Seasoned Words and "Free Speech"

 

With the political climate being so negatively charged and each side hurling accusations at each other, I thought it beneficial and important to look at what Jesus and the Bible has to say about our speech. How are we to react to others in what we say and do, especially when there's so many lies being perpetuated by the media? I think you will find it surprising if not challenging, what the Bible says. 

No study of this subject is complete without looking at the book of James who was the brother of Jesus. In chapter one of  James, he warns us “If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart and that one’s religion is useless” (v26). What an indictment!  We don’t see too much bridling of the tongue these days in the media, on-line and even with Christians condemning each other. I was lambasted by a Christian author who told me that my previous article was a bunch of lies. I wrote the article from the point of view of two friends who attended the January 6th gathering at Washington DC. My intention was to tell the truth as told to me. Some called me a jerk,(they were not believers) some brave, others said that I was vindicated by several videos and articles that confirmed my words, but that is not the total point of why I am writing this article. I want to bring to light what the Bible encourages us to do as Christians, especially when we don’t agree with a brother or sister or with someone we don’t consider a follower of Christ.

 We can disagree with others, but it is how we use our tongue that is so important. Jesus does not want us to back down from the principles of the Word of God. He never spared words or tiptoed around the self-righteous or the power mongers. He called the Pharisees “a brood of vipers and white washed tombs” (Matthew 23:27). So any picture of an always meek and mild mannered God and man is just incorrect. He knew who to "sock it to" and who to show kindness and forgiveness. 

Jesus calls us to tame our tongue in dealing with the handling of truth and the body of Christ. This is no easy feat! James explains in chapter 3: “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” (v.2). James considers the person who can tame the tongue as perfect or complete. He knows how difficult a task this is for us. We will all fall in this area and say things that are unkind and hurt others, but we can apologize when necessary and must strive to control our tongue.

 James explains, “Even so the tongue is a little number and boasts great things. See how great of forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that is defiles a whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell” (v5-8).  Wow, that is some pronouncement on the evil of the tongue, and you can see it played out everyday on the news, in the media, on Facebook, twitter and the like.

 We should be wary not to let our tongue set us on fire against each other, especially those in the church. It would behoove us to practice greater self-control in this area and confess our sins to one another, especially when we attack another believer. We must be watchful and monitor what we say. This will take a lot of wisdom and self-control.  But it is something that is very necessarily, especially in the church today.

 We are admonished by James that our words are very important and should bring blessings. James continues on this topic. “But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and father, and with it we curse men who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” (v 9 to 10). Even though it is very difficult to do, we are encouraged to bless others, not curse them, especially when they irritate us, challenge our belief’s, and say hateful words. I pray for the woman who called me a liar and I must have said something to really annoy her, though I was trying to just tell the truth. We all look at truth a little differently, but we must strive to stay true to the truths of the Word of God.

 What we say and how we express our beliefs is very important to God. Our words can bring healing or they can bring death. We want to bring life and blessing to others not curses. So how can we do this, if James even admits “no man can tame the tongue”?  Only by surrendering to the Holy Spirit and putting on the “new self” can we be victorious. We don’t want to look like the world, but a different creature— one made in the image of God, filled with His Holy Spirit and His presence. So how do we do this practically?

 When we season our words with grace and walk-in wisdom from God, we will be on the right track. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sewn in peace by those who make peace” (v 17). We are encouraged to make peace, not to just keep the peace through compromising, but show others the way to peace with God. Those are the peace makers. We don’t insist on our way, but we show others the way to God and Jesus. We lead and guide. We challenge and love. We sew righteousness and peace. We surrender our lives wholly to God.

 I don’t know about you, but that is a very tall order, especially when we as Americans and particularly New Yorkers, are known to speak our mind. We have the right to “freedom of speech,” but this privilege should not be abused. We as Christians should show the world what it is to truly love one another with what we say and do and not be at each other’s throats or condemning. Be mindful of what we say. Think before we speak. Weigh the impact of our words before we say or write them. I’m speaking for myself as much as anyone else out there. I want to speak truth and life, but I must do it in a way that doesn’t tear down another, but challenges them to see truth. Though it may seem impossible, we know that all things are possible with God!

 I'd like to close with a  verse which sheds light on how we should interact with others in our speech. It is a verse I have chosen to mediate upon on Tuesdays, which is today. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). This verse sums it up as to how we are to live. Mindful of the life of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit living in us, nothing will be impossible. Even taming our tongue.

 Dear Father,

Please give us the wisdom, self-control and ability to speak words of healing and blessing over the Body of Christ and the nation. In the name of Jesus Amen.

 

 

Serendipity or God's Will?

 

It was a beautiful day in Lake George and I was enjoying the water and the copious sunshine. My  son and grand children were on the beach, while I was enjoying time in the water. While I was splashing around, I overheard a conversation that piqued my interest. I wandered over, listened then joined in a political discussion. At the end I stated , " I believe one of the most important things is to pray." Totally unexpected, the pretty blond raised her hand in a high five.

A long conversation ensued about both our political and spiritual view points. She too believes that our country is in dire need of prayer and repentance. As a leader of  a faith based program, "Celebrate Recovery", she has seen the devastation drugs and alcohol, along with poor parenting, focus on material possession, low self esteem, self-centered culture, violence and godlessness that our society has embraced. You may not think all of those issues are related to drug use, but they are. Just dig a little deeper and get the big picture. 

Though we didn't discuss all these topics we did talk about prodigal children and their struggles with several of these problems. My son happened to return to the water and I called him over and introduced them. He had attended Transformation Life Center, a Christian rehab, and they discussed that for a while with my new friend, Maureen. She knew all the right questions to ask and they spoke for almost ten minutes When they closed the conversation, as he walked back to his children, I suggested we pray. Right there in the middle of beautiful Lake George, we lifted our hearts to God concerning our children and all the prodigals that wandered away from the faith. Afterwards, we parted.

I was so struck by the whole incident--meeting a Bible believing, prayer warrior Christian, right smack dab in the middle of the Adirondacks. Yet an even greater surprise occurred that evening. The family had opted to attend the free barbecue that the hotel was offering, so I cancelled our reservations for the Boat Club. As I was munching on my burger, I turned around and saw Maureen. Surprised, I walked over to her table. Sitting there was an acquaintance of mine I hadn't seen in about fifteen years. Totally shocked, I called over to my husband and he didn't recognize her because it had been so long, but I did. We reconnected and chatted. She too was a Christian and facing some difficult issues. her father had just passed away and she was very close to him. I knew him as I was also friends with her two brothers and one of her brothers had lived around the corner from my husband and I. Sue, my former friend, knew Maureen and attended the same church. I gave her my phone number and I hope she will call.

The next day, as I pondered these events, it confirmed that God's timing is perfect. This hotel had no vacancies on the night the two woman stayed and so they must have pre-booked it as we had. The beach we met on was a private beach with only the hotel guests. We had planned not to be there at that time as I had made early dinner reservations, but then I saw the hotel offered the free barbecue, so we cancelled our original plans. All of this served as a reminder of God's sovereignty. If I hadn't cancelled, I would have missed out on three great blessings--meeting Maureen, praying with her, and reacquainting with an old friend. You may call it chance or serendipity, but I call it the hand of God guiding us towards His will!

Warning: A Lesson to Be Learned

The time of justice is drawing nigh. It is racing towards us like a herd of stampeding stallions neighing and thundering destruction with the pounding of their hooves. The earth shakes with their approach. Time is speeding up as lives are crammed with more and more things to do and own. The love of gold, pleasure and power has driven many into the herd. Our actions have swept many into a lifestyle of destruction.

The prophets of the Old Testament warned Israel of her impending demise. Inspired by God, Ezekiel spoke these words, “The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. I will not look on you with pity or spare you” (Ezekiel 7:3-4). God judged Israel for her “detestable practices” such as child sacrifice, worshipping other gods, arrogance, love of gold and hardness of heart toward God and His ways. More and more, America reminds me of Israel. Not to say there aren’t pockets of true believers, there are. I believe they are part of why God has not judged us yet as a nation, but as the prevailing society becomes less tolerant of Christianity, we hover closer to the end.

As I write this, New York state is considering a bill that would “dehumanize” the unborn. A law which states that a fetus is not “viable” till it is born, opens up the door to not only late term abortion, but no rights of protection for them until the day of their birth. The consequences could be chilling. Already, millions of abortions have been performed in America since the Roe v. Wade case, though there has been a slight decline lately. With a law like this, the language is trying to convince Americans that the unborn are not human even at nine months old! This practice is surely detestable in God’s eyes. Even the Native Americans, who some wrongfully viewed as savages, knew that a child was human from its inception. When an infant was born, they considered it a year old.

Yet abortion is only one of the evils that have permeated our society. What of the rise of adult and child photography, sex trafficking, school shootings, opioid addictions, alcoholism, murders, idolatry (worshipping other gods) and kidnapping? The statistics for internet pornography are staggering. Every second twenty-eight people view pornography and over $3,000 is spent every second. Many marriages are destroyed because of this evil and people’s lives ruined. And what about the growing number of deaths due to drugs? In 2018 over 72,000 people died from opioid overdoses and it has become the number one cause of death. We are losing our youth to addictions of all kinds. Here’s another evil. Sex trafficking around the world is the fastest growing criminal enterprise with forty million people being traded around the world against their will every year! These statistics are sobering and illustrate the demoralized state of our country and the world. (I could go on, but the point of this article is to wake you up to a spiritual reality, not depress you.)

God judged Israel for sins less than these. He declared, “The day is here. It has come. Doom has burst forth as a rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed” (Ezekiel 4). God was judging Israel for arrogance? Yes. Well there is a plentiful crop of that here in America, especially in New York. Just the other day I received an e-mail about a comic strip series DC comic is about to publish. The super hero, based on a sun god, saves the day, while his blundering side kick, Jesus Christ, is made out to be a fool! How more arrogant and blasphemous can you get?

Before you think God will not judge America because of our Christian heritage, learn a lesson from history. Israel had been the apple of God’s eye, but He allowed and actually called for its destruction because of Israel’s despicable ways. Jerusalem and the surrounding lands laid waste for hundreds of years, occupied by jackals and wandering nomads. If America and the church continues this downward spiral we are in eminent danger. So is all lost for the fate of Americans? Absolutely not!

It’s never too late while you still have life. Repentance is key, even though it might appear to be a message like the sidewalk prophets in New York City who preach doom and gloom unless you repent. There’s nothing wrong with the message, it’s just the way they deliver it. Repentance and change are still sorely needed. Just look at the state of our country and you will know it’s true—families in disarray, rebellious teens, mental illness on the rise, an opioid crisis, gun violence, the rise of pornography and so one.  Yet is it only the unbeliever who must repent? No. Churchgoing Americans need to take a look at the spiritual state of their soul.

 In Israel, like America, the church had been diluted with man made rules and a form of religion that was void of God and His ways. God judged all of Israel and allowed the temple to be defiled because of their great sin of idolatry and pride. “I will put an end to the pride of the mighty and their sanctuaries will be desecrated” (Ezekiel 7:24b).  Though the Babylonians desecrated the temple in Jerusalem, by destroying it and removing all the precious items, the Israelites and the priests had already defiled the temple by their practices. “With their backs to the temple of the Lord and their faces to the east, they were bowing down to the sun” (sound familiar? Eastern mysticism, nature worshippers, animists etc.…) (Ezekiel 8: 16).

We have allowed God’s church in America to be defiled by participating in the same sins as the world: abortion, divorce, pornography, fornication (sex outside of marriage), adultery (sex with someone else's partner) etc. Perhaps we have not participated in these evils, but if we are part and parcel of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, slothfulness and wrath then a cleansing in our temple is in order. Repentance, which simply means to turn away from our sin and follow God and His ways, is sorely needed. We are most fortunate; while we have breath, there is still time for us.  

What is needed? For some a complete turnaround, for others a softening of the heart, surrendering to God’s will, reading our Bibles on a daily basis and prayer, just to name a few. Let’s just look at two key practices for now: Bible reading and prayer. Lifeway Research did a study and discovered that only one in five church goers read their Bible daily and one in five never read it. Only 45% read it once a week. This has made for Bible illiteracy. If you don’t read the Bible you don’t know the truth. You won’t be able to guide your life by biblical principles. You can easily be swayed on important moral issues and navigate over to a nonbiblical world view. How about prayer? According to a different Life Way study, the number one problem in evangelical churches today is a lack of personal, fervent prayer on an ongoing basis. Jesus himself called his church “A house of Prayer,” but ours have grown cold and dispassionate. So the solution? “Whoever would love his life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil (what God calls evil, not the world) and do good” (I Peter 10-11).

So what is good? Read my next post to find out.

Heaven Calling

Here are a few excerpts from my work in progress, Heaven Calling. It will be a daily devotional. I'd love your input.

“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9).

There are times in your Christian walk that you will stand alone, but you will not be abandoned. Others may desert you, evil may pursue you, men oppress you and darkness may engulf you, yet I will stand by you. Call out to Me and you will feel the brush of my garment passing by. Run to Me and you will feel My embrace. Trust in Me and I will be your refuge. Though all else fail you, I will be your strong tower. I will encompass you with My peace and joy. Lean on Me, for my stone walls are steadfast. They will not collapse or crumble.

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5).

When humanity leans on themselves and relies not on Me, they become self-centered. This leads to a rebellious and autonomous spirit, which promotes self. The world can be a cruel and harsh place with self on the throne. This should not be the way of My followers who yield to the Holy Spirit. Their gentle spirit demonstrates that I am on the throne of their life. Do not mistake this for timidity. A gentle, kind spirit is a powerful force. It can break the yokes of poverty, hatred, cruelty, ignorance and injustice. Show forth the spirit of gentleness and someday you will rule and reign with Me in heavenly places.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matt 19:26.

Never look on someone and say, “It is impossible for that person to be saved.” You look at appearances, on the outside; I look inward into the heart. I know how to reach down into the soul of man and till the sod of their hardened hearts. I know how to strip them of their pomp and their splendor and expose their pride. I know how to lift those stuck in a deep pit. I know who will and will not respond to Me. I can save whom I want to save. This is the impossibility I speak about to you. I will accomplish My will, and I offer you a part in My glorious plan of redemption. Now go and sow the seeds of faith wherever our foot treads and “believe all things are possible.”

What God Wants

I recently heard a very good teaching about an issue that had confused me. For years I wondered why God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s. Was it because Abel offered sheep and Cain only plants? I don’t think God didn’t like His vegetables, but all kidding aside, I think that has very little to do with it. Pastor Lloyd Pulley on The Bridge Radio station recently shed some light on the subject. Mr. Pulley stated that he believed that Cain offered God what he (Cain) wanted to give rather than what God wanted, while Abel offered what God wanted. Therefore, Cain represented man doing religion his way and Abel doing it God’s way. He went on to explain that many religions today are empty because they follow man’s ways and traditions as opposed to a real relationship with God. Being of a similar belief that a relationship with God is central, this got me thinking—what does the average person think God wants? I think a lot of people would probably cite the Ten Commandments and many others the Golden Rule, but I thought immediately of the verse in Deuteronomy 10:12. "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul (NASB). I believe this encompasses much of what wants, but it’s very open ended: for example, walking in His ways. You can’t know all the ways of a person unless you know them. The same for God. Of course God’s Word, The Bible, shows us His ways, but the law is filled with a lot of practices we no longer need to continue because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, like sacrificing animals. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, and He ended the need for continual sacrifice. So how do we know how to walk in God’s ways? The verse above gives us a clue. First we need to fear Him, not be afraid, but reverence Him; something our culture is NOT —reverent. Reverence for someone entails a healthy respect and a dash of awe. All I need to do is look at a sunset or study a flower and I’m in awe of God. My reverence is born out of my relationship with Him as I see how amazing He is, the depth of His mercy and grace along with His incomparable love. His love for me deepens my love for Him. But there’s another aspect to love—obedience. If I truly love Him, I will obey Him. Obey what? His commands. Yes, but Jesus went beyond the Ten Commandments to the Golden Rule of loving God with all your heart, soul and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. That’s a tall order, but if the Spirit of God is living in you, He will give you the ability to do what God wants and go beyond our human abilities. Then there’s turning the other cheek. How can we obey that mandate when some jerk cuts us off? Oops, I mean fellow commuter. Anyway, only a deep relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit can help us love our fellow man or woman to the extent God wants. Forgiving and caring for our neighbor is also a big part of this tall order that the Spirit can help us fulfill. Just think about how many times a day Jesus suggest we forgive another 70 times 7. I believe that doesn’t literally mean 490 times, but it’s a calculation that would have been considered unattainable or limitless. Marriage is a good one for exercising this privilege of forgiving. It’s a privilege because it shows us how much God forgave us, and it’s what He wants us to do for others. It also demonstrates our gratitude for how much God forgave us. So it’s not hard to see that doing religion God’s way requires that we have an abiding relationship with Him. When you know and respect God, you will want to please Him. That’s doing religion the way God wants instead of our own way. At that’s what I want to be Able to do. Now I understand why Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t acceptable; it was half-hearted, not the best or the first,but the last like leftovers. And God wants our all, our very best.

Poem: The Cross Over

Here's a poem I wrote, then lost when my computer crashed and I rewrote it a little differently. (It forms a cross, but it doesn't work that way on this blog.)


The Cross Over
by Anita Estes
The frozen waste land
relinquishes its icy grip
to the seasons of earth—
with softened clod of spring.
Seeds planted in tilled soil
of both heart and soul that
spring forth with new life.
Faith grows like potatoes
hidden in the ground
beneath our toes, as
Love stretched out His arms this wide and showed humanity the path of flesh to God. Bridging the gap between celestial shores and the feet of clay in which He fashioned us.Then called us into this new life with Christ
Walking across the spanned
bridge, man makes the--
leap, as bloody footsteps
lead the way across the
pierced path,while winged
feet fly, as angels
wings bring us heavenward
beyond reason and rhyme or
man’s intellectual probing,
to the celestial sphere,
where eyes behold what
the pupil cannot see.

The seed was planted in
times and times again.
Yet soil softened with
the spring rains… can
become hardened with
the heat of summer’s
baked clay. Birds can
steal seed and gusts
blow it away, but one
good seed will provide
enough food for many
days, or will the snake
slither and steal this
seed away? Or will the
farmer's hoe pat it down
beneath fertile soil
of a regenerated heart,
Resurrected to a new
and living way?

A Christian Response to the Plunging Stock Market

By now everyone who follows the economy knows the Dow dropped over 600 points today after the United States lost its AAA financial rating the other day. It’s alarming news for our country, but it shouldn’t be surprising. Why? First, anyone who has a household to run who has followed the last couple of years debt unmanagement knows that you can only mismanage an economy for so long before the leaks start spring all over. I won’t get into finger pointing. I’ll leave that to the political commentators. But am I concerned? Yes, for the thousands who have been duped by our society’s misguided values of more, more, and more and for those who have lost and will lose their jobs. What should be the Christian response?

Concern for others and care for those in the need should be one response. The gospels are full of examples of Jesus reaching out to the poor and needy. He tells us in Matthew 10:42, “ And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” A cup of water is sometimes a compassionate word or a simple action of giving what you have. The Proverbs 31 woman is held in esteem for “she opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”

But would Jesus stop there? I don’t thinks so. I believe He would go on and reiterate statements from both the Old and New testaments…words from David such as “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God” (Psalm 42:11). These are uncertain times, and we certainly need to put our hope in God and not in nations. To do so, we need to keep our thoughts from plunging into the abyss like the Dow. How can we do that? By thinking on things that encourage us such as “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord, he is their stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 37:39). Nations and governments do not save us. Only God can, but how is God a stronghold?

When we hold onto the Word of God, it will strengthen us and allay our fears. As we come to trust Him, the things of the world lose their pull and we become concerned over more important issues that concern God, like loving our neighbor, serving others (rather than just ourselves) and obeying Him. We need to train our minds to think on good things that show us God’s character and what will help us overcome the kingdom of self.
One of my favorite verses is “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not onto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him” (Proverbs 3:6). Trusting God when things aren’t going my way is always a challenge, but this verse shows me how. I don’t need to rely on human wisdom, but on godly wisdom from above. Indeed, these are times that test our ability to trust God and not rely on what we see—the slow demise of a once great nation.

Am I being fatalistic with this remark? I think not. It would be foolish for me to bury my head and say, “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right.” Things in the world will not be all right. They’re getting worse, but if we put our hope in God we can “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

This is indeed a time for us to pray. Pray for our nation, for our economy, for people to know that there is a God who knows and cares... but does not trespass our will. We have free will and can either choose to follow God’s ways or not. Obviously, many Americans have chosen not to or are ignorant of godly principles. People need to understand that we were indeed founded on Christian principles. Because some are trying to erase these from the face of America, the moral fabric of our society is unraveling. This weakens the fabric and gives rise to all manner of evil: pride, greed, lust, self indulgence, lack of self-control and a host of other evils which are slowly overtaking our land.

I know that complex issues contributed to the plunge in the Dow, but I believe the root causes are those mentioned above: pride, greed, independence from God and His ways. The solution? It’s outlined in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Recognize we need God, humble ourselves and pray. Seek his face. Turn from our wicked ways. Then God will hear from heaven and heal our land. Our land is suffering now. May we use this time to pray. That’s my advice to you, America. Maybe we can forestall complete collapse.