Tag: love faith sabbath

The Past Cannot Be Changed! Do Not Regret Your Past Mistakes!

Saul before his conversion was responsible for the death and imprisonment of many Christians including the death of Stephen [Saul gave his approval and witnessed the stoning of Stephen, a faithful Christian].

With the exception of the Apostle John, Jesus’ disciples died as martyrs. If Christ did not restrain Satan’s enmity against Christians, he would attempt to eradicate believers. But Jesus always places limitations on Satan’s Warfare against the righteous.

While Saul was traveling on the road to Damascus to persecute more Christians, from Heaven, Jesus spoke to Saul.

Saul’s Conversion: “As he journeyed he [Saul] came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?…’ “

“And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ ” (Acts 9:3-6).

Not only did Christ completely transform Saul, who after his conversion used the name Paul, Jesus gave the persecutor of Christians the spiritual assignment of witnessing to the Gentiles, and starting the early Christian church.

“Although Paul had Roman citizenship, he was Hebrew by birth. Paul identified himself as both ‘Jewish’ and ‘Hebrew,’ most notably stating that he was ‘a Hebrew of the Hebrews.’ ” (Philippians 3:5).

“In the Apostle Paul’s time, paganism was the dominant religious landscape of the Greco-Roman world, characterized by polytheism and idol worship, which Paul’s ministry challenged by advocating for exclusive devotion to the one true God…”

Paul Proclaims His Mission of Witnessing to the Gentiles: “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it! And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.” (Acts 28:28-29).

The Gentiles were hated by the Jewish leaders and community because their lifestyles and pagan rituals had no boundaries. “Their pagan rituals included idol worship, sacrificing animals, food, and, in some cases, humans, and the practice of sexual immorality as part of worship to their deities.”

From fulfilling God’s mission to preach to the Gentiles, Paul was also rejected by the Jewish community. The Sanhedrin even attempted to coerce the Roman government into executing Paul.

But as a Roman citizen, Paul exercised his right to appeal to Caesar, which guaranteed a trial. But, the apostle remained a prisoner, and many years later was executed by Nero.

“The Apostle Paul was not executed for any specific legal charges, but rather fell victim to Emperor Nero’s persecution of Christians following the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64.”

During the time of his imprisonment, the Holy Spirit gave the apostle Paul, God’s spoken words that are documented in 14 books of the New Testament.

The conversion of Saul to Paul, the Apostle reveals that when we repent, God completely forgives us of every past decision, behaviors, and actions, including heinous crimes.

Repent: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

Like Paul, we repent, receive forgiveness, and move forward by fulfilling God’s spiritual goals for our lives. Christ has won the victory over sin, and through His redeeming power, and from striving to live holy, we are covered with His Righteousness.

The Story of Redemption

Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb: “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I thirst!’ So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.’ (John 19:28, 30).

God’s Forgiveness: “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25).

“Justification is God’s legal act of declaring a sinner righteous, not based on the sinner’s merit, but by imputing the Righteousness of Jesus Christ through faith in us.”

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, CSB).

“Justification is the complete act of Grace that provides the sinner with complete forgiveness and reconciliation with God, providing a clean slate rather than changing their inherent character.”

Sanctification: God, the Holy Spirit performs the lifelong transformation of our minds characters and personalities into the likeness of Christ. Still, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit through daily surrender, faithful obedience, renouncing sin, and striving to live holy.

The Fruit of the Spirit is Christ’s Righteous Character

Sanctification: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering [patience], gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23, KJV).

The Believer’s Responsibility: “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.” (Galatians 5:24-25).

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT).

Like the apostle Paul, God’s forgiveness includes becoming a new son or daughter in Christ Jesus. We ask God to reveal our spiritual assignment and in Jesus’ strength we fulfill God’s plans for our lives.

“You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19, NIV).

Two of the most dangerous mindsets are harboring feelings of guilt and believing that God has not forgiven us when we repent of our past sins.

It is impossible to live righteously, or receive Eternal Life if we fail to use our faith to believe in The Plan of Redemption, which includes God’s Love, Grace, Mercies, and His promises to forgive us despite the nature of our past atrocities.

Fact: Satan will use people to remind us of our past. Separation is required from those who desire to confront us regarding our past lives. Neither can we have relationships with people who refuse to forgive us.

1. If it is possible to ask those who we have harmed to forgive us then God expects us to do so. Also remember, we cannot force others to forgive us.

2. If the person is deceased then it is impossible to ask them for forgiveness [“…the dead know nothing.” Ecclesiastes 9:5], we ask God to forgive us, and move forward.

3. If a legal restraining order exists, we pray, and ask the Holy Spirit to comfort the person or people we have injured. Resist the urge to intervene. Once we have asked God to send comfort, we step aside, and move forward.

There were many individuals who remembered Paul as Saul, the former Christian Killer. Even after his conversion, he was often feared, and hated by many who knew his past life.

If you are thinking, Wait, is it this easy to receive God’s forgiveness for my past? Yes, it is!

God’s Answer: “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. “(Isaiah 1:18).

To every believer, God knows our past, but, when we ask for forgiveness, God forgives us, and He expects us to move forward in the Power of His Might [Divine Strength]. With God, we will not be able to justify our decision of not “letting the past go.”

Paul tells us how to Redirect Our Spiritual Focus: “…dear brothers and sisters…I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” (Philippians 3:13).

Reminder: “Our past decisions and actions were determined by the knowledge, or the lack of knowledge that we possessed at that time.”

“Now, that we are converted believers and live according to God’s Holy Word, we would do things very differently, but there is no opportunity for that.”

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

Pray and ask God to reveal His plans for your life, and like the Apostle Paul, move forward in the Power and Strength of Jesus Christ who is coming soon. Yes and Amen!

Bible Study: Acts 9

Prayer: Lord God, create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit of righteousness within us. We ask You to give us the strength to move forward in our spiritual journey as we fulfill our spiritual assignments. Lord, give us the wisdom to live as one who is forgiven, and one who is cleansed from all unrighteousness by the precious blood of Jesus Christ whose Holy Name, we ask this prayer.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Matthew’s Conversion: “Follow Me”

“As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow Me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.” (Matthew 9:9, NIV).

As Matthew, the corrupt tax collector, sat outside at the tax table, day after day, he frequently overheard many individuals talking about Jesus’ Love, Compassion, messages of Salvation, and the countless miracles of healing He performed on the multitudes.

Although Matthew was despised by the Jewish leaders and community, his social circle included men who were as wealthy and diabolical as himself. Yes, Matthew had everything that Satan offers: wealth, pleasure, social status, and an easy life.

“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33, ESV).

Matthew gave up the sinful pleasures of life and a prestigious job to follow Jesus. The Roman government was Matthew’s employer, and to walk away from a once-in-a-lifetime job that guaranteed forever wealth would destroy any chance of rehire.

Matthew was not intimidated by the cost of following Christ; he trusted that Jesus was exactly who He said He was, “the One sent from God.” The wealthy tax collector who immediately got up [without hesitation and with silence] from the table demonstrated the giant leap of faith that boldly says, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.”

The same leap of faith required to follow Christ is one that many of today’s believers are unwilling to take. We have been deceived by Satan into thinking that we can serve God and live as we please, but there is no reward for those who are not willing to be modern-day Matthews.

“But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10, NLT). Jesus discerned the Tax Collector’s heart, knowing that Matthew was ready to embrace righteousness; Jesus extended the invitation, “Follow Me.” 

Matthew’s decision to follow Christ did not happen at the time he received Jesus’ invitation. From previously hearing about Christ, Matthew used his faith to believe, which invited the Holy Spirit to perform immediate Heart Conversion when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” [In Genesis chapter 1, the Scriptures mention that God, the Holy Spirit, was present with God, the Father, and God, Jesus, the Son.]

Despite the hardships of rejection and hardships that all followers of Christ must endure, Matthew was 100% committed to love and obey God, love others, renounce his former sinful habits and lifestyle, and remain loyal to Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

As one of the twelve apostles, Matthew traveled with Jesus for three years [the duration of Christ’s earthly ministry]. Spending time with Christ every day resulted in a complete spiritual transformation of his mind, character, and personality into the likeness of Christ.

The apostle Matthew proves that, despite our past, dedicating oneself to following Jesus results in a new heart overflowing with love, faith, obedience, and loyalty to Jesus Christ. Every day that we consecrate ourselves to faithfully follow and obey Jesus invites the Holy Spirit to perform the life-transforming spiritual process of Sanctification.

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:14, NIV).

Not only will eleven of the twelve men [Jesus’ original disciples], and Matthias who replaced Judas, receive Eternal Life when our Triumphant King comes again, they will also have their names inscribed on the foundations of the New Jerusalem.

Righteousness by Faith: Our greatest desire should be to follow Jesus with love, loyalty, and faithful obedience. We only have one opportunity to become faithful followers, and that is in our earthly lives. Only those who are willing to let go of every desire, pleasure, and material treasure to follow their Savior and Shepherd will receive the Crown of Life. Yes and Amen!

Bible Study: Matthew 9, Revelation 21-22

Prayer: Lord God, create in us a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within us. We ask You to turn our eyes away from worthless things, so like Matthew, we are willing to follow You wherever You lead us. We ask this prayer in the Powerful Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

©2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

The Sabbath Is Here – Yes and Amen!

“Take this Sabbath day to nourish your soul and find rejuvenation in the simple beauty of nature. Like the ripening fruit on a tree, may this Holy Day bring you a sense of fulfillment and purpose.”

“The passage in the Book of Isaiah that refers to Sabbath worship continuing in the New Heaven and New Earth is Isaiah 66:23, which states, ‘And it shall come to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, says the LORD.’ ”

Isaiah 66:23 confirms that God never changed the Fourth Commandment given to humanity to honor and observe the Holy Seventh Day Sabbath.

Yes, Sabbath worship will continue after sin and sinners are destroyed and Jesus Christ creates the New Heaven and New Earth for the righteous to live in eternally, Amen!

Lord God, Your love is amazing. Not only did You leave Your throne, and suffer a gruesome death on Calvary’s Cross for us, but You blessed us by designating 24 hours for us to redirect our focus from the routine matters of life to worship You in the fullness of Your Glory. We ask for a spiritual renewal and empowerment from the Holy Spirit as we honor You with love, loyalty, and faithful obedience. We ask this prayer in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

No Need to Worry: We Are God’s Responsibility

Recently, I decided to look through a bin containing some of my journals, and discovered six mini notepads inside of unfinished drafts for several devotionals. As a writer, I can never resist a blank piece of paper!

As I read the words “You are God’s responsibility, let Him take care of you,” the burden I was carrying immediately lifted. Jesus sent Spiritual Comfort that resonated within my heart, and I felt as if our Creator and Loving Shepherd had given me an everlasting hug.

God’s Responsibility to Care for Humanity: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).

When Adam and Eve sinned, their choice to disobey required them to relinquish their home, the Garden of Eden; still, Christ did not forsake them. In fact, the first death [as the result of their rebellion against God] occurred when two lambs were required to die to clothe Adam and Eve with animal skins to cover their nakedness.

“Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3).

From Jesus’ death on Calvary, He proved Himself Worthy to be our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and Authority over humanity. From our choice to follow Christ, not only do we receive Redemption, but we also belong to King Yeshua, our Shepherd, who assumes all responsibility for His sheep.

  • “The relationship between the Shepherd and sheep is one of care, protection, and guidance, where the sheep are entirely dependent on the Shepherd for their well-being.” [John 16:33].
  • “The Shepherd provides for the sheep’s physical needs, leading them to food and water, protecting them from danger, and caring for them when they are sick or lost.” [Nahum 1:7; Philippians 4:19].
  • “The sheep, in turn, recognize the Shepherd’s voice and follow His lead, demonstrating trust and dependence.” [Romans 8:28].

How Does Jesus, our Shepherd, Lead Us? Through prayer, we communicate with Jesus Christ, our Intercessor and Mediator between God and humanity. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us by taking our prayers to Jesus, our High Priest. We receive our Shepherd’s comfort, strength, and answers from the Holy Spirit, who speaks to us through our thoughts and the Holy Scriptures. Pray and Study the Bible!

The Sheep’s Responsibility: “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. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear [reverence] the Lord and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7).

The Wayward Sheep: The Believers who stray from the Shepherd, easily falling into sin, are the Christians who attend church, but do not have consistent personal worship, or consecrate themselves to God with faithful obedience every day through prayer and study of the Holy Scriptures. They prefer to lead themselves by relying on their own thoughts and plans.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13, NIV).

Jesus’ Divine Responsibility extends beyond our provisions of life; He also protects us from the unseen danger of spiritual warfare and the internal desires of our hearts, which lead us to pursue pleasure and prosperity. The Holy Spirit always warns us before we choose to say Yes to temptations. Still, if we continuously refuse to obey the Spirit of Truth’s inner voice, eventually the Holy Spirit ceases to warn us.

Fact: Lost sheep can never find their way back to the flock; the Shepherd must search for the sheep. Even when we fall, the Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience, so we know that we are no longer walking on the Path of Righteousness with Christ. This is our opportunity to repent, yet God never coerces us to relinquish our free will to choose sin instead of obedience.

“And why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Excluding God from daily decision-making not only desensitizes us to sin’s terrible consequences, but also proclaims our preference to live independently of our Heavenly Shepherd’s Loving Care.

STEPS to Returning to Christ, Our Shepherd: Commitment and Consecration

“Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24, CSB). God’s abundant Grace and Mercies make it easy for us to return to Christ. We confess and repent for our sins, and then, like King David, we move forward in the strength of Jesus Christ with the commitment to obey, fulfill His plans for our lives, and renounce sin.

The Chosen Path: The Shepherd Always Guides His Sheep

  1. “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1, NASB).
  2. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).

To abide in Christ is to live a sacrificial life of obedience and self-denial. Daily, we pray for God’s Divine Providence, in which the Holy Spirit reveals Christ’s perfect will and plans for our lives. Obedience is the requisite to receiving God’s blessings.

Surrendering ourselves to follow Christ invites Him to keep us on our Chosen Path. Yes, the believer’s journey always includes suffering, and life is unpredictable, but it is better to travel with Christ than to be lost and struggle alone, as the unbelievers live every day.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12, NIV).

Our King and Faithful Shepherd guarantees to give us the strength to persevere, and when He returns, the faithful will receive their reward of Eternal Life. Victory is only through Christ!

Our Shepherd is Faithful, Always Desiring to Care for Us: “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

The peaceful assurance that comes from having faith in God’s promises that we are His priority is priceless. Even when we forget, the Holy Spirit reminds us that God is love and we are His responsibility. Relinquish Self-Governance for Jesus’ Loving Care: The decision to let Jesus care for us is one that we will never regret. Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we just want to thank You for Your Amazing Love. Thank You for reminding us that from conception to birth to breathing our last breath, You will take care of us. Because of Your unfailing love, we do not have to carry heavy burdens or figure out the solutions to the many challenges that arise in our lives. In faith, we pray this prayer of gratitude, in Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry

The Challenge: Accepting God’s Will

“Sometimes you enter the secret place expecting comfort, but God gives you correction. You go in wanting confirmation, but He gives you an assignment you didn’t ask for.”

You may pray, asking: ‘God, what do You want me to do? “And He replies: “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). Daily consecration, personal worship, prayer, and Bible study, along with witnessing, are every believer’s spiritual priorities.

How do we react when we hear the Voice of God telling us to do what opposes our plans?

“What You Want to Hear [Yes] Is Usually Not What You Need.”

We pray with joyful expectation, assuming that God will answer our prayers with “Yes.” But truthfully, unless we are asking for Divine strength, comfort, guidance, protection, or provisions, most of the time, God’s answers are to “Wait,” or “No.”

Although Satan, our enemy, has produced and afflicted humanity with every disease present on this Earth, God does not promise physical healing for every believer.

Why Do God’s “No” Answers Exceed His “Yes” Answers?

God’s ultimate goal is to Sanctify and Transform our character into the likeness of Christ’s Righteous Character. Our earthly lives are the only time we have to prepare for Eternal Life.

Sadly, many are too distracted by Satan’s temptations, relationships with unbelievers, and fleeting treasures to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the lifelong spiritual process of growth and maturity.

God created us with a free will of choice to follow Christ or to follow our desires. Aligning ourselves with God’s will through surrender and faithful obedience is God’s greatest desire for us.

Yet, history reveals that Jesus Christ does not always become the Lord of our lives. Even believers struggle with surrendering and faithfully waiting on God to answer their prayers. Many give up and eventually answer their own prayers.

We have the crucial responsibility of choosing our destiny. If we desire heaven then we will acquiesce to God’s Sovereign Authority by living a life that proclaims love, loyalty, and obedience to Christ.

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29).

Follow Jesus’ example of obedience. Trust God’s plan for your life! Never exchange your Crown of Life for temporary relationships and meaningless earthly treasures.

We have this hope: Jesus Christ is coming soon to take the righteous to heaven! Yes and Amen!

Lord God, we thank You for Your Holy Scriptures and the ability to communicate with You through prayer. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who gives us guidance, correction, protection, and teaches us how to recognize Your Truth from false doctrines. We ask for the strength to stand down our desires and overcome temptation. In faith, we ask this prayer in the Righteous Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

© 2025 STEPS 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry