Freedom Journal - Section 3

The third section of my journal is full of freedom verses. I constantly have to go back to the cross and be reminded of the freedom that I was granted because of the death & resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ. The focus verse that I memorized was John 8:36 - "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." I like how Samuel Bolton explains this verse in his book, The True Bounds of Christian Freedom.

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"First, We have a benefit expressed--freedom: 'If the Son shall make you free'.

Second, We have the qualities of this freedom--it is a true and real freedom: 'free indeed'.
Thirdly, We have the subjects of this freedom--believers: 'If the Son shall make you free'.

Fourthly, We have the author of it--Christ: 'If the Son shall make you free'." (p. 18)

Therefore, as a believer of Jesus Christ, I am set free from the bonds of slavery to sin. Christ died for ALL my sins. He paid the penalty for ALL my sins - past, present, & future. His gift of grace towards me allows me to rest in Him and rejoice in the freedom that He has given me. This truth is so foundational in being set free from a sin pattern. Before a believer can be delivered from a habitual sin, you must believe the fact that Christ died for your sins and He has the power to give you victory over EVERY sin area in your life including gluttony. This is basically what Romans 6 is all about. For a whole month, I read that chapter every morning during my quiet time. I needed to be constantly reminded of those truths. You may want to do the same. Romans 8 & Galatians 5 are also good chapters to read pertaining to freedom in Christ. I want to end with a few of my favorite verses from those chapters. I hope they encourage you as well.

* But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:17-18

* There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

* For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Be EXTREME For Jesus!

It is ironic that the devil gives the world all of its extremists in every realm--entertainment, politics, society, education, anarchy, intrigue--you name it! Yet it is the same devil that frightens believers about the great danger of becoming "extreme."
~A.W. Tozer
(The Quotable Tozer II compiled by Harry Verploegh p.55)

Freedom Journal - Section 2

In a previous post, I wrote about the first section of my freedom journal which consisted of verses about Christ being my satisfaction, Christ being my provider of all good things, and Christ being my portion.

The second section of my journal has verses pertaining to God's sanctifying power at work in me. Here are four of those verses.

* God "began a good work in you [and] will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6).

* God sanctifies me and He alone can keep me blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess 5:23, paraphrased)

* "...Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil 2:12-13).

* Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth" (John 17:17-19).

These verses really encourage me! When I meditate on them, I'm reminded that I'm not alone in this struggle. Christ is with me and working in me. That truth is so freeing to me! My part is to submit my will to His and allow Him to do His sanctifying work in me through His Word. I used to think that I could never be free from gluttony because I wasn't strong enough or I didn't have enough will power. I've learned that it's not about my strength, but Christ's. He will help me and he also "will not let [me] be tempted beyond [my] ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape" (1 Cor 10:13). Therefore, I can stand confident in Him by the strength He provides.

God's "divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Praise the Lord that we believers have all that we need to live a godly life and be free from gluttony!

Stay Close To The Shepherd!

The best way to keep the enemy out is to keep Christ in. The sheep need not be terrified by the wolf; they have but to stay close to the shepherd. It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the Shepherd.

~A.W. Tozer

(The Quotable Tozer II compiled by Harry Verploegh p.55)

Freedom Journal - Section 1

My freedom journal, as I mentioned in a previous post, is simply a 2 ring notecard keeper with 4 color coded sections. Today I'll talk about the first section. In this section, I wrote 3 different types of verses. Here's a description -

1) Verses pertaining to Christ satisfying me; such as Psalm 90:14, Matthew 5:6, Psalm 103:2,5.

2) Verses pertaining to Christ being the provider of good things; such as Psalm 34:8-10, Psalm 84:11, 85:12, Psalm 31:19.

3) Verses pertaining to God's Word being my food and God being my portion; such as John 6:35, Job 23:12, Matthew 4:4, Psalm 16:5-6, Romans 14:17.

We are to "present our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. We are not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by a renewal of our mind, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2). Basically, in order for an ex-glutton to be holy and acceptable to God, we must allow the Lord to transform our mind. It's like having a spiritual surgery on our minds; think of it as a brain transplant. God has to remove our old ways of thinking and responding to food and fill us with His truth. This is certainly not an easy process! It's painful and gruesome! You may even shed some tears (I have!); but if you press through; it's SO worth it or should I say, Christ is worth it! Only then, can we discern God's good, acceptable, and perfect will.

Therefore, I had to start my journal with the previously mentioned verses. I had to learn that food has never and will never give me lasting satisfaction. Only Christ can! On another note, if you've been a glutton as long as I was, you've most likely fell for the same lies as I have. The lies like - "I can't say no; it's too good!" or "If I don't eat it, I'll be missing out on something good!" For example, I'd feel like I was missing out on something good if I didn't...
1) Get a candy bar at the grocery store register.
2) Eat every food sample that was offered to me at Sam's or Costco.
3) Try every food that was available at a get together or church event.

So, I desperately needed to record and memorize verses about God giving me good things and being my portion. Now when I encounter one of these tempting situations, I strive to recall these verses. I certainly haven't been perfect in this area, but God's strength through His Word has empowered me to please Him more consistently.

"Let us thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things" (Psalm 107:8-9). Praise the Lord for His truth!

This Little Piggy...

While the kids were taking a bath, Carysse continued to pour water on herself and Christian. As she did this, she would say, "Wash Christian back, wash Christian arm, wash Carysse leg, wash Carysse feet", and so forth. Then I heard her say, "Wash Carysse piggies." I looked up and said, "Piggies?" She looked at me with a look on her face like, "Don't you know what my piggies are!" I then asked, "Where are your piggies, Carysse?" Without any hesitation, she pointed to her toes. I then said, "Those are your piggies?" She confidently nodded her head.

As you can tell, I have sung one too many nursery rhymes to my kids. "This Little Piggy" was one of Carysse's favorites; now my 2 yr old thinks her toes are called piggies. Looks like we'll have a lesson on body parts tomorrow :-).

Carysse's 4 month old "piggies"

I Stopped Playing the Blame Game!

Today's topic of the freedom journey could be a subcategory of "Seeing your sin as God sees it and Confessing your sin to God".

My sin of gluttony was not a result of my childhood or my family. It’s not because I’m black, I’m a woman, or that I’m American. It’s not because I’m a pastor’s wife or that I’m a mom to a child with multiple disabilities. I can go on & on with my personal descriptions, titles, & issues. No matter how long my list would be, the true answer to why I was a slave to food was because of the sin in my heart. Basically I was similar to the children of Israel. Here’s what God told them -

"But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81:11-13, 16)

I cannot blame my sin of gluttony on anyone else but myself. I chose not to listen to God’s voice, submit to Him, or walk in His ways regarding this area of my life. In other words, I turned from God “the fountain of living water and dug broken cisterns for myself that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13).

If you can relate, talk to God about this part of your life and confess to Him, be real & specific about it. I like what C.J. Mahaney said about confessing his sin of pride to God.

“So rather than just confessing to God that “I was proud in that situation” and appealing for His forgiveness, I learned to say instead, “Lord, in that moment, with that attitude and that action, I was contending for supremacy with You. That’s what it was all about. Forgive me.” (Humility: True Greatness p. 31-32).

Following Mahaney’s example, I wrote a statement pertaining to gluttony. Rather than confessing that, “I ate too much.” I say instead, “Lord, in that moment, with that action, I turned from You and instead turned to food. You alone can satisfy the longings of my soul. Forgive me.” So, as you drop all of the excuses that you may have for why you turn to food and not God, you are now free to go hard after Him and His truth.

The song - "You alone can satisfy" by Ross King is the theme song of my journey. I play it most mornings. Listen to it (the 9th song). Pay close attention to the words. After the song, as the Lord leads, say your own personal prayer to God.