You can’t simultaneously be who God created you to be and the person Satan molded you into. We are perfectly designed by God. He drafts our blueprint with distinct characteristics, traits, gifts, and talents and stamps it on our spirit before we areborn. Unfortunately, Satan often succeeds at concealing our true identity when we are young. He uses an array of influences such as our family, our culture, and even the Church to wound and scar us. This not only stifles God’s original design, but we end up engraved with Satan’s trademark. We don’t realize that we’ve been altered because much of Satan’s work is either subtle or completely invisible. The Refiner’s fire can expose the HIDDEN SECRETS of the heart! Do you think the past can’t be changed because the damage is done? Spiritual destruction can be undone because in Christ, you have redemption from all of Satan’s work, including the impact it has on your heart, the reactions it produces in you, and even his work that becomes a part of who you are. In this book you will witness how God’s truths destroy the lies of the enemy and heal the unseen wounds of the heart. You will discover in a radical way how God can break the spiritual bondage that holds you captive. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal where your blueprint has been distorted and allow Him to restore you back to God’s original design. Only then can you be who God created you to be and do what He created you to do. This is your true freedom in Christ!
This is a powerful account from Denise Buss regarding her journey from a less than perfect childhood to a decent into alcohol, promiscuity and drugs, to a relationship with Christ where she was desperate for emotional healing. She shares how spiritual warfare was so intense that she asked her sister to care for her adopted daughter for fear of her daughter’s safety. There was depression to the point that Denise considered ending her life.
Through those battles, Denise has a pastor friend that is wise in prayer strategies that gives her the tools to find healing and restoration in Christ. He is a major factor in the book and Denise credits him for being gracious with his time, prayers, and wisdom as he shared with her time and time again.
The writing is strong and her story is gripping. The book description lead me to believe I’d be reading a book that gives strategies in the theme of something you might read from Chuck Pierce or Dutch Sheets. Instead, Original Design reads more like a memoir. It’s still powerful, though.
One issue I have that I think deserves a mention in the book is I have received training in spiritual warfare/deliverance ministry and rule number one, especially if you have a history of promiscuity and insecurity, is to receive prayer from someone of the same sex. If you are with someone from the opposite sex, you bring someone from your gender with you. It’s wisdom and accountability and I’ve seen just as many accounts written from people who failed to do this, and it took the prayer times to a dangerous place. Denise makes it clear Ed is like a brother figure and not once do I ever see where he crosses a line. However, I think it warrants a warning concerning anyone considering adopting her approach.
She features information on salvation and Baptism of the Holy Spirit that are helpful. There is of course a lot of talk of demons and battling them through prayer.
If you enjoy stories that show the freedom Christ gives, especially through times of torment from the enemy, you will enjoy ORIGINAL DESIGN.
At its heart, Cinderella Boot is a story about second chances, and change is the engine creating that chance. “Cinderella,” Cynthia Ellen Cooper, left her fiancé at the altar four years ago—to work on a sheep station in Australia. She wanted to spread her wings before marriage tied her down forever. Keith never recovered from…
Opportunity is a theme of mine for 2012, so I thought I’d use the word as part of the A2Z meme this week. Opportunities Taken: Surrendering my angry, bitter, me-first self to Christ. Marrying my husband and enjoying his two children. Believing God for motherhood. Giving a tribute to my dad, the last conversation he…
It‘s rare but every once in awhile, I’m captivated by an e-mail forward. It happens even less when I want to share here. I don’t know the source, I can’t even vouch that it’s true, but I like the message. Hope you do, too. Ducks Quack……Eagles Soar No one can make you serve customers well…..that’s…
Part 1 of an Interview with Jodie Niznik,Author of Crossroads Q: Your new Bible study, Crossroads, examines the lives of Esther and Jonah, which seems to be an unlikely pairing. What did these two have in common? Esther and Jonah were very different people with very different callings. Esther was called by God to save a…
In years past, I shared stories about my own journey with severe PCOS, infertility and hormonal imbalance. Those were tough days and I’m thankful most of that fight is over. (I had a total hysterectomy in 2008 that relieved 95% of my pain and hormonal issues.) This week my sharing is for our daughter. I…
All this month I will be watching on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and my new subscribers for my monthly-0r-so newsletter. If you tag me @JulieArduini and tell me you’re #thankful or #juliearduinithankful, I’ll enter your name to win a copy of my fiction books. This includes Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged, You’re Beautiful and the boxed set of…