“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9).
Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. Of course this is true but we also see from Matthew 15:8 that it is possible to say something that’s not in your heart. Of course, ultimately, your heart will be shown through your words.
Words and observations enter through the realm of the soul. When words come into the mind, a decision must be made and the decision is this. You must decide whether to keep or reject the words that have just entered.
If you accept them, they will eventually enter the heart and either strengthen the fear or strengthen the faith. Every thought you have either complements or contends with faith.
When Jesus was talking to His disciples about leaving in John 16:6 He said, “Because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.”
Your heart can be sad or it can be happy. A great determination of whether you have a sad or happy heart is by whether you accept words of victory or words of defeat, words of light or words of darkness that enter into the realm of the soul.
When I was in high school, some of my friends and I would randomly pick out a student and each of us throughout the day while passing in the hall would tell him he looked like he didn’t feel well.
At first, they would reject it and say something like, “I don’t feel bad.” But after a few hours of several different people saying the same thing, the chosen student would be in the school clinic asking if he could go home because he didn’t feel good.
What we did wasn’t nice and I don’t recommend for any young person reading this to do what I did. However, it does prove a principle. If you listen to a lie and allow it to enter your heart, you will eventually speak the lie yourself and act on it.
We may say things we don’t believe, but if we continue to repeat the lies of the devil, these lies will embed themselves in our hearts. Then we will speak them and they will become reality.
As words enter your thought realm, keep the good and reject the bad. Examine every thought and determine its source. Anything that is not of God should be rejected.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Dr. Larry Ollison is founder and Senior Pastor of Walk on the Water Faith Church and founder of Larry Ollison Ministries. With over forty years in the ministry, he is a very popular speaker nationally and internationally and ministers the Word of Faith through radio, television, Internet, and daily e-mail devotionals. As the author of twelve books (including The Power of Grace, The Practical Handbook for Christian Living, Breaking the Cycle of Offense, Life is in the Blood, and recently released The Paradise of God), he is in frequent demand for radio/TV interviews, book signings, and magazine publications.
Dr. Ollison was raised a Southern Baptist. While majoring in theology at Southwest Baptist University, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For many years he traveled extensively speaking at Full Gospel Business Men's meetings and conventions. He later earned an M.A. in Theology and a Ph.D. and Th.D. from Life Christian University.
Currently President of International Convention of Faith Ministries (ICFM), Dr. Ollison is also Vice-President of Spirit FM Christian Radio Network, Missouri State Director of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), and a Trustee on the boards of several international ministries. He is also the host of The Cutting Edge Radio Broadcast and authors The Cutting Edge Daily Devotional.
As the owner of a marine dealership, his extensive business background brings a unique flavor to his teaching. He founded and served as chairman of the Missouri State Marine Board, President of the Marine Dealers’ Association, Vice-President of a bank holding company, along with holding several directorships in various corporations.
Dr. Ollison's strongest areas of teaching are the blood of Jesus, faith, relationships, the Hebrew language, the Holy Spirit, the end times, and heaven. During ministry, he operates freely in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His use of humor and his ability to make a theological concept simple makes it enjoyable and easy for everyone to understand. Countless testimonies have been received from people who say their lives have been changed after experiencing Dr. Ollison's unique ministry.
Dr. Ollison is a pastor, pilot, teacher, and author. His number one goal is to meet the needs of the people through the teaching of faith in God's Word. He and his wife, Loretta, have two children and six grandchildren.