Aug 1

 “...for his great love wherewith he loved us.” Ephesians 2:4

How could we who were dead in trespasses and sins ever find life or even hope for any improvement from the finality of our spiritual death? There is but one answer: God! The Almighty God who is rich in mercy and possesses an everlasting love towards us, made a way! This has to be the greatest story of love that we as humans have ever heard of. Why should the Holy and Supreme God, regard or care for a world of lost and dying malevolent sinners, particularly when rebellion against Him was the choice we made? We had rejected His love and provision, rebelled against His purpose and plan, and selected our ways of death in place of His way of life. In human terms we would say, we got what we deserved, and reaped the wages of our disobedience. God could have remained still holy, righteous and eternal, above all and separate from the humanity which had rejected Him. Except for the fact that God is love! Yahwah, the Eternal Ruler of the universe is rich in mercy, and has as the essence of His being a love which permeates His every action and purpose. A lesser deity might have turned away from the awful mess mankind had landed itself in, distancing itself from the problem of sin and its effects, but not this God! Jesus is the Spring of Mercy, the Ocean of Love and the River of grace! In His benevolence and tenderness of heart, He by mercy overlooked the injury and offence humanity was guilty of, and treated the offender better than was deserved! His grace, to save and rescue those who will hear, is the outflow of that incomparable mercy and reaches into the soul of every individual who chooses to receive it. His dealings with mankind are always motivated by His great love. This is the very nature of the Almighty. It touches everything He does and blesses anyone who understands even the least aspect of it! Like the ocean, God’s love is immense and great because it is the nature of the Immense and Great God! It stems from the One who fills the universe and knows no bounds or limitations! God’s love is great because it is not like the natural love we are able to give, which is based on merit, character, relationship and largely limited to those who are close to us and who reciprocate love to us. God’s love is given freely to all mankind and is not limited or exclusive. 

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

July 31

“…and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz…” Ruth 2:3

From our human standpoint we may think of events in our lives as being ‘chance’ or even ‘good luck’, when in reality these incidents are actually directed by the provision and providence of God. Such is the scene before us regarding Ruth. She may have felt like she merely ‘stumbled’ across Boaz’s field, and that it was accidental or coincidental, but the scriptures show clearly how this was all part of God’s plan for her life! Yahwah had determined to bless Ruth for her faithfulness, selflessness and compassion, and He was moving all the pieces into place to make this happen. God’s provision does not always come by miraculous means, but it is always a miracle because He has intervened. The Lord may use people and circumstances which may at face value appear to be functioning in the ‘normal’ course of life, and turn such common-place situations into blessings of provision and protection, which to us are nothing short of miraculous! The child of God who trusts and has faith in the Lord, is safely in the Father’s hands and in this privileged position, nothing that take place in his life is mere coincidence. There is purpose, learning, growing, correction, strengthening and blessing in all that takes place in a believer’s experience, day to day, when they are walking in the ways of the Lord. God is interested in every aspect of our life, even the most intimate and minute detail. It should be our joy and privilege to walk close to God and cherish the personal interest He takes in our lives. Daily in prayer, we should open wide every door of the house of our hearts to Him, and welcome Him to move freely in every room. There should be no drawer or cupboard or chest, locked and secured from His scrutiny and touch. It is then, in this willingly yielded condition of heart, we will have the knowledge and experience that Jesus is in control of every aspect of life and our ‘haps’ will be His will and direction!

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

July 28

“I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” Psalms 18:1

Clarke says that “love always subsists on motive and reason”. Love does not exist without meaning and purpose, it is an act of purpose and choice. The love expressed in this verse, is a love born out of tenderness. It is significant of true inward affection, expressed outwardly in word and deed. Like David we can pray this same prayer of love as of children towards our loving Father. It is a pledge of continuance in this love, not a mere momentary feeling or emotion. It is a commitment to love Yahwah because of Who He is, what He has done and the promise of all He will fulfil in our lives. It is an expression of intimate relationship with our Creator and Saviour, redefining our position in relation to Him and reminding us of the heartfelt regard and respect that our love should demonstrate towards God. It is a confession of our need for the power and strength of the Lord and further reason why we love Him and fear Him. It is in loving God from a pure heart that we experience the greatest benefit and vigour for daily life. In loving God with all our hearts, we have the greatest motivation for serving Him and helping others. Genuine love for God is the fuel that powers our Christian living, and makes it holy, useful and committed. It is the backbone of any love we are able to share and give to others. Developing a deeper, more significant and resolute love for Yahshua, (Jesus) will keep us from sin, provide us with vision for His will and purpose and settle us in all circumstances of life, while reassuring us that our essence is safe and sure in the hands of the Eternal, Almighty, Holy One whom we love! 

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

July 26

“The heavens declare the glory of God;…” Psalms 19:1

How can man excuse himself before the Almighty God, when the very heavens which surround him wherever he is, so loudly declare the glory of the Creator God? Many may attempt to justify themselves and say they have never heard the word of God, yet the heavens themselves could be termed a message from Yahwah to mankind, telling of His love and provision for all. Man in his own wisdom has characterised God as being ‘outside’ of the reality of life, distant and a stranger to all we call tangible and ‘real’. In fact the reality and tangibility of all things around us, were made possible and provided by this very God! Again in its own wisdom, humanity has imagined all sorts of scenarios, theories and conjectures, in futile attempts to explain how all ‘this’ got here, without the Creator God. Often in such endeavours what has resulted is merely an alternate religion, disguised as science, which expects its adherent to believe stories that are besieged by impossible odds, and demanding a faith in man’s limited knowledge far greater than is required to believe in God and His infinite knowledge in the first place! The design in the heavens, the universe around us, the stars, planets, continue to provide man with information about the Great Designer! Sadly by far and large, man insists on ignoring the clarity of these messages, intent on his own explanations and ideas. No concept, however outlandish and unlikely is dismissed by these corrupt and sinful minds, just as long as it does not involve the idea of a Supreme Creator! Meanwhile hanging as a great neon sign, far above all this self-glorification and busyness of mankind, and reminding us of all of what Yahwah has done, the heavens continue to smile and loudly declare the glory of God! They perpetually tell man the story that God is real, He is the Boss and Possessor of all creation, He is the One to whom we will all one day give account, and that He is still ready for now, to give salvation to whosoever will believe in Him and accept Him! 

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

July 24

“…and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.” 1 Kings 11:6

Solomon weakened his stand for God as he aged. The verse says he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and his evil was idolatry. He had held a privileged position with God and had been blessed with great advantages by Yahwah, but unlike his father David, Solomon added to the worship of Yahwah, his allegiance and adoration of pagan idols. In this sense then, the scriptures say that he did not go ‘fully after the Lord’! Full-hearted desire and service for the Lord, is still a measure of the quality we offer the Almighty God. The mandate of scripture is that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul and strength. If our love for Him is wholehearted, then our service to Him will reflect that same fullness. There seems to exist a trend among many Christians today, which reflects more the ways of Solomon, than the ways of his father David. I refer to the half-heartedness, partial devotion and splintered love, which so many professing believers offer to God, while at the same time holding onto a passionate, intense and consuming desire for many things of the world. This, the Bible calls enmity against God, spiritual adultery and faithlessness! We must judge and weigh out the condition of our hearts towards the Lord. Is an ardent, deep and fervent love for God held firmly in our hearts, grasped so steadfastly that it cannot be easily dislodged? Does it surpass the affection we have for anyone and everything else? Is it fully devoted to Him as our only God, or shared with things and interests we hold so dear that they have become idols in our lives? The lukewarm heart condition of the Laodecian church of Revelation, or the condition of having lost our first love as the Ephesian Church was charged, are not the state our hearts should be found in at the coming of Jesus! The summation of our lives should read more like the résumé which God gave to King David, a shining testimony of a person who while perhaps not perfect, yet followed after the Lord with all his heart! Such excellence of love and wholeheartedness is our reasonable service to God and appropriate response to His love for us!

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

July 22

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land;…” Judges 2:2

The angel of the Lord reiterates two of the covenant principles Yahwah had made with Israel. He points out that they had been disobedient and had failed in their fulfilment of them. This event took place towards the end of Joshua’s life. In spite of the great victories God had afforded the Israelites and His faithfulness in keeping the promises He had made to them, already this early in the piece there were signs and symptoms of straying from God and His ways. The first of the two covenant principles which is highlighted for us in this verse is that the people of God should not make alliance with the population of the land of Canaan. Confederacies of this nature have throughout man’s history been significant of closeness, friendship, mutual protection and sharing of the power base. They almost inevitably resulted in intermarriage and sharing of social and religious practices. While these things may appear innocent and maybe even desirable from a worldly point of view, in actual fact they represented deterioration from the purity God wanted for His people, and an offence to Yahwah and His directives. God had covenanted with His people that He would be their God, lead them and protect them. In His wisdom and foreknowledge the Lord knew that the ways of the people native to Canaan were evil and would corrupt His people if they associated with them. As a nation Israel ignored the love, concern and directions of God, and tried to make its own way, with its own leagues and under its own steam! The results were disastrous! Soon they abandoned the truth and worship of the true God and gave themselves to all the idolatry, iniquity and practices of the people of Canaan. God’s displeasure with them, merited them punishment, judgment, and enslavement by the very people they trusted in place of God. We do not always understand all that God has in mind and heart when He directs us to do His commandments or follow His directions. This is why faith in Him is so important. We have to believe that He knows more, best and further than we do ourselves. We have to trust that His ruling on a matter is higher and purer than ours and that His wisdom is greater. When we take ‘things’ into our own hands and deny Him His place in our lives, we are saying we are greater in knowledge, understanding and power than He, and set ourselves up as ‘gods’ in His place. This is highly offensive to the Lord! It is the honouring, respecting and worship of self. It is the greatest and most affronting form of idolatry that we can be guilty of! The matter comes down to a simple concept. Either Yahwah is God in our lives, and therefore should have control, authority and pre-eminence, or we are our own ‘god’ and bosses, and own ourselves. It cannot be both ways. When we take the latter stance, by our actions and belief we are saying we created ourselves and we are supreme in our own lives. This not only displaces God out of His correct place and right position as Creator and God, but also sets us up as an idol, an affront to God’s supremacy and Deity. When God told them not to make ‘friends’ with the people of the land, He was not being mean or unsociable. He wanted His people to remain pure, so they could influence others with the truth and bring them away from their idolatry and death, into the way of life. Israel was to be an example to be followed, an ambassador nation for the ways and truth of the living God! He knew the influence would otherwise flow against them and take His people out of His path, and they would lose their privilege and influence with Him. God knows how weak man is and how easily influenced he is by sin and the things of the flesh. We should today also be careful of the influence of the world. We may, like the Israelites feel potent and unaffected by the world and things of it, but the warnings in the scriptures are clear. We should not allow such influences in our lives to diminish our obedience and love for God. When we develop love, attraction and desire for the world and the things of it, we have made league with it, have become associated in practices and thinking and have adulterated our relationship with the Lord. The friendship of the world is enmity against God. That principle is as true today as it was for Israel in the days of Joshua. Let us make our stand with God, remain faithful and obedient to His way of holiness, and resistant to the desires and influences of the world around us. 

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

July 20

“…whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, … with the brightness of his coming:” 2 Thessalonians 2:8

This passage refers to the ‘man of sin’, ‘the wicked one’, the antichrist and all that is associated with him and his work. The end of the reign of antichrist and the destruction of his influence is prophesied here. There may be times as believers, when looking at the condition of the world around us, that we may think evil has triumphed and that perhaps the battle against evil has been lost. God through His word encourages us to lift our heads in faith towards heaven, and know with assurance that the future has been set and determined by His own hand, and that the end result is not the victory of evil, but its thorough and total destruction. Yahwah IS the winning side! All we need to do is remain faithfully on His side, and we will see the fulfilment of all that He has planned and promised. The wicked one will be slain, his influence made void and his kingdom destroyed and removed. This work, God will perform by the same power He has demonstrated in creating the universe. He spoke the worlds into existence, and it is by the same ‘spirit of His mouth’, that He is able to destroy or bring to nought. We should not think of a battle between God and the devil, as some sort of arm wrestle where the outcome is dubious or hanging on the balances of chance! The comparison would more be like God’s atomic bomb versus Satan’s bow and arrow! Yahwah will only need to speak the words of destruction and the enemy will be consumed. God’s own glory will render useless and hopeless any and all power which may be aligned against Him. This is a battle already won in eternity and simply waiting for its future fulfilment! God’s almighty power is not threatened by the workings of the wicked one, nor is it lessened because evil is allowed to rule for a while. There is purpose and reason in what God does and He is always ultimately in control of all! Like a dog on a chain, the devil is limited in the scope he is given and to how far God will allow him to go. The damage he can do is real, but again limited largely to those who allow him to rule in their lives and choose to stay close to him or support his agenda. God could have totally destroyed him before, but has in His wisdom elected to permit his influence, so we as humans can make our own choice of who we will serve. This way when we serve God, it must be by our personal choice and free will. This is the only way God really wants us to love, worship and serve Him! In the end however, there will be no more time for such choice. We will each have set our eternal destiny, and final judgment will fall both on the wicked one, and all who have followed him. Victory for those who stand on God’s side is guaranteed, the question is one for each of us to answer - where will we be standing when God comes in His brightness to judge the wicked?

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

July 19

“And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables…” Deuteronomy 10:2

God had supplied the first set of stone tables, and written on them by His own hand the commandments He wanted His people to live by. When Moses had returned from his encounter with God on the mountain to the Israelite camp, he found they had broken the very laws he was bringing to them! In anger and disgust at their idolatry and short lived faithfulness to Yahwah, who had delivered them from Egypt, he threw down and broke the tables of stone, and judgment was visited upon the people. The scripture tells of three thousand who were killed on that day, and plagues which came upon the Israelites because of their sin. The second set of tables were carved out of stone by Moses, but again written upon by God Himself. The accuracy and veracity of the original text, was in this way preserved by the Lord. God has always been interested in keeping His revelation to man, free of mistakes or tampering. All subsequent scripture was therefore given by inspiration of God, so that the writer was merely the hand on the pen, but the Author was still Yahwah. This process of full verbal inspiration lifts the Bible above any other book ever written, and on a plane unique and superior to any work of man. The accuracy and veracity of the scriptures have been challenged and verified many times, in various spheres of science and observation. Personal experience also confirms the content of the Holy Writ and provides further evidence of its truth! People from all walks of life, from all cultures and of all levels of education, have found God’s Word to be true, trustworthy and a reliable source of guidance, light and learning. God wrote then, and wrote again while here on earth, resulting in the forgiveness of a woman who had been caught in sin. His writing was and is a letter of love, direction and instruction. Today He still writes -this time not on tables of stone, but the fleshly tables of our hearts. There He lodges the truth and conviction of His principles and inscribes the reality of His love and grace. In our hearts He engraves the knowledge of His will, and stores the confidence of our salvation! Praise God for all that He writes and communicates with us, for without Him and His Word, we would have no knowledge of right, no understanding of our purpose, no love for one another and hope for the future!

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

July 13

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” Colossians 2:9

Having encouraged the Colossian church to walk in Christ as they have received Him, and warned them of the pitfalls and dangers of man’s traditions and philosophies, Paul now reinforces the pivotal concept of the deity of Christ. He teaches that In Jesus, dwells all the fullness of Deity, in a bodily form! Several concepts are to be noticed here. Our faith in Christ Jesus is predicated upon the fact of His deity, not merely on the divine origin of His doctrines, as some would have it, making Him merely another prophet or messenger from God. Jesus is God! He is the fullness of God in One being. The tense of the word ‘dwell’, is in the present. This means that Jesus remains God today, and was not God or Godlike merely as some stage in the past, but continues to be the true and full manifestation of Deity today. We note also that not a portion or a percentage of the Godhead dwells in Jesus, but the all the fullness of it. The import of this statement is paramount. Some have wrongly concluded that Jesus is but a third of some divine committee of three persons, but that would prevent Him from having ALL the fullness of deity residing in Him! Jesus must be the One and Only, Supreme deity, for this to remain a true fact of scripture. If all dwells in Christ, then there is no more to dwell in any other ‘person’! The ‘fullness’ here, must refer to all that the Godhead or deity is, the sum total of the power, and the completeness of the essence of what Deity is - all the attributes and all the fullness of them! Thus it is all in Jesus, and He is All in All! When we pray to Him, we are praying to the entirety of the Godhead. We are praying to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for these titles merely reflect the various offices, which Jesus, the One God fulfils! That is why we are to pray and do all in the name of Jesus, for it is name in which the power and authority of God is summed up. There can only be ONE Almighty, and the fullness of that power cannot be divided, as some imagine among multiple divine persons! We have it on good biblical authority that it all dwells, abides, resides and remains in Christ Jesus! ‘Godhead’ here cannot be seen as some aspect of divinity alone, but a reference to the entirety of all that is God, the whole of Deity. Anything less, would make this statement irreconcilable and inane. It would be like saying that ‘in Jesus is the all the fullness of only a part of what God is’. That would make Him less than all of God, and therefore, not God at all! Almighty Deity requires an absolute singleness a numerical oneness, and is not something that can be shared, pooled or made communal! Yahwah Himself states that there is no other god beside Him. He knows all things, yet does not know of the existence of another Almighty person! This same, singular, Almighty God became flesh, the Logos incarnate, was born of the virgin Mary, and as the Son walked among men. In that bodily, human form, existed all the fullness, just as it did eternally prior to the incarnation! Jesus was always Almighty God, from eternity. The physical body died in offering and sacrifice for our sins, but was resurrected immortal. It continues to exist today, as the only visible, physical form that God has even begotten or taken for Himself. One day we shall see Him, as He is. We too will have immortal, eternal bodies like unto His glorious body, and will eternally live in heaven with the One in whom dwells, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily!

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

July 8

“In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.” Psalms 71:1

A beautiful prayer by the psalmist, which echoes the expression of dependent trust in the Lord, as found in many of the psalms and other portions of scripture. When as believers we place our firm confidence in the Lord, we are safe and kept from the effects of the world and its iniquity. The word rendered ‘confusion’ here is rendered ‘ashamed’ elsewhere and impacts the follower of God in a special way. The only way we can be found in confusion, that is without clear direction, or lacking in balanced thinking and knowledge, is if we have violated God’s law and become tainted with sin. The same can be said of the word ashamed. For the Christian, shame comes when he trespasses against the God he claims to serve and forsakes the principles which he professes to uphold. This is the shame of poorly lived Christianity! It gives rise to much criticism and opportunity for contempt, from those who are yet unbelievers and want to see the evidence of God’s love, grace and holiness, in the lives of Christ’s followers. This then is the emphasis of this prayer and an apt invocation for all who believe, for though we may stand, we should always take care and humbly ask God’s assistance, lest we fall! The cry of this trusting heart seems to say: “Lord I place my hope and confidence in you, and mean to hold on in faith, walking in your grace and holiness, but help me Lord, because I am weak in myself, and cannot stand without you! Uphold me and don’t let me fall, because when I sin, I bring shame on myself, my profession of faith and most of all You Lord!” It is an expression of humility which does not allow for overconfidence in one’s own ability or strength! It is not unlike the statement we hear from the father of that tormented child, whom Jesus freed from an evil spirit. When challenged by the Lord to believe for his son’s deliverance, the man cried out and said with tears: “Lord I believe; help thou my unbelief’! There was an admission of faith, and yet a request for Jesus to make up, as it were, the lack on his part, should his faith not be strong enough to obtain the blessing! Let us fully trust the Lord, and be humble and willing to call for His everlasting arms to support us, in the daily toils of life, and to strengthen us in our faith towards Him, and in our stand against sin, that we be not ashamed, nor bring shame on His holy name! 

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

July 7

“Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed:…” Lamentations 1:8

The city of Jerusalem which by its very name was meant to make known to the world the nature and character of God’s kingdom, has been labelled the ‘Holy city’, the place of righteousness, wholeness and peace! At least this is what God had always intended this city and its inhabitants to stand for and represent. Sadly time and again the people of Israel as a nation, both in Jerusalem and in the surrounding cities, turned away from God and committed grievous sin before Yahwah, totally disregarding His commands and disobeying His will. This text describes the persistence of their sin, and it emphasizes the fact that they ‘sinned sinfully’, an expression which communicates the magnitude of their wickedness. Their greatest failure in the eyes of Yahwah, was usually their penchant for idolatry and their fondness of copying the ways of the heathen, in practice, manner of life and worship. This was never tolerated by the Lord and the judgment poured on His people, after much warning and patient instruction, was severe. The description in this chapter is another sad re-run of what can be read many times as various prophets were sent to God’s people, with dire messages and ominous warnings. Jerusalem, instead of being God’s exemplary pattern of righteousness, had become an abomination to Yahwah because of the sin that bound its people. Spoken of in the terms of a woman, ‘she’ is vilified by the heathen people and idols she pursued, and as a result removed, from the land of promise, in which the Lord had established her. Quite often we are reminded in the scriptures of the conditional nature of our salvation and relationship with God. Our right standing in the Lord, which has been purchased by Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary, needs then to be maintained by true faithfulness and a walk of holiness in His sight. Anything less, grooms us for failure in our closeness to the Lord and unless we quickly repent, places us in danger of losing our right standing and provisions of blessing. Contrary to what some people believe and teach, there comes a time, if we persist in disobedience and disrespect God’s loving warnings, that God may cease to strive with us and allow us to have what we so clearly desire and insist on, to our own detriment, discomfort and ultimate judgment. Even in this God’s love is evident, for it is His desire that by feeling the ‘pain’ of our choices, we may repent, return to Him and make things right, before it is too late!   

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

July 5

“…thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:” 2Chronicles 6:8

In these verses Solomon reiterates the direction God gave his father David, regarding the building of the temple. It had been David’s desire to build the house of God that Israel might have a place in which to worship Yahwah. God had recognised, acknowledged and praised this heartfelt sentiment, but had also forbidden David to be the one to erect the sanctuary. David had been a man of war, and though a man after God’s own heart, the Lord had determined that his son would be the one to construct the place of worship. Many times we find this same principle in God’s word. God’s will, must be fulfilled God’s way. The will of God includes the timing of God and the way in which God wants it to be done. When we violate any of those parameters, we cannot say we have done God’s will. The costliest mistakes made by God’s servants in doing His will, often involved forsaking, omitting or adding some detail to that which God had commanded. Our heart’s motivation may be appropriate and commendable, but our obedience to God must remain complete and of the highest order. Our heart’s yearnings must not surpass our desire to obey the Lord, or supersede our complete submission to His will. Presenting the sacrifice of obedience to God, must therefore be done in clear reflection of His holiness, and in a manner acceptable unto the Lord, in order to be correct and righteous. David loved God, and did not allow his desire, however pure, noble and laudable, to overtake his absolute compliance to Yahwah’s instructions. Let us be like David, showing God the intensity and depth of our love for Him, by our complete, willing and humble obedience of His will! 

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

July 1

“Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” Psalms 12:1

When the qualities of godliness and faithfulness cease and fail among men, we are in dire straits and need help from the only One who can supply it! We can in our day, easily echo the cry of despair and concern, which the psalmist uttered, for we are seeing the fulfilment of scriptural prophecy regarding the perilous conditions, which would exist in the last days. Our distress is not something we can take to another human, for no peer of ours can help in this situation. Our pleas for assistance must be lifted to Yahwah, the Lord Almighty, in whose power we rely and trust. He and only He is able to alter the course of life’s condition, in the manner it befits His will, or provide us with the consolation and comfort of knowing that even if others won’t stand for righteousness, He will keep us and see us through! The ‘godly’ character of man referred to in the text, is translated from a word rendered in other scriptures as ‘holy’, the ‘set-aside’ or separated unto God, kind of man. This is what we find there is a serious dearth of in our world today, but more sadly the deficiency is clearly noticeable within the church. There is poverty and scarcity of any desire or pursuit of holiness, with the majority of professing Christians, wanting an easy, sacrifice-free church involvement, where they can be entertained and find a social outlet, more reminiscent of a club membership, than a place of true growth and worship unto the Holy God! Many who held to convictions of personal, practical holiness in the past, have ceased doing so, due to pressures from fellow-believers, seeing them as ‘old-fashioned’ or ‘bound’ in mere tradition and false doctrine, and from the world around them, which labels them as extreme, cultish or even abusive . Faithfulness to the strongest, most necessary and defining principles of scripture, is failing in our day at an alarming rate. The qualities of faithfulness and holiness, by which God most wants to be known, and wants His people to reflect, are the very areas where Christian testimony lacks, ceases and fails! Let us join those who faithfully are holding onto to the values of God, and cry out in prayer every day, for revival among God’s people, and renewal of all they should uphold for God and His glory!  

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

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 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!

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

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 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!

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