Faith Evangelistic Center

THE TONGUE

WHO CAN TAME THE TONGUE?

The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth. The tongue is covered with moist, pinky tissue called mucosa. Tiny bumps called papillae give the tongue itís rough texture. Thousands of taste buds cover the surfaces of the papillae. Taste buds are collections of nerve-like cells that connect to nerves running to the brain.

 

 

Reading this description of the tongue you would think it wouldnít be too hard to control the tongue, but you would be wrong. OH sure, we can control it for eating and swallowing food and or drink, but when it comes to speech; not so much.
God speaks to us in His Word about the power of the tongue.

PSALM 57:4
Their tongue is a sharp sword.

PROVERBS 25:15
A soft tongue breaks a bone.

JEREMIAH 9:8
The tongue is a deadly arrow.

 

 

 

 We simply can not continue to allow our tongues to blatantly spew out words without pondering over what we speak.

PROVERBS 18:21
DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE,
(Now watch what warning comes with this.)
AND THOSE WHO LOVE IT WILL EAT ITíS FRUIT.

 

Scripture says much about the tongue and how it blesses and or curses.; for example look at
Isaiah 5:20
WOE to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Just look at the conversation of man today: If we say something is BAD we mean it as GOOD, and if we say something
Is GOOD we mean it is BAD. I give you an example:

[If I break something of value I might say ìOH GOODî, however
to the owner of that item it might not be good.]

[If I do something outstanding I might say: ìIíM BADî meaning
That I am good, or that I did good.]

I hope that whomever reads this gleans some understanding and that lives will be changed in that people will begin to ponder over their words and thoughts before speaking. You know: ENGAGE BRAIN BEFORE OPERATING MOUTH.

PRAY THIS PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask that You, my Lord,
Through You Holy Spirit, direct me in
The way to guard my mind and
Control my tongue. I want my
Words to bring Joy and Salvation,
I want Peace and Sweet Union
Let the words of my mouth,
And the meditations of my heart
Be always Pleasing to You
My Lord.

 

WEBSTERS DICTIONARY
Not act
Love: 1.†Strong affection or liking for someone or something
2.†a passionate affection for one of the opposite sex.

Can you love a pizza like you would a member of the opposite sex, or is there a difference? We hear all the time that people ìlove usî but do they really? It is our hopes that they do, and that they are not the kind of people who would verbally attack our names behind our backs, or ridicule our ways or words. I am reminded† as I am writing this back to the time when me and my siblings were little and our Dad got upset with us for whatever, and he would break out his belt and as he was giving our belt of instruction he would tell us that he loved us and this was why he was doing what he was doing, and then he really laid it on thick when he said ìit hurt him more than it did us!î HA FAT CHANCE THAT ONE WAS TRUE.

 

 

Jesus was tried by men, was found innocent from any wrongs but yet they flogged (scourged) Him to just a little more than raw meat, then they made Him carry a log up the Via Del a Rosa (way of sorrows) and they nailed Him to that log, then they raised Him up and dropped that cross into a hole where it stood for several hours. As He (Jesus) hung there in pain and agony, with pain so awful that I canít even begin to phathom, He looked up and saw that His Heavenly Father had turned His face away from Him, at that moment I believe Jesus felt all alone. However, Jesus never lost sight of His purpose for visiting this planet, He looked up and in His Words He cried out†ìFATHER FORGIVE THEM!î

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind, and is not
Jealous; love does not brag and is not
Arrogant, 5 does act unbecomingly; it
Does not seek its own, is not provoked,
does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness,
But rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13
But now abide FAITH, HOPE, LOVE,
These three; but the greatest
Of these is LOVE.

 

 

 

HOW HARD LOVE????? Can we say the same about our lives? Will Rogers, an Oklahoman resident from days gone by had a statement that he was famous for, he always said: ìI never met a man I didnít like!î I made a slight change to that statement, I say:
ìI never met anyone that I canít love!î†Why? Because ìGOD SO LOVED ME THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON FOR ME!î
And if God could love me that much, who am I to not Love others as much as I can or am able to love. Love hurts, love heals, love never fails.

PRAY THIS PRAYER
Lord, I am asking You right now that You teach me
How to Love the way You love me. I would to love
And You know how much I have to protect† my heart
And so I am in need of Your guidance in Love.
I Pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ
AMEN!

 

DO NOT LOSE HEART!

LUKE 18:1-5
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times
they ought to pray and not lose heart,
2 saying, ìThere was a certain judge who did not fear God, and
did not respect man.
3 And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him,
Saying, `Give me legal protection from my opponent.í
4 and for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to
Himself, `Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
5 yet because this woman bothers me, I will give her legal
Protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out.íî

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our children, grandchildren, Brothers, Sisters and other Family and Friends, is there anyone or anything worthy of sacrificial prayers? Pray for these. Prayers change things when done right.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

SAY THIS PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask You to teach me how to Pray
In the manner of Job and Jesus Christ. Help me to stand
My ground before You and men in the desires that
I may pray over. I ask for You guidance in this matter.
And I give You Praise and Thanks in the Name of
Jesus Christ
AMEN.

 

In the scriptures we read where the disciples asked Jesus how to Pray. Remember that prior to Jesus Christ and His appearance on the earth people did not know how to pray let alone who to pray to. Prayer was something the Priests were supposed to do not mere men. So, when Jesus said: *“And when you pray!”, He messed up their minds because they had never heard of prayer before. This was a new concept to them. He taught them how not to pray also.
 
*MATTHEW 6:5
And when you pray, you are not to be as the
Hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray
In the synagogues and on the street corners,
In order to be seen by men.
 
MATTHEW 6:7&8
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless
Repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose
That they will be heard for their many words.
Therefore do not be like them; for your Father
Knows what you need before you ask Him.
 
            Isaiah 58 speaks of Fasting, but you can also put it as Praying. Read this chapter and insert Praying in the place of Fasting.
           
ISAIAH 58:3-5
3 Why have we PRAYED and Thou dost not see?
Why have we humbled ourselves and Thou dost not notice?
Behold, on the day of your PRAYERS you find your desire,
And drive hard all your workers.
4 Behold, you PRAY for contention and strife and to
Strike with a wicked fist. You do not PRAY like you do today
To make your voice heard on high.
5 Is it a PRAYER like this which I choose, a day for a man
To humble himself? Is it for bowing one’s head like a
Reed, and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes
For a bed? Will you call this a PRAYER, even an
Acceptable day to the Lord?       
 
            Prayer is a vocabulary between one self and God. Beware how you Pray and what you Pray. The Words of your mouth will make the difference as to the answers to your Prayers. One of the best Prayers to know will be found in the Book of John chapter 17. Jesus went by Himself and Prayed to the Father, and this is the recording of His Prayer.
 
            Jesus told this to His disciples as a teaching method of Prayer. I do not believe He meant it as a Prayer to be Prayed always, but a method as to how to Pray.
 
MATTHEW 6:9-13
9 PRAY, THEN, IN THIS WAY:
Our Father ( acknowledging God as Our Father)
Who art in Heaven,(stating that by Faith we KNOW that He `God’ is in heaven)
Hallowed be thy Name. (admitting ourselves that His Name is Holy.)
Thy Kingdom come, (Desiring His heavenly Kingdom to come here on earth.)
Thy Will be done, (admitting we need His will)
On earth as it is in heaven. (imagine how great it would be to have it here)
Give us this day our daily bread. (asking for sufficiency)
And forgive us our debts, (asking for His Favor)
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory
FOREVER.
 
PRAY THIS PRAYER
Heavenly Father
I Pray that my Prayers will be as Your Prayer is
And that I will know Your affection for this Prayer.
I Thank You for the guidance You have set before
In teaching me to Pray. May You be Glorified
Through my Prayers.
In the Name of Jesus Christ I Pray
AMEN.

 

Pastor Larry Pinkerton

LUKE 18:1-5
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times
they ought to pray and not lose heart,
2 saying, “There was a certain judge who did not fear God, and
did not respect man.
3 And there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him,
Saying, `Give me legal protection from my opponent.’
4 and for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to
Himself, `Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,
5 yet because this woman bothers me, I will give her legal
Protection, lest by continually coming she wear me out.’”
 
            I realize that this is just a parable and that Jesus used these during His time here on this plane, that it is just a story but it is a story that has a pertinent message for the believer today, and not only believers but anybody that has a need. Have you  ever been to someone for assistance and got turned down or didn’t get on the spot action?  I know that for me there were many times that someone would not give me a chance to speak or would shut me out about something in my life. I wonder how it would have turned out if I had followed this woman’s actions.
 
            She knew what she wanted and what she felt she needed and she was not going to leave without the judge taking action. Stay the course, carry on, don’t give up, push forward, lean in and don’t lose heart.
 
LUKE 18:6 & 7
6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said;
7 now shall not God bring about justice for His Elect, who
Cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”
 
            Is it important to you? Is it worth the trouble of giving up some of your precious time to Pray for it with all your fervor? In John 17 we are able to look into the Prayer that Jesus prayed that brought about sweat as thick as blood
(Luke 22:44)
And being in agony He was praying very fervently;
And His sweat became as drops of blood, falling
Down upon the ground.
 
            Face it, our time is so precious that we can’t pray longer than 5 minutes (if that long) let alone day and night. I remember the story of Job, and how he woke up early every morning and offered sacrifices and prayers up for all his children, saying,
JOB 1:5b
“Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.”
 
            Our children, grandchildren, Brothers, Sisters and other Family and Friends, is there anyone or anything worthy of sacrificial prayers? Pray for these. Prayers change things when done right.
 
1 Thessalonians 5:17
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
 
SAY THIS PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask You to teach me how to Pray
In the manner of Job and Jesus Christ. Help me to stand
My ground before You and men in the desires that
I may pray over. I ask for You guidance in this matter.
And I give You Praise and Thanks in the Name of
Jesus Christ
AMEN.

 

Pastor Larry Pinkerton

In the beginning God:

            Decided that His Creation would need to have TWO EYES so that they could see in all directions. Along with the two eyes we have what is called PERIPHREAL VIEWING, which means we can see to our sides even while we are looking forward. We can see above, below and side ways all at once. To prevent sameness in all God in His infinite wisdom decided to give color to those eyes, various colors. The eyes are direct connection with the brain. We also can read and what we read makes notes in our brains. GOD wrote a Love Letter to His Creation and He wants that we READ IT with all our fervor that we might come to KNOW HIM INTIMATELY! With our eyes we can also see the wonders of God all around us. Use those eyes to see GOD.
 
            Spiritual eyes see things that the normal eyes can’t, they also (I think) have no color to them, but are all one tint. GOD was so thoughtful in all things needed, up to and including spiritual matters.
 
            God thought, “ Man needs to enjoy the aroma of the various flowers in My garden,” so He invented NOSES. With them we also can identify SIN because it has a nasty odor in the NOSTRILS OF GOD. Someone once said: “we often make food decisions by how something smells.” Have you ever smelt chitlins cooking?????? I did, and I aint interested in eating them. If each time a sinful thought were to enter in the minds of Christians and they blew their noses, sin would leave. Would that not be great?
 
            God SPOKE the world into existence and so with that in mind He figured that in order for His creation to hear Him Speak they would have to have EARS so God placed TWO EARS, one on each side of the head. This way we can hear around us in each direction. NO EXCUSE!!!! GOD thought that if we listened twice as much as we speak we would gain knowledge and wisdom, so He gave us two ears and one mouth. If we listen closely we would be able to hear GOD speak to us of His plans, but we have to hush and pay close attention, focusing on Him and His Kingdom.
 
            GOD gave us a MOUTH to eat, drink and speak by. It was His plan that we speak of His Love and Compassion for His Creation. We can communicate with the Lord through our mouth, our heart, and our thoughts. What we say can make or break people, can crush dreams, can disrupt programs, can condemn futures, and speak of sins past. What we say can destroy lives. Scripture says that [DEATH AND LIFE ARE IN THE POWER OF THE TONGUE]. (Prov. 18:21). (James 3:6) And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.  
 
            We were given TWO ARMS to use in giving HUGS to those who need comfort, to pull one another up when they are down, to carry burdens; whether our own or another’s.
            1 Corinthians 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
            1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from GOD, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify GOD IN YOUR BODY.
 
            FINALY: GOD gave each of His creation a BRAIN to use for daily living and encouraging others. To think, to meditate, to ponder, to make decisions and so on.
            1 Corinthians 2:13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
            1 Corinthians 2:16 FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.
            Philippians 4:8 Finally, Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
 
            You have read and now you know that You are not your own and that you have been bought with a Price. Live your life as a Sanctuary for the Lord.
 
PRAY THIS PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I ask that You my Lord
Reveal unto me Your thoughts and Your
Plans for my life. Grant me strength to
Endure and move forward for You.
I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ.
AMEN.

 

Pastor Larry Pinkerton

 

 

 

 

 

            Each cup has it’s own part in the service and is used for a specific purpose. These four cups are in addition to the cup that is given for individuals to have something to drink during the service.

 

GOD’S SEVEN FEASTS
 PART 2
                There are seven holidays that God instituted, which were intended to be times to meet with God. The Lord spoke to Moses saying,
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: These are My Appointed Feasts,
the Appointed Feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim
as SACRED ASSEMBLIES.” (Leviticus 23:1&2)
 
            Passover (Pesach) used to be a one day event, however they have incorporated the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First Fruits to be celebrated along with Pesach. Now the entire event lasts from Nisan 14 to 21, the Hebrew calendar shows Nisan to be March and April overlapping and thus the Hebrew calendar is what is used to identify the date of the Feasts.
 

            During the eight day period Hebrews are not permitted to eat anything with leaven in it, they must eat Matzot (Matzah) bread which is made with flour and water only, no leaven/yeast. The Matzah bread has stripes and holes in it, the stripes are symbolic of the Stripes on Jesus Christ from His scourging that He endured for our sins, the holes are symbolic of the wounds in Jesus from the piercing and nails that penetrated His body.

 
            Hag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread is one of three holidays where all Jewish Men had to go to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord.
 
DEUTERONOMY 16:16 & 17
16“Three times in a year all your males shall appear
before the Lord your God in the place which He
chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and
at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of
Booths, and they shall not appear before the
Lord empty-handed.”
17 “Every man shall give as he is able,
According to the blessing of the  Lord
Your God which He has given you.”
 

            Now I have covered the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits, all three of these Feasts fall in the same period of time March – April. Scriptures to find these three will be found in Exodus 12:1-4; 15-20; Leviticus 23:4-5; 6-8; 9-14.

First Fruits: (Yom HaBikkurim) First Fruits are given for the Spring Barley Harvest.

 

GOD’S HOLY CONVOCATIONS
 
PART 1
            God has Seven Holy Convocations that He COMMANDED His People to honor forever, pay close attention to God’s directives and determine if these are something Christ Followers are supposed to do. IN this study I will attempt to draw close attention to the meanings behind each of the Feasts of God. There are Seven Feasts that have been given Commandments to, those seven are: 1. Passover (Pesach, {Seder Meal}); 2. Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzot); 3. First Fruits (Yom HaBikkurim); 4. Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavout); 5. Feast of Trumpets or New Year (Rosh HaShannah); 6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur);
7. Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Sukkot).
 
            In the following lessons I will cover these seven feasts and also bring attention to other Holy Convocations and special Gatherings unto the Lord. It is my earnest Prayer and Hopes that the Lord God Jehovah will speak through these studies as to who should follow what. The first of the Seven is the Passover (Pesach). Leviticus 23 basically tells of God’s Redemptive plan for the whole world He created. Again it is not just for the Jewish people, it is for all who follow Christ Jesus, and claim to be seed of Abraham, children of the Promise.
 
LEVITICUS 23:4&5
“These are the APPOINTED TIMES”
(HOLY CONVOCATIONS)
{DIVINE APPOINTMENTS}
“Of the Lord, holy convocations
Which you shall proclaim at the
Times appointed for them.
In the first month, on the fourteenth
Day of the month at twilight is
The Lord’s Passover.
 
            Again this is the Lord’s Passover not to be mis-understood or rejected by Adopted Children as well as His Elected People Israel. The Passover is a meal prepared for the Family and it has a program all it’s own and is used to remind the Children of Israel where they came out of and what they went through. We all know the story of Moses and Pharaoh and how God brought His people out of Egypt; but what we don’t look at is our own salvation and where God brought us out of and through.
 
            The name Egypt is a title that can be used to identify where we came from, a place of confusion, deceit, troubles, and many other events that kept us from God. For some it may have been military service, for some maybe prison, bad relationships, or maybe even slavery of some kind. We all had a past, and maybe we are ashamed of it or maybe we aren’t but either way there it was and now we have to look at it in light of where we are wanting to get to. So, you see, the Seder Meal is also pertaining to us.
 
THE SEDER PLATE
 
 The Seder Plate is used during the Seder Service and as you see here it has 6 positions on it each position carries a special meaning and a routine to bring understanding and knowledge to the Believer.
Proverbs 1:7
THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS THE BEGINNING
OF KNOWLEDGE; FOOLS DESPISE KNOWLEDGE.
 
            # 1. A roasted shank bone: In remembrance of the Passover Lamb. (Often times a chicken bone is used.)
            # 2. A sprig of Parsley, to symbolize the coming of spring and new life.
            # 3. Salt water to speak of the tears of the Jewish people under Egyptian bondage.*
            # 4. Roasted egg (hard boiled) as a memorial of the SACRIFICE of the Passover Lamb.
            # 5. Bitter herbs (horseradish), to symbolize the bitterness of Egyptian bondage.
            # 6. Haroset (mixture of chopped apples, chopped nuts, and cinnamon), to symbolize the mortar used by the Israelites in   building for Pharaoh.
           
            Along with the Seder Plate there are 8 more items to be set before each person:
 
            # 1. Four cups of wine per person.
            # 2.The Haggadah: (means “showing forth”), one per person. It is the book used to tell the story of the Passover.
            # 3. Three Matzohs, each wrapped in a separate linen cloth or placed in the compartments of a unity bag, sometimes called an afikomen bag.
            # 4. A cup of Elijah: filled with wine but left untouched in the hope that Elijah will come to herald the coming of the Messiah.
            # 5. Two candles and holders.
            # 6. Pillow for the Leader.
            # 7. Extra Matzoh.
            # 8. An empty chair, in expectation of Elijah.

 

 In PART 2 I will explain the Seder service in detail.