Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.

I was so struck by the remaining sin of NY pride {not to mention Black pride} that remains in my experience{to my shame, I confess}, even though years of attempting to mortify the sin is behind me.

I move to a little city and my remembrance and love of the "greatest city in the world" hangs onto my soul like a sore. I am missing home, for sure. I am proud of my roots, maybe. God has a way of turning even this canker to His own glory.

I heard it in the Tabernacle this morning. The testimony that where sin abounds grace also much more abounds. Like the towering testimony of mans ingenuity and the beautiful weaving of symphonies to delight the ear, God has not left us New Yorkers without a testimony of grace abounding. He seems to say, if you must boast, which seems inevitable, coming from the greatest city; boast of the light of the city of your heart, Jesus.

Boast with as much vigor that Christ has delivered and is continuing to deliver you from sin and shame and maybe the pride of place and circumstance may be sloughed off in the delighting in the true "Light of the World" having come to you. It is truly a spiritual precarious position to be in, but our Lord has grace abounding. Halleluia, what a Savior.

Help my tongue today, dear Lord.

2Peter 2; For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. .../But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

The power of words to exalt the pride is clearly evident, in experience and in this passage. I see Peter taking this dangerous dog to task in his observations, by the power of the spirit, giving us, who deal in words ammunition to slay the dragon of beastiality that words enflame in our hearts. Beware, he bellows. The greater the words that you engage in using the more puffed the heart usually becomes. Look at the angels who sinned. Look at the puffed up judged people groups.

Peter, we are tempted to say. Are you not jealous of the giftedness of the wordologists that have fluidity to put into words their observations. I think Peter was talking to himself. Christ gave him all of the education that he received and yet his power of speech that kept increasing kept him aware of his remaining depravity. I think that is often why the prophets were talking about the corruptness of their tongues first and foremost. My tongue blesses God and curses circumstances and situations far too swiftly for my comfort. Oh that my tongue could be tamed before the beastiality of my heart could be observed by others…

If it is not cleansed by Jesus, and on constant watch on both ends the puffing up and the deplorable degradation, judgment is ensuing. Help Lord with my tongue today, in Jesus Name, Amen.