LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Many of you are probably wondering how things turned out with Diane. Well, before I tell you, let’s discover the third principle  of faith – “Faith makes a few powerful.”

Sometimes it seems like the odds are stacked against us – maybe most of the time that’s true. How can one single mom fight all of city hall? In this tragic situation involving a young mom with seemingly no positive end for her, a few people came together in prayer and God’s power was released. So many things happened that are to the glory of God alone and are only realized through the prayer of people of faith. God provided a lawyer, and the right lawyer at that. God gave insight and wisdom to the court commissioner who heard the case. God moved everyone involved to a just conclusion. God was in control.

Diane got her kids back. Charges were dropped. Other than the memories in her own mind and in the hearts of the children, there is no record of what happened.

Diane’s faith and trust in the heart of God has grown, and so has ours. She is stronger, and so are we.

Now some of us might ask, “But what if she hadn’t gotten her kids back?” My answer is this – then we would still be in the process of trusting God for His victorious outcome. Why do temporary setbacks cause us to doubt the ongoing work of God to bring about the most glorious outcome? Why do we think the first opportunity for success is the best opportunity for God? Faith is tested and strengthened through patience and perseverance – that’s what makes it powerful!

Maybe you haven’t gotten your victory yet. Maybe your struggle continues. It is making you stronger if you will trust God’s heart.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 29, 2024

As God increases our faith through our trials and circumstances, the second principle 0f faith is this, “Faith minimizes risk.”

Can you see that principle at work in Diane’s life from last week’s story? She saw the risk of losing her children and the risk of going to jail with a felony conviction only through the loving heart of her Father in heaven, and her risk was minimized. Oh, it will be extremely hard if those consequences are realized, especially since they are not deserved, but we must evaluate our understanding of God as we walk through the risk. If the worst happens, is not God still God? Is not God still in control? Is not God still working all things together for His good? Is there not still some Divine purpose to it all?

If your answer to any of those questions is “no”, then brace yourself – God is about to do something in your life to increase your faith. Why would he do that? Because He loves you and desires you to know the fullness of His love and grace. Paul says this in Philippians 3:10-11, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Probably the greatest book in the New Testament on suffering is First Peter. Here is a collection of verses for you to consider today as you grow in your faith so that the risks of this life are minimized because of your confidence in God’s heart.

“For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

“But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed…It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.”

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

There’s a lot to think about in all of that, but I would like us to make it our personal goal to react to suffering the way Peter describes and the way Diane models. Study these verses and apply them to your situation. Let the world see the hope of glory in our lives.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 26, 2024

Yesterday we discovered the principle that God is increasing our faith through the circumstances of our lives. Let me tell you a heartbreaking story about an injustice that happened to a young single mom and the incredible statement of faith she made to me on the phone after it happened. We will call her Diane (not her real name).

I received a call one morning from a young mom. Her three children were removed from her home by social services, and she was being accused of physical and sexual child abuse. I will not give you the details, but a series of unfortunate and misinterpreted circumstances had left this young mom in a huge emotional hole.

But here’s the incredible part of the sad story – at the conclusion of our phone conversation she said this:

“Not many people get the privilege of learning to trust God by walking through a tough time like this. I consider it a blessing to be given the opportunity to learn to trust God in this way. Even if I have to go to jail for something I didn’t do, God has a purpose for it.”

WOW! What faith! It puts all our problems into perspective, doesn’t it? The $929 bill I would have in two weeks at the dentist to get a crown on a tooth that broke seemed trivial compared to Diane’s situation. Her statement of confidence in God’s heart for her is truly amazing. I praised God for her attitude as we prayed on the phone, and then I told her this: “When you can’t understand God’s ways, trust His heart.” She does!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, April 25, 2024

In 1 Samuel chapters 13-14 we have the story of Jonathon as he steps out in faith to accomplish God’s purpose. Over the next few days I would like to discuss some principles of faith that we can learn from this story. You may want to take the time to read it before we move on.

Here’s principle #1 – God is working to increase faith.

One of my favorite Bible passages is found in 1 Peter chapter 1.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Verse seven teaches us that all the trials and troubles and interruptions of our normal routine are designed by God to prove the genuineness of our faith. I see several things in this testing process:

1. Our perspective is tested – We can rejoice in trials because we, through faith, are shielded by God’s power until He fulfills our salvation in His presence. When my perspective is not on God’s saving and keeping power, the trials offend me. When my perspective is on God’s saving and keeping power the trials commend me.

2. Our passion is tested – we love Him even though we do not see Him; we trust Him even when we don’t understand Him. The trials come to test our walk of faith so that it does not become a walk of sight.

3. Our patience is tested – we are receiving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls. Can we endure the physical in the short term for the glory of the spiritual in the long term?

Spend some time today on these three points, and do some praising of God that He is working in your life to increase your faith so that it results in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Our desire should be to live a life of faith as described by this challenge written by a young African pastor which he had tacked to the wall of his hut.

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit Power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

“My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

“I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

“My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

“I won’t give up, shut up, until have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me — my banner will be clear.“

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 24, 2024

For many years my wife and I have invited one or more of the grandchildren to spend a day with us each week so we get some alone time with them. We play games, do projects, have fun, and eat supper together.

I remember one day in particular. It was Liam’s turn, and after we finished the birdhouse painting, the Easter egg decorating, and the Swedish pancake supper, we sat down to play a game of attack Uno. After winning the first game, grandpa was already at Uno in the second game after playing his next to last card. Liam, whose hand was loaded with cards, was next to play. A slight smile started in the corner of his mouth as he reached for a card. The smile grew as he laid it on the discard pile. He spoke with excited enthusiasm and said, “I trade hands with grandpa!”

He couldn’t control himself any longer. He had just played a trade hands card and now only had one card in his hand while I sat there sorting through 20 of them. On the next turn around the table he played that last card and won the game. He laughed. He jumped. He showed off that contagious smile of his. His enthusiasm was abundant as he repeated the same phrase over and over again. “I did it! I did it!”

The story is not a perfect analogy of what happened on the cross, but it will suffice for my heart for a while. Hanging on the cross, Jesus traded hands with us. I had a losing hand which guaranteed my eternal defeat. Jesus had the winning hand. In the game, I would never have initiated the trade, but Jesus did. He took my losing hand as His own and gave me a winning hand I didn’t deserve. My trade with Liam was forced upon me, but Jesus traded willingly. He did it!

I am reminded of the four words at the end of the twenty-second Psalm which describes the crucifixion of Jesus.

HE HAS DONE IT!

Shout it. Jump around. Laugh with unspeakable joy. Jesus did it!  Jesus did it!

Isaiah 44:22-23  “I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.  Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel.”

HE HAS DONE IT!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 23, 2024

When it comes to finding something that has been misplaced, I am the worst! What’s really upsetting is that I am usually the one who misplaced it. You’d think I’d be able to remember where I put it, but I waste a lot of time looking in all the wrong places.

When we are searching for something we must look in a lot of places where it isn’t before we find the place that it is. Sometimes we are fortunate and find it quickly. Other times we search for days. While doing a physical search we are also doing a mental search of all the possibilities. We ask ourselves all kinds of questions about what we were doing, where we went, and so on. That is all part of the process of reaching a solution.

I think the same thing is true about our search for the peace of God when we are in trouble or when we are hurting. There is a process that is affirmed in Scripture, and maybe if we accepted the fact that God understands the process we could unload a lot of guilt from our hearts.

I find the process illustrated in the life of Asaph, who wrote the seventy-seventh Psalm. Read these verses carefully. (This is your chance to meditate on God’s Word and let the Holy Spirit teach you, not me.)

Psalm 77:7-9 “Then my spirit made a diligent search: ‘Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion? Selah.”

Asaph started the Psalm by stating that his spirit is making a diligent search to find comfort in the time of trouble. His search begins with questions:

• Has God stopped being good?
• Has God stopped loving me?
• Are God’s promises no longer valid for me?
• Do I now have to earn everything from God because He forgot His grace?
• Doesn’t He care about me anymore?

Most of us would beat ourselves up over asking such questions. Maybe our well-intentioned Christian friends would advise us to repent of such questions because they show a lack of faith. We certainly feel guilty for even starting down the road of doubt. But look at the process through which Asaph goes. After asking the questions, he indicates he took a break to meditate and contemplate what God would say in response. That’s what Selah means. As his mind gets clarity, he identifies where God wants him to find the answers to his questions. He will appeal to the previous faithfulness of God and his work.

• God’s right hand has never failed to uphold me.
• His mighty deeds are consistent throughout history and testify to his faithfulness.
• The path God has chosen for me is in perfect harmony with His holy nature.
• What other option do we have that can give such hope and security as our great God?
• I am one of your redeemed people. You bought me with the price of your Son’s life. I am a child of God.

And at the end, Asaph rested! Selah.

Go ahead. Ask your questions. But after asking them, take a break and listen for God’s response. You will find the hope and peace for which you are searching.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 22, 2024

I’m not sure we fully grasp the concept of victory. We may understand it in some things, but I’m convinced we don’t make the same application to our spiritual lives. Let me explain.

Earlier this month the University of Connecticut won the NCAA national basketball championship. They had a parade in Hartford as they hoisted the national trophy above their heads as they rode on the top level of an open air bus. So long as the members of that team are alive, no one will ever be able to take that away from them. They will always be able to say they were the victors. Those who call them losers can be corrected with a reminder of the trophy. Each team member can reject any temptations to believe that they fall short of the glory of final victory. Every accusation of inability can be dismissed as inaccurate. For the rest of their lives, they carry the testimony of victory.

Why is that so hard for us in our spiritual lives? Why do we so easily succumb to the accusations that we are inferior, unqualified people who fall short of the glory of God, when in Christ Jesus we have been made victorious for all eternity? Why is Satan given so much authority to influence our thinking and behavior when he has already been defeated?

The answer to all the above questions is the same – we choose to deny what victory means and believe that it has not really been accomplished. We choose to minimize the Presence of the Victor in our lives and allow the one who has been defeated to convince us that there is something left to accomplish.

That’s why studying God’s Word and absorbing it is so important. That’s the reason the Apostle Paul said to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The renewing of our mind is based on the established fact already presented by Paul in Romans 8 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS! Why is it so hard for us to understand that? The indwelling Presence of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit has already won the victory for us because Jesus was not defeated on the cross. He rose from the dead and conquered Satan. Jesus cannot be defeated. His victory is eternal, and it is the present reality of all who are in Christ. We cannot be defeated. Christ’s presence in us has sealed us as His forever. We do not have to live in the agony of defeat any longer. We stand with Christ on the highest pedestal hoisting the trophy of the cross over our heads, wearing white robes that read “Eternal Victory.”

F.B. Meyer puts it this way: “The disinfectant of Christ’s Presence is ever warding off the germs of deadly temptation. The mighty arm of the Divine Keeper is always holding the door against the attempts of the adversary.”

Christ is victorious. In Christ we are victorious. “Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) The Presence of Christ means we walk as victors in all things.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 19, 2024

Retirement has become very busy. Of course, it was my choice to come out of retirement and serve the Lord as Pastor of a wonderful group of people in a small town nearby. The activity of church life and personal life has captured a huge chunk of my time and is stretching my physical strength. I usually start to fall asleep in my recliner by 8:30 every night.

This morning the Lord helped me to understand my specific need right now by leading me to several verses that helped me re-focus my heart and mind on His purpose for my life and how to handle all the activity that surrounds me.

Psalm 34:18 — “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.“

Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.“

James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 — “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Psalm 145:18 – “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

I have a tendency to do things in my own strength.  I tend to work for Him rather than rest in Him. When I let that happen consistently, I begin to see people as “pains” rather than “partners.” I begin to focus on the external negatives of their behavior rather than the humble condition of their heart. I form opinions about their motives. I begin to blame myself for not having more energy or more time to do what they want. I begin to believe the lie of the Enemy that I am no longer spiritual enough because I don’t do everything they need.

Buit when I fall into the arms of Jesus and rest, He assures me that I am right where He needs me to be so that His grace can take over. He assures me that I am just one small piece of His body the church and that not everyone is called to be passionate about the same thing, except to love Him and love others. In His presence I discover when I am not focused on love, but on labor, and He assures me that He wasn’t. He loves me. He will use me if I love Him. That’s all I need to know.

Jesus spoke to me through the words of St. Francis de Salles that were quoted in a devotional I read today:

“Take courage. Often turn to the Lord, who is watching you, poor frail little being as you are, amid your labors and distractions. He enables you to bear your troubles patiently and gently, for love of Him who only allows you to be tried for your own good. Raise your heart continually to God, seek His aid, and let the foundation stone of your consolation be your happiness in being His. All trouble and annoyances will be comparatively unimportant while you know that you have such a Friend, such a Stay, such a Refuge.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, April 18, 2024

In March of 2013 during severe blizzards in Japan, a father froze to death while sheltering his daughter. Mikio Okada died as he tried to protect his only child, Natsune, against winds of up to 68 miles per hour and temperatures that plunged as low as 21 degrees, making for windchills of 10 below zero.

Mr. Okada called his relatives to say that he was stranded and that he and Natsune would try to walk to their destination. But they were both found just 300 yards from the truck. Mr. Okada was reportedly found hunched over his daughter, cradling her in his arms and apparently using his body and a warehouse wall to provide shelter. He had taken off his jacket to give to the child. The young girl was taken to a hospital near their home where she was found to have no serious injuries.

That story illustrates several principles, not the least of which is that true love is sacrificial. The apostle John wrote, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

But the principle that sticks out to me this morning is this – God is able to save us if we will stay within His reach. No matter what our situation or circumstances, God has not moved away to become simply an observer from a distant vantage point. If there is an apparent distance between us and God it is because we have moved, not Him. His arm has not been shortened. His ears have not become dull so that He cannot hear our cries for help.

Isaiah 59:1-2  “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;  but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

The problem is not with God, who never changes, but with us because we change all the time. We change our minds about whether we can trust God and His Word. We change our minds about whether we will obey Him or follow our own personal plan of performance. We make the choice to love Him and then turn around and love ourselves more. But what we may not consider as we think about those choices is that every choice we make to leave God out of individual moments in our lives makes us responsible for the outcome of those choices.

God made a choice to love us and reach out to us in His Son Jesus Christ. His choice will never change. God also made a choice that those who reject Jesus will suffer severe consequences, not only in this life but in eternity. That choice will also never change. Our choices either bring us into the arms of Jesus for protection against all the storms of life, or they move us away from God’s protection and make us vulnerable to the storms of life.

God has put Himself between you and the storm of sin. He has offered to save you from the storm, not so much by wrapping you up but rather by filling you up with the eternal warmth of His love. His Holy Spirit, dwelling in all who have repented of their sin and have run into His arms for forgiveness, provides a constant fire of holiness within us. Never again do our hearts need to grow cold. Never again do we need to fear being out of reach of the arms of God. He is in us, and His love never changes.

If you feel distant from God today, it is not because He has moved – you have. Run to Him and discover that the fire of salvation is still blazing, and it will never be extinguished.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I remember one night I had the privilege of being the speaker at AWANA Council Time for the 3^rd through 5^th graders. I started by asking the students who they thought was my favorite Bible Character. I called on one of many children that had raised their hand and after hearing his response I clarified the question to state “Other than Jesus, who is my favorite Bible character.”

After two dozen incorrect guesses, I finally revealed the answer. The life of Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and King David’s best friend has always deeply touched my heart with its principles of friendship and love. Two of the three principles of a good friend I shared with the children are still on my mind.

As Saul’s son, Jonathan was next in line for the throne of Israel. He became a mighty warrior, but even in his military success he was learning an important principle of friendship and success – do your best without concern for who gets the credit.

1 Samuel 13:3-4  “Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines…”

Jonathan had just won an incredible battle with only a few men, and yet his dad the King took all the credit.

Former United States President John F. Kennedy said, “There’s no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Too many friendships are ruined by a self-exalting competitive spirit that seeks honor and recognition for everything done. This was not Jonathan’s way, as we will see.

Through the course of his reign, Saul became disobedient to God and his Kingdom was taken from him. Without Saul’s knowledge, David was anointed as the next King of Israel.

Then came the day of David’s victory over Goliath, the Philistine warrior. After the battle, Saul took David into his household and made him his chief warrior. David was unprepared for being a military leader, but God had ordained a plan. When Saul was finished talking to David, the Bible says that “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Samuel 18:1)

This is utterly amazing. Jonathan had every right to be angry with his father for messing up his future. His chance to be King was gone. GONE!  And now, standing in front of him, was the young man who would be king; the one who would get all the honor and recognition that could have been his. OUCH!

Yet notice the Spirit of God in Jonathan’s heart. He chooses to love David rather than hate him. He chooses to put action to his love and “stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”(1 Samuel 18:4-5). David took the very position that Jonathan had held, and Jonathan helped him get it.

Jonathan showed no anger toward the person who took his job and his title. Instead, Jonathan came along side David and assisted his success. That’s what true friends do.

After I was done speaking to the children, one of the AWANA Commanders came forward to give the students the evening’s results of the ongoing missionary offering contest. One of the teams had taken a huge lead over the other. He asked the team that was behind to cheer for the team that was ahead. The response was not good. I actually heard booing. I guess I need to tell the story over again. But before I do, I’d better make sure I’m cheering others who are getting ahead of me, especially those times when I think I deserve to get ahead.

Pastor John