July 19

“And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables…” Deuteronomy 10:2

God had supplied the first set of stone tables, and written on them by His own hand the commandments He wanted His people to live by. When Moses had returned from his encounter with God on the mountain to the Israelite camp, he found they had broken the very laws he was bringing to them! In anger and disgust at their idolatry and short lived faithfulness to Yahwah, who had delivered them from Egypt, he threw down and broke the tables of stone, and judgment was visited upon the people. The scripture tells of three thousand who were killed on that day, and plagues which came upon the Israelites because of their sin. The second set of tables were carved out of stone by Moses, but again written upon by God Himself. The accuracy and veracity of the original text, was in this way preserved by the Lord. God has always been interested in keeping His revelation to man, free of mistakes or tampering. All subsequent scripture was therefore given by inspiration of God, so that the writer was merely the hand on the pen, but the Author was still Yahwah. This process of full verbal inspiration lifts the Bible above any other book ever written, and on a plane unique and superior to any work of man. The accuracy and veracity of the scriptures have been challenged and verified many times, in various spheres of science and observation. Personal experience also confirms the content of the Holy Writ and provides further evidence of its truth! People from all walks of life, from all cultures and of all levels of education, have found God’s Word to be true, trustworthy and a reliable source of guidance, light and learning. God wrote then, and wrote again while here on earth, resulting in the forgiveness of a woman who had been caught in sin. His writing was and is a letter of love, direction and instruction. Today He still writes -this time not on tables of stone, but the fleshly tables of our hearts. There He lodges the truth and conviction of His principles and inscribes the reality of His love and grace. In our hearts He engraves the knowledge of His will, and stores the confidence of our salvation! Praise God for all that He writes and communicates with us, for without Him and His Word, we would have no knowledge of right, no understanding of our purpose, no love for one another and hope for the future!

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

July 18

“To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also:…” 2 Corinthians 2:10

The Apostle Paul was considered a senior minister and general overseer, to the churches which had formed under his direction. In these verses he shows confidence in the leaders and people of the congregation at Corinth. Paul was willing to stand by the judgements they made, whether they were to forgive a wrong, or to gratify a need, as if he were present and had taken part in the process. Such assurance in fellow- members of the church family is of great importance to the practices and survival of the body of Christ. The church is a community where justice and righteousness is essential. Holiness is the calling card of the church, and the way it conducts its affairs is a testimony both for those within the body and those who are looking on. The scriptures are replete with instructions to ministers, in how to deal with the various problems that may arise in a congregation. Balanced and godly judgment, along with firm discipline and genuine love, are all vital, and blessed is the congregation where these are present and practiced. The confidence Paul placed in his Christian brethren, is a trust that we need more than ever today, among fellow-Christians. Sadly due to a lowering of the standards of Christian living, a lack of holiness in Christian hearts, and a widespread enchantment with the world and the things of it, many Christians are not worthy of such trust. Their judgment of things within the church is marred by a warped and unchristian worldview, so that the things which should naturally come to Christians do not. If he lived today, would Paul be able to express the same level of confidence and trust in the actions and conclusions which fellow-believers are reaching? Would he be able to go along with the compromised positions, the weakened testimony and the lack of spiritual insight that plague the Christian church today? Could he stand by the decision of many believers who willingly give over to pressures of societal views and who join in support of unbiblical and even sinful practices? I dare say not! We must in this day and age, lift the standard of holy conduct and righteous judgment, based completely on the authority of God’s word, so that again trust and confidence can be afforded to the church of the Living God!

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July 17

“A time to rend, and a time to sew…” Ecclesiastes 3:7

The times and seasons of life, are described in this chapter and affect all of us. The literal sense of the text here is understood to refer to a practice rather unknown in our western world, but quite common in the east and particularly in ancient times. In times of grief and self-abasement, or in occasions when great offence was suffered, it was a practice for one’s own clothes to be rent. This showed the great distress and anguish of soul that the individual was experiencing at the time. A tragedy in the family, the loss of a dear one or some other personal calamity, would often result in this response or ritual of tearing clothes, in an expression of unbearable grief or anger. This text speaks to us spiritually, as it reminds us that there may come a time in life, when tearing up or ripping away something out of our lives is necessary. This would be true for instance, of the necessity to utterly remove those things which displease God, and that would hold us back from wholehearted and dedicated service unto Him. Sin cannot be allowed to remain in our souls, nor can it be dealt with gently and kindly, but rather with the force of conviction, it must be torn away from our hearts. The process is not pleasant, but necessary. Conversely there are times of 'sewing'. This may represent those seasons of life when we must assemble concepts and principles in our hearts by patient learning, keep things together, finalise projects, and give shape or form to ideas, goals or promises. Times of painstaking effort, creative application and rewarding growth, should form part of our lives regularly. Accepting the tides and ebbs of life, with humble resignation and determined faith, is necessary. In the journey of life, we cannot always have smooth seas to sail over, and whilst our prayer may call for protection from life’s storms, it must also include a statement of reliance on God, for strength and faith to make it through the storms, should God allow them.  

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

July 16

“Shall vain words have an end?...” Job 16:3

Job responds to his miserable comforters and challenges their arguments. ‘Vain words’ here literally means words of wind! We might say, ‘just a lot of hot air’, words which hold no true value, or help in any way, which are idle and pass by us like the wind. Exchanging casual conversation in friendship and fun, is enjoyable can be beneficial, and not to be ignored, but there are serious times, times of need, grief or pain, when offhanded, unthoghtful or inappropriate words, can do much harm to individuals and relationships. We have all had someone who has attempted to bestow upon us such inept expressions, and perhaps at some stage we too have been guilty of the same incompetence. What Job was asking is essentially a question we should all answer. It seems as long as humanity exists, frail and faulty in its outlook and perception, there are going to be vain, empty words spoken and thrown about like dead leaves in the wind. Words, when lacking in godly or edifying purpose, may not only be just irrelevant and confusing, but may also cut and damage the heart and soul. The bible often describes the beauty and preciousness of words spoken in wisdom, in context and in the right time. Those words are worth having, they give life; they assist us on the journey, provide true comfort and support in trials and afflictions. We are encouraged to carefully ‘weigh up’ our words, and avoid idle talk, knowing that we will give account for every word we speak. It is hard to say what exactly motivates us to speak empty words. Job asked that question too. What provoked his ‘friends’ to be so vocal and so opinionated about their own views and feelings, at a time when all he wanted was possibly just some silent companionship? We can learn from this event, and apply the biblical exhortation, that there is a time to speak (and when we do, it should be salient and wise) and a time to be silent. When in pain and sorrow, a friend is least likely to appreciate our observations, reminders or philosophies about what they did to land themselves in such straits! There may be a time for that conversation, but not when they are afflicted. Genuine love is sensitive about the other person and their predicament, and is able to weep with those who weep. Perhaps we fall into the trap of saying something, anything, however ‘vain’, simply because we do not wish to appear like we have nothing to say. The truth is that in some circumstances, it is not so much the sound of our voice, but the presence of our heart, that is required. There are also occasions when we may feel that our talking is necessary communication, but In fact unless what is said is relevant, wise and of assistance, it may actually hinder any true exchange and destroy dialogue. Let us be wise and pertinent in all we say, careful and godly in the advice we offer, and mindful that speaking fewer words which say a great deal, is always better than a lot of talk which is empty, inappropriate or inconsiderate.

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

July 15

“…Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

The Lord’s stipulation is clear a man cannot inherit heaven in his sinful condition. There has to be a rebirth, a birth from above, a spiritual regeneration. Our sin creates a barrier between us and God, and bars our entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Human efforts cannot produce an adequate solution to the sin problem. Jesus made the only right way for salvation at Calvary, and we participate in His effort and solution by being born again, this second time spiritually. Verse 5 of this chapter tells us it is a new birth of water and Spirit, pointing us clearly to the necessity of being baptised in the name of Jesus, which is the name of salvation, and being baptised in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of regeneration! It may seem a narrow way into heaven and indeed it is, but God has made that clear from the beginning. Our gospel should take nothing away from what Jesus taught here. It should present the way as He did without compromise or adjustments. The message of the new birth is interwoven with the message of the death, the burial and the resurrection of Christ, and subsistent upon it. When we have preached Christ and His atoning, substitutionary death for us on the cross, we must along with that preach the necessity of being born again of water and of the Spirit, by which we identify and partake of Christ’s sacrifice. This is not some optional extra, or a mere tag to suffix the term Christian, it is a real, discernible experience in God; a revolutionary change of life, which renews and renovates our thinking, desire, purpose and manner of living; a way of life in which we must grow and continue in faithfully until the end! That end, for born again believers, will actually be the beginning of eternity in heaven with Jesus!

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

July 14

“And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.” 2 Chronicles 25:2

This verse paints the picture of typical human imperfection. It is true to say that even at our best, we are flawed and incomplete. This should not be a cause for discouragement however, but a reason for rejoicing in the love and mercy of God toward us. Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king and in the 29 years of reign that followed, he demonstrated that he could do the right thing. He also left no doubt that he could just as easily violate against God. In the same chapter which informs us that he did righteousness by fulfilling the law of God, we also read that after a victorious battle against the Edomites, he took their idols and bowed down in worship to them! Perhaps in not quite as obvious and blatant manner as in the life of Amaziah, but if scrutinised, we would find In every person, even in those who strive to live an upright and yielded life, that there is a negative human factor, which detracts in one way or another, and can mar that which is good. We often hear expressions of frustrated resignation such as: ‘he is a good man, but he lacks common sense’, or ‘he is a strong leader, but can be very impatient with others’, or ‘she is a good mother, but has little self-control’. These and many other such sentiments, highlight the deficiency in character and conduct, which abound in the human family. The ‘but’ of our lives, is the area or areas of life, where we mess up, don’t do so well and fail. Ultimately we all admit and agree that ‘no one is perfect’, but we all still admire that elusive quality to some degree. The truth is that only God is absolute in perfection and that we as humans we are overall flawed, but (and this is a good ‘but’) God nevertheless loves us, works with us, and helps us to grow when we stay close to Him. It is wrong to use our ‘imperfection’ as an excuse in life. The ‘I’m only human’ excuse for not making efforts or doing wrong and sinning against the Lord, is weak and should not be tolerated. Conversely we must all admit our shortfalls, and know that in spite of them, we can be empowered by the Lord to imitate Jesus, the only example of perfect humanity. Our task in life then, is to continue faithfully in obedience to God and do our level best to fulfil all that He has purposed for us, offering God our pure and genuine hearts, not our human excuses. For our inevitable lacks and shortcomings, we can all fall on His mercy and love, and know with the assurance He has already given us in His word, that through Him and by His strength we can overcome and be counted among the righteous.

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

July 13

“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” Colossians 2:9

Having encouraged the Colossian church to walk in Christ as they have received Him, and warned them of the pitfalls and dangers of man’s traditions and philosophies, Paul now reinforces the pivotal concept of the deity of Christ. He teaches that In Jesus, dwells all the fullness of Deity, in a bodily form! Several concepts are to be noticed here. Our faith in Christ Jesus is predicated upon the fact of His deity, not merely on the divine origin of His doctrines, as some would have it, making Him merely another prophet or messenger from God. Jesus is God! He is the fullness of God in One being. The tense of the word ‘dwell’, is in the present. This means that Jesus remains God today, and was not God or Godlike merely as some stage in the past, but continues to be the true and full manifestation of Deity today. We note also that not a portion or a percentage of the Godhead dwells in Jesus, but the all the fullness of it. The import of this statement is paramount. Some have wrongly concluded that Jesus is but a third of some divine committee of three persons, but that would prevent Him from having ALL the fullness of deity residing in Him! Jesus must be the One and Only, Supreme deity, for this to remain a true fact of scripture. If all dwells in Christ, then there is no more to dwell in any other ‘person’! The ‘fullness’ here, must refer to all that the Godhead or deity is, the sum total of the power, and the completeness of the essence of what Deity is - all the attributes and all the fullness of them! Thus it is all in Jesus, and He is All in All! When we pray to Him, we are praying to the entirety of the Godhead. We are praying to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, for these titles merely reflect the various offices, which Jesus, the One God fulfils! That is why we are to pray and do all in the name of Jesus, for it is name in which the power and authority of God is summed up. There can only be ONE Almighty, and the fullness of that power cannot be divided, as some imagine among multiple divine persons! We have it on good biblical authority that it all dwells, abides, resides and remains in Christ Jesus! ‘Godhead’ here cannot be seen as some aspect of divinity alone, but a reference to the entirety of all that is God, the whole of Deity. Anything less, would make this statement irreconcilable and inane. It would be like saying that ‘in Jesus is the all the fullness of only a part of what God is’. That would make Him less than all of God, and therefore, not God at all! Almighty Deity requires an absolute singleness a numerical oneness, and is not something that can be shared, pooled or made communal! Yahwah Himself states that there is no other god beside Him. He knows all things, yet does not know of the existence of another Almighty person! This same, singular, Almighty God became flesh, the Logos incarnate, was born of the virgin Mary, and as the Son walked among men. In that bodily, human form, existed all the fullness, just as it did eternally prior to the incarnation! Jesus was always Almighty God, from eternity. The physical body died in offering and sacrifice for our sins, but was resurrected immortal. It continues to exist today, as the only visible, physical form that God has even begotten or taken for Himself. One day we shall see Him, as He is. We too will have immortal, eternal bodies like unto His glorious body, and will eternally live in heaven with the One in whom dwells, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily!

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