To know me is to know I’m real. I dislike “superficial”. I’m always seeking to know and represent Jesus better, to become more like Him, to change where I know I can do better, and to love better overall. And I'm overly aware of how terribly I fall short.
This is my simple tool (the verses in the photo above) to meditate on this week (and beyond)... and not just read or recite them quickly because they are popular or familiar, but to chew on them, 1 line at a time, line by line... and savor them... and actually digest them, so that they are the raw materials (food) I will be built with. We are what we eat ;) Eat real food >> Physical and Spiritual food. The rich meat of Gods Word. Rich food. Nutritious food. Food that lasts. Nourishes. Builds. Detoxes. Repairs. Sustains. Sit down and chew on it. Let it digest & heal you. Let it heal your marriage. Your relationships. Your heart. Your soul. Your mind. Your relationship with God. Let it detox you of the toxins (religious spirit, critical spirit, bitterness, jealousy, anger, pride, shame, guilt, selfishness, FEAR...). Love heals. AND Love wins. ❤️ As a Doctor, helping other people intimately through their spiritual and health journey has taught me A LOT. It is a responsibility and honor I take very seriously, and it has taught me great discipline in seeking the Lord for everything. There is so much information available to ALL of us that I’ve found most people are totally overwhelmed and confused. If I allow people to influence me more than God and His Word I will simply be one more MIS-leader putting out information that keeps people in bondage. Seeking the Lord first has changed my personal health, practice and ministry. I have learned how absolutely critical it is to take the time to seek God for how I should take care of MYSELF, for every decision I make, for any appointment I make for myself, before I look something up online, before I take any class or training, before I purchase anything, and before I commit to any “good opportunity” or partner with ANYONE on ANYTHING for ANY reason. I have learned that no matter how much sense something makes or how good something seems, it's not always GOD’S BEST...FOR ME. HE sees the beginning from the end. We can’t. Sometimes He will call us to change something, try something new, take something, do something, quit something, risk something...or do nothing. Sometimes it's simply an opportunity to practice "saying no" or "saying yes" without questioning God.
ALL of it will take faith. Our faith needs to be exercised to be strong. Sometimes all we need to do is spend time at the feet of Jesus, which takes a lot of faith when we are hurting and the fire is raging. We want to DO SOMETHING. We want to FEEL BETTER, but God’s Word reminds us in Isaiah 30:15 “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength”. Often times, LESS IS MORE. It is a radical act of faith and obedience to quiet our hearts and ask the Lord for what we need. In fact, when we train our faith, it MAY BE the only step we have to take, saving us years (if not a lifetime) of suffering, time, frustration and money. God’s Word is true and He cannot break His promises. Let me remind you of a few stories where FAITH ALONE HEALED GOD’S PEOPLE! Mark 5:34 (Jesus said) "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over." Matthew 9:22 "Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well." And the woman was healed at that moment. Luke 8:48. "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 18:42 Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Luke 17:19 And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you." Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Luke 7:50 And Jesus told the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Mark 3:10 For He (Jesus) had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. I now, more than ever, firmly believe that much of the information we have access to (as a patient or Doctor) is a huge distraction, the counterfeit, a cause for fear, a trap into the idolatry of more knowledge, and a trap to self-diagnose, keeping people in the viscous cycle of sickness and hopelessness, thinking they've read, tried and know everything. Sure, the internet can be used for good, but much of it is the work of the enemy. It’s subtle and it’s dangerous. Don't take the bait. Go to the LORD FIRST before you do more research. 2 Cor 10:5 reminds us: "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." You can’t un-read or un-see something. Seeds are planted, many of which are sown in fear, pride, foolishness, worldly knowledge or selfish ambition. Satan LOVES that we are so connected yet so distracted, so deceived, so easily offended, so self-sufficient, and so obsessed with gaining “more knowledge,” that we don’t even think to invite the Lord into these areas of our life. People are so sick, so tired, so confused and so much of it is unnecessary. Only GODLY WISDOM leads to life abundant! Jesus is the Great(est) Physician. We need to unplug and PRACTICE going to Him for everything. He knows what we really need. He knows whether the need is truly urgent or not. He has the resources you will need for however He leads. It may not make sense at first. You may feel like you don’t hear from God right now, but you never will if you don’t try. You have to take the 1st step. You have to spend time with Jesus to know His voice. He is faithful to speak and to deliver. I have YEARS of personal experience (and mistakes and wasted time and money) researching things to death and making health decisions in the flesh. It kept me sick and left me EXHAUSTED, even hopeless. But God used it to show me what NOT to do, worked it all together for good, for His glory and for the good of the Church, giving me a voice to help YOU quit wasting more time and resources. He’s given me a simple system in my own practice to help others get well...and THE FIRST THING WE DO IS PRAY TOGETHER! He has been so faithful to give me wisdom, revelation, prophecy or direction that I would NEVER have through more studying or training or letters behind my name. I’ve worked with hundreds of people who have wasted YEARS of their life trying to self-diagnose, researching things to death, and just “following the system”, making decisions in the flesh, running to various Doctors in the fear of infirmity and discomfort, desperate for immediate relief and answers, only to stay sick, tired, and hopeless, thinking that “nothing works”. Let HIM direct your steps instead of your money, your insurance, “expert opinions”, or advice from friends. Get off the internet UNLESS Jesus specifically directs you somewhere. If HE leads you, He will clear the schedule, provide the money, give you the strength, cause you to persevere, whatever you need. GOD DOES NOT LEAVE US HANGING. He. defeated. death. friends! That same resurrection power lives in you! He wants to do far more than heal your physical infirmities. I am a personal testimony as well as a witness to many hundreds of people who God has used in their infirmities to build radical faith, strength, perseverance, character, peace, wisdom, joy and freedom. He cares even more about our hearts and our Spirit. Proverbs 3: 5-6 TRUST in the LORD with ALL your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Keep it simple sillies ;) You guys, JESUS IS SO GOOOOD!! He is answering my heartfelt prayers for The Church, prayers for revival, tears of grief. I've long prayed that hearts & eyes would be graciously opened to see our sins of disobedience (quenching the Spirit), especially in the area of eating/drinking & poor lifestyle choices that lead to unnecessary consequences physically, Spiritually & emotionally. As The Church, we are quick to call out the sins of sexual immorality, homosexuality, gossip, etc. But what about gluttony, disobedience & disregard for what we physically feed our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the very vessel by which we hug, smile, preach, teach, speak, eat, love & move?
Our choices not only affect us, but those around us & the whole Body of Christ ultimately. Gal 5:13 tells us not to use our freedom as an excuse to do whatever we want, only to destroy our freedom. 1 Cor 6:20 reminds us that we are NOT our own, that we were BOUGHT at the highest price, Jesus' innocent life. We are commanded to glorify God with our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:6 Says that knowledge leads to self-control, which leads to perseverance, which leads to godliness. Every choice we make, no matter how small or large, either feeds the flesh or the Spirit (likewise quenches the flesh or quenches the Spirit). And we all know that whatever we feeds most, LIVES! Food & our diet has a direct impact on our physical, emotional & mental health. I see living proof of this EVERY DAY in this Calling God has given me. I've seen the most radical breakthroughs & healing, freedom from things "man" (other Doctors or even doubting Believers) says are impossible. Jesus said in Mat 19:26 "With man this is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible!" I, too, am living proof :) Let's ask the Lord for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit this Holiday season, that we might walk in greater JOY, peace, patience, kindness, and...don't forget...self-control (Gal 5:22-23). This is where our power comes from! Self-control (discipline) is one of the fruits we bear for the world to see. Mat 7:16 says that "You will know them by their fruits." God's Word (knowledge) & the power of the Holy Spirit are how we walk in obedience, staying free in everything we do, drawing people to God's goodness & kindness, that they might be humbled & drawn to repentance, in awe of God's relentless love & grace, through us. Are we Kingdom minded in every area of our life? We have gotten so many questions/comments/testimonies from people who are standing firm, walking in obedience (with JOY!), holding fast to grace & taking initiative to make healthier choices every day & even through the holidays. Many of you have used, or plan to use our recipes at your recent or upcoming Holiday parties & other events! This is such a blessing! Hearing from YOU keeps US pressing forward in our mission: to educate, inspire & equip people to get healthy & to share the Gospel!! Your labor to make healthy changes in your life & OUR labor to help you do so is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Press on Church. Joy, peace & grace to you always.
God doesn't care what I eat. My Spiritual life is solid." YES, our Spirit, the only eternal part of our being, is a priority over our physical body. Godly order says: Spirit, soul, body. The world teaches "body, mind, spirit". 1 Timothy 4:7-8 teaches us to train godliness above physical training. However, this scripture is NOT a license to sin, neglect, or live a life without discipline and self-control. Training hard in godliness does not "cancel out" our need for quality nutrition and obedience in the area of diet any more than extra workouts cancel out the need for a healthy diet. There will never be a substitute for eating real food, and we cannot be surprised when we end up with health problems when we lack discipline, care and discernment in this area. I believe this is an area that needs to be brought to light in the Church so that “our Light can so shine before men that they may see our good works and GLORIFY OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN” (Mat 5:16). We are called to be obedient in all areas of our life.
A healthy "diet" for you may look different than what feeds and nourishes MY body. But the common denominator is real, whole, living foods, pure water...foods and herbs that GOD made. My primary job outside of teaching the GOOD NEWS, is to test each patient to customize what foods FEED their body best and figure out which ones are making them sick. There will NEVER be a diet or specific food rules that work for everyone. Some thrive eating clean, grass-fed meats/animal products, and others thrive on a plant-based diet. ALL of us need to be eating a diet heavy in vegetables and leafy greens and far less sugar/starches. There will never be a way around that ;) It seems our culture, dare I say, especially our CHURCH culture, acknowledges that indulgence in alcohol, drugs, pre-marital or extra-marital sex, pornography, vanity, gossip, and other “lusts of the flesh” are clearly sin. However, there is OFTEN little regard given to the lack of self control with food… and COFFEE (and sadly even alcohol in modern church culture). The abuse of these things clearly leads to illness & fatigue (mental & physical), and cause so much unnecessary suffering. PLEASE DON'T RUN AWAY YET….hear me out!!! GOD'S GRACE IS ENOUGH FOR US. It is ABSOLUTELY TRUE what MATTHEW said… “IS NOT LIFE MORE THAN FOOD?”. While we certainly do not want “health” and “diet” to become an obsession or idol, we do have a responsibility to take care of the body God designed for us. RECALL: 1 Cor 6:19 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” Food was given to us to sustain life, and harnesses a power only God could give it, to radically transform our lives. Praise God real food can taste good & be enjoyable!! Praise God for the convenience of whole food supplements & juicing so we can take in concentrated doses of nutrition to make up for what our body has lacked for years (even decades)! The question is: Does not our pleasure, contentment & comfort TRULY come from Jesus? God’s Word says the Holy Spirit is Our Comforter. If some of us are being honest…we have the tendency to choose FOOD (or wine) over Jesus for comfort sometimes (or lots of times!…again, no condemnation in Christ. This is NOT meant to shame ANYONE). We use food to grieve, celebrate, comfort, medicate and entertain. I’m not suggesting that it’s a sin to do all of the above. The abuse of it, however, is. Food is medicine. Real food is alive and gives life. Real food requires no Doctor’s appointment or prescription. Real food doesn’t DRIVE UP health care costs. Real food was made by our Creator, FOR US, for a reason. It is not meant to be something we obsess over and act like health snobs about. Nor is it an area we can keep pretending God doesn’t care about. Every void we try to fill with food (or sex, tv, social media, medication, busy-ness) is an area of brokenness that God wants to be a part of! Just as sex is a good thing, created by God, FOR MARRIAGE, not to be used or abused outside of the marriage....REAL food is a wonderful thing, Created by God, to be enjoyed and used daily to nourish and heal us, even to celebrate with, but not to be abused or perverted. GOD ALONE can transform our minds to have a new and HOLY relationship with food!! Romans 12:2 -I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. THE HOLY SPIRIT is our source of self control. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us SELF CONTROL a fruit of the Spirit! AND YES, WE CAN CHANGE because God’s Word says, “We can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us”. (Phil 4:13) AMEN?!! Again, no shame. Ephesians 4:15 exhorts us to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE. We need to talk about this. People are sick, suffering and dying, and SO MUCH OF IT is totally unnecessary. We are in this together, friends. HIS LOVE is enough!! - Dr. J ARE WE MANAGING? …OR TRULY DELIVERED? It is very common practice to “exchange” addictions instead of receiving true deliverance/healing (AKA: FREEDOM!). Allow me to define what I mean by “Deliverance” below since (I've come to learn that) this can be a debatable word in Christian circles. Working out obsessively in place of binge eating or drinking alcohol, or chain smoking after quitting drinking or doing drugs, or guzzling coffee after laying down alcohol, or substituting porn for gambling & vice versa, or using phrases like “I LOVE/HAVE TO HAVE coffee. At least I'm not an alcoholic anymore!”… Can anyone relate? I’ve been here. We just exchange one crutch for another, more palatable one ;)
The difference: MANAGEMENT: WE are trying to have control (but never really do); based on will-power; NO REAL REPENTANCE for the sin; pride; still tormented/guilt; temporary; deceiving; we are still not truly FREE; still bound by man-made rules to “try” to be good; (ie: Every time I want a ____, I'm going to ____ instead)...one source of false comfort is exchanged for another. DELIVERANCE: GOD is in control; GOD’S POWER ALONE heals us from addiction and bondage (very real spiritual warfare); TRUE REPENTANCE & DESIRE TO CHANGE; humility; no more torment/guilt; lasting; Truth; TRUE FREEDOM. Simple. The work is done at the cross! A new creation in Christ. The ONLY exchange that takes place is THAT THING we just have to have/do is replaced with God's unending Love, the only thing that NEVER RETURNS VOID. When our “addictions” just change from something illegal to legal, or “ugly” to socially acceptable…we are not truly free. It’s still bondage, only more deceiving because it can be masked as “health” or “freedom” from the world’s perspective. When we “manage” our addictions, it appears we are moving in the right direction, so friends and family will praise us for our “strength” or “will-power”. But that’s just it…it’s our own strength, not God’s. It will eventually fail us. God has better for us. DELIVERANCE brings forth true joy, clarity, and real freedom in your life. Deliverance, as I am calling it, is really just another word for breaking the chains, breaking strongholds, or the sanctification process that is continuously happening from our day of salvation until the day we die. As we get to know Jesus more and more, we are humbled and repentant of more and more, allowing God’s power to transform us (deliver us from) more and more. I call that Deliverance. There are “Christian books” on deliverance that are “formula-based” or “works-based”…I want to be clear that following some strict formula for Deliverance is neither Biblical nor accurate. Simply acknowledge and repent for your sin and know that God is the only one who has the power to heal. It may look very different from someone else’s journey. My sobriety required no 12-step program or other human being. God did use a bible study I was in to feed me the scriptures that finally convicted me and lead me to repentance. Remember: It's God's kindness (and GOODNESS) that lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). My healing came through the mighty Word of God, a repentant heart (God knows when your heart is truly sorry), and God’s amazing power and grace. SIMPLE. I have never touched or craved alcohol again. I know what boundaries I cannot cross in order to stay free. It is a choice. And now that I finally stand on the freedom side of this, I see the level of deception I was under, how easily I could argue against everything I am now saying. I could even manipulate scripture to justify why it was okay for me to drink. It not only hurt me by keeping me tangled in the lie, it kept me tormented, powerless, and exhausted. It also mislead so many others. I’d love to pray with you if you need healing in this area. Psalms 18:2 NKJV The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Three years ago I would have told you I was fine. But until we’ve been set FREE, truly set free, another piece of our heart fully surrendered to Jesus, we DO NOT know what we are missing because all we know is where we have been. Amen? I WAS an alcoholic. I WAS in bondage to promiscuity and drugs all through my teens and 20's. I was tormented by FEAR in so many ways, the worst being night terrors from as early as I can remember until the day I quit drinking! There are so many battles the Lord has delivered me from over time. I want to tell you my story about "alcoholism"…which I was delivered from in August 2013 (WOOHOOOO!!!) THAT was the link that instantly set me free from a lifetime of night terrors and paralyzing fear and anxiety. Yes, we are delivered from the bondage of sin and hell, and given the promise and hope of Heaven the day we are saved!! That does not mean, however, that everyone is instantly freed from every stronghold at that very moment. Some people ARE instantly changed or healed. For others, like me, some (or many) strongholds remain. When we acknowledge sin for what it is, repent for it, and invite God to help and heal us, knowing we cannot do it for ourselves, He comes in and faithfully heals us (delivers, however you want to word it) in ways we may never have seen the connection. I NEVER IMAGINED THERE WAS A LINK BETWEEN MY DRINKING & NIGHT TERRORS. I started drinking and smoking and doing drugs at age 12. I slept on bar-stools as a child and knew all the other kids at the bar my parents frequented. It was normal to me. It certainly wasn’t “an addiction” in my eyes. Everyone did it. I thought it was weird when people didn’t drink. I learned very young that those people were “prudes”, “boring”, “judgmental”, “didn’t know how to have fun”, AND that “I worked my BUTT off (since performance & pride were other struggles), so I DESERVED to TREAT myself to a drink”. I became a cocktail waitress ON my 18th birthday, and then BARTENDER as soon as I turned 21. I was raised with the mentality that if you’re not living on the streets and missing teeth, getting multiple DUI’s, or losing custody of your kids for being a drunk that you do not have a drinking problem. Heck, all of our Catholic Church picnics were BEER FESTS!! I worked hard, got good grades, paid my own bills, excelled in school and work, so I did whatever I wanted. And there were consequences. I finally crumbled at age 28, getting radically saved as soon as I graduated Chiropractic school within days of moving to Franklin, TN. God was rocking my world and my beliefs started to change. Fast forward 6 years into my salvation and MANY MISTAKES later, God got my attention at the end of August 2013 with this verse: 1 COR 6:12 (NIV) “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial,” says the Lord. “Everything is permissible for me, but I WILL NOT BE MASTERED BY ANYTHING.” (emphasis mine) (*God repeats Himself again in 1 Cor 10:23) In a moment, I knew that God knew (that I knew for sure) that I had been running from this for years. I knew that He wasn’t going to launch me back into full-time ministry to be trusted with HIS people until I dealt with this. I knew I wasn’t just battling “toxic guilt” as many of my Christian friends, my “healthy” drinking buddies and husband would tell me (beware who you get advice from…Do we really want THE TRUTH or people who justify our sin & tickle our ears?). I KNEW God had been speaking to me for years and that HE KNEW I was convicted. It was my choice to continue in sin and face harsher consequences or repent and trust HIM to do what I was never able to do. God gave me SO MANY second chances, SO MUCH GRACE and SO MUCH MERCY. I made SO many mistakes under the influence....BUT GOD... OH how He loves us! Clearly if I actually had power over this (aka: it wasn’t an addiction) then I would have walked away from it after the millionth mistake and the repeating saga of shame and guilt and hangovers that followed. It was insanity. Fear told me I couldn't quit, so denial was easier. I heard the Lord say “You can LEAD my people out of OBEDIENCE, or you can MISLEAD them in your DISOBEDIENCE“. Ouch! …Humbled. Convicted. Surrendered. I was afraid to admit this was such a stronghold in my life because I DID NOT BELIEVE I could ever quit. And I was right. I couldn’t. BUT GOD COULD. I was instantly delivered when I truly confessed from the bottom of my heart, when I cried out to God that I was really truly ready to be healed from this, when I believed I had no power over this on my own, and when these scriptures became life and Truth to me. I. am. so. grateful. This wasn’t just about me. This decision changed the course of my life, health, marriage & ministry...for the better!!! I CAME TO THE END OF MYSELF & GOD GAVE ME A NEW LIFE. From that day forward, I was set free from a lifetime of night terrors (33 years my friends!). I slept sound for the 1st time in my life!! I had peace I’d never experienced before. I had the courage to do things I never could. The 1st six months were hard in other ways, but ultimately my husband joined me in complete sobriety. We were FINALLY equally yoked!! My husband immediately received a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, and God anointed us to go out and share the gospel. God united us like never before and answered prayers we had so desperately desired! Within WEEKS, He blasted open the doors for the Revelation Revolution Fitness Ministry!! He gave me the name, the location, the courage, the wisdom & the anointing to say and do the things I wasn’t able to before!! GOD DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. Confessing & laying down our sin isn't just about us. It has a ripple affect. When we do not surrender it robs the next generation of freedom. We are essentially teaching our children and the many people we influence that compromise is okay. THE TRUTH IS: Partial obedience = DISOBEDIENCE. Obedience slams the door in satan's face, saying “NO MORE! The enemy CANNOT have my life, my peace, my mind, my family, or my FREEDOM!!” We must fight for our freedom!! A hopeless world is watching us….looking for answers, wondering if God really is who He says He is, desperate, doubting, drowning, watching whether we stand or crumble when the storms come. If we don’t stand out and truly walk in the freedom that Christ died to give us, how is God’s power and glory really displayed in our lives??!! If we look & act just like the world, how can we call ourselves a "peculiar people, a chosen generation"?! If we never give God the opportunity to do the impossible, then do we truly believe HE ACTUALLY CAN?? OR are we just repeating words & songs and doing whatever we want? I think that's called "religion". We want RELATIONSHIP. WE ARE THE VESSEL HE WANTS TO USE!! What are we willing to lay down for THE ONE who gave it ALL for us?? Are we willing to go lower so that HIS NAME can go Higher?! Know the Truth and the TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. Let Freedom Ring!! 2 COR 1:20 (NKJV) For ALL the promises of God in Him are YES, and in Him AMEN, to the glory of God THROUGH US. …Amen? HEBREWS 12:1 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw of the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. I AM PRAYING that every reader who ever reads this blog will surrender, repent, and RECEIVE THE FREEDOM that Jesus Christ died to give us! To Him be the glory. Amen. *The videos that auto-populate after Jana's YouTube videos are not posted or endorsed by Jana and in no way reflect Jana's views or beliefs! Back in the day, 1 piece of the warrior's armor was a shield which had edges designed to "lock" into the neighboring warrior's shield. They could then form a wall of "locking shields" to protect them from the weapons being shot at them across the battlefield.
We are ALL in a spiritual battle and need to learn to put on our armor every day. We can LOCK SHIELDS with our brothers and sisters in Christ to form an IMPENETRABLE wall of faith & protection against the fiery darts of the devil! It's a PROMISE! We can rest peacefully under the SHIELD OF FAITH, knowing that it quenches ALL of those fiery darts! Amen?? *The videos that auto-populate after Jana's YouTube videos are not posted or endorsed by Jana and in no way reflect Jana's views or beliefs!
SO, I have been really busy and feeling super sluggish the last few weeks – Bowels. energy. Waking up. Thyroid needing extra support lately. Skin a bit dull. Cranky. Irritable. Anxious. OVERWHELMED. Brain fog. Joint pain. Just NOT myself. The EASY, fear-based, take-this-into-my-own-hands solution would have been to call MY Holistic Doctor. BUT… I GOT THAT “CHECK” IN MY SPIRIT… INSTEAD, I felt like I was supposed to start a cleanse (praise God I keep those in stock) and go to bed early to spend time with Jesus.
I laid in bed last night confessing & repenting for my lack of discipline in some areas, laying at the feet of Jesus, asking Him to show me things in my life that distract me from His presence, peace and healing. “Jesus, show me, teach me, help me. FORGIVE ME for my rebellious ways.” I LONG to wake up early daily and have more of a routine, but it seems as soon as I have a good stretch of waking by or before 6am, I blow it. Before long, I’m sleeping until 7-7:30am-ish, my day is full-speed ahead, it’s time to work…and my devotional time gets skipped….AGAIN! Another day overwhelmed and surviving on GRACE. * AND REPEAT * UGH. I know better. I KNOW what a day without “my daily bread” is… hungry, thirsty, empty. “WHY GOD? WHAT AM I MISSING? Is this just “who I am” and I just need to work with it? Or is there something you want to change in me?” I know not to go down the shame and guilt road that leads to NOWHERE GOOD really fast. The enemy fires quick when we’re run down…”you’re lazy, pathetic, joke of a leader, never get it right, always late, never gonna change, phony, hypocrite”…. LIES. LIES. LIES…. Cast those down immediately!! PRAISE: This morning I was awake by 5:45am!!! I sat down with my journal and Bible 1st thing and I heard God say: Make health A priority so that I can be THE PRIORITY EVERY DAY! And then He showed me what MY NEXT STEPS were and what was “out of balance”. He told me I needed to cleanse my liver (confirmation!), set some healthy boundaries with clients and social media, and STOP checking my phone 1st thing in the morning. We also had a chat about “FEAR”. God helped me look at my list of symptoms objectively as I would any client I was working with. It was so obvious. I was not confused. My liver was bogged down. I let things get out of balance and got caught in the vicious cycle of infirmity/busy-ness/emotional chaos. Fear increased as my physical health took it’s toll on my priorities and daily routine. PERFECT LOVE casts out fear (1 John 4:18). My time in the Word, sitting amongst PERFECT LOVE had been lacking. FEAR has been holding me back from setting some new boundaries. God is blessing this ministry and my responsibilities are shifting. GOD GAVE ME GRACE and got me out of bed. HE HELPED ME KEEP MY PRIORITIES STRAIGHT, and in the stillness, I could hear His voice. He was faithful to give me my “daily bread” as He promises!! HE TRULY IS A GOOD GOOD FATHER!! PEACE restored. As I write this at the end of the day, I feel better already!! God, OUR GREAT PHYSICIAN, The Doctor of all Doctors, took me to the ROOT! My thyroid is back to life already! Energy’s up. Poops are great (sorry! TMI! ha). Mind is calm. Anxiety down. Fog is lifting. Skin’s breaking out…that’s a good sign the garbage is coming out! Back to THRIVING in GRACE, not just surviving. * * * KEEP IT SIMPLE * * * But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Mat 6:33 ESV What has YOUR lack of health or discipline cost you?? Our merciful Father has SO MUCH MORE for us, if only we seek Him, ask Him, spend time with Him. We will save ourselves so much unnecessary suffering, so much wasted time and money, so much anxiety, so much frustration. He will show you the NEXT STEPS. He will protect you from becoming obsessive about health and chasing your tail. God’s Word can cut where no surgeon’s scalpel or whole food supplement can! GOD is our Primary Care Physician. He may give you a referral or it may not be what you WANT to hear, but at least it came from the TRUSTED SOURCE of TRUE WHOLENESS! And in that, you can “Trust the process”. The Lord gave me a great word in 2009 as He called me to start sharing my testimony & past publicly: Once God heals you of your offenses and sin and YOU become OK with YOU then no one can hold it against you ever again. The shame and the guilt end today!! Receive your freedom friends! Tell your story. Make God the main character :) *The videos that auto-populate after Jana's YouTube.com videos are not posted or endorsed by Jana and in no way reflect Jana's views or beliefs!
I was advised to quit using the words HOLISTIC & WHOLENESS to avoid accusations of being “NEW AGE”. I’ve been accused of practicing witchcraft for using muscle testing on numerous occasions over the years. I am well aware of the New Age movement and take every bit of what I do, what I teach, and what I believe before the throne of God for Truth and discernment.
I can’t deny what God’s Word says. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 MSG May God himself, the God who makes everything holy & whole, make you holy & whole, put you together--spirit, soul, & body—and KEEP YOU FIT for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it! James 2:26 ESV For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Psalm 16:9 ESV Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. Deut 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. **According to the Bible, mankind is distinct from all the rest of creation, including the animals, in that he is made in the image of God. As God is tripartite — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — man is tripartite: Spirit, soul, & body. “Wholeness” or “holistic” is only possible through God. I DO NOT believe we need to shy away from these words, rather use them & LIVE THEM carefully & clearly. We need to teach people what it really means to be “whole”, which is to share the gospel in Truth. These ARE Godly words that have been perverted and misused by the New Age Movement. People are being deceived. It is simple: We are a SPIRIT, SOUL & BODY, but if JESUS is not at the head of the “spiritual” aspect, we are moving AWAY FROM wholeness. If we are not glorifying God with the things we do WITH and TO our bodies, we are not moving toward “wholeness.” If we are not taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, and surrendering our heart and emotions to Jesus, again, we are not moving toward “wholeness.” True WHOLENESS is the likeness of Jesus Christ. Complete WHOLENESS cannot be achieved this side of heaven. And there is only ONE way to heaven, through our amazing Savior, Jesus Christ! Health, weight, addiction, depression??
Let’s take a look at David’s strategy for DEFEATING the “giant” in his life. He didn’t ward off Goliath for a time, HE WON! #1: David was opposed & accused (by family/friends!!) 1 Sam 17: 28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here?” #2: David responds maturely, confidently, fearlessly & faithfully v.37 “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of THIS Philistine” #3 David LET GO of what held him back (his armor; his “self-protection”) v.39 “…I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. #4 David CHOSE WISELY & MADE IMPORTANT DECISIONS to prepare for victory v.40 “He CHOSE for himself FIVE. SMOOTH. STONES.…and His sling was in His hand” #5 David KNEW the giant he was up against (Our “Goliath”- health? weight? addiction? depression? lying? BEAUTY??) #6 David KNEW His opponent had “BROTHERS” so HE CHOSE 5 STONES, NOT JUST 1. David chose STONES, not WATER-BALLOONS!! Who are your giant’s “brothers”? cancer, heart disease, anxiety, stroke, chronic pain, depression, kids with health problems, failed relationships, lust, jealousy, bitterness… #7 DAVID SPEAKS to the Giant in faith: v. 46-47 THIS DAY THE LORD WILL DELIVER YOU INTO MY HAND, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands. What is your GIANT and how are you preparing for battle? Is the Lord leading? When HE is in control, the victory is real!! More than knowing your GIANT, KNOW THE GOD YOU SERVE!! HE. IS. ABLE. and HE LOVES YOU!!
who were devout to following the “law”) were caught conducting fraudulent business and ripping people off in God’s house. were caught taking advantage of people, using their religious power to manipulate people into buying from them, using THE TEMPLE to do it, AND were over-charging for these “holy goods”. Jesus was furious and drove the greedy, phony, religious people out of HIS TEMPLE with harsh words in John 2:16,19-21 “…Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!…Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, “it has taken 46 years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in 3 days? But He was speaking of THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY.” We hear about Jesus rising up in anger (controlled & righteous anger) only one other time in the Bible, at the very end of His earthly ministry. Once again, it was in response to people perverting the use of God’s house/the temple. Mat 21:12-13 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and OVERTURNED the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them “It is written ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’, but you have made it a ‘den of thieves’ “.
BOTTOM LINE: God is very serious about how His temple is to be used; about it being a place where God’s Glory is found. In OUR GENERATION today, the age of grace, the generations beyond Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, WE are the temple, OUR BODIES are the place where God’s glory is supposed to reside. WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Paul refers to our physical bodies as an “earthly house” or “tent” – 2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our EARTHLY HOUSE, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” How are we building “our house”? What are we building and using it for? Is there anything Jesus wants to “overturn” in our hearts/lives? JESUS CAN AND WILL put “our houses” back in order to be used for HIS GLORY LOVE vs THE LAW
The LAW screams “Responsibility!” LOVE says “Just respond to Me” We never know what lies ahead each day as the Lord guides us in the newness of His Spirit rather than the oldness of the letter. Are we studying God’s Word and leaving room for the Holy Spirit to minister to us each day? Paul tells us the law was not made for the righteous man who is in love with the Lord, who walks close to God, who desires to please the Lord. It was made for the lawless, the disobedient, the ungodly. Those who don’t care about the Lord need the law laid upon them for their own protection. The law keeps the unrighteous from rampant sin AND IT DRIVES THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS to Jesus. 1 Timothy 1: 8-9 But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane”…(the list continues) There are people in “church-ianity”, in LEGALISM, who are caught up in the shadows, bound up, critical, and missing out on so much as they drive themselves and others around them crazy focusing on their list of “can & cant’s”, black & white, and putting the same heaviness on others… when the reality is JESUS CHRIST. HE is our sabbath. HE is our rest. HE is the reality. HE is out TRUTH. HE is the answer. HIS LOVE will drive us to repentance. When we look at the law, we must look at the heart of the Father and not get caught up in technicalities. When we read the Old Testament, we can ask “Lord, show me something about YOU and something practical for ME.” May the Lord keep us from the depression and oppression and exhaustion that come from preoccupation with rules and regulations, obligations and stipulations…that we might know what it truly means to be FREE and married to Mr. Right (Jesus) who loves us unconditionally and will lead us day by day in JOY and LIBERTY, free from the bondage of sin AND the bondage of legalism!! Love Wins. Keep your eyes on Jesus. *Message paraphrased from Pastor Jon Courson's Bible Commentary COMPROMISE: ANYTHING other than a complete commitment to God.
Pharoah (a type of Satan) offered the FIRST compromise to Moses in Exodus 8:25 “Go ahead & serve God… but stay in the land”. In today’s language He was saying “Just get to church or or do your devotions, but you don’t really need to change your lifestyle or make a real separation from the world.” or “Everyone knows you love Jesus and you work really hard serving the Lord, so it’s ok to keep drinking alcohol as long as you’re not getting wasted.” or “You go to church and you've been faithful in Bible study, and you've already had sex before (or were married once), so it’s ok to sleep with your boyfriend/girlfriend.” or how about this one…”You’re serving the Lord and going to heaven, so who cares! Eat/do whatever you want.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV) says “Come out from among them and be separate…Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, He is a NEW CREATION. THE OLD HAS PASSED away; behold the new has come.” Galatians 2:20 (ESV) says “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV) “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. Titus 1:7-9 (ESV) says "For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." Ephesians 5:18 (NLT) "Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit" John 15:13 (NKJV) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. As Christians, we take a position of FAITH, knowing our “old nature” (the things we used to love and do) was crucified with Christ. We CHOOSE to walk in the Light, in the SPIRIT, in OBEDIENCE to what the Scriptures are really saying. We understand the greatness of God, His sacrifice to us, and and we live to enter the land of Promise! We also love by being willing to lay down those things that stumble others to sin. COMPROMISE compromises God’s best in our lives! He gave it all for us WITHOUT COMPROMISE. A brutal death. Severe persecution & mockery. A world that HATED Him…He gave His life for. Why would we compromise? Don’t take the bait of compromise! When we compromise we not only harm ourselves, but we harm or confuse those who look for God IN US. It’s not about us, It’s ALWAYS ABOUT HIM. The Lord allows us to come to the end of ourselves, the end of our resources and our own “good ideas”…even to the brink of hopelessness before He “does His God thang”. When God works in our life, He does NOT want us bragging about how skilled we are or some great work that WE ACCOMPLISHED on our own. The purpose of our trials is to bring glory to God and increase our faith.
I am reading through the Bible, cover to cover, this year. I’ve been intimidated by this and feared not being disciplined enough to succeed. I am notorious for reading books halfway and putting them down (don’t judge!). So I finally thought, I have to start somewhere. GOD IS MY STRENGTH. I’m pretty sure HE CAN DO THIS through me. Time to practice what I preach and just submit to prayer for God’s discipline and desire and perseverance to accomplish this awesome feat! Jana can’t, but GOD CAN. Genesis 17:5 & 17:15 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations….Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name…” God inserts the letter “h” into Abraham & Sarah’s names. “H” is made with the sound of breath. God put the sound of breath into Abraham AND Sarah’s names…He INSERTED HIMSELF, because the hebrew word for breath = ruach = Spirit. Therefore, God inserted His Spirit, His life into them, bringing them into a whole new dimension of life – the life after the Spirit. A new identity. Just like the coming Messiah would come to give us…a new identity in Christ. ABRAM = high father; ABRAHAM = father of many nations. SARAI = contentious; SARAH = princess. …pretty cool huh?! Genesis 17: 19-21 Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. At this point, their names had been changed (new identity). The former Sarai and Abram had already taken God’s promise of a son into their own hands and used Hagar, Sarai’s maidservant, to give Abram a son (Ishmael). They gave God a deadline and then tried to “help God.” NEVER A GOOD IDEA. Hagar got pregnant and gave birth to Ishmael. So now Abraham was old, his body was dead (impotent) and Sarah was way past the age of fertility (menopause). It was the perfect set-up for God to work a miracle and give them the son God promised They were in a place where they could no longer do anything themselves. They came to the end of themselves and their resources. There was jealousy and hardship over what they had taken into their own hands. They brought much hardship on themselves. But now God had room to move. And ONLY GOD COULD RECEIVE THE PRAISE FOR THE MIRACLE OF ISAAC! He proved Himself faithful, powerful, redeeming, and loving. Genesis 21: 1-3 And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. We must stop taking life into our own hands. The end of ourselves is the beginning of miracles. He did it for Abraham & Sarah, His Word is documentation of endless promises and miracles, and HE IS ALIVE and still working miracles today. Don’t give God a deadline. Just believe. We must find that balance of knowing God’s Word, meditating on scripture AND CONTEXT daily in order to know Him & what His Word REALLY SAYS….all the while balancing the fact that…
There will always remain some level of mystery with God!! HE is God. WE are not. (THANK GOD!!) He has 3 parts: God the Father, Jesus our friend. And the Holy Spirit. Let the HOLY SPIRIT be the Holy Spirit. That’s not our job The Holy Spirit guides, counsels, comforts, strengthens, reveals, convicts, blesses, transforms, knows, revives, warns, protects, rewards, sanctifies, enriches, speaks, brings JOY…. NEED I SAY MORE??! It’s in the scriptures In those “grey areas”…the places “unknown”…FAITH & DISCERNMENT ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. We MUST get to know God’s voice. Only God knows what man does not, and HE CAN REVEAL TRUTH to use at any moment when we are walking in step with Him, when we have received a baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we are in tune to HIS VOICE. If we are not hearing clearly from Him, we can humbly ask the Lord to reveal any sin in our lives. Repent for what He reveals. Receive HIS forgiveness & grace (don’t let condemnation try to rob you of God’s grace!!). Ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit or a baptism of the Holy Spirit if you have never done that before. And then simply move forward. TRUST GOD to complete His good work in you We are all sinners in need of forgiveness daily. Luke 11:13 NIV If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where our knowledge of scripture, wisdom & faith collide in real life as we learn to navigate those “grey areas”…the uncertainties, the unusual experiences, the supernatural, the things that happen outside the box. The radical healings. The miracles! The true FREEDOM. Much of our “church” today is scared to death of REAL FREEDOM. FREEDOM IN CHRIST…not freedom to do as we please as the world sees it. MUCH of “American church” has quenched the working of the Holy Spirit, with our hyper-literal thinking, our legalistic or false teaching, and our controlling (fear-based) ways of thinking and living. We live in a world that goes to the ends of the earth to “figure everything out”, and it has spilled over into our faith (or lack thereof). This world is so obsessed with science, self-help books, me-first, “what will people think”, more, more, more, GOTTA HAVE A PLAN, and where’s the coffee & someone-looked-at-me-funny-in-church kind of problems…We don’t “need” a lot of faith in America. May we remember Jesus had no letters behind his name, no “scientific” background, spoke in parables, had no place to lay his head, did not wear name-brand or “professional” clothes before He went to speak, and was qualified by God alone…and He conquered MILLIONS, defeated death, LOVED ALL, and spoke to more life issues than anyone or anything else (put together) in ancient and modern times! WORD!!! This is often where churches & friendships divide. Those raised under legalism can tend to be afraid of the movement of the Holy Spirit. Judgemental and overly-literal. They throw people in “spiritual jail” for living out the prompting of the Holy Spirit simply because the movement of the Holy Spirit “looks different” than anything they have seen or experienced. Those not rooted in sound doctrine can get out of order and “hyper-charismatic”. Both are simply another example of humans acting in the flesh. We are all human! We ALL battle our flesh. Salvation issues and fundamental doctrine….we must KNOW IT and be willing to stand for it at all cost. The other stuff…when we don’t understand someone else, when we have different convictions, we disagree with them, or we don’t relate because of different backgrounds/flavors/giftings/style/life experience, whatever…we must communicate in LOVE. We do not need to divide over these issues! And how about exercising FAITH?! If that person is saved, then the Holy Spirit got ahold of them that ONE TIME remember?? And we can TRUST, BY FAITH (pray!) for that person, that they would receive a fresh filling or baptism of the Holy Spirit…and that GOD WILL BE GOD and gently make their way straight Takes A LOT MORE FAITH, obedience, maturity, discipline to sit back, be quiet and TRUST doesn’t it? Don’t we tend to think things would happen a LOT FASTER if we just “told them” what they’re doing wrong instead of waiting on & trusting the Lord (aka: praying for them and BELIEVING GOD CAN). I realize there is a time and place to speak up or share something from the Lord with someone else…but I have been challenged to ask myself…haven’t I gotten ahead of the Lord before? How often have I taken a “feeling” and thought it to be a “Holy Spirit nudge” and responded to my flesh vs the Spirit? WE ALL DO. None is exempt …and isn’t this the same thing we are judging in other people? OUR “mistakes” in trying to be HOLY can cause a lot of damage. I’ve been on both sides of this. If we ARE to speak up, I pray we have the courage to do so, and most importantly, we speak in LOVE, keep our opinions out of it, and seek only to BUILD THAT PERSON UP. Lord, help us all! Let “worshippers” be free to sing & dance. Let “literalists” be literal. Let GOD be GOD. PRAY for one another. GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CHANGE PEOPLE. We are FREE from the BURDEN of trying to control or change people!!! Hallelujah!!!! 1 Peter 2:9 We are a CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE!! REMEMBER: the Holy Spirit moves different in different people. We cannot box him into our small capacity of life experience. BE FREE within the confines of scripture not man’s misconceptions. God is omnipotent (all-powerful, all Mighty), omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (everywhere). We must be careful not to put God in a box and assume we know the recipe for how He works & moves in other people’s lives. LOVE people. TRUST GOD to complete the work in his people (not us!) Edify the body of Christ. Build people up! Speak life. Forgive quickly. Judge slowly. Quit trying to control things. GOD IS ABLE, and HE LOVES US ALL. Ecclesiastes 11:5 NIV As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. It’s not about us. It’s about HIM. |
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