I have Secondary Progressive MS and have lived with the disease for twenty seven years. I have been under the care of a physician and neurologist for the past thirteen years. To this day, the only treatment that I have received is medication to relieve pain. Every two weeks, $300 is spent at the Pharmacist. I take high levels of…
Acts 6:15Acts 6:15
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15 All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
WP-Bible plugin, 1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
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2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
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Mankind has a deep appetite for verbal smut. The Bible calls it calls it “slander”. You may very well be guilty when you ask, “what’s the latest on _______________?”
Slander is a fabricated statement about someone that lowers your respect of them. I don’t think there’s a more damaging sin against the body of Christ when slander is permitted to exist against a brother or sister. There is no end to the pain that it can cause.
This morning I read another great story from the Book of Acts (Acts 6:8-15Acts 6:8-15
English: World English Bible - WEB
8 Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9 But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines,” and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.
10 They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and came against him and seized him, and brought him in to the council,
13 and set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
15 All who sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face like it was the face of an angel.
WP-Bible plugin) where this deadly tool was pulled from Satan’s drawer. The disciple Stephen was full of grace and power and was preaching the news of the resurrected Jesus. Those that didn’t believe in the resurrection tried to debate with Stephen but soon found that he had great wisdom and couldn’t win with the facts. Their only resort was to bring him down through slander.
Think on that for a moment. What hours of truth seeking could not accomplish, a single slanderous statement given to a verbal-smut-craved person brought him down in moments.
What’s my point: I want to encourage you to reject verbal smut. Peter says “get rid of … slander” (1 Peter 2:11 Peter 2:1
English: World English Bible - WEB
2
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
WP-Bible plugin). By putting it to death means that you don’t buy it on the grocery stand, listen to it on TV or give your time to hearing it about someone you know. It is Spiritual Cyanide among believers.
What the body needs: Is a spirit of grace and truth. Be lovers of what is true – starting with God’s Word. Nurture your appetite for the truth of God’s Word. In John 14:6John 14:6
English: World English Bible - WEB
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
WP-Bible plugin, Jesus replied, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
A couple good questions to ask someone before listening to their story: Is this what you know or what you heard? What is your motive for telling me?
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