THE ARCHANGEL AND HIS TRUMPET

I’ve always loved music. As far back as I can remember, music has been a big part of my life. I wrote my first song when I was only 3 years old, with my grandmother, and sister. Growing up, I slept with the radio on all night long. I’ve enjoyed listening to all types of music over the years, but I listen mostly to Christian music these days, and I have to say, there’s a lot of false doctrine in Christian music. If you’ve read any of my books or my blog, you know that I truly believe the Bible is the Holy Word of God, and that it’s true from cover to cover. I believe it’s very important to understand the truth of God’s word and to make people aware of false doctrines that they may believe.

Bible doctrine is like a chain. Each subject is like a link in that chain, and they all fit together perfectly if they’re understood correctly. But, if even one of those doctrines is misunderstood, then the chain is broken. I believe that’s one reason there are so many false doctrines because if one doctrine is misunderstood then the other doctrines don’t fit, so people misinterpret, and even twist the next link in the chain to fit with the previous link because it is misunderstood.

With that said, I want to talk about a false teaching that I’ve heard all my life, and continue to hear in Christian music, and preaching. Going back to the subject of my love for music, which I listen to every day on my way home from work, and sometimes in the morning on the way to work, if I’m not listening to talk radio.

I frequently hear songs that say something about Gabriel blowing his horn or trumpet. I’ve also heard and read that he’s an archangel.

Gabriel is only mentioned four times in the Bible, (Dan 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19; 26) and neither of these references says he’s an archangel. Michael is the only one ever called an archangel in God’s book (Jude 1:9), and he’s called THE Archangel. There’s only one Archangel mentioned in the Bible, and there’s a reason for that.

According to the Strong’ Concordance of the Bible, the word Archangel means Chief, Leader, or Ruler of the angels. So the Archangel is the leader of the angels or the chief or ruler of the angels, and as I said, the Bible only mentions one. Michael is THE Archangel; not Gabriel.

Now let’s talk about Gabriel’s trumpet. A simple Bible search finds no reference to Gabriel blowing a horn or trumpet at any time. As I said, Gabriel is only mentioned four times in the Bible.

(1) In Daniel 8:16, and (2) Daniel 9:21, Gabriel is sent to Daniel to help him understand the vision that God had shown him earlier.
(3) In Luke 1:19, Gabriel appears to Zachariah to tell him that God had heard and would answer his prayer to have a son, even though he and his wife were both old.
(4) In Luke 1:26, Gabriel appeared to the virgin Mary to tell her she would have a baby who would be the Son of God, and she was to name him Jesus.

None of these verses, that talk about Gabriel, ever mention him blowing a horn or a trumpet. So let’s look at the verses in the Bible that do mention the trumpet. We’ll start with Matthew 24:30-31.

Matthew 24:30-31
30 Then, the sign of the Son of man will appear in the sky, and then all the people of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory.
31 Then, he will send his angels with the loud sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his saints from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51 Look, I will show you a mystery; We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet: because the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised immortal, and we will be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Jesus will rise first.

Those three New Testament verses talk about the last trumpet blowing at the resurrection when Jesus returns. Let’s compare three Old Testament verses with these and see what’s revealed.

Psalm 47:5
5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD went up with the sound of a trumpet.

Zechariah 9:14
14 And the LORD will be seen over them, and his arrow will go out as the lightning: and the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and will go with whirlwinds of the south.

Jeremiah 25:30
30 So prophesy against them all these words, and say to them, The LORD will roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he will roar mightily upon his habitation; he will give a shout, as those who stomp the grapes, against all those who live on the earth.

These Old Testament verses show the Lord blowing the trumpet, and shouting. Is 1 Thessalonians 4:16 saying that the Lord is the Archangel, as some Christians believe? Let’s read it again.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
16 Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout, (He Shouts) with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and those who are dead in Jesus will rise first.

So, the Lord Jesus himself will come down from heaven and shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and he will blow the trumpet of God.

The Lord Jesus himself is the Archangel. That doesn’t mean he’s an angel, with wings. He’s NOT a created being. He’s God, the Son. Remember, the term Archangel means Chief, or Leader, or Ruler. It’s Jesus, NOT Gabriel, who will shout with the voice of the Archangel, and blow the last trumpet, as he leads all the angels of heaven to the earth at the end of this world.

Again, Jesus is not a created being. He has always existed. That’s not easy for the human mind to comprehend, but that’s what the Bible teaches. He was there at creation (John 1:1-14), he was there in the burning bush (Exodus 3:2), he wrestled with Jacob (Gen. 32:24-30; 35:10-13; Hosea 12:2-5), and he was in the furnace of fire with the three Hebrews (Daniel 3:8-30). He led the Israelites out of Egypt, and through the wilderness for forty years, and into the promised land (Numbers 20:16; Exodus 14:19; 1 Corinthians 10:4).

Let’s clear up one more subject of controversy as we unpack this even further, and dig a little deeper. Numbers 20:16, and Exodus 14:19 say that God sent an angel and brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt. 1 Corinthians 10:4 says that “angel” was Jesus. Again, Jesus is not a created being. The word “angel” simply means messenger. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

Malachi 3:1 says he’s the “Messenger” of the Covenant.
John 12:49 shows us that he’s the “Messenger” of God.

So, Jesus is the “Messenger of God” and the “Ruler of the angels.” He’s also called the “Angel of God” and the “Angel of the Lord” throughout the Bible. He’s referred to by many names and titles in the Bible, but he was not called Jesus until he was born as a baby to the virgin Mary. Before that, he was called Michael. Yes, the Bible teaches that Jesus is Michael, the Archangel. The “Messenger of God,” and the “Ruler of the angels.”

Let’s compare a few scriptures.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Michael is called the Chief Prince, and the Great Prince. (Daniel 10:13 and Daniel 12:1)

Jesus will return with his angels. (Matthew 24:30-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. (Revelation 12:7)

Jesus’s voice will raise the dead at the 2nd coming. (John 5:25-29)
Michael’s voice will raise the dead at the 2nd coming. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-16; Jude 1:9)

Jesus Cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, Come Out!” (John 11:43-44)
Then Lazarus was brought back to life.

Michael means “Who Is Like God”
Jesus is “Like God” (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3)
God says, “Who is like Me?” (Isaiah 44:6-8)
“Who is a God like You?” (Micah 7:18-19)

The Bible says, “No one has ever seen the Father at any time” (John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46). So all appearances of God in the Bible was Jesus before he was born into a human body. Many times he was called “the angel of the Lord.”

The Bible says God is a Spirit (John 4:24).
It also says God is invisible (1 Timothy 1:17).
So he needs a representative. Jesus is God’s representative.
The Word was God, and he was there at the beginning and created everything (John 1:1).
Then he became flesh and lived with us here on earth (John 1:14).
God created a human body for him to live in then placed him in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:26-35). That’s what the Father was referring to when he said, “This day, I have begotten you (Psalm 2:7; Hebrews 10:5; Micah 5:2).

1 Timothy 2:5 says, There’s only one mediator between God and mankind, and that’s Jesus who was called Michael before he was incarnated into a human body to be sacrificed for our sins.

Jesus, Michael, The Angel of God, and The Angel of The Lord, all refer to the Son of God.

In Exodus 3:1-2, 14, the “Angel of the Lord” appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and told him he was the “I AM.” When Jesus was here on earth, he said, “Before Moses was, I AM” (John 8:58-59). It was Jesus in the Burning Bush before he was called Jesus. He told Moses to take off his shoes because the ground where he was standing was holy. In Joshua 5:13-15 the Captain of the Lord’s host appeared to Joshua and told him the same thing. The ground wasn’t holy in itself, the presence of God is what made it holy. So this was also Michael/Jesus.

In Genesis 16:7, 11, the “Angel of the LORD” told Hagar that he would increase her seed. Angels don’t have that power. It was God/Michael/Jesus.

In Genesis 22:11-18, the “Angel of the LORD,” speaking of himself, said he would bless Abraham because he had not withheld his son from him. It was God/Michael/Jesus.

In Exodus 23:20-23, the “Angel of the Lord” was sent to guard Israel. God said, “Obey him and do not be rebellious toward him because he will not pardon your transgressions since my name is in him.

The Angel of the LORD camps around those who fear him, and rescues them (Psalm 34:7). We are to fear only God, not angels. The Angel of the LORD is God/Michael/Jesus.

So, there you have it. The Bible shows that Jesus is God, and he created everything. It shows that he has always existed, and has been interacting with humans since he created us. He is called Michael, the angel of the Lord, the Captain of the Lord’s army, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, the Son of man, and many other names in the Old Testament. 

He is the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, and he will return soon to take his children home. I hope you’re one of his children. If you’re not, then please repent of your sins, and ask him to save you. Then prepare to meet him face-to-face when he returns. If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you then.

*For more about Jesus before he was born on earth, read the article One God.

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MR. JOBE AND THE TENNIS RACKET

When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers was Mr. Jobe. He was a very nice, friendly man, and a great teacher. He was also the school Principle.

One day in his math class, we were taking a test. Everyone was quietly working, and as each student finished, they took their paper to the teacher’s desk and returned to their seat. I think Mr. Jobe may have been grading the papers as they were turned in. At least, he was sitting at his desk looking down at whatever he was doing.

When I completed my test, I folded it and put my name on it. Then, I walked to his desk and laid it with the other student’s papers. As I turned to head back to my desk, I noticed a set of tennis rackets laying on the shelf which was on the wall to the right of the teacher. His desk was several feet from the wall behind him to allow room to access the blackboard, so the shelf was behind him.

Of course, me being the clown that I was, I picked up one of those rackets and got my friend Randy’s attention. I pretended the tennis ball was coming at me as I swung the racket to right. Then, I stepped to the side and swung to the left. Then, I raised the racket over my right shoulder and swung it straight up over my head. When I did, the round, three-ringed, metal light fixture came crashing to the floor. That got everybody’s attention, including Mr. Jobe.

I looked at the mess on the floor, then I look at him. He was looking at me and getting up out of his chair. I knew I was in trouble. He grabbed the paddle, then he grabbed me by the arm and said, “Out in the hall. The very idea; Playing in the room.” I had always been angry with the teachers after they paddled me before, but not this time. Of all the paddlings I had gotten in school over the years, I knew I deserved that one, so I braced myself for it and took it like a man. Soon, it was over and I went back in and reassembled the light fixture, and took the walk of shame back to my desk. I always liked, and respected Mr. Jobe and the paddling didn’t change that.

After we graduated, I didn’t see him again for more than fifteen years. Then, one day my wife asked me if I knew a Charles Jobe. I said I did and asked her why. She said he was a patient at the assisted living facility where she worked. My children would go over and sing to the people there sometimes to cheer them up. Mr. Jobe saw my youngest son and thought he looked like me. He asked him his name and found out I was his dad so he told my wife to ask me to come and see him.

When I walked into his room, his eyes lit up, and even though he was not feeling well, that encouraging smile he always had for his students covered his whole face. We talked for quite a while about the old days, about my sisters, and about some of the other students and teachers at our old school.

Then he told me something very interesting. He said he had a dream. I think he said he had it more than once. In the dream, God’s angels were singing a song. He said when he woke up from the dream, he wrote the song down, words and music, and had it published. He even received some royalty money from it. I thought that was amazing.

Before we left that day, my kids sang for him and we prayed with him. That’s the last time I saw him. He was soon moved to a nursing home in another state, and later we heard that he had passed away. I’m glad I got to see him that one last time. I’m glad God put him in my life for those few years in elementary school. He made a difference in my life and the lives of so many others. I hope someone can say that about me after I’m gone.

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THE GHOST IN THE CLOSET

I attended a small country school when I was young. There were eight grades in the two-story, brick building but the basement held the restrooms and the lunchroom and kitchen, supplies, and other miscellaneous things. The second and third grades met in the same room and had the same teacher while the first grade met in a small mobile home that had been converted into a classroom. I was in the first grade at the time.

One day at recess, I saw a couple of kids run from the room screaming. They told me there was a ghost in the closet in the second and third-grade classroom. I didn’t believe them, though. I don’t think I even believed in ghosts then because I had never seen one. They talked me into going into the closet and looking to see for myself. The ceiling of the closet was very high. When the door closed, I looked up like they had told me to. That’s when I saw it. Something large and white was coming down toward me. Naturally, I started screaming and trying to find the doorknob. When I finally got out of there, I ran back downstairs and out of the building, and into my own classroom without ever looking back. I was scared to death.

As I grew older, I heard lots of ghost stories and saw scary movies and TV shows. I had a few more personal experiences of my own and pretty soon, I became very afraid of ghosts.

I remember seeing a strange-looking bug with wings resting on the screen door one night at my aunt’s house. The next day, I happened to notice it again, but this time it was white and wasn’t moving. It was a ghost. That’s what I thought, but after a few more years of experience, I realize that what I thought was the ghost of that bug was only a skin that it had shed.

When I became a Christian and spent more time reading and praying, God revealed many things to me. Many of the “encounters” I had experienced over the years were made clear. Fear can make us imagine all sorts of crazy things. Sometimes what we see is not imaginary but we misinterpret what it is, based on preconceived ideas. Many times, misunderstanding can lead to fear. Remember when the disciples of Jesus were out on the lake in a boat one night and saw Jesus walking on the water? They didn’t know it was him, and they were scared because they thought he was a spirit. That is, an evil spirit.

The Bible teaches that there is no such thing as a ghost. At least, not what we think of as ghosts, like the spirits of dead people. The Bible teaches that when a person dies, they are asleep (John 11:11-14), and they do not know anything (Eccl. 9:5-6; Job 14:12,21). People stop thinking when they die (Ps. 146:4), they will never return to their house again (Job 7:9-10), and they don’t have anything to do with the goings on here on this earth (Eccl. 9:5-6).

If we encounter a “ghost,” it’s not someone who has died. Even if it looks like someone we know who has died, it’s not them. It’s an evil spirit; An evil angel; A demon. All three of these are the same thing, not something different as some people believe. The Bible is full of stories where demons possessed people. They do it today as well. We have to be careful not to entertain demons. In Hebrews 13:2, we are told that many have entertained angels and did not know they were angels. The same is true for the evil angels. The best defense against these demons is to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Stay in constant communication with Jesus and read and study his word, the Bible every day. We also need to avoid things that are not pure, such as certain movies, video games, and music. We don’t need to allow things into our minds that make us venerable to demons.

I have had several experiences with demons over the years including one with a Ouija board when I was in my teens. I know demons are real and they do not have our best interest in mind. They want to make us fearful and ultimately destroy us, and they will if we don’t rest in the protective arms of Jesus. So, if you’re not there, beware, and fill your mind with holy things. Remember what God’s word says in 2 Timothy 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, and God’s perfect love will expel all fear.

Watch these 2 videos about Ghosts and Dead People 

Ghosts And Spooky Spirits 

Are The Dead Really Dead?

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TWO SNAKES AND A FISHING POLE

There I was, minding my own business. Fishing in the creek, anticipating that unmistakable jerk on my line that would send my heart racing as I would frantically try to grab hold of the fish before it could get off my hook. It was the middle of the day, and the sun was high in the sky. It was early summer so it wasn’t hot. The trees were green and the sky was blue with only a few small clouds. The air was fresh and clean, and there was a small breeze blowing. That’s when it happened. All of a sudden, I heard a strange noise. It sounded something like air leaking from a tire.

As I turned to see what it was, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There in the field of sage grass, bitter-weed, and cow patties was a pretty good-sized green snake with its head raised above the grass, about a foot in the air. Directly behind it was a larger black snake with its head raised up in the air. It was chasing the green snake and they were both moving pretty fast. I had never seen a snake moving that fast before, and I’ve never witnessed it again.

I don’t know what was going on in either one of their minds. I don’t know if they were playing, or if the green snake was being bullied, or if it had done something to the black snake to deserve whatever it got. All I could see was one of God’s creatures about to be killed and eaten by a larger predator. I had to help.

Everything happened so fast, I’m amazed that I even had time to think, much less time to react, but with my mouth wide open, my eyes bugged out and my heart racing, it occurred to me that there was only one thing I could do. I ran behind them and threw my fishing pole at the black snake. I missed, but I accomplished my goal of distracting the pursuer. The green snake escaped as the black one turned and slithered off into the creek. That was a day I’ll never forget.

Remembering that incident reminds me of something else. The Bible equates Satan to a snake. In a sense, he’s always chasing us, trying to compel us to sin, and ultimately lead us away from God. The Apostle Peter says Satan wants to devour us or swallow us up (1 Pet. 5:8). All he really has to do is distract us from the true path and get our attention off Jesus and on worldly things. Things like music, movies, TV, games, and other things that have nothing to do with God, but promote worldly values. He also distracts us by getting us to focus on things that cause us stress, like our finances, our health, ourselves in general, and a number of other things that can keep us from focusing on God. In verses 9-10, Peter tells us to resist the devil with strong faith, and God will give us strength and peace.

The key to life, both here and in the world to come, is Jesus. That relationship means everything, and there’s more to it than some people teach. Believing Jesus exists is not enough (James 2:19). We have to believe IN him (John 3:16). He has to be living in us (John 14:26; Titus 3:5).

For any of this can take place, we have to be born again (John 3:7). I think that’s why there are so many “Christians” still living just like they did before they were baptized. Many of them haven’t had that new birth experience. It happens more often than you would think. It happened to me. I was a “Christian” for years before I was born again and I’ve heard similar stories from others. Many are misinformed as to what it takes to be saved. It involves more than just repeating a prayer and being baptized. We have to be sorry for our sins and commit to turning away from them. That’s repentance. Without repentance, we can not be born again. If we’re not born again, we will not enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5).

Have you been born again? Give it some serious thought today. That’s something you should be sure of (1 John 5:13). It’s something to seriously consider if we want to make it to heaven. For more details, read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?”

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BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US

When I was twelve years old we had a week of revival services at our church. The visiting preacher was Brother Gann. I listened to his sermons intently, night after night. As far back as I can remember, I always loved listening to preaching and hearing stories from the Bible. I knew about God, and I believed he existed. I read the Bible from time to time, but I didn’t really have a close relationship with God.

I went to church and to Sunday school, and I was in all the Christmas plays, but other than that, I didn’t really spend much time with God. I played outside with my sisters and went to school. I watched TV, listened to the radio, and my music collection, which was Country and Pop. That was basically my life at the time.

Close to the end of the week of meetings, Brother Gann took me into the Men’s bathroom and talked to me about salvation. He had me repeat a prayer, then asked if I felt like God had done anything for me. I was a very shy kid, and I was terrified of men, especially in a bathroom. I wanted to get out of there, and back to my grandmother, as fast as I could, so I told him what I thought he wanted to hear.

I didn’t feel like God had done anything for me or changed me in any way, but just to be done, and get out of there, I said, “I think so.” I was baptized, with several other people, that Sunday night, and became a member of that little church. As I stood there in the front of the church with my heart pounding, and my hair still wet, the congregation all came by to welcome the new members into the family, with hugs, and handshakes. But, nothing had really changed for me. I was no more saved than I had been a week earlier.

Four years later, I was further away from God than I had ever been. Oh, I still prayed, when I needed something, or when I was afraid, but, I had stopped reading the Bible, and I had stopped going to church. I was drinking, and doing drugs, and all the bad things that come with that lifestyle. I was still lost. I didn’t know Jesus at all. I knew myself, though. I knew I was lost. I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I hated myself for it. I hated who I was, and what I was. I was miserable inside. I hated everything about myself. I hated everything I did, and everything I thought. I tried to do good and be a good person, but no matter how hard I tried it wasn’t enough. I was still the same miserable person inside.

Then, when I was nineteen, I started going back to church, but not where I was baptized seven years earlier. I was ashamed to face those people because many of them knew what kind of life I had been living, and I was afraid of what they might say to me.

In my new church, I began to learn more about God, and what he expects from us. I wanted to do right. I was sick of my life, and I was sick of myself. I started reading the Bible again. I started studying and comparing scriptures. I started to understand God and his love. I knew myself well, and I knew I didn’t deserve anything good, but I began to see that God loved me anyway. Me! The vilest sinner alive. Wow! Realizing that was so amazing. There are no words to describe it. I got to thinking, if he loves me so much that he would come to earth, suffer, and die in my place because he wanted me to be part of his family, and be with him forever, I should accept him as Lord of my life, and serve him. So I did.

I began to understand why Christians love him so much. I began to see how they could still serve him even when things are not perfect. I saw why Peter, Paul, and the other early Christians, and the reformers were all willing to die rather than denounce Jesus and his truth.

The awesome love that our creator has for us is beyond words. Even though we’re such sinners, and we reject him time and time again, he still loves us. When we come to understand the love he has for us, it causes us to love him. When we truly realize how wretched we are, and how vile, and sinful we truly are in God’s sight, and then to see the depth of love that he has for us anyway, it’s amazing. That’s why I love him. That’s why I serve him. That’s why I want others to know him. John said, “We love him because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). He’s such a great God, and he wants to be with us and spend time with us.

Many people have been baptized and joined a church, but they’re still living just like the world. They’re not really following Jesus. Why not? It’s because they don’t know him. When you truly know him you can’t help but love him. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments“ (John 14:15).

If we love him we will WANT to keep his commandments. People have to experience God’s love before they can love him. I want the world to know that God is real and that he loves them beyond all human understanding. I want people to love Jesus, and obey him, and keep his commandments. That’s the main difference between those who follow Jesus and those who don’t. They don’t love him, so naturally, they don’t want to obey him. They don’t want him telling them how to live their lives. They don’t realize that he only wants what’s best for us and that he wants us all to be happy. They don’t know that obeying God will bring true happiness. God loves us. God is love, and spending time with him, and getting to know him, puts love in our hearts for him, and for others, as well.

That’s how his followers can love people that others might not; Those who have committed horrible, sinful acts. Those that society has labeled as “worthless” or “a lost cause.” That’s how we can forgive someone who has committed terrible acts against us, or people we love.

It’s not just because we know how bad those people are, or what they have been through. It’s that we know how bad WE are, and God loves us anyway. I like to think of it as seeing them through God’s eyes. He loves them with that same unconditional love he has for us, and he wants to save them as much as he wants to save us. It’s not always easy, though. We’re still human. The ability to love, and forgive can only come from God.

If we’re honest with ourselves, about ourselves, we will not judge others. If we truly see how sinful we are, we’ll realize that another person’s sins are no worse than our own. They may commit sins we might never imagine doing, but sin is sin, in God’s eyes. It’s important to understand that we would still be out there living just like the world if it wasn’t for the grace of God. That same grace is available to everyone, no matter how bad you are. No matter what you’ve ever done, God is willing to forgive you and save you.

So, if you don’t know Jesus, get to know him. He IS real. If you don’t believe, ask him to show you. If you’re sincere, he’ll reveal himself to you. Don’t be afraid. He loves you so much that he died for you. You can trust him with your life.

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TEXTING AND TWEETING: MISSPELLED AND MISAPPLIED WORDS

I remember back in the 80’s when I was a few years younger, I was fascinated by the way one of my favorite singers at the time would use numbers and single letters to replace a word in his song lyrics and titles. I thought it was awesome. Instead of TO he used the number 2. Instead of FOR he used a 4. Instead of YOU, he used the letter U, and so on. 

I thought it was so cool that I started using that style of writing myself, and I continued using it until just recently. That shortened style of writing became more popular with the rise of the internet and e-mail. Then along came the cell phone and texting. Now, instead of just using letters to shorten words, entire sentences are being replaced with just a few letters. JW for just wondering and LOL for laughing out loud, for example.

It started out as a fun way to be different and moved into a new language that defined a new generation, but now it has gotten way out of hand. In the past few years, I’ve noticed something developing that really troubles me. People have actually forgotten how to spell. We spend so much time using text language that when we try to write something out we can’t get it right. The spelling is wrong, and so is the grammar. Have you noticed it? It has gone beyond texting though. I see it all over the internet. On Facebook and Twitter, and other social media sites. I even see it from professionals. 

I don’t mean to be critical or nit-pick because I’m certainly not a model citizen when it comes to writing, or even talking for that matter, but I think this needs to be said. If we forget how to spell, soon we’ll forget how to read, and future generations will know less about God’s word than we do now. 

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about and a glimpse of where we could be headed… 

FOR SELL. To phone cases. Their both brand new. There sailing on ebay for $10.00 each. I wont $10.00 for both. Your not gone too find a better deal.

This is not an actual ad, but this is the kind of stuff I’m seeing everywhere these days. I hope you found nine mistakes in spelling and grammar. I get texts like this all the time. I see this on Social Networks, on forums, and on YouTube. I’ve received emails like this from business professionals, and I even see it in news articles on the internet. 

Again, I’m not condemning anyone or saying anyone is stupid, (I thank God for spell check when I’m writing) but it’s this electronic short-hand language that’s to blame. We use it so much that we have forgotten how to spell correctly. Have you ever heard the phrase USE IT OR LOSE IT? When we write in code all day, every day, that’s what our minds get used to, so proper spelling, and grammar slowly fades until it’s gone.   

Here are some of the words I see misspelled and misapplied regularly.

TO, TOO, TWO – I see To used almost every day in place of Too and sometimes for Two.
THERE, THEIR, THEY’RE – Of these, Their is the one I see used the most for the other two.
YOUR, YOU’RE – I’m always seeing the word Your used instead of You’re.
WANT, WON’T – I’ve seen these two interchanged, and sometimes I see it without the apostrophe. Wont instead of Won’t. 
SELL, SALE, SAIL – All of these are often mixed up.
KNOW, NO – Surely, when these are interchanged, it has to be on purpose. Right?
ITS, IT’S – These are sometimes mixed up. I have done it many times.
LOOSE, LOSE – LOOSE is usually used to say “Loose My Number” when it should be “Lose My Number”. Loose should be used to say “The Dog Is Loose.”
THEN, THAN – These words are sometimes used for the other one.
WAIT, WEIGHT – I haven’t seen these two mixed up, but I thought I’d mention them while I’m on a roll.

It’s easy to see how people can make some of these mistakes. And again, I’m not putting anyone down, I just feel I should throw this out there and maybe help us all to try and get back on the right track before the train completely derails. Because, those who don’t know, don’t know they don’t know.

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