LifeLink Devotions

Friday, January 12, 2024

“Good luck.”

“Have a good day.”

“Live long and prosper.”

“It’s Karma.”

“It’s my destiny.”

“My horoscope says…”

All the above statements are contradictory to faith in God. Think about it. God is sovereign. He is always in control of all things. He has a specific purpose for our lives, and that purpose has already been revealed in the command of Jesus to “go into all the world and make disciples.” He has already determined our destiny based on our acceptance of or rejection of His Son Jesus Christ. He has condemned the practice of seeking guidance from the stars because it is the worship of creation rather than the Creator.

I admire the way the Dr. Woodrow Kroll ends his “Back to the Bible” radio broadcasts – “Have a good and Godly day; for of what value is a good day if it is not also a Godly day?”

Pay attention to the warning of God in Isaiah 65:11-12. It is entirely possible and most probable that we have forsaken the Lord for the worldly worship of Fortune and Destiny.

Isaiah 65:11-12 “But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”

Both terms used by God in this passage refer to pagan gods. According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,  “the two names Gadh (the Hyades) and M^enı̄ (the Pleiades) taken together give the meaning of the “Fortunate Number,” i.e. seven. The spreading of the table and mingling the wine to Gadh and M^enı̄̌—at the beginning of the year to secure good fortune throughout its course, were therefore held about the time of the Passover, as if in parody, if indeed they were not a desecration of it: heathen rites added to one of the most solemn services of Yahweh.”

People were actually perverting the Passover – God’s ordained feast to reveal His plan of salvation for people through the shed blood of a Lamb – by seeking the favor and good fortune of false gods. They were throwing the dice as it were hoping to hit seven all the time. They sought the counsel of the stars when they should have sought the Creator of the stars.

It was the propagation of the problem of Eden, when Eve was convinced by Satan that God’s purpose and provision were not sufficient to fully satisfy the human heart. How could the people of Israel, after all God had done for them in delivering them from the bondage of slavery to sin and directing them to the Promised Land, turn their backs on Him and declare that He alone was not sufficient for them? How could they turn instead to the gods that are not gods to seek their fortunes and destinies?

STOP! We cannot condemn in others, past or present, what we ourselves do. There are things in our lives that we trust to add fulfillment, joy, peace, and prosperity that stand in direct contradiction to absolute trust in God. Bank accounts, retirement plans, recreational activities, vacations, possessions, sports, social media, and the list could go on and on. If even one aspect of this list is allowed to become a means of providing personal value and worth to our lives, we are guilty of forsaking the LORD. We spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny every time we use the creation to attempt to fulfill what only the Creator can provide. We are guilty of false worship. We even forsake corporate worship with God’s people to pursue these other gods.

My friends, we are all excited about the opportunities ahead of us to enjoy activities and adventures in this life.  Be very careful that all of it is done in the context of worship to the Creator, not as an attempt to replace what we have chosen to believe God can’t give. Our choices truly do reveal what we love and whom we worship. Do not forsake the LORD, or forget His holy mountain.

Pastor John

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LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Have you ever had raisin juice? Me either. Raisin juice is an oxymoron. You can’t get juice from something that is dried – at least not enough to be practical.

The nation of Israel had dried up spiritually. Not only were they no longer ripe for a harvest of righteousness, but they were also juiceless – the Living Water of God was no longer in them.

Isaiah 65:8-9  “This is what the LORD says: “As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes and men say, ‘Don’t destroy it, there is yet some good in it,’ so will I do in behalf of my servants; I will not destroy them all.  I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah those who will possess my mountains; my chosen people will inherit them, and there will my servants live.”

But not all of them were spiritually shriveled. There was a remnant of people who had remained juicy with the joy of the Lord. They were justified by their faith in Jesus, the coming Messiah. They were plump with promise. They were fat with faithfulness. They were sweet with servant hearts.

The LORD spoke to Isaiah and said, “At first glance it looks like the grapes are becoming raisins, which are useless to me. But if you squeeze them you will discover there is still juice in them. That juice is good, so I will not destroy those grapes, but will instead use them for their intended purpose of possessing a new Kingdom.”

There are at least two lessons here for us:

• We are surrounded by people who are shriveling up spiritually. Maybe you are one of them. By your own evaluation or according to the scrutiny of others, you have determined that there is nothing good left in you. Many people around you have the same belief about themselves. But there’s Good News! God sees good juice in you yet. You are not a raisin. You are a grape plump with promise. God is calling you to an inheritance on His holy mountain. You! Wrinkles and all. You are still valuable to the Savior.
• We must be squeezed a little for the good to come out. This may hurt a little, but the squeezing of grapes produces wine. Wine is very symbolic in the Bible. Wine is the symbol of redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ squeezed out on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Wine is the symbol of judgment, as God squeezes sinners in the winepress of His wrath in mankind’s last days on earth. Wine is the symbol of rejoicing, when Jesus again drinks it with all His faithful followers when the new Kingdom is established. Wine is the symbol of the adultery of mankind in false religions and self-serving spiritualism. So here is the point: when you feel squeezed by the circumstances and hardships of life, what is coming out of you? Is it good, God-honoring juice that will become new wine for the celebration of the King, or is it raisin juice that needs to be destroyed?

Your response to the squeeze is your responsibility. Your response reveals your real character. When God’s people are squeezed, good juice of righteousness comes out.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Is it possible that there is a time limit on God’s grace?

Before you try to answer that, be advised that the question is fundamentally flawed. When we attempt to put any sort of human limitations like time and space on God then we have asked the wrong question. God is God because He never ceases to be perfect. He does not set aside justice to be merciful – He is both always. He doesn’t set aside love to judge sin and sinners – He is both always.

Beyond our understanding, God is eternally perfect, not limited as we are to time and space, and certainly not limited to single expressions of the heart. He is always fully God in every way all the time.

But when God became incarnate in human existence in the life of Jesus, He took on time and space. Humanity was able to see, for the first time, the glory of God. It’s described for us in John 1:14 when the disciple Jesus loved wrote under the power of the Holy Spirit of God these words: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Grace and Truth – the glory of God. Both always. In human time, He showed love to those who were lost, while showing truth to those who claimed to already know it. He spoke words of grace and compassion to the needy and spoke words of anger and judgment to those who were self-righteous. Different times – same Jesus who was God in human flesh. He was Truth when He showed Grace, and He was Grace when He spoke Truth.

Why have I spent time on this? Because God reveals to us today through the prophet Isaiah that from a human perspective there is a time coming for many people when God’s grace will come to an end. For now, though they reject Him, He is still making Himself available to them. Even though they do not ask for Him, He is still responding to them. When they are not looking for Him, He keeps showing up in their lives. He is offering His grace to them.

Isaiah 65:1-5 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick;  who sit among the graves and spend their nights keeping secret vigil; who eat the flesh of pigs, and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat;  who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too sacred for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day.”

God’s grace is being extended even to those who are in constant rebellion against Him. But the time is coming when He will manifest His judgment on them. Look at what else Isaiah says: “See, it stands written before me: I will not keep silent but will pay back in full; I will pay it back into their laps—both your sins and the sins of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains and defied me on the hills, I will measure into their laps the full payment for their former deeds.” (verses 6-7)

Do you see it? Do you see the truth that God is both always? While He is extending grace, it stands written before Him that He is also just and will impose judgment on all those who have rejected Him.

The time of His judgment has not yet arrived. We are living in the age of grace. Yet we tend to seek justice before its time. We tend to be judgmental and critical rather than the expressions of grace and love. We who cannot be all things at all times as God is have chosen to be the wrong thing. We have chosen justice over grace when we are to live as the expressions of God’s grace until His time of judgement comes.

We are called to a mission to make disciples, expressing the love of God to a lost world that rejects Him. It is by our love for God and for one another that the world will know we are the followers of Jesus. Repeatedly we are both commanded and encouraged to grow in love and grace, but never in judgment. It is time for us to rise up as the people of God and reflect the expression of God’s grace to the world around us. Let us boldly and courageously live according to the heart of our Lord so that it may be said of us –

“To those who have not asked; to those who have not sought; to those who have rejected and rebelled; WE SHOWED THEM GOD’S GRACE AND LOVE.”

Maybe then they will finally hear Him.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Isaiah 64:4  “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”

It’s still true today – since ancient times no one has heard about, heard from, nor have they seen any God besides YHWH – Jehovah – the One and Only God who exists as the Triune Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Every proposed option for God is the fabrication of man’s imagination and designed as an imitation of the One and Only so that ultimately man can be his own god.

Need proof? Isaiah 64:4 offers it. God acts! He acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. No imaginary God can. For a time, it may seem that our imaginary gods are acting on our behalf, but ultimately no action has taken place therefore no enduring benefit can be realized.

Our gods of resources, responsibilities, relationships, recreation, and religion produce only temporary satisfaction and fulfillment that never truly satisfy. But we are such creatures of the immediate that we are content with those temporary feelings, and we embrace the false belief that we will somehow avoid the pain and loss that have been experienced by everyone else.

The reality is that there is eternal fulfillment for every soul that surrenders by faith to the One True God for salvation. Yet even those of us who have done that still struggle with the need for immediate gratification. We have acceptance issues. We have value doubts. We have personal ambitions that we believe will compliment what God has given and supplement what He hasn’t.

But God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. We are not good at waiting. We want what we want when we want it. Yet God says some things are worth waiting for. The apostle Jesus loved was directed by the Holy Spirit to write these words: “It does not yet appear to us what we shall be, but we know this, that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

We work so hard at our appearance in this world, when what we should be waiting for is Christ’s glorious appearance. Why is it that how we appear now is so important when that will all be changed when we see the One whose appearance we will become? There is only one appearance that we should desire right now, and that is to be the reflection of our Savior’s appearance. Then, when He returns and we see Him as He is, our transformation into His appearance will be an easy step rather than a shock to us.

We all have other gods we have chosen to fulfill some need we believe we have. They are all a product of our imagination based on what we believe is best for us. We are our own gods, and it will end badly. Today, get rid of the idols you have determined bring value to your life, and trust the One True God to totally satisfy and fulfill you. He is acting on your behalf if you choose to wait for the eternal good He has in store. Let the world see that your appearance is nothing but a reflection of Jesus.

Pastor John

OKAY, I have NEVER done this before, but I have been encouraged by some subscribers to offer a convenient way to contribute to the cost of this blog. I would NEVER demand income from doing the Lord’s work, but here’s your opportunity to participate as God leads you to do so.

• BE MEEK
• BE EMOTIONAL
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• FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES
• NEVER DO THE LEAST

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, January 8, 2024

My wife is a wonderful seamstress. When our kids were little she made them a lot of clothing. Then she made clothing for the grandchildren. She even made clothes for the granddaughters’ dolls.

Years ago, when the kids were small and I was in business, I was the manager of a retail department store while the Lord was training me for ministry. There was a fabric department in the store. Bolts of fabric would come in on the truck, and it seemed like all the seamstresses in town knew our shipping schedule. No sooner did we have the material on display than the department would be filled with women searching for just the right fabric to sew into a new garment for their kids or even themselves.

One table in the department was reserved for remnants. Whenever a bolt of fabric would be sold off to the point where less than two yards were left, we would mark down the price and put it on the remnant table. The fabric left on the bolt was just as good as the previously sold yardage, but the limited quantity also limited the available applications. The remnant was a small reminder of a previous abundance.

That’s the picture we have in the sixty-third chapter of Isaiah. I would really encourage you to spend a few minutes right now and read it. Isaiah 63:7-19

Did you see the remnant? The nation is in shambles. (vs. 18-19) They have rebelled against the Lord God. (vs. 10) Throughout their history God has revealed His glory to them. ( vs. 11-14) But in the midst of the dark days of the present, there arose a remnant that recognized their Redeemer. (vs. 16) Now their hearts are crying out to God for His return and His deliverance.

Isaiah 64:1  “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!”

I believe that we are living in a world that is on the precipice of prophetic fulfillment. Soon the remnant of those who truly believe that Jesus is the Messiah will begin to grow.

Two things are certain from the prophecies of God’s Word:

1. Jesus is coming back and the nation of Israel will be the political, spiritual, and economic capital of the world;
2. and before He does return, we will see a great falling away from the Gospel by the people of the world and the true followers of Jesus being identified and persecuted for their faith that stands opposed to the cultural consensus of humanism.

I thank God that I live in this day, and that the Lord has chosen to pour out His Spirit on His people so that the Gospel is having a profound and eternal effect on the unsaved. I praise God that there is a remnant being identified that, while small and seemingly with limited applications, has the power of the resurrected Christ to exalt the glorious name of Jesus Christ. I am humbled that He has chosen to use our weaknesses to magnify His strength. I am honored to be surrounded by so many who have also chosen to set aside all their earthly pursuits for the sake of the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith in the resurrected Lord.

May I implore you to consider the call of Jesus Christ to true discipleship? With the love of Christ compelling me and the Holy Spirit empowering me, I challenge you to consider your connection to the kingdom of this world and repent. I urge you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to place your total faith and confidence in Jesus Christ alone that He can and will provide every one of your needs if you once again permit Him to be the priority of your love. I beg you as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reflect on your family life, and the priorities you are teaching to your children about dependence on the world’s activities to provide personal and emotional value. I charge you, as Paul charged Timothy, to not have a form of godliness without the power of it to transform your life. 

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

I implore you to be identified with the remnant of those who will stand apart from their culture and remind its people that Jesus is coming again in power and great glory!

Pastor John

OKAY, I have NEVER done this before, but I have been encouraged by some subscribers to offer a convenient way to contribute to the cost of this blog. I would NEVER demand income from doing the Lord’s work, but here’s your opportunity to participate as God leads you to do so.

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, January 5, 2024

Isaiah 63:8  “He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again.” And he became their Savior.”

Read that last sentence again.

“And He became their Savior.”

Excuse me while I look for my socks, because they have just been blown off. It’s a little hard to walk around because my world has been rocked.  I’m floppin’ around like a scared bird whose cage has been rattled. STOP!

Seriously, I am overwhelmed with that statement. Think about it. They had rebelled. They had committed spiritual adultery by embracing idolatry. They had become completely self-centered and self-serving. They manipulated the laws of God to serve their own purposes. To remove guilt and shame they indulged in every form of pain relief known to man. They were drunkards, drug addicts, sex addicts, rapists, and murderers. They offered their children as human sacrifices to false gods. They were corrupt to the core.

Yet God said, “’They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again.’ And he became their Savior.”

Let me tell you about two people I knew years ago.

The man was an ex-con, released from jail several years before I met him. The woman was totally opposed to anything spiritual. They hooked up after he got out of jail and now have a beautiful set of twin daughters. They are not married – yet. After investing time and love into them, a young married couple from our church invited them to come see the movie “Courageous.” The next day they were in church. At the conclusion of the service, both responded in faith to the offer of God’s grace. He became their Savior.

Two weeks later, the husband of the couple who brought them to the Lord for salvation will have the honor of baptizing them. Our congregation shouted and praised the Lord. We rejoiced because once again we saw the power of Jesus Christ to save. No matter how bad the past, there is a Living Hope for the future.

Maybe it’s time for you to finally see the love that God has for you. Maybe it’s time to realize that the affirmation you have been searching for is found in the words of the Lord when He says, “Surely they will not be false again.” Maybe now is the time to trust the One who gave His life in exchange for you when He died on the cross as the ultimate expression of God’s love. That’s how much He loves you.

There is hope for you, no matter where you are or what you have done. God is not counting the number of failures; He’s planting the seed of faith in your heart right now so He can guarantee your future.

Isn’t it time to trust Him to be your Savior?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, January 4, 2024

My memory is changing.  I feel like an obsolete computer that’s in need of a major upgrade. My hard drive has become fragmented, and access to the filing system is substantially slower than it used to be. When I finally do locate the file, it is corrupted and unreadable.

Yet some parts of this change are very good. I have discovered that the first files to become corrupted are the ones containing all the bad memories of life. I had a specific password-protected folder named “Hurts and Hard Feelings” (HHF) and I’m having a terrible time remembering the password. It used to be the first folder to be opened every day. Now it’s hard to get into it at all.

As I was going through a bunch of old paperwork in my office, I found a letter I had written to a church that had deeply hurt me in the past. As I read the letter, I tried to access the HHF folder and couldn’t. Instead, I saw the glory of God’s work to refine me and mature me into the man I am today.

Several years ago, I ran a diagnostic check on my filing system. (I’m still speaking about my brain, not an actual computer.) I discovered that the corrupted files were not being repaired or deleted. I checked my Virus Protection Software and discovered a setting I never knew was there before. There’s an option in the Program that allows It to automatically repair and/or delete corrupted files.

When I first set the computer up with the new Operating System I remember hearing about this feature, but never turned it on. I was afraid that it would delete things in those files that I might need to access at a later date. I really believed that information might be able to be used to my advantage in the future. Little did I know that the viruses in those files would slowly infect all the other files in my system as well.

So, I turned on the Automatically Repair or Delete feature in my Virus Protection Software. My HHF folder is almost empty. The Virus Protector is working. There are days when I want to put a file in there, but the VP has changed the password, and I cannot even save the file. And when I try to save it to a different location, the VP brings up a dialogue box and asks me if I really want to save this corrupted file to my computer. Then, even on the days when I really want to save it and click “Yes”, the Operating System shuts down until I authorize the VP to scan and clean my computer.

Isaiah 63:7  “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us…”

I am amazed at how well my computer is running these days since I downloaded and accepted all these manufacturer’s recommended updates. Now when I wake up every morning, my mind is filled with memories of the steadfast love of the Lord rather than the events filed in the HHF folder. The Virus Protector is constantly scanning my computer for any downloads or inputs that will harm the Operating System.

You see, loss of memory can be a good thing. However, don’t wait for the memory system to start to deteriorate to experience the benefits of lost files. Let go of the control of your filing system and turn on the automatic features in your Virus Protection Software called SLL – the Steadfast Love of the Lord. Then you can start experiencing the full benefits of your upgraded Operating System.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Isaiah 62:11 “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.’”

There’s a stir in the crowd. Respect for those who are praying keeps people silent for a while, but the news is too important, so whispering begins. As more and more people hear the news vocal chords are activated, and soon, almost sacrilegiously, shouting begins. The decorum of the Temple is no longer considered because news that the Messiah is coming has spread throughout the crowd. There can be no restraint of such enthusiasm.

In their hearts, the people expected this to be the day for which they have prayed throughout the centuries. Since the days of King David, they have had a unified hope of national redemption under the reign of God’s chosen King. Finally, or so they thought, that day had arrived.

They rushed to the outskirts of the city to verify the route the Messiah was taking. Along the way they stopped to collect palm branches which they would use to honor the arriving King. No King should have to walk on a dusty road. As they walked, they began a mental review of the Scriptures they knew so well concerning the Messiah. Quickly the joy of the moment overwhelmed them and they began speaking the words out loud.

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Then suddenly, up ahead, they see another crowd of people coming towards them. They are already shouting the same words. Their voices begin to amplify, and the surrounding countryside is filled with the stereophonic sounds of praise.

As they draw closer their pitch has been raised to fevered proportions. They began laying down their branches, and when they didn’t sufficiently cover the road, they took off their cloaks and laid them down as well. As the newly proclaimed King passed by they joined in the procession with shouts of joy to the One who would finally set them free.

As they walked, no one really noticed that the King wasn’t riding a great white horse fit for such royalty. Instead, He was on a donkey, and the foal of that donkey. If only they had asked the King for an explanation, they may have had the eyes of their spiritual understanding opened. But as it was, their thinking was dominated by their desire for personal and national prosperity. They were not thinking about their spiritual needs but had interpreted all the prophet’s words about the Messiah in light of a political agenda.

In the days ahead it would be revealed to them that the Messiah they thought would deliver them from Rome’s bondage had a different purpose in in heart. They would reject their King and put Him to death as an imposter. They had totally missed the point of the Son of God’s entrance into the human race and His entrance into Jerusalem. He was and still is primarily concerned with the redemption of people, not nations. That is why He was there, and that is why He died. When He enters the heart of a sinner and saves him by His grace, He has made the real triumphal entry.

Someday the world will see another triumphal entry. Those of us who have already had Him march into our lives as King of Kings and Lord of Lords will be with Him when He returns to this earth to establish the physical Kingdom promised by the Father. For those who reject Him as King today, it will be a horrifying day of eternal judgment.

The tables will be turned from His first entry. The people of earth will not be shouting “Hosanna”, but rather “Help!” We who are with Him will be the ones shouting “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.” The people of earth will not put Him to death, but He will sentence them to eternal death. The people who have rejected Him will not enjoy the rewards of the King in His kingdom but will be separated from His presence forever.

We who are His, who understand the purpose of His first triumphal entry, and have experienced the real triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into our hearts, will reign with Him in glory forever and ever! Amen!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Isaiah 62:4b “…for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married.”

Ladies, are you a bride?

There are several possible answers to that question, and if you give me some time, I will tell you how they apply to men as well.

• “Nope, and I never want to be.”
• “No, but I want to be.”
• “Not yet, but I’m going to be soon.”
• “YES!”
• “I was once.”

The saddest answer that can be given to the question of “Are you a bride?” is the last one – “I was once.” The first answer sounds sad also, but in reality, there are some people, according to God’s Holy Word, that are able to remain single all their life so as to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. But when a bride reaches the point of not considering herself a bride any longer, that is sad.

Sometimes that point is reached through the death of a husband, or through the God-hated practice of divorce. But the greatest tragedy is when a wife of any length of time, while married, loses the delight of being a bride.

Okay men, you’ve waited long enough: how does this apply to us? Well, according to the words of the angel in Revelation, all who come to Jesus Christ for salvation are considered the bride of Christ – male and female alike. God uses the picture of human marriage to depict our spiritual relationship with His Son Jesus. Even in this passage in Isaiah, in verse 5, the Lord God says, “So will your sons (as in the builder of the family name) marry you.” Jesus Christ, the son of Israel, the eternal Builder of the family name, will marry you. You are a bride.

Notice I said that you are a bride. If you are in Christ, saved by grace through faith, forgiven through the repentance of sin, you are the bride of Christ. The problem is that some of us give the saddest answer of all when asked if we are a bride – we say that we were once.

How tragic that the bride of Christ has lost the delight of being the bride. But you may wonder how you may know if that’s true of you. Here’s how, in Isaiah’s own words as he relates it from a national perspective for the people of Israel.

• You may have lost the desire to constantly talk about the coming of the Groom. “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (verses 6-7) The Bride of Christ cannot help but look for the Groom and wait for His appearing.
• You may be distracted by the world and giving your heart away to sinful practices. “Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled.” (verse 8). Once a marriage has occurred, all the attention of the Bride is to be focused on the Groom. Wandering eyes are not permitted. Thoughts of cheating are never present. Attempts to serve self are blanketed by the unconditional love of God which produces attitudes and actions of service to the Groom.

What is true of marriage is true for us in our relationship with Jesus. It is the promise of restoration for the nation of Israel. It is the present reality for the Bride of Christ. May the Lord Jesus Christ, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit of God the Father, restore unto each of us the delight of being the Bride of Christ!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, January 1, 2024

There’s one more part to the story from last Friday, and it’s a great way to start the new year. Following the baptism of a new believer, the Lord spoke to our congregation in a very clear and precise way. As a result, one more person came to saving faith in Jesus Christ and entered His eternal Kingdom. Hallelujah! Jesus is mighty to save, and He is not done doing it.

Isaiah 62:2 “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.”

As I read Isaiah 62:1-2 again this morning, I was drawn to one phrase – “you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.” For those of you who first think theologically, I know that these verses apply specifically to the restoration of the nation of Israel. But the truth of a new name expands into the church age as well.

When Jesus had the Apostle John write to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, to two of them He declared that those who overcome and remain faithful would receive a new name.

In Revelation 19, when Jesus returns to earth with the armies of heaven, He has on Him a Name known only to Himself – the Name given to Him upon His exaltation to the right hand of God following His resurrection. It is the Name above all names at which every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that He is Lord.

Every time a sinner repents and is saved there is a new name written in the Lamb’s book of life in heaven – a name that is written in the blood of the Lamb and can never be erased.

That Sunday, a new name was written down in glory. Personally, I see a lot more of that happening in the future as people become bold enough to speak up about their faith. I believe in these last days we are going to begin to see a clear separation of people from the world who are called to faith in Jesus Christ. I believe that in these last days, those of us who stand up and speak out the true Gospel will be blessed with an increasing harvest of souls saved from their sin by the power of Christ’s blood shed on the cross. Yes, there will be persecution. Yes, there will be suffering. But the blessing of praying with someone who is repenting of their sin, crucifying the old nature, and being reborn into eternal life in Jesus Christ is worth any hardship.

Do you believe that? Will you live that way?

I am reminded of one of my favorite old hymns of our faith. Let it minister to you as it does to me.

“I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.

“I was humbly kneeling at the cross,
Fearing naught but God’s angry frown;
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.

“In the Book ’tis written, “Saved by Grace,”
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven, and I know
By the blood I am made whole.

“There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam.”

Pastor John