This book was written by a famous author - Derek Prince. Written when?? no idea but guess it is not very important cos what is important is that I learnt something from it and thanks to my friends who gave me this as a gift.
I was asked why do you need such a book? Does your tongue need healing? My 1st response was I just wanted to know more about it. After reading it, my response to this friend will be - I do need healing.
Many verses were quoted in the book and many principles drawn from the verses...here are some that "spoke" to me and set me thinking
(A)Death or life?
Prov 18 : 21 says Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life] - amplified Bible
"The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." - New Living Translation
"Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. " - The Message Bible
- There were no in betweens. Either death or life.
- the ball is in my court. I get to choose
(B) How can I being evil speaks what is good?
Matthew 12:33-37: 33"If you grow a healthy tree, you'll pick healthy fruit. If you grow a diseased tree, you'll pick worm-eaten fruit. The fruit tells you about the tree. 34 -37"You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation." - The Message Bible
33Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit. 34You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the [a]superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. 35The good man from his inner good treasure [b]flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse [c]flings forth evil things. 36But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every [d]idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. 37For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced. - Amplified Bible
- I thought there is no link between my speech and the condition of my heart. I always tell people that one's word may not sound edifying but the heart is good. But looks like the Bible said otherwise. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The nature of the Tree(Heart) determines the kind of Fruit(Words). What is inside of me(my heart), will come out through my speech or what i say will reflect the condition of my heart.
(C)Small but Powerful
James 3:2-8
2For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech [never says the wrong things], he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. 3If we set bits in the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about. 4Likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines. 5Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! 6And the tongue is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man's nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna). 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius (nature). 8But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison. - - Amplified Bible
- Bits vs horse, rudder vs ship & spark vs forest fire. they may be small yet it can control something big or cause destruction.
- v 7 - every kind of beast & bird.... can be tamed and has been tamed BUT v8 - human tongue can be tamed by no man..it is restless...full of DEADLY POISON.~destruction can be great.
(D) Unacceptable religion vs Acceptable Religion
James 1:26-27: 26 If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (American Std Version)
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. - NLT
- Wah... Just because I do not control my tongue..God says my religion is vain.
(E) They each received what they said
Passage Numbers 13:
25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”
30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
Passage Numbers 14:
20 Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.
26 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. 28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. 29 You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. 30 You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
31 “‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. 32 But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness.
36 The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—37 were struck dead with a plague before the Lord. 38 Of the twelve who had explored the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
- v 28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say
~ God hears what we say. And watch what we say..who knows it becomes my destiny.
(F) Several diseases listed in the book
i. Excessive talking
Proverbs 10:19:
19 Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
Ecclesiastes 5
1 [a]As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. 2 [b]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.
- While I may think I do not talk very much, but I am in danger too as the author wrote - it is as much a sin to sing a lie as it is to tell a lie.
ii. Idle/Careless Words
Matthew 12 : 36But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every [d]idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. 37For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced. - Amplified Bible
- I am afraid of silence and may fall into the danger of just babbling to keep the conversation going.
iii. Gossip
Leviticus 19:16:
16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people.[a]
“Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.
Proverbs 20:19:
19 A gossip goes around telling secrets, so don’t hang around with chatterers.
Proverbs 20:19:19He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; therefore associate not with him who talks too freely.(Amplified Bible)
- speak not and receive not
Psalm 15
1LORD, WHO shall dwell [temporarily] in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell [permanently] on Your holy hill?
2He who walks and lives uprightly and blamelessly, who works rightness and justice and speaks and thinks the truth in his heart,
3He who does not slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
- If we slander, does evil to a friend or take up reproach agst a neighbour, the Bible say we will not get to dwell on His Holy Hill.
iv. Lying
Proverbs 6:16-19:16These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him:
17A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,(A)
18A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil,
19A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.
Revelation 21:8:8But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)--[all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.
- Liars go to hell... I thought it was just a common saying. Now I know it is written in the Bible.
v. Flattery
Proverbs 26:28:28A lying tongue hates those it wounds and crushes, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Proverbs 29:5:5A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his own feet
- The end for flatterers and recipient of flattery is ruin
vi. Hastiness of speech
Moses got angry, smote the rock instead of speak....
Numbers 20:7-12:7And the Lord said to Moses,
8Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to give forth its water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.
9So Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as He commanded him.
10And Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation before the rock and Moses said to them, Hear now, you rebels; must we bring you water out of this rock?
11And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock [a]twice. And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.
12And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore [b]shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Psalm 106:32-33:32They angered the Lord also at the waters of Meribah, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes;(A)
33For they provoked [Moses'] spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.
Proverbs 29:20Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him.
- If Moses had to pay the price for that hasty statement...do i know what have i lost as a result of the hasty statement i have said the the past???
F. Healing
i. Call your problem by its right name: SIN
ii. Confess and receive forgiveness & cleansing
iii. refuse sin & yield to God
- I was told repeatedly that for me to receive healing I have to be honest and humble and indeed when i face it instead of excusing myself, breakthrough came.
1 John 1:7-9:
7but if we (A)walk in the Light as (B)He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and (C)the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8(D)If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the (E)truth is not in us.
9(F)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and (G)to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- It is not just saying no to sin.. i have to yield to God as only He can tame the tongue
G) Can no one really tamed the tongue?
Acts 2:1-4
1 On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
1st thing that the Holy Spirit did when it descended was....operated in the disciples' tongues.
After that..we see them speaking in tongues(1 Corinthians 14: 2, 4 2For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 4One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church. ) .. Apostle Peter boldly proclaiming the Word instead of going back to the sea ...church growth ....etc etc
Conclusion :
The questions I have for myself - do I take His Word seriously? do I believe the whole Bible is God's Word??? Or did I selectively believe? I must have believed that He is Jehovah Jireh, my provider but I did not believe that I have to account for every word I speak/sing. If I had, I would have watch my words. If I had, my conversations with my friends would have been different. It would be seasoned with salt, it would build others up,it would esteem others above myself, it would no longer be what others will think of me but what do I say so that my friends will be blessed. It would no longer be will they be offended but if it is the truth and with God's help I will speak out in love so that we will be more like Him. It would bring life instead of death. It will warm one's heart & refresh others.
Hebrews 4 :1 says.. His Promise still stands, what should my response be?
1 God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.
May God help me...
