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

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, October 5, 2026

If you’re just joining us for LifeLink Devotions let me bring you up to speed on where we’re at in our study. We’re looking at all the uses of the phrase “on that day” in Scripture to discover how the Lord teaches us about a day that is coming and how on this day we should be prepared for it.

Today we come to one of the most exciting passages in all of Scripture for me. It is a description of the coming Day of the Lord. It is the day on which God fulfills the covenant He made with Abraham that the nation of Israel would be the location of the throne of Jesus Christ as He reigns over the earth.

Here is what we are told about that day in Zechariah chapter fourteen.

“On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light. On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.”

I can’t imagine anything more spectacular than the return of Jesus Christ with all of his Saints in glory to reign and rule over the earth from Jerusalem. He will conquer every enemy. He will restore every remnant of the nation of Israel. He will be identified by the whole world as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The whole earth will be transformed and where there was once darkness and death there will be light and life.

The language of Zechariah is much more than just spiritual symbolism. It is to be read and understood in its literalness. It is a coming event that will be fulfilled according to the faithfulness of God to accomplish his covenant promises. Jesus Christ is coming at the end of the great tribulation to establish his Kingdom on earth and reign for 1000 years. The whole world will be at peace. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit with no ability to tempt us to follow anyone but Christ. The Kingdom that so many are longing for through man’s political desires will finally be realized when Jesus Christ is recognized as the only one who can accomplish it.

My friends don’t be discouraged by the political movements of today. God is working in all of them to accomplish a day that is coming soon when they will all fall on their faces before the one true King. Keep living every day with that hope firmly planted in your heart and your mind and faithfully endure until Jesus comes.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, October 2, 2026

One of the most common questions that I get asked as a pastor is, “What do you think of this preacher?” The world is filled with people who claim to know the latest and best way to interpret scripture. But over and over again in the Bible we are warned by the Holy Spirit that the world will be filled with false teachers. It is imperative that we don’t get sucked into the emotionalism or the materialism of people who interpret the Scripture only for personal gain, either their own or promises of yours.

The book of Zechariah has such a warning for us And it includes a guarantee of the destruction of all such false teachers. Back in the 11th chapter of Zechariah we read these words Starting in verse 16.

“For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”

The Lord has allowed such worthless shepherds to exist for two reasons I believe. First, so that his followers will learn discernment of his truth. And second, so that he can reveal his power and authority over all those who claim it for themselves. There is a day coming when all false teaching will pass away and only the truth of Jesus Christ will stand.

We see that day and the fulfillment of the promise to strike down all false teachers in chapter thirteen. Three times in the first four verses we hear the Lord say, “on that day.”

1. God will provide a fountain of forgiveness for all those who have been deceived by false teachers. (verse 1)
2. God will remove all false religions from the land, never to be remembered again. (verse 2)
3. Every false teacher will be ashamed of what they have taught and never again seek to deceive people. (verse 4)

Then starting in verse 7 God declares that these false teachers, who have claimed that they stand right next to Him and are worthy to be heard, will be struck down as the Lord stretches out His sword and kills them. Then, in a marvelous promise for those whom He has preserved, He declares, “They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

My friends, do not be deceived by the false teachers of today. They are slick and appeal to your fleshly desires for self-gratification, self-fulfillment, and self-acknowledgment. Each of those pursuits is idolatry. Stay focused on Jesus. Read His Word. Trust His Presence in you through the Holy Spirit. Do not get sidetracked by personal preferences or opinions. There is only one truth, and it’s source is God alone through Jesus Christ. Stay focused my friend.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, October 1, 2026

It’s very easy to become disillusioned and discouraged by the political system of the world today. Not only has the world become tragically opposed to following Jesus Christ but the political philosophies of terror and oppression seem to be flourishing. And unfortunately it’s affecting the Church of Jesus Christ. It seems that the highest calling of many pastors and theologians today is to gratify the desires of the flesh by changing the original intent of what God said in his word. And because the people of their churches also want what this world offers they listen to such heresy. The world, our country, and our churches are in serious trouble unless we return to a pure understanding of God’s redemptive purpose.

The conclusion of the book of Zechariah in the Old Testament describes a day that is coming when the Lord Jesus will put the political systems of the world in their proper place. Six times in the 12th chapter the phrase “on that day” is used. Every usage describes another aspect of God beginning to cleanse the nation of Israel from its sin and restore them to its proper place as God’s chosen nation through whom the king would come and would reign. Here are the six things that God begins to do.

1. He causes all the nations of the world to hate Israel. Zechariah 12:3  
2. Every warrior that comes against Israel will be struck with panic and madness. Zechariah 12:4  
3. Israel will rise up to destroy all their enemies and completely inhabit the land with Jerusalem as the capital. Zechariah 12:6  
4. Every Jew will be empowered to stand strong and be victorious. Zechariah 12:8  
5. God will initiate His plan to restore His chosen people to political power. Zechariah 12:9  
6. The people of Israel will mourn over their sin and repent for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah. Zechariah 12:11

I believe we stand on the precipice of these events happening. In fact some of them are already underway. The nations of the world are already rising in hate against Israel. Unfortunately there are even those in the Church of Jesus Christ who seek to minimize and eliminate the Jews from any part in God’s future plans. The anti-Semitism in the world can be understood because they do not know Christ. However, I do not understand it within the body of Christ. The Old Testament prophecies concerning the Abrahamic covenant have not been forfeited and have not yet been fulfilled. There is a day coming when Jesus Christ will return to reign as king of the earth from Jerusalem with the nation of Israel recognized for special and specific role in bringing out the redemptive purpose of God.

There is a day coming when the nations of the world will rise up together to seek to destroy Israel. But on that day Jesus Christ will win a great victory. And the greatest victory he will win on that day is the repentance of his people so that they see him as their Messiah and king. All of earth’s political powers are ignorantly and selfishly pushing toward that one day when man’s politics will mean nothing and Christ will reign supreme.

Keep your eyes firmly fixed on that day when Jesus returns.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The book of Zechariah is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Of the 92 times that the phrase “on that day” is used in the Bible, eighteen of them occur in this book. It is a powerful and encouraging book that talks about the restoration of God’s nation Israel under the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

The first use of the phrase is found in the 9th chapter immediately following a prophetic promise that was fulfilled by Jesus Christ on the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. You’re probably familiar with the promise of verses nine and ten. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

But Jesus did not enter Jerusalem on that day to restore the nation to political power and freedom. He came to purchase the salvation of our souls through His death and resurrection. And He did it! The prophet goes on the declare the promise of salvation that has a dual application. One for all of us who are being saved by faith in Jesus Christ; and one for the nation of Israel itself.

“Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. On that day the Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!”

On that day that Jesus died to pay for our sin salvation was made available to all who will believe that He alone can save them. And when He saves you, you will shine like the jewels of a crown on the land where you live.

And one day the trumpet will sound, and the Lord will descend from glory, and all sin will be conquered, all sinners destroyed, and He will reign on this earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

My friends, by faith in Jesus Christ you are a member of His eternal flock. You have been saved from all condemnation. You have been filled with the goodness and the beauty of Jesus so that you can shine like a jewel in this dark world. Are you living in that reality? Are you shining for Jesus?

There’s an old Sunday School chorus that goes like this:

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.

Is your light shining? Are you hiding it under a bushel so it can’t be seen? Have you allowed Satan to snuff it out with the cares and concerns of the world?

Or have you decided to let it shine till Jesus comes?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, September 29, 2026

One of the ways our insecurities manifest themselves in our life is to make us feel like we don’t belong to a greater cause and have no purpose. Our heads tell us this is a lie but our hearts still feel like an unqualified outsider.

In the book of Haggai God instructs the prophet to bring His message to the current governor of Judah named Zerubbabel. The Lord says, “I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.”

The nation of Israel had been in captivity to Babylon because of the sinful leadership of its previous kings. But now they are back in Jerusalem with instructions to rebuild the temple. But they have been focused on rebuilding only their own lives and houses and the temple was still unrestored.

This is a sad picture of so many lives today. We have been given so much and so many opportunities to follow God’s rebuilding plan for our lives through obedience to His Word, yet we seek to fulfill our own desires first. We are building our little earthly kingdoms and ignoring the building of God’s kingdom. But somewhere there is someone who is listening to the call of God to become His messenger of forgiveness and restoration. Maybe it’s you.

The Lord comes to Zerubbabel and says, “On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

There are three lessons for us here:

1. The strength of the kingdom you are building for yourself will be destroyed.
2. You can be the one who, like a signet ring, represents identity with Christ and carries His authority in a covenant relationship with God.
3. You have been chosen by God for this purpose.

In Christ you belong to a greater cause than anything this world offers you. In Christ you have an eternal purpose that can be lived out today. In Christ the Kingdom you build for His glory will never be taken away and will abundantly satisfy your every longing. In Christ God has chosen you. YOU!

And when you live in His identity you will conquer all your insecurities.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, September 28, 2026

People are starving for affirmation and affection. Our sin nature has corrupted our assessment of our worth. We know the sin that is in us, and we respond with addictive attempts to improve our value. We put other people down to elevate ourselves. We crave compliments and we reject criticism. We transfer blame and refuse to take personal responsibility for our actions because doing so would only validate what we are trying to cover. We are an insecure people who don’t want negativity to make us even more insecure.

Yet sincere commendations have little effect on us. Research has found that in an average marriage it takes five positive interactions to overcome the effects of one negative one. And in the workplace it takes six positives to overcome one negative. Such is the power of our insecurities. We crave commendation yet we choose to believe criticism.

As we continue our study of the phrase “on that day’ in the Bible, there’s an interesting contrast that develops in the books of the prophets. In Hosea, Amos, Obadiah, and the first part of Zephaniah there are six references to a day that is coming when the nation of Israel will be punished severely for their sin against the Lord. An extensive list of criticisms leads to God’s declaration of consequences. The nation is reeling under the weight of their guilt and shame.

But there is hope for them, just as there is for you and me. The Lord makes one statement in Zephaniah chapter three that changes everything.

““On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

In contrast to the worldly ratio of one negative needing six positives, in God’s grace it takes one only positive statement to remove the power of all the criticisms. When God tells the people they will be saved, He also instructs them on how to respond.

“Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”

One act of God’s saving power causes a lifetime of freedom from insecurity because even though the world may still criticize us the Lord is rejoicing over us with singing. His love has permanently quieted our need for commendation by unconditionally accepting us into His presence.

The question is, are you currently seeking affirmation and affection from someone other than your Savior?

Today you can rejoice, because the Lord is rejoicing over you.

Pastor John