Concentrarsi sull'unica cosa che non ho

Concentrarsi sull'unica cosa che non ho

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

Genesi 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, a relationship, good health, a job, a family, a nice home, etc. Così, 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. Così, 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. Così, 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, grief, sorrow, vergogna, 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?

 

Come possiamo pregare per te?

 

benedizioni,

Toni

Pensiero puzzolente: Pensieri negativi

Pensiero puzzolente: Pensieri negativi

Pensiero puzzolente: Pensieri negativi

di Toni Weisz/Pensiero puzzolente

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

Il pensiero puzzolente si riferisce ai pensieri negativi che ci tormentano soprattutto quando lo siamo ALT (Hingrato, UNarrabbiato, lsolo o THo letto) this causes us to have a distorted view of God, self, pensare negativo, giustificazione, paura, e ansia. Affronteremo ciascuno di questi argomenti in modo da poter discernere tra le bugie in cui abbiamo creduto nel corso degli anni e sostituirle con la verità di Dio. Il nostro obiettivo è quello di equipaggiarti in modo che tu possa avere la vittoria in queste aree.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NKJV
“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.”

Filippesi 4:8-9 NKJV
“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 that 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 forever.

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, there is hatred and ethnic cleansing in certain parts of the world, wars and devastation due to earthquakes, fires, mud slides. Many are fearful, in despair, and feeling hopeless. 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.
Sono accettato.
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 am forgiven of all my sins and cleansed from all my unrighteousness.
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 will fear no evil!

When I read this every morning, it protects my mind and my heart from the lies and negative thoughts that the enemy wants me to focus on. When I don’t read my list on a daily basis, I am vulnerable to the enemy’s devices; I am impatient, unkind, self-righteous, judgmental, and easily frustrated.

Signore, 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. 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. Grazie, Signore, for reminding me and convicting me of that today.

Father in heaven, I pray for each woman 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, puro, 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, Signore. Thank you for Your love, mercy, grace, and compassion upon them. We pray this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

  1. Do you struggle with negative thoughts?
  2. How often are you plagued with these thoughts?
  3. Is there a person or situation that causes you to start thinking negatively?
  4. What have you done to help protect yourself from this kind of negative thinking?
  5. Come possiamo pregare per te?

Per favore, contattaci. We would love to hear from you. Scrivimi a: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

Sei amato,
Toni

 

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Pensiero puzzolente: La mia visione distorta di Dio

Pensiero puzzolente: La mia visione distorta di Dio

Pensiero puzzolente: La mia visione distorta di Dio

di Toni Weisz/Pensiero puzzolente

Scritture: Proverbi 23:7un, romani 2:4D, 1 Corinthians 6:20, John 3:16, 8:44, 1 John 4:8, e Geremia 29:11

Il pensiero puzzolente si riferisce ai pensieri negativi che ci tormentano, Soprattutto quando lo siamo ALT (Hingrato, UNarrabbiato, lsolo o THo letto) o avere pensieri come una visione distorta di Dio e di sé, pensare negativo, giustificazione, paura, e ansia. Affronteremo ciascuno di questi argomenti in modo da poter discernere tra le bugie in cui abbiamo creduto nel corso degli anni e sostituirle con la verità di Dio. Il nostro obiettivo è quello di equipaggiarti in modo che tu possa avere la vittoria in queste aree.

Primo, la parola di Dio dice in Proverbi 23:7un, “Perché come pensa nel suo cuore, Così è lui. " Ciò che pensiamo di noi stessi determina il modo in cui ci vediamo, Dio, e altri, e come rispondiamo alle cose. Se ci consideriamo figli di Dio, amato, amato e adottato nella famiglia di Dio, vedremo che siamo davvero speciali, riservato da Dio alle opere buone. Avremo una visione più positiva del mondo. Se sentiamo di non essere amabili a causa dei nostri peccati passati, e non una persona di valore, ci sentiremo depressi, solitario, e senza speranza. Riesci a vedere che ciò che pensiamo determina come ci sentiamo?

La mia prima visione distorta di Dio è iniziata quando ero un bambino molto piccolo intorno a sei o sette anni. Vedevo Dio come un Dio arrabbiato e inavvicinabile. Mi è stato detto da bambino che se avessi fatto qualcosa di sbagliato Dio mi avrebbe punito, Aspettavo costantemente che il martello mi cadesse in testa ogni volta che facevo qualcosa di sbagliato. La chiesa a cui ho frequentato era vecchia e aveva bellissime vetrate di vetrate, ma dentro era buio, Freddo, e la gente parlava in latino. Non ho visto l'amore di Dio lì. Tutto quello che ho visto erano regole severe e dure punizioni per chi disobbediva. Ho visto gli studenti picchiarsi regolarmente con i righelli. Questo mi ha costretto a nascondermi di nuovo, come ho fatto a casa, quando mio padre aveva uno dei suoi scoppi di rabbia.

È la bontà di Dio che porta al pentimento (Rif. romani 2:4D). Un metodo per modificare il comportamento è attraverso la paura del giudizio; l'altro è attraverso l'amore. Dio vuole che gli obbediamo per amore e non per paura. Se ami qualcuno e lui ti ama, vuoi trascorrere del tempo con questa persona, ma quando pensi a qualcuno come a una persona dura, questa non è qualcuno con cui ti senti sicuro e a tuo agio. Vedi la differenza?? Dio è amore, e la Sua grazia è immeritata. A causa di ciò che Gesù ha fatto per noi sulla croce, Il minimo che possiamo fare è servirlo e obbedire alla sua parola. Siamo stati acquistati con un prezzo (Rif. 1 Corinthians 6:20); Il prezioso sangue di Gesù ha pagato la pena per i nostri peccati e i peccati di tutto il mondo.

Non vedevo l'amore di Dio evidente nella mia vecchia chiesa. Non è stato fino a quando non lo sono stato 34, quando frequentavo una piccola chiesa battista nel New Jersey, che ho sentito il Vangelo per la prima volta. L'edificio era molto semplice, nessuna vetrata. C'era una croce davanti al punto in cui stava il predicatore e un pianoforte. Ma una cosa che ho visto manifestata è stato l’amore di Dio che avevano queste persone. Questo è ciò che mi ha portato a Gesù. Era la predicazione della Parola di Dio attraverso la Bibbia e l'amore di Dio nelle parole, nelle azioni e nei volti delle persone che frequentavano quella piccola chiesa.

John 3:16 "Per Dio ha così amato il mondo che ha dato il suo unico figlio generato ..." Ci ha amato così tanto che ha dato suo Figlio a morire per te e per me; questa è un'immagine dell'amore sacrificale. Grazie, Gesù, per essere morto volontariamente sulla croce per noi, So che è stato il tuo amore per il mondo a tenerti su quella croce.

Credo che il nemico sia all’opera per distorcere la nostra visione di Dio, per farci dubitare che Egli ci ami veramente e si prenda cura di noi. Guarda Eva in giardino, il serpente (Satana), l'ingannatore e il padre della menzogna, cercando di piantare semi di dubbio nella mente di Eva riguardo al fatto se ci si possa fidare della Parola di Dio. Posso immaginare che stesse pensando, “Dio mi sta trattenendo qualcosa di buono. Non mi ama davvero perché se lo facesse, Mi avrebbe dato tutto quello che voglio. " Adamo ed Eva non sapevano cosa fosse meglio per loro, ed è lo stesso con noi; non sappiamo nemmeno cosa sia meglio per noi. Dio ci ha detto di non fare sesso prima del matrimonio. Ci stava trattenendo?? NO, in realtà ci stava proteggendo, soprattutto quelli di noi che vorrebbero abortire i nostri bambini. Stava cercando di proteggere noi e i nostri bambini dalla morte fisica, ed emotivo, mentale, e tormento spirituale e schiavitù al malvagio.

Mi resi conto che era per amore che Dio non voleva che facessi sesso al di fuori del matrimonio, perché voleva proteggermi. Se solo mi fossi fidato di Dio e lo invitassi nel mio processo decisionale e credeva che avrebbe provveduto a me e al mio bambino, allora forse avrei avuto il coraggio di scegliere la vita per il mio bambino. Invece, La mia visione distorta di Dio mi ha fatto paura di avvicinarmi con i miei bisogni, che era il piano del nemico. Se il nemico può farci prendere dal panico e non cercare la saggezza di Dio, disposizione, e protezione, allora ha vinto la battaglia.

Per voi preziosi che sono stati abusati, abbandonato, e respinto dalla famiglia, Guardiani, e amici - quelli che avrebbero dovuto proteggere e provvedere a te—Dio ha visto e gli ha spezzato il cuore. Questa paura profonda associata alle figure di autorità ci fa dubitare che Dio è un buon padre che ci ama. Associamo le caratteristiche di questi individui a Dio. Pensiamo che debba essere violento e rifiuterà e ci abbandonerà anche. Questa è una bugia dal malvagio. Dio è amore. L'amore è il suo personaggio. Non sperimenteremo mai amore perfetto se non attraverso Gesù, Dio Padre, e lo Spirito Santo. Il malvagio voleva che credessimo a queste bugie su Dio in modo da poter distruggere le nostre vite. E lo ha fatto, per molti anni, Ma poi Dio!!! Dio aveva un piano diverso per le nostre vite, uno che è bello darci una speranza e un futuro.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

  1. Quali erano le tue viste distorte di Dio da bambino, adolescente, e giovane adulto? Com'era?
  2. Come lo vedi adesso??
  3. Come possiamo pregare per te?

Prego che questo argomento sia stato utile per te vedere come quello malvagio attraverso il suo inganno e le bugie non volevano che conoscessimo Dio. Ma Dio con il suo grande amore e misericordia verso di noi, ci ha inseguito e ci ha attirato da solo. È un rifugio per gli oppressi. Lega i cuore spezzati e guarisce tutte le nostre ferite.

Se hai bisogno di parlare, Per favore, contatta che puoi inviarmi un'e -mail: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

 

Sei amato,
Toni

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Perché il perdono è così importante per il nostro benessere

Perché il perdono è così importante per il nostro benessere

Matteo 6:14-15, Ebrei 12:14-15, Proverbi 16:24 E 17:22

God commands us to forgive others. In Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Unforgiveness toward another person is a sin and separates us from God. If God can forgive me of all the evil I have done, how can I not forgive others? When we are in sin, we give the enemy a foothold. To prevent the enemy from gaining this access to our lives and tormenting us, we must confess our sins. If I hold onto unforgiveness, I become resentful, and then eventually bitter. Ebrei 12:14-15 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…”

Unforgiveness left unchecked will defile all my relationships including and especially, my relationship with God. By releasing an individual into God’s hands for the offense they have committed against me or my family, I am handing them over to God for Him to deal with them. I then pray for that individual, continually asking the Lord to help me see the good in them and to help me forgive them. Forgiveness is a process. Keep asking God to help you forgive others.

In my family of origin, forgiveness was not demonstrated. Invece, we would just cut people off. For many years I didn’t see my cousins from my father’s side of the family because of some dispute. I picked up on that as a child and learned it as normal behavior. There is no grace and no forgiveness, only harsh words, actions and broken families. My family doesn’t apologize for things. They simply avoid bringing these things up for discussion, leaving the issues unresolved. Over time, I am supposed to forget about the offence because people will never apologize. However, I am a believer and am held to a higher standard; I am commanded to forgive others. I must obey God. He knows what is best for me. Holding onto unforgiveness destroys my peace; it controls me and torments me. On the other hand, when I forgive someone, they no longer have power over me and I am set free.

The Bible says that our words should be life affirming and encouraging to the hearer. Proverbi 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” In Proverbs 17:22 we read, “A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” We represent God to a world sitting in darkness and torment. The world does not know what the truth is; it is deceived by the evil one.

The people I need to forgive who were involved in my abortion decision:

  • The nurses and doctor for performing my abortion
  • Law makers for making abortion legal
  • My boyfriend for not fighting for our baby
  • Myself for thinking it was ok to tell my boyfriend we didn’t need birth control

Who do you need to forgive?

Forgiveness leads to freedom. It sets me free from holding others responsible for the wrongs they have done. By releasing them to God, they no longer have power over me. I choose to let go and to forgive them. This is not always easy, but it is critically important for my peace with God and others.

—Toni

Further reading on this topic:

Forgiveness

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Rachel piange per i suoi figli

Rachel piange per i suoi figli

Rachel piange per i suoi figli

di Toni Weisz/Discipline spirituali
Scritture: Matteo 2:13,16,18

In Matthew 2:13
Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, detto, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

Matteo 2:16
Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Can you imagine what Joseph and Mary were thinking at this point? They knew they had to flee because Herod wanted to destroy the child, Gesù, but they probably never imagined the evil that would befall their family and friends in Bethlehem. When the wise men did not return to tell Herod Jesus’ whereabouts, his anger was kindled against them and he made a decree to murder all the male children under the age of two. What a horror; I cry when I think of the depths of this evil. Joseph and Mary probably heard about what happened in Bethlehem. They were deeply grieved of the loss of these precious children but relieved that Jesus was spared.

We read in Matthew 2:18:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”

I have wept for all the babies that have died from abortions. I have also wept over the broken hearts of the mothers and fathers. I have heard so many abortion stories over the past 18 years that I have lost count. Still, each time I hear one, my heart breaks for these precious women sharing their pain with me. I have felt like Rachel, weeping and not being able to be comforted.

But what could I do, Signore?

I knew I couldn’t stand by, especially after the first NY law passed. Watching lawmakers and pro-choice supporters giving each other high fives at the passing of this law was unfathomable. They just gave people permission to murder a completely developed baby, capable of living outside the womb. This is a vulnerable human being. What are we doing? Do we think God is going to continue to bless this country? I think not. Così, I stepped up my game and started actively doing STS Bible studies with other women. If God can heal a woman’s broken heart, perhaps next time when she finds herself in this situation, she will choose life. I want to break this cycle of death and change it to one of life.

After seeing the movie, “Unplanned”, I was standing at my sink and God spoke to me through His Holy Spirit. He said, “Every child in the womb is mine.” I cried and said, “Yes, Signore, I know. Please forgive me for robbing you of the life you gave me. I am so sorry.”

Just this morning on October 16, 2024, in a vision, I saw a drawing in dark coal pencils of full-term babies lying on the ground dead and a woman standing with her head down, wearing a long dark dress and a dark bonnet, surrounded by multitudes of babies too numerous to count. The sky was gray and the ground was also. It was very bleak and dark. In the distance were the silhouettes of women standing in a semicircle looking at the devastation from a distance. I only saw the picture for a few seconds, but it had a profound impact on me.

Signore, what about all these babies born alive after a botched abortion, especially if Amendment 4 is passed? Is no one going to comfort them, hold them, feed them; are they just being left alone to die? I am weeping bitterly right now while writing this. Oh Lord, I cannot comprehend the sound and the sight of these precious babies dying. Oh Lord, please forgive us for doing this evil thing, discarding our children like a piece of trash. Il Signore ha sussurrato al mio cuore, “I will come and take them with me to Heaven.” Thank you, Gesù, that gives me great comfort.

While I was on my knees crying out to God, His sweet Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, “Little Bird, you will be surrounded by these children in Heaven. Everyone will have work to do, and this will be yours. You will meet, hug, tenderly speak to and love on all these children. Because of your tears shed for them just like Rachel, this will be your work in Heaven.”

My Prayer:

Signore, I pray for each woman who is on this conference call or reading this blog and for all the lives that have been lost to abortion. I pray that we will be bold and courageous to defend the unborn and to protect women from experiencing this tragedy. Abortion is anti-woman; it is anti-family, and it is anti-God. Open the eyes of the blind so they can see that abortion is not contraception or women’s healthcare. It is the termination of a life, the termination of a gift from God, and is detrimental to the very soul of a woman. Padre, we pray in the mighty name of Jesus that Your Holy Spirit will bring women out of the darkness into Your Light. Show them how much You love them; we pray Your love will penetrate the deepest part of their being. Padre, we are confessing our sins, and we are asking you to forgive us and to heal our land. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

I know today’s topic is very hard and heavy. I think it’s important that we allow ourselves to go there to actually feel the pain and sorrow associated with abortion, not only our own but also of others. We need to inform women that abortion is not a quick fix. We need to be bold and courageous and to share our testimonies.

Domande da prendere a cuore:

  1. How did today’s topic affect you?
  2. Do you feel it’s time for you to take the next step in your healing?
    3. For those who have experienced significant healing, what are you doing to get involved in protecting women and babies from abortion?
  3. Come possiamo pregare per te?

If God has tugged on your heart to get involved, there are numerous ministries and courses you can take to better equip you for the work of the ministry. Go to: www.myashestobeauty.com/resources.

Per favore contattaci se hai bisogno di parlare: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are deeply loved,
Toni

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