dis-'man-t&l

I've heard the argument that in certain cases, using profanity can help your witness. I thought that I believed it was left up to the individual and relied heavily upon the context of the situation, but I'm beginning to question that idea.

And where does the idea come from that we have ANYTHING to do with "witnessing"? I was under the assumption that the Spirit, the Helper, is what leads someone to the Father. The only thing we can do is make our bodies a temple for the Spirit, feeding it through prayer, holy living, and time in God's Word; starving our flesh.
"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."
[Ephesians 4:29]
"But fornication and all uncleanliness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you... nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting..."
[Ephesians 5:3-4]
"But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth."
[Colossians 3:8]

Let it not even be NAMED among you, let NO word proceed. This stands out to me. It doesn't say, based upon the context of the situation, decide if you should use "foolish talking" or "coarse jesting" to aid your witness.
"...because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them."
[Ephesians 5:6-7]

Foolish talk and coarse jesting are included in the above list, and it is stated that God's wrath will be poured out on those who are not saved by Christ, therefore, don't join them because they're paying for their disobedience. Instead...
"...be filled with the spirit... speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always..."
[Ephesians 5:18-21]

It seems here you could conclude that straying from "foolish talking" and replacing it with "spiritual songs and thanks" is evidence of being filled with the Spirit. This leads me to believe that the Spirit has no part with "foolish talking" and "coarse jesting" and does not lead someone to partake in them for the sake of witness.

As far as the argument for freedom in Christ, yes, you have freedom in Christ, but the second it becomes a stumbling block to someone else, it's sin.

1 Corinthians 8
Be Sensitive to Conscience
1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2 And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. 3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

7 However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? 11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? 12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

What do you think?

Spiritual mothers
Chemical fathers
Wish I learned to love you more
Lonesome brothers
Trustless daughters
Children of Divorce - Alive In Wild Paint

Sometimes I look at the people around me in everyday life, and wonder what type of father, or what type of mother they'll be. Chances are, they're destined to follow in the very footsteps of their parents, and statistically, that's for the worse. 50 percent of first marriages will end in divorce, 67 percent for second marriages, and 74 percent for third marriages. If that doesn't make you stop for a second and think, then it proves the point, how unimportant or overlooked this fact is. The idea that statistics are needed for not only second, but third marriages as well, serves to fulfill this epidemic.

The family in America is broken. If parents aren't divorced, some should be. And even when conflict isn't drastic enough for divorce, there are certainly times in which spouses and children are threatened with the idea or feeling that they aren't loved.

I want to focus on fathers, because men are created to be leaders and providers, and the abundance of broken father-to-son relationships has crippled society leaving a gapping hole void of true leadership. And if you follow this problem back through generations, most likely, the father wasn't loved rightly by his father, and his father from his father. What a vicious damaging circle. You would be hard pressed to convince me that the majority of the world's problems are caused by something other than this need for a true father and his love, equating real leadership.

When you look at the gruesome, unexplainable, majestic, beautiful trials of Christ, it was only because of His relationship with His Father and His unfailing love that Jesus could endure. Christ was the beloved son. There was not ONE DOUBT in His tempted mind that He was unloved.

I don't have the answer. Christ is the only antidote "other" enough to heal this father wound. Growing closer to Christ personally, surely, but also experiencing His love through others. I'm convinced of the later because that's exactly what the Father and Creator of existence did. He demonstrated His love through a man. . . Christ.

I just watched Into the Wild directed by Sean Penn. A pretty amazing movie showcasing a young man's attempt to become a man in a broken world. But through Chris' attempt to truly find himself and be re-birthed as a man, he abandons parts of the very thing God intended to lead us into manhood. . . people. Much of the film and Chris' adventure revolves around the relationships he builds along the way, yet at the end of Chris' adventure, he comes to a realization, discovering that "Happiness is only real when shared".

There's something to be said about the brokenness of the family in regards to the current state of the world. And regardless of people's acceptance of who Christ is, everyone feels that void and brokenness in some form, and in turn, they try to put duct-tape over a gapping wound that can only be healed by their true Father and His boundless love.

Go love someone, because statistics say, they need it.

Name drop of the day: Alive In Wild Paint