Is Your tongue deadly

Today in my church joke book I read this cute joke and thought I would share: The Ten Commandments were the subject of Miss Dixie's Sunday school lesson for five and six year olds. After explaining "Honor thy Father and Mother," Miss Dixie ask, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat, little Cindy answered, "Thou shalt not kill." After giving this some thought and thinking of some events in some people lives that I know lately. I got to thinking. How often do we Kill people, friend's and loved ones with our tongues? How often do we break the ten commandments and Kill our Brother's and Sister's saying mean and thoughtless things? If your wondering about this read on: I am going to talk here about the tongue.
If there be so much evil in the tongue, what is the heart? If the stream be so full of water, how full of water is the fountain? If there be a world of iniquity in the tongue, how many worlds of sin are there in the heart, “Their inward part is very wickedness” (Psalm 5:9). If the tongue, which is the outward part, be so wicked, the inward part is very wickedness, “The heart is deep” (Psalm 64:6); it is such a deep as cannot be fathomed; deep pride, hypocrisy, atheism. The heart is like the sea, where is the leviathan, and creeping things innumerable (Psalm 104:25,26). If the skin has boils of leprosy in it, how much corruption is in the blood? If the tongue be so bad, how diabolical is the heart? It is the heart that sets the tongue a-work: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”: there are the seeds of all atheism and blasphemy, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries; these defile a man” (Matthew 15:19,20). If a branch of wormwood be so bitter, then how bitter is the root? O, what a root of bitterness grows in a man’s heart! Some say they have good hearts; but if the tongue be so bad, what is the heart? If I see a smoke come out of the top of a chimney, what a fire burns within? “A wicked man walketh with a forward mouth; forwardness is in his heart” (Proverbs 6:12, 14). Solomon shows the reason why the mouth is so forward, “Forwardness is in his heart.” The heart is a storehouse of wickedness, therefore called the “evil treasure of the heart” (Matthew 12:35). Original righteousness was a good treasure, but we were robbed of that; and now there is an evil treasure of sin. The word treasure, denotes plenty; to show the fullness and abundance of sin that is in the heart. The heart is a lesser hell, which is a matter of deep humiliation; the heart is, like the Egyptian temples, full of spiders and serpents.
If you would have better tongues, labor for better hearts. It is the heart that has influence upon the tongue. If the heart be vain and earthly, the tongue will be so; if the heart be holy, the tongue will be so. Look to your heart, get a better heart, and a better tongue.
How shall I get my heart bettered?
Get a principle of grace infused. Grace is like the salt cast into the spring; grace changes the heart, and sanctifies all the members of the body—it sanctifies the eyes and makes them chaste—it sanctifies the tongue, and makes it meet and calm. When the Holy Ghost came upon the apostles, “they began to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4): when God’s Spirit comes on a man with a sanctifying work, he speaks with another tongue; the speech is heavenly. Grace makes the heart serious, and that cures the levity of the tongue; when the heart is serious, the words are savoury.
Remember, you must give an account to God, as well of your speeches, as your actions, “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36); words of no account, will have an heavy account. And, if God will reckon with men for every idle, angry word, then, what will he do for sinful oaths? “Oh that my words were now written!” (Job 19:23). Truly, if many people’s words were written, they would be ashamed of them. And, let me tell you, your words are written: “The books were opened” (Revelation 20:12). In the book of God’s remembrance all your words are written; you had need then be careful you offend not with your tongue; God writes down all you speak, and you must give an account to him. When the books are opened, God will proceed with you in judgement, according to your words; by your words you shall be saved or condemned: “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). God bless You...Yvonne