T
Timofree
Guest
This is the preach I will be doing on the 12th August. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin 
"Ohh come on, what are you playing at, you’ll never be able to do that"………"well it always rains"………and then every 2 years or so, "oh no, here we go again, England will never win on penalties"…….I am sure like me you’ll all have heard similar words coming out of people’s mouths, and like me you probably thought well aren’t they just harmless, today I’m going to suggest that’s not the case. And I’m going to look at a biblical perspective on words, and show how we have power in them.
In the beginning God created the world, and He did so by speaking. His words are creative and full of life. Then God created plants, animals, fish etc. and then He created man in His own image, allowing humans to have power in their words to rule over creation. But when sin entered the world, the possibility arose for us to use our words for evil. This was not how life was meant to be……..!
What I’m going to speak on today, I believe is an important part in receiving the manifestation of the promises of God in your life. It certainly has been in my case…….!
The text I’ll be starting with is from Proverbs 18:20-21, reading from the New King James
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Now I would firstly like to point out, what I’m speaking about today is not a guarantee that you’ll get the red Ferrari you might have been wanting, even if you ask God loads of times! God loves us too much to give us everything we ask for. Just as hopefully you if you’re a parent, wouldn’t give your car keys to your 2 year old child, but you would wait until the right time, when they had passed their test, and you could trust to give them something that is less likely to harm them………
So if someone said you had the power of life and death in your tongue, I’m sure you’d want to know how choosing life looks like, how much more if it was the One True God, Creator of the universe who said it!
To look a little deeper I’d like to read James 3:8-12 from the NIV, if you don’t have a Bible you can look at your lap and pretend, it’s ok I’m joking…….. Anyway I’ll read it
“but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
Firstly from this passage of James, it’s important to note that taming the tongue is not a work of man, it says no human being can tame the tongue. It has to be a work of God. Just like in my life, I used to go out getting drunk most weeks before I became a Christian, and as hard as I tried I couldn’t stop for longer than maybe a month. But since knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour it has been nearly three years, barring a couple times, where I regretted having an extra pint! So anyway, this is a work of God, and all things are possible with Him. Remember that!
Secondly, the word curse used in verse 9 can sound like a far off distant sin, that a Christian wouldn’t perform in their daily lives. But cursing is not limited to followers of the devil. The original Greek word for curse found in verse 9 is ‘Katara’, part of the meaning of this word is to imprecate, so not only did I look up the original Greek word, but I looked up imprecate, which according to dictionary.com means to call down evil on someone. So my search for the meaning of curse, lead me to looking up the Greek meaning of evil used in the text, which is the word ‘kakos’- which means something of a bad nature, not as it ought to be. An example of this can be disagreeing with God’s will for someone’s life, for example saying about someone that they are ‘always fearful’ is a curse, it is not God’s will for someone to be always fearful, as in 2 Timothy 1:7 it says He has not given us a spirit of fear. So like Paul says in Romans, we should call the things that are not, as though they are. So if you have been fearful, or if your praying for someone about fear, don’t curse yourself, or them. Instead speak God’s Truth into the situation. And His truth will manifest………God has NOT given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. These are not just nice words, but the truth! If the Bible is true, and our words have power, we can expect to see His promises in our life when we speak them.
I would like to point out here, this is a message for myself, as well as everyone else here. God gave me a great revelation of speaking blessings and truth, but there have been times when I have slipped up, so like you all, It’s good for me to hear this! And the last thing I want you to feel today is condemnation. If you can see that you have spoken curses in the past, repent, thank God for His forgiveness in Christ, and move on, speaking blessings and life. Now is not the time to look back with regret and sorrow, but with the power of God’s Spirit, to change, and to agree with Him!
Part of the reasons I felt God showing me, as to why we sometimes choose to curse is rooted in pride. God says in His word that all things are possible, but there have been times when people, myself included have said, I know God You can do anything, BUT, I think You’ll find this situation difficult. It’s a disobedience of Proverbs 3:5-6 that says not to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths. If someone says something’s difficult, I like to say well creating the universe by speaking is ‘difficult’…..!
There are times I’m not sure how God is going to work, but the Bible doesn’t say understand everything with your natural mind, but trust God. Let’s face it, there’s never any doubt He can do something. And He won’t punish us for having too much faith in Him and believing Him for answers, even if we don’t see them straight away.
· Example about how long it takes to do ‘mission’, 15 years or minutes.
Now as a Christian you don’t have to speak blessings and life with your words, but I would put it to you that here is a principle that will greatly benefit you. Jesus says in the gospels, as is your faith so be it unto you………..God can do anything, so get used to asking for, and expecting big things of Him!
Now whilst as we’ve seen, taming the tongue is ultimately a work of God, but there is a part we can play, if a curse comes up in your mind to say, don’t. It’s better for people to think you’re quiet than to just say everything that comes to mind. As it says in Proverbs 12:23, a wise man keeps his knowledge to himself. But there’s a time to speak of course, and I would put it to you we should ask God for wisdom, and we know from James 1:5 that God gives wisdom to those who ask Him.
On that note, I’m going to give 6 applications for this message………..
1. Be honest with God. Life isn’t always easy, and speaking blessings and life doesn’t mean we have to pretend if we don’t like something. God can handle us saying, I don’t know why You’re allowing this to happen, and it’s better to be honest with Him, he knows everything we think anyway! Jesus is a great High Priest, He knows our weaknesses.
2. Humble yourself before God, confess your weakness, and need for God to help you to watch your words, it says He perfects His strength in our weaknesses. It’s not about our own ability, learn to look beyond human limitations, to the limitations of God. ie. Nothing.
3. Ask for wisdom, God gives it freely to those who ask.
4. As it says in Psalms 141:3- ask God to guard your mouth, and keep watch over the door of your lips.
5. Get to know the Holy Spirit, the Bible says He dwells within us, and that we can know His fullness. He is God, and it’s not wrong to speak to and get to know Him. Just as you would a human who God provides to help you. He will teach you, and glorify Jesus in your life. There is no set rule for speaking you can use in every situation, so ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in everything.
6. Expect God to answer, 1 John 5:14-15 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have, what we asked of him.”
So that’s be honest with God. Humble yourself before Him. Ask for His wisdom. Ask Him to watch over your words. Get to know the Holy Spirit and His guidance. And expect God to answer. It is His will.
7. Another application that I’ll add for free, speak God’s Truth over your life, and read your Bible out loud whenever possible. No matter how you feel speak to that mountain to be moved, if you’re in a difficult circumstance, pray for God to give you the grace to thank Him, how He’s using it for your good. Because we know all things work for the good of those called according to His purpose- Romans 8:28.
A Christian spoke a curse over me when I was young, saying I’d never achieve anything, so now I’d like to publically bless them, and say I forgive them. Forgiveness is an important part, forgive others and yourself if you’ve been involved in cursing.
It hasn’t been a one day process for me, speaking God’s truth, and seeing it more in my life. There have been challenges, eg. Saying I’m blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and seeing things around me looking far from blessed. But God’s word is true, no matter how we feel, or our circumstances look.
Be encouraged, keep striving through God’s grace. To quote Rob Rufus, the gospel is not a self-improvement plan, but it’s allowing God to work in us. Colossians 2:6 says just as you’ve received Christ, so walk in Him, totally leaning on Him, and not your own understanding. There are things it’s important for us to do, but it’s not by our own strength or might, but by the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Lastly I’d like to point out that Proverbs 18:20-21 describes a principle for all people, so whether today you’re saved, and know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or you haven’t asked Him yet. In both cases this message applies to you, the Bible doesn’t make a distinction. Death and life are in the power of all tongues.
But if you put this principle into action, speaking blessing and life into situations without knowing Jesus, you may have a better life here on earth, but when we consider that we are eternal beings, you would miss out on the best God has for you, both on earth, and in eternity, where in Psalm 16 it says there are pleasures forevermore…….
God is so so good, He doesn’t force you to trust in Jesus as Lord, He gives you the option to follow your own path in life. God has created you, and has a good plan for each one of you listening, the best plan you could ever imagine! I spent years trying to find lasting pleasure in alcohol and possessions, not realising in God’s presence is FULNESS of joy, which is freely given, and doesn’t leave a hangover, and He provides all our needs!
If someone offered me all the money in the world, on the one condition I had to leave God’s will for my life, I would have to say no. Nothing on earth can compare to knowing God, and all the money couldn’t bring the satisfaction that comes from knowing Jesus as Lord. Christianity is not about following a list of laws, but the beautiful Person of the Lord Jesus, fully man and fully God……….You don’t need to understand everything with your brain, there are plenty of things we don’t know yet as Christians, and our relationship with Jesus is a learning process that will continue in eternal paradise in heaven, if you know Jesus as Lord. Like Jesus in Luke 4, I want to proclaim the year of the Lords favour, and I want you to know a personal relationship with the happy blessed God that Paul speaks about in the book of Timothy. That relationship comes through trust in the Lord Jesus, so if you feel God drawing you today, I’d ask you come to the front and people will pray with you. Today is the day of salvation for all who respond.
"Ohh come on, what are you playing at, you’ll never be able to do that"………"well it always rains"………and then every 2 years or so, "oh no, here we go again, England will never win on penalties"…….I am sure like me you’ll all have heard similar words coming out of people’s mouths, and like me you probably thought well aren’t they just harmless, today I’m going to suggest that’s not the case. And I’m going to look at a biblical perspective on words, and show how we have power in them.
In the beginning God created the world, and He did so by speaking. His words are creative and full of life. Then God created plants, animals, fish etc. and then He created man in His own image, allowing humans to have power in their words to rule over creation. But when sin entered the world, the possibility arose for us to use our words for evil. This was not how life was meant to be……..!
What I’m going to speak on today, I believe is an important part in receiving the manifestation of the promises of God in your life. It certainly has been in my case…….!
The text I’ll be starting with is from Proverbs 18:20-21, reading from the New King James
A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Now I would firstly like to point out, what I’m speaking about today is not a guarantee that you’ll get the red Ferrari you might have been wanting, even if you ask God loads of times! God loves us too much to give us everything we ask for. Just as hopefully you if you’re a parent, wouldn’t give your car keys to your 2 year old child, but you would wait until the right time, when they had passed their test, and you could trust to give them something that is less likely to harm them………
So if someone said you had the power of life and death in your tongue, I’m sure you’d want to know how choosing life looks like, how much more if it was the One True God, Creator of the universe who said it!
To look a little deeper I’d like to read James 3:8-12 from the NIV, if you don’t have a Bible you can look at your lap and pretend, it’s ok I’m joking…….. Anyway I’ll read it
“but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
Firstly from this passage of James, it’s important to note that taming the tongue is not a work of man, it says no human being can tame the tongue. It has to be a work of God. Just like in my life, I used to go out getting drunk most weeks before I became a Christian, and as hard as I tried I couldn’t stop for longer than maybe a month. But since knowing Jesus as Lord and Saviour it has been nearly three years, barring a couple times, where I regretted having an extra pint! So anyway, this is a work of God, and all things are possible with Him. Remember that!
Secondly, the word curse used in verse 9 can sound like a far off distant sin, that a Christian wouldn’t perform in their daily lives. But cursing is not limited to followers of the devil. The original Greek word for curse found in verse 9 is ‘Katara’, part of the meaning of this word is to imprecate, so not only did I look up the original Greek word, but I looked up imprecate, which according to dictionary.com means to call down evil on someone. So my search for the meaning of curse, lead me to looking up the Greek meaning of evil used in the text, which is the word ‘kakos’- which means something of a bad nature, not as it ought to be. An example of this can be disagreeing with God’s will for someone’s life, for example saying about someone that they are ‘always fearful’ is a curse, it is not God’s will for someone to be always fearful, as in 2 Timothy 1:7 it says He has not given us a spirit of fear. So like Paul says in Romans, we should call the things that are not, as though they are. So if you have been fearful, or if your praying for someone about fear, don’t curse yourself, or them. Instead speak God’s Truth into the situation. And His truth will manifest………God has NOT given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. These are not just nice words, but the truth! If the Bible is true, and our words have power, we can expect to see His promises in our life when we speak them.
I would like to point out here, this is a message for myself, as well as everyone else here. God gave me a great revelation of speaking blessings and truth, but there have been times when I have slipped up, so like you all, It’s good for me to hear this! And the last thing I want you to feel today is condemnation. If you can see that you have spoken curses in the past, repent, thank God for His forgiveness in Christ, and move on, speaking blessings and life. Now is not the time to look back with regret and sorrow, but with the power of God’s Spirit, to change, and to agree with Him!
Part of the reasons I felt God showing me, as to why we sometimes choose to curse is rooted in pride. God says in His word that all things are possible, but there have been times when people, myself included have said, I know God You can do anything, BUT, I think You’ll find this situation difficult. It’s a disobedience of Proverbs 3:5-6 that says not to lean on our own understanding, but to acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths. If someone says something’s difficult, I like to say well creating the universe by speaking is ‘difficult’…..!
There are times I’m not sure how God is going to work, but the Bible doesn’t say understand everything with your natural mind, but trust God. Let’s face it, there’s never any doubt He can do something. And He won’t punish us for having too much faith in Him and believing Him for answers, even if we don’t see them straight away.
· Example about how long it takes to do ‘mission’, 15 years or minutes.
Now as a Christian you don’t have to speak blessings and life with your words, but I would put it to you that here is a principle that will greatly benefit you. Jesus says in the gospels, as is your faith so be it unto you………..God can do anything, so get used to asking for, and expecting big things of Him!
Now whilst as we’ve seen, taming the tongue is ultimately a work of God, but there is a part we can play, if a curse comes up in your mind to say, don’t. It’s better for people to think you’re quiet than to just say everything that comes to mind. As it says in Proverbs 12:23, a wise man keeps his knowledge to himself. But there’s a time to speak of course, and I would put it to you we should ask God for wisdom, and we know from James 1:5 that God gives wisdom to those who ask Him.
On that note, I’m going to give 6 applications for this message………..
1. Be honest with God. Life isn’t always easy, and speaking blessings and life doesn’t mean we have to pretend if we don’t like something. God can handle us saying, I don’t know why You’re allowing this to happen, and it’s better to be honest with Him, he knows everything we think anyway! Jesus is a great High Priest, He knows our weaknesses.
2. Humble yourself before God, confess your weakness, and need for God to help you to watch your words, it says He perfects His strength in our weaknesses. It’s not about our own ability, learn to look beyond human limitations, to the limitations of God. ie. Nothing.
3. Ask for wisdom, God gives it freely to those who ask.
4. As it says in Psalms 141:3- ask God to guard your mouth, and keep watch over the door of your lips.
5. Get to know the Holy Spirit, the Bible says He dwells within us, and that we can know His fullness. He is God, and it’s not wrong to speak to and get to know Him. Just as you would a human who God provides to help you. He will teach you, and glorify Jesus in your life. There is no set rule for speaking you can use in every situation, so ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in everything.
6. Expect God to answer, 1 John 5:14-15 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have, what we asked of him.”
So that’s be honest with God. Humble yourself before Him. Ask for His wisdom. Ask Him to watch over your words. Get to know the Holy Spirit and His guidance. And expect God to answer. It is His will.
7. Another application that I’ll add for free, speak God’s Truth over your life, and read your Bible out loud whenever possible. No matter how you feel speak to that mountain to be moved, if you’re in a difficult circumstance, pray for God to give you the grace to thank Him, how He’s using it for your good. Because we know all things work for the good of those called according to His purpose- Romans 8:28.
A Christian spoke a curse over me when I was young, saying I’d never achieve anything, so now I’d like to publically bless them, and say I forgive them. Forgiveness is an important part, forgive others and yourself if you’ve been involved in cursing.
It hasn’t been a one day process for me, speaking God’s truth, and seeing it more in my life. There have been challenges, eg. Saying I’m blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and seeing things around me looking far from blessed. But God’s word is true, no matter how we feel, or our circumstances look.
Be encouraged, keep striving through God’s grace. To quote Rob Rufus, the gospel is not a self-improvement plan, but it’s allowing God to work in us. Colossians 2:6 says just as you’ve received Christ, so walk in Him, totally leaning on Him, and not your own understanding. There are things it’s important for us to do, but it’s not by our own strength or might, but by the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Lastly I’d like to point out that Proverbs 18:20-21 describes a principle for all people, so whether today you’re saved, and know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, or you haven’t asked Him yet. In both cases this message applies to you, the Bible doesn’t make a distinction. Death and life are in the power of all tongues.
But if you put this principle into action, speaking blessing and life into situations without knowing Jesus, you may have a better life here on earth, but when we consider that we are eternal beings, you would miss out on the best God has for you, both on earth, and in eternity, where in Psalm 16 it says there are pleasures forevermore…….
God is so so good, He doesn’t force you to trust in Jesus as Lord, He gives you the option to follow your own path in life. God has created you, and has a good plan for each one of you listening, the best plan you could ever imagine! I spent years trying to find lasting pleasure in alcohol and possessions, not realising in God’s presence is FULNESS of joy, which is freely given, and doesn’t leave a hangover, and He provides all our needs!
If someone offered me all the money in the world, on the one condition I had to leave God’s will for my life, I would have to say no. Nothing on earth can compare to knowing God, and all the money couldn’t bring the satisfaction that comes from knowing Jesus as Lord. Christianity is not about following a list of laws, but the beautiful Person of the Lord Jesus, fully man and fully God……….You don’t need to understand everything with your brain, there are plenty of things we don’t know yet as Christians, and our relationship with Jesus is a learning process that will continue in eternal paradise in heaven, if you know Jesus as Lord. Like Jesus in Luke 4, I want to proclaim the year of the Lords favour, and I want you to know a personal relationship with the happy blessed God that Paul speaks about in the book of Timothy. That relationship comes through trust in the Lord Jesus, so if you feel God drawing you today, I’d ask you come to the front and people will pray with you. Today is the day of salvation for all who respond.
