Words We Use

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Source:https://www.psychologistworld.com/images/articles/a/575×360-v-as-105485825.jpg

Over the past several years, I have been surprised at how many Christians use words so frivolously. We use terms such as “pouring into others” or “speaking into people’s lives.” What do those phrases even mean? Today I read an email from a group of which I used to be a part where this guy was speaking about how he “marinates in worship” as if he is getting ready to be placed in an oven or on a grill. What does that even mean? Since when have we moved away from Biblical language to this way of speaking?

I think it goes back over the course of at least the last 65-75 years. This is when the Pentecostal movement really was ratcheting up in the United States and if there are a group of Christians that say things “plant a seed and you’ll prosper” it’s the Pentecostals. Now I mean no offense by any means. We Baptists have our sayings as well: some we have adopted from other denominations and some we have made up. For instance, “I shall not be moved” is generally used as a joke but these words have power and it is seen in the pews when people are unwilling to be moved even by the Lord Himself! At any rate, there is something inherently wrong with the lack of Biblical language in our churches today.

I heard a professor from a prominent Southern Baptist seminary preach a wonderful message. Unfortunately I do not even remember what he was preaching because of something that he said. He said toward the end of sermon that “we need to speak into the lives of each other.” I approached him after that chapel service and asked him what he meant by that. His answer: “Uh…I’m not really sure what that means. I’ve just heard it around the campus lately.” I retorted, “Did you mean that we need to encourage each other?” The professor, “Why, yes, that is what I meant.” I then asked him this question: “Then why not just use the Biblical language and say that we should ‘encourage’ each other?”

Now I know some will disagree with what I am saying but language in the church has changed so dramatically that we do not see our waywardness as we ought. For instance, what used to be called drunkenness is now called “alcoholism” and is considered a “disease.” It is drunkenness. What used to be called “adultery” is called “an extramarital affair.” It is adultery. What used to be called murder is now called “abortion, infanticide, euthanasia.” It is murder. What used to be called fornication is now called “premarital sex.” It is fornication. What used to be called encouragement is now called “speaking into other people’s lives.” It is encouragement. Do you see the point?

What I am getting at is that we really need to rethink how we communicate in the church and in the world. We no longer have a sense that the church is something different from the world. We see it as a business rather than a ministry. We see it at a social club rather than the Bride of Christ. We see it as spectators rather than participating followers of Jesus Christ. This is why there are problems in churches today. Words have meaning and we have lost the meaning for the sake of whatever is new and whatever we desire for it to be instead of what it is supposed to be.

Words have power. God’s Word is obviously more powerful than anything. It is by His Word that lives are changed and transformed. It is by His Word that people are saved. It is by what He has written in His book long ago that we know how to live life and how to love Him and others. Consider just how powerful God’s Word is:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)

Do you see it? God’s Word is alive and active! It’s living! It’s sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the inner being of man. It’s cutting! It’s able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart of man. It’s exposing! So because this is the case, why change our language? Why not keep speaking by using the words that have power? Use words that encourage, that have grace, that have mercy, that teach, that grow us in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)?

Words have power–especially when it is God’s Word. I don’t have “pour into others” or “speak into other people’s lives” or “marinate in worship.” I need to “keep my eyes on the things that are above and not these things below” (Colossians 3:1-4). I need to “set my heart on things above” and not on things below. I need to believe–have faith–in the One who transforms my mind so that I am not conformed to this world (Romans 12:1-2).

Words have power–especially when it is God’s Word!

Kenya: Africa’s Beauty

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Source:https://blog.iese.edu/iese-and-africa/files/2016/02/kenya-sunset-1024×640.jpg

It was once a dream of mine to go to Africa. I was unsure as to what State I wanted to visit, but Kenya and Tanzania were on the list along with Uganda. I was finally able to go to Tanzania with some friends of mine on a mission trip. We were ministering to the Masai Tribe in Loliondo in the northern portion of Tanzania. The people were amazing. But the area that we were in was also called “the valley of darkness.” And when we entered into Loliondo, you could almost feel the darkness.

The people in the town were not very friendly to the “muzungus” (referring to people of European descent commonly used among Bantu Peoples in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Congo, Comoros, Mayotte, and Zambia), at least when we first entered into the town. They stared at us as if they had never seen light-colored skin before. There were Tanzanians of different tribes and of course the Masai were there. We would try to meet people and some would speak with us while others were staring at us as if they were afraid of us.

One of the days that we were there, a man came toward me and began to speak to me in English of all things. He was wondering what I was doing in Loliondo. I began to share the Evangecube with him which tells the story of Jesus Christ and how He came to seek and to save those who are lost. When I came to the picture of Jesus Christ on the Cross (which is offensive to see someone who actually died this way), it was as if the man was literally picked up and thrown to the ground. He began to wail and told me that he cannot look on such a picture. Now he was speaking Swahili. He covered his eyes and I covered the picture. I asked him why he could not look upon the picture. He said in perfect English, “Because I am Muslim.”

I uncovered the picture with my hand and said that he had to be set free from his sin. Again, he was cast down on the ground so I went on to the next picture that shows how Jesus Christ was buried and the next how He was raised from the dead. When asked if he would like to place his faith in Jesus Christ, he said that he could not. We walked away from each other but it was just a few days before I saw him again.

I was speaking with a Muslim store owner. My pastor friend had shared the Good News with the man and then my translator shared with him. He wanted to hear from the muzungu, so it was my turn to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with him. After hearing the News, he said that he wanted to convert from Islam to Christianity. His wife was standing in the window under a veil and I noticed she was crying. I said to the man, “I think your wife wants to trust Jesus Christ as well.” He turned and gave her permission to trust Christ. I then said to him, “Let her unveil herself as the Lord sees her beauty as she is.” He allowed it and they both with some other friends prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives.

But it was the old man who I had spoken to a few days before. He was there on the porch of that storefront. He was mocking the pastor, the translator, and me the whole time. In reality, he was mocking Jesus Christ. At one point, I looked at him and yelled, “In the name of Jesus Christ! Get away from here!” The other men trusted Jesus Christ after I said that because the old man literally ran up the side of the mountain where we were! They said to my translator, “We have never seen him do anything like that! He is just an old drunk and cheats people! We want to know this Power of salvation!”

There are a couple of lessons that I learned from this trip. First, when you share the Good News of Jesus Christ, there will be those who accept it and those who will reject it. It matters not where you go, whether it is around the corner of your home or around the world, people will always make a decision to accept or reject. Second, when someone rejects the Good News that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised again according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4), they are not rejecting you. In fact, they are rejecting Jesus Christ Himself. We are simply the messengers, He is Lord and Savior. Third, even the devil knows different languages. The man who spoke English to me had never been heard speaking my language, only Swahili. The pastor of the town told me that it frightened her because she had never seen anything like this before. I told her, “Even the devil can speak in tongues!” She understood that. Finally, the name of Jesus Christ not only drives the devil away, He saves the people who accept Him! The old man fled not because of me, but because of Jesus Christ. The people trusted Jesus Christ not because of me, but because of who He is.

The name of Jesus Christ is a strong and mighty name.

Well, well, well…

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Source:https://i0.wp.com/hotspringsforsale.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/costa-rica-hot-springs-for-sale.jpg?w=615&ssl=1

It was one of the prettiest sights that I have ever seen. It was an artisan well in the heart of Costa Rica. It was in 1986 that I travelled there with a group of students from Criswell College in Dallas, Texas. We were on a mission trip and had preaching all week and sharing the Good News that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:2, 3), and that all who would believe in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ would be saved! It was a great time that I have never forgotten and the artesian well to me was one of the greatest sights that I had ever seen.

The view for us was refreshing. After working all week, the leaders of the trip decided that we should go see some of the sights. The picture above is not the actual site where the well was, but it looks very similar in my memory. In fact, the well filled three pools as I remember. There were people swimming in each of the pools. People were enjoying the warmness of the water. I remember that there were white swans in the water as well. When a friend of mine approached the swans, the male flew out of the water to protect the young swans that were swimming with their mother and attacked him.

At any rate, I am not sure why I was remembering this, but it has been on my mind for a few hours. I miss Costa Rica. I miss the artesian well. The water was pure, unadulterated by chemicals. It was warm and inviting.