Healing Words

Our words have the power to lift people into their destinies. When you tell someone I'm proud of you, you did a good job, and the like, it's not just a complement those words have healing power

You never know what people are going through and your words can help keep people moving forward. You never know what wounds a person is hiding behind a smile, your words can heal those wounds.

We live in a society filled with a lot negative chatter. People think nothing of being negative and condescending but you have the pwoer to counteract that. Take time to be a healer and a lifter. God has no voice to encourage except yours.

The people in my life need what I have. At the grocery store, the gym, on the road, etc…

A blessing is not a blessing until it’s spoken. Your thoughts don’t bless anyone.

Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.

Proverbs 15:4

When we think of healing we generally think of praying for people but verbalized expressions heal as well.

Wise words are like deep waters;     wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.

Proverbs 18:4

Pastor Joel would play basketball with a group of guys and a loaner would come as well. He didn’t seem very nice so a lot of people ignored him. Joel learned his name and even if he was in another pick up game, he’d go over and say “Hey Bo!”. Bo would say hi and pound his chest…Joel would Pound his chest back (not really knowing what it meant). Years later Joel ran into Bo and shared that no one ever seemed happy to see him and he was always sure to go play basketball because Joel was always happy to see him.

Don’t let a stranger compliment your loved ones more than you do. Call out your loved ones’ seeds of greatness.

You may be small but you have a big heart but you’re going to do great this year.

When you can, speak a blessing in public. 

Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife (husband, friend, neighbor, etc…)

Proverbs 21:19

People respond to praise, encouragement, and honor.

Once a man came outside and a dog was at his front door with his paper. He pet the dog and gave him a treat. The next morning, the dog had brought 8 newspapers to his door.

You can change the atmosphere and bring healing to a relationship with your words. Compliments are the glue that holds relationships together. Most people have enough people being negative you can be the one to lift.

One compliment can have an impact for a lifetime.

Momma Dodie had polio as a kid and it stunted the growth of one of her legs. It caused her to walk with a limp and she had to walk a little slower. This embarrassed her so she’d try to hide her legs. One day a guy was talking to her husband and saw her walking toward them and said, “Look at Dodie, she walks like a princess.” After that she started to walk with more pride and started to show her legs off. That was 40 years ago and she remembers it like it was yesterday. 

One compliment can have an impact for a lifetime.

Jentzen Franklin @ Lakewood Church

The Gates

• Acts 3:2 NIV
• Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 
• http://bible.com/111/act.3.2.NIV
• The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other dwellings of Jacob. 
• Psalm 87:2 NIV 
• http://bible.com/111/psa.87.2.NIV 
• A wall keeps people out but a gate is on henges to let people in.
• The henges represent a choice.
• Joshua 24:15
• But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord ." 
• The Tree of Life
• Genesis 2:9
• The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• The tree of life could have been put outside because he wanted them to decide for themselves.
• God will always provide a place of refuge.
• Numbers 35
• City of Refuge
• v 6. "Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 
• v.9-15 When you cross the River Jordan into the country of Canaan, designate your asylum-cities, towns to which a person who accidentally kills someone can flee for asylum.
• Psalm 91:1-2
• Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord , "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 
• Psalm 37:7
• Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
• Don't let someone talk you out of the King's protection
• 2 Samuel 3:6-38
• Abner had crossed the River Jordan into the city of refuge
• David negotiated a treaty with Abner via messenger.
• Even when negotiating, Abner did not leave Asylum until an agreement was reached.
• David sent Abner safely on his way
• v. 22-26 But just after David had sent Abner away in safety, Joab and some of David’s troops returned from a raid and found out about the treaty
• v. 27 When Abner arrived back at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gateway as if to speak with him privately. But then he stabbed Abner in the stomach and killed him in revenge for killing his brother Asahel.
• v. 33 Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: “Should Abner have died as fools die? 34 Your hands were not bound; your feet were not chained. No, you were murdered— the victim of a wicked plot.”
• All Abner had to do was stay in the city of refuge and he could have lived.
• He removed himself from the King's protection
• Don't be lured through the gate away from God's protection.
• Cecil the Lion
• He was lured out of refuge with a dead deer.
• He took the bait.
• Cecil's brother, Jericho went looking for Cecil.
• This speaks to the phenomenon of influence.
• It doesn't take long to mess your life up.
• Heaven, Hell, and God's Presence all have gaits.
• Psalm 100:4-5
• Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
• Revelations 21:21
• The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
• Matthew 16:17-19
• ...“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
• The praise that costs the most counts the most.
• You have to get victory over your personal enemies before you can fight God's enemies. David fought the lion and the bear before he defeated Goliath
• Whatever it is that gives you entrance into the place that God has delivered you from is a gate that needs to be removed. The music, the internet, alcohol, etc. There's no joy with one foot in the city of refuge and one foot out. Quit explaining it and get rid of it.
• Judges 16:3
• But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron. 
• You make your choices and your choices make you.

The Secret Place

• The holy of holies....
• Leviticus 16:2-34 describes a place that had strict rules of entry.
• There should be a place like that in us.
• Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
• Proverbs 4:23 NIV
• Peace is a position of power.
• "In your anger do not sin" : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
• Ephesians 4:26 NIV
• Ships don't sink because of the water around ships sink because of water within.
• Acts 20:24 KJV
• But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
• Philippians 4:8 KJV
• Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
• Job 8:22 KJV
• They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.
• John 14:1 NIV
• "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God   ; believe also in me.
• Don't put your circumstances on the thrown.
• Psalm 68:1 NIV
• May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.

Going After the Prodigals

Lakewood Church
Pastor Joel Osteen!

• We all know people who fell off course after going through something dificult.

The book of James (2:16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?) tells us to be proactive when helping prodigals.

• You don't need to tell them what they are doing wrong, you just need to tell them 3 things: We miss you, we need you, and we love you.

We can't help everyone but we can help someone. God put certain people in our paths for a reason. The closests thing to the hear of God is helping lost people. (Luke 15:9-32)

• In the parable of the Lost Sheep 99 of the sheep were just fine, but 1 was missing. You have to notice who's missing.

• I can ONLY talk to my flock, because that's the group that I have a relationship with.

D.L. Moody and Mr. Kimble

• Galatians 6:1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person GENTLY. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

• Mark 2:17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

It's great to celebrate with the people who haven't fallen off, but our real ministry is with those who have. When we go after them, we need to go GENTLY.

• Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

"It's not my job to scare the hell out of people."

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre

Improving My Vision

Lakewood Church
Pastor Joel!

Improving My Vision

• The pictures I have in my mind affect my future. If my vision is limited, the my future will be limited.

Genesis 11:6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

• There was a knee surgery study where they pretended to do the surgery. Years later the subjects reported improvement; the conclusion was that since the brain EXPECTED to get better they got better.

John 5:38-40 There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously. "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.

• God wanted Abraham to have a picture of the promise so he could be reminded of that promise.

Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

• Life may not be fair, but God is fair! Life's plan doesn't get cancelled because of a disappointment or mistake.

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

• Let the seeds of greatness God placed on the inside take root.

• If you can see the invisible, then God will do the impossible!

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

• Sometimes you need to get out of your environment to enlarge your vision.

• "Frog in a Well" A frog was born in a well with his family and thought it was the best thing in the world. "We have ALL the water to ourselves. One day he crawled up to the top and saw a pond and realized what he had was just a drop in the bucket compared to what the world had to offer.

• "Rapper Interview" There was a rapper who sang violent and negative lyrics. A reporter asked him why that was so. He said, "Man I'm just rapping about life." The truth is that he was rapping about HIS life. If he had just walked 3 miles out of his neighborhood, then he would have seen a different life!

Joshua hung around Moses and went to the promised land. Elisha hung around Elijah and got a double portion. Sampson hung around compromisers and lost his blessing. Who you hang around has a lot to do with your vision.

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre

It's Under Your Feet

Lakewood Church
Joel Osteen

• How you see your difficulties determines how you react to it.

• The first place that I lose the battle is in my mind.

1 Corinthians 15:25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.

Psalm 59:10 In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.

Nehemiah 8:10 And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"

• Joy is an emotion but it creates something physical.

2 Samuel 22:40 You have armed me with strength for the battle;you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. [v.11-20]

• I'm armed and dangerous
Psalm 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord,"Sit in the place of honor at my right handuntil I humble your enemies,making them a footstool under your feet."

• When something is a footstool, it serves you and makes your life easier.

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a feast for mein the presence of my enemies.You honor me by anointing my head with oil.My cup overflows with blessings.

• The people who tried to push you down will see you when you reach the next level.

• Peace is a position of power.

• God knows how to apply pressure.

Isaiah 54:17 But in that coming dayno weapon turned against you will succeed.You will silence every voiceraised up to accuse you.These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD;their vindication will come from me.I, the LORD, have spoken! (NLT)

• 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. (KJV)

• Just because a problem forms doesn't mean it has to prosper.

• God will vindicate me.


Ramiro was born with no ears and the doctors gave his parents a grim prognoses. The problem had formed, but they saw it as under their feet!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkjlobMWkKc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm Pre