19th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v16)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


It often strikes me as odd but nevertheless a moment 36 years ago still frustrates me. I was in P7 and one day after lunch a girl from my class was crying uncontrollably. The teacher calmed her down and when she composed herself she told the whole class that I punched her and pushed her face into a wall during lunch. I can admit that I was no angel in school but on that day I can truthfully say I was nowhere near this girl. I pleaded my innocence but the teacher could see no reason for the girl to lie and so I spent the next few days isolated in a room in the old part of the school. I was warned that I was on my last chance, I wasn’t to talk to my accuser and I was a thoroughly nasty piece of work.


Even writing these words causes some bitterness and I have never understood the girl’s motives. Did she mix me up with someone else or did she know full well what she was doing? I once upon a time saw her name on Facebook and I briefly thought about contacting her, but thankfully cooler heads prevailed.


What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? “The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence; suborning false witnesses; wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause; out-facing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence; calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery; concealing the truth; undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, tale-bearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vain-glorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumours, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defence; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavouring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt; fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report; and practicing or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.”


Did you get all of that? Read it again and let the challenge sink in. We are so quick to break the ninth commandment that it makes a mockery of anyone who believes they have kept God’s moral law fully. We are forbidden from giving false evidence, forbidden from promoting evil, forbidden from staying silent when we should speak, forbidden from misconstruing the words of others, forbidden from using truth in a sinful manner, forbidden from lying, forbidden from backbiting, forbidden from gossip, forbidden from twisting the intentions or others and forbidden from a whole raft of breaches of God’s ninth commandment.


My P7 accuser was wrong but I have no grounds to play the victim. How many times have I aggravated the smaller faults of others and ignored the massive log in my own eye? How often have I opened my ears to slander instead of closing them? How frequently do I deny the gifts and graces of my neighbour?


I was thoroughly humiliated and rebuked back in P7 but I am often worse than my accuser’s sharpest barbs. It was CH Spurgeon who once said “If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him. For you are worse than he thinks you to be.” How true! May God have mercy on us for we are sinners worse than anyone bar Him could ever know! 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q62 What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment? The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day.

18th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:1-2)


Message (Alan Burke)


I’ve written a few introductions to today’s devotion and that is because while the others might be true, sadly even though they shouldn’t have been, they had the potential to be pretty incendiary in some quarters so I thought better. When I was in Union Stafford Carson was the Principle and he made the point that in PCI the number of congregations and ministers has remained fairly static over the past 100 years but that the number of elders has increased ten fold. Why is it so? I would suggest that we have misunderstood what an elder is. Paul wrote to the saints and the overseers and deacons and today we are going to focus on the offices of elder and deacon. An elder is an overseer (the KJV uses bishop which is an old English word for overseer ie an elder). The greek word that is often used of an overseer is that of presbyteros. Now hopefully that should sound somewhat familiar, presbyteros if we transliterate it to English becomes Presbyter which is where we get the name Presbyterian for we have overseers, known as elders, who oversee, who watch over the spiritual welfare of the congregation that is what elders do.


The role of an elder isn’t like an MP.  The really sad thing is that some people think this is what an elder is and they should listen to their districts like an MP does with their constituents and then go to the Kirk Session meeting and try to sort out all our gripes. That is sadly how it works but it should not be this way, may God forgive us in this. The role of an overseer, an elder is completely different. An elder is an overseer for they exercise oversight over the congregation, they are those who exercise authority, they are the ones who are set aside by God to rule over the church on God’s behalf. A Kirk Session is made up of what are known as ruling elders and a teaching elder, ie minister and the teaching elder is set aside to teach but the ruling elders are set aside not to lobby the Kirk Session and sort out all your gripes but to rule. They have a responsibility to God to manage and care for those whom they have oversight of (1 Tim 3:5), they act as undershepherds to the Lord Jesus and they are to set and example to all. We have some congregations in PCI some with as many as 1/4 of the visible church on the Lord’s day as elders, either their are incredibly blessed by the Lord to have that many elders or they see elders not as spiritual leaders but as those who are there to keep the minister right. Recently I was speaking to a baptist pastor who has a congregation of 250 on the Lord’s day and in PCI you’d need at least 25 maybe even 67 elders for that and they have a grand total of 3. If you want to see what the scripture says about elder the qualifications are laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. 


Deacons comes from a greek word that can be translated as servant. Acts 6 helps us to understand this office for they were those who were appointed to meet the physical needs of the widows in the church. So while the elders of a church rule the deacons deal with the practical matters, they attend to those in need, they care for those who are housebound. Now according to the code of the Presbyterian Church Members of the Congregational Committee are appointed to fulfil the biblical role of deacons by discharging the duties delegated to them of caring for those in need and managing the temporal affairs of the congregation. (Para 16.4). 


In scripture the office of Deacon is a permanent one and as a Down presbytery we see that there is an apparent contradiction in what the scriptures teach and how we act, so we are memorialising this years General Assembly ie we have written to ask that consideration be given to our practice. This is because we believe that biblical church government contributes to the well-being of the church. It is important that we practically care for brothers and sisters in need (Galatians 6.10) and until there is change that is what the committee is tasked with this. Please be praying for this years General Assembly as this memorial comes as we try to move more to the model of scripture, and pray for the committee as they practice this role, please pray for your elders, teaching and ruling for they are spiritual leaders and pray that they would act like it and pray that we would know the blessing of elders who love the Lord and who act as overseers, ruling as undershepherds on behalf of our saviour Christ Jesus.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q61 What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations.
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17th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v16)


Message (Scott Woodburn)
I want to ask you to consider someone you have grown to despise. Perhaps you can honestly say there is no one who you hate - praise God! But for many of us there are individuals who have wounded us and continue to cause us great grief. If you know such a person then your duty toward them can be described in this manner…


“The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own: appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging tale-bearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; study and practising of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.”


Think about that man or woman deeply. Are you prepared to shun any false witness when it comes to them? The Larger Catechism teaches us that we are not to bear false witness about anyone and we are to have a charitable esteem of our neighbour. In other words it is not acceptable that we live with nothing but hatred for those who have crossed us but we are to strive to think well of them and their motives.


Furthermore, someone may have done us great harm but we should still be ready to acknowledge their gifts and graces. The person who hurt you may well be a nasty piece of work but what is good about them? Think hard and consider fully. Even those you do not love cannot be considered lost causes. Does your enemy love his wife? Praise God! Is your tormentor a hard worker! Praise the Lord! Has the person who angered you carried out kind deeds on behalf of someone else? Then amen! You are to deliberately seek what is positive about your neighbour and delight in it thinking on things which are true, honest, lovely and of good report.


But what the ninth commandment also requires is for you to stop false reports in their tracks and I think this might be harder than the internal, personal work demanded by this commandment. What does this look like? When you receive the snotty, gossipy text message you need to confront the one who sent it. When someone whispers “have you heard the latest about Joe?” your reply needs to be “I haven’t and I don’t need to hear.” Indeed there might well be occasions when you offer a rebuke to the gossip and the slanderer.


The Lord commands us to preserve and promote truth in all our relationships and especially with those with whom we do not see eye to eye. We will not get along with everyone and I’m not calling on you to have “that person” round for afternoon tea. But my friend, speak honestly about those in your life. Shun all gossip and slander. Do not bear false witness about your neighbour. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q60 How is the Sabbath to be sanctified? The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.
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16th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:1-2)


Message (Alan Burke)


I’ve just realised we’re not going to get through the whole of these two verses in the devotions this week probably just verse one. I did say on Monday that “These two verses are packed with timeless truths for the believer” and I wasn’t kidding. Today were going to focus on another word and it is a word that isn’t translated consistently in different versions on the bible, it is in most of them but some of the newer ones in order to sell more bibles have fudged it. The word is “Saint”, now if you’ve an NIV 2011 you will read “Holy Ones”, the translators made the decision to convey the meaning rather than the word saint and that is because of just how many people misunderstand what a saint is. 


Let’s think of who Paul writes to, that isn’t a trick question it was of course the church in Philippi and he says to all the saints. What is a saint? Well in the church of Rome it is where they canonise individuals declaring a person to be a saint as they attained a certain level of holiness and therefore are somehow worthy of special veneration and these saints can apparently even hear our prayers which has no Biblical foundation, it is a false teaching. When King Henry VIII wanted s split from the Mrs what result was the church in England split from Rome and the anglican church began of course that is it in a very broad brush stroke. There really wasn’t much of a change and in Anglicanism, Saints they are people recognised as having lived a holy life and as being an exemplar and model for other Christians and many of those that are celebrated in the Church of Rome are celebrated in the Anglican Church. 


But Paul is writing to the church, they were very much at that stage at least alive, To be a saint is to be one who is brought near into God’s presence, they are set apart, sacred, holy. This is God’s work, saints are not those who have been made a saint by those churches in error, it’s not that those whom Paul writes to are being made saints by him and sadly this is a wonderful truth that we so often miss, because of what God has done through Jesus Christ, that is applied to us by the Holy Spirit. If you have trusted in Jesus Christ then you are a saint, you have been brought near into God’s presence, you have been set apart, made sacred, made holy, you are a saint. 


While we are saints, we are at the same time still sinful, we have the potential to do heinous things but we look forward to the day when we will be made new and conformed into the image of Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29), when we will be made perfect in holiness. Until then, while we are still sinners we seek to die to sin and live for Christ, we have been made saints and this is how we should live for God has called us from one thing to another, we have been bought with the blood of Jesus, just as Paul was set apart, the church in Philippi was set apart, likewise we are set apart as saints, as holy ones of God.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q59 Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.
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15th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v16)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


Ten years ago the must watch TV show of the day was called “Making a Murderer” which told the story of Steven Avery who had spent 18 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit. The early episodes outlined the tragedy of Avery’s case and the joyous day of his release. I knew nothing about the case and so I was stunned when the very next episode told the tale of a young woman who Avery allegedly murdered in 2005 less than two years after his release.


Whilst Avery’s innocence in the first crime was clear, the second case had people claiming that either Avery was indeed a murderer all along or that shadowy forces were out to get him by any means necessary. What do I think? It doesn’t matter, but twenty years later Avery still finds himself in prison having now spent almost 40 years of his life behind bars over two instances.


The ninth commandment speaks into all such criminal cases as God declares that we should not bear false witness against our neighbour. Was Mr Avery in the wrong place at the wrong time or was he indeed an opportunistic killer? Anyone who knew him and witnessed what he did or did not do should have spoken the truth about the case and those investigating the crime should have upheld the truth no matter what road it took them down. I hope this is what happened despite what Netflix would have you believe.


The Lord can do all things except those things which go against His character. He can shape the mountains of Mars and command the winds of the earth but He cannot and does not lie. Therefore, just as the law shows us God’s character, it also charts our path. If we are with Christ then our lives must be marked by truthfulness and this shows itself in our relationship with our neighbour.


How do you speak about those around you? Are you happy to hear and spread gossip regardless of it’s truth? Do you give your neighbour a chance to defend himself before you believe everything you hear about him? Do you love truth and work hard to establish what is true and false? Brothers and sisters, it has been said that we live in a post-truth age, my truth may not be your truth but apparently that’s okay. This may suit the world but it does not please the Lord. 


When your neighbour’s name appears on your lips or arrives in your ears, do not bear false witness about him. There is enough falsehood in this world without you and I adding a wee bit more. For Christ’s sake love and speak truth always.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q58 What is required in the fourth commandment? The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself.
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14th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Philippians 1:1-2)


Message (Alan Burke) 


I know for some people they will have looked at todays passage and lamented, that might be you because you’re thinking in your head Alan this is Easter, only second in importance in the church “calendar” to “Harvest” and your ruining it, why would I do such a thing!? Obviously, it’s just because I like messing with peoples heads. Actually it’s not really that at all, it is because as you will read on Wednesday in the WSC Q&A59 that; “From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week, ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath”. Every Lord’s day we celebrate the resurrection, we have 52 celebrations of the resurrection each year and in 2028 we get 53.  Those 52 and sometimes 53 Lord’s day’s are the only “holy days” scriptures require us to observe. These two verses in Philippians they speak much of the wonder of what God has done for us through the resurrection and that is what we will focus on this week. 


These two verses are packed with timeless truths for the believer so let’s think of the first of those wonderful truths that are contained in these verses and it comes as Paul opens the letter to the church in Philippi and says “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,”. It might not seem that exciting but there is much crammed into this, think for a start who Paul was, his conversion, how he had been called and used by God and that is just amazing but it’s the word servants that has a wonderful truth for you and I if we know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. A servant to you might not seem that exciting or wonderful and if you don’t think that seems exciting or wonderful you’ll be even less overwhelmed with the actual greek word that the KJV, ESV and NIV translate as servant. It is word that isn’t used because they didn’t want to offend our sensitive and the Greek word is doulos and it means slave. Paul and Timothy write to the church of Philippi as slaves of Jesus Christ. 


To be a servant is one thing but slave is something entirely different isn’t it. To be servant means that you work for your master, you get paid for your work and you go home, but a slave has no pay, no rights, they are not their own. Paul is not saying that Jesus is some tyrannical slave trader, rather it is of the wonderful truth of the gospel of what God has done for us. By our nature we are in slavery to sin, we are slaves to the Devil, we are captivated by him, blinded by him (2 Cor 4:3-4) and under the righteous wrath of God. But Christ Jesus has bought us with a price, redeeming us through what he has done for us, in his life, death and resurrection. In our redemption we now belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are his, bought with a price, don’t miss this, for the believer we are his possession. 


Jesus in his life and death showed what it was to be a slave. In the coming weeks we will get to chapter 2:6 and following where we are told; Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant (and it’s the same word doulos, slave), he… being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! The same word, Jesus for us, willingly took upon him the form of a slave, from the womb to the tomb, until his resurrection. He didn’t have to, he chose to do for our redemption. Those who are slaves don’t have a choice in the matter, it is the card that they have been dealt with but Jesus chose to condescend for us to die for our salvation. For you believer you have been redeemed, you are no longer a child of the Devil but belong to Christ, you are his all because of what he has done for you. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q57 Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it.
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12th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v15)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


The world is in a terrible state but frequently I hear a solution offered which promises to make everything better. What is the solution? Tax the rich. The thinking goes that the rich need to pay more in taxes. They need to pay their fair share. They’re having it easy while the rest of us struggle.  Nero is fiddling while Rome is burning. It’s certainly an easily chanted phrase but I’m not sure it is something I can support.


There is of course a wider conversation to be had about taxes in general with another often repeated phrase stating that “all tax is theft”. I don’t know if I could chant that phrase either but I might say “all tax is a necessary evil and all tax should be used wisely.” I might discuss that on another day but today we’ll satisfy ourselves by thinking about what it forbidden by the eight commandment. 


Our larger catechism states “The sins forbidden in the eighth commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, theft, robbery, man-stealing, and receiving any thing that is stolen; fraudulent dealing; false weights and measures; removing landmarks; injustice and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man, or in matters of trust; oppression; extortion; usury; bribery; vexatious lawsuits; unjust inclosures and depopulations; engrossing commodities to enhance the price, unlawful callings, and all other unjust or sinful ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs to him, or of enriching ourselves; covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods; distrustful and distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping, and using them; envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming; and all others ways whereby we do unduly prejudice our own outward estate, and defrauding ourselves of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.”


There is much in that paragraph to be digested but I want to zero in on “covetousness” and the “envying the prosperity of others”. We may never steal from Tescos but when we are deeply unhappy with our current lot in life and begin to envy others, we have left the eighth commandment in tatters. The golf returns to Portrush this summer and I have lost count of how many times I’ve heard about the extraordinary amount of money that is paid in rent when the golfers come to town. I heard a story about one couple renting our their house to a golfer who paid for a new kitchen to be installed. Is this story true? I’ve no idea but it has been told and there is something in us all that wishes we could be in such a position.


I’m uncomfortable with the phrase “tax the rich” as I think it is mean spirited, jealous and sometimes downright nasty. Brothers and sisters, the eighth commandment forbids us from longing to be Ulster’s version of Elon Musk, it says no to us when we are tempted to steal from our neighbour and it blocks our path when we deal falsely with our fellow human beings.


The life of envy and covetousness robs us from “the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given us.” which simply means we should thankful for what we have and not hungry for what we don’t. In the West not all of us are Elon Musk but we are wealthier than the vast majority of the world’s population. May we let that truth humble us and instead of shouting “tax the rich!” may our cry be “praise the Lord!”


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q56 What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

11th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 32)


Message (Alan Burke)


Did you know that Northern Ireland has an Egyptian Style pyramid? A couple of years ago when the wains were working though the Egyptians in School I told them I would take them to see a pyramid, that we would go on a mystery tour when I was off in the summer and take them. Of course what they were expecting was the grander of the Egyptian pyramids and they didn’t believe me that there was a pyramid in Northern Ireland but nestled deep in Garvagh Forest (Garvagh is near Coleraine) they got to see the giant 18ft by 21ft pyramid. Ok it’s a far cry from the Egyptian pyramids but the Garvagh pyramid built in the early 1800s by Lord Garvagh took inspiration for the pyramid after a grand tour of Egypt and intended it to be where his body would be entombed. That didn’t happen though. I use to be fascinated by the Pyramid’s of Egypt, the thing is what they are a testimony too is that the once great nation that was Egypt has fallen. 


It was by the hand of the Lord against it and here in this first prophecy in chapter 32 the Lord compares Pharaoh king of Egypt as a lion among the nations, as a master in the seas. The later is imagery that has already been used by the Lord in speaking against Pharaoh. Both are images of power, of strength, of might. The first is one that pharaoh would have used of himself, likewise of the second which evokes imagery of a crocodile in the water. While two animals are given the imagery is focused on the monster of the sea, thrashing about, churning the water, muddying the streams. While both are images that were used by the pharaohs of Egypt, both the lion and monster in the sea though could be hunted and killed. The imagery is striking, the Lord would suff him out, covering the heaves and darkening the skies, he would be extinguished just like the stars in the sky (7-8). In the end Egypt would be desolate, striped of everything, life would cease to exist, all of this was so that they would know that the Lord is God. 


In the next prophecy in v17-32 we are told how Egypt would join the uncircumcised in the pit, those who are outside the covenant of the Lord. They would join those who have gone there before, Assyria there with her army, those who had fallen before, Elam, Meshech-Tubal, Edom as well but they would act as the welcoming party to the Egyptians. This prophecy portrays the nations gathered together in the pit because of the divine judgment of the Lord God. All will give accountability to the Lord, the great and the good. 


The picture that is given to us in these verses is not to be taken literally to portray the afterlife but it does portray the certainty of the afterlife. For Egypt who are greeted there by the nations, Egypt’s future will be among the dead, but the dead are not dead in that they cease to exist, the dead are alive but it could not be called life it is life in the shadows, a place of punishment prepared for the Lord for all who have not loved him, who have not repented of their sin. For all those who call upon the name of the Lord they will be saved, for it is by faith that we are righteous before the Lord God through what Jesus has done for us. All in all what sums up the prophetic judgements that came upon the nations from the beginning of chapter 25 until now is that the Lord is sovereign over it all. If you get a chance head to Garvagh and see the pyramid but know that each of the Pyramids in Egypt testify to how he is sovereign over the nations and also our very lives. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


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Q55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
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10th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 20v15)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


We cannot reduce the commandments to a simplified list of dos and don’ts. There is a depth to them that a casual read doesn’t reveal. I’m always thankful for the larger catechism’s treatment of the commandments and it’s helpful discussion of what is required and forbidden within.


So what does the Lord require by the eighth commandment? “The duties required in the eighth commandment are, truth, faithfulness, and justice in contracts and commerce between man and man; rendering to every one his due; restitution of goods unlawfully detained from the right owners thereof; giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others; moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections, concerning worldly goods; a provident care and study to get, keep, use, and dispose of those things which are necessary and convenient for the sustentation of our nature, and suitable to our condition; a lawful calling, and diligence in it; frugality; avoiding unnecessary law-suits, and suretyship, or other like engagements; and an endeavor, by all just and lawful means, to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own.”


I could read that paragraph a thousand times and constantly see something different. Even so, I’m always struck by the Lord’s demand for truthfulness. None of us want to be considered a liar and few of us would consider lies and theft in the same breath but they certainly go together like love and marriage.


I didn’t just steal from “Options” in Connswater. In my teenage years an easy target of my crime spree was the corner shop at the top of the Bloomfield Road. The owner of the shop was an older man called Harry and all a thief needed to do was to wait for Harry to turn his back. Perhaps he was reaching for a sweetie jar or maybe he was looking for a customer’s reserved magazine but when Harry looked away it was incredibly simple to help yourself to the easily accessible sweets.


My actions were a disgrace and my attitude betrayed the fact that I was a young man who saw no problem in acting dishonestly. The Lord cannot lie and therefore He stands in direct opposition to all those who think nothing of stretching the truth and treating others with contempt.


Instead we honour Christ by finding a “lawful calling” and working diligently in it. What does the WLC mean by this phrase? There is no honour in lying your way through life and stealing when needs be. Yet there is great honour in climbing out of bed at 5am and putting in an honest day’s work. I doubt the rich and famous read these devotions but perhaps the audience consists of shop assistants, teachers, street sweepers, farmers, classroom assistants, civil servants, ministers, full-time mothers and a host of other callings. Brothers and sisters, whatever you do, do it truthfully and do it diligently (Colossians 3v17). 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC


Q54 What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works.
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9th April 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Ezekiel 31:1-18)


Message (Alan Burke)


History is a subject that we ignore at our peril. I had a teacher, Mr Wilkinson who gave me a love for history and he would often quote from George Santayana, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The quote is in my mind spot on. When we look back we see that nothing stays the same, nations rise and fall, companies like Kodak that were once a household name disappear, the strong become weak and we ourselves as the Lord puts it; As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more (Ps 103:15–16). In today’s prophecy that we are focusing on the Lord uses the example of the Assyrian Empire to make a point to his people that he is indeed sovereignly in control. 


Two months have now passed since the last prophecy about Egypt and the Lord asks who can be compared with Egypt in majesty, though it moves to consider the king of Assyria who is compared to a cedar of Lebanon. What this prophecy does is that it recounts the fall of Assyria. While Assyria was located in the northern region of modern day Iraq and spread over much of the ancient near east which included Lebanon, Israel and Judah were all parts of the Assyrian empire. The  cedars of Lebanon would have been well known to the people of God, they were used in the building of the temple and they were renowned for their height. The cedars of Lebanon grew taller than any other tree, the imagery that is used here how one tree towered higher than all the tries of the field. 


What it is doing is speaking of the Assyrian empire in parabolic language. Speaking of it’s strength (v5), how it spread how it its reached across the ancient near east. The birds of the air nested in its boughs is figuratively speaking of the nations that were reliant on it for their own existence. Assyria was a nation that none could compare with or rival it (7-8).  In this the Lord is making it clear that it was he who had given Assyria her elevated position. So much so that the Assyrian empire was the envy of all the trees of Eden, in the garden of God is speaking of how in all the created order there was none like Assyria. While Egypt were a world power there was no comparison to the strength of Assyria in its time.  


The Lord though brought down to the grave Assyria, they were consigned to the pit. The Lord brought the nations against it and aided them in cutting it down. Assyria was dealt with in accordance with their wickedness. As a result the nations trembled at what had happened to Assyria for it was such that to all who looked upon it, it was too strong, too powerful, too mighty to fall but nothing can withstand the Lord’s judgment and when it fell the nations were left in fear because of what happened. 


I wonder how the Assyrian Empire are reacting to Trump’s Tariffs? Oh wait they are not because they are reconciled to the pages of history by none other than the Lord himself. We need to be aware that the Lord is sovereign over all and that includes our very life. All we have comes from the Lord, let us be humble, and thankful to the Lord our God for all that he has give us. He had reconciled Assyria to the grave and Egypt would join them. This is what we all deserve, to join them there in Hell, the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23). It is him that we must look to as our hope and help. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q53 Which is the third commandment?
A.The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
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