Feb 7

“…and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

God in His benevolence has set a time for every purpose under heaven. ‘Every purpose’, must be understood to indicate all the good things which God intended to be ‘correct’ purposes, in the life and existence of the human race on earth, not the sinful determinations and aberrations of fallen mankind. This can be seen firstly, by the fact that He has stipulated and governed the way seasons and natural processes take place on earth. This is God’s blessing to man, in that we can by these pre-set parameters, better plan our crops, make decisions, prepare and clothe ourselves, shelter appropriately and much more. An added blessing is recognising that God is the Author of these over-arching purposes, and that in His love He has given them place and time and made them available to us. The second way we could look at this portion of the holy text, is to note that in His benevolence, God has made time available to every person. Everyone is given time, and what purposes we use it for, is all important! Naturally the Lord instructs and directs in His Word what the best usage of this time is. The ultimate purpose, for which it was granted to each human, is to worship Him in all our actions and deeds of life. He does however, allow us to determine how we will use or spend much of the time we are granted in our lives. Apart from portions invested in many legitimate human purposes of just living life and survival, (some of which are listed in the passage), sadly much of humanity spends and wastes this precious commodity in committing sin and in actions which are not only offensive to God and detrimental to their own souls, but that also were not meant to be a part of the ‘purposes under heaven’ for which God has given us the blessing of time. It is every bit as irresponsible, as using money which should pay the bills, for other things such as entertainment, vices, frivolous habits or unnecessary wants. Naturally this type of behaviour, when insisted on, will end up in financial ruin and loss. Similarly, time has been given to each of us to invest wisely and to fulfil every one of God’s determined purposes. When we choose to do otherwise with it and waste the time of our lives on that which affronts God, we cannot expect but to be found culpable for its misuse! 

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

Feb 6

“…He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly…” 2 Corinthians 9:6

The law of sowing and reaping is well established in scriptural teaching. It applies to each one of us and is an apt reminder that not only we reap what we sow, but as we are taught here, we also reap mainly to the degree and proportion to which we sow. This principle is readily seen in the natural. Given proper conditions, if we sow wheat, we will reap a wheat crop; and the size of the crop, will largely depend on how much wheat we sowed in the first place. Whilst it all seems logical and obvious in the physical application, we sometimes tend to miss the value of this concept, and its application in other areas of life. What we ‘sow’ by our actions and deeds, and how much we ‘sow’ - in the form of giving of ourselves, our time, attention or talent, can also greatly affect what, and how much we reap in the course of life . In the context of the passage, service in work of God and the giving unto the Lord for God’s work and the needs of His people, should not be done stingily! Self-control and frugality are great qualities when applied to the management of our personal expenditures or the management of our family funds and resources. In serving God however, and particularly in our giving unto the Lord, the biblical recommendation is to do so liberally, cheerfully and with all our hearts. Unlike our wheat crop example, above however, Christian giving should not be motivated by what we might receive in return. That aspect should be left to the Lord’s better judgement, and often if we give from a pure heart, we receive truly ‘good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over’ from the hand of the Lord. We already know from scripture that the rewards of heaven far outweigh anything we could possibly receive on earth anyway, so we are not likely to ever ‘out-give’ the Lord! This kind of giving is more like the quality and nature of God’s giving to us, the example of which, we see all around us and in everything He has created so freely for our benefit both now and in the future. Some spend a lifetime struggling over the measly ‘pennies’ of their giving and finding nothing but stress, insecurity and loss in the effort of ‘holding onto’ what they have. Others have found the joy of giving, truly exceeds that of receiving, and regularly, freely and willingly give all they can in time, money and effort, to benefit others. It is true that we can be takers or givers, and that givers are the happiest and most fulfilled individuals in the world. The choice remains with each of us as to whether we will follow God’s direction, and be one who not only sows good things, but does so plentifully.

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

Feb 5

“…but every fool will be meddling.” Proverbs 20:3

Some people seem to find pleasure in strife. They do not seem satisfied unless they are involved in some contention, crisis or problem even when to begin with, it has nothing to do with them! Meddling is getting involved unnecessarily into things that do not concern us. It takes wisdom to know and differentiate between what things we are capable of and responsible to help and assist in, and what is simply none of our business. The scriptures often refer to ‘the fool’, as being the person who doesn’t see the obvious, doesn’t recognise boundaries and has no respect for wisdom. For instance, it is a fool, according to scripture that believes there is no God, speaks his entire mind, and in this verse, meddles in matters unnecessarily. This proverb indicates the good sense and honour of a man who makes efforts to cease from contention, and contrasts it with the foolishness of the person who insists on involving themselves with strife wherever they find it and worse, making a point of creating their own, almost every time they have a conversation. The notion that one has to speak their mind about everything, even when they are not asked, and particularly when it is not their place to direct or correct, is hardly evidence strength or wisdom! The Bible calls it foolishness! Yet many consider it their life calling to ‘straighten out’ whoever it is they are speaking with. Maybe if we were wiser and stopped ‘meddling’, we would find agreement more frequently and be more like the ‘peacemakers’ which Jesus blessed. God desires for us to live peaceably and as much as we can, to maintain harmony with those around us. Naturally this doesn’t mean we should compromise our values and stand in God, but ‘getting along’ and avoiding being overcritical, or making comments that engender discord, is most definitely a Christian virtue!

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

Feb 4

“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:…” 1 Peter 2:7

A stark contrast is drawn here of what Jesus means to believers, as against those who refuse Him. Christians are often called ‘believers’, because of the common characteristic which distinguishes them - their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is for believers both an honour and a privilege to know Jesus and in this relationship they find their greatest comfort. True believers know the value and preciousness found in Jesus, and know that nothing else in life equates to it. This is evidenced by the fact they consider Him to be their closest and most intimate friend, the source and purpose of their being, the One they commit their souls to, and the answer that settles all the questions of life! There is no question that this is a personal, voluntary, real knowledge and experience, so much so, that believers have been willing to lay down everything they have, including life for Jesus. They who shun the Lord, turn away from His principles and reject the salvation He has provided, unknowingly discard the very peace, joy and fulfilment they are seeking in life. They will in vain search for this preciousness in a million other experiences and conditions; yearn for it in all the wrong places and people, but it will be found nowhere - except in Christ Jesus.  To the believer Jesus is the ‘Pearl of great price’, the ultimate gift of God, and the most precious ointment. He is the essence of life itself and the very breath in the lungs. Jesus is our all, for in Him we live, move and have our being!

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

Feb 3

 “…the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalms 19:1

Everywhere we look we find the evidences of God’s great work! Creation proclaims loudly and clearly the love, power and glory of the Lord. When our strength fails, we are directed to ‘look up’. There is something in this upwards look that reminds us of the Power and Strength that is greater than ourselves, the One to whom there are no limits. The firmament comprises the ‘observable’ heavens above us, with all the heavenly bodies which populate it and illuminate it. It is a true wonder to behold, and a reflection of the skilled workmanship of God’s hands. The greatest mind is challenged by what can be observed in the expanse above us; the feeblest heart is encouraged and inspired and the unconverted soul is reminded that creation declares God’s eternal power and Godhead, leaving no excuse for unbelief! From ancient times to the present, man has benefited from the protection, direction and provision God has given by the awe inspiring creation with which He has surrounded us. His faithfulness is affirmed by the predictable precision of the sunrise and the phases of the moon. We owe Him praise and gratitude, each day we live, and our earth system functions in all its glory to sustain life. Some have lifted their voices to speak against the veracity of the God of Creation. To them creation itself replies with a faith demanding shout, the irrefutable evidences that this is indeed the workmanship of Yahweh, the Creator, Designer and Sustainer of the universe, the Lord God Almighty!   

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

Feb 2

 “And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words” Nehemiah 5:6

It may be counterintuitive to think of a godly person, a servant of God as being angry. There however such thing as righteous anger; the expression of displeasure or outrage at wrong doing and sin. Nehemiah was indignant and righteously angry when the people forsook the ways of God. They were not dealing with their brethren according to God’s principles and did not show the fear of God in their lives. His ‘anger’ was not expressed to bring them down or destroy them, but to edify them and help them return to the righteousness of God. His motivation therefore, was love. The believer cannot but experience and give place to righteous indignation at the wrong doing and unrighteousness of some who profess to be followers of Christ, but act like they know nothing of Him! In our modern day particularly, such liberality has been espoused by some so-called Christians, that it is difficult to tell them apart from unregenerate sinners who hate God. In a warped effort of being ‘relevant’ in our contemporary culture, many who attend churches and say they are Christians, also adopt the foul language of the world, the sinful sexual practices, the lose lifestyle, the sensual and immodest mode of dress and the worldview which supports rebellion and rejection of God and His principles. Yet somehow all this is justified even by their leaders, as acceptable and even desirable behaviour. Is it possible for light and darkness to dwell together? Or as James put it – can sweet and bitter water flow from the same fountain? In an astonishing case of spiritual blindness, such individuals cannot seem to discern the differences that should be evident between Christians and non-believers. Many of them simply state the warped dogma that it doesn’t matter how they behave or if they sin - Christ’s love simply covers it. It is true that Jesus forgives us, but He is also looking for a genuine repentant heart, one who not only admits the sin, but is willing to abandon it and turn from it. To the woman caught in adultery Jesus showed mercy, but also commanded her to go and sin no more! Some ‘believers’ misguided by false teaching, take this grace to mean they can just continue to sin and please their own flesh, showing no regard to God. By their actions they despise His commands, and yet merely because they claim to believe in Him, and say they ‘love’ Him, they also believe that God allows and accepts what they do! Paul in Romans 6:1-2 says ‘GOD FORBID! - Surely not! We who have been delivered from the ways of sin should not merrily continue in sin and then just claim God’s grace will cover it and abound over it - this is not God’s will. It is not hard to imagine then, that those who as true Christians, love God and obey His Word could be vexed, outraged and indignant at the damage these pretenders do to the cause of Christ. Their injury extends to those who do not yet believe, and also among those in Christ who are younger, and may follow their wayward example. In fact it would be wrong if there was no incensed response to such bent and twisted beliefs, from true Disciples of Christ. Nevertheless, in all our ‘righteous anger’, we need to be extremely careful and honest, to first look at our own selves. To first be ‘angry’ at our own shortcomings; to genuinely evaluate our own lives and values, measuring them against the Word of God. Yes, it necessary that we defend truth with passion and vigour, but we are instructed by Jesus, that before we try to help our brother with whatever may encumber their spiritual vision, we ought to first clear our own eyes of any foreign matter. This noble exercise will not only better equip us to help others, but also to do so in a more excellent spirit, in an attitude of genuine love – even if it has to be it some rather tough love !

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

Feb 1

“...his own wife….her own husband.” 1 Corinthians 7:2

The necessity to keep marital relations within marriage, are clearly expressed in these verses. Mankind has abused the God-given right and gift of sexual expression, by taking it outside of the boundaries of biblical marriage. In doing so, man has created a culture and an alternate belief, which is opposed to and in contradiction to God. This has opened the floodgates to much sin, disease, heartache, emotional and mental illness and a host of associated abuses of fellow human beings. This destructive behaviour is the direct result of ignoring God’s principles and deriding His word. God intends for the beauty, closeness and commitment of the marriage relationship to be kept between a man and his wife.  Sexual relationship outside of the bond of marriage are referred to in the Bible, by the general term of ‘fornication’- meaning ‘sexual impurity’, and should not be entered into by anyone who fears God and wants to please Him. It is of interest in this portion of scripture, that two very distinct words were used by the Holy Ghost in inspiration, for the Greek word translated ‘own’ in English. It is not unusual to find that God’s Word is gender-specific in certain teaching, and that God wants His people to remain faithful to the truth He reveals, in spite of personal or cultural preferences. When God said ‘his own wife’, the emphasis of the word used, expresses the meaning of ‘the wife he possesses and belongs to him’. The term ‘her own husband’, on the other hand, emphasises the idea that ‘he is the husband of whom she is a part, to whom she belongs’. The teaching here is in line with the biblical understanding of the dynamics of what adultery, (a specific aspect of sexual impurity) is taught to mean scripturally – relations by a man (married or single), with a married woman - a woman who ‘belongs to another man’ in marriage! The line upon line and precept upon precept building of truth in the Holy Scriptures, is a wonderful and powerful safeguard against false doctrine and misinterpretation. Praise the Lord for the accuracy and precision of his Word, and for the beauty and strength of His teaching.

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