CONSCIENCE STRICKEN

 CONSCIENCE STRICKEN

  1Timothy 4:1-2  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the

faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

  James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

  Today’s title, another yesteryear phrase, was my awakening thought. I’m thankful it this morning is ponderance and not onus; conscience stricken being a horrible state of mind, especially if it is too late for avenue of reparation.

  Not being a prophet, I can’t say for sure that we’re in the latter times the Apostle Paul wrote of, but I do believe there is less conscience resulting in more prevarication in the USA than once was. Lying has always been practiced within our borders, but I contend it is now more commonly practiced in this nation.

  To illustrate let’s look at insurance fraud and its toll: According to insurance industry estimates USA fraud is about 80 million ($80,000,000!). So what?!? Right? I’ve never done it. And it’s no skin off my nose!

  Really? How does $950 per family cost strike us as individuals in this nation? (Think what your insurance bill would be without the cost of fraud.)

  And then there’s those holding citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven. The godliness thing within our blessed insurance paid once and forever. (Heb.2:3)

  Though I know I am as capable of insurance fraud as any other sin, I have not. But I have done far worse and been conscience stricken for it.

  Frankie was a foundry coworker for some years. A fine young fellow, polite, teachable, caring, trustworthy, and hardworking. I knew without shadow of doubt that I was to witness to him. I wanted to. I did not do so.

  After supper Frankie enjoyed his easy chair and evening newspaper with his dear wife bringing him dessert after she cleared and washed dishes. One morning we were informed of his wife found him sitting, paper in hand, dead.

  Upon being informed, I was conscience stricken as I recalled “The word of the LORD came to me:"Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. "So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (ESV Ez,33:1-9)

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