FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER,

Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina

GOFAMINT

WATCH YOUR TONGUE  

Sunday 15^th November , 2015.

 “So also, the tongue is a small thing, but, what enormous damage it can do.  A tiny spark can set a great forest on the fire, And the tongue is a flame of fire.  It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life.  It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.  People can tame all kinds of animals and birds and reptiles and fish, but, not one can tame the tongue.  It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.  Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against those who have been made in the image of God.  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth.  Surely my brothers and sisters, this is not right.  Does a spring of water bubble out with fresh water and bitter water?  Can you pick olives or figs from grapevine?  No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty pool” (JAMES 3:5-12) (NLT)

Because of the importance of this message, I have tried to quote the major part of James Chapter three based on his warnings and talk about the tongue.  In fact, one of the most delicate, most dangerous, most destructive and most uncontrollable parts of our body is the tongue!  It is one part of our bodies that is often used when we are not asleep. Yet, it is very quick to ruin lives.  The Bible, right from the Old Testament, has a lot to say about the tongue.

For example, Solomon in Proverbs 18:21 wrote, “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof (KJV).  Children of God must be very careful about how they use their tongue.  The way we talk about our church, our friends, our enemies, and Christian brothers and sisters matters a lot.  We sometimes abuse and curse with our tongue and still claim to be children of God.  We praise our brothers and sisters in the Lord in their presence, but, when they are away, we backbite them, defame their character and talk all kinds of evil about them with the same tongue – our text says, ‘this is not right’, fresh and bitter water cannot flow out from the same spring. 

We should make every possible effort to control our tongue from curses, gossip, backsliding and all the rest.  Some so-called children of God have time to criticize and talk evil about their church leaders, but, have no one minute to pray for them, yet, if they meet them outside or inside the church, they will greet them kneeling down with all their hypocritical respect – friends, this is not good.  Jesus emphatically told us that our words will be judged, listen to what He said, “…I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak.  The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned” (Matt 12:36,37 NLT)

You can now realize the weight of our tongue, therefore, make sure you control your tongue.

Take To These Pieces of Advice

1.                  Make every effort to avoid gossiping and the gossip.

2.                  Avoid tale-bearing and tale-bearers within and outside the church.

3.                  Learn to make complimentary statements about your fellow Christians instead of talking evil about them.

4.                  Allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you, rather than your selfish self.

5.                  Avoid too much talks, jestings and idle words, jokes.  Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool uttereth all his mind… a wise man keepeth it in”.

6.                  Read James, chapter 3 at least once in a month.

God bless you.

Let us pray:

1.       Oh Lord, anoint my tongue to speak words that will reveal your beauty in my life.

2.       Every evil word against me be terminated in Jesus name.

3. Pray this prayer in Ps 19:14. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O, Lord my strength and my redeemer”