Life

“IN CHRIST”

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“IN CHRIST”

How are things working out for you that call yourself a Christian? Are your prayers being answered, are you being healed of sickness or some life-threatening disease? Are your finances what you would like them to be? Is your marriage what you desire? Today, these are a few of the questions many people are searching for answers.

Many people are searching for answers through their five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. These are carnal abilities. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that God gave us the senses to function here on earth.

What we need to understand is that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are now in the Spiritual realm. In order to communicate with them we must do so in spirit. When God created each one of us, He did so with three parts: spirit, soul, and body. You have a spirit that was given to you so you could communicate with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. God has given you His Spirit to enable you to live in a way that please Him.

To activate the spirit within you, you must be born again. Otherwise you function as a carnal being. This is not my opinion but what Jesus says in the Gospel of John 3:3 KJV Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Also, in John 14:6 KJV “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”

Once you are born again you will discover how amazing your life is meant to be “In Christ.” You become a joint heir with Jesus. That means that everything that Jesus has is yours. You must learn what that means and learn how to use them. Your instruction manual is called the Bible. It contains thousands of promises for the born-again believer.

The phrase “In Christ” or “In Christ Jesus” refers to the state of believers and not as Christians. Jesus or Apostle Paul never used the word Christian that was recorded. “In Christ or its equivalent is used 27 times in the Book of Ephesians and In the Bible, it is used approximately 100 times.

The description in the Bible of a follower of Jesus is that he or she is a person “In Christ.” This does not mean that you are inside Christ as salt is in a shaker or water is in a glass. It means you are united to Jesus as your arm is to your body. It means you have a personal relationship with Christ that makes you a distinct and authentic follower of Jesus.

Salvation comes when a sinner (and we are all sinners) confess their sins, ask God to forgive them and repent. They declare their decision to receive Jesus as their Savior and follow Him. You surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood to cover our sins we are forgiven. Jesus is the one who will justify us on judgement day before God.

Being “In Christ” brings a personal fulfillment into our life. There are many who are unfulfilled and do not understand the meaning of their life. They are searching for happiness through worldly pleasures. They keep asking where it is to be found. There is a hunger and a thirst that only can be found “In Christ.” Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never hunger and he who believes in me will never thirst.

There are many who will trivialize the “Born Again” transformation. “In Christ” brings about a radical change in life. It goes into our very roots of our human soul. You die to the old life and are risen to a new life “In Christ.”

I know that it is hard to understand about being “In Christ.” Thanks be to God’s conviction; I came to realize my sinful ways and surrendered my life to Jesus. Yes, I have a long way to go. What I know is that God loves us beyond our ability to understand. God loves us even if we haven’t loved Him as stated in 1 John 4:10: “In this is love, not that we loved God, but He loved us.”

Sin came into man through the deceit of Satan with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God created man and woman in His image so that He could have a personal relationship with them. Because of sin that relationship was broken because God is Holy and detest sin.

Since God loves us so much, God made a new covenant through the New Testament. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to help us to know God. The Bible says that that God is at work in everyone’s life. Acts 17:27 says “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us.”

Although God wants us to become like Jesus, He will not force it upon anyone. The answers to being like Jesus can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark Luke, and John.

We have a choice either to be “In Christ or face judgement. In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus warns us that pious actions on our part will not save us. I pray that you never hear the words Jesus spoke; “I never knew you.”

God wants us to become like Jesus. This takes place when our love for Jesus comes first and we give Him our lives and we do not follow our thoughts and desires that take our attention away from Him. Then we grow “In Christ.”

We all have made bad choices showing indifference to God. Maybe we have opposed God. If you have, God still loves you and wants you to come to Him through His son Jesus. Otherwise you may find yourself separated from God.

Jesus came into this world to bring us to His Father. God has given you His Spirit in order that that you may live “In Christ.” You are saved through faith and not of yourselves; it is a gift of God.

A born-again believer is not under the law. He or she is under the grace of God through Jesus Christ. I cannot emphasize how much Jesus loves you. Jesus suffered one of the most brutal types of death for every person on earth. You owe it to yourself to consider surrendering to Jesus and enter His Kingdom.

God loves you and so do I.

Happy New Year to all my Family, Friends, Military, Law Enforcement, First Responders, and to those that are unknown reading this greeting. As we say goodbye to a passing year and decade, we say hello to a new beginning. Do not look back on the past year but look ahead for what God has planned for you. Your future is not in the new year but what lies in our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the one who makes life new when you receive Him as your Lord and Savior. Seek the things of God and He will bless your new year. Proverbs 3:5-7 (KJV) 5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD and depart from evil. You can make all the new year resolutions you want; most will be of no avail without surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. We live in a physical realm where most of our decisions are based on our 5 senses. God lives in a spiritual realm. God created you with a spirit. He also gave us the Holy Spirit. The purpose is so that we surrender our physical life to Jesus and join Him in the Spiritual realm. Look at what John 4:24 says; God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. If there are times in your life you feel God is not listening or near, maybe you are trying to reach Him while you are in the physical realm which will cause a bad connection. All your answers are in a book of instructions called the Bible. If you want a great new year then I suggest you begin to read it and if you do read it, consider studying it, both within the spiritual realm. This also includes your prayer life. God is love and He loves you more than you love yourself. Also, I love you and pray that you seek the truth.

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WHAT WOULD I BE WITHOUT JESUS?

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WHAT WOULD I BE WITHOUT JESUS?

On a recent Saturday morning as I was doing household chores, I was listening to old fashion gospel music. The following song came up that really struck a spiritual connection with me. As I listened, tears began to flow as I thought about where and what I would be if it was not for Jesus in my life. I cannot praise and thank Him enough for transforming my life into His. I know there is a long way to go. I know that the finish touch will take place when He calls for me to join Him in His Kingdom and sin will no longer reign.

The following song is what touched me:

I COULDN’T MAKE IT WITHOUT JESUS WHAT WOULD I DO

He let me try my wings because I ask Him to,
Knowing all the time, I couldn’t fly
He gave my feet their liberty and let me walk away
And all the time he never ask me why.

Chorus
But now, I’m beginning to understand
He bought my life and He already had it planned
Oh foolish me, I could not see, sin had my vision dimmed
He let me go, just so I would know that
I couldn’t make it without Him

He let me choose my footsteps down this road of life
And farther from His path my feet did trod
The easy way was bright and gay, without a cross to bear
But my road took me far away from God

Repeat Chorus

Yes, I have lived a lot of my life chasing my desires and dreams that seem to go nowhere. I want to tell everyone that regardless of where I went or what I did, most of it was not in God’s will. Yes, I have had my moments of fame in the secular world so to speak. There has always been a little voice inside telling me to seek God first but I failed listen. Oh, how I deeply regret how much I have grieved my Heavenly Father, Jesus my Saviour, and the Holy Spirit with my sinful ways. I had to reach a time in my life that I needed to repent of my sinful ways and turn to Jesus for forgiveness. I reached out to God for forgiveness and rededicated my life to Jesus. I know now that God has always been with me. Why? I don’t have a complete answer at this time. I do know that God loves me just as He loves you.

In my later years I have come to be blessed with receiving revelations regarding the truth of God’s Word. The more I read, study, and hear truths of the Bible, the more God reveals to me. Verses I have read many times continue to speak a new meaning the more I dwell on them. Oh, how I pray others would see the truth in God’s Holy Word as I do. The Bible is the most important book you can ever read, yet it is the most neglected.

In order to understand what I am saying, you must give up your carnal life and turn your life over to Jesus. In order for you to do this you must confess you are a sinner. Then you must ask Jesus to come into your life and become your Lord. This is a gift from God. You cannot earn or work for it. You need to understand this.

In order for anyone to receive God’s blessing they must receive the Holy Spirit into their life. God is Spirit and the way He communicates with someone is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. When God created the human being, He created them with a body, soul, and spirit. When you turn your life over to Jesus your spirit is able to communicate with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He left us with the Holy Spirit of which Jesus said was greater than He. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in you when you receive Jesus as your Saviour. Jesus is the only way.

Salvation only comes through Jesus Christ. It is the main topic in the New Testament. Everything related to salvation is covered in the Bible including sin, repentance, forgiveness, and many other biblical guidance for us to follow Him. One of the main issues for us to acquire is faith. You must believe and have faith. Faith is one of the key words in the Bible. Without it you have nothing with regards to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Faith is one element God requires you to have and exercise.

The Bible tells us to study to show ourselves approve. I have deliberately omitted Scripture references in hopes that those reading this will open their Bible and search for the truth.

God love loves you and so do I.

THE BIBLE

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THE BIBLE

The title goes by several other names such as: Scripture, the Good Book, God’s word, the Word, the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Torah, the Canon, the Testaments, Sacred History, the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets, Holy Writ, the Holy Bible, the Word of God, Testament, the Book.

Today, there are several translations to choose from for your own personal preference. The excuse that the Bible is hard to read is not valid since there are translations that a child can read and understand. Personally I prefer the King James Version because it is closer to the original manuscripts although I have several translation and use them all in preparations of my blogs. The Bible is comprised of 66 books. It is divided into the Old Testament which contains 39 books and the New Testament which contains 27 books.

The author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit who inspired men chosen by God to write God’s instructions for how we should live our lives here on earth. It is the starting point so every person can understand the will of God for their life. We need to understand that you have a free will that God has granted each one of us. In other words you make your choices in this life with or without God’s guidance. Every aspect of life is covered in the Bible and God’s desire is that you would follow his Book of Instruction, the Bible.

In order for you to understand what the Bible is saying, you need to realize a very important factor. Human beings were created by God with a body, soul, and spirit. Your body and soul are guided by the carnal senses of touch, smell, hearing, sight, and taste. I believe that a majority of people are under the influence of the senses and not under the influence of the Holy Spirit. All you have to do is look at the way the world is going.

The Bible is the divine revelations of God. In order for you to have an understanding of what the Bible is saying, your spirit must come under the guidance of the Holy Spirit since He is the author.

You also must understand that the Bible is alive and active. According to Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart

There must be a transformation take place in your life in order for God to reveal His purpose for your life in Christ. One of the first steps a person must take is found in Romans 10:9 (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Also in Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Let’s look at a very important factor regarding God and His Way. God is Spirit. His method of communication is mainly through the Spirit. With that in mind you need to realize that is why He created you with a spirit so that He can communicate with you and you with Him. If you attempt to communicate with God through the 5 senses or what is referred to as the flesh, I believe that is why so many people become discouraged or fail to realize that the communication line is broken because God speaks through the Spirit.

Remember that the Bible was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In order for you to get the full benefit of what the Bible says, you must activate your spirit to connect with the Holy Spirit in order to come to an understanding of what God is saying to you.

As stated before, the Bible is alive and active. Look at John 6:63 (NIV) The Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.  

Let’s look further at Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. The key word here is “all.” A lot of what a person is seeking from God is lost because they seek with a lack of knowledge of what God says in His Word they should do.

An example of this is found in Proverbs 4:20-22 (NKJV) 20 My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all your flesh.

Also, look at what 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The majority of unanswered prayers, health situations, financial problems, marital problems, job problems or whatever the case may be is the result of not knowing what God’s life manual, the Bible, has instructed you to follow. The Bible is clear on the fact that when you receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and then make Him Lord of your life, you become joint heirs with Jesus. Did you notice that there are two parts in the previous sentence for you to follow? The first one gets you into Heaven where the second one produces the benefits of God’s blessings, both spiritual and physical here on earth.

When the Bible is described as “living” it means that God is revealing His purpose and His vision to us as if He is speaking verbally to us. When you study the Bible, it brings about a supernatural change in a person. If you expect answers, you must read, study and memorize the Bible. According to Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If a Bible sits somewhere and is rarely opened, don’t expect much to change in your life because you will never get the message. You will continue to rely on your 5 senses for guidance in life. God expects you to apply His word to your life so you can live victorious.

In order to come to an understanding of what the Bible is teaching, you may need to enlist the help of a Concordance or Bible dictionary or some of the many books that are available. You will be amazed at the transformation that will come about when you dwell on God’s word. I am speaking from experience.

We need to realize that bad things don’t come from God. God is love and to prove it, He sacrificed His son so you may live and not die because of sin. If the devil is in your life in any way, you and you alone gave him access to your life. Remember God gave you a free will to choose your way in life. Look at what is said in Hosea 4:6 (NKJV) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. The devil is out to destroy us and he will succeed because of our ignorance of God’s word. 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV) 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.

The Bible is very clear in its teachings. Sickness, death, poverty, sadness, hatred, strife, etc. are not in Heaven. All of the aforementioned and all bad stuff is an oppression of the devil. How can anyone believe that a God of love who is willing to give you His blessings believe otherwise? If you have let the devil come into your life in a small way, you become susceptible to his way. Neglecting God’s word is a prime target letting the devil to enter into your life. You are not able to fight him off with your human abilities because he is spirit. Read Ephesians 6:10-18 with regards to putting on the full armor of God. James 4:7 (NKJV) offers more advice; submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

You have a part to play in cooperating with God in order to see His will come to pass in your life here on earth. In order for your spiritual life to grow you must feed it just like you need to feed you physical life. The Bible is your spiritual food. If you neglect it just like your physical body, it will deteriorate. According to Matthew 4:4 (NKJV) But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

You can neglect God and His word and still exist. The problem is that you will not enjoy life the way God intended. The majority of your life will seem negative. The main excuse that people use is “ I don’t have time.” I cannot buy that excuse because of the technology that exist today. There are many ways you can enjoy God’s word if you want a renewed heart or you can live your life as it is.

There is so much to share on this subject. It is said that the Bible has over 4000 promises God wants to share with you. Jesus shares one in John 16:33 (NIV) I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:23 (NKJV) Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you.

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God. You cannot earn salvation by working for it because it is a gift from God to those who believe on His Son.

I pray that the readers of this blog will turn their life over to Jesus and receive the blessings that God offers through His Word. Let the Bible guide your life and not let the world (devil) rob you of eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

Why? Because God loves you and so do I.

CHRIST IS RISEN

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CHRIST IS RISEN

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE

Gospel of John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God loves you so much that He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross of Calvary and took our sins and nailed them to the cross. The Gospel means that Jesus was crucified and died, was buried, and rose again from the dead on the third day. He now sits at the right hand of Father awaiting to return and redeem his believers and establish His Kingdom. It is a free gift for everyone who believes in Him. Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God.

God gives us the freedom of choice between accepting His invitation of eternal life or death. Jesus said in the Gospel of John 14:6 (KJV) I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God also gave us a book of instructions. It is called the Bible. The Bible contains thousands of promises for any aspect of your life. I pray you will accept His invitation and become part of His family

May God bless you and your loved ones. Love to all.

I can be reached at the following: deanstuyvesant@gmail.com  or at            deanstuyvesant.com

Commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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COMMEMORATING THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

A week ago we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. What took place after His resurrection? The Scriptures says that He remained on earth for 40 days instead of ascending immediately into heaven.

Prior to His arrest, trial, and execution, Jesus spent three and one-half years teaching and preaching God’s message. After His resurrection, He stayed on earth 40days to show His followers that He was alive. The people knew that the Romans had put Jesus on the cross and He died, was buried with guards.

God resurrected Jesus from the tomb after three days. He became a sinless sacrifice so that man could be reconciled to God was complete. Before His final departure, Jesus needed to accomplish a few things with His disciples. According to the Bible, Jesus appeared to several people eight times in human form. This was prior to the birth of the New Testament church that occurred on Pentecost. Jesus’ appearances can be seen in both Roman and Hebrew calendar formats.

There are six meanings related to the risen life that are provided for the people that turn their lives over to Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 (NKJV) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. You cannot keep it secret. John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is the new birth. These are just two of the many references to a new (spiritual) birth.

Here are the six meanings of a risen life:

Romans 8:11 (NKJV)  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

2 Corinthians 4:10 (NKJV) always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

2 Corinthians 5:15 (NKJV) and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Colossians 3:1 (NKJV) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Colossians 3:2-3 (NKJV)  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Ephesians 2:5-6 (NKJV) even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

These are free gifts that God gives us because He loves us. If people would read the Bible, there are so many promises of God that we cannot absorb or understand how much He does love us. God put people here on earth with a free will hoping that they see the blessing He offers, not only now but for eternity. God wants everyone to become a member of His family here on earth and in His Kingdom to come for ever.

Yes, there is a condition that we receive Jesus as our Savior. This is a free gift. You don’t have to earn it, just turn your life over to Jesus. That is why Jesus came down to earth, suffered, died, buried, and rose from the dead. When you hear the word “Gospel,” that is what it refers to.

So many people pass from this life to the next without meeting God’s only condition. I hope and pray that those reading this have made the decision to join Jesus in His kingdom to come where He will be the King. Heaven will a place of love (agape) like you have never known. Many are led to believe that you have to earn your salvation, not so. You are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says that everyone is appointed to die the physical life and then comes the judgment. Don’t delay because no one is promised tomorrow.

Love to all.

FOR IT IS WRITTEN

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FOR IT IS WRITTEN

I believe that the title words Jesus spoke to Satan when He was tempted are very important to us today. We must realize and come to know that if you are born again and belong to Christ, you have the same authority over the devil as Jesus did when He walked on this earth. Jesus gave us everything He has when He died for us. You just have to believe and claim them. I did and He has.

The Bible points out three times that the devil tempted Jesus, Jesus quoted scripture. Each time, Jesus began with, “IT IS WRITTEN.”

Satan takes advantage of our circumstances when tempting us. His temptations increase if we are poor, hungry and have a strong desire for worldly possessions. The devil feeds on our lusts and desires. If we tempt the devil to tempt us, we provoke God and God will leave us to battle Satan’s temptations on our own. Since Jesus did not have a corrupt nature, He was only tempted by the devil and not by His lusts or desires.

Satan wants you to believe that he is strong and mighty. Do you realize that the devil only has the power and authority you give to him. Satan is the great deceiver, liar and intimidator. Whatever attacks and temptations he comes to you with, he only succeeds if you yield to him. Remember, Jesus did not yield to him. Satan usually goes after Christians, especially born again believers. Non-Christians already belong to him, so he does not bother with them. If Satan is bold enough to approach Jesus who was God, he sure is not afraid of a human being who do not have the authority of Jesus Christ with them.

Let me ask you, what your defenses against the devil are if you do not know what God’s Word says to do. Oh, you may know a few verses, but are they what you need to encounter Satan. Do you realize that the devil knows the scriptures, probably better than most of us and will counter your defense? Have you ever thought about, why doesn’t God hear my prayers and answer them? You are at the mercy of Satan if you are not prepared. The only solution is to have Jesus Christ in control of your life. That only comes by your surrender of your life to Him. Jesus will protect you if you belong to Him.

Do you realize that the devil’s temptations are believable? He is so cunning that he can have you believing that you are doing well when in fact you are sinning against God. Most often, Satan will fill us with pride and vain self-conceit that we get so wrapped in ourselves we neglect God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and fall into the sins of the devil. When the devil can get you to rely on your five senses to guide your life, he is winning. Our five senses lead to the opposite of what God wants because they are controlled by the flesh. Sin controls the flesh.

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit reside in the spiritual realm. In order for us to communicate with them, it must be done in the spirit. That only happens when we enter into the spiritual realm by being born again. Then like our physical life, we must grow spiritually. We must study and learn what instructions God has for us so we will grow spiritually. Our study book is the Bible.

In order for us to meet the temptations of Satan, we must do as Jesus did with plain declarations of the Scriptures. We need to know what the Bible says so we can test the matter whether it is the right thing to do or whether we are going on what we feel. Remember feel is one of the five senses.

We need to understand that Jesus did not have the New Testament to rely on. His quotations came from the Old Testament. They are from Deuteronomy 8:3 and Deuteronomy 6:16.  In the New Testament, Matthew chapter 4 and Luke chapter 4 record the story of Jesus’ temptations.

During your lifetime, whatever time that is, Satan will come into your life many, many times. He will come with the power you give him to overcome you. There will be false teachers that can lead you astray. Satan can be so impressive and so powerful that you will be deceived by him and yield to the sins that tempt you. If you are not prepared, it will overtake you. All you have to do is look around you and see how bad it is and it is going to get worse according to the Bible. Satan’s temptations are so great because our lusts are taking control of our lives. Look at the cell phone epidemic, the internet, sexual immorality, drugs, alcohol, self-desires, etc.

Praise God because there is good news. If you have given yourself to Jesus, then according to 1 Corinthians 10:13 “there is no temptations taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may able to bear [it].”

The Lord’s ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa. 55:8). The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Cor. 1:25). If God is speaking to you today, Please listen to what He is telling you to do.

EPHESIANS 6:17 NKJ  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

The sword, or weapon, of the spirit is not the Bible laying on a shelf, but God’s Word being spoken by a believer.

You must take it. Your spiritual weapon is speaking the Word of God. You must take the Word and speak it — just like Jesus did (Matthew 4:4).

Our battle is with an evil spiritual force. That means we are required to use spiritual weapons. Those weapons are speaking the Word of God. 1 Peter 5:8 says that Satan will devour those that don’t know the authority of Jesus Christ. God loves you so much He has given us authority over the devil through His Son Jesus Christ. I want you to realize the truth because I love you. Study the Bible to show thyself approved.

Additional Information re: request for repost. Early last month I requested all my family, friends, and followers to repost a blog regarding a liver donor for Doug Battles. I learned that Doug just spent 4 weeks in the hospital with 2 weeks in ICU. As stated before that Doug has been on a waiting list for over a year. The donor requirements are that they must be between 18 and 55 years of age. They must be in perfect health. Doug’s blood type is O positive. Doug’s insurance pays for donor’s medical expenses. Additional information can be found on “Let’s find Doug Battles a Liver.’ Doug lives in Greenville, PA as does his family. My request is that you will repost this request and those that receive it repost it again and again. I believe that God has someone that will consider being a donor for Doug. May the Lord bless that person and I thank everyone for prayers and consideration of this request. May the Lord bless those that repost this request? Love to all. Dean Stuyvesant

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Additional Information re: request for repost.

Early last month I requested all my family, friends, and followers to repost a blog regarding a liver donor for Doug Battles. I learned that Doug just spent 4 weeks in the hospital with 2 weeks in ICU. As stated before that Doug has been on a wait list for over a year.

The donor requirements are that they must be between 18 and 55 years of age. They must be in perfect health. Doug’s blood type is O positive. Doug’s insurance pays for donor’s medical expenses. Additional information can be found on

“Let’s find Doug Battles a Liver.’

Doug lives in Greenville, PA as doees his family. My request is that you will repost this request and those that receive it repost it again and again. I believe that God has someone that will consider being a donor for Doug. May the Lord bless that person and I thank everyone for prayers and consideration of this request. May the Lord bless those that repost this request? Love to all.

Dean Stuyvesant

THE DEVIL IS GAINING GROUND

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THE DEVIL IS GAINING GROUND

I am writing this article as a witness of my Christian belief that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, He inspired men to write what God instructed for the welfare of His creation. Since God created man with a free will to choose their destiny, we have the privilege to choose the pathway of life as we desire.

In the past year, I have witnessed political rancor and bitterness of feelings towards the President of the United States of America as I have never seen in my 60 years as a voter. I have had the privilege of voting for eleven presidents beginning with Dwight D. Eisenhower.

I support the First Amendment of the Constitution. Although the First Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech,” Americans don’t have the luxury of always saying whatever they want. Your right to free speech is limited by where you are, what you say, and how you say it. Now, it appears that we must be extra careful because of political correctness.

My point is to be a Christian witness over political ideology. According to the Bible, we are given instructions by God so that we can live a peaceful life here on earth. Where the problems come into play are because the instructions in the Bible are ignored.

Romans 13, it says “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

1st Peter 2:13, 14 and 17. “13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and praise those who do good…17 Honor everyone. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor” Peter goes on to talk about also honoring your boss as well as being willing to suffer for doing good. Those are not easy things to put into practice.

Ecclesiastes 10: 20. Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, and don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.

There are stern warnings from God concerning our speech. Matthew 12:37 says; “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Following is a list of words that the Bible considers sin. Do you connect any of the words with our present political arena? How about with our news media? How about people?

“Gossip” – “Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.”

“Rumor” – “Unverified information of uncertain origin usually spread by word of mouth; hearsay.”

“Slander” – “The utterance of defamatory statements injurious to the reputation or well-being of a person. … A malicious statement or report.”

“Backbite” – “To speak spitefully or slanderously about (a person).”

“Talebearer” – “A person who spreads malicious stories or gossip.”

“Rail” – “To condemn or attack in bitter, harsh, or abusive language…”

“Revile” – “To denounce with abusive language.”

Have you ever been a victim of false statements? I have and it is not a situation that I would wish on anyone. Fortunately, Jesus was with me and I was exonerated of the false statements. Some people accuse others of doing wrong when they do not know it to be true.

I believe that the deterioration of our great country is due to Satan’s influence of deceit. It all began when God was taken out of daily lives. Today, it continues to be an ongoing trend with a greater influence. Is the devil gaining ground in his war against Christianity and the foundations that America was built on?  Satan has got us spending so much time on judging others that we have lost our prospective of life.

According to Romans 3:23. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. According to Acts 4:12, neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:10, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

So, is there a solution to the way our country is going? Yes, if we would follow God’s instructions in His Holy Word, the Bible..

2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Mark 12: 30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

I look forward to the day that America and the world will experience a revival and many will come to Jesus Christ and His salvation. Hopefully many will do so soon. I pray that you will consider the Lords invitation as He loves you and so do I.

THE WORDS YOU SPEAK, THAT’S WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE.

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THE WORDS YOU SPEAK, THAT’S WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE.

Before I begin my topic, I want to wish all a Happy New Year. For those that have received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, may the Lord bless you with the desires of your heart? For those that haven’t, may you consider the invitation of Jesus to enter into His eternal gift of salvation? It is a free gift with many promises. The most important is eternal life with Him in His kingdom.

I have written a blog sometime back similar to this. With some, they are able to control their tongue, others speak like the words come from a cesspool. The Bible tells us that we will account for what we speak according to Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the Day of Judgment. Also in Proverbs 6:2 (NKJ) it says; you are snared by the words of your own mouth, you are taken by the words of your mouth.

Words are powerful, they can get you into trouble, and you can curse others of which the devil can then place on a person. You can speak ungodly things and consider them innocent. I ask you, does God? Whether you are a Christian or not you will be held accountable for every idle word regardless if it slipped out of your mouth or not. When you have true faith in Christ it produces obedience. If a Christian is guilty of such behavior, they need to confess and repent and receive God’s forgiveness.

When you speak aloud, the Devil can take your words and put them into action. Most people don’t realize that Satan is the one who increases the problem. When you confess to being a Christian, you cannot praise the Lord one day and speak against God or someone the next. Christians should not willfully practice sin. I know that there are going to be some that will say it is no big deal. I believe that if it wasn’t a big deal, then God would not have made a point of telling us that we need to tame our tongue according to the Book of James.

Jesus said that you will have what you say. It will depend on you faith or your doubt or whether you have His salvation or not. Those that have not received Jesus’ invitation for salvation cannot expect to receive His blessings. On the other hand, you can believe on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoy His blessings according to Mark 11:23 (NKJV) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Oh, what a promise. Is there any reason to do otherwise? There is a lot we don’t understand but we must realize that we are responsible for our own destiny. You must know that God loves you more than you love yourself. He already proved this by sacrificing His Son for our sins and Jesus shedding His blood to cover them.

We are entering a new year and you can add a new resolution that you would consider receiving Jesus Christ’s invitation of salvation. If you do, God and the Heavenly Kingdom will rejoice. I love you and pray you don’t delay in making the most important decision of your life.