May 10

“For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven…” Colossians 1:5

A life without the knowledge of Jesus Christ is a hope-less life! In Christ we have hope, both for this life and the life to come. In this life the hope that Jesus provides, gives meaning and form to our existence. Despair and emptiness are vanquished by this hope, and we can live a fruitful, purposeful and directed life. This hope is secure and does not pass away, nor is it diminished by the changes of time and circumstances. God has established this hope, and its bond is kept safe for all believers in the treasury of heaven. In the life to come, we will experience the full meaning and benefit of the eternal hope God has given us. Eternal life received through salvation, is intended here by the word hope. Hope is an apt metonymy for salvation with its eternal rewards, for in one word it captures all we long for and hold on to in our hearts! For the believer hope is not found in any worldly or material achievement or possession. Prosperity and success in life are not the ingredients which formulate the hope of the true Christian. The saint’s hope is based on that which is ‘out of this world’, in the realm beyond the physical, in the kingdom and home eternal! That is what drives the desire, passion and vision of the believer. It is this knowledge and reality held personally in Christ, by those who believe Him, which causes them to endure the greatest hardships, persecutions and remain steadfast and faithful through the worst torments and troubles of life! The hope is greater, it far outweighs, is richer and more valuable than anything else a man can own! With courage and determination we must as believers, hold fast to the hope which is laid up for us in heaven and not lose sight of our eternal reward.

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