Today is Memorial Day. On this day we Honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We honor our dead soldiers. Indeed, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 and we must remember this not only this weekend, but every day of every week of every month of every year. As Americans it is our responsibility to acknowledge and honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Freedom is not free and those who served and died while serving our great nation deserve our ultimate respect and honor. 

This morning I was sitting with my sweetheart at a resort we were visiting for Memorial Day weekend. Our second floor balcony room overlooked a small parking lot. As we sat there on the second floor balcony in the early morning hours before Church Service we witnessed a couple walk out of the building we were staying in and walk to their car. There was a baby, perhaps a year old in his father's arms, who looked to be in perfect peace. He had no worries of this world at all. All he knew was peace. The peace that came from perfect bliss and ignorance of this world's cares. A peace which surpassed all understanding. A peace which we have when we are in our Heavenly Father's arms. God our Father who grants us peace through his son Jesus gives us everlasting peace --- a peace which surpasses all understanding. Yet we choose to go elsewhere looking for peace and joy --- an error even the very wise sometimes make. 

So let us define the word peace. PEACE (שָׁלוֹם, shalom; εἰρήνη, eirēnē). A pervasive concept in the Bible that most commonly relates to a relationship of love and loyalty with God and one another.

Key passages from the Bible which relate to peace:
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3
"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men." John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Indeed Jesus gives us peace. We know peace in Him and through Him. Let us then not seek the things of the world to give us peace and joy. Let us seek the one who gives us everlasting peace. 

Beloved, I know many people who like repetition. They like to repeat the same old mistakes over and over and over again. However, in the religious life of a believer, there can be, and are, inflection points. Baptism is one such inflection point. What this means is that whatever mistakes were made prior to a person's Baptism generally should not be repeated. Baptism creates a new creature --- a new human being in essence. What was old has passed and the new has appeared. Old things are gone. The new has come. Read more about Baptism here... https://www.paulsgospel.org/motd/on-adult-baptism This talks about baby and adult Baptism.

Now, I know absolutely crazy people who like to repeat the same things in their lives over and over and over again and learn no lessons from their mistakes. Folks, these people absolutely don't learn. They keep repeating the same mistakes all the while expecting different results. As someone famous once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Jesus famously spoke the following words "Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62 What he meant by this was that once you accept Jesus into your life and are Baptized, if you consider another God other than YHWH or His son Jesus, there is nothing left but condemnation for you and you are unfit for the Kingdom of God. So say you were walking in the Spiritual blindness of a different religion, and saw the light of Jesus and accepted Him into your life and were converted, but then decided to abandon Christ and embrace that old religion again, you would not be worthy of the Kingdom of God. Beloved, make no mistake -- you must choose. Baptism is an inflection point from where there is no return. Once you are Baptized you are a Christian and accepting any other religion than the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) after that point will condemn you to Hell. 

Are you an extrovert like me? Do you like to speak? Do you love to tell a good story...perhaps the story of your life, the story of how you came to faith in Christ, the story of how you met your spouse, or some other story near and dear to you? Do you love entertaining an audience with your gift of gab? Do you love going on and on and on about this and that, everything from the weather to your opinion on the politician running for office? I do. Most people I know engage in what we call small-talk. It may be serious, or it may just be making casual conversation. At times do you throw in statements you do not mean to say in the heat of the moment? I know I do. Perhaps you were angry? Perhaps bitter? Perhaps tired? Perhaps overworked? Perhaps depressed? Perhaps provoked? Perhaps resentful or sorrowful? Perhaps hurting? Perhaps feeling wronged? Perhaps feeling judged or unwanted or feeling not valued? In the heat of the moment did you say something which you later came to regret? The Bible cautions us about the power of the tongue and the need to tame it. We could all learn from it, myself included. 

We could learn a thing or two from the life and example of Jesus. You see, the Bible teaches us that Jesus did not speak unnecessarily, and when he did speak, words of wisdom came out of his mouth. The tongue can be used to praise God and sing of His glory. Indeed the tongue can be used for good just as it can for evil, and it can also be used by God mightily to spread the Gospel. So, consider these Bible verses, relevant to speaking, speech and the tongue:

"Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether." Psalm 139:4
Indeed, the LORD knows what we are about to say even before we say it. He who created us and is above all knowledge and wisdom and knows us inside and out. 
"The Holy Spirit will give you the words to say at the moment when you need them." Luke 12:12
"Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
"Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right." Psalm 119:172
"my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies." Job 27:4
"Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue." Psalm 120:2
"Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones." Proverbs 25:15
"And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness. And of Your praise all the day long." Psalm 35:28
"There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health." Proverbs 12:18
"Four manner of things appear: good and evil, life and death: but the tongue ruleth over them continually." Sirach 37:18
"The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice." Psalm 37:30
"Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord" Psalm 15:1-4
"The Spirit of the LORD speaks through me. His Word is upon my tongue" 2 Samuel 23:2
"You shall be hidden from the lash of the tongue, and shall not fear destruction when it comes." Job 5:21
"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." Proverbs 31:26
"Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God." Luke 1:64

Warning Verses about the tongue:
"Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!" Psalm 34:13
"There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family." Proverbs 6:16-19
"The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth." Proverbs 10:20
"You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue." Psalm 52:4
"Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." Proverbs 21:23
"Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him." Jeremiah 9:8
"Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies." Psalm 50:19
"The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice, but the tongue that deceives will be cut off." Proverbs 10:31
"Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but many more have fallen because of the tongue." Sirach 28:18
"The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly." Proverbs 15:2
"Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." Proverbs 15:4
"What will He give to you, and what more will He do to you, You deceitful tongue?" Psalm 120:3
"I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue." Psalm 66:17
"May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said, 'With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?' " Psalm 12:3-4
"from the deep belly of Hades, from an unclean tongue and lying words, the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king." Sirach 51:5
"The blow of a whip leaves a welt, but the blow of the tongue will break bones." Sirach 28:17
"The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks." Proverbs 25:23
"Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander." Proverbs 17:4
"A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin." Proverbs 26:28
"Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue." Proverbs 28:23​
"A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin." Proverbs 26:28
"For the word is a lamp. The teaching is a light, and strong words that punish are the way of life. They keep you from the sinful woman, from the smooth tongue of a sinful woman. Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her catch you with her eyes." Proverbs 6:23-25
"Speaking brings glory or dishonor. Indeed, the tongue can be a person’s downfall." Sirach 5:13
"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment." Proverbs 12:19
"A slip on the pavement is better than a slip of the tongue; the downfall of the wicked will occur just as speedily." Sirach 20:18
"We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." James 3:3-8 

Even Jesus had a few choice words to say about the destructive nature of the tongue:
"Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:17-20


In my own personal experience in this life here on earth, you will be condemned for everything you say and for everything you do, either right away or many years later. So be careful about what you say and do because you will have to give account for it sooner or later. 

​To be continued....

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​Note: The Wisdom of Sirach, Book of Sirach, Ben Sira, or simply Sirach (/ˈsaɪræk/), is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BC, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his father Joshua son of Sirach. Sirach is accepted as part of the Canon by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and most of Oriental Orthodox Christians. The Anglican tradition considers Sirach (which was published with other Greek Jewish books in a separate section of the King James Bible) among the apocryphal books, and read them "for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet [do] not apply them to establish any doctrine." The Lutheran Churches take a similar position. It was cited in some writings in early Christianity. There are claims that it is cited in the Epistle of James, and also the non-canonical Didache (iv. 5) and Epistle of Barnabas (xix. 9). Clement of Alexandria and Origen quote from it repeatedly, as from a γραφή (Scripture).

On November 27, 2021 I first wrote a message here on Prayer (​https://www.paulsgospel.org/motd/on-prayer-part-1) and spoke about John Bunyan's 640-Page Book “A discourse touching Prayer" While it is rather long, I promised you a summary of it, and I am now ready to deliver on that promise. In his book, Bunyan states that “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God hath promised, or according to the Word, for the good of the church, with submission, in faith, to the will of God.”

I horrendously despise the fact that someone leaked a non-published opinion of the Supreme Court. As someone who has been a victim of leaked information in the past, I believe the perpetrator should be punished for their actions. Yet the fact is that here we are, face to face with the consequences of the leak. While there are serious political ramifications of the leak, this is not a political website and therefore the politics of the opinion are outside the scope of discussion.

There are, however, serious religious ramifications. I believe God is smiling at the moment. I do not believe for a moment that abortion should be legal. We are created in the image of God, and all human life is sacred. Especially here in the United States where couples wanting to adopt a baby have to go through massive amounts of red tape, and then when they realize that the wait and red tape is too long, they end up travelling to China or Africa or some other part of the world to adopt from where the process is easy and quick. It would behoove us to repeal Roe vs. Wade and make adopting an American baby as easy as applying for a credit card or taking a trip to the doctor's office. Indeed, many infertile American couples wait years to adopt while pregnant women not wanting to keep their baby hurry to organizations such as Planned Parenthood to get an abortion. It is a sad tale of death by bureaucracy.

There are serious consequences of murder, and abortion is murder. The relevant scripture is here:
​
"Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" Genesis 1:26
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:13-14
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Psalm 127:3
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb" Jeremiah 1:5
"Whosoever sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man." Genesis 9:6
"You shall not murder” Exodus 20:13
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" Jeremiah 1:5
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16
"And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:41-44
"And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger." Luke 2:12-16


Needless to say, I would encourage the repeal of this act. It will save a lot of human lives. 

A wicked and perverse generation is this. The times are evil and hence it is even more important to follow God's commands. Below are just a few of the evil things people like me and my friends' circle have witnessed recently:
1. Evil doctrinal theories about time, and the travelling backwards in time, not forward. 
2. Saints of the Church being ridiculed, and wickedly called atheist and evil.
3. Saints' private journals of past regrets being held open to the whole wide world to see and glare at. 
4. Wickedness among the powerful to try to suppress the pure at heart. 
5. People attempting to yoke the Saints of the Church with unbelievers in order to bring them to nothing. 

Beloved, Spiritual warfare is real. Satan our arch-enemy lives, and would like nothing more than for us to forsake the path God has laid out for us, and go astray. Scripture cautioned us against all of these things a very long time ago. Therefore, put on the Whole Armor of God:

The Whole Armor of God

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication." Ephesians 6:10-18

Beloved, the Spiritual Battle is real. It is not played out against those who are in the world, as they belong to Satan already, and death is their final destination. It is played out against the Saints and the people of God destined for eternal life. The stronger you are in faith the bigger the arrows the enemy fires at you. In the final analysis your Spiritual armor is what protects you from the evil one. Keep your armor at hand and use it often, because the evil one can and will throw fiery darts at you, you can bet on it.