It has been a while since I wrote my last report. Many of the Friday meetings were canceled for various reasons and some I could not attend.
We have two consistent attendees coming to our Bible study. Friday I was by myself, and there were four girls. Two of the girls were contentious because of personality conflicts, so please pray for MJ and Yumyum. MJ has been in the hole (isolation) many times for anger mismanagement issues. MJ means well but is getting on Yumyum’s nerves. MJ was in my previous reports if you would like to know more about her.
I felt led to teach a lesson about bondage and how to become free. Many of them are in bondage to drugs and alcohol, and in MJ’s case, she is in bondage to anger from the many hurtful situations in her life. She is getting better, but it will take time. I taught the girls how to take authority over their thoughts using the power of Jesus in them. You can’t control your thoughts with your own willpower or positive thinking. The following outline is what I taught.
BONDAGE TO FREEDOM
Luke 13:10-16 — Disabling spirit (vs.16, Satan bound a woman for eighteen years) (I explained how Satan uses spirits to keep us in bondage, and only Jesus can set us free. She had to go to Jesus for healing, so we need to go to Jesus and seek release from the oppressive spirits controlling us.)
Mark 9:14-29 — Jesus Heals a boy with an unclean spirit – deaf and dumb/mute spirits. (I explained that believing as you pray is necessary to remove unclean spirits and to ask Jesus to help your unbelief (vs. 24).)
Luke 11:24-26 — Unclean spirits coming back with worse spirits. (I explained that once you release an unclean spirit, you need to replace it with the Holy Spirit or a clean spirit. I used several examples, like asking God to remove the spirit of addiction and then replace it with the spirit of self-control and power.)
1 Timothy 4:1 — Deceitful spirit. We talked about finding a Bible-believing church, that not all churches honor the truths in the Bible. I also had them read 1 John 4:1-3, to test the spirits to see if they are from God because many Christian leaders appear to be Christian but are not following the truths in the Bible.
I had them turn to pages 13 and 14 of my Hope for Complete Healing booklet, and we read about how to remove evil spirits tormenting us and how to know if we have one. (You can read this in the section called 2–Removing Blocks to Healing, number 7 of the Seven Prayers That Heal The Heart.) I then took them through the Meekness/Gentleness/Faithfulness section (because Suzette was looking at it), and I explained how to pray to discover the memories and unhealthy beliefs that cause an inferior spirit or superior spirit of bondage. We went through the list of other possible unclean spirits, then I took them through the list of good spirits to replace the unclean spirits. Then we read the scriptural truths at the bottom to replace unhealthy beliefs. We also discussed healthy pride versus self-centered, sinful pride because MJ was confused.
2 Timothy 1:7 — replacing the spirit of fear with the spirit of power, love, and self-control.
John 15:26 and Romans 5:5 — How the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and will help us. He pours God’s love into our hearts, but if we have unforgiveness then His love can’t flow out of us.
Romans 8:2, 13; Gal 5:16-17; Eph 3:16-17; 1Cor. 15:45; and Rom. 8:11 — Spirit of life and how Jesus is the life-giving spirit, and how to walk by the spirit and deny the flesh.
Romans 8:15 — Spirit of slavery vs. the spirit of adoption.
1 Corinthians 2:11-12 — Spirit of God in us that helps us to understand the secret things of God.
2 Corinthians 4:13 — Spirit of faith
This study was fascinating to put together, and I could have gone over so much more. Thank you for following my ministry and for praying for me and Sandy and the inmates who come.
Hope for Complete Healing 