spirit

BROKENNESS

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BROKENNESS

There are several definitions of brokenness. I want to look at the Biblical reference of the subject.

Brokenness, in God’s eyes, is being so crushed by the sin darkness of the world that we recognize there is no place to turn but to God.

You may ask why should we go through brokenness? When we are broken, God transforms our sinful lives into something that gives Him glory. In other words, you give Him the ability to clean you up, He puts His righteousness in you, and gets you headed in the right direction.

You and I will never meet God in revival until we first meet Him in brokenness. 

Important examples of brokenness is where Jesus went through agony at Gethsemane as stated in Mark 14:32-42, Matthew 27:45-46, Also, in Hebrews 2:18, where it says that Jesus was broken and suffered so that could relate to our needs.

When God created man, He gave human beings the power to make choices regarding their destiny. He did so that He would not be dictating their lives. We now have the responsibility to make choices. So,  if you make a bad choice and things go bad, don’t blame God.

Some choices you will make or not are, believing and receiving Jesus as Savior or not? The choice is yours. Is my name written in the Book of Life or not? The choice is yours. Reading, studying, believing, and following what the Bible says or not? The choice is yours. Some choices may be easy, and some may be difficult. The  eternal road to God’s Kingdom will cause some unwilling to go off course and chose another eternal destiny.

It appears that the present generation has been programmed to pursue happiness in whatever form to satisfy their pleasures. I can assure you that God is not interested in this direction as that kind of happiness will not last. God is more interested in making us like His Son Jesus. That is the pathway to holiness with humility and brokenness. God’s eternal kingdom is the opposite of what we have here on earth where satan has access to our lives.

Brokenness is a choice. Brokenness is not a feeling; rather, it is a choice, an act of our will. In most cases it is not a one-time experience. It most likely is an ongoing process.

If you don’t make a choice, you have made a choice!

What does God say about choices? According to Galatians 6:7-9, whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. A man reaps what he sows.

God is urging us to make serious and deliberate choices toward the conclusion of His purpose. He requires us to commit and make decisions. Remaining neutral is not an option. His issues are plainly defined: obedience vs. disobedience, life vs. death, good vs. evil. Every one of us have a choice: we can make excuses or follow God’s instructions as outlined in the Bible. God created us so we are free to follow Jesus or free to follow satan. It is a choice you make. If you make the wrong choice, who is going to be your advocate?

Scripture tells us that Jesus is close to those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. In our brokenness, it is important to know that we are not alone and that there is great hope. You may think the Scriptures are all rules and regulations. That is far from the truth. They have many purposes; one is to help you overcome satan’s temptations and lies. The most important is to have Jesus and His gift of salvation.

Have you ever noticed that test and trials, tend to draw us closer to God? That’s because subconsciously we realize, we cannot overcome it, in it of yourselves. Our power or intellect cannot make our current struggle, pain, anxiety go away completely. It can only offer temporary relief.  

We need Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Deuteronomy 30:15–20 NKJV 15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 rI announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. 19 sI call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that tI have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your ulife and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers,


In our brokenness, it is important to know that we are not alone and that there is great hope. God has provided us with the  scriptures to encourage us when we have lost our way and to keep us going. 

The following paragraphs are some definitions of characteristics of broken people.

Broken people know that they can’t do anything of eternal value in their own strength. They understand only as they rest in Jesus Christ and allow Him to do His work in them and through them.

Broken people are Kingdom-oriented. They understand that what truly matters is getting to know God and getting to know who I am in Him as stated in Matthew 6:33.

Broken people have laid down their rights in front of God. They understand in reality that God is the giver of all good things. God has provided everything that sustains your life. They are grateful when important things occur in their lives but accept the fact that life does not turn out the way they would like it to be.

Broken people do not have to know everything, have a plan, being in control, and know everything that’s going on. They rest in Jesus Christ trusting Him to know and choose what they need to know.

Broken people cease doing things their way and learn to do them God’s way instead. Through their submissiveness, Atonement can take effect and true repentance can occur.

These are a few of the characteristics that God is making a difference through.

 God uses broken things and broken people to do great things. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are looking for those that will make a choice for them. Will you make the right choice or not?

I want to point out a couple especially important Bible verses that require a choice.

Acts 4:13 KJV says that, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name (Jesus Christ) under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

There is only one name to whom God has given authority by which one can experience salvation and that is Jesus. No one else has that power or authority.

In Revelation 20:12 KJV, stated that: and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the BOOK of LIFE: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

I would say that what is written in those verses are what choices people have made or did not make in their life here on earth. Again, I ask, Have you made the right choices or not? It is never too late as long as you are still breathing.

In closing, I pray that everyone will really consider the relationship they have with Jesus Christ. God wants you to freely give yourself over to Him. He created you and wants you to be part of His eternal family. Many have ignored the Bible, Jesus’ invitation, due to their choice of what you think of what you will give up. What you will give up is nothing compared to what God offers you in exchanged. It is either what God offers or what the  devil offers you. I guarantee you won’t like the latter. It will be your choice or not.

Many people have said that they will make a choice tomorrow. Proverbs 27:1 NIV Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. Do what you need to do today. Don’t wait to receive Jesus. Don’t put off doing the will of God.

Today, Jesus said, “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

Psalms 51 is a prayer that can help you along the way. It’s a choice!

Jesus loves you  and so do I.

“IN CHRIST”

deanstuyvesant , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“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.

IN CHRIST

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“IN CHRIST”

When you see these words, what does it mean to you? There are 160 identity “in Christ” verses in the Bible. From the Book of Romans through Philemon it is identified in the New King James Version 83 times, in the King James Version it is mentioned 81 times and in the Book of Philemon it is mentioned in one chapter 3 times. In the Book of Ephesians, “in Christ” is mentioned at least 27 times. For God to mention this so many times, it must be very important.

I believe that God is showing us that there has to be a special relationship, a vital union through faith between Jesus Christ and you. In order for this to take place, Jesus in His own words tells us in John 3:3 – 8, you must be born again. When this takes place you enter into the spiritual realm. A new birth into the spiritual realm is an act of God. Without this new birth, you remain in the physical realm. You have to understand that God is Spirit. That is why when Jesus was taken into Heaven, He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit communicates with humans in the spiritual realm. A human being is made up of a body, soul, and spirit.

When you live in the physical realm, self and pride rule your body and soul. You need to realize that the flesh is a destroyer. It is all temporary. As long as you continue to listen and follow your fleshly desires, you will continue to serve them. Satan controls the physical realm for now. He lies and convinces people that it is Ok to live this way.

If you study God’s Word you will know that dying to self is vital to living the Christian life. It is the reality of the new birth in the spiritual realm. No one can come to Jesus Christ unless they are willing to crucify the old life and begin to live “in Christ.” You must come to a determination not to live for oneself and live “in Christ.” It means that you need to have a mental check and be truthful with where your life is headed.

Satan receives his authority from those who are not under the blood of Jesus Christ. Satan works his power through people that give into his temptations and desires. Just look at the condition of our world today. When a person has not or does not put themselves “in Christ,” they are putting themselves in the devil’s hand.

I believe from my own personal experiences that God through Jesus Christ has given me authority over Satan and his demons, evil spirits and his followers. I will admit that I don’t use it as much as I should. One of my experiences is in an article that I wrote titled Faith vs. Cancer. You may be able to access with your browser.

According to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark 11:12 – 26 He said that what so ever you desire when you pray, “believe,” or in other words have faith in the promises of what God. Also in the Gospel of Mark 10:18 KJV it says; Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. The aforementioned verses are just two of the many promises that God has given to those who receive His Son, Jesus Christ as their Savior. You must be born again and enter into the spiritual realm. This where your spirit comes together with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes an intercessor and presents your prayers to God. This is one of the steps to having prayers answered. Have you prayed and it seems that there is no answer to your prayer. You need to understand that God is in the spiritual realm. When you are “in Christ,” God has given you all that He has given Jesus. To some this may be hard to understand. God has given you the freedom to choose your destiny and the benefits that go with your choice.

Look closely at Ephesians 2: 8 KJV where it says for by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Vs 9, Not of works, lest any man should boast. God provides the grace and you must put action in faith. Many separate these two words. Beginning in Genesis through Revelation God is looking for those that have faith in Him, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit and God’s Holy Word. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith requires action on our part. Could this be the reason so many prayers don’t see an answer.

There is so much more to this subject. I recommend that you read and study God’s Word so that you can come to know the truth and the truth will set you free. In our world today many terrible things are taking place and God is getting a lot of the blame. In defense of God and He doesn’t need it, God is a god who loves us so much that He gave His Son to die for our sins. I ask all those who blame God, would you sacrifice your son for other people’s sins and express your unconditional love? Love of God and others seems to be something we talk about but there is little action. Our faith in God requires action on our part. Maybe then we will come to be “in Christ.” Love to all.

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

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Who Do You Think You Are?

Have you ever thought about your creative being? The Bible tells us that we were created in three parts: body, soul, and spirit. We need to understand that the soul and spirit are not the same although they interact. Man is a triune being because he is created in the image of God. The Bible is very clear on this subject.

Genesis 1:26 – 27 (KJV) 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. 27 So God created man in His own image, male and female created he them.

Since God created us in His image, it would stand to reason that we have a spirit.

John 4:24 (KJV) 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.

Spirit beginning with a capital “S” refers to the Holy Spirit. Spirit beginning with a small “s” refers to mans spirit. The above verse indicates that man must worship God in spirit, small “s.” In other words, the Holy Spirit must connect to man’s spirit in order to have a relationship.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit (Holy) does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Let us look at the makeup of the body, soul and spirit of man.

* The body of man is the outer layer of his being. It is made up with the five senses: ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste,’ and ‘Touch.’

* The soul(mind) of man is the next inner layer of his being. Genesis 2:7: and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

The soul (mind) is made up of man’s ‘Imagination,’ ‘Conscience,’ ‘Memory,’ ‘Reason,’ and ‘Affection.’

* The spirit of man is the innermost part of man.

The spirit and the soul (mind) of man will have an interaction with each other. The spirit of man receives communication from the Holy Spirit with regards to ‘Faith,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Reverence,’ ‘Prayer,’ and ‘Worship.’ Now, these elements must interact with the soul (mind). This is accomplished by what is stated in the following verse.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (soul). Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Man’s natural desire is to satisfy the needs of the body and he loses sight of what God wants. Your body is not the real you, it is something you possess. You need to remember that the body will go back to dust. The soul (mind) and spirit continue to exist at the discretion of God.

Let us look at what John 3:6 – 7 (NIV) says: 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit (capital “S”) gives birth to the spirit (“small “s”). 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, The Spirit (Holy) gives birth to spirit (man). The part of you that is born again is your spirit. The spirit sends a message to your soul. Now, you are in communication with the Holy Spirit who will lead you into the truth.

Only one thing blocks man’s spirit from being born again and that is his will. When you surrender that will, the Holy Spirit is able to take up residence in your spirit. You are to bring your body and soul (mind) under control. You control these by what feed your mind with.  It is written that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that love Him, 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Many people are content to remain in the same old condition. Yet, they confess that they get little or nothing from reading the Bible. Oh, they may attend church regularly  and even read the Bible regularly. The key to a regeneration is spoken by Jesus Christ and written in John 3:7: you must be born again. The deep things of the Bible and Jesus Christ will never be understood outside of the spiritual realm. Only when the Holy Spirit is connected with your spirit will you ever know the truth and then the truth will set you free, John 8:32. Don’t let satan rob you (and he will if you let him) of the blessings God wants you to have, if you continue to resist surrendering your will to Jesus Christ.

One day and it may be soon, Jesus will return to gather His believers. Also, you are not promised tomorrow. The Bible is clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJ): Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Notice that spirit is mentioned first.

According to the Bible, there is only one way for salvation and that is by and through Jesus Christ. Seek and you will find the truth. Love to all.