Watch your tongue!

In my personal devotions I have, for some weeks, been going through the letter from James, the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. I have now completed it (again!) and, earlier this week, I spent some time looking at just one verse. It was the 12th verse of chapter 5 which reads: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation."

In the earlier parts of the letter, James has shown his concern about "the tongue" - in other words, about our speech. For example, in chapter 3 he writes: "... the tongue is a little member and boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue - a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening fresh water and brackish? Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh." (James 3:5-12; emphases added). Sadly, most of us know, all too well, the truth of those words!

Now the words of 5:12 may be interpreted, quite properly, as referring to the oaths that Jewish people of the time were prone to take. Jesus, Himself, referred to this practice: "Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil." (Matt 5:33-37). 

William Barclay explains that there was a distinction between 'binding' and 'non-binding' oaths. Any oath that used the name of God was binding; but those that did not, were not binding! This resulted in people becoming expert in what the Professor names "evasive swearing", and it was to this practice that the Lord Jesus referred.

However, Steve Maltz, a Messianic Jew, makes another valid point - not directly from James' letter! He points out that "Oh my God", "God help me", and similar expletives are all too common - and that they are blasphemous: a breaking of the Third Commandment. However, he points out that one place we will never hear, or read, any such exclamation is in a synagogue, or a devout Jewish home! Indeed, devout Jews have such a reverence for God that they won't even write, or say, "the Name". They will use "HaShem" (the Hebrew for "the Name"), or "G-d/L-rd", omitting the vowel.

Sadly, many who claim to be disciples of Jesus, use the Lord's Name in vain without even realising it! Just exclaiming the Name of God, or of Jesus, even if it is in 'code form', or thinly disguised, (e.g. "Jeeze", "O.M.G.", "Goodness gracious"), is not a reverent invocation, but a casual disrespectfulness. Jesus said: "I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matt 12:36-37).

R.V.G.Tasker, in his Tyndale NT Commentary on James, writes: "There are few spheres of conduct in which the young Christian today needs to take the injunctions of the Epistle of James more to heart, than in this matter of frivolous and indiscriminate oaths, and the thoughtless mention of the divine name in general conversation." (p.125).

I suspect that those words apply, equally, to many who are not "young Christians"! "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips!" (Ps 141:3).

East is East and West is West.

East is East and West is West … or is it????   No!  East is west … I bet you didn’t know! But you’d better believe it. Read on for an explanation.

 

The story of Sheik Jarrah is as follows.  In 1948 Jordan sized and occupied what they called the West Bank. Jewish inhabitants were driven out (yes there were Jewish refugees from the area occupied by Jordan in 1948.  The houses located there previously in Jewish occupancy were then inhabited by Palestinians rent-free but never owning the properties to which the Jewish owned property company held legal title valid in Israel. When Israel recaptured the “West Bank” in 1967  the occupants of the houses remained rent-free.  When the occupants were recently given notice to vacate the premises they refused. That is when the property company filed a lawsuit to serve the occupants with an eviction order.

 

From that incident has grown the outrageous story that the Israeli Govt is evicting Palestinians in order to Judaize the district which they term “East Jerusalem”  but it’s not in East Jerusalem ; this is the description attributed to the district because international opinion is that Israel occupies "East Jerusalem” illegally!

 

(May 14, 2021 / JNS) CNN ran a news story on May 9 with the headline “Israeli Supreme Court delays hearing on Palestinian evictions from East Jerusalem neighbourhood.” This followed an official press statement issued on May 7 by the U.S. State Department that reported “concern” about “evictions in East Jerusalem, settlement activity, home demolitions and acts of terrorism … .”

The catch? The area in the news is not in “East Jerusalem” at all. What’s more, there is not now, nor has there ever been in history a political entity known as “East Jerusalem.”
A glance at any map of the city shows that the neighbourhood Sheik Jarrah, including the parts also widely known in Hebrew as Shimon HaTzadik for centuries, is not in the capital’s east. It is in the north, about 1.25 miles north of the Western Wall, the Kotel.
In fact, this area is farther west than numerous well-known parts of Jerusalem, such as the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (construction began in 1918) and Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus (construction began in 1934).
The term “East Jerusalem” is an artificial construct that supporters of the Arab cause use in their propaganda in order to make it appear as if that part of the city is an intrinsically Arab area that Jews are illegally entering. In reality, there are Jewish neighbourhoods throughout the eastern, western, northern and southern parts of Jerusalem. It’s a pity when American politicians and news outlets play along and use such geographically inaccurate and politically loaded language.
East and West in Israel are not simple geographic terms as they are in the United States, where Northeast Philadelphia, the Upper East Side in Manhattan and East L.A. are used to denote neighbourhoods and sections of a city. In Israel, where Judea and Samaria have been labelled as the West Bank, things are different. The term West Bank was created by Arab propagandists to de-emphasize the area’s inherent Jewishness and to disassociate the land from the State of Israel. East Jerusalem was similarly invented.
“East Jerusalem” has, for CNN, many in the State Department and others come to be shorthand for areas of Jerusalem where the residents are predominately not Jewish and should therefore be surrendered to a future Palestinian state. But this does not mean that “East Jerusalem” has ever been an actual place.
When anti-Israel extremists created the term, it was for one reason: They sought to rip Israel’s capital apart in order to defeat Israel. This effort tragically gained full force with the 1993 Oslo Accords. This was fully explained in the B’tzedek Online Journal in a Dec. 30, 1996 editorial titled “The War Has Just Begun”:
“The Oslo Accords are indeed the fulfilment of the PLO “salami” strategy. That is to say, Israel shall be destroyed not through overt military action of Arab nations, but through the whittling away of Israeli resolve and slow but determined territorial expansion of a Palestinian state. Slice by slice, Israel will be carved away by the knife of terrorism and world opinion, both deftly handled by the Israeli created Palestinian entity.”
The very name Jerusalem means “city of peace,” “city of completeness” and “city of perfection.” In fact, there is no “eastern” or “western” when it comes to Jerusalem. There’s just one Jerusalem in the entirety of history.
In both the Tanakh and the Christian Bible, every single instance when a specific location in Jerusalem is mentioned refers to an area that the European Union and others would now see given to the Palestinian Arabs. The term “East Jerusalem” cannot be found in a Bible.
Put another way, what they would have us call “East Jerusalem” is Jerusalem’s Old City and its surrounding neighbourhoods. The original and oldest parts of Jerusalem are in this “East Jerusalem.”
American policy on Jerusalem had veered horribly off-course until former President Donald Trump followed U.S. law and upheld the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 by relocating the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The late Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) wrote in 1996 that “Israel is the only nation in the world denied the right to choose its own capital. This second-class citizenship among nations must end.” Helms was right. It is up to friends of Israel in the United States to make sure that the embassy stays put. One way is to keep news outlets like CNN honest when they report on Jerusalem, its neighbourhoods, and its residents. 

"The Old Rugged Cross"

I enjoy a lot of modern Christian music - but, in many ways, there is something about the "old" songs that attracts me. It may be four-part harmony; it may be better theology; it may even be a bit of nostalgia!

Anyway, as some will have realised, I have been enjoying a number of videos from disciples of Jesus in India. This is one that I watch, and listen to, frequently. I hope that you enjoy it too.

Come aside.

There was a time when I assumed (!) that "retirement" would mean long days sitting in the porch, in my late father's rocking chair, a tartan rug over my knees, a good book in my hands, and a bottle of IrnBru by my side. What total bliss!

What total nonsense! I can't recall any time in my life when I have been as busy! Indeed, I am currently giving very serious consideration to stepping back a bit from some of the commitments that I have taken on - especially since coming to France.

Some years ago, I read the story of a group of explorers in Africa (okay, that's a big area, but I can't recall which country!) who hired a group of villagers to help them on their journey through the jungle. The group set out, and pushed forward relentlessly for several days. Eventually, the tribesmen sat down, and said that they would go no farther. When asked for a reason, their leader explained, "We've been going too quickly. We must pause and wait for our souls to catch up with our bodies."! It's amazing how some of those whom we might consider to be "primitive", can be so far ahead of us in certain areas!

Many people in our 21st century world are constantly 'chasing their tails' (think of a young dog!); trying to 'get ahead'; climbing the corporate ladder; seeking social status. This is also true of many who profess to be disciples of Jesus! Many have overextended themselves in a flurry of church activities; involved themselves in other worthwhile pursuits; spending time attending every possible church gathering - and they have experienced the same kind of feeling as those African tribesmen. Being so pre-occupied with these activities, and even with helping others, they suddenly feel as if they have left the most important part of themselves behind - even their soul! They have lost intimate contact with their Creator.

The words of Jesus to His worn-out disciples, as recorded by Mark, were: "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place, and rest a while." (6:31). This shows that He knows our human frailties. He knows that our physical, and spiritual, batteries need to be recharged through a time of rest, and fellowship, with Him.

If our schedule leaves no time for rest, and for nurturing our spiritual life, then we are too busy! Father God does not ask us to be constantly "on the go" - rushing here and there; getting into a frazzle; expending more and more energy that is achieving less and less. Sometimes He simply wants us to "rest a while.", so that our souls may "catch up", and be refreshed for the challenges that lie ahead.

I have just one book by Vince Havner on my bookshelves, but it is full of great illustrations, and pithy sayings. He writes: "If Christians [and the same may be applied, I suggest, even to those who are not!] do not "Come apart and rest a while", they may just plain 'come apart'"!

Just be sure that you don't go to the other end of the pendulum's swing - and stop working!!!

"I make all things new".

The title for this post is taken from the New Testament Book of the Revelation of Jesus the Christ, given to the apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos. It's found in the 21st chapter, and the 5th verse where we read « And He Who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." ».

The words are spoken by Almighty God, Himself. That, to me, makes them very important. But what do these words mean? I believe that the most important word in the statement is the word "all". It has been playing in my mind for many months. What is excluded from "all"? The answer, obviously, is "Nothing!". What then is included? The equally obvious answer is "Everything"!

Doubtless, I shall (DV), at some point, preach on that statement. However, for this post, I want to suggest just three things that will be "made new" in the new heaven and the new earth.

The first of these is a new body. « Lo! » writes Paul, « I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. » (I Cor 15:51-52). This is a reference to that event - that I believe to be much closer than some are willing to admit! - that disciples of Jesus call "the rapture" (see I Thess.4:13-17). This even will, as Paul makes clear, take place in a flash - less than a nanosecond, to utilise modern terminology! However, the more important thing is not the speed at which it will happen, but the change that will take place. My mortal body - whether I be physically alive at the time, or already physically dead - will be instantaneously changed to an immortal body. Paul has already made reference to this earlier in that chapter (and see, also, Phil. 3:20-21). The physical body that I currently use will be of no use to me in the new heaven and the new earth. It is a body that is tainted with sin - and there will be no sin there! I need a "resurrection body" that is fit for the new environment in which I shall be living. Oh, and note - it will be a "physical" body, just as was the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus. He could be touched; He could eat and drink; yet He could suddenly appear in a locked room! I have my own theory as to how that might have happened - but it would take too much space in this post to explain! Suffice it to say that it has to do with molecular structure!

The second of the "all things" that I want to consider here is a new mind. I never even try to suggest that I am a perfect man - and if I ever did, a few minutes chatting to my wife, my children, other family members, and numerous friends, would quickly set the record straight! I freely acknowledge that I am a sinner. I am, it is true, a sinner who has been saved by the grace of God - but for as long as I live in this mortal body, I share the experience of Paul: « ... I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death ? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! » (Rom 7:21-25). However, I would claim that most of my sin is "mind-based". Not that that makes it any less sin! The Lord Jesus, Himself, made clear that, while the thought is not as bad as the deed, it is every bit as much sin! (cf. Matt.5:21ff). So, just as I need a new body to replace this body of sin and death, I need a new mind - one that has not been filled with sinful thoughts.

The third thing that I wish to mention is new relationships. When I was much younger, I thought as many still do, that when I got to heaven I would be meeting with those who had arrived there before me! Now, in my later life, I have come to the conclusion that that will not be the case! I won't be asking Paul for his personal exposition of his letter to the believers in ancient Rome. I won't be telling David, and Peter, what a great comfort each of them was to me. I won't be running around looking for my parents; my wife; my children. So what led me to that conclusion? Simply the words in the Revelation that state: « ... I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away." » (Rev 21:3-4; emphases added).

Now, if I were to be in the new heaven and the new earth, and knew that some of my most-loved ones were not there, I believe that I would be saddened beyond words. Therefore, I have concluded that I will not have that knowledge. I will be aware of others who are there, and who may well become my new friends. However, these will be new relationships at a level of which I am, currently, unable to perceive! Effectively, I will even have new memories!

These thoughts, of course, are my own. I have quoted God's written Word - but the ideas are not spelled out specifically. However, while I am not setting myself up beside Paul, I would dare to use his words (written in a totally different context) and: « ... give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. » (I Cor 7:25).

Of course, all of the above is purely academic if one is not in a right relationship with Father God, through new life in the Spirit, because of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus at Calvary. If that is you, then there are links on the sidebar of the blog that may help and, of course, if I may be of any assistance, please feel free to contact me at the e-mail address at the top of the blog.