Acquitting The Guilty And Condemning The Innocent…

Seems like this proverb is very relevant today. Our society seems to want to exonerate criminals and condemn those who speak truth and want to do what’s right. If you are “of color” (their words not mine), and you commit a crime, you are fully given permission to resist arrest, fight back, and have zero responsibility in your actions. If you do your job, protecting society from the ever increasing evils, you’re condemned, regardless if it saves lives. God hates this kind of behavior. He talks about it in the book of Isaiah, calling evil good, and good evil. Until people embrace God’s free offer of grace, this type of behavior will continue to grow. Without God, we may know the difference between right and wrong, but we are powerless to do what is right consistently.

15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent–both are detestable to the Lord. Proverbs 17:15

Which One Do You Think Really Loves?

Reading about Solomon’s wisdom on display with the two prostitute mothers, I can help but realize that true love values and honors life. The mother that wanted the child to live even if that meant living with another mother, shows true love. True love promotes life. The mother whose child died wanted the other mother’s child to die as well. Do you think there’s a connection with abortion? One side values life, while the other values self over life. Which one do you think really loves? I think Solomon makes it clear here in this story. God grants him wisdom, the wisest man to ever live (according to God), so in using his wisdom, is he not displaying God’s character? If he honored the woman who truly loved her baby, enough to give it up in order to preserve life, God rewarded her by giving her baby back to her. It’s God’s priority, valuing life, it’s part of creation. When you value self over life, it only promotes a culture than will not honor God. Honor life, and God will honor you back in the form of real love. It’s that simple.

16 Some time later two prostitutes came to the king to have an argument settled. 17 “Please, my lord,” one of them began, “this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Three days later this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there were only two of us in the house.19 “But her baby died during the night when she rolled over on it. 20 Then she got up in the night and took my son from beside me while I was asleep. She laid her dead child in my arms and took mine to sleep beside her. 21 And in the morning when I tried to nurse my son, he was dead! But when I looked more closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t my son at all.”22 Then the other woman interrupted, “It certainly was your son, and the living child is mine.”“No,” the first woman said, “the living child is mine, and the dead one is yours.” And so they argued back and forth before the king.23 Then the king said, “Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. 24 All right, bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought to the king.25 Then he said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!”26 Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, “Oh no, my lord! Give her the child–please do not kill him!”But the other woman said, “All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!”27 Then the king said, “Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!”28 When all Israel heard the king’s decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice. 1 Kings 3:16-28

The One Reason Jesus Isn’t Welcomed…

The one reason Jesus isn’t welcomed into the hearts of people is because there’s no room for Him there. They are too full of themselves. You can’t invite guests to stay in a house already full, can you? In order to be filled with the Spirit, we must empty our hearts of selfishness and pride. This clears enough space to allow the Spirit to come in and work through a person. When people do not welcome the message of The Gospel, it shows they are too full of themselves, or better put, unwilling to listen and do God’s will.

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill Me because there’s no room in your hearts for My message.38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with My Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” John 8:34-38

Are Those Words He’d Say To You?

When Jesus said, “you cannot go where I am going”, He is telling the religious leaders they can’t go to Heaven. Are those words He’d say to you? If so, does it bother you? If not, does it make you grateful?

33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the One who sent Me. 34 You will search for Me but not find Me. And you cannot go where I am going.” John 7:33-34

Stealing The Hearts Of People…

In our current state of politics, one might question, “is this new”? I would answer, “no, it’s not new”. Modern day politicians say whatever is necessary to manipulate people in order to get votes. I remember growing up and realizing that it was common among a certain political party to take polls, asking people what was important to them, issues they felt were paramount. The politicians would then change their platform to include these issues. It sounds good, but when polls changed, so would their platforms. It became a popularity contest instead of what the politician actually believed. And so we come to today’s topic, stealing the hearts of people. Absalom did just that. He played the people to turn against his father the king. He undermined his father’s wisdom, power, and jurisdiction. He told the people what they wanted to hear. He changed his platform to what was popular. He flipped-flopped on the issues. He thus, manipulated the hearts and minds of the people. Does this sound familiar? Does it sound just like a modern day politician? If you’re not familiar with the outcome of this story, it doesn’t turn out good. Both sides lose in this situation. And it eventually costs Absalom his life. When you manipulate people, it can seem to work in your favor, but in the end, it’s you that gets played. Stealing hearts is only temporary. You can only deceive someone for so long. The question you must ask is this, "what do you do with the peoples' hearts once you've stolen them"? When people realize what’s happened, they will turn on you, and everything you gained from this deceptive practice will be lost, including your reputation.

1 After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him. 2 He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe. 3 Then Absalom would say, “You’ve really got a strong case here! It’s too bad the king doesn’t have anyone to hear it. 4 I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!”5 When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn’t let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them. 6 Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:1-6

Don’t Feed The Wildlife…

In today’s welfare state, this proverb exposes its abuses and outcome. There’s a reason there are signs in our national parks that read “Don’t feed the wildlife”. The problem with handouts is that it encourages laziness. It encourages dependence on our government. It encourages entitlement. As this proverb states, being hungry drives a person to look for work so he can make money to feed himself. Welfare has its place, but it’s temporary, not permanent. Long-term welfare transforms charity into entitlement, and produces donors without love and recipients without gratitude.

26 It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on. Proverbs 16:26

What This Evil Act Causes…

When I read about the rape of Tamar by her half brother Amnon, her response to him after his suggestive advances, shows her mindset and reveals her character. “Where would I go in my shame? And you would be be called one of the greatest fools in Israel.” She not only thinks about herself but also her brother’s reputation. It shows that she knows society’s view of rape and it’s victims. She knew, well in advance, the repercussions of what this evil acts causes. She even tried to stop it by telling Amnon that if he asked their father David, he would allow him to marry her. Tamar must’ve known God, because she knew all of these things. Sadly, Amnon didn’t listen, and it eventually cost him his life. And so it goes with all who have his same mindset when it comes to sexual behavior. God places boundaries for reasons; our protection is one of them.

10 Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. 11 But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”12 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. 13 Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.”14 But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. 15 Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at her.16 “No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.”But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. 17 He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!”18 So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters. 19 But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. 2 Samuel 13:10-19