July 9

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” 3 John 1:4

The greatest joy a Christian parent can experience, is the knowledge that the children who have grown in his own family and under his care have made their personal choice to follow the Lord, and that over time, whether still at home or elsewhere, they continue faithfully in that choice! In the home of the minister of the gospel, this is particularly cause for great rejoicing. How very traumatic if, having preached to so many others and seeing them continue in the faith, the preacher’s own children, should turn from the teaching of Christ and be lost in the ways of the world! A similar expression of the great joy, as that experienced by parents whose children are loyal to the faith, is found in our text. John rejoices over the faithfulness of those who were converted under his ministry and in a spiritual sense are his children in the faith! When a pastor has devotedly preached and taught those who are sitting under his ministry, the greatest reward and consolation he can find on earth, is their enduring faith in Christ, their example to others and their ministering to the needs of others. Ultimately the reason for any minister’s service is the Lord, and in Him alone is found eternal reward and consolation. Godly ministers have also the assurance given in God’s word that their labours are not in vain. Somehow steadfastness in serving God, is a reward in itself, and is not really dependant on the performance of others, their choices or the direction they may take. Nevertheless from a human standpoint, the knowledge that those we have taught love God fervently, obey His word tenaciously and continue to endure in the truth they have learned under our ministry, seems to place the ‘icing on the cake’! If by personal experience, relationship with Christ and faithfulness, there is in a man’s heart a firm assurance of eternal life in heaven with Jesus, then the only sweeter victory is to know that others, who have been affected by that man’s ministry, have also chosen to stand firmly in Christ and have inherited eternal life too! We must always pray for those in ministry, who preach and teach the word of God, influencing by His Spirit the lives of their hearers. Uphold them before the Lord, call for God's anointing upon their utterances and beseech the Lord for increase from their watering!

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

June 30

“Sorrow is better than laughter…” Ecclesiastes 7:3

Here is presented a concept which at face value may appear counterintuitive to our minds. In a world where the social norm and the contemporary wisdom is all geared to finding and promoting ‘happiness’, how can sorrow ever be ‘better’ than laughter? The bible states that the ‘joy of the Lord’ is our strength. There is however a vast difference between the satisfying joy that comes from God, and the elusive happiness which fallen man seeks, often in vain and in constantly changing circumstances. A step further back than that again, is the common place notion that if one can ‘laugh’ enough, then happiness will come. Again this seems another futile man-made attempt, at circumventing the true source of joy and contentment which is Jesus. While it may be true that laughter has some benefits and value for mental and emotional health, it should be the result of a content, settled and happy soul, not seen as a means to obtaining those conditions. In line with this erroneous thinking, the world has assembled a host of so called comedians who find it necessary to pollute and profane in their language and subject matter, every area of life, by serving up a mess of lewd, smutty, negative, vulgar and offensive performances, in an attempt to bring questionable laughter, to those who feel they need cheering up! It doesn’t even begin to make sense! Even so how can sorrow, be better than laughter? From a spiritual standpoint, this concept is very clear. Laughter is for a moment, and passes with very little permanent effect and no benefit to the spiritual man.  The sorrow spoken of in scripture, is not mere sadness or depression, it is a sense of personal regret for offenses committed against God, the distress of realising one’s own wrongs.   When a person can be truly sorrowful therefore, the effects reach the inner, spiritual man and can make a more permanent imprint on his being. Thus sorrow is better, when it is sorrow for sin! Instead of laughing at sinful jokes, a man who realises the guilt and awfulness of sin and becomes troubled over his own iniquities, can by repentance find forgiveness from God and new spiritual life! Such godly sorrow then is better, more useful, commendable, and more profitable than foolish laughter, because it recognises the mistakes which have been made. Instead of foolishly laughing them away, attempting to cover them or trivialising them, it causes the person to face them, repent and make changes to their way of life. Sorrow is a necessary part of the process of humbling oneself in the eyes of God, obtaining forgiveness from the Lord and turning back from a life of sin and degradation. It is the starting point of a person’s self-realization before God, and the pavement of the entry hall which leads to eternal life - a life of unending joy, glory and blissful contentment! That considered, it is not so hard to see why sorrow is better than laughter! 

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

June 3

“For he that is dead is freed from sin” Romans 6:7

In beautiful language of parallels, Paul teaches believers at Rome, that the death of the flesh, the ‘old man’, is a necessary part of Christian life! in days when the relationship between slave and master was still a commonplace thing, it was not difficult to understand, that upon dying, the slave was no longer under the control or dictates of his earthly master. He escaped those constraints, and was freed from them. Paul alludes to that fact by pointing out that when we are in Christ, we are ‘dead to sin’, which was our master and enslaved us, and this ‘death’ is actually a freedom from sin, and the liberty to live the resurrected life in Jesus Christ. This is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith - that true life is found in death! When we come to salvation, we accept through faith that being baptised is a necessary part of entering into our new life in Christ. It is by this act of faith that we identify with the burial of Jesus Christ. Clearly only ‘dead’ people are buried! When we repent of our sins, we die to self and our own ways, recognising that God’s ways are right and choose them for ourselves. Now ‘dead’, we are then ‘buried’ in water, by baptism, in the name given for salvation (Acts 4:12), which is the name of Jesus, identifying with His death and burial. The scriptures say that “we are buried with Him by baptism into death” (Rom 6:4). Finally we rise to a new life in Christ, when we are filled with His Holy Spirit, spiritually participating in His resurrection! Now cleansed and free from the sin of our past life, we stand spiritually alive in Christ, but dead to sin! As long as this status and balance exists, we remain alive in the Spirit, aligned with God and progressing towards eternal life in heaven with Christ! The entire effort of Christian life is to maintain this now holy, new and consecrated life we have in Jesus, free from sin. According to our text, our best defence against the destructive, enslaving ravages of sin is to be ‘dead’! We must then determine to remain ‘dead’ to the flesh, - this means saying no and being inert to the world and to self; ‘dead’ to sin, - this means saying no to and resisting temptation and sin; ‘dead’ in Christ, - this means yielding to Him, without our own agenda, but desiring only to fulfil His ways and will, so we can continue to be alive in Him! God’s Word makes it clear that Christian living is not for the faint hearted, cowardly or timorous, but for the obedient, determined and faithful!

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 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