James, chapter 3

LORD GOD, we praise your holy name this morning and we enter Your courts with thanksgiving and praise for Your goodness, faithfulness, mercy and loving kindness that endures forever towards us. It is You who made us and not ourselves. We are Yours, Your people and the sheep of Your pasture, thank you that You are continually watching over us and filling us with Your steadfast love in the name of Jesus, amen.

Chapter 3 of James is a caution to us as believers to be mindful of the tongue and the words that we speak. The Apostle James, speaks of the tongue as an unruly evil full of deadly poison (James 3:8). He continues to say in James 3:9-10 (NKJV), "With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so."

He continues to share an analogy by relating the life of a believer to a fresh water spring of water and a fig tree. He asks if a fresh water spring can produce bitter water and whether a fig tree would produce olives? (James 3:11-12).I believe we can both agree that this is not the case.

Jesus shared the parable of the sower and in this parable, the sower went out to sow seed and this seed is known as the Word of God (Luke 8:11). As a child of God, the Word of God has been sown in you and in your heart by God through apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors. Just like any other seed, God's Word should be nurtured by watering it, keeping it to enable growth for maturity and fruit bearing (Luke 8:15).

Ephesians 5:26 also reminds us that Christ is the water of the Word that sanctifies and cleanses the church of which you and I are a part of. It pleased God in His infinite wisdom to make Christ the water who waters the implanted word of God in us. However, in order to bear fruit according to the Word that has been implanted in us (James 1:21), we have to give ourselves to ways of God with the help of the Holy Spirit. For instance, you may develop your spiritual walk by intentionally cultivating a lifestyle of prayer, study of God's Word, giving, listening to good teachings, fellowship with believers, to mention a few ways because only then will we be able to produce fruit according to God's Word.

Jesus said in Luke 6:45 (NKJV), "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." The more the Word of God is cultivated in you, the more it grows roots on the inside of you by cleansing, washing and sanctifying you to bless and speak according to God, the Father's heart.

I'll end with this Word found in Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)

1. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.

2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Amen, thank you LORD.

Invitation to salvation: If you would like to receive Jesus and be born again into God's Kingdom, that is saved and have a personal relationship with God as Your Father and you as His child by receiving His Son, Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to say this confession:

"I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that; Jesus Christ, the Son of God came in a human body to die for my sins so that I could have a new life where I am dead to sin and alive to God. I repent of my past sins and enter the Kingdom of light where I choose relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour and with God as my loving Father today and forever." AMEN.

GLORY TO GOD, You are now a new creation in Christ Jesus! In case you have not already, please prayerfully consider becoming a member of a church and get WATER BAPTIZED!