SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
Eph. 4:7,11; Psalm 1:1-3; Prov 23:7; Col 3:1-2; Rom 12:2
Today I'd like to talk to you about these three things. Your heart, mind, and your tongue (mouth). It will not be in that order but never the less we will touch on all three.
- Wilderness Mentality. There are at least ten different mind sets that we as Christians usually bring with us from the world into our new life. It's funny because all things are suppose to become new. This can only happen when we follow the instructions to renew our mind with the word of God. The Word literally becomes water to cleanse us from all the poison that the world has filled us with.
When we have a wilderness mentality we have a tendency to keep looking backward. Being stuck in the past becomes a boulder of a stumbling block to our future. In Jer. 29:11 God plainly tells us that He has a plan for us. He says “I know the thoughts I have towards you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give a future and a hope. Looking back steals that peace and that hope. Part of the problem is where your focus lies. When we keep our eyes on the Lord we are ever moving forward. When we focus on the past we have our eyes on ourselves. A great example of this is the children of Israel. The Lord was leading them with a cloud by day and fire by night but as soon as they stop looking then they began to complain about every little thing. They became ungrateful for the freedom that they had received and started longing for their days of slavery. All of a sudden they forgot the hardship and cruelty that they suffered at the hands of the Egyptians and now they are longing to be back in slavery. At least they had water and bread but at what cost I ask you? They forgot the miracles that brought them thus far. They lost sight of the promised land because they were looking backward instead of keeping their eyes on the Lord.
They forgot about walking on dry land or even surviving the 10 plagues. All they knew is that it was hard being on their own. All of a sudden God wasn't enough. You know satan had to be whispering in their ears. They began to murmur and complain. This was a death sentence for them and they didn't even know it. Complaining or whining about a thing in thought or deed becomes a way of draining the life right out of you. It brings about a slow death. Praising and worshiping and being thankful brings life and that life more abundantly. I didn't say there wouldn't be trials and test, but, I can say that you will have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding working on your behalf. When you have peace you are a rich man or woman.
The wilderness mentality will steal your joy and keep you filled with anger bitterness and despair.
A wilderness mentality will take you into the bowels of depression. The weight of it pulling you into a dark place. This comes from holding on to past hurts and disappointments, and failures You need to confess repent and move on. We must study out the life of Jesus because He is our perfect example. Jesus over came every temptation that satan brought before Him and he never counted it a failure that He couldn't reach His people. His attitude was a prophet is a prophet except in his own land. So what did He do? He went to those that would listen to the message of salvation. He side stepped the religious leaders and kept moving forward with the work that God gave Him to do. Satan couldn't touch the thoughts of Christ Jesus. So it must be also with us. We must get rid of the stinkin thinkin and flood our minds with a can do attitude. Why? Because each one of us has a destiny to fulfill. We must believe in our hearts that we can do all things thru Christ Jesus that strengthens us and that all things are possible to those who believe.
- How much joy do you have in your life?
- How much anger do you have operating in your life?
- What is your daily attitude?
- Are you living or are you existing?
The Tongue
Here in lies the problem for the majority of us. I ask the question is your mouth saved? Let's think about it and be totally honest with ourselves. After all the Father knows the truth. I know that I have struggled with this. Lord help me. Since we are talking about our destiny I'd like to ask this question
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What are you saying about your self?
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What are you saying about others?
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Do you say what God says about you or are you listening to the words of the enemy?
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Do you have that one person that really knows how to push your hot button? It is usually someone very close to us. We must learn to walk away and guard our tongue. Walking away doesn't make us cowardly. It makes us smart.
Be determined that your tongue will be used for the glory of God. I believe we put a smile on God's face when we imitate him. Be prepared for an attack because that is what our adversary does. He comes to kill, steal and destroy. He majors in guilt and condemnation. Above all remember that this is a battle for your mind and your mouth.
Many of us are not successful today and we don't understand that the words we speak form our world. God made us in His image and then He gave us the power of the spoken word. When we speak and agree with the written word of God He is compelled to uphold His word. He said “I have placed my word above my name and yet at the name of Jesus every knee must bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now hear and understand in John 1:1-3 God has set the stage for us. This a confirmation of What took place in the book of Genesis. Everything that Jesus did we should imitate.
Jesus never once while He walked this earth said anything He didn't mean and whenever he opened His mouth to create something He got just what He asked the Father for. He walked in total confidence that what He asked the Father for He would do it. God wants us to imitate to the fullest example what Jesus did. And this is how I know. Jesus said “these things I do and greater things will you do because I will go unto the Father.” (on our behalf because He is the great intercessor.) Too many times we are saying what the enemy is saying. You can't, God won't, has God said? Now satan is having victory for 1 or 2 reasons. 1. We really don't know the word, or 2 we know the word and are too lazy to fight with it or we don't believe He will do it for us. In any case we are being defeated because we doubt God and are believing a lie. If your faith is contaminated, fall on your face and ask for forgiveness and then ask God to restore your faith and help your unbelief.
For those times, when you are in a hard dry place, and there is no encouragement forthcoming from family & friends, we must learn to encourage ourselves like David did. In those dry times know that there is hope. There is a river of life in you. Ask God to stir the waters. Declare and release the word of God over your life and your love ones.
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force. You must have violent faith and you must be one who is willing to fight violently in this battle called life. We have had love ones stolen from us and some have been taken out prematurely and others are held captive. The tongue is our sword. When we speak the word of God the sword leaves our mouth and accomplishes what we need done. We must use our tongue to tear down the kingdom of darkness and all of it's work. We must not use our tongues to tear each other down. We must walk in the authority that God gave to us. We are to do what Jesus did. He healed the sick, raised the dead, delivered the possessed by casting out demons and proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand.
When satan attacks our bodies with sickness then we have to counter that attack with the word of God.
There was a priced paid for our healing. We need to remind him of that price. There is an answer in God's word for everything and when in doubt start to pray in tongues the ultimate weapon. He can't do anything with you while you are praying in tongues. Summon all the prayers of the intercessors to be joined to yours as you do battle. The prayers of the righteous availeth much. We can send the demons screaming back to the pit of hell. Every morning they should tremble when we open our eyes because we know how to use our tongues against him and not each other. Let's stop the strife and bickering among each other and focus on the enemy.
Each one of us is here in this very important time in man's history. We have been born in this time period for God's divine purpose and will. So by knowing the word and how to fight many lives will be saved and much destruction done to the kingdom of darkness.
Violent faith is not cheap but it will be worth it when you see the kingdom of God advancing.
The Heart.
Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life.
Guarding your heart is key because it is the center of who you are. It is the area that satan goes after to kill you. It is the focal point by which you can be identified as to who you are. Your character will stem from your heart. As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. Your heart is also your storage area. What do you have stored in your heart?
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Is your heart full of love or bitterness?
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Is your heart a forgiving one or one that holds on to unforgiveness and grudges?
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Is your heart hard and brittle? Or is it pliable so that God can use it.
We must learn to walk in love even as Jesus did. Remember even when hanging on the cross Jesus said Father forgive them for they know not what they do. There was so much compassion and love in Jesus. Jesus had the love of the Father in Him and it was a wonderful thing. The hardness of satan and the pride that he walked in caused him not to be able to see the curve ball that God thru him. He figured I got him now. I hold the keys to death hell and the grave. Hell is my domain and all who leave this world must come to my domain. But I bet the look on his face was pure horror and defeat when Jesus entered hell with all that love in him radiating a bright light and that there was a whole lot of screaming going on but it wasn't from the souls in hell but the demons. The light was more than they could take and then to have the keys taken from him and the title deed stripped from him. All power and authority in the hands of Jesus concerning this earth and mankind. Let us not take this example of love for granted. Instead let us embrace it because there really is no excuse that we can give that Jesus did not experience while here on this earth. Let us be about our Fathers business, seeking his perfect and divine will for our lives.
Ask God to show you your heart. You may be surprised at what you see. Ask God to give you the grace to handle what he shows you. Ask Him to clean you up and allow Him to put you on the potters wheel.
To sum up this lesson lets just remember that there is a battle for your mind, mouth and your heart. Who you yield it to, will dictate your outcome. Victory or defeat. The choice is yours.
Delivered by Min. Linda Coleman
Feb. 12, 2012
His Word To All Nations Church, Chicago, Illinois
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