In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Friday, March 22, 2013

The Tongue - a creative force!


Our tongues are a creative force. Did you know that? Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." What are you creating with your tongue?

I have observed how we (people) frame things by our descriptions and our opinions of events, places, people. Think about it; someone says, "I love that restaurant," and suddenly, you want to try it too! Someone else will say, "Oh the service at that place was terrible," and there you have it, if you don't have your own experience to glean from, you don't ever want to go there based on one person's statement.
In light of this, think about how you frame your words about people. Stick to the truth but also try to build-up rather than tear-down. Have you ever met someone who you had previous "information" about from another person first?  Then you come to find out that the picture they painted of this person was not at all accurate to you? I know I have. I have seen it.




Someone will say, so and so is mean, or rude or whatever, but that was ONE person's opinion and sometimes that ONE person can be totally WRONG!  I have had this done to me as well.  People will say things like, "Wow, you are not at all like so-and-so told me you would be!"  YIKES - that was a hard thing to hear.  Someone else was going before me to "share" and "paint" a picture of me that was not at all true.  Words can frame.  What are you building?

When trying to form an opinion on someone, you need to seek counsel from MANY witnesses.  2 Corinthians 13:1 says, "...EVERY FACT IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES." - NASB.  Don't just form an opinion because one person said so.  Better yet, check a few sources...and don't check from the same pond if possible.  Don't ask the "friends" or "enemy" of a person, try to get other's input too.

I really try to take information and things to the Lord to sift them, to find truth, not to people. Ask God to show you the truth and you know what? He will! He is faithful like that! Don't allow people's opinion to shape you. Guard your heart with ALL diligence! It's easy to let someone we love and respect (like a friend) CHANGE our view on someone or something because we are following man and not God. Believe it or not, God has a STRONG opinion on most matters. Take the time to find God in the equation. Your time spent will be well worth it!

It's easy to follow people, especially those we love and possibly even respect but PEOPLE fail...God NEVER fails! HIS opinion is what we need to seek, find and trust! HE is faithful like that! It may not be POPULAR or even politically correct today (unfortunately) to follow God but it is ALWAYS worth it! His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts! His sheep HEAR His voice...sometimes we just need to stop and listen to hear Him on the matter.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Walking In Your Healing


So last week but my son Josh (the one who walked away from the motorcycle accident the week before) was at the same Tuesday night bible study group (Vibe) last week and they experienced a miracle after the event. A few of them from the group prayed for someone whose leg was 2 inches shorter than the other (resulting in back pain). As they prayed, the leg grew out 2 inches and the person was healed! (Josh told me he has his eyes closed so he missed the "event" but others did see it!) Regardless, the legs were even in length after the prayer - whether or not people saw it!

God is MOVING, people! Press in and also begin to release His power to those around you in prayer! It is amazing what God is doing IN OUR MIDST IF only we would believe! Amazing God!
Ok, so one more PRAISE report!  Did I say MIRACLES are happening?  Last Friday night, at our church we had our monthly Friday Night Fire event.  A praise and worship time (not a concert or show but just simple, sweet fellowship).  We had a guest speaker in town (David Wagner) as he has recently been to our church which resulted in incredible testimonies and miracles manifesting.  So, David came back and I invited a friend and her family to come to hear him teach, minister.

At first she didn't think they would be able to come but then it worked out and they were able to come.  During the ministry of teaching, David said that someone had just been healed from acid reflux and they were in the room.  He asked if anyone in the room was that person.  No one responded.

Well, this morning while talking to this friend on the phone, she told me that her and her husband both had been battling acid reflux for months - to the point they were eating Rolaids 4 and 5 times a night and she wondered if I thought she could have been healed Friday night.  I said of COURSE you could have been!

She went on to share that Friday night they BOTH slept thru the night with NO issues and in the morning they both thought that was strange.  They thought it was interesting for them both to have a good night, as her husband had even been forced to sleeping upright to bring relief through the night for the past months.  She said to him, do you think WE were healed?  Still not fully sure they were healed because they didn't respond in ANY way to the Word given that last night.

Well, Saturday night they both slept thru the night again; no issues, no problems.

Here is where I will pause the testimony.  During the Friday Night Fire meeting David shared about his sister who needed knee replacement as her knees were in terrible shape.  She came to stay at his home for a couple weeks, and during that stay, her knees were healed (as she had to go up and downstairs to her bedroom every day/night).  David said to her, now you know you are going to have to give up your disability check because your knees are healed.  She said she couldn't live without that money and refused to do that.  A few years later, she had to have both knees replaced.  She lost her healing.

So back to my friends testimony.  She said that this morning and this past night, she was dealing with acid reflux again and at the first sign of it, she rebuked it and said, she was NOT going to give up her healing!  She was fine the rest of the night and is walking in her healing

See, WE have a part to play in our healing.  God does it, but we can reject it or accept it.  He is such a good and merciful God but even God will not override our will!  Praising the Lord for this GREAT, BIG, WONDERFUL GOD WE SERVE!  Hallelujah!