What Say You? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

What Say You?

“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31, NASU)

There sure are a lot of words being spoken today. It amazes me at times how much people can talk, and after listening for a while, do they really say anything that you will still remember, or adhere to, a few years, weeks, or even days later? A lot of what is said gets recorded and then archived for decades, but is what has been said really worth saying in the first place and keeping for time?

In all this talking, is wisdom and godly knowledge being shared? Are lives being changed for the better? Is what one says as truth really the truth, or do they have to come back later and acknowledge that their improper lack of memory or speculation about a person or matter just wasn’t the case? (If they even admit their error, or purposely said lie.)

So much of what is being spoken is not worth hearing. It clogs up our minds with garbage, and as it is truly noted, “Garbage in, garbage out.” As a matter of speaking, of course.

So, what say you? That may not be proper English, but again, anything goes these days, right? I am being facetious. Rather flippant too.

What we do say comes out of the mouth that is attached to the brain that has probably been filled with all kinds of information, much of which will not be useful when you really need something to hold onto in a serious situation. If our minds are filled with game strategy, action and love tv and movie scenes, sports statistics of our favorite team, or even pornography for far too many, including priests, Christian pastors, and leaders, how are we ever going to be able to say that which gives life, hope, and the Christ-like expectancy for the bright future we all want, and certainly, need?

Being a man of mostly quiet nature, I ponder this warning from the Lord Jesus which He spoke to His disciples in Matthew 15:10-20,

“When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." (NKJV)

We will give an account of what we say, and if it does not come forth from a good heart, but rather evil thoughts and intentions from an ungodly heart, mind, and mouth, then not only ourselves but those surrounding us will be defiled (desecrated, profaned, violated).

My next book (21^st!) coming out this week, of the same title as this message, What Say You, offers inspiration on how we can then live and move in this life, to cause godly effect and actually, cause something positive to happen or bring about in our lives, our families, our cities, our workplaces, and our country.

Too many words are being spewed out of the mouths of those whom basically, just like to hear themselves talk and have nothing good to say.

We, therefore, must be counted among those whom the Lord has spoken words of wisdom, knowledge, understanding, direction, hope, and strength to, so we can then in turn offer life to others around us, speaking “L’chaim!” (To life!)

As the song goes, “Be careful little children what you say.” May yours and my words and actions, which often speak louder than words, bring the life of the Lord Yeshua into the midst of a dark and lonely world.

We have the faith, hope, and love within us, because of His life within us, to give it out through His Holy Spirit working through us. Thus, let us speak forth His eternal life with boldness!

Now think of this,

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This #418 - in the year of our Lord 04.25.19 – “What Say You?” – Thursday, 5:05 am

See more here: WHAT SAY YOU?

How to Avoid the Devastation ‘Tongue Twisters’ Can Bring

9/28/2014 DAWN SCOTT JONES  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

The tongue has the power to do irreparable damage to a relationship. (iStock photo)

The Bible tells us "when words are many, sin is not absent" (Prov. 10:19, NIV). That's because the tongue can cause quite a storm. Though only a small member of our bodies, it is very unruly and can create havoc in just moments.

Like a swirling tornado of ruinous words, a tongue twister can wipe out a relationship in seconds. One brief "touchdown" from this destructive verbal cyclone can instantly blow the roof off a peaceful household or tear down a bridge of trust that took years to construct. As dangerous and untamable as a rogue wind, the tongue, when unleashed, can create devastating—even irreparable—damage.

But what can we do about it? The Bible also declares "the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless (undisciplined, irreconcilable) evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8, The Amplified Bible).

Does that mean we are helpless to control it? No! Though the tongue may be as impossible to tame as the wind and waves, we do have a responsibility. In fact, the apostle James wrote, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26, NIV).

We may not be able to "tame" the tongue so that it permanently obeys us, but we are instructed to "keep a rein on" or to "rein over" the tongue. Our religion is worthless and ineffective if we cannot measure our words and discipline our tongues to speak only those things that are edifying, gracious and truthful. Sometimes keeping silent is better than even good words. "He who holds his tongue is wise," Proverbs says (Prov. 10:19).

The Bible is full of Scriptures that teach us about the incredible force of the tongue and our obligation to "reign over" it. It is clear that God is concerned about the way we speak.

But there's more. It is not just the actual choice of words God is interested in; it is the motive behind the words. The condition of the heart, which cultivates our speech, is His primary concern.

Jesus confirmed this truth in one of His dialogues with the Pharisees. He told them, "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matt. 12:34).

Jesus didn't mince words. He let us know that if we store up evil things in our hearts, the poison will overflow into our mouths and be released through our conversations. Conversely, if we store up good things in our hearts, the flowing river of our words will be uncontaminated and full of life.

The Lord made it clear that it is not what enters into our mouths that defiles us, but what proceeds out of our mouths (see Matt. 15:11). In other words, we are not corrupt because we speak bad words; we speak bad words because of the corruption in our hearts. Our mouths and our hearts are linked together in an inseparable way. If we are unsurrendered in our hearts, we will be unsurrendered in our speech. God's solution is for us to submit both heart and tongue to Him.

That is why David wrote, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Ps. 19:14). Solomon, too, acknowledged the connection between the head and the heart when he admonished: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips" (Prov. 4:23-24).

Since the real heart of the issue then, is the issue of the heart, it is important that we guard our hearts with all diligence and continue to submit to God's probing and testing. He alone knows our true condition. As long as we seek to please Him, as David did, and allow Him to purify our hearts, we can avoid the devastation tongue twisters bring.

Prayer power for the week of 9/29/2014

This week pray that the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart be pleasing to the Lord. Ask Him to create a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you. Pray that your words would be sweet and used to bring healing and restoration to others.

As you pray with a pure heart, pray for God to move upon our nation, reveal His truth, and turn it back to Himself. Thank Him for His continued protection and ask Him to expose those who devise wicked plans in opposition to His will for our nation, Israel and the rest of the world. (Ps. 19:14; Prov. 4:23-24).

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