The Shanta Atkins Podcast

This episode goes in deep about how soul ties can be formed, what a soul is and if you have unhealthy soul ties how to break them. Check it out.

"The best thing to hold onto in life, is each other" - Audrey Hepburn Stay tuned for a treat at the end of the episode! Happy Valentines Day! :)

Join us as we continue the conversation about Halloween with Kenneth Mack! 1 Corinthians 10:21 - "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons." Ephesians 5:11 - "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." Ephesians 4:27 - And give no opportunity to the devil."

Does it ever seem odd to you that Christians celebrate Halloween? Join me in this episode with guest speaker Kenneth Mack of Provocatively Pure as he discusses the origins of Halloween, and gives insight on why as a Christian you may think twice about celebrating this national holiday. 1 Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Ephesians 5:11 - Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 3 John 1:11 - Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 - Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In the world that we live in it can be very hard to find something to be thankful for. This episode unpacks thankfulness & gratefulness. Shanta shares the benefits of being intentionally grateful and thankful in your everyday living.

In today's world we constantly hear phrases like "keep your circle small," "you can't trust anyone" and "people are my problem." This episode explores the reason behind those phrases and how to handle "people" in your life. 10 verses on how to deal with PEOPLE Proverbs 10:12.Proverbs 15:1.Proverbs 28:13.Matthew 7:3-4.Matthew 5:44-45.Luke 6:27-29.Romans 14:13.Ephesians 4:15.Colossians 4:6.1 Peter 3:9.

Versus to remember during a crisis. 1: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 | NIV 2: “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 54:17 | NIV 3: You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. You provide a broad path for my feet so that my ankles do not give way. Psalm 18:35-36 | NIV 4: Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. Psalm 16:1 | NIV 5: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14 | NIV

This podcast was a bit difficult for me. If you know a child who is being abused, or you yourself are being abused, GET HELP! NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Crisis Counselors are available 24/7 What to report Explain, as well as you can, what happened or is happening to the child. Describe the nature of the abuse or neglect. Be as specific as possible. It is helpful to have as much of the following information as you can when you call: • Name of birth parents or guardian • Date of birth for parents and children • Address of parents and children • School in which the children attend • Articulate the safety issue (What is the parent or guardian doing or not doing that is causing the child harm?) • When the safety issued occurred and how often • Name, date of birth, and location if possible, of the person who caused the hurt or harm. Even if you do not know all of this information, report what you do know. Tell all you know about the situation. Getting help Children who have been abused need caring adults to help them recognize that they are not responsible for the violence in their homes and to help them find ways to grow past their present trauma into healthy adults. Caring adults must help abused children avoid a cycle of learned abusive patterns by teaching and modeling nonviolent methods of conflict resolution and helping them express their feelings in healthy ways. Your community has victim assistance programs and counselors who are trained to work with child abuse victims. These advocates can provide information and a full range of victim support services. The services are available to all child victims even if no one is charged with a crime. NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE HOTLINE: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Crisis Counselors are available 24/7

If you’ve ever wondered about soul ties and what they are this podcast is for you. There are healthy soul ties and unhealthy soul ties find out more in this podcast. In today’s culture there is so much being shared about soul ties and so many assumptions are being made. I think it’s important to understand: 1. What a soul tie is? 2. How soul ties are formed? 3. What type of soul tie it is? a. Healthy b. Unhealthy 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:32 - And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

If you’ve ever wondered about soul ties and what they are this podcast is for you. If you felt like there was a person you wanted to break away from but couldn’t take a listen to this podcast and I’ll share how to break that unhealthy soul tie. There are healthy soul ties and unhealthy soul ties find out more in this podcast. Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 4:32 - And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Have you ever gone to a church and felt like there was an undertone of slavery theology?? If so, this next series is for for you. In this first episode I share my journey in understanding God and people. I share stories about my life that helped me to come to this conclusion that many pastors function as slave masters whether white or black. I share about the structure of the local church and how it resembles and functions like a modern day plantation. Don’t forget to rate the podcast comment and subscribe.

Have you ever seen, felt or sensed something that was alarming, creepy or flat out scary? Have you ever wondered if ghosts are real? Do you see things that you can’t explain? Do you have questions about ghosts, goblins, creepy crawlers, gremlins or imps? If so, this episode is just for you! Shanta really gets deeper about the topic of demons, ghosts, evil spirits, unclean spirits and what to do to get rid of them. She shared her personal experiences and how she learned to deal with demons. 3 questions that will be answered in this podcast are: 1. What am I seeing? 2. Why am I seeing it 3. What am I supposed to do with what I’m seeing? Enjoy and learn something new.

In this episode Shanta really opens up about identity, inward struggles and the reality of being the younger sister. Growing up in a well known family feel like a blessing or a curse at times. She also shares her journey and what success really means.

A Day Will Come Poet: Julie Hebert, © 2012 A day will come in every life, When appreciation is rendered. And this should be taken seriously, And given with love and tender. Anyone who deserves appreciation, Must have done something great. So share with them the way you feel, And always treat them right. But keep in mind that appreciation, Should be given again and again. If you truly appreciate, You'll remind them how great they've been. Do something special to thank the ones, Who've made a difference to you. But don't forget to thank them again, For everything they do.

5 Benefits of Reading the Bible It changes your thinking. Romans 12:2It changes your heart.Hebrews 8:10It cleanses your soul.Ephesians 5:26It nourishes and grows your character.It demonstrates the big picture. Reference: https://www.drcarolministries.com/5-benefits-of-reading-the-bible/

1. THE SPIRIT GOD GAVE US DOES NOT MAKE US TIMID “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” —2 Timothy 1:7 Fear has no place in the life of a Christian. By the name of Jesus Christ who lives in us, we’ve been given authority over fear. If we’re starting to feel anxiety or fear creeping into our minds, we can rebuke this in Jesus’ name and find peace in the Spirit of God that gives us His power, love, and self-discipline. 2. BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6 While them in this passage refers to the giant inhabitants of the Promised Land prior to God delivering them to the Israelites, the core principles in this verse can be applied to giants (both literal and metaphorical) in our own lives as well. If you are living your life according to the will of God, he promises throughout scripture to never leave you nor forsake you. Ask him what His will is for you and learn to follow it with boldness. Furthermore, spend time in the Word of God daily. Constantly being in the Word and reading stories such as the one in Deuteronomy 31 above will keep God’s truth at the forefront of our minds. That way, when fear strikes, we are ready to combat it with the Word of God. 3. I WILL FEAR NO EVIL “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. —Psalm 23:4 David, a shepherd, was more than familiar with dark valleys in the physical world. He relied on God for strength to lead his flock to safety, but when he wrote this, he was referring to the Lord as his shepherd. Have you allowed the Lord to be your shepherd? Psalm 23 in its entirety is a great reminder of how God protects His flock. We may not always understand His ways, but we can rest in the assurance that His ways are always good. Reference: https://www.biblica.com/articles/10-bible-verses-to-inspire-godly-courage-when-fear-attacks/

Oftentimes people believe living means accomplishments and accolades but they may be devoid of healthy friendships & relationships. In this episode I dig a little deeper into how we define “living” and “winning”. Find out what living is really about and share your feedback.

How to Live Your Life with Heaven in Mind. 1. Live with an eternal perspective. This idea saturates Scripture. The biblical emphasis on keeping eternity in our view reminds us of the brevity of our existence. The Bible compares life to a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow. Having this fixed in our mind points us to a reality that goes far beyond the years we may have on this earth. Recognizing this truth, it would be foolish to obsess over such a small portion of our existence. Wisdom would have us remain focused on what happens after this life is over. 2. Live in a contrast between now and not yet. Paul says we “groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are” (2 Cor. 5:4). We groan because we are in this imperfect, broken, struggling reality, but we look forward to the time when that reality is replaced with something better, something greater. 3. Engage the confident hope that permeates our lives. In 2 Corinthians 5:7, Paul says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Paul’s point is that currently we live our lives based on faith, but one day that will no longer be the case. Then we’ll walk by sight because we can actually see the fulfillment of God’s promises to us. But for today, in a life characterized by our stumbling attempts at walking without sight, we rest our hope in our currently unseen Savior. It is hope now because it is faith in what is to come. One day that hope will be realized into full sight, but for today a confident hope should shape you. 4. Embrace a proper understanding of our reality. In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul writes, “Whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.” Herein is the truth that we cannot miss. Paul says we make it our aim to please God, both now when we are in our physical bodies and later when we see rightly and live for eternity. For Paul, the promise of the resurrection leads to a current life shaped around resurrection values. We want to please Jesus in our brief time here so that we might worship Jesus for an eternal time there. The hope of personal presence later leads to the desire of personal actions now. In the end, the focus is not necessarily on heaven, but on life now lived in light of heaven. https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/how-to-live-your-life-with-heaven-in-mind

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports, in 2017: Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of over 47,000 people. Suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States as there were homicides (19,510). Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 Available 24 hours everyday

Hebrews 4:12- "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Jeremiah 17:9- "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" Philippians 1:17- "The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment."