Steven Garofalo
Spirituality/Belief • Education • News
Steven Garofalo, M.A. Apologetics is president and founder of ReasonForTruth.Org and EquippedAcademy.Com. His mission is to help you not just survive, but to thrive by cutting through the distortion of current events with discernment, wisdom, and the truth of God-to encourage, educate and prepare you for what is, and what is at hand. www.ReasonForTruth.Org www.EquippedAcademy.Com
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YOUTH COMMUNITY PROJECT

Zach did his "Freedom Award " (like Eae Scout) award…after 6.25 years! fund eaising $1,500! Building A mini-golf frisbie cluese ar Spirit If Joy Church to attract rhe comminit to the church and serve the community.

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A REMINDER FROM MIAMI
00:01:41
WE HAVE IT PRETTY GOOD

I often think about all that is going on in the worse. My cousin isnin Antartica on an expedition trip…he sent this video and it reminds me …. Just how GOOD we actually have it despite all of our challenges!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you all for being part of my community. This year is very special as a season of LOVE and HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ. Please enjoy a small sliver from the CalvaryChurch.Com Christmas concert I pre-recorded. I pray it blesses you as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In His service…Steven

00:00:46
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WHEN GOD REWARDS OUR GIVING

Jesus addresses when God rewards us for our good deeds. To be more specific, Christ discusses three pharisaic practices of piety. They include: 1) GIVING 2) PRAYER and 3) FASTING. Today, we are going to look at the first of these, which is when God rewards or does not reward our “GIVING”.

WHEN GOD REWARDS OUR GIVING
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RADIO INTERVIEW-LOOKING BACK-Religious Freedom in 04-09-15

With the United States and world at a moral cross roads, today, we are looking back to an interview from 2015 whereby Steven was interviewed regarding "Religious Freedom". This is not a critique of any specific issues-but is a look back almost ten years (a full decade) to see where we came from. WHY? Becuase heading into 2026 we can look back to see where we are going. Again, the issue is not a critique on sexual orientation, but about religious freedom. People are people-and all people are sinners. Let's make sure to be compassionate with non-Christians in an effort to reach them for Christ while standing without compromise on the orthodox Word of God. Is that difficult. Yes it is.

GOD BLESS YOU!

RADIO INTERVIEW-LOOKING BACK-Religious Freedom in 04-09-15
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CHRISTMAS=Equals=LOVE

Christmas IS or EQUALS LOVE. Merry Christmas to our COMMUNITY. May God continue to bless you, protect you, provide for you and give you great joy beyond understanding....Merry Christmas Eve-Steven

CHRISTMAS=Equals=LOVE
IT’S OFFICIAL!

My daughter Arabel is enrolled at VA TECH to pursue a degree in Architecture

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Steven & Sal at the Trail Life BBQ Fundraiser Packing Night!

This picture was taken last Thursday.

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A LIFE LIVED WELL-The Life Of Joseph
By Steven Garofalo, April 3, 2025 (Copyright 2025)

A LIFE LIVED WELL-The Life Of Joseph

The biblical book of Genesis Ends in Chapter 50 with Joseph, one of two youngest sons of Israel dyeing at the age of 110 years of age-before all of his older brothers. Today, I am going to show you why Joseph died seemingly prematurely-before all his older brothers and how you and I can accomplish a life well lived.

We should all have the goal of living life well for the Lord according to His ways. And leave our life span to Him. If we do that, we can work hard, serve hard, love hard, and accomplish a legacy that will last a lifetime into eternity.

I always wondered why my parents and grandparents generation lived only until the mid-sixties. The answer can be derived by the fact that we have better medical support in on modern world. Furthermore, that generation worked with their hands-meaning their physical bodies as opposed to being on computers all day, avoiding the elements and bad weather. 

I just finished the Book of Genesis and noticed that Joseph died at the age of 110 while his older brothers went on to live much longer, older lives. WHY was this case?

In a nutshell, Joseph died before his brothers simply because, as the ruler of Egypt, he had assumed a great deal of “life-sapping public role” and he passed away ten years sooner than he ought to have, which would have given him to 120 years of age.

THE WEIGHTINESS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel) rose to become the second most powerful person in Egypt. That came with a great deal of pressure, responsibility, stress and work. Rabbi Chama, in a commentary suggests that Joseph’s death at a younger age was linked to the burden of his role as second in command ruler over Egypt. Such a role most likely took ten years off his life. 

Genesis 50, starting in verse 22 says, “So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation, The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. And Joseph said to this brother, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of his land to the land that He swore to Abraham toIsaac, and to Jacob”. Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here. So Joseph died being 110 years old. They embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:22-26).

As I reflect of this story, I am reminded of the president and owner of a past client, Mr. Paul Souza. Mr. Souza was very good to me and through employing me, allowed me to bring my wife home to homeschool and raise our three children. Mr. Souza said to me a year before he retired that he can protect me for another year a the parent company would buy him out-but that he could do nothing to help me once the company was bought out.

The three things that struck me about working for Mr. Souza were:

1) His commitment to excellence and his kindness in employing me for more than a decade.

2) His character. Once he left, I was shortly left go by a cut throat manager who didn’t even give me one day notice.

3) That two years after Mr. Souza retired, moved to Florida to spend time with his family and play tennis, he had a heart attack and passed away prematurely. He died before his time if you ask me-just like Joseph. 

What did Mr. Souza and Joseph have in common? They were both the top decision maker over a large organization or body of people.

So each day as we awake, let’s tell our wife or husband, children, and all those we love that we love an appreciate them. Let’s also appreciate those who manage well. I’m not speaking of the lazy corporate and political leaders that zap the life out of everyone else while they get the big money and title without the work-I’m speaking about the Joseph’s and Mr. Souza’s of the world who truly serve the organization and all it’s employees for the betterment of everyone’s life.

And let’s keep in mind the biblical model as provided by God for us through the book of Genesis showing us that Joseph, one of two youngest sons of Israel dyeing prematurely at the age of 110-at least ten years of age before all of his older brothers. 

The take away for all of us should be the goal of living life well for the Lord according to His ways. And leave our life span to Him. If we do that, we can work hard, serve hard, love hard, and accomplish a legacy that will last a lifetime into eternity.

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NEVER LET A GOOD CRISIS GO TO WASTE-The 4th Turning
By Steven Garofalo, March 31, 2025 (Copyright 2025)

In our current world of debt, leverage and turmoil, we are never more than one crisis away from major changes instituted on us by the authorities in the name of "protecting" the citizens of the country. President Obama's appointed Rahm Emanuel said, "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before" -Rahm Emanuel.

It was Winston Churchill that first said: "Never let a good crisis go to waste". While it is not definitively found in his recorded speeches or writings, it's commonly associated wit his post-World War II effort to form the United Nations. And we know how that went. 

But where did Churchill get such thinking from? I would assert that it may be from the Scriptures going all the way back to "The Beginning" in Genesis. In Genesis 47:20-26 we find Joseph as being the Pharaoh's right-hand man used by God and Pharaoh to help save the people from a famine that would cost them their life. As a result, Joseph in his craftiness sold the public food that God himself had led Joseph to store up as grain throughout the land. Once the famine it, Joseph charged money to feed those living in Egypt and Canine.

Once the average person's money ran out, Joseph bartered for their livestock and animals for another year's food. But the famine as we know would last seven years. So when the people had nothing left but their land and bodies, Joseph gave made a deal to take possession of their land and have them work that land as slaves for one fifth of the grain to be given to the Pharaoh. It was a brilliant move, and we see the same thing going on here in 2025. Before we discuss that, let's read a portion of the biblical record for context.

"20 So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh's. 21 As for the people, he made servants of them[a] from one end of Egypt to the other. 22 Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's." (Genesis 47:20-26)

TODAY 2025

As I stated above, it's 2025, and the United States and all world economies, banks, markets, and worst of all-currencies are bankrupt. When the system fails to a degree that is unsustainable, the government officials, banks, and large businesses will come in to save the day by helping people "stay in their houses", provide them food, and give them all the basics of living a simple life. But there is one caveat that was not in existence during the life of Joseph-the computer. When the economy gets bad enough, when enough banks fail, when enough commercial real estate go under, and enough people go broke, the government will come in to save the day.

But like the people of Egypt and Canine, there will be catch in that all they own will be confiscated by the government to spare their life. If this sounds far-fetched, think about it a while. Those who are leveraged will lose everything but be spared their life, given the basic provisions of life at the hand of the government and big business. What will spark this to happen? I'm not exactly certain, but I do know that it will be some sort of "Crisis".

We need to be in prayer, prepare rightly, and remember the old playbook-the words of Rahm Emanuel: "You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that is that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before".

25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's." (Genesis 47:25-26)

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THE PROGRESSIVE PATH OF SINS STAGES
By Steven Garofalo, March 28, 2025 (Copyright 2025)

Temptations are a very real part of our daily lives. Whether being tempted with food, money, power or sex, our wicked flesh and selfish desires are never satisfied. Today, we are going to dig deeper into the Book of James 1:13-18 and explain the mechanics and stages of “temptation”. Let’s get started.

THE PROGRESSIVE PATH OF SIN

Picking up in verse 15, James explains the progressive path of sin from being “lured” to our moral failure, starting in the mind and then into sinful actions. James says, “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (v.15)

What James is saying here is that there is a progression of sin. As the stages of sin expand, sin eventually develops to the point that it can lead to death (like Eve’s temptation in Gen. 3:6-22). 

In the end, this path starts with our being tempted or lured through our own moral weakness through being enticed by our own desire. Temptation starts with our weakness. Each person has their own weaknesses and trigger-points founded on their fleshly desires. Those desires can include money, power, sex, prestige and other things. In the end, it is by “HIS (our) OWN DESIRE” (v.14) so we cannot blame anyone else, including the devil, for our shortcomings or failures. To simplify what James is staying, let’s break down this progressive process into three stages.

THE STAGES OF SIN FROM TEMPTATION TO DEATH

1) First, when we fail to flee from sin, our desires give birth-becoming fully conceived, suggesting the image of a person’s will bending toward and finally seizing evil.  

2) Second, in turn, those desires give BIRTH to literal “SIN.” Literal sin is just that -“literal” - meaning it’s a real sin that we are festering in. When I look at all of the corruption in the world, starting with government and private sector employees, I see good people who started doing good and allowed temptation move them to the point of literal sin. This is just as true for you and I as it is anyone else.

3) And third, when sin is fully grown it can lead to physical death if not dealt with. There is “spiritual” and “physical” death. They are very different. The word James uses is “physical death." 
 
The idea that sin has reached its maturity and has possessed the very character of the individual to the point of “death.” And death, while often spoken about in the spiritual context, here it speaks specially to physical death (Prov. 10:27; 11:19; Rom. 8:13).
 
Why would God do such a thing as bringing physical death upon a Christian? For the authentic Christian, God may bring physical death for the simple reason that He is infinite, and knows that they will increase in their sin all the more, bringing greater judgement upon themselves and others in the process. If God sees fit to end a physical life in order to preserve their eternal-spiritual state, that is the best course of action; as all course of actions by our perfect God are good, right, true, and best for us.
 
Let’s remember that God tempts no one. Enticement to sin does not come from God. God will never deliberately lead a person to commit sin because that would not only go against His nature, but would be opposed to His purpose, which includes molding His creation into His holy image. That said, God sometimes places His people in adverse circumstances for the purpose of trials and tribulations for the purpose of building their godly character (Gen. 22:1, 12)
 
We must always be on guard and remember that the whole purpose of being “LURED” or more explicitly, “DRAWN AWAY ENTICED” is for our fleshly desires and the evil spiritual world to draw us away from God-to be enticed by the evil one. 
 
IN CLOSING 
We are wise to understand and accept that sin does not force itself on the unwilling but is chosen because of its attraction. It’s the same idea as the tragic path of an addict: a habit once acquired by an individual in the end completely controls that person. And when sin is fully grown up, it brings its goal to completion. 
 
I hope and pray you today’s episode has helped you to become more aware of the stages of sin and now that is played out in your own life. Better yet: How you can positively battle that sin with the Power of the Spirit of God and His Word.
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