Those who GOSSIP to you gossip ABOUT you

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GOSSIP - small talk, hearsay, palaver, chitchat. Gossip, scandal apply to idle talk and newsmongering about the affairs of others. Gossip is light chat or talk: to trade gossip about the neighbors. It is rumor or general talk that is damaging to reputation; it is usually more or less malicious.

I have learned in my 38 years of life, "those who gossip to you gossip about you". What is even more disconcerting is that Christians engage in this SINFUL behavior with NO GUILT! It's just nuts I tell ya, just nuts! It's Christian Tabloids!

It's like a Christian who justifies an adulterous affair (and says, "but I love her"), or a Christian who legitimizes stealing from work and says ("because they don't pay me enough").

Romans 1:29 "Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip."

2 Corinthians 12:20 "For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior."

Besides GOSSIP being a dark evil sin that we've all engaged in at some time, it's bad for 3 reasons:

1.) It distracts us from doing the things that are really important; loving and caring for people, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, praying and reading the scripture!

2.) It is murder with the tongue. It seperates close friends, and it breaks relationships!

3.) It tears down people! Gossip produces nothing good in a persons life, period!


How to know when you've stumbled upon a GOSSIP:

1.) They gossip to you!

2.) The are unhappy. (typically about many things)

3.) The world is just out to get them.

4.) They do not have any TRUE friends. (have you ever had a friend gossip to you about another friend? That is not friendship!)

5.) Gossip follows gossips! (so if you are always in the midst of gossip... it's YOU! You are the common denominator!)

Typically, gossipers attract other gossipers. So if you find yourself in a gossip crowd, I would recommend you inform your "friends" (if you can call them that) and challenge them that you want to be a true Christ follower and that you feel that gossip is not doing anything positive in or for your life and will discontinue partaking in the sin of gossip!


"Small people talk about others,
Medium people talk about things,
And big people talk about dreams and ideas"

Let's be BIG PEOPLE!

Church should be like a Hospital

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It’s interesting that Christians, who should know better, who only think of church from the perspective of; what's in it for me? Especially those “Christians” who consider themselves “mature” ought to know WE ARE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING. I am reminded of the great reality found in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 12:48 “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” -NLT

I also think of the famous words, “ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country” and how if you change just a few words it applies to church; “ask not what your church can do for you, but ask what you can do for your church”.

I am not sure just where the issue comes from; is it our consumer culture that has messed us up to think church is about “getting” something, rather then “giving” something. Is it because most churches exist FOR the Christian, rather than FOR the lost person? Almost like church has become a gathering place for Christians, rather then a hospital for the hurting?

I see church being a lot like a hospital; a place where the doctors, nurses and staff are the Christians serving and helping to heal, feed, love, and serve the patients… rather then a Doctor/Nurse convention. There are far too many churches who function a lot like a Doctors Convention.

Now, don’t misunderstand me here! Church should “give” you opportunity to use your gifts to serve others, and “give” you opportunity to reach people for Christ, and “give” you challenging life-applicable biblical teaching to encourage you to live a godly life, and “equip” you for kingdom stuff.

Ephesians 4:11-12 “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.” –NLT

I know you want to be a self-less person who lives their life to serve God by serving others and helping people find a meaningful life in God.


"When you die you will not be known for what you acquired for yourself, but you will be known, loved and admired for what you did for others" - Timmy Gibson

Give God Your Best

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So I did my morning devotional and it was on the famous Cain and Able story, where we witness the first murder. The story is found in the first book of the bible:


SCRIPTURE:

Genesis 4:3-7 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

OBSERVATION:

This story has stumped and even eluded some of the greatest theologians of our time with the one question; why did God look on Abel’s offering with favor and not Cain’s? That is a great question and I am not sure I have the answer, but I can just tell you what I see that stands out to me.

I think it’s very simple if you do not read a bunch of stuff into it.



  • First, Cain brought “some of the fruit” of the soil. Not that the fruit of the soil was bad, but Cain brought just “some” of the fruit. Almost like when you donate to a clothing charity and you give them the clothes you would have sold in the garage sale, or maybe you would have thrown them away because they didn’t fit, or were out of style. This is how I read this. Cain didn’t give his best fruit; he just gave “some” of his fruit.



  • Secondly, Abel brought “some of the firstborn” of his flock. I do not have time to get into the biblical significance of the firstborn, but it hints on the fact that Abel gave from the “first” of what he had rather then just “some” of what we had.



  • Thirdly, had Cain just done what was right (possibly given from the “first” or “best” of his fruit his offering) he would have been accepted. Sometimes we think God asks us for too much. But when you have a proper perspective on it you realize all we have is given to us BY God and we are only stewards of it, not owners.



  • Lastly, Abel’s offering was accepted. I think what you see in this story is the reality of what matters most; to be accepted by God.

APPLICATION:

Cain’s sin of not giving God his best led him to murder his very own brother. Just as God said to Cain, “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Sin leads to more sin.


PRAYER:

God help each of us to give you our best in every area of life!




Did God Follow Us Here?

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So I am having my routine "God talk" with Vandon this morning; I prayed with him and after I finished the prayer he said, "can God hear us clear in Kansas City?" I said, "God is in Florida too... !" He said, "Oh, did He follow us here?" I said, "yes He did... He is wherever we are".

I am reminded of what Jesus told his disciples in the Great Commission"...

Main Scripture:

Matthew 28:16 - 20 "16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[b] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Here is is clear that no matter where we go, God is there! I am convinced that this is good news not only to a 5 year boy, but to all of us... "God Followed Us Here"!

So when you are having a tough time, or have left your faith behind... remember God is not far behind! God is with you wherever you are!


Additional Scriptures:

Hebrews 13:5b "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Proverbs 18:24 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

James 4:8 "Come close to God, and God will come close to you."

- Timmy

Taking Risks in Church

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I used to think that church work should be risk free. But I soon realized that effective church work is very risky! Many churches play it safe (and that is fine for those who are fine with it). I am not cool with status-quo! Actually I, if you will allow me to say it, hate status-quo, and playing it safe.

I feel that the message of Jesus is the most important message being communicated on planet earth, period!

Jesus took MAJOR risks, this is why He received so much push back from the religious establishment of His day. Jesus did not live by the status-quo of His day, He was a radical risk taker.

Challenge: Ask God where you are playing it safe and then take some risks!

Scripture: James 1:22-24 22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Poem:
There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played;
He never risked, he never tried,
He never sang or prayed.
And when he one day passed away
His insurance was denied;
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died!

- Source Unknown.

- Timmy