LifeLink Devotions

Friday, October 6, 2023

I really don’t like to think about it. I’d rather not be reminded of it. Every ounce of self-protection in me screams for pain like that to be avoided. My flesh tries to convince me that I will never allow it to happen again, and in far too many cases the flesh wins. But the Spirit of the Living God in me says it will happen, and in fact it must happen to experience the fullness of Christ’s resurrection power.

This pain is caused by one thing – rejection: being despised by people for what I do, what I say, or just for who I am. It’s horrible. I’ve experienced it and I hate it. I have had people hide their faces from me, and it cuts to the core of my being. Sometimes my actions and words demanded correction, but never did I expect the people who were supposed to be my brothers and sisters in Christ to treat me so hatefully. It’s one thing to be rejected because of an unrepentant heart, but never should a person be despised by other Christ-followers just because we believe they have wronged us.

I’m not sure we understand how selfish it is to focus on how we have been wronged. It’s downright dysfunctional and sinful to focus on our hurts and then respond with hate towards the person who hurt us. Jesus is the proof of that.

Isaiah 53:3  “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

He came in love to save the sinful souls of mankind. They didn’t like what He said. They took His words as threats to their comfort zones. They despised Him and rejected Him. He suffered at their hands. He was hurt by them. Yet He never responded with hate. In fact, during the worst rejection anyone could ever experience, while hanging on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive them.

We have all been hurt. We have all been rejected. We may have experienced the sorrow and pain of being considered dead to someone. Being despised is horrible. But allowing their treatment of us to overwhelm the Spirit of God in us so that we return the hurt eventually causes more pain than the original rejection. When we suffer at the hands of men, we must focus on the fact that we are secure in the hand of God.

My friends, the day has arrived – the day Jesus promised would come – when at the hands of secular culture those who stand for the truth will be despised and rejected. We have three choices:

1. We can stop standing for the truth and compromise our lives with the world so the culture will accept us;
2. We can return hurt for hurt, and do harm to those who harm us;
3. We can consider ourselves blessed to suffer as Christ did and return love to whomever rejects us.

Just think of the emotional energy we will conserve if we choose option #3. Imagine the physical stress that will be avoided by choosing option #3. But greater than both of those combined is the fact that by choosing option #3, we will be avoiding spiritual darkness in our lives and keeping our enemy the Devil from establishing a foothold in our lives.

Choose Option #3. No longer allow love for self to dictate responses to people’s treatment of you. No longer allow our responses to be acts of vengeance. No longer model to others that we love self most by even secretly wishing that something bad will happen to those who hurt us. NO…choose this day and every day to stand with our Savior, secure in His eternal acceptance of us, knowing that He will never reject us, and that we will experience more of His resurrection power every time we suffer as He did. May everyone who ever hurts us or rejects us see only the love of God in us.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, October 5, 2023

From the beginning of human existence on the earth when God created Adam and Eve, we have been attracted to people and things that we believe add value to our lives. It doesn’t matter what the environment is like or what the influence of culture or society is, we have been given the God-image-bearing right of choice, and we tend to use it to serve ourselves. Just look at the historical record of what happened in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden –

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:6)

Eve did what we all do; she took her eyes off her perfect identity in Christ and began looking at what was humanly attractive.

Here’s what the Lord is teaching me about this:

• I have a hard time not wanting God to simply make this life better.
• The reason for that is that I don’t really believe that my spiritual life is more important than my physical life.
• God promised to take care of me physically if I put my spiritual life ahead of everything else.
• I must not really trust Him if I keep trying to provide for my physical needs ahead of my spiritual.
• God knew that we would all be in that same condition when He sent Jesus to be our Savior, so the human form Jesus took was totally unattractive to us, and the lifestyle He modeled and taught was unappealing to most.

Isaiah 53:2  “He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”

• There was nothing about the appearance, personality, or leadership style of Jesus that made people instantly want what He had.
• When the people of Israel wanted their first King, they chose Saul because he was the most physically qualified and attractive. Look where that got them.
• The crowds that followed Jesus did so primarily because they thought He would bring them the physical and political benefits they wanted. They were, like us, focused on the immediate and not on the eternal.
• The ENTIRE focus of the ministry of Jesus was to provide spiritual restoration and deliverance from the bondage of the physical. That is the ultimate goal of redemption, and all of creation cries out for that day when we will be delivered from the physical – so why do we spend so much time trying to nurture and strengthen what God wants destroyed?
• If we are attracted to Jesus because of what we think He offers us in this life, then we are missing the point of salvation. There are far too many teachers and preachers who proclaim that God and Jesus are your tickets to human wealth and health, when from the very beginning of His introduction to us God says that Jesus would come with absolutely no human attraction and that His purpose would be completely spiritual. All who come to Him for salvation must come on those terms.

I wonder what would be different about American Christian churches if we all understood this. I wonder how it would change our lives.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Have you ever thought about the correlation between the Gospel and Rambo? In case you don’t know who that is, he was a fictional movie character played by Sylvester Stallone.  Seems like a stretch of a metaphor, doesn’t it? But hang on.

A group of American soldiers are being held in a Vietnamese prison camp long after the war was supposed to be over. They knew their country loved them and wanted them back, but they had long ago given up hope that anyone was really looking for them. In their hearts they wanted to believe that no man would be left behind, but time had diminished their hope.

Finally, one man discovers evidence that there are soldiers being held prisoner and questions why no one is going to get them. The government officials are covering it up.  He is finally allowed to organize a mission and allowed to think that he will succeed, but behind the scenes the officials are plotting his failure.

Rambo works his way through the jungle to the place where the enemy holds the prisoners captive. It is heavily guarded and totally secluded. The conditions are horrible, and the prisoners are suffering severely. When the hero reveals himself to them, they refuse to believe that he has come for them, or that he has any power to rescue them. As a result, he gets caught by the enemy and tortured.

However, he escapes from his tormentors and begins an attack on the enemy that results in the destruction of the enemy camp and the release of the prisoners. As more and more explosions occur, more and more hope grows in the hearts of the prisoners until finally, when Rambo unlocks their cages, they embrace him and follow him to freedom. There would be more battles on the way out of the jungle, but they all now believed that they were going to make it.

Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Now, look at the story of the Gospel. For centuries the nation of Israel had been in bondage. There was hope based on their heritage and the prophecies declaring that the Messiah was coming and that He would set them all free. But time had diminished their hope. When He arrived the government officials denied who He was and convinced the people He had no real power to rescue them. They rejected Him and turned Him over to the enemy and He was tortured.

However, He overcame the torture and destroyed the enemy, setting the captives free and giving them a living hope. There are still battles being fought, but the power of the enemy has been overcome, and the Messiah is leading us to victory. Unfortunately, there are many who remain in prison because they choose not to believe.

As I said, it’s a stretch of a metaphor, but it serves to remind us of the answer to the question posed by Isaiah – “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

The answer?

ME!

And you too, if you have accepted what Jesus the Messiah did on the cross to pay the price for your freedom.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Isaiah 52:13    “See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”

The watchmen are lifting up their voices. They are shouting for joy. It is time for us to join them and burst into songs of joy together, for the Lord is coming to reign on the earth. (see Isaiah 52:8-9)

With those words the prophet Isaiah begins the last section of his book, declaring the coming of the Servant of the Lord to redeem the people of the world and reign as their King. I am so excited to study the remaining chapters of Isaiah which reveal the suffering and second coming of the Savior.

From the very beginning of Isaiah’s revelation of the Messiah, he lays the foundation of all redemption – the suffering servant who pays the price for man’s sin. After introducing Him to us as the servant who will act wisely, he declares that He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. This has two meaning within the context:

• In order to be raised and lifted up, He had to have been subjected to the worst possible human suffering; and
• He will be exalted over all those responsible for His suffering.

This so much more than doctrine. This is personal. Bask for a moment in the incredible joy of your salvation, paid for by the suffering servant. We must never grow weary of experiencing the pain of the suffering servant so that we might fully celebrate the redemption of our souls that He purchased.

The very first thing that Isaiah does after introducing us to the Servant of God who will be exalted is to tell us how terribly He suffered. He says, “…His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness…” I don’t know about you, but those words send a chill up my spine and bring tears to my eyes. Jesus Christ, the King of all eternity, became one of us and then suffered the most inhumane treatment ever given to any man so that He might fully bear the wrath of God against sin in His body. He was so brutally beaten that it disfigured Him. He was marred beyond human recognition. His love for you and me drove Him to willingly endure it all so that we might be saved. He could have called the angels of heaven to destroy all who were treating Him so unjustly, but He had me in mind and His love for me kept Him from seeking an escape from the pain.

Not only am I overwhelmed with thanksgiving and joy for what He did for me, but I am also feeling a little guilty about all the times I seek an escape from the pain of this life. I especially feel ashamed of all the times I have avoided the potential pain of personal rejection by remaining silent about my faith in Jesus Christ, all while saying I love Him.

What kind of love is embarrassed to be lived out publicly? What kind of love for Jesus do we really have when we can so easily put our own pleasure and well-being ahead of our commitment to living for Jesus every day? How dare we say that we love others the way Christ loved us when we so quickly evaluate every interaction with others and determine whether a statement or action of faith in Christ would bring negative results to our lives? What kind of love for Jesus is that?

We must begin to act wisely in these last days as the return of Jesus draws near. The Servant acted wisely by enduring all suffering because He loved God and God’s people. We must act wisely by declaring the love of God to the lost world around us through our actions and our words. We must never be motivated by pain, but always by the principle of love: not love for self which seeks to avoid pain, but love for God and others which endures all suffering for the sake of God’s glory.

My friends, let us act wisely, for in the end, we too will be raised and lifted up, and be highly exalted with our King. That’s what Jesus paid for.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, October 2, 2023

One of my most treasured memories of pastoral ministry is outdoor baptisms. I recall one Saturday afternoon standing on the banks of the Chippewa River with three people who were prepared to declare the joy of their salvation. Each testimony of salvation was unique and deeply moving as one by one they spoke to us the words of faith in Jesus Christ as the only hope for man’s soul. There were tears in their eyes as there were in the eyes of the audience that stood with them.

Each one then came down into the river with me, and a declaration of truth was made over their lives as they prepared to be immersed under the water. “This baptism does not save you. This water cannot wash away your sins. No act of man can, except the act of death on a cross by the Son of Man. This baptism is a public testimony of your faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ, who was buried in sin yet conquered the grave by being raised from the dead. This step of obedience to your Savior begins a life of power in the Holy Spirit to be a public witness for Jesus. You are declaring today that the old life of sin has been buried with Christ, and that you are now raised to new life in the risen Lord.”

Then, with their arms folded in front of them, in a symbolic act of surrendering their lives to Jesus, they completely surrendered their strength to me to bury them under the water and bring them back up again. As they were leaned backwards into the water, the words of Scripture were spoken over them: “You are buried with Christ in the likeness of His death.” Complete immersion representing complete burial of the old life. Then, as they were raised up out of the water, more Scripture was spoken: “So you are raised to newness of life.” Up from the symbolic grave of sin and death they arose to live for the rest of their lives as representatives of Jesus Christ.

I NEVER grow tired of seeing people make a public commitment to follow Jesus. They know they are not worthy. They know that they were in sin destined for eternal death. Yet without money or works of any kind, they were redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus is the full purchase price for the sin of man and is the only payment acceptable by the Father – Jehovah God. There is nothing we bring to Him as an offering. There is no exchange of anything of value, for we have nothing of value to offer God. In His eternal love for those created in His image but separated from Him by sin, He sent His One and Only Son to pay the price for our sin – death. Then, to validate the payment, God raised Jesus from the dead and sin was conquered for eternity for all who will come to Jesus for salvation.

Isaiah 52:3  “For this is what the LORD says: ‘You were sold for nothing, and without money you will be redeemed.’”

“Oh happy day, happy day, You washed my sin away. Oh happy day, happy day, I’ll never be the same; Forever I am changed.

And it’s FREE!

Never get tired of celebrating your salvation!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Friday, September 29, 2023

Some of us question why God allows natural disasters. The truth is that these events in nature – from earthquakes to hurricanes – are a part of God’s call to spiritual revival and renewal.

Ever since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, God has been using what Satan intended for evil to bring people to their spiritual knees. It is in that position that renewal begins. That’s where the compassion and comfort of God are found. That’s where joy and gladness begin. That’s where the sound of singing can be heard.

The whole story of the world since the Garden of Eden is one of restoration. Satan is convinced that he has enough power to destroy God’s creation, and he has been determined to do it. He is especially focused on people because we are created in God’s image. Nothing in the world is off limits to his vicious attacks. Nature itself with all its power has been corrupted by the influence of man’s sin, and Satan uses it to what he thinks is his advantage.

But Almighty God, the One and Only Sovereign Ruler of all eternity, is making all things new. No matter how bad it looks right now, God is in the process of returning joy and gladness. Someday, when Jesus returns and sin has been vanquished, the earth will be restored for the time of His Kingly reign.

The nation of Israel stands as an example of destruction and desolation.  Many nations seek control of the Middle east, without any Biblical support for their claims. God’s unconditional covenant with Abraham still stands, and Israel has the right to it all. Here’s what the Lord promised them. 

Isaiah 51:3-6 “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Listen to me, my people. Hear me, Israel, for my law will be proclaimed, and my justice will become a light to the nations. My mercy and justice are coming soon. Your salvation is on the way. I will rule the nations. They will wait for me and long for my power. Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth beneath. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!”

Storms are required for us to experience the wonder of renewal: and God’s renewal is guaranteed. Without storms we would never know God’s grace, which is sufficient for every need. We need the needs. While there may be weeping in the night, morning is coming and joy will be restored. That’s the promise of God. But it all starts on our knees, looking up to the One who brings us salvation that lasts forever. Spiritual renewal must be our first priority.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Thursday, September 28, 2023

I am thankful for my spiritual heritage. The first van Gorkom immigrants to America came from Holland to escape religious persecution. They settled in Pella, Iowa and began new lives of spiritual freedom. Eight generations later the Gospel is still the compelling reality in most of our lives.

Whether or not you have a spiritual lineage in your family, there is a spiritual heritage that is yours. God reminded the nation of Israel of their heritage when He told them to look back at the rock from which they were cut.

Isaiah 51:1    “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;”

God was referring to Abraham and Sarah, and He was asking them to reflect on all the ways He had fulfilled His covenant promises to them and their descendants. Based on that heritage, God renewed His commitment to them to fulfill every word He ever spoke.

You and I are a part of that same spiritual heritage. We have been cut from the Rock, Jesus Christ. Whether you are a first-generation believer or have a multi-generational heritage, we can look back to the same place of origin – the cross of Calvary where Jesus died to redeem us. We have the privilege of looking back at all the heroes of the faith that prepared the way for Jesus and then proclaimed the truth of His grace and power since He rose from the dead.

When God tells Israel to look back, He is reminding us to do the same. Look back at the spiritual heroes of the Bible. Look back at the spiritual heroes of your family. Look back at the life of Jesus, the greatest Hero of all. If you need help doing that, read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Then, digest the wonderful truths and challenge of what comes next from the heart of God –

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3)

The rock from which we were cut, and the quarry from which we were hewn, motivates the pursuit of righteousness and the seeking of the Lord.

So, look back and see the rock. Then look up and see the Rock. Then look ahead and see the rock you are becoming as you prepare for the return of the Rock. You are a part of the heritage.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Yesterday the Holy Spirit challenged us all to consider the True Light that shines in the darkest darkness of our hearts and lives.  What or whom do we really trust when times get tough? God designs the darkness so that we are brought face to face with the truth of our trust. That’s a reality many of us avoid facing. We want to think we really trust God, but when it gets dark, we tend to turn on our own lights first.

Following His great promise of Light in the darkness, God spoke these words.  

Isaiah 50:11 “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

Here’s a simple paraphrase: “But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon lie down in great torment.”

The natural tendency we all have is to create our own light to show us the way out of the darkness. We build our own campfires called comfort zones that will hopefully sustain us in the darkness and protect us from whatever lurks in the shadows.

We build campfires using firewood from friends, finances, and family.  We spend our daylight hours searching for more firewood so that when the darkness comes, we will be able to keep the fire burning. We even keep a pile of fast-burning wood like alcohol, drugs, sex, and money. It flares up quickly so we can get instant relief, even though we know that after it is burned up it will leave us in deeper darkness.

We carry flashlights powered by disposable batteries of human wisdom. We stock up on batteries for the impending storm by seeking the counsel and companionship of people. We look for the ones that will give us the most light for the longest time, knowing full well that even the bunny gets tired and copper tarnishes. That’s why we keep buying more – more self-help books, more counseling sessions, more internet time. Somewhere out there someone must be available who can really help us.

The problem with campfires and flashlights is that besides needing to always be powered by self-effort, they are motivated by fear. It is fear that makes us believe that fires and flashlights are necessary. When we finally admit that fear has taken over parts of our heart, we are on the way towards finding the eternal Light that shines in the darkness.

When fear is recognized and confessed, faith takes over. Now the True Light can shine, and it never needs to be stoked or stocked.  There is no human effort needed to keep the Light shining. It is powered by its own eternal nature, for God is Light!

Here’s what we need to do. First, let’s face our fears, and the best way to do that is to put out our campfires and shut off our flashlights. Go ahead – right now – fill a bucket with the Living Water of God’s Word and throw it on your fire. Then switch off the flashlight of human understanding. Go one step further – remove the batteries. Let it be dark with no hope of any human light. Now look up. Don’t look out into the darkness. Look up into the light of heaven. It may only appear as a twinkle at first, but when your eyes are on that twinkle you become unaware of the darkness around you. It’s only when you extinguish the fire and shut off the flashlight that you can see the stars. And when you do, fear is dissolved into faith!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

I enjoy camping. It’s relaxing. Campfires are the best part. I remember one camping trip with friends and family where the campfire was kept going all day long. Many conversations were held as we sat and watched the flames doing multi-colored dances above the firepit.

When the evening campfire chat had come to a conclusion, Denise and I realized we had not brought a flashlight with us to the campfire. It wasn’t a long walk back to our campsite, but it was very dark. I told my wife that it would be fine because I’m a bowhunter and I walk in the dark all the time when pursuing Bambi. After a subtle comment from someone around the campfire about me being in the dark all the time, we took off hand in hand to walk back to our camper.

When we got near it, I told her to follow me closely because there were obstacles in the path that could hurt if bumped into. She grabbed hold of my shirt and walked right behind me, trusting me to keep her safe. I didn’t lead her astray, and we arrived safely at the door.

The next morning when I got up, I read this verse in my devotions, and I was instantly taken back to that demonstration of trust.

Isaiah 50:10 “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.”

There is no further application necessary. You have sufficient insight from the Holy Spirit to apply the truth of this passage to your own periods of darkness. Let the Holy Spirit shed light on your path today.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions

Monday, September 25, 2023

Facebook has some value. I especially appreciate all the people who use it to share the Gospel and post Bible verses. One morning a particular post caught my attention.

“No one can know what anyone else is really thinking except that person alone, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world’s spirit) so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you this, we do not use words of human wisdom. We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.” (First Corinthians 2:11-13)

The Lord opened my ears. Just think of the truth in those verses. Our human rational thought process is incapable of knowing God and His plans for us. But He has given us His Spirit so we can know Him and know what He desires for us. We can know what God thinks of us. That’s simply amazing.

Then, as if that’s not enough, His Spirit also qualifies us to teach the spiritual truths to others. I wonder how many of us are not doing what God has planned for us because we don’t think we are qualified? How many people are eliminated from our prospect lists because we don’t think they are qualified? How many more servants of Jesus would become strong leaders for Jesus if we realized that He has called them and that we are the ones to help qualify them?

Isaiah 50:5  “The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back.”

God says there are two ways that we become unqualified for helping others with the spiritual truths God has given us:

1. We rebel against God. The word here means “open, contentious disobedience.” Some people are like that. They try to follow God, but when things don’t go according to their own desires and plans, they openly reject God and rebel against Him. Attitudes and actions like that keep us from teaching spiritual truths to others because we have become unteachable by the Holy Spirit.
2. We draw back from God. This is where I think many of us struggle. The Hebrew word used here means “to move away, turn back, and backslide.” Every time we step off the path of God and onto a path of our own making we are guilty of drawing back from God (Psalm 44:18). Every time we ignore what God has taught us and don’t apply it to our lives, we have drawn back from God. And even though we think it’s not really that serious, it is to God, and the punishment for drawing back is the same as for worshipping false gods. To be sure, read Zephaniah 1:4-6.

God has graciously saved us. He has filled us with His Spirit who teaches us all the spiritual truths we need for an abundant life of service to His Son. But we have drawn back into a comfort zone of culturally defined Christianity. It is time for us to ask the Lord to open our ears, and to pledge to Him that we will not rebel, and that we will not draw back.

Pastor John