LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 19, 2024

Retirement has become very busy. Of course, it was my choice to come out of retirement and serve the Lord as Pastor of a wonderful group of people in a small town nearby. The activity of church life and personal life has captured a huge chunk of my time and is stretching my physical strength. I usually start to fall asleep in my recliner by 8:30 every night.

This morning the Lord helped me to understand my specific need right now by leading me to several verses that helped me re-focus my heart and mind on His purpose for my life and how to handle all the activity that surrounds me.

Psalm 34:18 — “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.“

Psalm 46:1 — “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.“

James 4:8 — “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 — “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

Psalm 145:18 – “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

I have a tendency to do things in my own strength.  I tend to work for Him rather than rest in Him. When I let that happen consistently, I begin to see people as “pains” rather than “partners.” I begin to focus on the external negatives of their behavior rather than the humble condition of their heart. I form opinions about their motives. I begin to blame myself for not having more energy or more time to do what they want. I begin to believe the lie of the Enemy that I am no longer spiritual enough because I don’t do everything they need.

Buit when I fall into the arms of Jesus and rest, He assures me that I am right where He needs me to be so that His grace can take over. He assures me that I am just one small piece of His body the church and that not everyone is called to be passionate about the same thing, except to love Him and love others. In His presence I discover when I am not focused on love, but on labor, and He assures me that He wasn’t. He loves me. He will use me if I love Him. That’s all I need to know.

Jesus spoke to me through the words of St. Francis de Salles that were quoted in a devotional I read today:

“Take courage. Often turn to the Lord, who is watching you, poor frail little being as you are, amid your labors and distractions. He enables you to bear your troubles patiently and gently, for love of Him who only allows you to be tried for your own good. Raise your heart continually to God, seek His aid, and let the foundation stone of your consolation be your happiness in being His. All trouble and annoyances will be comparatively unimportant while you know that you have such a Friend, such a Stay, such a Refuge.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, April 18, 2024

In March of 2013 during severe blizzards in Japan, a father froze to death while sheltering his daughter. Mikio Okada died as he tried to protect his only child, Natsune, against winds of up to 68 miles per hour and temperatures that plunged as low as 21 degrees, making for windchills of 10 below zero.

Mr. Okada called his relatives to say that he was stranded and that he and Natsune would try to walk to their destination. But they were both found just 300 yards from the truck. Mr. Okada was reportedly found hunched over his daughter, cradling her in his arms and apparently using his body and a warehouse wall to provide shelter. He had taken off his jacket to give to the child. The young girl was taken to a hospital near their home where she was found to have no serious injuries.

That story illustrates several principles, not the least of which is that true love is sacrificial. The apostle John wrote, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

But the principle that sticks out to me this morning is this – God is able to save us if we will stay within His reach. No matter what our situation or circumstances, God has not moved away to become simply an observer from a distant vantage point. If there is an apparent distance between us and God it is because we have moved, not Him. His arm has not been shortened. His ears have not become dull so that He cannot hear our cries for help.

Isaiah 59:1-2  “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;  but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

The problem is not with God, who never changes, but with us because we change all the time. We change our minds about whether we can trust God and His Word. We change our minds about whether we will obey Him or follow our own personal plan of performance. We make the choice to love Him and then turn around and love ourselves more. But what we may not consider as we think about those choices is that every choice we make to leave God out of individual moments in our lives makes us responsible for the outcome of those choices.

God made a choice to love us and reach out to us in His Son Jesus Christ. His choice will never change. God also made a choice that those who reject Jesus will suffer severe consequences, not only in this life but in eternity. That choice will also never change. Our choices either bring us into the arms of Jesus for protection against all the storms of life, or they move us away from God’s protection and make us vulnerable to the storms of life.

God has put Himself between you and the storm of sin. He has offered to save you from the storm, not so much by wrapping you up but rather by filling you up with the eternal warmth of His love. His Holy Spirit, dwelling in all who have repented of their sin and have run into His arms for forgiveness, provides a constant fire of holiness within us. Never again do our hearts need to grow cold. Never again do we need to fear being out of reach of the arms of God. He is in us, and His love never changes.

If you feel distant from God today, it is not because He has moved – you have. Run to Him and discover that the fire of salvation is still blazing, and it will never be extinguished.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I remember one night I had the privilege of being the speaker at AWANA Council Time for the 3^rd through 5^th graders. I started by asking the students who they thought was my favorite Bible Character. I called on one of many children that had raised their hand and after hearing his response I clarified the question to state “Other than Jesus, who is my favorite Bible character.”

After two dozen incorrect guesses, I finally revealed the answer. The life of Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and King David’s best friend has always deeply touched my heart with its principles of friendship and love. Two of the three principles of a good friend I shared with the children are still on my mind.

As Saul’s son, Jonathan was next in line for the throne of Israel. He became a mighty warrior, but even in his military success he was learning an important principle of friendship and success – do your best without concern for who gets the credit.

1 Samuel 13:3-4  “Jonathan defeated the garrison of the Philistines that was at Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear.”And all Israel heard it said that Saul had defeated the garrison of the Philistines…”

Jonathan had just won an incredible battle with only a few men, and yet his dad the King took all the credit.

Former United States President John F. Kennedy said, “There’s no limit to what a man can accomplish if he doesn’t care who gets the credit.” Too many friendships are ruined by a self-exalting competitive spirit that seeks honor and recognition for everything done. This was not Jonathan’s way, as we will see.

Through the course of his reign, Saul became disobedient to God and his Kingdom was taken from him. Without Saul’s knowledge, David was anointed as the next King of Israel.

Then came the day of David’s victory over Goliath, the Philistine warrior. After the battle, Saul took David into his household and made him his chief warrior. David was unprepared for being a military leader, but God had ordained a plan. When Saul was finished talking to David, the Bible says that “the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” (1 Samuel 18:1)

This is utterly amazing. Jonathan had every right to be angry with his father for messing up his future. His chance to be King was gone. GONE!  And now, standing in front of him, was the young man who would be king; the one who would get all the honor and recognition that could have been his. OUCH!

Yet notice the Spirit of God in Jonathan’s heart. He chooses to love David rather than hate him. He chooses to put action to his love and “stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.”(1 Samuel 18:4-5). David took the very position that Jonathan had held, and Jonathan helped him get it.

Jonathan showed no anger toward the person who took his job and his title. Instead, Jonathan came along side David and assisted his success. That’s what true friends do.

After I was done speaking to the children, one of the AWANA Commanders came forward to give the students the evening’s results of the ongoing missionary offering contest. One of the teams had taken a huge lead over the other. He asked the team that was behind to cheer for the team that was ahead. The response was not good. I actually heard booing. I guess I need to tell the story over again. But before I do, I’d better make sure I’m cheering others who are getting ahead of me, especially those times when I think I deserve to get ahead.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 16, 2024

As I was reading Psalm 51 recently, a word came to my mind. It popped in there as I read this verse:

Psalm 51:2, 7  “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

The word has captivated my thought life since it showed up. I honestly have used this word in every prayer I have spoken to my Lord since I believe He gave it to me as a word picture that I needed. I am certain that when you first read this word you will react in some way. The word may capture your mind as it has mine, or you may reject it because you may think it is in bad taste. It all depends on what you think it means and what it reminds you of.

The word has multiple meanings. It can mean “a sudden rush of intense emotion.” It can also mean “a reddening of the face or skin.” The word is used to describe things that have become even or square with one another. In slalom skiing it is “a consecutive series of vertical gates.” In the medical field it is used to describe procedures intended to cleanse wounds and clean debris. In the military and in hunting it is used to describe an action that chases the enemy or the wild game out of hiding. The word is used in card games to describe a certain winning hand. And in the bathroom, it is the action of using water to eliminate waste and replace it with clean water.

I’m sure by now you know the word.

FLUSH.

I will let you listen in as I pray to the Lord using this word.

“Lord Jesus, I surrender my will to yours so that it is flush with your purpose.”

“Lord Jesus, grant to me in moments of quietness and prayer a flush of your presence.”

“Lord Jesus, cleanse the wounds of my heart with the Living Water so that there is no debris hindering the fullness of the Holy Spirit in me.”

“Lord Jesus, flush the enemies of righteousness from hiding in my life that they may be exposed and taken captive by truth.”

“Lord Jesus, flush from my mind all thoughts that you declare to be waste.”

“Lord Jesus, may every step I take pass only through the flush you have prepared for me to direct me on the slopes of life.”

The priority of flushing.

Now the word is in your head too, isn’t it?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 15, 2025

He tried it all. He spent his entire lifetime pursuing everything that life has to offer in an attempt to discover the purpose for human existence. Years were spent building a name for himself and acquiring everything one man could ever want or need. He was wealthy beyond imagination and wise beyond belief. He indulged himself in every known pleasure and passion. Yet in the end, Solomon concluded this in Ecclesiastes 12:13.

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

As I contemplated that verse and its application to the priorities of my life, I discovered an important truth. My life is not to be a pie chart with every part of my life in equal balance. It is not to have one slice labeled “spirituality.”

Nor is it to be a pie chart with God at the center under the assumption that suddenly all the other areas of my life will be brought into order, yet still giving me the right to wander in all those areas as I see fit, somehow claiming that God now has blessed my wanderings. 

We have been deceived into believing that our lives will be better and more balanced by adding God to them. Nothing could be further from the truth of the Gospel. God never asked to be added to our lives. He has provided for our crucifixion with His Son Jesus, so that our life is cast aside and the life of Jesus Christ is born in us. We do not add God to what we have determined is the path of our lives, but rather we raise a white flag of surrender and place our lives fully into God through Jesus Christ. We are added to Him, not the other way around.

F.B. Meyer wrote this in one of his devotionals.  “It is only as we refuse to be conformed to this world, and yield ourselves to be transformed by the free entrance of the Holy Spirit into our minds, that we can learn all that God will do for us. We are nothing; He is all. And He is prepared to be and do all things in us, if only we will open to Him as the land lies open to the summer sun.”

When we begin to understand that we are to be found in Christ and that Christ is our life, then we will know what it is to love God and then love others as Christ did. The purpose of man is to discover the purpose of God for man, and Jesus stated it clearly when He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.”

I can’t do that with God as just a part of my life. I can only do that when my life is lost in His.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, April 12, 2024

George Mallory was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s. Mallory and his climbing partner both disappeared somewhere high on the North-East ridge during their attempt to make the first ascent of the world’s highest mountain.

Before his disappearance, when Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, he famously answered, “Because it is there.” But on another occasion George expanded his answer:

“If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds
to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life.”

A personal letter to George’s wife, Ruth, reveals even more about what drove him to climb the mountain. “Dearest,” he wrote, “… you must know that the spur to do my best is you and you again …. I want more than anything to prove worthy of you.”

However, although George Mallory became famous for his achievements, his son John had a different perspective. Proud of his father but sad too, John would later write, “I would so much rather have known my father than to have grown up in the shadow of a legend, a hero, as some people perceive him to be.”

Here was a man who had wrong priorities, yet we call him a hero. Joy is not the highest objective of life. The priority of life is not to prove ourselves worthy to anyone, which is symptomatic of a deep need for identity and proof of personal value. Value will never be found in the pursuit of accomplishments but only in the pursuit of Jesus Christ. The result of such misaligned priorities is the loss of personal relationships as witnessed by Mallory’s son John. Whenever the priorities of life are determined by personal need or selfish ambition we will hurt the very ones we may be trying to impress.

May we totally accept God’s declaration that He has qualified us in Christ and that we have nothing more to earn or prove. According to Colossians 1:12 we can “Give thanks to the Father who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” Because of that truth, we can invest in relationships that are primarily giving in nature, not getting. Out of the abundance of peace and joy that are now ours because our identity in Christ is sufficient, our priority will be to live for the benefit others. As Paul says in Philippians 2:3-4, “We will do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than myself. We will look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

May our priority always be others, not self.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, April 11, 2024

I’ve been thinking about priorities lately. My purpose is to discover which ones are draining me rather than fulfilling Christ’s purpose in me. As I make it my priority to ponder my priorities, I will pontificate my progress so you can participate. For today, I start with this story from Gordon MacDonald.

In ancient days when the king of Siam had an enemy he wanted to torment and destroy, he would send that enemy a unique gift, a white elephant, a live, albino elephant. These animals were considered sacred in the culture of that day. So the recipient of that elephant had no choice but to intentionally care for the gift. This elephant would take an inordinate amount of the enemy’s time, resources, energy, emotions, and finances. Over time the enemy would destroy himself because of the extremely burdensome process of caring for the gift.

Our spiritual enemy uses the same strategy on us …. Let’s say you buy season tickets to [your favorite sports team], but because you now have a lot of games to go to, you no longer have time to serve in some area of ministry. Or let’s say you buy a summer cottage, but now you miss most weekend worship services between the beginning of May and the end of September. Or let’s say you buy a health club membership to get in shape. You used to get up early in the morning to read your Bible and pray, but now you don’t have time because you’re working out before you go to work. Or let’s say you approve a spot for one of your kids on a traveling sports team, and now you’re too busy to join your church’s community impact ministry as they serve the poor.

Are there white elephants in your life? Are you spending money on things that take your time away from God? The money isn’t the problem; the activities aren’t necessarily the problem; the problem is a white elephant “gift” that has pulled you away from God-honoring pursuits.

None of the above mentioned “gifts” are wrong. However, they become destructive to what Jesus calls “abundant life” when they take up so much of our time, resources, and energy that we make excuses to justify our lack of involvement in Christ’s mission. We have redefined the abundant life we want in terms of wealth, opportunity, and fun, not only for ourselves but for our families as well. We work hard to avoid difficulties because our priority is happiness in this life rather than glory in eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18  “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Today I will make it my priority to not place value in the white elephants that have been given to me. Life is filled with options, but just because they exist doesn’t mean they are good for me in the long-term. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, I will become discerning about which opportunities are for God’s glory and not my own fulfillment. I will place value on eternal things, and center my life, my decisions, my resources, and my energies on what Christ says are of value to Him.

There is an old chorus we used to sing in church when I was a kid. The lyrics are my prayer for today:

With eternity’s values in view, Lord.
With eternity’s values in view;
May I do each day’s work for Jesus
With eternity’s values in view.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Luke 16:10  “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”

A grandma’s wisdom is usually spot on. As a little boy I remember standing in my grandma’s kitchen in Cleveland, Ohio while she made bread. She made the most amazing bread without a written recipe. I wish she had written it down so I could taste it again, but I can still vividly remember its incredible flavor.

On the kitchen table was a huge lump of dough – probably enough for at least a dozen loaves of bread. I followed my grandma’s instructions and retrieved a large container of flour from the cupboard and brought it to her. She removed the lid, and carefully inserted her hand into the flour and grabbed just enough to spread a thin layer over the table and the lump of dough. She replaced the lid and made sure the container was out of reach as she prepared to knead the dough.

Back and forth over the table she moved that dough, lifting it, folding it, punching it and squeezing it. Every once in a while she would pause, remove the lid from the flour container, and sprinkle a thin layer of flour over the table. In one such pause she asked if my hands were clean and if I would like to sprinkle the flour. What little boy wouldn’t? So I washed my hands, dried them thoroughly, and plunged my hand deep into the flour bin. Flour exploded into the air, covering not only my arms but grandma’s as well.

She stopped me with a gentle word of rebuke and said this to me. “John, be careful. We can’t waste the flour like that. Waste not, want not.”

I asked her what that meant, and she explained in words a seven-year old could understand. “When we waste things, we will want more things. But if we use them carefully they will last longer and we won’t need more.”

I thought of that bit of wisdom from grandma when I filled my car with gas recently. In Eau Claire we have several major competitors for automobile fuel. They are usually the same price, except when a price change is occurring. It seems that consistently one of them raises their prices before the others. Such was the case this morning. A five-cent increase in gas prices was displayed on their well-lit sign. So I drove to a different station. Nineteen gallons of gas later and I had saved a whopping $.95.

Don’t laugh – waste not, want not. It made me wonder how many other areas of my life are wanting because I am wasting? So as I remembered my grandma’s wisdom, I decided to review the six basic principles my wife and I try to live by in our management of the resources God has entrusted to us.

• We will always put God first and give generously to His kingdom
• We will save more and spend less.
• We will make good use of what we already have.
• We will look for the best value.
• We will budget our money, time, and energy.
• We will not confuse what we need with what we want.

Jesus meant it when He said “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” How do I know? Because I am living it! Thanks grandma for showing me how to knead dough so I don’t need dough.

Waste not, want not.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, April 9, 2024

I purposely do not watch the Grammy’s or any other awards show. And after reading what makes the headlines the morning after I’m glad I don’t. What I am learning to do is respond with a heart that totally trusts the Divine purpose of God in all things.

I will not respond to those who are opposed to Christian thought and theology except with a heart of compassion as for a blind man stumbling towards a precipice of certain death. He does not need a reminder of his blindness, or shouts of impending doom. He needs someone to come along side of him and gently redirect his steps.

There is a spiritual darkness that blankets our culture in sins of self-fulfillment. My response is not directed at the culture, but rather at the one who may be caught up in the swarm but wishes to escape. My activity will be to enter the culture and rub shoulders with the culture as Jesus did, so that when anyone wishes to reach out and touch even the hem of His garment, they will be able to do it by touching me.

To do that, I need to be in a place of intimacy with Jesus that provides grace, strength, and wisdom. I want to be alert to the presence of Jesus and His purpose in all things. I am not able to respond with the heart of Jesus if I have not first captured His heart through intimate friendship and fellowship with Him.

Ours is not the first culture to be caught up in the horrors of self-honoring sin. One such culture was in the days of Abraham around 3500 years ago. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were about to be destroyed by a righteous, loving, and just God. As a culture they had chosen to pursue the sins of self-gratification to such an extent that they stood publicly opposed to God and His truth. God’s judgment was pending.

On His way to announce the verdict and impose the sentence, Jesus and two angels stopped off at the tent of Abraham. He knocked, and Abraham invited Him in for a meal and for intimate fellowship. Here’s how author F.B. Meyer describes the event:

“Christ knocks at the door when His Judgments are in the earth. That God has arisen to shake mightily the earth is hardly doubtful. This is a day of the Lord of Hosts, when judgments are abroad upon all that is proud and haughty, upon the cedars and the oaks, upon the high mountains and the uplifted hills. But it is at such a time that He draws near to reassure us.

“On the eve of the overthrow of the Cities of the Plain, He came to the door of Abraham’s tent, partook of his fare, and gave promises of assurance to himself and Sarah which unfolded the Divine Purpose. Standing before the Lord, Abraham was prepared for the tragedy of the morrow, and was permitted an intimacy in which he seemed possessed by a passion for God’s rectitude and righteous dealing.

“Do not fear the things that are coming, but open to Him who knocks for admission. He has come to spend the dark hours in your fellowship, as a mother runs to her child’s cot, when a sudden thunderstorm sweeps the sky.”

May my response to the sin-soaked culture not be one of fear but of faith that comes from fellowship with the Father. May I not respond with judgment that is not mine to impose. May I respond with compassion to seek out the few who desire deliverance from the swarm as Abraham did for Lot and his family. May I respond with courage to ask the Lord of Judgment to show grace as Abraham asked. May I be the one who extends His arm of rescue to those who desire deliverance. May my focus always be on the one that is prepared to listen, rather than the throng that is moving as a mob.

May I react with reverence and respond with reason. May my response always be one that expresses the hope that lies within me – the hope of glory, and the certainty of God’s perfect purpose.

May my response always reflect the love that Jesus has for the lost.

Revelation 3:20  “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, April 8, 2024

It was a cold winter night and I decided to get comfortable. The extreme wind chill factor had cancelled all of our church activities, so it was an opportunity to spend a relaxing evening with my wife. I put on some comfortable jogging pants and grabbed my favorite sweatshirt. There is something comforting about loose-fitting clothes. I used to own a lot of them, but they seem to have all shrunk.

The off-white sweatshirt I picked out was perfectly clean. It had not been that way the day before. Those of you who know me well know that I am usually not allowed to wear white or light colored clothing. It has nothing to do with how it looks on me – everything looks good on me. It has to do with my sloppiness. Whether it’s eating or just everyday activities, I get things dirty. Not just ordinary dirt, but hard-to-remove stains. Well, I had spilled some food on it the last two times I had worn it, and my wife had to wash it several times to get the stains out. In my defense, it’s hard to eat without spilling when laying horizontally in a recliner.

I picked up the perfectly clean ready to be worn sweatshirt and went to the kitchen to prepare supper. You’ve already figured out the rest, right?

As I ate my hamburger plugged with bacon and red peppers, and dipped my crab sticks into melted butter, I suddenly noticed three dark spots on the front of my clean off-white sweatshirt. My wife noticed them as well and reminded me of how hard she had worked to get it clean. I agreed that I would clean it this time.

After I was done eating, and cleaning up the kitchen, I remembered that in the past I have used Dawn dishwashing soap to remove other stains in my clothes. So I put a few drops on each stain and let it sit while I washed the dishes. A quick spray with the kitchen faucet rinsed the butter and bacon grease right out, and the sweatshirt was perfect again. There was no evidence of a previous stain. I now know the reason why the dishwashing soap is named Dawn. Darkness is gone when dawn arrives.

The prophet Malachi declares that the Lord is coming and when He does He will be like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap.

Malachi 3: 2  “For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.”

Focus on the soap for a moment. The word fuller’s may be confusing. The basic Hebrew word means washing. The people of these ancient cultures washed their clothes by hand, and then laid them out to dry in the fields. That’s where the phrase fuller’s field came from. So the soap that was used for the washing was called fuller’s soap. When someone takes soap and washes something, the expectation is that it will become clean.

That same expectation applies to our spiritual lives. When Jesus Christ comes to wash us with the soap made from His blood, we must expect to be made clean. There is not enough man-made soap in the world to clean the stain of sin from our lives. We have tried. The Lord declared it through the prophet Jeremiah when He said, “Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord GOD.” (Jeremiah 2:22)

But the Fuller’s Soap washes the stain of sin away, never to be seen again. The blood of Jesus Christ, the eternal soap for the soul, removes the evidence that the stain was ever there. When the Light of God dawns on us, darkness leaves.

We have a choice: live with the stain, or let Jesus remove the stain. But if we choose to let Jesus wash us and remove the stain of our sin, we still have another choice. We can choose to remember that the stain was there and live in fear that we will get stained again, or we can choose to trust the Fuller’s Soap to keep us clean.

As for me, I choose to live by faith in the constant cleansing of the Fuller’s Soap. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”(1 John 1:7) I do not mean to say that I will carelessly live making a mockery of God’s grace, but that because of my love for Him I will walk in His light, knowing that when I do stain my life with the spill of sin, He never runs out of soap.

In other words, I will keep wearing the sweatshirt, not with the intention of spilling, but knowing that if I do, the stain can be removed. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;  they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Pastor John