Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

The word snitch has gained a bad reputation because the accuser was once involved in a criminal enterprise. Going to the police is not the same thing as going to a priest. In this please understand our priest is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

This one witness was he a friend? If so, why did he not help his friend who was caught up in a sin? If we try to help a friend in his struggle, have we taken the issue before our heavenly priest and sought His counsel in this matter? We are free to do so without fear of being called a snitch. Our Lord knows all there is about these matters, after all He is the one that bore those sins and took them to the Cross.

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

I ask myself if I am involved in my friends lives enough to do this or do I heed the warning to the point that I have become ineffective.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

I do believe we need to be careful and that is why I consider taking these things to the Lord first, so that I am not just one witness.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin: “after this, therefore because of this”)

These past few devotionals have been aimed at the coming Christmas season. I have been wondering what to follow up with after this trip down memory lane. Post hoc means after this and it spurred a memory of which this quote was given and the associated meaning. It is called a logic fallacy. The inference being that everything that happens after an event is caused by an event. When it comes to Christmas I must disagree with the label of logic fallacy. In this case I believe everything that happened afterwards is caused by this one event.

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

If you believe as I do that Jesus is the Christ, sent of God, died on the Cross, was raised from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits upon the throne, then He is heir to all things. The only way this could happen is if the first event caused all the others. The ergo propter hoc, therefore because of this, is because He came with power and purpose.

The prophets proclaimed His coming with purpose. The angels herald His coming with purpose.

Matthew 1:20-23 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.