Tag: love faith sabbath

Worshipping God Is a Lifestyle Devotional Reading September 5, 2023

Jesus Christ’s Omnipotence: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” — Psalm 95:6

Our Identity in Christ: “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” —Psalm 100:3

We should love the Holy Scriptures because there is no guesswork or room for misinterpretation of Jesus’ status as our Lord and Maker and our status as His people who were created to worship God. Worshipping God is one of the most misunderstood concepts of Christianity. Our worship extends well beyond attending church services once or twice a week. Worshipping God is having a spiritual mindset and lifestyle of reverence, faith, and obedience to God, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Our duty to God: Every day, from the moment we awaken to the moment our eyes close in sleep, our thoughts, attitude, spoken words, and actions reveal our love for Christ. We can live Christ-centered lives because our hearts and minds are filled with an overwhelming love for God. And our most important goal is to remain obedient by staying in alignment with the will of God.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” —John 14:15-17

Human effort is always required to stay connected to Christ. Yet, we cannot achieve righteousness without the intervention of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live holy and acceptable lives. Still, God gives us the choice of asking for Divine Help. Our prayers express the desire for the Holy Spirit to be an active part of our lives.

Many years ago, I asked my best friend to go on a girl’s day out. Her response was, “Most likely, I will go with you, but I need to pray about it first.” Due to spiritual immaturity, I had no idea why she would need to pray about a social activity. And the expression on my face indicated my feelings. With a smile, she looked at me and said, “One day, you will understand.” My friend is resting in the grave until Jesus comes again, but she was right. As the years have passed, I finally understand my obligation as a believer—to stay in the will of God.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” —1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Yes, the apostle Paul was speaking to the believers in the Church of Corinth, yet his message applies to every believer. Our surrender of accepting Christ as our personal Savior includes the spiritual transformation of our bodies and minds to being one with Christ. Still, the Holy Spirit can only dwell within us when we are faithful and obedient to God.

Evidence of God’s Unchanging 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

Our lives are not our own. The desire to stay in the perfect will of God reflects the status of our love for God. Pleasing God is our priority. As we reflect on the love, greatness, faithfulness, and goodness of God, we must believe the promise that God gave to the prophet Jeremiah when the Israelites were in captivity for 70 years.

God promised deliverance when Israel was in physical captivity and He promises us deliverance from the captivity of spiritual warfare that will continue throughout our earthly existence. Sadly, we also place ourselves in captivity. Without the willingness to surrender and dedicate our hearts, minds, and souls to love and obey God, we are enslaved by the desires of our carnal hearts.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it…” —Matthew 7:13-14

As we reflect on our works, we measure ourselves by our own standards. Praying, studying the Bible, and attending church are outward signs that we love God, yet praying for the Holy Spirit to reveal our character flaws is an act of surrender. Following Jesus requires absolute obedience to the will of God!

Although staying on the Chosen Path is not easy, each of us can pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will and the Holy Spirit will empower us to do the will of God. The human effort of daily surrender and obedience is a pleasing sacrifice to God. When Jesus said that we must “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind,” He identified the requisite to living a committed and holy life.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5

Who can save themselves? We need Divine Intervention every second of our lives! Our acknowledgment of the need for constant help and direction is revealed in the believer whose life is filled with prayer and gratitude. From our humility, we receive spiritual strength from the Holy Spirit who empowers us to stay on the Path of Righteousness.

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

Worship is a Lifestyle that easily flows from the heart that loves and reverences God. We do not need anyone to tell us to put God first, our love for God is reflected in our heart’s response to His love and faithfulness. A loving relationship with Christ is one of high maintenance which requires time and effort every day of our earthly lives.

Love and appreciation for God’s love, grace, mercies, and the gift of His only Son, Jesus is the driving force that gives us the willingness to reverence and worship God through faithful obedience. We make Christ the Center of our lives because He is the never-changing Spiritual Foundation we need to live victoriously!

As Christ’s followers, we strive to live by the example that He left for us. Giving honor and reverence to God’s Omnipotence is demonstrated through a mindset to always give Him glory through our worship. Our worship begins internally from a heart that is dedicated to loving God first and foremost. We know whether or not we are living obedient to the will of God or by the desires of our hearts. Every day our priorities and activities reflect the destiny we have chosen.

Our life on earth either prepares us for eternal life with Christ or we deny Christ by fulfilling our desires and living our best life now. Studying the Bible is not enough. Our highest worship of God is demonstrated by the daily sacrifice of obedience in which we deny our will and desires and make the commitment to live by the Will of God.

Loving Christ allows us to maintain a Spirit of worship within our minds. Yes, it is possible to stay in God’s Presence when we ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will and commit to obey God. To receive Divine power and guidance, we must whisper prayers throughout our waking hours. Worship keeps us steadfast and gives us the ability to live as overcomers.

Scripture: “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’ “ —Revelation 14:6-7

Prayer: God, we ask for forgiveness for our disobedience and not seeking Your will. We also ask You to sanctify our minds, hearts, and characters. Lord, we give You the reverence, honor, and praise that You rightfully deserve. Give us the strength to be obedient, patient, gentle, and kind. We desire to represent You to others and to worship You eternally. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

Jesus Christ, The True Vine Devotional Reading September 4, 2023

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” —John 15:1-2

To understand Jesus’ parable, one must possess knowledge of the growth of grape vines and the process of vineyard management. “The trunk of a mature vine will have arms, short branches…usually trained horizontally along a trellis wire. It should be noted that most basal buds…are generally not fruitful and do not grow out. These are often referred to as non-count buds during the pruning process…only the fruiting spurs that produce grapes are kept on the vine.” https://grapes.extension.org/parts-of-the-grape-vine-shoots/

The pruning severity relies on several factors as determined by the vinedresser whose goal is to produce only the highest quality fruit. The branches [buds] that do not produce fruit are cut away because they serve no purpose.

Jesus is the true vine, God, the Father is the vinedresser, and converted believers are the branches. In this parable, Jesus defines the role of Himself, God, the Father, and Christian believers. Jesus also clarifies that all believers are dependent on Him to receive the spiritual nourishment necessary for spiritual growth and transformation.

God, the Father [The Vinedresser] prunes us to transform our mind, character, and personality into one of righteousness and also to produce the Fruit of the Spirit. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

Christian believers are the branches that receive pruning to produce the fruit of righteousness. Every day, we receive God’s grace and mercies, spiritual guidance from the Scriptures, continued hope from answered prayers, and revelation of our character deficits. The Holy Spirit empowers us to resist temptation and gives us discernment of the truth.

We will always require Divine Intervention to stay in our relationship with Christ. Without the Holy Spirit, we could never achieve God’s command to “Be holy, for I Am Holy.”

Sanctification is the lifelong spiritual process of our transformation into the likeness of Christ accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Yet, our part requires total surrender and faithful obedience. We are living in the last days of Earth’s history and must take a decisive stand of total commitment to receive the Seal of God before Jesus’ Second Coming.

“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” — John 15:3

What did Jesus mean by “You are already clean?” “You have confessed your sins, and in your heart put them away. You have resolved to give yourself to God. Now go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins and give you a new heart.” Steps to Christ, Ellen G. White

Faith, Acceptance, Surrender, Confession, and Repentance is the human effort required to have salvation. Jesus, the Living Water washes away our sins and we live as steadfast followers of Christ who possess the determination to go all the way with Christ who is ready to give us our reward of eternal life [Revelation 22:12].

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” —John 15:4.

Many believers do not understand that we do not belong to ourselves once we accept Christ as our Savior. A Christian is a disciple, a follower of Christ who commits to doing the will of God. Our desires change, we do not follow our whims and inclinations, and our spoken words and actions reflect holiness.

To abide in Christ, we must have the mindset of faithful obedience and practice self-denial. Our willingness to surrender and obey is evidenced by much prayer and diligent study of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit empowers us and gives us strength and guidance to stay in alignment with the will of God.

Jesus’ earthly life demonstrated His desire to always do His Father’s will. Jesus spent hours in prayer each day to faithfully abide in God, His Father. Christ’s Attitude was always, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Your will be done.” And our obedient Savior committed Himself to a heinous death on Calvary’s cross for our redemption— to save us from death, the wages of sin.

“But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross” Philippians 2:7-8, KJV, BSB).

Our relationship with Christ is based on surrender, faith, and obedience. The sacrifice of total surrender and obedience that God requires of us is defined by God. Cain serves as an example that disobeying God and following your own thoughts can lead to rejection and removal from the Vine.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” —John 15:5-6

“The vine and the branches explain how believers are intimately connected to Christ, receiving moral and spiritual power through the Holy Spirit who makes Christ present within.” Katrina B. Blue, Andrews University

Every branch that bears fruit is a living representative of the vine, for it bears the same fruit as the vine…Every branch will show whether or not it has life; for where there is life, there is growth. There is a continual communication of the life-giving properties of the vine, and this is demonstrated by the fruit which the branches bear. Ellen G. White

Scripture: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” —John 15:7-8

Prayer: God, we are praying and asking You to save us from ourselves. We confess that we are half-heartedly serving You and for our disobedience, we ask for forgiveness. Lord, we desire to be thriving branches which bear much fruit. We ask for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit to give us strength and direct us in our daily lives to do Your will and fulfill Your plans for our lives. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus, Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries

The Good Fruit of Righteousness Devotional Reading September 3, 2023

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

Studying the Scriptures not only gives us knowledge of God’s Righteous Standards but also teaches us the guidelines for possessing a Christ-like Character. Prayer is the lifeline to Jesus, our Source of life. Pray often during your waking hours, prayer changes us, and we receive spiritual insight and wisdom.

God has given us a Spiritual Team, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to empower us with the ability to change and resist temptation. Our angels protect us physically and from spiritual warfare. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and gives us guidance and the spiritual strength to discard sinful behaviors and to have a righteous character.

Our earthly lives are the only opportunity we have to strive for spiritual change. When Jesus comes, we will be physically changed and receive immortality if we have a righteous character. Because Jesus created us to be free moral agents, we must surrender and ask every day for the Holy Spirit to change our character. Then we put forth the human effort to live righteously.

An individual who failed to experience the spiritual transformation of their unholy character traits in their earthly lives will possess the same character on the day of Jesus’ coming. Eternal life is a reward [Revelation 22:12]. We have the opportunity to become loving, faithful, obedient disciples of Christ who worship Him every day as we will in heaven.

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” —1 Corinthians 3:1-3, NIV

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church because of the ongoing conflict between the members. Strife, complaining, anger, jealousy, and judging others are matters of the heart, which reveal a heart that is not spiritually transformed by the Holy Spirit. All disunity between Christian believers is sinful! Can you imagine heaven filled with strife and negative human emotions?

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…” —James 1:19

In today’s Christian community, there are arguments on social media platforms over the Biblical truth. Strife exists between pastors of thousands of Protestant denominations who rely on their human understanding to interpret the Scriptures. Church members judge others and criticize departmental leaders of the church’s internal ministries. In the family homes, bitter words are spoken between husbands and wives, and as a result, unhealthy sibling rivalry arises.

“…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” —1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Yesterday, I watched a sermon entitled, “Follow Jesus and Mind Your Own Business.” God appointed the Apostle Paul to minister to the Gentiles and start the early Christian church. Although the new members possessed various character traits that caused chaos in the church, Paul remained anchored in Christ.

Paul’s traits of being loving, yet straightforward, and steadfast allowed him to boldly address the many issues regarding their duty of developing a Christian character. And God has the same expectation for today’s Christian believers.

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” —1 Thessalonians 5:15

Minding our own business has its spiritual limits. Believers are to help and encourage other believers! Have you considered that most new Christians do not know the Bible? If you know someone who is living contrary to the Scriptures then it is easy to ask, “Have you read this chapter in the book of ________? It is very interesting. Let me know what you think about it.” We always have the opportunity to witness and uplift others who are in a spiritual struggle.

Reflection: Do others recognize that we are followers of Christ by our smiles and kind words?

In 2023, it is difficult to determine who is a Christian believer! But spoken words and outward behaviors always reveal the status of our righteousness.

“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits, you will know them.” —Matthew 7:17-20

Although Jesus gave these traits for recognition of false prophets, we can use these spiritual guidelines to measure ourselves by the traits of the Fruit of the Spirit [Galatians 5:22-23]. We are reminded that Christians are to be like trees that possess good fruits.

Carnal characters, minds, personalities, and habits will prevent many from receiving the reward of eternal life. Eliminate slang expressions, secular music that incites sexual desires, and programs with profanity. Self-control prevents speaking emotionally charged words that are delivered in haste and often contain bitter, sarcastic, and angry tones. And who hasn’t been surprised by the profane words that slip out of the mouths of believers in an angry moment?

Our thoughts may never surface as spoken words, but remaining silent does not equate to having righteous thoughts. Deep hatred toward others who have wronged us is often a hidden emotion to everyone else, but we know that hate and unforgiveness are in our hearts and so does God. Remain silent to avoid conflict, but immediately pray and forgive to avoid a hardened heart.

Thankfully, our Loving God knew that we could never determine or define His thoughts for righteous behaviors, so He gave us the Bible with real-life examples of those who fell into sin and repented [the Israelites, David, Zacchaeus…], those who lived righteously [Enoch, Daniel, Job…], and Jesus our Ultimate Righteous example who never sinned.

Studying the Bible is a crucial part of maintaining our relationship with Christ. Without diligently searching the Scriptures, it is impossible to experience spiritual growth and character transformation. Consistent prayer allows the Holy Spirit to teach and speak to us through the Scriptures and in our conscience. Worship places us in the presence of God which we desperately need in these perilous times.

Characteristics that Determine Our Commitment to Christ: Love, Surrender, Faith, Humility, and Obedience

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 2:3-4

Transformation Means Changing Our Mindset and Lifestyle

“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another…that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” —1 Thessalonians 4:9, 11

Continual Change is Always Required in the Believer’s Life

We cannot change ourselves! “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. — Jeremiah 13:23

God can change us! “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

Spiritual Transformation Requires Daily Surrender and the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit

When the Holy Spirit is absent in your life and the Living Water of Christ is not being poured into your life every day then you cannot live a life that is holy and acceptable to God. You will not have the desire to pray and study the Bible. You will lack self-control. You will not have the strength to resist temptation. You will not have the desire to obey God. And you will mistreat others because the love of God is not in your heart.

Spiritual Meditation is a vital part of worship that is often overlooked. We pray and study the Bible, but fail to allow additional quiet time for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. We will not hear the Voice of God when we do not allow adequate time to receive the Holy Spirit’s response of spiritual enrichment for our souls.

The Fruit of the Spirit Defines the Christian Character

“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

We are forever students of Christ! Learning and growing will always be a part of our earthly walk with Christ. With certainty, there are times we will fail, but our love for Jesus causes us to be convicted of our sins and drives us to pray a prayer of genuine repentance.

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

The Love of God is beyond our finite understanding. We never have to feel ashamed or guilty when confessing our sins to God. Who else but those who are created in the image of God can boldly approach the Throne of Grace where we receive love and forgiveness from Christ, our Heavenly Intercessor, Savior, and Redeemer?

Repentance is not regret. Repentance is godly—intense sorrow with the mindset to never repeat the same sinful behavior. Repentance is our response to the Divine Intervention of the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our wrongdoing and empowers us with the Spiritual strength for change.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” —Psalm 51:10

The Holy Spirit empowers us to live righteously! Still, we must put forth the effort to be holy. Yes, Sanctification takes a lifetime of countless petitions of prayer, endurance, and perseverance to be transformed into the likeness of Christ and to stay on the Path of Righteousness. Yet, we can do it! We strive to have the good fruit of righteousness. And this is why we persevere, “We love Him because He first loved us” —1 John 4:19

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 25, David, Nabal and Abigail

Prayer: God, we come to You with repentant hearts for the many sins we have committed. We ask for forgiveness. And pray for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. Please reveal every character trait and habit that is sinful in our lives. Jesus, You are the one we love and adore, You are the One we are living for. We dedicate ourselves to You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

© 2023 Steps 2 Success with Solutions and Woman, You Are Loved by God Ministries