BrethrenVoice
<><><><><><><>


INCONSISTENCY IN WORSHIP

How can this be? How can the same mouth one minute be praising God and the
next minute be cursing men who are made in His image? What contradictory
behavior? What contrariness! Yet it happens all the time!

James 3:9 - "Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we
men, which are made after the similitude of God."

Proverbs 11:9 - "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor..."

The Apostle James addresses an issue common among many which we will call
"Inconsistency in Worship."   James speaks about the mouth which pours out
blessings, praise, thanksgiving, and worship to God. It would be wonderful
if he stopped there. But this same mouth does not just bless God; it also
does the total opposite in cursing man - imprecating and invoking evil upon
him.

Such hypocrisy among "Christians" is recognized by the world. On Sunday,
they hear the Church praising and worshipping God, and then on Monday
through Saturday, they hear the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ pouring
forth corrupt communication.

Proverbs 11:9 says it well - "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his
neighbor..." What is a hypocrite? As an Old Testament concept, an hypocrite
is a profane and godless person. In the New Testament, an hypocrite is one
who is insincere, not genuine, or play-acting with reference to religion -
2 Timothy 3:5 - "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof."
Obviously, one who is a dissembler is a profane and godless person so the
Old and the New Testament definitions coincide with each other.

According to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, an hypocrite is "one
who affects virtues or qualities he does not have." He is one who puts on a
false appearance.

There are so many who know the right lingo such as "Praise the Lord,"
"Hallelujah," and "Bless that wonderful Name of Jesus." Yet, at the same
time, they use their tongues to curse, lie to, and corrupt their fellow man.
The world is repulsed by such hypocrisy. So is God!

Who is mostly affected by this hypocrisy?

Proverbs 11:9 tells us that it is "his neighbor." The neighbor can be any
one in the hypocrite's life - his friend, family, spouse, associate, etc.

What does the hypocrite do to "his neighbor"? He "destroyeth his neighbor."
This word "destroyeth"  means to pervert, corrupt, decay, mar, spoil, and go
to ruin. How does he do this work of destruction?

Through an ungodly lifestyle? Yes, that surely does affect another. But even
above that, Proverbs 11:9 very emphatically says that "An hypocrite with his
mouth destroyeth his neighbor..."

How can this be possible? It is possible through the example that the
Apostle James addressed - one minute we bless God; the next minute, we curse
man who is made in the image of God! Such hypocrisy of speech destroys and
has destroyed many!

Let's line up Scriptures of blessing with those depicting man with a corrupt
tongue and see how godless this hypocrisy is!

Psalm 35:28 - "...my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy
praise all the day long."

Psalm 50:19 - "Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth
deceit."

Psalm 51:14 - "...My tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness."

Psalm 50:20 - "Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou
slanderest thine own mother's son."

Psalm 71:24 - "My tongue also shall talk of Thy righteousness all the day
long..."

Romans 3:14 - "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

Psalm 108:1 - "...I will sing and give praise..."

Ecclesiastes 7:22 - "For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou
thyself likewise hast cursed others."

Psalm 34:1 - "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall
continually be in my mouth."

Psalm 5:9 - "For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part
is very wickedness...they flatter with their tongue."

Psalm 63:4 - "Thus will I bless Thee while I live..."

Psalm 36:3 - "The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit..."

Psalm 145:21 - "My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD..."

Jeremiah 9:3 - "And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies..."

Psalm 145:1 - "I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name
for ever and ever."

Psalm 12:2 - "They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering
lips and with a double heart do they speak."

Ephesians 1:3 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

Psalm 64:3 - "...bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words."

Psalm 89:1 - "...with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all
generations."

Psalm 10:7 - "His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his
tongue is mischief and vanity."

One minute the hypocrite speaks of God's righteousness and praise. At
another time he gives his mouth to evil and deceit. He slanders his brother.
His mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. His words are iniquity and
deceit. Yet he is big on extolling the Lord, blessing the Lord, and singing
and giving praise to God. Others see the inconsistency and contrariness and
are ruined by it.

How about you? Has your mouth given glorious praise, honor, and adoration to
the Lord Jesus Christ during the Sunday Worship Service, for example, and
then after the service, poured out lies, injurious speech against another,
obscene speech, railing, bitter words towards those who offended you, silly
talk, buffoonery, and vulgar jesting. Such hypocritical behavior destroys
others.

Think about it! Who are you destroying by your inconsistency in worship? You
bless God but curse man who was made in His image. Are you destroying your
children, your spouse, your coworker on the job, your Sunday School
students, your Youth Group, your Church, etc. by your contradictory speech?

Whose faith have you marred, corrupted, or ruined by your hypocrisy of
speech?

"An hypocrite...destroyeth his neighbor." The way he does it is "with his
mouth."

May God help us that our mouth may never bring ruin or corruption to any but
bring blessings and life instead.

May God Bless His Word.

Connie Giordano
______________________________________________________________________
["EXAMINE YOURSELVES WHETHER YOU ARE IN FAITH." (2 Cor 13:5)]
BrethrenVoice facilitates free flow of Christian information towards
establishing the saved in the sustaining grace and leading the unsaved
to the saving grace. To God be the glory!
To unsubscribe, email: brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...
To subscribe, email: brethrenvoice-subscribe@...
To read messages online: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice
To eFellowship: http://communities.msn.co.uk/BrethrenChristiansForum
To post a message to the List, forward: brethrenvoice@...
To contact the List Moderator, email: brethrenvoice@...