I want to Get My Tongue Pierced!

We live in a culture in which tattooing, piercing, and body modification have been the rage. Rarely will you find someone who doesn’t have something from one of these three areas.

To those who are getting them, they seem like the newest thing to do. But this is not new; it has been going on for centuries. King Solomon wrote;

“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 NKJV

And there seems to be no area on the human body (exterior or interior) that is off limits for tattooing, piercing, and body modification.

Body modification is a completely strange concept that I have a hard time wrapping my mind around. It is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or physical appearance. No thanks; I have enough scars and alteration on my body from surgeries that were done to repair my broken body.

My question to those who are thinking of doing this is what happens when you turn forty and no longer feel that it is appropriate to have horns coming out of your head when you walk your daughter down the aisle?

I personally have never have been interested in getting any tattoos. With my creative mind I would probably have to keep getting “one more”…

And because each week my body gets new color in the form of bruises and bumps from playing hockey and from working in my shop or helping someone with a building project, any permanent ink that I would get would compete with my newest bruise!

Also, as a pastor, I don’t want to lead anyone astray or cause them to stumble because of something that I did to my body.

At this point, I feel the need to confess that I do have one tattoo. Actually, it is graphite from a pencil that is in my arm from the time in fifth grade when someone accidentally stabbed me. Still, it is “permanent ink”.

Lately I have been pondering the idea of getting some piercing; specifically in my tongue. I think that this would actually make me a better person and pastor. It is something that I have been working on getting done.

No, I’m not talking about installing some sort of metal in my mouth. If I did, I would probably fixate on the piercing all day like I do when I get a piece of popcorn hull stuck in my teeth!

Nor am I thinking of intentionally causing my mouth to get some holes and to bleed. I seem to do that regularly enough when I accidentally bite my tongue or cheek.

What I am referring to is my speech. I have been reading devotionals in an attempt to work on how I use my words to either build up or to tear down.

The Bible says;

 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

“Your tongue devises destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.” Psalms 52:2 NKJV

I’m talking about doing something to stop the destruction caused by careless words, gossip, criticism, sarcasm, etc.

 “A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it! It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.” James 3:5-6 MSG

I have the option to bless or to curse:

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4 NKJV

Jesus said that I will be held accountable for whatever I speak:

“…For every idle word men speak, they will give an account of it in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36 NKJV

As I have been meditating on scriptures pertaining to the tongue, I realize that I have habits and patterns of speaking that don’t reflect who I really want to be; one who reflects the love of Christ to whomever I meet.

The Bible tells me that I am to use my mouth to impart grace and blessing:

 “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 NKJV

I want to be one who uses my words to speak life and encouragement and hope into those who need it…and that includes all of us!

“Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit.” Psalms 34:13 NKJV

Simply put; I need to get my tongue pierced. Again, I am not talking about literally even though that would probably be much easier!

I am talking about learning to curb words that tear other down as well as those that can get me in trouble or misunderstanding:

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23 NKJV

Some would advise to just “bite your tongue” in an effort to not say everything that comes to mind. But I have found that all I get from doing that is a mouth full of cuts and bruises; none of which change my habits!

In fact, the taming of the tongue is harder that we want to admit; which is probably why so many don’t even try to have a filter on what comes out of their mouths.

The Bible says:

“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” James 3:8 NKJV

At first that can seem discouraging; but that is only because I am looking to myself to do the piercing. That passage says; “no man”.

I need the Holy Spirit to do the piercing. He alone knows how to do it. I simply cooperate with what He is doing and repent when I get off course.

He alone does a piercing of the tongue that can change how we speak. He alone can stop even the harsh words that we say about ourselves.

The good news is that He wants to bring the change. Our response is to ask Him.

Today, join me as I cry out to the LORD:

“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalms 141:3 NKJV

“Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.” Psalms 120:2 NKJV

“And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness And of Your praise all the day long.” Psalms 35:28 NKJV

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“It Would Help if You Turn the Key the Right Way!”

An ice storm came through this past week and left our two vehicles encased in what appeared to be solid lead crystal. Which, although it looked beautiful, would stop Cathy and I from being able to use the vehicles to drive to work. 

Since I was aware that the storm was coming, I arose early to allow enough time (and elbow grease) to remove the results of freezing rain. When I went outside, I discovered that one to two inches of snow had fallen on top of the vehicles already encased in ice.

It took me about 30 minutes to remove all the snow and scrape off everything.

My next task was to open the doors so that I could gain entrance to be able to start the vehicles and warm them up prior to departure.

Our car opened immediately when I used the remote control to open the door locks. I was happy and proceeded on to our pickup truck.

The key unlocked the doors immediately on the first attempt; or at least I thought that they had opened…because when I went to lift the door handle I had no success in opening the truck door.

‘No big deal’, I thought, I would simply pound on each of the doors and coax it them open; which I did and then tried the door handles again…with no success.

‘No big deal’, I thought, I would simply pound once again on the door and coax it to open; which I did and then tried the door handles again…again with no success.

‘No big deal’, I thought, I would simply go into my shop, get a rubber mallet and use it to pound on the door and coax it to open; which I did and then tried the door handles again…with no success.

‘No big deal’, I thought, I would simply go into my shop, get a small flat pry bar and use it to gently pry on the door and coax it to open; which I did (along with using the rubber mallet) and then tried the door handles again…with no success. 

‘No big deal’, I thought, I would simply continue to gently pry on the door and coax it to open; which I did (along with using the rubber mallet) and then tried the door handles again…with no success.

Each time I would alternate between the driver side and the passenger side repeating the attempts to get inside.

As I was using the pry bar I noticed through the passenger window that the lock button was down, not up; indicating that this door was locked.

I took my key, inserted it into the lockset, turned it, and the button popped up. I immediately lifted the door handle, and the door opened!

I quickly went to the driver’s side and did the same procedure and that door opened as well!

As I pondered what had just taken place I concluded that, although we normally lock our vehicles, they were instead NOT LOCKED when I first went to get inside.

My attempts were stopped not because they were frozen, but because I had LOCKED the doors rather than unlocking them as I had assumed.

And it would help to turn the key the right way!

Those who read my blog know that somehow through this mistake I will still draw a spiritual truth to post for the readers’ consideration. So here I go…

Salvation is a free gift for anyone who will call upon the Name of the LORD. BUT you can’t get in without turning the key the right way.

No, it is not a formula of using the antiquated words or an old form of English.

No, you don’t have to wonder whether your hands should be folded with fingers up or whether they should be interlocked making sure that your hands are in some carefully formatted position. 

No, you don’t have to be at special location or be in a special position to receive the gift of salvation from Jesus.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV).

He is the ONLY way to come to salvation. He alone paid the price with His death, burial, and resurrection. In other words; it does help to turn the key the right way!

We humans will always try to formulate and script our own methods to into heaven; as though it was up to us to decide how things are to be done. Even if we can formulate the perfect plan (have the right key), it still helps if you turn the key the right way!

The Bible says; “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12 NKJV) and “There’s a way that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell.” (Proverbs 16:25 MSG)

All our own efforts will always leave us banging on a door that will not open even though we have a key in our hands.

No, the door will only open when it is the same door at which Jesus stands knocking. Then and only then will we be able to enter in.

Jesus said; “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV)

NKJV Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Driving the Wrong Way on a One-Way Street

…. It’s more common that you might think….and if you have been driving for any length of time, there is a pretty good chance that you have either done it yourself as a driver, or almost did it, or have been with someone who did it. 

One-Way driving is usually indicated by a sign with an arrow pointing the appropriate direction of travel for that street. Occasionally, by driver error or a sign that is not visible, a driver will travel the wrong direction on a one way street. 

Driving the wrong way on freeways has also been a huge problem since the interstate highway system was started in the late 1950s. 

This is an illegal traffic violation that can result in a fine of around $100-$120. These fines could be increasingly inflated should there be other offenses involved such as intoxication. 

In fact the main culprit appears to be impaired driving, with drugs and/or alcohol involved in over sixty percent of wrong-way crashes and over seventy five percent of the fatal wrong-way crashes.

Despite all of the additional signs and modern striping methods, education, and increased fines, the problem persists and lives are still being lost.  

When a driver is in the predicament of driving the wrong way on a one-way street, it will require more than just changing lanes, because a new lane in the wrong direction will still get you to the wrong place. 

Instead, the driver will need to change directions by stopping, and turning around, and going another direction. 

To do so, one must first realize that it is happening, and change the way that he or she thinks about the situation, and then figure out how to get his/her vehicle going in the right direction.

I would submit to you that when this is taking place, the first response is that everyone else is going the wrong way; especially if the driver is impaired. It is then that the driver needs to change the way he is thinking so that he can go the other way. 

But deciding to turn the car around and actually driving in the other direction are still two different things.  

It is the same with making changes in our lives…We start off going in what we believe to be the right way only to discover that we are actually going the wrong direction.  

If you have been living for any length of time, there is a pretty good chance that you have either done it yourself, or almost did it, or have been with someone who did it.

And just like driving, going the wrong direction can have devastating consequences on those who we impact as well as to our own lives. And, like driving, we cannot simply change lanes; we need to stop, and turn around, and go another direction.

To do so, one must first realize that it is happening, and change the way that we think about the situation, and then figure out how to get going in the right direction; which is somewhat like trying to turn around a car that is going the wrong direction.

The Biblical word for changing how we think is “repent”; or “metanoeō” in the Greek (pronounced: met-an-o-eh'-o). 

The way we normally use the word, repentance refers to anytime that we feel really sorry for something that we’ve done—so sorry that we promise never do it again. 

But repent biblically means: means “to change your mind” or “to think differently” or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction). 

In other words you are going one direction and to turn around and go another direction you must FIRST to think differently and then you will be able to go another direction. If we are truly repentant (by changing how we see things) then we will be willing to do what is necessary to reverse our direction.  

But part of the problem is that unlike a highway or one-way street, on the road of life, the path isn’t as easily marked and the signs are not as easily seen to let us know that we are going the wrong way on a one-way street. 

Many people who are going the wrong direction will realize that something is wrong and simply “change lanes” by trying different things like working harder at it, or going to a gym or a church, or reading self-help books, or going on the newest diet.  

But none of these will make any difference as long as they’re still going the wrong way. Going in the wrong direction will still get you to the wrong place and all we have are “New Year’s Resolutions”. 

And, deciding to turn and go a different direction and actually going in the other direction are still two different things. 

To go a different direction, there must be a conviction that you are going the wrong way; otherwise you won’t turn around and go the other way. Instead, you will eventually miss familiar markings and scenery and stray off the right path.  

And it should be noted that you really can’t get a conviction on your own. Instead, God has given us His Holy Spirit to be the road signs to let us know when we are going the wrong way. He will lead and guide us into all truth and He will convict the world of sin. 

God has a sovereign plan and purpose for your life. But you won’t find it by natural reasoning. Instead, it will be by the supernatural direction of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit calls out to each of us; “Stop. Look. Listen! Wrong way! Detour! Change your direction! You’re on the wrong road!” When you sincerely repent, God helps you go another direction and gets you back heading where He wants you to be.

The Holy Spirit has been given to help us change our minds and convict us of where we are going the wrong direction. 1 John 1:8-10 says;

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (NKJV)

Do you desire to repent now, but you are not sure how to?  

Let me ask you a question; has there been a moment in your life when you repented of sin and then by faith received the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, you can today. Your life can be changed. Your sins can be forgiven. You can live a new life. You can have the assurance that if you died at this moment, you would go to heaven. Will you receive Him as your Savior? 

Need some help: Call 1-888-NEED HIM; someone is waiting and wanting to help you and get back going the right direction.