The unredeemed mouth is the gate through which depravity exits.
Yes, it's in the mind, in the heart, and then it's on the lips and there's conflict. The mouth and what proceeds from it.. is probably the truest indicator of the spiritual condition of a human being.
What’s most in the well comes up in the bucket, what’s most on the heart will be most on the lips. Are you angry and bitter inside?
Typically what are the favorite subjects of unregenerate individuals to voice? Do these subjects seems to be about themselves, about what they want, about what they've been robbed of in life, of their angers fears and frustrations.. about their pet-sins and the different idols of worship that they passionately focus on?
Why all the wars? It starts deep inside and comes out. Many people are restless and greedy. They want more and lust for more. They war cuz there is war in people's hearts.
So SO much conflict and tension in the world. Man, what in the world is goin’ on over there in Russia..
..and what’s goin’ on with that conflict in the Ukraine?
It's a good day to wake up. It's a good day to rejoice in the Lord and live glad in the Word of God in spite of it all. I say don't fume and hate, just bloom and appreciate (God and His kids). Decide today to live as a peacemaker in this world of war, instead of a relationship breaker or taker. Too many live angry and on the take, instead of on the give. By God's love and power.
"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." Prov. 10:12
"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city." Prov. 16:32
“A wrathful man stirs up discord, but one slow to anger calms strife.” Prov. 15:18
“Anger is never without reason, but seldom with a good one.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
“Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?” Prov. 27:4
Why live irrationally on any day of the week? Some people are like a semi-rational animal it would seem, who often lose their temper when called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of sound reason. They blow up but don't have to. It's a choice each time. What are they watching or hearing (like with their music style and lyrics) or regularly reading? Are they gaming what ought not to be gamed by peacemakers? Who have they chosen as their closest friends that delight to fill up the air with furious ideas of hearsay and speculation.. to make this twisted lifestyle so easy for them, and so constantly hard on others?
“Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” Prov. 22:24-25
"A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated." Prov. 14:17
"If you stay calm, you are wise, but if you have a hot temper, you only show how stupid you are." Prov. 14:29
“An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression.” Prov. 29:22
“There are two sides to every question: my side and the wrong side!!!” ~ Oscar Levant
“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.” Prov. 19:11
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Prov. 15:1
Volume level, timing, approach, tone and timbre are important. When you feel like accusing.. softly inquire. You might hear what you never expected. Do you habitually speak too roughly with grating unpleasant raucous words that stir up rather that defuse and deescalate what's overly intense? Are you soft-spoken in the right sort of way.. with mild and gentle words when things are heating up?
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit is better than he who takes a city.” Prov. 16:32 (Got some minutes? Read more..and some more)
Have you ever got ticked inside? Have you ever said or done something you really regretted? I've sadly done that before. Can't undo it, I can't go back and change the past. I wish that I could, but God can still make me part of the Solution instead of part of the problem here.
Am personally glad we can know and walk close with the God who gives second chances. Remember how He did that for Moses who got angry at times? He did that for King David after he lusted, highjacked a wife and then murdered her man.
We all mess up at times in different ways, but Jesus forgives and teaches us to hate sin like He does. We can get back up with a Message. And Roman's 8:28-29 is still in the Bible--encouraging!
"The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:23-24
The right message told in the wrong way does about as much good as the wrong message given.. that’s what I’m thinking.
The right message told poorly is probably about effective as sharing a poor message. Proclaim the living Christ the right way. Be accurate in sharing the gospel, be clear, be enthusiastic in his enthusiasm.
What’s worse than giving a bad presentation of an accurate message? Well, giving an inaccurate message out poorly. Go do a study on Christ’s mouth in the Bible and what came from it, or what did not come from it.
Tell them about the eyewitnesses that saw Christ after his physical resurrection – over 500 saw. Tell them how much God loves them, How he has a plan for each person, how just and fair and kind and mercifully He is. How there’s a hell to avoid and heaven to gain through faith in Christ, who is the Father’s only provision for your sin and mine. Tell them how repentance and and faith can revolutionize your life. And how God delights to answer prayer.
It’s the pugnacious person who is quick to put up their dukes.. who is eager to argue, to verbally quarrel, and to throw-down in a fight. God’s people are to be peacemakers for the glory of the Prince of Peace, not contentious finger-pointing pot stirrers.
Who in the Bible lived angry? "Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, 'May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed!' And Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4while he himself traveled on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die." 1 Kings 19:2-4
How did it end up for angry Jezebel?
Do believers every time need to run from the angry wicked? I say inquire vertically of your Lord often. "Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian.." Exodus 2:15
"But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre, Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape." 1 Samuel 19:9-10
"Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, 'If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!'" 1 Samuel 19:11
This has-been-monarch was so last-season! And how did it go for angry, religious, envious and prideful King Saul?
Wise King Solomon in Proverbs encourages believers towards taming the tongue. Yes, the Bible teaches us to daily manage our thoughts, motives and mouths saying...
"The mouth of the righteous is a well of life, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins. Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, but a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." Prov. 10:12-14 nkjv
The Tongue of the Righteous Lovingly Share’s What’s Really So in the Right Way, in the right Tone and at the Right Time!
It's so we can be blessed but also become a blessing. It's so we can know and go with the right attitude and Message for others.
What are the words of the wise believer's like (Prov. 10:20)? They're a tree of life (Prov. 15:4), they are food (Prov. 10:21), they are refreshing water (Prov. 10:11; 18:4), and are medicine (Prov. 12:18). They should be seasoned with salt (Col. 4:6) and must not become destructive (James 3:1–12).
"When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment." Proverbs 10:20
What's your ear and eye-gate's preferred intake like because you know it starts in a person's heart and mind.
"Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right." Proverbs 16:13
Am thinkin’ about vertical wisdom, about anger, how to defuse it rather than light a fuse. Ya, about the mouth (what comes from it and doesn’t), and about righteous living here.
Those are some key thoughts in Proverbs 10, and they go together, for the wise speak right, they walk in righteousness, and the righteous grow in wisdom.
The wise bring joy and not grief to their parents (v. 1). They will take advantage of God-given opportunities (v. 5) and will obey orders (v. 8). Wise people gather knowledge (v. 14) and share it with others (vv. 13, 21, 31). They also know when to be quiet with their mouths (v. 19). They do not jest about sin (v. 23), but are serious about obeying the Lord.
The righteous have God’s protection and provision (vv. 2–3, 24–25), and He blesses them in life (v. 6) and after death (v. 7). Their words give life (vv. 11, 20–21, 31–32), and their works prosper (v. 16). Their future is secure (v. 30) and even JOYful (v. 28).
If you are wise and righteous, those traits will be revealed by your kind words (vv. 6, 11, 14, 20–21, 31–32) as well as by your wise works.
What do you do when you feel like rising up against the road-rage etc? I have to ask myself, am I sufficiently dead to goin' off on rude or mean-spirited people?
Kurt, is anybody here getting hurt that you need to protect? Don't play police when a crime is happening (if you aren't the police), simply call them.
If no crime, Kurt ask yourself: What would a dead person do in this tense situation? Well, he wouldn't respond to it." People today seem to have short fuses and many tend to explode at the drop of a hat. People seem so angry about a whole lot of things.
Some still get all mad about your mask, or your lack of Covid mask. And then if you combine that with the record inflation, the economy, the civil unrest on our city streets, and whack politicians on both sides even, or the Russian Ukrainian war.. this TNT combination can help to create a BOOM!
And you know how the Big Tech Tyrants aren't at all helping matters. We can see how social media and the fake news media keep feeding this frenzy and are trying to manipulate our emotions.
You know people lose their tempers. You know people are uptight, but the Bible says that a person who loses his temper is a fool (Sure, see Proverbs 29:11).
However, when Christians love each other, it’s a powerful witness to a lost world.
I challenge you to pray and THINK before you speak. Yes, to ask yourself: Is what I'm about to say True? Is it Helpful, is it Inspiring, Is it Necessary, is it Kind?
We all can pre-pray and THINK before speak.
Early, we can wait on the Lord for His words, and then go communicate and work.
Speech of prayer, speech of proclamation, speech of praise, speech of performance, speech of perfection.
The highest form of speech for the new man would be that of praise to Jesus and the persevering in prayer.
And this is touching on speech with anger is related to the speech of emails and social media today.
The best and worst of people respectively is related to the mind (attitude) and mouth (communication).
The Bible says that if you're able to bridle your tongue, you're a perfect man. For in many things we offend all, but today people in general are very afraid of offending anyone but God.
“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” Jam. 3:2 nlt
“..if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” esv
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can guide the whole animal.” James 3:1-3
“Then I said: 'Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.' Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And with it he touched my mouth and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for.” Isa. 6:5-7
THE ONLY CHRISTIAN YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO IS THE ONE WHO GIVES YOU MORE OF A HUNGER FOR GOD.” ~ AIDEN WILSON TOZER
KNOW IT DEEP DOWN IN YOUR KNOWER! DAILY I AM THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT I ALLOW, OR NOT ALLOW, TO LAND IN MY BRAIN OR ON MY TONGUE.
Will the ideas and words I use.. defuse or just light a fuse?
I know we feel justified sometimes in unloading both barrels, because we think we’re in the right on the subject. So let’s just say, for the sake of a point, that we are right. We don’t have to turn it into a major conflict.
Perhaps we try and rationalize it by saying that we’re more spiritual and need to set them right. But if we’re truly spiritual, if we’re truly godly, then we’ll be humble and loving—not filled with anger and rage.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31–32 NLT).
Yet even Moses lost his temper. After God gave him the Ten Commandments, he descended from Mount Sinai to find the Israelites dancing naked before a golden calf. And he was really ticked off. So Moses took the tablets with the commands written by the finger of God, and he smashed them on the ground.
Remember, the reason Moses had been in the wilderness before the Exodus was because he lost his temper. He saw an Egyptian slave driver mistreating a Hebrew, so he killed the man and buried him in the shifting sand. As a result, he was sent into exile. God gave Moses a long time-out.
Fast-forward many years, and the people of Israel are on the brink of entering the Promised Land. However, they had been complaining every step of the way. They didn’t believe that God would let them go into the land. They thought it would be too hard.
Although they complained and whined, Moses put up with them. In fact, the Bible says that Moses “was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth” (Numbers 12:3 NLT). Yet there comes a point when enough is enough, and Moses was fed up. He couldn’t take it anymore.
That’s because the Israelites seemed to have a case of spiritual amnesia. They seemed to forget all that God had done for them and how He provided food for them every day, right outside their tent doors. God led them with fire by night and a cloud by day. He watched over them. He even parted the Red Sea for them.
But they had forgotten what God had done.
So when they were thirsty, they complained to Moses and said, “If only we had died in the Lord’s presence with our brothers! Why have you brought the congregation of the Lord’s people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, no figs, no grapes, no pomegranates, and no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:3–5 NLT).
So Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle to pray, and God gave them clear direction. He said to Moses, “You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water. You will provide enough water from the rock to satisfy the whole community and their livestock” (verse 8 NLT).
But Moses wasn’t in the mood to speak to some rock. He wanted to hit something. So after he and Aaron had called the people together, the Bible tells us that he “raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out” (verse 11 NLT).
Moses disobeyed God. What had God told him to do? He told him to speak to the rock. But due to his great anger, Moses hit the rock not once, but twice.
So God said, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” (verse 12 NLT). Moses would be on the outside, looking in.
God holds leaders to a high standard, and Moses didn’t do what God told him to do. Bad decisions bring bad consequences, and because of what Moses did, he wasn’t able to enter the Promised Land.
Moses did make it into the Promised Land ultimately. He didn’t lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, of course. But we find another record of Moses in the New Testament.
When Jesus was transfigured, Peter, James, and John were there, but the Bible also points out that two other people were with him as well: Elijah and Moses (see Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4). So in effect, Moses was in the Promised Land.
The right message told in the wrong way does about as much good as the wrong message given out.. yeah, that's what I'm thinkin'.
The right message of love told poorly is probably about as effective as sharing a poor message. Proclaim the living Christ the right way in love then you won't need to be concerned with it. Doin' my best, I commit the rest. Yes, be accurate in sharing the gospel, be clear, be joyful and enthusiastic in his enthusiasm.
What's worse than giving a bad presentation of an accurate message? Well, giving an inaccurate message out poorly. Please go do a simple study on Christ's mouth in the Bible -- what came from it, or what did not come from it. Jesus never sinned with his thoughts or words or attitude or deeds.
Rather than another don't do, don't do, don't say kinda message go look at Christ our prime Example.. He wants to give you a to-do list of what to say and how to say it. The Gospel with gentleness and respect.
Tell em about how wonderful Jesus has been to you. Tell em about the eyewitnesses that saw Christ after his physical resurrection -- over 500. Tell them how much God loves them today, how he has a good plan for them and for each person, how just and fair and kind and mercifully He is. Explain how there's a hell to avoid and a heaven to gain through faith in Christ, who is the Father's only provision for your sin and mine. Tell them how repentance and and faith can revolutionize their life, and how God delights to answer prayer. Theirs. Yours, so let's keep at it.
