Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[ampaterry]

Whatever has happened to prayer?

Prayers have been slipped into the local church services almost like fillers. We pray for one minute here and four minutes there. The pastor prays the pastoral prayer on Sunday, and somebody offers opening and closing prayers for Sunday School and regular church services - and that is about it. Outside the church, everything from softball games to car washes to choir concerts are commonly opened and closed with prayer.

Why do we feel that if we pray at the beginning and end of something, God is bound to bless whatever falls in between? The once-popular early morning prayer breakfast has been replaced in many churches by some kind of program or special speaker who sends us charging into our day, with no reference to God other than an opening and closing prayer!

The Word of God tells us that prayer should not be only at specific times, or only for specific things:
1 Chronicles 18:11 (KJV);
"Them also king David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations; from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek."

And that prayers should be ALWAYS:
Ephesians 6:18 (KJV);
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

And that our supplications should not be limited to either morning nor to evening prayers:
1 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV);
"Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?"

When you were growing up, would your dad be happy if you only spoke to him twice a day? Most fathers would NOT want this apparent lack of attention from their children. And your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you more often too!

May God bless you, guys!

[nightwalker]

Thanks for the reminder. You're absolutely right about prayer being a much bigger part of our day. It doesn't have to be seen by others, but ongoing conversation with Father is good. And the effect is remarkable! If we are quick to include God in our life as we go through our day, we are much more likely to see His hand at work.

[BlackEagle]

It's an ongoing conversation throughout the day for me; snippets here and there for people I know, things I'm doing, things coming up...
Thanks, Terry.

[ampaterry]

Thanks, guys -
Although FEW of us actually "pray without ceasing", all of us need to work on more communication with God -

For today -

Freedom and discipline have come to be regarded as mutually exclusive, but this is simply not the case. Freedom is not the opposite, but the final reward of discipline! You cannot simply claim freedom, but must rather purchase it with a high price.

For instance, in the Martial Arts, the goal to be attained is the ‘empty mind’. To be in this state means that you go into a situation without any thoughts of moves, either offensive or defensive. To the uninitiated, this seems a foolish thing indeed; if you are not planning what to do, how can you possibly hope to survive an encounter? Well, if you just decide one day to be a martial artist, and purposefully blank your mind before going up against an opponent, you are going to get hurt – no doubt about it.

The secret is that the freedom of the empty mind is only useful after you have gone through years of training and discipline in the martial arts. You have practiced every possible move so much that it is automatic – just like jerking your hand back when it is burned – you don’t have to think about it! Then, and only then, you can experience the true freedom of purposefully emptying your mind with the assurance that your reflexes will take over and protect you in the battle ahead. Your reactions will be much faster than they would be if you had to see what was coming, think about it, and then decide what to do.

Liberty as a Christian also requires much hard work and discipline. You spend years working at doing what is right, at consciously deciding in each situation what Christ would have you do, and you continue this training until doing the right thing is automatic - it is a reflex, not requiring conscious thought.

1 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV);
"But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak."
Galatians 5:13 (KJV);
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
1 Peter 2:16 (KJV);
"As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God."

May God bless you, guys, with true freedom -

[nightwalker]

And I still, after thirty five years of being a follower of Christ, have occasions in which I have to backtrack and repent. Thank God He's more faithful than me.

[BlackEagle]

Thanks again, Terry. You reminded me of what Paul said...

1 Corinthians 9:25-27
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

[ampaterry]

I am running a bit late today - somehow, I feel like last night was about an hour short -
LOL!!

Today starts Daylight Savings Time. If you did not set your clocks ahead an hour last night, you better hustle or you will be getting to church just in time for the final “Amen!”
There is a story told about Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Some College kids brought a large valve wheel on a steel rod, and jammed the rod down into the dirt near the geyser. Then, at the right time for the eruption, they cranked the wheel. At the time for the eruption to cease, they cranked the valve the other way, giving the impression that they were controlling the geyser.

Now that is a cute story, but I tend to doubt it actually happened. The reason I doubt it is that the time between eruptions of this geyser vary quite a bit; from 38 to 90 minutes. And the duration of the spewing water and steam varies as well. It is not close enough to a schedule that they could pretend to turn it on and off at the right time.

Man has become very good at timekeeping; we make fractional second adjustments every now and then to keep our timekeeping precisely in tune with the rotation of the earth on it's axis, and it's journey around the sun.

But God's movements are not precisely predictable. We pray for healing, and it may come instantly, it may come later, or it may come only in the next life. We may be extremely punctual at when we start and end our church services, but the start and end of the Church Age is in the hands of God. We can calculate to the second when Spring begins, but God controls when the flowers bloom.

So, let us all set our clocks ahead today in order for us all to agree on what time it is. Only thus can we insure that we get to work when the boss thinks we should be there, and turn on the TV at the right time to catch the 6 o’clock news.

But let us always remember that, although we are bound tightly by time, God is the creator of time, and He is not bound by it:
2 Peter 3:8 (KJV);
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

May God bless each one of you on this day -

[BlackEagle]

Thanks, Terry;
Our British Summer Time comes up in a couple of weeks...
Sometimes it's hard to wait for God's time, but He says...
Psalm 31:15
My times are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.

[ampaterry]

We all want the lean muscular body, but none of us wants to do the diet and exercise required to get it. We would all love to play a musical instrument, but we don't want the long hours of practice. We all wish we knew more about something or other, but are unwilling to spend the time in study to learn it.
We need to understand that improvement requires more than just desire - we must work and sacrifice to get there. The best way to learn this lesson is to learn it as children, at the hands of our parents - but many are being cheated out of this lesson. Tom Landry said "My task is to renew the minds of our players so that I can get them to do what they do not want to do in order for them to achieve what they want to achieve."
It is too late for most of us to learn as children, but it is not at all too late for us to make it a point to influence the children that are growing up today. In 1995, the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company performed a study which showed 63 percent of adults in the united states believe parents are too lenient and permissive with their children. Studies between then and now show this leniency has increased significantly since then.

The Word of God tells us that it is an error not to discipline children that are wrong headed:

1 Samuel 3:13 (KJV);
"For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not."

Proverbs 29:15 (KJV);
"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Proverbs 13:24 (KJV);
"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."

Disciplining the child you love is not easy. But no one said being a good parent was easy, did they?

May God bless each one of you - -

[BlackEagle]

Too true, Terry;
These days the government over here is mandating parental negligence by making it illegal to physically chastise children. If a parent is seen smacking his child he can be taken to court for child abuse, and social services take the kids into protective custody. All in the name of child rights. Then they wonder why kids run amok. Spare the rod and spoil the child has become anathema.

[ampaterry]

We have similar laws here in the US -
Fortunately, most of us do not live in those areas where such laws are taken seriously. Here, the main problem is that the KID can report the PARENT, and then it becomes an official violation and gets REAL sticky.

For today:

The historian, Gibbon, tells us that Abdulrahman, of the Muslim Caliphs of Spain, built for his pleasure the city, palace, and gardens of Zehra, beautifying them with the costliest marbles, sculptures, gold, and pearls. He had sixty-three hundred persons—wives, concubines, and eunuchs—at his service. His guard had belts and scimitars studded with gold. At his death, the following memorial was found: "I have now reigned above fifty years in victory and peace. . . . Riches, honors, power, pleasure—the days of pure and genuine happiness which have fallen to my lot: they amount to fourteen."

How about you, Brother? Are you happy?

Sister, can you number the happy days of the last year on your fingers?
The Word of God tells us of true happiness, and how to attain it.

First of all, there is happiness in trusting in the Lord – something this Caliph knows nothing about:
Proverbs 16:20 (KJV);
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.

And there is happiness in just being one of the people of God!
Deuteronomy 33:29 (KJV);
Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

“Just” being one of the people of God? That’s like being “Just” perfectly healthy, isn’t it? No – being one of the people of God is not some minor thing, but the single most important thing that will ever happen to you in your life.

The last time I was happy was – NOW.

The last time I felt joy and exhultation was just a few minutes ago when I stepped outside and watched the lightening Eastern sky as clouds from the south skidded past overhead. I observed them, felt my spirit soar, and thanked God for his entire creation, and for giving me yet one more fantastic day.

May the God of all creation bless each one of you, guys - -

[BlackEagle]

What a blessing to be reminded of that. Thanks, Terry.

[ampaterry]

Last night, my wife and I went outside just after sunset and observed the planets Venus and Jupiter in the Western sky. They appear close together right now, and so bright that you can see them easily while the sky is still light from the recently set sun.
I feel so blessed at times like these, and realize that I have wealth beyond measure.

Do you remember the old John Wayne movie War Wagon? The stolen gold was mixed into flour barrels to avoid detection during the get-away. But the wagon with the barrels of flower in it had a runaway, the barrels bounced off the back all along the trail, and the wooden barrels of flour mixed with gold broke on the ground as they hit, scattering their contents all across the prairie. A tribe of starving and displaced Indians were walking near the trail and witnessed this event – they all started scooping up the flour and putting it into baskets to take with them – to them, it was food.
Were these people rich or poor?

The story is told of an Arab who lost his way in the desert. He was in danger of dying from hunger. At last he found one of the cisterns out of which the camels drink and a little leather bag near it. "God be thanked!" exclaimed he. "Ah, here are some dates or nuts; let me refresh myself." He opened the bag, but only to turn away in disappointment. Alas, they were only pearls, and what good were they to a man who was dying of hunger?
Was this man rich or poor?

How about you? Are you rich or poor? After taking a thorough audit, I find that I am rich. Very rich.

The Word of God tells us that riches can be a blessing:
2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (KJV);
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

But riches is nothing without righteousness:
Psalms 37:16 (KJV);
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

May God bless each one of you with great riches - the kind that really matters, and lasts.

[whymememe]

I also saw Jupiter and Venus last night. The two planets are predicted to line up Jupiter behind Venus on Thursday. I very often look to the heavens. Rich or poor it comes and goes for me.

[ampaterry]

Genesis 3:9 (KJV);
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

In speaking on this text, a preacher said, "I make three divisions to this text. First: Every man's got to be somewhere. Second: Some men are where they ought not to be. Third: They that are where they ought not to be are going to find themselves where they do not want to be."
It is said that experience is the best teacher, and for much in this life that is quite true; we remember those mistakes which force us to experience the consequences, don’t we?

But there are areas where this is foolishness. You may learn to ride a bike by trial and error with no more consequence than skinned knees, but it is not a good idea to learn how to shoot by that method, nor how to pilot a helicopter.

Similarly, if we want to find out what sin is by experience, we will soon find ourselves where we do not want to be. If we seek to discover it by a righteous, God-honoring reflection, then we will never taste to find out, because we will know the results beforehand. Remember Adam? He found himself where he did not want to be after he had tasted the forbidden fruit.

Genesis 3:16-19 (KJV);
”Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

We should all pray for wisdom to recognize the forbidden trees!

[BlackEagle]

Old Amish proverb: We are too soon old and too late smart.

Proverbs frequently talks about learning from other's lives--the mistakes of fools and the successes of the righteous.

Thanks again, Terry. Oh, I did see the planets the other night; it was overcast last night. Will have to watch again for them.

[ampaterry]

We have been cloud covered since also - did not get to see the closest passage on Thursday.

I see where the State Department has issued an advisory for us to be on the lookout for terrorist attacks here in the US.

Some Korans were defaced by prisoners - Muslim prisoners - in an attempt to communicate clandestinely.
They were burned. What the heck are we SUPPOSED to do with defaced Korans?
Anyway, this caused a Muslim backlash, and they killed some of our troops.
Stemming from that, apparently, a troop(s) went rogue and killed some Muslims.
Now they are planning more retaliation against us.
And it all stemmed from THEM defacing THEIR holy book!

Worry about terrorism has become a reality for us here in the US. Once a problem only in other countries, terrorism is now a problem virtually world wide. To help us with this, remember one of Luther’s finest hymns; “A Might Fortress Is Our God”. Its majestic and thunderous proclamation of our faith is the very essence of faith, and filled with the fervor and flavor of patriotism which he found in Psalm 46:
Psalms 46:1-11 (KJV);
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah
There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

In the fourteenth century when Sergius the hermit was leading his countrymen, and Tartar hordes were overrunning his land, this Psalm was a source of strength and courage. Over and over, the godly hermit recited this psalm and then led his revived men in a charge that drove the invaders back and brought ultimate victory. Throughout the ages men have been stirred by the realization that the Eternal God is available to them and that nothing, literally nothing, can overwhelm or destroy a man when he lives according to his faith.
Such faith will bring us victory today as well.

May God bless you, guys, and keep us all safe -

[BlackEagle]

Can't go wrong with the theology of the Psalms. It's God's Word. There is a prositised version of that Psalm set to the tune Ein Feste Burg. Thanks again, Terry.

[Krogen]

Terry, thank you for posting that one! These days when I get wound up, stressed out and all, passages such as these bring me right back to reality.

[ampaterry]

Today is St. Patrick's Day. Anyone of Irish descent will wear green today. Anyone with a even a hint of Irish blood will also wear green. Anyone with a taste for partying will probably claim they are of Irish descent for this day, at least, so they can take part in the festive nature of the day.

I see nothing wrong with this, provided the partying does not get out of hand. Back when I was a drinking man, “Green beer” meant the batch had not turned out very well, and had a sort of skunky taste to it. Carlings Black Label was noted for this; it was a very good beer, my favorite in fact, but every now and then you would open a bottle and take a sip, and recoil from the taste of it. Depending on how broke I was, I would either drink it anyway or pour it out and open another. But today, everyone will want a “green beer”, beer that has been died green in keeping with the Irish nature of the day.

But what is all this celebration about? It is about Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland. Legend has it that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, but he did not do that; he did something much more beneficial for the Irish.

Patrick was born in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 387 to Calphurnius and Conchessa. Calphurnius was of high rank in the Roman government, while Conchessa was a close relative of St. Martin of Tours. When Patrick was 16, he was taken captive by Irish marauders and sold as a slave in what is now Antrim, Ireland. He served there for six years, learning the Celtic tongue and the inner workings of Druidism from his master who was a High Priest in that cult. Acting on the warning of an Angelic visitor, he fled his cruel master and returned to Britain, but his heart was turned to God's service, and after a time studying in the monastery in Tours, he was made a priest and later entrusted with evangelizing the Irish by Pope St. Celestine I, which he spent the rest of his life doing.

The end of the Druids came when the Arch Druid Lochru, with demon empowerment, raised himself high above the ground as a demonstration of his power. Patrick knelt in prayer, and the Druid dropped from the sky onto a rock, which killed him.

And what about the snakes? It seems the Druids worshiped a snake deity of some kind - - -
Like I keep saying, guys, most legends have SOME basis in fact -

May God bless and keep each one of ye today, eh?

[ampaterry]

Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent, called Laetare Sunday in the Catholic and some other Christian churches. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the name comes from the first words of the Introit at Mass, "Laetare Jerusalem " -- "Rejoice, O Jerusalem ".

The day is also known as Mothering Sunday (also the old English name for Mothers Day), Refreshment Sunday, Mid-Lent Sunday (in French mi-carême), and Rose Sunday (because the golden rose sent by the popes to Catholic sovereigns used to be blessed at this time), and “The Sunday of the Five Loaves” from the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes which was read at this time in the older Lectionary series.

This day is a day of relaxation from normal lenten rigors; a day of hope with Easter being at last within sight. Traditionally, even weddings (otherwise banned during Lent) could be performed on this day.

This is indeed a day of hope. At this time of year, we are sobered by the approach of Good Friday, when we memorialize with horror the torture and death of Jesus Christ our Lord. We read the passages which detail his suffering. Judy and I will put in the DVD of The Passion of The Christ, and once again experience the awful realization that it is we –you and I – that made this suffering necessary.

But the story does not end there -
Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday, when the Lord rose in triumph from the tomb where they had laid him. So even now, in the middle of the season which is dedicated to the somber recognition of this, there is a day set aside to remember that what is coming – while horrible to contemplate – is the beginning of something wonderful!
In the midst of the mourning, Christ appeared:
Luke 24:36 (KJV);
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

So relax a bit today.
Feel and express hope today.
Jesus loves every one of you.
And I love every one of you.

[ampaterry]

Today, our Catholic friends celebrate the Solemnity of Joseph. Little is known about Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. He was probably a relatively old man when Jesus was born, since he does not appear in the gospels during Jesus' ministry. we do know from the Scriptures that Joseph was a carpenter by trade, and a descendent of the Old Testament King David. We also know that Joseph was betrothed to a virgin named Mary, and when she became pregnant without sexual intercourse with him, he intended to divorce her secretly. When an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him that Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and that Joseph should take her as his wife and name the child Jesus, Joseph obeyed.

Various legends have grown-up about St. Joseph, and while non-canonical, and historically suspect, they are interesting. One legend suggests that the high-priest Zechariah told Mary that he was instructed in a revelation to bring together marriageable men and have each man leave his staff in the temple overnight. The husband chosen by God would be revealed through a sign. In the morning, Joseph the Carpenter's staff blossomed, while the other suitors' staffs did not. This was a sign that Mary was to marry Joseph.

St. Joseph is a model of humility and holiness, and is a model for fathers everywhere. He cared for the Son of God, despite Jesus not being his own biological Son. His devotion to Mary, despite his suspicions of her infidelity, and his willingness to listen to the angel of God, demonstrate his humility.

St. Joseph is a popular patron saint. He is the patron saint of the universal Church, a happy death, workers, carpenters, expecting mothers, families, and more.

Many traditions and customs have developed around St. Joseph and his feast day. March 19th has been a traditional Italian day to show hospitality. On this day, all who come to the door are invited to dinner. The family table is extended full-length, moved against the wall (like the Church altar), and a statue of St. Joseph surrounded by flowers and candles is made the centerpiece. After the guests have enjoyed the bounteous feast, the guests leave so other guests may enter.

Reading about that makes me wish I were Italian instead of Irish.

May God bless each one of you, guys -

[pipeman525]

Another one that is making me think. Thanks Terry. I wonder if there is something about him in the books and " Gospels " that were not put in the Bible.

[ampaterry]

Thank you, pipeman -
There are stories and traditions galore out there, and Joseph is written about in some of them, such as the Protoevangelium of James and the History of Joseph the Carpenter None of them, however, can be accepted as factual.

For today:
Robert Ripley wrote of the strangest of the bibliophiles; Henri Francois Noel, Count de la Bedoyere of Paris (1821-1861). He was a passionate collector of rare volumes and loved his library with such total devotion that just owning them was not enough.
To stir up some excitement he sold his entire collection at auction five times—at intervals of five years—between 1837 and 1861. He attended each auction and was careful to outbid all others. In this manner he sold and repurchased the entire contents of his library five times. Since he had to pay an auctioneer's fee of 20 percent each time, five auctions amounted to 100 percent of the value of his collection. But he was always thrilled to bid successfully for a treasured book, even his own.

This is the love that Jesus has for us. He came to die for the sins of the world, but his love is so great that if YOU were the ONLY one to accept him, he still would have performed his sacrifice. He would have died for only one person – he would have died for only YOU. He would give 100% of himself for you alone.

And what is our love toward Jesus? What price do we place upon His Word? Is the price of the Word of God beyond measure to us? It should be.
We are told in the Word of God:

Proverbs 23:19-23 (KJV);
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

Let us all strive to treasure Christ just a fraction of how much he treasures us -

[ampaterry]

“Would you buy a used car from this man?”
Do you remember when that was used in a presidential campaign? That phrase was printed below a picture of the candidate who was being campaigned against. The idea, of course, came from the common belief that Used Car Salesmen are all dishonest.

That is a bit puzzling to me, because I have found some corporate salesmen in several different product lines that are dishonest, while I have found several used car salesmen that were quite honest. I believe salesmen have about the same dishonesty rate as most other professions, with no great difference in those selling used cars.

I believe this idea concerning used car salesmen being dishonest originater many years ago when the Horse was the transportation of the day. Horses were sold by horsetraders, and everyone knew that these guys could not be trusted. Horsetraders acted like Native Americans that were counting coup on their enemies; they took great pride in being able to cheat each other by using many different and very devious methods. Doping the unruly horse to make him docile during the sales presentation was one of the more common ones, but they ranged into very elaborate schemes far beyond that.

Then along came the automobile, and everyone wanted one! They could go faster than a horse, did not get tired, and only required feeding when they were being worked! The country went car-crazy, and who do you suppose became the car salesmen? The guys who knew transportation, of course – the horsetraders! While no longer the rule, this probably is the source of the belief that used car salesmen are all con men.

The Word of God tells us:
Leviticus 19:11-13 (KJV);
Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

That is pretty clear – we should not steal, deal falsely, lie or defraud. And then folks won’t compare us to the stereotypical used car salesman.

May God bless each and every one of you -