Living the Reclaimed Life

Did God Really Say? ~ Valerie McMahon Ep. 70

September 05, 2022 Season 2 Episode 70
Living the Reclaimed Life
Did God Really Say? ~ Valerie McMahon Ep. 70
Show Notes Transcript

There is an abundant number of voices that speak into our lives. Some speak the truth, call us up, and set us free; while others speak lies that tear us down and steal our freedom. In this episode, we will look at five of the ways that the enemy inserts lies into our lives and how to combat those lies with the truth. Join Valerie and me in this episode titled, "Did God really say?"

CLICK HERE to receive your FREE E-book to help you combat those lies and hear the truth of what God's heart has to say to you. Have you ever thought... "I am not enough, not qualified, or overlooked"? Then this E-Book is for you!

If this podcast is an encouragement to you, would you partner with us to spread the message of hope and healing? You can DONATE HERE.  Living the Reclaimed Life is a Reclaimed Story, Inc. podcast, An Arizona non-profit corporation.

If you would like to connect with a safe group of women who are doing real-life together, join our private Facebook page,
“Living the Reclaimed Life” Join us!

Free Shipping in the U.S. as you give jewelry that speaks to identity in Jesus.
CLICK HERE  Every purchase helps support our mission to provide healing and hope to women. 

Check out more at our website www.reclaimedstory.com 

Connect with us!
Facebook
Instagram 

Here are two FREE Ebooks for you!
1. Shame Off You: 10 steps to shattering shame in your life,
HERE.
2. ABC's:
CLICK HERE for a FREE E-book to help you combat lies and replace them with God's truth. For more encouragement, check out some of our offerings at www.reclaimedstory.com

Did you know we have a jewelry line that speaks to your identity in Jesus?
CLICK HERE to shop. Every purchase helps support our mission to provide healing and hope to women worldwide.

Would you partner with us to spread the message of hope and healing? You can
DONATE HERE. Living the Reclaimed Life is a Reclaimed Story, Inc. podcast, An Arizona non-profit corporation.

If you would like to connect with a safe group of women doing real-life together, join our private Facebook page,
“Living the Reclaimed Life” or on Facebook or Instagram

Transcript is auto-generated

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

God, lies, reclaimed, discontentment, podcast, enemy, satan, Valerie, Denisha, word, diminishing, eve, hear, distraction, eat, ds, tempted, truth, desire, life

SPEAKERS

Valerie McMahon, Denisha Workizer

 

Denisha Workizer  00:00

There is an abundant number of voices that speak into our lives. Some speak the truth and call us up and set us free, while others speak lies that tear us down and steal our freedom. In this episode, we will look at five of the ways that the enemy inserts lies into our lives and how to combat those lies with the truth. Stick around to the very end as we have an ebook ready for you with even more truth to combat the lies that we can believe joined valor in me in this episode, titled Did God really say? Welcome to Living the Reclaim life Podcast? I'm Tanisha. We're glad you're here for conversations that revive hope, inspire healing and encourage you to live a vibrant life with Christ. So grab a cup of coffee as we chat with today's guest. Many of you know Valerie McMahon from being on our reclaimed story leadership team. And if you've never heard Valerie, before, I just I want to introduce you to her a little bit. Valerie, I'm going to talk about you right now. Okay, I'll let you Valerie last year just published her first book this month last year.

 

Denisha Workizer  01:13

a whole year. It's been a year now. Valerie is an author. She is a phenomenal teacher. She is a biblical coach. And she is also the ministry content planner for reclaimed story. So she's pretty awesome. You guys. She wears a lot of hats. She is a mother of four and amazing wife and Mama. And in case you've never heard Valerie before on the podcast, I wanted to introduce you to my friend Valerie.

 

Valerie McMahon  01:40

Well, as always, I'm glad to be here. And I love doing this with you. So

 

Denisha Workizer  01:46

we have fun. You guys have fun. Last month, we talked about the tortilla slap. So it was

 

Valerie McMahon  01:50

you know, yes. But I don't think we're going to do it. Yeah, no, no, that's okay.

 

Denisha Workizer  01:54

I'm okay with that. Well, guys, today, we are going to talk about a subject that hits every single one of us, there are so many places in our lives that we believe lies. And we might not, you know, when as we think about these lies, we may not believe them, like we intend on believing this lie. But somehow they slip into our core beliefs, they slip into words of other people, we begin to believe them, and then we begin to act on them. And so that's what we're going to talk about, actually, the month of September is lies that we believe and the truth that sets us free. And Valerie and I are going to kick off today with the very first lie that was ever told in the Bible. And then we're gonna give you five different ways that the enemy tries to come in and plant those lies within our hearts and five different ways that that happens, and then some ways to overcome those lies. So buckle up, and let's dive in. Valerie, let's talk about that very first lie.

 

Valerie McMahon  03:00

Yes, well, we're talking about Genesis, the very first book of the Bible. And if you are familiar with the Bible at all, you know, Genesis talks about creation and everything that God created, then, of course, he created his most prized creation, which was Adam and Eve, man and woman. And then we turn to chapter three. And that's where we start to see those lies. In the NIV. It says, actually, in chapter three, verse one, when when the devil who was disguised as a serpent comes over, and it's talking to Adam and Eve, and he says, Did God really say those four words? Did God really say? And that is actually our first D? of the devil? I like I like alliteration, the five ds of the devil, but the first D is doubt. Isn't that that is that is the lie that we get trapped in with doubt is Did God really say? Donita?

 

Denisha Workizer  04:04

Yeah. And what's fascinating is what? No, the answer is no, God did not really say what he's about to repeat or to try to repeat.

 

Valerie McMahon  04:15

Yeah, well, let's read it. In verse, verse one again, he comes to says, Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals that should tell you right there to watch out. The Lord God had made he said to the woman, Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? And danisha As you said, I'm an author. So I love words. And so one of the things and my training and education of studying the Bible, I like to just read a passage over and over again, because we can know a story. But when you carefully read each word like that's when you see, like, oh, like and that's why it's so important to read the Bible, read the Word of God for ourselves and not just rely on what We hear, but I wanted to point out to our audience. So this is this is how the first lie, the first trap that Satan set. So we have to go back danisha to chapter two, when we see God who is so good. And that's what when he created his creation created as he wanted nothing but to just give us good things. And that's what I love about God being such a good God. So when we look in verse two, or sorry, chapter two, verse 15, this is what it says, The Lord God took the man and put them in the Garden of Eden, to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, you are free, pay attention to that word, you are free to eat from any tree in the garden. But you must not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for when you eat of it, you will certainly die. So what did our enemy say? He said, You must not eat from any tree. So that difference between being free and not being free? What do you think about that? danisha? Well, I

 

Denisha Workizer  06:10

think there's such a contradiction there. You know, like you said, God is saying, you are free here, this is all yours. But the one tree, the knowledge of good and evil, do not eat from that, right? When you eat from it, you will certainly die. And then the enemy comes and says, you know, God's taking everything from you. He's saying, don't eat any tree of the garden. But really, there's a freedom there that the enemy is He's twisting,

 

Valerie McMahon  06:34

I always say we like free choice. As long as it works for us. God gave us the gift of free choice. And we have to see that as a gift. But I think sometimes, you know, we can see God as a restrictive God or even that's what Satan wants to do. That's what our enemy wants to do is see as what he's trying to play on in Eve's mind right now is God is restricting you. But what I like to say is that God is protecting us that you know, we we have laws we obey, right? Like we have speed limits, we have red lights, why are they there? They're there to protect us. You know, do we have the free choice to run the red light or to go above the speed limit? Of course, but what's going to happen if we do right, there's going to be consequences. Those things are put in place to protect us and God being the good and loving God that he is. He put these boundaries, because to be honest, we would not be able to handle the knowledge of good and evil. I wouldn't want that like, that was not like God saying, Oh, I don't you know, he say No, I am God, I can handle this. I can handle the knowledge of good and evil. I don't want you to have that mantle that burden. But Satan comes in with that first D and says, Hmm, but Did God really say and he just twist enough to, you know, he doesn't want us to be free? Right? I mean, if if, you know if you've if you've studied the scriptures, you know, the enemy, he was an angel, and he was a creative being, but he disobeyed God. And he was kicked out of heaven along with a lot of other angels. And that's why, you know, that's why he wants to trap us because he's been denied freedom. So he wants us to be denied of it. So yeah, that first D doubt. Did God really say and I gotta tell you, Tanisha even preparing for this podcast. And, you know, I think, you know, I think we've shared on other podcasts, you know, guys, we, we don't have it all together. Don't think, don't think that just because we're on the other end of the mic that you know, I mean, we're sharing with you what God is teaching us. And, you know, I had that experience this very week where I was struggling with lies. And you know, when we struggle with lies, the enemy wants nothing more than us to open our Bible. You know, because like I said, when we when we open our Bible, we're gonna read truth. And I was just thinking the other day, I was really struggling, and I was, you know, kind of feeling just really low. Because just like, open my word, open my word, Valerie, and you know, I've been a teacher, sometimes I think, Oh, if I open God's word, like, I got to analyze it, I got to, you know, have this, find this really deep, you know, meaning and just reading scripture Donita just reading God's word. Like, the the depression, I was feeling the lies I was feeling were just lifted because his word is alive. And that's what I love about like, just reading like, just as reading right now that God said, you are free. It brings such it just lifts it lifts those wise so yeah, that doubt we gotta guard against that doubt.

 

Denisha Workizer  09:42

Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, what I think is interesting is God makes the first proclamation right in Genesis 216. You are free to eat from any tree of the garden. That's the rule, right? Like this is what God's saying, here's what's best for you, but you must not eat from the one tree that Three of the knowledge of good and evil, then the enemy comes in. And that's exactly what he does in our life. Right? But Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? And then Eve's response to the enemy and that is so what'd I do? Can I be honest? Thank you for your vulnerability. Yes, I'll just say yes. Like I would be lying. If I told you I did not wrestle with lies. Yes, I wrestle with tons of lies. I could write a book on just the lies that I believe that I'm trying to combat with truth. So yeah, we are all walking this out together. And so what I love is here, God says, you are free but don't eat of this one tree. The enemy comes in and creates doubt, as you said, you know, Did God really say that? And then Eve comes back and says to the serpent, We may eat from any any fruit from the trees in the garden. But God did say you must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden and you must not touch it or you will die. Pause. Okay, eat has it wrong. Okay, God just said you're free to eat from any tree but don't eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Shiva and twisted God's God's command, right? And said, You, He told us not to eat from the tree that's in the middle of the garden. Okay, I could see that if you're still on a good track, you know, you're saying, don't eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. Okay, the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is in the middle of the garden. Okay. But God did not say you must not touch it. No. So she is even adding to God's word. And I think it's so important that we stick to what God's Word says, when you were wrestling and being down and having that those those trials this week, right, like all of us do. You went to the word of the Lord, to see what what did you God? What do you have to say about this? You went back to Genesis 216? What does God have to say? Not what the enemy said, not how we twist it into fit our lives and circumstances or what we think God meant. But you actually went back to what God actually said,

 

Valerie McMahon  12:06

on that, that really leads us to the second D distraction. I mean, who doesn't get distracted? Right? Like, I think it's just the world we live in. But that's exactly what I think the twisting the lies that Satan was telling you it distracted Eve from the truth. And we have to be on our guard from that. And we're, we're going to talk about this a little bit later in the podcast, but I have to read this quote, Denise Shea was, I ran across this as I was, you know, preparing for us to do this podcast. And I just found it on the internet. It's from a blog, Dr. Michelle Bankston, B, E and G G s t o n. I think she's a medical doctor. She has a blog. But anyway, it says we go to great lengths to protect our homes and our belongings. We would never knowingly invite a thief into our home. So why would we allow thoughts that steal our joy and peace of mind? To make themselves at home in our mind? And I was like, Whoa, yeah, Mic drop. I was thinking of that. When it comes to the second day of distraction. It's like, you know, right. Like, we spent so much time investment researching Okay, getting the perfect alarm system locks on our doors. You know, I don't know guard dog. I know I have a guard dog. But anyways, like we spend so much time but how much time do we spend protecting our minds? From distraction? Right? There's all these tools and, and I don't know different things out there to help you, you know, organize and to stay on task. And I feel like that's exactly what you know, the enemy knew he was doing it's like, oh, if I just leave out these words or twist them then he he he caused not only Eve to doubt but to distract her. And the inherent like said she's even putting words in God's mouth. And and so yeah, distraction. It's, it's a tough one. But I think we all know that. Even in today's age, right? You know, we don't have to say, you know, social media, we're on social media, we want you to follow us on social media, but but, you know, there's a lot of things that we that are good, right, but can easily turn into just a distraction that keeps us from what's best. And that's that's what God is saying. Because this is what's my best for you. And don't just settle for the minimum and hear it you know, Eve saying we may eat from the tree, you know, it's interesting Tanisha because she doesn't say we may may eat from any she just says we may eat from the, from the, from the trees in the garden, like even that like she's, she's diminishing, which kind of crossing over to next eat. She's diminishing the gift of freedom. Even right there. She's like, she got so distracted. She's like, not even realizing that she's saying, Oh, wait, wait, no, God's God's not giving us as much freedom as as he said because the day Will is saying, yeah, just think about God as a restrictive God. And that is the first lie is seeing God as a restrictive god. Oh,

 

Denisha Workizer  15:08

so good. So the five ds. So so far we've covered doubt Did God really say? distraction and diminishing diminishing the freedom that God truly had given Adam and Eve that God truly has given us in our lives? And so when when they say, and you must, you must not touch it, or you will die is what she says, we know God never said she couldn't touch it. But that kind of leads us towards the next D.

 

Valerie McMahon  15:39

Yeah. Yeah. You know, Satan starts to say in verse four, three and four, you will not certainly die. You know, we go back in chapter two, where God is giving the command he says, For when you eat from it, you will certainly die. And I think about, again, that diminishing that, you know, it's like, he's saying, Oh, you will not certainly die. And I think, you know, the devil could have been like, Yeah, well, yeah, yeah, if you touch eat it, you're not gonna die right now. I mean, it's fruit, how could it harm you. And again, that thing of like, you know, God was talking about eternal as we know, the fall of man, you know, because of sin entering the world, we will experience physical death, and we had to have Jesus come, God sent Jesus to come to die for our sins, so that we would no longer be separated from God and we could live eternally in heaven with Him. Just camping, and that a minute, that whole diminishing, you know, I think about just, again, some vulnerability here, I've just how, I don't know just even on a daily basis, I just diminished the goodness of God. You know, when we diminish the goodness of God around us, you know, even if we're going through trials, even if we're experiencing just really hard times, God is still good. I think even what a year or so ago, we did a whole month on the goodness of God. And I would encourage you, you can even Google scriptures on the goodness of God and just being able to pour that truth. Because it's so easy to not only like, diminish our freedom, like Okay, God, you gave us this freedom. Why are you not giving us this? And he's saying because I want to protect you. But then we can diminish God's goodness. And that can lead to discontentment.

 

Denisha Workizer  17:26

That's so true. Let's talk more about discontentment or fourth D, yeah, doubt distraction. Diminishing discontentment. Where does that come in here in Genesis three?

 

Valerie McMahon  17:37

Yeah, well, after right after he says, the enemy says you will not certainly die, the serpent said of the woman for god knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened. And you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So again, he's painting God as this restrictive God. And so it says in verse six, when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and desirable for wisdom, she took some of it. And that's where I feel like that discontentment comes in is that God had given them everything. I mean, danisha how sweet they walked with God. I mean, it talks about in the first three chapters of Genesis that they walked with God and the cool the day like, imagine how amazing that is that they had the God of the universe there physically with them, just, you know, talking and walking with them. He had given them everything they need it. And yet Satan starting to say like, oh, you know, I don't know. I think the reason why God doesn't want you to touch that tree is because then you'll like, share power with him and he doesn't want to, you know, he's a restrictive God. And that's when those seeds of discontentment. You know, you've started to like, huh, maybe you're right, maybe God is restricting us. You know, it can't be that bad. Like, look at it looks so delicious, and awesome, and fun and wonderful. And don't we do that today in our lives? I, again, I don't know. Dinesh, I think this is a great podcast to be so transparent on because I would say discontentment is probably of the DS, we're gonna talk about the thing I struggle with the most and, and I don't know, I think it's, you know, it's other lies, I'm believing, you know, whether it's like, oh, I need that. I don't know makeup or clothes or this to you know, because I don't feel pretty or I need, you know, this new thing to make my life more comfortable because I just don't feel this content or I want my kids to act a certain way. I want my husband to act a certain way. I want this to be theirs. So you know, and I think our culture screams at us, especially that you know, you're unhappy. You know, make yourself make your life make, make your home more comfortable so that you can live in ease and comfort. And I think that's what breeds discontentment is when we are just not I call it the lie of not enough, the lie of not enough, like I need more, to make myself happy, I need more to make myself more comfortable, I need my family to do this so that there will be more peace in the home, you know, whatever it may be. It's the lie of what God has given us not enough.

 

Denisha Workizer  20:21

That's so good. You know, I found myself many times like if too, you know, I make a decision on what I can see, or what my emotions tell me in the moment is right instead of the truth of God's word. Yeah. And so I think that is a trap that we can fall into. And when the enemy says, you will be like, God, that's almost a temptation to be our own god, you know, you will be your own god, you will no good and evil, you will be inst it takes the deity takes the the amazing glory away from who God is, be. And going back to Genesis two, we were free. We were free to eat of anything, but the one thing and so she made that decision, you know, based on what she could see, based on what her emotions told her and I definitely like you have it's described, I found myself in that place to a ton of times.

 

Valerie McMahon  21:15

Yeah, well, and I think that's, you know, that's those are the seeds of temptation. You know, the Bible, many passages talks about temptation. You know, temptation in itself is not a sin. You know, I think we can actually, you know, kind of a preview of next month, we're going to be talking about shame. And I think, when we, when we feel temptation, we I think that's another lie of the devil. It's like, oh, you should feel bad for being tempted. But you know, I mean, Scripture says, and I'm sorry, I can't think of the reference right off. It's like Jesus, God says that when you're tempted, I'll give you a way out. And, and I think it's in Corinthians, God knew they would be tempted. I mean, he gave them choice, but it's like he, you know, he always gives us a way out and Eve had a way out here. But, you know, she gave it to her temptation. She shared it with E or with Adam, he gave it to his temptation. But you know, I want our readers or listeners to hear this. To hear this and to meditate on this truth is that we all are going to be tempted. But I want to encourage you that if you feel tempted to tell someone tell someone you trust, I had a friend for a while. And goodness, I feel like I should do this again, were like, something I struggled with, like, every time I felt tempted, I would text her, you know, and if you have somebody like that, that is a way out. Tanisha when we feel tempted to tell somebody say I'm struggling with this, can you help me find a way out because temptation, there's no shame and temptation. But when we give in to that temptation, that's when can lead us to sin and that, that kind of wraps up our fifth D is that desire, right? What leads us to temptation is desire. And that's what it says right here says she saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom. You know, those are all things that God has given us when our desires, you know, when our feelings start to deceive us and take us like, like I said, like, I want more like this. This seems good. And we have to check it back with God said, God, is this a desire you're giving me is this a desire I should follow through with. And here we see that fifth D, that Satan again, take something that God created as good and twist it and tempts Eve to, to desire more than what God was allowing her and Adam to have. So all the goodness that God wants to give us. That's the father of lies. That's what Satan wants to do you guys father of lies, he wants to taint and distract us and tempt us away from the goodness of God.

 

Denisha Workizer  23:54

That's so true. And that's John 844. Right? Where he lies. Yes, speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies. That's so true. I found a quote by Thomas Brooks. And he says Satan promises the best that pays with the worst. And isn't that true? He's He's promising Eve. You know, you will have knowledge of good and evil you will be like God, but yet what he paid back with was deception, every bad thing that we've experienced in our world, from wars, to wounds, to heartache to relationships, any pain goes back to that one lie. Did God really say? And so friends, that's what we want to challenge you with today is what lies are you believing? What lies are you believing about your identity in Christ? What lies are you believing about relationships, your marriage, your parenting? What are the lies that you are believing in And what is the truth that can help set you free? So we listen, then we believe, and then we act upon those lies. If we choose to believe them, we listen, then we believe, then we act upon them. So if we reject those lies, when we hear them, we can embrace truth, which brings us to freedom. So I hope today, Valerie, if you want to go back over those five days, because I think they are so good, they give us a place to listen. Are we listening for these five ds? And when we hear them when we catch them? Can we not believe them instead? Embrace true?

 

Valerie McMahon  25:39

Yeah. And like you just read in Scripture, the language of the enemy. So, you know, knowing these five DS can help us discern like, is this the language? Is this the voice of Satan? Or is this the voice of God? And so again, these five ds, and we'll put them on our social too, if you want to write them down, it's doubt distraction, diminishing, diminishing God's word, discontentment, and the lure of desire desire. So those five DS Yeah, and like you were saying, the truth that sets us free, you know, just to kind of wrap up our time here is that, you know, the two things, the two things we can do to guard against the five ds of the devil is, knowing God's word. And I know that can seem like a daunting thing. But again, here is it that God wants to meet you in His Word, just reading it. You don't have to understand every thing you read, but God's word is alive and active, Hebrews 412, and it's breathing, it will speak to you, just like it did to me this week. So we must know God. And it is important to know, to memorize Scripture if you can, because when we start to be tempted to listen to the voice, those five days of the devil, then we can counter that with the truth of God's Word. And then danisha, like I mentioned before, that great quote, about going to great lengths to protect our house, so we should do the same to protect our minds. I think the second thing is paying attention to our thoughts, right? Like, maybe you're journaler maybe you're not but just again, like if you keep hearing something that you're just like, being consumed with, you know, the Bible says in Second Corinthians 10, five to take our cut our thoughts captive, and make them obedient to Christ. And we do that by saying, you know, come to God and say, God, this is the thought he already knows it, but confess a sick God. I am. I just feel so unworthy. I don't feel like I'm enough. I feel like a failure, whatever it is, and just start reading God's word and paying attention to those thoughts and saying again, is this the voice of the enemy? Or is this a voice of a good God who only wants the best for me? So I like when your mind is under attack. Fight back with God's word.

 

Denisha Workizer  28:01

That's so good. That's so good. Well, guys, if you have made it this far into Episode 70, we would like to give you a free gift. So thank you so much for listening. We know that there are so many lies that we are hit with. I'm not enough, not qualified. I'm overlooked. I can't is a lie all on its own. So we want to give you a free gift. We have an ebook put together with truth to combat each of those lies. So if you're listening on the podcast, now it is on our show notes. And we will also post it on Monday on Labor Day with this podcast. So it will be on our social feed. Go ahead and grab that ebook and begin to speak the truth over those lies so that you can come against doubt distraction, diminishing discontentment, and desire. Thank you so much for listening and we pray this was an encouragement for you today. Thanks for listening. I pray you found hope in today's conversation, and maybe even feel a little less alone in your story. Stay connected with us on Facebook and Instagram at reclaimed story. Want to learn more about living a reclaimed life and how you can be a part of our growing community ever claimers? Check out our website at reclaimed story.com all of those links and more will be in the show notes. And if you enjoy this inspirational podcast Be sure to subscribe rate and review. Not only will you be the first one to know when new content comes out, but it is also a huge help and helping us reach more people to live the reclaimed life.