This morning, I walked to Dollar General to purchase a couple of items. Since there was only one other customer, the cashier started putting up sale signs throughout the store. After happily finding out the plant food [that my plants have been crying for] was 50% off, I placed it in my cart and began searching the aisles for the cashier as I was ready to check out.
While waiting at the register, another customer entered the store, and instead of looking straight ahead, she turned her head in my direction, smiled, and said a happy, “Good Morning.” As I smiled and returned a jubilant good morning greeting, I silently thanked God again for another day of new mercies. Although saying, good morning with a smile is not popular anymore, there is a spiritual side to saying, good morning—it reflects the condition of one’s heart.
Expressing good morning [with a smile] reveals two character traits, gratitude and caring about others. Hearts bursting with love, care, and compassion have the desire to encourage and give hope to others. Social interaction with familiar people is expected, but when an individual extends the interaction to strangers, they recognize that life is good, and share that belief through spoken words.
Yes, the greeting of good morning comes from a grateful heart. When we awaken and reflect on our blessings of life, we know that God is Love! Yet, many believers have ungrateful hearts which prevent them from saying the spoken words of good morning.
“Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (24) ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!'” —Lamentations 3:22-24
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” —1 Thessalonians 5:18
Saying, “Good Morning, God” [with a smile] expresses gratitude to God for another day of life which we certainly are not promised, but often take for granted. The expression of Good Morning to others reveals and acknowledges God’s love, care, and compassion for humanity. And last but not least, saying, good morning is an effective outreach tool to witness the love of God within us to others.
With direct eye contact and a smile, we express good morning to everyone. Do not discriminate based on the person’s external appearance! Although we expect others to verbally respond to our greeting, they can respond in other ways. Whether they look at us and remain silent, or pretend they did not hear us, we are believers who are committed to our relationship with Christ, so we do not take a spirit of offense.
We will never know the impact of those two words on the person suffering in silence. If we strive to represent Christ and pray for others then the Holy Spirit will continue to remind them that hope still exists.
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” —Ephesians 4:32
The suffering of humanity has intensified within the past four years. Many individuals are so overwhelmed that drug and alcohol addiction along with suicide are prevalent throughout this world. Unhealthy relationships and marriages have become the standard. We are the beacons of light who are called to alleviate the burdens of others.
The kindness that we demonstrate represents Christ and reveals that His love is overflowing within our hearts. A tender, compassionate heart proclaims our understanding of the Agape love that God has for us and Christ has for His Church [the righteous]. In His earthly life, Christ strived to uplift the burdened soul and to give hope and healing to all who believed and desired His help.
As disciples of Christ, saying “Good Morning” is our duty to God and humanity.
Scripture: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” —John 13:34-35
Prayer: Good Morning God, we thank You for Your love and the mercies of a new day. As we witness the love of Christ through our smiles and expressions of good morning, we ask You to provide peace and comfort to those who are despondent. Lord, help us to prioritize our spiritual calling to minister to others by seizing the opportunity to say Good Morning, God loves you. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
The Battle From the Winner’s Perspective Devotional, September 21, 2023
The Battle From Jesus, Our Commander’s Perspective: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” —Revelation 22:13
When the Apostle John was given the heavenly vision, he described Jesus’ appearance [study Revelation chapter 1]. “…and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hell and Death.” —Revelation 1:16-18
The War Has Already Been Won
On Calvary’s cross, Jesus won the battle between good and evil and life and death. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely, I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20).
We Are in the Battle for Our Lives!
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [schemes] of the devil. 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. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” —Ephesians 6:10-13
The strife and temptations that believers face every day are not a coincidence. We are in a spiritual battle with the fallen angel Lucifer who was cast out of heaven onto the earth. Lucifer now known as Satan convinced one-third of the angels to follow his evil surmising’s against God. And he has convinced humanity, beginning with Adam and Eve that God is an unfair Judge and withholds the best from the righteous.
Sadly, many believers have accepted Satan’s false claims about God as true. Although we cannot imagine a believer speaking those words, the behaviors of self-reliance, the refusal to surrender and obey God, and taking action to bring our plans to fruition without praying and waiting for God’s guidance are evidence that we do not believe God will give us the best.
In Ephesians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul reveals the spiritual preparation necessary to fight against satanic spiritual warfare. Soldier mentality reveals the desire to serve and obey, to give one’s best, and to win the battle.
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”—Ephesians 6:14-18
As soldiers in God’s Army, we must “put on” to be prepared for the battle against Satan. Paul uses military terminology in his analogy of the method by which Roman soldiers suited up for face-to-face combat. “Putting on the Whole Armor of God” begins with the courageous mindset that we are enlisted as spiritual soldiers in God’s Army when we accept Christ as our personal Savior. we make a covenant vow to have faith, trust, obey, and surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ, our Commander.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” —Matthew 24:14
Through the Holy Spirit, every person will receive the invitation to join God’s Army before Jesus comes. Many believers who were excited when they accepted the gift of salvation have fallen away because they didn’t realize that serving God requires a lifetime in the battle zone. Failure to study the Bible produces fear and hopelessness. We cannot receive spiritual strength and courage unless we have faith and knowledge of God’s promises and His divine role in our lives.
Signing Up as a Soldier—Gideon and the 300 Soldiers—The Godly Process of Elimination
“And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me,’ saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.” —Judges 7:2-3
When God instructed Gideon to reduce the number of men, the first round of elimination was to identify the fearful and instruct them to return home.
Our Commander identifies Himself
“The LORD is a man of war; The LORD is His name.” —Exodus 15:3; “Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle” —Psalm 24:8; “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and makes war.” —Revelation 19:11
The Godly Process of Elimination
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” —Revelation 21:8 KJV
Many translations use the adjective cowardly instead of fearful. Still, we must note that Jesus mentions the characteristic of fearfulness first—there will be no cowards in heaven. We may rationalize that some people are born timid. When we give our hearts to Christ, the Holy Spirit empowers us, and we receive the holy boldness to witness and the spiritual strength to actively resist temptation—no one can convince or persuade us to do wrong! It is a conscious decision to choose sin.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” —Ephesians 6:10
Can you imagine that your country engages in war and the soldiers chosen to fight the enemy are timid? We readily admit that God is powerful, but most Christians do not acknowledge that Satan is an evil angel with power and he uses it against the righteous believers. His only goal is for us to lose our reward of eternal life.
Fact: The war of good and evil involves your soul. There are only two destinies, eternal life or the second death by fire. Study Revelation chapter 20 with a focus on verses 7-9. Satan knows that he will be destroyed. The Apostle John describes the number of people who will be destroyed as innumerable, he compares them to sand…their “…number is as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 21:8, last part).
Paul tells us to “Stand!” Fearful believers render themselves ineligible to be soldiers in God’s Army. Cowardly behaviors include hiding your Christianity from others, being afraid to witness, possessing a wavering mindset of God’s truth because you fear exclusion from your friends, coworkers, and family, maintaining a neutral position on social injustices and sinful lifestyles, and embracing worldviews and practicing compromising behaviors to maintain relationships with friends and family.
“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 10:13
Satan has limitations. He is not Omniscient [All-Knowing], Omnipotent [All-Powerful], nor can he compel [force] us to sin!
Jesus tells us the requirement for following Him: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” —Luke 14:26
The hate that Jesus refers to is not the evil emotion of hatred we feel toward others. Jesus used hate as a metaphor to describe the sacrifice we must make to love God first above everyone else on this earth. Recently a pastor described the condition of most people, including believers living in these last days, “Pleasing oneself is prevalent. People worship themselves as idols and strive to please themselves by fulfilling all of their carnal desires.”
“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
Who have you put above God? Yourself, family, or friends? Even in marriage, will the believer compromise to make their spouse happy? Jesus told the church in Ephesus, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).
Our relationship with Christ is one-to-one! Although we can ask others to pray for us, the warfare, trials, and tribulations we face are custom-made for each believer. No other person can fight our daily spiritual battles. Many believers have fallen away because of the perseverance, endurance, and continuous courage and strength required to be a soldier [follower] of Christ.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. —2 Timothy 1:7
When humanity was created, Jesus equipped us with power, love, a sound mind, and a measure of faith. It is our faith in God that cancels all fear!
Our spiritual journey begins as babes in Christ and our spiritual nourishment begins as milk. Studying Genesis chapters 1-4 and the life of Christ in the Four Gospels is an excellent starting point. A new believer requires spiritual support and mentoring from the church that baptized them into membership. They should attend Bible Study classes in addition to personal studying to receive a foundation of God’s Truth.
As we grow and mature in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us a deeper spiritual understanding and wisdom of the Scriptures, resulting in eating the meat of the Bible, which allows us to receive the transformation of our minds and characters. Whether we are new or mature believers, we must do our part by studying the Scriptures and praying for wisdom, discernment, and help from the Holy Spirit, our Teacher.
Accepting Christ as our personal Savior is not complex—every day little children accept Jesus. If we tell our testimony of Jesus’ love and how He transforms us and gives us a new life, then the Holy Spirit will take over if the person has a receptive heart. Witnessing strengthens our relationship with Christ.
Prepare for the Battle!
The human effort of daily preparation requires a desire to be faithful, to surrender, and to obey God. From the moment we awaken, through penitent prayer, we express gratitude for receiving God’s new mercies for another day of life and we pray for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer of surrender acknowledges that God’s Divine Intervention is needed to receive the blessings of wisdom, discernment, and the spiritual, mental, and emotional strength necessary from the Holy Spirit to stand against Satan’s deceptive temptations and strategies to defeat us for that day.
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10
Yes, our Heavenly Father knows that we need His help to overcome. And He promises to be with us when we fulfill our commitment to honor and reverence Him. Being in the spiritual position of right standing with God requires courage. We renounce sin by choosing to avoid the people, activities, and situations that would result in disobedience to God.
The book of Revelation is vivid in its description of the battle Satan is waging on the inhabitants of this earth. The Spiritual Warfare of good versus evil is one that believers face every day. The majority of our battles are with people who are being used as instruments of Satan. The conflict usually involves foolish arguments designed to rob us of our God-given peace.
If Satan can manipulate and use a situation to upset us then he has accomplished his goal for that day. Without praying when we face challenges, our first response will be fueled by our emotions.
“Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. — 1 Peter 5:6-7
Soldier Behavior: Love God. Love Others. Love yourself. Be humble, gentle, and kind. Pray and use silence. Avoid foolish arguments. Speak fewer words. Use discretion and wisdom. Be decisive and stand firm. Renounce sin and worldviews. Pray continuously. Study the Scriptures. Get ready and stay ready! Read Revelation chapters 21 and 22 once a week to remind yourself of the great reward Jesus has for you.
We are living in the last days of perilous times. The Holy Spirit is working to transform our character into the likeness of Christ. The life we live on this earth demonstrates that we understand the spiritual battle has been won and we have decided to follow Jesus all the way or not. “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Ephesians 6:24).
Prayer: Jesus, we thank You for Your great love and the sacrifice of Your life to win the war against sin and Satan. We commit our minds, bodies, and souls to follow you all the way. We desire to have eternal life and pray for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We give You the honor and glory You rightfully deserve as our King. And we ask this prayer in Your Holy Name, Amen.
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself’ “. Matthew 22:37-39
As we approach the last Sabbath in October of 2021, pray and thank God for all of the blessings that He has given to you including life, health, strength, and the ability to praise him. Jesus gave the priceless gift of His life to redeem us from a debt of sin that placed us into Spiritual Bankruptcy. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy. Psalm 107:2. Happy Sabbath!
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. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity. Jeremiah 29:11-14a.
Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22
I recently read that we should ask God to reveal the people who really love us and remove those who do not have a genuine love for God. If they love God, then their words, behaviors, and actions reflect their love for us. God reminds us that He has no tolerance for the human mix of love and hate. Either we have a heart full of love or hate. “Whoever claims to love God, yet, hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.” 1 John 4:20
Because I have struggled with separating myself from toxic friends and family, God reached out by allowing me to read a devotional about letting people go. Please know that the “believers” are family members and long-term friendships. Still, I took a leap of faith and prayed this prayer, “Dear God, please reveal to me the family and friends who love you and have love for me. And give me the courage and strength to remove the remaining people from my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
1 Corinthians 13 gives us God’s standards for love. When we study the love chapter, please note that love does not include mistreatment nor the lack of compassion. Imagine asking for help and receiving the response of “I will pray for you, but right now I have things to do,” or they give this reason for not answering your phone calls and text messages: “Don’t take it personally, I just haven’t felt like talking [to you].”
Love for God is the determining factor that identifies who we should include in our lives. It is usually easy to eliminate friends that do not have our best interests in mind. But how do you handle the situation when being unequally yoked extends to a spouse or family members? Unhealthy relationships destroy our ability to focus on God. Please know that we have invited a significant problem into our faith-based life when we tolerate toxic people that make life even harder for us.
Having unconditional love in our hearts does not mean that we become victims of emotional abuse.
Our only decision is to Put God first!I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols. Isaiah 46:8. People, places, and things can easily become our idols if they interfere with our relationship with God.
Do not be mismatched with unbelievers, for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together or what does light have in common with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 NASB
Run from individuals that are confused as to who they are serving. They have compromised and blended worldly habits into their “sanctified” lifestyle. Also, please stay away from mean people! Spouses, family members, and the people in our social circles always impact our relationship with God in a positive or negative aspect. If you are seeking peace and victory, make certain that the people surrounding you are not stumbling blocks. We cannot have a covenant relationship with God or enjoy peace and inner joy when we allow: lack of support, toxic communication, jealousy, controlling behaviors, resentment, dishonesty, disrespect, and negative financial behaviors.
You Are in the Right Relationship When It Is Helping Your Walk With God, Not Hurting It. God is love! And He desires that we surround ourselves with caring and compassionate people who love God and love us.
Love God, Love Others, and Love Yourself
Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 13
Prayer: God, we desire to have a relationship with you based on love, faith, trust, and obedience. Thank you for loving us first. We ask that you rescue and protect us from the people who would harm us emotionally. Please bring people into our lives who love you and love others. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.
Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions 
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