Renewing the mind - wrong speaking.

Transcription

1 ~Other Speakers S-Z: Victory Over Sin: Matt. 12:34-37 "O generation of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it for life or for death." The word power in Hebrew is "Yad-yawd". It means we have the open hand of God in our tongue (meaning when we speak in agreement with His Word we cause the hand of God to perform what we say. (He is performing His own Words that we speak) The word power in the Webster's dictionary means - a possession of control, authority, or influence over others, an ability to act or produce an effect, permissive authority. (God has given us permission to Speak His Word and to expect Him to perform). Do you realize that each of us has a remarkable power right under our nose? It is a power so great that it is capable of producing life or death depending on how it's used. The Bible tells us that our words are so powerful that they can bless or curse, encourage or discourage, hurt or heal, tear down or build up. Our words can even influence the way we act and feel as well as determine our attitude and outlook on life. That's right, this powerful weapon is the tongue and its ammunition is the words we speak. Your tongue has creative power! Here is what the Bible says about speaking. Mark 11:22-24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." You must believe that you receive what you ask for WHEN you pray. By faith you receive it the second you pray. You must believe BEFORE you actually see it or truly experience it. You must believe first then you will see. Jesus told Martha in John 11:40 "Did I not say unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?". It does not take any faith to believe something that you can see. You must walk by faith not by sight. It is when you are weak that you are to believe and speak that you are strong. Joel 3:10b "let the weak say, I am strong." Matt. 17:20 "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." You see Jesus did not instruct us to talk about the mountain but rather talk to the mountain. Faith will move mountains when and only when it is released with the words of your mouth. Matt. 21:19-21 "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done." Romans 10:8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto Page 1/15

2 righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Heb. 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the (spoken) word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Romans 4:17 "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead, and calls (speaks) those things which be not as though they were." 2 Cor. 4:13 "We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak." Matt. 8:8 "The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." Acts 4:29b "Grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word." 1 Peter 4:11 "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Cor. 2:12-13 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1John 4:5-6 "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." Whatever you and I receive from God, we receive it by confession. Our confessions (words we speak every day) determine all that we will ever receive from God, whether it's salvation, healing, peace, or prosperity. Avoid speaking words of doubt, fear and unbelief. Remember, Life and Death are in the power of the tongue. Your tongue is a tool, instrument to glorify God and not a toy to play with words and not realize the power that is in your tongue. Our Heavenly Father has given us such a powerful weapon (our tongue). Let's use it His way. (Confession: horologer - To speak the same thing that God is saying). In Genesis chapter one God said let there be (the Words He spoke had creative power) and it was. Let's continue to use our tongues (equipped with God's Word) to pray, praise and prophecy. You need to purpose in your heart to study God's Word. You need to pray His Word, prophecy His Word and praise Him constantly and consistently. The Word of God is alive and when spoken it is loaded with the ability to produce what is said. As we continue to speak the Word only, Our Heavenly Father's goes to work, He watches over His Word to perform it. His Word shall not return unto Him void. God has given us the ability to use our tongues to bring about His will. Let's purpose in our hearts to not settle for less than God's best, You must CONSTANTLY AND CONSISTENTLY SPEAK THE WORD. The power of the Spirit is in the power of the tongue. Things can't happen until they are first spoken. (Remember the creation). You have not because you ask not (James 4:2). The Spirit desires to control our tongue. With the use of this instrument He wields a sword against Satan (Eph. 6:17). His battle, depends on the tongue. His strategy, involves the tongues of free moral agents. His plan will never be set in motion without someone's tongue. He is helpless without the use of our tongue. He needs someone to speak through, or else must remain silent. He grieves to take part in our lives (James 4:5), but can't until He obtains control of our tongues. When the Spirit of God has control of our tongue things happen like saying "Peace be still" and a storm subsides, or "stretch forth thy hand" and it does, or "be gone" and devils are cast out. The flesh must first be subdued and mortified through prayer and fasting in order for these type manifestations to take place in our lives. We must crucify our flesh including our tongues which has death or life in it's power. There is more power in the tongue than most people realize whether for the good or bad. You reap what you sow. Sow death, reap death (presently). Sow life, reap life (presently). The very elements can be controlled by your tongue. "Just speak the word and people will be made whole." Do Page 2/15

3 it! Don't doubt it! You hold the keys of the kingdom (Matt.16:19). You and you only have the power to lock Satan away behind bars. You alone have the power to unlock God's blessings in your life. You can say to this mountain be uprooted and go into the sea and it will obey you. Satan also is opting for the use of your power. He too wants to control your words. For without the use of your tongue he is helpless and bound. Who will you place the handcuffs on today? The Holy Spirit or Satan? We must deny ourselves, crucifying our self will which desires to be accepted as logical and smart or intelligent. God has chosen the despised things and the things which are not to bring to nought things that are (1Cor.1:27,28). Sound foolish? It ought to. Because God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. What is more foolish than speaking in tongues? God will never ask you to walk a path you can see, He's not going to ask you to walk when you can put your foot on solid ground that you already saw. If you can feel it, touch it, see it, then you have it, and there is nothing to hope for. Hope is not hope if it's seen (Rom. 8:24,25). Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). And the more ridiculous the path the greater the hope, the greater the faith, the greater the trust, thus the greater the reward. God wants control, but so does the flesh, so does Satan. Your tongue holds the power of the universe. The force that created everything and the force that holds all things together is contained in your tongue. With your tongue you create life or death (Proverbs18:21). God's thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways, His ways (Isa. 55:8,9). You need to realize God's ability. Out of your own mouth will He judge you, He will require every word you ever spoke whether it was intentional or unintentional. Your very words are eternal! Your words will last forever, that's the power of them. Once you speak them they will always exist. Perhaps you've never considered this kind of emphasis on the words you speak from your mouth. For if you did you would chose them more carefully. James 1:26 "If a person thinks that he is religious but can't control his tongue, he is decieved and fooling himself. That person's religion is worthless. " The most religious of men can look holy and worship God, but it all may be in vain just because he does not bridle his tongue. Can any man bridle his own tongue? Is man able to hold his peace and conceal the matter in his own heart without speaking it? No he cannot! The tongue can no man tame (James 3:8). Only God has this power to tame man's unruly tongue, but it's only available to those that ask (Psalms. 141:3). Proverbs 6:2 "You art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth." Just think, that your own words can trap and bring you captive. Not some evil outward enemy, no, your worst enemy dwells within. Sounds like you need all the practice and spiritual exercise you can get in this area. What power do you think enabled David to kill a bear and a lion with his bare hands? What power do you think enabled Samson to kill his lion? How did David the shepherd boy slay the giant? By the power of the Holy Ghost, the same power God is trying to place within you. Don't you desire to be endued with His power? God's power will enable you to witness like no one else. You have giants, bears and lions that will devour your sheep and hold your army at bay, unless you slay them. Now the Spirit has provided the sword. All you have to do is pick it up and use it by simply speaking the Word. God has a vast array of spiritual fruits, gifts, blessings, etc., etc. just waiting to be poured out on His people. The way to bring the spiritual realm into the fleshly (natural) arena is to speak in the Spirit. James 3:8-9: "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude (image) of God." Yes, the Bible says that nobody can tame the tongue; however, with the help of the Holy Spirit, you and I can be saved from the destructive power of our own words. We can purposely order our conversation and speak carefully chosen words of God that will not only produce victory in our own life but in the lives of others as well. John 11:43-44 "And when He thus had spoken, He (Jesus) cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." Page 3/15

4 We can see just how powerful our words can be. It is our privilege and responsibility as Christians to speak forth positive life-giving words in a world immersed in negativity. After all Proverbs 12:25 says that "Heaviness in the heart of man makes it stoop: but a good word makes it glad." and "pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones" (Proverbs 16:24). Prophets of Our Own Lives The words of our mouth have control over our lives, whether we like it or not, or whether we believe it or not. What comes out of our mouth will determine our future. As a rudder controls the direction of a ship, your tongue controls the direction of your life. God made man to be a steward not only over the earth but over his own mouth as well. We are our own prophets. What we say today impacts our tomorrow. You and I are where we are right now as a result of the words we spoke yesterday and the day before that and so on. That is simply the way God created us. And, like God, our words carry power. Actually, within the realm over which God gave us authority, the words we speak day after day carry the same degree of force behind them as the words God Himself speaks - even the same force as the Word that came out of God's mouth when He created the universe. Jesus said in Luke 21:33: "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Yes, God's Word and the words we speak "shall not return void" (Isaiah 55:11). When reading the Gospels, you will notice that everything surrounding Jesus' entire life (His birth, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection) was a direct fulfillment of what God's prophets had spoken. God had set everything in place for the birth of Jesus. Yet, had it not been for a few men speaking under the anointing of God, it never would have happened. Matt. 1:22 "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying..." Then in Matt. 2:15 and 2:23 we see the same thing written: "that which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet". You see, just as God Himself spoke the world into existence, we as believers in Christ Jesus speak forth our future. You must take up the Sword of the Spirit. To possess healing, or anything from God, we must first lay hold of the Word as ours. We lay hold of the Word by receiving it by faith, and then confessing it. That's the process that got us saved, and it's the process that will enable us to receive the blessings God has promised us in His Word. The Bible tells us in Eph. 6:17 to arm ourselves with "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." We must take up the sword of the Spirit and use it as a base on which we operate our minds. As we go through life, we will have several decisions to make. We must rely on God's Word when making these decisions. Jesus said to his disciples: "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63b). God's Word is a compass that will guide us in making right decisions. His Word is "a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path." (Psalms 119:105) God's Word is victory, so believe the Word, pray the Word, meditate on the Word, and speak the Word. You must confess the Word. The Bible encourages us in Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold fast the profession (confession) of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised." You see our confession is our profession. Just as a doctor would be termed a professional in his field, we as Christians should strive to be professional believers. A Christian's faith in the Word of God should be his very livelihood. In Hebrews 3:1, we are instructed to "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." God appointed, anointed, and then sent Jesus to be High Priest over our confessions (words of faith). He is responsible for bringing our words to pass. However, it is our responsibility to speak forth the Word of God and claim the promises God has spoken to us in His Word. You see positional all things are ours, but we must bring them into manifestation by confessing them in the physical world. Once we speak forth faith-filled words, the Bible tells us in I Cor. 1:4-5 that Jesus will then enrich them with His anointing. You must watch your thoughts In order to control your mouth, you must first control your thoughts. Right and wrong thinking is the basis for controlling your words. It's the simplest principle, yet it's the most difficult area in your life to discipline. No Page 4/15

5 wonder the enemy tries to bombard our minds with evil thoughts of doubt, fear, and discouragement. He wants to prevent you from receiving all that God has for us. The Bible tells us in II Corinthians 10:5 that we are to "Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" The Bible speaks of thoughts, imaginations, and strongholds. The thought coming into one's mind is the initial data or original idea. After the thought arrives, one must decide what to do with it. If the person continues to dwell on the thought, it turns into an imagination or image. And if this person imagines too long, the imagination turns into a stronghold and starts controlling his life. Where do thoughts come from you might ask. Well, thoughts can come from one of three places: from your five senses, from the devil, or from the Holy Spirit. The devil and your five senses operate through your mind while God operates through your spirit. Romans 8:7 says that the natural mind alone cannot know God, for God speaks to you through your spirit and your spirit speaks to your mind. Whether or not your mind can utilize these thoughts is dependent upon whether or not one's mind is renewed by the Word of God. We as Christians face a constant power struggle. While we have the Word of God coming into our hearts, the devil is putting thoughts into our minds against the knowledge of God. It is our job to cast down this wrong thinking. Perhaps you've cast them down so many times that you feel your caster's worn out. Well, the good news is that you don't have to keep wrestling with these bad thoughts, but instead replace them with good thoughts. You can reprogram your mind with the Word of God, then anything that comes against the Word of God will be cast down. John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The words of God contain the very LIFE of God! They contain his love, his faith, his righteousness, and his holiness. His word is given to you that you may be a partaker of his life. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7: "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." This is a spiritual principle which can never be broken; it always works, much like the law of sowing and reaping. God has a great plan for your life; He tell us in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Even though God's plan for you is good, you must believe it to receive it and then confess it. We must be careful not to thwart these plans by what we think. If you allow the devil to occupy your mind with his thoughts for you, then he is able to build up a stronghold against the good plan that God has for you. Thoughts are the seeds planted in the garden of the mind. We need to be good stewards and sow good thoughts in order to reap the full harvest of what God intends for us to have according to His Word. What should we be thinking about you might ask? Well the Bible tell us in Phil. 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." You can't just pick one word out of this verse such as "whatsoever things are true" and not walk in line with the rest of the verse. We need to take all of it. Our thoughts should meet all of the godly attributes listed in this verse. Many Christians will become victorious in life when they change their thinking or their thought life. Some Christians are praying and waiting for God to change what they think about, but it's up to them to change their own thinking by reading and digesting the Word of God and avoiding harmful worldly influences. Remember, we can't stop the enemy from bringing thoughts to our mind, but we can control what we dwell on. We need to choose to think God's thoughts. As Christians, we are to be thinking on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtous, and praiseworthy. You must not let frustration, fear, or anger rule your heart, but rather let "the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:7). Your mind is like a computer. It knows nothing except what it has been fed. And, just like a computer, your mind can be affected by bad data or viruses. You need to get your mind thinking scripturally. You have to be very selective as thoughts continue to bombard your mind. Your mind will accept or reject thoughts according Page 5/15

6 to what it knows about the Word of God. For when you read the Word of God, your mind will become transformed and renewed "that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2). You need to pay attention to every word and phrase that comes out of your mouth because each word will affect your future. Your future (good or bad ) is in you, right now. It's in your mouth and it's determined by the words you speak. Man was created in the likeness of God and given the right to choose his own words, speak them, and thereby declare his eternal destiny. Even God's mighty Word or the words of a prophet can have little or no effect over our lives until we put His Word in our mouths and speak them in faith. You must watch your mouth. If you think about it, believing God and His Word is not nearly as hard as disciplining our tongues to speak in line with the Word. We must guard the words we speak. The Bible tells us in Col. 4:6: "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." Eph. 4:29-30 "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. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:" What comes out of our mouths is the result of what we have put in our hearts. Proverbs 16:23 "The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips." Proverbs 18:20 "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled." Proverbs 21:23 "Whoso keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles." The more Word we put inside us, the more Word will come out of our mouths and the more life will flow through our bodies. All God asks is that we believe and say what He has already said so we can prosper and be in health. After all, Proverbs 14:30 says that "a sound heart is the life of the flesh." Matt. 12:34-37 "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by the words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." When is the heart good or bad? Well, a good heart must be a combination of a regenerated Spirit, a renewed mind, and a living sacrificed body. The words proceeding from us should be directed in a way that they will agree with God's Word at all times. As we get our complete heart obeying God's directions, we will produce God directed words. Many people go from day to day hoping nothing bad will happen to them to them that they can't handle. Then, when the problem arises (because of what they've been saying and thinking), they try to change things in a few moments of prayer and tears, not realizing that over a period of years, their words actually caused what happened. You see, meditating continually on the lies of the devil builds doubt and unbelief in your spirit until it overflows in abundance into your mouth. Then it is released in words of fear and takes action. In the Bible we read that David while shepherding sheep had built himself up by singing words of the Holy Spirit to himself. The Bible tells us in Col. 3:16 to: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." That is why when he faced a giant (or as in our case, a crisis), he knew that the Word hid in his heart granted him victory. He knew deep within his spirit that he was more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). He didn't have to have a quick boost, because he was fueled up already, for he "studied to show himself approved unto God. (II Tim. 2:15). He took the Word of God" and deposited it in his heart just like one would deposit money in the bank, and he was able to make withdrawals on it when needed. We as Christians must determine in our hearts to confess the Word of God over any and every situation, regardless of what the situation looks like. But we must not speak negative or against God's Word because Page 6/15

7 what you say is what you get. Let Your Words Be Few Jesus kept his mouth shut to bring pass the plan of God for his crucifixion. Acts 8:32 says: "Like a lamb, dumb (silent) before His shearers, He opened not His mouth." At the arrest of Jesus the soldiers asked if it was He that they should take, Jesus answered, "I AM." At the pronouncement of that name, the soldiers fell backwards under the power of the spoken name (John 18:5-6). At the trial Jesus could not even speak his name because it would have freed Him. That is why He remained silent. 1 Pet. 2:23 "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously." Ecclesiastes 5:2 to "let our words be few." Proverbs 13:3 says: "He that keeps his mouth keeps his life: but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction." James 1:19 to "let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" Proverbs 17:28 says that: "Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." Proverbs 10:19 says: "In the multitude of words there lacks no sin: but he that refrains his lips is wise." It is sometimes difficult to say the right things when you feel totally wrong. When you are extremely emotional for better or worse it's easy to say just what you are feeling. But it is important to allow wisdom to rise above emotions. Losing your temper and venting your frustrations through angry words can lead to bitter grief and torment and can even ruin relationships. You would be wise to use self-control and discipline your mouth. If we ask God for help, He will remind us how we should talk by prompting us to use our mouths for His purposes. Proverbs15:4 "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit." Eph. 4:29 "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. Eph. 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Proverbs16:24 "Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. Want healthy bones? Use pleasant words. " Proverbs13:3 "He that keeps his mouth keeps his life: but he that opens wide his lips shall have destruction." Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Matt. 12:36 "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." 1st Chr. 16:9 "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk you of all His wondrous works." Proverbs 24:28 "Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; and deceive not with thy lips." 1st Tim. 6:20-21 "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen." Titus 3:9 "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain." Job 27:3-4 "All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit." Page 7/15

8 Job 2:10 "But he said unto her, Thou speaks as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips." 1st Pet. 3:10 "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:" 1st Pet. 1:15 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation." Proverbs 18:7-8 "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly." James 3:6 "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." James 3:10-11 "Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" James 1:26 "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain." Psalms 17:4 "Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." Proverbs 12:18-19 "There is that speaks like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment." Psalms 141:3 "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Proverbs 20:15 "There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel." Psalms 50:23 "Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God." Psalm 34:1 "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." The Word of faith that we preach is that Jesus Christ has died for the sins of ALL humanity. In doing so, He opened the "door" for us ALL to be restored to the kind of relationship with our Divine God, that was intended for us to have from the beginning of creation. God's intention in creation was to have someone to love and fellowship with, someone to bless, someone to live and dwell, walk and talk with. Through faith in Christ, we have ALL been restored to this kind of personal relationship with God. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a covenant relationship. A Love relationship. A relationship that promises to bless us, protect us, heal us, and prosper us. God has PROMISED to bless ALL who will believe on Him. When we accept Christ, we immediately step into this covenant relationship. He accepts us right where we are. Our faith can begin to work immediately Jesus said in John 10:10 "I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly". Webster's Dictionary defines "abundant" as meaning: 1)present in great quantity, more than adequate; 2)well supplied, abounding; 3) richly supplied, plentiful. So Jesus didn't just come to save us from the wages of sin, but He came to teach us how the Kingdom of God works, so that we can begin to operate in it, and enjoy all of the benefits that God has prepared for those who will then DO what He said to do. As you study out the scriptures, you find it repeated over and over again how to have an abundant life. First, you make a decision in your heart to believe God, to take God at His Word. Then, you begin to speak or confess God's Word regarding your circumstance. The Bible takes the power of positive living, thinking, and speaking to a whole new level! Page 8/15

9 Name it and claim it? For ages, theologians, Bible scholars, and saints have argued and debated about the actual power of our confessions. Does the Bible really mean what it says? Will a person really "eat the fruit of his/her mouth"? That IS what it says, but it seems too good to be true! Many Believers, however, have resisted the ridicule and just decided to do what The Word says to do regardless! Whether people want to believe or not, or like it or not, many famous pastors & authors have had prosperous lives, great miracles, and fruitful ministries by preaching the Word of Faith. 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 "It is written, 'I believed; Therefore I have spoken.' With that same Spirit of faith we also believe and also speak." What do we speak? Here's the catch. It's not just about talking positively, or saying positive affirmations like many positive thinking philosophies teach. It's about speaking (confessing) the words that God has already spoken in His Word. Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the evil person their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon." Isaiah 55:8-11 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, SO IS MY WORD THAT GOES OUT FROM MY MOUTH: IT WILL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, BUT WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT I DESIRE AND ACHIEVE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH I SENT IT." God is clearly teaching us that His Word is powerful to make things happen, and He released His faith to make something happen WITH HIS SPOKEN WORDS! He spoke and it came to pass. In Genesis chapter 1, God said, "Light be" and it was. Words have power. Power to create or to destroy. God's creative power that made everything that exists was released by His spoken Word. Then God created human beings in His image or likeness, endowing us with the same life creating powers that God has, and told us to take dominion or authority over everything in creation. We are supposed to be imitating our Creator, like a child imitates a parent. We're suppose to be lovingly using our mouths to create life, not death! Surely you can understand the power of words. Kind compliments and tender words, can comfort and uplift people. At the same time, negative, harsh, cutting words can destroy relationships, nations, a person's self-esteem, etc.! This is a fundamental, universal "Truth" that is taught in the scriptures, but too often we scoff at it's validity, and in our own arrogance, don't do what God instructed us to do. Therefore, we make messes of our lives, and often blame God or someone else for our problems. Too many Believers ignore this reality, and end up simply thinking that they have no choice. ITS NOW TIME TO WAKE UP! WE CAN CHANGE OUR LIVES SIMPLY BY CHANGING OUR MINDS AND OUR MOUTHS! What should we speak? God's Word, the Holy Scriptures as found in the Bible. We must begin to see that the scriptures are a covenant, a contract, a bond, an everlasting agreement that lifts humanity into a higher place right alongside of the Divine One, our Creator. It's about grace and mercy, loving parental kindness, and Divine Provision which was made for us when Jesus died on the cross for all our sins, and His resurrection guarantees it for ALL who will believe. (John 3:16, 17 and John 10:10) According to Phil. 4:4-9, we should be thinking and meditating on "good, lovely, virtuous things", not worrying and fretting about life and it's circumstances. We must put our faith in something, and God says for us to trust His Word. God is not a man that He should lie, so we can take Him at His Word. Then we should release our faith in that Word by speaking to the circumstances in our lives. Our confession opens a spiritual "door" that allows God's power to move in on our lives. Jesus said it this way: Mark 11:23-24 NIV "Have faith in God constantly, I tell you the truth, if anyone SAYS to this mountain (or problem), 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and DOES NOT DOUBT in their heart but believes what they SAY will Page 9/15

10 happen, it WILL be done! Therefore, I tell you whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." As we begin to turn our hearts, thoughts, attitudes, and WORDS towards the positiveness of God, God supernaturally begins to turn our lives towards blessings, health, and success. There is more to it than just speaking words. Other Spiritual principles are involved here as well, such as the importance of forgiveness, receiving it and GIVING IT! And especially the MOST important principle of all, that it is imperative that we fellowship with God through prayer, praise and worship, and that we "know" Him in a real and personal way. These are all like building blocks. One block is built upon another. You can't put on a roof until there are walls, and you can't build walls until there is a firm foundation. It's all part of becoming a whole and complete human being. God is our Source for everything, and He said in His Word that His Divine Power has already given us everything that we need pertaining to life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him and His Way of doing things! It is through His "great and precious Promises" that we become partakers in the Divine nature! II Peter 1:3-5. Eph. 3:20-21 "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen!" Here are some more scriptures that confirm the teaching of the power of the mouth and tonuge. Psalms 107:2 "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy." Rev. 12:11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Deut. 30:14 "No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it." Job 22:28 "You shall decree a thing and it shall be established, and the light will shine upon your way." Proverbs 10:11 "The mouth (or words!) of a righteous person is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked." Proverbs 12:6,14,18 "The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood, but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them; A person shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of their own mouth; There are some that speak like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is health." Proverbs 13:3 "A person who watches what they say will preserve their life, but a person who speaks carelessly will have destruction." Proverbs 14:3 "A fool's talk brings a rod to their back, but the lips of the wise protect them." Proverbs 15:4 "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Proverbs 16:23-24 "A wise person's heart guides their mouth, and their lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 18:20-21 "A person's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of their mouth, and with the increase of their lips they shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit of it." Romans 10:8-11 "But what does it say? 'The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' That is, the Word of Faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus Is Lord", and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says,"anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." James 3:2 "For in many things we offend, but if we offend not in words, we are perfect." God's Word has a lot to say about our words, how to use them for life, and their effects on the quality of our Page 10/15

11 lives. Jesus Christ has opened The Way for all to come into this Kingdom Of God knowledge. Through Him we have the Gift of eternal life, AND abundant life, both NOW and FOREVER! The words that we speak, are they life or death? Do they give us hope or discouragement? Since we are held responsible for every word we speak, I think we had better listen very carefully to what we are saying, not just to our brethren, but also to ourselves. Notice what Jesus said: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37). Let us look at the words, justified and condemned a little more closely. By being Justified -- we are being freed from all blame, we are without guilt and we are shown or proven to be right. Condemned means -- to be pronounced unfit for use, guilty. By our own words we can be free from blame and without guilt, or we can pronounce ourselves guilty and unfit for the use of God. If it is the Word of God -- it is Life, it is freedom. If it is ourselves speaking -- it is death, and words of death will destroy, kill everyone that hears us; and not only they who hear us, but ourselves as well. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." So what do we love -- Life or death? What are we eating, and what are we 'living' on? Is it Life or Death? It is one or the other. Let us quote Proverbs 18:21 again, it says that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." And in 18:20, "A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled." Is our belly satisfied and filled with life, which is Christ, and live; or are we filled with the manna of death, which is an enemy, and die? All evil comes forth from the heart and proceeds out of the mouth. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9). "...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34). "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matt. 15:18-19). We need the circumcision that is of the heart, by the spirit (Rom 2:29), then the evil that comes out of our hearts will cease. "And I will give them one new heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh" (Ezek. 11:19). Let us take a moment to see what the heart expresses through the tongue. "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire of hell, for every kind of beast, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" (James 3:6-11). Has anyone ever said something negative to you, and you just wilted and felt like you had died inside, or perhaps they said some beautiful words to you, then you just blossomed like a flower. This is the way of the tongue. Let us, therefore, tend to life with our tongue, which may seem to be an impossible task; but be assured with God all things are possible (Mark 9:23). We will and shall be able to tame the tongue and only speak living words of life and reality. In Proverbs 26:20 we also find these words: "Where no wood is, there the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases." When our wood, hay and stubble is consumed, the carnal fire has gone out, but the eternal flame of God will burn for ever. Praise God Hallelujah! We can see there is a negative (dark) side, but there is always a positive (light) side as well. What is important to us is that which is positive, that which gives us life eternal, and we know our life comes from God the Father through Christ Jesus, Who is the savior of all man. It is good to know the dark side of things, so we can stand against the wiles of evil, but it is so much better to live and have our being in the positive (the side of light and life). Proverbs 10:20 says, "The tongue of the just is as choice silver", (silver speaks of redemption & righteousness),( see also Proverbs 25:4-5 and Psalms 12:6). "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Proverbs 15:4), and we know that Jesus Christ is the Tree of Life -- ever living (Rev. 2:7). "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life" (Prov.10 :11), and John 4:14 tells us that He (Jesus) is the water for the thirsty. Jesus also said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink" (John 7:37). "In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found..." (Proverbs 10:13), "...and with wisdom the house is built" Page 11/15

12 (Proverbs 24:3-4). "The lips of the righteous feed many" (Proverbs 10-21), and Jesus said, "Feed My sheep" (John 21:15-17). To have all the words of life we must be circumcised in the heart and put on the mind of Christ, also communicate, and have an intimate relationship with Him, with Christ the living Spirit which dwells in us. And He is in us, don't we know? "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Rom. 10:8). You see He is so close, in our mouths and in our hearts -- so why don't we speak words of Life and Live? Because our hearts first need to be circumcised and we need to have His mind. "Be you transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 2:12). "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). We know a double mind can mean death or life. And "For to be carnally (fleshly) minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6). As long as we are thinking or speaking negatively of anything or anybody, we do not have His mind, nor are our hearts circumcised. We die each time we utter ill words, they cause us to abide in death. To walk in His life, we must have His fullness and His mind. There cannot be any negative thoughts or words spoken, because they will result in death. As long as we possess carnal minds, we have death, we are dying, and we will go to the grave. Jesus tells us in John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do: for what things soever He does, these also does the Son likewise." He also said in John 14:24, "...The word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's which sent Me." Can you see what Jesus is saying to us? We have to hear the Father and speak what we hear. Let me make this very plain. We can know the Bible from one end to the other, have it all memorized in these heads of ours, and we can tell the world all about it, till we are blue in the face; but without the Spirit, and if God did not tell us to speak -- it is death! Jesus, in John 6:63, said, "It is the Spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life." Do you see it? The flesh profits nothing -- the carnal mind, the written word. Second Corinthians.3:6 says, "...The letter kills, but the spirit gives life." So let us not speak the scriptures for the sake of being heard; but let it be the Spirit that quickens -- makes alive. So when the Spirit moves through us, let us speak like it says in 1 Corinthians 2:4-7, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory." And now, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..." (Phil. 2:5). Then the words that we speak are Spirit and Life. They glorify God, not ourselves! Amen. We spend so much of our lives talking and speaking. Most of the time, however, we just say whatever come up out of our soul -- whatever comes up comes out. This is so dangerous because if we don't watch our words then they will harm us. Our words are so powerful. The answer to so many of your problems is right below your nose. It's time to learn to use your words in a Godly mannor. For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. If we set bits in the horses; mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about. Likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of mans nature), being itself ignited by hell. Proverbs 13:3 "He who guards his mouth keeps his life, but he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." 1 Peter 3:10 "For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good - whether apparent of not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit). " 2 Samuel 19:7 "Watch your Words Arise, and go out and speak kindly and encouragingly; for I swear by the Lord that if you do not go, not a man will remain with you." Page 12/15