Wednesday: Sticks and Stones 2

"And God Said! And God Said! And God Said! Then God Said! And God Said! And God Said!
And God Said! Then God Said! Then God Said!"

Good Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and welcome to Salvation Wednesday, the day we pray for the unsaved, those not yet Born Twice, and also that God will use us to help bring in the lost.

And remember as we talk about Sticks and Stones, we need to confess with our mouths to become saved. Prayers today for Oliver Ogden who has Pneumonia and also for Faye Beard as she heals from back surgery. Prayers this day also for Vicki and her family and for the Saylor family.

Praise report: It seems that all of my stones might have passed, now please pray for our son, Keith Lehman, who yesterday was, yes, trying to pass some of those kidney stones. Prayers also for the family of Reverend Alan S. Brown as he has had his graduation day from this earth to the loving waiting arms of Jesus. Pastor Alan was a dear neighbor and friend of mine in our childhood.

Sticks and Stones 2: As you recall yesterday I suggested that you take time to pass through your heart and brain what is going to come out of your mouth. Please take that very seriously ... for once it is out over those lips, it is in the air, and the same with the email and the internet. Once you push the send button, it is out and you just cannot get it back.

Genesis 1: "And God Said! And God Said! And God Said! Then God Said! And God Said! And God Said! And God Said! Then God Said! Then God Said!" (NIV)

These words, And God Said, and Then God Said, all come out of Genesis 1, and they indeed are the words of God as He spoke creation into being. Yes, God spoke into being everything but man. So if you don't think the spoken word is strong, just read the creation story: I bring this out to just show you how strong the spoken word really is. Now listen to these words ...

Numbers: 22: 35 - The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." (NIV) You can see early on in the Old Testament that it is recorded just how important speaking is and just how we should stay alert for God to tell us what to say. Here is another good example.

Deuteronomy 18: 17 - The Lord said to me: "What they say is good. 18 I will raise up from them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." (NIV)

So now let me sum up the lesson of today. Please talk to God and listen for Him to talk to you. Before you cut loose words of any kind, run them, not just past your brain and heart, but also run them past our dear Lord. Remember the spoken word, good or bad, is strong and powerful, and again once it is out of your mouth, it is out for all the world to hear. If you notice on the news, on TV on Radio, you will see that more and more "sound bites are used". You even must watch for many things are pulled out of the content and can then be used against the one saying them.

A good thing to remember when you are talking, if you do not have good things to say, then unless you are eating, keep that mouth in the closed position. Now what that really means is, if you have nothing good to say, say nothing. Or in my words to be very clear, if you have nothing good to say, then SHUT UP.

Dear Father in Heaven, Please help us each day to learn to talk to You, and to run all of our words past You. If our words are not worthy for Your ears, dear Lord, then teach us not to say them. Regardless of what we speak to others, it should be fit for Your listening. Yes, Lord, we need help with this. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Go forth now and share those blessings and speak good things to, and about, each other. Be kind, be nice, and love each other, as Jesus loves you. And guess what ... I love you also ... dan.