Stop wearing the muzzle

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to "Try Jesus!" If this is your first time joining us, it’s great to have you with us. I would like to thank all the new members for joining "Try Jesus."

I would also like to welcome those in Maine, Illinois, California, New York, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Iowa. It is a pleasure to have you with us today. The Lord continues to expand his word!

"I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."  (Psalm 122:1 KJV). The Lord is indescribable and uncontainable. We gather to seek him above all today. He is an amazing God!

Our Lord continues to pave the way for the righteous. Authentic born-again believers shall not be moved from his mighty guiding hand! The Lord is our rock and our salvation this morning! He is our defense against ungodliness.

What an amazing message last week! How many of you decided to stop running into dark shadows that social media offers you? There is a self-seeking that leads to the destruction of your very soul.

God doesn't want that for you. Jesus says this morning, "Come unto me.." "Seek after.." (Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 27:4-6). If you find yourself in the dark web, but have clicked over here this morning, "Come to the light.." (John 3:19-21).

Let's pray. "Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us another day of your loving presence and marvelous grace. Thank you, Lord, for being the provider of all our needs. Your joy is our strength this morning. Be glorified!

Lord, thank you, for bringing your healing touch and peace to those who have cried out to you from their heart. You are the only Savior who mends the brokenhearted. Holy Spirit, please tug on curious hearts this morning.

Once again, thank you, for drawing searching hearts to "Try Jesus" this morning. As we prayed last week, Lord, you still reign from your heavenly throne above all nations of the earth. You have defeated all powers of the enemy.

Lord Jesus, thank you for guiding visitors to this digital doorstep today. May your deep peace quiet any stress, anxiety, noise, or worry in their heart right now. Lord, open eyes to see your great love in today's message.

As we prayed last week, Lord, remove the noise of the world, and speak words of life into us. Strengthen us to walk away better equipped to choose you over the world, in Jesus glorious name we pray, Amen."

Did you know that there are things in life that are natural to the human? I'm sure that everyone who is here today could raise their hand, or better still, both hands to something they consider natural to their life.

There are even naturally important things that you consider valuable. Would you say your voice is something natural and therefore naturally important to you? But what if that same natural voice was somewhat restricted?

Please allow me to tweak your natural thoughts for a moment. Imagine walking into a room and being handed a tight, heavy leather muzzle. What would you consider it's for? But then the person who gave it to you straps it over your face.

They buckle it tight. They ask you to speak. You try to speak, but only muffled groans escape. Every time you try to share something important, someone tightens the straps even more. In our world today, the natural is being silenced.

How so? Well, there is an invisible, cultural muzzle trying to silence individuals. Especially in the body of Christ (Spirit filled believers). This evil living muzzle is handled by those who hate the gospel and hate Christians.

It whispers each day in its attack, "Keep your faith private." "We don't want to hear about your Jesus!" "Keep it quiet, or we'll silence you!" It threatens, "Compromise, or face exclusion!" It pressures us to sit down, blend in, and shut up.

Many Christians have succumbed to this pressure, walking around spiritually muzzled by fear, people-pleasing, or the dread of rejection. I have faced it many times in my life. From family, co-workers, and even friends.

When Jesus first saved me (in a dream-vision miraculous way), and transformed my life, (listen to my testimony on the drop-down page), my family were the first ones to question and push back on my new relationship with Jesus.

Somethings were subtle, but nonetheless targeted to confuse or silence my spiritual newborn experience. They were carrying the muzzle from the enemy and didn't even know they were being used.

These same tactics were employed by friends, co-workers, and even loving relationships I thought would grow into something special. But here's the truth today, I pray will encourage all those in the body of Christ.

You see beloved, what the unbelieving world, your family, friends, and yes, even religious, false teaching denominations don’t understand, is that they face a massive problem with trying to muzzle true servants of God.

Did you hear me? I'll repeat myself again. You face a huge uphill losing battle when trying to muzzle a true servant of God. Today's message should strengthen and encourage every Holy Spirit filled church today.

Listen beloved, they can muzzle a dog. They can muzzle an ox. But they cannot muzzle a raging fire. Do I need to repeat that last sentence into your receptive mind? How do you think haters of the gospel and Christianity deal with a raging fire?

Have you noticed how many raging fires have burned throughout our land and caused permanent change to the landscape in California and other states recently? Many northern states couldn't keep out the Canada smoke that recently happened.

All these fires were eventually contained. But they left a trail of devastating pain and visual memories that can last for years. But notice how there is a huge effort for those who are trying to put out another kind of fire.

As we (born-again believers) look into the living, breathing, word of God, we know what the Bible says about God Almighty. Before we jump right into our scriptural text, let's show the lost world what they are up against.

Those unbelieving, muzzle carrying, fire disruptor, attacking Christianity folks, can read this, along with followers of Jesus what God’s word says about his nature. And yes, it is natural. Please read these words into your spirit, family, or study group.

27} "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29} For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:27-29 KJV).

True Christians will one day receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken by unbelievers or those who hate Jesus and what he stands for. So, believers are thankful and thus worship God in awe struck wonder.

The word "fire" (Hebrew êsh) is a supernatural fire. (greater and living than a natural fire). It is a burning "Holy Fire" that cannot be extinguished or muzzled by evil doers. (Deuteronomy 4:23-25; Exodus 24:15-18; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Beloved, Moses, was a man of God, and came fearful and trembling in front of the Holy presence of the awesome Lord God! (Hebrews 12:21). But God keeps saying daily in 2026, "Drawn near, come closer."

God has built a living bridge from earth to heaven. Jesus is that bridge, High Priest, the mediator, that has come! He doesn't want us to stay at a distance. He wants us to know him. In Christ, we can draw near to this devouring fire.

A spouse doesn't get to know his or her mate by staying further away from them during their years of marriage. Their love for each other should burn continually. That love should never be muzzled by deceptive actions that hurt the marriage.

I love to see couples have a never-ending fire of compassion for each other. Especially, when God (A consuming fire, burns in the middle of it). That kind of marriage is never destroyed or muzzled by outside interference.

But God's consuming fire is a terrible rath to all who refuse to listen to him and reject him. But to his own, (born-again authentic believers) the church, he tells us to draw near, for he will do us no harm. (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

That same loving holy fire did not harm Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because of their obedience to God, and were not devoured by the fire king Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into. (Daniel 3:16-28).

That same fire showed up in someone I just mentioned above. He carried the nickname, "The Weeping Prophet." Why? Because he wept constantly over the sins of Israel and the coming destruction of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah was a man under immense pressure. He faced public mockery, isolation, and physical abuse just for speaking God's truth. Know any ministries or individuals who are going through this today?

But in Jeremiah chapter 20, he reaches his breaking point. Defeated and exhausted, he decides to throw in the towel. It seems the speaking and witnessing muzzle applied against Jeremiah was taking a toll.

Eventually, Jeremiah tries to put a muzzle on his own mouth. He's had enough of the persecution, he'd rather have comfort. But something changed all of that. Please read into your spirit aloud the following verses.

7} "O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.

8} For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.

9} Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (Jeremiah 20:7-9 KJV).

Jeremiah discovered that God’s truth isn't just a set of ideas you can lock away. It is an uncontainable, supernatural wildfire. Wildfires need oxygen to burn. In Jeremiah's case, the spiritual fire of God cannot be muzzled.

Please read what King Solomon said in (1 Kings 8:27-29). This shows God cannot be permanently housed in a physical structure. This includes our bodily temple.