TOPIC:
MOUTH: MARK YOUR WORDS
BIBLE TEXTS:
James 3:1-12; Psalm 19:14; 141:34; Colossians 3:8,9; Ephesians 5:19,20
KEY VERSE:
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).
INTRODUCTION:
The first part of the food canal. The mouth is located between the head and the jaw, enclosing the tongue and the teeth.
The mouth is a very important member of the body. With the mouth we eat food, drink water, wine and medicines. We also use the mouth to speak, sing, bless, curse, pray to God or pray to idols. Persons who smoke cigarettes and other dangerous herbs also use their mouth in doing so.
Thus, life and death can pass through the mouth into the body. Food and poison can be taken by the mouth. Also, life and death, Blessing and curse, joy and Sorrow can come out of the mouth. The tongue in the mouth is a little member, but what enormous damage it can do. A great forest can be on fire by one tiny spark. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It 1s full of wickedness.
The mouth praises our heavenly father, and sometimes it breaks out into curses against men who are made like God. And 5o blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth . In this discussion in our today's devotion we will use Miriam and Aaron as case study.
MIRIAM AND AARON CRITICIZED MOSES : NUMBERS 12
One day Miriam and Aaron were criticizing Moses
because his wife who was a Cushite woman, and then said, Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has't He spoken through us?
But the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY heard it then.lmmedately He summoned Moses, Aaron and Miriam to the Tabernacle: Come here, you
three He commanded. So they stood before the Lord. Now, Mosas was the humblest man on earth then.
Then the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY descended in
the entrance of the Tabernacle. "Aaron and Miriam move forward", he commanded; and they did. And the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY said to them, Even with a prophet, I would communicate in dreams and visions but that is not the same with Moses whom I communicate one-on-one.
He is completely at home in my house| and in my presence.
Face to face l and him shall see and talk. Why then were you not afraid to criticize him?
Then the anger of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY grew high against them and He departed,. moved unto the Tabernacle
Miriam suddenly became leprous, Aaron saw what had happened, he cried out to Moses. Oh Sir! do not punish us for this sin; we were fools to do such things. Aaron begged Moses to plead on her behalf. So, Moses cried to Cod. Heal her, 0h God! I beg you. But God instructed that Miriam should be excluded from the camp for seven days as her punishment.
Miriam was inflicted with leprosy tor gossipping a man of God Almighty. The Bible says that we should cast away filthy speeches from our mouths
David prayed. Let the word of mu mouth and the meditation
my heart be always acceptable in thy sight God.
CARELESS AND CAREFUL MOUTH
CARELESS MOUTH
- Eats wrong things like cigarette, beer, too much Food, and too much mineral drinks
- Says wrong things:
Curses people, gossips, back bites, criticizes, jests, talks lies, bears false witness, swears, takes oats by idols and sings immoral or dirty pop songs.
CAREFUL MOUTH
- Eats good food
- Sings praises to the Lord
- Prays for others with his mouth
- Blesses and praises other people.
- Witnesses to people about the saving power of Jesus Christ.
- Does not backbite or gossip about people.
- Jesus can turn a careless mouth to a careful mouth
2 Corinthians 5: l7 says, "Therefore, if ang man been in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, all things become new.
One only needs to feel sorry and tell Jesus that the such is sorry for using his /her mouth carelessly. Then such should tells Jesus to cleanse his /her promising not to make careless use of his mouth again (Isaiah 6:5.7).