When A Thief Was Surprised At Church!

When I was pastoring in Texas, something strange happened one Christmas that I will never stop laughing about. Because it was a Christmas holiday, we were at home with our family taking a break from our normal ministry schedule. We did not go to the church campus for the weekend.

But, while we were away, a thief broke into our church building. He made his way through our offices and finally found my Pastor's office where I think he thought there was a lot of money hiding somewhere. (Someone needed to remind him that he was robbing a Baptist church!).

When I got back to my office on Saturday afternoon, I found my door was kicked open. I had hundreds of books that were apparently searched through and thrown to the floor. Chairs were turned over. Papers were tossed on the floor everywhere. The things on top of my desk were scattered all over the office.

It looked like a Texas tornado had just ripped through my office!!

I was pretty angry until God gave me a moment to laugh and a moment to remember my whole life!

You see, I had a can of peanuts I kept on my desk to have fun with folks who visited my office. The kids who came to my office really loved it! The can looked like peanuts. It even had a few peanuts in the can to make it sound like peanuts. But it sure wasn't peanuts!

Inside of the peanut can was a spring-loaded plastic snake that flew out the moment you opened up the can!

THEN I GOT THE PICTURE! I realized what had happened.

That thief came into my office late at night looking for money and tearing up the place in anger. Then he saw that can of peanuts and thought he might eat a few. And, boy oh boy, did God ever have a surprise for him. I bet that thief almost had a heart attack when that plastic snake came flying out of that peanut can!!!!!! As Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

Poor old snake. I found him mangled, twisted and beaten up, lying on the floor with that big old smile on his face.

No, sir, I don't believe in Karma, but I do believe in God's Word. And it puts a big smile on my face that the thief most definitely reaped what he sowed. I can just see the angels who were watching over our church having the biggest laugh ever over the whole funny crime scene!

But, seriously, can you believe that a man would rob God and walk right into a church and destroy the place?

Well, come to think of it, isn't that what God said in Malachi 3 about those who say they are believers but never give to the Lord. "Would a man rob God? Yet, you have robbed Me in tithes and in offerings" (Malachi 3:8).

It is so true........YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT WORSHIPPING, BUT YOU CAN'T TRULY WORSHIP WITHOUT GIVING.

- Dr. Larry Petton