Author: Joyce Holzman Hanscom

I am a certified Mental Health Coach through Light University. An author. A Bible teacher for Good News Clubs and incarcerated women in the county jail. I teach about how to discover a new reality through memory transformation. Discovering a new reality is achieved when you heal emotions from painful memories and transform negative heart issues. When false beliefs are transformed by truth, then you can love from a pure heart and make wise decisions. There is hope for complete healing.

WHAT IS YOUR FINAL MESSAGE?

What will your final message be to those around you? King Solomon’s last message was, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. ¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 13-14). He says that man’s whole existence is the revere God to the point of wanting to please Him by obeying His commands. My last message will be, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2Cor. 5:10). Yes, God knows all things, even things we think are secret. He knows our thoughts (Ps. 139:1-4), which is why we need to keep our minds on the things above and not on the things of the earth (Col. 3:1-2). How consciously aware are you that God sees all that you do? How will you live your life differently knowing this fact?

Why Should We Fear God?

When we fear God, we will have wisdom (Prov. 9:10). Wisdom helps us make good decisions and choose the right actions. The people I know who do not fear God make foolish decisions that have negative consequences in their lives. The worst consequence is being sent to hell because they refuse to repent of their sin and seek God’s forgiveness.

Pastor Lawry responds to people who say, “How can a loving God send people to hell” with “God doesn’t send people to hell; people choose to go.” Romans 1:19-21 states, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” We all know people who foolishly live their lives as though they will not stand before God to give an account for the things they have done while in the body. Futile thinking is thinking thoughts that do not have meaning or value. We control what we think and what we believe. Every day, acknowledge God and do what pleases Him by obeying the commands found in the Bible, namely, to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Then love others as yourself. Proverbs 15:3 states, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” How often does the accounting you will make before God impact your actions and attitudes?

Our lives need to revolve around God because He created us to be in fellowship with Him. Since He sees everything, and everything we do is for Him, then nothing in life is pointless. An encouraging word, showing kindness or patience, a quiet prayer—they all have meaning to God. Therefore, we should live our lives by design and not haphazardly.

Where Do Good and Evil Come From?

Interestingly, there were two trees in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve could not eat from. One was called the knowledge of good and evil, and the other was called the tree of life. God threw Satan out of heaven onto earth because of his prideful rebellion, and he came to Eve and tempted her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why? You can read the story in Genesis 3. The knowledge of good and evil came as a result of sin. We have a choice to obey God and do good or disobey God and sin, which is evil.

Good and evil also come from the heart. Luke 6:45 states, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” You know the saying, hurting people hurt people, and loving people love people. The purpose of my website is to help you work through the evil done to you that has left your soul wounded and has stolen your peace, and crippled your ability to love. The wounds of our soul generate wrong thinking and unhealthy beliefs that direct us to do evil. In my book Hope for Complete Healing, I explain how to heal your heart, which can be found on my website.

A Consequence of Doing Evil

The worst consequence of evil is separation from God, who gives us life and every good thing. 1Peter 3:10-12 states, “For ‘Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; ¹¹ let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (Ps. 34:14-16).” When our hearts are full of hurt and resentment, we cannot seek peace because we don’t have peace in our hearts. 2Corinthians 7:1 states, “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

What will be your last word to those around you? I would like to know, please leave a comment, so other can know as well.

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Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul

Thoughts That Create Peace Within and Without

Living a Victorious Life

http://How to experience a heavenly life on earth

All verses are from the English Standard Bible unless otherwise indicated. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share the links with your friends and family, hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. No part of the posts or my book may be reproduced without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name, so I know you are a person making the request.

Finding Unhealthy Beliefs Along the Paths of Life – Hiking Lessons Part Two

Where do you find unhealthy beliefs? Where do they hide? This website aims to help you discover unhealthy, false beliefs and replace them with the truth to experience a new reality. You will find unhealthy beliefs in many places, such as education, friends, family, bad experiences, what you watch on TV, the internet, or in the movies, and so on. The trick is to recognize unhealthy beliefs and replace them with the truth found in God’s Word. I discover most of my unhealthy beliefs when I become resentful. I discuss the power of resentment and how to resolve it at length in this post: How to Recognize and Eliminate Emotional Cancer.

Rattlesnakes Let You Know When You Are too Close

When I go on a hike, I pray for God’s protection that I would not encounter a rattlesnake, copperhead, or any other wild animal that could hurt me. Though I pray this prayer, and I believe God hears my prayer, but He may not answer my prayer as I expect. I wrote a series of posts on why God may not answer our prayers, found here.

I have hiked close to 300 miles of the MST and have only seen three rattlesnakes and no bears, though I see evidence of a bear being on the path. Psalm 91:14 states, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.” On the last four-day hike, we came across two beautiful yellow-phase rattlesnakes on two different days. Yes, I was scared and backed away when I heard the rattles sound off, but I know they will not hurt me unless I mess with them.

Just as rattlesnakes let you know their presence, so resentment lets you know when you have an unhealthy belief. When you don’t have peace and joy, back up and look for bitterness. All bitterness is based on a false belief, which is a lie about yourself, others, or God. When you allow bitterness to bite you, it will cripple your ability to relate lovingly to people. Hebrews 12:15 states, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”

Often destructive attitudes that create bitterness come from unmet expectations and disappointment. For example, you expect a thank-you when you give someone something, but they don’t. You resent that and refuse to give that person any more of your time or resources. To learn more, read ALL THOUGHTS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL.

Difficulties Throughout Life Create Unhealthy Beliefs

How many times has everything gone perfectly in your life? Have you faced difficulties you did not anticipate? Challenges in life reveal your true character. Are you patient and kind in the midst of hardships? Or are you angry and rude when things don’t go as planned? We all want our life to be peaches and cream, but that is not reality; it is an unhealthy, false belief. The Bible tells us that we are to expect problems. John 16:33 states, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

When we get on a trail, we have no idea what we will face. Sometimes it is very rocky and difficult.

Then there are easy trails that are wide and smooth. The last eight-plus miles of the MST to the Maryland border was the easiest of the 300 miles. We complete the eight miles in less than four hours.

Other times, you can’t see the trail and have to follow the blazes. Once I tripped over a log that was covered by ferns and fell face first. Thankfully, I did not hit my head on a rock. I thanked God for His protection.

Then there were two days of bushwhacking overgrown brambles and thorny vines. It took us six hours to hike six miles. We were bleeding from all the scratches, then I slipped on a sweating rock and fell into a patch of thorny brambles; ouch. The more I struggled to get out of the brambles, the more scratches I got. My strong husband was able to help me up. I saw it as an adventure, but my husband’s attitude was misery.

Often the trials of life will cause you pain and misery. How you view them will determine if you develop a false belief about your difficulties or allow God to perfect your character and root out the lies you believe. James 1:2-4 encourages us to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4) And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Ask God to show you the false beliefs or unhealthy attitudes you may have concerning a difficulty you went through so you don’t become entangled in resentment or bitterness.

Review of Lessons Learned In Last Blog

In the last blog, I learned that I needed a map to navigate life successfully, and our map is the Bible. When we refer to it often and follow the blazes left by others, we will stay on the path that leads to eternal life. Secondly, look for the surprises along the trail and enjoy them. Thirdly, pray for God’s strength when the tails of life become difficult. Whatever you do, don’t give up and persevere to the end.

Love From a Pure Heart

Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul

Pt. 1: Forsaken? Betrayed? How to Trust Again.

How Hiking Teaches About Life-Part One

Have you done something and regretted it, or did you learn from it and grew stronger? My husband and I are hiking the Mid State Trail (MST) from Maryland to New York. We are now section hiking our way down to Maryland. Every hike is an adventure with many challenges and surprises. Today’s hike was especially difficult, but there were many pleasant surprises. I was reminded of how hiking relates to life. Some people persevere with a positive attitude through difficulties and disappointments., and some people cave to depression and anger. To be honest, I tend to yield towards depression and anger, but with God’s help, I am learning to be thankful and seek His strength.

Make Sure You Follow The Right Path

A map is the most important thing you need when you go on a hike, but you need to make sure you are using the correct map. We need the Bible to guide us on the right path of life that will lead us to eternal life. When you walk the wrong path, you find dead ends and difficulties. For example, we began a ten-mile hike that went through a farm. To my delight, I saw a newborn calf. We were the first people he saw.

Further down the trail, we saw some remarkable fungi formations. After hiking to the top of the mountain, we realized we did not see any more trail blazes. We walked back and forth, trying to see if the trail took a turn we did not see. We look at our map many times. I was very disappointed and sad. I prayed for God to help us find the path, but He didn’t answer my prayer.

Expect Disappointments and be Flexible

We finally gave up and went back down the mountain to our car. I was tired, and my muscles hurt. Life is like this hike. You never know what difficulties and surprises lie ahead on the road of life. Expect disappointments and learn to be flexible. Expect that God will not always give you the requests you ask of Him. Most of all, find something you can be thankful for. My husband and I changed our plans. We later discovered the MST Association changed the trailhead to the other side of the mountain but did not blacken the trail blazes for the abandoned tail route or update their trail notifications. We might think we are on the right path in life, but when it leads nowhere, we have to backtrack and find the path we should be on.

We wasted a good portion of the day on the abandoned trail, so we decided to do a shorter section of the trail, we planned to do another day. This part of the trail also had surprises and difficulties. Not only did we have a hot road walk through Everett, but then the trail took us down a weedy railroad bed with briars and thistles that wrapped around our ankles, and I only had shorts on, ouch. To our surprise, we found two recliners sitting along the trail. The path that life takes us may be filled with difficulties and unpleasant things, but perseverance and having an attitude of gratitude and expectation will help you endure. I often tell myself, “This too will pass.” Covid19 and all the hardships will pass, so don’t despair, but through prayer, keep your eyes on God, our eternal guide.

Sometimes Life Can be Rocky

Hiking through Pennsylvania requires a lot of rock hiking, which is very challenging and tiring. You need to watch where you step and make sure the rock is stable, plus you need to watch out for rattlesnakes. If you take your eyes off where you step, you will end up falling or stepping on a snake. I have done many snake dances. Next week, I will tell you about the yellow-phase rattlesnake we encountered in another hike. Often, life leads you down rocky stretches but keep your eyes on the path by reading your Bible. Proverbs 119:105 says that the Word of God is a light to your path and a lamp for your steps.

Life Will Have Challenges

Hiking up and down mountains is very challenging, especially when we hiked from the bottom of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon to the top. It was so steep and high that I didn’t know if I could make it. I prayed for God to give me the strength to make it. At times, I had to walk up backward and push with my hiking staff to give my calf muscles a break. Life can also be challenging, and you will need to rely on the Lord’s strength to help you make it. God will not give you strength until you seek it and put your trust in His ability. Psalm 18:32 “The God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless.” Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

I will share more next week.

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Being Thankful During Hardships

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ALL THOUGHTS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL

What Controls Your Thoughts?

The Meaning of Life — MOORE IN THE WORD

Let’s lighten it up a bit. My last blog entry caused a bit of a stir, so let’s soften the mood with an easier and lighter topic. How about THE MEANING OF LIFE (pause for dramatic music). What is the meaning of life? What is your purpose, what is your task? Where might we go to find […]
The Meaning of Life — MOORE IN THE WORD

I came across this great post. I hope you enjoy it. I am hiking the Mid State Trail (MST) to the Maryland border from Everett over the next four days, so I didn’t get a post written. I also hiked 27 miles of the MST last weekend as well. As I was hiking the roughest part (I hope) of the trail (5 miles up and down a rocky ridge) above Everett , I realized that life is like hiking, and I began to write a post on my thoughts. Hope to share that post soon.

What is Glory?

Why did God create humanity? Isaiah 43:7 and 21 explain, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” And verse 21 states, “The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. Also, Ephesians 1:12 states, “So that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” According these verses, God created us for His glory and to declare His praise. So, what is glory?

I found an old photocopy of an article called The Glory Of God And You written by Mary E. Birt. I have kept it in my Bible for many years, and I feel God inspiring me to share it with you today.

The glory of God is His beauty, power, honor, and greatness. The glory of God is the person and presence of God. The glory of God is His personality, goodness, holiness, light, righteousness, and His perfection of character. The glory of God is His mercy, graciousness, patience, truth, justice, forgiveness, and the work of the Holy Spirit. The glory of God is that place in which He lives. The glory of God is the atmosphere of Heaven. The glory of God is the way that God is.

Jesus Christ is the image of God. “He is the sole expression of the glory of God – the Light-being, the out-raying of the divine – and He is the perfect imprint and the very image of [God’s] nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3 (The Amplified Bible).

Jesus Christ came out of glory and lived as a man on earth walking in holiness and purity. He laid aside his heavenly position and power and came as a humble servant.

Jesus was tempted in every way and lived without sin. He manifested the holiness of God on the earth so that you could so the same. He cleansed your sins so you could come into the glory. You can live without sin because He took away your sinful nature and gave you His divine nature (Romans 6:6-14; 2Peter:1:4).

Jesus deposited His glory in you – John 17:22. He gave you the ability to live a glorious life, to live daily in the glory, and to be a part of the glorious Church.

Jesus wants you to behold His glory on this earth and eternally – John 17:24. You behold His glory on this earth as you do His works and greater works, worship Him, meditate in His Word, spend time in His presence [through prayer], and come to know Him.

“For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifested in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be of God and not from ourselves.” 2Corinthians 4:6-7 (The Amplified Bible).

What God has done is magnificent! He placed His glory in earthen vessels, pots of clay, so that His grandeur and greatness would be seen in the lives of Christians.

Have you seen the excellence of God in the Church very often? Well, it is time now. This generation shall bring forth the glory of God. Confess this aloud: “This generation shall bring forth the glory of God.” Speak from your spirit and with the resurrection power of God that is within you “I shall bring forth the glory of God.”

Do you realize what you are saying? You will bring forth His beauty, power, honor, greatness, and the person and presence of God. You will bring forth His goodness, light, perfection of character, patience, truth, justice, and forgiveness. You will bring forth the working of His Holy Spirit and the atmosphere of Heaven.

If you meant what you just said, the Church will change, the world will change, the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and everyone will see it.

Verses to Ponder About God’s Glory (my addition)

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! – Isaiah 6:3

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. – Ezekial 43:2

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. –John 1:14

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. – John 2:11

That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being. –Ephesians3:16

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. –2Corinthians 3:18

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. – Revelations 18:1

We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. –1Thesalonians 2:12

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. – Colossians 1:27

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. – Psalm 3:3

How to Experience a Heavenly Life on Earth.

Can You Be Too Heavenly Minded?

What is Godliness?

How to Avoid the Dangers of Coveteousness

Will going to church get you to heaven? Instead, is your heart willing to understand and obey what the Bible says we are to do? Understanding the Bible only comes from God. Doing what the Bible tells us to do can only be done with a willing, humble heart and God’s enablement. Psalm 119:16-18 explains, “I will delight in your statutes [will of God]; I will not forget your word. 17) Deal bountifully[graciously] with your servant, that I may live and keep your word. 18) Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law [instructions].” Is this your prayer? 1John 2:17 states, “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” Coveting the things of the world will distract you from doing the will of God and abiding forever with Him. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”

If you have a strong desire to gain possessions and you find fulfillment in buying things, ask God to root out the unhealthy belief that you need possessions for whatever reason. Ask God to help you tear down the covetous stronghold that keeps you in bondage to being controlled by worldly possessions. To learn more about strongholds read STRONGHOLDS—What Are They and How Do They Affect You

Psalms 119:36 states, “Incline my heart to your testimonies [will], and not to selfish gain [covetousness]!” Albert Barnes explains this verse in his Bible Commentary Notes (1834).

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies – Cause my heart to be inclined to them, or to be disposed to keep them. This, too, is a recognition of dependence and a prayer for guidance.

And not to covetousness – To gain; to the love of money. This seems to be referred to here as the principal thing which would turn away the heart from religion, or as that from which the most danger was to be feared. There are undoubtedly many other things which will do this – for all sin will do it; but this was the chief danger which the psalmist apprehended in his own case, and perhaps he meant to refer to this as the principal danger on this subject which besets the path of man. There are many more persons turned away from the service of God, and kept away from it, by covetousness than there are by any other one sin. When the psalmist prays that God would not “incline” his heart to covetousness, the language is similar to that in the Lord’s prayer – “And lead us not into temptation.” That is, restrain us from it; let us not be put in circumstances where we shall be in danger of it. We are not to suppose that God exerts any positive influence either to make a man covetous, or to tempt him. See Jas_1:13-14.

I have been writing posts about wealth, contentment, and godliness. To keeps these three principles in balance, we must seek God for a humble, thankful heart that desires to please God more than ourselves. Seek to gain more spiritual understanding instead of material enrichment. If you haven’t read any of my posts in this series, you can read them now.

What is Godliness?

I have been pondering this question for years. Webster’s dictionary (1957) defines godliness as being godly, which is 1. of or from God; divine 2. devoted to God. Dictionary.com (2021) says godliness is the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devoutness and moral uprightness. Because of my abusive past, I did not fit the description of godliness. I was angry, controlling, impatient, and insecure. When God healed my soul wounds, I was free to focus on His way of living in love instead of living out of my past hurts.

How To Train To Be Godly?

When you train for something, you make an effort to learn and practice to improve your knowledge and skill. In verse six, we are to train ourselves to be godly, that is, to think godly thoughts based on the truth of God’s Word. In my post called What Controls Your Thoughts?, I explain how our thoughts control our beliefs, and our beliefs create feelings, and we express our feelings in our behavior. So when we discipline ourselves to think God-pleasing thoughts, we will believe what is true and display godliness. Dictionary.com (05/2021) says godliness is the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devoutness and moral uprightness.

How Contentment with Godliness Increases Independence, Time, and Wealth

Contentment with godliness is a great gain because we are free to focus on loving God and serving Him and others. When we are content with minimal possessions, we gain independence, time, wealth, and so on. When we are content, we no longer have to spend our time and money on worthless, vain things that need maintenance and storage.

How to Balance Wealth and Contentment

It comes down to greed versus gratitude and contentment. What controls your attitude and thoughts will influence your actions. Are you grateful for the wealth God has given you, or are you greedy for more? Are you content with pleasing and loving God, or do you want more for a greater sense of security and self-importance? You can balance wealth with contentment when you have submitted all you have to God and are grateful.

How to Pursue and Achieve Godly Character

To be excellent at anything, you need to train yourself to improve and then pursue your goals. Also, pursuing godliness makes us a vessel for honorable use. Thankfully, we have God’s divine power to help us achieve the virtues of God and His divine nature. Achieving godly character and excellence should be our number one priority because one day, we will stand before God and what will He find in you? Will you be ashamed?

How a Pure Heart is a Godly Heart

Why should we have a pure heart and live godly lives? We will be blessed. Psalm 119:2-3 states, “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” One of the best ways to purify your soul and live a godly life is to memorize scripture and practice them. Psalm 119:11 states, “I have stored [hidden] up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” On the one hand, we know what we need to do; on the other hand, what is our plan

How to Use God’s Divine Power

2Peter 1:3 states, “His divine power has granted to us all things [everything we need] that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” God gives us His divine power to be godly when we know Him and His promises. Ponder for a moment that you were called to share in God’s glory and excellence. I can only partake of God’s glory and excellence through His divine power to think godly thoughts.

How to Use God’s Divine Power

I have been doing a deep dive study into godliness and godly thinking. To read my previous posts about godliness, go to Posts About Godliness. Today, I want to explore God’s divine power and how to use His divine power to be godly. 2Peter 1:3 states, “His divine power has granted to us all things [everything we need] that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” God gives us His divine power to be godly when we know Him and His promises. Ponder for a moment that you were called to share in God’s glory and excellence. I can only partake of God’s glory and excellence through His divine power to think godly thoughts.

Knowing God Gives us His Divine Power

Knowing God is the same thing as knowing everything about your best friend. You learn to trust when you know someone cares for you and will be faithful to protect you. When we know God intimately, we know we can trust Him and not be ashamed to ask for His divine power to live a godly life and not return to our futile lifestyle of sin. Galatians 4:9 states, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” And, 1Thessalonians 4:3-5 states, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” Also, Titus 1:16 states, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

Everyone I know who knew God and His promises and then went back to the corrupt world and their sinful desires, did not prosper or have peace and joy. Another way to know if you know God is whether you love people, even difficult people. 1John 4:8 states, “Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.” Do you love people as God loves them?

Meditating On God’s Word Helps You Know God

If you don’t read your Bible and meditate on its truths, how will you know God and His promises, and how can you claim His promises by faith to activate His divine power. 2Peter 1:4 states, “By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Through claiming His promises by faith, we gain His divine nature that helps us be godly and overcome our sinful desires. Read how God did many miracles in my life in the post called: Trust God to Keep His Promises

Faith Activates God’s Promises and Power

Our faith activates God’s power in our lives. His power then guards our hearts until we see His salvation. 1Peter 1:5 states, “Who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” The NASB translates this verse as, “Who are protected by the power of God through faith.” And NIV translates it as, “Who through faith are shielded by God’s power.” We activate God’s power by putting off our pride and humbly praying and seeking Him for grace and help to think pure thoughts so we can live a godly life. James 4:6 states, “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’”

God’s Divine Power Can Destroy Strongholds

The Bible also tells us we have divine power for spiritual warfare. 2Corinthians 10:4 states, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” I explain how to use God’s divine power to destroy strongholds in my e-book called “Hope for Complete Healing” on my website. I also did a series of posts on using God’s divine armor to defeat our unseen enemy. You can read them here.

Conclusion

Isn’t it great that we don’t have to make an effort to be godly because we have God’s divine power when we know Him? The way to know someone is to spend time with them and do things with them and for them. Knowing God is easy because we only need to read our Bibles and claim His promises by faith. Our faith in Him activates His power for any situation we may face. When was the last time you put your faith in God to help you in your time of need? Sometimes he does not answer our prayers the way we want Him to, which you can read about in my posts on why God may not answer our prayers.

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles.

How a Pure Heart is a Godly Heart

What is a pure heart, and how does a pure heart contribute to living a godly life? Psalm 119:9(ESV) states, “How can a young man keep his way pure [stay on the path of purity]? By guarding it [living] according to your word.” [NIV in brackets] NAS says, “By keeping it according to Your Word.” The pronoun “it” refers to our way, journey, or life.

How do you guard your way or live according to God’s Word?

The only way to keep our way pure is to have a pure heart. To have a pure heart, you need pure thoughts. Heart means inner man, mind, and will, which also refers to the soul. The Webster dictionary says the soul is also our mind, emotions, and will. Some people credit the soul as containing our sense of morality and conscience with the functions of thinking and willing.

Pure thoughts could be thinking good about people, even those we disagree with or do not particularly like. Think pure thoughts about the opposite sex instead of obscene imaginations. 2Timothy 2:22 states, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” How are you pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace? I covered this in my last post called How to Pursue and Achieve Godly Character.

Pure thoughts lead to godly life choices. For example, godly people choose to view movies and TV shows or read material that generates pure thoughts. In Psalms 101:3a, King David said, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;” Make this verse your priority to protect your mind from wicked and evil words and images because when your thoughts are pure, then your heart will be pure. Matthew 15:19-20a states, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” Therefore, if you want to live a pure and godly life, fill your mind with God’s Word and live according to what you know is God’s will.

For example, if you think an unkind thought about someone or you want to complain, it will inevitably come out of your mouth. Purify wrong thinking using God’s Word. Colossians 3:13 states, “[Bear] with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” So I ask God to forgive me for my critical attitude, complaining, and not bearing with those who irritate me. Then I obey the command to forbear, forgive, and find something to be thankful about.

Only as we obey biblical truth and put off our old self with its wrong thinking and false beliefs then put on a new self in the righteousness and holiness of God can we have godly thoughts and love others well (see Ephesians 4:17-32 and Colossians 3:5-17). 1Peter 1:22-23 states, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.” The living and abiding Word of God is Jesus. John 1:1-2, 14 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. 14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” When we are born again of the Spirit (John 3:3-6), we receive the Holy Spirit of Jesus and get a new life. Only through Jesus Christ’s divine power in us can we love from a pure heart and live godly lives, which I covered extensively in my last post.

What blocks us from loving with a pure heart?

Something pure has no contaminates. A pure gem has no marks or imperfections. The number one contaminate of our hearts is resentment from unfair and unkind words and actions done against us. Read my related post called How to Recognize and Eliminate Emotional Cancer. Pride is another contaminate. Read the related post called #1 Destroyer of All Relationships and the Solution. Other contaminates in our hearts can be offenses, unforgiveness, guilt, fear, fleshly desires, worldliness, etc. I wrote a post on how to love from a pure heart called Love from a Pure Heart. I also wrote two posts on why and how to purify your heart Why Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul? and Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul. You also might like to read Three Steps to Renew Your Mind (Part Two)

If our hearts are contaminated by sin and worldliness, then we can’t seek God with all our hearts. Psalm 119:10 states, “With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments [Word]! What keeps us from seeking God with all our heart and soul? The answer is basically anything that distracts us from obeying God’s Word. It could be worldly activities, TV, sin, grief, unforgiveness, curses, wrong thoughts, false beliefs, worries, etc. We need to remove the blocks in our heart before we can seek God with all our hearts. To learn how to remove blocks in your heart, read my short book on my website called Hope For Complete Healing.

Conclusion

My latest book is Unlocking God’s Promises, which explains 18 categories of promises that are relevant to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

How to Pursue and Achieve Godly Character

Have you admired people who were excellent at what they did and do? How can we achieve excellence of character? The first discipline is to train to be excellent, and the second discipline is to pursue your goals. I have been writing a series of posts on how to achieve the goal of godliness. Why should we pursue the goal of being godly and holy? 2Peter 3:10-11 explains, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.”

The first post in this series covered what being godly was. The second post explained how to train to be godly. The third post described how contentment with godliness increases independence, time, and wealth. The fourth post admonishes us not to seek riches and how being rich distracts us from pursuing the character of God. In this post, you will learn what and how to achieve godliness; God’s divine nature.

Why Should I Pursue Godly Attributes?

To accomplish the objective of being godly, we need to pursue God’s virtues by striving for or seeking to acquire moral excellence, which is right thinking and acting. I want to finish where I started in the last post. 1Timothy 6:10-11 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. Through this craving, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs [griefs]. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” And In 2Timothy 2:21–22,the Apostle Paul explains, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master, ready for every good work. So, flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” To be a vessel of honor and have a pure heart, you first must pray to put off (repent of) dishonoring lustful passions that contaminate your heart and then pursue and put on righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

You pursue righteousness by putting your faith in Jesus Christ’s ability to help you do what is right because He is your righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:22).
Pursue faith by reading God’s Word and memorizing Scripture (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 13:7).
Pursue love by putting off pride and forgiving those who sin against you (Mat. 6:12–14; 1Cor. 13:4–7).
Pursue peace by giving all your problems to God, trusting Him, and forgiving. If possible, you are to also live peaceably with everyone (Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14).

How To Pursue and Achieve the Virtues of God

The Apostle Peter’s instructions in the following passage give us hope for achieving godliness, excellence, and holiness. Read 2Peter 1:3–11 slowly and meditate on each prepositional phrase.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire [lusts].

For this very reason, make every effort [diligently pursue] to supplement [add to]your faith with

virtue [moral excellence; goodness], and virtue with

knowledge [of God and His truth], and knowledge with

self-control [self-rule or self-discipline], and self-control with

steadfastness [perseverance, patience, and endurance], and steadfastness with

godliness [be like God], and godliness with

brotherly affection [kindness], and brotherly affection with love.

8) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall.

For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A promise is an assurance we can claim as ours. This passage promises we will never fall if we diligently pursue and practice faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, kindness, and love. Verse 8 guarantees that if we possess these qualities, we will not be ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Peter tells us to be diligent, which means to apply ourselves to accomplish something. 2Peter1:3–11 is full of many incredible truths. I encourage you to read a conservative commentary of this passage for a better understanding. Memorize these verses, so you don’t forget to do them because they are vital to being victorious over the unseen battles for your mind. Remember, God has given you His divine power through Jesus Christ, and you can partake of His divine nature through the promises found in the Bible. How fantastic is that!

Conclusion

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Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of eight prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, salvation for non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. Please leave your name so I know you are a person making the request.

How to Balance Wealth and Contentment

1Timothy 6:9-11 states, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. Through this craving, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs [griefs]. But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

The temptations, snares, and senseless and harmful desires the devil creates for those who want to get rich could be sensuality, worldliness, pride, greed, covetousness, stealing, selfishness, drug and alcohol use, adultery, and so on. Power and self-importance are the most prevalent snares of pursuing riches. Remember, Satan is an opportunist and will seek to bring destruction through the areas of your life that are not submitted to God.

The desire to be rich most often leads to the sin of greed. Greed is having an excessive desire for more money or possessions. Timothy Keller said in his book God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life that “The greedy find ways to justify dishonest financial dealings to themselves, and there is no better way than to say that it will benefit your family or your household.” Yet greed destroys relationships and families. I have seen this firsthand, especially if a family member gambles or is a workaholic, which are strongholds that can be broken down.

All Desires Begin as a Thought

The love of money is an unseen battle many people fight, even poor people, which begins as a thought within our control. Matthew 6:24 states, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Also, Ecclesiastes 5:10 states, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.” And, Hebrews 13:3 states, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” If you realize you love money more than God, then take that thought captive and say a prayer of repentance and submission to Him.

Luke tells the story of a rich man who wanted to know how to inherit eternal life. He claimed he kept all the commands of God, but Jesus addressed what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Luke 18:18-24 states, “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:22-24). This passage is difficult to read because our wealth and possessions distract us from loving God with all my heart and loving others.

How do you know if you love money more than God? You will need to ask God to search your heart because our hearts are deceitful (Jer. 17:9-10). We also think we are more righteous than we are. Jesus said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23:25, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Your answer to the following questions will reveal if you have a balanced attitude between wealth and contentment.

How would you react if you lose all your wealth and possessions?
If God said to give your wealth and possessions away, could you?
Are you trusting in your wealth for security, or are you trusting in God to provide all you need? Proverbs 11:28 states, “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”

Is Being Wealthy Wrong?

Wealth is a gift from God (Deut. 8:17-18), and Ecclesiastes 5:19 states, “Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.” Also, 1Timothy 6:17 states, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.” When we desire to please God, He will richly provide us with everything to enjoy, but if a person is not seeking God, they are tempted to sin. 2Chronicles 12:14 explains, “And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.”

If God has blessed you financially, remain submitted to God since you are only a steward of what He has given to you. Paul tells us to pursue godliness along with righteousness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness (1Tim. 6:10). Pursue means to stay focused and strive to gain what you want. More about how to do this in my next post.

Before warning about the perils of desiring to be rich, Paul tells Timothy in 1Timothy 6:6-8, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” Read How Contentment with Godliness Increases Independence, Time, and Wealth for my explanation of these verses.

Conclusion

ALL THOUGHTS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL

What Controls Your Thoughts?