June 21

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

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

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

June 5

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

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

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