July 10

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:…” Psalms 10:4

Pride is the sin which underlies and feeds most of the other iniquities a man may commit. It was the original sin of Lucifer and the infection by which he tempted our first human parents to cause their fall. It is still one of humanities greatest iniquities and most destructive practices. Pride may have its seat in the heart of man, and may be camouflaged in false humility and choreographed mannerisms, but it will always surface and become obvious. The countenance of a person - their face, expressions, manner and looks, is often where pride is mostly noticeable and overt.  It stands out like the proverbial nose on our faces! Pride loves to be seen and cannot stay hidden for long. It wants to show itself and manifest in whatever possible way it can! The ‘pride of life’, is enumerated in scripture among the worst of qualities reflected by mankind, and listed with all the sins that merit punishment and will inherit death. It finds its place along with the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh as that which belongs to the unregenerate, wicked world, and is to be shunned by believers. Pride becomes the biggest obstacle to a person’s seeking after God. By its very nature pride wants to rule not be in subjection, it wants to lead not follow, it wants to dictate not obey. All of the principles which God teaches man, to bring him from the death of sin into the life of salvation, are violated by pride. The originator of this great sin still uses it as his main tool, to drive feeble and puny humans like puppets, into behaviour which is rebellious, distasteful and antagonistic to God’s law. Satan’s goal in encouraging pride and arrogance in humans, is to trick them into feeling more important and powerful than they really are, so they will deny and defy God. He knows that when humans do this, they condemn themselves to a Christless eternity of torment in hell. Through pride he makes them think they are their own ‘bosses’ and rule their own lives, when in reality all the while, he has control over them, and is stopping them from ever turning to God and asking for His help! The ultimate form of pride is atheism. When a man who is surrounded by all the evidences of the love and blessing of God - the creation He has formed and allows us to partake of, can say: “there is no God”, his pride has completely blinded him. The Bible says that regardless of his intelligence, achievements and abilities, that man is a fool! God has placed in every human heart the ability to believe and have faith, a seed in which is the potential of eternal life and hope. We must make every effort possible to stop pride from growing and smothering the seed of God in us. Once we have personally grown to have a strong and stable faith in the Lord, our task is then to help others turn from their blind pride and see the beauty, love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ!

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

June 15

“Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD…” 2 Chronicles 8:12

Solomon, in the first half of his dominion as king of Israel had reigned well. He trusted God, built the most magnificent temple to God’s honour and worship, conquered and set up cities in the strength of the Lord. He dealt wisely and properly with the people of his nation, not enslaving or taking tribute from them, but only from the remnants of the surrounding heathen nations who were in his kingdom. Most of all he continued in His personal obedience and worship of Yahwah. He did not cease his offerings unto God, at the sumptuous sacrifices he made in the beginning, on the occasion of the opening of the temple. He continued faithfully to worship the Lord and giving Him place in his life, with due deference and regard. He maintained all the prescribed feasts and sacrifices associated with them, along with the sacerdotal orders, his father David had set up. At this time in his life Solomon was true to God and served Him according to His will. There are many lessons we can draw from the life of this man and His prolific, God-inspired writings. The simple lesson here for us, is that of consistency and steadfastness. Doing righteousness is not a once only or once every so often requirement. It should be our goal, choice and desire to not only begin well, with joy and passion to serve and worship God, but also to continue well, and if anything, perfect the way and manner in which we serve and honour our Lord. All aspect of our lives can become opportunities for worship unto God. The way we conduct ourselves, how we deal members of our family, the attitude and manner we have towards others, the way we use our finances, or take care of needs and much more, all present us with occasions for bringing glory, honour and worship to God. Remaining humbly faithful and consistent in all aspects of our relationship with Jesus is at the core of the Christian walk and experience. There are some enemies to this beautiful and appropriate connection we can have with God. Among them are some, which are more subtle and that can creep in without us realising it. For instance feeling like close family with God is great and comforting, but familiarity if unchecked, can rob us of a sense of awe and respect for God, undermining the quality of our relationship with Him. A sense of doing God’s righteousness is wholesome and strengthening, but pride can make us forget we need the Lord in all things, and make us feel like we know what to do, have done it before and therefore need not enquire from the Lord. Becoming proud and self-sufficient even in righteousness, destroys the dependence we have on God and divides us from Him. Discipline is necessary to maintaining a consistent and continuous flow of service unto God, but we should never become so formal and accustomed to our organised schedule of ‘doing’, that we forget the Object of our service, His leading and that our main motive in service must be to love the Lord wholeheartedly! Let us not merely begin well, but by aligning with God’s Word and Spirit every day, continue throughout our lives to bring God glory and honour through holy and humble service and worship!

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

May 22

“…but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” Philippians 2:3

A desirable and commendable quality of heart and its natural outflow are described here. Translated elsewhere as humility and humbleness, lowliness of mind is true modesty and genuine unpretentiousness. Much false humility has been given rise, by those who would apply this concept out of it intended context. It is natural to find some ability, skill, talent or knowledge in one man which is greater than that found in another. To this of course, humility should immediately defer. The context of the humility spoken of here however, is that which is required when considering the effects of God’s grace in another person’s life. This lowliness of mind causes one to see and highlight the importance, growth or experience of his brethren, in preference to his own. This is not to say that we must believe everybody ‘better’ than ourselves in every sense, or pretend we cannot see the faults in others. Quite to the contrary, true humility is capable of seeing self in a true light. It is able to step in the position God sees fit to give or call one to, without losing sight of personal dependence on Him. True humility can acknowledge progress or achievement without once attributing any aspect of it to mere self. It has as its outflow, the ability to look beyond the flaws in another’s life or character, remembering all too well  the vileness and insignificance which describes and defines us all, outside of Christ. This humility principle flies in the face of all pride and ambition, associated with spiritual pursuit or progress. It remembers that each of us owe all we are, have and do, to Jesus Christ. It knows and proclaims unashamedly that without Him, we have no achievement, no success or accomplishment to present as our own. This is why such humility can always find some detail, some experience, and some personal aspect of God’s grace fulfilled in our brother, as ‘better’, more worthwhile and exemplary than our own, and is willing to gladly state so! It glorifies Jesus, in others, and therefore it is ‘better’ and greater than us in our natural state! It highlights what God does in someone else’s life, and that is always a greater work than we could ever do for ourselves! This is God’s recipe for total annihilation of pride! Should all believers genuinely be clothed in such pure humility, foolish and destructive pride would not be known among Christians, and the praises of God would be sung, as believers testify of the wonderful works God has done and they can see in the life of their brethren!

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

Apr 29

“…and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” Daniel 3:15

Man can become so taken up with his own importance that he forgets he is but flesh! Such is the picture we see in our text. It is a snapshot of the conceited humans who while in positions of authority over others, in pride and arrogance usurp the place and privilege of power, which belongs to God alone. So many tyrants and autocrats have stained the pages of history with innocent blood, and darkened the light of life with evil plots and motives. Too many have defied the laws of God, and have wielded their evil dictatorships, whether over a family or a country. They have oppressed unjustly and destroyed without feeling or fear. Yet all are but limited and temporal flesh - ‘Kings’ of all kinds, and ‘kingdoms’ of all kinds, will all pass away. Only the Eternal God and King of Kings remains forever, and He will be present to judge and bring to account all who have abused others, through their position of authority. Some may have escaped human tribunals, but will never escape the judgment bar of God! The king in our text, dared to challenge a power much greater than he could have ever known. The account shows that he got the answer to his arrogant question and a response to his proud challenge. He came face to face with the power of the Almighty. He was answered by Yahwah in person, and humbled by the touch of His hand. Humanity forgets and is often ignorant of the truth. The object lessons and examples of the lives of others, and mistakes recorded for our admonition, do not seem to remain present with the human family. In every generation many become increasingly self-centred, less considerate of others and more vague and vacuous of the truth of God. This brings about haughty but futile and inane challenges against God, which leave God unaffected as to His authority and power, but can have disastrous effects in the lives and spirituality of many fellow humans. Man professing to be wise and informed, becomes foolish and brutish with regard to the truth and the reality of God. His arrogance and disobedience plunges him into deeper trouble and more intense struggles with morals and government. History repeats itself! The Almighty will again respond with unquestionable supremacy and indisputable omnipotence. He will quell, this time forever, any and all authority, pride and arrogance that align against Him. Like the Hebrews in the text, believers need only trust and wait on Him faithfully. Who is that God that will deliver the saints and answer the conceits of elevated flesh? He is Jesus, who always was and always will be the Almighty God, the Creator of all and the Judge over all!

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

Apr 11

“…O king…break off thy sins by righteousness…” Daniel 4:27

Pride will destroy a man, regardless of his position. It becomes a millstone tied around his neck that causes him to sink to his ruin! Nebuchadnezzar was not exempt because he was king. God warned him in a dream which Daniel interpreted. The king’s pride and wickedness would cause him to be removed from among society and normal human life, and he would become demented, live outdoors and eat grass like cattle! The warning allowed for him to repent quickly of his sins and begin doing righteousness. He had probably been indifferent to the poor and tyrannical to his subjects. Ambition and selfishness ruled the ruler, and in spite of some semblance of religiousness, he was nevertheless morally decayed. King Nebuchadnezzar is typical of much of humanity. Right doing begins with acknowledging the Lord God is the Almighty, the Creator, that His law is to be obeyed, and that we are accountable to Him! When as humans we forget and forsake God and His laws, and become filled with our own selves and our achievement, we lose perspective on the reality of life. In a sense it could be said, we lose our ‘right minds’ and become as brutes, filling our bellies with all the things of the world, which are inappropriate for us and do not satisfy. When we behave in ways contrary to the plan and will of God, we lose our God-given position as proper rulers over God’s creation. Filled with our own pride and self-driven ambitions, we forget the needs of others and become guilty of the same wickedness and sins which have condemned so many before us. Here is wise advice, to be followed before it is too late – break off thy sins by righteousness! It is not until we recognise that Yahwah rules above all, that we are his subjects and willingly do His righteous works, that we return to a ‘right mind’, and life becomes what He intended it to be, enriched, blessed and filled with hope eternal!

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

Mar 29

“Yet all this availeth me nothing…” Esther 5:13

Pride and self-importance causes many individuals to be totally consumed with themselves, and tormented with envy and malice towards anyone else who may, even without knowing take away attention from them, on their self-established pedestal. Haman was such a man. In spite of having the honour of the king, an enviable position of employ in the king’s palace, and clearly the respectful fear of most people around him, the sight of Mordecai refusing to give him the obeisance he felt he deserved, caused him to lose sight of all else! He made it his life’s ambition to destroy the one individual he could not control. How can one become so consumed with selfish, egotistical motivation that he sees nothing of all the privilege, blessing and provision he already has? Well actually this is not so far from what happens with many today, who are taken with a spirit and mind set of material accumulation, and pursuit of wealth, to such a degree that they enjoy none of it, see no blessing in it, nor can they rest and be content for even a moment, in their money-rich but miserable lives! Jesus teaches us the mind-blowing concept of preferring others to ourselves! Giving not only of what we have, but of who we are, for the benefit of others. This is so contrary to our natural bent, that it revolutionises our thinking, and blasts us out of our comfort, when we begin to consider it. Taking care of me, my, mine and everything to do with me, is often the natural response we give to life, but when we do, we soon discover there is no joy, personal fulfilment or lasting enjoyment, in this self-consumed approach to life. When we do it the Lord’s way, giving others their place, genuinely honouring them ahead of ourselves, giving respect and trust where it has been earned and being interested in others more than in ourselves, we find a different and higher level of purpose in living our lives. The ‘Haman approach’ to life will end the way it did for him, in sad, pitiful and shameful death. The way of Jesus, on the other hand, results in life more abundant here on earth, and in heaven for ever! 

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

Mar 13

“…I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” Exodus 5:2

The Pharaohs of Egypt, considered themselves to be gods in their own right. Pharaoh was stating he had neither respect for, nor obligation towards Yahwah, and His command through Moses. Such is the arrogance and ignorance of humanity. Often blinded by position or status among other men, some think they are beyond the Almighty’s reach, or that because they choose not to acknowledge Him, that He does not know them, or that He is not Lord over them regardless of their indifference! This is a typical case of humankind functioning with an inflated ego and overstated self-importance. Pharaoh might have been the greatest and most cherished king in the Israel’s early history, had he listened to God and facilitated God’s will towards His people. Instead, he hardened his heart and resisted God, and might be considered a fool, in line with the biblical definition of the word, for denying God and His directive. Certainly this man paid severely for his haughtiness; losing position, control, respect, children, the kingdom and ultimately his life! It is important for all mortals to realise that in spite of our grand talk and boast against God, we are only ever a breath away, from demonstrating how weak and frail we really are! It is futile and foolish to defy God and the purposes He has set for us. The end result cannot be good, when we dare to superimpose our will onto God’s. That was true of Pharaoh, and it is true of anyone who can be so impertinent. Yet we find most of humanity still blissfully and blindly, existing as if they have not a single responsibility toward God. Even when shown, with love and patience, they deny knowledge of the Lord, or duty towards Him. It is prophesied that God will come with judgment, to repay the disobedience and disregard of His word, for which so many men and women, are guilty. On the Day of Judgment, there will be no human boast or self-aggrandisement! Ignorance, defiance or indifference will not be possible, when we are face to face with Almighty God! Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess the supremacy and Lordship of Jesus Christ! Yet this acknowledgment will have come too late, to make a positive difference to the eternal destiny of our souls. Doesn’t it make very good sense, to willingly bow a knee now, and receive the amazing benefits that come by serving Jesus!? 

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

Jan 20

“…he deceiveth himself.” Galatians 6:3

Generally speaking natural man has this very flaw prominent at heart, he deceives himself. Forgetting the frailty bound in his physical being and that it is only by God’s grace that he is kept alive and breathing, he deludes himself with all sorts of notions of grandeur and self-glorification. Ultimately, this pride and forsaking of God, will result in the most traumatic and destructive end for humanity. The most insidious self-deception, is the self-aggrandizement which causes us to believe we are better and greater than is so in reality! This is particularly dangerous for the Christian. This kind of self-deception can make us think we are more spiritually apt and mature than our lives give evidence for. It causes many to stop growing, depleting true desire for searching the scriptures and deepening biblical knowledge, and killing the reliance we should have on God, through faith, trust and prayer. The Lord in His love and consummate knowledge of our flawed and fallen human nature, has given many warnings against the trap of pride and self-exaltation. The prime example of this ancient sin, was the fall of the mightiest angel Lucifer, who lost his original estate through pride, to become the defeated, and doomed, arch-enemy of God. The infection of his sin was passed onto the human family shortly after creation, and has plagued us ever since in many varied forms. The greatest single expression of sin continues to be pride and rebellion against God. This is what marks and stains human beings from conception, and will cause the eventual eternal damnation of all the human family that refuses to accept the only antidote and remedy available for the sin-sick soul – God’s salvation! Coming to know Jesus means also coming to an understanding that without Him, we are nothing but lost, miserable and dead in iniquity and sin - in other words, a realisation that we have nothing to be ‘proud’ of! This reality check and the development of a close, intimate relationship with the Lord, should arm every believer with the correct degree of genuine humility! It is therefore totally incongruous, that a Christian should give way and subscribe to pride in any form, and be self-deceived when he knows that outside of Jesus, he is nothing. Any good thing that he is able to perform, any good action, thought or motive, any useful and charitable expression, is only through and because of the One from Whom all blessings flow, and Who is the author and finisher of the our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ! 

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