September 20, 2011
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Miscommunication by Apostle Lafayette Scales
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 saidGenesis 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 findingDon’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
