April 19, 2024

Speak Life

March 4, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

  ~  Listen while you read, please!  ~

Some days, life feels perfect…other days it just ain’t workin’
The good, the bad, the right, the wrong—and everything in between

Though it’s crazy, amazing; we can turn a heart with the words we say
Mountains crumble with every syllable…hope can live or die

So speak Life, speak Life; to the deadest darkest night
Speak life, speak Life. When the sun won’t shine and you don’t know why
Look into the eyes of the brokenhearted, watch them come alive
as soon as you speak hope, you speak love, you speak…
You speak Life (oh oh oh oh oh oh) You speak Life (oh oh oh oh oh oh)

Some days the tongue gets twisted; other days my thoughts just fall apart
I do. I don’t. I will. I won’t…it’s like I’m drowning in the deep

Well it’s crazy to imagine—words from our lips as the arms of compassion
Mountains crumble with every syllable…hope can live or die

Lift your head a little higher; spread love like fire
Hope will fall like rain when you speak life with the words you say
Raise your thoughts a little higher, use your words to inspire,
Joy will fall like rain, when you speak life with the things you say.

Some days life feels perfect….

~  Performed by  Toby Mac  ~

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What are the words you are choosing to speak?  Are they uplifting?  Are they helpful? Words that build someone up instead of tearing someone down??  Our words are powerful and what comes out of our mouths matters….

There are many Scriptures in the Word that show us just how powerful the words we speak are.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18 : 21

This Truth will work for the good or it can work for the reverse; depending on the words we are speaking.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up,
as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
Matthew 15: 18

You can tell the true heart of a person by the words that they speak.

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

May my tongue be of the wise and not with rash words like a sword. In times of frustration, when we are tempted to speak rash words, this is when we need to dig deep and call upon the help of the Holy Spirit. The kinds of things that God asks us to do are not possible without Him! That is why He tells us that apart from Him we can’t do anything.

I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak….
Matthew 12:36

This Scripture is what I call having a ‘healthy fear of the Lord.’  If I know that I will have to give an account of the words that I am speaking, than I am more careful with what is coming out of my mouth…

This next Scripture is one of my favorites on words:

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Proverbs 16: 24

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Heavenly Father, I ask for myself and anyone reading this that You would empower us by the help of the Holy Spirit to speak life, hope, and healing; and to be a people that lift others up with our words and not a people that tears people down.  I thank You for the help of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Girls with Swords: Chapter 8 Weekly Review – “Sword Words”

May 17, 2013 by

Psalm19_14

Welcome to Campground USA

Log Cabins, Nature Trails, Canoes,

Paddle Boats, Bikes, Fishing

Our review of Chapter 8 in Girls With Swords by Lisa Bevere, will be a little different than usual.  I am going to “pretend” that after Teresa, Jennifer, Tonya, and Diane spoke around the bonfire, they gave each of us a “handout sheet” summarizing what they had spoken about.  They encouraged us to take it back home with us once we departed from our stay together.  It is the summarized “handout sheet,” that I wish to post. Great information to keep with your Bible.

Teresa

Lisa’s Quotes:

  • We are ministers of hope whose words are seasoned with salt and light and sound foreign in a world peppered with darkness.
  • Words are invisible, but if misused, they can prove deadly.
  • If we knew we were going to live out the rest of our days in a foreign country, we would take the time to learn the language to communicate.  It makes sense to learn heaven’s language NOW.
  • We lift swords when we lift His Word.

Teresa’s Questions:    

  1. If the Bible is my guide book to life does that mean I should follow all the ideals set forth?
  2. Do I pick and choose which ones I like and which ones I don’t?
  3. If I do have to follow all of them, how do I translate those stories to apply to modern day living?

Challenge: It’s time to break camp, Warriors! We have been called. We have been trained. We have been forged into a weapon to be used against the forces of darkness.

Scripture:  Death and life are in the power of the tongue.  (Proverbs 18:21)

 

Jennifer

Lisa’s quotes:  

  • Out of the abundance of God’s heart, He spoke the universe of galaxies into existence; this power lives within us.
  • When we truly have something to say, God finds a way to interpret it for all who need to hear. When we yield ourselves to speak His words by the power of His Spirit, astonishing things can happen.
  • For far too long the Word has been interpreted rather than proclaimed.
  • Our God Most High is triumphant. His glorious love and wondrous mercy know no bounds. The gift of salvation is through faith in Him alone, and all who seek Him find grace and hope.
  • Unifying ourselves with our Father’s purposes and language will initiate, or begin anew, God’s plan and unify a people around His purpose.
  • When we root ourselves in God, in His Word, our sword grows stronger.  It finds substance.

Jennifer’s Questions: 

  1. Have you unleashed God’s power in your life?
  2. Will you choose to use your words in a way that removes yourself from the picture and glorifies God?
  3. Will you speak in your flawed manner or tell of His flawless works?
  4. Will you be part of a unified voice by allowing His Spirit to fill you?

Challenge: Have a conversation with the Lord and be honest when answering each question I have posed.

Scripture:  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  (Matthew 12:34)

 

Tonya

Lisa’s Quotes:

  • Far too much is lost in interpretation when we pass the words through the filter of earth rather than fashion the earth with the words of heaven.

Tonya’s Questions:

  1.  Are we allowing our words to become earth-based?
  2. Are we allowing them to become catchy or cliché?  
  3. Are we trying to make the sacred words common?  
  4. Are our words lacking wisdom, and hurting instead of healing?
  5. When we say things, are we saying them because they sound good and will grab the attention of others?
  6. Or have we passed what we are going to say through God’s filter?  
  7. Have we asked His advice about what to say and how to say it?  
  8. Have we sought out His Scripture?

Challenge:  What are we doing with our words? 

Scripture:  The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

 

Diane

Lisa’s Quotes:

  • How awesome that our Father not only gave us a language but gave us Jesus, the example of how to live what we speak.

Diane’s Questions:

  1. When is the last time you have prayed God’s will for your life over your own desires?
  2. Do you desire to be the tract lady for Jesus, giving people His words that they are in desperate need of?
  3. What words are we using when we fearlessly share the saving grace, love, and power of Jesus Christ with the lost and the hurting—God’s words or our words?

Challenge: Let God’s words transform your actions to line up with what He is showing us to do.

Scripture:  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

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After the ladies spoke, there was a hush all around the bonfire.  It seemed as though every woman was in serious thought and prayer concerning the handout sheet that they had received.  And then, as if to confirm the whole message that had been spoken to us, Christi stood before the group and began to speak.

Christi

I want to share something with all of you today. It is a message that I hope and pray ALL parents grab a hold of and meditate on. For years, words have scarred my life. From the time I was 5 years old words have produced scars and they have created me to be who I am today.

I can remember the first time I was called a whore by a loved one…I was 8 years old. I didn’t even know what the word meant, but I knew it had to be bad because of the look on her face when she said it. For years, I was told I was stupid, and worthless; I would never amount to anything. I grew up “knowing” I was all of those things, and more.

My actions throughout my teenage years were, I believe, the product of the words that were spoken over me. I became very promiscuous. From the age of 15 to 25, I honestly can’t tell you how many men I slept with. I’m horrified to even admit that, but it is truth. I was so naive to believe that a guy “loved” me, only to find out that he only wanted one thing. It just began to prove to me over and again that the words this loved one spoke over me were truth. I was unlovable, and I had actually become what my loved one, and many others would call a whore.

When Jesus came into my life in 1984, I devoured God’s word day and night. I was learning something totally new: God Loved Me! Within time, my thoughts began to change; I began to allow God’s word to go deep into my heart. I began to see that I was truly worthy, and lovable! I’ve never experienced a love like that before! I began to start loving myself because God was showing me that I was lovable.

My message to parents today: PLEASE watch the words you speak to your children. They truly will form the belief that your child will develop in themselves. Tell your kids how proud you are of them. Make sure they know that you love them! Make sure you tell your daughters just how worthy and special they are! Make sure you speak truth, God’s TRUTH, into them! I truly believe that by doing this, it will definitely make a difference in how they believe in themselves, and in the choices they make in life!

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 Let’s Pray: 

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my thoughts be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”  Only then can we be the warrior that you have called us to be.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.  

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Girls with Swords: Chapter 8 – “Sword of Words” (pgs 129-134)

May 15, 2013 by

What are we doing with our words?

In the world we live in today, the power of our words means more now than ever; the power of the Scripture means more than it ever has, and the impact of its words will reach further than ever. I can honestly say that I have always known that there is power in our words; there is strength behind what we say and strength behind how we say it. That strength can have either a positive or negative impact.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

I’ve seen well-intentioned words hurt, and I’ve heard well-intentioned words lead someone astray. We don’t do it on purpose, but when we aren’t intentional about what we say and how we say it, the interpretation of those words can become skewed, even in a conversation between only two people.

“Far too much is lost in interpretation when we pass the words through the filter of earth rather than fashion the earth with the words of heaven” — Lisa Bevere (page 129).

Are we allowing our words to become earth-based? Are we allowing them to become catchy or cliché?  Are we trying to make the sacred words common?  Are our words lacking wisdom and hurting instead of healing?

The Bible was not only given to us to help us grow closer to God, to help us understand God’s love for us, to teach us the history and to give us a guide in which to live our lives; but it was given to us  for us to share it with others.  We must retain the power it holds.  We musn’t allow the filter that the world has placed on it to lessen the power it holds.

Hebrews 11:3 NIV

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

When I read this quote by William Booth I said “wow!”  “In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without a hell” (William Booth, pg. 133).

I don’t believe that we are intentionally creating this reality, but I do believe that we are unintentionally making this statement true. When we say things, are we saying them because they sound good and will grab the attention of others? Or have we passed what we are going to say through God’s filter?  Have we asked His advice about what to say and how to say it?  Have we sought out His Scripture?

Ladies, we need to be aware of our words. I know that this needs to be a goal of mine, too.  I am not always intentional about what I say. I always tell my kids to think before they speak. Not only do we need to apply this to our lives, but more importantly we need to pray before we speak.  We need to run our words through the Heavenly filter.

Let’s Pray:  

Dear Heavenly Father, our words can do harm as easily as they can do good. Lord, touch our hearts before we speak as a reminder to pray about what we are going to say and how we are going to say it. Your words hold power that we want to retain. Please help us to use our words to heal and not hurt, to draw ourselves and others closer to You and not to lead them astray.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,