Did you hear what happened to Jenny? I can't believe it! It's awful, and we really need to pray for her. Don't tell anyone, but...

Well, this is kind of typical of David. You know how he is. This time, he...

We all do it, often without thinking about it. Gossip, rumors, and accusations. It's one part genuine concern and three parts being the one "in the know." The only way that others will know that you are in the know is to let them know what you know. That's a long sentence that means "gossip." We do care for others, but sometimes we have a funny way of showing it. No ... not "funny." "Terrible." Sometimes we have a terrible way of showing it.

Paul mentions gossiping a few times:

Romans 1:29-31: They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless. (http://ref.ly/Rom1.29-31)

1 Corinthians 12:20: I am afraid that somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. 

(http://ref.ly/1Cor12.20)

What strikes me about these two lists is what Paul puts gossiping on par with. Wickedness! Malice! Envy! Murder! Deceit! Intense anger! Hating God! Gossip! That's some seriously bad company gossip keeps. When we gossip, no matter how concerned we are for someone else's well-being, we are participating in a very ugly list of offenses, on the same level as insolence, hostility, and murder. Gossip is not a little thing to God.

Sometimes we are told in confidence, and then gossip has the double offense of violating a  trust and confidence. Other times, we're not told in confidence. But that doesn't excuse gossip one little bit. But we still do it, often with the idea that generally speaking, people shouldn't be talking this way, but this is just one little time, and to just one other person. What? "It's bad for everyone, but it's OK in this case ... because it's me, and I'm not a gossip. And I care." Ruthless!

There can also be a sick little pleasure in talking about someone who is more messed up than we are. It's a little vacation from our own faults. At least I'm not guilty of ... that! Jesus says that before we remove the speck out of our brother's eye, we should remove the log from our own. That also applies to gossip and the sick vacation it can be. If I gossip about your speck, then I can ignore my log for a while.

Even if you can substantiate what is being said, if you don't have permission to say it, don't say it (except under the rarest of extenuating circumstances, such as physical danger). Even if you do have permission to say it and can substantiate it, don't say it to anyone who has no business hearing about it.

Examine yourself. I would guess most of us have done this recently. Gossip is a villain who keeps bad company, according to God's Word. Repent of it. Flee from the temptation to be in the know or take a mini-vacation from your other faults and sin. If you have concern that a brother or sister is in sin, then Matthew 18:15-17 (http://ref.ly/Mat18.15-17) provides a great framework on how to deal with it without gossip.

But mainly, just shut up.

And I mean that lovingly.

Are These the Signs of the Times?

After the rare east coast earthquake, I've already heard several people pondering if this, with all the other recent disasters and economic turmoil, is a sign of the End Times. And for the most part, these ponderings are not rabid doomsday prophesying, but rational contemplation of the reality that there will be that Day one day. Could it be that these are the rumblings of that Day?

Is this earthquake a sign of the End Times?

Yes.

(I am tempted at this point to say, "And you'll have to read next week's article to find out how!")

I say this with confidence only in the following (and somewhat anti-climactic) way: Every earthquake, every tornado (large or small), every tsunami, every war, and every rumor of war is a sign that the End Times are coming. They are constant reminders that our race is fallen, our world is fallen, our universe is fallen, and will continue toward their entropic demise. Every thing that is fallen will either be renewed or will deteriorate into destruction. All these "signs" are evidence that the End Times are coming - that they must come.

They may or may not be harbingers of when the End Times will be irretrievably upon us. Some say yes, others say no. It seems to me that there must be further progress of the Gospel and far more severe persecution before those days are upon us, but the arguments that the days ahead of us are few are worth listening to. The reality is that none of us know, and to claim to know is overstepping revelation.

But ask yourself this: If the Day was indeed right around the corner, what would I do differently? How would I relate to people? What would my priorities be? What would I stop doing? And then consider whether or not we should be living that way no matter when the Day will be.