In approximately 1977, while I was still operating my business in American Indian Arts, a short, fat, jolly type man came into my store. I noticed immediately that his tie clasp was a pair of handcuffs.
He said to me: "Little lady, do you know a man named Settles?"
I told him I didn't know anyone of that name.
He said to me, "Well ... he knows you! He is suing you for a million dollars!" (And with that he served me with the legal papers for the law suit.)
I was stunned.
Not only did I not know this man, but I had less than $2000 at the time this happened.
At first, it was very hard to take this seriously. I remember going into my office and tossing the legal papers on a counter.
In a few days, I realized if I failed to respond to this judgment, that man could take away my business, all my merchandise, and the money I had in my checking account!
At that point, I hired a lawyer.
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Test of faith: Is this scripture really true and valid for NT church today?
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
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God had taught me to get out of debt and to stay out of debt. I would go on buying trips and buy only merchandise that I had cash to pay for.
I did not borrow money for merchandise.
I came back to Dallas from the buying trip and sold the merchandise and took the cash out to the reservation and purchased more merchandise with the cash I had.
At the time one of my best friends, a vice-president at Braniff International (airlines) told me she had never seen any business or corporation conducted as I was doing with my business.
She said every corporation she had ever worked for and everything she had ever been taught about business said to use other people's money for the business and to make money from other people's money through business loans.
But I felt God had shown me to get out of debt and stay out of debt.
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing
So that is what I did.
About 3 months after she told me this, Braniff filed for bankruptcy, shut down their operation, and everyone at Braniff lost their jobs.
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So at the time of this lawsuit, I was out of debt and operating on a cash only basis.
The bills for legal fees connected with the lawsuit began arriving and were eating up all the profit from the sale of merchandise.
I made a very strong, significant decision at that time.
If that scripture in Isaiah 54 pertained to the church today, this lawsuit could not prosper against me.
I am a "servant of the Lord" now, a Christian.
So according to Isaiah 54:17, this weapon against me could not prosper.
Therefore I decided, based on that scripture, to dismiss my attorney and go to court without any human legal counsel.
I made an appointment with the pastor at my church and went to tell him what I was doing.
As I drove out to the appointment, I prayed for God to give pastor wisdom.
After I told him, he looked at me and said: "Joan ... I perceive you have the faith to do this this way."
I called my lawyer immediately.
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Gordon, lawyer, was shocked.
He replied: "Joan ... you can't do this! You don't know how evil these courts are."
To that I said to Gordon: "I am a Christian. And this scripture says, 'No weapon formed against me will prosper.' If the Bible is true for us today and not just a history book, then this weapon will not prosper. And if the Bible is only some kind of book telling about History in the church, I want nothing more to do with the Bible. So with this lawsuit we will test the Bible."
When I explained to Gordon how the legal bills were eating up all the profit from my business, Gordon said:
"Joan ... we're willing to work with you ... Don't worry... It will only take about $10,000 more to try this case."
"Joan ... we're willing to work with you ... Don't worry... It will only take about $10,000 more to try this case."
I was shocked and cried out: "$10,000 more ... Gordon ... STOP ... don't do another thing."
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A few days later Gordon came to my shop.
He said: "Joan ... we have decided to try your case without any further charge to you."
What is going on here?
One day they tell me it will take $10,000 more ... now they tell me all future legal service will be free ...
One day they tell me it will take $10,000 more ... now they tell me all future legal service will be free ...
I replied: "Gordon ... I will have to get back with you on this."
He left my shop.
I started praying:
"God ... what do YOU want me to do about this free legal service?"
Immediately I was reminded of the following scripture:
Genesis 14:21-23 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
I knew, by this scripture, that God was saying to me: "Don't take the free legal service."
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I called Gordon immediately and declined the free legal service and prepared myself to go to court without any human legal counsel.
I was terrified!
During the weeks, and months, that followed, before the trial date, God reminded me of several scriptures. I took those verses and recorded them onto a cassette tape. When I went to bed, I played that tape. When I awoke during the night, I would turn the tape over and play the scriptures again. I had recorded those 13 or 14 scriptures on both sides of the cassette tape so I could hear them many times.
I also had written out those verses and kept them before me during the day to reinforce my faith and hold to what I believed I was to do.
This is exactly what we see God telling Joshua to do in Joshua 1.
(I saw this later. I didn't know Joshua 1 at the time of the law suit.)
Joshua 1:7-9 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
This is exactly what we see God telling Joshua to do in Joshua 1.
(I saw this later. I didn't know Joshua 1 at the time of the law suit.)
Joshua 1:7-9 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
For 6 months or so I kept these scriptures that had been given to me by the Holy Spirit before me day and night, during the time leading up to the trial date.
It all exploded 6 days before the trial was scheduled in US District Court.
I received a phone call from the lawyer of the man who was suing me. He said since I had no lawyer he was calling to tell me his client had dropped all charges.
I asked him if the man dropped all charges against everyone else for he had attached several of us together with a charge of conspiring to keep him from doing business in Dallas.
(He was an itinerate merchant of Indian jewelry, a peddler, who went from city to city renting motel meeting rooms to sell merchandise at 70% off.)
This man's lawyer said, "He cut everyone loose."
The lawyer went on to say, "We tried to get him not to sue you but he wouldn't listen. He was like a madman."
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It was over ... almost ...
A few weeks later, Gordon came to see me. He said, "We have discussed your case at the law firm for weeks. And we have decided that what you said would happen happened ..."
Isaiah 54:17 ... No weapon formed against me would prosper ...
and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of ME, saith the LORD.
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This was a very big test of faith in the Word of God ... and by this God took me forth to other battles over the Word of God in the Bible.
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HYMN: STANDING ON THE PROMISES
OF CHRIST MY KING
Standing on the promises
of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages
let HIS praises ring,
Glory in the highest,
I will shout and sing.
Standing on the promises of God.
(Chorus)
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of
Christ my savior;
Standing, standing,
I'm standing on the promises
of God.
(To hear this hymn played on piano and to follow along with the words, click on the following link and then when it appears on screen, tap on the play arrow, > )
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