Speech Lessons: Learning God's Language

Genuine faith involves controlling our tongue, because words can do great damage. And James 3:1-12 is a reminder of this truth.

 

The first verse talks about higher standards for teachers because their words have greater influence. 

Then James admits that we all “stumble.” 

How do people stumble with their tongues:

By sharing lies, half-truths, gossip, and slander. 

By flattering or misleading someone. 

With boasting, angry rants, and hateful statements. 

By remaining quiet when we should speak up. 

 

James 3:3-6 goes on to remind us that small things can have enormous consequences. Lighting a small match can set an entire forest ablaze and a few short sentences can light or extinguish an argument.

 
As our love and dependence for God grows, so should our ability to speak truth graciously, honestly, and unashamedly (Romans 12:2).

 

That's why it's good to periodically examine our speech and ponder the strong teachings of Scripture so we can continually grow more faithful in our speech. 

 

So please consider reading at least one of the additional 1-minute devotions below. And please take a few minutes to carefully and prayerfully read the passages below.

 

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Devotions: 
Seasoned with Salt 

Do You Know What Makes a Fool Look Wise?

Is It Just My Imagination, or Is “Rude” the New Normal?  

 

 

Don't be a blabbermouth! 

Proverbs 10:19-21: Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. The words of the godly encourage many,  but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

 

Consider how your words might encourage a friend going through difficulty. 

Proverbs 12:25: Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.

Proverbs 16:24: Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

 

Never forget this important warning. 

Matthew 12:34-37: You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

 

 

 

 

Scrape…Scrape…Scrape, Feeling Invisible

Scraping…scraping…and more scraping…

When we lived in Hungary, I often studied and wrote on the second floor of a small restaurant with a view overlooking a busy Budapest utca (street). One afternoon, I gazed out the window to see a man scraping dirty light poles along the sidewalk.

 

People clutter these poles by gluing fliers on them advertising special events, rental flats, and other items. I'd never thought that someone would have a job with the city scraping old flyers off the poles. But from the window I could see this man doing it.

Scraping…scraping…and more scraping…He cleaned one pole after another while people walked past him as if he were invisible. 

Have you ever felt unappreciated when doing the same chores or performing the same duties day after day, week after week? 

 

We may not be scraping poles in a downtown city street, but many things in life can seem thankless, repetitive, and monotonous. That's when we need to embrace the message of Colossians 3:23-24:


“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” 

And this applies to everything, not simply our work:

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 

 

Whenever we focus on our Lord, we can find meaning and purpose in menial tasks. For example, we can pray while doing them, making the time especially worthwhile! 

 

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For more insights on this subject, see Cleaning Bathrooms and Servant Evangelists. 

If you aren't a subscriber, why not add some more of God's Word to your schedule by having a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday. Sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes HERE.

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Our Strongest Heritage Is Not Bloodline, Country, Race, or Culture

I've lived all over the U.S., from California to New Jersey, Florida to North Dakota. I've also lived four years in Germany and five years in Hungary. And I've learned that most people think their country, region, race, culture, or subculture is the best.

There's nothing wrong with this...

unless it divides us, makes us feel superior, makes us insensitive to others, or makes us prideful.

Being a Christ-follower is our most important heritage, and the family of God, which is multi-cultural and multiracial, is our most important family. 

God's family is also multi-denominational. By that I mean that genuine Bible-believing denominations have different views about non-essential beliefs, and we shouldn't let these differences divide us.*

If we let our denomination, earthly heritage, family, income, education, country, race, or culture divide us from other genuine believers, we're grieving the Holy Spirit (James 2:1-9).

“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” should be the character traits of God's family (Galatians 5:22-23).

We must love the unsaved and seek to share the gospel with them, but we must remember that the saved are our true family, deserving of our deepest loyalty. 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

We must give up anything and everything that negatively affects our love for the family of God. We must reject cultural anti-Christian stereotypes. We must speak up and defend those who are unfairly criticized for speaking God's Word.

Why? Because Jesus is our true home, and the family of believers is our true family.

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For more inspiration on this subject, see Are You Sticking Up for Your Family? and Did You Know Your Brother Is a Songwriter?

* We do not compromise on essential beliefs: Genuine believers oppose any denomination that denies God's Word is perfect, inerrant, and eternal. We believe that some Old Testament commands were for a specific group or time in history, but all New Testament commands are loving, applicable, and unchanging. See Understanding the Law. 

We believe Jesus is fully God and part of the Trinity, one God in three persons. See Don't Claim You Understand the Trinity. That's why we don't have Christian fellowship with Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. See Articles on Mormonism. Jesus is the only way of salvation, and we must accept His offer of forgiveness and follow Him to be saved. See Eternal Life as one resource to help explain this truth to others. 

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When Your Challenges Seem Overwhelming

This last year has brought me and my husband enormous challenges of all sorts, more than we’ve ever experienced in such a short time before. 

I know other Christians are also dealing with increasing trials and testing.

Why does God sometimes allow life to come at us so hard?

I don’t pretend to know all the answers, but 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 

This doesn’t mean we need to be thankful for all circumstances. But because we have the Lord, we can be thankful in all circumstances, knowing difficulties can build our faith. If we love God and seek His purposes, He promises to use our hardship for good:

“We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 

If you’re facing increasing challenges, join me in reading, reciting, and memorizing passages like those below:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

God's Word is alive and powerful, giving us wisdom to persevere (Hebrews 4:12; Romans 12:12). 

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For more encouragement, see We're More Than Overcomers! 

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The World's Definition of Loving Others and God's Definition

Loving God and loving others sums up the entire gospel (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
 

Loving God means obeying God's commands. And loving others as ourselves also means obeying God's commands. It means being gracious, forgiving, considerate, helpful, honest, and kind (Ephesians 4:32). 
 

It applies to crime: If you don’t want someone stealing from you, you don’t steal from them (Mark 10:19).
 

It applies to marriage: If you don’t want your spouse cheating on you, you don’t cheat on your spouse (Romans 13:8-10).
 

It applies to abortion: If you wouldn’t give up your life to make things convenient for another person, you don’t expect your unborn child to give up theirs for your convenience (Exodus 20:13).
 

It applies to the gospel: If you would want someone to confront you and warn you of Hell, you’ll confront others and warn them of Hell (Romans 1:16). 
 

Culture wants us to see this second commandment upside down. 

 

They want us to believe that loving others means approving their behavior, no matter what they believe or how they live. They want us to rejoice with those living lifestyles that damage their souls. They want us to see all religions as good, even when they mock our God and lead their followers to Hell. 

 
That’s the world’s definition of loving your neighbor, not God’s. 

  
Let’s follow God, not man.

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To address a similar misunderstanding, see Do We Really Need to Love Ourselves before We Can Love Others? 

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Mary Was Promised Soul-Piercing Pain & Incredible Joy

After Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple to fulfill the purification rites required by the law (Luke 2:22-35). 

While there, the Holy Spirit came upon a righteous man named Simeon and he prophesied that Jesus would be God's salvation, a light to all nations. What joy Mary and Joseph must have felt. But Simeon went on to say that many would oppose Christ. Turning to Mary, he said, “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 

Their baby was the long-awaited Savior whose words and purposes would bring Him rejection and suffering. And their love for Jesus would bring them soul-piercing pain. 

When we love Jesus, we also become vulnerable to ridicule, scorn, and Satan's attacks, sometimes even soul-piercing pain. This is especially true in our current anti-Christian, pro-Muslim, pro-liberal world, where Scripture is increasingly defined as hate speech (source, source). 

We are warned of this in 2 Timothy 2:3, 2 Timothy 3:12-13, Philippians 1:27-30, 1 Peter 2:20-21, and 1 Peter 4:12-16.

But like Mary and Joseph, we also experience incredible joy and eternal rewards. So let's stand firm with Jesus against our godless culture, reminding ourselves:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” Matthew 5:11-12

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For more encouragement, read about some Christians who have given much and been blessed beyond measure: Divine Appointment in Timbuktu! and Alone in a Foreign Land: "Don't Give Up!"

Check out the Wisdom for Life devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. 

You can also sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes. Find out more HERE.

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The Most Important Thing to Do on Christmas Day

Let me encourage you to do something important on Christmas Day. 

It's so easy, during the holidays, to get completely caught up in the flurry of shopping, decorating, meal planning, baking, travel arrangements, guest preparations, etc.

But it's so important to find a quiet spot to sneak away, even if it's only for 5-10 minutes, to talk to Jesus on His birthday, to ponder the importance of His coming to save those who believe and follow Him.

Christmas is a perfect day to read Luke 2:1-20 and consider the miracles involved in Christ's birth. Consider how the shepherds must have felt when the angel told them of Christ's birth and a large group of angels began praising God. And consider the faith of the shepherds. (See Unto Us.) 

Then read Philippians 2:5-11 and consider the humility and sacrifice of Christ—God becoming man to save us.

Finally, read Revelation 19:11-16 and consider the strength, justice, righteousness, and power of our Lord when He comes again. This gives us a side of Christ we rarely consider. Yes, He is the humble shepherd, but He is also the valiant warrior of our faith. (See Jesus Will Overthrow Him with a Breath.)

Let's never forget that Christ's birth is like no other birth.  

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Why Hugs Tell Us Something About Our Wonderful Creator

Oxytocin is a hormone God created to bless us. It's released during sexual intimacy but also in friendly hugs, kisses, pats on the back, and even when we pet our dog. But it does more than enhance our relationships. It also:

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  Increases generosity, empathy, and trust
• Reduces fear, stress, depression, and physical pain
• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves sleep

It’s good for us physically and emotionally.

I am fascinated by the complex, specific ways God has created our bodies for friendship, family pets, love, marriage, and parenthood (John 1:1-3). Oxytocin is not an accident of evolution but a part of God’s intelligent, loving design.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 KJV

It's an indication that we are designed for community, meant to interact with other human beings, not simply on social networks, but face-to-face. It means we need each other to be healthy.

Even though humans seriously misuse God's blessings, let's rejoice in their healthy and purposeful use. I appreciate the way friendly hugs are often part of Christian fellowship.

Let's remember to thank God for all the little blessings in His creation and never take them for granted.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us” 1 John 3:1 KJV

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You might also enjoy Dogs Tell Us Something About Our God and 6 Benefits of Kissing Our Spouse.

Resources: Oxytocin – Harvard Health; 6 Interesting Effects of Oxytocin 

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If you aren't a Bible Love Notes subscriber...why not? Why not add some more of God's Word to your schedule by having a one-minute devotion like this one delivered to your email each weekday. Sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes HERE.

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The Rise of Mini-Crimes Among Middle-Class Americans

In the article “The United States of Fraud,” the author explains that many Americans are committing mini-crimes: cheating on self-checkouts, returning used clothing, shoplifting small specialty items, stealing small items from their employers, etc.

 

These people, who are otherwise law-abiding citizens, see their mini-crimes as “Robin Hood” acts, stealing from the rich to give to the poor (i.e., themselves). They think big businesses and rich people owe them something.

 
This sentence in the article spoke volumes: “Human beings are hardwired for fairness, and when we see an injustice, we instinctively want to rectify it.” 

Not true. These acts aren't about justice or fairness.

Humans are born with a conscience, demonstrating “that God’s law is written in their hearts” (Romans 2:15). When people justify selfish mini-crimes, they prove they've lost that conscience and changed their view of good and evil. 

 

They're driven by worldly passions and desires, and “love for the Father is not in them” (1 John 2:15-17). 

Instead of doing what’s right, they do what’s personally beneficial, judging big corporations for injustice while committing injustice themselves.
 

Don’t let any of these lies entrap you, dear Christians. Maintain your conscience by standing firm on biblical truth and personal integrity. If you are born of God, you'll be faithful in both the little and the big areas: 

 

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10

 

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For more on this important subject, see Can We Afford It? and Saved by Shoplifting. 

 

A perfect way to improve your biblical discernment. 

 

Lies in Disguise, available: 

From the publisher—Lies in Disguise.  

On Amazon. 

And in the UK—CLC-UK or Eden UK.

 

 

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Why Genuine Believers Are Like Palm Trees

Palm trees are unique. They're resilient, have a long lifespan, and they're very fruitful.

No wonder Psalm 92 says: 

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (vv. 12-14). 

I especially like the part about bearing fruit in old age since I'm in my 70s. And verse 15 adds some additional insights:

“They are living memorials to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (v. 15 AMP).

Romans 12:1-2 helps us further understand our role as “living memorials.”

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In response to Christ's wonderful, merciful love we dedicate ourselves to His purposes in our lives. 

Let's make sure we are drawing our nourishment from God's Word, prayer, and godly fellowship so we can become resilient, fruitful palms.

For a short Bible study on this devotion, check out today's Bite Size Bible Study HERE.

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I also encourage you to read these one-minute devotions: 

4 Benefits of Reading the Psalms

Taking Our Emotions to the Lord in Psalms

 

And to read more about the unique nature of the palm tree, see The Palm-Tree: Fruitful to a Great Age.  

 

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