You shall not. (Exodus 20 v 17)

 Many years ago things were tough financially,I was helping in a Christian bookshop,a customer was paying for what he had bought,he opened his wallet and I saw a lot of money.Well I thought if only he would  reach into his wallet and give me some, but alas he didn't, my coveting didn't work. Yes coveting desiring what someone else has, is  just that,I had sinned.Take sport most of its built on coveting, fans coveting,clubs coveting other clubs players.I don't think we realise  that coveting is a sin, committing adultery starts with a covetous thought,you desire that man,that  woman,even though they belong to another.A certain King called Ahab coveted land , who refused his request to buy it, eventually he did get that piece of land,but only after the kings wicked wife contrived to have the man murdered .( 1 Kings 21). A man called Achan coveted that which God  forbid, he yielded to that desire, and God was not pleased,and he paid with his life.(Joshua 7)Move back to mans beginnings , a woman was tempted ,and as she looked at a certain thing she coveted  it,and yielded, and took that which God forbid,she and her husband suffered,and all of humanity,and all of creation suffered. ( Genesis 3 ) .Its as serious as that, coveting  is a sin, we must take this very serious, and take heed because sin always has consequences.

Be ready ( Hebrews 3 v 15 )

I read this recently ,'Many years ago,a newspaper reported as regards a tragic disaster in one of our British coal mines.Many miners perished, and in one pocket the searches came across four or five miners all huddled together in death. But before they died, they scratched on a board,We are all trusting in Christ, and all added their names. I wonder if you were one of those miners,could you have added your name?One afternoon a person who was a Christian received a phone call from a friend called Jack,he said,''I've  just been  diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and I'm not ready''.The good thing about this was he came to know Christ as his Saviour and of course he was ready,the question is are you ready?

                                              The most important thing is, when you come to die,

                                                                      ' BE READY'.

Not half hearted. ( Proverbs 3 v 5- 6 }

I trusted you he cried out,to one he thought was his friend,one he felt that he could trust with his life,instead he betrayed him,let him down,and he found himself saying 'I will never trust anyone again'.Yes trust is important,and when it is broken it can have serious consequences. President Putin said he was not going to invade Ukraine, he lied, it will be hard to trust him,for many even among his own people  he cannot be trusted.There are two verses in the bible in Proverbs 3 v 5-6,you may know them by heart,you may be familiar with them,like hymns you know,and when you sing those hymns you do it without thinking. Here are the words of those two scriptures,' Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths'.The verses start with that simple word trust,as Christians we know the importance of that word ,but we have to put it into practice, wars and rumors of wars ,trust the Lord, the future all unknown trust the Lord,you have just lost your job,trust the Lord, money problems ,trust the Lord,whatever difficulties we may be facing what should we do?, trust in the Lord,how much should we trust Him, the answer is, this with all our hearts not half hearted, with all our hearts, remember He can be trusted.

The times they are a changing. ( 2 Timothy 4 v 9 - 18 )

 Suddenly things have changed, there we were, getting on with our lives and covid struck ,then when we seem to be coming out of that, war began in Ukraine,the times they are a changing.One lesson we should never forget is that we live in a changing world, great change comes into all our lives  when disasters strikes,and when death comes,or a multitude of  of other things happen. Change comes at different times slowly or suddenly,they may be for the good,  or they may be for the bad,and they can  leave us devastated. Often we do not understand why certain things happen, but they do affect us and can leave us in a state of anxiety,many people are very anxious  at this time,even fearful,and we can understand this. What is the answer?,what can we do?,Charles Albert Tindley wrote many gospel hymns,the first line of one goes,' The world is one great battlefield',it sure is ,I recently heard that wonderful singer Tennessee Ernie Ford singing one his songs, I hope it will be a blessing to you.

                                                When the storms of life are raging/ Stand by me,

                                                When the storms of life are raging/ Sand by me

                                                When the world is tossing me,like a ship upon the seas,

                                                 Thou who rulest  wind and water,/Stand by me.

                                                 In the midst of tribulation/ Stand by me

                                                 In the midst of tribulation /Stand by me.

                                                 When the hosts of hell assail,and my strength begins to fail,

                                                  Thou who never lost a battle/ Stand by me.

God is. ( Psalm 62 )

 Psalm 62 ends by stressing two important things ( 1) Power belongs to God. (2 ) God is merciful. As regards the first part ,power belonging unto God,Barnes writes that the word  power ,has with it a sense of strength,he declares ,'The idea is, that the strength that man needs - the ability to defend and to save him- is to be found in God. All else may fail, but the power of God will not fail.The result of this, therefore should  lead us to put our trust in God alone. ' As regards God being merciful, he write,'Man needs the assurance that God is a benevolent Being, as really as that he is a powerful Being,' As regards God being merciful it also brings with it ,His unfailing love,' As regards mercy ,it is not something we deserve,it is something we receive freely.When the sinner comes to God, he is not coming to a bargaining table, he is coming as  one who needs to be saved.and out of a heart of love God responds by showing mercy ,and forgiving their sins.

                                                    There's a wideness in God's mercy

                                                     Like the wideness of the sea;

                                                     There's a kindness in His justice

                                                     Which is more than liberty.

                                                      For the love of  God is broader

                                                      Than the measures of man's mind;

                                                      And the heart of the Eternal

                                                       Is most wonderfully kind.

                                                              F.W. Faber

                                                      

Do you need rest? ( Psalm 62 )

 I would like to share a few thoughts from Psalm 62, a Psalm by David,he had so much to contend with in his life, serious things,and the Psalm reflects this. In this Psalm he speaks of those who are tying  to pull him down, he describes them as liars,outwardly they give the impression that they are for David,but inwardly they hate him.In verse 9 he reminds us that the wicked will soon be gone,and in v10 for us not to be like them.The Psalm starts with these words ,'Truly my soul finds rest in God', consider the world we live in,Isaiah 57 v 20,'The wicked are like the tossing sea which cannot rest',surly these words sum up this world ,a world that does not know where its going,and were to find peace. I wonder would that describe you?,well there is an answer,listen to the words of Jesus.''Come to Me, all you are weary and burdened,and I will give you rest''.He follows that up in v5 ''Yes my soul finds rest in God;my hope comes from God''.We  will look at this Psalm next time,I will leave you with a verse of a hymn by Charles Wesley.

                                                      'I rest in Thine almighty power;

                                                      The name of Jesus is a tower

                                                      That hides my life above;

                                                      Thou canst,Thou wilt, my helper be;

                                                       My confidence is all in Thee,

                                                       The faithful God of love.

                                                   

                                               

The greatest good. ( Acts 2 v 22 - 24 )

 I can assure you the question why?, in relation to so many things,is something  so many of us  ask, why the war in Ukraine?,why has  President Putin declared war on this country.? One reason is very simple he believes that they are part of Russia and have no right to call themselves a country.It is obvious he feels this very strongly,so strong that he is prepared by force  to bring them back to were ( as he see's it) they belong as part of Russia. We live in a fallen world,were the aspirations of people override everything else, is the taken of Ukraine by military force worth more than the terrible suffering inflicted on the population?.  Machiavellian is a belief that many rulers go by, basically it means for the greater good,Hitler believed that,that what he was doing was for the greater good,possible Putin  believes that .So it is, that so many evil's are carried out with that in mind,millions and millions of people died under Stalin ,he believed it was for the greater good,evil deeds can never be justified on the grounds of the greater good,never. The people who crucified our Saviour possible believed it was for the greater good, but in fact it was the greatest evil, ever perpetrated. Yet that death of Jesus our Saviour, carried out by evil men has brought the greatest good to mankind, a way back to God from the dark paths of sin.