LifeLink Devotions for Monday, August 5, 2024

Now that we have finished our study on how to stay strong and secure in all the hardships and storms of life, there’s another response to difficulty that needs to be considered. It is not a natural response, but one that is encouraged and commanded in Scripture. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. I am referring to joy. What makes joy possible during the trials and uncertainty of life?

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison, and yet it was his most uplifting and encouraging letter. What makes that kind of joy possible when the circumstances of life were so horrible? I think we will discover from Paul’s letter some wonderful truths that will help us not only know the answer to that question but also experience the reality of it as well.

It is significant that the first statement of joy that Paul makes to the people in Philippi while in his prison cell is based on his relationship with them.

Philippians 1:3-6  “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Relationships are vital to the experience of joy in our lives. Paul calls the people in this church his partners in the Gospel, and it is because of that partnership that he is able to endure hardship. We see this principle worked out in a variety of ways in our everyday lives. Like athletes who press on toward the prize of winning a championship even though they are seriously hurting from an injury because they are surrounded by partners in the pursuit of the goal who support them and carry out their roles.

This is what the people of Philippi were to Paul – partners in the work of bringing people to Christ. Even though Paul was sidelined by his imprisonment he was filled with joy when he thought of the partners he had who were still hard at work to carry out their commission to spread the Good News. I have discovered this joy of partnership in the church. So many pastors have yet to experience it because they are forced to do all the work alone. They are leading a flock of impotent and sterile sheep who are unwilling to propagate the Gospel. Somehow they have gotten the idea that it is the shepherd’s responsibility to produce more sheep. These churches may be filled with people who do all kinds of work in the church but fail to do the necessary work of evangelism in the world. I know the sorrow that is produced in the heart of a pastor when he is leading a church like that.

I also know the joy of being in partnership with people who are experiencing the finishing work of God in their lives. They are at work in the church and in the world with the primary focus of their work being the salvation of lost souls.  They are growing in their love for Jesus Christ, which is expressed in their abounding love for each other. (see Philippians 1:9-11). They are striving for purity and holiness, and their lives are filled with the fruit of righteousness so that it is obvious in how they live every day that they belong to Jesus Christ.

I praise God for such partnerships in the Gospel. When things go wrong on any given day, and hardship comes, we can be filled with joy anyway because of those partnerships, knowing that others are serving our Lord and Savior with all of their heart. I trust that your partnership with me brings you the same joy.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 2, 2024

Today we conclude our study on trusting God’s character in bad circumstances. Our devotions have focused on the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 which says that all things are working out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The basis for this study has been the “things” that are working for our good, and we have discovered that the “things” does not primarily refer to the circumstances of life but to the activities of God as expressed by His character in us.

In review, the “things” that are at work for our good are:

1.      The freedom from the sinful nature because of the Spirit of life given to us in Christ

2.      This life is one of righteousness and peace

3.      We have been adopted as children of God and granted all rights as heirs with Christ of all things

4.      This hope we have in our final redemption into a spiritually perfect and eternal body gives us the patience to endure hardship today

Our final point to consider is this: while we patiently wait for that final redemption, God has given us the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit to provide us with strength in our times of weakness.

Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

Paul begins this statement with the phrase “In the same way”. He refers to what he has just stated in verses 22-25 where we learned yesterday that we are inwardly groaning for the day when we will be free from the limitations and bondage of this physical existence and we will be given our eternal bodies. When we experience trouble and hardship, we groan for relief, and the ultimate groan is the cry for heaven. The groan for heaven is a groan we know, because we know the outcome of it. The groans for present relief are groans we do not know, because we cannot find answers. But the Holy Spirit groans for us because He does know the answers. In the same way that we groan for what we know will be the ultimate answer – heaven – the Holy Spirit, who searches our hearts and knows the mind of God, groans for the answers to our present situations so that everything works out for good according to God’s purpose.

I hope you find this as helpful and encouraging as I do. In those dark times when answers are hard to find, we can trust the companionship of the Holy Spirit who is at work to bring about good from the heart of God. When words cannot express the depth of our emotions and fears, the Holy Spirit understands our groanings. Do not fear the times of inexpressible confusion. Do not fear the times of unanswered requests. Do not fear the times of limited understanding. The Holy Spirit is never confused. He is never withholding an answer. He is always working to bring us understanding in faith. His time schedule may be different than we desire, but we can trust the outcome to our Sovereign Companion. 

When we understand this fully, we can wholeheartedly proclaim with the Apostle Paul the words of the rest of Romans 8 in this revised and condensed version:

If God is for us, who can be against us? With all these things at work on our behalf we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. I am now convinced that nothing in this world or in my current situation can separate me from the love of God because I am in Christ Jesus my Lord.

May I suggest that you commit that to memory. Or write it on a card and always carry it with you. The next time a situation arises that looks dark, or diminishes your hope in any way, pull it out and read it and be refreshed. God is at work around you through the Holy Spirit in you to produce His good through you. That’s a guarantee!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 1, 2024

Even though we have been spiritually adopted as children of God, as we discovered yesterday, the reality is that we still have to endure the hardships of this physical life for a time. Paul understood that when he wrote this next passage of encouragement to us in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8:22-25  “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Let’s be honest, for most of us the physical hardships, troubles, and trials of life usually overwhelm our spirits and we long for them to be over. Our patience runs thin. We run after the pursuits of the flesh rather than rest in our position as a child of God.

According to Paul, the reason we run out of patience and run into problems is that we have displaced hope. For some reason we have bought into a self-serving spiritual philosophy that seems to guarantee us the fulfillment of the flesh because we have been adopted as children of God. “Give me my inheritance now!” is the cry of the followers of this position. The hope of such people is placed in the fulfillment of life in their current body. But Paul refutes that claim present prosperity by stating that our hope is to be in the ultimate redemption of our current physical bodies when Jesus returns in glory to give us our eternal, spiritually based body. Until then, we groan inwardly as we wait patiently for that to occur.

I like to think of this in terms of a caterpillar, even though the analogy is not perfect. Prior to my salvation, I was just wandering around feeding on any green leaf I could find. I may not have been the nicest creature to look at, but I did my best to combine my colors and my defense systems into an external appearance that could be tolerated. On the inside I was filled with bitterness: just ask the robin that tried to pick me up until I squirted his beak with my juice when he squeezed me too hard. I was afraid of intimacy, because any time someone would get too close I would curl up in a ball and protect myself from harm. Then one day I was moved in my spirit to leave that life behind. I suddenly understood that there was a purpose for my life and that I could be free to fly. I became responsible to put to death the old ways and be transformed into a new being. I spun myself into a grave where death would normally be certain, but where God’s power would transform me. This grave is ugly and hard. I am bound up in it, but I am patiently waiting to be fully released because I know that when I am I will be complete. Inside this shell I groan to be set free. My wings have formed. My spirit is transformed. My will is conformed to that of my creator. Very soon He will energize me to break out of the grave I am in and fly into His arms. Until He does, I wait patiently.

As I said, the analogy is not perfect, for in one sense we have already been set free from our cocoons to serve Jesus Christ in freedom. But in light of what Paul says in today’s Scripture, we are still in a physical cocoon. It limits us. It confines us. It makes us long to be free from its restrictions. But our hope is not in this physical life: it is in the death of this flesh and the resurrection into spiritual eternity. With our hope fixed firmly on that guarantee, we can patiently endure the hardships of our current cocoon. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 1, 2024

Even though we have been spiritually adopted as children of God, as we discovered yesterday, the reality is that we still have to endure the hardships of this physical life for a time. Paul understood that when he wrote this next passage of encouragement to us in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8:22-25  “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Let’s be honest, for most of us the physical hardships, troubles, and trials of life usually overwhelm our spirits and we long for them to be over. Our patience runs thin. We run after the pursuits of the flesh rather than rest in our position as a child of God.

According to Paul, the reason we run out of patience and run into problems is that we have displaced hope. For some reason we have bought into a self-serving spiritual philosophy that seems to guarantee us the fulfillment of the flesh because we have been adopted as children of God. “Give me my inheritance now!” is the cry of the followers of this position. The hope of such people is placed in the fulfillment of life in their current body. But Paul refutes that claim present prosperity by stating that our hope is to be in the ultimate redemption of our current physical bodies when Jesus returns in glory to give us our eternal, spiritually based body. Until then, we groan inwardly as we wait patiently for that to occur.

I like to think of this in terms of a caterpillar, even though the analogy is not perfect. Prior to my salvation, I was just wandering around feeding on any green leaf I could find. I may not have been the nicest creature to look at, but I did my best to combine my colors and my defense systems into an external appearance that could be tolerated. On the inside I was filled with bitterness: just ask the robin that tried to pick me up until I squirted his beak with my juice when he squeezed me too hard. I was afraid of intimacy, because any time someone would get too close I would curl up in a ball and protect myself from harm. Then one day I was moved in my spirit to leave that life behind. I suddenly understood that there was a purpose for my life and that I could be free to fly. I became responsible to put to death the old ways and be transformed into a new being. I spun myself into a grave where death would normally be certain, but where God’s power would transform me. This grave is ugly and hard. I am bound up in it, but I am patiently waiting to be fully released because I know that when I am I will be complete. Inside this shell I groan to be set free. My wings have formed. My spirit is transformed. My will is conformed to that of my creator. Very soon He will energize me to break out of the grave I am in and fly into His arms. Until He does, I wait patiently.

As I said, the analogy is not perfect, for in one sense we have already been set free from our cocoons to serve Jesus Christ in freedom. But in light of what Paul says in today’s Scripture, we are still in a physical cocoon. It limits us. It confines us. It makes us long to be free from its restrictions. But our hope is not in this physical life: it is in the death of this flesh and the resurrection into spiritual eternity. With our hope fixed firmly on that guarantee, we can patiently endure the hardships of our current cocoon. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Unfortunately, in our modern culture, there are far too many people who do not have the privilege of knowing their father, and if they do so many of them have a poor understanding of what a real father is like because of the model they had. But if we can look beyond the human limitations and failures of some earthly fathers and open our hearts to the incredible wonder of a perfect Father in heaven, we will be empowered to endure hardship because we know His heart and His purpose is always good.

Romans 8 tells us about the things that are at work in our lives to help us handle tough times, and one of the most significant for me is this one – I have been made a permanently loved child of God with all rights of sonship.

Romans 8:14-16 “…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Just think about that for a while today and contemplate what that all involves. Here’s a small list to get you started. You will think of more, I’m sure.

1.      We have a life free from fear because of the power of the Father. When I was young I had a vivid and recurring dream. I was a toddler and was in a fenced area containing a large bull with huge horns that swept down in a curve in front of his head much like tusks on an elephant. The bull charged me and scooped me up with his horns and began tossing me in the air. With each toss I became more filled with terror as the bull would catch me and then confidently throw me higher. At the top of one toss, I noticed my father coming to my rescue. He jumped high into the air using the back of the bull as a springboard and snatched me away from danger, setting me down carefully as he landed on the ground. He turned and grabbed the bull by the horns and began spinning him around like an Olympic hammer-thrower. At just the right moment he released the bull and flung him into a far pasture. I awakened from the dream feeling at peace that I had a father who would protect me from harm. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption as a son, and we may cry out to Him in any situation knowing that He will respond with intimate love and infinite power.

2.      We have been made an equal heir of all things with Jesus Christ. When God adopts us as His children he removes all distinctions, not only between us and other people, but also between Jesus Christ and us. Yes, Jesus is still God, and we are not, but God honors those who are in Christ with all the rights and rewards of being His children. The Apostle John states it this way: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:1-2)

3.      Finally, the sufferings of today are necessary for the total experience of glory later. We are much more appreciative of gain when we have experienced loss. Blessings are more valued after cursings. Light is more highly esteemed after a period of darkness. Glory will be more fully revealed after suffering. Do not fight the hardship – embrace it as a training ground of personal growth leading towards the revealing of God’s glory.

Hardship and hurt are able to be endured because fear has been removed by the power of the Father to control and conquer the difficulty; because the Father treats me with the same love and honor that He treats Jesus because I have been made an equal heir; and God is designing all of the tests in this life to improve me and prove to me His love so that I will experience the fullness of His glory. Be encouraged – you are a child of God.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Yesterday we talked about the word vitality, and that God has granted us that kind of life in Jesus Christ. The root word of vitality is vital, and it is used to describe certain organs in our bodies that are essential to existence. Our vital organs are primarily contained in our chest cavity, protected from the normal activities of life by our rib cage. But when we are involved in some form of dangerous activity, we wear extra protection. Police officers wear bulletproof vests; football quarterbacks wear flack jackets; and Christians wear a breastplate of righteousness.

Romans 8:10 “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.” 

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Ephesians 6:14 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place…”

Being a Christian is a dangerous profession: the Enemy is out to destroy what makes our life vital. He is constantly shooting his flaming arrows at our hearts, trying to interrupt the flow of life-giving blood. He cannot undo the saving power of the blood of Jesus Christ, but he can stop it from having its intended result on our personal choices and lifestyles. He shoots his wicked darts at our lungs, attempting to quench the breath of the Holy Spirit so that we gasp for the air of the world to survive. He aims his attack at times at our stomachs, hoping to stop the feeding on God’s Word and the digesting of truth so that he can deceive us and mislead us into sin.

But God has provided us with an impenetrable defense system to protect all of our vitals. It is the breastplate of righteousness. But what makes this such an effective defense system? First, it is not of our own design, so it has none of the limitations of our humanity. Our own righteousness is as filthy rags and was surrendered as worthless at the cross when we were saved. Second, it is not simply a righteousness designed by God for us, as that would imply a choice we have to wear it or not. Finally, it is the actual righteousness of God Himself. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 again: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus Christ became our sin, so that in Him we have become the righteousness of God. This is not an addition to our lives; it is the replacement of our lives. It is our very identity: we are righteous.

Because of this, when we fall into sin or become overwhelmed with trouble and trials, it is because we have ignored or forgotten our identity. The righteousness of God is still there, but as Paul says in Ephesians, we have not made sure it is in place. Make sure that your vitals are protected by a constant reflection on the righteous nature and character of God Himself that is our permanent possession, and you will be protected from the effects of the bad and evil in our world. God’s righteousness is at work in you to bring about His good.

The righteousness of God is not only a defense system, but it is also an offensive weapon against the hardships of life. Let the truths of 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 touch and encourage your heart.

“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

That’s the vitality of the life of Jesus in you.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, July 29, 2024

Bad circumstances have a way of sapping our energy. We get mentally drained trying to figure out solutions to the problem. We get emotionally drained by feeling all the possible responses we could have to the problem. We get physically drained by all the activity it takes to try and fix the problem. I’m tired just writing about it. But I have good news for us all – it is not the circumstance that causes the draining of our energy; it is our fleshly response to the circumstance that does that. The circumstance itself has no power – we empower it by how we respond to it. We empower it to control us and deplete us of strength when we respond to it with our own reasoning and activity. We become emotionally drained because we know the limits of such responses and our hope is diminished based on our known limitations.

There is a huge and obvious difference between what I just wrote and what Paul wrote in Romans.

Romans 8:6  “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Romans 8:10-11 “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

What I wrote is all about what I am able to accomplish in my human nature, and what Paul wrote is all about what God will do through His Spirit. What I wrote brings fear and failure. What Paul wrote is vitality and peace.

The Greek word for life is zoe, and as its base meaning it means “the state of one who is possessed with vitality.” I like that word vitality. It describes what I desire for my existence. It is certainly not what I experience when I respond to circumstances from my flesh and human nature. But because Christ is in me, and you, the death we have been living in response to our circumstances has been replaced with the resurrection power of Jesus Christ who has given life – vitality – to our mortal bodies.

My friends, we have the power of God residing in us, and circumstances cannot change that fact. Our response to those circumstances can change the experience of Christ’s life if we choose to respond from our flesh. I know how easy it is to blame others and blame events for causing our current mental, emotional, and physical stress: I do it too. But God is richly showing me that His Spirit provides vitality in all those times, and that the circumstances are powerless in and of themselves. My response to them is what needs adjustment. The sinful circumstances of this life will not be changed until Jesus returns. What can be changed is my response to them.

Jesus, thank you for bringing your resurrection power into my life and giving me vitality. Forgive me for responding from my flesh to the things that happen in my world and for placing myself on the mental, emotional, and physical throne of my life by thinking I have the solutions and ability to act in my own strength. Use these times to strengthen my faith and determination to trust you with the outcomes. Thank you for the peace that passes all understanding when I give all the control of the outcomes over to you. Amen. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, July 26, 2024

The basis for the next few days of devotionals will be the very well-known verse in Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”  On the surface it would seem that the “things” that are working together for good are the circumstances of life. But if that’s all we see, then life will become discouraging and we may begin to doubt the God behind the circumstances. I think there is a deeper understanding to this passage than to just think that all the circumstances of life are working out for our good. I believe that the “things” that are at work for our good are the “things” that define God – the things Paul mentions before verse 28.

When we simply define “things” as the circumstances of life, it becomes very difficult to find the faith to believe they are doing any good when they are so humanly bad. That is why we need to look at the “things” as the unchangeable nature and attributes of God that are constantly at work in our lives regardless of the circumstances. When we see the circumstances through the lens of who God is we can stand in faith during the tough times.

Circumstances can be binding and suppressive. We begin to focus on solutions rather than substance. We turn our attention from who we are becoming to what we should be getting. I am reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies of all time, What About Bob, starring Bill Murray. Bob is an emotional and psychological wreck, living in the bondage of constant fear. At one point in his recovery process the daughter of his psychologist convinces Bob to go with them to the lake to go sailing. Bob is scared to death of water but wants to be free and says he will trust the daughter and the boat. The next thing you hear is Bob yelling, “I’m sailing! I’m sailing!” The camera zooms in on the boat and we see Bob lashed to the main mast of the boat with multiple ropes and covered with numerous life preservers strapped to every part of his body.

Now in Bob’s mind he was sailing because he was on the boat, but he was far from free. That describes far too many Christians today. They are on the boat, but they are not free from all the emotional and physical bondage of a previous lifestyle or experience. A current contemporary Christian music group called Casting Crowns has a song called “Voice of Truth,” and its lyrics speak to this subject.

Oh what I would do to have – The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I’m in – Onto the crashing waves – To step out of my comfort zone – Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is – And He’s holding out His hand.

But the waves are calling out my name Aad they laugh at me – Reminding me of all the times I’ve tried before and failed – The waves they keep on telling me time and time again. “Boy, you’ll never win!” “You’ll never win!”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!” The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”. Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.

We all have the same choice. We can listen to the voice of the circumstances and believe the worst, or we can listen to the voice of truth and be set free. God’s truth of freedom is constantly at work in us, regardless of the circumstances. Paul said in Romans 8:1 that we are no longer condemned. We are free from the penalty and the power of sin. Choose today to live according to the Spirit of God and not according to the circumstances of life.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, July 25, 2024

Today we come to the final letter in our acrostic of the word NAME. The E stands for exaltation and is a reminder to us that every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we choose is to bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our relationship with Christ is like the relationship we should have with our spouse, just more intimate. Every day for the rest of my life it is my desire to magnify my wife, and to exalt her ahead of and in front of others. Every thought I think, every word I speak, and every activity I choose must exist only in the realm of honoring her as my wife, my friend, and the love of my life.

That is how we are to live life in relationship to Jesus. Every desire of our hearts, every choice we make, every word we speak, and every activity in which we participate, should honor Jesus Christ and exalt His life in us.

I want to share with you today some passages of Scripture that emphasize this aspect of living life as a response to God’s love. Read them carefully and let the Holy Spirit apply the truth to your life.

The Apostle Paul begins in Romans 15: 17-18 by sharing his personal testimony of commitment to exalting Christ.  “Therefore, I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me.”

Paul again speaks to the church at Corinth about how each one of us is in process of being transformed into the glory of the Lord. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The author of Hebrews encourages us with the truth that God has equipped us to live lives totally pleasing and honoring to Him according to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

Once again Paul writes to us through the church at Philippi that as we grow in love and knowledge the result is to be the glory and praise of God. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

The Apostle Peter confirms Paul’s teaching that everything we need for life and godliness comes from the power of God, and that we need not seek anything from the world to make our lives more valuable or prove our worth. In fact, when we live our lives for the glory of God, we escape the corruption of the world and all its evil desires. “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.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Peter again shows us that everything we do is to be an expression of the work of God in our lives and is to be done for the glory of Jesus. “…be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11)

Join me in this prayer. “Father, I resolve that whatever I do in word or deed will be done in the NAME of Jesus, according to His nature, His attributes, His mission, and His exaltation, so that my life is lived as a thanksgiving offering to you, who in your great and gracious love for me saved me from my sin by the blood of yours precious Son Jesus, who is my Lord. May my life bring glory to the Father by bearing much fruit for Him. AMEN.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, July 24, 2024

I trust the time you spent yesterday considering the purpose of rest and recreation was beneficial to you. If so, we are ready to start the evaluation process of how the mission of Jesus impacts our daily lifestyle choices and decision-making. 

First, do you understand what the mission of Jesus is for your life? While each of us is unique, and uniquely equipped for various roles and responsibilities within the body of Christ, each one of us starts with the same marching orders. Our identical mission is this – “Go into all the world and make disciples.”

We could spend weeks upon weeks studying all the individual ways we are prepared, equipped, and gifted to do that, but unless we truly accept the primary mission itself then all the methods will be meaningless. There is to be nothing in our lifestyle choices more significant than glorifying Jesus, and He is most glorified when we abide in Him and accomplish His mission – the salvation of souls. There can be no higher priority than people.

Second, we must carefully prioritize all areas of our life under Christ’s mission. Some of our chosen activities can remain. Some might have to go. Let’s use some of our evaluation questions again today to examine our priorities considering God’s mission for our life. Ask these questions about every choice you make. 

• 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 prepare me in some way to fulfill Christ’s mission for me?
• Does this word or activity present an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with another person?
• Does this word or activity present an opportunity to make a disciple?
• Does this word or activity present an opportunity to teach others to obey Jesus?
• Does this word or activity present an opportunity to encourage and build up a brother or sister in Christ?

If the answer to any of the questions above is “no”, then ask yourself, while remembering ground rule #2 about no shame, why that activity is permitted to remain in your life. Of what value is it in accomplishing the mission of God?

My friends, we are people of purpose. Everyone wants to know their purpose. We are blessed to be children of God, who get to experience the one true and fulfilling mission of all life – serving the Savior. Let’s unite together to serve Him according to His mission, not ours. 

Pastor John