PROPHETIC PRECISION IN THE PALM SUNDAY ENTRY: The time when He would come into Jerusalem to die was prophesied in Daniel 9:24-26, and this was fulfilled exactly 483 years later, as predicted, when He entered Jerusalem for His last week before death, as recorded in Luke 19:37-44. After this, as Daniel (or, rather, the angel Gabriel) had prophesied, He was “cut off, but not for Himself.” Also Zechariah 9:9-10 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
PROPHETIC PRECISION IN THE PASSOVER PLOT BETRAYAL: His betrayal by one of His close friends was forecast, and even the price of thirty pieces of silver for His betrayal was given. The shameful mockery of the judicial process which constituted His trial is prophesied.
Psalm 41:9 Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.
Zechariah 11:12-13 Then I said to them, “If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the Lord said to me, “ Throw it to the potter”?that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter.
Actually the statement paraphrases Zech. 11:12, 13. But the Hebrew canon was divided into 3 sections, Law, Writings, and Prophets (cf. Luke 24:44). Jeremiah came first in the order of prophetic books, so the Prophets were sometimes collectively referred to by his name.
Matthew 27:3-10 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” 5 Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood.” 7 And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, 10 and gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”
Isaiah 50:6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.
Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, Matthew 27:26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. John 18:22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
Psalm 35:11 Fierce witnesses rise up; They ask me things that I do not
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Prophetic Precision of Palm Sunday
Matthew 21:1-11
For the next few Days in our Prophetic Series What’s Next 2009 we have been in Matthew 24. Have you ever wondered what the context of that passage is? When in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ did that incredible sermon about the future fit?
Please open with me to this day in Christ's life in Matthew 21. We find Palm Sunday in all four Gospels (Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12). But our reading this morning will be Matthew 21:1-11.
Palm Sunday was followed by Doomsday Tuesday. Yes, just two days after this Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Jesus saw and described the destruction coming in the near and far future. The context of Matthew 24 and the end of the world is Matthew 21 and the Palm Sunday entry of Jesus.
This morning we have remembered one of the greatest days of history, the day Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem as the Passover Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
This coming Thursday we as a church are celebrating the Last Supper Seder remember what Jesus did. But this morning, may I impress upon your hearts the wonder of this day in God's Word?
Palm Sunday is a day of Prophetic Precision! Palm Sunday is a day in the life of Christ that mirrors literally scores of prophecies God made in the Bible that are fulfilled with pin point accuracy!
We should remind ourselves of just how unique, and how powerful is our God. Why? For just one reason this morning – the prophetic precision that God demonstrates though dozens of pinpoint accurate promises He sent in His Word centuries before the events occurred! And as we see all this, our hearts should be strengthened to trust even more our great God who wants to direct our paths, wants us to trust and obey Him, and wants us to do His will, not our own!
This morning we are looking at the Prophetic Precision of Christ's Death. In fact there were thirty-three prophecies fulfilled on the single day when the Lord Jesus died.
Always remember that one of the strong evidences of divine inspiration of the Bible (not found in other religious books of either past or present) consists of its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. These are not vague or ambiguous (as in various occult writings) but are specific and detailed, often made hundreds or thousands of years in advance of the event. Many are being fulfilled today, thereby indicating the probable soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, the most powerful evidence that God wrote the Bible is the phenomenon of fulfilled prophecy. The Bible is unique among all the religious books of mankind in this respect. Some of them contain a few vague forecasts, but nothing comparable to the vast number of specific prophecies found in the Bible.
It is easy, of course, to prophesy that someone will die. Everyone must die sooner or later, and it surely takes no gift of prophetic insight to predict death. For that matter, many men and women, especially those who have a morbid interest in the occult, make death a very frequent subject of prophecy. Some of these (e.g., Jeanne Dixon’s famous prophecy of John Kennedy’s assassination) seem to come true, perhaps suggesting that demonic forces do have some limited knowledge of human plans and can occasionally forecast the events which they bring about, though of course most such soothsaying predictions are never fulfilled at all.
There is nothing in all human history, however, comparable to the prophecies associated with the death of Christ. These were not vague and hidden, like those of fortune-tellers, nor were they given only a short time before they were fulfilled, as are those of modern occultists. There are scores, perhaps hundreds, of such prophecies in the Old Testament that focus on the death of the coming Messiah, and many of them are very detailed and specific. All were recorded hundreds of years, some over a thousand years, before they were fulfilled. There are over 90 such Old Testament prophecies which are specifically quoted by New Testament writers in a Messianic sense.
For the next few Days in our Prophetic Series What’s Next 2009 we have been in Matthew 24. Have you ever wondered what the context of that passage is? When in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ did that incredible sermon about the future fit?
Please open with me to this day in Christ's life in Matthew 21. We find Palm Sunday in all four Gospels (Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19; John 12). But our reading this morning will be Matthew 21:1-11.
Palm Sunday was followed by Doomsday Tuesday. Yes, just two days after this Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Jesus saw and described the destruction coming in the near and far future. The context of Matthew 24 and the end of the world is Matthew 21 and the Palm Sunday entry of Jesus.
This morning we have remembered one of the greatest days of history, the day Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem as the Passover Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.
This coming Thursday we as a church are celebrating the Last Supper Seder remember what Jesus did. But this morning, may I impress upon your hearts the wonder of this day in God's Word?
Palm Sunday is a day of Prophetic Precision! Palm Sunday is a day in the life of Christ that mirrors literally scores of prophecies God made in the Bible that are fulfilled with pin point accuracy!
We should remind ourselves of just how unique, and how powerful is our God. Why? For just one reason this morning – the prophetic precision that God demonstrates though dozens of pinpoint accurate promises He sent in His Word centuries before the events occurred! And as we see all this, our hearts should be strengthened to trust even more our great God who wants to direct our paths, wants us to trust and obey Him, and wants us to do His will, not our own!
This morning we are looking at the Prophetic Precision of Christ's Death. In fact there were thirty-three prophecies fulfilled on the single day when the Lord Jesus died.
Always remember that one of the strong evidences of divine inspiration of the Bible (not found in other religious books of either past or present) consists of its hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. These are not vague or ambiguous (as in various occult writings) but are specific and detailed, often made hundreds or thousands of years in advance of the event. Many are being fulfilled today, thereby indicating the probable soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, the most powerful evidence that God wrote the Bible is the phenomenon of fulfilled prophecy. The Bible is unique among all the religious books of mankind in this respect. Some of them contain a few vague forecasts, but nothing comparable to the vast number of specific prophecies found in the Bible.
It is easy, of course, to prophesy that someone will die. Everyone must die sooner or later, and it surely takes no gift of prophetic insight to predict death. For that matter, many men and women, especially those who have a morbid interest in the occult, make death a very frequent subject of prophecy. Some of these (e.g., Jeanne Dixon’s famous prophecy of John Kennedy’s assassination) seem to come true, perhaps suggesting that demonic forces do have some limited knowledge of human plans and can occasionally forecast the events which they bring about, though of course most such soothsaying predictions are never fulfilled at all.
There is nothing in all human history, however, comparable to the prophecies associated with the death of Christ. These were not vague and hidden, like those of fortune-tellers, nor were they given only a short time before they were fulfilled, as are those of modern occultists. There are scores, perhaps hundreds, of such prophecies in the Old Testament that focus on the death of the coming Messiah, and many of them are very detailed and specific. All were recorded hundreds of years, some over a thousand years, before they were fulfilled. There are over 90 such Old Testament prophecies which are specifically quoted by New Testament writers in a Messianic sense.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Why Are People Reluctant to Go into Missions?
When I spoke about Missions in the Sunday night service, I tried to give a biblical response to possible obstacles that are in the way for some people that may keep them from moving forward toward missions. My prayer is that God would use these responses to call more of you to go. Here are eight objections and a biblical response.
1. "I am not smart enough."
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21)
“Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)
2. “My body and my personality are not strong enough.”
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
“[Christ] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
3. "I am not a good speaker."
“Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:17)
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4:10-12)
4. "I am afraid of the horrors I read about in the newspapers."
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore (katartisei—“mend” or “repair” your horribly disfigured body when the lions in the coliseum are through with you), confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:8-10)
5. "I am afraid I won't be fruitful"
Your responsibility is not to be fruitful but to be faithful. “And [Jesus] said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
6. “There is plenty to do here.”
True, but there is a division of labor and God calls some to MISSIONS, not just evangelism. The difference is seen in Romans 15:19-24: “So that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I [Paul] have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named. . . Now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions . . . I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain.”
How could Paul say there was no room for work when there were millions in that region to be evangelized? Because evangelism is not missions.
7. "I am not married."
The best spouse is found on the path of obedience. “An excellent wife [or husband!] who can find? She [and he!] is far more precious than jewels” (Proverbs 31:10). The finding is exceedingly hard. It will happen on the road of obedience.
8. "I fear that when I get there it might turn out I made a mistake and will come home with shame."
Which is worse, shame for having endeavored to follow Christ in missions, or fear to venture? Shame before others for making a mistake will not hurt you; it will humble you and can make you more useful in a new situation. But fear will make you useless everywhere.
Consider Ecclesiastes 11:4 and what it says about risk: “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Meaning: without taking the risk of sowing when the seed might be blown away and reaping when the rain might ruin the harvest, you will starve.
Oh, how precious is the freeing word of God,
When I spoke about Missions in the Sunday night service, I tried to give a biblical response to possible obstacles that are in the way for some people that may keep them from moving forward toward missions. My prayer is that God would use these responses to call more of you to go. Here are eight objections and a biblical response.
1. "I am not smart enough."
“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:20-21)
“Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-27)
2. “My body and my personality are not strong enough.”
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)
“[Christ] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
3. "I am not a good speaker."
“Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.” (1 Corinthians 1:17)
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4:10-12)
4. "I am afraid of the horrors I read about in the newspapers."
“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore (katartisei—“mend” or “repair” your horribly disfigured body when the lions in the coliseum are through with you), confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:8-10)
5. "I am afraid I won't be fruitful"
Your responsibility is not to be fruitful but to be faithful. “And [Jesus] said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:26-29)
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
6. “There is plenty to do here.”
True, but there is a division of labor and God calls some to MISSIONS, not just evangelism. The difference is seen in Romans 15:19-24: “So that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I [Paul] have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named. . . Now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions . . . I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain.”
How could Paul say there was no room for work when there were millions in that region to be evangelized? Because evangelism is not missions.
7. "I am not married."
The best spouse is found on the path of obedience. “An excellent wife [or husband!] who can find? She [and he!] is far more precious than jewels” (Proverbs 31:10). The finding is exceedingly hard. It will happen on the road of obedience.
8. "I fear that when I get there it might turn out I made a mistake and will come home with shame."
Which is worse, shame for having endeavored to follow Christ in missions, or fear to venture? Shame before others for making a mistake will not hurt you; it will humble you and can make you more useful in a new situation. But fear will make you useless everywhere.
Consider Ecclesiastes 11:4 and what it says about risk: “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Meaning: without taking the risk of sowing when the seed might be blown away and reaping when the rain might ruin the harvest, you will starve.
Oh, how precious is the freeing word of God,
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Reason Behind the Virgin Birth
John 1:29
God had a very specific reason for the way Jesus Christ's unique birth was orchestrated. Many Christians accept the truth of the virgin birth but have never explored the reason behind it. In our increasingly secular society, many of us will have to answer the question, Why do you believe in a virgin birth?
The answer is simple. God required a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The Lord told Moses that sacrificed animals must be "without defect." There is nothing vague about those words. God refused to accept anything less than excellent because His name was defiled by blemished offerings. (Malachi 1:12) The commands relating to sacrifices were a foreshadowing of what was to come.
At the incarnation - even the very moment Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit - God became flesh in the form of Jesus. He was completely God when He was in heaven, and He remained completely God in the womb. No corrupted seed of man was part of the process. The virgin birth underlined what God had taught the Hebrew people from the earliest days of their relationship with Him. The "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" must be flawless - in other words, sinless.
The virgin birth is so significant in God's plan that He clearly stated its impending importance through the prophecies of the Messiah. (Isaiah 7:14) Furthermore, He preserved the idea in the New Testament genealogies. (Matthew 1:16, Luke 3:23) The virgin birth was a miraculous event with a deliberate purpose. As Christians, we are responsible for telling others about that awesome plan.
God had a very specific reason for the way Jesus Christ's unique birth was orchestrated. Many Christians accept the truth of the virgin birth but have never explored the reason behind it. In our increasingly secular society, many of us will have to answer the question, Why do you believe in a virgin birth?
The answer is simple. God required a perfect sacrifice for the sins of mankind. The Lord told Moses that sacrificed animals must be "without defect." There is nothing vague about those words. God refused to accept anything less than excellent because His name was defiled by blemished offerings. (Malachi 1:12) The commands relating to sacrifices were a foreshadowing of what was to come.
At the incarnation - even the very moment Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit - God became flesh in the form of Jesus. He was completely God when He was in heaven, and He remained completely God in the womb. No corrupted seed of man was part of the process. The virgin birth underlined what God had taught the Hebrew people from the earliest days of their relationship with Him. The "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" must be flawless - in other words, sinless.
The virgin birth is so significant in God's plan that He clearly stated its impending importance through the prophecies of the Messiah. (Isaiah 7:14) Furthermore, He preserved the idea in the New Testament genealogies. (Matthew 1:16, Luke 3:23) The virgin birth was a miraculous event with a deliberate purpose. As Christians, we are responsible for telling others about that awesome plan.
New Birth
All Thoroughbred race horses have the same birthday. No matter what day of the year they were born they are considered to have been born on January first. With regard to the new birth, all Christians share the same birthday. While you may or may not remember the day of your new birth, Friday before The Resurrection A. D. 33 can truly be considered to be the date of your new birth. For what happened at Calvary made your new life possible.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Easter
Easter
Wally Rendel, Pastor of Southern Acres Christian Church in Lexington, KY, sent this moving story .
Our daughter, Jill Marie Rendel, was a senior at the Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary, preparing for a children's ministry position in the local church. In February of 1993 she was traveling with the girl's basketball team, heading for Battle Creek, Michigan and a tournament. On icy roads the driver lost control. The school van spun out of control and overturned several times. Jill was thrown out and crushed to death. Only four days earlier, on the college campus, she had been crowned homecoming queen. As word spread of her death someone remarked - "The queen has gone to meet the King." And she did! That's the blessed assurance of everyone who has put their faith and hope in the resurrected Son of the Living God.
When Jill was in middle school she wrote this poem:
Easter is the time of year
When people come from far and near
And every part and all directions
To celebrate Christ's resurrection.
Resurrection is the name
Of the deed that gained the fame,
When Christ the King was crucified
Then three days later made alive!!
~ Jill Marie Rendel
Wally Rendel, Pastor of Southern Acres Christian Church in Lexington, KY, sent this moving story .
Our daughter, Jill Marie Rendel, was a senior at the Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary, preparing for a children's ministry position in the local church. In February of 1993 she was traveling with the girl's basketball team, heading for Battle Creek, Michigan and a tournament. On icy roads the driver lost control. The school van spun out of control and overturned several times. Jill was thrown out and crushed to death. Only four days earlier, on the college campus, she had been crowned homecoming queen. As word spread of her death someone remarked - "The queen has gone to meet the King." And she did! That's the blessed assurance of everyone who has put their faith and hope in the resurrected Son of the Living God.
When Jill was in middle school she wrote this poem:
Easter is the time of year
When people come from far and near
And every part and all directions
To celebrate Christ's resurrection.
Resurrection is the name
Of the deed that gained the fame,
When Christ the King was crucified
Then three days later made alive!!
~ Jill Marie Rendel
Monday, March 30, 2009
Recognition
One day the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo happened to overhear a group of people admiring his Pietà , a statue of Christ on His mother's knees after His death on the cross. One man attributed the work to another sculptor, much to the chagrin of Michelangelo, who took particular pride in the Pietà . Returning to the sculpture after dark that evening, Michelangelo carved his name on it so that no similar mistake would occur in the future.
Sometimes it's hard not to want the recognition and admiration of those around us. Whether our gift is preaching or teaching, writing or singing, evangelism or leading, we must keep a Godly perspective and motivation in everything we do. During His earthly ministry, Jesus certainly knew how to keep himself from becoming entangled in the praises of men; He gave all the credit to His Father, for He knew His reward was waiting on the other side of the cross.
If we fall into the trap of working or performing for the rewards of men, we are bound to miss out on our rewards in heaven. Is it worth losing eternal praise from God himself to have but a moment of earthly glory? (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 6-25-07)
Sometimes it's hard not to want the recognition and admiration of those around us. Whether our gift is preaching or teaching, writing or singing, evangelism or leading, we must keep a Godly perspective and motivation in everything we do. During His earthly ministry, Jesus certainly knew how to keep himself from becoming entangled in the praises of men; He gave all the credit to His Father, for He knew His reward was waiting on the other side of the cross.
If we fall into the trap of working or performing for the rewards of men, we are bound to miss out on our rewards in heaven. Is it worth losing eternal praise from God himself to have but a moment of earthly glory? (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 6-25-07)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The Forgotten Vital Organ
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
I have decided that many, many medical textbooks are wrong. Each and every one of them has actually left out an vital organ. Yes, they’ve remembered the heart and the brain and even that strange thing called a pancreas (I know it’s important, I just forget why sometimes). But look through the books all you want, and you’ll find not one mention of the most obvious vital organ of all: the tongue.
Then again, I myself often choose to ignore the importance of the tongue. I’d rather not believe it has "the power of life and death." I’d like to pretend my tongue is more like an appendix or a gall bladder – easy to forget about because it's not that important – but that's just not the case. Snapping at my family when I'm tired, nagging, and complaining all release a poison from my tongue that works its way through my whole being (James 3:6). Not only that, I infect others with my attitudes and motivations. I begin to spread a disease.
Contrast that with the "words of the wise," as Proverbs says many times. Their words heal and strengthen as they spread encouragement, wisdom, peace, and the Gospel message. Oh, and – get this – the wise actually use their tongues less than other people. The more powerful the tongue, the less it needs to be used. It's like the heart of a well-trained athlete – when someone is really in shape, the beats per minute actually decrease as the heart becomes more and more efficient. In the same way, why don't I condition my tongue to speak fewer words with more meaning?
In Genesis 1, God spoke into the darkness, and there was light. Those "mere words" created something from nothing, showing the power of speaking out. My pastor in college told us that this verse had meaning for us, too, since we are created in God's image. We are meant to speak out and bring light from the darkness as He did. That’s the power of the tongue in a crazy world. The question is whether we choose to speak light or just add to the darkness.
That little muscle called the tongue holds the power of life and death. That’s no small matter. So let’s be careful how we exercise it.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Grab a concordance and look up the words “mouth” and “tongue.” The reference lists are extensive. It gets even bigger if you include the words “speak” and words.” Then, take a seven day challenge to “tame the tongue” in just one way. Perhaps try encouraging instead of complaining. Even taming just that one area is like trying to control a wildfire (James 3:5). Don’t get discouraged, but take each opportunity to thank God for the "new song" that He has given you to sing (Psalm 40:3).
Proverbs 18:21
I have decided that many, many medical textbooks are wrong. Each and every one of them has actually left out an vital organ. Yes, they’ve remembered the heart and the brain and even that strange thing called a pancreas (I know it’s important, I just forget why sometimes). But look through the books all you want, and you’ll find not one mention of the most obvious vital organ of all: the tongue.
Then again, I myself often choose to ignore the importance of the tongue. I’d rather not believe it has "the power of life and death." I’d like to pretend my tongue is more like an appendix or a gall bladder – easy to forget about because it's not that important – but that's just not the case. Snapping at my family when I'm tired, nagging, and complaining all release a poison from my tongue that works its way through my whole being (James 3:6). Not only that, I infect others with my attitudes and motivations. I begin to spread a disease.
Contrast that with the "words of the wise," as Proverbs says many times. Their words heal and strengthen as they spread encouragement, wisdom, peace, and the Gospel message. Oh, and – get this – the wise actually use their tongues less than other people. The more powerful the tongue, the less it needs to be used. It's like the heart of a well-trained athlete – when someone is really in shape, the beats per minute actually decrease as the heart becomes more and more efficient. In the same way, why don't I condition my tongue to speak fewer words with more meaning?
In Genesis 1, God spoke into the darkness, and there was light. Those "mere words" created something from nothing, showing the power of speaking out. My pastor in college told us that this verse had meaning for us, too, since we are created in God's image. We are meant to speak out and bring light from the darkness as He did. That’s the power of the tongue in a crazy world. The question is whether we choose to speak light or just add to the darkness.
That little muscle called the tongue holds the power of life and death. That’s no small matter. So let’s be careful how we exercise it.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Grab a concordance and look up the words “mouth” and “tongue.” The reference lists are extensive. It gets even bigger if you include the words “speak” and words.” Then, take a seven day challenge to “tame the tongue” in just one way. Perhaps try encouraging instead of complaining. Even taming just that one area is like trying to control a wildfire (James 3:5). Don’t get discouraged, but take each opportunity to thank God for the "new song" that He has given you to sing (Psalm 40:3).
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