The Fruit of Her Hands

(Proverbs 31:16)

I. God has given you control (authority)

God has given you authority over your own spirit, soul & body--not over other people.

Gen. 1:26, 29 given you dominion and seed

Mt. 16:19 I will give you the keys, authority to loose or bind

loose - what you allow will be allowed

bind - what you don´t allow won´t be allowed

Comptons - "Binding and loosing is a Hebrew idiom for exercising authority. To bind - to declare what shall be binding and what shall not be binding."

Mt. 28:18 Authority transferred to us

II. Is God in control?

He is...but He is limited by His Word. Num. 23:19, Deut. 30:15-16, 19

He will not do anything that is contrary to what the Word says.

He isn´t in control of what He´s put you in control of: spirit, soul and body.

To say that, "God is in control" is not altogether true. Does he make you do right, make you get saved, make you tithe, make you think and talk right, make you eat right, make you go to work? Is God in control? Only to the degree that we yield control to Him. You can yield control to God or Satan. If we say we, "can´t help it," then we won´t. God will not control you contrary to your will. You having to willingly yield to Him. He will help you, but He will NOT do it for you.

What holds people in bondage is they believe a lie - that they can´t do anything about it.

spirit is born again

mind has to be renewed

body has to be made a slave to righteousness

III. Self-Control

Gal. 5:16

Self- Control- the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites, having power over, posses of a thing, mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining, setting limits on yourself.

IV. Rights v. Responsibilities

Today people are concerned with their rights but not so concerned with their responsibilities. We only have rights when you "do" the responsibilities.

Rights - carry with it an attitude of "you owe me"

Responsibilities - accountable as for something within ones power

It is time to be responsible for our thoughts, words and actions (Quit shifting the blame, i.e. mamma's fault, disease, I was born this way, etc.)

3 Things that cause you to take control and be accountable for yourself and not blame others!

Repentance (turn away from doing wrong) --Mt. 4:17

repent - to think differently (to change your mind)

--repent for the kingdom of God is at hand -- not change the way you act, change the way

you think --Mk. 7:20-23 evil things, thoughts, actions proceed out of the heart of man; 1 John 1:9

Forgiveness - Mk. 4:25-26

Forgetting the past - Phil. 3:13 (reach forward)

As long as you have unforgiveness, hold onto the past or live in sin without acknowledging it is sin, you will make excuses for yourself.

V. You have control over your soul (mind, will and emotions

2 Cor. 10:3-6 control of thoughts , Phil. 4:8

Don´t make decisions based on feelings and emotions. Must walk by faith not by sight.

Do not yield to emotions that cause you to be contrary to God´s word.

VI. You have control over your body

Gal. 5:16-21 Notice the works of the flesh are not works of satan.

Eph. 4:22-23 you put off the old man (Msg. v 22)

1 Thes. 4:4 you possess your vessel

1 Cor. 9:27 I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.

Don´t deal with others they way you deal with yourself. Deal with yourself roughly...deal with others mercifully, graciously and gently. The devil didn´t make you do it. It´s YOUR body, YOU have control. You are the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 3:16-17

I try to do right but always end up doing wrong.

Paul had the same problem. Read Rom. 7:14-20.

It´s not enough to know right and wrong (the law) but you have to have the power to overcome wrong. We have that power on the inside of us if we are born again.

Rom. 7:18, 8:12-13 Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Ro 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

VII. Controlling your Words is the key to controlling your whole body.

James 3:2-8

Careless words = baby Christian

Careful words = mature Christian

See Prov. 10:13, 19, 31, 15:28, 17:27, 29:20

Words contain such power that they hold the universe and all matter together. Heb. 1:3

Words carry the weight of life and death in them (good and evil). - Prov. 18:21

Ps. 34:12-13 Controlling your tongue affects the outcome of your life.

Prov. 13:3 - Open wide your mouth and have destruction

Prov. 6:2, 10:11, 12:14, 13:2, 14:3, 15:23, 16:24, 18:7, 21:23

The tongue is the steering wheel to your body (vehicle). - James 3:2-4

bridle, rudder, steering wheel can change the direction of 100´s to 1000´s of pounds.

Your words can bind you up or loose you.

Your words carry more weight than others...sometimes even more than God´s.

Mal 3:13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?

God says..."You´re healed"...but you say..."I´m sick". Say what God says about you! Steer yourself in a different direction.

Joe 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Be careful with words like - "I can't ever seem to get ahead", "This always seems to happen", "I get...allergies, headaches, etc."

Not talking about denying facts but calling the truth into manifestation.

Rom. 4:17 ...God calls those things which do not exist as though they did. Ro 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Not.."I´m not sick"...but "I´m healed by Jesus´ stripes" (1 Peter 2:24)

Courtesy of http://www.momof9splace.com/youincontrol.html