Don’t Allow what you See to change what you Say! (top of page)

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth!”  Our journey takes us to Daniel 3 this morning.  There is a lot to cover in this chapter so I will attempt to summarize it.  King Nebuchadnezzar ordered a 90ft. high (and wide) gold statue to be built near Babylon.  He commanded everyone in his kingdom to come to the dedication of the statue.  An official announced that music would soon start playing and that when the music played everyone was to bow down and worship the statue.  Anyone who refused would be thrown into a flaming furnace.  So the music played and almost all the people bowed down.  Some Babylonians, who were jealous of the favor the Lord had given some Jewish boys, took this opportunity to point out that three Jews (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego), who were appointed to high positions by king, refused to bow down and worship the statue.  King Nebuchadnezzar was furious!  He sent for the three young men and said, “I hear that you refuse to worship my gods and the gold statue I have set up.  Now I am going to give you one more chance.  If you bow down and worship the statue when you hear the music, everything will be all right.  But if you don’t, you will at once be thrown into a flaming furnace.  No god can save you from me.”  See, the devil will always give you more chances to do wrong.  The enemy wants to see if you are going to change your mind just because there is some pressure.  God is also watching and He wants to know if your faith is strong enough to endure the attacks of the enemy.

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King Nebuchadnezzar sent them a message with his words.  He said, “No god can save you from me.”  It was now their turn to send a message back with their words.  What do you think they said?  Do you think they buckled under the pressure or did they remain strong in faith?  They did the latter and replied, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to defend ourselves.  The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace.  But even if he doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.”  This battle was not waged with swords, machine guns, or artillery; it was waged with words; words of fear vs. words of faith.  Guess what?  The words of faith will always win.  But the story is not over.  The devil was still not finished.  He wanted to give them one more chance to buckle to the pressure.  The king was so mad by now that he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual. Next, he commanded some of his strongest soldiers to tie up the three boys and to throw them into the furnace.  The strong soldiers tied up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego proceeded to throw them into the fiery furnace (that was seven times hotter than normal).  What’s the point?  The enemy will always turn up the heat to get you to change your confession.  He will turn up the heat to attempt to get you to change your mind.  He will turn up the heat to get you to doubt God.

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The fire was so strong that the flames leaped out and killed the strong soldiers that were taking them to it.  Now imagine that for a moment?  These guys are tied up, close to the fire, and looking down at the remains of the soldiers that were supposed to take them in the fire.  They could have turned around and bowed down to the king right there; but if they had, they would have allowed fear to win in their lives. They remained in faith, they went into the fire, and God blessed them to come out of the fire without even smelling like smoke! Glory to God!  Why!  Because they refused to change their confession. They refused to doubt their God.  They refused to give up on their faith when the heat was turned up in their lives.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that your words can either release faith or fear and the enemy will turn up the heat on you every time you speak faith.  His hope is that the heat will make you buckle under the pressure.  Your God is bigger than the heat!  Don’t allow what you see to change what you say!

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Confession for this day:  Lord God.  I speak words of faith and not fear.  I overcome doubt and unbelief.  I will not allow what I see to change what I say.  I will not allow a little pressure from the enemy to make me change my words.  I will not allow the heat to make me accept defeat.  I remain in faith and I overcome every attack by faith.  Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

Speaking Faith Only (top of page)

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth!”  Our journey takes us to Mark 5 this morning.  We catch up with Jesus in the middle of a long and busy day.  He started out in Mark 4 teaching parables, He went on to calm a storm (with His words), He cast a legion of demons out a man (with His words), and we pick Him up as He is getting off of a boat at the cost of Galilee.  A great crowd waited for Jesus as He got off of the boat.  Suddenly a man seemed to emerge from the crowd.  You could tell that this was a man of prominence and stature in the community.  We come to find out that his name is Jairus; he is a ruler of the synagogue (the local Jewish meeting place).  But Jairus was not coming as a Jewish emissary, because those that Jairus associated with did not like Jesus at all.  He was not coming with a welcome; he had something that was troubling him.  Before he said anything he fell at Jesus’ feet.  And then right there, in front of the crowd – no doubt there were people there that knew him – he went on to share with Jesus what was troubling his heart.  He swallowed his pride and said, “My daughter is about to die!  Please come and touch her, so she will get well and live.”  Now, notice what he did.  Jairus identified his problem, but he then went on to speak his desired outcome – by faith.  He did not just say, “Oh Jesus!  My daughter is dying!  I don’t know what to do!  Do something, do something!”  No, Jairus was specific in his request.  He declared what he was believing God to happen and he did it by faith.  This faith spurned Jesus to action.  See, fear moves satan, faith moves God.  His faith moved Jesus to want to bring to pass his words.  So Jesus went with him to his house and the disciples and the crowd followed.

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While Jesus, Jairus, the disciples, and the crowd were all walking to Jairus’ house there was a woman that had a 12yr. old bleeding problem that also operated in faith and tapped into the healing virtue of Jesus.  Jesus stopped to deal with this woman and she went on to give her testimony to Jesus.  While Jesus was wrapping up his conversation with the woman some men came from Jairus’ house and said to him, “Your daughter has died!  Why bother the teacher anymore?”  Wow!  Remember, I shared with you yesterday that the devil will always attempt to turn up the heat to get you to change your confession.  Jairus had spoken faith, Jesus was already enroute to his house, things were looking good, but the circumstances changed in the space between the confession and the completion.  So what do you do when the circumstances get worse before they get better?  What do you do when the devil stirs up confusion in the space between your confession and the completion of it?  What do you do when the heat is turned up?  Answer: You remain in faith and you don’t change your confession!  You don’t allow what you see to change what you say!

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Jesus overheard what was said to Jairus.  Jesus knew that fear had creeped in.  Note: words from God will always promote faith, words from the enemy will always promote fear.  Jesus also knew that if Jairus spoke words of fear, doubt, and unbelief that he would cancel out his words of faith.  Jesus knew that if Jairus accepted the bad news and told him not to go to the house that He would not go.  Jesus would not force Himself on Jairus.  Jairus’ words caused Jesus to start going and Jairus’ words could cause Jesus to stop.  So Jesus stepped in before Jairus said anything wrong and said, “Be not afraid, only believe.”  Or, in other words, “Remain in faith and not fear.”  Jairus kept his mouth closed and when they got to the house Jesus did all the talking; and guess what?  The little girl was raised back to life!  Praise God!

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that your words matter; it means that faith cancels out fear, just like fear cancels out faith; and it means that you should keep your mouth shut if you are not in a condition to speak faith!

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Confession for this day:  Lord God.  I speak words of faith and not fear.  If I am ever in a position to where I am in fear and I cannot speak faith, I will simply keep my mouth shut.  I refuse to allow words of fear to cancel out my words of faith!  I believe, I trust, I operate in faith, and my words show it!  In Jesus’ name. Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Speaking to Storms (top of page)

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(Mark 4:39 KJV)  And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth!”  In yesterday’s message I mentioned how busy Jesus was and how his day included Him speaking to a storm.  Let’s take a closer look at that this morning.

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Jesus had already experienced a busy day ministering to the sick and teaching parables to those who followed Him.  He also still had a long day ahead of Him and where He would perform many more miracles.  Evening was drawing near.  He took a pause from teaching and He told His disciples that they would go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (v.35).  Once Jesus spoke something it was as good as done.  Jesus and the disciples entered a boat and Jesus went to the stern of the ship and went to sleep on a pillow.  Yes, Jesus was all God, but He was also all man, and He was tired.  While He was taking a nap a storm began to rage.  Remember, the devil will always turn up the heat to get you to change your words.  The storm was fierce and it caused huge waves.  The waves broke over the boat, the boat began to take on water, and it seemed like they might go down.  The whole while, Jesus was sleeping through the storm. Jesus had already spoken – in faith – that they would arrive at the other side.  There was no need for Him to worry.  He was solidified in His belief and in His words.  The disciples, however, were not at the same level.  Although they were there when He turned water into wine, healed a leper, the Centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law; they were still afraid.  The disciples woke up the sleeping Jesus and asked Him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  It is obvious that they had not yet learned the lesson of the power of their words.  They constantly spoke out of fear, doubt, and unbelief.  Jesus’ words and their words were quite different.  Jesus got up, rebuked the wind (the root of the problem) and said to the waves, “Peace, be still!”  The conditions submitted to His words and the soon there was a great calm.  Now, listen to what he told the disciples next.  Jesus asked, “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?”  Jesus either meant that they should have believed what He said when He told them that they would make it to the other side or He meant that they could have done what He did and handled the storm while He was sleeping.  Either way, Jesus expected them to operate in faith and not fear.

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So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

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1.  If you release your faith over something, then you must have the confidence that God will bring it to pass, no matter how hot the heat gets.  Your confidence will enable you to sleep through storms, knowing that your faith is working, even when you cannot “see” it working.

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2.  Fear moves satan, faith moves God.  Jesus was resting in faith and the disciples were stirred up in fear.  The enemy will always attempt to cripple our faith by attacking us to the point of fear.  You cannot operate in fear and faith at the same time.

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3.  Jesus always deals with the root of the issue.  The text says that He rebuked the wind first and then spoke to the waves.  The waves were only reacting to the wind.  So whenever storms rage in your life (marriage, workplace, children, etc.), seek to find the root of the issue first, and deal with that.  Speak to it.  The power of death and life are in your tongue.  Jesus was our example and He spoke to things.  If we are to imitate Jesus we must get past the initial uneasiness of speaking to things and we must release our faith with our words.

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I thank Your for teaching me through Your Word to walk in faith in every area and aspect of my faith.  I am a person of faith.  I live by faith, walk by faith, pray by faith, fight the good fight of faith, and overcome the world through faith.  I enter into rest, because of the confidence I have in the faith I release over my life through my words that line up with Your Word.  I am able to sleep through any storm and know that You will bring me through, in accordance with my faith.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Speaking to Circumstances (top of page)

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(Luke 4:38,39 MSG) He left the meeting place and went to Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was running a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. He stood over her, told the fever to leave – and it left. Before they knew it, she was up getting dinner for them.

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth!” In our last message we saw how Jesus spoke to a storm. He literally looked at the a raging storm and used words to bring peace and calm. He did not come against the storm with physical might or worldly force, because those things would be useless against nature, but He rather used spiritual power. Everything in the earth was created with spiritual power and is subject to God. I know that the insinuation is that Jesus could do that because He was God and that there is no way that we could or should go around speaking to things that come up against us. We will see in this series that the same Jesus that spoke to things instructed us to do the same.

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One day Jesus was ministering. After he finished preaching to the crowd He was ready to get away and to be refreshed. Peter decided to take Jesus to his mother-in-law’s house. The hope was that his mother-in-law could minister to them so they could get some rest. However, they got there only to find out that Peter’s mother-in-law was not feeling well. She was running a high fever. The disciples asked Jesus to do something or her. Why? Because they had not built up their faith to the point where they could do something for her. There would come a time where Jesus would be gone and they would have to use their own faith. But in this case they were still learning and their hope was in Jesus’ faith. The text says that Jesus stood over Peter’s mother-in-law. He was ready to do something. What do you think He did? He spoke words of faith! He spoke to the fever as an object and He told the fever to leave. Guess what? It left. Before they knew it, she was up and getting dinner ready for them.

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Believe me; I know that most people (even believers) think that this kind of activity is strange. They know that Jesus did things like this, but they don’t ever see themselves operating like Jesus did. Jesus Himself said that we would do what He did, and even greater works than what He did (John 14:12). But for us to operate this way we must believe that God has given us power through His Holy Spirit and we must believe the power of our words. You can’t go around all day long saying things like, “My feet are killing me,” and then think you will be able to pray out a fever; because it is obvious that you don’t believe your words will come to pass. Jesus believed His words would come to pass and He expected us to operate the same way. For example, when Jesus was teaching the disciples how to pray He said, “When you pray, don’t talk on and on as people do who don’t know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask” (Mat 6:7,8). After this He went on to give them (and us) the model prayer. But the point I want to focus in on is that Jesus said that the Father knows what we have need of before we ask. If He knows what we need, why doesn’t He just give it to us? Because He expects us to communicate our need to Him with our words. Jesus did not just think the fever out, He spoke it out. We cannot just think our prayers, we must speak them. You will be hard pressed to find a silent prayer in the Bible.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that God desires for us to activate His power in the earth realm and He expects us to do it through our words. Jesus used words to come up against anything that was stopping Him for doing what the Father expected Him to do in the earth. Our mandate it to be like Jesus and to operate like He operated. Don’t be silent any longer. Open your mouth and release the power of God over your circumstances.

Confession for this day: Lord God, I open my mouth against everything that is standing in my way this morning. I speak words of faith and I believe the words I speak, in faith, will come to pass; not by my might, but by Your power. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Believing what you Say (top of page)

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(2 Cor 4:13 MSG)  We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life.  Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe.

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth” with a personal testimony.  I like to teach by both precept and example, so today I will share part of an example.  This weekend I traveled to Texas to take my wife to a course that she will be enrolled in for the next four months.  My prayer and my confession was that we would have a great time traveling there and that Joshua (my seven month old son) would enjoy himself during the road trip.  We planned the trip where we could visit family along the way and all went well.  We had a blessed trip there and the Lord gave us supernatural favor with many people along the way and when we arrived.  I was able to set my wife up nicely and I feel at peace about where she will stay for the next four months.  Everything we prayed about and expected came to pass.  To God be the glory.

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Yesterday morning was the time for Joshua and I to travel back to Georgia.  Because of the location of the airports I had to take three flights to make it back to Augusta.  Almost every person I talked to – before and during the trip – that found out that I had to take three flights with a seven month old baby, basically said, with their lips, that I was in for a hard time.  However, I never confessed that.  I had prayed and I backed my words of prayer with words of faith.  I replied to every negative word by saying, “No, we will be blessed.”  Now, this is more than just positive thinking or positive speech.  You can get that from a motivational speaker.  What I am talking about and teaching in this series is that power of speaking words with a believing heart (Mark 11:23).  Like Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 4:13, I say what I believe; and I go on to say that I believe what I say.

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My prayer and my confession was that we would have a great time traveling.  Well, to God be the glory, we did.  The first flight was three hours long.  Joshua played with me for about 45 minutes.  He then went to sleep for about an hour and a half and by the time he got up it was almost time to go down and he enjoyed the ride.  No crying, no fussing.  The first flight was out of the way.  The second flight was one hour and 15 minutes long.  Joshua slept from the time we got into the plane until the time we landed.  I had to wake him up to get him off of the plane.  The last flight was only 39 minutes long and he played with me the entire time.  Now, this may not seem like a big thing to some, but to me it is a testimony of my faith; and I share it as such.

I am now faced with taking care of a seven month old baby by myself for the next four months.  Once again, most people I run into tell me I am going to have a hard time.  But you know me, I reply with words of faith.  Now, this is not to say that I am not realistic.  I know it will be challenging, but I also know that I can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13). My point is that I will not allow the words of my own mouth to snare me into a negative situation.  I will continue to speak life and to believe God for an easy transition.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that the power of death and life are in your tongue (Prov 18:21); it means that God backs what you say when you speak words of faith with a believing heart; and it means that you can choose to speak life and not death, blessing and not cursing, victory and not failure.  No one looks at you strange when you speak words of defeat. You might get a few strange looks for not speaking negatively, but your life will be the better for it.

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” I say what I believe.  I believe Jesus died so that I could live.  I believe the life Jesus came to give me is not only eternal, but also abundant.  I believe it is Your will that I make it to heaven, but I also believe that it is Your will that I enjoy the ride.  I believe You want me to be successful in everything that I do.  I believe all these things and my words line up with my belief.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Taking God Public (top of page)

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(Mat 10:32,33 NIV)  “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth” with a visit to Matthew chapter 10.  In this chapter Jesus prepared His disciples for ministry.  The instructions He gave them are still pertinent to us today.  We are merely continuing what they started.

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Jesus started out by giving the disciples authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness(v.1).  The disciples needed to know right up front that the power available to Jesus was being made available to them.  Jesus was not the only one designated to operate in supernatural power.  The disciples were to do what they saw Him do and the same applies to us today.  Jesus went on to say, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.  Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.  On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.  At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (16-20).  Think about that for a moment.  Jesus warned them about the impending danger for taking God public, but He then reassured them that the same God they would be in danger for would turn right around and protect them.  One way that God would protect them would be with their words.  God would give them what to say and when to say it.  The right words can get you out of many tight situations. God can grace us with the wisdom to speak the right words at the right time.

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Jesus went on to explain another key point.  Jesus said, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.  If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!” (24,25).  What was Jesus saying?  He was explaining that there is a cost associated with being a Christian.  Just like people came up against Jesus, people will come up against us. However, this will never happen if we are too afraid to take God public.  Jesus was not intimidated by others and neither should we.  He spoke out, He spoke up, and He did it as He was led.  We must do the same thing.  As Born-Again believers we have the privilege of being led of the Holy Spirit.  When He leads us to say something we must never allow fear to keep us from saying it.  The same God that is leading us to speak will protect us after we release His words.  We should never be afraid of taking God public.  As we continue on in the passage we see why this is so important.  Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (32,33).  This is very clear and it should serve as an eye-opener for many. If you refuse to acknowledge God in front of others, then Jesus will refuse to acknowledge you before the Father.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that there is no space in the Body of Christ for undercover Christians.  God has given you His Spirit and His Spirit lives inside of you to lead you and to guide you. He will tell you what to say and when to say it; but if you refuse to take God public before others Jesus will refuse to take you public before the Father.

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I am not ashamed of You, nor am I ashamed of what You have done in my life.  As you tell me what to say, I will say it.  I will take you public as I am led.  I will not allow fear to keep me from acknowledging You and I will not give you any reason to ever fail to acknowledge me.  I take You public, Lord, with my words.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Building Up, not Tearing Down (top of page)

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(Eph 4:29 AMP)  Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth.”  Last night my Pastor taught on building up and not tearing down.  The Holy Spirit used him mightily and he dealt with many great truths from scripture.  His base text was Ephesians 4:29.

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In Ephesians chapter four Paul starts the chapter by teaching on unity in the Body of Christ and he ends the chapter by teaching us how different our lives are supposed to be now that we are believers.  Paul tells us to no longer live as those that live without God.  He explains that those without God are darkened in their understanding and live as those who have hardened hearts.  These are people who give themselves over to sensuality and who indulge in impurity.  Paul goes on to teach us that we must put off our old selves and our former way of life.  We must have a new attitude and a new mind.  Our new self must be pursuant of God in true righteousness and holiness. This is good teaching and Paul is laying it out clearly.  There should be a difference between a believer and a sinner; there should be a distinction between those of us who have been covered by the blood of Jesus and those that have not.  It is a sad commentary for there to be no identifiable difference between a Christian and a non-Christian.

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Paul then gets into practical differences.  He teaches us to stop lying and to speak the truth to one another.  He teaches us that if we do get angry, that we should still not sin and that we should never go to sleep angry because it can give the devil a foothold.  Paul says, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.”  And then, in the middle of all the teaching on the differences between believers and non-believers, between sinners and saints, Paul gets to the difference that should be obvious in our speech. Our speech, just like everything else Paul lists in this chapter, must be renewed and made to align with the newness of our lives in Christ.  If you have been talking negative for 30 years and you give your life to Christ, it is obvious that you will not change your speech over night, but over the process of time it should change.  Paul teaches us to never all foul or polluting language to come out of our mouths.  Now, when most people hear that statement they immediately think of cussing.  But the reality is that when we really understand what Paul is teaching in this text we see that it goes far beyond cussing.  Paul teaches us to only speak good and edifying things to others; things that will build them up and never tear them down.  You can tear someone down pretty hard without ever using a cuss word. The point is that our speech should be used as a tool in the hands of God to share goodness and grace with others.  Our words should be a blessing to those that hear them.  People should walk away from an encounter with us knowing that they have been built up and edified; not torn down and destroyed.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that our mind must be renewed concerning the words of our mouths.  It’s not OK to go around putting people down on a regular basis.  It’s not OK to break someone down without ever building them back up.  It’s not OK to focus on abstaining from what people call “major sins,” but neglecting to ever focus on the words of our mouths. Your words can either help or hurt; they can build up or tear down; how do you think God wants you to use your words today?

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I submit myself entirely unto You.  I am a believer and I will live like one.  My mind is renewed from my former life and I no longer live like the world.  I am new in my thoughts, deeds, and also in my words.  I will use my words to build up and never tear down.  My words are a blessing and not a burden to others.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Do you want to make God sad? (top of page)

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(Eph 4:30 MSG)  Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth” by picking up where we left off in yesterday’s message.  Yesterday we focused in on the fourth chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, but our main focus was with the 29th verse.  We learned that God does not want us to allow any foul or polluting language to proceed from out of our mouths.  His desire is that we use our language to build up and not tear down.  Our words should be used for the spiritual progress of others.  This morning we take it one step further and we read the very next verse.  Paul follows his instructions on using the proper words with a warning not to grieve God.  The word grieve means, “To feel grief or sorrow.”  The word grief means, “To suffer disappointment.”  As we keep reading Paul instructs us not to break God’s heart.  The CEV says, “Don’t make God’s Spirit sad.”  The YLT says, “Make not sorrowful the Holy Spirit of God.”

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Early in the letter Paul explains that we were sealed with God’s Holy Spirit when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (1:13).  Jesus Himself called this being “Born-Again” (John 3:3).  So when we are Born-Again, or born of the Spirit of God, we literally have God’s Holy Spirit living in us.  That means that we take Him everywhere we go.  He is with us when we do everything we do.  This is a far-stretching reality, but I will confine my comments to the words of your mouth, because that is the emphasis of this series.  So, we know that the Holy Spirit is with us when we speak every word that we speak.  Understanding this, we can better understand Paul’s instruction.  He teaches us not to speak foul or negative words that will tear people down and he comes right behind it and teaches us not to grieve God’s Holy Spirit. The insinuation is that when we do speak the wrong words we are grieving the Holy Spirit of God.  We literally make Him sad.  We literally break His heart.  We disappoint Him, because He expects better of us.

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A few messages ago I taught on the account of Jesus sending out His disciples.  He told them, “… at that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Mat 10:19,20).  Jesus also said, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).  We can clearly see that part of the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to lead us, guide us, and tell us what to say.  So when we speak the wrong words – words that hurt instead of help and words that tear down instead of building up – it makes the Holy Spirit sad; it literally grieves Him.  Why?  Because we are not allowing Him to perform His proper role in our lives. He is there, He is available, and He is willing, but we have to do our part and submit to Him.  He will not force Himself upon us.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means that God Himself lives inside of you and He is saddened every time you speak the wrong words.  This reality should help you make a stronger effort at controlling your tongue and submitting your speech to God. Do you really want to make God sad or do you want to please Him by speaking the right words at the right time to the right people?

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I declare, by faith, that I will make every effort to please You in every area of my life.  I will not grieve Your precious Holy Spirit by speaking the wrong words.  I love You and I know You love me.  I submit my thoughts, my deeds, and my words to You, Your Lordship, and Your leadership.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

Would your words Amaze Jesus? (top of page)

(Mat 8:10 CEV)  When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you that in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith!

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth” by catching up with Jesus in Matthew chapter eight.  Jesus ended His now famous “Sermon on the mount” in chapter seven.  Coming down off the mountainside Jesus encountered a leper.  This leper was looking for a breakthrough and he got it.  Jesus healed the supposed “incurable” disease.  Afterwards Jesus entered what would be the home base of His ministry, Capernaum.  A centurion (a Roman officer comparable to our US Company Commander) came seeking help for his servant.  The Centurion told Jesus that his servant was lying at home paralyzed and in terrible pain.  Jesus was used to these types of messages; He was accustomed to these types of pleas.  So what did Jesus do?  He said, “I will go and heal him.”  This seemed like standard practice at this point in Jesus’ ministry, but the Centurion was no average man. The Centurion was not done talking.  He told Jesus about his servant’s condition, but the next words to leave his mouth would clearly express to Jesus the condition of his heart.  This man was a man of faith.

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The underlying force of the Roman soldier’s faith was his understanding of authority.  He understood that the people he had authority over had to submit to him.  If he said, “go,” people went.  If he said, “do,” people did.  He was not Jew, so he probably did not know the scriptures, but he did understand authority.  He understood that anyone who has authority over something can simply speak; and whatever he has authority over has to submit to the command.  The Centurion must have perceived that Jesus had authority over sickness.  No doubt he heard of Jesus healing the incurable leper.  It was with this perception that the centurion replied to Jesus by saying, “Oh, no Sir, you don’t need to go to my house, I don’t want bother you that long.  Just give the order and my servant will be healed” (Pina version).  The King James Version says, “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”  This series is about the fact that our words count; they matter.  We literally release a message every time we open our mouths and we must be cognizant of what messages we are releasing.  How do you think Jesus responded to the message coming out of the Centurion’s mouth?  He literally marveled at it; He was amazed! Our text says that He was so surprised that He turned around and told the crowd that He had never encountered anyone with that much faith.  Jesus told the Centurion, “You may go home now.  Your faith has made it happen.”  Right then his servant was healed.

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Your words are an indicator of the condition of your heart.  When you speak words of faith, they become what you receive.  Not because the words alone are doing anything, but because the words are coupled with the condition of your heart.  Jesus said, “Your words show what’s in your heart” (Luke 6:45). Conversely, when you speak words of fear, doubt, and unbelief, they become what you receive; for the same reasons.

So what does this mean to you today? It means that your words count; it means that your words are an outward indication of your inward condition; and it means that your words can either move God or satan.  Fear moves satan, faith moves God.  Which one will you move today with your words? Jesus was amazed at the words of the Centurion. If Jesus followed you around all day would He be amazed at your words of faith or disappointed with your words of fear?

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I thank You for helping me to build up my faith through Your Word.  I am internally built up and my words are an outward indication of my inward condition.  Like the Centurion, I am available to be used to be a blessing to someone else today.  Use me for Your glory.  I offer myself to You.  I speak words of faith and not fear, victory and not defeat, life and not death.  Forward ever, backward never!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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The Incapacitating force of Fear (top of page)

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth.”  Our journey takes us back to the Old Testament, to 1st Samuel chapter 17, to the story of David and Goliath.  No doubt you have heard about this story of overcoming insurmountable odds, but what you may not know is the role that David’s words played in his victory of the giant.

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The chapter opens with the Philistines having gathered their forces to war against Israel.  The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with a valley between them.  This was a standoff of major proportions.  The Philistines had a champion in their camp named Goliath.  This man was a beast.  He was over nine feet tall, he wore 125 lbs. of bronze armor, a bronze helmet, bronze greaves around his legs, and he carried a bronze javelin on his back.  I am sure he looked like something out of the modern movies.  The head of the spear itself weighed 15 lbs.  His shield was so big that he had a shield bearer to carry it for him.  This monster stood tall and intimidated the army of Israel with his words.  He shouted, “Why do you come out and line up for battle?  Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul?  Choose a man and have him come down to me.  If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.  This day I defy the ranks of Israel!  Give me a man and let us fight each other.”  By his own admission Goliath was defying the ranks of Israel and he was doing it with his words.  His words struck fear in King Saul and in all the soldiers.  The Israelites were terrified by this man, his stature, and his words.  Goliath went out and shouted his intimidating words for 40 straight days.  See, this is how the enemy operates.  He wants us intimidate us to fear.  Once we are in fear we are no longer in faith and more importantly, once we are in fear we are hopeless because fear has an incapacitating force.  Fear will cripple us from moving forward and will bring our desires, our dreams, and our destiny to a stand still.  This one man brought an entire army and an entire nation to a stand still for 40 days by simply speaking negative words.

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In comes David.  He was the youngest of eight boys and his three oldest brothers were in Saul’s army.  David was tending sheep while his brothers were being intimidated.  David’s father Jesse prepared food for his three oldest sons and asked David to take the food to them and to check on them.  David loaded up and set out early in the morning.  He reached the camp as the army was going out to their battle positions.   David left his things with the supply sergeant and ran to the battle lines to greet his brothers.  As he was talking with them, Goliath stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual insolence, but this time David heard it.  David had just been anointed by the prophet Samuel (chapter 16), so he heard with different ears.  He was able to hear what the giant was saying with a spiritual connotation.  David looked around and saw grown men, men that were supposed to be soldiers, running from the giant and his words.  We will pick this story up from here tomorrow.

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So what does this mean to you today? It means we have a real enemy and he is bigger than any physical earthly giant.  Our enemy, like the giant he used in this chapter, is constantly seeking to strike fear in our hearts.  One of his greatest tools is negative words.  Our job, as Born-Again believers, is to filter the words that we hear through God’s Spirit living on the inside of us.  The Holy Spirit will confirm with us what words we should receive and repeat; and what words we should reject and come against.  Words of fear can incapacitate, words of faith can empower.  Which words will you receive today?

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Confession for this day:  Lord God, I know that You have not given me the spirit of fear and I therefore choose not to operate in it.  I operate in love, power, and a sound mind.  I do not allow the comments of others to derail me from my destiny; nor to stifle my progress.  I filter every word I hear through You precious Holy Spirit.  I discern which words to receive and to repeat and which words to reject and to come up against.  No evil shall befall me and I am able to conquer every giant that rises up in my life.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!

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Learning to Hear (top of page)

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This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Message that’s in Your Mouth” by picking up where we left off with the story of David and Goliath.  In yesterday’s message I laid the foundation for this story and I dealt with the incapacitating force of fear.  Towards the end of the message I highlighted the fact that when Goliath shouted his usual insults the Bible says that “David heard it.”  David had just been anointed by the prophet Samuel in the previous chapter and I believe that the Spirit of God enabled David to hear Goliath with spiritual ears.  Let’s take a closer look.

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When David heard Goliath he had a very different reaction those around him.  David was just a young boy, probably around 17 yrs. old, and those around him were army of soldiers; grown men.  The grown men took off running in fear and this young boy was ready to fight and to do something about Goliath.  Why?  Well, part of it was in what they heard.  The men heard intimidating words against their army, but David heard insulting words against his nation and his God.  When the prophet Samuel anointed David in the previous chapter the Spirit of God came upon David and empowered him to be able to operate in another realm – the realm of the Spirit.  David was a good young man before the encounter with God, but afterwards he was different.  He was no longer just a good young man; he was now a God-young-man!  There is a difference!

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When the Israelite soldiers heard Goliath they said, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel.  The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him.  He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.”  Their emphasis was on money and benefits.  Even though none of them had the courage to do something about Goliath, their words indicated where their heart was – on money.  They were not focused on doing anything about Goliath for the right reasons.  They just wanted to take advantage of the reward the king was offering for his death.  I was able to come to this conclusion through their words.  Remember, Jesus said, “Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts.  Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts.  Your words show what is in your heart” (Luke 6:44,45).  Their words exhibited what was in their hearts.  So what was in David’s heart?  Was he any different?  To find out, let’s look at his words.  When David heard the same thing he said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”  See the difference?  David immediately identified that Goliath as uncircumcised; meaning that he was not in covenant with God.  David then pointed out the fact that Goliath was defying not just Israel, but the armies of the living God!  This was an insult to God and he was going to do something about it.

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So what does this mean to you today? A couple of things:

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1.  What you receive is oftentimes what you repeat:  When you hear something you can either receive it or reject it.  If you receive it, then it will get down in your heart and you will find yourself eventually repeating it.  That’s why you must be careful what you listen to.

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2.  We must learn how to listen:  Goliath spoke one thing but David heard something different than the others did.  When Jesus was teaching parables he wanted the people to hear with the right ears so He said, “Pay close attention to what you hear.  The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given – and you will receive even more” (Mark 4:24).   David heard with the right ears.  If we learn to listen with spiritual ears then we will be better equipped to put the right things in our heart, to say the right things with our lips, and to do the right things with our hands.  Garbage in, garbage out.  God in, God out!

Confession for this day:  Lord God, David was anointed by the prophet Samuel.  My encounter came directly through Jesus Christ.  When I received Jesus Christ as my Lord, I was sealed with and by Your Spirit.  Your Holy Spirit lives in me and I learn to hear through spiritual ears.  The better I learn to hear, the more I am able to filter what goes in my heart.  I learn what to receive and what to reject.  When I get the right things in my heart, I will speak the right things with my lips, and I will do the right things with my hands.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

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This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!