I Don’t Get It!

Okay, just in case you did not know, I have been a life-long Denver Bronco fan.  However what follows, has less to do with being a Bronco fan, than it does being a Christian and an observer of our culture.

It is hard for me to understand why there are so many people out there who are trashing Bronco quarterback Tim Tebow.  The bulk of this criticism comes not his admittedly different style of play, but rather that he is an outspoken Christian and that he prays on the football field.

Think about it, who would you rather have your kids looking up to, the plethora of professional athletes who stay out late at night at bars, get into fights, take drugs, assault women, and get involved in shootings or a guy who prays before and after games?  Seems like a easy choice to me.

Another criticism is that people don’t think it is right that Tebow prays for touchdowns.  Well, I really don’t know what Tim is praying for, that is between him and God.  I do know that there are a lot of things that he could be praying  for besides victory, he could be praying for any of the following:

• The safety of the players in the game – maybe even the players on the opposing team.
• That he would not loose his cool and act like a jerk when things in the game go bad.
• That he would give glory to God if given the opportunity.

The truth is, that unless Tim reveals his prayers to us, we don’t know what he is praying for.  It probably says more about the shallowness of the critics who assume that he must be praying for victory.  As far as thanking God after a touchdown or a victory, Eph 5:20 says – And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT)  Maybe the rest of us should learn to thank God more for the things that happen in our life.

I know that there will always be people out there who will do all they can to trash a strong Christian.  However, it still seems amazing that so many people are so obsessed about it.  Of all the things to worry about in the NFL and they worry about a QB who prays.  I know, if we allow him to pray, it might catch on and other NFL players may start that.  Oh wait, for the last several years NFL players have made a habit of meeting after the game at the center of the field for prayer, yet the networks always manage to not show that as they show the post game events.  In this day and age of professional athletes who are terrible role models why pick on a guy who grew up on the missionary field and who is not ashamed to show his faith.

On a final note, I pray often for Tebow, not to win another game, but for him to be able to handle the pressure of being a NFL player and stay consistent in his faith.  I like my kids rooting for Tebow and I hope and pray that I never have to explain to them why did something stupid like many of his fellow pro athletes have done.  Besides if God can use Tebow to bring people closer to Him, that is fine with me.

Edit:

Just after I finished this post, I stumbled on this video where Tebow was wearing a mic during the Broncos V Bears game.  Take a look, I see a very consistent Christian there.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=grM2sb7VYSs

Fruit, Artificial Fruit, and Weeds

At the November Combined Sunday School class, we talked about the Fruit of the Spirit and the way that we often settle for the artificial fruit instead of the real fruit.  I wanted to post this list and give you the chance to see if you are striving for the real fruit or settling for the artificial fruit.

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.  24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  (Revised Standard Version)

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT	ARTIFICIAL FRUIT	THE WEED
Love	Limited Love	Hatred
Joy	Temporary Joy	Sorrow
Peace	Carelessness	Strife
Patience	Insensitivity	Impatience
Kindness	Manipulation by Kindness	Pride
Goodness	Hypocrisy	Evil
Faithfulness	Half-heartedness	Infidelity
Gentleness	False Modesty or False Humility	Self-seeking
Self Control	Choosing Lesser Goods	Lack of Control

A More Authentic Jesus

In my October Beacon article, I asked the question, “What people would Jesus spend time with if He came to earth today.”  The article which you will be able to read here soon, made me think of a song by Todd Agnew.  It is not one of those songs that you listen to when you want to feel good.  No, you listen to it when you want to think, when you want to be convicted.  Below you can find the video and lyrics.  I think the song hits us hard and asks questions we are not comfortable answering.

My Jesus

Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow?
Which Jesus do you serve?
If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant
So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit
Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness
Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins
He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars
He loved the poor and accosted the rich
So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we’d recognize Him

Cause my Jesus bled and died
He spent His time with thieves and the least of these
He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable
So which one do you want to be?

Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
I think He’d prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus
You see I’m tired of living for success and popularity
I want to be like my Jesus but I’m not sure what that means to be like You Jesus
Cause You said to live like You, love like You but then You died for me
Can I be like You Jesus?
I want to be like you Jesus!
I want to be like my Jesus!

My Jesus By Todd Agnew

More Retweets

Another Collection of Tweets that I have gleaned from Twitter.  Hope you enjoy them.  Follow my tweets @NewMarketCC on Twitter.

• Mars Hill Church – 1/21/11
  “We’re about Christ. … Put your cause down. We have one cause: Christ. Christ is our cause.”
• C. S. Lewis – 1/21/11
  We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn’-C.S. Lewis
• Bill Hybels- 1/21/11
  Few leaders comprehend the cost of keeping an organization aligned. Pay the price and experience the compounding outcome!
• John C Maxwell-1/21/11
  Vision is the world’s most desperate need. There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly. -Winifred Newman
• Dave Ramsey-1/21/11
  Quoted Godin 4 book: “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”
• James MacDonald- 1/21/11
  How many of God’s promises failed? Not one of them. How many came to pass? All of them.
• Ed Stetzer-1/21/11
  WWW advice: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a 2nd time. After that, have nothing to do with him” Titus3:10
• Erwin McManus-1/22/11
  If its insane to fight against the status quo convinced we can make the world a better place then let’s embrace the madness.
• Randy Alcorn-1/26/11
  It’s our nature to be influenced by surroundings. When we’re around godly people, we’re influenced toward godliness. http://ref.ly/Pr13.20

Re-Tweet Gems

I have recently re-entered the twitter world.   I have done so to keep up with some of the innovators in the church growth movement.  I thought it might be a good thing to collect some of the top tweets and post them on “Keep Pressin’ On!”  The basic plan is that I will collect them through-out the week and then post them on Friday.  Let’s hope the plan works.

So here we are – I hope that you enjoy this installment of Re-Tweet Gems:  By the way, if you want to follow me on twitter – @NewMarketCC

• Matt Redman – 1/14/11
  “Christians worship with a conviction that they are in the presence of God.” Eugene Peterson in the book ‘Reversed Thunder’ -
• Mark Driscoll  – 1/14/11
  With Jesus, division is inevitable. http://bit.ly/gtaWFj (youtube)
• John Ortberg – 1/13/11
  I am finding that people r strangely moved by the words: u have a soul. & it needs to b whole.
• John C Maxwell – 1/14/11
  The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.⁰ -Benjamin Disraeli
• Max Lucado – 1/13/11
  Ask yourself,’If no one knew of the good I do, would I still do it?’ If not, you’re doing it to be seen by others.
• Darrin Patrick – 1/14/11
  Don’t take advice from people who are chronically critical.
• C. S. Lewis – 1/14/11
  The enemy will not see you vanish into God’s company without an effort to reclaim you.
• Rob Bell – 1/7/11
  To forgive is to set someone free and then find out it’s you.
• Rob Bell- 1/7/11
  To not forgive is to let someone rent free space in your head.
• Leonard Sweet
  “The outward will never be puny if the inward work is great” 13th century German theologian/mystic Meister Eckhart
• Maurilio Amorim – 1/17/11
  Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things. Peter F. Drucker
• Darrin Patrick – 1/17/11
  The Alamo: first a mission; then a battlefield; now a monument. A metaphor for many churches.
• Christine Caine – 1/20/11
  If there is a disparity between Gods promises & your circumstances look to His promises not your circumstances …

Thank you to those who shared for giving this wisdom on Twitter

Martin Luther King Jr: A Man To be Honored

Happy Martian Luther King Jr. Day!

I am sad to say that there are people who do not think MLK day should be a holiday.  I am not one of them.  I admit that my celebration of the holiday is limited – (more about that later), yet I believe this is an important holiday.  Dr. King was a great man and it is appropriate that we remember him.

I would not claim, that I agree with everything that MLK said.  But, that is true of everyone who has lived before or after Jesus.  In the case of MLK, the greatness of what he accomplished out shines any places where I think he may have been not had the best answers.  He changed the world and did so with his faith placed in God.

One of the important things to remember about Rev. King was that he was a Minister, a believer, a fellow Christian. “I am first and foremost a minister. I love the church, and I feel that civil rights is a part of it. For me, at least, the basis of my struggle for integration-and I mean the full integration of Negroes into every phase of American life-is something that began with a religious motivation….And I know that my religion has come to mean more to me that ever before. I have come to believe more and more in a personal God-not a process, but a person, a creative power with infinite love who answers prayers.” [From Redbook - September 1961]* I find it sad today that today you will hear almost no mention that Martin was a Minister. It is almost like the world wants to forget that it was once again a Christian, with God’s help, helped change the world for good. I do not wish to take away from the work that Martin did to receive his Doctorate, I honor that work also, but it saddens me that the world has forgotten what I believe was the real driving force in his life. I hate to say this, but I am willing to bet that this is no accident on the part of the world, they want greatness without God and when they cannot find it, they forget the God part.

Quotations From Rev. King which show his greatness:

• “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day…sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood….This is our hope…. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day….This will be the day when all God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning, “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of the I sing.” – March On Washington – Aug 28, 1963
• “In your statement, you asserted that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. Isn’t this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God’s will precipitated the evil act of the Crucifixion?” – On Nonviolence – From a Birmingham Jail – 1963
• “So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed . . . that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.” – On the Dream of Freedom – 1963
• “So let freedom ring. From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania, let freedom ring. But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. And when this happens, when we let it ring, we will speed that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last, free at last/Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last.” – On Freedom – 1963
• “If physical death is the price I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from the permanent death of the spirit, then nothing could be more redemptive.” – St. Augustine Florida – June 5, 1964
• In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. – **
• Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. – **
• Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – **
• The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. – Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 1963 – **
• Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. – Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963 – **
• Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.- Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963 – **
• The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963 – **
• “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. I won’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy tonight. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. ” – His Own Future – April 3, 1968

That last quotation is eerie because it was on the next day that Rev. King was assassinated.   He did not live to see the results of his work.  We  can admit that his work is yet to be fully realized, but he moved us forward and I dare say without him, we would not have made the progress that we have made.  No, we cannot stop, until the

I mentioned earlier about my celebration of MLK Day.  Well it is pretty simple, I am spending some time reflecting on his life and his legacy, I am spending time in prayer – asking God to help the truth of what Rev. King taught become a reality in the world, and writing my thoughts about Rev. King and sharing them with all of you.  Simple, yes, but my prayer is that is also helpful!

May God Bless His Legacy!

* – Quotations taken from http://www.africawithin.com/mlking/king_quotes.htm unless otherwise noted.

** – http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.Let no man pull you low enough to hate him. – **

Random Thoughts:

Sometimes I like to share some small thoughts about the things that are floating through my mind – I hope you find some of them interesting:

What has happened to us as Christians, many of us seem to fear technology, yet in the past Christians have used technology the help spread the Gospel.  We should not fear technology, perhaps caution, but definitely use to further the Gospel.

Stories resonate with humans at a whole different level than lectures and facts do.  As Jesus knew and understood this, that is why He told so many stories to teach people about the Kingdom of God.

One of my favorite Axioms – by Elmer Townes: Methods are many, Principles are few, Methods may change, but Principles NEVER do!

Prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has ever given us.  We can go before the throne of the Creator of the Universe and make our wants and our needs known to Him.  That is truly priceless.

I wish people would learn to be honest.  Honest with themselves and honest with others.  Too often times people say what they think they should say instead of saying what that they really don’t know.  When they speak like that, they then cause others to act on the lie they have told, spending time, resources, and energy on it.  How much better it would be for everyone if we all just told the truth.

Was Jesus a Communist?

Tim Liston is an old friend, we lived on the same floor when we were in Bible College.  He is currently a minister in Concord, CA at New Hope Church.  He wrote and article last week discussing the idea that Jesus was a communist.  I thought that it was a good article and I got his permission to re-post it.  I hope that you will enjoy it.  It was originally two parts, but I posted it as one.

Was Jesus a Communist?

I heard someone on TV say, “Jesus was a communist.”?! The argument that Jesus was a communist comes from the fact that the early church in Jerusalem “…shared everything in common.” -Acts 2:44. But this outpouring of generosity, while God-led, was not a political system nor was it intended to be. Rather, it was a signal to the community of love between Christians. It worked. Three verses later in Acts 2:47 we find that, “…the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Persecution scattered those believers from Jerusalem (Acts 8). A famine in the area (Acts 11:27) prompted even the poorest  Christians from outside the area to give cheerfully so those same believers, mentioned in Acts 2, could survive (2 Corinthians 8).

Generosity cannot be forced. Communism and its cousin, Socialism, take by force from those who have and give to others in the name of the State. But biblical generosity originates in Christ-like love, is supplied by “personal” wealth, and is given voluntarily in the Name of Jesus. As Pastor John said last weekend, “We don’t proclaim Christ without helping. And we don’t help without proclaiming Christ.”

Government doesn’t proclaim Christ when “helping.” And in Scripture, proclaiming Christ is the whole reason we give.

Part Two

Was Jesus communist? Does the Bible promote communism or socialism? Short answer: No.

Consider this: Two of the ten commandments are anti-socialism. Command #8: You shall not steal, and #10: You shall not covet [your neighbor’s stuff]. Both of these commands guard the right of an individual to own things. Socialism and communism demand that stuff be given up to the state for distribution. The reward for hard work and success becomes the confiscation of your personal property. And the reward for laziness becomes a living wage even if you haven’t lifted a finger to earn it. This is completely contrary to the Bible command, “The one who is unwilling to work, shall not eat.” -2 Thess 3:10.

The state becomes the “almighty” deciding who gets what and how much they deserve. Socialism/Communism cannot co-exist with God’s teaching. That’s why the agenda of these political systems includes the marginalizing, silencing, and ultimately, the outlawing of the church and the teachings of Christ. The church in communist China (pic) has been driven underground. Think about it: If Jesus was communist, why would His teachings be outlawed by communists? Answer: Because Jesus gives freedom! And from that freedom and out of our personal property we voluntarily help the poor, in the name of Jesus!

(Please do not be political in your comments here or on Facebook. Thanks!)
Original Links to Tim’s Post:
http://timliston.typepad.com/tim-liston/2010/10/jesus-was-a-communist-part-1.html
http://timliston.typepad.com/tim-liston/2010/11/jesus-was-a-communist-part-2.html

Thanks Tim, you did a great job.

Praying the 23rd Psalm

A little while back, during communion, I used the following prayer. It is an adaptation of the 23rd Psalm and put into the form of a prayer.

The 23rd Psalm is a great picture of how God cares for us, His sheep!

I thought I would put it here for you you in case you would like a copy of it. I posted the individual version here, although in church I used the group version.

Praying the 23rd Psalm
A Prayer Recognizing God’s Protective Relationship To You

Lord, You are my shepherd, I don’t need anything but what You provide.
You make me lie down in green pastures, You lead me beside still waters.
You renew my spiritual energy, You guide me in the right paths, in order to glorify Your Name.
When I walk through dark, scarey places, I will not be afraid of the shadows of death or anything else because, You are with me.
Your rod and Your staff protect me.
You prepare a banquet table for me and my enemies watch me eat.
You pour oil on my head to honor and heal me.
You fill my cup so it runs over.
Surely, Your goodness and Your mercy will follow me, as long as I live on this earth, And when I leave this earth, I will live in Your house for all of eternity.

Amen

(By King David under God’s inspiration,
put into prayer form by Elmer Towns
and revised by G. E. Dosher Jr.)

Don’t Spread It!

In the July issue of the Beacon, I talked about the list of Scriptures that talk about Gossip and how it is sinful and hurtful.  In case you missed the article in the Beacon, I will reprint it at the bottom of this post.

Here is the full list from the New International Version of the Bible:

• Proverbs 11:13 (NIV) ¹³ A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.
• Proverbs 16:28 (NIV) ²⁸ A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
• Proverbs 18:8 (NIV) ⁸ The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.
• Proverbs 20:19 (NIV) ¹⁹ A gossip betrays a confidence;     so avoid a man who talks too much.
• Proverbs 26:20 (NIV) ²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;     without gossip a quarrel dies down.
• Proverbs 26:22 (NIV) ²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;     they go down to a man’s inmost parts.
• Romans 1:28 – 32 (NIV) ²⁸Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  ²⁹They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,  ³⁰slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  ³¹they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  ³²Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 (NIV) ²⁰For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
• 1 Timothy 5:13 (NIV) ¹³Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
• 3 John 1:9 – 10 (NIV) ⁹I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.  ¹⁰So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

There are some additional scriptures that also have some bearing on this discussion, the first one was the one that was referenced in the Beacon Article, the others should speak for themselves:

• 2 Corinthians 11:14 (NIV) ¹⁴And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
• 1 Timothy 3:11 (NASB) ¹¹Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.
• 2 Timothy 3:2 – 5 (NASB) ²For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,  ³unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,  ⁴treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  ⁵holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
• Titus 2:3 – 5 (NASB) ³Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,  ⁴so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  ⁵to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
• Romans 16:17 – 18 (NIV) ¹⁷I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.  ¹⁸For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
• 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV) ¹⁰I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
• Galatians 5:19 – 21 (NIV) ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;  ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I think it is really clear that God does not like people who gossip and that we should do our part to end gossip.

Below is the article from the June, 2010 of the Beacon:

There is always a temptation to spread gossip.  It sometimes gives us a sense of power, we think we are telling people vital information, that they need to know.  Other times it makes us feel better about ourselves, because after all, I am not as bad as the person I am gossiping about.  Sometimes, it is because we don’t like the person we are gossiping about and we are really just out to hurt them.  Sometimes, we think we are being helpful, because people just need to know this.  No matter the reason, there is one thing that is always true about gossip, it is always wrong, it is always sinful.In the New International Version of the Bible, there are 10 references to gossip and in all ten of them gossip is something that is sinful and something to be despised.  Here are just a couple of the references:

• Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
• Proverbs 20:19 A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much.
• Romans 1:28 – 32 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.  29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,  30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;  31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.  32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

It is easy to see from these verses, that gossip is something that God does not approve of.  It should go without saying, that if God does not like it, we should not participate in it and that we should avoid those who do.

Gossip hurts the body of Christ, gossip hurts brothers and sisters, gossip hurts our ability to reach out the world.  Of course there is one person that is helped by gossip, his name, in case you did not know, is Lucifer, better known as the Devil.  The Bible says that the Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (II Cor 11:14).  That basically means that often what the devil wants us to do, are things that look like they would be good, but in reality, they serve him, they do not serve God.  Gossip is that way, often people think they are doing a good thing, but in reality, they are hurting God, the gospel, or the church and are helping Satan.

Gossip is something that must be stopped.  If you are doing it, you need to stop doing it today!  If you are hearing it, you need to be willing to stand up the one who is gossiping and tell him, “This is wrong.  I will not listen to it.  You need to stop it.”  The church, for that matter, the world, would be a better place, if the gossips would cease and desist.