Devotion: Choose Life Words

There is a phrase that people say when they have finished complaining about something or when they want to complain but choose not to say anything that goes something like, “But why complain, no one listens anyway.”  We have been cleverly trained to speak certain negative catch phrases that actually speak words of doubt, fear, sickness, and even death and many of us have no idea that we are speaking such things into our lives.  We recently learned that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), which suggested that the words we say can actually affect our life.  We also learned the words we speak are like seeds that are planted in the ground and from those seeds; we reap a harvest from what we have sown or in this case, spoken.

However, we have a bigger problem; there is someone actually listening for those complaints.  We have an adversary, who “wanders back and forth about the earth walking up and down it (Job 1:7) like a roaring lion, seeking those that he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  As we have mentioned many times before, the fact that he is seeking or looking for those that he may devour means that he does not have the right or the permission to devour anyone.  Guess where that permission comes from?  We know that many believe that the permission comes from God (Job 1:8-12), but it is actually the words that we speak that gives him “permission.”  Scripture tells us that we have been trapped by what we say, ensnared by the words of our mouth (Proverbs 6:2 NIV).  It just goes to show that the words you speak are more important than you may have thought.

The Bible tells us “neither give place (opportunity) to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27), but those negative catch phrases that we speak actually give him place or opportunity.  It is the permission that he needs to do what he does best, which is “to kill, to steal, and to destroy” (John 10:10).  We need to be very careful with what we say, careful to choose life words because there is a little more riding on those words than our reputations.

As you read today’s inspirational message, reflect on those negative catch phrases that inadvertently come out of your mouth and remember that there is someone who is just waiting for you to speak them.  We pray that you will be blessed, informed, and all the better for having read both, the commentary and the message.  If this message is a blessing to you, please share it so that others may be blessed as well.  Amen.

Enjoy your blessings. - KW

A Third Class – Part III

According to our earlier examination of Romans 8:1, we saw that there was therefore no condemnation for anyone who is in or belongs to Christ Jesus.  We determined that there were two groups, those who where in Christ Jesus, them being the believers, the saved, or the Christians and those who were not in Christ Jesus, them being the non-believers or the unsaved.  We also found that many translations omitted this part of the passage, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  Up on further examination, we discovered this omitted text to be vital in the understanding and interpretation of this passage.  We can see from the omitted text that there be a qualifier for them which are in Christ Jesus.  A qualifier is something that has the ability to restrict, limit, alter, or modify the meaning of something else.  Imagine that, something in the word of God that actually restricts, limits, alters, or modifies the meaning of them who be in Christ Jesus.  It appears that there just might be another group amongst those that are in Christ Jesus.

A Third Class – Part II

Let us quickly summarize what we have discovered thus far.  In our initial examination of Romans 8:1, we determined that there appeared to be two groups, those who where in Christ Jesus (the believers) and those who were not in Christ Jesus (the non-believers), even though the passage only mentions one group.  We also placed these two groups or classifications on a finite line with two extreme endpoints, with those in Christ Jesus to the extreme far right and those not in Christ Jesus to the extreme far left.  We placed everyone else somewhere in between, depending on their association to the two extremes.  We also determined that Satan would go after those toward the extreme far right; them who be in Christ Jesus, the believers because them toward the extreme far left had already committed themselves to him.

We re-examined Romans 8:1 to discover that there are some who are in Christ Jesus that believe there is nothing they can do to lose their salvation and be plucked from the hand of Christ.  They live a lifestyle of their choosing and regardless of what they do; they believe they will always be forgiven as long as they get on their knees and confess their sins.  The phrase, carnal Christian was coined to define the believer who confesses and believes in Christ Jesus, but lives a lifestyle that does not appear to glorify God while claiming the forgiveness and acceptance of God.  Could this be that other group, that third classification we discussed earlier?

A Third Class

Many years ago, we read a passage that forever changed how we viewed and accepted those facts surrounding the one everyone claims to know and worship.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect (Matthew 24:24).

According to what we have just read, we see that false Christs will rise up and the false prophets will rise up as well.  We see that these false Christs and false prophets will show great signs and do wonderful miracles.  In doing these great signs and wonderful miracles, which will be so realistic that if it were possible, they, the false Christs and the false prophets would deceived, tricked, or even seduced the very elect.  This means that whatever these great signs and wonderful miracles be, they be good enough to fool the very elect, if that were possible.  And since that is not possible, then what is possible is for these great signs and wonderful miracles to deceived, tricked, or even seduced everyone who is not one of the very elect.

So the question that you have to ask yourself is; Are you, by definition, one of the very elect?  We suggest that you think very carefully before you answer this question, because this could be a matter of life and death.