What Does The Bible Say About The Tongue?

What Jesus said about the tongue?

III. Transform the tongue – Transforming the tongue begins with a change in the heart. Jesus said, “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.” Matt 15:18 (HCSB). The heart influences the tongue. When it is full of anger, selfishness, envy, pride, and all the other ugly “stuff” that can invade our hearts, we are affected in everything we do.

• I heard about a joke some children played on their grandfather.
• They found him asleep on the sofa in the living room.
• One of the youngsters got the bright idea to spread some Limburger cheese in Grandpa’s mustache.
• After a while grandpa woke up and began to smell that Limburger cheese and said, “Something in this living room stinks.” He went into the kitchen, still smelling the Limburger cheese in his mustache, and said, “Something in this room stinks.” Finally, he stuck his head out the back door and says, “Ah, the whole world stinks!” Some of us have Limburger cheese in our hearts.

The problem is not out there, it’s within us. Something needs to change within us. Our focus needs to be transformed. Instead of looking for the bad in a situation, we need to look for the good. Instead of being preoccupied with self-interest, we need to focus on the interests of others.

Changing our hearts is a good place to start. We need to think before we speak. The Bible teaches, “My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” James 1:19-20 (HCSB) Guard against engaging the tongue without engaging the mind.

Take a moment before you speak. Here’s an acrostic to help evaluate whether you are about to say something you perhaps shouldn’t. Ask the following questions: T – is it true?H – is it helpful?I – is it inspiring?N – is it necessary?K – is it kind? If what you are about to say does not pass this simple test, then don’t say it.

1. Think before you speak.
2. Tap into God’s help.
3. This help is available to us.
4. Who can tame the human tongue? Jesus can.
5. Jesus is in the business of transforming lives.
6. Paul reminded us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB) Jesus can give us the desire and motivation to change.

Most of all, He can give us the ability to make the change. Paul commented, “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13 (HCSB) Countless lives have been transformed through Christ. Jesus specializes as a change agent. Let Jesus do His work in your life.

What is the power of the tongue in the Bible?

The Power of The Tongue for Life & Death – James: Faith and Works, part 7 — Faith Chapel “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.4 Or take ships as an example.

• Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.
• Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.

It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 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” (James 3:1-12, NIV).

Now read the same first two verses of James 3 in the King James Version: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:1-2, KJV).

• James has moved from addressing how a person’s faith is displayed in their works and deeds to how a person’s faith is displayed in their words and speech.
• We say faith without works is useless and dead.
• We might also say that a person who says they have faith and yet has an uncontrolled, untamed tongue or speech is not a person who is displaying their faith in Christ.

James warns the believer in the beginning of his epistle regarding the tongue. “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:26, NIV). There will be times when we stumble and uses uncontrollable words or unrestrained words, rather than using faith-building words.

• It will happen at times; no one is perfect.
• But that is no excuse.
• The important question is, do we repent for speaking those words or continue unrestrained? Do we seek forgiveness? Will we attempt to control what we say, or will we simply continue to speak with a untamed tongue? Remember, James is addressing believers and our lives should display good deeds and our vocabulary, our speech, is to glorify God Almighty.

May we never speak vile, idol words that tear down or cause someone to turn from knowing Christ. We must not lead someone into temptation or sin by the words we use. As believers in Christ, as Christians, we are servants of Christ. Our entire being is to glorify God.

• Our lifestyle, actions, deeds, and words are to display to all the world, that we are servants of Christ.
• Our words, actions and our all-around lifestyle are connected.
• We are not to live as believers only on Sunday and the other six days live as the world.
• No, we are called to live as servants of Christ every day; 24/7.

Paul said he was called to be set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1). “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

1. No one can serve two masters.
2. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
3. You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13).
4. James begins this epistle with the declaration of who he is, “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).

As believers in Christ, we are called out of the world, out of darkness, and set apart to live as servants of Christ. Paul, Jude, Simon Peter, Moses, Tychicus, Epaphras, John, John the Baptist, and people down the ages who have placed their faith in Jesus are called to be servants of God.

• Each of us who have placed our faith in Jesus are servants of God.
• We are called to be witnesses of Christ.
• You are to live a life set apart unto Christ.
• You have been set free from the bondage of sin and death.
• You are to live as ambassadors of Christ to the world.
• In Ephesians 6, Paul speaks of himself as an ambassador for Christ, meaning that he is a representative of Christ to both the believer and the unbeliever.

In James 3, we find James is addressing believers who are teachers, but I cannot rule out that James must also have every believer in mind. We need to carefully consider the words we use and speak: faith, hope, love, and life. Words are powerful and we must remember that “the tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21, emphasis added).

James is saying whoever teaches the word of God will be held to a higher standard of judgement. Teachers, rabbis, religious leaders, pastors are often looked up to because of their position. As parents and grandparents, you are teachers also. You are to teach and be examples to your family in the way he or she should live.

But when teachers or religious leaders use their position for personal gain or have a false motivation or evil intentions, James is saying that they will be judged with stricter judgement. James is telling his readers that the person who is in the place of authority and uses that authority to teach others has a serious responsibility and will be judged accordingly.

• What you say can encourage or discourage.
• What you say can speak life or death.
• It can be positive or negative.
• It can bring healing or destruction.
• It can speak hope or hopelessness.
• It can spark faith to arise in a person’s heart or it can influence unfaithfulness to keep a person in spiritual bondage.

As a teenager, the men and women of the church I attended were my spiritual teachers just as much as the pastor and youth pastor. Everyone in that church had an influence on my spiritual growth. Their lifestyle, words, and deeds spoke volumes. God used them to guide me in my spiritual development.

1. God by his Holy Spirit used each of them to speak into my life.
2. I watched, listened, and learned how a believer is to live as a servant of Christ.
3. It is just as easy to watch and pick up the wrong lessons concerning being a servant of Christ from someone you look up to as a spiritual teacher.
4. A person with an uncontrolled tongue or an uncontrolled lifestyle can easily influence a person to live a spiritually uncontrolled life.

This is what James is warning teachers and every believer. As believers we are to be good examples and to guide and teach others in the ways of the Lord. Both in word and deed. As Godly parents we will make mistakes, we will stumble and make mistakes along the way.

1. James reminds us that no one is perfect.
2. We will all say things and do things at times that we regret along our spiritual walk with Christ.
3. It is easy to speak out of line because of anger that may result in emotional outbreaks at times.
4. I am sure we have all done so one at time or another.
5. We must try to control our tongues and what we say.

Such control is learned as we grow and spiritually mature in Christ. Tight reigns of the tongue must be taught and caught by all. It needs to be modeled each day, but when we stumble spiritually and say things with an uncontrolled tongue we need to confess, repent, and seek to repair the damage and offence we caused.

1. Idle words spoken can have a tremendous effect on an individual.
2. Words can destroy or slander a person’s reputation.
3. Idly spoken words can set someone on the wrong path in life.
4. If you tell a child that they are no good, if you tell them that they will grow up to be a loser, if you tell a person they are stupid, in time the person will believe you.

They will begin to think, why should I try to be different? Why try to be successful? Why study, why be good, why hope to be different? Why try to be a Christian? The opposite is also true. As you encourage a person and speak words of faith, hope, love and peace they will learn a great truth.

1. As you speak and model a lifestyle of love and faith in Christ, it will not go unnoticed.
2. It will not return void.
3. God’s word is true.
4. It is powerful and the Holy Spirit will cause it to come to mind in a person’s life when it is needed.
5. You do your part in speaking the words of life.
6. God, by His Holy Spirit, will use your words, and the words that he has put on your heart to speak, to reach the lost and encourage the person to believe.

Now it is up to that individual to respond. James gives his reader some great examples of how small things can have huge influence and affects outcomes.

• Horses have a small bit in their mouths that can turn the horse easily.
• A large ship has a small rudder in comparison to the ship, yet the rudder will cause the ship to change directions. It doesn’t matter how strong the wind blows. The rudder directs the ship.

James also uses the idea of a spark that can cause a huge fire that will destroy a forest. Words spoken carelessly can destroy a life, a relationship, a marriage, a family, and a church much like how a small spark can start a fire and destroy a forest.

1. No one can control the tongue, James says.
2. The tongue is a small member of the body.
3. It is the organ of speech we all have and is untamable and yet James tells us to keep a tight rein on our tongue.
4. The words you speak can bring either life or death.
5. We can tame animals great and small.
6. We can control horses and ships, but no one is able to control the tongue.

It’s the rider on the horse who uses the bit that can control the horse. It is the pilot in the pilot house of the ship, who can control and direct the ship in the direction to go, using a rudder. We need to allow Jesus to pilot our lives and direct our paths.

Our steps are directed by God and it’s hard for us to know the way on our own (Proverbs 20:24). We need to allow the Holt Spirit complete access to our hearts and listen for him to reveal things in our hearts that are not pleasing or submissive to his will, so we can turn from them. God by his Holy Spirit will use a person to speak into your life.

He will also use you to speak into someone’s life. the word of God, the preaching of a sermon, a song you sing, a painful situation or a sovereign move of God to cause you to come to a point of decision regarding your spiritual condition and heart. Maybe a phrase or word someone once said long ago, and the Holy Spirit brings it to mind and reminds you of the grace of God.

1. The Holy Spirit can also use your words to speak into a person’s life.
2. The winds of the world will blow hard and try to get you to move in the direction of the world, but I challenge you to allow the pilot of your heart to direct you in how to live and what you say.
3. James reminds us that no one can tame the tongue, that it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

In other words, your idle, uncontrollable words can have a spiritually deadly effect on another person or even yourself. If you are negative and speak only negative words and have thoughts that are worldly, you will find yourself spiritually adrift and headed in a direction away from serving God.

As believers we need to allow God by his Holy Spirit to direct or lives, steps, and words in such a way that we obey the leading of the Spirit and not be blown in the direction of the world. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to use the word of God as the rudder to direct our lives and the lives of others.

God will use you as servants of Christ, to speak life and hope into lives and encourage individuals in faith as you obey the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit. However, that will not happen if you do not watch what you say and, instead, speak with a untamed tongue.

Remember, words can corrupt and destroy. There is power in the tongue: life, and death. Words that come from a heart of anger, envy, greed, and selfishness are sinful, evil and originate from the pit of hell, and they have no place in a believer’s vocabulary or life. James explains how a person of faith should not praise God in one moment and curse man in the other (James 3:9-12).

James uses two examples:

1. The example of fresh and salt water cannot flow from the same spring.
2. A fig tree will not bear olives, nor a grapevine figs.

James says a salt pond cannot yield fresh water. In Israel, fresh water from the Jordan flows down into the dead sea. The water mixes and is no longer fresh. A river can run into the ocean and the fresh water from the river will mix with the ocean and become salty.

The fresh water will become contaminated by the salt water. Words of blessing become contaminated, confusing, and meaningless when associated with words of cursing. In the same way a believer who praises God should not be someone who curses man. James warns the believer who curses, mistreats, and causes a person to stumble.

Understand, every man is created in the image of God. No matter how evil they live. God loves that person and Jesus was nailed to the cross and died for that person, giving that person an opportunity to be saved and delivered from sin. Who are we to say things or do things that might cause a person to stumble or reject Jesus? I do not want to be the cause of a person to reject Jesus as Lord and savior because of idle words I have spoken.

I do not want to be the reason someone turns away from faith because I said or did something. I do not want to be the example that causes someone to sin. We will have to give an account for every careless word we’ve spoken—our words will acquit or condemn us (Matthew 12:36-37). I am not perfect, but I know the one who is and that is Jesus.

It is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that I will be able to hold a tight rein on my tongue and actions. When I fail, it is my desire and prayer that I quickly repent, confess, and seek forgiveness from God and from the one I offended. I desire to be the person of God that he desires.

1. I choose to follow his footsteps and the leading of the Holy Spirit in order to be a faithful servant of God.
2. Remember, we are all servants of God.
3. We are all ambassadors of Christ to the world.
4. We are all teachers in a way, to our families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and those around us who are looking at us to see how a servant of Christ is to live and act.

Let us carefully choose the words we speak. Words of faith, hope and love. When the wind of the world blows, when the enemy tempts us to sin, when fear or trouble come our way, and before we say something we should not say, we should remember:

• Stop and breath a quick prayer.
• Let your life be driven by that small rudder; the word of God.
• Follow the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit and stay on course.
• Strive to remain a faithful servant of Christ in word and deed.

I heard of a story where a woman once came up to John Wesley and said she knew what her talent was. She said, “I think my talent from God is to speak my mind.” Wesley replied, “I don’t think God would mind if you buried that talent.” Speaking everything that comes to mind can be unwise, poisonous speech.

1. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them” (Matthew 15:11).
2. May we be led by the Holy Spirit in all we do and speak.
3. Choose today to be a faithful servant of God and have a tight rein on your words.
4. May you always praise God and speak life and hope.

: The Power of The Tongue for Life & Death – James: Faith and Works, part 7 — Faith Chapel

What does Bible say about controlling your tongue?

‘ The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison ‘ (James 3:8). Only by the grace of God in your life can you seek to control your speech. ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’ (Philippians 4:13).

What is the spiritual use of the tongue?

Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. God has given us this wonderful spiritual gift to bless us, edify us, and refresh us throughout our lives on this earth. Let’s remember what God has provided and enjoy the benefits of speaking in tongues.

What is the sin of the tongue?

What are some of the destructive sins of the tongue? ( Slander, lies, gossip, put downs, criticism, etc.) Consider the power of the media, which seems to thrive on gossip and slander and anything negative. It sells.3:7-8 Our tongue in its untamed nature is a wild and deadly beast.

What makes the tongue powerful?

What Power Fuels My Tongue and Words – the Spirit or Satan? – Spirit-filled words – Spirit-filled words provide the power and wisdom to harness the tongue. The Bible says, “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” ( James 3:8 ). Self-effort can’t tame the tongue. Neither can good intentions.

1. We need the power of God.
2. And we have it! Ephesians 5:17-20 commands us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Our words reveal who controls our heart.
4. A life filled with the Holy Spirit pours out blessing and thanksgiving.
5. Spirit-filledlips make sweet music, instead of noisy gongs.
6. Jesus said, “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.

The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth what is evil” ( Matthew 12:34-35 ). “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” ( Galatians 5:22-23 ).

1. Present your tongue to God as an instrument of righteousness ( Romans 6:13 ).
2. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit.
3. Practice offering Him praise and thanksgiving ( Psalm 34:1 ) and watch God infuse your tongue with life-giving power.
4. Spirit-filled lips bless God and people.
5. Submit your heart to God and hand Him the reins to your tongue.

Evil-fueled words – The Scripture says a tongue not under the control of the Holy Spirit is a restless evil set on fire by hell and controlled by the evil one ( James 3:6 ). “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

• It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” ( James 3:6, 8 NIV ).
• But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
• And I say to you that every careless word what men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgement.

For by your words you shall be justified, and by you words you shall be condemned” ( Matthew 12:36-37 NASB). “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” ( Matthew 15:18 NIV). “You let your mouth say anything evil.Your tongue plans deceit.You sit and talk against your own brother.

You slander your own mother’s son. When you did these things, I remained silent. That made you think I was like you. I will argue my point with you and lay it all out for you to see” ( Psalms 50:19-21 ). I have a precious friend who radiates Jesus. She has blessed me in many ways with her prayers, encouragement, and insights from her walk with God.

But she’ll tell you she used to have a “potty mouth.” When she gave her heart to Jesus, He transformed not only her heart but also her tongue. The tongue is small but powerful. Unbridled it dispenses deadly poison. Bridled by the Holy Spirit it blesses, refreshes, and gives life.

What are the 5 uses of the tongue?

Tongue Structure – Parts and Functions of Tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth covered with a moist, pink tissue called the mucosa. It is involved in licking, tasting, breathing, swallowing, and speaking. The papillae present on the tongue gives it a rough texture. Let us explore the structure, parts and functions of tongue in detail. Also Read:

How does God feel about the tongue?

A World of Evil – Our speech has immense potential in glorifying God, singing praises to Him, talking about the good news of salvation, and encouraging others. However, Scripture also teaches us that the tongue is “a world of evil among the parts of the body.

• It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell” ( James 3:6 ).
• Just as a small spark can start a forest fire, so also can a person’s tongue cause a person to sin.
• Sadly, the same mouth that offers praises to God is used to hurt others and curse them ( James 3:9-10 ).

Because of our sinful nature, we use the gift of speech as an instrument for evil instead of good. The Apostle James rightly condemns the hypocritical use of our tongues to praise God and curse people. As he passionately wrote, “Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!” ( James 3:10, NLT).

Is the tongue a powerful thing?

The Key to Protecting Your Tongue – There is only one way to protect your tongue: Protect your heart. Proverbs 4:23 calls the heart the “wellspring of life” (NIV 1984). And according to Jesus, the things that defile us spring from our heart (Mark 7:20-23).

We can polish our appearance all we want, but eventually, our heart will reveal our true character. That was the problem with the Pharisees, They looked holy on the outside, but Jesus described them as “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

The mouth speaks what the heart gives it to say. If you are tempted—especially in emotional or angry moments—to speak words that you will later regret, ask the Lord for help, One way to do this is to create a prayer based on Scripture. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

1. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
2. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Amen.
3. Psalm 19:14; 139:23-24, NLT Our words say a lot about us, and they have the power to shape the future.
4. According to Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences” (NLT).

So choose them carefully and choose them consistently. Let your words bear testimony to the grace and peace that is ours in Christ Jesus. Sources: 1 Gordon MacDonald, “Feeling As God Feels,” Preaching Today #196.

Why did God give us a tongue?

Outward Evidence – Some people object to speaking in tongues as an outward evidence of the Holy Ghost. They claim that because this is a spiritual dispensation we don’t need outward evidence or manifestations. But we do need them. We need manifestations of God’s presence and power always.

The Lord’s supper consisted of outward evidence. Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:26-28).

Water baptism is outward evidence of an inward change of heart. We still need somewhat of the external evidence even in this time when we walk by faith and not by sight, worshiping in Spirit and in truth. The Lord knew we would need it. Jesus showed external manifestations when He was here, manifestations of the reality of the power of God.

Love shows up outwardly. Faith shows. James writes, I will shew thee my faith by my works (James 2:18). The works we do for the Lord are a manifestation of God’s faith working in us. The way we treat people should be a manifestation of God’s love. One historian, writing in the third century, said, Whosoever was baptized in the apostolic day straightway spake with tongues.

They at once received the Holy Spirit. They didn’t see Him; He is invisible. God’s grace bestowed some sensible proof of His energy. This made manifest to them who were without the baptism that it was the Spirit in the very person speaking. Jesus said that one of the signs that follow believers is speaking in tongues.

They shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17). They will speak with the tongue of the Holy Ghost. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4). He that speaketh in an unknown tongue (I Corinthians 14:2). New tongues, other tongues and an unknown tongue: different ways to say the same thing, to describe speaking in tongues, the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost.

The believer is given supernatural utterance by the Holy Spirit in tongues, speech new to his lips, speech other than his own native tongue and unknown to him in the sense that he is entirely unacquainted with the language. He is unable to speak by himself in that manner.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit comes in when the Holy Spirit speaks; it is His speech. The Holy Spirit is a person. Again and again, the members of the Early Church spoke with tongues. Paul wrote that he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God (I Corinthians 14:2). Why would people fight a language that God is listening to, the language of God spoken through a human being? When the Holy Ghost is speaking through a person in tongues, He is speaking the perfect language, the language of Eden where man was perfect in all his ways.

In the beginning, God gave pure, holy speech. But that speech became defiled, just like everything else, when man sinned. By man’s sin, his speech was deformed. The Holy Ghost, however, speaks all languages in perfection. The gift of divers tongues and the evidence of speaking in tongues are not identical.

1. They are alike in nature, but different in purpose and use.
2. First Corinthians names the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, one of which is divers tongues.
3. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
4. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
5. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues ; to another the interpretation of tongues (I Corinthians 12:4,7-10).

Not everyone will receive the gift of divers tongues, one of the nine gifts of the Spirit. In the gift of divers tongues, the Holy Ghost speaks through a person in various tongues and dialects. You can have the baptism in the Holy Ghost without having the gift of divers tongues.

• Receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost is a gift from God, but is not one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in I Corinthians.
• Some people have the gift of divers tongues, but many, many multitudes have the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
• They speak with other tongues, with the new tongue.

On the Day of Pentecost, they all spoke with other tongues (Acts 2:4). Paul was speaking about the gift of divers tongues, not speaking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit when he asked, Do all speak with tongues (I Corinthians 12:30)? Everyone who received the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and since Pentecost has spoken in tongues—no exceptions.

For years some have thought they had the Holy Ghost, and then one day woke up to the fact that they didn’t have the baptism in the Holy Spirit: They had never spoken in tongues. Over fifty years my grandmother thought she had the Holy Spirit. She was a very devout Baptist in her faith, but one day when she was up in years, she found out she didn’t have the Holy Ghost baptism.

She was like certain disciples whom Paul asked, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:2-6).

Who taught them to speak in tongues? Paul didn’t. He only laid hands on them. Peter and John told believers in Samaria about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:15-17).

• Simon the Sorcerer was watching all the manifestations of the Holy Ghost.
• And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
• But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money (Acts 8:18-20).

Simon the Sorcerer witnessed a wonder he had never seen before: with the laying on of hands, people began to speak in another language. He wanted that ability and tried to buy it. Rebuking him sharply, Peter said that he was in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:23), and not to think he could buy the gift of God.

• The Holy Ghost is a gift through grace.
• Cornelius, a devout Gentile who feared God, saw in a vision a holy angel who told him to send for Peter.
• Peter came to Cornelius’ house, and while he spoke to them, the Holy Ghost fell.
• And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we (Acts 10:45-47)? Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 11:16).

1. The Gentiles in Cornelius’ house who heard the Word received the Holy Ghost just like the apostles had.
2. Some of the Jews objected to evangelizing the Gentiles, thinking they were unclean, but Peter said, Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God (Acts 11:17)? These Gentiles believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; they had salvation.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31), the apostles taught. In the Upper Room, many different personalities were represented. Some were quiet and reserved; others emotional, demonstrative. The Lord chose an evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit that would fit them all.

What kind of manifestation would convince them that the Comforter had come? It would be the Holy Ghost Himself speaking. The Lord chose tongues as the first evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, for no matter what the personality, those baptized in the Holy Ghost would all know that the Holy Spirit had taken them over.

When the Holy Ghost comes in, He speaks. In the early part of my ministry, the first or second revival, a little woman came to the altar seeking the Holy Ghost night after night. Slowly she would say, “Praise the Lord.” Then she would pause and say again, “Praise the Lord.” I thought she never would get the Holy Ghost.

1. But one night as she was at the altar, she—oh, so slowly—said, “Praise the Lord,” and the next words were in a beautiful language flowing out.
2. The Lord had come to tabernacle with her.
3. I decided the thing that mattered was the condition of the heart, not the personality.
4. Some people speak very slowly and quietly and others fast and loud.

It makes no difference to the Lord. What matters to Him is the heart. Speaking in tongues, I say again, fits every personality when that person will yield, a person who has repented and been redeemed through the blood of Jesus. The tabernacle of clay must first be made holy, purified.

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (Acts 2:38,39). Peter is speaking to sinners, telling them to repent—receive salvation—and then go on to receive the Holy Ghost.

Salvation is for everyone and so, too, is the Holy Ghost baptism. Jesus prayed for our sanctification: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17). To sanctify means to make holy. Through the blood of Jesus, the person is made holy before the Holy Ghost can come in to tabernacle with that one.

The Holy Ghost is available to all who are born again. Jesus told the disciples, Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). To be endued with power from On High is to receive the Holy Ghost who comes in to give you that power.

He must be able to take over your tongue and speak, for you are not totally yielded to God until the Holy Ghost has your tongue. The wind and fire on the day of Pentecost were symbols of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Those in the Upper Room heard the wind, saw the fire.

• But they were not baptized until they spoke in tongues.
• The wind didn’t baptize them.
• Cloven tongues like as of fire sat on each one of them, and they began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.
• God chose tongues to give a divine revelation of the personality of the Holy Spirit.
• Speech does not come from a mere influence, an energy, a power.

It is the function of a person. The Holy Spirit is a person, and you must be convinced that He is. Just as Jesus was a personality from Heaven, the Holy Ghost is a personality, the third person in the Trinity of the Godhead. The disciples were about to lose the personal presence of Jesus.

• He knew they would need something to comfort them, and He said, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.
• The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (John 14:16,26).
• The presence of Jesus was to be replaced by the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus said, It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

The Spirit that Jesus sent was a person, not a phantom but a real person. Jesus said He would send Him, the person of the Holy Ghost. He comes to live on the inside, to direct you. The Holy Ghost will be with you all the time when you are baptized in Him and yielded to Him.

Jesus said the world cannot receive the Holy Ghost because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17). Jesus used personal pronouns He and Him in talking about the Holy Ghost. He shall teach you all things (John 14:26). How could the Holy Ghost teach you if He were not a person? He will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (verse 26).

Notice how speech works. First is the thought. Second, the understanding. Third the words. We think various thoughts on a subject and, by process of analysis, we come to understanding or comprehension, and then we speak. One thing is necessary, that our thinking, understanding and speech all be in a familiar tongue.

On the day of Pentecost and at other times, people spoke in unfamiliar tongues. That which poured forth from their lips had not been previously in their thoughts and understanding. The words had not been there. That is the reason the Lord has given the gift of interpretation of tongues. Since intelligent speech demands an intelligent speaker, we know behind the speech there is someone who is thinking in and understanding the other tongue, the unknown tongue, the new tongue.

It is the Holy Ghost Himself. For people to speak in tongues at will and claim it is the Holy Ghost speaking is ridiculous. It is the deceit of the devil, saith the Lord. The Holy Ghost is a person. The devil tries to deny it, but it cannot be denied. God put tongues in His Word for us.

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me (John 15:26). The Holy Ghost shall speak, testify. Jesus said that when the Holy Ghost comes, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8).

Notice again the personal pronoun he used by Jesus in these verses. The Holy Ghost will speak out against sin. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (John 16:13).

1. He, the Holy Spirit, will be your guide.
2. He will show you things to come—He will do it! No wonder the devil fights speaking in tongues! He knows you can’t have the Holy Ghost without that initial evidence of tongues, and he knows you must have the blood applied to your heart or there is no way into Heaven.

If you have never spoken in tongues, you haven’t received the Holy Ghost. To dispute that is to dispute God’s eternal Word. Who is man to tell God what He should or shouldn’t do? Who is man to tell God what the evidence is? God’s baptism is His baptism from Heaven.

For people to receive His baptism, they will have to accept it the way He ordained it to be. The Holy Spirit— He —shall not speak of Himself—He is a person able to speak, able to hear. The Bible tells us to grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).

The Holy Spirit has feelings; He can be grieved. Speaking in tongues shows the Holy Spirit’s complete control over the believer. Some people object to His control. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath (James 1:19).

1. The tongue needs to be controlled.
2. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain (James 1:26).
3. When the tongue is sanctified, you are sanctified all over.
4. Until the tongue is sanctified, you are not sanctified.
5. As long as you gossip, you do not have a sanctified tongue.

Unholy criticism, hurtful words are things the Lord has no part of. You are deceiving yourself if you think you are all right in using uncaring, cruel and cutting words. You may compare yourself favorably with someone worse than you, deceiving yourself about the condition you are really in.

1. You are believing a lie.
2. Don’t look to those not serving God; look to the devout saints who have the Holy Ghost.
3. Those are the ones Jesus sees.
4. For in many things we offend all.
5. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body (James 3:2).
6. When you come to the place you don’t offend, your tongue is wholly sanctified; you are able to bridle the body, bring it under submission to the Lord so He can baptize you in His Holy Spirit.

Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

1. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
2. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell (James 3:3-6).

An out-of-control tongue is dangerous, but it’s wonderful when the tongue is under control of the Holy Spirit. A tongue under control, influenced and directed by the Holy Spirit is a tongue the Lord is glad He made. The tongue defiles the whole body when it is influenced, operated and under the control of the devil.

But look at the beautiful tongue, the righteous tongue, the tongue with godly conversation. The Lord uses that tongue to witness, to testify and to glorify His holy name. No gossip, envy or strife comes from that tongue. Nothing unlike the Lord is on the tongue. It’s a tongue of holiness and righteousness.

For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:7,8). It takes the blood of Jesus to “unpoison” the tongue.

It takes the blood of Jesus to prepare the tongue for the Holy Ghost to use. The Holy Ghost will not use an unclean tongue. The devil can take over a tongue and talk with a tongue that is unclean, but he cannot take over a holy tongue. If you live in the right spirit, you are not in danger of getting in the wrong spirit.

When people live for the devil, rebel against God, the wrong spirits take them over. People who fight speaking in tongues are open to the devil. The devil has taken over many tongues that speak hard, terrible things against the Holy Ghost tongue. It is a dangerous hour we live in.

• Remember how evil the tongue can be.
• Through the blood of Jesus it must be cleansed.
• No wonder the Lord uses the tongue to show complete surrender to the Holy Ghost, so complete that He is able to speak with it in another language! It’s absolute submission to the Holy Spirit.
• The last thing people seeking the Holy Ghost surrender is their tongue.

Their hearts and spirits have been made holy, they are praising God, yet many are afraid to yield all the way. It is hard for them to have confidence that the Holy Ghost is an intelligent person, the third person in the Trinity of the Godhead, the real Holy Ghost.

That’s the way I was when I was seeking the Holy Ghost. I would open my Bible and say, Lord this is what I want: Just what you gave those in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost. Of course, the Lord doesn’t have any other kind of Holy Ghost to give. It’s good to be sure you are getting the real Holy Ghost, but don’t be so rigid that you doubt Him when He seeks to baptize you.

Don’t be so unbending that you won’t yield to the Holy Spirit and give Him control of the tongue. Praising God with your whole heart, you will thrill to realize that the Holy Spirit is beginning to take over. Your words of praise will fade out as the Holy Spirit comes in to speak in a fluent language or dialect.

• He will let you know that He has really come, that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
• Tongues shows how much the believer must yield to the Holy Spirit.
• You have never given your tongue completely over to another person; no one has been able to tame it, to control it.
• My mother and dad with their wonderful discipline and godly ways couldn’t control our tongues.

They tried, but even soap wouldn’t do it. Yield to the Holy Spirit in perfect, total submission. The Holy Ghost must have the whole person in order to baptize with His Spirit. In water baptism you are baptized only on the outside. With the Holy Ghost you are baptized inside and out; there is nothing to hold in reserve.

If you want the Holy Ghost, just give over to Him. There couldn’t be a greater miracle than the miracle of salvation when you gave over to the blood of Jesus to wash away your sins. Salvation was probably easier to receive than the Holy Ghost baptism because you knew another person didn’t need to be speaking through you before you were saved.

Don’t make anything hard to receive that God has ordained. It’s in His hands; not yours. When you try to do what only God can do, you will come up lacking. The devil likes you to think what God holds out for you is an impossibility to receive. If you turned your back on your ugly ways and were washed in the blood of the Lamb, talking with love the way a saint of God should, you have received the greatest miracle God could give you.

When God saves a person, he makes that one brand-new. That new person does not want to curse, to lie, to sin. The new man wants to speak the things of love in his heart, for the Lord has washed that one whiter than snow. All his sins are gone. He acts, talks and thinks like one born again. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

The old man of sin is gone. If you are still cursing, that old man remains in you, that old devilish nature. The blood of Jesus will take it out when you really give your heart to Him, make you a new creature; and you won’t lie, you won’t curse, tell shady jokes, or listen to those kinds of things.

The new man closes his ears to it all. Your eyes are sanctified when you are born new, and sanctified eyes don’t look at indecent literature or watch provocative movies and television shows. If you don’t have enough grace to turn away from lewdness, you don’t have enough grace to hold on to salvation.

You are deceiving your own heart if you think you can sin a little and remain saved. The devil wants you to believe a lie and be damned because you won’t accept the truth. If you rebel against the leadership of the Holy Ghost, you rebel against the truth.

• Another reason God chose tongues is that tongues reveals the Holy Spirit as the believers’ source of truth in the utterance of truth.
• Jesus told the disciples what He spoke was the results of utter dependence upon the Father.
• Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10).

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father (John 6:57). Jesus said that the Holy Ghost shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you (John 16:14). This person who Jesus said was coming will show us things from the Lord.

All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you (John 16:15). Jesus our personal Savior, Redeemer and coming King, took from the Father and showed it to the people. The Holy Ghost will take from Jesus and show it to us. Jesus looked to the Father for the source of truth and guidance, and we look to the Holy Ghost for our source and revelation of truth.

Jesus taught the disciples that they would need to depend upon the Holy Ghost. They must have Him. Receiving the Holy Ghost was the standard for the Early Church. The Lord taught how important receiving the Holy Ghost was when he told the disciples He would send them the Holy Ghost after He departed.

1. Jesus said that the Holy Ghost was the Spirit of truth.
2. The takeover by the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost made the disciples very conscious of the necessity of looking to the Holy Spirit as the source and revealer of truth.
3. The Early Church depended upon the Holy Spirit; that’s the reason they were able to do so much.

They went everywhere, trusting in the Holy Ghost to speak through them, to teach and guide them. With the message of the risen Christ and the Holy Ghost, they went forth to teach others. The Holy Ghost, not man, was their teacher, their guide. Jesus had told them, When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).

• On the Day of Pentecost when those in the Upper Room were filled with the Holy Ghost, how insignificant their own little bit of wisdom and speech must have seemed to them! The Holy Ghost brought them to a miraculous realm.
• When you receive the Holy Ghost, He is there to draw you into a fuller wisdom and knowledge of God.

Your Bible takes on a deeper meaning for you; it is a different book to you now, a spiritual Book, for the Bible is spiritually discerned, written by the Holy Ghost. And now the author has become your teacher. Before the Holy Ghost came, there were times the disciples were not able to understand the Lord the way they needed to.

They couldn’t see, couldn’t hear beyond a certain human level. When they turned to God for a revelation from the Holy Spirit Himself, a whole new world opened up for them. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit means He dwells on the inside; depend on Him. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God (I Corinthians 2:9,10). The Holy Ghost came to reveal the mysteries of God to believers. Paul had revelations of the mysteries of God, the mystery of the blood, of the Holy Ghost, of speaking in tongues.

He had revelations on all the greatness of God and the things of God. So will it be with the Bride in this her final hour. It is a must to receive the Holy Ghost. When Jesus comes again, you will not be ready to get out of here without the Holy Ghost, saith the Lord; you’ll not go when the Rapture takes place.

You need more to go to Heaven in the Rapture than by the way of the grave; you need the Holy Ghost working within. The Holy Ghost will change physical bodies into glorified bodes according to the power that worketh in us (Ephesians 3:20). What power is the Bible referring to? The power of the Holy Ghost.

• Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you (Acts 1:8).
• Jesus told the disciples about the miraculous power of the Holy Ghost that would be theirs.
• You will not be changed for the Rapture according to the power surrounding you, the energy, the presence of the Lord.
• The change will come from the power that worketh in you.

When you are baptized in the Holy Ghost, His power worketh within. You will be changed from the inside out, not from the outside in. Take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say (Luke 12:11,12).

• The Holy Ghost is teaching people today, people who will yield their minds to Him.
• In order to turn over your mind to Him when you need help, you must cast down your own opinions and take His.
• God, through Isaiah the prophet, said: I create the fruit of the lips (Isaiah 57:19).
• This would be the rule for the entire life of the yielded Spirit-filled believer, lips that would speak the things of the Lord.

We trust not in the excellency of man’s wisdom or speech, but in the wisdom and words of the Holy Ghost, in His teachings. Another reason God chose speaking in tongues is to demonstrate the great honor God places on the human speech. God made many creatures, but only to man and woman did He give a mind that could form thoughts and a mouth so speak them.

• Man, made in the image of God, was given this distinctive privilege of speech.
• For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:10).
• Speech represents one of God’s greatest gifts to man.
• What a gift it is! The devil hates and seeks to destroy this holy gift that man can use to speak to His God.

The devil at one time had that privilege before he sinned and was cast out of Heaven. What he lost in that fall he now despises to see in others, despises God for giving it to us and despises us for having it. Speech holds the potential of tremendous power for the devil, but even more for God.

• When the Lord made Adam and Eve, they had perfect speech, just like the angels in Heaven, and could talk to God in that perfect speech.
• Disobedience destroyed that wonderful privilege, and Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden into a cursed world.
• The devil wasn’t satisfied when man was put out of the Garden; he wasn’t satisfied until speech was confounded and went into the chaos of many languages that separated people.

When God has control of His creation once again, man will have one speech. God puts much value on speech; no wonder He chose it as the initial physical evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost! It is fitting that the Holy Spirit would single out this most important faculty as the initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

People have tried to dispute it; but, I say again, the millions who have received the baptism in the Holy Ghost all have spoken in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. On the day of Pentecost when those in the Upper Room were all filled with the Holy Spirit, they all spoke with tongues. Jesus clearly shows us how closely related speech and the Holy Ghost are: But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me (Acts 1:8).

The power of the Holy Ghost and speech go together. Through the Holy Ghost, witnesses speak on behalf of Jesus; they speak for Him. How wonderful to know God is so mindful of man that He desires to converse with him! Even greater is knowing that with the filling of the Holy Spirit, He actually takes control of man’s unworthy tongue and speaks through him.

The Holy Ghost baptism shows the greatness of God for us today, the great love, faith and trust that He puts in man and woman who put their trust in the blood of His Son Jesus. When the Holy Ghost is speaking through a person, it is God talk. No matter what tongue is used, the speech is perfect just as it was in the Garden, speech God enjoyed, speech without a flaw in it.

Human speech reflects the deformity of the soul. No longer does man possess the perfect articulation that he had before sin entered Eden. This gift of speech, like all other gifts, has been corrupted from its original purity and power. Only through the Holy Ghost can we come into that perfect articulation of speech.

1. The Holy Ghost speaks through the very uneducated as well as the very educated.
2. The articulation is beautiful, in perfection.
3. I study the Holy Ghost when He is speaking through a person; God has given me the gift of interpretation, and I understand much of what the Spirit is saying.
4. The articulation, the strange phrasing is marvelous.

It’s the language, the dialects of God in total perfection. When the Holy Ghost speaks through you, He uses beautiful dialects and tongues. He speaks in perfection. For people to speak in tongues at will and claim it is the Holy Ghost speaking is ridiculous.

1. It is the deceit of the devil, saith the Lord.
2. The Holy Ghost is a person.
3. People cannot speak in the real Holy Ghost tongue whenever they want; they cannot talk in tongues at will and it be of the Lord.
4. When people speak in tongues at will, it is their speaking and not the Holy Ghost’s.
5. Those who talk in tongues at will are deceiving themselves.

It’s not the Holy Ghost, not a language or dialect in perfection, but a gibberish, a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal in the ears of God. It grieves the Holy Spirit. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away (I Corinthians 13:10).

1. The imperfections in our speech will be gone when the perfect is come.
2. One day all of God’s people will understand one another, will speak one pure, mighty language.
3. Did you think you would study all the languages of different nations in Heaven? No.
4. All will speak one language.
5. It’s fascinating to think that God will take a token of that coming day by substituting other tongues in the lips of those receiving the fulness of the Holy Spirit, an experience that brings all Heaven’s glory to a soul.

When you receive the Holy Ghost, you never will be closer to Heaven—until you actually are there. Receiving the Holy Ghost is a most heavenly, glorious experience. I was still in my teens when I received the Holy Ghost, and it was most exciting to hear those strange words come out of my mouth as the Holy Ghost took over my tongue and spoke in a heavenly language.

I didn’t care if I never slept again. I had the Holy Ghost! God, not man, chose tongues. Now we’re in the hour of blasphemy, saith the Lord, and many are getting their last chance to repent. If you have been guilty of saying anything against the Lord’s wonderful baptism in the Holy Ghost and the initial evidence He has chosen, speaking in tongues, never be guilty again.

You can grieve the Holy Spirit until He ceases to deal with you, until your salvation is lost. Fear God; don’t criticize Him. As a youngster, I heard my mother speaking in tongues. I knew it was not she speaking, that it was of God. I listened to the Holy Spirit speak so beautifully through my two older sisters.

I knew them. They couldn’t on their own speak a language like that; I knew it was God, and it influenced my life in a wonderful way. I never doubted the Holy Ghost speaking through them. My mother would light up when the Holy Spirit spoke through her, her eyes shone like stars. I loved to see her like that.

God was getting me ready for this great hour. This Gospel must be preached to the whole word, confirmed with signs and wonders. This can only be done through the power of the Holy Ghost. All must hear the message of the Holy Ghost. In one service in Uganda, East Africa, 64,574 received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and they all spoke in tongues.

• No one taught them to speak; they spoke as the Holy Spirit gave utterance.
• It was marvelous! The Lord told me the sign He would give them, that their lips would begin to tremble.
• It would be the Holy Spirit seeking to come in.
• Then as they were praising the Lord, the Holy Spirit began to speak.
• Everywhere they were being baptized in the blessed, wonderful Holy Ghost and began to speak in different dialects, different tongues that they knew not.

Through the very uneducated and the very educated alike, the Holy Spirit was speaking in a fluent tongue. I was almost in Heaven as those multitudes standing there were being baptized in the wonderful, blessed Holy Ghost. That intelligent being from On High took over their vocal organs.

1. The Lord’s way is perfect.
2. Sinner, why not come to Jesus today? Why not give your heart to God? He is dealing with you; He sent the Holy Spirit to convict you of your sins, to warn you of judgment to come and the wrath of God.
3. Why not surrender to Him? Why not pray the sinners’ prayer with me? Oh, God: Save my soul! Forgive me of all my sins.

I am so sorry that I sinned against you, Lord, but I have come home. I’m going to serve you, Lord, the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus, come on in! If you meant that prayer, He has come; He is yours.

1. Start reading your Bible, praying.
2. Some Bible fasting will help you.
3. Serve the Lord, and one day, Heaven will be yours.
4. You who are sick and afflicted, I am not a healer.
5. Jesus is the healer.
6. He said, If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it (John 14:14).
7. In James we read, The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:15).

In the name of Jesus, believe that He is the Lord who healeth all thy diseases (Psalm 103:3). You who have heart trouble, cancer, diabetes or any other disease, you who are crippled, paralyzed, deaf: You can be healed. Perhaps you have a child who needs a miracle of creation or re-creation, the Lord can do it.

Lord, I bring the sick and afflicted to you. Lay a healing hand on them today. In the name of Jesus, your power flows through your gift of miracles, your gifts of healing. Heal! Heal! in the holy name of Jesus. Heal! in the all-powerful name of Jesus of Nazareth, Son of the living God. His healing power is flowing.

If you meant that prayer, the power has gone into your body or into your child’s body. Now watch for all improvements daily, and let the Lord get you and yours well. Then write and tell me about it so I can rejoice with you. God bless you. If you are without the Holy Ghost, let this message sink in, and seek the miraculous baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Through His miracle hand, He reached you for your salvation; now the same miracle hand reaches you for the baptism in the Holy Ghost. Let the Spirit of the living God move for you. Don’t make it hard to be baptized; just open up to the Holy Spirit. Yea, saith the Lord: I have given you a revelation of my holy baptism, and I am drawing you unto me, into my love, into my faith and into my power.

You have great need of my baptism. You will not be able to do my work without it. It is essential that you receive my holy baptism, and my baptism is for every one of you. Do not be afraid of my hand moving upon you. Do not be afraid of my power. I love you with an unending love.

1. I seek to make you strong, as strong as the first Adam that I made.
2. Adam could have stood for always if he had not given over to the enemy.
3. You must have my power so that you know without a doubt you can trample devils underfoot—and you must trample him in this final hour.
4. The devil is raging because he knows his time is short.

He knows it’s a limited time that he has to destroy humanity, and he is indeed going forth as a raging, roaring, wild lion, seeking all that he can devour. You must have my power with you. You must yield, then, to my baptism daily. You must yield to my Holy Spirit at all times, and He will be with you and dwell on the inside of you.

• He will indeed teach you my ways and my truths.
• He will give you my revelations.
• He will give you my desires.
• He will shed my love abroad in your hearts daily, and no power will be able to defeat you.
• You will indeed tear down the strongholds of Lucifer.
• You will indeed shine my light into the darkest parts of the earth.

You will indeed light up the world in this last hour so they can see my greatness and then they can make their decision. I am reaching out to you for you to receive my power. You’re making yourself weak by not receiving my baptism. You’re trying to walk close to me without my baptism.

• You are living in a dark, dark hour, and you must have the Holy Spirit shining in you and outside of you to find all the paths for your feet that are laid out for you in this last hour.
• To walk with your Lord, to be spotless, you must receive my baptism.
• You will not be without spot or wrinkle or blemish, and you will not love me as you should love me without the baptism of the Spirit.

Put your hand in the nail-riven hand, and I will guide you to the room of power and grace and fulfillment. I will baptize you in the greatness of my baptism of the Spirit, and you will go forth to do my work. You will go forth with Heaven’s speech. I will speak through you and I will give you that which you should say.

• I will give you my wisdom and my knowledge.
• You will not make the mistakes that you have made in the past because you will be guided by my Holy Spirit, saith the Lord.
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What does the Bible say about a silent tongue?

When Is Silence Best and Blessed? – Naturally, when we are not opening our mouths, we are more inclined to open our ears – whether toward others or toward God. We are forced into self-reflection and obedience in our silence, which will only further our ability to listen to the Spirit,

Silence is best in moments of anger. When we are angry, there’s a high likelihood that our words will not be produced by the Holy Spirit. James 1:19 instructs us: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Similarly, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit” (1 Peter 3:10).

Scripture tells us that silence can help us avoid sinning (Proverbs 10:19), gain respect (Proverbs 11:12), and is deemed wise and intelligent (Proverbs 17:28). In other words, you may be blessed by holding your tongue. Ultimately, refraining from speaking in certain situations means we are practicing self-control.

What are the three powers of the tongue?

PROP SENT: The Bible teaches us that our tongue has great power to heal or to destroy, to bless or to curse we are to be wise in the use of this member of our body it can bring pain or pleasure it’s all in how it is used!

Do tongues help us speak?

“Having something on the tip of your tongue,” “biting your tongue” or speaking “tongue-in-cheek” – this set of muscles covered with mucous membrane appears in so many idioms for good reason: the tongue is a true all-rounder. It is not only very movable, which allows us to speak, suck or swallow in a coordinated way.

What is the gift of tongue?

The ‘gift of tongues’ refers to a glossolalic utterance spoken by an individual and addressed to a congregation of, typically, other believers. ‘Praying in the spirit’ is typically used to refer to glossolalia as part of personal prayer.

What are the 4 sins of the tongue?

User’s Guide to Sunday, Feb.27 Sunday, Feb.27, is the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Sirach 27:4-7 ; Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 ; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 ; Luke 6:39-45, The first reading today reminds us that our speech discloses our character: When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks.

1. Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested (Sirach 27:4-7).
2. What we say reveals a great deal about us — more than we imagine.
3. Speech is among our greatest gifts, yet self-mastery in speech is among the rarest.
4. Some of the most common sins we commit are related to speech: gossip, idle chatter, lies, exaggeration, harsh attack and uncharitable remarks.

With a gift capable of bringing such good, we can surely cause great harm! Perhaps today we can reflect on Scripture’s teachings on sins of speech. Scripture speaks artistically of the sinful. Here are some common sins of the tongue: The Lying Tongue : speaking falsehoods with the intention of misleading others – The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy ( Proverbs 12:22 ).

A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape (Proverbs 19:5). The Backbiting Tongue : talking about others behind their backs, injuring their reputations through detraction – A man’s tongue can be his downfall. Be not called a detractor; use not your tongue for calumny ( Sirach 5:13-16 ).

– Never repeat gossip, and you will not be reviled. Let anything you hear die within you (Sirach 19:5). The Indiscreet Tongue : spreading confidential, unnecessary or hurtful information about others – He that goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore, keep no company with such a one ( Proverbs 20:19 ).

– A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much ( Proverbs 20:19 ). – Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people ( Leviticus 19:16 ). The Flattering Tongue : exaggerating the good qualities of others in order to ingratiate ourselves to them – May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue ( Psalm 12:4 ).

– Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses ( Proverbs 27:6 ). The Proud Tongue : speaking boastfully or in an overly certain way – May the Lord silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue, Those who say, “By our tongues we will prevail; when our lips speak, who can lord it over us?” ( Psalm 12:4-5 ).

• The prudent man does not make a show of his knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness ( Proverbs 12:23 ).
• The Overused Tongue : saying too much, which usually ushers in sin by its excess – A fool’s voice along with a multitude of words ( Ecclesiastes 5:2 ).
• When words are many, sin is inevitable, but he who restrains his lips is wise ( Proverbs 10:19 ).

The Rash Tongue : speaking before one should, often without having all the information – Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God ( Ecclesiastes 5:1 ). – Be swift to hear, but slow to answer. If you have the knowledge, answer your neighbor; if not, put your hand over your mouth ( Sirach 5:13 ).

1. The Quarrelsome Tongue : speaking in an overly opinionated way, attacking others personally, and/or provoking unnecessary division – Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating ( Proverbs 18:6 ).
2. A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions ( Proverbs 18:2 ).

The Cursing Tongue : wishing harm upon others, often that they be damned – He loved to pronounce a curse — may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing — may it be far from him ( Psalm 109:17 ). – Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness ( Proverbs 20:20 ).

The Piercing Tongue : speaking unnecessarily harshly or severely – The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil ( Proverbs 15:28 ). – Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing ( Proverbs 12:18 ). The Silent Tongue : failing to speak up when we ought to warn people of sin and announce the truth of Jesus Christ.

– Proclaim the message; persist in it, in season and out of season; rebuke, correct and encourage with great patience and teaching ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ). – Israel’s watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs; they cannot bark ( Isaiah 56:10 ).

What are the 7 things God hates a lying tongue?

Proverbs 6:16-19 New Living Translation (NLT) There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

Should Christians speak in tongue?

Should Every Believer Speak in Tongues? Charismatic teaching often encourages or requires every believer to seek an opportunity to speak in tongues. Such teaching claims that this experience is the necessary evidence of being filled with the Spirit, or of having the indwelling, baptizing ministry of the Spirit.

• In another blog post, I explore what the Bible teaches about Spirit baptism, especially as it relates to conversion ().
• I also provide an in-depth study of what the Bible teaches about speaking in tongues ().
• In light of these posts, I will not address these topics at length here but will refer you to what I have already provided.

Instead, I would like to answer a simple but important question. Should every believer speak in tongues?If God requires every believer to speak in tongues and if this experience is an evidence of having the ministry of the Holy Spirit at work in your life, then speaking in tongues becomes necessary for every professing believer, regardless of whether he or she has been baptized by immersion in water (Matt 28:18-20).

Not only would this be a necessary experience, but it would be an urgent need as well. Every professing believer would need to have such an experience to ensure that his or her assurance of faith within and testimony of faith to others. If this experience is an evidence of having the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life, then it becomes necessary for every professing believer Thankfully, Paul answers this question outright (1 Cor 12:30).

He asks, “Do all speak with tongues?” The answer is no; every believer does not speak with tongues. We know this for one reason, because he asks this question in a rhetorical way, expecting a negative answer. We also know this for a second reason, which is the other rhetorical questions he asks in addition to this one.

Altogether, he asks, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” (1 Cor 12:29-30). We know that not every believer is an apostle, or prophet, or teacher. Therefore, we also know that not every believer is able to perform miracles, speak in tongues, or interpret tongues when somebody speaks them.

“Do all speak with tongues?” The answer is no. In addition to recognizing these things, we must also recognize that it is neither a bad nor disconcerting thing that not all believers speak in tongues. It is entirely appropriate that not every believer is an apostle.

1. It is entirely appropriate that not every believer is gifted as a prophet or teacher.
2. In the same way, it is entirely okay that not every believer speaks in tongues.
3. To not speak in tongues is a sign neither of spiritual immaturity nor of a false profession of faith.
4. In fact, Paul urges believers to strongly desire gifts that are better and more excellent (1 Cor 12:31).

What is this more excellent way? It is the pursuit of love (and faith and hope) (1 Cor 13:1-13). Paul repeats this guidance again in 1 Cor 14:1, while refusing to disparage the value of speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts (1 Cor 14:2-5). It is entirely okay that not every believer speaks in tongues.

• Whatever you believe about speaking in tongues, it is impossible for this experience to be a necessary mark of conversion.
• It is also impossible for it to be an indicator of your spiritual maturity or of whether you have the ministry of the Spirit at work in your life.
• So then, should every believer speak in tongues? According to Paul, the answer is no.

: Should Every Believer Speak in Tongues?

Is your tongue a weapon?

Death and life are in the power of the tongue Proverbs 18:21 The tongue is a weapon that can wound another person deeply. If you carry a weapon that can wound, you have to carry it with great care. Remember that your tongue is such a weapon. We sometimes talk about “cutting remarks” and here in Proverbs we read that “rash words are like sword thrusts” (Prov.12:18).

Words that burst out can bring deep wounds. Maybe you have been on the receiving end of powerful words like these: You’ll never amount to anything! Death is in the power of the tongue. Our Lord tells us that the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder,” includes death by words. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matt.5:21-22).

Abusive speech is an offense for which a person is accountable to God. It is a violation of the sixth commandment that would put a person in danger of the fire of hell. This would have gotten the attention of the crowd. If angry words that insult or diminish another person are a violation of the sixth commandment, then we are all guilty.

What does Proverbs 18 teach us?

Proverbs Chapter 18 – Proverbs 18:1 “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh intermeddleth with all wisdom.” This scripture refers to a man who seeks selfish gratification and accepts advice from no one. A man must desire to have wisdom before it comes to him.

The Bible says if you want wisdom to pray and God will give you wisdom. We see here a man who has separated himself from the world. He is seeking wisdom, so he separates himself and prays. One problem with so many today in communicating with God is that we don’t want to separate ourselves and think on the things of God and pray, but we will get answers for our prayers and we will receive wisdom in the process.

Proverbs 18:2 “A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” A fool is not interested in learning. He just is interested in his own thoughts. Today, in our society, the favorite statement is “I need to get off and find myself”.

This is foolish talk. In finding yourself, you are pleasing your own flesh. If this is a married person doing this, they usually find more than themselves. This type of activity breaks up families. We must somehow get our eyes off of ourselves and stop trying to please self. Only a fool pleases self. A wise person is interested in pleasing God.

Go off and seek God. Proverbs 18:3 “When the wicked cometh, cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.” “Ignominy” means reproach, confusion, dishonor, or shame. We see in this that the sinful man despises those that are good.2 Timothy chapter 3 describes the sinful last days and lists as one of the descriptions of the people as “despisers of those that are good”.

Sin and punishment are inseparably connected, as evil produces both the feeling of contempt in others and its manifestation, scorn. This is saying, these wicked try to condemn the good. The evil one is not only a fool, but full of shame and confusion and is dishonored by all. Proverbs 18:4 “The words of a man’s mouth deep waters, the wellspring of wisdom a flowing brook.

The man’s words of his mouth, springs from the well which is his heart. A person of wisdom has beautiful words springing forth and continuing as a beautiful brook. His words are not a strong river that will bowl you over, but a gentle brook which soothes.

Wise speech is like a deep, inexhaustible stream of blessing. Proverbs 18:5 ” not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.” We can learn from this that the wicked’s testimony is not to be believed, especially when it is against the righteous. The wicked person has a selfish reason for his testimony and does not usually tell the truth.

To judge a matter by what a wicked person says would be wrong. Proverbs 18:6 “A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.” We see here that the fool starts the argument, and then says, “Let’s just settle this with our fists”.

The fool self destructs. Proverbs 18:7 “A fool’s mouth his destruction, and his lips the snare of his soul.” This is a continuation of verse 6. This fool gets into all kinds of trouble with what he says because his words are not guided by anything except his selfish desires. He is not controlled by the Lord, and is apt to use cutting remarks, and even cursing.

The tongue is a mighty weapon and either brings death or life in its speaking. With the tongue, confession is made unto salvation. You can read this (in Romans 10:9-10). Proverbs 18:8 “The words of a talebearer as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” The words of a talebearer are whisperings that they would not dare say in front of the person they are talking about.

These tales have one purpose and that is to destroy. The people listening just love to hear something bad about someone else. The common way to say this is that the listener swallows this lie up (hook, line, and sinker). The word being used here comes from a Hebrew word, meaning “to swallow greedily.” The proverb is repeated (in 26:22).

In other words, they think this is so good that they get it all down deep inside of them so they, too, can drag it out and do harm with it. The talebearer is not the only guilty one here, but the listener is equally guilty. Proverbs 18:9 “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” Neither the lazy nor the waster will have anything.

One is too lazy to work and make anything, and the other throws away everything he makes. To leave a work half done or poorly done is to destroy it. Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Christians depend upon the name of Jesus Christ. His name is so powerful (the name of Jesus), that at His name all knees shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

We even pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. He is our strong tower. Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” We see from this, without the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we would not even exist.

Salvation is in the name of Jesus. In John, we see that if we are Christians, we are in Him and He is in us. The expression “The name of the Lord” is found only here in Proverbs and stands for the manifest perfections of God such as faithfulness, power, mercy and wisdom, on which the righteous rely for security.

Proverbs 18:11 “The rich man’s wealth his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit.” Most rich people are very proud of their wealth. They feel safe because of their riches, but if they are not careful, their pride and conceit will build a wall around them that others do not care to come in to.

The rich man sometimes thinks his riches will save him from harm, but God will not be impressed by his riches. We dealt with this more thoroughly, earlier in Proverbs. Proverbs 18:12 “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor humility.” We see here that a haughty heart (thinking too highly of self), will bring destruction.

It turns all away from you. A humble man that stands before God and man will be loved and honored by men on the earth, and God will have great love for him, as well. Proverbs 18:13 “He that answereth a matter before he heareth, it folly and shame unto him.” A person who answers a question before he hears the question is a fool.

How can you answer before you hear the question? This just makes that person look very foolish. Proverbs 18:14 “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” When the spirit is broken, people lose hope. I have heard doctors of medicine say that there is an element, other than the severity of the illness, and other than the medicine they have to give for a certain illness.

It is called the will to live. A person who says in his spirit, “I will not die”, heals faster and to the amazement of the doctors sometimes lives when all human hope is gone. On the other hand, you can give someone medicine that should cure them, and if they have no will to live, they will probably die.

1. The spirit of man is his life.
2. Many die from a broken heart soon after they have lost a loved one.
3. Proverbs 18:15 “The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” We see here someone eager to learn by doing and by listening.
4. Proverbs 18:16 “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” We see that a gift sometimes softens the heart and makes the way easier.

This is not the word for a bribe, but rather the word for a present given to someone. I think a very nice gesture is to carry flowers or candy to the host when you are invited to dinner. It is just a way of showing you appreciate the effort she has gone to, to prepare the meal.

1. Little gestures of friendship make everyone feel good.
2. Proverbs 18:17 ” first in his own cause just; but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him.” We see in this that the first man here is having an argument with his neighbor.
3. When the first man tells his story, we have a tendency to believe his story is right and the neighbor is wrong, until we hear the other side of the argument.

Then we get all the facts from both sides and can more effectively judge who is right. The moral of this is, cross examination avoids hasty judgment. Proverbs 18:18 “The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty.” If it is too difficult to decide who is right and who is wrong, the next best thing to do is to cast lots and let God decide.

1. Whatever the outcome is, it is settled by the lot.
2. They can go back to being friends.
3. Strength of body has not settled this.
4. The lot settled it.
5. Proverbs 18:19 “A brother offended than a strong city: and contentions like the bars of a castle.” We see that hurt feelings between physical brothers and between close friends are much harder to overcome than to go to war and take a city.

They won’t forget it. They have their guard up to any reconciliation you try to make. There are no feuds as difficult to resolve as those with relatives; no barriers are so hard to bring down. Hence, great care should be taken to avoid such conflicts. The Bible says that if we expect to be forgiven of God, we must forgive our brother.

• In fact, we are to forgive them as many times as they ask us.
• Over and over again, the Bible says 70 times 7.
• If your brother asks you to forgive, you must forgive.
• Proverbs 18:20 “A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” We have to accept whatever comes our way when it is the result of what we have said, good or bad.

The consequences of one’s words should produce satisfaction and fulfillment. Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” The greatest good and the greatest harm are in the power of the tongue.

1. We have used the Scripture (in Romans 10:9-10), so many times in this lesson.
2. We learn in it that we must confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth to be saved.
3. If we are ashamed of Jesus before men and do not confess Him, we are doomed to hell.
4. If we do proclaim belief in Jesus with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved.

Proverbs 18:22 ” findeth a wife findeth a good, and obtaineth favor of the LORD.” God’s plan is for one woman and one man to be married and become one flesh. They are to live together in peace and harmony and build a home for them and their children.

• In chapter 31 of Proverbs), we will go into the things that make a good wife.
• A wife should help her husband in everything and make him happy.
• Proverbs 18:23 “The poor useth entreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.” We see in this that the poor man is humble and must speak softly, but the rich man who is very proud speaks harshly to those he feels superior to.

The rich do not need favors from others, so they do not care how they treat people. Proverbs 18:24 “A man friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend sticketh closer than a brother.” Some of the best advice I ever received in my life was: If you want to be loved, you must love the other fellow first.

• This is why you see one person with many friends and another with none.
• The humble person, who goes out of his way to be friendly, will have more friends than they can count.
• Conversely, the person who makes friends too easily and indiscriminately does so to his own destruction.
• The best friend you can have loves you, not because of what you have done, but in spite of what you have done.

Their love has no conditions attached. This is the kind of love Jesus had for all of us when He came and died on the cross for us while we were yet in sin. He died for us and saved us, not because we were worthy, but because He loved us. Proverbs 18 Questions

What is the first thing we must have to get wisdom? How does the Bible say to get wisdom? What is one reason many have problems hearing from God today? In verse 2, what is wrong with the fool? Why is it so dangerous to go off and find yourself? What does “ignominy” mean? In 2 Timothy 3, what do the evil think of the good people? What are the words of a man’s mouth compared to in verse 4? What organ in our body is the wellspring speaking of? Whose testimony cannot be believed? A fool starts an argument and wants to settle it how? What is the snare of a fool’s soul? What are a fool’s words guided by? Who are talebearers? What is a talebearer’s only purpose? Who is guilty of sin besides the talebearer? Who is brother to a great waster? What of the Lord is as a strong tower? At whose name will all knees bow? In Acts 17:28, what do we find out about Jesus? A rich man’s conceit is as what? What comes before destruction in a man? To answer before you hear the question, is what? What sustains a man in his infirmity? A man’s gift _ _ _ _. Who will you ordinarily side with in an argument? In an argument, what can you do to settle it, if both parties seem right? What is harder to win over than a strong city? Death and life are in what? When a man findeth a wife, it is a good thing and he pleases who? Who answers roughly? How can a man have friends? How did Jesus show us the kind of love we need to have for each other?

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What does Jesus say about taming the tongue?

TAME Your tongue – the Power of words – Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words are powerful weapons that can inspire or destroy someone. I have been reflecting on this scripture from Proverbs 18:21 this week as it was used by our pastor on Sunday, and it has come up in several other places in my daily interactions; the Lord is always speaking, we just have to pay attention.

Last night, I saw the movie “Tomorrowland” with a group of friends. The movie was great and had a hope-focused message that I found very inspirational. One scene in particular really stuck with me. There is an interaction between father and daughter where the girl reminds her dad of a story he has told her her entire life.

She says: ” There are two wolves who are always fighting. One is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. The question is which wolf wins?” The father responds, “The one you feed.” This is an old Cherokee Parable that has been passed down, through story, for generations.

• The film resurrected this concept that I know I have heard in the past.
• What does this have to do with my words? We always have a choice when we speak.
• God has given us the incredible freedom to choose our words.
• Some words bring darkness and despair, and are rooted in fear.
• Some words bring light and hope, and are rooted in love.

We have words that are never released, and words that should never have been released. We have words that build up, and ones that tear down. I believe that when we speak something out of a place of fear, fear is “manifested” into our environment–that is, fear is spoken into existence.

The same goes with love, when we speak life and love these things are made manifest. Scripture has a lot to say about our words! “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity” -Prov 21:23 “No human being can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.

Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses 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 both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring” -James 3:8-12

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruitFor out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” -Matt 12:33-34 “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” -Prov 12:18 “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips” -Psalm 141:3

I hope these scriptures are as convicting to you as they are for me! Conviction is a declaration of guilt for behaving in a way that doesn’t align with God’s commands. It is followed by immediate forgiveness, by way of receiving His grace, and then turned into action to prevent that behavior from being repeated in the future.

What about the James 3 scripture it says that “No human being can tame the tongue?” What’s the point of trying if it can’t be done? Matthew 19:26 says that “Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” The way to tame your tongue is by partnering with the Holy Spirit; these problems cannot be solved or transformed by mere willpower.

I have personally been learning so much about this, even in the past 24 hours. I have felt conviction about my words and have been seeking the Lord about what to do in order to speak in a way that brings light and life. I want to starve the “dark wolf” and nourish the “wolf of light.” So how do I do this?

What did Jesus say about the mouth?

Matthew 15:11 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them. ‘

What is the power of the tongue quote?

Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue. For God’s sake hold your tongue, and let me love. Listen! Clam up your mouth and be silent like an oyster shell, for that tongue of yours is the enemy of the soul, my friend.

What is the power of the tongue preaching?

II. We must know the hypocrisy of the tongue – The powerful tongue can be used for great good or great evil. Apart from redemption it will only tear down and destroy. Perhaps better than anything else the tongue reveals the “already” but “not yet” of Christian sanctification.A. The tongue can worship or curse (verse 9-10a) B. This hypocrisy should not be the case (verse 10b-12)

James is not saying that they are unbelievers because of their hypocrisy. Note that he says “my brothers” James is saying that such duplicity is inconsistent with a life redeemed by Christ Believers ought to be growing more consistent in their speech

III. We must know the source of the tongue’s redemption: Redeemed speech only comes from godly wisdom being imparted to us. Worldly wisdom will lead to a tongue infused with bitterness that will show itself through bragging and a denial of truth. Godly wisdom will lead to pure and peaceable speech.A. Worldly wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic

Shows itself in bitter envy and selfish ambition that is accompanied by bragging and a denial of the truth (v14) It leads to “disorder and every kind of evil” This type of wisdom and speech is our default position

B. Godly wisdom comes from above

Characterized by all that is pure and peaceful It leads to peace This type of wisdom only comes from God’s redeeming grace

The type of wisdom and speech that governs our life displays the work of God in our hearts. Where our speech and wisdom is worldly we see that the earthly, unspiritual, and demonic is the governing authority. Where our speech and wisdom is characterized by purity and peace we see that something “from above” has taken root and is spreading through our lives.