James Expounds on Faith Volume 34

Taming the Tongue 😝 Part 5

James 3:9-10 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Next the Apostle James points out the contrast of the service of our 😝 tongues in how we use it to sing praises to our Father in Heaven and pray to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ and to declare to Him how much we love 😍 and adore Him, yet we then, when we are angered, agitated, or anguished by another human being made in the very image of the God we bless with our tongues 😝 we forget that immediately and then spew out some venom that is ruinous to our own souls and aimed to hurt the soul or souls we are speaking to or speaking of. as it is written with these words, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." (James 3:9-10) (KJV). So, I remind you reader and I especially remind myself because I am prone to respond the way my 'old man' 👨 would commonly do with words which do not honor my Father in Heaven, so I again want us to read these words from Brother Matthew Henry written long ago before our time here on the earth 🌎 speaking about these same passages of Scripture from the Apostle James, "Yet the tongue is worse than these, and cannot be tamed by the power and art which serves to tame these things. No man can tame the tongue without supernatural grace and assistance.' The Apostle does not intend to represent it as a thing impossible, but as a thing extremely difficult, which therefore will require great watchfulness, and pains, and prayer, to keep it in due order. And sometimes all is too little; for it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Brute creatures may be kept within certain bounds, they may be managed by certain rules, and even serpents may be so used as to do not hurt with all their poison; but the tongue is apt to break through all bounds and rules, and to spit out its poison on one occasion or other, notwithstanding the utmost care. So that not only does it need to be watched, and guarded, and governed, as much as an unruly beast, or a hurtful and poisonous creature, but much more care and pains will be needful to prevent the mischievous outbreakings and effects of the tongue."

The desire to honor God with our words has been implanted within us at our 'new birth' (John 3:5), however, as we all know our 'old nature' remains on the inside of us, therefore, we find this desire being overwhelmed, overwritten, and overrun by our 'old nature' many ⌚ times, just as the Apostle Paul spoke concerning himself (and it applies to all of us brothers and sisters 'in Christ') with these words, "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." (Romans 7:14-20) (NKJV). The Apostle Paul goes on in Chapter 8 of Romans to declare how we can only be successful in our not using our 😝 tongues to bless God and then curse other human beings made in His image with these words, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." (Romans 8:2-11)(NKJV). So, we see then that we have been given freedom from our enslavement to the sins of the tongue 😝 as well as the sins of drug addiction, pornography, adultery, fornication, and all the others Paul listed in Galatians 5:19 when we yield to the Holy Spirit as He ignites our 'new man' 👨 or 'new nature' which desires to please God and this is only how we can please Him as we walk or live out our pilgrimage home to Heaven. As I said in Volume 33, when we yield we win, when we do not yield we lose. Christ has made us to be winners and not losers, therefore, our responsibility is only to yield and He (Jesus) will do the winning for us. Amen!!!

Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 3:9-10, "Therewith bless we God - We men do this; that is, all this is done by the tongue. The Apostle does not mean that the same man does this, but that all this is done by the same organ - the tongue. Even the Father - Who sustains to us the relation of a father. The point in the remark of the Apostle is, the absurdity of employing the tongue in such contradictory uses as to bless one who has to us the relation of a father, and to curse any being, especially those who are made in His image. The word bless here is used in the sense of praise, thank, worship. And therewith curse we men - That is, it is done by the same organ by which God is praised and honored. Which are made after the similitude of God - After His image, Genesis 1:26-27. As we bless God, we ought with the same organ to bless those who are like Him. There is an absurdity in cursing men who are thus made, like what there would be in both blessing and cursing the Creator Himself. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing - The meaning here may be, either that out of the mouth of man two such opposite things proceed, not referring to the same individual, but two different persons; or, out of the mouth of the same individual. Both of these are true; and both are equally incongruous and wrong. No organ should be devoted to uses so unlike, and the mouth should be employed in giving utterance only to that which is just, benevolent, and good. It is true, however, that the mouth is devoted to these opposite employments; and that while one part of the race employ it for purposes of praise, the other employ it in uttering maledictions. It is also true of many individuals that at one time they praise their Maker, and then, with the same organ, calumniaten (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone), and slander, and revile their fellow-men. After an act of solemn devotion in the house of God, the professed worshipper goes forth with the feelings of malice in his heart, and the language of slander, detraction, or even blasphemy on his lips. My brethren, these things ought not so to be - They are as incongruous as it would be for the same fountain to send forth both salt water and fresh; or for the same tree to bear different kinds of fruit."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…


 

James Expounds on Faith Volume 33

 Taming the Tongue 😝 Part 4

James 3:7-8 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle James now makes the statement that 'mankind' or better quoted 'humanity' has been able to tame or has tamed many of the wild animals placed upon the earth by God. We go back above to the Apostles illustration of the horse 🐴 having a bit placed in their mouths to control them and all of their movements, yet now he reminds us that though humanity has been able to tame certain animals and domesticate them from their wildness into usefulness, the tongue 😝 of mankind is still undomesticated, as he writes these words back then to the twelve tribes of Jewish converts to Christ and ✍ written now to we converts to Christ today and from every era and generation since he first 🖋 penned this letter almost a couple of millenniums ago, "For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." (James 3:7-8) (KJV). Despite our best efforts, that is, humanity, we all have fallen short or sinned mightily with this very small member of the human anatomy. Our Lord Jesus Christ had plenty to say concerning where and why these vile things spring forth from human beings, for this is what he spoke to the Pharisees and Scribes, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:33-37) (NKJV), He also said this, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matthew 15:18-19)(NKJV). When our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the 'heart', He speaks of the inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩, which is where the singular unique, that is, the single one of its kind spirit/soul resides inside the human body which makes up a person's will, thoughts, and emotions and therefore, out of the soul (influenced by the old nature passed down by Adam or influenced by the new nature @ regeneration and the new birth through yielding to God the Holy Spirit) the tongue 😝 speaks from where the soul is yielded.

As followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, the battle with this 'old man' still within us will never cease or stop. There is a conflict or fight or struggle or war raging on between the 'old man' and the 'new man' at all ⌚ times, as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul with these words, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:16-26) (NKJV). The 'flesh' being our 'old man' and the 'Spirit' being our 'new man' or 'new nature' yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit. We win when we yield and we lose every time we do not yield and this is not a daily battle, this is second by second, minute by minute, and hour by hour battle until we meet our Savior in death or when we are caught up with Him in the air at the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 3:7-8, "As if the Apostle had said, 'Lions, and the most savage beasts, as well as horses and camels, and creatures of the greatest strength, have been tamed and governed by men: so have birds, notwithstanding their wildness and timorousness, and their wings to bear them up continually out of our reach: even serpents, notwithstanding all their venom and all their cunning, have been made familiar and harmless: and things in the sea have been taken by men, and made serviceable to them. And these creatures have not been subdued nor tamed by miracle only (as the lions crouched to Daniel, instead of devouring him, and ravens fed Elijah, and a whale carried Jonah through the depths of the sea to dry land), but what is here spoken of is something commonly done; not only hath been tamed, but is tamed of mankind. Yet the tongue is worse than these, and cannot be tamed by the power and art which serves to tame these things. No man can tame the tongue without supernatural grace and assistance.' The Apostle does not intend to represent it as a thing impossible, but as a thing extremely difficult, which therefore will require great watchfulness, and pains, and prayer, to keep it in due order. And sometimes all is too little; for it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Brute creatures may be kept within certain bounds, they may be managed by certain rules, and even serpents may be so used as to do not hurt with all their poison; but the tongue is apt to break through all bounds and rules, and to spit out its poison on one occasion or other, notwithstanding the utmost care. So that not only does it need to be watched, and guarded, and governed, as much as an unruly beast, or a hurtful and poisonous creature, but much more care and pains will be needful to prevent the mischievous outbreakings and effects of the tongue."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 32

 Taming the Tongue 😝 Part 3

James 3:5-6 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

Now the Apostle gives us the details, the description, and the diagnosis of the power that lay within our 😝 tongues to do that which is bad for the desecration of our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 if we do not bridle it, as it is written, "Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6) (KJV). Not only is the Apostle James speaking here of the speech which proceeds from every individual member of our Lord Jesus Christ, but he could also be speaking of those who claim to speak for Christ having a talent for oratory or speaking in public, but they do not declare the truth of the Gospel and the entire Word of God, instead by their boastful speech using elequent language and flattering the hearts of sinful men and women they spark a movement that leads the souls of men and women into a lie 🤥 and into eternal darkness forever; think of the damage that has been done in this manner by the one man Joseph Smith through whom there are now currently approximately 25 million souls in this darkness world 🗺 wide because of the little spark or flame kindled by one man less than a couple of centuries ago. Whether or not the Apostle is speaking of both the individual and the use of his or her tongue 😝 or the latter, the tongue 😝 has the power to do that which is good in the individual and to do that which is good to and for many individual people when that tongue 😝 is used to declare the true Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and that our Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to God because He is God (John 14:6). The Proverbs declare these words concerning the tongue 😝, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit." (Proverbs 18:21) (NKJV). When the tongue 😝 is used in the hearing of many people to declare the true Gospel then life proceeds from it, likewise when any of us individual brothers or sisters 'in Christ' submit to His authority and allow Him to govern our speech then life will proceed from that brother or sister just as water comes up from the ground of a well, as our Lord Jesus said with these words to the woman at the well who had slept with many men, "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)(NKJV). When we drink from Him as our fountain of living water, then our speech will spring up pleasing to Him and edifying to ourselves and to others. On the other hand, when our individual tongues are spewing vile, volatile, or violent speech then our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 will suffer decay, deterioration, and desolation from closeness with our Father in Heaven and we will lose the joy of our salvation. The tongue 😝 is not a unique member of the body that can act on its own without governing or control, for as we heard from our Lord Jesus Christ it is what or in this case who is governing our inner man 👨 or inner woman 👩 which determines the nature of our speech. Will it be Christ? or Will it be ourselves?

Christ Jesus our Lord will not force His Governing Authority upon us, but we must yield to His authority. The Apostle Paul said this of our speech, "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4:5-6) (NKJV). This is a hard command for me, especially concerning those who are outside of my Lord Jesus Christ, as I far to often allow my speech to revert back to my 'old man' and I cry out to my Lord Jesus with these words as did King David my brother, "O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!For Your arrows pierce me deeply, And Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness." (Psalms 38:1-5) (NKJV). Here is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 3:5-6, "And hence we should learn to make the due management of our tongues more our study, because, though they are little members, they are capable of doing a great deal of good or a great deal of hurt. Therefore, We are taught to dread an unruly tongue as one of the greatest and most pernicious evils. It is compared to a little fire placed among a great deal of combustible matter, which soon raises a flame and consumes all before it: Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, etc., James 3:5-6. There is such an abundance of sin in the tongue that it may be called a world of iniquity. How many defilements does it occasion! How many and dreadful flames does it kindle! So is the tongue among the members that it defileth the whole body. Observe hence, There is a great pollution and defilement in sins of the tongue. Defiling passions are kindled, vented, and cherished by this unruly member. And the whole body is often drawn into sin and guilt by the tongue. Therefore Solomon says, Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, Ecclesiastes 5:6. The snares into which men are sometimes led by the tongue are insufferable to themselves and destructive of others. It setteth on fire the course of nature. The affairs of mankind and of societies are often thrown into confusion, and all is on a flame, by the tongues of men. Some read it, all our generations are set on fire by the tongue. There is no age of the world, nor any condition of life, private or public, but will afford examples of this. And it is set on fire of hell. Observe hence, Hell has more to do in promoting of fire of the tongue than men are generally aware of. It is from some diabolical designs, that men's tongues are inflamed. The devil is expressly called a liar, a murderer, an accuser of the brethren; and, whenever men's tongues are employed in any of these ways, they are set on fire of hell. The Holy Ghost indeed once descended in cloven tongues as of fire, Acts 2. And, where the tongue is thus guided and wrought upon by a fire from heaven, there it kindleth good thoughts, holy affections, and ardent devotions. But when it is set on fire of hell, as in all undue heats it is, there it is mischievous, producing rage and hatred, and those things which serve the purposes of the devil. As therefore you would dread fires and flames, you should dread contentions, revilings, slanders, lies, and every thing that would kindle the fire of wrath in your own spirit or in the spirits of others."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

James Expounds on Faith Volume 31

 Taming the Tongue 😝 Part 2

James 3:3-4 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle James is continuing his thoughts on how any one of us brothers or sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ can walk and live in spiritual maturity by bridling or restraining our tongue in speaking words which are displeasing to our Lord Jesus Christ and dishonoring to other human beings (fellow believers and unbelievers) by giving an example of what we human beings do to 🐴 horses when we want them to be under the control of the person who will ride them and that being by places a tiny bit/bridle in their mouths to guide and control their stopping and starting and to cause, that is, to make the horse 🐴 act a particular way and to go where we want them and at the pace we want them to go forward and to stop and even to back them up when we have ridden them into a bad spot, here is what the Apostle James writes for us as our illustration or example, "Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body." (James 3:3) (KJV). Just like the horse 🐴 is controlled (its whole body) by this little bit in his mouth 👄, so is man 👨 and woman 👩 controlled by our little tongue 😝. The idea 💡 James is trying to get sunk deeply into our inner man 👨 and inner woman 👩 is that we are responsible for the bridling of our tongues, because our Lord Jesus Christ will not allow us to continue to use language that displeases Him and offends our brothers and sisters in His Body. He will chastise us, as it is written, "If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:7-11 (NKJV). Until we surrender our will to the Holy Spirit, then we will be partakers of the chastising Hand 🖐 of Abba that produces the peacable fruit of speech pleasing to Him and edifying to our brothers and sisters 'in Christ'. Note: Bengel says this, "The same applies to the pen, which is the substitute for the tongue among the absent." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 3:3, "There is a great deal of brutish fierceness and wantonness in us. This shows itself very much by the tongue: so that this must be bridled; according to Psalms 39:1, I will keep my mouth with a bridle (or, I will bridle my mouth) while the wicked is before me. The more quick and lively the tongue is, the more should we thus take care to govern it. Otherwise, as an unruly and ungovernable horse runs away with his rider, or throws him, so an unruly tongue will serve those in like manner who have no command over it. Whereas, let resolution and watchfulness, under the influence of the grace of God, bridle the tongue, and then all the motions and actions of the whole body will be easily guided and overruled."

The next illustration the Apostle James uses would be that of a large ship being controlled by a tiny helm or rudder, which is a steering mechanism for a vessel/ship; in those days in which the Apostle James lived it was an oar worked by a handle. Helm and rudder were thus one by which a vessel/ship is steered and guided in the direction the Captain of the Ship wants it to embark upon, as written with these words for us by the Apostle James, "Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth." (James 3:4) (KJV). In this illustration, James is showing how not only are living creatures controlled by such a tiny object, so too can this apply to a non-living thing or better known as an inanimate object, which implies that if we can control even non-living things with small objects, then how great an effect does this small body part of ours (the tongue 😝) have for doing good or for doing evil. It has to be under the control of the God the Holy Spirit. Imagine a huge Ocean liner with know control mechanism on it as it roars down the Ocean with know way to stop it or slow it or steer it, then we would have a vessel that would only be headed to destroy the other things in its path, so are we when our speech is not governed by God the Holy Spirit, as these words written by the Psalmist should be the posture and practice of each one of us, for I have heard them and spoken them a million times and also ignored them as much only to my detriment, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalms 19:14) (NKJV). Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 3:4, "This illustration is equally striking and obvious. A ship is a large object. It seems to be unmanageable by its vastness, and it is also impelled by driving storms. Yet it is easily managed by a small rudder; and he that has control of that, has control of the ship itself. So with the tongue. It is a small member as compared with the body; in its size not unlike the rudder as compared with the ship. Yet the proper control of the tongue in respect to its influence on the whole man, is not unlike the control of the rudder in its power over the ship. Which though they be so great - So great in themselves, and in comparison with the rudder. Even such bulky and unwieldy objects are controlled by a very small thing. And are driven of fierce winds - By winds that would seem to leave the ship beyond control. It is probable that by the 'fierce winds' here as impelling the ship, the Apostle meant to illustrate the power of the passions in impelling man. Even a man under impetuous passion would be restrained, if the tongue is properly controlled, as the ship driven by the winds is by the helm. Yet are they turned about with a very small helm - The ancient rudder or helm was made in the shape of an oar. This was very small when compared with the size of the vessel - about as small as the tongue is as compared with the body. Whithersoever the governor listeth - As the helmsman pleases. It is entirely under his control." Here also is what Matthew Henry had to say of James 3:4, "As the helm is a very small part of the ship, so is the tongue a very small part of the body: but the right governing of the helm or rudder will steer and turn the ship as the governor pleases; and a right management of the tongue is, in a great measure, the government of the whole man. There is a wonderful beauty in these comparisons, to show how things of small bulk may yet be of vast use. And hence we should learn to make the due management of our tongues more our study, because, though they are little members, they are capable of doing a great deal of good or a great deal of hurt."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…