The Word to Wisdom

Are Your Words Important?

Question: Are the words that we say really that important? 
Answer:  Yes, a resounding yes! 

Proverbs 18:21  (NKJV)
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 17:28  (NASB)
Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;
When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent (or perceptive).

Two examples:

Example 1.
A priest named Zacharias, and his wife Elizabeth, the parents to John the baptist.

Luke 1: 5-20  (NKJV)
5.  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
• 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.
8. So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9. according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.
• 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
• 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
• 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
•  18. And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”   (Big mistake!)
• 19. And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, (warrior of God, archangel) who stands in the presence of God, (lit. besides God),  and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.
• 20. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

Elizabeth's words:
24. Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25. “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”


Note:  Malachi 4: 5-6 is about John the baptist
5.  “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. 6. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

Example 2
Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Her experience and her words.  

Remember Mary was a very young woman - between 15-16 years old. But she was spiritually mature based on her amazing response to God’s promise and word to her.     

Luke 1: 34-38
34.  Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (A question with out the doubt, and the angel answered her question.) 
35.  And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.  36.  Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her 

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Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

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Delight in His Word

The Word of God is like a seed.
To learn more about God's Word be like a seed, click the links below to listen to part one and part two of our series called The Kingdom of God is like.... 

The Kingdom of God is like... Part One
The Kingdom of God is like... Part Two

This is one of the most important series we have done here on The Sower's Seeds Podcast.



Verses to have on hand while listening:

Psalm 1  (NKJV)
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

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Your hosts, 
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Take 3 with John - Episode 3

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

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A Still Small Voice

Scriptures to have on hand while listening:

Psalms 46:10. AMP
Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Be still in other versions:
NASB: “Cease striving.” 
Literal:  Relax You. 

Note about toil:
"I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one." (toil). John 17:15

The words "evil one" are translated from a Greek word that means toil.  Satan always wants to bring people into toil.  But God wants to bring us into His rest and stillness.  "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Still Small Voice

Note: 1 Kings 19: 11-14
Here Elijah ran from Jezebel (King Ahab’s wife) in fear of his life, and went traveled 40 days to Horeb (the mountain of God) and hid in a cave. And this is where God spoke to him.  God was gracious to him, and had an angel feed him for this long trip.  And then He spoke to Elijah on the mountain where he was hiding.  

1 Kings 19:12. KJV
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

1 Kings 19:12. NASB
After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

1 Kings 19:12. AMP
and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

1 Kings 19:12. NLT
And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.

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We'll see you on the next episode.  

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Your hosts, 
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Beauty for Ashes Part 2

Scriptures for this episode:  Joel 2: 25-26,  Isaiah 61: 1-3,

Joel 2: 25-26 (KJV)
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten,
the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm,
my great army which I sent among you.
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
that hath dealt wondrously with you:
and my people shall never be ashamed.


Isaiah 61:3 (KJV)
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Read Defeating Your Goliath by Lisa Strazza 
to learn more about living victoriously in Christ.  

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Your hosts, 
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Take 3 with John

Luke 23:39-43

Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 

Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”


Thank you for listening, and please evangelize by sharing this and other episodes that you have enjoyed from The Sower's Seeds Podcast.  

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Your hosts, 
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Beauty for Ashes

Scriptures for this episode: Isaiah 61: 1-3,  Luke 4:14-22

Isaiah 61:3 (KJV)
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3 (NASB)
To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

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Your hosts, 
John and Lisa Strazza 

Take 3 with John - 3 minute episode.

These are our 3 minute midweek podcast episodes intended to encourage you in-between our regular weekly program, The Sower's Seeds.

This is about the foundational message of what Jesus did for us.
 
We're looking at an important verse, Isaiah 53: 4-5. 

4. Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5. But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

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Your hosts, 
John and Lisa Strazza 

Soundness of Mind & Body Part II

We encourage you to listen to both Part I and Part II of this short series.  Enjoy!

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,  (Peace peace)
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

The word Peace in this verse is from the Hebrew word:
shalom;   completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.

Read all of Mark 5!

Jesus heals man at tomb in Gadarenes with unclean spirit.

Mark 5:15  (NASB)
They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened.

The word Mind here is from the Greek word:
sōphroneō;  to be of sound mind, i.e. sane,  be in right mind, be sober (minded), soberly.

sōphroneō  comes from the word :
sōphrōn;  safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled — discreet, sober, temperate.

sōphrōn; comes from the word :
sōzō;  to save, i.e. deliver or protect — heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole.
Heal, Healed, Save, Salvation, Whole, Deliver, Protect, Make Whole, Preserve, Do well,

These words are all about soundness of mind and body. 

NOTE: 
The vast difference of just an hour with Jesus will completely transform your life.  
This man was once just a little boy, with mom and dad, brothers, sisters, family, friends… hopes and dreams… to work and marry etc.  God never intended him to be this way.  He had a plan for good for him, and brought him back to it.   Praise God for His love. 

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Your hosts, 
John and Lisa Strazza