Love – Page 14 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Triumph [Victory] from Trials, Tribulations, and Temptations

Since the age of five, I have believed in Jesus. My mother was a woman of God who lived by the Word of God. She gave a simplistic explanation that Jesus loved and died for me, was resurrected, went to heaven, and was preparing a home in heaven where we would live forever. Attending church reinforced my belief that God is love, prompting me to love Jesus throughout my childhood.

But reality surfaced as I matured and left home. I noticed that my life was no longer manageable. One problem after the other bombarded my life, and eventually, I decided that serving God had no benefits. Truthfully, I did not study the Bible, nor did I have a consistent prayer life. It is “Human effort plus Divine Intervention that equals Victory.” I held God responsible for the failure of a thriving spiritual relationship with Him. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [they do not know me]. Hosea 4:6

Many years later, in 2006, I met an elderly woman while shopping who witnessed to me about returning to my first love, Jesus Christ. I started attending revival services, made the commitment to follow Jesus, and was baptized [Human Effort]. Even so, God had plans to produce a different outcome [Divine Intervention]; the church had a New Believers program. I was assigned a spiritual mentor that helped me through the roughest times: The transition of renouncing–giving up worldly pleasures to serve Jesus.

And it is during those turbulent times, many believers fail to understand the purpose of hardships and how they are related to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

1. Your life becomes tougher: Serving God means giving up all of the ungodly people, places, and things you love and are familiar with. Yes, you may be living a clean and sober life and free from your past habits [Praise God!], but now that you are a member of the “body of believers,” which requires you to give up everything that prevents spiritual growth and inhibits your relationship with God. I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13. The Holy Spirit helps us to develop a new lifestyle that reflects our commitment to God. Everything changes when we become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 2 Corinthians 6:17
2. Learning to study the Bible and praying: Building the spiritual foundation with God requires diligently studying the Bible and praying every day. Here’s some unspoken guidance about prayer, if you can count the times you have prayed today, then you are not praying enough. Staying connected to the Vine-Jesus requires faith, trust, obedience, courage, strength, discipline, and self-control. [Read John 15:5]
3. Forming new relationships: I must admit that this is one of the most challenging parts of serving God. Jesus must become your best friend. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. You made the commitment to follow Jesus, so you must build your relationship with Christ first. God will reveal the friends that we need in our Spiritual-Social Circle. The Holy Spirit amazingly gives us the gift of discernment to know when the person or activity does not glorify God.
4. Forming new relationships, part 2: It is not easy making new friends at any stage in life. Even so, pray and ask God for guidance. Ask the Pastor to assign you a spiritual mentor if the church has not provided one. If you accepted Jesus without church intervention, then you may have to accept isolation for a little while. Do not despair! Remain obedient to God. He will reveal the path [the plans] that He desires for you to follow, including a Bible-based church. Pray and wait on the Lord. Do not follow an emotional response to cope with being alone. Put God first! Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Corinthians 10:22
5. Our life becomes full of peace, joy, and happiness: No, this is not a contradiction. “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” John 16:33. Pray and ask for help! “God, I’m having a tough time. I need your help. Amen.” Enter the spiritual team of God, the Father, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, and Comforter, along with messenger/guardian heavenly angels who we have on our side. What worries should we have? “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
6. Know, understand, and embrace the trials, tribulations, and temptations: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and difficulties, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5

Our characters must align with God’s requirements. Every trial, tribulation, and temptation is to produce the Fruit of the Spirit within us: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Trust in God: 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

Need Encouragement? Jesus says, “I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18. Saints of the Most-High God, never forget: Victory belongs to Jesus! Amen and Amen!

Our Goal: Eternal life

Bible Reading: Romans 5: 1-11

VIP Status

Why are we feeling depressed, worried, and anxious? As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are on the Who’s Who list with God. He knows our name, needs, the number of hairs on our head, and our strengths and weaknesses. And, never forget, we are the only created beings made in His image, not the angels or the animal and plant kingdoms. Jesus died for humanity. That is the greatest love we will ever know. No earthly status compares to our level of importance when we align ourselves with Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. The reward is eternal life living in a New Heaven and New Earth forever and ever. Amen.

Lose the Baggage: Be ye Separate!

I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:16-17

Many carry the burdens and cares in their lives [spiritual weights], which prevent us from receiving spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is evidenced by faith, trust, and obedience to God under all circumstances. The people we love and trust will either help or hurt our spiritual health [our relationship with Christ].

Our enemy knows that we desire to have loving relationships and why not? God said it is not good for man [or woman] to be alone. Genesis 2:18. Even so, God does not go against His word. God created man and woman and intended for them and Christ to form the foundation of the family.

Our First Love: Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Matthew 22:37. Our first priority is to have a rock-solid relationship with God. Only then are we prepared for God to give us our soul mate.

Limited ability: We cannot judge a person’s heart [their character]. The exposure to the dark underworld when working in the Criminal Justice system taught me that people can thoroughly trick us with masterful manipulation and deception. The smiles, gentle words, and attention may not be genuine. How would we know?

Seek a love relationship with Jesus first: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19

Pray for spiritual discernment: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we ask you to remove the obstacles of unbelievers from our lives. We have become entangled with individuals who are not serving you and preventing us from serving you wholeheartedly. Please give us the strength to put you first and to love you with all of our hearts, souls, and minds. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson

Give Us Only What We Need

Now This Is LOVE!

SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer Day 15

I have come to the conclusion that we [believers] do not love God enough.

Honestly, I cannot think of one person that is willing to die for me. Nor can I think of anyone who would promise to supply all of my needs for my entire life. And who can I talk to twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week? Even my best friend would get tired of hearing my voice after a while. This is the whole conclusion of the matter: I am ready to LOVE God with all of my heart, soul, and mind.

Bible verse: Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Prayer: God, please help us to get rid of the distractions that bombard our lives to the point that we are unable to love you. Thank you, for your love, grace, and mercies. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. © 2021 Sonya Johnson

The Sadness of Her Soul

Today, I intentionally paid attention to the many people that were at the beach. The sun’s dancing rays highlighted the pale blue waves, still, there were no smiles or laughter even among the children playing. As I contemplated on the reason for the somber mood, our time watching the Atlantic’s waves by Patrick AFB was abruptly cut short. The sirens blared as a robotic voice gave warnings of a pending storm with severe activity including lightning strikes.

I folded my chair and walked slowly down the walkway when a young woman turned her head to the left. As our eyes met, the sadness of her soul was reflected in her eyes. Yes, the same brokenness that I saw in my patients on the Behavioral Health Unit was evidenced in another victim to their circumstances. I decided to interrupt the melancholy mood that was prevalent among the beachgoers packing up to leave. I stopped, looked at the ocean and said, “Isn’t she beautiful?” to which she replied, “Yes, and the breeze makes it perfect.”

We smiled. But, before we could continue our conversation, again the siren sounded loud, ending all thoughts of watching the serene waves become angry and forceful. The young woman left quickly with tears streaming down her face, entered her vehicle, held the steering wheel with both hands, placing her head into her arms. As my friends and I drove away, I whispered a prayer asking God to heal the stranger’s broken heart.

We live in a time where advancements in technology have soared along with the statistics for suicide, depression, anxiety, and worries because love is running on empty. I invite you to look outside of yourself and speak to someone with eyes that reveal “all is not well.” Just a simple “How are you ?” may provide a calm moment in their stormy sea of mental, emotional, and spiritual anguish.

Prayer: God, we pray for the broken hearted, for the weary, and the individuals who feel life is not worth living. We ask you, Holy Spirit to provide comfort for those who are grieving and provide a way of escape for the abused, and the neglected. Help us to pay attention to the people surrounding us that know nothing about your love. Jesus, fill our hearts with the love and compassion that you have for all of humanity. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

Love God, Love Others, and Love Yourself

Sorry, You are Not Dressed Properly

SHOUT the Cry of Victory 30 Days of Prayer Day 6

You Mortals, the Lord has told you what is good. This is what the LORD requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to live humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 GWT

Prayer: God, please give us the courage to change our clothes and put on the clothing of a servant, as Jesus did. We ask for forgiveness of the sins of pride, selfish desires, and disobedience. We desire to live a purpose-driven life, full of faith and trust in you. We ask this prayer in the Worthy name of Jesus. Amen.

Surround Yourself With Love

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.

Protection at No Cost

Safety: The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury.

We have an innate safety mechanism: The Nervous System protects us from physical danger based on our response to a life-threatening situation. The fight or flight response is an automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14

Even with the fight or flight response, our critical thinking and judgment must perceive the situation as dangerous or life-threatening for activation. If only we had an automatic response to the danger of sin. But God did not create us with that ability because we would not need His divine intervention.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Our warrior God has promised us protection against all spiritual warfare–the traps of worldly pleasures and thoughts of doubt and defeat set up for us by Satan. I like to call it “God’s Spiritual Flight Response. “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14. Each morning our defense is to pray and ask God to protect us from all hurt, harm, and danger, which includes the personalized plans of Satan to make us stumble and fall.

Our relationship with God is dependent on our knowledge, faith, and trust in Him. Many believers cannot enjoy the all-inclusive protection from our Spiritual team because of a lack of knowledge. Studying the Bible reinforces our belief in the Most-High God. How can we trust someone who is a stranger? King David expressed the benefits of serving God: He is Elohim shomri–God is my protector!

Do you have the peace of mind and joy bubbling over because you have a personal relationship with our loving and compassionate God? Start today by praying and searching the scriptures. No-cost, ongoing protection from all danger seen or unseen, and guardian angels sent to protect us 24/7. Yes, we should dance the spiritual happy dance.

Every day, smile and sing “Oh Happy Day!” We know who created us, and we know who we serve. Give our Heavenly Father the praise He deserves!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16

Bible Reading: Psalm 91

Prayer: God, we praise your holy name. Thank you for the protection from our guardian angels that we take for granted. God, we love you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The Journey for Love

I watched a documentary entitled “Forbidden Love” last evening. The title made me somewhat uncomfortable because I was expecting the worst such as pedophilia, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised when I began to watch, and the content was nothing like I expected.

This well-made documentary was about young love between upper-class young women for lower-class young men in a society where interaction is strictly forbidden. Even speaking to the lower-class is considered taboo. Still, unconditional, innocent love flowed from their young hearts, which knew no boundaries. Their deep-rooted love touched the depths of my heart because the journey involved leaving their families who had raised them with love and in financial comfort.

Despite being disowned by their families, the young women proclaimed, “I would rather kill myself than to leave the man that I love.” Not many of us could have endured the extreme conditions and poverty the young couples faced from staying together. Still, they stayed with each other and raised happy and healthy children.

About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46

The journey of love involved harsh, bitter treatment and the death of Jesus Christ on a cross for you and me. We have the opportunity to experience a love relationship like none other. Yes, we say that we love Jesus and that He is our Lord and Savior, but how far are we willing to go to serve God? What are we willing to endure?

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

One day all who believe in the Lord will have to prove their love for Jesus Christ. Will we be faithful and face persecution, or will we deny knowing Jesus like his disciple, Peter?

Bible Verse: Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” Matthew 26:34

God, we say that we love you. Yet, many times we fail in our words and actions, which are sinful against you. Please teach us how to accept your love for us that we may love you and others unconditionally. We ask this prayer in the Worthy Name of Jesus. Amen.