RELIGION VS SPIRITUALITY

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENT

It has become quite popular in recent years to distinguish between spirituality and religion.

 

It’s true that there are valid distinctions between the two, but there are also a number of problematic distinctions which often and unnecessarily divide the two fields of thought. 

One principal problem with attempts to separate religion from spirituality is that the former is saddled with everything negative while the latter is exalted with everything positive.

It is important to note the fact that many of the negative things which people attribute to religions are features of some forms of some religions (usually Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), but not of other religions (like Taoism or Buddhism).

Religion is spiritual and spirituality can also be considered religious. One tends to be more personal and private while the other tends to incorporate public rituals and organized doctrines.

 

The lines between one and the other may often not be clear or distinct depending on the interpretation.

Consider these definitions:

Religion is an institution established by man for various reasons. Exert control, instill morality, stroke egos, or whatever it does. Organized, structured religions all but remove god from the equation. You confess your sins to a clergy member, go to elaborate churches to worship, told what to pray and when to pray it. All those factors remove you from god.

 

Spirituality is born in a person and develops in the person. It may be kick started by a religion, or it may be kick started by a revelation. Spirituality extends to all facets of a person’s life. Spirituality is chosen while religion is often times forced. Being spiritual to me is more important and better than being religious.
 

True spirituality is something that is found deepwithin oneself. It is your way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and people around you. It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a certain way.

Consider the following in favor of the spiritual path:

• There is not one religion, but hundreds

There is only one type of spirituality

 

• Religion is for those who want to continue rituals and the formality

Spirituality is for those who want to reach the Spiritual Ascent without dogmas
 

• Religion is for those who are asleep

Spirituality is for those who are awake

 

• Religion is for those that require guidance from others

Spirituality is for those that lend ears to their inner voice

 

• Religion has a dogmatic and unquestionable assembly of rules that need to be followed without question

Spirituality invites you to reason it all, to question it all and to decide your actions and assume the consequences

 

• Religion threatens and terrifies

Spirituality gives you inner peace

 

• Religion speaks of sin and of fault

Spirituality encourages "living in the present" and not to feel remorse for which has already passed - Lift your spirit and learn from errors

 

• Religion represses humanity, and returns us to a false paradigm

Spirituality transcends it all and makes you true to yourself

 

• Religion is instilled from childhood, like the soup you do not you want to take

Spirituality is the food that you you seek, that satisfies you and is pleasant to the senses

 

• Religion is not God

Spirituality is infinite consciousness and all that is - It is God
 

• Religion invents

Spirituality discovers

 

• Religion does not investigate and does not question

Spirituality questions everything
 

• Religion is based on humanity, an organization with rules

Spirituality is DIVINE, WITHOUT rules
 

• Religion is cause for division

Spirituality is cause for union
 

• Religion seeks you so that you create

Spirituality causes you to seek
 

• Religion continues the teachings of a sacred book

Spirituality seeks the sacredness in all the books
 

• Religion is fed fear

Spirituality is fed confidence
 

• Religion lives you in your thoughts

Spirituality lives in your conscience
 

• Religion is in charge of the "to do"

Spirituality is in charge of the "to BE"

 

• Religion is a dialectic

Spirituality is logic
 

• Religion feeds the ego

Spirituality makes you transcend
 

• Religion makes you renounce yourself to the world

Spirituality makes you live with God, not to renounce him
 

• Religion is adoration

Spirituality is meditation
 

• Religion is to continue adapting to the psychology of a template

Spirituality is individuality. 
 

• Religion dreams of glory and paradise.

Spirituality makes you live it here and now

 

• Religion lives in the past and in the future.

Spirituality lives in the present, in the here and now

 

• Religion lives in the confinement of your memory.

Spirituality is LIBERTY in AWARENESS. 
 

• Religion believes in the eternal life.

Spirituality makes you conscious of all that is
 

• Religion gives you promises for the after-life.

Spirituality gives you the light to find God in your inner self, in this life, in the present, in the here and the now…

May peace, happiness and universal love continue growing in your heart.

 

 

 

 

 

IS YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING RUINING YOUR LIFE?

Are you secretly ruining your relationships with negative thinking? You may never realize it, but at times, you may just be a negative thinker.

It’s never easy to know if you’re a negative thinker.

At times, even the most logical of people could secretly be dwelling on negative thoughts.

Negative thinking starts off as an explanation to unexplainable circumstances in your life.

And as time passes by, it turns into a way of life.

How negative thinking enters your life

The negative thoughts start to creep into our mind when we’re feeling down or low on confidence.

You’re upset that your colleague got a promotion that you didn’t.

Or you got dumped even when you were trying to be the best partner in the world.

And the worst part, you have no idea why you’re the one who has to suffer through a bad life while everyone else seem to be having the time of their life.

If you’re an active facebook user with hundreds of friends online, you’re bound to see a lot of happy pictures and vacation snapshots all the time.

It sucks, doesn’t it? You’re cooped at home all day while your friends update every minute of their active, fun lives. Everyone’s so much happier than you!

And right about there, you start to make up excuses and explanations for the boredom and misery in your life.

Instead of realizing that half your online friends only share these smiley-faced pictures and hourly updates with the whole world only to feel better about themselves and their empty lives, you assume that you’re the sad one who’s got nothing to be happy about.

Negative thinking can be the biggest hindrance in your life and your endeavors. And unless you keep a check on it, you may end up feeling like a failure all your life.

How to stop thinking negative

Don’t live in denial. If you’ve ever felt like you’re a negative thinker, try to remove the negativity by analyzing the situation better. Life doesn’t always come with easy explanations. [Confession: I don't know what to do with my life]

If you want to stop thinking negative, here are 10 common circumstances of negativity and ways to overcome them. Consider these scenarios and ask yourself how you’d behave when you experience them.

And if you feel like you’re a negative thinker, do something about it.

#1 You always presume the worst. Your friends forget to call you when they’re meeting up, you think they’re avoiding you. Your friends forget your birthday, you think they hate you. A friend drives past you without waving a hello because they didn’t see you, and you think they’re ignoring you.

Some of us always presume the worst possible explanations for everything. Perhaps, at times your thoughts are accurate, but not all the time. If you ever feel bad about something, subtly bring up the nagging thought and talk about it with the concerned person. Making assumptions will never help you.

#2 You never think from another person’s perspective. You think someone’s treating you badly. Or you think your lover doesn’t love you enough. Or you think your boss doesn’t appreciate your work as much as your colleague’s work. Instead of whining about what you aren’t getting, put yourself in their shoes and try to understand why they behave the way they do.

Can you see their side of the story to understand their motive? Perhaps, you have a few flaws that you don’t realize yet. Always think from the other person’s perspective and you’ll become a better person over time.

#3 You think the world is unfair to you. You get the worst deals in life. You think you’re the victim. Do you ever feel like no matter what you do or how hard you try, you can never succeed in your endeavors? Mark Zuckerberg’s so damn rich and everything’s so easy for him, isn’t it? Why can’t you be the one with all the smart ideas?

Life isn’t easy. But life’s fair to the ones who are passionate about it. If you truly believe you’re better than everyone else, you’ll get where you want to go someday. But at the same time, perhaps there’s a small chance that you’re not as good as you think you are. Stop playing the part of the victim and go out there and pursue your dream.

#4 You feel like you can’t depend on anyone. Are you one of those people who doubt everyone? If you feel like you can’t depend on anyone, you’re a perfectionist. Or you’re someone others shouldn’t trust. Sometimes, the way we approach life affects the way we look at others. If you think you can’t be trusted, chances are, you won’t learn to trust others too.

In life, you need to trust a few people and learn to depend on them. It helps you believe in people that matter, and at the same time, it removes doubt and negativity from your life.

#5 You expect too much from everyone. You may not realize this, but you may think the world revolves around you, and you feel dejected when others don’t treat you the way you want them to treat you. Do you expect others to help you out when you’re in a mess all the time? If you constantly depend on people for all your successes, you’re bound to feel negative when people don’t go out of their way to help you.

Your mom and dad may always be there to give you the support you need. But the world doesn’t care. Learn to stand up on your own feet and build your own successes.

#6 You can’t accept failure. If you can’t do something or achieve your goal, it’s too tough. And if anyone else does it, they got lucky. Have you ever felt this way? You’re not alone. The world is filled with people who can’t accept it when their friends become more successful. Avoid bringing luck into the equation of life, or you’ll always find yourself thinking negative about everyone who accomplishes something you don’t.

#7 You only have bad memories. You keep count of all the negative things that happen to you. But you never remember the good things in your life. Life is full of bittersweet moments. But if you find yourself surrounded by negative thoughts and the bad moments of life, you’ll find yourself enveloped in gloom and sadness. Try to look at the bright side of things and enjoy the little moments of happiness that come your way all the time.

#8 Negativity is contagious. If you feel negative around people, they’ll feel negative and stressed around you too. Happy people will start to avoid you. And you’ll start to attract people who feel just like you, negative.

Do you feel like only your friends understand how depressing and unfair life is? Chances are, you’re already surrounded by negative people. 

#9 Your friends laugh at you. You think your friends are laughing at you, never with you. Do you feel like your friends are sniggering behind your back? If it’s true, perhaps you need new friends. But if it’s just negative paranoia, stop that. The world may be mean, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s out there to poke fun at you or treat you badly. Perhaps, you’re just trying to look for something bad all the time to convince yourself of how bad the world is to you.

#10 You’re secretly very competitive. Do you behave like a best friend to everyone around, but deep inside, all you do is plot ways to get better than them? Healthy competition is great. But secretive overzealous plotting never is.

Do you get annoyed if a friend buys a new car or a house? Do you try everything possible to buy the same thing just so you can feel even? If you constantly feel the need to compete with someone and become better than them just to feel happy about yourself, you’re living in a shallow world that’ll always leave you negative, annoyed and constantly wanting more. Compete with yourself and tomorrow, try to become a better person than you are today. It’ll help you achieve your goals in your own terms. Otherwise, you’ll never cherish anything you have because you’re constantly peeping over your neighbor’s fence.

These 10 negative thinking traits may seem trivial at first. But consider these questions deeply and ask yourself truthfully, just how much negative thinking have you been doing lately?

SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION

The psalmist David writes, “Why are you cast down, O my soul” (Ps 42:5) – David was sad, troubled, perplexed, disquieted, unhappy and spiritually depressed – a very common condition; obviously he felt overwhelmed within himself.  Some of the greatest saints are introverts; the extrovert is generally a more superficial person.  In the natural realm there is the type of person who is always analyzing himself, analyzing everything he does. The danger for such people is to become “morbid.”

When we get depressed it is because we have “forgotten God” – hence the psalmist says to himself, “Hope thou in God!” (Ps 42:5)    Notice the psalmist addresses himself – “he talks to himself,” and herein he discovers the cure.     The main problem in the whole matter of “spiritual depression” in a sense is this – we allow our “self”     to talk to us instead of “talking to ourself.”  Most unhappiness in life is due to the fact that we “listen to ourselves” instead of “talking to ourselves.”  David, in effect, says, “Self, listen for a moment to what I have to say – why are you so cast down?”  The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself, question yourself, and preach to yourself – you must remind yourself who God is, and what God has done, and what God has promised to do – this is the essence of the treatment in a nutshell. 

We must understand that this “self” of ours – this other man within us has got to be handled; do not listen to him!  turn on him!  speak to him!  remind him of what you know!  So rather than listening to him and allowing him to drag you down and depress you – you must take control! Deliverance from spiritual depression begins with an understanding of “justification,” not sanctification, as one might suspect.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).  “This is life eternal, to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent” (Jn 17:3).  As a believer, are you truly enjoying God?  Is He the center of your life?  He is meant to be.  If He is not, you are living in sin – that is the essence of sin. 

Remember the “good news” – God made Christ to be the propitiation  for our sins – that is, God made Christ responsible for our sins; they were all placed upon Him and God dealt with them and punished them in His Son.  So Christ is our salvation – we simply accept Him as     our Deliverer and Savior by faith.  God then imputed Christ’s righteousness to us – here is the great exchange: He took our wickedness and gave us His righteousness!  To get rid of “spiritual depression” you must say farewell to your past!  No matter how dark the stains may be, they have all been blotted out!  It is finished!  Never look back on your sins again!  They will only “depress” you!  If you focus on “your sinfulness,” you will only conclude that “you are not good enough!” And whether you believe it or    not, nobody is good enough!  The issue is not our goodness… the issue is God’s goodness.  

It is only THEN that true happiness and joy are possible for you.  Deliverance is not found in making resolutions to live a better life, fasting, grieving or praying.  No “action” on your part.  Repeatedly tell yourself, “I rest my faith on Christ alone, who died for my transgressions to atone.”  Remember, a man is justified by “faith” – not by the “deeds” of the Law – your works and behavior have nothing to do with your being saved.  Furthermore, since we are “eternally saved by faith,” our salvation is not maintained  by “good works.”  As long as you see your “sins” as a detriment with regard to your acceptance before God, you will negate the work of the cross in your life – because you will live as though “your sins” really have not been fully dealt with.

This is a “critical issue” for many Christians – they have been “set free” from the prison of sin… their prison cell has been unlocked… yet they continue to live in it!  Jesus  is the Savior of sinners, among whom I am foremost of all! (1 Tim 1:15).  (9-35) It is sad and tragic that so many Christians are frustrated and miserable – The Protestant Reformation brought peace and happiness because the central doctrine of “justification by faith” was rediscovered.    One of the most remarkable miracles our Lord performed was the healing of a “blind man” (Mk 8:22-26).  

When Jesus spat upon His eyes, He asked the blind man what he saw – he said he saw “trees walking.”        Though one can say the man is no longer blind, yet you hesitate to say that he sees perfectly – that description is precisely where most Christians find themselves – they are disquieted and unhappy because of this lack of clarity regarding the doctrine of “justification by faith.”  They simply see men as “trees walking” – there is confusion in what they see; they don’t understand certain basic truths. What they do is mix-in their own ideas with spiritual truth… and stop reading the Bible and praying. 

What is the cure?  What saved the “blind man” in the above illustration was his absolute honesty – he fully submitted himself to Christ, and did not object to further treatment.  Conversely, our response must be similar: “I want the truth whatever it costs me.”  The blind man listened to Jesus and his sight was fully restored – “he saw every man clearly.”  If you are unhappy about yourself – go to Christ, go to His Word, wait upon Him, plead with Him, hold on to Him, and ask Him in the words of the hymn –  Holy Spirit, Truth Divine, Dawn upon this soul of mine;           Word of God, and inward Light, Wake my spirit, clear my sight.

50 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HUSBAND HAPPY

When was the last time you did something special to make your husband happy? The man you exchanged vows with is so much more than just a provider and a pair of useful hands around the house. He is someone who is always there to cheer you up when you are feeling low and to celebrate with, when the good times are around. A husband is your lover, your companion and a wonderful father to your kids.So, isn’t it time you did something fun and unexpected to gladden your husband’s heart? Whether you are a bride, eager to please her brand-new hubby, or a wife of many years wishing to sizzle up your married life, here are a 50 ways to make your husband happy and pleased that he married you.Start with a love letter. Remember how eagerly you waited in the early days of your courtship to receive a letter or just a note from each other? Do it again, but this time count all the reasons, which you think make him the best husband. Your man will not only be happy to be reminded of your love but glad to know that he makes you happy as well.Listen actively. When your husband expresses an opinion or a thought, pay attention. This shows you respect him and his views and nothing pleases a man more.Say thank you with a smile. When your husband does an odd job around the house, thank him like you really mean it. He will know that his help is not taken for granted and he will be happy to do more.Prepare his favorite meal. After he returns home from work on an ordinary day, surprise your husband with his favorite dinner.  He will not only be glad to have the food he likes best, but will appreciate the time and effort you put in preparing it.Let him have the TV remote. Granted, that you wish your husband spent more time with you, than watching the sports channel, but if there is an important game that you know your husband would love to watch, hand over the TV remote graciously.Hold his gaze. When you are speaking to your husband or listening to him, make sure that you keep eye contact. This will assure him of your attention and your respect, which is empowering to any man.Plan a vacation. Make arrangements for a romantic vacation, to a destination you know your husband would love to visit.Ask his family over. Your husband’s parents mean a lot to him. So ask them over for a Sunday lunch he will be touched by your loving gesture.Gift your husband a subscription to his favorite magazine. On the way from work, visit the bakery and pick up a dessert your husband digs.Do something he hates. Choose a chore, like buying grocery or taking out the laundry, your husband really dislikes doing and then go on to do it cheerfully.Have his pals over. If a Super Bowl game or something equally popular is coming up, let your husband know he can watch it at home with his mates. Admittedly there will be beer cans and hot dog wrappers to clean up the next day, but your hubby will love your generosity.Appreciate his interests. If your husband is into carpentry, praise the bookstand he has made, even if it wobbles just a wee bit. Or if he loves collecting coins, buy him a book on numismatics. Your interest in his hobbies will give your husband a feeling of pride and make him happy.Book your husband on a golf vacation and do it happily.Give your husband a nice massage, after a particularly exhausting day at work.Make your husband a bowl, of popcorn, as he settles down to watch his favorite DVD.Get him tickets to his favorite ballgame and then surprise him by lustily cheering for his favorite team.Buy a really expensive gift for your husband, like a watch from Cartier or a Bvlgari perfume.Don’t nag, if he gets lost while taking out the family on a road trip.Send the kids to their grandparents’ or to a family member’s for a sleepover. Then snuggle up to your husband and ask what he would like to do, for the rest of the evening.Find out your husband’s favorite after-shave and buy it for him.Recreate your first date and your husband is sure to be happy falling in love with you all over again.Tell your husband to take a night out with his pals. Not only will he have a good time, but he will also be grateful for your thoughtfulness.Put on your sexiest lingerie and get ready for an intimate evening with your husband. He will be happy to know you still desire him as a lover.Book yourselves on a luxury cruise. Your husband will not only enjoy the sun and the sights, but will be happiest doing nothing the whole day.Gift him a customized CD by compiling around ten of your husband’s favorite songs.Take care of your appearance. Don’t let yourself go, just because you’ve been married for quite a while. Your husband will be glad to know you still find him worth the effort and time it takes to appear well-groomed.Greet your husband at the door dressed in your best gown and with two glasses of champagne. After he recovers from the initial shock, he will be glad that you came up with such a great idea to welcome him.Tell your husband he smells nice.Flirt with your husband in front of his friends. Hold his gaze, touch his legs under the table and steal quick kisses. Your hubby will love to relive the days of romance.When you are sitting together, quietly slip your hand into his. Your husband will love the easy expression of intimacy between you two.Buy him a set of golf clubs or whatever sport equipment he is interested in.Stop trying to change your husband into someone else, after all you married him for who he is.Meet him for lunch at his office and suggest a quick bite. He will love your spontaneity and the fact that you took out time from your own schedule.The next time you decide to eat out, let your husband choose the restaurant and the menu.Ask him to share his fantasy with you and see if you can try it out – or at least a part of it. Even if you both end up laughing, your husband will be pleased to know you care about what he wants.Do something fun together like a trip to an amusement park or going for a circus show.Pick up the kids from their soccer or music practice, when it is actually your husband’s turn to do so.Go out after dinner. Put the kids in bed and steal away with your husband for an ice-cream for a stroll in the park. Your husband will be pleased at spending some quiet time with you.Find one thing to compliment about your husband and do it sincerely.Let your husband be at home the next time you want to go Christmas shopping. He will be glad to have escaped the chore and you might have more fun doing it with someone, who enjoys shopping, like your mom or a friend.Remind your husband that he is the sexiest man you ever set eyes on.Leave a love note in your husband’s briefcase or in the car. Just a sentence telling him that he means so much to you.Pursue an interest together – like a dance class or a photography club. He will be happy to feel connected to you.Go for a hike in the mountains. You both will love the fresh air and the casual intimacy.Be the perfect hostess, if your husband invites his boss over for dinner.Learn a skill or a new language. Your husband will be happy and proud of your achievements.Get your husband something he always wanted, but never got around buying it.Go over his high school photos together and remark how handsome he was even all those years back.Find a quiet moment with your husband to whisper “ I love you” in his ears. If you have already said it, say it again. You can never say these three words too often and you can be sure, that every time it will make your husband glad, he married you.It doesn't take much to make your man happy. Unconditional Love and sincere appreciation are what most men expect in a partner. So let your imagination run riot!

THE POWER OF DOING [NOT JUST HEARING] GOD'S WORD

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted
word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural
face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a
doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:21-25 NKJV.

The Word of God is much easier said than done. It's easy to talk about what God's Word requires of us. It's
easy to quote scriptures. It's easy to shout “Amen” in response to good preaching. It's even easy to point
fingers at someone else for not living up to the standard of God's Word. What's not so easy is carrying out
The Word of God in your own life. It's a whole lot harder than it looks on paper.
In the parable of the builders, Jesus was careful to say that the type of foundation necessary to withstand
the storms of life is not determined by anything but adherence to His Word. That's important because even
though hearing or knowing The Word of God is great until it is put into action a foundation has not been
built in the life of a Christian. Therefore, a man who hears The Word without doing it is as unstable as a
man who didn't hear it at all.

Unfortunately, that explains why some “seasoned” Christians fall on the day of temptation. They may be
experienced at attending church or even talking about the scriptures but lack the necessary experience of
living them out on a daily basis. The Church is built on the rock foundation of Jesus Christ and He is The
Word of God. During His time walking the earth as a man, He issued a simple challenge; do what He says
and you'll survive the storms of life. Take the challenge today.

THE LIFE OF A TRUE CHRISTIAN

Gratitude

When a friend does something nice for us, or does us a favour, we feel happy. We are thankful for their thoughtfulness. If they have saved us from being hurt, we are even happier. We thank them again and again.If someone has saved our life, we are truly grateful. There is nothing we can give them or do for them that will show how much we really, really appreciate what they did for us. We feel a debt of gratitude, an amazing feeling of happiness.This feeling of thankfulness, of gratefulness, of gratitude, is what motivates true Christians. They are utterly convinced of the fact that their leader and Lord, Jesus Christ, has snatched them from death.

They know that they will die, but they have a strong hope: a hope of life.Christians have arrived at this deep thankfulness from many backgrounds. Some began their life with a motivation for money, others for power or praise. Some were even enemies of Jesus Christ and his cause. However, once they realised the truth of what had been done for them, their lives were completely changed.

One man – the Apostle Paul – said that he no longer lived for himself, but with a new and living belief and faith in Jesus Christ, "who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Paul’s absolute belief that Jesus had given his life for Paul personally changed him completely. He knew that Jesus died because of sin, not just the disobedience of all humanity, but because of Paul’s own wicked life in the past.This knowledge was the force behind the energy and determination in the life of the Apostle. He was a tireless preacher; he was beaten (for example see 2 Corinthians 11:23-27), imprisoned, and shipwrecked, often tired, hungry and cold. All of this was because of Paul’slove and gratitude for what had been done for him.The life a Christian should lead is motivated in the same way. Their every-day lives are changed because of the same sense of gratitude. Even though they cannot see in person the one who saved them, they know for certain that they have been rescued, just as much as someone who has been rescued from death in a purely human way.

Not Followers of Rules

True Christians certainly do follow the laws of the land that they live in. This is an important teaching of the Bible (for example, Romans 13:1-7). They are also obedient to God, accepting his principles as moral and right.Obeying rules and commands, however, is not a means for earning a reward. The word of God is emphatic on the subject (for example, Galatians 2:16-17; Romans 4:1-16). No matter what a disciple does, no matter how good he or she may seem to be, they are still a sinner, and worthy of death. The reward of God is not something to be earned by doing good. Instead, God’s reward is his gift for those who simply believe him, and what he has promised.This faith: the belief that what God says, he really means, is part of the motivating force for real disciples of Jesus. They know that the Bible has not set a standard of conduct as a means to obtaining a reward. Instead, there is an assurance that God deems those that trust in him and his promises as righteous. Their conduct is provoked by love and dependence on God, rather than by rules.

Obedience rather than Ritual

If the keeping of rules is not essential to being saved, then is a disciple of Jesus obligated to do what is right? Is following God’s teachings and ways important?Yes; to obey God is crucial in the life of a true believer. He or she truly believes that God exists, that he has a deep love for mankind, and has given precious promises to those who have faith in him. This knowledge brings a responsibility to act in accordance with this belief. Faith requires faithfulness. To be convinced requires confident action. Such loyalty and dedication to a belief results in trustworthy and reliable service for those believers who accept God at his word.The actions of a faithful Christian are therefore not motivated by ritual observances. Their lives are not shaped by rites or services or religious formalities. Instead, their actions can be compared to the obedience that a loving child gives to their parents. In the same way as human parents look for more than cold, ritualistic service and compliance, so followers of Jesus know that the living God desires loving obedience also.An example in the Bible which illustrates this principle is when Saul, the first king of Israel, decided to save some animals for sacrifice to God, rather than destroy them as God had asked. Even though king Saul knew that he had not obeyed God, the excuse that he made was that the animals could be used in ritual sacrifice to God. The king was concerned only with the ritual to be performed, and was not motivated by devoted and loving obedience to God.The prophet Samuel spoke God’s word to king Saul in a message intended for all time:"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)In a similar way, the rulers of the Jews in the days of Jesus’ ministry held traditions in high esteem. The rules and customs alone drove their motivations, rather than affection for God. "Why do your disciples break the traditions of the elders?" (Matthew 15:2) they asked Jesus, with the assumption that these traditions that were of the greatest importance.Jesus demonstrated that this was a wrong way of thinking and acting. In very strong language, he replied,"You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’" (Matthew 15:7-9)By example, Jesus illustrated how his disciples should act, and the thought process behind such actions. In the same chapter of the Bible as the incident with the Jews and their traditions, Jesus said to his disciples:"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way." (Matthew 15:32)Sincere Christians do not allow their lives to be directed by rites, rules and rituals, but by love.A Christian’s StatusDisciples see themselves as servants, or slaves of Jesus Christ. They become conscious that in the past, they were slaves of their own cravings, of their own sin. They have renounced this slave owner: self. They have voluntarily become servants of a new master instead: Jesus Christ. They know that there is no service that they can achieve that will earn them God’s gift. Nevertheless, their lives become lives of service to others, and specifically to their Lord.The status of "servant" applies to all believers, no matter what their station in life. Jesus told those who were with him, "whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..." (Matthew 20:27-28)The essence of Jesus’ teaching on the matter of service is shown when he told his followers, "you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’" (Luke 17:10)Service is not something that comes naturally. "Me first" is instinctive for people all over the world. Service for others is something that is learned by example.

Faithfulness

The morality of Christians is patterned on that of God and Jesus Christ. God’s character, as shown by his message in the Bible, and by the life of Jesus Christ, establishes what Christians use as a model for their lives.For example, God is faithful. He makes promises and keeps them. He does not abandon those who love him. He stands by those who are in trouble. God promised that the nation of Israel would never be destroyed, but other nations by contrast would disappear. He has been true to this promise as well as others.A committed disciple knows this characteristic of God, and tries to be the same. He or she is faithful too. Promises that are made are kept, even if it is at a large personal cost (see Psalm 15:4). Husbands are faithful to their wives, and wives to their husbands, just as God is faithful to them. Friends that are in trouble are not abandoned, but helped.Faithful service involves a change of attitude on the part of a believer. Tasks that are done for others are also carried out for God. Work for an employer is not "to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."(Ephesians 6:6)

Peaceful Living

Sadly, many Christians through the centuries have not followed Bible teaching in regards to peaceful living. This does not change the obligation for such people. The counsel given in the Bible to pray that "we may lead a quiet and peaceable life" (1 Timothy 2:2), holds true.This Bible teaching of peaceful living applies to all segments of a believer’s life. Such a person will avoid violent confrontations. Their preaching will be of a peaceful and not a quarrelsome nature."Make every effort to live in peace with all men." (Hebrews 12:14)An implication of such an injunction to live a peaceful life is that a disciple of Christ will not only be peaceable themselves, but will find ways to spread such peace to those around them. "Blessed are the peacemakers," (Matthew 5:9 and 1 Peter 3:11) said Jesus, and the apostle Peter also advised, "seek peace and pursue it."God gives no guarantee that those who follow him will be free of trouble or persecution during their lives. This fact is most clear from the New Testament of the Bible, where many believers were mistreated or even killed. However, they did not resist evil, but often fled to other places and continued to preach, and live peaceful lives (see Acts 8:1-4, and Matthew 5:39).Peace in the life of a disciple of Jesus is more than the absence of war or violence. It is the assurance that the promises of God are sure and certain. It is the confidence that continuing in this hope will result in a future inheritance as a gift from God.

Kindness

God shows his love not only to those who are his friends, but to all mankind without partiality. As Jesus said, "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." God is kind not only to the good, but "is kind to the ungrateful and wicked" (Matthew 5:45 and Luke 6:35).True Christians take this characteristic of God to heart. They are thoughtful and compassionate not only with their friends, but with others also, as they have opportunity. They do things for people that do not even thank them. They are considerate to people whom others might call "unholy", or "unclean".The awareness that God is kind to them inspires disciples to show the same to other people, whether it is their own family, their friends, or associates who they meet. The fact that God "seeks out" (Luke 15:4-28) those who are lost and need help, leads followers of Jesus to go out of their way to do the same and find people that are in need, and lend a hand.

Justice

God does not favour one person or nation over another. As one disciple of Jesus exclaimed, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." (Acts 10:34) God shows impartiality to the rich and poor, male and female, no matter where they were born.The implication is that true believers will be fair to every one also. They will not be prejudiced in their personal or business dealings. They will not help some people and discriminate against others.This characteristic of justice is closely related to honesty. True believers do not lie, cheat, or steal. Instead they maintain honest balances and scales, and give a full day’s work and effort for each day’s wages (see Proverbs 11:1 and Deuteronomy 25:15). They work with diligence and enthusiasm whether their employer is watching or not. A disciple does not take advantage of those who are weak in order to gain an upper hand, whether for money, prestige or other reasons.Instead, a true Christian looks for opportunities to provide justice and equity for those who are in need. He or she will go out of their way to remove oppression, cruelty or destitution, instead of passing by on the other side (Luke 10:29-36; Psalm 82:3; Deuteronomy 24:17-22).

Humility

Those who follow Christ live lives of meekness because he was meek. Jesus showed the true spirit of lowliness in his own life. Although he was born to be a king, he was lowly in heart. He served and helped others, putting them before himself."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)If the greatest man who ever lived could be gentle and humble in heart, and be a servant to others, then his followers will do the same. No matter what their position in life, they will put others before themselves. They will go out of their way for others, even to perform what might be thought as degrading tasks. True Christians do this because in their minds, they are doing this service for their master – Jesus.There is a principle in the Bible which relates to humility. It is sometimes called "the cross before the crown". It refers to the fact that Jesus had to suffer before he was raised from the dead in power. "Here is a trustworthy saying: if we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him" (2 Timothy 2:11-12; see also Romans 6:8). A disciple who is baptised in water is as if they are buried with Jesus in his death; rising up out of the water is like his resurrection from the tomb. It is not as if the disciple really dies. Instead, an old way of life has been killed; purposefully put to death. The disciple no longer lives his life to himself, but to God.This change of life involves humility. It involves putting to death the natural desires: the need to satisfy one’s self first, the aspiration to be above others, the desire for self-fulfilment. This is the life a true Christian should lead.Making oneself lowly becomes a part of every day life. In practise it means taking second or even last place instead of instinctively wanting to be first. It means putting other people’s interests ahead of one’s own. It means self-sacrifice: doing without the things wewant in favour of someone else.Further, humility means accepting criticism or even punishment patiently. It means accepting such discipline whether the follower of Jesus deserves it or not! Again, the reason for such an attitude is because Jesus did the same."When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23)."Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary; ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:19-21).

Learning and Being Taught

Godly morality is not inherent in disciples of Jesus, or anyone else for that matter. How then does one come to a knowledge of right and wrong, of how to serve, of how to love?A Godly life can be lived only by learning what such a life involves. Only then can one continue their life based on God’s instruction and teaching.This teaching comes only from the word of God himself — the Bible. Its teachings motivate and move the life of a true Christian into action. Without continuous learning, and reminders of what has been learned, it is easy to slowly move away from a Godly life. Here is the advice given to one disciple:"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:14-15).There is no substitute for learning the ways of godliness from the Bible, and from others who have been instructed by it. This was the pattern for those in Bible times. They were to teach one another, both by example, and by training others in the things of God."The Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:24-25)."Teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. They can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure…" (Titus 2:3-5).There is no instant transformation for those who become Christians. Learning and growing is a life long progression. Such learning requires diligence and persistence. It includes bringing to remembrance things learned in the past, and continuing to gain knowledge to be applied daily.This knowledge is not an end in itself. It is not a source of pride or arrogance. Just as a servant learns how to serve, so a true disciple of Christ learns how to serve him throughout a lifetime.

Set An Example

Followers of God in the Bible did not live as solitary people, and there is no instruction in the Bible to live in this way. The opposite is true."Set an example for the believers in speech, in live, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12).A true Christian is not afraid to be known as a follower of Jesus. Therefore, those who have dealings with such a person hold them to a higher standard than they may hold themselves. If the person slips, someone may say, "if you were really a Christian, you wouldn’t do that."We are familiar with the difference between light and darkness. Light makes things distinct; darkness obscures. Light uncovers secrets; darkness hides secret things. Light brings freedom of movement and vision; darkness brings groping and stumbling. Jesus told his followers:"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mathew 5:14-16).Such an insight changes the life of a disciple. They realize that their life affects their children, their relatives, their school companions, their work mates, and those that they deal with frequently: those from whom they buy things, their neighbours and their friends. Their manner, the look on their face, their affection, their faithfulness, their honesty, their peacefulness, their love, shines forth as a radiant light.There is a story of someone who once approached a Christian shopkeeper. "I would like to buy some of your salve", asked the customer."What kind of salve are you looking for?" asked the shopkeeper."You are a Christian", answered the customer. "I have noticed that your faces are always shining. You Christians must be using some kind of special salve.""No," replied the shopkeeper, "we don’t use any special salve. Our faces shine because we are so sure of what the future holds. We know that no matter how difficult things are now, God has made promises about our future that he is certain to keep. He is also near us and close to us each day."This little story illustrates the difference that a disciple of Jesus can make in the lives of those around them. The disciple can be a strong ray of light. They are the face of Jesus Christ to those who see them.Bad ExamplesThroughout history since the time of the preaching of Jesus, Christians have not always acted in accordance with the example of their leader.Some of them have professed to be Christians, but their actions showed otherwise. Some have come to various positions of power, and have abused such power. Many professing to belong to Christ have waged wars, imposed their religion by force, inflicted cruelty upon others, and ignored those who needed their help. The same can be said today in many cases, both for groups and individuals.Does this mean that Christianity is wrong? Does the name or reputation of such people or groups mean that the Bible is wrong, or that Christianity is not worth following?This is most assuredly not the case. Jesus himself told his followers that they should expect there to be both bad and good – together – until the day of his return. He told a story about a field where good seed had been planted. However, an enemy came and planted weeds. When the plants started to grow, it was difficult to distinguish between the good plants and the weeds. The owner of the field told his workers to leave the weeds to grow together with the good seed until the harvest, and only then would the two be separated.A true follower of Jesus does not abandon his cause because other believers are not behaving as they should. They are true to their master, and as they have opportunity, help others to be faithful as well. They do not disdain other disciples, but help them as much as they can. They are patient, merciful and longsuffering because they know that God is like this too.

Worshipping with Others

If at all possible, a true believer worships God with other disciples. Even if this is difficult because of personalities, distances, or health, such a person knows that there is joy and love when those who are in the light come together for the common purpose of worshipping God."Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another." (Hebrews 10:5)The Bible is plain that God’s intention is that believers unite together as a common body – like a human body. Every person is different, like the different parts of a body. Each has their unique function, just as a body has eyes, ears, arms, legs and toes. Just as a body feels pain, so a community of believers feels pain with one of its members. The whole body rejoices and is happy together as well.The community as a whole worships together also. They remember the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus, as he has asked (Luke 22:19). They wait for his return together (Acts 1:11).

Prayer

By no means last in importance, a true disciple prays to God often, for his care and help in living a life of service. The disciple admits freely to God when he has failed and sinned against him, and asks for forgiveness.Praise and thankfulness plays a large part of the life of such Christians. They thank God not only for each meal, as Jesus did, but thank God daily for the blessings and benefits that they have.They pray for the strength to continue in God’s way. They pray when they are afraid, confused, depressed, happy, joyful, or contented. They pray for others by name.Their hearts dance with elation, because they are completely confident that God is with them. They know that no matter what, God will keep his promises. And this gives them peace, a deep and true peace, no matter what happening in their lives.

LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE

James 2:14-24

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

ATTITUDE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Your son has just been rushed into the emergency room at the hospital. He was severly injured in a traffic accident, and is not expected to live...You've just discovered that your teenage daughter is pregnant...The house payment is past due; the dentist is threatening to turn your bill over to collection. Your telephone has been shut off, and you're facing a layoff at work...Your husband is a hopeless alcoholic. He becomes violent when he is drunk...

Crisis is part of life. We cannot escape difficulty. Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) In short, life is a battleground. But it is not the crisis that creates the problem; it is how we react to it. The pain of trouble can be eased by the attitude we take toward it.When two Christians face the same tragedy, one may become depressed and defeated while the other draws closer to God. What do you think is the reason for this?Some Christians believe that God has let them down when they find themselves without money, health, or prestige, or in severe straits. Such an attitude leads to coldness of heart, prayerlessness, distrust, worry, and selfish living.In this study you will learn about unrecognized blessings and how attitude makes the difference between a defeated outlook and a victorious one.

God's People in Trouble

In Exodus 14:1-4, the Israelites experienced an unrecognized blessing. As you read, notice the human viewpoint of the people and God's viewpoint as seen in Moses.How did the Israelites react to apparent danger? (Exodus 14:10-12)Notice how Moses reacted. Why do you think he commanded the people as he did? (Exodus 14:13-14)What did God accomplish in their hearts and minds through this experience? (Exodus 14:31)Think back to a crisis in your life. How did those around you respond? How did you react? How could you have improved your attitude? List ways God has worked through difficulties in your life, and shown these difficulties to really be blessings.

List some things the Bible guarantees when you are tempted or tested. (I Corinthians 10:13)How can the Bible's guarantee in Romans 8:28 be true that everything work out good for those who love God?What response to tribulation does God expect from you according to Romans 5:3-5? What are the results of these tribulations? (See James 1:3 )What is the purpose of unrecognized blessings according to II Corinthians 1:3-4, and Hebrews 12:5-11?Read I Thessalonians 5:18 and Hebrews 13:15. What response does God command in all situations? How can you rejoice and give thanks when sorrow and tragedy come? Contrast this with the attitude of the Israelites in Exodus 14:1-12. 

Life Application

List the methods by which an attitude of trust can become a reality for you. (See Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:16, I Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 10:15)

With what trial in your life do you need to trust God right now?

What do you think the unrecognized blessing in that trial could be?

How can you receive those blessings.

FORGIVING ONESELF

“I think that if we all just remember that if we forgive ourselves, it’s a wonderful beginning to forgiveness.  Because actually if we really forgive ourselves for all the wickedness we think we have inside or all the things we think are wrong with ourselves, we would then be so much more compassionate with others.  And I think probably it’s our lack of compassion with ourselves that makes us so upset with others.

THE GUTTING OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY – THE GREAT HOPE

According to the Conference, the new book “The Great Hope” is “an 11-chapter abridged version of The Great Controversy
by Ellen G. White (formatted by the E. G. White Estate)” and “An initiative led by the General Conference President, Ted N.
C. Wilson.” Taken from: http://www.nadadventist.org/article/699/resources/the-great-hope-project
This abridged version happens to leave out much. Most notably all of the sections about the Papacy being the beast of
Revelation. The argument today is that the Catholic church is no longer the same as it was which was outlined by Loren
Seibold in his controversial article called “Letting Catholics off the Hook”. http://www.thethirdangelsmessage.com/
catholics_off_hook.php

Sabbath a Distinguishing Mark

Secret deals have also apparently been made between church leaders of the General Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists, and also Protestant church leaders and Catholic’s saying “it had been agreed that the Seventh-day Adventist
Church would tone down its public presentations of the Bible Sabbath.”
http://www.sdadefend.com/MINDEX-C/Secret-interchurch.pdf
This is a serious matter for those who claim to still stand for the pillars of our faith.
The Sabbath was said to be a distinguishing mark between God’s people and the other nations or denominations.
“No other institution which was committed to the Jews tended so fully to distinguish them from surrounding nations as did
the Sabbath. God designed that its observance should designate them as his worshipers. It was to be a token of their
separation from idolatry, and their connection with the true God. But in order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must
themselves by holy. Through faith they must become partakers of the righteousness of Christ. When the command was
given to Israel, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” the Lord said also to them, “Ye shall be holy men unto Me.”[4
EX. 20:8; 22:31.] Only thus could the Sabbath distinguish Israel as the worshipers of God. (Ellen White Desire of Ages page
283)
It would seem that at least some are trying to blur the lines between the people of God, and the world.
Rome Doesn’t Change
I think sometimes when looking at the Catholic Church and considering that today they are held back by laws of the land
from enforcing their religion on others we begin to think they look rather innocent. Well, if those laws were removed, she
would be the same as she always was. Because the doctrines are the same, thus the spirit and principles behind those
doctrines is the same.
“Rome never changes. She claims infallibility. It is Protestantism that will change” (Ellen G. White, Review and Herald , June
1, 1886).
So it isn’t them that have changed, but rather us. It is a backslidden church.
“The Lord has pronounced a curse upon those who take from or add to the Scriptures. The great I AM has decided what
shall constitute the rule of faith and doctrine, and he has designed that the Bible shall be a household book. The church
that holds to the word of God is irreconcilably separated from Rome. Protestants were once thus apart from this great
church of apostasy, but they have approached more nearly to her, and are still in the path of reconciliation to the Church of
Rome. Rome never changes. Her principles have not altered in the least. She has not lessened the breach between herself
and Protestants; they have done all the advancing. But what does this argue for the Protestantism of this day? It is the
rejection of Bible truth which makes men approach to infidelity. It is a backsliding church that lessens the distance between
itself and the Papacy. {ST, February 19, 1894 par. 4}
Consigning anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint to the Historical Trash Heap
Regarding the book “The Great Hope” which many are calling “The Great
Controversy” including pastor Ted Wilson which is also an “initiative led by… Ted
Wilson”, this version of the Great Controversy has many chapters missing in it,
especially the ones regarding the Papacy. It also has chapters changed and edited
with stuff added to it. This book was a book we understood to be inspired by God.
Where then do we get the right to add or take away from it?
“The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it
should shine upon their flocks. By every means at their command they will endeavor
to suppress the discussion of these vital questions.”(GC 607)

What means at their command do they use. Ted Wilson’s father once said:
“Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a
distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint…that attitude on the church’s part was nothing more than a manifestation of
widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of
the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is
concerned .” (Neal C. Wilson, past president of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference)
So here we have evidence that there is an “effort to shut away the light” regarding the Papacy and other issues, and Ted
Wilson has “used means at his command to suppress discussion of these vital questions” and basically “consigned” the
“anti-popery” questions and talk in the Great Controversy “to the historical trash heap”.
And to be perfectly honest, it worked like a charm as many are calling the distribution of this book a “reformation” and
“revival”. Meanwhile everything about the reformation was deleted out of the book.
Sometimes the words of Elder Ted Wilson and the works seem to conflict with each other. See my open letter to Ted Wilson
for much more on this:
http://www.thethirdangelsmessage.com/open_letter_ted_wilson
Notice carefully the following account, which I believe can only be seen and understood with spiritual eyes.
“. . .That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company
marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor
door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the
appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed (learn the meaning of these symbols).

And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house,saying three times: ‘This house is
proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.’ Terror seized me, and I ran through
the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak
a word to them for fear of being betrayed. I tried to seek a retired spot where I might weep and pray without meeting eager,
inquisitive eyes wherever I turned. I repeated frequently: ‘If I could only understand this! If they will tell me what I have said
or what I have done!’ I wept and prayed much as I saw our goods confiscated. I tried to read sympathy or piety for me in
the looks of those around me, and marked the countenances of several whom I thought would speak to me and comfort me
if they did not fear that they would be observed by others. I made one attempt to escape from the crowd, but seeing that I
was watched, I concealed my intentions. I commenced weeping aloud, and saying: ‘If they would only tell me what I have
done or what I have said!’ My husband, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, heard me weeping aloud and awoke
me. My pillow was wet with tears, and a sad depression of spirits was upon me.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 578.
I think that we can safely conclude that the issues regarding the trademarking of the name, taking others to court and using
tithe to do so, views on the Sabbath, as well as abortions and other practices in the hospitals. That the following can safely
be said to be true today:
“Yet we hear that the voice of the conference is the voice of God. Every time I have heard this, I have thought it was almost
blasphemy. The voice of the Conference ought to be the voice of God, but it is not, because some in connection with it are
not men of faith and prayer, they are not men of elevated principle. There is not a seeking of God with the whole heart; there
is not a realization of the terrible responsibility that rests upon those in this institution to mold and fashion the minds after
the divine similitude.” Manuscript 37, p. 8. April, 1901.

Why is it that the conference is no longer the voice of God in my opinion? Because they have created a “new organization”
with “books of a new order”. This organization is “built on sand” and is only a counterfeit of God’s house built on the rock.
“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in GIVING UP THE DOCTRINES WHICH STAND AS THE PILLARS OF OUR
FAITH, AND ENGAGING IN A PROCESS OF REORGANIZATION. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The
principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. OUR RELIGION WOULD BE
CHANGED. THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES that have sustained the work for the last fifty years WOULD BE COUNTED AS
ERROR. A new organization would be established. BOOKS OF A NEW ORDER WOULD BE WRITTEN . A system of intellectual
philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The
Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. NOTHING WOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAND IN
THE WAY OF THE NEW MOVEMENT. THE LEADERS would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they
WOULD PLACE THEIR DEPENDENCE ON HUMAN POWER, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built
on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.” ~~ Selected Messages Book 1-Page 204, 205.

According to the Conference, the new book “The Great Hope” is “an 11-chapter abridged version of The Great Controversy
by Ellen G. White (formatted by the E. G. White Estate)” and “An initiative led by the General Conference President, Ted N.
C. Wilson.” Taken from: http://www.nadadventist.org/article/699/resources/the-great-hope-project
This abridged version happens to leave out much. Most notably all of the sections about the Papacy being the beast of
Revelation. The argument today is that the Catholic church is no longer the same as it was which was outlined by Loren
Seibold in his controversial article called “Letting Catholics off the Hook”. http://www.thethirdangelsmessage.com/
catholics_off_hook.php

Consigning anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint to the Historical Trash Heap
Regarding the book “The Great Hope” which many are calling “The Great Controversy” including pastor Ted Wilson which is
also an “initiative led by… Ted Wilson”, this version of the Great Controversy has many chapters missing in it, especially the
ones regarding the Papacy. It also has chapters changed and edited with stuff added to it. This book was a book we
understood to be inspired by God. Where then do we get the right to add or take away from it?
“The clergy will put forth almost superhuman efforts to shut away the light lest it should shine upon their flocks. By every
means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions.”(GC 607)
What means at their command do they use. Ted Wilson’s father once said:
“Although it is true that there was a period in the life of the Seventh-day Adventist Church when the denomination took a
distinctly anti-Roman Catholic viewpoint…that attitude on the church’s part was nothing more than a manifestation of
widespread anti-popery among conservative Protestant denominations in the early part of this century and the latter part of
the last, and which has now been consigned to the historical trash heap so far as the Seventh-day Adventist Church is
concerned.” (Neal C. Wilson, past president of the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference)
So here we have evidence that there is an “effort to shut away the light” regarding the Papacy and other issues, and Ted
Wilson has “used means at his command to suppress discussion of these vital questions” and basically “consigned” the
“anti-popery” questions and talk in the Great Controversy “to the historical trash heap”.
And to be perfectly honest, it worked like a charm as many are calling the distribution of this book a “reformation” and
“revival”. Meanwhile everything about the reformation was deleted out of the book.
Sometimes the words of Elder Ted Wilson and the works seem to conflict with each other. See my open letter to Ted Wilson
for much more on this:
http://www.thethirdangelsmessage.com/open_letter_ted_wilson
Notice carefully the following account, which I believe can only be seen and understood with spiritual eyes.
“. . .That night I dreamed that I was in Battle Creek looking out from the side glass at the door and saw a company
marching up to the house, two and two. They looked stern and determined. I knew them well and turned to open the parlor
door to receive them, but thought I would look again. The scene was changed. The company now presented the
appearance of a Catholic procession. One bore in his hand a cross, another a reed (learn the meaning of these symbols).
And as they approached, the one carrying a reed made a circle around the house,saying three times: ‘This house is
proscribed. The goods must be confiscated. They have spoken against our holy order.’ Terror seized me, and I ran through
the house, out of the north door, and found myself in the midst of a company, some of whom I knew, but I dared not speak
a word to them for fear of being betrayed. I tried to seek a retired spot where I might weep and pray without meeting eager,
inquisitive eyes wherever I turned. I repeated frequently: ‘If I could only understand this! If they will tell me what I have said
or what I have done!’ I wept and prayed much as I saw our goods confiscated. I tried to read sympathy or piety for me in
the looks of those around me, and marked the countenances of several whom I thought would speak to me and comfort me
if they did not fear that they would be observed by others. I made one attempt to escape from the crowd, but seeing that I
was watched, I concealed my intentions. I commenced weeping aloud, and saying: ‘If they would only tell me what I have
done or what I have said!’ My husband, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, heard me weeping aloud and awoke
me. My pillow was wet with tears, and a sad depression of spirits was upon me.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 578.
I think that we can safely conclude that the issues regarding the trademarking of the name, taking others to court and using
tithe to do so, views on the Sabbath, as well as abortions and other practices in the hospitals. That the following can safely
be said to be true today:
“Yet we hear that the voice of the conference is the voice of God. Every time I have heard this, I have thought it was almost
blasphemy. The voice of the Conference ought to be the voice of God, but it is not, because some in connection with it are
not men of faith and prayer, they are not men of elevated principle. There is not a seeking of God with the whole heart; there
is not a realization of the terrible responsibility that rests upon those in this institution to mold and fashion the minds after
the divine similitude.” Manuscript 37, p. 8. April, 1901.
Why is it that the conference is no longer the voice of God in my opinion? Because they have created a “new organization”
with “books of a new order”. This organization is “built on sand” and is only a counterfeit of God’s house built on the rock.
“The enemy of souls has sought to bring in the supposition that a great reformation was to take place among Seventh-day
Adventists, and that this reformation would consist in GIVING UP THE DOCTRINES WHICH STAND AS THE PILLARS OF OUR
FAITH, AND ENGAGING IN A PROCESS OF REORGANIZATION. Were this reformation to take place, what would result? The
principles of truth that God in His wisdom has given to the remnant church, would be discarded. OUR RELIGION WOULD BE
CHANGED. THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES that have sustained the work for the last fifty years WOULD BE COUNTED AS
ERROR. A new organization would be established. BOOKS OF A NEW ORDER WOULD BE WRITTEN. A system of intellectual
philosophy would be introduced. The founders of this system would go into the cities, and do a wonderful work. The
Sabbath of course, would be lightly regarded, as also the God who created it. NOTHING WOULD BE ALLOWED TO STAND IN
THE WAY OF THE NEW MOVEMENT. THE LEADERS would teach that virtue is better than vice, but God being removed, they
WOULD PLACE THEIR DEPENDENCE ON HUMAN POWER, which, without God, is worthless. Their foundation would be built
on the sand, and storm and tempest would sweep away the structure.” ~~ Selected Messages Book 1-Page 204, 205.

GAY MARRIAGE IS SIN!

 "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..." —Psalm 97:10     

  Any child knows that God created Adam and Eve; NOT, Adam and Steve! The very notion of two homosexuals getting married is repulsive and disgusting. In Romans 1:26 God calls homosexual "love"... vile affections, i.e., morally reprehensible affections. God's Word condemns homosexuality, which is why Sodomites today are relentlessly trying to corrupt the Bible.Romans 1:25 told us they'd do this, "Who changed the truth of God into a lie...

" Gay marriage is NO marriage at all in the eyes of God.  Mark 10:9 plainly states that marriages are made in Heaven... "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." God will not honor a sinful marriage between two lesbians or homosexuals. The entire idea of same-sex-unions (i.e., gay marriage) is foolish, absurd, and most of all, unbiblical. We are a spiritually destitute people!

One of the best secular arguments against homosexual marriages is the fact that a child NEEDS both a male and female role image in their developmental stage.  For a child to grow up healthy and normal, BOTH male and female parental roles are required. A child who grows up with two lesbian parents, will grow up warped and confused, having been denied the privilege of a NORMAL home. Homosexuality is NOT an alternative lifestyle; but rather, a sinful lifestyle. It's not "a new kind of family" as the TV networks propagate; but is in reality a sinful kind of family.

Homosexuality is a horrible sin, which brought the destruction of God upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Although some people have pointed out to me that God destroyed Sodom for other sins besides homosexuality (Ezekiel 16:49), Jude 1:7 plainly states that God destroyed Sodom for sexual sins, including that of going after "strange flesh" (a clear reference to the unnatural behavior of homosexuality). 

Furthermore, Genesis 19:1-9 gives us explicit details about an angry mob of homosexuals in Sodom, who were about to break down Lot's front door and rape the male guests (i.e., the angels). Genesis 19:4 reveals that Sodom was saturated with homosexuals... "But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter." Sodom was known as a city of queers; hence the term, "sodomite." In addition, Romans Chapter one is a solid indictment against the sin of homosexuality.

 The fact that two homosexuals cannot produce natural children is evidence enough, that something is VERY WRONG AND UNNATURAL with being a homosexual. Homosexuality is a sin, which has led to the CRAZY practice of artificial insemination. 

Please read, Gay Men and Lesbians Utilizing Infertility Clinics to Have Babies. Think about how immoral and crazy this is! Two lesbians get married, and then pay a complete stranger, a man, to donate his sperm to artificially inseminate one or both of the women in a medical clinic. So while the two lesbians are having lesbian sex, their babies are the result of artificial insemination by a man they'll probably never even meet. How crazy is that? Then there's the case of two homosexual men living together, who pay a woman to be artificially inseminated with one of their sperm cells, so they can be fathers? Folks, this stuff belongs on The Outer Limits! It just goes to show that when mankind disobeys God's Word, things get crazy.

THE PAGAN ORIGIN OF EASTER

Easter is a day that is honered by nearly all of contemporary Christianity and is used to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.The holiday often involves a church service at sunrise, a feast which includes an "Easter Ham", decorated eggs and stories about rabbits.Those who love truth learn to ask questions, and many questions must be asked regarding the holiday of Easter.Is it truly the day when Jesus arose from the dead? Where did all of the strange customs come from, which have nothing to do with the resurrection of our Saviour?

The purpose of this tract is to help answer those questions, and to help those who seek truth to draw their own conclusions.The first thing we must understand is that professing Christians were not the only ones who celebrated a festival called "Easter.""Ishtar", which is pronounced "Easter" was a day that commemorated the resurrection of one of their gods that they called "Tammuz", who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon-goddess and the sun-god.In those ancient times, there was a man named Nimrod, who was the grandson of one of Noah's son named Ham.Ham had a son named Cush who married a woman named Semiramis.

Cush and Semiramis then had a son named him "Nimrod."After the death of his father, Nimrod married his own mother and became a powerful King.The Bible tells of of this man, Nimrod, in Genesis 10:8-10 as follows: "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad,and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."Nimrod became a god-man to the people and Semiramis, his wife and mother, became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon.

Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, and his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom.Semiramis had all of the parts gathered, except for one part that could not be found.That missing part was his reproductive organ. Semiramis claimed that Nimrod could not come back to life without it and told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the sun god.Queen Semiramis also proclaimed that Baal would be present on earth in the form of a flame, whether candle or lamp, when used in worship.

Semiramis was creating a mystery religion, and with the help of Satan, she set herself up as a goddess.Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived.She taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full.She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River.This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox.Semiramis became known as "Ishtar" which is pronounced "Easter", and her moon egg became known as "Ishtar's" egg."Ishtar soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive.The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz.Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter.The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig.

Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit.Ishtar, who was now worshipped as the "Mother of God and Queen of Heaven", continued to build her mystery religion.The queen told the worshippers that when Tammuz was killed by the wild pig, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz.She also proclaimed a forty day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz.During this time, no meat was to be eaten.Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the "T" in front of their hearts as they worshipped.They also ate sacred cakes with the marking of a "T" or cross on the top.

Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, a celebration was made.It was Ishtar's Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits and eggs.Ishtar also proclaimed that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, that a pig must be eaten on that Sunday.By now, the readers of this tract should have made the connection that paganism has infiltrated the contemporary "Christian" churches, and further study indicates that this paganism came in by way of the Roman Catholic System.The truth is that Easter has nothing whatsoever to do with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.We also know that Easter can be as much as three weeks away from the Passover, because the pagan holiday is always set as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.Some have wondered why the word "Easter" is in the the King James Bible.

It is because Acts, chapter 12, tells us that it was the evil King Herod, who was planning to celebrate Easter, and not the Christians.The true Passover and pagan Easter sometimes coincide, but in some years, they are a great distance apart.So much more could be said, and we have much more information for you, if you are a seeker of the truth.We know that the Bible tells us in John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits,hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.These are all antichrist activities!Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry.These things bring the wrath of God upon children of disobedience, who try to make pagan customs of Baal worship Christian.You must answer for your activities and for what you teach your children.These customs of Easter honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the "Rising Sun" and his house is the "House of the Rising Sun."

BREAKING ADDICTIONS

Addictions are something that plagues many people today, whether addiction to food, sex, drugs, alcohol, smoking, spending, masturbation, porn, etc. Some inexperienced deliverance ministers might go after a spirit of addiction, which may bring freedom, but more often than not, it doesn't bring lasting freedom. Many times there is a root that needs to be pulled up, along side casting out any residing spirits that are holding the person in bondage to the addiction. Getting to the root of the addiction is the key to bringing a person lasting genuine freedom. I am going to address the most common roots to addictions, and hopefully give you an idea of how this particular type of bondage works so that you can minister lasting freedom to those caught up in this type of bondage.We are all created with a basic need to be loved. God created us to both give and receive love, but though damaged emotions, our capacity to receive love can be dramatically hindered. Ignorance of God's love will also hinder us from receiving the great and glorious love that He has for us. The root of most addictive behaviors is a lack of love being received by that person. Many of us have been damaged emotionally by rejection, abandonment, abuse, etc., and thereby our capacity to receive love has been reduced. Only an emotionally healthy person is capable of both giving and receiving love as God intended.

Self-worth issues can hinder love

Self-worth issues are rooted in believing that we are not worthy or deserve to be loved. When we believe that we are unlovable, we will unconsciously reject any love that comes our way. We won't believe the love, because we believe in our hearts that we are not worthy. Self worth issues are all rooted in our failing to see who we really are in Christ.If you walked into a gallery of world-class art, and pointed to a painting, saying, "That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen! Who painted that??" Now let's say the artist was standing right next to you. How do you think that would make Him feel? Do you realize we are the artwork of God, a special painting crafted together by the master painter? Do you think it brings Him honor when we look down on ourselves? We need to stop putting down what God has made.Many times we have self-unforgiveness issues because we blame ourselves for something, or we've done something we deeply regret, and we simply cannot let it go. We need to realize that Jesus has forgiven us of all our failures, and we need to start seeing ourselves as forgiven. Otherwise, we're denying the work of Christ in our life! If God forgave you, and you're still beating yourself up, then you don't really believe what Jesus did for you. It's that simple!Just as we must forgive others (see Matthew 18:21-35), we need to forgive ourselves just the same. Self-hate has been known to be the root behind diseases such as lupus and crohn's disease, as well as other auto-immune diseases. We need to stop holding ourselves accountable for that which Jesus has set us free from.If we want to be in faith, we need to BELIEVE what Jesus did for us, and part of that believing is seeing ourselves as forgiven and clothed with the righteousness of God, which is upon all who believe in the finished work of Christ. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (see Hebrews 11:6), so if you want to please God, start taking the finished work of the cross seriously, and begin to see yourself as forgiven, washed clean, and clothed in the righteousness of God. For the righteousness (right standing with God) is upon all who believe:"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..." (Romans 3:22 KJV)Unforgiveness is rooted in a lack of realization of how much God has forgiven us, and therefore we're not thankful for the steep and terrible price that Jesus paid for our own failures. This is why it is so important to mediate on what Jesus did for us, until it transforms our heart. The message of Jesus' work for us is what causes faith to arise in our hearts and transforms us from the inside out (read Romans 10:8-17).Learning to see yourself as God sees you, and forgive yourself because you want to please God and be in faith and be thankful for what Jesus did for you, is the biggest step in overcoming self-worth issues. Of course, there are spirits that may need to be driven out as well, such as self-hate, guilt, condemnation, etc.

Receiving the love God has for us

When it comes to God's love for us, that's very obvious, considering how He loves even the sinner so much that Jesus came to die for them. Anybody who knows the message of the cross, has some knowledge of God's love for us. However, many times, we blame God for our problems, and so we don't believe the love that He has for us. Not only do we blame Him for our problems, many times we think that God gave us the sickness or problem in our life to teach us something. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus tells us clearly who came to kill, steal, and destroy, and who came so that we could have life and have it in abundance."The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10 KJV)If we are going to receive the love that God has for us, we need to get our thinking straitened out. He's not the one behind our problems, but rather Jesus paid the full price so that we can be forgiven all our sins, both physically and emotionally healed, and blessed."When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses." (Matthew 8:16-17 KJV)Look at how good God's heart is toward mankind! Not only did Jesus heal them, but He proved the blessings of the covenant we have with Him today concerning our healing and deliverance. Isn't He good toward us? The reason why bad things happen to us, is because we live in a fallen world that is under the control of the evil one. It's not God's fault. He loves you. Jesus died for you.Settling the fact that God loves you and is good toward you is crucial to restoring your God-given capacity to receive His love. If you can't receive His love, then you need to stop and ask yourself four questions:1. Am I blaming God for anything bad that happened to me?2. Have I been emotionally wounded in such a way that it is hindering my ability to freely receive love as God intended me to?3. Do I have knowledge and revelation of how much God loves me? Do I have a solid Biblical understanding of how I am loved with the same kind of love that the Father has for Jesus?4. Is there a self-worth issue that makes me feel unworthy to be loved?Settling these issues lays a foundation for breaking free from the power of addictions. You must repair the damage and faulty thinking which hinders your ability to receive the love that God has for you.How do you know if you are receiving God's love or if it's hindered? If you are not passionate about Jesus, then somewhere your ability to receive His love is hindered.If you are living a life without receiving God's love in your heart on a daily bases, you are missing out on the most fulfilling life you can have here on this earth. To know God's love, which surpasses all understanding (see Philippians 4:7), dispels all our fears and gives us a sense of peace and joy that we could never otherwise know."And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:16-18 KJV)

What exactly is an addiction?

An addiction is formed when we try to use something other than God, to meet our need to be loved. When our ability to receive God's love into our hearts is hindered, we will feel like something is missing, and seek to fill that void with something else. When that thing, whatever it might be, fills that void, we grow to love it because it's meeting a need. Over time, we establish a relationship with that thing, and when it comes time to depart, it's like breaking up a relationship. That's why addictions are so addicting; we've relied on that thing to meet a need and we've established a relationship with it. Now when it's time to break up the love, it isn't so easy to say goodbye.One common problem that we see when we try to deal with addictions, is where we give up one addition successfully, only to find ourself in another addiction. We might quit drinking only to start overeating, for example. We might think we're finding victory, but all we're really doing is trading one addiction for another addiction. This is because something has to fill the love-void in our hearts, and if it's not one thing, it will be another.

What about cutting or self-harm?

Cutting or self-mutation is a special type of addiction, where there's a need to either release pain in a person's heart or the person believes that they deserve to be punished for their failures. In these cases, the person certainly has an issue receiving the love that God has for them but there's another type of root that needs to be addressed as well. There's emotional pain or guilt that the person is dealing with that needs to be resolved. Finding out what happened and receiving Christ's truth concerning those areas is important for their healing. Any bondage involving guilt will need to be resolved through realizing and accepting the work of Christ on the cross for that person and they will likely need spirits of guilt, condemnation, self-hate, etc. driven out in Jesus' name. Again, getting the person to see themself for who they really are in Christ, forgiven, loved, and blessed, is crucial to lasting freedom from self-hate issues.

See yourself as lovable!

The key in uprooting most addictions is to deal with the underlying issues which are limiting their capacity to freely receive love from God and others, along with dealing with any self-worth issues by establishing an understanding of your true identity in Christ. Coming to a place where you believe you are lovable is key to receiving love in general, so dealing with self-worth issues is an important key to breaking down the walls which keep us from feeling loved. The only way to obtain a true sense of worth and value is to get a revelation of how much you are loved by God the Father, who sent His son Jesus to die for you.

Discovering the root

To discover the root of your addiction, you need to get real honest with yourself. Many times we are in denial about the pain we are feeling. Figuring out what is the root of a bondage is all about asking the right questions, and that is especially important when it comes to uprooting an addiction. Why don't we feel loved? Do we feel unlovable? (Let's stop right there; if we feel unlovable, then you've just discovered a self-worth issue that will need to be addressed.) Are you passionate about Jesus? If not, then something in hindering you from realizing how much you are loved by Him who died for you. Do you see yourself as forgiven and loved by the Father because of what Jesus did for you?As you discover emotional wounds, you'll need to forgive (others, yourself, and God) and invite Jesus to come and heal the damage in your heart. If you don't realize how much God loves you, then you'll need to spend some time learning about what Jesus did for you on the cross, and what a terrible price He paid because He loved you so very much. Often breaking out of an addiction is a combination of emotional healing, learning about who you are in Christ, forgiving (yourself, others, and God), overcoming self-worth issues by changing how you see yourself (in light of how God sees and loves you), and casting out any spirits that came in and are enforcing the addictive behavior. Spirits behind guilt, condemnation, etc. also need to be driven out, as they seek to keep us from fully seeing what Jesus did for us on the cross.Dealing with the issues underlying an addiction is key to uprooting it permanently. If you want lasting freedom and wholeness in this area of your life, you will have to deal with the issues that have limited your capacity to receive love, especially the love that God has for you