Poor People: Governmental Sin
You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.
Exodus 23:8 (NASB)
Consider the Almighty’s indictment of ancient Israel's corrupt leaders:
'Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, and a great man speaks the desire of his soul; So they weave it together' (Micah 7:3).**
Consider George Washington’s announcement,* when he agreed to lead us into war:
“I beg leave to assure the Congress that no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept this arduous employment at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness. I do not wish to make any profit from it.”
Consider the United States today: Big donors and special interests rule.
Savvy middlemen are called lobbyists.
Dressed-up bribes are called honorariums.
Luxe trips and perks are called “work-related.”
As money continues its sinful reign, political reforms are voted down. Justice is a spark that seldom catches. Our governmental halls are shadowlands.
While we wave valiant flags of freedom, we engage in a practice of bondage: maintaining chains of materialism, narcissism, and corporate selfishness.
Caught in the barbed wire of bureaucracy are those easiest to ignore: THE POOR. We may call “selling out” by other names, but to God, it’s still called, TAKING A BRIBE.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
I’ve seen and remain SO THANKFUL to know… you’re NOT rising and shining for riches.
Satan’s tempting bribes bounce off your armor… and become naught but dust you leave behind.
Poor People: Governmental Sin (Part 23)
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players.’ Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.
* Short article, Ten Facts About Washington's Presidency: http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/ten-facts-about-washingtons-presidency/
** 'Bad men gain a dreadful skill and wisdom in evil, as Satan has; and cleverness in evil is their delight... All, prince, judges, the great, unite in the ill, and this not once only, but they are ever doing it and "so they wrap it up," (literally, twist, intertwine it.)... they "pervert" it, the cause of the poor' (Barnes Notes on the Bible re: Micah 7:3): http://biblehub.com/commentaries/micah/7-3.htm