Good morning friends and family. Glory be to God that we can meet again this morning, or in sister Liz's case in South Africa, evening. Praise Jesus. So glad you all can join in, and I pray that today's message is a blessing and that we all get an understanding of what God wants to teach us all. I want to continue today with the message we started a couple weeks ago titled "Are We Speaking God's Full Intention Over People and Things?" Speaking blessings is so important and we don't hear much about it in most congregations, and that's sad. Again friends, this is not about bashing churches, but looking at what scripture says. Amen? In many of my posts, many of my comments seem to be church bashing. That's not the intent, and I think for the most part sharing the scriptures in love is showing those who really are hungry for God what the truth really is. I want to know the truth of what is in His Word, and I pray you do, too. Amen? I want to know God's heart. I want His full intention to manifest in my life and I want to speak the same into everyone else's life also and then watch it come to pass. Glory be to God! Is that your desire today and throughout your life? Friends, please turn to Luke 6:26. What we need to really understand is this: A Christian who is not affected by the sins of their own tongue but takes care to avoid them, has an undoubted sign of true grace. The wisdom and grace of God which enables one to control the tongue will enable him also to control all other actions. Friends, do we understand this? It sounds real easy, doesn't it? Well, how many times in the past couple weeks have you called someone an idiot, or a dummy, or something along that line, or worse? Yet, we are learning to speak this over them: "I declare over you that God’s full intention that He has for your life would come into fullness." It takes time and I am learning as we go, too. Praise the Lord. Luke 6:26-29 KJV Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. (27) But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, (28) Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (29) And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Friends, these are not my words, but from that of our Master. Church, the blessings of Jesus are promises to us suffering believers who live by the words of His gospel. It is we who may endure hardships for His sake, in hope of the glory of heaven which will abundantly countervail all hardships. Woe to those who rest upon a false foundation, trusting in the riches of this world and holding Christ and His people in contempt. Amen? Let me ask you this. Jesus, as a human being, in perfect will to the Father walked in constant communion with Him through prayer. Amen? In those days when His enemies were filled with madness against Him, He gave much time to prayer. We all know this. Yes? If He, the Son of God, needed to pray, how much more business should we have at the throne of grace? I have mentioned often that praying is something that Jesus told us to do. He taught us how to pray and even Apostle Paul, another man of great faith, shared that he prayed often for churches and the leaders. How much time do you spend in prayer? The house of prayer.... how much time is spent in prayer in most churches? It is one of the least participated in functions. It's our way of communicating with God our creator, and people don't take much time to spend with Him. This seems very sad to me. We have read in James 3 about the little thing that wags under our nose many times. Actually, let's go there. James 3 and verse 2. I am going to read it from the KJV and then from the good news translation. Listen carefully to these words. I'm going to give you a test at the end. No, just kidding. James 3:2-8 KJV For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. (3) Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. (4) Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. (5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! (6) And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. (7) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: (8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:2-8 GNB All of us often make mistakes. But if a person never makes a mistake in what he says, he is perfect and is also able to control his whole being. (3) We put a bit into the mouth of a horse to make it obey us, and we are able to make it go where we want. (4) Or think of a ship: big as it is and driven by such strong winds, it can be steered by a very small rudder, and it goes wherever the pilot wants it to go. (5) So it is with the tongue: small as it is, it can boast about great things. Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! (6) And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. (7) We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures---wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. (8) But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. Think about things you have said to someone else. Maybe a quick word of praise that you said recently to a family member, class mate, co-worker or a close friend and it made their whole day. Now think of just the opposite. Something you said to someone intentionally, or maybe unintentionally that may have been taken in a hateful way. Do you remember how hurt they were? Were these things said about this person God's will for the intentions of their life? Now think about both sides of the coin, but said to you. Both good things and the bad. How did you feel about both the positive and the negative? Quite a contrast? So why should we speak blessings over those who hurt us? Our natural way of speaking to things that we don't like, or when we feel threatened, backed into a corner if you will, is to throw out insults, or to shift the blame onto someone else. This reminds me of the original husband and wife. Anyone know where I am going with this? Because of Adam's and Eve's fall, our first thoughts of speaking blessings isn't natural. We were separated from God. Adam's response when asked what happened was, "The woman You gave me caused me to do it." What was Eve's response? "The serpent made me do it". Both lies..... both cursed someone. I want you to really think about this, both ladies and men. For you ladies, and this is not pick on women week....have you ever said, "I am overweight. I'm getting old looking. Everything on my body is heading south. I wish I was smarter. I wish my husband was smarter and had a better job." Guys, what about you? "If I was smarter, I would have a better job. Man, I wish I wasn't so dumb. I wish I was more athletic, or better looking." Am I touching on anything, ladies and gentlemen? How does God see you? What about some of the things that we struggle with on a daily basis? Do we consider talking to God in prayer about these things? I have heard many say, "God doesn't want to hear about my worries." I think the opposite. Our bodies, my friends, are very important to God. He created them and He bought them with a price. Our shells are the Holy temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. 1Co 3:16-17 KJV Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? (17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1Co 6:15-20 KJV Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. (16) What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. (17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. From these 2 passages, it tells me Christ has purchased the ones that have called on Jesus to be Lord and Savior. Jesus bought our body, soul and spirit by His own blood. Should we not be careful what we do with another's property? Let our bodies be kept as His whose they are and fit for His use and residence. Amen? Eph 2:19-22 KJV Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Friends, this is talking about our bodies. Do we not get this? So what should we be speaking about ourselves? Dumb, idiots sloppy, fat and so on> I think not. We should be speaking blessings over ourselves. We should be speaking God's full intention into our lives and others. If all Christians got this message and started speaking blessings over themselves and those around them, I think there would be much less negative people. Amen? 1Pe 2:1-5 KJV Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (4) To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. So I ask you my friends. We learned some about finding out what the will is for each of our lives last week. Anyone remember? How did that message lead into today's message? By being in His Word. The Word of God is the proper and necessary food for the soul, which, if rightly used, does not leave a man as it finds him. What were we like before we came to the saving grace of Jesus? When we started reading our Bibles and listening to sound doctrine it should improve our thoughts, our emotions, our speach and actions. It should cause us to realize our spiritual position in the world. We should know what our Christian duty of being patient and Christlike It should cause us to not to be like the world and speak like the world. Amen. Praise Jesus. Patience has been a difficult thing for me to overcome, but with God all things are possible and I am much better. Praise the Lord. I know we have looked at many scriptures and that is good. I have always said, I would rather you all learn from the Word of God than from me. I have many more verses that I want us to look at about things that we might say to or about ourselves and then we will close.
I didn't get as far as I thought we would, but there were many scriptures we looked at today, and I pray that you think and digest it throughout the week. I hope this has been a blessing to you that joined us here and online and for those who may be reading this another time online.
Prayer. Communion.
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