I have often thought that, "why am I the only one with this problem". I was talking with a friend one time that was trying with God's help to fight her way back from drug addiction. She said to me "I don't understand why I am the only one in my family with this problem." As we talked further I realized that we are all addicts of one kind or another. Let me name a few that might irritate you. For example; obsessive cleaner, over eater, gym rat, reading novels, TV, the secular news, work, facebook, etc. Anything that comes between your Lord, family and respondsibilities could be concidered an addiction. I explained to her that each one of us has an addiction or you might call it your Achilles heel. The sin that you struggle with, perhaps, gossip or gossip disguised as a prayer request, pride in the fact that you have never... are just two that we see in the church. You see God says sin is sin. The consequences are different but Christ would have needed to die for our sin even if it was just one little white lie.
Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(NIV) God never says only sins of alcoholism, smoking, adultery, murder and stealing need to be washed by the cleansing blood of the Lamb. No, God says they all do. In fact, because of sin entering the world through Adam and Eve, technically we don't even need to sin to need a Savior. We just need to be born of 2 humans. Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered then world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned."(NIV)
Sin spread like floodwater seeping into every crevice washing filth over every area of the human heart. Sin like flood waters leaves a residue that stains, rots, and ruins if left too long. Jesus' shed blood is like the cleansing soapy water that cleans a home after a flood. I looked at several web sites for flood cleaning (because thankfully I have never dealt with this) and the general consensus is that it is a several step process that takes a long time. But there is a distinct difference; with a flood you have to throw out the ruined items and the muck before you can rinse with soapy water. However Christ says to "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28. (NKJV) He is beckoning those who are still trying to carry their own sin burden.
You see that is the stark difference. We don't have to throw out the junk first. We don't have to go to church x amount of times. We don't have to clean up for Christ. We just have to come with all our flood ravaged hearts and He will wash them with His shed blood. DO NOT MISTAKE me because this is now when Christ starts throwing junk out of our lives, not a justification for future sin. He says "Kim, I don't think you need this bad language, do you?" James 1:26 - "If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."(NKJV)
The Holy Spirit comes in and starts tossing stuff and scrubbing corners. This is a life long challenge because each of us has a weakness, a box of ruined stuff, per say, that we keep bringing back in the house and saying, "Are you sure this is ruined, are you sure I can't keep this? It gives me comfort when I am sad, lonely, scared, mad and on and on. But then the Holy Spirit says, "No, you don't need that because I am your comfort in time of need."
Let the Holy Spirit be your strength to overcome and throw out that box of sin. Perhaps this would be a good time to write down your addiction or sin you are struggling with at this time and put it in the trash and watch the trash truck take it away. Sometimes visual actions help our simple human minds. God wants to be our peace, comfort, and joy. He is unchanging, from the beginning of time all He wants is to fellowship with His creation.
Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." (NKJV)
Lamentations 3: 21 -24 "This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. It is of Jehovah's loving kindness that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him." (ASV)
If you question the mercy and love of God go back and look at what He did for the Israelites over and over again.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Praise Your King
Have you ever thought of writing your own Psalm? I did a long time ago; in fact it was an assignment for school. It doesn't have to rhyme but it does have to be heart felt. When you read the writings from David and the other Psalms writers you feel their emotion. Whether it be joy or sadness, fear or courage etc.
I know I have have said in the past not to be led by our emotions. This is still true, however we are to allow ourselves to display emotion. Remember Genesis 1:26a says "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' ."
This includes our emotions. We are just not to let them drive us. Example "Oh, I woke up happy so it will be a good day" or "Oh, I woke up sad so it will be a bad day." Everyday is a good day because God made if not because of the circumstances that surround the day. Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." I know it is hard to be thankful of praise God when we are comforter. You can also write a psalm that cries out for healing, protection or peace. Psalm 23 is an example of this.
Psalm 23
1."Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.
3. He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
6. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever." (ASV)
I have used the phrase many time, "God is good all the time." This is easy to say when everyone around you is healthy, your kids are obeying, you have enough money to pay the bills, and your friends all think you are the best thing since sliced bread. But it gets infinitely harder when your marriage is struggling, your kids are making horrible decisions, you have a medical emergency that you can't pay for and your spouse or you just lost a job. So now what!? Are you still able to day God is good all the time? I hope so. Look at it like powering through the last few repetitions at the gym or finishing the last 2 miles of your marathon. Even if it is through gritted teeth you growl out. "GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!" Say it out loud so Satan can hear you and you claim victory right here, right now. DO NOT allow him to defeat you. By the way this doesn't mean smiling like an idiot pretending nothing is wrong.
Joshua 1:9 says "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (KJV)
Remember defeating Satan won't take away the trial but it will give you "a peace that passes all understanding" Philippians 4:7a.
Now go write your own psalm. If you would like to post it here on my blog feel free. I would love to read it. It doesn't have to be super long and remember when the psalmist wrote he didn't write in numbered verses, they were more like poems. Go for it praise your King!!
I praise you O God,
for you have filled my days with beauty.
You show me Your mercy by not consuming me
even though I sin against you.
You love me with a love that even I,
a mother cannot fathom.
You have blessed me in so many ways.
Thank you for my family,
for the protection you grant,
and the healing you give.
I praise you, O God,
not because of the stuff I have,
But because You, O Lord;
Yahweh, are the only One True God.
You alone are worthy of any praise
that comes from my mouth.
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!
You are King of this universe,
King of this world and
King of my heart!
Amen
I know I have have said in the past not to be led by our emotions. This is still true, however we are to allow ourselves to display emotion. Remember Genesis 1:26a says "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...' ."
This includes our emotions. We are just not to let them drive us. Example "Oh, I woke up happy so it will be a good day" or "Oh, I woke up sad so it will be a bad day." Everyday is a good day because God made if not because of the circumstances that surround the day. Psalm 118:24 "This is the day which Jehovah hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." I know it is hard to be thankful of praise God when we are comforter. You can also write a psalm that cries out for healing, protection or peace. Psalm 23 is an example of this.
Psalm 23
1."Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside still waters.
3. He restoreth my soul: He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4. Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
6. Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever." (ASV)
I have used the phrase many time, "God is good all the time." This is easy to say when everyone around you is healthy, your kids are obeying, you have enough money to pay the bills, and your friends all think you are the best thing since sliced bread. But it gets infinitely harder when your marriage is struggling, your kids are making horrible decisions, you have a medical emergency that you can't pay for and your spouse or you just lost a job. So now what!? Are you still able to day God is good all the time? I hope so. Look at it like powering through the last few repetitions at the gym or finishing the last 2 miles of your marathon. Even if it is through gritted teeth you growl out. "GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!" Say it out loud so Satan can hear you and you claim victory right here, right now. DO NOT allow him to defeat you. By the way this doesn't mean smiling like an idiot pretending nothing is wrong.
Joshua 1:9 says "Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (KJV)
Remember defeating Satan won't take away the trial but it will give you "a peace that passes all understanding" Philippians 4:7a.
Now go write your own psalm. If you would like to post it here on my blog feel free. I would love to read it. It doesn't have to be super long and remember when the psalmist wrote he didn't write in numbered verses, they were more like poems. Go for it praise your King!!
I praise you O God,
for you have filled my days with beauty.
You show me Your mercy by not consuming me
even though I sin against you.
You love me with a love that even I,
a mother cannot fathom.
You have blessed me in so many ways.
Thank you for my family,
for the protection you grant,
and the healing you give.
I praise you, O God,
not because of the stuff I have,
But because You, O Lord;
Yahweh, are the only One True God.
You alone are worthy of any praise
that comes from my mouth.
HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!
You are King of this universe,
King of this world and
King of my heart!
Amen
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Three things that bind us to failure!
1. guilt - Ps 103:9-14
There are 2 definitions of guilt: 1- the fact of having committed a specific or implied offense or crime & 2- a feeling of having done something wrong or failed in an obligation.
We sometimes get immense pleasure in guilt; it's called the poor mes. However, let's talk about confessed, forgiven sin. Ps 103:9-14 is a great passage telling us to stop wallowing in the past; forgiven sin and move on. In vs 12 the psalmist tells us that God removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. Dr. McGee says this is important because God doesn't say north from south. If you go North eventually you will go South whereas if you go east you will never go west and visa versa. So why would we ever want to dwell on our past sin? God doesn't! Satan knows the best way to keep us from living spiritually effective is Guilt! Beth Moore in her Patriarch study says this "God never has an ugly thought toward us". So we to need to remember to forget our past sin.
2. Fear - 2 Timothy 1:7 - the fear God is referring to here is not a healthy reverent fear; it is the Greek word which could be translated as timidity whic denotes cowardness. A shameful fear caused by a weak, selfish character. The verse gives a positive attribute that comes from God a spirit of power, love & sound mind. As believers we are filled with the Holy Spirit & He gives us this spitirual resource for every trial & threat. This also talks of a sound mind which refers, as per Dr. McGee, to discipline. God doesn't want us to live a life of defeat; one that is driven by emotion, which is an unhealthy fear is just that, an emotion. Conquering fear is not to get rid of fear but to know that fear will not stop me from achieving any goals. This can be a fear of failure or success. If I don't do then I can't fail or if I don't do then I won't succeed which could but me in the spot light.
Ps. 27:1-3 speaks for itself.
3. Unwillingness to Sacrifice - Gal. 2:20 We live in a country of instant gratification. We want what we want without slot of sacrifice. I believe this is the third thing that holds us back. You've heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again & expecting a different result. Well this is an unwillingness to sacrifice. We want to be able to eat the same way but still loose weight. Let me in on a little secret if you are still eating the same as you were but haven't lost any weight in the last 3 weeks, you are taking in too many and/or the wrong kind of calories and not doing enough excercise.
You need to change something. If your children would continue to walk into the door hitting it every time and you ask them what they are doing and they said I was sure that our door had an automatic sensor that would open it just like at the grocery store. You would assume your child had lost his marbles! But that is exactly what we do with food. It's ok I'll just have a bite or two of that cake, I don't eat it everyday but yet we "treat" ourselves all the time. We keep looking for the quick & easy fix. Well, let's look at Esther. Here is a women who sacrificed her own chance at a normal happy marriage; to marry a king that had just banished his first queen because she stood up to him. This doesn't seem like the ideal situation. Chapter 4 is her chance, Mordicia comes to her to tell her to go to the king and petition for her people's lives, knowing how the king tended to be. Esther 4:13-14 - We need to be responsible, God is not going to produce a miracle over night where your metabolism changes so you can eat the way you want and loose weight. If you want to be an effective believer you need to understand that sacrifice is involved. I don't like the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" however we can't sit back and expect Him to spoon feed us miracles. I don't know why God gave you a weight challenge but I do know that when we let fear, guilt, and an unwillingness to sacrifice block our path to success then we take ourselves out of the running to be blessed by a God that loves us and wants to see us succeed spiritually and be an effective witness. I will finish with this thought from Beth Moore's Esther study, "God's Will will get done with or without me! But I will not be blessed if I am not doing God's Will!"
There are 2 definitions of guilt: 1- the fact of having committed a specific or implied offense or crime & 2- a feeling of having done something wrong or failed in an obligation.
We sometimes get immense pleasure in guilt; it's called the poor mes. However, let's talk about confessed, forgiven sin. Ps 103:9-14 is a great passage telling us to stop wallowing in the past; forgiven sin and move on. In vs 12 the psalmist tells us that God removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. Dr. McGee says this is important because God doesn't say north from south. If you go North eventually you will go South whereas if you go east you will never go west and visa versa. So why would we ever want to dwell on our past sin? God doesn't! Satan knows the best way to keep us from living spiritually effective is Guilt! Beth Moore in her Patriarch study says this "God never has an ugly thought toward us". So we to need to remember to forget our past sin.
2. Fear - 2 Timothy 1:7 - the fear God is referring to here is not a healthy reverent fear; it is the Greek word which could be translated as timidity whic denotes cowardness. A shameful fear caused by a weak, selfish character. The verse gives a positive attribute that comes from God a spirit of power, love & sound mind. As believers we are filled with the Holy Spirit & He gives us this spitirual resource for every trial & threat. This also talks of a sound mind which refers, as per Dr. McGee, to discipline. God doesn't want us to live a life of defeat; one that is driven by emotion, which is an unhealthy fear is just that, an emotion. Conquering fear is not to get rid of fear but to know that fear will not stop me from achieving any goals. This can be a fear of failure or success. If I don't do then I can't fail or if I don't do then I won't succeed which could but me in the spot light.
Ps. 27:1-3 speaks for itself.
3. Unwillingness to Sacrifice - Gal. 2:20 We live in a country of instant gratification. We want what we want without slot of sacrifice. I believe this is the third thing that holds us back. You've heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again & expecting a different result. Well this is an unwillingness to sacrifice. We want to be able to eat the same way but still loose weight. Let me in on a little secret if you are still eating the same as you were but haven't lost any weight in the last 3 weeks, you are taking in too many and/or the wrong kind of calories and not doing enough excercise.
You need to change something. If your children would continue to walk into the door hitting it every time and you ask them what they are doing and they said I was sure that our door had an automatic sensor that would open it just like at the grocery store. You would assume your child had lost his marbles! But that is exactly what we do with food. It's ok I'll just have a bite or two of that cake, I don't eat it everyday but yet we "treat" ourselves all the time. We keep looking for the quick & easy fix. Well, let's look at Esther. Here is a women who sacrificed her own chance at a normal happy marriage; to marry a king that had just banished his first queen because she stood up to him. This doesn't seem like the ideal situation. Chapter 4 is her chance, Mordicia comes to her to tell her to go to the king and petition for her people's lives, knowing how the king tended to be. Esther 4:13-14 - We need to be responsible, God is not going to produce a miracle over night where your metabolism changes so you can eat the way you want and loose weight. If you want to be an effective believer you need to understand that sacrifice is involved. I don't like the phrase "God helps those who help themselves" however we can't sit back and expect Him to spoon feed us miracles. I don't know why God gave you a weight challenge but I do know that when we let fear, guilt, and an unwillingness to sacrifice block our path to success then we take ourselves out of the running to be blessed by a God that loves us and wants to see us succeed spiritually and be an effective witness. I will finish with this thought from Beth Moore's Esther study, "God's Will will get done with or without me! But I will not be blessed if I am not doing God's Will!"
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Excuses, Excuses!!
I want to say that you will get the most out of this if you read through the book of Amos. It is 9 short chapters. You will understand more that way.
We sit here in our plush homes in Johnson County whining because we can't help but give into the temptations that surround us, when there are people starving to death everyday. I want to take a look at a warning that was given by Amos. He was a minor prophet that lived in Tekoa and was sent by God to Israel during the time between when Jeroboam II and the death of Uzziah. Amos 1:1 says specifically 2 years before the earthquake. Tekoa was a small village southeast of Bethlehem in Judah. Remember this is when the country is split. Amos was a Shepherd; the lowest of the low coming to speak to the rich and famous. It would be like one of the Hispanic transient workers going to those in our government and warning them.
Amos starts out with a warning to Israel's neighbors about the coming Assyrian government. Then he moves to Israel. Amos reminds them that these are God's words not his. In Chap. 3 he is telling them that without immediate change on their part God's judgement will fall on them. Chap. 4 explains that their worship was false and not genuine. They were going through the motions of the Mosaic Law however they were worshipping idols as well. God is a jealous God and expects from His children complete respect. It also is telling them that their wealth will not save them. As He did to Egypt He sent plagues and drought and such. They still didn't seek God. In Chap. 5 we see God pleading for them to return to Him, that even with the Assyrian government breathing down on them it is not too late. This shows God's great love for His children. By verse 21 He is telling them that their worship means nothing because they are just going through the motions. When you go to church God is the only one who can truly see your heart. What would He say about your worship is it genuine or are you going through the motions? Chap. 6 shows us how the wealthy were eating and living it up and not giving a second thought to what God through Amos was saying. We can sit back and say how could they be so blind but we do the same thing. "I don't know why....." Maybe it is because God is trying to tell you something but instead you just make excuses. Chap. 7 gives a vision of what is to come. All the awful thing that will happen since Israel refuses to turn from evil. Chap. 8 speaks of mourning and 9 has 2 parts the 2nd is a restoration of Israel; a promise of God's blessing that was given to Abraham and his descendants. We buzzed through that to get here to this promise. This is the time when Jesus will return as King no longer will Israel have to fight to protect her borders. God will forgive, come, rule and reign. Please read Amos 9:11-15
You may say; so what does that have to do with anything we have been talking about. This is what I will say to you: God does 3 things over and over in scripture. He promises a blessing for obedience; He gives a warning for disobedience and then He acts. We tend to have the same sin issues over and over just like the Israelites. Rarely; in fact I'm not sure I have ever heard any one say; "You know a funny thing happened yesterday I was envious of my neighbor's new car and I've never been envious before. God knows our hearts and our struggles. My challenges this week are no different than the ones I had last week. What God is asking of us is to be repentant and striving to live better daily. I do better about keeping my mouth in check when I am praying daily and in His Word daily seeking Him. I do better because I am surrendering to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me. IT IS NOTHING I DO ON MY OWN! He has promised that one day he will return, that we will get a new body; a perfect one. We will rule, reign, and praise Him forever. This life is fleeting and we need to work at serving Him daily.
You need to ask yourself; "Am I like Israel? Acting like a spoiled rich kid that thinks that everything should be handed to me on a silver platter? Well, I didn't eat... I should be rewarded with weight loss because I deserve it. After all its not my fault that I could only workout one day this week. I had to run kids around I should get some down time of my own to read a book or watch my favorite TV show (I do DVR it so I am not wasting time watching commercials). Its not my fault it was Father's Day and we needed to celebrate that with my husband's favorite meal or by going out to eat at a restaurant that didn't have healthy choices, after all he got to pick. We need to stop acting like spoiled rich kids. There was a song long time ago called Excuses, excuses.
REMEMBER: The difference between living a life of excellence and living a life of mediocrity is 1-2 hours of laziness.
We sit here in our plush homes in Johnson County whining because we can't help but give into the temptations that surround us, when there are people starving to death everyday. I want to take a look at a warning that was given by Amos. He was a minor prophet that lived in Tekoa and was sent by God to Israel during the time between when Jeroboam II and the death of Uzziah. Amos 1:1 says specifically 2 years before the earthquake. Tekoa was a small village southeast of Bethlehem in Judah. Remember this is when the country is split. Amos was a Shepherd; the lowest of the low coming to speak to the rich and famous. It would be like one of the Hispanic transient workers going to those in our government and warning them.
Amos starts out with a warning to Israel's neighbors about the coming Assyrian government. Then he moves to Israel. Amos reminds them that these are God's words not his. In Chap. 3 he is telling them that without immediate change on their part God's judgement will fall on them. Chap. 4 explains that their worship was false and not genuine. They were going through the motions of the Mosaic Law however they were worshipping idols as well. God is a jealous God and expects from His children complete respect. It also is telling them that their wealth will not save them. As He did to Egypt He sent plagues and drought and such. They still didn't seek God. In Chap. 5 we see God pleading for them to return to Him, that even with the Assyrian government breathing down on them it is not too late. This shows God's great love for His children. By verse 21 He is telling them that their worship means nothing because they are just going through the motions. When you go to church God is the only one who can truly see your heart. What would He say about your worship is it genuine or are you going through the motions? Chap. 6 shows us how the wealthy were eating and living it up and not giving a second thought to what God through Amos was saying. We can sit back and say how could they be so blind but we do the same thing. "I don't know why....." Maybe it is because God is trying to tell you something but instead you just make excuses. Chap. 7 gives a vision of what is to come. All the awful thing that will happen since Israel refuses to turn from evil. Chap. 8 speaks of mourning and 9 has 2 parts the 2nd is a restoration of Israel; a promise of God's blessing that was given to Abraham and his descendants. We buzzed through that to get here to this promise. This is the time when Jesus will return as King no longer will Israel have to fight to protect her borders. God will forgive, come, rule and reign. Please read Amos 9:11-15
You may say; so what does that have to do with anything we have been talking about. This is what I will say to you: God does 3 things over and over in scripture. He promises a blessing for obedience; He gives a warning for disobedience and then He acts. We tend to have the same sin issues over and over just like the Israelites. Rarely; in fact I'm not sure I have ever heard any one say; "You know a funny thing happened yesterday I was envious of my neighbor's new car and I've never been envious before. God knows our hearts and our struggles. My challenges this week are no different than the ones I had last week. What God is asking of us is to be repentant and striving to live better daily. I do better about keeping my mouth in check when I am praying daily and in His Word daily seeking Him. I do better because I am surrendering to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through me. IT IS NOTHING I DO ON MY OWN! He has promised that one day he will return, that we will get a new body; a perfect one. We will rule, reign, and praise Him forever. This life is fleeting and we need to work at serving Him daily.
You need to ask yourself; "Am I like Israel? Acting like a spoiled rich kid that thinks that everything should be handed to me on a silver platter? Well, I didn't eat... I should be rewarded with weight loss because I deserve it. After all its not my fault that I could only workout one day this week. I had to run kids around I should get some down time of my own to read a book or watch my favorite TV show (I do DVR it so I am not wasting time watching commercials). Its not my fault it was Father's Day and we needed to celebrate that with my husband's favorite meal or by going out to eat at a restaurant that didn't have healthy choices, after all he got to pick. We need to stop acting like spoiled rich kids. There was a song long time ago called Excuses, excuses.
REMEMBER: The difference between living a life of excellence and living a life of mediocrity is 1-2 hours of laziness.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Food Pornography
At the height of my Coke-a-cola addiction I would find myself at Sonic between 2pm-4pm because I could get a large coke for 92 cents; (yes I do know the exact amount for the Sonic closest to my house.) I didn't usually get a Route 44 coke because that would be very indulgent. I hope the sarcasm is not lost on those reading this. I sometimes would stop almost without realizing it; I would crave it so much. One could say I lusted after it. Do you have a food or drink that you lust after? That if it is in your reach, as the Lays commercial used to say "you can't stop at one"? Well this is sin plain and simple.
Have you ever gotten mad because your husband looked too long at a woman that you would say was prettier and skinnier than you? What would happen if you husband would get mad at you for doing the same thing but with a food that you both know you should not eat.
DO NOT misunderstand me! I know the consequences are much more severe for a man who follows through with sexual lusts, but there are consequences to following our food lusts that do affect our marriages. I know our bodies change as we get older, but we are called to take care of our earthly bodies.
Proverbs 11:6 says "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught be their lust." The NKJV uses the word naughtiness for lust. Their is always consequences for sin. We can run or hind from it. So lets look at the word lust. It has 5 noun meaning and 2 verb meanings according to dictionary.com.
"1. intense sexual desire or appetite
2. uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness
3. a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for); a lust for power
4. ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life
5. obsolete a.) pleasure or delight b.) desire; inclination; wish
6. to have intense sexual desire
7. to have a yearning or desire; have a strong or excessive craving (often followed by for or after)."
So "to lust" is not always bad or sexual. We are going to concentrate on definitions 3 and 1.
I believe God is calling us out on this. Let's go to I Thess. 4:3-6 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified."
We are told to not live as unbelievers, giving ourselves over to sexual immorality. Most of us would say "Well, that isn't hard. I don't even feel pretty, or sexy enough to have sex with my own husband, let alone some other man." If we look at it this way. We too many times in our marriages thrive in the chase and when that is over we get lazy and stop trying to look great for our husbands. We then wonder why their eyes wonder. If you can't stand in front of the mirror in a pretty pair of panties and bra and say "I'm sexy" then get to where you can. Go back and read Song of Solomon. God gives a beautiful account of love within the bounds of marriage. I want you to understand that I am not saying that if your husband cheats it is your fault because we are all in charge of our own decisions.
Lets talk about the other definition of lust. The one that is more applicable.
James 1:14 says "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." The ESV uses the word lured. Dr McGee states it so sell when he explains that no one else is to blame. We give in to sin because we are not perfect, however that which tempts us may be different for each one of us. It is within our DNA; our back round or our personal choices past or present. This Greek word lured or lust is a fishing or hunting term which means to draw out with bait. Satan knows how to bait each one of us.
Do not let you weakness be your defeat, but instead defeat you weakness and conquer sin.
In conclusion, lets not be like the Israelites who continually ignored God. Ps 81:12 says "So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels."
We need to stop giving in to sin and walk boldly to the throne of grace and kneel and worship the King.
Go and read Psalm 15 and substitute "Do I" for "who may". Can you do that and know that is truly what is in your heart.
Have you ever gotten mad because your husband looked too long at a woman that you would say was prettier and skinnier than you? What would happen if you husband would get mad at you for doing the same thing but with a food that you both know you should not eat.
DO NOT misunderstand me! I know the consequences are much more severe for a man who follows through with sexual lusts, but there are consequences to following our food lusts that do affect our marriages. I know our bodies change as we get older, but we are called to take care of our earthly bodies.
Proverbs 11:6 says "The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught be their lust." The NKJV uses the word naughtiness for lust. Their is always consequences for sin. We can run or hind from it. So lets look at the word lust. It has 5 noun meaning and 2 verb meanings according to dictionary.com.
"1. intense sexual desire or appetite
2. uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness
3. a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for); a lust for power
4. ardent enthusiasm; zest; relish: an enviable lust for life
5. obsolete a.) pleasure or delight b.) desire; inclination; wish
6. to have intense sexual desire
7. to have a yearning or desire; have a strong or excessive craving (often followed by for or after)."
So "to lust" is not always bad or sexual. We are going to concentrate on definitions 3 and 1.
I believe God is calling us out on this. Let's go to I Thess. 4:3-6 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified."
We are told to not live as unbelievers, giving ourselves over to sexual immorality. Most of us would say "Well, that isn't hard. I don't even feel pretty, or sexy enough to have sex with my own husband, let alone some other man." If we look at it this way. We too many times in our marriages thrive in the chase and when that is over we get lazy and stop trying to look great for our husbands. We then wonder why their eyes wonder. If you can't stand in front of the mirror in a pretty pair of panties and bra and say "I'm sexy" then get to where you can. Go back and read Song of Solomon. God gives a beautiful account of love within the bounds of marriage. I want you to understand that I am not saying that if your husband cheats it is your fault because we are all in charge of our own decisions.
Lets talk about the other definition of lust. The one that is more applicable.
James 1:14 says "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." The ESV uses the word lured. Dr McGee states it so sell when he explains that no one else is to blame. We give in to sin because we are not perfect, however that which tempts us may be different for each one of us. It is within our DNA; our back round or our personal choices past or present. This Greek word lured or lust is a fishing or hunting term which means to draw out with bait. Satan knows how to bait each one of us.
Do not let you weakness be your defeat, but instead defeat you weakness and conquer sin.
In conclusion, lets not be like the Israelites who continually ignored God. Ps 81:12 says "So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels."
We need to stop giving in to sin and walk boldly to the throne of grace and kneel and worship the King.
Go and read Psalm 15 and substitute "Do I" for "who may". Can you do that and know that is truly what is in your heart.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Building and Maintaining the Temple
Exodus 25: 1-9 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats' hair; ram skins dyed red, badger skins, and acacia wood; oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it."
Pastor Chuck Swindoll was preaching on this passage this morning (the day I wrote this) as I was coming to work. He was talking about how we are to be willing givers. We are to tithe but to do it willingly. As I thought about this passage my mind went a different direction. How does this apply to my battle with weight and does it relate to I Corinthians 6: 19-20 which states "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefor glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
I want to be careful not to read into scripture but I do think this can apply. So here is how.
As believers we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as Paul tells us in I Corinthians each one of our bodies are a temple because of this indwelling. This is a fundamental belief that if you don't grasp then the rest of what I am about to say means nothing.
First we are told to give willingly. I think that without too much stretch we can say we are to willingly care for this personal temple that God now indwells. We have talked about the ineffectiveness of believers who can't control there eating habits in past studies well without a willing heart not eating certain foods become a chore and it is not a pleasing offering to our Savior.
The second thing we can take from this is that God then spent 6 chapters explaining a detailed plan on how to build the temple. This tells me that I too need a detailed plan. This plan includes foods, both meal planning and snack planning. It includes a plan for water consumption and finally it includes an exercise plan for strength training and cardio.
I know that as Ecclesiastes says in 3:2a that this is "a time to be born and a time to die", however, I also know that when I sin there is consequences for that sin. The last thing I want is for my consequence for poor living is to be taken from this earthly world before my perfect time because anything less than perfect timing would not glorify God.
So here is the 4 step application:
1. Set a workout goal. For example, I will walk briskly for 30 minutes 4 days a week.
2. Meal and snack plan for the week.
3. Know the amount of water you need to drink daily (half your body weight in ounces of water) and then break that down into drinkable amounts threw out the day.
4. Start a food, drink and exercise log.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll was preaching on this passage this morning (the day I wrote this) as I was coming to work. He was talking about how we are to be willing givers. We are to tithe but to do it willingly. As I thought about this passage my mind went a different direction. How does this apply to my battle with weight and does it relate to I Corinthians 6: 19-20 which states "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefor glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
I want to be careful not to read into scripture but I do think this can apply. So here is how.
As believers we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as Paul tells us in I Corinthians each one of our bodies are a temple because of this indwelling. This is a fundamental belief that if you don't grasp then the rest of what I am about to say means nothing.
First we are told to give willingly. I think that without too much stretch we can say we are to willingly care for this personal temple that God now indwells. We have talked about the ineffectiveness of believers who can't control there eating habits in past studies well without a willing heart not eating certain foods become a chore and it is not a pleasing offering to our Savior.
The second thing we can take from this is that God then spent 6 chapters explaining a detailed plan on how to build the temple. This tells me that I too need a detailed plan. This plan includes foods, both meal planning and snack planning. It includes a plan for water consumption and finally it includes an exercise plan for strength training and cardio.
I know that as Ecclesiastes says in 3:2a that this is "a time to be born and a time to die", however, I also know that when I sin there is consequences for that sin. The last thing I want is for my consequence for poor living is to be taken from this earthly world before my perfect time because anything less than perfect timing would not glorify God.
So here is the 4 step application:
1. Set a workout goal. For example, I will walk briskly for 30 minutes 4 days a week.
2. Meal and snack plan for the week.
3. Know the amount of water you need to drink daily (half your body weight in ounces of water) and then break that down into drinkable amounts threw out the day.
4. Start a food, drink and exercise log.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Water - Essential for Life
When I was nursing my first child she was what many would call a lazy sucker, because she was my first child I didn't realize what was happening. I did realize that if I drank a lot of water every 4 hours I had enough milk to feed her. Since then my body craves water and is very sensitive to dehydration. I say this to show that water is essential to how our bodies work and we need to been so in tune with it that we can tell when we are out of balance.
Our bodies are 70% water. As per The Water Cure website muscles are 75%, blood 82%, lungs 90%, brain 76%, and bones are 25% water. (Dr F. Batmanghelidj)
Another great resource, www.mercola.com, this is a very simple break down of how water is used in the human body:
- essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination
- aids circulation
- helps control body temperature
- lubricates and cushions joints
- keeps skin healthy
- helps remove toxins from the body.
Symptoms of mild dehydration are: fatigue, dry skin, headaches, and constipation.
Symptoms of severe dehydration are: can effect blood pressure, circulation, digestion and kidney function.
In her book Joyce Meyer tells us that in an average day Americans drink more than 400 calories a day; this can add 40 pounds per year. My point is that getting our "water" in sugary (artificial or real) drinks like juice, sweet tea, and soda does NOT count! She also reminds us that sometimes when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty. So no wonder Jesus speaks of Himself as living water. Just as water is essential for physical functions; Jesus Christ is essential for spiritual function.
John 4:1-26
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8(For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." 11The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." 13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14
16Jesus said to her,"Go, call your husband, and come here." 17The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; 18 "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 "I who speak to you am he." There are several important points we need to see in these scriptures:
1) (vs.4) John most likely is saying that Jesus had a definite plan that was God-given. He was to have a conversation with this particular Samaritan woman who was shameful even with in the Samaritan community.
2) (vs.7) Jesus broke protocol - not only did he speak to a woman but to a Samaritan woman. This woman would be the equivalent of a mouthy, trashy woman today who was rude and dirty in look and spirit.
3) (vs.15) Jesus pricks her spiritual thirst but she doesn't quite get it at first. She just sees a possible way to avoid drawing water everyday.
4) (vs.16) She didn't see her need until Christ pointed it out. (How often do we need to let God show us our imperfections and our need for Him.)
5) (vs.19-21) When her sin was pointed out she tried to divert attention by explaining where her forefathers worshipped. (Boy, does that sound familiar. "But God I do go to church to but I didn't do...") Sin is sin and it is shameful for me when God points is out even when I'm the only one who knows.
6) (vs.23) This verse refers to the fact that Jesus knew soon he would die and be resurrected and no longer would it be necessary to sacrifice in the temple because the spirit of God would live in the lives of those who believe. We are told we can worship anywhere as long as it is "in spirit and in truth".
7) (vs.25&26) She states that she is looking for the Messiah and stepping out of the norm Jesus tells her that He is the Messiah. With the Jewish leaders, He often side-stepped this answer. By using the phrase "I AM", He is telling her He is Yahweh the God of the Old Testament.
So lets apply this:
- We need to seek God to fill our spiritual thirst.
- We need God to take a magnifying glass to the dark recesses of our hearts.
- We need to water those around us spiritually. I sponge can only take in so much liquid before it needs to be squeezed to release the liquid to sop up more.
- We need to challenge the unbelieving around us that what if the Bible is true, what if the worldly things they are craving is not the real thing they are craving. (Like when we think we are hungry instead we are thirsty.)
- Physically we need to drink more water, filtered or spring is best. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight and divide it in half and that number is the amount of ounces you need to drink daily. For example, if you weight 140 divide it by 2 = 70. So 70 oz. a day is what you need to drink. You shouldn't drink this all at the same time. Space it out throughout the day.
Make the change today.
Our bodies are 70% water. As per The Water Cure website muscles are 75%, blood 82%, lungs 90%, brain 76%, and bones are 25% water. (Dr F. Batmanghelidj)
Another great resource, www.mercola.com, this is a very simple break down of how water is used in the human body:
- essential for digestion, nutrient absorption and elimination
- aids circulation
- helps control body temperature
- lubricates and cushions joints
- keeps skin healthy
- helps remove toxins from the body.
Symptoms of mild dehydration are: fatigue, dry skin, headaches, and constipation.
Symptoms of severe dehydration are: can effect blood pressure, circulation, digestion and kidney function.
In her book Joyce Meyer tells us that in an average day Americans drink more than 400 calories a day; this can add 40 pounds per year. My point is that getting our "water" in sugary (artificial or real) drinks like juice, sweet tea, and soda does NOT count! She also reminds us that sometimes when we think we are hungry we are actually thirsty. So no wonder Jesus speaks of Himself as living water. Just as water is essential for physical functions; Jesus Christ is essential for spiritual function.
John 4:1-26
Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2(although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 4And he had to pass through Samaria. 5So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.
7A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her,
16Jesus said to her,
1) (vs.4) John most likely is saying that Jesus had a definite plan that was God-given. He was to have a conversation with this particular Samaritan woman who was shameful even with in the Samaritan community.
2) (vs.7) Jesus broke protocol - not only did he speak to a woman but to a Samaritan woman. This woman would be the equivalent of a mouthy, trashy woman today who was rude and dirty in look and spirit.
3) (vs.15) Jesus pricks her spiritual thirst but she doesn't quite get it at first. She just sees a possible way to avoid drawing water everyday.
4) (vs.16) She didn't see her need until Christ pointed it out. (How often do we need to let God show us our imperfections and our need for Him.)
5) (vs.19-21) When her sin was pointed out she tried to divert attention by explaining where her forefathers worshipped. (Boy, does that sound familiar. "But God I do go to church to but I didn't do...") Sin is sin and it is shameful for me when God points is out even when I'm the only one who knows.
6) (vs.23) This verse refers to the fact that Jesus knew soon he would die and be resurrected and no longer would it be necessary to sacrifice in the temple because the spirit of God would live in the lives of those who believe. We are told we can worship anywhere as long as it is "in spirit and in truth".
7) (vs.25&26) She states that she is looking for the Messiah and stepping out of the norm Jesus tells her that He is the Messiah. With the Jewish leaders, He often side-stepped this answer. By using the phrase "I AM", He is telling her He is Yahweh the God of the Old Testament.
So lets apply this:
- We need to seek God to fill our spiritual thirst.
- We need God to take a magnifying glass to the dark recesses of our hearts.
- We need to water those around us spiritually. I sponge can only take in so much liquid before it needs to be squeezed to release the liquid to sop up more.
- We need to challenge the unbelieving around us that what if the Bible is true, what if the worldly things they are craving is not the real thing they are craving. (Like when we think we are hungry instead we are thirsty.)
- Physically we need to drink more water, filtered or spring is best. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight and divide it in half and that number is the amount of ounces you need to drink daily. For example, if you weight 140 divide it by 2 = 70. So 70 oz. a day is what you need to drink. You shouldn't drink this all at the same time. Space it out throughout the day.
Make the change today.
Monday, April 25, 2011
This Isn't Suffering!
It has been brought to my attention this week about how we are truly blessed. I spend so much time complaining about what I can't eat when there are millions around the world who are starving to death. Shame on me for not caring more. The only difference between them and me is that God chose for me to be here, to have this family, these parents. Some may say that we were lucky to be born here but luck has nothing to do with it. It was by the grace of God. I need to stop complaining about the fact that it is unfair that so and so can eat anything they want and not gain weight or when so and so walks just 30 minutes a day she loses weight easily, I could go on and on.
James 1:2-8 (HCS) "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, but endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways."
We aren't to whine and complain. We are to be thankful that God gave us this trial and to overcome it. We may have put ourselves in a worse way with uncontrolled eating but we would have had to watch our eating habits our whole lives because our bodies don't work the same as someone who is thin and can eat whatever they want. I really hesitate to call this a "trial" because of what so many have faced. Verse 3 goes on to tell us "that the trying of your faith worketh patience". Dr McGee says God doesn't bring challenges in our lives because He loves to watch us struggle. He does it to grow our faith, to make us stronger to give us patience. As a parent we give chores to our kids because we like to see them complain, cry and throw fits, right? No! It is to teach them skills and responsibilities that they will need later on in life to live as mature adults. This is the same concept. God wants us to mature as believers to live in such a way that we are a testimony to the unbelievers in our lives. So that they can see Jesus through our submission to God.
I Peter 1:6&7 "You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Our trials will last for but a season. We get so caught up in the world that we forget it is but a season compared to eternity. So, we may deal with certain trials our whole lives, it may be our weight, an illness, a disability or a personality conflict with a family member. However, even if it lasts our entire lifetime it will still just be a season of our life. Let us find joy when we walk away from foods we aren't to eat, find joy when God gives us victory on the scale. As we celebrate Easter and reflect on the suffering our Lord and Saviour endured for our salvation; take time to thank Him for this selfless act this week. Pray for an opportunity to share with an unbelieving friend or relative what God is teaching you through the trials you are facing now in this season of your life.
James 1:2-8 (HCS) "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, but endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways."
We aren't to whine and complain. We are to be thankful that God gave us this trial and to overcome it. We may have put ourselves in a worse way with uncontrolled eating but we would have had to watch our eating habits our whole lives because our bodies don't work the same as someone who is thin and can eat whatever they want. I really hesitate to call this a "trial" because of what so many have faced. Verse 3 goes on to tell us "that the trying of your faith worketh patience". Dr McGee says God doesn't bring challenges in our lives because He loves to watch us struggle. He does it to grow our faith, to make us stronger to give us patience. As a parent we give chores to our kids because we like to see them complain, cry and throw fits, right? No! It is to teach them skills and responsibilities that they will need later on in life to live as mature adults. This is the same concept. God wants us to mature as believers to live in such a way that we are a testimony to the unbelievers in our lives. So that they can see Jesus through our submission to God.
I Peter 1:6&7 "You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to be distressed by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith - more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Our trials will last for but a season. We get so caught up in the world that we forget it is but a season compared to eternity. So, we may deal with certain trials our whole lives, it may be our weight, an illness, a disability or a personality conflict with a family member. However, even if it lasts our entire lifetime it will still just be a season of our life. Let us find joy when we walk away from foods we aren't to eat, find joy when God gives us victory on the scale. As we celebrate Easter and reflect on the suffering our Lord and Saviour endured for our salvation; take time to thank Him for this selfless act this week. Pray for an opportunity to share with an unbelieving friend or relative what God is teaching you through the trials you are facing now in this season of your life.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Claiming the Power of God
When I was a little girl my grandparents had chickens; my parents too would get 50-100 chicks that we would raise to use as food. When these chickens were full grown we would butcher them. We did this by lopping off their heads but when this was done you had to hold them down or for a very short time the chicken would run around without its head because it took a little bit for the muscles to realize that they were no longer getting information from the brain. This looked so funny but this is where the phrase "running around like a chicken with its head cutoff" came from.
In the busyness of life we begin to look a little like a chicken with its head cut off. We are running and running while worrying if our kids have this or that. I think that if we could stand above ourselves we would laugh at how funny we look. We worry, half the time, about things that are totally irrelevant in the big scheme of life. We worry about the big stuff to but as we worry we forget to call on the Power of God.
Lets look at Psalms 62 NIV
"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed of the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work."
David is under attack once again, some feel it is from Absalom, and he is resolved to wait for God's salvation. Vs. 2 & 6 show us a similar phrase the first time he says he might move a little but not greatly but in 6 he changes his mind and states that he will not be moved at all. This is the resolve we need to have in the food we take into our bodies. We need to stand and say to the cake, chips or whatever you have an addiction to, "Not only will I avoid eating a whole piece or several chips; I will not even take ONE bite!" This is the resolve we need to make. At the end of this psalm he is praising God and reminding himself that the power belongs to God. We can only do this if we claim the power of our Lord and Saviour. We need to wait on God's salvation form our addictions knowing our power comes from God. If He can save us from eternal separation from Him; saving us from our daily struggles is easy for Him if we just let Him take over our problems. We have talked about resting in Him, while we rest we need to claim His power.
Psalms 66: 1-4
"Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name.' Selah"
This is a praise to God's mighty works but lets focus in on vs 3. We are told that it is by God's power our enemies shall submit to Him. There are foods that are our enemies. Our selfish desires are our enemies. We need to claim the power of God and bring these under God's submission.
Psalms 106 speaks of Israel's sin and God's forgiveness of this sin over and over again. Specifically lets look at vs 8 "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power known."
Look at the why behind saving them. It is so that He would be glorified and that His power would be known to all. Praise God for that. We know God is powerful to overcome our sinful desires because we see His victories time and time again in the lives of the Israelites and then in the New believers in the church.
Jeremiah 27:5 " ' " I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me." ' " Please read this entire chapter, it is Jeremiah's warning to Jehoiakim king of Judah and to the surrounding kings that God had given Nebuchadnezzar the land and to avoid death and be able to stay in their homes, they should submit willingly. This should be a reminder to us to repent of our sin and turn our hearts to God. Because it was due to rebellion that God was putting them under foreign rule again. It also shows the need to submit willingly as Judah was to submit to Babylon. God is trying to save them from a more severe punishment. We talked how if we would have submitted to God from the get go and wouldn't have relied on food to comfort us we would not be in a position now where we had to deny ourselves of so many foods.
Micah 3:8
"But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." Micah is telling the rulers of Israel that he unlike the false prophets in chap. 2 has the power of God to back up what he was saying. We need to listen to what the Lord is saying to us and follow him because His words have authority and truth.
We need to ask God to be Micah's. Children of God who exude the power of the one true God, speaking in confidence and not allowing sin to be an all consuming power over us.
Remember Zech. 4:6b " 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit', Says the Lord of hosts."
This is key it is not my power but it is the power we receive through the Holy Spirit. Claim God's power over the sin in your life this week that is threatening to stifle your spiritual growth that you may live victorious and be a shining testimony to God's grace and goodness.
In the busyness of life we begin to look a little like a chicken with its head cut off. We are running and running while worrying if our kids have this or that. I think that if we could stand above ourselves we would laugh at how funny we look. We worry, half the time, about things that are totally irrelevant in the big scheme of life. We worry about the big stuff to but as we worry we forget to call on the Power of God.
Lets look at Psalms 62 NIV
"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed of the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor. Do not trust in oppression, nor vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; for You render to each one according to his work."
David is under attack once again, some feel it is from Absalom, and he is resolved to wait for God's salvation. Vs. 2 & 6 show us a similar phrase the first time he says he might move a little but not greatly but in 6 he changes his mind and states that he will not be moved at all. This is the resolve we need to have in the food we take into our bodies. We need to stand and say to the cake, chips or whatever you have an addiction to, "Not only will I avoid eating a whole piece or several chips; I will not even take ONE bite!" This is the resolve we need to make. At the end of this psalm he is praising God and reminding himself that the power belongs to God. We can only do this if we claim the power of our Lord and Saviour. We need to wait on God's salvation form our addictions knowing our power comes from God. If He can save us from eternal separation from Him; saving us from our daily struggles is easy for Him if we just let Him take over our problems. We have talked about resting in Him, while we rest we need to claim His power.
Psalms 66: 1-4
"Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name.' Selah"
This is a praise to God's mighty works but lets focus in on vs 3. We are told that it is by God's power our enemies shall submit to Him. There are foods that are our enemies. Our selfish desires are our enemies. We need to claim the power of God and bring these under God's submission.
Psalms 106 speaks of Israel's sin and God's forgiveness of this sin over and over again. Specifically lets look at vs 8 "Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power known."
Look at the why behind saving them. It is so that He would be glorified and that His power would be known to all. Praise God for that. We know God is powerful to overcome our sinful desires because we see His victories time and time again in the lives of the Israelites and then in the New believers in the church.
Jeremiah 27:5 " ' " I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me." ' " Please read this entire chapter, it is Jeremiah's warning to Jehoiakim king of Judah and to the surrounding kings that God had given Nebuchadnezzar the land and to avoid death and be able to stay in their homes, they should submit willingly. This should be a reminder to us to repent of our sin and turn our hearts to God. Because it was due to rebellion that God was putting them under foreign rule again. It also shows the need to submit willingly as Judah was to submit to Babylon. God is trying to save them from a more severe punishment. We talked how if we would have submitted to God from the get go and wouldn't have relied on food to comfort us we would not be in a position now where we had to deny ourselves of so many foods.
Micah 3:8
"But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of justice and might to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin." Micah is telling the rulers of Israel that he unlike the false prophets in chap. 2 has the power of God to back up what he was saying. We need to listen to what the Lord is saying to us and follow him because His words have authority and truth.
We need to ask God to be Micah's. Children of God who exude the power of the one true God, speaking in confidence and not allowing sin to be an all consuming power over us.
Remember Zech. 4:6b " 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit', Says the Lord of hosts."
This is key it is not my power but it is the power we receive through the Holy Spirit. Claim God's power over the sin in your life this week that is threatening to stifle your spiritual growth that you may live victorious and be a shining testimony to God's grace and goodness.
Monday, March 28, 2011
How to Find Balance in an Extremist Society
All verses will be NIVProverbs 30:7-9 "Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches--- feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, "Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.
I love watching gymnastics but the one event that scares me a bit is the balance beem. If that girl goes to far to the right or left she will lose her balance and fall. This is what the writer of Prov. 30 is telling us; to have too much or too little can lead to sin.
This is exactly what has happened in our society today. If you took a look at our society as a whole you see 2 extremes thin and fat. Very few people are balanced. They either workout like crazy or not at all. It starts early on. How many kids are invovled in everything or they do nothing. It is like we live a life on a seesaw. We are either up or down.
This is not the only scripture that speaks of moderation. Lets look at Matt. 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread;" Luke 11:3 "Give us day by day our daily bread." Mattthew is a very familiar passage, its the Lord's Prayer. Infact it was so important that Luke also recorded it in his gospel. We need to see what God is telling us. I love the way the ESV study Bible explains this; "Daily bread includes all of the believers physical needs, which the Lord supplies NOT once for all but day to day."
Balance- It does us very little good to excercise for 3 1/2 hours one day a week. It is better to do 30 minutes everyday. It is not healthy (even if we eat only healthy foods) to eat all our calories for the week in one day and nothing else all week. We are to seek God daily, going to church is awesome but to only get spiritually fed one day a week is not what is best for us. BALANCE
Joyce Meyer in her book gives some bery helpful information.
Gen 2:16-17 "and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
God gave Adam and Eve to eat freely of every tree but one, each of these foods had different nutrients, so it was important that they ate of many kinds. Since food is to nurish our bodies and NOT our souls then we need to eat a variety of foods. We need to eat them as close to the way God intended us to eat them. Grains in their most natural form. Fruit without sugar added in or veggies without being smothered in lowfat cheese sauce.
In the 2 decades (80s & 90s) that pushed low-fat "the percentage of obese Americans doubled" it was 15% and went to 30% and the percentage for kids tripled! There are many factors to this so lets discuss them. 335 calories is the amount of increase in women alone as apposed to 30 years ago. Oh and to add insult to injury heart disease and diabetes have sky-rocketed; but we are cutting the fat so how can that be?
There are several things the contribute to this and here are the ones I think are the most obvious.
1. Fat and fiber fills you up but carbs (especially simple carbs) leave you wanting more. Our bodies burn carbs fast and furious but it takes our bodies more effort to burn fat and fiber. Simple carbs cause super highs and super lows in blood sugar. This is not good.
2. In order to make food taste good after removing the fat the food companies have to add sugar. The next time you are in the grocery store take a look at the difference in the number of carbs and sugars in low-fat, fat-free and full fat salad dressing.
3. Take a look at the number of ingredients in lowfat or fat-free products, how many of them have multiple names that you have no idea what they are. These chemicals can mess with the way our bodies process food and can ruin our metabolism.
4. How many time have you said "Since these cookies are fat-free then I can eat more of them." Calories are calories and just because you are eating low-fat doesn't mean we can eat more calories.
I know your next argurment. "But fat will clog my arteries." But I say NO! Saturated fats (the fats that are solid or semi-solid at 98 degrees) can be but unsaturated fats can actually keep your heart healthy. Eating fats that are cold-pressed will be the best for you. Protein is what we are made of so this is a very important piece as well.
Matthew 18:8-9 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut if off and cast if from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."
I know what you might be thinking "what does this have to do with wightloss?" but stay with me. An alcoholic that doesn't want to drink will remove all alcohol from his home so a person that has a weight issue better be throwing out foods they can't control. Once again as I stated last week if you don't need it your kids probably don't either.
You need to decide why you continue to eat like you do? Where is there imbalance in your life that is causing you to eat in a way that brings imbalance to your body!
Lysa in her book Made to Crave suggests that over indulgence in anything is an attempt to fill out souls with anything and everything when that soul is craving for God. Remember what I said earily food is to nurish us but God is the only one that will ever nurish our souls.
Psalms 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"
Psalms 143:6 "I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah
Whether you are a child of God or you aren't sure God exists it doesn't matter because He does exists. He has created us in His image with a soul that until we come to our knees asking for God to forgive us of our sins and to turn our hearts to Him and live a life that honors our Lord and Saviour our souls will always be empty.
Do you thirst and hunger for God like the psalmist did? If not start there! God will meet you there on your knees. Start with a few minutes a day if time is an issue. Ask God to show you how to make time for Him. We all waste at least 15 minutes everyday. Find your wasted 15 minutes and use it to fill your soul with God and find the balance only He can provide.
I love watching gymnastics but the one event that scares me a bit is the balance beem. If that girl goes to far to the right or left she will lose her balance and fall. This is what the writer of Prov. 30 is telling us; to have too much or too little can lead to sin.
This is exactly what has happened in our society today. If you took a look at our society as a whole you see 2 extremes thin and fat. Very few people are balanced. They either workout like crazy or not at all. It starts early on. How many kids are invovled in everything or they do nothing. It is like we live a life on a seesaw. We are either up or down.
This is not the only scripture that speaks of moderation. Lets look at Matt. 6:11 "Give us this day our daily bread;" Luke 11:3 "Give us day by day our daily bread." Mattthew is a very familiar passage, its the Lord's Prayer. Infact it was so important that Luke also recorded it in his gospel. We need to see what God is telling us. I love the way the ESV study Bible explains this; "Daily bread includes all of the believers physical needs, which the Lord supplies NOT once for all but day to day."
Balance- It does us very little good to excercise for 3 1/2 hours one day a week. It is better to do 30 minutes everyday. It is not healthy (even if we eat only healthy foods) to eat all our calories for the week in one day and nothing else all week. We are to seek God daily, going to church is awesome but to only get spiritually fed one day a week is not what is best for us. BALANCE
Joyce Meyer in her book gives some bery helpful information.
Gen 2:16-17 "and the Lord God commanded the man, saying, "of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
God gave Adam and Eve to eat freely of every tree but one, each of these foods had different nutrients, so it was important that they ate of many kinds. Since food is to nurish our bodies and NOT our souls then we need to eat a variety of foods. We need to eat them as close to the way God intended us to eat them. Grains in their most natural form. Fruit without sugar added in or veggies without being smothered in lowfat cheese sauce.
In the 2 decades (80s & 90s) that pushed low-fat "the percentage of obese Americans doubled" it was 15% and went to 30% and the percentage for kids tripled! There are many factors to this so lets discuss them. 335 calories is the amount of increase in women alone as apposed to 30 years ago. Oh and to add insult to injury heart disease and diabetes have sky-rocketed; but we are cutting the fat so how can that be?
There are several things the contribute to this and here are the ones I think are the most obvious.
1. Fat and fiber fills you up but carbs (especially simple carbs) leave you wanting more. Our bodies burn carbs fast and furious but it takes our bodies more effort to burn fat and fiber. Simple carbs cause super highs and super lows in blood sugar. This is not good.
2. In order to make food taste good after removing the fat the food companies have to add sugar. The next time you are in the grocery store take a look at the difference in the number of carbs and sugars in low-fat, fat-free and full fat salad dressing.
3. Take a look at the number of ingredients in lowfat or fat-free products, how many of them have multiple names that you have no idea what they are. These chemicals can mess with the way our bodies process food and can ruin our metabolism.
4. How many time have you said "Since these cookies are fat-free then I can eat more of them." Calories are calories and just because you are eating low-fat doesn't mean we can eat more calories.
I know your next argurment. "But fat will clog my arteries." But I say NO! Saturated fats (the fats that are solid or semi-solid at 98 degrees) can be but unsaturated fats can actually keep your heart healthy. Eating fats that are cold-pressed will be the best for you. Protein is what we are made of so this is a very important piece as well.
Matthew 18:8-9 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut if off and cast if from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire."
I know what you might be thinking "what does this have to do with wightloss?" but stay with me. An alcoholic that doesn't want to drink will remove all alcohol from his home so a person that has a weight issue better be throwing out foods they can't control. Once again as I stated last week if you don't need it your kids probably don't either.
You need to decide why you continue to eat like you do? Where is there imbalance in your life that is causing you to eat in a way that brings imbalance to your body!
Lysa in her book Made to Crave suggests that over indulgence in anything is an attempt to fill out souls with anything and everything when that soul is craving for God. Remember what I said earily food is to nurish us but God is the only one that will ever nurish our souls.
Psalms 42:1-2 "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"
Psalms 143:6 "I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah
Whether you are a child of God or you aren't sure God exists it doesn't matter because He does exists. He has created us in His image with a soul that until we come to our knees asking for God to forgive us of our sins and to turn our hearts to Him and live a life that honors our Lord and Saviour our souls will always be empty.
Do you thirst and hunger for God like the psalmist did? If not start there! God will meet you there on your knees. Start with a few minutes a day if time is an issue. Ask God to show you how to make time for Him. We all waste at least 15 minutes everyday. Find your wasted 15 minutes and use it to fill your soul with God and find the balance only He can provide.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Resting in the Arms of the Saviour Instead of Resting in the Wish I's...
To begin with you need to read Numbers 11 from start to finish.
There are times when we crave foods some times this is good and sometimes it is bad. For instance, when a pregnant women craves something with nutrients the baby needs. This is a good thing, but when we crave sweets that is not okay. In the passage we see the children of Israel complaining AGAIN. (How many times does the Lord see us in this same boat. Whining about what we don't have instead of thanking Him for the things we do have.) They literally watched the Lord set fire to the outskirts of their camp due to complaining and they turned around and verse 4 states "yielded to intense craving" and started whining and crying about not having meat to eat. It amazes me that after God had produced miracle after miracle the Israelites can't have patience to wait without complaining for the land of milk and honey. Is anyone else feeling convicted or is it just me.
SIDE NOTE:
I feel compelled to give some back round on Numbers. The first 14 chapters of Numbers is about 2 years after the exodus then chapter 20 and beyond tells of the 40th year and beyond. It is interesting to note that chapters 15-19 are not dated but most likely cover the 37 years between the 2nd and 40th years. This is per Dr MacArthur's Study Bible. This lack of information tells just how wasted these years were due to rebellion against the Lord. My question, if I could ask God anything would be "How long would you have led the Israelites around before letting them enter the promise land if they hadn't complained?" The spies entered Canaan about 2 years post leaving Egypt. We know that from Egypt to Canaan shouldn't have taken 2 years but it did.
So if I am complaining about the lack of weight loss or giving into temptation all the time how long am I delaying victory over my flesh? Once again this applies to all sin in my life.
Okay back to the passage.
So now manna isn't good enough; now they want meat. I believe God says this to me. " Is the veggies, lean meat, and fruit not enough? So now you want cake, ice cream, pop, pasta, and etc.?" When I wish I could have... or eat... when I know it is not good for me then I am sure I grieve the Lord. If I am dwelling on what I can't have then I am NOT resting in the arms of my Saviour.
I find it a bit humorous that Moses essentially feels like we as parents do when our kids start complaining to us. How many times as parents do we wish we could leave this world as apposed to listening to our children complain about what we don't have to eat. So God tells Moses, fine they want meat; I'll give them meat until it makes them sick. I believe that God has given us over to our cravings, craving of food that causes inflammation in our joints, causes weight gain, and mood swings because we are not seeking God's Will. How can we be affective in service to Him if we are sick all the time.
Moses also feels like he needs help. First God gives him the help he wanted but what Moses still didn't understand was that he had ALL the power necessary to lead the Israelites. We too forget the power God has given to us. The power to control our desires and the power to parent well.
We need to pray God's Will because when we pray our will God may answer yes to our prayer to show us that our will is not best.
God provided meat but it wasn't the best for them. They collected 10 homers of quail which is about 86 gallons. Since there was no cold storage every piece of meat had to be cooked and eaten quickly. In fact it made those who yielded to their cravings became sick while they were eating and died. There are foods we have access to that may seem okay but in actuality it is not. Oh the gluttony that ultimately led to the death of many, may we guard against this in our lives.
There are times when we crave foods some times this is good and sometimes it is bad. For instance, when a pregnant women craves something with nutrients the baby needs. This is a good thing, but when we crave sweets that is not okay. In the passage we see the children of Israel complaining AGAIN. (How many times does the Lord see us in this same boat. Whining about what we don't have instead of thanking Him for the things we do have.) They literally watched the Lord set fire to the outskirts of their camp due to complaining and they turned around and verse 4 states "yielded to intense craving" and started whining and crying about not having meat to eat. It amazes me that after God had produced miracle after miracle the Israelites can't have patience to wait without complaining for the land of milk and honey. Is anyone else feeling convicted or is it just me.
SIDE NOTE:
I feel compelled to give some back round on Numbers. The first 14 chapters of Numbers is about 2 years after the exodus then chapter 20 and beyond tells of the 40th year and beyond. It is interesting to note that chapters 15-19 are not dated but most likely cover the 37 years between the 2nd and 40th years. This is per Dr MacArthur's Study Bible. This lack of information tells just how wasted these years were due to rebellion against the Lord. My question, if I could ask God anything would be "How long would you have led the Israelites around before letting them enter the promise land if they hadn't complained?" The spies entered Canaan about 2 years post leaving Egypt. We know that from Egypt to Canaan shouldn't have taken 2 years but it did.
So if I am complaining about the lack of weight loss or giving into temptation all the time how long am I delaying victory over my flesh? Once again this applies to all sin in my life.
Okay back to the passage.
So now manna isn't good enough; now they want meat. I believe God says this to me. " Is the veggies, lean meat, and fruit not enough? So now you want cake, ice cream, pop, pasta, and etc.?" When I wish I could have... or eat... when I know it is not good for me then I am sure I grieve the Lord. If I am dwelling on what I can't have then I am NOT resting in the arms of my Saviour.
I find it a bit humorous that Moses essentially feels like we as parents do when our kids start complaining to us. How many times as parents do we wish we could leave this world as apposed to listening to our children complain about what we don't have to eat. So God tells Moses, fine they want meat; I'll give them meat until it makes them sick. I believe that God has given us over to our cravings, craving of food that causes inflammation in our joints, causes weight gain, and mood swings because we are not seeking God's Will. How can we be affective in service to Him if we are sick all the time.
Moses also feels like he needs help. First God gives him the help he wanted but what Moses still didn't understand was that he had ALL the power necessary to lead the Israelites. We too forget the power God has given to us. The power to control our desires and the power to parent well.
We need to pray God's Will because when we pray our will God may answer yes to our prayer to show us that our will is not best.
God provided meat but it wasn't the best for them. They collected 10 homers of quail which is about 86 gallons. Since there was no cold storage every piece of meat had to be cooked and eaten quickly. In fact it made those who yielded to their cravings became sick while they were eating and died. There are foods we have access to that may seem okay but in actuality it is not. Oh the gluttony that ultimately led to the death of many, may we guard against this in our lives.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Consistent Focus
I Corin. 10:12
When I was learning to drive, my father taught me a valuable lesson. It was simple, where my eyes were looking that is where my car would go. So if I focused on the road ahead, my car would go there but if I spent to much time worrying and looking at the ditch, then my car would not fare very well. This lesson fits well with the Christian walk; we need to focus on Christ and not on the obsacles. There are so many times we can't remove obsacles but how many times are we the cause of the obsacles. If we apply this to our eating; it is really hard to give into temptation and eat cookies if there are no cookies in the house. I know this may seem impossible with small children or husbands in the house but they don't need it either. It is easier to teach good eating habits when they are young rather than re-teach them later.
Bailee, when she was little, would only drink juice; then one day I didn't buy juice anymore. It was a tough few days but it didn't take long for her to realize there was no juice and she quit asking.
Heb. 12:1-2
Dr J. Vernon McGee tells us that Paul is encouraging us to get moving and don't drift along like a ship without a rudder. A ship a drift will get no where fast for it has no focus. Ironically enough for our topic of weight-loss we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin which ensnares us. John MacArthur states when Paul talks of "the sin" it is the sin of unbelief.
So, do we truly believe that God has our best in mind or do we feel that food is where we need to run for comfort and strength when the road gets tough. It is this unbelief in God that slows us down in the Christian live. We are to focus our eyes on Jesus and His example of finishing as He did with His death on the cross. Knowing that we too will have the joy of completion when we stand before God in Heaven.
What we shouldn't focus on:
Romans 12:3 - In our persute of weight loss we want to maintain God's perspective which is often hard as we get wrapped up in the world's view of beauty. WE SHOULD WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT TO HONOR GOD'S TEMPLE NOT TO BE PRIDEFUL OF THE CONDITION WE KEEP IT! This is why it is so important to teach good eating habits now to our children to give them confidence inspite of what they will see in the world. We will often focus on ourselves which brings attentionto us; even in a derogatory manner. An example is when we say "Oh I shouldn't have had that piece of cake" and your friend says "You shouldn't worry you look great. or One piece of cake won't hurt." We need to be ever vigilant.
How can I focus if I can't see the rode?
2 Tim 4:7-8
I think I am not the only one that would say "Ok fine I know I am to focus on the road as to run the race and not to focus on myself because it is truly about God BUT what happens when I can't see the road because the fog of trials is too thick, then what?" I get it, we have all been there or are there.
This is when we look at the step God has given right in front of us. When I drive in the fog I get closterphobic if I look into the distance too long and then I start to panic. So I focus just on the patch of road that is lit by my head lights in front of me. Our challenges and trials in life can be like driving in fog and if we don't focus on the patch of road we can see and trust God to continue to light our path then we will run to our normal source of comfort which often is food, but please note running to anything or anyone but Christ will not give you rest. We need to remember that sin creates consequences of its own these aren't the trials that Timothy is speaking. So many times in my life I am dealing with self inflicted consequences of sin. How can I ask God to give me strength to avoid ice cream if I am the one who keeps buying it at the store.
Matt. 11: 28-30; John 6:35-37
As believers we can rest in the sovereignty of God (I Corin 10:13). Our battles are to make us stronger in our faith. Focusing on God rather than food will ultimately bring victory over food. Be Joseph this week and run from the food that tempts us just like Joseph ran from Potifer's wife.
When I was learning to drive, my father taught me a valuable lesson. It was simple, where my eyes were looking that is where my car would go. So if I focused on the road ahead, my car would go there but if I spent to much time worrying and looking at the ditch, then my car would not fare very well. This lesson fits well with the Christian walk; we need to focus on Christ and not on the obsacles. There are so many times we can't remove obsacles but how many times are we the cause of the obsacles. If we apply this to our eating; it is really hard to give into temptation and eat cookies if there are no cookies in the house. I know this may seem impossible with small children or husbands in the house but they don't need it either. It is easier to teach good eating habits when they are young rather than re-teach them later.
Bailee, when she was little, would only drink juice; then one day I didn't buy juice anymore. It was a tough few days but it didn't take long for her to realize there was no juice and she quit asking.
Heb. 12:1-2
Dr J. Vernon McGee tells us that Paul is encouraging us to get moving and don't drift along like a ship without a rudder. A ship a drift will get no where fast for it has no focus. Ironically enough for our topic of weight-loss we are told to lay aside every weight and the sin which ensnares us. John MacArthur states when Paul talks of "the sin" it is the sin of unbelief.
So, do we truly believe that God has our best in mind or do we feel that food is where we need to run for comfort and strength when the road gets tough. It is this unbelief in God that slows us down in the Christian live. We are to focus our eyes on Jesus and His example of finishing as He did with His death on the cross. Knowing that we too will have the joy of completion when we stand before God in Heaven.
What we shouldn't focus on:
Romans 12:3 - In our persute of weight loss we want to maintain God's perspective which is often hard as we get wrapped up in the world's view of beauty. WE SHOULD WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT TO HONOR GOD'S TEMPLE NOT TO BE PRIDEFUL OF THE CONDITION WE KEEP IT! This is why it is so important to teach good eating habits now to our children to give them confidence inspite of what they will see in the world. We will often focus on ourselves which brings attentionto us; even in a derogatory manner. An example is when we say "Oh I shouldn't have had that piece of cake" and your friend says "You shouldn't worry you look great. or One piece of cake won't hurt." We need to be ever vigilant.
How can I focus if I can't see the rode?
2 Tim 4:7-8
I think I am not the only one that would say "Ok fine I know I am to focus on the road as to run the race and not to focus on myself because it is truly about God BUT what happens when I can't see the road because the fog of trials is too thick, then what?" I get it, we have all been there or are there.
This is when we look at the step God has given right in front of us. When I drive in the fog I get closterphobic if I look into the distance too long and then I start to panic. So I focus just on the patch of road that is lit by my head lights in front of me. Our challenges and trials in life can be like driving in fog and if we don't focus on the patch of road we can see and trust God to continue to light our path then we will run to our normal source of comfort which often is food, but please note running to anything or anyone but Christ will not give you rest. We need to remember that sin creates consequences of its own these aren't the trials that Timothy is speaking. So many times in my life I am dealing with self inflicted consequences of sin. How can I ask God to give me strength to avoid ice cream if I am the one who keeps buying it at the store.
Matt. 11: 28-30; John 6:35-37
As believers we can rest in the sovereignty of God (I Corin 10:13). Our battles are to make us stronger in our faith. Focusing on God rather than food will ultimately bring victory over food. Be Joseph this week and run from the food that tempts us just like Joseph ran from Potifer's wife.
Self -Control Is Only Effective When We Are God-Controlled
Gal 5:22-23
I find it interesting that the parts of the Spirit that we are to emulate are called "fruits". Each one is important in our spiritual growth, but the one that plays a huge role in our ability to keep food out of our mouths is self-control.
John MacArthur's study Bible refers to self-control as restraint over our passions and appetites. So very interesting. We are never asked to live the Christian life on our own; we are to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us. We cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit while living in the flesh.
I Corin. 9:24-27; 2 Pet 1: 5-9; Phil. 3: 13-21; Jere. 29:13-14; Prov. 25:28
I Corin. 9: 24-27 speaks of a runner who disciplines himself in preparation for a race. Self-control is crucial to any victory. If we are to have victory over sin (overeating or eating junk) we need self-control. Discipline is also necessary to bring others to Christ, and it is hard to teach our children self-control if they see we have none.
Phil. 3:13-21 (especially 18 and 19) condemns those who claim to be Christians but have no fruit to show for it. I pray that I do not live a life that someone could questions my heart. When it talks about their "God is their belly" J. Vernon McGee states, "This means that they are led by their appetites." This in our case can mean food, however it means anything that drives us and pulls us away from God. Paul wants us to live lives that are so Christ-centered that our Faith is crystal clear to those around us without having to convince them of our belief in God.
Jeremiah 29: 13-14 is a promise from God to the Israelites that we can claim today. Look for your God with all your heart and he will rebuild you and end your captivity with food or any other stronghold the enemy has on you.
Prov. 25:28 - Back before airplanes, missiles and tanks the best defense a city had against invaders was a huge wall around the city; without it or if it was broken it would leave the inhabitants of the city very vulnerable to any evil. The writer of Proverbs is telling us here that self-control can protect us the same way. A lack of self-control in one area of our lives will grow and spill over into other areas. We need to continually be on our knees asking God to live through us to control us because as 2 Corin 12:9 states "for my [God's] power is made perfect in weakness."
My challenge to you this week is to literally pray before you put anything in you mouth.
1. Thank Him for His guidance for without it we are weak.
2. Ask if this is what He wants you to partake in.
3. Praise Him for one of 2 things either the liberty He is giving you or the strength to abstain.
I am challenging each of us to ask God for a direct command to fast from something this week for just a short time (it could be just one meal or a snack) to use that time to worship and praise Him.
The final thing that is crucial is to decide if this weight-loss is a vow to God. If the answer is YES we need to get on our knees and ask God to forgive us for cheating on Him with whatever food it is, because cheating with food is sin if you have vowed to God not to eat certain things.
I find it interesting that the parts of the Spirit that we are to emulate are called "fruits". Each one is important in our spiritual growth, but the one that plays a huge role in our ability to keep food out of our mouths is self-control.
John MacArthur's study Bible refers to self-control as restraint over our passions and appetites. So very interesting. We are never asked to live the Christian life on our own; we are to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us. We cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit while living in the flesh.
I Corin. 9:24-27; 2 Pet 1: 5-9; Phil. 3: 13-21; Jere. 29:13-14; Prov. 25:28
I Corin. 9: 24-27 speaks of a runner who disciplines himself in preparation for a race. Self-control is crucial to any victory. If we are to have victory over sin (overeating or eating junk) we need self-control. Discipline is also necessary to bring others to Christ, and it is hard to teach our children self-control if they see we have none.
Phil. 3:13-21 (especially 18 and 19) condemns those who claim to be Christians but have no fruit to show for it. I pray that I do not live a life that someone could questions my heart. When it talks about their "God is their belly" J. Vernon McGee states, "This means that they are led by their appetites." This in our case can mean food, however it means anything that drives us and pulls us away from God. Paul wants us to live lives that are so Christ-centered that our Faith is crystal clear to those around us without having to convince them of our belief in God.
Jeremiah 29: 13-14 is a promise from God to the Israelites that we can claim today. Look for your God with all your heart and he will rebuild you and end your captivity with food or any other stronghold the enemy has on you.
Prov. 25:28 - Back before airplanes, missiles and tanks the best defense a city had against invaders was a huge wall around the city; without it or if it was broken it would leave the inhabitants of the city very vulnerable to any evil. The writer of Proverbs is telling us here that self-control can protect us the same way. A lack of self-control in one area of our lives will grow and spill over into other areas. We need to continually be on our knees asking God to live through us to control us because as 2 Corin 12:9 states "for my [God's] power is made perfect in weakness."
My challenge to you this week is to literally pray before you put anything in you mouth.
1. Thank Him for His guidance for without it we are weak.
2. Ask if this is what He wants you to partake in.
3. Praise Him for one of 2 things either the liberty He is giving you or the strength to abstain.
I am challenging each of us to ask God for a direct command to fast from something this week for just a short time (it could be just one meal or a snack) to use that time to worship and praise Him.
The final thing that is crucial is to decide if this weight-loss is a vow to God. If the answer is YES we need to get on our knees and ask God to forgive us for cheating on Him with whatever food it is, because cheating with food is sin if you have vowed to God not to eat certain things.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Excercise The Activity That Never Used to be Necessary
The Verses to read are the following:
Gen 2:15 - Please note Adam was to take care of the garden BEFORE the first sin. WORK was never to be a punishment for sin.
Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 - This talks of working hard and perservering through the things that come our way. We are to understand that bad things happen even when doing the right things, but we are not to let these things consume us but rather we should understand that the God of the Universe is in control. (This is a tangent we took this morning, but it was God led and needs to be in here.)
There are 37+ verses that talk about laziness and here are just a few:
Proverbs 13:4, 20:4, 24:30-34
Once again we need to look back at our ancestors. They didn't drive everywhere, they would walk. There was no electricity. The next time you make meringue, do it by hand with a whisk & let me know how it goes. Do you next load of laundry with a washboard. That should be fun. We have removed all types of natural excercise from our lives, and now that extends to our kids. We don't let our kids out of our sight because we are afraid of what might happen. There are some of us who over protect our kids so badly it leaves them with no imagination to play. We need to put down the remote or the game controllers and get moving. God has made us as dynamic changing, moving human beings.
The following are just a few benefits from excercise:
1. Have you ever thoughtr about why you yawn? It is because your brain needs oxygen. Oxygen is the one element that if we are deprived of it; it will cause you to die. This can happen in 4 minutes. By the way food you can go without for 40 days and water for 4 days.) Excercise increases our lung capacity which in turn helps us intake more oxygen. That is the first thing excercise does for you.
2. How many people around you have some type of chronic disease? A bunch, right? Well the next thing excercise does is to keep us mobile. Heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, stress and depression all are directly affected by excercise.
A brisk 2-3 mile walk can significantly decrease your risk of heart attack or stroke. We are made for balance. If glucose gives energy then the more we have in the blood stream the better we are right? WRONG! Too much will make our blood too thick and syrupy. The muscles will only accept so much sugar then they start resisting; insulin becomes in higher demand and the pancreas starts to shut down.Excercise can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 2/3s. The lymph system which is a major player in your immune system only circulates with muscle contractions. Excercise is the best solution for stress. It burns up the excess energy before the energy burns us up. Endorphines are released when we excercise and this hormone can single handedly destroy and funk. This is a very shallow explanation on how our bodies are affected by excercise.
So what do we need to take from this?
I am challenging you to 30 min of excercise everyday, that is what we need to commit to, to honor our God with our bodies. This excercise needs to consist of walking/running in some way even if it is in your own living room, sit-ups and push-ups - do 5 more after you start feeling the burn. and the last one is to bounce on your toes with them straight, then pointed out and then pointed in without stopping. When your legs start to burn go a minute longer.
In the book Made to Crave she encourages us this way, "Each lost pound was not a quest to get skinny but evidence of obedience to God."
Ps 73:26 "My flesh and my heart fail; BUT God is my portion forever."
Allow God to be your protion and your strength at you set out to honor him by moving you body.
Gen 2:15 - Please note Adam was to take care of the garden BEFORE the first sin. WORK was never to be a punishment for sin.
Ecclesiastes 9:10-12 - This talks of working hard and perservering through the things that come our way. We are to understand that bad things happen even when doing the right things, but we are not to let these things consume us but rather we should understand that the God of the Universe is in control. (This is a tangent we took this morning, but it was God led and needs to be in here.)
There are 37+ verses that talk about laziness and here are just a few:
Proverbs 13:4, 20:4, 24:30-34
Once again we need to look back at our ancestors. They didn't drive everywhere, they would walk. There was no electricity. The next time you make meringue, do it by hand with a whisk & let me know how it goes. Do you next load of laundry with a washboard. That should be fun. We have removed all types of natural excercise from our lives, and now that extends to our kids. We don't let our kids out of our sight because we are afraid of what might happen. There are some of us who over protect our kids so badly it leaves them with no imagination to play. We need to put down the remote or the game controllers and get moving. God has made us as dynamic changing, moving human beings.
The following are just a few benefits from excercise:
1. Have you ever thoughtr about why you yawn? It is because your brain needs oxygen. Oxygen is the one element that if we are deprived of it; it will cause you to die. This can happen in 4 minutes. By the way food you can go without for 40 days and water for 4 days.) Excercise increases our lung capacity which in turn helps us intake more oxygen. That is the first thing excercise does for you.
2. How many people around you have some type of chronic disease? A bunch, right? Well the next thing excercise does is to keep us mobile. Heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, stress and depression all are directly affected by excercise.
A brisk 2-3 mile walk can significantly decrease your risk of heart attack or stroke. We are made for balance. If glucose gives energy then the more we have in the blood stream the better we are right? WRONG! Too much will make our blood too thick and syrupy. The muscles will only accept so much sugar then they start resisting; insulin becomes in higher demand and the pancreas starts to shut down.Excercise can reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by 2/3s. The lymph system which is a major player in your immune system only circulates with muscle contractions. Excercise is the best solution for stress. It burns up the excess energy before the energy burns us up. Endorphines are released when we excercise and this hormone can single handedly destroy and funk. This is a very shallow explanation on how our bodies are affected by excercise.
So what do we need to take from this?
I am challenging you to 30 min of excercise everyday, that is what we need to commit to, to honor our God with our bodies. This excercise needs to consist of walking/running in some way even if it is in your own living room, sit-ups and push-ups - do 5 more after you start feeling the burn. and the last one is to bounce on your toes with them straight, then pointed out and then pointed in without stopping. When your legs start to burn go a minute longer.
In the book Made to Crave she encourages us this way, "Each lost pound was not a quest to get skinny but evidence of obedience to God."
Ps 73:26 "My flesh and my heart fail; BUT God is my portion forever."
Allow God to be your protion and your strength at you set out to honor him by moving you body.
Monday, January 31, 2011
What Do You Mean God Doesn't Provide Brownies or Soda?
I have a running arguement with my husband. This arguement debates how brownies, pop, pizza, etc. is healthy for you (his words) and I of couse tell him that is not true. Having ingredients of eggs, milk, tomatoes, water does NOT diminish the fact that most of the foods he is trying to defend contain refined sugar, flour, and a multitude of artificial flavorings, coloring, and preservatives God never put in food. Steve has harrassed me with conversations like this for years, but the truth of the matter is that we have taken the wonderful foods God has made for us and changed them so much that we can't even recognize these awesome foods. We have taken sugar cane, refined and bleached it. We have done this to our flour, which started as simply ground wheat. This is of course just a start, I could go on and on.
Gen. 1:29-30 "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so."
God is Jehovah Jireh the God who provides. He provided for Adam and Eve and in turn for us before we knew we needed provision. He made sure that the Israelites had manna to eat. He also provided quail. (We should note that He did NOT provide little brownie bits.) This may be humerous but seriously He very well could have. It is important to know that God didn't tell the Israelites to feast everyday or every week. There was special times of feasting. God does talk of providing for His children. He also made it very clear that to Adam and Eve that all food (fruit in this case) was to be eaten. If we take a cue from this perhaps there are things we too should leave out of our diet.
Psalm 37:25 "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread."
This verse is very clear God provides for the righteous. Ask God to give you a new love for the foods that He actually gave to us.
Our bodies are amazing machines, way better than man made ones like cars. What happens when you put too much gas in you car? It spews out. So that would be quite embarrassing if we were at lunch with our friends and didn't realize our "tank" was full and spewed food all over the table. How AWEFUL!! Instead God has made us to store the extra food we intake in the way of fat. Now way back when and in some areas of the world today, food could/can become scarce in some areas when there was/is cold or drought so our bodies are made to store energy(fat) when food was/is plentiful but burn it when food was/is scarce. You see with modern farming and the ability to transport food all over the world this rarely happens anymore. We don't burn the storage and we eat things that actually use less calories. To burn 1 ATP of energy you use 9 calories but if the item has fructose in it then it cuts in the middle of the cycle and only burns 2 calories.
Prov 31: 10-31 speaks of a woman who is a hard worker, who cooks meals for her family, who is decerning in her purchases, whose children call you blessed. If you eat or worse feed your children unhealthy meals perhaps you or your children won't be able too say those words of blessing. I am not saying we should burn the candle at both ends but we need to use our time better and make better health decisions not just for us but also for our families.
Rom 14:10-12 "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"
2 Corin. 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that eachone may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Dr J. Vernon McGee talks about this referring to "How we have lived in these bodies?" So what if our health is so poor that we can't use our bodies to bring others to Christ or due to a bad self-image we are kept from confidently proclaiming God's Name.
So how do we apply this:
Sheri Rose Shepherd in her book Fit For My King she has some great applications.
1. Fast off WHITE SUGAR
2. Fast off ALL ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
3. Fast off FAKE FOOD
Ps. 23:1-3 "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive."
(This includes everything the food industry has labeled fat free, sugar free, and artificial flavor.)
4. Fast off WHITE FLOUR
5. Fast off WHITE POTATOES, WHITE RICE, AND CORN
6. Fast off BUYING FOODS YOU CAN'T EAT (Hit they are bad for your body they are probably bad for your family)
7. FAST AFTER 7:00PM !!!
The only way to change your eating habits is to be prepared. Sheri goes into depth on how this works if you would like to read this you may purchase her book or let me know if you want to read my copy.
Gen. 1:29-30 "And God said, 'See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so."
God is Jehovah Jireh the God who provides. He provided for Adam and Eve and in turn for us before we knew we needed provision. He made sure that the Israelites had manna to eat. He also provided quail. (We should note that He did NOT provide little brownie bits.) This may be humerous but seriously He very well could have. It is important to know that God didn't tell the Israelites to feast everyday or every week. There was special times of feasting. God does talk of providing for His children. He also made it very clear that to Adam and Eve that all food (fruit in this case) was to be eaten. If we take a cue from this perhaps there are things we too should leave out of our diet.
Psalm 37:25 "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread."
This verse is very clear God provides for the righteous. Ask God to give you a new love for the foods that He actually gave to us.
Our bodies are amazing machines, way better than man made ones like cars. What happens when you put too much gas in you car? It spews out. So that would be quite embarrassing if we were at lunch with our friends and didn't realize our "tank" was full and spewed food all over the table. How AWEFUL!! Instead God has made us to store the extra food we intake in the way of fat. Now way back when and in some areas of the world today, food could/can become scarce in some areas when there was/is cold or drought so our bodies are made to store energy(fat) when food was/is plentiful but burn it when food was/is scarce. You see with modern farming and the ability to transport food all over the world this rarely happens anymore. We don't burn the storage and we eat things that actually use less calories. To burn 1 ATP of energy you use 9 calories but if the item has fructose in it then it cuts in the middle of the cycle and only burns 2 calories.
Prov 31: 10-31 speaks of a woman who is a hard worker, who cooks meals for her family, who is decerning in her purchases, whose children call you blessed. If you eat or worse feed your children unhealthy meals perhaps you or your children won't be able too say those words of blessing. I am not saying we should burn the candle at both ends but we need to use our time better and make better health decisions not just for us but also for our families.
Rom 14:10-12 "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, 'As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"
2 Corin. 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that eachone may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Dr J. Vernon McGee talks about this referring to "How we have lived in these bodies?" So what if our health is so poor that we can't use our bodies to bring others to Christ or due to a bad self-image we are kept from confidently proclaiming God's Name.
So how do we apply this:
Sheri Rose Shepherd in her book Fit For My King she has some great applications.
1. Fast off WHITE SUGAR
2. Fast off ALL ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
3. Fast off FAKE FOOD
Ps. 23:1-3 "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive."
(This includes everything the food industry has labeled fat free, sugar free, and artificial flavor.)
4. Fast off WHITE FLOUR
5. Fast off WHITE POTATOES, WHITE RICE, AND CORN
6. Fast off BUYING FOODS YOU CAN'T EAT (Hit they are bad for your body they are probably bad for your family)
7. FAST AFTER 7:00PM !!!
The only way to change your eating habits is to be prepared. Sheri goes into depth on how this works if you would like to read this you may purchase her book or let me know if you want to read my copy.
Monday, January 24, 2011
My Body - His Workmanship
Read Psalms 139
We often use this passage for the arguement of sanctity of life but we can also look at the way God has made us. When was the last time you stood naked in front of a mirror and said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Because you are and so am I. (There may be a layer of fat over the wonderful workmanship of God but we need to start seeing ourselves as God sees us; his workmanship.)
When we say we don't like something about our bodies, we are telling God that He messed up and that girlfriend is not a rode we want to take. This has nothing to do with the junk we have put in our bodies, it does have to do with your fingers that are too short, your legs that are too short, or your neck that is too long. (You get my drift.)
Read Eccl 11:5
As an anxious new Mom I remember wondering what my new baby would look like; but even then God knew. He also knew our body types, tall or short, muscular or thin, even if we would struggle with food or not. So if God loves us then we need to learn to love ourselves where we are but work to become a healthier version of me.
So, how do I fix this:
We need to call on Jehovah-Raphe the God who heals. Why do we need healing? Because, our poor body image and self-loathing has broken us. We need to allow God to heal our hurts before we can fix His temple.
Exodus 20: 2-3; 15: 25-26
This is a conditional covenant so we need to see what the conditions are for God to rain down His healing and it is 4 things:
1. Listen
2. Do the right thing
3. Obey His commands
4. Keep all His decrees
Doing these things would keep the Israelites from experiencing the diseases God brought upon the Egyptians. We need to ask God what sin we are holding on to that keeps us from experiencing His healing. DO NOT misunderstand me I am not saying that everyone who is sick; is sick due to sin in their lives. I AM saying that illness due to an unhealthy lifestyle or one controlled by addiction must first bring us to conviction before God can bring healing.
After we confess then we need to forgive ourselves.
*Buck up and move on STOP WALLOWING!*
Psalm 32:5
"When we refuse to forgive ourselves we are saying by our actions that the cross was not enough." (Sheri Rose Shepard)
We have an obligation to our children because kids who see parents with a poor body image will themselves be more apt to have a poor body image.
We often use this passage for the arguement of sanctity of life but we can also look at the way God has made us. When was the last time you stood naked in front of a mirror and said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Because you are and so am I. (There may be a layer of fat over the wonderful workmanship of God but we need to start seeing ourselves as God sees us; his workmanship.)
When we say we don't like something about our bodies, we are telling God that He messed up and that girlfriend is not a rode we want to take. This has nothing to do with the junk we have put in our bodies, it does have to do with your fingers that are too short, your legs that are too short, or your neck that is too long. (You get my drift.)
Read Eccl 11:5
As an anxious new Mom I remember wondering what my new baby would look like; but even then God knew. He also knew our body types, tall or short, muscular or thin, even if we would struggle with food or not. So if God loves us then we need to learn to love ourselves where we are but work to become a healthier version of me.
So, how do I fix this:
We need to call on Jehovah-Raphe the God who heals. Why do we need healing? Because, our poor body image and self-loathing has broken us. We need to allow God to heal our hurts before we can fix His temple.
Exodus 20: 2-3; 15: 25-26
This is a conditional covenant so we need to see what the conditions are for God to rain down His healing and it is 4 things:
1. Listen
2. Do the right thing
3. Obey His commands
4. Keep all His decrees
Doing these things would keep the Israelites from experiencing the diseases God brought upon the Egyptians. We need to ask God what sin we are holding on to that keeps us from experiencing His healing. DO NOT misunderstand me I am not saying that everyone who is sick; is sick due to sin in their lives. I AM saying that illness due to an unhealthy lifestyle or one controlled by addiction must first bring us to conviction before God can bring healing.
After we confess then we need to forgive ourselves.
*Buck up and move on STOP WALLOWING!*
Psalm 32:5
"When we refuse to forgive ourselves we are saying by our actions that the cross was not enough." (Sheri Rose Shepard)
We have an obligation to our children because kids who see parents with a poor body image will themselves be more apt to have a poor body image.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
1st Bible Study session - "How Much Do I Love My Jesus"
I didn't come up with all this on my own here are the resources I used:
Look Great Feel Great by Joyce Meyer; Fit For My King by Sheri Rose Shepherd; Prayfit by Jimmy Pena; Spiritual Secrets To Weight Loss; and Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. I will use these on all following studies.
I GIVE HIM ALL OF ME
I. Our Body Image Fight
I Corin 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. NKJV
It i imposible to like ourselves when we are controlled by our cravings. In order to beat these we need to set our minds on our Royal calling; to "focus on our desre to honor our King not about denying ourselves certain foods.
II. God's Temple
I Corin. 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
The word picture in these verses are of the temple that the Israelites treasured above all else. It was sacred and holy; it was where God dwelt. This is what he thinks of our bodies because as a child of God we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God expects us to take care of our bodies. This is often used for an arguement against alcohol, smoking, and ect., however this biggest abuse that happens within the church is that of food. So much of the food we eat and feed our families have no nutritional value or the nutrition has been added back in, which is not the same quality. Remember, the temple is where they sacrificed, perhaps it is time we make a "sacrifice".
III. Willpower Friend or Foe
Willpower will help when we want it to but will run just as soon as we can reason it away. So instead we need to be Spirit-powered in order to stay the course for the long haul and to not get distracted or off course.
Zechariah 4:6-7 - So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you have become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "
This may seem off subject however this vision is to encourage Zerubbabel to stay the course, that God would give the strength to fix the Temple. So if our bodies our the Temple of God this is His encouragement to us to FIX THE TEMPLE!! WOW! God is so good because if you read on to verse 7 (which we didn't do Monday); He is encouraging us that the outcome is guaranteed because God is powerful enough to make a mountain a flat plain. So give it to Him, claim the victory and eat the foods God created for us to eat. I understand that this is talking about the completion of God's final Kingdom but we can apply it to our lives now.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Without God we are failures! It is He who is the fuel that can re-ignite our willpower and discipline. (He is the slow steady burn that never burns out.) Remember God never quits on us. Praise God for this and thank Him daily for his mercy that is never failing.
In Joyce Meyers' book Look Great Feel Great she gives 7 reasons we don't take care of ourselves:
"1. We don't know how to take care of our physical bodies.
2. We have a skewed body image planted in our minds by media and advertising.
3. We have lost touch with exercise.
4. We have let ourselves slip into unworkable lives.
5. Some have become pathologically selfless.
6. We have lost our support.
7. We have forgotten our own value.
Finally Joyce gives 5 ways to trust God with your burdens; ask, attend church, attend a support group, begin each day with an affirmation, and finally Pray in moments of doubt.
Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
I want you to read 2 Corin 5 as well.
We need to allow God to take over our hearts for when we do we will love Him deeper and better appreciate the sacrifice He performed so that we could live a life with an eternal hope.
So I ask, "How much do I love my Lord?" Because He loved me enough to die for me, surely I can sacrifice by leaving a few things out of my diet for Him.
Next week we will look at How do I love myself?
Look Great Feel Great by Joyce Meyer; Fit For My King by Sheri Rose Shepherd; Prayfit by Jimmy Pena; Spiritual Secrets To Weight Loss; and Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. I will use these on all following studies.
I GIVE HIM ALL OF ME
I. Our Body Image Fight
I Corin 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. NKJV
It i imposible to like ourselves when we are controlled by our cravings. In order to beat these we need to set our minds on our Royal calling; to "focus on our desre to honor our King not about denying ourselves certain foods.
II. God's Temple
I Corin. 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
The word picture in these verses are of the temple that the Israelites treasured above all else. It was sacred and holy; it was where God dwelt. This is what he thinks of our bodies because as a child of God we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. God expects us to take care of our bodies. This is often used for an arguement against alcohol, smoking, and ect., however this biggest abuse that happens within the church is that of food. So much of the food we eat and feed our families have no nutritional value or the nutrition has been added back in, which is not the same quality. Remember, the temple is where they sacrificed, perhaps it is time we make a "sacrifice".
III. Willpower Friend or Foe
Willpower will help when we want it to but will run just as soon as we can reason it away. So instead we need to be Spirit-powered in order to stay the course for the long haul and to not get distracted or off course.
Zechariah 4:6-7 - So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you have become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!" ' "
This may seem off subject however this vision is to encourage Zerubbabel to stay the course, that God would give the strength to fix the Temple. So if our bodies our the Temple of God this is His encouragement to us to FIX THE TEMPLE!! WOW! God is so good because if you read on to verse 7 (which we didn't do Monday); He is encouraging us that the outcome is guaranteed because God is powerful enough to make a mountain a flat plain. So give it to Him, claim the victory and eat the foods God created for us to eat. I understand that this is talking about the completion of God's final Kingdom but we can apply it to our lives now.
John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Without God we are failures! It is He who is the fuel that can re-ignite our willpower and discipline. (He is the slow steady burn that never burns out.) Remember God never quits on us. Praise God for this and thank Him daily for his mercy that is never failing.
In Joyce Meyers' book Look Great Feel Great she gives 7 reasons we don't take care of ourselves:
"1. We don't know how to take care of our physical bodies.
2. We have a skewed body image planted in our minds by media and advertising.
3. We have lost touch with exercise.
4. We have let ourselves slip into unworkable lives.
5. Some have become pathologically selfless.
6. We have lost our support.
7. We have forgotten our own value.
Finally Joyce gives 5 ways to trust God with your burdens; ask, attend church, attend a support group, begin each day with an affirmation, and finally Pray in moments of doubt.
Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
I want you to read 2 Corin 5 as well.
We need to allow God to take over our hearts for when we do we will love Him deeper and better appreciate the sacrifice He performed so that we could live a life with an eternal hope.
So I ask, "How much do I love my Lord?" Because He loved me enough to die for me, surely I can sacrifice by leaving a few things out of my diet for Him.
Next week we will look at How do I love myself?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Food is not the enemy!
We now live in a world where foods have more ingredients that are full of multisyllable worlds than simple words that are actually real ingredients. Seriously, think about it milk, flour, butter, sugar, flax seed, apples, pears, oatmeal, etc. this is what things are to be made of; NOT Monosodium L-Glutamate, Guar Gum, Ethyl Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, high fructose corn syrup, etc. We wonder why cancer is more prevelent, why type 2 diabetes is now an epidemic, and there are all kinds of new diseases having to do with inflamation in one way or another. It is all the junk they put in food to make it shelf stable for weeks, months or years at a time. The best place to start is to remove things from your diet that have all these fancy words in them. Make from scratch as many things as you can. If it uses the word "artificial" I would avoid the item all together. Sugar should be used very sparingly and only for special occations, this doesn't include making it through the day without ... although probably a good; thing find a better, healthier reward.
Monday, January 10, 2011
My weightloss goals.
My daughter felt it was important for me to blog so we will give it a whirl. My goal is to loose 15 lbs in the next 3 months. But more than that I would like to allow God to control my heart more completely. I have an awful addiction to Coke-a-cola and chocolate but I have not had either since last Tuesday. I will be leading a Bible study starting next week (we were supposed to start this week) dealing with what God says about wight. So I will post what God lays on my heart. I love that God cares about the temple He indwells and that temple is my physical body. Needless to say it has been a very convicting week.
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