Speaking
by Mark Driscoll
It is said that the average woman speaks around 5,000 words per day whereas the average male speaks around 2,000. For men who work full time outside of the home, the number increases to as many as 3,000 words a day, and 10,000 to 20,000 words a day for the average woman working full time outside of her home. Furthermore, we send innumerable emails in addition to spending countless hours on the telephone. In short, we communicate a lot, in both spoken and printed words.
The Tongue
Proverbs has a great deal to say about what we say; it likely addresses the subject of our speech more than any other book of the Bible. It is a good place to start for those wanting to spend considerable time in Scripture examining the subject. According to James, Jesus’ brother, our tongue is often the last part of our body to get sanctified (James 3). He compares the power of our tongue to the bit in a horse’s mouth, the rudder on a ship, a wild beast, and a small spark that could set a fire of destruction as big as hell itself. In Ephesians 4:29 we are told to speak only “what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Jesus said that “men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36–37). In meditating on this verse, it occurred to me how much I will have to answer for, considering that I speak roughly 60,000 words each Sunday, or what the average man speaks in a month!
Condemnable Speech
The Bible is filled with examples of condemnable speech, including cursing God, blasphemy, making false accusations, perversity, rashness, harshness, wickedness, boasting, lying, flattering, bitterness, nitpicking, adulterous flirtation, busy-bodying, gossip, nagging, whining, complaining, needless quarreling, and plain old foolish stupidity in its innumerable forms. On the other hand, the Bible also describes speech as an opportunity for worship, prayer, grace, teaching, counsel, preaching, kindness, truth, comfort, love, healing, sweetness, encouragement, mercy, hope, gentleness, conviction, and faith. As Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”
An Indicator of the Heart
In many ways, the tongue is an indicator of the heart because, as Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” The disciple of Jesus learns to speak under the discipline of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables Christians to speak truthfully in love – not too much or too little – in a manner that is appropriate for both the hearer and Jesus, who is listening in on our words. Sometimes, the key is to get our time to listen silently to God through His Word so that when we do speak, we echo Jesus.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
100 Christian priciples for a happier Life
HI guys I would like to share with you 100 principles that could help improve your christian life and to be more victorious while we are in this body. These are lessons I have learned in 1 year and things I try to base my life on. It works if you have faith. I hope it will help you too.
1.The Joy of Lord is my strength. (start with this one, its the most important)
2.I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.
3.Give God praise in the midst of a storm or in the fiery fernice.
4.Stand firm on the ground of faith.
5.The devil is out to steal your joy and not your things.
6. The enemy comes only to kill steal and destroy but you are equipt with what you need to defeat him. You got the Word.
7.Jesus died so we can have life and enjoy it.
8.A happy christian is a succesful christian.
9.I can choose to be happy no metter what my circumstances are.
10. Faith is that step you take into the unseen trusing God to lead you.
11.Let others see Jesus shine trough your acts.
12.If you want to be seen big in God's eyes make your self small in the eyes of man. You might have to loose your reputation over that.
13.To be a leader first you have to be a servent.
14. Jesus was waking up everyday with a pourpose to go about doing good. Make that the goal of your life and let that image grow in you. His image.
15.Live with purpose live with passion with a vision and know where you go and what your destination is.
16.You are an embassador of Christ. It is the highest calling, the biggest responsability, the greatest job on earth.
17.Live life with such purpose and passion that others would want what you have got.
18.Will you take anyone with you along when you go to heaven or will you go alone? Or will you keep some people out of heaven beacuse of the way you lived your life?
19.There si nothing more sad in life than living with regrets that you have not done what God called you to do.
20. God has created us for a purpose and we dont live up to that, we feel frustrated and unfulfilled.
21.I will choose to do the right thing to do even though I don't feel like it.
22.I shall not go by feelings but rather what I know God would want me to do.
23.My feelings will not have control over me or over my thoughts.
24.I can choose what I think. I can choose to think positive.
25.Positive thinking can change my whole life. It can change my actions, my behaviour and my atittude.
26.My thoughts cannot over rule me if I choose to.
27.If I cannot stop one negative thought from taking over my mind I can open my mouth and start confesing the Word.
28.Stop in time one little negative thought before it grows bigger into a tree.
One little tiny negative thought can bring you to confusion than it turns into agravation, frustration, upset, complaining and streght into depression.
29.I know that the world wont change, things might not change or my circumstances, but I can change my atittude towards things.
30.Do unto others as you might want others do unto you.
31.The atittude of the mind is the atittude of my life.
32.Where the mind goes the man follows.
33.The mind is the battlefield.
34.If you let your mind be controled and led by the Holly Spirit your life will be more blessed and simpler.
35.If you listen carefully during the day, you will hear the Holly Spirit speaking to you and giving you checks about diffrent things in your life.
36.Listening to the Holly Spirit can save your life or other peoples life form danger.
37.Usually the things that the Holly Spirit tells you to do are not humanly logical.
38. Don't quench the Holly Spirit.
39. The Holly Spirit never stops talking, only you stop listening when you start looking arround at your circumstances.
40.Are you too busy? Than you are too busy for God.
41.Are you busy or are you fruitful. Stop saying you are busy as an excuse and start saying your fruitful and be fruitful. Thats what God called us for.
42.If you want to be happy go make someone else happy.
43.Are you helping someone or are you helping only yourself?
44.Happiness is a choise not a feeling.
45.If you think your problems are big, go find somone whos problems are bigger than yours.
46.Are you expectin money, witout respecting money?
47.We call ourselvs stewrts of things but we act like owners. We are not really owning something that God ment it as a gift.
48.God will always give you as much as you can handle.
49.The borrower is a slave to the lender.
50.The money can help us rule or it can put us in ruin.
51.If your out go is more than you income your upkeep will be your downfall.
52.I am the head and not the tail above and not beneath.
53.I can land to many nations but i dont have to borrow.
54.Set your mind and keep it set, that is likely that not everything will go my way today.
More coming, next time...
1.The Joy of Lord is my strength. (start with this one, its the most important)
2.I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.
3.Give God praise in the midst of a storm or in the fiery fernice.
4.Stand firm on the ground of faith.
5.The devil is out to steal your joy and not your things.
6. The enemy comes only to kill steal and destroy but you are equipt with what you need to defeat him. You got the Word.
7.Jesus died so we can have life and enjoy it.
8.A happy christian is a succesful christian.
9.I can choose to be happy no metter what my circumstances are.
10. Faith is that step you take into the unseen trusing God to lead you.
11.Let others see Jesus shine trough your acts.
12.If you want to be seen big in God's eyes make your self small in the eyes of man. You might have to loose your reputation over that.
13.To be a leader first you have to be a servent.
14. Jesus was waking up everyday with a pourpose to go about doing good. Make that the goal of your life and let that image grow in you. His image.
15.Live with purpose live with passion with a vision and know where you go and what your destination is.
16.You are an embassador of Christ. It is the highest calling, the biggest responsability, the greatest job on earth.
17.Live life with such purpose and passion that others would want what you have got.
18.Will you take anyone with you along when you go to heaven or will you go alone? Or will you keep some people out of heaven beacuse of the way you lived your life?
19.There si nothing more sad in life than living with regrets that you have not done what God called you to do.
20. God has created us for a purpose and we dont live up to that, we feel frustrated and unfulfilled.
21.I will choose to do the right thing to do even though I don't feel like it.
22.I shall not go by feelings but rather what I know God would want me to do.
23.My feelings will not have control over me or over my thoughts.
24.I can choose what I think. I can choose to think positive.
25.Positive thinking can change my whole life. It can change my actions, my behaviour and my atittude.
26.My thoughts cannot over rule me if I choose to.
27.If I cannot stop one negative thought from taking over my mind I can open my mouth and start confesing the Word.
28.Stop in time one little negative thought before it grows bigger into a tree.
One little tiny negative thought can bring you to confusion than it turns into agravation, frustration, upset, complaining and streght into depression.
29.I know that the world wont change, things might not change or my circumstances, but I can change my atittude towards things.
30.Do unto others as you might want others do unto you.
31.The atittude of the mind is the atittude of my life.
32.Where the mind goes the man follows.
33.The mind is the battlefield.
34.If you let your mind be controled and led by the Holly Spirit your life will be more blessed and simpler.
35.If you listen carefully during the day, you will hear the Holly Spirit speaking to you and giving you checks about diffrent things in your life.
36.Listening to the Holly Spirit can save your life or other peoples life form danger.
37.Usually the things that the Holly Spirit tells you to do are not humanly logical.
38. Don't quench the Holly Spirit.
39. The Holly Spirit never stops talking, only you stop listening when you start looking arround at your circumstances.
40.Are you too busy? Than you are too busy for God.
41.Are you busy or are you fruitful. Stop saying you are busy as an excuse and start saying your fruitful and be fruitful. Thats what God called us for.
42.If you want to be happy go make someone else happy.
43.Are you helping someone or are you helping only yourself?
44.Happiness is a choise not a feeling.
45.If you think your problems are big, go find somone whos problems are bigger than yours.
46.Are you expectin money, witout respecting money?
47.We call ourselvs stewrts of things but we act like owners. We are not really owning something that God ment it as a gift.
48.God will always give you as much as you can handle.
49.The borrower is a slave to the lender.
50.The money can help us rule or it can put us in ruin.
51.If your out go is more than you income your upkeep will be your downfall.
52.I am the head and not the tail above and not beneath.
53.I can land to many nations but i dont have to borrow.
54.Set your mind and keep it set, that is likely that not everything will go my way today.
More coming, next time...
Happy new year to all 2009
Hi guys..I know,... I know, it has been awhile since i have been in here and written anything, but hey I am back. One year has past, and boy what a year has been for me. Awsome just awsome. Ok I have lots to say lots of lesson I have learned that I want to share with you all. Even more pictures and testemonies and I will try to give an update of all. I will have more videos too. I hope you guys can handle it all... hehe. But first I would like to start with the lessons I have learned througout this last year. So have fun, enjoy it and I hope you guys will write me back and give coments too. You have the oportunity to trevel with me through my life. I love you all and have a nice blessed year.
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