Tag: Jesus Speaks

Avoiding Dirty Language

~ servantone1 ~ Leave a comment

JESUS SPEAKING

     “Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemes.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” (Matthew 15: 16 – 20)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     The Jews believed that eating with unwashed hands rendered them spiritually unclean, thus hindering their relationship with God.  And yet this particular sanitary practice of washing before meals isn’t found anywhere in the Old Testament scriptures, but is instead derived from the opinions and traditions of the Rabbis (the teachings of men.)  God dwells in the human heart and not the stomach; therefore when an individual’s words and deeds are righteous, the presence of God is revealed in them.  But the existence of deception and filthy talk reveal a heart that is defiled.

     I recently attended a function where I had the opportunity to interact with an old reverend who had spent his life and career supposedly representing Jesus Christ.  When he addressed the group, he used an innocent analogy concerning life, yet in his rendering he made use of a dirty word.  This peculiar occurance was later followed by a joke which included a reference to the attire worn by strippers.  Needless to say, whether right or wrong, I left there questioning the purity of his heart and his commitment to God.

     Without a doubt, the things we do and say are expressions of our relationship with God; especially the cleanliness and purity of our language.  When we present ourselves as Christians, others will look to us as an example of how Christianity should be practiced.  There is no faster way to destroy our testimony and cast a shadow over our faith than to use foul language and engage in filthy talk.

     “Lord Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit and cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness, that we might accomplish Your good works and exemplify Your purity and cleanliness.  May our tongues be filled with encouragement and kindness.  Provide us with opportunities this week to witness to those You have placed in our path.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name .  Amen.”  God bless all of you!

Blessings and Cursings

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled.  Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you […] for the Son of Man’s sake […] for indeed your reward is great in heaven […] But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Luke 6: 20-26)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    The pronouncement of blessings and cursings was an intimate part of the Jewish culture.  Many Israelites would bring their children to the Rabbi’s to receive a formal blessing.  A blessing is a prophetic pronouncement of some future good in an individual’s life.  A cursing however, foretells of some impending calamity.  The blessings that Jesus conveyed upon the crowds were entirely dependent upon their reaction to His message.  Those who continued chasing after the passing pleasures of this life would ultimately enter into unending sorrow.  But those who chose to deny their own desires in order to serve God, would eventually inherit eternal rewards.  Without question, every genuine believer must embrace sacrifice.  Some common sacrifices might include wealth, a potential career, power, property, prestige, or any number of other selfish indulgences.  Because the path to peace with God includes enduring some manner of present pain, most will reject the gospel and continue in sin.

    To more easily understand this scripture, we need only look at the modern day credit card crisis.  Right now, Americans possess more debt than many previous generations could’ve ever imagined. This current epidemic is often the direct result of extreme self-indulgence.  When a person goes out shopping and they can’t afford an item, they might use a credit card to avoid denying themselves the joys of some passing pleasure.  But paying for things with money we don’t have doesn’t make the pain disappear; it simply postpones it.  Eventually the credit card company is going to come looking for their money; causing those who have fed their fleshly appetites to endure the suffering they so desperately attempted to avoid.

   Many people have spent their entire lives avoiding pain; constantly indulging in pleasurable endeavors. However, their suffering hasn’t been eliminated, it’s only been deferred.  They will eventually be required to ‘pay the check.’  Chasing after wealth, material possessions, careers, and even a good reputation can lead to an eternity of pain.  So then, self-denial is the way to inherit eternal blessings.  Volunteering, using our excess wealth to bless the needy, spending time listening to others, evangelizing, as well as visiting widows and orphans are just a few ways we can practice self-denial in this life.  By denying ourselves, we will become servants of the living God; and in the coming kingdom, we will receive the blessings of eternal life.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, help us to willingly endure the sufferings of sacrifice in this present time; that we might renounce our own desires in order to fulfill Your purposes.  May we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow You.  Reveal to us where we can be more selfless; where we can be more giving; and where we can be more loving.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!

Prophecy Proves the Bible is True

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

   Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all  things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again.” (Luke 18: 31 – 33.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

   On numerous occasions Jesus foretold of His impending death upon the cross; His suffering and crucifixion had also been described in great detail hundreds of years earlier.  Throughout the centuries, the old testament prophets (inspired by God) wrote about the arrival of God’s messiah; a solution to sin; a sacrifice that would once and for all put an end to the iniquity that separated the divine Creator from his fallen children (Jesus Christ was, and is that sacrifice.) 

   One important prophetic scripture comes from the book of Isaiah; a book that was written between 740 and 680 B.C.  Chapter 53 is particularly interesting because it describes the suffering of Jesus in stunning detail (hundreds of years before the crucifixion occurred.)  We read, “Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth; he was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people he was stricken. And they made his grave with the wicked — but with the rich at his death, because he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

   Only God can know the future; only the Creator can foretell of events before they occur.  Accurate prophecy is a characteristic which is unique to the Holy Bible.  No other book or set of sacred writings have ever correctly predicted anything.  The scriptures are the Lord’s reliable revelation; and they can be trusted.  As you read the word, remember, you are not simply reading a book compiled by men, but a book authored by God Himself.  May it inspire you, may it lead you, and may it transform you.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, we praise You and we thank You for providing us with the Holy Bible.  As we read it, may we approach it with reverence and respect.  Speak to us through Your word; with every sentence we read, and every page we turn, may our hearts be transformed. May we become more like You and more like Your Son.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you!