Tuesday, March 6, 2018

THIEVES AND THOSE WHO HURT YOU

What does the Bible say?  I have had someone hurt me by taking advantage and conning me out of money.  Lies and promises of paying back.  This has overwhelmed me with hurt.  Lies hurt.  I thought they were family, but they saw me as a stranger.  So, what does the Bible tell me? 



Ephesians 4:28               
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Romans 12:19               

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Let God deal with those who hurt you.  (this is hard for me) 

John 10:10              

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jesus came to save the thieves from themselves.  They just need to confess and repent.  Accept Jesus as their Lord and savior.  Steal and lie no more.  But if they do, confess and feel real shame for their sins.    

Revelation 21:8               

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

  

John 8:44               

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

1 John 2:4               

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

Exodus 22:1-31               

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. ... Thieves are to  pay back!!  

1 Timothy 5:8               

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.   Family helps family..even our brothers and sisters in Christ.  But not enable them.     
   

Matthew 18:15-17             

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Matthew 22:37-39               

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.     Love is saying something and not wanting anyone to  go to eternal damnation.  Love is wanting everyone to go to Heaven.  So making then accountable for their sins is not wrong.  Talk to them in love.  Love is wanting them in Heaven. 

John 14:15               

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.     

1 Corinthians 6:10               

Nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Matthew 21:13              

1 Corinthians 6:9-11               

      

Galatians 5:19-21               

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Repent. 

  

John 3:18               

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  

  

Luke 19:46             

Saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Mark 11:17               

And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”   Jesus was angry that there was evil going on in his house.  It is ok to be angry about the sins of others.     Anger without sinning. 

  

  

Exodus 20:15               

“You shall not steal.

 

Matthew 5:19               

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

  

Leviticus 19:11               

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.

  

  

Isaiah 61:8               

For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.   God hates thieves and liars. 

  

Luke 10:27              

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”     Jesus first!

2 Timothy 3:16              

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.  Read the Bible every day and do what it says!!  

 

2 Peter 3:10               

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. All will be judged by God.  Those who have not accepted God's son will be exposed.  God will deal with them.    

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.” God is our provider.  He will never leave us.  Don't worry about anything.    

Romans 2:21               

You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?    Evaluate yourself.    

Luke 12:16-21               

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ...   Don't hang on to things or be greedy.  "Stuff" will just rot away.    

Luke 10:25-37               

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ...

  

Matthew 6:19-20              

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

  

2 Corinthians 5:17               

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.    If your are a believer of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.    

Malachi 3:8-9               

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you.   

Hosea 4:2               

There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Jeremiah 49:9               

If grape-gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, would they not destroy only enough for themselves? This is fine.  We are to help others.  But some take take take more than they need.  Greed.  This is wrong. 

Proverbs 29:24               

The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing. Interesting.  The thief in my life does has a partner, who has not said anything during the conflict between myself and the one who stole from me.     

2 Peter 3:9              

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.    God is patient with us.  He knows and will wait for us to come back to him.  Confess our wrong doing and repent.    

Luke 12:33               

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.    Our treasure is in Heaven.  Not on Earth.    

Ezekiel 33:15               

If the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. A thief is to pay back and do good. 

  

Proverbs 6:30-31               

People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry, but if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house.   We are to help others.  This is true.    A thief shall payback according to the bible. 

  

Proverbs 30:8-9              

Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.      One of the ten commandments is to not steal.  No matter what, don't be like them.  Liars and thieves.  Keep eyes on Jesus.    

 

My conclusion....be still and lay the burden down at Jesus' feet.  Pray.  Trust the Lord.  He knows your hurts.  Don't sin in anger.  Don't avenge.  Be loving.  Speak truth.   But when feeling overwhelming hurt and anxiety, just be still and wait.  Don't let the evil one fill your head or heart with sadness.  Look to Jesus.