For many years as a pastor, I had this sensation that all my spiritual efforts were lost and seemed to slip away as if they were leaking strength.
It was like I was pouring water into a bucket that had holes punched in the bottom. The water continued to leak out of the bucket and needed constant refilling.
I also used the illustration of it being like knitting a jersey and someone was also pulling the thread from the other end, so that I was getting nowhere.
Praise God that is not the case anymore, for I have found, what the main source of the problem was. I feel that what I am about to share is very important and life changing, especially for those in ministry.
One of the main causes of my problem was coming from the words of my mouth. On being more careful with what I said, it did help quite a bit, but there was still something missing.
A major breakthrough came after reading this verse in Mark;
"Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them. .. Mark 7:15
I had been having some problems with my health and the symptoms were coming at random times so I was wondering whether it was from something I was eating. I would stop eating and drinking certain things to see if it made any difference, but it still kept happening at random times.
As I read this verse in Mark I felt the Lord say that its not what was coming into my mouth that was defiling me or making me sick, but what is coming out of my mouth and even before that, out of my heart, for it’s out of the heart the mouth speaks. I said to the Lord that I am being more careful with what I am saying. I then felt Him say that it was even before I spoke, and was in what I was thinking and dwelling on as well. KIng David asked God that not only his words but his thoughts be acceptable to God.
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
I then felt Him show me how I can be quite vindictive in my thoughts, especially when someone hasn’t come up to my expectations. Also when my wife upsets me for instance. It triggers a thought process that fills my mind for ages, with scenarios of what I should do or say. If left unchecked it eventually brings about a fight from the harmful words said or actions done.
I felt the Lord show me that my ministry is to be a bringer of life, and not of death. ”Life and death are in the power of my tongue.”
I have have been given great power through my words to bring life, but it can also bring death. This is an awesome responsibility, and because I don’t take it seriously enough I end up assisting the Devil in his work. As I play around with death thoughts and words, they not only harm the person on the receiving end but also me. We can’t say that ‘the Devil made me do it,’ for we have the power to choose what we want. Life and death is in our power, not the Devil’s. Every day we have the freedom to choose life or death, its up to us.
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19
Do you realise that we have been given great power and authority as a believer? We have the power of life and death and its in our tongues and we can use it as we wish. Our mission now is to use our thoughts and words for life and not death. Of course the Devil plants in us negative thoughts hoping that we will put them into words and speak them out against ourselves and others.
As soon as a negative thought arises in our hearts, we need to cut it off at the pass. The secret is to immediately address it by saying things like; ‘Peace and Life to that person,’ cutting the process off before it grows any bigger.
It hasn’t been easy to retrain myself as its something I have left unchecked for decades, but its getting easier now and the symptoms I was experiencing have decreased significantly. Not just that, but I feel greater energy and a sense of victory in my life like never before. As I sit here writing and a negative thought can often arise inside of me, I now instantly cut it off and replace it with a positive one, speaking a positive word instead like, ‘Life to that person’.
King Solomon said in the Book of Proverbs. He said that what we think, our affections have an influence over the rest of our lives.
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23
“Guard your heart (affections) above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” NLT
The Devil doesn’t have any authority here on earth anymore after what Jesus did on the cross, so He has to use our authority to do his dirty work. He gets us to do His dirty work for Him by using our authority against others and ourselves.
I like what a Bob Gass daily reading said on this subject and would like to share it with you.
“You will call, and the Lord will answer If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness." Isaiah 58:9
The question asked in this reading is, ‘Intercession or Accusation,’ which ministry is yours? Do you need more light? Do you wonder why your healing doesn't come? Why troubles tend to follow you more than blessings? Why doesn't God answer? The reason for this is almost always the same. We have a yoke in our lives called "The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness." God promised through Isaiah that our lives would change radically when we remove this yoke. What does this mean?
There are two ministries which go on continually before the throne of God. One is intercession; the other is accusation.
Jesus lives to intercede for His people, and if you abide in Him, you will intercede for them too. Its what we are called to do.
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25
Satan, on the other hand, is "the accuser of the brethren"
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.” Revelation 12:10
When you give him access to your life, you'll find yourself becoming increasingly critical of others. You've got to make a choice which of these ministries will be yours.
You may ask how Satan could continually accuse the saints before God, if he's been thrown out of heaven? The answer is that he uses the saints to do it for him. Any time you see one brother accusing another, Satan is at work.
When we walk in unity, however, we are a direct threat to his domain. Satan knows what authority God has given to us. He tries to divide and conquer. "any two that will agree" Matthew 18:19
We have the option of intercession or accusation every day, but so often end up doing the Devils dirty work for Him by thinking and saying negative things about life and others. Jesus says that we should be choosing life. I can honestly say that things will change for you as you address this area of your life. You will finally feel like you are getting somewhere and not pouring yourself into a bucket full of holes. Let us take more seriously the guarding of our hearts for it is affecting everything we do.
“Above all else, guard your affections, for they influence everything else in your life” Proverbs 4:23 The Living Bible
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14