To Speak or not to Speak...

 Colossians 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
Colossians 4:6  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Titus 3:2  speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.


James_1:19  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
James_2:12  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.

Let me say right off the bat that I agree that many are "preaching" incorrectly, taking verses out of context etc., and that is not what I hope to do with bringing up these verses. I agree that we should speak up about the things that go contrary to God's word, no question about that...but lately I've been pondering on how to truly be led to do so in the Spirit of the Lord, and not with a contentious spirit (of that I have been often guilty, to my shame). Paul asked for doors to be opened:



Colossians_4:3  At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—


and this where he said a wide door:


1Corinthians 16:8  But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost,
1Corinthians 16:9  for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.


and this one:

2Co 2:12  When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord,
2Co 2:13  my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
2Co 2:14  But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.


I hope that I will be more obedient to follow the Lord's leading on when and where to speak, and when to remain quiet and watch, paying attention to what Jesus would have me understand, about the doors He opens, and the doors He closes. I hope this will be your desire in Him as well.

Spiritual Gifts

My morning reading was in the book of 1 Corinthians, and it is interesting to me that the things that caused contentions then still do so even today. I guess we do not change all that much, do we?

1Co 11:18 ... when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part,
1Co 11:19  for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.


The Lord even has a plan in this, He's got it under control even when it all looks out of whack to you and me. And we must take care when we think we have it so much better than everyone else, because all good gifts come from God, not from ourselves, and He has these things to further His kingdom, which in His kindness and generosity He has made available to us who do not deserve it, let's face it NONE OF US do.

1Co 12:22 ... the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
1Co 12:23  and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,
1Co 12:24  which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,
1Co 12:25  that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.


When we proudly wag our finger at others for their shame, shame, shame, we need to be careful (and I say this especially to myself!!!I am GUILTY, GUILTY, GUILTY  of this terrible offense),  because the Lord who sees all will correct the problems correctly in His time. In the meantime let us not know anything more than Jesus and that He was crucified for our sins that we might live and reign with Him forever.

1Co 2:1  And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
1Co 2:2  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,
1Co 2:4  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
1Co 2:5  so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.