Archive for the ‘Unity’ Category
Poor Old Joe
Poor Old Joe
Joseph was well respected among the followers of Jesus. Everyone seemed to honor and respect him, if not love him.
Because Joseph was such a common name, it was not unusual for a man to have additional identifying names. Even nicknames. Joseph had three names. Joseph, Barsabas and Justus.
He was present that day in the upper room with the 120, and there he received the Holy Ghost along with the others. Before the Spirit was poured out however, there was business to attend to among the disciples.
Judas had committed suicide. There was a vacancy among the twelve that needed to be filled. Peter spoke to them all and asked the 120 to submit two names they thought worthy of the office of ‘Apostle’. Someone had to be chosen to be one of the twelve Disciples.
Two names were brought to the ‘floor’. The first one they nominated was Joseph. Matthias was the second name mentioned.
- Acts 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
- Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
- Acts 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
- Acts 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
It appears that Joseph’s life and reputation were impeccable. Just by the meaning of the names given to him in later life it is fairly easy to see why many respected Joseph. Nicknames were commonly given to describe their personal attributes.
- Barsabas: “Barsabbas” is Aramaic for “son of the sabbath,” perhaps because he was born on the sabbath. (Bible Background Commentary)
- Justus: “Just”, a name given to him because of his integrity.
Apostle Matthias
Poor Old Joe. He didn’t get chosen. Matthias did. After this selection by the casting of lots, we never read another word about the good man Matthias. It’s like Scripture ignores the rest of his life.
It appears however, that Joseph the un-chosen, is mentioned again. Barnes Notes and other commentaries suggest that he was the man mentioned in Acts 4. They feel he’s the one that sold his property and laid the money down at the feet of the Apostles.
What did Joseph do when he didn’t get chosen?
- Did he get his feelings hurt?
- Did he leave the fellowship circle?
- Did he quit church?
- Did he sit cross-ways with the Apostles?
- Did he become critical of Matthias?
- Did he go start something of his own when he didn’t get voted in?
The answer is ‘No’. Not at all!
If this is indeed the same man, then he not only continued to be a follower, but he chose to be of service too. Insomuch so that he was willing to give his all… literally, to the work of God.
Don’t feel sorry for Old Brother Joe. His reward is securely laid up in Heaven.
- Mark 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
- Mark 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Oh, one more thing. Acts four says that he laid the money at the Apostles feet. He laid at their feet in an act of obedience and willful submission. That could have been him up there, if the lots had chosen him. But his name Justus, (Integrity) still stood him in good stead. He submitted to the Headship of the body of Christ.
Give us more Brother Joes.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
(Written on behalf of your Pastor.)
By Martyn Ballestero Sr.
In the spirit of humility and with great carefulness, I am asking for your forgiveness. My heart is heavy.
Knowing that I have hurt you with words that I have said and things that I have done, I sincerely apologize and I ask that you Please Forgive Your Pastor!
It is a tool of Satan to bring division into the Body of Christ. He knows that will stop revival. I am grieved to know that I am included in his plan and have become part of the problem.
We are all aware that it is the plan of our soul’s enemy to destroy our church. Pledge with me before God not to let this happen. Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Knowing bitterness will destroy us, defile us and divide us. Please Forgive Your Pastor!
- I love you dearly.
- I care how you feel.
- I need you.
- This church needs you.
- God needs you.
- I forgive you.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
I pray that all may see that my mistakes have been made from my head and not from my heart.
I know that some decisions I have made have not been popular and no doubt have brought pain.
I also know that you might feel that I must hate you by the way I preach or because of my sermon’s comments.
I could never apologize for preaching truth, but I can and should apologize for using a bad or wrong spirit in the process. Please Forgive Your Pastor!
The most important relationship in the Family of God is that of Pastor and Saint, Shepherd and the Sheep. I am striving to protect that and to bring the Peace of God into all of our hearts.
I do not wish to be a lord of God’s heritage, or to bring injury. My duty is to look well to know the state of the flock. I have, and feel God has directed me to come to you.
I take responsibility for my:
- Choices
- Decisions
- Comments
Whether some think less or more of me for publically apologizing, I ask forgiveness.
I do not want God to put a millstone around my neck for bringing offence to one of His children.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
- This is not my church.
- This is not your church.
- This is God’s church.
Satan rejoices at our discomfort today.
Hell is pleased beyond words.
There is no problem worth us going to hell over. Please Forgive Your Pastor!
I ask forgiveness because I love you and I see I’ve hurt you.
I ask forgiveness because God put you in my care and I do not wish to anger God.
I ask forgiveness because:
- I need you
- I need your help.
- I need your support.
- I need your prayers.
- I need your friendship.
- I need your fellowship.
- I need your loyalty.
- I give you mine.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
We desperately need revival in our church. Revival only seems to come when there is hunger and unity for the same thing. (It did on the day of Pentecost.)
But Unity does not happen unless there is forgiveness and the overlooking of personality differences for the sake of souls.
I am willing to humble myself to please God. I am asking you to join me.
I am willing to admit my mistakes and apologize. I am asking you to join me.
I am willing to admit my need for God’s guidance and correction. I am asking you to join me.
I am willing to do whatever it takes to:
- Keep the spirit of unity alive.
- Keep the spirit of worship alive.
- Keep the spirit of prayer alive.
- Keep the spirit of revival alive.
- Keep the spirit of brotherly love alive. I am asking you to join me.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Knowing that offences will come, I pray for strength.
Knowing that offences have come, I plead the blood.
Knowing that offences will destroy us, Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Join me in prayer.
Your leaving or my leaving does not solve the problem in eternity.
God’s only solution is forgiveness.
Unforgiveness endangers our eternal future.
- The fear of the Lord requires me to check my spirit.
- The fear of the Lord requires me to censor my words.
- The fear of the Lord requires me to watch my attitude.
That brotherly love may continue.
And, that brotherly love may continue, God also requires me to come to you if I know that you have ought in your heart against me. Only after I make things right with you will He hear my prayer.
I’m very sorry.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Join me now in putting yesterday behind us, experiencing God’s richest blessings today and in reaching for the things that are before us.
Please Forgive Your Pastor!
Thank You!
The Worst Family In The World
The Worst Family In The World
I don’t want to be accused of gossip, or sued for writing about a family that I know, so I’ll not use any names.
It’s the most unbelievable family I’ve ever met. There’s not another couple like them anywhere. Once you’ve met their family, you might even want to run away from them too. You will however, at least shake your head in disbelief as I have.
The Father is a big guy. He’s likeable enough sometimes, but he has such a bad temper. He’s always ready to fight at ‘the drop of a hat.’ The family and neighbors could entertain us for a long time telling about all the fights that he has been in. He has been ordered to take anger management classes, but he refuses to go.
On the other hand, Mom is quite good looking for her age. She constantly tries the latest beauty treatments and is determined to keep up with the Jones’s. She feels deeply, and becomes easily entrenched in the snare of wanting what she can’t have. I can’t count how many of her friendships she has ruined because of her displays of jealousy.
That’s Mom and Dad. I want you to meet the kids. The house is full of children. It’s no doubt the largest family I have ever met.
Everyone will tell you that they are the worst kids in the world. They are totally undisciplined. If you met them, the words, “little heathens,” would come to your mind.
- For example, one has committed murdered and gotten away with the crime.
- Another is a known thief.
- They all lie.
- One of them is a drunk.
- Some had been in jail.
- They all love to stay up all hours of the night and prowl through the neighborhood. They wrecked havoc almost every night.
- The brag about their exploits.
- They all reject the authority of the school, the police and the pastor.
- They want to party all the time.
- They are incorrigible.
- They are all juvenile delinquents.
- No visitor feels safe in their home.
- No one in their right mind invites any one the children into their home.
- They changed their neighborhood for the worse.
Their neighborhood was the nicest one in town. It was peaceful. People moved there because it was quiet and it seemed safe. No one even locked their doors. The neighbors really seemed to like each other too.
Neighbors began to put up FOR SALE signs on their homes not long after the family with all the kids moved in. No one wanted to live near them. Not only did the kids take over the neighborhood. The neighborhood association was not even able to buck up against this unbelievable family.
There was one church in the vicinity. The First Pentecostal Church, and many of the neighbors attended.
The family claimed to be members of The First Pentecostal Church also. The parents attended faithfully and attempted to bring as many of their kids as they could. The children disrupted many services.
- They ruined Weddings.
- They sabotaged Birthday Parties.
- The destroyed the Church Dinners and other functions.
Visitors often decided to never come back because of what they saw and heard. Even some of the long time members left and told the pastor that they loved him but they couldn’t tolerate ‘that’ family.
The parents got offended with the pastor and began to talk about him. They finally got enough influence in the church and then they helped split the church. They went across town and started their own.
They posted pictures of their new church on Facebook and bragged about their new church and new pastor. They also told lies about the former pastor and church people.
Mom and Dad even became an active part of their Pentecostal Association. They seemed pleased to attain a degree of respectability.
- I want you to at least meet them.
- I want you to know their names.
- I want you to be alert if they ever visit.
Remember their names. Her name is “Envy” and his name is “Strife.”
They are the mother and the father of the confusion in your neighborhood and in your church. They are also the parents of every evil work.
James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
BEWARE!
Ten Traits Of A Successful Saint
Ten Traits Of A Successful Saint
They Have Faith
- They trust God.
- Heb. 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
They Are Obedience
- They don’t argue with the Bible or the Pastor. They willingly submit to His Word.
- Rom. 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
They Live Righteousness
- They live right. They are honorable, pay their bills, and their word are their bond. They give the Church a good name.
- Phil. 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
They Are Humble
- They are not proud or arrogant. Neither do they display attitudes.
- 1Pet. 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
They Love One Another
- They love, forgive, overlook faults, are not harsh or critical. They are kind and helpful.
- 1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
They Surrounded Themselves With Godly Fellowship
- They are careful about influences in their life. They understand, carnal friends call pull them down and pull them out.
- 2Tim. 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
They Worship:
- They don’t have to be begged to praise the Lord.
- Heb. 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
They Witness
- They never forget who they are and why they are here.
- Matt. 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
They Have Personal Devotions
- They include the Lord in their daily living.
- Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
They Live A Holy Life
- They live like, and even look like someone who has given their life to the Lord.
- Rom. 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Going Rogue
Going Rogue
New York Times
An Elephant Crackup?
By CHARLES SIEBERT
Published: October 8, 2006
Since the early 1990’s, for example, young male elephants in Pilanesberg National Park and the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa have been killing rhinoceroses; this abnormal behavior, according to a 2001 study in the journal Pachyderm, has been reported in ‘‘a number of reserves’’ in the region. In July of last year, officials in Pilanesberg shot three young male elephants who were responsible for the killings of 63 rhinos, as well as attacks on people in safari vehicles. In Addo Elephant National Park, also in South Africa, up to 90 percent of male elephant deaths are now attributable to other male elephants, compared with a rate of 6 percent in more stable elephant communities.
________________________________________
NewScientist
Orphan elephants go on the rampage
- 20 July 1996 by Eddie Koch
- Magazine issue 2039
Johannesburg
LIKE children, young elephants need discipline if they are to grow up as responsible members of society. Wildlife biologists say that orphan bull elephants in South Africa’s Pilanesberg Game Reserve have turned delinquent because they have never been taken in hand by their elders.
Rogue elephants have become a serious problem in Pilanesberg, a small wildlife reserve about 250 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. Earlier this month, a young bull charged a group of tourists on a photo-safari. The next day the same elephant attacked and killed a professional hunter who had been sent to shoot it. These are not isolated incidents. Two years ago another tourist was attacked, chased out of his battered car, and trampled to death in the reserve.
Humans are not the only victims: in the past three years, 19 white rhinoceroses have been gored to death by elephants in Pilanesberg.
____________________________________
Nearly ten years ago, I heard a Dr. James Dobson commercial on the car radio. He said that his favorite animal was a dog. His second favorite was an elephant.
He said that he was alarmed at the rogue behavior recently displayed in young bull elephants. They seemed to delight in pushing over the white rhinos and even goring them to death. They had even been known to kill one another.
In over 100 years of record keeping in Africa, there had never been recorded incidents of such antisocial behavior.
Mr. Dobson said authorities were very disturbed. After much analysis, they determined the cause.
A number of years ago, attempts were made by the Park Managers to thin the herd population. In so doing, they killed off most of the old males. It is the nature of the old males to keep decorum in the herd. Old males will punish younger males that display bad behavior. It is even common for an old male to banish a younger male from the others for a while until they learn better.
Park officials found that if they brought in an old male into a herd with young wild bulls, they old bull restored calmness to the herd almost immediately.
At this point, Mr. Dobson began to talk about the importance of a father in the home and his influence on his sons. He made a powerful point. I am not sure how his 2-minute “Father’s Day” radio commercial ended, because my minded wandered off to another level before he finished.
Many of us have lived long enough to see rogue behavior among those that are ‘in church’. When I see saints or preachers go wacko, say stupid things, or do stupid things, I become spiritually frightened.
It is endangerment at an alarming level. We expect attacks from others outside the herd, but not from the inside.
I even remember asking about a certain young preacher one time, because his conduct and doctrine caused all my warning lights to blink. I enquired, “Who’s his pastor?” Normally, a pastor would have corrected the problem. But this person recognized no one as his pastor.
Preacher or Saint, every one of us has made it this far because we were willing to hear instruction in righteousness. Always receive it willingly and humbly.
If you have a man of God in your life that will guide the flock in the fear and admonition of the Lord, there is safety in your world.
Behavior unbecoming the people of God cannot be ignored. Doctrines that lead the church back to the world cannot be tolerated. The goring and killing of others with slander and defamation has no place in the Kingdom.
The trashing of standards and the discard of convictions is a sad day. It has God’s full attention. It should have ours as well.
I pray you have a pastor that is willing to TAKE the oversight. To speak up and say, “It’s Not Happening Here!”
May your pastor not be a hireling, but a ‘Father in Israel’. May he bring peace to your corner of the world.
What we need are some more ‘old-time’ Pentecostal pastors that will preach what needs to be preached and are not afraid.
May you always thank God for your pastor, even if the one he corrects is you.
Pray for your man of God!
When a Husband Offends His Wife
When a Husband Offends His Wife
by
Dr. Gary Smalley
When a husband recognizes that he has offended his wife in any of these ways, he needs to clear it up in order to restore the relationship. Why not ask your wife to check these that are true of you.
1. Ignoring her.
2. Not valuing her opinions
3. Showing more attention to other people than her.
4. Not listening to her or not understanding what she feels is important.
5. Closing her out by not talking or listening to her (the silent treatment).
6. Being easily distracted when she is trying to talk.
7. Not scheduling special time to be with her.
8. Not being open to talk about things you do not understand.
9. Not being open to talk about things she does not understand.
10. Not giving her a chance to voice her opinion on decisions that affect the whole family.
11. Disciplining her by being silent or angry.
12. Making jokes about her life.
13. Making sarcastic statements about her.
14. Insulting her in front of others.
15. Coming back with quick retorts.
16. Giving harsh admonitions.
17. Using careless words before you think through how they will affect her.
18. Nagging her in harshness.
19. Rebuking her before giving her a chance to explain a situation.
20. Raising your voice at her.
21. Making critical comments with no logical basis
22. Swearing or using foul language in her presence.
23. Correcting her in public.
24. Being tactless when pointing out her weaknesses or blind spots.
25. Reminding her angrily that you warned her not to do something.
26. Having a disgusted or judgmental attitude.
27. Pressuring her when she is already feeling low or offended.
28. Lecturing her when she needs to be comforted, encouraged or treated gently.
29. Breaking promises without any explanation or without being asked to be released from the promise.
30.Telling her how wonderful other women are and comparing her to other women.
31. Holding resentment about something she did and tried to make right.
32. Being disrespectful to her family and relatives
33. Coercing her into an argument.
34. Correcting or punishing her in anger for something for which she is not guilty.
35. Not praising her for something she did well even if she did it for you.
36. Treating her like a little child.
37. Being rude to her or to other people in public, like restaurant personnel or clerks.
38. Being unaware of her needs
39. Being ungrateful.
40. Not trusting her.
41. Not approving of what she does or how she does it.
42. Not being interested in her own personal growth.
43. Being inconsistent or having double standards (doing things you won’t allow her to do.)
44. Not giving her advice when she really needs it and asks for it.
45. Not telling her you love her.
46. Having prideful and arrogant attitudes in general.
47. Not giving daily encouragement.
48. Failing to include her in a conversation when you are with other people.
49. Failing to spend quality time with her when you’re at a party.
50. “Talking her down” – continuing to discuss or argue a point just to prove you’re right.
51. Ignoring her around the house as if she weren’t a member of the family.
52. Not taking time to listen to what she believes is important as soon as you come home from work.
53. Ignoring her at social gatherings.
54. Not attending church as a family.
55. Failure to express honestly what you think her innermost feelings are.
56. Showing more excitement for work or other activities than her.
57. Being impolite at mealtime.
58. Having sloppy manners around the house and in front of others.
59. Not inviting her out on romantic dates from time to time (just the two of you).
60. Not helping her with the children just before mealtime or during times of extra stress.
61. Not volunteering to help her with the dishes occasionally, or with cleaning the house.
62. Making her feel stupid when she shares an idea about your work or decisions that need to be made.
63. Making her feel unworthy for desiring certain furniture or insurance or other material needs for herself and the family.
64. Not being consistent with the children; not taking an interest in playing with them or spending quality and quantity time with them.
65. Not showing public affection for her, like holding her hand or putting your arm around her. (You seem to be embarrassed to be with her.)
66. Not sharing your life with her, like your ideas or your feelings (e.g. what’s going on at work).
67. Not being the spiritual leader of your home.
68. Demanding that she submit to you.
69. Demanding that she be involved with you sexually when you are not in harmony.
70. Being unwilling to admit you’re wrong.
71. Resisting whenever she shares on of your blind spots.
72. Being too busy with work and activities.
73. Not showing compassion and understanding for her and the children when there is a real need.
74. Not planning for the future, making her vary insecure.
75. Being stingy with money, making her feel like she is being paid a salary – and not much at all.
76. Wanting to do things to embarrass her sexually.
77. Reading sexual magazines in front of her or the children.
78. Forcing her to make many of the decisions regarding the checkbook and bills.
79. Forcing her to handle bill collectors and overdue bills.
80. Not letting her lean on your gentleness and strength from time to time.
81. Not allowing her to fail – always feeling like you have to lecture her.
82. Refusing to let her be a woman.
83. Criticizing her womanly characteristics or sensitivity as being weak.
84. Spending too much money and getting the family too far into debt.
85. Not having a sense of humor and not joking about things together.
86. Not telling her how important she is to you.
87. Not sending her love letters from time to time.
88. Forgetting special dates like anniversaries or birthdays.
89. Not defending her when someone else is complaining or tearing her down.
90. Not putting your arm around her and hugging her when she’s in need of comfort.
91. Not bragging to other people about her.
92. Being dishonest
93. Discouraging her for trying to better herself either through education or physical fitness.
94. Continuing distasteful habits.
95. Not treating her as if “Handle With Care” was stamped on her forehead.
96. Ignoring her relatives and the people that are important to her.
97. Taking her for granted, assuming that ‘a woman’s work is never done” around the house.
98. Not including her in the future plans until the very last minute.
99. Never doing little unexpected things for her.
100. Not treating her like an intellectual equal.
101. Looking at her as a weaker individual in general.
102. Being preoccupied with your own goals and needs making her feel like she and the children do not count.
103. Threatening never to let her do something again because she made a mistake in the past.
104. Criticizing her behind her back. (This is really painful for her to hear about your criticisms from someone else.
105. Blaming her for the things in your relationship that are clearly your failure.
106. Not being aware of her physical limitations, treating her like a man by roughhousing with her or making her carry heaving objects.
107. Losing patience or getting angry with her when she can’t keep up with your schedule or physical stamina.
108. Acting like you’re a martyr if you go along with her opinions.
109. Sulking when she challenges your comments.
110. Joining too many organizations which exclude her and the children.
111. Failing to repair items around the house.
112. Watching too much TV or playing video games and therefore neglecting her and the children.
113. Demanding that she sit and listen to your point of view when she needs to be taking care of the children’s needs.
114. Insisting on lecturing her in order to convey what you believe are important things.
115. Humiliating her with words and actions, saying things like, “I can’t stand living in a pig pen.”
116. Not taking time to prepare her for enjoy sexual intimacy.
117. Spending money extravagantly without helping those less fortunate.
118. Avoiding family activities that the children enjoy.
119. Taking vacations that are primarily for your pleasure, like fishing or hunting while preventing her from shopping or doing things she enjoys.
120. Not letting her get away from the children just to be with friends, go shopping for special items, or have a trip away with her friends.
121. Being unwilling to join her in things she enjoys like shopping, going out for coffee and desert at a restaurant.
122. Not understanding the boring chores a housewife does: like picking up clothes and toys all day long, wiping runny noses, putting on and taking off muddy work boots and jackets, washing and ironing, etc. etc.
Debeaked
Debeaked
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debeaking
When I was 14, our family lived in Yakima, WA. Dad had just started a Home Missions Church in a storefront there. I got a job working for “Pop” Dillon on his Egg Ranch. He had about 50,000 White Leghorns. I worked there for most of the 8th grade.
It did not take long in those “brooder houses” to find out that if a chicken sees a sore, or blood on another chicken, it will peck at it. Others will join in. They will not stop. Often chickens die as a result. They get pecked to death.
A commercial hen house
One summer morning I arrived at the farm and helped pick up a several hundred dead chickens that had been killed during the night. Pop Dillon was tired of losing so many on a regular basis. He decided to take drastic measures.
I was surprised when Pop said he wanted me to help him “debeak“ the pullets (young chickens). When asked why the procedure was necessary, he explained that it was the only way to keep them from pecking each other to death.
While the chicken’s body was firmly held in his left hand, Pop inserted the index finger of his right hand between the upper and lower beak. He then laid the upper beak down on a bar. When the handle was pushed, a heated piece of steel burned off the tip of the chicken’s top beak.
The chicken can still eat and drink but cannot peck any more chickens to death. Animal rights activists today strongly protest this procedure. However, it was effective. Sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures.
Now, with that in mind, let’s talk about you and me.
Could it be that the things we say about those that have problems and injuries, though true, actually helps finish them off. How many have we helped destroy with our words? We have all seen people with problems. Most of us have made comments.
Lev. 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.
Prov. 11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
Prov. 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.
- (Heaven forbid you should talk about your pastor.)
Some information does not HAVE to be passed on, even if it’s true. Why are we quick to tell what we know or have heard that is bad? Does it make us sound important? We can’t whitewash ourselves by blackening others. If our speech is injurious to a brother, it also harms the unity of the church family. Are we killing one other by being a talebearer?
Gal. 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
- Gossip Lesson 101: If you keep pecking at others, you may soon draw unwanted attention to yourself.
- Drastic measures may occur.
- Maybe a spiritual debeaking is in order.
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Apostolic Expository Series
Christy Ballestero (My Beautiful DIL)
http://marciaballestero.com/
Pastor Anthony & Kim Ballestero, New Destiny Worship Center, Clearwater, FL (My Son)
Pastor Bryan & Christy Ballestero, Temple Of Pentecost, Raleigh, NC (My Son)
James Groce Blog – "Toward The Mark"
Kenneth Bow Blog
Kingdom Speak Podcast
Philip Harrelson – "The Barnabas Blog"
Verbal Bean Ministries
Holy Ghost Radio
The Ballestero Blog 