LifeLink Devotions for Monday, October 19, 2026

Today we conclude our study of the phrase “on that day” in Scripture. It’s found in Second Timothy chapter 4 where we read, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

The Apostle Paul is nearing the end of his earthly ministry. He is telling his pastoral trainee that his life is already being poured out as a drink offering before the Lord. He tells Timothy three things that have identified his life.

1. That he has fought the good fight. It’s important that Paul doesn’t say he fought a good fight but he says he fought the good fight. He didn’t just fight any fight well he fought the fight that Christ had called him to fight and he was satisfied how he did it. I wonder how many of us can say that? Is the primary focus of our life the accomplishment of God’s purpose for our life? Or do all the other little fights of life interfere.

2. That he has finished the race.  If you’re anything like me you hate running.  I also don’t like fighting. It’s a fight to run. But Paul says he’s done well doing both of them. Even when it’s been a fight to keep running he has finished his race. Even when the hurdles seemed too big he kept running. Paul tells us the key in Hebrews chapter 12.  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” With your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus Christ and the joy that will be ours when we see him face to face, we too can run our race well.

3. He has kept the faith. Paul is declaring that amidst all of the distractions of life and all of the temptations to put his faith in something other than Jesus Christ, he has stayed true to what he firmly believes. He was convinced that there is no other way to eternal life than faith in and obedience to Jesus Christ.

Paul was prepared to meet his Savior. And on that day when Jesus returns Paul has full confidence in the promise of God that the Lord himself will present him with a crown of righteousness. Paul’s righteousness did not earn him the right to enter the presence of Christ. Christ’s righteousness did that. But Paul’s obedience to the faith will be rewarded just as ours will. Paul is already in glory when the crown is presented. The crown is Christ’s reward for faithful living.

There is a great and glorious day coming when we will all stand before Jesus. Maybe we should each spend some time today going back over the three things that Paul said identified his life and see if they identify ours. And then ask the question, “What kind of a crown will Christ present to me on that day?”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, October 16, 2026

We are very prone to point out what’s wrong with others. We are natural faultfinders.

What a contrast to God the Father who is merciful. Mercy is not to give someone what they deserve. Were it not for God’s mercy towards us none of us would have ever been saved. God, in his mercy, chooses to recognize only the good.

When the Apostle Paul was writing to his pastoral trainee Timothy, he spoke about a Christian friend who had been a great help to him. The man’s name was Onesiphorus  Paul wanted him remembered because he often refreshed him while in prison and was not ashamed of his chains. Paul specifically prays for two things on his behalf.

“May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus,” and  “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!”

There are three provisions of God’s mercy.

1. At salvation, the mercy of God covers our sin and doesn’t give us what we deserve while the grace of God grants us what we do not deserve in our salvation.
2. Throughout our life the mercy of God constantly ministers to us, even when we sin.
3. On that day when the Lord judges all lives, we will experience the totality of His mercy by the removal of all guilt and shame as we stand before Him.

When Paul prays for Onesiphorus To find mercy from the Lord he is not asking the Lord to save him on that day. He is already saved. What I see in this is the Lord granting Onesiphorus the marvelous experience of standing before God without any remembrance of his sin. When Paul says “may the Lord grant this to you” he uses a word that means “without question or argument.” You and I will see the fulfness of the mercy of the Lord.

I’m focusing on that today because I can’t wait for that to happen. To stand before the Lord someday and not have any recollection of how I failed him. To not have any shame over how I behaved. To fully be covered by the mercy of the Lord to have removed all guilt. I know that’s the reality in my spirit today but in my flesh I still feel the tug of sinful behavior. You do too. But on that day the Lord will grant to us the full expression of his mercy.

On that day when the Lord returns we will leave behind our shame and regret. We will see the promise fulfilled that God remembers our sin no more. We will experience for the first time total freedom from all that hinders intimacy with Christ.

May the Lord grant each one of us to find mercy from the Lord on that day.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, October 15, 2026

When I read the Scripture passage we will study today several questions came to my mind.

Why is there so much evil going unchecked in the world today?

Why does injustice seem to overwhelm justice?

When will people who have afflicted me get what is coming to them?

These questions may also bother you at times. We wonder if God is really a righteous judge at all. The apostle Paul knew that the people in Thessalonica were also puzzled by these things. So in the second letter that he wrote to them he tried to assure them that there is a day coming when God’s justice will be righteously imposed.

“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”

On that day when the Lord returns from glory to be glorified in his Saints on this earth he will put everything right. He will repay the people who sinfully afflicted you with affliction of their own. And if we read the whole context starting at the beginning of the chapter we find that the people who are currently living under such affliction without asking questions about God’s justice are proof of God’s righteous judgment. Nobody patiently endures injustice unless they believe in a higher justice than their own. And the people in the church at Thessalonica were living proof, and Paul commended them.

How about you? Do you have such confidence in God and His promises of righteous judgment? Or do you need to see it happen now? Paul knew that we all struggle with this, so he concluded by writing this.

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ is coming as the perfect judge and will bring righteousness with Him. He will make everything right. Until that day, be worthy of his calling on your life by being resolved to do every good work of faith by his power to the glory of Jesus Christ your Lord.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, October 14, 2026

In the 1940 Walt Disney film Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio’s conscience, sang a song entitled “Give a Little Whistle.” One line in the song goes this way. “And always let your conscience be your guide.”

The conscience is God’s moral guide given to every human being. Even without the written law God has written into the mind of every person a sense of right and wrong. The conscience is so powerful in each one of us that it is capable of convicting us of sin and excusing us of wrongdoing when we stand before God on the judgment day. Every choice we make is governed by our conscience, and the very motives and morality of each choice will be exposed.

Here’s what it says in Romans chapter 2 starting in verse 13.  “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

The Apostle Paul uses the phrase “on that day” to describe the day when every human being stands before Christ and has his every thought and action reviewed. Nothing will be a secret any longer. The reason why we did something will carry even greater weight than the action itself.

This is very convicting. Most of us are very good at doing things to elicit a certain response from other people. We get very good at covering up evil intentions with noteworthy activity. Even negative thoughts we have of others can be covered by positive words.

But one day, on that day when we stand before Christ, not only will every activity be reviewed but so will every motive. And only the motives that were honoring to Jesus will be rewarded while all the rest will be burned away never to be recognized.

We should appreciate the value of the conscience God gave us. It was created in his image to reflect his glory and His Holiness. It has been corrupted by sin but it is still a valid guide for understanding right and wrong. And when the conscience is influenced by the Holy Spirit of God through the Word of God it becomes a powerful tool in our lives to produce righteousness.

The conscience can become so corrupted by sin that it is no longer effective at moral guidance. That is a sad condition for any human being, But it is one that is avoidable. When we follow the command of the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 12 verse 2 to renew our minds and not be conformed to the pattern of thinking of this world, then we can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Our conscience can be full of the morality of Christ so that our life is full of righteousness. Then the saying is true. Always let your conscience be your guide.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, October 13, 2026

I am accustomed to being mocked, criticized, and verbally abused for my choice of football loyalty. But I have never been physically accosted. But even if I was, my loyalty would not change, and I would still wear my team’s colors proudly.

I assume that you have loyalties that you will never renounce no matter how much abuse you receive for having it.

Can the same be said of your faith in Jesus Christ?

As the church of Jesus Christ is getting started, great persecution arose against its members. They were driven from their homes and livelihoods and were scattered to different locations so they could no longer connect as a church. They lost their support network. Then Saul pursued them and they were thrown in prison and even killed for their public loyalty to Jesus.

Here’s how it is described in the book of Acts chapter  8.

“And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.”

But did that change their loyalty to Christ? Did they stop making Christ a big deal in their public lives?

NO!

Immediately after telling us that people were being thrown in prison we read this.  “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”

Persecution does not change loyalty when loyalty is rooted in love. But why does love for a football team seem more significant than love for our Savior? What are we afraid of in this world? What do we love so much about our life in this world that we would remain silent about the life we have in Christ?

Serious questions to seriously consider. May the love of Jesus our Savior so dominate our hearts and minds that we begin to live publicly for Christ even if death is the result.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, October 12, 2026

The coming Day of the Lord when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world as the King of kings and Lord of Lords will be a day of great judgment. What Jesus taught about that day should cause all of us to consider the tragic end for those who are not in relationship with Jesus right now.

In Luke chapter 17 Jesus answers a question he is asked by the disciples. “When is the Kingdom of God coming?”  Jesus responds in two ways. First, He declares that the Kingdom of God is first spiritual and that it already exists in the world in the hearts and lives of his followers. Then second he tells us that the Kingdom will exist in physical form on the day that he returns to the earth.

Within the context of his teaching about that day he gives us a significant insight into what the priorities of our lives should be while we wait for his return. He says this, “On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

Many people tend to focus on the when of his return or what will happen at his return but I think Jesus is emphasizing to us how we should be living until his return. Our lives should be motivated by our desire to have more and more of the life of Christ and less and less of self. The more we seek to make our life what we want it to be the more we will lose. The more we are willing to sacrifice all of our desires for the sake of Christ the more abundant our life will become.

As John the Baptist said, “He (Jesus) must increase and I must decrease.” Every single day of our lives we must be denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Christ. Every decision we make is to be governed by obedience to Jesus Christ. Every word out of our mouths should be dictated by the Holy Spirit. Every pursuit of what this world offers should be set aside to pursue the principles of the Kingdom of God and its advancement in this world.

When Jesus returns to this earth it will be a great day of judgment on all who have rejected him. They will be carried away to a place of eternal suffering. And they live amongst us today. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, our recreational friends. And if I’m seeking to protect my life by not speaking up to them about Christ, am I not also turning back from Christ? Are we so concerned about protecting our own feelings that we set aside our faith in Christ for the sake of pleasing our friends? Are we so willing to let them suffer eternally simply so we can keep the life that we have?

My friends I really want to encourage you to begin to speak up about your faith in Jesus Christ. The world as a whole may not listen to you, but I guarantee you the Holy Spirit has prepared the heart of a friend who will. Be the one who reaches one with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pastor John

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fwwqfhHocy8NgFG4HvuJ7?si=qMqpcyAoSO6bbARlPvhscQ

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, October 9, 2026

We like to believe we’re getting away with it. We like to think that no one will find out and that there won’t be a price to pay. We want to enjoy what we enjoy today with no thought for future consequences. But this is a dangerous way to live.

In the Old Testament as we made our way through a study of the phrase “on that day” We found multiple references to a day that was coming when the Kingdom of God would be revealed on the earth in physical political form. Today we come to the first reference to that day in the New Testament. It’s found in the gospel of Luke chapter 10.

Jesus is sending his disciples out on their first real missionary journey. And he’s giving them instructions as to how to respond to the various ways that people will treat them. Some people and some communities will accept their message and treat them with love. Others will not and Jesus addresses what to do when the disciples are rejected. He tells them to do 2 things. The first one is to shake the dust off their sandals as a symbol to the people that their choice had been made to reject what was being offered to them and they would have to live with the consequences. The second thing the disciples are told to do is to tell the people that the Kingdom of God had come near to them and they rejected it.

Then Jesus issues this statement of judgment. “I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.”

That’s pretty severe. Because the town rejected the teachings of the Kingdom of God that was available through faith in Jesus Christ they would suffer a punishment far greater than what happened to Sodom when it chose sinful living over repentance. As you recall Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone from heaven. What could be worse than that? I believe Jesus is referring to the eternal punishment of fire in hell for all those who reject him and his Kingdom.

This teaching of Jesus should cause us to reflect on the condition of our own heart. Are we truly living under the authority of the Kingdom of God or is it being compromised by our desires for the Kingdom of this world? Are we extending the love and compassion of Christ to other people or are we self-absorbed in building our own little kingdoms? Are we being silent in our communities about immorality that is condoned so that even though we are saved from future condemnation we may suffer the effects of community condemnation? Do we not understand that political movements that oppose the Kingdom of God will eventually be destroyed. And if our hope has been in how those political policies benefit us we may suffer the consequences of God’s judgment on our culture?

When Jesus said there is judgment coming for all who reject his Kingdom it should cause us to consider how even in little ways we may do that every day with our lifestyle choices. Please take this seriously. When the Holy Spirit convicts your heart of something that you’re doing or thinking or believing that is in opposition to the truth of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom then renounce it immediately. Be a person who quickly responds to and receives what Jesus Christ is coming near to you with every day.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, October 8, 2026

Imagine that you’re at a Bible conference being held in a gymnasium. You’ve been invited to sit on the bleachers next to the teacher listening to him tell stories. The stories are very difficult to understand. In between each story he stops and whispers the meaning of the story to you while everyone else in the gym has to wait.  This goes on for over 8 hours. Everyone, including yourself, is extremely tired. When everyone is dismissed the teacher asks you if you’d be willing to go on a trip with him at the end of the day. You’re not sure you can handle any more time invested in this. But your interest has been piqued so you agree.

This is the scenario we find the disciples in with Jesus in the Gospel of Mark chapter 4. They’ve been sitting in a boat all day while Jesus teaches the people who have gathered on the shore. He’s teaching in parables which the people do not understand but Jesus explains the stories to his disciples. It’s been a long day and they’re all very tired. Then we read this:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”

Jesus asked the disciples to take him in the boat across to the other side of the sea of Galilee. It’s a long row but the weather looks good so they agree. Lots of the people get into boats also and follow them. Suddenly a storm develops and while Jesus is sleeping in the front of the boat these experienced fishermen are fearful that the boat might capsize.

They wake up Jesus and ask him if he really cares about what they’re going through. And the response of Jesus is incredibly important. He doesn’t justify his napping. He doesn’t try to correct the disciples wrong impression of him. He simply speaks and solves the problem. And even after hearing all of his stories and all of his explanations the disciples wonder who this man could be.

There are several things we can relate to in this story. We have days like this. Days that are filled with strength sapping circumstances that require extraordinary endurance. Days that ask more of us than what we are willing to give. Days that overwhelm us with fear that life itself may be coming to an end.

But I wonder how well we can relate to what this story really teaches us? On that day, or any day like it, Jesus is there. He’s there to give you the peace that allowed him to stay at rest while everything was going wrong. He’s there with the power to change the circumstances so that your fear is removed. He’s there to show you who he is.

So when you have one of those days just remember that on that day Jesus is there. It may seem like he’s sleeping and doesn’t care, but he’s aware of everything you’re going through and he cares about how you can grow in your faith by going through it with him.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, October 7, 2026

It started with a little slice of skin peeled back on my finger after rubbing against a piece of metal in my shop. It bled only a little, and I ignored it. A scab formed. Two days later I put my hand into my pocket and tore off the scab. I noticed redness around the exposed area. I immediately put antibiotic cream on it to prevent the spread of infection.

There is a serious infection that is spreading through Christianity today. It started with a simple slice of theology by rubbing against cultural acceptance. It spread through the adoption of a simple question to determine the validity of a person’s faith. “Do you believe in God?”

I hear people using the answer to that question as a defense of their secular lifestyle. They say they believe in God but there’s been no transformation of their life. That’s because the infection has covered up the truth that relationship with Jesus Christ is what really matters to God the Father. Believing that God exists has never saved anyone. Believing that God exists is most likely an excuse to not talk about the true spiritual condition of their heart. And we who follow Jesus Christ and are in relationship with him are guilty of spreading the infection when we ask the question, “Do you believe in God?” We will only stop the infection when we put on the antibiotic of Jesus Christ and ask people if they have a relationship with him.

As we continue our study of the phrase “on that day” in Scripture We come to its first use in the New Testament. It’s found in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 7.. It says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

This statement of Jesus is problematic to many people who either reject it because it doesn’t fit their lifestyle preferences or they begin to doubt the validity of their salvation. Let me simply explain what Jesus is saying.

Jesus is teaching that profession without obedience is empty, and religious activity without relationship is deadly. The decisive mark of a true believer is not impressive spiritual performance but a life shaped by obedience flowing from knowing Christ.

Saying you believe in God is not enough. Doing great spiritual work to prove you are saved is lawlessness when those works are done for personal gain. Only people in relationship with Jesus, who know Him and He knows them, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Through relationship with Jesus we can know and do the will of the Father, and that is all that matters in the final judgement.

Today would be a good day to check to see if you are infected. Today is a perfect day to determine if your church is infected. Have we given in to a cultural mandate to be tolerant of anyone who says they believe in God – any god? Or are we free from that infection and teaching that only those who are in relationship with Jesus Christ and obeying Him are truly saved?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, October 6, 2026

The prophet Zechariah describes several things that will happen on the day of the Lord when Jesus Christ returns to reign on the earth. We mentioned a couple of them yesterday. The Mount of Olives will be split in two creating a valley from Jerusalem out to the Dead Sea. Living water will flow out of the throne of Jesus in Jerusalem and flow west to the Mediterranean Sea and to the east bringing life to the Dead Sea.

There are two additional things mentioned in the rest of chapter 14. The first has to do with the destruction of all those who oppose Jesus Christ and who try to come against the nation of Israel. Plagues will come upon them. Death will be the result. All those who stand opposed to Jesus and all those who stand opposed to his chosen people the nation of Israel will suffer severe consequences.

The second has to do with the restoration of everything in this world that was corrupted by sin so that it is now seen as holy before the Lord. From animals like horses to ordinary pots and pans in the kitchen everything will be seen through the lens of how it can be used for the glory of God. Here’s how Zechariah describes it.

“And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.”

On that coming day of the Lord, Jesus Christ will purify not only his church but also every person. No longer will there be false teaching in the church. No longer will the church be motivated by materialism. Jesus said there’ll be no more traders in the House of the Lord. Everything about the worship of the church will be pure and holy as an honor to Jesus Christ. And Christ will also purify every person and everything that people own. In the past under the laws of the Old Testament only certain bowls and pots in the temple were considered holy and could be used to boil the sacrificial meat so that it could be eaten. But on that day Jesus Christ is going to declare everything holy enough to be used to worship him.

So that got me to wondering, if that kind of sacred living is what the world is moving towards why shouldn’t we start living that way today? The answer is an obvious “we should.” The king has already come to reign in our lives so everything about our life should honor him as Lord. Every thought we have, everything we desire, every activity we plan, every use of our resources, and every relationship we develop should speak from our hearts the love we have for Jesus Christ. Our lives should be able to be described like the bells of the horses. Holy to the Lord.

We live in a sin sick world. We are affected every day by the sin and we are tempted to participate in it because we still live in this body of the flesh. On the day of the Lord Jesus will change everything. But Please remember that when you met Jesus Christ and by faith trusted him as your Savior, He already came to you and offers you the victory over sin. Start living your life as a testimony to Jesus Christ who is in you.

Pastor John