Have you ever wondered about your sole purpose in life, and how your traumas might be affecting it? Journey with us as we engage in a heart-to-heart discussion with Anna, a cherished member of our Ladies of ISI community. We delve into the significance of interpreting God's word over human opinions, chasing personal dreams, and understanding how past traumas can skew our perception of criticism as control. Anna highlights the strength she derived from the unwavering support of her sisters at ISI.
Brace yourself for an insightful exploration of spiritual armor. As we pull back the veil on the essence of donning God's full armor, we illuminate on the pivotal role of seeking Him and His word in achieving this feat. We share with you the digital tools that can assist in immersing ourselves in the Spirit's presence and sift through the cacophony of voices to discern truth. Reflecting on Jesus' controversial message delivery, we underscore the necessity of anchoring our faith firmly.
As we sail through the turbulent waters of this ever-evolving world, we address the generational shift from 'Jesus Christ' to 'the universe' and 'energy.' We contemplate the reasons behind dwindling church attendance and the imperative of remaining steadfast in reading the Bible and being a luminary for others. We inspire you to seek divine revelation and guidance in times of confusion and temptation, emphasizing the importance of saturating your minds with God's truth. So, gear up to unleash the transformative power of faith with us.
Have you ever wondered about your sole purpose in life, and how your traumas might be affecting it? Journey with us as we engage in a heart-to-heart discussion with Anna, a cherished member of our Ladies of ISI community. We delve into the significance of interpreting God's word over human opinions, chasing personal dreams, and understanding how past traumas can skew our perception of criticism as control. Anna highlights the strength she derived from the unwavering support of her sisters at ISI.
Brace yourself for an insightful exploration of spiritual armor. As we pull back the veil on the essence of donning God's full armor, we illuminate on the pivotal role of seeking Him and His word in achieving this feat. We share with you the digital tools that can assist in immersing ourselves in the Spirit's presence and sift through the cacophony of voices to discern truth. Reflecting on Jesus' controversial message delivery, we underscore the necessity of anchoring our faith firmly.
As we sail through the turbulent waters of this ever-evolving world, we address the generational shift from 'Jesus Christ' to 'the universe' and 'energy.' We contemplate the reasons behind dwindling church attendance and the imperative of remaining steadfast in reading the Bible and being a luminary for others. We inspire you to seek divine revelation and guidance in times of confusion and temptation, emphasizing the importance of saturating your minds with God's truth. So, gear up to unleash the transformative power of faith with us.
I don't do the most but I do a lot. I'ma make a toast cause we still alive. No big. I feel like Pac, I shoot the shot. I'm coming in.
Speaker 1:Hello, it's your girl, stephanie, and you are now listening into Inside Beauty Inspires. Will we motivate, encourage and inspire through biblical principles? Today I have one of my sisters, my friend, in the studio with me. Today, anna, would you tell the people who you are? Hello?
Speaker 2:everybody. It's your favorite girl, goddess I-Hottie here.
Speaker 1:Hi, i-hottie, anna, Listen. So we want to bring you guys some fresh words on today straight from the father. He's been speaking with us, he's been talking with us, he's been dealing with us In the word and we've just been eating the scroll. Why is it feel to eat the scroll, anna? It's delicious, is it delicious, delicious?
Speaker 2:It's fulfilling.
Speaker 1:It's so fulfilling. That's why the message that we want to get out today is to get into your word. It's such an important piece of the puzzle, it's the biggest piece, it's the most important piece of the puzzle, wouldn't you agree?
Speaker 2:It is. It took me a long time to figure that out.
Speaker 1:We're not even going to go there, but you know what? Be honest, though, but you know, tell the truth, because, basically, we have to be able to overcome by the words of our testimonies, and sometimes we just cannot see, and everybody has their own path right, and so I want to read this, because it was such an eye opener to me. Okay, it says sometimes we worry too much about the wrong things. We tend to focus on little things that don't really matter. We stay called up and stressing and caring about everyone's opinion, but what we should be doing with our lives. Rather than focusing on what God has said before us, we listen to the wrong voices, distracted by the noise, and if we're not careful, we will start living other people's visions and dreams.
Speaker 1:Do you find yourself seeking approval or wanting to fit in? If so, remember you are unique and designed with a purpose like nobody else. Do you find yourself falling into the trap of putting someone else's happiness before your own, so much so that you become drained from valuing their success over your own? Sometimes it's okay to say no and, while we're at it, it's okay not to care what others have to say about you. Unfortunately, people will always have something to say about you, and maybe it's time to take a look at your friend list and decide who is rooting for you and who is pretending to root for you. And, no matter what, take care of yourself by chasing out your dreams God has for you.
Speaker 1:Life is too short to worry about everyone else's journey. Embrace the one you are on and appreciate every step towards your own happiness. This is your life and it's valuable. Cherish your visions, your dreams and your goals wherever God has you in life. The scripture that it gives with at escalations 110 and it says Does the sound as if I'm trying to does it? Does the sound as if I'm trying to win human approval? No, indeed, what I want is God's approval. Am I trying to be popular with people? If I were still trying to do, I would not be a servant of Christ. Let's talk about it, anna, because something that you've been putting on Facebook and I've been watching your page and you said hashtag purpose over popularity. Let's talk about it.
Speaker 2:Most definitely. The reason why I did put hashtag purpose over popularity was basically my self-discovery. I realized that I wanted to be a celebrity for a different reason and sometimes people get on Facebook and their motives are not of Christ. It's self-serving and I can say that and I can speak on that because I was that person.
Speaker 1:Wow, well, you know, Anna, I love it because you're such a transparent person right now. You know, when it comes down to the word, it makes such a difference. You have to understand. Anna is a part of the ladies of ISI. Shout out to the ladies of Iron Sharpens, iron. You know, when we get up each and every single morning at 6 am, we say these affirmations, we read a scripture and I give Bible studies and about three years two to three years since she's been right there, she was my trouble child. I'm gonna tell it all. No, I'm just saying you know I love her. I love her because you know I would always pray for her, always welcome her back, always with open arms, because we're about our father's business. And you know, when you lead with love, there's respect there. When you lead with love and show that you have the mind of Christ, it's a whole different avenue. It's a whole different ball game. What would you?
Speaker 2:say Well, I think that we concluded also, once I had went on my sabbatical and came back a new, changed creature, that it was the fact that, because of the trauma from my childhood, I wasn't teachable at the time. I took everything as you trying to control me instead of realizing you were trying to show me a better way of living. So sometimes it's you know not that we're the problem child. I know she's kidding when she's joking.
Speaker 2:She's not problem child, but depending on what we've been through you know, like, sometimes criticism can be taken as control and we both, you know, after sitting and talking I was like you know what you couldn't teach me, only God could, because I took everything you said so personal and so to the heart that I would get upset. And when you get upset then you're like, oh, the person is just being a hater controlling, and that's what I went through.
Speaker 1:Well, you know I love it. I love it because a lot of people are are struggling with childhood trauma. They've been through things in their lives where you know they don't mean to be the way that they are. It's just that you know I've been through so much in my life that you know I have this protection magnets mechanism up, you know. So it's not going to be easy for me to let people end based off of what I've been through, what I've experienced, and you know you try to, you try to, you try to protect your heart at all costs. That you know that's what I would say. But what happens when you start to really say you know, I surrender all like? What happens when you finally say you know, okay, god, show me Well for me.
Speaker 2:Stephanie, it became the fact that I got sick of myself. I guess I got sick of getting into with everybody, I got sick of running, I just got sick of being sick and I finally was like I want to change. But it starts in the mindset and that's what a lot of people don't not tell you. You can go out and pay and get your body done, but if that mindset is not, you're just a sick, sad person who has low confidence in an amazing $10,000 body I love it.
Speaker 1:I love the way you say, but that's the truth, and I don't think people are focusing on what's really important. What really truly matters is the inside of your heart that our father is looking at, and we wouldn't be able to be as transparent or, you know, speak to you about these places that we had not ever been there. You know what I'm saying. So the fact that you know we're telling you guys that, hey, there's a blockage there because of the childhood trauma, we have to get the proper help. Who's the only one that can help?
Speaker 2:God and I also going back what you said, td Jakes just said it be leery of leaders who try to lead you where they've never been before. I trust Stephanie, because Stephanie has already walked the walk I'm walking Now. It may not be exactly the same, but the principalities are the same.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen. You know, I on the journey, you know, what I realized is when I started focusing on the word of God and getting up and seeking his faith. Matthew 633 says seek first the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness, and all of these things shall be added unto you. When I started to do that, on an OMG, my whole life changed because I was dedicated to getting to know my father. I wanted to know more about who he was, and then I was introduced to. You know all of these facets of who God truly is. You learn so much about who you are at heart. You know we have so many capabilities but we don't even tap into them because we're not tapping into the source.
Speaker 2:And that's exactly right. And that goes back to what you're going to speak on today the armor of God and it was explained to me the armor of God doesn't protect me from evil days, it protects me from being evil.
Speaker 1:And we'll go into that deeper. Yes, listen, he tells us what to put on, he gives us a scripture. It's actually Ephesians 6, to be exact. So Ephesians 6, verse 10, I want you guys to read along with me on this. It says Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil schemes, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that, when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and, after you have done everything to stand, stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil. One Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Listen, and then I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 1:It says and pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. Would, this in mind, be alert and always be, always, keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me that, whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly as I should. Let's talk about it on, because when it comes down to putting on the full arm of God, what does that really consist of? Do you not have to get into your word?
Speaker 2:Yes, you definitely have to. And what's crazy is you used to say get in your word. I never understood I did. And then I was like you know what? I want to understand more in depth. How do I do this? And if you look in the contents of your Bible or at the index, it says for everything, addiction, anything you've got, anger, it's in there. And how I did it was I started going to YouTube. I mean, in a society where our Google and everything is right there, I started Googling, okay, and I pulled up Joyce, myers, tdj. I started pulling up people and they started giving a word, breaking it down, giving me scriptures that I could write down and go and reflect. And that's how I did it. And I was just to anybody that doesn't know where to begin and you don't go to a church or you don't have a mentor like I do, go to YouTube. Go to YouTube, type in what it is that you want to find out, and there's people on there that will give you a word and give you scriptures.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, anna. You know I think it's such a beautiful thing because what ends up happening is you know you're seeking him. You're seeking him. That's what the word of God says. Seek me, and when you seek me you'll find me. When you seek me with all of your heart. I know this to be true because I started seeking him. I didn't seek him for nobody else. I seek him for myself, and when you seek him for yourself, you find him. And when you find him, you know that he is who he says he is. There's no other way around it.
Speaker 1:I was reading in this book and I want to share. This is prayers for victory and spiritual warfare. It says receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, and this is the scripture. It says walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Escalations 516.
Speaker 1:Have you ever been to a gas station to fill up your car? I imagine you have. One thing you know for sure is when you fill up your gas, when you fill up your car, the gas is not going to last forever. Eventually, the fuel gauge on your dashboard is going to remind you that you are nearing empty and you need to find a gas station again. If you want to continue driving your car, you must keep gas in your tank. No gas, no trip.
Speaker 1:Many believers today don't realize that, even though we received the Holy Spirit when we were trusting or trusted in Christ for salvation from our sins, the ongoing dwelling of the Holy Spirit's presence is something we need to seek on a regular day basis. Just as driving your car is difficult if it's running on fumes, living the victorious believer's life is impossible without the flame of the spirit burning right. So how do you fill yourself with the spirit's presence? There are a number of ways, and one of the ways Anna just told you guys, she Googles, she goes to YouTube, and when you do those things, the father is going to speak.
Speaker 1:My favorite scripture is Jeremiah 33, verse 3. Those will seek me, call to me, call to me and I will answer you, and I will tell you unsearchable things that you do not know. The reason why I love that scripture so much is because I can talk to the father directly and he's going to give me answers directly. And guess what, anna? He speaks through people. So you know, a lot of us need to ask ourselves who sent who, because when the enemy wants to derail you, he's going to send a person. And when God wants to propel you, he's going to send a person. And if you're not in your word, you're not going to know who sent who. You know a lot of things. That I'm learning about Jesus is if Jesus came to your door, would you even let him in Because he was controversial? He came in with a whole message and these were two religious leaders. Okay, these people knew the word of God, but Jesus came on the scene speaking and doing the word of God, and it was a problem.
Speaker 2:I totally agree and I've always told you also be careful who you listen to, be careful who you vent to when I have an issue. Now, first and foremost, I go to God and God leads me to Stephanie and I'm just telling the truth.
Speaker 2:I mean, bless Stephanie for sure. I dial her as if she was God, because I have told Stephanie on many occasions you are the closest thing to God on earth. And I mean, that's just the truth, that's how I feel. And I go to Stephanie and she always says let's pray. Have you talked to God? That's the kind of people that you want to go to. Don't go to the next door neighbor, your co-worker, because, guess what, some of them don't have the right intentions, some of them are not filled with the Holy Ghost.
Speaker 2:So you're going to tell you from the flesh they're going to speak from the flesh and we do not operate from the flesh.
Speaker 1:You can't, because in your flesh the Bible tells us that in our flesh there's no good thing. So when you want to know and listen, you guys, I'm a mentor, I have a lot of mentees, but you know people get offended by stuff like that. You know what I'm saying and I know what you're saying, but you know it's because I really do seek his face and I really do want the presence of God to surround me like a shield, and because of that it happens. So, yes, people come to me. I pray for them. They feel the spirit of God. You know, it just happened on today and then last night, oh my God, god filled the room with everything. Shout out to Savannah Grant Happy birthday. That's our sister. I wanted to make sure that you know. I acknowledge her today because we all showed up for her and it was just a beautiful, beautiful atmosphere.
Speaker 2:It was all of us, isi sisters, in the beauty, the glow, basking, loving, crying, reaching out, giving a word. It was, it was the Holy Ghost.
Speaker 1:Field celebration. Yes, it was, yes, it was, and God told me, anna, that we were going to be celebrating. And I want Anna, you know, listen, anna has a testimony on y'all and when I tell you, god has been moving, god has been shifting, god has been doing some things, and so I want her to share with you guys what she has learned over the days. You know how God has been speaking to her, it's just been. It got me on one. I'm excited about you, girl, I'm excited for you. Go ahead, talk to the people, let them know how real God is.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, I did go on a sabbatical a year ago and, like I said, I seek God's face. I basically cut off everybody and I just couldn't care. You know, like I knew that at the end of the sabbatical, you know, there was going to be people that were going to still be my friend and there was some that were going to have fell off. It didn't matter, because I was being obedient to the spirit. I went back into my past. I dealt with my trauma. It was not easy. I mean, let me explain to you again this journey is not easy, but it is so fulfilling if you do not give up. Because let me tell you something, just like when you're running a marathon, there's people on the sidelines rooting for you, handing you a towel, giving you water, throwing water on you. They want to see you succeed. When you give your life to God and you decide you want to change, he is going to send helpmates along the way and I did it.
Speaker 2:I went through for a year and I just changed things, got pulled and removed things out of me that needed to be taken. I dealt with things head on. Why do I yell at people? Why do I go from one to a thousand? Why do I think I'm not good enough? These are the questions I had to really ask myself because, see, the thing is, is that a lot of us are good at going around and looking perfect or what we think Nobody even knew, like when people, if you know me, they're like you're not confident, you're, so you know smiling all the time heavily giving a word and, yes, even on my days when I don't feel good, I still give a word, because it's called push through, and it's all.
Speaker 2:I know to always just get up. No matter how many times I've fallen, I've always been the type to get up and push through. But finally I just had to be vulnerable, transparent with God. And there's no, there's no way to lie to God. He already knows.
Speaker 2:It's just like going to the doctor and pretending, or someone asking you are you sick? And you say no, you can't get help until you admit there is a problem. And that's what I did. I had to say guess what? I'm tired, I'm exhausted, I feel ugly, I don't feel like I'm worth anything, I feel worthless. I had to say all the things that had been harboring up inside of me, making me sick. And when I regurgitated all those words that had been spoken of over my life for years, when I tell you, I felt like chains had fell off, I felt like I was 30 pounds lighter. And then, guess what? God could work with me. God could work with me because I was transparent and I was vulnerable and I was humble. And then God can then say let's build a new foundation together, and that's what I did?
Speaker 2:I built a new foundation with God. We don't have all the time in the world, but when I tell y'all I came back a brand new creature, I do not. I'm not perfect at all. I have my days, but guess what? I'm quick to repent.
Speaker 1:Well, let's talk about that part, because you know it was something you were telling me before we came in here, which I was just like I knew I was doing the right thing. Because let me tell you something I love peace, I love joy, the fruit of the spirit. We already know what the fruit of the spirit is. So when you walk in the spirit, this is evidence. You don't have to tell people that you're a woman of God they will automatically see it, but you have to come to the point where you're not going to be able to tell them. You have to keep your peace because the enemy comes. He goes around like a roaring lion. He's just looking for a little opening and if you got one, listen, trust me, he's going to take it.
Speaker 2:Well, it's like this. God says you don't need to prove anything to anyone. What he wants us to do is to protect his anointing, the anointing he has put over us. That's what the armor of God is about. Yes, it's not to. The armor of God doesn't protect me from evil days. It protects me from going out and being evil to others. That's what it is. When I put on that helmet, it is getting my mind right. So I don't think negative that if Stephanie was to just look up and look at me, I'm not automatically like what's she looking at, Right? No, instead I'm operating from oh, you know what's she looking at, I'm going to look at it too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's different, it's different. Yeah, I did.
Speaker 2:And that's what. That's what I had to work on, because I just was always in the defense, always. And so one little thing turned into a big thing, and I was listening to a motivational speaker say we are not supposed to make the trouble of the day become weeks, months, years, but we become bondage because we will let one disagreement with somebody turn into never speaking to them again. It is sad. It's sad Ruinning the friendship. I mean, it's just, it just catapults. But if we are operating from a godly manner, no, we handle things completely different.
Speaker 1:Completely different. And you know that's what the father wants. You know he wants us to walk in love, he wants us to walk with his spirit, he wants us to shed light, he wants us to show there is a way to this. It's a way to this. You know, I was thinking about this morning when we were on the call and we were talking about first young.
Speaker 1:And it says everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God to keep his command, and his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born on a God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God.
Speaker 1:It says this is the one who came by water and blood, jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit who testifies, because the spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify the spirit, the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement. When you know who your father is, you know who you are, you're going to be able to walk in the spirit and talk about having the mind of Christ, because that's, that's just it. When you keep your mind on things that are above and not things that are below, don't you see things differently?
Speaker 2:on us. Yes, yes, I see everything differently. Everything, every person, the things that used to annoy me about certain people.
Speaker 2:Now I have compassion and I'm trying to understand them, because guess what? Everybody that I have come across that loved me as of God, they gave me grace, grace I never deserved, but they gave it to me. And now that is what we're supposed to do. When we talk about coming out of darkness to lightness, it is when you're at dark you don't know things, you're ignorant to things. But when you come into light, knowledge, you have that knowledge of thyself, and that's power.
Speaker 1:And it's beautiful, it's the Holy Spirit power. Are you talking about power, man? And you can? Can you not feel it?
Speaker 2:Yes, you can feel it. I could feel it last night at the Savannah's party Just all of us together. We are not perfect and we're not saying we're perfect, but guess what? What makes us different is we're trying. Yes, there is people I say it all the time there is people that wake up every day and don't even try to be better.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's just how I am.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then you just deal with it, and if I lose people, I don't care. I don't want to have that mindset. Our job is to show the world that God does exist through us, yes, yes.
Speaker 1:And guess, how are they going to know? Is that how they're going to know? And at some point, someone has to show us something totally different. I'm going to tell you that's. One of the reasons why I started seeking his face is because I saw the world. I saw how everybody was operating and I didn't want to have any parts of it. I'm one of those people that if I see everybody going this way, no, I'm going to go over here and that's just who I am, you know. And so when I see a lot of people doing the same thing, I probably I'm probably nine times out of ten I'm not going to do that, but I wanted to know more about my father and more about what he is and who he is and who is his son.
Speaker 1:Another part that I wanted to share as well was first, john four, because, really, anna, at the end of the day, it's all about love. It's all about love, love yourself and love your neighbor as you love yourself. You do not know that the Bible says, if you do those two, that you have completed, completed the circuit to curriculum. For I mean, listen, this is that easy, it's not burdensome. So you know, all you got to do is love yourself and love others people. And you said the one word that matters most grace. Does not our father give us grace? Yes, he does.
Speaker 2:It gives it to me multiple times a day, every single morning, he says he's so funny.
Speaker 1:Every single morning he says it's brand new. I just love Anna because you know it's her personality, but you are yourself and I love that and I would never want anyone to change. But, like she said, she got in the word and she started doing the work and it changed her from the inside out. And that's what we're speaking on, guys. We want this word to do a transformation because it is real. It is true, A lot of people don't think that this whole Bible is a real thing, but it truly is a real thing.
Speaker 1:This is the other scripture I want to share with you, guys. It's first gen four. It says dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the spirit of God. See what I'm saying is written. If you want to know what you need to know about who he is, get into the word. It says every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the anti-cards which you have heard is coming, and even now it's already in the world. Let's talk about it, Anna. What do you think about those that, because you know, we see it every day this is your new generation. They will not say Jesus, They'll call it energy, They'll say the universe. They will say everything else before they say Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:And that's because it's going back to their followers. You know, there is no real leaders. There is no real leaders. The grandmothers are out there in the club as well. I mean the people that we had to look back, the backbones that were in their bibles. They're dead and gone and there is very few of us.
Speaker 1:Yes, right.
Speaker 2:There is very few of us that still attend church because of church hurt, because they just don't want to go to church. They didn't grow up in a household where that was taught, I mean. So the word is disappearing almost in some places, and that's why it's important for us to get in the word and be that light for everybody else.
Speaker 1:We have to. We have to do this, guys. You know, when you want to know more about your father, call to him. He is going to be exactly who he says he is. I want to leave with this prayer. It says pray and ask God to reveal your misguided thoughts, beliefs and words about the heavenly places, about the location of your enemy and your spiritual battles, and about your role in fighting unwanted correct circumstances and temptations in your life. For each untold untruth, look for a countering truth from God's word and when you write down the countering truth, be sure to cross out the untruth and pray in Christ's name that it will no longer affect your life or the lives of those around you. Then ask God that the power of his truth has been loosed to do its work of healing, empowerment and grace in your life. You know these are my words of encouragement. I want to leave you guys with this. Just continue to get in your word. Seek his face. That's what it's about.
Speaker 2:And I just want to say you know you can beat that skunk any time of the day, but is the smell worth the fight?
Speaker 1:I love her, I just do you guys have an amazing day, peace.