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A mouthpiece is a part of something that is pieced between or near your lips. Two common mouthpieces are found on a trumpet and telephone. Yet, in recent years, becoming a mouthpiece has a negative connotation, often in the context of politics. Rather than being a free and independent thinker, mouthpieces communicate the beliefs, values and worldviews of a specific group or party.

And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say. ¹³ And he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of [some other] whom You will [send], Exodus 4:10-13.

In the passage above, Moses is introduced to God’s will for his life. The Lord wants Moses to be the mouthpiece for Israel. Part of Moses’ responsibilities includes confronting Pharoah, king of Egypt on behalf of the elders of Israel. Apparently, Moses either has a fear of public speaking or was born with some sort of a speech impediment, resulting in stammering and stuttering when nervous.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit ^[g]we have our life in God, let us go forward ^[h]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.] ²⁶ Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another, Galatians 5:24-26.

From a New Testament perspective, becoming a mouthpiece for God requires the ability to keep in step with the Holy Spirit. When the world attempts to overwhelm you, Galatians 5:16-18, God calls Christians to put on acts of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. This isn’t easy, especially when God turns up the heat, 1 Peter 1:6-7. Therefore, as you take the good with the bad, James 1:2-4, don’t forget to be a mouthpiece for the Holy Spirit.

by Jay Mankus

In this age of a lack of accountability and passing the blame, sometimes in life it’s important to be reminded of God’s nature. As the Lord was laying out God’s will for his life, Moses began to second guess God’s power and strength. Subsequently, God provides a simple lesson into His nature. This lesson starts with the basics: the source of hearing, seeing and wisdom.

And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say, Exodus 4:10-12.

Like a parent reprimanding a disobedient child, the Lord reminds Moses of the nature of God. Similar to the rant of Job in the wake of the trials he endured, God turns to His Creator 101 class. “Didn’t I create and give you a mouth? Don’t you realize that I possess the power to make the dumb wise and stutters speak clearly?”

For God’s [holy] wrath and indignation are revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who in their wickedness repress and hinder the truth and make it inoperative. ¹⁹ For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them. ²⁰ For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification], Romans 1:18-20.

In a first century letter to the Church of Rome, the apostle Paul points that the invisible qualities of God’s nature. While Paul doesn’t directly mention a rainbow or sunrise, these attributes are visible to those who take to time to be still, Psalm 46:10. As Americans transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, may your eyes and mind be open to the nature of God this holiday season.

by Jay Mankus

The apostle Paul dedicates an entire chapter of the Bible to highlight God’s agape love, 1 Corinthians 13. Yet, the author of one New Testament book suggests that discipline is also a sign of love, Hebrews 12:4-6. As God was preparing Moses to become the mouthpiece for Israel, he rejects God’s initial call, coming up with an excuse to avoid this responsibility. According to Moses’ own words, this is when God went off.

 And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue. ¹¹ And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say. ¹³ And he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of [some other] whom You will [send]. ¹⁴ Then the anger of the Lord blazed against Moses; He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be overjoyed, Exodus 4:10-14.

According to the author of Hebrews, God disciplines those who He loves, Hebrews 12:5-6. When you focus on this aspect of love, those who let you do whatever you want as a child aren’t necessarily concerned about your long-term well-being. This is what King Solomon means about training a child in the way that they should go, Proverbs 22:6.

Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God, ² With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.] ³ If indeed God permits, we will [now] proceed [to advanced teaching]. ⁴ For it is impossible [to restore and bring again to repentance] those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and have become sharers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ And have felt how good the Word of God is and the mighty powers of the age and world to come, ⁶ If they then deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance—[it is impossible] to bring them back to repentance, for (because, while, as long as) they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh [as far as they are concerned] and are holding [Him] up to contempt and shame and public disgrace, Hebrews 6:1-6.

Another reason that might cause the Lord to go off is when a mature Christian regresses by showing behaviors of their former sinful way of life. The illustration above points to a lukewarm believer who has decided pray for forgiving just prior to indulging into sin once again. Touch love may require intervention so that an addict will be coached back to good health and victory in Christ.

by Jay Mankus

Since attending Junior High, music has always been a resource for me. Whenever I needed comfort, encouragement, hope, inspiration or motivation, I would play a song that provided just what I needed to hear. During today’s sermon at Fearless Church, today’s theme popped into my head. When I first moved to Delaware in Elementary School, I began having nightmares about dying. One of these reoccurring dreams led me to contemplate the meaning of life. Years later, the song When You Die by the Kry became my first life song to get me through this initial crossroad in life.

For whoever wants to save his [^[r]higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the ^[s]lower, natural, temporal life ^[t]which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his ^[u]higher, spiritual life ^[v]in the eternal kingdom of God]. ³⁶ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [^[w]in the eternal kingdom of God]? ³⁷ For what can a man give as an exchange (^[x]a compensation, a ransom, in return) for his [blessed] life [^[y]in the eternal kingdom of God]? – Mark 8:35-37

In my second year of high school, I experienced a nervous breakdown. After receiving several invites to attend a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bible Study by my Science Teacher and future swim coach, I finally went. Like the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, I came to my spiritual senses. In the years that followed, Ken Horne became my spiritual mentor. Through this monthly Bible Study, attending conferences and retreat, I was introduced to the Benny Hester song, When God Ran. As a former cross-country runner, these lyrics spoke to my heart at the perfect time.

My final crossroad that I had to overcome as a young adult was the fear of public speaking. When you’re born with a severe speech impediment in the form of stuttering, this battle took nearly 20 years to conquer. While serving as a college team member on a Lay Witness Mission for a Methodist Church in Friendship, Maryland, Ken thought I was ready to share Sunday’s sermon to culminate this weekend. Thanks to the song Feel the Nails by Ray Boltz, when I got up, the Holy Spirit spoke through me. At the end of this message I called, Stop Playing Games with God, I played the attached song. As I began to bow my head in prayer, students hurried to the altar. Feel the Nails is one of the life songs that altered my life and led me to become a high school Bible Teacher.

As you make room in your life this Christmas season, contemplate your own life songs. When you feel your faith slide sliding away from God, lean on these songs to bring you back. When the storms in your life subside, the anchor of faith will hold and sustain you.

by Jay Mankus

You’ll never know when the Lord has a message for you. This could be while you’re driving, watching a movie, talking a walk or half asleep in bed. The only problem about knowing this is the Lord speaking is one’s ability to discern and hear an invisible God. Like Amber Tamblyn’s role playing Joan Giradi in Joan of Arcadia, if you tell anyone that God is talking to you, others will think you’re crazy.

The Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life [for killing the Egyptian] are dead. ²⁰ And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand, Exodus 4:19-20.

After fleeing Egypt, Moses remained in Midian for an extended period of time. Besides getting married, Moses was hired by his father-in-law Jethro to oversee his growing herd. Moses spent several years living as a foreigner in a strange land until the Lord spoke to him. While this initial introduction via a flame within a bush seemed odd, Moses learned to hear and discern God’s voice.

 I have still many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them or to take them upon you or to grasp them now. ¹³ But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future], John 6:12-13.

Prior to his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus introduced what one of his disciples calls the Spirit of Truth. In the age of the New Testament, 2000 years later, the Holy Spirit serves as a mediator between God and human beings. When the Lord speaks to you today in a variety of ways, rely on this spiritual counselor for understanding. Pray that God will give you ears to hear daily so the next time the Lord speaks, you’ll be ready to listen.

by Jay Mankus