https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lifelink-devotions/id1559931973

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Last week I was asked why my connection to people in the Philippines is so important to me. After I explained my history with the mission work there, they understood. Well, almost. I finished my conversation by telling them about roosters. I will never forget the very first night I spent at the Bible College outside of Davao City. It was thirty years ago this month. It was so hot, and I had a difficult time sleeping. Then, at around five in the morning, the first rooster crowed. It touched me deeply in my soul. I was not angry for being awakened. In fact, it was just the opposite. I fell in love with the morning greeting because it reminded me of the story of Peter.

John 18:25-27   “Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” ²⁶  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” ²⁷  Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.”

When that first rooster crowed, I was overwhelmed with the joy of the Holy Spirit. I realized in that moment that I had not denied Jesus. Every morning when the rooster crowed I was reminded of the previous day’s faithful service to the Lord. I would pray for the Holy Spirit’s presence and power to be faithful in this new day. Now, thirty years later, I still consider that to be one of my favorite connections to the Philippines.

I prefer my memory of a rooster crowing to that of Peter’s. Roosters mean faithfulness to me. Roosters meant denial of Jesus to Peter. However, I am convinced that the forgiveness of Jesus that Peter experienced on the shores of the sea erased the shame and guilt of a rooster crow. I am certain that from the moment Jesus told Peter to feed the sheep, a rooster crow was a reminder of God’s faithfulness not his failure.

We have reminders of our failures right along side of reminders of God’s faithfulness. Sometimes, like a rooster crow, they are the same reminder. However, the choice of memories is yours. We can choose to respond to the reminder by fixing our eyes on Jesus or by focusing on self. One choice brings joy; the other produces shame. I choose joy. I choose to let the reminders of past darkness be absorbed into the daylight of God’s grace. Don’t let the rooster remind you it is still dark. Every rooster crow is a reminder of a new day beginning.

Pastor John

Summary

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Transcription

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

I wanted to be accepted. I was fearful that as the new kid I would be rejected. I wanted to impress my new friends. My desire to fit into this new group was so powerful that I lied about who I was in front of witnesses who knew the real me. It was a disaster.

Peter found himself in the same situation in today’s Scripture passage from the Gospel of John.

John 18:12-17   So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. ¹³  First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴  It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. ¹⁵  Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, ¹⁶  but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷  The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”

Have you ever lied about who you were in front of someone who knew the truth?

Jesus has been arrested. He has been taken to the high priest. Peter and another disciple follow Jesus. The other disciple, John, who never uses his own name in his Gospel, was allowed to go inside because he was known to the high priest. Peter stayed outside. But John wanted Peter inside. He went to the door and asked the servant girl to bring him in. As Peter enters, with John present, he denies that he is a disciple of Jesus. He lied right in front of a witness.

Of course, Jesus knew he had lied even though He may not have heard it. But John certainly heard it. Peter was living in such fear that he believed it was more beneficial to be accepted by a servant girl than tell the truth. He stood right next to another disciple and lied.

Fear of not fitting in is a powerful motivator. Fear of personal consequences based on reputation is another force that drives our decision-making.  Peter succumbed to both. He chose to lie hoping it would gain him entrance into the house. Yet right beside him was another disciple who was known as the disciple of Jesus and was already inside. Fear causes irrational thinking and illogical choices.

Are there fears driving your choices in life? Are you lying about who you are because you think you know how others will respond to the truth? Are you in any way denying relationship to Jesus because you think it benefits you in some way?

More people than you think know the truth about you, yet they still accept you and love you. In fact, when you admit the truth of who you are, they will love you even more. It’s time to start being real.

Pastor John

https://anchor.fm/pastor-john-van-gorkom

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, March 29, 2021

As we prepare for Good Friday and Easter later this week, I think it would be beneficial for us to read the Apostle John’s account of everything that happened prior to Christ’s crucifixion.  I will provide you with the passage of Scripture. I will also point out some significant truths about Jesus. It will be up to you to find more and make personal application to your life. Let the Scripture speak to you. Our journey begins in John 18.

John 18:1-11 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ²  Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³  So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴  Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” ⁵  They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ⁶  When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷  So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁸  Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” ⁹  This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” ¹⁰  Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) ¹¹  So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

1. Jesus had a favorite spot to meet with His disciples for prayer and personal time. (verses 1-2).  Where is yours and why?
2. Jesus knew all the details of what was going to happen, yet He didn’t hide. In fact, He initiated the contact. (verse 4). How often do we avoid tough things? Can our faith in God’s purpose and power grow to the point of courage to confront rather than cower in fear?
3. The words of Jesus spoken with the authority of God cause the soldiers and religious leaders to fall to the ground. When Jesus says, “I AM HE’” all earthly standing is destroyed. (verses 5-6). Have you surrendered your earthly standing to the authority of Jesus?
4. Jesus volunteered Himself to the authorities, but not without assuring that His disciples would be safe. Having just endured the intense spiritual battle of submitting His desire to the will of the Father, Jesus showed His unending love and concern for His people. His surrender to God’s will meant a denial of self and an unwavering love for others. (verse 8) Has God’s love so captured your heart that you place the needs of others ahead of your own?
5. Jesus corrected the impulsiveness of Peter by healing the cut off ear of Malchus. Jesus then tells Peter that we are not to fight against what God has ordained for our lives. (verse 11) How often do we try to change the circumstances of our lives when they are in fact God’s ordained cup from which we are to drink?

Enjoy your personal time with the Lord.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, March 26, 2021

Confusion is the fastest growing relationship in my life. My brain function is changing. I am struggling with the reality of oldness. I simply don’t catch on to things so quickly as I used to.

Yet even in their comparative youth, the disciples of Jesus also had trouble understanding things. For example, why would Jesus, as a King, ride a donkey in His great processional into Jerusalem?

John 12:16 “His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.”

I find great hope in how the Apostle John tells us about his own lack of understanding. Here are three principles that help me to press on even when I don’t seem to know why?

1. Be humble and admit we don’t get it. I love the way the Scriptures honestly show us the weaknesses of people so we can relate to them. We must not try to cover up a lack of understanding with a fake appearance of knowing more than we do. Just admit what we don’t know. It is the beginning point of learning.
2. Focus on the glory of Jesus. Our understanding comes only after we see Jesus for who He is and worship Him in all His glory.
3. Listen to the Holy Spirit. He is our teacher. He is the One who was sent to us by Jesus after His glorification. The Holy Spirit will lead us into an understanding of all truth. Trust Him. As I mentioned yesterday, He will put all the little pieces into the big picture.

Even though confusion is insisting on walking through the rest of life as my partner, I know that the Holy Spirit is working all things out for the glory of the Father through Jesus Christ. I know that I am part of His redemptive purpose, and whatever I don’t understand will be revealed in His perfect timing. I trust the promise the Apostle Paul gave us in 1 Corinthians 13:12. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

Face to face, we will see Jesus. We will understand the big picture. For now, I’m happy with the little pieces God gives me.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Recently my wife spent some time putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It sat uncompleted on the dining room table for days as she would occasionally look for the next few pieces to put in their proper place. Every once in a while she would grab the cover of the puzzle box and examine the big picture to get a context that would help her visualize what to look for on the next piece. Having the big picture in mind helped her find the little piece she needed next. Without the big picture, the little pieces can become overwhelming.

The people of Israel became overwhelmed with the little pieces. They chose to not see the bigger picture that had been presented to them. When they went out to celebrate the Messiah’s arrival in Jerusalem, they had a little piece mentality. They called Jesus the King of Israel.

John 12:13    “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

If they had seen the big picture, they would have seen Jesus the Savior of the world. Compare what they declared on Palm Sunday to what the Apostle John saw in His vision of Jesus in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 19:11-16“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. ¹²  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. ¹³  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. ¹⁴  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Our frustrations with all the little pieces of life can be better managed if we would stop and consider the big picture. Jesus is coming, and when He does, He will conquer everything and everyone. He is much more than the King of Israel; He is the King of Kings. He is far more than Lord over my life; He is Lord over all other lords. The big picture reveals how all the little pieces fit into one eternal redemptive plan – JESUS REIGNS!

When you get overwhelmed with all the little disconnected pieces of your life, remember this: they all fit into God’s big picture, and when Jesus returns the picture will be complete.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

What I have always known as a funeral or a memorial service now has a new name – Celebration of Life. It is a good change. As families and friends gather, the healing of their grief is aided by positive memories of their loved one’s life. At some point of the service someone delivers an official speech that commemorates the person’s life. It is called a eulogy.

The word eulogy is a Biblical word. In the Greek language it means “to speak well of.” In the Bible it is translated as the word BLESS.

When the crowds gathered to welcome the Messiah into Jerusalem, they eulogized Him. They cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”(John 12:13) The people understood that Jesus was worthy of being praised and honored. They spoke well of Him. They commemorated His words and His works. They celebrated His life while He was still alive.

The word “bless” is used some 375 times in the Bible. It sometimes refers to speaking well of someone, and other times it refers to cursing and complaining about others. I find it very difficult to conduct a funeral for someone whose life is not celebrated but cursed by the family.

Even worse is when people bless and curse the same person depending on the circumstances. Jesus experienced that in the five days prior to His crucifixion. The same people who eulogized Him as they waved palm branches loudly cursed Jesus just days later when He didn’t fulfill their expectations.  The same people who blessed Jesus by declaring that He was the King of Israel became accomplices in His death.

How sad that we do the same. Out of one mouth we spout blessing and spew cursing. The half-brother of Jesus, James, knew this was a big problem for us. He wrote, “With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” (James 3:9)

My friends, there is a severe problem in the church today. We can stand and sing the praises of God on Sunday and then sit in judgment of one another the rest of the week. We can rise from devotions and prayer where we sought the Lord and worshipped Him only to criticize, belittle, and hurt those the Lord loves. We can claim unity with Jesus only to segregate ourselves from His people who don’t serve our best interests. We must seek the power of the Holy Spirit to control our tongues. We must become people of blessing not cursing.

Please evaluate your life. Is it being lived as a living blessing to Jesus and to His people, or do you justify the coexistence of blessing and cursing? Let’s pray together for healing.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

I struggle to understand conversations with my grandchildren. They use words that I do not know, and they use words that I know in new ways. I am constantly asking them what they mean by what they say. But the biggest frustration is when they deny that the word means what I know it means. They refuse to stop using it in the wrong context, and they defend how they use it even if it’s wrong.

We all do it. We allow culture to change the meaning of words, and we adopt the new context even if it’s wrong. For example, there is a synonym for “bright and happy and radiant” that is used in the King James Version of the Bible in James 2:3.  “And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing…” That word cannot be used in the same context anymore, and we have adopted the new usage.

When the people of Jerusalem heard that Jesus was coming, they chose to celebrate by using a word out of context.

John 12:13 “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

As Jesus approaches, the people shout out a quote from the Psalms.  The English translation of the Greek gives us the word “Hosanna!”  The original reading in the Psalms is “Save us, we pray, O LORD!” (Psalm 118:25) I believe the people understood the meaning of the word, but they were using it in the wrong context. Let me explain.

The people of Israel knew the Messiah was coming, but they only envisioned His arrival in a political context. They believed He would save by delivering the nation from political bondage. They saw the Messiah as only a national deliverer. In that context, their use of the word “Hosanna” was correct. Unfortunately, that was not the Messiah’s intended context.

Jesus did not come in the Name of the Lord to deliver from political oppression. He did not come as a warrior against opposing governments. The Messiah did not come to set nations free. The Messiah came to save people from sin. If only the people had cried out for the Messiah to save them according to the redemptive purpose of God.

I wonder how often we cry out to God to save us, yet we do it in the wrong context. We ask God to save us from everything except our sin. We ask God to deliver us from every trouble when He has designed the trouble to express His grace and enhance our faith. How often do we inappropriately use the words of Scripture to ask God for things by taking them out of their intended context?

The Messiah, Jesus Christ, has come to set us free from our sin. When you shout “Hosanna” you are asking the Lord to save you. When Jesus Christ fulfilled His Messianic purpose on the cross by paying for our sin, He made it possible for your prayer for salvation to be answered. So on this upcoming Palm Sunday, when you shout “Hosanna!”, do so with a thankful heart that He has. No other deliverance is needed.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, March 22, 2021

“The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!””
‭‭John‬ ‭12:12-13‬ ‭

Have you heard? Jesus is coming.

Does that news cause you to rejoice?

Are you inspired by the arrival of Christ to make whatever changes are necessary to be prepared to meet Him?

Jesus is coming! We don’t know exactly when, but when He arrives, may He find us being faithful to Him in word and work. May He find us looking up for His arrival and looking around for more people to tell about His coming. May there be only one reason why we don’t want to go with Him – because so many people still don’t know Him.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, March 19, 2021

I am not an interior designer. I do not do well at visualizing how a space can be decorated. However, when it comes to hanging things on the wall, I am your guy. Why? Because they will always be level. I have a calibrated eyeball. It would be totally contrary to who I am for you to ask me to intentionally hang a picture crooked, even if you wanted it that way for effect. I would not and could not do it.

Yet when we pray, we often ask God to do things that are not in agreement with His nature and eternal purpose. We have misapplied the words of Jesus when He said we could ask anything in His Name and He would do it.

John 14:12-14 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”

Very simply, Jesus said we could ask anything of Him that is in accordance with who He is, and He would do it so that the Father is glorified. Jesus did not promise that we could ask anything. He will not do what contradicts His nature and character. That would make Him unholy. Jesus will only do what confirms the nature of God and collaborates His redemptive purpose.

I have heard far too much teaching from those who think the level of my faith is the basis for receiving anything we ask of God. I have heard those teachers tell people, “If only you had more faith than God would have answered.” LIES! I do not apologize for being so blunt. The only faith necessary to receive from God anything we ask is for the request to agree with who Jesus is and what Jesus wants to accomplish.

Prayer is not my tool to get my way. Prayer is the Holy Spirit’s gift to us so that we may see life from God’s perspective and ask Jesus for anything we need to accomplish His purpose. Jesus will always say yes to those requests that are made in His Name because they glorify the Father.

When you pray, your requests must confirm the nature of Jesus and comply with His redemptive purpose. If they don’t, and you know when they don’t, then don’t ask. And if you’re not sure, then ask for the wisdom to know what to ask. The desires of your heart are irrelevant unless they are motivated by your delight in the Lord.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Pastor John