Aug 2

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:…” Philippians 2:5

The imitation of Christ is suggested to us all as believers by the apostle Paul, as he writes to the church at Philippi. The mind set of those who profess to be followers of Christ should surely reflect the mind of Christ. It is quite impossible to be Christ-like, a Christian in practice, if we are not a Christian in belief and thought. Much of what we will perform begins in the mind and heart and it is therefore very appropriate for us to discover what the mind of Jesus is and then think like Him. While He walked among us, the Lord made clear the intent and motivation of His actions and showed to us all the manner and way of true Christian life. There is much that could be said at this point in regards to the mind of Christ, but perhaps a few points will suffice here. The Lord was genuinely complete in every way and could have rightly flaunted His perfection and purity, His power and superiority, but He did not. With this in focus, let us note then that the mind which was in Christ Jesus was a mind of humility. Jesus showed us an example of humility in everything He did and in the way He related to others. This should form the pattern of our life’s motivation. We should not do anything to be ‘seen’ of others, to receive the praise and accolades of those around us or to be noted and recognised. The heart of the believer should be driven by the passion of true love and service unto God and not strive for credit or recognition. When appreciation or honour comes from others out of genuine hearts, it must be deflected immediately and without hesitation, to Him to whom it truly belongs, the Lord Jesus. The mind of Jesus was also a mind of subjection to the Father. Jesus, as God in the flesh, the Son, never usurped the will and pleasure of the Father in Heaven. His desire and conduct was wrapped up in bringing about all that the Father’s will and purpose demanded. His obedience was complete and His compliance absolute and service. To have such mind, we too must be willing to fall in alignment with all that God commands of us and directs us to do. Nothing should be too ‘hard’ for us to obey God in, or too extreme to include in our lives, if He so directs in His Word and by His Spirit. This kind of mind is consecrated to the Lord, dedicated to His purposes and intent in fulfilling His will in every detail. Along with humility and subjection, we find the mind of Christ to be a mind of service. The needs of others were the first and foremost interests of our Lord. The striving, argumentative and adversarial mentalities, to which we sometimes subscribe, are not Christ-like. They do not minister to the needs of others, but all too often only cater to our own feelings and wants. This is not to say we cannot stand for righteousness, refute error or reprove wrong, but it does mean that we can do those things in the manner, attitude and spirit of love and service that Jesus showed. He came to serve and minister to others. He, who was King of Kings, willingly became the Chief Servant and gave to us who did not deserve. Such altruism is at the core of the mind of Christ, and should be the mainframe and motivation of ours also. Our human nature makes the taking and nurturing of our own interests first and normative. The new nature we inherit from Jesus, turns that around, and places others ahead of ourselves. Developing that mind of Christ in us is a choice we must continue to make throughout our Christian walk. It will not happen by chance or accident, nor by mere religious observance. It can only come as we yield more of ourselves, our hearts and passions, to comply and align with the purpose for which we were created and saved – to be more like Jesus!

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

July 30

 “…the king… made a covenant before the LORD…” 2 Kings 23:3

King Josiah was responsible for a major revival in Israel. He meticulously removed the idolatrous places of worship, overthrew their temples and destroyed the priests of the heathen religions which had grown populous in the nation. His cleansing work included the removal of sodomite houses, and of those practicing occult arts. The Bible reports him as doing right in the sight of the Lord, walking in all the ways of His forefather David, and not being influenced by pressures around him, but staying on course spiritually. This is a sterling testimony and a rarity among the usually poor performances of kings who either did outright evil in rebellion against Yahwah, or walked righteously but only in part and without consistency throughout their lives. Josiah stands out from among the rest as being a righteous man and a godly king in Israel. He stood by the pillar - this was understood to be a special place in the temple set aside for the king, from where he would make his orations to the people and offer prayer and worship unto God. It was from this prominent and public place and in front of all the people that Josiah made a promise to God. His heartfelt pledge to God included that He and the people would walk close to God, keep His laws with all their heart and all their soul, and uphold the words of God’s covenant with them as written in the book of the law. Wonderfully all the people took a stand with him in total support and commitment to that promise. How precious it is to have leaders who are sensitive to the Spirit of God, in tune with His will and obeying His word wholeheartedly! God will perform good and great things through such men! The task of all believers is to be obedient and aligned with Jesus and His word. This is much easier to achieve when the individuals who lead us, give us a consistent example of loving God and honouring His word. When such men by their example and teaching remind us of all that is holy and righteous, we should take notice and with all our hearts make our stand with them! May God raise many leaders like Josiah among us, to help guide us in the path of righteousness and encourage us to a life of holiness before the Lord!  

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

May 14

“…thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.” Job 4:4

In his days of prosperity and wellness Job had succoured others. He assisted the troubled, visited the sick, and supported individuals who were weakened by sin, and whose strength of life and resources had failed. Job had lived righteously before God and man, and his reputation was that of a man of value and worth. He had willingly fulfilled his responsibility of care of those in need, consistently supplying comfort, advice, assistance and protection. We now find Job himself on the side of the needy. Those who are criticising him, his so called ‘comforters’, are fully aware of his good deeds towards others, and they raise them to his attention, however they do so not to praise him, or in commendation, but in accusation. Their message is essentially “You were giving out all the good advice and help when it was someone else’s trouble, but what about now you are in their shoes?” instead of returning the kindness, which they acknowledged Job had given to others, and imitating his conduct by giving him genuine comfort, they prided and gloated in his difficulty, and added to his burden by their comments and explanations. It is strange how often this can actually happen among believers even today. There is an almost wicked sense of triumph with some individuals, when trouble or difficulty befalls a brother or sister. This is the opposite of what should take place. We are supposed to ‘mourn with those who mourn’, not rejoice in their calamity! There should be a genuine sense of empathy for those who suffer, and a desire to uphold them in prayer! This should be in the heart of fellow believers, but alas all too often, there is either indifference or worse even rejoicing at someone else’s trouble. This is a sure sign of a serious and sad lack of God’s love. Among the many lessons that can be learned from Job’s experiences, we could include the fact that clearly afflictions, trials, and setbacks, can be found and observed in the lives of good and righteous men, every bit as much as in the lives of those who are in rebellion against God. The just are not preserved from all difficulties, but they are promised deliverance and strength to make it through. It is however a serious mistake to simply assume that just because a person is facing trial or opposition, they must be in sin or have erred before God. Another important fact to remember is that we must teach the principles of God, in their entirety even if there is the possibility that we may personally have to face some aspect or another of those things, and be measured by the values we have proclaimed and affirmed. In other words we should not fear or hold back on truth, but wholeheartedly teach it and affirm it, not because we have already mastered it or have personally succeeded in it, but for its own value and benefit. Paul taught not that if he had already achieved, but that as one yet striving towards the mark. Lastly, we must accept that all believers when faced with affliction may react less than perfectly in the circumstances, in one aspect or another. Rather than behave as Job’s discomforting ‘comforters’, we should find in our heart the love, kindness and tenderness to support, lift and encourage to the best of our abilities such a one, through their time of trouble, and not add to their load by our unthoughtful comments or behaviour. Such magnanimous hearts will be a blessing to others, and be in turn blessed and commended of God.

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

Apr 30

“…Hast thou considered my servant Job…a perfect and an upright man...” Job 2:3

Twice, God held up as a shining example of righteousness and godly perfection, the very man that Satan had determined to make his conquest and trophy. The Lord knows the heart of a man and He recognises and upholds the integrity found within us, as a result of being in close relationship with Him. Like the false comforters of his day, Job still finds many critics today, who would malign him, his motives, his speeches, and his responses to the difficulties he faced. It is from God Himself that we can safely take our position on the kind of man Job was. God calls Him a perfect and upright man, one that feared God and avoided sin and evil! He is given a good character reference by the Lord, and we find him being praised and rewarded as a faithful servant of God, at the end of his ordeal. We understand that this does not make Job a perfect man in the absolute sense, but like many of the men who faithfully obeyed and stood for God, he did so with the kind of perfect heart and righteous spirit, that God honours. How desirable that we also should live the kind of life of which God can be proud enough, to present it as exemplary! Jesus instructed that the quality of our service to the Lord should be such that men who see how we conduct ourselves, might be brought to give God praise! Clearly we have a high calling to live up to, and should walk worthy of our vocation. God wants us to bring forth a witness which glorifies Him. We are His people, His children and He has invested in us His Spirit, His righteousness and His holiness. When we walk faithfully and obediently with the Lord, the world gets a taste of godliness and a glimpse of God through us! We must remember however that when do not walk right with God, we still give forth a ‘witness’. In this case a poor and damaging testimony. This could contribute to the destruction of someone’s chances to believe and accept Christ as their Saviour! This is a daunting thought and it should motivate us to make certain that we align with Job in the quality of our service and faithfulness to God, by being people who walk uprightly, and in purity of mind and heart before the Lord!  

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

Apr 17

 “…right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.” 2 Kings 18:3

At twenty-five years of age, Hezekiah began his reign as king of Judah, and ruled for almost three decades. With so many kings who did ‘evil in the sight of the LORD’, it is refreshing to read the report of this king’s life. His zeal for God and desire for righteousness, his severity in removing the places of idolatry and standing strong against heathen practices, along with a notable trust in God, is praised as ‘right in the sight of the LORD’. He is aligned with the manner, upright walk and faithfulness for which, David his forefather, is set up as a standard by the Lord. Along with Hezekiah, only two other kings of Judah, Asa and Josiah are given such praise, and interestingly all three, were sons of wicked fathers! The pattern of godly and wicked kings often succeeding each other, shows us that we are each responsible as individuals before God, for our actions and the quality of our walk with Him. Clearly even the ‘best’ men of God have faults. Walking ‘perfectly’ in the sight of God doesn’t mean holding absolute, flawless perfection, but rather that in obedience and righteousness we strive towards the holy and high calling, because our Father is Holy! This motivation of heart, and diligence of spirit, is what God notes and rewards. The lack of this desire to ‘do right’, and the want of a heart given to consistent purity and uprightness, marks us as having failed to ‘walk right in the sight of God’. It should be our life’s greatest ambition to fulfil the will and purpose for which God made us, saved us and empowered us! Though perhaps flawed through our mortal, human imperfection, let us yet with all heart and soul, strive to bring glory and honour to our King and Master, in a way that will evoke a report that we walked ‘right in the sight of the LORD’! 

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

Apr 4

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake…” Matthew 5:10

Having warned His disciples that they too, like their Master, would be persecuted in this world, Jesus here teaches the blessing of such persecution. It is not in our natural spectrum of understanding, to see or feel blessing when persecution is waged against our name, reputation, property, person, or our loved ones. Yet it is a truth of scripture, the reality of which is imparted to us, by the teaching and example of Jesus, and the power of His Holy Spirit. The word persecuted here implies, being pressed upon, pursued after, and hunted as prey! There is no blessing in such ill-treatment, if we as believers find ourselves at the receiving end of it, because we have acted unwisely, whether in pride or in foolishness, spoken out of line with God’s word or betrayed the values we claim to live by! When in the course of living a godly life, and in humility upholding the values of God, however, we find ourselves at the butt of the attacks of those who in hatred towards God, hate us also and revile the uprightness we stand for, then we can align ourselves with the teaching of Jesus regarding the blessing found in God as a result of such harassment by man. God has sent us into this world as ‘sheep among wolves’, an analogy which speaks of itself of the necessity for us to lean heavily of Jesus! There are those who are favourable towards godly men and women, admiring their stand in God, even if they do not desire to participate in faith toward God personally. Others instead remain quite unaffected, neutral and even dismissive, of the godly behaviour they may see in believers. Then there are those who become inflamed, enraged and take personal offence, at the mere suggestion of righteousness, whenever they spot it in the virtuous manner or speech of a Christian. Some of these do not hesitate to turn on the believer, with ridicule, accusations, and attempts to victimise and belittle him, particularly when they are in company with those who know them, and may ‘look up’ to them. We are instructed that whatever the persecution, and regardless how severe, we are not to retaliate or give back in kind, but rather show the love of God, and conquer our enemies the way Jesus did, by standing, living and if necessary dying for righteousness’ sake. Great blessings are laid in store for those who follow the Master’s way and obey His principles. May God grant each believer the conviction, peace, strength and anointing to stand for God, God’s way!

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

Apr 2

“The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.” Deuteronomy 5:2

Moses reminds the people of Israel of the covenant which bound them to Yahwah. It was established in Horeb, which is understood to be Sinai, and therefore was based on the commandments God imparted the people there. It was a national covenant. God had previously made covenants with individuals, the forefathers of the faith, which would affect them and the lives of their descendants, but this was a national covenant, applicable to entire nation of Israel collectively. It determined the existence and well-being of the people as a nation, provided they abided by it. It was a lawful covenant. It stated the commandments and law of God, by which the people were to conduct themselves. Faithfulness to it would be rewarded and disregard of it, would be punished. As all the law of God, it is absolute in nature, it clearly informs us of our responsibilities and related benefits or judgments, but leaves the choice of obedience to the individual or society. It was a preparative covenant. It was intended to prepare the hearts of men with the knowledge of the holiness of God, the realization and of their sinfulness and the evidence of their inability to remain consistent in faithfulness and performance of the commands. It prepared them to see their communal obligation, along with their personal responsibility. It was preparing man to accept the New Testament Covenant, which would follow, and is based on the righteousness of Jesus, not man’s works for justification. It was a holy covenant. It presented man with the holiness of God, in real and inescapable terms. It revealed the holiness of God’s commands, will and purposes for mankind. It demanded the condition of the heart and soul of man, to reflect the holiness of God. This is also a necessary New Testament condition and scriptural command, which endures to this day – “Be ye holy for I am holy” 1Peter 1:15,16. God’s covenants with man have always reflected His perfection, love and good desire toward us. As a caring Father, He has provided, not only the guidelines for us to follow and not err, but the strength of His Spirit to help us maintain a true faithfulness toward Him until the end, and not stray from the narrow path He has set. Let us desire to remain true to our God, by yielding ourselves to the influence and direction of His Holy Spirit!

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

Apr 1

“Therefore judge nothing before the time…” 1 Corinthians 4:5

There are different words used in the Greek and translated in English to ‘judge’. In some scriptures we are actually encouraged to ‘judge’, in the context of testing, proving, trying, evaluating, discerning or reckoning. We are clearly able to align a matter with scripture, and determine what can be seen as a ‘work of the flesh’, as being sin, incorrect and against God. Such ‘judging’ is within our scope and even necessary in order to maintain a right walk with God, and discern truth from error. There are however hidden things, which are not only hard to judge, but upon which we should avoid passing any personal appraisal or criticism. In matters of motivation, inner thought and what may be in the ‘heart’, it is not really possible for a human to pass unerring judgment on another. Such things are hidden to us, and without a clear vision and knowledge of the real facts of the heart, judgment there is outside our reach. Ultimate judgement therefore belongs to God alone. It is to Him that we are all finally accountable.  As fallible humans, limited and unable to see and know everything, it becomes important that we are slow to judge any matter. Even when we can rightly evaluate, making certain that all the facts are known and factored in, is a quality of wisdom and careful behaviour, desirable in all human beings and particularly in believers. Our text is clear that judging matters pertaining to anyone’s eternal destiny, belongs to the Lord, and only He can bring to light the things of the heart of man, good and bad, and one day He will! It will then be open and obvious, what our motives have been. We must ensure to purify our hearts and minds before God on a daily basis, and be ready for that day of God’s revealing judgment.

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

Mar 31

 “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God…” 2 Thessalonians 1:8

Many have constructed an erroneous image of God in their minds. They have believed that because God is love, He cannot therefore be a party to distributing judgement, which may cause the suffering of anyone, regardless how sinful or guilty they may be. This could not be further from the truth of the essential and righteous nature of Yahwah. That God is love is a fact of scripture, but that this fact precludes and disqualifies Him from being a righteous judge of sin, is gross error! It is in fact His love that will demand justice be brought on those who have not ‘known’ Him. God’s love is not a fickle, fluffy, cover-all-without-righteous-process, kind of love. Calvary is the evidence that His love demands justice. Those who believe in Jesus have their sins remitted and paid for by Christ’s sacrifice at Golgotha, but their sin WAS PAID FOR! The love and righteousness of God, demanded that sin be judged! Through the atonement at Calvary, He has already given mankind the way ‘out’ of future judgment and death, by judging sin on the cross, in the death of Jesus. When humans refuse to ‘know’ God, that is, to acknowledge Him, His love and what He has done for them, they are placing themselves in line for the judgement, which is coming on this earth. They are saying by their actions, they do not want the salvation from death, which God has provided. They are despising God’s provision, and turning away from the only hope of escape. They are stating, they are not accountable for their actions to God and that He has no claim or authority over them. They are denying the fact that as the Creator of all things, including humans, He is our God and King! In spite of this wilful ignorance of God, disregard of His laws, choice to live in sin, and give their life’s allegiance to the devil and their own fleshly desires, many will still claim that ‘because God is love’, He will not judge them or punish them with an eternal retribution! This is simply wishful thinking! The kind of judgement which God has already purposed and revealed in His Word, which He will visit on sinful humanity, is intense with the purity of His Holiness and the indignation of His righteousness! Described as a ‘flaming fire’, the vengeance or judgement of God, is not going to be comparable in devastation, destruction and permanence, to anything man has ever known before! Sin demands and merits such reckoning. God has given man plenty of time and warning to evade, get out of the way and escape such judgement. The real question is why does most of humanity not heed to the loving wooing of the Saviour? Let us make every effort to warn those around us of the impending danger they are facing outside of Christ!

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

Feb 19

“…for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?” 1 Samuel 26:9

Persecuted and hated through no fault of his own, David had found himself a fugitive. King Saul, a man he had supported, defended and blessed by his ministry and skill, on his heels and after his life! We too may experience attacks and deliberate injustices acted against us. There are times when we may uncover in our hearts a desire for revenge, against those, who without just cause, turn on us or determine to become our enemies. While we may try to defend our ‘feelings’ and minimise the true motives which fuel them, such a condition of heart, is not appropriate in a believer. The greatest injustice which was ever perpetrated by human beings, was the false accusation and crucifixion of Jesus Christ! Unlike any of us who though innocent in some respects are nevertheless sinners, there was no sin or fault to be found in Jesus. He lived the perfect and sinless human life and died, not because He deserved death, but because we did! In His great love He died in our place and paid the price of sin He did not owe, for us who owed the price of sin we could not pay! No other human injustice ever before or since equates in severity and guilt, to what took place that day at Calvary! Jesus could have commandeered an immense host of angels, who at His mere nod would have destroyed every enemy and persecutor! He could have avenged Himself of their abuse, beating, mocking and cruel torture. Yet He did not! Instead, He even stopped the hand of his disciple which had been stretched forth to strike a blow at the Lord’s enemy! He had the opportunity, the power and the means to take revenge against the injustice, yet in His love Jesus prayed for you and me, along with the physical persecutors of His day saying “Father forgive them”! He chose to do the righteousness of the Father, to fulfil His will and die for those who were His enemies! In light of Christ’s example, any thought of personal revenge or retaliation for any hurts or offenses made against us, should simply vanish and be vanquished from our hearts!  If we are honest however, we will see that often we waste no time in ‘paying-back’ for those things which we perceive have been done against us. If an opportunity presents itself to us, where we can inflict an injury, ‘bite back’, or give them a bit of ‘their own medicine’, we might be tempted to take it with glee. David found himself in just such a situation with the man who unjustly tried to kill him and continued to pursue him for his life. He found himself presented with the opportunity to finally end his torment, and cease from being a fugitive from family and country. He could have reasoned that God had delivered his arch-enemy into his hand and with the support of probably every human being around him, put an end to Saul and his threats! His own men encouraged him to do exactly that, in fact, they volunteered to do it for him! Let’s not forget also that by time David also knew he had been anointed to be the next king. A lesser man, a man who walked in the desires of his own flesh and not sensitive to God and His Spirit, would have caved at the temptation and justified his actions. After all, as the next anointed king, eliminating his enemy could have been seen as defensible by the people, but not David. A man after God’s heart, he reasoned spiritually, acted correctly, did the righteousness of God and gave no place to his pride or hurt. He wanted what was acceptable to God not man! He would not stretch forth his hand against the man whom God had set up as king, even if clearly this man has lost favour with God and was floundering in every way. David did not take things into his own hands but relied on the Lord to be his strength, his Defender and Avenger. He would be king, but only at the time, and in the way that God would bring it about! Do we have the courage, confidence and constancy of character to stand as David did, in the face of fleshly opportunities to take our revenge? Can we really justify any thought of avenging the hurts and injuries done to us, in the light of Christ’s example?

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

Feb 14

“For thou hast maintained my right and my cause…” Psalms 9:4

We constantly hear of individuals ‘standing up for their rights’. We witness entire countries entering into conflict because they believe their cause to be right. The world propounds ways and means by which to achieve our own ends, and uphold our particular inclination. Society teems with groups filled with supporters for their peculiar viewpoint, reason or position. The ‘causes’ range from the sublime to the ridiculous, but nevertheless, some support them! It seems everywhere and in many ways, we each believe we are right and have a just cause. David took a different approach to that taken by those who, with a militant manner, just insist on their own ‘rights’. He reminds us that, when ‘fighting’ for our rights, the correct stance for those who believe, is to lean on God, and trust Him to uphold our cause. We must never forget that for the Lord to support and help our ‘cause’, it must be a ‘right’ cause. This doesn’t mean it is judged correct by our own preferences, biases or leanings. It is deemed right because it is righteous according to the righteousness of God as declared in His word, and in that sense therefore, it is His cause. We must also be sure how God wants us to ‘fight’ in upholding His cause, after all He is meant to be our General and Commander in Chief! David was a military man and clearly fought for a cause, but he made a point of making that reason, not a motive of his own choosing, but that which was right in the sight of God. He also carefully followed the instruction of the Supreme Leader in all battles, giving place to the Lord's way, in how each encounter with the enemy should be met! The Lord can support a cause which fulfils His righteousness and maintains the truth and directive of His revealed will for mankind. On a more personal basis, we do well to lean on the Lord, and have Him advocate us instead of attempting to promote ourselves. It is evident from God’s word that promotion is of the Lord, and that in His own way and time, He lifts up, blesses and upholds the individuals and groups of people, who sincerely walk in His ways and obey Him. 

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

Feb 10

“…it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Galatians 3:6

Abraham walked by faith. Faith and righteousness are presented as related yet distinct in scripture. It is because we believe God that His righteousness is imputed to us. The mental assent of faith and even the action of faith, does not of itself beget righteousness, until the ‘object’ of that faith is clearly exhibited – that object is Jesus! Abraham’s action of faith was not the reason for righteousness being accounted to him, but the fact that his faith and obedience was placed in the Lord and His word. We can say then, that what authorises and validates our faith, whether it is expressed in our heart or shown by our actions and obedience, is the fact that it is located and fixed in Christ! As such it displays in us Christ’s righteousness, and we become a reflector of Him and His virtue! This is important because many have a ‘faith’ which can be considered genuine, though misplaced. Their ‘faith’ may be in human abilities such as science or technology, or in entities which they may consider ‘divine’. Never will such faith bring about righteousness with the One True God however, regardless of how well intentioned, strong or sincere it may be! Not until Jesus Christ is the sole and central object of a person’s faith, can true and godly righteousness be attributed and assigned to that individual! Even with Christians faith can often be misplaced. Some place their faith and make their belief system, their church organization, human ministry or acts of devotion. These things cannot of themselves bring about the righteousness of God! Abraham-like faith, a faith which acts and demonstrates its value through genuine obedience, is accounted for righteousness because it has as its clear object the Lord Jesus, it is firmly placed in God as the absolute authority, and is based on the validation of His Word!

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

Jan 26

 “And delivered just Lot…” 2 Peter 2:7

Though many have done injury to the character of Lot and accused him of all sorts of wrong doings from the moment he parted ways with Abraham, God in His Word, distinguishes him as a righteous man. It should be enough for any of us that God is willing to give us a good character reference, even if some, who think they know us, would vilify and defame us. Paul stated in his epistles that we will all stand in judgement, and clearly it is God who will judge, not fallible man. It becomes our task then to be pleasing to God first and foremost in all our doing and obedience, and not to be too much concerned with being man-pleasers. The records God keeps are the correct and just evaluation of our character and life. They cannot be falsified by the tampering or doctoring of man’s perceptions, preferences or even by our own meddling. What is so reassuring in our text is that God knows godliness when He sees it, and that He will deliver the righteous! In the midst of the most severe and comprehensive punishment or tribulation, God is able to keep and protect those who fulfil His righteousness. We serve a just and loving God who is not limited. We can rely on Jesus to defend and guard our heart, mind, body and soul, when we commit all of ourselves to Him.

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

Jan 16

“...keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him...” Daniel 9:4

We demonstrate our love to God, by keeping His commandments and following His ways. Like a good and loving father who cares for his children, the Lord shows us the right we should do and warns us to avoid the wrong. He teaches us at length about the rewards of righteousness and the repercussions and judgments of sin. He regards those who are faithful and shows open mercy and goodness towards them. His promises and pledges are renewed to the obedient and diligent follower, improving the quality of his life through blessing and growth. Some view God as capricious or whimsical, but the opposite is true, He has made known His stand and position from the beginning. It is us who are moody, inconsistent and change our position far too readily. We weaken our stand and commitment towards Him, reduce our discipline and abandon our convictions. The adjustments God makes are largely in response to our variability, but His intention and desire is made very clear – He wants to bless! He is faithful, He keeps His covenant, if there is distancing or loss in our relationship with Him, it does not find its genesis with Him! If we want to please the Lord, the best thing we can do is to remain faithful to Him in response to His faithfulness, and allow Him to bestow upon us the bountiful gifts and goodness He so much desires to bless us with! 

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