As a Watchman, I must explain the reason for past posts about the ongoing events occurring in Canada. These events are going to have a profound effect on those walking in faith and following the teachings of Yeshua.
In past articles, I warned of upcoming events which will affect our emotions causing them to be peaked; and to be prepared to deal with such emotional events.
One of those areas will be how we verbally respond as individuals which is important, especially when our emotions are stimulated to their maximum.
The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of common profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God’s name and authority. This sin brings neither gain, nor pleasure, nor reputation, but is showing enmity to God without occasion and without advantage, It shows a man to be an enemy to God, however he pretends to call himself by his name, or sometimes joins in acts of worship.
But the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. In a day of affliction, nothing is more seasonable than prayer. The spirit is then most humble, and the heart is broken and tender. It is necessary to exercise faith and hope under afflictions; and prayer is the appointed means for obtaining and increasing these graces.
Oaths are not the right way of expressing one’s feelings, however strong they may be, and of whatever kind they may be. There is, however, no need to stifle such feelings or to pretend to the world that we have no emotions. In this respect, as in many others, Christianity has no sympathy with the precepts of Stoicism or Cynicism. It is not only innocent but prudent, to seek an outlet for exciting feelings; the right and wrong of the matter lie in the kind of outlet which we allow ourselves.
Language of some kind, and in most cases articulate language, is the natural instrument for expressing and giving vent to our feelings. But we need some strong safeguard, or the consequences of freely giving expression to our emotions in speech will be calamitous.
This safeguard is indicated by the rules here laid down by the Apostle James. Let the expression of strongly excited feelings be an act of worship; then we shall have an outlet for them which is not likely to involve us in harmful results. By the very act in which we exhibit our emotions, we protect ourselves from the evil which they might produce.
The very mode of expressing them moderates them and serves as an antidote to their capacity for evil. Prayer and praise, or (in one word) worship, according to James, is the Christian remedy for “allaying or carrying off the fever of the mind” In all cases in which the mind is greatly agitated, whether painfully or pleasantly, whether by sorrow, anger, regret, or by joy, pleasure, hope, the wise thing to do is to take refuge in an act of worship.
Mental excitement is neither right nor wrong, any more than physical hunger or thirst. Everything depends on the method of expressing the one or gratifying the other. It will be easy in both cases to indulge a legitimate craving in such a way as to turn a natural and healthy symptom into a disease.
Neither a heated mind nor a heated body can without danger be kept heated, or treated as if it was at its normal temperature. The advice of James is that in all cases in which our minds are agitated by strong emotion we should turn to Him who gave us minds capable of feeling such emotion; we should cease to make ourselves our own center, and turn our thoughts from the causes of our excitement to Him who is the unmoved Cause of all movement and rest.
We need not tie ourselves to the distribution of prayer and praise expressed in the text. It is the most natural and most generally useful distribution, but it is not the only one, and perhaps it is not the highest. The precept will hold good with equal truth if we transpose the two conclusions: “Is any among you suffering? let him sing praise. Is any cheerful? let him pray” “In everything give thanks,” says Apostle Paul; which involves our frequently offering thanks in suffering.
This was what Job, to whom James has just directed his readers, did in his trouble. He “fell upon the ground and worshipped: and he said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” [Job 1:20-21}.
And the Psalmist teaches much the same lesson as Paul: “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” {Psalms 34:1] But if praise is as suitable as a prayer for suffering, prayer is as suitable as praise for cheerfulness. He who is cheerful has indeed great reason to bless and praise God.
He has a priceless gift, which is a blessing to himself and all around him, a gift that makes life brighter to the whole circle in which he moves.
We most of us take far too little pains to cultivate it, to retain it when it has been granted to us, to regain it when we have lost it or thrown it away. Yet cheerfulness has its dangers. The light-hearted are apt to be light-headed, and to be free from care leads to being free from carefulness.
The cheerful may easily lose sobriety, and be found off their guard. The remedy is prayer. Prayer steadies without dimming the bright flame of cheerfulness; and just as thanksgiving sweetens sorrow, so supplication sanctifies joy “Is any suffering? let him sing praise. Is any cheerful? let him pray.“
Another remedy against sin is caring, or caution, it being impossible else to maintain purity of heart and life. Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what trifles they daily sacrifice it!
People are very apt to complain of bad times; it was well if that stirred them more to redeem time. Be not unwise. Ignorance of our duty, and neglect of our souls, show the greatest folly.
We must not only do no hurt to any but do what good we can to all. Those who are the elect of God, holy and beloved, ought to be lowly and compassionate towards all. While in this world, where there is so much corruption in our hearts, quarrels will sometimes arise. But it is our duty to forgive one another, imitating the forgiveness through which we are saved. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; it is of his working in all who are his.
Thanksgiving to God helps to make us agreeable to all men. The gospel is the word of Christ. Many have the word, but it dwells in them poorly; it has no power over them. The soul prospers when we are full of the Scriptures and the grace of Christ. But when we sing psalms, we must be affected with what we sing.
Whatever we are employed about, let us do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in believing dependence on him. Those who do all in Christ’s name will never want a matter of thanksgiving to God, even the Father.
Please remember these articles are the work of a humble servant of Yeshua doing His bidding as a Watchmen sounding the Trumpet to warn of impending danger within the Assembly. May our Father abundantly bless each one of you with wisdom and discernment to go forward as His “Modern Day Disciples.”
Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee, Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Yeshua is everlasting strength. (Isaiah 26:3-4
Robert Rombough
TRUMPETER'S CALL 
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