The eye gate. ( Exodus 20 v 17 )

 I want to mention three people ,(1) Eve, 'She saw that the tree was beautiful ,and its fruit looked delicious. (Gen 3)  (2) Achan  ' I saw in the plunder a beautiful robe from Babylonia ,two hundred shekels  of silver and a bar of gold ' ...'.and I coveted them'. (Joshua 8) (3 ) ' David  saw a woman washing. The woman was very beautiful'  ( 2 Samuel 11 ) There s a little children's chorus we used to sing,the words went like this,'Be careful little eyes what you see,There's a Saviour up above looking down with tender love.Be careful little eyes what you see'.Those three were not children, no they were adults, if only they had not focused on that which was forbidden if only.I believe the sin of coveting is one of the most ignored sins by most people,it can be a very simple thing, like wanting that cake someone else is eating.Or a piece of fruit, think about it,some of it appears so trivial,almost of no importance,but don't be fooled,no sin no matter how it appears in our eyes,should be underestimated.Of for goodness sake surely its harmless no ,it offends a holy  God, sin is sin for all that,and will be judged by a holy God.Those three people did not just look at what they saw, that look took hold upon them,they became its slave,and the consequences was  awful, and nothing has changed ,Lets take coveting serious and recognise it for what it is,and to realise that all sin must be forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ.

Make the right choice. ( Deuteronomy 30 v 19 )

 I heard someone say the following,'Its a sad world and is very complicated',and then he added,' I wish it wasn't'.  We have many brilliant people in this world,but the sadness and the complications of life don't change.Tragedy's happen ,wickedness still happens, unresolved complications still are there, is there an answer?.Not if you are just looking at one level, one level does not help,we need to lift our vision heavenward, to our sovereign God who rules over all the affairs of mankind. You see we are not alone in the universe ,and I am not talking about aliens,forget that rubbish,I am talking about a sovereign God,who knows why the world is like it is.Of  course the world is not like it should be,or even meant to be,although  God is sovereign,when he created humanity,he let them have a choice,and they made the wrong choice, a terrible choice, and brought gloom and doom into our existence. From then on sadness would be part of existence, and we would ever be confronted with complications to solve one thing after another . I wish it wasn't so,as I look at life, wars,death, need I go on?.So that's it ,it appears so hopeless, looking at one level ,it just depress'es us, so we need to look to God,who through His Son Jesus who  solved the greatest dilemma for all us, sin and its consequences,through faith in Him ,we walk through a door that gives us a wonderful future in Gods new creation,were there will be no sadness no complications ,don't be like our first parents Adam and Eve who made the wrong choice,make the right choice,trust Jesus, and you will never regret it.

The kingdom of God. ( John 18 v 36 )

 Jesus said,'My kingdom is not an earthly kingdom'. (John 18 v 36), I wonder have you asked yourself what this means.I think it means what it says.A great example of the problems of going against the words of Christ, was when Pope Stephen11 ,received from Pepin the king of the Franks 20 cities ,they developed into what became known as the Papal states.From that time on the papacy became nothing more than a means for people being able to ingratiate themselves, Giovanni' de' Mussi in 1350  wrote ,'These territories and cities have been given to the priests and ever since then most violent wars have been waged on their account  .......the consequences of temporal power have been innumerable wars and the overthrow of peoples and cities. How is it possible that there never has been any good pope to remedy such evils and that so many wars have been waged for these transient possessions. Truly we cannot serve God and mammon at the same time, we cannot stand with one foot in heaven and the other on earth'.  The Kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom,made up of all God's people, and only that,it is ruled from heaven.Our task as Christians is to preach the gospel of that kingdom, that it may be established in the hearts and lives of men and women ,who have trusted Jesus as their Saviour.

Change ( Romans 12 v2 - 3 )

 Recently I saw family members ,and others and they had changed, as indeed I have, change is inevitable, and that applies to us Christians. I read this recently about C.H. Spurgeon ,''he once asked  a young girl who served  as a domestic in one of his families homes what evidence she could give of becoming a Christian? She meekly answered, '' I now sweep under the mats''. None of us our perfect, but I believe  that there should be evidence of some change when we become Christians.I wonder what your reply would be  if you were asked that question?,as to myself,I could say that when I came back to the Lord ,I stopped going about with the wrong crowd, in Romans 12 v2  we read, 'of being transformed by the renewal of our minds'.Our  minds,that is were change often has to come,and it is on going. Were once we cherished our evil thoughts now we should resist them,we avoid those things that could take hold of us and destroy us,control us, enslave us.It is Paul who writes ,'Whatever is true, whatever is noble,whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things'. Phil 2 v 8. I'm sure if we do that, there will be a change in our lives. People may not see the change,but our Saviour will.

Give encouragement .( Romans 12 v 3- 8)

I always remember when I was a Bible college a minister saying,that the enemy will always undermine God's calling on your life. it is true.Looking back on my life I have always felt God's call on my life to preach,yet there are times,I have struggled , even though I have preached thousands of time.  Recently after I had preached  and watched it on utube,I wondered was it not time I gave up. In an email I mentioned to the secretary of the church I didn't feel I had done so well,I hadn't been feeling to well physically. A few days later he posted me an email from a couple who watched it on the Internet,saying how they are always blest when I preach. Those words encouraged me, we all need encouragement ,the last time I visited my GP I told him how much I appreciated all the support they had given me, I meant it.In Romans 12 v 3 - 8,we are told of different gifts people have from God,v 8 reads,'If it is to encourage, then give encouragement'.

                                              ' Someone today needs encouragement'

The Lord is. ( Psalm 121 )

 In 2 Samuel 22 v 2 ,we have King David praising God,it is described as song which he composed and sung for delivering him from all his enemies ,which included King Saul. This song is also found in Psalm 18 ,the words of verse two read,'The Lord is my rock,my fortress,and my deliverer'.David had more than his share of enemies,but the Lord delivered him from them all,the word of God tells us if God be for us who can be against us?( Romans 8 v 31)The greatest enemy that humanity has to face is death, because Jesus is the  resurrection and the life,the one who defeated death,we shall defeat death also.His song describes three aspects of  whom God is,He was Davids rock,one in whom he built his hope,often David was in hopeless situations,but God never failed him, he will not fail us.People may fail us ,our finances may fail,our health may fail,you get the picture, but God will not fail us. Next he says God is his fortress, a fortress is a place of safety, whatever is  threatening us ,the God of David is our God he can keep us safe.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at our right hand, but it will not come near  us( Psalm 91 v 7) When we are in danger ,facing  overwhelming odds, let us look up and remember our help cometh from the Lord who made heaven ,and earth  (Psalm 121 v 2).

Old age. ( Hebrews 13 v 5 )

 I was reflecting on my life,I am 78, and I thought of how God had cared for me, and my conclusion was, no one else could have done it better,and of course His care doesn't end with the past. God will not suddenly change,He will still continue to care for his children. Old age brings its own particular problems,our bodies were out,our minds,are not what they used to be,and so many other things, how will we manage?,that's the question .Let us not fear the ageing question,let not fear or doubt and let not bitterness take over,remember God is in it for the long haul. Listen to the words from a godly old man,David, ''I was young and now am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread'' ,(Psalm 37 v 25). That is his experience and that is my experience, Hallelujah, may it   be your Hallelujah today,from one aged saint to another.

                                              '  Be not dismayed whate'er betide,

                                                 God will take care of you!

                                                 Beneath His wings of love abide,

                                                 God will take care of you.

                                                 All you may need He will provide,

                                                 Trust Him,and you will be satisfied,

                                                  God will take care of you.'

                                                       Words Civilla  Martin.