Beware Of Gossiping!

By David J. Stewart | March 2005 | Updated January 2017

Planned Gossip Is Worse Than Spontaneous Adultery (Justice 16 — Dr. Hyles — Great truth!)

Don't judge others because they sin differently than you!

 Proverb 11:9, “An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour...”
Proverb 10:18, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.”
Proverb 16:27, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” —James 3:5,6

Perhaps the worst sin of our generation is gossip about others. I don't know who ever made the ridiculous statement that “sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me”; but words can be very painful. The most painful wounds in life are those inflicted by a careless or cruel person's words. It hurts bad when someone whom we look up to hurts us; but it hurts even worse when we unintentionally hurt someone who looks up to us. Gossip is so subtle, and if you're not careful you'll find yourself gossiping every time.

Listen to me... GOSSIP IS ALWAYS DONE UNDER THE PRETENSE OF SINCERITY AND GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT IT IS THE VERY CHARACTER OF SATAN! Revelation 12:10, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” We human beings are so subtle... “Pastor, there's something I think you need to be aware of... and then people commit the SIN OF GOSSIP,” or “I wouldn't tell this to anybody, but I thought you needed to know... and then they commit the SIN OF GOSSIP,” or “We need to pray for Brother or Sister so-and-so because... and then they commit the SIN OF GOSSIP.” You sorry hypocritical devil, congratulations on being so perfect! God knows our intentions if we share harmful information with others, as Proverbs 24:12 teaches, and God will hold us accountable for our thoughts, words and deeds.

30,000 Words A Day!

Psalms 141:3, “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”

Pastors hear more gossip than anyone, because everyone confides in them. I love Dr. Jack Hyles' awesome book titled “JUSTICE,” in which he shuns gossip in all its forms. If I tell just one person a week some juicy gossip that I've heard, and they go tell just one person a week each, in six-months I will have corrupted 65,050,514 people!!! Do the math!  Your Gossip Makes Me Destroy Those I Love The Most (MP3) | Printed (Dr. Hyles). We ought to run from slander like we run from A.I.D.S. I'd 10,000 times rather spend time speaking with a person with AIDS than to talk with someone who has a forked tongue. Gossip is destructive of others. I rather die with character and AIDS than to die healthy with no character.

The tongue CANNOT be tamed, because the heart is wicked. James 3:8, “But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” The only safe thing to do is be quite, or steer the conversation in a positive direction. What I do is immediately mention something good about a person if their name is brought up in conversation. I hate gossip and so does God, because it hurts others. You might as well put a gun to the person's head and pull the trigger when you speak evil about them. Gossip is a sin! DEFAMING JESUS!

It's been said: “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.” I like that. The facts are nearly always distorted as they pass from one ear to another. What began as a hold of the hand usually ends up turning into adultery by the time it reaches enough ears. People love to talk, gossip, slander, and tear down. It's in our nature to destroy ourselves. That's the human race. The more we hear about peace, the more war happens and innocent people are murdered. There will never be lasting genuine peace until Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem over the whole earth during the 1,000-year millennium. Until then, people will continue to hurt each other, as they do best.

We shouldn't be looking for garbage. If we do hear it, we shouldn't believe it. You can't judge a person by what others say about him, but you can judge a person by what he says about others. Unless you have two witnesses, don't believe it! And still, that doesn't mean that the accusation is true. The Bible teaches this rule of justice in Deuteronomy 19:15. The Bible doesn't say two hearers, but witnesses. Did you see it? I like the saying that goes... “Don't believe anything you hear, and only half of what you see!” Is it true about so-and-so? It shouldn't matter, unless you actually saw it yourself. If you didn't, shut your mouth! Remember, a “hypocrite” is someone who views another person as being a worse sinner than them self. The person who walks closest with God, sees them self as the biggest sinner they know; therefore, they refrain from criticizing others, from gossiping and from condemning anyone!

WHEN YOU TRY JESUS UNJUSTLY (an awesome MP3 sermon by Pastor Jack Hyles)

THE GOOD MAN VERSES THE SPIRITUAL MAN (Dr. Hyles; Few fundamentalists are spiritual)

We're All Criminals To Some Extent

Every one of us are criminals to some extent. We should all be saying, “But for the grace of God, there go I.” Shut up all you hypocrites who like to talk about the sins, faults and wrongs of others. You are just as rotten, and so am I. You are a sinner and a criminal. But you say, “You can call me a sinner, but don't you dare call me a criminal.” If you've ever driven 10 miles over the speed limit (and you have if you drive a car), you have placed others in harm's way. You have risked injury to others by speeding. A person smoking some weed (marijuana) in the privacy of living room aren't putting people in harm's anywhere near as much as you are by speeding. Yet the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld life sentences in prison for first-time drug offenders. That's injustice and God hates it! Putting someone in prison for life for a first-time drug offence is evil, let alone a youth.

“Judging a person does not define who they are. It defines who YOU are!” —Dr. Bob Gray, Sr.

Again, if you've ever gone 5 miles over the speed limit, deliberately or unintentionally, you are a criminal. If you've ever lit banned fireworks in a major American city, you are a law-breaking criminal. We've all broken the law time-and-time again, no matter how insignificant they may have seemed at the time. Everyone does bad things to other people!

Over 2,000 inmates serving life sentences in the U.S. were convicted before the age of 18. In all other nation's combined, only 12 such inmates exists. WHEN KIDS GET LIFE (full length PBS video documentary). If you ever grasp how sinful you truly are, then you'll stop gossiping about others. You're constant attitude will be, “But for the grace of God, there go I.” If lawbreakers deserve to go to prison, then EVERYONE deserves to spend time in prison for something. But for the grace of God, there go I.

The prisons profit from such wickedness at the taxpayer's expense. No wonder the U.S. incarcerates 25% of the world's prison inmates (more than Russia and China combined). Yet, when you break the law by driving 10-15 miles over the speed limit, you don't get life in prison for endangering people's lives. We all have some criminality in all of us. So don't ever say that you're not a criminal. Yes, you are. I love the video presentation below, “WE'RE ALL CRIMINALS: INJUSTICE IN AMERICA!” by Law Professor Michelle Alexander, author of the book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.” Please watch, “PRISON STATE: LOCKED UP IN AMERICA!” (a 1:23 hour PBS documentary; 2,300,000 Americans are locked up! This is INJUSTICE!). Locking a human being in a cage is cruel and unusually punishment. It is inhumane mistreatment and barbarianism! God never, not once, instituted prisons. You either paid a fine, were publicly beaten or were executed (capital punishment).

How We All Break The Law Every Day
(“For there is not a just man upon earth...,” Ecclesiastes 7:20)

We're All Criminals

The World Will Beat You To Your Knees And Keep You There If You Let It!

The bottom line is that if it's not someone else's business, then we shouldn't repeat a questionable matter to anyone. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:9 that “AN HYPOCRITE WITH HIS MOUTH DESTROYETH HIS NEIGHBOUR!” Gossip destroys relationships, permanently causing resentment, distrust and influences others to avoid that person. People go by what they hear.

Literally, I knew a Christian man who was ganged-up on by his co-workers, so much so that he would frequently hide in the men's room at work to avoid them. They made snide remarks, gossiped about him, spread horrible rumors about him through the workplace, harassed him when the boss wasn't looking, sabotaged his assigned machines that he maintained, et cetera. They broke that poor guy down emotionally, bringing him to tears. One day he came into the break area and sat at one table, while all his co-workers sat at another table. He was alone. Then one wicked man said, “Isn't it great to have friends?” The Christian man sitting all alone walked out of the lunch room in tears. That's what gossip and hatred does to people. I've seen it again and again.

That is sinful human nature. Stigmas stick, and your gossiping words can permanently cause a person to be shunned, be uninvited and be labeled by fellow church members, co-workers or neighbours, even though that person just had a bad day or has repented of their wrongs. But what you've done is play God, being ten times more wicked than the person you've criticized, usurping the roles of judge, jury and executioner, slaying your victim with your subtle words. James 4:12 says that God is the only Judge, and warns not to judge (condemn) others. We all have to give account to God for ourselves.

Deliberate gossip is worse than spontaneous adultery! Gossip is one of the number one reasons why people stop going to church. Gossip causes suicide. Gossip causes divorce. Gossip drives people out of church. All it takes is gossiping one time and you may destroy a marriage, a family, a friendship, a church or someone's life. It happens tens-of-thousands of times every day all around the world, because the world is a wicked place (1st John 5:19). People categorize sins and consider murder, assault and adultery as amongst the worst, while most people consider gossip an acceptable form of cheap entertainment. The newsmedia are nothing but a bunch of Godless manure-spreaders! They destroy people's lives and reputations for profit! In our sinful American culture we tolerate the wicked newsmedia, who have taught people to attack, slander and gossip everyone except themselves.

Jesus taught in The Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12 to treat others the way you want to be treated. You wouldn't want someone spreading your sins and faults all over town, or even repeating them to one neighbour. There's a popular Country song that says, “Everyone dies famous in a small town.” That is true because of the sin of gossip. The Holy Bible warns about gossiping, which is a form of condemning others. Romans 2:1, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”

Proverbs 16:27, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”

Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do!

When you spread gossip, though speaking amongst friends, you create distrust, resentment and cause people to avoid that other person. You are in serious trouble with God. When that person whom you slandered tries to live and stand for God at church, people are going to shun him (or her) because of your snake tongue! For every person who is shunned because of your sinful gossiping, you are losing rewards in Heaven. To the same extent as the damage you've caused by your gossiping words, to that same degree God will judge you by  your own words (Matthew 7:1-2).

Unless it is something that a person absolutely needs to know, it is a sin to mention anything that will cast a negative shadow upon another person's character. This excludes preaching, which is taking a Biblical stand against sin and evil. Preaching does not seek to hurt the individual. Preaching refutes public sins; but gossip parades past sins. Preaching seeks to honor God; but gossip seeks to dishonor man. Preaching is intended to eliminate wickedness; but gossip seeks to showcase wickedness, perpetuating one's sins. God calls men to be preachers; but God punishes gossippers! Preaching seeks to proclaim the truth because it is right; but gossip seeks to spread truth because it is wrong. Preaching pleases God; but gossip angers God. Preaching produces repentance; but gossip produces a hardened heart. Preaching tears down to build up; but gossip tears down to destroy.

For example: Actress Cameron Diaz is a wicked woman for starring in the recent R-rated (R for rotten) Hollywood filthy 2014 movie titled, “SEX TAPE.” I haven't seen the movie and won't see it. The advertisement says the story is about a married couple who records themselves having sex, then wakes up the next morning and finds the tape missing. So they spend the rest of the movie looking for the tape. This is the evil Hollywood smut that continually provokes THE JUDGMENT OF GOD upon our nation, and it is already happening... just look at the police state being set up right before our eyes, while dumbed-down, decadent, comatose, sin-loving, party-going, sports-worshipping, obese, television-brainwashed, indifferent Americans are doing absolutely nothing to fight it!!! Shame on Cameron Diaz for being involved in such evil smut, nudity and wickedness. This is preaching!

Yet, I admire Cameron Diaz for recently walking out of an July 22, 2014 interview when the co-interviewer slandered her friend, Drew Barrymore. While doing in interview with KIIS 106.5 (an Australian radio show), Kyle Sandilands made a snide remark about Cameron's close friend Drew Barrymore's troubled past and Miss Cameron walked out of the interview after saying, “I'm sure, Kyle, you've never been through a drug phase, have you? Or alcoholism or anything like that? Pretty clean… always did it right? Congratulations.” That's a friend! A friend doesn't tolerate gossip about their friend. If you criticize my friend, church, Savior or preacher, I'm going to defend the person being criticized. Good for Miss Cameron for not tolerating gossip! That's what we all need to do, that is, walk away and leave when people start gossiping. God hates a proud look, a lying tongue and sowing discord amongst brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Don't judge others because they sin differently than you do!

We Are All Guilty Of Making Future Plans Without God

I recently heard an AARP Medicare supplemental insurance commercial on television. The ad shows a woman boasting that she's 60-years-old and has her whole life ahead of her. The Bible plainly teaches that she is sinning by boasting of future plans without including God. James 4:13-16, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”

We are all guilty at one time or another of making future plans without considering that we may not be alive tomorrow. Those who DO consider the shortness of this life and fear God, will live accordingly by faith. The reason why so many people live immoral lives, selfishly hurting others, and are greedy for personal gain is because they have forgotten God. For years I have been compelled to always say the words “Lord willing” or “God willing” when mentioning what I plan to do. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Life is what happens to you while you're making future plans.

I was shopping in a grocery store one day and heard a radio commercial talk about investing money for retirement. The advertiser boldly said that “you will have the retirement you deserve and have always dreamed of.” I immediately thought about how sinful that was, boasting of something unsure. We have no guarantee of tomorrow. Just because you lay up earthly treasures is no guarantee of future success. In sharp contrast, Jesus promised that laying up treasures in Heaven is guaranteed (Matthew 6:20). You'll never hear a commercial about laying up treasures in Heaven.

The best way to keep your foot out of your mouth is to keep it shut!

Think On Purpose

Our tongue is connected to our emotions. When we talk garbage with our tongue, our emotions are sinking lower and lower, working us up emotionally inside. We can speak positive words and elevate our spirit, or we can drag our emotions down (and others) with gossip, bad news and talking about dirty laundry. Words are important. People go by what they here, which is human nature (and a bad thing oftentimes). Believe NONE of what you hear, and only HALF of what you see. Misery is an option, don't choose it!

Our thinking, whether good or bad, eventually becomes our own REALITY. Where the mind goes, the man follows. We eventually become what we think. The way we talk to our-self (called “self-talk,” and we all do it) is a very important thing in our life, because you can never become greater than what you think about your self. Even more important is how we talk to ourselves about ourselves. Most people don't worry about what others think about them, nor even what we think about ourselves; but rather, what we think other people are thinking about us. The answer is to meditate in the Word of God (Psalms 1:1-5).

God Gave You Teeth to Cage That Evil Tongue

Keep your cage closed. Don't let the wild animal out! Keep your tongue secured within those pearly white teeth (i.e., the bars of a cage). God gave us a mouth to encage that dangerous tongue! Literally, you ought to view your mouth as cage for our evil tongue. As mentioned, the Bible teaches in James 3:7-8 that the tongue CANNOT BE TAMED. It is impossible. It's in our human nature to talk trash. Everyone is guilty of saying things they shouldn't say. You should get very angry at yourself when you do gossip, determining never to do it again. That's a good attitude. But for the grace of God, there go I.

So what's the answer? Keep your mouth shut! It works. If you can bridle the tongue, you can bridle the body. Get the tongue right and the body will follow. The key is to limit our words, and do our best with the Lord's help to be careful what we say. Wars have been started and ended by mere words. Words are the most powerful force in the world. This is evidenced by the Words of God, which are the highest authority in the universe (Psalm 138:2; John 1:1-3,14; Revelation 19:13).

Keep your mouth shut! If you don't talk, then you can't gossip, can't spread gossip, and can't create gossip. Most gossip is partially true, which is the most dangerous form of gossip. What usually happens is that people spread misinformation, not having all the facts, and someone's life and reputation are injured or destroyed.

Proverb 16:27, “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”

The Lying Newsmedia Are Evil Scum

God hates the newsmedia so much (Proverb 6:16-19), because they spread manure and destroy people's lives. When a crime is committed, the newsmedia looks for every detail, every crime, every bad thing that every family member, even distant family members, have ever committed or been accused of. The newsmedia are the most evil scum on the planet.

I remember many years ago hearing on TV about a women in Kentucky who got involved with a weird cult. They were troubled teenagers, who decided to kill one of their peers in a ritual-style killing. The girl's father is a lawyer. The newsmedia actually tried to make a connection between the girl's crime and Billy Graham, saying that the father had once worked as a lawyer 10-years earlier for Dr. Graham. That's one of millions of examples of how the sick newsmedia distorts the truth, hurts people, ruins lives and destroys families.

The first thing that news reporters always do when there's a horrendous crime is to talk with all the neighbors, family members, co-workers, their friends at church; they're digging and searching under every rock, desperately looking for any filth, dirt, dark truth, to destroy someone's life to sell a newspaper or keep their show's ratings high. Tragically, some people will eat their young as a wild animal does, to make a buck and get ahead in their career. Such people will weep bitter tears of regret and sorrow in eternity when they must give account to God.

People are such hypocrites. People love to tear people down, so that they'll be the last one's standing. I learned years ago to just shut my mouth. When we open our mouth, we will always be tempted to talk about someone that has hurt us, or a person that we don't like. Ephesians 4:30-31 teaches that it grieves God when we speak evil of each other. Jesus taught us by example to wash one another's feet, not bite and devour one another. Galatians 5:15, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”
 

Don't Seek Out Gossip About Yourself

I never read what my critics and enemies say about me. If I did, it would affect the way I write articles. I don't care who you are, if you think about something, it will affect you. A preacher cannot help but take things to the pulpit that he has been upset about throughout the week. I have heard so many preachers mention things in the pulpit that had absolutely nothing to do with their sermon, but they try to make it fit, because they are perturbed at someone. Every genuine preacher has enemies who despise the truth, are jealous and filled with Satan's hatred. I couldn't care less what my critics and the gossipers say about me. I just don't read it. That way they have no power over me whatsoever. All they can do is run their fingers on the internet, or their mouths in someone's ears.

Mark Twain the famous author once said that it takes two people to hurt your heart... you're enemy to criticize you and your friend to tell you about it. Never tell your friend anything that is going to cause them pain. They don't need to know all the bad stuff said about them. Some people are so cruel that even after you ask them not to tell you gossip about yourself, they still do it to hurt you. Men are just as bad as women when it comes to gossiping. God hates the evil newsmedia, who spread manure for a career. I have more respect for a pimp on the street corner. It is a shame how people are so eager to volunteer information to the hypocritical media to help destroy the name of others who have sinned.

The first thing that the wicked do when a person sins is start a smear-campaign to permanently destroy that person, archiving the information in a disgraceful newspaper article. Newspapers are Satan's toilet paper. If someone is prone to continually tell you bad things about yourself which others have said, avoid that person because they are spreading gossip and trying to hurt you further. You just stay busy serving God by helping the poor, sharing the gospel, strengthening the weak, doing good for the hurting and afflicted, and let the wicked wallow like filthy pigs in their feces. Judgment day is coming for everyone! The wonderful thing is that it doesn't matter if your enemies turn the whole world against you, all that matters is what God KNOWS about you.

James 4:12 and 5:9 warn against judging others, because God is the ONLY Lawgiver (not the Supreme Court) and Judge. God gives men the power that they have, to do good or evil; but we will all be held accountable for the choices we have made throughout life. James 5:9, “Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” When you publish slander on the internet and ruin people's lives, you are grudging against them. Critics attempt to hide behind their evil slander by claiming that they are exposing evil and taking a stand for God; but the Lord KNOWS each person's true intentions and why they have done what they have done to ruin someone's name. In my ministry I only expose evil agendas and teachings, and NEVER anyone's personal sins. I don't condemn anyone for having an abortion personally, but I DO expose the evils of abortion. Divorce is a horrible sin, but I don't condemn anyone for their decision to divorce. That's not my place nor right (James 4:12).

If people believe the gossip they hear, shame on them. God will judge all humanity in eternity. It's a wise saying to believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see. I decided long ago that God was the only Person I was going to try to please. American culture has become so rotten that television is saturated with commercials to hire a private investigator to spy on your spouse, or to pay for a background check before dating someone. Think about how messed up that is! What has America become? Shock factor reality shows and the manure-spreading newsmedia are destroying our nation, causing neighbor to distrust neighbor. We have become a paranoid society. Part of being a good Christian is shunning away gossip and those who try to spread it. Just say, “I don't want to hear it!” It has become so bad in America that churches have to do background checks before even hiring a groundskeeper.

My ministry is for that 1 lost sheep out of 100. I couldn't care less what the arrogant, jilted and hypocritical self-righteous other 99 think. That 1 person out of 100 is the reason why my ministry is here. Thankfully, out of 45,000,000 visitors over the past 11 years, tens-of-thousands have been blessed and helped in the Lord because of this labor of love. Amen and amen! Thank you Lord!

“Baptists are weird people, we persecute the living saints and worship the dead ones!”
—Evangelist Phil Kidd (a great quote from the MP3 sermon, “What The Church Is Built Upon.”)

Living the Christian Life

Jesus is precious! John 13:14, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.” Our own Lord taught us, by example, to get out of the selfish life.

Philippians 2:4-5 teaches for us to have the mind of Christ, by looking upon the things of others. This means more than just meeting a person's needs, it means thinking about others in general, as a way of life. I saw a rainbow a couple weeks ago and took a picture. I burned it to CD and shared it with my neighbor. I was looking on the things of others as the Bible commands. We ought to be thinking about others, how we can express God's love in our heart toward them. Maybe it's a quote you read in a book that you think would interest them. Maybe it's a product that you found at a store that you think would be helpful to them. If it's something you can afford, and you think they'll use it, maybe buy it for them as a gift. There's many things we can do, thousands of things, to show other people that we are not selfish, and Christ is in our life.

I generally don't like to give much money to people on the street who ask, because there are so many cons; so what I do is give pocket change to those who ask, but I give dollars to those who don't ask. Either way I always give something, to stay in the habit of giving. The Bible says to give to those who ask (If I see someone who looks homeless (dingy looking and obviously a street person), then I'll go hand them $20 and a small Bible. I like to give money to those who don't ask, that are obviously homeless, because then I know that I'm not giving money to someone who has a new car around the corner.

It's our nature. Great minds talk about ideas. Good minds talk about things. Weak minds talk about people. I don't want to be weak-minded. I choose rather to talk about things and ideas.

As believers, we should hate gossip too! Gossip has destroyed more churches, marriages, and friendships than adultery, drunkenness or theft ever has! Gossip has destroyed more people's reputations than anything else. People need to learn to keep their mouths shut! Although a cheap form of entertainment for some weak-minded people, God will hold everyone accountable for their words spoken... "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36).

Proverb 11:9 warns, "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered." It is hypocritical when we condemn our neighbor, co-worker, or a stranger; while simultaneously overlooking our own sins and faults in self-righteousness.

Divorce is a perfect example of such hypocrisy. Many women drag their husband before a judge in divorce court, because of modern liberal laws that cater to rebellious wives; while that wicked wife fails to acknowledge her own sins and faults. There are no laws requiring a wife to obey her husband in America. This is a sore evil which has led to feminism, abortions, broken homes, pornography, lesbianism, et cetera.

Gossip is deadly. Like bullets fired from a gun, words cannot be taken back. The Bible has much to say about the words we speak, especially as Christians.

Every Christian ought to mind his or her own business...

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer,
or as a busybody in other men's matters.” —1st Peter 4:15

American Society Loves Bad News

People love to gossip. It's in our sinful nature. Humans are prone to attack one another. This is the carnal way of the world. As such we tend to analyze everything and express our opinions concerning what we think about other people. This is why the newsmedia is so successful... because society can't get enough of the dirty, shocking, rotten details. American society is infatuated with death, misery and sorrow.

Sexual crimes rank highest in newsmedia viewer ratings. It's downright creepy to see a news anchor woman smiling just seconds after reporting on a brutal rape, or a grotesque murder. Have they no conscience? The entire newsmedia are a bunch of malicious manure-spreaders!

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.”

Proverb 1:22, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" Proverb 14:6 summarizes every TV talk show in America... "A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth." We see and hear a lot of so-called "experts" on TV nowadays who are nothing more than a bunch of scornful idiots, i.e., critics who have something bad to say about everybody except themselves. They are fools... "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2nd Timothy 3:7). The world is filled with idiots who have rejected the God of the Bible.

“There is also the danger in our special prayer groups for us to pray for others to improve, which is simply a way for us to criticize someone to a friend and place it in the disguise of spirituality and prayer. If one is going to pray for the improvement of another and mention his faults, it is best for him to go into the closet and pray alone.”

SOURCE: Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the book, EXPLORING PRAYER WITH JACK HYLES, chapter 46.

Beware of Critics

Be careful what you tell a gossiper because everyone will eventually know about it. Let me tell you friend, there is a form of communication faster than the telephone! There is a form of communication faster than the television! There is a form of communication faster than the telegram! It is the tell-a-woman! I'm being facetious here of course, men are just as guilty about gossiping as woman are. God HATES hate gossip because it destroys people's lives, ministries, homes, marriages, businesses, churches... you name it! 

"He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips." —Proverb 20:19

BEWARE! Stay away from gossiping people, meddle not with them. One of the hallmark qualities of a true friend is someone who refuses to gossip about you behind your back. As a matter of fact, we should never listen to or gossip about anyone! Proverb 11:13 reads, “A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Do you have a faithful spirit? Or are you a troublemaker who enjoys hurting others with your slimy vomiting mouth—set on fire of Hell as James 3:6 warns?

“A lie can travel halfway across the country before truth has a chance to put its boots on.” “It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart; the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.” —Mark Twain

By the way, gossip starts during the childhood years. I remember when I was a teenager, we knew everything about everybody. Teenagers often share the families dirty laundry with each other. Children should be taught NEVER to share dirty laundry about their family with anyone! They should also be taught to avoid gossipers like they would homosexuals. Yes, I believe that we should teach our children to avoid homosexuals. Frankly, I think the gossipers are much scarier. 

Proverb 15:12, “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.”

People inherently like to criticize each other, simply because we are discontent by nature (the sin nature). The carnal nature is continually trying to magnify itself (that big EGO, the "I" problem). By the way, women have a problem with egos too, it's not just men that are filled with pride. 

"And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not." —1st Timothy 5:13

God hates gossiping! It doesn't matter if the news is true or false, it is gossip. Gossiping is a SIN!

"But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." —James 3:8

So if the tongue CANNOT be tamed, then what are we supposed to do? Well, God gives us some good advice in Proverb 17:28... Shut up!!!

"Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." —Proverb 17:28

It is our own wicked pride that causes us to criticize others. Gossiping is a SIN!  Gossip is the most DEADLY poison on the face of the earth because there are no hazardous warning labels anywhere. Gossip is deceitful, you never know when it is going to sneak upon you or the temptation to speak it.  People are sly aren't they? They approach you with an intent to gossip, but behind a false front. They'll say something like, "I'm not being critical of Mrs. So-and-so, but did you know______?" 

Oh SHUT UP! Here's another one, "Let's pray for Mr. So-and-so because______? What you are doing is evil, you are assassinating the character of another person. It doesn't matter if it's true or not, it shouldn't be repeated. We live in a gossiping world. You can go to any place on this earth and you will find gossip. Where there are people, you will find the works of the flesh (and gossip is definitely one of them). 

God HATES gossip because it causes strife and arguments...

"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." —Proverbs 6:16-19

Have you ever told somebody something in confidence to regret it later? I remember hearing in the news a couple years ago about a woman who should have kept her mouth shut. She was depressed one day at work and muttered to a co-worker that sometimes she just felt like killing herself. Within an hour, a S.W.A.T team had invaded the building, acting upon a tip that a suicidal co-worker was ready to shoot up the workplace. My ONLY point here is... be careful what you say or repeat. 

I could easily write a whole book on what the Bible has to say about our mouth. It is our worst enemy! Jesus said that the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart. The people who are scorners, critics and gossipers do so because it is ingrained in their heart... they are frozen in a dark state of being a critic. Only Jesus Christ can cleanse such a heart of mischief.

Gossip involves WORDS. The Bible teaches us to "season" our words with grace. Hence, we should use the Holy Spirit's guidance when we are speaking or listening. When in doubt, we should keep our mouths shut.

Keep your slimy gossiping tongue in your face! Shut up!

Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.

Proverbs 26:24-28, “He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.”

The Most Common Method Of Injustice (chapter 15 from JUSTICE by Pastor Jack Hyles)

    

God's “Get Character Quick” Plan (by Pastor Jack Hyles)