June 28

“…The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.” Ezekiel 32:11

In the narrative of Holy Scripture we find God’s involvement in the rise and fall of nations. Far from being the indifferent, remote and disinterested God that some would have Him to be, Yahwah is clearly close to the events of history that seem to have shaped the destiny of nations, peoples and civilizations. In these passages from the book of Ezekiel, we have the prophecies concerning the fall of Egypt, at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. Though in due course Babylon too would find retribution for its violations and pride against the Almighty, at this time the great kingdom would be used as a tool to bring judgment upon the sin and idolatry of Egypt. Two things we must keep in mind as we read these passages. Firstly, the Lord is in authority over all and any kingdom of man, even those who by their laws show they have no regard or consideration of Him. As the Supreme Potentate, He is capable of using and directing the events, and the ultimate outcome of all human affairs, to suit and fit His own purpose and will, if He so chooses. In our modern world so aloof and self-sufficient in its technology and scientific advancements, little care or place is given to the power and majesty of God. He is not glorified in the dealings of the present nations of this world as a whole. Actually quite the opposite is true, most of the world’s powers and governments are antagonistic to God, His law and His ways. They promote immoral and sinful lifestyles which deny and defy God’s power and authority. They mock, decry and belittle the ways of the Almighty as old-fashioned, archaic, out of touch or inapplicable, mere myth. History has clearly shown that when God has had enough of man’s pride and foolish boasting, He will come in judgment and will make quick work of all man’s self-aggrandizing and self-glorification. Secondly, we must remember that the Lord is longsuffering and patient, and as believers, we must be like Him. Even when we might think that the wicked is ‘getting away with it’, and that nothing is happening to bring about justice and righteousness, we must remain patient and leave the timing and call of action to God. He has the knowledge and wisdom necessary to bring about justice in the right way and at the right time. His longsuffering is bound up in His love for mankind, for in spite of man’s sin and self-destructive nature, He is not willing that any should die, but desires that all should come to repentance. Nevertheless the time will come when He will close down the opportunity for mankind to choose His righteousness. Then will come the judgment, and like that which fell on Egypt and many other great nations, it will fall upon the whole world, it will be sudden and it will be final. It won’t be the power of one nation pitched against another at God’s bidding, but a judgment conducted by His own personal power and presence, for “..in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords!” Our task is not to complain about the conditions of the world, worry about God’s timetable, or suggest what He should do, but to stay faithful and pure till the end; to continue to trust, love and believe in Jesus and His Word; and to reach out to as many as we can with the gospel of salvation while there is yet time!

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June 27

“…Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her?...” Nahum 3:7

Nineveh again becomes the centre of God’s attention and the recipient of His judgment, because of its gross immorality and wickedness. Once before, God had sent the reluctant prophet Jonah to this same city, with a message of impending doom. In those days, this great city was so large that it took three days to walk it from one side to the other. It has been estimated that it had a population of around one million inhabitants, a particularly large city for those days. Only upon their swift repentance with sackcloth and ashes, did God avert the judgment which was about to be poured upon it. Now again under the ministry of the prophet Nahum, Nineveh’s sin, idolatry, witchcraft and immorality is brought into focus and its destruction is prophesied. With the accuracy of detail that can come only from the Omniscient Yahwah, Nahum tells of how its ruin will happen, and the manner of its fall. History shows the events took place in this very way, to the last minute detail! Nineveh had become such a scourge and pollution of many nations, and where in the past God’s mercy had covered, the time had come, where no such healing could be promoted any longer. Nineveh would be destroyed, laid waste and there would be no one to weep over her! No one that would not agree, this was a just and correct judgment upon her! The patience and longsuffering of God is remarkable and sets us in awe of His greatness, when we consider how much room He allows, and how long He deals with the human family, in an effort to bring us to repentance. There is however in God’s economy an end to His striving with man. There comes a time when for God to continue striving, would mean having to bend man’s will, or allow him to violate His holiness - and the Lord will not do either. He has allowed man a free will by which he can make his own choices, for or against God. Yet the Lord will also tenaciously defend His holiness and protect it from allowing man to go beyond his allowed scope. There is therefore a time limit which God sets for all men, nations and people. That time is known of the Lord alone, and when it comes, there is no holding back on the judgment of God! It is a time of reckoning, a time of judgment, destruction, cleansing and restoration of righteousness. Time then will have run out, it will be time ‘no more’, in regards to possible repentance and change. Nineveh and all the civilizations that have gone before, teach us the great lesson that there is a limit and boundary to the longsuffering and mercy of God. It is wise for us to repent quickly while there is yet time, and while God is near and calling. If we insist on remaining in sin, violating God’s law and repudiating His love, the time will come when the opportunity to make it right will no longer be available. Wise are the words of the prophet Isaiah when he exhorted the people saying “seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”! 

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June 26

“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.” Job 3:1

Much has been written on Job, his patience and faithfulness in his relationship with God. This verse is a clear reminder that even men who have grown in relative perfection and in such graces of God as patience, compassion and generosity, are yet human and capable, under circumstances of pressure, pain and affliction, to open their mouths and utter things which may be unwise, negative or unedifying! This is not to say that if a believer expresses sorrow, disappointment or another negative feeling, he is automatically sinning. Sin can take hold however, if we do not deal with the negative emotions correctly, give place to them, and become controlled by them. Instead we should yield them to God and trust Him for help, solutions and strength to overcome. Job had by this time endured seven days of mourning after the loss of all his family, possessions and health, without apparent relief to his condition, and he does something here, which was not unusual among the people of his time, when they were faced with intense distress and sorrow – he curses the day he was born. Although this may be considered a slip in his spiritual compass, let us note a few things which may be explanatory. Firstly, Job did not ‘curse’ God as the devil had falsely predicted, and his wife had so callously incited, nor did he curse anyone else or even himself as creatures of God. In fact he did not even curse the present condition and suffering he found himself in. Secondly, it is questionable that man can of his own accord, actually ‘curse’ anything, since such power lies outside his ability, and is therefore merely reflective of an attitude or desire to do so, if only it were possible. Thirdly, he turned his despair and ill will, towards something that could not be changed nor was in any way in his control, making his ‘cursing’, a mere token expression of his inner despair, his discomfort and disconsolate situation. Lastly, later in the narrative of his life, we find Job repenting of anything he may have spoken unwisely and without due regard toward God. He was conscious that even this moment of negative expression from his lips, should have been avoided. Such cursing isn’t necessarily saying any bad word or oath, but a wishing that the event, in this case his birth, had never taken place. Jeremiah stated something similar (Jer 20:14-18) when he was in distress over Israel rejecting God’s word and torturing God’s prophets. The reasoning behind this expression of negative emotion is that the present suffering and distress, which is so painful and discomforting, would not have taken place if the individual had not been born; we would relate it to the expression - ‘sorry you were ever born’. So whilst it is an expression of suffering humanity, it is nevertheless inappropriate for the believer to make such a statement, because it reflects a lack of acceptance that God is in control of all things. If we truly know and believe that Yahwah is Omniscient, then not only the time and event of our birth, but all the details of every aspect of our human lives are known to Him, and ultimately in His control. True faith, in spite of our despairing humanity, would call and demand that we remember this fact. It would encourage us to believe that somehow God’s mind, His wisdom and plan is perfect and higher than what we can comprehend in our despair, appropriate to us by His allowance, and that we should take nothing in our hands and away from His, even if only in token complaint or misplaced desire, born out of our human  affliction. This high standard of trust and reliance upon God is a goal of all true believers, and it is only from God that we can draw the strength to perform our lives in this manner and remain pleasing to the Lord. 

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June25

“Now I have prepared with all my might…” 1 Chronicles 29:2

David had not been allowed by the Lord to build the house for God that he so desired to erect. His son Solomon would do that when came into the reign as the new king. David contented himself nevertheless to do all he could towards the construction, by supplying all the materials necessary for it, which he had accumulated, including much gold and silver from his own personal wealth. This example of desire and passion to see the house of God built, stirred other leaders and the people to also give as they could towards this great and worthwhile cause. In due course Solomon did build the renowned and awe inspiriting temple in Jerusalem which became the centre of Israel’s worship. A simple and yet powerful lesson we can draw from David’s contribution toward this great event, is found in his manner and attitude. Lesser men, when turned down on their desire to do something, also turn away with disdain and pride, feeling that is if they are not ‘good enough’ to do what they wanted or offered to do, then they will have no part at all with the situation or project. They then often look down on whatever ensues from there, with distant aloofness and unfeeling disregard. Clearly David was made of better stuff! With the same purity and humility that characterised his entire life, rather than turn away and shut down the idea, he pursued it in any way he could! His desire to build God’s house, was not motivated by personal pride or a desire to be recognised, his motivation was his love for his God! If he couldn’t build the temple per se, then he would facilitate the building of it by whatever means and ways he could! What is particularly of note is his manner and spirit in even doing that! He didn’t go about it with a half-hearted, ‘I’ll see what I can do’, type of attitude! He was pro-active about the project and did all he could with all his power, might and with all due zeal and diligence! In a time when kings were often remembered for the structures which were erected and the cities built during their reign, David sought no such recognition or accolade, yet is remembered to this day as a man after God’s own heart! This is not a title he assigned to himself, but attributed to him because of the life he lived for the Lord, and is probably the greatest praise that any king could ever be given, and the greatest achievement that he could be remembered for! What attitude and manner do we take when we do service unto the Lord? Does it matter to us what aspect of His work we are called to or allowed to do? Do we do it with all our might?

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June 24

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD…” Ezra 7:10

Ezra had been directed by God and had found favour with the Lord, to do a special work and carry out a mission. He prepared his heart to carry out the threefold task of seeking the law of God, doing it, and teaching it to the people of Israel. His heart preparation is a significant aspect of true leadership. Spiritual leaders, who would please God with their service, are people who prepare themselves thoroughly and consistently. The athlete would not be ready to compete without his physical preparation, which often amounts to daily toil in strenuous exercise. The artist could not paint the variety of colours needed without suitably mixing and preparing them on his palette. The musician would not produce any intelligible or pleasing sounds, without first tuning his instrument. In the same manner we cannot really do God’s bidding, without appropriate and sincere heart preparation. Ezra gives us a good example of how we should prepare ourselves. He started in the right place and so should we. God’s word, His law, His thinking, His wisdom and authority, should be the starting place for all our preparation. Like Ezra also, it should become more than just head knowledge however, and develop into what we ‘do’. It should form the basis of all our thinking, understanding and action. It should guide our decisions, choices and preferences. It should touch and affect every area of our lives and influence all our desires. Only when we truly ‘do’ God’s word, willingly, faithfully, with willing discipline and joyful desire, can we really teach it to others, and be effective leaders. Pray that God give us leaders like Ezra, who are willing to prepare their hearts the right way, and personally practice what they have learned from God that they may positively affect others with their teaching and example! 

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June 23

“But they also have erred through wine…” Isaiah 28:7

Judah had fallen prey like Israel to the mind-robbing, sin-encouraging vice of drunkenness. Sadly the enslaving habit had found its mark even with the priests and the prophets who were intended to be beacons of God’s direction to the people. Their erring while in this intoxicated condition, included failing to discern the direction of God, and being unable to correctly judge matters. What an indictment against God’s people that Isaiah should be able to point at their lives being so devastated by sin, initiated and continued while under the influence and in the stupor of strong drink! Drunkenness is forbidden and deemed a sin in the bible, and for good reason! It robs reason from the mind and causes many to pursue and fulfil the sinful tendency of their flesh even more readily. It has always been at the centre of social deterioration in every culture and civilization of the past, and accompanied every degradation and moral failure that humans are capable of. In our present modern and so-called civilised western world, it is one of the main contributors to social problems. Alcoholism is associated with many serious and life threatening medical conditions; responsible for poor performance in the work place, and creating a host of complications and severe setbacks for people in various relationships. It is often at the centre of domestic violence, driving offences and many other crimes and socially abusive behaviours. It pollutes every area of organised, societal living, ruining and destroying the fabric of our cultures and undermining our ability to work and behave responsibly. Alcohol abuse affects the drinker’s life, his immediate environment, family and work, and the overall society the drinker is a part of. God visited stern judgement on His people for their abuse of strong drink and the resulting sinfulness. It is important as Christians, that we take note of the things which caused God’s hand to fall in punishment in the past, both in our lives and in the lives of others, learn from those mistakes and lessons, and determine to stand strong against anything that can be offensive to the Lord. As believers we have been given the Spirit of a sound mind - God’s Holy Spirit, which causes us to live holy and grants us a clear and sober mind as to moral and spiritual issues. Anything that can cloud, inebriate, intoxicate and distort our thinking and emotions is not holy, and cannot be tolerable before the Lord! We are to avoid such aberrations and keep to the trueness of love, faith and holiness God has prescribed for us. When we present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable unto Him, we are acting in a manner pleasing unto the Lord and are doing what is our ‘reasonable service’ to God!

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June 22

“…This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it” 2 John 1:6

The scriptures labour at length to teach us all about that which is necessary for us to fulfil the will of God. In this verse we are taught that we can only truly love God, when we are obedient to Him by walking in His commandments! Many, in their own versions of the Christian faith, have divorced the necessity of unrelenting obedience unto God and His Word, from any evidence of our love for Him. They have made loving God a mere ‘fuzzy, warm feeling’, akin to what we may feel towards a favourite song, picture or other comfort; an emotional, temporary response to God, based on how we feel at the time. Given the ‘right’ circumstances, today we might ‘feel’ love for God, but not so much tomorrow, when the circumstances have changed, and the comfort or ‘warmth’ is no longer there! Such ‘love’ for God is at best a poor imitation, and is not a reflection of the true love, which the scriptures teach we are to have for God. In God’s economy, obedience to His Word, His directives, is the way we can measure and determine the reality and quality of our love for Him. The text also insists that God’s standard on this has not changed. The commandment of God, meaning His entire revelation to man through His Word, His entire counsel on how we should live our lives and please Him, has been the same from the beginning! Keeping His word then means to obey what He says we should do, make it our life, walk in it and reflect it in all our directions and dealings. It means determined obedience, even when it is not comfortable to do so, when others mock, disagree or disapprove. By walking in God’s commands, we are not making our obedience and therefore love towards Him, an isolated instance or once of condition. Walking intimates a continuing process, an ongoing exercise and a progression towards a goal or direction! Love for God is the greatest motivation for our service unto Him and cannot be based on the whimsical nature of human feelings. It is directed, strengthened and supported in response to the obedience we give the Lord. Our relationship with Jesus grows nearer and closer as we willingly  yield more of ourselves to His will and ways! What a privilege to know the Lord and to have the benefit of His word to teach us how to love Him the way we should!

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June 21

“…as Christ also hath loved us…” Ephesians 5:2

The Holy Ghost through the Apostle Paul here instructs us to walk in love, in the same manner that Christ loved us. The high calling of the believers in Christ includes the privilege, honour and responsibility to demonstrate to one another and beyond reasonable doubt, the kind and quality of love that they have learned and experienced from Jesus. The love of Christ is open, manifest, constant, selfless and available to all. When such qualities are evident in ‘our’ love, we are approximating the example of Jesus and delivering a true message from heaven to those around us. It is noteworthy that we do not actually have anything like true love of our own, that is, in our natural fallen nature. Any love which is morally appropriate, godly and scripturally correct, is therefore a reflection of what God has imparted to us, and of what we allow Him to work through us. The best exercise we can enter into when considering love, is to look to Jesus and observe closely His pattern of love. The purity, altruism, gentleness and firmness of His matchless, unparalleled love, strikes our hearts with a sense of reality and causes us to long to be more like Him! We cannot imitate His Omnipotence, or His Omniscience and are limited in our physical ability to be in more than one place at once - but we can all learn to love more like Jesus does and follow the example He gave us! This is doubtless one of the ways by which we can most readily emulate the Lord, His manner and life. It is within the reach of every believer, and every day brings to us ample opportunities to practice His love. He told us this was His new commandment, the one by which others would identify us as His true disciples, that we would love one another by the standard and quality of His love! Even our love for God is quantified and qualified by the love we hold for each other! I think we can all readily admit that we are thoroughly challenged by the benchmark He has set for us, and that we all, even when we have been at this for a while, and may have made some progress, have yet a long way to go!  

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June 20

“But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:” Titus 2:1

Titus had been called to minister the word of God. Paul instructed him to be responsible for the message he gave forth. True today as it was then, there are many who profess a call of God to minister to others, yet do great damage to the cause of Christ because they do not heed the directions given in God’s word. We cannot be made responsible for what others may say or omit in their speaking of scriptural things, but we are responsible for our own communication. Words are not cheap nor are they ‘just words’ when we are delivering the message from God. They are important and should reflect the holiness, power and love of God. Much more care is taken in some cases, in preparing a speech for a formal occasion, such as a wedding or social gathering, than the time and effort placed in praying over and setting out some sermons! Conversely, some use the pulpit and the means of preaching, mainly as a tool to pander their own philosophies and push their personal viewpoints or agendas. Paul instructs that ministerial communication, which includes not merely our words, but our actions also, should ‘become’, that is be appropriate, in-line with and reflecting of, sound doctrine! Clearly the purpose of our preaching and teaching is not to portray ours or ourselves, but what the Lord has already revealed and determined to be right and correct doctrine in His Holy Word. The task for the minister is to highlight these established truths and proclaim them so they can be understood and accepted by all. Our prayers should always include intercession for those in ministry, to be true and humble channels, through whom the word of God can flow, in anointed power and wisdom for the benefit, instruction, encouragement and edification, of all that hear them.   

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June 19

“…ye shall throw down their altars…” Judges 2:2

The great conquest of Canaan land had taken place and it should have marked the beginning of a golden age for Israel. The second chapter of Judges however, records some very sad events, at a time when the greatest rejoicing would have been in order. The death of Joshua, the Lord’s faithful servant is mentioned, but sadder than this is the message which the angel of the Lord brought to Israel. His message from God can be summed up in the question he asks them “why have you done this?” He was referring to their disobedience in following God’s commands regarding the clearing out of the heathen nations which occupied the land they were given. Part of the covenant which God had set up with them, included their need to stand against any association with these heathen nations, and to destroy their altars of worship to heathen gods. They had disobeyed the word of the Lord, and the result would be that these same people would eventually enslave them, and their gods would become a hindrance and a trap for the generations to come, separating them from Yahwah. God had wanted to protect them from evil influences, but they had not regarded His love, wisdom and plan. The people that heard this wept openly, and had good reason to! They could have had the unique and amazing opportunity to live in a country which was totally dedicated to the worship of the One true God, free from any evil and corrupt influence; they could have raised families without fear of loss or persecution; they could have had the blessing of continued fellowship with the Lord and the joys that brings! Instead their disobedience allowed for the cancer of idolatry to take root early in the history of their nation. By the end of this same brief chapter, marking the time directly after the death of Joshua and his generation, the people of Israel are already described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord, forsaking the Lord and the ways of their fathers, and taking up the worship and service of the heathen gods of the nations which surrounded them, reaping early judgement from the Lord God, for their actions and wickedness! What great blessings we miss out on, because we choose to do things our way and disregard the commands of God! What great quality of life we lose because we hold on to our thinking, and fear man rather than to fear God! What damage we do to ourselves and our families because we are weak in our obedience to the word of God and compromise instead of standing constant and strong! Why do we do this? God’s people have always been “in this world, but not of it”. Unlike Israel the Christian Church, has never had the opportunity to live in a country where the influence of the world and its sin is banned and wickedness considered illegal! The opposite is true, like pilgrims we are to travel through this life and to the Promised Land of heaven, surrounded and constantly tempted with all the enemy offers, without ever really belonging to this world and the things of it. Our task is still to stay true to God, throw down the altars of idolatry in our own lives and not sell out to the devil, the enemy of our souls. God’s requirement of faithfulness and obedience are still the same, and His promises and rewards are ever true! There will finally come a time when we will rest from all the turmoil and strife, from the temptation and affliction, in a place of permanent peace, joy and glory. There will be no sin there, no sorrow and no evil influence any longer, and the struggle of our flesh against the Spirit will forever be gone! Let us be faithful that we may rejoice eternally and be blessed with all the Saviour desires to bestow on those who overcome!

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June 18

“…and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding…” Colossians 2:2

The apostle’s prayer was that saints may come to a place of unity, strength and fulfilment in God. It seems the problem existed then as it does now, that most of us become content with but a little of God, enough to get by and just sufficient to feel justified in bearing the title of ‘Christian’. It is God’s desire we see here reflected through Paul’s epistle, that we grow to have and appreciate the full spectrum of the riches which are found in Christ Jesus! Quality of spiritual wealth is not determined merely on quantity in a preferred aspect or practice, but also on appropriating and reflecting the full scope and variety of all that is available in Christ. Unlike what is often true with man outside of Christ, where we find highly skilled professional individuals who may be the best in their particular field of expertise, yet sadly lack in the necessary parental or marital skills to be equally successful there, the Christian is to strive towards excellence in every aspect of the Christian walk. There is no such thing as a ‘specialist Christian’, one who may specialise in say giving financially, but knows nothing of faithfulness in prayer, dedication in service or desire for holiness. A man may well be called to a specific area of ministry such as pastoring, but this does not exonerate him from fulfilling all the other necessary aspects of the Christian walk, in fact such a call, makes him even more responsible to fulfil them and to such a degree that he may be an example to others! This spiritual richness comes with a full assurance, a firm conviction and strong persuasion, based on the understanding of the biblical teaching. God’s Word, is the depository of God’s revealed will and wisdom, and understanding what He has shared with us is like tapping in the largest oilfields or striking the richest lode of gold. It is the only way we can truly become spiritually rich! No one who seriously appreciates the value of such treasures, is content with just a little of it, but rather desires to mine and extract all he can from this source.  Accompanied by prayer and a humble spirit, knowing and understanding God’s Word, is partaking of heaven’s boundless treasury and feeding at God’s sumptuous table! It is the Lord’s greatest joy to give to those who long for richness beyond the temporal and material things of this world, the best and greatest divine resources and treasures. It should be our greatest joy to thankfully receive all He has for us, appreciate it above all else in life, and use it for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom!

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June 17

“Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock…” Psalms 28:1

David had been in the unique and rather strange circumstance of life, of being anointed to be the next king of Israel, by the prophet of the Lord, and yet sought after as an evil doer, and pursued to be killed, by the present king! Twice he was in a position to rid himself of Saul and the threat which weighed heavily on his life, and twice he turned down the opportunity and temptation to take things into his own hands, choosing rather to leave it in God’s hands and timing. There must have been times like this one described in our text, when he felt totally at odds with his life’s situation, and could not but to cry out to the Lord in distress. Recognising and admitting that we are struggling sometimes, is not a bad thing, provided that like David we don’t wallow in the mire and self-pity our condition, but rather go with our distress and need, to the One who can help us and lift us up out of the pit we feel we are in! In other words it is when we concentrate on the problem and not the solution that we can do damage, and potentially lose ground in our walk and progress with God. This does not mean merely ignoring the problem or thinking positive thoughts, but dealing with the issue through One who has power greater than our own! Everybody experiences low times in life, and it is human to feel the sting and pressures of the afflictions we face. The all-important difference is our willingness and desire to go to the Rock! Jesus is the Rock upon which our salvation is founded. He is the basis of our faith and victory, and the One who has overcome sin and the world, and gives us power to overcome any and all of the difficulties which face us. Our crying out in prayer and supplication to the Fountain of Life, the Source of all Good, the Rock and Strength of our souls, will achieve much, when done in faith and fervently. God will supply the answer to our question, the solution to our problem, the relief to our distress. At times He does so by somehow removing the impediment or difficulty from our lives, for He has the power to do all things. We rejoice over the victory He gives in these situations and feel delivered and lifted. If the irritant, or problem, or affliction in our life is meant to teach us some valuable lesson, God may not remove it, but utilise it to build our faith, strengthen our determination, steel our resolve and impart to us priceless traits of character such as patience, persistence, humility and stability. During these times we may not feel the ‘burden lift’ per se, but we will register His calm and confident strength, which makes us able to carry the burden victoriously and continue regardless, on our journey towards heaven. We serve a God of power, love and wisdom, and must trust that He knows what is best for us in every situation. In faith praying, trusting and leaning on Him we can make it, and are more than overcomers through Christ Jesus our Lord!

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June 16

“…for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul.” 1 Chronicles 13:3

As the new leader of the people of Israel, David begins to make positive improvements to the way he and his people will behave. Among the early changes, he makes a clear difference between how he wants to lead and the way his predecessor Saul led. He includes himself with the people, and points out that the Ark of God’s Covenant with Israel has been ignored during the days of Saul, that it should be returned to Jerusalem and to its place of worship and prayer. The Ark was recognised as being the vehicle of God’s presence among the people, and a channel through which God gave them blessing, power, protection and direction. Saul had been so taken up with the constant battles against his enemies and the inner struggles of his own pride and insecurity that he had bypassed the need to enquire of the Lord, a practice which resulted in losses and costly mistakes. Such reformation as David instituted, is the kind of revival we all need in our hearts and souls. It is of the greatest importance that in all we perform, we do not forsake to enquire from the Lord. Life can become so busy with all sorts of important responsibilities, urgent tasks and unending distractions, that we can easily forget to do the most important thing of all – communicate with God! It seems unlikely that we could forget to breathe air into our lungs, drink the fluids we need or eat the food necessary for our physical strength, and yet prayer which is spiritually comparable to eating, drinking or breathing, is something we can so often put aside and not participate in. Like Saul we can be guilty of treating hearing from God, as an unnecessary or unimportant exercise and relegating it to the ‘bottom of the list’. We must instead like David, restore the place and position of prominence, God should hold in our lives. He should be at the centre of all our thoughts, desires and activities. Enquiring from the Lord, praising Him for His love, pleading for His guidance, listening for His direction and interceding for needs, should form the core around which we live every day of our lives. Having our hearts attuned to God and His Spirit, and feeding from His word every day, provides us with the necessary spiritual strength we all need to walk the Christian path and help someone else also along the way. Many of our troubles, mistakes and problems can be avoided or alleviated, if we faithfully remain conscious of God and His will for our lives, by enquiring diligently at His hand!

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June 15

“Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD…” 2 Chronicles 8:12

Solomon, in the first half of his dominion as king of Israel had reigned well. He trusted God, built the most magnificent temple to God’s honour and worship, conquered and set up cities in the strength of the Lord. He dealt wisely and properly with the people of his nation, not enslaving or taking tribute from them, but only from the remnants of the surrounding heathen nations who were in his kingdom. Most of all he continued in His personal obedience and worship of Yahwah. He did not cease his offerings unto God, at the sumptuous sacrifices he made in the beginning, on the occasion of the opening of the temple. He continued faithfully to worship the Lord and giving Him place in his life, with due deference and regard. He maintained all the prescribed feasts and sacrifices associated with them, along with the sacerdotal orders, his father David had set up. At this time in his life Solomon was true to God and served Him according to His will. There are many lessons we can draw from the life of this man and His prolific, God-inspired writings. The simple lesson here for us, is that of consistency and steadfastness. Doing righteousness is not a once only or once every so often requirement. It should be our goal, choice and desire to not only begin well, with joy and passion to serve and worship God, but also to continue well, and if anything, perfect the way and manner in which we serve and honour our Lord. All aspect of our lives can become opportunities for worship unto God. The way we conduct ourselves, how we deal members of our family, the attitude and manner we have towards others, the way we use our finances, or take care of needs and much more, all present us with occasions for bringing glory, honour and worship to God. Remaining humbly faithful and consistent in all aspects of our relationship with Jesus is at the core of the Christian walk and experience. There are some enemies to this beautiful and appropriate connection we can have with God. Among them are some, which are more subtle and that can creep in without us realising it. For instance feeling like close family with God is great and comforting, but familiarity if unchecked, can rob us of a sense of awe and respect for God, undermining the quality of our relationship with Him. A sense of doing God’s righteousness is wholesome and strengthening, but pride can make us forget we need the Lord in all things, and make us feel like we know what to do, have done it before and therefore need not enquire from the Lord. Becoming proud and self-sufficient even in righteousness, destroys the dependence we have on God and divides us from Him. Discipline is necessary to maintaining a consistent and continuous flow of service unto God, but we should never become so formal and accustomed to our organised schedule of ‘doing’, that we forget the Object of our service, His leading and that our main motive in service must be to love the Lord wholeheartedly! Let us not merely begin well, but by aligning with God’s Word and Spirit every day, continue throughout our lives to bring God glory and honour through holy and humble service and worship!

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June 14

 “…Abide not in the hold…” 1 Samuel 22:5

There is a time for everything. David had been escaping Saul and hiding among foreign people. This supplied relative protection for a while, but the advice came from God through the prophet not to abide ‘in the hold’, meaning in hiding, any longer. It was time for David and his band, to be among his own people, where he might be known, recognised and eventually accepted as national leader. God has a plan, and when a man is willing to follow God’s direction and advice, he usually finds out that the Lord’s plan, however different, inconvenient or unusual it may be, is always the best course of action. David could have reasoned it was unwise or inexpedient, to expose himself at this time, when his life was in serious danger; when he was considered a fugitive, and when his associations amounted mostly to those who were in debt, discontented and distressed! Yet God’s direction was clear and David was accustomed to obeying and following God. He trusted God’s reasons and plans. He was confident that God would not direct him into action, without due protection and purpose. Among the people of Judah, David would be able to show his love, interest and protection for his brethren, a fact which would later prove significant in his days as king. Also in the open and in his own country, he would not be seen by his fellow citizens, as the deserter and conspirator he had been made out to be, and Saul would be less likely to pursue David and threaten his life here among his own people. There had been an appropriate time for escape and obscurity, but now God was directing otherwise. We may not always understand all the details of God’s will and direction from the onset, but if we remain sensitive to the guidance of His Holy Spirit, we are sure in due course to understand more of God’s will and purpose. By following Him in faith and obedience, and walking a holy and yielded life, we are best positioned to receive the blessings and rewards He has in store for us.

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June 13

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations…” 2 Peter 2:9

Although it may not be always clear to us, God has ways of His own to keep and protect those who live a godly and righteous life unto Him. The evidence of scripture shows that the judgments of God are sure and appropriate for the unrighteous. Just as sure however, is the fact and ability Yahwah has to maintain and guard His own people, from the effects of His wrath. The example of Lot and the judgement of Sodom and Gomorrah occasioned this text by the apostle, and underscores the beautiful truth that there are no righteous casualties, no ‘collateral damage’ of believers, in God’s operations! The terminology ‘killed by friendly fire’ refers to the not so friendly event of a soldier being killed by gunfire from the side for which he is fighting. It highlights the reality of how as humans, we are limited in power and prone to errors. This can never happen with God! His power, knowledge and ability are unlimited and He doesn’t make mistakes! Only those whom He deems deserving of His judgment are included and no there are slip-ups with the Lord! Based on their obedience to follow His instructions, God kept Noah and his family from a global flood; Lot and those with him from the fire and brimstone which destroyed the cities about them; the Israelites in Egypt from the plagues He brought all around them on Egypt. He has demonstrated time and again that He is a righteous and just God and ‘knows’ how to protect the godly! It is true that God has also allowed the martyrdom of many righteous and godly saints, but this is always at the hand of some wicked person or another, never by His own doing. While He has the power to stop any hurt to his people or protect them from any power that may attack them, He ‘knows’ and has His ways and reasons for allowing what He does and doing things the way He does them. Our task is not to question God and try to work out His mind and wisdom, or foresee His plans, so much as to walk and live lives, which in His sight may be deemed godly and righteous. By keeping our hearts pure and our conduct holy before the Lord, we stand in the place of obedience and in the best position for deliverance. There is no safer place to be in, than being godly and in the hands of the loving Saviour, and no more terrifying condition to be in, than in sin and at variance with the Almighty and righteous Judge!

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June 12

“By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.” Proverbs 3:20

God’s knowledge and wisdom is perfect and complete, and far outdistances anything we as humans can even begin to imagine. The divisions of the oceans in relation to the land masses, their respective depths, the wonders of the morning dew as it forms gently on the earth and a myriad of other marvels, which we often do not even notice or are aware of, all speak of the incomparable wisdom and knowledge of Yahwah. As new discoveries are made in the fields of science, medicine, physics, astronomy, or other disciplines, we are astounded at how little we really know and understand, and how much yet remains outside our grasp! For instance researchers are just beginning to discover how vast the resources of water that are under the earth! It is now estimated there may be more water under the earth, than we have in the oceans on its surface. How is this possible? How did such vast amounts of water get there? How does it stay there? What is its purpose and why is it so? Such considerations are stunning! Yet all that exists, how it works, its purpose and function are all known to God, the Creator of all things. With all our discoveries, knowledge and innovations, we are yet a bit like children playing in the backyard, and realizing but minute aspects of the universe that surrounds us. Wise men have tapped into the knowledge of the Almighty and searched carefully the things He has revealed, leading to many great, wonderful discoveries and significant advancements, which have helped mankind in many ways. The wisest among them, have reflected long enough to reason that such knowledge is too wonderful without a Creator and have stopped to acknowledge and praise Him and His great works! Far too many others however, attempt to explain away the evidence of Divine wisdom and the signature of the Almighty, by naturalistic means, many of which in fact require greater faith to accept, than to believe in the Creator God in the first place! It seems for them overall more convenient to ignore and set aside the concept of a Supreme Deity, lest by admitting His presence, and Divine ownership of all, they should then have to admit their accountability to Him! Nevertheless the knowledge and presence of God remains, and all of man’s cleverness and self-importance will be erased and eradicated on the day when he stands before this same Benevolent Ruler, Who will then be his Righteous Judge! How will unsaved humans of every standing, culture and learning, wish then that they had made Him their Saviour, and accepted His knowledge and wisdom, ahead of their own! For some it is already too late; for others it will be too late by then - but it is not too late now, to concede to the Lord Almighty, accept His power and majesty, and willingly place ourselves under His blessing and protection, by making Him Lord and Saviour of our souls! 

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June 11

“Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens” Lamentations 5:2

God had given the land in which Israel lived to Abraham and his descendants for an inheritance. As such it was to be considered precious and valuable. The Israelites had turned from the One True God, lost their relationship with Him, forsaken His ways and disobeyed His commandments. Here they lament the result of their disregard for God, the loss of their inheritance and property. They had become enslaved by the heathen people they had chosen to imitate, and servants to the strangers they should have ruled over. The provisions and blessings which had come their way freely and plentifully from the hand of God, now were scant and they had to pay for them dearly! Life was miserable, costly and painful, and affliction marked their days. The events of their lives and how God dealt with them, is a constant reminder to us today, to pursue godliness and righteousness assiduously. The apostle Paul taught that if God cut off the olive tree (Israel) because of their disobedience, we Gentiles, who are grafted into the olive tree should walk carefully, lest we also be cut off! Like them, we too have an inheritance which we could forfeit if we do not walk according to the ways and purposes He has set for us. Some preach a gospel of unconditional salvation, stating that essentially once we are saved, we are always saved, regardless of how we live our lives, or whether we remain obedient to God. This however, is not the pattern or teaching of the Bible. Faithfulness and continuance in obedience, holiness and righteousness are upheld in scripture, as necessary measurements of our sincerity and stated belief in God. Staying on course with God and aligning our lives with His Word is as necessary as staying on course with north on the compass, given that was our destination! It would be foolish to think we would still get there, by selecting any other direction than the north marked by the faithful, tried and reliable position of the compass! The Israelites lost their physical land and homes, because of their choice to abandon the truth, take their own direction and ignore the warnings of God. As Christians today we stand to lose and great deal more, for we have been given much more again! Our inheritance is eternal not merely some country or property here on earth! Our final home in a heavenly country, a city built foursquare where God is the light and there is no darkness, sorrow or sin. Our inheritance includes eternal life, immortality and complete bliss with Jesus forever, in a place where no sin, sickness or death will ever again exist! Most of all we will be forever with Jesus, eternally at His side and recipients of His glory! There is far too much at stake for us to lose, and too long an eternity to lament our loss! How much better to be wise and walk prudently with the Lord each day, in His love and nurture, following His will and Word, sensing after His Spirit and in humility obeying His commands, that we may inherit all that He has prepared for us in heaven! 

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June 10

“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world…” Galatians 1:4

What an amazing thought! Jesus who as the Eternal God needs nothing, and is Supreme above all His created work, didn’t merely spend out of His treasury to rescue our lost human race. He didn’t just trade some other property in exchange for our freedom, but rather gave Himself! This is the loftiest and most incomprehensible view of God’s love for mankind! We who had nothing, were without hope of ever be free from the slavery of our sin, and were enemies of God, would even merit the least of His attention, never mind His personal sacrifice! It is truth sublime and without parallel! This is the love of God, which He has freely shown to each of us, and which merits our hearts’ greatest gratitude and praise. Our best response to such love is to live the life for which He made such sacrifice. He did it so that we could be delivered, saved, rescued and made free from ‘this present evil world’. Creation itself, the physical world God made is not evil, but the sin which is perpetrated by the human race in this world, makes this present world wicked and evil beyond imagination! It is out of this spiritual darkness that Jesus desires to save and deliver us. Even the casual observer would agree that the condition of our world is becoming more desperately wicked and increasingly vacuous of the values and morals of God. Sin reigns in our world’s societies, and all efforts made by human government to police and curb, malicious and evil behaviour, overall fail, and are met with progressively less manageable challenges. There seems to be no end to the wickedness, and no answer to the sin problem, except in Christ! Jesus gave Himself for just such purpose. He Who had no sin, gave Himself for our sins! He made this deliverance open to all who will receive it and available to people of all ages, background or nationality. There may be many things that we cannot do as individuals, but we can all learn to love Jesus! To love God, means to believe in Him, partake of the salvation He has provided, and obey His commands and words so that we may live the kind of life He has always intended us to live! A life that testifies of His goodness and reflects His love to others; a life blessed and fulfilled by His purposes and lived for His glory! Like all things made and conceived for a specific purpose, we too function best and are happiest when we live the kind of life He created us for and made us capable of. Jesus gave Himself for us, it is only fitting we should give ourselves to Him!

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June 9

“…Let us build with you…” Ezra 4:2

At face value a reasonable request and one which might have been tempting, considering the great need and word to be done. After all they claimed to worship the same God! As the context demonstrates, however, the approach came from people less than sincere and with private, antagonistic agendas. They were known to not only worship Yahwah, but also many other gods, a practice which was offensive to the Almighty. The leaders of Israel were wise not to allow for their assistance! There may be times in our lives where we also might be tempted to enter into inappropriate alliances. Our motive may be to further the cause of Christ, but this is not a wise or fruitful practice! Those who are given to compromise regarding the truth, and are found wanting in holy and consecrated living for God, are not likely to be a true or consistent help in edifying the body of Christ! There are some who would want to participate in the projects and functions of the church, and may appear enthusiastic about giving of their time and efforts, but may, because of the shortcomings in their lives, be more of a hindrance than a help, to the witness for Christ. It is in such situations that leadership must be sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit. Paul exhorted believers to know those who worked among them. The context is to know the ministry and appreciate their work, but the same care applies in knowing those who are less than consecrated in their lives and service. A test of sincerity is often found in the response a person gives, when their offer is lovingly turned down or postponed. A genuine volunteer won’t mind waiting to be summoned when timely or appropriate, their desire is to serve God and be a help in any way or time as is convenient. Conversely someone who may have an ulterior motive, or a misplaced reason for offering their help or filling a position, will most probably react offended and may even become hostile towards leadership if turned down. Accomplishing God’s work in whatever sphere, is an important and privileged responsibility. It should be carried out with the utmost of personal care and attentiveness. It does not always require the greatest of talent, but it should always be done with the greatest excellence of heart!

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June 8

“In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…” Psalms 31:1

David is afflicted, facing enemies and feeling the sting of afflicton. He doesn’t begin his prayer and call to God with his pressing needs, but starts by asserting his faith and firm confidence in Yahwah. In this time of distress he does not rely on the trust he has placed in God in the past, or on how he may lean on the Lord in the future. It is in the present, during and because of the current anguish, that he focuses his thoughts and heart of faith to God. Often we are guilty of letting our problems get in the way of our trust in the Lord. Right at the time when we should lean on Him and trust Him the most, we turn from faith in God to considering and pitying self. Like Peter who had just walked on water, having focused on the boisterous waves of our distress, and taken our eyes off the Lord, we sink! The billows of our difficulty engulf us and we flounder, wondering how we can ever survive! Putting our trust in God, should be more than just a passing, fleeting moment of reliance. It must become for the believer the default conduct, the ‘normal’ way of life. Whether the sun is shining in our life, or we are being tossed by the fiercest of weather, our staying power in found in the Lord. It is faith that anchors us in Him and keeps us in the darkest times of life. This may well be the reason why God allows us to go through the tough times we all face. It is easy to claim a reliance on God when things are smooth and everything is going our way. But when the going gets rough, the finances lack, the problems at home and work are multiplying, health has deteriorated, or we are facing opposition and our little world is being tossed, we have to learn to hold on to the One who can see us through! In His great love, our Father knows just how to train us and teach us to trust Him! Learning to lean on Him is the all-important skill of the Christian walk. It is only when we are able and willing to genuinely place our trust and confidence in Jesus that we find the fulfilment, peace, contentment and victory we desire in all areas of life!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 7

“For he built again the high places…” 2 Chronicles 33:3

The epitaph, by which Manasseh’s life is remembered, is that ‘he did evil in the sight of the LORD’! How tragic that men choose to do evil, when they have the power to do good! He was a king, the son of a godly king. He had the power to influence Israel positively, but instead chose to turn against the God of Heaven, in offensive, purposeful and abominable idolatry. Manasseh didn’t just ‘slip’ into a sin after yielding to its temptation, he actively rebelled against Yahwah and rebuilt the idolatrous places of worship which his father had torn down and destroyed! He turned his worship and service to Baal, Ashtoreth, the sun, moon and stars. He fulfilled the foolishness of worshipping the created nature, whilst denying, offending and rejecting the Creator! Idolatry, occult practices, blasphemies and witchcraft, all became common place with Manasseh, and symptomatic of his disregard, disobedience and rebellion against God. It may be hard to comprehend that someone who grew up with a godly father, was no doubt exposed to the truth of God from a young age, and would have seen the blessing, healing and power of the One True God in his dad’s life, could turn so thoroughly and completely against the Almighty! Sadly this is not all that uncommon, highlighting the fact that each man must ultimately make his own personal choice in regards to the Lord. Whatever personal experience and relationship with God, his father had, this was not the case with Manasseh. It should strengthen the determination of all Christian parents to ensure that from a young age and as they are growing up, their children develop a personal and intimate knowledge and relationship with Jesus. It is clearly not enough to assume that just ‘taking them to church’ or having them saying prayers, is enough to help them become true believers in God. As parents we can encourage our children to know God personally, developing for themselves strong personal convictions, and experiencing God’s love and presence in their own lives. Doing this throughout their growing years, gives them the best opportunity to continue in a true faith and bond with God when they grow older. Ultimately we have to accept that it does come down to personal choice. There is evidence of children who grew to live godly lives, obedient to God and His ways, even though their parents were ungodly and without respect for the Holy One, or as we see in the life of Manasseh, the direct opposite of those circumstances. The best possible scenario and outcome is for us to imitate the example of those men and women of God who lived consistently righteous and godly lives, were influential in helping their children develop a personal relationship with the Lord and continued to pray and uphold them and their grandchildren, strengthening the testimony of God through their lives, to the second generation! May the Lord help every Christian parent to be so minded and consistent in their walk!

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June 6

“…So I prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 2:4

This example in scripture shows the importance and prevalence we should give to prayer. Nehemiah had prayed, fasted and waited on God already, yet here, before he dares to answer the king’s request, right in the middle of a conversation, he lifts his mind to God in prayer. There is not mention of a response from the Lord at this time, but that does not lessen the necessity, power and validity of Nehemiah’s prayer. It has been said that prayer should be as comfortable and natural as breathing to those who believe. It is evident from scripture that whilst special times of prayer, and special places may have been set aside for this holy exercise, that it is never out of place or an inconvenient time to connect to the Lord in prayer, regardless of where we are or our situation. Close relationship with God, will mean that we are accustomed to raise our hearts in prayer and will ‘mentally’ pray often throughout the day. It is not inappropriate to include brief and swift mental prayer, while we speak or listen, in fact it may improve the quality and nature of much of our communication! Certainly including prayer in our daily life, not only in the morning or at night, but as an integral part of our thought processes and responses, will keep us much more conscious of the Lord and aware of our accountability to Him. This should not sound ‘over the top’ or in any way excessive to us, if we genuinely believe the Lord is able to see and hear all we do and say anyway, and if, as we claim, we truly hold Him as the Lord and Master of our lives! What a privilege to communicate with Heaven on a direct, unhindered, any-time open line! How wonderful that God is interested in our individual lives so much, that He desires to hear about all and any of the details we care to raise and discuss with Him! Far from the distant, aloof and disinterested God, which many imagine and cast Him to be, the Lord Jesus wants to be to each of us, a ‘Friend that sticks closer than a brother’! He desires to be there for us in every moment and every aspect of our lives, if only we will include Him! How amazing that the Supreme ruler of the universe, the Almighty and Self-Sufficient One, never claims to be too busy or occupied, but chooses to listen to the faintest prayers we may lift to Him from our finite and limited hearts and minds! We serve a great and powerful God, who cares and wants to hear from us, all that remains is for us to build a close relationship with Him and pray as Nehemiah and many others did, to the ‘God of Heaven’!

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June 5

“Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded…” Philippians 2:2

Paul had seen a great deal of personal trial, difficulty and affliction in serving the Lord. He bore many burdens and suffered many persecutions, tortures and loss. He had to deal with the many dissentions, arguments and false doctrines arising among some of the churches. All this added pain and sorrow to an already difficult ministry unto God. Here however was a great opportunity for joy! The apostle’s joy was structured and fulfilled by the Christlike manner, godly conduct and scriptural faith of those who had grown in his care and as a result of his ministry. His joy was to see brethren working together in unison, harmony and love. Those having the same mind of godliness and making efforts to maintain unity and love in the church, were a cause of joy to this great man of God. This is true of any minister who has a true pastor’s heart. He rejoices in God, when God’s people function without schism and discord, are free from contentions and strife, and in true humility of heart, love and serve God and uphold one another! This is cause for great joy! It surpasses all thrills that a servant of God may experience in any other aspect of life! It is God’s will that His church be one-minded in faith, purpose and practice. When a minister can verify that this is taking place in the body of believers, he can rejoice because God’s will is being fulfilled, and no greater joy exists for the servant of God! It is the task of the true believer to find his place in God and fill it to the best of his ability. Along with the specific call or ministry to which we may be directed, there are the common goals in the church, to which we are all called as the Lord’s disciples. These include the necessity to love one another, to serve God from a pure heart, to maintain a bond of peace and unity of spirit, to bear one another’s burdens and to pray without ceasing. There is plenty of room in the family of God, plenty to do and be involved in, and much purpose to fulfil. Let us determine by our actions and conduct, to make our leaders truly joyful in their service to God, and most of all let us remember that our lives are open before Him, who knows and sees all things, and rewards accordingly!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 4

“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ…” 2Corinthians 2:15

What aroma is to coffee, flavour to food and perfume to flowers, we are to be unto God (for His Glory), as a reflection of Christ, and bring this ‘taste’ of Jesus, both among those that are saved, and among those that are yet lost. It is only to be thought of as our ‘reasonable service’, that we should reflect the glory, victory and love of He who saved us and made us new and free from sin! When we are in the company of fellow-believers, they should be able to verify and clearly see the evidences of God’s grace in our lives. The desire for the things of God, obedience to His ways, diligence in His Word and humility of spirit, should be commonplace with us if we are ‘in Christ’. In a similar way the particular qualities of Christ, just like a distinctive taste and aroma, should be noticeable to those who are not yet saved, when we are in their company! Can the people we work with, meet every day or know quite well, tell that we are ‘different’ from the world they are used to observe? Can they recognise the qualities of Jesus in us? Are there evidences in the way we talk, behave, what we do or refuse to participate in, that speak out lout and leave the ‘scent’ of Christ in their nostrils? As Christians we are in the privileged position of being ambassadors, representatives and examples of what God is all about, both in the church, and outside of the church. This is an advantage and opportunity we should take very seriously and maximise to bring God glory and praise. There should therefore not be shyness or reticence about the fact we are Christians, nor arrogance or superiority in our manner and attitude! Rather in true humility of heart and with holy boldness and love, we must communicate to both our brethren and the world at large, that Jesus lives and that He lives in us! In our words, but more importantly in our actions, let us take the Savour of the Saviour to all around us!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 3

“For he that is dead is freed from sin” Romans 6:7

In beautiful language of parallels, Paul teaches believers at Rome, that the death of the flesh, the ‘old man’, is a necessary part of Christian life! in days when the relationship between slave and master was still a commonplace thing, it was not difficult to understand, that upon dying, the slave was no longer under the control or dictates of his earthly master. He escaped those constraints, and was freed from them. Paul alludes to that fact by pointing out that when we are in Christ, we are ‘dead to sin’, which was our master and enslaved us, and this ‘death’ is actually a freedom from sin, and the liberty to live the resurrected life in Jesus Christ. This is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith - that true life is found in death! When we come to salvation, we accept through faith that being baptised is a necessary part of entering into our new life in Christ. It is by this act of faith that we identify with the burial of Jesus Christ. Clearly only ‘dead’ people are buried! When we repent of our sins, we die to self and our own ways, recognising that God’s ways are right and choose them for ourselves. Now ‘dead’, we are then ‘buried’ in water, by baptism, in the name given for salvation (Acts 4:12), which is the name of Jesus, identifying with His death and burial. The scriptures say that “we are buried with Him by baptism into death” (Rom 6:4). Finally we rise to a new life in Christ, when we are filled with His Holy Spirit, spiritually participating in His resurrection! Now cleansed and free from the sin of our past life, we stand spiritually alive in Christ, but dead to sin! As long as this status and balance exists, we remain alive in the Spirit, aligned with God and progressing towards eternal life in heaven with Christ! The entire effort of Christian life is to maintain this now holy, new and consecrated life we have in Jesus, free from sin. According to our text, our best defence against the destructive, enslaving ravages of sin is to be ‘dead’! We must then determine to remain ‘dead’ to the flesh, - this means saying no and being inert to the world and to self; ‘dead’ to sin, - this means saying no to and resisting temptation and sin; ‘dead’ in Christ, - this means yielding to Him, without our own agenda, but desiring only to fulfil His ways and will, so we can continue to be alive in Him! God’s Word makes it clear that Christian living is not for the faint hearted, cowardly or timorous, but for the obedient, determined and faithful!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 2

“…Israel did evil…and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim… ” Judges 3:7

The Israelites became apostates, traitors of the true God and His ways. This is a pattern which was repeated time and again among the people of God, bringing the Lord’s displeasure and judgment upon them. Their backsliding was largely due to the comforts they had found and made for themselves in the Promised Land, along with their choice of subscribing to the ways of the heathen nations which surrounded them. Their alliance with neighbouring nations was often strengthened by intermarrying with them, thus becoming ‘family’ and further weakening their stand in God. They had been warned by the Lord not to marry with unbelievers, and means of proselytising a foreign person to the faith of Yahwah were in place, but clearly for the most, they were either ignored or forgotten. The natural progression of human nature, when unrestrained by the laws and directives of God, is to the lowest point on the moral scale. Like water naturally finding and flowing to the lowest level, even so the sinful nature of man will lead an individual, or a nation to forget and forsake the high place and standing of God’s values and commands, and settle for the ‘lowlands’ of sin and degradation. Of interest is the fact which always accompanies such deterioration – the object of worship is altered and exchanged, this results in idolatry. The people who knew the Only True God, turned their eyes and hearts from Him, forgot His ways, repudiated His laws and served Baal and the idols of the groves in worship and practices! This was the condition the Israelites found themselves in, and often returned to, even after judgment, repentance and forgiveness. It was in keeping themselves from idolatry, that God’s people failed the test of faithfulness and incurred His wrath. We might sometimes wonder how this could ever take place, with people who were so blessed and provided for by the Lord, but sadly it is also a pattern which all too often emerges among believers today. In spite of the clear knowledge and teaching imparted us by God’s Word, and impressed upon us by His Spirit, there are many who live a double life. In name, they profess to know God and be followers of Christ, but in practice they idolise the world and the things of it. Their lives differ nothing from the unsaved, unchristian people of the world around them. This has earned them the reputation of being nominal (in name only) Christians, people who justify following the trends and sinful practices of the society they live in, but also claim membership in the Christian church. Jesus faced similar religiousness in His day, and called such professors hypocrites, showing them the same firmness of love, with which Yahwah dealt with backsliding Israel. It should be our pleasure and desire to serve God with all our minds, hearts and souls, at all times and in all places. For this He has saved us, called us and established us, that we may live a holy life and faithfully show His grace, love and righteousness to the world around us!

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion

June 1

“…that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God” Joshua 18:6

We need to know God’s will and direction for our lives. This is particularly true when as leaders in church, or our families, we also carry the responsibility of guide others. Such was the case with Joshua. It had been placed in his hands to lead Israel into the conquest of Canaan land. They had all fought the enemy together, side by side, under the direction of God and gained the victory. Now he was to assign to each of the tribes, the lot or area of land pertaining to them. It was Joshua’s responsibility to find God’s will for the allotment of the land. He needed to enquire of God and find His direction! With quiet confidence he reassured them he would cast lots before God and come up with answers for them. God had allowed and even commanded in various situations, the ‘casting of lots’, to help His people make decisions and know some detail within what He had shown His will to be. It was not a method of fortune telling, or predicting the future, neither was it the sole way of deciding, but it was used particularly when repetitive decisions had to be made. It was a God-permitted way of finding out some detail of what He had already revealed as His will. In this instance He had already revealed that it was His will for Israel to inhabit the land. Lots were cast to determine the details of where each tribe would be settled in the land. We are not exactly sure what the ‘lots’ were. They could have been special gem stones or sticks of various lengths, in any case some method by which random results would occur, and could not be manipulated by man, thus could be taken as being God-directed. In our day and dispensation, we have the complete Word of God and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, by which we are clearly directed and instructed. Casting lots is no longer a necessary practice, though nowhere in the scriptures was it forbidden or commanded to cease. We observe that after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, the practice was no longer mentioned in scripture. One could argue however, that even today there could be times when the rendering of an impartial decision, in a detail of a matter which is already known to be God’s will, could be best achieved by casting lots – it would certainly help lessen the politics which are so often and unpleasantly found in Christian groups, and keep a lot of people humble! In any case, the emphasis of the practice of casting lots, was to receive direction. God is willing to direct His people and provided we approach Him prayerfully, with a pure heart, empty of selfishness and desirous for His will to be fulfilled and His name to be glorified, He will show the way and direct the path! This is one of the many joys and privileges of the Christian, he does not have to be without direction, lost and fumbling, but can proceed in all areas and aspects of life, with quiet and sure confidence of God’s will, and clear knowledge of what to do.

http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion