Monday, October 1, 2012

Gospel or Gossip (Proverbs 26:22) - the 21st predicament for every Christian with a story about the death of Abraham Lincoln.


SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 26:22 (TM)
Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly?

STORY:
In 1887 the coffin of Abraham Lincoln was pried open to determine if it contained his body. What makes that act so remarkable is the fact that Lincoln's body had rested in that coffin for 22 years. Yet, even more amazing is that 14 years later a rumor circulated again that Lincoln's coffin was actually empty. The furor so gripped the land that the only way to silence it was to dig up the coffin--again. This was done and the rumor silenced when a handful of witnesses viewed the lifeless body of Abraham Lincoln.

OBSERVATION:
The rumor has it that Elvis is still alive. What makes that even sadder is that people actually believe it. How do I know … well, all I have to do is read the various e-mails that have been sent. It is right there, in black and white … and since it comes via the internet it must be right. Right?

The rumor mills are having a glorious time with stories – reported to be the truth – about one candidate or another. And they get forwarded and forwarded and forwarded becoming Urban Legends ... and believed. Another case in point is the “rumor” that Ms. O’Hare, the long dead atheist, is still petitioning the government to remove all religious programs from television. This rumor has long been put to rest – more than 35plus years ago … and yet, the call still goes out to stop her! I kind of think that death has already done that.

Why do we participate in cheap gossipy talk? Is it because it is so easy to click the “forward” button? Is it because there is something inside of us that really wants to believe the junk that comes into our in-box? Is it because we are so hungry to be on the “inside” of the news cycle? Why?

Or could it be that we have not bothered to bath ourselves with God’s truth? When cleaning out the cobwebs from our minds if we don’t fill the empty space with the good word from God it will be quickly occupied with trash and filth.

Or could it be that we really do not trust God to be in control and so, we have to take control and further along the “news” cycle? But remember this one thing … junk in … junk out. What emerges from us (and our computers) bears a stronger testimony than anything we might do or say. It speaks volumes.

It is time … past time … for Christians of all strips to take back e-mail and turn it into a tool for the Gospel instead of Gossip. And, by the way, when I state that we should use it as a tool for the Gospel I don’t mean to forward those that promise extra blessings if you forward the message to 10 of your friends or even worse the ones that say, “If you are really a believer you would have the courage or faith or strength or conviction or anything else demeaning to pass this on.” And so it goes.

So here is the question: Gospel or Gossip. It is our choice. A choice that we make daily. How are we going to feed the belly of the beast?

PRAYER:
So rich is the Gospel may it crowd out all the gossip that tries to enter our minds. Keep us safe and keep us on track!

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