“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12: 2
The Christmas holiday season is before us, and I believe it is necessary for us to raise the bar when it comes to being cautious and careful. Let us not fall prey to pranksters, gangsters, scammers, crooks, etc. Trust me, it is easy to get caught up in all the glamour, trickery and pomp and circumstance during the holidays. On a regular basis, someone is out to take advantage of you via an email promotion, telephone gimmick, identity theft, fraud, knock on the door with a sales pitch that is too good to be true, etc. Anyone who is guilty of any of the above offenses is a crook and a thief.
This is not to suggest that we have a spirit of fear, rather understand that: “God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (1 Timothy 1:7). We are also taught to not be foolish and give in to the wiles of the devil.
The Bible condemns theft. Exodus 20:15 states, “You shall not steal.” In 1 Corinthians 6:10, Paul writes, “Nor thieves will inherit the kingdom of God.”
We live in an age when the elderly are prime candidates for scams. We are living in a time when many have totally ignored the teachings of the Bible. We are trying to figure out why so many young people are going astray. Why is there so much hatred and dislike for one another is a question that has been asked since the beginning of time. We are being tricked by the influences of the devil. It is so easy to be persuaded to conform to the world, if we are not careful.
There were concerns regarding criminal activities before the pandemic started, but it has reached a level of increased proportion.
I was recently reading an article in the AARP Bulletin that asked the question, “Can a crook steal your entire home?” The article goes on to declare that there is something called deed theft. Thieves can forge a deed that transfers ownership of a property to them.
A second type is when a crook tricks a homeowner into signing a deed of transfer ownership, by promising to help refinance a mortgage or paying overdue taxes. There are all sorts of ways and gimmicks a crook will use to take charge of your possessions, if we are not careful. Just imagine living in your home for years, and all of a sudden you find out that you are not the owner.
My definition of a crook is one who steals, cheats or swindle belongings of another person or entity. It is one who is corrupt and out to get over on you in any way possible.
Thievery and doing harm to another human being is nothing new. For we recall in Luke 10: 29-37: A man going from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers who strip him and beat him. A priest and Levite pass by without helping him. But a Samaritan stops and cares for him, taking him to an inn where the Samaritan pays for his care.” The moral of the story is that we should love and be kind to everyone, even if they have a different background than you, or believe differently than you.
I guess we could say the attacked man was jacked up, which is no different than what is happening today in regards to carjackings.
Unfortunately, we are living in a time of so much strife, hatred and division amongst each other that we lose sight of the real reason for these seasons. The psalmist David reminds us in Psalm 133: “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren and (sisters) to dwell together in unity.”
The Bible teaches: “The thief comes to steal, kill and to destroy: I am come that they may have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10: 10
May all of God’s people pray for peace, God’s providence and protection.
As noted at the beginning of this message in Romans 12:2, it shows that we live out God’s will when we change our thoughts to God’s thoughts, rather than living like the world dictates.
Stay Safe!
Just my thoughts!
Robert Earl Slade, Pastor
