Date: 1/26/2010
<br>Author: Devin
<br>Title: Blessings and Cursings
<br><br>January 27, 2010<br><br><br>“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.  My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?  Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.” (James 3:9-12)<br><br>The longer I live, the more amazed I become at the reliability, accuracy, and relevancy of God's Word.  It continues to solidify my belief that the Bible is eternal and that the precepts and promises found therein are truly for all generations until the end of time.  I am also in constant amazement at how little mankind has changed in lo these many thousands of years since Adam was formed from the dust of the earth by the hands of God.  In Matthew 23, Jesus proclaims what many call the “Seven Woes”.  These 7 proclamations are primarily directed at the hypocrisy of the first century Pharisees.  The Pharisees were the early version of the “Bertha-better-than-yous” of the Church.  Legalism and judgmentalism were their badges of honor which they wore proudly.  In Matthew 23:3, Jesus encourages his listeners to not be like those who sit in the seat of Moses “for they do not practice what they preach”.  He also says that the Pharisees “neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Mt 23:23),  and that “on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness”.  (Mt 23:28)  These words don't exactly sound like a pat on the back, huh?     <br><br>Amazement continues to be my constant reaction regarding the dialogue that many “Christians” (I put that in quotes for a reason) have regarding some of their brothers and sisters in Christ.  In times both recent and past, I have known of people who proudly wear the name of Christ Jesus in a very public way and claim to follow his statutes but yet all the while they are in a continual mode of having both “praise and cursing” coming out of their “Christian” mouth.  This is obviously not a problem new to those who inhabit the Lord's Kingdom.  If you notice, James, in the verse at the top of the page, was speaking to “brothers” ..... meaning brothers in Christ or fellow Christians.  Paul wrote in Titus 3:2 that we are to “speak evil of no man”, or as the NIV says, “slander no one”.  Jesus said in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned”.  I think it's safe to say that God takes very seriously the things we have to say about others ..... whether they be positive, uplifting things or ugly, mean-spirited, hateful negative things.  How can we speak in defense of all the Biblical truths for which we stand and in the very same conversation rail upon a fellow believer who is not present to defend themselves? (see Matthew 5:23-24 and 18:15)  Sounds like salt water and fresh water to me.<br><br>“But I tell you that men will have to give an account on the day of judgment for EVERY CARELESS WORD (emphasis mine) they have spoken”. (Mt 12:36)  Remember, God is listening ..... and he doesn't miss a word.<br><br><br>Go the extra mile - Devin<br><br>