Wednesday, 22 March 2017

TAME YOUR TONGUE.

The Tongue is an organ in the human body playing a very prominent role in talking and tasting. In speech, the tongue is essential because the articulation of words requires active maneuvering on its part, which it does with dexterity and remarkable speed. In tasting, however, the taste buds distributed on the tongue surface detect only acid, sweet, salt and bitter. What is commonly called "taste" results from the combinations of these taste buds reacting plus the aroma detected by the sense of smell.
In Bible usage, "tongue" often stands for "language." GOD emphasizes how HE views the badness of the false tongue, listing it as one of the 7 things that HE hates, placing it alongside "hands that are shedding innocent blood."(Proverbs 6:16-19)
GENESIS10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
DEUTERONOMY 28: "Because you did not serve the Lord your GOD with joyfulness and gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst; and HE will put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until HE has destroyed you. The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose tongue you do not understand." (47-49)
ISAIAH 28 "The kingdom of Israel is doomed! Its glory is fading like the crowns of flowers on the heads of its drunken leaders. Their proud heads are well perfumed, but there they lie, dead drunk.(1)
Even the prophets and the priests are so drunk that they stagger. They have drunk so much wine and liquor that they stumble in confusion. The prophets are too drunk to understand the visions that GOD sends, and the priests are too drunk to decide the cases that are brought to them. (7)  They complain about me (says Isaiah). They say, "To whom will he teach knowledge and to whom will he explain the message? It is only good for those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast. He is trying to teach us precept by precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little" If you won't listen to me (says Isaiah), then GOD will use men of strange lips and with an alien tongue to teach you a lesson. HE offered rest and comfort to all of you, but you refused to listen to HIM. That is why the Lord is going to teach you precept by precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Then you will stumble with every step you take. You will be wounded, trapped and taken prisoner." (11-13)
David describes the wicked as attempting to destroy GOD's servant with a "tongue sharpened just like a sword," but he points out that actually GOD will see to it that they themselves are wounded for "their tongue is against their own selves." (Psalms 64: 3, 7, 8)
JESUS' half-brother James vividly describes the power exercised by the tongue and the need for the Christian to exercise great care to use it properly. He points out that failure to bridle the tongue can be a factor in causing one's worship to be futile. (James 1:26) He likens the tongue to a fire that can destroy a forest. The unbridle tongue can be influenced by destructive forces and can bring about such a great quantity or extent of unrighteousness that it can contaminate the individual's entire life.
GOD promises His people: "Any tongue at all that will rise up against you in the Judgment you will condemn." (Isaiah 54:17) This is comforting to GOD's servants, who stick to his Law even though those considered wise in the World may speak great things and say: "With our tongue we shall prevail."
(Psalms 12: 3-5) "Therefore hear the WORD OF THE LORD, you scoffers, who rule this people in Jerusalem! Because you have said, 'We have made a Covenant with Death, and with Sheol we have an agreement; when the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and in falsehood we have taken shelter.' " (Isaiah 28: 14-15) "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious corner stone, of a sure foundation: He who believes will not be in haste. And I will make Justice the line, and Righteousness the plummet; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.' Then your covenant with Death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; when the overwhelming scourge passes through you will be beaten down by it. (Isaiah 28:16-18)
GOD symbolically describes Himself as having a Tongue that HE will use in HIS Anger, "like a devouring Fire." (Isaiah 30:27) At Pentecost, when JESUS CHRIST poured out HOLY SPIRIT on some 120 disciples gathered in a room in Jerusalem, it was made manifest audibly by their speaking in different tongues and visibly by a tongue as if of Fire sitting upon each one of them. (Acts 2: 3, 4)

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