By FAITH — THINK whatever is going on, GOD is in CONTROL! Obediently, we wisely choose to THINK not as the world does, but as God instructs. Glory to God for His Word is living and active. It convicts, it comforts, it changes our negative mind into the MIND OF CHRIST. Our Father loves us so much, He tells us what to THINK. Whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, good, and praiseworthy. RESEARCH shows that WHATEVER negative word we ingest, it takes 10 positive words to dislodge the impact. Whatever is GOOD then is worth repeating — think GOD IS IN CONTROL and HE is listening. Each negative word lodged into our heart, overrides the goodness of God to the power of 10.  Jesus taught it is an issue of the HEART. For what is in a man’s HEART is what DEFILES him. The prince of the air is busy broadcasting lies. Resist him by not listening to the trash talking heads.

Who promotes envy, pride, gossip, complaints, and grumbling about how bad it is? Who speaks ill of others, and how stupid they are? Discernment leads us to know that all that is good and perfect comes from above. Choose to please God by who you echo into the ears of others. There are two kingdoms we serve with our thoughts. 1) God or 2) Satan. Choose carefully.

“For as [man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The word heart is used in different ways all the way through the Scriptures. Come to understand the meaning of the word HEART from the Biblical point of view. The Bible says that “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). When God looks at a man, He doesn’t look to see the color of his skin. He doesn’t look to see the kind of clothes he wears. Nor does He consider his social position. The Bible says that GOD LOOKS UPON the HEART to see what YOU are on the INSIDE —the THOUGHTS, MOTIVES and INTENTS of the heart. With honest inspection, is your heart RIGHT with GOD? Repentance makes us RIGHT, but some are too proud to confess the grudge, bitterness and their justified hate. The Bible says a great deal about the CONDITION of the average person’s HEART.  Proverbs 6:18 “heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.” Is your heart full of evil imaginations of what could happen IF?  Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that our heart is deceitful. We can’t trust it, but we can trust the Holy Spirit to prick us with conviction to confess.

BE CHANGED by fasting 40 days from the daily news. FOCUS ON GODS WORD and His WAY. His victory over evil has zero room for our bigotry and selfish desire to stay current on what the world is doing. Mark 7:20-23 Turn off the critical, condemnation, petty negative, gossiping noise of the enemy. Choose to silence, not echo complaints. Speak blessings, not curses. It is an issue of the heart. Luke 6:27: “Love your enemies.” and James 4:11 “do not slander.” Remember Jeremiah 17:9.”The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.” Critics are cursed. Think differently, be set apart from the world. Think, “How is Jesus working in this? What is good about this situation?” Look for the good, proclaim it, and with full authority cancel Satan’s scheme to defile you. Authority and truth are mine to stand in victory.

“Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.” Proverbs 13:3 NIV — The Hebrew meaning for guard is to keep watch. By God’s Words, our destiny is realized, and His dream is fulfilled by our obedience. We claim such a valuable inheritance by every word we store up as our treasure. In our hearts, we treasure His Word and from our hearts’ blessings, not curses flow. The secret place, where Christ abides, is in our soul along with each and every thought, word, or emotion we entertain. Choose wisely what you feed on. Blessings or curses? Read Isaiah 58:6-9

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23 — Like a military soldier, we are on duty 24/7 to watch and pay attention to what our hearts are hearing. We fill it full of complaints, grumbling or we fill it with praise for Who sits on the throne of our hearts. We choose to defile the indwelling Holy Spirit or — we choose His words to saturate our temple of the Most High. “By faith we understand that the universe was framed by the Word of God, so that things that are seen were not made out of things which are visible.” Hebrews 11:3 — Repentance for our critical thoughts leads to His forgiveness.

We have the great privilege and opportunity to cry out to God for the power to control the most unruly member of our body, our tongue. On our own, without enlisting the Holy Spirit, in our flesh, we will fail. “IF we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. ” Galatians 5:25 — Our relationship with Jesus is clearly evidenced by the thoughts we hold and the words we speak. Our secret, private, unspoken words are already known by God. We choose to align our thoughts with Scripture, or we selfishly rebel. Our private words and our public life need to be in sync with God in order for us to please Him by our faith in He who knows all. “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the teaching of kindness. ” Proverbs 31:26 — In this age, people reject the Gospel as they hear anger and grumbling in the church. Authentic faith unifies, it does not divide. AMEN ❤️ AMEN ❤️  AMEN

Psalm 78:31-41 God’s anger rose against them; He put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel. In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of His wonders, they did not believe. So He ended their days in futility and their years in terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek Him; they eagerly turned to Him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatter Him with their mouths, lying to Him with their tongues; their HEARTS were NOT LOYAL to HIM, they were NOT FAITHFUL to HIS covenant. Yet HE was merciful; HE forgave their INIQUITIES. Time after time HE RESTRAINED HIS ANGER and did not stir up HIS full WRATH. He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return. How often they REBELLED against HIM in the wilderness and GRIEVED HIM in the wasteland! Again and again they put GOD to the TEST; they VEXED the HOLY ONE …”

Remember that day when joy bubbled out with an uncontrollable belly laugh? Remember that day when you were so hot and thirsty for truth — and you were filled with the refreshing living water? While strolling through the Dallas airport on October 17, 2016 — “The 40 Day Word Fast” book jumped into my hands. It is one of those good and perfect gifts from our Father — who inspired this Tim Cameron. I’ve read it several times, and it goes with me to a new beach today. James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” Kiss 💋 keep is simple sweetie, repeat the King’s verse.

“Train up a child in the way he should go.” Jason never spoke a word against anyone. He was forgiven much, so he issued much grace and forgiveness towards all. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 ❤️ Hallelujah!

I found this card 6 years after my only son, Jason, went to be with Jesus. Now I can only imagine Jason has Jesus busting up laughing as they fish together. A card, a written gift in my Bible tote.