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Give a Hoot,
Don't Pollute Your Praise

Healing Waters Produce Humility

"The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility" (Proverbs 15:33).

"Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honor is humility" (Proverbs 18:12).

This hub is the result of hearing a message on the subject of "Honor" at the All Nations Evangelistic Ministry. It is another defining moment given to cleanse and purify the heart and soul with living waters that wash away impurity. To the pure all things are pure. and whatsoever things are pure we are told to think on these things.

Pastor Thompson delivered the unadulterated Word of God. He exhorted, warned, and encouraged us, not to loose sight of the humility that precedes honor. He is teaching a series on “Cultivating a Church of Honor.” and he cautioned the congregation to watch out for what he referred to as "polluted praise", now that's a reason to give a hoot and don't pollute your praise. Just say ouch!

We bow our lives to enter prayer, praise and worship, bowing whether you physically kneel, genuflect or prostate yourself, is bowing your life. We can also bow our hearts and souls throughout the day and be ever mindful of God's presence. We are bowing our hearts when we study, and read the word of God. We being many, are loved by Jesus and we honor that He gave His life for us. We are and should be humbled by this supreme sacrifice. We are being sanctified and cleansed by the Word of God and every time we read it something miraculous is happening to us, that feelings cannot define. There is healing in the floodgate waters, cleansing away all the pain, bringing us to a place of brokenness to receive the ointment that depletes all toxins and giving us a heart of purity to serve God with. It is likened unto the parable about the new wine not being suitable for the old wine skins. New wine for new wine skins. Gain a new sense of honor for God which far surpasses the old unexamined way.

Ephesians 5:26 tells us that husbands are instructed to love their wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it; verse 27 goes on to tell us, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Jesus asked the Father in John 17:17, to sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Our response to this verse is defined by us being sanctified and cleansed through the word, and yielding to the power of Holy Spirit. The Word of God is settled in heaven forever, the floodgates rain is pouring down the cleansing for our souls through the settled Word. The floodgates are opened and are pouring down cleansing waters.

The floodgates are open, pouring down the mercy of God that is forever, our role is to shift under that mercy and become the merciful. These waters are flowing with grace that is sufficient and washes us with new strength day by day, with love that is chock full of acceptance, peace like a never ending river and our response is to let the floodgates cleanse our every motive, intent, desire, action, every word we speak and emanate the power and authority we are given in this free flow, as we are sensitized to these treasures that affect our earthen vessels.

The main thing I would like to humbly and simply convey through this writing is how honor is an essential characteristic direly necessary in conforming into the image and likeness of God (The Imago Dei) and how we are to have honor, and to be honorable believers. The integrity of the upright shall guide them. How to be the person whose life reflects principle and decency in every area. We are not alone, we have the Comforter, the Word of God and we have all the five-fold ministry gifts to assist us, and we have each other.

It is your responsibility to guard your heart. Guard your heart and protect it

"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23).

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babbling: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor” (2 Timothy 2:15-16).

When we see dishonor surface in other believers, we should seek not to dismantle the brother or sister, but to pray their fortitude and strength emerges and that the blood covers their life and they will guard their heart in all future endeavors. If we perceive ourselves to be spiritual, then we are to bear the infirmities of the weak, lest we too be tempted.

Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life. Shield your heart, cover your heart, and protect your heart regardless of all opposition. There is honor invested in your life that God wants to surface and guide you and for the cleansing and healing rain to pour and saturate your life with purity and goodness. .

We must be relentless when it comes to protecting our hearts from contamination. We can’t afford to let any obstacles get in our way, because we have the victory through Christ Jesus. When what someone speaks is a communicative disease we must beware, and it should make us uneasy to hear what is dishonorable, or we may have itching ears.

There are so many assignments, maneuvers, strategies waged against us to succumb to devices that are contrary to the nature and character of God. All of these things are oppositions, that we must be aware of at all times, we must be cognizant of what we are thinking, speaking and listening to, that can and will contaminate us.

Evil words are harmful whether it is us who speaks them or someone else. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Either we will use our words to edify or to destroy, but the choice is ours. Weigh the words you speak and those other speak as well. Are they words of life and do they build up or do they tear down? Corrupt communications assignment is to pollute and contaminate. Good communications assignment is to be ointment and medicine and to impart good will and ministers’ grace to the hearers and edifies as it proceeds forward.

Philippians 5:5 instructs us to let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. This will entail reading and studying the Word to be taught the mind of Christ in order to have a working knowledge of how Christ’ mind works. Then it entails following His mindset and not following anyone who doesn’t exhibit the mind of Christ.

Diffuse all arguments with the Word of God, just as Jesus did. When in the encounter with the devil, Jesus said, it is written end of dialogue. There isn’t any more reason for controversy or debate, when the Word of God is the final authority. Diffusing will take a soft answer that turns wrath away, because grievous words stir up anger and produce bitterness. We can grieve the Holy Spirit by anything that is contrary to His holy nature. His work is to produce holiness in and through us.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:40)

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. (Ephesians 4:31).

Watch your step!

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2).

Here is an admonition given by King Solomon, he cautions us to keep our feet when we go to the house of God and to be more ready to hear and listen, than to give the sacrifice of fools. A fool despise reproof and doesn't consider their words carefully before speaking. This verses counsel us not to be rash with our mouths and in haste speak anything before God. It tells us to guard the contents of our hearts; and it tells us to let our words be few. A fool utters their whole mind and ignores reproof. If we examine ourselves prior to entering the house of God, there will be ample time and grandiose opportunities to praise and worship Him in spirit and in truth, and we will not pollute His house or our lives. The unexamined life is not really honorably being lived. Honor for God leads to honor of others and yourself too.

The Word of God is speaking to each and every believer, and there are no exceptions. We are advised to hear counsel and receive instruction, that we may be wise in the latter end. These verses are counseling us so that we can receive the instruction we need to use what we know right, the right use of knowledge is called wisdom. Verse 29 doesn’t say let some corrupt communication proceed it instructs us to let “no“ corrupt communication, that means we should not speak anything that is corrupt. The Word of God when it touches our lips is likened to the fiery coal laid on the Prophet Isaiah's lips and it has the power to purge our mouths from speaking deceitfully and cleanse us from iniquity. Choose to speak the Word!

It is not curse words alone that this is speaking about; it is anything that doesn’t edify or build up. It means before you articulate it, think about it first. Is it going to impart good will or destroy? The thing about speaking things that do not edify is you are not just hurting the person you are debasing but you are hurting you as well and you are hurting those who must listen to you make railing accusations and their ears and heart can be polluted by this conduct.

Talking about others in any way, form or fashion that is not edifying is corrupt communication, because it doesn’t acknowledge the blood Jesus shed for them and the grace it takes for them to be free from whatever it may be. In the multitude of counselors there is safety. It is when we adhere to the counsel of the Word of God we land in safety. Speak what the Word says, have you ever noticed how the Word of God along with the Spirit of God can straighten us out better than anyone else.

Listening is "honoring" the Word

The Apostle James admonishes and exhorts us to be careful. He wants us to define the moment and know that the tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. He declares, therewith we bless God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. This attitude can pollute your praise of God if you are cursing man. If we are blessing God, praising and worshipping Him in one breath and speaking ill will against others in another breath, we are polluting our praise and worship.

Pollute means to contaminate, poison, adulterate, infest, infect, spoil, pervert, profane and defile. The Apostle goes on to say, these things ought not to be. Then he asked another question, Does a fountain send forth at the same time sweet and bitter water? These questions are to be answered by us individually and determine what course we will take. He asked another question following that one and another after that. Questions are presented to define the quality of person we are and what we desire to be. He goes on and asked who is a wise man among you? If you are wise and perceive you are operating in wisdom, he said, let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But he adds, if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth, for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them which make peace. In other words he is saying, don’t be dishonorable, but be honorable. Bitter envying and strife in the heart is dishonorable and lying about it is as well. There is encouragement in this exhort, towards putting on the mind of Christ the honorable one. Exhortations and admonishments are rebukes, chastisements, reproofs, cautions, reprimands which are designed to make us into better people. There is love in the rod and the staff and they comfort us as we are disciplined. Discipline makes disciples not fools. A fool despises correction and reproof.

“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser, teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” (Proverbs 9:9).

Do not be content to walk with a concept of Jesus, nor to speak with an idea of who He is; walk with the King of Kings!

The Apostle James is full of questions; he wants us to get it. These verses are live wires; From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your own lusts that war in your members? Question three in the fourth Chapter; Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusts to envy?

He uses the Word to qualify his premise. The Word of God is incorruptible, it can’t produce corrupt communications when it is allowed to take precedence over our conversations.

When we listen to the instructions embedded in the words of prophets, priests, kings, apostles, and disciples and we obey them, we honor these words because we discern them to be the words of holy men moved by the Holy Ghost. We honor God when we listen to and hear the Word to perform it and practically apply it There is honor in hearing and listening, as well as speaking. Jesus made a point of the attitude of hearing. He that has an ear, let him hear. We all have ears, but will we use them to hear without respect of persons.

You can just be one who listens to corruption, but if you do that long enough you will pollute your hearing. Be careful what you listen to, take heed how you hear is what Jesus told us in Luke 8:18. Not only is what you hear essential but how you hear is equivalently essential. How we hear will determine if we are wayside hearers, thorny ground hearers, or are we good ground, bringing forth 30, 60, and 100 fold fruits. If we are good ground hearers we will have to know how to diffuse gossip and tale bearing with the words of Jesus, when the Pharisees challenged Him about the woman caught in adultery. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Here Jesus was with every right to condemn a sinner and not having any sin, but His words were penetrative weapons that convicted the sinner in the Pharisees and they dropped all the stones.

Determining why we Honor God

We praise God because we deem Him worthy of all the honor, all the glory and all of the praise. The quantity is not the issue, some praise silently, some praise loudly, some whisper praise, and some have not reached that place of worship yet, but the question we must all answer for ourselves is, do we deem Him worthy of our honor? Then the quality of praise out of a pruned, purged and clean heart is our intentional goal.

There are those times when we know we should be quiet, instead we get hoodwinked into saying what we should only repent of, because it doesn’t speak good will towards others. At these moments we hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit telling us to hold our piece/peace. When we speak the things contrary to what the Holy Spirit unction us, we grieve Him. Repentance is the only recourse and action we should take. We should feel sorrow when we speak unkind words about anyone.

Determining why we praise God. I praise God because I deem Him worthy of all praise, in this choice lies honor. I praise Him because I choose to honor Him.

We give Him honor through our praise, thanks, prayers and worship. Jesus taught us how to approach an honorable God. Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed and holy is Your name. The Father is to be hallowed and declared holy and that means we esteem Him worthy of our praise. It is personal and collective, we choose to worship, it is a choice we make. How we do it is of the utmost importance. What is our worship status?

Worship is clean and pure when we give it from an unpolluted heart, a heart that is void of guile, bitterness, anger, strife and every trace of ill will towards others. We desire praise that is not mixed and mingled with toxins and contamination and that is unpolluted worship. When I lift my hands and voice to God, I desire a clean heart and the contrite spirit that will not be despised.

Acknowledging the blood that Jesus shed for us prior to entering the gates with thanksgiving and proceeding into His courts with praise is the examination we must do individually. I must make the necessary steps to ensure I have a clean heart, because I am asking God to search it and to purify it to enter prayer, praise and worship. Repentance is outside the gates, spiritually there is a bowl of laver that we must use to cleanse our souls, ears, eyes, hands and feet. The bowl of laver is called repentance. We take off unclean garments, and wash, then put on our clean garments and go forward, entering the gates with thanksgiving as a sweet smelling savor. Can you smell purity? The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses away all impurities, transgression, sin, trespasses and pleads to the Father, that we are clean and can enter the gates and courts without polluting these places where only worship in spirit and truth is permitted.

Give a hoot, don't pollute, used to be a motto used concerning polluting the environment, I think the spokes animation for the commercial was Smokey the Bear, not sure though. I can however, remember the motto very well. it popped into my mind while I was preparing this hub. I decided to use it as the title. If I can effectively articulate via this hub, the importance of caring about the quality of the praise we render to God. it would be a great feat to accomplish and I would be happily blessed. I thought a little further about that motto, it was an owl that hooted it. Smokey's motto was, only you can prevent forest fires.

The blood cleanses away every stain that sin can deposit in and upon our lives. The blood has the power and authority to remit us from sin. We must honor the blood by esteeming it worthy to do what we can never do, cleanse ourselves apart from the blood. We must be cognizant and aware to honor Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, because in this giving of honor, we honor the Father.

I hope and pray to get your attention and direct your focus to undefiled worship. Not allowing anything to stay in your heart that does not meet the paradigm of purity, which leads to holiness of heart before a Holy God.

Care about the quality of praise you render to God. Don't ever be content not to drop by the bowl of laver and repent first and foremost. If you have an ear and they are opened to purity and holiness, I beseech you to hear what the floodgates are speaking as they cleanse. Waters are supernatural they have a sound all of their own. Can you hear the cleansing waters as they swish, if no, let them clean your ears to hear.

We should always desire to be transported beyond the dictates of the flesh, into the spirit realm. This entails maturity to face the truth and the acknowledgement of the blood that cleanses us from immorality and the darkness of un-forgiveness. Forgiveness ushers us into a safe place. Un-repentant sin causes separation from God and fills our praise with toxins which pollute. That is the reason to give a hoot and not pollute our praise with hidden sins of the heart. King David found the answer, he said, thy Word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Deposit the Word of God in your life, allow it to remind you of every foul odor coming from your heart. Just say ouch!

I don't believe or think that any Christian who desires to thank, praise, pray and worship God would consciously and deliberately want to worship Him with a toxic heart. I know, that I know, I would never desire such and if I can show just one that they are traveling wrong, then my living and my words will not be in vain. There is ointment and medicine in turning to a living God with a clean heart.

We must forgive others or we may be polluting our praise, when we neglect forgiveness. Our praise becomes mingled with toxins and when we utter praises in this un-repentant state, we contaminate the atmosphere and we do others and our selves injustice.

Honoring God is remembering all of His benefits and all that He has endowed us with. What good thing has God not provided for us from salvation to eternal life? In honoring God you are honoring yourself as well.

He has given us parents that He deems worthy of our honor.

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12).

We honor others also, today is Veterans Day 2013. These are men and women who have given up their time, and life with their families to ensure our freedoms and safety. Some have died in the process and we give honor and appreciation for their valor and bravery. We should not wait until their demise to voice, write, or show our gratitude, but nevertheless we do honor their sacrifices.

There are prophets, priests, kings, apostles, disciples who are also dead just for defending the freedom we embrace through Christ Jesus, we honor them all and appreciate their lives individually as well as collectively. There have been dreamers and activists placed at certain times and intervals to enlighten us, some dead for the freedoms we now enjoy. Honor and appreciation to all who believe in standing for what is right and I appreciate you.

We honor our firefighters and acknowledge all who run into burning buildings to rescue others, and they put their own lives on the line everyday. We don't have an official firefighters day, but we honor and appreciate them.

We honor good policing and our police officers protecting and serving, not knowing if today will be the day to be struck by a stray bullet or one aimed. We appreciate and honor the good ones. There are many who serve the public with good will, we honor and appreciate you too!

Creator, God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit who are one, I honor, appreciate, reverence, thank and love You! Honor for God are living waters, let it rain! May love and mercy be your closest companions and walk hand and hand with you. I love you Ecclesia, the called out one by God, Jesus honors us to have given His life a ransom for us all. Let us all rise up to the call of honor. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, with honor tried in the refiner's fire.

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