For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.[Hebrews 10:26-27]
On May 26 Virginian Laquanda Newby left her two sons in the car as she ran into Sam's Club to do some shopping. Eventually, police were called in and told Newby she would have to appear at the Henrico County Courthouse, where she would be charged for having put her children in a dangerous situation.
To her credit, Newby did show up for her court appointment on the designated day.
Things were going according to plan for Newby, until an undercurrent of whispers went through the courtroom and the entire courthouse. It appears that someone had pulled into the parking lot, rolled up the windows, and left a six-year-old and a one-year-old to fend for themselves in the vehicle.
It was 90-plus degrees outside that day.
According to police, it appears the children had been left in that car for over two hours. When they were released from the car and brought into the courthouse, the children were hot, sweaty, thirsty and unhurt. After they had cooled down a bit, the children said their mother had left them. When asked their mother's name, they said ... you already know ...
Laquanda Newby.
Newby didn't get to go home with her kids that day. She was arrested and booked on the charges of "contributing to the delinquency or abuse of a child." The children's father was called and he came and took them home.
So, let me ask, what do you think of someone like Newby who repeated her crime? Understand, I can't say what Newby did was a mistake or an error or an unintentional goof. She knew what she was doing. It is possible the first time Newby left her kids in the vehicle she didn't realize just how wrong that action was, but certainly she should have known enough not to repeat that abuse of her children.
I don't know how you feel but, in the text above, St. Paul gives us a pretty good idea how the Lord feels. The Triune God certainly understands when we trip and unintentionally transgress. He understands and forgives, even if that same unintentional sin happens numerous times. But He is mighty unhappy with those who try to take advantage of His grace and make a mockery of His Son's sacrifice, by deliberately sinning and expecting to get off scot-free.
This is why, as the Lord's saved people, we live our lives in thanksgiving for His grace and doing our best to avoid that which displeases Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for Your great grace and mercy. Help me to avoid all manner of sin, but most of all keep me from those transgressions which are deliberate. In Your Son's Name I ask it. Amen.
On May 26 Virginian Laquanda Newby left her two sons in the car as she ran into Sam's Club to do some shopping. Eventually, police were called in and told Newby she would have to appear at the Henrico County Courthouse, where she would be charged for having put her children in a dangerous situation.
To her credit, Newby did show up for her court appointment on the designated day.
Things were going according to plan for Newby, until an undercurrent of whispers went through the courtroom and the entire courthouse. It appears that someone had pulled into the parking lot, rolled up the windows, and left a six-year-old and a one-year-old to fend for themselves in the vehicle.
It was 90-plus degrees outside that day.
According to police, it appears the children had been left in that car for over two hours. When they were released from the car and brought into the courthouse, the children were hot, sweaty, thirsty and unhurt. After they had cooled down a bit, the children said their mother had left them. When asked their mother's name, they said ... you already know ...
Laquanda Newby.
Newby didn't get to go home with her kids that day. She was arrested and booked on the charges of "contributing to the delinquency or abuse of a child." The children's father was called and he came and took them home.
So, let me ask, what do you think of someone like Newby who repeated her crime? Understand, I can't say what Newby did was a mistake or an error or an unintentional goof. She knew what she was doing. It is possible the first time Newby left her kids in the vehicle she didn't realize just how wrong that action was, but certainly she should have known enough not to repeat that abuse of her children.
I don't know how you feel but, in the text above, St. Paul gives us a pretty good idea how the Lord feels. The Triune God certainly understands when we trip and unintentionally transgress. He understands and forgives, even if that same unintentional sin happens numerous times. But He is mighty unhappy with those who try to take advantage of His grace and make a mockery of His Son's sacrifice, by deliberately sinning and expecting to get off scot-free.
This is why, as the Lord's saved people, we live our lives in thanksgiving for His grace and doing our best to avoid that which displeases Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for Your great grace and mercy. Help me to avoid all manner of sin, but most of all keep me from those transgressions which are deliberate. In Your Son's Name I ask it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 113:1 Halleluyah!
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 113:1 Halleluyah!
Servants of Adonai, give praise!
Give praise to the name of Adonai!
2 Blessed be the name of Adonai
from this moment on and forever!
3 From sunrise until sunset
Adonai’s name is to be praised.
4 Adonai is high above all nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like Adonai our God,
seated in the heights,
6 humbling himself to look
on heaven and on earth.
7 He raises the poor from the dust,
lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
8 in order to give him a place among princes,
among the princes of his people.
9 He causes the childless woman
to live at home happily as a mother of children.
Halleluyah!
114:1 When Isra’el came out of Egypt,
the house of Ya‘akov from a people of foreign speech,
2 Y’hudah became [God’s] sanctuary,
Isra’el his domain.
3 The sea saw this and fled;
the Yarden turned back;
4 the mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like young sheep.
5 Why is it, sea, that you flee?
Why, Yarden, do you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, do you skip like rams;
and you hills like young sheep?
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Ya‘akov,
8 who turned the rock into a pool of water,
flint into flowing spring.
115:1 Not to us, Adonai, not to us,
but to your name give glory,
because of your grace and truth.
2 Why should the nations ask,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 Their idols are mere silver and gold,
made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they can’t speak;
they have eyes, but they can’t see;
6 they have ears, but they can’t hear;
they have noses, but they can’t smell;
7 they have hands, but they can’t feel;
they have feet, but they can’t walk;
with their throats they can’t make a sound.
8 The people who make them will become like them,
along with everyone who trusts in them.
9 Isra’el, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
10 House of Aharon, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
11 You who fear Adonai, trust in Adonai!
He is their help and shield.
12 Adonai has kept us in mind,
and he will bless.
He will bless the house of Isra’el;
he will bless the house of Aharon;
13 he will bless those who fear Adonai,
great and small alike.
14 May Adonai increase your numbers,
both yours and those of your children.
15 May you be blessed by Adonai,
the maker of heaven and earth.
16 Heaven belongs to Adonai,
but the earth he has given to humankind.
17 The dead can’t praise Adonai,
not those who sink down into silence.
18 But we will bless Adonai
from now on and forever.
Halleluyah!
1 Thessalonians 3:1 So when we could no longer stand it, we agreed to be left in Athens alone 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker for the Good News of the Messiah, to make you solid and encourage you in your trust; 3 so that none of you would let these persecutions unsettle him. For you yourselves know that these are bound to come to us; 4 even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were about to be persecuted; and indeed it has happened, as you know. 5 That is the reason why, after I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your trust. I was afraid that somehow the Tempter had tempted you, and our hard work had been wasted.
6 But now Timothy has come to us from you, bringing good news about your trust and love, and telling us that you remember us well and are always longing to see us, just as we long to see you. 7 Because of this, brothers, in spite of all our trouble and distress, we were comforted over you — because of your trust; 8 so that now we are alive; since you continue to stand fast, united with the Lord.
9 Indeed, how can we thank God enough for you or express to our God all the joy we feel because of you? 10 Night and day we pray as hard as we can that we will be able to see you face to face and supply whatever shortcomings there may be in your trust. 11 May God our Father and our Lord Yeshua direct our way to you.
12 And as for you, may the Lord make you increase and overflow in love toward each other, indeed, toward everyone, just as we do toward you; 13 so that he may give you the inner strength to be blameless, by reason of your holiness, when you stand before God our Father at the coming of our Lord Yeshua with all his angels.
____________________________
The Lutheran Hour660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
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