LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, January 5, 2020

I am by nature impulsive. With tongue in cheek I blame my dad. His mantra while I was growing up was “DO IT NOW!” I don’t think he envisioned the outcome that is my reality.

There are too many areas of my life where I am impatient. It negatively affects most things I do. Projects don’t turn out as well as they could because I didn’t carefully consider every possibility. In the past I would create my Christmas list for the family and then end up buying things on the list before Christmas, ruining their gift to me. When an idea comes into my head, it is hard for me to resist taking immediate action. It even hurts my golf game. Why do in three shots what I might be able to accomplish in two? SPLASH!

But where impatience shows up the most is when it conflicts with the plan of God. Why wait for God’s timing when I may be able to influence the outcome more quickly.

Pause for a second and consider the deep motivation of such an impatient philosophy. Two things come to my mind. First, I don’t really trust God’s outcome. Second, I really want some recognition.

In John 9 there is an amazing story that begins with Jesus seeing a man who has been blind from birth. We are not told how old he is, but he is old enough to be recognized by the residents of the city as a beggar trying to survive. The disciples are curious as to why this man is blind.

Pause again and consider how often we place a priority on knowing the why of our circumstances. What really motivates that need? It comes to my mind that the need to know the why is rooted in a need to assign responsibility. We want to explain the circumstances of life in human terms so that they make sense to our finite minds.

Now read how Jesus answered.

John 9:3 “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Here are some lessons I am learning from this statement of Jesus.

• Our impatience contradicts our trust in God.
• Our impatience is in direct conflict with God’s purpose, which is to reveal His glory.
• Our impatience requires understandable explanations when God’s ways are not comprehensible to us.
• Our impatience demands immediate resolutions which may not fully reveal the work and power of God.
• Our impatience seeks human resolutions that limit the spiritual impact of God’s work.

Read the rest of the story. When this man’s vision was restored, it was far more than just his sight that weas restored. He got to see Jesus, and the absolute priority of his life was to declare Jesus to others.

Embrace what you are going through right now. God is preparing to do a mighty work which will open your eyes to His glory. Now, be patient and wait for it.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, January 4, 2021

Two days ago our house was filled with anticipation. The family had gathered to celebrate Christmas. It was a week later than normal, but we’ve come to expect that things will not be normal.

Each family arrived with boxes and bins packed with presents that had been carefully selected to express love and fulfill a dream. There were gifts for our five dollar exchange game we play. There were gifts for the grandchild name exchange. There were gifts from Grandpa and Grandma for each the children and grandchildren. There were gifts from the children to us.

After lunch, as we prepared for the giving of gifts, my mind started reviewing my on-line wish list. I wondered what I would receive. It was obvious from their responses to seeing their gift that others had done the same. Shouts of “It’s just what I wanted” were normal.

My gifts were not normal. My expectations were exceeded. My family went above and beyond the list to touch my heart. The gifts I received spoke love to me. They were not just gifts from a list, but gifts that showed me they knew me.

As we sat down for our Christmas dinner that evening, I could not control my emotions. I walked out of the kitchen as the family proceeded through the buffet line. I needed a moment to have a little joy-induced cry. I thought of all the threats to normal life that surround us, and I praised God and my Savior Jesus Christ that He is our Stronghold. He is our Defender. He is the Lover of our souls. There is nothing normal about Him, and yet everything about Him produces the perfect normal.

We are all filled with anticipation that life may someday be normal again. But my need for that dream to be fulfilled is fading. It is being replaced with a new normal.  I have discovered that the perceived benefits of normal in the past cannot be compared to the eternal benefits of living solely within the context of God’s gifts. As I observed my family on Saturday, I was convinced that while nothing in the world seems normal, the sharing of love is the normal I want.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, January 1, 2021

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As you reflect back on 2020, what did you not get?

Now you can answer that question from two perspectives. One would be the negative as you reflect on all the things you wanted but didn’t receive. You had goals that were unaccomplished. There were hopes and dreams that were unrealized. There were miracles you thought would come but weren’t in God’s plan. This perspective produces disappointment, discouragement, and maybe even despair.

You can also answer that question from a positive perspective. You could be thankful for all the things you didn’t receive. How many trips in the car did you make without an accident? How often were the weather reports wrong and you were protected from disaster? How blessed were you to not suffer financial loss? Imagine how many times you were protected from something far worse than what you consider to have been bad.

It is from the positive perspective that Mary sings the final verse of her song of praise for what the strong arm of the Lord has done.

Luke 1:54  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy…

Mercy is the act of not giving someone what they deserve. When I contemplate the blessings I have received in contrast to the condition of my heart, I am overwhelmed with the mercy of God. I realize that in the midst of all that went wrong last year, God helped me according to His mercy. Even though there were many hurts and losses, He withheld all that would have eternally hurt me. His mercy protected me from everything that would have caused me permanent loss. God’s mercy fulfills the promise of Romans chapter eight.

Romans 8:38-39  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As you enter this new year, I pray that the perspective of life we choose will be the one where we see God working on our behalf to protect us from eternal loss. I pray that in every inconvenience we will see God directing that moment to guard us from something worse. I pray that when the temptation comes to focus on the pain of the moment, we will instead focus on the Presence of the Master.

As God said through the prophet Jeremiah,  “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

The Lord taught Jeremiah and Mary to praise Him while in the midst of lamenting the hardships of life. May we do the same in 2021.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

He had established his reign as the most powerful world leader of his day. He had done everything possible to secure his position as both a political and a spiritual ruler. To maintain his control over his country, he used foreign slaves to increase productivity. His management methods were unjust. He treated people as nothing more than tools to be used to accomplish his own agenda and fill his own treasury. In addition, he tapped into the satanic realm to show spiritual power and authority, even demanding that he be considered a god.

The day came when the slaves cried out to their God Jehovah. They begged to be delivered from their four-hundred years of captivity. God heard their cries, and sent them a deliverer who was empowered by God to bring down the mighty Pharaoh from his throne and set the people free. God told the deliverer named Moses to speak to the people and tell them of His plan.

“Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.”(Exodus 6:6)

When Mary sang her song of praise and mentioned that God had shown the strength of His arm, I wonder if she thought of this story from her spiritual heritage? I think she did, based on the words she sang in Luke 1:52^.

“…he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate;”

 Over my lifetime I have witnessed the mighty being removed from their places of power. No matter how much authority they claimed and how much power they wielded, when they had served the purpose of God to accomplish His sovereign plan, they were removed. From small countries to major world powers, there is no ruler whose position is not sovereignly controlled by Jehovah God. NOT ONE!

I find myself getting bent out of shape by the political developments of our day. I find it easy to fall into the “How will this ever turn out well?” mode and I’m set up to worry. Praise is quickly overwhelmed by perceived predicaments. Praise is severely hindered when problematic predictions captivate my mind. Praise ceases when my trust in God’s sovereign control wavers.

But not Mary. She declared that God has shown His strong arm by bringing down the mighty from their thrones. The memory of God’s might is to encourage our praise that God is still mighty, and that He will bring down all those who oppose His purpose. Whether it is in governments, businesses, or churches, God is in control and will accomplish His glorious purpose to bring His kingdom to earth.

Praise Him for how He has and will exalt the humble.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, December 31, 2020

The principles of God’s Kingdom are many times upside down from the principles by which the world operates. They don’t seem rational to the person who is not controlled by the Spirit of God. The philosophy of the world for human existence is dictated by self-preservation and self-advancement.  That stands in stark contrast to God’s principles of spiritual life which are grounded in self-sacrifice.

My heart is heavy with the reality that so many people are trapped in the bondage of the world’s way of living. We get easily ensnared in the pursuit of personal gain. We become enamored with wealth and power, employing our energy to advance and secure both.  Bitterness caused by unforgiveness builds walls, and only people who agree with us are allowed access to our lives. The pursuit of personal gain has minimized our awareness of the needs of others. But the worst condition we have is that we justify such behavior as beneficial, normal, common, and acceptable to the social majority.

But God’s Kingdom principles turn our behaviors upside down if we follow them. Mary refers to one such principle in her song of praise found in Luke chapter 1.   As she proclaims the ways in which she has seen the strong arm of the Lord in action, she declares, “…he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”

Mary explains an eternal principle of spiritual life in the Kingdom of God: Pursuing what the world offers ends in emptiness, while remaining empty and pursuing God results in being filled with eternally good things.

The applications of this principle are too numerous to illustrate. The Holy Spirit is already convincing you of where it applies to your personal pursuits in life. My prayer is that you will listen to Him speak to you, and make whatever changes He suggests. There is nothing that this world can offer you that will be carried into God’s presence. There is nothing you can gain from this world that will produce the security you seek. There is nothing to gain from this world that can save your soul.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?(Mark 8:34-37)

Mary praised God because she trusted that He would always provide good things to those who come to Him hungry. May we learn to praise God in the same way. Do not come to Him with your good. Come to Jesus with nothing, and He will give you His good.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Once upon a time, mankind was united in its belief that God was approachable and attainable by human effort. Everyone in the world spoke the same language. One group of them agreed to build a city and a tower that would rise into the heavens. They wanted to make a name for themselves. Their goal was to become so powerful and famous as to never be conquered. In essence, they believed they could determine their own destiny. Their pride determined that God was irrelevant.

The Lord God came down and said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”

You may be familiar with this story known as the Tower of Babel from the book of Genesis. It is one of the memories Mary may have thought of when she recalled the strong arm of the Lord scattering the proud.

He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;(Luke 1:51)

Pride is the enemy of God. Pride stands opposed to the very nature of God. Pride was the cause of Satan’s fall from his high position in heaven. Pride causes us to believe that we are capable of managing life and that we do not need God.

It is significant that the first thing Mary refers to as a demonstration of the strength of God’s arm is that He scatters the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. Our thoughts are naturally prideful. Our choices are often motivated by self-serving pride. Our securities are built around our own abilities and accomplishments. We have worked very hard to make a name for ourselves. We believe we can determine our own destiny.

One of God’s greatest blessings of grace is when He scatters the proud thoughts of our heart and grants us the humble Spirit of Christ Jesus. If not for God’s strong arm accomplishing the scattering of pride in our lives, we would be misunderstood and unable to truly communicate and relate to others

Today, meditate on the ways that the strong arm of God is working on your behalf to conquer prideful thoughts that motivate life choices. Then praise God that He has shown His strong arm in conquering the pride of life and replacing it with a spirit of humility so you can serve Him faithfully.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Monday, December 28, 2020

As mentioned yesterday in church, this week’s devotionals will focus on how we can praise God for His faithfulness even as we face difficult and uncertain times. May I encourage you to listen to yesterday’s message if you missed it. This will help to establish context. https://youtu.be/K9GpqBPdiwg

If you don’t have time to do that, here’s a quick summary.  In Luke chapter two, when Mary was told by the angel that she would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Messiah, the Son of God, she agreed to accept the plan of God for her life. She specifically said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Be it unto me according to your word.” Mary accepted God’s plan even though it meant potential serious consequences. 

We discovered yesterday that there are two ways to be prepared for uncertain times. The first is to trust God with all outcomes. The second is to praise God for who He is and not make our praise contingent upon the outcomes. We closed the sermon with a challenge to study the faithfulness of God as revealed in the last few verses of Mary’s song of praise.  Here they are.

“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1:51-55

Look at those first three words. “He has shown.” Our praise to God is accentuated by recalling the ways God has shown Himself mighty in the past. So this week we will look at the things Mary remembered about the mighty works of God and be encouraged to trust God for what’s ahead.

The first thing Mary remembers about God is that He has shown strength with His arm. In Psalm 98:1 we read, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”  The prophet Isaiah declares, “Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him and his recompense is before him.”  (Isaiah 40:10) “The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10) God is to be praised because His strong arm has provided salvation for us, and in every situation of life He has a solution that will be our reward.

So here’s your exercise for today…make a list of the ways God has shown the strength of His arm to you.  It may be a time when He directly answered a prayer. It may be when He provided you comfort and peace during a crisis. Maybe it was a gracious reward He provided you. Or maybe, and most importantly, it should be a consistent awareness of our salvation that is not affected by the circumstances of life.

The foundation of praise is the character of God to faithfully act in accordance with His holiness. Your list will accentuate your praise as you remember how God has shown His mighty arm to you in the past.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Friday, December 25, 2020

There will be nineteen of us crammed into our small living room when the time comes to open presents. One by one children will sit in the middle of the floor and open a gift, followed by another and then another until all eleven of them have opened a gift. Then we will repeat that process until all the gifts have been opened. Each child will burst with excitement when they realize they got exactly what they had put on their list.  Each giver will receive a warm hug, a hearty thank-you, and the satisfaction of knowing that the gift will be used and enjoyed.

At least that’s how it’s supposed to go.  Unfortunately, some gifts don’t elicit the warm hug response without a parental push. Some gifts are pushed aside in favor of others. There is ample opportunity for the giver to feel unappreciated. 

When someone refuses to appreciate and accept a gift that was given as an expression of love, something very serious occurs: the giver of the gift has also been rejected. We may try to cover it up by assuring the giver that we still love them, even though the gift isn’t what we really need. But the fact is that when the giver knows about a real need, purchases the perfect gift, and offers the gift to us, our rejection of the gift is rejection of the giver.

Now listen carefully. From a heart of pure love, based on a real need, God gave the gift of Jesus to us. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes on Him will not perish but will have eternal life.” But the world has rejected the Gift and the Giver. 

We all have the same need.  Every one of us was born in sin, deserving of eternal death and separation from God. But God demonstrates His unique and eternal love for us by sending us Jesus Christ to die in our place. God’s love put His innocent Son on the cross as the purchase price of our forgiveness. Yet we reject His gift, hoping there’s another option that doesn’t require us to admit that we are at fault, and in doing so, we reject God. 

My dear friend, we are at fault.  Our sin has separated us from God. We are incapable of changing our condition. We are hopelessly lost. But God’s love for us provides a way for us. His gift of love to us is His Son Jesus. God did not give us the gift of working hard to earn our forgiveness. God gave us the gift of His Son doing all the work for us so we can be forgiven. God saw our need. God provided the gift to meet our need. God freely hands the gift to us. All we have to do is admit we need it.

 What will you do? Will you receive God’s gift, or reject it?

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Thursday, December 24, 2020

As I sit in my living room I am surrounded by reminders of the humble birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In this room alone I count eight nativities. In the dining room there are five more on the buffet. The hallway cabinet is topped with three more. Sixteen nativities within ten feet of me, and that’s not all of them.

Under the tree is a black bear nativity. On the mantle is the red Cardinal set we purchased in West Yellowstone.  On the lower shelf of the entertainment center are three hand-carved sets from various countries we have visited. One of them is carved into an olive tree log from Israel. But the most precious one to me is right next to me on the end table. The story of how we got it still brings tears to my eyes.

On my last trip to the Philippines over five years ago, I went in search of a nativity to bring home for Denise’s collection.  After stopping at multiple shops, including woodworking shops, I discovered that no one in the Philippines had any idea what a nativity set was. I was amazed. After WWII, every missionary organization in the world entered the Philippines to bring their brand of religion to the population.  There are churches from well-known denominations to obscure cults on almost every corner in the cities. Yet no one knew about nativities.  They were not a marketable product.

When I returned to the Bible College campus, I spoke with the Director and his wife, and shared how discouraged I was that I wouldn’t be able to bring Denise  Filipino nativity set. The subject soon changed to more important issues concerning the upcoming Pastor’s Conference where I would be speaking.

Two weeks later the time came for my departure. As I wandered around the campus saying goodbye to all the students and faculty, I was approached by the wife of the director who invited me to the main office.

As I entered the room I was greeted by one of my unofficial Filipino “daughters”, the wife of a good friend. She had a huge smile on her face that spoke clearly of a joyous surprise I was about to experience. She pointed to the table, on which was a neatly wrapped box. I was told to sit down and carefully open it. The two women excitedly took up their positions directly across the table from me where they could get the best view of my reaction.

As I began unwrapping the box I could see and hear the giddiness growing in them. When the paper was removed, I opened the box and looked inside. I immediately began to cry with big tears of joy and appreciation. There in front of me was a one-of-a-kind hand crafted nativity set that the two women had personally made for Denise. Every item in it except the little figurines was made from natural Filipino products. The basket was hand woven from grasses found in the mountains. The wood is native to the region where they live. The hemp was shaped to look like a start shining down on the baby. I slowly took in every detail through tear-swollen eyes.

Hugs flowed as freely as the tears. I don’t think I have ever in my life felt more gratitude for a gift. The ladies helped me repack it for the plane. The preciousness of the gift demanded it not be put in my suitcase. I packed my carry-on backpack into the suitcase and kept the gift on the plane with me.  

But this year more than ever, surrounded by all the precious nativities in our home, I realize that they are all just simple reminders of a gift far more precious – God’s gift of Jesus Christ to us and for us. This nativity is my favorite reminder. Of all the nativities on display, it is the one that draws the least attention from people. It is simple. It does not stand out and draw attention to itself. It is the perfect reminder of the arrival of Jesus.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotional

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

The announcement of a newborn baby creates enthusiasm. I suspect that the chemical released into the brain to produce euphoria has a serious side effect. It seems to block the neuro-transmitters required to make good decisions.

The day our son Joshua was born we made calls to all our family and friends to announce the birth. The next day, two of those family members asked us how long Denise would be in the hospital. I wondered why they were asking. I suspected they were making plans to show up at our house.

I was right. If you have been following my journey through Christmas past you understand the importance of my family’s togetherness during the holidays. So, on Christmas Eve, the day we brought Joshua home from the hospital, my parents and one of my brothers showed up to celebrate Christmas. The enthusiasm of a newborn plus the tradition of family togetherness motivated a decision that wasn’t practical and was very inconvenient.

We lived in a small ranch-style home with three bedrooms and only one bathroom. There was a family room in the basement that otherwise was unfinished. Our six-year old daughter had one bedroom with a single bed. Our four-year old son had another bedroom with a single bed. My wife and I had the third bedroom with a queen-sized waterbed. There were no other beds in the house except the hide-a-bed sofa in the living room. Mom and dad claimed that.

My brother’s family of four claimed the family room. Air mattresses were inflated. Sleeping bags were unrolled. Children in underwear were tolerated.

Our house was heated with the wood stove in the family room. To maintain a consistent temperature of seventy-two degrees upstairs, the basement of the house was over eighty-five degrees. The countertop in the corner was stacked with clothing that was removed for survival in what came to be known as the basement beach.

At first the inconveniences of all that company were overwhelming. So much so that as I searched our family photo archives I did not find a single picture from that Christmas. But as I look back on it now, I realize I learned a lesson that has stuck with me. Why would I allow those invasions of my comfort zones to affect me the way they did? Our family was there to worship the newborn King lying in a manger in a stable in an unfamiliar place. How could my inconveniences be compared to them?

The entrance of our Savior into this world exploded the comfort zones of many. Mary gave birth in a stable after a long and uncomfortable journey, with no support from family or friends. Joseph must have dealt with feelings of failure as a husband and father for not providing adequately for his wife and baby. The shepherd’s livelihood was threatened when the angel instructed them to leave their sheep alone in the fields and go find baby Jesus. Magi began an almost two-year journey from their homeland to a place they had never been with an outcome that would threaten their lives.

I believe we all suffer from varying levels of self-protection of our comfort zones. The avoidance of inconvenience limits our understanding of God and our experience of His presence and power. I am learning to embrace inconvenience. I am growing in my understanding of God’s goodness by asking Him to manage outcomes. My comfort zones have ever-expanding walls, allowing for greater experience with a limitless God. My prayer is that God will continue to surprise me with inconveniences.

Pastor John