David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22); thus, he prayed “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD” (Psalm 19:14).  Controlling our thoughts and words is one of the most demanding, but essential endeavors we must pursue if we will be pleasing to God.  Certainly one leads to the other, for as Christ noted, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Mt. 12:34).

There are certain words that a Christian should never use.  God does not specify a list in the Bible because meanings of words in different languages and cultures change throughout time.  God’s word could not possibly list all the words that constitute profanity for all cultures for all time, but in principle the Bible gives some guidelines.  Christians are not to allow “corrupt communication” to proceed out of the mouth (Eph. 4:29).  These words are evil or corrupt in a moral sense.  We know what these words are, and the righteous will know what is acceptable to God (Prov. 10:32).  “Foolish talking and jesting” are also off limits (Eph. 5:4).  This would include stupid speech and vulgar, off-color jokes.  No filthy communication should come out of our mouths (Col. 3:8).  Any obscene speech that disregards social and moral standards is shameful.  A Christian should be ashamed to ever utter such language.

James 3:5 instructs us that the tongue, though a little member, can do great damage.  While many members of the Lord’s church would never use a curse word or tell a vulgar joke, gossip is so tempting and seems so innocent.  It is passed along many times without a second thought.  But it is a spreading fire and deadly poison (James 3:6, 8).   A church member by the name of Diotrephes wanted to put himself first (3 John 9).  Because he was power hungry, he resorted to verbally attacking the apostle John, “prating” against him with “malicious words” (3 John 10).  The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly” (Prov. 18:8).  We must be careful not to spread lies, even if we do not know it is a lie.  A “lying tongue” is one of the things the Lord hates (Prov. 6:17).  “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” are two others (Prov. 6:19).  What we must ask ourselves before we say anything is: Is it true?  Is it kind? Is it needed?

Since I will give an account of every word I choose to let out of my mouth in the Judgment, I must exercise extreme caution with my speech (Mt. 12:36).  It is wise for me to watch my mouth, because God certainly is.

-Mark Day

Last week a FedEx hub worker fell asleep in the process of loading an aircraft in Memphis, TN.  He woke up and was startled to find the plane was flying over Texas.  While the thought of this man mistakenly nodding off and travelling hundreds of miles unbeknownst to him is humorous, there is a sobering spiritual lesson that came to my mind when I heard this news.

Perhaps, we have all heard the adage: “sin will take you farther than you want to go and make you pay more than you want to owe.”  Sin surrounds us, and, if we are not alert, we can be lulled to a spiritual stupor where we no longer think sin is a big deal.  While today the world may look at things that were considered unthinkable 50 or 100 years ago as “no big deal,” God’s word is timeless.  Long after our short time on this earth is expired, if the world still stands, God’s word will still say the same as it always has regarding the works of darkness and light.

Consider Ephesians 5:3-14:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Christians are called to be awake and ever vigilant to the spiritual dangers the world poses.  If we do not keep our eyes out, we may well end up some place we never intended to be: in the place of God’s wrath.  Let our sleep come at the end of life’s day when we can rest in Jesus:

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him (1 Thessalonians 5:5-10).

-Mark Day

God never promised His people an earthly life without tears.  While many prophets wept for God’s people, Jeremiah’s tears were so frequent that he is known as the “weeping prophet.”  Jeremiah grew tired and heartbroken over the sinful people he was trying to teach. He wished for a lodging in the wilderness where he could get away from it all (Jeremiah 9:1-2).  He became so discouraged that he decided to quit preaching (Jeremiah 20:7-9).  However, God’s word was in his heart like a fire burning in his bones so he would not quit.  Jeremiah suffered severe persecution for his continual stand for the truth; while the false prophets were lauded, he was thrown into a dungeon and sunk down into the mire (Jeremiah 38:6).  When we consider the march toward sinfulness of people of Judah, Jeremiah had much to weep over, but he also had much that could cause him to rejoice.

Psalm 126:5 says, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”  While tears are shed because of pain, ironically they also provide healing for the soul.  Solomon said, “Sorrow is better than laughter; for by sadness of the countenance the heart is made better” (Ecclesiastes 7:3).  Jeremiah could look toward God who promises the faithful that He will wipe away all tears from their eyes (Revelation 21:4).  The captain of the Babylonian army when he attacked Jerusalem let Jeremiah go free (Jeremiah 39-40). While Jeremiah had to prophesy and then see the destruction of his own homeland (Jeremiah 44:2), he could look toward a better homeland in heaven (Hebrews 11:16).

While we can feel sorry for those who suffer various pains and persecutions as a result of living faithful Christian lives, we can also regard them as spiritually blessed.  Suffering causes people to desire heaven all the more.  It is not an easy lesson, but those lessons that are worth the most never are.  In this world we will have tribulation, but it is that tribulation that drives us to the one who can give us peace (John 16:33).  Suffering will drive us to our knees in prayer to God.  “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13).  It will drive us to read the Bible that we might benefit from “the comfort of the scriptures” (Romans 15:4).

If you are suffering, read the words of Jeremiah and draw strength from them.  Let the suffering you are enduring heighten your desire to go to heaven.  It is a long, arduous lesson to learn that to die and be with God is “far better” (Philippians 1:23), but it is what God is trying to teach every one of us.      -Mark Day

Recently I have been profitably engaged in reading a book called “Life, Letters, and Sermons of T.B. Larimore, by Mrs. T.B. Larimore”. Theophilus Brown Larimore (1843-1929) was a Gospel preacher and founder of Mars Hill School near Florence, Alabama which operated for 17 years. There were many men who graduated as faithful Gospel preachers from the school.

It is fascinating to read of his life as well as a few of the sermons he preached. It is amazing the Bible a person can learn from the writings of faithful Gospel preachers even though they have long gone on to their reward (“he being dead yet speaketh”).

In “Life, Letters and Sermons” there are a series of four sermons based on Matthew 16:13-20 entitled “The Rock.” In the fourth lesson, he has this to say about the church:

“No human institution has had to endure a thousandth part as much opposition as this divine spiritual institution has had to endure; no human institution could have endured a thousandth part of what the church of God has endured…Kingdoms may be founded, may flourish and may fall; but the church of Christ can never fall, can never fail. Atheism may assail, infidelity may sneer, skepticism may smile, and anxious hearts may fear for the safety of Zion; but Zion stands secure, backed by the promise of the great I AM that it shall never be destroyed, the literal, living, abiding fulfillment of the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ: “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The sun may be blotted out, the moon cease to reflect light, the stars may fall from the withering vault of night, and the heavens be rolled up like a scroll, the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds may come and the judgment day be set; but, when the angel of the Lord shall descend on pinions dipped in the lovelight enveloping the throne of God, and, planting one foot upon the land and one upon the sea, shall declare by Him who plants his footsteps upon the sea and rides upon the storm, that time was, time is, but time shall be no more – even then the church of Christ shall stand, secure as the throne of God itself: for our Saviour promised long ago, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it;” and Jehovah hath declared “it shall never be destroyed;” and the Holy Spirit, by the pen of Isaiah, the prophet, says: “The word of our God shall stand forever.” pp. 130-131.

How true and oh, how much does the world need to be taught and the people of God reminded of this fact. In a world where we wonder is anything certain, is anything sure, is there anything we can rely on? We need to remember and proclaim to the world that God is certain (Malachi 3:6), Christ is certain (Hebrews 13:8), the Word of God is certain (Matthew 24:35) and the church of Christ is certain.

-Jerry D. Sturgill