Spreading rumors about other people exposes little about their true nature but reveals a lot about the speaker's own character. Such behavior shows a willingness to sin against the Lord by causing harm to someone else. Until a gossiping believer confronts his sin, he can't progress toward becoming the person God wants him to be.

Confession is the first step in dealing with sinful speech. This should be followed by repentance by pledging to turn away from opportunities to talk about others. A useful scripture to pray daily is Psalm 141:3: "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips."

Second, be on guard against temptation. Believers have a responsibility to set themselves apart from gossip in order to keep thoughts and words pleasing to God. Being in the presence of one who spreads stories can tempt even a believer to participate. In a situation where rumors are being shared, the best course of action is to speak out against the practice and then leave.

Finally, instead of talking about someone, it's wise to pray for that person. Getting into this habit will help train the mind to replace sinful patterns with God-pleasing ways. The Bible teaches us to encourage and comfort each other, and prayer is a good way to obey that instruction.

A gossiping Christian dishonors God's name and his own. Instead of using words that disparage and injure, choose to speak well of everyone. In so doing, you'll bring glory to the Lord.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 10:45 AM CDT

Updated: Sunday, 1 June 2008 1:54 PM CDT

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God hates gossip. He wants our speech to be pleasing to Him. He certainly doesn't consider idle talk or mean-spirited words pleasant as stated in Colossians 3:8.

Sadly, gossip is practiced so freely that even some believers participate and try to justify their chatter. But hearsay has no place in a Christian's life. Romans 1 contains one of the Bible's longest lists of sins. The book's author, the apostle Paul, is reminding believers that God has revealed Himself to all mankind. Those who reject Him and chase after idols are turned over to their evil worship and the immoral practices that go with serving self.

Gossip appears in the middle of the list. God despises it because malicious talk destroys lives whether the stories are true or false. The person who is targeted by the rumor often loses the respect of those who listen to it. Hurt feelings may not be the only negative effect. A job or relationship could be lost as well.

Those spreading tales also face destructive consequences. People who refuse to control the tongue reveal evil motives or, at the very least, lack of discipline. As a result, believers and unbelievers will often avoid such untrustworthy individuals. For a Christian who spreads rumors, there's potential for even worse damage, in that such actions can harm fellowship with the Lord. Animosity toward another person and intimacy with God can't coexist in the same heart.

Gossip achieves no good in anyone's life, which is why the Lord warns against it. Instead, our words should build up, comfort, and encourage others.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 11:38 AM CDT

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Loneliness can be a lifelong challenge or a short-term event. The length of the experience is often determined by how we deal with it. Turning to the Lord can help us find our way through the fog of isolation.

You can admit to lonely feelings. Being a Christian doesn't disqualify us from sometimes having a sense of seclusion. Many of David's Psalms speak of his longing for companionship. When we express our feelings to the Father and cry out for His touch, He will answer. I often tell God that I need Him to wrap His arms around me. His response is just as real as if a human being walked in and hugged me.

You should develop godly relationships. We should pray for friends who'll point us toward the Lord whether we're in good times or bad. These are the loved ones who see our faults and like us anyway.

And, be anchored in Scripture. When we cling to the Word during a lonely time, we'll end up with a richer understanding of the Lord. Occasionally we all will walk through the fog of loneliness. But God is the Light guiding us out again. If you're struggling with feelings of isolation, cry out to Him for help.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 10:28 AM CDT

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Despite the fact that technology enables us to stay connected, we haven't solved the loneliness problem. Many people still feel cut off from those around them. The real solution for healing the deep ache of isolation is an intimate relationship with God.

As He was about to create Adam, God said in Genesis 1, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness". One point of resemblance to the Lord is our desire and ability to share intimacy with others. We're created to commune with God.

Adam and Eve had a close bond with the Lord, who spent time with them in the Garden of Eden. But, the couple's disobedience caused a rift in the relationship. Since God is holy, He can't allow anything unrighteous into His presence. Once sin entered the world through the first couple, every person born would be tainted with it and separated from God.

Yet because of His love, the Lord planned a way to bridge the gap between Himself and mankind. Jesus Christ took our transgressions upon

Himself and died on the cross, wiping away the stain of sin. Whoever trusts in His sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins goes over the "bridge" formed by the cross. Each new believer is immediately restored to a right relationship with God.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 6:14 PM CDT

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Friendships are among our most valuable assets. Acquiring quality companions, who laugh with us in good times and stand by us during trials, requires shared commitment and an investment of time and energy.

We must be transparent and be honest with friends and encourage them to be truthful in return. To preserve a healthy bond, we can't hide hurts or feelings of rejection they may have caused. Transparency that is tied to accountability can also help make each individual a better person. A solid relationship allows each party to gently point out errors in the other's life and offer loving correction.

Genuine friendship takes time to develop. We must be willing to put aside other obligations and give priority to moments spent together. A generous portion of our time with each other should be spent talking about our thoughts and desires and also asking questions to prompt our friend to open up. This type of conversation allows a glimpse into the other person's heart and mind.

Everyone likes to feel appreciated. Expressing thanks when friends are helpful will remind them that we're grateful to have them in our life. We affirm our love when we communicate how much we enjoy a certain aspect of their personality or remember an occasion that's special to them.

Being a good friend is a way to serve the Lord. He designed us to be in relationship with others, so we should give our best to every companion God places in our life.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 10:17 AM CDT

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When we develop friendships, we intend for them to last. But since two fallen human beings are involved, occasional hurt feelings and unmet expectations are likely. If one or both people simply ignore the offense, the relationship can be damaged.

Repairing a troubled friendship requires humility to admit our faults, effort to fix the problem, and time. But the reward is a renewed connection with a valued companion. The process of saving a friendship begins when you acknowledge that damage exists. This takes place the moment you say, "I feel something isn't right in our relationship. I'd like for us to find and fix the problem."

It's helpful to work together to assess how the trouble began. Perhaps it resulted from a misunderstanding, an unresolved conflict, or one person's busyness. After recognizing the problem, apologize for your part in it. Taking responsibility and saying "I'm sorry" shows your love and commitment to the friendship. Remember that an essential aspect of apologizing is refusing to justify wrong actions or blame others.

An apology must be followed up with amends. Ask your friend what specific action you both can take to rebuild the relationship. Then commit to follow his or her suggestion while occasionally asking, "How am I doing?"

Rather than waiting until their relationship is in trouble, wise friends will go through these steps as soon as they're aware of having hurt a loved one. Preventative care can soothe minor scrapes before they become serious wounds.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 2:56 PM CDT

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"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6, KJV)

Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness, for the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit in your life? If so, you can claim that fullness and power right now by faith.

"The great difference between present - day Christianity and that of which we read in these letters (New Testament epistles)," declared J.B. Phillips in his introduction to the Letters to Young churches, "is that to us it is primarily a performance; to them it was a real experience. We are apt to reduce the Christian religion to a code, or, at best, a rule of heart and life. To these men it is quite plainly the invasion of their lives by a new quality of life altogether. They do not hesitate to describe this as Christ living in them."

The disciples were used of God to change the course of history. As Christian homemakers, students, businessmen and professionals, we have that same potential and privilege today.

The amazing fact that Jesus Christ lives in us and expresses His love through us is one of the most important truths in the Word of God. The standards of the Christian life are so high and so impossible to achieve, according to the Word of God, that only one person has been able to succeed. That person is Jesus Christ.

When we receive Christ into our lives, we experience a new birth and are also indwelt by the Holy Spirit. From that point on, everything we need - including wisdom, love, power - to be men and women of God and fruitful witnesses for Christ is available to us simply by faith, by claiming this power in accordance with God's promise.

"Dear Lord, create within me a hunger and thirst after righteousness that is greater than my hunger and thirst for meat and drink for my physical body. By faith I claim the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to enable me to live a victorious, fruitful life to the glory of God and to share this good news of the Spirit - filled life with everyone who will listen."

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 12:07 PM CDT

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Every person will face God on judgment day. Whenever that topic comes up, I am usually asked something like, "What about remote African tribes that will never hear about Jesus?" The concerned questioner is really wondering, How could a loving Lord send an ignorant person to hell? In other words, How can it be fair to condemn those who have never heard the gospel?

To understand how God judges, we should recognize two truths about Him. First, He's not limited. While whole groups still have no Scripture in their language, God always reaches individuals whose hearts are open to knowing Him. Men like Abraham and Moses had no spiritual training or Scriptures, and the Lord spoke to them.

Second, God reveals Himself to all people, whether or not they have access to the Bible. He demonstrates His power and attributes through creation. He also programs our conscience to understand the basic distinctions between right and wrong.

For those blessed to hear the gospel at some point, Jesus Christ is the greatest revelation of God in their life. When people stand before the Father, He'll judge them on three criteria from the amount of truth that each has been exposed, to how many opportunities there were to accept the truth and share it with others; and what was done with those opportunities. The believer's responsibility is to reach as many as possible with the gospel so that no one need ask, "What about those who've never heard of Jesus?"

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 9:17 AM CDT

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In many countries, the gospel can't be shared freely. Repressive governments and religions stop Christians from telling others about Jesus. However, God is mightier than oppression. Where human messengers can't carry the good news, the Lord is revealing Himself to those whose hearts are open.

First Timothy chapter two says God wants everyone to come to a saving knowledge of Him. Romans chapter 1 shows He is holy and just, but He can't overlook man's sinful condition, which renders all guilty and without excuse. He will not admit people into heaven unless they've acknowledged their need for a Savior.

But, our Father is also fair and merciful. He makes His presence known to every person so each one may choose to recognize His sovereignty. The Lord does this by revealing Himself to all mankind in two ways: through conscience and creation.

First, He has imbedded His basic moral guidelines in the human conscience. In other words, at some point in life, every sane person has an innate sense that certain actions are right and others are wrong.

Second, the Creator displays His power and divine nature through what He has made. The complexity, variety, order, and beauty of the world all point to an intelligent Designer. We can't pinpoint every method the Lord uses to reveal Himself. Yet we can be sure nothing will stop Him from reaching out to people who follow conscience and creation to the logical conclusion... the existence of a loving, sovereign God.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 1:54 PM CDT

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"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." (Colossians 2:9, 10)

All the attributes of Christ, as God and man, are at our disposal. All the fullness of the Godhead, whatever that marvelous term may comprehend, is ours to make us complete. He cannot endow us with the attributes of Deity; but He has done all that can be done, for He has made even His divine power and Godhead subservient to our salvation. His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, immutability and infallibility, are all combined for our defense.

Arise, believer, and behold the Lord Jesus yoking the whole of His divine Godhead to the chariot of salvation! How vast His grace, how firm His faithfulness, how unswerving His immutability, how infinite His power, how limitless His knowledge! All these are by the Lord Jesus made the pillars of the temple of salvation; and all, without diminution of their infinity, are covenanted to us as our perpetual inheritance. The fathomless love of the Saviour's heart is every drop of it ours; every sinew in the arm of might, every jewel in the crown of majesty, the immensity of divine knowledge, and the sternness of divine justice, all are ours, and shall be employed for us. The whole of Christ, in His adorable character as the Son of God, is by Himself made over to us most richly to enjoy.

His wisdom is our direction, His knowledge our instruction, His power our protection, His justice our surety, His love our comfort, His mercy our solace, and His immutability our trust. He makes no reserve, but opens the recesses of the Mount of God and bids us dig in its mines for the hidden treasures. "All, all, all are yours," saith He, "be ye satisfied with favor and full of the goodness of the Lord." Oh! how sweet thus to behold Jesus, and to call upon Him with the certain confidence that in seeking the interposition of His love or power, we are but asking for that which He has already faithfully promised.

Which of God's glorious attributes will you hold fast to today?

Charles Spurgeon

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 12:19 PM CDT

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The moment a person receives Christ as Savior, he or she enters a battle. The Enemy is determined to destroy believers' testimonies. But God has supplied a mighty weapon to those who serve Him... His Son's strength flowing through their life.

Christ's power is supreme. Satan, with all his demonic force, can't throw anything our way to match Jesus' supernatural strength. Even so, temptations and trials expose weaknesses when most would prefer to appear strong. That is one reason human nature rebels against hardship and tries to avoid it.

God wants Christian soldiers to be armed with the Savior's might so they can confront life's difficulties. 2 Corinthians 12 says he promises us strength only when we set down pride and accept that we are too weak for battle. And Jesus' power is available to every believer right now. It's a gift from the Commander so that His followers can endure conflicts victoriously.

The world encourages keeping up the appearance of handling one's own problems. So, Christian soldiers' marching orders probably seem quite strange to onlookers. But, arrogance does not bring blessing; rather, it causes confusion, distance from the Lord, and ultimately failure. If we want to be victorious, then we must not follow the worldly strategy of facing the Enemy alone.

Until our life is over or Jesus Christ returns, we are locked in a battle with Satan. But God has given us a powerful weapon. When we are totally dependent upon the Lord for His strength, we are filled with supernatural energy and endurance.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 10:32 AM CDT

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As we mature spiritually, we become more solidly rooted in the confidence that God is faithful. But sometimes doubt will creep in and wither our trust. In order not to lose ground, we must act decisively to reduce misgivings. Here are three steps we should take:

First, recall God's past faithfulness, and remember His promises. When we devote time to thanking Him for His intervention in prior situations, we are reminded of His love and provision. Meditating on promises from Scripture also reassures us that He will continue to meet every need. For example, Psalm 41:12 says the Father is always present with His children, And John chapter 16 says His Holy Spirit was given to us for strength and direction.

Next, water your growing faith with God's Word. When you ask for scriptural guidance, the Lord will direct you to passages that relate to your situation and offer needed emotional and spiritual assurance. Spend time meditating on those verses, prayerfully considering how to apply the message to your circumstances.

And lastly, choose to believe God and His promises. He has proven Himself faithful from the first moment of creation to the present. We are wise to place our confidence in Him.

Developing a sturdy, well-rooted faith requires we cooperate with the Lord. Our human nature complicates matters by making us vulnerable to doubt. But when we choose to trust God, uncertainty cannot shrink our faith.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 2:46 AM CDT

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Paul's approach to his problem, found in 2 Corinthians 1, still works today: "We would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead... and will deliver us". The strength that we need during trials is available through Jesus Christ, whose supernatural energy flows through every believer's mind, body, and spirit.

How does this happen? John 14:17 says when someone receives Jesus as Savior, His Spirit comes to live inside the new believer. As a result of this "indwelling," the power that Christ demonstrated while on earth prevails in those who now call upon Him for aid. However, for us to access His supernatural strength, we must trust His promise to supply what we need when we need it. As long as we attempt to muddle through using our own abilities, we will prevent His Spirit from unleashing divine help.

Jesus Christ's power is unleashed in our life when we acknowledge our helplessness. The effect is immediate. As soon as we surrender to the Lord, His might is working inside us so we can endure hardship while maintaining our joy and peace.

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 11:02 AM CDT

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The Bible warns against "wavering faith." This is the attitude of someone who goes from feeling certain that God will answer a prayer to merely hoping that He might or becoming convinced He won't. Of course, since we're human, we all experience periods of doubt. But what Scripture warns against is a lifestyle of spiritual disbelief.

Wavering can have many causes. For instance, one might fail to see God at work in a situation. Or he might worry that trusting Jesus in that predicament conflicts with human reasoning. Another believer, focusing on circumstances rather than the Lord, may allow feelings to overcome faith.

A person, who is "driven and tossed by the wind", may lose confidence in God and find his spiritual growth stunted. He can become a "double-minded man" because even as he prays, he tends to jump ahead of the Lord's timing to manipulate a situation for his own desired outcome. When a Christian pays attention to his doubts in this way, he'll often make costly, wrong decisions. After all the maneuvering, he will frequently end up dissatisfied with the results and bothered by his lack of peace. Even worse, his faith may diminish.

Wavering is dangerous, so believers must develop confidence in the Lord. In Mark 11:24, Jesus says, "All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." The closest we get to perfect faith while on earth is the ability to trust that what we ask in God's will is as good as done.

Charles Stanley

Posted by Prophecies Of Revelation at 9:14 AM CDT

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