Judge me, O God, and plead my case against an ungodly nation.O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man, for Thou art the God of my strength, why then do You cast me off?
O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth! Let them lead me! Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill and unto Thy tabernacles! Then will I go unto the alter of God, unto God my exceeding Joy! Yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee O God my God!
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God! For I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Joy in Wholesome Talk
I have been bothered for a while about something. Foul language and crude humor. I know that when people's actions bother you the most, it is probably because you recognize that you do those things yourself. I acknowledge that I do struggle with these things, but that I am also making a very determined effort to rid myself of these flaws. But the thought came to me the other day "What in the world is the Lord's stand on these two subjects?" I mean we are TOLD from childhood that the Lord does not want us to use bad language and tell crude jokes. But where EXACTLY is it mentioned? I thank the Lord that He has provided me with friends who spend their time studying the Bible more than I, because in a phone conversation today I had a friend direct me towards the right place. What I found was astounding! I would like to share with you the passage and break it down as I go.
1. "Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." Ephesians 4: 17-19
You are first told that you should NOT be like those who are unsaved because they literally do not understand what it means to live for God and they do not live for God. Their understanding of the world is incomplete and it is futile, hopeless, to think as they do. They are ignorant, stubborn, their consciences' are seared; they are sensual, greedy and excited to do everything that is wrong. This is not how the Lord wants His children live.
2. "But that is not the way you learned Christ!- assuming you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." 4:20-24
First, this does make a small exemption for those who have not been taught the true way. But in my circle everyone I know has been taught that at least bad language is wrong. So what are you to do? You are told to stop acting like you did before you were saved! That behavior is old, a former manner, corrupt, rotting, with all greedy, unfulfilling desires! Instead you are you try to become like God in all of his righteous and holy characteristics and you are to train your mind to behave 100% differently than it did before.
Are you following me so far? Bad things are things that unsaved people do, and since you have been saved by God you aren't supposed to do bad things, but instead, do good things. Simple, right? But I still have not addressed the specific issue of foul language and crude humor. Well in chapter 2 of this message...
3. "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. .. let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." 4:29,31
Clear enough? Just in case you wonder what corrupting talk is, its anything that does not build up others, is not fitting for the occasion, and does not give grace to those who hear it. I have never known foul language to be good for building others up, it is improper for nearly all occasions, and it is impossible for foul language to give grace. For myself it gives the kind of feeling you would get if someone were scratching their nails down a chalkboard. It grates terribly.
4. "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you...let there be no filthiness or foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place..." Ephesians 5:3-4
Could God be any clearer?! That means gay jokes, "that's what she said" jokes, bathroom humor, gossip, sex jokes, crude humor all are out of place and should not even be mentioned!
What are you to replace these things with, as it should be for one who has put on the new man?
"Instead let there be thanksgiving." Ephesians 5:4b
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
1. "Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." Ephesians 4: 17-19
You are first told that you should NOT be like those who are unsaved because they literally do not understand what it means to live for God and they do not live for God. Their understanding of the world is incomplete and it is futile, hopeless, to think as they do. They are ignorant, stubborn, their consciences' are seared; they are sensual, greedy and excited to do everything that is wrong. This is not how the Lord wants His children live.
2. "But that is not the way you learned Christ!- assuming you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." 4:20-24
First, this does make a small exemption for those who have not been taught the true way. But in my circle everyone I know has been taught that at least bad language is wrong. So what are you to do? You are told to stop acting like you did before you were saved! That behavior is old, a former manner, corrupt, rotting, with all greedy, unfulfilling desires! Instead you are you try to become like God in all of his righteous and holy characteristics and you are to train your mind to behave 100% differently than it did before.
Are you following me so far? Bad things are things that unsaved people do, and since you have been saved by God you aren't supposed to do bad things, but instead, do good things. Simple, right? But I still have not addressed the specific issue of foul language and crude humor. Well in chapter 2 of this message...
3. "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. .. let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." 4:29,31
Clear enough? Just in case you wonder what corrupting talk is, its anything that does not build up others, is not fitting for the occasion, and does not give grace to those who hear it. I have never known foul language to be good for building others up, it is improper for nearly all occasions, and it is impossible for foul language to give grace. For myself it gives the kind of feeling you would get if someone were scratching their nails down a chalkboard. It grates terribly.
4. "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you...let there be no filthiness or foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place..." Ephesians 5:3-4
Could God be any clearer?! That means gay jokes, "that's what she said" jokes, bathroom humor, gossip, sex jokes, crude humor all are out of place and should not even be mentioned!
What are you to replace these things with, as it should be for one who has put on the new man?
"Instead let there be thanksgiving." Ephesians 5:4b
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Joy in NOT Being Happy All The Time
So if you read at least my first blog post you know that I do not believe that when the Lord Jesus commands us to be joyful, that it means we have to be happy all the time. While this is definitely not Scripture, I always love a good sarcastic rant that explains the truth perfectly. Have fun watching!
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Joy's Helper
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease...
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ, I stand
There in the ground his body lay,
Light of the World by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
up from grave, He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
sin's curse has lost its grip on me!
For I am His and He is mine
bought with the precious blood of Christ!
NO guilt in life, NO fear of death,
this is the power of Christ in me!
From life's first cry to final breath,
JESUS commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.
Till He returns or calls me home
here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease...
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ, I stand
There in the ground his body lay,
Light of the World by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
up from grave, He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
sin's curse has lost its grip on me!
For I am His and He is mine
bought with the precious blood of Christ!
NO guilt in life, NO fear of death,
this is the power of Christ in me!
From life's first cry to final breath,
JESUS commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.
Till He returns or calls me home
here in the power of Christ, I'll stand.
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