"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (1:1-2:13) INTRODUCTION 1. The eighth century (800-700 B.C.) was filled with prophetic activity... a. Starting with Jonah, who prophesied to the city of Nineveh (790 B.C.) b. Continuing with prophets sent primarily to the northern kingdom of Israel 1) Amos (755 B.C.) 2) Hosea (750-725 B.C.) c. The southern kingdom of Judah was also the recipient of God's prophets 1) Isaiah (740-700 B.C.) 2) Micah (735-700 B.C.) 2. In our study of "The Minor Prophets"... a. We have looked at the works of Jonah, Amos, and Hosea b. We now come to the works of Micah, the last prophet of the eighth century B.C. [Before we take a look at the messages of Micah as recorded in his book, it may be helpful to first look at some...] I. BACKGROUND MATERIAL A. MICAH - THE MAN... 1. His name means "Who is like Jehovah?" - cf. Mic 7:18 2. His home was Moresheth-Gath - Mic 1:1,14 a. In the lowlands of Judah, near Philistia b. About 20-25 miles southwest of Jerusalem 3. Nothing is known of his occupation prior to becoming God's prophet 4. Characterization a. "He was the prophet of the poor and downtrodden." (Homer Hailey) b. "He had Amos' passion for justice and Hosea's heart for love." (J.M.P. Smith) c. Comparing Micah to his contemporary Isaiah (as suggested by Hailey) 1) Micah was a man of the fields, Isaiah was of the city 2) Micah took little interest in politics, giving himself to the concern over spiritual and moral problems; Isaiah was in close contact with world affairs, the associate of kings and princes 3) Both Micah and Isaiah... a) Saw God as the infinite Ruler of nations and men b) Recognized the absolute holiness and majesty of God c) Stressed that violating principles of God's divine sovereignty and holiness would bring judgment and doom B. MICAH - THE BOOK... 1. The date: 735-700 B.C. a. During the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah - Mic 1:1 b. Just as the northern kingdom of Israel was falling under Assyria's attack 2. The message: "Present Judgment, Future Blessings" a. Judgment is coming because of Israel's unfaithfulness to God b. Blessings will come because of God's faithfulness to Israel 1) Cf. the promise God made to Abraham - Gen 22:18 2) God would fulfill in the person of Jesus Christ - cf. Ac 3:24-26 3. A brief outline: The book appears to contain three messages or oracles, all beginning with the word "Hear"; therefore the book can be divided as follows: a. The coming judgment, with a promise of restoration - Mic 1:1-2:13 b. God's condemnation of Israel, with a glimpse of the future hope - Mic 3:1-5:15 c. God's indictment of Israel, with a plea for repentance and promise of forgiveness - Mic 6:1-7:20 [In the remaining part of this lesson, let's take look at Micah's first message...] II. THE COMING JUDGMENT AND PROMISED RESTORATION (1:1-2:13) A. JUDGMENT PRONOUNCED ON ISRAEL AND JUDAH... 1. Micah's message is for both Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah) - Mic 1:1 2. The Lord announces His coming judgment - Mic 1:2-5 3. The destruction of Samaria (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) - Mic 1:6-7 4. Micah's mourning - Mic 1:8-16 a. For the judgment has reached even Judah and Jerusalem b. His lament involves making a play on words involving the names of cities; for example... 1) "Tell it not in Gath" (Gath is similar to the Hebrew word for "tell") 2) "Weep not at all in Beth Aphrah, Roll yourself in the dust" (Beth Aphrah means "house of dust") 3) "Pass by in naked shame, you inhabitant of Shaphir" (Shaphir means "fair, beautiful, pleasant") 4) "The inhabitant of Zaanan does not go out" (Zaanan means "come out") 5) "Beth Ezel mourns; its place to stand is taken away from you" (Beth Ezel can be paraphrased as "nearby house") c. As revealed in verse 16, their judgment will involve captivity B. REASONS FOR THE INEVITABLE JUDGMENT... 1. The arrogance and violence of the nobles - Mic 2:1-5 a. For coveting fields and taking them by violence b. So it will happen to them 2. For rejecting true prophets, and accepting false ones - Mic 2:6-11 a. They tell the prophets of God not to speak of God's words b. They abuse the people of God c. Destruction is coming, because they are defiled and accept false prophets C. RESTORATION PROMISED... 1. It will involve God assembling a remnant - Mic 2:12 2. God will lead them like a flock of sheep, with a king at their head - Mic 2:12-13 CONCLUSION 1. Later, Micah will tell us more about the ultimate fulfillment of that restoration, and from where that "king" shall arise who shall lead God's flock! - cf. Mic 5:2-5 2. But for now we have seen that Micah certainly follows the pattern of God's prophets at that time... a. Proclaiming the coming judgment, which would involve captivity b. Providing the basis for such judgment, describing the nature of their sins and departure from God c. Promising that God would one day restore the good fortunes of Israel, but requiring repentance and involving a "remnant" 3. How sad that many in Israel and Judah did not heed the words of such men like Micah, Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah... a. But are we heeding God's spokesmen for today? b. Such as His apostles Peter and Paul, and of course, His Son Jesus Christ? We would do well to remember the preaching of Micah as we read in the New Testament... "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (He 2:1-4) Israel as a nation failed to heed the message sent to them; are we heeding the message for us today?
3/4/20
"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Micah - Judgment Now, Blessings Later (1:1-2:13) by Mark Copeland
Christ at the Door of Your Heart? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1184
Christ at the Door of Your Heart?
by | Dave Miller, Ph.D. |
One of the most familiar expressions uttered within Christendom is: “Christ stands at the door of your heart.” Many have been the preachers who have urged their hearers to “invite Jesus into their hearts” in order to be forgiven of sin and made a Christian. Someone said if you repeat a statement enough times, people will come to accept it on the basis of sheer repetition and familiarity. The admonition that “Christ stands at the door of your heart” has been repeated so frequently that, for many, to question it is unthinkable. One would think that since this approach to salvation is so widespread, and the expression is so predominant, that surely the statement can be found in Scripture—even if only in so many words. How disturbing to realize that the statement is not found in Scripture and that the Bible simply does not teach this doctrine!
The phraseology is reminiscent of Revelation 3:20—the passage usually quoted to support the idea of Christ standing at the door of one’s heart. But observe the context. Revelation chapters two and three consist of seven specific mini-letters directed to the seven churches of Christ in Asia Minor near the end of the first century. At the outset, one must recognize that Revelation 3:20 is addressed to Christians—not non-Christians on the verge of conversion.
Second, the verse is found among Christ’s remarks to the church in Laodicea. Jesus made clear that the church had moved into an unfaithful condition. They were lost. They were unacceptable to God since they were “lukewarm” (3:16). They had become unsaved since their spiritual condition was “wretched and miserable and poor” (3:17). Thus, in a very real sense, Jesus had abandoned them by removing His presence from their midst. Now He was on the outside looking in. He still wanted to be among them, but the decision was up to them. They had to recognize His absence, hear Him knocking for admission, and open the door—all of which is figurative language to say that they must repent (3:19). They would have to return to the obedient lifestyle so essential to receiving God’s favor (John 14:21,23).
This means that Revelation 3:20 in no way supports the idea that non-Christians merely have to “open the door of their heart” and “invite Jesus in” with the assurance that the moment they mentally/verbally do so, Jesus will come into their heart and they will be simultaneously saved from all past sin and counted as Christians! The context of Revelation 3:20 shows that Jesus was seeking readmission into an apostate church.
“But doesn’t the Bible teach that Christ does come into a person’s heart?” Yes. But not the way the religious world suggests. Ephesians 3:17 states that Christ dwells in the heart through faith. Faith can be acquired only by hearing biblical truth (Romans 10:17). When that biblical truth is obeyed, the individual is “saved by faith” (Hebrews 5:9; James 2:22; 1 Peter 1:22; et al.). So Christ enters our lives when we “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience [i.e., when we repent of our sins] and our bodies washed with pure water [i.e., when we are baptized in water]” (Hebrews 10:22). Here is the New Testament (i.e., non-denominational) way to accept Christ.
Christ and the Gadarene Demoniac: A Criticism Answered by Wayne Jackson, M.A.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=122
Christ and the Gadarene Demoniac: A Criticism Answered
by | Wayne Jackson, M.A. |
On the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus once encountered a man who was possessed of demons. When the Lord commanded the unclean spirits to leave the gentleman, they requested permission to enter a herd of swine feeding nearby. Christ granted that request. The demons entered the hogs, who, in turn, rushed down an embankment into the sea and drowned. Bible critics have charged Jesus with destroying the property of others. It is alleged that His conduct was reprehensible in connection with this event. There are several things that may be said in response to this baseless accusation.
First, no charge can be made against the Lord unless the event actually happened. Those who criticize Christ must concede, first, that this account represents a factual incident; otherwise, their allegation is baseless. Are they willing to admit that Jesus actually cast out demons? If so, exactly what did that circumstance prove?
Second, if Christ is a Divine Being, then He is sovereign over the entire creation and, in reality, everything belongs to Him (cf. Colossians 1:16). God said: “For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10). Hogs, too! Thus, in the interest of a higher good, the Lord had every right to allow this incident to occur.
Third, swine were unclean according to Old Testament regulations (Leviticus 11). It is entirely possible that the owners of these pigs were Jews, engaged in an unlawful enterprise. If such was the case, the Savior’s economic rebuke certainly would have been warranted.
Fourth, as the scholarly R.C. Foster once observed, Christ “permitted the destruction of the swine knowing that it would awaken the Gergesenes from their indifference and ultimately assist in the salvation of a multitude in the community.” There are things that transcend the material, and hardship can have a benevolent result in the final ordering of one’s affairs.
In view of these factors, no legitimate indictment can be leveled against the Son of God in connection with this episode.
Choose the God of Your Choice? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1183
Choose the God of Your Choice?
by | Dave Miller, Ph.D. |
The Christian religion has fallen prey to the pluralistic, multi-cultural mindset of American culture. Religion is now fashioned according to the prevailing mentality that citizens have a right to make their own choices and “do their own thing.” “That’s the American way!” After all, “I have my rights!” “My view is just as good as the other guy’s.” Unfortunately, such self-centered arrogance does not prepare one for humble submission to God (James 4:10). It only encourages compliance with self-stylized religion, i.e., religion that is structured according to one’s own desires. Paul referred to this approach as “self-imposed” or “will worship,” i.e., worshipping according to one’s own will (Colossians 2:23).
Religious conditions in the first century were such that most people believed in a multiplicity of gods (e.g., Acts 17:16). But, in reality, there was only one God (Ephesians 4:6). The fact that men fabricated elaborate trappings like images, temples, etc., and took their religion seriously, did not alter the fact that they were involved in vain worship and false religion (cf. Matthew 15:9; 2 Peter 2:1). Telling them that there was only one God, or that one god was not just as good as another, would not have been a popular teaching. In fact, the doctrine of “one God” was perceived as a genuine threat to the polytheism of the day, and as a serious challenge to the Empire’s religious health. Polytheism had so permeated first-century society that acceptance of the doctrine of “one God” was virtually inconceivable for most people.
History repeats itself many times over. Our day is really no different from those first-century environmental factors. While Americans historically have rejected the notion of “many gods” (although even this foundational truth is changing), the concept of “many churches” has been embraced fully. The prevailing attitude is “attend the church of your choice,” and “one church is as good as another.” But the concept of multiple churches is as foreign to the New Testament as is the idea of multiple gods. The exact same passage that affirms only one God (Ephesians 4:6), affirms only one church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23). Either out of ignorance, discontent, or pride, men have taken it upon themselves to fabricate their own churches, stylizing doctrine, organization, worship, and name according to their own desires. Some never seem to realize that Jesus did not leave anyone free to fashion his or her own church (Matthew 15:9; 16:18). All false doctrines, false teachers, and false churches will be rejected (Matthew 15:13).
Let us not encourage people to “join the church of your choice.” Rather, let us urge them to respond obediently to the Gospel of Christ—through faith, repentance, and water baptism (Acts 2:38)—so that they may be “added” (Acts 2:47) to the church of Christ’s choice (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 5:23).
HYPOCRITES OR FALSE CHRISTIANS? by steve finnell
http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/04/hypocrites-or-false-christians-steve.html
HYPOCRITES OR FALSE CHRISTIANS? by steve finnell
According to a 2012 Gallup poll 77%
of those living in the U.S.A. identify as Christians. How many of the
77% are hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a May 22, 2014 Gallup poll only 46% of those living in the U.S.A. oppose killing unborn babies by abortion.
Obviously a large percentage of those
who identify as Christian see nothing wrong with murdering unborn
babies, would they be hypocrites or false Christians?
According to a Gallup poll July, 2013 54 % of those living in the U.S.A. support same sex marriage.
Do the Scriptures support homosexual marriage and killing unborn babies?
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.(NKJV)
If killing unborn innocent babies is not murder, then what would it be?
Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."(NKJV)
The sexually immoral and murderers will have their part in the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?....nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.....11 And such were some of you . But you were washed, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.(NKJV)
When it comes to participating or approving of abortion and same sex marriage, it should be past tense if you are claiming to be a Christian. The apostle Paul said SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU not ARE SOME OF YOU.
If you claim to be a Christian and approve of sinful practices or live a sinful lifestyle, then you are either a hypocrite or a false Christian.
In a 2008 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life 57% of Evangelical Christians said there might be other ways to heaven other than Jesus.
Would that indicate hypocrisy or false Christians?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJV)
ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE?
Mark 16:16 He who has believed, and has been immersed, will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
Galatians 3:17-27....26 Since you are sons of God through that belief, by Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been immersed into Christ , have put on Christ.(T.B.V.O.T.N.T) by Chester Estes
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead. If you claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you have been baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins, then you are a Christian.
The question remains, how many of the 77% who claim to be Christians are hypocrites or false Christians?
Are you an heir of God? by Roy Davison
http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/023-heirs.html
Are you an heir of God?
Will you receive “an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith”? (Acts 26:18).
An heir is someone who is entitled to a legacy because of a family relationship or a testament. Although an inheritance is a gift, a testament can require that certain conditions be met.
Some people imagine how grand it would be to inherit a fortune from some unknown, wealthy relative.
As they dream, they fail to realize that their heavenly Father has willed them a fortune worth more than all the world. “Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).
This inheritance is received in the resurrection. “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed -- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52). This inheritance is an eternal kingdom where death will be no more.
There are conditions. They who live according to the flesh will not inherit the kingdom. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5). “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Only by the power of God and with the help of His Son, Jesus Christ, can we be restored to a close family relationship with the Father. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “Your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isaiah 59:2).
Christ bore the punishment for our sins so we could be reconciled with the Father and receive the inheritance: “He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). The New Testament grants the inheritance and states the conditions.
Christ told Paul to preach to the nations: “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:17, 18).
Only by faith in Christ can one become a child of God. Believers must be baptized into Christ to receive the inheritance. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).
God saves us by grace through a rebirth at baptism. “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).
We are reborn to an inheritance in heaven: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3, 4).
Through Christ we are freed from bondage to sin so we can be adopted into the family of God. “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:1-7).
To receive the inheritance, we must be led by the Spirit: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:14-17).
God leads us through His word: “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
To inherit eternal life we must love God: “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' He said to him, 'What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?'
So he answered and said, '“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”' And He said to him, 'You have answered rightly; do this and you will live'“ (Luke 10:25-28).
Keeping commandments is not enough. To inherit eternal life we must take up the cross and follow Christ: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?' So Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not bear false witness,” “Do not defraud,” “Honor your father and your mother.”' And he answered and said to Him, 'Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.' Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me'“ (Mark 10:17-21 // Luke 18:18-22).
Jesus promises blessings and eternal life to those who put Him first in their lives: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).
To inherit the kingdom we must do good: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me'“ (Matthew 25:34-40).
This inheritance is in Christ: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-14). The Holy Spirit is a seal, a guarantee of our inheritance.
As we grow in the knowledge of Christ, we better understand how great this inheritance is. Paul prayed that the Ephesians would “know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18).
The New Testament explains how you can be an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. To receive the inheritance you must be rich in faith and you must love God will all your heart. Through the death of Christ your sins can be forgiven so you can be in the family of God. You must be baptized into Christ to become an heir. By the mercy of God through the washing of regeneration you are reborn to an incorruptible inheritance in heaven. To inherit eternal life, you must be led by the Spirit through the guidance of God's word. You must do good, keep God's commandments and follow Christ.
God gives this great promise: “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7).
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
Think and DO by Gary Rose
Have
you ever said something and almost immediately regretted it? If you
said “NO”, then you are a special person indeed. For the rest of
us, what we say gets us into trouble more often than we would like to
admit. I like this picture because causes you to pause and think
about what you say – BEFORE YOU SAY IT. When I think about these
things, I turn my thoughts to the book of James for instruction. The
apostles says…
James
3 ( World English
Bible )
[1] Let
not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will
receive heavier judgment. [2] For
in many things we all stumble. If anyone doesn’t stumble in word,
the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body
also. [3] Indeed,
we put bits into the horses’ mouths so that they may obey us, and
we guide their whole body. [4] Behold,the
ships also, though they are so big and are driven by fierce winds,
are yet guided by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot
desires. [5] So
the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how
a small fire can spread to a large forest! [6] And
the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the
tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of
nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna. [7] For
every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is
tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. [8] But
nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly
poison. [9] With
it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are
made in the image of God. [10] Out
of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these
things ought not to be so.
[13]
Who
is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct
that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom.
James
seems like a very practical person to me; very down-to-earth in what
he says. In short, this passage says to me- watch what you say! I
especially like verse 13, for it says to me that I should be wise and
have good conduct, not just talk about doing something about our
speech.
Now
that I think about it, that picture should have four gates, not
three. The fourth one would be: Consider to whom you are speaking.
Jesus had some pretty harsh words for the Pharisees, remember?
One
last word, - from Jesus…
Matthew
10 ( WEB )
[16] “Behold,
I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as
serpents, and harmless as doves.
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