STOLEN GOODS

     Rhonda Clay was a great nurse and sometimes she liked to volunteer her services as a nurse to help others on the mission field but doing so took money. To help pay for the mission trip she was planning to take, along with a couple others from the church, she was working on a bake sale at the church.

     As Rhonda was working away in the kitchen, she heard a someone scream “HHHEEELLLPPP!!!” Dropping everything she was doing, Rhonda flew out of the kitchen to see who needed help. It was John McDonald, who was going on the trip as well to help train people on farming techniques.

     “John, are you okay?” Rhonda asked as she looked him over to see if he was hurt in someway. “Quick, call the police!” John hollered in response. “It's GONE! GONE! GONE!” “What's Gone?” Rhonda asked, “You're tractor?” “It was right there in the cupboard.” John replied.

      “Well,” Rhonda half laughed, “If it was in your cupboard, I don’t think it could have been your tractor.” “It wasn't in my cupboard.” John said, “It was in the church's cupboard.” “What was in the cupboard” Rhonda asked, “Some dishes?” “Our mission trip!” John said exasperated.

     “Our mission trip?” Rhonda asked a bit puzzled, “What do you mean 'Our mission trip' was in the cupboard?” “Not the trip.” John said looking at Rhonda funny, “The money for the trip.” When she heard that Rhonda's eyes grew three sizes, “Don't tell me our money for the mission trip is gone? That was a lot of money?”

     “It is.” John assured her, “It's gone, stolen, ripped off, what ever you want to call it, it's G O N E gone.” “was it locked in the cupboard?” Rhonda asked? “Of course it was.” John said. “You don’t leave that kind of money laying around for somebody to steal.” “Are you sure somebody stole it and didn't just move it?” Rhonda asked.

     “I'm positive.” John said, “The lock was broke off the cupboard and the box the money was in was smashed to pieces.” “Wow.” was all that Rhonda could say as her heart started to break. She knew a lot of people were counting on her coming to help. “Should we call out the national guard?” John asked. “I think the police might be fine to start with.” Rhonda said quietly.

     “This is just getting to be too much.” John said, “All these weird things happening all over Pupperville. And Harold isn’t even here.” “Who knew about the money?” Rhonda quietly asked. “Just the youth group and .... my ..... self.” John started to say and then stopped, “I just got an idea.” he said. “I think I may know who stole the money, and who has been causing all these weird things going on. I need to go and call a town meeting, can you call the police?” “I'm on it.” Rhonda said and picked up her phone as John took off for the town hall.”

      Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. And the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. - Joshua 6:1-2 (ESV)

     You may already know the story of Joshua and the battle for Jericho Jericho was a city with walls around it for protection, big walls. Israel wasn't trained as warriors but God had special plans for this city, plans to destroy it and own its possessions. Let's see what happens.

      You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him." … On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout, for the LORD has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the LORD for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD." … And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. ... But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the LORD burned against the people of Israel.

Joshua 6:3-7:1 (ESV)

     Do you think God is serious when He says not to do something? In Exodus 20:15 we read these four simple words You shall not steal. (ESV) Somebody stole the money for the missions trip, Achan stole away something that God had plans for. God said You shall not steal.

     How serious do you think God is when He says You shall not steal? Try these verses.

• Ezekiel 22:29-31 The people cheat others and steal. They hurt people who are poor and needy. They cheat foreigners and do not treat them fairly. I looked for someone to build up the walls and to stand before me where the walls are broken to defend these people so I would not have to destroy them. But I could not find anyone. So I let them see my anger. I destroyed them with an anger that was like fire because of all the things they have done, says the Lord GOD. (NCV)
• 1 Corinthians 6:10 thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers—none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. (NLT)

     Why does one steal? or Where does stealing come from? Matthew 15:19 says it comes from the heart - For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (ESV)

     What do we do with our wants instead of stealing? Be content with what we have, ask God for what we don't have and work....

     Here's Something To Ponder

• What would you ever be tempted to steal?
• In what ways can you be content with what you already have?

CHANGING WORDS

     “That was one of the funniest sermons I've ever heard.” Randy over heard Tim telling his wife. Moments later, Randy quietly slipped out of the church foyer and hid himself in the supply closet hoping no one would find him. “Maybe,” he thought to himself, I'll be able to find myself a one way trip to Tim-Buck-Tu.”

      It was there in the supply closet, Randy was found several hours later mumbling to himself, “I just don’t believe it.” over and over again. “Randy? Is that you?” came a female's voice. Randy tried to cover up but was unsuccessful and soon Rhonda Clay was pulling him to his feet. “What are you doing in here?” she asked, I thought you would have gone home long before now. And, what don't you believe?”

      “Didn't you hear the sermon?” Randy asked. “Sorry,” Rhonda said, “I didn't make it to church this morning because I had to work at the hospital. So, what happened, did someone paint more green graffiti on the church building?” “This was even worse.” Randy stated. “Worse?” Rhonda said in surprise, “Did they actually destroy part of the church building?”

      “No.” Randy said, “The building isn’t any worse than last week.” “Did you find out who painted it?” Rhonda asked. “No.” Randy shook his head, “But this week they or he or she or who ever it is did something even worse.” “well, if they didn't break anything,” Rhonda said, “What could be worse?”

      “Somebody changed my sermon!” Randy said and tried to hide again. “Changed your sermon?” Rhonda asked, What could be so bad about that?” “Do you know how embarrassing that is?” Randy asked “If I would have known before I started preaching I might have been able to fix it. But oooooh.” “How did it happen?” Rhonda asked.

      “I don’t know for certain.” Randy replied, “I keep my sermon on the computer and somebody reworded all the Bible verses on me. Did you know that Noah’s wife was the size of the ark? And did you know it snowed for forty days and lights? By the time I got through all the verses my entire sermon was a mess. What an embarrassment. I'll never be able to show my face again.”

      “Well,” Rhonda said, “If it's any comfort, I not only heard your sermon was the funniest one you have ever preached, but it was one of your best, and it can't be near as embarrassing as what happened to me this morning, but, I can't stop being a nurse and you can't stop being a preacher.” “I guess your right.” Randy said stepping out of the closet, “I just hope something worse doesn't happen.”

      And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." - Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV)

    

      God said something, He gave a command and something happened to it. Later in scripture God had given other commands and something happened to them as well. You might think they were disobeyed, they were, but something else happened to them – they were twisted.

      Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' " But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5 (ESV) - Satan said you shall not surely die...

      Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, " 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and " 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.' " Matthew 4:5-6 (ESV) – Satan said jump and you won't get hurt...

      And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, " 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.' But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) — then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." Mark 7:5-13 (ESV) The Pharisees sad Corban and invalidated God's word....

• Jeremiah got after those who changed God's words - Jeremiah 23:36 But you will never again say, ’The message of the LORD,’ because the only message you speak is your own words. You have changed the words of our God, the living God, the LORD All-Powerful. (NCV)
• God said - Don’t add to these commands, and don’t leave anything out, but obey the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. Deuteronomy 4:2 (NCV)
• We have Paul's Example - 2 Corinthians 4:2 But we have turned away from secret and shameful ways. We use no trickery, and we do not change the teaching of God. We teach the truth plainly, showing everyone who we are. Then they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are in God’s sight. (NCV)
• Peter speaks of those who twist things to their own destruction - 2 Peter 3:16 He speaks about these things in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures. (HCSB)

     We need to keep God's word – God's word. We shouldn't try and twist it, change it, etc to say what it doesn't say, to use it to try and justify evil, wrong doings, our ways.

      Here's Something To Ponder

• In what ways might you be tempted to change God's words to justify yourself?
• In what way have you twisted others peoples word to your advantage or their hurt?

NEED MORE TOYS

Better is a little with the fear of the LORD – Proverbs 15:16a (ESV)

      No-one likes to be sick especially while on vacation and especially when that vacation is Christmas vacation. It was two days after Christmas, Stella Peterson was on vacation and she was sick, so sick that she needed to go to the doctors office where she had to sit for what seemed like ages waiting for a nurse to call her back to the examination room.

     “Sorry it's taking so long, Stella.” said the nurse, “We are short handed because a lot of staff are on Christmas vacation.” The nurse was Rhonda Clay, and Stella knew her from church. “Did you have a good Christmas?” Rhonda asked as she had Stella step on some scales to be weighed.

     “NO!” Stella growled, “I didn't get enough presents.” “I thought I got too many presents.” Rhonda replied as she had Stella move to get her height. “Too many presents.” Stella growled, “How can anyone ever have too many presents? I know I can’t and I didn’t and, and, and I think I'm going to throw up.” In a flash Rhonda had some kind of bag ready for her to throw up in.

     “So?” Rhonda asks after Stella settles down, “Just how many presents did you get?” “I don't know.” Stella tells her, “I just know it wasn’t enough.” “So how many is not enough?” Rhonda asks as she prepares to check her temperature. “Five or Ten” “Five or ten!” Stella gasps, “Is that all you got for Christmas?”

     “I got seven” Rhonda said as she started writing down some numbers. “How many did you get?” “I don't know.” Stella growled, I lost count after a hundred.” “A hundred!” Rhonda gasped in disbelief. “Maybe it was two hundred.” Stella added, “All I know is wasn’t enough.” “What in the world did you get?” Rhonda asked.

     “I don't know what all I got.” Stella said as she laid back on the examination table, “I haven't opened all of them yet.” “Let me get this straight.” Rhonda said, “You got over two hundred presents.” “Make it three hundred.” Stella injected, “So, you got over three hundred presents, you haven’t even opened all of them, and you want more. Why in the world do you want more?”

     “I'm bored” Stella said. “Your sick.” Rhonda added. “I'm already tired of playing with what I got.” Stella continued. “You haven't opened everything and your already tired of everything?” Rhonda said in disbelief. “Well, I'm not tired of everything.”Stella replied, “ Some of them, no, lots of them are already broken. Besides I can’t let Harold have more than me.”

     “You're impossible.” Rhonda said and headed for the door. “Harold's impossible.” Stella growled back. “I'm sick.” “You sure are.” Rhonda said “And the doctor will see you shortly, but I'll be surprised if he can help you.”

     Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Malachi 3:10 (NIV) God says test me and see if I will bless you with more than you can hold, imagine, need, want, desire, and we know that God would keep His promise, yet, more can cause more problems than its worth, even the desire for more can be a big pain. People who want to get rich (have more) fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money (more)is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 (NIV) So goes the story of young Prince Midas.

     I'm sure many have heard of the story of King Midas and how he got a wish for more gold and everything he touched turned to gold but lets twist the story around just a little bit.

     In the eyes of most people, kids included, Prince Midas was greatly blessed with an abundance of toys. He would spend hours and hours playing with them. He should have been happy but he wasn't and it was noticed by a stranger. The stranger offered the prince a wish and the prince asked for more toys. The prince's wish was granted and everything he touched became a toy. Elated with his new ability, the prince played with new toys all day long. Full of excitement, he ran to his parents and gave them a big hug and instantly they turned to toys. That wasn't what he wanted. Hungry he grabbed some food to eat but as he bit into it he found that it had turned to a toy. In fact, everything he touched turned into a toy if he wanted it to or not..

     Here are a few good reminders for us when we start wising we had more.

• Proverbs 15:16 - Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble with it. (ESV)
• Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (ESV)
• 1 Timothy 6:8 - But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (ESV)
• Luke 3:14 - Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." (ESV)
• Philippians 4:11 - Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. (ESV)

     Here's Something To Ponder

• How much of what you have do you really need?
• What would your life be like if you desired less?