father extends grace and mercies to lovingly place us back on the Path of Righteousness. Yes, the Pruning and Preparation season with its continuous wait times is necessary to prepare us for life in the Heavenly realm.

Sanctification is the lifelong spiritual journey of continuous growth and development into the likeness of the Character of Christ. In our earthly journey, each day is an opportunity to grow closer to Christ. Every believer will reach the pruning season at some point in their Christian experience, Yes, it’s a rough season! In a vineyard, the vinedresser performs the task of cutting away most of the old canes to encourage the growth of strong branches that will produce the highest quality of grapes.

God, our Vinedresser is pruning our old unrighteous character traits so the Fruit of the Spirit will grow and blossom in our characters. The Holy Spirit alerts us of the habits and behaviors that need cutting. Our trials are specific to get rid of all unrighteousness. The length of the trials last as long as it takes to prune our character and prepare us for greater spiritual responsibility.

God knows in advance the struggles we face and factors in our falls and level of spiritual maturity when determining the length of our pruning and preparation season.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

Sadly, in the pruning and preparation season, many “lose heart” or become angry and stubborn. Still, God is not moved by emotional responses. Even if this season leaves us in turmoil, we know that God is faithful. If we repent for our displaced emotions which momentarily overruled our sound mind and faith, our Heavenly Father extends abundant mercies by leading us back to the Path of Righteousness.

God has his own sense of timing: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).

The Holy Spirit comforts us through the Scriptures and imparts us with the spiritual discernment, strength, and resilience to keep still or to move forward in this season of transformation. God has perfect timing: never early, never late. God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time.

“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” —Daniel 2:21

The Lord is sovereign over the future. Although we are driven by our heart’s desire for instant gratification and become impatient, we must fight the internal battle by Praying, Pausing, and Waiting to hear from God before giving up and taking matters into our own hands. Obedience is our highest form of worship. Making hasty decisions due to impatience reveals disobedience and denies blessings.

Even the smallest decisions can result in unexpected consequences that change the trajectory of our lives producing lasting regret and remorse. Every day make the faithful commitment of surrender, “Lord, I don’t mind waiting on You while I am being transformed. Amen.”

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” —Lamentations 3:25-26

Prayer: God, we pray for the strength to obey and wait on You despite the time it takes for our character transformation. We thank You for leading us on the Path of Righteousness despite our human frailties. Thank You for victory. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Looking Through the Eyes of Jesus —The Master Restorer

Today’s Devotional, October 29, 2023

“This is love: not that we loved God, but, that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” —1 John 4:10, NIV

In 2018, I browsed a couple of Buy, Trade, and Sell sites for items to convert a second bedroom into a craft room. Then I saw the “Free” category which had many listings but most had an updated status of picked up. While the offer may seem generous, the furniture pics revealed items that were worn, torn, discolored, and appeared to have irreparable damage.

My interest was piqued, I googled “What do people do with damaged furniture?” and several articles about furniture restoration populated. I was in awe when I looked at the before and after pictures. I may have lacked knowledge in furniture restoration, but I took the initiative to learn and successfully restored two small pieces for my craft room.

The restorer sees the item differently from the eyes of an unskilled person. The untrained eye only sees a piece of junk but the restorer envisions the finished product as soon as they look at the item. They possess the expertise to develop an immediate plan to perform a complete transformation.

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

Furniture restoration immediately reminded me of the story of God’s grace extended to every person living on this earth. Jesus has a special interest in those who are broken and worn down from the impact of sin. We have an experiential knowledge of the plan of Salvation and spiritual transformation, but are we fulfilling our role in alleviating the hopeless despair of the unbelievers living on this dying earth?

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” (Matthew 28:19). God expects us to be co-laborers with Christ in witnessing to others. Every Christian has a pre-destined mission, to seek the lost, hurting, and hopeless individuals in our neighborhoods, villages, rural areas, the workplace, on the streets, in the supermarkets, shopping malls, restaurants, gas stations, in recreational and social settings, and especially those who attend church but have not accepted Christ as their Savior.

Because of our fast-paced life, we have to develop different strategies to witness. Most people are in a hurry and do not have the time or desire to listen to the story of Redemption. So, I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to give me the most effective words for witnessing on the go. The answer is, “Jesus loves you.” And I agree with the Holy Spirit, yes, these three words are life-changing.

We can do our part by speaking the words, “Hi, Jesus loves you.” If the hearer is receptive then the Holy Spirit will take over and continue to speak to their hearts. Although many will not respond, they cannot reverse hearing that the most powerful name in heaven and earth loves them. Yes, those three words will resound over and over again in their minds!

Christ, the Master Restorer has a keen interest in restoring those who are broken and suffering from the ravages of sin. As recipients of Jesus’ saving grace, we have the privilege to participate in His mission by sharing the Good News with those who are lost. Praise God! We have Jesus – the Master Restorer who continually transforms and restores, making us whole.

Prayer: God, we thank You for the gift of Your Son Jesus and the love, grace, and mercies, we receive every day. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Surrender Reveals Our Love For God

Surrender Reveals Our Love for God October 28, 2023

O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” —Jeremiah 10:23

Surrender is a choice we make every day to bow to the Sovereignty of our Faithful and Righteous Heavenly Father. The posture of surrender demonstrates our love for God by seeking His will, and when revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, we obey. Surrender is the daily endeavor to live in alignment with God’s will, doing whatever He tells us to do, and without hesitation, we do it!

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” —Philippians 2:8

“…Nevertheless not my will but your will be done” (Luke 22:42). By following in the footsteps of Christ, we can learn the power of surrender and obedience to God. Like Christ, we will endure many trials and hardships, yet from our willingness to give ourselves wholly to Him, we receive the strength to persevere, and we are guaranteed victorious outcomes.

Surrendering to the will of God requires humility and obedience. To serve God is to make a steadfast commitment every day to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Prayer brings power! Prayer is a two-way conversation between the believer and God. In our times of worship, we cease our spoken words and include time for quiet spiritual meditation to allow the Holy Spirit to speak our hearts. Staying in God’s presence changes us from the inside out.

Because we live in a time of countless voices speaking their version of the truth and many church leaders giving inaccurate interpretations of the Bible Scriptures, we must pray without ceasing for spiritual wisdom. Perilous times [the beginnings of sorrows, Matthew 24] demand that we give God more time by praying and diligently studying the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Thankfully, God always intervenes on behalf of those who love Him. From our desire to live a consecrated and obedient life, the Holy Spirit empowers us with the wisdom and discernment to differentiate between our natural inclinations and spiritual leaders speaking false doctrines. Most importantly, we begin to recognize the quiet Voice of God.

Like a mother hen, God is gathering the faithful and empowering a remnant of dedicated believers who are anointed with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to proclaim and witness the Gospel of Salvation. This group of believers are striving to be holy, obey God’s commandments, and put God first.

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me’ ” —Isaiah 6:8

God desires for every believer to relinquish their personal agenda, so He can use them to finish the work on this earth. But there are conditions that all must meet, love God, put Him first, and forsake others to become a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ.

“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” —Revelation 2:4

Where do we stand? Our decisions and lifestyles reveal if Jesus is our First Love. When we seek God and abide in Christ, we naturally desire to do the will of God and embrace His plans for our lives which includes witnessing. With loving dedication to God, we place our confidence in all of His thoughts and ways.

Surrender is always displayed through faithful obedience. We may be perplexed about many things, but we always know whether or not we have surrendered to God and are obeying His perfect will. Be blessed in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Prayer: God, we surrender and consecrate our lives to do Your will. We pray for the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak while witnessing. And we ask You to reveal our spiritual gifts and the manner in which they can be used to give You honor. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

Be Careful of Acquired Knowledge

Be Careful of Acquired Knowledge WordPress Version Today’s Devotional October 25, 2023

God created us with the desire to explore and learn. Our insatiable curiosity fuels our desire to acquire knowledge and discover various philosophies. But sometimes we delve into spiritually forbidden areas. In my teenage stage, from taking a Greek Mythology class in high school, I got caught up in the web of worldly pagan beliefs.

Every week, I visited the library to read and take home every book I could find on Greek Mythology. Believe me, during that impressionable stage, without my devoted mother’s knowledge, I read and memorized every imaginable book on the Greek deities—their gods and goddesses.

Yes, I loved Jesus and knew that He was coming again, but my sense of right and wrong had shifted. I replaced studying the Bible with pagan philosophies. Although I was raised in a strict, Bible-based Pentecostal home, I possessed a terrible secret, embracing mythology over the Scriptures.

My desire for the knowledge of pagan beliefs did not stop as a teenager. In college, I chose several Eastern and Western Religion courses as electives. My acquired knowledge placed me in a serious dilemma, my morals and values transitioned, and I ceased studying the Bible.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” —Colossians 2:8

Pagan religions, philosophies, and practices usually pique our interest. But evil is always disguised and visual imagery is used to mesmerize. Many believers let their children watch Disney movies filled with themes of witchcraft, reincarnation, and the ability to enter other realms. The beautiful make-believe characters hide the themes of magic and fantasy. Online games are filled with violence and promote breaking the laws of society.

Most children’s programs feature fictitious monsters that disrupt a child’s peaceful sleep. It is the visual beauty and music that provides an effective cover to hide the demonic themes that are prevalent in programs, games, and movies.

The Nation of Israel is our example of a people called to represent the goodness of God to heathen nations, yet, they embraced paganism to the point they even sacrificed their children to idols. Satan is skilled in deception and easily entices us to delve into spiritual wickedness by presenting the occult and pagan beliefs as family entertainment.

Reflection: Where do we stand in our acquisition of knowledge? Are we seeking and embracing satanic themes and human wisdom over Divine wisdom?

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” —Romans 12:3, NLT

As Christians, we have a great responsibility, not only to be humble representatives of Christ but also to remain teachable. With our God-given spiritual gifts, we were chosen to be messengers of Christ who use the Holy Scriptures as the foundation for our beliefs, morals, and values. Our lifestyles should represent God’s righteous standards.

In 2023, the worldview is to develop your version of the truth and to promote your truth. Sadly, many Christian books, articles, and movies reflect a blend of personal views, acquired philosophies, and a false interpretation of God’s truth.

As disciples and followers of Christ, our higher calling was given to us by God and we owe Him our utmost loyalty. We received our spiritual gifts to witness God’s love, grace, mercies, the Plan of Salvation, and Redemption. We fill in the gap for those who do not understand how to apply the Scriptures to their lives.

A sinner who uses their measure of faith to accept Jesus as Lord is a new believer and does not understand the significance of the love and power of the Triune God, nor do they know how to “Be holy, for I am Holy.” It is our responsibility to impart knowledge that strengthens and gives hope to new or weak believers. We tell them that Jesus cares and that the purpose of trials and hardships is to build their faith. Yes, we help others when they are faced with daunting hardships, so they do not give up on God.

We share our testimonies to remind them of Jesus’ encouraging promise, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” We are called to care for others! Christian believers are to shine their lights into the darkness of the loneliness that new believers experience when they have lost all of their friends, and their family has forsaken them because they accepted Christ.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” —John 14:26

We glorify God by praying for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to anoint our minds before we write or speak. Our prayer of surrender and humility includes asking the Holy Spirit to give us the words that will provide clarity of the Scriptural truth to feed our souls and the Shepherd’s straying sheep.

As Christian believers, we were called and predestined to proclaim the love and saving power of Jesus Christ, to spread the seeds of hope, to shine light into the darkness of despair, and to teach others in this dying world how to live by faith. We teach others to pray for the anointing and discernment given by the Holy Spirit so they can avoid the false teachings of pagan beliefs disguised in seemingly innocent books, programs, and movies.

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

We will be rewarded for our discipleship—witnessing to others, our faithful obedience, and for striving to live righteously in a world that embraces wickedness as in the time of Noah. God’s expectation for every believer is that we fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

Prayer: God, we thank You for choosing us to be spiritual ambassadors. Lord, we fall by giving in to the carnal desires of our hearts, Pride causes us to seek the foolish knowledge of human-derived philosophies, and for this, we ask for forgiveness. We pray for an Upper Room outpouring of the Holy Spirit to change our minds, characters, and personalities. Lord, we ask for wisdom and discernment so our words will reflect Your Love, Righteousness, and Truth. In Jesus’ Matchless Name, we pray. Amen.

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road that Leads to Victory

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road that Leads to Victory Today’s Devotional Reading October 24, 2023

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” —Philippians 2:8

Striving and Suffering for Christ are two requirements of every Christian believer. If we remain faithful in our fiery trials, Christ will refine our characters into pure gold—into the likeness of His Righteous Character. God chooses the road for each of us to travel on in our earthly lives. No two journeys are alike, yet, all chosen roads are spiritually designed to end in Victory—the Reward of Eternal Life.

Choose to Stay on the Chosen Road

Choose to stay on the chosen road of trials and sorrows even though it brings the landslide of bitter disappointments

Choose to put God first and live righteously even though you don’t understand His roadmap

Choose the strength of Christ even though the strongholds of sin and temptations appear as treacherous cliffs

Choose hope in Christ even though your circumstances are stumbling blocks that have you gridlocked

Choose to believe in the promises of God even though the uncertainties cause fatigue and you seek a rest-stop

Choose to obey the Voice of God even though you are weary but God says to keep going

Choose to pray and get back up even though you keep falling down from the rocky obstacles

Choose to study the Bible even though the winding, treacherous curves of doubt fill your mind

Choose to have faith in the Divine power of God even though your trials appear as dead-end roads

Choose to wait on God even though the obstacles on the one-way road prevent further travel—it’s your God-given rest stop

Choose to stay on your chosen road even though you see detours for alternate routes

Choose to keep walking ahead even though you cannot see beyond the hopeless roadblock

Choose to lift your head even though your hope of high beams cannot penetrate the insurmountable darkness of despair

Choose to redirect your focus on the small, glimmering light ahead even though the distance is great

Choose to keep walking in the direction of the glorious light even though you have stumbled many times in the darkness

Choose to direct your eyes to the figure in the light— it is Jesus standing with outstretched arms leading you on your chosen earthly road to victory.

In faith, when we pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit and keep our focus on Christ the “even though” of every hardship and challenge on our chosen road is cast down. Our earthly responsibility is to believe in the Triune Godhead’s Sovereignty and stay focused on the three Divine powers readily available to guide and empower every righteous believer.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full into His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Jesus also traveled on God’s chosen road in His earthly life. Like Christ, our greatest sacrifice to God is through daily surrender and faithful obedience. If we remain steadfast through daily prayer and consecration asking for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we will receive the wisdom and power to continue our earthly journey.

Yes, if we remain faithful, the Holy Spirit will empower us, and Christ, the Commander of angel armies, will direct angels to guide and protect us on this journey of life to reach our reward of the crown of eternal life. Hallelujah! Amen! Study Psalm chapter 91.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit. In faith, we surrender ourselves to obedience to Your will. Lord, we promise to give You the honor and glory You rightfully deserve for the rest of our lives. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

The Assignment: Will You Accept?

Today’s Devotional, October 23, 2023

How would you react to this Spiritual Assignment from God knowing that you would be excluded from your family and friends who would not understand?

When God calls us to do His will, it always involves a sacrificial offering that not only proclaims our love and loyalty but also brings honor and glory to His Holy Name.

Prayer: God, we pray for the strength and the courage to do Your will. In Jesus’ Holy name, we pray. Amen.