​As Christians, we are commanded to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:17; Mark 12:31).  However, that does not mean coddling, sheltering, or outright lying when it comes to sharing God's Word.  On the contrary, we are instructed to speak the truth in love to foster and promote spiritual maturity through Christ (Ephesians 4:15).  In other words, we are not doing the world a favor by watering down, sugar-coating, or withholding the truth of the gospel from this increasingly evil generation.  While we should not be judgmental when sharing our faith because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), we should actively be about the Father's business of saving souls even though it might make us unpopular, the message may be rejected, and/or the world hates us for it.
 
That said, I have to tell you something you do not want to hear.  You are fat not because your family members are fat, not because you have a disability, and not because you lack willpower.  You are fat because you are actively sinning against God, and you are suffering from the consequences of your sin.  It is not God's will for you to habitually commit the sins of gluttony and idolatry by worshipping at the altar of the false god of your stomach every time you have a craving.  Likewise, if you are suffering from an eating disorder, you are also sinning against the Lord by failing to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is your body, by obeying God’s command to eat and drink for His glory in order to, “Be holy because I am holy” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 10:31; Leviticus 11).  The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and you can expect an often slow, painful death from an obesity-related disease if you do not repent and begin to eat and drink for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Similarly, those suffering from eating disorders can anticipate a host of mental and emotional illnesses as well as physical ailments which could lead to their early demise.
 
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32).  Satan uses the ignorance of God's people against them.  The Bible confirms this fact in Hosea 4:6 which states, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because they have rejected knowledge..."  The devil's plan is to steal years off your life by keeping you entangled with the sin of gluttony and failing to honor God with your body.  If successful, gluttony, making an idol of your stomach and food, and failing to otherwise take care of God’s temple by eating and drinking for His glory will ultimately bring about your untimely death and destroy the abundant life God meant for you to share with your family.  Do not let the enemy win!  Seek the knowledge of God in regard to your battle to lose weight and overcome eating disorders.
 
Romans 12:1 teaches that we should present our bodies as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable to God.  When you become a living sacrifice, your lifestyle reflects it.  Those who knew the past version of you marvel at the change, and those who hear your testimony about who you used to be and the things you used to do have difficulty believing it is true.  Not only does your behavior change, but your very character is fundamentally different.  The result is the same when you turn away from the sins of gluttony, idolatry, and failing to eat and drink for the glory God in order to honor God with your body as with every other sin.  
 
Those who knew you as an overweight glutton, an anorexic, or bulimic will marvel at how God has changed your life.  Those who meet the healthy you will find it difficult to believe you have ever starved yourself, binged and purged, or known a fat day.  The fact that you were able to overcome your sinful nature through Christ will plant seeds of faith in others that they can do the same.  In other words, it is not really about you, about simply overcoming your eating dysfunction, or about losing weight.  It is actually all about reaching the lost, setting the captives free, and preventing others from becoming ensnared by the sins of gluttony, idolatry, and failing to eat and drink for the glory of God.  Just like you, they need to hear the truth of God’s love spoken with the love that only Christ can give.
 
If you accept God’s truth which was revealed to you through His love, then ORDER YOUR COPY of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition TODAY!  In the book, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Don’t procrastinate!  Order your copy at Amazon.com and start serving the One True Living God in every aspect of your life, including your eating habits TODAY!

Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Light of the world (John 8:12, 14:6).  He dispels the darkness from our lives and gives us the Light of Life through Him. Sadly, many love darkness more than light (John 3:19) and take offense when the light of God's Word illuminates their sinful behavior.  This is increasingly true for professed Christians who choose to continue living sinful lifestyles instead of allowing the Holy Spirit's conviction to transform them into the image of Christ from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).
 
The Bible says Jesus is coming back for His church unexpectedly like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2).  Death often comes unexpectedly, too, especially obesity related deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.  Moreover, those who suffer from eating disorders often do not consider the ramifications of their actions until their health deteriorates and death becomes a real possibility sooner rather than later. 
The truth is you do not know if the hamburger you are about to ingest is the one that sets off the chain reaction in your body to trigger a heart attack.  It is impossible to tell if the last fried chicken dinner tipped the balance to cause a stroke.  The next episode of bingeing and purging may do irreparable harm to your digestive system.  You will never know the effects of staying home last night instead of going to the gym for a workout.  Likewise, denying your body the sustenance it needs may very well prove to be fatal the next time you stop eating. 
Nevertheless, although you know intellectually that tomorrow is not promised, you foolishly continue to engage in behavior that will shorten your days!  I encourage you to leave your unhealthy lifestyle behind through Christ and eat for His glory.  Then you will reap the blessings of good health and longevity.  Furthermore, now that you know God commands you in His Word to eat and drink for His glory, you are expected to conform to His Will (1 Corinthians 10:31).  Since you have discovered your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, you are obligated to honor God with your body and spirit by attaining and maintaining a healthy body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  I encourage you today to fully embrace the Light of Jesus Christ and lay aside every weight and sin that has easily beset you (Hebrews 12:1), including the sins of gluttony, making an idol of your stomach, and failing to eat and drink for the glory of God in order to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is your body.  When you yield your will to the Master's, then you will experience the outward transformation you've been longing for.
If you recognize that tomorrow is not promised and you are ready to recover your health and fitness through Christ, sign up for the Eating as an Act of Worship Health and Fitness Class TODAY!  During the 12-week course, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God!  The classes are FREE!  There are NO REGISTRATION FEES or MEMBERSHIP FEES!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook, which can be ordered online at Amazon.com. 
 
Classes are available ONLINE via Periscope, a FREE APP for your phone or tablet, and IN PERSON at New Calvary Temple COGIC located at 1120 Bishop Lindsey Avenue in North Little Rock, Arkansas!  The EAW Adult Course begins on MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH at 6:00 p.m. CST.  The EAW Kidz Initiative Health and Fitness Course begins on TUESDAY, AUGUST 21ST at 6:00 p.m. CST!  If you’re unable to take the classes or you don’t want to wait to get started, then ORDER YOUR COPY of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition TODAY!  Don’t procrastinate!  Order your copy at Amazon.com and start serving the One True Living God in every aspect of your life, including your eating habits, TODAY!

​When life is hard, our situation is critical, and we are afraid, God commands us to, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).  This applies to weight loss and eating disorders, too! 
 
Being overweight or suffering from an eating disorder is a source of frustration, shame, physical discomfort, and mental anguish for many people.  It is a method of torment used by the enemy.  1 John 4:18 teaches us, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment.  Where there is fear, love has not been perfected."  Some translations use the term "punishment" instead of torment.  Nevertheless, God is love (1 John 4:8), and it is He who casts out fear because it is not His will that you are ever tormented.  Furthermore, He does not want to enforce the ultimate punishment of sin upon you, namely, everlasting torment in hell when you leave this life and pass into the next.  However, when you sin against Him, He can't protect you from the torment because it is one of the consequences of sin just as disobeying your parents often invoked an element of fear of being punished.
 
God has told us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).  Contrary to popular opinion, the root cause of obesity and eating disorders in the vast majority of individuals is rooted in sin.  Specifically, when you overeat or have a pattern of overindulgence in unhealthy foods and beverages, you commit the sin of gluttony and fail to honor God with your body by taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit.  When you succumb to the temptation of an eating disorder, you also sin by failing to eat and drink for the glory of God in accordance with 1 Corinthians 10:31.
 
Moreover, you are well aware that your unhealthy lifestyle leads directly to high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and strokes, if you are obese.  Those with eating disorders also suffer from a myriad of physical, emotional, and psychological problems, depending on the type and severity of the disorder.  Consequently, you are right to be afraid just like a child who is caught blatantly disobeying a parent should be afraid of the consequences.  Obedience is the cure for that kind of fear.  Obedience to God puts you at peace with Him the same way a child has no need to fear being scolded or spanked when they have done nothing wrong.
 
My prayer for you today is that you allow the love of God to be perfected within you by repenting from committing the sins of gluttony, making an idol of your stomach, and failing to eat and drink for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Then obey the Lord’s command to honor Him with your body by eating and drinking for the glory of God in order to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Thereafter, as you embark on your health and fitness journey, hold on to the peace given to you by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, regardless of your circumstances.  The world can't take it from you.  It is your choice to give it away.
  
If you are ready to magnify the Lord instead of your health and fitness dysfunctions, sign up for the Eating as an Act of Worship Health and Fitness Class TODAY!  During the 12-week course, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God!  The classes are FREE!  There are NO REGISTRATION FEES or MEMBERSHIP FEES!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook, which can be ordered online at Amazon.com. 
 
Classes are available ONLINE via Periscope, a FREE APP for your phone or tablet, and IN PERSON at New Calvary Temple COGIC located at 1120 Bishop Lindsey Avenue in North Little Rock, Arkansas!  The EAW Adult Course begins on MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH at 6:00 p.m. CST.  The EAW Kidz Initiative Health and Fitness Course begins on TUESDAY, AUGUST 21ST at 6:00 p.m. CST!  If you’re unable to take the classes or you don’t want to wait to get started, then ORDER YOUR COPY of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition!  Don’t procrastinate!  Order your copy at Amazon.com and start serving the One True Living God in every aspect of your life, including your eating habits TODAY!