"Words" Part I

  Words….can encourage or discourage…can heal or inflict…an bring joy or sorrow…can bring light or darkness…release or bind…can build up or tear down…can make one feel loved or hated.   God use them to create… Jesus used them to restore life.   Satan used them to bind, Jesus used them to lose.  How words are used is our choice.  Words can only do good or bad according to the will of he/she who chooses to use them.  All we do or say is based off of choice. I, have over the years hear someone say, "I didn't mean too say that..."  Really?  Are we to believe that you have no control over what comes out of your mouth.  I don't think so!  We must, at all times, choose with care what we do and say for Words Effect...Words Reveal and Word Have Power.

The Effects of Words:  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.”

Words Reveal:   The greatest tool of revealing what a person is made of are the words he/she speaks.  With our words comes insight that reveals what we believe; what we think; and ultimately what we are.  Words ultimately reveal what you think of others as well as yourself. In truth they are a mirror that reflects without doubt who or what controls us.  

Matt. 12:33-37, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.  The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

TLB “A tree is identified by its fruit. A tree from a select variety produces good fruit; poor varieties don’t. You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For a man’s heart determines his speech. A good man’s speech reveals the rich treasures within him. An evil-hearted man is filled with venom, and his speech reveals it. And I tell you this, that you must give account on Judgment Day for every idle word you speak.Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”

The Power of Words:  The power of words is revealed in James 3:1-4, 1 “ Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly]. For we all stumble and sin in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says [never saying the wrong thing], he is a perfect man [fully developed in character, without serious flaws], able to bridle his whole body and rein in his entire nature [taming his human faults and weaknesses]. Now if we put bits into the horses’ mouths to make them obey us, we guide their whole body as well. And look at the ships. Even though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman (the person in control) determines.”

    In these analogies we see that the smallest things are used to shed light upon the power of words.  Simply put, it doesn't take some big and seemingly powerful to alter the trajectory of something.  Though we may think our words are at times meaningless we need to understand they often change how someone we love lives their lives, feels about themselves, or even the direction they choose in life.   There is power in words...be careful how you use them.  Later we will see, according to the Word that we will give an account for every word that we choose to speak.

Ref.  K.Copeland  Bible

"The Way We Were"

 Destiny - The Way We Were

Intro.  Often to move forward to our Destiny we must first ascertain where ‘we are’ compared to where we ‘have been’.  That often means we have to take a good look at ‘The Way We Were.’ 

To those of us who desire to attain the destiny God has ordered for our lives I challenge you to take a good long look at where you are and from whom do you depend for your life's resources.  You, as I,  must be brutally honest and admit that we, the church, are a far cry from what God remembers.   It is  through the portal of this honesty that we begin to move to the Destiny that lies before us.  It is the honest person, no matter how painful the results of the honesty, that will accomplish the will of God for his/her life.  

God directed accomplishments will produce evident change in the church.  Change that will build up not tear down the body of Christ.

    For us to understand fully the will of God for His church I believe it   

    is imperative that we see the way we were and accept that for too long we have been on a slippery slope of lukewarmness and indecision with the result producing a church that is but a shell of what God has destined us to become.

In Jere. 2:2-3, Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.3 Israel was holiness to the Lord, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ” v.8, The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’  And those who handle the law did not know Me;  The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.

    

God Remembers The Way We Were….

The kindness of thy youth, v. 2:  Kindness in man is an expression of gratitude in a high degree, also of piety towards God; holiness and zealous affection toward all that is good and truly desirable.

The love of thine espousals v. 2:  A time that, because of our love for Him, we willingly shared all our dreams, wishes, hopes and willingness to go where He goes and does what He does.  he remembered a time that our surrender was complete and fully confessed.  " Thy vows are upon me, O God: O my soul, thou has said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord. "    But now?

When thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown, v. 2:  Remembering their willingness to follow Him in the wilderness, a place of need.  But now?

(When) Israel was holiness unto the Lord, V. 3:  Separation, place of thing set apart.  God remembers when His people were set a part specifically for Him.

The priest said not, " where is the Lord? ", v. 8:  Ceased to turn to God for directions but followed their own agenda.  ( Note Eze. 22:23-28 )

God Sees The Way We Are….

Forsaken the fountain of living waters and heed out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water, v. 13:  Israel was drinking from a fountain - a continual supply - but forsook the continual flow of living water and built their own cistern. 

I hear the call of the Father…He is calling us to return and once again drink from the fountain of life giving water.  Return to the place of refreshing that we may become the resource the world around us so needs.  

We must this day choose to be more than a memory in the mind of the Father.  

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land. “ Isaiah 1:18-19 

As always, it is a choice.