LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 8, 2025

“In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”   (Isaiah 2:2-3)

What a beautiful word picture in this passage of Scripture. Prophetically it refers to the Millenial Kingdom when Jesus Christ reigns the entire earth from Jerusalem. Symbolically it refers to the church of Jesus Christ and has the following applications:

• It is the will of God that the church of Jesus Christ be established and raised up above all other religions. As followers of Jesus, we must not fear or back down from other religions. We need to boldly proclaim the Name of Jesus to the world.
• This will result in the people of the world streaming to the church to know more about the One True God and His Son Jesus.  I believe that there will be people from every tribe and language and nation that will come to Jesus Christ for salvation prior to His return to set up His Kingdom. Therefore, we must believe that there are people around us every day who want to hear about Jesus, and we must tell them.
• The people that come to the church are doing so because they have a desire to be taught to be followers of Jesus. They are tired with running their own lives and suffering the consequences of sinful choices. They are exhausted from trying to find purpose and significance for their lives. They are hungry for truth.

We have an incredible opportunity in this era to reap a huge harvest of souls for the King. But there is one thing that is interfering with this harvest –many people who are in the church have closed the damper on the fire of desire to know God’s ways. They have replaced their desire to follow God’s paths with a desire to pursue a path of their own making. The result is that the people of the world who long to come to the house of the Lord to know Him and His truth are confused. The Holy Spirit has given them a glimpse of God’s power to transform their lives, but they are having a difficult time finding living examples of it.

My friends, we must return to our first love – our love for Jesus Christ and His truth. We must desire to learn from Him. We must pant after the streams of Living Water the way deer pant after a brook. We should be modeling a completely transformed lifestyle that is clearly identifiable as the living proof that Jesus is alive. We must re-prioritize our hearts and minds so that the passion for Christ exceeds and dominates ALL other passions and desires.

When we do this, the world will beat a path to our door. Some will come in anger to destroy us. Many will come in humility to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We do not fear the first group. We must, however, be prepared for the second group when they come.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, May 7, 2025

We have probably all laughed at this. We have probably all said it to our children in one way or another. I remember the first time my dad said it to me, and it confused me. Just before the paddle came down across the padded place designed by God to absorb the pain of discipline, he said, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” Yeah, right! That made no sense to me. Couldn’t he see the tears in my eyes and hear the pain of my screams? He had no tears. He didn’t scream. But now I understand what he meant, having felt the deep emotional pain myself when intentionally causing temporary pain through discipline to bring about permanent change resulting in blessing.

The story of God’s relationship with His chosen people Israel is like a broken record of pain and blessing. It just keeps repeating itself. But God never gives up on His children. He never stops loving them. He never stops seeking their good. He never stops working to improve them. And in His love, He never stops disciplining them to bring about change.

There is a wonderful truth found in the book of Hebrews about the relationship between love and discipline expressed by our heavenly Father. It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. … No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Isaiah understood this relationship between love and discipline 600 years earlier when he explained to the people of Israel why God was going to discipline them for their sin.

“I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.” (Isaiah 1:25-26)

God’s discipline is ALWAYS intended for our transformation, restoration, and blessing! The discipline we may be under right now as a result of our sinful choices is proof that we are under the loving care of the Father. And when we discipline our children, it must be in the same spirit of love.

I did not always do this correctly. There were times I disciplined my kids out of frustration. Yelling accompanied the “discipline” because things were interrupting me and my schedule or interfering with my outcomes. Anger was expressed, not at the sinful behavior but because of my pride that I wanted super ceded what was best for the children.

But God’s discipline is ALWAYS intended for our transformation, restoration, and blessing. He ALWAYS has our good in mind. That’s not always true of us, is it?

We must put aside our preferences and our pride when it comes to the discipline we receive from the Father in heaven. It must never be viewed through the eyes of pride or expressed through words and actions of frustration. Frustration is…dare I say ALWAYS…the result of pride. Pride keeps us from understanding what God is doing to transform and restore us so we can receive His blessings.

When we remember that God constantly loves us and allows only those things into our lives that will transform us into the image of His Son, we will embrace the discipline and be thankful that God cares for us as our Father and wants what’s best for us.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, May 6, 2025

I remember a time when the oldest of my grandchildren were still very young and afraid to climb up into the playhouse we had for them in the back yard. No matter how many times I would stand behind them and encourage them to “go to the top”, they just wouldn’t climb the ladder. Then it dawned on me to climb up first and invite them to come up to where I was. It worked! With my hand extended and a simple “Come on up here,” they climbed right up.

We enjoy getting invitations. It seems like we interpret them as a means of escape from the drudgery of our routine lives. But not all invitations are accepted.

Isaiah reminds us of the invitation the Lord offers to anyone and everyone who wants to “come on up here” in chapter one verse eighteen.

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”

Jesus invites us to come together with him and reason with Him so that we can be forgiven of our sins. The Hebrew word for “reason” has several meanings. It means,

• to prove – come together with God and let Him prove to you who He is and what He says
• decide – God always gives you the choice to believe or not
• judge – He wants everyone to know He is the ultimate Judge and will condemn all sin
• rebuke – He rebukes all sin and offers an alternative of righteousness
• correct – He will provide the power of His Holy Spirit to correct all our sin issues
• be right – He will make us right

The invitation God extends is for the forgiveness of sins and the removal of shame. That’s what Jesus paid for on the cross. Hebrews tells us that, in an act of enormous courage and defiance, Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2) and then adds, significantly, that he is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Incarnation, atonement, resurrection, and ascension—the going down and coming up of the Son of God—open the way not only for the forgiveness of our sins, but also for the lifting of our shame. For these are ingredients in the accepting grace of God and in the invitation to union with God’s Son.

What a marvelous invitation from Jesus – the forgiveness of sins and the abolishment of shame. No matter how dark the stain of sin, the blood of Jesus Christ makes us white as snow.

For those who have already said yes to His invitation, there is still a responsibility. We are now the ones who stand at the cross with the resurrected Jesus and extend the invitation to others. We do not walk through life telling people to go to the cross: we walk with them and invite them to come with us to the cross. Today, and every day, become the living invitation others need to experience the grace of God. They are looking for what we have.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, May 5, 2025

It was exciting to see. It was humbling to experience. Really humbling. It produced a level of thanks and praise in my heart I hadn’t experienced for a while. All the glory goes to God. I am amazed that I am included in the Savior’s plan.

Years ago in a former church we made the audacious decision to remove all the pews and put in chairs so we could increase our seating capacity. We went from being able to seat 225 in pews to around 275 in chairs, with some space for overflow. One Sunday we needed the overflow. Extra chairs were set up in the back. But there was a spirit of enthusiasm there that was far more significant than the number of people. Every part of the service engaged the congregation. Every song of worship drew our attention to the throne of God. The Word of God went forth with power and conviction and the Holy Spirit used it to change hearts. It was so very meaningful to me.

Now set that experience up against what happens in far too many churches today. It’s not a new phenomenon. It’s thousands of years old. Isaiah wrote about it in Isaiah one starting in verse 10.

“Hear the word of the LORD… “The multitude of your sacrifices- what are they to me?” says the LORD…When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

This tragedy of religion has many names – Formality, Tradition and Hypocrisy are the three that come to mind. But they all have one cause – pride. It is pride that motivates us to enter into a worship service with the intention of trying to please God and earn His favor. It is pride that puts importance on tradition rather than truth. It is pride that elevates form over function. It is pride that puts on a weekly show that is contrary to the true condition of one’s heart. And God hates pride.

Why do you go to church to worship? Let the Holy Spirit use what Isaiah wrote as you consider this…worship is a lifestyle of surrender and sacrifice to acknowledge Who God is, not a means of earning more from God. The Apostle Paul said, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)

How wonderful it is to worship in a church with people who live out their worship every day. I pray that more will continue do that and more people will come and find the truth.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 2, 2025

Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

Today we begin a new devotional study that takes us to one of my favorite books in the Bible – Isaiah. Reading it is like springtime to me. After long prophecies about the impending judgment of God on a sinful society, the book closes with a glorious vision of the Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus reigns on the throne of Jerusalem. The splendor of that vision brings hope and joy to those who study it and believe it.

We will not take a lot of time going verse by verse through the book, but we will point out the highlights and significance of Isaiah’s prophecies and relate the relevance they have to our modern culture. I pray it will be meaningful for you.

Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet of Almighty God began in 740 B.C. and spanned the last five kings of Israel. The tragic fall of Samaria to the Assyrians in 722 B.C. occurred during his ministry.

Isaiah was the son of Amoz, born in Judah, probably in Jerusalem, about 760 B.C. He enjoyed a significant position in his society and had a close relationship with the reigning monarchs. His education is clearly evident in his superb writing that has gained him eminence in Hebrew literature hardly surpassed by any other. He had a thorough grasp of political history and dared to voice unpopular minority views regarding the state and the economy. His knowledge of the religious heritage of Israel and his unique theological contributions inspire awe. He was fully aware of what was transpiring in the court, in the marketplace, in the shallowness of high society, and the political frustrations of the nation.

When Isaiah was about twenty years old he had a vision of God’s glory and holiness and was called by God to be a prophet (Isaiah 6). The things he saw became the basis for how he viewed God and shared God with others. God warned him that his ministry would bring disappointment and meager results, but God also assured him that forgiveness was always available to those who repent. God also told Isaiah that the promises of God would be fulfilled.

So much for the historical background. Now, for today’s spiritual principle. Isaiah begins his book with an honest evaluation of what society was like in his day. It’s also very relevant to our day. But in the middle of this picture of a sin-sick society is an incredible statement of the grace and patience of God.  Isaiah 1:9 says. “Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”

This is so simple, yet so profound and challenging. God’s incredible grace has provided a way for our culture to escape the judgment of its sin. That’s the simple part. The profound and challenging part is this – you and I are responsible for impacting our culture with the grace of God. In the midst of continued corruption and overt oppression stand God’s people as the lights of hope for a sin-sick society. You and I are here because God has chosen to place us here as His witnesses and to provide an escape for people from the coming judgment of sin.

Now the all-important application point – What kind of an impact for Christ are you having on your society?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 1, 2025

Well we’ve reached the end of our list of ways the power of God is at work in us but remember this – the Power of God has no end. It is limitless, just as He is.

There are two power principles left.

9.   God’s power is at work in us so that we may be servants of the Gospel.

What does that mean? Everyone serves something or someone. In our natural flesh we serve self, demanding that we benefit from our choices. We serve self by working for employers for the benefit of payment or prestige. We serve self by using those with whom we have a relationship to gratify our need for value or pleasure. We serve self by choosing our desires over the wishes of others. We are by nature servants, but with selfish motives.

But when Christ humbled Himself and became the Servant of all he went so far as to sacrifice His life in obedience to the Father He served. By faith in His sacrifice we have been gifted the same Spirit of servanthood so that we may no longer be motivated by self but by the Gospel.

As Paul says in Ephesians 3:7, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.”

Every decision we make in life can and should be motivated by our love for Jesus. We have become servants of the Gospel.

But we are weak, and we fail. We fall back into the desires of the flesh, which brings us to our final power principle.

10.  The power of God is at work in us so that we might bring glory to God even when we are weak.

The Apostle Paul recognized His weakness and was transparent about it with Christ. He tells us how God responded to his confession in 2 Corinthians 12:9. “But God said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

When we cover up our weaknesses with self-generated power, we become even weaker, expending all our energy of self-preservation. But when we admit our weakness to God we are promised His power, not because we demand it or deserve it, but because He is gracious and gives it freely so that He receives the glory.  The more we try to glorify ourselves the more frustrated we will become with the lack of success. But when we embrace the power of God to displace our weakness so that He is glorified, we become strong.

There you have it. Ten ways the power of God is at work in you. Each one is significant. Maybe you should print out these last five devotionals and remind yourself consistently that just like Stephan, you too can be full of power. God’s power.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Are you filled with power? And if you are, what would that even mean or look like?

When Stephen is described in Acts chapter six as being filled with power it stimulated a study of what the Bible says about the power of God that is at work in those who follow Jesus. So far we have discovered six truths that can define our lives. There are four more to dive into.

7.   God’s power is at work so that we might patiently endure all things with thanksgiving and joy.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to endure hardships. I embrace them when they happen, but with a fixit mentality. I even try to fix other people’s troubles. I’m not good at endurance.

But the power of God at work in us can teach us to have GREAT endurance and to do it with joyful thanksgiving. The Apostle Paul teaches us this in Colossians 1:11-12.   “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”

Being filled with God’s power produces satisfaction with our circumstances knowing that they cannot change our eternal qualification or inheritance, AND THAT GIVES US GREAT JOY!!!

8.   God’s power in us also gives us supernatural ability to overcome sin. This power principle is found in Ephesians 6:10-11.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

God’s power is our defense against every scheme of Satan to tempt you to forsake your faith and follow your flesh. But His power is not only a defense. God has given us two weapons of attack – the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and prayer. Ephesians 6:18 says, “Praying at all times in the Spirit.”

God’s power gives us the ability to not only understand His Word, but to also apply it to our daily lives and speak it into the lives of others. It is our weapon of defeating the Enemy, for He cannot stand against what God says. In addition, as fully equipped members of God’s army, God ‘s power grants us access into the eternal war room through prayer so that we may receive our daily marching orders directly from our Commander-in-Chief. Every step we take can be ordered by Jesus Christ and empowered by His Holy Spirit in us so that we can not only stand against the enemy, but we can advance against him.

Is your walk with Christ advancing, or is it stagnant? Are you enduring but not progressing? God’s power will equip you to do both if you will trust Him and not lean on your own understanding. Stop being the fixer for things that have already been conquered.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 29. 2025

When Stephen is described as being full of power in the book of Acts, what does that mean?  In our last two devotionals we have already discovered four ways in which the power of God is at work in us. Here are the next two.  

5.  God’s power is at work so that we may stand up against any and all opposition and endure suffering for Christ’s sake.

Let’s look at two promises from Scripture. 2 Timothy 1:7-8 says. “ For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” 

And in Philippians 3:10 we read, “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.”

Notice the two promises of power in these verses. God’s power in us makes us unashamed of Jesus in the face of worldly opposition, to the extent that we would willingly suffer for the sake of the Gospel because we know it brings us a greater experience of God’s resurrection power.

By embracing the power we already have to engage our culture with the Gospel we will gain even more power to stand up faithfully for Jesus. That is why we were called into faith so that we might fulfill God’s purpose of being His witnesses in the world no matter what it costs.

And that leads us to power principle number 6.

6.  God’s power is at work in us so that we may live by faith alone and bring glory to Jesus Christ.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 the Apostle Paul challenges the new believers in that city with this prayer.  “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.   We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not only do we have a Divine purpose to share the Gospel with our culture, but we all have individual goals and desires as well. Paul says the power of God is at work in us to bring all of those goals and activities under His guidance so that everything we do or say is done for His glory. We make a lot of decisions every day that are solely based on our own preferences. What if every idea that springs into our minds, every plan we make to accomplish something we want to do, and every choice we make to pursue that plan, was brought into the context of God’s purpose for us? How would life change for us? I can guarantee one thing according to the Scripture. We would know more of God’s power and our lives would be lived in the glory of God’s presence.

So stand strong in the power of God. Live by faith in God alone. Do not trust your own understanding of life, but rather trust His power to fulfill every desire of your heart that matches His purpose for you. That’s real living.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 28, 2025

Last Friday in our study of the life of Stephen in the book of Acts we discovered that he was a man full of power. I shared with you the first two ways that the Bible says the power of God is at work in us. There are ten total.  Let’s look at the next two power principles.

3.  God’s power is at work to facilitate participation in the divine nature and escape evil desires.

2 Peter 1:3-4  says it this way. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.   Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

When we turn to Christ in faith, believing Who He is and what He has accomplished on our behalf, we are immediately indwelt by the Spirit of God. The power He brings is sufficient to provide us everything we need in life, including the ability to live righteously according to the Divine nature that lives in us. We no longer need to strive for excellence to earn God’s presence, we embrace God’s presence which produces excellence. That’s what Peter calls living according to the great and precious promises.

That leads us to power principle number four, where the Apostle Peter gives us another way in which the power of God is at work.

4.  To know we are secure in Christ.

It is very difficult to find security in this world. Financial markets fluctuate. Political powers rise and fall. Meaningful employment may be hard to find. Relationships are fickle. If only there was a way to feel secure.

There is. We can know that we know that we know with never a doubt that we are secure in the power of God. 1 Peter 1:5  says, “Through faith we are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” The rescue from all of the insecurity we experience is available by putting confidence in the promise of an unchanging and all-powerful God who fulfills every promise.

Someday, maybe soon, Jesus is returning, and we will be hoisted out of all this mess and dwell in eternal glory forever. That’s guaranteed.  We are being kept by God’s power, not our own, and certainly not by our circumstances. We have confidence in what God is doing in us, not in what is happening around us. He is shielding us from the insecurities that come from looking at the inconsistencies in the world by keeping our hearts and minds fixed on Who He is. He cannot fail. His power is keeping us!

God’s power is at work in us to turn us into representatives of His divine nature by escaping the corruption of the world. His power is keeping us secure because we no longer trust in what we can do for ourselves or what the world can do for us or to us. We are secure. May that truth lift you up to new heights of living today and provide you with the attitude adjustments that are necessary.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 25,2025

“Stephen was a man full of grace and power…” Acts 6:8a

Stephen’s faith was correctly placed in Jesus Christ. He had completely experienced God’s grace. He was overflowing with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And as a result, he was filled with God’s power.

Here are three bullet points of truth from which we will let the Holy Spirit teach us about God’s power in our lives. 

• Faith and grace must always be our focus ahead of power. Power produces pride if not held in the context of faith and grace.
• We must be in love with the God who gives power and not the power God gives. The love of power will quickly become an idol and set itself up against an honest knowledge of God.
• The Bible describes how power applies to our lives. Don’t be confused by emotionalism or public displays of what appears to be supernatural abilities.

There are ten ways the Bible tells us that the power of God is working in us. Let’s look at the first two today.

1.  The power of God is working in us so that we may experience Jesus Christ living in and through us.

In Ephesians 3:16-17 we read this. ”I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom we are filled, we can experience the literal life of Christ dwelling in us, giving us peace, joy, love, patience, gentleness, self-control, kindness, faithfulness, and goodness. The power of God is producing the character of Christ in us. We so often look for the display of power in miracles or answers to prayer, but the first way that God’s power works in us is to make us like Christ in character. Our external displays of power mean very little if they are not supported by a life of grace.

2.  To know the fullness of the love of God and be filled with Him.

The Apostle Paul continues his thoughts in Ephesians 3:17-19.  “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

The power of God that is producing the character of Christ in us is also giving us a deeper understanding of what God’s love is like and how to be filled with it. What good is great preaching if it is not done in love? What benefit is truth if it is not spoken in love? What value is there in miracles if they do not represent the love of Jesus? And how does exalting or promoting oneself reveal anything but love for self rather than the love of God.

God’s power is at work in us to fulfill grace and love in us. Are we embracing His power to produce His results in our lives?

Pastor John