And by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. Acts 13:39
I used to be perplexed as to how people could both logically believe the truth and emotionally believe a lie about the same event. For example, the incest survivors that I worked with for many years knew on a cerebral level that it was not their fault they had been abused. Yet many had a gut feeling that it was their fault and felt shamed by the abuse. Even when I told them they were innocent, they would still feel overwhelmed with shame.
Sue was living in a state of constant shame for a decision to have an abortion that she made as a young adult. After receiving release from the Lord during a TPM session she said to me, “ I have always known God would forgive me but I have never felt it in my heart. I really wanted to believe it but I just did not feel it, but now I feel forgiven.”
Knowing the truth goes beyond knowledge of the facts to knowing the One who is Truth.
Help me to know you for the Truth of who you are.
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Our natural instinct is to deny that we believe lies and bury the pain they are producing. If we do this, however, we will maintain a cycle of perpetual defeat in our lives. As long as lies remain embedded in our minds they will continue to surface as pain every time we are in situation similar to when they were originally implanted.
Freedom requires honestly acknowledging our emotional pain and taking responsibility for its corresponding belief. We must choose to lay down our feeble defenses and attempts to project pain onto others or onto life’s circumstances before God will release us from what has held us bound. God does not reward pretension. He rewards honesty and humility by making His strength perfect in our weakness.
Forgive me for my short comings Lord. Teach me humility in acknowledging my own lies.
Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
The capacity to set one’s mind on eternal things is part of Christ’s renewing work, as is everything else that is genuinely accomplished in the Christian walk. It is and forever will be, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
Spiritually focusing our thoughts is a discipline that we must develop, choosing to push away falsehood that comes into our minds and to focus on that which is …” true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute. If there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).”
Lord, I long to fully linger in the truth of your Spirit, continually remind me of your presence.
For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work according to His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
The Apostle Paul declared that he was free in Christ even while sitting in prison in the most deplorable conditions. Our true freedom has nothing to do with the world changing and organizing itself around our needs or whims. Freedom comes as our perspective and belief become truth based and Spirit lead. This occurs as we learn to submit to God in the sanctifying and refining process that He is committed to doing in us.
As a politician once said, “Don’t waste a good crisis”, we too must choose to view our crisis from a heavenly perspective and see the hand of God refining our faith/belief in the refiner’s fire. Never forget that what we believe will become evident in the midst of the fire by way of our emotional status. If we do not have peace in the crisis, then we must ask ourselves, “why not?” What do we believe that is causing our emotional upheaval? When we know the truth and believe the truth our emotional state will reflect the same.
Lord, forgive me for not always submitting to you refining process. Teach me to recognize when you are teaching me.
May the Lord of peace Himself grant you peace in every circumstance. 2 Thess. 3:16
I believe that we can know His joy and peace in every circumstance when we know His truth experientially. Choosing to rejoice is not the same as feeling joyful. The Joy of the Lord is not a choice I make, but rather what I have when I walk experientially in His truth. We cannot make ourselves feel joy. Either we have joy or we don’t. If we don’t then there is a problem and often this problem lies in what we believe.
Pay attention to your feelings, don’t just act out of your falsehood! What you feel is a clear indication of what you believe.
Lord help me to pay attention and recognize my false beliefs. Help me to focus my life around your ultimate truth.
If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Being forgiven and feeling forgiven are two very different things. I can be forgiven and still feel shameful and guilty. The problem with false shame and guilt is that they feel exactly the same as true shame and guilt. When we sin we should feel bad, but when we are innocent or have been forgiven but still feel bad it is because we believe lies. It is only by identifying the root of the shameful lies, exposing that to the Lord and allowing him to reveal His truth that one may experience His peace, release, rest and joy.
Lord, show me your truth and help me to come to you with my emotional disbeliefs that I may experientially know you.
Join Dr. Ed Smith in Australia March 12-16 for two full LIVE training seminars.
Learn more at www.theophostic.com
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My God shall supply all my needs according to
His riches in glory. Philippians 4:19
According to the Scriptures, negative emotions such as fear, depression, feelings of abandonment, hopelessness, worry, anxiety and powerlessness and the such, have no place in the hearts and minds of Jesus’ followers. For example, we are told to “be anxious for nothing” (James 1). Nothing means “nothing!” Nevertheless, we all experience them at times. We do this because we “feel whatever we believe.” Our core belief comes through in the emotions we feel in any given moment. When our present feelings rise out of lies from the past, such as, “I’m responsible to meet all my needs,” “I am helpless,” “I cannot do anything right,” or “I am all alone”, predictably, we will feel anxious, worried, dejected, or fearful.
Because Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), He does not worry, have doubts, or feel hopeless or depressed. When our minds are renewed by His truth, our emotions fall in step. If our feelings are contrary to what the Bible says, the answer is not to deny them but rather to discover our false belief and look to Christ for His truth. When we know His truth experientially our emotions will match the truth.
Lord, thank you that Jesus is truth and thank you for your renewing grace, may you continue to give me more faith
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:6
When people have repeatedly confessed their sin but cannot seem to rid themselves of shame- “I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do”- it is false shame in one of two ways. It may be that, at some level, they falsely believe that they have not been forgiven of their sin even though they have genuinely confessed it, or it may be that they believe that they have sinned when in fact they have not. Once they are able to access the memory of the “sinful” deed and receive God’s truth, they are able to believe what has been true all along. They either know they were innocent or know their sin has been forgiven from the moment that they confessed it to God. God’s forgiveness is not dependent upon my believing He has forgiven me, but rather upon His faithfulness to do what He has said He will do when I obey. If I choose to confess my sin then He will be “faithful and just” to forgive me all of my sins (1 John 1). When we know God’s forgiveness experientially, then our emotional status will match this reality and we will feel forgiven. If we have confessed our sin and yet still feel unforgiven, then the problem is rooted in belief and not reality. Through TPM we can access this core belief and find His truth and then experientially know the truth.
“Lord, thank you for separating my sin as far as the east is from the west, please allow me to rest in your presences and in that truth.”
He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:13
Allowing others or ourselves to become the victim provides us a way to avoid being responsible for our own spiritual journey and freedom. We all find freedom the same way; own what is ours, come clean with what we have hidden, and look to Christ. However, if we make ourselves or others the victims of our circumstance, a prisoner of the devil held captive against our will or emotionally shut down apart from our choosing, then we have made our freedom unattainable until our external world changes.
Lord, give me courage to own my feelings and wisdom to see your perspective.
Join Dr. Smith for a Basic Training Seminar in your area!
The seminars will be held near:
- Houston (October 20-22)
- Chicago (November 11-12)
- Pittsburgh (November 17-19)
Registration is only $149.00.
Each paying attendee will receive his or her own copy of the entire Basic Training Seminar Package and a signed copy of Healing Life’s Hurts! ($165 value)
If you plan on coming with a group of four of more paying attendees, we offer a GROUP DISCOUNT! ($20 OFF each person’s registration fee)
If you would like to register, or simply have a question, visit the Theophostic Online Store or call us at 270-465-3757.
(Source: theophostic.org)
Dr. Smith is planning on recording the final presentation of his “Dealing with Difficult Cases” seminar in a few months. Shortly after, the DVDs will be made available for purchase. Any of you who have paid to view the current “preview of the seminar” will have that amount deducted from the final price of the DVDs!
(Source: theophostic.org)
Soon you will be able to search for, browse through, and view previous Live Broadcasts! Future Live Broadcasts will be recorded, saved, and stored in an online archive for your convenience.
(Source: theophostic.org)
