July 3

 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

Godliness is God-centeredness, having the Lord at the centre of all aspects of life, or as Poole puts it: “…the exercise of a true faith in Christ, conjoined with a holy life…”! The outflow of all we might call ‘true religious piousness’, the practice of holiness, along with the serenity of the sufficiency which is found in Jesus, is truly great riches! Those who have built this level of relationship with the Lord are satisfied individuals, people who will not need much else in life. The truth and depth of the text before us, escapes most believers. All too often godliness is taken to be a burdensome chore, an unwelcome imposition on mind, heart and time. Unholy, disgruntled and discontented ‘Christians’, are merely church-going, pew warmers! That is not at all the life to which Christ has called us to follow! He is the King Eternal and His riches are our great gain, if we but partake of the kind of life He wants us to live. It is a life of holiness, faithfulness and love; a life filled with new discoveries of truth and life principles, freshly delivered to us by His Holy Spirit every day! It is a life that fulfils, contents and satisfies beyond anything which we ever experienced prior to knowing the Lord! The key is living it the way Jesus wants us to live it, according to His word and in His Spirit. It is like having a very specific recipe which when followed will yield the desired result. Obviously if we choose to change the values, contents or method, in the recipe, we cannot expect the same outcome! Yet foolishly so many think they can manipulate God’s precepts to suit themselves and still retain a contentment in Christ, a fulfilling joy or a sense of real purpose, direction and growth! 

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

May 30

“Who will have all men to be saved…” 1 Timothy 2:4

God is love! This is the basic and prominent feature of His character and it is reflected in His will. Two aspects of His love can be readily seen in the way we understand the will of God from this portion of scripture. Firstly, God does not desire anyone to remain unsaved. This means that God’s choice is for every human being to inherit eternal life and undying joy. To that end He has made provision through the atoning death of Jesus the Messiah on the cross of Calvary, for just such salvation to be made available to everyone, without preference or restriction. The great theme of God’s love can be found summarised in one verse, in John 3:16. Here we read that ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son’ so that without leaving anyone out, ‘whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life’! We can set aside any notion of partiality or preferential treatment with God. When it comes to salvation, God who is no respecter of persons, places no difference between one or another, and will have all men to be saved! Secondly, we see God’s love identified in scripture from the fact that while He wills for all humanity to be saved, He does NOT enforce His will upon all humanity to be saved! God loves us enough to allow each of us to decide for ourselves whether we will accept the extended hand He offers in eternal salvation, or whether we will reject it! This amplifies the magnificence and perfection of God’s love! He will not impose His will upon us as humans, though He could, and will not force on us what His will is, even though it is the best possible thing we could do for ourselves! Such love surpasses all we know in the world and in the manner and workings of human behaviour. This is divine kind of love! It is a love we should learn to imitate and make ours in our dealings one with another. It is also the reason why so many, not understanding, seeing or accepting the love that God gives, will inevitably end up in a place of eternal torment and suffering. Let us be clear, God is love, but He is also Holy and Just! He is not willing that any should perish or die, but when a man makes that choice for himself, then provision has been made for that choice also! The notion that a person can do what they like, live as they please, sin and offend in any and all aspect of godliness, and yet still ‘go to heaven’ when they die, is simply wishful thinking and pie-in-the-sky belief! God, who IS love, has made provision so that no one has to die, but when we turn our backs on His love grace and gift of eternal life, we reap what we choose for ourselves - and the only alternative to eternal life, is eternal death! 

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

May 13

“…that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands…” 1 Timothy 2:8

Prayer is and remains the top priority in the Christian’s life. Every day and in every way, prayer should form the core of our spiritual experience and expression. It should be the forerunner and the follower, to all our decisions and actions. Prayer holds prominence in scripture, and here again, Paul writing to Timothy, expresses his intense desire and gives direction, under the inspiration of God, that prayer be present in believers’ lives, for all occasions.  It was considered necessary and appropriate by the Jews that prayers be offered only in the temple. The effectiveness of prayers lifted in such a holy place, was thought to be increased and merit the attention of God. Contrasting this view, and reflecting the tenor of Christian teaching, Paul calls for prayer to be made in all places. God can be reached and touched in any place, at all times, and our prayer can heard and be effective, without the limit of location. This is a liberating and empowering ability! It is also a God-given opportunity, which removes any excuse for lack of prayer, due to not being in the ‘right place’. The lifting up of hands is recognised as a sign of reaching towards heaven in prayer, denoting petition, pleading and surrender to the Lord. Paul again reminds us that the lifting of our hands remains a part of our prayer and calling to God, as we entreat Him and make our requests known. He also points out that hands employed in this manner should be holy hands. Hands are significant and represent the things we do and participate in. The importance of washing our hands physically, and keeping them clean and free from germs and other contaminants, has become a well-accepted fact and necessity in our society. Sadly the same attention is not given to the ‘cleaning’ of our hands in a spiritual sense! When we sin or participate in that which is offensive to God, we may be said to have ‘touched’ that which is unclean, and have become spiritually defiled. It is clearly inappropriate to lift hands to God in prayer, which are sullied and soiled with sin, unrighteousness or rebellion against His word. Our hands should be used in the service of God, and reflecting in their actions and involvement, the love and respect we have for God and His ways, they should not be employed in any aspect of iniquity. We need to cleanse our beings of that which is against the Lord, and wash clean our mind, heart and soul. God has made provision for this cleansing through Calvary, and it is only through Jesus that we can have and retain ‘holy hands’. Holy hands are gifted hands; they are hands of love, patience and care. They are hands given to peace, hard work and usefulness. They are willing hands, helping where ever they can, lifting burdens and opening doors. Most of all holy hands are worshipful, praying hands, reflecting the purity, honesty and righteousness, imparted to the believer by the Lord Jesus Christ! May God’s men, be men of prayer, whose hands are holy in the sight of the Lord!

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

Apr 28

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour…” 1 Timothy 2:3

It is a good and acceptable practice for those who are saved to pray and make supplication unto God for all men, in every walk of life. God desires the salvation of all people, regardless of their walk of life. It is our task to pray with the same determination, sincerity and passion for those who are friends or enemies and for those who may be peers or in authority over us. The spiritual need of a person is constant regardless of his or her position in life. We are directed to live peaceably with all men and to show forth a quality of life which reflects the godliness we have found in Christ. Our task in this world includes the action of prayer for all men. This is a personal engagement in the need of the souls around us, for there in no one exempted from our attention in prayer. The individual that mocked us, requires our prayer to God. The person who has chosen to be difficult or antagonistic is in need of our pleading to the Lord. The stranger we meet, the friend we have known a while, or the family member we grew up with, all are candidates for our supplication to the Lord. The apostle indicates we should not fall short in our prayer for all men, even when we think of what we might regard as ‘important’ or ‘popular’ individuals, those in our society and government who carry responsibility and the power of decision making. It is an ineffable joy to think that while I may never have a personal say in the establishing of law, or in determining some practice in society, yet greater and well above that, I have been given authority to pray and potentially bring about change and help effect the salvation of a soul! The ability by prayer to influence a positive outcome of the eternal destiny of a fellow human being is a deputation of great honour, which deserves equally great appreciation. In all our doing of ‘good and acceptable’ things to improve the physical or temporal condition of any other human beings, nothing could equal the importance and urgency of praying for their souls! God desires that all people everywhere be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. How many might be snatched from the grasp of hell, saved and live to fulfil God’s desire, simply because you and I were faithful to pray?

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

Apr 21

“And if a man also strive for masteries…” 2 Timothy 2:5

It is a desire in the heart of many individuals to make whatever effort is necessary in order to master and achieve a goal. The ‘masteries’ alluded to in the verse, refer to the public or Olympic games for which competing athletes train rigorously and strive diligently. Although perhaps not in the sports arena, the same concept of striving to excel, exists in many other areas of life. It is because of this potential for greatness and achievement that this is a notable thought for believers. In our service for Christ we are called to excellence. Taking an attitude of mere mediocrity, a stance of ‘barely there is good enough’, is not acceptable to God, nor does it bring Him the honour and glory of which He is worthy. Just like the trained athlete, we too are to perform our best in serving God, and to do this we must ‘strive’. This presumes effort, sacrifice and discipline. When as Christians we do not exert ourselves, stretch with effort and vigorously pursue the ways of God, we are deemed lukewarm, indifferent, and cannot expect to be counted among those who by faithfulness and consistency, receive a ‘crown’. The difference between striving for the mastery of the Christian walk, and any other ‘competition’, is that we are not really competing against anyone else. In this toil and effort of living an exemplary Christian life, we can all win, if we so choose. It is not about who crosses the finish line of a holy life first, but simply about who will cross the finish line at all! The determination of ‘victory’ then is not done by a comparison with others, but a comparison with God’s will and word. That means that each of us in our own way can fulfil and achieve the mastery of living for God! Jesus left a big question for us to answer as individuals:  “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” We must desire with all of our heart to answer a resounding ‘yes’ to this question. To be able to live to the standard of faithfulness which Jesus is expecting to find at His return, it will take the same desire, dedication and discipline that we attribute to successful and renowned athletes. There are no shortcuts or ‘cheats’ that can be used and invoked, such means only bring disrepute and dishonour. Striving righteously and according to God’s law and word, in His strength and for His glory, will bring the ultimate result for the believer, the crown of life and righteousness for eternity!

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

Apr 9

“Preach the word…” 2 Timothy 4:2

An action, and the object of it, is expressed in the first part of this verse. The action is ‘preach’! This means to ‘proclaim loudly’. It is the equivalent in manner and purpose to what was done in ancient days. When a king wanted a message to be sent among his people, he would issue a proclamation. Men in the service of the king, called ‘heralds’, would then go through the land and loudly announce the proclamation the king had made, so that that people everywhere in the realm could hear it. Sometimes a trumpet sounded before the herald spoke, to gain the attention of the people, and encourage them to momentarily leave their activity or work, and gather around to listen. This is the context of the task and manner of preaching. We as Christians are to ‘herald’ the proclamations of our King Jesus, to the world around us. As an action, preaching is loud, in the sense that it stands out as different from normal speaking; it is meant to carry the message from the King clearly; it must be done in places and ways where people can hear; it must be carried in the precision and authority of the Sender; it is a task of obedience and personal consecration, which may well also require sacrifice in various ways, and at different times! Preaching is different to any other ‘speaking’ activity known to man. It is not merely giving a ‘talk’ or discourse. It is not oratory in the general sense of the word, or lecturing per se. It differs from teaching in manner and overall content. It can only really be properly carried out, through the anointing of the Spirit of God resting on the speaker and causing him to bring out ‘the message’, God laid on his heart to begin with! The object of this holy exercise is the ‘Word of God’! ‘Preaching’ anything else, regardless of how interesting, current or pressing, is not the preaching intended for God’s heralds! The Word of God, must be the centre, basis, content and message of Christian preaching, and the motivation of the preacher. All topical preaching must be soundly founded upon the correct basis of scriptural principle. It is in expounding, and explaining the text and principles of the Word, that preaching (and teaching), is actually carried out. To this privileged task, God has called His people, in every walk of life. Preaching the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Bible, is an action that takes place at many levels. God calls some to various aspects of ministry, such as pastoring, teaching and evangelism, where this task is a very regular part of life. He also calls all believers, everywhere to be faithful and ‘preach’, proclaim and share the message from the King of Kings, by words, actions and lifestyle behaviour, to all with whom we come in contact with, in everyday life. It is by preaching the Word that God has seen fit to save the lost of this world! Have we done any of this preaching lately?

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

Mar 24

 “…but the word of God is not bound.” 2 Timothy 2:9

Paul was in prison. This was no new experience for this faithful servant of God. He had been frequently imprisoned throughout his ministry, for preaching the gospel. Here again we find him incarcerated like a common criminal, and bound in chains. In previous instances, Paul had seen miraculous deliverance from prison, but God does not always choose to be glorified in the miraculous! This time we find Paul remains in prison, and remains bound! His testimony is that his captivity had no reflection on his faithfulness - the word of God IS NOT bound! Praise God, for men who will not allow their situations, however desperate and discomforting, to limit or incapacitate the ministry of God’s word! It is held in Roman tradition that on this occasion, Paul was placed in a dungeon below ground, which could be accessed only by a small hole above. It had neither natural light nor a staircase by which to exit. Although it cannot be verified, it is said that during this time Paul witnessed to, and baptised two of his prison keepers, as well as a number of other prisoners! This much we do know, that it was from prison that Paul wrote several of the Epistles which ministered to the hearts and needs of the growing churches, he had planted. The letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and this epistle to Timothy, were all written while Paul was in a prison, treated as a wrong-doer, for preaching the gospel of Christ! We also know that while imprisoned in Rome, his testimony reached even into Caesar’s palace! Far from defeated, Paul continued to faithfully work in spite of his adverse and discomforting circumstances! Sometimes we complain of the ‘difficulties’ we face, in coping with ‘everyday living’ and trying to serve God, and think that if only we could have this or that ‘ideal’ circumstance, condition or provision, we might then really be able to do a work for the Lord! The evidence of scripture and the lives of other Christians, who have worked for God, and remained faithful in the worst possible circumstances, often under persecution and threat of death, shout at us, that we are really kidding ourselves when we think that way! Paul may have been in chains, but the word of God was not! He made every effort in spite of his situation to spread and share the gospel of salvation. If we genuinely desire to serve God, then we will in whatever situation we find ourselves in! The challenge is there for each of us, not to complain and ‘wish’ for better, but to make the best of every situation of life, and use what we have and what we can, for the glory of God and the furtherance of His kingdom. 

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

Mar 9

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life…” 2Timothy 2:4

One of the difficult realities of Christian living, is to accept that as believers, we are at war. Our battle is not against ‘flesh and blood’, but a life-long confrontation against spiritual powers, against our own flawed human nature and against the swelling tide and influence of the world. It is a real conflict, a struggle in day to day living, against all that would dissuade us from pursuing God, and cause us to fail in our love and service to Him. Paul instructs Timothy to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, enduring and tough against anything that would turn him from this first and primary calling. We too are to take note of this instruction, and make it ours. We must settle once and for all the priority of our lives, and ensure that it is and remains - Jesus and our faithful service unto Him. In days of old and particularly among the Romans, when a man became a soldier, it was not a casual undertaking or a part time profession. The army became his entire life, calling and vocation. He was not allowed to pursue any other occupation in life. A soldier could not also be a farmer, trader or business owner. His focus, interest and time could not be split or given to anything else, but being the best soldier he could be. Paul takes this fact, as an illustration to show us the reality of our calling and vocation to God. Like a good soldier for Christ, we cannot afford to become ‘entangled’ with other affairs of life. Successful Christian living is the result of making our obedience and service to Jesus, the priority of our lives. Paul is not saying we cannot have family, a job or own a house. He is saying that as true Christians, we should be soldiers unto the Lord, and therefore cannot become ‘entangled’ that is, ensnared, caught up and limited by these things, so that we can no longer effectively serve God, and fight the good fight of faith. Honesty on our part would declare how real and common this mistake is. It is easy to become so absorbed and engrosses in pursuing a ‘living’, providing for our families and generally taking care of the physical needs and necessities, that we lose sight of spiritual ones. When the cares of life have taken over in our priorities, and service in God’s army is a mere façade rather than a true profession, prayer ceases amidst the busyness of daily life, or at best becomes a recited repetition. Meditating on God’s Word is relegated to a quick read of words from ‘the book’, with little or no thought attached to them; and evangelism becomes something someone else is called to do. Attending church becomes optional, and secondary to other interests, responsibilities or our feelings at the time; while Christian fellowship with brethren, becomes a luxury we have no time for. Jesus warned that the cares of life, if allowed place, would be like thorns growing, choking and destroying our spiritual life. If we find ourselves in these conditions, we have clearly lost sight of who we are meant to be, and what we are enlisted by God to do. Paul’s reminder is most appropriate. We are soldiers called by God to serve Him, to fight as part of His army, in valiant combat for the faith. We are God’s family whose primary task in life, is to please God who has called us and chosen us to be His ambassadors in this world. Our life’s commitment and goal is to do God’s will, and fulfil the purposes He has set for us, and never allow this to become secondary to any other interest or responsibility!

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

Feb 25

“Who gave himself a ransom for all…” 1 Timothy 2:6

In order to free a slave from his captivity, a redemption price or ransom had to be paid. Clearly from his enslaved position, the slave himself would never be able to pay such a price. To free such a man then, someone else would have to pay the price of his freedom, on his behalf. Such is the picture painted in our text. Like poor and hopeless captives, we too were all slaves to sin, under the hand of the tyrannical and wicked master, the devil, who cared nothing if we died. Our situation was so beyond repair because the price for our liberty could not be paid by any other human being. Everyone else was in the same condition as us, for all have sinned and as such, were in the same chains and bondage that defined and restrained us. How could such a situation be remedied? What price could possibly be paid, as a ransom for all of humanity? Jesus is the answer! This is the motto some have puzzled over. They wonder if Jesus is the answer then what was the question! The question was they, me, us, all of humanity, our sin and lost condition and the how we could ever be delivered from our slavery and the captivity of Satan – that is the question to which only Jesus is the answer! He is the True Redeemer, who didn’t just give in order to ransom, but gave Himself, His precious sinless blood, as the price and full payment for our freedom from slavery! To further expound the dimension of Christ’s redemption, consider this: He became the ransom price for ALL! Yes - all of humanity; all who have been enslaved by sin and iniquity; all who are in captivity and spiritual chains! This is a remarkable thought! The price of delivering on slave from his slavery was considerable but the price of delivering humanity from its slavery is incalculable! The praises and hymns of thanks should continually flow from the mouths and hearts of every human being on earth! Yet what is obvious is that so many remain in the bondage of their sin and enslaved by satan - why is this the case? The single and simple requirement for receiving this freedom is accepting the salvation Jesus has provided! So many remain in spiritual slavery, for several reasons. Firstly because they do not know about the Saviour and the price He paid on their behalf, and therefore cannot in faith act and partake of His salvation. This is why the task of those who are saved, is to share the ‘good news’ of the gospel of salvation and help others receive their freedom! Let’s remember that every effort is made by the powers of darkness which enslave the souls of men, to stop this process of evangelism, quench the passion and vision of Christians to share the gospel, and to adulterate the message of salvation, minimise it, compromise it or alter it, in any way possible to lessen the chances of a slave becoming free from sin. The second reason why so many are yet in chains of spiritual slavery, is that the salvation and ransom given freely on their behalf, astonishingly is rejected by them! Although it may seem unthinkable, illogical and unlikely, that a slave would reject the only means of his liberty, yet this is exactly what is happening on the spiritual plane! Either deceived in believing that is not really their spiritual condition, or that there is some other way to freedom, or worse unwilling to make Jesus their new Master and Lord and serve Him for the love He has shown to them, they reject ‘The Ransom’, and choose rather to remain in spiritual bondage and slavery, where they will die eternally for their sin! Through all this, the grand plan and message of God continues to sound out for all who will hear it, and His salvation is still available to all who will receive it – Jesus – The Ransom for all! Jesus is still the Answer!

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