The Importance of Discerning Messages
In the quote I posted below, Paul makes a very compelling argument. That any variation from the Gospel of Jesus Christ is wrong. He goes so far as to say that regardless of reputation, or stature, even supernatural beings that bring a distortion to this Gospel, be cursed.
I want to draw attention however, that he starts off with a rebuke to the church of Galatia for accepting this and not realizing that it is a false teaching. Now this is the part of the chapter I want to draw an application from. With all the messages being preached today, there is still only one Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I as a watchman need to keep guard against distortions of that message. Both within my heart and warning those I influence against those distortion.
Yet if I lack in my knowledge of the Gospel, how can I discern against distortions of it. So the best way to guard against it, is to familiarize my self with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
6 I can’t believe your fickleness-how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! 7 It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head. 8 Let me be blunt: If one of us-even if an angel from heaven!-were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed. 9 I said it once; I’ll say it again: If anyone, regardless of reputation or credentials, preaches something other than what you received originally, let him be cursed.
10 Do you think I speak this strongly in order to manipulate crowds? Or curry favor with God? Or get popular applause? If my goal was popularity, I wouldn’t bother being Christ’s slave. 11 Know this-I am most emphatic here, friends-this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. 12 I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.
— Galations 1:6-12 (The Msg)
It sort of hit me the other day, that in a little more than 4 months I will be getting married to the most beautiful woman in the world. (Whom I’m holding in this photo
Is Talking too Much Wrong?
My whole life people have told me I talk to much. I need to talk less, I need to be softer. I suppose if one was looking to seem intellectual, or wise, then this would be good advice. Yet I put to you this question, if it was not for communication through the medium of oral tradition (talking) then much of the acquired habits we have would take our generation, probably years to figure out and implement. Much of what we know we have learnt because someone spoke and someone listened. I mention all this, because for the last few months I’ve have been wondering two things, one why do I love to talk, and two why do talkative people, love to talk and is it wrong.
So why do talkative people love to talk, and is it wrong? I have to say please don’t take my OPINION to be a factual justification for a bad case of verbal diarrhea. If you are one of those people, that when you call someone, they would rather switch to silent than answer; then you need to learn to filter what you say. No I’m talking about if there is something to be said, some people will use maybe 50 words to say something, while others might use 100. What I think, so far, is that it all depends. I read on the internet today that intellectual conversation stimulates brain function. So talking is good, but in the same article I read that forcing your brain to process information when you are tired damages the brain and shortens the lives of brain cells, cause of a higher concentration of CO2.
Therefore I want to propose that it comes down to discernment, discerning whether the audience/person you are about to talk to is tired, or maybe even just tired of you. Or whether they are able to listen and take in, and then also what you are going to say will it be a waist of words or usable information. I think its fine to be slightly talkative, in terms of being one of those people that uses 100 words to say something, as long as it is something that needs to be shared. Cause gift of the gab, just ticks people off.
