Power of the Tongue!

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that there are death and life in the power of the tongue. 

With our tongue, our spoken words, we speak death or life over something or someone.  Have you ever thought that just by saying something about someone that you may be bringing about that person's death.  For instance, to slander someone's name may seem a little thing but think for a minute what effect that may have on that person.  They may become depressed with worry over what you have said and depression often leads to suicide.  So if that same person were to commit suicide then ultimately you would have committed murder with your spoken word. 

In the same token, if you have something good to say about someone, it may uplift their spirit and make them feel happy.   Maybe they were depressed and feeling like their life was worthless, but with your spoken word you made them think differently and their life became better. 

Thus, there is death and life in the power of the tongue.  

The word of God teaches us in James chapter 3 that no man can tame the tongue, it is evil and full of deadly poison.  Now we know that the tongue itself is not evil, but it's what we say with the tongue that is evil and often deadly.  James taught the people that blessing God with our praises and then turning around and cursing our neighbor with the same tongue is not right in God's eyes.  He said in:  James 3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10  Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
God is not pleased with those who go to church on Sunday and praise him and then have nothing but mean hateful things to say to people outside of the church.  

We need to maintain control of our tongue!!  We need to think before we speak and learn that our words are like rocks.  Once you throw a rock, it can't be picked back up again and once you have spoken, those words can never be taken back.  Our tongue can defile our whole body.  It's full of iniquity and sin if we allow the flesh to control it, but it's also FULL OF LIFE if we bring it under subjection to the HOLY GHOST!  We hold the power of life and death in our tongue.  Words are one of the most powerful weapons of mankind and how we use that weapon determines who we are in Christ Jesus!

I challenge you today to begin speaking life over all situations.  Be kind to a stranger, smile at someone, be courteous, let the love of Jesus show in your every day life not just in the church.  The words you speak are truly life and death.  Speak life.  

Season of Migration

I once read that if you cage a migrating bird during migration season that it will struggle to get out of that cage. There is a calling of nature for the bird to migrate. If you wait until migration season has ended, then that same bird would not so readily leave the cage. The season of migration reminds me of God's Holy Spirit. He calls to the hearts of man to come to God! You have probably heard people say they came to salvation when they felt God's calling on their heart. Jesus taught us in John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. God's spirit strives with man and pulls at his heart to lead him to Christ. The definition of strive is: make great efforts to achieve or obtain something
So God's spirit makes a great effort to lead souls to Jesus.
but he also said way back in Genesis 6:3 that his spirit would not always strive with man. So when he has tried over and over again and man refuses to heed the call, then God will do as he said in Romans 1:28 and he will turn them over to a reprobate mind. Reprobate means: A person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. Friend, you are not a caged migrating bird that can't follow the calling upon your soul. You are a free spirit that can answer, here am I Lord when he speaks to your heart. If you sit back and don't listen when he calls your name, then one day, he will stop calling. Then you will be like the caged migrating bird, you will not feel the tug on your heart to run to God. God will still love you and you can still run to him, but your season of migration may come to an end. Isaiah 55:6 (KJV)
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Never stop giving!

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Philippians 2:3-4 KJV 

Paul gave us an example of just how we as Christians should be toward others. What does it mean to esteem someone better than yourself. It simply means to put that person's needs above your own. To treat others with respect and love, even as Christ did. Paul went on to say let this mind be in you that was in Christ. Jesus took time to stop and heal the sick, to talk to the needy and see to their needs, to preach the gospel to the lost. He saw their needs and he put their needs before his own. When Paul told us to look not on our own things, but every man on the things of others, he is telling us the importance of looking to the needs of others. We as Christians are to make it a practice in our lives to help others. God does not expect us to put ourselves in poverty in order to do this. It is his will that his children prosper and be in good health. 

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

But as we prosper, we are not supposed to set back and get richer and richer and keep our good fortune hid away. We are to see those in need in our neighborhoods and do what we can to help them. We are to live as Christ did, taking time to stop for that one you see asking for a handout, or that one holding up that sign saying will work for food. Many times we pass them by simply because we see it so often, but it is not God's will that we pass them by. We are to give and what they do with what we give is between them and God. God tells us to give and he will bless us even more so. Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 

Tithing is not just what you give to your church. It's the giving from your heart to those around you in need. Things have changed much over time and our churches today don't go out in each little neighborhood and see to the needs of the poor. We have let the government take over that responsibility, but God has not changed. Luke taught us to give and he assured us that when we give, God will give back to us. You can't out give God!

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Oil for your Lamp!

Have you ever just felt that you are drowning in darkness when the sun is shining brightly all around you?  Your soul is crying out for oil.  The soul needs the oil of the precious Holy Ghost to keep it burning bright.  Aaron had to keep the lamps burning in the tabernacle of God at all times.  They didn't just burn forever, he continually cared for them and added oil as needed to keep them burning brightly.  Our souls will give in to darkness unless we have the oil of Calvary flowing through us!!

The foolish virgins let their oil run dry.  They may have thought just any oil would suffice, but not every oil will keep your lamp burning it's brightest.  Though there be many kinds of oil from various sources, you must have that pure oil of the Holy Ghost or your lamp will go out.  You can't shine with pretended Grace, or natural goodness.  Ceremonies and going through the motions won't do it.  You must make that trip to Calvary and fill your lamp with the pure oil of Jesus Christ's holy spirit.  The oil of the Sweet Holy Ghost.  It's the oil of Grace, Love, Truth and Holiness and it's FREE for the taking.

Our churches today are letting their lamps run dry of oil.  We, the saints of God are not doing our part to keep the lamps burning.  The alters are empty and souls are not being added to the church daily as Christ intended because the saints are not keeping their own lamps burning.  We must fill our alters.  We must get back to the alter and fill our lamps with new oil daily.  It's a pressing way and we must continue praying and seeking after God and happily he will be found.  When we do this, we will begin to see souls saved, we will see our church pews filling up and we will see change.  Lost souls are seeking and searching for the light, but if the saints lights are dim, then the souls don't know where to go.  We must let our lights shine brightly and lead those souls to Jesus!!

God will not remember your sin!

^{Isaiah 43: 25} I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

Satan is out to Steal,  Kill and Destroy all those that will listen to his lies.  He will remind you of every little or big thing you have ever done in your life and tell you that God will not love you when you stand before him.  He will try to make you believe that God will turn you away, that you have just done too much.  Let me tell you that we serve a big God.  We serve a God of LOVE and FORGIVENESS.  We serve a God that loved us so much that he gave his only son to die for our sins!
As he spoke to Isaiah, so he speaks to every Christian that comes to him in humility asking for his forgiveness.  He doesn't forget our sins to help us to feel better, if that were the case he would take them from our memory. He forgets them for himself so that he doesn't have to see them.  He will remember our sins no more after we confess them and ask him to forgive us.

Sin is UGLY, it tears apart families, it destroys lives.  God hates sin so much that he does not want to  look upon it.  He sees the evil of man but he has given him freedom of choice and sin is a choice, therefore, God sees the sin, but turns away from it and allows man to make his mistakes in life.

^{Habakkuk 1:13} Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?


David said it best in Psalm 103 when he said that God will cast our sins as far as the east is from the west.  

^{Psalm 103: 10} He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

God is full of MERCY and GRACE.  There is no room for the ugliness of sin in his presence!  I urge you today to become more like him.  Jesus taught us that if we rebuke the devil he will flee.  When Satan tries to bring back memories of your past, rebuke him in the name of Jesus.  Remind him of his future.  Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, he just wants to take you with him if you allow it, but God loves you.  He said he will not remember your sins so any thoughts that you have done to much to stand before him forgiven are of Satan. 


^{James 4:7} Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submit yourself to God.  Begin to live daily in his presence by developing a prayer life where you spend time just the two of you in your prayer closet.  Read his word daily and bury it in your heart.  Go to church regularly.  There was a reason why he said fail not to assemble together.  When you gather with others of like faith, it builds your faith and strengthens you.  Remind yourself daily that you are a child of God.  Jesus loves you so much.  His death was not in vain, it was for you and me.  One day we will stand before him and hear him say well done, my good and faithful servant.  

Jesus or Hell, which will you choose?

Modern day pastors who call themselves men of God may stand in a pulpit and tell you that you don’t need Jesus Christ to escape going to hell. That rejecting JESUS WILL NOT SEND YOU TO HELL. These men who say such things are the spirit of anti-Christ and your blood will be upon their hands. Jesus told us that there is only one way to get to God, the Father. He also told us if we reject him, that his very words would judge us!! Let that sink in.

John 4:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Phillipians 2-9:11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Salvation is free, it’s a gift from Jesus Christ to the world.  A sacrifice had to be made and the blood had to be shed for the remission of sin.  The blood of bulls and goats was not getting the job done.  It had to be repeated year after year.  Jesus stepped out of his diety and into the body of a man to suffer and die for you and me.  His blood was shed for the world and without his blood being applied to your life, your sins will remain.  When I was a young Christian, I recall our pastor and many old saints, myself being one pleading the blood of Jesus.  As we prayed, we would plead the blood of Jesus over our children, our homes, our family and friends.  I don’t see that happening in churches today.  The church has become to much like the world.  We can’t become like the world and draw the world to Jesus.  We must be like Jesus to draw the world away from sin and into his arms.  We need to seek out the old path and walk therein.  

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Born for Adversity

Proverbs 17:17 says:  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

This scripture speaks volumes to my heart.  Why, because the bible teaches me that there is a friend that will stick closer to me than a brother.  In Hebrews 13:5 Paul reminded the children of God that Jesus said he would never leave them nor forsake them.  

Jesus himself said it best in Mathew 28:19 when he said:  lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Friends are wonderful and true friends indeed love you at all times, but a brother is born for adversity.  You see a brother is born to be there in the good times and in the bad.  A brother is one that will lift you up above the storm and hold onto you through it all as the winds rage and the rains fall.  If you have been born again, that makes you a brother of Jesus Christ.  In all the adversity in your life, he will be there, right beside you, lifting you up.  But you see there is more to it than just letting Jesus be your brother, you must now be his!  The bible teaches in Romans 8:17 that if we are children of God, then we are joint heirs with Christ!  We are his brothers and sisters.  We must also lift him up!  We must never forsake him nor deny him but must be ready at all time to tell others of his saving grace.  When trials and troubles come upon us, then we must lift up his name and trust in him as our brother and know that he will never leave us.  The definition of adversity is that you are in a state of misfortune, a state of serious or continued difficulty.  What a wonderful thing to know that when we were born again, that Jesus became our brother and brothers are born for adversity,  When those troubles come, he will be there and as long as we put our trust and faith in him, we will have a brother that will lift us up.  Saints of God, you were born for adversity.  You were born to never deny nor forsake his holy name.  Just as Jesus Christ said he would never leave nor forsake us, we are never to leave nor forsake him. We are brothers and sisters, born for adversity, born to stick together through good times and through bad times.  Born to weather to storms of life together!