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La guerra spirituale negli studi biblici post-aborto

Spiritual Warfare in the Post Abortion Bible Studies
By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Warfare (Blog di Toni)
Salmo 91:1-12

Why is spiritual warfare so intense when women decide to step out to be healed from a past abortion?

I have been in the post-abortion ministry since 2006, when I went through my first post-abortion recovery Bible study. Unfortunately, no one prepared me for what was going to be one of the most tragic and saddest times of my life. Satan came in and ripped my family to shreds. My husband and children stopped speaking to each other; my husband and I had a huge conflict; my son’s roommate stopped paying rent and stole from him; my daughter broke up with her boyfriend because of a porn addiction. All of this started two-and-a-half weeks into my first post-abortion recovery Bible study. I was in shock, and I was numb. Much of that time is still a blur to me.

To give you a better idea of how this all started, allow me to set the scene for you.

It was January 22, 2006, Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. I was sitting in my Sunday school class learning about the book of Jeremiah. More specifically, we were discussing how God called Jeremiah to be a prophet from the womb. Our teacher asked each of us, “What has God called you to do?”

For years I had asked God to reveal my calling to me. Up until that day, I thought it was just to be a godly wife and mother. But the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “I want you to help other women feel forgiven for their past abortions.”

Immediately, I raised my hand and told our group what God had just shared with me. I then shared with my Pastor after the service what God had said. I was so excited but had no idea what this would mean or how this would change my life forever.

Così, I told my husband, “God wants me to help other women heal from their past abortions.” His reaction was, “No, that’s not good for you; that will be too hard. You should be in children’s ministry. You will be happier there.”

To respect my husband, I did nothing. I just waited. During the third week of waiting, my Pastor preached on obedience. The Holy Spirit moved in me so strongly that I couldn’t let it go. I went to my husband again and said, “John, you don’t understand. God is calling me to this, and I have to obey.” Thus began my healing journey.

Over the years, I have learned so much from the things that have happened to me on this journey. It has shaped the way I think, speak, and treat others. Unfortunately, I was not treated with kindness during the early parts of my journey.

Invece, I received harsh, condemning feedback and was told it was my fault my marriage was not going well and that I was in sin. These painful words led me to accept unacceptable treatment from my husband. My facilitators and mentors did not have experience in any kind of recovery work or co-dependency issues. They did not recognize I was being bullied and emotionally abused.

I thank God for the equipping He has given me. He has given me patience, gentleness, and love toward women who have lost a child to abortion. I know from experience that many factors go into the decision to have an abortion. We don’t grow up as young girls thinking, “I want to abort my baby.” No. It’s not a natural thing for a woman to do.

I decided to write this blog post about the spiritual warfare surrounding post-abortion recovery because many of us will be involved in these healing Bible studies in some capacity. Whether you are a prayer partner, co-facilitator, or a participant, each of us will experience some kind of spiritual warfare.

Know this: the enemy does not want Christian women healed from a past abortion. He wants to keep us in bondage and chains, locked away in a dungeon to be tormented. This frightening truth inspired the name of our eBook, “Leading Them into His Light.” Long before the eBook, God gave me a vision of a dungeon and women sitting in darkness and in chains. Jesus held my hand as I went into the dungeons to grab the women out so they could be rescued from the enemy. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s love for us.

Our eBook is available on our website for a donation of any amount. In it, we share 17 women’s abortion stories (including my own) and how God turned our ashes into something beautiful for our good and His glory.

Right now, the enemy is trying to trip you up. I am experiencing it in my own home, and you might be also. The enemy will use those closest to you to take you down and discourage you. But do not waiver. God is greater and stronger than the enemy. Stay close to Him and He will protect you.

About six months ago I started reading Psalm 91 every day. I suggest you meditate upon it too. It will strengthen you for the inevitable battle ahead.

Domande & Closing Thoughts:

What spiritual warfare have you experienced as a result of stepping out and wanting to be healed from a past abortion?
2. What do you do to protect yourself from the enemy’s fiery darts?

I am looking forward to an exciting year in which more women will be healed from the trauma of abortion. With the healing power of Jesus, we can reach even more women and stop this cycle of death in their families.

Sei amato,
Toni

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L'amore del mio Salvatore per me

L'amore del mio Salvatore per me
Di Toni Weisz/Abuso Recovery (Blog di Toni)
Geremia 31:3, 1 Corinthians 13:3-8un, Isaia 9:6, and Zephaniah 3:17

Geremia 31:3
The Lord appeared of old to me saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

Lord Jesus, what do you want me to say to the precious sisters reading this right now? You know each one intimately. What are some words of encouragement that you want them to hear from Your heart to theirs?

Little Bird, I want you to say to them, “I have loved you with an everlasting love. My love for you is pure, santo, righteous, kind, gentile, and eternal. I am love; it is My character. I created love. I know many of you have been abused or neglected and you have felt rejection from those closest to you. I am so sad that you experienced those things. My desire is for every child to know they are loved from the moment of conception. If you only knew how much I loved you from a child, you would not have looked for it in other places and with other people. But your view of Me and My love were distorted by the father of lies. He doesn’t want you to know My love intimately because he knows the power of My love. It was My love for you that kept Me nailed to the cross so you could have eternal life with Me and the Father in Heaven. We loved you so much that the Father gave you the Holy Spirit, the Comforter to be with you always, so you would never have to walk alone again. All these things I am mentioning show you how precious you are to Me. I am so proud of you for stepping out of the darkness into My glorious light. You know that true healing only comes through Me, because I am the Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, and the Prince of Peace. I created you and I delight in you. I understand you better than you understand yourself. I know how to heal every broken part of your soul. Will you trust me today with your whole heart? Allow me to heal you in all your broken places. I want to do a miracle in your life. I will close with this. Zephaniah 3:17, ‘The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.’ You are my beloved.”

Domande:

Do you trust God?

Do you know how much you are loved by Him?

Will you allow Jesus into those broken places where you have not allowed anyone else to go?

I pray you will experience the love of God in the innermost part of your being and be forever changed.

Sei amato,
Toni

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Il figliol prodigo

Il figliol prodigo
Di Toni Weisz/Abuso Recovery

Luca 15:11-24, Geremia 31:3a.C, Luca 15:10, II Corinzi 5:21un, Efesini 2:1B, Luca 15:10, Rivelazione 7:9, romani 8:15a.C, Rivelazione 19:9, e romani 8:35

Luca 15:11-24

Poi ha detto: “Un certo uomo aveva due figli. E il più giovane di loro ha detto a suo padre, 'Padre, Dammi la parte dei beni che mi cade. "Così ha diviso loro il suo sostentamento. E non molti giorni dopo, Il figlio minore si è riunito tutti insieme, viaggiato in un paese lontano, e ci sono state sprecate i suoi beni con prodigo (dispendioso) vita. Ma quando aveva trascorso tutto, Si è verificato una grave carestia in quella terra, e ha iniziato a essere in desiderata. Poi andò e si unì a un cittadino di quel paese, e lo mandò nei suoi campi per nutrire suini. E avrebbe volentieri riempiti gli stomaci con i baccelli che i suini mangiavano, E nessuno gli ha dato niente.

“Ma quando è venuto da solo, ha detto, 'Quanti dei servitori assunti di mio padre hanno abbastanza pane e da risparmiare, E perisco la fame! Mi sorgerò e andrò da mio padre, e gli dirò, "Padre, Ho peccato contro il paradiso e davanti a te, e non sono più degno di essere chiamato tuo figlio. Fammi come uno dei tuoi servitori. " '

“E si alzò e venne da suo padre. Ma quando era ancora molto lontano, Suo padre lo vide e aveva compassione, e corse e cadde sul collo e lo baciò. E il figlio gli disse, 'Padre, Ho peccato contro il paradiso e alla tua vista, e non sono più degno di essere chiamato tuo figlio. "

“Ma il padre ha detto ai suoi servitori, 'Tira fuori la veste migliore e mettilo su di lui, e mette un anello sulla mano e sandali in piedi.E porta qui il vitello grasso e uccidilo, E mangiamo e sii allegro;Per questo mio figlio era morto ed è di nuovo vivo; Era perso e si trova. "E iniziarono a essere allegri.”

Alcuni hanno chiamato questo, “Il padre in esecuzione,"Invece di, “Il figlio prodigo,"Perché sono le azioni del Padre in queste Scritture che danno uno sguardo al cuore di Dio, il nostro Padre celeste, verso di noi, I suoi figli. Posso immaginare il padre che guarda all'orizzonte ogni giorno per un assaggio di suo figlio che torna a casa. E ogni giorno, perdere la speranza che sarebbe tornato. Poi un giorno, Individua suo figlio ed è pieno di compassione per lui. Si aggira i suoi lombi (prende la sua veste da dietro tra le gambe e se la infila nella cintura) e corre da suo figlio. Durante i tempi biblici, Un uomo della sua statura nella comunità non farebbe una cosa del genere in pubblico, Ma non gli importava quello che pensavano gli altri. Ho letto che il figlio avrebbe potuto essere bandito dalla città o umiliato pubblicamente, Perché ha disonorato suo padre e la loro città con le sue azioni peccaminose. Questo era un altro possibile motivo per cui il padre corse da suo figlio; Voleva proteggerlo dall'umiliazione e dal giudizio degli altri.

Mettiamoci nei panni del figlio prodigo. Non siamo scappati dalle case che Dio ci aveva dato in parte a causa della disfunzione, e/o volevamo esplorare il mondo e vivere le nostre vite? Nel frattempo, Il nostro Padre celeste sta guardando e sta cercando di tornare a casa da lui. Come deve aver spezzato il suo cuore vedere il distruttivo, scelte empie che abbiamo fatto. Eppure, Ci ama con un amore eterno; Lui desidera che torniamo a casa da lui (Geremia 31:3a.C). Gli angeli in cielo si rallegrano di un peccatore che si pente (Luca 15:10).

Dio ha mandato suo figlio a morire per noi in modo da poter essere liberati dal giudizio che meritavamo a causa di tutti i nostri peccati. Adoro la correlazione tra il padre del figlio prodigo e il nostro Padre celeste. Gesù è diventato peccato per noi (II Corinzi 5:21un) ed era nudo, fare finta, e crocifisso, ed è morto per noi. Era umiliato e torturato per me e per te. Quando penso a quello che Gesù ha fatto sulla croce per me, Sono sopraffatto dalla gratitudine perché so che non me lo merita, ma ricevo umilmente questo prezioso dono di salvezza che costa a Dio la cosa più preziosa che aveva, Suo figlio.

Infine, Anche noi eravamo morti nelle nostre trasgressioni e peccati contro Dio, (Efesini 2:1B) Ma quando abbiamo confessato i nostri peccati, Come il figlio prodigo, Siamo stati accolti nella famiglia di Dio. C'è stata una celebrazione in paradiso il giorno in cui hai ricevuto Cristo come tuo Salvatore (Luca 15:10). Dio ti ha vestito in una bellissima veste bianca (Rivelazione 7:9), Metti un anello sul dito, e ti ha adottato nella sua santa famiglia (romani 8:15a.C). Un giorno, Saremo tutti insieme per la grande festa in paradiso, la cena del matrimonio dell'agnello (Rivelazione 19:9). Alleluia! Grazie, Gesù!

Grazie, Padre, per il dono dell'adozione nella tua famiglia. Non sono più un orfano, uno sconosciuto, o un emarginato; Io sono tuo per sempre.

Nota: A voi preziosi che non avevano buoni padri terreni, È difficile pensare a Dio come a un buon Padre celeste. Per favore sappi che il cuore di Dio si è rotto quando ha visto l'abuso e trascura che hai sofferto per mano dei tuoi padri terreni. Dio non è come i tuoi padri terreni; È gentile, gentile, puro, santo, e fedele. Ti ama con un amore eterno. Niente può separarti dall'amore di Dio attraverso Cristo Gesù, nostro Signore (romani 8:35).

Domande:

Com'era la tua relazione con tuo padre terreno?

Vedi Dio come un padre buono e gentile? Se non, Si prega di spiegare.

Per favore, contatta se hai bisogno di parlare o hai bisogno di preghiera.

Sei amato,

Toni

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Grazia incredibile

by Toni Weisz/Abuse Recovery
Efesini 4:29-32 and Numbers 6:24-26

Efesini 4:29-32
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ forgave you.

In the Moody Handbook of Theology, 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. Come un bambino, 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. The school associated with this church was very much the same. Students were hit with rulers when they disobeyed. Because I did not see grace and love in these formative places, I believed God was harsh and angry and ready to hit me when I got out of line. I began to believe that my faith in God was based upon my good works, per esempio., If I am good, I will be loved and accepted, but if I disobey, I will be severely punished. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t run to God when I was 21, unmarried, and pregnant. I was fearful that He too would judge me harshly and punish me severely.

During my adult life, I once again encountered a harsh church environment. 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. The Holy Spirit in me was so grieved that I could barely feel or sense His presence.

At first, I didn’t recognize it, but I was experiencing spiritual abuse. Even so, I wanted to serve Jesus. If that meant wearing dresses 24/7 and obeying ridiculous rules, then that’s what I would do. This spiritual oppression greatly affected my soul, and I felt like I was slowly dying inside. Unfortunately, i miei figli (who were in high school at the time) were also subjected to this spiritual abuse. I was so grateful when we finally got away from that toxic environment.

Similarly, I have experienced harsh treatment from another ministry leader as well. I felt like I could never do anything right and was always under a microscope. Every little thing I did was magnified and made into a public example. 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.

Poi un giorno, God brought a leader into my life who was kind and gentle. She gave me permission to just be me and fostered a safe environment in which I could open up and share about the emotional and spiritual abuse I was experiencing. I trusted her, and she truly encouraged me. It was so refreshing to have a leader that was sweet and kind, just like Jesus.

In our ministry, we want each woman to feel safe and know that she can share her story without judgement. We encourage her to use her voice, perhaps for the first time in her life. We want her to see the love of Jesus in our words and our 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.

God has given us His heart for these courageous women. We are honored to walk alongside them on their healing journeys. You too are welcome here, courageous woman. Come as you are; we are waiting for you.

Closing Thoughts
What is grace? Grace is a gift from God; it cannot be earned.

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

I am so grateful for God’s overwhelming love and grace in my life. This grace compels me to love others, to extend mercy, and to be kind to all people. This grace humbles me when I think about what Jesus did for me on the cross…a gift I can never repay.

Number 6:24-26
“The Lord bless you and keep you; 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.”

Reflection Questions:

Do you judge yourself or others harshly?
Do others treat you harshly?
Have you received God’s grace?
Are you able to extend God’s grace to others?
Come possiamo pregare per te?

Per favore contattaci se hai bisogno di parlare. You can email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,
Toni

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Il coraggio di Maria

By Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scritture: Luca 1:26-38, 1 John 1:9. Deuteronomy 22:20-21, e romani 8:28

In the book of Luke, we read about an incredibly brave teenager named Mary. Mary was a common name back then; it meant bitter. The people were bitter because the prophets were silent for 400 anni. There was no revelation at all between the Old Testament and the New Testament for all this time. They felt bitter because they thought God had forgotten them and His promise of their Messiah.

We see this incredible dialogue between Mary and the angel Gabriel. He said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! Do not be afraid, Maria, for you have found favor with God.” He proceeded to tell her she would conceive and bear a Son and shall call His name Jesus. God used this young woman mightily to bring forth the promised Messiah, Emmanuel—God with us. Instead of running from her situation or panicking, she prayed and sought the Lord’s leading. Why didn’t we trust God when we found ourselves with an unplanned pregnancy? If you have confessed this sin to Him, He has forgiven you. 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Mary could have been stoned for being pregnant outside of marriage because that was the law back then. Deuteronomy 22:20–21 speaks about the laws pertaining to sexual sins. Not only could Mary have been stoned, but Joseph, her espoused husband, could have walked away from the relationship by writing a bill of divorcement because they were legally betrothed to one another. But God protected Mary from both of these consequences because she had not sinned. She was supernaturally impregnated by the Holy Spirit of God. She was so courageous and brave. She risked her own life and reputation to obey God. What a beautiful testimony we see in her life.

This week will be 44 years since I aborted my son, Joseph, on December 10, 1980. I wish I had the courage like Mary to have my baby, but I allowed the fear of man to push me to abort my baby. I cannot change my past, but I can learn from my mistakes.

God used my abortion to bring me into a relationship with Jesus. Adesso, I have the distinct honor of walking with all of you on your healing journeys. God has certainly taken my ashes, my horrible sins, and turned them into something beautiful for my good and His glory, and you are all a part of that. I believe that God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rif. romani 8:28). Dio, through the work of the Holy Spirit, is continually sanctifying us and conforming us to the image of Jesus. You all are so precious to Him; I hope you know that.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

How long has it been since your past abortion(S)?
Are you still holding onto your secret of abortion(S)?
Have you allowed God access to all your broken places so that He can heal you? Se non, trust Him today. He wants you healed and whole so that you can become the woman He created you to be.
Come possiamo pregare per te?

I pray this topic has been helpful for you. 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.

Sei amato,
Toni