During a routine dental procedure, Kevin Zadai found himself on the other side of the veil watching the doctor trying to revive his lifeless body.

Jesus appeared to him in the operating room and revealed that every person who knows the Lord has a “God package” inside of them.

“On the table, I was transformed into my resurrection body,” said Zadai, an author and longtime flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. ” … I turned around and I met Jesus in the center of the room. He told me, ‘In Matthew 12:36, I said you will be accountable for every idle word that comes out of your mouth.’ I felt convicted. Jesus told me, ‘the words people have spoken over you are not your destiny. We need to take care of this.'” 

Watch the video and listen as Zadai shares an incredible story with Sid Roth on an episode of It’s Supernatural.

When I woke up one morning, a weird word was on my mind: “barometer.” I didn’t know what it meant, although I’ve seen the word used in weather reports.

I felt the Spirit compelling me to look up the meaning.

What I learned can be a great help to those who experience emotional storms often—overwhelmed with depression, anxiety, fear or any other negative emotion.

A barometer measures pressure in the atmosphere.

When the atmospheric pressure is high in your area, that means fair weather, because the atmosphere can resist stormy weather patterns that are trying to come into your area.

But when the atmospheric pressure is low, that means storms can come in to your area because storms take the path of least resistance.

The Spirit revealed this truth to me: The only way to overcome emotional storms is to keep the atmospheric pressure inside yourself high by being full of the Spirit.

That way, when pressures are high in your external circumstances, you will be able to overcome them because they can’t get inside you—after all, you are already filled.

You are a new creation in Christ, and Jesus lives out His life through you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Here is a picture of your new character, found in Colossians 3:12-17:

So embrace, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, a spirit of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering. Bear with one another and forgive one another. If anyone has a quarrel against anyone, even as Christ forgave you, so you must do. And above all these things, embrace love, which is the bond of perfection. 

Let the peace of God, to which also you are called in one body, rule in your hearts. And be thankful. 

et the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

From now on, think of your feelings as a barometer. When you are full of the Spirit, you are full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

But when you are spiritually low, you are habitually worried, troubled, fearful, doubtful, depressed, jealous, prone to anger, selfish, envious and lack self-control.

When you feel this way, check your body. When you experience negative emotions, you will feel tension in your body. The enemy will often use this tension to move you to practicing addictive habits.

I think of it as a puppet on a string. So when you feel tense, consciously relax your body to release that tension. The more relaxed you are, the harder you make it for the enemy to pull on you.

Retreating to the Father, praying, meditating on His word and speaking it to yourself throughout the day keeps the spiritual pressure inside yourself high so you can resist emotional storms. These disciplines also inspire you to praise and worship Him.

When praise and worship fill your heart, then you will know your spiritual atmospheric pressure is high enough to overcome any storms that come your way.

I hope you start practicing this principle every day. As you stay filled with the Spirit and are led by the Spirit, you will live a victorious life. You will also draw others to Jesus because they will see the difference in you and want the peace you have. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

John 3:16 is probably one of the most oft-quoted verses in the Bible: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

We often use it in conversations with those who are lost in order to point the way to salvation. But at this time of year, it takes on particular significance even to those who are not lost, for it is a reminder that our tradition of giving to others is a reflection of God’s generosity toward us. We give because He gave.

However, there’s more to it than that. If we want our giving to truly imitate that of the Father, we must have the same motivation He did: “For God so loved the world …” We can never approximate the magnitude of that gift, certainly, but we can give—whatever we give—from a heart overflowing with His love.

The paramount nature of love struck me afresh some time ago when the Holy Spirit arrested me during a church service with the question, “If you knew in advance that today was going to be your last day on Earth, how would you spend it?” Immediately my thoughts went to my family. I knew I would want to spend whatever time I had left with them, making sure they know how important they are to me and how much I love them.

Not long afterward, the Lord asked me a similar question: “If the next time you see each person in your life turned out to be the last encounter you have with that person, what is the impression you would want to leave? How would you want him or her to remember you?”

Several scenarios came to mind. If I walked out the door of my home in the morning and didn’t return at the end of the day, what would I want my family to remember as my last words and gestures? If I ran into someone in the hall or the break room at work and then never saw that person again, what kind of memory would I want them to retain? In each last encounter, what would I want to be sure to say to my family, friends or business associates—or even someone I might meet on the street?

These questions have continued to roll around in my spirit from the moment the Lord first posed them to me. They are a constant reminder that, like the man in the parable who planned to build bigger barns to store all the grain he was amassing (see Luke 12:16-21), none of us knows how much time is allotted to us, and we have to make the most of each moment God gives us to fulfill the two commandments Jesus said were most important—loving God and loving people. Nothing else matters. In fact, Paul says it makes no difference what we give; if we don’t have love, “it profits [us] nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3).

Think about the implications of this truth. No matter how much you give—even if you “give all [your] goods to feed the poor,” Paul declares, “or give [your] body to be burned,” it will have no eternal benefit (v. 3). Only what you do out of love will count.

Maybe now is the time, as you are going down your list of gift recipients, to ask yourself: What is the motive behind my gift giving? Is it simply an obligation? Am I trying to impress someone or gain favor? Do I expect something in return? Or am I sincerely trying to express the love of God to another person?

If your motive isn’t love, pray for a change of heart. If it is, take time to tell the person so. Write a quick note or say it verbally when you deliver the gift. That is bound to mean more to him or her than what’s inside the package. And it’s the only thing either one of you can take with you into eternity. {eoa}

Prayer Power for the Week of December 16, 2016

Thank God for His wondrous love, expressed through the giving of His Son, Jesus. Pray for open hearts all over the world to receive this gift of love. Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to share His love and provision with those who have lost homes, jobs and loved ones this year. Continue to pray for the persecuted church and the protection of Israel along with our troops and their families. As you pray for our own nation, ask God to protect and direct our president and our president-elect, mend the divisions within our country, bring unity among those holding to biblical principles in our legislature and establish righteousness in our judicial system (1 John 4:7-21; Luke 2:8-14).

Until a few years ago, a spirit of rejection haunted me.

Growing up, I hated my tendency to be quiet. I used to grit my teeth when people would say to my mother, “She’s so quiet.” Here’s an example I will always remember.

When I was in high school, my mother visited the school during an open house event. I was a good student and expected my mom to receive glowing reports about my performance. However, most of the teachers pointed out my quietness and how they wished I would speak up more in class.

I’ll never forget what my math teacher said to Mom: “She’s so quiet, I hardly know she’s in here.”

“Great,” I thought, “Not only am I quiet, but I might as well be invisible.”

The truth was, I was quiet because I was hypersensitive to other people’s disapproval. Even when someone gave me helpful feedback, it was like nails on the chalkboard. Because of my insecurity, I did not really hear what they said. Instead, I heard confirmation of my own low opinion of myself: Not good enough.

Today, things are different. God delivered me from the spirit of rejection. For years, I sought self-esteem, but the Lord taught me to seek God-esteem instead.

God-esteem means learning to see yourself through God’s eyes. He created you special and unique. You don’t have to try to fit into someone else’s mold. After all, God is not going to say to you, “How come you aren’t like Mary?” or “Bob” or whomever else you compare yourself with.

If He wanted you like Mary or Bob, He would have made you that way from the start. Instead, God expects you to make the most of all that He has entrusted to you—your time, talent and treasure.

If a spirit of rejection haunts you, then you are not alone. Even Jesus was rejected.

I wrote the following Bible study about at least three times when Jesus faced rejection besides the time that the apostle Peter denied even knowing Him outright.

The way Jesus responded to people who rejected Him can teach us a lot about how to handle rejection in our own lives.

1. The people in His hometown: Matthew 13:54-58 gives us the following account:

When He came to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is He not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Rather than celebrating Jesus’ wisdom and mighty works, the people in His hometown got offended. They had an attitude of “Who does He think He is?” They tried to diminish His present works by focusing on His background.

As a result of their unbelief in Him, Jesus could not do many mighty works in His hometown. Because of their dishonor, they could not receive from Jesus.

It was their loss.

Notice that Jesus did not beg and plead with them to accept Him. Instead, He kept it moving, focusing on fulfilling His call in the Lord. He desired to find those who would believe and receive from Him.

This reminds me of a saying that author Mark Victor-Hansen popularized in the sales profession. He called it “SW x 4”: 

“Some will, Some won’t, So what? Someone’s waiting!”

Jesus knew someone was waiting for Him, so He focused on that person rather than the ones who rejected Him.

2. Some of His own disciples: John 6:41-70 tells the story of how Jesus taught His disciples that He was the bread from heaven. Towards the end of that teaching however, Scripture records His startling statement:

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him.”

Admittedly, this statement is off-putting. Although we know Jesus wasn’t asking His disciples to become cannibals and was speaking metaphorically of having Him live in us, most of them didn’t understand that. Instead, this was their reaction:

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Rather than just humble themselves and ask Jesus what He meant, the disciples who left just said, “Forget this, I’m out of here!”

Their relationship with Jesus was shallow. If it had not been, they wouldn’t have left.

However, the 12 disciples had already decided they wanted the eternal life that Jesus offered. So they stayed with Him and continued to learn from Him.

Notice that Jesus did not go after the ones who left; He focused on the ones who stayed.

3. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes: You would expect this group of people to welcome Jesus with open arms. As the Jewish religious leaders, they knew about the Messianic prophecies. They also knew that Jesus fulfilled them all. Yet they chose willful ignorance, so caught up in maintaining the letter of the Law that they completely missed its spirit.

They showed no love, mercy, nor compassion for the people.

When Jesus healed a woman with a spirit of infirmity (see Luke 13:10-17), the ruler of the synagogue got indignant. Why? Because the healing was done on the Sabbath day. You would think that He would celebrate the woman’s getting free of the spirit that bound her.

Jesus was blunt in responding to this man:

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? Then should not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, be loosed from this bondage on the Sabbath?” When He said this, all His adversaries were ashamed. And all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Jesus was more concerned with doing what was right rather than gaining people’s approval. He always wanted God’s approval above man’s approval.

In summary, you may experience rejection as you seek to fulfill God’s will for your life. But you have to know that God created you on purpose, for a purpose.

There are some people whom God has called you to encourage, to advise, to teach, to serve. Some will embrace you while others won’t. That is life.

If Jesus wasn’t above rejection, neither are you as His disciple.

He teaches us: 

You have heard that it was said, “you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

If you are in God’s will and following God’s word, then His opinion matters above all others—yes, even above your own. So focus on your purpose and becoming all that God who created you to be.

If you try to be someone else, you will always be second best. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

My wife and I recently welcomed our second child into the world, and we couldn’t be more excited. I can’t say that I’m a perfect parent, but I can say that both my wife and I try our hardest to show our kids that they are loved, cherished and always welcome to come to us if they need something.

There a lot of things about parenting you can’t really prepare for, which is what makes the journey that much more fun. But although my wife and I still have many years of parenting experiences, failures and victories ahead of us, there are a few things I’ve already decided I will make sure to teach them about God:

1. It’s okay to have doubts. Growing up I was always indirectly taught by others to never question God’s ways, nor should I doubt His existence and almighty power. But the older I became, the more questions I had about God. It was as if doubting was sought as complete disbelief, which in my case was not true at all.

The act of doubting is part of our human nature and an indirect connection with the fall of man. Doubt has been embedded into our inner being as humans. It’s a natural state. My doubts actually kick-started my campaign toward a closer relationship with God. A lot of things didn’t seem to make sense to me, and my doubts are what led me to begin studying more. Studying God’s Word more brought me closer to Him, and being closer to Him gave me peace and understanding about who He was.

I want to teach my sons it’s OK to doubt God, have questions and not completely understand everything He does. God is big enough to handle our doubts, our questions and our concerns. He’s not afraid of them. He wouldn’t be God if that were so.

I don’t want my boys to be afraid to question what’s happening or wave their fists a little. God can handle it. I want to teach my sons to let it all out and get honest with Him about what they’re feeling. Why? Because I trust God to combat their doubts with pure and vibrant understanding.

2. God works in His ways, not ours. If God answered all of our prayers the way we saw fit, our world would be one scary place to live in. Just like any loving parent in this world, God seeks what is best for His children and will constantly contradict our expectations for our own benefit. He knows what’s best, and His ways will always be grander than our own. I want my kids to learn we must let go of our plans and instead grab hold of the will of God. I know this concept is easier said than done, but in the long run, it will always be worth it.

God’s plans are perfect because God is a perfect Lord. He is the almighty assurance of life, guiding us towards the greater good of life, His will. Although God is faithful in answering prayer, we cannot expect Him to answer every prayer to our exact measurements. Faith is trusting God even when things don’t make sense, and that includes a prayer that we feel may be unanswered or at the wrong time. I want my kids to understand that God works in His perfect timing and not ours.

3. There will be people who disagree with you. Lord willing, my kids will choose a personal relationship with Him, and not everyone is going to understand why they chose it. There are people in this world who will disagree with their decision to follow Jesus; in fact, there are people in this world who are killed because of this controversial faith. But although we may find opposition, I want my children to remember that God will always be by our side to provide us with comfort and peace.

Temporary acceptance from the world will never be able to outweigh the importance of eternal acceptance from God. Although they may be mocked and ridiculed, they can stand tall knowing God’s love is on their side regardless of the opposition they face. Their destiny is in the hands of God, not the opinions of man.

4. God is perfect, but His followers are not. Growing up, I had a lot of resentment toward God, but what I failed to realize was that my resentment was due to the actions of some of His followers, not God Himself. Not everyone who claims to love God is perfect, but we can always rely on Him for perfection inside and out. We’re human. We make mistakes. We aren’t always going to do things right. I want my sons to learn how to separate their frustration towards Christians from that of God, understanding that He doesn’t always have perfect followers.

I want my kids to understand the difference between God, the perfect Creator, and His creation, the imperfect who have a great need for a perfect Savior.

5. You’re always welcome home. No matter how lost you and I may get in this life, God has an open-door policy that always provides us with an opportunity to come back home. His love always has a vacancy. We’ve all made mistakes, but the beauty of the cross is that Jesus died for them. All of them. Your sins have been wiped clean, and your heart has been renewed by the grace of Jesus Himself. Your mistakes do not define you. Your failures don’t have to haunt you. Your mishaps don’t need to be accounted for. God forgives you for your mistakes, even if you have yet to forgive yourself. I want each of my kids to know he is always welcome back into the arms of God, no matter how dark his life ever may become.

6. Church is people, not a building. I want to teach my sons to rethink the way culture has defined “church.” It is not just a building one attends on a weekly basis but instead who one is on a daily basis. I want my boys to take ownership of their faith and be living examples of Christ. We are the church, and we are called to reflect the image of Jesus in our everyday lives.

When we take this reality to heart, every aspect of our lives becomes a mission field, a space to worship in and a realm in which to shine our light. The world is our canvas, and the Holy Spirit wants to use us to create a masterpiece known as the Great Commission. I want my sons to see the church as more than just what cultural Christianity sees. I want them to know the beauty of God’s church practiced through everyday people like themselves.

7. Theology matters because God matters. I desire for my sons to understand the importance of theology, their comprehension of God and knowing why they believe what they believe. Yearning to know more about God will come naturally as they grow deeper in relation with Him, and taking the time to study God’s Word through a theological mindset will help open their heart and soul to a much deeper appreciation of his being.

Theology alone will not suffice, and nor will passion by itself. I want my sons to see the seriousness of learning more about the God I pray they choose to call Lord. Theology matters because God matters.

8. Life isn’t always going to be easy. The Christian life isn’t always going to be easy or without trial, but God promises us He will be alongside us the entire way. So many people think that because they believe in Jesus, everything will be perfect. This isn’t the case at all. You may have a relationship with Jesus, but this doesn’t mean life will stop moving forward, tough circumstances are going to cease to exist and rough times will never be a possibility.

Even though Jesus never said life would be easy, He did say he would be there for you in your times of need. The message of the gospel isn’t that life will be perfect, but that in its imperfection, we have a perfect and flawless Savior.

9. Not everything has a black-and-white answer. When putting our lives in the hands of God, we must be ready not to understand everything that God does, why He does it and how long He will do it for. Some things have only one answer: to trust God even if it doesn’t make sense. It may seem like a shallow and cliche response, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Trusting God amid our confusion is a spiritually deepening experience.

God won’t always give us clear, crisp directions. I want my sons to trust in Him for that which they cannot see or comprehend with their own minds. I want my kids to use God as their compass in life, directing them every step of the way. {eoa}

Jarrid Wilson is a husband, pastor and author relentlessly sharing the love of Jesus. For the original article, visit jarridwilson.com.

The latest review of Google Search Trends shows that the week of Christmas brings a spike of porn-related search traffic in the U.S. every year.

Although a popular porn site revealed that Christmas Day is its lowest day in the year for site traffic, data from Google Trends reveals that the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day brings a peak in porn-related searches equaled only in mid-summer.

The dip on Christmas Day would suggest that people are typically with their families and friends for the holiday. That said, the Christmas period can be a very difficult time of year for those who have lost family members or friends, or may be spending Christmas alone. The search trends following Christmas Day make a lot of sense given that a significant portion of Americans have been conditioned since they were teenagers to use pornography to medicate emotional pain.

With 68 percent of men in the church already using pornography on a regular basis, churches are in desperate need of a way to help men overcome pornography this holiday season.

The traditional approach that churches have used to address the porn issue is to tell men to try harder—pray more, read your Bible more, memorize Bible verses. … But is this approach really working? A fascinating new cinematic study called the Conquer Series challenges this old approach. According to the film, men are seeking out porn to medicate the pain and worthlessness in their lives.

According to the director, Jeremy Wiles, “they usually find porn at a very early age and it helps them cope with the pain they’re facing in their childhood. But they don’t realize what the enemy is doing to their brain.”

The film series reveals through scientific testimony the effects porn has on the brain—physically changing its structure and deactivating parts of the brain where moral decisions and reasoning are made. What starts out as a moral problem quickly becomes a brain problem.

“Most men, without realizing it, are medicating the beliefs they have about themselves: they are worthless, God hates them, if only people knew the real me. So this increase in shame drives the need for more medication in the form of pornography, which releases dopamine and a concoction of other neurochemicals, and gives them a euphoric ‘high’,” Wiles says.

 So, why does porn use increase during the Christmas season? As an adult, have you ever been around your parents and felt like a child again? According to Wiles, “Men are acting out around this time of the year partly because Christmas brings together families, which is a good thing, but many men re-experience the dysfunction and trauma they grew up with when their family comes together. They feel like a child again.”

 “Trying harder doesn’t work. The answer is not to avoid spending time with family or make a pledge to never watch porn again; rather, it is to get into a process where you can find healing from what’s driving the behavior and learn biblical strategies to find freedom from porn,” says Wiles.

Dr. Ted Roberts, host of the Conquer Series says, “We are wounded in relationships, but we heal only in the context of relationships.”

Thousands of churches across the nation are watching how the powerful information in the Conquer Series is bringing about real change within the hearts of men in their church. The Conquer Series is a six-disc cinematic DVD series for men that uses war analogies to help men understand the battle they’re facing with pornography. Dr. Ted Roberts, host of the Conquer Series, has helped thousands of men find freedom. It has become “ground zero” in the movement to help men find freedom.

 “Churches are in a great position to run a Conquer Group to help men find accountability and connect with others this Christmas season and into the New Year,” says Wiles.

If churches do that, they will help men break the bondage porn has on their life and connect with the true meaning of Christmas—that God loves us so deeply that He sent His Son to Earth as a sacrifice for our sins. “When men truly grasp God’s grace, his unrelenting love for them, that there is no condemnation in Christ—it gives them the freedom to not sin anymore,” says Wiles.

Order the Conquer Series as a gift for your church this Christmas at conquerseries.com. {eoa}

I attended a conference on healing and deliverance recently, and one of the things I saw is how the enemy uses a person’s wounding and past hurts to persuade them to harden their hearts.

Like a person who is injured physically and eventually develops a scab at that place of hurt, the same thing can happen to your heart.

The enemy can convince you that hardening your heart is necessary to protect you from further hurt.

If a person has a hard heart, they won’t believe God’s love. Believing God’s love puts them in a position of vulnerability and humility, which scares them.

They also won’t receive God’s Word, because it can’t penetrate through a hard heart. Or if it does, the Word won’t go very deep.

God’s Word must be able to penetrate the heart and grow in order to produce the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23b).

Here’s another sobering thought: A person can even try to minister to others from a hard heart. But love won’t motivate their service. They will serve out of legalism, duty, obligation and drudgery. It is obvious they don’t find joy in their service, either.

The Lord gave me this word on this subject: “Unless you allow the Lord to heal your heart, you will never grow past the place of your wounding.”

The only thing I know that is strong enough to soften a hard heart is the blood of Jesus. Here are some truths about Jesus that can help soften the hard heart—if the person will believe.

I also include my prayer for a person suffering from a hard heart.

Jesus suffered. Jesus was wounded. Jesus was abused. Jesus was battered. Jesus was rejected. Jesus was lied on and talked about. Jesus was insulted and verbally abused. Jesus had to endure poverty. There is nothing any of us has suffered that Jesus did not already go through.

Consider this: Jesus took on the sins of the whole world at the cross, from the beginning of time, all through the ages. That means Jesus had to bear the sins of murderers, adulterers, fornicators, rapists, child molesters, pedophiles, abusers, thieves and liars. Jesus bore very perversion and evil mankind has committed throughout history.

Nobody’s sin was left out. Jesus bore the sins of the person who hurt you. Jesus bore your sins as well.

Jesus had to take all the filthiness of sin on Himself at the cross, even though He never sinned.

Jesus did that to restore mankind’s relationship with the Father. The Father had decreed the penalty for sin was death. Jesus paid the death price for all of us because He loved us that much. So Jesus has suffered as we have, but we have not suffered as He has.

Jesus died and took all that sin with Him into the grave. But praise God, Jesus gained the victory over sin, conquered death and came up out of the grave. He rose again on the third day so we can have a new life in Him.

He did this because He loves us. Not because we are good, but because He is good. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities nor powers, neither things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39).

We who believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is the Son of God and was raised on the third day shall be saved because we trade our sin for His righteousness.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so we may be the planting of the Lord, and He may be glorified.

To summarize, a hard-hearted person is like an abandoned concrete lot. Nothing much will grow there, and what does grow is malnourished, weak and sickly.

In order for anything to grow, the concrete must be broken up, the chunks removed, new soil brought in and good seeds planted.

So my prayer for a hard-hearted person is from Ezekiel 36:26:

May my sister or brother receive a new heart and a new spirit within them; may the Lord take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh so that they may receive the full measure of the Father’s love for them.

I command any evil spirits deceiving them into thinking that a hard heart is necessary for their safety and protection to come up and come out in the name of Jesus.

The Lord is their rock and their fortress and their deliverer; my God, their strength, in whom they will trust; their shield and the horn of their salvation, their stronghold.

Spirits of shame, depression, anger, pride, woundedness, unforgiveness, fear, rejection, poverty, hurt and anything else in their souls and bodies that the Father did not plant, I uproot you through the power of our Father’s word in the name of Jesus.

Spirit of trauma, I command you to come out and loose them in the name of Jesus. They have been set free to grieve for their losses and to allow proper expression of them in their Savior’s loving arms. They are free to walk in freedom and to dance in praise to the Lord.

I see a new picture of them as dancing before the Lord, face radiant with joy, arms open wide rather than crossed, completely free to receive.

Let them declare according to Ps.30:11-12: “You have turned my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, so that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

The Lord is glorified when His people are well-watered gardens, trees of righteousness, full of fruit.

His Word is good seed; his Holy Spirit is our water that brings times of refreshing in His presence.

As well-watered gardens with abundant fruit, others can come, taste and see that the Lord is good. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

In the past, I went to the American College of Sports Medicine conference and attended a workshop called ‘The Great Burn: How to Maximize Your Metabolism.’ I’ve got some tips to share with you.

But first, what is metabolism? Think of a running car engine. Just as a car burns a certain amount of gas on idle, so your body burns a certain number of calories at rest. Calories are simply measurements of energy.

Your resting metabolism is the number of calories you burn just to stay alive—organs like your heart, liver and brain all need calories to run.

Since your body is at rest most of the day, it’s wise to maximize your calorie burn during those times. The more calories you burn, the more pounds of fat you will shed.

So here are those little-known tips to increase your resting metabolism:

1. Drink green tea with lemon: Green tea has a component in it called “catechins” which can increase your ability to burn fat and calories. It can also lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Unfortunately, less than 20 percent of catechins in green tea survive digestion for the body’s use. However, if you add lemon juice, that boosts the catechin absorption rate 13 times more than drinking green tea alone.

If you don’t like the taste of lemon, then add orange, lime or grapefruit juice. It’s the vitamin C in citrus that does the trick. Two cups of green tea per day are recommended. Sweeten your tea with a natural no-calorie sweetener like Stevia or Truvia.

2. Eat spicy food: Red peppers contain a substance called Capsaicin, which is the heating component found in cayenne pepper, chili pepper and red pepper flakes. So sprinkle some red pepper flakes to flavor your food or use cayenne pepper in tomato soup or juice to give it a kick.

3. Use caffeine with caution: If caffeine does not make you jittery, then drinking up to two cups of coffee each day should give you a metabolism boost. Don’t overdo this one; overdosing on caffeine can contribute to heart irregularities. Go easy on the sugar and cream, too—the extra calories they add would cancel out the extra calories you burn.

4. Lift your weights: Your metabolism drops two to three percent each decade after age 20. After that age, you typically become less physically active and start losing lean muscle. Muscle burns five to ten times the number of calories than fat does at rest, so if you aren’t strength training, and you are eating the same number of calories as you did when you were younger, you will automatically gain weight.

So pick up some weights or resistance bands and start strength training to preserve your muscles. Order the Take Back Your Temple eBook for an easy routine to get started right away.

5. Eat more protein: When you eat protein, only 80 percent of the calories are available for the body’s use. The other calories were burned off just doing the work of breaking down the protein for digestion. Compare that to 95 percent of calories available from carbohydrates and fats. So eat lean protein with every meal and snack—examples include chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, eggs and meat substitutes.

While none of these tips alone causes a huge metabolism boost, the combined effects along with consistent exercise, strength training and solid nutrition will turn your body into a more efficient fat-burner. {eoa}

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

For the original article, visit takebackyourtemple.com.

The moments spent hanging with my daughters brings me joy. I love it. We have inside jokes, favorite activities, shared interests and tons of laughs.

As much as I enjoy their company, they are not and cannot be my friends. I am their parent, and they are my children. Setting boundaries is vital to uphold the parent-child relationship.

Teens will also cross those boundaries when acting out in rebellion. They will test their parents to see how far they can push it. This is perfectly normal. In order for our teens to grow into maturity, parents have the difficult duty to enforce discipline and rules. We have to set the standard of respecting authority in their formative years so that they may thrive later in their own careers, relationships and parenting.

Here are a couple of things to add to your teen-parenting plan. Never allow your teen to do these four things:

1. Disrespect you. Teen emotions are unpredictable. We have to be understanding of the things causing them stress and anxiety, but we must also demand respect from them with no exceptions. Never allow your child to curse at you, scream at you or attempt to be physical. Take extreme care not to do those things at them either. Cultivate an atmosphere of calm dialogue that allows them to freely express their feelings but in a rational and respectful way. Most times, they just need to vent.

2. See you as a free ATM. If you desire for your child to grow to be fiscally responsible, never allow them to view you as a free ATM machine. Provide them ample ways to earn money and develop a solid work ethic. Completing their chores and being rewarded for good grades are standard ways to accomplish this.

3. Manipulate you. Your teens are craftier than you might realize. As dads, we view our kids as those innocent little babies with the big eyes and heart-melting smiles. They take full advantage of that and know our weak spots. One way they manipulate is by playing us against our spouses.

For example, if your daughter wants a tattoo and expects you’ll say no, she’ll come with, “I asked mom and she said to ask you.” Now you’re the bad guy and feel outnumbered. Be generous and loving, but don’t cave in when you know what they want is not in their best interest. Don’t be manipulated. If we allow it now, they will be doing it their entire life.

4. Addressing you by your first name. Both my daughters have tried this sneaky little test. They typically get brave enough to toss it out around 14. “Daddy” is suddenly replaced with your name, usually in the form of a joke or a tease. For example, if you were to trip over something on the floor they might quip, “Way to go … Gary.” This is where that friendship-parent line is being tested. Nip it in the bud immediately. Never relinquish your authority. {eoa}

For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

Are you challenged by resting and slowing down?

The first thought that flows up into my mind from my spirit is that we may have trouble resting because we think we have to be busy, busy, busy because we have so much to do. We can’t afford to slow down and just chill. Our to-do list is just too long and never-ending.

This thinking and attitude might stem from a few root issues. (You know me, I’m often suggesting that we dig deeper to uncover the real issue.) It could be that you don’t feel comfortable resting because you believe that you must achieve more to feel good about yourself. You’re hardly ever content with the way things are so you’re always in motion and doing something. So it may be an issue of how you view yourself, maybe your self-image.

A second reason could be that you do not fully trust God and that He is in control. After all, if you fully trusted Him, then perhaps you’d be more comfortable slowing down more often and resting because you’re trusting Him with the things on your to-do list and your life!

One of our faith and health ambassadors once indicated to me that it was not easy for her to be still on the Sabbath each weekend. This person was almost always on the go. She usually entered the new work week feeling tired, not rested and restored. Not a good thing!

“Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath’“ (Mark 2:27, MEV).

This upcoming week and weekend, slow down and rest often.

It’ll be good for your soul, spirit and body! You’ll likely be better able to pour out more love on others too, because you’ll have more energy! {eoa}

Dale Fletcher is a speaker and wellness coach who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He writes and conducts workshops on the link between the Christian faith and health. Connect with Dale at faithandhealthconnection.org.

For the original article, visit faithandhealthconnection.com.