TRIVIA:
Well you were right if you guessed New Hampshire to be the state with no sales tax. However, there are 5 states with no general statewide sales tax. They are referred to as NOMAD states, N New Hampshire; O Oregon; M Montana; A Alaska; D Deleware.
What were people from the hippie movement also called? Flower children; Nature children; Rainbow children; or Green children? Make your guess.
Challenge:
Psalm 58:1-11 Justice--Do you rulers know the meaning of the word? Do you judge the people fairly? 2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts. You spread violence throughout the land. 3 These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. 4 They spit venom like deadly snakes; they are like cobras that refuse to listen, 5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers, no matter how skillfully they play. 6 Break off their fangs, O God! Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord! 7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground. Make their weapons useless in their hands. 8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime, like a stillborn child who will never see the sun. 9 God will sweep them away, both young and old, faster that a pot heats over burning thorns. 10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth."
David in this chapter accuses those in leadership in their world of dealing unjustly with those that they have been placed in charge of in verse 1,2. Next in verses 3-5 he lays out the evidence for his accusations. Then in the following verses of 6-9 he implores God to bring judgement on these unjust leaders. In verse 9 the writer affirms how God will punish their wicked dealings with the innocent. Finally, in verses 10,11 he describes the reaction of those who have determined to live out righteous ways: They will rejoice in the fact that God will carry out proper justice for all mankind.
In verse six the wording used there "break their (fangs) teeth" is spoken with the understanding of their intentions of harming their effectiveness of bring harm to others, both good and bad. Then in verse 9 the writer requests that God punishes and spares the innocent of their evil intentions, as we see in Ecclesiastes 7:6.
It's an important lesson placed in this conclusion, the righteous (those who desire to benefit others) will respond to God's dealings with them in a repentant spirit, while the evil, wicked ones will reject any justice and attempt to carry out their harmful activity (vengence). For you see, God's just dealings with all of men testifies to the fact that God and His working of justice to all clearly declares the fact that God is a righteous judge to everyone, both to the wicked and those who strive to follow in His ways.
SO GO WITH GOD for He is the protective force against those who seek to oppress and bring harm to those unlearned and who have yet to understand where their allegiance should be given. Satan is the ally of those unjust leaders, and will attempt to bring harm and hurt to the young innocent ones in their time period, therefore those who are unlearned in the ways of God will be made victim to these evil ones. Therefore our message of our loving, just God is vital for us to pass on this vital truth to our unlearned, unsuspecting world.
We see these very evil acts being foisted on our unsuspecting world. Just as Satan in the garden did with Eve, he strives to lie, cheat, and steal from these unsuspecting ones, particularly our youth. We see this happening in many of our nations schools, seeking to intentionally remove any teaching of God so that those with evil intentions can more easily trick our youth into seeing God from the wrong, seemingly judgemental perspectives, as though He wants to judge them, keep them from enjoying life.
When in reality these small number of folks that have infiltrated in these arenas, with evil intentions are striving to rob the innocence of our youth, and cause them to be harmed and weakened by passing on their evil thoughts.
By striving to cause these unsuspecting youth to see God and His loving ways to rather be seen as harmful, limiting, and harsh. We must pray that our compassionate. loving God may be seen as verse 11 says, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God". We must be dedicated to pointing out these many rewards, rather than allow these allies of Satan to highlight the consequences of walking in the darkness of the enemy.
As Satan said to Eve in the garden, rather than pointing all of the joys & blessings that are awarded them, he attempted and succeeded to focuse on what appeared to be limiting them, "Surely, God has not said" striving to point out what appeared as limiting their freedom, but in reality resulted in introducing sin, loss, and harm to the entire world. Along with them being removed from the garden, and the tree of eternal life, and so much more. So lets rejoice in the goodness of God rather than the harm of living out the ways of sinfulness.
Flower children