B-A-C
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- Dec 18, 2008
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James 3:1; Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.
It seems everybody on TalkJesus wants to be a teacher. I guess this would include myself obviously. The downside is... as teachers, we will be held to a higher standard.
James 3:2; For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
I wonder how many of us qualify as perfect? James says we all stumble in many ways. But this whole passage is about the tongue. What we say, what we type.
James 3:3; Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
James 3:4; Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
James 3:5; So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
James 3:6; And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Read these verses again... slowly. Our tongue is like a ships rudder, a bridle on a horse. The very things we say can set our course in life. Our tongue is a very small part of our physical body, and yet our tongues (what we say) can defile our entire bodies!!
How many arguments, or even wars could have been avoided through the ages if only different words were spoken? It only takes a very small spark to start a forest fire. One tiny spark is all it takes to ruin hundreds (thousands) or acres of trees.
James 3:7; For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
James 3:8; But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
We can tame all kinds of dangerous animals, we can even tame raging rivers and conquer high mountains, but we cannot tame our own tongues. Our tongues are full of deadly poison!!
James 3:9; With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
James 3:10; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
James 3:11; Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
James 3:12; Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
This is the TalkJesus forums. Forums are an open place where people can see and participate in what is being said. The whole can read what you typing (saying here). Maybe you aren't saying it with your mouth, but you are saying it with your fingers and your heart.
What kind of message are we giving people about ourselves as Christians? Do we have the love and peace of God within us? Or are we just the same as the rest of the world?
James 3:13; Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
Who wants to be thought of as wise? Many of us want to post the secret wonders and oracles of God. But then we force it down your throats and tell you how stupid you are if you don't accept it. The verse above says part of wisdom is good behavior and gentleness.
James 3:14; But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
James 3:15; This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
James 3:16; For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
It's a good thing we have no arrogant, jealous, selfish people here on TalkJesus. Usually these things come out in the words we type and post. It says in verse 15 this is worldly.. demonic!! It seems there is some demonic wisdom here.
James 3:17; But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:18; And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
So we have demonic wisdom full of arrogance, pride and arguing. .. and we have Godly wisdom from above, with gentleness, peace, mercy and righteousness.
When you go back and read your last post, is it full of love, mercy and peace? Or is it full of pride, jealousy and arrogance?
James 3:6 above says our tongues can set the courses of our entire lives. I knew a man who was a great Christian for many years, but then he got into an argument with another Christian.
he then spent the next several years finding books, articles, opinions, and even verses to prove just how wrong this man was. Is that really a life goal we should be pursuing?
Years later he recognized the folly of all this wasted effort. He eventually made friends with the man he had the argument with. But how many wasted years in between?
Be careful what you say... not only with your mouth, but what you type with your fingers, and what you say in your heart.
It seems everybody on TalkJesus wants to be a teacher. I guess this would include myself obviously. The downside is... as teachers, we will be held to a higher standard.
James 3:2; For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
I wonder how many of us qualify as perfect? James says we all stumble in many ways. But this whole passage is about the tongue. What we say, what we type.
James 3:3; Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well.
James 3:4; Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.
James 3:5; So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
James 3:6; And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.
Read these verses again... slowly. Our tongue is like a ships rudder, a bridle on a horse. The very things we say can set our course in life. Our tongue is a very small part of our physical body, and yet our tongues (what we say) can defile our entire bodies!!
How many arguments, or even wars could have been avoided through the ages if only different words were spoken? It only takes a very small spark to start a forest fire. One tiny spark is all it takes to ruin hundreds (thousands) or acres of trees.
James 3:7; For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race.
James 3:8; But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.
We can tame all kinds of dangerous animals, we can even tame raging rivers and conquer high mountains, but we cannot tame our own tongues. Our tongues are full of deadly poison!!
James 3:9; With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God;
James 3:10; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.
James 3:11; Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?
James 3:12; Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
This is the TalkJesus forums. Forums are an open place where people can see and participate in what is being said. The whole can read what you typing (saying here). Maybe you aren't saying it with your mouth, but you are saying it with your fingers and your heart.
What kind of message are we giving people about ourselves as Christians? Do we have the love and peace of God within us? Or are we just the same as the rest of the world?
James 3:13; Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
Who wants to be thought of as wise? Many of us want to post the secret wonders and oracles of God. But then we force it down your throats and tell you how stupid you are if you don't accept it. The verse above says part of wisdom is good behavior and gentleness.
James 3:14; But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
James 3:15; This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.
James 3:16; For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
It's a good thing we have no arrogant, jealous, selfish people here on TalkJesus. Usually these things come out in the words we type and post. It says in verse 15 this is worldly.. demonic!! It seems there is some demonic wisdom here.
James 3:17; But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:18; And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
So we have demonic wisdom full of arrogance, pride and arguing. .. and we have Godly wisdom from above, with gentleness, peace, mercy and righteousness.
When you go back and read your last post, is it full of love, mercy and peace? Or is it full of pride, jealousy and arrogance?
James 3:6 above says our tongues can set the courses of our entire lives. I knew a man who was a great Christian for many years, but then he got into an argument with another Christian.
he then spent the next several years finding books, articles, opinions, and even verses to prove just how wrong this man was. Is that really a life goal we should be pursuing?
Years later he recognized the folly of all this wasted effort. He eventually made friends with the man he had the argument with. But how many wasted years in between?
Be careful what you say... not only with your mouth, but what you type with your fingers, and what you say in your heart.
