Le fils prodigue

Le fils prodigue

 

Le fils prodigue
By Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery

Luc 15:11-24, Jérémie 31:3b-c, Luc 15:10, II Corinthians 5:21un, Éphésiens 2:1b, Luc 15:10, Révélation 7:9, Romains 8:15b-c, Révélation 19:9, et les romains 8:35

Luc 15:11-24

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal (wasteful) living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

Some have called this, “The Running Father,” instead of, “The Prodigal Son,” because it’s the actions of the father in these scriptures that give a glimpse into the very heart of God, our heavenly Father, towards us, His children. I can imagine the father looking to the horizon every day for a glimpse of his son returning home. And every day, losing hope that he would return. Then one day, he spots his son and is filled with compassion for him. He girds up his loins (takes his robe from back to front between his legs and tucks it into his belt) and runs to his son. During Biblical times, a man of his stature in the community would not do such a thing in public, but he didn’t care what others thought. I read that the son could have been banned from the town or humiliated publicly, because he dishonored his father and their town with his sinful actions. This was another possible reason why the father ran to his son; he wanted to protect him from the humiliation and judgement of others.

Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the prodigal son. Didn’t we run away from the homes that God had given us in part due to the dysfunction, and/or we wanted to explore the world and live our lives our own ways? Tout en, our heavenly Father is watching and looking for us to return home to Him. How it must have broken His heart to see the destructive, ungodly choices we made. And yet, He loves us with an everlasting love; He yearns for us to come home to Him (Jérémie 31:3b-c). The angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents (Luc 15:10).

God sent His Son to die for us so we could be set free from the judgment we deserved because of all our sins. I love the correlation between the prodigal son’s father and our heavenly Father. Jesus became sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21un) and was naked, beaten, and crucified, and He died for us. He was humiliated and tortured for me and you. When I think of what Jesus did on the cross for me, I am overwhelmed with gratitude because I know I didn’t deserve it, but I humbly receive this precious gift of salvation that cost God the most precious thing He had, His Son.

Lastly, we too were once dead in our trespasses and sins against God, (Éphésiens 2:1b) but when we confessed our sins, like the prodigal son, we were welcomed into the family of God. There was a celebration in heaven the day you received Christ as your Savior (Luc 15:10). God has clothed you in a beautiful white robe (Révélation 7:9), put a ring on your finger, and adopted you into His Holy Family (Romains 8:15b-c). One day, we will all be together for the great feast in heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb (Révélation 19:9). Hallelujah! Merci, Jésus!

Merci, Father, for the gift of adoption into your family. I am no longer an orphan, a stranger, or an outcast; I am yours forever.

Note: To you precious ones who did not have good earthly fathers, it is hard to think of God as a good heavenly Father. Please know that God’s heart broke when he saw the abuse and neglect you suffered at the hands of your earthly fathers. God is not like your earthly fathers; He is kind, gentle, pure, holy, and faithful. He loves you with an everlasting love. Nothing can separate you from the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romains 8:35).

Des questions:

What was your relationship like with your earthly father?

Do you see God as a good and kind Father? Sinon, please explain.

Please reach out if you need to talk or you need prayer.

Tu es aimé,

Toni

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Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

par Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery
Éphésiens 4:29-32 et les chiffres 6:24-26

Éphésiens 4:29-32
Ne laissez aucune communication corrompue sortir de votre bouche, mais ce qui est bon pour l'édification nécessaire, qu'il puisse donner la grâce aux auditeurs. Et n'attristez pas le Saint-Esprit de Dieu, par qui tu as été scellé pour le jour de la rédemption. Laisse toute amertume, colère, colère, clameur, et que les mauvaises paroles soient éloignées de toi, de toute malveillance. Et soyez gentils les uns envers les autres, tendre, se pardonner les uns les autres, comme Dieu pour Christ t'a pardonné.

Dans le Moody Manuel de Théologie, Paul Enns defines God’s grace as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation. I did not grow up in a home where grace was displayed instead of harsh punishment. En tant qu'enfant, this caused me to be fearful and to hide.

I went to a church that was big and dark inside, and they spoke in a foreign language. L'école associée à cette église était à peu près la même. Des étudiants ont été frappés par des dirigeants lorsqu'ils ont désobéi. Parce que je n'ai pas vu la grâce et l'amour dans ces lieux de formation, I believed God was harsh and angry and ready to hit me when I got out of line. J'ai commencé à croire que ma foi en Dieu était basée sur mes bonnes œuvres, e.g., If I am good, Je serai aimé et accepté, mais si je désobéis, je serai sévèrement puni. C'est peut-être l'une des raisons pour lesquelles je n'ai pas couru vers Dieu quand j'étais 21, célibataire, et enceinte. J'avais peur que lui aussi me juge durement et me punisse sévèrement.

Au cours de ma vie d'adulte, J'ai de nouveau rencontré un environnement d'église difficile. My husband and I and our family started attending a legalistic church for several years where it was all about following the rules with no room for grace. Le Saint-Esprit en moi était si attristé que je pouvais à peine sentir ou sentir sa présence.

D'abord, je ne l'ai pas reconnu, mais je subissais des abus spirituels. Toutefois, Je voulais servir Jésus. If that meant wearing dresses 24/7 and obeying ridiculous rules, alors c'est ce que je ferais. This spiritual oppression greatly affected my soul, and I felt like I was slowly dying inside. Malheureusement, mes enfants (qui étaient au lycée à l'époque) ont également été soumis à cet abus spirituel. J'étais si reconnaissant quand nous nous sommes finalement éloignés de cet environnement toxique.

De la même manière, I have experienced harsh treatment from another ministry leader as well. J'avais l'impression de ne jamais pouvoir rien faire de bien et j'étais toujours sous un microscope. Chaque petite chose que j'ai faite a été amplifiée et transformée en un exemple public. I was so embarrassed and felt discouraged. But God called me to the abortion recovery ministry, and I was not going to stop until God told me to.

Then one day, God brought a leader into my life who was kind and gentle. Elle m'a donné la permission d'être simplement moi et a favorisé un environnement sûr dans lequel je pouvais m'ouvrir et partager les abus émotionnels et spirituels que je subissais.. I trusted her, and she truly encouraged me. C'était tellement rafraîchissant d'avoir un chef doux et gentil, tout comme Jésus.

Dans notre ministère, nous voulons que chaque femme se sente en sécurité et sache qu'elle peut partager son histoire sans jugement. Nous l'encourageons à utiliser sa voix, peut-être pour la première fois de sa vie. Nous voulons qu'elle voie l'amour de Jésus dans nos paroles et nos actions. God wants our words to speak hope and life into the lives of the women He brings to our ministry, and that is what we will always try to do.

Dieu nous a donné son cœur pour ces femmes courageuses. Nous sommes honorés de marcher à leurs côtés dans leurs parcours de guérison. Toi aussi tu es le bienvenu ici, femme courageuse. Viens comme tu es; nous t'attendons.

Réflexions finales
What is grace? La grâce est un don de Dieu; ça ne se gagne pas.

Grace is overlooking someone else’s faults and loving them where they are.

Je suis tellement reconnaissant pour l'amour et la grâce écrasants de Dieu dans ma vie. Cette grâce m'oblige à aimer les autres, étendre la miséricorde, et d'être gentil avec tout le monde. Cette grâce m'humilie quand je pense à ce que Jésus a fait pour moi sur la croix... un cadeau que je ne pourrai jamais rembourser.

Numéro 6:24-26
« Que le Seigneur vous bénisse et vous garde; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

 

Questions de réflexion:

  1. Do you judge yourself or others harshly?
  2. Do others treat you harshly?
  3. Avez-vous reçu la grâce de Dieu?
  4. Are you able to extend God’s grace to others?
  5. Comment pouvons-nous prier pour vous?

Veuillez nous contacter si vous avez besoin de parler. You can email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Tu es aimé,
Toni

 

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Le courage de Marie

Le courage de Marie

Le courage de Marie

Par Toni Weisz/Disciplines spirituelles

Écritures: Luc 1:26-38, 1 John 1:9. Deutéronome 22:20-21, et les romains 8:28

Dans le livre de Luc, nous lisons à propos d'une adolescente incroyablement courageuse nommée Mary. Mary était un nom commun à l'époque; cela signifiait amer. Le peuple était amer parce que les prophètes se sont tus pendant 400 années. Il n'y a pas eu de révélation du tout entre l'Ancien Testament et le Nouveau Testament pendant tout ce temps. Ils se sont sentis amers parce qu'ils pensaient que Dieu les avait oubliés et Sa promesse de leur Messie.

On voit cet incroyable dialogue entre Marie et l'ange Gabriel. Il lui a dit, “Rejoice, highly favored one, le seigneur est avec toi; bénie es-tu entre les femmes! N'ayez pas peur, Marie, car tu as trouvé grâce auprès de Dieu. Il se mit à lui dire qu'elle concevrait et enfanterait un fils et appellera son nom Jésus. Dieu a puissamment utilisé cette jeune femme pour enfanter le Messie promis, Emmanuel—Dieu avec nous. Au lieu de fuir sa situation ou de paniquer, elle a prié et recherché la conduite du Seigneur. Why didn’t we trust God when we found ourselves with an unplanned pregnancy? Si vous Lui avez confessé ce péché, Il t'a pardonné. 1 John 1:9: « Si nous confessons nos péchés, Il est fidèle et juste pour nous pardonner notre péchés et pour nous purifier de toute iniquité ».

Mary aurait pu être lapidée parce qu'elle était enceinte hors mariage parce que c'était la loi à l'époque. Deutéronome 22:20–21 parle des lois relatives aux péchés sexuels. Non seulement Mary aurait pu être lapidée, mais Joseph, son mari, aurait pu abandonner la relation en rédigeant une lettre de divorce parce qu'ils étaient légalement fiancés l'un à l'autre. Mais Dieu a protégé Marie de ces deux conséquences parce qu'elle avait ne pas péché. Elle a été fécondée surnaturellement par le Saint-Esprit de Dieu. Elle était si courageuse et courageuse. Elle a risqué sa vie et sa réputation pour obéir à Dieu. Quel beau témoignage nous voyons dans sa vie.

Cette semaine sera 44 ans depuis que j'ai avorté mon fils, Joseph, en décembre 10, 1980. J'aimerais avoir le courage comme Mary d'avoir mon bébé, mais j'ai laissé la peur de l'homme me pousser à avorter mon bébé. Je ne peux pas changer mon passé, mais je peux apprendre de mes erreurs.

Dieu a utilisé mon avortement pour me mettre dans une relation avec Jésus. À présent, J'ai l'insigne honneur de marcher avec vous tous dans vos voyages de guérison. Dieu a certainement pris mes cendres, mes horribles péchés, et les a transformés en quelque chose de beau pour mon bien et sa gloire, et vous en faites tous partie. Je crois que Dieu fait que toutes choses concourent au bien de ceux qui l'aiment, à ceux qui sont appelés selon son dessein (Ref. Romains 8:28). Dieu, par l'oeuvre du Saint-Esprit, nous sanctifie continuellement et nous conforme à l'image de Jésus. Vous êtes tous si précieux pour lui; J'espère que vous le savez.

Des questions à prendre à cœur:

  1. Combien de temps s'est-il écoulé depuis votre dernier avortement ?(s)?
  2. T'accroches-tu toujours à ton secret de l'avortement(s)?
  3. Avez-vous permis à Dieu d'accéder à tous vos endroits brisés afin qu'il puisse vous guérir? Sinon, faites-lui confiance aujourd'hui. Il veut que tu sois guérie et entière afin que tu puisses devenir la femme qu'il a créée pour que tu sois.
  4. Comment pouvons-nous prier pour vous?

Je prie ce sujet qui vous a été utile. Please reach out if you need to talk or need prayer: toni@myashestobeauty.com. I wish you a very blessed Christmas. God is still performing miracles today.

Tu es aimé,
Toni

 

Audio de "Le Courage de Marie" article de blog

Audio Player
Mary, Did You Know video

"Marie, Le saviez-vous?"

(Avec Chandler Moore & Lizzie Morgan)

Musique de la ville non-conformiste

 

Cliquez ici pour le clip
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Peur de se rendre

Peur de se rendre

Peur de se rendre

November 13, 2021

Peur: Panic flight, causing of fear, terror (Strong’s Greek)

Surrender: Given out or over, surrendered, delivered (Strong’s Greek)

Écritures

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Psaume 25:20

“Keep my soul, and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.”

Psaume 27:1-14

“1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,

my enemies and foes

They stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army may encamp against me,

my heart shall not fear;

though war may rise against me,

in this I will be confident,

4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,

that will I seek:

That I may dwell in the House of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to inquire in His temple.

5 For in the time of trouble

he shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of his Tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high up on a rock.

6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy to His Tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8 when you said, “Seek My Face,"

My heart said to You, “Your face, Seigneur, I will seek”

9 Do not hide your face from me;

Do not turn your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me.

Oh God of my salvation.

10 when my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the Lord will take care of me.

11 Teach me your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence

13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

When I say “fear of surrendering,” I’m not talking about our salvation. I’m talking about the things that we still hold onto that prevent us from completely surrendering our lives and will to Jesus.

Why do I still try to control my life, circumstances, and relationships? Why do I rely on myself instead of God?

Fear of surrender says that I believe that my way is better than God’s and that I trust myself more than the Lord to protect me, provide for me, and decide what’s best for me. It says that I am my own god.

When I am focused on my wounds from my past, I am not looking to Christ or to the liberty I now live in as His daughter.

Galatians 5:1 says “Standfast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

Surrendering is a daily choice. Instead of surrendering to Jesus, am I running to activities or behaviors that will harm me and hold me back from freedom in Him? If so, what are those things?

Do I run to any detrimental outlets including or similar to the following?

  • Overeating, undereating, or obsessively controlling what I eat
  • Relationships that feed my negativity
  • Gossip
  • Judgment of others and having a critical spirit, which prevent me from recognizing my shortcomings and working on myself
  • Control of people and my environment (e.g., being a hover mother, bossing around spouses or friends)
  • Not trusting God to handle a situation and outcome for a friend or loved one
  • Obsessive cleaning and/or organizing
  • Substance abuse (e.g., of alcohol and/or drugs)
  • Compulsive shopping
  • Failing to take care of myself
  • Overexercising
  • Busyness in the name of God
  • Overworking or being overly career oriented
  • People pleasing instead of God pleasing

The fear of surrender is a demonic spirit to which we give opportunity for entry into our lives by not staying steadfast in our walks with God, not staying in the Word and renewing our minds, running to sin, and not keeping our eyes on Jesus.

Des questions

  1. What things or old habits do you still run to that are preventing you from fully living a life surrendered to Christ today?
  2. What do you do to protect your mind and stay focused on the freedom that Christ has given you?
  3. Choose a scripture that you can memorize and speak out loud when you are struggling with surrendering a specific situation to God or ending an old habit. Please share it with the group.
  4. What specific thing can we be praying for you to be delivered from today?

 

God’s Beloved 1 John 3:2

 

Bondage familier

Bondage familier

I would rather go back to what is familiar, even if it is bondage…

Exodus 16:1-4a and John 3:16,

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of Egypt. And the whole congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you….”

When the trials of the children of Israel were too hard for them to bear, they wanted to go back to what was familiar: bondage in Egypt. They wanted to be in control; they felt safe knowing what to expect.

How many of us can relate to wanting to go back to the dysfunctional relationships or sins of our past because there is comfort in knowing what to expect? Change is hard because it’s unfamiliar, and there is no safety or comfort in it. But God doesn’t want us to stay in our dysfunction. He wants us healed. He came to set us free from our bondage to sin. He wants us to trust Him completely with every area of our lives.

God provided the children of Israel with bread that literally dropped out of the sky. He called it Manna, “Bread from Heaven.” If God did that for them, don’t you think He can help you too? I think the answer is Yes!!!

What is the spiritual factor to consider when I want to be in control, instead of God being in control?

I am saying to God, “I don’t trust You. I don’t believe You are good. I don’t believe You care about me.”

Alors, what is the sin I am committing when I don’t trust God? The sin of unbelief.

Definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 et 11:6: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Laisse-moi te demander, what are you still trying to control and refuse to release into God’s hands?

I learned at a very young age to take control of every area of my life; that, unfortunately, was not a good thing. A 12-year-old is not mature enough to take on such a responsibility. I controlled my voice but I did not use it. I controlled how I performed in school, sports, and in anything I set my mind to do by practicing until I could do something perfectly. When I was older, I controlled my weight by taking speed and diet pills and exercising excessively. I controlled what others perceived about me by wearing a mask to hide my true feelings and identity. It wasn’t until I felt safe to let God in that I was able to relinquish control to Him. By spending time in His Word, I began to understand the heart of God and discovered how much He loves us and wants us to be set free from our pasts, so we can live the abundant lives He came to give us. It’s by relinquishing control to God that we are set free. There is beauty in surrender.

Why are you not trusting God to help you in this area? What are you afraid of?

Relinquishing control was not a comfortable thing for me because I didn’t trust others not to hurt me. I became very self-sufficient and proficient in all I did. I had a huge wall around my heart that no one was going to penetrate, not even God. I grew up with a distorted view of God. I thought He was angry with me and would punish me if I was out of line, which is what I heard and saw as a child. Church was dark; people there spoke in another language, and the atmosphere was not warm and welcoming. So I associated these attributes with God. I felt He was dark, harsh, and unloving, which could not be further from the truth. I was fearful about trusting God because I was afraid of being hurt again. I didn’t know God’s heart toward me. When I got saved in 1994 and came across this verse from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,” I started believing that God does love me. And once I received His love into my heart and believed that He died for me on the cross, I started trusting Him more with my heart. But it was a long process. I am so grateful today for His love. That truth changed my life forever.

I had everything under control, so I thought, until my life and health started spiraling out of control. I couldn’t afford stuff anymore and my health was failing, my marriage was on the brink of divorce, and I didn’t know what to do. I was plagued with suicidal thoughts because I just couldn’t deal with my depression and self-loathing anymore, due to the sins from my past. This was not a life; it was a prison. I was just surviving because I needed someone to take my pain away, someone I could trust to love and accept me for who I was. Did such a person exist?

Très Cher,

I want you to know that there is such a person who loves and accepts you for who you are. His name is Jesus, and He is the only one who will love you right where you are. He will never hurt you or force you to do something against your will. He is kind, affectueux, dependable, faithful, merciful, and forgiving. Jesus is your Savior and friend. Why not relinquish control of your life to God? Franchement, what do you have to lose at this point?

Tu es aimé,

Toni

 

What is the spiritual factor to consider when I want to be in control instead of God being in control?

I am saying to God, “I don’t trust You (Dieu). I don’t believe You (He) are good. I don’t believe You care about me.” So, what is the sin I am committing when I don’t trust God? The sin of unbelief.

Definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 et 11:6: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

 

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