It’s the 007 episode and it is fire! Pam chats about one of the most dangerous things we say to each other in the body. Join in the discussion as Pam takes a look at speaking things over people’s lives. 

Let’s start with why these statements are dangerous to the body. 

1. In using these statements, You are accepting a role as God’s spokesperson. the old testament is filled with the introduction of prophets, and their roles in directing God’s people to turn towards God and away from sin & disobedience. The role of prophets continues in the New Testament, with Christ himself being a prophet. The NT also introduces us to the gift of prophecy in the body. This is an important gifting in the body. It also comes with instructions. According to Paul in 1 Cor. 14:26-40 all prophecy should be evaluated by the church. Such words should follow under apostolic authority as well. What is apostolic authority? The written words and instructions from God through the apostles. 
2. These statements are often laced in prosperity language. Such as God has more, words such as breakthrough, season. Truthfully, such phrases don’t have a biblical leg to stand on. 
3. Sometimes, The “spoken words” are without scripture references or scripture that has been taken out of context. 
4. We often feel the need to express our opinions about others lives, and do so under the guise of “God told me”. This is an inaccurate representation of God’s voice and the work of the HOly Spirit in gifts of prophecy and discernment.
5. These statements have the tendency to be received with authority and expectation. there’s an expectation that what has been spoken will definitely come to pass.  But what happens when it doesn’t? What happens when the statements are so broad they leave the receiver questioning life with no answers. These statements also elicit authority. Many find it difficult to combat or disagree with a statement that began with God said. 
6. Years ago I was in a online bible study led by a well known evangelist. He said that in 30+ years of ministry for every word from God that someone spoke over him, there were 10 more spoken words that were false. Meaning they never happened or didn’t line up with scripture.

Here’s a few ways that we can change the dialogue and lead people to the Word of God. 

1. Instead of speaking random things over people’s lives, give them God’s word. Remember this word is alive and active. God’s word is life. There’s nothing greater to speak over someone than God’s word. An example of this would be, “I have thought a lot about you lately and this scripture reminds me of you.” or “I read this scripture and thought it might be life-giving for you.” 
2. Offer to pray for someone that you discern may need it. This is not an opportunity to be nosey or gather unnecessary information about someone, but genuinely speak life over them through prayer. 
3. Understand that God speaks first and foremost through his written word. Examples of God’s audible voice in the Word were intended for a multitude of people regardless if he spoke to one or many in the moment. If we are indeed hearing from God, we should accept that incredible conversation with the utmost fearing and trembling. 
4. His word is not only alive and active but All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. His scripture is what brings people to Him, redeems and transforms people. 
5. Understand that the spoken word of God or scripture is infallible and holy. Outside of the context of scripture, you and I are capable of messing up all the time. We need to be careful with the words that we speak. 
6. Continuously acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in you and your role in the body of Christ. GIve thanks to God for illumination of his word to you that you may be life-giving to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 
7. Test what you have been given.

Transcription

Pam Bailey [Intro]: Welcome to the Soul Sister podcast with Pam Bailey. Grab a cup of coffee, sister and let sit and chat about all of the things that lead us to a Christ centered life, full of purpose and joy.

Hi sisters, it’s Pam welcome to today’s podcast, we are going to go deep today, and I am super excited about that. This is a conversation that has been on my heart for a long time, years. And so now I’m going to share that, with you ladies and hopefully, we can engage in some deep and intimate conversations about it. So let’s get started. I gave this podcast quite the dramatic title. And so if you clicked on it because you’re just wondering what sort of drama this entails well then, here you go, today’s podcast is titled, “One of the most dangerous things that we say to each other in the body”. 

And I want to look at a series of phrases that I often hear in the body of Christ, that I think has the potential to be very dangerous to each other. These phrases are often commonly heard in charismatic and Pentecostal circles, and I spent a great number of my years following Christ in such circles. So these are not foreign to me I have a good deal of personal experience in being said, these phrases. So let’s jump right in. 

What are these phrases that I’m talking about, they would be something to the extent of God gave me a word for you? I feel like God is telling me to tell you, and then we fill in the blank. God wants you to know. Fill in the blank. Okay, so if you have heard some sort of variety of these phrases or you yourself have used these phrases. I want to talk to you about why I feel like they can be dangerous to each other in the body. 

Number one, in using these statements, you are accepting a role as God’s spokesperson. The Old Testament is filled with the introduction of prophets in their roles in directing God’s people to turn towards God and away from sin and disobedience, we see the continuation of prophets in the New Testament. In fact, even Jesus himself was a prophet. Also in the New Testament with the New Testament Church. We then have the introduction of a gift called the gift of prophecy. So all throughout the Bible, we are not without prophets or prophecy which is God’s chosen people speaking for everyone else. Okay, so someone that God called as a prophet or gave the gift of prophecy, speaking on behalf of God, we are not without that. So I don’t want you to think at all in this podcast that I’m implying that this, position in the Old Testament and New Testament or this gifting, that’s introduced to the New Testament Church is not at all active, because I do believe that it is. 

However, in First Corinthians 14, 26 through 40 Paul gives us instructions about this gift of prophecy. So there are a few things that need to be noted with it. Number one, that it should always be evaluated by the church. So if someone is going to speak in a prophetic moment to you or to the whole body, the local body that they’re at, what they are speaking needs to be evaluated by that body. It also needs to follow under epistemic authority. So you may be asking people what in the world is epistemic authority. And it honestly is exactly what it sounds like it’s the authority that was granted to the apostles that wrote the inspired Word of God. In other words, this thing that you’ve heard this prophecy this gift of prophecy moment that was spoken over you is that you indeed spoke needs to always line up and follow under the written word of God.

Number two, these statements are often laced in prosperity language. Sisters, i’ll be honest, a lot of times when we say, or we’ve had someone say to us, God gave me a word for you. God wants me to say this to you. It is often laced with other words such as God has more for you. This is your breakthrough. It’s your season. And truthfully, such phrases don’t even have a biblical leg to stand on. I want you to be aware. Number three sometimes the spoken words that are spoken over us, lack scripture and Scripture references. More often than not, we see that scripture has been taken out of context. Once again, this is something that we need to be aware of. Number four, we often feel the need to express our opinions about other’s lives, and we do so under the guise of, quote-unquote, God told me. This is an accurate representation of God’s voice, and the work of the Holy Spirit, with the gifts of prophecy, and the gift of discernment. Hear me, ladies, that is an accurate representation of God’s voice, which is his spoken word. His word, His Bible, the Scripture, and the work of the Holy Spirit in the gifts of prophecy and discernment. 

Number five, these statements have the tendency to be received with authority and expectation. So what does that look like, well for the receiver, because this statement started with God told me, God wants you to know, God said to me, it introduces an authority in those statements that we have a hard time saying, I don’t agree with, because who’s going to disagree with someone who just said God told them. They also expect that what will be spoken is going to come to pass, because you just said, God said it, but what happens when it doesn’t. What happens when the statements are so broad that they leave the receiver questioning life, and there are no answers. Many find it difficult to combat or disagree with such statements, because of the authority and expectation, that is received when such things are said.

Number Six years ago I was in an online Bible study that was led by well-known evangelists, and I will never forget this story that he shared because it struck me at that moment, and it just plagues my memory. Honestly, about once every three to four months, it comes back up to me again. But this well-known evangelist said that in 30 plus years of ministry for every word from God that someone spoke over him. 10 More spoken words were false. And they were false because they never ever happened, or they didn’t line up with scripture. So, like he’s given us a fraction here. I just finished my school year, and I did a lot of fractions for fifth and sixth grade, but he’s given us a fraction here, a ratio of one to 10.

Out of everyone’s spoken word. That was representative of God’s scripture, there were 10 More spoken words over him. That one didn’t line up with scripture or two never came to pass, that is disturbing on so many levels. Sisters, we have to be careful that we are speaking life over others, that our words are life-giving, we must separate that our feelings and opinions of someone’s lie do not equate to a word of God. When we engage in this type of talk over people, we run the risk of speaking things over them that aren’t accurate, and a misrepresentation of the work of the Holy Spirit, in each of us. The Holy Spirit is constantly working in each of us in his body. We also run the risk of sending people into chaos and confusion with all the things that could lead to dangerous words spoken over each other, how can we fix this, here’s a few things that can change the dialogue and lead people to the Word of God. Remember sisters, that is our goal with each other in the body, consistently leading each other, to the Word of God. 

Number one, instead of speaking random things over people’s lives, give them God’s word, his spoken word, what you now refer to as scripture or the Bible. Remember that God’s word is alive and active. And ladies for every single podcast that I have produced at this point, I consistently refer to Hebrews 4:12 I told her friend this past weekend that I think it has officially become an anthem, God will not let me step away from this scripture, everything that I have talked about in the past year has been reflective of Hebrews 4:12 God’s word is alive and active. God’s word is life. Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus is the Word, God’s word is life. There’s nothing greater to speak over someone than God’s word. So how do you change the dialogue here? An example of this would be, I have thought a lot about you lately, And this scripture reminds me of you. And then you give them a scripture, or I read this scripture and thought it might be life-giving for you, and once again you reveal that scripture. We must be careful to not take Scripture out of context and so if we are only quoting one line of Scripture, over people. We need to go back into the context of that scripture and determine and evaluate what was the purpose of said scripture, and how is it supposed to be used. 

Number two, in changing our dialogue. Offer to pray for someone that you may discern needs it. Now, this is not an opportunity for you to be nosy, or gather unnecessary information about someone, but genuinely speak life over them through prayer, and I cannot even begin to describe the intimacy that exists when the body prays together. God knows, he created that, and he desires for us to communicate that way to him. 

Number three, understand that God speaks first and foremost through His written Word. Examples of God’s audible voice in the word were intended for a multitude of people, Regardless, if he spoke to one or many at the moment, so go back and think of all the examples that you can think of God’s speaking to people, he spoke to Abraham, and it would be establishing his nation. He spoke to Moses, and it would be so that he could pull his people out of the oppression that existed for them in Egypt like we can go through example after example of when God spoke to someone audibly, whether it was of the thunder in the cloud, or passing by, or them actually hearing his audible voice in the burning bush, whatever that moment may have been. Whether it’s one person or a handful of people that he spoke to that message was generally intended for all. If we are indeed hearing from God, we should accept that incredible conversation between us and the father should be sealed with the utmost fear and trembling from us. 

Number four. His word is not only alive and active, but all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. His scripture is what brings people to him it redeems and transforms people. That is how the Holy Spirit operates. All of that pulls together ladies Second Timothy 3 15 through 17. The word of God transforms people, not us. 

Number five, understand that these spoken words of God our Scripture are infallible and holy, and outside of the context of scripture you and I are capable of messing up constantly. I can’t even fully record a podcast without saying some of these bullet points like three times because they just don’t come out correctly when I open my mouth. And so if you and I can consistently mess up in a conversation all day long and fumble over our words and the Cat’s got our tongue and all these different things that happen in conversation, do not be fooled into believing that you could never do that. As you’re speaking for God. God’s word is infallible and holy. You and I are not. And so if we can consistently make mistakes all day long in our conversation, we can most certainly do that when we’re speaking on behalf of God. And that goes back to we need to understand the fear and trembling, that should exist when we are engaging as God’s speaker. 

Number six, continuously acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit in you and your role in the body of Christ, give thanks to God that He illuminates his Word in you, that it may be life-giving, for you and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We have so many people that want to speak on behalf of God, but they yet they never want to be in God’s word, and it doesn’t exist that way. You and I should be spending more time in God’s word than we ever are opening our mouth and saying here’s what God said. 

Number seven, test, what you have been given. And so, sisters, if you feel that you are supposed to speak on behalf of God, you need to test that word, with the Scripture. If you have received a word that someone said was from God. You need to test that, with scripture. So with everything that I have said today, and I know I squeezed so much into today’s conversation. Here’s what I do want you to know. I don’t want to be so rigid in scripture that I totally miss what God can do in the future, or even in the here and now. This podcast is not denying God and his great power. It is simply asking each of us to be careful and how we approach one another in the body, with love and gentleness. And sisters here’s the kicker. Such meekness seeks to bring glory to God and His written Word. It is His Word that will transform each of us, not by our own doing, and not by anything that we can say it’s God.

Please send me messages about this topic, if you have them, I would love to discuss them, I would love to go even deeper into this. I just want each of us as we are building up the body and we are speaking God’s life-giving scripture that we remain focused on the work that God is doing in each of us, and not the work that we think we are doing.

Sisters, thank you for listening and following along, you are incredible, and I love you each. I am praying this week that you will hear God through His scripture, as you spend time in His Word. Until next time sisters keep worshiping and finding joy in every moment.