278-Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue#
278-Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Proverbs 18:20-21
20 A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; from the produce of his lips he shall be filled. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! Thank You for starting a new week of life. Through these words, renew our thoughts and ideas, let us speak words of authority from our mouths, living in the world like Jesus, filled with Your power and authority. You have given us such authority, and we are willing to understand authority through Your words. You change our mouths, to speak what You desire us to say. Thank You and praise You! Bless this time, in the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Our sharing topic is: Life and Death are in the Power of the Tongue.
Our tongues are used for eating and speaking. Everyone is talking; some people speak negative words, while others speak positive words. This is unrelated to believing in the Lord. Even if you do not believe in Jesus, you should listen to such words. If you often speak negative complaints, your life will be filled with problems.
Conversely, if you frequently speak positive words, like some marketing strategies that encourage you to say positive and affirmative things, it may have some effect, but over time it won't last. Only God's words are filled with power; speaking words with power is different. Hallelujah!
How does the Lord's word describe it in the Bible? The Lord said, "Let there be," and there was; "Let it be established," and it was established. You see the current material world; it was created by our Lord through His spoken words. Before Jesus left, He said to those looking at Him, "Galileans, what are you looking at? Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Teach them to observe all things that I have commanded you."
One of the things is to teach them to speak words of life. The most spoken words in the world are words of death, cursing others and cursing oneself. The fruit of a man's mouth will fill his stomach, meaning the words you speak, you will have to consume; what comes out of his mouth will satisfy him. A person who often says, "I'm so annoyed," will definitely have a life filled with annoyance.
Verse 21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Everyone is speaking; you need to learn to speak like Jesus. The Amplified Bible says in verse 20, "A man's self will be filled with the fruit of his mouth; he will be satisfied with the consequences of his words." This means that regardless of whether the words are good or bad, if you speak good words and blessings, you will be satisfied with that fruit; similarly, if you curse yourself or others every day, you will also be satisfied with those words and consume them.
Verse 21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Those who indulge their tongue will eventually eat its fruit, whether it be life or death. The previous verse states that regardless of whether it is good or bad, you will consume it, and the next verse states that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Since you often speak words of death, your life will be filled with words of death, and you will consume the fruit of death. Words are very important; the tongue has the power to conquer or destroy.
A spring cannot produce two types of water; it can either be sweet or bitter, but it cannot be sweet one moment and bitter the next. However, only the human tongue can bless and curse. God says to subdue your tongue. How many people have ruined their own countries, families, and lives because of the words they spoke? It is because the tongue has offended others. The tongue has the power to destroy and the power to conquer; the same mouth can produce blessings or curses. For those who believe in Jesus, we should change.
Jesus' words are very clear: "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." What kind of words fill your heart is determined by your thoughts and speech; these two are complementary. We have been talking about faith; in fact, faith comes from continually hearing God's words. Amen! Even those who do not believe are listening, whether through newspapers, what others say, or television broadcasts; all of these are called words, right? If you are constantly hearing the enemy's words and watching terrifying images, what you will receive is certainly terrifying results.
When I was young, I watched "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio." At that time, there weren't as many cinemas as now; there were only outdoor movies. For a while, they played "Strange Tales," and although it was late at night and I shouldn't have been watching horror movies, it was captivating. I watched it while being scared, and on the way home, I always felt like something was following me. If I hadn't watched that movie, there wouldn't have been these feelings. This is because I listened to the enemy's words and watched those negative images, and I placed myself in that situation.
This is the power of words. Later, Japan produced many horror films, where something would come out of the toilet or crawl out of the mirror or television. After watching those shows, I was afraid to go to the bathroom, always fearing something would appear there. In reality, these things do not exist; it is just because I heard and saw those negative images that they took root within me, making me feel that everyone was abnormal, as if there were enemies everywhere. The reason is that your heart has already been planted with the enemy's words.
From the Bible, it is Satan who plants fear within you; you have placed his words inside you and have been bound by those words. A mentally healthy person does not constantly proclaim the words of the enemy or describe the enemy's words without reason. A mentally healthy person would not do that. You should understand what I mean: the enemy actually wants to oppose you and suppress you. If you continue to describe it, that is a very foolish thing.
For example, if you say you are a liar, a failure, or a worthless sinner, that is the enemy's description of you. Why would you repeat it? Many people unknowingly do such things and still believe that God has abandoned them because of their mistakes, that God does not listen to their prayers, and that God is behind them with a whip, ready to strike them down at any mistake; many believe that disasters are sent by God. These are all words of the enemy, who hopes you will use his words, speak his words, and feel worthless and self-destructive, ultimately leading you to give up on yourself and feel that you can do nothing. In fact, this is related to what you believe in your heart.
Luke 6:45 says, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
A person who frequently speaks filthy words proves that his heart is already filled with filthy words. A person who often complains about society or family has a heart filled with bitterness and jealousy. If you encounter such a person, what should you do? Complain with him? You should bless and pray for him because he does not need more complaints; he needs God's grace. Those good people, because they have goodness in their hearts, always give out good. Isn't Jesus like that? Because He has no evil in His heart, He always shows mercy to anyone, helps them, and provides for them. This is why everyone loves Jesus.
Do not be fooled by the Pharisees, scribes, and high priests who outwardly oppose Jesus; in reality, they greatly admire what Jesus teaches. The only thing they cannot tolerate is that Jesus has taken away their followers, which they cannot bear, but they do not oppose what Jesus teaches. Some oppose us because we always exalt Christ; this is the work of the devil, who does not want you to exalt Christ but wants you to always speak his words, the words of death. Please note that Jesus is talking about who will make things happen.
An evil man brings forth evil from the evil treasure of his heart. Who brings it forth? You or God? When you want to speak evil words, is it you speaking or the devil? The devil? You must be clear: it is you. Do not push all the problems onto the devil, saying, "The devil tempted me," or "The devil led me..."
Isn't it you who said that? It is you.
Who ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? You cannot say it was the devil who ate it, right? The devil tempted, but everyone understands, right? We need to learn to use God's words to overcome all the temptations and schemes of the devil; it is we who do things. An evil man brings forth evil from the evil treasure of his heart; it is the evil words that come from man. Similarly, a good man brings forth good from the good treasure of his heart. If you have the words of Christ in you, what you should speak is the words of Christ, and your life will change.
What we hear and see will affect our hearts. Jesus' meaning is also very simple: whether good or bad things come from the heart, and in the end, they are released through the tongue. If you do not speak out, no one knows what you are thinking. Once you speak out, it proves that what you are thinking in your heart has been expressed. Therefore, Matthew 15:11 says, "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." What goes in is food; the things you eat do not defile a man.
Many people say, "Once you believe in Jesus, you cannot eat this or that." In fact, it has nothing to do with what you eat; the key is what comes out.
Matthew 15:18-19,
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Are these things not from the heart? It is not because you ate unclean chicken that you spoke unclean words; it has nothing to do with that. It is what is stored in his heart that comes out, not what food brings to him, but what he has stored in his heart. To have words of life in your mouth, you must first hear words of life. Satan does not want to see you frequently proclaiming the words of Christ; Satan is the devil, and he does not want you to use the authority of Jesus.
We will tell everyone: we are God's creation in Christ, His workmanship, loved by God, and we possess the righteousness of Christ. Is this not what we often say? However, these words are not allowed to be spoken in some churches; they consider you proud and arrogant: "How can you say you are righteous? How can you say you are loved by God?" They usually say, "We are sinners, saved sinners! We are a group of people who need God's mercy!"
When you say this, who is the happiest? Is God the happiest? No, when you do not fully understand the meaning of the Bible, you should apply it to your life and see how this scripture is applied. Your relationship with the Heavenly Father can be understood as your relationship with your child. Through this, you can see the provision of the Heavenly Father and the manifestation of this relationship. For example, when a child sees you, he kneels down and says, "Dad! I am a sinner; please have mercy on me."
Do you think your relationship is normal? You would think, "Is this child sick? Is he really my biological child?" Does your child have those rules when he sees you? Does he say, "Teacher from a certain school, or someone with a certain title, or a certain committee member... did you bring me something to eat?" No, right? Just a simple Dad is enough. You can command the wind and rain before others and have great authority, but in front of those two words, all that is useless. A child's simple "Dad" can penetrate everything and reach the deepest part of your heart. At that moment, you do not care how the child behaves; do you understand? It is simply because he is your child, and just because he calls you Dad, you are willing to give for him.
When a child says to you, "Dad, I know you love me the most," would you like to hear such words? Isn't this our relationship with the Heavenly Father? Coming before the Lord and saying, "I know You love me." Is there anything wrong with that? "I know that Christ did all this for me on the cross, and You have completely accepted me." Is there anything wrong with that? In the past, no one dared to say such things; they often said, "I am corrupt, the chief of sinners." This makes the relationship with the Heavenly Father seem very distant; He is high above, holy and glorious, while we are corrupt and filthy. How can the relationship with the Heavenly Father be close?
So we must frequently declare the words of Christ. Many Christians have been deceived by Satan. Clearly, we are His children, but the devil whispers in your ear, "You are not His child; how can you call Him Dad? Look at what you have done; can He accept you?" We have committed many sins in the past, but Jesus paid the price for us with His life on the cross. Now our relationship with the Heavenly Father is reconciled.
Looking at the scriptures, we must have a biblical basis to boldly declare.
Ephesians 2:10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
You can declare this verse to yourself: "I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." We are the work of Christ, created in Christ, so in Christ, you are a new creation, with new life, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, allowing you to live a new life.
Acts 14:8-10,
8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he leaped and walked.
Paul preached in a city called Lystra. He went there to preach the gospel, where no one knew him, and found a place with many people, continuously preaching about Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross, proclaiming God's love for the world and sinners, inviting everyone to accept Jesus as their Savior. At that time, some people might have heard about Jesus and walked away without taking it seriously. But there was one person who could not walk, and that was the crippled man. Why couldn't he walk?
The Holy Spirit described this person very clearly with three phrases, which actually express one meaning: the first phrase is "sitting there, a man without strength in his feet," indicating that he could not walk; the second phrase is "crippled from birth," meaning he still could not walk; the third phrase is "had never walked," still could not walk.
Since all three phrases express one meaning, it proves that this person was completely crippled, unlike others who could still walk; this man could not walk at all. It was precisely because he could not walk at all that he was blessed through misfortune. This person clearly could not walk; if others continued to show him horror movies, and everyone else left, that person would be crying.
But now he hears the gospel, he hears the gospel about Jesus Christ. Those who could walk normally heard and left, knowing it was about Jesus. Only this person kept listening; he might have wanted to walk, but he could not. Because he could not walk, he kept listening. What happened as a result? The original text expresses that he kept listening; whenever Paul spoke, he listened. He passively received and kept listening, resulting in faith being generated within him. Many people say, "Lord! Please give me faith."
How does faith come?
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Now, was Paul speaking the word of Christ? Yes, if you speak the word of Christ to others, those words are filled with life; there is not a single word from God that lacks power. Moreover, this person kept listening, and as a result, faith exploded within him. This person might have been itching to stand up, and at that moment, Paul happened to see him. Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed.
When you keep listening to the word, faith will erupt, so do not say, "Lord! Why don't I have faith?" Just listen to the word. Some people say, "I have listened to the word," but continue to listen. "I have continued to listen," keep listening until you reach the point like this crippled man, continuously listening until you finally say, "I have been healed."
After Paul saw him, he said with a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" Was that a word of authority? The man leaped up and walked.
Brothers and sisters, what a great miracle this is! Many people always long to see such miracles. In fact, I have seen such miracles with my own eyes. When I went to a place to preach, an elderly man nearly ninety years old came. He had been in a wheelchair for many years, and during those days, he kept listening to the word. At first, I thought he was old and had come in a wheelchair, but unexpectedly, his legs had problems. One time during a break, he wanted to stand up and reached out his hand to me. I thought he wanted to shake hands, so I reached out my hand to shake his. He said, "Harder!" I then realized he wanted to get up, but his legs had no strength. After three days of preaching, I asked them, "In these three days, has anyone received God's grace and wants to testify? You can come forward; I will only give you two spots." As soon as I finished speaking, the old man stood up from his wheelchair and ran to the front. Do you all know what happened? He kept listening, and his faith was filled.
Many people complicate this. If you speak the words of Christ, every word carries power. If we talk about a dead God, it is powerless, and no matter how beautifully you speak, it is useless. Why do we want to believe in this Lord? Because He is alive. So Paul, through the Holy Spirit, saw that the crippled man already had enough faith to receive healing. This kind of faith does not exist in the thoughts of the flesh, nor is it obtained through fleshly works.
Did this crippled man work for his healing? Did he thoroughly confess all his sins? Did he cry and weep bitterly? It seems that none of that happened, yet the miracle occurred. Isn't that simple? Because the faith generated from continually hearing the word, the words Paul spoke were the words of Christ. Paul was not promoting himself; he was always promoting Jesus Christ. Therefore, God, through the words of Christ and the Holy Spirit, continually let this person hear, continually igniting the faith in his heart, and in the end, this person was filled with faith. Hallelujah!
For worldly people, the words Paul spoke, no matter how much knowledge they had, were meaningless. Do you all understand? If you analyze the words Paul spoke, argue, or summarize, it is all useless. When Paul told these people, "If you believe, you will see the glory of your identity; if you believe you have received, you will receive."
How do you argue against what Paul said? You might say, "This person speaks so eloquently; this person is so passionate..." When you evaluate preaching like this, in reality, you have gained nothing. Gaining the power of Christ from the words does not require analysis; it is power. The words Paul spoke were filled with Christ, and in many practical matters, they are the opposite. They do not come from human authority but are spoken by God's authority through Paul.
Paul said, "Stand up straight on your feet!" Brothers and sisters, if that person relied on reason and analysis, analyzing why he spoke such words, could he stand up? For example, he might say, "Let me analyze what you said; does it conform to the doctrines of my denomination? There are various sects in the world; what you said is different from what my pastor said."
If he analyzed like this, could he stand up? He could not stand up. God's words are not for us to analyze; they are for us to believe. If this person kept analyzing, he would still be sitting there, right? Because no matter how many reasons you analyze, these two cannot connect unless you believe that God's words have been accomplished in you. It is clearly stated here that this person had never walked, was born crippled, and had no strength in his legs. Does he know his body well? Very well. Now someone tells him, "Stand up straight on your feet!" If he says, "Impossible! I am in my fifties; I have never stood up; I am a person without strength in my legs; I have never walked," can he describe his current situation?
Brothers and sisters, we should not say this. When God's words come upon you, do not say, "My situation is so terrible..." If you do, you will not see the miracle. Do you all understand? The Bible indeed has such people. Jesus went to find the man who had been sick for thirty-eight years lying by the pool of Bethesda. That man's situation was similar to this one; he had been lying there for thirty-eight years. Jesus went to him and said, "Do you want to be made well?" How wonderful! God comes to find you; how should you respond? "Lord, I want to be made well." Isn't that enough?
But the man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred, I want to go down, but someone always gets down before me, so I have never had the chance." After so many years, he still had not gone down because he was paralyzed... Does he have many reasons? Brothers and sisters, we should not fall into that trap.
When a person is in pain, they love to describe how long they have been in that state and how miserable they are... These are not the things you should describe; you should speak out the results you want. Paul did not say, "Oh! You are a person without strength in your legs; oh! You were born crippled; you have never walked, right?" If he said this, would he still have faith? No, but just now, Paul spoke the words of Christ. The words of Christ do not look at how terrible your current situation is; they believe that Jesus can save you.
Because the words of Christ are filled with power, if there is no power, no one dares to speak like that. So what we speak is not worldly knowledge but spiritual words, the words of Christ. Do not analyze; just believe, and you will see.
"Stand up straight on your feet!" The man leaped up and walked, proving that these spiritual words were accepted by him and released the spiritual power within his flesh. When you believe in your heart, your body will change. Do you all understand? What we see is only this flesh, but do you know? What activates him is the spirit within. Amen! The spiritual words acted upon this person's spirit, resulting in effects in the flesh, and faith was released. Of course, there are more examples in the Bible.
Acts 9:32-34,
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately.
If you have not believed in Jesus or do not know Jesus, you may have heard of Jesus; this is just a myth. Although there are only three short verses, what happened here? Peter spoke to a man who had been paralyzed on his bed for eight years, saying, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you." He used the perfect tense, which is what we often use in prayer, right? In the past, when you did not receive grace, your prayers were, "Lord, please heal me." This is future tense, right? "Lord! I believe You will definitely heal me." This is still future tense because you do not know when God will heal you.
However, in the Bible, both Paul and Peter used the perfect tense, indicating that Christ has already accomplished something. "Jesus Christ heals you." This person is currently lying on a bed, but Peter is not speaking about his current situation. If he were to speak about the current situation, he should say, "Oh! You are so pitiful; you have been lying for years." The man would say, "Eight years." Peter would say, "It must be very painful, right?" If the conversation were like this, would there still be faith? What we see with our eyes and speak with our mouths is different from what the world does.
The following words are not spoken by the world because they do not have the confidence to say them. If they do, what if it does not come to pass? Have you witnessed similar miracles happening in our church? Why do we dare to say this? "In the name of Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus has healed you." Because it is not our power; it is the power of Jesus Christ.
Is Peter's prayer simple? Very simple. He did not say, "Oh! Brother, you have been lying for eight years; let me start praying for you. Don't worry, God will definitely heal you; God will remember you." Peter did not use so many unnecessary words. He said, "Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." That was it, very simple. He was not speaking his own words. At that moment, what do you think Peter's life was like? It was good. Do you know Peter's original life? The life of Peter now is something you can also achieve because you are many times stronger than the past Peter. Just look at the past Peter to know. The past Peter lived by the flesh, even doubting Jesus' words. At least you all believe in Jesus' words now, without the same doubts as Peter.
Let us look at two passages of scripture, John 13:36-37,
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." 37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake."
Peter's past life was filled with "I." Let me share with you his life changes before and after, and you will understand why Peter now has such great power. In the past, he was always focused on "I." Jesus made it very clear: "You cannot follow Me now, but you will follow Me later." He said, "Why?" If you encounter something now and always ask why, your life may still be at that stage, feeling, "Why can't I go?" That means you think you can.
Peter said, "I will lay down my life for You," which proves he did not understand what Jesus came for. The correct reversal should be, "Lord, if You want me to go, I will go; You are willing to lay down Your life for me." But Peter reversed it: "Why can't I go? I can go and even lay down my life for You." Isn't that impressive? This was Peter's past life; the one who denied Jesus three times was also him.
Let us look at another passage of scripture, Matthew 26:31-33,
31 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee." 33 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, I will never be made to stumble."
Look at how Peter's life was. In our view, this is arrogance, right? Did Peter think he was arrogant at that time? Jesus made it very clear: "You will all stumble." Did Jesus ever complain about them? "How dare you stumble?" No, Jesus meant that they would stumble, but He would not give up on them.
But Peter said, "I will not stumble; you can rest assured; I will never stumble." The more he boasted, the faster he fell. Why must he show off before God? If God says you will stumble, but I will lift you up, just admit it. Are we not weak? What is wrong with admitting your weakness before Lord Jesus? Why must you say, "Lord, I have done so much for You..."
This is the same as Peter's life at that time.
At that time, Peter thought he could do anything and would not stumble. As a result, he quickly stumbled. He used to think he was very capable and would not be weak, believing he could stand firm. But after experiencing failure, Jesus lifted him up. The Holy Spirit now dwells in Peter's heart. Has he now gained tremendous power? He no longer speaks of what he can do but says, "Jesus Christ heals you." Has he begun to change? From being self-centered to being centered on Jesus Christ.
So brothers and sisters, when your prayers do not include you, that is the most authoritative and powerful prayer. Prayers should often mention how great the power of Jesus is, that His power can overcome my current problems. When you do not think about what you can do, that is the most powerful prayer. Therefore, Peter's prayer just now did not include him; it was Jesus doing it, which produced tremendous power.
Let us look at Peter's change in Acts 3:12-16. We will first look at the first half,
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.
What kind of words is Peter speaking now? Is there a single negative word? Is there any boasting or arrogance? None at all. What comes out of him is all about the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is good news, and he is exalting Jesus Christ. He just healed a paralyzed man, and when those people were amazed, he said, "Why do you think this is amazing? Why do you think it is us?" Now he knows it is not his power; it is entirely the power of Jesus. If your mouth often speaks the words of Jesus Christ, those words are filled with power.
15 And you killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Peter has now healed a seemingly hopeless person, giving all the credit to Jesus, having nothing to do with himself, right? Brothers and sisters, when you pray for yourself or others with such a heart, it will also produce such effects. The fear is when this person says, "Look, I prayed for this person; I will definitely heal him; don't worry." Generally, nothing will happen because you cannot heal a person. The one who can bring healing is only Jesus Christ. So what Peter means is that we are witnesses of this matter; we are not the healers; Jesus is the healer. We, through faith in Jesus' name, have made this man strong.
Peter is now only responsible for one thing: to let his tongue frequently speak the words of Christ. The words of Christ are filled with power, authority, and glory. As long as you keep speaking the words of Christ, miracles will continuously happen. Peter's words surpassed our fleshly words; what came out of his mouth were all the words of Christ, and they had great power. To what extent?
If you carefully read the book of Acts, you will find that some people would sit by the roadside, waiting for Peter to pass by. When Peter's shadow fell on them, they were healed. The power had reached that level. Therefore, the problems you encounter in your life, as long as you frequently speak the words of Christ and declare the great power of Christ, will change. This power ignites the faith of those who hear and believe.
James 3:6, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell."
What kind of fire is the tongue? It is a fire that burns people. If the tongue is not tamed, it is a fire, a world of iniquity. The Bible says this is set on fire from hell, meaning that a person who does not believe in Jesus Christ and does not recognize the power of their tongue is conveying the words of the devil, speaking evil words that harm others and themselves. Can a person tame or control the fire on their tongue by their own strength? Many people say, "You make me so angry!" How do they know they are angry? Look at the words that come out of their mouths; their tongue is already out of control, starting to curse and rage. That is because there is fire in their hearts. It is too difficult for a person to control their heart with their tongue.
But Jesus has prepared a better gift for you. When encountering people who curse us, we feel particularly uncomfortable. How do we overcome it? Or when there is fire in our hearts, what should we do? You need to turn the fire of anger into the fire of the Holy Spirit. Does the Bible mention the fire of the Holy Spirit? When Moses first encountered God, wasn't it also fire?
The fire of the Holy Spirit burned the bush, and although it burned, the bush was not consumed. If you put yourself in fire, you will be burned, but if you put yourself in the fire of the Holy Spirit, you will become stronger. How do you tame your tongue when others curse you? It is actually very simple: pray in tongues.
Does praying in tongues turn your tongue? It does not mean you swallow the words you want to curse; you cannot swallow them. Even if you swallow them, they are still in your stomach. The best way is to speak them out, using tongues to tame your tongue and speak the words of the Holy Spirit. The words you speak are actually what you think in your heart. You must tame your tongue before the Lord, make positive declarations, and not let corruption come out of your mouth, but let those who hear your words be edified. First, declare this way, and you can decide what your tongue will say.
Proverbs 13:3, "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."
You can decide whether your tongue will speak words of life or words of death, which will yield two different results. Continuously declare the words of Lord Jesus, and you will receive life, or you can speak similar words of death like the world. Let me tell you what words of death are, and see if you have said them. For example, some people say, "I'm so hot I could die," when they are angry, they say, "I'm so mad I could die," and when they are annoyed, they say, "I'm so annoyed I could die." Is this not what people often say?
Continuously cursing yourself, if you speak like this, your life will be filled with the fruit of death. Some people say, "I just like to say it this way." That is fine, but you will have to eat the fruit it bears. If you want to be troubled, start declaring "I'm so annoyed" from today, and soon troubles will come to you. Don't believe it? You can try it. So how should we speak? When encountering these things, we should say positive words and speak out the results we want. Do not describe your environment. "I have been lying in bed for eight years; my legs are weak; I was born crippled and have never walked." Do not say these words; although they are facts, there is no need to say them.
Another thing is that Jesus has already borne your diseases on the cross; Jesus Christ has already given you abundance and prosperity on the cross. This is also a fact! The key is whether you choose A or B; both are facts. It does not mean you ignore the reality. "Clearly, I am a cripple; you want me to say I am a normal person; isn't that deceiving myself?" No, if there is no God, it is truly self-comforting. Is some marketing self-comforting? It is just painting a big pie, saying, "I will definitely reach the peak of life; I will definitely marry a beautiful and rich woman..." You can shout like this every day.
Do our words have a foundation? Yes, Jesus Christ! It is different from shouting marketing slogans. Therefore, we are not preaching a prosperity gospel; shouting like that is a prosperity gospel. "I am the richest person in the world." I have never asked you to shout like that, right? You must believe in the guidance Jesus gives you. We declare the promises of Jesus, speak out the results we want, and this must have a foundation.
Let us look at Hebrews 11:1-3,
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
The first verse is very important: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." The things hoped for are the results you want to see. For example, what does a sick person want? Some say they want to die; then you can declare you want to die, and that is the result you want. Some say, "I want to be healed," then you declare: "I believe Jesus has already borne my sickness on the cross; I have been healed." Is this not a fact? Then say, "I am healthy." Is there a foundation for that? Someone might say, "Imagine I am already healthy." Then you are still a sick person. We are not imagining; we must believe in the object that has already done it, and we receive what He has done for us. So although this statement seems simple, it is actually an important way for us to receive blessings from heaven.
The substance of things hoped for means you want to see the results you hope for; you must first speak them out, rather than describing your present situation. The evidence of things not seen refers to the results you want in the future; this is faith. Although your eyes see you are a sick person, what kind of situation do you want to see? Health? Then you must see that you are already healthy; this is called faith.
There was a testimony of a cancer patient. The doctor said there was no way to treat her, so she went home. At that time, she heard the message of grace from Jesus Christ and learned how to declare. What was being preached was about the things hoped for. What kind of results do you want? You should have a healthy image in your mind, which is the substance of things not seen. Let God accomplish what you want; you should know in your heart, right? She took out a photo of herself when she was healthy and began to pray: "In the name of Lord Jesus, my body is healthy." Continuously declaring, the cancer cells in her body completely disappeared.
The Bible has many promises for us; it is just that many people do not know how to use them. As long as you understand what this statement means and use it, many testimonies will happen. The second verse says, "For by it the elders obtained a good testimony," which means witness. Are there many witnesses in the Bible? Are there many who were healed? Are there many who had their lives turned around? They knew that God had accomplished it for them; they just received it.
You can pray like this yourself; you must know that this is something God has accomplished for you, and then you can pray.
The third verse says, "By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God." Now, what do you believe? Do you see this world as created by the words that came from God's mouth? If you carefully read Genesis chapter one, God said, "Let there be light," and there was light; God said, "Let the earth bring forth various trees," and so many flowers, grasses, and trees all grew. Was it not produced by God's words? If we want many trees today, we need to plant trees, right? This is the best method we can use. Just like in those deserts, planting trees can help slow down the desertification. How did God change all this? His words produce power. You see the world and believe that the words from God's mouth are very powerful.
Thus, the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible, meaning that the material world you can see with your eyes was not made from what you can see but from the spiritual realm. You must understand this statement to know how to use this spiritual authority. It seems you are speaking to the air: "In the name of Lord Jesus, you are healed." But when you speak like this, using the name of Jesus, there is already a shaking in the spiritual realm. Do you all understand? Then this person's body begins to change and be healed.
Brothers and sisters, as for how healing occurs, you do not need to worry about that; you just need to learn to use this authority. Do not let your mouth speak negatively. You must not say, "I am going to die." Who can save you then? Always asking, "Lord! Why hasn't he been healed?" You do not know his situation. Some people say, "Lord! I do not want to live; I do not want to stay in this world for even a second." What we do is to declare what kind of results we want to achieve.
So Jesus often asks, "What do you want Me to do for you?" Is it based on your will? We also cannot exceed this person's will. If someone clearly wants to die, how can you make them live? God will accomplish whose will? Surely, He will accomplish theirs. So brothers and sisters, when you pray for this matter in unity, declaring it, there will be a shaking in the spiritual realm. When is this most evident? You may not see the physical shaking, but the spiritual realm has already shaken.
For example, a person makes a decision in prayer, saying, "I am willing to accept Jesus as my Savior in life, believing that He shed His blood for my sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later. He is my Lord, and I am willing to accept Him." At this moment, his life is saved. What happens in the spiritual realm? All the curses on him, all the bindings, and all the powers of the devil fall away; he is a completely free person. Perhaps in the past, he had nightmares every night, but after this prayer, those things will never happen again because the spiritual realm has shaken, and his soul has been released. This is what we are doing now, so be careful with your tongue and do not speak carelessly. Thank the Lord!
1 Peter 3:9-12,
9 Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
Brothers and sisters, this passage of scripture should be carefully considered. God tells us not to return evil for evil. When others treat you badly, do not respond with evil words. When others curse you, do not curse them back. The reason is simple: when you hate others and curse others, those words of cursing first fill your heart. God does not want even a little bit of that in your heart. Instead, you should bless; God wants your heart to be filled with His blessings.
Because you were called for this, that you may inherit blessings. How do you inherit blessings? Let your heart be filled with God's words and let your mouth be filled with God's words. Hallelujah! God is good for you because the Bible says, "He who would love life and see good days..." Brothers and sisters, do you want to see good days? The following is what you need to do: you must refrain your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. You all need to refrain; do not learn from others to curse yourself or others every day. If you do not speak such words, you can inherit blessings.
Also, turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Why should we do these things? The following says, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers." If you want to inherit blessings, you must refrain your tongue from evil words, continuously bless others, and speak words of life to enjoy good days. Refrain your tongue from evil words and live in harmony with others because the Lord watches over you and hears your prayers.
If you are always cursing others, how can God accomplish anything for you? You say, "Lord! Strike him with lightning." God does not do such things; it is better to bless him. When he does not deserve it, that blessing will instead fall upon you. I hope brothers and sisters' mouths will change; do not curse others, do not treat others badly, do not revile others, but always bless and pray for others. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for leading us once again through Your words, allowing us to gain strength. Our mouths have authority and power because the Holy Spirit dwells within me. I am willing to use my mouth to bless others, continuously declaring that in Christ, I possess God's righteousness and am loved by God. I am filled with the blessings of Jesus; wherever I go, I am a channel of blessings. Heavenly Father! Thank You for loving me like this. You are always with me, helping me, guiding me. My life has already changed; I do not look at my current situation but only declare the results I desire. Thank You and praise You! In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!