TO READ, TO STUDY, OR TO MEDITATE?

TO READ,TO STUDY, OR TO MEDITATE?

How do you discover what the Bible says to you? Are you following God’s Word on what He wants you to know to follow Him?

READ

If you are a reader of the Bible, there are benefits of showing you God’s character and provide some revelation of himself. You may learn how holy, faithful, and loving He is.

Also, you may come to know what God wants you to do. If you read Matthew 22:37-38 you will find that God wants us to love Him with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. You will learn that this is the first and greatest commandment.

Do you know that God speaks to us through the Bible. Reading the Bible is like a baby drinking milk. What you begin to learn will be the introduction to your spiritual growth.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God’s world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose. Psalm 23:2-3 says God will lead us.

You should not begin to read the Bible by jumping in and reading Revelation. My suggestion is to begin with 1,2,3,John or the Gospel of John. Otherwise, you may become discouraged. Another suggestion is to find a translation that is easy for you to read.

According to 2 Timothy3:16-17; All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God be complete, equipped for every good work. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. You need to focus on the important things. One of the rules of reading the Bible is found is found in James 4:17; Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is a sin.

STUDY

The second part of my message is about studying the Bible. Studying helps us to understand God and serve Him more efficiently. You need to understand that when God asks us to do something, He will reveal Himself to you so much more. You will learn about Him, depend on Him, Thank Him, and love others as He loves you.

Studying helps you seek out learning, wisdom, God’s will, faith, and much more. Jesus tells us to learn of me in Matthew 11:29. Take my yoke upon you and you will learn from me. The word yoke is a free gift to us that requires a willing submission on our part. It leads us to a posture of surrender and trust.

The Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy 2:15 to study to show ourselves approved. Studying the Bible opens your understanding. There are many topics to chose from in the Bible. When you study the Bible you will encounter blessings, hope, answered prayers, guidance, and so much more.

MEDITATE

Below are some Scriptures that refer to meditation.

Both Psalm 1 and Psalm 119 are calling believers to mediate on the Scriptures. Your life will be blessed with a  nourishment of God’s source. When you meditate on God’s Word, you will receive a receptive heart by the working of the Holy Spirit.

 Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night.

Psalm 119:48 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.

Ephesians 4:23 And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.

Matthew 4:4  But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

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

Ephesians 4:23  And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.”

Colossians 3:2   Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

One of the most important factors of reading, studying, and meditation is searching for TRUTH. Regardless of what you may have heard, read, or seen; it must totally agree with what the Scriptures says. This is where the help of the Holy Spirit comes in. Don’t rely on your senses for God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit work in the Spiritual realm and so must you to know the truth and the truth will set you free according to John 8:32.

What ever method you choose in looking into God’s Word is beneficial. The deeper you investigate God’s Word, the closer you come to Him and the closer He comes to you. Life is all about choices. We can make wise choices or foolish ones. It’s your choice.

Jesus loves you and so do Is

DO YOU BELIEVE OR DON’T BELIEVE?

DO YOU BELIEVE OR DON’T BELIEVE?
According to a book called the Bible, this book was given to people for instructions on living our lives here on earth and preparation for the hereafter. The Bible was given to us by God through the Holy Spirit’s leadership of men and women chosen to write instructions for us to follow.
Ever since the Bible was created, it has been the most sought-after publication ever written. Also, it has been the target for destruction or prohibited from the public on several different occasions.
What is so interesting is that it still exists. I believe that it still is a popular book because it is a book that has with stood attempts to destroy it by the many ways of satan and his followers.
God and His Bible receive numerous accusations that God and His Word are lies since there is so much suffering and disasters taking place on a regular basis and God doesn’t do anything about it. That is just one example.
So, let’s look at other reasons why there is so much pain and suffering in our world today. The main reason is satan also known as the devil and he is real. Since he is not omnipresent, as God is, he has many demons, fallen angels, evil spirits, evil forces, and human followers at his disposal. They are constantly attacking people and things to create problems.
Another main problem is with people. There is apathy regarding lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern, with what the Bible instructs us to be and do. There is an ignorance factor because we do not take time to acquaint ourselves with the book of instructions.
2 Timothy 2:15 KJV;NKJV – Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. That verse tells us to study. It does not just say to read. There is a big difference between studying and reading. Anyone who studies the Bible will come to know the truth and the truth will set you free according to John 8:32.
When Jesus redeemed mankind, He restored to us dominion through His Name. The responsibility for what we allow to happen on earth lies on the Christian, because Jesus has given us His authority.
Matthew 18:18 NKJV – “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
God gave mankind dominion on earth. Our failure to know what the Bible is instructing us do will cause us to do nothing and that will cause problems in our lives. All you must do is look at the way our world is going. Look at the events that are happening in America today. Does anyone think that this is what God wants? Remember that God gave us dominion. Somehow it appears we are giving dominion over to the devil. I believe that very few people know what the Bible tells us because of ignorance and lack of believing what it says.
Luke 22:67 NKJV “If You are the Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe.
No one can force anyone to believe anything. Each one of us chooses whether we will believe something, based on our belief of the evidence presented to us. True evidence is in the Bible. Many of the events mentioned in the Bible have been proven and taken place to prove that the Bible is accurate. According to some statistics, there are approximately 2500 prophecies listed in the Bible. Of those listed approximately 2000 have been fulfilled. You are free to believe or not believe. It’s your choice.

Bible reading in America has dramatically decreased; people who do read their Bibles experience significant hope in their lives. When we read the Bible daily, it reminds us of how God has worked in ages past and what He will do for us in years to come. Someday the shock of reality will be revealed to you.

Faith and belief may have different English meanings, but in the New Testament they are different forms of the same Greek word. Believe is the verb and Faith is the noun for the same word.
Instead of people putting their belief in the Bible, they put faith in a person, a church, or someone’s book, or some other means. Why not the Bible? Maybe because it requires effort, time, interruption of job, fun or some other excuse. Whatever you put before God is a sin according to the Bible.
Either we trust God’s Word and His promises, or we live outside of His instructions and live a life of misery. Believe or don’t believe, the choice is yours. It’s never too late to make the right choice for God is love, peace, and joy and a whole lot more.

Bible reading in America has dramatically decreased. If you have lived during the 1930’s to present, you have seen a difference in life then and now. I believe it centers around the loss of following God’s instructions. Biblical knowledge and history illustrates the deterioration.

Today, people who do read their Bibles experience significant hope in their lives. People who study the Bible have a better insight of what God is planning. The Bible gives us knowledge of what God has done in the past and what He will do in the future.
I don’t contend that this life is perfect, but it is a lot better when Jesus Christ is in your life. We must trust the Word of God and His promises or suffer the consequences.
Along with reading and studying the Bible, there needs to be the companion of prayer. Prayer is an important part of our relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is love. He suffered and died for everyone and is alive. He awaits your choice. He loves you and so do I.
For me to help others become acquainted with God’s Word, may I ask you to forward this message and free Bible offer to anyone who will help spread the Gospel. God Bless!
To help those that may not have a Bible, I am offering a free paperback copy, postage paid, of the New International Version (NIV) of the New Testament published by the International Bible Society. This copy is in English only and is only available to residents in the continental United States. This offer will only last as copies are available. Only one copy per address. I only ask that you are sincere about looking into God’s Word.
To place an order or answer any questions, please send an email with complete name and address to the following address: deanstuyvesant@gmail.com

WHAT WOULD I BE WITHOUT JESUS?

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

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) 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.

Free Copies

FREE COPIES
I have 40 brand new copies of THE RIVER OF LIFE Holy Bible, New International Version of the New Testament. It is paper back. It is published by International Bible Society, Colorado Springs, CO. The Bible is free plus I will pay the postage to ship only within the continental United States. The limit is one per address. You may order by contacting me at: deanstuyvesant@gmail.com. Please include your complete name and address with zip code. If you have any questions, please contact me at my email. Please forward to anyone that may be interested. This is a good starter Bible.  God loves you and the Bible will show you how much. When these are gone, the offer expires. Love to all.

FOR IT IS WRITTEN

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.