LifeLink Devotions for Friday, March 15, 2024

As a child I remember being fascinated by the life of Abraham Lincoln. He was an incredible example of perseverance. Considered by many to be one of our most significant and successful presidents, his early years didn’t amount to much. He was a man marked for failure by many. He suffered from long periods of depression throughout his life. He could barely see out of one eye. He had frequent nervous attacks, severe headaches, indigestion and nausea. He had a couch placed near his desk in the White House so he could quickly lie down when one of his spells came over him. When Lincoln was 10 years old, he was kicked in the head by a horse and experts now believe that the skull was severely fractured, leaving him with lifelong problems. When he came to deliver the now famous address at Gettysburg, he was coming down with smallpox.

When he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them. At age nine, his mother died. At twenty-two, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn’t good enough. At twenty-three, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At twenty-six, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At twenty-eight, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no. He was defeated for the legislature in 1832. The next year he suffered another business defeat and in 1836 had a nervous breakdown. He failed to be elected speaker in 1838, was defeated for elector in 1840, and for Congress in 1843, as well as in 1848. At age forty-one, his four-year-old son died. Lincoln failed to be elected to the Senate in 1855, and was defeated for the Vice Presidency in 1856 and for the Senate in 1858. But at age fifty-one, he was elected president of the United States.

Most of us would have given up long before seeing any success. But Abraham Lincoln was a man who used every failure as a building block for the future. He truly modeled the message of Psalm 27 – “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?… I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Some people are slow starters and may discover God’s purpose for their lives late in life. Abraham Lincoln was such a man. One of the greatest things he ever said about himself was, “I’m a slow walker, but I never walk back.” That is so encouraging to those of us who feel the constant pressure to hurry up and succeed. “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

One of the finest descriptions of a persevering man is Emerson’s brief characterization of Abraham Lincoln when he said: “His heart was as great as the world, but there was no room in it to hold the memory of a wrong.”  Like the psalmist David, President Lincoln held no memories of wrongs committed against him or wrongs committed by him. He did not look at the darkness caused by his physical frailties, his failures, or his foes. Rather he looked at the light of his salvation and was not afraid. Like the Apostle Paul, he did not consider that he had already achieved all he could, but one thing he did: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, he pressed on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called him heavenward in Christ Jesus.” 

It could be that God has called you to accomplish only one great task for Him, and that all the rest of your life is merely preparation for that great heroic responsibility.  Every setback and failure is a building block for the moment God asks you to do something of eternal significance. Be strong! Take heart! Wait for the Lord! Make the most of every opportunity, and let every opportunity make the most out of you. Press on – there is a prize waiting, and it will be hand delivered to you by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, March 14, 2024

Regret is a deadly bondage of Satan. He uses it to keep us tightly bound in the chains of the past. He convinces us that the key God has given us to unlock the chains and be free will not work on our specific sins, shortcomings, and sufferings. After all, how can a key called forgiveness undo and repair all the damage that has been done? Regret causes us to believe we deserve the chains. We allow ourselves to be controlled by our past and believe that our futures have been permanently marred. We contemplate and believe statements like, “Imagine what might have been,” and “If only I hadn’t…” and we become convinced that the future we could have had is far better than the one God will give us. As a result, we fail to rejoice in the present because it is always being compared to an imaginary future which is being controlled by an unforgiven past. We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.

When the Apostle Paul contemplated his past in Philippians 3:5-6, he had much to remember and much to regret. He remembered the great start he had as a Jew – “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee.”  Then he remembered with regret the sins of misapplication of the truth – “as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” He then tells us he has thought through all of the ramifications of his sins and their lasting effect on his life when he admits that he is not perfect. “Imagine what might have been if I had made a different choice. If only I hadn’t participated in the murder of Stephen.” Paul could have been controlled by the same regrets that bind you and me. But listen to what he says later in the chapter – “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

WOW! Forgiveness from God means that our past sins, shortcomings, and sufferings have no power to control us and that we are still able to pursue a prize that has been specifically chosen by God for us. Satan wants us to believe that the prize is sub-standard to the one we could have had. Forgiveness means that the prize has not changed. Satan wants us to believe that because we cannot undo the past we have a diminished future. Forgiveness means that our future is the glorious work of a God for whom nothing is impossible. We can drown ourselves in regret, lose ourselves in nostalgia, or cling to those old injuries and losses. But if we do, it is our “choice,” not our destiny. Forgiveness guarantees God’s future and it is not based on our failures.

Marjorie Holmes, in an article called “Heart to Heart” in Today’s Christian Woman, writes, “One day, while I was grieving over some past failures, I received a letter from a friend who told me how she and her granddaughter had been watching a plane skywrite. The little girl was puzzled when the words began disappearing, but suddenly piped up, “Maybe Jesus has an eraser!” In her innocent wisdom I realized that just as skywriting disappears, Jesus wipes away all things I so bitterly regret. No matter how much we mature as Christians, and try desperately to compensate, memories of our own failures can rise up and haunt us. But, with God’s forgiveness, they will fade away—Jesus does have an eraser.”

Regret steals the joy of forgiveness and freezes you with fear of the future. God’s truth will set you free from regret and fear. When the guilt of sin and failure has been confessed to the Father with a repentant heart, He forgives the sin and removes the guilt. When we truly grieve over our sin and it brings us to repentance, God removes all regrets. Paul says, “you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief…[and] godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” (2 Corinthians 7:9 – 10)

Regret is not from God. It is not part of our salvation. It is not a testing of your faith or a trial you must endure. It is only and always the work of Satan to keep you from experiencing the fullness of God’s forgiveness and redeeming work in your life. Forgiveness eliminates regret. So forget the past! God has! Look ahead. God has great things in store for you, but if you keep comparing them to what you think might have been, you’ll miss the joy and the blessing of what really is.  

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, March 13, 2024

As we conclude our study on the subject of forgiveness, we need to carefully look at the words of Jesus in Luke 6 – words that challenge our natural instincts with supernatural responses. Our natural instincts are for retaliation and restitution of our own reputation. But Jesus challenges those instincts with the response of forgiveness – the restoration of relationship. Take a moment to read Luke 6:27-36.

Relationship is of utmost importance to God the Father. It was because of our sin that we were not in relationship with God, yet God initiated the response that corrects the relationship. His actions were not simply a required response: they were the manifestation of His true heart. His provision of forgiveness was based on His love for the offender and His desire to restore the relationship that had been destroyed by the offense. None of us has ever been hurt so deeply as God was hurt by our sin. Yet His love for us as sinners was manifested in the gift of His Son Jesus so that we might be forgiven. There was nothing artificial about what God did. He did not act out of obligation to anything but His true nature. Forgiveness isn’t pretending nothing has happened or pretending that what happened didn’t hurt. Forgiveness springs from a pure and sincere heart of love. Forgiveness is refusing to let anything permanently destroy the relationship.

That’s how we are to forgive others as well. To forgive someone involves three things. First, it means to give up the right to strike back. We reject the urge to repay gossip with gossip and a bad turn with a worse turn. Striking back is of no value in restoring relationships. Second, it means replacing the feeling of resentment and anger with goodwill. That means we give up the right to be right. Instead of defending our position and declaring our rightness, we choose to let our hearts be overwhelmed with the love of God and seek the offender’s welfare. Third, it means the forgiving person takes concrete steps to restore good relations. We become the initiators of actions that model love rather than resentment.

The following story is from an article titled “Your Daffodils are Pretty,” (Christianity Today, March 2, 1979, p. 18), in which Josephine Ligon tells of a family who preached and practiced forgiveness in the town where she grew up. Their name was Parsons. On one occasion, Mr. Parsons watched young Josephine get swatted by the broom of a mean old lady in town who didn’t like the neighborhood children getting too close to her property. He stopped Josephine and told her, “Go back and tell Mrs. Brink that you forgive her for hitting you.” “Say, ‘I forgive you’ to Mrs. Brink?” Mr. Parsons smiled. “Forgiveness comes in many forms,” he said. “You don’t actually have to say, ‘I forgive you.’ A simple smile will do. You might just tell her that her daffodils are pretty.” It seemed dumb to young Josephine, but she trusted Mr. Parsons’ advice. She went back and mumbled something to Mrs. Brink about her daffodils being pretty. Mrs. Brink looked shocked, but it was the last time Josephine ever felt her broom. On another occasion Josephine and several of her third grade friends put a handful of pencil shavings into the Parsons girl’s sandwich, just to be mean and to make her mad. But she didn’t get mad. Instead, the next day, without any sign of repentance from her persecutors, the Parsons girl brought everyone in the class a large, beautiful, delicious, hand-decorated cookie which said, “Jesus loves you.” Years later Josephine Ligon still remembers that demonstration of forgiveness more than any sermon.

Forgiveness is more than words; it’s action! We may claim to have forgiven those who have hurt us, but if the relationship has not been restored, then forgiveness has not been fully realized. For forgiveness to be fulfilled the relationship must be reconciled. Granted, some people won’t accept our attempts at reconciliation, just as so many are rejecting God’s offer of forgiveness. But their response is not an excuse to stop acting in a loving way towards them. God has not stopped loving or pursuing the unrepentant person and neither should we. We are not excused from seeking to restore broken relationships because the other person rejects our attempts. If we think we are, then forgiveness is nothing more than pretend for us and is not truly motivated by the love of God in our hearts but rather a love for self. If that hurts, it should, and it’s good that it does. Selfishness always hurts the heart of a child of God because it contradicts His nature in us.

Imagine what would happen in your church and in your community if God’s people began forgiving others the way God forgave them. Imagine what would happen to the reputation of Christians if the restoration of relationships was our highest priority. We are called to be the ambassadors of reconciliation, showing people how they can be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:18-20) Maybe it’s time we modeled that reconciliation in our personal relationships so that the world can see the reality of God’s forgiveness.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, March 12, 2024

We have two basic choices of principles and standards by which we will live our lives. Option number one is to live according to the principles of the world as revealed to us in our flesh and by our culture. Option number two is to live according to the principles of heaven as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. The distinction between the two is clearly seen in the arena of forgiveness.

Most of us have been subjected to the world’s philosophy of forgiveness that demands ongoing sacrifices for the offense. When God first introduced the concept of forgiveness to humanity, he did so by requiring a living animal sacrifice and the shedding of the animal’s blood. God made the first sacrifice when he provided animal skins to cover Adam and Eve following their sin. Later, their son Abel brought an animal as a sacrifice of worship to God. His brother’s sacrifice of fruits and vegetables was rejected. God then instituted the law, and ordained priests to offer sacrifices on behalf of those who had broken the law. But for every law broken there had to be a sacrifice, and no one sacrifice was sufficient to cover future offenses, only past sins. People became the slaves of the sacrificial system and lived in fear of dying in sin.

Many cultures in our world still live under the bondage of such a system. Main line religions may not require the sacrifice of living animals, but they still operate under the belief system that sacrifices are only sufficient for past sins and need to be repeated for each offense. Priests and pastors claim to be the intermediaries of God’s grace only after they are satisfied that a proper “sacrifice” has been offered for the sin. People still live in the fear of death, never being fully assured that they are forgiven and accepted by God. Every so often we read stories in the news of some culture performing a religious “sacrament” to earn the favor of God. They walk on hot coals, or climb hundreds of steps on their knees, or pierce themselves through their cheeks with long bamboo sticks, all to make a sacrifice to their god for the forgiveness of their sins. Of course, we believe we are more civilized than that. Our religions simply require ongoing sacrifices of payments and penance. But the basic philosophy is the same – we must earn our forgiveness from God by works of the flesh. We even demand that of others before we will forgive them.

But the philosophy and principles of heaven are completely different. The sacrificial system God initiated on the earth was a model of a heavenly reality. The model was never intended to save anyone. The model was designed to teach us about a heavenly reality. Hebrews 8:3-5 says, “Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices…They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.” And in Hebrews 10 we have the heavenly reality explained. “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”

Jesus offered himself as the sacrifice for all sin on the altar of heaven. He then sat down at the right hand of the Father, indicating that the sacrifice was both complete and fully acceptable. Now, here is the greatest part of it all – when anyone comes to Jesus for forgiveness, no sacrifice is required. God says, “where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” For me the key word is where. Where do you take your sins for forgiveness? If you take them to the earthly model in any religious format, you are still bound by the earthly sacrificial system. But if you take them to the altar of heaven, you will be completely forgiven. In heaven the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is completely accepted by God as the full payment for all our past, present, and future sin. There is no need for any additional sacrifice for us to be forgiven. Jesus has done it all once and for all. HALLELUJAH! We are free from the bondage of the sacrificial system in whatever form it exists in our lives. When we bring our sins to the altar of heaven, they are completely forgiven and forgotten, and no additional sacrifice is necessary.

Isn’t that liberating for you? Doesn’t that help you with the whole false notion of having to forgive yourself? Doesn’t that truth set you free from the requirements of religion to earn and prove your forgiveness? It should. Jesus has paid it all, and where He offered the sacrifice – on the altar of heaven – there is no longer any requirement of additional sacrifice. Claim that for yourself today. Take your sin to the only High Priest who can truly cleanse you once and for all – Jesus Christ. Choose to live by the principles of heaven and not the man-made models.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, March 11, 2024

As we discovered on Friday of last week, we are to forgive others who have sinned against us in the same way that Christ forgave us for sinning against Him. I suspect that most of us assume that means the sinner has repented. But what if they have not repented? What is to be my attitude towards the person who has sinned against me, hurt me, and offended me, yet refuses to see that they have done anything wrong?

A little girl in a Sunday School class was asked to explain forgiveness. After stumbling a couple of times and struggling to find just the right words, she blurted out, “You know, it’s like the smell the flowers in my mommy’s garden give off when I stomp on them.” That’s perfect! That’s what Jesus did when He went to the cross. That’s what we are to do when others are stomping on us.

Before Louis XII became King of France he suffered great indignities and cruelties at the hand of his cousin Charles VIII. He was slandered, thrown into prison, kept in chains and was in constant fear of death. When he succeeded his cousin to the throne his close friends and advisers urged him to seek revenge for all these shameful atrocities. In what at first appeared to be an acceptance of their advice, he prepared a list of all the names of men who had been guilty of crimes against himself. Behind each name they noticed he was placing a red cross. His enemies, hearing of this list and the red cross placed behind each name by the king himself, were filled with dread alarm. They thought that the sign of a cross meant they were thereby sentenced to death on the gallows. One after the other they fled the court and their beloved country. But when King Louis XII learned of their flight, he called for a special session of the court to explain his list of names and the little red crosses. “Be content, and do not fear,” he said in a most cordial tone. “The cross which I drew by your names is not a sign of punishment, but a pledge of forgiveness and a seal for the sake of the crucified Savior, who upon His Cross was willing to forgive all His enemies.”

It is a very mature and Christ-like thing to forgive others who have sinned against us and have repented of that sin. It is far greater to ask the Father to forgive those who have sinned against us without their need for repentance.

Luke 23:32-34 “Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

It is our human nature that presumes premeditation. In contrast, it is the fullness of the Spirit of God in us that assumes innocence because of ignorance. From our perspective they have sinned. Our flesh is motivated by self-protection and the desire for dignity and respect. We seek justice. But Christ models for us how to see their actions from their perspective. To be like Christ is to consider others before ourselves. When we begin to see others in the bondage of their ignorance of God’s truth, we begin to be filled with the compassion of Christ. Compassion motivates an entirely different response than our flesh. Compassion steps out of the shallowness of our selfish desires and dives into the depths of another person’s need – the need for light and truth. 

This is so liberating. We are free from the bondage of self-fulfillment. Because we are in Christ, we have been fully qualified as children of God with an eternal inheritance with all the saints in glory. We no longer need to satisfy the desires of the flesh. We do not need our dignity repaired. We do not need our reputation restored. We do not need to see justice enforced. Because we are complete in our stand with Christ, we can relate to others the way Christ did – with understanding, compassion, and grace. Our passion is no longer for the reconciliation of people with people, but for the reconciliation of people with God. We now see clearly that bringing peace between people is only possible when people are at peace with God. This is the fragrance that came from the life of Christ as He was stomped on at the cross. Let it be the fragrance that comes from our lives as well.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, March 8, 2024

This morning I was thinking about how sometimes we can easily forgive people and how hard it is other times. I began analyzing why that is. From a purely human perspective I came to this conclusion – we forgive easily when we have not really been offended or hurt. Let me give you an example.

The other day someone said something to me that in retrospect could have deeply hurt me. At the time it did not. I totally took it as the jesting of a friend whom I trust and love. The next day I received a call from that friend and he apologized for what he had said. He asked me to forgive him. I said there was no need because there had been no sin. In his heart he felt he had sinned, but I had not received it that way in my heart. Of course I told him he was forgiven. That was easy.

But what if I had been deeply hurt by his comment? How easy would it have been to forgive? I think we can all relate to situations in our lives that have hurt us so deeply that the act of forgiveness becomes difficult. But let’s be very honest about the reason for that – our pride dictates our response. What if that’s how God responded to us?

You see, we have the choice as to whether or not the sin of another person offends us or hurts us. Not so with God. Every sin, no matter how minute it is to us, offends God’s holy nature. Idleness is equivalent to idolatry. Lust is the same as lying. Manipulation is no less severe than murder. Yet when with humble and broken hearts we repent of that sin before the throne of God, we are forgiven. There are no strings attached. There are no degrees of penance based on the severity of the sin. Since the condemnation of death is the same for every sin, the forgiveness provided by the blood of Jesus is also the same for every sin. Every sin is forgiven. When we reject the darkness and walk in the holy light of God, we are completely free from sin. The Apostle John says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) No matter how deeply God’s nature was offended by our sin, He forgives immediately and completely when we turn from the darkness and walk in His light.

Now, the challenge is for us to forgive others the same way. No matter how deeply they hurt us, or how long it took them to step out of the darkness and admit it, we are to forgive them immediately and completely and walk in the light with them again. No penance required. No stipulations and safety nets applied. Total forgiveness and restoration to fellowship and friendship is extended.

Ephesians 4:32  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

I know that sounds hard, and we are tempted to use our human nature as an excuse for not doing it. But we do not live by the flesh any longer, but by the Spirit of God who indwells us to create the life of Christ in us. We are no longer bound by the limitations of human nature. We have been set free from the law of sin and death. With the commanded to forgive others as He forgave us God has provided the power of Christ to obey it. Only one thing can stop that power from accomplishing the work of forgiveness – pride. When our feelings take precedence over God’s forgiveness, we have allowed pride to quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Pride is not kind. Pride shows no compassion. Pride is not forbearing and patient. Pride does not forgive. Love alone conquers pride. Love that forgives others is a love that was nurtured by the forgiveness of another. Like the woman who poured oil on the feet of Jesus, love had been nurtured by the forgiveness she had received from Him. Jesus used her as an example to us all when He said, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

It is only when we realize the incredible love it takes for God to forgive us for every sin every day that we will then love enough to forgive others the same way. Those who daily repent of sins, no matter how seemingly insignificant, are constantly reminded of the awesome love of the Father and His forgiveness. They are the ones who know how to forgive others no matter what they have done. Those who wait to repent of only the “big” sins are the people who have trouble forgiving the little sins of others. They do not live in the constant joy of God’s wonderful love. Which person are you?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, March 7, 2024

The Old Testament story of Jonah is fascinating because of what it teaches us about forgiveness. Here are the key points of the story to refresh our memories. Nineveh was a wicked city, and that may be an understatement. Nineveh was located on the Tigris River in the Assyrian Empire, and had a population of around 600,000 people – 120,000 of them were children. The Assyrians were vicious warriors. When they returned from battle with their captives, they would scare them into obedience by posting the heads of their victims on posts around the walls of their city. This kept outsiders out and insiders in. If anyone was caught trying to escape, they would be impaled alive on a pole from bottom to top. They showed no compassion and did not value another person’s life.

The wickedness of the people in this city was a concern to God. As a prophet, Jonah understood Assyria had been chosen by God to be the nation that would take Israel into captivity because of its own sin. God is working to prepare the Assyrians to be able to be used as His instrument of discipline. But Jonah doesn’t want that to happen. Not only have the Assyrians already done enough to be destroyed, but to even think that such an evil nation could be used by God to correct His chosen people is absurd. Jonah cannot fathom the embarrassment and humiliation that his people would have to endure by having their sins exposed by a more sinful nation. So when God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach to them, he refuses and runs away from the Presence of the Lord.

Following an almost tragic boat ride and an encounter with a great fish, Jonah obeys God and travels to Nineveh. He preaches a simple message – only 8 words in total – “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.”  But God used that simple message to save the city. The people repented of their sins and God forgave them. WOW! 600,000 converts. Jonah must be ecstatic. But he isn’t. He’s actually mad, because he didn’t really want the people to repent. He really wanted them to be destroyed because he felt their sins warranted it. He goes outside the city and pouts. He even tries to defend his feelings to God. He says, “See, I knew this would happen. I knew you would forgive them because I know who you are. But I disagree with what you are doing because you obviously didn’t consider me in all of this. It would be better for me to die right now than to have to go back home and face the condemnation of my own people because of what I have done.”  (Jonah 4:1-3)

Jonah was more concerned about his own feelings and freedom from possible suffering than he was about the liberation of others who were already suffering. He is no different than any of us who make judgments about others based on their actions, when we should be praying for their deliverance from the bondage of sin that causes them to choose those actions. Check your heart right now. If God called you to go and share the message of Jesus with Hamas, would you go? Or would you stay home because you want them to pay for what they have done? Even if they are condemned to death by the courts, would you want them to die in their sin or would you have the compassion of God and want them to die as brothers in Christ? 

Now check your heart a little closer to home. How have you been treating the last person who hurt you? Or maybe you need to think about the first person who ever hurt you. I didn’t say this was easy. I know how hard it is to not only forgive a person who has hurt me but then to treat them with love and kindness even when they refuse to accept it. But we must recognize that anything short of forgiveness, acceptance, and restoration for those who have hurt us is totally of the flesh and is a product of our pride. We can argue with God all we want about our reasons for our feelings, but none of them can change the eternal fact that God is a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love. He wants to forgive, and he wants us to forgive also. In fact, Jesus said that the degree to which we forgive others is the degree to which we ourselves are forgiven. More about that tomorrow.

So check your heart. Against whom are you harboring an unforgiving spirit? Repent of that sin today, and then go and show them God’s love. Their spiritual life is of far greater importance than your personal feelings. Life is not about us or about our glory – it’s about God and His glory. His glory is seen when we respond to people the way He would. Let God’s glory be seen in the way we forgive others.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Yesterday we dealt with a subject on forgiveness that is hard for many to understand – the issue of whether or not we are required to forgive ourselves for us to feel forgiven. I want to explore that a little deeper.

When we say that we have been forgiven by God, but we have not been able to forgive ourselves, we are really struggling with the issue of guilt. Guilt is essential to bring us to Christ for forgiveness, but it is not to endure beyond the point of God’s forgiveness. Corrie Ten Boom, who had been a prisoner of the Nazis in World War II, said it this way – “The purpose of being guilty is to bring us to Jesus. Once we are there, then its purpose is finished. If we continue to make ourselves guilty—to blame ourselves—then that is sin in itself.” 

Martin Luther was one who struggled with his sins. For the longest time he could not accept God’s true forgiveness. Before his break with the Catholic church, he went to confession every day and was so guilt-ridden by his sins he would almost have gone every hour. On most nights Luther slept well, but he even felt guilty about that, thinking, “Here am I, sinful as I am, having a good night’s sleep.” So he would confess that. One day the older priest to whom Luther went for confession said to him, “Martin, either find a new sin and commit it, or quit coming to see me!”

When we claim to be forgiven, and yet we allow the guilt of the sin for which we have been forgiven to captivate us and hold us in its grips, we have not truly accepted the forgiveness of God. We daily hang ourselves with the noose of guilt. We are like the monkey in this story from Brother Andrew’s book God’s Smuggler. In his early days he had served in the Dutch army in Indonesia. In the late 1940s he bought a young ape, a gibbon, who took to him, and Andy treated him as a pet in the barracks. He hadn’t had the gibbon for many weeks before he noticed that when he touched it in some areas around the waist it seemed to hurt him. So he examined the gibbon more closely and found a raised welt that went around his waist. He carefully laid the animal down on his bed and pulled back the matted hair from this welt until he could see what was causing the problem. He discovered that evidently when the gibbon had been a baby someone had tied a piece of wire around his middle and had never taken it off. As the monkey grew larger the wire became embedded in his flesh. Obviously, it must have caused him a great deal of discomfort. So that evening Andrew began the operation, taking his razor and shaving off all the monkey’s hair in a three-inch-wide swath around his middle. While the other boys in the barracks looked on, he cut ever so gently into the tender flesh until he exposed the wire. The gibbon lay there with the most amazing patience. Even when he obviously was hurting him the gibbon looked up with eyes that seemed to say, “I understand,” until at long last he was able to get down to the wire, cut it, and pull it away. Instantly, as soon as the operation was over, the gibbon jumped up, did a cartwheel, danced around his shoulders, and pulled Andy’s hair in joyful glee to the delight of all the boys in the barracks. “After that, my gibbon and I were inseparable. I think I identified with him as strongly as he with me. I think I saw in the wire that had bound him a kind of parallel to the chain of guilt still so tight around myself—and in his release, the thing I too longed for.”

Some of us are still in the bondage of our sin because we didn’t truly accept the fact that upon the confession of our sin to God He forgave the guilt of my sin. We return to the altar of repentance over and over again for the same issues because we have not trusted the loving forgetfulness of a faithful and forgiving Father.

Psalms 32:1-5  “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him… I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity…and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Garrison Keillor tell it this way as he spins another tale:

“Larry the Sad Boy … was saved 12 times in the Lutheran church, an all-time record. Between 1953 and 1961 he threw himself weeping and contrite on God’s throne of grace on 12 separate occasions—and this in a Lutheran church that wasn’t evangelical, had no altar call, no organist playing “Just as I Am Without One Plea” while a choir hummed and a guy with shiny hair took hold of your heartstrings and played you like a cheap guitar. This is the Lutheran church, not a bunch of hillbillies. These are Scandinavians, and they repent in the same way that they sin: discreetly, tastefully, at the proper time ….Twelve times! Even we fundamentalists got tired of him …. God did not mean for us to feel guilt all our lives. There comes a point when you should dry your tears and join the building committee and start grappling with the problems of the church furnace and … make church coffee and be of use, but Larry kept on repenting and repenting.”

God’s word does not say “burdened are we whose sins have been forgiven.” No, but rather it says “blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” If you are still carrying the guilt of repented sin, then you are being deceived. God has forgiven it. God has forgotten it. Your memory of it is your choice to listen to the deceiver. When he comes knocking at your memories door, let Jesus answer. The guilt of your sin has been removed. Begin living in the freedom God has given you.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Read Job 7  

Well, that’s a pretty depressing way to start the day. But in my heart, I know that some of you reading this today feel exactly the way Job felt when he said these things to God. Life stinks, doesn’t it? Hardship and suffering strain and drain us. We wonder when we will ever be able to just enjoy a day without pain and experience the joy of freedom from stress. When will life ever be “normal” again?

There are two very important lessons to learn from Job’s life and attitude in this passage of Scripture.

1. While all hardship, suffering and pain are the direct result of sin in the world, not all of it is the direct result of personal sin. Job assumes that because he is suffering, God has made him a target to punish his sin? Job should have known the answer to those questions he asked. We should never have to wonder “If I have sinned,” because when we walk in the Spirit we know when we have sinned. Sometimes hardship and pain are designed by God as tests of our faith. The work of the Holy Spirit in us is to discern the difference between consequences for sin and tests of our faith. We lose that discernment when we begin to focus on self and our condition rather than on the Spirit’s work in our hearts. When we know we have sinned, the Spirit leads us to repentance and God forgives. There is never a reason to doubt God’s forgiveness or to believe He is withholding it. If we do, we question the very nature of God and deny His righteousness and justice. On the other hand, when we know that our hardship is a test of our faith, we rejoice in it because it is proving God’s love for us as his child and our love for Him as our faithful Father. (See 1 Peter 1:3-9)
2. The second lesson is that depression and despair over the hardships, sufferings, and pains of life may be the result of not truly understanding or accepting the forgiveness of God. Here’s why I think this is a huge problem in the church today. I hear a phrase coming from the lips of Christians far too often. It is usually used in a sentence that goes like this – “I know God has forgiven me, but I just can’t seem to forgive myself.” I want to challenge the validity of that statement emphatically and dogmatically. No where in the Bible are we told to forgive ourselves. In fact, it is a deception of Satan to think that we must. It is how he holds us in spiritual bondage.  If we believe we are still guilty and unworthy we have not truly accepted God’s forgiveness and seen our lives from His perspective. The person who believes they have not forgiven themselves is guilty of not accepting God’s forgiveness. They are still trying to justify their own life and actions, when from God’s perspective they were justified in Christ and made to be His child forever. For some reason in their mind, they believe their opinion of themselves is more important than God’s opinion of who they are. Their insecurities, guilt, and shame become the chains with which Satan holds them captive, and the only key he claims to have for deliverance is self-forgiveness and self-justification. Unfortunately, Satan never reveals the truth that he has no keys, and they will never be set free on those terms. Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” When God forgives there is no need for any additional forgiveness.

My friend, if you are suffering today because you are trapped in the chains of believing you must forgive yourself for what you have done, you are in a futile pursuit. You will never be free. You must realize that what you are really doing is rejecting the forgiveness God offers you. When God says you are forgiven – accept it. When God says you are justified – accept it. When God says you are worthy – accept it. When God says you are qualified – accept it. There is no need and there is no way for you to improve upon what God offers. You do not make yourself worthy of God, so stop trying to make yourself worthy of people, including yourself. When you repent of your sin, God forgives. To believe anything else denies the very nature and character of God. REJOICE! Your sins are forgiven, and God declares you righteous. Stop arguing with Him and accept what He has done for you..

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, March 4, 2024

The story is told of a rich Christian who had a large company of employees, many of whom owed him money. He was constantly trying to teach them something about Christianity, and one day he hit upon a plan. He posted a notice for his employees that said, “All those who will come to my office between eleven and twelve o’clock on Thursday morning to present an honest statement of their debts will have them canceled at once.” The debtors read the notice with a great deal of skepticism, and on Thursday morning, although they gathered in the street in front of his office, not one of them went to the door. Instead, they gossiped and complained about their employer, and ridiculed the notice he had posted. They said it didn’t make sense.

But finally, at 11:45, one man jumped forward, dashed up the steps into the office, and presented his statement. “Why are you here?” the rich man asked him. “Because you promised to cancel the debts of all those who would come as you instructed,” the other replied. “And do you believe the promise?” “Yes, I do.” “Why do you believe it?” persisted the employer. “Because, although it was too much for me to understand, I know that you are a good man who would not deceive anyone.” The rich man took the bill and marked it “Paid in full,” at which time the poor man, overcome, cried out, “I knew it! I told them so! They said it couldn’t be true, and now I’m going out to show them.” “Wait,” said his benefactor, “it’s not quite twelve o’clock. The others are not entitled to any special proof of my sincerity.” When the clock struck twelve, the forgiven debtor ran out waving his receipt in the face of his fellows. With a mad rush they made for the door, but it was too late. The door was locked.

God made a similar offer to the nation of Israel through King Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14.  The fundamental principles of that offer apply to each of us today on an individual basis. We all have sinned, and fall short of His glory. We are unable to pay the debt for that sin. But God has posted a notice on the company bulletin board that has a striking resemblance to a cross. It says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will forgive their debt of sin.”

It’s an incredible offer, but the conditions attached are difficult.

Humility – To stand guilty before the One who said he would forgive but who could also demand payment. Humility demands agreement with God about our condition and offers no self-defense. Humility relinquishes all rights and surrenders completely to God’s rulings. Humility trusts God’s grace and mercy. Praise God that the payment has already been made in full by Jesus Christ so that God’s justice guarantees forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Prayer – To knock on the throne room door knowing that God will open it, and then to renounce all human resources and turn in total dependence upon God, believing that He will do what He promised to do. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.” (Titus 3:4 – 5) 

Seek God’s face – To submit to God’s purpose for our lives and become a witness of God’s grace.  “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”  (Hebrews 10:19 – 24)   

Turn from wicked ways – To repent of the sin, turning from it with a sincere heart and desire to not do it again. Continuing in the Hebrews passage from above we read, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”  (Hebrews 10:26 – 27)

When our hearts truly and sincerely reflect these four conditions, God completely forgives our sin. When we approach the throne of God with humble and broken hearts that cry out to Him in repentance of sin and submission to His will, He will forgive us completely and eternally. Hallelujah! “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalms 139:23 – 24)

Pastor John