Did you hear the latest rumor?

I have!

Linda was told that Kimberly was hit by an 18-wheeler.

Imagine our surprise at this one.

We know the truth that it was a single car accident and no one was badly hurt, though some injuries were sustained.

How do rumors get started?

Chances are they start with the truth but somehow or other each person either misunderstands what is said, adds to it, or paraphrases into their own words.

There is evidence that God used a rumor to save Jerusalem.

So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. And Isaiah said to them, “Thus you shall say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”‘” 2 Kings 19:5-7

The Assyrian king didn’t check out the rumor and as a result fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.

If you are like me, you hear rumors just about every day.

And it’s up to you and me to seek the truth in those rumors and determine the truth.

I believe that a great many things we have “learned” about the Bible is part rumor.

Things we were taught in Sunday school or VBS that were misrepresented.

I remember a Sunday school teacher that read to us from Acts 9 where Ananias laid hands on Saul (Paul) and he received his sight.

Then she said, “Isn’t it nice that Ananias got saved. In Acts 5 he was selling things and lying about how much he was giving to the church.”

I caught the mistake but what would have happened had someone not been there to straighten this out.

You have the beginning of a very bad rumor.

Seek out the truth that is in God’s word.

Don’t just take what your pastor says as Gospel; check it out!

Why should you just believe that teacher on TV; check it out!