What you claim you keep or lose, according to you and your big mouth. You have all kinds of things warring inside of you, but they are not activated until you open your mouth and speak them. When you open your mouth and speak, if it’s fear and doubt, that’s what happens; if it is faith, then that is what happens. Two things coexist within you: you have faith in your heart, but who is without unbelief, and who is without doubt and fear at times? Just be selective and dial out the one; if you are going to speak about anything, speak about the Lord. Speak of His Word and you will reinforce that which God put in your heart of faith, and you will keep that victory.
Your big mouth can blow every blessing that has ever been ministered to you. If You get to a place of victory and start speaking the victory, you have it, you keep it, and you never lose it. In your own heart you need to speak victory because you will not be able to dump the things that take hold of you unless you do. Speak victory and you will be able to walk among the ministries of the church. No one can make it without positive declarations of the Word of God.
Do you feel sorry for yourself? Do you condemn yourself? Do you blow it emotionally until all of a sudden you would just like to dump everything and run? A thousand things can hit you, but if you keep speaking faith in God’s Word, that is what you are going to gain. Do you face your old temper? That is a hard thing to take hold of. How are you going to beat it? You just reach in and draw the love of God until it wipes the temper out. There is no other way.
“Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15–16.
This chapter, like many of the references in Hebrews, refers to the Old Testament plan out of the Mosaic law of sacrifices and offerings. Consequently, a great key to the book of Hebrews is: “We have a better covenant, a better sanctuary, a better sacrifice, better promises,” etc. (comparing the old Mosaic law to what we have in Christ Jesus the Lord). This is very important, for it was written to Hebrew Christians at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. Being Jews, their hearts grieved to see the Temple destroyed, but God brought forth a book that took its place in the New Testament because it was speaking of that wonderful thing that God had provided which was far superior to the Temple lit Jerusalem.
The book of Hebrews is constantly referring to all this and saying, “Now we have an attar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat” (pointing out the old Tabernacle, the old Temple). “We have something better now, something far superior than they had, and we rejoice in this.”
It began to speak about the sacrifices that we give. The Jews might bring their doves and their lambs, their bullocks, their peace offerings and meat offerings to the Lord—they might not fall to do this, but it so easily could become a ritual without any meaning. However, the book of Hebrews says God is now well-pleased that you should bring the fruit of your lips, even praises and thanksgiving to the Lord.
The fruit of the lips can be praises and sacrifices to the Lord; Hebrews also speaks of other sacrifices: doing good and sharing. That is a sacrifice God is pleased with: not lavishing everything on yourself, but sharing what you have with someone else. The spirit in the churches today is better than I’ve ever seen it. When there are holidays, the family of Christ meets together rather than only family relationships. There is something precious in it. We are in a time of sharing. The Body is becoming aware of itself.
In talking about the fruit of the lips, what we say, it would be good to read the fiftieth Psalm which speaks about the two ways the lips can operate. First, it tells about those who offer up the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord; then it talks about those whose mouth and whose lips bring forth that which is a detriment and a hindrance to the Lord. It can be both ways.
“Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” And the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge. “Hear, O My people (now the Lord is speaking), and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against you, I am God, your God. I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are continually before Me. I shall take no young bull out of your house, nor male goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all it contains. Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of male goats?” Psalm 50:5–13. All this was in the Old Testament; these sacrifices had been commanded. Yet God is saying, “I don’t need what you have.” When you bring your sacrifices, never get the idea that “poor God” needs a hand-out from you. God said, “If I were hungry, I wouldn’t tell you, because I own the cattle on a thousand hills. It’s all Mine.”
Then He turns around and points out what He does hunger for, what He does want. He says, Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. Psalm 50:14.
Again we are back to what it is talking about in Hebrews: a sacrifice of thanksgiving, a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Remember this as you read on in this message. God said, “And call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Verse 15.
He has said to the righteous what He wants: “I don’t need your sacrifices, but I want that sacrifice of thanksgiving from you.” But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes, and to take My covenant in your mouth?” He is saying to these wicked people, “What right have you to talk a big talk as far as serving God is concerned when your heart is not right?” “For you hate discipline, and you cast My words behind you. When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you associate with adulterers. You let your mouth loose in evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you, and state the case in order before your eyes. Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:16–23.
If we offer the Lord our sacrifice of praise continually, we do not have time for murmuring and complaining—all this deceitfulness which comes from the tongue. The fruit of the lips—life and death are in the power of the tongue—what we speak opens the blessing of the Lord. In verse 15, He says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
God is ready to nail the wicked to the wall, for out of their mouth has come something else. It is not the goodness of the Lord, nor is it praise to the Lord. The fruit of their lips is a despicable thing. God says, “I will bring them into judgment.”
I Corinthians 10:10 speaks about their murmuring. “Neither murmur you, as they murmured and they died of the serpents.” These things happened to them for examples written for your admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
People are either given to thanksgiving and praise or they are giving themselves over to murmuring and complaining. This greatly determines the way they walk and the level of their walk. The Word says, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34. It is when the words come forth from out of the mouth that the action and destiny of the individual is determined. “The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart … if thou shalt believe in thy heart and confess with thy mouth, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:8–9). Deliverance comes with faith in the heart and confession from the mouth. When you believe God and start thanking and praising Him and voicing your faith, it happens to you. If you doubt and waver in your heart, murmur and complain and voice your unbelief, that will happen to you. It is from out of your mouth that your destiny is controlled.
Giving thanks is not just a little benevolent exercise on our part to give God appreciation for all He has done. Thanksgiving is a way of worship, a way of service, continually praising the Lord. There should be no murmuring from your mouth. God says He will deal with you when you let your mouth loose in evil. “And your tongue frames deceit; you sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.” Psalm 50:19–20. Some people are given to that. Because of their constant murmuring and complaining they find themselves continually afflicted and sick, continually harassed, emotionally disturbed, and despondent. When thanksgiving is given as a sacrifice to the Lord, the Lord builds walls around that man.
But the man who goes the other route of murmuring and complaining tears down everything that would be a blessing to him. He is like the man who bought a new boomerang and had trouble getting rid of the old one. He kept trying to throw it away, but it kept coming back. That is the way people are today. They keep trying to sling out their criticism and their rebellion, but it keeps circling back on them.
In the book of Proverbs, we read, “The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3. “He who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23. James also tells us in chapter 3, “But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father; and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” James 3:8–11.
You can’t do both. You cannot bless God and curse your brother. You cannot praise God one minute and turn around and murmur and complain and rebel over your whole life the next. Either your life is in the hands of God, and He is your God and you worship Him, or it is not. In effect, by your murmuring, your words are an affront to Him. The fruit of our lips is very important.
Continually offer sacrifice of praise to God, which is the fruit of your lips. In the Old Testament, they brought the first fruits to God, the first of the harvest, the first of the crops. This is what is called the fruit of the lips. In the morning, let the first thing you do be a praise unto the Lord; before you express anything on any matter, give thanks to the Lord. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Don’t be a murmurer, don’t be a complainer. Don’t be quick to judge your brother. Don’t be quick to voice all of your troubles; God has done so much for you. By dwelling on your own problems, you bring yourself to a place where you will have nothing but problems. By turning to believe you God and dwelling on the goodness of the Lord you will bring yourself into something that is blessed of the Lord.
I declare war upon everything within this Body which comes forth as an instrument of Satan, to the fact that your tongue is not bridled by the Holy Spirit. We must show love and kindness to each other and compassion in every instance. We must find ourselves like good soldiers of Jesus Christ practicing the “buddy system.” When a brother is slain or wounded, we hang onto him and hold him up. We strengthen him in the day of battle. We do not abandon him or criticize him.
Open your hearts to one another. Continually praise God and strengthen one another in the Lord. This is very simply stated, so simple that we cannot fail to understand it.
If a host should encamp against you, ye shall not fear. Though the mountains be removed and cast into the sea, your trust shall be in the Lord. Rejoice in Him. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. Be not dismayed, for He says, “I am thy God.” He has said unto thee, “This battle is not yours. The battle is the Lord’s. Stand still and see the salvation of Lord.” Trust in Him, for you shall see how our God shall make bare His arm in the eyes of all nations. All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Amen.