Keeping our word [2 Corinthians 1 v 17-19 ]

Psalm15v 4/He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not/what we are being taught here is very simple,the importance of keeping our word even though it may cost us. One of the most obivious examples of this is to be found in the book of Judges, a man called Jephthah, a judge,made a vow that if God would give victory over the enemies of Israel, he would offer whatever came out of his house to meet him, he would offer  it up as a burnt offering.,[Judges 11v 30-31]It is obvious that God did not,agree with human sacrifice [Jeremiah19 v5],grant it, he did command Abraham to offer up Isaac up as sacrifice [Genesis22],but this was never carried out.  But Jephthah give his word, and it does appear that he meant human sacrifice, he did have the victory over Israels enemies,and as he returned home the first one to meet him was his only child,his daughter.Some people seek to argue that Jephthah did not offer his daughter as a sacrifice, but it seems he did,in this he was following what many of the nations surrounding Israel did[ cp 2 Kings3 v27 ].Jephthah was wrong in offering his daugther as an offering to God,he should never have made such a rash vow,but we do admire his moral principal of keeping his word. God will never call any of us to offer any of our children as burnt offerings,but He demands that we be people of our word even though it may cost us.
A  prayer..../Dear God help us not to make vows that our contrary to Your word ,but help us to be people of our word, even though it may cost us in Jesus name ,Amen /

Honour them.[ Romans 12 v10 ]

Psalm 15 v 4/but who honours those who fear the Lord/there are two things highlighted in these words  ,honour and the fear of the Lord,honour those who fear the Lord.The fear of the Lord is a very important truth for us to grasp,in Romans 3 v18,one the characteristics of the unsaved is, they do not fear the Lord.They manifest this by a complete disregard of God,so they sin,they live as if God does not exsist, verses 10ff of Romans 3 spells it out.They fall back on the thought that God is love ,which He is of course,but the Bible that tells us that God is love, also tells us that God is holy,and unless we are in Christ we  will be judged eternally in hell.[ Matthew 10 v28 ] If we are a true Christian we are walking in the fear of the Lord, that means,we say no to sin,in whatever guise it comes,we refrain from unrigtheousness ,but we also seek to manifest a life that is kind and loving. We are exhorted to honour such, as opposed to the world who honour anyone who takes their fancy,anyone who captivates them, like a Hitler,or a Stalin,or an actor,consider one is not put on the honours list because they honour the Lord. But one day they will be honoured by their Lord[ Matthew 25 v34],so let us who know the Lord honour our godly parents,pastors, and all those who live and walk in the fear of the Lord.
A prayer.../Dear God grant us a right attitude, help us walk in Your fear today, and to honour all who do likewise,  in Jesus name . Amen /

Seeing things aright [ Matthew 25 v31ff ]

Psalm 15 v4 /In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honours those who fear the Lord/What I believe is being taught here is ,to look at things aright,and to honour those who are godly. In  Isaiah 5 v20, we read /Woe to those who call evil good and good evil/ ,people often have a distorted veiw of life, there were many who wept at the death of Stalin,and there are many who still admire Hitler'.In the entertainment industry the thieves and robbers are often depicted as heroes,and in many places in the world the godly are despised and persecuted. We should see things as they are,our Saviour saw people as they were sinners,and spoke of a day in which,the godly and ungodly would be judged.[Matthew 25v31ff] W Plumer wrote the following as to our attitude,/The feelings of the righteous towards the wicked is not that proud, haughty, malignant contempt, which marks the behaviour of the wicked towards the children of God. It is just,true,benevolent. It is the abhorrence of his character, not his person /. As to the wicked, we must never forget ,what the apostle points out,/And such were some of you [1 Corinthians 6 v11]/,after all, we are as Christians saved by grace,it is the grace of God that has saved us,and keeps us,and so in seeing things as they are,we should see clearly man as he trully is,a sinner who needs a Saviour. We should pray and encourage those who are  suffering for righteousness sake,and there are so many who are suffering, who are being treated as filth,being destitude,afflicted,tormented,of whom the world is not worthy[Henrews 11v37-38 ]
A  prayer.../ Dear God in this world of distorted veiws and values, help us to see things aright in Jesus name Amen /

Wounded by a friend.[ John 13 v 18 ]

Psalm 15v 3./ or speak evil of their friends [nlt]/,the question is why would a so called friend speak evil of their friend?In Psalm 41v 9,we read the folowing,/Even my close friend in whom I trusted,who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me/.These words were fulfilled in Judas Isariot who betrayesd the Lord for 30 pieces of silver[John 13 v 18]. A Friend who slanders or hurts you is not worthy of the name friend,I remember many years ago being told of one I respected, how he slandered me,I felt so hurt. Yet as I look back on my own life I have listened and been influenced by what others have told me about others. Many people have been destroyed by what so called friends have said about them. William  Penn said../Believe nothing against another, but on good authority,nor report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to another to conceal it/.In the movie Braveheart, William Wallace is shattered to descover that his prince Robert the Bruce was one of those seeking to kill him,he was the last person Wallace thought would have done this.  Consider how our Saviour must have felt when Judas betrayed Him, such wounds by a friend are not faithful, but rather disgraceful.
A  prayer..../ Dear God grant us the grace,to refrain from saying anything about another,or listening to slanderous reports about another, in Jesus name Amen /

Yes I have a dream.[ Luke 10 v 27ff ]

Psalm15 v 3./nor doeth evil to his neighbour/The term neighbour can apply to those whom we live beside,our dear Saviour give a wider meaning to the term neighbour,in Luke 10 v27ff. Israel was a divided society,the world is full of divided societies,I write from experience, my beloved Ulster is a divided society,religious and politically,the lovely island of Cyprus is a divided society ,so many places are divided by hatered, that can spill over into violence.It will always be so,it is the nature of man to erect barriers,but praise God one day,yes I have a dream,when Chist will make all things new, there will be no barriers,that people who have been redeemed, from every nation kindred and tongue,will live together in perfect harmony,yes I have a dream. Until that day may God help us to see all men as our neighbour,and to love them,help them,and to never do them any harm
A prayer...../Dear God help us to see all men as our neighbour,and to love them,help us to watch our words,that they will be purified, form any taint of racisim,or bigotry, in Jesus name Amen /

The tongue. [James 3 ]

Psalm 15 v 3/ This verse starts ,/He that backbiteth not with his tongue[ av],other translations have,/slander/gossip/,the Message simply says ,/Dont hurt your friend/. The control of our tongue is one of the most challenging aspects of being a Christian. It is James the apostle who deals with it in his epistle,W Plumer quotes Sir Walter Raleigh/ If the divines do rightly infer from the sixth commandment,Thou shalt not kill- scandlizing ones neighbour with false and malicious reports, whereby I vex his spirit, and consequently impair his health, is a degree of murder./He also quotes Beveridge,/I am resolved by the grace of God, to speak of other mens sins only before their faces, and of their virtues only behind their backs/.The fact is, in slandering our neighbours,we are hurting them ,hurting ourselves,and dishonouring our God. . There is a little childrens chorus that comes to mind,/ Be careful little lips what you say,be careful little lips what you say,Theres a Saviour up above looking down with tender love,so be careful little lips what you say/.
A  prayer...../ Dear God help us to by Your grace to honour You with our words in Jesus name Amen /

A forked tongue. [ Ephesians 4 v15 ]

 Psalm 15v 2,/and speaketh truth in his heart/I love old cowboy and Indian movies,,and one has to feel a great deal of sympathy for the Indians,for no sooner had the Indians signed a peace treaty,than the white man broke it. The Indians would accuse the white men of speaking with a forked tongue,in other words they  did not speak the truth in their hearts,they said one thing with their lips,but in their hearts they were saying something else. Let us beware of those who speak with a forked tongue, but also let us not copy them,let us speak the truth with our lips and in our hearts.
A prayer...../Dear God help us to speak the truth ,to not speak with a forked tongue , we ask this in the name of Him who is the way ,the truth , and the life, even Jesus Your dear Son. Amen /