In this sermon, K.P. Yohannan discusses the destructive power of evil reports and gossip. He emphasizes the importance of speaking words that are guided and regulated by the word of God. Yohannan references the story of the spies in Numbers 13 and 14, where the Israelites complained and spread a bad report about the promised land, leading to disastrous consequences. He warns that evil reports can cause damage in the kingdom's work, lead to attrition of workers, and even split up families. Yohannan encourages listeners to study and reflect on this biblical teaching to avoid falling into the trap of spreading damaging words and suspicions.

Evil reports are on the increase in our day, and it can spread like wildfire through social media and the internet, from gossip to tearing down others and slander, and it's one of Satan's favorite weapons to destroy and discourage God's people. Today on The Road to Reality, K. P. Ohanan reveals this sin for what it truly is, and encourages us to steer clear of this sort of behavior. In my almost 50 years now serving God, dealing with people from over 100 nations, I do not know one thing that has become more devastating and dangerous and caused damage in the Kingdom's work and advancement of the Kingdom, and missions losing literally billions in attrition or workers, families split up, than this one thing, words that is spoken without being guided and regulated by the absolute, the word of God. And that's exactly what Satan did. He spoke words and fell on Eve's heart, and here we are. And so tonight I just want to go through this biblical teaching for you to think and study. Second Corinthians 2.11, that Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. And the scriptures on 15, who actually can live close to God, who can actually say, you know, I walk with him, he is close to me, he's intimate. And look at the list, more than anything else, one who guard his tongue, and what they say. James 1.26, anyone among you thinks he's religious or spiritual, if he does not control his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this religion is useless. The true test of spirituality is what comes out of our heart and what we say. Definition of evil report. An evil report involves distortion of facts or false information. We can also be reporting facts or truth with the intention to tear down and not to build up. It is given with wrong motivations and causes the hearer to come to inaccurate conclusions, respond in an unscriptural manner. Evil report may be communicated by words, facial expressions, gestures, and even tonal patterns. And I add email and Facebook, social media. Who gives evil report? A whisperer, one who secretly or privately passes on evil report to others. And there you have the scripture. Second, someone who gossips, a tale bearer. You shall not go about as a tale bearer among your people, nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor. The reason one should not gossip? Because I am God. That's all the reason I need to know. Proverbs 26, 20. Where there is no wood, the fire goes out. And where there is no tale bearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals and wood to fire, so is contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a tale bearer are tasty truffles, and they go down into the innermost body. In my native language, it's a very serious translation. It creates hell within one. And third, who spreads evil report? A slanderer, one who seeks to destroy another's credibility or reputation with damaging words, distortions of facts, or evil suspicions. I recommend you sometime read Numbers 13 and 14. It's a classic chapter. Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report on the land. Those chapters are very important. I did a lot of teaching based on those two chapters. The tall people went to spy out the land. They were all senior most leaders of the people of God. They were not little children. And when they came back, they said, we saw giants in the land, which was the truth. They said, the land is wonderful, but the problem is the terrain is so horrible we can't do anything about it. And then they began to talk about it. And then you find the entire congregation began to weep and mourn. And they said, it was good we die in the wilderness. And then they get upset with Moses. And little later, God steps on the scene and says, Moses, I heard what you said, so it shall be. Forty years they will wander in the wilderness, and they will die, except Joshua and Caleb and the children that were born during those years. What they said defiled the innermost being and the hope and destroyed everything. And that is the danger of it. Now you can study that. The fourth person, the busybody, who digs up evil report and make it his business to spread them by means of gossip, slander, or whispering. Five, idle talker, one who is given to continuous talking generally about things that are neither his concern or his responsibility. In a multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The third main point, what motivates evil report? One, bitterness or revenge. Esau toward Jacob after birthright was stolen. You can see the scripture is very clear. It says, be extremely careful, diligent, deliberate, anxious, that no root of bitterness take place in your heart by which not only the person is defiled, but many are defiled. It is like, you know, I got this flu. Some wicked traveler with me was spreading it. If I catch him, I will bite his nose off. But you see, I mean, that person, basically, I was sitting two seats away from me. I was not thinking about, I'm going to make this Indian sick. No. Basically, all the germs are just coming out. And this is what happens to people when they hold on to bitterness. And then rebellion, number 16, you want to study that. It's, again, another classic chapter. You know, one person, Korah, he had something that he didn't like, which was he didn't get recognized, promoted, and understood. And then, just behind the scene, he was, basically, the guy was extremely smart and clever. And behind the scene, he began to start working. And the result, how many hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of innocent people were killed and their lives destroyed. And Korah's rebellion is one of the terrible, awful warning that God gives us in the scripture. Third, because of deception. People don't want to admit their failure, so they, basically, put it on somebody else. And pride, Absalom. You'll find the terrible things he would say about his own father, David, and all because, basically, he won the throne. And he won something that he didn't get. And guilt. Cain attempted to justify his murder of Abel. You'll find, number six, envy or jealousy. Joseph's brother speaking among themselves. And you find Luke 15, another New Testament illustration. The younger brother, who was a crazy boy, he came home. And the older brother, who was a full-time worker, very faithful, hard-working, militant, day and night he's working faithfully for the father. And now, he comes and hear all the dancing, music, and everything going on. And he called the servant and said, what on earth is happening here? He said, oh, you didn't know. Your brother came home. What? And then you find the older brother saying, this, your son, an adulterer, wasting money? And then he makes a list of accusations. He had no proof the boy had anything to do with anything. He just comes home as a broken person. And he was so jealous and says, I've been here all this time. You won't give me anything. And you see that classic passage of how people do these kind of things and talk horrible things simply because they are jealous. And number seven, improper response to correction. When somebody corrects us, we don't want to humble ourselves, see the truth. And all of a sudden, we start biting back and spewing fire. Number eight, unfulfilled expectations. It's often the case. We all maintain some secret ambition. It may not be money or something, but whatever it may be. And when that is not fulfilled, rather we make it the opposite. Instead of a thank you, somebody says, what on earth is wrong with you? Why didn't you do that? And all of a sudden, we are tempted to go for lunch with somebody and say, oh man, it's a bummer. It's a bummer. And start talking about, I don't know how to work with this fellow anymore. And on and on and on like that. And Paul had to deal with that. And you know, his major problem with the Quorum of the Church, if you read the list, basically was a sin of the tongue. Number four, how Satan uses evil reports. One, to discredit spiritual leadership. That's what happened with Moses. Numbers chapter 12, verse 2, you can read that. Number 16, you will find Moses' life was, I mean, I feel, I mean, by the way, I read Book of Numbers every year, at least once. When I'm really discouraged, I try to read it a second time. And second Quorums, I read as often as I can, as a matter of fact. You know why? It kind of gives me a good feeling. I'm not alone. Hey, thanks for joining us today for The Road to Reality with K.P. O'Hanlon. 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