In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of words and the destructive impact they can have on others. He shares a personal story of witnessing a man's life being destroyed by a single sentence spoken by a young person. The preacher warns against the danger of gossip and slander, highlighting the devastating consequences it can have on individuals and their families. He urges listeners to be mindful of their words and to seek God's grace in all circumstances, emphasizing the importance of obedience to God's commandments.

Now we're going to bow for a moment of prayer, please, in silencing our hearts before God. Father, thank Thee for these people who have traveled, some near, many from far. Thank Thee for everyone who came with an open heart to God, and even if there's those whose hearts are closed, break that heart tonight, that they won't know what's happened. Now only God can do that, but we pray for it. Come to all of our hearts, speak to all of our hearts. Thou knowest, Lord, the one thing I fear in life is that someone would walk out of a meeting where I've preached the same as they came in. Please come to all of us and do something deep in our hearts and consciences and lives that will be irreversible. Now wash me in the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanses us from all sin. Anoint, fill with the Holy Spirit, unctionize, take thy word and make it alive. Keep us safe from Satan, demonic forces, evil powers, by the risen power of Christ, and come and visit us by the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ's sacred precious name. Amen. Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1 says, to everything, to everything, everything, without exception, there is a season, a season, to everything there is a season and a time, a time to every purpose under heaven. Verse 7, there is a time to keep silence, there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak. One of the greatest tragedies, one of the greatest tragedies that could ever happen in any person's life, is if they do not swiftly learn that most occasions, in most circumstances throughout life, are a time to keep silent. I want to repeat that. One of the greatest tragedies that could ever happen to any person's life is if they do not swiftly learn that most occasions in most circumstances throughout life are a time to keep silent. He that hath knowledge spareth his words. Proverbs 17 verse 27, the Bible speaks of unprofitable talk, unprofitable talk. Job 15 verse 3, a fool is full of words. Ecclesiastes 10 verse 14, a fool uttereth all his mind. Proverbs 29 verse 11, Proverbs 29 verse 20 condemns a man that is hasty in his words. A man that is hasty, a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 3, a fool's, the mouth, the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. Proverbs 15 verse 14, and then Proverbs 15 verse 2 says, the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. The mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness, and then the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. Proverbs 15 verse 2, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good fruit, bringeth forth that which is good. And an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil. For of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaketh. Of the abundance of his heart, his mouth speaketh. Luke 6 verse 45, those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, Christ said. They defile the man. Matthew 15 verse 18, 1 Timothy 2 16, some vain babblings that is worthless talk, for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Their word will eat as doth a canker. Their word will spread as cancer to destroy. The lips of a fool will swallow up himself. Ecclesiastes 10 verse 12, a prattling fool shall fall. Proverbs 10 verse 8, literally, a babbling fool shall be ruined. The mouth of the foolish is near destruction. Proverbs 10 verse 14, if he's not careful, but if he isn't, a mouth, a fool's mouth is his destruction, God says. It brings him near destruction and if he doesn't see it and doesn't stop, though God and man and conscience and common sense warn him to change, the mouth of the foolish is near destruction, God warns. A fool's mouth is his destruction eventually, God says. In his lips are the snare of his soul. Proverbs 18 verse 7, whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles, he that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life, God says. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life, but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 13 verse 3, keep thy tongue, keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile, that was worthless talk. Psalm 34 verse 13, shed a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. The psalmist cried, keep the door of my lips, shed a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. Psalm 141 verse 3, I don't know how many thousands of times I have prayed that from my soul, trembling in circumstance upon circumstance upon circumstance in front of my children, O God, shed a watch now upon my mouth, keep the doors of my lips, or I will lose their respect if I speak my mind now, I will lose their love. Circumstance upon circumstance and all hell is written against me, all I've cried for grace, O God, now please that I don't stoop to this man's level by just giving him back what he's giving me, shed a watch, O God, upon my mouth, keep the doors of my lips, please, God. I prayed over and over again in the home and to my worst enemy that the devil ever raised up, I cried to God for one thing, shed a watch, O Lord, now please, God, before my mouth, keep the doors of my lips, dear God, I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress Psalm 17 verse 3, even a fool, God says, even a fool when he holdeth his peace is counted wise, and he that his lips is esteemed, a man of understanding, Proverbs 17 verse 28, I said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue, I will keep my mouth, I will keep my mouth with a bridle, Psalm 39 verse 1, if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain, worthless, literally in God's eyes and men's eyes, if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue, God's word says, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain, it's worthless, James 1 verse 26, keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile, Psalm 34 verse 13, in the multitude of words, God says, they wanteth not sin, in the multitude of words, be careful, you are going to sin, but he that refraineth his lips is wise, God says, Proverbs 10 verse 14, in the multitude of words, they wanteth not sin, that's fearful, suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, Ecclesiastes 5 verse 6, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body, God says, failure, God says, have no control here, you have no control over anything of the sensualities in life, this is the tip of the iceberg, beloved, there's no control here to what you shouldn't be saying, you shouldn't be saying in God's eyes and you know it, you have no control over anything, you're in total failure, this is just the tip of the iceberg, God says, God says, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature, it is set on fire of hell, it sets on fire everything that leads to every single failure, oh don't come to God with all these failures and ask him, no, come to God and ask for grace to get victory here, because when you do, by the grace of God, you will find victory, beloved, over the things you're scared will destroy you and your family and your name, if you don't find it, seek it there, if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body, he can control the sensuality, the senses that lead to sensual sin, if any man offend not, doesn't fail here, James says in chapter 3 verse 2, the same is a perfect man, not ultimately perfect, there's no such a thing while you live, you are made utterly perfect as you take and took by God and while you're alive, they're still protecting, they're still shaking you to Christ, there's still more work for God to do, but in the light you're given, you can live in victory, in the light as more and more light comes, but if any man offend not in word, God says the same is a perfect man, this is the foremost proof of holiness, not this, yes, God says the same is a perfect man, God's word says in the light you're given and he's able to bridle, he can control whatever temptation comes to his senses, what man is he that desireth life and loveth many days that he may see good, keep thy tongue from evil, thy lips from speaking, Psalm 34 verse 12, 1 Peter 3 verse 10, for he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak, no guile, Proverbs 4 verse 24, put away from thee, put away from thee, God says, a froward mouth, an uncontrolled mouth, a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth, God says, a man hath joy by the answer of his mouth, Proverbs 15 verse 23, I was once speaking high up in the mountains of southern Africa in some town, the one night Sunday, it was the close of a few nights of meetings, and all the churches came together, all the preachers, even the Roman Catholic came, because every other church cancelled their meeting and everyone came to this big auditorium where I was preaching. Now, I only quoted scriptures that I'd memorized, passages upon passages upon passages and passages, just quoting, quoting, soaking the word of God in prayer before I dared to, so it's not just parrot fashion, well, afterwards, the preachers and a number of others were invited back to the home I was staying in, it was freezing, being up in the mountains, and the fireplace was there in what they call the kitchen, it's a big place of gathering in many parts of our country where it's freezing, because of the old fireplace, and everyone's there sitting around this big table, 30, maybe 40 people, all the preachers, a lot of others, and sitting there was a man that was known across our entire nation, he's a household name, I didn't even know he's in the meeting, he's a preacher, doesn't preach what I preach, his emphasis is on manifestations, slain in the spirit, tongues, name it, and he's named everywhere, he's known, but this man lost control as they introduced me to him, I didn't even know he was there in the meeting, he happened to be in the town, he happened to come to the meeting with everybody else, and I put my hand out, he wouldn't take my hand, he just started screaming, screaming at the top of his voice at me, how dare you, you see, he was angry because I was just quoting scriptures that proved that what he said is the vital evidence of the fullness of his terminology, the baptism of the spirit, you know, I just quoted everything that said that isn't the evidence, it's the fruit of the spirit, it's the evidence to the degree that you yield it to God, the fruit of the spirit, love, self-control, these things happen spontaneously, because it's agape love, you see, though I speak with the tongues of men, of angels that have not love, I become a sounding brass, a tinkling cymbal, I'm worthless, though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, of all knowledge, though I have all faith and have not love, I am nothing, I have nothing of any value to God or man, nothing, God said, you see, love suffers as long as kind, you can have all those manifestations, but if you don't have what God gives man to be Christ-like, because you can put the Christ-like, Wesley says, in the word love, everywhere, because this is the ultimate, it's Christ in you, it's the Holy Spirit yielded, living out Christ, that you are conformed to the image lost at the fall of God, not physically, but Christ, his divine nature, well, I just passages upon that, now he was upset, because what he said and what he had obviously all the years fought doctrinally to prove and to get everybody to come to seek these things, was proven by the scriptures without a word, and it was wrong, the emphasis was not there, even when I took the gifts in the order of importance of the gifts, there's nothing of the order of importance or the interpretation of what those gifts really were, the side of gospel dispensation, in the light of all scriptures, well, he was upset, he was livid, and he was screaming, I mean, everybody at the table that had sat just got up and fled, standing around the room, oh, everywhere, just looked, everybody was scared, where is this heading, this man lost control, the veins were out, and he was really upset with me, so, I said then, what did I pray, oh, said to watch, oh Lord, upon my mouth, keep the doors of my lips now, God, please give me the grace, and God has a holy obligation, to give you all the grace you need, in any circumstance you face in life, to obey his commandments, that's not sacrilege to say that, that's sacrilege not to say that, God doesn't mock us and tell us to do something, he won't give you grace, but you've got to want that grace enough, and bury your pride in everything, to seek God for grace, to do nothing, it's the only religion in the world, that you win the arguments, by keeping quiet, by doing nothing, by not defending yourself, by not fighting back, in 99% of every single circumstance, you will find yourself in life, you leave the fighting to God, sir, or you destroy your testimony, in the home, and in front of your enemies, in the church, be careful, the 1%, where you actually should say something, that put things into perspective, God will give you the grace, when you have to speak, and have the right to speak, and should speak, but 99%, you keep quiet, or you destroy everything, of your credibility, I sat there, and I just looked at this man, I was very, very broken in my heart, I admit that, because he said some pretty cruel statements, even about my memories, and character, but in the end, he kept quiet, so I said, I heard that your wife, is very ill, I read that in the newspaper, is she still that ill? I'm very sorry that your wife, has had such sicknesses, and sorrow, I really am sorry, how is she now? He looked at me, and he was so shocked, that I didn't say one word against anything he'd said, that I didn't bring up anything he'd accused me of, or said against me, he was so, he was so shocked, I don't think he'd ever met a Christian in his entire life, that didn't fight back, when you touch his doctrine, I don't think he knew such a thing existed, I just changed the subject, love suffers long, and it's kind, this is a set work book in the school of God, no other, no other book, when you read it, you're going to face the exam, and like my father-in-law said to me, you better pass this exam, Keith, as difficult as it is, or you're going to face it again, and you'll face it again, and again, and again, if you don't want to face this again, pass, in God's eyes, and men, and men are watching, Keith, you better pass, or I guarantee, you'll go through this again, well, change circumstances, when someone's trying to back in, nonetheless, this man was so shocked, that he literally fell into his seat, and he, he was totally undone, literally looking like this, so he's looking at me now, and I talked a little bit, you know, and others started coming to sit down, and they saw something was happening here, that was a God, so I said, listen, please forgive me for no other reason, I have to leave now, because I've got to get up early, and travel to get on the airplane, and if I don't get to bed now, but I got to go to a quiet time, so please, for that reason, forgive me for excusing myself, I don't want anyone else to leave, obviously you want fellowship, but I have to leave now, for those reasons only, please forgive me, and I stood, now the way that man stood, no one in that room will forget, I won't forget, he stood with such respect, and he stood, and just looked at me, and utter respect, everyone stood, and as I walked through, everyone to get to, down to the bedroom, without every single person, without exception, I just saw tears, and respect, not that I wanted that, or thought of that, he's touching me, thank you brother, thank you, thank you, now as I walked down the passage, joy, welled up in my heart, not pride, when I got to the room, got on my knees eventually, there was such joy flowing out of my heart, there's joy, you see the joy of the Lord, is your strength, now God isn't up there, smiling down, full of joy now, he's in you, the Holy Ghost joy in you, when you pass the exam here, 99% of your exams on earth start here, trust me, his joy, or his grief, is as a result of this, a man hath joy, God says, by the answer of his mouth, God says, Proverbs 15 verse 26, when thy lips speak right things, Proverbs 23 verse 16, how forcible are right words, Job 6 verse 25, a word fitly spoken, Proverbs 25 verse 11, let your speech be always with grace, Colossians 4 verse 6, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man, the words, the words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself, Ecclesiastes 10 verse 12, the beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is madness, God says, this is madness, the way this man thinks, reason talks, and loses credibility by his children, his wife, his enemies, that thou mayest regard discretion, that thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge, Proverbs 5 verse 2, verse 32, the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, in the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found, in the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found, Proverbs 10 verse 13, a woman, a woman that feareth the Lord, Proverbs 31 verse 30, openeth her mouth with wisdom, verse 26, in her tongue is the law of kindness, a woman that feareth the Lord, openeth her mouth with wisdom, in the lips of him that hath understanding, wisdom is found, God says, excellent speech, becometh not a fool, Proverbs 17 verse 7, excellent speech becometh not a fool, Proverbs 59 verse 12, warns us of the sin of their mouth, the sin of their mouth, Paul warns us in Romans 6 verse 19, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, neither yield your members, James 3 verse 5, the tongue is a little member of all our members, neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, thou givest thy mouth to evil, Psalm 50 verse 19, oh Christian be careful, for death, death and life are in the power of the tongue, Proverbs 18 verse 21, surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, and a babbler is no better, Ecclesiastes 10 verse 11, their poison is like the poison of a serpent, Psalm 58 verse 4, the tongue is an unruly evil full of deadly poison, God warned, James 3 verse 8, a hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor, you don't need a gun, the devil just needs this, who is thy neighbor, answer God, a hypocrite with his mouth, you don't have to take a knife and stab a man, keep stabbing until he's dead, you don't have to take a gun and shoot him until he's destroyed, or you just have to give one sentence, I have seen men in your country destroyed by one sentence, one sentence, a whisper, the most dangerous thing, a whisper, I've seen a man destroyed by one sentence said by a young person about him and he was a great preacher, years later after that man was so destroyed, lost his family, excommunicated, kicked out of the theological seminar as the principle of one of the most evangelical conservative pulpit seminars in the world, after he lay destroyed as a human, so completely destroyed that it's uncomprehendable, I don't want to go into that, those two young men who were students, one came back, his conscience wouldn't let him sleep and he said, we lied, it wasn't the truth, and when I asked about it, one sentence, that's all they said, you see a whisper, a whisper is just loud enough, and Christians are so gullible and carnal, all the devil needs is one sentence from you and you can destroy a human's life, credibility, honor, faith, ministry, tested forever, destroy him, a hypocrite with his mouth, God says, destroyeth his neighbor, he that hideth hatred with lying lips, oh, there are dangerous people, Proverbs 10, 18, the words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart, God says, his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords, Psalm 55, 21, he that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander is a fool, Proverbs 10, verse 18, he that hideth hatred, he that hated his brother is a murderer, you see the old testament speaks of the physical, the new testament says, you've done the act, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her, you may as well have done it, there's no further indecency or defilement than if you did the physical act, and so in every aspect of the old testament commandments, the moral laws especially, he that hateth his brother is a murderer, God says, 1 John 2, 20, well be careful, then wars in a hypocrite's heart, but his words, he hideth hatred with lying lips, that's a dangerous man, he wants you dead, and he smiles and speaks nicely to you, I've met them again and again, Proverbs 16, verse 27, an ungodly man diggeth up evil, his lips are as burning fire, God says, Proverbs 16, verse 27, the tongues of fire, James says in 6, it's so evil, it just destroys, it divides, I repeat, he that uttereth a slander is a fool, God says, whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off, that means in the Hebrew, I'll destroy him, God says, for God lied, be careful what you do with this servant, God doesn't lie, a fool with words, who so privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off, Psalm 101, verse 5, their tongue is as a sharp sword, God says, their tongue is as a sword drawn for the battle to do some, Psalm 57, the swords are in their lips, God says, swords, you want to kill someone, Psalm 59, verse 7, he that goeth about as a tale bearer, revealeth secrets, diggers of dirt, they won't find stuff until they find something to destroy, even Jesus, they've got to find, oh what evil, there is nothing he was sinless and good, and they wouldn't rest, knowing there's nothing, but they wouldn't rest until they find something, their sin is great, and they're everywhere this day, the Pharisees are alive and well on planet earth, let me tell you, he that goeth about as a tale bearer, revealeth secrets, Proverbs 20, verse 19, a tale bearer, revealeth secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit, concealeth the matter, Proverbs 11, verse 13, he that has integrity and is godly, doesn't want to destroy someone with what he finds out about their past, what he finds out about their present, concealeth the matter, cries to God to protect him, and to stop him, before anyone else finds out, that's how godly you are, so you say Paul rebuked someone in sin, let me tell you something, 99.999 percent of every human I ever found rebuking someone else for their sins, was exposed to be in worse sin, a tale bearer revealeth secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit, concealeth the matter, he protects the man, rather than destroys him, if he's godly, he has integrity and is godly, I once stood with a young man, that was about to do something so outrageous, that the entire nation was shocked, and God let me stand with him, and so I looked at this boy, with his mohawk hairstyle, and studs, and all sorts of things, my heart just broke, as I looked at him, looking at me, you know, he knew I was a preacher, sparkly lips, I walked up to him, and I said with a loud voice, and with tears coming down my face, I didn't know where I got the courage, you need God, young man, you need to seek God desperately, and you need to seek God now, with all your heart, before you do something terrible, in this world, they pulled me away, I couldn't say another word, that night, he and his friend, found a young lady, dragged her off the street, in this quiet area, where she was, took her out into the field, and did things that are outrageous, I don't want to think, let alone talk and defile you, like some preachers think they have the right to do, after doing every outrageous thing imaginable to this poor lady, they took a knife, to finish her off, so that they could never, and they stabbed her 24 times, ripping her body, now I know that's horrible, that woman, pulled her tummy wall, and crawled for two hours, crying, crying, she managed to get to the street, from the field, people pulled up in the car, ambulance, police, and somehow, she was able to recover, they, amazing, it was, it was uncomprehendable, how they could do this, but she survived that, the police, when they could speak to her, were questioning her, and she slowly tried to explain what these boys looked like, of course, they didn't have any difficulty finding someone, because not everybody has these big, more orchestral instruments, and looks at description, the police went immediately, picked up this boy and his friend, now the one policeman in the court case said these words, he says, as I was driving, we were driving, he heard the one boy say to the other, she couldn't be alive, it's impossible, no one, no one could live through that, no one could survive, she can't have survived, they were shocked, why do I say this horrible, horrible illustration, they said carefully, you're doing the same, attempted murder, according to the light of this book, when you start trying to destroy somebody, not once, every occasion, behind their backs, mostly, but boy, when you dig up anything, or find anything, and even lie, you determined, with a lip to destroy a hypocrite, with his mouth, destroy it, you don't need a gun, you don't need a knife, but you can kill them with, more cruelly than that, sir, while you profess to know Christ, what do you think all these scriptures are warning us, if you think it's not in God's eyes, murder, and how do you think you face God, with less a condemnation, as attempted murder, in the light of these scriptures, you think it's light words, God says, oh, be careful, be careful what you do with your lips, to destroy someone else, when those men took up stones, to stone, to death, a woman caught, in the act, of what God says, in the old testament, she should be destroyed, yeah, they had scriptures, scriptures in the hands of a wicked man, where the devil, Satan himself, used scriptures, oh, here they were, taking up stones, Jesus cried, as he flung himself at his feet, let him, who is without sin, is he crying that tonight, you think that was just a record, you think this book isn't now, with this in mind, with people in mind, of today, nothing's history, in this book, it's God's heart, and God's word, these things, even two-thirds of the old, of the bible, these things are written for you and me, as warnings, not for history, he that is, let him who is without sin, cast the first stone, that doesn't mean condone sin, but you be careful now, you're in more of an exam, than the person in front of you, that you're about to kill, then Jesus did something staggering, to this day, he stooped down, as they were standing, they're shocked, in their hearts now, in their consciences, not knowing what to do, to say, farewell, and he wrote his finger in the ground, one by one, those who stood with stones, put those stones down, and in humiliation, and deep conviction, and condemning hearts, they walked away, from what God said, to those who would kill and judge a woman, on the scriptures, merciless judgment, many people have speculated, as to what the words were, that Christ wrote in the ground, I've heard a few sermons, very interesting, but no one can be sure, but I personally think it probably was, the words he had once uttered before, some men's sins are open, now they're exposed, they're found out, like this woman, beforehand, going before the judgment, some men, and they follow after, some men's sins are going to be there, on the judgment day, but be careful now, this is why Jesus warned us all, in Matthew 7 verse 1, judge not, that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again, the mercilessness of your heart, sir, to that which you condemn, will be shown to you, about your sins, oh you say it's all forgiven, yes, wait until you judge others, and condemn them, and destroy their lives, and see how much is your forgiven, in your life, sir, when you destroy somebody, what measure ye meet, is going to be measured to you, judge not, that ye be not judged, with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, Christ said, and with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured to you again, or take a pair of scissors, and cut it, and take it out of the bible, if you say you believe this book, with your heart, and condone it, and disagree with that doctrine, every idle word, that men shall utter, they shall give account of, on the day of judgment, every idle word, that's fearful, they shall give account of in the day of judgment, for by thy words, thou shalt be justified, and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned, with what measure you measured, with what judgment you judged, it's going to come on you, but now we need to be very careful, and prayerful, as to what to do, when people cruelly attack you, or try to destroy you, we need to be so careful, and prayerful, as to what to do, all given in the set book of the school of God, to every one of us, what to do, and now to pass the exam, when God didn't orchestrate it, Satan did, but God allowed it, yeah, all that hate me, whisper together against me, David cried, against me, do they desire my hurt, Psalm 41 verse 7, come and let us smite him with the tongue, good students of Satan, they were taught well by their master, what to do to destroy, come and let us smite him, literally in the Hebrew, destroy him, how with the tongue, Jeremiah 18 verse 18, but beloved, this is a time, to seek God's grace, to keep silence, this is mostly in your entire life, a time that you need to seek grace, to keep silence, soon across the pages of the sacred book, you will find that there is the message of the cross, Old Testament, and if you miss it, you're in poverty, in the Old Testament, as you know, the New Testament, as you know, the Old Testament, you will know what it's all about, to the depth, you're scraping the service, you're in poverty, on everything, soon, you see, just under 80%, between 70 and 80% of the New Testament is the Old Testament word perfect, this side of Calvary, that's all, in what light, changes things, soon across the pages of the sacred book, you will find that there's the message of the cross, but there is also the example of the cross, Old Testament and New, if you miss that, you're in poverty, you have the message of the cross to win your heart, you have the example of the cross to win everybody that sees you, once you're won by God's grace, through the message of the cross, there's always the message of the cross, but there's always, without exception, the example of the cross, you've got to know that when you're reading through the Bible, the whole concept of Christianity will change, Isaiah 53 verse 7, he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, he's brought the lamb to the slaughter and the sheep before her shears as dumb, so he openeth not his mouth, 1 Peter 2 verse 21, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him, the judge of righteousness, leaving us an example, when men would destroy you, be careful, leave the fighting to God and the judge, that took me a little bit longer to learn, in the school of God, I learned to leave the fighting to God and I also learned even while I'm praying to leave the judging to God, I don't know their circumstances, what the devil done to me, make them what they are, be still and know that I am God, you say that's in no different circumstances, which it is, but listen, silence is the literal Hebrew word, silence, stop this, stop now, remember to watch, come on and know that I'm God, I haven't lost control, I'm in control, but now you're in exam, pass the test, you will face it again and again and again, until you pass it in God's sight and ends, you will face it, boom, if you don't want to face it again, my boy, my father-in-law said, one of the godliest men that ever lived on earth, I have no doubt of that, and the worst attacks that ever came on my life, I wish I could say, I knew heaven and earth, brother, I didn't always know weeping, but I have crawled weeping at the cruelty of men, and God whispered in my heart one day, that I knew it was God, not an audible voice, but it just came from everywhere, I looked in every single source, the same words, he opened not his mouth, I require the same of you, Keith, and I said, God, give me the grace, and I didn't say one single word, and they nearly destroyed my credibility, my name, my ministry, with such cruelty, I just asked God for the grace to do the same, the example Christ set on the cross, and without exception, God destroyed every single one of them, I aged watching them, I aged watching a man screaming at me publicly because of what I preached, and all I did was quote the Sermon on the Mount, the book of James, he screamed, and as he was, everybody was waiting for me to just wipe the floor, and I said, no, God, please, don't let me speak, he just fell down dead, you don't know, you don't know if this is the last moment God is giving to pass his exam to this man, in front of this man, in this particular circumstance, you don't know, while thou art in the way with him, you don't know, if you ever have another opportunity to honor God and prove the grace is sufficient for you to be like Christ, Christ-likeness, the example, I found one thing, though, I've been in town, I was in a town where three preachers tried to destroy me, and all I had done was quote the Scriptures, all three fell down dead, as I went on my face, I didn't defend myself, I went up in the hills, went on my face, weeping, trying to God to stop them, put his arms around me, he said, Keith, all three of them are dead, within 30 minutes, I aged, oh, I aged, I said, I can't serve you, God, none of this happens to people that oppose me, but I learned something, I learned why God said, love your enemies, not just to prove a point, they're in danger if they hate you, because of this book, they're fighting God, not you, they're in terrible danger, you need to love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them, I went on my knees once, as people tried to destroy, I said, I don't care what you do to me, but I'm scared for you, I'm begging you, stop, I learned why you have to love, not fight back, many fight you because of this, even in your home, I learned something else, in every single circumstance, where these things happened to me, they made me find a walk with God, I would never have known, they made me flee until I didn't read about him being my hiding place, I experienced what it is, to be safe in my hiding place, thou art my hiding place, oh, God, it wasn't just quoting scriptures anymore, it was living, I learned to hide, hide me, oh, my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is passed, we need to find Christ, and these things drive you, beloved, they don't destroy you, they're orchestrated by the devil to destroy you, but allowed by God to make you, your darkest moment, God is doing his greatest work, without exception, otherwise, he wouldn't allow it, he doesn't cease to be God, sent by the devil to destroy you, allowed by God, no, it grieves him, and men will be judged, but listen to the devil, who wants to destroy you, but you stay right, and you stay healed, without bitterness, if you take this book, and you hide alone with God, and be safe, I would never have known, what it is to flee, to be alone with God, and to not want anything else in life, wherever I had a moment, an opportunity, just to stay safe, let alone, and I always found peace, and a sovereign God has you, just reading where you, you find a sovereignty, which way you act, it's like you just put in words of peace, and healing into your heart, oh, thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion, from the strife of tongues, Psalm 31 verse 20, thou shalt be hid, God said, from the scourge of the tongue, Job 5 verse 21, thou art my hiding place, in the time of trouble, he shall hide me, in the secret of his tabernacle, shall he hide me, Psalm 27 verse 5, Psalm 71 verse 3, be thou my strong habitation, where unto I may continually resort, it's these things that make you learn, to find God is not just up there, but your hiding place, in which you find a sense of safety, a sense of peace, a sense of healing, every single time, you just get along with him, and hide, from the scourge of the tongues, that will destroy you, peace, even joy, thou art my strong habitation, unto I continually resort, thou art my fortress, Psalm 71 verse 3, Psalm 57 verse 1, in the shadow of thy wings, when I make my refuge, oh, I love that, until these calamities be overpassed, everything in the Bible is just words, someone else said, until you need them, until you find there's hardly a word left in these scriptures, that isn't your means of survival, that God had you in mind, not recording what they went through, for his heart to give you survival, peace, that passes all understanding, how can a man have peace, when everything points to you're about to be destroyed, your ministry, your credibility, your honor, your testimony, yes, you're staggered, when you see them lying dead, or destroyed by their own tongues, but he didn't do a word, he didn't do a thing, that's why God honored you, that's why, oh, deliver me, God, from my enemies, for I flee unto thee, to hide me, Psalm 142 verse 9, in this sacred book, I am given instruction of how to behave before my enemies, it's the instruction book in the school of God, and then you've got to seek God for grace, to live it, to pass the exam, I am given instruction, oh, how I love thy law, it is my meditation all the day, God, thou through thy commandments, has made me wiser than my enemies, Psalm 119 verse 97, now, throughout the Old Testament, you find history, yes, but it's not history, it's God's heart for you, or it wouldn't be in the Bible, it is the heart of God, don't tell me two-thirds of the Bible is history, they're God's word for you and me to survive, and in these circumstances, the promises they gave, according to Paul, the commandments, the warnings that were given to, according to Paul, were for you and me, God had you and me, when he said, their strength is to sit still, to keep still, to do nothing, literally, leave the fighting God, all these scriptures, yeah, and watch what God does, so you don't want it to happen, trust me, he made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch, which he made, you see that again and again, without exception, I've seen that, they destroyed themselves, Psalm 7 verse 15, he made a pit, he digged it for me, but he fell into it, and he was destroyed, his mischief to return upon his own head, they have prepared a net for my steps, they've digged a pit before me into the midst, whereof they are fallen themselves, you think all these are just statements, no, God is sovereign, God is in control, you don't want hurt on your enemies, if you're right with God, they're staggered, even age, and I have aged, at things that happened, but I'm giving the warnings of God, and the promises of God, and the consequences God puts upon people, that you have to live and face, so shall they make their own tongue to fall upon themselves, God says in Psalm 64 verse 8, he that diggeth the pit shall fall into it, that's literal, but in the light of all the scriptures, it seems God had that in mind too, for without cause have they hid for me their net, in a pit which they without cause have digged for my soul, but destruction shall come upon him, and in the net that he has hid, he caught himself, and he was destroyed himself, Psalm 35 verse 7, himself destroyed, Psalm 141 verse 9, keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, David cried, the jinns, let them fall into their own nets, I didn't pray that, David didn't have the light of the New Testament, I do, so do you, but all these things are from a man after God's own heart, time to keep silence, and there's a time to speak, now beloved, there's a time to keep silence in the home, if it doesn't work in the home, it doesn't work Keith, that's it, there's a time to keep silence in the home to your family, keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom, Micah 7 verse 9, what, my wife, there's times you've got to keep silent and not speak, or you're going to lose her, and I've seen it across the world, you see, in its context, as Micah 7 verse 6, is what Christ referred to four times in the New Testament, a man's enemies are the members of his own household, you see, the son rises up against the father, the father against the son, the mother against the daughter, the daughter, the daughter, you know, against, you see, this is in the context of the gospel dispensation, what will happen when people get saved in the masses across the world, I've seen people have been homes where people never were allowed to speak or see their children again in their life when they gave their lives to Christ, or be threatened with death, I have seen men come into my home who weren't allowed to see and never ever were allowed to speak to their children again when Muslims came to Christ, or they would be, you don't play the fool with these people, they say, when did you last speak to your, since then they've never spoken, never made contact with my family, listen, there's times you've got to learn to stop speaking in your house to men about God, and speak only to God about men, they can't stop you doing that, but if you don't learn that, you will find what I've seen, many homes that lost their children, lost their wives, lost love, their convictions are right, but just you, they know that you agonize over what they're still doing, you don't need to preach every time, you don't need to be so confrontational, listen, God saved you by his grace, that doesn't mean the unsaved in your home have to be saved also, until their own free will says yes, God changed you, and younger people in the house even say, mothers and children, you need to have patience with them like God had patience with you, give God time, you need to learn, I said to a man whose wife divorced him, wants divorce, take the book of Proverbs, and take a highlighter, and every single thing you read in the book of Proverbs, that God says you should do with his tongue, and why, ask God for the grace daily to go back to what you highlighted, to live it in your home, the wife wants him back now, you think God says these words for nothing, God gives these warnings for nothing, God gives these promises, if you learn to do it, to seek grace, that he's going to, oh keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom, he that is soon angry, that is quick-tempered, deeleth foolishly, Proverbs 14 verse 17, he that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, that he that's hasty, impulsive, short-tempered, is foolish, is a fool, slow to speak, slow to wrath, always in that order, you'll be swift to speak, you will always lose your temper, learn to be quiet, they know your stand, their hearts are condemning them, if your life is not compromising, and if you in prayer, God isn't mocking those prayers, no matter what you think they're doing, but they have a free will, the day I don't believe that, I will never preach again, slow to speak, slow to wrath, always, James 1 verse 19, especially in the home brother, the discretion of a man deferreth his anger, if you've got discretion as a result of going through with God and soaking yourself, it defers your anger, you know what, God says, I seek him for grace now and then, before she walks out of me and has nothing, before she takes the children with their hearts already that she's got, because none of them are wanting to leave, before I lose them forever, let me at least be here to be the sermon without a word, it will be louder than the best preachers on earth, to speak to their hearts, if they just have a life in front of them, they'll suffer as long as it's kind, endure all things, this love that God gives us, if you're right with God, you'll return, a soft answer turneth away wrath, God says, but grievous as harsh words stir up anger, always, especially in the home brother, sister, oh if I have wounded any soul today, if I have caused one foot to go astray, if I have walked in my own willful way, oh Lord forgive, if I have uttered idle words or vain, if I have turned aside from want or pain, lest I myself shall suffer through the strain, oh Lord forgive, if I have been perverse or hard or cold, if I have longed for shelter in thy fold, when thou hast given me some fort to hold, oh Lord forgive, forgive the sins I have confessed to thee, forgive the secret sins I do not sin, guide me, love me and my keeper be, oh Lord forgive, there's a lot over, we stop there, can we stand please, our father take the word of God and help us not to be so foolish as to not seek thee now with all our heart, soul and might for grace, for the next word I utter to the last word I utter on earth, for grace to be obedient in every circumstance to what I've heard tonight, or face the consequences of destroying my own credibility, peace, happiness, joy and family, though I'm saying in Jesus Christ's name, for his sake and name, I pray these sins of thee my father in heaven, amen.