Time for a Laugh!

"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine..." Proverbs 17:22

What gives you a good laugh?  My sister and I stumbled upon a family who puts up YouTube videos every week... They always give us a good laugh, and I thought you might enjoy them as well: Below is one of my favorites and you can click Here to visit their YouTube channel and check out more.

I hope you all have a great week!  Enjoy a good laugh, and SMILE!  It is amazing how contagious that is!

~ Blessings~
~ S*

What are YOU Saying? (Part 2)

It is amazing how powerful your words are.  Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it's fruit." (NIV)  The New Living Translation says, "The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences."


Everything we say has a consequence.  Most recently I personally have been trying to evaluate common phrases/sayings.  I'll give some examples:


1. Holy crap (Holy cow, etc...)
2. Darn (Oh man, oh crap, dang, shoot, frick, etc...)
3. Worked like a charm ( Third time's the charm, lucky charm, etc...)
4. I'm getting a cold (flu, headache, etc...)
5. I could never do that...
6. _______ is genetic, so I know one of us is going to get it.



1. There is no such thing as Holy crap.  Or holy anything for that matter.  When something is Holy it is sacred and set apart for God.  We should be striving to be Holy. Not calling worldly things holy when they are far from it.


2. Darn is just like saying a curse word.  So are the other examples.  When you say "Oh dang it. I should have had that." Technically you are cursing what ever it is you were doing.  You are not speaking in an uplifting or encouraging way.  (Philippians 4:8)

3. I used to say these all the time until I learned what a charm was.  A charm is something people make to ward off evil spirits.  It is a hocus pocus kind of thing.  Almost demonic in itself.  We have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We have the Bible the Word of God.  We don't need a charm, for "The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalms 27:1, NIV)

4.-6. "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." (1 Peter 3:10, NLT)  What ever you confess over yourself will happen.  Confess health, life, and prosperity over your life not sickness, death, and poverty.  "The tongue can bring death or life..."


Blessings!
~S*

What are YOU Saying?

This Week's Scripture:  Proverbs 18:21 (In this lesson we will be using the NIV and Message translations)
  
A lot of people underestimate the power of their words.  The Bible says in Proverbs 18:21, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (NIV)  The Message gives an even clearer interpretation, "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--you choose."  (Message)  I was blessed to learn this early.  When I speak bad/negative things over myself (sometimes even jokingly) they often happen.  However, when I speak life and healing over my body, that is what I reap.


I can give you and example: Remember the rhyme: "Don't step on a crack or your mom will fall and break her back."  We all step on cracks, even if we don't at the time that we might be saying the rhyme.  I know of a person who said that, and their mom did hurt her back.  "Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--YOU choose." (The Message emphasis added)


When it is cold outside we shouldn't say things like "you'll catch your death of pneumonia."  Or when something is really funny it is great to laugh and laugh hard, but we shouldn't say things like "that kills me."  "That was so funny I about died." or "stop it you're killing me."  "The tongue has the power of life and death..." (NIV) Don't prophesy over yourself (or others) negative things.  If we do we are just opening up a door for the devil to use against us. 


"What if people say bad things to me/about me?"  Well, if someone says to you "you'll catch your death of pneumonia." (or something of the like) The first thing I do is say, "No, I won't."  You are already resisting it that way.  Then usually in my head I resist it from happening, and thank God that I am healed and no weapon formed against me shall prosper!  If my friend or someone I am talking to says something like: "I about died" or "_______ will kill me" I always try to speak life over them by saying: "I hope not. Or "No it won't."  And you can always try to share with them what you have learned about the power of your words.


Another example: I know of someone who had a cold and some else said "your going to get pneumonia." That person did get pneumonia.   


So please keep in mind how powerful your words are.  And I challenge you to memorize the Bible verse for this devotion.  Pick a version of your choice; it doesn't have to be one used in this lesson.  Choose what kind of words you are going to use.



Blessings!
 ~S*

You Are Healed!

Do you know what you are saying when you say you are healed?  Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines heal/healed this way: 1. a. to make sound or whole. b. to restore to health. 2. a. to cause (an undesirable condition) to be overcome: mend. b. to patch up. 3. to restore to original purity or integrity : to return to a sound state. Synonym = cure.  Wow!  It always amazes me how different a word you "know" can look when you read the definition.  Today we are going to focus on definition number two above.
 

The Bible is an excellent source of healing scriptures and stories!  Let's look at what the Bible says about being healed.  Psalms 107:20b says, "He sent forth His Word and healed them."  We know God/Jesus is the "Word" because of John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Isaiah prophesied healing because of Jesus when he said, "4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried away our sorrows, yet we consider him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds* we are healed." (*Some translations say stripes.)  1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

We are also redeemed from the curse of the law.  Galatians 3:10 says, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'"  If you want to know what the curse(s) of the law are, check out Deuteronomy 28:15-68.  If you don't think your particular sickness/issue is listed there remember in Matthew 16:19b Jesus says, "whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." And in Deuteronomy 28:61 it says, "The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law until you are destroyed."  In other words, we are redeemed from every kind of sickness or disaster.

Jesus always healed the sick.  The bible says many times that "He healed them all."  For more encouraging healing stories you can look up the following: (some of these deal with the "healing"/redemption of sins along with physical healing.)

1. Jesus heals a paralytic Matthew 9:1-8
2. The healing of two demon possessed men Matthew 8:28-34
3. Jesus heals many Matthew 8:14-17
4. Jesus heals the sick Matthew 4:23-25
5. Jairus's Daughter brought back to life Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56
6. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead John 11:1-44
7. Jesus heals a man who was born blind John 9:1-41
8. Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43

 These are just a few examples of God's healing power.  It didn't stop when the Bible was done being written; god is still Jehovah Rafah our healer today.  The Bible also says in James 4:7, "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  Or as the Doughnut Man says, "Submit to God (Say Yes Sir!). Resist the devil (Hold it right there!). And he will flee from you (And he will run away)."

Blessings!

 ~S*

 PS. You are healed!!!

Should I Feel Guilty?

 
Scripture This Week: Hebrews 10:22

http://www.freewebs.com/girlbiblestudy/Guilt for GBS.doc    *

We can learn a lot from the study lesson above.  I didn't use to realize that I had a problem with guilt until relatively recently.  And when I read the lesson above I was excited to learn that there was a difference between God telling me something via the Holy Spirit and my flesh.  So just because you are asked to work a longer shift, come in on your day off, babysit when you don't want to, or give someone a ride, doesn't mean you have to do it.  Yes, the Bible does tell us to consider others ahead of ourselves, but in some instances I believe there are times when we don't have to do everything we are asked to do.  Now, I am not saying to tell your mom no next time she tells you to do the laundry.  But we do not have to feel guilty if we say no while being obedient to God.

Got it?  I made the study in a word document so that you could print it out.  It will have you answer a few questions and look up a few verses.  Please don't just write "yes" or "no" to the questions.  Be descriptive.  Let it all out.  And please feel free to share things you learned, questions you may have, and comments below.  Challenge us too.  If you don't want your question or comment on the site then please e-mail me at girlbiblestudy@hotmail.com.
Blessings! 
~S*

*Directions/Lessonby Jeff Adams, PHD
REALITY LIVING
5460 BLUE RIDGE CUT-OFF
KANSAS CITY, MO 65133
WWW.REALITYLIVING.ORG
Copyright 2006

Am I Ugly?

This Week's Scripture:  Genesis 1:26-27 
 

Okay guys, how many of us, at one time or another, have thought that we were ugly?  Be honest now.  I have definitely thought that of myself.  How many of us have wanted to change something about our appearance?  We have all been asked the question: if you could change on thing about yourself what would it be?  We all think of things: a smaller nose, whiter smile, thinner hips, tanner skin, etc.  We are beautiful just the way we are.  God made us in His image (Gen. 1:26-27).  Instead of wishing we were different or "prettier" than we are, we should thank God for our beautiful bodies.  We are created in HIS image!  What could be better than that?  If you still have trouble shooting yourself down with discouraging thoughts about yourself, try this.  Every time you begin to obsess or think about your body in a negative way, catch yourself and begin to thank God for the qualities you do like.  Or do this; lets say you begin to think about your legs again.  "I wish they were straight, I wish they were tan, I wish they were more flexible, etc."  Turn that around and thank God that you have legs that work properly, that you don't need crutches or a wheel chair to get around.  If you begin to form this habit, eventually Satan will stop torturing you with those depressing thoughts because you turn it into a good thing. 

Another worry could be that my future husband won't think I am beautiful after we get married.  First off, that is absurd.  God Himself has planned out whom I will marry.  I don't think God is going to make a mistake.  In Songs of Solomon the word beautiful is used countless times.  I don?t think God placed this book in the Bible for kicks and giggles.  He had a much better reason than that.  One reason could be to show us how beautiful we are.  Chapter one verse fifteen says, "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!  Your eyes are doves."  That is the Lover (male) speaking to the Beloved (female).  I believe God will send me a man who thinks beautiful things of me like the Lover does in Songs of Solomon.  (For a bigger list of beautiful things read chapter four.)

Always remember that we are created in the image and likeness of God.  So we cannot be ugly, especially to Him.

If you have anything to add or have additional questions or comments please leave them below.

Blessings!

~ S*

True Love Waits!

This Week's Scripture:  Songs of Solomon 2:7, "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field:  Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." (NIV)

Many of us have heard or even spoken the phrase, "true love waits."  I have a purity ring that says that very thing.  But what does it really mean?  Some of you might say it means exactly what it says.  Yes it does; however, let's examine each word closely.

True.  In the dictionary* true is defined this way: 1. real; genuine; 2. faithful; loyal; 3. right; proper; correct; exact; accurate; 4. rightful; lawful.  If you say "true love waits" by replacing true with one or all of the words above, does the phrase take on a new meaning for you?

Love.  Love is defined like this: 1. warm and tender liking; deep feeling of fondness and friendship; great affection or devotion; 2. have such a warm liking or deep feeling for; 3. a strong liking; 4. like very much; take great pleasure in.

Waits.  Wait or Waits is defined as follows: 1. stay or stop doing something until someone comes or something happens; 2. look forward; be expecting or ready; 3. delay or put off.  In other words, do not progress forward until you know it is God's will and timing for you.

Putting this all together may make it sound somewhat as follows:  [True]Genuine, faithful, and proper [Love] deep fondness, affection, or devotion to others [Waits] is expectant, ready, and looking forward to what God has planned for their life.  In other words, to truly love someone, you must wait for God's "yes" to move forward in that loving relationship.  A good way to do this is to listen to what the Bible says in Songs of Solomon 2:7b, "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." Or you could say it this way, do not allow love to wake up in you until God says it is the right time!

In the first part of that same verse Beloved (aka the girl in this book of the Bible) is charging (or placing under oath) the other women of Jerusalem to do this very thing.  In the same way we should not artificially stimulate love before God's perfect timing.  Flirting and the dating game are just a couple examples of "fake love" that many people participate in which really hinder their following God's path and plan for their future.

I hope that this has helped you ponder whether or not you are truly loving others by waiting on God's plan.

Feel free to leave questions and/or comments about this entry below.  If you have a private question you would like us to answer, feel free to e-mail us!  Please check back often for more polls, quizes, forum questions, and devotions. We would love to hear from you!

Blessings!

~ S*