Tag: Love

Sabbath Peace and Blessings

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). The Triune God: God, the Father, God, Jesus, the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit, not only love us, but the Triune God is Agape Love.

February 14th is designated as an annual day of Love, and causes many to become discouraged because they do not have someone who loves them. Even in a relationship or marriage, human love may also disappoint because our love is always conditional and often moody.

God’s Love Qualifiers: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV).

The words “I love you” are only words if the actions contradict God’s definition of true love. Every believer has received the spiritual gift of Godly Love [2 Timothy 1:7] and is expected to give love that is consistent, respectful, patient, kind, and, most importantly, forgiving.

“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.” (Jeremiah 31:3). Thankfully, we can always depend on God’s Agape Love to remain unchanged. Yes and Amen!

And it was from Divine Love that God said, “Let us make man in our image.” We were created by Jesus, Who is Divine Love. Although Adam and Eve disobeyed and humanity continues to reject God, He still loves us!

“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). We received undeserved, unmatched Divine Love and the opportunity to live forever with God when Jesus died on Calvary’s Cross to complete the Plan of Redemption [that was in place before the world was created].

God reiterates His, “Love never fails.” Every day, our hearts beat, and we breathe God’s Ruach breath flowing through our lungs. We are showered with the Divine gifts of love, peace, provisions, and angelic protection that human hearts and hands cannot give us.

Although the Holy Scriptures assure us of God’s Consistent Love, many believers feel unloved and that God is distant because they do not reciprocate God’s Love. If we fail to pray and study the Bible, then we are spiritually disconnected from God, and yes, we will feel empty.

“Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say?” (Luke 6:46, CEV). Without using our faith to trust and obey God, we demonstrate that we are involved in a one-sided love relationship. Sadly, we accept God’s love, but fail to love Him.

“But a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24, BSB).

Loving God is more than attending weekly church services; loving God flows from unselfish hearts overflowing with gratitude, and is revealed through trusting, obeying, praying, singing, studying the Holy Scriptures, and thanking Him by placing Him first in our lives.

Jesus, Our Great High Priest: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16, BSB).

Separation, Solitude, and Silence invites the Holy Spirit to lift us up into the Most Holy Presence of God, Jesus Christ, our High Priest, Heavenly Intercessor, and the Only Mediator between God, the Father, and humanity.

Spending time alone with God every day is needed to build a faith-based relationship with Christ. True love for God can only arise from hearts that invite the Holy Spirit to sanctify them in daily personal worship.

True love for God reveals itself through the desire to obey and follow Christ on the Narrow Path of Righteousness. We were bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and cannot think and live as unbelievers who worship themselves by following their thoughts and personal agendas.

Prayer and Bible Study invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s Divine Love and to sanctify us—Sanctification is the lifelong spiritual process of growth and transformation that requires human effort and Divine Intervention. By giving God the firstfruits of our time, we receive spiritual guidance, peace, comfort, and contentment.

God rewards us when we dedicate our gift of time to worship Him in daily personal worship. The Holy Spirit fills our hearts with the Divine Agape Love that transcends human love. It is impossible to feel unloved or hopeless when we take the time to be in God’s Holy and Loving presence.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

All of Heaven is lovingly devoted to humanity: Christ is our Mediator between God, the Father, and humanity. We receive God, the Father’s and Jesus’ Love through the Holy Spirit.

Prayer, Patience, and Perseverance reveal our love and gratitude for God, the Father, who did not hesitate to give Jesus Christ, God the Son, to redeem us from the only outcome of sin [Romans 6:23].

Lord God, we come to You in humility, surrendering our hearts to You, because You deserve all the glory, honor, and praise for saving our souls. We thank You for Your  Faithfulness and never-ending Love, Grace, and Mercies. Thank You for the Divine Gift of Jesus, God, Your Son, who has promised to complete the work in us, if we are faithful. Lord, teach us how to love You and to love others. We pray for wisdom, strength, and guidance from the Holy Spirit as we continue our spiritual journey. Today, we ask You for a double spiritual blessing on Your Holy Sabbath; a blessing that will permeate our mind, body, and soul and empower us to redirect our love, faith, and focus from ourselves and this temporary Earth to You and the promise of living in our Forever Home. In faith, we ask these things in Jesus’ Holy and Loving Name, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Jesus’ Gift of Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Jesus’ gift of peace is one of the believer’s greatest spiritual benefits. To enjoy a mind filled with peace, gratitude, and contentment instead of fear, anxiety, and worry is possible even when we are facing our greatest challenges.

Jesus’ gift of Perfect Peace is an internal calm filled with joy, contentment, and courage experienced by those who have dedicated and surrendered their lives to follow Jesus Christ.

Spiritual Peace is not a quiet place, or listening to soothing music. Spiritual peace cannot be purchased; only Jesus can give true Peace. Spiritual Peace is a life-enriching experience that so few enjoy because receiving this gift requires that we follow Jesus with faithful obedience.

“Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.” (Psalm 119:165). God’s Moral Law [The Ten Commandments] and His Righteous Precepts in the Bible establish boundaries for Christians, teaching us how to live righteously.

Jesus’ promise of peace is the foundation for an unbothered mind, even when the fiery trials of adversity bring raging storms into our lives. Yet, only the righteous who strive to complete the Spiritual Conditions of Participation receive His gift of Divine Peace.

The Spiritual Conditions of Participation to Receive Peace: “Jesus answered, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'” (John 14:23, HCSB).

Is it possible for us to be ineligible to receive Jesus’ Gift of Peace?

“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).

Engaging in sin, including the sin of self-reliance, makes us ineligible to receive Jesus’ gift of peace. “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46).

The False Teaching of Compromised Christianity promotes church attendance, but teaches that because we are covered by God’s Grace, we can live according to our desires. “God’s grace does not provide Christians with the license to engage in sin. Rather than promote sin, God’s Grace teaches restraint from sin.”

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11–13, NIV).

Those who are disobedient cannot receive Jesus’ Divine gift of Spiritual Peace. The Solution: “Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a [recipient] of this heavenly peace.”

The Knowledge Seekers: There are Christians who are highly perceptive of their environments, aware of everything happening in their community, on the job, and in the city they reside in. 

Yes, the knowledge seekers keep up with the global and local news, weather forecasts, the political arena, economic status, and social issues. They are tech-savvy, financially stable, and can readily participate in most discussions because, while others are wasting time on frivolous activities, they are seeking a higher level of knowledge.

The knowledge seekers love God and attend church, yet they also do not receive Jesus’ gift of Perfect Peace. Unfortunately, Christian knowledge seekers use their intellectual energies to continuously focus on the distractions of the tumultuous conditions in this world instead of focusing on God and preparing daily for Eternal Life.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). Jesus teaches that the only way to have His peace is by using our faith to focus on Him and trusting Him with our lives.

We also require Jesus’ gift of Perfect Peace to engage in the Daily Battle of Spiritual Warfare. In Ephesians 6, the apostle Paul tells us that we are involved in a spiritual war of the Great Controversy of Good and Evil that has existed for over 6,000 years.

Paul compares the Christian journey to the commitment of a soldier in the military, which requires an intentional focus, a peaceful mind, and maintaining one’s priorities to keep oneself prepared to fight in battle.

“No soldier in active service gets entangled in the [ordinary business] affairs of civilian life; [he avoids them] so that he may please the one who enlisted him to serve.” (2 Timothy 2:4, Amplified Bible).

Not having Jesus’ Peace prevents us from growing spiritually. Our prayers will be rushed, and we will not have the attention span to focus on the Holy Scriptures, preventing the Holy Spirit from guiding us in our spiritual journey and giving us the wisdom and discernment to understand the depth of God’s Word. [Isaiah 55:8-9].

Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, He is also our Commander, who enlisted us to serve God, the Father. God must be our first priority! We actively participate in our salvation by maintaining a close relationship with Christ, which requires a sacrificial life of self-denial, surrender, and faithful obedience.

Separation, Solitude, and Silence are the Requisites for Personal Worship

“Oh 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).

Our love for God is demonstrated by the daily personal worship of Prayer and Bible Study. Many do not understand the depth of our spiritual experience of personal worship. We revere God with a spirit of humility because the Holy Spirit lifts us spiritually, placing us in the Divine and Holy Presence of Christ, which requires us to remove all distractions.

The Bible is our Spiritual Blueprint and Roadmap given by God to instruct and guide us, so we can actively participate in our journey of Sanctification [daily spiritual growth and transformation] performed by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, also known as the Spirit of Truth, gives us the wisdom and discernment to understand the depth of God’s thoughts—the Holy Scriptures. And we receive the strength to overcome temptations and to persevere in our rugged Christian journey.

“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 require Jesus’ gift of Perfect Peace to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds, characters, and personalities into the likeness of Christ [Sanctification] required to receive Eternal Life.

Jesus’ Transforming Power is not a superficial emotional experience. We must have His Spiritual Gift of Peace for our Minds and Characters to be transformed into His Righteous Character, which requires us to be covered with the Righteousness of Christ.

Reflection: What is distracting your focus from enjoying a heart-to-heart relationship with Christ and receiving His peace?

Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…”; Proverbs 3:6: “Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” 

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7).

The greatest peace comes from knowing that we are following Jesus Christ as He leads us on the Path of Righteousness: And our reward will be eternity with Jesus, our Triumphant King. Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we thank You for Your Love, Grace, and Mercy. We ask You to give us the wisdom to reset our priorities by seeking knowledge and guidance through prayer and from Your Holy Scriptures. We also pray for the strength to resist the temptations of our heart’s desires and pursuing knowledge that only distracts us, and has nothing to do with our Salvation and Eternal Life. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Rejoice! Jesus, the Good Shepherd Loves You

“We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, Amplified Bible).

“Life can be very difficult for all of us, no matter how well things might be going at the moment. But even if they are not going well now, what things can you and should you rejoice about? What is stopping you from doing it?”

We have so many things to rejoice about; we received the blessing of a new day of life, we are alert and oriented, and we were created in the image of God, who vows to love, protect, and provide all of our needs.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).

And we have received the greatest gift of Redemption from God the Father, who gave us Jesus, His Son, to save our souls from the wages of sin [Romans 6:23]

Despite our challenges, God is Loving and Always Faithful! To have a heart filled with gratitude, we must change our behaviors to reflect that God is Good:

  1. Stop speaking negative words.
  2. Stop sowing seeds of discord [gossiping].
  3. See your life through grateful eyes.
  4. Develop a grateful heart and spirit by praising God throughout the day for His blessings of life, health, and provisions.
  5. Redirect your faith and trust from yourself back to God.
  6. Study the Bible every day.
  7. Whisper prayers throughout your day, thanking God for His abundant blessings of life and asking Him for strength, wisdom, and guidance.

God is Merciful: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Lord God, we want to say that we love You and thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. Thank You for always forgiving us and hearing and answering our prayers. In faith, and with grateful hearts, we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry

The LORD Is a Great God! Sabbath Peace and Blessings

“For the Lord is the great God…Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (Psalm 95:3, 1-2).

Today is the last day of January, 2026. Because of God’s amazing Love and Mercies, we are still alive! How do we return our love for all that we receive from God?

“Oh 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).

The commitment of personal daily worship, Prayer, Bible Study, and Singing praises of gratitude reveals our love, loyalty, and reverence for God, whose Love, Grace, Mercies, and Provisions flow abundantly.

“Heaven is waiting to [give] its richest blessings upon those who will consecrate themselves to do the work of God in these Last Days of the world’s history.”

The richest blessings that we need to live as victorious overcomers are not material possessions, wealth, and success. We require the daily empowerment of the Holy Spirit to stay on the Path of Righteousness that leads from Earth to Heaven.

Lord God, You have Sovereign Authority over our lives, this earth, and the universe. We come to You in humility, surrendering ourselves to You, and asking for the spiritual blessings of peace, wisdom, and the strength to persevere in this tough journey of life filled with obstacles, temptations, and dangers. Yet, because of Your love, we have safety. Lord, you promised to never leave us or forsake us; and we believe in Your promises that when we run to You, we  will have refuge because You are a Strong Tower. Lord, we seek the blessings of spiritual restoration, peace, contentment, and joy, as we worship You on this Holy Sabbath Day. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Loving Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success With Spiritual Solutions Ministry

We Are Soldiers of the Light

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).

The Sun and the Moon naturally radiate light because they were created by Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. From accepting Christ, through His righteousness, we become lights representing His love for humanity.

Continuous prayer keeps us connected to Jesus Christ, who is our Infinite Source of Light, our Heavenly Intercessor, and the only Mediator between God, the Father, and ourselves.

“We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19). With God’s Love in our hearts, we can live as soldiers of the Light following our Commander, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” (Ephesians 5:8, NIV). When we maintain a heart-to-heart relationship with Christ, the Holy Spirit changes our minds, characters, and personalities into a Christ-like, loving disposition.

They will know we are Christians by our love. “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). From loving God, our hearts are filled with unconditional love.

“Be holy, for I Am Holy.” (1 Peter 1:16). Through prayer, we invite the Holy Spirit to transform us day by day into the likeness of Christ’s Righteousness.

Christ’s Righteous Character Traits: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27).

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd. Like sheep who always follow their shepherd, from accepting Christ as our Savior, we commit to surrendering our desires and serving Him with faithful obedience. His Light shines within our hearts and is expressed outwardly through patience and kindness.

“The greater the moral darkness around us, the greater the contrast between the lives of God’s true followers and that of unbelievers.”

“You will know them by their fruits.” As we interact with others, from the way we present ourselves, they will know that we are different. Our responses of encouraging words and a genuine smile reflect that our hearts are converted by the Holy Spirit and overflowing with Christ’s Love and Righteousness.

Spiritual transformation is not a performance in which one pretends to be nice, because the right situation will expose the deception of pretense. Daily personal worship reveals our willingness to honor and obey God, and, from being in the presence of God, we gradually  change.

Sanctification is the lifelong process of spiritual growth and transformation performed by the Holy Spirit, who prepares us to receive our reward of eternity.

Many times, we are unaware that the Holy Spirit is transforming us into the Light of Christ until we are mistreated with harsh, uncaring words, passed over for a promotion, or excluded from social events, yet deep within, we remain peaceful and unbothered.

Two Reasons Why We Can Keep Our Light Shining, Enjoy Jesus’ Gift of Peace and Maintain an Unbothered Mind: We Know Jesus, our Warrior protects us, and we use our faith to believe in and trust God’s Promises in the Holy Scriptures.

  1. The Spiritual War Continues to Rage!

Over 6,000 years have passed since Satan deceived Eve, and Adam chose to sin against God. Every believer is involved in the Spiritual war of “The Great Controversy between Good and Evil.”

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12).

Winning the War requires Human Effort and Divine Intervention. The apostle Paul explains that to fight this Spirtual Battle, we have to put on our Spiritual Armor.

How do we put on the whole armor of God? We accept that human effort alone cannot fight daily spiritual battles without Divine Intervention.

We pray and study the Bible as if our lives depended on knowing and believing God’s Spoken Word; and we ask Jesus for Help, using our faith, trust, and self-control during the wait.

Never forget that Christ, our Mighty Warrior God, always wins the war! Yes and Amen!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11, ESV).

Christ is our guaranteed Source of the Spiritual Strength, who we desperately need to fight against the Spiritual War of Good and Evil.

The Armor Required for Soldiers of the Light

“Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [The Holy Bible].” (Ephesians 6:13-17, NIV).

Christianity is not an easy endeavor. Without faith, courage, and the desire to depend on Christ, it is impossible to win the raging battles of the Internal Conflict of right and wrong and Satan’s External Opposition of the temptations of worldly treasures and pleasures.

We are Christian Soldiers who must armor up every day!

From surrendering to Christ with faithful obedience, and maintaining a lifestyle of Prayer and daily study of the Holy Scriptures, we invite the Holy Spirit to give us the spiritual wisdom to perceive life through spiritual eyes, and the strength to live as overcomers.

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

  1. Our strength is ineffective against Satan. We pray, inviting Christ, our Mighty Warrior, to fight our battles: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10).

When prayer is our immediate response, asking God for help instead of attempting to fight the battles ourselves, we have the assurance of God’s promise: “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace [you need only to be still].” (Exodus 14:14, NKJV; NIV).

Do not focus on the circumstances, which appear to be impossible. Use your faith to completely trust in God’s promises, then you can maintain a joyful spirit, which is a significant part of letting your light shine.

“How important is it, then, not to let the artificial lights of worldly ideas, pressures, and practices cause our witness to fade into the background or to disappear entirely.”

Never let people, situations, or temptations darken your spiritual light: We cannot afford to react to any situation with emotional responses; not only do we lose credibility as being a Christian, but most importantly, we dishonor God’s Holy Name.

“We should never fear being different; our faith should increasingly set us apart.” The Path of Righteousness is a one-to-one journey with Jesus.

As faithful believers, we have a different agenda: We are temporary travelers living on a temporary Earth whose spiritual goal is John 14:1-3, Jesus’ promise of giving us a Forever Home in the New Heaven and New Earth.

God’s goal is for us to live as soldiers of the Light, always shining as lights in the world. The only way to do that is to reject conforming to this world [Romans 12:2] and by holding fast to the word of Life [Philippians 2:16].

Lord God, we thank You for being our Light and Mighty Warrior fighting for us in this Dark World. We ask for the spiritual wisdom, strength, and guidance to always let our lights shine, representing Your Love and Righteousness and proof that following Jesus makes a difference in one’s life. In Jesus’ Righteous Power, we claim the victory over sinful desires and temptations, and ask this prayer in Jesus Holy Name, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Created To Fulfill God’s Divine Purpose

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV).

God has a Divine Purpose for your life. Consecrate yourself daily through personal worship, asking Him to reveal His plans for the new day.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

Although each person is at a different time in their life; before our conception, God had individualized plans for you and me.

We are the Christians living in the Last Days of Earth’s history. Now is the perfect time for intentional spiritual growth and discovering your creative talents.

Every day, set aside time to Separate in Solitude and Silence to honor and worship God.

When we focus on our relationship with Christ, our faith and focus is redirected from ourselves back to God.

Before humanity was created, God’s goal has always been to redeem, reconcile, and restore our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Every day, we prepare for Jesus’ promise in John 14:1-3. By aligning ourselves with God’s plans, we demonstrate our faith, love, and loyalty to God.

Our Heavenly Father, desires that we ask Him to reveal His priorities and purpose for the blessing of a new day.

During personal worship, the Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures and our thoughts.

We do not have to limit our worship with God to once or twice a day; whisper prayers throughout your day to receive Divine wisdom, strength, and guidance.

By fulfilling God’s plan for our lives, the Holy Spirit empowers us to prepare for our eternal reward in Revelation 22:12.

Bible Study: Romans 12; 2 Timothy 3

Lord God, we thank You for this new day of life. And we ask You to speak to our hearts, guiding us throughout our day to fulfill Your plans. In faith, we ask this prayer in Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Representing Christ With Loving, Compassionate Christian Characters

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NIV).

From studying the Life of Christ, the one characteristic that was always present in His character was one of compassion.

“Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry…'”

“Then He went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7: 11-15, NIV).

[bier: a simple wooden frame used to carry the dead to the grave, essentially a portable bed for the corpse, rather than a modern enclosed coffin].

How can we demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ to others? We must possess the Righteous Character traits of Christ.

  1. “…and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:3, NIV).
  2. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22-23).
  3. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:23, NIV).

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (1 Corinthians 13:37-38).

Unconditional Love is the spiritual foundation necessary for the Holy Spirit to change our stony hearts [Ezekiel 36:26] into a loving heart filled with the Fruit of the Spirit.

In Jeremiah 17:9, God tells us the condition of every human heart. Although we would like to think that our hearts are naturally good, God tells us the hearts we inherited are not good.

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” (Ezekiel 36:26, NLT).

Through our willingness to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, our hearts can be changed into the heart of Christ.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:7-8, NIV).

Bible Study: Matthew 5

Lord God, we ask you to cleanse our hearts from all unloving behaviors and unrighteous traits. We desire to have hearts filled with Your unconditional love. We ask for new hearts that love You and love others. We need Your Divine Help and Strength because we cannot change ourselves. Lord, we love You and thank You for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in faith and in the Righteous Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry and Blessings

Cultivating a Gentle, Quiet, Christ-Like Spirit

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

“Becoming more like Christ [should be] the desire of every believer, and it is encouraging to know that God has the same desire for us.”

How important is it for us to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ? Our character, personality, and how we relate to others matter to God and will determine our destiny.

“In fact, the Bible says that God ‘predestined [believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son'” (Romans 8:29, NIV).

God’s Righteous Standards and Goals For Our Character Transformation

1. Hearts filled with Unconditional Love and Forgiveness.

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

2. The Fruit of the Spirit is Jesus’ Righteous Character Attributes:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).

3. A spirit of humility, committed to standing for truth, along with treating others with kindness.

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, ESV).

4. From Accepting Christ, We Become New People: Our characters should not imitate the characters of unbelievers or reflect their worldviews.

“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:24-26).

Divine Intervention and Human Effort Are Required for Spiritual Transformation: We cannot change ourselves; it is the Holy Spirit who changes us. Still, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit to experience spiritual transformation.

God does not override our Free Will of Choice; The Holy Spirit can only change us if we have the desire to be like Christ. With a spirit of humility, we pray and ask God to change our character. And then our battles begin!

The transformation of our character does not happen in the way that we think it would. We will face various types of challenges, and how we react demonstrates whether or not we are cooperating with the Holy Spirit to bring about change.

Reflection: Identify the situations that consistently annoy you, as these will be the trials and temptations that challenge your faith and ability to practice self-control, leading to spiritual transformation.

God has gifted us with self-control. As soon as you feel an emotional response stirring inside of you, remain silent, separate yourself, and pray an honest prayer: “Lord, I am angry, [annoyed, frustrated, anxious], and I need Your help. Please give me the strength to remain silent and calm my spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].” (2 Timothy 1:7, Amplified Bible).

We cannot use inherited tendencies or cultural influences to justify the wrongful mistreatment of others with anger and harsh words. We have the God-given ability to control ourselves, or we would not exercise self-control at church and on our jobs.

Although we come from various backgrounds, the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit teach us acceptable Christian Behaviors. Those who possess fiery tempers and abuse others have a demonic stronghold over their minds and will need to add fasting to their daily lives. [Study Matthew 17:14-21].

God knows that we cannot change ourselves without receiving His Divine Strength. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us with Christ’s strength to overcome unrighteous character traits. Much prayer and fasting are required to gain the victory over inherited traits and learned behaviors.

“I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13). With God, change is possible. Yes, we can have Christ’s gentle, quiet, and humble spirit.

Lord God, we recognize that we desperately need Your help to change. We ask for forgiveness for not controlling our behaviors and for hurting others. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and fill us with a spirit of gentleness that represents Your love and character. In faith, we ask this prayer, in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

© 2026 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

Thanking God Is An Act of Worship

Jesus’ Prayer: “So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I know that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me.'” (John 11:41-42, NIV).

Prayers of gratitude acknowledge our heartfelt appreciation for God, the Sustainer of our lives. What do we mean when we refer to God as our Sustainer?

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). We may think of housing, clothing, and food [provisions] needed to support the healthy function of the mind and body, but literally, God is the Giver of life.

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7).

We easily accept the scientific explanation for breathing—human beings inhale the perfect mixture of gases [nitrogen, oxygen, and more] and exhale carbon dioxide, a waste product, yet as believers, we must perceive life through spiritual eyes—the breath that flows through our Respiratory System is God’s Ruach breath.

Yes, we acknowledge that God is the Source of life, yet most of us struggle with expressing love for our Heavenly Father through heartfelt prayers and praises of gratitude. How often do we say, Thank You, God?

David proclaimed, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1). When David wrote this Psalm, he was a fugitive living in the caves. King Saul possessed a spirit of jealousy and desired to kill David, who was only in his teenage years, but had God’s anointing of protection on his life.

The Psalms, Songs of Prayer and Praise, are the longest book in the Bible. David’s life, once he became King, was plagued with continuous strife because of his two heinous sins [adultery and murder], yet he continued to write Psalms and play beautiful music on his harp that always honored God.

So, I paused writing this devotional reading to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the roadblock preventing us from praising God like David did.

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'” (Matthew 22:37). Brothers and Sisters, you and I have an issue of the heart; our love is divided, we love God, but we love ourselves more.

Truthfully, from the moment we awaken, we may whisper a quick prayer, but our focus is on our personal agendas. How will we manage our time effectively to accomplish our goals for the day?

By excluding God, we have not only nurtured a spirit of self-reliance, but we have also adopted a worldview centered on the greed of acquisition. We are inundated by advertisements of lifestyles that promote two concepts: 1. “Enough is Never Enough!” 2. A strong character is revealed by the constant pursuit of assets: wealth, material possessions, success, and social status.

We must remember that although Adam and Eve received God’s best, including immortality, Satan convinced Eve that God’s command of “Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” was because God did not desire for them to possess the knowledge that He had.

Not only has the majority of the Christian Community accepted the Prosperity Message, but Satan also offers distractions that fill our minds with ingratitude for God’s continuous Love, Grace, and Mercies, and His blessings of Sustenance. We love God, but why is our desire for earthly possessions and pleasures so overpowering?

Our Inheritance: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). This verse highlights the inherent tendency of human nature to be corrupt and unreliable, needing God’s intervention for true understanding and guidance.”

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6 that we are involved in an unseen Spiritual War. The Great Controversy of Good and Evil is between Christ and Satan. Believers, we are Satan’s target!

Satan is determined to separate us from God by preying on our innate weaknesses. His goal is to manipulate our minds into believing that God is punitive, the Bible is filled with restrictive “Do Nots,” and that our Heavenly Father is selfish.

The Highly Effective Deception: Desire is fueled by our five senses, our eyes see, and our brains process Satan’s deceptive mirages of [what appears to be] magnificent lifestyles filled with the happiness, laughter, and contentment that only comes from status, wealth, material possessions, and pleasure.

How do we fight against our human nature of always desiring more than we have? The Path to Freedom Requires Human Effort and Divine Intervention.

We need Jesus’ Divine Strength to break the Stronghold of giving in to our desires, and we must exercise the Human Effort of Discipline and Self-Control.

Our spiritual breakthrough requires using our faith to consecrate ourselves daily to a life of surrender and faithful obedience. Personal Worship must become our priority. Our prayers should always begin with “God, I thank you for…” Every day, thank God for 5 blessings—Gratitude is Worship.

From whispering prayers of gratitude throughout our day, our faith strengthens because telling God, “Thank You,” invites the Holy Spirit to bring us into the presence of God, and give us the Divine Strength to say No to our desires.

“The manifestation of God’s love, His mercy and His goodness, and the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart to enlighten and renew it, place us, through faith, in so close connection with Christ that, having a clear conception of His character, we are able to discern the [masterful] deceptions of Satan.”

“And in view of the great things which Christ has done for us, we are ready to exclaim: ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.'” (1 John 3:1, BSB).

Gratitude List: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your Love and Faithfulness!

God’s Agape Love: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

God’s Agape Love: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with loving kindness I have drawn you and continued My faithfulness to you.” (Jeremiah 31:3).

God’s Faithfulness: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17, NIV).

Jesus Christ, our Savior and Triumphant King, made the ultimate sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross to save you and me from the wages of sin, which is death. What more can Christ do for us?

Yet there is more! This Earth is not our Forever Home! Yes and Amen!

Jesus’ Loving Promise: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3).

We cannot let the desire for earthly trinkets and success overpower our desire for receiving our reward of Eternal Life: “But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

“Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is…” (1 John 3:2).

Continuously thanking God for His blessings keeps our hearts attached to Jesus’ heart. Instead of looking at life through eyes focused on desire, we develop a spirit of praise and worship from our gratitude and appreciation for all that God has given to us.

Lord God, we thank You for Your Amazing Love, Steadfast Faithfulness, and Continuous Blessings. Even though we have repaid you with selfishness, we have come to our senses, asking for forgiveness. Create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We ask for Your strength to resist Satan’s temptations. Lord, help us to move forward as we persevere with faith in this journey of life. All glory, honor, and praise to Your Holy Name. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Loving Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry