Sunday, November 13, 2016

Greetings Bible Enthusiast!

One of our readers asked about gossip: how does one recognize it, and how does one avoid it? Gossip is the equivalent of back-biting or slander, and it means to speak ill of others in secret with the intent of hurting them.

Any "secret" conversation about someone else is suspect, particularly if that person is specifically excluded. The way to avoid gossip is to walk away from any of these type of conversations, and certainly to never initiate one. We might even, in prayer and as the Holy Spirit leads, admonish, in love, those who are participating.

Gossip is listed in the "catalog" of sins in Romans 1:28-32, 2 Corinthians 12:20-21, and Psalm 15 (see Bible Verse below).

God Bless You!
Annie


--TODAY'S NOT SO TRIVIAL TRIVIA QUESTION:

Q. In Psalms, how does God say He will treat one who slanders his neighbor?

Answer below.


Email Annie

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--DAILY BIBLE VERSE:

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;

He does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15

Doing any of these things not only is sinful, but it weakens us and puts us in the position to be "moved" or swayed from our faith.

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--TODAY'S BIT OF WISDOM/REFLECTION:

"Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you."

-Spanish Proverb





--FEATURED FUNNY:

On a foggy night at sea, the ship's captain saw what appeared to be the lights of another ship heading toward him. He instructed his signalman to send this message: "Change your course ten degrees to the south."

The reply came back: "Change YOUR course ten degrees to the north."

The captain responded: "I am a captain, change your course!"

Response: "I am a seaman first class; you change your course!"

The captain was furious and sent this reply: "I am a battleship, you must change your course!"

To which he received this reply: "I am a lighthouse. You must change YOUR course!"

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--ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION:

Q. In Psalms, how does God say He will treat one who slanders his neighbor?

A. Him He will destroy.