"What Does Your Tongue Say?"
It is a blessing to come to you today by way of this newsletter. I count it a joy and a privilege to be able to come to you with a personal message from God in this way. I pray that each of you realize that every message is given to me by the Holy Spirit. They are never meant to condemn, tear down or discourage. I don�t know the personal lives of any of you, but God does. When a message comes I must give it audibly or on paper, and many times in both ways. You see, a lot of the messages are for growth, warning, instruction, direction and at times, a call to repentance. Not just for those who read them, but for me as well! Often the Holy Spirit pricks my heart in a message as He gives it through me. You might say, �What a preacher! Preaching something he needs to deal with too�� But that�s right � preachers aren�t perfect. Everyone, no matter what position we may fill in the church, is a work in progress. God is continually molding us all. I�m not saying we can willfully sin � no, that brings serious consequences and loss of relationship with God. But messing up, doing something out of ignorance is where grace comes in. The things that are wrong in our lives, God will reveal to us if we truly have a relationship with Him, if we are one of His children. Every word God gives through His ministers is for our benefit. I did say �His� � you have to discern these. The tongue of a minister that doesn�t yield to the Holy Spirit can be very deadly, while a man of God�s tongue will bring love, correction, encourage-ment and repentance. I ask that each of you pray and seek understanding, and apply this message to your individual lives. Our title is �What Does Your Tongue Say?�
I have to confess something to you today. For several years I thought being called to preach meant that is was the preacher�s job to make people do right! To make them quit sinning and walk the straight and narrow. Then the Holy Spirit started giving me vivid visions of a shepherd. How he spoke to and called his sheep, his voice calming and reassuring, stern when needed to give them warning of danger. He leads them and does not drive them. He cares for them, provides for and protects them. What comes from his mouth is for the good of the sheep. I am not a shepherd (that�s a pastor�s place); still, I had to learn these things before I could evangelize effectively. An evangelist is much like a sheep dog. A sheep dog�s bark is to warn and get the flock back together, and to assist a shepherd in protecting the flock. Like the sheep dog, an evangelist is like the watchman that sits on the wall. He or she must warn the people of danger. If he doesn�t, their blood is on his hands at judgment. This is why it�s so important for pastors and evangelists and every worker in the church, every Christian, to be aware of what is coming out of their mouths. Does it encourage, strengthen, build up, warn? Does it give instruction? Or does it judge, tear down, destroy? Family of God, we are accountable for what our tongue says! God gave instruction on how we are to speak to the flock in Isaiah 40:1-3! In Jeremiah 23, God gives stern warning to pastors, ministers and false prophets that scatter the flock. He promises �woe�. Woe is misery and grief. In Ezekiel 34, God told Ezekiel to warn the shepherds that weren�t caring for the flock. �What Does Your Tongue Say?�
Each of us has the power to speak life or death with our mouths. Blessings or cursings. We can build up or tear down. Speak the truth of God or the lie of the devil. We have that ability. I�ve met and talked in depth to a lot of people, both men and women. People who have been told since early childhood that they were no good, worthless or that they�d end up in prison. Some father, some mother or someone who was influential to them, spoke a curse into their lives. Somewhere along the way they became convinced that all those things were true. They stopped fighting it and accepted that lie from the devil, and found themselves at the point of destruction. Anyone that calls a child stupid, or tells them they are no good or ignorant or that they�ll never amount to anything, has a reservation in hell! Unless they ask for God�s forgiveness... The child also has to come to Christ to break that curse. Let me tell you what speaking such things to a child or anyone else is � it is abuse! There are more ways to abuse a child or spouse other than to beat or rape them. The mouth can destroy them and their future � it can murder them spiritually. Yes, people commit murder with their tongues! Yes, they abuse with the words of their mouths. I�ve met so many women who were convinced they were ugly, useless, unloved and unwanted. Why? Because someone speaking right out of the pits of hell abused them! Destroying their self-esteem and setting their life in a direction of being victims to other abusers. If you are guilty of this, you had better cry out to God for forgiveness. Repent and stop it � start encouraging that husband, wife, child, congregation, homeless person or prisoner. If you claim Christ and wear His name, yet do these things, the Word of God says you are a liar! The love of God is not in you. Jesus spoke it plainly in Matthew 12:31-37. He warned of blasphemy. He said we can identify a good tree or a corrupt tree by its fruit! But in verse 34 Jesus gets really plain, �O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.� Then in 35, �A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.� Jesus went on to tell us that we�ll give account for every idle word, that our words will either justify us or condemn us at judgment. What does your mouth say about the condition of your heart? Blessings coming out like as from a child of God? Cursings coming out to reveal who really abides there or who is influencing your heart? Will you be justified or condemned by your mouth? Matthew 15:11 tells us it�s not what goes in the mouth, but what comes out that condemns a man. It�s time to stop and consider �What Does Your Tongue Say?�
Let�s take a look at James 3:1-12 and see what the Holy Spirit has to say. There in verse 1 the word �masters� means �teachers�, and it includes pastors, any church leader, missionaries, preachers of the Word or anyone instructing a congregation. Anyone in these positions is held to the most solemn and highest accountability. We are responsible for the words we speak, especially when carrying out our calling. We know what happens if a horse isn�t under the control of bit and bridle � it will run off! The tongue can cause great damage, like a small spark setting an entire forest on fire. Because of the sin nature, the tongue will lie, slander, gossip, boast, exaggerate, speak all manner of harsh words and even false doctrine. It will do all of these things if we do not surrender it and totally rely on the Holy Spirit to tame it (II Corinthians 10:5). James exhorted us to �be swift to hear, slow to speak� (James 1:19). We must stop and listen to the Holy Spirit and speak what He gives us. If we do that, the words will always be exhorting, healing and life giving � all blessings! If not, they will be bitter, full of poison and cursings. They will kill, steal and destroy. We know who came to kill, steal and destroy � satan! Everything about Christ�s nature was to give life more abundantly (John 10:10)! Jesus spoke the correct words in season. He exhorted and He rebuked, but never in a spirit of meanness. What is flowing from your fountain, sweet water or bitter water? You can�t produce both from the same source. No man can serve two masters, lest he hate one and love the other. No mouth can speak blessings and cursings � to do so would be a sure sign of doublemindedness! We know a doubleminded man is unstable in ALL his ways. I tell you that there was nothing unstable about Jesus! Do you exhibit His nature? Will you be an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony? Will you be defeated, be a victim and pass that defeat to others? Your tongue says it all. It�s time to examine ourselves. �What Does Your Tongue Say?�
If you are guilty of these things, you can be free today. Some may even be Christians who don�t realize they had the problem or had sin in their lives. Some may be sinners who are tired of being hateful, living a defeated life and abusing others. There is good news. It�s easy to get forgiveness and start anew. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, �That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (you�ll be obedient to Him) and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.� If you fit these scriptures, then pray to God in your own way and follow them. After you�ve accepted Christ, turn to Acts 1:8 and 2:38-39, find a Holy Ghost-filled church � you have power and great things ahead. Being in a Spirit-filled church is essential. Our doors are open to all. I�d like to hear from you. Now, �What Does Your Tongue Say?�
Brother and Sister Preachers, be vigilant in protecting your flock from wolves � there are many. I�ve witnessed a lot of false doctrine and strife being sown lately. I�m praying for you! Read the story below � once we speak something hurtful, we can�t get it back or erase the damage it does.
Love In Christ, Bro. Don George
~ The Fence ~
There was a little boy with a bad temper. His dad gave him a bag of nails and told him to hammer a nail in the fence every time he lost control.
The first day he drove 37 nails into the fence. They gradually dwindled down as the boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails.
Finally the day came when the boy didn�t lose his temper at all. His dad suggested that the boy now pull out one nail each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young man was finally able to tell his dad that all the nails were gone. The father led his son to the fence.
�You�ve done well, but look at all the holes in
the fence. When you say or do things in anger they leave a scar, just like the nail holes. You can put a knife in a person and draw it our. It won�t matter how many times you say �I�m sorry�, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.�
