Bible study – Hope for Complete Healing

Wise People Do Not Retaliate.

Which is more natural to do when someone hurts you? Do you forgive and show love when someone attacks you? Or if someone hurts you, do you lash out in anger or with other forms of retaliation? Our self-centered, sinful nature directs our minds to pay someone back for hurting us. But, if you yield your mind to the Spirit, then you will naturally forgive and do what is good to those who offend you. Then again, we don’t live in a perfect world. We naturally want to set up boundaries for people who are destructive in what they say and do. People don’t realize how hurtful they are because their resentment triggers their responses. Some people may have an evil spirit that is intent on hurting others. Boundaries are wise to protect from abusive harm. What does Jesus say we should do?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:38-39, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ ³⁹But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

This teaching is hard to comprehend with our carnal minds. God’s love in us and His goodness transcends evil and our desire to retaliate. Jesus’s love for mankind gave Him the strength to be struck and beaten for us. When He was arrested and crucified, Jesus did not fight back or resist. Rather, He asked His Father in Heaven to forgive them before He died for them (Luke 23:34). Following Jesus’ example, we should not resist evil people because they don’t know how to love and be good. We, too, can choose to love and forgive those who have wronged us. But you don’t have to hang out with destructive people unless God has called you to do so. The story of David Wilkerson comes to mind. He was a country preacher from Philipsburg, PA that felt God calling him to go to New York City to share the gospel with the gangs in New York City. You can read his story in the Cross and the Switch Blade. Teen Challenge came out of that ministry, which is still helping drug addicts and alcoholics be free through Jesus.

The website commentary Got Questions (2023) says the following. It’s important to note that by saying, “Do not resist an evil person,” Jesus is not requiring us to be pacifists or to never resist evil forces. In fact, James 4:7 and 1 Peter 5:9 command us to resist the devil and his evil practices. If someone threatens or attacks you or your loved one, it’s not wrong to take up a defense or to seek justice against the wrongdoer. What Jesus requires by commanding us not to resist an evil person is to not retaliate. We do not respond in kind, and we shouldn’t “get even.” Instead of seeking revenge, Jesus tells us we should “turn the other cheek.” In other words, we should adopt an attitude of humility and seek to be peaceful with those who have wronged us.”

The Apostle Paul explains how to deal with those that do evil in Romans 12:17-21.

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

¹⁹Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

²⁰To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Apostle Peter also encouraged his readers not to repay evil for evil in 1Peter 3:8-12.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

⁹Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

¹⁰For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; ¹¹let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

¹²For 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.”

1Thesalonians 5:15 states, “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

Proverbs 17:13 states, “If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.”

James 3:13 states. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

Conclusion

Jesus’s instructions to not resist the one who is evil and to turn the other cheek is tough to do. With God’s help and putting on humility with love, we can forgive and bless those who do us evil. When we feel offended and we want to repay evil to the one who offended us, then capture your thoughts, give them to God, forgive, then seek peace and do good in return. If someone has done evil against you in your past, you can heal those memories to stop the resentment from controlling your reactions. To learn how, read my online book here.

Part 1: How to Achieve Genuine Goodness?

Part 2: How to Overcome Evil with Good.

WHY MUST YOU FORGIVE

All verses are from the English Standard Bible. 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.

Check out my latest book Breaking Mental Strongholds which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

Wise People Keep Their Word

Have you ever had to take the witness stand in a court of law or seen someone take the witness stand? You are supposed to put your hand on the Bible and swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth? I thought this was okay and would do what I was told. I met a man who said that it was against his religious belief to swear by the Bible. He said that promising to tell the truth is enough. I was curious about this, so I asked him what he meant. He told me about this passage in Matthew. Let’s look at what Jesus says about keeping our promises.

Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ An oath is a promise, which is something you give your word to do.

³⁴But I say to you, Do not swear [take an oath] at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

³⁶And do not swear [take an oath] by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.

³⁷Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ or your ‘No’ be ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one [Satan].”

James 5:12 also tells us the same thing, “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” Oaths, promises, and contracts should obligate us to keep our word, especially when it is tempting not to. Jesus was not condemning all forms of promises, contracts, or agreements. But was speaking of a spontaneous vow made when a person says, “I promise I will do (whatever).” Or, “If you do (whatever) I will do (whatever).” It does not mean Jesus’s teaching in this passage discourages careful, thought-out promises, such as wedding vows or a legal contract.

The Consequence of Rash Vows

Making rash vows can have devastating consequences, which is why Jesus said not to make vows or oaths. The story of Jephthah illustrates the foolishness of making vows without understanding the consequences. Before leading the Israelites into battle against the Ammonites, Jephthah—described as a mighty man of valor—made a rash vow that he would give to the Lord whoever first came out of doors to meet him if he returned home as the victor. When the Lord granted him victory, the one who came out to meet him was his daughter. Jephthah remembered his vow and offered her to the Lord (Judges 11:29–40). Jephthah was so sorrowful because he loved his daughter.

Joshua made another foolish oath when he swore not to attack the Gibeonites. After Joshua conquered Jericho, the men of Gibeon tricked Joshua into making a treaty with them, which is the same as an oath. Joshua did not seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom concerning the treaty. When they found out they were tricked into making the agreement, this is what Joshua said in Joshua 9:20 (NIV) “This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.” See Joshua 9:3-21 to read the entire account. The oaths or promises we make are serious to God, and He will cause us to suffer the consequence if we don’t keep our word, so be wise about what you promise to do.

Herod made a foolish vow because he was so full of himself. Matthew 14:6-7 states, “But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod, ⁷so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.” What she asked for made Herod very sad and afraid. You can read this account in Matthew 14:1-12.

When We Make Oaths?

When you make an oath, make sure you are being led by the Holy Spirit and not your flesh. Psalm 15:4 describes a righteous person as one “who keeps an oath even when it hurts and does not change their mind.” Oaths, vows, and promises are binding, even when spoken frivolously or privately, as part of everyday conversation. A promise is a promise, and there is no loophole in God’s eyes to allow a person to renege on an oath, which includes marriage vows. It is so sad that so many people, including myself, break our promise to love and cherish our spouse till death do us part, then get divorced. The consequences are many when we break our marriage vows. In my case, my first husband broke his vow to me.

When you promise something, you need to let your “yes” be “yes.” Be very careful when disciplining your children, that you don’t say how you are going to punish them for their poor behavior and then can’t do it, or don’t do it. This will break your children’s trust in you, which will destroy your authority to speak into their lives.

If a child asks a parent for a promise, the parent should hear it as an indictment, since it reveals that the child has learned they cannot quite trust their mother’s or father’s word. Their “yes” has not always meant “yes”. Ideally, a parent’s word should be so reliable that the child never thinks of guarantees. Indeed, every follower of Jesus Christ should aim to be so reliable that no one asks them for promises. To build trust, you need to keep the promises you make.

The following are Scripture passages explaining the expectations and consequences of making vows or oaths.

If you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. –Deuteronomy 23:21

If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. –Numbers 30:2

You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. –Leviticus 19:12

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” – Exodus 20:7

God’s Grace When We Swear Falsely

The story of Peter denying Jesus is the most incredible example of God’s grace and love for Peter and for us. What amazes me is that Jesus knew Peter was going to deny Him three times before the rooster crows. Jesus knows our every thought and action, and He will help us do what is right if we humbly ask (James 4:6).

Peter proudly declared in Mark 14:31, “’Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same.” It wasn’t long before Peter swears, he didn’t know Jesus, according to Mark 14:70-71, “But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” ⁷¹But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” The rooster crows, just as Jesus said it would, and Peter realizes what he had done and weeps bitterly, then runs away. I am sure he feels shame, wouldn’t you? Then, Jesus comes to Peter after he had risen from the dead and restored Peter’s spirit by asking him three times if Peter loved him. Do you love Jesus? We will all make vows we don’t or can’t keep, but God is rich in mercy and will give us grace.

May God bless you richly.

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

A Wise Person Controls Defiling Thoughts

A Wise Person Appeals to Their Accuser

A Wise Person Controls Defiling Thoughts

A wise person can control defiling thoughts and does not lust, knowing that a lustful intent leads to adultery. Lustful thoughts can be any desire for something other than God’s best for you. In this post, you will learn the progression of lustful desires and how it leads to adultery between two married persons and between you and God.

Matthew 5:27, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’”

The command to not commit adultery is the seventh command of the 10 Commandments God gave to Moses. The Bible says a lot about adultery. The English Standard version has 35 verses about adultery. When someone makes a marriage commitment to another person and then is unfaithful to them, that is adultery. When someone is unfaithful to God after making a commitment, He considers them an adulterer. Adultery begins in the mind, which is why we need to be mindful of our thoughts and take wrong thoughts captive and make them obedient to Jesus (2Cor. 10:5). You can learn more from a series of posts about thoughts and the power of thoughts.

We can also be unfaithful to God by trusting in idols, which God calls adultery (Jer. 3:6-10). In fact, the book of Hosea was about God’s love for His people and calling them out of adultery with idols. In Proverbs 6:32, King Solomon tells us, “He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.” Imagine that? Why does adultery destroy you?

The Apostle Paul explained that when we obey and love our neighbor and God, then we will keep all the commandments (Romans 13:9 and John 14:15). James wrote the following in James 4:4, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” You can learn more from my series of posts on idolatry, which you will find helpful.

* * *

Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Lust begins when we look at something that entices and tempts us to strongly desire something. I won’t explain lust in this post because we all know what it is and its power over our thoughts. When you get a lustful thought, you have two choices. One, entertain it and follow your fleshly desires, or second, capture it by confessing it (1 John 1:9), and then putting it off (Col 3:5) and putting on the mind of Christ (Rom. 13:14). Verbally, in prayer, say, “I take this wrong thought captive, and I put it out of my mind in Jesus’ name, and I put on the mind of Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord, for purifying my mind.” If you entertain lustful thoughts, then they become an adulterous sin in your mind. When that happens, confess your sin and seek God’s forgiveness, and He promises to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

You may have a stronghold of lust from an addiction to pornography or going to strip clubs, and so on. If this is the case, you will need to ask God to remove the unclean spirit of lust from your mind. Next, ask God to forgive you for all the times you viewed porn, which removes the power of those memories. Begin with your earliest memory of when you were first exposed to porn. Your earliest memory is when you attracted the unclean spirit of lust. You may need to ask God to remove the porn curse or sinful habit passed down from the generations before you. Ask God to give you a clean heart and a clear conscience because what God has forgiven, He has forgotten. Ask God to remove the unclean spirit of guilt because what God has cleansed is clean. Unfortunately, the temptation to lust is all around us as it was in Jesus’s day. Don’t take a second look, and so on. Commit to not defiling yourself again. Just like Daniel, who made a commitment to not defile himself with the king’s food but ate vegetables and drank water instead. God blessed him with great wisdom and prominence in the government. God allowed Daniel to serve in leadership for four Kings.

* * *

Matthew 5:29-30, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Jesus uses hyperbole in this verse, which means an extravagant statement or assertion not intended to be understood literally. Jesus means we are to remove the source of temptation. First, remove yourself from the situation that is tempting you to lust. For example, if the neighbor woman is mowing her lawn in her skimpy bikini, you do not have to watch her. If that same woman invites you in for a drink, you do not go in. If you know a magazine rack contains tempting pictures, do not go past the magazine rack, and avoid places that tempt you to lust. Second, remove whatever is causing you to lust in your home, such as the internet, books, movies, etc.

Lust tempts you to be unfaithful and commit adultery, then when you give in to the temptation, it may lead to divorce. You may also lust after possessions, which tempts you to practice greed and covetousness, which is idolatry, and a sin of unfaithfulness to God. (Col. 3:5). James 1:14-15 states, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” That death could be of your marriage, a close relationship, your reputation, your job, and so on.

* * *

Matthew 5:31-32, “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

Divorce is not God’s plan for anyone. So, eliminate lustful thoughts for someone other than your spouse, so your lustful thoughts do not lead you to be unfaithful and become sexually immoral. Set up the boundaries you need to remain pure. Strive for holiness as described in 2Cornithians 7:1, “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.” You can learn more about this in this post: How to Experience a Heavenly Life on Earth.

I am praying for you. May God bless you.

Check out my latest book Breaking Mental Strongholds, which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

A Wise Person Appeals to Their Accuser

Have you met a wise thief or swindler? Do you know someone who cheated the government of owed taxes? Most foolish people think they are getting away with their sins, but they usually get caught. So, what does Jesus say to do with a thief when caught in their sinful scheme? Many people followed Jesus because He did great miracles. Jesus knew that many of those listening to His first sermon could be thieves or did not pay back what they owed or wronged someone. He gives the instruction to make it right with the person you wronged. Matthew 5:25-26 states, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. ²⁶Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”

God knew we would need a court system because there were going to be disputes between people, so when the Israelites were wandering around the desert, He set up levels of judges to hear their cases, just like we have today. Moses tells the tribal leaders the following in Deuteronomy 1:17; “You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’”

The Bible discourages us from going to court.

My husband wanted a few trees cut down and a cherry limb. One tree was a huge Maple close to the house that was rotting at the base. The arborist gave us a price for the Maple and the cherry limb together. It took the man six months to get the maple cut down and cut the cherry limb. We paid him what he charged us. Then we get another bill a month later for trimming a tree he did not do. He insisted he did the work, and we owe him the money, which was over $700.00. He also was a brother in the Lord and a pastor at one time. The man had a reputation for not being honest. In Proverbs 25:9-10, King Solomon explains, “Argue your case with your neighbor himself, and do not reveal another’s secret, lest he who hears you bring shame upon you, and your ill repute have no end.”

We appealed to him first to see if he mistakenly sent us the bill. He insisted he did the work. We tried to reason with the man, but he slandered us to our mutual Christian friends for not paying this bill. He tried to ruin our reputation, but in fact, his reputation came into question. Then my husband went to church leadership and appealed to them, and they agreed to meet to discuss the discrepancy. My husband sent them all the email exchanges of what we agreed upon to prepare for the meeting. COVID hit and the in-person meeting never happened. In Proverbs 18:17, Solomon says, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” We presented the evidence of what we agreed upon and the work he charged us for. He dropped his charge against us because we proved our case to the church leadership, and now his reputation was in question.

The Bible explains the proper way to deal with someone who has sinned against you. Matthew 18:15-17 states, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Also, Christians should not be involved in lawsuits against believers.

1 Corinthians 6:1-10 explains, “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints?

²Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?

³Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

⁴So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church?

⁵I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, ⁶but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?

⁷To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?

⁸But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

⁹Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

We cannot hide our sins from God. Exodus 22:9 states, “For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.” If my husband and I were trying to get out of paying what we owed the man and the church leaders said we owed him, then we would have to pay up, and maybe twice as much. This verse was for the Israelites, but we still should follow the principles laid out by God.

The man who tried to swindle us for work he did not do is currently serving time in prison for child rape charges of his grandchild, which he denies, but a jury found him guilty. He has deceived another brother in the Lord into paying his legal fees and even appealing the verdict. Usually, if a Christian has a sin problem in one area, they almost always have sin problems in other areas of their life. Pride will always be the center of every sin issue. Pride keeps a person from repentance and opens the door to demonic deception and enticement.

People with pride issues will have no problems lying or stealing, but God knows every wicked thought and way. Psalm 139:1b-4 explains, “You have searched me and known me! ²You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. ³You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.”

CHALLENGE: Do you want to be wise? Seek God to show you if a spirit of pride controls your thoughts because the devil might tempt you to think, “What they did is wrong. I am going to take them to court.” I regularly root out the sin of pride in my life, so that other sins do not rule my mind. Always best to obey Jesus’s instructions.

May God bless you richly.

Check out my latest book Breaking Mental Strongholds which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

A Wise Person Seeks Peace and Reconciliation

Have you ever met an angry wise person? Why can’t an angry person be wise? I am writing a series of posts about being wise according to Jesus’s first sermon. In the last post, I explained how a wise person is salt and light in the world. This post will look at the second precept of a wise person; a wise person seeks peace and reconciliation. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus tells us to not murder or be angry and insult a fellow Christian.

Matthew 5:21-22 states, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ ²²But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

Liable to judgment means to be accountable or answerable to a judge or court of law. Jesus sees murder and anger as the same. Why? Would you agree a murderer does not value the person they kill? Likewise, an angry person does not value the person they are angry at.

But God got angry.

What is the difference between our sinful anger and God’s righteous anger? God is perfect and has no sin.

Self-centered pride motivates our anger when things don’t go our way. God is slow to anger, which is motivated by love and righteousness. He wants us to obey and not sin by disobeying His righteous laws or worshiping idols. Psalm 86:15 states, “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” King Solomon wrote about being slow to anger in Proverbs.

Proverbs 14:29 – Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Proverbs 15:18 – A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

Proverbs 16:32 – Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 19:11 – Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Our sinful anger fuels resentment and hatred, which causes us to seek revenge and punish those who did us wrong. God’s love fuels discipline when we disobey. His discipline is for our good that we may be righteous. Hebrews 12:6 states, “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:11 states, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Obey and Pursue Peace

To live in peace with others looks different for each person, but it always involves forgiving offenses. You may not feel like forgiving, but it is an act of obedience to God. Forgiving restores peace by removing resentment and offenses in the heart. If you don’t have peace in your heart, then you won’t be at peace with others. In my post called The Mystery of Wisdom – Part 5, I explain why it is wise to obey God. The Bible says the following about God’s instructions to seek peace. Also, read the peace issues page in my book to learn more.

Romans 12:17-18 states, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Sometimes, it is not possible to live in peace, but we must not repay evil for evil by being offensive in return. 1 Peter 3:11 also says, “Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Striving for peace is a sign of holiness. Hebrews 12:14 states, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”

We can live in peace with those around us by honoring them. 2 Corinthians 13:11 states, “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” A wise person seeks to restore peace in their relationships as they live in peace. When we obey this principle, then the love and peace of God will be with us.

We can live in peace by letting the peace of God rule our hearts. When peace rules our hearts, then anger will not. One way to maintain peace is to be thankful. Colossians 3:15 states, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” When we sow peace in our relationships by being thankful and doing what is right, then we will harvest righteousness. James 3:18 states, “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Also, James 1:20 says, “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Those who pursue peace seek reconciliation.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We will inevitably offend a brother or sister or be offended. When that happens, a wise person seeks reconciliation through apologizing and forgiving.

Matthew 5:23-24 states, “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Remember, sin separates us from God, so we need to seek His forgiveness so we can come before God and offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

Who do you need to forgive so you feel peace in your heart?

Who do you need to go and be reconciled with whom you offended?

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WHY MU S T YOU FORGIVE

How to be Wise

I completed a series of posts on what wisdom is, where it comes from, and what a wise person looks like. If you haven’t read these posts, you can find them in the Mystery of Wisdom Summary post. But how do we apply wisdom? The following Scripture passage is a song that almost everyone knows. Read this passage and guess the song. If you know the song, sing it loud and include the motions if you know them.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” ̶ Matthew 7:24-27.

This passage is the last instruction in Jesus’s first sermon. Since Jesus is God’s son and is God. Colossians 1:19-20 states, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Jesus taught in His first sermon what He expects of us if we were to follow Him and be wise.

Building on a rock gives your house a solid foundation. The house is our spiritual life, and the rock is Jesus. 1 Corinthians 3:11 states, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” You can obey Jesus’s instructions and build your spiritual lives on His truths, or you can ignore His instructions and build your life on the sands of human opinions, unhealthy beliefs, and worldly wisdom. The storms of life will expose what you built your life on.

Jesus says a lot of hard-to-do instructions in this sermon, but know that He is with you and will help you when you humbly call on His name. Many of the difficult instructions relate to our pride and our need for God to give us a new heart. We will learn more about each instruction in subsequent posts. Let us review Jesus’s instructions in His first sermon in Matthew chapters 5-7.

5:1-12 ̶ Jesus begins with nine blessings for the following conditions:

a) the poor in spirit;

b) those who mourn;

c) the gentle;

d) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness;

e) the merciful;

f) the pure in heart;

g) the peacemakers;

h) those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness;

i) those who are insulted, persecuted, and falsely accused because of Jesus.

5:13-20 – We are to be the salt and light for the world by showing our faith by our good works and giving glory to our Father in heaven.

5:21-26 – Do not murder or be angry and insult a fellow Christian; instead, be reconciled to them.

5:27-32 – Do not lust because even if you have a lustful intent toward someone, you have committed adultery. Remove whatever is causing you to lust, such as the internet, books, movies, etc., and avoid places that tempt you to lust. Because of our lust, we are tempted to commit adultery, leading to divorce, though Jesus discourages divorce.

5:33-37 – Do not take oaths. Let your “yes” be yes, and your “no” be no.

5:38-42 – Do not retaliate. Give to those who ask.

5:43-48 – Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so as sons of God, “You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This sounds impossible, but with God’s divine power in us, we can be perfect if we obey God’s laws. See 2Peter 1:3-12

6:1-4 – Do not practice your righteousness to be noticed by others. Don’t let people see you giving to the needy.

6:5-15 – Pray to your Father in heaven and forgive anyone who has sinned against you, just as your father in heaven has forgiven you.

6:16-18 – Do not fast to be noticed by others.

6:19-24 – Serve God, not money. Do not focus on money and metaphorically blind your eyes.

6:25-34 – Do not be anxious (concerned) about anything but seek first God’s kingdom.

7:1-6 – Don’t judge, but first remove the log from your own eye.

7:7-11 – Ask, seek, and knock through prayer and expect answers.

7:12 – Treat others as you would have them treat you.

7:13-14 – Enter by the narrow gate and not by the wide gate that leads to destruction.

7:15-20 – Recognize false teachers by their fruit and avoid them.

7:21-23 – Do your heavenly Father’s will.

7:24-27 – Do all that I have instructed you and you will be wise.

Most importantly, do you love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, then love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:36-40 and Luke 10:27)?

May God bless you richly as you obey Him.

What Kind of Heart do You Have?

Do you have a heart that desires to fear God and keep His commandments? I have been pondering the following scripture and wondered if I had a heart that wanted to fear God and keep His commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:29 (ESV) states, “Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!” (NKJV) states, “Oh that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (NIV) “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always…”

How do you know your heart?

The first step to finding out what kind of heart you have is to ask God to show you but be ready to hear the answer. Psalm 139:23-24 states, “Search me, Oh God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Also, Jeremiah 17:9-10 states, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick [wicked; KJV]; who can understand [know] it? ¹⁰’I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.’”

What does it mean to have a heart that fears God?

The fear of the Lord is to have deep respect, love, and awe which we demonstrate in our obedience to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 6:2, 10:12; 1 Samuel 12:14). The following verses describe how we are to fear God and in fact is the demonstration that you do have a heart that fear’s God:

Do you Praise Him always? You who fear the Lord, praise Him! …glorify Him, and stand in awe of Him, … ̶̶ Psalms 22:23

Do you faithfully serve Him? Only fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things He has done for you. ̶ 1 Samuel 12:24

Do you turn from evil and desire to do what is right? Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. 8) It will be healing to your flesh (body; NAS) and refreshment to your bones. ̶ Proverbs 3:7-8

Do you hate evil, pride, and disobedience? The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. ̶ Proverbs 8:13 (Froward means not willing to yield or comply with what is required or is reasonable; perverse; or disobedient.)

Do you have a submissive, humble heart? Blessed is the one who fears the LORD always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity (the pit). ̶ Proverbs 28:14

Do you trust the Lord? You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield. ̶ Psalms 115:11

Why Should We Fear God and Keep His Commandments?

The Bible tells us that if we do fear God and keep His commandments that things/life might go well for us and for our children. Do you want that for your life? This does not mean that you will not have to go through trials to strengthen your faith and patience. Or suffer troubles because of the sinful world we live in, but life will go well in general. You will have peace and joy despite your circumstances. The following are five reasons why fearing God benefits us.

1. God’s angel protects you, and you will be blessed and lack nothing. Psalms 34:7-9 states, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9) Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”

2. God will help you and shield you from all harm. Psalm 115:11 states, “You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.” Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.”

3. You will have confidence and you will feel safe. Proverb 14:26 states, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.”

4. You will have wisdom and know what to do. Psalms 111:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” See my post about why the fear of the Lord gives wisdom. THE MYSTERY OF WISDOM—PART 2

5. You will have a long life. Proverbs 10:27 “The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.”

Why don’t Christians fear God and Obey Him?

This question is a hard question but after pondering it for several days, I think the parable of the soils explains it well. Let’s look at Jesus’s explanation of this parable in Matthew 13:18-23. Where is your heart in this parable?

vs18 “Hear then the parable of the sower:

vs19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

vs20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, ²¹yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

vs22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Vs 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Four Heart Conditions. What kind of heart do you have?

1) Prideful heart: A person who lacks understanding and is a fool. This person is more interested in being self-centered and following the desires of their flesh.

2) Cluttered heart: This person believes but doesn’t do the hard work to remove the rocks of offenses by forgiving and repenting of the sins in their heart. So that when the hard times and persecution come, they don’t have the depth of faith to endure and overcome.

3) Distracted heart: This person knows the truth but is distracted by all they must do or want to do in the world that they don’t have time for God and kingdom living. Or they are distracted by materialism, and they become focused on acquiring wealth instead of obeying God.

4) Fruitful heart: This person understands and believes the truth. They desire to obey God and fear Him by repenting of sin and self-centered pride; putting off their old, sinful nature and putting on a new, regenerated self; forgiving offenses; and setting their minds on God to love and serve Him instead of being distracted by the concerns and materialism of this world.

Conclusion:

What kind of heart do you have? Even if you have a hard, cluttered, or distracted heart, you can change it with God’s help. You can break a hard heart by breaking up the hard ground using God’s Word and seeking God to remove your pride and sinful nature. You can restore a cluttered heart by forgiving all offenses and repenting of all sins. You can refocus a distracted heart by putting off the desires of the world and desire instead to worship, love, and serve God only. The only motivation necessary to have a fruitful heart is a desire to fear God and obey His commands. Do you want the benefits of fearing God or the destruction of your self-centered, sinful desires, worry, and greed?

At the end of King Solomon’s life, he said in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “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.” King Solomon did not always fear God or keep God’s commandments because he married foreign wives who distracted him and led him to worship their foreign gods. In the end, King Solomon realized his error. Where is your heart? I would love to hear your thoughts, please leave a comment.

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Prison Ministry Report 4

People are messy, but God is good and loves these girls. A few believe they are innocent and didn’t do wrong, some know they did wrong and want the judge to have mercy. Surprisingly some did wrong to get into jail so they can get the help they need. I will be writing about two meetings in this report.

Last Friday, we had three returning girls and three new girls. The new girls had a lot to say, but one was upset and wanted to tell her story. She believes she is innocent. Sandy taught on John 14:6a, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” She began in Haggai 2:4-9 and said that God was going to do something good, even great in our lives. Then she had us look up Scriptures about “the way” and what is the wrong way versus the good way. We are to seek the truth found in God’s Word. Find life in Him and how we should live and how the Holy Spirit helps us. At the end of our time, I asked if there was anything in particular that the girls wanted to learn, and they said forgiveness. That is a hard topic to teach incarcerated women.

This past Friday, I shared about forgiveness, and I did not get past the first page of notes out of five pages. We had four returning girls and three new girls. One of the new girls was the daughter of a pastor who rebelled and got into trouble, she seemed to accept being in jail, and wants to get right with God. One new girl broke down crying and left in the middle of the Bible Study. She can’t believe God forgives her and she can’t be forgiven because she killed someone and is facing life in prison and is 23 years old. She has been in prison since she was 20, so very sad. Please pray for her, she goes by Smalls (jail name). She did not want to share what happened because she doesn’t want it to get back to the block about what she did, and she threatened violence if anyone said anything to anyone back in the block. Then Tracy breaks down about Smalls’s situation because she is so young. I told you that teaching forgiveness is hard to do but so very important. Satan does not want us to receive forgiveness nor forgive others. Lord willing, I will teach on that next week. Sandy is going to first share how much God loves them, which is why He forgives them. Love is a hard concept for these girls to grasp as well.

I finally was able to move on to talk about the five reasons why we should forgive then MJ (another jail name) broke down crying because she is concerned that other girls are being abused like she was by a past boyfriend but no one believes her. We had to leave early because the correction facility went into lockdown and the inmates are to be in their cells. So, we couldn’t continue to minister to MJ, please pray for her, she has such a tender caring heart. The following is what I was able to share with these precious girls.

What the Bible Says About Forgiveness

God forgives us: 1John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We must forgive others: Colossians. 3: 13 states, “Bearing 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.” And Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. ―Ephesians 4:32

Perhaps the greatest demonstration of supernatural forgiveness in all of history is when Jesus prayed to His Father as He hung on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all of mankind, “Forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Share the salvation message with the girls.

Often, we need to forgive ourselves: After receiving God’s forgiveness and forgiving others, you may have guilt for the wrong you did towards God and others, which is why forgiving yourself for the sins you committed, will release the guilt you feel. The following passage is an example. 1Corinthians 6:17-20 states, “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Why Forgive- 5 reasons

Forgiving releases us from the bondage of being offended and from resentment toward the person who offended us.
Forgiving helps us not to focus on that hurtful issue so we can love others as Christ does.
Forgiveness is essential for healing because it releases us from the power and control of a wrongful action or offense.
Forgiving someone does not excuse their wrong actions but sets us free to heal and move on.
Forgiveness releases bitterness from your heart and eliminates your desire to judge and punish those who hurt you. When you forgive someone’s sin, it begins healing the wounds from the painful memory.

Thank you for your prayers.

Joyce

Prison Ministry Report 3

Today’s Scripture is James 4:7, “Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This verse gives the inmates hope to overcome their destructive thoughts and live a successful Christian life and overcome temptations. You submit to God by letting Him control your thoughts and actions. Our sinful nature and the devil will put tempting thoughts into our minds and entice us to sin, at this point put those thoughts out of your mind in Jesus’ name and focus on truth from God’s word or just pray for God’s help and mercy to resist the devil and sinning. The more you practice this, the quicker you will submit to God and not to the devil. In 1Timothy 4:7, it tells us to train ourselves for godliness, that is to train our minds to think godly thoughts, not sinful thoughts.

The women’s Bible study was canceled this week, so Sandy and I went to the men’s Bible Study, which was very enlightening. In the prison system, several blocks (A, B, and C) house different types of inmates. The women’s Block B was locked down for covid, so our women from block A had to work in the kitchen. Our husbands lead the men’s Bible study, and they were surprised when we walked in. I did not know what to expect. Usually, they have a large group, but they only had three because only one block can attend at a time to prevent covid spread. The men do their Bible study according to the questions the inmates have, so you need to know your Bible well.

Pres started with a question in Luke 12:54-56, “He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming.’ And so it happens. ⁵⁵And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat,’ and it happens. ⁵⁶You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Jim (Sandy’s husband) referenced the fact that Jesus “also said” at the beginning of the Scripture, so he suggested reading from the beginning of the chapter to get the context of the scripture. The verses prior to the above verses referenced the coming of the Holy Spirit by fire and baptism, which Gary (my husband) led us to read in Acts 2 about the Holy Spirit. The Bible study went from Scripture to Scripture as the Spirit led to answer questions the inmates had. To do this kind of Bible Study you really need to know your Bible. Sandy and I like to prepare a Bible Study to encourage the women in their relationship with Jesus but leave room for the Holy Spirit to lead or change our plans. Like He did last Friday night.

Pres commented about another Scripture referring to us as sheep, which led to another Bible discussion. My husband spoke about the passage in Isaiah 53:4-6, “Surely he [Jesus] has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Then Pres asked what iniquity and transgressions meant. Sandy explained them as a progression of deeper sinful behavior but how Jesus bore them all on the cross and forgives us, but Satan will cause us to doubt. I added James 4:7 that when we submit our minds to God and resist the devil, our thoughts won’t be influenced by the devil, which led to another discussion about resisting temptations. It was an interesting Bible study. Please pray for the inmates. Pres, who desires to grow in his faith. Chris opened up and shared the self-denigrating thoughts he has about himself for the things he did and still does, and how his depression led him to commit crimes. Please pray for John and his wife as they work through the current situation with him being in jail.

How To Train To Be Godly?

Posts About Godliness

I have written Breaking Mental Strongholds which you can order on Amazon. To learn more about it, read my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

Mystery of Wisdom Summary

How much do you know about wisdom? To know if you are wise, see if you can answer the following questions? Click the link for a reminder.

___ What are the five differences between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom? See Part 1.

___ What are the nine benefits of fearing God and how do they relate to wisdom? See Part 2.

___ Where do you get wisdom, or do you rely on your understanding? Why? See Part 3.

___ List the six ways a person can be foolish or wise. See Part 4.

___ What are the seventeen instructions from Jesus that increase your wisdom? See Part 5.

___ What are the seven ways to cultivate wisdom in your life? See Part 6.

___ What are the five benefits of having wisdom? See Part 7.

___ Can you list 10 out of 32 attributes of a wise person? See Part 8.

How did you do on this quiz? I pray you have a better understanding of what wisdom is, how to get it, how to cultivate it, and who keeps wisdom. I wrote this series of posts to learn what wisdom was and to recognize my false beliefs about wisdom. We learned a lot about wisdom, but how do we apply it? In the next series of posts, I will expose harmful beliefs that lead to unwise decisions.

Check out my book called Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. I would love to hear what you think. To learn more about my book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.