July 18

“To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also:…” 2 Corinthians 2:10

The Apostle Paul was considered a senior minister and general overseer, to the churches which had formed under his direction. In these verses he shows confidence in the leaders and people of the congregation at Corinth. Paul was willing to stand by the judgements they made, whether they were to forgive a wrong, or to gratify a need, as if he were present and had taken part in the process. Such assurance in fellow- members of the church family is of great importance to the practices and survival of the body of Christ. The church is a community where justice and righteousness is essential. Holiness is the calling card of the church, and the way it conducts its affairs is a testimony both for those within the body and those who are looking on. The scriptures are replete with instructions to ministers, in how to deal with the various problems that may arise in a congregation. Balanced and godly judgment, along with firm discipline and genuine love, are all vital, and blessed is the congregation where these are present and practiced. The confidence Paul placed in his Christian brethren, is a trust that we need more than ever today, among fellow-Christians. Sadly due to a lowering of the standards of Christian living, a lack of holiness in Christian hearts, and a widespread enchantment with the world and the things of it, many Christians are not worthy of such trust. Their judgment of things within the church is marred by a warped and unchristian worldview, so that the things which should naturally come to Christians do not. If he lived today, would Paul be able to express the same level of confidence and trust in the actions and conclusions which fellow-believers are reaching? Would he be able to go along with the compromised positions, the weakened testimony and the lack of spiritual insight that plague the Christian church today? Could he stand by the decision of many believers who willingly give over to pressures of societal views and who join in support of unbiblical and even sinful practices? I dare say not! We must in this day and age, lift the standard of holy conduct and righteous judgment, based completely on the authority of God’s word, so that again trust and confidence can be afforded to the church of the Living God!

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

July 4

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal…” 2 Corinthians 10:4

In several of his epistles, the apostle Paul makes it clear we are at war. Unlike any other warfare our end is spiritual and so are the means by which we fight the war. From this text then we are reminded that we are at war, that we have weapons and that they are not of a carnal, fleshly nature. The Christian’s war is not against flesh and blood. It is not a battle against other humans or human governments. It is a spiritual fight against spiritual entities, powers unseen by human eye, and yet very real and threatening. These principalities and powers, spiritual wickedness in high places, as the Bible describes them, are the seat of Satan’s authority and government. They are the promoters and motivators of temptation and sin, urging iniquity upon humanity. They influence man to turn from God, His spiritual life and His love, and towards the world’s materialism, inciting rebellion against God’s ways and encouraging selfishness, self-will and self-worship. The Christian’s battle is not only to personally overcome these forces of evil, but to also help others against them. To do this, God has supplied the believer with weaponry! This is not like conventional armaments, such as can inflict physical injury or death, but a spiritual arsenal to be used against the enemy and in support of those whom evil victimises. The weapons given to believers to overcome in this fight are many and include, prayer, the name of Jesus, the power of the Holy Ghost, the knowledge and preaching of the Word, the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit, fellowship, church, God’s love and a lot more! The wise and faithful believer will learn how to use these arms, and maximise their effect, in the conflict against sin and the devil. The Bible further describes these weapons as not being carnal, but mighty through the Holy Ghost! Carnal here, refers to that which belongs to the flesh, which by comparison to the power of the Holy Spirit, is weak and ineffective in such spiritual warfare. Christians can rejoice in the fact that God has not left them without means to overcome, and has also promised not only to be with them, but to ensure their victory if they trust in Him!

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

May 23

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:” 2 Corinthians 4:3

The gospel is described here as ‘our gospel’, not because it belongs to us alone, but because it is entrusted by the Lord to all who believe. This message of God’s salvation has been made available and open for all. It is not hidden by God, nor should it ever be hidden by those who believe and have benefited from it. It has been given freely as an endowment of all mankind. The only limitation on it being appropriated as ‘ours’, is our own will and desire as individuals. We might say similarly that the sun shines and all can see it, unless they close their eyes to it and choose not to. The flow of a river is there for all to benefit and satisfy their thirst, unless they select not to drink from it. In context then, the gospel is not hid by divine mandate. If it remains hidden to some, the fault is not with God or with the gospel He has given, but rather with those that through their own pride, sinfulness, indulgence and self-centredness, remain blinded to the sight, beauty and power of it and therefore are deemed ‘lost’, without hope and without Christ. This however, is not a condition which must inevitably remain, as can be seen by so many of us who were indeed lost and yet are now found. What corrects our lost-ness is as simple as making a change in our will to ‘see’, give place to and accept that it is we who are blinded to the beauty of God’s gospel, and in need of spiritual surgery! Once that admission is made in our personal hearts and minds, we begin to find that which had been ‘hidden’ by our own doing or lack of! It is probably for this reason that many, when referring to their conversion say something like ‘when I found God’, as if God had been somehow lost! In reality what we mean by such statements, is that though God was in plain sight, like the light of the sun, we had our blinders on and could not see Him! We were the ones who were lost, and only when we finally and willingly removed the impediments from our eyes, did we begin to see God! In that sense then, we ‘found Him’. It was from that moment onwards that we became conscious and aware of Him, His plan for our lives, His salvation, His beauty and Majesty and at that point, we ceased to be lost and by accepting Jesus, we became found in Him! The glorious message of salvation, which powerfully presents the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the way by which we can identify with and make ours what He did for us, is plain and manifest; but if it remains veiled, hidden and out of sight, then it is so to those who are among the countless lost, and who so desperately and in spite of themselves need to found! The task and commission is left to those who believe, to make every effort and try every means, by which we may help someone else who may be willing, to see what is yet hidden to them!

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

Apr 8

“But we preach Christ crucified...” 1 Corinthians 1:23

The Apostles didn’t know or preach a stately triumphant Messiah, who would conquer their physical enemy, establish a new earthly kingdom, and retrieve for them the position and privileges they once held. This was the expectation of many of the Jews, but the crucified Christ, the Christ who suffered and allowed Himself to be humiliated, was what they were presented with! The message of the Apostles exalted the sacrifice of Jesus for the atonement of our sins. Little wonder it was a ‘stumbling block’ to them! It was the opposite of what they had expected! It was inglorious, ignominious and ignoble! How could such a slain Messiah save or even inspire! This is exactly the mentality of so many today and the error they make. They misunderstand the cross of Calvary. Without God’s revelation, His understanding and light on the plan of salvation He so lovingly made available for us, we would surely miss the mark and totally misconstrue the Divine purpose. The power of Christ crucified, is like nothing else on earth! It doesn’t depend on the grandeur and pomp, or the force and violence that the human mind expects, when strength or authority is described. It is based in, and functions from the very essence of God – His love! This is the most powerful force in the universe. It conquers in a manner otherwise unknown to man, and incomparable to anything else. This power is able to reach the heart of humans, across the boundaries of culture, language, age and education. It grips the soul and cleans it; makes inroad in the darkest places of the heart and turns the light on; devastates the devil and the sin that enslaves man, and frees him, in the most complete sense; reaches down to fallen man and lifts him from the slime pit of perdition, upon the solid rock of salvation! That is why ‘we’ – all who believe and know Jesus – preach the crucified Christ! Like the apostle Paul we want to know nothing but ‘Christ and Him crucified’, this is the core of the faith, the centre piece of exaltation, and the focus of life - there is power in the message of the cross! 

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

Apr 1

“Therefore judge nothing before the time…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

There are different words used in the Greek and translated in English to ‘judge’. In some scriptures we are actually encouraged to ‘judge’, in the context of testing, proving, trying, evaluating, discerning or reckoning. We are clearly able to align a matter with scripture, and determine what can be seen as a ‘work of the flesh’, as being sin, incorrect and against God. Such ‘judging’ is within our scope and even necessary in order to maintain a right walk with God, and discern truth from error. There are however hidden things, which are not only hard to judge, but upon which we should avoid passing any personal appraisal or criticism. In matters of motivation, inner thought and what may be in the ‘heart’, it is not really possible for a human to pass unerring judgment on another. Such things are hidden to us, and without a clear vision and knowledge of the real facts of the heart, judgment there is outside our reach. Ultimate judgement therefore belongs to God alone. It is to Him that we are all finally accountable.  As fallible humans, limited and unable to see and know everything, it becomes important that we are slow to judge any matter. Even when we can rightly evaluate, making certain that all the facts are known and factored in, is a quality of wisdom and careful behaviour, desirable in all human beings and particularly in believers. Our text is clear that judging matters pertaining to anyone’s eternal destiny, belongs to the Lord, and only He can bring to light the things of the heart of man, good and bad, and one day He will! It will then be open and obvious, what our motives have been. We must ensure to purify our hearts and minds before God on a daily basis, and be ready for that day of God’s revealing judgment.

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

Mar 15

“…behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

We see that in human life there is a time for everything. When it comes to the spiritual realm, there is not in the present, a God-ordained time to be or remain unsaved, and separated from the grace of the Lord! This is why we find the prompt and urgent exhortation to partake and benefit from the salvation Jesus has supplied, expressed by the very pressing term ‘now’. It was relevant at the time the Apostle Paul wrote it to the Corinthians, and it is still pertinent today. The ‘now’ spoken of here, is not so much a time of the clock, as it is a dispensation, a period during which God’s salvation is still available to mankind. In the past this glorious condition in Christ, could only be alluded to, by types and shadows, but was not yet accessible. In the future again, there will be an end to the possibility of finding safety and redemption in Christ. In the present however, it is a real and obtainable spiritual condition. ‘Now’ – we can be born again and be free from our past; now – we can know the joy of forgiveness and the resurrected life; now – we can live with Christ in heavenly places and prepare for eternity with Him! There is another way to consider this expression of present urgency and opportunity. No human being has a guarantee of tomorrow. For each of us, part of life is the very present, and without-regard-of-person, reality of death. Young or old, rich or poor, healthy or ailing, we could suddenly and without notice, cease to exist in this physical realm. The exhortation of our text, takes on the meaning of urgency for us personally, as individuals. While salvation maybe yet available tomorrow, and others may have the opportunity to participate still, there is no surety of another day for any of us. Today, now, therefore, is the most relevant and appropriate time to respond to God’s call, and make our soul right with Him. Too many have thought of acting upon the good will and grace of God another day, but never lived to see it. There are some things we cannot afford to put off, and salvation is the primary item in that category, the first entry on the list of ‘to dos’! All else is dispensable, but not this! Today, now - while God is near, while His salvation is available; while the heart is pumping, the lungs breathing and life is yet coursing through our bodies; while our minds are exercised and challenged, by the reality and possibility of such great salvation; while our souls are being drawn to the Saviour, let us answer with wholehearted and positive acceptance, to the plan and gift of salvation, Jesus extends – right now – to each of us!

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

Feb 27

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves…” 2 Corinthians 3:5

The principles and teaching of God’s word often stand in stark contrast to those of the world. In the natural we are taught to be ‘self-sufficient’. We treasure the ability to need no-one else, and be as much as possible ‘independent’ and self-reliant. While there may be some benefit in these views and to some degree they are necessary in our personal survival, often the concept of self-sufficiency, is taken too far, and once mingled with the pride and arrogance of our human nature, it is applied in the wrong ways. What was intended as a demonstration of personal ability, then becomes a weapon for self-destruction and the cause of antipathy of others. As Christians we do treasure the ability to grow personally and be strong as individuals, recognising the necessity to carry our personal load and not to become too burdensome to others. Along with that conviction however, is another dimension in understanding sufficiency. Biblical sufficiency, clearly is well beyond ourselves and while it involves us, it is not from or by us! Paul expresses this wisdom in his writings. It all starts by recognising that in reality we can do nothing of ourselves; in other words that the actual ‘power’ to think, speak and act, comes from God. Once we have settled the question of power, ability or capacity and its Divine source, it becomes easier to see that what we do, or how we function is not really ‘our own’, but ultimately the result of His creation, His opus in us! Now let’s be clear that God doesn’t do the thinking and acting FOR us, which is why we can so easily abuse the power and ability He has granted, and use it for the wrong reasons. Most in fact, use their God-given capacities against the very God that empowered them, by sinning and defying His commandments and directives! So while we are clearly responsible for our own thoughts and actions, and will be judged for them, yet as believers we find no trouble or disparity, in acknowledging that the ‘sufficiency’ (power, ability, skill) of anything we think, say and do comes from the Lord. To Him therefore we give glory and honour for these divine endowments. When applied from natural, every-day existence, to the spiritual element of life, this truth becomes even more relevant and tangible. Without a special ability given by God to His ministers and workers, nothing of any spiritual value or consequence could ever be accomplished. This power and special capacity is the anointing of God’s Holy Spirit! Without God’s anointing a sermon is merely a collection of human thoughts, with no power to reach the soul; a minister is just doing a job; a church is just a club; and worship is just singing! Without the anointing we could never hope to reach a soul for Christ, understand or teach a single spiritual truth or remain faithful in our walk with God. Truly with the apostle we can say that we are not sufficient of ourselves, and cannot look to our own ability for any of these things, but that our sufficiency is of God!

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

Feb 6

“…He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly…” 2 Corinthians 9:6

The law of sowing and reaping is well established in scriptural teaching. It applies to each one of us and is an apt reminder that not only we reap what we sow, but as we are taught here, we also reap mainly to the degree and proportion to which we sow. This principle is readily seen in the natural. Given proper conditions, if we sow wheat, we will reap a wheat crop; and the size of the crop, will largely depend on how much wheat we sowed in the first place. Whilst it all seems logical and obvious in the physical application, we sometimes tend to miss the value of this concept, and its application in other areas of life. What we ‘sow’ by our actions and deeds, and how much we ‘sow’ - in the form of giving of ourselves, our time, attention or talent, can also greatly affect what, and how much we reap in the course of life . In the context of the passage, service in work of God and the giving unto the Lord for God’s work and the needs of His people, should not be done stingily! Self-control and frugality are great qualities when applied to the management of our personal expenditures or the management of our family funds and resources. In serving God however, and particularly in our giving unto the Lord, the biblical recommendation is to do so liberally, cheerfully and with all our hearts. Unlike our wheat crop example, above however, Christian giving should not be motivated by what we might receive in return. That aspect should be left to the Lord’s better judgement, and often if we give from a pure heart, we receive truly ‘good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over’ from the hand of the Lord. We already know from scripture that the rewards of heaven far outweigh anything we could possibly receive on earth anyway, so we are not likely to ever ‘out-give’ the Lord! This kind of giving is more like the quality and nature of God’s giving to us, the example of which, we see all around us and in everything He has created so freely for our benefit both now and in the future. Some spend a lifetime struggling over the measly ‘pennies’ of their giving and finding nothing but stress, insecurity and loss in the effort of ‘holding onto’ what they have. Others have found the joy of giving, truly exceeds that of receiving, and regularly, freely and willingly give all they can in time, money and effort, to benefit others. It is true that we can be takers or givers, and that givers are the happiest and most fulfilled individuals in the world. The choice remains with each of us as to whether we will follow God’s direction, and be one who not only sows good things, but does so plentifully.

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

Feb 1

“...his own wife….her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2

The necessity to keep marital relations within marriage, are clearly expressed in these verses. Mankind has abused the God-given right and gift of sexual expression, by taking it outside of the boundaries of biblical marriage. In doing so, man has created a culture and an alternate belief, which is opposed to and in contradiction to God. This has opened the floodgates to much sin, disease, heartache, emotional and mental illness and a host of associated abuses of fellow human beings. This destructive behaviour is the direct result of ignoring God’s principles and deriding His word. God intends for the beauty, closeness and commitment of the marriage relationship to be kept between a man and his wife.  Sexual relationship outside of the bond of marriage are referred to in the Bible, by the general term of ‘fornication’- meaning ‘sexual impurity’, and should not be entered into by anyone who fears God and wants to please Him. It is of interest in this portion of scripture, that two very distinct words were used by the Holy Ghost in inspiration, for the Greek word translated ‘own’ in English. It is not unusual to find that God’s Word is gender-specific in certain teaching, and that God wants His people to remain faithful to the truth He reveals, in spite of personal or cultural preferences. When God said ‘his own wife’, the emphasis of the word used, expresses the meaning of ‘the wife he possesses and belongs to him’. The term ‘her own husband’, on the other hand, emphasises the idea that ‘he is the husband of whom she is a part, to whom she belongs’. The teaching here is in line with the biblical understanding of the dynamics of what adultery, (a specific aspect of sexual impurity) is taught to mean scripturally – relations by a man (married or single), with a married woman - a woman who ‘belongs to another man’ in marriage! The line upon line and precept upon precept building of truth in the Holy Scriptures, is a wonderful and powerful safeguard against false doctrine and misinterpretation. Praise the Lord for the accuracy and precision of his Word, and for the beauty and strength of His teaching.

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

Jan 28

“For ye are yet carnal…” 1 Corinthians 3:3

Although in Christ, there was evidence among the Corinthian church that carnality was still being given place. This can be true of a lot of believers and it is this condition, of lacking in total spiritual commitment and reflecting at least in part the world and its ways, which has caused more problems for the church than possibly any other. It is mostly based on this complaint that the cries have risen against believers, cries that hypocrisy and insincerity are rife in the church. The defence is made that ‘Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven’. While it is true that even as believers we are in the process of change, that God is still working on us and we are not yet where we should be, this should never become an excuse for continuing indifferent and unconcerned, in poor, un-consecrated and fleshly service unto the Lord! In fact it is the express will of God that we are sanctified for his service, and Jesus made it very clear that perfection (at least in the sense of being complete) is certainly something we should strive for and make efforts towards, in all aspects of our lives. The problem is that developing such perfection is hard work, requiring spiritual discipline, the diligence of daily studying God’s Word, along with much prayer and soul-searching. These tasks are not pleasing to the flesh and so, many Christians capitulate to mere religiousness, which is a half-hearted, at best lukewarm effort towards God. They belong to a church, but they do not belong to God! This inevitably results in carnality reigning. Four times in as many verses, and raising examples of their behaviour and treatment of each other, Paul points out the open carnality and fleshly mind-set of the church he was addressing. Lest we should rise in criticism of the Corinthians, and seeing God’s Word and principles apply just as much to us today, how do we rate when aligned to the same values?

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