Forgiveness

Today in Sunday School, we discussed forgiveness: What it is, what it isn't and how it affects us.

May people have the mistaken belief that forgiveness is the same as forgetting. In actuality, forgiveness has nothing to do with forgetting the sins that others have done to you. Below I am going to post 10 rules about forgiveness.

1. Forgiveness is not the approval or minimization of sin. When someone hurts you, Christian forgiveness does not mean that others should minimize your  pain or just pass it off as "Well, it's ok. He's only human. We all sin." This is a very dangerous thing. It can fester and grow inside of you if you take this approach and lead to real pain in the future if not dealt with properly.

2. Forgiveness is not enabling sin. Let me explain this one by example: If someone steals from you, you simply cannot forgive them and then lay a $100 bill on the table trusting that they won't take it. You should be responsible with your money and not enable  someone who has sinned against you.

3. Forgiveness is not denying wrongdoing. Using the above example, it would be wrong for me to state that he didn't do anything wrong thinking "He was just trying to feed his family." While that may be true, stealing is stealing just the same. 

4. Forgiveness is not waiting for an apology.  Some say, "I'll forgive that person when they come and apologize to me for what they've done." That is the farthest thing from true forgiveness. Remember this: You should truly forgive them whether or not they admit fault. Their actions should have no bearing on your forgiveness of them.

5. Forgiveness is not forgetting. If someone steals from me, yes, I should forgive them for what they've done, but I will probably never forget what they have done. These are two different things.

6. Forgiveness is not not feeling pain. When someone hurts you in some way, you will feel pain. This is a natural human emotion and does not mean you have sinned if you still feel pain for what that person has done to you. If someone steals from me, that pain will linger with me for quite a while. This does not mean I haven't forgiven the person.

7. Forgiveness is not a 1-time event. Like #6 above, most likely, I will have to continually forgive that person simply because that pain will continually remind me of what they've done and will have to really work to remember that God has forgiven them and so should I on a daily basis.

8. Forgiveness is not neglecting justice. If a thief steals from me, my forgiveness does not let them off the hook with the authorities no matter what I say. They will still have to face the consequences of their actions.

9. Forgiveness is not trusting. I will tell you this, that person who steals from me will not and should not be put in a place of fiscal responsibility for a long time, if ever. That would be silly. Yes, maybe after a period of time, they should be given the opportunity to prove themselves if they desire to, but do so with caution.

10. Forgiveness is not reconciliation. It is possible that the  person who steals may have done irreparable harm to our relationship. That reconciliation process is completely independent of forgiveness.

Your responsibility when someone hurts you is to forgive the person in love but at the same time being smart and using the Holy Spirit as a guide during the healing process. He is always there for you.

One challenge I have for you is to pray about any unforgiveness that you are harboring and ask God to help you to forgive that person.  You will be amazed at how freeing it is and how God will change your heart through forgiveness. 

Until next time, blessings and abundance in Jesus!

Joel

God and Healing

God and Healing

Do you suffer from a physical ailment? Are you tired often? If so, you need to be healed. The big question you must ask yourself is "Do you desire to be healed or are you content to suffer through it and get attention from others who feel sorry for you?"

That gut check is something we all must do. If you're like me, you are split between the two answers at times. If you are honest with yourself, sometimes you enjoy getting attention from being ill.

Well, I was that way for  years when suffering with migraines. Of course, I would never admit it, but in the back of my mind, there was always that thought.

When you reach the point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired, you need to make up your mind that you are going to get better and you are going to take God at His Word.

Last night, I started reading these Scriptures below out loud so that I could hear them as I read. They are all focused on physical healing. After all, healing is a matter of faith between you and God. Romans 10:17 says:

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"

I challenge you today to do what I did:

  "Joel's faith comes by hearing and Joel's hearing comes by the Word of God"

You see, when you make Scripture personal, it takes on a whole new, more powerful meaning. That verse above is especially important to me because my hearing is my greatest weakness. I have suffered from hearing loss since I was a kid and now wear two hearing aids.

I now realize that God has healed me but I have to believe Him and take Him at His Word. I now understand that I have perfect hearing and that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Isaiah 53:5 puts it this way:

"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed."

He died on the cross for for your sins and for your physical well being. 

Please don't get me wrong, though... I'm in no way saying that you will always be free of pain, sickness and suffering. What I am saying is that God desires you to be whole. Chronic illness is not His desire for you and it can be beaten. In fact, it has been.....way back 2,000 years ago on the cross where Jesus died.

Will you read these out loud each day and take Him at His Word? Talk to me...

Exodus 15:25,26

So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.
There He made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there He tested them, and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.

Exodus 23:25

So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

Psalm 23:4

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 30:2

O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

Psalm 103:2,3,5

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 107:20

He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.

Proverbs 3:7,8

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones. (NIV)

Proverbs 4:20-22

My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 16:24

Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. (NLT)

Isaiah 53:5

But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 58:8

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Jeremiah 17:14

Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed;
Save me, and I shall be saved,
For You are my praise.

Malachi 4:2

But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. (NLT)

Matthew 4:23,24

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Matthew 8:1-3

When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:5-13

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”
And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, “Go,’ and he goes; and to another, “Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

Matthew 8:14,15

Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

Matthew 8:16,17

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”

Matthew 9:35

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 12:15

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

Matthew 14:14

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Matthew 15:28

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:30

Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

Mark 5:25-34

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
31But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”‘ And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 10:46-52

Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

Luke 4:38-40

Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.

Luke 6:19

And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Luke 8:41-55

And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”‘ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”
Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.” But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.

Luke 9:1,2

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Luke 9:11

But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

John 5:1-9

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.
Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.

Acts 3:2-8

And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them–walking, leaping, and praising God.

Acts 5:16

Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Acts 14:8-10

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Acts 19:11,12

Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

II Corinthians 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

I Thessalonians 5:23

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). (AMP)

James 5:14-16

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

I Peter 2:24

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.

III John 2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (KJV)

Hearing God for Yourself, Part III

Hearing God's voice is an honor. It is something that we should all look forward to as His children. It is not something to be taken lightly. When He speaks, it is crucial not only to our happiness and guidance, but it is crucial to His kingdom mission. God has chosen to use us to reach those who are in need of His voice, those who are hurting, oppressed and, for whatever reason, unable to hear God for themselves. It is crucial for even YOUR spiritual growth to be able to accurately and clearly discern the voice of God in your life. 

There are two crucial things you must do if you are to hear God's voice:

1. Spend time in God's Word, the Bible. Spend time reading, studying and asking God how to apply His word to your every situation in life. He will show you when you earnestly seek Him.

2. Spend time in prayer. You may have heard people say that in war, you are weakest when you are on your knees. When it comes to God's economy, it is the exact opposite: You are strongest when you are on your knees.

When you are in prayer and listening to God, He imparts wisdom to you. He shares the inner things of the Spirit that can only be shared when you are in a vulnerable state like on your knees. Being vulnerable to God means submitting yourself to His will and to His teaching and training. You will learn and grow so much faster when you submit to His ways. He says in Isaiah 55:

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Often, when we see things through our own eyes, it is colored by our experiences and our ideas. Since God exists outside of time and space, He is able to see things from an eternal perspective that typically don't make sense to our natural mind.

May I encourage you to spend time reading Isaiah 55 this week and pray over how God would use you to reach others for His glory. If you are not ready yet to do this, you are in a perfect place to be used by Him. When we think we lack knowledge or understanding, we tend to rely on Him more which is a good place to be and often leads to you truly hearing what He really wants you to hear. 

Until next month, blessings to you and may God use you to reach others and spread the Word of Truth. Please comment below and share how He is using you or if you have questions.

In Jesus!

Jesus or Adam?

This is a great message from Pastor Ron Beatty at Life Connections Church in Lawrenceville, GA. When God looks at you, does He see Adam or does He see Jesus? Listen in...

The Hearing God series post is coming in a couple of days. Stay tuned!

Hearing God for Yourself, Part 2

Last month's message was very simple: Yes, God does speak and you can hear Him. This month I will dive further into the concept and discuss ways in which He speaks.

Let me start by telling you how I know he still speaks. Joel 2:28 says:

And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
your young men shall see visions:

You see, when God pours out His Spirit, you begin to see things the way He does. You feel what He feels. Of course, this means that unbelievers also hear Him. What inevitably happens in this case, though, is often times the recipient responds in an ungodly manner. They apply human responses to a God-given situation. This almost always leads us astray because as God states in Isaiah:

Isaiah 55:9
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

There are several ways God can speak to you:

1. His Word: This is the primary way He speaks. If you aren't studying your Bible, it is often difficult to know what God's will is for a situation.
2. Other People: Sometimes if we just listen to other people and let what they say to us simmer in our spirit for a while, you may hear the Lord telling you to follow that advice.
3. In your spirit: It can be an impression on your mind, an "idea that suddenly pops into your head"

Now one thing to keep in mind is that anytime you follow the latter two sources, you must remember: If it doesn't line up with Scripture, it's not to be followed. As a good friend of mine says, "If it's not in Scripture (the 66 books of the Bible), you are not obligated to believe it.

Spend time in God's Word today and get to know Him better. As you draw closer in that relationship, you will begin to know, understand and appreciate His good and perfect will.

Feel free to write to me below and give me feedback on what you are hearing and how your listening is coming along.

Until next time, blessings and WOOHOOO!!!

Joel

Hearing God for Yourself

One of my passions is to assist others in how to hear God for themselves. It may sound scary or impossible, but it's really quite simple.

You see, God loves each and every one of us. His word states that he is not willing that anyone should perish. The sobering fact is that many will simply because they have ignored Him in His repeated attempts to love on them, tell them how much He loves them and to show them what His plan is for their lives.

The same goes for you. God does love you. You may feel abandoned and that everyone tells you that. Well, it's true. There was a time in my life that I felt God had abandoned me. My friends seemed to turn against me, my girl left me and my parents, as great as they are, they didn't have a clue what I was going through.

Some years after those events, I realized the reason God kept me here on this Earth: He wants me to help those that feel abandoned, mistreated, misunderstood.

If you feel this way, JoshuaStation is a place where you can go. We love you no matter who you are, where you come from or what you believe. God does care about you and wants you to know His Son, Jesus. He died for you so that you can now be forgiven and accepted as His son or daughter. You can be adopted into the family of God.

Please feel free to write me and tell your story. Understand that you are loved. You are unique and that's what makes God so cool. His passion for you is unwavering.

God bless you and until next time, WOOHOOO!!!!

Joel

Words of Encouragement

This is a quick note to inform you all that I have been studying how to give encouraging words to people. If you would like me to give you one, please click the 'Email Me' link at the right and I'll respond.

I believe that God still speaks today. Look for more on hearing God in the coming months.

Faith

Heavenly Father! I praise you and honor you. I thank you for being with me always and loving me with your eternal love. O Lord! Your Scripture clearly tells that without faith I can neither please you nor receive any answer for my prayer. Please forgive me for not believing in your love, power and goodness. Many times I've been discouraged by my circumstances and many times I have failed to trust in you. Please forgive me Lord! You are the God of all hope and I acknowledge that nothing is too difficult for you. I am confident that you will meet all my needs as I seek to live according to your word. Thank you lord for helping me get over my unbelief removing all my fears and anxieties. Let me not lose heart on seeing the circumstances Lord. Strengthen my faith through which alone I can receive miracles from you Lord. You have said whatever I ask in prayer, believing, I will receive. Thank you for this promise Lord. I love you and trust in your awesome power. I know you are with me right now to take care of my needs and I thank you for that. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Have faith today!