HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-01-10, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013.
By Pastor Andrew Versteeg
Brussels Community
Bible Chapel
This winter I have undertaken a
renovation project in the house
where I used to live. We are trying to
sell the house so we thought we
would fix it up a bit to make it a little
more presentable and useable. I
took most of my tools to the house
and started to get into the work.
About three weeks ago I went over
one evening to finish a closet in a
bedroom, and what do you know, my
cordless drill and a good drill set
were missing. Someone had been in
the house the day before and had
stolen my drill.
Immediately a number of different
emotions welled up inside of me.
The first feeling I had was that I had
been violated. Someone had taken
something from me that I had
bought, which I had selected
because I liked it and because it was
good and necessary for the work I
was doing. Two-and-half years ago,
when we got married, I had asked for
some carpentry tools and we had
used some of our wedding gift
money to buy this drill. So in a real
way this drill was a part of me and
someone had taken it.
Then I was angry. I thought about
who might have done this and
different scenarios played
themselves out in my mind as I
imagined what I might have done if I
had walked in on the thief. I was
discouraged and wondered why God
had allowed this to happen to me. I
was also thankful that it was only my
drill. Some of you reading this have
had a similar experience but you
have lost a lot more. Insurance helps
but it does not help so much with the
sentimental and personal side of
things.
This experience has made me
think about this subject of stealing.
What is thievery? Are the people
who break into houses, businesses
and cars the only thieves in our
society? What motivates thievery?
These are questions that we need
to answer and that I need to answer
before I start throwing stones at the
guy who stole my drill.
What is thievery? Thievery is
taking something that belongs to
another. It can refer to something
that is either in their possession or
that is rightfully theirs and owed to
them. This includes a lot more than
stealing things like drills. What
about things like slandering or
saying what is false about others?
What about laziness at the work
place, or not paying taxes where they
are legally due? What about when
we fail to give the proper care to
those who need us like our children
or our elderly parents? Sexual
seduction is thievery. Deception in
all its forms is thievery. Much more
can be added to this list, but when
we stop and think about it we are all
guilty in some form of the sin of
thievery.
What motivates thievery?
Selfishness. At the root of all
thievery is a very ugly thing that we
are all plagued with, and that is
selfishness. We rob people of their
things, of their time, of the love we
should give them, because we are
selfish. We want things for
ourselves, we think we deserve what
we want, and we violate and rob
other people to get what we
want. The Scriptures teach us that
this sin is rooted in our hearts. It is
who we are and it is in our very
nature.
Jesus said, “For from within, out
of the heart of men, proceed the evil
thoughts, fornications, thefts,
murders, adulteries, deeds of
coveting and wickedness, deceit,
sensuality, envy, slander, pride,
foolishness. All these evil things
proceed from within and defile the
man” (Mark 7:21-23).
Ultimately thievery is an affront to
God. When we violate each other we
sin against God who has created us.
God has promised to bless us and
provide for us if we will trust Him
and obey Him in our lives. Thievery
is saying to God, “I don’t trust You. I
will get what I want by doing things
my own way.” It is such an affront to
God that He says that no thief will
enter His kingdom (1 Corinthians
6:9-10).
How do we make things right after
we have stolen? We do it by
confession and restitution. We need
to ask for forgiveness and where
possible pay back what we have
taken. We need to recognize before
God that this sin is in our hearts and
will bring His just judgment upon
us. God will forgive and more than
that He will give us a new heart that
will honour Him and love Him and
out of that love actually desire to
obey Him. And more than that even,
He will give to us His Holy Spirit to
enable us to overcome the sin in our
lives and obey Him.
There was a time in my life when
I used to steal but when I became a
Christian and experienced the grace
of God for myself, I was filled with
a desire to give that same kind of
grace to those around me. God
has forgiven me, a thief. Since
He has done that greater thing, how
can I not do the lesser thing and
forgive those who have stolen from
me?
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
huronchapel.org
We Like To Get Together Outside
Of Church Too.
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
W e Like TW o Gee T To
Of Church T
ogetet T To
ohurch T To
ogether Outside
oo.
ogether Outside
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
Last Saturday Skating, Playing Games and Drinking Hot Chocolate
You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Interim Minister: Pastor Gary Klumpenhower 519-523-9233
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, JANUARY 13
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-9017
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
250 Princess St., Brussels
519-887-6388
www.bmfchurch.com
Pastor Jim Whitehead
Guests Welcome
Jesus Is Lord!
Brussels
Mennonite
Fellowship
Worship Service 10:00 am
Sunday School 11:15 am
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
JANUARY 13th ~ Get the Scoop:
Who Got Dunked and Who Got Drunk, pt. 1
JANUARY 20th ~ Get the Scoop:
Who Got Dunked and Who Got Drunk, pt. 2
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, January 13
Brussels Business & Cultural Centre
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 a.m.
Childcare provided for infants and
preschoolers during the sermon.
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
Evangelical Missionary Church
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
Wingham Bible Study - Tuesdays 7:30 pm
Youth Group - Tuesdays 7:30 pm (at CRC)
Women At The Well - 1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm
at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God)
February 17: Special Guests
- Teen Challenge Farm, London
Jan. 13: Isaiah 43:1-7
God’s Support
& Protection
through
Flood & Fire
BRUSSELS
Sandra Cable, Pastor
Church Office 519-887-6259
E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
SUNDAY SERVICE 11:00 am
Sunday School
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
United Church
From the Minister’s StudyThievary: taking the religious approach
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