Set an example... in speech {part 2}

 Now we're done the negative side, we can look at what to say! First up, encouragement!

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 Does God wan't us to give encouragement? OF COURSE!!! It may be hard to do at times, or seem weird, but God commands us to encourage each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (Let's hope that last bit is true!) There are stacks of other Bible verses that talk about encouragement; check out Romans 12:8, 2 Timothy 4:2 and Titus 2:15b. There are many places where the Bible talks about specific people encouraging: like Paul in Colossians 2:2, Barnabas in Acts 11:23 and Judas and Silas in Acts 15:32. Guess what? The Bible even tells us that God encourages us! (Psalm 10:17, Romans 15:5.) So does the Holy Spirit. (Acts 9:31.) God also speaks through the Scriptures to give us encouragement. (Romans 15:4; I think you've probably experienced these ideas for yourself!)

 Why encourage? Why does God command us to build each other up? Well, there's the simple fact that it makes others feel nice. You know how you feel when you're encouraged; others feel that way too when you encourage them. I've felt encouraged recently when someone took the time to tell me that they felt honoured to know me. Everyone likes a boost. 
 Then, there's the effects your encouragement can have. Check out this verse: "But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." (Deuteronomy 3:28, emphasis mine.) Your encouragement could do something big! OK, OK, maybe not saying 'I love your shirt' (I guess, you never know... it could start that girl thinking about creating her own fashion label... :P), but some things could have a big impact. (Interrupting here: recently many people have encouraged me about my blog. God used that to get me out of my lack of motivation and start writing some posts!)
 Lastly, there's what might happen if you don't encourage someone. 2 Samuel 19:7: "Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall!" (OK, my example may be slightly exaggerated, but the concept still holds.) If you don't encourage someone, something negative could happen. Maybe if I hold back from telling the girl on my street that she looks pretty she'll grow up hating herself. (Maybe not, but who knows. My encouragement could just be the thing that pulls someone away from something bad or helps change a life course. But always remember, such encouragement - indeed, all encouragement - needs to be constant and consistent.)

 So lets rise to the challenge... and the command! Let's spread encouragement all around us! {Taken from 'Encouragement.'}



More soon!

Cassie xoxoxo

Set an example... in speech {part 1}

Sorry I didn't get one out last week!

 Most of you have probably read my other posts on speech, so I'll just basically do a re-cap here, inserting the key points of my other posts.

 By setting an example for other believers in our speech, there are both things we should and should not say. As the post would be too long if I did all my points in one post, I will break it into three parts. So here are my points on what not to say.

  "There be any obscenity, foolish talk or course joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." (Ephesians 5:4)  Wow, pretty direct! I also love the New Life Version: "Do not be guilty of telling bad stories and of foolish talk. These things are not for you to do. Instead, you are to give thanks for what God has done for you." I think we all do these not-great things at some point. However 'harmless' they may seem, God is against them. {Taken from 'Coarse talk: uh-uh'}

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 Even little, silly sentences can hurt; even something said as a joke can get someone down. I think you know what I mean. Something like "Yeh, that was so stupid. Sometimes you can be such a dope" can hurt. Even just "You're a dope" has a possibility of making someone feel bad. Now, most of the time these things and more are said jokingly. But hey, they can still get someone down!!! And if you're thinking "How silly, why would anyone take that offensively?" I can personally tell you that there are people on whom these kind words have an effect. Or even if they don't hurt, what's the point in saying them anyway? Why say something derisive at all? (Trust me, I fail at this nearly every time. It's VERY hard to master. But I believe it's worth it.)

 Now, not all critical words are said in a joking manner. We've all said something along the lines of "you're an idiot" (or nerd, or freak, or dumbo, or immature etc). In those cases, we all need to learn to control our tongue. It's really HARD, I know, but never the less, God wants us to. There are heaps of Bible verses about the tongue. Some show what the tongue is like and what it does - "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Prov 12:18) "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." (Prov 18:21) "Likewise, 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. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." (James 3:5,6).
A lot of them tell of the tongue's consequences and how it relates to us - (like two of the above and a chunk of James - for example, James 1:26 says "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.") If you look throughout the Bible at the verses on the tongue, it is clear that
1. the tongue can do a lot of damage or build people up and
2. God wants us to keep a close watch over what we say.
So pray about it, and strive with God to say things that only build up and not tear down (Eph. 4:29).

 (And just in case you haven't gotten why negative words are not a good idea, James reminds us that "We praise our Lord and Father with our tongues. And we speak wrong words about people with our tongues, even though they were made like God." (James 3:9 WE translation)! How silly is that!!!? So let's strive to stop having blessings and insults coming out of the same mouth. And can I let you into a secret?: Sometimes you will mess up!! No-one is perfect! So don't feel really guilty if you fail. Just apologise to the person and God, and keep going.) {Taken from '"Ouch!" Your words can hurt!'}


So there you have it: a re-cap on all my thoughts about what not to say! More next week! Lets continue in our striving in the Lord to set an example in our speech.

Cassie xoxoxo

Set an Example

 {A while ago I had an idea for a post series on 1 Timothy 4:12b. So... this is the first one!}

Set an example for the believers

 I know you've probably heard this verse (1 Timothy 4:12b) many many times. In fact, it's probably one of your favourites. You probably know that the context of this verse is Paul writing to Timothy, a young* minister and urging him to (a) let nobody look down on him because of his youth* and (b) to also set an example for all the believers in various things.

 Like you, I've heard, loved and understood this verse for a while. But recently I decided to do a study on it. I grabbed a concordance, Greek dictionary, study bible and commentary on 1 Timothy. I looked up the original Greek meaning of words. I read study notes. Basically I found that 1 Timothy 4:12b means just what it says in modern English... except for one word (which you will find out about later!). In other words, when we read in our bible 'set an example for the believers,' it means 'set an example for the believers.'

 Now you may read that and think, "OK... so, ah, why on earth are you writing a post on it?" Well, although I don't have that much to say on it, I thought I would still write a short post on it for 3 reasons:

1. Just as a starter for the rest of the series. It's setting the scene.
2. To bring it to your attention again. It truly is a great verse! We need to be reminded of it often.
3. To point out that there's no getting around it. This verse needs to be taken seriously! Paul means what he says. As young Christian girls, we are called to set an example, a pattern of living, a visual guide that others can follow. There's no thinking "Oh, it can't really mean that. It can't mean me. It surely isn't saying that I need to be a visual model, right?" This is our marching orders! It must be obeyed!

You sister,

Cassie xoxoxo


*Timothy was probably around 30. When Paul lived, it was very unusual for a man so young and 'inexperienced' to have such a profound responsibility as leading a church. The verse, however, still applies to us today: we are not to let others' opinions of our youth or their prejudice that 'teen are useless' discourage us from serving God. We are also to set an example for other believers, no matter how young we are.

His

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now, this is what the Lord says –

    He who created you,...

    He who formed you,... :

‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

    I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

    they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

    you will not be burned;

    the flames will not set you ablaze.

 

For I am the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

    Cush^[a] and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honoured in my sight,

    and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

    nations in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

    I will bring your children from the east

    and gather you from the west.

I will say to the north, “Give them up!”

    and to the south, “Do not hold them back.”

Bring my sons from afar

    and my daughters from the ends of the earth –

everyone who is called by my name,

    whom I created for my glory,

    whom I formed and made.’ 
(All emphasis mine)

John 3:29 

The bride belongs to the bridegroom.

Numbers 3:13c

They are... mine. I am the Lord. 

Psalm 100:3b
It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

What amazing promises! I am God's!! HIS!!!!!!! I could go on to list many other promises of the same nature (1Cor 6:19b-20a, 1Pe 2:9, etc etc). Has it ever struck you that we are God's? It happened to me recently! Here's some more thoughts:

•  If we wander, Jesus will not through a hissy-fit in heaven screaming, "NOOOOO!!!! She's MMMMIIIIINNNNNEEEE!!!!!!!!" but He WILL do battle for our soul and entire self!
• He is jealous for me. (Check out this song.)
• If I remember I have given God my self, my mind, my heart, I am less likely to waist them on foolish things or give them away.

Cassie xoxoxo

Email!

Hey guys! Just letting you know that you can now email me any questions, thoughts, friendly criticism etc at:
purelyhis.blog@gmail.com. (This address with a link is also in my 'Contact me!' page.)

Cassie xoxoxo

An awesome snippet

Image from Amazon.com

My Dad recently introduced me to an awesome Christian fiction serries by Donita K. Paul. (The books are (in order) DragonSpell, DragonQuest, DragonKnight, DragonFire and DragonLight.) Donita is an amazing author; she cleverly inserts lessons about God, love, beauty, mercy, faith, gifts etc etc into an absorbing and exciting adventure story. I become more satisfied and impressed the further I read. It's a serries that truly directs me to God.

 Anyway, I came across a few paragraphs in DragonKnight that made me want to jump and clap my hands. (Don't you love it when that happens?) I thought I'd share the snippet with you:

[Squire Bardon to young and utterly naive N'Rae] "You are a charming young thing and shall have to guard against young men who would love to steal from that beauty."

 "How could one steal from beauty?"

 "By taking what doesn't belong to them. By encroaching on your youth." He saw the bemusement on her face. 
 He shook his head and screwed up his mouth. "N'Rae, in plain words, unscrupulous men will want to filch a kiss or more from you. This would give them great physical pleasure and, for some of them, the satisfaction of a conquest as if you were no more than a hunting trophy. You would have lost something that could not be replaced. Your beauty with be less pure."

 N'rae cocked her head. "Does that mean that I can never kiss and cuddle?"

 "When you choose a man who will be your life partner, then each kiss accentuates your beauty instead of diminishing it." {Paul, Donita K. (2008). DragonKnight. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.}

 Isn't that great! I also love scenes that display the valour and gentlemanliness of Godly young men, the loveliness that is bestowed on Godly young women, and the presence and faithfulness of God. The books are all such an awesome read!


Cassie xoxoxo

Promises for the heart

 

{All copied from Miss Raquel's Pintrest}