Dear Christian Friend,

As I write to you I pray that God's blessings overtake you in every area of your life. These blessings are found in the depth of His wisdom; for this cause I pray that you will have wisdom from above at all times. (James 1:15).

This month's message is one that you can probably hear from a number of ministers. The Spirit is saying, "Awake and hear what Jesus has given to you that you might do well upon the earth." You know from previous letters that I have petitioned God, asking, "Why are Christians not appropriating all that has been promised to them?" We know that Jesus came to set us free from the curse of the law. Why then are Christians living with sickness, disease, poverty, and broken homes? These things are a curse. (See Deu. 28:45-68). Through Christ's grace shouldn't we receive all the blessings of the covenant and not the curse? (Deu. 28:1-14).

Could it be that we lack God's wisdom, the principal thing? (Prov. 4:7). If so, we speak with man's wisdom instead of the wisdom of God, or we speak with a mixture of both. This is a problem for us. By the word of our mouth we pronounce good and/or bad upon ourselves. (James 1:26; 3:5-4-:4). Our flesh continually needs help from the LORD. Because of the covenant we can be sure that God will hear and provide according to the confession of our mouth and according to our faith. (Matt. 9:28-29). However, we must speak with God's wisdom in order to agree with Him. This is why we are told to ask God for wisdom. (James 1:5).

God has a covenant with you and he cares about your flesh as well as your spirit. He made provisions to nurture both. (Rom. 8:10-11). Through Abraham's sons we have a great example of God sustaining the flesh. His first son, Ishmael, was a son of the flesh. His mother, a bond woman named Hagar represented Jerusalem below, the city of flesh. Abraham had a second son, Isaac, the son of promise. His mother was a free woman named Sarah and she represented Jerusalem above, the spiritual city. (Gal.4:25-26). As Hagar represented carnal Jerusalem and Sarah spiritual Jerusalem, Ishmael and Isaac depicted man born of the flesh and man born of the spirit. (John 3:3-5). When Isaac was weaned, God told Abraham to send the teenager Ishmael and his mother away from the family. By this God was showing that we are to put off the flesh, put on the LORD Jesus Christ and make no provisions for the flesh. (Rom. 13:14).

After being cast out of the family Ishmael and Hagar went into the wilderness of Beersheba. They quickly used all their provisions and thought that they would die from thirst. Hagar cried in despair, but nothing happened. Then Ishmael who was a seed of Abraham's flesh called to God for help. Because God had made a covenant with Abraham He heard the boy and provided for him. (Gen. 21:9-20). Today, the descendants of Ishmael are a nation of wealth because of God's promise to Abraham. (Gen. 21:13). (Note: Most Palestinians [Philistines] are not Ishmael's offspring and not included in the promise.)

God's wisdom will free one from the foolish thinking of this world. (1 Cor. 3:19). Because we are born in sin our thinking is the opposite of God's thinking. (Isaiah 55:8). Man's wisdom is foolishness with God. (1 Cor. 1:20; 3:19). Not speaking with godly wisdom creates many problems for us. We must face the truth; unless we have the mind of Christ our words are formed in a perverted mind. In pride we sow these words abundantly and listen to others sow in like manner. Have you ever ask other people for advice, acted on that advice and found that you made a great mistake? I have! Therefore, I can tell you that earthly wisdom causes confusion and loss. It is self serving. (See James, Ch.3).

The words we speak go on record in heaven and by this we establish our future. Let me give you an example of how easy it is to speak in the negative. At Church we were singing, Because He Lives; suddenly the following words from verse three became graphic. I'll fight life's final war with pain. Being aware that my tongue is like the rudder on a ship, establishing my future (James 3:5-6), I did not sing this verse. I have no desire to die in pain.

It is beneficial to ask God to help you recognize negative words and not repeat them. Godly wisdom, when spoken, will bring a positive action, but, A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. (Jams. 1:7). Remember, wisdom from above is a gift from God. It is given to those who ask. As we take on the mind of Christ we find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Him. (Col. 2:2-3). God's word is right wisdom. (Ecc. 2:26; Prov.2:6).

May this message prompt you to read and/or listen to God's word daily so that you may increase in His wisdom; pray daily to receive His wisdom; guard your words and speak right things. Do not mix the world's wisdom into your conversation. Let your future and the future of those who you love be a blessing and not a curse. Remember, Jesus is the true word. (John 1). His word is seed. (Re: parable of the sower, Mark, 4). Man is the soil in which this seed is planted. As God's word is sown the devil, through man, plants perverted words to counter the truth. Daily, through T.V., radio, news-papers and by gossip we subscribe to perverted words; filling our minds with this we reject the seed of truth and believe the lie. Because of this we are more likely to expound on the insight of man than we are to speak with the wisdom of God. The Clairon Ledger quoted a certain minister who was praying for AIDS' sufferers, This is to let people know that God can heal them. He may not be able to cure them, but he can heal them spiritually. This is confusion! Jesus does heal the sick and heal is a synonym for cure. Obviously he was speaking with the wisdom of man and not with the wisdom of God. There was doubt in his statement. Don't let this happen to you. You are special! When you believe and speak in harmony with God He will bless you and others will be blessed by you. Remember that you are to be an extension of God's word which is His wisdom.