Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the third message of the first step of spiritual ascension, that is, what is important to avoid doing to keep one’s place as children of the kingdom of heaven.
In particular, we shared last week how to access there. It is therefore normal to give insights on how to ensure this access and keep one’s place until the return of our Savior Jesus Christ. Let us not forget that there is more joy in heaven for one sinner who repents than for ninety-nine righteous who do not need repentance.
We will summarize what the Bible asks us to avoid doing or saying:
A-CAUTION AGAINST BAD CONVERSATIONS
Ephesians 4: 31 Let all bitterness, all animosity, all anger, all clamor, all slander, and every kind of wickedness, disappear from the midst of you.
Titus 3: 1-2 1 Remind them to be submissive to the magistrates and the authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to not speak ill of anyone, to be peaceful, moderate, and gentle. towards all men.
James 3: 6 The tongue is a fire also; it is the world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, defiling the whole body, and igniting the course of life, being itself inflamed by Gehenna.
James 4: 11 Do not speak badly of one another, brethren. Whoever speaks ill of a brother, or who judges his brother, speaks ill of the law and judges the law. Now, if you judge the law, you are not an observer of the law, but you judge it.
1 Peter 2: 1 Therefore rejecting all malice and cunning, dissimulation, envy, and all slander,
1 Peter 3: 10 For if any man will love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful words,
B- BAD STATEMENT IS CONDEMNED
Psalms 5: 9 For there is no sincerity in their mouth; Their heart is full of malice, their throat is an open sepulcher, and they have flattering words on their tongues.
Psalms 50:20 You sit down, and speak against your brother, and you defame your mother’s son.
Proverbs 25:23 The north wind brings forth rain, and the mysterious tongue an angry face.
Jeremiah 9: 3 They have a tongue stretched out like a bow, and cast a lie; It is not by the truth that they are powerful in the country; For they go from wickedness to wickedness, and they do not know me, saith the LORD.
Romans 1:30 rapporteurs, slanders, impious, arrogant, haughty, boastful, ingenious to evil, rebellious to their parents, devoid of intelligence,
C- USELESS WORDS ARE CONDEMNED
Job 11: 2 Will not this multitude of words find an answer? And will it suffice to be a talker to be right?
Job 15: 3 Is it with useless talk that he defends himself? Is it through speeches that are useless?
Proverbs 10:19 He who speaks much does not fail to sin, but he who holds his lips is a prudent man.
Proverbs 14:23 All work brings abundance, but words in the air only lead to scarcity.
Proverbs 29:11 The fool puts out all his passion, but the wise contains it.
Ecclesiastes 5: 2 Do not be anxious to open your mouth, and let not your heart hurry to speak a word before God; for God is in heaven, and you on the earth, so let not your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his speech is a wicked folly.
Titus 1:10 For there are, above all, among the circumcision many rebellious men, vain talkers, and deceivers.
D- GOSSIP IS CONDEMNED
Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not spread slander among thy people. You shall not rise up against the blood of your neighbor. I am the Lord.
Proverbs 11:13 He who spreads slander reveals secrets, but he who has the faithful spirit keeps them.
Proverbs 17: 9 He who covers a sin seeks love, and he who recalls it in his speech divides his friends.
Proverbs 18: 8 The words of the protector are like treats, they go down to the depths of the bowels.
Proverbs 20:19 He who spreads slander reveals secrets; Do not meddle with the one who opens his lips.
Proverbs 26:20 For lack of wood, the fire goes out; And when there is no protractor, the quarrel subsides.
E- TONGUE MUST BE REFRAINED
Proverbs 13: 3 He who watches over his mouth keeps his soul; He who opens great lips runs to ruin.
Proverbs 21:23 He who watches over his mouth and tongue preserves his soul from anguish.
James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious, but does not hold his tongue in his bridle, but deceives his heart, that man’s religion is vain.
1 Peter 3: 10 For if any man will love life, and see happy days, let him preserve his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful words,
F- THE WALLERS
Psalms 41: 8 He is dangerously afflicted, He lies down, he will not rise again!
Proverbs 16:28 The evil man provokes strife, and the protector divides the friends.
Proverbs 26:22 The words of the protector are like treats, they go down to the depths of the womb.
2 Corinthians 12:20 For I fear not to find you, as I wish, on my arrival, and to be found by you as you would not like. I fear to find quarrels, jealousy, animosities, cabals, gossip, slanders, pride, troubles.
G- SLANDER
Psalms 31:13 And I hear the evil words of many, The fear that reigns around them, When they concert together against me, They plotted to take my life.
Psalms 101: 5 He who slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy him; He who haughty looks and a swollen heart, I will not stand.
Proverbs 10:18 Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 11: 9 By his mouth the wicked loses his neighbor, but the righteous are delivered by knowledge.
Jeremiah 9: 3 They have a tongue stretched out like a bow, and cast a lie; It is not by the truth that they are powerful in the country; For they go from wickedness to wickedness, and they do not know me, saith the LORD
H-EXAMPLES OF SLANDER OF CHRIST AND HIS DISCIPLES
Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees said, It is by the prince of devils that he cast out demons.
Matthew 11:19 The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, He is an eater and a drinker, a friend of publicans and bad people. But wisdom has been justified by his works.
Luke 23: 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We have found this man exciting our nation to revolt, preventing the payment of tribute to Caesar, and declaring himself Christ the King.
Acts 2:13 But others mocked and said, They are full of sweet wine.
Acts 6: 13 And they produced false witnesses, saying, This man ceaseth not to speak words against the holy place, and against the law;
Acts 24: 5 We have found this man, who is a plague, who excites divisions among all the Jews of the world, who is chief of the sect of the Nazarenes,
I- FALSE CHARGES
1 Samuel 1: 14 And he said to him, How long are you drunk? Spread your wine.
Nehemiah 6: 7 You have even made prophets to proclaim you king of Judah in Jerusalem. And now these things will come to the knowledge of the king. Come, then, and let us consult together.
Job 2: 5 But stretch out your hand, touch his bones and flesh, and I am sure he curses you in the face.
Job 22: 6 6 Thou didst take away thy servants from thy servants without cause, and stripped naked clothes from their garments;
Jeremiah 37:13 And when he was at the gate of Benjamin, the captain of the guard, whose name was Jireiah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, was there; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, You are passing over to the Chaldeans. !
Matthew 5: 11 Happy are you, when you are outraged, that you will be persecuted and falsely told of all kinds of evil, because of me.
Matthew 27:12 But he did not answer the accusations of the chief priests and elders.
Lk 6: 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal on the sabbath day, so that he might accuse him.
1 Peter 3:16 And having a good conscience, so that even where they slander you as if you were wrongdoers, those who decry your good behavior in Christ are covered with confusion.
J-CAUTION AGAINST FALSE WITNESSES
Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 23: 1 Thou shalt not utter a false noise. You will not join the wicked to make a false witness.
Deuteronomy 19:16 When a false witness arises against anyone to accuse him of a crime,
Proverbs 6:19 The false witness who speaks lies, and the one who excites quarrels between brothers.
Proverbs 12:17 He who speaks the truth proclaims justice, and the false witness deceives.
Proverbs 19: 9 The false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will perish.
Proverbs 24:28 Do not testify lightly against your neighbor; Would you like to cheat on your lips
Proverbs 25:18 Like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.
Matthew 19:17 And he said to him, Why do you ask me what is good? Only one is good. If you want to enter life, observe the commandments.
K-EXAMPLES OF FALSE WITNESSES
Matthew 28:15 The men took the money, and followed the instructions given to them. And this rumor spread among the Jews until this day.
Mark 14:56 for many gave false testimony against him, but the testimonies did not agree.
Acts 6: 11 Then they suborned men who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.
Acts 17: 6 And when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren before the magistrates of the city, crying, These men, who have overthrown the world, have come also here,
Acts 25: 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem surrounded him, and brought against him many serious accusations, which they could not prove.
Finally, we understand that it is essential not to behave in a manner unworthy to the Lord Jesus Christ, as pointed out through the eleven different above sections. May these warnings reassure you and keep you firm in your choice to follow Christ, to keep your places as sons of the kingdom. And may the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth promised by the Savior Jesus Christ to replace him on earth among humans, strengthen you, guide you all as you walk with him, and support you so that you progress in your walk to the temple of truth. Our prayers strengthen you all in this perspective.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows :
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all adoration, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to revert to your questions and comments, before sharing with you next week the second step of the spiritual ascension to the temple of truth, which is repentance.
May the Amighty God bless you in abundance.
David Feze, Servant of the Lord of hosts.