Thoughts From The Box ⎯ "It Can't Be!"
I am at a unique place right now in my life. I've seen some vast development in my spirituality, however I am still maturing into the person God intended me to be. I'm saying this because I was just convicted. (OK, I promise you won't see my face on "America's Most Wanted" but no, really, the spirit of the Lord has convicted me of a sin that I believe most of us have committed.)
Close to a decade ago, I approached my mother and told her about a dream I had where I was involved in a worldwide revival. I was in the passenger seat of a car and when I waved my hand out the window, I saw people become healed on the side of the road.
It was strange dream because I was not at the level spiritually that I am now, but I clearly heard the voice of God say, "I'm bringing back the Acts church." While visiting different churches around the country, I have heard a unified message that God is restoring His church body to reflect and mirror the "Acts church."
This is so amazing to me, but God also had a question for me: "How do we usher this church into our world today?"
If you read through the book of Acts found in the New Testament, you'll see a people, a church who were totally committed to the cause of Christ. People sold their possessions or brought them to the church. Church workers then divided these possessions and distributed them to meet the needs of the people. Also, in Acts is a powerful story in which the saints are involved in healing people by prayer and the gift of laying on of hands.
God's desire for this (His) church has really been a burden on my heart over the last couple of years. But, recently, He asked me again, "How are we going to get there?" God took me to James 3:9, and then the conviction came. This passage says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
I must confess that my mouth has not been totally up to par for most of my adult life. And I won't make any excuses for my tongue, either. But God showed me that if I wanted to be involved in this church, His church, I must get my tongue under control. Verse 11 goes on to say, "Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"
I asked myself, "How can I use my tongue unfavorably in one sentence and then try to worship God in in another? This is blasphemous! How can I expect God to heal and/or move in a mighty way if I don't repent before I worship Him?"
My friends, this shouldn't be. Simply, it can't be. After this revelation, I felt like Job in Job 40:4, 5 when he said, "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more."
But in reality, I have to say something. If I have been given this gift to speak, I must consider using my tongue to worship God in all that I do.
James conveys the importance of the tongue, comparing it to a rudder on a boat. Although the rudder is small (like the tongue) it has the ability to steer the boat this way or that.
What I've learned from the teachings of my parents and other spiritual leaders around me is that if I, personally, want to see the manifestation and the power of God I have to be conscious of how I use my tongue. And it's not rocket science. I have to make sure that what I listen to and watch on television, the Internet and other media devices are filtered. This goes for the people I surround myself with too; they, also, must filter their lives.
What we say can affect so many things in our lives, including our attitudes and our health. I am giving you an invitation: Ask God to show you what things you are saying that are not lining up with His Word. Some of us need to add to our daily prayer list Psalm 120 1:2 which says, "Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."
Also, accountability here is a good suggestion for you if you have trouble with certain words or phrases. You can ask your friends to correct you. Proverbs 27:17 tell us, "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend." It's OK to keep each other accountable because we all have the same goal. And that is to witness the manifestation of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
Prayer,
Father, I repent for my wayward tongue. Please forgive me. My tongue has not been worthy to lift up your holy Name, and now I must change. I will do so because there is no one greater than You. I ask the Holy Spirit to keep me conscious of what I say so that I may see Your manifestation here on the Earth. In Jesus Christ Name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Damien K. H. Nash, Founder & CEO
TNG Publishings, LLC
www.tngpublishings.com
Author,
How to Load Your Truck: One Box at a Time
Big Box, Little Box: How One Little Box Finds His Way
Big Box, Little Box: The Forecast Calls For Potential Rain!
Close to a decade ago, I approached my mother and told her about a dream I had where I was involved in a worldwide revival. I was in the passenger seat of a car and when I waved my hand out the window, I saw people become healed on the side of the road.
It was strange dream because I was not at the level spiritually that I am now, but I clearly heard the voice of God say, "I'm bringing back the Acts church." While visiting different churches around the country, I have heard a unified message that God is restoring His church body to reflect and mirror the "Acts church."
This is so amazing to me, but God also had a question for me: "How do we usher this church into our world today?"
If you read through the book of Acts found in the New Testament, you'll see a people, a church who were totally committed to the cause of Christ. People sold their possessions or brought them to the church. Church workers then divided these possessions and distributed them to meet the needs of the people. Also, in Acts is a powerful story in which the saints are involved in healing people by prayer and the gift of laying on of hands.
God's desire for this (His) church has really been a burden on my heart over the last couple of years. But, recently, He asked me again, "How are we going to get there?" God took me to James 3:9, and then the conviction came. This passage says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
I must confess that my mouth has not been totally up to par for most of my adult life. And I won't make any excuses for my tongue, either. But God showed me that if I wanted to be involved in this church, His church, I must get my tongue under control. Verse 11 goes on to say, "Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"
I asked myself, "How can I use my tongue unfavorably in one sentence and then try to worship God in in another? This is blasphemous! How can I expect God to heal and/or move in a mighty way if I don't repent before I worship Him?"
My friends, this shouldn't be. Simply, it can't be. After this revelation, I felt like Job in Job 40:4, 5 when he said, "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer—twice, but I will say no more."
But in reality, I have to say something. If I have been given this gift to speak, I must consider using my tongue to worship God in all that I do.
James conveys the importance of the tongue, comparing it to a rudder on a boat. Although the rudder is small (like the tongue) it has the ability to steer the boat this way or that.
What I've learned from the teachings of my parents and other spiritual leaders around me is that if I, personally, want to see the manifestation and the power of God I have to be conscious of how I use my tongue. And it's not rocket science. I have to make sure that what I listen to and watch on television, the Internet and other media devices are filtered. This goes for the people I surround myself with too; they, also, must filter their lives.
What we say can affect so many things in our lives, including our attitudes and our health. I am giving you an invitation: Ask God to show you what things you are saying that are not lining up with His Word. Some of us need to add to our daily prayer list Psalm 120 1:2 which says, "Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues."
Also, accountability here is a good suggestion for you if you have trouble with certain words or phrases. You can ask your friends to correct you. Proverbs 27:17 tell us, "As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend." It's OK to keep each other accountable because we all have the same goal. And that is to witness the manifestation of the Kingdom of God here on Earth.
Prayer,
Father, I repent for my wayward tongue. Please forgive me. My tongue has not been worthy to lift up your holy Name, and now I must change. I will do so because there is no one greater than You. I ask the Holy Spirit to keep me conscious of what I say so that I may see Your manifestation here on the Earth. In Jesus Christ Name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Damien K. H. Nash, Founder & CEO
TNG Publishings, LLC
www.tngpublishings.com
Author,
How to Load Your Truck: One Box at a Time
Big Box, Little Box: How One Little Box Finds His Way
Big Box, Little Box: The Forecast Calls For Potential Rain!
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