Gossip or Slander?

Gossip is spreading information about someone, generally that has not been confirmed to be true.

To slander is to make false statements about someone.

Is what we are sharing & reading online fitting in those categories? 

Are there confirming witnesses even in a news story?

He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with a gossip.

Proverbs 20:19 NASB

He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,

But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

Proverbs 11:13 NASB

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD,
But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
A prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims folly.
Proverbs 12:22-23 NASB

Argue your case with your neighbor,
And do not reveal the secret of another,
Or he who hears it will reproach you,

And the evil report about you will not pass away.
Proverbs 25:9-10 NASB

The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, 

And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.

Proverbs 18:8 NASB

A trustworthy witness will not lie, 

But a false witness utters lies.

Proverbs 14:5 NASB

He who conceals a transgression seeks love, 

But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.

Proverbs 17:9 NASB

A perverse man spreads strife, 

And a slanderer separates intimate friends.

Proverbs 16:28 NASB

For lack of wood the fire goes out, 

And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.

Proverbs 26:20 NASB

Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips.

Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me;
I will render to the man according to his work.”
Proverbs 24:28-29 NASB

And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

James 3:6 NASB

Here is an excellent message that deals with gossip:

How To Kill Your Neighbor by Mike Riccardi

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation"

Are You Guilty or Innocent?

God is Light

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5 NASB

You Can't Measure Up

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  “This is the great and foremost commandment.

“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  

Matthew 22:37-39 NASB

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 

Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASB

Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins. Ecclesiastes 7:20 NASB

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Romans 1:28-32 NASB

Judgment Awaits

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:23 NASB

For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 NASB

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 

Matthew 5:22 NASB

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.  “So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Matthew 13:47-50 NASB

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 

Revelation 20:13-14 NASB

Eternal Punishment

"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." 

Matthew 25:46 NASB

The Word of God 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 

Hebrews 4:12-13 NASB

God Sent His Son

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

Galatians 4:4-5 NASB

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NASB

The Sinless One Took Punishment For Sinners

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:3 NASB

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 

“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Acts 2:22 -24 NASB

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 5:6-8 NASB

Repentance & Faith

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Acts 17:30-31 NASB

"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." 

John 3:36 NASB

"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18 NASB

The Son of God Sent The Spirit

"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,

John 15:26 NASB

Not by Your Efforts or Good Deeds

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
Romans 4:5 NASB

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Titus 3:5 NASB

Christ is Head of His Church and Scripture is God's Word to us.

And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 1:22 NASB

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB

“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation" 

Social Justice & the Gospel Statement, Podcast, & Messages + Hymn in Español

It's finally out!  The Statement on Social Justice & The Gospel.
I had been waiting what seemed like a long time for this to be released.
I had heard early information about this, and so I was eagerly checking the link.

I found out today from someone else that it was published.
https://statementonsocialjustice.com/

John MacArthur has been preaching on Ezekiel 18 recently which addresses this topic.

Social Justice & The Gospel - Part 1

Social Justice & The Gospel - Part 2

---------------------------------------------------------
Music for Your Day
We sang a hymn at a local church this past Sunday, and I thought the lyrics were very good.
I came across a singing group called "Esclavos de Cristo" which in English is "Slaves of Christ" that sang & played a Spanish version of it beautifully.

 

 Two lyric choices in English for the song are HERE and HERE.

Nation Going To Pot by Guest Writer TJ • Part 2

The United States continues down the Romans 1 path as the nation is going to pot.

Here are some evidences of some of the dire consequences to the course we're on:

A) Fatal crashes - a major increase:

https://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/05/fatal-road-crashes-involving-marijuana-double-state-legalizes-drug/

B) Children adversely affected:

     1. Daughter and son die in hot car while Mom does dope:

https://www.newsweek.com/mother-who-smoked-marijuana-watched-kuwtk-while-kids-died-hot-car-sentenced-20-907823

     2. Child nearly dies from marijuana in candy:

https://www.wisn.com/article/child-almost-dies-from-marijuana-laced-candy/6249011

     3. It started with weed and wound up with child abandonment:

https://www.wjhl.com/local/grandparents-raising-grandchildren-caregivers-behind-the-opioid-crisis/1306482973

     4. Four-year-old boy found wandering alone while elementary school teacher had gone out to get dope:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-teacher-arrested-marijuana-child-neglect-20180319-story.html

     5. "Until recently, it was rare for children to have major symptoms from swallowing marijuana.
It might be that they didn't swallow much and so didn't get very sick.  This has changed with medical marijuana." *

"Young children have been poisoned by swallowing medical marijuana.  Some have needed treatment in an intensive care unit."

https://www.poison.org/articles/2013-dec/medical-marijuana

     6. "The 2017 report said marijuana was the most-used substance connected to child abuse and neglect deaths, followed by alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine — and sometimes a combination of substances." *

https://www.texastribune.org/2018/03/20/texas-drugs-alcohol-child-abuse-deaths/

C) Study has demonstrated a link between ongoing use of cannabis and violence.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-brain/201603/marijuana-use-increases-violent-behavior

A Reagan era study examined multiple convicts in the state of New York. "..one-third of respondents who had ever used marijuana used the drug in the 24-hour period before the homicide; and that almost three-quarters of those respondents were experiencing some type of effect from the drug when the homicide occurred."  Some of them claimed the homicide was related to their cannabis use.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8144275

D) Dogs getting stoned accidentally, including an example of one who licked up "medical" marijuana: 

E) Often, cannabis is a gateway entry to other harmful drugs:

1.  "As more U.S. states legalize the use of marijuana, Mexico's violent drug cartels are turning to the basic law of supply and demand."

"Laws allowing marijuana in states like Colorado, Washington and California are causing shifts in the Mexican underworld that have also led to increased violence as the cartels move away from its cash cow of marijuana to traffic more heroin and methamphetamines."

"..the cartels 'saw a lot more demand for heroin (in the United States) and responded.'"

See source of quotes in the following link:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/20/mexican-cartels-switch-gears-after-u-s-states-relax-u-s-states-legalize-marijuana-mexicos-cartels-sw/343389002/

For more on the subject:
https://www.businessinsider.com/sinaloa-cartel-sending-mexican-herion-to-the-us-2017-11

     2. Gateway Drug studies:

          a)  Based on a National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2011-2013, those using cannabis were three times more likely to be addicted to heroin:
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/heroin/infographic.html

More: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013.pdf#page=45

          b)  "The CASA study also links the use of gateway drugs by children with subsequent regular use of illicit substances as adults:

Adults who used marijuana as children are 17 times more likely to be regular cocaine users. (Ninety-one percent of adults who used marijuana as children smoked or drank first.)"

Source:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/record/archives/vol20/vol20_iss10/record2010.24.html

     3. Examples of multiple types of drugs display that things don't always stop with marijuana:

          a)  A man who used both pot & heroin hit six other vehicles with his truck:

https://www.wpxi.com/news/top-stories/tractor-trailer-driver-admits-to-using-heroin-marijuana-before-crash/646672076

          b)  Parents arrested, toddler hospitalized with cannabis & cocaine in his system:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2018-06-01/toddler-hospitalized-with-marijuana-cocaine-in-system

          c) Mother abandons her son, leaves grandma to raise him.

Grandma says:

"It was marijuana but that lead to opiate abuse, my daughter was actually shooting up Opana," a tearful Martin recently told WJHL.  "She took off up north to avoid child support...she's abandoned her child, just like his biological father abandoned him at the age of two...I'm angry at her for what she and his father have put him through.” *

See full article the above quote came from linked below.
https://www.wjhl.com/local/grandparents-raising-grandchildren-caregivers-behind-the-opioid-crisis/1306482973

          d) Babysitter warned by mother not to let five-year-old girl go near pool because she couldn't swim.  The babysitter does marijuana and meth. & allows child to drown.

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/palm-bay-babysitter-arrested-in-5-year-olds-drowning-police-say

*Emphasis Added (italics &/or bold).

Duped by Dope by Guest Writer TJ • Part 1

I was a kid during the Reagan era, when the Just Say No to drugs was in full swing.
I don't remember the campaign continuing under the 1st Bush presidency. By the time Clinton, "I did not inhale," was in office I noticed a shift about drugs.
While Joe Camel was attacked and alcohol ads were banned in certain instances, illegal drugs seemed to gain some ascendancy, prompting me in part of a poem I wrote to say:

Strained out is the Camel; let in is drugs, the charging bull,

While the matador is smiling since Joe's no longer cool.

The 2nd Bush did not make the war on drugs an issue and when Obama got in, he didn't want the government to bother enforcing federal laws on marijuana as states began to legalize the drug.

Meanwhile, Libertarians are libertines when it comes to the federal government's right to restrain people from certain immoral behaviors which are detrimental to society.
They think it is the states' rights to forbid or allow murder by abortion or to outlaw or permit harmful drugs (if people so desire).  I wonder if they ever asked themselves - should I not take this same states' rights position on theft, other murders, fraud, etc.?

Homosexual activists took incremental immoral steps regarding benefits.
Some opposed homosexuals' radical demands to receive special rights not afforded to other singles. Some people fought against demands to accept deviant sexual behavior as normal by acknowledging in state constitutions the definition of marriage - that being as the Author of marriage defined it.
Judges over-ruled the will of these people in various states.

But later, Christians overall seemed to have given up when the Supreme Court made the outrageous immoral ruling that sexual immorality should be permitted to be called marriage, which in truth is an institution God invented and defined as only being between a man and a woman.

And now, on another immoral front, while the goal of many people in this country is to legalize recreational marijuana, using the incrementalism of "medical" marijuana as a springboard, some Christians are actually being sucked into accepting marijuana (now said to be even stronger than the detrimental dope of old) legalization.

Is marijuana a sin?  Here is where some Theologians answered:

From The Shepherds' Conference Q & A On Marijuana

Christians need to be sharing the Gospel with people who are thinking about/are turning to dope a road which can have dire consequences.

Part 2 will deal with specific consequences of marijuana.

8 Reasons We Click The Bait

Do you ever wonder why we click on the blog articles, videos, and news stories that we do?

Here is a list of some tricks for clicks.

1.  Numbers.  

Giving a number of points for an article makes us think that it will be short or that it will have numbered points we can quickly glance at that will have important, useful, or interesting information.

This is not always wrong (and I've used it for this blog post to make the point), although it might play on anxiety which wouldn't be a good thing.

2.  Craziness.  

The story seems outrageous, crazy, or hard to believe.  Yes, we are fascinated by the unusual.

3.  Fear.  

A lot of times headlines play on our fears.  Something bad happens to one or a few people, and the media wants us to be terrified that it's going to happen to us.  There are some reasonable things to be concerned about, but often they play on our sinful fears.

4.  Feel Good Stories.  

Many of us like stories that play on our happy feel good emotions.  

We like to read about heroes and see cute kids and animals and reunions and other pleasant stories.  This isn't always a bad thing, but often people exaggerate or are downright dishonest.  Have you ever seen a video that promises to be the cutest?

5.  Problem Solving.  

Sometimes articles and videos offer promises to help us solve problems.  

The frustration is that often they do not live up to what they seem to offer.  

The best ones are those that teach us us Scriptural principles (when it is done properly). 

6.  Action.  

We like to help people out.

We sign petitions, send e-mails or tweets, share fundraisers for those in need, look at stories about missing people, etc.  

We can also rightly be concerned for people who are wrongfully persecuted.

We should show some caution.

There are those who play on our desires to help people and deceive us, and many times people share old or phony stories.

Some wrongfully make demands of other Christians that are not called for in Scripture (and may actually be the opposite of what the Bible teaches).

7.  Agreement.  

We all like to see articles that Amen our strongly held beliefs.  

This isn't always bad, but it can be a bad thing if people are agreeing with things that are against what Scripture teaches.

8.  Controversy.  

Yes, sometimes we go to stories that we know there is going to be disagreement on.  It is easy to get caught up reading the comments or commenting ourselves and getting riled up. 

It is easy to go from righteous indignation to sinful anger on these things, although there are plenty of times when a controversial subject does need to be addressed.

Not all means to get clicks are wrong, but there are many who try to intentionally deceive us and to encourage us to sin.
I'm not a fan of April Fools type articles that have tricked me either.

Not mentioned above are stories, articles, and videos that bring lustful thoughts and pictures to us.  

We do need to be careful what we fill our minds with.  It will affect our closeness to God (as believers) when we entertain sinful thoughts and desires.  It's something we should battle with Scriptural truth rather than taking the bait to sin.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
1 John 2:16 NASB

God's Punishment of Israel & Its Chosen Remnant

Today I was reading Isaiah 10, and I was beginning to type out thoughts which lengthened into a blog post.
I want to remind people that I'm not a man, and this blog is not authoritative.

It may give insight into what can go through my mind when I read Scripture and notes about it.

Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it?
Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?
That would be like a club wielding those who lift it,
Or like a rod lifting him who is not wood.
Isaiah 10:15 NASB

The people that God used to punish His people boasted and would also be punished by God.
Although not the point of the passage, and an aside, this verse made me think of those who are against guns...as though guns wield themselves.
In the case of Isaiah 10, God's sovereignty is shown in directing an evil nation to His purposes.
Sometimes God's purposes are punishment for evil as in Isaiah 10, but other times nations were used to bless His people.

The good news is that there is a remnant of believing Israel.
There has been and always will be a remnant it seems, and the grafted in Gentiles in the New Testament don't take away from blessings God gave through Israel or the promises.

Paul sorrowed for those of his people according to the flesh that did not believe (and were not chosen).
who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 9:4-5 NASB


Romans 11 lets me know that God still has a remnant of Israel, and so people should not be prideful toward the root or negative toward the Jews...who may be grafted back in if they do not continue in unbelief.
I believe there will be a future for and blessings for believing Israel, and there are promises to them that are not yet fulfilled and will be in the future.

I know that others have different eschatological views, but this is my view from my reading of and understanding of Scripture.

I remember reading in the Bible some things that I knew were not fulfilled yet in the past.

I don't believe things just because I've been told how to believe, but I believe them because I have read it in Scripture as well as it helps when I hear Scripture exposited.