YOUR WORDS

 YOUR WORDS

Words are things that someone says or writes and they are vehicles for communication.

Communication is the art of passing across news, information, feeling or whatever to someone else.

Words are powerful tools that can build, encourage and soothe. Words can also destroy, discourage and hurt. The words we speak can clarify or complicate a situation. Words have creative power with the ability to heal and also to help, to humble, and also to harm,  to hinder and to hurt, therefore words should be carefully chosen and spoken with wisdom.

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Evil people have evil things in their hearts and so they speak evil things, while good people have good things in their hearts, so they speak good things; Matthew 12: 34-35.

Your words are what proceed out of your mouth to God, to others and to even yourself. They are what you communicate to others through verbal or through writing. For example, making speech, giving instruction, writing a request or making pronouncement over a situation.

The scripture admonishes that your speech at all times be gracious, seasoned with salt, to know how you ought to answer anyone, Col 4:6. And also, that no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers; Ephesians 4:29.

Your words must never stir up anger, that is, your words should motivate, bring succour and solution, not confusion to situations. Your words should build relationship and express kindness and even impart grace to the hearers, and such words must not be false.

Your words create your world, so, choose and use them wisely. They are so powerful that they can kill or give life. Proverb 18: 21a; “The tongue has the power of life and death”. It is whatever you say that God will hear. For example, it was when blind Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by that he cried out and said “Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me”. Despite the discouragement, he cried the more until Jesus attended to him. If he did not speak out, Jesus could not have heard and so he received his sight which was what he requested for. Mark 10:46-52

The Lord even declares “as surely as I live, I will do to you the very things I heard you say”; Numbers 14:28. Brethren, I admonish you to learn to say good things about your situation, family to God with faith, “for by your words, you will be acquainted and by your words you will be condemned”; Matthew 12:37.

Let us consider some words spoken by some characters in the Bible and the effect.

Number 13 and 14: When Moses sent 12 leaders of the Israelites to go explore the land of Canaan as directed by God, having explored for forty days, only Caleb and Joshua brought good report and God used their report to determine their fate and the other ten brought bad report which was also used to judge them. While Caleb said “we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Numbers 13:30. The other men said, “We can’t attack those people, they are stronger than we are, the land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size, we saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our in own eyes and we look the same to them” Numbers 13:31-33. These men spread a bad report of the land among the Israelites, but Joshua and Caleb went further to nullify their report by saying “the land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.’’ Numbers 14:7b -8. And God responded, “but because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me whole-heartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” Numbers 14: 24. All the men with bad report were struck and died, only Joshua and Caleb survived.

Brethren, remember what God says in Number 14:28; “I will do to you the very things I heard you say.” God heard what Joshua and Caleb said, “we should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it. The land is exceedingly good, flowing with milk and honey and the Lord will give it to us.’’ And the Lord gave it to them. Those who said they couldn’t and saw themselves as grasshoppers did not get there and they even died. The lesson we can learn from this, is that one’s words have influence on how far one can go in life. Since what you say is what God will hear, say exactly what you want with humility and faith.

Another example to consider is that of the woman with the issue of Blood. Mark 5:25-29: The woman said to herself, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.” This woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years did not get healed despite the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind in the crowd and touched His cloak just as she said to herself; immediately, her bleeding stopped and she was healed.

Brethren, when you are passing through challenges, what do you say to yourself as regards those challenges? Learn from the woman with the issue of blood. Learn to say good things about your situation, yourself, to others and to your Lord and Saviour. Your words count and they create your world. Therefore, carefully and selectively choose your words and speak with wisdom at all times. No wonder David prayed, “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips”; Psalm 141:3. When you find yourself in a fix and you don’t know what to say, keep mute and ask the Holy Spirit to put words in your mouth.

PRAYER:

Heavenly father, grant me the grace to speak words that edify, encourage and soothe and give me the grace to be able to selectively choose my words and speak with wisdom always. Also, let my words not condemn me in Jesus’ name.

 Amen

OVERCOMING YOUR PAST

OVERCOMING YOUR PAST    

To overcome is to subdue, to prevail over, to get over or to surmount obstacles which may be physical or abstract.Your past are your actions or activities or events that are obsolete or foregone or that have elapsed.Overcoming your past is simply getting over activities that have elapsed.Your past are what you have done to others, what others have done to you, and what you have done to yourself. Such activities may be good or bad and they do have effects which may influence you for good or for bad.Not all past events are bad.

The good ones are to be  used to improve on the future and be better off. The bad ones bringing sad memories, hurting and hunting are to be worked upon and overcome so that one will be set free.This sermon will concentrate on the later. Some past activities can hold one back especially those that produce negative effects. Some  events can keep one from living a fulfilled life and hinder one's spiritual growth. But the scripture gives hope that is  greater than one's past. Therefore there is need to rebound from one's past.We all have a past and most of us struggle with them because they keep hunting or hurtIng us. Examples are troubled childhood, abuse, broken relationship, divorce, addiction, fornication, adultery, failure, stealing, cheating, falsification, forgery, lying and all forms of work of flesh and all kinds of ungodliness. Any of these may sometimes bring about depression, rejection, frustration, regret, fear, anxiety, lack of trust,  unhappiness and feeling of inadequacy. 

What ever your past may be, you need to overcome it and strain ahead. You should not be held captive otherwise your tomorrow may be jeopardised. We are to learn from the past and make amend. No wonder Apostle Paul said "Phi 3: 13-14" Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Overcoming the past has to do with forgetting and forgiveness, that is forget the evil people have done to you, the evil you have done  and forgive those who have hurt you, find a means of asking for forgiveness from those you have hurt, and seek forgiveness from God and finally forgive yourself too. After all these, you should never rehearse the episode. Dig into the word of God and live by it and keep renewing your mind. 

Replace fleshly thoughts with Godly thoughts  and ask for God 's mercy and for his grace to be sufficient for you and believe he has forgiven you. The Lord says "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isa 1:18b. He is merciful and he forgives when one repents and asks for forgiveness. When God forgives, he does not hold the penalty of our past sins against us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn1:9. He also admonishes us to forget the former things; and to not dwell on the past. Isa 43:19. The Lord says " I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more."Isa 43:25.

Brethren, you can not change your past, but you can overcome it. What should be primary is "where am I going? What lies ahead ?" To overcome the past, you need to take some actions, like breaking the power of the past and living for the future.Let us use Apostle Paul as a case study.- Phi 3 :3-14. Apostle Paul formerly known as Saul has a lot to contend with before conversion. He said " If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless."Phi 3: 4b-6.  When he was being controlled by the flesh, he persecuted Christians with zeal, and was ruled by the law. He was so proud to say" I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison. "Acts 22:4. He proudly boasts of how he used to obtain letters from associates in Damascus to facilitate how he would bring Christians he imprisoned to Jerusalem to be punished. He was so zealous persecuting  Christians and was very proud of it. This was Saul's  past but when he had an encounter with Jesus Christ on his way to Damascus he became a new creature, the old gone and newness came. He had to release his past identity as Saul, a persecutor of Christians in order for him to move forward in the ministry to which God called him. No more persecuting Christians but spreading the gospel. His song changed to "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything  a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ  and found in him  not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ. I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death."Phi 3:7-10.

Brethren, there is much to learn from Paul's complete moving away from the past that is from the life of persecuting the church, holding on to the law and basing his righteousness on the law to basing his faith on the righteousness that comes from God and wanting to know Christ and the power of his resurrection . Apostle  Paul acknowledged God's grace bestowed on him and said " I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."1Tim1:12-14.Beloved, are there issues of the past that you are contending with? Move out from a life of regrets, remorse or shame. Learn from Apostle Paul, let go, be free and move forward.To forget the past.You have to give your life to Christ and remain in him  so that you can be transformed and become a new creation.2Cor 5:17.Believe that Jesus loves you and he is  ever ready to forgive. Jn 15:9&12.

Dig daily in to the word of God and live by it. Jas1:22

Ask for grace to forgive those that have hurt you and live at peace with all men.Heb12:14. 

Confess all you have to, repent and ask God to forgive you. He is faithful and just, He will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.1Jn 1:9.

Don't hold up yourself to contempt even when God  has forgiven you. Forgive yourself and forge ahead.Gal5:1. And thank God for forgiving  you and for mercy shown you.1Tim1:13.

Advantages of overcoming the past.

It makes one to feel free of burdens. 

It enables one to learn from the past and gain strength.

It enables one to grow in wisdom and faith and be better off in future.

It enables you to move to the next level in life.

It can even enhance one's salvation having resolved all issues with people, Self and God.

Prayer.

Heavenly Father, I learnt from your word that the future is more important than the past, that one should not dwell on the past. Grant me the grace to not dwell on the past but to forge ahead and to overcome the past and strain ahead to achieve the goal you have set for me..In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.

" So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

 Title of the sermon:- "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

What does this prayer of Moses mean?

Who is to teach us?.

God himself will teach us to number our days  through the Holy Spirit.

To teach is to guide; to show and to cause us to know how to number our days.

To number is to count; and to apply is to put to use what we are taught by the Lord.

Our heart could mean our Spirit, our emotions or being.

While in this context wisdom is knowing and having discernment, so that we can use and apply the truth of the word of God being taught, on time and  at the right time, in the right way with the right motive .

To number our days, we need God to reveal to us the brevity of life and that revelation will help us to be conscious of how short our sojourn on earth is, and the certainty that it will come to and end. It will make us appreciate how few and brief  our days are. Therefore it requires us to make the best use of our God given time on earth  by spending it wisely and purposefully to the glory of God and to the benefit of humanity. Not just to pass through life without making positive impact maximally. We are to  spend each day judiciously and be committed to doing more for the kingdom of God.  God calls us to use every moment of every day to honour him. To live each day as if it is the last because no one knows when God will request for the soul. 

Applying our heart to wisdom will help us to make choices that will make our stay on earth have eternal value. By seeking the kingdom of God first, seeking the way of salvation, making Jesus our Lord and saviour, living for him and occupying ourselves meaningfully for his glory and be well prepared for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Fear the Lord and walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise and redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  Eph 5:15-16.

Also, it entails using our time, talent and treasure wisely to the glory of God and to the service of humanity.

Brethren, the lesson here is that we should be aware of how short our stay on earth is and learn to spend each day wisely. To have a divine vision and work towards it without delay.

On the other hand, those who have learnt to number their days spend them in pursuit of wisdom, goodness, storing their treasure in heaven, Matt 6:20, seeking the kingdom of God  and seeing each day as a gift from God and awaiting the second coming of Christ.

Brethren, you are admonished to live each day to the glory of God, pursue virtues that have eternal significance. Use  your time, talent and treasures wisely and meaningfully .

No wonder David said in Ps: 39:4"Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is." 

David was conscious of the shortness of life on earth and prayed God to show  him. No wonder he committed himself to writing half of the book of Psalms in the Bible which up till date many are reading.

Brethren, don't just heap up wealth, for you won't know whose it will finally be.Ps39:6. Better use  it for the expansion of God's kingdom on earth in various ways, and for  the good and development of humanity. Store up your treasure in heaven by giving to the poor, by helping others and making sacrifices for the comfort of others in need. Lk12:33. Look after the orphans and widows in their distress and keep yourself from being polluted by the world. Jam1:27.And most importantly guard your salvation with fear and trembling for your soul can be required any time and none of your possessions will go with you.

Finally, I admonish you to imbibe whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just,whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, - think on these things. Phi 4:8. Also for your sojourn on earth to have eternal value you have to imbibe holiness for without it you can not see God. Again, guard your salvation with fear and trembling as you await the second coming of Christ. May good report  be made of you.

Prayer- 

May the Lord Almighty teach you to number your days and apply your heart unto wisdom and grant you the grace to evaluate your life and spend each day wisely.

In Jesus's Name, Amen.