Jan 29

“…This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.” Numbers 30:1

It is of paramount importance to have God’s authority behind any moral or social concept we adopt. The world is in trouble with understanding the ‘why’ of any moral code, because man has chosen to remove God and His authority from the picture. All of a sudden sin becomes mere preference - not wrong, just differing from one person to the other; and morality becomes a plastic medium to be bent at will, depending on the circumstances and situation. After all, once God is ‘removed’ as the Ultimate Authority for right living, who says it’s wrong? It all becomes just opinion! The new morality adopted by our modern society, largely states that provided ‘no-one-gets-hurt’, then the practice, in whatever context, is acceptable. The problem is that the clauses used in replacement for God’s mandates are very vague and too flexible, easily redefined by various situations and individuals. Sin becomes ‘normal’ when viewed in this way, and is therefore encouraged and fostered in our society through a filter of modified morals, which is supposedly based on the wish of ‘consenting adults’, in a context where no-one-gets-hurt! Not for one moment does modern man consider that God may not consent, that He speaks against sinful practices, however camouflaged or justified, and that sin will always hurt the individuals who participate in it, regardless of their age! God’s law is not so easily shunned or bypassed, without serious personal consequences. Israel knew then, as we know now, the revealed will of God. Through His written Word and the ministers who faithfully remind us of His commandments, we learn the value they bring into the life of each individual and society that chooses to observe them. We also learn the consequences and hurt that will come to us, when we disregard them. Pray that there will always be faithful leaders and ministers of God’s Word, teaching us and preaching with anointing, the Lord’s principles and values. Pray too, that there is willingness in each believer’s heart to repent, readiness of mind to recognise that - “this is the thing which the LORD hath commanded” - and the courage of faith to obey what He has said!


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

Jan 14

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul…” Psalms 19:7

The doctrine and teaching which the Lord has revealed to mankind via His Word, is complete! It lacks nothing which may be needed by man to live a fulfilled, purposeful and useful life. The perfection of the laws of God, is observable in the fruit of righteousness and goodness which they bring forth in the lives of men and women, who live by them and obey them. The most prosperous and successful of countries in history, have been those whose governments based their rules, upon the law of God as found in His Holy Word. We can easily note, in various Godless regimes, but also and especially in more recent times in western cultures, that the departure from God’s law and principles has resulted in huge problems with immorality and instability, in what once were recognised as civilized and Christian societies. Human nature is fallen and naturally tends towards evil. Man cannot merely be controlled by law; he must be converted by it! Man’s law may change some of the behaviour of some of society, but cannot change the soul of any individual. This results in either an increase the amount of force and means necessary to control and direct individuals, or worse, the redefining of what is wrong, sinful and abhorrent, so that less control is needed, doing further damage to mankind and departing all the more from God’s original plans and purposes. God’s law is perfect, and can change and convert the soul of man through faith and obedience, from a lost, sinful, rebellious and spiritually dead individual, to a godly, fulfilled, loving, faithful, and spiritually alive person. This means a person will ‘want’ to do what is right from the inside, not merely because of some rule which society imposes on him. All this, God performs through His Word! Tampering with what Gods has set down and provided for humanity, can only result in precisely what we see in our human family today – increase in crime and immorality, a loss of worthwhile and godly values and ultimately self-destruction and death. God’s statutes, commandments and directions for man’s relationship with God, his fellowman, and all other things created, remain and are eternally established, they are the best way for mankind and they can’t be improved on by man’s intuition, revisions or intelligence for they were perfect to begin with! 

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