LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 30, 2024

When teaching about faith, the Bible uses Abram, later to be called Abraham, as the primary example. The New Testament writers refer to Abraham seventy-seven times to help us to understand what faith is. There are obviously some important lessons we can learn from this man’s life as we grow in our faith. 

At the beginning of the story of Abram in Genesis 12, we hear the voice of God speaking to Abram and asking him to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to an unknown land.

Genesis 12:1-5 “The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth  will be blessed through you.” So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.”

Carefully reflect on all that God was asking Abram to do:

1.      Leave his homeland – I grew up leaving my homeland all the time. As a pastor’s son we moved every 4 –5 years on average. Leaving the beautiful state of Michigan in my 9^th grade year was supremely difficult. I am so glad to be living again in a land of such diversified beauty and outdoor activity. I know how hard it is to leave a geographic area that is loved as home.

2.      Leave his people – Those of you who have lived in one area all your life probably don’t have a good understanding of this. There really are different cultures out there, and you don’t have to go outside our country to find them. I discovered different cultures every time I crossed state lines, and it’s hard to adjust to them. Because we are relational beings, people bring us comfort. New people tend to scare us. Abram was asked to leave his relational comfort zone.

3.      Leave his father’s household – For me at this stage of my life right now, this would be the toughest of the three. Family means everything to me and having them nearby is very significant.

4.      Go to an unknown land – No maps, no web site to preview the housing options, no contacts with anyone who’s already been there, no knowledge of even where he is headed. Just a general direction.

As we reflect on those four issues that Abram had to deal with, I’m sure we can relate to at least one of them in our lives right now. God is giving us all daily direction, and I think we are all guilty of giving God daily guidelines for that direction. We state our cases and concerns before we listen to His course. We predetermine the parameters of a positive response to His position and purpose. “I’ll do it if I can do it from here.” “I’ll go only as far as this cultural border.” “I’ll go if my family can go with me.” I’ll go if you tell me where I am going.” 

We must ask ourselves if we are putting conditions on God’s commands. That is not wise, but foolish. It is not faith. I seriously want to emphasize this point to all of us. Faith in God does not ask for answers, nor does it foolishly protect personal preferences. If faith does those two things, then it is not faith in God but rather it is faith in human wisdom and personal preferences. Think about this carefully in light of your current life decisions. Are they being made in true faith in God alone?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 29, 2024

Our first example of faith and wisdom combining to accomplish the purpose of God is Noah. This guy had amazing faith in God and followed God’s wisdom in getting the job done. Just think of what it must have been like for him. He and his family are living in a tropical world where they have never seen or needed rain. All the moisture they ever needed was all around them in the atmosphere, and the daily dew was sufficient for all necessary watering because the ground water was so plentiful.  But worldly sufficiency cannot compensate for spiritual deficiency. So God gave Noah an assignment.

Genesis 6:9-14; 22 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out… Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

What would the neighbors think when Noah started to build an ark? God directs this faithful man of integrity and righteousness to build a boat. Not just any boat, but a boat so large that at least two of every kind of animal in the world could reside in it for a period of 1 year. This wasn’t just a little dugout canoe for fishing. That would not have drawn any attention from anyone. This was a statement of faith in God’s Word and a step into God’s wisdom. That first step of obedience lasted 120 years. That’s how long it took to complete the ark. But any step of faith into God’s wisdom, regardless of the length or difficulty of the road traveled, results in God’s glory. 

That’s the kind of faith we need today: faith in God’s Word that results in steps into God’s wisdom. Where has God been speaking into your life, but you have not been stepping into His wisdom? Maybe it’s in a career decision where it will take great faith to trust God’s wisdom and step in God’s direction rather than in the direction of the world’s provision. Maybe it’s in a relationship, where it will take great faith to trust God’s wisdom rather than pursue personal fulfillment or satisfaction. Maybe it’s in financial issues, where it will take great faith to step out in God’s wisdom by giving substantially to His Kingdom work rather than to the building of an earthly kingdom for self. 

Whatever the issue, right now is the right time to look up in obedience to God’s Word and step out in faith into God’s wisdom and obey God’s directions.  

Lord, give us the faith of Noah to trust your Word and tread your path. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, August 28, 2024

Over my years in ministry, I have observed two Biblical principles that must be connected and balanced. They are faith and wisdom. I have also observed that most people in the church tend to emphasize one over the other. There are those who push faith without sight, and there are those who require sight before faith. Both groups of people are needed to bring balance, but generally the two groups are at odds rather than working together to discover the will of God.  Sometimes it even results in name calling. Those who need sight call those who don’t fools. And those who don’t need sight call those who do faithless. It causes tension and division in the church and hinders the accomplishment of God’s purpose. 

There are two things we must consider. First, those who claim great faith and are ready to move forward on anything without having all the answers  must slow down and consider all the practical issues of doing so. And second, those who require all the pieces of the puzzle to be in place before moving on must learn to trust God when He says to move even when it doesn’t make sense. Both groups of people can help each other grow in faith and wisdom.

Our next devotional study is going to look at Biblical examples of people with faith and wisdom, and how both are necessary to honor God and accomplish His will. We will see that delayed obedience while we try to figure things out doesn’t honor God, and that immediate activity is presumptuous and does not accomplish God’s will. Our ultimate desire is to both honor God and accomplish His purpose. It’s not about how well we can plan our activity, provide for it, and predict the outcome. It’s about how God is going to fill the activity with His glory.

When the prophet Haggai was charged by God with the rebuilding of the Temple, the people used both wisdom and faith. By faith they built without the knowledge of where the resources would come from. Wisdom made it their priority to accomplish God’s purpose. Wisdom and faith combined to produce obedience even though none of them would see the glory of which God spoke. None of them would be around to see the “desired of all nations” arrive. None of them would be alive to see the peace in the nation that was promised. But in faith they obeyed and trusted God for the outcome. 

When everything we do is about God and His glory, then everything we have or desire to have becomes a sacrifice to accomplishing God’s purpose. That’s the faith we need to have – a faith that denies our rights to benefiting from the outcome and that acknowledges our total dependence upon God’s provision. That’s what brings us peace. Do not be afraid. God is with us, and the glory of God seen in steps of faith is greater than any glory we can claim from human solutions.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Today we conclude our study on joy from the book of Phillians. Our final thought is this –  joy results in generous giving which results in greater joy. Here’s what Paul writes to the people in Philippi.

Philippians 4:14-19 “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Paul stated earlier that he rejoiced greatly because of the way the people of the church in Philippi gave generously to meet his needs. He describes the gifts as a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice that is pleasing to God. Paul referred to these gifts when he wrote to another church in Corinth. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.” The people of Philippi gave even when everything in them told them not to. They were poor. They had trouble paying their bills. They had needs of their own, but they were content because of the strength they received from rejoicing in the Lord.  They were able to look beyond their own needs and consider others ahead of themselves because they were on Route You and not Route Me. They followed the sacrificial pattern of their Savior, and they gave, and gave, and gave some more. They were super-generous, and it touched Paul deeply and filled him with joy.

My friends, if you are not experiencing great joy in your walk with the Lord, maybe it’s because you haven’t sacrificed enough. Maybe it’s because there is too much trust in your own power to provide for yourself, and not enough trust in the provision of God. There is not much joy in knowing what we can do: there is great joy in watching what God can do. Maybe we aren’t giving Him a chance to do great things.

Years ago, our church was initiating a huge building program. We knew it would take God’s miraculous provision to accomplish it. People responded to the joy of the Lord with sacrificial gifts that covered over one-half of the total cost of the building before we even agreed to start the project. They rejoiced in being asked and they rejoiced in responding. There is no greater joy than knowing the grand and glorious work of God was accomplished through their personal sacrifice. It’s exactly what gave Jesus the strength to endure the cross – the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

Whatever sacrifice is necessary, keep your eyes fixed on the fullness of the joy that will be yours when you do it for God’s glory. There is eternal joy in knowing that Jesus  gives us a spirit of generosity to flourish even when we think we have very little. And that produces more and greater joy. So keep being generous and reap the harvest of enduring joy.  

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, August 26, 2024

Just yesterday I saw it again. Someone posted a Bible verse and used it to justify an outcome they wanted. It was totally out of context. Many times we are guilty of taking Bible verses out of context just so we can feel better about ourselves. Sometimes we use verses to motivate ourselves within the context of possibilities, but we limit those possibilities only to those things that will benefit us. In today’s Scripture from Philippians chapter four we have such a verse that has been misused and misapplied. You will recognize it as I read this passage.

Philippians 4:10-13 “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

How many times have you seen “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” printed on a t-shirt, uniform, or Facebook page?And how many times has it been there because the person was declaring that they have the strength to endure adversity and failure? Most of the time the verse is used to claim some guarantee of success. But that is not the context of the verse.

Paul taught the people of Philippi to rejoice in the Lord even during imprisonment. They responded to the joy of the Lord by reaching out with compassion to help Paul in his need. But Paul says this – “I do not consider myself to be in need.”  Wow! He is in prison. He is being persecuted for what he believes. He owns nothing of his own. Yet he says he is content. How is that possible. Because of the strength of the Lord. You see, the promise of doing everything through Christ who gives us strength is not a promise of success, but it is a promise of contentment even when everything is wrong.

Here’s the secret. When we rejoice in the Lord and know that He is in control of all things, working them out for His glory, then even our failures become a part of a bigger purpose than just our need for immediate gratification. And when we rejoice in God’s bigger purpose, we are given the strength to endure anything until He works it all out. We learn the secret of contentment.

Most people today are far from content. Every day they strive for more and better, thinking that life can only be enjoyed if it is free from trouble and suffering. We have become our own God, declaring the right to determine what is best for us. We rejoice in ourselves and then try to claim a Bible verse that validates our right to get it done. Then if it doesn’t, we blame God for failing us. What a frightful life.

Paul rejoiced that he was receiving help, but he wanted us to know that he wasn’t depending on the help to make his life better. He was content with any circumstance because he fully trusted God to provide him with peace while he endured the suffering. My friends, we must learn this. We must become people who truly trust God with all outcomes. The result will be peace and freedom from worry, because when we rejoice in the Lord, Christ will give us the strength to be content.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 23, 2024

In this concluding chapter of the book of Philippians, Paul has moved from teaching us how to have joy to showing us the results of learning to rejoice in the Lord. Yesterday we looked at the first two by-products of rejoicing: peace and unity in our relationships. Today we discover another Christ-like characteristic that is produced by joy – compassion.

Let’s review a vital definition of joy. Biblical joy is choosing to respond to external circumstances with inner contentment and satisfaction, because we know that God will use these experiences to accomplish His work in and through our lives. Joy is a feeling of good pleasure and happiness that is dependent on who Jesus is rather than on who we are or what is happening around us. Joy is a gift from God, and it is something to be celebrated and shared with others. Joy is rooted in who God is and is not fleeting or based on circumstances.

Joy is one of the fruit of the Spirit of God within us. It is not an emotion. Happiness is an emotional response to circumstances, just as anger and disappointment and sadness. Joy, however, is an expression of the life of Jesus in us. Just as the nature of Jesus is not changed by circumstances, so His life in us is not changed by circumstances. Joy is so much more than a feeling. It unites our faith with confidence and covers our emotions with the umbrella of peace.

Something happens in the hearts of people who are living in joy. Their focus switches from themselves to others. Their own needs become secondary to the needs of others. Instead of complaining about what’s wrong in their own life, they develop compassion for how others are hurting.

Look at how the Apostle Paul describes the people of joy in Philippi in verse ten of chapter four.“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me.” When the people of the church began to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of their circumstances, they began to see the needs of Paul, which caused him to rejoice even more. When the church of Jesus Christ begins acting like the Body of Jesus Christ by loving others the way Jesus did, it produces even more joy in the individual members of the Body.

Of all the churches Paul organized, this one church had set the standard for how to take care of their pastor and missionary. They knew how to come along side him and support him even while he was in prison. Their love for Jesus and their experience of His joy through all the trials and troubles of life raised their awareness of the needs of others.

At some point we all must come to the crossroads of two major highways of life: Route Me and Route You. When we are rejoicing in the Lord, we choose Route You. When we are intent on finding emotional security from the circumstances of this world we will choose Route Me. May the church, the Body of Christ, become known for choosing Route You.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 22, 2024

In our previous studies on joy from Philippians we have seen how joy is produced. Paul now switches his approach and uses joy to produce something else. Let’s see what it is.

Philippians 4:2-7  “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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.” 

It begins with a less than harmonious relationship between two women – Euodia and Syntyche. There seems to be a spat going on and the two women cannot reach a unified agreement about it. It is hurting the joy quotient of the church. Paul challenges the other members of the church to get involved in resolving the conflict, and he says the starting point for the fix is to rejoice. It is hard to disagree with someone else when the focus is turned to rejoicing about our salvation. Try it! Next time you are in an argument with your spouse or friend, stop and ask them to join you in praising God for your salvation that Jesus paid for with His life on the cross. Whatever you’re arguing about loses its importance quickly, doesn’t it? Rejoicing in the Lord is the starting point of healing disagreements, disharmony, and disunity.

The second step in healing hurts is to be seen as gentle. Jesus describes Himself as gentle, and the word means to be humble and lowly. It carries the idea in this passage that each of these women should not be so quick to want to get their point across but rather that they should learn to listen to the other and respect their opinion. It is truly a word that describes true love in action – considering others better than yourself and putting their needs ahead of your own. That is what was needed as the next step towards unity.

The third step in the healing process where there is dissension is to not get so anxious and overly excited when things don’t seem to be going your own way. Instead, turn it over to the Lord in prayer, being thankful that you have the privilege of letting Him handle it. It is when we submit all the outcomes to God that he brings us to a place of peace and gives us His peace that passes all understanding. These women may not truly understand one another, and may not accept the other’s viewpoint, but in prayer God will grant a peace that overwhelms the lack of understanding and guards our hearts and minds against sinful thoughts and behaviors towards another person.

The context of this often quoted passage is unity in the body of Christ. Peace is extremely important in the church, and the way to peace begins at the intersection of rejoicing and humility. How can we truly rejoice in the Lord unless we are humble, recognizing that all we are and all we have is from Him? We can’t. So, when we rejoice, we pave the road with peace, and unity results.

Rejoice in the Lord! And again I say: Rejoice!

 Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Today we come to the final theological truth the Apostle Paul describes in Philippians chapter three as it relates to the experience of enduring joy. Here’s what He says.

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

In the previous verse Paul described people who live as enemies of the cross of Jesus Christ. But note carefully. They are not described as enemies, but they live like they are. They may even be Christians. They are identified by three characteristics: they pursue the pleasures and gratification of this world, they find satisfaction in shameful things, and their minds are focused on what this world can offer them. And while these pursuits may satisfy them in the flesh for a moment, their lives will end in destruction.

But we who are running the race of life for the glory of Jesus and living according to His truth can rejoice that our citizenship is in heaven and not of this earth, and that Jesus is coming soon to take us to Himself and transform us into His likeness in a glorified body.

There is a big difference between Christians who are living for the pleasures of this life and those who have their hearts and minds set on heaven. People who have their minds fixed on this world are fearful of giving it all up when Jesus returns. They secretly desire that Jesus not come back until they get to experience one more thing in the world or accomplish one more goal. They invest their time, energy, and resources into what this world can give them, believing that peace and joy are experienced only through worldly success. They are building up treasures for themselves in this live, and they will all eventually be lost.

But those who have their hearts set on their citizenship in heaven will be filled with enduring joy that can never be lost. They invest their time, energy, and resources into eternal things where they can never fade, tarnish, or be destroyed. They have their treasure in heaven where their citizenship is, and it is being safeguarded by the eternal King.

Someday, maybe even today, Jesus is returning to this earth to transform our imperfect, failing, lowly bodies into the likeness of His glorious eternal body and we will be with Him forever. If you want to know the fulness of joy, start investing your life in that promised eternal life and resist the urge to keep building your nest egg on this earth.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, August 20, 2024

As we continue our study of Philippians chapter three, there are two more theological truths that become the basis for experiencing true joy in our lives. The first is found in verse 13.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,”

Here’s the truth – we can rejoice in knowing that none of us, not even the Apostle Paul, can achieve perfection in this life.

I am overwhelmed with my lack of perfection. I am even more overwhelmed with my need to attain it. The details of life become joy suckers when we believe they must be perfect. And the idea that we must be perfect to have value becomes a chain around our necks that drags us to the bottom of the sea of despair. Some of us get our personal value from striving for perfection in our jobs, our families, our relationships, our sports, or in countless other pursuits. We believe that if we achieve excellence then we can define ourselves as excellent and have others validate us as well. Some of us strive for spiritual perfection, thinking it’s a requirement for the joy of the Lord. Both pursuits of perfection are unrealistic and wrong, and not based on the theological truth of God’s grace.

But the amazing truth is that God still uses us for His glory if we live up to what we have already attained. The experience of joy in the Lord is not based on what we are trying to attain, but on what we already have. Paul says in verse sixteen that our goal in life is to “hold true to what we have attained.” But what is it that we have attained? The status of Child of God and equal heirs with the King.  Paul tells us this in Romans chapter 8. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”

We have already achieved spiritual perfection based on our standing with God through Jesus Christ. Of course, we may not always act like it, but that does not change our status. We must resist spending so much time on achieving perfection and simply live as Paul lived –  “straining forward to what lies ahead.” And what lies ahead? The finish line where Jesus waits to greet us with the words, “Well done. You were a good and faithful servant.”  Not a perfect servant, but a good and faithful one. Strive for faithfulness, not perfection. Your joy will increase as you rejoice that no matter what happens in the flesh, we are spiritually secure in Jesus Christ.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, August 19, 2024

Last Friday we began a discussion on the connection between theology and joy. Paul spends some time in His letter to the church at Philippi developing this subject because true intimacy with Jesus, which is the source of all joy, must be based on truth and not emotions or personal preferences. When we know the truth about Jesus, and apply His truth to our lives, we will find enduring joy.

Our second essential truth from Philippians 3 is found in verses thirteen and fourteen.

“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 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.”

Here’s the theological truth that produces joy: we can rejoice in knowing that we are running the right race, with heaven as the goal.

Paul compares life to a race. Races take training. They take discipline. Races require us to run in the right lane. And they always have a finish line. We may not have always been running the right race, but we can rejoice that now we are because of the awesome love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Our past races are irrelevant and meaningless, and only serve as reminders to run this race for Christ alone. Jesus has forgiven us for the past. He allows us to forget the past. He has restored us to relationship with Himself for all eternity. Running His race His way brings ultimate joy both as we run and at the finish line when we meet Him face to face.

In the book of Hebrews, we have a description of how to run the race successfully, knowing that others have done it and serve as witnesses to the joy that it brings.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

So today, choose to run the race of life with a new determination to reach the goal of eternal joy. Choose to stay on course for Jesus. Choose to run your race in your assigned lane where Jesus has placed you and equipped you for His service. Choose to train well by studying His Word and applying His truth to your life. Choose to be disciplined and not get distracted by immediate gratification and be disqualified from the race. And throw off all the weights of your past failures and shame and run your race in the light of God’s forgiveness. The joy you will experience is nothing compared to the joy that comes at the finish line.

Pastor John