Pro 14:5 A faithful witness will not lie, But a false witness speaks lies.
Many years ago, in the first church I pastored, there was a woman who regarded herself as a pillar of the church. She was the pianist. She was the church bookkeeper. She hosted and taught a women’s “Bible” study in her home. When we first arrived, she greeted me right away with a big smile and informed me about her many positions and functions in the church.
Just a few weeks later I called her to ask her how many people were in attendance at her mid-week Bible study. I did this only because the denomination that had sent us to that church required me to file a monthly statistical report. I was immediately met with her hostility. “My Bible study is MY ministry and has nothing to do with the church. I don’t need to provide you with any of that information!” So, even though she had set herself up as a teacher and was teaching numbers of the women in our church, she refused any oversight at all. And as it turned out later, she was teaching false doctrines to these ladies. This would all end some years later with her storming out after a church service and announcing she was finished with us.
Another time when I happened to mention that I had forgotten my wallet when we drove the 70 miles in the winter to the nearest town to get groceries, she told me with a cheerful tone, “Oh, if that ever happens again just use the church check I gave you to keep in case the church needs anything and then you can reimburse the church when you get home.” Well, forgetful me, about two years later I did the same thing again but this time I took her up on her offer. But when I got back and took a reimbursement check to her, she threw an angry fit. “Do you know how much work this is going to create for me?!” [Yes, I did know. It would have taken her about 5 minutes to do the recording of the transaction].
I suppose these false promises of the RASN (and that is what she was) are a kind of crazy-making. Lying and denying. But in fact she had lied to me. She was an unkind, unloving, and obviously unregenerate “Christian.”
RASNs are liars. They make offers, make promises, and then when you believe them, they attack. And they deny. Such people have no place in Christ’s church. Eventually this lady went out from us, moved to another town far away, and yes, started up another ladies’ Bible study in her home. I didn’t contact the pastor of her new church. I have found over the years that such heads-up warnings to most pastors are a waste of time. They don’t listen to me.
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