Have you ever heard the old saying “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips?” With some foods, it is true.

If I had known when I was overindulging in sweets, fast food and junk food that these foods would cause me to gain 100 pounds after high school, I don’t believe I would have done it.

However, I did know on some level that these foods weren’t good for me, but I chose to eat them anyway. I didn’t practice this bit of biblical wisdom:

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Cor. 6:12).

But in losing 85 pounds, I learned this is not a question of natural willpower. It is about realizing that while you can eat anything, you shouldn’t eat everything.

If you struggle with your weight due to your eating habits, then there are probably some foods you are eating that don’t play well with your brain chemistry. Some foods cause cravings and make you want to overeat. For some people, they cause your flesh to rise up.

Even the Apostle Paul struggled with his flesh in some areas. In Romans, he writes about the battle with his flesh:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

“If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin that is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

“So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Rom. 7:15-25).

Years ago, the Lord taught me that your flesh is like a spoiled child who can never grow up. Your flesh will never want to do the right thing. She wants what she wants, when she wants it.

I call my flesh nature “Verruca.” Click the play button in the clip from the classic movie “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” You’ll see why!

If you were taking your flesh child to a store, would you take that child down the candy or the toy aisle?

No you wouldn’t. It you did, then you’d have to put up with the child’s tantrums and noise when you denied her what she wanted.

To me, it is the same thing as continually giving into your flesh’s desires to do the wrong thing. Even if you gave in, she will only want more. And as you can see, your flesh can be very destructive if you let her do what she wants!

I’ve decided as much as I like food, nothing is good enough for me to wear anymore:

• It is not good enough for the extra strain it puts on your heart.
• It not good enough for the wear and tear it puts on your joints.
• It is not good enough for the increased risk of diabetes and stroke.

Excess food isn’t good enough to wear.

If you’ve had problems controlling your flesh when it comes to food, the first thing to remedy the situation is to avoid or limit trouble foods. An example happened to me just yesterday.

I bought some low-sugar Craisins (dried cranberries), then found myself having to battle my flesh because she wanted more. This surprised me because I was thinking this would be a healthier alternative to the Craisins I used to buy years ago.

While this may have been a better alternative, it still didn’t play well with my unique brain chemistry. So, I had to face reality. I chose to get rid of them and won’t buy them again because I don’t want to hear my flesh complain about being denied.

It is wise for you to learn which foods in your current diet are causing your flesh to rise up. It’s probably those same foods that have caused you to gain weight in the first place.

If you do happen to come into trouble, not of your own making, then you can either say “Wait” to the flesh (a word she hates) or “No” (which she hates even more).

Either way, your Spirit has power to control the flesh like a responsible parent controls a child headed for trouble. However, you must believe God that it exists and by faith, use that power one choice at a time.

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.

We’re in a season of war and we need all the spiritual warriors in formation. But the Holy Spirit has shown me that some have broken rank.

I got this insight while on an intercessory prayer call for the “New Weapons for a New Season” conference at City Gate Atlanta this month. The Holy Spirit showed me about spiritual warfare technologies, which I shared with you in part one of this series: Spiritual Warfare Technologies That Take Down Strongholds.

At the end of the call, the prayer leader, Jacquie Tyre, asked if anyone had anything else to share. I hesitated because so much had already been unpacked during the call but I kept hearing the Holy Spirit saying “breaking rank.” When Jacquie asked me specifically if I had something to share I decided I’d better be obedient.

Many Are Breaking Ranks

When I began sharing how the Holy Spirit told me many have broken ranks, prophecy started flowing:

“Many are breaking rank. They are sitting on the sidelines when they should be waging warfare. Some of them were wounded in battle. Some of them were even hit with friendly fire. They are tending to their wounds and they are out of formation.

“When they hear this message about new weapons for a new season—about spiritual warfare technologies—their spirit will bear witness. They will get a new revelation that will bring healing and strengthen them for the battle. They will pick up their weapons and run to the battle line—and they will even call others forth who have been hanging back.”

Now, I don’t believe the Holy Spirit was talking about those who are compromising the gospel, the hyper-grace adherents, the gay-affirming theologians and the rest. I believe He was speaking specifically about those spiritual warriors who have withdrawn from battle—they have broken ranks.

Remaining Loyal to the Captain of Hosts

The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms defines “break ranks” this way: fall out of line or into disorder; also, fail to conform, deviate.” The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms explains the military meaning: to walk away from a straight row in which you and other soldiers have been standing.”

In a military sense, ranks are the members of an armed service—the enlisted personnel, not the officers. In some cases, the ranks have been wounded by the officers leading them, sending them into a battle they weren’t trained well enough to fight or throwing them in the line of fire to protect themselves. In other cases, ranks have wounded themselves by not following orders or been hit with friendly fire from others in God’s army who were careless or disobedient.

Whatever the case, it’s time to get back into formation. David’s mighty men did not break rank. Gideon’s army did not break rank. As soldiers in the army of the Lord, we must not break rank. We must remain loyal to the Captain of the Hosts.

Line Up With God’s Word

If you’ve been wounded by friendly-fire in battle, forgive those who hurt you and let the Lord heal you so you can take your rightful place. God needs you on your post.

If you’ve been oppressed by the enemy and are fearful of returning to the front lines, take counsel with wise warriors who can take authority in prayer over the enemy’s assignment against your life, help you discover new spiritual warfare technologies, and stand with you in warfare. God needs you on your post.

Finally, if you’ve rebelled against God, repent, receive forgiveness and pick up your weapons again. You don’t disengage from the war just because you choose not to fight. The battle against you will continue to rage. Get back in formation. God needs you on your post.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to read Part 3 of this series: “Has the Enemy Ever Said This to You?”

Pockets of true revival are breaking out across America. Want to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire’s new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

When Jesus walked the earth, His disciples followed Him just about everywhere He went. They turned to Him for wisdom, for comfort, for protection, for provision—and more.

Before He ascended to the right hand of Father God, Jesus said something shocking: “I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you,” (John 16:7, MEV).

This must have been unsettling to the disciples. If Jesus left, who would offer them wisdom and comfort? Who would be their advocate and intercessor? Who would disciple them? Jesus followed on by explaining, “But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, MEV). Jesus is in heaven, but the Holy Spirit remains with us to lead us into all truth—to disciple us.

Although we can glean invaluable lessons from pastors, spiritual fathers and mothers, and others in the body of Christ—and we should—the Holy Spirit who dwells with us is our first Teacher. John writes about the anointing we have received from Him abiding in us and teaching us concerning all things (1 John 2:27).

Indeed, the Holy Spirit will disciple us—if we allow Him. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener and Standby (John 14:16, AMP). The Holy Spirit leads us (Rom. 8:14) and guides us into truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).

I believe the Holy Spirit is always trying to teach us. He teaches us to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. He teaches us who Jesus is. He teaches us about the Father’s heart. He teaches us how to walk through a trial with character. He teaches us how to navigate life’s challenges. He’s always teaching us—always discipling us—if we’ll listen.

In my devotional, Mornings with the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still Small Voice of God, I share with readers something important the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart:

“Take a moment—take some time—to meditate on the lessons you are learning. I am teaching you new things and reminding you of things you know that have slipped out of focus in the midst of the warfare around you. Consider what I have taught you. Meditate on those truths. Record them on the tablets of your heart. Never forget them. Call them up when you need them. This wisdom will serve you and others around you in the days ahead.”

Again, the Holy Spirit teaches us all things and will bring to our remembrance the Word of God we sow in our hearts when we need it (John 14:26). Our part in the discipleship process is to exercise Proverbs 7:2–3 (MEV): “Keep my commandments and live, and my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.”

As disciples of Christ, we need to tune our ears and align our hearts with the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to walk with us after He ascended to the right hand of the Father. God puts many wonderful spiritual leaders in our lives and we should welcome and submit to that authority, but when the lights go out at the end of the day, it’s just us and God.

Sometimes man’s wisdom—our own wisdom—fails us but God’s Word and His Spirit never fail. The Holy Spirit is the best discipler I know.

Prayer this prayer with me:

Holy Spirit, put me in remembrance of the teachings of Christ and the words of wisdom you’ve spoken to my heart. I ask You now for the grace to draw on what you’ve taught me so that I will walk in Father’s ways and glorify my Savior through my words, thoughts, and actions.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma Magazine. She is also the director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale and the author of several books, including Mornings with the Holy Spirit: Listening Daily to the Still Small Voice of God and her upcoming book, The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening. You can learn more about her work at JenniferLeClaire.org.

Hopeless, lost and lonely. Those are some of the words I’d use to describe our marriage in the early years. It wasn’t a great place to be. Our marriage was on the verge of ending, and we were close to having spent more time being engaged, than being married.

We are in a different place today. We’ve made it through a lot of challenges which have ended the marriages of many other couples. We made it through trust issues. We made it through in-law issues. We made it through job loss, financial devastation and homelessness (twice!). Many times, we weren’t sure if we would make it as our marriage seemed dead. We didn’t see how it could be possible.

Now we are able to look back and see how we brought life back to our marriage. We were able to resurrect our marriage and you can do the same. Here are five ways to bring your marriage back to life:

1. Remember what attracted you to your wife. Sometimes life gets the best of us and we forget what brought us together. Hold onto that vision and revisit it. She may look a little different and have changed in some areas but, at her core, she is still that same woman.

2. Start dating again. We rediscovered dating again a few years ago, and it’s changed our marriage drastically. We are pretty ruthless and don’t let anything stand in the way of our weekly date.

3. Get away. There is nothing like a week away with your spouse to help your marriage. Just the break from the norm does wonders in itself. When you attend an event or retreat geared to help your marriage, it has amazing results. We now attend, at least, one weekend marriage retreat every single year.

4. Get help. Marriage counseling comes with a stigma that causes couples to avoid it. But remember: Counseling, in good and bad times, can help your marriage grow and help you grow together.

5. Pray together. This has been one of the most powerful things we’ve done over the course of our marriage to bring our marriage back to life. It is a game-changer. If you are praying, but not praying with your wife, I encourage you to pray with your wife. You will reach a level of intimacy that you don’t often reach.

Mark Merrill is the president of Family First. For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

For the devout, there never has been any question that prayer has the power to heal.

Now, more and more medical research from leading hospitals and universities across the U.S. has shown conclusively a belief in God really IS good for you, making you healthier and happier, and helping you live longer.

“Studies have shown prayer can prevent people from getting sick—and when they do get sick, prayer can help them get better faster,” Duke University’s Harold G. Koenig, M.D., tells Newsmax Health.

An exhaustive analysis of more than 1,500 reputable medical studies “indicates people who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health,” Dr. Koenig says.

“And out of 125 studies that looked at the link between health and regular worship, 85 showed regular churchgoers live longer.

“There’s a lot of evidence out there.”

Dr. Koenig—director of Duke’s Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health and the author of several authoritative books on faith and healing—says a striking study published in the Southern Medical Journal demonstrated that prayer has a remarkable effect on patients with hearing and visual deficiencies.

After prayer sessions, “They showed significant improvements based on audio and visual tests,” Dr. Koenig said.

He added: “The benefits of devout religious practice, particularly involvement in a faith community and religious commitment, are that people cope better. In general, they cope with stress better, they experience greater well-being because they have more hope, they’re more optimistic, they experience less depression, less anxiety and they commit suicide less often.

“They have stronger immune systems, lower blood pressure, and probably better cardiovascular functioning.”

The proof of the power of prayer is overwhelming, says researcher and writer Tom Knox, a one-time atheist who became a regular worshipper after doing in-depth study of the medical benefits of faith.

“What I discovered astonished me,” admits Knox. “Over the past 30 years a growing and largely unnoticed body of scientific work shows religious belief is medically, socially, and psychologically beneficial.”

Study after study backs up the benefits of having faith, especially in prolonging life.

In 2006, population researchers at the University of Texas discovered that the more often you go to church, the longer you live.

“Religious attendance is associated with adult mortality in a graded fashion,” says Knox.

“There is a seven-year difference in life expectancy between those who never attend church and those who attend weekly.”

The American Journal of Public Health studied nearly 2,000 older Californians for five years and found that those who attended religious services were 36 percent less likely to die during that period than those who didn’t.

A study of nearly 4,000 older adults for the U.S. Journal of Gerontology revealed that atheists had a significantly increased chance of dying over a six-year period than the faithful.

Crucially, religious people lived longer than atheists even if they didn’t go regularly to a place of worship.

The American Society of Hypertension established in 2006 that church-goers have lower blood pressure than non-believers.

Scientists have also revealed believers recover from breast cancer quicker than non-believers, have better outcomes from coronary disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and are less likely to have children with meningitis.

Research at San Francisco General Hospital looked at the effect of prayer on 393 cardiac patients. Half were prayed for by strangers who had only the patients’ names. Those patients had fewer complications, fewer cases of pneumonia and needed less drug treatment.

They also got better quicker and left the hospital earlier.

Concluded Knox: “Atheists can sneer at faith all they like, but they can’t assume science is on their side.”

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.

2 Timothy 1:9 says that God has saved us and called us with a holy calling; not by our works, but by His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Are you ready to awaken to the promises God has for you—not only individually, but also the promises of our nation?

It’s time to awaken to God’s destiny for your life.

Perry Stone is known for understanding Israel and Bible prophecy. Now he’s uncovered information that shows Israel will soon no longer be dependent on America. But will America always be dependent on Israel?

Every year, our CrossFit gym hosts its annual global competition called The CrossFit Open for our community of athletes, a community composed of students, former collegiate athletes, elementary school teachers, stay-at-home-moms, and “I-haven’t-run-since-high-school” dads. Despite the diversity, we are one close-knit bunch.

My husband, Ben, and I truly believe our journey of fitness, like our walk with Christ, is richest and most rewarding when it’s rooted in the soil of strong relationships. Many of our athletes have become incredibly close friends. They not only cheer each other on as they run alongside each other, but they encourage one another to persevere on the racetrack God has placed them on, even when the course is filled with obstacles and near-impossible conditions. They not only lift barbells next to each other, but they lift up each other’s burdens in prayer and raise their voices in faith-filled praise, even when they feel perplexed.

Our community doesn’t realize how much they inspire me, or how God uses them to show me how I can be more loving, more selfless, braver and more sacrificial. Almost daily, I have a conversation with someone, or simply notice a small action that makes me stop and take note of how grace was extended, love bestowed, hope imparted or patience demonstrated. This leads me back to the CrossFit Open …

This past weekend was the fifth and final night of competition. One of our athletes, a fourth-grade teacher named Christy, rushed in about a half-hour late. When I saw her, I complimented her on her bright pink “CrossFit 925” tank top, but soon noticed that she seemed flustered, and not simply over being late. She proceeded to tell me what had happened:

“I was headed here, cutting through the neighborhood, and I saw an accident that had just happened. A 16-year-old had been longboarding and fell and hit his head really hard. He was having a seizure and convulsing when I pulled up.”

Christy had to stop talking for a moment. Her eyes welled up with tears, then she looked down at her tank top.

“Another … ” she began again slowly. “Another woman, who just happened to stop, noticed the back of my shirt and asked me if I wanted to pray for the boy with her.” At that moment, I felt the tears start to surface under my eyes, too; I knew exactly what the woman had read on the back of Christy’s shirt:

“With my God, I can scale any wall” (Psalm 18:29).

Christy and the woman, a CrossFit athlete from another gym, in fact, waited and prayed until the boy was life-flighted to the hospital. We don’t know what the young man’s status is, and perhaps we never will. But what we do know is that he is in good hands, and not merely human hands.

The young man, named Joe, is in the hands of the One who created him, the hands of the One who loved him enough to give His own Son to die for his sins, in the hands of the One who loved him enough to orchestrate the steps of two women so they would arrive just in time to pray over him and offer comfort to his distraught and overwhelmed friends.

Christy’s story is only one illustration of how the Lord is not some old, bearded, Zeus-like god full of wrath and thunder, glowering in the clouds with no true concern or care for the bumbling mortals down below. Nor is He, as Deists believe, the “great clockmaker” who created the earth, wound it up and let it go, never to interfere with the way it ticks.

No, the true God, Yahweh, is the Great I AM. In the Bible, He is called by many names, each of which describes His character, names like The Lord is There, The God Who Sees, The Lord Our Righteousness, The Lord Our Provider, The Lord That Heals … In short, He is everything we will ever need, and He loves us more than we will ever know. He speaks to us in everything from blazing sunsets and snow-capped peaks to simple Bible passages printed on pink tank tops.

I’m so thankful that, like the Good Samaritan, Christy stopped in the middle of her drive to the gym and had compassion on Joe. What a beautiful display of selflessness, especially in a world of hustle and bustle and, if we’re honest, unparalleled self-centeredness. How different our nation, our world could be if we would be more willing—more often—to drop everything to meet a need, even if there’s nothing else we can do but pray.

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness, Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness, and her latest book, Immeasurable: Diving into the Depths of God’s Love. Her popular website can be found at dianaandersontyler.com, and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925. Diana can be reached on Twitter.

For the original article, visit dianaandersontyler.com.

Diabetes meds may control blood sugar, but they also appear to boost appetite and may contribute to obesity in those who take them.

That’s the upshot of new research led by Georgia State University that found anti-diabetic drugs—known as thiazolidinediones (TZDs)—taken by many Type 2 diabetes activate sensors on brain cells that increase hunger, which can lead to body fat gain.

The study, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, may explain why people taking such drugs for diabetes often gain weight, Medical Xpress reports.

Type t diabetes, the most common of the metabolic condition, often develops in middle-aged and older adults who are overweight and inactive, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

The new study found that sensors in the brain that that control eating behavior are activated by TZDs, which help to treat insulin resistance, said Johnny Garretson, a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Institute and Center for Obesity Reversal at Georgia State.

“People taking these TZDs are hungrier, and they do gain more weight. This may be a reason why,” Garretson said. “When they’re taking these drugs, it’s activating these receptors, which we believe are controlling feeding through this mechanism that we found.

“We discovered that activating these receptors makes our rodent animal model eat more and store more food for later, while blocking these receptors makes them eat less and store less food for later, even after they’ve been food deprived and they’re at their hungriest.”

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.

When your kids push your buttons, dad, how do you respond?

Our children are precious and often adorable—and sometimes very difficult. Why? It’s because they have a lot to learn about life, and they’re immature.

Many times they’re selfish. They throw fits and hurl insults and get involved in the pettiest arguments. And they quickly learn how to push our buttons.

All of those factors make it challenging for us to keep our cool. Kids can easily bring out the immaturity in us.

Typically, we run into this during correction or discipline situations. A child is acting up, and maybe we start yelling, or we exaggerate how difficult they’re being. We might make negative or sarcastic comments or do something physically demeaning or threatening. Or we pull out one of those doozies like, “Can’t you ever do anything right?” Don’t we all face these temptations?

And sometimes we can even justify it in our minds. After all, he was the one who acted so immaturely. Or maybe she needed a taste of her own medicine. We talk ourselves into thinking our child deserved disrespect because of how bad he or she was behaving. Or, that we have every right to talk down to them or put them in their place.

I can understand that thinking, and I’ve been there. But we must never justify disrespecting our children. It can have such a negative impact on their self-image and their outlook on life.

Remember, you’re their daddy. If there’s anyone they should be able to look to for affirmation, if there’s anyone who should be a source of respect, it’s you. 

And besides, our love and respect for our kids shouldn’t be based on a sense of our rights, or even what we think a child deserves. Our respect for them has to be selfless, active and not dependent upon our mood or their behavior. And even when our kids’ behavior brings them some negative consequences and hard lessons, we can still treat them with respect.

What’s the secret? It isn’t easy to pull off, and I definitely haven’t been perfect at it through the years, but I believe it’s found in this statement by a wise man: “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

So, treating your children with respect begins with filling your heart with unconditional love for them. Really embrace the idea that your child is special and unique. Each one has gifts, abilities and interests that cause him to see the world and process information in a distinctive way. And, those qualities in your child that are mostly annoying right now could be shaped and refined over time and become real assets in his future.

That’s also a good thing to keep in mind: Our kids are works in progress. Think back to when you were their age; you weren’t fully mature at that stage of life either, right?

Remember those things, Dad. Meditate on them. And when your kids push your buttons, learn to say a quick prayer and remember how much growing up they still need to do.

Then, instead of talking down to them, you can speak in ways that help them move ahead in life. And if they do need discipline, you can carry that out with the right attitude, and not be angry or insulting.

Remember, it starts with that inner attitude of respect.

What’s your secret to keeping your cool when your kids are driving you nuts? Please share your thoughts below.

Action Points

• At the dinner table, tell each child a positive quality you’ve noticed in him or her.
• Plan a healthy, positive response for the next time you’re angry with your children, so that when something happens, you know exactly what to do or say.

Carey Caseyis the CEO of the National Center for Fathering (NCF), as well as a husband, father, and grandfather. He is author of Championship Fathering and general editor of The 21-Day Dad’s Challenge. See more about Carey here.

For the original article, visit fathers.com.