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Men’s Ministries
Old Man Wisdom To a Young Man’s Future
Every Young Man looks forward to the day that He owns His "First REAL Gun", but with that weapon also comes an implied responsibility. It ’s too bad that when we are born that we are not given that same rite of passage for "Our Mouths" You see,..our mouths, like guns should be used RESPONSIBLY !
We are Taught that, unless "PROPERLY" handled a Gun can be a very DEVASTATING DANGEROUS Thing. The same is true about Our "MOUTHS", … they too can be a DEVASTATING DANGEROUS thing. A Gun - is nothing more than a tool to accomplish a task. Our Mouth- is just another tool to be used to accomplish a task.
A Gun -When NOT moving is completely SAFE. Our Mouth-When NOT moving is ALSO completely safe.
A Gun – Once the Trigger is pulled ,.there is nothing that can be done to retrieve the projectile , or to prevent the "DAMAGE" that will be done. Our Mouth-Once the words are uttered , there is "NOTHING"
that can stop the "EFFECT" that they will Have on,… anyone and everyone within "EARSHOT" .
A Gun – sometimes,.. just "KNOWING" that it’s there and its capabilities gives Us,… peace and security! Our Mouth-sometimes,…. just "KNOWING" that it’s there and its capabilities gives us,"FEAR and TREMBLING".
Once, when Thomas Edison the inventor was at a reception, the toastmaster stood up and complimented him on his many inventions, especially the talking machine. After the toastmaster sat down, the aged inventor rose to his feet and said, "Thank you for those remarks, but I must correct one thing. It was God who invented the talking machine. I only invented the first one that can be shut off."
A doctor told me that once, while writing out a prescription, he asked a woman to stick out her tongue. When he had finished, she said to him, "But doctor, you never even looked at my tongue." The doctor replied, "It wasn ’t necessary, I just wanted you to keep quiet while I wrote the prescription." Amidst the humor of today’s notes, don’t miss the point ----In the book of JAMES it says:
Jms3:3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this
should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
AH,… but the TONGUE is a different creation altogether , If you had to distill the message of James into a word, it might be self-control.
So , in closing, here’s a thought : Let’s view our "MOUTHS" as we do any other TOOLS,… When properly controlled , it can be a WONDERFUL tool, for PEACE and RECONCILIATION…..BUT , when NOT used with proper RESPECT , it… like a GUN can be a Devastating WEAPON !
My Prayer is that Jesus will teach Me to use all the "TOOLS" that He has blessed Me with to Build and further HIS Kingdom,… rather than to Tear Down, or to distract His Chosen People from Blessings that The LORD has for them.
And Guys,.. with respect to Our FAMILIES,…Lets not "JUMP THE GUN" or "GO SHOOTING OUR MOUTHS OFF"
In HIS Love
Lynn Sharp (Men’s Ministry)
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