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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Tuesday,
February 21, 2023
This Amish buggy is not only being pulled by literal horsepower but appears to being pushed as well. Is it similar to a towing truck pulling a vehicle?
"When
Sin Pays"
Message
summary: Let
us seek to
always align
our motives
with that
which honors
God.
"The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness" (Hosea 4:7,8).
There
are stories
and videos of
nationally
known
televangelists
flaunting
their wealth
and bragging
about their
mansions,
airplanes and
other examples
of their
self-perceived
success. It's
hard for us to
believe men
like this have
a large
following but
they do. But
this is
not new. There
have always
been those who
profit from
religion.
Today
we consider
those who
profit from
sin. Sin
indeed can be
profitable in
the
indeterminate
short-term and
for some the
short-term
doesn't end
till death
when they will
most certainly
find out sin
does not pay
in the
long-term. In
fact the wages
of sin is
always death
(spiritual
separation
from God).
Today's
first text is
a gem
Brooksyne
brought to my
attention
while reading
Hosea, a book
that can be a
rather hard
read. In the
book Hosea is
describing
Israel's many
sins and calling
the people to
repentance.
This
text follows
the passage
shared
yesterday from
Hosea 4:6, "my
people are
destroyed from
lack of
knowledge".
The verse
continues to
explain the
priests had
rejected
knowledge and
ignored the
law of God and
thus God
rejected
them as
priests.
But
apparently the
people still
saw them as
legitimate
priests thus
the following
verse (v.7)
states,
"The more
priests there
were, the more
they sinned
against me."
What
a sad result
of having more
priests! The
priestly role
of the Old
Testament is
similar (but
not identical)
to ministers
in the New
Testament and
through the
church age.
You would
expect the
more priests
the less the
people would
sin but God
had rejected
them and now
they were
using their
priestly role
as a pretext
for greed.
God-honoring
priests and
ministers
should be
reminding
people of the
consequences
of sin and
stressing
living in
obedience to
God, but these
priests "ignored
the law of
your God"
(v.6).
The
priests during
this apostate
time made a
very bad
exchange, "they
exchanged
their glorious
God for
something
disgraceful".
What was this
disgrace?
"They
feed on the
sins of my
people and
relish their
wickedness."
Another
version
renders the
text this way,
"When the
people bring
their sin
offerings, the
priests get
fed. So the
priests are
glad when the
people sin!"
A
similar
expression of
ministerial
greed in the
New Testament
are the false
teachers Paul
wrote about in
1 Timothy 6:5
"who think
that godliness
is a means to
financial
gain".
Another
version render
it, "they
imagine that
religion is a
road to
riches".
He
follows this
with these
instructive
words, "But
godliness with
contentment is
great gain.
For we brought
nothing into
the world, and
we can take
nothing out of
it. But if we
have food and
clothing, we
will be
content with
that. Those
who want to
get rich fall
into
temptation and
a trap and
into many
foolish and
harmful
desires that
plunge people
into ruin and
destruction.
For the love
of money 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
6:6-10).
The
application
for all of us,
but especially
ministers, is
to always
align our
motives with
that which
honors God.
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
how it must
grieve Your
heart to see
those in
spiritual
roles seeking
personal
benefit from
the sins of
the people
they serve, so
much so, that
they relish in
the wickedness
of their own
people as
spoken of by
the prophet
Hosea in
chapter four.
Though we more
often judge
leaders by
their actions,
You judge them
by their
motives as
well. Nothing
in all
creation is
hidden in Your
sight, but
everything is
uncovered and
laid bare
before Your
eyes to whom
they must give
an account;
You see all
things,
including the
thoughts in
their mind and
affections of
their heart.
Our spiritual
leaders not
only serve on
behalf of
their people,
but on behalf
of You,
Almighty God.
May they be
faithful and
honorable in
doing so in
Jesus' name we
pray. Amen.
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radioPermissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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