Verbal Suicide: Ep. 10: Are You Talking Too Much? When Words Destroy What God Builds

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Welcome to the Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host,

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Connie Morris, and this is Faith on the Go, where you take the word with you on your drive to work,

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while you're getting ready in the morning, or even in those quiet moments before prayer.

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Real life, real word, and real growth, all while you are on the go.

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Before we get into today's word, let's take a moment to center ourselves with a familiar prayer.

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The prayer of Jabez.

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Oh, that you will bless me indeed and enlarge my territory.

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Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.

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Father God, we come before you this day asking that you will indeed bless us,

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not just with what we have, but in who we are becoming.

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Enlarge our territory, Lord. Lord, expand our capacity, our mindset,

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our ability to receive what you have for us.

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Let your hand be upon us, guiding us, covering us, and leading us in every decision we make.

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And Father, keep us from harm, physically, emotionally, and spiritually,

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that we may walk in peace and not in pain.

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And Lord, just as you heard Jabez when he cried out to you, hear us now.

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Your word says that you granted his request, and we believe that you are the same God today.

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So we come boldly before you, knowing that you hear us, knowing that you see

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us, and knowing that you respond to the prayers of your people.

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Have your way in this moment as we sit, listen, and receive your word.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Hello, welcome back to Diary of a Black Woman podcast. I'm your host,

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Connie Morris, and we are in chapter 10, episode 10 of our series,

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Verbal Suicide or Prosperity.

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Today, we're going to cover this title.

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It's titled, Are You Talking Too Much? There are some Bible characters in here

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that I want to share with you.

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I love these Bible characters because they show you an example of what happens when you talk too much.

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Verbal suicide is a serious thing, but we're going to talk about how to avoid

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it, but also how not to get caught up in verbal suicide.

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I want you to go with me to the.

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Book of Numbers, Numbers chapter 16.

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I don't want to read the whole story, but I want to give you an idea of what

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happened this Bible character.

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The Bible character, his name is Korah. Korah and Dathan, they were friends.

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They were part of the children Israelite. They were hanging out with Moses.

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They were really Levites, so they had a job.

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But on this particular day, Korah and Dathan thought they would rise up against Moses.

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And I want to share the story and then we're going to break it down.

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So number 16, and it reads, Now Korah, the son of Ishar, and the son of Kothath,

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the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abram. Those are his friends.

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Korah was the main leader, Dathan and Abram, the sons of Eliab and On,

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the son of Peleth, the son of Reuben, took men.

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So that's the introduction of who they were, but who they are.

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And they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel.

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250 princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation of men renown.

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So Cora, Dathan, and Abram took it upon themselves to start their own congregation

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within the Israelite community, right?

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So they rose up, not just any old people, they picked 50 princes,

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princesses, And they also mentioned there were a congregation of men renowned.

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So these were not just any old body. These were kind of the big people in the Israelite community.

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But Korah, Dathan, and Abram thought it was a good idea to rise up against Moses.

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Verse 3, And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron

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and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are

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holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them.

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Wherefore, then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord.

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So they rose themselves up and saying, You know what?

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We think you're doing too much. Just like if the congregation rose up against

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the pastor and said, you know, we think you're doing too much.

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Who is giving you all this power? We all are holy.

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See how that gets you twisted? Are you talking too much? We all are holy.

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We all know God. You wear pants like I do.

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Some of the things we say to our pastors and first ladies, right?

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We rise up against them because of something in us that wants to be the leader,

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or maybe we didn't get what we want. But let's continue the story.

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And when Moses heard it, he fell on his face. So just a powerful leader that

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Moses was, he knew that when they rose up, that they were about to get it.

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They were about to get in a lot of trouble with God.

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So Moses bowed down and prayed right away because that's what leaders do.

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When your congregation rises up against you, when people come up against you,

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you don't get on YouTube and just embarrass your congregation.

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You take that to God because God gave you those people.

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He gave you those people. So that means that you need to pray.

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Moses went down on his knees to pray. Are you talking too much?

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Are you rising up against your congregation or is your congregation rising up against you?

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What are your words saying to them?

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And same with the congregation. What are you saying to your pastors? right?

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But Moses did the very graceful thing, very merciful thing.

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He bowed down and he spake, he was on his face.

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He said, and he spake unto Korah and all of his company saying,

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and he spake unto Korah and unto all this company saying, even tomorrow,

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the Lord will show you who are his and who is holy and will cause him to come near unto him.

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Even him who he has chosen, will he cause to come near unto him?

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He says, Bosa said, the Lord is going to show up

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tomorrow. And he's going to show you who are his, who is holy.

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And he said, he's coming close. And he said, he's coming close.

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And so Korah at that time, think about it.

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You got the man of God who got an immediate answer from God.

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He got on his knees and right away he prayed and God gave him a word for Korah and his crew.

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I'm going to call them. He gave a word to Korah. He says, tomorrow.

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The Lord said, I'm going to show you who is holy.

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Come on now. Verse six, this dude, take your censors, Korah, and all this company.

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So this is what you have to do because God says, I'm going to show you who is holy.

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Get your censors. You got to understand the Levites had censors because that's what they did.

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They made fire toward the Lord. They had a job and put fire there in and put

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incense in them before the Lord tomorrow.

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And it should be that man whom the Lord does choose, he should be holy.

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You take too much upon you, you sons of Levi.

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Moses says, Korah said, you take too much upon yourself.

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And Moses said, boom, you take

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too much upon yourself, calling yourself a leader, saying you're holy.

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God said he'll take care of that tomorrow. And Moses said unto Korah,

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here I pray you, you son of Levi,

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seemeth but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel has separated you

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from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service

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of the tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation and minister unto them.

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So when we do this comparison trick, because Korah, Dathan, and Abram,

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they had a job. They were Levites. They get.

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On a daily basis. So how do you go before the Lord that you say you know,

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but you don't know because you're asking to tell the leader that was placed

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above you that even gave you your position that you think too much of yourself.

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And then Moses said the same thing back. You know what? You think too much of

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yourself, but do you realize, Korah, what you do before the Lord,

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that you minister to him?

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Do you know his power? Because I love that God gave them until tomorrow.

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Because they could repent and this thing would be over, right?

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But let's see what happens next.

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And he has brought thee near to him and all thy brethren and the son of Levi

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with thee and seek ye priesthood also. Like you guys are doing a great thing

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for God and you want to do what?

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You don't understand your authority. You don't know you have a good job already.

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And then we're going to skip to verse 12. And Moses sent to call Dathan and

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Abram, the son of Eli, which said, will you not come up?

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Is it a small thing that thou has brought us up out of the land of florn with

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milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

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What was going on? We talked about this in one of the episodes where we have

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a group of people speaking negative language, right?

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Speaking corrupt communication about something they don't even know.

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They already have a little attitude saying, you know, Moses,

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you brought us out of here to kill us. So they sound like who? The Israelites.

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They sound like the same song and dance, not realizing that.

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The Moses power and authority that he had with Jesus, with the father.

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You brought us out of here to kill us. He says, more ever thou has taught us

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unto a land flowing milk and honey to give us an inheritance in the field.

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Will thou put out the eyes of these men? Will you not come up?

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And Moses was very wroth. Now Moses, wroth means he was angry and said unto

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the Lord, look, Respect not thou their offering.

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So he went to battle for them and say, don't you understand?

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Like Moses is trying to talk them out of this stupid mess.

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You know, Moses saying, you know, can you guys cool out?

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I don't, you know, let's not go there. And then Abram and Dathan said something that triggered Moses.

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Did you bring us out of here to kill us? Who does that sound like?

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Sound like they've been talking in a bunch and got some things twisted.

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And Moses prayed and says, respect not thou their offering. I have not taken one.

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He's in this Bible says, ask from them. Neither have I hurt one of them.

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And Moses said unto Korah, thou and all thy company before the Lord.

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Thou and they and Aaron tomorrow.

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He said, okay, you guys not listening to me. You don't want to back this off.

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We're going to still keep the date. I'll see you guys tomorrow.

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And don't forget to bring your censors, they said. Everybody bring your censors.

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And then God will show you who is holy. Let's go to verse 19.

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I don't want to start at 18. And they took every man his censer and put fire

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in them and laid incense thereof and stood in the door of the tabernacle of

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the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

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So they had the nerve to come to the tabernacle with that drama.

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Remember, I'm going to give you to tomorrow, but bring your censers.

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They're going to show up with their 250 men, come on now, with their censers, with fire.

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And Korah gathered all the congregation

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against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

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And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation.

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And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from

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among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.

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That's God talking. And they fell on their faces and God said,

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And faces, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, should one man sin,

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will thou be wroth with all the congregation?

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And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, because God said, get out the way,

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I'm going to kill all of them.

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I'm gonna kill the whole congregation because he know where that spark of murmuring

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and complaining happened.

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And then Dathan and Abram had the nerve to repeat that same thing that God already

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told him that you're gonna be walking this earth for 40 years and you won't

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ever see the promised land.

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And yet you still haven't changed your mind. I'm telling you tomorrow.

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And God says, you know what? Get out the way. But Moses as the leader says,

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are you gonna kill all of them?

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And he says, speak unto the congregation saying, get you up from among the tabernacle

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of Korah, Dathan, and Abigail. So he says, okay, I'm not going to kill all of them.

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Tell the congregation to move away from these.

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Because, you know, they had a nerve to come to the church with this.

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So God said, you're not coming to my tabernacle with all that noise. Here we go.

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Speak unto the congregation and tell them to move away from them.

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And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abraham and the elders of Israel. follow him.

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And he spake unto the congregation saying, depart, I pray you,

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from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs,

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lest ye be consumed in all their sins.

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And they got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abram on every side.

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Dathan and Abram came out and stood in the door of their tents and their wives

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and their sons and their little children.

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When we start talking too much, it don't just affect you.

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Look who was starting to affect. I'm stuttering in a little bit because I love

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this story, but I keep forgetting that, remember, these men had wives, they had children.

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And so when they started talking negative to Moses.

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God is listening. And God told the congregation, get away from these tents.

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And then they heard it. And so here comes, think about it. You heard all the hoopla outside.

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And then Corian, Dathan, and Abram, they came out with their wives.

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And it says, their little children.

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And Moses said, hereby, you should know that God has sent me to do all these

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works, for I have not done them in my own mind.

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If these men die the common death of all men, if they be visited after the visitation

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of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

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But if the Lord make a new thing and the earth opens her mouth and swallow them

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up with all that appertained unto them and they go down quick into the pit.

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Then ye should understand that these men have provoked God.

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What did they say that provoked God? They approached Moses, telling him that you're doing too much.

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And then Moses was like, you're a Levite.

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You're serving and ministering unto the Lord. You are a priest.

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What do you mean I'm doing too much? I mean, I'm giving you this job, this promotion.

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You are a Levite. You have it made in the shade, but yet you are provoking God with your words.

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What words did he provoke God with? Remember, God is listening.

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Whether we think he is or not, he is listening.

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So just a quick rewind. The same story, this happened also in Numbers,

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I think it was, I think it happens later, Numbers 13 or something that just happened.

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It's a small thing that thou has brought us out of the land that flowed with

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milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness. Who said that?

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God was provoked. Let's keep it moving. Verse 30, I'm going to read this again.

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But if the Lord take a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them

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up with all the appertaining to them, and they go down quick into the pit,

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then ye should understand that these men have provoked the Lord.

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And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking.

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All these words that the ground claved asunder that was under them,

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and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses,

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and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

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They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit,

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and the earth closed up them, closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation.

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And the Israel were round about them, fled at the cry of them,

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and they said, lest the earth swallow us up also.

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So the congregation, you know, there's always a group of people who's going

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to rise up against the leaders, but then there's an audience that's watching, right?

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So the audience that was watching took off running because they thought they

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were going to get swallowed up also.

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And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, speak to Eliezer, the son of Aaron,

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the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning and scatter them

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fire yonder for they are hollow.

00:17:36.623 --> 00:17:42.803
So he burned up some of the congregation and, and, and Korah and his crew censors.

00:17:42.943 --> 00:17:47.143
He said, go grab them, go get them up. And I want you to make them flat.

00:17:47.343 --> 00:17:49.203
So they will remember, I don't want to read the whole story.

00:17:49.323 --> 00:17:52.963
You get a chance read the whole number 16, but we see here about,

00:17:53.143 --> 00:17:54.623
are you talking too much?

00:17:55.071 --> 00:17:59.171
Korah was talking too much. We have to understand that when we're talking too

00:17:59.171 --> 00:18:03.371
much about our leaders, against our leaders, and we're forming our own coup

00:18:03.371 --> 00:18:06.451
as we get ready to take over, that God is listening.

00:18:06.691 --> 00:18:09.891
He protects his leaders. He was protecting Moses.

00:18:10.251 --> 00:18:14.811
Korah's rebellion did not begin publicly. It began through a conversation.

00:18:15.611 --> 00:18:19.671
Dissatisfaction spread privately before the rebellion surfaced openly.

00:18:20.091 --> 00:18:25.331
Korah influenced others through repeated complaints against Moses and leadership.

00:18:25.591 --> 00:18:30.511
This teaches that complaining is not always harmless and harmless emotion.

00:18:30.891 --> 00:18:34.431
Sometimes complaining becomes contagious rebellion.

00:18:34.871 --> 00:18:40.271
Negative conversations often unite wounded, offended, and frustrated people emotionally.

00:18:40.911 --> 00:18:45.951
Groups built around offense usually grow through repeated negative discussions.

00:18:46.351 --> 00:18:50.231
Core gathered people around shared dissatisfaction.

00:18:50.591 --> 00:18:54.571
Eventually, their conversation created division and destruction.

00:18:55.151 --> 00:18:58.811
This still happens today. People bond through criticism, offense,

00:18:59.071 --> 00:19:01.631
gossip, bitterness, and shared frustration.

00:19:01.911 --> 00:19:06.751
But environments built on negativity eventually collapse spiritually.

00:19:07.331 --> 00:19:11.611
Complaining weakens unity because it feeds distrust.

00:19:11.871 --> 00:19:16.711
The enemy often uses repeated negative conversation to divide family,

00:19:17.011 --> 00:19:21.871
churches, friendships, and communities. Words can be a rebellion long before

00:19:21.871 --> 00:19:23.771
action appeared publicly.

00:19:24.051 --> 00:19:29.511
I want to share just a personal story, something similar to this. It was interesting.

00:19:30.231 --> 00:19:31.931
It was so long ago.

00:19:32.548 --> 00:19:38.668
That I was part of some legal actions taken against a job that I was working with, working at.

00:19:38.848 --> 00:19:42.968
And we were meeting, me and the, it was a bunch of ladies and me and the ladies,

00:19:43.328 --> 00:19:48.408
we were meeting probably about maybe twice a month to talk about the case.

00:19:48.528 --> 00:19:53.368
And I remember sitting in the meeting, it was at someone's home and I'm sitting

00:19:53.368 --> 00:19:57.888
there and I'm crunching on some, some chips or something that they were having.

00:19:58.088 --> 00:20:02.728
And I'm listening to the bitterness, the gossip, the criticism,

00:20:02.728 --> 00:20:04.388
and all the frustration.

00:20:04.668 --> 00:20:07.208
And every time I would go to that meeting, I think I went to two.

00:20:07.368 --> 00:20:11.688
When I would go to the meeting, I would leave that meeting feeling heavy because

00:20:11.688 --> 00:20:19.148
even though what happened to us was true, it was creating so much negativity in these women.

00:20:19.348 --> 00:20:24.728
And I remember going home and I was praying, asking the Lord, like, what should I do?

00:20:24.828 --> 00:20:28.408
And he said, I want you to disconnect from this group. He said,

00:20:28.548 --> 00:20:31.408
because what's on them is going to come upon you.

00:20:31.588 --> 00:20:33.808
Just like the story of Korah.

00:20:34.188 --> 00:20:38.368
Korah probably started with a little, you know how people are negative and then

00:20:38.368 --> 00:20:40.568
somebody else agreed with his negativity.

00:20:40.828 --> 00:20:43.508
Then you got four more and it keeps multiplying.

00:20:44.028 --> 00:20:49.488
And then at the end of this multiplication, you don't realize that you get in too deep.

00:20:49.688 --> 00:20:54.528
They got in too deep. We know that Korah, Dathan, Abram, and their families,

00:20:54.528 --> 00:21:00.648
and some of the congregation die from this incident of verbal suicide, right?

00:21:00.828 --> 00:21:04.488
And so God said, I want you to like, to separate yourself. And I wrote a letter

00:21:04.488 --> 00:21:09.268
to the attorney and said, you know, I don't, I'd rather just not be part of the legal proceedings.

00:21:09.528 --> 00:21:12.328
And the Lord was, you know, talking to me privately about some things that he

00:21:12.328 --> 00:21:16.388
wanted me to do. And I did it. I was like, I disconnected from them.

00:21:16.788 --> 00:21:21.368
Most of those women end up just being miserable, miserable, miserable, miserable.

00:21:21.961 --> 00:21:24.901
And they were mad at me because I decided to pull out.

00:21:25.101 --> 00:21:26.681
Next thing I know, about four or

00:21:26.681 --> 00:21:31.561
five more girls pulled out because it was beginning to be too much drama.

00:21:31.721 --> 00:21:35.021
And I didn't want that drama on my life. I was still early in my career.

00:21:35.181 --> 00:21:38.961
I was like, if this doesn't end well, it's not going to be well for me.

00:21:39.121 --> 00:21:43.021
That's one I thought. But then the Lord said, I want you to pull out because

00:21:43.021 --> 00:21:45.721
what's on them will come on you.

00:21:45.901 --> 00:21:49.861
And so what happens when you're around negative speech all the time?

00:21:49.861 --> 00:21:52.341
We see what happened with Korah and his crew.

00:21:52.561 --> 00:21:58.701
They used verbal suicide and the Lord opened up the earth and swallowed that whole family.

00:21:59.168 --> 00:22:04.128
I know it's not exciting news, but I want to show you the power of your words

00:22:04.128 --> 00:22:06.928
and what can happen in this, you know?

00:22:07.128 --> 00:22:10.148
And it says, then that's God. Then, you know, then I was right.

00:22:10.288 --> 00:22:14.768
But if he doesn't and you continue to live on to tomorrow, then I'm wrong.

00:22:14.888 --> 00:22:16.628
I was in the wrong leadership position.

00:22:17.048 --> 00:22:21.248
Moses was like, if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. But let God be the judge.

00:22:21.408 --> 00:22:25.188
So when we deal with a lot of negative speech, we lose our vision.

00:22:25.428 --> 00:22:30.528
We get caught up in the fog. You ever been in that fog moment where you got

00:22:30.528 --> 00:22:34.448
into this incident, but then it's not what you thought it was.

00:22:34.448 --> 00:22:39.288
It's not causing, it's not adding to your life, I'll say. It's not adding confidence.

00:22:39.488 --> 00:22:40.368
It's not adding relationship.

00:22:40.888 --> 00:22:44.908
Matter of fact, it's slowing you down, you know? And those words that they're

00:22:44.908 --> 00:22:50.048
talking all the time, those negative words, they're building their negative words, right?

00:22:50.188 --> 00:22:53.588
And then you will be in that castle with all those negative words.

00:22:53.748 --> 00:22:59.268
How are you going to tear down? But I remember when I decided to step away and

00:22:59.268 --> 00:23:01.588
begin to just, it changed my whole life.

00:23:01.748 --> 00:23:05.548
It says, God used words to create, restore, heal, and strengthen.

00:23:05.808 --> 00:23:10.268
I'm partnering with the life-giving God. And then not the enemy way.

00:23:10.388 --> 00:23:13.588
He likes to discourage, weaken, divide, distract, criticize.

00:23:14.108 --> 00:23:16.868
As a matter of fact, this one's important. Destroy momentum.

00:23:17.168 --> 00:23:19.208
That you're not moving forward.

00:23:19.388 --> 00:23:23.348
You're not moving backwards. You're just stuck. Many people underestimate how

00:23:23.348 --> 00:23:26.688
much damage constant negativity causes.

00:23:27.048 --> 00:23:31.908
Are you talking too much? What's coming out of your mouth, right?

00:23:32.368 --> 00:23:38.668
Is it verbal suicide or is it prosperity? Because you don't realize that it's causing some damage.

00:23:38.888 --> 00:23:43.608
It kills vision with criticism before it even had a chance to grow.

00:23:43.948 --> 00:23:49.748
I talked to you in the last episode about a plant that I received from my children. It was in a box.

00:23:50.274 --> 00:23:55.554
You know, plants don't live in boxes, but I would have kept it in a box. It would not be a plant.

00:23:55.874 --> 00:23:58.614
And that's what God wants you to do. He wants you to grow.

00:23:58.994 --> 00:24:04.514
Don't give that negative conversation any. When we start complaining and murmuring

00:24:04.514 --> 00:24:10.774
and being sarcasm and pessimism, those are what God called toxic conversations,

00:24:11.274 --> 00:24:12.374
corrupt communication.

00:24:12.734 --> 00:24:15.034
What comes from corrupt communication?

00:24:16.034 --> 00:24:20.014
Ephesians 4.29. I'm going to start at 26.

00:24:21.134 --> 00:24:27.854
426, and I'm going to read it all the way to verse 32 about our words and what

00:24:27.854 --> 00:24:29.474
God wants to do with our words.

00:24:29.694 --> 00:24:35.894
Verse 26, it says, Ephesians 4, verse 26, be angry and sin not.

00:24:36.034 --> 00:24:38.294
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

00:24:38.661 --> 00:24:43.261
Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole still no more,

00:24:43.421 --> 00:24:48.641
but rather let him labor working with his hands the things which is good,

00:24:48.781 --> 00:24:53.121
that he may have to give to him that needeth.

00:24:53.421 --> 00:24:57.561
Verse 29, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,

00:24:57.721 --> 00:25:00.401
but that which is good to the use of edifying,

00:25:00.601 --> 00:25:06.461
that it may minister grace to the hearer and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,

00:25:06.461 --> 00:25:10.221
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

00:25:10.501 --> 00:25:16.061
Let all bitterness, wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away

00:25:16.061 --> 00:25:20.361
from you with all malice and be kind one to another.

00:25:20.801 --> 00:25:27.601
Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.

00:25:27.821 --> 00:25:31.881
It says in verse 30, grieve not the Holy Spirit.

00:25:32.101 --> 00:25:36.481
We don't want the Holy Spirit to stay in a box. We need him.

00:25:36.601 --> 00:25:38.901
We need him to move in our lives.

00:25:39.101 --> 00:25:43.481
We need him to talk to us. We need him. And so when we have corrupt communication

00:25:43.481 --> 00:25:46.701
coming out of our mouth, there's nothing he can do.

00:25:46.881 --> 00:25:52.161
He's locked down. He's grieved. He's grieved. Are you talking too much?

00:25:52.301 --> 00:25:54.761
Are you grieving the Holy Spirit?

00:25:55.041 --> 00:26:01.041
When we think here about this word, it says, which is good to the use of edifying.

00:26:01.301 --> 00:26:06.521
When we think about our mouth, are we edifying? Are we building up? Are we strengthening?

00:26:06.741 --> 00:26:12.121
Are we encouraging people? Are we developing someone? Or are we just being negative?

00:26:12.561 --> 00:26:17.681
Are we just using, I call it verbal abuse, profane language.

00:26:17.961 --> 00:26:23.241
Paul teaches believers that speech should add value instead of spreading destruction.

00:26:23.241 --> 00:26:26.921
If you're talking about someone, is that adding value to them?

00:26:27.041 --> 00:26:30.801
Even if it's in their face or behind their back? Are you giving them value?

00:26:31.061 --> 00:26:34.861
You ever, I think I shared it before, someone shared some, they say for instance,

00:26:34.921 --> 00:26:36.121
you say, you know, do you know.

00:26:37.225 --> 00:26:40.785
Billy Bob and they go, you know, no, I don't. Well, you know,

00:26:40.925 --> 00:26:43.605
Billy Bob is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, all the negative things.

00:26:43.805 --> 00:26:47.145
So when you meet Billy Bob, you're not able to look him in his face because

00:26:47.145 --> 00:26:51.285
you've already exposed yourself to negative words about this person.

00:26:51.545 --> 00:26:55.525
So how can you really be, how can that be different? So I always say,

00:26:55.605 --> 00:26:57.485
I don't want to know. I don't want to know. I don't want to know.

00:26:57.905 --> 00:27:01.745
You know, I, like I said, I work in a prison. I don't want to know everybody's background.

00:27:01.925 --> 00:27:05.225
I want to treat them with respect without knowing the background.

00:27:05.225 --> 00:27:07.725
Because I don't want any bias to come in. I'm a retired cop.

00:27:07.805 --> 00:27:12.745
So I've been at crime scenes that maybe they have already committed. Not in Nebraska though.

00:27:13.045 --> 00:27:18.005
So when they say a crime, I already in my mind see the victim and the crime scene.

00:27:18.205 --> 00:27:21.385
You see what I'm saying? So I want to make sure I keep my mind clear.

00:27:21.585 --> 00:27:23.005
I don't want to be frustrated.

00:27:23.345 --> 00:27:26.625
I don't want to, you know, I want to just have a clear mind.

00:27:26.865 --> 00:27:29.665
I want to know them for them, not for their past.

00:27:30.045 --> 00:27:34.825
You know, corrupt communication is more than profanity. Corrupt communication includes and.

00:27:36.636 --> 00:27:41.316
Humiliating speech, constant criticism, gossip, verbal abuse,

00:27:41.776 --> 00:27:48.476
cynical negativity, mocking, tearing people down, and conversations that poison the environment.

00:27:48.776 --> 00:27:52.796
Many people are emotionally wounded because they grew up around speech that

00:27:52.796 --> 00:27:57.656
constantly criticize, discourage, shame, compare, or belittle them.

00:27:57.996 --> 00:28:01.736
Words shape identity. A child repeatedly called stupid, lazy,

00:28:01.816 --> 00:28:06.816
or worthless, or unwanted may carry those words emotionally for years.

00:28:07.096 --> 00:28:10.896
Likewise, encouragement can strengthen people profoundly.

00:28:11.196 --> 00:28:17.256
One wise conversation can restore confidence, renew hope, build courage, and shift perspective.

00:28:17.616 --> 00:28:21.956
Paul teaches believers to speak words that minister grace.

00:28:22.296 --> 00:28:28.056
Graceful speech does not mean fake positivity. It means communication that will

00:28:28.056 --> 00:28:32.636
strengthen truthfully, correct lovingly, and build wisely.

00:28:32.656 --> 00:28:35.296
We already know that words can cause damage.

00:28:35.616 --> 00:28:38.936
We saw what happened to Korah and his friends.

00:28:39.436 --> 00:28:40.996
They can heal too.

00:28:41.496 --> 00:28:46.596
So they said tomorrow, I love that God always gives us a second chance.

00:28:46.816 --> 00:28:50.976
Korah and Dora and Abram, they missed their second chance.

00:28:51.276 --> 00:28:54.596
Their family missed a second chance. He said tomorrow.

00:28:54.876 --> 00:28:59.296
He could have went the night before and said, Moses, I want to apologize for

00:28:59.296 --> 00:29:02.516
me and my family for, you know, stepping to you that way.

00:29:02.716 --> 00:29:05.776
Can you forgive us? Can you ask the Lord to forgive us?

00:29:05.916 --> 00:29:13.456
You know, but you got to understand Cora and I think it was so severe because of their position.

00:29:14.202 --> 00:29:17.982
You know, if it was any other Israelites, there probably wouldn't have been that severe.

00:29:18.142 --> 00:29:24.242
But it was so severe because you have these guys who were Levites who ministered to the Lord.

00:29:24.342 --> 00:29:28.582
They were priests of God, but did not realize that they could have went to God

00:29:28.582 --> 00:29:32.442
themselves and had a conversation with God about Moses.

00:29:32.542 --> 00:29:36.462
And God would explain, Moses is my leader for this time, you know,

00:29:36.542 --> 00:29:40.882
and you are my leader in this particular area, and put them back in their places.

00:29:40.882 --> 00:29:45.902
So how many people can go to church but don't have a relationship with God?

00:29:46.162 --> 00:29:51.722
Can't go to Him when you have problems. So let's go to Proverbs 5, 15, 4.

00:29:51.882 --> 00:29:57.282
And it reads, A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but the perverseness therein

00:29:57.282 --> 00:29:59.002
is a breach in the spirit.

00:29:59.242 --> 00:30:02.642
Words affect people spiritually and emotionally.

00:30:02.882 --> 00:30:07.542
A wholesome tongue brings peace, encouragement, wisdom, comfort,

00:30:07.822 --> 00:30:09.402
healing, and emotional safety.

00:30:09.682 --> 00:30:14.942
But destructive speech damages the spirit. Many people carry invisible wounds

00:30:14.942 --> 00:30:20.282
from conversation that embarrassed them, humiliated them, rejected them,

00:30:20.342 --> 00:30:22.882
or constantly attacked their confidence.

00:30:23.142 --> 00:30:28.202
Some people smile publicly while privately carrying years of verbal damage.

00:30:28.582 --> 00:30:32.962
Harsh environments slowly wear people down emotionally.

00:30:33.422 --> 00:30:38.642
A person can't survive physical exhaustion temporarily, but constant emotional

00:30:38.642 --> 00:30:41.102
negativity drains the spirit.

00:30:41.302 --> 00:30:45.882
And this is why homes filled with yelling, criticism, sarcasm,

00:30:46.042 --> 00:30:48.042
hostility, and negativity are

00:30:48.375 --> 00:30:52.795
often feel emotionally heavy. Speech creates climates.

00:30:53.155 --> 00:30:56.795
People thrive where healthy communication exists.

00:30:57.155 --> 00:31:03.995
Some individuals become afraid to dream, create, speak, or lead because destructive

00:31:03.995 --> 00:31:07.095
voices repeatedly attack their confidence.

00:31:07.415 --> 00:31:09.455
Negative speech weakens courage.

00:31:09.895 --> 00:31:14.695
Wise speech restore strength. It says, let your speech carry grace.

00:31:14.835 --> 00:31:18.215
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with saw.

00:31:18.375 --> 00:31:22.055
God wants us to be graceful with our speech.

00:31:22.935 --> 00:31:27.695
We talked about no corrupt communication, which is now we think about it.

00:31:27.935 --> 00:31:29.475
Grace is the opposite of that.

00:31:29.815 --> 00:31:33.215
Paul teaches believers to speak both with grace and wisdom.

00:31:33.735 --> 00:31:38.475
Seasoned with thought means speech carry discernment, maturity, truth, and value.

00:31:38.915 --> 00:31:42.995
Some people speak constantly without wisdom. Are you talking too much.

00:31:43.275 --> 00:31:46.335
Others speak truth without grace.

00:31:46.675 --> 00:31:51.015
Are you talking too much? Godly communication requires both.

00:31:51.375 --> 00:31:55.155
Graceful speech does not manipulate, humiliate, or destroy.

00:31:55.455 --> 00:32:00.415
Even correction should be handled wisely. Some people use honesty as permission

00:32:00.415 --> 00:32:04.175
to speak cruelly, but the biblical wisdom understands timing,

00:32:04.415 --> 00:32:06.095
tone, discernment, and compassion.

00:32:06.535 --> 00:32:11.115
Not every truth should be delivered harshly. Words should leave people clearer.

00:32:11.615 --> 00:32:15.155
Wiser, stronger, and healthier spiritually.

00:32:15.455 --> 00:32:18.155
There's another story. I think I got time to share it.

00:32:18.515 --> 00:32:20.775
I want to do this in one sitting.

00:32:21.255 --> 00:32:25.235
It's still, are you talking too much? And you have to read the book of Nehemiah

00:32:25.235 --> 00:32:29.535
to get the understanding of the whole story. I'm going to give you kind of a

00:32:29.840 --> 00:32:33.140
snippets of it, but the book of Nehemiah is powerful.

00:32:33.260 --> 00:32:40.320
Nehemiah was a man, of course, and he wanted, he heard about the wall that needed to be rebuilt.

00:32:40.640 --> 00:32:45.240
So in the first chapter, he gets the opportunity to go talk with the king about

00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:49.300
taking a leave of absence so that he can go repair the wall.

00:32:49.540 --> 00:32:54.260
Now that's a good thing. However, we talked about their haters come up.

00:32:54.340 --> 00:32:59.140
When you begin to do good thing for God, people will begin to have conversations

00:32:59.140 --> 00:33:01.820
about you of the negative type.

00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:05.620
So let me give you an introduction of Nehemiah. We'll talk about the people

00:33:05.620 --> 00:33:07.560
just like Korah and his crew.

00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:15.060
Nehemiah has some enemies that Sambalat and his crew was found in Nehemiah 4. We'll get there.

00:33:15.300 --> 00:33:19.500
So Nehemiah carried a vision to rebuild Jerusalem, broken walls.

00:33:19.660 --> 00:33:24.060
The wall represented protection, restoration, and identity and recovery.

00:33:24.520 --> 00:33:27.860
But rebuilding attracted criticism immediately.

00:33:28.200 --> 00:33:33.540
Right the moment in chapter one, once Nehemiah had asked for opportunity to

00:33:33.540 --> 00:33:39.600
have a leave of absence, immediately that news carried to Sambalot and his crew.

00:33:40.020 --> 00:33:43.320
And so whenever you're trying to build something healthy and whoever is trying

00:33:43.320 --> 00:33:47.020
to help someone in their relationship, in their family, in ministry or in business,

00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:53.680
even in personal healing, you will find out that the negative voices will come to the front.

00:33:54.080 --> 00:33:59.620
Critics often attack progress because rebuilding exposes brokenness.

00:33:59.840 --> 00:34:05.040
Some people become uncomfortable watching others do what they should be able

00:34:05.040 --> 00:34:08.420
to do, watching others grow, heal, succeed, or move forward.

00:34:08.660 --> 00:34:11.980
Nehemiah teaches believers an important lesson.

00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:14.580
Builders must learn how to work

00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:18.140
while being negative, negativity is nearby.

00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:22.140
We live in a world where, and when you start something, right,

00:34:22.440 --> 00:34:26.220
there's always going to be the critic because you have all the social media.

00:34:26.500 --> 00:34:30.600
You can have the greatest show, but yet someone's going to have something to say.

00:34:30.760 --> 00:34:34.740
But every time came up to a Nehemiah, Nehemiah had a relationship with God.

00:34:35.080 --> 00:34:39.240
He would pray. Great story to read. If Nehemiah stopped every time the critic

00:34:39.240 --> 00:34:44.020
spoke, the wall would never have been finished. Many people lose momentum because

00:34:44.020 --> 00:34:50.020
they give too much attention, I like to say attention, or energy to negative voices.

00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:54.220
Not every criticism deserves emotional energy.

00:34:54.660 --> 00:34:58.840
Some voices exist only to distract builders from purpose.

00:34:59.340 --> 00:35:05.260
Nehemiah stayed focused, and that is wisdom. I remember, this reminded me of a story of myself.

00:35:05.420 --> 00:35:09.480
Of course, I got stories of myself before I get into the story of Sambalat.

00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:14.480
While I'm telling the story, go to Nehemiah chapter four. And I remember I was praying.

00:35:14.740 --> 00:35:17.620
I went to Bible school and I was praying in my holy language.

00:35:17.720 --> 00:35:19.540
And someone had the nerves to

00:35:19.540 --> 00:35:23.500
say, I don't like the way you sound when you pray in your holy language.

00:35:23.680 --> 00:35:29.760
As though I had something to do with how I sound, as though that person has the power to change it.

00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:33.560
And at that time I said, I am not praying to you.

00:35:33.720 --> 00:35:38.060
So you don't need to be listening to me. You know, what are you talking about.

00:35:38.280 --> 00:35:41.160
And that shut that noise down just that quick.

00:35:41.520 --> 00:35:46.360
That criticism, I'm called to go to Bible school. The first criticism that comes

00:35:46.360 --> 00:35:50.460
upon me is my prayer language. You see how that attack comes?

00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:53.200
And same way with Sambalat and Tobiah.

00:35:53.597 --> 00:35:58.037
They saw that, remember, you got to understand, they all live in Jerusalem.

00:35:58.037 --> 00:36:03.477
They all see that the wall needs to be rebuilt, but yet nobody is rebuilding

00:36:03.477 --> 00:36:07.417
the wall except Nehemiah and his crew.

00:36:07.837 --> 00:36:11.657
And guess what? That makes Sambalat and Tobiah look really bad.

00:36:11.897 --> 00:36:14.097
You know, they look really bad. Why?

00:36:14.477 --> 00:36:18.277
Because now they're calling them names. Whenever someone calls you a name,

00:36:18.277 --> 00:36:20.997
It's really a reflection on who they are.

00:36:21.237 --> 00:36:25.557
So right away in Nehemiah 4, verse 2, let me find it.

00:36:25.757 --> 00:36:32.557
Nehemiah 4, verse 2, the first thing they say is, what do these feeble Jews,

00:36:32.837 --> 00:36:34.917
they call them right away feeble.

00:36:35.137 --> 00:36:39.717
I'm going to read verse 2. And he spake before the brethren and army of Samaria

00:36:39.717 --> 00:36:45.197
and said, what do these feeble Jews, will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice?

00:36:45.597 --> 00:36:50.437
Will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heap

00:36:50.437 --> 00:36:52.257
of the rubbish which are burned?

00:36:52.637 --> 00:36:56.837
Now Tobiah and Ammonite was made was by him.

00:36:56.977 --> 00:37:03.717
And he said, even that which they build, if a fox go up, he should even break down the stone walls.

00:37:03.997 --> 00:37:08.397
So they're already in the process of building the walls.

00:37:08.577 --> 00:37:11.437
And the first thing they say is like, you guys can't do nothing.

00:37:11.577 --> 00:37:13.877
You're too feeble. They started mocking them.

00:37:14.117 --> 00:37:18.477
You got to read the whole chapter four. It tells the whole story how Sambalai

00:37:18.477 --> 00:37:21.957
and Tobiah kept being a distraction, kept being a disturbance.

00:37:22.237 --> 00:37:26.137
They were doing everything they can to stop Nehemiah from building this wall.

00:37:26.377 --> 00:37:32.037
And just an alert that I want to share with you, Nehemiah did not let them stop them.

00:37:32.237 --> 00:37:36.697
They finished the wall in 52 days in record time.

00:37:36.857 --> 00:37:41.857
But we see here that, are you talking too much? We see here that Sambalai and Tobiah,

00:37:42.299 --> 00:37:48.099
using what? Verbal suicide, mocking the children, mocking Nehemiah and his crew.

00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:53.259
They used sarcasm, they ridiculed them, they intimidated them, they discouraged them.

00:37:53.379 --> 00:37:58.139
Even they tried to distract Nehemiah from continuing what they needed to do.

00:37:58.319 --> 00:38:02.419
Why do they do that? Why do negative people talk too much?

00:38:02.599 --> 00:38:07.699
Because negative people often attack what threatens their comfort or control.

00:38:07.699 --> 00:38:09.759
Like I said, they all lived in Jerusalem.

00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:14.679
Why didn't Sambalot go and do it? But when someone starts to do something that

00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:19.119
you know God spoke to you to do it, you want to begin to be a mockery,

00:38:19.219 --> 00:38:21.319
be a troublemaker, cause discouragement.

00:38:21.699 --> 00:38:27.059
Mockery is frequently used to weaken confidence. Some people criticize creativity,

00:38:27.399 --> 00:38:31.719
leadership, healing, your vision, faith, and progress because they want others

00:38:31.719 --> 00:38:33.479
to feel weak emotionally.

00:38:34.360 --> 00:38:39.520
You know, you got a big dream in your mind. And I want to share this story.

00:38:39.940 --> 00:38:44.280
HOA president. I have this big old dream. I get here. I wasn't planning on being

00:38:44.280 --> 00:38:47.400
part of the HOA. I wanted to just pay my dues and call it a day.

00:38:47.600 --> 00:38:52.000
I ended up going to a meeting, becoming vice president, and shortly after that, being president.

00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:58.120
And my whole dream, way back when I started, was that we paid too much for people

00:38:58.120 --> 00:38:59.580
to do something that we can do.

00:38:59.580 --> 00:39:02.400
You know and so I'm like we can actually in my

00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:05.380
mind I said self-manage this place we don't

00:39:05.380 --> 00:39:08.480
have to deal with the headaches in my mind I said that but my

00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:11.260
team wasn't ready right just like Nehemiah had

00:39:11.260 --> 00:39:15.600
to get his team ready sometimes God will give us a vision and we might have

00:39:15.600 --> 00:39:19.600
a crew to work with us but they're not ready for the full story yet because

00:39:19.600 --> 00:39:25.620
if you tell them the full story they're gonna they're gonna wimp out or go share

00:39:25.620 --> 00:39:29.920
their share the secret with somebody else and then it's not going to work.

00:39:30.100 --> 00:39:36.240
And so my vision quietly was like, we got to be able to get rid of this lady. And how do we do that?

00:39:36.380 --> 00:39:40.900
And God gave me a plan, plan one, plan two, everything was falling into place.

00:39:40.900 --> 00:39:45.120
And she was seeing that it was all falling into place because usually with a

00:39:45.120 --> 00:39:47.160
management team, they come in with their whole crew.

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:51.960
Well, the contracts were expiring and I rewrote the contract for the things

00:39:51.960 --> 00:39:54.540
that we need. So guess who they're more honorable to?

00:39:54.780 --> 00:39:58.080
Not to her, to me. Why? Because I wrote the contracts.

00:39:58.340 --> 00:40:01.800
And so I slowly started pulling the rug from under her.

00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:04.920
And no one was paying any attention because I didn't do it all at once.

00:40:04.960 --> 00:40:08.120
I did it in little, when the contract expired.

00:40:08.520 --> 00:40:12.200
But every year I had to change one, change another one, right?

00:40:12.560 --> 00:40:18.700
And so, and throughout that whole time I'm doing this, the whole board was in disarray.

00:40:18.780 --> 00:40:21.880
They were fussing and crying about things that didn't really matter.

00:40:22.100 --> 00:40:26.300
And I said, I'm not going to let them get me off of my game because I got a plan.

00:40:26.852 --> 00:40:30.452
I didn't even talk to the board. I was busy doing this thing and I'll send an

00:40:30.452 --> 00:40:32.672
email for approval and they were approving it.

00:40:32.892 --> 00:40:36.672
Didn't really see the plan, right? Did not see the plan in progress.

00:40:37.012 --> 00:40:42.132
But through positive words and not being discouraged, it came to pass.

00:40:42.432 --> 00:40:47.572
So do not allow negative voices to cause you to be weakened spiritually,

00:40:48.112 --> 00:40:49.772
physically, or even emotionally.

00:40:50.032 --> 00:40:52.992
Do not allow those voices to drain your momentum.

00:40:53.332 --> 00:40:59.132
Put on your earplugs, turn on your music and praise music and praise while you do it.

00:40:59.292 --> 00:41:03.512
But a lot of times many people do stop because in our heart,

00:41:03.592 --> 00:41:08.812
we wanna be liked, but sometimes our heart, we wanna be liked. We're humans, right?

00:41:08.952 --> 00:41:12.252
But we have to understand that if God wants something done.

00:41:12.979 --> 00:41:17.779
Nehemiah was the right one to do it because Nehemiah had them pray on one side

00:41:17.779 --> 00:41:19.439
and then put their weapon on the other.

00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:22.599
If you need to fight, call, make blow a whistle. We'll come over there.

00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:27.819
We'll fight, but we're going to keep building this wall around the clock, right?

00:41:28.099 --> 00:41:31.979
So don't allow people to mock your dream, your business idea.

00:41:32.439 --> 00:41:37.359
Whatever ministry God has called you to do, whatever healing you might be in a process of healing.

00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:39.899
You might not have reached your total healing yet.

00:41:40.179 --> 00:41:43.799
Don't allow people to discourage you that God ain't working. God is working.

00:41:43.979 --> 00:41:48.439
Check your body. You are different from what you were yesterday, right?

00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:53.959
Even your personal growth because people always want to mock what they can't control.

00:41:54.219 --> 00:41:57.579
Understand that they can't control what God is doing in your life.

00:41:57.779 --> 00:42:01.139
They can't control how, what ministry he's going to give you.

00:42:01.319 --> 00:42:03.919
You know what? I have a podcast, two of them.

00:42:04.239 --> 00:42:08.199
People always ask, you got a lot of followers. I have enough followers for what

00:42:08.199 --> 00:42:09.419
I'm doing. I work full-time.

00:42:09.799 --> 00:42:13.379
When God starts to pull these followers up on me, that means I'm going to have

00:42:13.379 --> 00:42:17.559
to go live, turn on my camera, and I'm going to have to quit my day job.

00:42:17.699 --> 00:42:21.479
And so when God gets ready for me to quit my day job, those people who thought

00:42:21.479 --> 00:42:26.659
this little ministry that I'm doing in my bedroom with my microphone and my

00:42:26.659 --> 00:42:31.019
computer, that might be little, might be mockery, but it's my ministry.

00:42:31.139 --> 00:42:33.699
It's what God has given me for now, right?

00:42:33.879 --> 00:42:38.559
And so I cannot be moved? Because if I move, then I'm going to stop.

00:42:38.679 --> 00:42:44.139
I'm going to stop momentum and I can't. I went from ministering on this podcast.

00:42:44.695 --> 00:42:50.535
Maybe three times a week to four times a week. Now you get something every day of the week.

00:42:50.755 --> 00:42:56.015
God will cause you to increase more and more, you and your children,

00:42:56.275 --> 00:42:59.815
when you are obedient. I want to keep going here.

00:43:00.255 --> 00:43:04.875
Criticism, don't allow it to stop you. Criticism does not mean you are wrong.

00:43:05.315 --> 00:43:09.135
Sometimes people criticize because you are progressing.

00:43:09.375 --> 00:43:13.515
Maybe you're progressing way past what they thought you should be.

00:43:13.515 --> 00:43:16.155
Paul teaches us not to normalize complaining.

00:43:16.435 --> 00:43:21.075
Murmuring creates emotional heaviness. People who constantly complain often

00:43:21.075 --> 00:43:24.815
lose sight of their blessing, their opportunity, their growth.

00:43:24.995 --> 00:43:27.155
You know, you don't want to be that person.

00:43:27.535 --> 00:43:31.935
Remember, are you talking too much? Your words matter, right?

00:43:32.175 --> 00:43:36.035
The Bible tells you your words matter. It says in Numbers 14,

00:43:36.215 --> 00:43:40.235
28, As ye have spoken in my ears, so will I do it.

00:43:40.295 --> 00:43:45.495
How does he hear it? hear it by the word that you speak.

00:43:45.835 --> 00:43:51.235
Jude 1.6 says, these are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts.

00:43:51.235 --> 00:43:53.895
Do not be a murmurer and complaining.

00:43:54.115 --> 00:43:56.075
Do not complain against God.

00:43:56.495 --> 00:43:59.535
Your murmurs are not against us, but against God.

00:43:59.915 --> 00:44:04.455
Don't do that. And I want to go through some decrees here real quick,

00:44:04.475 --> 00:44:06.575
and we're going to wrap this up.

00:44:06.775 --> 00:44:10.395
I have more to say, but I'm going to limited decrees.

00:44:10.635 --> 00:44:15.895
How do we manage a negative culture? I want you to decree this with me so you

00:44:15.895 --> 00:44:19.075
don't get caught up in the Korah story or the Sambalot.

00:44:19.175 --> 00:44:23.415
The Sambalot, you have to read that, finish that story out, but they couldn't

00:44:23.415 --> 00:44:25.055
do anything to Nehemiah.

00:44:25.439 --> 00:44:28.719
Because once the wall was built, the story was done.

00:44:29.139 --> 00:44:34.319
And the Samuel and his team did everything they could to try to stop Nehemiah.

00:44:34.439 --> 00:44:39.259
But Nehemiah continued to do the work of the Lord, just like we have to.

00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:44.179
There's going to be negative Nancys out there, negative Bobs out there,

00:44:44.219 --> 00:44:47.839
but that should not stop what God has put on your heart. Okay?

00:44:48.299 --> 00:44:52.999
Decrees of encouragement. My words will strengthen, heal, encourage,

00:44:53.139 --> 00:44:56.999
and build instead of weaken and destroy. Decree against criticism.

00:44:57.319 --> 00:45:02.439
I will not become controlled by negativity, sarcasm, destructive criticism,

00:45:02.439 --> 00:45:05.999
or complaint culture. Decree over my atmosphere.

00:45:06.299 --> 00:45:10.079
My speech will create environments filled with peace, wisdom.

00:45:10.539 --> 00:45:12.839
Faith, gratitude, and encouragement.

00:45:13.219 --> 00:45:17.659
Decree over my vision. I will not allow negative voices to stop what God is

00:45:17.659 --> 00:45:19.979
building in my life. Decree of wisdom.

00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:25.959
I choose constructive communication over emotional negativity and destructive reaction.

00:45:26.299 --> 00:45:29.339
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, forgive me for every negative word,

00:45:29.699 --> 00:45:34.139
every destructive criticism, every complaint, every careless conversation that

00:45:34.139 --> 00:45:36.919
weakened others instead of strengthening them.

00:45:37.139 --> 00:45:42.739
Remove from me toxic speech, chronic negativity, sarcasm, bitterness,

00:45:43.019 --> 00:45:44.119
and unhealthy criticism.

00:45:44.499 --> 00:45:49.619
Teach me to speak words that build, restore, heal, encourage, and strengthen.

00:45:49.879 --> 00:45:53.479
Help me to recognize with negativity is affecting my perspective,

00:45:53.759 --> 00:45:55.459
relationships, and atmosphere.

00:45:55.739 --> 00:46:00.019
Guard my mouth from conversations that destroy momentum and weaken vision.

00:46:00.299 --> 00:46:04.139
Let my speech carry wisdom, grace, truth, and peace.

00:46:04.439 --> 00:46:08.819
Teach me to encourage others the way you encourage me. Where criticism once

00:46:08.819 --> 00:46:11.379
flowed from my mouth, let compassion grow.

00:46:11.619 --> 00:46:16.179
Where complaining once dominated my speech, let gratitude arise.

00:46:16.559 --> 00:46:21.559
Make my words a source of healing instead of heaviness. In Jesus' name,

00:46:21.819 --> 00:46:23.899
amen. Lord, I just thank you.

00:46:24.413 --> 00:46:28.913
That we are all alert on how our words affect our surroundings,

00:46:28.913 --> 00:46:35.373
that we will not be part of the Korah clan or the Samalai and Torah clan.

00:46:35.553 --> 00:46:40.293
The Lord God, that we are created and we're beautifully and wonderfully made.

00:46:40.473 --> 00:46:45.433
And so what you have for us is for us. And we will not be distracted by things

00:46:45.433 --> 00:46:48.453
that come our way. We'll just keep moving forward.

00:46:48.613 --> 00:46:55.133
And this is your host, Connie Morris. and thank you for joining the Diary of

00:46:55.133 --> 00:46:59.413
a Black Woman podcast and I'll see you on the next episode.

00:47:10.370 --> 00:47:13.510
Family, thank you for spending time with me today.

00:47:13.750 --> 00:47:17.510
To every woman listening who has ever felt hidden, overlooked,

00:47:17.550 --> 00:47:19.910
or pushed aside, hear me clearly.

00:47:20.210 --> 00:47:24.730
God has not forgotten you, and neither have I.

00:47:25.090 --> 00:47:29.970
Now let's go before the Lord and close this out with a word from God,

00:47:30.170 --> 00:47:34.710
because someone out there needs this reminder today.

00:47:35.030 --> 00:47:41.750
Jeremiah 29, 11, verses 11 through 14. For I know the plans I have for you,

00:47:41.910 --> 00:47:45.530
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

00:47:45.890 --> 00:47:48.190
plans to give you hope and a future.

00:47:48.510 --> 00:47:53.290
Then when you call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you,

00:47:53.550 --> 00:47:58.750
you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

00:47:58.890 --> 00:48:04.830
I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and bring you back from captivity.

00:48:05.270 --> 00:48:08.470
Father God, God, we thank you for your word, that it is true,

00:48:08.530 --> 00:48:11.210
that it is living, that it is for us.

00:48:11.390 --> 00:48:16.530
You said you know the plans you have for us, plans to prosper us and not to

00:48:16.530 --> 00:48:19.330
harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

00:48:19.530 --> 00:48:23.950
So today we receive that, not just in our minds, but in our hearts.

00:48:24.090 --> 00:48:25.390
When we feel overlooked.

00:48:25.944 --> 00:48:31.864
Remind us, you still see us. When we feel forgotten, remind us, you still have a plan.

00:48:32.044 --> 00:48:35.884
And when we feel hidden, remind us, you are still working.

00:48:36.304 --> 00:48:39.404
Your word says that when we call on you, you will listen.

00:48:39.564 --> 00:48:45.304
So we call on you now, hear us, strengthen us, guide us, help us to seek you

00:48:45.304 --> 00:48:49.624
with our whole heart, not halfway, not sometimes, but fully.

00:48:49.884 --> 00:48:56.404
And as we seek you, let us find you in every season, in every place, even the hidden one.

00:48:56.584 --> 00:49:02.344
Restore what was lost, renew what feels broken, and remind us that nothing in

00:49:02.344 --> 00:49:04.844
our lives is wasted in your hand.

00:49:05.044 --> 00:49:11.204
Lord, we trust you, we believe you, and we stand on your word. In Jesus' name, amen.

00:49:11.604 --> 00:49:15.744
This is Diary of a Black Woman podcast, and I'm your host, Connie Morris,

00:49:15.904 --> 00:49:18.804
and I'll see you on the next episode.