"Don't Listen to the Devil"

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The devil is a master manipulator and he will create situations and convince us they are true!! We must use the power Jesus gave us (Luke 10:19) and the measure of faith God gave us to rebuke him (Romans 12:3)!!

Jesus already defeated the devil and He gave us power to rebuke him; the Word tells us if we submit ourselves to God and rebuke the devil he will flee (James 4:7)!! The problem is we are not rebuking him; we are allowing him to wreak havoc in our lives!! We must stop!!

When the first thought comes in our minds that is contrary to God's Word, we must pull that thought down, take it captive, and bring it under subjection to the Word of God; do not allow it to remain in our heads – otherwise, more thoughts will come and we will act on those thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)!! We cannot allow the devil to make puppets out of us; we are the ones who need to put a stop to it!!

All our actions begin with a thought; we must know who is talking to us: God, the devil, or is it coming out of our soul!! The devil puts the thought in our minds, then he creates a false image, then it seems as if what the thought said is true but it is not!! Then we begin to speak negativity out of our mouth which puts us in agreement with the devil and not God!! Let’s stop agreeing with the devil and be in agreement with God no matter what our situation looks like!!

The Bible tells us that the things we see are temporary but what we cannot see is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)!! We must stop living our lives out of our soul (mind, will, emotions are in our soul-the old man-if we do not allow God to purge our souls, the old man will continue to lead and guide us)!! We are dead to sin and alive to God; we are new creatures in Christ (Romans 6; 2 Corinthians 5:17 )!! However, as long as we are not walking in our new identity (true identity – created in God’s image and His likeness), the devil will tell us we are the same old person we were before accepting Christ as our personal Lord and Savior; he will have us living out of our old man still which creates a false identity in us and as long as we believe the devil, our lives will not get better!!

We need to believe who God says we are (New creation, old has passed away) and be led by the Holy Spirit instead of what we see, feel, think, etc. We must not lean to our own understanding but acknowledge God in all our ways so He can direct our paths!!

Let's make up in our minds once and for all to stop living by what we see and think and ask God to lead us!!

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May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds ALWAYS!!!
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

****Click to accept Christ as YOUR personal Lord & Savior****

"Importance of Forgiveness" Recovery Program Session 6 October 7, 2014

"Importance of Forgiveness" Program Agenda – Session 6 Oct 7, 2014

 

1. Open each session with prayer; asking God to open your understanding as to the areas in your life which needs to be healed and give you understanding of each session. The goal of each session is to help you to heal everywhere you need to be healed so you can become whole.

2. Discussion (30 min):

“Importance of Forgiveness”- Part II

*The Antidote for Bitterness – Part 2C: There are three antidotes for bitterness: First, we must recognize that we are bitter. This is harder than it sounds. God said in Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge."

If there is any evidence of unforgiveness, resentment, retaliation, anger, hatred, violence, or murder in our lives, we have bitterness. If there is any pain in any memory, there is bitterness. If we go to bed at night leaving issues unresolved we will wake the next day with the root of bitterness already having budded in our spirit. Admitting that we have bitterness is the first step to recovery.

Secondly, we must repent of the sin of bitterness. Repent means that we fall out of agreement with a thing and turn away from it. And we ask God to forgive us.

Thirdly, we must forgive others and ourselves. How do we do this? There are several aspects to consider; we will explore them in the next topic: “How Do We Forgive?”

*How Do We Forgive? – Part 2C-1

We start with the sure knowledge that every negative thing that ever happened to us was planned in hell. Our parents, spouse, children, boss, siblings, and peers— whoever has inflicted pain in our lives — served as a tool of the devil. Understanding this moves us toward forgiveness. Understanding this allows us to feel compassion toward others and separate them from their sins. God the Father is the giver of every good and perfect gift…if it is not good and perfect, it is from the devil (James 1:17).

In Ephesians 2:2, the Bible describes the spirit that is at work in the sons of disobedience. This spirit teaches disobedience. This is what Ephesians 2:2 says: “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (www.biblegateway.com NKJV). We have a choice to allow the “prince of the power of the air” to work in us or to allow the Holy Spirit of God to work in us. Through the Holy Spirit we can have power and dominion over Satan and his works. The choice is ours.

Next, we must learn how to intelligently hate the real culprit, Satan. Intelligently directing our hatred toward Satan opens a pathway to freedom by allowing us to forgive other. Not many of us have really hated the devil. Instead, we have hated each other. Galatians 5:15 says, "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you consume one another."

3. Handout: Self-Bitterness Affidavit & Prayer for 10-14-14.

4. Pray Against Bitterness: Use Bitterness Affidavit & Prayer for this session that was handed out on 9-30-14.

5. If you have any questions, email me at drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

6. Close each session in prayer; asking God to continue to reveal the areas in you which needs to healed and the things you need to deal with.

The Self-Bitterness Affidavit - 3C-1

Make a list of all the bitterness you have had against yourself. We need to confess and repent before Almighty God for holding onto this bitterness and believing it, instead of believing Him. The stronghold that self-bitterness has held in your life will be destroyed, and Satan's power over you will be legally cancelled. After you have written your list, pray the “Prayer of Release” (listed below) for each issue on your list; do not do a “blanket” prayer – praying each issue separate will cause you to face and deal with each issue one at a time – if it is too overwhelming for you to do at one time, you can ask someone you trust to help you by letting them pray the prayer and you repeat it.

(See Complete Section in PDF Version)

Prayer of Release (Self-Bitterness) – Say this prayer – Part 3C-2:

“Dear Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, and as an act of my free will, I confess, repent, and renounce my (specific sin of self-hatred). I ask You to forgive me for this sin. I purpose and choose to forgive myself for this (specific sin of self-hatred) from my heart. I release myself from any guilt or shame because of this self-bitterness. In the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood, I cancel Satan’s authority over me because of the self-bitterness of (specific sin of self-hatred). In the name of Jesus, I command this spirit of self-bitterness to go.

Holy Spirit, I invite You into my heart to heal me of self-bitterness. Please speak Your words of truth to me about this situation.”

As Holy Spirit begins to speak to you, write down what He says; so you can have it later when the enemy tries to come back. After you have prayed through your list about each situation, command the PRINCIPALITY of self-bitterness to go in the name of Jesus.

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God bless,
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

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NOTE: These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

Free Copy of Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks' eBook "Unholy Matrimony: Healing For The Abused Woman 2nd Ed." October ONLY!

The Synopsis of “Unholy Matrimony: Healing For The Abused Woman 2^nd Ed.”

                       

In the 2^nd Edition of Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks’ book, “Unholy Matrimony: Healing For The Abused Woman,” she talks about the consequences of marrying outside the will of God. Dr. Hooks states, “We form ungodly soul ties and get involved with ungodly people when we don’t acknowledge God in all our ways. This can and most likely will cause us to become victims of domestic violence.”

Dr. Hooks believes it is very important not to marry without first making sure the two are compatible with each other (only God’s knows and He will let the persons know) if they consult Him. In this book, Dr. Hooks fully explains soul ties, their results on the individual, offer a prayer to be delivered from soul ties and much, much more.

“Unholy Matrimony: Healing For The Abused Woman” is dedicated to all the women (men too have benefited from the book) who have been abused in their relationships and to those who have not been abused. To those who have been abused and are not free from soul ties and the effects of domestic violence/abuse, this book can give you hope. To those who have not been abused, this book is a manual which will teach you how not to be abused. Through Dr. Hooks’ experiences, you will see how God brought her out of bondage, and healed and restored her. Today, Dr. Hooks is allowing God to have total control of her life and she gives all the glory, honor, and praise to God for her life!

Click Here For Copy Of eBook

Publication date: 1/23/2011

Purchase Information:
You can purchase this book and all my other books at:

Smashwords.com
Lulu.com
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Regular Price for Book Only: $10.00  But it is FREE FOR OCTOBER ONLY! October is domestic violence awareness month, therefore,  I will be giving away a copy of my eBook, "Unholy Matrimony: Healing For The Abused Woman."

NOTE: Please do not reproduce the book in any way without my permission.Thank you!

In His Service,
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

"God Loves YOU!"

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God created us in His image, likeness, and gave us dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-27)! Therefore, we are like God; our true self has the characteristics of God! We have the same make up as God because He is our Creator, our Father, and He loves us very much! God will take good care of us if we give Him a chance; if we cast ALL our cares upon Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7; Psalms 55:22)! Jesus tells us to come to Him if we have heavy burdens and He will give us rest; His rest, His peace!! Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30)!! Jesus has left us His peace (John 14:27 ) and we have to do is receive and embrace it! We do not have to stressed or anxious! Philippians 4:6-8 tells us not to be anxious but go to God in prayer for what we want; make our request known to Him with thanksgiving!

Adam disobeyed God in the Garden and sin entered the world but God had a plan; Jesus! God was not surprised by what happened! God had already made a way of escape for man; He loved us that much!!

God formed us in our mother’s womb; He called and chose us there (Psalms 139:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 44:2 (this link has a lot more Scriptures showing God chose us in our mother’s womb; Galatians 1:15)! Even before the foundation of the world, God chose and predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3-6)! God created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:7)!

We are no longer under the Law of Moses but under grace and truth through Jesus (Romans 6:14)! Jesus cancelled ALL debts that sin required us to pay and nailed them to the cross; we are no longer condemned (Colossians 2:14; Romans 8:1)! Since Jesus has cancelled our sin debt, we are no longer in bondage to sin; sin is no longer our slave master (Romans 6:18; read the whole Chapter of Romans for full understanding)!

We are spirit beings first; not flesh beings! Remember in Genesis 1:26-27 that God said He was making us in His image and likeness? God has shaped and molded us to His Son’s image! When God looks at us, He does not see our sins but He sees His Son Jesus’ righteousness!

Our true identity is that we are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:22)! When we become born of God, the evil one CANNOT touch us (1 John 5:18)! Click here for a teaching by Joyce Meyer to help you know who you are in Christ!

Jesus HAS freed us from ALL bondages over 2000 years ago when He died on the cross for our sins, sicknesses, diseases, infirmities, afflictions, guilt, shame, and ANYTHING else that comes to destroy us (Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4-5; Isaiah 54:17)! Therefore, we do not have to live in our past, rehearsing the hurts and our mistakes! John 8:36 lets us know that whom Jesus has set free, is free indeed; NO ifs, ands, or buts – it is done, it is finished (John 19:30)!

God loves YOU! It does NOT matter what you have done, it doing, or where you are in your life right NOW GOD LOVES YOU! NOTHING you can do will EVER change that; NOTHING can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39)!

Ephesians 1:4-8 says:

“⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. ⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (biblegateway.com – NLT).

John 3:16 and 1 John 4:10 tells how God showed His love for us:

¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (biblegateway.com – NLT).

“¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (biblegateway.com – NLT).

1 John 4:19 tells us our love for God is because God loved us first; we are loving God back! It says, “We love Him because He first loved us” (biblegateway.com – NKJV).

There is NOTHING you have done, is doing, or will do that surprised God and He still loves you! Remember, in Jeremiah 1:5 God told you He knew you in your mother’s womb? Well He does and has removed your sins as far as the East from the West (Psalms 103:12)!

All you have to do is embrace God’s love for you; you do this by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior! You will be born again; receive a spiritual birth – you become born of the Spirit of God! Romans 10:9 tells us if we confess Jesus with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved!

Once you pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and Savior, ask God to lead you to a Bible believing church; ask Him to give the Pastor He wants you to have so you can get rooted and grounded in the Word of God! You need a Pastor who will take time with you; who will nurture you in the things of God and pray for you – to watch over your soul!

Don’t panic or allow the enemy or anyone else tell you that you are not saved if you still desire the things of old; it will take time to walk as mature Christian. Psalms 37:24 says though you, you will not be cast down because God upholds you with His hands! This does not mean you deliberately sin (Romans 6); when the enemy comes, resist him and he has to flee (James 4:7)! Those old things still comes to us after we accept Christ because there are unresolved issues in our soul and the old nature is there; the false self (we will talk more about the soul in a little bit)! But when they come, you have choice; are going to choose to stay the same or do you want to be ALL God called you to be?

Focus on the love of God, how much He loves you and don’t allow anything to shake you loose from your faith place; don’t replace your faith with fear – you were saved by God’s grace through your faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). You have received God’s gift of Salvation through His Son Jesus! You are now a son or daughter of God, His heir and a joint-heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17)! Praise God!!

Now, I am going to talk a little about the soul so you can understand, your soul has to be regenerated too like your spirit was. Man is a whole being, made up of three parts: spirit (determines our identity), soul (personality – houses our mind [thinker], our emotions [feeler], and will [chooser]), and body (dwelling place for our spirit and soul). (Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23); click here for a teaching about the three parts of man – it will also help resolve issues in your soul that is keeping you sick.

When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit washes and regenerates your human spirit (spirit man) (Titus 3:5) but your soul is not submitted to God yet; that is where you come in – you must submit yourself fully to God! God has given man choice, as I said before, and you must choose to submit totally to God and get rid of the lusts, desires, hurts, pains, and EVERYTHING else from the old man; you must do this so the Holy Spirit can lead you ! If you do not, your soul will continue to lead you and your desire will be for the old things and not God; lust, desires, and appetites arise from your soul (1Peter 2: 11)! Colossians 3:1-3 says:

“¹If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (biblegateway.com – NKJV).

As you learn about God, deal with the issues in your soul too. Here is how to deal with soul issues:

• Write down EVERYTHING that has affected you emotionally; this will help you to face them so you can process what happened – you don’t have to understand the “Why” just accept it so you can move on. Accepting what happen to you does not mean it was right, it means it is in the past and there is nothing you can do about it now. Put it in God’s hand and move on. Emotions are in your soul remember? And you are cleaning your soul; therefore, whatever affected you emotionally, plays a big part on you living the abundant life Jesus died for you to live – get rid of it! I have included a “Forgiveness Affidavit” along with a “Prayer Against Unforgiveness” you can use to write the names down of the people who has hurt you and pray against the spirits that is keeping you from forgiving. If you need more sheets of paper, you can use blank ones.

• Forgive your offenders! You must for others who hurt you or God will not forgive you (Matthew 5:33; Luke 6:29). Forgiveness is a choice; not a feeling! You choose to forgive people who has hurt you and you keep choosing until you longer cringe when they come around or you hear their name! If you cry when you think about what they did, it’s okay; you are releasing the pain that the offense caused! Forgiveness will purge the pain of that thing from your memories; when you think of it, it will not hurt you! Of course, it will be in your memory of what happened (unless God blots it out – He has blotted out a lot of my childhood memories since they were traumatic) but it will not hurt when it comes to your mind! This pain, traumas, and dramas from your past has held you back long enough! LET THEM ALL GO!! Forgiveness helps you do that! Release EVERYONE who has EVER HURT YOU! GET RID OF THE BONDAGES TODAY!

• Pray the “Prayer Against Unforgiveness” (it is attached) over each person on your list (“Forgiveness Affidavit” and as the Holy Spirit speak to you about each person or each offense (He may or may not for each one), write it down under the column “The Holy Spirit’s Answer (Truth).” It will take time for this, so don’t rush it; do it when it is just you and God! It might take you going through this process more than once; it does not matter – you want to be free of these bondages in your soul and every hindrance that threatens your walk with God!

• You are FREE NOW! NO MORE BONDAGES! NO MORE SHACKLES! NO MORE PAIN! You are free because Christ has set you free and whom He sets free is free indeed! Don’t wait until you feel like you have forgiven the people who hurt you to believe you are free; as I said, forgiveness is not a feeling but a choice! When you first decide to forgive, you are not going to feel like forgiving but keep forgiving, it will happen! You are not alone and God will help you!

“Prayer Against Unforgiveness”

Do you have debts to cancel? Is the Holy Spirit bringing anybody to mind right now? Do you have any buried roots? Let the Holy Spirit search you. Can you give God your pain and grief? Will you give them to God? Would you like me to show you how to do it?

Think of the person that has hurt you the most during your life: an unfaithful spouse, rapist, a sexual abuser, or maybe a parent that rejected you or always put you down. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind the ones who have hurt you then write their names down on the “Unforgiveness Affidavit;” write the ones who have hurt you the most down first. Are you ready to be set free and release the other person from the bondage of unforgiveness? Forgiving that person or those people does not justify in any way what they have done to you; you are releasing them because you want to be free from the sin of disobedience‐let God take care of them.

Pray This Prayer After You Complete “Unforgiveness Affidavit”

In the name of Jesus, and as an act of my free will, I purpose and choose to forgive (the person) from my heart for (what they did).

In the name of the Lord Jesus, I cancel all (the person's) debts or obligations to me. Lord Jesus, forgive me for my bitterness towards (the person).

In the name of Jesus, I break and cancel Satan's power over me in this memory, and the resulting pain. I hate the devil.

In the name of Jesus, I command that all the tormentors that have been assigned to me because of my unforgiveness to leave me now. In the name of Jesus, I command the bitterness to go. Holy Spirit, come into my heart and heal me of this pain and this hurt. Holy Spirit, please tell me your truth in this situation.

(Pause quietly and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Listen carefully for what He has to say and write it down on the “Unforgiveness Affidavit” under the column “The Holy Spirit’s Answer – Truth”)

“Unforgiveness Affidavit”(See it in PDF teaching)

As the Holy Spirit speaks to you, write down His message in the space provided below. This is God’s testimony to you. When you have finished this prayer for each person or situation on your list, command the principality of bitterness to go in the name of Jesus.

Reference: The “Unforgiveness Prayer” and “Forgiveness Affidavit” is courtesy of Dr. Art Mathias. They are from his book, “Biblical Foundations of Freedom Destroying Satan’s Lies With God’s Truth.” Dr. Mathias' materials are copyright protect; if you would like to use his material, contact him via his web site: www.akwellspring.com.

 

Your life is now hidden in Christ since you accepted Him as your personal Lord and Savior; therefore, seek the things from above and not on earth (Colossians 3:1-4). The old nature (old man) has no more dominion over you; old things are NOW passed away, all things are new from this point on (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Declare YOUR freedom TODAY! Here is a song by Eddie James, “Freedom” which will help you with your declaration of freedom! As you sing along with Eddie, make your declaration, “I AM FREE!” It is not about feeling that you are free; you must BELIEVE God has set you free through His Son Jesus! You have been given a measure of faith to believe and as you grow in God, your faith will grow; stay close to God and His real Word!

Also, here is a link for new Christians to help you grow in God and His Word; The Way of the Master site will give you “10 Principles for New Christians” plus they have a lot more information on the site that will help you.

Welcome to the Family of God! God bless you as you walk with Jesus; as you embark on your new journey with God! If you would like to contact me for prayer or to ask a question, you can email me at drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

Here are two songs that will encourage and bless you:

Francesca Battistelli – “He Knows My Name”

Danny Gokey – “Hope in Front of Me”

"God Love YOU!" - PDF

"Affidavit of Forgiveness" - PDF


In His Service,
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

Click here to read copyright information

NOTE: These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.or

"Importance of Forgiveness" Recovery Program Session 5 Parts 2B-2, 2B-2-1, & 2B-3 Sept 30, 2014

"Importance of Forgiveness" Program Agenda – Session 5 Sept 30, 2014

 

 1. Open each session with prayer; asking God to open your understanding as to the areas in your life which needs to be healed and give you understanding of each session. The goal of each session is to help you to heal everywhere you need to be healed so you can become whole.

2.  Discussion (30 min):

“Importance of Forgiveness”- Part II

Armor of Bitterness – Part 2B-2: There are differing levels of authority and power in Satan's realm. Each specific evil spirit answers to another spirit higher up the line of authority. Just below Satan in this pecking order are his principalities. It is through this hierarchy of evil spirits and principalities that Satan continually seeks to draw us into captivity, taking control of our lives.The evil spirit who presides at each step up in the hierarchy of a principality is more evil than the ones below him. Remember what I said a couple months ago that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places? Eph. 6:12 lets us know we are in spiritual battle whether we like it or not. What is a principality? A principality is a ruling demon that has several lesser demons answering to it. Bitterness is a ruling demon. Answering to it, giving it protection and providing its armor are: 1) Unforgiveness, 2) Resentment, 3) Retaliation, 4) Anger, 5) Hatred, 6) Violence, 7) Murder – these are the powers which Ephesians 6:12 talks about. In the hierarchy of the principality of bitterness, resentment is worse than unforgiveness; unforgiveness answers to resentment. Retaliation is worse than resentment; resentment answers to retaliation, and so on. Each lower demon protects the armor for the next higher demon.

Armor of Bitterness – Part 2B-3: We are going to look at each part of the armor of bitterness separately:

• Unforgiveness- Bitterness gains entrance to us through unforgiveness, this is the first piece of the armor   surrounding the principality of bitterness. Unforgiveness whispers in our ear, "No, you're not going to forgive them, you don't need to forgive them, there's no way you  need to forgive them." Unforgiveness keeps  a record of wrongs against another person. It reminds, rehashes, projects and torments us with past negative events. It reminds us of what others have done to us, and what we have done to others. Unforgiveness is a smaller entity, a lower spirit. It's just the beginning.

• Resentment - After unforgiveness has done its work, the strong man (principality of bitterness) sends    out the spirit of resentment. Resentment builds on the foundation laid by unforgiveness. The record of wrong ferments and resentment begins to grow. Resentment generates a feeling of ill will towards a person who has wronged us.

• Retaliation - After unforgiveness and resentment have gained a foothold in our minds, the strong man (principality of bitterness) sends out the spirit of retaliation. The spirit of  retaliation is much more dangerous than the spirits of unforgiveness and resentment. Retaliation's presence shows progressive demonization.

• Anger - Unforgiveness first gains a foothold, and then resentment gains a foothold. Next, retaliation gains a foothold. Each of these manifests itself in ways that are progressively worse than the prior spirit. When retaliation wins its foothold, bitterness sends out anger and wrath. Anger and wrath are outward expressions that remind others that we are not going to forgive them, that we resent them, and that we plan to get even. With anger, we have crossed a line. Anger gives the evil spirit a voice. Unforgiveness, resentment, and retaliation can be kept unspoken, eating away at a person's own spirit through self-deception. Once the line is crossed to anger and wrath, the demons start to show themselves physically.

•  Hatred - Hatred starts a process of elimination. Retaliation ferments anger on behalf of bitterness. Anger vocalizes bitterness, and next comes hatred to act out bitterness. Hatred reveals your feelings toward an offender, tells them that they don't belong in your world, and you absolutely hate their guts. Hatred says, "I will do what it takes to get even. “Hatred provides the fuel for the final victimization by the devil.

• Violence - The sixth level of bitterness is violence. Violence is anger and hatred set into motion. Our emotions erupt into physical or sometimes hate-filled verbal attacks. At this point, we see pots and pans thrown across the room, wrenches fly and punches being thrown. Fights erupt. Physical, sexual and verbal abuse result.

• Murder - The seventh and worst spirit in the principality of bitterness is murder. The spirit of murder includes more than taking someone's physical life. God's Word teaches how we can murder someone with our words. Murder starts in the heart, because the ultimate level of the spirit of bitterness is the elimination of someone's person-hood. Murderous hate-filled speech, driven by bitterness, kills a person's own spirit. Whether it is the person  who is doing  the screaming and his speech crucifies his own sense of decency, or a person who receives a verbal attack, whose spirit shrinks in fear, the end result is a death of a Godly, peaceful spirit.

3.  Handout: Armor of Bitterness Chart; Bitterness Affidavit for 10-7-14

4.  If you have any questions, email me at drdehooks@abusedwoman.org

5.  Close each session in prayer; asking God to continue to reveal the areas in you which needs to healed and the things you need to deal with.

Click Here for Complete Teaching


God bless,
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

Click here to read copyright information

NOTE: These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

"Importance of Forgiveness" Recovery Program Session 4 Parts 2B & 2B-1 Sept 21, 2014

1. Open each session with prayer; asking God to open your understanding as to the areas in your life which needs to be healed and give you understanding of each session. The goal of each session is to help you to heal everywhere you need to be healed so you can become whole.

2. Discussion (30 min):

  "Importance of Forgiveness" - Part II

Review:

• Who are we fighting against according to Ephesians 6:12? According to Ephesians 6:12, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
• Name Satan’s major strongholds which he uses to make up his principalities. Satan’s major strongholds (weapons he uses against us) are bitterness, self-bitterness, jealousy and envy, rejection, fear, unbelief and the occult. These weapons are used to build Satan’s principalities which millions of demons (powers) make up.
• Where does a negative thought come from? Accusing spirits
  • Conditions for Receiving Forgiveness – Part 2A: There are two conditions that we must meet to receive forgiveness. First, we must forgive others. Second, we must ask God to forgive us.
  • Definition of Bitterness – Part 2B: Bitterness is an extreme form of anxiety and stress which affects every organ in our bodies. Most organic diseases (one which involves or affects physiology or bodily organs. A disease in which there is a physiological change to some tissue or organ of the body) are tied to bitterness, including cancer. All of the auto-immune diseases are tied to self-bitterness; bitterness also drives divorce, heart disease and digestive problems.
  • How Many Times to Forgive? – Part 2B-1: Jesus taught us to forgive 70 x 7 = 490 times in 24 hours. The principle is that forgiveness needs to be an ingrained attitude, occurring naturally all of the time. Forgiveness should be as automatic as breathing - and just as important. The Kingdom of God is not a democracy; we don’t get to vote on how the rules are written.
  • What are the results of unforgiveness? – Part 2B-1: First, the person will not be forgiven of their sins-debts, if he/she does not forgive others (Matt 6:12).

Secondly, the person will be turned over to the tormentors (Matt 11:35). This is serious. Who are the tormentors? Evil spirits. Some people consider evil spirits to be imaginary, but the Bible teaches that they are very real and they cause tremendous suffering. Bitterness causes torment mentally, emotionally and physically which causes diseases to manifest in your body.

Thirdly, the person is held in bondage to the memories and pain caused by the bitterness. Bitterness cause the person to constantly remember what has happened to him/her and these memories control their lives.

3. Handout: NONE

4. If you have any questions, email me at drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

5. Close each session in prayer; asking God to continue to reveal the areas in you which needs to healed and the things you need to deal with.

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God bless,

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

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NOTE: These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.

"Importance of Forgiveness" Recovery Program Session 3 Parts 2A, 2A-1, & 2A-2 Sept 16, 2014

"Importance of Forgiveness" Program Agenda – Session 3 Sept 16, 2014

1. Open each session with prayer; asking God to open your understanding as to the areas in your life which needs to be healed and give you understanding of each session. The goal of each session is to help you to heal everywhere you need to be healed so you can become whole.

2. Discussion (30 min):

“Importance of Forgiveness”- Part II

Conditions for Receiving Forgiveness – Part 2A: There are two conditions that Christians must meet to receive forgiveness. First, we must forgive others. Second, we must ask God to forgive us.

*First Condition for Receiving Forgiveness – 2A-1:

Matthew 6:9-12 says, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

What is verse 12 saying? Jesus says that we are to ask the Father to forgive us our sins, when or in the same way we forgive those that have sinned against us. Do you really want God to forgive you in the same way that you forgive others? God gave us a requirement to fulfill before He will forgive our sins. Our forgiveness is directly tied to others.

Matthew 6:14-15 makes the above statement from the Lord's Prayer very plain: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This Scripture clearly show us that the manner or way that we forgive others set the standard by which God will forgive us. If we do not forgive, or in other words, judge others, we will be judged by God in the same way.

*The Second Condition For Receiving Forgiveness – 2A-2:

We must confess our sins. Once we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Saviors, we are forgiven of our sins but if we continue to sin, we must confess those sins asking God to forgive us. I John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us all unrighteousness."

James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

What happens if we do not confess our sins and forgive ourselves? We are not forgiven and the guilt, shame, anger, regret, sadness, hatred, bitterness, etc. is still in the memory and in our lives. If we harbor unforgiveness against anyone, including against ourselves, God will not — even cannot — forgive our sins. When we do not forgive others, they are not the one who will be suffer, we will; and not only us but everyone who is associated with us. To receive God's forgiveness and the blessing of healing, we must forgive those who have hurt us.

If you have ever forgiven someone, yet the pain of your anger or resentment persists, the bitterness is still there. The enemy does not want you to forgive because he knows that God will forgive you when you forgive others and repent of your sins.

If you bury a root of bitterness, what does it do? It grows. Satan's demons water and fertilize it, so that it will continue to grow. Our lives become so filled with pain that we are unable to forgive. This is Satan's favorite weapon, the inability to forgive.

We all have been hurt but we can’t walk around in denial, we must truly repent to God for holding unforgiveness against that person, walking in disobedience to His Word – He said to forgive, forgive from our hearts and ask God to uproot that root of bitterness. Otherwise, it will destroy us from the inside out.

3. Handout: Recap from Part 2A

4. If you have any questions, email me at drdehooks@abusedwoman.org

5. Close each session in prayer; asking God to continue to reveal the areas in you which needs to healed and the things you need to deal with.

“Importance of Forgiveness Recovery Program” 

Part II Recap From Part 2A (Sept 16, 2014)

1. What are the two conditions that must be met to receive forgiveness? Name them and explain with Scripture references.

a. We must forgive others - Matthew 6:9-12 - Jesus says that we are to ask the Father to forgive us our sins, when or in the same way we forgive those that have sinned against us. Do you really want God to forgive you in the same way that you forgive others? God gave us a requirement to fulfill before He will forgive our sins. Our forgiveness is directly tied to others.

b. We must ask God to forgive us - I John 1:9 - What happens if we do not confess our sins and forgive ourselves? We are not forgiven and the guilt, shame, anger, regret, sadness, hatred, bitterness, etc. is still in the memory and in our lives. If we harbor unforgiveness against anyone, including against ourselves, God will not — even cannot — forgive our sins. When we do not forgive others, they are not the one who will be suffer, we will; and not only us but everyone who is associated with us. To receive God's forgiveness and the blessing of healing, we must forgive those who have hurt us.

2.  What happens if we do not confess our sins and forgive ourselves? Explain

We are not forgiven and the guilt, shame, anger, regret, sadness, hatred, bitterness, etc. is still in the memory and in our lives. If we harbor unforgiveness against anyone, including against ourselves, God will not — even cannot — forgive our sins. When we do not forgive others, they are not the one who will be suffer, we will; and not only us but everyone who is associated with us. To receive God's forgiveness and the blessing of healing, we must forgive those who have hurt us.

3.  If you bury a root of bitterness, what does it do? Explain

It grows. Satan's demons water and fertilize it, so that it will continue to grow. Our lives become so filled with pain that we are unable to forgive. This is Satan's favorite weapon, the inability to forgive.

Click here for PDF version

God bless,

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks

Click here to read copyright information

NOTE: These materials are copyright protected therefore you must request permission to reproduce any part of this material. To request permission, please contact Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks: drdehooks@abusedwoman.org.