When I was over 250 pounds, I used to look at those who were thin and healthy and wish I was, too. Looking at them was proof that it was possible, but the reflection in the mirror, the reality of how much weight I had to lose, and the fact that I did not want to stop eating and drinking unhealthy foods and beverages made losing weight seem like an unattainable pipe dream.
 
Since God has delivered me from the sin of gluttony, I have met others along the way who felt the way I used to, but they were looking at me. At 89 pounds lost, someone wished they could lose that much weight, and they would have been satisfied. At that point I was a size 14. At 99 pounds lost, I was told by overweight women that I did not need to lose any more weight, and they would be happy to be that size again. I wore a size 12.
 
It was the same as I slimmed down even more. At every level, I met someone who would have been more than happy to switch places with me, and I was not done yet. I am telling you this not to brag, but to encourage you. I know from your perspective losing 25 pounds is a good thing, but it is nothing compared to the 150 you still have left to lose. Change your perspective! Other people have to start from 500, and losing 25 pounds seems impossible to them. They would gladly take your place.
 
Focusing on how far you have left to travel in order to reach your health and fitness goals is one of the enemy's best weapons to get you to quit. God has brought you this far, He will not leave you in the middle of the journey. He will take you all the way to the Promised Land of Healthy and Fit for Life, but you must take up your spiritual weapons and conquer the enemy inhabiting the land promised to you. The way to defeat him is to have a grateful heart for every inch removed from your waistline, every ounce lost, and every pound lighter you become. Every day that you resist the urge to give in to a trigger or otherwise stick to your plan to become free of the eating disorder plaguing your life is a victory over the enemy. Like the tenth leper in Luke 17:11-19, you should run back to Jesus and say, "Thank You! If I never lose another pound, I am grateful for what You have already done!" Have a praise party for every eating disorder milestone you reach! God is pleased when you have a heart which overflows with thanksgiving when He blesses you, and it makes Him want to shower down more blessings upon you. So praise Him now for such as it is and on credit for what is to come!
 
If you finally realize that your circumstances are not as bad as you think they are and you want to continue to learn to eat, drink, or exercise for the glory of God,  register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones! The classes are free! There are no registration fees or membership fees! Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials. Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST! Space is limited. Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
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If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God. Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ. Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips. Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends. Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

When we face difficult circumstances, we often feel as though we are in it alone even when it is obvious that we are not. For example, if you are married, your spouse is as much affected by what takes place in your life as you are. If there is a layoff on your job, everyone who received a pink slip understands what you are going through. In America, over one third (1/3) of the population is overweight. That means they all are experiencing the same challenges as you are in terms of losing unwanted pounds and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Likewise, those struggling with eating disorders are also acutely aware of the pain and devastation the disorder causes in your life.
 
Nevertheless, the isolation, the loneliness, and the belief that no one understands your plight persists, especially when you eat healthier meals alone, exercise alone, and adopt a healthy lifestyle alone in a household full of people who have no interest in changing their unhealthy habits. Recognize that this is a trick of the enemy, an attack designed to make you quit! If you think about it, it is really not much different than the peer pressure you felt as a child to skip school, become sexually active, or use drugs because everyone else was doing it.
 
The Bible says, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). The enemy's intent is the same today as it was during childhood. He wants you to feel left out, to think you are missing out on something, and to desire to be included. But remember what happened to the kids who skipped school? Many of them became high school dropouts who still struggle to make ends meet. Remember the girls who decided to satisfy their boyfriends' lust? Some of them became teenaged mothers and/or were infected with sexually transmitted diseases. Remember the friends who urged you to take a hit of weed? A few of them became drug addicts, drug dealers, and/or incarcerated prisoners.
 
Now fast forward to today, yesterday, last week, last month, or even last year.  How many people have died from heart attacks in your family? Which co-worker was paralyzed due to a stroke? What church member is on dialysis? Who among your friends was diagnosed with diabetes? You do not have to look back thirty (30) years to know what will happen if you give in to the pressure to quit. That scenario is playing out all around you every day.
 
Even if it is true that no human being on earth knows, cares, or understands what you are enduring on your health and fitness journey, Jesus does! Even if no one will travel the narrow road that leads to health and fitness with you, He will! He has promised that even if everyone else fails you and leaves you, He never will!  He will stay by your side, holding your right hand through it all, and when you have done all you can and you are unable to stand on your own, He will carry you out of the Wilderness of Obesity and Eating Disorders into the Promised Land of Healthy and Fit for Life!
 
If you finally realize that you do not have to eat, drink, or exercise alone on your health and fitness journey, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones! The classes are free! There are no registration fees or membership fees! Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials. Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST! Space is limited. Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
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If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com. In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God. Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ. Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips. Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends. Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

You should show your thanks to the Lord for another day on earth by honoring Him with your body and your spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). A great way to do this would be to drink plenty of water, have healthy meals throughout the day, go for a walk, ride your bike with your kids, or take a Zumba class.  However, if today is one of those days where the mere thought of dieting and exercising makes you feel tired, preparing your meals seems like a hated chore, you want to give in to your eating disorder triggers, and you cannot talk yourself into working out, remember that you have an unlimited supply of power in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
 
Encourage yourself to stay the course by verbally declaring to yourself and the enemy who is opposing you that, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)!  Then, do it!  Get dressed, workout, eat your healthy breakfast, pack your healthy lunch, serve your family a healthy dinner, and keep your therapy appointment regarding the eating disorder.  Defeat the enemy again on this day!  Do not worry about tomorrow.  It is not promised, and today has enough evil to face and defeat in itself (Matthew 6:34).  Focus on the baby steps before you to get through each second, minute, and hour of today!  This day and each successive day's victories will increase your confidence and faith that through Christ you can do this because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)!
 
Remember, the race is not given to the swift nor the battle to the strong" (Ecclesiastes 9:11), "but he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Every overweight person wants to permanently achieve and sustain weight loss success.  Everyone entangled with an eating disorder wants to be set free.  Unfortunately, we buy into the world's "microwave moment" standards and believe success should occur instantly.  However, the Lord does not measure success by how quickly you accomplish your personal goals.  On the contrary, Jesus said that whoever will be great in His kingdom must first and foremost become a servant (Matthew 20:26), and He exemplified how to do this as we carry out our kingdom building assignments.
 
Jesus' primary objective on earth was to be crucified on the Cross for mankind's sins, but on the way to the Cross, He taught, healed, fed, forgave, and resurrected many people.  In other words, the King of kings, Lord of lords, and Prince of Peace chose to serve mankind while simultaneously completing His spiritual objective.  On your health and fitness journey, it is easy to get tunnel vision as you focus on shedding pounds, losing inches, and adding definition to your physique.  But remember over 1/3 of Americans are obese, so chances are you know someone who needs to "come see a man" (John 4:29) who can free him or her from the sin of gluttony just as He's freed you.   Likewise, a high percentage of Americans also suffer from eating disorders and need to know that deliverance is not only possible, but it is readily available through Christ. 
 
"Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you.  In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6)!  Literally walk in the Master’s footsteps by following His example!  While you may not be healing the lame, you should encourage those who see your health and fitness success and want to obtain it to eat, drink, and exercise for the glory of God. Teach them what you have been taught.  Encourage them as you have been encouraged.  Continue to be the example they should follow. In truth, that is the whole point of your health and fitness success, to lift Jesus up before men so that they will be drawn to Him.
 
If you finally recognize that health and fitness was never meant to be a fleeting microwave moment of temporary success but a lifestyle of abundant living and overflowing blessings to those who see you succeed through Christ, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

The weight loss and eating disorder battles are your fights to win or to lose. If you make Jesus Christ your motivation for losing weight and being free of your eating disorder, He will insure your victory through Him!  If you continue to set worldly goals for losing weight, such as fitting into a suit or dress for a special occasion, getting attention from a person you find attractive, or looking like a model, then the results will be the same as every other time you have tried to lose weight. By continuing to let your triggers control you and refusing to follow your treatment plan, you are setting yourself up to remain entangled with the eating disorder. You might have some success for a while, but eventually you will end up in the same place, significantly overweight, bingeing and purging, gaining back more than you lost, or worse, you will finally do enough internal damage to your body to cause your premature demise. None of that has to happen to you. Trust God with every aspect of your life, including your health and fitness journey.  He is able to guide you out of the Wilderness of Obesity and Eating Disorders.  Nothing is too hard for Him! 
 
Do not procrastinate!  You need to trust Him today because adopting a healthy lifestyle is very beneficial for you in a number of ways.  You will look better, feel better, and live longer as a result of eating and drinking for the glory of God and taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is your body (1 Corinthians 6:19, 10:31). However, God's blessings are not just for you.  In Psalm 23, we learn that a blessing, or rather, an anointing, runs over. Indeed, in the health and fitness war God literally, prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies, and He anoints your head with oil. You will find that far from feeling hungry or that you are missing out on your favorite foods and beverages, you will lack nothing.  On the contrary, you will declare as the psalmist that your cup truly runs over. (Psalm 23:5)."
 
This is illustrated in Malachi 3:10 which states, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Those closest to you often are the recipients of the overflowing blessings.  For example, in Isaiah 44:3, God declares, "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring."
 
It should not be a surprise that overflowing blessings follow obedience because Jesus said that He came that we might have life and have life more abundantly (John 10:10). Abundant living encompasses many things. A longer lifespan is one of them. Your family, above all, will not only benefit from having you in their lives longer, but they will also be spared the heartache of watching you learn to walk again because a limb was amputated due to diabetes, the stress of seeking permission to miss work to transport you to dialysis, the heartache of you taking your life due to an eating disorder, or the agony of choosing to end life support because you are brain dead due to a stroke.
 
But they are not the only ones who benefit from the overflow of blessings.  You have also been spared, first and foremost, so Jesus' redemption work can continue through you (Matthew 28:19).  Your family and much of the world needs to know not only that Jesus lives, but also that He is able to set them free indeed from obesity, its related diseases, and eating disorders.  In other words, God will bless you to lose the weight and become free of the eating disorder because the world needs to hear His Word and your testimony!
 
For all of these reasons, you should end the cycle of weight loss-weight gain in your life and resolve to finally be free of the eating disorder that has crippled your life.  Begin to eat and drink for the glory of the Lord today as He commands (1 Corinthians 10:31)! If you are ready to remain on the health and fitness battlefield and fight on, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

We do not like to think or talk about death, but it is happening all around us every day.  The truth is death eventually touches everyone's life, and where your spirit spends eternity depends on what you believe.  There are lots of people in the world who do not see the need for Jesus Christ in their lives.  Many of them are overweight and suffering from obesity-related diseases.  Others have eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa.  Nevertheless, they are dying and spending eternity in hell after a hellish existence on earth.
 
"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher" (Romans 10:14-21)?  I know you want to lose weight and overcome your eating disorder to look good, feel better, attract a spouse, stop taking medication to treat an obesity-related disease, end therapy sessions for an eating disorder, or prevent an untimely death, but I have to tell you a secret... It is really not all about you!
 
You are commanded to eat and drink for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) for the same reason the Israelites were commanded to abstain from eating unclean things.  The Lord said to do it in order, "To be holy because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44).  In other words, the Israelites were to reflect His glory down to the last detail, so their pagan, idol worshipping neighbors would see and be drawn to the One True Living God.  You, too, are commanded to "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
 
The problem is the Church has lost Its witness and is disqualified in this regard because believers no longer discipline their bodies for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 9:27).  2 Corinthians 10:4 explains the problem best.  It states, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for pulling down strongholds, casting out arguments and any high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience once your obedience is fulfilled." Judgment always starts at the House of God. He commands you to obey Him by eating and drinking for His glory so that His redemption work to save this sinful generation can continue through you! Otherwise, death is simply a change of address for the unbeliever who dies from an obesity-related disease due to committing the sin of gluttony and for the anorexic who starves herself because she never heard that her body was the temple of the Holy Spirit and that she must honor the Lord with her body by eating and drinking for His glory.
 
If you are ready to fully obey God by eating and drinking for His glory in order to draw others to His perfect Will for health and fitness, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
​
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​We live in a world of instant gratification.  We want immediate responses to our questions, fast food, and overnight weight loss success.  Yet we hypocritically say the person who provided a quick but wrong response is incompetent.  We get angry and demand a refund when we do not get exactly what we ordered at the drive through.  We demand our refund when the $19.99 weight loss wonder pill failed to deliver the promised results in 30 days.  None of this is of the Father.
 
Exodus 13:17-18 states, “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, ‘Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’ But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.”  In other words, God took the Israelites the long way around instead of taking the shortcut that was readily available because He knew the dangers ahead of them and that they were too weak to fight another battle. 
 
Unlike us, our God is patient (Numbers 14:18, 2 Peter 3:9).  He strategically planned all of creation from its beginning to its end before laying the foundation of the universe, time, and space.   He carefully, lovingly, fearfully and wonderfully made man in His image, and He teaches us to be like Him by reminding us in His Word that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
 
Since we are made in His image, those who have been redeemed should reflect His holiness more and more each day.  Therefore, patience should be growing and blossoming within you as the Fruit of the Spirit is cultivated in the soil of your spirit.  Stop being so quick to get angry during rush hour traffic!  Stop losing faith because the answer to your prayers did not present itself an hour later.  Stop giving up on your diet and exercise plans because you did not lose one hundred (100) pounds in two (2) weeks!  You did not gain three hundred (300) pounds overnight, so you cannot expect to lose it that quickly.  Likewise, recovering from an eating disorder will take time, so do not expect all of your negative behaviors to evaporate overnight. 
 
Learn to trust God and His timing for EVERYTHING!  His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).  The delay in traffic may have been God's way of protecting you from an accident.  Your order could have been wrong to keep you from getting food poisoning.  Likewise, you may be on a plateau for a spiritual reason instead of a physical one.  Plainly speaking, it may be taking you longer to lose weight or fully recover from an eating disorder because God is intentionally taking you the long way around. 
 
The person in your office who lost one hundred (100) pounds may have had gastric bypass surgery or taken other drastic measures such as consuming dangerous pills that promise rapid results without changing eating habits.  The person you admire may look healthy and fit, but they secretly binge and purge on a regular basis.  That is not God’s Will for your life.  He will deliver you safely to the Promised Land of Healthy and Fit for Life and help you to defeat all of the giants in the land one battle at a time, but your patience is necessary to win the health and fitness war!   
 
If you are ready to trust God’s timing and patiently implement His health and fitness plan for your life, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

Since infancy, we all have learned to recognize our bodies’ need for food and beverages, which we interpret as hunger or thirst.  In response to these physical needs, we must continue to fulfill our bodies’ desire to eat and drink until the day we die.  Failure to do so will bring about our early, certain, and painful demise.  The question is how do you overcome obesity and eating disorders when your body must consume food to live?  The first step is to put food back into its proper place in your life.
 
The purpose of food is to provide sustenance and nutrition to your body and to keep you in good health.  Nevertheless, people have increasingly come to require and expect food to do more than it is able or intended to do.  For instance, you should not run to food if you feel angry, depressed, lonely, disappointed, stressed, or hurt.  Whatever hole is left in your heart by life will never be filled by a tub of ice cream, a pizza, burgers with fries, or any other earthly thing you could eat or drink.  In other words, food was never meant to be your comforter, the source of your joy and happiness, a crutch to make life bearable, or a shield against pain and disappointment.  That’s the Lord’s job, and only He is uniquely qualified to do it.  Whenever you feel tempted to turn to food or beverages during a time of crisis, remember who God is: 
 God is our Comforter: 
“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  I will not leave you comfortless:  I will come to you” (John 14:16-18 KJV).              
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7 KJV).
God is the Source of Joy: 
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
God is the Crutch to Endure Life: 
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light“ (Matthew 11:28-30). 
 
God is the Shield Against Pain and Disappointment:
 “Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls – Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, your stomach is the equivalent of a bottomless pit.  It will continue to require more and more as it probably already has been with each passing year.  It only takes in what your body craves, and it never gives you what you truly desire.  That’s because it cannot.  It’s a false god that neither sees, hears, nor speaks, yet you run to it with peach cobbler and ice cream as your offering in times of trouble.  The so-called comfort food only earns you a temporary reprieve from your cares. 
You recognize too late that your crutch is crippling you, and you are increasingly growing more disgusted with your eating habits instead of happily indulging in your desire for your favorite foods.  Furthermore, instead of shielding you from your pain and disappointment, you realize your stomach and its cravings are slowly becoming or have already become a source of pain and disappointment in your life.  In short, you have become a living example of Philippians 3:18b-19, which states, “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is on earthly things.”
Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).  The Bible teaches us that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and it commands us to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Furthermore, we are also commanded to eat and drink for the glory of God in 1 Corinthians 10:31.
 
Nevertheless, over one-third of Americans are not only entangled with the sin of gluttony, but many more are also diagnosed with eating disorders and suffering from obesity related illnesses by failing to obey God’s command to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit by eating and drinking for His glory.  Moreover, they have also committed the sin of idolatry by giving in to every craving of their stomachs and elevating food from the status of sustenance to their comforter.
 
Neither your body nor food was meant to be served as a false god.  On the contrary, your body was meant to be a spiritual house for the One True Living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 2:4).  Food was meant to keep you alive and healthy.  I encourage you today to repent of the sins of gluttony, idolatry, and otherwise failing to eat and drink for the glory of God.  Renounce the idols you have made of your stomach, food, and beverages, then return wholeheartedly to the One True Living God!  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, choose this day whom you will serve..., but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)."  
 
If you’re ready to put food and beverages back in the place God intended for them to have in your life, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​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 overweight not because your family members are fat, not because you have a disability, and not because you lack willpower.  On the contrary, you have a weight problem 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 gods of your stomach, food, and beverages 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, as with every other sin, when you turn away from gluttony, idolatry, and failing to eat and drink for the glory God in order to honor Him with your body. 
 
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, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

Proverbs 6:4-5 says, "Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter and like a bird from the hand of the fowler."  Why does God use hunter and prey terminology to warn His people?  Because you are being hunted every day, all day, by the enemy.  The Bible cautions us to, "Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
 
This life is like a jungle, and we are similar to the enemy's quarry.  The difference is Satan devours his prey from the inside out by getting you to choose one sinful path or another.  God tells us to expect to be tempted and to run in the opposite direction for dear life when it occurs just as Joseph did when Potiphar tried to seduce him.
 
If you did not run and you find yourself entangled with the sin of gluttony, making an idol of your stomach and food, or abusing your body with eating disorders by failing to obey the command to eat and drink for the glory of God, it is not too late.  The Blood of Jesus Christ will free you from the snare of the fowler and the hunting lion, but you must confess and repent.  Then run in liberty for Christ in the opposite direction by taking care of your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, as you eat and drink for His glory!  If you fail to do so, you will be consumed as a result of your sin by hypertension, cancer, diabetes, and other illnesses related to obesity and eating disorders.
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I know the enemy works hard to make it seem like freedom from obesity and eating disorders is an impossibility, but Jesus said the devil is a liar, the father of lies, and there is no truth in him.  So stop listening to Satan!  The Bible says as a man thinks in his heart, so he is (Proverbs 23:7).  If you think you will always be fat, you will be.  If you doubt you will ever be free from your eating disorder, chances are you will continue to suffer in bondage to it.  Conversely, if you think you can change your current circumstances and lose the weight or overcome the eating disorder, you will.  
The first and most important battle in the health and fitness war takes place in your mind.  While there will be other skirmishes during the war, your mind is the equivalent of the front line of the battlefield.  Consequently, the fighting will be most intense there, and you will fight repeatedly day after day as you claim more of what used to be the enemy's territory.  When you become tomorrow who you think you are today, the enemy will be defeated, and you will emerge victorious.
 
In other words, you must believe that you can do this.  Whether it is 50, 150, 500 pounds, or more, you can lose every ounce of weight through Christ!  If you have been bingeing and purging for decades or starving yourself in secret for years, God can renew your mind and change you from the inside out today.  His power gives you victory over every sin, including those that result in obesity and eating disorders.  Remember, “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  “Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith” Hebrews 12:1-2.
 
If you are truly ready to free yourself from the enemies of obesity and eating disorders, which seek to kill you like prey, run for your life by obeying God’s commands regarding your health and fitness!  Register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​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 or punished. 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 obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, heart disease and strokes.  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, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!