A Beautiful Testimony

A Beautiful Testimony

A Beautiful Testimony

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scriptures: Ruth 1:15-18 and James 4:6-8a,10

And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more (Ruth 1:15-18).

Even in Naomi’s suffering, she was a powerful testimony to her two daughters-in-law who were living with her. So much so that Ruth left her family and all she knew and followed Naomi and embraced her God. To suffer well is not an easy thing to do, especially when we are plagued with prolonged suffering, hardship, and pain. We cry out to God and ask, “Lord, why is this trial lasting so long? What am I supposed to be learning from this? Please help me to endure.”

I know several of you are in a season of prolonged hardship, grief, difficult family situations, pain, physical challenges, and depression. It makes my heart sad to see you suffer so. But I know that our God never wastes our pain. He uses it for a specific purpose, which could be for salvation, or to make us aware of a blind spot, or to expose an unconfessed sin, or spiritual warfare, and/or a combination of several things, or the fact that we live in a fallen world and these human bodies are slowly breaking down.

I know in prolonged seasons of suffering; I have learned some very valuable truths about God that I would not have if I were healthy and strong and able to do my daily routine.

In your season of prolonged trials, what is God showing you?

Others are watching how you handle adversity.

For one of our dear sisters, her prolonged trials are leading her husband to seek the Lord. Praise Jesus for that.

While in this season, how has God used you to share the gospel with others or to pray for others or to receive help from others (which is sometimes hard to do)?

A humble and teachable spirit is of great value in the sight of God.

God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4: 6-8a and 10).

When we keep our eyes focused on God, I believe suffering can conform us to the image of Jesus. We can reflect His beauty, love, forgiveness and compassion to the world around us. When we have a humble, teachable spirit and we are seeking God with our whole heart, God can do amazing things in and through us. I believe this is what Naomi did, and as a result of her suffering well and seeking God with her whole heart, God turned her ashes of grief, sorrow, and despair and turned them into great joy. Ruth married Boaz and conceived a child who would be the grandfather to King David. Naomi’s life had been redeemed by God. She felt so blessed and cared for by God, and I pray that you too will experience that joy again.

Questions to take to heart:

  1. What is God showing you during this time of prolonged suffering?
  2. How can we come alongside you to help you endure this very difficult season?
  3. How has God used your trials to minister to another person?
  4. How can we pray for you?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you. If you need to talk just text or email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,
Toni

Read more of Toni’s blogs HERE.

Covering Up My Sins

Covering Up My Sins

Covering Up My Sins

by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scriptures: Genesis 3:6-9 and 21, Numbers 32:23, 1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:10, and Revelation 20:15

 

Genesis 3:6-9
So, when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig lives together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them.

Numbers 32:23
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

1 John 2:2
And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

My marriage did not start out on a solid foundation. I married my husband, first, because I felt a bond with him because we aborted our first child, Joseph, 43 years ago, and second, because we were living in sin and I was about to graduate from college and that meant my parents would be visiting me in Ohio for the first time on my graduation. I was frantically trying to figure out, “How am I going to hide this from them?”

Seven weeks before my sister was to be married, she broke off her engagement. It turns out her fiancé was a heavy drinker and had physically assaulted her. I had no idea that was going on, but I didn’t even console my sister, when I think back at that. I was very self-absorbed. I was living in sin and doing the devil’s bidding, and that made me a very selfish individual. I was obsessed with keeping that perfect mask on and making sure my sin would not be found out.

So, I devised a plan, “What if I took her place? That might work. The wedding is in August, and I graduate in December, so the timing will be perfect.”

I saw red flags. He was too controlling and manipulative, but he took care of my physical needs, so I decided to go forward with my plan.

A few days before the wedding, I was at my parent’s house, and I was vacuuming my brother’s room. The only window in his room was a small hexagonal window on top of the west wall. I was thinking to myself and saying a prayer of sorts; I didn’t know the Lord then, so I only cried out to Him in times of desperation. “Am I doing the right thing marrying John?” All of a sudden, the sun shone in through that little window on me, and I could feel the sun’s rays on my face. And I felt a calming in my spirit, and I said to myself, “OK, I guess that means yes.” So, I went through with it.

I was like Adam and Eve in the garden. I too was hiding from God, and I tried to cover up my numerous sins by rushing in and getting married and then thinking to myself, “That takes care of that; I am all good.”

No. it doesn’t work like that. I was covering up my sin with more sin. Just like when Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness (their sins), it didn’t work either. Only God through the blood of Jesus can cover our sins. Anything else is a counterfeit.

Are there sins in your life that you are trying to cover up too with more sin? Or are you medicating to numb yourself so you don’t feel anything? Or are you pretending your sins do not exist?

One day, your sins will find you out. They will all be exposed. Just when we think we can get away with something, God shines His light into our darkened souls, and he exposes our faulty misguided ways to deal with our sin.

The only way our sins can truly be covered is by trusting in Jesus and receiving the gift of salvation that God freely offers all of us. God killed animals to cover Adam and Eve’s sin. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, His blood covers our sins.

If you have never asked Jesus to forgive your sins and be your Lord and Savior, then there is still time. Please, if God is convicting you right now, don’t delay. Please reach out to me, toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,

Toni

P.S. For those of you who know Jesus, what are you doing to share the gospel in your part of the world with your sphere of influence? Time is short. Please reach out if you need help with that.

The Woman Jesus Healed

The Woman Jesus Healed

The Women Jesus Healed

by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scripture References: Matthew 27:55-56, Matthew 28:1-7, John 19:25, Luke 8:2, Luke 8:44-50, and John 20:14-16

When I think back at how revolutionary Jesus was towards women in that day, I find it so amazing how they were permitted to travel and minister to Him and the disciples. Women during that time were treated like a piece of property with no rights, but Jesus changed that. They all felt valued and respected and were vital to the work He was doing.

In Luke Chapter 8, Mary Magdalene is described as a woman who was healed of evil spirits and infirmities, out of whom went 7 devils. Can you imagine for a moment the torment of a life she had? I wonder how many pregnancies she terminated? And how badly she was used and abused?

Mary was present for the most pivotal parts of Jesus’ life; she was at his crucifixion and burial. She was also at the tomb and saw the angels, and they spoke to her. She also met the Lord Jesus when He was resurrected and thought He was the gardener.

I love her conversation with Him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and recognized Him.

How sweet that Jesus appeared to her of all people, the woman with the horrible, troubled, and tormented past. What an incredible honor. When Jesus completely heals our lives and gives us a new purpose and values and loves us, then our natural response would be similar to hers. We belong for the first time in our lives.

Jesus speaks these words about a woman in the city who was a sinner, who washes His feet with her tears and wipes them with her hair and puts expensive ointment on his feet and kisses them. All those who observed this shameful display were horrified because she was a woman, probably a prostitute.

Luke 8:44-50
Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

 

We love Jesus so much because of the many sins He has forgiven us of. We want to share that same love with other women who are still being tormented by the evil one.

Questions to take to heart:

  1. How has your life been impacted by Jesus?
  2. How do you serve Him because of what He has done for you?
  3. How are you sharing your testimony so others can hear the “Good News”?
  4. How can we encourage you today?

If you too want to be healed by Jesus, the first step is receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. Please listen to the audio story below where I share Bible verses that will help you understand God’s Salvation plan for you. God loves you more than you can imagine. Will you give Him a chance? He is patiently waiting for you to cry out to Him.

If you want to know more about what it means to be Born-Again, then please reach out. We are here for you. Feel free to email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com

You are loved,

Toni

A Sinner Saved by Grace by Toni Weisz audio gospel tract cover 600x600

A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE

by Toni Weisz | My Audio Gospel Tract (Click Here to Listen)

Read more blogs here.

Has God Covered Your Sins?

Has God Covered Your Sins?

Has God Covered Your Sins?

by Toni Weisz/Recovery Tools

Scripture References: Genesis 3:6-21, Psalm 85:2, Psalm 32:1, and James 5:16

Genesis 3: 7-9 and 21
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees in the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Also, for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

Hebrews 9:22b
And without the shedding of blood is no remission.

Psalm 85:2
You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin.

Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

It’s interesting when we read the verses in Genesis 3 how Adam and Eve tried to cover up their (nakedness) sins by sewing fig leaves together, but they were still in their sin. They were still hiding from God. Only God can forgive sin and remove it from us. It wasn’t until God sacrificed an animal and blood was shed, a foreshadowing of the precious blood of Jesus shed for us to cover our sins, that their nakedness was covered. This is the first time in Scripture that an animal is killed for a sacrifice for sin.

I tried everything to cover my sins on my own, but that never worked because I was covering up my sins with more sins. I had created this huge web of secrets and lies, and I found myself getting more and more tangled in them. I didn’t know how to break free of this. Without Christ, it was impossible. But when I received Jesus as my Lord in 1994, I had the Holy Spirit to help me to have victory over sin and this destructive pattern.

It wasn’t until I surrendered to God and asked Him to forgive all my sins that my sins were covered. This is an ongoing process for the rest of our lives. As God reveals truth in areas we were once blinded in, we have awareness, and with that comes responsibility.

“What is my part, Lord? Show me what I need to do to make things right.”

Confessing sin to one another, apologizing for things we have said or done, and always asking God to show us our sins and shortcomings are all part of the ongoing process. We are always responsible to do the right thing regardless of what someone else does to provoke us.

In Step 4 of the 12 Steps of AA, we are to make a search and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. The next, Step 5, is to admit to God, ourselves, and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

God wants us to go to Him about all our sins that the Holy Spirit convicts us of. It’s not a blanket prayer for the rest of our lives, e.g., “O God forgive my sins.” He wants us to mention each one to Him. He wants us to be broken over our sins and to turn away from them. He has so much He wants to show us.

Are you willing to sit at His feet and put everything else in your busy life on hold while He ministers His grace, peace, and love upon you?

Take some time right now. Come, Holy Spirit, and show each of us areas that we need to work on, ways we have fallen short and have disappointed You and hurt others. Help us, Lord, to be clean vessels ready for Your use.

What has God reveled to you? Write it down.

Our sanctification is a lifelong process. God wants us to bring everything into the light that the Holy Spirit reveals to us. “Show me, Lord Jesus, areas I have sinned against You and another person.” He wants us healed in all areas of our life, and this is a process that takes sometimes decades. We must be patient and kind to ourselves, especially those of us with abuse in our past.

Questions to take to heart:

  1. What did God reveal to you today?
  2. What area(s) in your life has God showed you that you need to address, change, apologize for, or repent from?
  3. Do you have an accountability partner that can help you in these areas?
  4. How can we pray for you?

Please know it takes hard work to heal from trauma, and not many people do it because it hurts sometimes. But the hurt will subside as God reveals even more truth and He fills you with His love and peace.

Lord, strengthen these women to step out and trust You. We ask You to heal all their wounds. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray, amen.

You are loved,
Toni

Read more blogs here.

God’s Peace

God’s Peace

God’s Peace

by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Warfare

 

Scripture References: Psalm 119:165, Galatians 5:22-23, John 16:33, Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 27:10, and John 10:29

 

Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

These things have I spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33

When my father and mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. Psalm 27:10

Everyone in this world desires peace. The politicians are promising peace, but they cannot deliver that.

Why do we yearn for peace in our souls? Because we are all created by God, who offers this peace to all His children. Peace is listed third in the list of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

Jesus told us in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation, trials, and suffering, but be assured and confident I have overcome the world.”

God created us for a relationship with Him, but we try to fill this void in our hearts with all kinds of things, but nothing satisfies. Only a relationship with Jesus can satisfy our longing soul for fellowship with our Creator God and Father.

Jesus is the answer to every problem we face in this world. He binds up our broken hearts and heals our wounds (ref. Psalm 147:3). He is the Great Physician.

In Isaiah 9:6, which is a foretelling of His birth, it states that Jesus will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

How can we describe God’s peace to someone who has never experienced it? It’s the knowledge that I am forgiven, and I don’t need to hide my sins and secrets anymore. I don’t have to wear a mask and pretend anymore that everything is great. I can be real. I am loved and accepted by God just the way I am because Jesus paid my sin debt on the cross. I am no longer separated from God. I can love and forgive others because of what God has done for me. I am free. That is what gives me peace. I don’t belong to the devil anymore; I was bought by the precious blood of Jesus. I belong to God now, and no one can pluck me out of the Father’s hand (ref. John 10:29).

During the time of writing this, I have not had peace in a few months, and I didn’t understand why until now. I was allowing the enemy to beat me down in the area of my earthly inheritance and finances. My son has been unable to work for over 2.5 years with an illness that is still undiagnosed, and my daughter is a single mom. And I am still in need.

I just figured out the wound the enemy has been poking. It’s my wound of rejection. As I am writing this, the Lord brought this verse to my mind, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” Psalm 27:10

Oh Lord, I am so grateful for your love and care for me and my family. I am so grateful that you removed the blindness so I could see the root cause for my torment. I feel abandoned and rejected and not an heir in my earthly family. Wow!! That’s so huge, Lord. Thank you for this revelation.

At this moment on Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 7:30 AM, I have experienced a breakthrough. Thank you, Jesus. Now I know what I was dealing with. The enemy clouded my mind so I could not see clearly the root cause for my torment and lack of peace. I was feeling rejection from my earthly family.

Many of you dear ones have experienced abuse from your family members, who were supposed to love you and take care of you, and for that, I am so sorry you experienced that trauma. Those wounds are so deep. I pray you know how much you are loved by the Lord and that He wants to heal you in all your broken places. He wants you to come to Him as a little child, believing by faith that He is a safe person and that you can trust Him.

The enemy is continually trying to rob you of your peace because he knows you belong to God. He cannot take your spirit to hell, but he can torment you.

Spend time alone with the Lord in a quiet place, and allow His Holy Spirit minister to you. He loves you so much, and He knows your struggles. He collects your tears in a bottle. He knows everything about you, and He still loves you more than you can comprehend. Ask Him to cover you with His peace and to protect you. Make a daily decision to walk in His peace regardless of what is going on around you.

Questions to take to heart:

1.) Are you experiencing God’s peace? Can you give an example of God’s peace in the middle of a storm or situation? What was that like for you? Please explain.

2.) If not, what is preventing you from experiencing His peace?

There are several things that can rob our peace: abuse, unconfessed sin, severe pain, prolonged trials, rejection, abandonment, weariness, loneliness, depression, grief, despair, hopelessness, etc. Please explain.

3.) How can we encourage you today?

My prayer for you is that you will experience the peace and joy of the Lord in your heart, mind, and soul. Please reach out. We are here for you. Email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,
Toni

P.S. I remembered I made a list of affirmations about five years ago called, “Who I am In Christ to Combat Rejection.” I used to read this list everyday for at least a year. I need to go back to doing that so I have my armor on and I am protected from the evil one’s lies.

 

 

 

Read more of Toni's blogs HERE.