As with any posting from anyone I do my best to try to communicate what is on my heart the best that I can. Please take all matters to the Lord in prayer. It is NOT my will that anyone be deceived. The enemy is after all of us, including me! I pray the Holy Spirit bears witness to all of you. If not then it could be for a different time in your walk with the Lord. DO NOT ACCEPT WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT REVEAL BUT PRAY INTO IT. God bless the saints of the Lord and may the fullness of His love and spirit dwell and manifest richly within you.

Some time ago I had someone I was talking with about the Lord make the following statement to me: I really shouldn’t talk about this person/Christian because it is gossip. I replied that if the Holy Spirit spoke truth to you about that person, it was NOT gossip! What they received was Spirit and Truth! Gossip is very prevalent within the church and often happens in prayer groups as well as from the pulpit! We have more “PARROTS” than real pastors these days as they merely repeat what some man, woman, seminary, opinions of people or some organizational entity has spoken or taught them. They speak these things without seeking the Lord to inquire if what they are being told or taught is Spirit and Truth and preach or speak it anyhow and people will follow what is spoken without a Spiritual Witness from the Lord! Thus they also repeat the same gossip! That is NOT divine revelation and you don’t even know it is Spirit and Truth! You know what they say about “ASSUME” as it make an “_ss” of you and me!

Acts 17:11–12 (NKJV)

¹¹ These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

gos·sip

noun

1. casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

   “he became the subject of much local gossip”

   Gossip is a form of lying because you have not verified it as Spirit and Truth! When someone preaches about Jesus it can be a form of gossip or blatant lying because of false teachings or beliefs.

   This is why I am not impressed when someone states the name of Jesus, God or Lord because I need to confirm who their Jesus, God or Lord truthfully is! I need a witness from the Living God within me!

Acts 19:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”

Galatians 1:6–8 (NKJV)

Only One Gospel

⁶ I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, ⁷ which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

2 Corinthians 11:1–4 (NKJV)

Concern for Their Faithfulness

11 Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. ² For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ³ But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!

This is why all preaching should be under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit just as the Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit! The word of God has NOTHING to do with the wisdom of men/women it is the wisdom of God! If you reflect on what the Pharisees did they spread gossip all around the community that Jesus was not the Son of God the incarnate Christ and said the Jesus committed blasphemy and should be crucified! It was not just the Pharisees that shouted crucify him it was also the followers of the Pharisees believing the gossip they had spoken! Gossip through human emotion shouted Crucify Him! Today in many churches with wolves in sheep’s clothing do the very same thing they use human emotional responses to perceive something is true because it appeals to the flesh, carnality and depravity of our fallen/worldly nature. If you are not being built up into a Spiritual House/Church/Temple you not being truly conformed into the image and likeness of Christ Jesus.

I remember when I worked out in Missouri while traveling in ministry for the Lord. I walked in my very first day and as I met my boss I asked him what his gifting and calling was from the Lord. His reply was certainly not words of knowledge. I told him that the Lord gave him words of knowledge all the time but he tried to rationalize those words with his own intellect thus blocking the revelation and application of those words of knowledge rendering those words of knowledge useless!

Matthew 16:1–28 (NKJV)

Debate Over a Sign from Heaven

Mark 8:11, 12

16 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

They did not discern that it was Christ Jesus which was the sign of the times! This is one reason there is little spiritual discernment in the body of Christ. That will be another post for another time.

Withdrawal of Jesus

Mark 8:13–21

⁵ Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

False doctrine is NOT Spirit and Truth and when you follow and repeat false doctrine you are damning the souls of people who listen and follow! This is why by the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus that Jesus teaches us in Spirit and Truth. We must be willing to allow this process and chose this process as the Holy Spirit reveals ALL TRUTH! Too many people will deny this process and that is why they do not grow spiritually and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. God will not empower lies and gossip!

John 14:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Revelation of the Person of the King

Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–21

¹³ When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Notice Jesus came directly against the “gossip” of what people said about Him and asked the disciples who He was to them! Professing Christians go around stating that we need a personal relationship with Christ and yet try to influence others to conform to their own belief/relationship with Christ verses that person conforming to Christ alone. We are to reveal Christ not ourselves! This can often be the blind leading the blind because they themselves are NOT BORN AGAIN! Sorry but it’s true! There is no shame when someone asks you about scriptures that you struggle to understand or process to say I don’t fully understand and seek the Lord in prayer and meditation about this matter. Humility is the foundation of growth in the Spirit of God! I have often given words to believers that they need to ask the Lord questions because it is essential for growth. Even the disciples asked questions but they asked of the Lord not of a human!

Revelation of the Church

¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

²⁰ Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus would tell them not to tell anyone! Each and everyone of us needs our own revelation of Christ Jesus not merely submitting to someone who claims to know Christ Jesus. I remember a conversation with a friend as we were talking about scripture and I mentioned a few scriptures that are often used to manipulate the saints. I mentioned the scripture that faith comes by hearing the word of God and how that is often used in manipulation so people will follow the preacher and not the Lord Jesus. He seemed troubled and inquired so I expounded. I said faith comes by hearing the voice of God as Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and the Word of God is God breathed so it is from the voice/mouth of God! Is the Word of God speaking to you or are you merely reading the Word of God! In addition I said another form of manipulation is the scripture where two or more are gathered Jesus is present. He said I have always been taught this as we need to assemble together and have two or more. So I replied, how did that work with Abraham, Moses or the prophets. Were two or more gathered with them. When you go into your prayer closet are two or more gathered or are you getting alone with God? I said everywhere I walk as a born again Christian I have two or more as I have the Holy Spirit who is one with the Father and Jesus! This is why Jesus said there is ONE who bares witness of Jesus who is the Father as Jesus was ONE WITH THE FATHER! Immediately he looked up the scripture about faith comes by hearing the Word of God and he said in the Greek it was both past and present tense! Yes because the Written Word and the Living Word are ONE! John 1:1, so are you hearing the voice of God or trying to follow a manual or the voice of a false prophet?

Revelation of Jesus’ Death

Mark 8:31–33; Luke 9:22

²¹ From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

²² Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

²³ But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

While line 22-23 is not about gossip I would like to take a moment to expound on this. Notice that it was the will of the Father that Jesus bare our sin and be crucified and Peter did not understand and spoke against the will of the Father so he was rebuked and read Jesus reply as it explains that the god of this world who is Satan is against the will of our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus. Never underestimate this as when the Lord gives you instructions they are for you to fulfill and those who were not given these instructions from the Lord will often oppose you and deny that Jesus has given you those instructions. They may very well be people in your inner circle or fellowship. We are to follow Jesus not anyone else! See that no one Lord’s over you for you have one Father!

Romans 8:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Matthew 20:25–28 (NKJV)

²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ²⁷ And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 5:1–4 (NKJV)

Shepherd the Flock

5 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: ² Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; ³ nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; ⁴ and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Revelation of Jesus’ Reward

Mark 8:34–37; Luke 9:23–25

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. ²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Prophecy of the Second Coming

Mark 8:38–9:1; Luke 9:26, 27

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. ²⁸ Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

I pray that you get a better understanding that gossip is associated with lying because when received unverified as truth you live out the lies and speak the same lies to others. I suggest you read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 as that will expound on being mocked, slandered, ridiculed, persecuted for the Lord’s namesake! Much of what is written in Matthew 5 is a form of gossip and accusation.

May you be blessed and strengthen in Spirit and Truth and receive revelations of Christ Jesus in Spirit and Truth!

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