Steven Garofalo
Spirituality/Belief • Education • News
THE MOST EXCITING THING YOU WILL EVER DO
By Steven Garofalo, February 16, 2023 (Copyright 2024)
February 16, 2024

Serving the Lord is the most exciting and rewarding thing in the world. At times, it can be a scary thing to do, but God gives us the confidence and courage to do it.

Today, I am going to show yout that in serving the Lord, it's the WHY behind  the THAT we serve that matters most. Serving the Lord should be done with a non-pious heart as one of the most selfless things we do in this life while serving our Lord.

Ministry seems to have slipped into some kind of "mission-drift" and has morphed more into "platform building" and "ministry branding" than misison-whereby we desire to consume content from those who trend closest to our feed as opposed to the best God and right content has for us according to His word and the leading of His Spirit for that moment and day.

It’s important for us to look at the fact that each one of us has a pronounced calling mission from God-albeit however large or small we perceive that to be. The important thing or each one of us to is to understand embrace the fact that Christian service to the Lord is not “sexy” (culturally speaking). In other words, it’s not about popularity, the most popular speakers, or about those who are most downloaded on the internet. That has nothing to do with the most biblically accurate or right message coming at us in the moment or how we are to live out our own mission. Interestingly, most of this populist-Christian service is fading away with the decline of cultural Christianity in America and around the world. The most downloaded content on the internet is more and more having to form to the regulating norms of online platforms which reward the least biblical messages and burry the feeds of more biblical messages that go against the will of the state. This is why I started our community. People more and more are demanding greater subsistence in their teaching. That being said, let’s get back to serving the Lord and what that means for you and I.

WHERE DOES SERVING THE LORD COME FROM?

For all of us, serving the Lord naturally flows from a humble Christ-centered servant-heart driven by God. God by the way is very opposite from us. What you and I perceive as desirable is often seen by God as a distraction and sometimes sinful.  If you question this assertion, I challenge you to pause and think about what you read in your Bible today-if you read your Bible today at all. What did or does it say? Was it a feel good message or a message of personal and corporate change, challenge, and calling? Such a message is encouraging by the way as it truly makes us better and brings us long-term joy. If you read God’s Word prayerfully today, you will see that it purifies you and makes you better if you take it seriously and apply it to your life.

Life is full of both good times and difficult ones. His ways are not our ways. You and I would never choose to put ourselves through trials, even if we know they will make us become better servants of God. We simply wouldn't do that in most all cases. We tend to read the Scriptures as if the Bible, the Word of God is something to read as opposed to lived out in real time. If we are being honest with ourselves, we will admit that we (including me) seek to avoid trials, pain and suffering. But it’s in between the pages of the Biblical Scriptures and through prayer-in fellowship with the Holy Spirit that God makes us better, prepares our hearts our minds for the day ahead of us, and calls us to action in His will for His purpose according to His plan for our lives.

SO WHAT!

Do you and I hear such a message very often? Sadly, most pastors and churches today preach according to our DESIRES as opposed to our NEEDS according to God. The reason for this is that they don’t want church members to leave and go to the church down the street (taking their tithe with them) in an effort to hear a more soothing message that makes them feel better. Simply put, in many cases, the modern church has succumbed to the culture as opposed to being salt and light to a lost world. As a result, the church is formed by culture as opposed to the church forming the culture. For you and I today, let's emember that being salt and light to the world often means going against the grain of contemporary culture. And this may (on occassion) entail our facing a bit of pain and suffering for that decision and direction in our lives. Do you thing this is boring? You can be assured that nothing is more exciting than serving the LORD in the present.

In closing, please allow me encourage you with two passages starting with Paul’s words in Romans:

“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Who doesn’t want to be able to REJOICE in our modern age. While this will entail some suffering and trials (which we perceive as bad in and itself), these things can be good things in what they produce in us if we allow God to use them to and for His glory.

LASTLY, James tells us:

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

Who doesn’t want to run the good race and finish strong? In order to run a race well and finish strong we must condition our hearts, bodies and minds to do well daily and hit the finish line strong. This entails remaining STEADFAST UNDER the TRIALS of LIFE. For when we have done so, we will be ready to receive the crown of life. Let's remember that none of us are guarenteed tomorrow. None of us know the moment He will call us home to receive that crown, so we must be ready at the start and finish of each and every day; remaining steadfast in His spirit. So I ask you, WHAT IS MORE EXCITING THAN THIS?

(NOTE BENNE) We live in very difficult times. I want encourage you to push through! Always keep in mind that what goes up must come down. And what is down will eventually go up. This is how God works. God opposes the proud but raises up the humble (James 4:6-7). Our current downward slide will one day (nationally and internationally) will bottom out at some point. At that point our nation (and all nations) will have two choices; to authentically turn back up to God or continue to turn away from God to their demise. This is where SERVING THE LORD comes in. We are called to serve the Lord TODAY for what He has called us to this day and for all the Lord calls us to later today and in the future. In other words, we must prepare the fields for what is coming next as well as the present. If we pre-position ourselves for and in our families, communities, government, at the university and in the work place, we will one day take back our culture and the world for Christ. What will our nation, our life, and the world be like after this next turning? The answer lies with us in light of God's plan. It all boils down to if and how we CHOOSE TO SERVE THE LORD.

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When I was in seminary, the question was raised as to if pets or animals in general go to heaven. Our professor, Dr. Norman Geisler said this: “Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the Cross for the human race, not animals.” I was working out at the gym one day when one of the regulars, who had just moved to Charlotte, NC from California told me that one of her beloved dogs died; and would that dog go to heaven. I have her the same answer. But, was that the whole story? That’s what we are going to look at today.

In a peace by Michael Housman, Founder of GotQuestions.Org, Housman wrote that “The BIble does not give any explicit teaching on whether pets or animals in general have souls, or spirits, or whether pets and other animals will be in heaven.

His answer was short but the animals not having souls maybe up for debate.

We can use general biblical principles to develop some clarity on the subject though Housman wrote. The Bible states that both man (Genesis 2:7) and animals (Genesis 1:30; 6:17; 7:15 and 22) have the “BREATH OF LIFE” that is, both man and animals are living beings. Furthermore, the primary difference between human beings and animals is that humanity is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), while animals are not.

Being made in the image and likeness of God means that human beings are like God in some ways; they are capable of spirituality; they have a mind, emotion, and “will”; and part of their “being” continues after death.

If pets and other animals do have a “soul” (or spirit or immaterial aspect), it must therefore be of a different and lesser “quality”. This difference possibly means that pets and other animal “souls”  do not continue in existence after death.

Another factor to consider regarding whether pets will be in heaven is that animals are a port of God’s creative process in Genesis. God created the animals and said they were good (Genesis 1:25). Therefore, there is no reason why there could not be pets and animals on the NEW EARTH as described in (Revelation 21:1). 

In the end, there will most definitely be animals during the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25). It is impossible to say definitely whether some animals of these animals might be the pets we had here on earth. We do know that God is just and that when we get to heaven, we will find ourselves in complete agreement with His decision on this issue, whatever that turns out to be.

So, there you have it. I think that’s the best answer on the subject in all honest. Please remember to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and check out StevenGarofalo.Com for exclusive content and early release of our two weekly podcast.

Until next time, I’m your host Steven Garofalo, and this is your reason for truth for today.

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AN ETHICAL ECONOMY IS GOOD FOR ALL
By Steven Garofalo, May 2, 2025

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ECONOMY

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Today, I am going to show you through Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 that vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, will devour one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Let’s get started.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor is an interesting subject in light of wealth, corruption, and the human heart. This subject effects many things, including what makes a good economy. 

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 5, verses eight to nine, Solomon says the following:

Ecclesiastes 5:8-9
“8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

COMMENTARY: There are two things king Solomon is saying here within the theme of the vanity of WEALTH and HONOR. Wealth and honor are two different things, as one can have wealth with or without honor or honor with or without wealth. That being said, let’s look at verses 8 and 9 independently to see the simple message God provides us today through Solomon.

BREAK DOWN
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9

THE ABUSE OF AUTHORITY & WEALTH
 “8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them." 

COMMENTARY: Verse 8 clearly illustrates that there is a corruption at every level of government, with higher level oppressors plundering the equally oppressive lower-level magistrates. This perhaps explains the st state of America and the world. With blackmail running. Rampant and the public sector unchecked, they have been robbing the everyday citizen of their hard earned money. As a result, the system became insulated and division between the haves and have nots became more defined. When the high level government officials rob and abuse those below them, someone above that person robs and abuses the higher level person himself.

In America, where we print money out of thin air for the world, in this short period of history, there is little need to plunder those under one authority because there is so much to steal that those in authority can simply pay them off or blackmail them; whichever is most convenient. Either way, Solomon makes abundantly clear that when there is nobody minding the ship, evil perpetuates to the point of overtaking the government in whole. As a result, we end up with a 2024 government, riddles with corruption, immorality, blackmail, lawlessness, and all other things evil due to the lack of God-ness which equates to “goodness”. 

Economically speaking, when this happens to a country, its own economy begins to decline into debt due to their insatiable desire and emotional need for more money and resources. When resources are stripped and money is squandered, the elite few are smart enough to collect those resources and money and we end up with a U.S. Stock Market where only 5% holds up to 80%  of the entire market wealth. 

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
The answer and solution is to keep to return to the system we created in the first place which is free market capitalism that allows those who desire to work hard, to have a fair chance at success, making money and turning a fair profit. This is called “honor for everyone”.

HONOR FOR EVERYONE
"9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.”

CONCLUSION:

Government corruption comes to the advantage of a few-but at the expense of many if not all the rest of society. Vanity and wealth, if not kept accountable, devours one’s honor and the honor or the nation in whole. Solomon (Qohelet) considered goverment to be frustrating becuase it was a necessary evil, something deply flawed but indespsnsible. On the one hand people sould "not be shocked" when they see OPPRESSION and injustice in a governmental province (v.8). After all, bloated government bureaucracy tends to frustrate justice (v.8b). On the other hand, government has it advantages (v.9). Many hold to the belief that this verse continues the negeative assessment of government. Others see this passage better understood more positively since it fits with Qohelet's normal pattern of "on the one hand, on the other.." way of teaching. 

Even a corrupt government is better than anarchy, which devastates a country, it's culture and in Solomon's time, an agrarian economy that would lead to starvation. Keeping to God's ways is the only solution to man's sinful nature; especially in governmental rule. In the end, a king who devotes himself to developing the resources of the land ushers in a systems that brings the opportunity for profit to all, not just the corrupt few.

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SOLA SCRIPTURA
A Protestant & Catholic View Comparison

I grew up Catholic and now go to a Protestant or non-Catholic church in Charlotte, NC. Michael Houdmann, Founder and CEO of GotQuestions.Org writes that a major difference between the two boils down to believing in the Bible alone as God's word verses believing that God's word plus man's input as the divine inspired word of God.

WHAT DO PROTESTANTS BELIEVE?

A major difference is the issue of sufficiency and authority of Scripture. While Protestants believe that the Bible alone is the source of God's special revelation to mankind, it also speaks to everything we need to understand as necessary for our salvation from sin.

Protestants view the Bible as the STANDARD for Christian morality and ethics which governs our behavior. This is called sola scripture and is one of the five Solas in Christianity. (Solas meaning "alone" in Latin. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 makes clear that "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” (ESV).

WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?

Catholics do not believe in sola scriptura hence do not believe that the Bible alone is sufficient. They see both the Bible and sacred Roman Catholic tradition as equally authoritative and binding on the Christian. While not all Catholics hold to doctrines such as purgatory, praying to the saints, worship or veneration of Mary, etc., the Catholic doctrine hold to them even though they have little or no mention or basis in the Bible. In truth, these doctrines are based on Roman Catholic traditions based on the Catholic Church's insistence that the Bible and tradition are equal in authority. The problem with this is that it undermines the sufficiency, authority, and completeness of the Bible. The view of Scripture is at the root of many, if not all, of the differences between Catholics and Protestants.

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