Stop! Listen. Do you hear that? There are words everywhere. There are people on cell phones and land-line phones. There are people screaming and some speaking softly. There are words being uttered in languages known and unknown to us. Listen; listen to the words that are being put in the atmosphere never to return. Promises are being made and vows are broken with words. Life is being advanced and death encouraged all with what comes from the mouth – words.
This is why the Scripture is careful to point out the significance of words. You see, there are many that use words as a mere covers for what is actually going on in the heart. With words lies are being told that need not be told. For instance, there are many that say that they love God however their actions are far from loving. Jesus points this out in Mark 7:6 with the words, “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” This is to say that they profess God with all the words they can muster yet the reality is that there is no love for God at all. Such people need to be very careful what comes from their mouths in that it is very dangerous to profess one thing while living another.
James was one that clearly understood what words could do. In chapter one of the epistle the words “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain” are found in verse twenty-six. This was written because so many that count themselves as followers of God find it impossible to carefully choose their words. Excuses are made on every hand because of the lack of discipline in controlling the unruly member we call the tongue.
It becomes abundantly clear that Christians need to be able to control what comes out of their mouths. This is because it is not what goes into a man that defiles him rather that which comes out of him (Matthew 15:11). Yet many choose to use their mouths to put down others, lie on friends, neighbors and family, slander and even use expletives even while they count themselves as Christians. Well, let it be said that those that act in such a manner have deceived themselves. The unbridled tongue of such people is a clear mark of the hypocrisy born deep within them. This is a dangerous place to be because James clearly shows that the religion, or worship, of such people is null and void.
And still the mouths of ungodly people purport promises in which there is no intent to follow through. Promises to return phone calls or letters go unmet. Promises to make purchases are made only for the good feeling of the moment. Marital vows are broken for reasons that fall far short of good reason. And all this is done with uttered words. Words; with our mouths much is made with them yet all too often there is no follow through. There is no action taken. The words then cause one’s entire life to become vain because the religion of one that cannot control an untruthful tongue is vain.
The fact of the matter is that words do matter. They matter when there are corresponding works and they matter where there are no works. This is why it is better to be quiet (I Thessalonians 4:11) than to open one’s mouth wide with devastating results.
Some might recall my experience with Subway last year on Veteran’s Day. In Baltimore I visited eight Subway stores anticipating that the organization would honour its promise of providing a six inch sub sandwich to veterans. To My dismay and chagrin neither of the stores in the downtown Baltimore area provided me that sandwich. I was more troubled that a professional letter of inquiry was sent to Subway’s corporate offices soon after the event in November of last year and to date Subway has yet to respond to me. I said it then and I say now, shame on Subway.
In light of that I find it necessary to juxtapose Subway with a much different organization in a totally different city. You see, there are some stores that don’t make a lot of fan fair yet the work done by them is most honorable. One such organization is Chick-fi-la in general and the Collins Street store (http://www.cfarestaurant.com/northcollinsstreet/home) in particular. My experience with this organization and store is worth raving about. However I would not have had the good pleasure of enjoying the professionalism and excellent products of great restaurant were it not for my brother, a police captain in the Baltimore Police Department, who gave me and my siblings 2014 Chick-Fi-la gift cards for Christmas last year. What a generous and thoughtful gift!
Because of the gift card provided me I have had the opportunity to visit the Collins Street Chick-fi-la a few times. My visit early this week allowed me to see signs indicating that there would be a military appreciation day which took place yesterday from 4:00 to 7:00 P.M. yesterday. I arrived around 6:00 and found much more than I anticipated. There were police directing traffic and a parking lot filled with a number of sponsors all of whom had small gifts for veterans. All that was needed was the presentation of a military or veteran identification card. So, I presented my ID and was not only given a ticket for a great chicken sandwich meal with waffle fries and lemonade but also other gifts including a Chick-fi-la moo-moo cow bearing an olive drab billboard with the inscriptions “Life, liberty and the pursoot of chickin” and “21 chickin salute.” These things were underscored by the professionalism and courteous demeanor of the plentiful staff of Chick-fi-la. Thank you so much Chick-fi-la.
Perhaps the honesty and unexpected largess of Chick-fi-la goes to the Christian roots of its founder S. Truett Cathy which can easily be juxtaposed with the not so Christian ideals of Subway. The fact is that Christians, by virtue of their dedication to holiness, are often generous. Moreover Christians tend to keep to their word no matter personal costs. This apparently is the attitude of S. Truett Cathy and has filtered throughout the restaurant chain. This is a lesson that can be applied to Christians at large in that the keeping of one’s word, particularly when that word is unsolicited, is extremely important and under girds the integrity of the one putting out that word.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 reads, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, then that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” And while this text is specific to vowing to God the idea of making promises and vows without fulfilling them is an inherent problem and should not be an issue among Christians. Jesus furthers the matter in Matthew 5:33 when He states “Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths…” These oaths to the Lord are not just specific to Him but also to those that serve and love Him.
It is for this reason that Christians need to be very careful about promise they make. If a promise is made then the promise needs to be kept no matter how insignificant the promise may seem to be. This promise of a Christian extends from many levels to multitudes of relationships. It could be a simple “I’ll call you” to the vow of marriage for better or worst. Any breaking of any promise to a Christian is like vowing a vow to God and not honoring it. Even so there are many that break vows as though their words mean nothing. The text in Ecclesiastes counts such ones as fools.
With that said I thank Chick-fi-la for honoring the veterans of this nation and for keeping a vow that may seem little yet is much in the sight of the Lord.
It seems unreasonable that anyone would argue against the idea that the Church is to be separate and distinct from the rest of the world. Yet so many see no reason for the church to remain an entity within itself rather there has been an effort on the part of many to move the church more from God and closer to the world. It is not certain that this is the thing that God had in mind when he gave rise to the idea that the Church should be separate and apart from the world in every aspect.
Moreover God has always required that His people be distinct from all others. One clear evidence of this can be found in Leviticus chapter eleven. While much of the discussion in Leviticus has to do with priestly ceremonial law it is certain that God wanted His people to be different from others even in what they ate. Now, there no suggestion as to what should be eaten by the Christian noted here as that is not the point of this missive. Rather it is important that the people of God not give in to secular ideologies which seek only to distance the people of God from a most holy God.
But like Israel Christians have pulled away from the truth of God’s Word. Instead of being separated from that which displeased God there is a welcoming of secularism in Houses of Worship. Take for instance the idea of shacking up. It is certain that God does not condone fornication even while He honours marriage. Some in the church have decided that it is acceptable for a man a woman to live together without being married so long as the couple is committed one to another. This very notion flies against the standards of God while welcoming the secular idea that a mere piece of paper does not determine love.
Marriage is not the only issue at hand even while some “church” members purport the honour of same-sex marriages. The idea that there are acceptable alternatives to what the world does further erodes the standards of the Church. One such idea is that the young people of the church are taught that it is wrong to go to clubs and like venues. And while there is considerable truth to this pulling away from ungodliness the same people teaching the fallacy of clubbing have introduced club-like atmospheres in local bodies. This dichotomy is not only unacceptable but has created a double standard and hypocrisy in the lives of those involved. Further, it has become increasingly difficult, in some cases, to tell the difference between the Church and secular venues.
Romans chapter one provides clear insight into some to the issues taking place during the time Paul addressed problems that were going on not just in the secular world but also in the Church. Versus twenty-four through thirty two show some of the issues at hand:
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
These very things are taking place in the Church today and God is not pleased. The people of God were called out to be separate and apart from the world. After all that is what “church” really means taken from the Greek “ekklasia” which means the called out ones. And while there is a bit more to the definition it is certain that Christians are called out from the world to please God. As such matters such as whispering, backbiting and disobedience must be removed from the church even as homosexuality, adultery and other sex sin should not be named even once among the people of God.
Yes, there has been a secularization of the Church yet it is high time the people of God referred back to the standards of God in order to be that shining light in and for this untoward generation.
It seems unreasonable that anyone would argue against the idea that the Church is to be separate and distinct from the rest of the world. Yet so many see no reason for the church to remain an entity within itself rather there has been an effort on the part of many to move the church more from God and closer to the world. It is not certain that this is the thing that God had in mind when he gave rise to the idea that the Church should be separate and apart from the world in every aspect.
Moreover God has always required that His people be distinct from all others. One clear evidence of this can be found in Leviticus chapter eleven. While much of the discussion in Leviticus has to do with priestly ceremonial law it is certain that God wanted His people to be different from others even in what they ate. Now, there no suggestion as to what should be eaten by the Christian noted here as that is not the point of this missive. Rather it is important that the people of God not give in to secular ideologies which seek only to distance the people of God from a most holy God.
But like Israel Christians have pulled away from the truth of God’s Word. Instead of being separated from that which displeased God there is a welcoming of secularism in Houses of Worship. Take for instance the idea of shacking up. It is certain that God does not condone fornication even while He honours marriage. Some in the church have decided that it is acceptable for a man a woman to live together without being married so long as the couple is committed one to another. This very notion flies against the standards of God while welcoming the secular idea that a mere piece of paper does not determine love.
Marriage is not the only issue at hand even while some “church” members purport the honour of same-sex marriages. The idea that there are acceptable alternatives to what the world does further erodes the standards of the Church. One such idea is that the young people of the church are taught that it is wrong to go to clubs and like venues. And while there is considerable truth to this pulling away from ungodliness the same people teaching the fallacy of clubbing have introduced club-like atmospheres in local bodies. This dichotomy is not only unacceptable but has created a double standard and hypocrisy in the lives of those involved. Further, it has become increasingly difficult, in some cases, to tell the difference between the Church and secular venues.
Romans chapter one provides clear insight into some to the issues taking place during the time Paul addressed problems that were going on not just in the secular world but also in the Church. Versus twenty-four through thirty two show some of the issues at hand:
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
These very things are taking place in the Church today and God is not pleased. The people of God were called out to be separate and apart from the world. After all that is what “church” really means taken from the Greek “ekklasia” which means the called out ones. And while there is a bit more to the definition it is certain that Christians are called out from the world to please God. As such matters such as whispering, backbiting and disobedience must be removed from the church even as homosexuality, adultery and other sex sin should not be named even once among the people of God.
Yes, there has been a secularization of the Church yet it is high time the people of God referred back to the standards of God in order to be that shining light in and for this untoward generation.
It has been shown time and time again that fathers are most important in children’s lives. The love and strength of a father becomes paramount in teaching, play, discipline and protection of young impressionable lives. Yet this present society has done much to force fathers out of the home with social handouts such as welfare and the like. With the forcing out of men from the lives of youngsters fathers have been marginalized and declared by some to be insignificant in the raising of children.
Making matters worse some women wrongfully take advantage of certain woman’s organizations which purport to protect women from abusive husbands. While it is true that some men are abusive (as are some women) many of these organizations put forth the false notion that all men have the propensity to abuse whether or not they have committed any atrocities against their wives. As such silly women see men that are the head of the home as being controlling and abusive merely because he makes decisions and presents his point of view. The consequence is that these unlearned women seek relief from the marriage and go on to rid the household of a man truly seeking to be a father to his children.
But the consequence goes far beyond the removal of a loving father from the home. Quite often young girls needing the love of their fathers turn to other males for the love they have been denied because of silly women. This sometimes results in promiscuous lifestyles and at other times the result is truly abusive relationships. Additionally young boys have need of strong loving fathers and when they don’t leadership is sought elsewhere. Often this need for loving leadership is sought out in gang activity and the like which eventually leads to death or imprisonment. Yet many in society still seek to remove fathers from households under the guise of protecting women and children.
This societal abnormality is a type of what is going on in the church world. Many seek to serve God by removing Him and His standards from the Church. There are desires to have a form of godliness however the love of the loving Father has been replaced with some sounding off in order to fulfill the lusts of itching ears. It seems that there is an “anything goes” attitude in Houses of Worship” in the place of the high standards set down by the Father of love. And because God has been excused from the Church the consequences are dire. Instead of choosing honorable men as deacons drunks, liars and thieves have taken the realm. Heretical teaching has replaced good sound biblical teaching.
The results are damaging. The organists, while skilled, have sometimes succumbed to homosexuality. The head of the children’s ministry and youth workers have sometimes turned out to be pedophiles. The ushers are no longer gentle leaders but rather have turned to para-police entities. Men no longer remove their hats in the sanctuary and it has become increasingly difficult to tell the males from the females by reason of dress and hair styles. The consequences are furthered because a double standard has been created in lieu of the Father’s love. The result of this is that the people of God have turned to idolatry, whoredom and backsliding from the love of the Father.
During this most holy season it becomes important to note the love of the Father. John 3:16 clearly shows that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” Now, that is love! His Son was provided so that man could have eternal life. The Father’s love stretched beyond eternity so that His children would be able to enjoy a relationship with Him. This is the same type of relationship that earthly father’s seek with their children. They desire not only to groom and mold them but also to be able to sit and talk with them. To have an intimate relationship wherein the love of the father is evident in every aspect of the children is the goal of a loving father.
Such is the goal of the heavenly Father. It is not His desire to keep his children in bondage but rather to present to them liberty which affords them the choice to serve and return the love of the Father. Adam had such a choice and enjoyed a relationship with the Father for an undetermined period of time. Even while sin entered into the heart of man the love of the Father did not wax cold. Instead a plan was put in place to restore the broken relationship. That plan included the death of the Son of God which, by extension, resulted in His resurrection. This resurrection occurred because of the Father’s love and desire for unadulterated relationships with His children.
During this Resurrection season it would do all well to consider the significance of loving fathers in the lives of their children while work is done to have the resurrected Saviour become paramount to the extent that the love of the Father is most evident in the lives of His children.
Will discuss this in a bit more detail later I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight what the Veteran’s Community Outreach (http://www.vetsco.org/) truly does. There are so many veterans groups that purport a good work yet VCO does just what it says. I also would like to send accolades to the volunteer staff of the Big Spring VA medical center. There are no words that can express gratitude for what you continue to do in service to those who served. Thanks to all!!! 
preachercarter 