Thieves

Good Morning, 

Matthew 23:14 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”

Jesus says, people who take from others and act religious about it, or act as if they are doing a noble deed in the process, will face greater damnation.  

When one takes from someone else, no matter what he does with the stolen goods, he is still a thief. A thief may give money to the poor, or support special after-school programs, or support fallen soldiers – but he is still a thief. 

When one takes what is not his, he is a thief – no matter what he does with the stolen goods.  No matter how much he might pray over the decision, he is still in big trouble with God.  

When a person gets money from an insurance company, he causes rates to rise, and he takes from the other people who are insured. When one steals from a business, he is actually stealing from the customer who now pays the price rise on merchandise.   

To take social security money or unemployment money for anything that you do not have permission to take makes you a thief. To fraudulently gain income for any reason is theft. 

The same is true of government. Taxes rob widows and the elderly.  California gas taxes rob everyone who drives, but especially the poor. I do not care if the state buys gifts for folks in rest homes, California leaders stole that money, and they are thieves. Whom do you think is paying for the groceries or “free” phone the government program gave you – folks who are simply trying to be honest and pay their bills and their taxes!  Their taxes are higher because the recipient is taking what he did not work to earn!   

Auto insurance suits do not only take insurance company money, they take money from the poor folks trying to keep insurance. The beneficiary of that suit stole that money from their neighbor! 

One who steals from a store and says that the store has insurance is a thief and a robber to the mother or widow who shops there hoping to make it to her next check. The thief can take his ill-gotten gain and buy clothing for the naked people in the jungle – but he is still a thief. 

If you give someone money for roads, and the money is spent on political campaigns – that makes him a thief. 

Let us focus theology.  We took what Jesus gave us: salvation, eternal life, forgiveness, a home in heaven, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, and God asks us to use those gifts for His glory. 

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” 

Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” 

These verses explain that God saved us so we would work for Him.  If we do not, we are thieves!  Be careful about where you get your money; in the eyes of God, you may be in big trouble!  

As Christians, we need to be sure that we are using that which God gave us for the reason we received those wonderful eternal gifts. 

Pastor