LifeLink Devotions

Friday, May 13, 2022

We got the first call at around 7:30 in the morning. I was already at the office when Denise called me. Our son Josh was on his way home from work to take his wife Brittany to the hospital. It was the day of the birth of our sixth grandchild. (We now have eleven.) All day long we checked in for updates, and when the time was getting close, we went up to the hospital to wait for the big moment. Twelve hours after the first phone call Josh came out to the waiting room with a picture and announced that he had another son. His name is Liam Chandler, and all eight pounds twelve ounces of him are perfect.

As we waited at the hospital, one of Brittany’s best friends, who is also a nurse and also pregnant, became the messenger of news during the delivery process. That’s kind of interesting when I think of it, because it makes her the “soon to deliver delivery delivery person”. Anyway, each time there was a development in the delivery, she would depart the delivery room and deliver the news to us. She became our conduit of connection to our children. She told us how Brittany was doing, how Josh was doing, and how much time was left. She was such an encouragement to us. She was such a servant.

Ephesians 6:21-22  “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.” 

Tychicus was such a person. Paul calls him a dear brother and faithful servant. Tychicus had accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey, and delivered two of his letters to churches – this one to Ephesus and the letter to the Colossians. But he was much more than a delivery man. Tychicus was the personal representative of Paul to the people of the churches. When Tychicus spoke, he shared more than information – he shared the heart of Paul. When Tychicus spoke, people became emotionally attached to Paul because he was so deeply connected to Paul.

Paul told the people at Ephesus that when Tychicus shared everything that was going on in Paul’s life, they would know not only what he was doing but also how he was. In fact, Paul said the very purpose he was sending Tychicus was so that the people would know how he was. This is so important. True friendship and intimacy is based on intimate knowledge of a person not on just the knowledge of what they are doing. Most of our conversations with people are pretty shallow and focus on activity. Deep relationships focus on the heart, and relationships like that are the most meaningful and fulfilling.

The reason I emphasized the word know in the last paragraph is because it is the key to the whole point I am making. Jesus used the same word when He described His relationship with us in John 15:5 – “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Twice he uses the word in this verse. Once to describe the lack of knowledge of a servant, and once to describe the depth of knowledge of a friend. The contrast is significant. The servant doesn’t even know the master’s business, but the friend has had everything revealed to Him. We are the friends of Jesus, and everything that He learned from the Father has been made known to us. Not just through the passing on of information, but through the experience of the life of Christ. In the prayer of Jesus in John 17, Jesus says, “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” WOW! The same love that God has for His Son is found in us because the Son lives in us. Hallelujah!

It’s not the knowledge of what someone is doing that determines the depth of friendship, it’s the experience of who the person is. That’s what Tychicus brought to the people at Ephesus – the experience of Paul’s life. That’s what Brittany’s friend brought to us at the hospital 12 years ago. That’s what each one of us has the opportunity to do with others. It’s what true fellowship in the body of Christ is all about. So ask yourself, “Am I that kind of a friend, or am I just a delivery person?” Delivery people, in the scope of relationship information, are usually called gossips. Friends bring others into the experience of the people they love and encourage them. Let’s choose to be friends like Tychicus.

Pastor  John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Some things never change. Human nature is the biggest proof of that. From mankind’s beginnings in the garden of Eden until today, we have not really changed. We have advanced technologically and culturally, but not behaviorally. We have the same dreams of personal fulfillment and the same fears of inadequacy. No matter how advanced we believe we have become on the outside, inside, the nature of man is still the same. We strive for acceptance, and we fear rejection.

This applies to our spiritual lives as well. No matter how strong we think we have become in our faith, we still battle the tendencies of the flesh. No matter how spiritually mature we may claim to be, we still battle the desire to be accepted and the fear of rejection. Satan loves to take our feelings of failure and magnify them in our minds to the point that we become convinced we are worthless. The pride of life convinces us that we should have no weakness. When one is revealed, we are shattered. When will we learn to just be honest and transparent, and trust the grace of God for all of our approval?

Ephesians 6:19-20  “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

I’m encouraged by these verses because I see that the Apostle Paul also battled fear. He knew that he needed the warriors of the faith to stand with him in prayer against the enemy of fear so he could accomplish God’s mission. If he didn’t battle with fear, then he wouldn’t have asked for prayer to be fearless – twice! I think the biggest arena of fear in our spiritual lives is witnessing, and in that stadium, we need to take a stronger stand, because Satan is whipping us. Paul knew it was the bottom line of spiritual warfare, for if the Gospel is not shared, then people are not saved, and the Kingdom of God ceases to grow.

Leighton Ford, an evangelist with the Billy Graham Association from 1955 to 1985, wrote a book in 1977 called Good News is for Sharing. In his book he writes the following:

“In preparing for this book, I have talked to a lot of people, and the fear issue comes up front again and again. What makes people hesitate to share their faith? Here are some of the fears that have been mentioned to me:”

• “I am afraid I might do more harm than good.”
• “I don’t know what to say.”
• “I may not be able to give snappy answers to tricky questions.”
• “I may seem bigoted.”
• “I may invade someone’s privacy.”
• “I am afraid I might fail.”
• “I am afraid I might be a hypocrite.”

We can all relate to some of those questions, and have thought them ourselves. But there is an even greater fear than any of these. Dr. Ford continues…

“Perhaps the most common fear, however, is that of being rejected. A survey was given to those attending training sessions for the Billy Graham crusade in Detroit. One question asked, “What is your greatest hindrance to witnessing?” Fifty-one percent answered that they feared how the other person would react! None of us likes to be rejected, ridiculed, or regarded as an oddball.

The fear of rejection is powerful. But notice something about Paul’s request that people pray for him to speak fearlessly about Christ. Do you remember where Paul was when he wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus? He was in jail in Rome. He had already been arrested and imprisoned for witnessing. It would be logical to assume that he had conquered his fears. But he knew that in any situation, the power of the flesh can rise up and defeat the desire to please the Lord, and Paul wanted every piece of the armor in place so he could stand strong, no matter what the consequences. That final piece of God’s armor is this – the army of the Lord standing together in prayer that we would be fearless in carrying out the command of the King to share the Gospel with the whole world.

Paul closes this passage with three important words – as I should. Here’s a test for you. Be careful – it’s going to cut deep. When you are in public, and have an opportunity to include Jesus Christ in your conversation, or to share a biblical principle or truth as a part of a conversation, do you do it or do your fears overwhelm you and keep you silent? If your fears win out, then the reality is that your desire to satisfy self is more powerful than your love for God. OUCH! But it’s true. We will do the things we really want to do. May the joy of your salvation and the hope of eternal glory so overwhelm you that your desire is to please the Lord who saved you. I will be praying that whenever you open your mouth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be heard, and that you will do it fearlessly.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Years ago I rode motorcycle. One morning as I rode to the office, I noticed a difference in my attitude towards other drivers. When I’m in my car, I’m fairly arrogant about my rights and my skills. I look ahead and know what’s happening several cars in front of me, and I’m usually prepared for any emergency. Unfortunately, I tend to think poorly about other drivers who obviously are not really paying attention. I’m embarrassed by those prideful thoughts, but I’m even more ashamed of the actions that follow those thoughts.

For example, when I’m in my car, and I’m on a four lane road that will soon become only two lanes, I know which lane is the one that ends and which lane has the right of way to proceed. (By the way, the sign tells you which lane that is.) I plan ahead and make sure I’m in the correct lane well before the point of change. You know what’s coming next, don’t you? Suddenly, there’s a person coming up beside me as I approach the point where the lanes merge. One of us has to slow down and let the other one go ahead. Since I’m in the correct lane that is not ending, I refuse to slow down. If they hit me, it will be their fault. I’m not proud of that attitude.

The mind that is controlled by the flesh is a dangerous thing. It convinces us that being right is more important than even personal safety. Something has to happen to our minds so they are controlled by something other than our pride and personal ambitions to get ahead. That something for me is the reality of my vulnerability on the motorcycle. As I was riding home one day, the same thing I just described happened to me. I had to make a choice. I could hold to my rights or I could back off and let the other person proceed. I chose the latter. I had a different perspective of the situation because I was on a motorcycle that would not only lose any conflict with a car, but would cause me to be seriously injured. With that in mind, I made a different choice. It’s the choice I need to make all the time, no matter what I’m driving.

I remember some words of Scripture that I have not applied very well in the daily activity of driving – “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…Be kind and compassionate to others…Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Before I get too diverted from the original point I wanted to make, let me get to it – whatever we have in our mind will determine our actions. Whatever we choose to focus on in our thinking will become the primary motivation for our choices. When the thought of my rights is foremost in my mind, I make a different choice than when the thought of my safety is on my mind. When thoughts of the needs of others is on my mind, I will choose differently than when thoughts of my needs are on my mind.

Ephesians 6:18  “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” 

So when Paul tells us to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and use it as the basis for our prayer life, he then says those all important words, “with this in mind.” He is reminding us that something new has become the priority of our thinking and that it will result in different behavior. As our minds are renewed, so that the flesh has less and less influence and the Spirit of God has more and more control, we are to be alert to what’s going on around us. We are to see the other person approaching in the rear-view mirror, and then respond in such a way that confirms the presence of God in our lives. We are to respond to one another’s needs and issues with prayers of all kinds based on the promises of God.  

Paul says it this way in his second letter to the church at Corinth, as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in The Message. “God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.”

Keep that in mind!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

(Warning: what I am about to read is laced with huge generalizations and is meant only to make a point.)  

Men are prone to the“open the box – attempt to assemble – get frustrated – read the instructions” format of life. Women, on the other hand, don’t attempt anything until they have everything organized for the job, including reading the instructions. When asked to bake a cake, a man may be able to read the recipe, but will most certainly get out a bowl, crack a couple of eggs, mix in some flour, and then discover that he doesn’t have enough of the other ingredients to finish. So he runs to the store, leaving the eggs on the counter to develop salmonella while he’s gone. Then, while at the store, he calls his wife at home to be reminded of what he’s at the store to buy, because he didn’t make a list. As she reads what he needs from the recipe, she checks the cupboard and discovers that all the ingredients are there and proceeds to tell him that he needs to open his eyes when he looks for things. He responds by saying he’ll try harder next time, knowing in his heart that it will never happen. He leaves the grocery store, and on the way home forgets that he is making a cake when he sees a collector’s car show at a local parking lot and stops in to check out the muscle cars.

In contrast, women will get out the recipe, read it thoroughly and check the cupboards for every ingredient before even getting out the mixer.

I can only image that men and women use the same approaches to reading about the armor of God in Ephesians 6. Men get to the end of verse seventeen and shout, “Woo-hoo, I have a sword. Let’s get the war started.” Women get to verse seventeen and read on, hoping to find some instructions on what to do with the sword. Men miss out on one of the most significant teachings about spiritual warfare and will run off in a lot of directions with a sword that is dull and ineffective. Women will discover an incredible truth about being successful in standing against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:18  :”And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Granted, not all men do things the way I described, and not all women are organizational gurus. My point is this – if we don’t read verse eighteen as a part of the armor of God, we will never be able to truly stand strong and be protected by that armor. Paul tells us that after we have taken up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, we are to pray in the Spirit. When Paul tells us to pray in the Spirit, he is giving us the instruction manual for how to use the sword of the Spirit, and to receive our marching orders from the Commander-in-Chief.

Our spiritual victory over the influence of evil hinges on this point – we are to use the sword to pray. The Sword of the Spirit is to be used to pray in the Spirit. Our authority in prayer comes from our confidence in the truth of God’s Word and in speaking it in our conversations with God.

I know a man who spends much time every day in prayer. He uses a variety of prayer techniques that cover every occasion of his life. But one technique that he uses consistently is to pray the Scriptures. He will take a Psalm, and replace every pronoun with his own name, or the name of the person for whom he is praying and pray the truths of God’s Word on their behalf. He will take the promises of God from His Word and insert his name or another person’s name into them and pray them to God. He is doing two things – he is affirming his faith in God’s Word, and he is asking God to fulfill His Word.

We would do well to imitate this man’s practice. We can start affirming our faith in God’s Word by speaking it back to Him and then acting upon it. One of the techniques used by parents in training their children is to ask them questions. They may ask, “What has daddy told you about this?” They are hoping to have the child affirm their understanding of the rules, expectations, and promises by repeating it back to them. Then they may ask, “And what has daddy promised you if you do it?” Again, the parent is hoping the child will affirm their understanding of the consequences or rewards of their choice. That is what we do when we use His word to communicate with Him. We are affirming our understanding of His rules, expectations, and promises, and our understanding of the consequences and rewards of our choices. That is what builds our faith and makes our shield against the enemy stronger.

So grab hold of a promise today and start praying it back to God. Use His Word as the foundation of every request, so you know you are asking in His will. Let your minds be renewed and transformed by putting every thought and idea into the context of God’s Word. Use the sword of the Spirit on yourself to build your relationship with Jesus, and He will handle the enemy. Then you will be able to stand strong. Then you will have done all there is to do, and you will still be standing.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, May 9, 2022

 Roger Williams, who lived from 1603 to 1683, was a religious leader and one of the founders of Rhode Island.  He sailed from England for Massachusetts in 1630. He had a particularly strong view of religious freedom and of the rights of people. He questioned the right of the colonists to take the Indians’ land from them merely on the legal basis of the royal charter. His views brought trouble upon him from the oligarchy that was ruling Massachusetts. In 1635 he was found guilty of teaching that the civil power of a state could properly have no jurisdiction over the consciences of men and was ordered to be banished from the colony. He lived briefly with friendly Indians and then, in 1636, founded Providence in what was to be the colony of Rhode Island.

His most famous of all writings, The Bloody Tenant of Persecution (1644), was written from England while he was applying for the charter for his colony in America. Williams addressed England’s state-run church and its attempts to enforce religious uniformity through persecution and punishment. He states, “It is the will and command of God that, since the coming of his Son, the Lord Jesus, a permission of the most Paganish, Jewish, Turkish, or antichristian consciences and worships be granted to all men in all nations and countries: and they are only to be fought against with … the sword of God’s Spirit, the Word of God.”

Williams was appalled at the history of church-sanctioned wars against opposing religions. He understood a fundamental truth of God’s created order for humanity – man cannot be truly conquered unless his soul and spirit are surrendered. Forced obedience is not to be confused with religious freedom or righteousness. The only successful strategy for the transformation of the world and the salvation of people is to impale them with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. The only power able to conquer the false teachings and beliefs of all the religions of the world is the truth of God’s Word. People in those belief systems are not to be persecuted and forced to change their views through war. They are to be transformed by the “Word of God, which is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

Ephesians 6:17b  “…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.“

The direct implication of that truth is this – you and I are to pick up the only weapon we have been given and go to war with it. We have been given our marching orders by our Commander-in-Chief, and the orders are clear – “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This command from Jesus is for all who claim Him as Lord and Savior. It is not just for pastors or missionaries. It is not just for the eloquent. It is not just for those with type A personalities. It is not for the handsome or beautiful or talented or trained. It is for all of us, because the message we spread is not based on human experience or ability, but on the power of the Word of God. We do not proclaim our story, but His, and His story will change history. Those who know His story, will strive with all their might to pick up the Sword of the Spirit and proclaim it. They will overcome any obstacle in their path. They will cast aside any sin and correct any thoughts that hinder them from accomplishing the mission they have been given. They will stand before anyone at any time and proclaim that Jesus is Lord.

When Demosthenes, the famed Greek orator, first spoke in public, he was hissed off the platform. His voice was harsh and weak and his appearance unimpressive. He determined that his fellow citizens would someday appreciate his words, so he practiced day and night. He shaved half his head so no one would want to invite him to social events. To overcome a stammer, he recited with pebbles in his mouth and yelled against the thunders of the Aegean Sea so his voice would get louder. He stood beneath a suspended sword to train himself not to favor a shoulder that kept hitching. He practiced facial expressions in front of a mirror. It’s not surprising that when he next appeared in public, he moved the Greek nation. He and another orator spoke on a matter of national concern. When his companion concluded his speech, the crowd said, “What marvelous oratory!” But when Demosthenes finished, they cried with one voice, “Let us go and fight Philip!”

The Word of God will move people to join the army of heaven. We do not move them with our words – God moves them with His Word. We simply proclaim it. Let His Word move you to action!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, May 6, 2022

The way I live my life, I should wear a helmet all the time. I am constantly bumping my head on stuff. I can’t believe that God chose to combine impulsiveness and baldness into one man. I’ve gotten better, mainly because I’m tired of the scars. Some of the scars are the result of serious head injuries. I have a permanent bump on the back of my head from a bicycle accident when I was seven. I have a big scar left by the teeth of a friend when we collided in a softball game. Both of those injuries resulted in concussions. A concussion occurs when the brain slams against the inside of the skull as it moves as in response to an outside force. Newton’s third law of motion hurts. I’ve spent nights in the hospital as a result. Most of you would agree that I have suffered some form of brain damage.

Helmets protect the head from serious injury in most cases. You see, when a concussion occurs, thinking is impaired. I can recall the stories my wife tells about my behavior in the hospital after my last one. I don’t remember a thing about it, but she says it was hilarious. Obviously, I was out of my mind, because I am not normally hilarious. Injury to the brain can cause impaired judgment, loss of memory, and maybe even reduced intelligence capabilities. When the memory and rational thinking process are impaired, actions can become quite embarrassing.

Ephesians 6:17a  “Take the helmet of salvation…“

It’s the same in the spiritual world. If our brains are not being protected by the helmet of salvation, our actions can become quite embarrassing, both to the Lord Jesus and to other Christians. No one in their right mind wants to be an embarrassment. No one wants to be shamed. No one wants to feel insignificant and rejected. No one wants to live a life questioning their worth and value. Yet all those things will be the result of leaving our minds unprotected against the attacks of an enemy who knows how to get into our heads. Our defense is the helmet of salvation. With the knowledge of God’s grace and our unconditional acceptance into His eternal family we are protected from spiritual concussions.

The helmet of salvation protects us from attacks against our righteousness and integrity. From the files of Leadership magazine comes this story written by Bob Welch called A Father for All Seasons.  

“My son Jason’s successes have come mainly in baseball, the most notable of which occurred in a single moment last summer. In the last three years, I doubt Jason has ever taken the field when he wasn’t the smallest player on either team. Last summer, his lack of height was all the more noticeable because he was a seventh grader playing in a seventh/eighth-grade league.

“A fire-armed pitcher—more than a foot taller than my 4-foot-9 son—blazed a fastball right down the pike. I’m not sure Jason even saw the ball. Strike one. The second pitch scorched across the plate for a called strike two. The third pitch, unintentionally I’m sure, came right at Jason. He turned to avoid being hit and fell to the ground. His bat went flying. His helmet bounced off. The ball seemed to have skimmed his shoulder.

“Take your base,” said the umpire.

Standing in the third-base coach’s box, I was happy just seeing Jason alive, much less getting a free base. But now he was saying something to the umpire. What was going on?

“It didn’t hit me,” Jason said to the ump.

“Take your base, son,” said the ump.

Our fans were most likely thinking the same thing I was thinking: Take your base, son.

“But honest, it didn’t hit me,” Jason pleaded.

The umpire looked at Jason and out to the infield ump, who just shrugged. “OK,” said the ump, “the count is one-and-two.”

Should I intervene? Make him take his base? Jason was already digging in his cleats in the batter’s box. I mentally shrugged and headed back to the coach’s box.

The towering pitcher rocked and fired. A bullet right down the middle—the kind of pitch that would send the kid to the dugout. Instead, Jason ripped the ball into left-center for a stand-up double. Our crowd roared. The manager of the team in the field was standing a few feet behind me. He had no idea that the kid on second base was my son. He spit out his sunflower seeds and slowly shook his head.

“Man,” he said, “you gotta love that.”

 That’s exactly right – you gotta love it when honesty and integrity reign supreme in anyone’s life. It should be how we choose leaders for our churches and for our nation. It should be how we all live our lives. And it’s possible when we wear the helmet of salvation!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, May 5, 2022

Ken Davis, author and speaker, tells the story of an experiment he led in one of his college classes. The title of his talk was, “The Law of the Pendulum.” He spent 20 minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum states that a pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.

To demonstrate, he attached a 3-foot string to a child’s toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. He pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where he let it go. Each time it swung back he made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When he finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard proved his thesis. He then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All his classmates raised their hands, and so did the professor. Ken then pointed the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room where a large, crude pendulum weighing 250 pounds hung from 500-pound parachute cord.

Ken invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. Using a hoist and crank, he brought the 250 pounds of metal up to the professor’s nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face, he once again explained the law of the pendulum the class had applauded only moments before. “If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger.” After that final restatement of this law, Ken looked the professor in the eye and asked, “Sir, do you believe this law is true?”

There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

The pendulum was released. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. You’ve never seen a man move so fast in your life. The professor literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, Ken asked the class, “Does he really believe in the law of the pendulum?” The students unanimously answered, “NO!”

Ephesians 6:16  “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Faith is only valid if it’s acted upon. In Paul’s teaching about the armor of God, he states that as a covering for all the other pieces of armor, we must take up the shield of faith. Did you notice the words take up? It is not sufficient for us to say that we believe in a shield that can protect us from the attacks of the enemy – we must personally take up that shield or it will do us no good. It is vitally important in taking up the shield of faith that we know what our faith has been placed in. Our faith is not in our protection or deliverance. Our faith is not in our newfound spiritual ability to defend ourselves. Our faith is not in the activity of God. None of those things can be the direct object of our faith. If our faith is in any of them, our lives will be tossed to and fro like a boat left untied during a hurricane. We will be influenced by sight rather than by trust. We will be scared by every swinging pendulum of life.

The only direct object of our faith that will protect us in any circumstance of life is God. Not His actions. Not His promises. Just God. Our faith is to be in His existence, His nature, and His character. Once we have that solidified, no attack of the enemy can harm us. We will be able to extinguish every flaming arrow shot at us. Oswald Chambers said it this way – “Faith for my deliverance is not faith in God. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not, I will stick to my belief that God is love.”

Faith in God is the basis for all other aspects of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ as Savior is only possible if we first have faith that there is a God of perfect love and justice who provided the way for salvation. Faith in the promises of God is only possible if we first have faith that there is a God who can fulfill those promises. It is faith in God that becomes our shield against all else.

But faith is only valid if it is put into action. It is only real faith if you stay in the chair as the pendulum approaches. It is only real faith if you can continue to trust the love of the Father when all of life seems to be collapsing around you. Real faith continues to trust even when all seems hopeless. So whatever your current circumstances, remember this – “…through faith you are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:5-9)

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Ephesians 6:15 “…and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

I don’t like to go barefoot. I never have. I admit it – I’m a tenderfoot. Walking on rocks and gravel and sticks hurts. Even when I go into the river to baptize people, you will notice I always wear sandals. Walking around the house without shoes on bothers me. When I try to work without shoes on, my legs get tired more quickly. I want my feet protected so I can be more active for longer periods of time.

There’s a reason why we don’t see barefoot NBA players or NFL players. Shoes are vital to the safety, strength, and endurance of athletes. They are just as vital for me every day. And my spiritual shoes are equally important. Think back to the days of the Roman soldier, when marching was the only means of moving from one battlefield to the next. Think of the topography of the land, and the lack of infrastructure like paved bike paths. Marching was tough work, and it would have been impossible without the underbinding of their feet. (The word translated “fitted” in our verse today literally means “to underbind”.) Efficiency and endurance were of high priority to the soldiers and their commanders. No matter how well equipped they may have been with the rest of their armor, they would have been miserable without their sandals. They would have marched more slowly, stood less firmly, and been injured more quickly.

There are several analogies we can make to our spiritual lives from this word picture. First, we are prepared to march when we hear and accept the Gospel of peace. We are to be ready to move out into the fields of spiritual battle at the Lord’s command. I remember the morning a fire destroyed the home in Augusta, WI, a community only 20 miles from where I live. Nobody was home at the time of the fire, but several pets didn’t make it out of the house. As the four fire departments fought the blaze, assistance arrived from a group of people who populate our area of Wisconsin. They are known as the Amish. They have no phones, no motor vehicles, no electricity. They travel by horseback and by horse-drawn buggy. According to a story on the web site for WEAU TV, “if there’s smoke in the sky or sirens rushing by Amish men don’t waste any time heading in that direction.”

Here’s what the Fire Chief said about their presence at the fire. “They won’t say how they dispatch, but if they’re in the area, they’re coming. They just appear! It’s great. They’ll drop everything and come. Even in the middle of the night, they’re coming across the field.”

What a great example for those of us who follow Jesus Christ as our Commander-in-Chief. The Gospel of Jesus Christ that brings peace prepares us to march into the field of conflict and disaster and bring the Good News of a Savior’s help.

Second, With our Gospel shoes of peace on, we will be able to stand and fight more firmly and with greater endurance. I can’t imagine what it must be like to feel the despair of living in this lost world without the peace of God. In Christ, we are at peace with God, which guarantees our eternity, and we experience the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding. The one thing a true soldier doesn’t want to have to worry about is whether the next stone or stick on the path is going to so injure his foot that he won’t be able to stand and fight. And the one thing we don’t have to worry about is that the next tragedy, loss, or hardship in our lives is going to destroy the foundation upon which we stand, because we stand on the truth of the Gospel of peace.

The third and final point came to me this morning because of a misreading of a word. As I was reading one of the commentators on this subject, and he was saying that the shoes were part of the soldier’s defense against their foes, I read the word toes. My mind instantly went into high gear, thinking about how shoes protect my toes from injury. Some jobs even require steel-toed shoes for greater protection. Then I thought of how often the army of Jesus Christ is slowed and even stopped because someone’s toes were stepped on. When we are not adequately prepared with the Gospel of peace, people will be able to step on our toes. We will get offended by what they say, even if there is truth in it. We will build defenses. We will alienate ourselves from people. We will walk away from our church. We will carry a grudge. We will live in a state of conflict rather than in peace. And it’s all because we weren’t properly fitted with the Gospel of peace.

Many times we make the choice to focus on self rather than service. We make the choice to satisfy the flesh rather than the Father. We make the choice to be takers rather than givers in our relationships. We allow the personal to overwhelm the spiritual, and we have no peace. If this sounds like I’m stepping on your toes, then you’re exactly the one to whom I’m speaking. In the words of my grandfather, “I’m sorry if I stepped on your toes – I was aiming for your heart.”

My friends, the church of Jesus Christ must not be slowed down in its mission by people who are easily offended because they are not properly equipped with good shoes to protect their toes. If that’s you, then put your shoes on. The peace of God that comes from the security of your salvation and produces unchangeable worth will conquer your need to find value in others or in performance. That will resolve the issue of stubbed toes.

So let’s get ready to march with great endurance and focus on the mission of God. Get prepared with the Gospel of peace. His shoes always fit.

Pastor John

LifeLink  Devotions

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

We ended yesterday’s devotional with a thought about integrity. I would like to continue that thought today as we consider the breastplate of righteousness.

Ephesians 6:14  “Stand firm then, … with the breastplate of righteousness in place,“

For many, righteousness would be defined as doing the right thing. However, most of those people would reserve the right to define right. The standard for right has become self-generated. Many of the standards are based solely on one’s own personal opinion, preferences, and desires. Some of the standards are modeled after other people. Few of the standards for right today are modeled after absolute right, which is found only in God the Father and are possible to achieve only through His Son Jesus Christ.

The relationship between righteousness and integrity is significant. First, in its broadest sense, righteousness means to be in a state that one ought to be. People who live according to their own passions like this definition because they can convince themselves that they are as they ought to be. But when defined from the spiritual perspective, according to Scripture, the definition deepens. Spiritually, righteousness means to be in a state that God accepts. Paul declares the possibility of this when he says, “God made him (Christ Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” In Jesus we have been given the gift of God’s righteousness so we are acceptable to Him. Hallelujah! In Romans Paul says it this way: “The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brought condemnation upon everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness makes all people right in God’s sight and gives them life. Because one person disobeyed God, many people became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many people will be made right in God’s sight.”

But there is yet a deeper meaning to righteousness that brings integrity into play. Once we know we have been declared righteous by God from His perspective, we must then become righteous from our perspective so that we know we are in the state we ought to be. This is integrity. I was telling a group of young men that the most frustrating part of a Christian’s life – at least it is for me – is to be fighting to overcome fleshly desires that contradict God’s righteousness. The seventh chapter of Romans is all about this conflict within us. In a nutshell, it frustrates me to know what is the right thing to do, but then to have to fight against other desires in my heart that contradict that right thing. On the outside I may make the right choice, but on the inside I wish I could have done something else. For those who are in Christ Jesus, this battle can become so frustrating that we would join Paul in saying, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”  

The reason that we are frustrated is this – we have been born of the Spirit of God into His family, and the Holy Spirit is working to create the activity of righteousness that stems from our heart of righteousness so we will be people of integrity. But the transformation of our mind takes time and effort. So there is tension. But the goal of the work of the Holy Spirit in us is this – to bring us into the likeness of Christ. Jesus didn’t do the right things because He had to, but because it was His nature to. The Holy Spirit is working to bring that nature to the throne of each one of our lives so that who we are results in what we do. As we go through the process of renewing our mind (Romans 12:2), we obey because we have a goal of righteousness. The more we put on this breastplate and obey, the more our hearts will be transformed by our choices so that the flesh and its desires are overwhelmed by the nature and character of Christ already in us. Then we will be people of integrity, because our hearts and our actions will be in agreement. We will know that we are in the state we ought to be.

For encouragement, read Romans 8:1-17, where Paul gives his answer to the question “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, May 2, 2022

Since we are called to be prepared to accomplish the mission of Jesus Christ, we should consider the equipment that God has provided for our use.

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

To fully understand the symbolism of the belt, we must go back and think in terms of the Roman soldiers of Paul’s day. Their armor was heavy. They wore all the pieces described in Ephesians, plus some that aren’t described. But the first piece they put on was their belt. Remember, the belt back then didn’t hold up the pants as it does for us. They didn’t wear pants. The belt had three functions. First, it was designed to support a short metal skirt that protected the groin area of the soldier. Second, it had areas on it for hanging things, like the sword or a knife or a water skin. And third, it was large enough that the breastplate would rest on it. Imagine how hard it would have been to fight if the breastplate – that solid piece of formed metal that slipped over the head and covered the chest and back of the soldier – had to rest on his shoulders. He would have limited flexibility in his arms, and he would tire quickly from the weight. Instead, the breastplate was designed to fit into the belt and ride an inch or two above the shoulders, allowing for freedom of arm movement and putting the weight of the armor onto the strongest muscles in the body, the upper legs.

The belt was the foundation piece of the armor. It allowed the soldier to stand under the weight of the armor. It allowed him to move freely and fight efficiently and effectively. It’s no wonder then that Paul calls the foundation of our spiritual armor the belt of truth. Unfortunately, that’s where Satan’s biggest attack has been – against the truth. In fact, his first attack ever was against the truth in the Garden of Eden when he asked Eve, “Did God really say…” Truth is still under attack today. Truth has been redefined by our culture as “the reality of one’s experiences.” It makes truth relative to anyone’s situation. It seeks to abolish absolutes. But we who are in Christ know that there is a truth that endures for all time, because we know the One who is the Truth, Jesus.

But just knowing the truth is as useless as carrying a fanny pack filled with supplies that never get put to use. When I go hunting, I carry all my supplies in a small, camouflaged bag. I used to put them in a fanny pack. My son would laugh at me. Did that matter to me? Of course it did. Ridicule matters to all of us. But did it change me? NO! I don’t care how he carries his supplies, and I don’t need to change how I carry mine. The point is that we both carry the things we need to accomplish our mission. We are prepared.

How about you? Are you prepared with the truth of Jesus Christ? Are those truths carried with you into every part of your life? Are they easily accessible so you can use them whenever the situation requires them? The truth is of no value if it isn’t applied. The truth is not the product of your experience. The truth determines your experience. And in this passage, and nine others like it in the New Testament, the truth is a verb, and must be spoken.

That leads to one more point in the analogy. Integrity. Do your actions and your speech match? And are you satisfied that the life you are living on the outside is the true expression of who you are on the inside? Integrity. It’s part of wearing the belt of truth. It’s essential to being able to stand firm. 

Pastor John