Chat – Page 12 – Hope for Complete Healing

365 Days of Worship-Week 1 – Draw close

I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. –Psalm 146:2

Please join me this year to draw near to God through worship. When we draw close to God, He will draw close to us (James 4:8). Remember, God is Holy and sin separates us from Him (Is. 59:2). Seek God to search your heart and mind for any sinful thought, word, or deed, then confess it and repent (resolve to love well) (Jer. 17:9-10; Ps. 139:23-24; Matt. 3:8). Ask God to show you unhealthy beliefs you may have about Him concerning the verse(s). You may be offended at God for unanswered prayers, in that case, humble yourself under His sovereign hand and seek His healing of that painful memory.

Meditate on the verse throughout the day, and give God praise and adoration for each day’s worship focus. Remember, God is a Spirit and we are to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

WEEK 1 – January 1-7

Day 1—Worship God’s greatness.

Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. ³Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. –Psalms 145:2-3

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. –Psalm 147:5

Blessing God according to the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek dictionary essentially means to adore, which is to pay divine honor to or worship.

Day 2—Worship God’s splendor and majesty.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. ⁶They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. –Psalms 145: 5-6

He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. ⁹He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. –Psalm 147:8-9

Day 3—Worship God because He is good, righteous, merciful, and loving.

They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. ⁸The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. –Psalm 145:7-9 and Psalm 103:8

Day 4—Worship God for His Faithfulness and Kindness

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.] ¹⁴The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. –Psalm 145:13-14

Day 5—Worship God for His Righteousness and Nearness

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. ¹⁸The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. –Psalm 145:17-18

Day 6—Worship God’s Holy Name

Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! ²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. –Psalm 103:1-2

(Remember, blessing God according to the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek dictionary essentially means to adore, which is to pay divine honor to or worship.)

Day 7—Worship God for His Forgiveness and Healing

Who forgives all your iniquity [sins], who heals all your diseases. –Psalm 103:3

All Scripture is from the English Standard Bible. This post is copyright protected.

GODLY GRIEF

Poem by Debbie Auen

It is easy to be who I really am spiritually with Jesus my King

But with people, well, that is another thing

Concerning the spiritual aspect of life, they cannot relate

Any and all sin, I passionately hate

Because people are carnally minded, I cannot get through

To continue to pray that soon they will see the light is what I must do

Both believers and unbelievers are bound by deceit

The presence of God is so majestic and sweet

People don’t understand where I am coming from, there is a huge gap

People don’t read and obey the Bible, which is our spiritual map

There is heresy and apostasy taking place in the body of Christ now

Trusting in self is why and how

When the Holy Spirit we repeatedly grieve

Eventually, He will leave

The fear of the Lord people do not possess

The world is in such a mess

To live pure and holy, God’s people have no desire

And yet this is what He does require

To live pure and holy is not negative but a beautiful way of life

Only those who do will be God’s bride, His wife

God’s peace is for those who choose to overcome

All sin, not just some

People may think that I am extreme but what God thinks of me matters most

Like a strong soldier spiritually, I must remain at my post

Compromise is on the rise

I pray God to put spiritual eye salve on people’s eyes

With the world and church, I do not fit in

For those who are lukewarm, the victory is not possible to win

I don’t consider myself any better, but I realize by God’s grace I am in a much better place

It grieves me to see people frustrating God’s grace

The real me I shall be

Because Jesus paid a dear price at Calvary so I could be free

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I do not care for poetry, but my dear friend Debbie is so very talented and inspiring with her God-given ability. I want to share some of the poetry she has sent me, that has blessed me. I pray you are blessed too.

Continual Worship Begins Every Day.

When I read the post below, it encouraged and challenged me to adopt a practice of worshiping God alone every day. I am challenged, and I challenge you to evaluate the things you worship in your life that do not return peace, joy, or righteousness. The Bible says we are to seek after God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33). And set our minds on the things above where Christ is seated in the heavenly places (Col. 3:1-3).

When we seek God, we will prosper.

2Chronicals 26:5 states, “He [King Uzziah] set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” Note the condition for prospering—as long as he sought the Lord. Do you want to prosper? Are you willing to seek God and worship Him all day, every day? When we don’t seek God, the Scriptures say we will do evil, which none of us want to do evil and be under God’s wrath. 2Chronicals 12:14 states, “And he [King Rehoboam] did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.” Set your heart today to seek God and prosper in all you do.

God does not forsake those who seek Him.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. –Psalm 9:10

Do you know Jesus Christ’s (our Lord’s) name? Psalm 91:14 explains, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he knows my name.” When you know the Lord’s name, you will trust Him and hold fast to him in love and worship Him. He will not forsake you, and He will rescue and protect you. He is worthy of our praise and worship.

Please read the below post, and be encouraged to start or continue a new resolution to draw near to God for the rest of your life.

BOWING/KNEELING IN PRAYER:-

Christmas Poem by Debbie Auen

Christmas is about hope

Hope for sinners to be forgiven and free

For those who are spiritually blind – GOD’S truth to see

Christmas is about GOD’S presence, love, light coming through

To bless and transform me and you

Christmas is about GOD humbling HIMSELF to become a man

To reveal to us HIS purpose and plan

Christmas is about the power and purity of GOD’S love divine

Pouring forth HIS holy, spiritual wine

Christmas is about the greatest miracle taking place

GOD giving us HIS mercy and grace

Christmas is about GOD reaching down and out

To deliver us from fear and doubt

Christmas is about celebrating the reality of joy and peace

The fact that GOD’S love never shall cease

Christmas is about our need for salvation, sanctification, and God providing

It is proof that GOD is not distant or hiding

Christmas is HIS heart on display

That we will experience the true meaning of Christmas

In a personal way I pray

Freedom from All Forms of Poverty—Post 6

Have you ever considered the access we have to God’s riches and blessings? Poverty is not only being poor materially, but it also means being deficient spiritually, emotionally, or physically. How would you describe your emotional or spiritual condition? A Bible verse that encourages me is Psalms 50:10, which states, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” This verse reminds me that God owns everything. He is very rich. All I need to do is ask because He is my loving Father and He promises in James 1:17; “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Do you have a testimony of how you trusted God to meet your needs, and that He was faithful to you?

God promises to provide for our material needs.

When I was a single mother with no money, I would claim the promise in Philippians 4:19; “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” When God says, “I will”, that is a promise we can trust. Then He said, “supply every need of yours” Every means just that, material, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs. “According to his riches in glory” our Father in Heaven owns everything, and “in glory” references Heaven (Col. 3:4 and 1Tim 3:16). Heaven is made of gold, its foundation is made of gems, and each gate is made of one pearl (Rev. 21:18-21). We can’t access God’s riches in heaven except “in Christ Jesus.” Do you have Christ Jesus in your heart?

It never occurred to me to get financial assistance from the government. I automatically went to God first, and He provided for all my needs and kept me and my children safe from all harm. Instead of despairing about my situation, I trusted God. So often we forget that our heavenly Father is very rich. He said in Malachi 3:10; “to tithe…put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.” As a single mother, I tithed every source of income, and yes, God blessed me immensely. I share this story in the post called Trust God to Keep His Promises.

God’s provision is not the prosperity gospel. God does not spoil us with our self-centered, vain wants. So, don’t put a picture of a beautiful car or house on your mirror and claim it, then expect God to provide it. No, God provides for our needs. But our priorities need to be in alignment with God’s priorities. Matthew 6:31-33 states, “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God knows what you need. The condition is to look up and seek God’s blessings of righteousness, joy, and peace. Romans 14:17 states, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” How are you seeking God’s righteousness, peace, and joy?

God provides for our future needs. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt after being slaves for 400 years, God caused the Egyptians to favor the Israelites so they would not leave empty-handed. God told them to ask for silver and gold jewelry and clothing from the Egyptian women, and they were given all that they asked for (Exodus 3:21-22).

Personally, God provided for a future need I did not know I would need. God said I was to go to graduate school. I was not thrilled because I was working full time, so when would I have time to study? I did not know what subject I should study, and it had been 30 years since I graduated from college. I obeyed and learned later that God wanted me to learn how to write. I received a post-baccalaureate certificate in Distance Education, and it was writing intensive. When I finished, I was laid off from my job. Then God called me to write a book during my layoff. I began with one long book that I broke into the two books, which are described at the end of this post. It was five years from the time I started writing to publishing the first book. God provided for every need. Ephesians 2:10 states, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Let God lead you as He prepares you for the good work He has planned for you. It may not make sense and you may not want to obey, but trust God and obey.

God promises to provide for our spiritual needs.

Spiritual needs cover many areas, so I will provide an overview here. Ephesians 1:3 tells us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” We are already blessed because of Christ in us; and through Him, we have access to every spiritual blessing of heaven. It is hard to wrap my mind around this truth. What spiritual blessings have you received?

So many of us live in spiritual poverty because we don’t seek what is already ours. Would you rather have temporary worldly pleasure that leaves you hurt and unhappy, or do you want heavenly blessings that give you joy and peace? Proverbs 10:22 states, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” “Every spiritual blessing” is countless, here are a few: strength (Phil. 4:13), peace, joy, hope (Rom. 15:13), grace (Eph. 2:7), salvation, forgiveness, power, love, and self-control (2 Tim. 1:7), and so on. To receive spiritual blessings, you need to seek God and draw near to Him. If you are not receiving spiritual blessings, please read Freedom in Our Spirit – Part 3.

God promises to meet our physical and emotional needs.

The very first thought that comes to my mind is how sin causes physical and emotional poverty. Psalm 38:3 states, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of your [God’s] indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.” Proverbs 3:7-8 states, “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. ⁸It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” Before God can meet our physical and emotional needs, we must first repent of our sins, especially of pride. For example, I was a very anxious person. The sin of anxiety affected my digestion and made me emotionally depressed. I explain how I became free in Why, What, and How to Submit to God and be FREE. Also, read How to be Free from Sin’s Control – Post 4.

I also discovered how our emotional health affects our physical health. If you have poor emotional health through painful experiences and resentments, it will cause poor physical health. I explain why and how our emotions affect our physical bodies in 4–Transforming Heart Issues Heals You Physically.

Conclusion

Our Heavenly Father is very rich, and He wants to supply all our needs. What would happen if you went to another person instead of your parents and asked them for the things you need? They may help you, but would they provide for your every need? No. Someone, who is not your family, doesn’t have a love relationship with you. Your heavenly Father loves you and He wants you to love Him and ask Him for His help. I am not against getting assistance from our government, but they can’t provide your every need like God can. You have limited yourself to what the government thinks you should get. God will meet your needs according to His riches. Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Faith unlocks God’s riches, but the condition is to draw near to Him and believe He exists, seek Him, then He will reward you.

I pray that God will bless you richly in the coming year.

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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.

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, the 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.

Freedom from Negative Influence—Post 5

Do you realize how much negative influence is in your life? Negative influence has a different connotation for each of us. From a Christian perspective, a negative influence can be a spoken word or picture that entices you to do evil and sin in thought, word, or deed. You may work or live with someone or be friends with someone who is a negative influence. What are your options?

While watching TV or a Movie, are you aware of the negative influence of what you are watching? Words and images have power over your mind, and the greater the emotion, the deeper they imprint your memories, which continue to influence you negatively. For example, I watched a movie about girls being abducted and sold as sex slaves. Those negative images were imprinted as memories that were so clear that they caused me to be fearful. Likewise, immoral and traumatic scenes will affect you for years. How are you freed from these negative images and their influence on your mind and spirit?

The ultimate negative influence on your mind and spirit.

Satan does not want us to be free in our thoughts or spirit. He wants to keep us in bondage to our sinful flesh. Rate how aware from 1 (least) to 10 (most) you are of Satan’s negative influence in your life. Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, we have the authority over the devil. Jesus said in Luke 10:18-19, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions [demons], and over all the power of the enemy [Satan], and nothing shall hurt you.” The only time the enemy hurts us is when we allow him to. From this time forward, stop all sources of negative influence in your life so you can live free in your thoughts and spirit. King David made this vow in Psalms 101:3a; “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.”

Becoming free from the negative influence of trauma memories.

How to become free from the negative images in your memories controlling your thoughts and spirit. Our negative memories will make us a negative influence on the people around us. Jesus gave us the authority to take every negative, evil thought and evil spirit captive in Jesus’ name and command them to be gone. I did this with the crippling fear of being abducted from the images of that movie. I commanded the wrong thoughts and negative influences of that movie and all demonic spirit attachments to those images to be gone in Jesus’ name. Then, I transformed the unhealthy belief with the truth that God holds my hand, is with me as a shield, and will protect me from all evil. To learn more, please read my transformation story on my website, hopeforcompletehealing.com.

Beware of False Teachers Who Want to Steal Your Freedom

The devil wants to keep us in bondage to sin and resentment, so beware of people who do not follow the path of love and holiness. Galatians 2:4 states, “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus so that they might bring us into slavery.” Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian is truly born again and renewed. Many Christians are a negative influence through gossip, being judgmental, legalism, and complaining. John 13:35 explains what an authentic Christian is, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” An authentic Christian will show love (kindness, patience, humility, goodness, and so on) and will not enslave you in sinful behavior.

Fake “Christian” leaders continue to allow demonic spirits to control their lives. In 2 Peter 2:19, it says, “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” Corruption is having a moral perversion or decadence. Pornography is a moral decadence that leads to sexual bondage. For example, do you remember how Jimmy Swagart would preach against sexual sin and cry like a baby? I knew he struggled with sexual sin. Then he was caught with a prostitute twice, that I know of. This corruption in his life destroyed his ministry. Too many pastors and priests have sexually molested children. This is a corruption that leads people into a bondage of resentment and pain.

The Apostle Paul teaches Timothy what to do with people in your family or church who are a negative influence. In 2 Timothy 2:24-26 he states, “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” This is a hard passage to comprehend because no one wants to think they are being held captive by the devil to do his will. Another phrase I don’t like is “patiently enduring evil,” no one wants to endure evil. Evil is a sinful, harmful action that causes pain.

For example, I was held captive by the devil to do his will because of the resentment in my heart toward those who did evil to me. Resentment is the feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc., regarded as causing injury or insult. (Dictionary.com, 2023). As I forgave those who hurt me, which is ongoing because we are exposed to hurtful people, I became free from the devil’s control. In the meantime, I acted out in anger at anyone who triggered those unforgiven resentments, and I became hurtful. My husband and children had to endure the evil I was subjecting them to. Our teenagers subject us to evil words and actions that we need to patiently endure and lovingly discipline. As a servant of the Lord, we need to be kind and gently speak the truth to hurtful people or messy Christians. It is easy to quarrel when we feel hurt or offended. Romans 14:1 explains, “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.” 2Timothy 2:14 states, “Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.”

Conclusion

Negative influences can come from many sources, from what you watch on TV or the internet or social media to what you read, and the people around you. Negative influence can come from the church as well. Are you a negative influence in people’s lives because of your negative experiences? We can easily control the negative influence that we watch or read, but we can’t always control the negative influence from the people we live and work with. Many times, you have no control over the negative people in your life. To be free from the influence of negative people is to kindly and gently set boundaries and speak truth into their lives. If setting boundaries does not work then you may have to patiently endure it, hold your boundaries, and pray for them. Remember, you are the light of Jesus to the world around you. Philippians 2:14-15 tells us, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Let the love of Jesus show to the difficult, negative people in your life.

If you have any other ideas, please leave a comment, I would love to know them.

FREEDOM POSTS

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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.

How to be Free from Sin’s Control – Post 4

Do you think you know the permanent solution to the most common problem we all have? When I ask inmates about sin and forgiveness, most do not know what sin or forgiveness is. I explain sin as anything we think, say, or do that breaks God’s heart (Good News Club definition). Some think God is disappointed with them when they sin. He is not disappointed. His heart is broken because He created us to be one with Him, but our sin separates us from Him. We sin when we disobey God’s royal law to love Him and others. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” And Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” If no one is good and we all sin, then how can we be liberated (Luke 4:18)?

Even though I was a Christian for many years, went to church, and read my Bible, I continued to be controlled by the sin of anger, worry, and a need to control. I read many self-help books, sought counseling, memorized scripture, rebuked demons, and went to the altar all the time. If you read my book on my website, you learn how God healed my painful memories, so my past no longer controlled my soul, which is my will, emotions, and thoughts that influence sinful actions. I briefly summarized how to free in your thoughts in Post 2. In the last post, I explained how to free your spirit and the role of your spirit to the Spirit of God. I realized lasting liberation from habitual sin is submitting my spirit to God’s control and keeping my mind on His truths.

How do we submit our spirits to God?

Remind yourself every day about the truth in Colossians 3:1-3, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Our lives are hidden with Christ in heaven, so our minds should be focused on what Jesus thinks. For example, when I become irritated with my husband, I have made it a habit of being thankful and thinking of things that are praiseworthy (Phil. 4:6-8). If I did not set my mind on this truth, then my negative thoughts would control my emotions, which would lead to unkind words and an avoidable fight. Another truth I set my mind on is serving others as Jesus did, not expecting to be served (Matt. 20:28). And, Galatians 5:13 states, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.“

I also remind myself of 2 Corinthians 5:10; “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.” The Apostle Paul said that we should “make it our aim to please him [God] (2Cor 5:9b).” If we are pleasing God by doing His will, loving Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving others, then sin will not control our soul (mind, will, and emotions). When we do sin, since none is good, we must confess our sins daily. In 1 John 1:9 it explains, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Verse 24 of Romans 3 gives us hope, “And [we] are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment for our sins, which would be like you taking your children’s punishment for their wrongdoing. When we are justified, it means our sin is removed and God redeemed (restored, saved) us and made us new (2 Cor. 5:17).

Who helps us and gives us hope?

Because of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we are forgiven and reconciled back to God (2 Cor. 5:20). Remember, sin separates us from God. Colossians 1:21-22 states, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²²he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him [God].” We need to see ourselves as holy and blameless, free from our sinful nature, and one with Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:6-7 states, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For one who has died has been set free from sin.” As I work with inmates, they struggle with this verse, and they don’t see themselves as free so they remain in bondage to old patterns of behavior. I understand that painful memories control our thoughts and emotions, which is why I wrote the book on this website. Trauma needs to be healed but when they are healed you must look in the mirror and say, I am no longer controlled by (whatever), I live my life through Christ and His strength (Phil. 4:13).

And Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Every day, tell yourself that Christ lives in and through you and Christ is perfect. Tell your mind, will, and emotions that you are controlled by Christ’s love (2Cor. 5:14).

It is hard to crucify (put to death) our fleshly desires, but giving in to our flesh will lead to death. Setting our minds on the Spirit leads to life and peace (Rom. 8:6). So, do you want death or life, misery or peace? When you submit to God and obey Him, you will experience liberation from the control of sin in your life.

What is the source of our sinful nature?

So much can be said about the source of our sinful nature. One source is recorded in James 1:14-15, “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.” Temptation is not a sin. When you are tempted, take the thought captive and command it to be gone, and then replace it with God’s truth (2Cor. 10:3-5).

When I am tempted to sin and say something unkind and snide, it comes out of my self-centered pride because I had unmet expectations or desires (Ps. 59:12). Another source is being directly tempted by the devil just as he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, then Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:26; “And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” The only way to become free from the devil’s captivity is to submit to God. James 4:7 states, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Conclusion

Sin breaks God’s heart because He loves us and wants us to obey Him because we love Him. Just as a parent loves their children and wants their children to obey them because they love the parent. So, out of love, Christ reconciled us to God through His blood on the cross so that we can be friends with Him and have our sins forgiven and made holy and blameless.

When we submit our lives to Jesus Christ and desire to please God through obedience, we will be free from the penalty of death brought by sin. Submitting our lives to God is setting our minds on the things that please God. So, read your Bible every day and do what it says. If you are not excited about these truths, please ask God to examine your heart to show you why. So many people don’t see their sin because they don’t read their Bibles, or they justify their actions because of their pride.

Which sin camp are you in?

Are you excited to be free from sin’s control?
Don’t know what sin is? Read Galatians 5:16-25.
Justify your actions as righteous and don’t acknowledge your sin? Read Jeremiah 17:9-10.

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Freedom in Our Spirit – Part 3

How can we experience peace and joy when our world is falling apart? How does our spirit help us love someone who mistreats us? It is so easy to focus on our problems and how people are mistreating us. So, how does our spirit show the evidence that we are free from worry and resentment? In Part 2, we learned how our thoughts from painful memories prevent us from purely loving others. In Part 1, we discovered how Jesus Christ came in the flesh to set us free from the two kinds of bondages revealed in the introduction post.

How Does Our Spirit, Soul, and Body Interact?

We are spirit beings constrained by our physical bodies and controlled by our souls. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church in Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse verifies we have three parts that God sanctifies (set apart as holy). No one is sure what the soul is exactly, but the consensus is that it is a combination of the mind, emotions, and will. Some say it is our conscience. Our sinful desires are generated from our souls when our minds and will are set on worldly desires. And worldly desires keep us in bondage to the evils of the world. To learn more read: Four Realities of the Spirit World.

Difference between the Flesh and Spirit?

Take a moment and analyze the focus of your mind, will, and emotions (our soul). Romans 8:5-8 describes the differences and consequences of where we set our minds. Romans 8:5 states, “For those who live according to the flesh [self-centered, carnal, sensual] set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Our bodies are made of flesh, and we naturally seek to please our flesh and sexual desires. We set our minds on the Spirit by seeking to please God (Col. 3:1-3). Romans 8:6-8 asserts, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death [spiritual, relational], but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Have you noticed that people who seek to please their flesh are self-centered and do not love God or others? God wants us to love Him and love others, which we learned is all the law (Rom. 13:8,10; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8).

Role of Our Spirit

So, what is the role of our spirits? Since God is an almighty Spirit, and we are made in the image of God, therefore, He put His spirit in us (John 4:24; Rom. 8:11; Gen. 1:26). Genesis 6:3 states, Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” And Proverbs 20:27 states, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.” When our bodies die, our spirits will either go to heaven or hell, depending on whether we turned our spirits for or against God (Job 15:13).

We experience freedom when our spirit is one with God. 1 Corinthians 6:17 states, “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” And “where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom” (2 Cor. 3:17). We become one spirit with God when we believe and confess Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord of our lives. That He died to take our punishment for our sins, was buried and on the third day was raised up (Rom. 10:9-10; Col. 2:14). Romans 8:9 states, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

Conclusion

Freedom not doing whatever your heart desires to please your flesh. We have freedom when we have peace and joy amid hardship and difficult people. Freedom is expressed through our spirits when we set our minds on the love of God. What do you set your mind on? Do you think about the troubles going on in the world or in your life? Do you think about all the injustices in your life? Do you think about watching the next ball game? What do you set your mind on? We live in the world, but we are not to be of the world (John 17:16). 1 John 2:15 states, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

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FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS—Post 2

Do you control what you think, or do your thoughts control your mind and emotions? I wrote in my book Breaking Mental Strongholds about the science behind memories and our thoughts. Neuroscientists discovered that every event in your life from the time of your birth is stored in your brain. They also discovered that these memories control our thinking and emotions. You can get my book and read all about it. Painful memories generate wrong thinking that prevents us from loving well. Love is the measuring standard God will use when we stand before Him (2 Cor. 5:10).

What Should Freedom Look Like?

Freedom from unhealthy beliefs and thoughts is being able to love ourselves and people from a pure heart. Some people may be appalled that we are to love ourselves, if you don’t then you cannot love others, because the Bible says in Galatians 5:14, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” And James 2:8 states, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” The goal of my website is to help you love from a pure heart. To love from a pure heart, you need Jesus Christ to uncover your unhealthy beliefs and wrong thinking and then transform them with God’s truth. I wrote a series of posts addressing how to purify your heart: Five Steps to Heal Your Heart and Purify Your Soul and Why Heal Your Heart And Purify Your Soul?

Take All Wrong Beliefs Captive.

Our prayers and words have power, and we can take every thought captive in the name of Jesus and command wrong thoughts to be gone. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we walk in the flesh (live in the world, NIV), we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh (this world), but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses (strongholds). We are destroying speculations (arguments) and every lofty thing (pretensions) raised up against the knowledge of God (truth), and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (Words in parenthesis are from the NIV.) Taking our thoughts captive is critical to have lasting victory over our destructive emotions that keep us captive to hurtful, sinful behavior.

Obeying God Increases Freedom.

Purifying our hearts begins with obeying the Word of God, that is, to do what it says. 1 Peter 1:22 states, “Having purified your souls (heart, mind, and conscience) by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” We can love with a pure heart as our soul wounds heal, as outlined in my booklet found here. One truth we must obey to heal soul wounds and be victorious over offenses that control our thoughts is to forgive those who offended us. Then pray and put off the lies the offense generated that you believed about yourself, others, and God. (See Matthew 6:12; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32). Unforgiveness perpetuates the inner pain we feel and keeps us in bondage to it. You will never have lasting peace, love, or freedom if you do not forgive. If you find it hard to forgive, read: WHY SHOULD I FORGIVE

Conclusion

Freedom begins in our minds as we forgive and allow God to heal our hurting hearts. You will be released from the bondage of resentment when you forgive. It is my prayer that everyone who finds my website will be free from the painful memories that control their minds, emotions, and unloving actions. As you forgive, love well, and apply God’s truth to your life, you will be a blessing to many people who also need to receive God’s grace. Freedom is expressed in our spirits when we identify with Jesus Christ. More about that in the next post.

RELATED POSTS

What Controls Your Thoughts?

ALL THOUGHTS ARE WITHIN OUR CONTROL

How to Recognize and Eliminate Emotional Cancer

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How to Be Free – Post 1

When you think about freedom, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Are we ever truly free? If you have no job requirements and no obligations to anyone, you are still confined by time. You look forward to being retired, but now you have physical limitations and doctor appointments that keep you restricted. So physical freedom is not realistic. Can we find true freedom and what does that look like?

I explained in the last post (click the link to read) about two kinds of bondages that oppress everyone who allows it. In this post, I will explain how to be free from those two kinds of oppression. In subsequent posts, I will address common bondages and the truth that will set you free. Despite your circumstances, the following true story is a good example of spiritual freedom and how it helps you overcome physical constraints.

A True Story of The Power of Hope

In 1942, Frankl and his parents, wife, and brother were arrested and sent to the Thereisienstadt concentration camp; Frankl’s father died there within six months. Over the course of three years, Frankl was moved between four concentration camps, including Auschwitz where his brother died and his mother was killed. Frankl’s wife died at Bergen-Belsen. When Frankl’s camp was liberated in 1945, he learned of the death of all his immediate family members, except for his sister who had emigrated to Australia. In the camps, Frankl and fellow prisoners made an effort to address the despondency they observed in other inmates. In an effort to prevent suicide attempts, Frankl and others tried to help other inmates facing severe depression by encouraging them to reflect on positive memories, scenes, and thoughts. Frankl thought that during extreme physical circumstances, a person could escape through his or her spiritual self as a means to survive seemingly unbearable conditions. He believed the spiritual self could not be affected by external forces. (https://www.goodtherapy.org/famous-psychologists/viktor-frankl.html)

How Our Spirits Become Free from The Captivity of Sin and Resentment

It is in our spirits that we can attain true freedom. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, it says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Have you invited the Spirit of the Lord into your life to rule your mind and reactions? Isaiah 61:1 states, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted [those who are deeply afflicted and distressed], to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus read this verse in the synagogue and said in Luke 4:21, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Let us study the meaning of this verse.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” The Holy Spirit came down from heaven in the appearance of a dove and rested on Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist. The Spirit of the Lord gives divine inspiration and power.

“Because he has anointed me.” Jesus is saying that he is set apart to do God’s work. Act 10:38 states, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

“To proclaim good news to the poor.” Some versions use meek instead of poor. Jesus came to preach the good news of freedom from sin to the humble and needy. In Jesus’s first sermon, He said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“He [God] has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives.” The Messiah came in human form to set free those in bondage to sin. Hebrews 2:17-18 states, “Therefore he [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation [pay the penalty] for the sins of the people. For because he [Jesus] himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” He also releases us from the captivity of resentment through forgiveness. Colossians 3:13 tells us, “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.” Jesus came to break off all the chains of slavery to fleshly desires. Romans 6:22 states, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

“Recovering of sight to the blind.” Jesus heals the spiritually blind, though He did physically heal the physically blind. Act 26:18 states, “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

“To set at liberty those who are oppressed [bruised; bound].” It means those who are “pressed down” by great calamity, or whose hearts are “pressed” or “bruised” by painful events or the consciousness of sin. Romans 8:21 states, “That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Sin oppresses us through guilt and shame. Jesus came to set us free from oppression if we believe in His name and receive Him into our lives. Have you done that?

Conclusion

Jesus Christ is the only one who sets us free spiritually when you receive Him into your life to be your Lord! The next path to freedom is aligning your thoughts with God’s thoughts. Your thoughts are directed by fleshly desires that keep you in bondage to sin and resentment. In the next post, we will explore how to keep our minds on Christ Jesus and be free in our minds. Before we can be mentally free, we need to first be spiritually free. Have you received Jesus into your life to be your Lord, so you can be sanctified from your sinful nature, and have the hope of eternal life?

May God bless you richly as you become free in Christ Jesus.

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.