Let Your "Yes" be Yes

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." - Matthew 5:37

How often have we said 'yes' to Jesus?
How often have we said 'no' to ourselves?
How often have we followed through with what we have said?

Jesus made it clear that our yes and our no is enough to satisfy the binding requirement. Many Christians avoid making solemn vows before the Lord for fear of not fulfilling them, and when we so frivolously fire of promises to God in this simplified manner of 'yes' and 'no', we actually presume that our words are not binding! This is contrary to Scripture. What we say is what we mean. Do we ever wonder why God does not fulfill His Word in us when we do not fulfill our word to Him? It is for this reason that the Bible teaches us to control our tongue (James 3:2-12) and that it is the wise who are slow to utter anything except that which they are resolved. (Proverbs 15:2)

"Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." - Proverbs 21:23

By our words we have the power to tear down and to build up, to establish our way in either truth or falsehood, and by our words we will be judged. The Bible also teaches us that out of our mouths cannot proceed both good and evil, just as a good tree cannot produce bad fruit or a fresh stream cannot pour forth salt water. He who controls his tongue is a perfect man (James 3:2).

Our Lord Jesus is kind and compassionate, gracious to forgive, however, the Lord also is gracious in warning us of the danger of an unrestrained tongue. Such a highly exalted Savior is worthy of praise! For He not only forgives our sins, but is involved in the work of sanctifying and perfecting His redeemed.

Just as He warned us on the Mount about our 'yes' and our 'no', so He leaves us another confirming and serious exhortation by the pen of His servant James:

"Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No', no, or you will be condemned." - James 5:12

Dear Heavenly Father,
I beseech You to take tight reign of my tongue;
Submitting myself to Your yoke while I'm young.
I ask for Your grace and Your patience towards me,
I ask for Your strength and Your power to free.
And if I do stumble and say what is wrong,
I'll rise once again to the fight and be strong.
I know by Your grace that this battle will be won,
By faith in Your Word, in Your Spirit, in Your Son.
Amen.

26 Day Reading Plan

I've taken it upon myself to commit to reading the entire Bible through before the New Year. Sermonindex released this 26 day reading plan for this purpose, and so I'm posting it here for anyone else who would like to spend the remaining days of 2005 in vigorous daily reading. My prayer is that the Word of God would richly dwell in us (Colossians 3:16) and change us into fiercer Christians.

"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy." - R.C. Sproul

Here is the schedule: 26 Day Bible Reading Plan
Save a copy of it onto you computer.

God bless, saints, and may you be deeply blessed.
-Eli

Here are some Scriptures to encourage you to Bible discipline:

Joshua 1: 6-9 - "Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Psalm 119:9-11 - "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:162 - "I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil."

Proverbs 13:13 - "Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded."

Isaiah 55:10-11 - "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Micah 4:2 - "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

Matthew 4:4 - "But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

John 8:31 - "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 17:17 - "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

Romans 10:17 - "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Ephesians 5:25 - "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish."

Ephesians 6:13-17 - "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

1 John 2:14 - "...I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."

Revelation 3:8,10 - "'I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth."

Rest For Your Souls

"This is what the Lord says:

'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" - Jeremiah 6:16

Christians must make many decisions... we make them on a daily basis. Some decisions we must make are far more important than others, and others make seemingly little difference.

Yet so often we are walking in this world full of unrest and worry, with a fair load of anxiety and troubles because of the many choices we face and the fear of making the wrong one. The people of the world are not any different. Stress reliever sales are at an all time high. Must Christians suffer the same disarray? No, we have Christ!

The Lord tells us the way to choose. He says "Stand at the crossroads..." Our orders are to stand... do not move, do not choose, do not hastily run in the way that first seems right, but first stand still. Standing still is a common theme throughout Scripture, however it does not seem to be a common theme among believers. In a world of fast paced, touch and go living, it is easy to fall victim to it's pattern. We must learn to be patient and stand still before we rush into making a decision. Our decisions will effect our future and consequently the future of others as well. By standing still we can look.

What are we looking for? Psalm 123 - "Unto Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens." We look to the Lord, we look to His Word... we look to the path that the Lord has already walked in, that we to may walk that way. This is what the ancient paths are: the paths in which the Lord has walked. "...Ask where the good way is..." The good Shepherd of ours souls, He walks before us and we follow. He leads us by still waters, to green pastures. He knows the good way for us to walk, and we follow Him. "And you will find rest for your souls."

Are you facing a decisions? Stand still, look to the ancient paths, ask for the good way and walk in it. If we learn to not move until we have found the path of God, is this not rest? The rest which allows God to govern our steps and not do it ourselves. What glorious security for our souls!

Stand, look, ask.

Repent Fredericton

This sermon was birthed from a night of prayer and worship, and was preached on Saturday Nov. 5, 2005 (my 2oth birthday) at the Fredericton market. Hearken unto the Word of God, Fredericton, repent of your idols and of your hatred towards God. Christ has died for this people, will we reject such love as this?

Download here: Eli Brayley - Repent Fredericton (Open Air)

Parable of the Sower

Here is the latest audio recording of the preaching at the Fredericton market. Get is right here: Eli Brayley - Parable of the Sower (Open Air)

This sermon was preached the morning of October 29, 2005 at the Fredericton downtown market. It deals with man's heart conditions to receiving the Word of God, and the willingness of a life to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. What is your heart condition?