I felt led to share this revised lesson of the power of our tongue. For some of you, you may remember part of this lesson, but I think it is important that we be reminded from God’s perspective on this, because He knows all and He know us, being our Creator. So first, do we all agree that the Bible is true? Every word of it is true? We all agree that the entire Bible was inspired from God? Let’s pray. Again this week, we are going to be searching throughout the Bible for God’s truth, so if you are taking notes, please have your paper and pen handy. I want to look at Proverbs 18:21. This verse I hear used often, but I wonder if most heed the meaning. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. What a powerful verse. We can speak death unto someone. We can speak death unto ourselves. You may say, “Brother Jim, how can I do that?” My friend, many do it on a daily basis. Example: My head aches so bad I want to die. Hmmm!!! I hurt so bad, it’s just killing me. Really? Friends, is this what you really want? The enemy has been having a field day with our words and we need to change what we say. It may take time, and for families it might mean having other family members helping to remind us when we slip. It is important for all of us to guard our tongues. Mark your place here, but turn to Genesis 1:1-3. We are going to go quickly through some verses here in Genesis, and you all know this, but I want to point something out. Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. : 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. Getting a picture here? God spoke, and it was. :9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. : 14-15 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. Notice that everything He spoke was. I know some of us have heard these verses over and over, but we need to get them deep in our hearts. Amen? Gen 1:20-22 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. What an Awesome God we serve. Amen? Genesis 1:26-29 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (and look what we have done to it) (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. I don’t want to dwell on this today, but I do want you to notice something. God said, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish”. Someone jog my memory. What does replenish mean? We may hit on this during a Bible study. My point on this is God spoke and it was. Verse 26: He created us in His image and likeness. We, my friends, can speak to things and they will obey us, if we have the faith. Let’s go to Matthew 15:18-19. Jesus speaking here. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Let’s see what else the Bible says about our hearts. Next let’s go to Jeremiah 17:9. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? So my friends, if our hearts are not right, we should not say a thing. You know when we get frustrated, or angry, we are apt to say things that we shouldn’t, or don’t mean. Has anyone been there? I know a husband and wife that did that a couple days ago. Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. Psalms 57:4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. One thing that really bothers me, and I am sure you have heard it - parents who speak ill words over their children like, “You won’t amount to nothing. Why are you so stupid? You are so dumb”. This doesn’t just hurt at the time it is being spoken, it can leave a scar on that child’s life forever. It also can be spoken into existence. A wife or husband when in a rage of anger toward one another say things that can never be taken back. Never!! Ephesians 4:29 KJV. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Okay, so we are to say good things to one another. What kind of words should we speak? Proverbs 16:24 KJV. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Here is what Jesus said at the mount: Matthew 12:36-37 KJV. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. The amplified version says this: 36 But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every[a]idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. 37For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced. Are we seeing the dangers of speaking negatives towards others or ourselves? What stirred me up to discuss what we speak was we had a sermon playing one night this week and I heard a few scriptures that kept going through my mind. You know how a song comes on and you can’t get it out of your head? Sometimes it stays for days. Well, I woke up and there were parts of scriptures that I woke up with very early in the morning. So when I came downstairs I looked them up on E-sword. They didn’t seem to go with anything that I was going through, but I figured that someone needed to hear them. These are powerful and very important scriptures that I want us to listen to and repeat. Psalms 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Ephesians 6:10 KJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Later that morning I got a letter from a woman, that I knows battles from depression and she was tired of stuff and said she felt like ending everything like a friend of hers did a few months back. See how God works. HalleluYAH!!! I replied to her and gave her the scriptures and told her to pin them up all over her house as a reminder and to speak them out. You see, I believe that the Bible is true. I believe there is much power in God’s Word and when we speak scriptures out we are speaking God’s words. Hebrews 4:12 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Proverbs 4:20-23 ASV My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings. (21) Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart. (22) For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh. (23) Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life. My friends, when we get into the Bible and meditate on these Words we get our Spirit filled. Let’s all say this verse together. Psalms 18:32 KJV It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. Again!!! GNB He is the God who makes me strong, who makes my pathway safe. Let’s say it again. He makes me strong. Do we hear our friends saying this? This is where we need to start changing what we speak. Pastors Mark and Alice, when they first started the church here, taught us that when someone asks how you are, don’t start in with “Well you know, I’m tired and I’m broke and I…. No, say, “I am blessed”. When you are a child of God, you are blessed. Speak it out. Leanna and I always say we are blessed when someone asks how we are, even when we don’t feel it. We are blessed, and if you want to go even further, say you are blessed and highly favored. Let’s say it again. I am strong in the Lord. He fills me with strength. Remember, there is life and death in the power of the tongue. He makes my path safe. Glory to God!!!! Psalms 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Let’s say it again. Let the weak say I am strong!! You are not saying your words, you are saying God’s Words. Do we believe there is power in these words? Psalms 19:14 KJV Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Say this, My God makes me strong!!! Satan wants you to say you are weak. He, little “h” wants you to speak ill of yourself. The Lord is the strength of my life. Again. I am strong. God is the strength of my mind, my body, my emotions. The Lord is the strength of my life. Friends, we need to get this and put our faith in this. Psalms 29:11 KJV The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace. Let’s go to Psalms 71. I love this book. So many verses we can use, but let’s look at Psalms 71:16 KJV. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Say it with me, I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD. Glory to God. Remember, this is what we are told in the Bible. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD. Remember this when the enemy comes and says you are too tired to go to church, or to go to work, or whatever. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD. Remember Lindsey was down in the dumps last week and had sent us a letter saying she wouldn’t be joining us, but she pushed through the deception the enemy was trying to bring on to her. Friends, that is the place where we all need to be. I have been bombarded with issues this week and I could have said, “God, I am too tired and frustrated to write a sermon up for this week”. My mind has been so busy and others have been needing a piece of me that I NEVER TOOK THE TIME LISTEN TO THAT STILL SMALL VOICE. Notice I said I didn’t take the time. I had the time, but I didn’t take the time. Psalms 84:7 KJV They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. They go from strength to strength. I’m going from strength to strength. Friends, we have looked at many verses today on what we should be saying when we feel like giving up. When we feel we can’t get something done. When we get discouraged. Philippians 4:13 KJV I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Brothers and sisters, we went through many scriptures, yet I would highly suggest copying them down and posting them in places where you will see them often. When you see them, keep speaking them out. Not just once or twice, but over and over. Friends, this is what the enemy tries to do with and about the Word of God. I am going to read scripture and give you an outline and urge you to write them down and then when the enemy attacks you, or should I say comes into your garden subtly, you will know he (little h) there…..you will know how to combat those attacks by the Word of God. Amen? Psalms 119:57-64 KJV CHETH(or the eith part). Thou art my portion, O LORD: I have said that I would keep thy words. (58) I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word. (59) I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. (60) I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. (61) The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. (62) At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. (63) I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. (64) The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy: teach me thy statutes. Ephesians 6:17 KJV And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Hebrews 4:12-13 KJV For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (13) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. So I ask you friends, is it that important the things we say? So much more could have been looked at in the Bible about our words. The book of James discusses many more things about our words and we have looked at them before, but well worth us all to look on our own. In closing let’s turn to Matthew. Matthew 7:7-8 KJV Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: (8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Let’s remember to speak good things. Let us remember to speak words that were inspired from God over situations. Let us not talk down other people. It is easier to not say anything if we remember that we are going to be held accountable for the things we say. Let’s pray. Communion.
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