“Holy Days”

             We have a lot of Holidays in America, but are any of them actually based on the Bible? Have we fallen into Satan’s trap and not question the legitimacy of these rituals/festivals/traditions. The term holiday means, “Holy Days.” We are going to focus more on the “Christian Holidays,” and see if they have any truth to them. We must know the truth and only with the knowledge of the Bible can we live a holy life and teach others, especially our children. We are not citizens of this world and must not follow festivities that are not true to God.             

            Easter is only mentioned in the King James version in Acts 12:4. It actually means “Pascha” which means Passover. It was during the annual Passover celebration that Jesus was crucified at Jerusalem. Passover is an annual Jewish religious celebration during the time of Moses when God delivered the Israelites from bondage and spared their first born. Easter like many holidays seem to have a connection too changing of seasons. Easter falls in close proximity to the vernal equinox, when there is equal periods of light and darkness. It is also around Spring time, trees and flowers are returning after winter, symbolism of rebirth. Many people celebrate Easter on a Sunday, but this day actually fell on a Thursday in 44 AD. Western and Eastern Christianity use different calendars (Gregorian vs Julian calendar) to determine what day the holiday falls on and it has just been a practice it falls on a Sunday. Easter comes from the Anglo-Saxon, Eostre, the name of the goddess of spring, before Christianity. Easter was also associated with Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols are the same symbols people celebrate Easter with now. Symbols of eggs and bunnies which symbolize fertility and sex. Christianity adopted pagan rituals of conquered people in effort to help convert them. Easter in its true Christian meaning, is the celebration and belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Romans 6:3-11, Or are you unware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism unto death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Christ’s death and resurrection is a DAILY hope of how the faith in God can overcome the forces of evil, of how truth will prevail and unmask the lie, of how love will triumph over sin and how the blessed hope of eternal life will even put an end to death one day. Nowhere in the Bible are bunnies or eggs mentioned to the connection of Christ’s resurrection. There is no Biblical command to commemorate or memorialize the day of His resurrection. 

            Also during this Easter time the practice of Lent/Ash Wednesday occurs. The Bible does not mention these practices anywhere. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent for Catholic churches. It is supposed to be a time for prayer and penance. I am sure many of us have friends who give up some particular food (like meat) or smoking, alcohol during this time period. Western and Eastern and churches start Lent on different days (Western churches start on 7^th Wednesday before Easter, Eastern churches on the Monday of the 7^th week before Easter). Of course the Bible does speak about repentance and fasting and we all know Jesus 40 day fast when he was tempted by the Devil (Matthew 4, Mark 1). This 40 day fast is not connected in any way with Jesus and the supposed observation of Easter. Practice of fasting and penance for Lent did not originate in the Bible. In Ezekiel 8:14, we see pagan practices inside the temple. They mention a woman weeping for Tammuz. Tammuz is an ancient Mesopotamian god associated with shepherds, who was also companion to the goddess later known as Ishtar (mentioned in Easter). He was the god of fertility and agriculture and many stories connect him to other idols like Osiris and Adonis. The Bible does teach us to self-examine ourselves and the importance of fasting and prayer. It does not however teach any ritual about Lent or Ash Wednesday. I Timothy 4:1-7, Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, through the hypocrisy of liars whose conscience are seared. They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods that God created to be received with gratitude by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. If you point these things out to brothers and sisters, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished by the words of the faith and the good teaching that you have followed. But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather train yourself in godliness. 

            Holy Communion/Lord’s Supper connects us with Jesus not only in the memory of his death and resurrection, but also to strengthen us. Jesus is the Bread of Life. John 6:51-57, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day, because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. In Matthew 26:26-29 (Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20), Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take and eat it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” I Corinthians 11:25-26, In the same way also he took the cup, after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. There is Biblical truth that we should partake in the Lord’s Supper in order to examine ourselves and in remembrance of him.

            Halloween is definitely not in any way connected to God, but promotes Satan. It is used to remember the dead. It was influenced by ancient Celtic harvest festivals which have pagan roots. People dressing up as the devil, demons, ghosts, masked killers, promoting sex and alcohol having no part with God’s people. Leviticus 19:31 (Leviticus 20:6), Do not turn to mediums or consult spiritists or you will be defiled by them; I am the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 18:10-13, No one among you is to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, practice divination, tell fortunes, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or a spiritist, or inquire of the dead. Everyone who does these acts is detestable to the Lord, and the Lord your God is driving out the nations before you because of these detestable acts. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. Playing with things of the occult like Ouija boards, listening to demonic music allow Satan to enter into your heart and this is very dangerous. Isaiah 8:19-20, inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who chirp and mutter, shouldn’t a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? Go to God’s instructions and testimony! Do not let our children be deceived because it promotes candy but the meaning behind only promotes sin and Satan.

            Catholics pray to dead saints and ask their priests for forgiveness, which the Bible teaches us that this is a sin. In I Samuel 28, we see Saul consulting a medium because he was afraid as the Philistine were at his doors and did not obey God. Samuel had died and God was not answering Saul due to his disobedience. He disguised himself and asked the medium to consult a spirit for him. The ironic thing was the Saul had removed all the mediums from his kingdom because he knew it was sinful against God. The medium herself tells Saul, “You surely know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why are you setting a trap for me to get me killed? He asked to bring up Samuel and he appeared, which terrified the medium. Because of Saul’s obedience he was told by Samuel that he will lose his Kingdom to David. I Chronicles 10:13-14, Saul dies for his unfaithfulness to the Lord because he did not keep the Lord’s word. He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse. I Timothy 2:3-6, This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. We must confess our sins to God and only He can forgive us. I John 1:9, If we confess our sins, his is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. There must be a change within your heart/mind/soul. This is why repentance is so important in a Christian’s life. 

            Thanksgiving originated with the Pilgrims and they instituted a three-day feast of thanksgiving to God on December 13, 1621 and celebrated with their native Indian friends. In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation declaring a day of public thanksgiving to God. Other Presidents issued similar proclamations with days and months varying. In 1863 was when they officially designated the last Thursday in November for Thanksgiving by President Lincoln. There is no biblical precept for this holiday but we can use it as a day for remembrance and thanks. Thanking God for all His wonderful love and sacrifice for us. Giving thanks to God is, of course, very biblical. Everyday should be Thanksgiving Day, not just the last Thursday in November. There is nothing wrong with getting together as a family and thanking the love of God in our lives, every day is a blessing to be alive. It is a gift from God and thanksgiving is more than just one day of the year. It is not about getting the best deal on Black Friday and the arguments/fights/lusting after useless things of this world. 

            There is no evidence and no one can say exactly what day Jesus was born, especially on December 25^th, when the world celebrates Christmas. Many believe the reason why they chose December 25^th, is because it was the date of the winter solstice. People celebrated due to the fact that the worst of winter was over and could look forward to longer days and more sunlight. The Scandinavian’s celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. This was also connected to the god Odin. Families would bring home large logs, set one fire and people would feast till the logs burned out. They believed each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. In Germany they honored the pagan god Odin also during the holiday. In Rome they honored Saturn, the god of agriculture. It was a time of hedonism during this period of celebration. People would have large parties, get drunk, dress as the opposite gender and would roam around the streets knocking on doors, demanding to be fed. If they were not appeased they would threaten and vandalize the homes. They also celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun on December 25^th. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. It seems Pope Julius I chose December 25^th, most likely in an effort to assimilate the traditions of the pagan celebrations. Also since the days following the winter solstice gradually became longer and less dark, it was ideal symbolism for the birth of “the light of the world,” as mentioned in the Gospel of John. Greek and Russian orthodox churches celebrate Christmas 13-14 days after the 25^th. Again because Western churches use the Gregorian calendar and Eastern churches use the Julian calendar. In this country Christmas was not declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870.

            Santa Claus is associated with Christmas and is a legendary figure who brings gifts to children. This traditions seems to be connected to a Saint Nicholas (Sinter Klaas) who lived in the 3^rdcentury, a man who was wealthy and used his inheritance to help the needy, sick and suffering. He was well known for his generosity to those in need and his love for children. A tradition of gift giving began in his honor. He still has a feast honored to him, on the anniversary of his death, December 6th. He did not enter into America till around the 18^th century in New York around 1773. The stories of Santa Claus became more popular and continued to grow in American culture. Now Santa Claus is all over in malls, associated with the Salvation Army, pretty much used to attract children and parents to spend money during the holidays. Many movies have been created about Santa Claus, one of the most famous one being “Miracle on 34^th Street.” There could also be a connection of Santa Clause with the god Odin. Mythology states Odin rode around on an eight legged horse Sleipnir, similar to 8 reindeers associated with Claus. Also Odin is known as the “god of wishes,” and Santa Claus is known for bringing gifts to good children. Children write wish lists and mail it to the North Pole hoping to get what they desire. In the US, Santa is now depicted as flying from the North Pole to every home with his reindeer. He enters through the chimney and delivers gifts to all the good children. There are different versions of Santa Claus in different countries. Pe’re Noel is responsible for filling the shoes of French children. A jolly elf named Jultomten is thought to deliver gifts in a sleigh drawn by goats in Scandinavia. Babouschka is a woman that visits children in Russia on January 5th, leaving gifts at their bedside in hope that one of them is the baby Jesus and she will be forgiven. Legend says that she purposely gave the wise mean wrong directions to Bethlehem so that they could not find Jesus and felt remorseful for her lie. La Befana is a kindly witch in Italy who rides a broomstick down the chimneys of Italian homes to deliver toys into the stockings of good children. Many countries have their own version of a Santa Claus as all of these origins are man-made and not Biblical in any nature.

            Most if not all holidays found on a modern calendar are created by man. There is no Biblical foundation to any of them. Dates, times, symbols are not consistent, but the Bible and Jesus are consistent. We must learn and know the truth or we can be lost in this world’s tradition/festivals. I Thessalonians 2:4, Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts. I Thessalonians 4:7, For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. As Christians there is not one day just to Honor your Father and Mother, there is not just one day to love your neighbors/enemies, there is not just one day to be thankful, but every day is a blessing if we are alive. I am not judging you or forcing you to make any decision, that is between yourself and God. Your relationship with God will determine all your choices in life and what to participate with your family. Baptism, Fasting, Prayer, being Filled with the Holy Spirit and participating in the Holy Communion were all done by Jesus as an example and for us to IMITATE Him. That is our true purpose, to Imitate Christ. The truth is the truth and nothing can change the Word of God. All the holidays are supposed to be focusing on Jesus but some celebrate more the activity without understanding the meaning. Our mind must be on heavenly things and we must know the truth to teach the next generation. Psalms 78:5-7, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children so that a future generation-children yet to be born-might know. They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands. Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection should be celebrated every day of our lives with family and friends. It is the daily bread that feeds us and not just on holidays. 

 

Roots and Fruits

                In the Garden of Eden God created trees, seed-bearing trees according to their kinds (Genesis 1:11-12). Never did Adam and Eve have to water, cultivate or assist in these plants to grow. God himself tended to the Garden (Genesis 2:4-10), “At the time that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, no shrub of the field had yet grown on the land and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not made it rain on the land and there was no man to work the ground. But mist would come up from the earth and water all the ground. Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and the man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east and there he placed the man he had formed. The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A river went out from Eden to water the garden.” It was not till the original sin and disobedience that caused the loss of paradise. God was himself the gardener of paradise.    

                Trees and their roots are very important and symbolic to a Christian’s life. Trees are mentioned more than any other living thing other than God and people in the Bible. Trees symbolize strength, many are extremely old and have endured storms, gives shade and rest. Trees give us oxygen to breath. Trees are mentioned in Genesis and Revelation and they are the oldest living things on earth. Trees offer shelter, many houses are built from wood, gives us fruits/food and protection. The roots of a tree are hidden in the ground. They absorb and transport water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree to allow the branches to bear good fruit. Some roots are very deep and they help anchor the tree, which gives it strength. The deeper the roots, usually means the stronger and larger the tree will become. The surface of a tree are tough, have many marks/scars from battling storms and each mark could probably tell us a story.

Every major person in the Bible has a tree attached to them. When Noah wanted to know if the flood was over, he sent out a dove and it brought an olive branch (from an olive tree) to signify the land was dry. Genesis 18:1, the Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre. Moses spoked to God in front of the burning bush (Exodus 3) and Joseph in Genesis 49:22, is a fruitful vine. Jesus is mentioned in Isaiah 53:2, He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. Parables used by Jesus about sowing and reaping, wheat and weeds and even the mustard seed (Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8). The mustard seed can fit in the size of your palm, but when it blooms it is one of the largest trees and has strong roots. Jesus was crucified on the cross which was made from a tree. 

Depending on good roots or bad roots we allow to grow, it will determine the greatness or weakness of the overall tree. It will determine whether good fruits or bad fruits grow. The roots are within us as mentioned in Job 19:28. The heart is the root, whether good or evil. Matthew 15:18-19, But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. In Deuteronomy 29:18, Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit. We must nourish our roots with reading/learning the Word of God, faith, prayer, love, humbleness, fasting and devotion to God. If we nourish the roots with all the sin of this world, it will not allow us to have a relationship with God. It will only lead to condemnation and hell. Malachi 4:1, For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them, says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches.” When Jesus returns, he will destroy all the evil roots Satan has planted and regrow the paradise, which was lost due to man’s sin. Matthew 3:10, The ax is already at the root of the trees, Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Without strong and deep roots we will not be able to withstand Satan’s storm/temptations. Matthew 13/Mark 4/Luke 8, Jesus speaks about the sower and some landed on the rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil. It grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep and when the sun came up, it was scorched because it had no root and withered away. It is important to note that growing good, strong and spiritual roots takes time. Jesus has never said any of this would be easy and daily our faith will be tested by Satan. The disciples travelled alongside Jesus, saw his miracles first hand, probably had strong spiritual roots, yet Peter denied Jesus three times. We are not perfect, we will falter and sin. But if we have strong and faithful roots, growing on good ground we will be able to overcome and get back on the path and grow even greater fruits for the Glory of God. Proverbs 12:3, No one can be made secure by wickedness, but the root of the righteous is immovable. Our faith will be strengthened and we will be immovable against the storms of Satan. 

Hebrews 12:1, Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many. We must be vigilant and be aware that evil roots are growing in many churches. They may seem to be rooted in Christ but many are false prophets/teachings. We must be rooted with the Word of God to know that those are not the correct teachings of Jesus and not be deceived by Satan. I Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. This verse makes more sense now more than ever. There are religious leaders preaching about wealth and prosperity rather than the truth of sin and repentance. There are so many famous politician, celebrities, athletes who literally have everything they could desire in this world, yet we see a majority of them unhappy/sinning due to not living a Christian life. Greed causes so many different types of evil upon your life and causes your roots to be weak in Christ. Depression, Alcoholism, Drug use, Adultery, Suicide, Pornography, Murder, Rape are just some of the evil roots that can be associated with the love for money. Our roots must be focused on Christ and He will give us everything we need in this life. 

Romans 11:16, Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. Proverbs 12:12, The wicked desire what evil people have caught, but the fruit of the righteous is productive. Once our roots are nourished with God’s word we start to grow spiritual fruits. Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. These fruits not only helps us have a relationship with God but also shows the rest of the world we are believers. We must display the fruits in our lives, to serve one another humbly in love and be kind, good and faithful. If our roots are holy, our branches will be holy and produces the fruits God wants. In times of hardship and temptation these fruits will help us conquer Satan and be victorious. There are always battle scars on a tree who live for a long period of time. The same goes for our Christian lives. That is why longsuffering is one of the fruits. There will be ups and downs in our lives, but when the tree is rooted in God, it can take the hits and continue to thrive with faith.

In Revelation 14:14-20, and one like the Son of Man was seated on the cloud, with a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. The sickle is used in farming for cutting during the harvest. One angel came out of the temple and tells the one seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe. He swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested. Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the temple in heaven. This angel had authority over fire, swung his sickle at the earth and gathered the grapes from the vineyard of the earth and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. There will be a time during Tribulation where the good fruits will be harvested to heaven and the bad fruits will be destroyed. That will be the moment when God stops watering dead plants and His judgement will fall upon all of us.

Galatians 3:13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”). People forget what it means to the world during that time when someone is crucified on the cross. Deuteronomy 21:22-23, If a man committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God. This was a punishment for the worse sinners, a curse, yet Jesus was crucified when He is sinless. Jesus was crucified on a cross for our sins and took it upon Himself to take the curse from Adam and Eve’s disobedience. John 15:1-2, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. God is the gardener of our souls and wants us to bear His spiritual fruits. When we feed our roots with the Word of God, prayer, fasting and all things of God we will grow spiritual fruits to help us in our life. But if we feed our roots with sin, our fruits will not be worthy to be harvested and we will be thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath. There will be a time of harvesting during the end days and when the sickle is swung, it would be wise to not be in the path of God’s wrath. 

 

Power of Words

I hate you! I love you! You are a disappointment! I am proud of you! You will never grow up to be anything! You can be whatever you want to be as long as you work hard. You are lazy. You are hard working. You are stupid. You are smart. Simple words can cause someone to feel special and loved or it can cause hatred, anger or depression. There is so much power in words and we can see it every day in our own lives. If a loved one praises or condemns you, it can ruin your day. Your boss scrutinizes your work or lack of hard work. Or if your boss shows appreciation for your hard work and dedication. Your child saying, I love you versus them saying I hate you. Simple words that can pierce your soul for good or bad. Proverbs 13:3, The one who guards his mouth protects his life; the one who opens his lips invites his ruin. Matthew 12:36-37, I tell you that on the day of judgement people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned. The words we see spoken today create more hate and anger and sometimes leads to death.

                Jesus had power in His words. We see it many times in the Bible. The more famous one is Matthew 8:5-13 (Luke 7:1-10), a centurion heard about Jesus, went to him and was pleading to heal his servant lying at home paralyzed and in terrible agony. A centurion were of high standards, well payed, they were able to read and commanded over 80 soldiers. The centurion showed so much faith and humbleness by saying that he is not worthy to have Jesus come under his roof and He only needed to say the word and his servant would be healed. Jesus says He has not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith and the servant was healed that very moment. In Luke 7:11-17, a widow’s son died and was being carried out. Jesus had compassion on her and said, “Don’t weep.” He touches the open coffin and says, “Young man, I tell you get up!” The dead man sat up and began to speak. Matthew 8:16, He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. John 4:46-54, a royal official comes to Jesus and pleads with him to heal his son, who was about to die. Jesus tells him to “Go, your son will live.” The man believed and found his son healed. Mark 7:24-30, a Gentile mother comes to Jesus to ask him to cast out the demon in her daughter. Jesus says to her, “Let the children be fed first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” The mother replies, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She was showing her faith and saying she only needed crumbs to have her daughter healed by Jesus. Jesus says, “Because of this reply (showing her faith), you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” Jesus’ words alone had great power and could heal without needing to touch.

                Prayer is power and it is words are used to heal, guide, strengthen and comfort. There is power in the words not only what we speak but what we hear. The voice of the Holy Spirit speaks to us. We can see how powerful the words are when we are filled with Spirit. In Acts 5:1-11, Ananias and his wife Sapphira sell a piece of property. They both kept back a part of the proceeds and gave a portion to the apostles. The Spirit filled Peter was given insight and asks, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” After hearing these words, Ananias drops dead. His wife, three hours later is questioned by Peter and she also lies. Instantly she dropped dead after Peter says, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door and they will carry you out.” The words in the Bible give us unimaginable strength over this world and the spirit world. Continually repeating them and memorizing them in our hearts help us when we face dark times and temptations. The word should be in our heart and it is part of the armor of God. It is the Sword of the Spirit and the Sword is the Word of God. The belt of Truth gives us the Word which becomes the Sword and can defeat any enemy. Jesus used Scripture to defeat Satan and there is power in those words! We must do the same.            

                We see Jesus tempted by Satan in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. The Word of God is our Sword against Satan and our Shield of Faith defends us against his attacks. Satan tempts Jesus and says, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Jesus replies, “Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Words from God give eternal life and sustenance for our soul. No food could ever give that feeling. Satan then takes Jesus and stands him on the pinnacle of the temple and says, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Satan is so well versed with the Word of God that he will twist it for his advantage. Lucifer knows how to use the pulpit at churches to spread his word and not the Word of God. The wolves in sheep clothing have been among us since the beginning and they will continue to do the Lucifer’s bidding. Jesus replies, “Do not test the Lord your God.” The devil then takes Jesus to a very high mountain and says, “I will give you all these things (all the kingdoms of the world) if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.” Jesus defeated the devil’s temptation with the power of His words.

The words of Lucifer only bring death, doubt, lies, temptation, cause unbelief, suffering, rebellion and despair. Genesis 3, we see the words of Lucifer cause the loss of paradise. “Did God really say, you can’t eat from any tree in the garden,” Eve answers and says, “But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’” Lucifer answers, “No! You will not die. In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” We all know what happens next and the world lost paradise until Jesus sacrificed himself for all sinners. We see in Job 1, Satan speaks to God about Job and says, “Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns and he will surely curse you to your face.” God allows Satan to bring suffering to Job but in the end Job is rewarded for his faith many times over.  The words of Lucifer are intended to bring hate, disbelief, anger, anxiety, despair, sin, all the things Jesus does not want for you in your life. There is a reason the devil is called the Adversary and Tempter. His words will always be the opposite of God’s word.

The Word of God and the word of the devil is always opposite. Jesus uses His words to speak the truth, show love, compassion, heal, bring peace, comfort, to rebuke and guide us on the narrow path. The devil uses words for causing doubt, anxiety, hate, depression, all things to damn your soul. We are the children of God and our Heavenly Father speaks to us with love. We can see the joy our words can bring in people but it can also cause pain. Our words can be used as a testimony to show the power of God. How it brings comfort and saves the lost soul. The words you hear in church, from a pastor, Christian music can touch your heart and bring you closer to God. The people and the words they use around you can affect your relationship with God. It can bring you closer or it can cause doubt if it is coming from a non-believer. The words that come out of our mouth should be words of love and encouragement. John 14:10, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does His works.” Those who truly do the works of Jesus will have words similar to Him and will keep His commandments.

I Peter 2:1-2, Therefore, rid of yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation. This is how powerful words can be, Pope Francis expresses support for same-sex civil unions. There was also a time where the Pope promoted using conscience to navigate tough moral questions. This is the leader of the Catholic Church, using his words to spread the acceptance of sin to millions of followers! His word is not following the Bible. We must know the Word of God to decipher the words of untruth! We will suffer for Christ’s sake, I Peter 2:21-22For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. Romans 10:8-10, The message is near in you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. We must not be lost and be able to fight the words of Satan! Let no deceit come out of our mouths and the knowledge of the Word of God will help us know the truth from lies. We must confess of God’s truth to the world to combat the lies we hear every day in this world. Our words must be pure! 

James 3:8, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. The devil is full of wisdom as stated in Ezekiel and used his words to convince other angels to follow in his rebellion. He continues that war now using social media and technology spreading his words to deceive the world. Taming our words will not be an easy task. Every day it is a battle and we continually need to be in the presence of prayer using our words, asking God for help. Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit. This is true now, more than ever. Our words produce fruit and each believer is known by its own fruit. Luke 6:45, A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. Ephesians 4:29, No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. Choose your words wisely as there is power in the words we speak. The last words none of us want to hear is “I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers (Matthew 7:23)!” Rather we want to hear Jesus saying to us, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!” Do not be deceived by the words of this world and accept sin. The true Word of God gives us His commandments and there is not deviation or acceptance of anything else in our lives. Use the power of words to give light and salt to the lost world!