Focando na única coisa que eu não tenho

Focando na única coisa que eu não tenho

Focusing on the One thing I don’t have, véspera.

Genesis 2:15-3:9, and Isaiah 61:1-3

How does the enemy torment a believer? It’s very simple actually, by getting us to focus on the one thing we don’t have: it can be financial security, um relacionamento, good health, a job, a family, a nice home, etc. então, let me ask you, what one thing are you focusing on right now that you don’t have?

Let’s look at Eve for example, she lived in a beautiful garden in perfect harmony with her husband and all of creation and they walked with and spoke with God daily. She had everything she could ever want, except one thing; God told them not to touch or eat of the tree in the midst of the garden because when they eat of it their eyes will be open and they will know good and evil. então, what does the serpent, the devil do? He comes to Eve after observing her looking at the tree. This is not in the Bible, but we know that the devil cannot read our minds. But he and his demons observe us and how we react to things. então, he is observing Eve over a period of time and notices her looking at the tree; he slithers by and starts talking with Eve. The first thing he does is to put doubt in Eve’s mind that God doesn’t love her or else he would have given her everything, that “God is holding out on you, because he knows if you eat of it you will be like God knowing good and evil.” No, the truth is, that by disobeying God, sin entered the world and there will now be conflict between the woman and her husband, all of creation will be forever changed, and their relationship with God will be broken. They will now experience pain, pesar, sorrow, shame, and guilt and Adam and Eve will be forced out of their beautiful garden to never return again. They will be cursed as a result of their sins. That sounds pretty harsh but that’s how evil sin is, we like to justify sin so it doesn’t sound so bad, but the truth is sin is destructive and it separates us form God and others.

Many of us chose abortion, drunkenness, drugs, promiscuity and lying, as a way to cope with all of the pain and destructive choices in our lives. We were spiraling out of control, until one day we met the Savior, who had mercy on us and saved us from the path of destruction we were on. He exchanged our ashes for something beautiful, He took our mourning and grief; he gave us joy and exchanged our rags for a beautiful pure white garment. He gave us a new life, a new destiny, a new song, and a new purpose. I don’t want my old life back because that person is dead and gone. I have been made new and I no longer desire the things I use to do.

 

Let me ask you what are you struggling with today?

 

What thing is the enemy causing you to focus on?

 

Have you ever asked Jesus to forgive your sins and to become your Lord and Savior?

 

Como podemos orar por você?

 

Bênçãos,

Toni

Sua vida foi ressuscitada?

Sua vida foi ressuscitada?

John 1:1,14, Titus 3:5, Lucas 1:28, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Mateus 27:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and Colossians 3:1

For those of us who have suffered the trauma of abortion, can agree that every part of our being, físico, mental, spiritual, and emotional, has been broken and shattered into a million pieces. We found ourselves barely able to function and as a result we chose unhealthy mechanisms to cope with our state of despair; such as alcohol, sex, drugs, shopping, unhealthy relationships or anything that could fill the black hole in our heart. There is only one person who can pick up the shattered pieces of our broken lives and fill the hole in our heart and that is Jesus the only begotten Son of God. Have you truly met the Savior, the lover of your soul? Have you been led out of the darkness and chains, into His glorious healing light?

Where were you when you found Jesus? Eu era 34 years old and literally on my back laying on my couch for weeks at a time, and thinking this is not living, I am barely surviving, and wanting to end this torment of a life. My depression was so severe that I was incapable of getting on with my life and daily responsibilities. I was a broken, depressed, addicted, suicidal mess. On the outside, I pretended to have a perfect life, but inside I was dying and it became exceedingly more difficult to put on my mask every day. The only thing that kept me from formulating a plan to end my life were my 2 children who were very young, at the time around 7 e 8. I could not abandon them and leave them without a mother.

My husband had been on a quest to find the truth about Jesus and he was attending several churches in our area. In my desperation, I told him I wanted to attend church with him on one such Sunday. All four of us attended a small Baptist church in Browns Mills, NJ on January 2, 1994. For the next four weeks we would attend church as a family for Sunday School, Sunday Service, and on Sunday and Wednesday night meetings. My heart and mind were being saturated with the Bible, the Living Word of God (John 1:1,14). My Spirit was slowly being regenerated or reborn (Titus 3:5). My eyes and ears were opened and I heard things I had never heard before, and I had attended church my whole life. I heard that Jesus was born of a virgin teenager, a woman blessed and chosen by God, (Lucas 1:28) but no different from you or I. He lived a sinless life, (2 Corinthians 5:21) was betrayed by Judas Iscariot for 30 pieces of silver, (Mateus 27:3-4) was tortured and crucified on a cross, died, was buried and rose again on the third day. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) He is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. (Colossians 3:1) When I realized that Jesus loved me so much that He died for me and He took upon himself my sins and He willingly died for me. I was finally broken of my self-sufficiency and pride and I humbled myself before God and I asked Him to forgive my sins and I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

The most memorable life transforming day of my life was on February 6, 1994 when I became a born-again believer in Jesus. I will never forget that evening after Church when I was of all things, smoking a cigarette in my garage; that addiction took longer to stop than my drinking which stopped immediately. It was a clear crisp beautiful February evening and looking up I saw the moon and stars and I had this overwhelming feeling inside that something happened, I felt my spirit quicken in me and I said, “I feel you in me, I am changed, thank you Jesus.” Tears streamed down my cheeks and I was filled with gratitude, love, and hope for the first time in my life, I felt completely loved.

Have you encountered Jesus?

Once you do you will never be the same.

Tell me your story, where were you when Jesus found you?

Bênçãos,

Toni

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Pensamento fedorento: Pensamentos negativos

Pensamento fedorento: Pensamentos negativos

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and Philippians 4:8-9

O pensamento fedorento se refere aos pensamentos negativos que nos atormentam, especialmente quando estamos HALT (Hsem raiva, UMAcom raiva, euapenas ou Tirado) ou ter pensamentos como uma visão distorcida de Deus e de si mesmo, Pensamento negativo, justificação, medo, e ansiedade. Abordaremos cada um desses tópicos para que possamos discernir entre as mentiras em que acreditamos ao longo dos anos e substituí-las pela verdade de Deus. Nosso objetivo é equipá-lo para que possa ter vitória nessas áreas.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NVI

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God, brining every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Philippians 4:8-9 NVI

“Finally, brethren whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received, and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with.”

All of us know a person who can suck all the air out of a room because every word that comes out of their mouth is negative. Have you ever experienced that before? It is emotionally draining to be in the company of a negative person for a long period of time, before we too are dragged down into the pit with them. Are you plagued with negative thoughts?

The enemy is continually trying to trip us up, because his goal is to get us to focus on the negative things, instead of all the things we should be thankful for. Do you have a gratitude list? If you don’t, I suggest you do one today, and write down all the things you are thankful for. When you feel a negative thought coming on, just get out your list and remind yourself, God is still on the throne and He is in control and He is aware of everything that is going on in the world. He uses all of it for His purpose and plans in all of our lives. We must remember God is good all the time, and He is love, that is His character. He never changes, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The battlefield truly is the mind, that is where spiritual warfare starts and that’s where we have a choice to take it on or not. Right now, we are experiencing a worldwide pandemic, many are fearful, but as believers we need to be seeking the Lord even more now, so we have His perspective on this. What are you focusing on now? Do you feel peaceful and hopeful or depressed and hopeless?

I have a list of Biblical truths that I read over every morning to remind myself that I am adopted and loved by God. This is how I put my armor on to protect myself from the fiery darts of the enemy.

Who I am in Christ, to Combat Rejection.

I am worthy.

I am loved.

I am accepted.

I am adopted.

I am confident and competent.

I am a child of God.

I have the Holy Spirit within me.

I am victorious in Christ.

I have a home in heaven.

Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.

I am valued by God, I am His precious child, I have a home in heaven.

I will fear no evil!

When I read this every morning it protects my mind from the lies and negative thoughts that the enemy wants me to focus on. When I don’t read my list, I am vulnerable to the enemy’s devices; I am impatient, unkind, and easily frustrated. Lord You are showing me that today in fact, I must make time with You each morning; You are my priority, reading Your Word daily is food for my soul, praying is a time for me to hear from you and to talk to you, and journaling is a time when I go even deeper with You seeking your wisdom and wanting so much to hear from you to lead and guide me in my life and in all I do, because I want my life to be pleasing to you and I want you to be glorified through it. Obrigada, senhor, for reminding me and convicting me of that today.

Father in heaven, I pray for each woman on this call and for the women on-line reading this blog. I pray they will seek you with their whole heart. Show them how much you love them in a very real and tangible way. Protect them from the lies and negative thoughts of the enemy and help them to focus on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Renew their minds daily as they read Your Word. Heal them and bind up their wounds as only You can, for you only, are their Mighty Counselor and Great Physician. Meet them where they are and lead them by Your righteous right hand. Forgive all of their sins and heal them Lord. Thank you for Your love, mercy, graça, and compassion upon them. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Do you struggle with negative thoughts?

How often are you plagued with these thoughts?

Is there a person or situation that causes you to start thinking negatively?

What have you done to help protect yourself from this kind of negative thinking?

Bênçãos,

Toni

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Pensamento fedorento: Minha visão distorcida de Deus

Pensamento fedorento: Minha visão distorcida de Deus

Provérbios 23:7uma, Romanos 2:4d, 1 Corinthians 6:20, e john 3:16

 

O pensamento fedorento se refere aos pensamentos negativos que nos atormentam, especialmente quando estamos HALT (Hsem raiva, UMAcom raiva, euapenas ou Tirado) ou ter pensamentos como uma visão distorcida de Deus e de si mesmo, Pensamento negativo, justificação, medo, e ansiedade. Abordaremos cada um desses tópicos para que possamos discernir entre as mentiras em que acreditamos ao longo dos anos e substituí-las pela verdade de Deus. Nosso objetivo é equipá-lo para que possa ter vitória nessas áreas.

Primeiro, a Palavra de Deus diz em Provérbios 23:7uma, “Pois como ele pensa em seu coração, ele também.” O que pensamos sobre nós dita como nos vemos, Deus, e outros, e como respondemos às coisas. Se nos vemos como filhos de Deus, amavam, amado e adotado pela família de Deus, veremos que somos verdadeiramente especiais, separado por Deus para boas obras. Teremos uma visão mais positiva do mundo. Se sentimos que não somos amados por causa de nossos pecados passados, e não uma pessoa de valor, vamos nos sentir deprimidos, sozinho, e sem esperança. Você pode ver que o que pensamos determina como nos sentimos?

Minha primeira visão distorcida de Deus começou quando eu era uma criança em torno 6 ou 7 anos. Eu vi Deus como um Deus irado que era inacessível. Me disseram quando era criança, se eu fizesse algo errado Deus me puniria, Eu estava constantemente esperando o martelo cair na minha cabeça toda vez que eu fazia algo errado. A igreja era velha e tinha lindos vitrais, mas por dentro estava escuro, frio, e as pessoas falavam em latim. Eu não vi o amor de Deus lá. Tudo o que vi foram regras rígidas e punições severas por desobedecer. Eu vi alunos batendo com réguas regularmente. Isso me manteve escondido novamente, como eu fiz em casa, quando meu pai estava tendo uma de suas explosões de raiva.

É a bondade de Deus que leva ao arrependimento. (Romanos 2:4d) Um método para modificar o comportamento é por meio do medo de julgamento; o outro é através do amor. Deus quer que o obedeçamos por amor e não por medo. Se você ama alguém e eles te amam, você quer passar mais tempo com essa pessoa, mas quando você pensa em alguém como uma pessoa severa, este não é alguém com quem você se sinta seguro e confortável. Você vê a diferença? Deus é amor, e sua graça é imerecida. Por causa do que Jesus fez por mim na cruz, o mínimo que posso fazer é servi-lo e obedecer à sua palavra. Fui comprado por um preço (1 Corinthians 6:20); o precioso sangue de Jesus pagou a pena pelos meus pecados e pelos pecados de todo o mundo.

Eu não vi o amor de Deus evidente em minha antiga igreja. Não foi até que eu estava 34, quando frequentei uma pequena igreja batista em NJ, que ouvi o evangelho pela primeira vez. O prédio era muito simples, sem janelas de vitral. Havia uma cruz na frente onde o pregador estava e um piano. Mas uma coisa que vi exibido foi o amor de Deus que essas pessoas tinham. Isso é o que me atraiu a Jesus. Era a pregação da Palavra de Deus por meio da Bíblia e o amor de Deus nas palavras e ações e nos rostos das pessoas que frequentavam aquela pequena igreja.

John 3:16 “Pois Deus amou o mundo de tal maneira que deu Seu filho unigênito… ” Ele nos amou tanto que deu Seu Filho para morrer por você e por mim; essa é uma imagem de amor sacrificial. Obrigada, Jesus, por morrer voluntariamente na cruz por nós, Eu sei que é o seu amor pelo mundo que o manteve naquela cruz.

Eu acredito que o inimigo está trabalhando duro para distorcer nossa visão de Deus, para nos fazer duvidar de que Ele realmente nos ama e se preocupa conosco. Olhe para Eva no jardim, a cobra (Satanás), o enganador e pai das mentiras, tentando plantar sementes de dúvida na mente de Eva sobre se a Palavra de Deus é confiável. Eu posso imaginar que ela estava pensando, “Deus está escondendo algo bom de mim, Ele realmente não me ama, porque se Ele o fizesse, Ele me daria tudo que eu quero. ” Adão e Eva não sabiam o que era melhor para eles, e é o mesmo conosco; também não sabemos o que é melhor para nós. Deus nos disse para não fazer sexo antes do casamento. Ele estava escondendo de nós? Não, na verdade ele estava nos protegendo, especialmente aqueles de nós que abortariam nossos bebês. Ele estava tentando proteger a nós e nossos bebês.

Eu percebi que era por amor que Deus não queria que eu fizesse sexo fora do casamento, porque ele queria me proteger. Se ao menos eu tivesse confiado em Deus e o convidado para o meu processo de tomada de decisão e acreditado que Ele proveria o meu filho e eu, então talvez eu tivesse tido coragem de escolher a vida para meu bebê. Em vez disso, minha visão distorcida de Deus me deixou com medo de abordá-Lo com minhas necessidades, qual era o inimigo’s plano. Se o inimigo pode nos fazer entrar em pânico e não buscar a Deus’sabedoria de s, provisão, e proteção, então ele ganhou a batalha.

Quais eram as suas visões distorcidas de Deus quando você era mais jovem?

Como você o vê agora?

 

Bênçãos,

Toni

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Quando eu finalmente recebeu o amor de Jesus em meu coração

Quando eu finalmente recebeu o amor de Jesus em meu coração

Desde quando eu era criança, I did not use my voice and hid in the background to keep under the radar. Como resultado, I became what people wanted me to be. I was labeled, “The good, quiet one.” I was fearful of rejection, so I became a people pleaser. I believed the lie that if I were perfect, I would be loved. That’s when I started wearing a mask.

My need for love and acceptance caused me to hide parts of myself. I only showed the good sides so people would love me. Then, when I was 12 anos, I started sneaking whiskey from my parents’ liquor cabinet. Now, I was really hiding. I didn’t want my parents to find out. They were very strict with me being the oldest, and I didn’t want them to be angry or disappointed in me.

As I got older, my sins were more and more grievous, and my secrets became bigger and bigger. então, I isolated even more and hid everything. My mask morphed as I got older. As a child, I strived for perfection. I was a good student, good athlete, and an all-around good child. When that wasn’t working, I tapped into a lifestyle of alcohol, drugs and sex. When I was home, I was still the good one. But in high school, I was hanging out with those who smoked and did drugs.

Neste ponto, people pleasing ruled my life. All I strove for were accolades from others and a place I could fit in and feel safe. But I would not find that for a long time. Honestamente, I lost my own identity because I wanted to fit in with others. I no longer knew what I liked or what I wanted to do because I became a chameleon and changed depending upon the group I was with. I had lost my own identity striving to please others.

I felt unloved and lost. My drinking and drug use were out of control. I was a walking time bomb. I hated myself and felt so depressed. I struggled with keeping it all together. When I found out I was pregnant as a 21-year-old college student, I panicked. This pregnancy did not fit the narrative I was allowing my parents to see. I was not the good, quieto. I was doing very ungodly, sinful destructive things, and now I was going to terminate my baby’s life.

How did I end up here? My whole life was a lie. I will have an abortion and act as if everything was fine. But everything wasn’t fine. After this traumatic event, I was more depressed than before, crying all the time and drinking more. My self-loathing and suicidal thoughts were now continually plaguing me. I just wanted to die so this torment would stop. It was too hard to keep up this façade. Slowly my mask was cracking, and I was so afraid of being exposed. All my sins and lies would come flooding out. I was scared.

In my early 30’s I had a physical and emotional break down. I could not function normally at all. I would lay on the couch for weeks at a time. All the years of stuffing and lying and all the pain I had been holding in all my life were starting to come out sideways. I was a walking volcano, spilling hot ash on anyone who got in my way. I was extremely emotional. I felt I could not look anyone in the eyes because if I did, I would not be able to stop crying.

Slowly I started recognizing I needed help. I needed someone who would love me, accept me, and heal me. I needed a Savior. Then on January 2, 1994, I heard the gospel for the first time. Within 4 weeks I gave my heart to Jesus, confessed my sins, turned from my old ways and turned toward God. I am coming up on the 26th anniversary of my salvation, and it is still the sweetest day of my life. It is the day I finally surrendered my life to God and allowed Him to heal my broken body, my broken heart and my broken mind. He transformed me into the woman He created me to be: a loving, confident woman filled with joy and peace. I have been adopted into the family of God; I am accepted, and I am finally loved. I feel safe to be me. I can take the mask off now because I am finally home.

Are you wearing a mask?

What does your mask look like?

Do you have the courage to take off the mask and be real?

I pray that as God heals you, you will be filled with His love and you will have the courage to take off your mask.

Bênçãos,

Toni

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