Author: Susan Osten

My name is Susan Osten, and my MISSION for this website is to be an extension of Jesus’ love. I was fifteen years old when God placed His hand upon me. I responded to His call by asking my dad about becoming a Nun. Four years later, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. God placed the desire in my heart to help people and work in the ministry. I was hired by my Pastor, to be their bookkeeper and church secretary. After I went to work for the church, I became involved in the ministry; teaching children and the "Singles." I opened my home to widows to provide them with companionship and encouragement, and I hosted monthly, Christian Women's Breakfasts at a nearby Holiday Inn. After about eight years, I became a minister, and established a church called, "Faith In Action." The church provided encouragement, food, clothes, and gifts to those in homeless shelters, and battered women's shelters. After receiving a number of donated computers from the congregation, the church was made available to teach people who wished to learn computer skills, to obtain better jobs. Presently, I am blessed to be serving the Lord as the administrator of two Facebook Pages: Help End Scleroderma †, Support Scleroderma Awareness: WE NEED A CURE and one Facebook Group: Scleroderma Hug Group.

Becoming Resilient: How to Recover When You’ve Lost Faith

by Susan Osten, posted in Becoming Resilient: How to Recover When You've Lost Faith, Deliverance from the Occult

Tests, pressure, setbacks, failure, and trouble can expose the condition of our faith. We need Bible verses about resilience to help us believe that those challenges don’t have to own us.

Resilience is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, tragedy or significant sources of stress.

No matter who we are, or how life is currently going, one thing that is inevitable is that our faith will be tested.

These challenges can range from our everyday struggles and disappointments to life changing losses. The quality of our faith – our faith in God, our faith in relationships, and our faith in life – is revealed during these times of testing.

  • Be a builder, not a storm chaser
  • Be a learner, not a quitter
  • Be prayerful through failure

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

James 1:2-4 MSG

Tests, pressure, setbacks, failure, and trouble force our faith into the open and reveal its true colors. We need Bible verses about resilience like this to help us believe that those challenges don’t have to own us.

What obstacles are you facing in your life that God is using  to mature, develop and prepare you for the next stage of your life?

Be a builder, not a storm chaser

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

A storm is something that is challenging and disruptive to our lives, and can lead to emotional tumult. Think health, kids, marriage, emotions…all of these areas are essentially out of our control, and can weigh heavy on us if something goes awry.

Storm chasers follow behind storms for a variety of reasons – some are thrill-seekers, some are meteorologists studying weather patterns. In the context of Matthew 7, we’ll define a storm chaser simply as someone who lives in constant reaction to the next storm of life.

A builder, on the other hand, tries to get ahead of storms. Builders spend their time and energy on ensuring that their foundation is as solid as it needs to be in order to stand firm during the storms of life. Being a builder means examining how aligned your life is with the Bible.

Storm chasers focus on:

Emotions – how do I mitigate my feelings?

Circumstances – how do I make my life as smooth as possible?

People – how do I make sure people like me?

Builders are:

Responsive – understand how God is helping me to adapt

Learners – understand how God is calling me to grow

God focused – understanding God is in control, so I don’t have to worry

A builder is resilient because they have worked to build a solid foundation; their faith in God remains intact even when it’s battered by wind, rain, and floods. Let’s assess how we are building and make the choice to build on the solid foundation.

Reflection questions

Do you think you are a storm chaser or a builder? Why?

When you go through storms, do you tend to focus most on people, circumstances, your own emotions, or understanding how God is calling you to grow?

How can you start practicing thinking like a builder today?

Be a learner, not a quitter

5 And have you forgotten his encouraging words spoken to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t underestimate the value of the discipline and training of the Lord God, or get depressed when he has to correct you. 6 For the Lord’s training of your life is the evidence of his faithful love. And when he draws you to himself, it proves you are his delightful child.”

Hebrews 12:5-6 TPT

When our faith is tested, scripture teaches us that we respond in one of three ways:

Underestimating – we diminish and ignore the value of discipline by minimizing, rationalizing or justifying our actions. Essentially, we refuse to change.

Get depressed – We quit by going through the motions, by being angry or by blaming.

Learn – We embrace God’s training by facing facts, taking responsibility and changing.

Being a learner allows us to build resiliency by facing life challenges with a faithful attitude, instead of getting angry, hard-hearted or depressed.

Now all discipline seems to be more pain than pleasure at the time, yet later it will produce a transformation of character, bringing a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who yield to it.

Hebrews 12:11 TPT

In order to have a transformation of faith and character, we must change our attitude about learning.

Reflection questions

Do you see learning as a pain or pleasure?

How are you responding to God’s training in your life?

How does your view of God need to change in order to embrace his training?

Be prayerful through failure

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:31-32 (NLT)

Failure is only fatal when it is absent of faith. After Peter experienced spiritual failure, Jesus encourages him. It’s one of many stories of resilience in the Bible that give us a blueprint for handling discouragement and setbacks today.

Three things we learn from this scripture:

We are fighting a spiritual battle and the fight is for our faith. It’s all too easy to focus on our life conditions or how we feel about the people around us, all the while forgetting that Satan is constantly trying to steal our faith.

Prayer is how we keep and strengthen our faith. We can spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and feeling instead of praying to God. Prayer strengthens our faith.

When we change, we help others to change. We can use everything we go through to help strengthen others.

Faith is what gives us the ability to take anything in life, including our humbling failures, and turn them into experiences that drive us to love others. Prayer helps keep us focused on God throughout this process, so we don’t get stuck in the weeds about how we feel. It is how we rely on God for the strength and resilience needed to learn from our failures and change.

Reflection questions

How is Satan trying to steal your faith?

Are you feeling, thinking, and talking more than praying to God for help?

Whose faith can you strengthen and inspire based on the lessons you have learned through failure?

The following passages describe several ways for your to develop real faith and spiritual resilience. Take time today to consider how you can make a real comeback by tackling these issues.

John 6:63 – Rely on the Word

John 6:33 – Obey the scriptures

Psalms 131 – Repent of pride

Proverbs 14:30 – Deal with Envy

Isaiah 42:5-7 – Change a life

Source:

Excerpts from Becoming Resilient: How to Recover When You’ve Lost Faith

Deep Spirituality Devotionals

http://www.deepspirituality.com

Author:  Staff Writer

December 16, 2019

Top Ten Cults in America

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult, Top Ten Cults in America

The following are the ten most dangerous groups in America today…

(1) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (Mormonism) A very subtle, spiritual deception started in 1830 by Joseph Smith. This aggressively evangelistic group contends that it is the only true Church and that all Christians outside Mormonism are following a deficient Gospel and a false Christ.

(2) The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses) Militantly anti-historic Christian tenets. This group began in the 1870s with Charles Taze Russell. They not only deny the essentials of the Christian faith, but the control exercised over the membership is highly destructive.

(3) The Church of Scientology A do-it-yourself salvation, science fiction group that masquerades as the true Church, lightly sprayed with a thin veneer of Christianity. Seeks to destroy through litigation and character assassination those who speak out against the group.

(4) The Twelve Tribes This group began in the early 1970s with Elbert Eugene Spriggs. They claim that salvation can only be found by giving all possessions to them and living in their community. All personal decision-making power is given over to leadership.

(5) The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (Unification Church) Founded in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, this highly authoritarian and destructive group teaches that Jesus failed on the cross. Moon is now the mediator between God and man.

(6) The International Churches of Christ (Boston Movement) This highly evangelistic group which began in 1978 with Kip McKean embraces most of the main tenets of the historic Church. Teaches that it is the only true Church and is highly authoritarian, with immense control over members’ lives.

(7) The Family (Children of God) This communal group was founded by David “Moses” Berg. A strange mixture of basic Christian tenets and almost total sexual license. Very controlling and manipulative.

(8) Christian Identity Movement (Aryan Nations, Christian Identity Church, Klu Klux Klan, etc.) A loose-knit confederation of various small groups that are militantly antigovernmental and conspiracy-driven. Each group holds differing, deviant Christian tenets. All hold to Caucasians being the descendants of the ten “lost” Tribes of Israel, God’s true people.

(9) The Nation of Islam (Black Muslims) Began in the 1930s by W. D. Fard. Group teaches that the black man is good, the white man is the devil, and that Jesus was merely a prophet. Highly controlling group.

(10) United Pentecostal Church (UPC) A highly controlling, legalistic group that was formed in 1945. This group denies the Trinity and teaches that to be saved one must be baptized in the name of Jesus only.

More about cults With so many denominations and religions, how can I decide which are true and which are false? Answer

First, there is theological consideration. How consistent are the group’s beliefs with the basic tenets of the historic Christian faith? This evaluates the eternal significance of such beliefs.

Second, there is the social-psychological consideration. How are power, authority, and control exercised in the group? This evaluates techniques of manipulation and mind control.

Source: Excerpts from Bob Pardon’s “Top Ten Cults in America.”  He is the Director of the New England Institute of Religious Research. Please read their “Copy Right Laws” before you copy, distribute, or change this document in any way. Thank you! http://www.neirr.org

Please pray for all those who are entangled in the Occult. They have difficulties or complicated circumstances from which it is difficult to escape.

In ✝️ Christian Love, Susan Osten

“Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat.” 1 Peter 5:8 (ERV) Easy-to-Read Version

God Wants You to Know the “TRUTH!”

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 (KJV)

The truth is God loves all humanity, and He proved His tremendous love for humanity by sacrificing His only Son, Jesus, to atone for humanities’ sins.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

We can’t earn salvation; we are saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. All you have to do is believe you are a sinner, that Christ died for your sins, and ask His forgiveness. Then turn from your sins—that’s called repentance. Jesus Christ knows you and loves you.

What matters to Him is the attitude of your heart, your honesty.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”  Romans 8:5-6 (ESV)

Would you like to receive God’s forgiveness?

Pray the following prayer:

Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:10 (NIV)

If you prayed the prayer, above: you are now, God’s child! Pray to your heavenly Father: tell Him what kind of help you need.

“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11 (NLT)

– Billy Graham

Find a home church as soon as possible, also ask your Pastor about being baptized.

Christian baptism is a voluntary ceremony whereby a person publicly declares he or she has come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Christian baptism is performed by dipping the believer under water and lifting him or her up again, symbolically representing the believer’s acceptance of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for their sins. CompellingTruth.org

When you find a church to attend, please be sure Jesus is the main focus and the Word of God (Bible) is being taught.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”  Matthew 7:15 (KJV)

Cults are sometimes, violent and very controlling, so if you prayed the prayer above: DO NOT JUMP THE GUN! Be sure that you have thought-out your next move, very carefully. Always remember…

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1 (ESV)

I pray that God will protect you from any danger, and for His love to flood your heart, everyday, as you begin your new life, with Jesus, who will be forever by your side.

“…God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrew 13:5 (NIV)

In ✝️Christian Love, Susan Osten

Should Not a People Inquire of Their God?

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult, Without Faith, People Turn Everywhere for Assurance

“…Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19)

Without Faith, people turn everywhere for assurance, even in the most useless and pathetic directions. People turn even to the quiet stars, studying the signs of the Zodiac, looking for signs of good luck, casing around like shipwrecked sailors for a rock on which to cling.  Isaiah observed all this nearly 3,000 years ago and said…

“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living.” (Isaiah 8:19).

The man who fears God fears nothing. This is what the Lord says…

“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though their nations are terrified by them.” (Jeremiah 10:2)

We recognize God in all His awesome power to Save us, and nothing has greater power. Agreed?

By Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke

Prayer For All Those Involved Satanism, Witchcraft and The Occult

Dear Jesus, please set free all those practicing Witchcraft, and those who are involved in the Occult. Jesus, please send Your laborers across their paths. Please shine Your light brightly on their dark paths, so they can, without doubt, see what grave danger they’re in, if they continue down the path they’re on. Jesus, please open their eyes, so that they may see what You have done for them through your incomprehensible love; by becoming a sacrificial lamb, enduring unimaginable suffering during Your crucifixion, death, and burial. Give them the faith to believe Your Word in Romans 10:9, that says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is LORD,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Beware of False Prophets…


I John 4:1 (NIV), “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.”



 

Would you like to receive God’s forgiveness? Please click on the link below:

https://jesusiswaitingwithopenarms.com/2021/01/06/god-wants-you-to-know-the-truth/(opens in a new tab)

In✝️Christian Love, Susan Osten

The WORKS of His Hands

by Susan Osten, posted in God's Creations, The WORKS of His Hands

Prelude:

Sometimes, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us in unusual ways.

In late October 2020, my husband and I decided to fix our broken bee. It sat on our porch for seven years; barely surviving a hurricane.

My husband spackled the holes in the bee’s side and stomach. After the spackle dried, I began painting the bee. I couldn’t settle on just several different colors, so I went to the Dollar General Store and purchased some fake jewels. I began to glue the jewels onto the bee’s wings and neck.

Shortly, after I began painting and gluing the jewels on the bee, I had a doctor’s appointment in which, I mentioned to my doctor that I was restoring a decorative bee. He asked to see a photo of it. After he looked at the photo of my bee, he turned to his credenza, pulled out an article and handed it to me. It was titled “The WORKS of His Hands.”

In † Christian Love, Susan Osten

There’s a hole in the bucket

By Stuart Wachowicz

In the amazing catalogue of living things that fill the earth, one discovers a myriad of examples of incredible intricacy that demonstrate just how complex life-forms and their cycles can be.

Flowers, the reproductive organs of flowering plants (angiosperms), are a case in point. We can easily marvel at the delicacy of a cherry blossom, a rose, or a lily. One flower, however, is particularly captivating, both in its design and in the manner in which it conscript an unsuspecting assistant to ensure the survival of its species.

Of Buckets and Bees Coryanthes speciosa and Stanhopea grandiflora, the two species of “bucket orchids,” native to the tropical areas of Mexico, Central and South America, and Trinidad. These members of the orchid family produce a flower that is uniquely beautiful in the plant kingdom. They also have a very sophisticated means of reproduction that requires the services of specific species of “orchid bees.” There are about 250 species of orchid bee, which are some of the most ostentatious of the be kind, noted for their jewel-like appearance (Stephen Buchmann, “Orchid Bees,” U.S. Dept. of Agriculture). Two subspecies of orchid bee, Euglossa meriana and Euglossa cordata, are just the right size, weight, and shape to be of assistance to the bucket orchid (Geoff Chapman, “Orchids…a witness to the Creator,” Creation magazine, September 1996).

Notice their jewel-like appearance.

The males of a particular subspecies of these bees will only visit one subspecies of bucket orchid, ensuring that no cross-Pollination of this delicate flower will occur. Each subspecies of bucket orchid secretes a scented, oily perfume, which is produced in the upper hood of the flower. Because each bucket orchid species produces a unique scent, useful in attracting its own species of orchid bee, and because of the highly specialized process involved, cross pollination is prohibited by design. The scent the males see will only attract a female of his species, maintaining the integrity of the system for both plant and pollinator. The male bees fill special pouches on their hind legs with it, using the perfume to attract lady friends, and they will endure any hardship to smell their best.

The Trap Is Sprung! The upper part of the flower, in which the plant produces its oily perfume, has a waxy surface, made more slippery by the perfume itself. As bees go about collecting their treasure, they usually slip and fall into the lower part of the flower – the “bucket” that gives the flower its name. Above the bucket is a gland that drips a watery fluid through a spigot, keeping the bucket partially filled. This species of orchid bee is just the right size and weight for the remarkable process that takes place during its visit to this fascinating flower. The bee, having fallen into the bottom of the bucket, would perish there in the liquid, unable to escape, were it not for a small “step” on the edge of the bucket. This step is just the right size and shape to enable the bee to pull itself out of the pool.

Alas, however, our bee would remain trapped in the flower were it not for a small tunnel located beyond the step. The tunnel, or tube, is just large enough for our species of orchid bee to pass through, and so he begins his escape. But just as he is about to exit to freedom, his escape tube contracts, holding the bee tightly in place. The contraction of this tube causes the secretion of a small amount of glue onto the bee’s back, but only upon a tiny, targeted area so as not to inhibit the bee’s ability to fly. Then two orange-colored sacs containing pollen (when the flower is in its “male phase”) are pressed onto the glue. It takes around 45 minutes to an hour for the glue to set, after which the escape tube relaxes and the bee flies free, now carrying the only pollen sacs that flower will produce.

Not Done Yet… Our be, despite his harrowing adventure, still has his lady friends in mind, and is in no way deterred from visiting another bucket orchid of the same species to top up his cologne supply. Alas, during the gathering of more scent oil, he again finds himself plunged into the bucket of another bucket orchid. Doggedly, he climbs out of the pool using the convenient step and goes through the now-familiar tunnel of freedom. This time, if the orchid flower has entered its “female phase,” instead of pollen sacs awaiting him at the end of the tunnel, there is a small hook-like structure. This removes the pollen sacs from the bee’s back and causes them to open and pollinate the flower’s pistil, or female reproductive organ, beginning the process leading to the development of orchid seeds, and thus ensuring another generation of this incredible plant.

Bees at the bottom of an orchid’s “bucket.”

Natural Selection Insufficient: Interestingly, even Charles Darwin recognized that there was no indication in the fossil record of the “evolution” of flowers, as he noted in an 1881 letter to botanist Sir Joseph Hooker. Darwin never did offer an explanation as to how a process like “natural selection” was sufficient to create a complex symbiotic (that is, mutually beneficial) relationship such as we see in this instance. In fact, the bucket orchid’s mechanism of pollination seems quite contrary to the norms of Darwinian theory. Process that makes survival more difficult and more prone to failure are supposed by Darwinism to be eliminated through natural selection, yet in the case of the bucket orchid, a complex mechanism that requires a partner with a single sub-species of bee – making survival even chancier – has flourished for millennia. Add to this the need of a simultaneous development of the highly specialized characteristics in the flower and pollinator, and a random process, such as described by Darwinian evolution, is totally improbable mathematically without intelligent direction…

This unique process prevents significant cross-pollination with other orchid species, helping to preserve the genetics of these plants in a relatively unchanged state from generation to generation. Bucket orchids still flourish today, inspiring wonder and joy in those who study them. This complex symbiotic relationship between a specific bee and a remarkable flower can only be the product of deliberate design. Any unbiased mind would have not choice but to agree.

The proclivity of man to deny that this world and the life within it are the products of a Great Designer is not new. Long ago, the great Jewish scholar we know as Paul wrote in frustration of those who find all sorts of ways to try to explain away the obvious:

“What may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20

There are few examples that point any more clearly to the creative genius of that Great Designer than that of the little bucket orchid and the tenacious orchid bee.

John Davison Rockefeller, One of The Men Who Built America

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6 (ESV)

Rockefeller’s Religious Beliefs

John Davison Rockefeller was born July 8, 1839 and died May 23, 1937.

He was a devout Northern Baptist and supported many church – based institutions. He adhered to total abstinence from alcohol and tobacco throughout his life. For advice, he relied on his wife Laura Spelman Rockefeller with whom he had five children.

Rockefeller, would read the Bible daily, attend prayer meetings twice a week and even led his own Bible study with his wife. He tithed, rested on the Sabbath and gave away much of his money to charity. Additionally, Rockefeller took time to spend with his family, something that confused many business men.

In total, historians estimate that he gave away $550,000,000 which was more than any other American before him.

His philosophy of giving was founded upon biblical principles. He truly believed in the biblical principle found in Luke 6:38 (NIV), “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Rockefeller Center was officially completed November 2, 1939.

Prometheus, is an icon of history that can be recognizable to the eye, yet it’s possible that we know nothing about it.

That is often the case for the gold statue in Rockefeller Center’s lower Plaza. When picturing the skating rink, we don’t only imagine the sunken rink itself or the flow of skaters moving in a circle, but we see Prometheus, the 18-foot-tall, eight-ton, gilded cast bronze sculpture that was created by Paul Manship in 1934.

The sculpture has been in the background of countless concerts, tree lightings, skating shows and special events, but few are aware of its meaning or where it came from. Prometheus is just one piece of public art that was integrated into the plans of greater Rockefeller Center, but is definitely one of the most recognizable—in fact, many sources say this is the fourth most recognized statue in the country, behind the Lincoln Memorial, Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore, and is the most photographed piece of art in NYC.

Referencing Greek mythology, the statue depicts the Greek Titan Prometheus, best known for going against the wishes of the gods and providing fire to humanity (and thus is given credit for civilization and progress). Over time, this classical figure came to represent human striving and the quest for knowledge. Prometheus played a large role in the approach to the art and architecture in the Complex, especially given that the overall theme of the project was “New Frontiers and the March of Civilization.”

Prometheus perfectly embodies both ancient myths and forward-thinking progress. He is depicted in motion, thrusting forward with his right arm held high, handing off the eternal flame to all of mankind; he sits on a mountain (Earth), is surrounded by the fountain (sea) and is encircled by the ring of the zodiac (heavens).

For those that have never looked, an inscription accompanies the sculpture. It reads: “Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire that hath proved to mortals a means to mighty ends.”

Susan Osten: The sculpture was created by Paul Manship in 1934. I could not find anything about Paul’s religious beliefs.

Given Rockefeller’s devout Christian beliefs and accomplishments, this statue is totally opposite to how Rockefeller lived his life.

On the 88 Annual Christmas at Rockefeller Center, on Wednesday night, December 2nd. This statue was the backdrop for almost all the entertainers. The only two entertainers who I saw choose a different backdrop, were Dolly Parton and the Pentatonix. I was so preoccupied trying to figure out what that statue represented, I researched it.

I believe it should be replaced with a statue of John Davison Rockefeller, with an inscription of all his “Good Deeds and Accomplishments” throughout his life.

Listed below, are three of The Ten Commandments in Exodus 20

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

“You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…”

Where does God draw the line concerning these types of statues?

I pray you found this blog educational.

May God keep you in His warm and comforting embrace!

In † His Service, Susan Osten

Sources:

Excerpts from “The Men Who Built America, John D. Rockefeller’s Faith by Kurt Jaros, Executive Director of Defenders Media

Rock History by Jane Lerner

Google and Wikipedia

Silence is Power and a True Faith Will Control the Tongue

by Susan Osten, posted in God Wants You to Know the "TRUTH!", Silence is Power and A True Faith Will Control the Tongue

“The wicked is snard by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.” Proverbs 12:13-14 (KJV)

“With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.” Proverbs 11:9 (KJV)

“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:26 (KJV)

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be SWIFT to HEAR, SLOW to SPEAK, SLOW to WRATH. For the wrath of a man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 (KJV)

Study Notes: In James 1:19-25, James condemns, dormant, unapplied knowledge. He calls for people to listen to a message of truth and then live consistent with that message, and he offers guidelines for what that might look like. The pressure that trials create may make believers quick to react in anger; James says act differently. These verses are a key for the letter because they point to a faith that results in changed behavior.

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 (KJV)

James says one’s religion is worthless if it is without fruit. James 1:26

The following quote jumped out when I read it because I spend quit a lot of time in solitude and silence. Most days, when my husband goes to work, I turn off the TV and do my housework, read my Bible, and pray in Silence and Solitude.

The quote is a follows:

“Very few of us know the secret of bathing out souls in silence. It was a secret our Lord Jesus Christ knew very well.”

A W Tozer

Following is an excerpt from Jesus’ Solitude and Silence by Bill Gaultiere:

“The priority of Jesus’ solitude and silence is everywhere in the Gospels. It’s how He began His ministry. It’s how He made important decisions. It’s how He dealt with troubling emotions like grief. It’s how He dealt with the constant demands of His ministry and CARED FOR HIS SOUL. It’s how He taught his disciples. It’s how He prepared for important ministry events. It’s how He prepared for His death on the cross.

Sometimes silence shows our power more than anything else will.

Whatever can elicit a response from you is what has power over you. That’s why bullies teas and try to rile the other kids up. If they can get the other kids mad, sad, or even fighting, the bully feels powerful because he is forcing the other kids to do what he wants.

As Jesus showed us, silence is sometimes the greatest display of power. Jesus showed His power in many ways, and one of those ways was through His silence.”

Following are some scriptures showing some of the times Jesus chose Solitude and Silence:

Matthew 12:19; Isaiah 53:7; Acts 8:32; Matthew 15:23; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:12; Matthew 27:14; Mark 14:61; Mark 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9; John 14:30; John 19:10; Mark 3:7; Luke 6:12-13; Mark 3:13; Matthew 13:1-3; Mark 4:1

May Jesus bless each one of you who read this blog, with a revelation of this POWERFUL TRUTH about Solitude and Silence!

In † His Service, Susan Osten

Sources: The KJV Study Bible, the study notes are adapted from the Layman’s Simplified Commentary Series & Jesus’ Solitude and Silence by Bill Gaultiere

My Testimony of God’s Protection

by Susan Osten, posted in A Testimony of God's Protection

“The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou saved me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”  2 Samuel 22:3-4

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. My husband, son and I were sleeping, and the phone rang. My husband was a Locksmith, and it was a call to go and unlock someone’s car. My son, Jeremy and I got out of bed to wait for his return.

While waiting, I left the room to go to into bathroom, and suddenly, I felt an quickening in my spirit. The thought came to me, “Go quickly down the Hall, there will be a knock at your door, and your son will answer it.” I ran down that hall, and no sooner than I got to the living room, there came a knock at my door. I went to the door, and said “Who is it?” and there was no answer. I looked through the peep hole in the door, and there was someone standing there wearing a black hoodie with his head down. All of a sudden, the door knob began to turn. I stayed by the door, and told my son to get our gun. After Jeremy gave me the gun, I told him to call the Police. When he had them on the phone, I took the phone, and explained the situation to them. The Police told me to shoot, if that man come through the door, and they were on their way. They arrived about 20 minutes later but, he was gone. Shortly, thereafter, my husband returned.

One of the things my Pastor taught me was the importance of listening to God’s Voice, and acting upon what He says to do.

 I want you to be assured, God keeps his Word, and protects His children!

May the PEACE of GOD be with you; May His LOVE overshadow you; May His HOPE fill your heart; And may His JOY be full in your soul.

“He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”  I Samuel 2:9

I will be forever grateful for God’s protection on that awful night!

In God’s Love and † Grace, Susan Osten

Susan Osten’s Testimony 

by Susan Osten, posted in Salvation, Susan Osten's Testimony

I was fifteen years old, when I realized that I loved God, and I wanted to serve Him. I decided to ask my dad about becoming a Nun. He told me there were many ways to serve God, and he handed me a Bible. He told me the Bible would answer all my questions about God. Some nights, I would read the Bible my dad gave to me under one of the lamp posts, near my house. 

I didn’t follow through with my desire to serve God. Instead, I succumbed to peer pressure and I began to hang around with a group of godless teenagers: thereby, I also became a godless teenager. I used drugs, disobeyed my parents, ran away from home, skipped school, etc. My life “ethically” spiraled out of control.

It wasn’t until I was nineteen years old, that things started to fall into place regarding my relationship with God. It was Spring time, and I remember, driving down the highway looking at all the beautiful flowers, while at the same time, wondering, “What could I do to feel as pretty inside, as those flowers looked outside.” I felt so dirty! After I became a Christian, I realized that “Dirty” feeling was the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

It was nighttime, and I was ironing and watching Pat Robertson, the Host of the 700 Club on TV. Pat asked a question that immediately, got my attention. He said, “Is there anyone in our audience, that has not asked Jesus Christ to come into their heart, and forgive them for there sins?” Then he turned his attention to the TV audience and asked that the same question. He then asked all those who wished to ask Jesus into their hearts, and receive forgiveness for their sins, to pray with him. I prayed, with Pat! When we were finished praying together, Pat encouraged all those who prayed, to call somebody that they knew, or to call the 700 Club, and tell the person who answers the phone, about the decision to follow Jesus Christ.

“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:10 (NIV)

I called the 700 Club, and told the lady who answered the phone, about my decision to follow Jesus Christ. She was happy for me, and then, she asked me a question…Would  you like to receive the Holy Spirit? I asked her to, “Please send me more information about that subject.”

As the days passed by, I began to read my Bible regularly, and I learned that I needed to be baptized in water.

Water baptism is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.

I had no church affiliation, and I didn’t know what church to call, to baptize me. I decided to open the telephone book to Churches, close my eyes and point. (No one should ever do this!!) When I opened my eyes, my finger was on a church called: Full Gospel Fellowship, which happened to be just a few miles from my home. I called that church and asked the Pastor Gary Wood, to baptize me in water. He was happy to do so, and he told me when and what time, to be at the church service for the baptism. When I went into the church, the people were very friendly. I was baptized and afterwards, I decided to join the church. Not long after I joined Full Gospel Fellowship, Richard Ford and Tena Ford were given the position as pastors.

Pastors Richard
and Tena Ford

It had been several weeks, since I joined Full Gospel Fellowship Church (which is now called Family Worship Center, located in Stafford, Texas). One day after one of the church services, Tina, the wife of Richard Ford, an Elder at that time, asked me, if I would like to have a Ladies Bible Study in my home? I had a hunger to learn more about God’s Word, so I said Yes!  About a week later, we had a Ladies Bible Study, in my home. At the end of the Bible Study, Tena asked me a the following question, “Have you received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, since you believed?” I told her, no and she asked me, “Would you like to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?” I was a little embarrassed, because I didn’t know what to expect, so I declined.

After everyone went home, I began to think about Tina’s question. I concluded, that if God had more to offer me: I wanted it! I got down on my knees and asked God to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. God answered my prayer. I was so excited! I went to the telephone to call one of my friends and tell them the Holy Spirit was real! I picked up the receiver, and my legs buckled: I dropped the receiver and slid down the wall, to the floor.

After everyone went home, I began to think about Tina’s question. I concluded, that if God had more to offer me: I wanted it! I got down on my knees and asked God to baptize me with the Holy Spirit. God answered my prayer. I was so excited! I went to the telephone to call one of my friends and tell them the Holy Spirit was real! I picked up the receiver, and my legs buckled: I dropped the receiver and slid down the wall, to the floor.

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a blessing from God which causes ordinary people to become extraordinarily, effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.

“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, LORD, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  Acts 1:5-8 (KJV)  

By it, God equips believers today with the same power we read about in the New Testament. Since the Day of Pentecost. Please read the second chapter of Acts.

After a while, I found that many of my friends weren’t as happy for me as I thought they’d be; but that didn’t slow me down. I had more “ZEAL” than knowledge of God’s Word, and I didn’t know anything about being led by the Holy Spirit. I began to witness for Jesus, and I suffered some major bumps and bruises. Even so, “Praise God!” I was able to lead some people to Jesus.

God’s plan has been to supernaturally equip every believer, so that the ministry of Jesus Christ may continue through us.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”  John 14:12 (KJV) 

His ascension into Heaven: 

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”  Acts 1:9 (KJV) 

It did not mean that Jesus’ ministry on earth stopped, but rather it was an essential step which released even more of His ministry. As the Head of His Church He now directs growing multitudes of Spirit-empowered men and women to carry His Gospel around the world:

 “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”   Luke 24:45-49 (KJV).

The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the impartation of this necessary power so that God’s servants can carry out their calling.

“They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.” Revelation 12:11 (NIV)

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Matthew 7:7 (KJV) 

“The LORD says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.”  Isaiah 65:1 (NLT)

Barnes’ Notes: God states in general that he had called another people who had not sought him, and extended the blessings of salvation to those who had been strangers to his name Isaiah 65:1. This is evidently intended to show that many of his ancient people would be rejected, and that the blessings of salvation would be extended to others, Romans 10:20. 

The blessing of salvation is being extended to you, the reader. If you haven’t met Jesus Christ, and you wish to ask Jesus to forgive your sins and ask Him into your heart, please click on the following link:

https://jesusiswaitingwithopenarms.com/2020/08/30/god-wants-you-to-know-the-truth/

In † His Service, Susan Osten

The Great Commission!

My Mom’s Miracle

by Susan Osten, posted in Miracles, My Mom's Miracle
My mom passed away on April 12, 2011, at the age of 78 years old, from a rare, debilitating disease called Scleroderma.

My mom was nineteen years old when she contracted Tubercula Meningitis on the brain. My mom laid flat on her back for one year. She told me she stayed alive by eating everything she could get her hands on. When she was finally able to get out of bed, she had to learn to walk again. Thank you Jesus, for sparing my mom!

In † His Service, Susan Osten

God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise. 1 Corinthians 1:27

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult, God hath chosen the weak things of the world. 1 Corinthians 1:27
Consider for a moment just how incredible it was that God chose David to fight the giant Goliath. David was just a young boy when God called him. He was so young in age and immature in physical development that the Bible says, “And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance” (1 Samuel 17:42). Goliath took it as a joke when he saw who had been sent to fight with him. The giant laughed when he saw whom God had chosen! First Samuel 17:43 tells us what Goliath said: “…Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” Who would have ever dreamed that God would select a young, inexperienced boy like David to bring down this giant? It may have looked laughable in the eyes of the world, but this young boy who fearlessly faced Goliath in battle was the exact person God had chosen! With that in mind, consider what Paul says in First Corinthians 1:27: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”


Source: Daily Devotionals By Renner

Do You Have a Loved-One or Friend Involved in The Occult?

by Susan Osten, posted in Deliverance from the Occult, Prayer for Deliverance from Cults

If you have a loved-one or friend involved in the Occult, below is a powerful prayer, asking God for their protection, and deliverance.

PRAYER

Father, in the name of Jesus, we come before You in prayer and in faith, believing that Your Word runs swiftly throughout the earth, for the Word of God is not Chained or imprisoned. We bring before You (those, and families of those, involved in cults).

Father, stretch forth your hand from above; rescue and deliver them out of great waters, from the land of hostile aliens whose mouths speak deceit and whose right hands are raised in taking fraudulent oaths. Their mouths must be stopped, for they are mentally distressing and subverting men, women, children, and whole families by teaching what they ought not teach for the purpose of getting base advantage and disreputable gain.

But, praise God, they will not get very far, for their rash folly will become obvious to everybody. Execute justice, precious Father, for the oppressed. Set the prisoners free, open the eyes of the blind, lift up the bowed down, heal the brokenhearted, and bind up their wounds. Lift up the humble and downtrodden, and cast the wicked down to the ground in the mighty name of Jesus.

Turn back the hearts of the disobedient, incredulous, and unpersuadable to the wisdom of God, in order to make them ready for You, Lord, a people perfectly prepared in spirit, adjusted, disposed, and placed in the right moral state.

Father, You say in Your Word to refrain our voices from weeping and our eyes from tears, for our prayers shall be rewarded and they shall return from the enemy’s land and come again to his/her own country. You will save our offspring from the land of their exile; from the east and the west – sons from afar and daughters from the ends of the earth. We shall see them walking in the ways of piety and virtue, revering Your name, Father.

Those who err in spirit will come to understanding. Those who murmur discontentedly will accept instruction in the Way, Jesus. Father, You contend with those who contend with us, and You give safety to us. In the name of Jesus, I bind the feet of the wolves to the paths of the righteousness, that their steps would be steady and sure, and so that all the men, women, children, and families will be drawn by the Holy Spirit, to the work of the Cross, with all of its mercy, grace, love forgiveness, and dying to self. I loose the power and effects of deceptions and lies from him/her. I loose the confusion and blindness of the god of this world from their minds that have kept him/her from seeing the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I call forth every precious word of Scripture that has entered into his/her mind and heart, that it would rise up in power within him/her. I loose the power and effects of any harsh or hard words (word curses) spoken to them.

Jesus gave me the keys and the authority to bind and loose these things in His name. Thank You, Lord, for the truth.

Father, we ask You to commission the ministering spirits to go forth and dispel these forces of darkness and bring them home in the name of Jesus. Father, we believe and confess that they have had knowledge of and been acquainted with the Word, which was able to instruct him/her and give him/her the understanding for salvation that comes through faith in Christ Jesus. Lord, we pray and believe that You certainly will deliver them from every assault of evil, and bring them to Yourself, preserve them and bring them safe into Your heavenly Kingdom. Glory to You, Father, Who delivers those for whom we intercede in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Source: prayersthatavailmuch

In Christian † Love, Susan Osten