Thief Forgiven

This article made me think of how much we have sinned against a holy and righteous God and our deepest need is His forgiveness. Today is the day of salvation, repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Faithfully Forgiven: Convicted thief rejoins church he hurt
Charles Lohn was a thief and a liar.

More than two years ago, the youth pastor at Shelbyville Mills Baptist Church was convicted of embezzling more than $75,000 from church funds over a three-year period. The case was widely reported in local and national media.

Lohn served a nine-month sentence, three months of house arrest and is now completing the remainder of a 10-year probation.

Restoration

This morning, he will stand before the congregation of the church he stole from, be transparent about his actions and motives, and ask for forgiveness from those he hurt directly. He will then be reinstated to membership in the church he's been associated with for a dozen years.

His relationship with senior pastor Jonathan Sims goes back much further than that.

"Charles and I have been together for 19 years," Sims said in an interview this week.

Sims met Lohn, then a young man just out of high school, while still in seminary. Lohn attended the first church Sims pastored in Texas, then followed him to a church in Talladega, Ala., where he would serve on the staff for six years. When Sims moved to Shelbyville, Lohn followed.

Sims had watched the young man grow up, had been a friend and counselor, had christened each of the four children born to Charles and Misty Lohn.

Shocking news

It was July 2009. Sims was a few days into a vacation with his family in Orlando, Fla. David Brown, associate pastor, was on vacation at home when the chairman of deacons of the church called his home.

"We don't have any money in the bank."

Not possible, Brown countered, ticking off assets and accounts which came to mind.

The two met at the church office and began to review bank statements. It didn't take long to figure out the discrepancy, to begin to understand what seemed impossible to believe.

"This is Charles. I trust him with my life," Brown said of his initial reaction. "There's got to be a more reasonable explanation."

Over a long period of time, Lohn had been embezzling from the church by taking cash and writing additional payroll checks to himself.

"I had ... thought that it would be alright to 'borrow' some money and pay it back at a later date," Lohn said. "This began to grow into taking more money. Although I told myself I would pay it back, deep down I knew that I could not."

Read more -->HERE.

Day 126-11

VIII - The Reign of David - 1025-985 B.C. ~ cont.

C. David restored to the throne

1. Returns to Jerusalem

a. David returns to Jerusalem - 2 Samuel 19:11-15

b. Shimei is pardoned by David - 2 Samuel 19:16-22, 23; Psalm 92:1-15

c. David adn Mephibosheth - 2 Samuel 19:24-30

d. David and Barzillai - 2 Samuel 19:31-40

2. Wars and famines

a. Strife between Israel and Judah resumed - 2 Samuel 19:41-43

b. Sheba;s rebellion - 2 Samuel 20:1-3

c. Joab slays Amasa - 2 Samuel 20:4-12

d. Joab also orders Sheba slain - 2 Samuel 20:13-22

{pages 556 - 560}

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes.  (2 Samuel 19:27)

slandered - H7270 - A primitive root; to walk along; but only in specific applications, to reconnoitre, to be a tale bearer (that is, slander); also (as denominative from H7272) to lead about.

Used 25 times - by Joseph calling his brothers spies, Moses sent Jaazer to spy out the land, of the twelve men who searched out the land, Joshua sent two to spy out Jericho, those who went out to view Ai, Caleb uses of his espying out the land, used of the tribe of Dan to spy out, David sent spies to see about Saul, used of David's ambassadors to Hanun, Absalom sent out spies, and used in Psalms of a backbiter.

Though Ziba slandered Mephibosheth, his response:

And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house.  (2 Samuel 19:30)

I can not remember where I read it, but thought it interesting that Mephibosheth was willing to take the loss, apparently showing forgiveness.  I have browsed a few articles, one was quite staunch in stating that Mephibosheth was not mislead by Ziba, nor slandered.  Both sides of the aisle are represented in the small selection I browsed.

Aha...I found a site which has all the commentaries together...Bible Study Tools, for those who may want to explore a bit further.  :-)  This did not offer K&D or JFB, but had Gill and Henry.

2 Samuel 19:43, the last portion and Gill's commentary:

and the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel; not those that are here recorded, but what followed, and are not written, being so very warm and indecent; and David being silent in this hot dispute between them, which was interpreted taking the part of Judah, the men of Israel were incensed at it; and hence arose a new rebellion, of which more in the next chapter how it began, and was crushed.

2 Samuel 20:3, the last portion and Gill's commentary:


living in widowhood; neither used by the king as his concubines, as they had been before, nor suffered to many any other; or "in the widowhood of life" (o), which is so expressed, to distinguish it from widowhood made by death; this was such sort of widowhood as obtained while their husband was living; so the Targum,"widows of their husband alive,'' or remaining. 

Thinking of widows makes me glad that Father cares for them and orphans.  He is always timely and provides what is needed for every season of life.