As I have tried to prepare my mind and heart to write this post I have struggled as to whether to write it or not. Partly because of the fear I have of how some of my followers of my blog might receive it. Is it important to me what you think? Yes it is. I cherish each of your relationships and love. I respect the fact you allow me to be me. It is even more important though that myself and you are following and leading others to the real Christ.
However when I began to write in such a way that it deeply offends you or leads you down a path that is unclear or different from the person I claim to be, in my case a follower of Christ Jesus then I would sincerely hope one of you would say something to me. Please do not just quit following my blog. Some of us have been friends for a long time. We lay claim we are brothers and sisters in Christ and that we love one another as such. This is a difficult post for me to write. I want it to be one stirred by love not condemnation or an attitude that I am better We all sin and fall short of the glory of God and I assure Tom Caton has sin in his life. I walk in grace and the mercy of Jesus every second of my day.
That being said when I sin and I know I have sinned then I repent and turn from that sin. When I have a sin that burdens me down, otherwise I keep repeating I grieve and mourn for that sin to be released and not be a part of my life any longer. Why because it grieves the Holy Spirit of God and as a christian I cannot willing let my self do that and then claim to be a christian. The hurt I have is unbearable and I must be released from that bondage. When there is sin that is willfully committed in christians life’s secretly and more importantly publicly then we give the wrong impression to those weak and growing brothers and sisters in Christ. In essences we say its ok to sin this way. God will forgive you, He knows you are weak and sinful. That is not scriptural or true. If we are christians then we must live the example of Christ Jesus. The old man is dead and we are risen a new man in Christ.
To continue in sin this way places us in a yoke of bondage that will ultimately cause us death and eternity without God. Even more importantly it will take others with us that are unsure of what they should be doing or how they are to live as christians.
This is why I don’t quote scripture sometimes. I want folks to look it up for themselves. It’s a trick of satan to get you where you will rely on what some one else said instead of reading it for yourselves. When you read the word of God he will reveal it to you if you ask him to. Then you do not have to follow some other ignorant christian to hell because they made a choice not to follow God but satan.
It would be wrong of me as a true follower of Jesus to allow even one of you to continue down a path that would lead you away from God or lead others away from God. I however have to gently help you get back on course with the love of Christ and humbly point you in the right direction. I have seen men that are calling themselves pastors praising other men who claim to be christians cursing and swearing using four letter words that God cringes at and so do I. I have read where others hit like and exclaim how brilliant it is to use foul language in the same sentence with the name of Jesus and then say keep it real. The only real thing about that statement is it a wrong image of a christian and real follower of Christ Jesus and is leading other poor unfortunate souls away from Christ. As christians we should be ashamed and turn from this way of living as pastors we need to find a new profession or get on our knees and repent. God will hold you accountable and we desperately need real men of God leading folks to Christ today.
I admonish you men and women of God to turn from sin and foul language and casual conversation when talking about a Holy God. Jehovah is Holy and pure and without sin He does not tolerate it or encourage, praise or adore these things. He cannot or will not coexist with it or think it is real and cool.Then I would have to say it is satan that does encourage it. Beware pastors and men and women of God we will be judged one day for what we say and do and more importantly for the souls we took to hell. Folks this is our guide and the Holy word of Jehovah the living God. He has lovingly given it to me and you to live by. There is no shame in admitting we are wrong. Shame is only for those that continue down a path that cost them their souls.
It is my prayer Father that those that read this including myself would be thankful for your Holy word and your Holy name. Help us not to have a spirit of offence and anger but one of thanksgiving and love that we have your word and brothers and sisters in you that would help us when we stumble. God let me always be thankful when some one extends a hand to pick me back up. I love each and everyone that will read this post Father, speak to their hearts in Jesus name I pray.
With All My Love Tom
This is a link to some Hebrew names of God and about God’s Holiness. I found it very encouraging and up lifting.
A Holy God Below are some scriptures for reference on foul language. Please read them for yourselves.
Ephesians 4:29English Standard Version (ESV)
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 5:4English Standard Version (ESV)
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out-of-place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Matthew 15:11English Standard Version (ESV)
11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Colossians 3:8-10English Standard Version (ESV)
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[a]with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Exodus 20:7English Standard Version (ESV)
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
Psalm 19:14English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Proverbs 19:1English Standard Version (ESV)
19 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
Matthew 12:36English Standard Version (ESV)
36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
James 3 English Standard Version (ESV)
Taming the Tongue
3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits,impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
A Perspective From The Pew & Street 
I appreciated this very much. It is good to be reminded I’m not the only one who is a mess, who needs forgiveness on a daily basis. Love you Brother, thank you for being real! praying for you!
LikeLike
Thank you for your kind comment. Without Jesus we would have no hope. Stay the course and walk with Jesus.
Much Love Tom
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen! Thank God for your boldness. Your love is seen here, it speaks loud and clear. So many of our topic points touched, and many others I should have said in my post 🙂 Great Truth-telling, keep it up Tom! On a side note: only because it happens to me and I want someone to tell me when it does… the bold text around the 8th paragraph is missing the word not. “He cannot or will (NOT) coexist with it or think it is real and cool.” I knew exactly what you meant when I read it but I know how important this is and wouldn’t want someone to misunderstand. I also wanted to give you the opportunity to correct it. 🙂
God bless.
Jennifer
LikeLike
Thank you Jennifer for your positive feed back. So many times it is hard to stand for God. It is not popular today and satan causes some folks take offense when we do. Lets always tell the truth and help each other say the course. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you commenting in a positive way.
much love Tom
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always! God bless!
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing this…I used to listen to pop music and cursed at the drop of a hat. I was convicted of this about 8 years ago. I was listening to the radio and my girls (my youngest was only a toddler) were singing along to the radio. I winced as I heard them sing a curse word. In that moment He convicted me. I cried, and vowed to make a change. If it upset me to hear my children sing those words, I knew it hurt Him to hear me sing them, too. I will say that it was very easy for me to stop because I love Him. Thank you for sharing this today…very uplifting for me to read this as I am getting ready to prepare to sing His praises and lead worship this morning 🙂 Blessings to you!
LikeLike
Oh I am so happy that you see what grief it brings us not to mention the Holy Spirit. Yes I cussed like a sailor until the Holy Spirit woke me up to the fact that my body was not mine and neither was my soul. It had been bought and paid for by Jesus. Thank you for your support and kind comments.I pray the Holy Spirit joins you as you lead praise as and worship to the almighty God this morning.
Much love Tom
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am thankful the He changed my ways before my girls were old enough to know what they were hearing. My daughter came home from school the other day singing The Solid Rock and said she couldn’t stop singing it all day at school. The things we hear and see change us. To know my daughter was singing My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness all day- well it brought me great joy!! I wrote a song about my curse word conviction a few years ago…I’ll have to do a blog about that one soon 🙂 And yes- worship was awesome today!! God is good all the time!!
LikeLike
Julie I will look forward to that story. I can just see the smile it brought to your heart.Hearing your daughter singing praises to the King of Glory. I know you both are so proud of your children.
LikeLike
Dear Tom, as I read your words a post or two of mine came to mind. Posts in which there is the intentional addition of swear words. The “intentional” bit of that is what I find weird.
Because it is not careless, nor is it cursing. And it is always a surprise when those “words” appear in a post.
So I am curious 🙂
LikeLike
Paul It is hard sometimes to understand what a person is saying. Especially if you are not setting across from them to openly discuss it with one another. Even then often we leave the table still unsure what the other is trying to say to us. That is the case with your post just now.I have chosen to respond to it because I feel like it is the right thing to do. I will try to do that in love and admiration for a dear friend.
If I understand your reply to my post? You say you intentionally used swear words in your post while having a discussion with God. You said you found that weird. You went on to say that it was not a careless comment nor was it cursing. You also said that it always surprises you and you are curious.
This is a big door for me to walk through Paul. Well I will try. When we use expletive four letter words in any form with any intent then those words become confusing and misleading to others who read these words. This in its self is not of God. God is not the author of confusion and his word and purpose is clear.
Two scriptures I always try to remember when things come out of my mouth that causes me to wince or feel badly for saying it is, Matthew15:18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows
from it. We could do a complete study of these scriptures and if we could finish and say their is nothing wrong with swearing and cursing and it glorifies God then I would have to say we are lost and our only hope is that someone would pray us back and or help us get back on course.
As followers of Christ we should try to let nothing come out of our mouths that does not edify or uplift
others. You are splitting hairs as the old saying goes when you try to separate cursing and swearing. I think the important thing to remember for all of us is profanity and vulgar words do not belong in a relationship with Christ. I could never imagine myself setting at the throne of God having a conversation using four letter words that you will never find in his Holy word.
You said you were curious. This is what prompted my response. Paul I really believe that often some folks would get a self righteous attitude right about now and say let me fix old Paul he is broken. Well my dear friend as you already know we are all broken. The neat thing for me has always been when there is a opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work and manifest himself in us. Do we get the glory or does Jesus. Tonight it is my prayer that Jesus gets the glory now and every time. For how can the broken fix the broken. This is the job of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. We will never be abel to do that. I am not sure what you are curious about though. For me my friend, I have always turned to the word of God for my answers and I spend deep time in prayer with him. He has never failed me all these years. He will give us the answers we seek and reveal himself to us if we seek him. The key is never quit seeking him, never give up and always trust him and have faith in his Holy word. Paul the bible literally holds the mystery and truths that all of mankind’s hearts seeks. I try never to depend to much on what other men say, instead I find my answers from God’s word. Stay humble,quite and meek. Great strength will come to you this way. God has your answers Paul. Find them through quality prayer and time spent with him,in his word and creation. Do this for you, for revival and repentance begins with us first through deep prayer.
I hope The Lord and I addressed some of your curiosity. I pray that We planted good seeds in your heart and mine as well. Remember I am but dust. This is my heart. I hoped it helped us both.
All my love Tom
I would hope others would read our conversation and say so that is what a conversation between two folks who have the love of Jesus in their hearts looks like.
LikeLike
Tom, the notification of a reply seems not to have worked – so I am a little slower getting back you your kind words. And – as always – He brings His perfect timing.
I think neither of us will “convince the other” (nor do I see that as I read in your words) being the purpose of this conversation. Weirdly – for me – these conversations come from the very place and in the very way you also describe: from the bible and in meditation with our Lord. That is why I am curious – that His Word and communion generates “those words”. Or else I would not write and publish them. So I cannot apologise for something He guided me towards. nor can I find it in my relationship to wish it any different. As part of the Family we are all born into – differences of opinion will happen. For me, that is healthy. Stops us becoming unthinking clones.
My only disappointment is that this conversation is taking place here away form the post causing yours. Because it becomes a jigsaw to be tracked down.
A comment that was added below that post was this:
““Paul, Thank You! But … have you ever asked Me whether I am offended? Have you ever thought that I see that differently to you?”
You have touched on an interesting point about our relationship with God. It’s pretty silly to think we can actually offend God, like He’s thin-skinned, petty and insecure, or even changeable toward us (He’s not). God does not pout or fly off in a rage if we tick Him off. We seem to think so because the Bible is full of this emotive God-language (fancy word, anthropopathism). where we are projecting our emotions onto God to describe something that might otherwise be indescribable. He speaks to us in OUR language, not His. That’s where it gets real instead of religious. Blessings.”
If even one person was freed in their relationship – came a little closer – stood eye to eye with our Lord (and you referred to one such person) then maybe that is what this is all about. A unique personal relationship in terms that make it real for each – and which (by default) stands an equal chance of “pushing another away” a little. I read your flinching above. And I know – also reading the same words above – that it has not pushed you further away in any definition of the word.
This “big door” you mention. I get a real sense it is big enough for all. And I hope – I think I could use “I know” but that must be down to you as well as me – I hope you and I still walk together.
“I would hope others would read our conversation and say so that is what a conversation between two folks who have the love of Jesus in their hearts looks like.” Amen to that dear brother!!
Paul
((hugs))
LikeLike
Oh! I hope we always remain friends Paul. I hope you will consider me when you post. I do enjoy reading most of your post.
Peace to you my dear friend
LikeLike
And to you Tom 🙂
LikeLike