LifeLink Devotional for Wednesday, July 17, 2024

The challenge I am putting out to us in this series of devotionals is to live out the command of Colossians 3:17, which says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  

By now you are starting to memorize the acrostic for the NAME of Jesus.

Nature – Attributes – Mission – Exaltation

Living life in the name of the Lord Jesus begins with an understanding of the nature of Jesus. Who is He, and how does the knowledge of Him change me? What are the practical implications of living with the knowledge of the nature of Jesus?

First, Jesus is God. He is not a god. He is THE GOD. What a marvelous pronouncement of this truth we find in Hebrews 1:3 – “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”

Why does this matter? Because if Jesus were simply a god, then we would have the right to abandon Him for any other god of our choosing. We would even go so far as to declare ourselves a god. Unless we accept and act upon the truth that Jesus is God, we will live our lives according to our own desires. We will be completely self-centered and seek self-fulfillment. Our decisions will be based on obedience to the flesh. Our actions will be the result of seeking immediate gratification. We will become our own god, when the first commandment of God to the human race states, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

This directly leads to the second aspect of the nature of Jesus – His sovereignty. If we do not accept that Jesus is God, then we will not accept that He is Lord. We will strive for control of our lives and the lives of others, rather than surrender all control to Him. We will cease to be people of faith and become people of fear.

Fear develops when we believe we are in control of outcomes. Faith is victorious over fear because it trusts the outcome to the One who is ultimately in control. Faith is patient and waits for God’s outcomes, while fear attempts to manipulate results. Faith brings peace that surpasses all human reason. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This peace is only possible if we truly believe that Jesus is in control and surrender to His control in all areas of our lives.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, July 16, 2024

At the end of yesterday’s devotional, I asked a question. Is your life a reflection of Jesus Christ? As I pondered that question, I wondered what it would take for the answer to be yes. For me, if my life is to be a consistent reflection of the life of Jesus in both word and action, I must ask myself some penetrating questions related to the four areas defined by the acrostic for NAME I gave you.

• The N is for Nature. Does this word or activity support my belief that Jesus, in His very nature, is God? Does this word or activity reflect my belief in His sovereignty (He is in control)? His omnipresence (He is everywhere always)? His omniscience (He is all-knowing)? His omnipotence (He is all-powerful)? His immutability (He is unchanging)?
• The A is for Attributes. Does this word or activity support my belief in the attributes of Jesus? Does this word or activity comply with His holiness? His righteousness? His love and compassion? His truth? His grace? His mercy?
• The M is for Mission. Does this word or activity support my understanding of the mission to which I have been called in Christ Jesus? Does this word or activity represent the Gospel message of the transforming power of Jesus Christ to change my life? Does this word or activity present an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with another person? To make a disciple? To teach others to obey Jesus? To encourage and build up a brother or sister in Christ?
• The E is for Exaltation. Does this word or activity exalt the name of Jesus? Does this word or activity reflect a surrendered heart to the will of God for my life? Does this word or activity make much of me, or does it make much of Jesus in me? Does this word or activity glorify God?

Over the next few days we will spend some time on each of those four areas and discover some practical applications of these truths to our everyday lives. But before we do that, each one of us must decide if we are going to take this command seriously.

Are we prepared to live our lives as representations of the Name of Jesus Christ? Are we ready, at any and all cost, to say and do everything in our lives according to what we know to be true about Jesus? And will we do it with thanks to God for the privilege of knowing and serving Him?

My prayer is that you will join me in resolving to live this way.  

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional for Monday, July 15, 2024

I have a serious problem. I react negatively when things don’t meet my expectations. I know you do to. My favorite response at such times is “Oh man!” What’s yours?

Several years ago, Colossians 3:17 was my New Year’s resolution. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” I remember an Elder meeting just four days into the year, when I had ordered some take-out Chinese food. I asked for extra mushrooms in my chicken and snow peas. When I dumped the pint container of sauce onto the rice, I counted three mushrooms. My first response was a disgusted “Oh man!” I immediately caught myself and confessed that sin to the Lord. I then began thanking Him for the meal I was about to eat. I had already failed at fulfilling my resolution.

But growth is a process. I continue to seek to live life according to Colossians 3:17. As I read it again today, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to three words in the exact middle of the verse. Those words are “in the name.”

What does that mean? When we pray in the name of Jesus, what does that really mean? When we are commanded to do and speak all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, what does that mean? It means far more than just stating the name of Jesus at the end of a prayer.

Understanding what it means begins with knowing that a name is a representation of someone. The name itself is just a word, but what that name represents gives it meaning. So, when we say or do anything in the name of someone, those words or actions become a reflection of what we believe to be true about that person.

Make sure you fully understand the significance of that last statement.  Here’s what God taught me as I sought to understand it. It was so significant that I wrote it in the margin of my Bible. It’s an acrostic of the word NAME.

                        Nature

                        Attributes

                        Mission

                        Exaltation

Whatever I do, whatever I say, and whatever I pray, is to be according to the nature of Jesus, the attributes of Jesus, the mission of Jesus, and the exaltation of Jesus. Every activity of my life, every word I speak to others, and every prayer I pray to God is to be a reflection of what I believe to be true about Jesus Christ.

Tomorrow we will dive into a deeper study of this.  But for today, think about the statement I made.  When we say or do anything in the name of someone, those words or actions become a reflection of what we believe to be true about that person.

Is your life a reflection of Jesus Christ?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, July 12, 2024

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ must remain the central focus of all that we are and all that we do. That is the conclusion to which Paul attempts to bring the church at Corinth as he opens his letter to them. You may remember that this church was going through a lot of difficulties, and the first major issue that Paul addresses is the tendency of church-goers to be people-followers. There were divisions in the church because some people liked Apollos better than Paul or Peter, and some even were taking pride in the fact that they had stayed true to Jesus. They were arguing and bickering about who taught better, who led better, and who gave them the best spiritual benefits.

In addressing these divisions, Paul says that following any human wisdom diminishes the power of the cross in our personal lives and in the life of the church.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel – not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

When the focus and form of our teaching and preaching becomes self-centered rather than Christ-centered, we lose power. Let me illustrate. Once there was a professional football team that had incredible talent but couldn’t win the big games, primarily because the focus of the team was on an individual rather than the purpose of the team. It was so bad that free agents from other teams were refusing to even consider becoming a part of this team. Then it happened – the team changed its focus from the problems caused by an individual to the goal of accomplishing their purpose, and a huge change occurred. Weaknesses in the team were suddenly made strengths. Free agents from other teams were anxious to become a part of the organization. Franchise players from other teams are begging to be traded to this team. Why? Because the self-centered focus has been replaced with a team spirit based on a unified purpose.

That’s what must happen in a church. People must move from a self-centered, people-following, people-pleasing lifestyle to one of surrendered, sacrificial commitment to Christ and His purpose. When it does, people who are not yet part of the body of Christ will want to be. They will ask to join us, because that is the power of the cross. For years now we have heard about seeker-sensitive churches. One of the characteristics of such churches is a non-offensive presentation of the Gospel. I have a very serious question in that regard: How can the Gospel message of the cross of Christ be non-offensive to an unbeliever when Paul states here in today’s Scripture that the cross is considered foolishness to the unsaved, and in Galatians 5:11 he states that if he compromises the Gospel in any way the cross loses its offense to the unsaved?

So many churches today are avoiding the real issue of people’s lives by speaking only to the perceived or surface issues because they believe it will attract more people and offend fewer people. My friends, I do not wish to purposely offend anyone, but I most definitely will not offend my Lord and Savior by turning the church or the ministry to which He has called me into an effort of human wisdom. I will preach the cross of Jesus Christ, and those who respond will be transformed by the power of God and not by human reason. And they will respond, because the power of God will draw them to the place where their spiritual need can be truly met in Christ. That place is the cross.

May that be the constant theme of the church you attend be the cross of Jesus Christ..

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, July 11, 2024

 In this same series of verses that we studied yesterday there is yet another wonderful truth about the death of Jesus Christ our Savior. It answers to the unsaved person’s criticism that Jesus was weak and therefore deserved to die.

Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Peter makes it very clear that it was not because of the weakness of Jesus or His failure that He was put to death, but rather by the predetermined counsel and foreknowledge of God. 

This is so very important for several reasons:

1.      Man can take no credit for anything that has been done for our salvation. No man or government can claim any credit or be given any specific blame for the crucifixion of Christ. The religious leaders of Israel cannot now claim any reward from God for having been willing participants in the plan of salvation. The Romans cannot claim any earned favor from God for having done what He wanted. All participants in the crucifixion are called wicked, and all the credit for it goes to God who ordained it to happen. Salvation is God’s plan done God’s way in God’s time.

2.      The crucifixion of Jesus does not negate the accrediting of God that came through the miracles, wonders, and signs, but rather is a part of the accrediting process, for only by death could the power and glory of Jesus be seen in a resurrection. We know that it was the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead, according to today’s Scripture passage and Ephesians 1:19-20. The phrase “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” points directly to the divinity of Jesus. Eternal life was the nature of Jesus. Death had no power over Him. He went into it knowing He would conquer it. His resurrection was more than the outside force of God working on His dead body to raise it up; His resurrection was the force and power of His own nature coming forth. He is declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection. Romans 1:3-4 says, “regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How does this apply to us in a practical way today? First, none of us can take any credit for our salvation in any way. God planned it, provided for it, and prepared us to receive it. We have earned nothing. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus, and we are to live lives of gratitude and praise for His magnificent grace!

Second, in our salvation Jesus Christ, in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit, has made our lives into a temple in which He permanently resides, bringing the power of His life to conquer our death. We are alive in Christ because it is now our nature to be alive. When we do the deeds of a dead person we are acting in contradiction to our nature. So many people claim that it is easier to fall back into sin than it is to stay holy. This points to a serious lack of understanding of their salvation. It is always easier to follow our nature, and in Christ our nature is to live, not to die. It should be more natural for us to be holy than to sin, and if it is not, then we need some spiritual refreshment.

When we live our lives according to the nature of Jesus Christ in us, we discover that His life immediately conquers thoughts of sin and bring them captive to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. How awesome to know that Jesus lives, and He lives in us, giving us the power to be more than conquerors.

Have a joyous day of victory.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, July 10, 2024

I am so glad you have continued to join these devotional posts. For the last few weeks we have been studying the first and second chapters of Acts to discover the fundamentals of a REAL church. It is in the second chapter of Acts that the REAL church gets its start, because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that falls on the believers on the day of Pentecost. When Peter stands up to preach with the power of the Holy Spirit, he becomes the first Gospel evangelist, and his sermon is very simple. It presented to the people the truth that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah based on His death and resurrection.

In the days ahead we are going to look at some of the various New Testament passages on the cross, and discover some wonderful truths about God’s indescribable gift of salvation to us. For today, I want us to see one thing from the sermon of Peter.

Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” 

Peter tells the people that they know who Jesus is because God accredited Him to them by the miracles, wonders, and signs God performed through Him. Jesus was affirmed as the Son of God by the supernatural work of God in His life, and these unsaved people to whom Peter was preaching knew it. They had not yet placed their faith in Him, but in their heads they knew who Jesus was. I find that to be all too true in our world today – people who have head knowledge of the truth, but it has not yet penetrated their heart. They must admit that in their minds they know the truth: they have heard about Jesus and they have seen His work in the lives of His followers, but they deny any need to surrender their lives to Him.

There is one thing I just said that should jump out at us with conviction. It is this – “and they have seen His work in the lives of His followers.” They may have heard about Jesus, but have they really seen the resurrection power of Jesus at work in the lives of His followers? What a challenge this is for us. Is God continuing to accredit the reality of Jesus to a lost world through His powerful work in us as believers? Oh, we may not all be gifted to do miracles and signs and wonders, but we are all gifted with the Holy Spirit who produces the character of Christ in our lives so that the fruit of the Spirit is visible. When love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control rule our lives, God is affirming the reality of Jesus Christ to a world that does not know Him.

In Ephesians 1, verses 18-20, Paul the Apostle says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

The same power that God exerted when He raised Jesus from the dead is the power that He exerts in us when He raises us from spiritual death to new life in Christ. You see, God is still accrediting Christ to the world through the miracle of a transformed life. How are we doing at showing it and living it?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, July 9, 2024

The final fundamental of a REAL church as described in Acts 2:42 is that the people are devoted to the breaking of bread. At first reading this may appear to simply mean that the church had lots of carry-in dinners, or what some call potlucks. I remember asking an older gentleman in the church I attended as a youth why it was called a potluck, and he said, “Because everyone brings a pot of food, and good luck finding anything worth eating.” I know people that still feel that way.

Yes, the early church did have fellowship dinners every week. That’s what Paul wrote the Corinthians about when he admonished them for the improper way in which they were conducting themselves at those dinners. But following that admonition, he gave them instructions about the real significance of those dinners – it was the communion service at the end of them that was to be reverenced. Paul says to them to not be devoted to the food but be devoted to the spiritual significance of the food – it represents Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life.

John 6:32-35 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”  “Sir,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

I believe that it is essential for the REAL church to consistently celebrate the grace of salvation provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is equally important for the individual members of the Body of Christ to constantly reflect on the nature of their salvation and to live in humble gratitude for it. Being devoted to the breaking of bread means we are devoted to the joy of our salvation.

Because His Son, the Bread of Life, lives in us, the Father expresses His unending grace to us every day in every situation. He protects us, guards us, directs us, encourages us, and so much more.

But as wonderful as those daily expressions of God’s grace are, there is nothing that can compare with the wonder and emotion that should overwhelm us when we think of the cross of Jesus Christ and that He died personally for us! He paid the debt of our sin by becoming our sin and suffering the physical pain and death of the wrath of God against that sin. His love is amazing! His salvation is an indescribable gift! Nothing I will ever learn or experience will ever mean more to me than this – I am not my own anymore. I have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and I am His eternally!

So for me, food takes on a new symbolism. Not just the communion bread and cup, but all food. Every time I eat anything, I will remember this – Jesus is the Bread of Life, and only He can completely nourish life. I will be devoted to the joy of my salvation.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, July 8, 2024

In addition to being devoted to the teaching and application of the Word of God, the REAL church is also devoted to the fellowship. I often wondered why the verse in Acts 2:42 doesn’t just say that they were devoted to fellowship, but rather to “the” fellowship. What is it that makes the fellowship of the church distinct from all other forms of fellowship?

1 John 1:1-4  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

I believe the answer from this passage of Scripture is this – normal human relationships are strictly two-dimensional, on a horizontal plane only, and for that reason tend to be primarily self-centered. Relationships in the Body of Christ are three-dimensional, like a triangle, with a horizontal and a vertical plane. The vertical plane of our relationship to God in the power of the Holy Spirit is what sets “the fellowship” apart. Here are the reasons:

1.      Relationship with God is possible only through a humble surrender to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins, of which we are all equally guilty.

2.      Having accepted God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us to produce the character of Jesus Christ.

3.      The character of Jesus Christ is to sacrifice self for the sake of others. Read carefully this powerful passage from Philippians 2: 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

4.      Relationships on the horizontal plane take on a whole new context because of the humble spirit of Christ in each of us that puts others ahead of ourselves.

You see, within the church there is no favoritism or distinction between people. We do not determine value based on race, color, social status, financial status, or past sin. In Christ we all have the same value – His! Therefore, we make no distinctions between people and we fellowship equally with one another, or at least we should. We should be the model to the world of love and acceptance, of understanding and compassion, of healing and forgiveness. The world should be asking to be a part of “the fellowship” because it goes so far beyond anything they can find in themselves.

Unfortunately the world is not knocking down our doors to get into this fellowship, and the reason is that we aren’t modeling it to them very well. They see us fighting and bickering with one another, holding grudges and being unforgiving, and seeking our own benefit instead of the benefit of another. They hear us call it fellowship, but it looks no different then what they get in any other area of their secular life. What is the attraction in that?

Today, we need to honestly look at our relationships and determine why certain people are being excluded. If in any way it has to do with personal benefit, anger, frustration, personality clashes, vengeance, or any reason other than lack of opportunity, then we are in sin and are hurting the cause of Christ. Spend time reflecting on your fellowship with God through Jesus Christ and what makes that possible, then let that same spirit of humble surrender influence your relationships.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, July 5, 2025

I am a reader of instructions. When I get anything new, I read the instructions before I attempt any assembly. When we get a new family game, I read the instructions so I know the rules. I like to know that things are being done right.

The church has been given an instruction manual called the Bible, and for the assembly to work it needs to be read and followed. If we are to be a REAL church, then according to the pattern set forth for us in the first ever REAL church, we must be people who are devoted to the Word of God. We must be devoted to personal study, small group study, and congregational preaching and teaching, and we must be devoted to the application of what we study.

2 Timothy 2:15  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

James 1:22  “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  

Jesus told this parable to emphasize the importance of putting what we know into practice.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

The REAL church is able to stand against the onslaught of the gates of hell because its foundation is the Word – Jesus Christ – and it is being built on the truth of the Word – the Bible.The REAL church is indwelt by the Word Himself. The individuals of the REAL church are indwelt by the Word Himself. The REAL church stands solidly against all the storms of society because the people of the church are devoted to living out the Word in every part of their lives.

When we know the truth, and do not do it, it is sin. James 4:17 says, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Being devoted to the teaching of the Word of God includes being devoted to the application of the truths we learn. Let’s be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, July 4, 2024

Have a wonderful Fourth of July as we celebrate our nation’s independence.

Celebrate your independence in Christ most of all.

Pray for our country, that every citizen and leader would return to the fundamental truths upon which our constitution was written.

Pray for the return of Jesus Christ to establish His eternal Kingdom.

Enjoy the fireworks.

Tomorrow we will return to our study of the four principles by which the real church can be identified.

Pastor John