Hebrew 10: 14 the Message
“By that single offering, he did everything needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.”
Over the last while I have been working through a book about getting rid of stubborn sin. For a long time I have struggled with the question, “God why can’t you heal me? Make me stop sinning?” I’m not going to really get into all that God is teaching my right now, but one thing He is teaching me is the purifying process is so much more than Him taking away our sin.
I want to share an excerpt from my journal, and this is what the above verse means to me.
“Thank You for sending Your son so that I have the option of being purified. Lord, I think sometimes, no most of the time, I expect You to work some magic in my life-that I would magically be healed. While that can happen, when it comes to the battle of food, if You took that from me, You would take away me. You would take my human will-my free choice. In a way, I would be like a zombie and I think that would take away my ability to love You as deeply as I might. That it would take away my desire to know You and to be with you. It might take away my humanity.
I like what He has to say in The Message and it is something that I have never noticed or thought about. “For everyone who TAKES part”-Takes is an active word, it isn’t passive, and the action isn’t being done to me. So, by leaving my human will in tact, by not “healing” me of this battle of food. I have a choice to actively participate in a purification process. Lord, I praise You for that!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
Satan Doesn't Care if You are Saved
Yep, I said it...Satan doesn't care if you are saved. I have been listening to a song called Gravity (see below). I first heard the song on So you think you can dance. To say it haunted me is an understatement. It is such an amazing picture of addiction.
The more that I have listened to this song, the more I have become sure Satan doesn't care if we get saved. Now, if a man lives his whole life and doesn't get saved til his death bed, then satan may still he has won that battle. However, in the major battle of this spiritual warfare, I think it may be just a set back when we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins. He has bigger fish to fry than truly worrying with one person becoming a Christian.
So what does Satan care about? What he cares about is the person who truly becomes a Christ follower, who lives to share Jesus. Then the people who accept Christ turn around and share Jesus with other people. This is what Satan cares about!
The moment we ask Christ into our hearts is the moment that Satan begins to work overtime to shut us down. Sure, as portrayed in the song addictions are things we consider obvious in how satan works. When it comes to addiction, we think of things like alcohol, sex, drugs, gambling, etc. Do we ever stop to think about other things like how much time we spend in front of the tv? The movies we watch? Pride? Electronics? Eating? Insert your own thing here that Satan sneaks in to take your mind off of heaven and leave it here in this world.
There is something in your life that Satan uses everyday to pull you back down to this world. Our minds should be set on heaven-on God's work. My desire is to not be pulled down by the gravity of the world, of being in the world. My desire is to have my mind heaven bound and taking as many people with me as I can!
The more that I have listened to this song, the more I have become sure Satan doesn't care if we get saved. Now, if a man lives his whole life and doesn't get saved til his death bed, then satan may still he has won that battle. However, in the major battle of this spiritual warfare, I think it may be just a set back when we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins. He has bigger fish to fry than truly worrying with one person becoming a Christian.
So what does Satan care about? What he cares about is the person who truly becomes a Christ follower, who lives to share Jesus. Then the people who accept Christ turn around and share Jesus with other people. This is what Satan cares about!
The moment we ask Christ into our hearts is the moment that Satan begins to work overtime to shut us down. Sure, as portrayed in the song addictions are things we consider obvious in how satan works. When it comes to addiction, we think of things like alcohol, sex, drugs, gambling, etc. Do we ever stop to think about other things like how much time we spend in front of the tv? The movies we watch? Pride? Electronics? Eating? Insert your own thing here that Satan sneaks in to take your mind off of heaven and leave it here in this world.
There is something in your life that Satan uses everyday to pull you back down to this world. Our minds should be set on heaven-on God's work. My desire is to not be pulled down by the gravity of the world, of being in the world. My desire is to have my mind heaven bound and taking as many people with me as I can!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
30 things and such
When I turned 30 this June, I started thinking of a "bucket list" for my 30s so I came up with 30 things that I want to do in my 30s. Some of those things I'm not quite willing to share yet, but one of them is that I want to memorize 300 bible verses. I have been working on Hebrews 12 for a while now and am honestly not that far.
This week I was really challenged by God to really take his word seriously. We had revival at the church I am attending here in Whiteville. The pastor was about 70 years old, and on the last night that I went without every picking up his bible began to quote the scripture and it was from one of the last books of the OT. He didn't just quote one verse but many of them. God's message to me was that 300 verses may not be enough. I MUST memorize His word, hide it in my heart so I might not sin against Him. I want to be 70 years old and able to recall God's Holy word the way Dr. Perkins did.In
In memorizing scripture, God will teach you things. I have been saying the first 7 verses of hebrews 12 over and over and trying to learn them and God is teaching me things as I say those verses
-Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...throw of the sin that entangles: We need to get with it. Quit yielding to stubborn sin
-Keep your eyes on Jesus: He is the only way to finish the race
-In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood: Have I really, really fought hard to allow Christ to give me the strength to get rid of stubborn sin in my life???????
-Endure Hardship as discipline, God is treating you as sons: God really has my best interest at heart. Just as when my parents were strict with me (and now only as an adult do I see that they weren't being mean or unfair to me) out of love for my own good, God does the same. He disciplines us because we are his children
I didn't see all of those truths the first time that I read through Hebrews 12, but as i have repeated those verses over and over again, God has shown up and taught me. I encourage you to start memorizing scripture...it is our biggest weapon against the enemy!!
This week I was really challenged by God to really take his word seriously. We had revival at the church I am attending here in Whiteville. The pastor was about 70 years old, and on the last night that I went without every picking up his bible began to quote the scripture and it was from one of the last books of the OT. He didn't just quote one verse but many of them. God's message to me was that 300 verses may not be enough. I MUST memorize His word, hide it in my heart so I might not sin against Him. I want to be 70 years old and able to recall God's Holy word the way Dr. Perkins did.In
In memorizing scripture, God will teach you things. I have been saying the first 7 verses of hebrews 12 over and over and trying to learn them and God is teaching me things as I say those verses
-Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses...throw of the sin that entangles: We need to get with it. Quit yielding to stubborn sin
-Keep your eyes on Jesus: He is the only way to finish the race
-In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood: Have I really, really fought hard to allow Christ to give me the strength to get rid of stubborn sin in my life???????
-Endure Hardship as discipline, God is treating you as sons: God really has my best interest at heart. Just as when my parents were strict with me (and now only as an adult do I see that they weren't being mean or unfair to me) out of love for my own good, God does the same. He disciplines us because we are his children
I didn't see all of those truths the first time that I read through Hebrews 12, but as i have repeated those verses over and over again, God has shown up and taught me. I encourage you to start memorizing scripture...it is our biggest weapon against the enemy!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
And the journey continues...
You know lately I have been thinking about people in the bible like Abraham and Noah. People who are examples of God telling them a specific thing to do and them having the faith to do it. What was Abraham really thinking as he took Isaac up that mountain to sacrfice? What was Noah thinking at that moment that God shut them up in the ark? Or what about when Moses returned to Egypt and was about to speak to Pharoah?
These people were faithful to God's calling. They were going in the directions that God wanted them to do. Did they ever just have moments where they completely doubted God to make the next move, to provide the next moment for them? I wonder these things because I feel like my faith has just been so small lately. I know without a shadow of doubt that God sent me to Whiteville, NC. However, there have been times when I have doubted that the next steps would be provided for me.
For instance, in finding a church, I began to think that there wasn't a place for me to become a part of a fellowship. How wrong I was! Just when I was about to start looking at churches in Wilmington, a co worker told me of a church here in town that I should visit. Not to be judgemental but for such a small church, the Holy Spirit is there. They baptized about 16 people a few weeks ago, and when there is only a couple hundred people in a church that is beyond amazing!
I don't know about Abraham, Noah, or Moses, but God certainly humbles me. See I think it is important to step out in faith, to do what God has called you to do, but to also continue to rely on the Holy Spirit to see you through that task. A professor of mine used the phrase, “if He brought you to it, He'll get you through it.” Most of the time I thought of that as an encouragement for going through hard things, not every day things.
Maybe God has called you to something. Maybe you have been faithful and are doing what he has called you to do, but maybe you are like me and get a little restless, a little helpless in the midst of your journey. Keep hanging in there. Keeping seeking Christ in all things. Rely on Him. Be humbled by Him and His greatness!!
These people were faithful to God's calling. They were going in the directions that God wanted them to do. Did they ever just have moments where they completely doubted God to make the next move, to provide the next moment for them? I wonder these things because I feel like my faith has just been so small lately. I know without a shadow of doubt that God sent me to Whiteville, NC. However, there have been times when I have doubted that the next steps would be provided for me.
For instance, in finding a church, I began to think that there wasn't a place for me to become a part of a fellowship. How wrong I was! Just when I was about to start looking at churches in Wilmington, a co worker told me of a church here in town that I should visit. Not to be judgemental but for such a small church, the Holy Spirit is there. They baptized about 16 people a few weeks ago, and when there is only a couple hundred people in a church that is beyond amazing!
I don't know about Abraham, Noah, or Moses, but God certainly humbles me. See I think it is important to step out in faith, to do what God has called you to do, but to also continue to rely on the Holy Spirit to see you through that task. A professor of mine used the phrase, “if He brought you to it, He'll get you through it.” Most of the time I thought of that as an encouragement for going through hard things, not every day things.
Maybe God has called you to something. Maybe you have been faithful and are doing what he has called you to do, but maybe you are like me and get a little restless, a little helpless in the midst of your journey. Keep hanging in there. Keeping seeking Christ in all things. Rely on Him. Be humbled by Him and His greatness!!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Golden Calf
I feel like such an Isrealite right now! I'm right there among them as Moses went up the mountain with God and handing over my gold to build the calf.
1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods [a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.
Its so frustrating!!!!!!! This never ending battle with food truly stinks. This week for whatever reason, I have felt so unsatisfied. Nothing seemed like what I really wanted to eat. I have been short tempered. I have gotten angry for no reason. I have turned to food time and time again. I don't want to keep ending up back here, but I feel like I have to. I want to understand obesity from the inside out. I want to understand how the sin keeps drawing me back in. I want to learn it and know it so that I can fight it and finally win the WAR!
I am so thankful that Jesus has paid for my sins and that there are no Levites to come into my camp and kill me or be struck by a plague. I desire to get this right. I'm praying that God will continue to work in my heart and mind. That He will equip me to be able to truly present myself as a living sacrifice. I have had some good moments these past few weeks, and I am so thankful that God has given me the strength to do just that.
I have been getting on my grandmother's schwinn stationary bicycle (age uknown—25 or 30 years) and peddling away when I really wanted to sit around and do nothing. I have been working out twice a week with a trainer thanks to an amazing friend! I have been eating more fruits and vegetables over all, and drinking less and less carbonated beverages. I need to get to a place where I can win enough battles that tips me over to winning the war!
1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods [a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.
Its so frustrating!!!!!!! This never ending battle with food truly stinks. This week for whatever reason, I have felt so unsatisfied. Nothing seemed like what I really wanted to eat. I have been short tempered. I have gotten angry for no reason. I have turned to food time and time again. I don't want to keep ending up back here, but I feel like I have to. I want to understand obesity from the inside out. I want to understand how the sin keeps drawing me back in. I want to learn it and know it so that I can fight it and finally win the WAR!
I am so thankful that Jesus has paid for my sins and that there are no Levites to come into my camp and kill me or be struck by a plague. I desire to get this right. I'm praying that God will continue to work in my heart and mind. That He will equip me to be able to truly present myself as a living sacrifice. I have had some good moments these past few weeks, and I am so thankful that God has given me the strength to do just that.
I have been getting on my grandmother's schwinn stationary bicycle (age uknown—25 or 30 years) and peddling away when I really wanted to sit around and do nothing. I have been working out twice a week with a trainer thanks to an amazing friend! I have been eating more fruits and vegetables over all, and drinking less and less carbonated beverages. I need to get to a place where I can win enough battles that tips me over to winning the war!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Food Challenge #1
If you thought I left you hanging, I haven't. I hope that you are making changes to a healthy life.
Your first food challenge is what you are drinking. Uh-oh! Are you cringing at the thought of giving up your beloved coke, mountain dew, pepsi, etc??
Yeah, I know its hard, but this might be the easiest way for you to cut back on calories! Ok, here are some facts. Lets take Pepsi which is my favorite. If you drink 8oz, that is 100 calories. Who drinks just 8 oz. I know I sure don't. So, 20 oz is 250 calories. When I was really throwing back the pepsi, I had about 2-3 twenty ounce drinks a day. Which is 750 calories (if I did my math correctly). Did you know that 3500 calories equals one pound? What that means is that in about 5 days, just by drinking pepsi you can gain a pound. OR if you are a 3 twenty ounce a day person and you cut down to ZERO, you can lose a pound in 5 days.
Hmm, that sound pretty easy—right?? WRONG! If you are like me and love drinking these calorie laden drinks, stopping them could be hard. So here are my challenges to you. I have plenty so I think you can find one that works for you personally.
1.Stop drinking sodas all together. (This is the best option in my opinion but also the hardest for me)
2.Drink diet drinks only. However, there is research out there saying that diet drinks INCREASE your hunger which defeats the purpose of drinking a zero calorie drink.
3.Mix it up. Drink mostly diet with a regualr coke thrown in every once in a while. (This is the option that I seem to follow quite a bit.)
4.Coke Suicide. Yep, you remember this from when you were a kid. At the self serve fountains you would mix all the choices. WELL, same thought. Fill up your drink with 50/50 diet or regular. A personal favorite of mine is when cherry coke is an option. I will often fill my drink up with 75% diet and 25% cherry. This option is great for people who can not stand the taste of diet. The idea would be that you increase the amount of diet while decreasing the amount of regular until you are 100% diet. (PS my friend Tara taught me this a long time ago)
5.Decrease your amount. Figure out how much soda you drink in a day, and start cutting back. Replace a 20 oz with water or diet.
These are the options that I have come up with for decreasing the liquid calories that go into your body. The best option is to quit drinking sodas all together and drink water. Whatever option you choose, use that as your stepping stone, and work your way up to NO SODAS.
Hang in there people. Change is hard, but this is one battle we can over come!
Your first food challenge is what you are drinking. Uh-oh! Are you cringing at the thought of giving up your beloved coke, mountain dew, pepsi, etc??
Yeah, I know its hard, but this might be the easiest way for you to cut back on calories! Ok, here are some facts. Lets take Pepsi which is my favorite. If you drink 8oz, that is 100 calories. Who drinks just 8 oz. I know I sure don't. So, 20 oz is 250 calories. When I was really throwing back the pepsi, I had about 2-3 twenty ounce drinks a day. Which is 750 calories (if I did my math correctly). Did you know that 3500 calories equals one pound? What that means is that in about 5 days, just by drinking pepsi you can gain a pound. OR if you are a 3 twenty ounce a day person and you cut down to ZERO, you can lose a pound in 5 days.
Hmm, that sound pretty easy—right?? WRONG! If you are like me and love drinking these calorie laden drinks, stopping them could be hard. So here are my challenges to you. I have plenty so I think you can find one that works for you personally.
1.Stop drinking sodas all together. (This is the best option in my opinion but also the hardest for me)
2.Drink diet drinks only. However, there is research out there saying that diet drinks INCREASE your hunger which defeats the purpose of drinking a zero calorie drink.
3.Mix it up. Drink mostly diet with a regualr coke thrown in every once in a while. (This is the option that I seem to follow quite a bit.)
4.Coke Suicide. Yep, you remember this from when you were a kid. At the self serve fountains you would mix all the choices. WELL, same thought. Fill up your drink with 50/50 diet or regular. A personal favorite of mine is when cherry coke is an option. I will often fill my drink up with 75% diet and 25% cherry. This option is great for people who can not stand the taste of diet. The idea would be that you increase the amount of diet while decreasing the amount of regular until you are 100% diet. (PS my friend Tara taught me this a long time ago)
5.Decrease your amount. Figure out how much soda you drink in a day, and start cutting back. Replace a 20 oz with water or diet.
These are the options that I have come up with for decreasing the liquid calories that go into your body. The best option is to quit drinking sodas all together and drink water. Whatever option you choose, use that as your stepping stone, and work your way up to NO SODAS.
Hang in there people. Change is hard, but this is one battle we can over come!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Change is HARD
It truly is so hard to change! This past week and a half has been challenging. I did pretty good last week. There were a few days when foodwise I could have done tons better. This week food has pretty much stunk for me. It is hard to explain to people who don't know anything about addictions. Something welled up inside of me this week and I felt compelled to eat. I don't know if I didn't eat the right kinds of foods or what but it has just been down right horrible at times. Ihave even questioned myself as to why I'm trying to change and can I truly change!
I have been reading this book about Moses taking the slaves out Egypt and have just gotten to when Joshua finally has the go ahead after they wander for 40 years. It is a fictional book recounted by a demon who was one of the original angels that fell with Lucifer. Its interesting to take into account how satan places the right demons to whisper the right doubts into the Isrealites heads at the right time. I am amazed how it was so easy for God's people to say it would be better to go back to Egypt because even if they were slaves, they knew what to expect day in and day out. That life of bondage was comfortable and it might not have been worth living but it was THEIR LIFE. It was all they had ever known.
So when satan's demons put that doubt into their ear, it wasn't hard for them to want to go back. We know how the story ends, but they didn't. They didn't know all the goodness that God had waiting for them. If they did, they wouldn't have waited in the desert for 40 years due to their disbelief and disobedience! So, I've been mulling around in my head this strange war that we live in where just on the other side of the river God has such great things, but unbeknown to us demons are right there trying to get us to go back to what we have known. My friends, we must find the courage to resist what has been enslaving us! We must trust in God to lead us into the promised land. For me that is a land of good health with healthy eating habits!
I have been reading this book about Moses taking the slaves out Egypt and have just gotten to when Joshua finally has the go ahead after they wander for 40 years. It is a fictional book recounted by a demon who was one of the original angels that fell with Lucifer. Its interesting to take into account how satan places the right demons to whisper the right doubts into the Isrealites heads at the right time. I am amazed how it was so easy for God's people to say it would be better to go back to Egypt because even if they were slaves, they knew what to expect day in and day out. That life of bondage was comfortable and it might not have been worth living but it was THEIR LIFE. It was all they had ever known.
So when satan's demons put that doubt into their ear, it wasn't hard for them to want to go back. We know how the story ends, but they didn't. They didn't know all the goodness that God had waiting for them. If they did, they wouldn't have waited in the desert for 40 years due to their disbelief and disobedience! So, I've been mulling around in my head this strange war that we live in where just on the other side of the river God has such great things, but unbeknown to us demons are right there trying to get us to go back to what we have known. My friends, we must find the courage to resist what has been enslaving us! We must trust in God to lead us into the promised land. For me that is a land of good health with healthy eating habits!
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