Power of Our Tongue

James 3

New King James Version (NKJV)

The Untamable Tongue

3 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed,[a] we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.

See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.[b]

A kindergarten student told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was dead. "How do you know that the cat was dead?" she asked her student. "Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the child innocently. "You did WHAT?!?!?!" the teacher yelled in shock. "You know," explained the boy, "I leaned over and went 'Pssst!' and it didn't move."


A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'" Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus.


When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year old came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the shower. She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!" I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy." "I know," she replied, but what's growing in your butt?"

A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?"

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can also hurt me.
Stones and sticks break only skin, while words are ghosts that haunt me.
Slant and curved the word-swords fall, it pierces and sticks inside me.
Bats and bricks may ache through bones, but words can mortify me.
Pain from words has left its' scar, on mind and hear that's tender.
Cuts and bruises not have healed, it's words that I remember.

How many times have we said something that we wish we could take it back? For me, to many times to count! Words are powerful, both good and negative. Power of speech is our most powerful gift. We should be quick to listen, slow to react.

Some of the best advice ever, from the letter of James, chapter 1:

19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James compares controlled speech with a bit, a rudder, fire, poison, a spring, and a fig tree.

• Bit - assists a rider in communicating with the animal.

• Rudder - a device used to steer a ship.

• Fire - has the potential to cause physical damage.

• Poison -  also referred to as a toxin; to describe any harmful substance.

• Spring - source of fresh and clean water.

• Fig tree - A tree that produces a fruit (figs). Interesting, read here; Cursing of the Fig Tree.

Our tongue has the power to direct peoples lives. There is nothing greater than the sin of the tongue.

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)

A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:2 (NKJV)

The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.

Proverbs 15:4 (NKJV)

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

 

Matthew 12:36 (NKJV)

But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

 

Matthew 12:37 (NKJV)

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Overcome forceful nature - 40% of our sin comes from our tongue.

Submit our mouths to God. Words can destroy by tearing down confidence, negatively affects reputations and a persons character. Words can kill relationships.

Seasons of Salt

Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Proverbs 10:11 (NKJV)

The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

 

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Reveler of Our HeartMatthew 12:34-35 (NKJV)

Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

 

Failing to say what we should say; Please and thank you.

1. I'm Sorry - I was wrong.
2. I'm praying for you.
• Simple
• Humble
• Changes lives!

 

Thank you Pastor Brandon Hoover!
Crossroads Church of Denver

Somewhere In The Middle

It was complete darkness with little glimpses of sparkling lights until we arrived somewhere in the middle. That's what the last two years have felt like while raising and fighting within the court system for our two granddaughters, Haylie and Brooklynn. The court battle is over, but we have along ways to go in the training department. We can now see where we are going and the road that will lead us.

Two years ago I didn't know these two little girls. I had seen Haylie on a few occasions, when she was born, when she was 6 weeks old, and then again at 9 months old. Brooklynn was born when Haylie was just fourteen months old. It was said from the beginning that Brooklynn was not my son's biological daughter. Sherry, my ex-daughter in-law, had a extra marital affair which produced Brooklynn. My son was convinced at times that Brook was his, and even if she wasn't, he loved her no less. I refused to get attached because I thought my relationship would be restricted by my son and his wife.

When Sherry and Josh broke the news to me that they were pregnant with their first daughter, I was less than excited, I was mortified for the child. My son can barely read or write and his speech is less understandable then most two year olds. He's not stupid by any means, just extremely lazy! Sherry is a very strange ex meth user who also suffered a traumatic head injury from a motor vehicle accident. She is not very bright but worst of all, she is not a nice person. Josh and Sherry did eventually marry, but didn't spend much time under the same roof. They would fight, one would move out and then later try it again, only to end up apart again. Sherry always had the girls in tote and went from state to state, family to family. She ended up in Utah with a man she met on the internet. Haylie was physically abuse, and Sherry was faced with leaving the boyfriend or giving up her children, she chose the boyfriend.

My son Joshua brought the girls to Colorado and resided at his grandparents house for approximately three week. One morning the grandparents got into a physical altercation and the grandfather attempted to strangle grandma with her oxygen tubing. Grandpa went to jail and Joshua brought the girls to Church service on a Wednesday evening. I have had the girls since that night. Initially our plan was for the girls to stay with Scott and I until Joshua could get settled in his own place. At that point I would help out with the girls in whatever way I could. That plan got changed when he met another woman with a little girl. Josh and his new girlfriend eventually got an apartment with the goal of taking the girls with them. I could see that there was more on the platter than neither adult could see for themselves, so the girls stayed with us. As expected that relationship dissolved and again Josh was homeless and jobless. I was so thankful that the girls did not have to endure another disruption to their short chaotic lives.

Without going into great detail about the incidences that occurred with Haylie and Brooklynn's parents since living with us, the police department advised us to file for custody, which we did the next day. The battle which followed was the most emotionally and financially draining experience of both Scott and I's lives to date. We realized the the honeymoon of our 2 year old marriage was over, and that we were in for the battle of a lifetime. We had no choice but to fight for these two little souls that would have a very undesirable future if we gave up on "our" fight. Believe me, at times I did throw up my arms and asked God for guidance and strength, and through my faith, I was able to stay strong and focused on the goal set before me. There were lots of frustration, anger, caution, and tears over the past two year, but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, thank God.

It is extremely difficult to fully give yourself away knowing that it can be taken from you in the next breath. I feel like I have been holding my breath for the past two year, and I can finally exhale, and it is a feeling I didn't know would ever be mine. I had an emotional guard up with the girls, hopefully not in a way that made them feel less loved or wanted. I fought with those emotions every second of everyday, an uncertainty that is more frightening than any other emotion I have experienced. A daily challenge to make it the best day I could, for it might be the last one I get. I know that sound extreme, but that is truly how I felt. Scott and I never talked about the what if...but I know we both thought a lot about it. The possibility of not having the girls and the uncertainty of their future without Papa and Grammie in control of it, was petrifying and at times debilitating.

All of that uncertainty ended on March 27, 2012. An offer came in the way of their mother Sherry's attorney. He contacted our attorney to make the final offer. Sherry would admit that Josh was Brooklynn's biological father, which would halt the paternity order, we would maintain residential custody and sole decision making for the girls. So in reality, she gave up the fight for them. That is sad and exciting all at the same time. Maybe she finally realized that she could not raise them or maybe the thought of being responsible for two little girls became a reality, one that she didn't want to sacrifice for her own selfish reasons. It's saddens me because they are worth it, every child is. It frustrates me that people are so selfish and unwilling to realize how much work it is to raise children. It frightens me that our situation happens more often then I want to imagine. Unwanted God created life, human children lost in the selfishness of this world. Gifts treated like garbage.

The two little girls have had a rough start in life, they have had people come in and out of their short lives. To be around them and to experience the love and need that oozes from their hearts, is purely the love and innocence of Jesus Christ. They rebound from every loss as though God is at the wheel and they have no  resistance towards his promise. To look into the eyes of an abused and neglected child and see nothing but love burning brightly, how can you doubt that God lives in us, for us?

The Bible declares in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Don't look at the bad in things, but look at the good and you will always be content. I heard a person once say "If you constantly look at the people that are better off than you are, then you will never be satisfied in life, but if you look at the people that are not as fortunate as you are, then you will always be thankful for what you have."

I want you to be encouraged and remember the blessings in your life and keep in mind the words of the Apostle Paul written in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content."

We are past the crossroads and we only have one direction available, and that direction is forward! Thank you Lord and the glory be Yours!

Addiction and Evil Spirits

When we talk about addiction, we need to cover all aspects of it as well as the spiritual side concerning how evil spirits may influence our addiction. Now I want to be careful and to just give you the facts because you have probably heard the expression "The devil made me do it", well the devil cannot make anyone do anything, and the most he can do is tempt us and then take advantage of us should we take the bait. When we practice an addiction long or often enough an evil spirit may get power and control over us simply because we are feeding its lusts through us, and it then receives spiritual rights to be involved in our life due to our actions. When we practice an addiction it is always progressive so the more we feed it, the stronger it will get.

I want to make sure that you understand that we are not talking about the Exorcist here, and you will most likely not be fully taken over by a spirit where you have no control over what you do. But spirits can oppress you and push you to gratify their lusts through you to the point that it can be almost maddening. A spirit gets attached to you and just wants to feel the addiction it craves flowing through your body. Plus demons get more power and authority with the more humans it destroys, so for them it is a win-win situation. For you, it just becomes an obsession and slavery to an addiction that seems impossible to get rid of. Each spirit has it's own character like the spirit of addiction, or the spirit of pornography, or smoking. Its name is its nature.

Now, before you freak out I just want you to know that you can be free from the power of evil spirits of addiction. One way is to take away it's landing strip by healing the old emotional pain and eliminating the need for the pain relievers, another way is to starve the spirit out by simply refusing to practice the addiction. The third way is by having someone pray for you to be set free from these spirits or by praying for yourself. It may help to fast a little before you clean your spiritual house so to speak, but it is not a requirement. If the spirit has gotten a strong hold on you it may take a few strong believers to lay hands on you and drive the thing out. This can be quite an experience, but the spirit is just a spiritual infestation that needs to be evicted.

MK 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

The way that evil spirits are driven out and away from a human is by the power of the name of Jesus Christ and faith. Demons are like spiritual cockroaches and they are attracted to the garbage of our sin. God gave Jesus full authority over all evil spirits, so when we use His name to drive them out then we have the legal right to evict them. But you must do this in faith and believe that God will help you. After I had been involved with heavy addiction for so long the Lord led me to go through a deliverance from demons. It wasn't pretty or fun to undergo, but it was necessary. You wouldn't leave cancer in your body, so neither should you leave the spiritual cancer of evil spirits in your life pushing you to return to your sin. Just pray for God to show you the right time for a deliverance session and He will help you. God will set you free.


LK 11:24 (Jesus speaking) "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."



Also, be sure that you really want to be free from your addiction before you try to evict anything that may be driving your obsession. Otherwise you may be in even a worse situation with evil spirits than before. Remember, you have the ability to say no to anything. If you went to church and someone told you to take off your clothes would you? No you wouldn't, because you would just refuse. Nobody can force you to do anything, the choice has been yours all along. Likewise, nobody can force you to practice addiction, it has been your choice as well, but usually there does need to be some healing to get rid of the old unhealed pain, and there may need to be some deliverance from evil spirits for you to truly get free from the inside out. God will help you with everything at the right time, so trust Him to deliver you from evil spirits.



Here is a prayer you can pray for yourself or others to get rid of all evil spirits;


"Lord God, I repent of my sin that has allowed any evil spirit to have power over me in any way, and I renounce any and all sin that I have ever committed that has attracted any demonic activity in my life. Now in the name of Jesus Christ, I command any and all evil spirits to be bound and to be banished from my life forever. I apply the blood of Jesus Christ upon my body, spirit, soul, and mind, and also upon my home and everything in it. I thank you Lord Jesus for setting me free from the power of evil spirits, and I ask that you would now fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, amen".



* NOTE; It also may help to get extra assistance from a fellow Christian that you know deals with deliverance ministry. Also it will help to get rid of anything in the house that has been connected to your addiction, because it is a landing strip (a volition of will) for them the spirits to return. Below is a guide that lists the different stages of spiritual bondage.



A person can deliver self from the following:

Regression . . . going backward in spiritual growth and power.Repression . . . fear, ignorance, or indifference keep knowledge of demons hidden. Satan steals your joy. (Within).Suppression . . . listless, inactive, disinterested. Suppression of feelings. (Without).Depression . . . broken spirit . . . inactivity.Oppression . . . weigh you down with something you are not able to carry. Disease is a weapon of oppression.


At this stage the person will need help from another with deliverance:



Obsession . . . changes the mind (black is white, straight is crooked). Comes through believing a lie, jealousy, hatred. No will power.Possession . . . no mind of your own. Seen often as insanity.

More scriptures to help you;


LK 4:33 In the synagogue (This was someone who went to church) there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

LK 4:35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

LK 4:36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.


MK 9:23 " `If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

MK 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

MK 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

MK 9:26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.