From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Big mouthed frogs

I'm sure you've heard it expressed that someone was a "big mouthed frog."  We all know or have at least heard someone that fits this, one who makes a lot of noise about what he/she knows.  They go on and on about whatever subject they are on, as if they love hearing themselves speak.  You can just picture them sitting on the bank of the water, sucking in large volumes of air, swelling their lungs and throat, then letting it all out in such noise it's hard to imagine it coming from something that size.  You just know that volume of sound has to come from something much larger.  Anyone who has had voice/singing lessons knows that sound comes out of your mouth more powerfully if it is carried on air from your lungs.  That's why we have another expression for someone with a powerful voice: "wow! What a set of lungs!"
 
I think of this expression whenever I read the following Scripture: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.  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.  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.   (2 Peter 2:17-19)

Notice the phrase describing them: "they speak great swelling words of vanity."  Can't you picture a frog there, breathing in huge volumes of nothing but air, then expelling it in great swelling sounds that have no real meaning, except to a few other frogs?  Just who is this passage talking about?  You would probably think it described pompous atheistic philosophers who attack the church from the outside with their lying words, but you would be wrong.  Look at the first 3 verses of this chapter in 2 Peter: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  (2 Peter 2:1-3)  You see that these big mouthed frogs are actually false teachers in the church, not outside.  They cloak themselves in ecclesiastical robes and sucker the spiritually illiterate into believing their croaking is great truth, when in reality it's just a lot of air.

Don't let the big mouthed frogs of this world scare you off from being a living witness for our Lord and Savior.  Yes, God did create all there is, and the "scientific evidence" all points to that fact, not to the evolutionary or big-bang theory.  Yes, Jesus is Lord! Yes, you can talk about Jesus.  Yes, you can say HE is the only way.  Yes, you can say Hell awaits those who don't receive Him.  Yes, you can speak the truth. The big mouthed frogs say, "no, you can't!"  God says, "yes, you can.  In fact, I'm telling you to.  If you don't tell them, how are they going to hear?  If they don't hear, how are they going to believe in what they have not heard?"

Who are you going to listen to and obey, God, or a bunch of big mouthed frogs?

                                        Ben

 

 

 

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