Apostle Scales blessed us with another meaty teaching on Tuesday, 9/20/2011, on reconciliation. First he reviewed the previous teachings.  See first post here. 

He spoke about how the enemy is trying to tear apart families, to redefine what a family is, to add competition into families to cause division.  Then the enemy works with our words which can cause miscommunication.  Our words have the power to either edify or to tear down.  What the enemy does is try to change our knowledge base which changes our operation base and our predictable results.  When the second Adam (Jesus) came, His sacrifice restored our Knowledge base to what God intended so that our operation base and predictable results were restored.

The next tactic satan uses is: LACK OF ABILITY TO RECONCILE WITH ONE ANOTHER

This can occur in the family, the home, the church, the workplace.  If there is no reconciliation, there is no way to resolve conflict.

Believers find it easy to reconcile with Jesus, but far more difficult to reconcile with each other.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 

Four times the word reconcile is used in this passage.  We are to become MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION.  Jesus reconciled us to God, has given us the Word of reconciliation, and now He wants us to become Ministers of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Fifth use of reconciliation.  We are to be AMBASSADORS for Christ.  An ambassador enters a foreign land and represents the Kingdom in a foreign territory. The ambassador speaks for the king of his Kingdom.  All of an ambassador’s clothes, food, and housing is taken care of by the Kingdom.  Those are the benefits.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (see above) we are reconciled to God.

There is a process – reconciled to God, Ministry of Reconciliation, Christ reconciles the world to Himself, and then He gives us the Word of Reconciliation. We are to be the heart of God and that involves reconciliation.

Hatred, alienation, hostility, and conflict are part of the human empire.  But we are ambassadors of the Kingdom.

Matthew 24 speaks of what is going to happen at the end times.  There will be global conflict, pestilence, and famines all over.  

Conflict leads to genocide. We have seen this many times over – the Jews, Armenians, Christians, Croatia, Serbia, Palestine, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Rwanda, and many other places.

These are indicators that Christ is coming soon.

If people label another person as unnecessary, it enables them to decide they can be removed and genocide follows.

The systematic removal of any group is genocide.

Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 

We are to be salt and light to the world. If we lose our saltiness, we are not as effective. 

The world does not like what we represent, and it is now setting out to try and do a systematic removal of Christians from the government, the public and private sectors. 

The world is moving past tolerance to an anti-tolerance stand toward Christians. 

Because of the increasingly hostile environment for Christians, we need to be reconciled to each other, to build bridges.  In the last days, global conflict will make it necessary that we are reconciled to each othe.   We are God’s ambassadors and His salt in the earth.  For non-believers, salt is an irritant. If we maintain our savor we are salty, and salt can be used to enhance the flavor of food.  If there is an open wound, salt can sting, but it can disinfect.

Salt is one element that maintains its character no matter what it is mixed with in the environment.  If fish is salted, you see salt and fish.  If pork and salt, you see salt and pork. If beef and salt, you see salt and beef under a microscope.

Salt doesn’t take the flavor of beef, but beef takes the flavor of salt. 

Salt makes food tasty, it preserves and doesn’t decay.  It brightens the flavor.

When salty Christians are in the environment, they brighten their world and creates a new savor.

Salt melts ice, so it can melt an icy heart and make it receptive to Jesus.

In these days of global alienation and hostility, our saltiness can bring reconciliation.  It can bring opposing forces together.  Reconciliation restores harmony where there is hostility.  Jesus reconciled us to God through His sacrifice, and we are saved by His life.

Romans 5:10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

When we accepted Christ, God reconciled ourselves to Him.

2 Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 

Romans five tells us that we were enemies before we were reconciled to God

Pastor Scales used to have a bumper sticker that said, “I’ve found Him.”  The truth is that he did not find God.  But rather, God found him. God died for me, and that was something I couldn’t do for myself. He reconciled me to God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Since He died for our sins, we are not to hold things against others, but to reconcile with them.

Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

We are reconciled to God and we need to reconcile with each other.

In Genesis four, Cain did not reconcile with his brother, and killed him over the fact that God liked Abel’s sacrifice.  The lack of reconciliation led to murder. Brother killing brother.  The core is self-hatred.  If I kill someone it is because they look like what I don’t like about me.

The enemy wants to keep us from reconciling.

Matthew 12:25  But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 

If satan can keep the church divided and unreconciled he can conquer us.  A nation, a house, the Church, a family divided against itself cannot stand.

Division weakens us.  Unity strengthens us.  Line our actions up with the truth of the Bible, and that will help us to stay unified. 

Pastor Scales spoke of Philemon, who was a wealthy man.  He had a slave, Onesimus, who ran away from his master and had stolen from his master.  Onesimus was probably an indentured servant, and in those day, a slave who runs away or steals could be killed.  The slave ran into Paul, and Paul brings him to the Lord.  In their time together Paul probably asked Onesimus to talk about himself. Paul ultimately tells him that he must return to Philemon. But to make it easier, Paul writes Philemon a letter.

Paul tells Philemon, that Onesimus left him a thief and a useless slave, but is now returning as a brother.  This unprofitable servant will return as a profitable servant.

When Onesimus left Philemon he was a bother, now he is a Brother.

Paul writes Philemon that when Onesimus returns as a Brother, and a profitable servant, that if Onesimus owes Philemon anything, Paul will repay it.  But Paul reminds Philemon of the debt that he owes Paul, his life. Later, we will hear about Onesimus as a leader of the church, and most probably freed by Philemon.

If we consider the debt we owe to God, it is easier to forgive our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

Before we get the speck out of our brother’s eye, we need to get the log out of ours.

We need to keep perspective by remembering what God has done for us, then when someone offends us, we realize we must let it go

The enemy lies to stir up trouble, to stir up stuff in us, in the church, in the family, in the community.  But we don’t have to respond.

Pastor Scales told us that when he was a Boy Scout, sometimes at camp a scout would take a stick and stir up the stuff in the outhouse.  When it is stirred up, it smells worse than when things are settled.

The enemy wants to stir up stuff.  God wants us to get rid of it.  In our memories and our memory banks, God wants us to hit Erase and Delete.  When you hit delete, the computer asks if you really want it deleted permanently.  God wants us to delete these things permanently.

God wants us reconciled to Him and to each other.

1 Corinthians 7:11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife. 

God wants families to stay together, not separate.

In an aside, Pastor Scales spoke about the 7-11 rule.  That in seven seconds when a person meets someone they determine eleven things about them.  Things like posture, accent,demeanor, approachability, etc. 

Being split apart is not part of God’s plan. God wants reconciliation. To reconcile means to bring opposing forces together.  Sometimes when there are problems, the roots may go deep.  We can’t avoid the source of the problem.  We need to face the problem and recognize it before we can bring reconciliation.

Apostle Scales told us that one time he was counseling a couple that had so many disagreements, he finally asked what the first argument they had was.  It turned out that the wife wanted the toilet paper to come over the top of the roll, the man wanted it to come off of the bottom.  Pastor Scales laughed and said, take the roll off of the holder and let each person put it the way they want it.  Some deep problems can begin from little, unresolved issues.

Jesus says that before we come to the table for communion, if we have something against our brother to make it right, then come to communion.  We need to let go of some stuff.

Sometimes we need to be washing each other’s feet.  The dust of the world gets on our feet and gets in our walk, and it needs to be washed off.

When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, John 13:8-10 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”  Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”  Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”  Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 

Jesus was saying that Peter was clean, but in our involvement with the world, we pick up the dust of the ground, and that needs to be washed off so that our walk remains pure.

STEPS TO RECONCILIATION.

1. Confront the issue.  When there is no confrontation there is no change. We need to release forgiveness, but that can’t happen until we honestly face the issues involved. Easy forgiveness is not necessarily forgiveness. People need to understand what is being forgiven.

2. Brokenness – When there is a breech between us, something is broken.  God can help repair this brokenness, but we also need to find a way to help repair the breech between others and us.  We need to understand fully what our actions did that caused this brokenness.

3. Repentance – Godly sorrow brings repentance.  Repentance means to change our mind and go in a different direction. Out of repentance comes forgiveness.

4. Forgiveness – we need to forgive, to not hold on to the hurt and pain.  To let go and move on. Forgiveness brings reconciliation.

5. Reconciliation – means to bring together opposing factions.

6. Come together to do it better, to unify.

God won’t ask us to forgive and reconcile if it was impossible to do.  He gave us the example of Jesus on the Cross.  While on the Cross, in massive pain, where it caused great pain to get a breath to speak a word, Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”  If Jesus could forgive when he had been so battered and bruised by the people he asked God to forgive, that means that it is possible for us to do so.

7. Restoration – sometimes we need to take steps to restore the damage.  For example, if we borrowed someone’s  iPad and it breaks, we need to find a new one to give them, restore, what was broken.   Sometimes restoration isn’t possible and then we need to go to Restitution.

8. Restitution, to give money to get something comparable.  Pastor Scales gave an example of dining in a home in India. In his talking and hand gestures, he accidentally knocked a plate off the table and it broke.  He wanted to pay and replace the plate, but that was not possible.  The only way to make it right was to find another complete set of twelve plates.  So Apostle Scales offered to buy the woman another complete set of dishes, at large cost.  The woman always invites him to her house when he visits India.  But had he not replaced the set of dishes, whenever this woman had twelve guests she would have had twelve cups, twelve bowls, twelve dessert plates, but only eleven matching dinner plates. Every time she saw that she would remember Apostle Scales negatively.  But, because he went out of his way to make it right, to provide restitution, her opinion of him stayed positive.

9. Reparations – groups of people can be offended, for example the Jews and the Luxembourg trials, when a suit is made against Germany for the Holocaust.  Now the victims were not able to have their lives restored, but property and monetary reparations were made to their families.

To reconcile, we just need to say I’m sorry.  In a family we can let stuff go on for years and years. When stuff happens, we have to confront it and let it go.  It is time to move on.

We are reconciled to God. We are given the Word of Reconciliation.  We are to have a ministry of Reconciliation.  And God wants us to reconcile one to another.

The devil wants to devour the family and the child. The world wants to hurt us.  We need to be reconciled to each other and remember, God in us.

Because of the Blood we are one New Man. We can be peacemakers.

Last night we had a wonderful teaching by Apostle Lafayette Scales. He is from the Rhema Christian Center, Columbus Ohio.  Pastor Scales continued his teaching about Revelation 12 from the Sunday service. 

In review:

Revelation 12:1-3  Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.  Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.  And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. There was a sign in Heaven of a woman giving birth.

There was a sign in Heaven of a woman giving birth and another sign, of a dragon who wanted to devour the child. 

Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 

The woman’s son was to rule the nations with a rod of iron – we know Him as Jesus.

Revelation 12:7-8 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 

There was a war in Heaven, where Michael and the angels fought with the dragon (satan) and cast him and his angels down from heaven.

But there is a word of Hope in verse 11. 

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The enemy makes war against the seed, starting in Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” 

Some think the woman in Revelation 12 is Eve, others think it is the nation Israel for the Bible often refers to Israel as a she. Some believe the woman is Mary, and others think it is the Church.  For the purposes of this talk, Apostle Scales said that the woman is any woman who gives birth to a child and parents that child. The enemy has declared war on every seed, every child and family.

Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

The enemy wages war against the family. The world is trying to redefine or represent marriage in a different way, to pull what we know as family apart.

Pastor Scales spoke about one of the first problems confronting families.

COMPETITION - After the fall in Genesis, competition and conflict entered the family.  Instead of the family being a cohesive whole, competition began to cause strife in the family.  Strife between husbands and wives, parents and children, siblings.

Tonight he spoke about the second way the enemy wages war against families.

MISCOMMUNICATION.  

The enemy tries to interrupt the message of God.

God is a master communicator.

Hebrews 11:3 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.

God communicated to creation and spoke it into existence.

We looked at the first three words in the following verses.

Gen 1:3 – Then God said
Gen 1:5 – God called
Gen 1:6 – Then God said
Gen 1:8 – And God called
Gen 1:9 – Then God said
Gen 1:10 – And God called
Gen 1:11 -Then God said
Gen 1:14 – Then God said
Gen 1:20 – Then God said
Gen 1:22 – And God blessed
Gen 1:24 – Then God said
Gen 1:26 – Then  God said
Gen 1:29 – And God said

Genesis 1:31 Then God saw

Notice in the account of creation you don’t see it until you say it.

Hebrews 11:3 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 whole of creation could have easily been covered by the writer of Genesis by Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

But God wanted to show us that first we say, then creation. Our faith is critical for our success. Words are critical to our faith.  Something comes out of our moth and then we have faith.  See Hebrews 11:3 above.

God continues and communicates.

Genesis 2:15-18 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

God is still talking, commanding Adam.

God spoke a companion into existence for Adam. Wives are complementary components. The women make up what the men lack, and vice versa. If a guy is quiet, a woman will be loud.  God provides us with a companion to help us make up what we lack.

When God creates, He creates the environment first, and then puts His creation in the environment.

He made the firmament, then put in the stars.  He made the Garden, then put in Adam and Eve. 

He creates the environment so that His creation can survive and grow.

God then gives permission (which comes with benefits) and He gives prohibition (which comes with consequences for disobedience).

If you obey you get benefits, if you disobey you face consequences.

At this point God and Adam were communicating perfectly, there was no miscommunication, but then another voice enters the picture.

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Who is the serpent? satan.   He questions God’s Word –  Has God said?  The serpent will disrupt the information that God gave Adam

Pastor Scales said that when you have a KNOWLEDGE BASE you have an OPERATION BASE and PREDICTABLE RESULTS

If there is a change in the knowledge base, there will be a change in the operation base and the results will change, not be predictable.

Communication transfers ideals, knowledge, wisdom.  Whatever God says will come to pas. Truth is a person and His Name is Jesus. Wisdom is the application of truth.  When we understand a truth, we so comprehend it that we can repeat the same result at will (consistent, predictable results).

If you are not getting consistent results, there is something that you are not understanding.

If you maintain your knowledge base, you have an operation base and predictable results. If you change your knowledge base, you change your operating base and the results are not predictable.

When the serpent spoke to Adam, it changed Adam’s operating base and the results changed.

The Last Adam (Jesus) came and restored the Knowledge Base, and restored the Operating base and the predictable results.  That’s what we call redemption.

Miscommunication is not communicating clearly.  We can communicate verbally, non-verbally, and written. God tells us to keep our communication simple.

KISS – Keep it simple sister,  Keep it simple son.

Matthew 5:33-37 Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’  But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;  nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.  Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.  But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Communication is critical for operations and results. Jesus tells us to speak clearly – your yes is yes, your no is no. If you say you are going to do something, do it. People put faith to your words, so don’t promise something and not do it.

In the old days your word meant something and deals were made with handshakes.  Your word was your bond. In church or in business you need to mean what you say and keep your word. 

We then turned to the book of Ecclesiastes which Pastor Scales said was an old man’s wisdom – and Solomon gained some wisdom, for he had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  Pastor Scales had us laughing when he mentioned, imagine the thousand pairs of pantyhose hanging in the shower.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. 

Be careful what you say with your mouth.  But what is in your heart determines what comes out of your mouth. To change your mouth, you need to change your heart.  KISS – Keep it simple sister – Keep it simple son.

Ecclesiastes 5:3 For a dream comes through much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by his many words. 

Not every dream is spiritual.  The enemy can also plant dreams. There is sin in a multitude of words, the more words, sin becomes inevitable.  Pastor Scales spoke about calling someone on the phone to get information.  After the information is received, then the conversation tends to deteriorate to a more base level.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. 

Pay your vows to God. Don’t promise to God what you don’t plan to do.

Ecclesiastes 5:6 Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that itwas an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? 

Pastor Scales said that on the street he used to say – don’t let your mouth get your rear-end in trouble. You can’t stay stuff to people and then say, “I was just kidding.” or “Psych.” Let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

Fear (reverence) God. 

Miscommunication came into the Garden and changed the Knowledge Base, changing the Operation base, and the Predictable Outcome.

The world we know today is not the world that God created, misinformation changed the outcome God planned.

There is a difference between talking and lecturing. We are to talk to people, not lecture them.

Ephesians 4:29 NKJV Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29 KJV Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29 New Living Trans. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
Ephesians 4:29 AMP Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

Keep your communication simple. We want to be aware of what our words will do to the person receiving them. We want our words to give grace to the hearer.  Our words want to be beneficial to the person receiving them, and fitting for the occasion.

What would happen in church, in our homes, in our business if we applied our words carefully?  If we spoke with grace, compassion, and only spoke words that were of benefit to a person’s spiritual progress.

When we speak we need to ask ourselves if what we are saying will help a person’s spiritual progress.

There are some things that we can say that don’t need to be said. For example, if we burn the eggs, we don’t need to be told we burned them.  If someone is usually on time and one time they are late, they don’t need to be told they are late, they already know it.

Avoid NAGGING – which is saying the right thing at the wrong time.  Pastor Scales told us that when he wants to be intimate with his wife, that is not the time for her to mention her need for new pots.

We need to watch our timing.

Keep your communication simple and wholesome.

LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION

The lowest level of communication is CLICHE – that is when you talk but are not really saying anything.  For example – How are you doing?  Fine.  How are you?  Blessed and highly favored?  The answers are not really listened to or thought out.

We want to avoid Christianeze – which is saying words to people who don’t understand their meaning.  Pastor Scales told us that he went up to one guy when he was in ministry school and asked the person, “Are you saved?”  The person thought he said shaved, and when it was said saved, he thought maybe at a bank.

The next level of communication is REPORTING THE FACTS – we do that when we talk about the weather, current events, and facts that everyone knows.

Then comes COMMUNICATE AND TRANSMIT OPINIONS ABOUT SOMETHING – How do you feel about something.  This level becomes more revealing for people are careful when they share their opinions. We are aware that people have different opinions about things, so we might be expressing an opposite opinion.

JUDGMENTS – what is our conviction about that.

We begin to get more personal when we SHARE OUR WEAKNESSES – We don’t share our weaknesses with everybody. We might speak about them to a peer, r an elder.  We can be TRANSPARENT with lots of folks, but not share our VULNERABILITY with everyone because they can exploit it.

We can share our FEARS – what we dread, what scares us,

The deepest level is when we share our FAULTS and SINS

Faults are momentary lapses, sin can be habitual. Confessing is therapeutic.  We are told in the Scriptures to confess our sins one to another. Confession can be healing.

We don’t deal with every person on the same level of communication.

Pastor Scales said that, when he teaches new pastors, he tells them that the sheep need to be fed.  If you are hurting don’t bleed on the sheep, feed the sheep.  If you are bleeding take it to the Lord.  Bleed up.  Speak with elders, older pastors, Apostles, and especially the Lord.

NEGATIVE COMMUNICATION

Lies
Deception – leaving stuff out to put a better spin on things
Negative words
Belittling
Backbiting
Fault finding

Don’t list people’s faults.  Don’t tell people you always do ______.  No one is good enough or consistent enough to ALWAYS do things that are negative.

When you speak consider what the Spirit of God wants you to say and you can avoid negative communication.

Lecturing instead of talking.

Don’t say “Thus says the Lord” or “The Holy Spirit told me…” unless you have really heard from the Lord.  Many people who do not have a coherent argument fall back on that, but we do not want to pretend that we have heard from the Lord when we haven’t.

COMPONENTS OF COMMUNICATION

YOUR WORDS:  

Psalm 19:14   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. 

Select the right words to say at the right time.  Remember, what we say comes from our heart. Say words that edify, not tear down.

YOUR GESTURES:

What you do with your hands, your head, your neck, eyes, squaring off for a fight, reaching out in friendship.  Your gestures speak as much as your words.

YOUR SPIRIT

What is in your spirit will be expressed.

YOUR TONGUE 

it can speak loud – if you shout “I love you” it may have a different connotation that a gentle comment.

Your tongue can strike down others and inflict hurt.

CONTENT

Content is crucial, what are you trying to say.  Get to the point.  Do not start at Genesis 1:1, the beginning of creation.  Keep your words short.

LENGTH OF CONVERSATION

Pastor Don Moore speaks of preparing a two minute testimony, a five minute testimony.  People are time sensitive. Sometimes it is more effective to drop words in little bits.

Remember if you have a true KNOWLEDGE BASE you have an OPERATION BASE and PREDICTABLE RESULTS

If you have a false knowledge base, you have a false operation base and your results are not predictable.

What God says is true.  We want to speak from a heart that loves the Lord.  If our heart is right, our mouth changes.  

What we say impacts others.

I hope this teaching blesses you as much as it blessed me.

Have a wonderful day.

Heather

Bible study taught 6/3/11 by Pastor Don Moore

A pastor’s job is to manipulate you toward your appointed destination in time, to find people who know they are called and make the choice.  We want to get to the place where we are closer to what God wants us to do with our life.

Acts 9:1-4  Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 

The early church was called – The Way. Saul set out to persecute the Church and the saints.

Acts 9:5   And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 

The pricks, the briers, an ox goad had a point that, if you kicked against it would end up hurting you.

Acts 9:6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The first step of being called is to receive the call. The first step is to shut up, sit down, and wait for instructions.  We are an asset if we are obedient and cooperative. We are a liability if we are fleshy and doing our own thing, for that embarrasses God.

False teachers will be exposed and people who follow a false teacher lack discernment. Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats.  The goats are those who let their flesh dominate the Word of God, instead of obeying God’s teaching as an obedient sheep.  We can know the Word and begin to identify the false teachings.  Sometimes when God gives us an instruction we don’t initially see God’s purpose. Never judge too quickly.  The Word will help us to discern the truth from the lies. When we admit we are wrong, we show humility.  Pride comes before a fall.  

Many are called, but few are chosen. God throws a call out widely to be fair, but not all will obey and follow God, their pride gets in the way. We want to see what to do, but we can be easily distracted. We need to change our values scale and make a decision not to be distracted. To be chosen we need to be obedient, or we will not be chosen.

Acts 9:7-9  And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Saul lost his vision, his eyesight. He had to be humble and be led, to get in position to receive the call.  The Word does not say that ALL are called.  Only our position places is where we can receive the call.  The Lord can call us and leave us on the backside of the desert for forty years.  The Prince of Egypt (Moses) tended sheep.  The Egyptians hated sheep, so that was a major humbling job for Moses.

When the Lord calls, he has to get our attention. The first test you get is:  Will you wait for instructions?  This is where many people fail. While they are waiting for instructions they begin to complain, are disappointed, etc.  We need to wait in hope.  God will never send a depressed person to win the lost. The lost need to see the blessing of the Lord in their lives. God put the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years because they murmured.

We need an attitude of gratitude if God wants to use us for signs and wonders. Our flesh can limit our capability and makes it hard for God to use us.

God brings us to the place where we could be. We need to learn not to complain.  Until we control our tongue we wait, it could be thirty days, sixty days or thirty years until we get control of our mouth. 

When Moses received the call he killed an Egyptian, not what God would have ordered, and he had to go to the wilderness.  God wanted to lead people out of bondage.  

So we don’t make a wrong choice, when God calls, shut up and wait for instructions.  

Ask yourself, is God able to support what He has ordained?  Of course He is. If a church or a ministry fails God is not in it.  

Pastor Abraham (from India) said something sad to Pastor Don.  He said that he is amazed at how much Americans can get done without praying. Pastor Abraham will pray for days, get directions from the Lord, and do far more by waiting than acting without God’s instructions.

Ruth Heflin said that the Western way of doing church is without God.

Paul was called of the Lord, but he didn’t wait for instructions.  He assumed God wanted him to kill the believers. 

If you don’t wait for God’s instructions, the work he has for you to do may take a long time to come to pass, so our best bet is to be yielded.

Acts 9:10-12 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” 
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”  So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.  And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” 

Paul had to sit and wait until God tells him who will mentor him. God chooses mentors to instruct us. God has great blessings prepared for us. The waiting is worth it for the wonder and joy we will receive when the pieces fall into place.

David spent seventeen years waiting and running from King Saul until God could prepare the hearts of the people to receive David as their king. When Saul was selected, he was everything the people thought a king should be.  He looked like what they thought a king should look.  David was short and ruddy, and did not know courtly ways.  He received Saul’s daughter for a wife.  But she felt was still caught in courtly ways and mocked his worship before the ark as undignified. She ended up living a barren life for she was not willing to humble herself, but David was a man after God’s own heart.

God does not forget us, even if we are waiting for instructions for a long time.  We need to trust that God is putting things into position for us to step into our destiny. If we make a mistake and get off the path, God will bring us back to a place where we are supposed to be.  God wants us to achieve His best for us.

When it comes to matters of the heart, we find it hard to learn from God.  We live with the burden of an inner child that needs to be stoned to death.  Our flesh is not able to hear from God.  The devil is also able to show us signs and wonders.  We can be fooled and lose our path. If we find that we have strayed, we need to be like King David.  When David messed up, he repented and turned back to God. 

Lord, if you want to use me, fix this mess.  Show me how to change so that I can do your will.  

When God calls, stir up the giftings within us, sit down and wait for instructions. Paul waited for his mentor to come. The more talented and gifted you are, the longer you have to sit down.

Acts 9:13   Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 

As a disciple of God, Ananias has the right to ask God questions. when instructions are given, to make sure he understands, but then he has to obey God’s instructions.

Acts 9:14-16 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”  But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.  For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 

God is fair.  If Ananias was in the flesh, he would not have heard and obeyed God. The flesh shuts us down. We can have great vision, but not see what is around the corner. We need to keep walking and obeying God until God shows us what is around the corner.  The flesh can confuse us, for it cannot see God’s plans. We need to listen to God, not the flesh, and be in prayer, waiting on God. We can check to see if it is of God, for it will agree with the Word of God. If our heart’s desire contradicts the Word, it is not of God.

If we say, “No, but…” to God, we can remain in our mess for twenty years. It is important to stay put until God gives us instructions, and then follow them.  Stay away from distractions.

 I hope this teaching blesses you.

Heather