Thu, Feb 27th - 9:12AM

GOSSIPERS IN THE CHURCH

The counsel of God fully convicts, convinces, and persuades us that gossip cannot, and absolutely must not be supported nor condoned. If anybody thinks that gossipers are benign the Bible soon disabuses us. We cannot take the gossiper lightly. To do so is to enable the gossiper to keep on hurting others and bring damage to the name of Jesus Christ.

Pro 6:12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

Pro 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. KJV Whisperer meaning the gossiper does not want those being gossiped about to hear what is being said about them. We can see how sneaky the gossiper is. The gossipers’ behavior sows discord, strife and causes separation between good friends. The gossiper is “froward” his or her character is perverse and they are given to distort truth.

Proverbs 18:8 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. KJV. Talebearers are described as whisperer, murmurers, slanderers, talebearers, backbiters. The gossiper can wound others severely with their words on many levels, as surely as they had used an actual weapon. God tells us that our words must not be used to purposely injure people. It is God our Creator who is well able to show us the very nature and character of a person or thing good or bad. We would be foolish to ignore the counsel of God. Brothers and sisters stay tuned-more to come.

love

serola

Tue, Feb 25th - 8:58AM

GOSSIPERS IN THE CHURCH

Brethren, doing things God’s way is the only right way and the only right way is God’s way. I have said this once and I will keep on saying this absolute truth. My desire was in no wise to punish or be angry at my friend. Even in difficult situations our goal must be to honor Lord Jesus first of all by obeying Him in everything.

To truly help or teach anyone Lord Jesus Christ demands something of us that is never to be taken lightly nor over looked or avoided: Luke 6:41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

We can absolutely trust that when Lord Jesus tells us to do something, He has also empowered us both to will and to do. Fueled by our Lord’s power I knew that I would have His power to gain hindsight; insight and foresight into my own actions to take “the beam” out of my eyes, out of God’s way to see clearly how to help my friend and avoid hypocrisy.

Let us make no mistake about this brothers and sisters God alone has set this standard, it is the core of how Christians must deal with one another in love: Luke 6:43 ¶ For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 

Here our Lord puts forth for us holy spiritual hindsight, insight, and foresight. By doing as He commands I knew without a doubt that He would cause me to bear good fruit and I would see clearly how to help my friend, and we would reap good fruit, not punishment or condemnation. Having done my work I set forth looking to God’s counsel.

THE OLD COVENANT OF THE LAW AND GOSSIPERS The Old Covenant uses several different terms to describe gossipers, such as talebearers, whisperers, backbiters, slanderers etc. I have translated some of these terms by Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord. KJV. The NLV puts it this way: 16 Do not go around saying things that hurt your people. Do not do things against the life of your neighbor. Talebearers are said here to be those who travel about to slander, is a slanderer, tale bearer, and informer. Gossip is said here to be capable of getting a person injured or their blood shed. In other words the talebearer can get people injured or killed. Tale bearing is a deliberate choice to bring evil, death and destruction to its target. We know the devil was a killer from the beginning. Therefore, we ought to completely disown behaving or doing anything that reflects darkness.

Proverbs 10:18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. KJV The slanderer hates and lies on the person being slandered. God calls the slanderer a fool. The Bible describes a fool here as: fool, stupid fellow, dullard, simpleton, arrogant one. The evil origins of slander is evident, because we know that satan is a slanderer, reason enough to keep clear of being a gossiper.

Love

serola

Fri, Feb 21st - 8:37PM

GOSSIPERS IN THE CHURCH

A dear Christian lady was very distraught that a woman friend kept calling her to gossip about other people, even though she told the woman that gossip was a sin against God and listening to it was making her sin against God too. The gossiper was a mature woman, and frankly I thought gossip was the purview of high school kids. It was brought to a halt in that the Christian lady simply refused to hear any of it any longer. I did not know that I too was soon to meet with a devotee of gossip.

One of my friends wanted us to study scripture together and I agreed as it would be a great benefit to both of us. All too soon my friend showed she was much more interested in gossip than Bible study. She wanted to tell me negative things about others and keep it a secret from them that she told me. The first thing I said to her was that I would make absolutely no compact with her to listen to her gossip or keep it a secret. I encouraged her to speak directly with the people she felt upset with, God’s way, rather than talking about them negatively behind their backs.

This did little to deter her from trying to get me to hear her gossip about others. She made a lot of excuses as to why she could not speak to any of these persons directly. In fact she admitted that in her entire life of 50+ years she always talked behind peoples’ backs and never directly. My address to her to do things God’s way went in one of her ears and out of the other.

Brothers and sisters, I know that some see the Bible as just a spiritual book, and that it is, but it is so much more, it is the absolute truth of God, and applies to our everyday lives. I knew that going to the Bible for God’s counsel would greatly aid me to deal with this situation God’s way. I knew that through the Bible I would know exactly who and what I was dealing with and would know what to effectively do about it God’s way. I felt it would be important to understand gosspers from the Old Covenant of the law as well as from the New Covenant of Grace.

Both covenants use different terms for gossipers and gossip and both covenants absolutely forbid it. We find that the church today upholds the biblical view of gossipers. I researched the term gossipers online and found more on this topic than I think I could ever read about in an extremely long time. Here are posting of a few concerned churches. There are too many others to post here:

Gossipers male or female will often tell gossip in the church and/or to others under the deception of seeking prayer for the one being gossiped about. The gossipers often take a victim stance, and quickly reveal to others any real or imagined perceived slights against themselves. When the gossiper is confronted by the church or others; some may be offended and accuse the confronter(s) as wrongly judging them. The gossiper who feels wronged often refuses to confront directly as commanded by the Bible:

15 If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector. (AMP)

ANOTHER CHURCH SUGGESTS FINDING OUT WHO IS THE GOSSIPER(S) The gossiper is not always apparent, because he or she can manipulate and dupe many others who spread the gossip. The gossiper may be revealed, when one asks who the source of the gossip they heard is. Some times this may lead back to the name(s) of the original sower(s) or root(s) of the gossip. Another way they are identified is that they gain a reputation as a gossiper by those who know them well.

There are too many church articles to put here, but every one of them agree that the gossiper and gossip must be stopped, and that it is very destructive to the church. I found online accounts of pastors and others who reported that gossipers had ruined their lives. There are other accounts of people committing suicide, or being killed because of gossipers.

Brethren, the best way of identifying the gossiper however; is that he or she is clearly described in detail scripturally. They travel up, down and about not confessing their faults in a mutual biblically way, but always those of others. Yes they habitually broadcast about all the unflattering negative faults of others, truthfully as well going to the point of lying on others. Some may think that they will hear the gossiper once and then the gossiper will be satisfied and go away, WRONG! For the gossiper having been heard once will see the recipient of it as a willing resource to spread the gossip to others. Those who spread the gossip are just as guilty as the original gossiper. God’s word will reveal to us that there is nothing benign or innocent about gossipers. After carefully studying God's word, I will reveal the results of my telling the gossiper the truth in love. 

Love

serola

Sat, Feb 15th - 3:23PM

THE MATCHLESS LOVE OF LORD JESUS CHRIST

Valentine’s Day has come and gone. Garbage cans are now filled with the empty boxes of sweets, and wrappings from various gifts given to “loved ones”. Vacuous professions of love and promises of love by the standards of the world have evaporated with that day.

Once a year the world or at least some of it recognizes what it calls “love”. The world’s promise to love is broken every day. The Bible tells us that the love of God is the only true forever love. For God Himself is love. Brothers and sisters I praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His eternal love. I thank Him when I open my eyes in the morning for I know without a doubt of any kind that He loves me, and He loves you.

God cannot lie, He is truth, His promises are eternally kept. Throughout the day, it makes me catch my breath in awe because of the final finished work of Jesus Christ I am loved for all time and you are too brothers and sisters. Salvation is un-earnable, un-buyable and un-re-payable; it is the free gift and the work of God from beginning to end through His Son Jesus Christ. This then is the MERCY of God to all who believe.The forever love of God has no expiration date of any kind. Those who brag that they were saved by their own "free will decision" are false converts and liars, because the work of salvation from beginning to end is the work of God:

Eph. 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from that love. The love of our triune God has freely been given through Jesus Christ to all who believe:

Ro. 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For the lonely, Jesus Christ is the end of loneliness. In His omnipresence He stands at the right hand of the throne of God making intercessions for us His sheep; and His spirit is in the hearts of all of His people. God promised He will never abandon us, never leave us alone. Awesomely, because of Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit also makes their home in our hearts. This is no passive love, for our Triune God is continually steering the ship of His people in the direction of His love at all times.

For the insecure, Jesus Christ is the end of fear and anxiety, for His perfect love casts out fear and removes doubt, so that we can rest securely and confidently in the eternal faithfulness of God. In His omniscience, God knows our hearts and He is the answer for our every need. In His omnipotence, His matchless power and eternal invincibility He protects and keeps His people, and will bring everyone of them safely home to Him.

Because of the love of God, we can take the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. We take it with strong consolation and conviction of the Holy Ghost who is forever effectual in bringing people to God. The gospel is carried out in its entirety through our Triune God. The power within, through it is God Himself-firstly because no man can come to the Son unless the Father first draw him. It is finished through Jesus Christ, because no man can come to the Father but through Jesus Christ. It is sealed through the Holy Ghost who enables and empowers all who believe to understand and live the love of God publicly and privately, and correctly understand the word of God.

What does our Triune God command of us His people?

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. THERE IS NONE OTHER COMMANDMENT GREATER THAN THESE.

How strange it is today that there are still those who foolishly reject this great commandment and who try to exalt their own raggedy, useless, empty, and rebellious ideas or "brand" of religion above the love of God. Like a ship without a rudder, they sail into all manner of ill conceived and utterly vain attempts to substitute these things for worship of God, which God utterly rejects forever. Such persons become like a cistern without water, like a land bereft of sun they absolutely cannot impart water nor light to others, seeing that there is none in themselves. 

Neither can any man or woman brag that they got this eternal love on their own. It is God who is love that has enabled us to love Him back and be filled with hope:

Rom 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Brethren, because of His great eternal love for us, we will promote and put God first in all things. Because we love Him, we won’t be trying to promote ourselves, institutions, organizations, denominations, rituals, movements and mere men above Him. We won’t be trying to steal His glory, but instead will give Him the totality of our worship and all of the glory and praise that He alone is worthy of.  Now if anyone has heard the message of the gospel and refuses to believe it, none of God's blessings nor mercy will be given to them, because hell is their portion with the devil and the rest of his angels and followers; where they will be tormented and punished forever in fire unquenchable.

He ain’t giving His glory to another and He ain’t sharing His praise nor worship with any idols. It just ain't happening EVER. NEVER.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

 Love

serola

Tue, Feb 11th - 1:42PM

Brethren, I said it once, and I will keep on saying it Jesus Christ rightly understood through the Bible and lived in private and in public is the ONLY way His people are going to please Him. Worship not done the biblical way is not worship at all. Those who cavalierly dismiss the Bible will just be trying in vain to substitute the doctrine of men for true worship. Their worship will be more about men than God.

Those who rejoice in parasitic musicians and singers cannot please God. Stripped of these parasites, and others, some churches would not have a clue as to what a gathering of believers in worship actually is. God gives the congregation alone the right to sing hymns to Him as a part of worship. The Bible gives minute details as to what congregational worship looks like, and emphatically tells us it should be decent and in order. No study can be exhaustive, but we can and must certainly go to the Bible regularly anytime to study it and be filled with God’s guidance and instruction. 

 Those who neglect scripture come to the false conclusion that worship is like ordering in a fast food restaurant-you can have and do it any which way you want. Beloveds let us not forsake the gathering together as the Bible tells us some have done. We can turn to the Bible to find many examples of private worship and worship and fellowship in gatherings. I am thankful for many sound Biblical teachers, but the body as a whole is also commanded by God to study the Bible as a whole and individually.

Beware of anyone who seeks to stop or discourage you from reading and studying the Bible and making it your final answer for all time. Such persons do not belong to God’s kingdom, but to the devil’s. And we know that Satan is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning- having absolutely no truth in him.

I am thankful for the many sound biblical teachers, but God still commands me and you to check out theirs and everyone else’s teachings to see if it is in line with scripture. Let us honor and support sound biblical teachers, pastors, and others, but we are not to worship them as though they learned the Bible on their own. The totality of the churches' praise and worship belongs to God alone. Keep in mind brothers and sisters every last drop of truthful biblical understanding comes through the Holy Spirit to the church.

We can thank God that it is only through the Holy Spirit that the body is able to understand and live the word of God. We should never make more of men than God. God’s people are commanded to take the message of the gospel throughout the whole world; and it is to be preached, taught and lived within the church as well.

Within the church the Bible tells us that unbelievers do come in. The Bible does not command us to design special programs or gimmicks directed just to convince unbelievers of the truth. The Bible shows how the Holy Spirit operating through His specific gifts among members in the body can convict and convince an unbeliever of the truth of scripture. Those who reject the Holy Spirit resort to “evangelism programs” geared to “broken people”. Any number of false confessions of faith arises from these man made tactics. Only the Holy Spirit can convince sinners.

People ain’t hurting and broken, they are sinners in need of salvation. Any substitutes for the work of the Holy Spirit is a false doctrine that leads people straight to hell.

EVANGELISM IN THE CHURCH THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

1Cr 14:21 (See this whole chapter) In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. 1Cr 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

Sadly in some churches today anybody speaking in tongues or prophesying would be seen as crazy and immediately carted away and locked up.

Love

serola