Sabbath – Page 19 – Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions

Choosing Jesus Places Us in Spiritual Warfare—Preparing for Battle

Choosing Jesus Places Us in Spiritual Warfare Devotional Reading

“Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away…always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”…2 Timothy 3:5, 7

From the many generations that have lived since humanity was created a little over 6,000 years ago, the 21st century Christians are living in the most critical spiritual period of earth’s history. Every condition the apostle Paul describes in 2nd Timothy chapter 3, verses one to seven exists for today’s believers. Additionally, Paul tells us that we will have trouble discerning who is really a faithful follower of Christ.

Why are we so easily deceived? To be a follower of Christ requires much prayer, diligent Bible study, faith, obedience, courage, and a listening spiritual ear to hear God’s plans and will for our lives. Truthfully, most of us fall short of the requirements to armor up for our spiritual battles. “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 [tricks, deceptions] of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).

The desire to be a middle-of-the-road Christian [which will never exist] causes us to fulfill our heart’s desires and to serve God according to our whims. Without biblical knowledge and guidance from the Holy Spirit, Satan easily deceives us into compromising God’s righteous standards resulting in the loss of receiving God’s perfect blessings and eternal life.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” —Jeremiah 29:11

Misaligned with the Will of God Through Disobedience

Two roadblocks cause us to detour from the Path of Righteousness: Seeking earthly desires [money, success, houses, vehicles, luxury items, etc.], and desiring relationships and marriage with partners that are either unbelievers or those who believe in God, attend church, but their lifestyles reveal they are worldly.

It is comforting to know that God’s righteous standards never change. With His omniscience, God will not grant us a new home or vehicle if our job is soon to end, nor will He provide us with a half-hearted, uncommitted spouse who would bring turmoil into our lives. Without complete surrender to His will, we cannot attain the wisdom to be wholeheartedly devoted and find refuge in God’s protection.

Sooner or later our disobedience will bring heartache. Living outside of God’s plans always results in negative consequences.

The Second Roadblock: True Worship versus False Worship

“Then a herald cried aloud: ‘To you, it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.'” —Daniel 3:4-6

Their Response: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up. —Daniel 3:16-18

Personal Testimony: Although I was raised in a Christian home, the church we belonged to taught their members a mixture of easily understood Scriptures along with a lot of self-interpreted erroneous false teachings. Please know that I am not criticizing the Pastor or my parents. Because the Bible is God’s Truth, complete with righteous thoughts, spiritual precepts, and symbolism the reader must pray for the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom and discernment.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Satan knows that his time is short on this earth, so he has increased widespread false teachings through individuals that love God but have not prayed for the anointing power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to give them correct discernment of God’s Truth. Membership is highest at the churches that conduct services that only involve singing without any Scriptural teachings. We cannot believe every reel, message, or post on social media. Pray before you listen to any religious content.

Sadly, the chaos within the Christian community is impacting our ability to witness to others. Those who are interested in serving God are verbalizing that Christians are always in constant disagreement with each other. Prosperity, Politics, and Prejudice are promoted and tolerated in many loveless churches whose duty is to proclaim Christ’s love. Most denominations are in opposition with each other over the Scriptures. Yet, we do not have to be deceived. God has provided us with Divine Help!

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” —1 John 4:1

Our mass confusion stems from the many false teachings spread throughout Christianity, such as messages of prosperity [God desires for us to be wealthy] and all-inclusive theories—because of grace a person is guaranteed eternal life in heaven [whether they sin or not]. Additionally, without biblical proof, most churches are teaching that God changed the seventh-day creation Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday.

“For I am the Lord, I do not change…” —Malachi 3:6, the first part

These teachings focus on the human heart’s desires rather than salvation in Christ and Scriptural proof. Satan will continue to spread these false teachings until the end of time. Yet, the book of Revelation proclaims that Jesus Wins and Satan Loses. We will not receive our reward of eternal life collectively. Every person has to answer before God in Judgment for their wrongdoings. Either we will be Sealed by Christ’s Righteousness or accept the Mark of the Beast which is false worship.

We can be on the winning side in this spiritual battle! Put on your Spiritual Armor! Increase praying. Devote study time to the Scriptures. Take the time to have quiet meditation. The Holy Spirit is waiting for us to ask for His help!

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

Prayer: God, we pray for those who are in the valley of decision to take a stand to become steadfast Soldiers in Your Army. We pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Give us wisdom and discernment as we seek knowledge. Jesus, we thank You for Your love, grace, mercy, and salvation. And ask this prayer in Your Most Holy Name, Amen.

The Game of Chance Has Many Players

The Game of Chance Has Many Players Devotional Reading

“LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.” —Jeremiah 10:23

Every decision we make without God’s blessing and approval places us in the same position as a gambler in Las Vegas. But the stakes are higher than any dollar amount–we are risking our reward of Eternal life. Self-reliance is disobedience, which automatically makes us a losing player in the Game of Chance.

With confidence, we place our highest bets using our finite knowledge to live according to our thought processes. By the time we realize that our mistakes have placed us in a spiritually lose-lose situation, it is usually too late—not because we cannot repent, but sadly, we no longer trust in God. The habit of trusting in oneself eliminates the desire to depend on God.

Unless we completely surrender our will to God every day, we lose our reward of eternal life.

Prayer: God, we pray for those who have lost their desire to submit to Your Sovereignty and Righteous Authority. Help us to realize that our lives are not our own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sabbath Peace and Blessings

The Power of Influence Devotional Reading

“The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.” —Proverbs 12:26

Becoming a product of our environment is a psychological theory that is not true when we are loyal to God.

The gospel singer Kurt Carr was raised in a family who never did acknowledge that God existed. Although he lived in a worldly environment, God revealed that He had a plan for his young life. In his testimony, at the age of 13, the church on the same block that he walked past twice a day for his round trip to school, God told him to attend and sing in the choir, and from his obedience He would bless his life.

Despite the influence of the music/entertainment industry, throughout the years of his music ministry, Kurt Carr has stayed true to his calling by writing and producing gospel music that glorifies God.

Can you imagine being the only Christian in your home? God’s power defies all evil strategies to keep us from having a fruitful relationship with Jesus. Still, we must do our part by obeying God and letting go of the people, places, and things that separate us from God.

One of the greatest challenges we face in life is being influenced by people—family, close friends, social influencers, and financial consultants with various agendas. Satan always uses people to test our loyalty to God. We easily succumb to deceptive tactics when familiar persons are involved. Yet, I recently listened to a story of success by someone famous posted who convinced us that we should pursue our dreams at any cost on social media.

Most of the time someone else is involved who influences us to make decisions that do not align with God’s plans for our lives. Where do we stand? Who is influencing our minds? Our loyalty to God is tested every day.

“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” —1 Corinthians 15:33

Maybe our first reaction to this Scripture [warning us to stay away from unbelievers] would be, “I wouldn’t consider my family, friends, or that entertainer to be evil,” but we cannot see them as God does. The people who do not have eternal life as their goal, God says they are bad company. Plans and pursuits that do not glorify God are dangerous to our spiritual status.

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?…” —1 Corinthians 6:9

Either we influence others for good or we are influenced by evil. Truthfully, we cannot influence those who have not given their hearts to Christ. Our spiritual journey is tough enough without allowing those who have no desire to dedicate themselves to God to convince us.

“It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8).

With an intentional mindset to follow Christ all the way, do not allow the bonds of close relationships to form with unbelievers [whom Satan will use to influence us] to result in spiritual conflict. Staying true to God requires us to avoid the influencers whose advice can result in disobedience and missing out on our blessings.

Prayer: God, we pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit to give us discernment and wisdom to avoid following the influencers of this world. We ask You to reveal Your will for our lives. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.

(SDA Sermon) Mark Finley – “Guarding Your Thoughts”

Happy Blessed Sabbath

Spiritual Checkpoint: Day 125 of 2023 and Strategies for Change

Time is passing quickly, we are already into the fifth month of 2023. Many of us made promises on day one of this year to change so we are functioning at our highest level of productivity. We identified goals but failed to develop realistic strategies to complete them. Desperately striving to have a work-life balance, we find on day 125 that we are still in the struggle with tasks and commitment overload.

What is your reference point? Is sensory and task overload your norm? Do you have a hectic schedule that keeps you from completing most of your to-do list? Most importantly, are you still promising yourself every night that tomorrow you will spend more time with God? Yet when tomorrow comes, you rush through personal worship, saying a quick prayer and reading only one Bible verse?

Life is so jam-packed with must-do tasks and the unexpected that we may feel helpless or victims of the rapid pace of life over which we have no control. Yet there is something we can do. Be intentional and set a time block of at least two hours to write down your daily and weekly responsibilities in a journal. Even though it has probably been a while or maybe never since you have used a pen and paper for organizing your responsibilities, it’s worth a try.

TCK Publishing has compiled a list of the top benefits of handwritten documentation.

8 Benefits of Writing Things Down
Improve Your Understanding. …
Strengthen Your Memory. …
Process Emotions. …
Reduce Stress. …
Improve Your Focus. …
Clarify Your Goals and Priorities. …
Create a Physical Copy of Your Thought Process. …
Record Your Journey. TCK Publishing

Another company expounds on the benefits of writing things down from the viewpoint of achieving success [especially if you purchase their products].

Writing Things Down Makes You More Focused
In our society, we’re constantly bombarded with information that prompts more thoughts in your head. Counteract the information overload by writing things down! When you write things down, you’re forced to focus on one idea at a time. And when you’re able to dedicate the time each thought requires, you’re able to really flesh it out and get every thought related to it out of your system and your head. Your brain is meant for creating ideas, not storing them!

Writing Things Down Helps Clarify
One huge benefit to writing things down is the ability to clarify. Clarity is what helps people become successful because they’re able to clarify their goals, priorities, and intentions. It’s one thing to have goals, hopes, and dreams, but it’s another to have them written down. If they’re written down, then they’re real and require your attention if you want to make them true. Plus, once they’re written down, you can expand on them and make them more specific so they can become a reality. https://thepaperandplanco.com/blogs/news/the-science-behind-why-writing-things-down-makes-you-more-successful

By journaling, I have made many personal achievements. It has allowed me to prioritize my life by identifying distractions and activities that use up valuable time but accomplish very little. Yet the most important change is that I am finally able to worship God by studying the Bible and spending more time praying throughout the day.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” —Matthew 6:33, ESV

Our most important goal in life is to remain close to God and strengthen our relationship with Christ. We should pray and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to recognize any individuals or activities that are hindering our peace of mind and consuming our time. By prioritizing God in our lifestyles, we can lead happy, healthy, and content lives that align with God’s Divine purpose.

Prayer: God, we admit that we need Your Divine help in eliminating the distractions which prevent us from spending time with You. We invite You into our daily routines and ask for wisdom and guidance to live healthier, productive lives. In Jesus’ Worthy Name, we pray. Amen.

Sabbath Devotional—Crowns and Robes for the Righteous

Sabbath Devotional Reading and Podcast—Crowns and Robes for the Righteous

“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…’ ” —Matthew 25:34

We are not only in a continuous struggle against spiritual warfare but must also fight against the inner desires of our hearts. Satan promotes the pleasures of this world because he knows his destiny. His goal is to prevent us from receiving our crown, robe, and eternal life.

Our situation may appear hopeless because we failed to overcome spiritual warfare and the battle within from inheriting deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Yet, we are not in a losing predicament because we have a Savior, Jesus Christ.

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” —Deuteronomy 31:8

As our Heavenly Father, Jesus protects us from the many satanic attacks that we know nothing about. Christ has assigned His army of angels to fight our spiritual battles [seen and unseen]. To receive Divine help in our activities of daily living, we place our thoughts and strategies aside by praying every day for God’s Divine Intervention for guidance and protection.

“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.” —John 15:5

The word, “Abide” may be a mystery to us. What does it mean to abide in Christ? Self-reliance is not included in the Plan of Salvation. Throughout the Scriptures, we read that Jesus stayed connected to God by praying without ceasing. He always sought to do His Father’s will even unto death. To abide in Christ is to surrender ourselves and rely on Him through prayer and consecration.

Total Obedience is required to receive our crown and robe. We were created to be spiritually dependent on God. Without the human effort of staying connected to Jesus by surrendering ourselves in faith, trust, and obedience, we do not have a fighting chance of overcoming the temptations which are designed to make us sin. Pray to stay connected to Christ!

“If you love Me, keep my commandments.” —John 14:15

A relationship with Christ is based on love. And from our love for Him, we make a covenant to become a disciple. We are followers of a Savior who created us from love. Jesus was aware that Adam and Eve would fall. Yet because of His love for all of humanity, He gave His life—for us to overcome sin and live eternally with Him in the New Heaven and New Earth.

The Apostle Paul tells us, I die daily. And we must also commit to die daily to the sinful desires and temporary pleasures of this earthly life. To remain steadfast requires the strength of Jesus Christ. Our commitment is renewed every day through our prayer of surrender.

Starting the day off with God requires our first prayer to be one of surrendering to God’s will. In humility, we admit our weaknesses and ask for the anointing, power, presence, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. “Lord, I belong to You, please reveal Your will for me today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

The Holy Spirit gives us Divine strength to overcome covert temptations. Yet, we must put forth the effort to live holy and acceptable lives that are pleasing to the Lord by rejecting sin. Staying on the Path of Righteousness is not easy! Never limit the times you pray throughout the day and evening! We may have to pray several times a day to gain victory over sin. In prayer, present even the little things to Christ for His Divine guidance.

For today’s Christians, Satan is using another obstacle to prevent us from receiving our crown and robe. Worrying and feeling anxious about the declining status of our global economies distracts us and diminishes our faith in God. Violence, famine, social injustice, and climate change are not in our power to change.

This is our Father’s world! Biblical prophecies forewarn us of the changes which indicate we are moving forward toward Jesus’ Second Coming. Study Matthew chapter 24 and 2nd Timothy chapter 3.

Facing opposition is harder when our minds are overwhelmed with life’s challenges. Nor can we focus on Christ when constantly thinking about the pending status of the future. We do not have to watch or listen to every newscast. Yes, the global economy is failing. Without warning, we may lose our jobs and earthly possessions. Worrying about our lives and the future prevents preparation for eternal life. Jesus says, “Take no thought for tomorrow.”

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles [Unbelievers] seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:31-34).

Many lose out on their blessings of daily strength and the gift of peace because they are overthinking tomorrow, the next month, and the next year. Never allow the vicissitudes of life to make you lose sight of receiving your crown and robe. Verbalize your faith, “Today, I will have Victory through Christ!”

The Apostle James gives us wisdom on the downside of making plans for the future without God’s Divine blessings.

Do Not Boast About Tomorrow [The Sin of Presumption]

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow;’ we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil (James 4:13-16).

Two important aspects of living as a follower of Christ are our love for Him as demonstrated by our daily Prayer of Surrender and living day-by-day. The future belongs to God. Faithfully trust and obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit for this day.

Tomorrow is not promised to us. One future event requires intentional focus, preparation, and joyful anticipation—the Second Coming of King Jesus. Surrender and Faithful Obedience to Christ will be rewarded with a forever Crown and the Robe of Righteousness.

Scriptures: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” —1 Corinthians 15:51-52

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” —1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” — James 1:12

Prayer: God, we are inundated with the worries of tomorrow. Lord, our faith is weak. We desperately need Your Divine Intervention to change our focus. Today, we surrender ourselves to You. We pray for the anointing, power, and presence of the Holy Spirit. Please give us peace and spiritual direction. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.