Random Thought of Conviction
Psalm 15
"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."
My wife's side of the family is nominally Christian. They have Christianity going back a few generations, but the current living generations range from lukewarm to cold. When you begin living like this you are practically denying Jesus Christ as Lord. As Keith Green said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonalds will make you a hamburger". My wife's mother and father know all the Baptist lingo and have "asked Jesus to come into their heart" and go to church, but they live just like the world does for all practical purposes, except they are more "moral" than the rest of the world.
But this did not happen by accident. Their parents were lukewarm Christians and thus, this scenario was all too predictable. My wife's generation (her and her sister) were both totally in the world. Her sister still is, even though she doesn't do "really bad" stuff (according to the world). My wife used to be a Britney Spears type performer and was on her way to that type of career before the Lord Jesus changed her into a new creature (2Corinthians 5:17).
Anyhow, all that to say (I probably said too much), it is no surprise that my wife's side of the family does not keep their word. When they tell you they are going to do something, you cannot count on it at all. If they say they will be there at 9am to go somewhere with you, they may not show up until noon. And certainly you would think they would call and let you know they are running late, right? No, not at all.
My mother in law's sister, her side, is even worse. They will tell you they are coming over to help you with a plumbing repair or some other task, on a certain day and certain time, and many times will not even show up at all! Then you will hear from them a week later (because they do not answer their phone) and they will say, "Oh yeah, sorry. I had to do this and that, etc.". Seriously?
Why do they do this? Because they do not fear God. They do not know the Lord Jesus. They go to church, though! They do not rob banks. Yet they get divorced and remarried (another example of not keeping their oath, and which Jesus said is adultery) and declare bankruptcy through covetous and undisciplined spending. No, such a person does not know God. For he that knows God swears to his own hurt, and does not change (he does not go back on what he said he would do). Only those who are willing to suffer loss, suffer hurt, i.e. die to their self interest, are the ones who walk with Jesus, who know Jesus Christ. The rest are just pretenders. This is a serious matter, folks. If you are not even willing to be inconvenienced to keep your word, certainly you are a laughingstock of a Christian if there ever was one. It does not matter how much Bible you know or how great you have discerned the conspiracies of the Jews, or how many good deeds you supposedly do.
A true Christian should be known to keep his word in such a way that just saying yea or nay will be enough for another person to trust he will do what he said (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). The root cause of not keeping your word is that you are still living for self; you are not taking up the cross to follow Jesus. Repent, dear people, if you are one of these people. Keep your word, even if it is something small; even if it is something you said you would do for your children or anyone lower in authority than yourself. It does not matter to God how insignificant that thing might appear to be. Let us never be able to be accused of not keeping our word, even if it hurts us. Be one of those people who is always going out of the way and who is always bending over backwards for people. Be willing to be used and under appreciated. That is being like Christ; becoming poor so that others will become rich (2Corinthians 8:9).
Swiss Kinist
Psalm 15
"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."
My wife's side of the family is nominally Christian. They have Christianity going back a few generations, but the current living generations range from lukewarm to cold. When you begin living like this you are practically denying Jesus Christ as Lord. As Keith Green said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonalds will make you a hamburger". My wife's mother and father know all the Baptist lingo and have "asked Jesus to come into their heart" and go to church, but they live just like the world does for all practical purposes, except they are more "moral" than the rest of the world.
But this did not happen by accident. Their parents were lukewarm Christians and thus, this scenario was all too predictable. My wife's generation (her and her sister) were both totally in the world. Her sister still is, even though she doesn't do "really bad" stuff (according to the world). My wife used to be a Britney Spears type performer and was on her way to that type of career before the Lord Jesus changed her into a new creature (2Corinthians 5:17).
Anyhow, all that to say (I probably said too much), it is no surprise that my wife's side of the family does not keep their word. When they tell you they are going to do something, you cannot count on it at all. If they say they will be there at 9am to go somewhere with you, they may not show up until noon. And certainly you would think they would call and let you know they are running late, right? No, not at all.
My mother in law's sister, her side, is even worse. They will tell you they are coming over to help you with a plumbing repair or some other task, on a certain day and certain time, and many times will not even show up at all! Then you will hear from them a week later (because they do not answer their phone) and they will say, "Oh yeah, sorry. I had to do this and that, etc.". Seriously?
Why do they do this? Because they do not fear God. They do not know the Lord Jesus. They go to church, though! They do not rob banks. Yet they get divorced and remarried (another example of not keeping their oath, and which Jesus said is adultery) and declare bankruptcy through covetous and undisciplined spending. No, such a person does not know God. For he that knows God swears to his own hurt, and does not change (he does not go back on what he said he would do). Only those who are willing to suffer loss, suffer hurt, i.e. die to their self interest, are the ones who walk with Jesus, who know Jesus Christ. The rest are just pretenders. This is a serious matter, folks. If you are not even willing to be inconvenienced to keep your word, certainly you are a laughingstock of a Christian if there ever was one. It does not matter how much Bible you know or how great you have discerned the conspiracies of the Jews, or how many good deeds you supposedly do.
A true Christian should be known to keep his word in such a way that just saying yea or nay will be enough for another person to trust he will do what he said (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). The root cause of not keeping your word is that you are still living for self; you are not taking up the cross to follow Jesus. Repent, dear people, if you are one of these people. Keep your word, even if it is something small; even if it is something you said you would do for your children or anyone lower in authority than yourself. It does not matter to God how insignificant that thing might appear to be. Let us never be able to be accused of not keeping our word, even if it hurts us. Be one of those people who is always going out of the way and who is always bending over backwards for people. Be willing to be used and under appreciated. That is being like Christ; becoming poor so that others will become rich (2Corinthians 8:9).
Swiss Kinist
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