Prayer Service - Heal our Land! - 2 Chron 7:14

Prayer Service - Heal our Land!

August 18, 2013

2 Chron 7:14

INTRODUCTION

• We were driving from Los Angeles one time, and were headed up the I-14
• Suddenly the power steering died
• I steered over to the slow lane, and took the next exit
• We found a car parts place, and asked if someone could have a look
• After he checked it out, he found the problem, and was able to repair it
• If this had happened later, it could have been really bad
• We could have been out in the middle of the Mojave Desert, with a broken down vehicle.
• God helped us get our car repaired, on a Sunday, before something more serious happened
• But I had to listen, I had to notice the signs I was being given, and then I had to respond
• It is good to be aware of signs that something is different from the norm

WATCH THE INDICATORS

• In our church, things have not been going as well as they normally do
• Our attendance is down
• They say that this is a normal thing during summer, because people travel
• Personally, though I may make a trip away from home, I try to never miss church
• This is not because I am the pastor, but I have always been this way
• I miss being with my spiritual family, when I am away.
• Our attendance has gone down by an average of 45%, since the end of May
• This is not just because people are traveling, or the comparatively few who have valid reasons
• A good number are just not being faithful in coming to church
• I know I am preaching to the converted, you are here!
• Another indicator is church income
• Church income has dropped
• This coincides with the drop in attendance
• Our income in June was $5,400, July was $2,500, and this month has started even lower.
• We are at a point where I am once again not drawing a salary, and the church is having to juggle its utility bills.
• As I said, these are indicators, but they are also, only indicators
• This is not a main street business, and the church is not run the same way
• This is because we have the T-factor – we trust God, and we follow his lead
• So many times, God has rescued his people
• The Old Testament is full of such examples
• Gideon with his 300, vanquish 12,000 Midianites
• Josiah sends his worship team out front against the enemy, and the enemy starts killing themselves off
• So God does intervene on our behalf, and he does the impossible
• However, when things aren't running well, we need to listen and respond

SO HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?

• My initial reaction was, that I could write a letter to the members, explaining the situation
• But I was not sure if that was what I should do
• Dianne and I were talking, and what came out of it was 2 Chron 7:14
• 2Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• Trials are allowed to come, to teach us lessons, and to increase our faith and endurance
• But we need to be open to hearing what the lesson is God is teaching us
• Today, we are humbling ourselves and praying to God, to heal our land
• Our land extends beyond the confines of these four walls
• This whole city needs healing
• This church needs healing
• Our personal lives need healing

PRAYER TIME

• 1. PRAISE
• Praising God
• God as Creator
• Jesus as head of the church
• Holy Spirit as our guide and the one who empowers us
• (Corporate prayer)
• As a church, how has God blessed us?
• Membership
• This building
• Faithful people
• Income
• Witness to community
• (Testimonies, corporate prayer)
• As a city, how has God blessed us?
• Beautiful country
• Protection from wildfires
• Forests that provided jobs until the mill closed down
• Prisons that provide jobs for a large portion of our population
• People who are real
• (Corporate prayer)
• Individually, how has God blessed us?
• A body of believers who care about us
• God's healing in our lives
• Work
• Food and shelter
• Our daily bread
• A purpose in life
• (Prayer triplets)

 

• 2. REPENTANCE
• What do we need to repent of as a church?
• Not welcoming Holy Spirit gifts in ourselves
• Not going out into the harvest as we should
• Allowing criticism and gossip
• Not reaching out to new people as we should
• (Corporate prayer)
• What do we need to repent of as a city?
• Not turning to God
• Lack of raising our kids in God's ways
• Disobedience to God's commandments regarding marriage
• Immorality
• Seeking answers in substance abuse, instead of God
• (Corporate prayer)
• What do we need to repent of individually?
• (Private prayer)

• 3. PETITION
• On behalf of the church, we ask God for:
• A fire and anointing for seeking the lost
• A well of healing for the sick
• Boldness to carry the gospel
• (Corporate prayer)
• On behalf of the city, we ask God for:
• A spirit of repentance to fall
• Families that turn to Jesus
• Children that are fired up for the gospel
• Addicts to be supernaturally healed and turned to God
• (Corporate prayer)
• Individually, we ask God for:
• (Private prayer)

• 4. GRATITUDE
• (Corporate prayer)
• We thank God for hearing our prayer
• 2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
• Thanks to God for healing our land

CONCLUSION

• We expect change
• We expect new faces in church
• We expect church finances to be abundant
• We expect global repentance in this city
• We expect whole families to become Christians
• We expect God's will to be done here, as it is in heaven
• We expect jobs to come
• We expect healing and recovery for addicts
• We expect marriages to be healed and reconciled
• We expect that God will heal our land!

Dealing with hurts - Matt 18:15-20

Dealing with hurts

August 4, 2013

Matt 18:15-20

INTRODUCTION

• A person can be hurt so easily
• All it takes sometimes, is a sideways glance
• Sometimes we hurt people totally unintentionally, with the best will in the world.
• There was someone I knew, who had a cat
• This cat ran out into the road, was hit by a car, and he found it lying dead in the gutter.
• The cat was a mess
• So he took a spade, wrapped it in a sack, dug a hole in the back yard, and buried it.
• He did not want his sister to see it as it now looked.
• He was barely out of high school when this happened
• Later I heard that my sister had had a huge problem with this, wondering what had happened to our cat
• I am so sorry I dealt with it as I did, but it was totally unintentional, with the best will in the world.
• Sometimes hurts come as a result of anger, or other impure motives
• Sometimes nothing actually happened, but it is all a misunderstanding
• How do we deal with these issues?
• Today I want to go through an overview of some biblical principles regarding how we deal with these different kinds of upsets in relationships

WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US

• When someone hurts us, we have an initial reaction
• That reaction can vary, depending on how closely we are listening to God
• We can respond in anger, irritation or resentment. We can just bury it, it's just one more thing we have buried. Or we can respond with a forgiving, merciful attitude
• What are the results:
• If we respond in anger, the situation will only get worse, and the rift in the relationship becomes deeper. Wounds are reopened, and the anger develops into a resentment to the other person, and eventually becomes bitterness.
• That bitterness infects our life, in all kinds of unrelated ways, including sickness
• If we bury it, yet again, it has not been dealt with
• Sooner or later all those things we have buried will find their expression in some negative way
• One way is that we explode uncontrollably, bringing fallout to all around us
• Alternatively we implode in anger at ourselves, and seek to hurt ourselves, in addictions, resentment, and possibly suicide
• None of this is good
• If we respond in mercy, it gives time to sort the situation out
• It is a step towards reconciliation and forgiveness
• It is not the world's way
• The world's way of responding is tit for tat, an eye for an eye
• God's way is that we show mercy, just as we have been shown mercy

SO HOW DO WE DEAL WITH IT?

• Matt 18:16-20
• First, go to your brother alone
• Don't talk to others about it, don't gossip about it, don't ask others to pray for your situation, don't ask your pastor how to deal with this
• Just go to your brother alone and seek to reconcile
• How do you reconcile? You go with a merciful, forgiving attitude. The same way Jesus said “Lord forgive them, they don't know what they are doing” - Luke 23:34
• Hopefully when we go with a humble and merciful attitude, we can resolve the situation
• But what if they don't want to reconcile?
• What if they don't want to say sorry
• Pray for them – Luke 6:27-31 – don't retaliate
• Do good to them – Romans 12:20-21
• Live peaceably with them – Rom 12:18
• Don't insist on your rights – 1 Pet 4:8 - love covers a multitude of sins
• Overcome evil with good – Rom 12:21
• If it is something that has to be dealt with, take someone else with you to speak to them, to get it on record.
• But do so with this same humble, merciful, forgiving attitude
• Hopefully, this will encourage them to bury the hatchet
• As a last resort, take it to the church
• But still do so in a loving, merciful manner
• The pastor may or may not agree with your view on the situation
• Allow the church to deal with it
• Trust that God will give wisdom in the situation
• Finally, if you are still not able to reconcile, keep out of each other's way
• Not every disagreement warrants a person being put out of the church
• They are a part of the body, we don't start chopping off arms and legs
• This is only done where a person is damaging the body, and are not walking with us
• It's like cutting out a cancer, something life-threatening
• Even then, we pray that they will repent and come back into fellowship
• We have the power to bind people by refusing to be merciful to them, or we have the power to loose them, by forgiving them

WALK IN AGREEMENT

• God's intention for us is that we walk in agreement
• That is why this scripture is in the context of dealing with issues in our relationships
• Matt 18:19-20
• That does not mean we will always see things exactly the same way, or do things in an identical manner
• God loves variety, and he loves that we all make our choices, and that we are different
• But God does seek that we walk in agreement
• On the big things we totally agree, like Jesus being our Savior, the Bible being God's Word, that we are saved by grace and not by our works
• But we can have differences of opinion on things that are not totally clear in the word
• And we may disagree with how someone is doing things in their life, but we also know to his own master he stands or falls
• we are all running our own race, we have been given different talents and gifts to develop
• God has a different purpose and road for each of us, though each road starts with accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior

CONCLUSION

• Let's be a church that is unified
• Psalm 133 – How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity!
• If we have an issue with someone, let's seek to reconcile
• Let's forgive each other just as Jesus forgave us
• Let's live together in peace, and without judgment
• Let's be a place where visitors will recognize this is the home they have never experienced before

INVITATION

Being Faithful! - Psa 37:28

Being faithful!

July 28, 2013

Psalm 37:28

INTRODUCTION

• Story about couple, getting married, hard times, but commitment pulls them through
• When two people get married, what is it that goes without saying, at the core of their relationship? Faithfulness
• However, in life, things change
• Nothing is so constant as change
• In a marriage, over time, issues encroach on the relationship
• Today, over one in two marriages ends in divorce
• One of the major causes of divorce is marital unfaithfulness
• But faithfulness is far more all-encompassing than that
• Today we are going to look at some areas where God expects us to be faithful

OUR MARRIAGE TO GOD

• Relationships with God are expressed in terms of a marriage
• In the Old Testament, God was married to Israel
• Ezekiel 16 – God finds a cast-off baby in the field, takes care of it, it grows up to be a beautiful woman, at the appropriate time, God marries her
• Here he is speaking about ancient Israel
• Israel listened to the requirements of this agreement, and says “I do” - Exodus 19:3-8
• That marriage ceased, when Jesus died on the cross.
• In the New Testament we are the bride of Christ
• Rev 19:7-9 – wedding of the Lamb
• Eph 5:25-30 – our physical marriage is a type of our spiritual marriage to Jesus
• This spiritual marriage is no less real and literal than our physical marriage
• Faithfulness is an essential part of this marriage to Jesus
• The expression God is faithful, is mentioned many times throughout the Bible
• God expects us to be faithful to him, just as he is faithful
• Phil 2:5 – Let this mind or attitude be in you that was also in Christ Jesus

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH

• Our relationship to the church is also expressed in similar intimacy
• Eph 5:23 – we are a part of the bride, the body of Christ
• As a part of the body, we cannot be separated from it, without dying
• John 15:1-6 – the branches must stay connected to the vine
• 1 Cor 12:12-18 – each part of the body is exactly where he has purposed it to be
• Each part is needed in that place
• Otherwise the body is maimed and incomplete
• Our remaining present in the body, is a part of being faithful to God
• Heb 10:25 – Do not give up meeting together
• Stay committed to the part of the body where God has called you
• Come to church services
• Be at church events
• Exercise your particular gifts God gave you, to edify the Church

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE CHURCH

• Mal 3:8 – robbing God in tithes and offerings
• Tithing is the God-ordained way to support the work he is doing
• In the Old Testament this was the work of the Levites in the temple and religious ceremony
• In the New Testament that work is being done through the church
• When we are not obedient to God's command to give him his portion, we are robbing God
• Being faithful to God includes supporting the church

BEING FAITHFUL IN ALL AREAS OF OUR LIFE

• Being faithful is a state of being, not a single action of being faithful
• If I am faithful at work, I will most likely be faithful at home and in my spiritual life
• If I am unfaithful in my sexual life, I will most likely be unfaithful at work and in my relationship with God
• Psalm 37:28 – If I am a faithful person, God will be with me
• God supports his faithful ones
• Matt 6:33 – seek first the kingdom of God, and he will take care of you
• Here he is speaking of the necessities of life
• Paul needed financial support
• He was in prison, people had forsaken him, and he needed support
• The church in Philippi came through, and brought assistance to Paul
• Phil 4:19 – Paul tells the Philippians, and us, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”

CONCLUSION

• So let's be known as a faithful person
• When Paul chose people for the ministry, he looked for people who were faithful
• In 1 Tim 3, 2 Tim 2:2 and Titus 1, Paul makes clear that the leaders of the flock must be faithful
• Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Spirit – Gal 5:22-23
• And faithfulness is the commitment that keeps things unified and moving forward
• If we conduct our lives as faithful men and women, one day Jesus will tell us, as well as millions of others with us: “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord!"

The Voice of the Spirit! - Zech 4:6

The Voice of the Spirit

July 14, 2013
Zechariah 4:6

INTRODUCTION

• Told that when he went to be with the Father, he would send the Holy Spirit
• John 14:20 says that on that day” you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you
• In John 20, on resurrection evening, he tells the disciples, Receive the Holy Spirit
• For a further 40 days, Jesus teaches the disciples
• Then He ascends to heaven
• But before he leaves, he tells them to wait in Jerusalem for a climactic event, and event that would be huge in its impact
• Acts 1:8
• Then they stay in the upper room for 10 more days, praying
• Finally the day of Pentecost comes
  

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

• Lets read Acts 2:1-4
• They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them
• What kind of tongues were these?
• In the following verses we see that a further amazing miracle happens
• Jews had assembled for the day of Pentecost, an annual pilgrimage to the temple
• They had come from all over the known world. They represented a huge number of dialects and languages
• What happened, is that the apostles, who had no knowledge of all these languages, spoke in tongues
• And the people listening, each understood what was being said
• So there are two miracles here, one is that of speaking in tongues, and the second is that of people each being able to hear in their own language
  

The Importance of being Filled With The Spirit

• Jesus knew that we would be unable to follow through on the Christian life, without God's help
• The ancient Israelites were testimony enough to that
• They had said, all the Lord commands we will do (Exodus)
• But in the end, their unbelief and rebellion drew them away from God, till they had to go into captivity
• And when they came back, having learned a lesson, they became hypocritical in their legalistic obedience
• They missed the point entirely
• Zech 4:6
• It is the same with us
• We can come to Jesus, and receive the Holy Spirit just as the disciples did in John 20
• But without being filled with the Holy Spirit, our Christianity will get us nowhere
• Jesus commanded the disciples to wait till they were imbued with power from on high
• Then, they would go out and be his witnesses, doing the works that he did, and the church would explode into the whole of the known world
• Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, we just do not have the power to impact this town
• We can have the most interesting plans and ideas for reaching Susanville, but unless The Holy Spirit is the vehicle for transformation, our efforts will be doomed to failure
  

Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit

• Mat 3:11
• Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit
• To baptize means to immerse underwater, to soak, to completely saturate
• When we are baptized after receiving Jesus, there is a meaning associated with it
• It symbolizes burying our old way of life, and being raised up again to a new life
• This happens when we receive the earnest of the spirit
• Eph 1:13-14
• We are now sealed, our inheritance is guaranteed
• There is now a deposit of the Holy Spirit
• But so many Christians today seem powerless
• They don't know how to do battle, they don't know how to be overcomers
• They are missing something
• The answer is that Jesus also came to Baptize with the Holy Spirit
• When we are immersed in the Holy Spirit, he leaves his mark
• Moses being in the presence of God 40 days left its mark in the glory of God attaching itself to him so that he had to put a bag over his head because people were afraid of the glory shining from his face
• In the same way, when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, he leaves his mark
• That mark is that we become able to speak in tongues
• This is a gift he gives to us
  

Our heavenly prayer language

• It is a way we now can pray to God, unimpeded by our natural fleshly thoughts and distractions
• This prayer language enables us to have a way closer contact and relationship with God
• The closer we are to God the more he can build us up in our spiritual walk
• It starts with being filled with the Holy Spirit, and then praying in the language of the Spirit, which is in tongues
• Through praying in tongues, we are built up in our inner man
• We are strengthened and emboldened, to accomplish Jesus’ purpose in and through us.
  

Invitation

We have a job to do! - Luke 10:1-2

We Have a Job to Do!

July 7, 2013
Luke 10:1-2

READING

- Luke 10:1-11, 17-20

INTRODUCTION

• It was around 1983 years ago, in the spring or summer
• Jesus was speaking to a large crowd of people, his disciples
• Jesus had a lot of disciples, not just the twelve
• Each of them had qualities Jesus recognized, and he chose them to represent him
• He gave them the tools and the authority to use them
• Then he sent them out, to prepare the way for his coming
• They did go, and they actually did all that Jesus had asked of them
• They prayed for people and they were healed!
• They preached effectively!
• They set free people who were oppressed by demons!
• They return with joy, in verse 17, and Jesus who sent them out was himself full of joy (v21)!
• When we are fulfilling our God-given task, there is joy and fulfillment!
• We have been called to complete the same task!
  

PROBLEMS IN SUSANVILLE

• Drug addiction is rife
• Alcoholism is a huge problem in this town
• These lead to violence in families and on the streets
• Many families move to Susanville, to be closer to their husbands in CCC or High Desert State Prison
• There is a sense of hopelessness, unemployment, inability to get over depression and anxiety
• This is known as a prison town, and this town itself is in prison
• These are people we associate with each day
• They are colleagues at work, they are our fishing buddies, they are our classmates at school, the people we hang out with
• They do not know the answer to their problems
• So they sink deeper and deeper into their addictions
• But we have answers to give them
• We can give them hope for change in their lives
• We too have been called to prepare the way of the Lord
  

OUR VISION

• During the last year, God sovereignly grew this church from a low point of 22 attenders, to the mid 60s today
• He increased our numbers by 40 people, and gave us hope for the future
• But his intention for us is that we go out and labor in the harvest
• It is our task, our job, our calling, to reach out to our community, and show people the way to Jesus
• We may think, but pastor, I could never do that
• How do you think the 70 felt when Jesus sent them out
• One moment they are listening to Jesus, he gives them an assignment, and then the meeting is finished, and what do they do now?
• But Jesus gave them the ability to do the job
• He gave them the gifts, and they went out doing what Jesus did
• We are going to do the same.
• I am expecting that by the end of this year we will have 80 people sitting in this service
• And at the end of next year, I am expecting in faith that there will be 120 people in this church
• The kingdom is a growing entity. The fields are white to harvest.
• There is no reason why this church should not be filled to the brim
• So I am setting a target for our church
• I know that it is not about numbers
• But there are so many hurting people out there needing Jesus
• Jesus sent us out
• John 20:21 – Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I am sending you
• During the coming weeks, I will be outlining a strategy which will help us perform this task
  

WATCH BILLY GRAHAM VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYcmWleMaWs

• In November we will be taking up the Billy Graham challenge
• We are going to make an impact in Susanville!
  

INVITATION

• If you would like to be a part of this crusade against the darkness, please come forward now
• We will pray for you and you will receive power to do the job Jesus has given you
• We will go out into the highways and byways and invite people to the marriage supper of the lamb
• And God's kingdom will grow in Susanville!

Freedom From Offense! - Psa 119:165

Freedom from offense!

June 30, 2013

Psalm 119:165 KJV

INTRODUCTION

• Last week we discussed the importance of the words we speak
• Our words can initiate either blessing or cursing
• This can and will have a lasting effect in our relationships, unless we choose to deal with it and make amends
• Even then, we cannot remove words that we spoke, and even careless words show what our heart is like inside
• But what if you are at school, and someone says something that cuts into you like a knife?
• What if you are at work and your boss or a colleague says something that is totally unfair?
• What if something happened in the family that shook you to your core?
• Today we are going to look at the subject of offense
• How should we deal with it when someone says or does something that offends us?
• Should we just leave it, and not react?
• What impact will it have on us?
• Do we have control over the way the other person's words impact us?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OFFEND?

• The Bible uses the word offend a number of times
• It is mainly used in the new testament
• Greek: skandalizo AV - offend 28, make to offend 2; 30
• 1) to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, to entice to sin, to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
• 2) to cause to fall away, to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority, to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another, since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed
• 3) to cause one displeasure at a thing, to make indignant, to be displeased, indignant
• So to offend goes pretty deep
• It is a stumbling block, stumbling blocks hurt
• That stumbling block can lead to sin, causing distrust
• We see something in someone which we don't like, which stops us from seeing them the way God sees them, whether they are someone in authority or not
• Ultimately, it distorts our vision of people, and ruins relationships

WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE OFFENDS US?

• Now we turn this definition around
• We are the ones who feel hurt
• We are the ones who are liable to sin, and distrust each other
• We are the ones who suffer the loss of relationship that comes from distrust
• This is how offense affects us. This then leads to other issues, such as anger, resentment and bitterness
• So the sins that taking offense at someone leads to, are distrust, disunity, anger, resentment and bitterness
• There is something crazy about this – the other person commits the offense, and we end up sinning in all kinds of ways

HOW DO WE RESPOND TO OFFENSE?

• Psalm 119:165 KJV - Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
• A standard is given here – if we love God's law, nothing will offend us!
• The implication here is that taking offense at something, is something that is under our control
• We get to choose, will or will I not allow this thing that happened, to change the way I see that person
• But how do we deal with this issue then?

LOOK AT THINGS FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

• Phil 2:5 – Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
• We need to be learning to look at things from Jesus' perspective
• 1. Jesus forgives
• Matt 18:35 – parable of the unforgiving servant
• God expects us to forgive from the heart
• That seems hard. But that is what God expects of us.
• So this is the goal to which we are working
• Forgiveness is like an onion, layer by layer
• Matt 6:15 – unless we forgive, we ourselves will not be forgiven
• If we do not forgive the other for the offense, from the heart, God will not forgive us for our distrust, disunity, anger, resentment and bitterness
• 2. God understands where we are coming from
• Psa 103:8-14 – God is ready to forgive, as far as the east is from the west, and he considers our humanity
• Mark 6:34 – Jesus has compassion on the crowds
• Compassion was at the core of Jesus' ministry
• We too need to have this compassion and understanding
• When someone offends us, think about what brought them to say or do this.
• Can we understand where they are coming from?
• 3. Choose to suffer wrong, rather than exact revenge
• A basic principle of New Testament living
• Matt 5:38-39 – we do not retaliate
• Matt 5:9 – we are peacemakers
• Rom 12:17-21 – don't take revenge
• Overcome evil with good

CONCLUSION

• When someone does something that offends us, let's not take offense
• Instead, let's look at things from God's perspective
• We need to forgive, and consider our own sins as well
• Look at where the person is coming from, perhaps we can understand their motivations
• Choose to suffer wrong for righteousness' sake
• Overcome evil with good, do good things to win them over
• Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
• Allow God to work through you to bring peace into your relationships

Blessing and Cursing - the Power of Words - James 3:2-12

Blessing and Cursing – the Power of Words

June 23, 2013

James 3:2-12

READING

• James 3:2-12

INTRODUCTION

• Have you ever been told something that hurt?
• Perhaps it was yesterday when your husband or wife said something that crushed you
• Perhaps your dad once said you were a no-good loser who would never amount to anything, and you might as well quit now because you sure weren't going to get anywhere in this life, and you would make life miserable for a lot of people, in the process, as a matter of fact, you are a waste of space.
• On the other hand, perhaps there was someone who praised you or encouraged you, someone who said they believed in you, that you would do great things
• Perhaps your mom said that you were so helpful, so giving, so understanding, you would make someone a wonderful husband or wife
• Words can make us or break us

• A long time ago, people used to say: Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me
• While this sounded great, and helped develop a macho image, it is not true
• Because words can and do hurt us, and the imprints they leave can stay with us for a lifetime!
• Today we are going to discuss the subject of blessing and cursing, the power of words

Words can be a blessing

• Do you remember a teacher at school who encouraged you?
• I remember in the 6^th grade, Mr Murray was such a person
• He would encourage me, told me that I did good work, and tried to prepare me for high school
• This teacher had a good impact on me, and helped me in my approach towards my future education
• When you are riding a horse, sometimes you will just let the horse have its head, and allow it to fololow the trail without your interference
• I had a boss like that once, who let me loose, with a little direction, and I was astounded at what I was capable of
• He built me up
• The words we use can build people up (Rom 14:19, 1 Thes 5:11)
• God encourages us, builds us up, gives us hope and a future (Jer 29:11)
• Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Words can be a curse

• The words people speak to us can damage deeply
• We internalize the words
• I remember one time I was standing out on the front lawn, and my dad told me I was lazy, and that the desire to do a good job was just not there.
• I internalized this, and I believed it
• These words became a curse spoken out over me, and I saw myself that way
• Though I made a choice at age 19, to be a hard worker and a good employee, and I followed through on that choice, those words still followed me around like a shadow
• Proverbs 14:1 Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
• We can complain and criticize as much as we want, but the effect will be to destroy whatever good there is in the marriage
• Saying negative things to people is a curse
• A curse has an impact, just as surely as sticking pins in a voodoo doll will cause sickness and death
• The same thing applies to the words we say about ourselves
• When we tell ourselves we are useless, it is prophetic, we will live in a way that brings these words to pass
• When we tell ourselves we cant possibly do something, we will find it impossible to do
• On the other hand, positive words are prophetic as well, we will live up to them as well

The words we say cannot be recalled

• The words we say cannot be recalled
• Once those words are out of our mouth, they cannot be changed
• We so often say things carelessly
• We think we can always say sorry later
• But once the words have been said they are out there
• They are a reflection of how we feel inside
• Matt 12:34 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks
• We think what we just said is merely some carelessly chosen words
• But it shows how we feel inside, and the person who listens recognizes this – that is why our words have such impact
• Often of course, we may not intend the words to have the meaning that actually came across to the other
• "When J. Edgar Hoover ran the FBI, he was boss and everyone knew it. As a result, almost all of his subordinates were on the lookout for ways to impress their powerful boss.
• A young FBI man was put in charge of the FBI's supply department. In an effort to cut some costs and impress his boss, he reduced the size of the office memo paper. One of the new memo sheets soon ended up on Hoover's desk. Hoover took one look at it, determined he didn't like the size of the margins on the paper, and quickly scribbled on the memo, "Watch the borders!"
• The memo was passed on through the office. For the next six weeks, it was extremely difficult to enter the United States by road from either Mexico or Canada. The FBI was watching the borders. "
• The Bible tells us to watch what we say
• Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
• The word idle here does not mean intentionally hurtful, it comes from the greek word that means lazy! It speaks of the casual, careless words we throw out there like hand grenades, killing and maiming for life
• We forget what we said, but the person who receives them has a long memory
• And words stick

CONCLUSION

• The words we say are so important!
• They can damage and hurt, or they can heal and bless
• Part of my task as a pastor is to point damaged souls towards the path to healing
• Healing is possible
• We may have had innumerable negative things said to us, by the people in our life, or even by the enemy whispering them in our ear
• These words can be broken, and changed and turned around for good
• We do not need to live under the curse of negative words spoken to us long ago
• Jesus died so that we could live in freedom
• He came to heal the broken-hearted and to to give us life, more abundantly. This signifies positive change in our outlook on life.
• So there is hope for the future!
• Next week I will be continuing this subject, considering how we receive words and actions we consider to be negative