LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, May 14, 2024

In the 22^nd – 24^th chapters of Proverbs King Solomon gives his students a look at thirty basic pieces of wisdom to build a life upon. Within them are six specific instructions on relationship issues. Let’s dig in and discover how to build better relationships.

The first one is found in Proverbs 22:24-25.

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.”

This sounds pretty straightforward for us, right? Avoid people who are quick-tempered. We are already thinking about the people that fit this description. That’s the easy part. But we must consider the possibility that we might be the person that someone else is thinking about avoiding. I know, that’s a remote possibility, and they really don’t know us very well if they are, but let’s consider it anyway.

Let’s use a measuring scale of one to ten. Number one describes a person who is “in control” as we read in Proverbs 29:1. “A wise man keeps himself under control”.  Emotions do not dictate actions.

On the other end of the scale is the ten. They are the hot-tempered person of Proverbs 29:11. “A fool gives full vent to his anger”. They vent anger easily and even explosively.

Now, where would we rate ourselves on that scale? After you rate your anger level, consider this: anyone who is rated lower on the scale may consider you the person to avoid. The challenge is for each one of us to evaluate our own lives and relationships by looking at ourselves first, and then at others.

Let’s also clarify that anger in itself is not a sin; it is an emotion. But how it is expressed can be sinful. Maybe the sinful expression of anger is not a problem for us. Make sure that others are the ones telling us that it is not a problem and that it is not a self-imposed justification of our attitudes and actions.

Or maybe the problem for us is the stirring up of anger in others. Proverbs 30:33 says, “For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”  People may be avoiding you because you tend to cause them strife. Let’s look at ourselves carefully in this area as well.

Solomon then tells us why we should avoid people who are hot-tempered – because it is contagious. Angry people drag us down. Bitter people discourage us. When we are around people with chips on their shoulders, we become comfortable wearing our chips. Some people just have a terrible attitude towards life. Everything is wrong with it, and they gain some sort of satisfaction in always expressing their dissatisfaction with everyone and everything. They tend to believe that life owes them something. People like this are a real bummer to our faith. They are joy stealers. We must realize the potential for the contagious disease of sinful anger to be transmitted to us through people who do not live by faith in God alone.

Now be careful before you withdraw totally from them. Someone has to help them come to faith in Jesus Christ, and that may be you or me. The wisdom here is to not get intimate with them in any way until they do.  You can allow the influence of self-control to flow into them, rather than allow the influence of sinful anger to flow from them into you. Proverbs 29:8 says – “Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.”  Let’s apply this principle of wisdom to all of our relationships!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, May 13, 2024

A young boy sat at the dinner table for several nights in a row listening to his dad pray for the needs of a family that lived across the street. As they would eat their meal he would think about that family and wonder if anyone would step up and help the family in a physical way. On the 5^th night, while dad was again praying, the boy quietly got up from the table, walked over to the buffet where dad laid his keys and wallet every night when he got home from work, picked up the wallet, and headed for the front door. When dad asked him where he was going the boy replied, “I’m going to answer your prayer.”

One of the characteristics of a self-sacrificing individual is the deliberate involvement in meeting the needs of the weak and poor. Deliberate is the key word. I think it goes beyond the spontaneous and usually emotional response we make to a need when we hear about it on tv or the radio or in church. Now don’t get me wrong, every gift of generosity that comes in at such times is greatly appreciated, but let’s consider carefully this area for the growth potential that it has for our lives. You see, an emotional response to anything carries with it the potential for regret. We may have given a wonderfully generous gift today in response to a need we heard about, but are we sure when the bills come at the end of the month we will not regret having made an emotional decision to do that?

I think there is a better and more mature way – to be deliberate in the planning to meet the needs when they arise. Here’s an idea: sit down with your budget book and your spouse (if you have one), and in a time of prayer consider adding an account to your budget. You could call it P.E.R., for Planned Economic Relief, or better yet, Planned Emotional Response. Whatever you decide to call the account, it will be there when a need arises, and you will know how much to give PER need. There will be no regrets later because you planned to do it and you were able to do it. You were deliberate.

I know, some of you are thinking, “Where’s the sacrifice in that?” Well, for most of us to be able to create such an account will take sacrifice because some other deliberate account or plan will have to be adjusted. Plus, I can guarantee you that as needs arise you will still have emotional responses and want to give more than you planned, so you will still sacrifice, and then adjust your PER account. Pretty soon, everything you have becomes a resource for God, and you will have discovered the wonder of self-sacrifice.

Let’s work together to start a grass roots movement to change from a self-centered church to a self-sacrificing one. It begins with honoring God above our self, and then deliberately honoring others above ourselves by considering their needs before our own.  There is not one of us who is at the bottom of the economic ladder, so no matter what our current condition, we are able to help another in need. Let’s pick up the wallet and answer our own prayers.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 10, 2024

As we continue to focus on becoming people of wisdom, let’s think about the social and personal responsibility we have to care for the poor, the weak, and the oppressed. The principle of wisdom that makes such ministry possible is the growth of Christ’s self-sacrificing nature within us.

I have observed two main reasons why people are stuck in the self-centered mode when it comes to caring about the needs of others:

1.      Some people believe they are the needy ones and people should be caring for them. They may very well have a need, but they exploit it for personal benefit. They have an inverted pride that somehow makes them feel valued when they can get the attention of others. It is a self-centered bondage of Satan that destroys their ability to reach outside of themselves to give to others.

2.      Some people believe they are above need and don’t want to be negatively influenced by touching the poor and needy. They tend to have thoughts like, “We had to struggle to make it, let them struggle too” or “If I help them I may get sucked back into it myself.”  Attitudes like this are prideful and self-centered.

On the other hand, I have discovered some traits of the self-sacrificing person that are the product of the servant heart of Christ’ character dwelling within them. Let’s look at one of them today.  

The first character trait of a self-sacrificing person is that they are dedicated to honoring God with everything in their lives.

 Their money is all for God’s use – not just 10% of it as a tithe, but 100% is available for God’s use. They know what it means to give offerings over and above their tithe to meet the needs of others. They have a generous spirit.

Their possessions are available for God’s use at any time. I know a man who models this trait. He has been blessed with the financial ability to own lots of stuff, and yet everything he owns is available to any one of us when we need it. All you have to do is go to his shop, sign it out, and bring it back when you’re done. God owns it all, and it all is used to serve the brothers in the Lord.

Another characteristic of a self-sacrificing person is that their time and talents are God’s and they allow their lives to be interrupted to help others. Nothing about their schedule is self-centered. When God moves, they move with Him. When they see a need, and they have the ability to meet the need, they do it. Sometimes even when they don’t have the ability, they serve anyway, because their desire is to honor God, and they know they do that best by serving others.

Jesus said, “The Son of Man has come not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) There was nothing self-centered about Jesus, even to the point of giving up His life for the needs of others. There is no greater love. There is no greater honor to the One who loves us than to live that way ourselves.

When others look at our lives, which of the two people we described today do they see – a self-centered one, or a self-sacrificing one?  The choice is yours!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 9, 2024

In Proverbs 22:19 we read,

               “So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today, even you.”

Our final principle of wisdom for this week is taken from this verse:

            Let wisdom transfer your trust.

The Hebrew word for trust in this passage means security and confidence, to have a place of refuge. Understanding the relationship between wisdom and trust according to this definition produces a very simple pattern for life – know God and be secure.

Now by saying know God we are referring to much more than just the head knowledge as we discussed earlier this week. This is a heart knowledge that has involved an act of the will to accept what we know as truth and surrender our life to it. When that happens, we are empowered to transfer our trust to that truth, and the promise of God is that the truth will never fail, nor will it fail us.

Read these examples of trust from the Proverbs, each one using the same root word for trust from today’s key verse:

     3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

14:26 – “He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

     16:20 – “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.”

     28:1 – “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

     28:25-26 – “A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.”

29:25 – “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”    

We need to deeply appreciate the significance of these words – words like secure fortress, refuge, kept safe, and bold. The problem I have is that there are too many times in my life when these words don’t describe me, but rather words like scared, worried, insecure, fearful seem to fit my behavior better. What are we to do in those situations? There is a simple answer, and it brings us full circle in this week’s principles – Let wisdom transcend all else and be transmitted to you because it will transfer your trust from self to God.

For us to be able to transfer our trust from whatever the world offers to everything God offers, we must have first decided that His Word is trustworthy, and that it will transcend all else in trustworthiness – it transcends my understanding, the world’s understanding, and anything the world’s knowledge has ever been able to accomplish. This kind of trust only comes through a study of God’s Word and an acceptance of its truth.

The teaching of the Word of God and its wisdom is all the light we need for life, and it is totally trustworthy. Transfer your dependence from whatever it is in the world you now trust to Jesus Christ. He alone is trustworthy, and able to make your life secure, confident, and safe.

 Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, May 8, 2024

I love to sing. As I have gotten older my voice has become deeper. Some of the songs I used to sing as a young person I can no longer sing well because they are out of my range. I have to ask the person playing the keyboard to put the song into a lower musical key so I can hit all the high notes without sounding like I did when I was 14 and my voice was changing. This process of putting the music into a different key so it is matched to the needs of the singer is called transposing.  In the dictionary, transpose is defined as:     

1.      to change the position or order of

2.      musically, to put in a different key

3.      algebraically, to move from one side of the equation to the other

Let’s look at those three definitions in light of Proverbs 22:18, which says, “have all of them ready on your lips”.

If you have been following along this week you know we are looking at the five principles of wisdom from Proverbs 22:17-20. Today Solomon tells us to have wisdom always ready on our lips, and we discover this principle – Let wisdom transpose your speech.

In the context of the definitions of transpose, here’s what I have learned:

1.      Words of wisdom need to change position with the normal responses we make to people in conversation.  Our first response is not usually one of wisdom and encouragement. Our first response is usually planned to bring attention to self through humor and personal stories, or to protect self through defensive, argumentative, and antagonistic statements. What would our relationships be like if the first words on our lips in every conversation were filled with the wisdom of God for the other person? Imagine the depth of love we would begin to experience. Our speech needs to be transposed.

2.      Words of wisdom need to be put into a different key. In music, when a song is transposed, it remains the same song. Everything about the song remains the same except the tone. When we speak to others, we may have all the right things to say, but we may not be considered wise because of the tone in which we say them. The Apostle Paul says to “speak the truth in love.” Putting the words of wisdom into the right range to meet the need of the hearer is essential.

3.      Words of wisdom also need to be applied to the correct side of the equation if the problem is going to be solved. Those of you who love math as much as I do will understand that if you are going to solve an equation, assuming “x” is the unknown, you must attempt to move all the known values to one side so that “x” stands alone. Here is an example: x – 4 = 5. To solve for x, you move the 4 to the other side of the equation by adding it to the five, so that x = 5 + 4, or 9. When we apply this principle to our relationships, we discover something very valuable in helping people solve problems and come to decisions. We help them to move all the known factors to one side of the equation, consider their value, see how they relate to each other, and when each has been properly considered and applied, the problem, “x”, is solved.

I know I have a lot of work to do in these three areas. I will be spending time today contemplating the transposing of my speech so that wisdom is always ready on my lips. Will you join me in that pursuit? Thanks

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Here are the first two principles of wisdom we have already learned:

1.      Let wisdom transcend all else

2.      Let wisdom be transmitted to you

Here’s what Proverbs 22:18 says about the next principle. “…for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart.”  The “them” of this verse are the truths of wisdom, and the principle we want to look at today is this – Let wisdom transform your heart.

As we discovered yesterday, there is an eternally significant difference between listening with your head and listening with your heart. When we listen with our head we simply have knowledge of a subject, but when we listen with the heart we allow the knowledge to transform our will which brings a change of nature, attitude, and action. The difference between those two types of listening is the difference between eternal death and eternal life. We are not saved by our knowledge, we are saved by our faith, and faith is an act of the will – the heart – not the head.

Solomon refers to the heart 69 times in Proverbs, and challenges us to listen to wisdom with our hearts so that we are transformed from the inside out. Here are a couple of examples:

     Proverbs 2:1-5   “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and  search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”

Notice the transcending value of wisdom in this passage, and the desire for the transmission of wisdom. Also notice that understanding and knowledge are the product of a transformed heart. When we take a step of faith to allow God to transform our heart, wisdom takes effect.

    Proverbs 3:1-6  :My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

These verses state the benefits of letting wisdom transform your heart, and they give us three things with which to measure the progress of the transformation that is taking place in our lives. They are:

1.      Trust in the Lord with all your heart

2.      Lean not on your own understanding

3.      In all your ways acknowledge Him

Think about those three things today and evaluate the progress of your spiritual transformation. Ask yourself these questions along with the others the Holy Spirit will ask you:

1.       Is my trust in God sufficient for every area of my life, or are there parts of my life where I must have God plus something else? God plus money? God plus possessions? God plus family and friends? God plus position and power? You get the point.

2.       Is my faith in God’s wisdom sufficient for every decision I must make, or do I need to see the end before I can take the first step? Am I limiting God’s work in my life by needing to see the results and figure out the process in my limited understanding?

3.       Is it my desire to see the glory of God in all areas of my life, or are there areas where I need to be acknowledged? Is my motivation for any area of my life to bring honor to myself?

Friends, evaluate these things carefully and prayerfully, and let wisdom transform your heart.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, May 6, 2024

We are beginning an adventure this week that will help us become people of wisdom. How did you do with the assignment you had over the weekend? I hope you were disciplined and diligent to get it done. If not, go there now and start. It’s really important. We must reach the point in our spiritual lives that wisdom transcends the pursuit of all else. 

Today’s principle of wisdom is this: Pay attention

Proverbs 22:17  “And listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach.”

We must let wisdom be transmitted to us. Sixteen times in the book of Proverbs we are told by Solomon to “listen”. I think you will agree with me that not listening is a problem in our lives. It is such a problem that it is destroying relationships and dividing churches. Consider these ways in which we don’t listen:

1.      We simply don’t hear what another person has said so we have to ask them to repeat it.

2.      We don’t hear what another person is saying and we don’t care to hear it so we don’t ask them to repeat it.

3.      We hear with our ears what another person is saying, and we may even give assent to it, but only to be polite. It does not really mean anything to us.

4.      We hear with our ears what another person is saying, but because we did not invite their input we ignore it.

5.      We ask for input from another person, hear what they have to say, but weigh its value by what we have predetermined to be our preferred outcome.

6.      We ask for input from another person, hear what they have to say, and agree to its value, but that agreement is simply to avoid hurting their feelings, and we do not intend to apply what they said to our lives.

7.      We ask for input from another person, but filter what they are saying through our misperceptions of the person or circumstances, leading us to misinterpret what was said and then blame that person for the outcome.

8.      We ask for input from another person, but don’t listen to the whole context of what they are saying, leading us to apply it out of context, and then blame that person for the outcome.

9.      We ask for input from another person, listen to it carefully, but break the confidence in which it was shared by telling it to someone else, and then blame the giver of the advice for the consequences.

10.  We ask for input from another person, listen carefully to what they are saying, then seek to apply any and all elements of Godly wisdom to our lives so that it changes us.

As you can see, and have maybe experienced, listening strategies # 2 – 9 cause serious, sometimes irreparable damage to relationships and churches. I know because it has happen to me.

I have had far too many situations in which people were not listening and then responded in an ungodly way. It weighs very heavily on me and has discouraged me. My heart has been wounded. But what hurts even more is knowing that I have not always listened either, and I have responded inappropriately. It seems that our desire to be heard takes priority over our desire to listen, and that is unwise.

Friends, let wisdom be transmitted to you. Learn to listen with your heart, and let it modify your will. Otherwise, Satan will diminish the glory of God in your life.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, May 3, 2024

If you are tuned in to what is happening in the world, you know there is a noticeable decrease in wisdom. People are following political, social, economic, intellectual, and even spiritual trends without understanding the difference between knowledge and wisdom.

Wisdom is the proper application of truth. Therefore, for us to be wise we must have a knowledge of the truth. Not just knowledge, but knowledge based on absolute truth. And since God is the ONLY source of absolute truth, we can only be wise if our lives are grounded in the knowledge of God.

We need to become people of wisdom. So today we begin a journey to become wise.  We are using as the basis of our study a passage of God’s Word in Proverbs 22:17-21.

“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the LORD I teach you today, even you. Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge,teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you?”

I have broken that passage down into 5 key points:

1.      Let wisdom transcend all else (v. 17a)

2.      Let wisdom be transmitted to you (v. 17b)

3.      Let wisdom transform your heart (v. 18a)

4.      Let wisdom transpose your speech (v. 18b)

5.      Let wisdom transfer your trust (v. 19)

We will take one of those points each day and look at it closely, beginning with “Let wisdom transcend all else.”  Here are some principles to get us started.

1.      Wisdom is the application of knowledge so that it affects actions

2.      Wisdom begins with the knowledge of God – Prov. 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

3.      The knowledge of God goes much deeper than just a knowledge of His actions, but to an understanding of His heart. We do not simply change our behavior so that it matches what we think God would do, but rather we allow God’s nature and character to change our heart so our actions are the life of Jesus being fleshed out in us as a loving response to God’s power in us.

4.      For this to happen, wisdom must be more important than anything else to our hearts – it must transcend all else.

So here’s your assignment as we get started. Read the first four chapters of Proverbs. As you do, take a couple of different colored highlighters and do this – with one color highlight all the verses that describe the consequences of not pursuing wisdom, and with the other color highlight all the verses that describe the benefits of pursuing wisdom. Then consider which way you want to live. Don’t just assume you know the answer right now – do the exercise to gain the growth. What this will do is touch into your heart, so that more than your mind is involved. Your decision will be an act of your will, and it will transform your heart so that Godly action results. When that happens you are gaining wisdom. Nothing in your life is more important than this development of character because it is the only part of our personal being that will stand in the presence of God someday.

Enjoy your study. Monday we will dive in to the principles of wisdom.  

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, May 2, 2024

So far in our study of life principles we learn from faith, we have discovered:

1.   God is working to increase faith

2.   Faith minimizes risk

3.   Faith makes a few powerful

4.   Faith results in commitment

Now today, let’s look at the final principle – Commitment and determination bring victory.

In the story of Jonathon and his armor-bearer we have been studying in 1 Samuel 14, the armor-bearer is so committed to God’s plan that he follows Jonathon up the side of a cliff, climbing rocks to the top. Jonathon has it easy: the armor-bearer has all the stuff. The young lad carrying the sword and shield and supplies has a much tougher climb, but he keeps up. We know this because when Jonathon gets to the top it says he started killing Philistines, and the armor-bearer was right behind him killing more.

What a great picture of the commitment that follows faith. It is quite the opposite of what we see from professional sports athletes these days. You know the type of player I mean – the ones who care more about their image, their health, their looks, and their wallets, and they put personal pursuits ahead of the team. What happened to loyalty? What happened to the commitment and dedication that results in a player playing through lack of attention, the lack of higher salaries, or even in pain, begging to get back in the game for the best of the team, and knowing that if they pushed themselves to the absolute limit of endurance there is a reward waiting. Oh, maybe the reward is not a game victory, but it will most certainly be a fame victory, and that fame will be for all the right reasons.

Now, how do we apply that to our spiritual journey of faith? The Body of Christ is, unfortunately, filled with spiritual well-wishers and whiners. People who wear the uniform of Christianity, but don’t participate at the team level with a heart of commitment and determination that produces victory. “Let the other guy beat me” and “Let the other guy take the ball from me” and “Please don’t hurt me” are the typical battle cries of the defeated and unfaithful.

What the body of Christ needs is more armor-bearers. No one knows his name, but he was determined to do his best and beyond for the glory and benefit of another. His faith made the insignificant powerful, and his commitment and dedication brought victory.

What area of your life right now is embarrassing you, or making you ashamed, or holding you in bondage, or causing you to give up and walk off the field before the game is over? Maybe it’s time to evaluate your commitment and dedication level. I bet you find that in that area you’re more committed to self than to God. Take care of that today – victory is assured.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, May 1, 2024

The life principle we are reviewing today is this: Faith results in commitment.

As God works to build our faith, and we learn to trust Him in all circumstances, the product of that will be a deeper and stronger commitment to Him and His purpose. This commitment involves the following things:

1.   Denying self

2.   Taking up the cross

3.   Following Christ

These are huge issues when we seriously consider their implications and ramifications. To deny self means we must sacrifice our best for God’s best, which at times feels like the worst that could happen. Then, when we are feeling like we’ve lost something significant – our pride – we are told to pick up a burden, a cross, and carry it down a road that leads to more loss and death. Why would we want to do that?

The risks of that commitment should not be a huge factor because the benefits will be so overwhelming to us. What are the benefits of this level of commitment?

1.   Experiencing the Fulfillment of life – and realizing that fulfillment has nothing to do with the value we get from the temporary and the tangible but everything to do with our identification with God who is permanent and eternal.

2.   Discovering the Purpose of life – and realizing that it has nothing to do with the goals and agendas of the world’s system but everything to do with the glory of God.

3.   Experiencing the Power to live life – and realizing that it has nothing to do with what we have and what we know but has everything to do with Who we know and the hope that is in us because of our faith. That hope strengthens and preserves us no matter what the risk.

I know, we still seem to want material benefits, but go back a consider the incredible satisfaction of the ones God has provided. Can there be anything better?

Now, let me ask a very searching and revealing question about the depth of our commitment to God in faith. Consider this carefully before you answer.

Am I so convinced that my faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient for all things, and that my commitment to Him is so real, that I can say to Him at any time of any day, “Whatever you choose to do with my life is exactly the way I like it?”

One of my former elders, when asked about a task that he did not necessarily want to be involved in, responded this way: “Whatever way you do it is exactly the way I will like it.”  God has really impressed that statement on my heart as the one I need to be able to make to God in every circumstance. It will test my level of faith and commitment. Try it! Can you sit still and not get involved when God asks you to? Can God send you anywhere, for any purpose, and you will be totally satisfied, even if it results in loss or death, because you are accomplishing His purpose for His glory?

That’s the kind of faith God is trying to build in us.

Let Him.

Pastor John