What you say

What you say
James the half brother of Jesus and leader of the early church in Jerusalem writes,
“Not many of you should presume to be 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 keep his whole body in check. 
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,  but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 
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." James 3:1-10.
Here is a warning to anyone who would want to be or considers themselves to be teacher. That they will be judged more strictly.
James goes on to tell all believers in Christ to watch what they say. That out of their mouth can come praise to God and the cursing of men.
Over the years I’ve see way to many men and women claiming to be Christians condemning other faiths and lifestyles. Something Jesus never did.
I believe, believers in Christ Jesus have been given a sacred duty to proclaim the Love of God to all who will listen. To proclaim God’s saving grace to all mankind.
People however will not listen to you if you are speaking out against their faith or their lifestyle.
Jesus set for us an example. Jesus is recorded as sitting down with what the pharisees called “sinners and tax collectors” (Mark 2:16,17). People the pharisees rejected.
Sadly today there are many claiming to be Christians who by not “taming their tongue” are turning people away from Jesus. Potentially sentencing them to a Christless eternity.
While you might disagree with another persons faith or lifestyle we as Christians have no right to judge them. Billy Graham the great American evangelist said,

“It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict, 

God’s job to judge 

and 

my job to love, 

                     Billy Graham

As believers in Christ Jesus we need to watch what we say and reach out with the Love of God to all who will listen to us.
Please think about it.

Message from Miletus

Message from Miletus
The book of Acts records a meeting between the apostle Paul and the elders of the Ephesian church at Miletus. While the meeting is recording Paul’s last visit with the elders from Ephesus, there is within it a warning we in the twenty-first century church need to heed.
The book of Acts states,
“Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.  
Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.  
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.  
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 
“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:25-32.
Here Paul notes that he will never see the elders at Ephesus again. At the same time he points out that,
“Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
In other words Paul states he has done his duty to God by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ whenever he has had to opportunity.
As believers in Christ this something we should be able to say. That we have not hesitated to present the Gospel of Christ, the salvation message whenever we have had the opportunity to do so.
Paul however goes on to give a warning to the elders of Ephesus and through them to us, who are believers in the twenty-first century. He states, 
“I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  
Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  
So be on your guard!”
Matthew’s gospel quotes Jesus as saying,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. Matthew 7:15
It has been over two thousand years since Paul and Jesus gave us those warnings it however is a warning we today need to heed.
We live in a media filled world. A world where the truth can easily be twisted. It is very easy to string several scripture verses together and make them say something that is not true.
There are many men and women who use scripture for their own ill-gotten gains. To swindle people or lead them astray spiritually. Men and women who say they are of God but are not. That is why we must be on guard.
The Berean’s set the example for what we today need to do. The Book of Acts states that when Paul preached there,
“They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11.
Question:
If you claim to be a follower of Christ, when you hear an evangelist, preacher or other teacher of scripture are you examining the Scriptures to see if what they are saying is true?
Please think about it.