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?

RELATED POSTS:

How to be Wise

Wisdom Posts

HOW PRIDE DESTROYS

WHY MU S T 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.

The Wise Person is Salt and Light

If you were to build a house in an earthquake or hurricane area, and you were advised to reinforce your house and build it on bedrock, would it be wise to ignore that advice? Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Much of what Jesus instructs us to do is very difficult for our fleshly minds to even comprehend. Why do you think it is wise to obey Jesus’s instructions in His sermon? I have some ideas, but if you would like to share our ideas, please leave a comment. You can find many explanations of the Beatitudes, so I will not address them. Jesus begins with the instruction to be the salt and light for the world. We are salt and light by showing our faith through our good works and giving glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:13-20). The reason we are salt and light in the world is so that our Father in heaven will be glorified. The Bible says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

You can find many sermons about being the salt and light of the world, so most of us know what that means. My question is why aren’t we the salt and light of the world or how can we do better? So many Christians go about their public lives incognito, and they try to look and act like the world. When I go to the grocery store or to a sporting event, do people see my light and does my behavior leave a good flavor in their minds? Remember that our light dispels darkness and reveals sin. The saltiness makes our lives and messages pleasant and draws people to want more of what we have to offer, which is hope and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a few suggestions for how we can wisely let our light shine and be the salt of the world without turning people away. Colossians 4:6 states, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

1) Be patient with people who are impatient or acting sinful. Give others preference and don’t insist on things being your way (Phil 2:3-4).

2) Show humility to others by not arrogantly boasting, but being gracious and helpful (James 3:13).

3) Show kindness or say kind words to those acting like a jerk and not quarrel with them (2Tim. 2:24-26).

4) Ask people how they are doing? Give a word of encouragement and a message of hope to someone who is anxious or worried (2Cor. 1:4).

5) Be gentle with everyone, even those who annoy you (Phil 4:5).

6) Don’t be afraid to ask someone how you can pray for them (Col. 1:9).

7) Be thankful instead of complaining (Col. 3:15).

8) Be quick to forgive and offer grace instead of judgment.

These are not all the salt and light actions you can do or be, and some may be difficult for you because of the hurt in your heart. As you know, what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. Matthew 12:34b–37 states, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil [sinful, self-centered] person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. ³⁶I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, ³⁷for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Are your speech and actions hurtful or helpful? Are your thoughts focused on good things or things you dislike? Do painful memories of abuse, injustice, betrayal, rejection, etc. fill your heart with painful feelings? If you are honest, your answer will reveal the condition of your heart. To learn more about the power of thoughts visit, POSTS on Thoughts page. Painful memories keep you stuck in hurtful patterns of behavior. The Hope for Complete Healing booklet on my website helps you find painful memories and unhealthy beliefs so God can heal your heart and be salt and light in the world. If you do not heal these painful memories, then they will control your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behavior and you can’t be salt and light.

Does what you say and do bring glory to God?

God Bless you.

Joyce

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.

Guest Post: Partial Obedience is not Obedience — Fearless Living

Hi, this post features a post written by one of my favorite bloggers. I was intrigued by what she wrote because I have been pondering the following scripture on the results of obeying God.

Deuteronomy 7:15 states, “And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.” This is a promise God made to the Israelites when they obey Him. God is the same, today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. This verse has intrigued me ever since I read it. Could it be we are sick because we disobey God? Could it be that we have diseases because of idolatry in our lives? Be blessed by the wisdom in my guest post.

Now that I have my word for the year, I need to delve into the scriptures I’ve chosen. There were 4 scriptures that resonated with me and 2 I chose for my focus verses. The first of my 4 verses that I chose is from 1 Samuel 15:22. King Saul was anointed by Samuel, the […]
Partial Obedience is not Obedience — Fearless Living

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Prison Ministry Report 5

Last Friday was incredible, but I wanted to wait to tell you about it until after this Friday’s Bible Study. God is so good and faithful. He is doing incredible transformation work in the lives of these ladies. I would like for you to pray with me for these precious ladies.

Friday, January 23

Last Friday, my co-teacher, Sandy, taught us about forgiveness through Jesus’ life. Her lesson focused on Christ Jesus forgiving those who put Him on the cross because they were motivated by evil and did not know what they were doing. He had to forgive because His Father said to forgive, so if He was never to sin, He had to forgive before He died. What an incredible revelation. She explained how sin separates us from God and why we need His forgiveness and how Jesus’ death paid the punishment for all our sins. And those that hurt us were also motivated by evil and we need to forgive them, not that they are excused for what they did but that the power of the hurtful memory would no longer control our minds.

MJ kept asking, “How do I forgive.” Sandy explained that because Jesus forgave, He can help us forgive as we receive His forgiveness for our sins. MJ still insisted on knowing how to forgive. I was sitting next to her and knew that the memories of the abuse were beginning to take over her mind. She began to cry and recount the experiences. I took over and put up on the board the following outline for how to forgive.

FORGIVENESS PROCESS

Identify the hurtful memory. In Shattering Your Strongholds, Liberty Savard advised you not to replay your inner tapes of anger and guilt over painful memories, failures, humiliations, and the sins of others against you. So, forgive those who have hurt you, including yourself if necessary, and verbally put off the power those memories have on your mind and emotions.
Ask God to help you forgive the people involved.
Forgive the people who hurt you in the memory to break the power they have over your thoughts and emotions.
Ask God to remove all oppressive spirits from the memory so the memory does not control your thoughts, emotions, and decisions.
Ask God to forgive your unloving response to the hurtful actions done against you.
Ask God to show you the unhealthy or false beliefs that the hurtful situation generated. It could be a false belief about yourself, the other person, or even God. Then transform those wrong beliefs using God’s truth.
Find something to be thankful for about the situation or person.

Pray something like the following when you become offended:

I forgive (person’s name) for _(offense)_ and I release the resentment and the power it has over me in Jesus’ name. Lord, remove any attached oppressive spirits to the resentment. Fill me with Your love and grace. Forgive me for being unforgiving, unkind, or impatient. I put on and bind to my mind that I can forgive and be free because Jesus Christ helps me and sets me free as I submit to Him. (List other truths you can claim.)

As I explained the process of becoming free from painful memories, MJ was really crying, so I asked that the girls gather around her to pray. I asked MJ if she wanted to be free from the pain and she said “yes.” I laid my hand on her head and began to pray for her, I asked her to verbally say, “I forgive.” Sandy asked her to say it a few more times. I prayed for the oppressive spirits attached to her painful memories to be gone from her in Jesus’ name. She coughed several times and choked and then a calm came over her as I prayed for peace and joy to enter her heart. Other girls were crying as they forgave those who hurt them. MJ became calm. I continued my lesson and explained that oppressive spirits are attached through the wounds of our souls, and they keep us oppressed through painful memories. I also explained that being thankful for something about the situation transforms the painful memory. Being thankful is the hardest part of transforming a memory.

Friday, January 27

What a change in MJ when she came in tonight. She was unable to forgive, but after the deliverance, she later wrote down all the people who hurt her and what they did then wrote forgiven next to the incident. She then crumpled up the papers and flushed them down the toilet and submitted all her painful memories to the Lord. She then prayed like she never prayed before and felt a huge weight lift off her. Praise the Lord.

She had a problem retaliating against people who crossed her, which is why she is in jail. She retaliated against an inmate and knew she would get punished for it. At that point, she knew she had to forgive and went through the forgiveness process described above. When she was called to the superintendent’s office, she thought she was getting in big trouble for what she did, but she only got a warning. What surprised her was that she was crying tears of shame and repentance for what she did. Praise the Lord.

Sandy taught about the love of our Heavenly Father. Though we may feel abandoned, God does not abandon us. She started off by having the girls read Psalm 142. We can call on God at any time and He will hear us and help us. She shared her testimony of how she was sick for 15 years and could not eat except to drink carrot juice and was very weak. She had little children that had to take care of themselves and her, and her husband had to carry her up and down the stairs. She was ready to die and wanted to die. One of the inmates, who is not a Christian, amazed us and asked if that was a sin to want to die. Sandy said yes, and she had to repent and ask God to show her why she was so sick. To make a long story short, God showed her it was because she felt unloved and abandoned by her parents and she felt God didn’t love her and had abandoned her. She asked for forgiveness and went through a prayer of deliverance from the devil’s oppression and released the spirit of abandonment, and she was instantly healed.

I gave MJ a copy of my book, Hope for Complete Healing to help her transform other painful memories. If you have painful memories, you can find this book on my website, just click on the title of my book. Thank you for your continued prayers. I will continue teaching out of the study booklet called Living a Victorious Life. Every inmate gets one of these booklets. Please pray that the truths in this teaching material would transform the lives of the inmates.

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.

Mental Health Coaching – Training Opportunity

Would you be interested in learning more about Mental Health and how to coach people who are dealing with issues in their lives? The following is the course listing. If you are interested in applying for the scholarship and paying a $56.00 processing fee, email hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and I will send you the link. This was a great course, and I highly recommend it.

C-MHC 101: Foundations of Mental Health Coaching (CMHC101)

This introductory course is designed to provide students with an orientation to the field of mental health coaching. Topics covered include the role and scope of mental health coaching within the local church, ethical guidelines and professional standards in coaching, crisis intervention techniques, and the integration of faith and biblical wisdom in coaching.

Course Orientation

Foundations of Mental Health Coaching

Mental Health, Care & Counsel Survival Tools

Mental Health Coach Code of Conduct

Unit 1: Introduction

Lesson 1.1: Introduction to Mental Health Coaching

Lesson 1.2: The Role of the Mental Health Coach in the Church

Unit 2: Faith and Spirituality

Lesson 2.1: The Effective People Helper

Lesson 2.2: Bringing People into God’s Presence

Lesson 2.3: Spirituality and Counseling

Unit 3. Ethics and Coaching Responsibilities

Lesson 3.1: Professional Ethics in Mental Health Coaching

Lesson 3.2: Boundaries and Violations I

Lesson 3.3: Boundaries and Violations II

Lesson 3.4: When Helping You is Hurting Me

Lesson 3.5: The Successful Coach: Managing Time and Staying Organized

Unit 4. Crisis Intervention

Lesson 4.1: Trauma and Abuse

Lesson 4.2: Best Practices for Trauma and Crisis Response: Part I

Lesson 4.3: Best Practices for Trauma and Crisis Response: Part II

Lesson 4.4: The Crisis of Suicide

Lesson 4.5: Conducting a Suicide Intervention

C-MHC 201: Mental Health Coaching Skills (CMHC201)

The purpose of this course is to provide students with the fundamental theories and skills of Christ-centered mental health coaching. Key elements of the coaching process, including methods of change, listening, effective communication, giving hope, small groups, and counseling theory, will be discussed.

Course Orientation

Mental Health, Care & Counsel Survival Tools

Mental Health Coach Code of Conduct

Unit 1: Coaching Skills

Lesson 1.1: Successful Coaching: What Makes it Unique and Essential Skills

Lesson 1.2: Creating a Safe Place: Listening, Empathy, and Winning Trust

Lesson 1.3: Relationships and Communication: Core Coaching Skills

Lesson 1.4: Helping Others Find Significance in Life

Lesson 1.5: The Power of Encouragement: A Key to Hope Coaching

Lesson 1.6: Getting Unstuck: The Road to Healing and Recovery

Lesson 1.7: The Incredible Power of Intentional Listening

Lesson 1.8: Understanding Our Differences: Personalities and Coping

Lesson 1.9: How to Help People Change

Lesson 1.10: Doing Brief, Solution-focused Counseling for Christ

Lesson 1.11: A Better Way: Helping Clients Turn Their Life Around

Unit 2: Small Groups

Lesson 2.1: Dynamic Small Groups and Spiritual Care Teams

Lesson 2.2: Change and Restoration: The Healing Power of Small Groups

Lesson 2.3: Types of Groups: An Overview for a Dynamic Ministry

C-MHC 301: Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders (CMHC301) Completed

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of mental and behavioral health disorders. Particular emphasis will be placed on factors that cause mental disorders, as well as conventional treatments. Conditions discussed include addiction, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Course Orientation

Mental Health Coach Code of Conduct

Unit 1: Addictions

Lesson 1.1: Models of Addiction

Lesson 1.2: Helping Others with Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addiction Problems

Lesson 1.3: Dual Diagnosis and Comorbidity

Lesson 1.4: Opioids and Addiction: An Alarming Tsunami

Unit 2: Mental Health Difficulties and Disorders

Lesson 2.1: Mental Illness & Character Disorders

Lesson 2.2: Depression, Mood Disorders and Suicide

Lesson 2.3: Stress and Anxiety: Overcoming Fear, Phobias, & Panic Disorders

Lesson 2.4: Bipolar and Spectrum Mood Disorders

Lesson 2.5: Eating Disorders: Diagnosis, Treatment and Referral

Lesson 2.6: Grief, Loss, and Complicated Grief

Lesson 2.7: PTSD and Complex trauma

Lesson 2.8: Psychiatric Care and Medication

Lesson 2.9: Psychotropic Medication: It’s a Matter of Trust

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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Who Enters Heaven? SHEEP AND GOATS, EXAMINING WHERE YOU STAND. PART 1 — Disciple’s Direction

FUNERAL LIES

Why is it that everyone is going to heaven, even though they were wicked? I have been to two funerals recently where both women couldn’t be bothered with God. I don’t know their hearts but if you loved God and loved others as yourself, your life would show it, right? One woman suffered for over a year with cancer and then died young. Those who knew her said she recommitted her life to God during her illness, especially when she was sent home to die. I hope she was sincere. The other woman was older and never went to church except as a child and occasionally for a family event. She died suddenly in her sleep, so she did not get a chance to reflect on her eternal destination. She never professed to be a Christian, yet at her funeral, they said she was scrubbing the streets of gold (audience chuckles) because she liked to clean. When the unsaved hear this, they are deceived into believing that everyone goes to heaven. This is a lie.

I understand that the loved ones of the deceased want to be assured that the dead goes to heaven. How does one explain the true reality? How do you tell people that they are going to hell if they don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God, do the Father’s will, and love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength? My heart breaks for the lost, but when the lost are deceived, how do you convince them otherwise? I know the conviction of sin is the work of the Holy Spirit. So many questions. The following post explained the fact that many who claim to be Christian will not enter heaven.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. This will be the 1st part of a 2 […]
Who Enters Heaven? SHEEP AND GOATS, EXAMINING WHERE YOU STAND. PART 1 — Disciple’s Direction

Are You a Sheep or a Goat?

10—God Promises to Deliver Us from Wrath

What Will Cause You to Lose Your Inheritance

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

MENTAL HEALTH COACHING

I just completed a 42-hour Mental Health Coaching program through Light University. Though the information and training were fantastic, it is missing a major mental health recovery component. This program helped me empathize with and know how to help those suffering from a traumatic event or grief. I understand my son’s addiction, my mother’s mental illness, and my abuse recovery. The very last class about psychotropic medication by Dr. Curt Thompson made me realize I had a serious misunderstanding of the role of medication in treating mental illness. I also realized that I should have been medicated from the time I was a teenager. Note, I said “should have been.” Yes, medication would have helped me be a better person and not mentally messed up like I was. But the issues causing my mental illness would never have been resolved, just medicated. I have a problem with doctors who do not address and solve the underlying issues of why a person is sick.

My mother has been treated with all the psychotropic medications on the market for her entire adult life. I see the benefits of psych drugs, though. For example, when my mother’s doctor took her off a paranoia drug, several months later she was convinced the nursing home was on fire and she had to get out. She would tell me people are being killed and taken out in body bags every day. So, yes, I made sure she was given anti-paranoia drugs again, which solved the problem.

During my first marriage, a friend said, “I think you need to take medication for your depression.” I revolted and said, “No way, I don’t want to be on medication my whole life and have to see a shrink all the time.” Not only did I suffer, but my children suffered, so I now realize there is a place for medication in treating brain chemistry imbalances. I agree with Dr. Paul Meier that diet can resolve mental health issues. For example, I read a book called God’s Way to Ultimate Health by Dr. Malkmus and the benefit of eating raw foods, so I did the raw food diet, and my depression went away. And Dr. Curt Thompson is right when he said that it is necessary to treat the whole person. If a person is depressed because of an abusive situation, then address and resolve the cause of the depression first. The missing component in this coaching program is transforming painful memories, which is a major underlining cause of mental issues.

My mother’s mental illness came from the abuse and dysfunction of her home life, and other members of her side of the family had a serious brain chemistry imbalance. She has it coming and going, and so do I. I also suffered from the trauma of abuse in my childhood and then in my first marriage. The Mental Health Coaching program helped me see how messed up I was, and I could identify with many of the conditions discussed, including anxiety disorder, anorexia, and paranoia. I still have a love-hate relationship with food.

I must confess that I self-medicate for occasional depression since it is genetic as well. When my husband asks me if I am mad at him, and I am not, I know I am having depression problems and will take St. John’s Wort in the evening and 5-HTP in the morning. In a couple of weeks, my brain chemistry corrects, then I stop taking them. Or when my son went to jail, I became depressed, and I took St. John’s Wort and 5-HTP. For my anxiety disorder, I take Genexa (found at GNC). It helps me relax when I must go to the dentist or board a plane. It is chewable and all-natural, and I recommend it to anyone.

I do not think it is a coincidence that I just published a book describing my recovery from the traumatic events of my life called Breaking Mental Strongholds: Eliminate Controlling Memories. With God’s help, I recognized and broke 20 mental strongholds in my life, which helped me overcome my mental issues. God is still healing repressed controlling memories and unhealthy beliefs and will be for years to come. Had I resolved to medicate my mental illness, I would never have recovered and overcome the issues causing my mental illness. Recovery is possible when a person addresses and resolves the controlling memories from their past. My how-to book helps people do this. I encourage everyone to read my book who wants a layperson’s understanding of the source of mental illness and how to help people recover without psychotropic medication. You can order it on Amazon.

May God bless you richly in the coming year.

Joyce

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